President Donald Trump is poised to roll back ambitious Obama-era vehicle mileage standards and raise the ceiling on damaging fossil fuel emissions for years to come, gutting one of the United States’ biggest efforts against climate change. The Trump administration is expected to release a final rule Tuesday on mileage …
your ad hereChina’s Huawei Warns More US Pressure May Spur Retaliation
Huawei’s chairman warned Tuesday that more U.S. moves to increase pressure on the Chinese tech giant might trigger retaliation by Beijing that could damage its worldwide industry. Huawei Technologies Ltd., which makes smartphones and network equipment, reported that its 2019 sales rose by double digits despite curbs imposed in May …
your ad hereEurope’s Hospitals Among The Best But Can’t Handle Pandemic
As increasing numbers of European hospitals buckle under the strain of tens of thousands of coronavirus patients, the crisis has exposed a surprising paradox: Some of the world’s best health systems are remarkably ill-equipped to handle a pandemic. Outbreak experts say Europe’s hospital-centric systems, lack of epidemic experience and …
your ad hereGerman Scientists Identify New Strain of Plastic-eating Bacteria
German scientists say they have identified a strain of bacteria that is feeding on polyurethanes, a plastic resistant to biodegradation. A team of researchers at the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research in Leipzig, Germany, has found that a strain of soil bacterium, identified as Pseudomonas putida, can produce enzymes to digest polyurethanes thus making it biodegradable. The German team says the bacterium found in the soil surrounding …
your ad hereKyrgyzstan Cancer Patients Make Face Masks to Fight COVID-19
A group of cancer patients in Kyrgyzstan is working to meet the demand for protective surgical masks while earning funds to help pay for their treatments.The group is organized by an association known as “Together for Life,” established in July 2019. Originally, the group made handbags and purses as a …
your ad hereSesame Workshop Enlists Elmo, Cookie Monster on Hand Washing
Elmo, Rooster and Cookie Monster are doing their part to help keep kids safe as the coronavirus pandemic grinds on. The beloved Sesame Street Muppets are featured in some of four new animated public service spots reminding young fans to take care while doing such things as washing hands and …
your ad hereVan Gogh Painting Stolen from Dutch Museum
Officials at a Dutch museum which was closed to the public due to the coronavirus outbreak say a painting by Vincent van Gogh was stolen during an overnight break-in. Singer Laren museum director Evert van Os told reporters Monday the 1884 painting called “Spring Garden” had been on loan from the …
your ad hereSpain Postpones 5G Spectrum Auction Due To Coronavirus
Spain will delay a planned auction of 5G spectrum due to the coronavirus outbreak, the government said on Monday. As part of a Europe-wide drive to speed up the roll out of fast Internet and broaden coverage, Spain had been due to free up space in the 700 MHz …
your ad hereSpain Tries Tracking Coronavirus, Sparking Privacy Concerns
In Madrid only a few weeks ago, thousands of demonstrators took part in a women’s march, defiant or unaware of calls for social distancing to stop what then appeared to be the distant threat of coronavirus. Now, Spain is one of the biggest battlegrounds in the global war against the …
your ad hereTokyo Olympics Organizers Announce New Date
Organizers for Tokyo’s rescheduled Olympics have announced that the new dates for the Summer Games will be July 23, 2021, to Aug. 8, 2021.The head of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, Yoshiro Mori, announced the decision Monday, after consultations with the International Olympic Committee.The IOC announced last week the decision …
your ad hereUS Folk Singer-Songwriter John Prine in Critical Condition with Coronavirus
The family of Grammy- award winning singer/song writer John Prine says the artist is in critical condition with COVID-19 symptoms.The family made the announcement Sunday from the 73-year-old artist’s Twitter account, saying he had been originally hospitalized Thursday and that he had been intubated – a breathing tube was inserted …
your ad hereAmericans Get their Art Fix Despite Corona Threat
Museums across the U.S. have closed to the public, to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.But that hasn’t stopped the guardians of some of the greatest art collections in the country from sharing their national treasures with people around the world. Washington’s revered Smithsonian museums are among the institutions that are temporarily closed to the public. But all 19 museums, and the National Zoo, are inviting …
your ad hereCoronavirus-Stricken Cities go Digital to Boost Solidarity, Wellbeing
On the streets of Barcelona, a few lone shoppers and dog walkers, their faces obscured by masks, are the only signs of life in this once-vibrant city — but online it’s a different story. In Spain, as in the rest of the world, increasing numbers of people are going digital to …
your ad hereDemocratic Leader Dies as Missouri Coronavirus Cases Top 900
A Democratic Party leader in western Missouri died Sunday after contracting COVID-19 as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the state exceeded 900 and the death toll reached 12. The death of William “Al” Grimes, the Henry County Democratic Party chairman, was announced in a tweet from state Chairwoman …
your ad hereBelarus Does Not Give Up on Football
Football leagues around the world have canceled soccer games for the foreseeable future as one of the measures to slow a rapid COVID-19 spread. But soccer, or football, as it is called in much of the world, continues to be played in Belarus where the number of confirmed infections is …
your ad hereSinger-songwriter Jan Howard Dies at 91
Singer-songwriter Jan Howard, who had a No. 1 country hit “For Loving You” with Bill Anderson and wrote hits for others like Kitty Wells’ “It’s All Over But the Crying,” has died at age 91, according to the Grand Ole Opry.The Opry, of which she was a member for nearly …
your ad herePolish Composer, Conductor Krzysztof Penderecki Dies at 86
Krzysztof Penderecki, an award-winning conductor and one of the world’s most popular contemporary classical music composers whose works have featured in Hollywood films like “The Shining” and “Shutter Island,” died Sunday. He was 86.In a statement emailed to The Associated Press, the Ludwig van Beethoven Association said Penderecki had a …
your ad hereHow to Stop a Killer
More deadly than influenza, COVID-19 is a coronavirus – part of a large family of viruses that include the common cold as well as more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Coronaviruses look like a ball surrounded by a crown.Here’s an …
your ad hereCOVID-19 Started in China. To Change the Narrative, China Started to Tweet
Jeff Kao is a ProPublica reporter who FILE – In this Feb. 16, 2020, photo, a policeman stands guard at Tiananmen Gate following the coronavirus outbreak, in Beijing.Twitter continued, “Based on our intensive investigations, we have reliable evidence to support that this is a coordinated state-backed operation. As Twitter is …
your ad hereSmithsonian Museums Meet Visitors’ Needs Online
Museums across the U.S. have closed to the public to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. But that hasn’t stopped the guardians of some of the greatest art collections in the country from sharing their national treasures with people around the world. VOA’s Julie Taboh spoke with the director …
your ad hereReaction to News UK’s Johnson Has Tested Positive for Coronavirus
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday he had tested positive for coronavirus and was in self-isolation at his Downing Street office. Here is reaction to the news. Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of UK’s Opposition Labor Party “I wish the Prime Minister a speedy recovery and hope …
your ad hereRobots Do COVID-19 Jobs Too Dangerous for Humans
Before the coronavirus outbreak, a Beijing technology company was already working to integrate autonomous vehicles into daily life in China. They produced pint-sized sidewalk sweepers and delivery robots, but there is now a demand to repurpose the technology to take the place of workers who are staying home in the …
your ad hereUS Apartment Residents Dance COVID-19 Blues Away
COVID-19 has forced people all over the world to stay at home on strict quarantine, but some folks manage to find a way to stay positive. While Italians sing from their balconies, and the French applaud their doctors, neighbors in Bethesda, Maryland, are dancing and singing together — while keeping …
your ad hereCoronavirus Life Poses Tech Challenges for American Teleworkers
The coronavirus pandemic has forced many office workers to do their jobs from home. And they are using technology like never before to stay connected to their colleagues and get their work done. But getting remote teams functioning isn’t like flipping a switch. Michelle Quinn reports. …
your ad hereSpiritual Nourishment Takes New Form in COVID-19 Reality
As the coronavirus continues to disrupt people’s lives in ways both big and small, many are seeking greater spiritual nourishment. Religious institutions across the country are heeding that call by connecting with their congregations in a number of creative ways. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more. …
your ad here