To mask or not to mask is a question Italy settled early in the COVID-19 outbreak with a vigorous “yes.” Now the onetime epicenter of the pandemic in Europe hopes even stricter mask rules will help it beat the latest infection surge. Other countries are taking similar action as the …
your ad hereDrones Spray Holy Water at India Hindu Festival as Crowds Defy COVID Rules
Drones sprayed holy water from the Ganges on thousands of Hindu pilgrims on Friday to reduce crowding during a massive festival being held despite soaring COVID-19 cases in India. The Gangasagar Mela in the east of the country has drawn comparisons with another “superspreader” Hindu gathering last year that the …
your ad hereAustralia Orders Deportation of Tennis Ace Djokovic
Australia has canceled the visa of the world No. 1 tennis player, Novak Djokovic, on health and public order grounds.The Serbian player’s lawyers are expected to challenge the government’s decision in court. Australia Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said he had canceled Djokovic’s visa on “health and good order grounds, on …
your ad hereSpider-Man Comic Page Sells for Record $3.36M Bidding
A single page of artwork from a 1984 Spider-Man comic book sold at auction Thursday for a record $3.36 million. Mike Zeck’s artwork for page 25 from Marvel Comics’ Secret Wars No. 8 brings the first appearance of Spidey’s black suit. The symbiote suit would eventually lead to the emergence …
your ad hereStudy Nixes Mars Life in Meteorite Found in Antarctica
A 4-billion-year-old meteorite from Mars that caused a splash here on Earth decades ago contains no evidence of ancient, primitive Martian life after all, scientists reported Thursday. In 1996, a NASA-led team announced that organic compounds in the rock appeared to have been left by living creatures. Other scientists were …
your ad hereAfrica Cup of Nations – Day 5
Africa Cup of Nations – Day 5 Cameroon vs Ethiopia | 4-1 Cape Verde vs Burkina Faso | 0-1 …
your ad hereUS High Court OKs Vaccine Mandate for Health Care Workers, Not Businesses
The Supreme Court has stopped the Biden administration from enforcing a requirement that employees at large businesses be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing and wear a mask on the job. At the same time, the court is allowing the administration to proceed with a vaccine mandate for most …
your ad hereSpaceX Rocket Lifts Off with South African Satellites on Board
A SpaceX rocket launch Thursday carried three small South African-made satellites that will help with policing South African waters against illegal fishing operations. Produced at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, the satellites could also be used to help other African countries to protect their coastal waters. SpaceX’s billionaire boss Elon Musk has given three nano satellites produced in …
your ad hereNASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Opens its Eye
NASA scientists rejoice at the continued progress of their next-generation space telescope. Plus, the International Space Station gets presidential backing, and a prank from space resurfaces on social media. More in The Week in Space from VOA’s Arash Arabasadi …
your ad hereBiden Ramps Up Fight Against Coronavirus
U.S. President Joe Biden sympathized with coronavirus-weary Americans Thursday while ramping up the government’s effort to combat the surge of the omicron variant across the country. “I know we’re all frustrated as we begin the new year,” Biden said in a short White House speech. “It’s been a long road, …
your ad hereDartmouth to Offer ‘Need Blind’ Admissions to Foreign Students
In an attempt to attract more foreign students, Dartmouth College in New Hampshire says it will admit international students regardless of their ability to pay tuition. International students will be admitted through a “need blind” process used for U.S. students. The college charges about $80,000 per year for tuition and …
your ad hereAfrica Cup of Nations 2021 – Day 4
Africa Cup of Nations – Day 4, Jan 12, 2022 Tunisia vs Mali | 0-1 Mauritania vs Gambia | 0-1 Equatorial Guinea vs Ivory Coast | 0-1 …
your ad hereHong Kong COVID-19 Tracking App Spurs Opposition
A new Hong Kong mandate that restaurants and other establishments require use of an app aimed at recording people’s locations and telling them if they have been near a COVID-19 patient has spurred opposition from the city’s pro-democracy voices. The LeaveHomeSafe app scans a two-dimensional QR barcode at taxis and other …
your ad hereChina Struggles to Contain Omicron Before Winter Olympics
The Chinese city of Tianjin ordered a second round of COVID-19 testing for all of its 14 million residents on Wednesday after an initial screening of the population found 97 positive cases. The port city is about 100 kilometers southeast of the Winter Olympics host city of Beijing. Authorities locked …
your ad hereRonnie Spector, ’60s Icon Who Sang ‘Be My Baby,’ Dies at 78
Ronnie Spector, the cat-eyed, beehived rock ‘n’ roll siren who sang such 1960s hits as “Be My Baby,” “Baby I Love You” and “Walking in the Rain” as the leader of the Ronettes, has died. She was 78. Spector died Wednesday after a brief battle with cancer, her family said. …
your ad hereUS Charges Man With Giving Illegal Drugs to Athletes for Tokyo Olympics
U.S. prosecutors have charged a man with supplying performance-enhancing drugs to athletes at the Tokyo Olympics, a first under a federal law allowing criminal charges against doping conspirators at events involving U.S. athletes, broadcasters and sponsors. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan said Eric Lira, 41, distributed drugs, including human …
your ad hereUS Cancer Death Rate Drops by a Third Since 1991
The risk of dying from cancer in the United States has fallen by nearly a third in three decades, thanks to earlier diagnoses, better treatments and less smoking, an analysis said Wednesday. The cancer death rate for men and women fell 32% from its peak in 1991 to 2019, the …
your ad hereAfrica Cup of Nations 2021 – Day 3
Africa Cup of Nations – Day 3, Jan. 11, 2022 Algeria vs Sierra Leone | 0-0 Nigeria vs Egypt | 1-0 Sudan vs Guinea Bissau | 0-0 …
your ad hereWhite House Urges Continued Mitigation Efforts Amid Omicron Surge
The White House COVID-19 response team on Wednesday reminded Americans of the continued need to slow the omicron variant’s spread despite its decreased severity and announced new efforts to help keep schools open. As the omicron variant sweeps across the U.S., Dr. Rochelle Walensky emphasized that wearing masks, getting vaccinated …
your ad hereIndigenous People Lead Push for 2030 Winter Olympics, Paralympics in Vancouver
A group of Indigenous people is prepping a bid to bring the 2030 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games to Vancouver, Canada. It would be the first time any Olympics was hosted by Indigenous people and could lead to further reconciliation with Canada’s First Nations. The group was known as the …
your ad hereNovak Djokovic Says He Made Mistakes in His Travel Documents Before Arriving in Australia
Novak Djokovic, the world’s top-ranked male tennis player, says errors were made on his entry documents about his activities in the weeks before traveling to Australia, adding another layer of controversy in his fight to compete in the year’s first major “Grand Slam” tennis tournament. The Serbian star issued a …
your ad hereWorld Economic Forum Warns Cyber Risks Add to Climate Threat
Cyberthreats and the growing space race are emerging risks to the global economy, adding to existing challenges posed by climate change and the coronavirus pandemic, the World Economic Forum said in a report Tuesday. The Global Risks Report is usually released ahead of the annual elite winter gathering of CEOs …
your ad hereAdvances in Space Transportation Systems Transforming Space Coast
From a seaside perch overlooking the hustle and bustle of ships coming and going at Port Canaveral on Florida’s east coast, Dale Ketcham reflects on decades of history with nostalgia. “I moved here and learned how to walk on Cocoa Beach three years before NASA was created” in 1958, …
your ad hereCommon Cold Infection Can Protect Against Coronavirus, Study Finds
The common cold can provide some protection from COVID-19, according to new research led by Imperial College London, which says the findings provide a blueprint for future vaccines that could offer immunity to all variants of the coronavirus. Since the start of the pandemic, scientists have questioned why some people …
your ad hereCommon Cold Can Protect Against Coronavirus, Study Finds
U.S adults usually catch one or two common colds a year. They’re usually little more than an annoyance, but new research suggests they may offer some protection from a virus that’s much more dangerous. Henry Ridgwell reports from London. …
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