“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” led ticket sales for the fourth straight weekend in U.S. and Canadian theaters with $40 million as the global haul for the Universal Pictures release surpassed $1 billion, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Nintendo videogame adaptation dominated the month of April in theaters, smashing …
your ad hereStudy Points to Better Care for Babies Born to Opioid Users
Babies born to opioid users had shorter hospital stays and needed less medication when their care emphasized parent involvement, skin-to-skin contact and a quiet environment, researchers reported Sunday. Newborns were ready to go home about a week earlier compared to those getting standard care. Fewer received opioid medications to reduce …
your ad hereChinese Man Who Reported on COVID to Be Released After 3 Years
Chinese authorities were preparing Sunday to release a man who disappeared three years ago after publicizing videos of overcrowded hospitals and bodies during the COVID-19 outbreak, a relative and another person familiar with his case said. Fang Bin and other members of the public who were dubbed citizen journalists posted …
your ad hereEU Tech Tsar Vestager Sees Political Agreement on AI Law This Year
The European Union is likely to reach a political agreement this year that will pave the way for the world’s first major artificial intelligence (AI) law, the bloc’s tech regulation chief, Margrethe Vestager, said on Sunday. This follows a preliminary deal reached on Thursday by members of the European Parliament …
your ad hereGrowing Demand in US to Censor Library Books
The American Library Association says there were a record number of demands to censor U.S. library books last year, nearly double the challenges from the previous year. For VOA, Deana Mitchell takes us to a Texas town that is considering closing its library to block a court ruling ordering the …
your ad hereEthiopian Youth Festival Begins Months After Peace Deal
A U.S.-sponsored youth festival opened Saturday in Ethiopia with the theme “Be Inspired, Own Your Future.” The two-day festival is being held just months after a bloody two-year civil war ended in Ethiopia’s Tigray region and as peace talks begin with the rebel Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). Nearly 20,000 youth …
your ad hereDust to Dust? New Mexicans Fight to Save Old Adobe Churches
Ever since missionaries started building churches out of mud 400 years ago in what was the isolated frontier of the Spanish empire, tiny mountain communities like Cordova relied on their own resources to keep the faith going. Thousands of miles from religious and lay seats of power, everything from priests …
your ad hereErdogan, Back on Election Trail, Unveils Turkey’s First Astronaut
Turkey’s first astronaut will travel to the International Space Station by the end of the year, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday. Air force pilot Alper Gezeravci, 43, was selected to be the first Turkish citizen in space. His backup is Tuva Cihangir Atasever, 30, an aviation systems engineer at …
your ad hereLife-size Sculpture of Euthanized Walrus Unveiled in Norway
A walrus that became a global celebrity last year after it was seen frolicking and basking in a Oslo fjord before it was euthanized by the authorities has been honored with a bronze sculpture in Norway. The life-size sculpture by Norwegian artist Astri Tonoian was unveiled Saturday at the Oslo …
your ad hereZoonomia: Genetic Research Reveals All We Share with Animals
By comparing the genetic blueprints of an array of animals, scientists are gaining new insights into our own species and all we share with other creatures. One of the most striking revelations is that certain passages in the instructions for life have persisted across evolutionary time, representing a through line …
your ad hereWelcome to Washington’s First Alcohol-Free Bar
While a clear majority of Americans still drink alcohol, many others choose to skip it.. As the US marks April as Alcohol Awareness month, the nondrinkers in Washington can head to a perfect bar, called Binge Bar – Washington’s first booze-free bar. Karina Bafradzhian has the story. Video: David Gogokhia …
your ad hereChina’s Mars Rover Finds Signs of Recent Water in Sand Dunes
Water may be more widespread and recent on Mars than previously thought, based on observations of Martian sand dunes by China’s rover. The finding highlights new, potentially fertile areas in the warmer regions of Mars where conditions might be suitable for life to exist, though more study is needed. Friday’s …
your ad hereStory Behind DNA Double Helix Discovery Gets New Twist
The discovery of DNA’s double helix structure 70 years ago opened up a world of new science — and also sparked disputes over who contributed what and who deserves credit. Much of the controversy comes from a central idea: that James Watson and Francis Crick — the first to figure …
your ad hereElephant Seals Get By On Two Hours Sleep, Underwater
The world record for the least sleep in a day among mammals goes to elephant seals, according to new research. …
your ad hereSouth Africa’s Power Crisis Causing Antivenom Shortage
Snake experts in South Africa say an energy crisis is partly to blame for a shortage of antivenom in sub-Saharan Africa that has left at least three people dead in the past three weeks. South Africa supplies antivenom to the region, but frequent power cuts have made it harder to …
your ad hereResearchers Discover Possible Roots of Gray Hair
Scientists at New York University have untangled what they believe is the mystery behind the graying of hair. The discovery offers hope to individuals who spend considerable time and money at hair salons to ward off this evidence of aging, but hair colorists say they don’t think they will be …
your ad hereUruguay Foundation Prints Free 3D Prosthetic Hands, Arms
The first thing 11-year-old Mia Rodriguez says she did with her new prosthetic hands was draw a picture of a kitten. The Uruguayan girl, whose fingers never fully developed, put on the prosthetic hands and demonstrated the grasping movement she can now make. “Now I can hold the pencil with …
your ad hereSudden Ocean Warming Spike Stirs Concern
Ocean temperatures have spiked well above record levels in the last few weeks, and scientists are trying to figure out what it means and whether it forecasts a surge in atmospheric warming. Some researchers think the jump in sea surface temperatures stems from a brewing and possibly strong natural El …
your ad hereJerry Springer, Politician-Turned-TV Ringmaster, Dies at 79
Jerry Springer, the onetime mayor and news anchor whose namesake TV show featured a three-ring circus of dysfunctional families willing to bare all on weekday afternoons including brawls, obscenities and blurred images of nudity, died Thursday at 79. At its peak, “The Jerry Springer Show” was a ratings powerhouse and …
your ad hereUS Adult Cigarette Smoking Rate Hits New All-Time Low
U.S. cigarette smoking dropped to another all-time low last year, with 1 in 9 adults saying they were current smokers, according to government survey data released Thursday. Meanwhile, electronic cigarette use rose, to about 1 in 17 adults. The preliminary findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are …
your ad hereYoon’s ‘American Pie’ Stuns Biden
From discussing nuclear war to belting out a beloved hit: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s White House visit ended on a high note when he sang Don McLean’s “American Pie” to great applause. Yoon is on a six-day state visit to Washington, where he discussed with U.S. President Joe …
your ad hereJolie, Salonga, Chloe Kim Glam Up State Dinner for SKorea
Actor Angelina Jolie, home improvement duo Chip and Joanna Gaines and Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim headlined the list of big names from politics, business, sports and entertainment glamming up a fancy black-tie dinner that U.S. President Joe Biden hosted Wednesday for South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. Broadway’s Lea Salonga, …
your ad hereArtificial Intelligence Can Create, But Lacks Creativity, Say Critics
Artificial intelligence, or AI, could potentially transform arts and entertainment, from music to movies, but it is also raising concerns. Is AI a creative tool or a threat to creators and artists? VOA’s Mike O’Sullivan examines the question. …
your ad hereFugees Rapper ‘Pras’ Found Guilty of Political Conspiracy
A Fugees rapper accused in multimillion-dollar political conspiracies spanning two presidencies was convicted Wednesday after a trial that included testimony from such witnesses as actor Leonardo DiCaprio and former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Prakazrel “Pras” Michel was accused of funneling money from a now-fugitive Malaysian financer through straw donors …
your ad hereEU Agency Calls for Cuts in Pesticide Use as Monitors Find Excessive Levels
The European Union’s environment agency on Wednesday urged member states to reduce pesticide use over concern that sales of harmful chemicals remain strong despite its effects on human health and biodiversity. The warning comes amid findings that one or more pesticides were detected above thresholds of concern at 22% of …
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