US ‘notorious markets’ report warns of risks from online pharmacies

BANGKOK — Nearly all of the world’s 35,000 online pharmacies are being run illegally and consumers who use them risk getting ineffective or dangerous drugs, according to the U.S. Trade Representative’s annual report on “notorious markets.” The report also singled out 19 countries over concerns about counterfeit or pirated products. The report also named about three…

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College tuition has fallen significantly at many US schools, research finds

boston — The cost of college keeps spiraling ever higher, right?  Not necessarily. New research indicates students are paying significantly less to attend public universities than they were a decade ago. And tuition increases at private colleges have finally slowed after years of hefty rises.  Figures compiled by the nonprofit College Board indicate the average student…

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Prosecutors demand former US senator get at least 15 years in prison for corruption

Prosecutors are demanding that former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez be given at least a 15-year prison sentence following his conviction for corruption that included acting as an agent of a foreign government. In the sentencing recommendation filed late Thursday in a Manhattan federal court, prosecutors said the 71-year-old Democrat who once represented New Jersey is…

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Taiwan chipmaker starts making 4-nanometer chips in US, official says

WASHINGTON — Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has begun producing advanced 4-nanometer chips in Arizona for U.S. customers, a milestone in the Biden administration’s semiconductor efforts, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told Reuters. In November, the Commerce Department finalized a $6.6 billion grant to TSMC’s U.S. unit for semiconductor production in Phoenix, Arizona. “For the first time ever…

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VOA Mandarin: China’s winter surge of flu-like HMPV cases raises concerns of transparency

Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) has recently spread widely across China, overwhelming hospitals and evoking memories of the COVID-19 outbreak. HMPV is not a new virus; it has been known for years and typically has a low mortality rate. Nevertheless, epidemiologists are calling for greater transparency about the spread of the virus to help contain infections. While…

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Biden administration extends temporary status for 4 nationalities

MIAMI, FLORIDA — About 600,000 Venezuelans and more than 230,000 Salvadorans already living in the United States can legally remain another 18 months, the Department of Homeland Security said Friday, barely a week before President-elect Donald Trump takes office with promises of hard-line immigration policies. Biden’s administration has strongly supported Temporary Protected Status, which he has…

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Donald Trump sentenced without penalties in New York court

A New York judge Friday sentenced President-elect Donald Trump to an “unconditional discharge” over 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. The sentence spares him penalties but allows the convictions to stand. During sentencing, the president-elect again said the case was politically motivated. VOA senior Washington correspondent Carolyn Presutti reports. Contributor: Kim Lewis; Video editor: Rob Raffaele…

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Preventive action can’t avert wildfires but can save lives, meteorologists say

GENEVA — The World Meteorlogical Organization says that preventive action cannot avert natural disasters such as the wildfires raging across Los Angeles, but that it can help save lives and mitigate loss of property. “Land management and prevention, regular clearing of underbrush play a key role in fire management, and evacuation plans are important in saving…

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Vance to resign from US Senate ahead of his inauguration as vice president

washington — Republican Vice President-elect JD Vance said Thursday that he would resign from his U.S. Senate seat from Ohio at midnight ahead of his inauguration later this month. President-elect Donald Trump and Vance defeated the Democratic presidential candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris, and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, in the Nov. 5 U.S.…

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