Failing eyesight, poor digestion, bad teeth, limbs no longer so limber: With captive giant pandas living longer than ever, the list of their physical and even emotional needs is growing.   China, the pandas’ native home, is seeking to cater to those requirements with a special home for the old …

Amid the growing opioid use crisis in the United States, a new study suggests heroin use is on the rise, particularly among younger white people. According to researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, “The portion of Americans using heroin has climbed five-fold in the last decade, and …

Prince William, his wife Kate and his brother Prince Harry are spearheading a campaign to encourage people to talk openly about mental health issues.   The young royals released 10 films Thursday as part of their Heads Together campaign to change the national conversation on mental health.   The videos …

China said Wednesday it is committed to honoring its pledges under the Paris climate change agreement, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order that would effectively dismantle environmental regulations put in place by his predecessor, Barack Obama. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said combating …

The House voted Tuesday to block online privacy regulations issued during the final months of the Obama administration, a first step toward allowing internet providers such as Comcast, AT&T and Verizon to sell the browsing habits of their customers. The Federal Communications Commission rule was designed to give consumers greater …

Do you ever shudder when you hear certain sounds, such as rustling of some type of plastic bags or a fork scraping on the bottom of a porcelain plate? Or get a tingling in your teeth when somone scrapes their fingernails on a blackboard? It may be a mild annoyance for …

Do you ever shudder when you hear certain sounds, such as rustling of some type of plastic bags or a fork scraping on the bottom of a porcelain plate? Or get a tingling in your teeth when somone scrapes their fingernails on a blackboard? A mild annoyance for most, but …

The deputy commander of the U.S. Strategic Command is calling for the development of a code of conduct for space as dreams of altruistic exploration fade. Vice Admiral Charles Richard believes establishing norms and practices of behavior in space would help nations better understand each other’s activities. “We’re still sorting …

A tiny satellite launched by India that is circling the earth contains a laboratory that is only the size of a tissue box. The lab is helping scientists carry out experiments that range from finding ways to improve pharmaceuticals to perfecting the foam in coffee. VOA’s Deborah Block has the …

Researchers have developed a blood test that can rapidly tell whether someone is suffering from tuberculosis. Investigators hope the test can lead to quicker treatment, making a dent in the worldwide TB epidemic. One-third of the world’s population is infected with a silent form of tuberculosis, according to the World …

The executive order signed by President Trump shelves the Clean Power Plan, the signature Obama-era policy designed to combat climate change. But it also is a sweeping rollback of decades of U.S. policy regarding not only climate change but environmental protection, energy production and emissions. Pro-growth, pro-environment Trump repeatedly promised …

Ivanka Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Tuesday exhorted young girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math, saying those fields will provide the jobs and innovation for the future. Their tour of the National Air and Space Museum with a group of middle school students came …

President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order Tuesday that would effectively dismantle Obama-era environmental regulations, rekindling the highly charged partisan debate about how human activity affects the earth’s climate, and deepening concern that decades of work on global climate treaties may be unraveling. “We will put our miners back …

To build a sandcastle here on Earth, the sand needs to be wet so it can stick together. Not so on Saturn’s strange and largest moon Titan, according to a new study. Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology say the moon’s non-silicate sand is “electrically charged” and “resistant to …

Thirty-eight years ago today — March 28, 1979 — disaster struck at 4 a.m. at the Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear power plant in central Pennsylvania after its cooling system failed. It remains the worst nuclear accident in American history.   A simple plumbing failure prevented the main feedwater pumps from …

Lifting boxes by hand, day after day, in places like warehouses can cause muscle strain and other injuries. But now a new exoskeleton — a rigid external body frame that assists with limb movement can help prevent problems associated with repetitive tasks like handling boxes or materials at construction sites. …

In the U.S. and Africa, communities of African descendants are experiencing a high rate of diet related disorders like diabetes and heart disease. A Nigerian American in Washington wants to change that. Nutritionist Tambra Raye Stevenson is on a mission to inspire young girls and women in the diaspora and …

Spinach is known as a super food for its nutritional value, but a new experiment reveals another power of the green leaf. Researchers say they’ve grown beating human heart cells on spinach leaves, using the vascular network of the plant to transport fluids. The finding could eventually lead to being …

The names Matthew and Otto have been retired for Atlantic tropical storms and hurricanes following the deadly 2016 season. According to a statement Monday from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the World Meteorological Organization will use Martin and Owen for future Atlantic storms. The new names might first be …

White House officials say President Donald Trump will sign executive orders Tuesday that would effectively dismantle Obama era environmental regulations, rekindling the highly-charged partisan debate about how human activity affects the earth’s climate, and deepening concern decades of work on global climate treaties may be unraveling. “Many agree that would …

Elissa Montanti can rattle off the stories without hesitation of the hundreds of wounded children who have come through the doors of her small New York charity to get medical help. Marci, a five-year-old from Afghanistan, was shot in the face in a Taliban ambush. She lost her eye, and …

President Donald Trump’s aides opened the door to working with moderate Democrats on health care and other issues while Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer quickly offered to find common ground with Trump for repairing former President Barack Obama’s health care law. Schumer said Sunday that Trump must be willing to …

As East Africa struggles through a drought, scientists say climate change may be making the situation worse as a warming planet may be altering the weather patterns that bring rain to the region. In Somalia, the rains failed late last year. And the rains before that were meager. Livestock have …

A massive renewable energy project could change the seascape of the Welsh city of Swansea in coming years. The plan is to encase the city’s lagoon in a horshoe shaped causeway that will serve as a giant tidal generator. The four year project is massive but if its approved would …

The World Health Organization and U.N. children’s fund are spearheading a massive immunization campaign across Africa to rid the continent of the last vestiges of polio. Tens of thousands of health workers will fan out across 13 central and western African countries to vaccinate more than 116 million children under age …