Category: All

The decision to wear a mask in public is becoming a political statement — a moment to pick sides in a brewing culture war over containing the coronavirus.   While not yet as loaded as a "Make America Great Again" hat, the mask is increasingly a visual shorthand for a debate pitting those willing to follow health officials' guidance and cover their faces against those who feel it violates their freedom or buys into a threat they think is overblown.   That resistance is fueled by some of the same people who object to other virus restrictions. The push back has been stoked by President Donald Trump — he didn't wear a mask during a Tuesday appearance at a facility making them — and some other Republicans, who have flouted…

A team of European astronomers has discovered a black hole 1,000 light years from Earth, the closest yet found to our solar system.According to the authors of a study, published Wednesday in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, the black hole is close enough that two stars affected by it can be seen with the naked eye. Astronomers from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and other institutes found evidence for the invisible object by tracking the two companion stars using a 2.2-meter telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile. They were able to confirm that something about four or five times the mass of our sun was pulling on the inner star and concluded it could only be a black hole.They say finding a black hole this close could be just…

If life on Earth has become tedious with coronavirus restrictions, celestial activity this week promises some excitement. In addition to an ongoing meteor shower, the year's last supermoon is out and will be seen at its best Thursday.The annual Halley's Comet meteor shower peaked Monday, but the meteor streaks will still be visible in the sky by the end of the week. The world's best-known comet produces a meteor shower, officially known as Eta Aquariids, which can be seen once a year in the spring when the Earth crosses the comet's path.Halley's Comet is the best known because it can be seen with the naked eye as it passes by periodically. It was first noticed more than 2,000 years ago. Astronomers have observed and documented its appearances, which has helped…

British and Kenyan scientists have discovered a microbe that they say has "enormous potential" toward the possible eradication of one of the world's most dreaded diseases — malaria.The study published in the journal Nature Communications says the microbe completely protects mosquitoes from being infected by malaria.The microbe is called Microsporidia MB, and scientists discovered it inside the guts and genitalia of mosquitoes living around Lake Victoria in Kenya. They report that they could not find a single mosquito with the microbe in its guts carrying the malaria bug. "The data we have so far suggest it is 100% blockage, it's a very severe blockage of malaria," insect expert Dr. Jeremy Herren told the BBC. "It will come as a quite a surprise. I think people will find that a real big breakthrough."The…

A government scientist was ousted after the Trump administration ignored his dire warnings about COVID-19 and a malaria drug President Donald Trump was pushing for the coronavirus  despite scant evidence it helped, according to a whistleblower complaint Tuesday.Rick Bright, former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, filed the complaint Tuesday with the Office of Special Counsel, a government agency responsible for whistleblower complaints.He alleges he was reassigned to a lesser role because he resisted political pressure to allow widespread use of hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug favored by Trump. He said the Trump administration wanted to "flood" hot spots in New York and New Jersey with the drug.Bright's complaint comes as the Trump administration faces criticism over its response to the pandemic, including testing and supplies of ventilators,…

A new study led by the U.S. government has found that a new strain of the novel coronavirus that is prevailing worldwide is spreading faster than earlier versions.The study led by scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory said the new strain, a mutated form of the original coronavirus, was detected three months ago in Europe. It traveled quickly to eastern U.S. states before becoming the world’s most dominant strain since mid-March.The scientists who wrote the report said their findings have prompted an “urgent need for an early warning” to vaccine and drug developers to produce solutions that will be effective against the new strain.The new strain has rapidly infected many more people than the earlier iterations that spread beyond the city of Wuhan, China, the report said. Within weeks, it…

How close are we to getting a coronavirus vaccine? Trials are underway right now. Here's a breakdown of the top 8 contenders and the countries working to make it happen. ...

U.S. regulators Monday pulled back a decision that allowed scores of coronavirus blood tests to hit the market without first providing proof that they worked.The Food and Drug Administration said it took the action because some sellers have made false claims about the tests and their accuracy. Companies will now have to show their tests work or risk having them pulled from the market.Under pressure to increase testing options, the FDA in March essentially allowed companies to begin selling tests as long as they notified the agency of their plans and provided disclaimers, including that they were not FDA approved. The policy was intended to allow "flexibility" needed to quickly ramp up production, officials said."However, flexibility never meant we would allow fraud," Dr. Anand Shah, an FDA deputy commissioner, said…

Two pharmaceutical companies said Tuesday their experimental coronavirus vaccine is being delivered in the U.S. for initial human testing.U.S. drugmaker Pfizer Inc and Germany’s BioNTech SE said if the trials prove the vaccine is safe and effective, it could be ready for broad distribution in the U.S. by year’s end.The vaccine could be among the first vaccines approved for use in the U.S for the virus, which has infected over 1 million people and killed about 69,000 others, according to John’s Hopkins University statistics. The U.S. leads the world in infections and fatalities. Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can download this video to view it offline. Embed" />CopyThe companies said the vaccine uses mRNA technology, which can enable it to be produced more quickly than the typical years-long effort it takes to develop a vaccine.The U.S. biotechnology…

In just 50 years, 2 billion to 3.5 billion people, mostly the poor who can't afford air conditioning, will be living in a climate that historically has been too hot to handle, a new study says. With every 1 degree increase in global average annual temperature from man-made climate change, about a billion or so people will end up in areas too warm, day-in, day-out, to be habitable without cooling technology, according to ecologist Marten Scheffer of Wageningen University in the Netherlands, co-author of the study. How many people end up at risk depends on how much heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions are reduced and how fast the world population grows.  Under the worst-case scenarios for population growth and carbon pollution — which many climate scientists say is looking less likely these days —…

An alliance of world leaders is holding a virtual summit Monday hoping to drum up billions of dollars to fund research into a vaccine for the new coronavirus as well as develop better treatments and more efficient testing.Governments have reported around 3.5 million infections and more than 247,000 deaths from the virus, according to a count by Johns Hopkins University. But deliberately concealed outbreaks, low testing rates and the strain on health care systems mean the true scale of the pandemic is much greater.People in many countries across the globe, and notably in Europe this week, are cautiously returning to work, but authorities remain wary of a second wave of infections, and a vaccine is the only real silver bullet to allow something like normal life to resume.The video-conference's aim…

Goodbye lockdown, hello smartphone. As governments race to develop mobile tracing apps to help contain infections, attention is turning to how officials will ensure users' privacy. The debate is especially urgent in Europe, which has been one of the hardest-hit regions in the world, with nearly 140,000 people killed by COVID-19. The use of monitoring technology, however, may evoke bitter memories of massive surveillance by totalitarian authorities in much of the continent.   The European Union has in recent years led the way globally to protect people's digital privacy, introducing strict laws for tech companies and web sites that collect personal information. Academics and civil liberties activists are now pushing for greater personal data protection in the new apps as well.   Here's a look at the issues.Why an App?…

The world impatiently awaits a COVID-19 vaccine, as the pandemic continues to infect millions globally. Health experts caution we probably won't have one until 2021.  Why not?  VOA Explains the process. ...

An infant manatee rescued off the coast of Florida over the weekend is being treated at Miami Seaquarium, the Florida Keys News Bureau said. Owners of a private residence spotted the manatee along their dock and contacted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, according to Florida Keys. The female calf is underweight at about 30  kilograms, a veterinarian at Seaquarium said. The Dolphin Research Center's Manatee Rescue Team and the Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder unit rescued the manatee, after it was separated from its mother, using a net to isolate the calf and take it out of the water. Manatees, also known as sea cows, are large, aquatic and mostly herbivorous marine mammals.   ...

Conner Brown, a law student at Stanford University, spent the early days of the pandemic following his brother as he spotted and collected characters in the Pokemon Go mobile game.Then, Brown noticed the birds."I thought, 'Why don't I take up birding?' It's like real-life Pokemon Go. It's super addicting because you can start logging them and you get a little collection. It's really cool," said Brown, 25. He paused, then added, "They should really game-ify it."  Brown, who's living near Annapolis, Maryland, can now identify 30 different bird species. He can recognize the calls of the brown-headed cowbird and cardinal and tell male birds from females. He bought special binoculars that attach to his iPhone camera, downloaded bird identification and bird-logging apps, and is giving birding advice on Twitter.'A reason…

The United Nations says torrential rains and flooding have affected nearly 150,000 people throughout Yemen, causing serious damage to vital infrastructure and exposing thousands to potentially life-threatening disease outbreaks.U.N. agencies say the rains, which have been ongoing since mid-April, have damaged houses and shelters, rendering thousands homeless. Flood waters have washed out roads and bridges, contaminated water supplies and knocked out electricity and other vital services.The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says conditions are particularly harsh for thousands of families already displaced by conflict, who have lost shelter, food rations and household supplies.OCHA spokesman Jens Laerke told VOA many people are at risk of getting ill or dying from disease outbreaks, which thrive in flooded, unsanitary conditions.“Water-borne disease such as cholera or vector-borne, such as malaria because…

The U.N. Children’s Fund warns that COVID-19 mitigation measures are preventing the shipment of vaccines to dozens of developing countries, putting the lives of millions of children at risk.     Lockdowns and other measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus are causing a massive backlog in vaccine shipments.  UNICEF reports it had procured nearly 2.5 billion doses of vaccines last year, enough for 45% of all children under age 5 in 100 countries.   But the agency says that most of these vaccines are stuck in warehouses because of the dramatic decline in commercial and charter flights due to COVID-19 restrictions.  It says dozens of countries are running out of these vaccines.  It says 26 countries, more than half in sub-Saharan Africa, are at particular risk.   UNICEF…

The U.S. space agency NASA has announced a new high-pressure ventilator developed by its engineers and designed specifically to COVID-19 patients has been approved for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The device, called VITAL — meaning "Ventilator Intervention Technology Accessible Locally" — was designed and built in 37 days by engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in the city of Pasadena, California. Its designers say it is intended to be used exclusively on COVID-19 patients, freeing up traditional ventilators, which are built for a broad range of medical uses, and the most severe coronavirus cases. In critical cases, the coronavirus damages healthy tissue in the lungs, making it hard for them to deliver oxygen to the blood. Ventilators feed oxygen into the lungs of patients through a tube inserted down the throat. Among those involved in the project, mechatronics engineer Michelle Easter said scientists approached the project in the same way they would build a spacecraft, with an eye towards reliability yet simplicity. NASA says as a result, it is cheaper to build, composed of fewer…

The World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday that it has not been invited by China to join the investigation into the cause of the coronavirus pandemic.WHO’s representative in Beijing Dr. Gauden Galea said he expected China would discuss collaborations with the organization in the "near future.""We know some national investigation is happening but at this stage we have not been invited to join. We are expecting to get, in the near future, a briefing on where that is and to discuss possible collaboration," Galea said.The coronavirus disease COVID-19, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has taken over 230,000 human lives worldwide, according to a collection of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, and confirmed infection cases have reached 3.2 million.Beijing has been criticized for lack of transparency in…

The International Space Station received several tons of supplies this week from an unmanned craft, but the big story this week is a milestone birthday for the ultimate eye in the sky, as the Hubble Telescope turned 30. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi spoke with NASA’s director of astrophysics and brings us this story. ...

The U.S. space agency NASA has awarded contracts to three American companies to develop spacecraft to land humans on the moon by 2024. In a remote news conference Thursday, NASA announced it had selected Blue Origin, the space exploration company owned by Jeff Bezos, owner of The Washington Post, and owner and founder of Amazon; Dynetics, a subsidiary of research company Leidos that is based in the city of Huntsville, Alabama; and SpaceX, based in Hawthorne, California, and owned by businessman Elon Musk. NASA says the companies will compete to design and develop systems for the agency’s Artemis program, which has the goal of landing men and women on the surface of the moon for the first time since the 1970s. The project would also develop systems by 2028 that could be used…

Two United Nations agencies called on the global community Wednesday to prevent hunger and malnutrition among the 370 million children who are not receiving school meals due to the closure of schools worldwide in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.The U.N. said school meals are particularly vital for girls, especially those in poor countries, whose struggling parents often send them to school to get meals, allowing them to avoid domestic responsibilities or early marriage."For millions of children around the world, the meal they get at school is the only meal they get in a day," said David Beasley, executive director of the U.N.'s World Food Program (WFP). "Without it, they go hungry, they risk falling sick, dropping out of school and losing their best chance of escaping poverty. We must act…

The World Health Organization says Niger has been struck by a new outbreak of polio, following the suspension of immunization activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.N. health agency reported that two children were infected by the highly infectious, water-borne disease and that one was paralyzed. The outbreak was sparked by a mutated virus that originated in the vaccine and was not connected to a previous polio epidemic Niger stopped last year, WHO said, in a statement last week.   "The poliovirus will inevitably continue to circulate and may paralyze more children as no high-quality immunization campaigns can be conducted in a timely manner," said Pascal Mkanda, WHO's coordinator of polio eradication in Africa.   In rare cases, the live virus in oral polio vaccine can evolve into a form…

Children could be the biggest victims of the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the fact that the disease affects mostly older people, according to human rights groups.  It is estimated that 1.5 billion children worldwide are missing school. The outbreak is having myriad other impacts on young people, with hundreds of thousands orphaned by the disease that the coronavirus causes.  “More and more children are going to be left without parents,” said Jo Becker of Human Rights Watch. “We’ve seen from the Ebola crisis, for example, the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa, that when children are orphaned, they become much more vulnerable to sex trafficking, to child labor and other forms of exploitation.” A recent report from the International Labor Organization warned that 200 million people could lose their jobs as a result of the pandemic.  “As parents lose their employment, especially in developing countries, we often see more and more children…

An asteroid just over two kilometers wide will pass close to earth Wednesday. But scientists with the U.S. space agency, NASA, say the object poses no threat to the planet.The asteroid is known as 1998 OR2, named for the year it was first discovered. It will safely pass at a distance of 6.3 million kilometers from Earth — about 16 times the distance between the Earth and the moon.NASA scientists say by astronomical standards, that distance still classifies the asteroid as a “near-earth” object and worth watching. The space agency considers objects that pass within 48 million kilometers of our planet a “near-earth” object. NASA maintains a planetary defense coordination office that keeps track of such objects and plots their courses through space. In an interview posted on the space agency’s website,…

The U.K. held a minute's silence Tuesday for all front-line workers who have died from the coronavirus, as official figures showed a new weekly high in the total number of deaths in England and Wales. As clocks struck 11 a.m., senior political leaders, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, joined hospital and nursing home staff in observing the silence. London's subway and bus networks came to a halt as workers honored colleagues, and Westminster Abbey paid tribute to "the sacrifice of health and care workers who have lost their lives in the service of others." On Monday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said 82 workers in the National Health Service and 16 social care staff had died so far. Other workers, including a number of bus drivers in London, have also died…