African beats entice China and US investors
Africa’s entertainment industry is another stage where global competition between China and the U.S. is playing out. African artists see it as an opportunity. Kate Bartlett has the details from
Read More‘Green’ Energy Observer vessel docked in NYC for Earth Day
Before the creation of engines, the ocean was full of low-emission vessels — they were called sailboats. Now a next-generation zero-emissions laboratory vessel called the Energy Observer recently docked in
Read MoreEuropean Space Agency adds new astronauts in only fourth class since 1978
cologne, germany — For the past year, five fit, academically superior men and women have been spun in centrifuges, submerged for hours, deprived temporarily of oxygen, taught to camp in the
Read MoreUS charity trains medics to improve health care in rural Kenya
Experts say one of the health care challenges in Africa is a shortage of training and education for workers. To help, a U.S. charity called Mission to Heal is training
Read MoreMary J. Blige, Cher, Ozzy Osbourne, others picked for Rock Hall of Fame
new york — Mary J. Blige,Cher, Foreigner, A Tribe Called Quest, Kool & The Gang and Ozzy Osbourne have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a class
Read MoreUkraine’s salt mines become explorable in Minecraft game
A Ukrainian version of the Minecraft game features Canadian actress Katheryn Winnick, U.S. astronaut Scott Kelly, and other celebrities from around the globe. The new game, called Minesalt, is based
Read More‘Civil War’ continues box-office campaign at No. 1
New York — “Civil War,” Alex Garland’s ominous American dystopia, remained the top film in theaters in its second week of release, according to studio estimates Sunday. The A24 election-year gamble,
Read MoreAncient snake might have been 15 meters long, weighed 1,000 kilos
WASHINGTON — A ancient giant snake in India might have been longer than a school bus and weighed a ton, researchers reported Thursday. Fossils found near a coal mine revealed a
Read MoreAustralian researchers develop prototype device to devour carbon dioxide to make electricity
Sydney — Australian researchers have built an electrical generator that consumes carbon dioxide, generates electricity and admits no exhausts. They say the technology could create a new industrial-scale carbon capture method.
Read More4/20 grew from humble roots to marijuana’s high holiday
SEATTLE — Saturday marks marijuana culture’s high holiday, 4/20, when college students gather — at 4:20 p.m. — in clouds of smoke on campus quads and pot shops in legal-weed states
Read MoreIsraelis grapple with how to celebrate Passover while many remain captive
JERUSALEM — Every year, Alon Gat’s mother led the family’s Passover celebration of the liberation of the ancient Israelites from Egypt thousands of years ago. But this year, Gat is struggling
Read MoreUS beach aims to disrupt Black students’ spring bash after ’23 chaos
TYBEE ISLAND, Georgia — Thousands of Black college students expected this weekend for an annual spring bash at the largest public beach in the U.S. state of Georgia will be greeted
Read MoreReproductive rights elusive 1 year after Japan’s approval of abortion pill
Osaka, Japan — Wider access to abortion in Japan has largely remained elusive a year after the historic approval of medical abortion pills. In April last year, lawmakers approved the use
Read MoreUS emergency rooms refused to treat pregnant women
WASHINGTON — One woman miscarried in the lobby restroom of a Texas emergency room as front desk staff refused to check her in. Another woman learned that her fetus had no
Read MoreWHO urges heightened vigilance on potential spread of bird flu in cows
Geneva — In the wake of a recent outbreak of avian influenza detected in dairy cows and goats in the United States, the World Health Organization is calling on governments to
Read MoreRoller derby is a safe space with sharp elbows
Roller derby is a fast-paced, hard-hitting sport played on roller skates and dominated by women. VOA’s Genia Dulot takes us out to the skating rink with competitors from the Angel
Read MoreZimbabwe mine turns dumpsite into solar station
A gold mine in Zimbabwe has turned its former dumpsite into a solar station, generating all the energy it needs for operations at the mine and releasing excess energy into
Read MoreNASA chief warns of Chinese military presence in space
Washington — China is bolstering its space capabilities and is using its civilian program to mask its military objectives, the head of the U.S. space agency said Wednesday, warning that Washington
Read MoreUK, EU face significant medicine shortages, study says
LONDON — Patients in the U.K. and European Union are facing shortages of vital medicines such as antibiotics and epilepsy medication, research published Thursday found. The report by Britain’s Nuffield Trust
Read MoreHospitals in eastern DRC face vaccine shortages
Goma — In the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, specifically in the Beni and Butembo region, parents are finding it hard getting vaccines for their children. Health care providers report that
Read MoreNew effort tackles drug overdose epidemic in US
The Biden Administration has launched a new effort to tackle the drug overdose epidemic in the United States, which in 2022 took more than 100,000 lives, according to the U.S.
Read MoreReport: Decades of progress in sexual, reproductive health being rolled back
GENEVA — Decades of progress in sexual and reproductive health are being rolled back with the poorest, most vulnerable members of society at greatest risk of losing out on lifesaving services,
Read MoreGun supervisor gets 18 months in prison for fatal movie set shooting by Alec Baldwin
santa fe, new mexico — A movie weapons supervisor was sentenced to 18 months in prison in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of the
Read MoreAt birthplace of Olympics, performers at flame-lighting ceremony feel a pull of ancient past
ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece — No one knows what music in ancient Greece sounded like or how dancers once moved. Every two years, a new interpretation of the ancient performance gets a
Read MorePolish abortion opponents march against steps to liberalize strict law
WARSAW — Thousands of Polish opponents of abortion marched Sunday in Warsaw to protest recent steps by the new government to liberalize the predominantly Catholic nation’s strict laws and allow termination
Read MoreCameroon opens museum honoring oldest sub-Saharan kingdom
Foumban, Cameroon — To enter the Museum of the Bamoun Kings in western Cameroon, you have to pass under the fangs of a gigantic two-headed snake — the highlight of an
Read MoreCoachella heavy on indie rock nostalgia, Taylor Swift buzz
Indio, USA — Coachella day two was heavy on alt-rock throwbacks including a highly anticipated No Doubt reunion, but it was Taylor Swift — who wasn’t on the lineup and didn’t perform
Read MoreInstagram blurring nudity in messages to protect teens, fight sexual extortion
LONDON — Instagram says it’s deploying new tools to protect young people and combat sexual extortion, including a feature that will automatically blur nudity in direct messages. The social media platform
Read MoreStudy: Mexico produces tons of illicit fentanyl, can’t get enough for medical use
MEXICO CITY — A report released by the Mexican government Friday says the country is facing a dire shortage of fentanyl for medical use, even as Mexican cartels pump out tons
Read MoreAs many cities sour on hosting Olympics, Salt Lake City’s enthusiasm endures
SALT LAKE CITY — The International Olympic Committee was effusive Wednesday in its support for a decadeslong effort to bring back the Winter Games to Utah’s capital city in 2034. Unlike
Read MoreUS newsman who created no-frills PBS newscast dies
new york — Robert MacNeil, who created the even-handed, no-frills PBS newscast “The MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour” in the 1970s and co-anchored the show with his late partner, Jim Lehrer, for two decades,
Read MorePoliovirus resurgence sparks concerns in Pakistan
Islamabad — The recent detection of poliovirus in sewage water samples collected across 30 districts in Pakistan has reignited concerns about a potential surge in polio cases. Among those deeply troubled
Read MoreSwarms of drones can be managed by a single person
The U.S. military says large groups of drones and ground robots can be managed by just one person without added stress to the operator. As VOA’s Julie Taboh reports, the technologies
Read MoreArgentinian’s tiny invention changed pizza delivery forever
Sometimes it’s the little ideas that can make the biggest difference. And that definitely goes for delivery pizza. From Buenos Aires, Gonzalo Bañez Villar has the story of a little
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