Indian rescuers are searching for over 100 people missing in a flash flood caused by a glacial lake bursting its banks, a risk scientists warn is increasing with climate change. Agence France-Presse explains what glacial lake outburst floods are and the risks they pose, particularly in parts of Asia. What is a glacial lake outburst … continue reading -> “Glacial Lake Floods: A Growing, Unpredictable Climate Risk”
At a rally Friday in the southern city of Blantyre, unemployed nurses called for more jobs and gave Malawi’s president 14 days to help them find new opportunities for work. Frank Kamwendo, the chairperson of concerned nurses, said the demonstrations were a last resort after several meetings with Malawi government officials. “We have been trying … continue reading -> “Malawi Nurses Demand Government Help Them Get Jobs”
Amazon launched the first test satellites for its planned internet service Friday as a rival to SpaceX’s broadband network. United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket blasted off with the pair of test satellites, kicking off a program that aims to improve global internet coverage with an eventual 3,236 satellites around Earth. Amazon plans to begin … continue reading -> “Amazon Launches Test Satellites, Plans Internet Service Competing With SpaceX”
A study published Friday indicates 1 in 10 babies around the world are born prematurely — before 37 weeks — leading to deaths, disability and chronic illnesses. The study was conducted by the World Health Organization, the U.N. Children’s Fund, UNICEF and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The study monitored global births … continue reading -> “UN Study: 1 in 10 Babies Born Prematurely”
An Ethiopian digital app inventor has been given a prestigious award from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for creating an application designed to link refugees with employers. Last week in New York, Eden Tadesse accepted a Goalkeepers Global Goals Award at a ceremony attended by Kenyan President William Ruto, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida … continue reading -> “Ethiopian Entrepreneur Awarded for App That Helps Refugees Find Work”
An updated rule curbing exports of U.S. chipmaking equipment to China is in the final stages of review, according to a government posting and a source, a sign the Biden administration is poised to soon tighten restrictions on Beijing. Reuters exclusively reported Monday that U.S. officials had warned China in recent weeks to expect rules … continue reading -> “Updated Curbs on Chip Tools to China Nearly Finalized, US Agency Says”
AT&T and Gallaudet University have developed a football helmet for players who are deaf or hard of hearing and communicate using American Sign Language. The company and the Washington-based school for students who are deaf or hard of hearing unveiled the new technology Thursday. It allows a coach to call a play on a tablet … continue reading -> “Football Helmet for Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing Quarterbacks Unveiled”
In less than a year, ChatGPT — the AI-powered chatbot — has altered the way people use and abuse artificial intelligence. And while some educators are working to keep it out of the classroom, some say it’s welcome. Karina Bafradzhian has the story. Camera — David Gogokhia. …
All About America explores American culture, politics, trends, history, ideals and places of interest. Money may not buy happiness, but a new analysis of the happiest and unhappiest U.S. states suggests the lack of cash can contribute to a person’s misery. “The thing about money and happiness is that being increasingly and increasingly wealthy doesn’t … continue reading -> “America’s Happiest (and Unhappiest) States Might Surprise You”
Japan’s wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant said it began releasing a second batch of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea on Thursday after the first round of discharges ended smoothly. Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings said workers activated a pump to dilute the treated water with large amounts of seawater, slowly sending the … continue reading -> “Fukushima Nuclear Plant Starts 2nd Release of Treated Radioactive Wastewater”
More than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente health care staff across the U.S. began a three-day strike Wednesday, which will likely hold up appointments, test results and prescriptions at locations across the nation. Kaiser Permanente, a California-based chain of hospitals, pharmacies and clinics, serves nearly 13 million Americans. The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, which represents about … continue reading -> “More than 75,000 US Kaiser Health Care Workers on Strike”
France has urged the public not to worry about reports of bedbug outbreaks on public transportation in Paris and throughout the country. At least 37 sightings of bedbugs on public transportation have been reported over the past few weeks by national rail operator SNCF, with a dozen additional reports made to Paris public transport operator … continue reading -> “France Denies Reports of Bedbugs on Trains”
Scientists Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus and Alexei Ekimov won the 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for “the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots,” which illuminate computer monitors and television screens and are used by doctors to map tumors. “The Nobel Laureates … have succeeded in producing particles so small that their properties are determined by … continue reading -> “Nobel Chemistry Prize Awarded for Discovery of Quantum Dots Used in LED Lights”
Wearing an “I Love Pandas” T-shirt and clutching a panda-covered diary, 10-year-old Kelsey Lambert bubbled with excitement as she glimpsed the real thing. She and her mother, Alison, had made a special trip from San Antonio, Texas, just to watch the National Zoo’s furry rock stars munch bamboo and roll on the grass. “It felt … continue reading -> “Pandas Could Be Gone From US Zoos by End of 2024”
As the U.S. government seemed headed for a possible shutdown last week, cybersecurity firms began picking up on an alarming trend: a spike in cyberattacks targeting government agencies and the U.S. defense industry. It has some analysts concerned that U.S. adversaries and criminal hackers might have been preparing to take advantage of weaker-than-usual cybersecurity if … continue reading -> “Threat of US Government Shutdown Fuels Concerns About Cyber Vulnerabilities”
Meta is proposing to offer European users subscription-based versions of Instagram and Facebook if they would rather not be tracked for ads, a source said on Tuesday. The idea, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, comes as the social media giant seeks to comply with a growing list of EU regulations designed to curb … continue reading -> “Meta Plans to Charge Europeans for Ad-Free Facebook, Instagram, Source Says”
Belize is developing a pilot project to convert the masses of foul-smelling sargassum seaweed swamping its pristine beaches into biofuel, its prime minister said in a statement published by regional Caribbean bloc CARICOM on Tuesday. Many Caribbean countries depend economically on drawing travelers from around the world to their white sand beaches, but since 2010 … continue reading -> “Belize to Launch Project to Make Biofuel From Seaweed Clogging Coasts”
A charity group in Zimbabwe is raising funds for a basic product that can be critical for people living with albinism – sunscreen. The group, called “The Noble Hands of Zimbabwe,” released a report in September saying 1 in 3 people with albinism in Zimbabwe die of skin cancer before the age of 40, including … continue reading -> “SOS for People Living With Albinism in Zimbabwe”
A new malaria vaccine approved Monday for use by the World Health Organization could be rolled out in African countries in the next few months, potentially saving hundreds of thousands of children’s lives in the coming years. The new vaccine, known as R21, was developed by Britain’s Oxford University along with the Serum Institute of … continue reading -> “New Malaria Vaccine Could Save Thousands of Children’s Lives “
New technologies are giving bionic hands some of the more complex features of human hands. Genia Dulot reports on a California company that is using touch feedback to give users a sense of the objects they are holding or interacting with …
The Nobel Prize in physics was awarded Tuesday to three scientists who look at electrons in atoms during the tiniest of split seconds. Pierre Agostini of The Ohio State University in the U.S.; Ferenc Krausz of the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich in Germany; and Anne L’Huillier of … continue reading -> “3 Scientists Win Nobel Prize in Physics for Looking at Electrons in Atoms During Split Seconds”
The World Health Organization on Monday announced the recommendation of a second malaria vaccine, with the aim of giving countries a cheaper and more readily available option to tackle the deadly disease. Developed by Oxford University with the help of the Serum Institute of India, the new vaccine, known as R-21, will be rolled out … continue reading -> “WHO Announces 2nd Malaria Vaccine Recommendation”
Two scientists who jointly worked on the ground-breaking technology behind some of the most effective COVID-19 vaccines have been awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize for medicine, one of the most prestigious accolades in the field. Hungarian American scientist Katalin Kariko and her American colleague, Drew Weissman, began working on so-called “mRNA” technology in the early … continue reading -> “Nobel Prize Awarded to mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Scientists”
A Kenyan parliamentary panel called on the country’s information technology regulator on Monday to shut down the operations of cryptocurrency project Worldcoin within the country until more stringent regulations are put in place. The government suspended the project in early August following privacy objections over its scanning of users’ irises in exchange for a digital … continue reading -> “Kenya Panel Urges Shutdown of Worldcoin’s Crypto Project Within Country”
An endangered Sumatran rhinoceros, the smallest and hairiest of the five extant rhino species, was born in Indonesia last week in a conservation area, the government said Monday. Weighing about 27 kilograms (59.52 lbs.), the yet-to-be named female calf, was born Saturday at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary (SRS) facility in Way Kambas National Park, Lampung … continue reading -> “Endangered Sumatran Rhino Born in Indonesia”