China’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 on pyrotechnics in the country credited with inventing them would be hard to implement. In an unusually frank response, lawmakers said air pollution prevention … Read more

China 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 Publication Administration (NPPA) announced approval of the 105 games Monday via WeChat, describing the move as a show of support for “the prosperity and … Read more

How Librarian Spies Helped Win World War II

All About America explores American culture, politics, trends, history, ideals and places of interest. Librarians-turned-spies helped fight the Nazis by deploying their information gathering and organizing skills as weapons during World War II. These secret agents collected everything from local newspapers and trade journals to underground resistance pamphlets, technological manuals, economic reports and land surveys. … Read more

In Photos: Christmas Celebrations Around the World

In Photos: Christmas Celebrations Around the World Read original article here Denial of responsibility! Pioneer Newz is an automatic aggregator of the all world’s media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, all materials to their authors. If you are the owner of the … Read more

On Weekend Before Christmas, ‘Aquaman’ Sequel Drifts to First at Box Office

“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” led a crowd of new releases at the box office on the weekend before Christmas Monday. The DC and Warner Bros. superhero sequel starring Jason Momoa earned an estimated $28.1 million in its first three days of release in 3,706 locations in North America, according to studio estimates Sunday. By … Read more

Artists Use Tech Weapons Against AI Copycats

NEW YORK —  Artists under siege by artificial intelligence that studies their work and then replicates their styles, have teamed with university researchers to stymie such copycat activity. U.S. illustrator Paloma McClain went into defense mode after learning that several AI models had been trained using her art, with no credit or compensation sent her … Read more

Hundreds of Volunteers Get White House Ready for Christmas

Washington —  Thousands of people from across the United States volunteer for a very exclusive holiday experience: decorating the White House for Christmas. Of all of those applicants, only 300 are chosen. The volunteers work during Thanksgiving week, although they do have Thanksgiving Day off. In all, 4,572 meters of ribbon, 142,000 lights, 34,000 ornaments, … Read more

‘Society of the Snow’ Recounts 1972 Andes Plane Crash

Nominated for a Golden Globe and Spain’s entry for an Academy Award, the film “Society of the Snow” revives the story of the 1972 flight disaster in the Andes Mountains. Veronica Villafane spoke with its director, Juan Antonio Bayona, and one of the survivors of the fatal plane crash that captivated the world. Read original … Read more

Marvel, Disney Drop Actor Jonathan Majors After Assault Conviction

New York —  Jonathan Majors was convicted Monday of assaulting his former girlfriend after a trial that he hoped would vindicate him and restore his status as an emerging Hollywood star. It did just the opposite: Marvel Studios and the Walt Disney Co. dropped him hours after the verdict. A Manhattan jury found Majors, 34, … Read more

Pope Approves Blessings for Same-Sex Couples if the Rituals Don’t Resemble Marriage

Rome —  Pope Francis has formally approved allowing priests to bless same-sex couples, with a new document explaining a radical change in Vatican policy by insisting that people seeking God’s love and mercy shouldn’t be subject to “an exhaustive moral analysis” to receive it. The document from the Vatican’s doctrine office, released Monday, elaborates on … Read more