Former President George W. Bush recently urged Washington lawmakers to reauthorize the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, an initiative he launched two decades ago against one of deadliest diseases at the time. VOA Senior Correspondent Mariama Diallo reports. …
your ad herePharmacy’s Decision on Abortion Pill May Signal Restricted Availability in US
Walgreens says it will not start selling an abortion pill in 20 states that had warned of legal consequences if it did so. The drugstore chain’s announcement Thursday signals that access to mifepristone may not expand as broadly as federal regulators intended in January, when they finalized a rule change …
your ad hereOscar-Nominated Film Reminiscent of Women’s Struggle in Iran
“The Red Suitcase,” a short film by Iranian-born filmmaker Cyrus Neshvad, will compete for an Oscar at the Academy Awards on March 12. The director and his star tell VOA’s Mike O’Sullivan that the film looks at a young woman’s struggle to determine her own future. Camera: Mike O’Sullivan. …
your ad hereHong Kongers Keep Wearing Masks Despite Lifting of Mandate
Days after the Hong Kong government lifted its mask mandate, most Hong Kongers continue to wear the protective anti-COVID-19 coverings, a decision that for some people shows a continued concern about health and for others indicates distrust of the government. Tam Mei Tak, a radio talk-show host and political commentator, …
your ad hereFour New Crew Members Arrive at International Space Station
The U.S. space agency NASA says two U.S. astronauts, another from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and a Russian cosmonaut are safely aboard the International Space Station (ISS) after their Space-X Dragon crew capsule docked Friday with the orbiting laboratory. Video from NASA showed U.S. astronauts Stephen Bowen and Woody …
your ad hereNobel Peace Prize Activist Sentenced to 10 in Prison in Belarus
Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison by a Belarus court. Bialiatski is the founder of Viasna, a prominent human rights group in Belarus that has provided legal and financial support to protesters, following a wave of unrest in 2020, following disputed election …
your ad hereNew Chamber Discovered in a Great Pyramid
Scientists in Egypt have discovered a 9-meter hidden corridor near the main entrance of one of the Great Pyramids of Giza. The discovery was made as part of the Scan Project that uses noninvasive technology to look into Egypt’s ancient and mysterious structures without causing any harm. The discovery was …
your ad hereOne Month Later, Fallout from Toxic Train Accident Continues
One month after a freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, sending tons of toxic chemicals into the air and prompting a temporary evacuation of the town, the fallout from the accident continues, both on the ground where local residents complain of lingering effects, and in Washington, where the Biden …
your ad hereWayne Shorter, Jazz Saxophone Pioneer, Dies at 89
He was in bands led by Miles Davis and Art Blakely, and founded the fusion band Weather Report …
your ad hereUS Launches Aggressive National Cybersecurity Strategy
The Biden administration is pushing for more comprehensive federal regulations to keep the online realm safer against hackers, including by shifting cybersecurity responsibilities away from consumers to industry and treating ransomware attacks as national security threats. The plan is part of the National Cyber Strategy that the administration released Thursday, …
your ad hereCalifornia Names First Asian American Poet Laureate
California has a new poet laureate. And for the first time, that state poet is Asian American. For VOA, Genia Dulot traveled to Fresno, California, to hear from Lee Herrick about his roots and his poetry …
your ad hereMore of Israel’s Ultra-Orthodox Youth Abandoning Religious Lifestyle
In Israel, the ultra-Orthodox, who strictly observe Jewish law, are currently about 13% of Israel’s population, although their numbers are growing due to a high birthrate. At the same time, a growing number of ultra-Orthodox youth are opting out of the community, often cutting all ties to their past. Linda …
your ad hereCarbon Dioxide Emissions Reached a Record High in 2022
Communities around the world emitted more carbon dioxide in 2022 than in any other year on records dating to 1900, a result of air travel rebounding from the pandemic and more cities turning to coal as a low-cost source of power. Emissions of the climate-warming gas that were caused by …
your ad hereSpaceX Launches Latest Space Station Crew to Orbit for NASA
Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX launched a four-person crew on a trip to the International Space Station early Thursday, with a Russian cosmonaut and United Arab Emirates astronaut joining two NASA crewmates on the flight. The SpaceX launch vehicle, consisting of a Falcon 9 rocket topped with an autonomously operated …
your ad hereLilly Plans to Slash Some Insulin Prices, Expand Cost Cap
Eli Lilly will cut prices for some older insulins later this year and immediately give more patients access to a cap on the costs they pay to fill prescriptions. The moves announced Wednesday promise critical relief to some people with diabetes who can face thousands of dollars in annual costs …
your ad hereAsteroid-Bashing Spacecraft ‘Phenomenally Successful,’ Studies Find
NASA’s DART spacecraft slammed into the asteroid Dimorphos at a spot between two boulders during last September’s first test of a planetary defense system, sending debris hurtling into space and changing the rocky, oblong-shaped object’s path a bit more than previously calculated. Those were among the findings released by scientists …
your ad hereCan AI Help Solve Diplomatic Dispute Over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam?
Ethiopia’s hydropower dam on the Blue Nile River has angered downstream neighbors, especially Sudan, where people rely on the river for farming and other livelihoods. To reduce the risk of conflict, a group of scientists has used artificial intelligence, AI, to show how all could benefit. But getting Ethiopia, Sudan, …
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