Documentary Explores Work of Frontline Nurses

A new documentary titled “In Case of Emergency” is the product of seven years of interviewing, photographing and filming nurses across America. As Karina Bafradzhian reports, the film explores the challenges of America’s frontline health care workers. Camera: David Gogokhia …

Ignoring COVID-19 Surge, London Revelers Swarm Bars Before Lockdown

People in London packed pubs and bars late Wednesday for one last drink before all of England shutdown for one month in an attempt to halt a surge in COVID-19 infections.   Streets in London’s Soho neighborhood were blocked so pubs could put out tables for outdoor seating, but that appeared to be the only … continue reading -> “Ignoring COVID-19 Surge, London Revelers Swarm Bars Before Lockdown”

Social Media Firms Limit Speech About US Election

With the result of the U.S. presidential race still uncertain Wednesday, Twitter and Facebook took new steps to flag potentially misleading election-related comments by prominent Republicans and Democrats alike.By Wednesday midday, Twitter had limited the ability of President Donald Trump to share four tweets by attaching labels directing readers to information about the election and … continue reading -> “Social Media Firms Limit Speech About US Election”

US Judge Unsure If He Has Grounds to Issue New TikTok Injunction

A U.S. judge said Wednesday he was uncertain if he had a legal basis to bar the U.S. Commerce Department from imposing restrictions on video-sharing app TikTok after a Pennsylvania judge already had blocked the government’s plan Friday.Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd, the owner of TikTok, argues that the previous ruling could still be overturned on appeal.U.S. … continue reading -> “US Judge Unsure If He Has Grounds to Issue New TikTok Injunction”

South Korea OKs Single Test for COVID-19, Flu

Health officials in South Korea have approved a new test that’s designed to detect both COVID-19 and seasonal influenza from the same samples, which would help prevent disruption at hospitals as the pandemic stretches into the flu season.The country has struggled to stem the coronavirus, which some experts say could spread more broadly during cold … continue reading -> “South Korea OKs Single Test for COVID-19, Flu”

South Africa Leads Global Research on COVID’s Effect on Athletes

Organizers of next year’s rescheduled Tokyo Olympics will have measures in place to limit the spread of the coronavirus. However, little is known about how the virus affects the long-term health of those who were already infected, including athletes. South African researchers are leading an international effort to try to find answers. South African Olympic hurdler … continue reading -> “South Africa Leads Global Research on COVID’s Effect on Athletes”

South Africa Leads Global Research on COVID-19 Effect on Athletes

Organizers of next year’s rescheduled Tokyo Olympics will have measures in place to limit the spread of COVID-19. But little is known about how the virus affects the long-term health of those already infected, including athletes. South African researchers are leading an international effort looking for answers, as Marize de Klerk reports from Pretoria. Camera: … continue reading -> “South Africa Leads Global Research on COVID-19 Effect on Athletes”

US Records Over 90,000 New COVID-19 Cases on Election Day 

As voters across the United States lined up to cast their ballots in a hotly contested presidential race Tuesday, the nation posted one of its biggest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 infections in a single day.  Data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Coronavirus Research Center shows a total of 91,530 total confirmed cases on Election Day, … continue reading -> “US Records Over 90,000 New COVID-19 Cases on Election Day “

Powerful Hurricane Eta Continues on Slow Path Over Central America

Hurricane Eta continues on a destructive path over the Central American nations of Nicaragua and Honduras hours after making landfall along the Nicaraguan coast. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Eta is moving inland over northeastern Nicaragua carrying maximum sustained winds of 140 kilometers an hour.  Forecasters are warning of life-threatening storm surges, damaging winds and flash floods … continue reading -> “Powerful Hurricane Eta Continues on Slow Path Over Central America”

US Among Top Contributors to Ocean Plastic Pollution

The United States contributes much more to ocean plastic pollution than previously estimated, according to a In this April 23, 2019, aerial photo, plastic bottles and other garbage float in river Drina near Visegrad, eastern Bosnia-Herzegovina.In 2016, the U.S. recycled just 9% of its total plastic waste. About half of this was recycled domestically and … continue reading -> “US Among Top Contributors to Ocean Plastic Pollution”

US Formally Exits Global Climate Pact Amid Election Uncertainty

The United States formally exited the Paris Agreement on Wednesday, fulfilling a years-long promise by President Donald Trump to withdraw the world’s second-largest greenhouse gas emitter from the global pact to fight climate change. But the outcome of the tight U.S. election contest will determine for how long. Trump’s Democratic rival, Joe Biden, has promised to … continue reading -> “US Formally Exits Global Climate Pact Amid Election Uncertainty”

 After Several Quiet Weeks, 3 NFL Teams Have COVID-19 Issues

The U.S. National Football League, after at least three weeks with no new COVID-19 cases, saw three teams with positive cases, this time including two senior management officials. A statement from the Denver Broncos said General Manager John Elway and team Chief Executive Officer Joe Ellis each tested positive for the virus early this week. The … continue reading -> “ After Several Quiet Weeks, 3 NFL Teams Have COVID-19 Issues”

Nicaragua Braces for Arrival of Hurricane Eta 

Nicaragua is bracing for the imminent arrival of Hurricane Eta. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the potentially catastrophic hurricane could make landfall early Tuesday, with winds in excess of 248 kilometers per hour.  Thousands of people on Monday began evacuating Nicaragua’s Atlantic coast, where a hurricane warning is posted from the Honduras-Nicaragua border to Sandy Bay Sirpi.  The hurricane is located 75 kilometers east of Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua.  Forecasters warn of flooding … continue reading -> “Nicaragua Braces for Arrival of Hurricane Eta ”

Twitter, Facebook, Google Ready to Combat Election Day Misinformation

As U.S. voters wait to hear who the next president will be, Twitter, Facebook, Google and other internet firms will be busy doing something else: Monitoring their sites and deciding if and when to stop the spread of misinformation. After the 2016 U.S. election, in which internet firms were criticized for allowing foreign-sponsored actors to use … continue reading -> “Twitter, Facebook, Google Ready to Combat Election Day Misinformation”

White House COVID-19 Coordinator Warns US Entering ‘Deadly Phase’ of Pandemic 

A key member of U.S. President Donald Trump’s coronavirus task force says the nation is entering a “deadly phase” of the nearly year-long COVID-19 pandemic.  News outlets say Dr. Deborah Birx, the task force’s coordinator, issued a memo Monday urging administration officials to undertake “an aggressive balanced approach” between lockdowns and taking steps to control … continue reading -> “White House COVID-19 Coordinator Warns US Entering ‘Deadly Phase’ of Pandemic “

Twitter, Facebook, Google Brace For US Election Day

Social media companies have made a lot of changes ahead of the U.S. election to stop the spread of misinformation. Will it be enough? VOA’s Michelle Quinn reports.Camera: Deana Mitchell, Matt Dibble                 Produced by: Matt Dibble …

People in Nicaragua Brace for the Arrival of Hurricane Eta Tuesday

Nicaragua is bracing for the imminent arrival of Hurricane Eta. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the potentially catastrophic hurricane could make landfall early Tuesday, with winds in excess of 248 kilometers per hour.  Thousands of people on Monday began evacuating Nicaragua’s Atlantic coast, where a hurricane warning is posted from the Honduras-Nicaragua border to Sandy Bay Sirpi.  The hurricane is located 75 kilometers east of Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua.  Forecasters warn of flooding … continue reading -> “People in Nicaragua Brace for the Arrival of Hurricane Eta Tuesday”

Global Death Toll From COVID-19 Tops 1.2 Million

The global death toll from the coronavirus pandemic has surpassed 1.2 million people as many countries around the world contend with rising infection rates from the virus.  The fatalities are among the 46.8 million total cases compiled in the ongoing pandemic collected by the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center and comes as the European … continue reading -> “Global Death Toll From COVID-19 Tops 1.2 Million”

Britain Locks Down as Europe Becomes Pandemic Epicenter

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is defending plans to impose a nationwide lockdown beginning Thursday, warning that a failure to act could cause up to twice as many deaths this winter as during the first wave in the spring. The country is recording several hundred COVID-19 deaths and at least 20,000 new coronavirus infections every day. … continue reading -> “Britain Locks Down as Europe Becomes Pandemic Epicenter”

Twitter to Label Tweets with Premature Election Claims

Social media giant Twitter said Monday it will put warning labels on tweets from U.S. election candidates that claim victory ahead of official results.  In a blog post Monday, the company said an election win must be “authoritatively called” before tweets without warning labels will be allowed by candidates or campaigns.  To determine election results, … continue reading -> “Twitter to Label Tweets with Premature Election Claims”

Scotland’s First Minister Considers Widespread Lockdown as COVID-19 Surges

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon Monday she would not rule out shutting down all or part of the country to address a recent surge in new COVID-19 cases. At a news conference in Edinburgh, Sturgeon reminded reporters that when she laid out the nation’s five-tiered (0-4) alert system last week, she said she would not rule … continue reading -> “Scotland’s First Minister Considers Widespread Lockdown as COVID-19 Surges”

PM: Almost 2/3 of Slovaks Joined Nationwide COVID Test

More than 3.6 million Slovaks — around two thirds of the population — took part in a widely-watched nationwide coronavirus testing scheme over the weekend, Prime Minister Igor Matovic said on Monday.   The scheme to test the bulk of the country in a matter of days is being studied by other nations looking for ways to … continue reading -> “PM: Almost 2/3 of Slovaks Joined Nationwide COVID Test”

World Surpasses 1.2 Million COVID-19 Confirmed Fatalities 

The global death toll from the coronavirus pandemic has surpassed 1.2 million people, according to data collected by the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center.  The fatalities are among the 46.5 million total cases compiled in the nearly year-long pandemic, and comes as the European continent reaches its own grim threshold of more than 10 … continue reading -> “World Surpasses 1.2 Million COVID-19 Confirmed Fatalities “

Death Toll Rises in Philippines in Aftermath of Powerful Super Typhoon

The death toll from a super typhoon that struck the main Philippine island of Luzon Sunday has risen to 16. Typhoon Goni made landfall on Luzon carrying maximum sustained winds of 225 kilometers per hour, making it the strongest typhoon to hit the Pacific archipelago this year. Goni’s arrival comes a week after Typhoon Molave hit … continue reading -> “Death Toll Rises in Philippines in Aftermath of Powerful Super Typhoon”

New Yorkers Enjoy Virtual Reality as Pandemic Refuge  

Some New Yorkers are finding unique ways to get together even when they can’t be in the same space. Evgeny Maslov has the story, narrated by Anna Rice.Camera: Michael Eckels     …