Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia said Tuesday pilgrims can expect average high temperatures of 44 degrees Celsius (111 Fahrenheit) during the Hajj, which last year saw thousands of cases of heat stress. “The expected climate for Hajj this year will witness an increase in average temperatures of 1½ to 2 …
your ad hereLogOn: Swarms of drones can be managed by one person
The U.S. military says large groups of drones and ground robots can be managed by a single person without added stress to the operator. In this week’s episode of LogOn, VOA’s Julie Taboh reports the technologies may be beneficial for civilian uses, too. Videographer and video editor: Adam Greenbaum …
your ad hereMany Americans still shying away from EVs despite Biden’s push, poll finds
Washington — Many Americans still aren’t sold on going electric for their next car purchase. High prices and a lack of easy-to-find charging stations are major sticking points, a new poll shows. About 4 in 10 U.S. adults say they would be at least somewhat likely to buy an EV …
your ad hereRare fossil of adolescent Tyrannosaurus – ‘Teen Rex’ – found by US kids
Chinese lunar probe returning to Earth
Mick Jagger, strutting at 80, teases new album and more touring
Los Angeles — How does it feel for Mick Jagger to be back on tour singing, dancing and strutting across stadium concert stages at 80 years old? “Like being on stage at 78,” the Rolling Stones frontman, who has thrilled audiences for more than six decades, said a day after playing …
your ad hereUS farmers opt for soy to limit losses as all crop prices slump
Chicago — Mark Tuttle planted more soy and less corn on his northern Illinois farm this spring as prices for both crops hover near three-year lows and soybeans’ lower production costs offered him the best chance of turning a profit in the country’s top soy producing state. He even planted soybeans …
your ad hereClimate change, El Niño to blame for deadly floods in Brazil
Trillions of cicadas descend on parts of US
Real Madrid signs France captain Mbappe on free transfer
Algeria seeks to lure tourists to neglected cultural, scenic glories
ORAN, Algeria — Algeria wants to lure more visitors to the cultural and scenic treasures of Africa’s largest country, shedding its status as a tourism backwater and expanding a sector outshone by competitors in neighboring Morocco and Tunisia. The giant north African country offers Roman and Islamic sites, beaches and …
your ad hereCEOs got hefty pay raises in 2023, widening the gap with the workers they oversee
New York — The typical compensation package for chief executives who run companies in the S&P 500 jumped nearly 13% last year, easily surpassing the gains for workers at a time when inflation was putting considerable pressure on Americans’ budgets. The median pay package for CEOs rose to $16.3 million, up …
your ad hereNigeria workers down tools as economic crisis bites
Abuja, Nigeria — Nigerian unions began an indefinite strike on Monday, closing schools and public offices, impacting airports and shutting down the national power grid after talks with the government failed to agree a new minimum wage. The worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation in Africa’s most populous country has left …
your ad hereResurgent airlines soar towards passenger, revenue records
Dubai, United Arab Emirates — Airlines will fly almost five billion passengers in 2024 and revenues will near $1 trillion, both record highs, trade body IATA said on Monday as the industry roars back after the pandemic. The International Air Transport Association also said it expected the world’s airlines to post …
your ad hereIn Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, a hidden underground world is under threat by the Maya Train
AKTUN TUYUL CAVE SYSTEM, Mexico — Rays of sunlight slice through pools of crystal water as clusters of fish cast shadows on the limestone below. Arching over the emerald basin are walls of stalactites dripping down the cavern ceiling, which opens to a dense jungle. These glowing sinkhole lakes — known …
your ad hereSouth Africa’s first retrofitted electric minibus taxi exceeds expectations
Minibus taxis are everywhere in South Africa, and all of them run on gasoline. But engineers at one university are hoping to change that as they are getting better-than-expected results from their all-electric minibus taxi. Vicky Stark has the story from Cape Town, South Africa. …
your ad here‘Garfield,’ ‘Furiosa’ repeat atop box office charts as slow summer grinds on
Extreme heat: Climate change’s silent killer
Geneva — Nearly 62,000 people died from heat-related stress in the summer of 2022 in Europe alone, and, according to a study by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, “With further global warming, we can expect an increase in the intensity, frequency, and duration of heatwaves.” A new report …
your ad hereOPEC+ agrees to extend output cuts to buttress oil prices
Vienna, Austria — The OPEC+ group of oil-producing nations agreed Sunday to extend their production cuts in a bid to support prices, as economic and geopolitical uncertainty looms over the market. The 12-member oil cartel and its 10 allies decided to “extend the level of overall crude oil production… starting …
your ad hereNext Boeing CEO should understand past mistakes, airlines boss says
DUBAI — The next CEO of Boeing BA.N should have an understanding of what led to its current crisis and be prepared to look outside for examples of best industrial practices, the head of the International Air Transport Association said on Sunday. U.S. planemaker Boeing is engulfed in a sprawling safety …
your ad hereNigeria’s new anthem, written by a Briton, sparks criticism
ABUJA, Nigeria — Nigeria adopted a new national anthem Wednesday after lawmakers passed a law that replaced the current one with a version dropped nearly a half-century ago, sparking widespread criticism about how the law was hastily passed without much public input. President Bola Tinubu’s assent to the law comes a …
your ad hereWhat are leaking underground storage tanks and how are they being cleaned up?
Paris is aiming for the most sustainable Olympics yet
PARIS — Of all the decisions Paris Olympics organizers made about where to hold each sport, sending surfing competitions to the other side of the world — in the Pacific waters of Tahiti — provoked the strongest reactions. Tahitians and others railed against the building of a new viewing tower on …
your ad hereLGBTQ+ Pride Month starting to show its colors around the world
Boeing’s first astronaut flight called off at the last minute in latest setback
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida — Last-minute computer trouble nixed Saturday’s launch attempt for Boeing’s first astronaut flight, the latest in a string of delays over the years. Two NASA astronauts were strapped in the company’s Starliner capsule when the countdown automatically was halted at 3 minutes and 50 seconds by the computer …
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