The world’s most famous “starship captain” takes the trek of a lifetime. Plus, new software makes possible virtual trips through the universe, and a mining company in Greenland offers a potentially planet-saving alternative to aluminum. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi brings us the Week in Space. …
your ad hereClimate Change Impacts Linger After Devastating Year in Louisiana
he effects of climate change are expected to push more than 200 million people from their homes by 2050, according to the World Bank. The impacts are already being felt in the southern U.S. state of Louisiana, where four major weather disasters struck in a nine month period. VOA’s Steve …
your ad hereMicrosoft to Shut Down LinkedIn in China Over Censorship Concerns
Microsoft will close LinkedIn in China later this year, the company announced Thursday. The professional networking site, which started operating in China in 2014, faces a “significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements” in the country, it said in a blog post. “We recognized that operating a localized …
your ad hereRecord COVID-19 Cases Reported in Australia’s Second Most Populous State
Victoria state has Thursday reported 2,297 new local COVID-19 cases — the highest number of daily infections recorded by any Australian state or territory since the pandemic began. But as infections surge, authorities hope to lift a lockdown in Melbourne within days when vaccination rates reach 70%. A 107-day lockdown …
your ad hereUS Military COVID Cases Lowest Since June as 1st Vaccine Deadlines Approach
COVID-19 cases among U.S. service members have been on a steady decline over the last month, as more service members have become vaccinated ahead of the Defense Department’s fast-approaching vaccination compliance deadlines. The number of cases reached 4,902 the week of Sept. 8 but dropped to 863 cases last week, …
your ad hereG-20 Pledges to Avoid ‘Premature Withdrawal’ of Economic Support
Finance ministers from the Group of 20 economies Wednesday pledged to keep economic stimulus policies in place to ensure a recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid ongoing risks, “We will continue to sustain the recovery, avoiding any premature withdrawal of support measures,” according to the official communique released after the …
your ad hereWHO Honors Henrietta Lacks, Woman Whose Cells Served Science
The chief of the World Health Organization on Wednesday honored the late Henrietta Lacks, an American woman whose cancer cells were taken without her knowledge during the 1950s and ended up providing the foundation for vast scientific breakthroughs, including research about the coronavirus. The recognition from WHO Director-General Tedros …
your ad hereForum Urges Social Networks to Act Against Antisemitism
Social media giants were urged to act Wednesday to stem online antisemitism during an international conference in Sweden focused on the growing amount of hatred published on many platforms. The Swedish government invited social media giants TikTok, Google and Facebook along with representatives from 40 countries, the United Nations and …
your ad hereUN Report: Investing in Disaster Risk Reduction Saves Lives, Money
A report marking the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction finds many deaths and economic losses from natural disasters could be averted by investing in preventive risk reduction measures. Climate-related disasters have nearly doubled over the past 20 years, with developing countries bearing the brunt of the damage. Though extreme …
your ad hereUS Staging Global Conference to Combat Ransomware Attacks
The White House is holding a two-day international conference starting Wednesday to combat ransomware computer attacks on business operations across the globe that cost companies, schools and health services an estimated $74 billion in damages last year. U.S. officials are meeting on Zoom calls with their counterparts from at least …
your ad hereIsrael Harvests Dates From 2,000 Year-Old Seeds
Two Israeli scientists have grown a group of date palms from 2,000 year-old seeds. This year, one of the trees produced a harvest of hundreds of dates that until now had been considered extinct. Linda Gradstein reports from Kibbutz Ketura in Israel’s Arava desert. Camera: Ricki Rosen. …
your ad hereStorm Leaves 11 Dead in Landslides, Floods in Philippines
A tropical storm set off landslides and flash floods as it barreled over the tip of the northern Philippines, leaving at least 11 people dead and seven missing, officials said Tuesday. More than 6,500 villagers were evacuated from homes in several towns and cities swamped by floods and battered by …
your ad hereShatner, 90, Inspires with Real-life Space Trip
As William Shatner prepares to be beamed up Wednesday for his first real-life spaceflight, and to become at 90 the oldest person ever to enter the final frontier, he’s bringing out the awe in the small handful of people around a rural Texas spaceport. Shatner’s 10-minute trip with three others …
your ad hereSome Adults Over 60 Should Not Take Low-Dose Aspirin Daily, Panel Says
People over the age of the 60 without heart disease should not take low-dose aspirin daily to prevent a first stroke or heart attack, according to an independent panel of U.S. health experts. In a draft of new guidelines released online Tuesday, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said bleeding …
your ad hereComputers and Brains: Sensors Implanted in the Brain Help Paralyzed Man Write
Brain computer interfaces, where computers analyze brain signals and help paralyzed people to write and carry out other actions, is a burgeoning area of research. VOA’s Deana Mitchell has the story of one breakthrough. …
your ad here70 Percent of World Could Be Vaccinated by Next Year – If Rich Countries Share
A group of World Health Organization experts is calling for 70 percent of the global population to be fully vaccinated by mid-2022 to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from progressing in more dangerous ways. The 15-member Strategic Advisory Group of Experts, known as SAGE, which makes recommendations to WHO on vaccine …
your ad hereTornadoes Cause Damage in Oklahoma; Storms Rock Central US
Severe storms brought suspected tornadoes and baseball-sized hail to parts of Oklahoma, but there were no reports Monday of deaths or injuries. The severe weather system that hit Oklahoma late Sunday also brought heavy rain, lightning and wind to parts of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Texas, and more stormy weather …
your ad hereKenyans Kipruto and Kipyogei Sweep in Boston Marathon Return
Kenya’s Benson Kipruto won the pandemic-delayed Boston Marathon on Monday when the race returned from a 30-month absence with a smaller, socially distanced feel and moved from the spring for the first time in its 125-year history. Diana Kipyogei won the women’s race to complete the eighth Kenyan sweep since …
your ad hereWHO: Action Against Climate Change Could Save Millions of Lives
The World Health Organization said Monday that constructive action against climate change could save “millions” of lives. Ahead of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP26, scheduled for October 31, the WHO is urging governments to reach concrete agreements to combat climate change. “Countries must set ambitious national …
your ad hereKey UN Biodiversity Summit Opens in China
A key U.N. summit tasked with protecting biodiversity officially opens in China and online Monday, as countries meet to tackle pollution and prevent mass extinction weeks before the COP26 climate conference. Beijing, the world’s biggest polluter, has sought to position itself in recent years as a world leader on climate …
your ad hereMadagascar Prays for Rain as UN Warns of ‘Climate Change Famine’
Some days, all Tsimamorekm Aly eats is sugary water. He’s happy if there’s a handful of rice. But with six young kids and a wife to support, he often goes without. This is the fourth year that drought has devastated Aly’s home in southern Madagascar. Now more than one million people, or …
your ad hereHollywood Makeover Breathes New Life into Welsh Soccer Club
It has been described as a “crash course in football club ownership” and the two Hollywood stars who bought a beleaguered team in English soccer’s fifth tier with the lofty aim of transforming it into a global force are certainly learning on the job. “I’m watching our PLAYERS MOP THE FIELD to continue the …
your ad hereFacebook-backed Group Launches Misinformation Adjudication Panel in Australia
A tech body backed by the Australian units of Facebook, Google and Twitter said on Monday it has set up an industry panel to adjudicate complaints over misinformation, a day after the government threatened tougher laws over false and defamatory online posts. Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week labeled social …
your ad hereFacebook Unveils New Controls for Kids Using Its Platforms
Facebook, in the aftermath of damning testimony that its platforms harm children, will be introducing several features including prompting teens to take a break using its photo sharing app Instagram, and “nudging” teens if they are repeatedly looking at the same content that’s not conducive to their well-being. The Menlo …
your ad herePaul McCartney: John Lennon Responsible for Beatles Breakup
Paul McCartney has revisited the breakup of The Beatles, flatly disputing the suggestion that he was responsible for the group’s demise. Speaking on an episode of BBC Radio 4’s “This Cultural Life” that is scheduled to air on Oct. 23, McCartney said it was John Lennon who wanted to disband …
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