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”
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”
Millions of Canadians found out Friday what it is like to live without access to the internet and mobile phone service. Rogers Communications, the country’s largest mobile and internet provider, experienced a major outage, beginning Friday morning and lasting most of the day. The outage affected retailers, credit card and debit transactions, court proceedings, government … continue reading -> “Millions of Canadians Lose Mobile, Internet Services”
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’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”
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”
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 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. …
Twitter said Thursday it removes more than 1 million spam and bot accounts every day. The removals come as Tesla founder Elon Musk, who is in the process of acquiring the company, continues to pressure Twitter to reduce spam accounts. He has threatened to cancel the $44 billion deal if Twitter cannot prove spam and … continue reading -> “Twitter Claims It Is Removing 1 Million Spam Accounts Daily”
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”
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”
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”
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”
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”
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”
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”
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”
Many people struggle with feelings of loneliness and social isolation. For some, a robot companion might make a difference, and states like New York are starting to provide them to residents free of charge. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more. Videographer: Adam Greenbaum Produced by: Julie Taboh, Adam Greenbaum …
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 “
China placed 1.7 million people under lockdown in central Anhui province, where authorities reported nearly 300 new cases Monday in the latest of a string of outbreaks testing Beijing’s no-tolerance approach to COVID-19. The country is the last major economy wedded to a zero-COVID strategy, responding to all cases with strict isolation orders and tough … continue reading -> “1.7 Million Locked Down in China’s Anhui Province”
At her home in Rockford, Illinois, Rita Davisson said the “one or two” mice she normally sees during the waning winter months “have turned into more like 10 or 15” in the last couple years, and scientists say the warmer weather might have something to do with it. The 66-year-old said the influx prompted her … continue reading -> “Climate Change Means More Mice, Demand for Pest Control in US”
A rural town in central Texas is home to the largest bitcoin mining facility in North America, bringing jobs and welcomed vitality into the community. But critics warn the operations are part of a volatile new industry. Deana Mitchell has the story. …
U.S. climate envoy John Kerry said Friday that setbacks for President Joe Biden’s climate efforts at home have “slowed the pace” of some of the commitments from other countries to cut climate-wrecking fossil fuels, but he insisted the U.S. would still achieve its own ambitious climate goals in time. Kerry spoke to The Associated Press … continue reading -> “Climate Envoy: Despite Legal Setbacks, US to Achieve Goals “
Medical centers in Canada that perform abortions are preparing to receive patients from U.S. states that ban the procedure. The U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning a constitutional right to abortion in America is also being used as motivator to expand Canada’s abortion services and provide other forms of support to pregnant women. Canada’s Supreme Court … continue reading -> “Canada Abortion Providers Prepare to Receive US Patients”
The World Health Organization’s Europe chief warned Friday that monkeypox cases in the region have tripled in the past two weeks and urged countries to do more to ensure the previously rare disease does not become entrenched on the continent. And African health authorities said they are treating the expanding monkeypox outbreak as an emergency, … continue reading -> “Monkeypox Cases Triple in Europe, WHO Says; Africa Concerned”