Japan Bids Final Farewell to Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Grieving Japanese paid their final farewells to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Tuesday.  Scores of everyday people lined up outside Tokyo’s Zojoji Temple to bring flowers and other tokens of respect for Abe, who was gunned down last Friday in the western city of Nara during a campaign rally. Many of the mourners cried as … continue reading -> “Japan Bids Final Farewell to Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe”

China’s Central Wuhan Reports Cholera Case

Chinese authorities on Monday confirmed that a case of cholera had occurred in the central city of Wuhan where the outbreak of COVID-19 began before spreading globally. State media acknowledged that the case has sparked public worries in a society still coping with the COVID outbreak.  China’s official media Xinhua published the news on the … continue reading -> “China’s Central Wuhan Reports Cholera Case”

NASA to Release Images from Most Powerful Space Telescope

The U.S. space agency is set to release the full set of the first full-color images from the James Webb Space Telescope on Tuesday, a day after sharing a full-color picture showing stars and galaxies from deeper into the cosmos than ever seen before. During a news briefing at the White House Monday to unveil … continue reading -> “NASA to Release Images from Most Powerful Space Telescope”

NASA Offers Farthest Look Into Cosmos

The U.S. space agency has released the first image from its new space telescope — a full color picture showing stars and galaxies from deeper into the cosmos than ever seen before.  During a news briefing Monday at the White House to unveil the NASA image, U.S. President Joe Biden said the telescope was “a … continue reading -> “NASA Offers Farthest Look Into Cosmos”

New Coronavirus Mutant Raises Concerns in India and Beyond 

The quickly changing coronavirus has spawned yet another super contagious omicron mutant that’s worrying scientists as it gains ground in India and pops up in numerous other countries, including the United States. Scientists say the variant — called BA.2.75 — may be able to spread rapidly and get around immunity from vaccines and previous infection. … continue reading -> “New Coronavirus Mutant Raises Concerns in India and Beyond “

Biden to Unveil First Full-Color Images from Webb Telescope

The world will get its first view of a full-color image from the James Webb Space Telescope at a White House event Monday.  U.S. President Joe Biden is set to release the image, with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson giving remarks.  NASA plans to release more full-color images Tuesday that it says will show the telescope … continue reading -> “Biden to Unveil First Full-Color Images from Webb Telescope”

NASA to Showcase Webb Space Telescope’s First Full-Color Images

Drawing back the curtain to a photo gallery unlike any other, NASA will soon present the first full-color images from its James Webb Space Telescope, a revolutionary apparatus designed to peer through the cosmos to the dawn of the universe. The highly anticipated July 12 unveiling of pictures and spectroscopic data from the newly operational … continue reading -> “NASA to Showcase Webb Space Telescope’s First Full-Color Images”

Yellowstone Floods Reveal Forecasting Flaws in Warming World

The Yellowstone National Park area’s weather forecast the morning of June 12 seemed fairly tame: warmer temperatures and rain showers would accelerate mountain snow melt and could produce “minor flooding.” A National Weather Service bulletin recommended moving livestock from low-lying areas but made no mention of danger to people.  By nightfall, after several inches of … continue reading -> “Yellowstone Floods Reveal Forecasting Flaws in Warming World”

US Abortion Ruling Threatens Access to Arthritis Drug

When Melissa, a nurse in the U.S. state of Alabama, went to pick up her regular prescription medication for rheumatoid arthritis last week, she was told the drug was on hold while the pharmacist checked she wasn’t going to use it to induce an abortion. “He said, ‘Well I have to verify if you’re on … continue reading -> “US Abortion Ruling Threatens Access to Arthritis Drug”

Texas Judge Blocks Investigations Of 2 Trans Youth Families

A Texas judge issued an order Friday to continue blocking the state from investigating two families of transgender youth who have received gender affirming medical care and said she was considering whether to prevent additional investigations. The ruling extends in part a temporary order issued last month blocking investigations against three families who sued and … continue reading -> “Texas Judge Blocks Investigations Of 2 Trans Youth Families”

Canada Plans Health Warnings on Every Cigarette

The Canadian government is set to put health warnings on each cigarette and ban certain types of plastics, parts of a new round of regulations from the Trudeau government. “Poison in every puff.” By 2023, this is the warning the Canadian government is planning on having on each cigarette sold in the country. This will … continue reading -> “Canada Plans Health Warnings on Every Cigarette”

Ghana Records First-Ever Suspected Cases of Marburg Virus Disease

Ghana’s health authorities say they have, for the first time, confirmed two fatal cases of the Marburg virus, a relative of the Ebola virus. In a statement on Thursday, the Ghana Health Service said the two cases of Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) were detected in the Ashanti region – about 250 kilometers from the capital, … continue reading -> “Ghana Records First-Ever Suspected Cases of Marburg Virus Disease”

Huge Underground Search for Mysterious Dark Matter Begins

In a former gold mine a mile underground, inside a titanium tank filled with a rare, liquefied gas, scientists have begun the search for what so far has been unfindable: dark matter. Scientists are pretty sure the invisible stuff makes up most of the universe’s mass and say we wouldn’t be here without it — … continue reading -> “Huge Underground Search for Mysterious Dark Matter Begins”

As COVID-19 Cases Rise, New Variant Poses Major Challenge 

Cases of COVID-19 are surging again globally, due in large part to the rise of virus variant Omicron BA.5, which is much more contagious than its predecessors and is able to circumvent existing immunity in many people. In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week released data indicating that the BA.5 … continue reading -> “As COVID-19 Cases Rise, New Variant Poses Major Challenge “

NASA Soars From Southern Hemisphere

NASA sees success on a pair of launches from the Southern Hemisphere. Plus, prospective lunar rovers run the gauntlet on Earth, and an Independence Day anniversary for the American space program. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi brings us The Week in Space. …

Africa’s Great Green Wall: Researchers Push New Advances Despite Conflict, Funding Challenges

African and European researchers are meeting in France to give fresh impetus to Africa’s ambitious Great Green Wall project, intended to fight climate change and support communities across the Sahel region. Much of the area is plagued by conflict and hunger, but scientists are looking at new ways to move ahead. It’s been slow-going building … continue reading -> “Africa’s Great Green Wall: Researchers Push New Advances Despite Conflict, Funding Challenges”

WHO: Countries Must Prepare for Future COVID-19 Waves

The World Health Organization warns new variants of COVID-19 are spreading and people must remain vigilant and employ public health measures to protect themselves from contracting and transmitting the deadly disease.  The latest WHO figures show reported cases of COVID-19 have increased nearly 30 percent globally over the past two weeks. Current figures stand at … continue reading -> “WHO: Countries Must Prepare for Future COVID-19 Waves”

A Scramble as Last Mississippi Abortion Clinic Shuts Its Doors

 Mississippi’s only abortion clinic has been buzzing with activity in the chaotic days since the U.S. Supreme Court upended abortion rights nationwide — a case that originated in this conservative Deep South state — with this bright-pink medical facility closing its doors Wednesday.  Physicians at Jackson Women’s Health Organization have been trying to see as … continue reading -> “A Scramble as Last Mississippi Abortion Clinic Shuts Its Doors”

Fresh COVID-19 Outbreaks Put Millions Under Lockdown in China

Tens of millions of people were under lockdown across China on Wednesday and businesses in a major tourist city were forced to close as fresh COVID-19 clusters sparked fears of wider restrictions.  Chinese health authorities have reported more than 300 infections in the historic northern city of Xian, home to the Terracotta Army, with new … continue reading -> “Fresh COVID-19 Outbreaks Put Millions Under Lockdown in China”

WHO: Monkeypox Outbreak Grows to More Than 6,000 Cases

The World Health Organization says more than 6,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported in 58 countries, with over 80% of the cases in Europe. The WHO was expected to determine whether to declare the outbreak a global health emergency, the highest level of alert, later this month, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual … continue reading -> “WHO: Monkeypox Outbreak Grows to More Than 6,000 Cases”

Africa’s IGAD Bloc Seeks Support to Feed Millions Amid Severe Drought

Members of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, a regional bloc that includes Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda, met Tuesday in Nairobi to discuss humanitarian, political, and security issues in the region. The humanitarian situation that has made more than 23 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia food insecure took … continue reading -> “Africa’s IGAD Bloc Seeks Support to Feed Millions Amid Severe Drought”

New US Study Helps Demystify Long COVID Brain Fog

A small new study published Tuesday by scientists at the U.S. National Institutes of Health suggests that the immune response triggered by coronavirus infections damages the brain’s blood vessels and could be responsible for long COVID symptoms. The paper, published in the journal Brain, was based on brain autopsies from nine people who died suddenly … continue reading -> “New US Study Helps Demystify Long COVID Brain Fog”

Alarm Over Oceans Heat Up Europe’s Summertime Politics

There is growing alarm among European and other environmentalists over what they say is governments’ failure to ensure healthy oceans, which are vital for food, jobs, biodiversity and clean air. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls it an “ocean emergency.” “Global heating is pushing ocean temperature to record levels, creating fiercer and more frequent storms,” … continue reading -> “Alarm Over Oceans Heat Up Europe’s Summertime Politics”

Ukrainian Mathematician Second Woman to Win Prestigious Mathematics Prize 

Ukrainian mathematician Maryna Viazovska on Tuesday became just the second woman to receive the prestigious Fields Medal, described as the Nobel Prize in mathematics. The 37-year-old Viazovska, received the medal during a ceremony in Helsinki, Finland, along with three other mathematicians: 36-year-old Hugo Duminil-Copin of the University of Geneva, 39-year-old Korean-American June Huh of Princeton … continue reading -> “Ukrainian Mathematician Second Woman to Win Prestigious Mathematics Prize “