LogOn: DNA Molecules May Ease Future Data Storage Crunch
Researchers say DNA can replace hard drives to help store the world’s ever-increasing digital output. Matt Dibble has the story ...
Downgraded Agatha Brings Heavy Rain to Southern Mexico
The storm that came ashore in southwestern Mexico as Hurricane Agatha is expected to dissipate late Tuesday, but after dropping more heavy rains over the region. Oaxaca Governor Alejandro Murat urged people to remain cautious Tuesday with the ongoing threat of rain, but he said…
Australian Indigenous Weather Knowledge on Display in New Documentary Series
Indigenous Australia’s approach to seasons, based on tens of thousands of years of experience, is explored in a new three-part documentary series. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports ...
New WHO Panel to Speed Up Pandemic Response, Address Shortcomings
The World Health Organization's governing board agreed on Monday to form a new committee to help speed up its response to health emergencies like COVID-19. The U.N. Health Agency faced criticism for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the pace of its response to…
Ghanaian Lawmaker Abolishes Medical Exam Fees for Sex Victims
In Ghana, sexual assault victims must show medical reports to prove they have been assaulted before a rape suspect can be prosecuted. These medical examinations come at a relatively high cost, and are not covered by the national health insurance, and so can deter a…
WHO: Monkeypox Won’t Turn into Pandemic, But Many Unknowns
The World Health Organization's top monkeypox expert said she doesn't expect the hundreds of cases reported to date to turn into another pandemic, but acknowledged there are still many unknowns about the disease, including how exactly it's spreading and whether the suspension of mass smallpox…
2021 Another Record Year for Meth Seizures in Southeast Asia
Methamphetamine seizures across East and Southeast Asia hit yet another record high in 2021, proof of the “staggering” scale and reach the region’s drug gangs have gained after a decade of steady growth that looks set to continue, the United Nations says in a new…
Shanghai to Lift ‘Unreasonable’ Curbs on Firms, Beijing Eases Restrictions
Shanghai said on Sunday "unreasonable" curbs on businesses will be removed from June 1 as it looks to lift its COVID-19 lockdown, while Beijing reopened parts of its public transport as well as some malls and other venues as infections stabilized. The Chinese commercial hub…
Baby Formula Shortage Highlights US Racial Disparities
Capri Isidoro broke down in tears in the office of a lactation consultant. The mother of two had been struggling to breastfeed her 1-month-old daughter ever since she was born, when the hospital gave the baby formula first without consulting her on her desire to…
Weather’s Unwanted Guest: Nasty La Nina Keeps Popping up
Something weird is up with La Nina, the natural but potent weather event linked to more drought and wildfires in the western United States and more Atlantic hurricanes. It's becoming the nation's unwanted weather guest and meteorologists said the U.S. Western states megadrought won't go…
WHO: Nearly 200 Cases of Monkeypox in More Than 20 Countries
The World Health Organization says nearly 200 cases of monkeypox have been reported in more than 20 countries not usually known to have outbreaks of the unusual disease but described the epidemic as "containable" and proposed creating a stockpile to equitably share the limited vaccines…
Nobel Laureate Denounces Rape as Weapon of War
When asked if he is afraid for his life, Dr. Denis Mukwege responded candidly: "I am human." Due to the nature of his work, the renowned gynecological surgeon has received death threats for years. But the Congolese Nobel Peace Prize laureate said he draws his…
G7 Pledges Put Coal on Notice, Could Boost Climate Aid
Officials from the Group of Seven wealthy nations announced Friday that they will aim to largely end greenhouse gas emissions from their power sectors by 2035, making it highly unlikely that those countries will burn coal for electricity beyond that date. Ministers from the G-7…
Companion Robot Responds to User’s Emotional Cues, Health Needs
The arrival of the pandemic intensified feelings of loneliness and social isolation for millions of older people, many of whom were already battling depression and other health issues. For those struggling, a robot companion might make a difference, and states like New York are starting…
Japan to Resume Tourism in June; Only Packaged Tours for Now
Japan will open its borders to foreign tourists in June for the first time since imposing tight pandemic travel restrictions about two years ago, but only for package tours for now, the prime minister said Thursday. Beginning June 10, Japan will allow the entry of…
Nigerian Albinos Demand Authorities Restore Free Cancer Treatment
The Albinism Association of Nigeria is petitioning the government to resume free cancer treatment for albinos. It was stopped years ago because of a lack of funding. Timothy Obiezu reports from Abuja. ...
Boeing Nails ISS Roundtrip After Setbacks
Two-and-a-half years after its first failed attempt, the world’s largest aerospace manufacturer scores in a roundtrip mission to the International Space Station. Plus, the European Space Agency expects continued diplomacy aboard the ISS. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi brings us The Week in Space. ...
Five Ways Climate Change Is Making Poor People Poorer
Heat waves like the ones roasting South Asia this year don't just sap people's strength. They drain people's finances in ways that are not always obvious. It's one of the ways climate change is weighing on the economy and making poor people poorer. "These effects…
Sanctions Frustrating Russian Ransomware Actors
Russia's invasion of Ukraine appears to be having an unanticipated impact in cyberspace — a decrease in the number of ransomware attacks. "We have seen a recent decline since the Ukrainian invasion," Rob Joyce, the U.S. National Security Agency's director of cybersecurity, told a virtual…
Six Ways Climate Change Is Making Poor People Poorer
Heat waves like the ones roasting South Asia this year don't just sap people's strength. They drain people's finances in ways that are not always obvious. It's one of the ways climate change is weighing on the economy and making poor people poorer. "These effects…
Pfizer to Offer Low-Cost Medicines, Vaccines to Poor Nations
Pfizer said Wednesday that it will provide nearly two dozen products, including its top-selling COVID-19 vaccine and treatment, at not-for-profit prices in some of the world's poorest countries. The drugmaker announced the program at the World Economic Forum's annual gathering in Davos, Switzerland, and said…
Climate-Driven Heat Waves Can Increase Inequality
March and April were the hottest or near-hottest months on record across South Asia. Heat waves don't just sap people's strength; they can drain people's finances. VOA’s Steve Baragona has more. ...
Climate-Driven Heat Waves Increasing Inequality
March and April were the hottest or near-hottest months on record across South Asia. And climate change made this heat wave 100 times more likely, the U.K. Met Office says. Heat waves like these don't just sap people's strength; they drain people's finances in not…
Tedros Re-Elected as Head of World Health Organization
The World Health Organization's (WHO) members re-elected Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as director general by a strong majority for another five years, the president of the World Health Assembly said on Tuesday. The vote by secret ballot, announced by Ahmed Robleh Abdilleh from Djibouti at a…
Malawi Rolls Out Cholera Vaccine to Contain Outbreak
Malawi has rolled out a vaccination campaign to help stop an outbreak of cholera. Authorities report more than 350 cases and 17 deaths from cholera across eight districts of southern Malawi. Malawi’s Ministry of Health declared the cholera outbreak in early March after the first…
Meta Returns with Africa Day Campaign
Meta, the company that owns Facebook, is hosting its second annual Africa Day campaign to promote Africans who are making a global impact. The content producer for the film project, South African filmmaker Tarryn Crossman, said Meta identified eight innovators, creators and businesspeople on the…
Facebook, Instagram to Reveal More on How Ads Target Users
Facebook parent Meta said it will start publicly providing more details about how advertisers target people with political ads just months ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. The announcement follows years of criticism that the social media platforms withhold too much information about how campaigns,…
WHO Says No Evidence Monkeypox Virus Has Mutated
The World Health Organization does not have evidence that the monkeypox virus has mutated, a senior executive at the U.N. agency said on Monday, noting the infectious disease that is endemic in west and central Africa has tended not to change. Rosamund Lewis, head of…