CDC says cases of coronavirus clusters are increasing in the U.S. in youth sports and day care centers, while hospitals are reporting more younger adults are being admitted with severe cases of the disease.  As Mariama Diallo reports, coronavirus variants are to blame for the rise.    …

The United States officially joined a U.N. group on climate and security on Thursday as part of the Biden administration’s focus on mitigating all impacts of the climate crisis.“This is a critical issue for the United Nations, especially because the threat isn’t just to all of our climates. It’s also a collective security issue for … continue reading -> “US Joins UN Group of Nations on Climate and Security”

Modern brains are younger than originally thought, possibly developing as recently as 1.5 million years ago, according to a study published Thursday. By that time, the earliest humans had already begun walking on two feet and had started fanning out from Africa. Our first ancestors from the genus Homo emerged on the continent about 2.5 million … continue reading -> “Study: Modern Brains Evolved Much More Recently Than Thought”

Several nations have issued new guidelines over the use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine after the European Union’s medical regulator announced a link between the vaccine and rare, possibly fatal blood clots.Britain, where the vaccine was developed jointly by the British-Swedish drugmaker and scientists at the University of Oxford, says it will offer alternatives for adults … continue reading -> “New Guidelines Issued After Blood Clots Linked to AstraZeneca Vaccine”

Moroccan authorities decided Wednesday to enforce a night-time curfew during the holy month of Ramadan because of a recent rise in COVID-19 cases, as scientists announced the discovery of a new, local variant of the virus.Many Moroccans voiced their anger over the decision on social networks, describing it as another blow to many businesses already … continue reading -> “Morocco Imposes Ramadan Curfew, Despite Vaccine Success”

A New York social worker and psychotherapist says more is needed to address the pandemic’s impact on mental health, particularly among health care workers. More from VOA Correspondent Mariama Diallo. …

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said Wednesday the highly contagious B.1.1.7 variant originally identified in Britain is now the most common strain of the virus that causes COVID-19 circulating in the United States.During the White House COVID-19 response team briefing, Walensky said the variant has been shown to be more … continue reading -> “CDC: So-Called British COVID-19 Variant Now Most Common in US “

The U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) reports it is covering the cost of health insurance for an additional 20,000 Afghan refugees in Iran. This boosts the number of refugees to 120,000 who will be able to access medical care for COVID-19 and other illnesses under Iran’s national health plan.   Iran hosts nearly 800,000 Afghan refugees.  … continue reading -> “UNHCR Funds Health Care for Thousands More Afghan Refugees in Iran”

Scores of Cameroonians with kidney failure and their relatives have blocked traffic since Monday around a Yaoundé hospital to protest a shortage of dialysis treatment.  Cameroon authorities blame administrative procedures and coronavirus disruptions for slowing the import of dialysis machines and medicines.  Traffic was at a standstill in Yaounde’s Melen neighborhood this week as hundreds of patients … continue reading -> “Cameroon Dialysis Patients Protest Poor Treatment, Equipment Shortage  “

India has become the global hotspot for the COVID-19 pandemic, counting the world’s highest numbers of daily new infections in recent days as it grapples with a second wave of the pandemic weeks after witnessing a dramatic decline.   The impact of the swift surge in the virus, in the world’s biggest vaccine maker, will be felt … continue reading -> “Hit with Second Wave, India Becomes COVID-19 Hotspot  “

The race is on between COVID-19 vaccinations and the continuing evolution of coronavirus variants that threaten to undermine them.As vaccination ramps up in the United States and cases decline, people are letting their guard down, including those who are not vaccinated.But public health experts are urging people not to let loose just yet.The virus is … continue reading -> “COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Races Against Evolving Virus Variants”

The race is on between COVID-19 vaccinations and the continuing evolution of coronavirus variants that threaten to undermine them.As vaccination ramps up in the United States and cases decline, people are letting their guard down, including those who are not vaccinated.But public health experts are urging people not to let loose just yet.The virus is … continue reading -> “Vaccine Rollout Races Against Evolving Virus Variants”

As the U.S. nears reaching its goal of vaccinating 200 million Americans by the end of April, the Biden administration is taking more steps toward helping other nations by appointing a coordinator for its global COVID-19 response. White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has the story.  …

A recent report published by the National Academy of Sciences paints a grim picture of declining diversity in ocean life.  The study spanned decades, and as VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports, researchers link a drop in species to a rise in ocean temperature.  Camera:  Reuters Produced by:  Arash Arabasadi  …

Haiti does not have a single vaccine to offer its more than 11 million people over a year after the pandemic began, raising concerns among health experts that the well-being of Haitians is being pushed aside as violence and political instability across the country deepen.So far, Haiti is slated to receive only 756,000 doses of … continue reading -> “A Year After Pandemic Hit, Haiti Awaits Vaccines Amid Apathy”

U.S. President Joe Biden is announcing Tuesday that every adult in the country will be eligible by April 19 to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, about two weeks earlier than his original May 1 date.   As the available supply of three vaccines expands in the U.S., Biden last week said that about 90% of … continue reading -> “All US Adults Will Be Eligible for COVID Vaccinations on April 19, Biden Says”

Search and rescue efforts are underway for at least 72 people missing on several remote islands across eastern Indonesia in the wake of a tropical cyclone that struck the region last week.  The torrential rains produced by Tropical Cyclone Seroja triggered flash floods and landslides that washed out bridges, downed trees and left roads thick with mud, which has complicated … continue reading -> “More Than 150 People Dead in Indonesia and East Timor in Wake of Tropical Cyclone Seroja”

Steam and lava spurted Monday from a new fissure at an Icelandic volcano that began erupting last month, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of hikers who had come to see the spectacle. The new fissure, first spotted by a sightseeing helicopter, was about 500 meters (550 yards) long and about a kilometer (around a half-mile) from … continue reading -> “Hikers Scramble as New Fissure Opens Up at Icelandic Volcano”

Emergency crews labored around the clock Monday to prevent the collapse of a wastewater reservoir’s leaky containment wall near Tampa Bay, Florida, making steady progress after officials warned of an imminent threat of flooding over the weekend. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers worked with local public safety teams to drain the Piney Point reservoir, which … continue reading -> “Crews Race to Drain Florida Wastewater Reservoir; Pollution Concerns Grow”

The officer who Cassandra Quinto-Collins says kneeled on her son’s neck for over four minutes assured her it was standard protocol for sedating a person experiencing a mental breakdown. “I was there watching it the whole time,” Quinto-Collins told The Associated Press. “I just trusted that they knew what they were doing.”  Angelo Quinto’s sister had called … continue reading -> “Amid Outcry, States Push Mental Health Training for Police”

The death toll from the natural disasters spawned by torrential rains across eastern Indonesia has risen to 55, according to new figures issued Monday by the country’s disaster relief agency. Landslides wiped out dozens of homes in Lamenele village on Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara province shortly after midnight Saturday, with flash flooding striking other parts of … continue reading -> “Death Toll from Weather-Related Natural Disasters in Indonesia and East Timor Rising”

NASA’s Ingenuity mini-helicopter has been dropped on the surface of Mars in preparation for its first flight, the U.S. space agency said.The ultra-light aircraft had been fixed to the belly of the Perseverance rover, which touched down on the Red Planet on February 18.”Mars Helicopter touchdown confirmed!” NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory tweeted Saturday.”Its 293 million … continue reading -> “NASA’s Ingenuity Helicopter Dropped on Mars’ Surface ahead of Flight “

Nine-year-old Nadja Pivoff from Boston, Massachusetts, has been drawing since she could hold a pencil.  It’s been especially important to her during the COVID lockdown, as Genia Dulot reports from Boston. Camera: Genia Dulot …