UN alarmed as childhood immunization levels stall
Geneva — Global childhood vaccination levels have stalled, leaving millions more children un- or under-vaccinated than before the pandemic, the U.N. said Monday, warning of dangerous coverage gaps enabling outbreaks of diseases like measles. In 2023, 84% of children, or…
A decade after MH17 shoot-down, victim’s father waits for Russia to say sorry
HILVERSUM, Netherlands — Quinn Schansman dreamed of becoming the youngest-ever CEO of an American company. A decade ago, he’d just finished the first year of an international business degree in Amsterdam as a step toward that lofty goal. But the…
Russia reports downing 22 Ukrainian drones
Russia’s defense ministry said Monday its air defenses shot down 22 Ukrainian aerial drones. The ministry said it destroyed 15 drones over the Bryansk region, six drones over Russia-occupied Crimea, and one drone over the Lipetsk region. Officials in Bryansk,…
Kenyan government app gives girls info on a taboo topic: menstruation
The Kenyan government is using a new mobile application to educate girls about menstrual health. Through the Oky Kenya app, users can access information on hygiene and other topics. The goal is to dispel myths and misconceptions about menstruation and…
American volunteer’s urge to help Ukraine rooted in family’s struggle
Rima Ziuraitis, an American of Lithuanian descent, has been teaching basic first aid to military personnel and civilians in Ukraine for over a year. Ziuraitis, who first arrived in Ukraine as a volunteer in the fall of 2022, has decided…
Russia says another Ukrainian village captured in the east
Russian troops have captured a small village in Ukraine’s southeast, its Defense Ministry said, an incremental advance that highlights the grinding gains Russian forces continue to make against Ukrainian troops. Ukrainian officials had no immediate comment on the Russian claim…
Treason, espionage cases rise in Russia since start of Ukraine war
TALLINN, Estonia — When Maksim Kolker’s phone rang at 6 a.m., and the voice on the other end said his father had been arrested, he thought it was a scam to extort money. A day earlier, he had taken his…
Philippines: Humane approach to incarceration relieves chronic prison overcrowding
At the Manila City Jail in the Philippines capital, prisoners lie in neat rows as they demonstrate how they sleep every night. In male dormitory number 4 most do not have a mattress or even a bed; indeed it’s not…
Stegosaurus nicknamed Apex will be auctioned in New York
NEW YORK — The nearly complete fossilized remains of a 161-million-year-old stegosaurus discovered in Colorado in 2022 will be auctioned by Sotheby’s in New York next week, auction house officials said. The dinosaur that Sotheby’s calls Apex stands 3.3 meters…
DR Congo detects at least 25 mpox cases in Goma
PARIS — At least 25 cases of a dangerous new strain of mpox spreading through the Democratic Republic of Congo have been detected in the eastern city of Goma, mostly in camps housing people fleeing a surrounding conflict, health authorities…