WASHINGTON – South Korean officials are seeking to tamp down domestic opposition to the likely release of treated wastewater from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant. The release has the potential to undermine a recent warming of relations between the two countries in the face of an increasingly aggressive China, and some analysts worry that Beijing could … continue reading -> “Experts: China Sees Fukushima Water Release as Tool to Divide Seoul and Tokyo”
The chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency is visiting the Asia-Pacific region this week after giving Tokyo the green light on Tuesday to release more than 1 million metric tons of treated nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean. The IAEA says the water is safe for release, but the decision has done little to … continue reading -> “Japan’s Radioactive Water Release Plan Safe, IAEA Chief Says”
Tens of millions of people have signed up for Meta’s new app, Threads, as it aims to challenge competitor platform Twitter. Threads launched on Wednesday in the United States and in more than 100 other countries. In a Thursday morning post on the platform, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said 30 million people had signed up. … continue reading -> “Meta’s New Twitter Competitor, Threads, Boasts Tens of Millions of Sign-Ups”
China reported Thursday that 239 people died from COVID-19 in June in a significant uptick months after it lifted most containment measures. The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention had reported 164 deaths in May and none in April and March. China started employing a “zero-COVID” containment strategy in early 2020 and credits the … continue reading -> “China Says 239 People Died From COVID-19 in June in Significant Uptick”
OceanGate, the U.S.-based company that managed the tourist submersible that imploded during a dive to the wreck of the Titanic, has suspended all exploration and commercial operations, its website showed on Thursday. The company did not elaborate beyond a red banner at the top of its website: “OceanGate has suspended all exploration and commercial … continue reading -> “Titan Submersible Operator Suspends Expeditions After Deadly Implosion”
Europe’s workhorse Ariane 5 rocket blasted off for a final time on Wednesday, with its farewell flight after 27 years of launches coming at a difficult time for European space efforts. Faced with soaring global competition, the continent has unexpectedly found itself without a way to independently launch heavy missions into space due to delays … continue reading -> “Ariane 5 Blasts Off for Final Time Amid Europe’s Rocketing Challenges”
Facebook behemoth Meta officially launched Threads, its text-based rival to Twitter, on Wednesday — but its release in Europe has been delayed over data privacy concerns. Threads is the biggest challenger yet to Elon Musk-owned Twitter, which has seen a series of potential competitors emerge but not yet replace one of social media’s most iconic … continue reading -> “Meta Launches Threads App, a Challenger to Twitter”
The planet’s temperature spiked on Tuesday to its hottest day in at least 44 years and likely much longer. Wednesday could become the third straight day that Earth unofficially marks a new record high, the latest in a series of climate-change extremes that alarm but don’t surprise scientists. The globe’s average temperature reached 62.9 degrees … continue reading -> “Tuesday Set Unofficial Record for Earth’s Hottest Day; Wednesday May Break It”
Health organizations in Sudan’s White Nile state said at least 13 children have died over the past week due to a suspected measles outbreak. An official with the Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, said Sudan’s conflict and the approach of the rainy season could make the situation much worse. Officials with … continue reading -> “Sudan Reports 13 Dead in Measles Outbreak “
In India, a recent court judgement that dismissed a legal petition by Twitter challenging the federal government’s orders to block tweets and accounts is a setback for free speech, according to digital rights activists. The Karnataka High Court, which delivered its judgement last week, also imposed a fine of $ 61,000 on the social media … continue reading -> “Indian Court’s Dismissal of Twitter’s Petition Sparks Concerns About Free Online Speech”
Elon Musk spent the weekend further alienating Twitter users with more drastic changes to the social media giant, and he is facing a new challenge as tech nemesis Mark Zuckerberg prepares to launch a rival app this week. Zuckerberg’s Meta group, which owns Facebook, has listed a new app in stores as “Threads, an Instagram … continue reading -> “Twitter Chaos Leaves Door Open for Meta’s Rival App”
Deeply loved but wracked by crisis, Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) on Wednesday marks 75 years since it was founded as the Western world’s first universal, free health care system. In a secular age, the NHS is the closest thing Britain has to a national religion — devoutly cherished, with levels of public support higher … continue reading -> “Britain’s Public Health Service at 75: On Life Support?”
London’s expansion of a fiercely debated scheme that charges the most polluting vehicles in the city should be blocked, local authorities bringing a legal challenge over the plan argued on Tuesday. The British capital’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) levies a $16 daily charge on drivers of non-compliant vehicles, in order to tackle pollution and … continue reading -> “London Fights Legal Challenge Over Expanding Clean-Air Zone”
U.S. President Joe Biden says he wants every American to have access to high-speed internet. VOA’s Julie Taboh has our story about the United States’ more than $40 billion-dollar investment to expand the service. …
Maternal deaths across the United States more than doubled over the course of two decades, and the tragedy unfolded unequally. Black mothers died at the nation’s highest rates, while the largest increases in deaths were found in American Indian and Native Alaskan mothers. Some states — and racial or ethnic groups within them – fared … continue reading -> “Maternal Deaths in US More Than Doubled Over Two Decades”
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN — Sweden on Monday ordered four companies to stop using a Google tool that measures and analyzes web traffic, as doing so transfers personal data to the United States. One company was fined the equivalent of more than $1.1 million. Sweden’s privacy protection agency, the IMY, said it had examined the use of Google Analytics … continue reading -> “Sweden Orders Four Companies to Stop Using Google Tool”
The head of the United Nations called Monday for maritime nations to agree on a course for the shipping industry to reduce its climate-harming emissions to net zero by the middle of the century at the latest. The appeal by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres came at the start of a meeting of the International Maritime … continue reading -> “UN Chief Urges Maritime Nations to Chart Course for Net Zero Shipping Emissions by 2050”
Doctors Without Borders said Sunday that there is a suspected outbreak of measles in an internal displacement camp in Sudan. The international humanitarian organization said 13 children have died recently in the suspected outbreak at the camp in Sudan’s White Nile state. “We are receiving sick children with suspected measles every day, most with complications,” … continue reading -> “Suspected Outbreak of Measles in Sudan “
The head of the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization, Qu Dongyu, was re-elected Sunday for a second term as head of the U.N. agency. He was the only candidate standing for the role of FAO director-general and received 168 out of 182 votes in a ballot in Rome on Sunday. Qu, a former Chinese government … continue reading -> “China’s Qu Dongyu Reelected Unopposed as Head of UN Food Agency”
Following an outbreak of anthrax disease in the West African nation of Ghana, Nigerian authorities have urged citizens to halt consumption of cooked animal hides, a delicacy also known as “pomo” in the country. Gibson Emeka has this story from Abuja, Nigeria, narrated by Salem Solomon. …
The only break much of America can hope for soon from eye-watering, dangerous smoke from fire-struck Canada would be brief bouts of shirt-soaking, sweltering heat and humidity from a deadly, Southern heat wave, forecasters say. And then the smoke will likely return to the Midwest and East. Here’s why: Neither the 235 out-of-control Canadian wildfires … continue reading -> “Much of America Can Expect a Hot, Smoky Summer”
Researchers say they are detecting a dramatic spike in ocean surface temperatures around the world — reaching as much as 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit) above normal in the North Atlantic — and they could rise even higher. “It is very alarming, and as temperatures keep spiking, this is not unexpected,” said Kim Cobb, … continue reading -> “Record Temperatures in Warming Oceans Causes Chaotic Weather Patterns”
NAIROBI, Kenya — Nowhere in the world has a higher rate of unsafe abortions or unintended pregnancies than sub-Saharan Africa, where women often face scorn for becoming pregnant before marriage. Efforts to legalize and make abortions safer in Africa were shaken when the U.S. Supreme Court ended the national right to an abortion a year … continue reading -> “US Religious Conservatives Lobby to Restrict Abortion in Africa”
Airline passengers who have endured tens of thousands of weather-related flight delays this week could face a new source of disruptions starting Saturday, when wireless providers are expected to power up new 5G systems near major airports. Aviation groups have warned for years that 5G signals could interfere with aircraft equipment, especially devices using radio … continue reading -> “In US, 5G Wireless Signals Could Disrupt Flights Starting This Weekend”
Elon Musk announced Saturday that Twitter would temporarily restrict how many tweets users could read per day, in a move meant to tamp down on the use of the site’s data by artificial intelligence companies. The platform is limiting verified accounts to reading 6,000 tweets a day. Non-verified users — the free accounts that make … continue reading -> “In AI Tussle, Twitter Restricts Number of Posts Users Can Read”