From digital passports to apps that announce air alerts or enable conscripts to update their information in the draft register, Ukraine is now a world leader in the drive to digitalize government services. From Kyiv, Lesia Bakalets reports on how Russia’s full-scale invasion has pushed Ukraine’s drive to digitalize. …
your ad hereUS agency votes to launch review, update undersea telecommunications cable rules
WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission voted on Thursday to propose new rules governing undersea internet cables in the face of growing security concerns, as part of a review of regulations on the links that handle nearly all the world’s online traffic. The FCC voted 5-0 on proposed updates to address …
your ad hereKabul residents queue up for hours to collect water
Kabul residents are struggling with severe water shortages, often waiting hours at the Afghan capital’s dwindling wells for drinking water. The United Nations cautions that urbanization and climate change could deplete the city’s groundwater within the next five to six years. VOA’s Afghan service has this report, narrated by Bezhan …
your ad hereFeds outline ‘necessary steps’ for Colorado River agreement by 2026
LAS VEGAS — Federal water officials made public on Wednesday what they called “necessary steps” for seven states and multiple tribes that use Colorado River water and hydropower to meet an August 2026 deadline for deciding how to manage the waterway in the future. “Today, we show our collective work,” Bureau …
your ad hereX’s former policy chief takes job with Elon Musk rival Sam Altman
NEW YORK — Nick Pickles, the former head of global affairs at Elon Musk’s social media platform X, is joining forces with one of Musk’s rivals, his fellow OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman. Pickles, who resigned from X in September, told Reuters on Wednesday that he will serve as chief policy officer …
your ad hereDuct-taped banana goes for $6.2 million in Sotheby’s art auction
A piece of art that is little more than a banana duct-taped to a wall sold at auction for $6.2 million on Wednesday to cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun, Sotheby’s said, furthering the universal conversation about what constitutes art. “Comedian,” by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, first rocked the art world upon …
your ad hereAI app helps Kenyan farmers optimize crop yields
Farmers in Kenya are using artificial intelligence to help them get better crop yields. An AI-powered tool – called Virtual Agronomist – engages directly with farmers to help them create tailored plans to optimize the quality and quantity of their crops. Mohammed Yusuf has more from Mwea, Kenya. …
your ad hereUS regulators seek to break up Google, forcing Chrome sale
U.S. regulators want a federal judge to break up Google to prevent the company from continuing to squash competition through its dominant search engine after a court found it had maintained an abusive monopoly over the past decade. The proposed breakup floated in a 23-page document filed late Wednesday by …
your ad hereLower turkey costs set table for cheaper US Thanksgiving feast this year
Inflation-weary consumers should see the cost of their classic Thanksgiving dinner gobble less of their paychecks this year, largely because Americans are buying less of the meal’s centerpiece dish, turkey. The price tag of the traditional holiday meal, which also includes cranberries, sweet potatoes and stuffing, has dropped for a …
your ad hereClimate change boosted hurricane wind strength by 29 kph since 2019, study says
BAKU, Azerbaijan — Human-caused climate change made Atlantic hurricanes about 29 kilometers per hour (18 miles per hour) stronger in the last six years, a new scientific study found Wednesday. For most of the storms — 40 of them — the extra oomph from warmer oceans made the storms jump an …
your ad hereCookie masters create gingerbread versions of New York icons
Making decorative gingerbread houses is a Christmas tradition in several countries. A New York City museum has gone a step further by using the humble holiday cookie to construct a stunning tribute to the Big Apple. Aron Ranen has the story. …
your ad hereDark energy pushing our universe apart may not be what it seems, scientists say
NEW YORK — Distant, ancient galaxies are giving scientists more hints that a mysterious force called dark energy may not be what they thought. Astronomers know that the universe is being pushed apart at an accelerating rate and they have puzzled for decades over what could possibly be speeding everything up. …
your ad hereIslamic Council’s VPN decree raises concerns about privacy in Pakistan
WASHINGTON — Pakistan’s top cleric has declared that virtual private networks, or VPNs, are unlawful, igniting a debate on privacy rights and access to information amid a government crackdown on the internet. Allama Raghib Naeemi, head of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), issued a decree saying it makes no difference …
your ad herePakistan’s Islamic Council calls for ban on use of VPNs
WASHINGTON — Pakistan’s top cleric has declared that virtual private networks, or VPNs, are unlawful, igniting a debate on privacy rights and access to information amid a government crackdown on the internet. Allama Raghib Naeemi, head of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), issued a decree saying it makes no difference …
your ad hereZambia, Zimbabwe seek move to wind, solar to avert power shortages
VICTORIA FALLS, ZIMBABWE — Zimbabwe and Zambia are holding a summit this week in Victoria Falls to identify ways to attract investors for energy projects and development. The talks come as the neighbors experience their worst recorded drought, which is drying up the Kariba Dam reservoir and causing hourslong power cuts. …
your ad hereJudge strikes down Wyoming abortion ban, including explicit ban on pills
CHEYENNE, Wyoming — A state judge on Monday struck down Wyoming’s overall ban on abortion and its first-in-the-nation explicit prohibition on the use of medication to end pregnancy. Since 2022, Teton County District Judge Melissa Owens has ruled consistently three times to block the laws while they were disputed in court. …
your ad hereSlow progress on climate finance fuels anger as COP29 winds down
London — As the COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan enters its final days, there are growing frustrations over the apparent lack of progress toward securing a deal on climate finance, which is seen as a crucial step in reducing emissions and limiting global warming. Mukhtar Babayev, Azerbaijan’s COP29 president, called …
your ad hereCalifornia reports possible bird flu case in child
California’s public health department reported a possible case of bird flu in a child with mild respiratory symptoms on Tuesday, but said there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission of the virus and that the child’s family members tested negative. California officials said they have sent test specimens from the …
your ad hereAI in action at Africa Tech Festival
Artificial intelligence was much discussed and demonstrated at the Africa Tech Festival in Cape Town, South Africa earlier this month. The conference highlighted how technology is changing industries on the continent. Vicky Stark filed this report. …
your ad hereArthur Frommer, travel guide innovator, has died at 95
NEW YORK — Arthur Frommer, whose “Europe on 5 Dollars a Day” guidebooks revolutionized leisure travel by convincing average Americans to take budget vacations abroad, has died. He was 95. Frommer died from complications of pneumonia, his daughter Pauline Frommer said Monday. “My father opened up the world to so many …
your ad hereUrban mosquito sparks malaria surge in East Africa
NAIROBI, KENYA — The spread of a mosquito in East Africa that thrives in urban areas and is immune to insecticide is fueling a surge in malaria that could reverse decades of progress against the disease, experts say. Africa accounted for about 95% of the 249 million malaria cases and 608,000 …
your ad hereGreece to repay chunk of bailout debt early
Athens, Greece — Greece will make an early repayment of 5 billion euros ($5.3 billion) in bailout-era debt in 2025, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told a banking conference in Athens on Monday, describing the move as a signal of the country’s fiscal recovery. “This … underscores our confidence in public finances …
your ad hereZimbabwe urged to put money into cancer treatment services
Cancer patients and advocates are urging authorities in Zimbabwe to ensure cancer centers have lifesaving equipment needed to properly treat patients. Some patients say public hospitals do not have working machines to provide radiotherapy. Columbus Mavhunga has more from Harare. (Camera: Columbus Mavhunga) …
your ad hereTeenage Buddhist lama marks last birthday in US before joining monastery in Himalayas
ISANTI, Minn. — The young Buddhist lama sat on a throne near an altar decorated with flowers, fruits and golden statues of the Buddha, watching the celebrations of his 18th birthday in silence, with a faint smile. Jalue Dorje knew it would be the last big party before he joins a …
your ad herePoland urges polio vaccinations for children after virus detected in sewage in Warsaw
warsaw, poland — Poland’s health authorities on Monday urged polio vaccinations for children after the virus was detected in Warsaw’s sewage during regular tests this month. The state Main Sanitary Inspectorate in a statement said the presence of the virus does not necessarily mean people have been sick, but those who …
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