Italian Researchers Develop Lighter, Cheaper Robotic Hand

Italian researchers on Thursday unveiled a new robotic hand they say allows users to grip objects more naturally and featuring a design that will lower the price significantly. The Hennes robotic hand has a simpler mechanical design compared with other such myoelectric prosthetics, characterized by sensors that react to electrical signals from the brain to …

Iraqis Head to Polls Amid Security Threats, External Influence

Amid threats from Islamic State group, getting in and out of the polling stations safely will be the prevailing thought on Iraqi voters’ minds May 12 when the country goes to the polls to choose a new parliament and the prime minister. Islamic State militants have threatened to carry out attacks ahead of the elections …

Macron Hailed as European Unifier, but Reality Remains Elusive

 After failing to coax Washington to stick with the Iran nuclear deal, and facing protests at home over his labor and pension reforms, French President Emmanuel Macron may find solace Thursday in Germany, where he will be given a prestigious European award for another key ambition: far-reaching goals to reform and revamp the European Union.  …

Son of Missing American Sees Opportunity in US-Iran Deal Exit

A son of an American man who went missing in Iran 11 years ago said the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal presents a new opportunity to bring his father home. In an interview with VOA Persian’s NewsHour program in Washington on Wednesday, Doug Levinson said the U.S. and Iranian governments should take advantage …

Iranian Forces in Syria Shell Golan Bases, Israel Says

Iranian forces fired 20 rockets at Israeli army posts in the Golan Heights from inside Syria, the Israeli military reported late Wednesday. Israel said its Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted some of the rockets while the others caused minimal damage and no casualties. Israel said it views the incident “with severity.” Israel has been …

Malaysians Vote in Election Defined by Graft Scandal, Tax

Malaysians flocked to vote in a fiercely contested election Wednesday that pits an opposition led by former authoritarian leader Mahathir Mohamad against the ruling coalition of Prime Minister Najib Razak, whose reputation has been battered by corruption allegations and an unpopular sales tax. Long lines formed at polling booths in Kuala Lumpur and other cities …

GOP Outsiders In, and Out, as Primary Season Begins

Republican voters rejected ex-convict Don Blankenship Tuesday in a West Virginia Senate primary in which he sold himself as “Trumpier than Trump” but was vigorously opposed by the president. GOP voters in Indiana, meanwhile, chose wealthy businessman Mike Braun over two sitting congressmen to lead the party’s charge against a vulnerable Democratic senator in the …

Israeli Intel Sources Detect Unusual Iranian Military Activity in Lebanon

A prominent Iranian-Israeli journalist says Israeli intelligence sources have reported unusual activities by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps forces in Lebanon. Speaking to VOA Persian’s special program about President Donald Trump’s decision on the Iran nuclear deal, Menashe Amir said his intelligence sources detected the IRGC activities in Lebanon on Tuesday. Amir, who is based near …

It’s Back to School for Some of Thailand’s Elderly

Wearing crisp red-and-white uniforms, a group of 60-year-olds pile into a bus, smiling broadly as they make their way to a school in Ayutthaya, a province in Thailand. For this group, and others across the country, going back to school offers a way to fight loneliness at a time when changing demographics mean more elderly …

UN Food Agency Aims to Boost Aid to North Korea but Lacks Funds

The United Nations food agency said its chief would visit North Korea on Tuesday to look into boosting food distributions to hungry women and children, in the latest sign of an opening in the isolated country. The four-day trip comes amid a warming of relations between the North and South Korea and in the build-up …

Netanyahu: Iran Deploying Arms in Syria to Threaten Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran on Tuesday of deploying “very dangerous weapons” in Syria as part of a campaign to threaten Israel. Iran, “openly calls, daily, for the destruction, the elimination of Israel from the face of the earth and practices unmitigated aggression against us,” Netanyahu told reporters during a visit to Cyprus. …

In a Film Festival Far, Far away, Cannes Puts Art Over Commerce

Cannes opened its doors on Monday for a festival that will show the new “Star Wars” spinoff but welcome fewer stellar names than usual. Critics have said a jury including Cate Blanchett, Kristen Stewart and Lea Seydoux has more A-list acting talent than the films — many from lesser-known European, Asian and African filmmakers — …