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By Rosa SULLEIRO BARCELONA, Feb 1, 2024 (AFP) – Spain’s northeastern Catalonia region declared a drought emergency for Barcelona on Thursday and the surrounding area, which will now face tighter water restrictions following three years without significant rain. The head of the regional government of Catalonia, Pere Aragones, announced the step after reservoirs in the Mediterranean region saw their water levels falling to below 16 percent of full capacity. That is the benchmark set by […]
By Julie JAMMOT Founded 20 years ago as a simple hangout spot for young people, Facebook has since become a battle-hardened behemoth that — despite perceptions of being for boomers and parents — continues growing and growing. “I will never forget the day that I ran up to my high school’s Mac lab and signed up for Facebook,” Insider Intelligence analyst Jasmine Enberg told AFP. “You simultaneously felt that you were part of this small, […]
More than one billion people around the world are now suffering from obesity with the number having more than quadrupled since 1990, according to a study released by the Lancet medical journal. The “epidemic” is particularly hitting poorer countries and the rate is growing among children and adolescents faster than adults, according to the study carried out with the World Health Organization. The study, released ahead of World Obesity Day on March 4, estimated that […]
Greenland absorbs more of the greenhouse gas methane than it emits, according to a new study from the University of Copenhagen released Wednesday. “On average and since 2000, dry landscapes of the ice-free part of Greenland have consumed more than 65,000 tons of methane annually from the atmosphere, while 9,000 tons of methane have been released annually from its wet areas,” the university said in a statement. The findings, which were published in the journal […]
New Zealand is set to become one of the first countries to ban harmful “forever chemicals” from cosmetic products, environment watchdogs said Wednesday. The Environmental Protection Authority said it will ban long-lasting substances perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl — known as PFAS or “forever chemicals” — by 2027. Found in items like nail polish, shaving cream, foundation, lipstick and mascara, PFAS make products more durable, spreadable and water-resistant. They are virtually indestructible, but can build up in […]
By Leslie FAUVEL From trash-strewn pavements to street vendors packing meals in polystyrene containers, plastic waste is a constant menace in the urban landscape of Lagos, Nigeria’s economic capital and the continent’s most populous city. That image could soon change if the local Lagos State government manages to implement its recent ambitious ban on the use of polystyrene and single-use plastics. Sunday’s announcement of the ban on styrofoam boxes and single-use plastics, “with immediate effect”, […]
A deep sea exploration company has released a sonar image they say may be the remains of the plane of Amelia Earhart, the famed American aviatrix who disappeared over the Pacific Ocean in 1937. Deep Sea Vision (DSV), a South Carolina-based firm, said the image was captured after an extensive search in an area of the Pacific to the west of Earhart’s planned destination, remote Howland Island. Earhart went missing while on a pioneering round-the-world […]
By Axl HERNANDEZ Surrounded by the desert mountains and clear blue sky of northern Chile, astronomers from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory hope to revolutionize the study of the universe by affixing the world’s largest-ever digital camera to a telescope. The size of a small car and weighing 2.8 metric tons, the sophisticated piece of equipment will reveal views of the cosmos as never before, officials from the US-funded project told AFP. Beginning in early […]
By Glenn CHAPMAN Microsoft and Google delivered solid corporate earnings on Tuesday as the tech giants said demand for artificial intelligence services stoked revenue. The tech titans have made big bets on generative AI, with their cloud computing divisions seeing a boost in demand as clients seek the hefty — and more expensive – computing power that drives the technology. Microsoft has moved the fastest and furthest into the AI space, investing in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI […]
By Emmanuel PEUCHOT With a pink jumper covering her round belly, Yana Lyakh was all smiles at a Ukraine hospital even as she recounted what for most women would be a nightmare situation. The 26-year-old is eight months pregnant, her husband is away fighting on the front line and her home town is being relentlessly bombed and shelled by Russian forces. In search of a safe place, she moved into a maternity ward weeks ahead […]
By Mohamed RACHEDI For Indigenous communities in the Brazilian Amazon, getting online is a challenge. Now, a smartphone app is making it easier to connect by allowing them to use their own native languages. Hyper-connected Brazil has more cell phones than people — over 250 million, for a population of 203 million, according to communications consultancy Teleco. But even when they have smartphones and internet connections, the sprawling country’s 1.7 million Indigenous inhabitants have often […]
Elon Musk on Tuesday said his Neuralink startup had installed a brain implant in its first human patient with “promising” initial results. The neurotechnology company co-founded by Musk in 2016 aims to build direct communication channels between the brain and computers. The ambition is to supercharge human capabilities, treat neurological disorders like ALS or Parkinson’s, and maybe one day achieve a symbiotic relationship between humans and artificial intelligence. “The first human received an implant from […]
