Category: News

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is quarantining himself at home after his wife exhibited flu-like symptoms.      Trudeau's office said Thursday that Sophie Gregoire Trudeau returned from a speaking engagement in Britain and had mild flu-like symptoms, including a low fever late, Wednesday night.…

With the World Health Organization classifying the global coronavirus outbreak a pandemic, U.S. President Donald Trump announced late Wednesday a series of emergency measures, including an unprecedented 30-day suspension of all flights from Europe.But Trump, who spoke from the Oval Office, stopped short of resorting…

Russia's space agency Roscosmos and the European Space Agency have decided to postpone the launch of a joint research mission to Mars until the fall of 2022 because of the situation around coronavirus in Europe, Roscosmos said on Thursday."...The parties had to recognize that the…

A Las Vegas wedding with an Elvis impersonator: Canceled. A 3,500-kilometer (2,200-mile) trans-America road trip, a voyage of a lifetime that took months to prepare: On ice, too.The new anti-virus travel ban announced by U.S. President Donald Trump threw Europeans’ best-laid plans — family reunions,…

Scientists are calling on UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) to declare a unique coral reef system off the Egyptian coast a Marine World Heritage Site.  So far, the location has resisted the effects of climate change bleaching coral reefs around the world.  But as VOA’s…

The U.S. immigration officer shifted uneasily on his feet, and self-consciously told a handful of travelers exiting the fast-track Global Entry gate: "Oh, wait I have to ask you something. Has anyone traveled from China or…?"He trailed off, seemingly scrambling to recall what else he…

The new coronavirus can live in the air for several hours and on some surfaces for as long as two to three days, tests by U.S. government and other scientists have found.Their work, published Wednesday, suggests that the virus can spread through the air as…

Which disease is the most contagious per person?  Here's a comparison, based on scientific data. ...

Iran's senior vice president and two other Cabinet members have contracted the new coronavirus, a semiofficial news agency reported Wednesday as the death toll in the Islamic Republic from the outbreak rose by 62 to 354.      The report by the Fars news agency,…

What is a virus and how does it spread? VOA explains the basics. ...

Turkey confirmed its first case of the coronavirus on Wednesday, becoming the last major economy to report an outbreak after taking what the World Health Organization (WHO) described as "vigilant, cautious" measures to delay the disease.Turkey's tourism sector, which accounts for about 13% of its…

One of the United States' top disease experts says Americans and Europeans should be prepared not to do the things they could do just a few months ago before the coronavirus outbreak."It doesn't matter if you’re in a state that has no cases or one…

Faced with the spread of COVID-19, the U.K. is advising its citizens to keep calm and carry on.      For some Britons, the stiff upper lip is starting to wobble. As Italy goes into lockdown and other European countries shut schools and ban large…

Coronavirus is most dangerous to the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. Since the first fatalities in the US originated from a nursing facility in the state of Washington, there is deep concern among health experts, patients and their families that eldercare facilities are…

As the coronavirus rattles global markets, some analysts are now warning of a possible global recession. The damage is already starting to show in some countries hit hardest by the outbreak.Lee Jae-hoon is standing in the Korean barbecue restaurant he owns in this normally busy…

Hindus threw colored powder and sprayed water in massive celebrations of the festival of Holi in India on Tuesday, but the enthusiasm was subdued compared to previous years because of fears of the new virus.      Brightly colored powder filled the air in most…

Comparatively speaking, Americans are heavier than the rest of the world. The World Factbook of the Central Intelligence Agency reports the obesity rate in the United States to be 36 percent.  But 25-year-old Zobaida Falah is hoping that her homemade snack bar can play a…

A southern Indian state has begun a three-day bird culling process to contain an outbreak of avian influenza, also known as bird flu.Kerala state began the precautionary measure Sunday.The World Health Organization says, "Avian influenza viruses normally spread between birds. However, some viruses have been…

Weeks after Beijing was criticized by people inside China and around the world for a sluggish response to the outbreak of a new coronavirus, China’s government is trying to recast itself as a global health leader.China’s early response to the outbreak remains shrouded in mystery,…

Like many Americans, bartender Danjale Williams is worried about the growing threat of the novel coronavirus. What makes the 22-year-old in Washington even more frightened: The thought of medical bills she just can't afford, as one of almost 27.5 million people in the United States…

Passengers aboard a cruise ship off the California coast were instructed to stay in their cabins as they awaited test results Friday that could show whether the coronavirus is circulating among the more than 3,500 people aboard.      A military helicopter crew lowered test…

The World Health Organization urges continued vigilance to prevent flareups of the deadly Ebola virus as the epidemic in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo moves closer to being officially declared over.The last Ebola patient was discharged from a treatment center in the northeastern town of…

Conservation International says an estimated eight million metric tons of plastics go into the ocean every year. And that's not even counting the amount that ends up in landfills or by the side of the road. But slowly, environmentally conscious entrepreneurs are creating alternatives to…

India is bracing for a potential explosion of coronavirus cases as authorities rush to trace, test and quarantine contacts of 31 people confirmed to have the disease.      It is screening international travelers at 30 airports and has already tested more than 3,500 samples.…