U.S. President Joe Biden said Friday that he is planning to request more money from Congress to develop another new coronavirus vaccine, as scientists track new waves and hospitalizations rise, though not like before. Officials are already expecting updated COVID-19 vaccines that contain one version of the omicron strain, called XBB.1.5. It’s an important change … continue reading -> “Biden Plans to Request Funds to Develop New Coronavirus Vaccine”
Google, Facebook, TikTok and other Big Tech companies operating in Europe must comply with one of the most far-reaching efforts to clean up what people see online. The European Union’s groundbreaking new digital rules took effect Friday for the biggest platforms. The Digital Services Act is part of a suite of tech-focused regulations crafted by … continue reading -> “Q&A: How Do Europe’s Sweeping Rules for Tech Giants Work?”
Operators of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant said Friday that initial ocean water samples taken since the discharge of wastewater from the plant were well within the acceptable range for radioactive material. At a news conference near the plant in Fukushima prefecture, officials from the Tokyo Electric Power Company — TEPCO — told reporters … continue reading -> “Operators of Fukushima Plant Say Water Samples Within Safe Limits”
The U.S. Justice Department is suing Elon Musk’s SpaceX for refusing to hire refugees and asylum-recipients at the rocket company. In a lawsuit filed on Thursday, the Justice Department said SpaceX routinely discriminated against these job applicants between 2018 and 2022, in violation of U.S. immigration laws. The lawsuit says that Musk and other SpaceX … continue reading -> “US Sues SpaceX for Discriminating Against Refugees, Asylum-recipients”
With White House funding to help get more electric cars on the road, some states are creating local rules to get top technologies into their charging stations. Deana Mitchell has the story. …
Ukrainian soldier Ilya Mikhalchuk was wounded near Bakhmut and captured by Wagner Group mercenaries in February. He had both arms amputated while in captivity and was released in April. Thanks to volunteers, he is now in the U.S. getting prostheses. Iryna Shynkarenko has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. VOA footage by Kostiantyn Golubchyk. …
China’s biggest salt producer urged people against panic buying after Japan began discharging treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant on Thursday, despite firm opposition from Beijing. The state-run National Salt Industry Group, the world’s biggest common salt producer, said in a statement issued hours later that it was … continue reading -> “China’s Biggest Salt Maker Urges Public not to Panic Buy After Fukushima Discharge”
The death toll from an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in Rzeszow, southeast Poland, has risen to five, local authorities said Thursday as they tried to detect the contamination source. The fifth victim was a woman, 79, admitted to the hospital a few days ago. “She was a patient with multiple long-term conditions, including cancer, and … continue reading -> “Death Toll Rises to Five in Poland Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak”
The U.S. Justice Department is suing Elon Musk’s SpaceX for refusing to hire refugees and asylum-seekers at the rocket company. In a lawsuit filed on Thursday, the Justice Department said SpaceX routinely discriminated against these job applicants between 2018 and 2022, in violation of U.S. immigration laws. The lawsuit says that Musk and other SpaceX … continue reading -> “US Sues SpaceX for Discriminating Against Refugees, Asylum-Seekers”
On Wednesday, India became the first country to put an unmanned lander and robotic probe on the moon’s south pole. Experts say the mission marks a major milestone in the country’s efforts to emerge on the front lines of space exploration. Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi. …
The operator of the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says it has begun releasing its first batch of treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean. In a live video from a control room at the plant Thursday, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings showed a staff member turn on a seawater pump, marking the beginning … continue reading -> “Fukushima Nuclear Plant Begins Releasing Radioactive Water Into Sea”
New artificial intelligence tools that write human-like prose and create stunning images have taken the world by storm. But these awe-inspiring technologies are not creating something out of nothing; they’re trained on lots and lots of data, some of which come from works under copyright protection. Now, the writers, artists and others who own the … continue reading -> “AI Firms Under Fire for Allegedly Infringing on Copyrights”
The U.S. State Department, in coordination with other agencies from President Joe Biden’s administration, is seeking a six-month extension of the U.S.-China Science and Technology Agreement (STA) that is due to expire on August 27. The short-term extension comes as several Republican congressional members voiced concerns that China has previously leveraged the agreement to advance … continue reading -> “US Seeks to Extend Science, Tech Agreement With China for 6 Months”
India successfully placed a lander in the moon’s southern polar region Wednesday evening, making history as it became the first country to touch down on an uncharted part of the lunar surface. Although the United States, Russia and China have landed around the moon’s equator, no country has so far made a soft landing on … continue reading -> “India Becomes First Nation to Land Craft on Moon’s South Pole”
In 2023, a new way to use AI has come online. Some companies are using the tool to make lifelike avatars of people, even those who have died. Maxim Moskalkov reports. Camera: Andrey Degtyarev. …
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that the new BA.2.86 lineage of coronavirus may be more capable than older variants in causing infection in people who have previously had COVID-19 or who have received vaccines. The CDC said it was too soon to know whether this might cause more severe illness … continue reading -> “US CDC: New COVID Lineage Could Cause Infections in Vaccinated Individuals”
An Indian spacecraft has landed on the moon, becoming the first craft to touch down on the lunar surface’s south pole, the country’s space agency said. India’s attempt to land on the moon Wednesday came days after Russia’s Luna-25 lander, also headed for the unexplored south pole, crashed into the moon. It was India’s second … continue reading -> “India Lands Craft on Moon’s Unexplored South Pole”
A Kenyan court has given Facebook’s parent company, Meta, and the content moderators who are suing it for unfair dismissal 21 days to resolve their dispute out of court, a court order showed on Wednesday. The 184 content moderators are suing Meta and two subcontractors after they say they lost their jobs with one of … continue reading -> “Kenyan Court Gives Meta and Sacked Moderators 21 Days to Pursue Settlement “
The World Meteorological Organization reports scorching heat waves that are causing deaths and discomfort for millions of people around the world will likely peak in certain regions by the end of the week. “It is the end of the meteorological summer at the end of August … the projections that we have got at the … continue reading -> “Heat Waves Sweeping Certain Regions Likely to Peak by Week’s End”
Meta Platforms on Tuesday launched the web version of its new text-first social media platform Threads, in a bid to retain professional users and gain an edge over rival X, formerly Twitter. Threads’ users will now be able to access the microblogging platform by logging-in to its website from their computers, the Facebook and Instagram … continue reading -> “Meta Rolls Out Web Version of Threads “
Indian scientists are aiming to put a lander on the moon Wednesday, hoping that the country will become the first to touch down on the lunar surface’s south pole. India’s attempt will be made days after Russia’s Luna-25 lander, also headed for the unexplored south pole, crashed into the moon. The Indian Space Research Organization … continue reading -> “India to Land Craft on Moon’s Unexplored South Pole”
Google, Facebook, TikTok and other Big Tech companies operating in Europe are facing one of the most far-reaching efforts to clean up what people encounter online. The first phase of the European Union’s groundbreaking new digital rules will take effect this week. The Digital Services Act is part of a suite of tech-focused regulations crafted … continue reading -> “Europe’s Sweeping Rules for Tech Giants Are About to Kick In”
Ecuadorians voted against drilling for oil in a protected area of the Amazon, an important decision that will require the state oil company to end its operations in a region that’s home to isolated tribes and is a hotspot of biodiversity. With over 90% of the ballots counted by early Monday, around six in 10 … continue reading -> “Ecuadorians Reject Oil Drilling in the Amazon, Ending Operations in a Protected Area”
U.S. regulators on Monday approved the first RSV vaccine for pregnant women so their babies will be born with protection against the respiratory infection. RSV is notorious for filling hospitals with wheezing babies every fall and winter. The Food and Drug Administration cleared Pfizer’s maternal vaccination to guard against a severe case of RSV when … continue reading -> “FDA Approves RSV Vaccine for Moms-To-Be to Guard Their Newborns”
Public utility regulators in Iowa will begin a hearing Tuesday on a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline for transporting emissions of the climate-warming greenhouse gas for storage underground that has been met by resistant landowners who fear the taking of their land and dangers of a pipeline rupture. Summit Carbon Solutions’ proposed $5.5 billion, 3,219-kilometer pipeline … continue reading -> “More Hearings to Begin Soon for Controversial CO2 Pipeline”