Namibia doctors fight cervical cancer
WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA — The cervical cancer rate in Namibia is 37.5 for every 100,000 women, about three times higher than the rate worldwide. Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable
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Bird migrations shifting with warming planet in US Southwest
In the Southwest United States, bird migrations are shifting as global temperatures warm. Gustavo Martіnez Contreras takes us to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in the state of
Read MoreCalifornia marine sanctuary protects waters from oil drilling
After President Joe Biden announced a ban on oil and gas drilling off most of the U.S. coastline in early January, President-elect Donald Trump quickly vowed to reverse it after
Read MoreProposed rules would require nutrition info, allergen warnings on US alcohol labels
Labels on wine, distilled spirits and malt beverages in the U.S. would be required to list alcohol content and nutritional information per serving, plus notification of potential allergens, under two
Read MoreThai resort island Phuket grapples with growing garbage crisis
PHUKET, THAILAND — Plastic bottles and empty beer cans roll on the sea floor in the waters around Phuket in southern Thailand, while ever more garbage piles up on the island
Read MoreMalawi takes steps to end cholera outbreaks by 2030
BLANTYRE, MALAWI — Malawi’s government launched a plan Thursday to stop cholera outbreaks by 2030. Officials say that if the government and international partners can effectively cooperate, they can greatly reduce
Read MoreSpaceX catches Starship booster again, but upper stage explodes
WASHINGTON — Hours after Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin nailed its first-ever orbital mission, SpaceX seized back the spotlight on Thursday as its latest test of Starship, its gargantuan next-generation mega rocket,
Read MoreUS CDC recommends faster testing for bird flu in hospitalized patients
People hospitalized for flu should be tested for bird flu within 24 hours, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday, in an expansion of the agency’s
Read MoreWHO appeals for $1.5 billion to tackle ‘unprecedented’ global health crisis
GENEVA — The World Health Organization appealed Thursday for $1.5 billion for emergency operations this year, warning that conflict, climate change, epidemics and displacement had converged to create an “unprecedented global
Read MoreWHO says suspected outbreak of Marburg disease kills 8 in remote part of Tanzania
ARUSHA, Tanzania — The World Health Organization said Wednesday an outbreak of suspected Marburg disease has killed eight people in a remote part of northern Tanzania. “We are aware of 9
Read MoreDespite international concerns, doctors say China flu-like virus is no COVID-19
China says HMPV infections in the northern part of the country are declining. News of increased respiratory illnesses in China kindled international concerns about another potential pandemic. But, as VOA’s
Read MoreElon Musk says third patient got Neuralink brain implant
Elon Musk said a third person has received an implant from his brain-computer interface company Neuralink, one of many groups working to connect the nervous system to machines. “We’ve got
Read MoreCourt ruling will help New Mexico stay a go-to state for women seeking abortions
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO — The New Mexico Supreme Court on Thursday struck down abortion restrictions by conservative cities and counties, helping to ensure the state remains a go-to destination for
Read MoreAI helps Israeli journalist with ALS make a comeback
jerusalem — When a renowned Israeli TV journalist lost his ability to speak clearly because of ALS, he thought his career might be over. But now, using artificial-intelligence software that can
Read MoreBlue Origin set for 1st launch of New Glenn rocket
CAPE CANAVERAL — A quarter of a century after its founding, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is finally ready for its maiden orbital voyage with a brand-new rocket the company hopes will
Read MoreUS ‘notorious markets’ report warns of risks from online pharmacies
BANGKOK — Nearly all of the world’s 35,000 online pharmacies are being run illegally and consumers who use them risk getting ineffective or dangerous drugs, according to the U.S. Trade Representative’s
Read MoreDoctors worry that iodine deficiency, a dietary problem from the past, is coming back
NEW YORK — The 13-year-old boy came to the clinic with a rapidly ballooning neck. Doctors were puzzled. Testing ruled out their first suspicion. But further tests pinpointed what they —
Read MoreVOA Mandarin: China’s winter surge of flu-like HMPV cases raises concerns of transparency
Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) has recently spread widely across China, overwhelming hospitals and evoking memories of the COVID-19 outbreak. HMPV is not a new virus; it has been known for years
Read MorePreventive action can’t avert wildfires but can save lives, meteorologists say
GENEVA — The World Meteorlogical Organization says that preventive action cannot avert natural disasters such as the wildfires raging across Los Angeles, but that it can help save lives and mitigate
Read MoreCould bird flu pandemic ‘dwarf’ COVID-19?
For the first time, a person in the United States has died after being infected with the bird flu. Louisiana health officials reported the death on Monday. The World Health
Read MoreNew research shows a quarter of freshwater animals are threatened with extinction
WASHINGTON — Nearly a quarter of animals living in rivers, lakes and other freshwater sources are threatened with extinction, according to new research published Wednesday. “Huge rivers like the Amazon can
Read MoreHMPV is no ‘mysterious China virus’
India TV’s claims that HMPV is a mysterious virus, or speculation that a new virus may have arisen out of China, are false. …
Read MoreLouisiana reports 1st bird flu-related death in US, state agency says
WASHINGTON — The Louisiana Department of Health said Monday that a U.S. patient hospitalized with H5N1 bird flu had died, the country’s first death from an outbreak of the virus that
Read MoreHere’s your 2025 guide to the night sky and other celestial wow moments
CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA — The new year will bring a pair of lunar eclipses, but don’t expect any sun-disappearing acts like the one that mesmerized North America last spring. While the
Read MoreWorld’s oldest person, a Japanese woman, dies at 116
TOKYO — Tomiko Itooka, a Japanese woman who was the world’s oldest person according to Guinness World Records, has died, an Ashiya city official said Saturday. She was 116. Yoshitsugu Nagata,
Read MoreCybertruck soldier told ex-girlfriend of pain, exhaustion after Afghanistan
WASHINGTON — The highly decorated Special Forces soldier who died by suicide in a Cybertruck explosion on New Year’s Day confided to a former girlfriend who had served as an Army
Read MoreUS announces $306 million in new bird flu funding
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Joe Biden’s outgoing administration announced Friday that it will allocate $306 million to bolster the nation’s bird flu response before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. The new
Read MoreSeasonal illnesses in full force in most US states, CDC says
The holidays came with a side of flu for many Americans, with 40 states reporting high or very high levels of illness last week, according to the latest government health
Read MoreUS surgeon general urges cancer warnings for alcoholic drinks
WASHINGTON/LONDON — Alcoholic drinks should carry a warning about cancer risks on their label, the U.S. surgeon general said Friday in a move that could signal a shift toward more aggressive
Read MoreSouth Sudan begins mass inoculation campaign with cholera vaccines
Juba, South Sudan — More than 1.1 million doses of an oral cholera vaccine have arrived in South Sudan, as the government launched a program to inoculate more than 80 percent
Read More‘Dinosaur highway’ tracks dating back 166 million years discovered in England
LONDON — A worker digging up clay in a southern England limestone quarry noticed unusual bumps that led to the discovery of a “dinosaur highway” and nearly 200 tracks that date
Read MoreHow to catch the Quadrantids, first meteor shower of 2025
WASHINGTON — When the Quadrantid meteor shower peaks Friday, it will be the year’s first chance to see fireballs in the sky. A waning crescent moon means good visibility under clear
Read MoreFive years on, WHO urges China to share COVID origins data
Geneva — The World Health Organization on Monday implored China to share data and access to help understand how COVID-19 began, five years on from the start of the pandemic that
Read MoreIndia rocket launches space docking mission
NEW DELHI — India launched a rocket Monday carrying two small spacecraft to test docking in space, a critical step for the country’s dreams of a space station and a manned
Read MoreRecord-breaking heat likely to continue in 2025, accelerating climate change
The World Meteorological Organization warns this year’s record-breaking heat is likely to continue in 2025, further accelerating climate change and leading to catastrophic consequences if urgent action is not taken
Read MoreNetanyahu ‘in good condition’ after prostate surgery, says hospital
JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu successfully underwent prostate removal surgery on Sunday and is in good condition, according to the hospital treating him. The surgery took place while
Read MoreAbortions more common in US, as women turn to pills, travel
Abortion has become more common despite bans or deep restrictions in most Republican-controlled states, and the legal and political fights over its future are not over yet. It’s now been
Read MoreDrought, fire, deforestation ravaged Amazon rainforest in 2024
BOGOTA, COLOMBIA — 2024 was a brutal year for the Amazon rainforest, with rampant wildfires and extreme drought ravaging large parts of a biome that’s a critical counterweight to climate change.
Read MoreUkrainian soldiers find rest, restoration at Carpathian mountain retreat
As Russia’s war against Ukraine enters its third year, centers focused on soldiers’ rehabilitation and mental health are appearing across Ukraine. An active serviceman started one such place in his
Read MoreTrump energy plans complicated by tariffs, global competition
A different approach to energy is at the center of President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to bring down the cost of living for Americans. But as VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson
Read MoreUS agency says decongestant in many cold medicines doesn’t work. So what does?
WASHINGTON — Changes are coming to the cold and cough aisle of your local pharmacy: U.S. officials are moving to phase out the leading decongestant found in hundreds of over-the-counter medicines,
Read MoreCDC says bird flu virus likely mutated within a US patient
A genetic analysis suggests the bird flu virus mutated inside a Louisiana patient who contracted the nation’s first severe case of the illness, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Read MoreUS proposes cybersecurity rules to limit impact of health data leaks
Health care organizations may be required to bolster their cybersecurity to better prevent sensitive information from being leaked by cyberattacks like the ones that hit Ascension and UnitedHealth, a senior
Read MoreFDA proposes new testing rules to ensure cosmetics are asbestos-free
washington — Cosmetics companies would have to take extra steps to ensure that any products containing talc are free of asbestos under a federal rule proposed Thursday. The proposal from the
Read MoreBird flu virus shows mutations in first severe human case in US, agency says
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday its analysis of samples from the first severe case of bird flu in the country last week showed mutations
Read MoreKing Charles thanks medics for his and Kate’s cancer care
London — King Charles thanked the medics who have cared for him and his daughter-in-law Kate, after they both underwent treatment for cancer this year, in a Christmas Day message that
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