Growing up in Lahore — Pakistan’s cultural capital — fall used to be the perfect time for Mariam to enjoy outdoor activities after months of scorching summer heat. Now, she cannot imagine the same for her young daughters as Lahore’s air, ranked the most polluted globally, becomes unusually toxic in …
your ad hereThese US States Have the Most Remote Workers
More people work from home in Colorado, while Mississippi has the lowest percentage of teleworkers …
your ad hereSolar Panels Over Canals in Gila River Indian Community Will Help Save Water
In a move that may soon be replicated elsewhere, the Gila River Indian Community recently signed an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to put solar panels over a stretch of irrigation canal on its land south of Phoenix. It will be the first project of its kind …
your ad hereBritain Pushes Tech Solutions for Global Hunger; Critics Blame Inequality
Innovations in food production could alleviate hunger for millions of people, according to Britain, which hosted a global summit on food insecurity Monday, but critics say the focus on technology ignores the growing inequality of wealth. The summit was a joint initiative between Britain, Somalia, the United Arab Emirates, the …
your ad hereRussia Puts Ukrainian Winner of Eurovision Song Contest on Wanted List
Russia has placed a Ukrainian singer who won the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest on its wanted list, state news agencies reported Monday. The reports said an Interior Ministry database listed singer Susana Jamaladinova as being sought for violating a criminal law. The independent news site Mediazona, which covers opposition and …
your ad hereMicrosoft Hires Sam Altman as OpenAI’s new CEO Vows to Investigate Firing
Microsoft snapped up Sam Altman and another architect of OpenAI for a new venture after their sudden departures shocked the artificial intelligence world, leaving the newly installed CEO of the ChatGPT maker to paper over tensions by vowing to investigate Altman’s firing. The developments Monday come after a weekend of …
your ad hereLawmakers, Companies Set New Rules for AI-Generated Political Ads
As the 2024 U.S. presidential race begins to ramp up, some contenders are already using artificial intelligence to generate promotional videos, some of which blur the lines between what is real and what is not. Karina Bafradzhian has the story. VOA footage by Andrey Degtyarev. …
your ad hereSpace Tracking Helps Australia Monitor, Manage Feral Buffalo Herds
Indigenous rangers in northern Australia have started managing herds of feral animals from space. In the largest project of its kind in Australia, the so-called Space Cows project involves tagging and then tracking a thousand wild cattle and buffalo via satellite. Water buffalo were imported into Australia’s Northern Territory in …
your ad hereJudge Rules Against Tribes in Fight Over Nevada Lithium Mine
A federal judge in Nevada has dealt another legal setback to Native American tribes trying to halt construction of one of the biggest lithium mines in the world. U.S. District Judge Miranda Du granted the government’s motion to dismiss their claims the mine is being built illegally near the sacred …
your ad hereTrans Women Welcome Pope’s Message of Inclusivity
Pope Francis’ recent gesture of welcome for transgender Catholics has resonated strongly in a working class, seaside town south of Rome, where a community of trans women has found help and hope through a remarkable relationship with the pontiff forged during the darkest times of the pandemic. Thanks to the …
your ad hereOregon’s Drug Decriminalization Law Faces Growing Pushback Amid Fentanyl Crisis
Oregon’s first-in-the-nation law that decriminalized the possession of small amounts of heroin, cocaine and other illicit drugs in favor of an emphasis on addiction treatment is facing strong headwinds in the progressive state after an explosion of public drug use fueled by the proliferation of fentanyl and a surge in …
your ad hereArtists Push for US Copyright Reforms on AI, But Tech Industry Says Not So Fast
Country singers, romance novelists, video game artists and voice actors are appealing to the U.S. government for relief — as soon as possible — from the threat that artificial intelligence poses to their livelihoods. “Please regulate AI. I’m scared,” wrote a podcaster concerned about his voice being replicated by AI …
your ad hereSpaceX Starship Launch Fails Minutes After Reaching Space
SpaceX’s uncrewed spacecraft Starship, developed to carry astronauts to the moon and beyond, failed in space shortly after lifting off Saturday, cutting short its second test but making it further than an earlier attempt that ended in an explosion. The two-stage rocket ship blasted off from the Elon Musk-owned company’s …
your ad hereFan Dies at Taylor Swift Concert in Rio Amid Heat Complaints, No Water
A 23-year-old Taylor Swift fan died at the singer’s Eras Tour concert in Rio de Janeiro Friday night, according to a statement from the show’s organizers in Brazil. Both fans and politicians reacted to the news with outrage. While a cause of death for Ana Clara Benevides Machado has not …
your ad hereCensored Artwork Finds Second Opportunity at New Barcelona Museum
A drawing of a nude Donald Trump. A punching bag sculpture shaped like a woman’s torso. A display of women’s party shoes standing proudly on prayer rugs. All are pieces of contemporary art that have provoked debate and, sometimes, violent reactions. These pieces and dozens more that were subjected to …
your ad hereAdvertisers Flee Elon Musk’s X Amid Concerns of Antisemitism Backlash
Advertisers are fleeing social media platform X over concerns about their ads showing up next to pro-Nazi content and hate speech on the site in general, with billionaire owner Elon Musk inflaming tensions with his own posts endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy theory. IBM said this week that it stopped advertising …
your ad hereCricket-Mad India Readies for World Cup Final Against Australia
India captain Rohit Sharma said Saturday his players understand the pressure of being Indian cricketers and remain “calm and composed” for the World Cup final against five-time champion Australia. The hosts are undefeated in 10 matches and will eye their first global trophy in over a decade in front of …
your ad hereSecond SpaceX Starship Launch Presumed Failed Minutes After Reaching Space
SpaceX’s uncrewed spacecraft Starship, developed to carry astronauts to the moon and beyond, was presumed to have failed in space minutes after lifting off on Saturday in a second test after its first attempt to reach space ended in an explosion. The two-stage rocket ship blasted off from the Elon …
your ad hereChina-US Fentanyl Agreement Restarts Stalled Cooperative Fight Against Deadly Drug
U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed earlier this week that Beijing will crack down on companies in China that produce precursor chemicals for fentanyl, an agreement that Biden said would “save lives.” In exchange, the Biden administration agreed to lift sanctions on China’s Physical Evidence Identification …
your ad hereCommunity Gardens Blossom in Malaysia
Many of Malaysia’s urban communities are adding a rural touch. Community gardens are popping up as residents look for ways to bring the great outdoors closer to home. Dave Grunebaum has the story. …
your ad hereWorld’s First Gene Therapy for Sickle Cell Disease Approved in Britain
Britain’s medicines regulator has authorized the world’s first gene therapy treatment for sickle cell disease, in a move that could offer relief to thousands of people with the crippling disease in the U.K. In a statement Thursday, the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency said it approved Casgevy, the first medicine …
your ad hereAS Byatt, Who Wrote Bestseller ‘Possession,’ Dies at 87
British author A.S. Byatt, who wove history, myth and a sharp eye for human foibles into books that included the Booker Prize-winning novel Possession, has died at the age of 87. Byatt’s publisher, Chatto & Windus, said Friday that the author, whose full name was Antonia Byatt, died “peacefully at …
your ad hereFlu Soaring in 7 US States, Rising in Others, Health Officials Say
The U.S. flu season is under way, with at least seven states reporting high levels of illnesses and cases rising in other parts of the country, health officials say. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted new flu data Friday, showing very high activity last week in Louisiana, and …
your ad hereUyghur Poet’s Memoir on China’s Abuses Earns Recognition
Tahir Hamut Izgil witnessed firsthand, China’s repressive treatment of the Uyghur ethnic minority group and experienced how society changed over time in Xinjiang, an autonomous region in northwest China. His memoir, published this year has gained attention by readers and recognition by two prominent U.S. publications this week, while China …
your ad hereMelting Arctic Sea Ice Threatens Polar Bears
In the Arctic, the impact of climate change is happening at an accelerated pace, with temperatures rising two to four times faster than the global average. “It’s called the polar amplification,” explains Vladimir Romanovsky, a geophysicist at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. “Snow and ice reflect lots of energy …
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