For the first time, United Nations members have agreed on a unified treaty to protect biodiversity in the high seas — nearly half the planet’s surface — concluding two weeks of talks in New York. The U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea came into force in 1994, before marine biodiversity was a well-established … continue reading -> “Nations Reach Accord to Protect Marine Life on High Seas “
Drugs known as statins are the first-choice treatment for high cholesterol but millions of people who can’t or won’t take those pills because of side effects may have another option. In a major study, a different kind of cholesterol-lowering drug named Nexletol reduced the risk of heart attacks and some other cardiovascular problems in people … continue reading -> “Can’t Take Statins? New Pill Cuts Cholesterol, Heart Attacks”
India may issue an alert on cough syrup exported by Marion Biotech, whose products have been linked to deaths in Uzbekistan, after tests showed many of the company’s drug samples contained toxins, a drug inspector said Saturday. Indian police arrested three Marion employees Friday and are looking for two directors after tests in a government … continue reading -> “India Might Issue Alert on Cough Syrup Exports After Toxins Found”
Climate activists splashed a dark liquid over an artwork Saturday near the German parliament building. Desecrating the art, engraved with key articles from the country’s constitution, drew condemnation from the speaker of parliament and other lawmakers. The Last Generation group said supporters symbolically “soaked in ‘oil’” the outdoor installation — a series of glass plates … continue reading -> “Climate Activists Target Artwork Near German Parliament”
The Hartbeespoort dam in South Africa used to be brimming with people enjoying scenic landscapes and recreational water sports. Now, the visitors are greeted to the sight of boats stuck in a sea of invasive green water hyacinth weed. The spike in Harties – as Hartbeespoort is known – can be attributed to pollution, with … continue reading -> “South African Scientists Use Bugs in War Against Water Hyacinth Weed”
Former President George W. Bush recently urged Washington lawmakers to reauthorize the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, an initiative he launched two decades ago against one of deadliest diseases at the time. VOA Senior Correspondent Mariama Diallo reports. …
Walgreens says it will not start selling an abortion pill in 20 states that had warned of legal consequences if it did so. The drugstore chain’s announcement Thursday signals that access to mifepristone may not expand as broadly as federal regulators intended in January, when they finalized a rule change allowing more pharmacies to provide … continue reading -> “Pharmacy’s Decision on Abortion Pill May Signal Restricted Availability in US”
Former President George W. Bush last week urged Washington lawmakers to continue to support the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), an initiative he launched two decades ago against one of deadliest diseases at the time. Bush made his initial plea before Congress at his State of the Union address in 2003, when nearly … continue reading -> “Former President Bush Urges Lawmakers to Reauthorize AIDS Relief Plan “
Days after the Hong Kong government lifted its mask mandate, most Hong Kongers continue to wear the protective anti-COVID-19 coverings, a decision that for some people shows a continued concern about health and for others indicates distrust of the government. Tam Mei Tak, a radio talk-show host and political commentator, told VOA Cantonese that many … continue reading -> “Hong Kongers Keep Wearing Masks Despite Lifting of Mandate”
The U.S. space agency NASA says two U.S. astronauts, another from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and a Russian cosmonaut are safely aboard the International Space Station (ISS) after their Space-X Dragon crew capsule docked Friday with the orbiting laboratory. Video from NASA showed U.S. astronauts Stephen Bowen and Woody Hoburg, UAE astronaut Sultan Alneyadi … continue reading -> “Four New Crew Members Arrive at International Space Station”
One month after a freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, sending tons of toxic chemicals into the air and prompting a temporary evacuation of the town, the fallout from the accident continues, both on the ground where local residents complain of lingering effects, and in Washington, where the Biden administration is under assault from … continue reading -> “One Month Later, Fallout from Toxic Train Accident Continues”
The Biden administration is pushing for more comprehensive federal regulations to keep the online realm safer against hackers, including by shifting cybersecurity responsibilities away from consumers to industry and treating ransomware attacks as national security threats. The plan is part of the National Cyber Strategy that the administration released Thursday, outlining long-range goals for how … continue reading -> “US Launches Aggressive National Cybersecurity Strategy”
Communities around the world emitted more carbon dioxide in 2022 than in any other year on records dating to 1900, a result of air travel rebounding from the pandemic and more cities turning to coal as a low-cost source of power. Emissions of the climate-warming gas that were caused by energy production grew 0.9% to … continue reading -> “Carbon Dioxide Emissions Reached a Record High in 2022”
Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX launched a four-person crew on a trip to the International Space Station early Thursday, with a Russian cosmonaut and United Arab Emirates astronaut joining two NASA crewmates on the flight. The SpaceX launch vehicle, consisting of a Falcon 9 rocket topped with an autonomously operated Crew Dragon capsule called Endeavour, … continue reading -> “SpaceX Launches Latest Space Station Crew to Orbit for NASA”
NASA’s DART spacecraft slammed into the asteroid Dimorphos at a spot between two boulders during last September’s first test of a planetary defense system, sending debris hurtling into space and changing the rocky, oblong-shaped object’s path a bit more than previously calculated. Those were among the findings released by scientists on Wednesday in the most … continue reading -> “Asteroid-Bashing Spacecraft ‘Phenomenally Successful,’ Studies Find”
Eli Lilly will cut prices for some older insulins later this year and immediately give more patients access to a cap on the costs they pay to fill prescriptions. The moves announced Wednesday promise critical relief to some people with diabetes who can face thousands of dollars in annual costs for insulin they need in … continue reading -> “Lilly Plans to Slash Some Insulin Prices, Expand Cost Cap”
Ethiopia’s hydropower dam on the Blue Nile River has angered downstream neighbors, especially Sudan, where people rely on the river for farming and other livelihoods. To reduce the risk of conflict, a group of scientists has used artificial intelligence, AI, to show how all could benefit. But getting Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt to agree on … continue reading -> “Can AI Help Solve Diplomatic Dispute Over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam?”
The Biden administration approved more than $23 billion worth of licenses for companies to ship U.S. goods and technology to blacklisted Chinese companies in the first quarter of 2022, a Republican lawmaker said Tuesday. The data comes amid growing pressure on the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden to further expand a broad crackdown on … continue reading -> “Biden Administration Grilled Over $23B in Licenses for Blacklisted Chinese Firms”
Mexico’s president announced Tuesday that electric car company Tesla has committed to building a major plant in the industrial hub of Monterrey in northern Mexico. President Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador said the promise came in phone calls he had Friday and Monday with Tesla head Elon Musk. It would be Tesla’s third plant outside the … continue reading -> “Mexican President Says Tesla to Build Plant in Mexico”
The head of a U.S. government program to fight AIDS, Dr. John Nkengasong, says that in its 20 years of existence the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, has saved 25 million lives. PEPFAR, set up in 2003 under the administration of former U.S. president George W. Bush, has transformed the trajectory of … continue reading -> “US: 25 Million Lives Saved by AIDS Program”
Holding the bulky brick cellphone he’s credited with inventing 50 years ago, Martin Cooper thinks about the future. Little did he know when he made the first call on a New York City street from a thick gray prototype that our world — and our information — would come to be encapsulated on a sleek … continue reading -> “Father of Cellphone Sees Dark Side but Also Hope in New Tech”
Two more people in Equatorial Guinea have died of Marburg hemorrhagic fever, a cousin of the Ebola virus, bringing the toll of fatalities to 11, the authorities say. “Two days ago, the monitoring system recorded eight notifications, including the deaths of two people with symptoms of the disease,” Health Minister Mitoha Ondo’o Ayekaba said in … continue reading -> “Death Toll in Equatorial Guinea Marburg Outbreak Rises to 11 “
Europe’s existing telecom networks aren’t up to the job of handling surging amounts of internet data traffic, a top European Union official said Monday, as he defended a consultation on whether Big Tech companies should help pay for upgrades. The telecom industry needs to reconsider its business models as it undergoes a “radical shift” fueled … continue reading -> “EU Defends Talks on Big Tech Helping Fund Networks”
The U.S. ambassador to China says Beijing needs to be more forthcoming about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, a day after reports that the U.S. Energy Department concluded the outbreak likely began because of a Chinese laboratory leak. Nicholas Burns told a U.S. Chamber of Commerce event by video link Monday that China needs … continue reading -> “US Ambassador: China Should Be Candid About COVID Origins”
A top U.S. cybersecurity official launched a warning shot at major technology companies, accusing them of “normalizing” the release of flawed and unsafe products while allowing the blame for safety issues, security breaches and cyberattacks to fall on their customers. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Jen Easterly called Monday for new rules and … continue reading -> “US Cybersecurity Official Calls Out Tech Companies for ‘Unsafe’ Software”