Banned from using popular Western apps, Iranians have been left with little choice but to take up state-backed alternatives, as the authorities tighten internet restrictions for security reasons following months of protests. Iranians are accustomed to using virtual private networks, or VPNs, to evade restrictions and access prohibited websites or …
your ad hereOff-Grid Solar Brings Light, Time, Income to Remotest Indonesia Villages
As Tamar Ana Jawa wove a red sarong in the fading sunlight, her neighbor switched on a light bulb dangling from the sloping tin roof. It was just one bulb powered by a small solar panel, but in this remote village that means a lot. In some of the world’s …
your ad hereChile’s Firefighting Goats Protect a Forest From Deadly Blazes
In the southern Chilean city of Santa Juana, hit hard by wildfires earlier this year, locals have a special taskforce helping fight blazes: a herd of goats. The goats have already saved the native forest of the Bosques de Chacay once in February, preventing the park from being consumed by …
your ad hereAudio Book Narrators Say AI Is Already Taking Away Business
As people brace for the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence on jobs and everyday living, those in the world of audio books say their field is already being transformed. AI has the ability to create human-sounding recordings — at assembly-line speed — while bypassing at least part of the services …
your ad hereHobbit Houses Spring Up in Bosnia Hills
Four sisters are building the first Hobbit-style village in southeast Europe in the green hills of central Bosnia, hoping to attract fans of “The Lord of the Rings” books and movies as well as sharing their childhood memories. “We have often held family gatherings on this hill and discussed what …
your ad hereLast Known Speaker Fights to Preserve South African Indigenous Language
When she was a girl in South Africa’s Northern Cape, Katrina Esau stopped speaking her mother tongue, N|uu, after being mocked by other people and told it was an “ugly language.” Now at age 90, she is the last known speaker of N|uu, one of a group of indigenous languages …
your ad herePlump Chicago Snapping Turtle Captured on Video, Goes Viral
Footage of a plump snapping turtle relaxing along a Chicago waterway has gone viral after the man who filmed the well-fed reptile marveled at its size and nicknamed it “Chonkosaurus.” Joey Santore was kayaking with a friend along the Chicago River last weekend when they spotted the large snapping turtle …
your ad herePlatypus Returns to Australian National Park for First Time Since 1970s
The platypus, a species unique to Australia, was reintroduced into the country’s oldest national park just south of Sydney on Friday in a landmark conservation project after disappearing from the area more than half a century ago. Known for its bill, webbed feet, and venomous spurs, the platypus is one …
your ad hereG7 Plans New Vaccine Effort for Developing Nations
The Group of Seven (G-7) rich nations is set to agree on establishing a new program to distribute vaccines to developing countries at next week’s summit of leaders, Japan’s Yomiuri newspaper said Saturday. In addition to the G-7, G-20 nations such as India and international groups such as the World …
your ad hereSwedish Singer Loreen Wins Eurovision Song Contest With ‘Tattoo’
Swedish singer Loreen won the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday night with her power ballad “Tattoo,” at a colorful, eclectic music competition clouded for a second year running by the war in Ukraine. The diva from Stockholm beat acts from 25 other countries to take the continent’s pop crown at …
your ad hereIt’s Eurovision Time! Here’s How the Contest Works and Who to Watch For
Sprinkle the sequins and pump up the volume: The 67th Eurovision Song Contest reaches its climax on Saturday with a grand final broadcast live from Liverpool. There will be catchy choruses, a kaleidoscope of costumes and tributes to the spirit of Ukraine in a competition that for seven decades has …
your ad hereElon Musk Names NBCUniversal’s Yaccarino as New Twitter CEO
Billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk on Friday named NBCUniversal executive Linda Yaccarino as the chief executive officer of social media giant Twitter. From his own Twitter account Friday, Musk wrote, “I am excited to welcome Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO of Twitter! (She) will focus primarily on business operations, …
your ad hereMalawi Rolls Out Nationwide Typhoid Vaccination Campaign
Malawi has launched a nationwide rollout of the newest typhoid vaccine for children under 15. A two-year study of the vaccine, the first in Africa, found it safe to use and effective in more than 80% of recipients. Health authorities say the vaccine is expected to reduce the threat from …
your ad hereApple to Launch First Online Store in Vietnam
Apple will launch its first online store in Vietnam next week, the company said Friday, hoping to cash in on the country’s young and tech-savvy population. The iPhone maker is among a host of global tech giants including Intel, Samsung and LG, that have chosen Vietnam for assembly of their …
your ad hereHow A Theater Production Helped Ukrainian Refugees Amid War
Thousands of Ukrainians fleeing the war found refuge in the small town of Uzhhorod in Ukraine. A local theater director decided to stage the Shakespearean play, King Lear, to help refugees find some normalcy during the war. They were surprised by what happened next. Angelina Bagdasaryan has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. Camera: Vazgen Varzhabetian …
your ad hereStunning Mosaic of Baby Star Clusters Created From 1 Million Telescope Shots
Astronomers have created a stunning mosaic of baby star clusters hiding in our galactic backyard. The montage, published Thursday, reveals five vast stellar nurseries less than 1,500 light-years away. A light-year is nearly 9.7 trillion kilometers. To come up with their atlas, scientists pieced together more than 1 million images …
your ad hereWHO Declares Mpox No Longer Global Health Emergency
The World Health Organization on Thursday declared mpox — formerly known as monkeypox — no longer poses a global public health emergency. At a briefing at agency headquarters in Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organization’s emergency committee on mpox met and recommended the multi-country outbreak no longer …
your ad hereVienna Sets Trend in Gender-Friendly City Planning
Austria, has been ranked by The Economist as the most livable city in the world and it is also the pioneer of adopting a gender-inclusive urban design. For VOA, Chermaine Lee reports from Vienna. …
your ad hereInsects, Butterflies Find Home in Museum’s New Wing
A new wing of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City officially opened to the public in in early May. The futuristic space features new galleries including an insectarium, butterfly vivarium, floor-to-ceiling collections displays and more. Evgeny Maslov has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. Camera: Vladimir Badikov …
your ad hereViral Hepatitis Deaths Projected to Exceed HIV, TB, and Malaria Combined by 2040
Health agencies warn that viral hepatitis could kill more people by 2040 than HIV, tuberculosis and malaria combined if it remains a neglected disease and efforts to fight it remain underfunded. The World Health Organization reports every year that viral hepatitis, a potentially life-threatening liver infection, affects more …
your ad hereDNA ‘Reference Guide’ Expanded to Reflect Human Diversity
For two decades, scientists have been comparing every person’s full set of DNA they study to a template that relies mostly on genetic material from one man affectionately known as “the guy from Buffalo.” But they’ve long known that this template for comparison, or “reference genome,” has serious limits because …
your ad hereUS Returns Two Stolen 7th-Century Antiquities to China
The United States returned two looted antiquities to China, the latest in a wave of repatriations of artifacts stolen from more than a dozen countries, New York authorities announced Tuesday. The two 7th-century stone carvings, currently valued at $3.5 million, had been sawn off a tomb by thieves in the …
your ad hereWill Artificial Intelligence Take Away Jobs? Not Many for Now, Says Expert
The growing abilities of artificial intelligence have left many observers wondering how AI will impact people’s jobs and livelihoods. One expert in the field predicts it won’t have much effect, at least in the short term. The topic was a point of discussion at the annual TED conference held recently …
your ad hereTucker Carlson Will Bring His Show to Twitter After Leaving Fox
Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who was taken off the air by the network last month, said on Tuesday he would relaunch his show on Twitter “soon.” Fox News Media and its top-rated host agreed to part ways last month, shortly after parent company Fox Corp. settled for $787.5 …
your ad hereChinese Woman Appeals in Fight for Right to Freeze her Eggs
An unmarried Chinese woman on Tuesday began her final appeal of a hospital’s denial of access to freeze her eggs five years ago in a landmark case of female reproductive rights in the country. Teresa Xu’s case has drawn broad coverage in China, including by some state media outlets, since …
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