Saving Cambodian Cooking From Extinction
Cambodian cuisine, often overshadowed by its similar Thai and Vietnamese counterparts, is relatively unknown to the world, but a Cambodian chef is working to change that. VOA’s Chetra Chap reports. …
Yearly Archives: 2019
Melting Glaciers Threaten Dramatic Water Level Rise
The United Nations’ Climate Change Conference ended earlier this month ((in December)) in Madrid. It was the 25th meeting, and participants left with an ominous warning from experts. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports that melting glaciers today may cause serious problems tomorrow …
Newseum Hailed Free Press, but got Beaten by Free Museums
In 2008, the Newseum — a private museum dedicated to exploring modern history as told through the eyes of journalists — opened on prime Washington real estate.Sitting almost equidistant between the White House and the Capitol on Pennsylvania Avenue, the glass-walled building became instantly recognizable for its multi-story exterior rendition of the First Amendment.Eleven years later that experiment is coming to an end. After years of financial difficulties, the Newseum will close its doors Tuesday.“We’re proud of how we did our storytelling,” said Sonya Gavankar, the outgoing director of public …
‘Mame,’ ‘Hello, Dolly!’ Composer Jerry Herman Dies at 88
Tony Award-winning composer Jerry Herman, who wrote the cheerful, good-natured music and lyrics for such classic shows as “Mame,” “Hello, Dolly!” and “La Cage aux Folles,” died Thursday. He was 88.His goddaughter Jane Dorian confirmed his death to The Associated Press early Friday. He died of pulmonary complications in Miami, where he had been living with his partner, real estate broker Terry Marler.The creator of 10 Broadway shows and contributor to several more, Herman won two Tony Awards for best musical: “Hello, Dolly!” in 1964 and “La Cage aux Folles” …
Montreal Bids Farewell to Its Horse-Drawn Carriages
To tourists they are a time-honored, charming way of seeing the sights, but animal rights activists say Montreal’s horse-drawn carriages are a cruel and unnecessary relic of yesteryear.A longstanding feud between the coachmen and their critics looks set to end however with the unique mode of transport set to disappear from the streets of Canada’s second city by year-end.“You can pet him if you want,” Nathalie Matte tells onlookers attracted to her hoofed beast with its flowing mane and tail.Coachwoman Nathalie Matte, 52, who will lose her job when Montreal’s …
Kabul Theatrical Play Hopes to Promote Unity, Peace in Afghanistan
War Dracula is a stage play by a group of Afghan theater actors in Kabul. The theme of the play revolves around the damage and consequences of the decades-long war in Afghanistan. VOA’s Haseeb Maudoodi filed this report from Kabul, narrated by Bezhan Hamdard. …
Robots of 2019 Just Want to Help
A recent trade fair in Tokyo showcased the robots of 2019. Engineers created some that play games and others that could save lives. As VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports, these robots exist to make the world a little better. …
Kenyans Try to Stamp Out Problem Cactus with Microorganism
In Kenya, the opuntia cactus, also known as the prickly pear, is spreading, destroying thousands of acres of grassland, and making animals that eat it sick. Kenyans have come up with a variety of methods to try to eradicate the problem plant, including breeding a microorganism that feeds on the cactus and also turning it into food for humans. Mohammed Yusuf reports from Ilpolei, Kenya. …
Tackling the World’s Sanitation Problem One Toilet at a Time
While studying in college, Jasmine Burton discovered that one-third of the world’s people don’t have access to proper toilets. Burton decided to try to solve the problem. Ariadne Budianto reports. …
Morocco Jails YouTuber, Detains Journalist
A Moroccan YouTuber was sentenced Thursday to four years in prison for “insulting the king” in a video broadcast on social networks, his lawyer said.In a separate case, a Moroccan journalist and activist was charged and detained over a tweet that had criticized a court decision, his defense council told AFP.The cases come after the Moroccan Human Rights Association had deplored in July an “escalation of violations of human rights and public and individual freedoms” in Morocco.The YouTuber Mohamed Sekkaki, known as “Moul Kaskita”, was sentenced by a court in …
Famed Author’s Grandson Pursues Closer US-German Relations
During his later years, the acclaimed German author and Nobel laureate Thomas Mann would tell a story about riding a train across the United States during a lecture tour to rally support for the effort to defeat the Nazis during World War II.“He was sitting there, then another man came and asked if he could take the seat next to him,” said the author’s grandson, Frido Mann, who was himself engaged on a goodwill tour across the United States to foster closer U.S.-German relations and promote democracy back in October.I’m …
No Longer Enamored, Washington Looks Critically at Silicon Valley
The era of Silicon Valley operating largely free from government regulation may be coming to an end.In 2019, lawmakers grilled tech executives at multiple hearings in Washington and federal regulators slapped record fines on tech firms. They promise action in the coming year on a host of issues: competition, online privacy, encryption and bias.U.S. tech companies such as Apple, Facebook, Google and Amazon are girding themselves for more federal scrutiny.“As the internet companies matured without a lot of regulation, some issues have emerged where attention is needed,” said Rep. Zoe …
No Longer Enamored, Washington Looks Critically at Silicon Valley
It’s been a rocky year for the relationship between Washington and Silicon Valley, and next year could be worse. Lawmakers and regulators in the nation’s capital are scrutinizing technology firms over a host of issues — competition, online privacy, encryption, bias — and they are promising action. Michelle Quinn reports on how the frustrations could lead to new regulations that could have a global impact on how people communicate online. …
US Quilters Incorporate Indonesian Designs into Ancient Craft
A quilt is a multi-layered blanket, often used as a home decoration or as a baby blanket. Quilts are an ancient craft but really took off in the United States in the late 1600’s. Today, in the northwest state of Oregon quilting remains vital by incorporating all kinds of new styles and fabrics – some of them from Indonesia. Ariadne Budianto reports. …
Without Access to Costly Opioids, Rwanda Makes Own Morphine
It was something, the silence. Nothing but the scuff of her slip-on shoes as Madeleine Mukantagara walked through the fields to her first patient of the day. Piercing cries once echoed down the hill to the road below. What she carried in her bag had calmed them.For 15 years, her patient Vestine Uwizeyimana had been in unrelenting pain as disease wore away her spine. She could no longer walk. Her life narrowed to a dark room with a dirt-floor in rural Rwanda, prayer beads hanging on the wall by her …
Christmas Lights Illuminate the Heart of Washington, D.C.
The holiday season is a beautiful time of year in the nation’s capital with many amazing holiday light displays from the National Zoo to the White House Christmas tree. However, this year it is extra special with “Enchant Christmas at Nationals Park,” where visitors get a chance to help Santa save Christmas, lost in a huge maze of Christmas lights. Saqib Ul Islam has more. …
It Takes a Tech Village to Track Santa on Christmas Eve
Depending on which country they’re from, the kids may ask about Father Christmas, Papa Noel, Saint Nick or Santa Claus.But those who believe all want to know one thing: where in the world the jolly old man and his sleigh full of gifts are on Christmas Eve.For the 64th time, a wildly popular program run by the U.S. and Canadian militaries is providing real-time updates on Santa’s progress to millions around the globe.And this year, the North American Aerospace Defense Command is offering even more high-tech ways for children and …
Rocket Rideshare Provides Quick Access to Space for Small Satellites
One California-based rocket company is 3D-printing engines that can be quickly made in high volumes. Rocket Lab says these high-performing rockets are reliable and are regularly used to launch satellites to low-Earth orbit each month. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee has the details from Huntington Beach, California …
A Big Turnout in Bethlehem for Christmas
The Christian faithful flocked to Palestinian-governed Bethlehem in the West Bank to celebrate Christmas.Christmas Eve celebrations got off to a festive start at Manger Square.Palestinian Boy and Girl Scouts marched past a giant Christmas tree in front of the ancient Church of the Nativity, the traditional birthplace of Jesus.Local Palestinians watched the parade along with pilgrims from around the world.“I’m happy to be here and see the different sites and how each culture interprets devotion to God in different ways,” said Michael Aliprandini from the U.S. state of Arizona.The atmosphere …
Cambodia’s Working Moms Turn to Baby Formula
Before Sim Ark gave birth to her second child, she didn’t think much about what a workplace needed to accommodate a new mother.Now that she’s a working mother rather than a stay-at-home mom as she was with her first child, Sim Ark knows.”I want to have a daycare facility right in my workplace so that I can visit my baby while working,” said Sim Ark, 29, who works at the You Li International factory in Bavet city, in Cambodia’s Svay Rieng province.Three months after giving birth to her son Ham …
Church of England Questions Ethics of Investment in AI
The Church of England has launched a study into an existential question: do its investments in big-tech giants contradict the Christian faith?The Church’s Ethical Investment Advisory Group (EIAG) will determine whether some of the new technologies undermine “the very idea of God”, a spokesman for the Church told AFP on Monday.The year-long review was first reported by The Daily Telegraph newspaper.EIAG was set up in the early 1990s to help make sure that more than £12 billion ($15.5 billion, 14 billion Euros) in assets held by the Church’s various institutions …
American Town Wows Christmas Visitors
The Christmas spirit encompassing the old and the new is alive in historic Williamsburg, Virginia. The colonial town dates back to the 1600s, while nearby Busch Gardens amusement park opened in the 1970s. Both places are displaying different but unique holiday decorations, making Williamsburg one of the best places in the United States to visit during the Christmas season. VOA’s Deborah Block takes us on a tour. …
Taking Certain Vitamins During Breast Cancer Chemo Tied to Recurrence, Death
Patients with breast cancer who use supplements during chemotherapy may be at an increased risk of recurrence and death, a new study suggests.Use of dietary supplements that boost levels of antioxidants, iron, vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids appeared to lower the effectiveness of chemotherapy, researchers report in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.”From this study and others in the literature, it seems that it may not be wise to take supplements during chemotherapy,” said Christine Ambrosone, chair of cancer prevention and control, and senior vice president for population sciences at …
Baba Ram Dass, Spiritual Guru and LSD Pioneer, Dies at 88
Baba Ram Dass, the 1960s counterculture spiritual leader who experimented with LSD and traveled to India to find enlightenment, returning to share it with Americans, has died. He was 88.Dass’ foundation, Love Serve Remember, announced late Sunday that the author and spiritual leader died peacefully at his home earlier in the day. No cause of death was given.He had suffered a severe stroke in 1997 that left him paralyzed on the right side and, for a time, unable to speak. More recently, he underwent hip surgery after he was injured …
Huge Christmas Display Lights Up Washington’s Baseball Stadium
A huge Christmas display is lighting up the Washington Nationals baseball stadium in the nation’s capital. Some two and a half million Christmas lights, a 30 meter high artificial Christmas tree, and an ice skating trail have turned the stadium into a glowing winter wonderland. Visitors can also go through what is being touted as the world’s largest light maze. VOA’s Deborah Block takes us to Enchant Christmas DC. …
‘Bull’s-Eye’ Landing in New Mexico for Boeing’s Starliner Astronaut Capsule
Boeing Co’s Starliner astronaut spacecraft landed in the New Mexico desert on Sunday, the company said, after faulty software forced officials to cut short an unmanned mission aimed at taking it to the International Space Station.The landing at 7:58 a.m. ET (1258 GMT) in the White Sands desert capped a turbulent 48 hours for Boeing’s botched milestone test of an astronaut capsule that is designed to help NASA regain its human spaceflight capabilities. “We hit the bull’s-eye,” a Boeing spokesman said on a livestream of the landing. The landing will …