Month: December 2023
‘Wonka’ Back Atop North America Box Office in Weak Film Year
Los Angeles — Fantasy musical “Wonka” bounced back to the top of the North American box office this New Year’s weekend as an otherwise pallid film year came to an end,
Read MoreUS Seizes Illegal E-Cigarettes, as Thousands of New Ones Are Launching
WASHINGTON — Federal officials are seizing more shipments of unauthorized electronic cigarettes at U.S. ports, but thousands of new flavored products continue pouring into the country from China, according to government
Read MoreOscar-Nominated Actor Tom Wilkinson Dies at 75
london — Two-time Oscar-nominated actor Tom Wilkinson, who starred in “The Full Monty” — a movie about a group of unemployed steel workers who launched new careers as strippers — died
Read MoreLebanon to Seek UNESCO Recognition for Pioneering TV Archive
Beirut, Lebanon — For decades, Tele Liban has been a mainstay of Lebanese living rooms. Now the country is seeking UNESCO recognition for the archives of its pioneering Arab broadcaster. Information
Read More‘Extinction Rebellion’ Climate Activists Block Part of Amsterdam Highway
AMSTERDAM — Climate activists blocked part of the main highway around Amsterdam near the former headquarters of ING bank Saturday to protest its financing of fossil fuels. Amsterdam Municipality said in
Read MoreVenice Limits Tourist Groups to 25 People to Protect Canal City
MILAN — The Italian city of Venice announced new limits Saturday on the size of tourist groups, the latest move to reduce the pressure of mass tourism on the famed canal
Read MoreMost US Endangered Species Money Goes to Handful of Species
BILLINGS, Mont. — Since passage of the Endangered Species Act 50 years ago, more than 1,700 plants, mammals, fish, insects and other species in the U.S. have been listed as threatened
Read MoreCalifornia Expanding Health Care for Low-Income Immigrants in 2024
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — More than 700,000 immigrants living illegally in California will gain access to free health care starting Monday under one of the state’s most ambitious coverage expansions in a
Read MoreLegendary Restaurant Reopens, Overlooking Paris 2024 Olympics, Reborn Notre Dame
PARIS — The Tour d’Argent already boasts a 320,000-bottle wine cellar, a world-famous duck recipe and a storied 441-year history. Now, the legendary Paris restaurant is about to serve up its
Read MoreBrazil Pays Tributes to Pelé 1 Year After His Death
RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazilians paid several tributes to soccer legend Pelé on Friday, one year after the three-time World Cup winner’s death at age 82 due to a colon cancer.
Read MoreMexican President Says ‘Super Pharmacy’ to Supply Medicines to All
MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s president inaugurated a huge “super pharmacy” Friday in a bid to help patients throughout the country who are told they need a specific medicine, but their hospital
Read MoreChina’s Fireworks Bans Spark Fiery Debate Ahead of Lunar New Year
BEIJING — Chinese lawmakers Friday weighed in on a fiery online debate on whether fireworks should be used to ring in the Lunar New Year in February, saying a total ban
Read MoreChile Granny Finds Solace, Celebrity in Online Gaming
Llay-Llay, Chile — Few players of the online video game Free Fire would know that one of their most ferocious opponents — a lithe, gun-wielding warrior in a short kimono and
Read MoreLegal Battles Loom as First Mickey Mouse Copyright Ends
Los Angeles — Almost a century after his big-screen debut, Mickey Mouse enters the public domain Monday, opening the floodgates to potential remakes, spin-offs, adaptations … and legal battles with Disney.
Read MoreUS Military’s Secretive Spaceplane Launched on Possible Higher-Orbit Mission
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida — The U.S. military’s secretive X-37B robot spaceplane blasted off from Florida on Thursday night on its seventh mission, the first launched atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket
Read MoreAs Tree Species Face Decline, ‘Assisted Migration’ Gains Popularity in Pacific Northwest
portland, oregon — As native trees in the Pacific Northwest die off due to climate change, the U.S. Forest Service, the city of Portland, Oregon, and citizen groups around Puget Sound
Read MoreStigma Against Gay Men Could Worsen Congo’s Biggest Mpox Outbreak, Scientists Warn
Kinshasa, Congo — As Congo copes with its biggest outbreak of mpox, scientists warn discrimination against gay and bisexual men on the continent could make it worse. In November, the World
Read MoreChina OKs 105 Online Games Days After Hitting Industry with Draft Rules
TAIPEI, TAIWAN — Chinese authorities approved 105 new online games this week, bolstering support for the industry just days after proposing regulatory restrictions that sent stocks tumbling. The National Press and
Read MoreChina Pressures Influential Taiwanese Band Ahead of Elections, Sources Say
TAIPEI, Taiwan — China has pressured an influential Taiwanese rock band called Mayday to make pro-China comments ahead of Taiwan’s key elections next month, according to sources with direct knowledge of
Read MoreIn Colombia, Illegally Felled Timber Repurposed to Help Bees
Socorro, Colombia — In northeast Colombia, police guard warehouses stacked high with confiscated timber with a noble new destiny: transformation into homes for bees beleaguered by pesticides and climate change. The
Read MoreEntrepreneur Recycles Metal and Other Parts of Old Solar Panels
Yuma, Arizona — As the world pivots from planet-warming fossil fuels to renewable energy, a new pollution problem is rearing its head: What to do with old or worn-out solar panels?
Read MoreNew York City’s Times Square Prepares for New Year’s Eve
Every December 31, New Yorkers and tourists alike flock to the Big Apple’s Times Square for the New Year’s Eve celebration. Elena Wolf had a look at how the city
Read MoreМария Максакова – FREEDOM: жены мобилизованных и их распутица, собчак – штатный провокатор кремля
Правда України Мережа Купуй!
Read MoreCOVID-19 Effects Linger Among International Students in US
The COVID-19 pandemic affected students around the world, disrupting their studies and weakening their social skills. But the pandemic did generate some positive outcomes, say college counselors and international students
Read MoreHow Librarian Spies Helped Win World War II
Academics used their information gathering and organizing skills as weapons against the Nazis …
Read More‘Parasite’ Actor Lee Sun-kyun Found Dead: Report
Seoul, South Korea — South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, best known for his role in the Oscar-winning film “Parasite”, was found dead Wednesday in an apparent suicide according to a police
Read MoreWhy Are We Drawn to New Year’s Resolutions?
As the end of December approaches, millions of Americans will make pledges to lose weight, save more money or learn a new language, only for most of these promises to
Read MoreHigh Rice Prices Worldwide Likely to Continue Into 2024
WASHINGTON — Arnong Mungoei has farmed rice in Thailand’s Khon Kaen province for half a century. Working land some 500 kilometers northeast of Bangkok never made her rich, but it provided a dependable livelihood. But since February
Read MoreLogOn: Satellites, Lasers Help Estimate Snowpack in Drought-Stricken Regions
For water managers in drought-stricken regions, accurate forecasts of water availability are critically important. Matt Dibble shows how remote sensing technology is helping in the Rocky Mountains in this edition
Read MoreMoon Base Moves From Hollywood Screen to Near Reality
A future moon base is central to the vision of the U.S. space Agency NASA, which hopes to return humans to the moon within two years. It’s part of an
Read MoreJapan Moon Lander Enters Lunar Orbit
Tokyo, Japan — Japan’s SLIM space probe entered the moon’s orbit Monday in a major step toward the country’s first successful lunar landing, expected next month. The Smart Lander for Investigating
Read MoreInsect Compasses, Fire-Fighting Vines: 2023’s Nature-Inspired Tech
Paris — Even as human-caused climate change threatens the environment, nature continues to inspire our technological advancement. “The solutions that are provided by nature have evolved for billions of years and
Read MoreNYU Surgeon Seeks to Aid Global Organ Shortage with Animal Transplants
Xenotransplantation is the process of transferring animal organs into humans. However, in the United States, the procedure is only allowed for patients with serious or life-threatening conditions. In New York,
Read MoreEl Nino and Climate Change Created Disastrous Weather in 2023
2023 demolished temperature records worldwide. It was the hottest year on record, and some scientists say the hottest in 125,000 years. Those supercharged temperatures helped drive a series of climate
Read MoreAs 2023 Draws to Close, Notre Dame’s Reconstruction Offers Light
Paris — With bleak December weather gripping the French capital and world attention dominated by the bloody conflict in Gaza, the slow reemergence of Paris’ fire-battered Notre Dame cathedral is a
Read MoreBionic Prostheses Empower Wounded Ukrainian Soldiers
KYIV, Ukraine — When Alexis Cholas lost his right arm as a volunteer combat medic near the front lines in eastern Ukraine, his civilian career as a surgeon was over. But
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