The naturally occurring form of polio remains active in only two countries in the world: Pakistan and Afghanistan. Over 50 cases of so-called wild polio have been confirmed in the region this year despite continuing efforts to eradicate the disease. This report comes from both sides of the border, narrated by Bezhan Hamdard. …
A top Chinese official has urged tech giant Apple to deepen its presence and investment in innovation in the world’s second largest economy at a time when supply chains and companies are shifting production and operations away from China. As U.S.-China geopolitical tensions simmer and tech competition between Beijing and Western countries intensifies, foreign investment … continue reading -> “Chinese official urges Apple to continue ‘deepening’ presence in China”
One person died and dozens fell ill from E. coli infections linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers in 10 states, led by Colorado, where 26 people were sickened, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said on Tuesday. The E. coli outbreak, linked to one of McDonald’s most popular menu items, has sickened 49 people and … continue reading -> “E. coli outbreak tied to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder kills 1, sickens dozens in US”
Health officials say there have been six cases of polio reported in Ivory Coast in 2023, and one so far this year. It doesn’t seem like many, but any polio cases are cause for concern among health officials trying to completely eradicate the disease. VOA’s Yassin Ciyow reports from Abidjan, in this story narrated by … continue reading -> “Polio resurfaces in Ivory Coast, threatening country’s children”
Berlin — An infection with the new mpox variant clade 1b has been detected in Germany for the first time, the Robert Koch Institute health authority said on Tuesday. The infection occurred abroad and was detected last Friday, the institute said, adding that it did not see an increased risk for Germany but was “monitoring … continue reading -> “New mpox variant detected in Germany “
HONG KONG — China’s National Health Commission (NHC) published its first set of guidelines to standardize the diagnosis and treatment of obesity, with more than half of China’s adults already overweight and obese, and the rate expected to keep rising. The guidelines, made public on October 17, come as China experiences an upward morbidity trend of … continue reading -> “China unveils first diagnosis guidelines to battle escalating obesity crisis”
Washington — When it comes to combating disinformation ahead of the U.S. presidential elections, artificial intelligence and chatbots are failing, a media research group has found. The latest audit by the research group NewsGuard found that generative AI tools struggle to effectively respond to false narratives. In its latest audit of 10 leading chatbots, compiled in … continue reading -> “‘Garbage in, garbage out’: AI fails to debunk disinformation, study finds”
Paris — French drugmaker Sanofi’s confirmation that it will sell a controlling stake in its consumer health unit to a U.S. investment fund sparked a new political backlash Monday, stoked by fears the deal marks a loss of sovereignty over key medications. Paris “must block the sale” using powers to protect strategic sectors, Manuel Bompard, … continue reading -> “French government takes new blows over deal to sell painkiller maker to US fund”
Microsoft will allow customers to build autonomous artificial intelligence agents starting in November, the software giant said on Monday, in its latest move to tap the booming technology. The company is positioning autonomous agents — programs which require little human intervention unlike chatbots — as “apps for an AI-driven world,” capable of handling client inquiries, identifying sales … continue reading -> “Microsoft to allow autonomous AI agent development starting next month”
Bogota, Colombia — Global environmental leaders gather Monday in Cali, Colombia to assess the world’s plummeting biodiversity levels and commitments by countries to protect plants, animals and critical habitats. The two-week United Nations Biodiversity Conference, or COP16, is a follow-up to the 2022 Montreal meetings where 196 countries signed a historic global treaty to protect biodiversity. … continue reading -> “Environmental delegates gather in Colombia for a conference on dwindling global biodiversity”
Geneva — The WHO chief on Sunday urged Rwanda to keep up its fightback against Marburg, as the country battles an outbreak of one of the world’s deadliest viruses. There have been 62 confirmed cases and 15 deaths in the outbreak, which was first announced in late September. No new cases have been detected in the … continue reading -> “WHO urges Rwanda to see off Marburg outbreak”
The artificial intelligence boom has benefited chatbot makers, computer scientists and Nvidia investors. It’s also providing an unusual windfall for Anguilla, a tiny island in the Caribbean. ChatGPT’s debut nearly two years ago heralded the dawn of the AI age and kicked off a digital gold rush as companies scrambled to stake their own claims … continue reading -> “Tiny Caribbean island of Anguilla turns AI boom into digital gold mine”
MILWAUKEE — Whooping cough is at its highest level in a decade for this time of year, U.S. health officials reported Thursday. There have been 18,506 cases of whooping cough reported so far, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. That’s the most at this point in the year since 2014, when cases topped 21,800. … continue reading -> “Whooping cough is at a decade-high level in US”
People with HIV can safely receive donated kidneys from deceased donors with the virus, according to a large study that comes as the U.S. government moves to expand the practice. That could shorten the wait for organs for all, regardless of HIV status. The new study, published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, … continue reading -> “Kidney transplants are safe between people with HIV, US study shows “
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan said Saturday that two children in its southern Sindh province had been paralyzed by poliovirus, bringing the total number of cases nationwide to 39 for the year since March, when officials confirmed the first case. The South Asian nation of around 240 million people reported six cases of paralytic poliovirus infections in 2023, … continue reading -> “Polio crisis deepens as Pakistan reports new cases”
ABUJA, NIGERIA — Nigeria officially launched its malaria vaccination campaign this week to protect millions of children from the deadly disease, focusing heavily on high-risk states. The first 846,000 doses of the R21 malaria vaccine arrived in Abuja, Nigeria, on Thursday, marking a milestone in efforts to eliminate malaria. According to the World Health Organization, the … continue reading -> “Nigeria rolls out long-anticipated malaria vaccine”
KAMIMOMI, Japan — In the remote village of Kamimomi in Japan’s western Okayama prefecture, a small group of rice farmers began their most recent harvest in sweltering heat, two weeks sooner than usual. The prefecture is called “the Land of Sunshine” because of its pleasant climate, but farmers working among the paddy fields and ancient rice … continue reading -> “Aging farmers face extreme temperatures as they struggle to maintain Japan’s rice crop”
Two years after reaching a historic biodiversity agreement, countries will gather next week to determine whether they are making progress on efforts to save Earth’s plant and animal life. The agreement signed by 196 countries at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference calls for protecting 30% of land and water by 2030, known as 30 by … continue reading -> “Pressure grows for nations to deliver on promised biodiversity targets at UN conference”
WASHINGTON — China-based DJI sued the U.S. Defense Department on Friday for adding the drone maker to a list of companies allegedly working with Beijing’s military, saying the designation is wrong and has caused the company significant financial harm. DJI, the world’s largest drone manufacturer that sells more than half of all U.S. commercial drones, asked … continue reading -> “Drone maker DJI sues Pentagon over Chinese military listing”
WINDHOEK, NAMIBIA — Namibians who are part of the LGBTQ+ community often find it difficult to get decent health care and many report discriminatory practices within the health care system. For example, when 20-year-old Immanuel Uirab sought contraception at a health facility, the nurse on duty would not assist him. “I don’t know if it’s the … continue reading -> “Namibia hosts workshop on health care access to LGBTQ+ community”
washington — The Orionids — one of two annual meteor showers from Halley’s comet — peak early Monday. A bright waning moon may make them difficult to spot. The Orionid meteor shower can be unpredictable. It shines like a fireworks display in some years but is fairly slow in other years. This highly variable shower may … continue reading -> “Moonlight may hamper views of Orionid meteor shower, debris of Halley’s comet”
The Tana River delta on the Kenyan coast includes a vast range of habitats and a remarkably productive ecosystem, says UNESCO. It is also home to many bird species, including some that are nearly threatened. Residents are helping local conservation efforts with an app called eBird. Juma Majanga reports. …
In a year with over 60 national elections worldwide, concerns are high that individuals and entities are using deepfake images and recordings to contribute to the flood of election misinformation. VOA’s Rio Tuasikal reports on some potentially dangerous videos made using generative AI. …
U.S. federal prosecutors are stepping up their pursuit of suspects who use artificial intelligence tools to manipulate or create child sex abuse images, as law enforcement fears the technology could spur a flood of illicit material. The U.S. Justice Department has brought two criminal cases this year against defendants accused of using generative AI systems, … continue reading -> “US prosecutors see rising threat of AI-generated child sex abuse imagery”
Meta’s independent content watchdog said Thursday there were “serious questions” about how the social media giant deals with anti-immigrant content, particularly in Europe. The Oversight Board, established by Meta in 2020 and sometimes called its “supreme court,” launched a probe after seeing a “significant number” of appeals over anti-immigrant content. The board has chosen two … continue reading -> “Watchdog: ‘Serious questions’ over Meta’s handling of anti-immigrant posts”