China’s efforts to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus with a transportation lockdown are sparking confusion among residents who are unsure of what steps to take.Some 20 million people living in four cities are impacted by the lockdown, with authorities in Hubei province’s Wuhan, canceling flights and trains, and closing roads to prevent people…
read moreAs the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump grinds on after a bitter fight over rules, the two sides in the high-stakes proceeding are bracing for another round of partisan bickering over a deeply divisive issue: witnesses.Democrats have a list of four witnesses they say could fill in the blanks in the impeachment case against…
read moreThe Trump administration on Thursday published new visa rules aimed at restricting “birth tourism,” in which women travel to the U.S. to give birth so their children can have a coveted U.S. passport.Applicants will be denied tourist visas if they are determined by consular officers to be coming to the U.S. primarily to give birth,…
read moreThe World Health Organization is welcoming China’s decision to temporarily suspend all transportation in and out of the city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday placing the Chinese city of 11 million under virtual quarantine was a strong measure but appropriate measure based on the threats posed…
read moreThe Trump administration was expected to announce completion as soon as Thursday of one of its most momentous environmental rollbacks, removing federal protections for millions of miles of the country’s streams, arroyos and wetlands. The changes, launched by President Donald Trump when he took office, sharply scale back the government’s interpretation of which waterways qualify…
read moreNine parents who were deported as the Trump administration separated thousands of migrant families landed back into the U.S. late Wednesday to reunite with children they had not seen in a year and a half.The group arrived at Los Angeles International Airport from Guatemala City in a trip arranged under the order of a federal…
read morePakistan announced Thursday airport authorities have begun screening travelers from neighboring China for signs of the coronavirus.China’s recent billions of dollars of investments in infrastructure development projects in Pakistan has led to a spike in the number of people traveling between the two countries, including thousands of Chinese workers.Pakistani officials said more than 40 direct…
read moreNorth Korea has temporarily banned foreign tourists in response to the outbreak of a dangerous new virus in neighboring China. Depending on how long the ban lasts, it could hurt North Korea’s economy, which though heavily sanctioned, has received a boost by a recent influx of Chinese tourists.Starting Wednesday, North Korea closed its borders to…
read moreAs a new virus spreads inside and outside of China, health officials are scrambling to contain it, but the virus is so new, not much is known about it. VOA’s Carol Pearson tells us what we do know about the coronavirus. …
read moreA new virus spreads within and outside China, and the World Health Organization has confirmed nearly 500 cases, including nearly 20 deaths. Health officials are scrambling to contain the disease, but the virus is new and not much is known about it.People from China are being screened at airports, both in their own country and…
read moreThe days of passengers bringing rabbits, turtles and birds on planes as emotional-support animals could be ending.The U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday proposed that only specially trained dogs qualify as service animals, which must be allowed in the cabin at no charge. Airlines could let passengers bring other animals on board, but hefty fees…
read moreThe U.S. Federal Communications Commission estimates that about 19 million Americans still don’t have access to broadband internet. Most of those people live in rural parts of the country. But little by little, individuals, companies and the government are changing that. VOA’s Calla Yu reports. …
read moreInternational students remaining in Wuhan, China — where the government has issued a lockdown to avoid the spread of the deadly coronavirus — report being provided surgical masks and being asked to stay indoors.“As I write this message, the school is on lockdown as the school authorities are putting in place measures to protect the…
read moreIn parts of Britain, thousands of children have fallen victim to so-called “county lines,” drug networks run by gangs, with many forced to sell drugs in small towns and rural areas. Helping affected children in the $600 million illegal narcotics industry is a long and difficult process.Officials estimate that some 46,000 children are involved with…
read moreChinese state media say the city of Wuhan is shutting down outbound flights and trains as the country battles the spread of a new virus that has sickened hundreds and killed 17.The official Xinhua News Agency said Thursday that the city also asked people not to leave Wuhan without specific reasons.The state-owned People’s Daily newspaper…
read moreDemocratic presidential candidates have spent weeks reassuring voters they can unify the party, avoid the divisions that plagued the 2016 primary and defeat President Donald Trump in the fall. Instead, the scars of that battle are being ripped open less than two weeks before the Iowa caucuses.With tensions already escalating between leading Democratic contenders, the…
read moreDespite the U.S.-China trade deal signed last week, the two countries appear headed for more confrontation, especially over high tech.One of China’s highest-profile tech executives, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, told the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on Tuesday that he expects the U.S. to escalate its crackdown on Huawei. But he vowed that the…
read moreEU countries can restrict or exclude high-risk 5G providers from core parts of their telecoms network infrastructure under new guidelines to be issued by the European Commission next week, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The non-binding recommendations are part of a set of measures aimed at addressing cybersecurity risks at national and…
read moreThe District of Columbia is suing President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee and two companies that control the Trump International Hotel in the nation’s capital, accusing them of throwing parties for the Trump family with nonprofit funds, and overpaying for event space at the hotel.The district’s attorney general, Karl Racine, said the inaugural committee had been…
read moreVeganism is spreading among South Africa’s young, socially aware residents, who note that their quest to eliminate animal products from their diets has provoked interesting arguments about the role of meat in African culture and spirituality. VOA’s Anita Powell looks at the new wave of Afri-vegans, and brings us this report from Johannesburg. …
read moreExperts meeting in emergency session at the World Health Organization will look at the spreading Coronavirus to see whether it constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and decide on recommendations needed to manage it. The WHO has confirmed 440 cases of the disease, including 17 deaths. Since the new coronavirus was detected in a…
read moreWith the distraction of his impeachment trial back home, U.S. President Donald Trump tried to keep the focus on trade matters and highlighting the domestic economy at a hastily arranged news conference just before he departed the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.At the start of Wednesday’s briefing for White House traveling media in the…
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