US National Blood Inventory Hits Six-Year Low
The American Red Cross says it is facing a blood shortage. Officials say there have less than a day’s supply of certain blood types. Lesia Bakalets has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. ...
US Donates 9.6 Million Additional COVID Vaccine Doses to Pakistan
The United States announced Friday an additional 9.6 million doses of Pfizer coronavirus vaccine are being shipped to Pakistan through the global vaccine-sharing COVAX initiative. The shipment brings to more than 25 million the total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses donated by Washington to the Pakistani people,…
Biden’s Popularity Tied to Pandemic Numbers
Recent polls have shown that U.S. President Joe Biden's standing with the American public is entwined with the state of the pandemic in the country. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara has more. ...
NASA Launching Series of Crafts to Visit, Bash Asteroids
Attention asteroid aficionados: NASA is set to launch a series of spacecraft to visit and even bash some of the solar system's most enticing space rocks. The robotic trailblazer named Lucy is up first, blasting off this weekend on a 12-year cruise to swarms of…
New Malaria Vaccine to Benefit Hundreds of Thousands of African Children
The World Health Organization's endorsement of the world’s first malaria vaccine marks a major advance against the mosquito-borne illness, which kills some 265,000 children in Africa annually. Bitrus Yusuf pours syrup into a measuring cup to give to his three-year-old daughter and grandson who are…
Actor Who Played Legendary Starship Captain Visits Space
The world’s most famous “starship captain” takes the trek of a lifetime. Plus, new software makes possible virtual trips through the universe, and a mining company in Greenland offers a potentially planet-saving alternative to aluminum. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi brings us the Week in Space. ...
The Climate Crisis in Coastal Louisiana
Residents in the storm-wracked region consider how long their resilience will last Video: Arturo Martinez and Steve Baragona ...
Record COVID-19 Cases Reported in Australia’s Second Most Populous State
Victoria state has Thursday reported 2,297 new local COVID-19 cases -- the highest number of daily infections recorded by any Australian state or territory since the pandemic began. But as infections surge, authorities hope to lift a lockdown in Melbourne within days when vaccination rates…
US Military COVID Cases Lowest Since June as 1st Vaccine Deadlines Approach
COVID-19 cases among U.S. service members have been on a steady decline over the last month, as more service members have become vaccinated ahead of the Defense Department’s fast-approaching vaccination compliance deadlines. The number of cases reached 4,902 the week of Sept. 8 but dropped…
WHO Honors Henrietta Lacks, Woman Whose Cells Served Science
The chief of the World Health Organization on Wednesday honored the late Henrietta Lacks, an American woman whose cancer cells were taken without her knowledge during the 1950s and ended up providing the foundation for vast scientific breakthroughs, including research about the coronavirus. The…
G-20 Pledges to Avoid ‘Premature Withdrawal’ of Economic Support
Finance ministers from the Group of 20 economies Wednesday pledged to keep economic stimulus policies in place to ensure a recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid ongoing risks, "We will continue to sustain the recovery, avoiding any premature withdrawal of support measures," according to the…
J&J COVID-19 Vaccine Gets Better Boost From Moderna, Pfizer in Study
People who got Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine as a first shot had a stronger immune response when they boosted it with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, a study by the National Institutes of Health showed Wednesday. The study, which is preliminary and hasn't been…
UN Report: Investing in Disaster Risk Reduction Saves Lives, Money
A report marking the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction finds many deaths and economic losses from natural disasters could be averted by investing in preventive risk reduction measures. Climate-related disasters have nearly doubled over the past 20 years, with developing countries bearing the brunt…
Israel Harvests Dates From 2,000 Year-Old Seeds
Two Israeli scientists have grown a group of date palms from 2,000 year-old seeds. This year, one of the trees produced a harvest of hundreds of dates that until now had been considered extinct. Linda Gradstein reports from Kibbutz Ketura in Israel’s Arava desert. Camera:…
Hurricane Pamela Makes Landfall in Western Mexico
Hurricane Pamela came ashore on Mexico's Pacific coast Wednesday, bringing with it strong winds and rain. The Category 1 storm had just regained hurricane strength before hitting 65 kilometers north of Mazatlan, a port city and tourist destination. The storm has the potential for strong…
Animals in American Zoos to Get Covid Jab Amid Delta Variant Risk
Over 70 zoos in the United States are gearing up to inoculate some of their animals against COVID-19 amid a rise in cases. VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias reports on the vaccine’s effectiveness for the animals and which species will get the jab first. ...
Storm Leaves 11 Dead in Landslides, Floods in Philippines
A tropical storm set off landslides and flash floods as it barreled over the tip of the northern Philippines, leaving at least 11 people dead and seven missing, officials said Tuesday. More than 6,500 villagers were evacuated from homes in several towns and cities swamped…
Shatner, 90, Inspires with Real-life Space Trip
As William Shatner prepares to be beamed up Wednesday for his first real-life spaceflight, and to become at 90 the oldest person ever to enter the final frontier, he's bringing out the awe in the small handful of people around a rural Texas spaceport. Shatner's…
FDA Authorizes First E-cigarettes, Cites Benefit for Smokers
Heath officials on Tuesday authorized the first electronic cigarettes in the United States, saying the R.J. Reynolds vaping products can benefit adult smokers. The Food and Drug Administration said data submitted by the company showed its Vuse e-cigarettes helped smokers either quit or significantly reduce…
Some Adults Over 60 Should Not Take Low-Dose Aspirin Daily, Panel Says
People over the age of the 60 without heart disease should not take low-dose aspirin daily to prevent a first stroke or heart attack, according to an independent panel of U.S. health experts. In a draft of new guidelines released online Tuesday, the U.S. Preventive…
70 Percent of World Could Be Vaccinated by Next Year – If Rich Countries Share
A group of World Health Organization experts is calling for 70 percent of the global population to be fully vaccinated by mid-2022 to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from progressing in more dangerous ways. The 15-member Strategic Advisory Group of Experts, known as SAGE, which makes…
Tornadoes Cause Damage in Oklahoma; Storms Rock Central US
Severe storms brought suspected tornadoes and baseball-sized hail to parts of Oklahoma, but there were no reports Monday of deaths or injuries. The severe weather system that hit Oklahoma late Sunday also brought heavy rain, lightning and wind to parts of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and…
WHO: Action Against Climate Change Could Save Millions of Lives
The World Health Organization said Monday that constructive action against climate change could save "millions" of lives. Ahead of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP26, scheduled for October 31, the WHO is urging governments to reach concrete agreements to combat climate change. …
Key UN Biodiversity Summit Opens in China
A key U.N. summit tasked with protecting biodiversity officially opens in China and online Monday, as countries meet to tackle pollution and prevent mass extinction weeks before the COP26 climate conference. Beijing, the world’s biggest polluter, has sought to position itself in recent years as…
Madagascar Prays for Rain as UN Warns of ‘Climate Change Famine’
Some days, all Tsimamorekm Aly eats is sugary water. He’s happy if there’s a handful of rice. But with six young kids and a wife to support, he often goes without. This is the fourth year that drought has devastated Aly’s home in southern Madagascar. Now more…
In a Rocky Israeli Crater, Scientists Simulate Life on Mars
From the door of the expedition base, a few small steps to the left an autonomous rover passes by. A few giant leaps to the right is an array of solar panels. The landscape is rocky, hilly, tinged with red. Purposefully it resembles Mars. Here,…
WHO Calls for Governments to Fund Mental Health Treatment
The World Health Organization is calling on governments to allocate the money needed to increase access to mental health treatment. WHO has published a new Mental Health Atlas marking World Mental Health Day Sunday. Data collected from 171 countries show none of the World Health…
Report: Moderna Fails to Supply Poor Countries with COVID Vaccines
A report in The New York Times says that the manufacturers of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine which “appears to be the world’s best defense against COVID-19, has been supplying its shots almost exclusively to wealthy nations, keeping poorer countries waiting and earning billions in profit.”…