Space: The Military’s New Mobility Frontier
It might sound like science fiction, but the general in charge of the U.S. military’s air transports across the globe says refueling and resupplying the military may soon be a
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Brazil Surpasses 2020 Target to Cut Deforestation Emissions
Brazil cut its greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation in 2017 to levels below its internationally agreed 2020 climate change targets, the country’s Environment Ministry said Thursday. Brazil reduced its emission
Read MoreWildlife Official Who Stirred Fears on Species Law Will Leave Post
The head of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is stepping down after a 14-month tenure in which the agency proposed broad changes to rules governing protections for thousands of
Read MoreUS Court Orders Trump EPA to Pull Pesticide
A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that the Trump administration endangered public health when it overturned an Obama-era rule banning a dangerous pesticide. In a 2-to-1 decision, the Seattle-based court
Read MoreKenya Banks on Human Milk to Reduce Newborn Mortality
Joshua Okumu’s wife, Mary Mwanja, died during childbirth 18 years ago at Pumwani Maternity Hospital in Nairobi. But their daughter survived. When he picked up his newborn baby at the
Read MoreKids + Screen Time = Dry Eyes
If you’ve ever spent a lot of time in front of a computer, you’ve probably come away bleary eyed. That’s because you don’t blink as much when you are working
Read MoreScientists: Tunnels in Thai Garnets Might Be Due to Microbes
Life has found a way to survive in some of the most extreme conditions imaginable. Now, scientists believe they might have found a new habitat for hardy microbes — inside
Read MoreArgentine Abortion Campaigners Brace for Crucial Senate Vote
After Ireland voted to legalize abortion in May, will Argentina, another traditionally Catholic country, do the same? The country’s senators will make the decision Wednesday, amid fiercely polarized campaigns on
Read MoreEbola Vaccinations Begin in Congo’s Latest Deadly Outbreak
The World Health Organization says experts are starting to carry out Ebola vaccinations in Congo’s latest deadly outbreak. Health officials have warned that containing the outbreak is complicated by the
Read MoreStudy: Unusual Heat Waves to Become Norm
Many parts of the world are experiencing record heat this summer, with temperatures soaring well above 40 degrees Celsius in places where 35 used to be the high. The largest-ever
Read MoreEbola Vaccinations Expected to Begin in Congo’s North Kivu
The World Health Organization says vaccinations are expected to begin this week, perhaps as early as Wednesday, to help stem the latest Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of
Read MoreSpaceX Launches Communications Satellite
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, early Tuesday morning, on a mission to deploy a communications satellite. SpaceX says not long after the rocket lifted off,
Read MoreAstronomers Discover New Planet Not Orbiting Any Star
Astronomers have discovered a planet outside our solar system that is 12 times the size of Jupiter, striking not only for its size but also for the fact that it
Read MoreLao Dam Breach Highlights Fears Over Massive Projects
Non-government organizations and researchers are calling on the Lao Government to ensure transparency in its investigations on Lao populations affected by massive flooding from a breach in a hydropower dam
Read MoreA Rare Disorder Causes Some People to Not Recognize Faces
While many people complain of struggling to put a name to a face, a rare disorder causes some people to not recognize faces at all. Prosopagnosia, also called face blindness,
Read More8-Year-Old Boy with Disability Trains to Become Professional Swimmer
An Egyptian boy born with a disability is making waves in the swimming pool. His arms are short from a rare disease, but that’s not stopping him from chasing his
Read MoreNew Era in Space: NASA Astronauts Fly Commercial Spacecraft
A new era in American spaceflight was unveiled Friday, with NASA presenting the flight crews that will carry out the first test flights and operational missions aboard commercial spacecraft to
Read MoreCitizen Scientists Chart Marine Mammals
Charting marine mammal behavior is no easy feat, but that’s exactly what a group of international citizen scientists is doing off the coast of Italy. As Faith Lapidus reports, they
Read MoreCongolese Refugees Risk Infecting Neighboring Countries with Ebola
U.N. officials warn the deadly Ebola virus could be spread by refugees leaving the Democratic Republic of Congo’s North Kivu province. Officials are urging neighboring countries to increase surveillance at
Read MorePolish Beekeepers Concerned When Banned Chemicals Temporarily Approved
Honeybees are essential to our food supply, but bee colonies around the world are declining. Among the main culprits are insecticides containing chemicals known as neonicotinoids, which are highly toxic
Read MoreNASA Taps Astronauts for Commercial Flights
The U.S. space agency NASA on Friday introduced the nine astronauts who will ride the first commercial space capsules into orbit next year. The move marks a significant shift in
Read MoreUS Immigration Agency Takes on Female Genital Cutting
On a few days over the last year, federal agents approached travelers at several U.S. airports — flights bound for or connecting to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Frankfurt, Germany, and Dakar,
Read MoreWHO: Yemen May Be on Verge of New Deadly Cholera Epidemic
The World Health Organization (WHO) warns Yemen may be on the verge of another cholera epidemic, which could be deadlier than previous ones because of widespread malnutrition in the war-torn
Read MoreStudy: Obese Individuals Shed Flu Virus Longer
New research suggests obesity may be a factor in the transmission of the influenza virus. In a study conducted in Managua, Nicaragua, obese adults spread the influenza virus for significantly
Read MoreStates Vow to Continue Fight Against Trump’s Car Fuel Rules
State prosecutors who pre-emptively sued months ago to block anticipated efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency to weaken car fuel-efficiency standards blasted the Trump administration Thursday for doing so and
Read MoreWHO Quick-Starts Efforts to Tackle New Ebola Outbreak in Congo
The World Health Organization says expert staff and equipment have been sent to northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo to quick-start the process of combating a new outbreak of Ebola.The last
Read MorePakistan Halts Decline of Critically Endangered Vulture
The population of the white-backed vulture, which inhabits Africa and parts of South and Southeast Asia, has declined significantly over the past several decades to the point that it is
Read MorePrint Yourself a Mobile House
Imagine this – a fully autonomous 3D-printed mobile house that can survive any weather and is completely self-powered. This is not a technological dream – it’s the ambitious project of
Read MoreConservation Detection Dogs Sniff out Threatened Species
Canines have served as working dogs for thousands of years. They guard our homes, help in search and rescue missions and assist people with disabilities. But now scientists are training
Read MoreDeadly Ebola Outbreak Confirmed in Eastern DRC
Four cases of the Ebola virus have been confirmed in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, officials confirmed Wednesday. Julien Paluku, governor of North Kivu province, announced the outbreak
Read MoreUS Officials Promoting Lower-Cost, Short-Term Health Plans
The Trump administration is clearing the way for insurers to sell short-term health plans as a bargain alternative to pricey Obama-law policies for people struggling with high premiums. But the
Read MoreGulf of Mexico ‘Dead Zone’ Smaller than Usual
U.S. scientists have determined that the Gulf of Mexico’s annual “dead zone” — an area with low oxygen that can kill fish and marine life — is the fourth smallest
Read MoreStudy: Heat Deaths to Jump in Absence of Changes
The number of people dying from heat waves is likely to rise sharply in some regions by 2080 if policymakers fail to take mitigating steps in climate and health policies,
Read MoreCases of Tick-Borne Meat Allergy May Be on the Rise
As Americans head outdoors for barbeques or hiking in the woods, danger might be lurking in the grass. The bite of the lone star tick, which lives in many eastern
Read MoreWHO: Breastfed Newborns Get Best Start in Life
Breastfeeding babies within an hour of birth significantly increases their chances of survival, the World Health Organization reports, citing data from 76 countries that find that mother’s milk is rich
Read MoreStudy: World’s Largest King Penguin Colony Declines Sharply
The world’s largest colony of king penguins has declined by nearly 90 percent in 35 years, according to an alarming study published in Antarctic Science. In the 1980s the colony
Read MoreJapan Scientists to Use ‘Reprogrammed’ Stem Cells to Fight Parkinson’s
Japanese scientists said Monday they will start clinical trials next month on a treatment for Parkinson’s disease, transplanting “reprogrammed” stem cells into brains, seeking a breakthrough in treating the neurodegenerative
Read MoreCan Soundwaves Crack the Brain’s Barrier to Alzheimer’s Meds?
The so-called blood-brain barrier around our brains prevents germs and other damaging substances from leaching in through the bloodstream. But it also blocks drugs for Alzheimer’s, brain tumors and other
Read MoreRobotic Tools Could Revolutionize Cancer Screening
Not counting certain types of skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women in the U.S. and worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Now
Read MoreLunar Eclipse, Blood Moon Delight Skywatchers in Cairo
Astronomers and local residents gathered to gaze in awe at the longest lunar eclipse of the 21st century: 1 hour, 43 minutes. During eclipses, the moon turns a red or
Read MoreSkywatchers Looking Forward to Complete Lunar Eclipse
Skywatchers around much of the world are looking forward to a complete lunar eclipse that will be the longest this century. The so-called “blood moon” Friday, when it turns a
Read MoreLebanon Considering Legalization of Cannabis
A Lebanese lawmaker has introduced a draft bill in parliament that would legalize the use of cannabis for medical purposes. Speaking to the Associated Press, Antoine Habchi said he is
Read MoreIn Rural Malawi, Medical Tips Just a Phone Call Away
In Malawi, pregnant women and new mothers who live in remote villages are getting medical help thanks to a toll-free hotline and text messaging service known as “Chipatala cha pa
Read MoreEinstein Was Right: Astronomers Confirm Key Theory
A consortium of astronomers said Thursday they had for the first time confirmed a prediction of Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity by observing the gravitational effects of a supermassive
Read MoreStudy Suggests Your Dog Recognizes, Reacts to Your Feelings
Pet owners are always happy to share a memory about the time their dog responded to their distress by coming to them or trying to get their attention. But those
Read MoreThe Healing Properties of Pineapples
Brazilian researchers are developing an innovative process using pineapples to speed the healing process for skin wounds. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more. …
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