Author: Dmedia

While waiting for his 5-year-old twins to get out of school one afternoon, Raj Rajoo got their child safety seats ready. “My kids, their lives are very important for me so I invested in the car seats,” he said.Malaysia has been requiring the use of…

Two experimental drugs failed to prevent or slow mental decline in a study of people who are virtually destined to develop Alzheimer's disease at a relatively young age because they inherited rare gene flaws.The results announced Monday are another disappointment for the approach that scientists…

The World Health Organization reports progress is being made in combating the Ebola epidemic in the conflict-ridden North Kivu and Ituri provinces in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.  The latest number of reported cases stands at 3,429, including 2,251 deaths — a fatality rate…

With a knife, a razor blade, scissors or a needle, half of Indonesia’s girls are circumcised, and a new study found that it is a tradition more rooted in family folkways than religion.“Cultural reproduction occurs in the household,” said Sri Purwatiningsih, a researcher of Center…

The World Health Organization is scaling up measures to keep Africa free of the deadly coronavirus by shoring up the continent’s fragile health system and increasing preparedness efforts to tackle the potential spread of the dangerous virus to the continent.    In its latest update on…

The World Health Organization is scaling up measures to keep Africa free of the deadly coronavirus by shoring up the continent’s fragile health system and by increasing preparedness efforts to tackle the potential spread of the dangerous virus to the continent.    WHO reports 31,211 cases,…

A new spacecraft built jointly by U.S. and European space agencies is ready for a blazing journey to the sun to capture an unprecedented view of its two poles, an angle that could help researchers understand how the star’s vast bubble of magnetic energy affects…

A smoking ban in all Malaysian eateries is sparking controversy particularly now that it’s being enforced. The ban officially began a year ago, but violators started being penalized only recently. Dave Grunebaum has the story.   ...

About 4,000 meters below the surface of the Indian Ocean hides the Midnight Zone.  It's barely lit but beaming with life, and scientists hope to gauge the effects of climate change there. ...

Researchers at a base in the Antarctic say they have recorded the hottest temperature there since readings began more than 60 years ago.The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said Friday the Argentine research base recorded a high of 18.3 C (64.9 F) on Thursday. The agency…

U.N. agencies warn that the widespread prevalence of female genital mutilation is exacting a heavy toll in both human and economic terms. The U.N. is calling for an end to the practice by 2030. Around 200 million girls and women alive today are suffering the physical…

A federal grand jury has indicted the former chief of prosthetics and orthotics at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.      Court records show David Laufer pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to five counts of making a false statement. The office of the U.S.…

February 6 is the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation. The practice, also known as female circumcision or cutting, poses serious health risks but remains common in many countries, particularly in West Africa.More than 200 million women and girls who are alive…

Germs are everywhere. How can you reduce the risk of viral infection? Here are some simple steps you can take to protect yourself.  ...

NASA astronaut Christina Koch, who has spent nearly 11 months in orbit on the longest spaceflight by a woman, landed safely in Kazakhstan on Thursday along with two of her International Space Station crewmates.      The Soyuz capsule carrying Koch, along with station Commander…

Japanese health authorities say 10 more people aboard a cruise ship have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus that has killed hundreds of people in China and triggered a global health emergency.A total of 20 people aboard Carnival Japan’s Diamond Princess have been diagnosed with…

The World Health Organization on Wednesday called for $675 million to fight the novel coronavirus, mainly through investment in countries considered particularly at risk. This comes as the number of deaths nears 500 with more than 24,300 confirmed cases in China. Outside of China there…

The World Health Organization is not yet calling the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic, although some infectious disease experts are saying it could lead to one. The virus has spread to more than two dozen countries, although the vast majority of cases – and deaths –…

A vast transportation lockdown meant to contain the spread of a new coronavirus in central China is complicating the already grueling journey of North Korean refugees, according to two sources who help arrange North Korean defector trips.Chinese authorities have implemented what one World Health Organization…

“1-2-3,” shouts Dr. Noradhiah Tumirin, a physician and fitness trainer. “You can do it,” she enthusiastically says as her client Sarah Baharudin is lying flat on her back and struggling to lift her legs from the ground to a 90-degree angle.Baharudin, age 35, is breathing…

Despite Kenya banning female genital mutilation in 2011, the tradition of circumcising girls has continued in some ethnic communities. President Uhuru Kenyatta vowed to end FGM by 2023, but activists say more needs to be done as millions of girls are still at risk of…

Solar power is making a strong showing in Vietnam after years of shuttling from one extreme to the other, with the nation looking sometimes like it would revert to coal, and other times like it would invest in renewable energy.By the end of last year…

With many Chinese cities on a virtual lockdown and businesses closed until next week at the earliest, there are growing concerns about coronavirus's impact on the global economy. On Tuesday, automaker Hyundai Motor said  it will suspend production in South Korea, its biggest manufacturing base,…

A smartphone app that combines computer vision with a host of experts is empowering nature enthusiasts across the globe to document the organisms around them. Matt Dibble takes a closer look.  ...

Medical workers in Hong Kong are staging a second consecutive day of strikes Tuesday as the Chinese territory reports its first death from a coronavirus that has killed 425 people in mainland China.Hong Kong shut down nearly all land and sea border crossings with the…

Medical workers in Hong Kong are staging a second consecutive day of strikes Tuesday as the Chinese territory reports its first death from a coronavirus that has killed 425 people in mainland China.Hong Kong shut down nearly all land and sea border crossings with the…

The World Health Organization reports cancer is on the increase globally. But it says preventive measures can save the lives of millions of cancer sufferers over the next decade. This report comes in regard to World Cancer Day on Feb. 4.Over the past decade, nearly…

Wai Htet Aung, age 27, waits for his turn at a crowded betel quid stand in downtown Yangon. Customers have lined up by the table to place their orders. “It’s tasty,” he says. “I have bad breath and I want my mouth to smell better.”The…