NASA’s Parker Solar Probe aims to fly closer to the sun like never before
NEW YORK — A NASA spacecraft aims to fly closer to the sun than any object sent before. The Parker Solar Probe was launched in 2018 to get a close-up look
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NASA’s future closely connected to commercial space entrepreneurs
The incoming Trump administration inherits efforts by the US space agency, NASA, to return astronauts to the surface of the moon and is turning to commercial space entrepreneurs to help.
Read MoreWhat Assad’s fall has revealed about Syria’s trade in stimulant drug Captagon
BEIRUT — Since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad, industrial-scale manufacturing facilities of the amphetamine-like stimulant Captagon have been uncovered around the country, which experts say fed a $10
Read MoreSurvey: Most US teens are abstaining from drinking, smoking and marijuana
NEW YORK — Teen drug use hasn’t rebounded from its drop during the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the results from a large annual national survey released Tuesday.
Read MoreFrance adds first nuclear reactor in 25 years to grid
PARIS — France connected the Flamanville 3 nuclear reactor to its grid on Saturday morning, state-run operator EDF said, in the first addition to the country’s nuclear power network in 25
Read MoreScientists observe ‘negative time’ in quantum experiments
TORONTO — Scientists have long known that light can sometimes appear to exit a material before entering it — an effect dismissed as an illusion caused by how waves are distorted
Read MoreUS flu season is under way, as cases surge in some areas and vaccinations lag
NEW YORK — The U.S. flu season is under way, with cases surging across much of the country, health officials said Friday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted sharp
Read MoreMusic bridges memory gaps for New York Alzheimer’s patients
The Unforgettable Chorus in New York is using music to help people with memory loss reconnect with family, friends and themselves. Since 2011, the choir has been a beacon of
Read MoreUS deaths are down and life expectancy is up, but improvements are slowing
NEW YORK — U.S. life expectancy jumped last year, and preliminary data suggests there may be another — much smaller — improvement this year. Death rates fell last year for almost
Read MoreBird flu spillover to other species poses global health threat, experts warn
GENEVA — International human and animal health experts warn the H5N1 avian influenza is evolving quickly and posing a global health threat as the virus is increasingly crossing species barriers and
Read MoreSewage-polluted lake water kills rhinos, other wildlife in Zimbabwe
HARARE, ZIMBABWE — A Zimbabwean national park is hosting relocated wildlife from a game park just outside the country’s capital after an autopsy report on Saturday confirmed that four rhinos and
Read MoreAlabama woman doing well after latest experimental pig kidney transplant
NEW YORK — An Alabama woman is recovering well after a pig kidney transplant last month that freed her from eight years of dialysis, the latest effort to save human lives
Read More‘Gamifying’ health: A new approach to HIV treatment in Africa
The United Nations says the HIV/AIDS epidemic could be ended by 2030. But patients need to follow their treatment plans to keep the virus in check. Games could help, as
Read MoreAttacks on Pakistan polio teams kill vaccinator, 2 police officers
Islamabad — Authorities in Pakistan reported Monday that gunmen targeted vaccination teams in northwestern districts during a nationwide campaign against the paralytic poliovirus, resulting in the deaths of at least one
Read MoreFive years on from the pandemic, long COVID keeps lives on hold
VIENNA — Three years ago, Andrea Vanek was studying to be an arts and crafts teacher when spells of dizziness and heart palpitations suddenly started to make it impossible for her
Read MoreMystery drone sightings keep happening in New Jersey – What we know… and don’t know
A large number of mysterious drones have been reported flying over parts of New Jersey and the East Coast in recent weeks, sparking speculation and concern over who sent them
Read MoreNutrition experts weigh in on US dietary guidelines
Americans should eat more beans, peas and lentils and cut back on red and processed meats and starchy vegetables, all while continuing to limit added sugars, sodium and saturated fat.
Read MoreTexas attorney general sues NY doctor over abortion pill prescription
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Friday sued a New York doctor for allegedly providing a Texas woman with abortion pills by telemedicine. The lawsuit by the Republican attorney general,
Read MoreNigeria: Experts call for increased funding for malaria intervention
ABUJA, NIGERIA — The World Health Organization (WHO) and public health experts are calling for increased political commitment and funding to fight malaria, especially in endemic regions like Africa. This week’s
Read MoreLandmark climate change hearing ends on question of reparations
A landmark hearing into nation-states’ legal obligations over climate change wrapped up at the United Nations’ top court in The Hague on Friday. The outcome could have implications for the
Read MoreRussia’s war steals childhood from Ukrainian kids
At least 2,400 children have been killed or injured since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, according to the latest UNICEF reports. The U.N. agency says the war is creating
Read MoreZimbabwe aims to end HIV/AIDS as public health threat by 2030
MARONDERA, ZIMBABWE — Zimbabwean health officials said Tuesday they aim to eliminate HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, crediting the United States with making such progress possible through aid
Read MoreUS moves to save once-common monarch butterflies from extinction
washington — The United States is moving to grant federal protections to the monarch butterfly — a once-common species recognizable by its striking black and orange patterns that has faced a
Read More$45M stegosaurus on display in NY. Here’s what scientists hope to learn about it
NEW YORK — The most expensive dinosaur fossil ever discovered will be on view in New York starting this weekend, American Museum of Natural History officials announced Wednesday. The giant stegosaurus
Read MoreNorth Macedonian political party calls for ban on social media content that incites ‘self-destructive behavior’
SKOPJE, North Macedonia — A political party in North Macedonia on Saturday demanded authorities ban social networks whose content incites violence and self-destructive behavior after several young people were seriously injured
Read MoreDecriminalization dominates Australian drug summit
SYDNEY — Australian authorities are being criticized for ruling out drug decriminalization at an international summit in Sydney this week, ignoring a call by many experts and health groups for a
Read MoreMaternal mortality review panels are in the spotlight. Here’s what they do
Efforts to reduce the nation’s persistently high maternal mortality rates involve state panels of experts that investigate and learn from each mother’s death. The panels — called maternal mortality review
Read MoreMexico study finds that heat kills young people more than elderly
A surprising study of temperature-related deaths in Mexico upends conventional thinking about what age group is hit hardest by heat. Researchers found at higher temperatures and humidity, the heat kills
Read MoreNASA delays next moon mission to April 2026
The U.S. space agency, NASA, is leading an effort to return astronauts to the surface of the moon and establish a routine presence on the lunar surface. As VOA’s Kane
Read MoreBig polluters fear UN court case will fuel compensation demands
LONDON — As a landmark climate change case reached its halfway mark Friday at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, clear divisions have emerged over whether nation states can
Read MoreCargo sailboat cruises to cleaner future with blend of old, new technology
Using sailing ships to move cargo may be making a comeback. These days, eco-friendly watercraft are equipped with the latest technology. Elena Wolf has the story, narrated by Anna Rice.
Read MoreIran launches heaviest space payload into orbit: media
Tehran, Iran — Iran successfully launched on Friday its heaviest space payload, which includes a satellite and a space tug, using a domestically developed satellite carrier, official media reported. Weighing 300
Read MoreCongo says it’s ‘on alert’ over mystery flu-like disease that killed dozens
KINSHASA, CONGO — Public health officials in Africa urged caution Thursday as Congo’s health minister said the government was on alert over a mystery flu-like disease that in recent weeks killed
Read MoreSierra Leone begins nationwide rollout of Ebola vaccine
FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE — Authorities in Sierra Leone on Thursday started a nationwide rollout of the single-dose Ebola vaccine, the first such campaign in West Africa, where a deadly outbreak 10
Read MoreTransgender rights case lands at Supreme Court
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court is hearing arguments Wednesday in just its second major transgender rights case, which is a challenge to a Tennessee law that bans gender-affirming health care for
Read MoreZambia works to advance fight against HIV/AIDS with community-centered approach
In Zambia, an education and prevention program known as the Total Control of the Epidemic project is focused on ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Kathy Short
Read MoreTransgender attorney to argue before Supreme Court, challenging health care ban for minors
WASHINGTON — When the Supreme Court this week wades into the contentious issue of transgender rights, the justices will hear from an attorney with knowledge that runs deep. Chase Strangio will
Read MoreBiden has AIDS Memorial Quilt at White House, observing World AIDS Day
Washington — President Joe Biden on Sunday had the AIDS Memorial Quilt spread on the White House South Lawn for the first time in observance of World AIDS Day. Gathered with
Read MoreLandmark climate change case to open at top UN court
The Hague — The top United Nations court will take up the largest case in its history Monday, when it opens two weeks of hearings into what countries worldwide are legally
Read MoreA twice-yearly shot could help end AIDS, but will it get to everyone who needs it?
Mexico City — It’s been called the closest the world has ever come to a vaccine against the AIDS virus. The twice-yearly shot was 100% effective in preventing HIV infections in
Read MoreFeces and vomit fossils offer evidence explaining dinosaur supremacy
The way the dinosaurs relinquished their long dominance is well known. An asteroid struck Earth 66 million years ago, triggering a horrific mass extinction. But the way the dinosaurs —
Read MoreUS proposes new habitat protections in southern Rockies for Canada lynx
BILLINGS, MONTANA — U.S. wildlife officials finalized a recovery plan for imperiled populations of Canada lynx on Wednesday and proposed new habitat protections in the southern Rocky Mountains for the forest-dwelling
Read MoreNations warn of ‘obstruction’ at plastic talks
BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA — Dozens of countries warned Sunday that a handful of nations were obstructing efforts in South Korea to reach an ambitious landmark global treaty to curb plastic pollution.
Read MoreSnow blankets parts of US during busy holiday travel weekend
BUFFALO, NEW YORK — The first big snowfall of the season blanketed towns along Lake Erie on Saturday in the middle of the hectic holiday travel and shopping weekend. Numbing cold
Read MoreWhat to know about plastic pollution crisis as treaty talks conclude
BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA — The world’s nations will wrap up negotiating a treaty this weekend to address the global plastic pollution crisis. Their meeting is scheduled to conclude Sunday or early
Read MoreChinese scientists rush to climate-proof potatoes
YANQING, CHINA — In a research facility in the northwest of Beijing, molecular biologist Li Jieping and his team harvest a cluster of seven unusually small potatoes, one as tiny as
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