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Among the tens of thousands of refugees stranded in Greece are many Afghan nationals -- including some who tell VOA they were forced to flee threats from the Taliban because they had worked with US and coalition forces. The United States has a special visa to help Afghans and Iraqis who worked with the US military to gain asylum -- but the refugees say the system takes far too long, and they had to flee for their lives. Henry Ridgwell reports from Athens.
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Experts say the Islamic State is looting and selling cultural antiquities from Iraq and Syria on an industrial scale. The destruction and sale of these treasures is not only condoned but has been institutionalized within the Islamic State itself. And as Jeff Swicord reports, artifacts are beginning to show up on antiquities markets around the world.
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Turkey is expecting to receive another shipment of 200 migrants deported from Greece on Friday. It is part of the deal reached in March between the European Union and Ankara to alleviate Europe’s migrant crisis. But there is also nervousness among some Turks who question whether their country can and should absorb the refugees who do not return to their nations of origin. VOA Europe Correspondent Luis Ramirez reports.
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Diabetes is fast becoming a major global problem, affecting 422 million people. But nanotechnology may someday make monitoring blood glucose levels and administering medicine much simpler than it is today. VOA’s George Putic reports.
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As life in cities worldwide becomes more hectic and more expensive, urban designers are resorting to modern technology to help citizens avoid traffic snarls, and shorten the time needed for shopping and other errands. Technology also is used to cut costly waste. Zlatica Hoke has this report about a city in Spain that is turning into a model "smart city" others seek to emulate.
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Uber, the U.S.-based online transportation network company, operates a mobile app that allows consumers with smartphones to book cab service from Uber drivers who use their own cars. As the company makes inroads in Africa, entrepreneurs in the West African nation of Ivory Coast are trying to stay one step ahead. Emilie Iob reports from the Ivorian commercial capital, Abidjan, where at least four Uber-like car services have launched since last year.
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Amnesty International says there was a disturbing rise in the number of executions carried out worldwide in 2015. At least 1,634 people were executed last year – a rise of more than 50 percent in 2015 and the highest in 25 years. But the true figure is likely much higher, as Henry Ridgwell reports for VOA from London.
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Mariam Marwan was 16 when Islamic State militants stormed her village in Iraq, forcing her family to flee to the Sinjar Mountains. Now 18, Miriam says she constantly relives the nightmare but hopes her images will serve as a record of what happened to the Yazidi people.
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A U.S. Military Service dog that saved the lives of thousands of troops by sniffing out explosives has been awarded the highest honor of bravery by a British animal charity. Henry Ridgwell met Lucca the German Shepherd at an award ceremony in London and reports for VOA.
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Out of the 20,000 to 25,000 genes in the human genome, only one is known to play a role in hair color and balding. It is also responsible for the inevitable gray hairs. But new research suggests that we may someday be able to postpone the inevitable. VOA’s George Putic reports.
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African-born marathon runner Meb Keflezighi will be among the athletes representing the United States come August at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He will then be 41 years old. Elizabeth Lee met him at one of his training sessions in San Diego to find out how this refugee from Eritrea became an Olympian.
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Myanmar is #2 in the world for opium production. As Myanmar’s new parliament faces major reform challenges, a drug epidemic remains deeply rooted in some ethnic states with growers allowed to produce opium with impunity.
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On March 24, the Iraqi military launched "Operation Conquest" — the newest offensive to push the Islamic State out of Iraq. The operation to liberate the city of Mosul is expected to take up to a year, but it could take much longer to push the extremists out of the entire country. VOA sat down with the leader of an elite Kurdish counterterrorism unit to discuss what he thinks it will take to defeat the extremists. From northern Iraq, Sebastian Meyer reports.
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A week ago, the Iraqi military launched Operation Conquest to push the Islamic State group out of Mosul. Fighting between the army and the militants is heavy, and the offensive is expected to take many months. A recent VOA interview with a captured IS member gives insight into the extremist group and who some of their young fighters are. Sebastian Meyer reports from northern Iraq.