Polio at high risk of spreading within Gaza Strip
Geneva — A senior World Health Organization official expressed alarm Tuesday at the high risk of polio spreading within the Gaza Strip because of dire sanitary conditions in the war-wracked enclave, and that the paralytic disease it causes could spill across borders without prompt action to…
UN: Nearly 40 million had HIV in 2023, many died due to lack of treatment
United Nations — Nearly 40 million people were living with the HIV virus that causes AIDS last year, over 9 million weren’t getting any treatment, and the result was that every minute someone died of AIDS-related causes, the U.N. said in a new report launched Monday.…
LogOn: Device may help disabled vocal cords speak again
Some people who have lost the ability to speak can still move their vocal cords. California researchers are working to transform those muscle movements into audible speech. Genia Dulot reports from Los Angeles in this week’s edition of LogOn. ...
CrowdStrike: More machines fixed as customers, regulators await details on what caused meltdown
AUSTIN, Tex. — Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike says a "significant number" of the millions of computers that crashed on Friday, causing global disruptions, are back in operation as its customers and regulators await a more detailed explanation of what went wrong. A defective software update sent by…
India ed-tech firm Byju’s founder faces reckoning as startup implodes
NEW DELHI — Byju Raveendran, an Indian mathematics whiz who soared from teacher to startup billionaire before his education-technology company imploded this year, now faces his biggest test. The future of Raveendran's eponymous Byju's online coaching firm rests with India's courts after the country's biggest startup,…
India’s battery storage industry grows
BENGALURU, India — At a Coca-Cola factory on the outskirts of Chennai in southern India, a giant battery powers machinery day and night, replacing a diesel-spewing generator. It's one of just a handful of sites in India powered by electricity stored in batteries, a key component…
How to handle deli meats as CDC investigates listeria outbreak in the US
new york — As U.S. health officials investigate a fatal outbreak of listeria food poisoning, they're advising people who are pregnant, elderly or have compromised immune systems to avoid eating sliced deli meat unless it's recooked at home to be steaming hot. The U.S. Centers for…
Airlines resume services after global IT crash wreaks havoc
Paris — Airlines were gradually coming back online Saturday after global carriers, banks and financial institutions were thrown into turmoil by one of the biggest IT crashes in recent years, caused by an update to an antivirus program. Passenger crowds had swelled at airports Friday to…
Back to the Moon – Part 2
After the Apollo program ended, the US took a long hiatus from lunar exploration. What happened during this time, and what has NASA been doing? This documentary by the Voice of America's Russian service focuses on the details of the NASA's Artemis program and plans…
Microsoft users worldwide report widespread outages affecting banks, airlines, broadcasters
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Microsoft users worldwide, including banks and airlines, reported widespread outages on Friday, hours after the technology company said it was gradually fixing an issue affecting access to Microsoft 365 apps and services. The cause, exact nature and scale of the outage was…
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6
Your self-expression tool, Galaxy Z Flip6, is more compact and eye-catching, with Galaxy AI and a pro-level 50MP camera. Processor: CPU Speed 3.39GHz, 3.1GHz, 2.9GHz, 2.2GHz, CPU Type: Octa-Core; Display: Size (Main_Display): 170.3mm (6.7" full rectangle) / 166.4mm (6.6" rounded corners) Resolution (Main Display): 2640…
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6
Put PC-like power in your pocket, Galaxy Z Fold6. More powerful than ever with its super-slim, productive, super-charged with Galaxy AI on foldables. Specification: Colours: Silver Shadow, Pink, Navy, Crafted Black, White; Processor: CPU Speed: 3.39GHz, 3.1GHz, 2.9GHz, 2.2GHz, CPU Type: Octa-Core; Display: Size (Main_Display):…
Recent outages highlight need for stronger African internet
Nairobi, Kenya — Experts say Africa needs to invest in robust infrastructure if the continent is to have reliable internet after recent outages due to underwater cable failures highlighted the continent’s reliance on single-path connectivity. Disruptions in March and May caused online banking problems and communication…
Russia, China taking space into dangerous territory, US says
Washington — Russia and China are edging ever closer to unleashing space-based weapons, a decision that could have far-reaching implications for America’s ability to defend itself, U.S. military and intelligence agencies warn. Adding to the concern, they say, is what appears to be a growing willingness…
Malawi declares end of country’s deadliest cholera outbreak
Blantyre, Malawi — Malawi has declared the end of the country's worst cholera outbreak, which began in March 2022 and killed nearly 2,000 people. In a statement Monday, the Ministry of Health said the country had registered no cases or deaths from cholera in…
Second malaria vaccine launched in Ivory Coast marks new milestone
LONDON — The world's second vaccine against malaria was launched on Monday as Ivory Coast began a routine vaccine program using shots developed by the University of Oxford and the Serum Institute of India. The introduction of the World Health Organization (WHO)-approved R21 vaccine comes six…
Scientists confirm cave on the moon that could be used to shelter future explorers
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Scientists have confirmed a cave on the moon, not far from where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed 55 years ago, and suspect there are hundreds more that could house future astronauts. An Italian-led team reported Monday that there's evidence for a…
From basement to battlefield: Ukrainian startups create low-cost robots to fight Russia
Northern Ukraine — Struggling with manpower shortages, overwhelming odds and uneven international assistance, Ukraine hopes to find a strategic edge against Russia in an abandoned warehouse or a factory basement. An ecosystem of laboratories in hundreds of secret workshops is leveraging innovation to create a robot…
UN alarmed as childhood immunization levels stall
Geneva — Global childhood vaccination levels have stalled, leaving millions more children un- or under-vaccinated than before the pandemic, the U.N. said Monday, warning of dangerous coverage gaps enabling outbreaks of diseases like measles. In 2023, 84% of children, or 108 million, received three doses of…
Kenyan government app gives girls info on a taboo topic: menstruation
The Kenyan government is using a new mobile application to educate girls about menstrual health. Through the Oky Kenya app, users can access information on hygiene and other topics. The goal is to dispel myths and misconceptions about menstruation and protect girls against teenage pregnancies.…
Stegosaurus nicknamed Apex will be auctioned in New York
NEW YORK — The nearly complete fossilized remains of a 161-million-year-old stegosaurus discovered in Colorado in 2022 will be auctioned by Sotheby's in New York next week, auction house officials said. The dinosaur that Sotheby's calls Apex stands 3.3 meters tall and measures 8.2 meters nose…
DR Congo detects at least 25 mpox cases in Goma
PARIS — At least 25 cases of a dangerous new strain of mpox spreading through the Democratic Republic of Congo have been detected in the eastern city of Goma, mostly in camps housing people fleeing a surrounding conflict, health authorities said Wednesday. Congo has seen 20,000…