As South Africa struggles with a new surge of COVID-19 infections due to the omicron variant of the coronavirus, a new study suggests omicron could be less severe than other forms of the virus. The New York Times reports doctors at the Steve Biko Academic and Tshwane District Hospital Complex …
your ad hereRohingya Refugees Sue Facebook for $150 Billion Over Myanmar Violence
Rohingya refugees from Myanmar are suing Meta Platforms Inc, formerly known as Facebook, for $150 billion over allegations that the social media company did not take action against anti-Rohingya hate speech that contributed to violence. A U.S. class-action complaint, filed in California on Monday by law firms Edelson PC and Fields PLLC, argues that the …
your ad hereDictionary.com Anoints Allyship Word of the Year for 2021
Allyship, an old noun made new again, is Dictionary.com’s word of the year. The look up site with 70 million monthly users took the unusual step of anointing a word it added just last month, though “allyship” first surfaced in the mid-1800s, said one of the company’s content overseers, John Kelly. “It …
your ad hereKennedy Center Honors Back Once More, Biden Attends
The Kennedy Center Honors returned to tradition this year with a real-life gala Sunday night and the presence of the president for the first time since 2016. The lifetime achievement awards for artistic excellence were presented to Motown Records creator Berry Gordy, “Saturday Night Live” mastermind Lorne Michaels, actress-singer Bette …
your ad hereMogadishu Book Fair Resumes after COVID-19 Lockdown Postponement
Somalia’s annual Mogadishu International Book Fair has resumed following the suspension of the event last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Restrictions were applied to the invitation-only event this year in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The sixth edition of the Mogadishu book fair was a big distraction …
your ad hereTraditional Wrestling Continues as a Friday Fixture in Kabul
Through clouds of billowing dust, two men circle each other warily before one plunges forward, grabbing his rival’s clothing and, after a brief struggle, deftly tackling him to the ground. The crowd, arrayed in a circle around them, some sitting on the ground, others standing or clambering onto the backs …
your ad hereAbsence of Dissident Artist’s Works Spurs Fears of Hong Kong Art Censorship
Art censorship in Hong Kong is “very much real,” an expert said after the city’s much-anticipated art gallery opened recently without showcasing some expected artworks by a Chinese dissident. The former British colony’s largest art museum, M+, opened Nov. 12 to great fanfare, but also heated debate because of its …
your ad hereIndia Tests Drone Deliveries for COVID-19 Vaccines in Remote Jammu
As the world races to vaccinate billions more people against COVID-19 while the virus’ new omicron variant spreads, India is testing using drones to deliver vaccines to people in mountainous Jammu and Kashmir, where more than 70% of the population lives in rural areas. It typically takes a couple hours …
your ad hereUS State Department Phones Hacked With Israeli Company Spyware, Sources Say
Apple Inc. iPhones of at least nine U.S. State Department employees were hacked by an unknown assailant using sophisticated spyware developed by the Israel-based NSO Group, according to four people familiar with the matter. The hacks, which took place in the last several months, hit U.S. officials either based in …
your ad hereEgypt Reopens 3,400-Year-Old ‘Avenue of the Sphinxes’
After decades of excavation efforts, Egypt has opened the ‘Avenue of Sphinxes,’ a 3,400-year-old walkway that connects Luxor’s main ancient temples. For VOA, Hamada Elrasam has this photo gallery with words by Elle Kurancid. …
your ad hereFauci: About Two-Week Wait Before Omicron Threat Is Known
White House Chief Medical Adviser Anthony Fauci said Friday it should be about two weeks before scientists fully understand how transmissible and severe the omicron variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 truly is, and until then, people need to get vaccinations and booster shots. During a briefing by the …
your ad hereBotswana Gets WHO Award for Mother-to-Child HIV Prevention Milestone
The World Health Organization has recognized Botswana for its efforts to prevent the transmission of HIV from expectant mothers to unborn children. Officials say no children born to HIV-positive mothers this year had the virus. WHO awarded Botswana the ‘silver tier’ status this week; The silver tier certification is given to countries that have lowered the mother-to-child HIV transmission rate to under five …
your ad hereAlec Baldwin Denies Responsibility for Fatal Shooting on Movie Set
Alec Baldwin Thursday denied responsibility for the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of his Western movie “Rust,” saying he would have killed himself if he believed the shooting was his fault. In an emotional television interview, the actor said he did not pull the trigger on the …
your ad hereNew Zealand Introduces New COVID-19 Management System
New Zealand will adopt what is being called a “traffic light” system to curb the spread of COVID-19 and limit the use of lockdowns. New Zealand’s planned traffic light system has red, amber and green categories, and gives more freedoms to the fully vaccinated. The biggest city, Auckland, is a …
your ad hereSuspect Arrested in Death of Philanthropist Jacqueline Avant
A 29-year-old man has been arrested in the death of philanthropist Jacqueline Avant, who was fatally shot this week at the Beverly Hills home she shared with her husband, legendary music executive Clarence Avant, police said Thursday. Aariel Maynor, who was on parole, was taken into custody early Wednesday by Los Angeles …
your ad hereMultiple Cases of Omicron Variant Detected In New York City
Multiple cases of the omicron coronavirus variant have been detected in New York, health officials said Thursday, including a man who attended an anime convention in Manhattan in late November and tested positive for the variant when he returned home to Minnesota. In addition to the conventioneer, tests showed five …
your ad hereOmicron and Vaccines: What You Should Know
Omicron is unlikely to have completely outsmarted the vaccines, experts say, even with its unusual array of mutations. There are a lot of unknowns, but they expect that the shots will still do what they do best: Keep people out of the hospital and out of the grave. Omicron raised …
your ad hereNASA Astronauts Conduct Previously Postponed Spacewalk
Two astronauts with the U.S. space agency, NASA, left the International Space Station (ISS) Thursday to conduct a spacewalk to replace a broken antenna system, two days after the walk was postponed over concerns about space debris. NASA astronauts Thomas Marshburn and Kayla Barron stepped out of the ISS airlock …
your ad hereUK Court Backs Meghan in Dispute over Privacy with Publisher
The Duchess of Sussex on Thursday won the latest stage in her long-running privacy lawsuit against a British newspaper publisher over its publication of parts of a letter she wrote to her estranged father. The Court of Appeal in London upheld a High Court ruling that the publisher of The …
your ad hereActor Baldwin on Fatal Movie Set Shooting: ‘I Didn’t Pull the Trigger’
Alec Baldwin said he did not pull the trigger of the gun that killed a cinematographer on the movie set of “Rust,” while investigators in New Mexico zeroed in on how live ammunition may have found its way to the set. Baldwin, who was holding a gun he was told …
your ad hereUS Seeks Norms for Outer Space After ‘Irresponsible’ Russia Test
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday criticized an “irresponsible” Russian test that endangered the International Space Station with debris, and the Biden administration laid out a new strategy for responsible use of space. Harris convened the inaugural meeting of the National Space Council and asked members of the government …
your ad hereBiden Marks 33rd World AIDS Day With New Commitments
Marking the 33rd annual World AIDS Day on Wednesday, the Biden administration announced it would ramp up its domestic and international efforts to fight the HIV virus, which has killed 36 million people worldwide in four decades. President Joe Biden also released Wednesday the domestic-focused National HIV-AIDS Strategy, which aims …
your ad hereJacqueline Avant, Wife of Music Legend, Killed in Shooting
Jacqueline Avant, a Los Angeles philanthropist and the wife of music legend Clarence Avant, was fatally shot in Beverly Hills, California, early Wednesday, according to authorities and a Netflix spokeswoman. Netflix spokeswoman Emily Feingold confirmed that Jacqueline Avant was killed in the shooting. Avant’s daughter, Nicole, is married to Ted …
your ad hereBiden HIV/AIDS Strategy Calls Racism ‘Public Health Threat’
The Biden administration in its new HIV/AIDS strategy calls racism “a public health threat” that must be fully recognized as the world looks to end the epidemic. The strategy released Wednesday on the annual commemoration of World AIDS Day is meant to serve as a framework for how the administration …
your ad hereEU Leaders Consider Mandatory Vaccinations to Fight Omicron Variant
European Union leaders said Wednesday they are considering a number of public health options, including vaccine mandates, to address the growing threat posed by the omicron variant of the virus that causes COVID-19. Speaking to reporters in Brussels, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said little is currently known …
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