Tropical Storm Cristobal could soon renew its strength by uniting with another storm system coming from the west to form one giant cyclone, forecasters say. After drenching much of the South, forecasters now expect the remnants of Cristobal to bring fierce winds, heavy rain and thunderstorms to much of the Midwest by Tuesday. A very strong storm … continue reading -> “Cristobal to Merge With New Storm System After Lashing South”
The U.N. has released $40 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund to help tackle a new outbreak of Ebola and other health and humanitarian crises in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The re-emergence of Ebola in Mbandaka, in DRC’s Equateur province, a week ago has dashed hopes of finally bringing this deadly disease to … continue reading -> “UN Provides $40 Million in Response to New Ebola Outbreak, Other Emergencies in DR Congo “
Google is adding features on its Maps service to alert users about COVID-19-related travel restrictions to help them plan their trips better, the Alphabet Inc unit said Monday. The update would allow users to check how crowded a train station might be at a particular time, or if buses on a certain route are running on … continue reading -> “Google Maps to Alert Users About COVID-19-Related Travel Restrictions”
The World Health Organization says it still believes the spread of the coronavirus from people without symptoms is “rare,” despite warnings from numerous experts worldwide that such transmission is more frequent and likely explains why the pandemic has been so hard to contain. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s technical lead on COVID-19 said at a … continue reading -> “WHO: Spread From People Without Symptoms Is Rare”
Iran on Monday urged its citizens to wear masks in public as it announced another 70 deaths from the novel coronavirus and 2,043 new cases of infection. Health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said the latest figures took the overall toll to 8,351 dead out of a total of 173,832 people infected. “Everybody must … continue reading -> “Iranians Told to Wear Masks as Virus Toll Mounts”
The heir to South Korea’s Samsung empire appeared in a Seoul court Monday for a hearing to decide whether he will be arrested and jailed in connection with a controversial merger. Lee Jae-yong was silent as he walked through an army of shouting reporters when he arrived at the courthouse. If the court approves the warrant, Lee … continue reading -> “Head of Samsung Conglomerate Facing New Legal Jeopardy”
A Virginia NGO called Computer CORE helps low-income immigrants master using computers in order to help them find jobs. However, the coronavirus pandemic has made life hard for the organization because so few of the students have computers or an internet connection at home. VOA’s Maxim Moskalkov has the story. Camera: Sergey Sokolov …
Protesters are using a variety of technology tools to organize rallies, record police violence and communicate during the marches sweeping the U.S. and other countries following the death of George Floyd. Some of that involves secure messaging services like Signal, which can encrypt messages to thwart spies. Those apps, along with others for listening to … continue reading -> “How Messaging Technology is Helping Fuel Global Protests”
Netflix is removing an episode of the History 101 program that says AIDS originated in Haiti.“We have seen the concerns raised and, together with the series creators, have decided to remove the episode while we review the issues involved,” a spokesperson for the online streaming service told VOA via email Saturday. Netflix offers users television … continue reading -> “Netflix to Remove Show That Sparked Outrage Among Haitian Americans”
Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian announced his resignation from the board of the social media site and urged the board to replace him with a black candidate. Ohanian, who is white, implicitly linked his move to protests around the globe over the killing of George Floyd, a black man who died in Minneapolis after a police … continue reading -> “Reddit Co-Founder Leaves Board, Urges Black Replacement”
Police in Vietnam showed up at a private home last year to find what they had suspected: a menagerie of illegal pets, from a clouded leopard to flying squirrels. Acting on a tip, the police ended up with a haul of 16 wild animals in total that had made up the resident’s personal zoo.An environmental … continue reading -> “Vietnam Saves Animals in 35% of Wildlife Crimes Reported, NGO Says”
A massive oil spill that occurred a week ago in Russia’s Arctic region has resulted in an emergency declaration by the country’s president and a government response to assess and clean up the damage. Approximately 20,000 tons of diesel oil leaked from a storage tank on May 29, seeping into the Ambarnaya River in a … continue reading -> “Oil Spill in Russia Draws Criticism from Putin, Sparks Investigation”
Weather scientists said May was the warmest month on record worldwide, with one observing station reporting carbon dioxide levels hitting a record high.The World Meteorological Organization warned that will have a major impact on biodiversity and nature as well as on people’s socioeconomic development and well-being. Pandemic won’t affect climateAt the same time, lockdowns due to the COVID-19 virus have led to improvements in air quality and … continue reading -> “Climate Change Reaches New Heights: WMO ”
The World Health Organization (WHO) updated its guidance on Friday to recommend that governments ask everyone to wear fabric face masks in public areas where there is a risk of transmission of COVID-19 to help reduce the spread of the pandemic disease. In its new guidance, prompted by evidence from studies conducted in recent … continue reading -> “Wear Masks in Public Says WHO, in Update of COVID-19 Advice”
Several authors of a large study that raised safety concerns about malaria drugs for coronavirus patients have retracted the report, saying independent reviewers were not able to verify information that’s been widely questioned by other scientists. Thursday’s retraction in the journal Lancet involved a May 22 report on hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, drugs long used for preventing … continue reading -> “Lancet Retracts Study on Safety of Malaria Drugs for Coronavirus “
NASA’s Near-Earth observatory (NEO) is monitoring an asteroid bigger than New York’s Empire State building that is expected to pass by the Earth Saturday.According to the NEO, the asteroid known as 2002 NN4 at its broadest section, has a diameter of 570 meters. The Empire State building is just more than 426 meters tall. But … continue reading -> “NASA Monitoring ‘Near-Earth’ Asteroid to Pass by Saturday”
The temporary expansion of telehealth during the coronavirus pandemic would become permanent under a bill considered Thursday by a Senate committee. As passed by the House in March, the bill would allow reimbursement for medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorders conducted via telehealth. But an amendment before the Senate Health and Human Services Committee would … continue reading -> “Telehealth Expansion Could Become Permanent Post-Pandemic”
A report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says emergency room visits for non-coronavirus illnesses plummeted in April at the peak of the pandemic.The agency released an analysis Wednesday that the declines were greatest among children 14 years old and younger, women and for people living in the U.S. northeast region. The … continue reading -> “ER Visits for Non-Coronavirus Illnesses Plunged in April, CDC Says”
A group of young professionals in California’s Silicon Valley has created a non-profit organization called “Code for Venezuela,” dedicated to bringing together tech innovators to solve the most pressing needs of the South American nation. The group’s latest initiative aims to help residents in Venezuela find information about COVID-19. Cristina Caicedo Smit has the story … continue reading -> “Silicon Valley Entrepreneurs Reach Out to Help Venezuela”
The White House medical team kept a close eye on President Donald Trump’s heart rhythms, including at least one electrocardiogram, to watch for potential side effects when he took a two-week course of a malaria drug to try to prevent the coronavirus, his doctor reported Wednesday.”The President completed the regimen safely and without side effects,” … continue reading -> “Doctors Kept Close Eye on Trump’s Use of Malaria Drug “
Turkey and Russia have agreed to cooperate in the development of a coronavirus vaccine and plan to carry out joint clinical trials, the Turkish health minister said Wednesday. Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said scientific advisers from the two countries were scheduled to hold a second round of talks later this week. A total of 22 Turkish universities … continue reading -> “Turkey, Russia Cooperate on Virus Vaccine “
A form of ibuprofen called flarin is being studied in Britain to see if it is effective for treating COVID-19 respiratory symptoms caused by the coronavirus.Also called lipid ibuprofen, flarin has anti-inflammatory effects and is designed to shield the stomach from irritation when taken.The study, LIBERATE Trial in COVID-19, aims to test flarin on 230 … continue reading -> “UK Study Tests Form of Ibuprofen as Coronavirus Treatment”
In Ethiopia, mobile applications are spreading fast to help health care workers and the public fight against COVID-19, which has claimed 12 lives in the country and affected about 1,100 people. Ethiopian web developers have designed seven apps that do everything from virus tracing to sharing data and patient information among health workers. But while the … continue reading -> “Ethiopian Diaspora Champions Digital Apps in Fight Against COVID “
Several prominent media and entertainment organizations, including Apple and ViacomCBS, paid tribute to the call for racial equality and justice in the United States amid the recent protests, some violent, by pausing regular services and company events on what they are calling “Black Out Tuesday.” According to Reuters, CBS said it would spend the day reflecting on “building community,” putting business ventures temporarily “on … continue reading -> “Music Industry Pauses for ‘Black Out Tuesday’ “
An advocacy group backed by the tech industry filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against President Donald Trump’s executive order on social media, as U.S. technology companies have been fighting White House efforts to weaken a law that protects them. The Washington-based Center for Democracy & Technology said in its lawsuit that Trump’s executive order violates the … continue reading -> “Tech Advocacy Group’s Lawsuit Says Trump’s Order on Social Media Is Unconstitutional “