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
Read MoreIn 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
Read MoreExtreme 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 new study by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or
Read MoreNigeria’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
Read MoreParis 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
Read MoreBoeing’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
Read MoreChina probe successfully lands on far side of moon
Beijing — China’s Chang’e-6 lunar probe successfully landed on the far side of the moon to collect samples, state news agency Xinhua reported Sunday, the latest leap for Beijing’s decades-old space
Read MoreWHO extends talks to reach pandemic accord
Geneva, Switzerland — The World Health Organization annual assembly on Saturday gave member countries another year to agree on a landmark accord to combat future pandemics. Three years of effort to
Read MorePanama prepares to evacuate first island in face of rising sea levels
GARDI SUGDUB, Panama — On a tiny island off Panama’s Caribbean coast, about 300 families are packing their belongings in preparation for a dramatic change. Generations of Gunas who have grown
Read MoreUganda tackles yellow fever with new travel requirement, vaccination campaign
KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda has rolled out a nationwide yellow fever vaccination campaign to help safeguard its population against the mosquito-borne disease that has long posed a threat. By the end
Read MoreChinese artists caught between Beijing, desire for Western success
washington — Chinese artists walk a tightrope when trying to create content acceptable to Beijing’s standards while attempting to seek success among Western audiences. More than one artist who has gained
Read MoreMarian Robinson, mother of Michelle Obama, dies at 86
WASHINGTON — Marian Shields Robinson, the mother of Michelle Obama who moved with the first family to the White House when son-in-law Barack Obama was elected president, has died. She was
Read MoreNetflix series puts Pakistani red-light district in spotlight
A new Netflix series has turned attention to a historic red-light district in Pakistan. Set in Lahore, “Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar” is one of the most popular non-English series on
Read MoreAustralian researchers find simple, cost-effective desalination method
SYDNEY — Australian researchers say a simpler and cheaper method to remove salt from seawater using heat could help combat what they call “unprecedented global water shortages.” The desalination of seawater
Read MoreTrillions of cicadas pop up in parts of US
It’s an emergence that’s been more than a decade in the making. Trillions of cicadas that have burrowed underground for 13 or 17 years are now emerging in parts of
Read MoreGhana toddler sets world record as the youngest male artist
ACCRA, Ghana — Meet Ace-Liam Ankrah, a Ghana toddler who has set the record as the world’s youngest male artist. His mother, Chantelle Kukua Eghan, says it all started by accident
Read MoreLava spurts from Iceland volcano for second day
GRINDAVIK, Iceland — Lava continued to spurt from a volcano in southwestern Iceland on Thursday but the activity had calmed significantly from when it erupted a day earlier. The eruption Wednesday
Read MoreAll-gay choir in South Africa combines music, activism
The artists from South Africa’s Mzansi Gay Choir are known not just for their music, but also for their role in LGBTQI advocacy. Ihsaan Haffejee brings us this story from
Read MoreHealth advocates push for reforms to combat Indonesia’s high male smoking rates
May 31 is World No Tobacco Day, a day when many health advocacy groups raise awareness about the dangers of tobacco. These groups have reason to celebrate: In most countries,
Read MoreUS optimistic a deal to lessen threats of future pandemics is in sight
Geneva — Despite the failure of negotiators to reach a pandemic accord ahead of this week’s World Health Assembly, a senior U.S. official remains optimistic that an agreement to lessen the
Read More‘Open source’ investigators use satellites to identify burned Darfur villages
Investigators using satellite imagery to document the war in western Sudan’s Darfur region say 72 villages were burned down in April, the most they have seen since the conflict began.
Read MoreRobot will try to remove nuclear debris from Japan’s destroyed reactor
TOKYO — The operator of Japan’s destroyed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant demonstrated Tuesday how a remote-controlled robot would retrieve tiny bits of melted fuel debris from one of three damaged
Read MoreSan Francisco’s Chinatown: Forged by discrimination, now a cultural treasure
America’s oldest Chinatown sustains traditions even as members of the Chinese diaspora continue to spread out and evolve. Matt Dibble has the story from San Francisco, California. …
Read MoreCameroon fights period stigma and poverty on World Menstrual Hygiene Day
Yaounde — Cameroon is observing World Menstrual Hygiene Day (May 28) with caravans visiting schools and public spaces to educate people about social taboos that women should not be seen in
Read MoreMilitary labs do the detective work to identify soldiers decades after they died in World War II
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. — Generations of American families have grown up not knowing exactly what happened to their loved ones who died while serving their country in World War
Read MoreLos Angeles’ suburban Chinatown grows with new waves of immigrants
Los Angeles’ Chinatown has undergone many changes, as immigrants from mainland China join those from Hong Kong, Taiwan and other parts of Southeast Asia. As Mike O’Sullivan reports, the growing
Read MoreWHO chief urges countries to quickly seal pandemic deal
Geneva — The World Health Organization chief on Monday urged countries to nail down a landmark global agreement on handling of future pandemics after they missed a hard deadline. Scarred by
Read MoreLife expectancy bouncing back globally after COVID pandemic
Life expectancy in Europe has returned to the level it reached before the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, while the U.S. is still trying to regain lost ground. Overall, new numbers show
Read MoreReport: Tobacco industry uses manipulative practices to hook young people on addictive products
Geneva — The World Health Organization and STOP, a global tobacco industry watchdog, warn the tobacco industry is using a variety of manipulative tactics to hook a new generation of young
Read MoreGlobe-trotting archeologist who drew comparisons to Indiana Jones has died
MADISON, Wis. — Schuylar Jones, a globe-trotting American adventurer whose exploits drew comparisons to iconic movie character Indiana Jones, has died. He was 94. Jones’ stepdaughter, Cassandra Da’Luz Vieira-Manion, posted on
Read MoreNew cars in California could alert drivers for breaking the speed limit
SACRAMENTO, California — California could eventually join the European Union in requiring all new cars to alert drivers when they break the speed limit, a proposal aimed at reducing traffic deaths
Read MoreUS independent booksellers continued to expand in 2023
NEW YORK — Three years ago, Erin Decker was a middle school librarian in Kissimmee, Florida, increasingly frustrated by the state’s book bans and worried that she couldn’t make a difference
Read More