Sexual and gender minorities continue to suffer discrimination and harassment around the world. But in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, some transgender women are finding solace in religious teachings, as reported by VOA’s Rendy Wicaksana.Camera: Rendy Wicaksana …
your ad hereBlacks, Hispanics More Likely to Die of COVID-19 in US, Associated Press Finds
As the United States approaches 600,000 COVID-19 related deaths, the Associated Press has uncovered data showing how the pandemic has exposed the country’s wide racial inequalities. A story published Monday by the AP said where race is known, white Americans account for 61% of all COVID-19 deaths, followed by Hispanics with 19%, …
your ad hereGunmen Kill 5 Polio Vaccinators in Afghanistan
Officials in conflict-torn Afghanistan said Tuesday gunmen had shot dead at least five polio vaccinators and injured several others in separate attacks in eastern Nangarhar province. Afghanistan and its neighbor Pakistan are the only two countries in the world where the crippling polio disease remains endemic. Authorities said …
your ad hereIndia’s Government in Standoff with Twitter Over Online Speech
The government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in a battle with U.S. tech firms over a new set of online speech rules that it has enacted for the nation of nearly 1.4 billion. The rules require companies to restrict a range of topics on their services, comply with government takedown orders and identify the original source of information shared. If the companies fail to comply, tech firm employees can be held criminally liable. The escalation …
your ad hereCoronavirus, Climate and Trade on Agenda for US-EU Summit
Battling the coronavirus pandemic and climate change, as well as working together on trade and foreign affairs are on the agenda Tuesday as U.S. President Joe Biden and European Union leaders hold a summit in Brussels. In statements issued ahead of the talks, the two sides said they would reiterate support …
your ad herePretrial Hearings Begin in Soccer Legend Maradona’s Death
An Argentine prosecutor began hearing evidence on Monday involving seven people accused of contributing to the death of soccer player Diego Maradona. Maradona, the revered former Boca Juniors and Napoli star who was addicted to alcohol and drugs for many years, died Nov. 25, 2020, from heart failure at age 60 after undergoing brain surgery earlier that …
your ad hereWHO Chief: New COVID-19 Cases Decline for 7 Weeks
The World Health Organization said Monday that while the number of new COVID-19 cases has fallen steadily for seven straight weeks, the virus continues to spread and kill people in Africa, a region with little or no access to vaccines and treatments.Speaking from the agency’s headquarters in Geneva, WHO Director-General …
your ad hereNovavax Reports Vaccine 90% Effective; Supply Questions Remain
Another highly effective vaccine is poised to join the fight against COVID-19. But its impact may be blunted by supply issues. The manufacturer expected to produce the bulk of the doses is in India, where the government has banned vaccine exports. FILE – A car drives past the sign for …
your ad hereCameroon Begs Civilians to Donate Blood on World Blood Donor Day
Medical authorities in Cameroon marked World Blood Donor Day on Monday with continued pleas for blood donors, after a dramatic drop in donations over the past year. Donations fell by half in 2020, then by nearly half again so far this year, worsening the country’s blood shortage.Officials in Cameroon point …
your ad hereLochte Fails to Advance in 200 Free Prelims at US Trials
Olympic champion Ryan Lochte failed to advance from the preliminaries of the 200-meter freestyle on Monday, his first event of the U.S. Olympic swimming trials.The 36-year-old Lochte, attempting to make his fifth Olympic team, posted a time of 1 minute, 49.23 seconds — only good enough for 25th place overall.The …
your ad hereWasabi The Pekingese Named Westminster’s ‘Best in Show’
The Westminster Dog Show crowned a Pekingese named Wasabi its “Best in Show” Sunday, in the culmination of a reworked pandemic edition of the competition missing its usual pooch-loving crowds. Normally held in February, the show was delayed and moved from its home in the heart of New York …
your ad hereNovavax Reports its COVID Vaccine is 90 Percent Effective
U.S.-based biotech company Novavax announced Monday that Phase 3 clinical trials of its COVID-19 vaccine show it to be more than 90 percent effective at preventing the disease and provide good protection against variants. A release from the company said the study enrolled 29,960 participants across 119 sites in the …
your ad hereUS TikToker Leads Global Campaign to Clean Up Oceans
Elizabeth Sherr had always had a passion for the ocean since she was young so trying to clean up the trash that litters beaches and the sea seemed a natural move. When she moved to live next to the sea in Barcelona, the native New Yorker posted some videos on TikTok …
your ad hereCOVID-19 Threatens Cambodian Dance Troupe’s Sacred Identity
For 14 years, a Khmer classical dance troupe in northern Cambodia has distinguished itself with its embrace of spirituality. But the impact of the coronavirus pandemic may end the troupe’s livelihood and spiritual identity, as VOA’s Chetra Chap reports. …
your ad hereAustralia Outlines Bold Moves to Ban Single-Use Plastic and Coffee Cups
Conservationists have praised efforts by Australian authorities to drastically reduce the amount of plastic waste and eliminate some disposable coffee cups. The New South Wales state government wants to ban many common plastic items, including straws, drinks stirrers and cutlery, as well as polystyrene cups in a bid to protect the environment and reduce waste. Lightweight plastic shopping bags could be eliminated …
your ad hereAmerican Actor Ned Beatty Dies at 83
Ned Beatty, the indelible character actor whose first film role as a genial vacationer raped by a backwoodsman in 1972’s “Deliverance” launched him on a long, prolific and accomplished career, has died. He was 83.Beatty’s manager, Deborah Miller, said Beatty died Sunday of natural causes at his home in Los …
your ad hereLab-Grown Mosquitos Capable of Fighting Viral Infection
A report published in The New England Journal of Medicine shows the potentially lifesaving results of lab-grown mosquitos. Infected with bacteria, the insects may no longer have the ability to transmit dengue. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more. …
your ad hereDjokovic Wins French Open, Clinching 19th Grand Slam
Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic defeated Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas Sunday in the French Open final, clinching his 19th Grand Slam win 6-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. “I want to thank my team, my box, my family, my coach,” Djokovic said after his win, acknowledging that while the game was …
your ad hereTrip to Space with Jeff Bezos Sells for $28 Million
A mystery bidder paid $28 million at auction Saturday for a seat alongside Jeff Bezos on board the first crewed spaceflight of the billionaire’s company Blue Origin next month.The Amazon founder revealed this week that both he and his brother Mark would take seats on board the company’s New Shepard …
your ad hereSaudi Arabia Limits Hajj to 60,000 in Kingdom
Saudi Arabia announced Saturday this year’s Hajj pilgrimage will be limited to no more than 60,000 people, all of them from within the kingdom, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.The announcement by the kingdom comes after it ran an incredibly pared-down pilgrimage last year over the virus, but still allowed …
your ad hereIce Shelf Breakup Causes Antarctic Glacier to Melt Faster; Sea Levels at Risk
The recent breakup of an Antarctic ice shelf is speeding up the ocean-bound descent of a glacier holding back at least a meter of sea level rise, Ice front of the ice shelf in front of Pine Island Glacier, a major glacier system of West Antarctica.”The real question is, how …
your ad hereMoscow Orders New Restrictions as COVID-19 Infections Soar
Moscow’s mayor on Saturday ordered a week off for some workplaces and imposed restrictions on many businesses to fight coronavirus infections that have more than doubled in the past week.The national coronavirus task force reported 6,701 new confirmed cases in Moscow, compared with 2,936 on June 6. Nationally, the daily …
your ad hereStudy: COVID-19 Vaccinated Mothers Pass Antibodies to Newborns
Concerns about the safety of the COVID vaccine are common especially when it comes to inoculating very young children. A new study suggests that some moms may be passing along antibodies to their infants. VOA’s Dilge Timocin has more. Camera: Tezcan Taskiran …
your ad hereChina, US Diplomats Clash Over Human Rights, Pandemic Origin
Top U.S. and Chinese diplomats appear to have had another sharply worded exchange, with Beijing saying it told the U.S. to cease interfering in its internal affairs and accusing Washington of politicizing the search for the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic.Senior Chinese foreign policy adviser Yang Jiechi and Secretary of …
your ad hereCOVID Vaccines for Children: How Soon?
COVID-19 vaccines for children are moving closer to availability, but access remains limited.Moderna announced late this week that it was submitting its vaccine to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization in children age 12 and older.The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has already received the go-ahead for this age …
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