The European Union is pushing online platforms like Google and Meta to step up the fight against false information by adding labels to text, photos and other content generated by artificial intelligence, a top official said Monday. EU Commission Vice President Vera Jourova said the ability of a new generation of AI chatbots to create … continue reading -> “Is It Real or Made by AI? Europe Wants a Label as It Fights Disinformation “
A pill has been shown to halve the risk of death from a certain type of lung cancer when taken daily after surgery to remove the tumor, according to clinical trial results presented on Sunday. The results were unveiled in Chicago at the largest annual conference of cancer specialists, hosted by the American Society for … continue reading -> “Pill Halves Risk of Death in Type of Lung Cancer”
In collaboration with the Ukrainian government, the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, has created an app that connects Ukrainians with their government so they can access public services — and use of the app’s code has expanded to different countries. Iryna Matviichuk has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. …
Tour de France organizers have set up an anti-COVID protocol for this year’s race, with riders and team staff banned from signing autographs and eating out of their hotels, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters Saturday. Riders and staff members were allowed out of their hotels last year. Access to the … continue reading -> “Tour de France Anti-COVID Protocol to Keep Riders in Hotels”
The latest threat to the life of Txai Surui is still fresh in her mind. Protesting deforestation in the Amazon with other Indigenous people last week, she found herself held at gunpoint. “They got out guns and ambushed two days ago,” Surui said. The Indigenous campaigner recalled the confrontation with gunmen in a telephone interview from … continue reading -> “Death in the Amazon: Dangers of Environmental Reporting ”
While judges, lawyers and support staff at the federal courthouse in Concord, New Hampshire, keep the American justice system buzzing, thousands of humble honeybees on the building’s roof are playing their part in a more important task — feeding the world. The Warren B. Rudman courthouse is one of several federal facilities around the country … continue reading -> “Honeybee Health Blooming at Federal Facilities Across US”
Tanzania on Friday declared the end of a deadly outbreak of the Marburg virus, more than two months after it was first confirmed, the World Health Organization said. Nine cases – eight confirmed and one probable – and six deaths were recorded in the outbreak of the hemorrhagic fever in the northwestern region of Kagera, … continue reading -> “WHO: Tanzania Declares End of Deadly Marburg Virus Outbreak”
In March, U.S. President Joe Biden announced the creation of a marine sanctuary across a wide swath of the Pacific Ocean. If finalized, it would help the U.S. meet its goal of protecting 30% of its oceans by 2030. The public comment period is underway, revealing the competing interests of conservation and economic development across … continue reading -> “US Proposal for Remote Pacific Marine Sanctuary Draws Mixed Response”
Summer is in the air — cigarette smoke is not — in Sweden’s outdoor bars and restaurants. As the World Health Organization marks “World No Tobacco Day” on Wednesday, Sweden, which has the lowest rate of smoking in the Europe Union, is close to declaring itself “smoke-free” — defined as having fewer than 5% daily … continue reading -> “Sweden Approaches ‘Smoke-Free’ Status as Daily Use of Cigarettes Dwindles”
An all-private astronaut team of two Americans and two Saudis, including the first Arab woman sent into orbit, splashed down safely off Florida on Tuesday night, capping an eight-day research mission aboard the International Space Station. The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying them parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, … continue reading -> “Private Astronaut Crew, Including First Arab Woman in Orbit, Returns from Space Station”
Amazon agreed Wednesday to pay a $25 million civil penalty to settle Federal Trade Commission allegations it violated a child privacy law and deceived parents by keeping for years kids’ voice and location data recorded by its popular Alexa voice assistant. Separately, the company agreed to pay $5.8 million in customer refunds for alleged privacy … continue reading -> “Amazon to Pay $31 Million in Privacy Violation Penalties for Alexa Voice Assistant, Ring Camera”
The International Energy Agency says Chinese car manufacturers are emerging as a major force in the global electric car market, with more than 50% of all electric cars on roads worldwide now produced in China. Spain is the second-largest vehicle manufacturer in Europe after Germany and its market has become a target for Chinese automakers. … continue reading -> “China Eyes Spain in Drive to Conquer European EV Market”
SpaceX’s Starlink, the satellite communications service started by billionaire Elon Musk, now has a Defense Department contract to buy those satellite services for Ukraine, the Pentagon said Thursday. “We continue to work with a range of global partners to ensure Ukraine has the resilient satellite and communication capabilities they need. Satellite communications constitute a … continue reading -> “SpaceX’s Starlink Wins Pentagon Contract for Satellite Services for Ukraine”
The U.N.’s weather service, the World Meteorological Organization, selected Argentinian meteorologist Celeste Saulo Thursday to be the agency’s first woman secretary-general, effective in January 2024. In a statement, the WMO said Saulo was elected by the organization’s 193 members as part of the World Meteorological Congress being held at the U.N. in Geneva. In the … continue reading -> “Argentinian Meteorologist Celeste Saulo to Lead UN Weather Agency”
Almost two dozen people have died from cholera just outside South Africa’s capital, Pretoria, over the past two weeks, and hundreds have been hospitalized. VOA spoke to residents who have been affected and officials who are still searching for the source. Kate Bartlett reports from Hammanskraal, South Africa. Camera: Zaheer Cassim. …
The semiconductor trade war between Washington and Beijing may ensnare Seoul as South Korea must decide between backing its closest ally or embracing a lucrative export opportunity presented by China, its top trading partner. The decision will reveal how closely South Korea is aligned with the U.S., its second-largest export market, experts said. The dilemma … continue reading -> “China’s Micron Chips Ban Is Litmus Test for South Korea”
Namibia’s president recently signed a projected $10 billion deal that calls for Namibia and the German company Hyphen Energy to produce “green hydrogen,” a clean energy source that advocates see as the fuel of the future. Hyphen Energy last Friday concluded a multibillion-dollar agreement with the Namibian government to construct the project in the Tsau … continue reading -> “Namibia Signs $10 Billion Green Energy Deal With Germany’s Hyphen”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday approved Pfizer Inc.’s respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine for older adults, making it the second shot against the common respiratory disease that can be fatal for seniors. The approval comes less than a month after the FDA approved a similar shot by rival GSK PLC. Pfizer’s … continue reading -> “US Regulator Approves Pfizer’s RSV Vaccine for Adults 60 and Older”
Canada will soon require that health warnings be printed on individual cigarettes and cigars in a further crackdown on smoking, the country’s addictions minister announced Wednesday. The messaging, to be phased in starting August 1, will include lines such as “Poison in every puff,” “Tobacco smoke harms children” and “Cigarettes cause cancer.” Addictions Minister Carolyn … continue reading -> “In Canada, Each Cigar and Cigarette to Bear Cancer Warning”
Earth has pushed past seven out of eight scientifically established safety limits and into “the danger zone,” not just for an overheating planet that’s losing its natural areas, but for the well-being of people living on it, according to a new study. The study looks not just at guardrails for the planetary ecosystem but for … continue reading -> “Earth Is ‘Really Quite Sick Now’ and in Danger Zone in Nearly all Ecological Ways, Study Says”
The director of the leading U.S. cybersecurity agency has a message for scientists and top technology company officials who are warning that artificial intelligence could lead to the end of humankind: Take action. “If you actually think that these capabilities can lead to extinction of humanity, well, let’s come together and do something about it,” … continue reading -> “Key US Official Calls for Tech Companies to ‘Do Something’ About AI”
Operations to salvage 1.1 million barrels of oil from a decaying tanker moored off Yemen’s coast will soon begin after a technical support ship arrived on site on Tuesday, the United Nations said. U.N. officials have been warning for years that the Red Sea and Yemen’s coastline was at risk as the Safer tanker could … continue reading -> “Operation to Empty Decaying Oil Tanker Set to Begin in Yemen, UN Says”
Disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes is in custody at a Texas prison where she could spend the next 11 years for overseeing a blood-testing hoax that became a parable about greed and hubris in Silicon Valley, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Holmes, 39, on Tuesday entered a federal women’s prison camp located in … continue reading -> “Theranos Founder Elizabeth Holmes Starts 11-year Sentence for Blood-Testing Hoax”
Health care providers in Kenya’s Dadaab refugee camp say an ongoing cholera outbreak is becoming a looming catastrophe. Doctors Without Borders has described the six-month-long cholera outbreak as the worst yet, amid an influx of new refugees from Somalia. Medecins Sans Frontieres, popularly known as Doctors Without Borders, told a news conference Tuesday that a … continue reading -> “Cholera Catastrophe Looming at Kenya Refugee Camp, Aid Group Warns”
China sent three astronauts to its Tiangong space station on Tuesday, putting a civilian scientist into space for the first time as Beijing pursues plans to send a manned mission to the Moon by the end of the decade. The world’s second-largest economy has invested billions of dollars in its military-run space program in a … continue reading -> “China’s Shenzhou-16 Mission Takes Off Bound for Space Station”