On the third anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, the virus is still spreading, and the death toll is nearing 7 million worldwide. Yet most people have resumed their normal lives, thanks to a wall of immunity built from infections and vaccines. The virus appears here to stay, along with the threat of a more dangerous … continue reading -> “Pandemic 3 Years Later: Has COVID-19 Won?”
A requirement that travelers to the U.S. from China present a negative COVID-19 test before boarding their flights expired Friday after more than two months as cases in China have fallen. The restrictions were put in place December 28 and took effect January 5 amid a surge in infections in China after the nation sharply … continue reading -> “US Lifts COVID Test Requirement for Chinese Travelers”
By launching an unmanned capsule into space, sending it around the moon and bringing it back to Earth in November, NASA demonstrated how it will once again transport astronauts to the lunar surface — a core goal of the Artemis program. What remains to be seen is who will crew the first trips. “Everybody in … continue reading -> “NASA’s Artemis Moon Missions Promise Diverse Crews”
The World Health Organization has called for Africa to step up the fight against cholera, which in the last year killed more than 3,000 people in 12 African countries, with more than half the victims dying in Malawi’s record outbreak. The global health body and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention held a … continue reading -> “African Ministers in Malawi Discuss Cholera Outbreaks”
A global shortage of semiconductor chips in the automotive industry starting in 2020 has motivated many countries to increase their domestic manufacturing. The United States has allocated more than $50 billion to promote semiconductor production and research stateside as the global need for the chips is expected to double over the next decade. Keith Kocinski … continue reading -> “US Semiconductor Manufacturing Expected to Ramp Up With New Deal”
After three nasty years, the La Nina weather phenomenon that increases Atlantic hurricane activity and worsens Western drought is gone, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said Thursday. That’s usually good news for the United States and other parts of the world, including drought-stricken northeast Africa, scientists said. The globe is now in what’s … continue reading -> “La Nina, Which Worsens Hurricanes and Drought, Is Gone”
All U.S. women getting mammograms will soon receive information about their breast density, which can sometimes make cancer harder to spot. The new requirements, finalized Thursday by the Food and Drug Administration, are aimed at standardizing the information given to millions of women following scans to detect breast cancer. Regulators first proposed the changes in … continue reading -> “US Requires New Info on Breast Density With All Mammograms”
Sodium is essential for the smooth functioning of muscles and nerves and maintaining the proper balance of water and minerals. But too much sodium in the diet can kill. “Almost 2 million deaths each year are associated with excessive sodium intake,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization. “Too much sodium can … continue reading -> “WHO Chief: Too Much Salt Can Kill You”
China’s government on Thursday criticized the Netherlands for joining Washington in blocking Chinese access to technology to manufacture advanced processor chips on security and human rights grounds. A Dutch minister told lawmakers Wednesday that exports of equipment that uses ultraviolet light to etch circuits on chips would be restricted on security grounds. ASML of the … continue reading -> “China Criticizes Dutch Plan to Curb Access to Chip Tools “
WeightWatchers, the 60-year-old diet firm, announced this week it would acquire a telehealth company whose providers prescribe anti-obesity drugs for growing numbers of eager online subscribers. The $132 million deal with Sequence is just the latest commercial push into the red-hot market for prescription drugs that promises significant weight loss. For months, the diabetes drug … continue reading -> “What to Know About Prescription Drugs Promising Weight Loss”
Plastics entering the world’s oceans have surged by an unprecedented amount since 2005 and could nearly triple by 2040 if no further action is taken, according to research published on Wednesday. An estimated 171 trillion plastic particles were afloat in the oceans by 2019, according to peer-reviewed research led by the 5 Gyres Institute, a … continue reading -> “Plastic Entering Oceans Could Nearly Triple by 2040, Research Finds”
The Netherlands’ government on Wednesday said it planned new restrictions on exports of semiconductor technology to protect national security, joining the United States’ effort to curb chip exports to China. The U.S. in October imposed sweeping export restrictions on shipments of American chipmaking tools to China, but for the restrictions to be effective, they need … continue reading -> “Netherlands Responds to US China Policy With Plan to Curb Semiconductor Tech Exports”
Drones are routinely used in warfare, law enforcement and agriculture. Now more and more U.S. businesses are using them to deliver cookies and coffee right to your front door. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more. Camera: Adam Greenbaum, Chad Baugh …
Add a top U.S. intelligence official to the list of Americans expressing concern about Chinese-made technology and Chinese social media platforms like TikTok. General Paul Nakasone, who heads both the U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, told lawmakers Tuesday there are multiple reasons to be wary of China’s rapid expansion in cyberspace, calling … continue reading -> “Key US Intelligence Official Casts Shade on TikTok, Chinese Tech”
France has reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu among red foxes northeast of Paris, the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) said on Tuesday, as the spread of the virus to mammals raised global concerns. After three foxes were found dead in a nature reserve in Meaux near where gulls had died, … continue reading -> “France Reports Bird Flu in Foxes Near Paris, WOAH Says”
U.S. National Security Agency director Paul Nakasone on Tuesday expressed concern about Chinese-owned video app TikTok’s data collection and potential to facilitate broad influence operations. In response to a lawmaker’s question about any concerns he has on the influence of TikTok on American children, Nakasone told a Senate hearing, “TikTok concerns me for a number … continue reading -> “US NSA Director Concerned by TikTok Data Collection, Use in Influence Operations”
Many states have enacted or contemplated limits or outright bans on transgender medical treatment, with conservative U.S. lawmakers saying they are worried about young people later regretting irreversible body-altering treatment. But just how common is regret? And how many youth change their appearances with hormones or surgery only to later change their minds and detransition? … continue reading -> “How Common Is Transgender Treatment Regret, Detransitioning? “
Japan’s new medium-lift rocket failed on its debut flight in space on Tuesday after the launcher’s second-stage engine did not ignite as planned, in a blow to its efforts to cut the cost of accessing space and compete against Elon Musk’s SpaceX. The 57-metre tall H3 rocket lifted off without a hitch from the Tanegashima … continue reading -> “Japan’s New Rocket Fails After Engine Issue, in Blow to Space Ambitions”
A nuclear power plant in Georgia has begun splitting atoms in one of its two new reactors, Georgia Power said Monday, a key step toward reaching commercial operation at the first new nuclear reactors built from scratch in decades in the United States. The unit of Atlanta-based Southern Co. said operators reached self-sustaining nuclear fission … continue reading -> “Georgia Nuclear Plant Begins Splitting Atoms for First Time”
The Italian health minister’s proposals to extend a smoking ban include the outdoor areas of bars and parks, according to details reported by local media, drawing the ire of right-wing Cabinet colleagues who labeled him a “communist.” Minister Orazio Schillaci, a technocrat with no party affiliation, said in January he would crackdown on smoking, including … continue reading -> “Italy Ministers Fume Over Proposed Smoking Ban”
A group of attorneys general from 45 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., demanded Monday that social media app TikTok produce materials as part of an investigation into its effect on young users’ mental health. “We know that social media is taking a devastating toll on young people’s mental health and well-being, and through our investigation … continue reading -> “Attorneys General in 45 US States Demand TikTok Hand Over Information”
Greenhouse gas emissions from the way humans produce and consume food could add nearly 1 degree of warming to the Earth’s climate by 2100, according to a new study. Continuing the dietary patterns of today will push the planet past the 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) limit of warming sought under the Paris climate … continue reading -> “How We Eat Could Add 1 Degree of Warming By 2100”
Twitter users reported a string of problems with the social media site on Monday, including broken links and images not loading. The company’s tech support account said in a tweet, “Some parts of Twitter may not be working as expected right now. We made an internal change that had some unintended consequences. We’re working on … continue reading -> “Twitter Suffers Glitches Over Inaccessible Links”
The United Nations announced Monday that it had taken a significant step towards trying to fill a key gap in the fight against climate change: standardized, real-time tracking of greenhouse gases. The U.N.’s World Meteorological Organization has come up with a new Global Greenhouse Gas Monitoring Infrastructure that aims to provide better ways of measuring … continue reading -> “UN Takes Step Toward New Way of Tracking Greenhouse Gases”
Only a third of people in the world’s poorest countries can connect to the internet, the U.N. telecoms agency said Sunday, but low-flying satellites could bring hope to millions, especially in remote corners of Africa. Tech giants including Microsoft have pledged to help populations hobbled by poor internet services to “leapfrog” into an era of … continue reading -> “Satellites Could Beam Poorest Nations out of Digital Desert “