A panel of U.S. health advisers on Tuesday narrowly backed a closely watched COVID-19 pill from Merck, setting the stage for a likely authorization of the first drug that Americans could take at home to treat the coronavirus. A Food and Drug Administration panel voted 13-10 that the drug’s benefits …
your ad hereWhat Is Herd Immunity?
Herd immunity is when a significant portion of a community is immune to an infectious disease, making it harder for the disease to spread. …
your ad hereA Futuristic Tool Helps Viewers Access Black History
To make Black history more accessible, an Oakland, California man designed his own augmented reality app. Matt Dibble has the story. …
your ad here1st French Omicron Case on Indian Ocean Island of Reunion
Japan and France confirmed their first cases of the new variant of the coronavirus on Tuesday as countries around the world scrambled to close their doors or find ways to limit its spread while scientists study how damaging it might be. The World Health Organization has warned that the global …
your ad hereNew Twitter CEO Steps From Behind the Scenes to High Profile
Newly named Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal has emerged from behind the scenes to take over one of Silicon Valley’s highest-profile and politically volatile jobs. But his prior lack of name recognition, coupled with a solid technical background, appears to be what some big company backers were looking for to lead …
your ad hereJury Seated in Trial of Former ‘Empire’ Actor Jussie Smollett
A jury was seated Monday to hear the case against Jussie Smollett, who says he was the victim of a racist and homophobic assault in downtown Chicago that authorities say was a hoax concocted and staged by the former “Empire” actor. Two brothers, who worked with Smollett on the TV …
your ad hereBiden Urges Calm, Vaccination, in Face of Omicron Variant
U.S. President Joe Biden says a highly transmissible COVID-19 variant, dubbed omicron, is a cause for “concern, not panic” and defended his much-criticized decision to restrict travel from the southern African region, where it was first reported. VOA’s Anita Powell reports from the White House. Produced by: Barry Unger …
your ad hereTwitter Founder and CEO Jack Dorsey Steps Down
Twitter founder and CEO Jack Dorsey is stepping down as the company’s leader. In a news release, Twitter said Dorsey would be replaced by Parag Agrawal, who has been the company’s chief technology officer since 2017. The move is effective immediately. “I’ve decided to leave Twitter because I …
your ad hereMerriam-Webster Chooses Vaccine as the 2021 Word of the Year
With an expanded definition to reflect the times, Merriam-Webster has declared an omnipresent truth as its 2021 word of the year: vaccine. “This was a word that was extremely high in our data every single day in 2021,” Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster’s editor-at-large, told The Associated Press ahead of Monday’s announcement. …
your ad hereLouis Vuitton Star Designer Virgil Abloh Dies After Battle With Cancer
Virgil Abloh, fashion’s highest profile Black designer and the creative mind behind Louis Vuitton’s menswear collections, died on Sunday of cancer, Vuitton’s owner LVMH said. The French luxury goods giant said Abloh, 41, had been battling cancer privately for years. “Virgil was not only a genius designer, a visionary, he …
your ad hereWHO Calls for Renewed COVID Prevention Efforts Amid Omicron’s Spread
The World Health Organization says renewed efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus is needed as scientists scramble to determine the risks posed by the new omicron variant. Low vaccine rates combined with public fatigue over safety measures are putting more people in Africa at risk. Experts say it’s …
your ad hereZimbabwe Says It’s Prepared for Omicron Variant
Zimbabwe’s government says the country is very prepared to handle the new COVID-19 variant – omicron – first reported in neighboring South Africa. The World Health Organization says a fourth wave of the pandemic is most likely to hit Africa. Zimbabwe’s Vice President Constantino Chiwenga – who doubles as the …
your ad hereNew Cases of Omicron Variant in Netherlands, Australia
Dutch health officials said Sunday 13 people who recently arrived in the Netherlands on flights from South Africa have tested positive for the new omicron coronavirus variant. The passengers were part of the group of 61 who tested positive for the coronavirus following their arrival in Amsterdam on Friday. The …
your ad hereAustralian Government Vows to Unmask Online Trolls
Australia’s government said Sunday it will introduce legislation to unmask online trolls and hold social media giants like Facebook and Twitter responsible for identifying them. Prime Minister Scott Morrison, whose conservative coalition government faces an election in the first half of 2022, said the law would protect Australians from online …
your ad hereCOVID Variant Spreads to More Countries as World on Alert
The new potentially more contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus popped up in more European countries on Saturday, just days after being identified in South Africa, leaving governments around the world scrambling to stop the spread. The U.K. on Saturday tightened its rules on mask-wearing and on testing of international …
your ad hereUS Praises South Africa’s Quick Detection, Sharing Variant Information
The United States praised South Africa on Saturday for quickly identifying the latest coronavirus variant, omicron, and sharing this information with the world. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with South Africa’s international relations and cooperation minister, Naledi Pandor, and they discussed cooperation on vaccinating people in Africa against COVID-19, …
your ad hereHong Kong Protest Film Wins at Chinese-Language ‘Oscars’
A documentary about pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong won a high-profile award Saturday in Taiwan at the Golden Horse Awards, the Chinese-speaking world’s version of the Oscars. Kiwi Chow’s “Revolution of Our Times” was named best documentary, prompting a long round of applause and shouts of support for Hong Kong …
your ad hereFDA: Merck COVID pill effective, experts will review safety
Federal health regulators say an experimental COVID-19 pill from Merck is effective against the virus, but they will seek input from outside experts on risks of birth defects and other potential problems during pregnancy. The Food and Drug Administration posted its analysis of the pill ahead of a public meeting …
your ad hereFrance Says it is Willing to Discuss Autonomy for Guadeloupe
France is willing to discuss autonomy for the French Caribbean territory of Guadeloupe if it is in the interests of the people who live there, government minister Sebastien Lecornu said. Guadeloupe and the nearby French island of Martinique have seen several days of protests against COVID-19 measures that have spilled …
your ad hereNew Hampshire, Vermont Asked to Test Deer for COVID-19
With hunting season under way, wildlife agencies in the northeastern U.S. states of New Hampshire and Vermont have started testing for COVID-19 in white-tailed deer, as antibodies for the virus have been found in deer in other states, according to a government study. “We collected blood samples this year during …
your ad hereSouth African Scientists Brace for Wave Propelled by Omicron
As the world grapples with the emergence of the new highly transmissible variant of COVID-19, worried scientists in South Africa — where omicron was first identified — are scrambling to combat its lightning spread across the country. In the space of two weeks, the omicron variant has sent South Africa …
your ad hereTourists Rush to South Africa Airport After Travel Bans Issued
Anxious-looking travelers thronged Johannesburg international airport and stood in long queues on Friday, desperate to squeeze onto the last flights to countries that had just shut their doors to South Africa. Many cut short their holidays, rushing back from safaris and vineyards when Britain announced late Thursday night that all …
your ad hereFauci: US Must Study Data Before Deciding on Travel Ban Over New COVID Variant
Top U.S. infectious disease official Anthony Fauci said Friday that a ban on flights from southern Africa was a possibility and the United States was rushing to gather data on the new COVID-19 variant. No decision to halt flights had yet been made, he said. The Wall Street Journal, …
your ad hereNew COVID-19 Variant Detected in South Africa
South African scientists are scrambling to determine how quickly a newly discovered variant of the coronavirus can spread and if it is resistant to vaccines. The new strain has led Britain to reimpose flight bans on six southern African countries, which could deal another heavy blow to their economies. Coronavirus …
your ad hereCases Soar but Swiss Reject Lockdown as COVID Law Vote Looms
Like many others in Europe, Switzerland is facing a steep rise in coronavirus cases. But its federal government, unlike others, hasn’t responded with new restrictive measures. Analysts say it doesn’t want to stir up more opposition to its anti-COVID-19 policies, which face a crucial test at the ballot box this …
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