U.S. health officials have banned Red Dye No. 3 from American foods, decades after the synthetic coloring was banned in Europe. As VOA’s Dora Mekouar reports, studies have linked the bright red color additive to cancer in male laboratory rats. …
your ad hereRussian- and Soviet-born coaches still shaping US figure skating’s future
The tragic deaths of Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov in a plane crash late last month in Washington have shone a spotlight on the role of Russian- or Soviet-born coaches in the world of competitive figure skating. Their influence has shaped a generation of American skaters, raising the question: Why …
your ad hereTaiwan pledges chip talks and investment in bid to ease Trump’s concerns
TAIPEI — Taiwan President Lai Ching-te pledged on Friday to talk with the United States about President Donald Trump’s concerns over the chip industry and to increase U.S. investment and buy more from the country, while also spending more on defense. Trump spoke critically about Taiwan on Thursday, saying he aimed …
your ad hereGoogle drops pledge against AI for weapons, surveillance
Technology company Google recently broke with its long-standing policy against developing AI weapons. VOA’s Matt Dibble has more from Silicon Valley. …
your ad hereFederal judge pauses Trump order restricting gender-affirming care for trans youth
BALTIMORE — A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s recent executive order aimed at restricting gender-affirming health care for transgender people under age 19. The judge’s ruling came after a lawsuit was filed earlier this month on behalf of families with transgender or nonbinary children who allege their …
your ad hereSome veterinarians didn’t know they had bird flu, study suggests
NEW YORK — A new study shows that bird flu has silently spread from animals to some veterinarians. The study published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention echoes two smaller ones that detected evidence of infection in previously undiagnosed farmworkers. In those studies, several of the infected workers …
your ad hereGlobal AI race is on, world leaders say at Paris summit
At this week’s Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris, world leaders and technologists gathered to discuss the rapidly evolving field of generative artificial intelligence. Many are eager to join the global AI race, while others are proceeding with caution. Tina Trinh reports. …
your ad hereSenate confirms Kennedy for top US health post after close vote
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as President Donald Trump’s health secretary, putting the prominent vaccine skeptic in control of $1.7 trillion in federal spending, vaccine recommendations and food safety as well as health insurance programs for roughly half the country. Republicans fell in line …
your ad hereArchaeologists unearth remains of Roman basilica on site of new London skyscraper
LONDON — Work to give 21st-century London yet another skyscraper has uncovered traces — in fact chunks — of the city’s origins almost 2,000 years ago. Archaeologists exploring the site of a planned 32-story office tower announced Thursday that they have unearthed the remains of a Roman basilica that once stood …
your ad hereChina’s fuel demand may have passed its peak, IEA says
London — China’s demand for road and air transport fuels may have passed its peak, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said Thursday, citing data showing that the country’s consumption of gasoline, gasoil and jet fuel declined marginally in 2024. Combined consumption of the three fuels in China last year was at …
your ad hereChinese apps face scrutiny in US but users keep scrolling
Seoul — As a high school junior in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, Daneel Kutsenko never gave much thought to China. Last month, though, as the U.S. government prepared to ban TikTok – citing national security concerns about its Chinese ownership – Kutsenko downloaded RedNote, another Chinese video-sharing app, which he …
your ad hereTrump pushes for lower interest rates alongside tariffs
WASHINGTON — As his trade advisers finalized plans to enact reciprocal measures on every country that charges duties on U.S. imports, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday he will push for lower interest rates alongside his tariff policies. “Interest Rates should be lowered, something which would go hand in hand with upcoming …
your ad hereZimbabwe to pay displaced, foreign white farmers
HARARE, ZIMBABWE — Zimbabwe’s government said Wednesday it will compensate foreign investors who lost assets in the country’s controversial land reforms in the early 2000s but were protected by bilateral investment protection agreements. Zimbabwean Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said in a statement the government will pay 94 former farmers from countries …
your ad hereCost of groceries, gas goes up as US inflation worsens
WASHINGTON — U.S. inflation accelerated last month as the cost of groceries, gas and used cars rose, a disappointment for families and businesses struggling with higher costs and likely underscoring the Federal Reserve’s resolve to delay any further interest rate cuts. The consumer price index increased 3% in January from a …
your ad hereRussian fashion designer’s skirts portray life struggles of immigrant women
Russian-born fashion designer Dasha Pomeranz tells stories with the clothing she creates. Her latest collection is a tribute to women who were forced to leave their native countries and start new lives in the United States. Karina Bafradzhian has the story. (Videographer: Sergii Dogotar ; Produced by: Sergii Dogotar, Anna Rice ) …
your ad herePaul McCartney rocks the Bowery – Inside his surprise NYC concert
New York — Paul McCartney’s previous New York-area performance took place three years ago at MetLife Stadium, capacity 82,500. His surprise show Tuesday night at the Bowery Ballroom fit, at most, 575. It was probably less than that since McCartney’s sound board and gear — too much to fit backstage — …
your ad hereGiant schnauzer named Monty wins top prize at Westminster Kennel Club
NEW YORK — A giant schnauzer named Monty won the top prize at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show Tuesday night. Monty bested six other finalists to take best in show at Madison Square Garden. The award is considered the most prestigious prize in the U.S. dog show world. Each dog …
your ad hereNew York health department confirms first case of new mpox strain
The New York State Department of Health on Tuesday confirmed its first case of the new mpox strain, adding to the global concerns over the spread of the little-known variant. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were three confirmed cases in the country — in …
your ad hereVance stakes claim to US leadership in AI
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance on Tuesday vowed that the United States would maintain its leadership position in the development of advanced artificial intelligence and warned leaders of other countries not to adopt regulatory standards that might “kill” the new technology “just as it’s taking off.” “The United States of …
your ad hereAmerican EV makers adjust to possible end of federal tax credit
The latest offerings for electric vehicles take center stage at the 2025 Chicago Auto Show as some federal tax incentives could end. VOA’s Kane Farabaugh has more. …
your ad hereEU, Canada vow to stand firm against Trump’s tariffs on metals
The 27-nation European Union and Canada quickly vowed Tuesday to stand firm against U.S. President Donald Trump’s move to impose 25% tariffs on their steel and aluminum exports, verbal sparring that could lead to a full-blown trade war between the traditionally allied nations. “The EU will act to safeguard its …
your ad hereEurope announces plans to ease AI regulations in bid to become heavyweight
Europe says it will ease regulations on artificial intelligence at a key AI summit in Paris on Feb. 11, 2025, that brought together the U.S. and other global tech giants and politicians. But some experts see bigger challenges stalling the bloc’s ambitions to be an AI heavyweight, from the need …
your ad hereSalman Rushdie testifies about his shock and pain as stranger repeatedly stabbed him on stage
MAYVILLE, N.Y. — Salman Rushdie described in graphic detail Tuesday the frenzied moments in 2022 when a masked man rushed at him on a stage in western New York and repeatedly slashed him with a knife, leaving him with life-threatening injuries. The 77-year-old author addressed jurors on the second day of …
your ad hereVance tells Europeans that heavy regulation could kill AI
Paris — U.S. Vice President JD Vance told Europeans on Tuesday their “massive” regulations on artificial intelligence could strangle the technology, and rejected content moderation as “authoritarian censorship.” The mood on AI has shifted as the technology takes root, from one of concerns around safety to geopolitical competition, as countries jockey …
your ad hereEU’s AI push to get $50 billion boost, EU’s von der Leyen says
PARIS — Europe will invest an additional $51.5 billion to bolster the bloc’s artificial intelligence ambition, European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday. It will come on top of the European AI Champions Initiative, that has already pledged 150 billion euros from providers, investors and industry, von der Leyen …
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