BBC World News

"I climbed Mount ‪#‎Everest‬ three times; now I drive a taxi." http://bbc.in/1krmtQx
New York City's Sherpa community is the largest outside Nepal.
Many gathered at a local church to pay their respects to the 16 Sherpas killed by a deadly avalanche that hit Everest on 18 April.

Radio New Zealand

After the 10am news on Nine to Noon, Kathryn Ryan talks with award-winning Irish-born writer and literary historian Emma Donoghue...her novel 'Room' was a Booker finalist and her new novel 'Frog Music' is inspired by a murder near San Francisco in 1896...

Nine To Noon, Wednesday 30 April 2014 | Radio New Zealand National

09:20 Warnings over growing shortage of psychologists...Deb Moore, President, NZ College of Clinical Psychologists; and Peter Coleman, President of the Psychological Society of New Zealand.

radionz.co.nz

BBC World Service

Scared of spiders? Could a phone app or game help you to overcome your phobia? "We are hoping to get that magic bit of motivation that you get from games, where people will play them for hours and hours, and use that to get people to complete their treatment," says one app developer and psychiatrist
http://bbc.in/1pKfPtS

Apps combat phobias and anxiety

BBC News

BBC World News

Nigeria girls' abduction: Mothers protest in Abuja http://bbc.in/1n0pHLM
The mothers of the 200 schoolgirls abducted two weeks ago have been holding a protest. Are you protesting? Send us your video or photo.
The Islamist group Boko Haram has been blamed for abducting the girls from their school in Chibok, Borno state.

The government has been criticised for not doing enough. ‪#‎Nigeria‬

Radio Romania International

The events in Moldova’s neighbour Ukraine has consolidated the determination of the pro-western authorities in Chisinau to continue on their path to the European Union, a determination which has recently been rewarded.

Radio Romania International - Romanian-Moldovan Relations

The Prime Ministers of Romania and the Republic of Moldova attended a symbolic ceremony to mark the elimination of visas for Moldovan citizens travelling to the...

rri.ro

The Voice of Russia

Incredible and perfectly inspiring!
Each MIT undergrad will get $100 worth of bitcoins as they travel back to campus to resume their studies in September, in a move initiated by Massachusetts top university to build up the so-dubbed "bitcoin ecosystem." The project activists readily comment on their aspirations:
http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_04_30/MIT-to-give-away-bitcoins-to-every-student-in-bid-to-set-up-cryptocurrency-zone-8307/
© Flickr.com/antanacoins/cc-by-sa 3.0

BBC World News

BREAKING: Actor Bob Hoskins has died. http://bbc.in/1fxDZ6C
His agent says he has died of pneumonia at the age of 71. The star retiring from acting in 2012 after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. What's your favourite Bob memory? ‪#‎BobHoskins‬

Voice of America

Acting Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov: 'saboteurs' have received instructions from Moscow to destabilize Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzha, Mykolayiv and Odesa regions of Ukraine.

Ukraine Admits Losing of Control in East

Ukraine’s acting president says that the Kyiv government has effectively lost control over the situation in the country’s eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions where a number of governmen...

Voice of America|By VOA News

BBC World News

Curiosity Mars rover ‪#‎selfie‬.
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has drilled another hole on the Red Planet. It is almost a year since the robot last turned the power tool in the ground. http://bbc.in/1rMY5Mf
The Rover's camera produced this "selfie" a few days ago.

DW - Global Ideas

Our ‪#‎speciesoftheweek‬ is a plant, a very special one with amazing camouflage skills. Camouflage is usually found among animals - caterpillars pretending to be snakes and the like. But, now we know the woody vine Boquila trifoliolata is the greatest disguise artist of all. It can transform its leaves to copy a variety of host trees. The pictures below all show the very same plant. It's clever camouflage - the leaves can change size, shape, color, orientation, and vein patterns to match the surrounding foliage.

ScienceShot: 'Chameleon' Vine Discovered in Chile

Plant ecologists find the first shape-shifting plant that can mimic multiple hosts

Science News

Radio Slovakia International _English

With tomorrow (Thursday, 1 May) being a public holiday, and with many taking Friday off to have a long weekend, the roads in Košice and Bratislava cities are full and slow.
Drive safely!

DW (English)

Britain is at the forefront of efforts to recover assets allegedly looted by Ukraine's former regime. London is popular with investors from ex-Soviet states, attracting both legitimate and corrupt capital. http://dw.de/p/1BrCG

UK drives hunt for Ukraine's missing billions | World | DW.DE | 30.04.2014

Ukraine's stolen assets total at least $3 billion (2.1 billion euros), according to Ukraine's general prosecutor, Oleh Makhnitskyi, and that is just the amount that...

dw.de|By Deutsche Welle (www.dw.de)

VOA Asia

Police take part in a drill in preparation for dealing with mass disturbances in Beijing, China. Have you ever seen a police drill like this before? Tell us in the comments, and share this photo with your friends!

DW (English)

Got plans for May?
In Germany, there's plenty to do - from parties on Labor Day to sushi in Düsseldorf and film in Munich. Here are DW's tips for Germany's culture scene this month. http://dw.de/p/1Bq5S

The Voice of Russia

China hurries to steal a march on US as world’s biggest economy
China stands all the chances of overtaking the US as the world's largest economy as far as purchasing power parity. Keep in mind, that taking into account annual GDP growth, China having more than doubled their shares.
Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_04_30/China-hurries-to-steal-a-march-on-US-as-world-s-biggest-economy-9010/

The Voice of Russia

Cause for celebration or omen of war?
The mysterious and breathtaking solar eclipses have long puzzled mankind that remains undecided on whether they are a sign of good or evil.
VoR explores lore and beliefs inspired by these rare celestial events: http://voiceofrussia.com/2014_04_30/Solar-eclipse-a-beautiful-phenomenon-or-an-omen-of-war-4237/

The Voice of Russia

Russia's two newest missile corvettes, the Grad Sviyazhsk and the Uglich, have successfully undergone navy sea trials and will be assigned to the Caspian flotilla by July.
Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_04_30/Two-new-missile-corvettes-to-join-russias-caspian-flotilla-7259/

DW (English)

Brunei is one day away from the start of a gradual implementation of Sharia law. Eventually, this will mean corporal punishment such as amputation can be enforced for certain crimes. http://dw.de/p/1Br6y

Brunei announces implementation of Sharia law | News | DW.DE | 30.04.2014

In a speech on Wednesday, the Sultan of Brunei said that May 1 would mark the start of a gradual implementation of Sharia law in the East Asian country.

dw.de|By Deutsche Welle (www.dw.de)

DW (English)

What's favorite jazz song?
Today is International Jazz Day - a day organized by UNESCO to celebrate "jazz as an educational tool, and a force for peace, unity, dialogue and enhanced cooperation among people." Many people have forgotten that jazz began as dance music. In this report, DW features a musicians' collective in Leipzig that has made its mission to get jazz lovers back on the dance floor. http://dw.de/p/1Br4t

RFI English Service

An "intense" atmosphere at the ‪#‎BringBackOurGirls‬ demonstration in the Nigerian capital Abuja today...

Nigeria: About 500 protesters brave the rain in Abuja to demand that govt BringBackOurGirls

Nigerian protesters marched in the capital Abuja on Wednesday to demand that the government do more to rescue scores of schoolgirls kidnapped by ha...

SoundCloud|By radiofranceinternationale

The Voice of Russia

China is against Western sanctions against Russia, Chinese ambassador Li Hui said. "We object to unilateral sanctions. We believe that sanctions will not help solve the issues."
He also said China wants to deepen bilateral economic cooperation with Moscow.

China objects to West's sanctions against Russia - Chinese ambassador

voiceofrussia.com

VOA Asia

A boy wears a headband that reads "shut down the fourth nuclear power plant" during an anti-nuclear demonstration in Taipei, Taiwan. How do you feel about nuclear power? Does your country use it? Let us know, and share this photo with your friends.

BBC World News

Anxiety apps. Can a smartphone cure the fear of spiders? http://bbc.in/1ko6GBT Developers are working on an app using technique called systematic desensitisation- a method of slowly exposing sufferers to the object of their phobia. Users first play a series of games with cartoon spiders, which start out as cute and harmless-looking but gradually become more realistic. Would this work for your spider-fear?

Radio Thailand World Service

Prince Dipangkorn turns 9
On the occasion of the ninth birthday anniversary of His Royal Highness Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti on April 29, 2014, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn yesterday designated Air Chief Marshal Rangsan Dittabanjong as royal representative to release a number of animals in gesture of making merit for the young prince.
At the Wasukri Pier, Air Chief Marshal Rangsan released a pair of bulls which were later sent to the Royal Cattle-Buffalo Bank for Farmers for breeding purpose, 21 red-whiskered bulbuls, fish fry numbering 390,000 of nine different strains such as Taphian Khao (silver barb), Yisok (seven striped barb), Pla Mo Thai (climbing perch) and Pla Buek or Giant Mekong catfish.

And in conjunction with the young prince's birthday, members of the Royal Family sent vases of flowers to congratulate Prince Dipangkorn at Sukhothai Palace. The bouquets included those from Princess Ubolratana and HRH Princess Soamsawali. A site was also arranged at Sukhothai Palace for members of the public to sign books offering their best wishes for the prince. Among the well wishers were Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Cabinet members, government prosecutors, as well as representatives from both public and private sectors.
source: http://thainews.prd.go.th/centerweb/newsen/NewsDetail?NT01_NewsID=WNROY5704300010001

Voice of America

"The world is a small place, that borders don't mean anything. And that the total health security of the globe is really tied up in identifying these threats as quickly as possible and then trying to stop them in their tracks."

Experts Watching MERS Outbreak for Global Menace

The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, has killed about a third of the people known to have caught it. There is no treatment and no vaccine. That’s the bad news. The relativel...

Voice of America|By Steve Baragona

VOA Learning English

Do you love to eat? Or do you love to write?
Check out this blog post with Caty Weaver and write to her at Learning English. Caty will help you with your writing.

What’s Your Flavor? « Confessions of an English Learner

I went out of town last week to see family in the central northern state of Minnesota. The weather was mixed, the relatives were warm and the food was great. I ate what I would call a “very American” diet during my...

blogs.voanews.com

BBC World News

"Effective immediately, I am banning Mr. Sterling for life." http://bbc.in/1mV52Lr
Donald Sterling, the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers NBA basketball team, has been banned from the sport for life by the league's commissioner after a recording emerged of him making racist remarks.
The league will also assess him a $2.5m (£1.5m) fine, the maximum allowed.

In the recording first released on Friday, Mr Sterling asked a woman believed to be his girlfriend not to associate in public with black people, or bring them to Clippers games.

VOA Asia

Crowd participants dance at the IIFA Stomp event, the opening act for the 15th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards at Curtis Hixon Park in Tampa, Florida. Do you enjoy dancing to Bollywood music? Let us know and share this with your friends!

The Voice of Russia

Another round of American pseudo-sanctions: how does Russia react?
"The problem with the Americans is that they cannot get the European Union, which is 28 countries, to sign up on economic curie. For the Americans they can sanction Russia with relative impunity because they don’t really have much in cash flows," notes Eric Kraus, Director at Principal Asset Management and keen observer of the Russian and world politics. What would be Russia's reaction?
http://voiceofrussia.com/2014_04_29/Another-round-of-American-pseudo-sanctions-the-question-is-how-Russia-reacts-1394/

DW (English)

To what extent is solar energy being harnessed in your country?
In Kenya, the majority of the population doesn't have electricity at home, since the country's national grid is unreliable and expensive to buy into. Now a solar energy startup is changing people's everyday routines. http://dw.de/p/1Boaj

VOA Asia

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guides the multiple-rocket launching drill of women's sub-units under KPA Unit 851 in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency. What do you think of North Korea's leader? Comment and share this with your friends!

BBC World News

This dead blue whale in Canada could explode at any time.
The Town Clerk says the body is bloated with methane gas caused by decomposition and will soon reek. Local and federal authorities can't argee who is responsible for its disposal. http://bbc.in/1lup7pP

DW (English)

Relations between Germany and Russia were seen as particularly close for many years. But the Ukraine crisis hat put a severe strain on that friendship, and Germany risks losing its special relationship with Russia. http://dw.de/p/1Br29

DW (English)

The USA has passed new sanctions against top Russian officials, as well as various companies. The sanctions will block the affected parties from entering the US and freeze any accounts they hold with American banks. Do you think this new round of sanctions will help solve the conflict in Ukraine? http://dw.de/p/1BqUx

US passes new Russia sanctions | All media content | DW.DE | 28.04.2014

dw.de|By Deutsche Welle (www.dw.de)

The Voice of Russia

Watch your mouth! A spy lamp is already there
The so-dubbed Conversnitch, a device that looks like an ordinary lamp, secretly records people's conversations as they are talking in the street...and tweets them LIVE!
http://voiceofrussia.com/2014_04_27/Watch-your-mouth-US-artists-make-a-spy-lamp-3574/

DW - Global Ideas

Have you ever wondered how the zebra got its stripes? Finally, the mystery seems to be solved (http://bit.ly/zebra-stripes) plus a funny explanation about how animals get their pattern (http://bit.ly/animal-pattern)
Photo credit:
CC BY SA 2.0: Filip Lachowski/flickr: bit.ly/1tJBH8g

DW (English)

Barcelona star Dani Alves has received a flurry of international support for his stoic response to a racist banana taunt. Is humor sometimes an appropriate response to racism on the pitch? http://bit.ly/1k6bpFr (dr)

DW (English)

Indian innovation offers cheap and effective test for heart disease: http://dw.de/p/1BpTK For more science stories - follow the DW Sci-Tech team on Twitter @dw_scitech (jlw)

Indian innovation offers cheap and effective test for heart disease | Sci-Tech | DW.DE

Image-free and non-invasive technology is being developed in India to help detect cardiovascular disease. If successful, the device could bring affordable healthcare...

dw.de|By Deutsche Welle (www.dw.de)

VOA Asia

US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel is briefed on the ATLAS ROBOT which is one of the most advanced humanoid robots ever built at the Pentagon by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency(DARPA) personnel. Have you ever seen a robot like this before? What would you want to do with a robot like this?

BBC World News

Afghanistan helicopter crash 'a tragic accident http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27177103
An investigation has begun into how the Lynx helicopter came down in the south of the country on Saturday.

VOA Asia

South Korean PM Resigns Over Ferry Disaster http://ow.ly/2G3Zp4

South Korean PM Resigns Over Ferry Disaster

South Korean Prime Minister Chung Hong-won has resigned, following a public uproar over his government's response to the April 16 ferry disaster that left more than 300 people dead or missing. ...

Voice of America|By VOA News

BBC World News

Today's headlines from around the world:
- Military observer freed in ‪#‎Ukraine‬
http://bbc.in/1irhlaE
- Vatican declares Popes John Paul II & John XXIII saints
http://bbc.in/1irhlay
- Latin America honours new saints
http://bbc.in/1irhlaA
- BBC Sport: Chelsea dent Liverpool's title hopes
http://bbc.in/1irhkmZ
- Afghanistan helicopter crash "a tragic accident"
http://bbc.in/1irhlaC
- Former Archbishop says Britain is a 'post-Christian' country
http://bbc.in/1irhlaG
- OPCW head says ‪#‎Syria‬ "still holds chemical weapons"
http://bbc.in/1irhkn3
- NBA probes claim of racist remarks by Clippers owner
http://bbc.in/1irhlaw
- South Korean PM resigns over ferry
http://bbc.in/1irhkn9
- ‪#‎Egypt‬ court jails Morsi supporters
http://bbc.in/1irhlau

Radio Thailand World Service

Thai football fans shell out 60 billion baht on World Cup merchandise
(NNT) - Reserach conducted by the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) finds that Thai soccer fans are willing to shell out around 60 billion baht on World Cup merchandise each time the season begins, effectively breathing life into local vendors at the time of sluggish economy threatened by months of political conflict.
The finding suggested that each World Cup stimulates spending of around 50-60 billion baht, depending on economic conditions at the time. Business revenue is usually spurred by public spending on commodities and recreational items related to the football matches, television sets, as well as other products and services offered in the promotional campaigns.

Despite the ailing economy triggered by prolonged political turmoil, public spending during the World Cup is likely to remain the same, according to Director of the UTCC Center for Economic and Business Forecasting Thanawat Polwichai. He said that for football fans, the event is special as it happens only once every 4 years, and that the business should be even more lively given this year’s better global economic climate.

Radio Thailand World Service

Worshiping ceremony of Royal Regalia for the Coronation celebrations
Mr. Narongrid Snidvongs Na Ayuthaya, a Grand Chamberlain, presided over the worshiping ceremony held at Sala Ratchapracha Samakhom Pavilion in Klai Kangwon Palace, in Hua Hin District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. By royal command, the Royal Regalia has been removed from Bangkok to be instituted at Klai Kangwon Palace for use in the royal and traditional ceremony to celebrate the Coronation Day, May 5.
The Royal Regalia is surmounted on a throne and is comprised of five elements namely the Great Crown and Sword of Victory, the Royal Staff, Fan and Slippers.

His Majesty the King was officially crowned on May 5, 1950, when he pledged he would “reign with righteousness for the benefit and happiness of the Siamese people”. For more than 60 years, His Majesty has proved he has kept his words, ruling the country with the 10-fold code of moralities of the King. The numerous projects that His Majesty has initiated have reflected the royal benevolence for his people and the nation.
Also on Sunday, at a nearby hall inside the Ratchapracha Samakhom Pavilion, Klai Kangwon Palace, representatives from government units, leading members of the armed forces and the general public kept pouring into the hall to lay vases of flowers in front of the royal portrait of Their Majesties the King and Queen and sign books to congratulate Them on the Royal Wedding anniversary on April 28.
The Bureau of the Royal Household has opened the hall for public signing of the books since April 25, and the activity will continue until April 29.

Voice of Indonesia

30 April
International Jazz Day
This year on International Jazz Day
... See More

International Jazz Day, 30 April

In November 2011, the UNESCO General Conference proclaimed 30 April as "International Jazz Day". The Day is intended to raise awareness in the international community of the virtues of jazz as an educational tool, and a force for peace, unity, dialogue and enhanced cooperation among people. Many gov…

United Nations

Voice of Indonesia

3 May
World Press Freedom Day
World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCO's General Conference. Since then, 3 May, the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek is celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom Day. It is an opportunity to:
celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom;
assess the state of press freedom throughout the world;
defend the media from attacks on their independence;
pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
The focus this year is on three inter-related themes: the media’s importance in development; the safety of journalists and the rule of law; and the sustainability and integrity of journalism. An international conference will be held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 5-6 May.

The annual UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize ceremony will take place on 2 May 2014 at UNESCO Headquarters.
http://www.un.org/en/events/pressfreedomday/

World Press Freedom Day, 3 May

World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCO's General Conference. Since then, 3 May, the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek is celebrated...

United Nations

Voice of Indonesia

28 April
World Day for Safety and Health at Work
Theme 2014: “Safety and health in the use of chemicals at work“
... See More

World Day for Safety and Health at Work, 28 April

The World Day for Safety and Health at Work is an annual international campaign to promote safe, healthy and decent work. It is held on 28 April and has been observed by the International Labour...

United Nations

VOA Asia

Have you listened to Mani Ek on VOA’s Khmer service? She is the co-host of the weekly English Learning TV program, “At the Movies with Mani & Mori.” A native of Cambodia, Mani grew up in Toronto, Canada. Mani refers herself as a ‘hybrid’ – a blend of East and West.
Mani will be helping to expand the Now! Show to three days a week. Now! is all about new insights on life, work, relationships and everything in between. The show will introduce you to some of the most fascinating people in the United States, not only the newsmakers, but people who are offering different ideas about those things that are most important in your life, and your world.
Tune into Now!'s new show tomorrow and follow the show on Twitter at @NowVOAShow