When Massachusetts voters decided to ditch the state's standardized tests as a high school graduation requirement on Election Day, they joined a trend that has steadily chipped away at the use of high-stakes tests over the past two decades.The vote on the ballot question leaves only seven states with mandated graduation exams, a number that could s…

Deep in a dark warehouse, the sake sleeps, stored in rows of giant tanks, each holding more than 10,000 liters (2,640 gallons) of the Japanese rice wine that is the product of brewing techniques dating back more than 1,000 years.Junichiro Ozawa, the 18th-generation head of Ozawa Brewery, founded in 1702, hoped sake-brewing would win recognition as …

Health experts say walking is an easy way to improve physical and mental health, bolster fitness and prevent disease.Doctors say people should also add other activities to their fitness routines, including resistance exercises like lifting weights and activities that keep you flexible like yoga or stretching.“You don’t need equipment and you don’t …

As climate change warms our world, it has affected farmers and their growing practices, even threatening beloved beverages, like beer.Danish brewer Carlsberg, the world’s fourth largest, is breeding more climate-tolerant crops, hoping to future-proof its beer production.Human-caused climate change has made the world hotter and increased the likelih…

A new exhibition in western Germany is hoping to expand the public’s perception of Africa via art and cultural history.“The True Size of Africa” is at the Völklingen Ironworks and features works by artists from across the continent.Photographic portraits, paintings, video installations, and sculpture—26 works that organizers say explore Africa, add…

Australia's states and territories unanimously backed a national plan to require most forms of social media to bar children younger than 16.Leaders of the eight provinces held a virtual meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to discuss what he calls a world-first national approach that would make platforms including X, TikTok, Instagram and F…

Some people advocate humane deer management: the culling of deer to control their numbers and ensure they don’t overrun forests and farmland in a country where they no longer have natural predators. For these advocates, shooting deer is much more than a sport. It’s a necessity because England's deer population has gotten out of control.There are no…

A winged creature from Oregon was crowned this year's winner in an annual bat beauty contest put on by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).On Halloween, which was also the last day of International Bat Week, a hoary bat with a feisty personality named "Hoary Potter" defeated "Lestat," the western small-footed bat from Idaho, in the final round of t…

It’s no surprise that students are pushing back on cellphone bans in classrooms. But school administrators in one South Florida county working to pull students’ eyes away from their screens are facing some resistance from another group as well—parents.Since the beginning of the 2024 school year in August, students in Broward County Public Schools, …

The U.S. government's highway safety agency says Tesla is telling drivers in public statements that its vehicles can drive themselves, conflicting with the owner’s manual and briefings with the agency saying the electric vehicles need human supervision.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is asking the company to “revisit its communic…

Some Apple AirPod wireless headphones can be used as hearing aids with a new software update. It's a high-profile move that experts applaud, even if they only reach a small portion of the millions of Americans with hearing loss.An estimated 30 million people—1 in 8 Americans over the age of 12—have hearing loss in both ears. Millions would benefit …

From eco-friendly, modular Christmas trees handmade in the UK to wreaths, baubles, and tree decorations, this year’s Christmas trends are a mix of traditional and contemporary styling.Some British retailers are already seeing an increase in sales this Christmas.Over 600 retailers are at London's Spirit of Christmas fair, including Rachel Mitchell f…

Sobs of relief broke out in a federal courtroom in Kansas as dozens of people whose life savings had been embezzled by a bank CEO learned that federal law enforcement had recovered their money."I just can't describe the weight lifted off of us," said Bart Camilli, 70, who with his wife Cleo had just learned they'd recover close to $450,000—money Ba…

As the price of fuel soared in Ethiopia earlier this year, Awgachew Seleshi decided to buy an electric car. That aligned with the government’s new efforts to phase out gas-powered vehicles. But months later, he’s questioning whether it was the right decision.He faces a range of issues, from the erratic supply of electricity in Addis Ababa, the capi…

Japan is planning to build an automated cargo transport corridor between Tokyo and Osaka, dubbed a "conveyor belt road" by the government, to make up for a shortage of truck drivers. The amount of funding for the project is not yet set. But it's seen as one key way to help the country cope with soaring deliveries.A computer graphics video made by t…

Originally built to store crops from peasant farmers, the tithe barn on the edge of the English village of Abbots Langley was converted into homes that preserve its centuries of history. Now, its residents are fighting to stop a development next door that represents the future.A proposal to build a data center on a field across the road was rejecte…

Hello Kitty, one of the most loved Sanrio characters, is marking her 50th anniversary with a bang.A new exhibition marking the milestone opened in Tokyo's National Museum called 'As I change, so does she' on Nov. 1.The bubble-headed mouthless cat is going as strong as ever, popping up on everything from keychains and purses to McDonald’s Happy Meal…

The world’s first joint performance by a symphony orchestra and a robot playing a cello took place in Sweden.The joint performance piece entitled ‘Veer’ was created for the robot by Swedish composer Jacob Mühlrad who said the possibilities of the robotic performance inspired him to reconsider the cello as an instrument.The 33-year-old composer said…

McDonald’s worked on October 24 to reassure customers that its U.S. restaurants are safe as federal investigators tried to pinpoint the cause of a deadly E. coli outbreak linked to the fast food giant’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers.McDonald’s pulled Quarter Pounders from one-fifth of its U.S. stores on October 23 as a result of the outbreak, which th…

A jury in Nevada has delivered a $5.2 billion award in the latest large-sum lawsuit against a former Las Vegas-based bottled water company that was found responsible for causing liver damage in customers before it was recalled from store shelves in 2021.A 12-day trial ended with the verdict in the negligence and product liability case against Affin…

The remains of a 145-million-year-old dinosaur went under the hammer in France on November 16. Valued at millions of euros, its sale could set a new milestone in the booming market for fossils.Dubbed “Vulcan,” the giant specimen is “the largest dinosaur skeleton ever to come to auction,” according to auction houses Collin du Bocage and Barbarossa.T…

Thieves with a nose for fine cheese have pulled off a massive cheddar rip-off in London.Neal's Yard Dairy said a con artist posing as a wholesale distributor for a major French retailer had made off with 22 metric tons (48,488 pounds) of award-winning cheddar worth 300,000 British pounds ($390,000) before the company realized it had been scammed an…

Inspired by techniques used in Asia, a Serbian couple, Dragan and Slavica Markovic, decided to change their careers and create pencils from old newspapers.New Pen makes its eco-pencils from graphite, recycled unsold and old newspapers, and edible, locally sourced, corn starch glue. Graphite is the only raw material the company procures abroad.“Manu…

A new insect has been discovered in a Northern Territory national park in Australia.The new variety of ghost wasp was found by two young wildlife photographers next to a swimming hole.“So, the subtropics, all the savannas up here, are just amazing. It's one of the most extensive and intact ecosystems, actually, in the entire world,” says Nick Volpe…

Moving in a dense cloud, like a flock of birds in flight, 100 drones maneuver through the night sky in an open field just outside Hungary’s capital. It’s the result of more than a decade of research and experimentation that scientists believe could change the future of unmanned flight.The behavior of the swarm, made up of autonomous drones that mak…

President Joe Biden became emotional as he honored acclaimed filmmakers, singers, writers, and others who have made their mark on American culture, awarding the prestigious National Medals of Arts and National Humanities Medals to 39 recipients.Filmmakers Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, and Ken Burns and singers Missy Elliott and Queen Latifah were am…

The rising number of injuries to top soccer players came at a cost of nearly $800 million to teams across Europe’s leading leagues last season, according to a report.At a time when there are growing concerns about the number of games players are being asked to play, the Men’s European Football Injury Index found there were 4,123 injuries in the top…

New GoFundMe tools make it easier to circulate causes across online platforms in a push to cater to younger generations.The crowdfunding site hopes to meet digital natives in the online spaces where they frequently advocate, streamlining the donation experience to encourage more charity and connecting traditional nonprofits with a demographic that …

The Indian government plans a new law to punish those making hoax bomb threats against flights, which disrupt the schedules of airlines and cause massive inconvenience to thousands of passengers.In less than two weeks, more than 120 flights operated by Indian carriers have received bomb threats, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.Civil A…

Hotel Yugoslavia was once the top place to stay for celebrities and dignitaries visiting Belgrade. Now, it’s fallen into disrepair, but a plan to replace it with a modern hotel is causing controversy.The hotel in the Serbian capital was a favorite gathering place for local officials and world leaders, but has fallen into disrepair since the breakup…

Schools in Mexico have six months to implement a government-sponsored ban on junk food or face heavy fines, officials said, as authorities confront what they call the worst childhood obesity problem in the world.The rules, published on Sept. 30, target products that have become staples for two or three generations of Mexican school kids: sugary fru…

The last confirmed sighting of a dodo was in the 17th century. But at the Cambridge Museum of Zoology, it is speaking again. These are the skeletal remains of a bird that was extinct by the 1680s—and is one of the first animals humans realized they had driven to extinction.But now it is chatting away, answering anything and everything in a natural …

A movement of cultural expression with origins in Mexican American and Chicano communities, lowriding is a way for a person to show their pride, family, and culture.Lowriding is the customization of a vehicle from the tires to the sound system with vivid designs and colors. Unlike hot rods or muscle cars, which have been modified to have big tires …

Wimbledon is replacing line judges with electronic line-calling, the latest step into the modern age by the oldest Grand Slam tennis tournament.The All England Club announced that technology will be used to give the “out” and “fault” calls at the championships in 2025, eliminating the need for human officials to make them.Wimbledon organizers said …

Humanity is hitting the upper limit of life expectancy, according to a new study.Advances in medical technology and genetic research—not to mention larger numbers of people making it to age 100—are not translating into marked jumps in lifespan overall, according to researchers who found shrinking longevity increases in countries with the longest-li…

A group of young Aboriginal women is helping to keep traditional bush medicine alive in Australia. They hope their Bush Balm remedy will also be a reminder of home for kidney patients from their community undergoing dialysis in the city.Using an ancient rock, Tamara Stewart is crushing leaves in her kitchen. She’s preparing a healing balm called “i…

The California state Senate passed a measure on October 11 to prevent gas prices from spiking in a state where it is notoriously expensive to fill up at the pump.The proposal, backed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, would give energy regulators the authority to require that refiners keep a certain amount of fuel on hand. The goal is to try to keep …

To cheers and applause from kids wearing spacesuits and star-studded T-shirts, a tree was planted in California that is out of this world.The so-called "Moon Tree"—grown with seeds that were flown around the moon—was wheeled out in a wagon accompanied by several students carrying shovels to help dig its new home at Santiago STEAM Magnet Elementary …

Opal miners in Queensland, Australia are concerned about the future of their industry as the land they source the gemstones from is being converted into a national park.The Queensland government bought the land with a 21-million-Australian-dollar anonymous donation.For the past thirty years, Robbey Vinnicombe has been looking through red dirt in se…

As AI continues to evolve, the line between human and machine is blurring in the art world. One artist has taught a robot to copy her brush strokes so they can paint together.D.O.U.G. is a machine created by Sougwen Chung. The artist has built and programmed this AI system to work alongside them, creating paintings together. Over the years, it has …

On the coastal island of Lamu, off Kenya’s east coast, workers are turning plastic waste into furniture, even boats.Lamu is contending with mounds of plastic waste—some washed up on its beaches, others created by its own population.“We are collecting the waste plastic around Lamu archipelago, and we process those ones to make boats, furniture, and …

The All-American denim is all about being Japanese in the town of Kojima, whose main road is aptly named “Jeans St.,” with real pairs of pants flapping like flags overhead.Denim is the heart and soul of Kojima. Some would call this spot in southwestern seaside Okayama Prefecture the mecca of jeans, where fans from around the world make their pilgri…

Most of the world’s raw materials and everyday goods that are moved over long distances—from T-shirts to televisions, cellphones to hospital beds—are packed in large metal boxes the size of tractor-trailers and stacked on ships. A trade group says some 250 million containers cross the oceans every year—but not everything arrives as planned.More tha…

Food labels that say “sell by” or “best before” are misleading because they have no universal meaning under current laws. Now California wants to crack down on such practices, bidding to help consumers stop playing guessing games with produce and other items in their fridges.The state is the first to ban food labels such as “sell by” or “best befor…

Divers and marine experts found no evidence of a major fuel spill on a Samoan reef after a New Zealand navy ship ran aground and sank, Samoa's deputy prime minister said.All 75 people on board the HMNZS Manawanui evacuated safely as the boat foundered about a mile off the coast of Upolu, Samoa. The ship was one of only nine in New Zealand's navy an…

In a stretch of Northern California known for scenic shorelines and celebrated vineyards, a battle is brewing over the future of the region’s animal farms.Residents in Sonoma County, which is home to half a million people north of San Francisco, will vote this fall on a ballot measure aimed at putting an end to large-scale contained animal agricult…

For decades, Australia's country towns have relied on independently owned general stores. But some are now at risk of disappearing because of increased competition and economic pressures.The small South Australian timber town of Mount Burr is located in the heart of plantation forests. And if you want takeaway or food supplies, the only place avail…

A network of illegal drug sellers based in the U.S., the Dominican Republic and India packaged potentially deadly synthetic opioids into pills disguised as common prescription drugs and sold millions of them through fake online drugstores, federal prosecutors said.At least nine people died of narcotics poisoning between August 2023 and June 2024 af…

Streaming—and a pandemic—have radically transformed cinema consumption, but there is a growing number of mostly younger people contributing to a renaissance of LA’s independent theater scene. The city’s enduring, if diminished, role as a mecca of the film industry still shapes its residents and their entertainment preferences, often with renewed ap…

Video game maker Epic Games sued Google and Samsung, accusing the tech companies of coordinating to block third-party competition in application distribution on Samsung devices.At issue is Samsung's "Auto Blocker" feature, which only allows for apps from authorized sources, such as the Samsung Galaxy Store or Google Play Store, to be installed. The…