WASHINGTON — Fall means it’s time for just about everybody to get up to date on their flu and COVID-19 vaccines – and a lot of older adults also need protection against another risky winter virus, RSV. Yes, you can get your flu and COVID-19 shots at the same time. Don’t call them boosters — they’re … continue reading -> “In US, it’s time to roll up sleeves for new COVID, flu shots”
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida — SpaceX launched a rescue mission for the two stuck astronauts at the International Space Station on Saturday, sending up a downsized crew to bring them home but not until next year. The capsule rocketed into orbit to fetch the test pilots whose Boeing spacecraft returned to Earth empty earlier this month because … continue reading -> “SpaceX launches rescue mission for 2 NASA astronauts stranded in space”
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KIGALI, Rwanda — Rwanda has confirmed six deaths and 20 cases of Marburg disease, the country’s health minister Sabin Nsanzimana said late on Saturday. The majority of victims are health workers in the intensive care unit, Nsanzimana said in a video statement posted on X. “We are counting 20 people who are infected, and six who … continue reading -> “Marburg virus kills 6 in Rwanda, health minister says”
PERRY, Florida — Hurricane Helene caused dozens of deaths and billions of dollars of destruction across a wide swath of the southeastern United States, and more than 3 million customers went into the weekend without power and, for some, a continued threat of floods. Helene blew ashore in Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 4 … continue reading -> “Dozens dead, millions without power after Helene’s march across southeastern US”
PREK TAKEO, Cambodia — The Mekong River is a lifeline for millions in the six countries it traverses on its way from its headwaters to the sea, sustaining the world’s largest inland fishery and abundant rice paddies on Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. Cambodia’s plan to build a massive canal linking the Mekong to a port on on … continue reading -> “Cambodia’s new canal could boost trade but risks harming key river”
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SAO PAULO/BRASILIA BRAZIL — Brazil’s Supreme Court said on Friday that social platform X still needs to pay just over $5 million in pending fines, including a new one, before it will be allowed to resume its service in the country, according to a court document. Earlier this week, the Elon Musk-owned U.S. firm told the … continue reading -> “Brazil imposes new fine, demands payments before letting X resume”
Abuja, Nigeria — Leaders in Africa say the fight against malaria on the continent is facing significant funding gaps due to the ongoing global financial crisis and the impact of climate change. African leaders this week met in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly and called for a concerted effort to … continue reading -> “African leaders at UN warn against dwindling malaria funding”
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According to the International Energy Agency, the world now invests almost twice as much in clean energy as it does in fossil fuels. But with that shift comes environmental risks related to the mining of critical minerals. VOA’s Jessica Stone looks at how nations are navigating the environmental challenges of creating a renewable future. …
HONG KONG — Hong Kong welcomed a new pair of giant pandas gifted by Beijing on Thursday with a lavish ceremony, raising hopes for a boost to the city’s tourism. An An and Ke Ke are the third pair of giant pandas to be sent to the city from mainland China since the former British colony … continue reading -> “Hong Kong welcomes new giant pandas gifted by Beijing”
WASHINGTON — An executive at cybersecurity company CrowdStrike apologized in testimony to Congress for sparking a global technology outage over the summer. “We let our customers down,” said Adam Meyers, who leads CrowdStrike’s threat intelligence division, in a hearing before a U.S. House cybersecurity subcommittee Tuesday. Austin, Texas-based CrowdStrike has blamed a bug in an update … continue reading -> “CrowdStrike executive apologizes to Congress for July global tech outage”
new york — Caroline Ellison, a former top executive in Sam Bankman-Fried’s fallen FTX cryptocurrency empire, was sentenced to two years in prison on Tuesday after she apologized repeatedly to everyone hurt by a fraud that stole billions of dollars from investors, lenders and customers. U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan said Ellison’s cooperation was “very, … continue reading -> “Former executive gets 2 years in prison for role in FTX fraud”
GENEVA — Police in northern Switzerland said Tuesday that several people have been detained and a criminal case opened in connection with the suspected death of a person in a “suicide capsule.” The “Sarco” capsule is presumably designed to allow a person sitting in a reclining seat inside to push a button that injects nitrogen gas … continue reading -> “Swiss police detain several people in connection with ‘suicide capsule’”
Egypt’s second-largest city, Alexandria, lies in the Eastern Mediterranean, a top climate change hotspot that has dealt with record global air and ocean temperatures this year. Egypt-based photojournalist Hamada Elrasam presents scenes of everyday life that have been impacted by the changing climate phenomenon in the low-lying metropolis that has survived over two millennia, only … continue reading -> “Ancient coastal city in Egypt feels impact of changing climate”
wyoming, iowa — Taking a late-summer country drive in the Midwest means venturing into the corn zone, snaking between 12-foot-tall green, leafy walls that seem to block out nearly everything other than the sun and an occasional water tower. The skyscraper-like corn is a part of rural America as much as cavernous red barns and placid … continue reading -> “‘Short corn’ could replace the towering cornfields steamrolled by a changing climate”
NEW YORK — First lady Jill Biden is unveiling a new set of actions to address health inequities faced by women in the United States, plans that include spending at least $500 million annually on women’s health research. Biden was making the announcement Monday while closing out the first day of this year’s Clinton Global Initiative … continue reading -> “Jill Biden reveals $500 million plan that focuses on women’s health at Clinton Global Initiative”
NEW YORK — California and several environmental groups sued ExxonMobil on Monday and accused the oil giant of engaging in a decades-long campaign that helped fuel global plastic waste pollution. Speaking at an event during Climate Week in New York City, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the state sued Exxon after concluding a nearly two-year … continue reading -> “California sues Exxon over global plastic pollution”
Washington — The U.S. Commerce Department on Monday proposed prohibiting key Chinese software and hardware in connected vehicles on American roads due to national security concerns — a move that would effectively bar nearly all Chinese cars from entering the U.S. market. The planned regulation, first reported by Reuters, would also force American and other major automakers … continue reading -> “Biden proposes banning Chinese vehicles from US roads with software crackdown “
Moscow — A Soyuz capsule carrying two Russians and one American from the International Space Station landed Monday in Kazakhstan, ending a record-breaking stay for the Russian pair. The capsule landed on the Kazakh steppe about 3 1/2 hours after undocking from the ISS in an apparently trouble-free descent. In the last stage of the landing, … continue reading -> “Soyuz capsule with 2 Russians, 1 American from ISS returns to Earth”
Cairo — Cholera is spreading in war-torn Sudan, killing at least 388 people and sickening about 13,000 others over the past two months, health authorities said, as more than 17 months of fighting between the military and a notorious paramilitary group shows no sign of abating. The disease is spreading in areas devastated by recent heavy … continue reading -> “Cholera spreading in Sudan as fighting between rival generals shows no sign of abating “
Washington — The U.S. Commerce Department is expected on Monday to propose prohibiting Chinese software and hardware in connected and autonomous vehicles on American roads due to national security concerns, two sources told Reuters. The Biden administration has raised serious concerns about the collection of data by Chinese companies on U.S. drivers and infrastructure as well … continue reading -> “US to propose ban on Chinese software, hardware in connected vehicles, sources say”
United Nations, United States — The United Nations on Sunday adopted a “Pact for the Future” aimed at addressing sprawling 21st-century challenges ranging from conflict to climate change and human rights, despite last-minute objections from a group of countries led by Russia. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who organized the “Summit of the Future,” had billed it as … continue reading -> “UN adopts pact promising to build ‘brighter future’ for humanity “