2021 - Page 67 of 73

Jan292021 by DmediaNo Comments

Biden Revokes Restrictions on Women’s Reproductive Rights

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President Joe Biden reversed several Trump administration health care policies Thursday, including one that restricted access to abortion both inside and outside the United States. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has this story on what Biden’s actions may mean for women’s reproductive rights around the…

Jan292021 by DmediaNo Comments

Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine Works, But Less So Against Variants

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Novavax Inc. said Thursday that its COVID-19 vaccine appears 89% effective based on early findings from a British study and that it also seems to work — though not as well — against new mutated versions of the virus circulating in that country and South…

Jan292021 by DmediaNo Comments

North America’s Largest Cemetery Struggles to Cope with COVID Deaths

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Rose Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary in Whittier, California, may be the biggest cemetery in North America, but the 1,400-acre park is struggling to cope with the number of bodies awaiting funeral services because of an increase in COVID-19 deaths.Despite the numerous facilities at Rose…

Jan292021 by DmediaNo Comments

Poles Take to Streets in Protest as Near-total Abortion Ban Takes Effect

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Protesters took to the streets of the Polish capital, Warsaw, late Wednesday and more demonstrations were scheduled for Thursday after the government implemented a court ruling that placed a near-total ban on abortions.The ruling, which was made October 22 but came into force Wednesday, permits abortions only…

Jan282021 by DmediaNo Comments

Biden Orders Expanded Health Care on Two Fronts

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U.S. President Joe Biden signed two orders expanding health care on Thursday, saying they would "undo the damage" of policies favored by his predecessor, former President Donald Trump. Biden restored U.S. funding for foreign nongovernmental groups that give information to women about abortions, and also opened…

Jan282021 by DmediaNo Comments

UN Chief Urges US-China ‘Reset’

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U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged China and the United States on Thursday to "reset" relations, suggesting they cooperate on common interests such as fighting climate change. "It is clear that in human rights there is no scope for an agreement or a common vision," Guterres acknowledged.…

Jan282021 by TechmanNo Comments

Facebook Oversight Board Announces First 5 Rulings

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Facebook’s quasi-independent oversight board has ruled the social media company must restore four of five posts that it had taken down.The cases involved Facebook’s policy regarding adult nudity, hate speech and “dangerous individuals.”The oversight board ordered images of female nipples displayed by a Brazilian user…

Jan282021 by DmediaNo Comments

US Marks 35 Years Since Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster

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Thursday, January 28, marked the 35th anniversary of the space shuttle Challenger disaster. The craft exploded shortly after liftoff, killing all seven on board, including a schoolteacher who was NASA’s first citizen passenger. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has this story and more in the Week in Space. …

Jan282021 by DmediaNo Comments

GM Aims to End Sale of Gasoline-Powered Cars, Light Trucks by 2035

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General Motors Co said Thursday it was setting a goal to sell all its new cars, SUVS and light pickup trucks with zero tailpipe emissions by 2035, a dramatic shift by the largest U.S. automaker away from gasoline and diesel engines. GM, which also said…

Jan282021 by DmediaNo Comments

Britain Refuses EU’s Demand for Vaccine Doses

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A vaccine war has erupted between Britain and the European Union with Brussels demanding that tens of millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses earmarked for Britain, and made by a British pharmaceutical company, be diverted to Europe to make up for a shortfall in promised deliveries.…

Jan282021 by DmediaNo Comments

Indigenous Tree in Pakistan Touted to Improve Health Among Malnourished

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As part of an ongoing project in Pakistan’s Sindh province, efforts are underway to integrate a uniquely nutritious and drought-resistant tree called Moringa, into the local diet to help alleviate malnutrition. Muhammad Saqib has details from Matiari in Sindh province in this report narrated by…

Jan282021 by DmediaNo Comments

Climate Change Could Cost Australia Billions, Report Says

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Australia is failing to keep up with the growing threat of extreme weather as global warming increases the risk in areas once thought to be safe, according to a new report.Australia is a land well used to nature’s extremes. It is the world’s driest inhabited…

Jan282021 by DmediaNo Comments

WHO Team Investigating Coronavirus Origin Begins Work

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World Health Organization investigators exited a two-week quarantine Thursday in Wuhan, China, to begin their work in search of the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.The international team boarded a bus after exiting their hotel in the afternoon.China, which for months rejected calls for an international…

Jan282021 by DmediaNo Comments

Report: Guinea Worm Disease Cases Drop Despite COVID-19 Restrictions

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Human Guinea worm cases in six African countries dropped to 27 in 2020, about 50% less than what was recorded the year before, despite COVID-19 challenges, the Carter Center announced Tuesday.Animal cases fell by 20% over the same period.“The numbers we are seeing are very…

Jan282021 by TechmanNo Comments

Facebook Says it Will Permanently Stop Recommending Political Groups to Users

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Facebook Inc's CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Wednesday the company would no longer recommend civic and political groups to users of the platform.The social media company said in October that it was temporarily halting recommendations of political groups for U.S. users in the run-up to…

Jan272021 by TechmanNo Comments

Facebook’s Profits Surge as Pandemic Fuels Use

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Facebook’s profits surged in the final three months of last year as people enduring the holidays in a pandemic turned to the leading social network for work and pleasure, the company said Wednesday.Facebook reported a profit of $ 11.2 billion on revenue of $ 28…

Jan272021 by DmediaNo Comments

Abortion Restrictions Set to Take Effect in Poland

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A Polish law limiting abortion to cases of rape, incest and when the mother's health or life is at risk was expected to go into effect Wednesday following an October court decision deeming abortions due to fetal defects illegal. The court's decision set off protests across…

Jan272021 by DmediaNo Comments

NASA Astronauts Conduct Space Walk Outside Space Station

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Two NASA astronauts conducted a spacewalk Wednesday outside the International Space Station (ISS) to complete an antenna assembly and communications terminal. Flight Engineers Astronaut Mike Hopkins and Victor Glover are conducting the space walks, which will complete upgrades to the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Columbus…

Jan272021 by DmediaNo Comments

Zimbabwe Buries 2 Ministers, Former Prison Chief Amid COVID-19 Surge

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Zimbabwe’s government held burials Wednesday for two Cabinet ministers and a former prison official who died from COVID-19. The Cabinet now has lost four ministers to the coronavirus — three of them this month — and more than 1,000 people overall. Public health experts blame…

Jan272021 by DmediaNo Comments

Moscow Relaxes COVID-19 Restrictions

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Authorities in Moscow have lifted some coronavirus restrictions, including the overnight closure of bars, restaurants, and nightclubs, citing the improving health situation. Starting on Wednesday, businesses no longer are required to have at least 30 percent of employees working remotely, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin wrote on…

Jan272021 by DmediaNo Comments

World Surpasses 100 Million Coronavirus Cases

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As countries deal with coronavirus vaccine access, supply and distribution difficulties, the world surpassed 100 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 with more than 2.1 million deaths. It took about 11 months for worldwide infections to reach 50 million, and three more months to hit 100 million. Five…

Jan272021 by DmediaNo Comments

South Africa’s President Accuses Rich Nations of Hoarding Vaccines

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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is calling on wealthy countries to, in his words, stop hoarding coronavirus vaccines so that poorer countries can have access to them. Ramaphosa spoke at a virtual meeting of the World Economic Forum Tuesday, as VOA’s Mariama Diallo reports. ...

Jan272021 by DmediaNo Comments

Biden to Target Climate Change

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U.S. President Joe Biden is set to sign a series of actions Wednesday to combat climate change. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Tuesday that Biden believes climate change is one of the top crises to address during his time in office. Biden has appointed former Secretary of…

Jan272021 by DmediaNo Comments

WHO Chief Presses Case Against COVID-19 ‘Vaccine Nationalism’

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The World Health Organization director-general on Tuesday continued to press his case against what he calls "vaccine nationalism,” saying poor countries have had to “watch and wait,” while wealthy nations forge ahead with vaccination programs.In his closing remarks to the 10-day WHO executive board meeting…

Jan262021 by DmediaNo Comments

On the Brink of Extinction, the Northern White Rhino Now Has a Chance at Survival

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The northern white rhino is on the brink of extinction. Poachers decimated the population, but now science has a chance to bring it back. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports.Camera:  Reuters Produced by: Arash Arabasadi ...

Jan262021 by DmediaNo Comments

Data Inconclusive on Efficacy of Moderna Vaccine Against COVID-19 Variants

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World Health Organization experts say more clinical evidence is needed to know whether the Moderna vaccine protects against COVID-19 variants. The conclusion came as WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization, known as SAGE, issued interim recommendations for use of the Moderna vaccine against…

Jan262021 by TechmanNo Comments

Internet Outages, Slowdowns Reported from Boston to Washington

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People from Boston to the Washington area were reporting internet outages or slow service Tuesday. According to Downdetector.com, which tracks outages, users reported problems with Verizon, Google, Zoom, YouTube, Slack and Amazon Web Services. Many of those services have become staples for millions of Americans working from…

Jan262021 by DmediaNo Comments

Argentina Set to Receive More Russian COVID-19 Vaccine

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Argentina is set to receive another batch of a Russian vaccine against COVID-19 on Tuesday, just days after Vice-President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner became the country's latest leader vaccinated with the Sputnik V vaccine. The vice president was given the shot three days…