Millions celebrate by dancing, exchanging food and drink, and smearing each other with colorful powder …
your ad hereTikTok Bill Faces Uncertain Fate in Senate
WASHINGTON — The young voices in the messages left for North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis were laughing, but the words were ominous. “OK, listen, if you ban TikTok I will find you and shoot you,” one said, giggling and talking over other young voices in the background. “I’ll shoot you and …
your ad hereGeomagnetic Storm From Solar Flare Could Disrupt Radio Communications
BOULDER, Colo. — Space weather forecasters have issued a geomagnetic storm watch through Monday, saying an outburst of plasma from a solar flare could interfere with radio transmissions on Earth. It could also make for great aurora viewing. There’s no reason for the public to be concerned, according to the alert …
your ad here‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ Tops Box Office With $45.2M
new york — Ghostbusting is still a good business. “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” collected $45.2 million in ticket sales over the weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday, handing Sony Pictures the studio’s first No. 1 film since last summer. The opening weekend for “Frozen Empire,” in 4,345 theaters, was nearly exactly the …
your ad hereWHO: Investing in TB Prevention, Screening, Treatment Will Save Lives, Money
Geneva — In marking World Tuberculosis Day, the World Health Organization is calling for action to rid the world of this ancient scourge, which has sickened and killed millions of people throughout the ages. This year’s theme, “Yes! We can end TB,” is intended to send a message of hope that …
your ad hereIran’s Currency Hits Record Low
Tehran — Iran’s currency fell to a record low on Sunday, plunging to 613,500 to the dollar, as its people celebrated the Persian New Year. On Sunday, people were trying to exchange rials for foreign currency at Tehran’s main hub of exchange shops in Ferdowsi Street, but most were closed due …
your ad hereUganda Sees Bamboo as a Crop with Real Growth Potential
ALONG RIVER RWIZI, Uganda — Along a stretch of bush by a muddy river, laborers dug and slashed in search of bamboo plants buried under dense grass. Here and there a few plants had sprouted tall, but most of the bamboo seedlings planted more than a year ago never grew. Now, …
your ad hereIndia’s Millions of Dairy Farms Creating Tricky Methane Problem
BENGALURU, India — Abinaya Tamilarasu said her four cows are part of the family. She has a degree in commerce from a local college, but prefers being home milking cows and tending to her family’s land. “Our family cannot let farming go, it’s a way of life for us,” said the …
your ad hereMalinin Takes Men’s World Figure Skating Crown in Record Performance
MONTREAL — American figure skating star Ilia Malinin is a world champion — and a world-record holder. Malinin put on a dominant display that included a jaw-dropping six quad jumps — including his patented quad axel — to snag the men’s singles crown Saturday night at the world championships. After placing …
your ad hereWorld Bank Aims to Attract Private Investors to Developing Countries
Laurent De Brunhoff, ‘Babar’ Heir, Author, Dies at Age 98
NEW YORK — Babar author Laurent de Brunhoff, who revived his father’s popular picture book series about an elephant-king and presided over its rise to a global, multimedia franchise, has died. He was 98. De Brunhoff, a Paris native who moved to the U.S. in the 1980s, died Friday at his …
your ad hereAcclaimed Italian Pianist Maurizio Pollini Dies at 82
ROME — Maurizio Pollini, a Grammy-winning Italian pianist who performed frequently at La Scala opera house in Milan, has died. He was 82. Pollini died Saturday, La Scala said in a statement. The announcement didn’t specify a cause of death, but Pollini had been forced to cancel a concert at the …
your ad hereCholera Kills At Least 54 in Somalia; Humanitarians Call for Action
washington — At least 54 people have lost their lives to cholera in Somalia in recent months. Nine of those deaths occurred within the past week, marking the highest weekly death toll this year, humanitarian group Save the Children said. In an interview with VOA Somali, Mohamed Abdulkadir, acting operations director …
your ad hereCraft With International Crew Heads to Space Station
China’s Renewables, Oil Consumption Fit Gulf States, Analysts Say
Tel Aviv, Israel — During China’s annual national legislature this month, Premier Li Qiang announced plans to construct more solar and wind farms as well as hydropower projects. China is already the world’s largest producer of renewable energy and also holds near-monopolies on the globe’s renewable energy manufacturing and supply chain. …
your ad hereWith Recent Headlines About Gear Falling Off Planes, Is Flying Safe?
DALLAS — It has been 15 years since the last fatal crash of a U.S. airliner, but you would never know that by reading about a torrent of flight problems in the last three months. There was a time when things like cracked windshields and minor engine problems didn’t turn up …
your ad hereBird Flu Decimating Seal Colonies; Scientists Baffled
PORTLAND, Maine — Avian influenza is killing tens of thousands of seals and sea lions in different corners of the world, disrupting ecosystems and flummoxing scientists who don’t see a clear way to slow the devastating virus. The worldwide bird flu outbreak that began in 2020 has led to the deaths …
your ad hereNew England Men’s Soccer Shirt Causes Stir With Recolored Flag
LONDON — England’s new men’s soccer team shirt is causing a bit of a stir. It’s not just the price that’s vexing some. The decision by Nike to change the color of the St. George’s Cross on the shirt from the traditional red and white has even prompted the prime minister …
your ad hereReproductive Rights Key for Voters in Next US Presidential Election
US President Joe Biden is putting women’s health and reproductive rights at the center of his campaign in the run-up to the November 5th election. Biden, a Democrat, will face the Republican challenger, former President Donald Trump, who has spoken about abortion but has not fully clarified his position. VOA’s …
your ad hereDR Congo Facing Alarming Levels of Violence, Hunger, Poverty, Disease
geneva — The World Health Organization warns that hunger, poverty, malnutrition, and disease have reached alarming levels in the Democratic Republic of Congo, especially in the east, where a resurgence of fighting between armed groups and government forces has uprooted millions of people from their homes. “DRC is the second-largest displacement …
your ad hereCocoa Prices Triple in One Year as Climate Change Hits Crops
Nairobi, Kenya — With a week until Easter, chocolate lovers should brace themselves for higher prices when they purchase their favorite seasonal treats. A nonprofit environmental group says cocoa costs three times more than it did a year ago because of climate change and the El Nino weather effect. Prices reached …
your ad hereCreature Named for Kermit the Frog Offers Clues on Amphibian Evolution
washington — There definitely were no Muppets during the Permian Period, but there was a Kermit — or at least a forerunner of modern amphibians that has been named after the celebrity frog. Scientists on Thursday described the fossilized skull of a creature called Kermitops gratus that lived in what is …
your ad hereOxfam Accuses Rich Corporations of ‘Grabbing’ Water From Global South
LONDON — As the United Nations observes World Water Day on Friday, there is a growing risk of conflict over water resources as climate change takes hold, the international body said. Meanwhile, nongovernmental aid agency Oxfam accused global corporations of “grabbing” water from poorer countries to boost profits. Declaring this year’s …
your ad hereAt UN, Nations Cooperate Toward Safe, Trustworthy AI Systems
United Nations — The U.N. General Assembly adopted by consensus Thursday a first-of-its-kind resolution addressing the potential of artificial intelligence to accelerate progress toward sustainable development, while emphasizing the need for safe, secure and trustworthy AI systems. The initiative, led by the United States, seeks to manage AI’s risks while utilizing …
your ad hereArcade Game-Style Gripper May One Day Claw Orbiting Space Junk
A high-tech solution for tackling space clutter, photography tips for the upcoming solar eclipse, and we remember a spaceflight pioneer. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi brings us The Week in Space. …
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