AMSTERDAM — Climate activists blocked part of the main highway around Amsterdam near the former headquarters of ING bank Saturday to protest its financing of fossil fuels. Amsterdam Municipality said in a message on X, formerly Twitter, that traffic authorities closed part of the road and diverted traffic “to prevent a …
your ad hereMost US Endangered Species Money Goes to Handful of Species
BILLINGS, Mont. — Since passage of the Endangered Species Act 50 years ago, more than 1,700 plants, mammals, fish, insects and other species in the U.S. have been listed as threatened or endangered with extinction. Yet federal government data reveals striking disparities in how much money is allocated to save various …
your ad hereCalifornia Expanding Health Care for Low-Income Immigrants in 2024
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — More than 700,000 immigrants living illegally in California will gain access to free health care starting Monday under one of the state’s most ambitious coverage expansions in a decade. It’s an effort that will eventually cost the state about $3.1 billion per year and inches California closer to …
your ad hereMexican President Says ‘Super Pharmacy’ to Supply Medicines to All
MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s president inaugurated a huge “super pharmacy” Friday in a bid to help patients throughout the country who are told they need a specific medicine, but their hospital doesn’t have it. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s solution was to outfit a big warehouse on the outskirts of Mexico …
your ad hereAP Investigation: Toxins Lurked in Nuclear Missile Capsules
As Tree Species Face Decline, ‘Assisted Migration’ Gains Popularity in Pacific Northwest
portland, oregon — As native trees in the Pacific Northwest die off due to climate change, the U.S. Forest Service, the city of Portland, Oregon, and citizen groups around Puget Sound are turning to a deceptively simple climate adaptation strategy called “assisted migration.” As the world’s climate warms, tree growing ranges …
your ad hereUS Military’s Secretive Spaceplane Launched on Possible Higher-Orbit Mission
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida — The U.S. military’s secretive X-37B robot spaceplane blasted off from Florida on Thursday night on its seventh mission, the first launched atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket capable of delivering it to a higher orbit than previous missions. The Falcon Heavy, composed of three rocket cores strapped …
your ad hereStigma Against Gay Men Could Worsen Congo’s Biggest Mpox Outbreak, Scientists Warn
Kinshasa, Congo — As Congo copes with its biggest outbreak of mpox, scientists warn discrimination against gay and bisexual men on the continent could make it worse. In November, the World Health Organization reported that mpox, also known as monkeypox, was being spread via sex in Congo for the first time. …
your ad hereLooking Back at the Year in Space
An out-of-this-world Christmas greeting from the past. Plus, the Sun reminds humans who’s boss, and a look back at this year in the cosmos. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi brings us The Week in Space. …
your ad hereIn Colombia, Illegally Felled Timber Repurposed to Help Bees
Socorro, Colombia — In northeast Colombia, police guard warehouses stacked high with confiscated timber with a noble new destiny: transformation into homes for bees beleaguered by pesticides and climate change. The illegally harvested wood is used in the Santander department’s “Timber Returns Home” initiative, building hives since 2021 to house the …
your ad hereEntrepreneur Recycles Metal and Other Parts of Old Solar Panels
Yuma, Arizona — As the world pivots from planet-warming fossil fuels to renewable energy, a new pollution problem is rearing its head: What to do with old or worn-out solar panels? Thousands of photovoltaic slabs are being installed across the United States every day, particularly in the sunny west and south …
your ad hereCOVID-19 Effects Linger Among International Students in US
The COVID-19 pandemic affected students around the world, disrupting their studies and weakening their social skills. But the pandemic did generate some positive outcomes, say college counselors and international students who are back to in-person learning in the United States. VOA’s Laurel Bowman explores. Camera: Adam Greenbaum and Saqib Ul …
your ad hereHigh Rice Prices Worldwide Likely to Continue Into 2024
WASHINGTON — Arnong Mungoei has farmed rice in Thailand’s Khon Kaen province for half a century. Working land some 500 kilometers northeast of Bangkok never made her rich, but it provided a dependable livelihood. But since February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine, global geopolitical tensions and weather conditions elsewhere have upended the rice markets and by 2023, …
your ad hereJapan Moon Lander Enters Lunar Orbit
Tokyo, Japan — Japan’s SLIM space probe entered the moon’s orbit Monday in a major step toward the country’s first successful lunar landing, expected next month. The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) is nicknamed the “Moon Sniper” because it is designed to land within 100 meters (328 feet) of a …
your ad hereEl Nino and Climate Change Created Disastrous Weather in 2023
2023 demolished temperature records worldwide. It was the hottest year on record, and some scientists say the hottest in 125,000 years. Those supercharged temperatures helped drive a series of climate disasters around the world. VOA’s Steve Baragona has a look back. …
your ad hereBionic Prostheses Empower Wounded Ukrainian Soldiers
KYIV, Ukraine — When Alexis Cholas lost his right arm as a volunteer combat medic near the front lines in eastern Ukraine, his civilian career as a surgeon was over. But thanks to a new bionic arm, he was able to continue working in health care and is now a rehab …
your ad hereContrary to Politicians’ Claims, Offshore Wind Farms Don’t Kill Whales
PORTLAND, Maine — Unfounded claims about offshore wind threatening whales have surfaced as a flashpoint in the fight over the future of renewable energy. In recent months, conservatives including former President Donald Trump have claimed construction of offshore wind turbines is killing the giant animals. Scientists say there is no credible …
your ad hereHeatwave Warnings Issued as Australia Faces Scorching Summer
SYDNEY — Australia’s national weather agency on Saturday warned of extreme to severe heatwave conditions over northern parts of the country through Sunday. A lower-intensity heatwave is expected for much of the east coast starting Tuesday. The heatwaves continue the scorching start of summer in Australia. In early December, a heatwave …
your ad hereWHO Warns of Polio Cases in Pakistan, Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD — Only 12 children around the world have been paralyzed by wild poliovirus so far this year, all of them in Pakistan and Afghanistan — with six reported in each. They are the last two countries in which the highly infectious disease still exists. Moreover, the World Health Organization has …
your ad hereUS Trashing Troves Pandemic Gear as Huge, Costly Stockpiles Expire
Chatty Robot Uses AI to Help Seniors Fight Loneliness
Coral Springs, florida — Joyce Loaiza lives alone, but when she returns to her apartment at a Florida senior community, the retired office worker often has a chat with a friendly female voice that asks about her day. A few miles away, the same voice comforted Deanna Dezern, 83, when her …
your ad hereDengue Surging Globally as Climate Change Kicks In
GENEVA — The World Health Organization says dengue, a mosquito-borne illness, is surging worldwide because of climate change, along with social, environmental and other factors, such as population growth and the globalization of travel, which facilitates the spread of the viral infection. “Climate change has an impact on transmission because it …
your ad hereCharity: For Many Older People Christmas is ‘Hardest Day’
Christmas for many is a time of family togetherness and good cheer, but for older adults, it can too often be one of the year’s loneliest days. Age UK, a charity group that deals with ageism and the problems of this demographic, says people can take simple steps to help. …
your ad hereFDA Warns About Counterfeit Versions of Diabetes Drug Ozempic
Bird Flu Set to Spread in Antarctic, Causing Huge Damage, Report Says
PARIS — Bird flu is likely to spread further in the Antarctic region, causing immense damage to wildlife, according to experts on the highly contagious disease that has killed hundreds of millions of birds worldwide in recent years. The spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, commonly called bird flu, …
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