China decided Thursday to lock down three cities that are home to more than 18 million people in an unprecedented effort to try to contain a deadly new viral illness that has sickened hundreds and spread to other cities and countries in the Lunar New Year travel rush. Police, SWAT …
your ad hereVirus-Related Tourism Ban Could Hurt North Korea’s Economy
North Korea has temporarily banned foreign tourists in response to the outbreak of a dangerous new virus in neighboring China. Depending on how long the ban lasts, it could hurt North Korea’s economy, which though heavily sanctioned, has received a boost by a recent influx of Chinese tourists.Starting Wednesday, North …
your ad hereArtist Helps Grieving Pet Owners Remember
For many people, pets are part of the family. So when pets die, it makes sense that some owners might want pictures to help them remember their favorite fur babies. Maxim Moskalkov found an artist who can help. …
your ad hereCoronavirus Deaths Rise as Health Agencies Try to Curb Its Spread
A new virus spreads within and outside China, and the World Health Organization has confirmed nearly 500 cases, including nearly 20 deaths. Health officials are scrambling to contain the disease, but the virus is new and not much is known about it.People from China are being screened at airports, both …
your ad hereArtists Helps Grieving Pet Owners Remember
For many people, pets are part of the family. So when pets die, it makes sense that some owners might want pictures to help them remember their favorite fur babies. Maxim Moskalkov found an artist who can help. …
your ad hereNew Rules Could Bump Emotional-Support Animals From Planes
The days of passengers bringing rabbits, turtles and birds on planes as emotional-support animals could be ending.The U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday proposed that only specially trained dogs qualify as service animals, which must be allowed in the cabin at no charge. Airlines could let passengers bring other animals …
your ad hereBringing Broadband to Rural America an Ongoing Quest
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission estimates that about 19 million Americans still don’t have access to broadband internet. Most of those people live in rural parts of the country. But little by little, individuals, companies and the government are changing that. VOA’s Calla Yu reports. …
your ad hereWhat We Know So Far About New China Virus
A new SARS-like virus has killed 17 people in China, infected hundreds and reached as far as the United States, with fears mounting about its spread as hundreds of millions travel for Lunar New Year celebrations, which start Friday.Many countries have stepped up screening of passengers from Wuhan, the Chinese …
your ad here‘Naughty Boy’: Monty Python Star Terry Jones Dies at 77
Terry Jones, a founding member of the anarchic Monty Python troupe who was hailed by colleagues as “the complete Renaissance comedian” an d “a man of endless enthusiasms,” has died after a battle with dementia.Jones’ family said the 77-year-old died Tuesday evening at his home in London. In a statement, …
your ad hereChinese City Stops Outbound Flights, Trains From Wuhan to Fight Virus
Chinese state media say the city of Wuhan is shutting down outbound flights and trains as the country battles the spread of a new virus that has sickened hundreds and killed 17.The official Xinhua News Agency said Thursday that the city also asked people not to leave Wuhan without specific …
your ad hereHuawei Founder Says Company Can Withstand Increased US Pressure
Despite the U.S.-China trade deal signed last week, the two countries appear headed for more confrontation, especially over high tech.One of China’s highest-profile tech executives, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, told the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on Tuesday that he expects the U.S. to escalate its crackdown on Huawei. …
your ad hereSources: EU Nations Can Restrict High-Risk Vendors Under New 5G Guidelines
EU countries can restrict or exclude high-risk 5G providers from core parts of their telecoms network infrastructure under new guidelines to be issued by the European Commission next week, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The non-binding recommendations are part of a set of measures aimed at addressing …
your ad hereApril Trial Set for Cuba Gooding Jr. in Bar Groping Case
Two women who have accused Cuba Gooding Jr. of sexual misconduct will be allowed to testify at his trial on charges that he groped three other women at Manhattan bars in 2018 and 2019, a judge ruled Wednesday. An April 21 trial date was set for Gooding, who …
your ad hereIn Britain, Trying to Help Children Vulnerable to Drugs, Gangs
In parts of Britain, thousands of children have fallen victim to so-called “county lines,” drug networks run by gangs, with many forced to sell drugs in small towns and rural areas. Helping affected children in the $600 million illegal narcotics industry is a long and difficult process.Officials estimate that some …
your ad hereMeet the Afri-Vegans: South Africa Slowly Embracing Veganism
JOHANNESBURG — Meat may be meeting its match, as more and more South Africans are experimenting with vegetarian and vegan lifestyles.Veganism — which entails cutting out all meat and animal-derived products, such as dairy, eggs and honey — is slowly growing globally. A Google Trends report puts South Africa at …
your ad hereWorld Health Experts to Determine if Coronavirus Poses Global Risk
Experts meeting in emergency session at the World Health Organization will look at the spreading Coronavirus to see whether it constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and decide on recommendations needed to manage it. The WHO has confirmed 440 cases of the disease, including 17 deaths. Since the new …
your ad hereTaiwan Urges China to Release All Information on New Virus
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen urged China on Wednesday to release all information about the outbreak of a new virus and work with Taiwan on curbing its spread.At China’s insistence, Taiwan is not a member of the World Health Organization and is not allowed to participate in any of its meetings. …
your ad hereA #MeToo Moment: Harvey Weinstein Trial Set to Open
Harvey Weinstein spawned the (hash)MeToo movement. Now, the former film titan is starring in the biggest trial of its era – a landmark moment in a global reckoning that has empowered women while shining a light on power dynamics in workplaces from Hollywood Boulevard to Main Street.Opening statements and the …
your ad hereDeath Toll from New Coronavirus in China Rises to Nine
The World Health Organization will hold an emergency meeting Wednesday on the outbreak of a new coronavirus that has now killed nine people and sickened hundreds more across China and beyond its border.The global health agency will consider whether the outbreak, which originated in the central city of Wuhan, should …
your ad hereChina to Hold Coronavirus Emergency Meeting with WHO
The first case to be diagnosed with the Wuhan coronavirus in the United States (in Seattle) was confirmed Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The outbreak, which originated in China, has so far spread to other countries including Japan, South Korea, Thailand and the Philippines. China says …
your ad hereUS Reports First Case of New Coronavirus
The United States is reporting its first case of the new coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China, and has killed at least six people.Health officials in the northwest U.S. state of Washington said a man who returned to Seattle from Wuhan last week is hospitalized in good condition with pneumonia. …
your ad hereWashington Man is 1st in US to Catch New Virus From China
The U.S. on Tuesday reported its first case of a new and potentially deadly virus circulating in China, saying a Washington state resident who returned last week from the outbreak’s epicenter was hospitalized near Seattle.The man, identified only as a Snohomish County resident is in his 30s, was in good …
your ad hereWHO: New Coronavirus Expected to Spread in China and Abroad
The World Health Organization says the new coronavirus is likely to spread in China and other countries and is urging governments to implement preventive infection control measures in health facilities. The WHO confirms 278 cases of the disease, including six deaths, two in China and the other four in Thailand, …
your ad hereWinfrey Chooses the Novel ‘American Dirt’ for Her Book Club
Jeanine Cummins’ “American Dirt,” one of the year’s most anticipated and debated novels, is Oprah Winfrey’s new pick for her book club.“American Dirt,” published Tuesday, tells of a bookstore owner in Acapulco, Mexico, who loses much of her family to a murderous drug cartel and flees north on a terrifying …
your ad hereSpain Declares Climate Emergency, Gets Climate Plan Ready
Spain’s new government declared a national climate emergency on Tuesday, taking a formal first step toward enacting ambitious measures to fight climate change. The declaration approved by the Cabinet says the left-of-center Socialist government will send to parliament within 100 days its proposed climate legislation. The targets coincide …
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