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Science & Technology
Tech Workers Find Communal Living a Solution for High Rents
SAN FRANCISCO — Zander Dejah, 25, pays $1,900 a month rent to live in a downtown San Francisco house with at least 40 other people, many of whom sleep in bunk beds. Dejah is a resident of The Negev, a communal living space that styles itself as a home for millennial tech workers to brainstorm […]
3D Printing Human Skin Opens Up World of Possibilities
What’s the largest organ in the human body? It’s skin, of course. Ask any doctor about its role in protecting what’s inside us from all kinds of trouble. That’s why it’s such a big deal that university scientists in Spain have learned how to manufacture what they say is fully functional human skin with a […]
Carmakers Differ Widely on When Self-driving Cars Arrive
BERLIN — Carmakers and suppliers gave widely differing timelines Thursday for the introduction of self-driving vehicles, showing the uncertainties surrounding the technology as well as a split between cautious established players and bullish new entrants. Chipmaker Nvidia, facing direct competition with the world’s top chipmaker after Intel’s $15 billion deal to buy Mobileye, an autonomous […]
SXSW Sets Stage for International Entrepreneurs and Breakthrough Products
Each year, aspiring tech entrepreneurs from all over the world head to the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference in Austin, Texas, to prove their worth. VOA reporter Tina Trinh met with the latest wave of tech disrupters to learn what it takes to stand apart from the competition.
No Better Time to Be an Entrepreneur, Says Key Investor
AUSTIN, TEXAS — Under the Trump administration, there will likely be challenges for the U.S. tech industry when it comes to attracting foreign talent. But it’s never been a better time to start a company, said Dave McClure, a prominent Silicon Valley venture capitalist.“The general trend for start-ups under Trump or anyone else is still […]
Report: North Korean Hackers Behind Global Attacks
BOSTON — A North Korean hacking group known as Lazarus was likely behind a recent cyber campaign targeting organizations in 31 countries, following high-profile attacks on Bangladesh Bank, Sony and South Korea, cybersecurity firm Symantec Corp said Wednesday. Symantec said in a blog that researchers have uncovered four pieces of digital evidence suggesting the Lazarus […]
Using Social Media, Carter Center Maps Syria Conflict
ATLANTA — As the director of the Carter Center’s Conflict Resolution Program, Lebanese-born Hrair Balian had a problem at the onset of the war in Syria in 2011. “There really was a shortage of reliable information of developments on the ground,” he told VOA in an interview at the Atlanta headquarters of the Carter Center. […]
Issues & Causes
Person Apprehended Quickly After Apparent Bid to Breach White House Security
The U.S. Secret Service on Saturday apprehended a person who had jumped over a bicycle rack outside the security perimeter of the White House. President Donald Trump was not in the executive mansion at the time. He was at his Florida estate, where he had arrived Friday night to spend the weekend. On Twitter, White […]
US Supports Fair Trade But Rejects Ban on Protectionism
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said the meeting of finance ministers of the G20 countries was a success Saturday despite the ministers not reaching agreement on trade protectionism. “I will leave here confident that my colleagues and I are able to work in partnership to …foster and promote global growth and financial stability,” he said. […]
Trump Set to Talk With Brazil’s Temer, Repeats Call for Germany to Boost NATO Spending
President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak by phone Saturday afternoon with the president of Brazil, a nation in which many favored Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton over Trump – due in large part to his opposition to free global trade. Nevertheless, Brazilian President Michel Temer sent a message to Trump shortly after his November […]
Russian Lawmakers Order Probe of RFE/RL, VOA, CNN
The lower house of the Russian parliament has ordered a probe into whether RFE/RL’s Russian Service, Voice of America, and CNN are in compliance with Russian laws. The move by the State Duma on March 17 comes just days after Democratic U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen introduced a bill that would empower the U.S. Justice Department […]
‘Match Day’ for Foreign Medical Students Runs Into US Travel Ban
WASHINGTON — For some medical students, getting a yes or no Friday was more important than finding the right life partner. Friday was “Match Day,” the annual day when medical students find out which U.S. medical institution has accepted them for a residency program. It is a competition, of sorts: 32,000 training slots are available […]
Florida Prosecutor Rejects Use of Death Penalty
ORLANDO, FLA. — The Florida prosecutor who thrust herself into the forefront of the anti-death penalty movement is a political novice who was elected just seven months ago. Aramis Ayala, a Democrat and former public defender and assistant state attorney, surprised many of her supporters when she announced this week that her office would no […]
Tillerson in China to Discuss North Korea
WASHINGTON — The top U.S. diplomat arrived in China Saturday for the last leg of his first Asia tour. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s agenda in China includes a meeting with President Xi Jinping. Tillerson’s talks with Chinese officials are expected to be somewhat thorny. Earlier in the week, the secretary called on China […]
Arts & Popular Culture
Vast Beatles Collection Goes on Auction in Paris
PARIS — A vast collection of rare Beatles vinyl records, photos and other paraphernalia will go on auction in Paris on Saturday. Beatles aficionado Jacques Volcouve began his collection in 1967 with the album “A Hard Day’s Night.” Decades later, it has grown to include nearly 15,000 records and more besides. “Starting from 1967, I […]
Dark Clouds Hang Over South African Music, yet Silver Linings Shine
JOHANNESBURG — About two years ago, blues-folk artist Alice Phoebe Lou gave a performance in a park in Berlin, looking for donations as a street entertainer. A listener invited her to perform at a function. Her career has since taken off. Last year, she released her debut record, and on Wednesday she played one of […]
Rodin Marble Masterpiece 'Andromeda' Up for Auction in Paris
PARIS — French sculptor Auguste Rodin’s newly re-discovered marble masterpiece titled “Andromeda” will be up for sale in Paris in May, auction house, Artcurial, said on Friday. The auctioning of the sculpture is of particular importance as it has remained in the hands of the same family for roughly 130 years, according to the director […]
Chelsea Clinton Echoes Women’s Battle Cry ‘Nevertheless, She Persisted’ with Children’s Book
NEW YORK — Chelsea Clinton, daughter of losing presidential candidate Hillary, will publish a children’s book whose title is inspired by an attempt to silence a female U.S. senator that drew outrage from women’s rights activists. She Persisted will feature stories of 13 American women who have overcome adversity to make important contributions to society, […]
A Visit to the Mississippi Delta
New Orleans, Louisiana, is considered the birthplace of American jazz, a genre of music that originated among African Americans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. National parks traveler Mikah Meyer spent some time in the vibrant city before setting out to visit several national parks spread out across the state. He shared highlights […]
Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott, Caribbean Poet, Dies at 87
CASTRIES, ST. LUCIA — Derek Walcott, a Nobel-prize winning poet known for capturing the essence of his native Caribbean and became the region’s most internationally famous writer, has died on the island of St. Lucia. He was 87. Walcott died early Friday at his home in the eastern Caribbean nation of St. Lucia, according to […]
‘Beauty and the Beast’ Is Disney’s Latest Mega Production
WASHINGTON — Beauty and the Beast is a tale for the ages. We’ve read it in fairytale books and watched it in numerous TV and movie adaptations. Maybe the most memorable of this classic was the iconic 1991 Disney animation. With its infectious songs and beautiful graphics, the film entered the popular mainstream worldwide. Now, […]