Britain recognized the scientists and medical chiefs at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19 in Queen Elizabeth’s annual New Year’s honors list, while James Bond actor Daniel Craig was given the same award as his famous onscreen character. Craig, who bowed out from playing the fictional British spy after …
your ad hereHall of Famer Sam Jones, Winner of 10 NBA Titles, Dies at 88
Basketball Hall of Famer Sam Jones, the Boston Celtics’ “Mr. Clutch” whose sharp shooting fueled the league’s longest dynasty and earned him 10 NBA titles — second only to teammate Bill Russell — has died, the team said. He was 88. Jones died Thursday night in Florida, where he had …
your ad hereOmicron Surge Prompts CES to Trim a Day from Schedule
This year’s Consumer Electronics Show will end a day earlier than planned, the organizer of the global technology and gadget show said, after companies including Amazon and General Motors dropped out of attending the Las Vegas event in person because of omicron concerns. “The step was taken as an additional …
your ad hereActress Betty White Dies Just Shy of 100th Birthday
Comedic actress Betty White, who capped a career of more than 80 years by becoming America’s geriatric sweetheart after Emmy-winning roles on television sitcoms The Golden Girls and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, has died, less than three weeks shy of her 100th birthday, People magazine reported Friday, quoting her …
your ad herePope Attends Year-End Service but Does Not Preside as Expected
Pope Francis ended the year by attending a vespers service Friday where he praised those who responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with responsibility and solidarity rather than an attitude of “every person for themselves.” The pope did not preside at the service as had been expected, leaving that to a …
your ad here2022 Oscar Contenders Reflect Turbulence, Needs of the Times
The new year signals the beginning of the Oscars race. Oscar nominees distinguish themselves in categories such as film direction, cinematography and acting. The message of these films is also significant, especially in relation to the times we live in. VOA’s Penelope Poulou looks at some of these promising contenders. …
your ad hereNew Year’s Eve Muted by Omicron; Many Hoping for Better 2022
Good riddance to 2021. Let 2022 bring fresh hope. That was a common sentiment Friday as people around the world got ready to welcome in the new year. In many places, plans for New Year’s Eve celebrations were muted or canceled for the second straight year due to a surge …
your ad herePakistan: 70 Million Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19
Pakistan says it has administered 155 million COVID-19 vaccine doses as of Friday, fully vaccinating 70 million people, or 30% of the country’s total population, since launching the inoculation drive in February. The South Asian nation of about 220 million reported its first case in early 2020 and since then …
your ad hereWet December Raises Some Hope for Drought-Stricken California
Record snowfalls in the western United States that closed roads and caused flight delays also brought some good news for drought-hit California on Thursday, with officials saying the state’s snowpack is now well above normal. After a string of mountain blizzards, snowpack measured at Phillips Station in the Sierra Nevada …
your ad hereSouth Africa Lifts Curfew, Says COVID-19 Fourth Wave Peaked
South Africa has lifted a midnight-to-4 a.m. curfew on people’s movement, effective immediately, saying the country has passed the peak of its fourth COVID-19 wave driven by the omicron variant, a government statement said Thursday. However, wearing a face mask in public places remains mandatory. Failure to wear a mask …
your ad hereUS Braces for Omicron Surge
Health authorities in the United States are sounding the alarm again, saying Americans could experience disruptions in the coming weeks because of the rapid spread of the omicron variant of the virus that causes COVID-19. The U.S has reported record numbers of cases two days in a row, Reuters reported, …
your ad hereJames Webb Telescope Begins Long-awaited Space Journey
NASA successfully launched its much-anticipated next-generation space telescope. Now come weeks of nervousness for project scientists who can only hope the next steps go as planned. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi brings us The Week in Space. Produced by: Arash Arabasadi Camera : AP/ NASA TV/ PURDUE UNIVERSITY/ YOUTUBE NASA/ “ARMAGEDDON” / TOUCHSTONE PICTURES – JERRY BRUCKHEIMER FILMS/ NASA JOHNS HOPKINS …
your ad hereFauci: Skip Large New Year’s Eve Parties
The top infectious disease expert in the United States is urging Americans to avoid taking part in mass New Year’s Eve celebrations as the nation continues to set record-breaking levels of daily new coronavirus infections driven by the highly contagious omicron variant. The U.S. posted 489,267 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins …
your ad hereTimes Square Show Will Go on Despite Virus Surge, Mayor Says
New York City will ring in 2022 in Times Square as planned despite record numbers of COVID-19 infections in the city and around the nation, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday. “We want to show that we’re moving forward, and we want to show the world that New York City …
your ad hereIran Says Rocket Launch Sent 3 ‘Research Payloads’ Into Space
Iran has used a satellite launch rocket to send three research devices into space, a Defense Ministry spokesman said on Thursday, as indirect U.S.-Iran talks take place in Austria to try to salvage a 2015 nuclear deal. He did not clarify whether the devices had reached orbit. Iran, which has …
your ad hereGhana’s Coastal Communities Threatened by Erosion, Sand Harvesting
Tidal waves and coastal erosion have submerged an entire fishing community on Ghana’s eastern coast. Many villagers had already been relocated from past tidal waves and have petitioned the government for a permanent solution. Senanu Tord reports from the village of Fuvemeh in Ghana. Camera: Senanu Tord …
your ad hereWHO: Populism, Nationalism, Vaccine Hoarding Are Prolonging Pandemic
The World Health Organization is warning that the rapid circulation of the omicron and delta variants of the coronavirus is leading to a tsunami of cases, severe disease and surging deaths among the unvaccinated. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday that while science had led to the development of COVID-19 …
your ad hereAmanda Gorman Writes End-of-Year Poem, ‘New Day’s Lyric’
Amanda Gorman is ending her extraordinary year on a hopeful note. The 23-year-old poet, whose reading of her own “The Hill We Climb” at President Joe Biden’s inauguration made her an international sensation, released a new work Wednesday to mark the end of 2021. “New Day’s Lyric” is a five-stanza, …
your ad hereWorld Struggles With Rising COVID-19 Infections
The United States recorded more than 512,000 daily new coronavirus cases Tuesday – the single highest one-day number of cases recorded since the beginning of the pandemic, according to data released by the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center The one-day record coincides with a New York Times database showing the seven-day average of cases in …
your ad hereScientists Discover Coastal Marine Life Thriving on Plastic Ocean Trash
The growing issue of plastic pollution in the world’s oceans is affecting coastal marine life, transporting many species to areas of the open ocean, surprising researchers. A group of U.S. and Canadian marine and environmental scientists were amazed to find that some species are thriving on plastic trash floating in …
your ad hereNFL Hall of Fame Coach, Broadcaster John Madden Dies at 85
John Madden, the Hall of Fame coach turned broadcaster whose exuberant calls combined with simple explanations provided a weekly soundtrack to NFL games for three decades, died Tuesday morning, the NFL said. He was 85. The league said he had died unexpectedly, and it did not provide a cause. Madden …
your ad hereChina Slams US Over Space Station’s ‘Close Encounters’ With SpaceX Satellites
Beijing on Tuesday accused the United States of irresponsible and unsafe conduct in space over two “close encounters” between the Chinese space station and satellites operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Tiangong, China’s new space station, had to maneuver to avoid colliding with one Starlink satellite in July and another in …
your ad hereNew Study Suggests Infection from Omicron Variant Can Enhance Immunity to Delta
Researchers in South Africa have discovered that people who have been infected with the omicron variant of the coronavirus develop enhanced immunity to the older delta variant. The conclusion is the result of a new study conducted at Durban-based Africa Health Research Institute involving 33 vaccinated and unvaccinated people. The …
your ad hereUS Catholic Clergy Shortage Eased by Recruits From Africa
The Rev. Athanasius Chidi Abanulo — using skills honed in his African homeland to minister effectively in rural Alabama— determines just how long he can stretch out his Sunday homilies based on who is sitting in the pews. Seven minutes is the sweet spot for the mostly white and retired …
your ad hereFlu Is Making a Comeback in US After an Unusual Year Off
The U.S. flu season has arrived on schedule after taking a year off, with flu hospitalizations rising and two child deaths reported. Last year’s flu season was the lowest on record, probably because COVID-19 measures — such as school closures, distancing, masks and canceled travel — prevented the spread of …
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