The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled Friday to hear oral arguments against two of President Joe Biden’s administration’s COVID-19 vaccine policies issued by government agencies to combat the deadly coronavirus. The policies “are critical to our nation’s COVID-19 response,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. The mandates coming under review were … continue reading -> “US Supreme Court Reviews COVID Vaccine Mandates”

Midday queues snake out to the street in an upmarket Shanghai neighborhood, but it’s not lunch at the city’s hottest restaurant that people are lining up for — it’s cosmetic “micro-procedures”, which are surging in popularity in China.     The “lunchtime facelift” and other “medical aesthetics” procedures are booming as a new generation of Chinese consumers … continue reading -> “Beauty is Only Skin Deep in China ‘Micro-procedure’ Craze”

Nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, six former health advisers for U.S. President Joe Biden are urging a different approach to fighting it. Writing Thursday in The Journal of the American Medical Association, the advisers wrote three articles urging Americans to learn to live with the virus in a “new normal” as opposed to … continue reading -> “Former Biden Health Officials Urge New Approach to Fighting COVID”

A team of scientists is sailing to “the place in the world that’s the hardest to get to” so they can better figure out how much and how fast seas will rise because of global warming eating away at Antarctica’s ice.  Thirty-two scientists on Thursday are starting a more than two-month mission aboard an American … continue reading -> “Scientists Explore Thwaites, Antarctica’s ‘Doomsday’ Glacier “

After launching its next-generation space telescope, NASA scientists mark major milestones in its progress.  Plus, a new spaceplane arrives at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.  VOA’s Arash Arabasadi brings us The Week in Space. Camera: YouTube NASA/ REUTERS/ SIERRA SPACE  Produced by: Arash Arabasadi …

World tennis No.1 Novak Djokovic has had his visa canceled by Australian authorities and is facing deportation. He had received a COVID-19 vaccination exemption to defend his title at the Australian Open but has reportedly failed to provide proper evidence to border officials. The Serbian is the defending Australian Open champion, and a nine-time winner … continue reading -> “Australia Detains Serbian Tennis Star Djokovic Over COVID-19 Visa Breaches”

The World Health Organization says a new coronavirus variant recently detected in France is nothing to be concerned about right now. Scientists at the IHU Mediterranee Infection Foundation in the city of Marseille say they discovered the new B.1.640.2 variant in December in 12 patients living near Marseille, with the first patient testing positive after … continue reading -> “WHO Says New Coronavirus Variant in France Not a Threat – Yet”

World tennis No.1 Novak Djokovic has had his visa canceled by Australian authorities and is facing deportation. He had received a COVID-19 vaccination exemption to defend his title at the Australian Open but has reportedly failed to provide proper evidence to border officials. The Serbian is the defending Australian Open champion, and a nine-time winner … continue reading -> “Australia Detains Serbian Tennis Star Over COVID-19 Visa Breaches”

Influential government advisers are strongly urging that teens as young as 12 get COVID-19 boosters as soon as they’re eligible, a key move as the U.S. battles the omicron surge and schools struggle with how to restart classes amid the spike.  All Americans 16 and older are encouraged to get a booster, which health authorities … continue reading -> “US Advisers Endorse Pfizer COVID Boosters for Younger Teens”

Omicron may not cause as much lung damage as the delta variant of the COVID-19 virus, according to new lab studies. That, plus vaccination, may help explain why patients with omicron are not being hospitalized or dying as often as patients infected with previous variants. But omicron is still killing an average of 1,200 people … continue reading -> “Omicron Is Milder Than Delta But Nothing to Sneeze At”

Exactly two years after the World Health Organization issued an alert about “a cluster of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause” in the central Chinese city of Wuhan that evolved into the global COVID-19 pandemic, the world is now struggling under the weight of the fast-moving omicron variant of the coronavirus that sparked the disease.  … continue reading -> “Governments Worldwide Continue Imposing COVID Measures, 2 Years After Pandemic’s Start”

Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line on Wednesday canceled sailings amid rising fears of omicron-related coronavirus infections that have dampened the nascent recovery of the pandemic-ravaged cruise industry. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. called off its Spectrum of the Seas cruise for January 6 after nine guests on its January 2 trip were identified as close … continue reading -> “Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Cancel Voyages Amid Omicron Scare”

President Joe Biden has directed his administration to buy an additional 10 million courses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 pill, Paxlovid, bringing the total to at least 20 million courses, as part of his strategy to combat omicron. He addressed the American public Tuesday as COVID-19 cases in the U.S. surge to record levels following the holidays. … continue reading -> “Biden Doubles Order of COVID Pills to Fight Omicron”

Illinois farmer Jack McCormick planted 350 acres of barley and radishes last fall as part of an off-season crop that he does not intend to harvest. Instead, the crops will be killed off with a weed killer next spring before McCormick plants soybeans in the same dirt.  The barley and radishes will not be used … continue reading -> “Off-Season ‘Cover’ Crops Expand as US Growers Eye Low-Carbon Future “

On the 40th anniversary of a famous skin cancer campaign, research has revealed that a high number of young Australians are not using sun protection.  Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. A new multi-million-dollar awareness campaign hopes to repeat the success of the ‘Slip Slop Slap’ advertisement of … continue reading -> “Famous Australian Skin Cancer Ad Returns to the Airwaves”

A community health service in Africa’s largest urban slum is helping poor people get affordable emergency services during the COVID pandemic.  The Kibera community emergency response team in Nairobi is offering a $1 monthly fee for access to emergency services, including an ambulance.  Victoria Amunga has more from Nairobi. Camera:  Robert Lutta …

Conservationists are blaming climate change, land clearing and pesticides for the population crash of one of Australia’s most famous insects. Once a common sight, bogong moths have become rare in recent years. They are now recognized as endangered by the world’s leading scientific authority on vulnerable species, the International Union for Conservation of Nature.  The bogong moth is native to Australia. The … continue reading -> “Fears for Australia’s Famous Migrating Moth”

As the COVID-19 omicron variant surges across the United States, top federal health officials are looking to add a negative test along with its five-day isolation restrictions for asymptomatic Americans who catch the coronavirus, the White House’s top medical adviser said Sunday.  Dr. Anthony Fauci said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now considering … continue reading -> “Fauci: CDC Mulling COVID Test Requirement for Asymptomatic”

World-renowned Kenyan conservationist and fossil hunter Richard Leakey, whose groundbreaking discoveries helped prove that humankind evolved in Africa, died on Sunday at the age of 77, the country’s president said. The legendary paleoanthropologist remained energetic into his 70s despite bouts of skin cancer, kidney and liver disease.  “I have this afternoon… received with deep sorrow … continue reading -> “Richard Leakey, Fossil Hunter and Defender of Elephants, Dies at 77”

France has lowered the age of its mask mandate to 6-year-old children, officials announced Saturday. The news comes just days before schools reopen Monday, following the winter holiday break. While the mandate requires children to wear masks in indoor public places, the mandate will also include outside locations in cities like Paris and Lyon where … continue reading -> “French Mask Mandate Includes 6-Year-Olds”