President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden brought some Christmas Eve cheer to hospitalized children who aren’t well enough to go home for holidays. It’s longstanding tradition for first …
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In UAE Desert, Camels Compete for Crowns in Beauty Pageant
Deep in the desert of the United Arab Emirates, the moment that camel breeders had been waiting for arrived. Families hauled their camels through wind-carved sands. Servers poured tiny cups …
your ads here!COVID Outlier Japan Searches for Reasons for Its Success
While many countries are fighting off their worst coronavirus outbreaks yet, Japan is detecting hardly any COVID-19 infections at all. Observers are trying to figure out why. As recently as …
your ads here!US Sets Shorter COVID-19 Isolation Rules for Health Workers
Worried that a new COVID-19 wave could overwhelm understaffed U.S. hospitals, federal officials on Thursday loosened rules that call on health care workers to stay out of work for 10 …
your ads here!Writer Joan Didion, Chronicler of Contemporary American Society, Dies at 87
Author Joan Didion, whose essays, memoirs, novels and screenplays chronicled contemporary American society, as well as her grief over the deaths of her husband and daughter, has died at the …
your ads here!NASA Set to Launch James Webb Telescope
NASA looks likely to launch a much hyped and often-delayed space telescope. Plus, SpaceX makes history again, and a space tourist is already planning his next trip. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi …
your ads here!Brooklyn’s Stunning Dyker Heights Christmas Lights
A neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn is stunning visitors with its spectacular Christmas lights. The Dyker Heights neighborhood boasts some of the most over-the-top holiday displays. …
your ads here!Omicron Milder Than Other Coronavirus Variants, New Studies Suggest
New research from Britain and South Africa suggests the fast-spreading omicron variant of the coronavirus is milder and results in fewer hospitalizations than other versions. Researchers at the University of …
your ads here!Pope Demands Humility in New Zinger-filled Christmas Speech
Pope Francis urged Vatican cardinals, bishops and bureaucrats Thursday to embrace humility this Christmas season, saying their pride, self-interest and the “glitter of our armor” was perverting their spiritual lives …
your ads here!Australia Considers Charging Unvaccinated Residents for COVID-19 Hospital Care
A suggestion by Australia’s most populous state to charge unvaccinated people for COVID-19 medical costs has received widespread criticism. The New South Wales proposal has angered doctors and some federal …
your ads here!2021 on Track to Surpass 2020 as America’s Deadliest
U.S. health officials say 2021 is shaping up to be even deadlier than last year. It’s too early to say for sure, since all the death reports for November and …
your ads here!India Could Raise Marriage Age for Women from 18 to 21
In India, the government has proposed legislation to raise the minimum age of marriage for women from 18 to 21 years old, bringing it on par with men and saying …
your ads here!FDA Gives Emergency Authorization for Pfizer COVID Pill
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the emergency use of an antiviral COVID-19 pill, the pill’s maker Pfizer Inc. said Wednesday. The company says the pill, which is to be taken …
your ads here!Australian Research Identifies Kidney-Protecting Gene
Researchers in Australia have identified a gene that indicates the kidney has its own way of resisting damage. However, they have also identified a mutation of the gene that can in …
your ads here!NHL Players Will Not Compete at Beijing Olympics: Reports
National Hockey League players will not compete in February’s Beijing Winter Olympics in the wake of 50 NHL games being postponed over COVID-19 issues, according to multiple reports Tuesday. ESPN, …
your ads here!Mormon Billionaire Leaves Faith, Rebukes LGBTQ Rights Stance
An advertising-technology billionaire has formally resigned his membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and rebuked the faith over social issues and LGBTQ rights in an unusual …
your ads here!Organizers Say Africa Cup of Nations Will Take Place, But Workers Say Main Stadium Not Ready
The Africa Football Cup of Nations tournament is scheduled to begin January 9 at Olembe Stadium in Cameroon’s capital, Yaounde. On Monday, Confederation of African Football President Patrice Motsepe visited …
your ads here!Millions of Somalis Facing Conflict, Drought, Disease Need Lifesaving Assistance
The United Nations estimates 7.7 million people, half of Somalia’s population, will require humanitarian assistance and protection in 2022.It is appealing for $1.5 billion to assist 5.5 million of the …
your ads here!Moderna: Extra Dose of its COVID-19 Vaccine Boosts Immunity Against Omicron
U.S.-based drugmaker Moderna says that initial laboratory tests show a third shot of its current COVID-19 vaccine is effective against the fast-spreading omicron variant of the coronavirus. In a statement …
your ads here!Chinese Tennis Star Denies Social Media Post Accusing Ex-Official of Sexual Assault
Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai is denying that she wrote a social media post last month accusing a now-retired Communist Party official of sexually assaulting her. In a video posted Sunday on …
your ads here!CNN Closes US Offices to Most Workers as COVID-19 Cases Spike
CNN is closing its offices in the United States to all nonessential employees as COVID-19 cases increase, the network said on Saturday in an internal memo to staff seen by …
your ads here!Omicron Variant Spurs New Lockdown in Netherlands
“The Netherlands is shutting down again,” Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Saturday in a televised address. The new measures, beginning Sunday, Rutte said, are because of a “fifth wave” of …
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