As the U.S. tries to emerge from the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic, health experts and law enforcement officials are concerned about another health crisis: a sharp rise in the number of drug related overdoses attributed to fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a bulletin …
your ad hereOn World Health Day, US Lacks Funding for Global COVID Response
Without a single dollar of the $5 billion it requested for its global COVID-19 response approved, the Biden administration’s key program to help vaccinate the world is in danger of grinding to a halt. Even as the administration marked World Health Day on Thursday with a commitment to build a …
your ad hereIllness from Omicron Variant Shorter Than from Delta, UK Finds
Disease caused by the omicron variant is on average around two days shorter than the delta variant, a large study of vaccinated Britons who kept a smartphone log of their COVID-19 symptoms after breakthrough infections found. “The shorter presentation of symptoms suggests — pending confirmation from viral load studies — …
your ad hereKey Particle Weighs in a Bit Heavy, Confounding Physicists
The grand explanation physicists use to describe how the universe works may have some major new flaws to patch after a fundamental particle was found to have more mass than scientists thought. “It’s not just something is wrong,” said Dave Toback, a particle physicist at Texas A&M University and a …
your ad hereJD.com Founder Richard Liu Leaves CEO Post
Chinese e-commerce company JD.com said Thursday that its founder Richard Liu has left his position as CEO, the latest Chinese billionaire founder to step aside amid increased government scrutiny of the country’s technology industry. Liu will hand over the reins to JD.com’s president Xu Lei, according to a company statement. …
your ad hereCalifornia’s Lithium Valley Gears Up for Clean Energy Future
Lithium is a key component in electric vehicle batteries and energy storage systems, and California officials hope their state will become a major producer. Governor Gavin Newsom has said he wants California to become the “Saudi Arabia of lithium.” But residents of one community want some assurances first. Mike O’Sullivan reports …
your ad hereWHO: After March Surge, Global COVID-19 Cases Continue To Drop
The World Health Organization ((WHO)) says, following a surge of new cases in early March, the number of new worldwide COVID-19 cases and deaths has fallen for a second consecutive week. In its weekly update released late Tuesday, the WHO reports the number of new cases overall fell by 16 …
your ad hereEd Sheeran Wins Copyright Case Over 2017 Hit ‘Shape of You’
Grammy Award-winning songwriter Ed Sheeran won a U.K. copyright battle over his 2017 hit “Shape of You” on Wednesday, then slammed what he described as a “culture” of baseless lawsuits intended to squeeze money out of artists eager to avoid the expense of a trial. The British pop star and …
your ad hereTwitter to Start Testing Long-Awaited Edit Feature Soon
Twitter said on Tuesday it will begin testing a new edit feature in the coming months, surprising its users on the same day it said Tesla boss Elon Musk would join the social media company’s board. Jay Sullivan, Twitter’s head of consumer products, said in a tweet the company had …
your ad hereBiden Proposal Would Expand Health Care Access
U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced plans to expand access to health care by proposing changes to the Affordable Care Act to allow millions of additional families to purchase health insurance and obtain tax credits to offset the cost. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara reports. …
your ad hereAt Masters, Some Come to See Golfers, Others to See Gnomes
The boxes weren’t flying off the shelves. They weren’t even making it onto the shelves. The Masters has gone gnome-mad. Yes. Gnomes. The must-have item at the Masters this year isn’t any of the shirts or pullovers or caps with the tournament’s logo that can only be bought by those …
your ad hereZoos Protecting Birds as Avian Flu Spreads in North America
Zoos across North America are moving their birds indoors and away from people and wildlife as they try to protect them from the highly contagious and potentially deadly avian influenza. Penguins may be the only birds that visitors to many zoos can see right now, because they already are kept …
your ad hereOklahoma State House Approves Bill to Make Abortion Illegal
The Oklahoma House gave final legislative approval on Tuesday to a bill that would make performing an abortion a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. With little discussion and no debate, the Republican-controlled House voted 70-14 to send the bill to Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, who has …
your ad hereTiger Woods Says He’s Planning to Play the Masters
Tiger Woods says, for now anyway, he’s planning to play this week in the Masters, a little more than a year after nearly losing a leg in a car crash. The five-time champion at Augusta National made the announcement Tuesday morning. He will play nine more practice holes on Wednesday …
your ad hereElon Musk Named to Twitter Board After Acquiring Massive Stock Share
A day after it was revealed he owned the largest stake in Twitter, slightly more than 9% of shares, Elon Musk has joined the company’s board of directors. The Tesla and SpaceX founder will be on the board until at least 2024, according to a regulatory filing. As a stipulation …
your ad hereWimbledon Organizers Holding Talks with UK Govt on Russian, Belarusian Players
The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) is holding talks with the British government on the participation of players from Russia and Belarus at this year’s Wimbledon, saying on Tuesday that it hopes to announce a decision in mid-May. Russian and Belarusian players have been allowed to compete on the …
your ad hereDrones Aim to Deliver Meals, Medicines to People’s Backyards
In the U.S., some restaurants and medical supply stores are turning to drones to deliver food, medicine, and other essential goods to people’s homes. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more. …
your ad hereAmazon Signs on Launch Partners for Space Internet
Amazon on Tuesday announced deals for scores of launches to deploy a “constellation” of satellites in low orbit around the Earth to provide internet service to people below. Amazon said that its contracts with Arianespace, Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance (ULA) are the largest commercial procurement of launch vehicles …
your ad hereLeishmania Cases Rampant in Northeast Syria Town
Cases of a parasitic disease called Leishmaniasis are increasing at an alarming pace in a town in northeastern Syria called Tel Tamr. VOA’s Zana Omer has more in this story narrated by Sirwan Kajjo. Camera: Zana Omer …
your ad hereWorld on Fast-Track to Climate Disaster, International Panel Says
Climate scientists warn the world is courting disaster if it fails to swiftly do what’s required to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The International Panel on Climate Change released a report on mitigating climate change. After two previous reports on the physical science behind climate change and on …
your ad hereUN: World Can Avoid Climate Extremes Only Through Drastic Measures
The United Nations’ top climate body says drastic measures, including significant cuts in fossil fuel use, are necessary to contain global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial temperatures. Monday’s report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change showed that the world is “on a fast track to climate disaster” …
your ad hereWHO: 99% of World Population Breathes in Polluted Air
The World Health Organization reports 13 million people die every year from environmental causes, including more than seven million who are killed each year from exposure to air pollution. New data released by the World Health Organization confirms that practically the whole world is breathing in unhealthy air. The WHO …
your ad hereBatiste Wins Album Honor, Zelenskyy makes appeal at Grammys
LAS VEGAS — Multi-genre artist Jon Batiste won album of the year and R&B duo Silk Sonic took two of the top honors on Sunday at a Grammy awards ceremony that featured a surprise appeal for support from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine. Batiste, who leads the band on “The …
your ad hereKey Winners at Music’s Grammy Awards
LAS VEGAS — The Grammy awards, the highest honors in the music industry, were out at a live ceremony in Las Vegas on Sunday. Below is a list of winners in key categories. ALBUM OF THE YEAR “We Are” — Jon Batiste RECORD OF THE YEAR “Leave The Door Open” …
your ad hereCameroon Advocates Education for Children With Autism
Cameroon observed World Autism Awareness Day Saturday with rights groups advocating for autistic children to be given an education. Supporters say autistic children often can’t go to school because autism is falsely believed to be a result of witchcraft. The Timely Performance Care Center, a school for disabled children in …
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