Vietnam has threatened to shut down Facebook in the country if it does not bow to government pressure to censor more local political content on its platform, a senior official at the U.S. social media giant told Reuters.Facebook complied with a government request in April to significantly increase its censorship …
your ad hereCameroon Activists March for Toilets, Improved Sanitation
Activists in Cameroon held events and marches for Thursday’s World Toilet Day, calling on authorities to provide more public bathrooms. Cameroonian authorities say 60% of its 25 million people lack toilets, fueling the spread of diseases such as cholera and dysentery.School authorities at Yaoundé’s Government Primary School Efoulan say they …
your ad hereCambodian-Canadian Actress Ellen Wong Plays Child of Refugee in Film
Ellen Wong is a Cambodian-Canadian actress well known in Hollywood. But as VOA’s Chetra Chap reports, her latest role hits very close to home. Camera: Chetra Chap …
your ad hereHuge Puerto Rico Radio Telescope to Close in Blow to Science
The National Science Foundation announced Thursday that it would close the huge telescope at the renowned Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico in a blow to scientists worldwide who depend on it to search for planets, asteroids and extraterrestrial life. The independent, federally funded agency said it was too dangerous to keep …
your ad hereIsolated for Months, Island Crew Sees Pandemic for First Time
Just as the coronavirus pandemic began to take hold, in February, four people set sail for one of the most remote places on Earth – a small camp on Kure Atoll, at the edge of the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.There, more than 1,400 miles from Honolulu, they lived in isolation …
your ad hereWhat’s Your Risk of Catching COVID? There’s an App for That
As the deadly coronavirus continues to rage across the U.S. and around the world, people are turning to COVID-19-related apps to figure out their day-to-day risks. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more. Producers: Julie Taboh, Adam Greenbaum …
your ad hereDelhi Battles Twin Health Emergencies — Pandemic, Pollution
India’s capital, New Delhi, is battling twin health emergencies, as it copes with deadly air pollution that spikes in winter months and a record surge in coronavirus cases. Doctors say the city’s fight against the pandemic has become harder as the toxic air makes the city more vulnerable to the …
your ad hereGerman Health Official Says Coronavirus Restrictions Are Working
The head of Germany’s disease control agency said Thursday that while the coronavirus infection rate in the country remains serious, there are signs a partial lockdown is working.Germany implemented restrictive measures in early November to curb a nationwide surge in cases, closing bars, restaurants and other leisure venues but keeping …
your ad hereAnother Potential COVID-19 Vaccine Shows Promising Results in Midstage Clinical Trials
Thursday brought further good news from the global effort to produce a safe and effective vaccine against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. A report published in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet says that a potential vaccine developed by British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca in collaboration with the University of Oxford was …
your ad hereFor the Holidays, Apps That Assess Your COVID-19 Risk
As the deadly coronavirus continues to rage across the U.S. and around the world, people are turning to COVID-19-related apps to figure out their day-to-day risks. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more. Producers: Julie Taboh, Adam Greenbaum …
your ad hereUS Surpasses 250,000 Coronavirus Deaths as New Cases Rise Sharply
The United States has surpassed 250,000 coronavirus deaths as new cases surge in many parts of the country.New York City on Wednesday announced the closure of its school system, the nation’s largest, with the city recording a seventh consecutive day with a COVID-19 positivity rate above 3%.“Public school buildings will …
your ad hereMillennial Life: Eat, Sleep, Work, Screens
Would you give up nearly a decade of your life looking at your cellphone?Calculated by today’s usage, the average person spends a little over 76,500 hours – or 8.74 years – on a smartphone over a lifetime, according to a FILE – Marilu Rodriguez checks a news website on her …
your ad hereVaccines Alone Won’t End Pandemic, WHO Official Says
The World Health Organization’s emergencies program director said Wednesday that vaccines alone would not end the COVID-19 pandemic and would do nothing to stop the current global surge in coronavirus infections.Mike Ryan made the comments during a virtual question-and-answer session from the agency’s headquarters in Geneva.His comments came the same …
your ad hereEbola Outbreak in DR Congo’s Equateur Province is Over
The World Health Organization has officially declared an end to the Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo’s Equateur Province, nearly six months after the first cases were reported. Health officials are hailing the end of this outbreak as a milestone and cause for celebration. Combating Ebola in the remote, heavily …
your ad hereThousands in Berlin Protest COVID-19 Restrictions
Thousands of demonstrators rallied Wednesday in central Berlin to protest the parliamentary vote that would give Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government powers to enforce restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19.Germany’s lower and upper houses of parliament are due to vote and pass laws Wednesday that could allow the government …
your ad herePfizer Says Its Coronavirus Vaccine is 95% Effective
The pharmaceutical company Pfizer said Wednesday that its coronavirus vaccine is 95% effective and caused no serious side effects as it plans to seek federal approval for the vaccine’s emergency use.Pfizer disclosed the results after a final analysis of the vaccine’s Phase 3 trial, which also revealed it protects older …
your ad hereTwitter Launches Disappearing Tweets That Vanish in a Day
Twitter is launching tweets that disappear in 24 hours called “Fleets” globally, echoing social media sites like Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram that already have disappearing posts.The company says the ephemeral tweets, which it calls “fleets” because of their fleeting nature, are designed to allay the concerns of new users who …
your ad herePost-Election, US Senators and Social Media CEOs Agree Change is Needed
Facing charges of censorship, the CEOs of Twitter and Facebook appeared before a hearing of U.S. lawmakers Tuesday to defend actions taken during the recent U.S. elections. Tina Trinh reports.Produced by: Matt Dibble …
your ad hereIota Expected to Weaken to Tropical Depression Overnight
Iota continues to pound Nicaragua with strong winds and heavy rains even after weakening from a hurricane to a tropical storm. As of late Tuesday night, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said Iota was carrying maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers an hour on a path towards Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Forecasters say …
your ad hereHistoric Deal Revives Plan for Largest US Dam Demolition
An agreement announced Tuesday paves the way for the largest dam demolition in U.S. history, a project that promises to reopen hundreds of miles of waterway along the Oregon-California border to salmon that are critical to tribes but have dwindled to almost nothing in recent years. If approved, the deal would …
your ad hereUtilities, Tesla, Uber Create US Lobbying Group for Electric Vehicle Industry
A group of major U.S. utilities, Tesla, Uber and others said on Tuesday they are launching a new group to lobby for national policies to boost electric vehicle sales. The new Zero Emission Transportation Association wants to boost consumer electric vehicle (EV) incentives and encourage the retirement of gasoline-powered vehicles. It …
your ad hereWHO Unveils New Strategy to Eliminate Cervical Cancer Globally
The World Health Organization’s 194 member states have agreed to push for the global elimination of cervical cancer, a disease that every year affects 570,000 women and kills more than 300,000. A new strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer was adopted at this year’s World Health Assembly.Cervical cancer …
your ad hereHurricane Iota Makes Landfall Along Nicaragua Coast Monday Night
Hurricane Iota made landfall along the northeastern coast of Nicaragua late Monday night and flash flooding and landslides are expected across Central America. The National Hurricane Center said Iota struck Nicaragua as a Category 4 storm, with winds of 210 kilometers per hour. Many people hunkered down in shelters while the Nicaraguan government evacuated thousands of residents in …
your ad hereTrump Moves to Sell Oil Drilling Leases in ANWR
The Trump administration is moving to finalize the sale of controversial oil drilling leases in a wildlife refuge in Alaska.A notice from the Bureau of Land Management posted on the federal register is listed as “unpublished” as of Monday, but it calls for nominations on the lease tracts considered for …
your ad hereWHO Says Vaccine Announcement Encouraging, More Data Needed
Experts at the World Health Organization (WHO) say the news Monday of another COVID-19 vaccine candidate is encouraging but more information is needed and, as new virus cases surge around the world, it is no time to be complacent.At their regular COVID-19 news briefing in Geneva, WHO officials reacted to …
your ad here