U.S. Pharmaceutical company Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech announced Monday plans to boost production of its COVID-19 vaccine by 50% percent — 2 million doses — this year to meet the global demand. BioNTech announced the increased supply as part of a presentation at a health care …
your ad hereIndia Aims to Inoculate 300 Million by July
India will roll out an ambitious nationwide vaccination drive against COVID-19 on Saturday, aiming to inoculate 300 million people, or nearly one quarter of the population, by July. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Monday that with the upcoming immunization drive, which would be the world’s largest such program, the …
your ad hereWHO Team to Investigate Coronavirus Origins in China
The World Health Organization is sending a team of international experts to China this week to investigate the origins of the coronavirus.It was not immediately clear, however, if the experts, scheduled to arrive Thursday, will be allowed to travel to the central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus originally …
your ad hereFacebook Shuts Down Ugandan Government-Linked Accounts Ahead of General Election
Facebook has taken down several accounts linked to the government of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, saying they were being used to manipulate public opinion ahead of this week’s presidential election. The U.S.-based social media giant said Monday it linked the network of accounts to the Uganda’s Ministry of Information …
your ad hereHarris Team Says It Was Blindsided by VP-Elect’s Vogue Cover
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has landed on the cover of the February issue of Vogue magazine, but her team says there’s a problem: the shot of the country’s soon-to-be No. 2 leader isn’t what both sides had agreed upon. Instead of the powder blue power suit Harris wore …
your ad hereParler Social Network Service Loses Web Hosting
Parler, a social network service popular with conservatives, went offline Monday after its web hosting service Amazon suspended it for allowing posts that encourage violence. Before the site went down, Parler CEO John Matze accused Amazon and other tech giants of a “war on free speech.” Google banned …
your ad hereBritain’s Hospitals Facing ‘Worst Crisis in Living Memory’
Britain’s hospitals are on the brink of being overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients and the country’s National Health Service is facing its “worst crisis in living memory,” a senior government official warned Sunday. The blunt warning from England’s chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, came as members of the government’s main advisory panel, …
your ad hereMalawi President Saddened Over Coronavirus Surge
Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera says he is saddened by statistics showing a recent spike in coronavirus infections in the country. In a Sunday radio address, he announced he was starting a 21-day fast to seek divine intervention into the pandemic that is on the rise again. Health experts say the …
your ad herePope Francis: COVID-19 Inoculation An ‘Ethical Choice’
Pope Francis says the decision to get the COVID vaccine is a matter of ethics.“It is an ethical choice because you are gambling with your health, with your life, but you are also gambling with the lives of others,” Francis said in an interview with Italian television station Canale 5.Vatican …
your ad hereApple, Amazon Suspend Parler Social Network from App Store, Web Hosting Service
Apple Inc and Amazon.com Inc have suspended Parler from their respective App Store and web hosting service, saying the social networking service popular with many right-leaning social media users has not taken adequate measures to prevent the spread of posts inciting violence.The action by Apple and Amazon follows a similar …
your ad hereChina Completes First Round of COVID Testing in Locked-down City
The initial round of mass testing for the coronavirus has been completed in Shijiazhuang, a city of 11 million that was locked down Wednesday after 39 new cases of the virus surfaced, the city’s mayor said Saturday.Mayor Ma Yujun said at a news conference that a second round of testing …
your ad hereJohns Hopkins: Nearly 90 Million Global COVID-19 Cases
The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reported early Saturday that there are nearly 90 million global COVID-19 cases.The United States has more cases than anyplace else with almost 22 million infections. India comes in second with about half the infections of the U.S. — nearly 10.5 million cases.The U.S. reported …
your ad hereUS Vaccine Rollout Hits Snag as Health Workers Balk at Shots
The desperately awaited vaccination drive against the coronavirus in the U.S. is running into resistance from an unlikely quarter: Surprising numbers of health care workers who have seen firsthand the death and misery inflicted by COVID-19 are refusing shots.It is happening in nursing homes and, to a lesser degree, in …
your ad hereTwitter Bans Trump, Removes Tweet by Iran’s Khamenei on Same Day, Sparking ‘Double Standards’ Backlash
U.S. tech giant Twitter took sharply different actions against the leaders of the U.S. and Iran on Friday, permanently banning President Donald Trump’s personal account while removing one tweet from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s apparent English account and suspending new posts on it.The greater severity of Twitter’s action against the @realdonaldtrump …
your ad hereUnusual Bird Spectacle Has Humans Flocking to Parking Lot
A nightly gathering of thousands of birds called a “murmuration” has captured the attention of entertainment-starved people in Northern California. Matt Dibble has a look. Camera: Matt Dibble Producer: Matt Dibble …
your ad hereGoogle Suspends Parler App From Its Play Store; Apple Gives 24-hour Warning
Alphabet’s Google on Friday suspended the Parler social networking app from its Play Store until the app adds robust content moderation, while Apple gave the service 24 hours to submit a detailed moderation plan.Parler is a social network to which many supporters of President Donald Trump have migrated after being …
your ad hereGiant US Consumer Tech Show Goes On — Online
As a major showcase for the latest innovations in consumer technology, the Consumer Electronics Show typically draws over 170,000 attendees from all over the world. But this year, it’s going all digital for the first time in its history. VOA’s Tina Trinh reports. Produced by: Tina Trinh …
your ad hereBiden to Release COVID-19 Vaccines More Quickly, Transition Team Says
President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team said Friday the incoming administration will more quickly release coronavirus vaccines once it assumes power on January 20.Biden’s office said it would limit the Trump administration’s practice of increasing inventories of vaccine doses to guarantee that people get the booster shot several weeks after the …
your ad hereUN Survey Reveals a Deeply Polarized World
A United Nations global survey reveals a world of unprecedented division, polarization and discord. The report, a year-long consultation to mark the U.N.’s 75th anniversary, surveyed more than 1.5 million people in 193 countries about their hopes, fears, and expectations for the future.The survey paints a picture of a generally …
your ad hereCOVID Pandemic Pushes Companies to Start VR Training
With in-person coaching off the table because of the COVID pandemic, hundreds of companies nationwide are using virtual reality training to help employees master some essential skills. Maxim Moskalkov has the story.Camera: Aleksandr Bergan …
your ad here2020 Ties 2016 as Hottest Year on Record: EU
2020 has tied 2016 as the hottest year on record, the European Union’s climate monitoring service said Friday, keeping Earth on a global warming fast track that could devastate large swathes of humanity.The six years since 2015 are the six warmest ever registered, as are 20 of the last 21, …
your ad hereAssault on US Capitol Possible COVID-19 Superspreader Event, Experts Say
Health professionals and other scientists are concerned that the assault on the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday may also have been a COVID-19 superspreader event.The shouting mob that invaded the building was largely unmasked and not observing social distancing as they went through the halls of Congress and entered some lawmakers’ …
your ad hereFacebook Suspends Trump’s Account in Wake of US Capitol Violence
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Thursday President Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts will be suspended at least through Inauguration Day in the wake of violence by the president’s supporters that erupted Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol.“We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service …
your ad hereAfrican Continent to Soon Receive First COVID Vaccines, Health Officials Say
A ray of hope emerged Thursday for the Rainbow Nation, which has seen a massive spike in confirmed COVID-19 cases, as South Africa’s health minister announced a large shipment of vaccines is coming this month. Zweli Mkhize said the country will receive one million vaccine doses by the …
your ad hereEurope in Most Acute Phase of COVID-19 Transmission, WHO Says
The World Health Organization warns the European region is probably in the most acute phase of COVID-19 transmission and drastic measures must be taken to control the spread of the pandemic. More than 26 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the European region, including over 580,000 deaths. …
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