From “Star Wars” to “Jaws” to “Schindler’s List,” John Williams has written many of the most instantly recognizable scores in cinema history. The 91-year-old is already the oldest person to receive an Oscar nomination for a competitive award, which he earned thanks to his spare yet poignant compositions for Steven …
your ad hereUS Lifts COVID Test Requirement for Chinese Travelers
A requirement that travelers to the U.S. from China present a negative COVID-19 test before boarding their flights expired Friday after more than two months as cases in China have fallen. The restrictions were put in place December 28 and took effect January 5 amid a surge in infections in …
your ad hereNASA’s Artemis Moon Missions Promise Diverse Crews
By launching an unmanned capsule into space, sending it around the moon and bringing it back to Earth in November, NASA demonstrated how it will once again transport astronauts to the lunar surface — a core goal of the Artemis program. What remains to be seen is who will crew …
your ad hereAfrican Ministers in Malawi Discuss Cholera Outbreaks
The World Health Organization has called for Africa to step up the fight against cholera, which in the last year killed more than 3,000 people in 12 African countries, with more than half the victims dying in Malawi’s record outbreak. The global health body and the Africa Centers for Disease …
your ad hereUkrainian Art Exhibition Opens in LA; Aims To Raise Money To Build Children’s Hospital
An exhibition of Ukrainian traditional clothing and unique art pieces opened in Los Angeles to support Ukrainian artists. The goals are twofold, help the artists but also help children in Ukraine. Khrystyna Shvchenko has the story. …
your ad hereHeat Takes Toll as Iditarod Mushers Trek Across Alaska
Mushers and their dogs in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race face plenty of variables in the Alaska wilderness. An unexpected one this year has been heat that is taking a toll in a sport better suited for temperatures well below zero. Jason Mackey said a thermometer hanging from the …
your ad hereUS Semiconductor Manufacturing Expected to Ramp Up With New Deal
A global shortage of semiconductor chips in the automotive industry starting in 2020 has motivated many countries to increase their domestic manufacturing. The United States has allocated more than $50 billion to promote semiconductor production and research stateside as the global need for the chips is expected to double over …
your ad hereRobert Blake, Emmy-Winning Actor Acquitted in Wife’s Killing, Dies at 89
Robert Blake, the Emmy award-winning performer who went from acclaim for his acting to notoriety when he was tried and acquitted in the killing of his wife, died Thursday at age 89. A statement released on behalf of his niece, Noreen Austin, said Blake died from heart disease, surrounded by …
your ad hereLa Nina, Which Worsens Hurricanes and Drought, Is Gone
After three nasty years, the La Nina weather phenomenon that increases Atlantic hurricane activity and worsens Western drought is gone, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said Thursday. That’s usually good news for the United States and other parts of the world, including drought-stricken northeast Africa, scientists said. The …
your ad hereUS Requires New Info on Breast Density With All Mammograms
All U.S. women getting mammograms will soon receive information about their breast density, which can sometimes make cancer harder to spot. The new requirements, finalized Thursday by the Food and Drug Administration, are aimed at standardizing the information given to millions of women following scans to detect breast cancer. Regulators …
your ad hereWHO Chief: Too Much Salt Can Kill You
Sodium is essential for the smooth functioning of muscles and nerves and maintaining the proper balance of water and minerals. But too much sodium in the diet can kill. “Almost 2 million deaths each year are associated with excessive sodium intake,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health …
your ad hereBurkina Faso Film Festival Highlights Security Threats
The security crisis in Burkina Faso has impacted every aspect of society, including its film industry. The 28th edition of the Pan-African Film & TV Festival of Ouagadougou, or FESPACO, which ended earlier this month [March 4], reflected this difficult situation both on and off screen. Reporters Yacouba Ouedraogo and …
your ad hereChina Criticizes Dutch Plan to Curb Access to Chip Tools
China’s government on Thursday criticized the Netherlands for joining Washington in blocking Chinese access to technology to manufacture advanced processor chips on security and human rights grounds. A Dutch minister told lawmakers Wednesday that exports of equipment that uses ultraviolet light to etch circuits on chips would be restricted on …
your ad hereWhat to Know About Prescription Drugs Promising Weight Loss
WeightWatchers, the 60-year-old diet firm, announced this week it would acquire a telehealth company whose providers prescribe anti-obesity drugs for growing numbers of eager online subscribers. The $132 million deal with Sequence is just the latest commercial push into the red-hot market for prescription drugs that promises significant weight loss. …
your ad herePlastic Entering Oceans Could Nearly Triple by 2040, Research Finds
Plastics entering the world’s oceans have surged by an unprecedented amount since 2005 and could nearly triple by 2040 if no further action is taken, according to research published on Wednesday. An estimated 171 trillion plastic particles were afloat in the oceans by 2019, according to peer-reviewed research led by …
your ad hereNetherlands Responds to US China Policy With Plan to Curb Semiconductor Tech Exports
The Netherlands’ government on Wednesday said it planned new restrictions on exports of semiconductor technology to protect national security, joining the United States’ effort to curb chip exports to China. The U.S. in October imposed sweeping export restrictions on shipments of American chipmaking tools to China, but for the restrictions …
your ad hereAre Americans Ready for More Drone Deliveries?
Drones are routinely used in warfare, law enforcement and agriculture. Now more and more U.S. businesses are using them to deliver cookies and coffee right to your front door. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more. Camera: Adam Greenbaum, Chad Baugh …
your ad hereCalifornia Desert Draws Artists from Bangladesh and Mexico
California’s desert is drawing artists from Bangladesh and from Mexico to the Coachella Valley for an unusual exhibition called Desert X. For VOA, Genia Dulot went to see. …
your ad hereGender Equity in Focus on International Women’s Day
Wednesday is International Women’s Day with a theme this year focusing on the need for gender equity. The annual observance, which dates to 1911 and fights for women’s rights, is a day for people everywhere to celebrate the achievements of women across society. The United Nations is putting the focus …
your ad hereIn Indian Kashmir, Women Work for Survival of Traditional Music
When entrepreneur Sana Bhatt decided to set up a studio, she hardly knew if people would appreciate her efforts to revive traditional music on the Indian side of Kashmir. Prior to the launch of the studio, the 24-year-old approached many local artists to sing songs on a set that that …
your ad hereKey US Intelligence Official Casts Shade on TikTok, Chinese Tech
Add a top U.S. intelligence official to the list of Americans expressing concern about Chinese-made technology and Chinese social media platforms like TikTok. General Paul Nakasone, who heads both the U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, told lawmakers Tuesday there are multiple reasons to be wary of China’s …
your ad hereFrance Reports Bird Flu in Foxes Near Paris, WOAH Says
France has reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu among red foxes northeast of Paris, the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) said on Tuesday, as the spread of the virus to mammals raised global concerns. After three foxes were found dead in a nature reserve in Meaux …
your ad hereArts Festival Targets Youth Unemployment
Young artists everywhere struggle to earn a living but that’s especially true in South Africa, where youth unemployment is more than 43 percent. The International Public Art Festival is trying to help bridge that gap by connecting young artists with companies seeking creative marketing. Vicky Stark reports from Cape Town, …
your ad hereUS NSA Director Concerned by TikTok Data Collection, Use in Influence Operations
U.S. National Security Agency director Paul Nakasone on Tuesday expressed concern about Chinese-owned video app TikTok’s data collection and potential to facilitate broad influence operations. In response to a lawmaker’s question about any concerns he has on the influence of TikTok on American children, Nakasone told a Senate hearing, “TikTok …
your ad hereFleeing Russia: Exiled Artist’s Work Traces Soviet Roots of Ukraine Invasion
Several hundred thousand Russian citizens are thought to have fled their home country since February of last year, when the Kremlin launched its invasion of Ukraine. While no official figures exist, some estimates put the figure at close to one million people. The exodus includes Russian citizens seeking to avoid …
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