KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — The director and producer of a banned Malaysian film that explores the afterlife were charged Wednesday with offending the religious feelings of others in a rare criminal prosecution of filmmakers, slammed by critics as an attack on freedom of expression. Mohamad Khairianwar Jailani, the director and co-scriptwriter …
your ad hereUS Lawmakers Push for Limits on American Investment in China Tech
Capitol Hill — U.S. lawmakers renewed calls Wednesday to pass bipartisan legislation that would restrict American investment in Chinese technology. “It should come as no surprise that China’s military and surveillance state are exploiting loopholes in U.S. policy to access billions of U.S. investment dollars and expertise. We know that U.S. …
your ad hereUN Concerned by Spread of Cholera to 10 African Countries
Harare, Zimbabwe — The U.N.’s Children’s Fund expressed alarm this week about a cholera outbreak in Africa that has spread to at least 10 countries, with the situation in Zambia and Zimbabwe “very serious.” Dr. Paul Ngwakum, the regional health adviser for UNICEF in East and Southern Africa, said about 200,000 …
your ad hereAustralia Outlines Plan to Manage the Rise of Artificial Intelligence
sydney — The Australian government is considering new laws to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in “high-risk” areas such as law enforcement and self-driving vehicles. Voluntary measures also are being explored, such as asking companies to label AI-generated content. The country has outlined its plan to respond to the rapid …
your ad hereKenya Embarks on its Biggest Rhino Relocation Project; Previous Attempt Was a Disaster
nairobi, kenya — Kenya has embarked on its biggest rhino relocation project and began the difficult work Tuesday of tracking, darting and moving 21 of the critically endangered beasts, which can each weigh over a ton, to a new home. A previous attempt at moving rhinos in the East African nation …
your ad hereSmoking Declines Globally as Vaping, E-Cigarette Use Soars
geneva — While new data show that smoking globally is on the decline, the World Health Organization warns that this good news is being undercut by an alarming rise in the use of e-cigarette and vaping devices, especially among children. “It is an alarming increase in the last four to five …
your ad hereProfessional Riders Brave Eight Seconds on a Bucking Bull
In the Western United States, professional bull riders risk serious injury on the back of bulls that can weigh more than 700 kilograms. But eight seconds on a bucking beast can mean thousands of dollars. VOA’s Scott Stearns takes us to the show. …
your ad hereList of Top Emmy Award Winners
LOS ANGELES — List of the top winners of the prime-time Emmy Awards. BEST DRAMA SERIES: “Succession” BEST COMEDY SERIES: “The Bear” BEST LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES: “Beef” ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES: Kieran Culkin, “Succession” ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES: Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear” ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES: …
your ad here‘Succession’ dominates drama Emmys, ‘The Bear’ claims comedy, Brunson makes history
LOS ANGELES — “Succession” secured its legacy with its third best drama series award, “The Bear” feasted as the night’s top comedy, and the two shows about squabbling families dominated the acting awards at Monday night’s Emmys. Historic wins also came for Quinta Brunson of “Abbot Elementary” and Steven Yeun and Ali …
your ad hereMessi, Bonmati Win FIFA Best Player Awards
london — Lionel Messi has been named FIFA’s best men’s player after moving from Paris Saint-Germain to Inter Miami and leading the David Beckham-owned team to a little-known Leagues Cup title — all while single-handedly elevating soccer’s relevance in the United States. The 36-year-old Argentine on Monday was selected over Kylian …
your ad hereEmmys Finally Arrive for Changed Hollywood, as ‘Succession’ and ‘Last of Us’ Vie for Top Awards
Los Angeles — The time has finally come for a most unusual Emmys. The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards are arriving four months past their due date on Monday night at the Peacock Theater, coming after a year of historic Hollywood turbulence in an industry whose upheavals are evident everywhere. Strikes by …
your ad hereRobotic Restaurant Opening in California
An automated restaurant is opening this month in Pasadena, California. CaliExpress will be serviced by robots that make food in the kitchen and AI that takes clients’ orders. The only job humans will still need to do is assemble and pack the food. Angelina Bagdasaryan has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. Camera: Vazgen Varzhabetian …
your ad hereA Surgeon General Report Once Cleared the Air About Smoking. Is it Time for One on Vaping?
NEW YORK — Sixty years ago, the U.S. surgeon general released a report that settled a longstanding public debate about the dangers of cigarettes and led to huge changes in smoking in America. Today, some public health experts say a similar report could help clear the air about vaping. …
your ad here‘Mean Girls’ Takes 1st Place at Box Office
‘The Honeymooners’ Actress Joyce Randolph Dies At 99
New York — Joyce Randolph, a veteran stage and television actress whose role as the savvy Trixie Norton on “The Honeymooners” provided the perfect foil to her dimwitted TV husband, has died. She was 99. Randolph died of natural causes Saturday night at her home on the Upper West Side of …
your ad hereAfter Quake, Concerns Rise About Diseases in Japan’s Evacuation Centers
TOKYO — Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Sunday the country’s north-central region of Noto for the first time since the deadly Jan. 1 earthquakes to alleviate growing concern about slow relief work and the spread of diseases in evacuation centers. The magnitude 7.6 earthquake left 220 dead and 26 others …
your ad hereFossil Unearthed in New Mexico Years Ago Is Identified as T. Rex Relative
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico — The Tyrannosaurus rex seemingly came out of nowhere tens of millions of years ago, with its monstrous teeth and powerful jaws dominating the end of the age of the dinosaurs. How it came to be is among the many mysteries that paleontologists have long tried to solve. …
your ad hereRussia Designates Popular Writer A ‘Foreign Agent’ Over Ukraine Stance
Archaeologists Map Lost Cities in Ecuadorian Amazon
WASHINGTON — Archaeologists have uncovered a cluster of lost cities in the Amazon rainforest, an area that was home to at least 10,000 farmers around 2,000 years ago. A series of earthen mounds and buried roads in Ecuador was first noticed more than two decades ago by archaeologist Stephen Rostain. But …
your ad hereNearly 10,000 Died From COVID-19 Last Month, Fueled by Holiday Gatherings, New Variant, WHO Says
geneva — The head of the U.N. health agency said Wednesday holiday gatherings and the spread of the most prominent variant globally led to increased transmission of COVID-19 last month. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said nearly 10,000 deaths were reported in December, while hospital admissions during the month jumped 42% in nearly …
your ad hereScientists Explain Record-Shattering 2023 Heat — ‘Warming May Be Worsening’
At CES, Connected Devices Are Becoming More Discreet and Invisible
An estimated 130,000 people have descended on Las Vegas for CES 2024, the consumer technology show that attracts big and small companies alike. VOA’s Tina Trinh met with some of the more than 4,000 exhibitors for a look at emerging trends in artificial intelligence, digital health and more. Camera: Tina …
your ad hereHundreds Honor Ukrainian Poet-Soldier Killed in Action
KYIV, Ukraine — Hundreds of people attended a ceremony Thursday honoring the memory of renowned Ukrainian poet Maksym Kryvtsov, who was killed in action while serving as a soldier in the war Russia started in Ukraine nearly two years ago. A large crowd gathered in the courtyard of Kyiv’s St. Michael’s …
your ad hereUS Regulator: No Evidence Yet Linking Weight-Loss Drugs to Suicidal Thoughts
NFL’s Patriots Part Ways with Coach Bill Belichick, Who Led Team to 6 Super Bowl Championships
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Six-time National Football League champion Bill Belichick agreed to part ways as the coach of the New England Patriots, ending his 24-year tenure as the architect of the most decorated dynasty of the league’s Super Bowl era. Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft announced the move to the …
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