Global – TheMinotVoice.com

EIA forecasts lower oil price in 2025 amid significant market uncertainties

by: Josh Wolsky | January 22, 2025

Uncertain demand and extra supply is likely to dominate the energy markets in the near future; that means lower prices are likely. In 2024, the benchmark Brent crude averaged $81 per barrel, but it’s forecasted to dip to $74 in 2025 and $66 by 2026. This price slide is largely due to an increase in

Read & Share sourced from: U.S. Energy Information Administration

Watch: Bill Gates on His “Quite Intriguing” Dinner With Trump

by: MinotVoice | January 19, 2025

Bill Gates recently found himself across the table from Donald Trump, engaging not in politics, but in a conversation about global health. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Gates shared that he was “impressed” by Trump’s interest in these critical issues. It’s not every day you hear a tech tycoon commend a former

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Russia: Navalny’s lawyers sentenced to 3.5-5.5 years in prison

by: MinotVoice | January 19, 2025

Russia’s campaign against dissent takes another grim turn. Three former lawyers of Alexei Navalny, the late opposition leader, have been sentenced to prison on “extremism” charges for their connection to his Anti-Corruption Foundation. This move, following Navalny’s mysterious death in 2024, signals an intensifying crackdown on critics of the Kremlin and its war in Ukraine.

Read & Share sourced from: The Kyiv Independent

Sweden Bans corrosive liquid drain cleaners

by: MinotVoice | January 18, 2025

Starting this year, Sweden has taken a firm stand against a common household item: highly corrosive liquid drain cleaners. The Swedish Chemicals Agency emphasizes that these liquids pose significant health and environmental risks. What does this have to do with life in Minot? Absolutely nothing. Other than it forces us to think about all the

Read & Share sourced from: Radio Sweden

Ph.D. student says U of Minnesota expelled him over unfair AI allegation 

by: MinotVoice | January 18, 2025

In a world where AI intersects with everyday academia, Haishan Yang, a health economics Ph.D. student at the University of Minnesota, now finds himself at the heart of a controversy. Accused of using AI like ChatGPT on an exam, he faces expulsion and is taking his grievance to court, challenging the accusations and the methods

Read & Share sourced from: MPR

North Dakota Museum of Art to host Ukrainian ‘Women at War’ exhibit

by: Josh Wolsky | January 16, 2025

If you’re in Grand Forks in the next few months, an art exhibit you can’t miss awaits at the North Dakota Museum of Art. “Women at War” features the poignant works of 12 Ukrainian women artists, capturing the intersection of art and conflict through various media. Critically acclaimed, this exhibit offers a unique, gendered perspective

Read & Share sourced from: Grand Forks Herald

NATO reportedly sending ships to guard cables under Baltic Sea

by: MinotVoice | January 9, 2025

Tensions are bubbling beneath the surface in the Baltic Sea—quite literally. NATO is dispatching up to 10 vessels to patrol the area until April after a series of mysterious cable cuts. While Finland and Estonia lead this maritime vigil, eyes are particularly on Russia’s shadow fleet, suspected of sabotage. The stakes are high, with vital

Read & Share sourced from: The Kyiv Independent

Public Responds To Iceland Prime Minister’s Call For Ideas Improving Government Efficiency

by: MinotVoice | January 5, 2025

The U.S. is not the only country going through a government efficiency effort, but in Iceland, they’re taking a different approach. In an unusual twist on crowd-sourcing, Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir has turned to the public for cost-cutting suggestions, sparking a wave of proposals ranging from the practical to the inventive. Within just hours, citizens

Read & Share sourced from: Reykjavik Grapvine

What does ‘uff da’ even mean?

by: MinotVoice | January 5, 2025

In the cozy corners of Minnesota and North Dakota, a simple phrase quietly weaves through everyday life: “uff da.” It’s an utterance that feels like home, wrapping itself around moments of surprise or mild disappointment. For many with Scandinavian roots in the American Midwest, it’s more than just two syllables strung together; it’s a touch

Read & Share sourced from: InForum

Farmers are abandoning their land

by: MinotVoice | January 5, 2025

Across the globe, in places that are not North Dakota, farmers are making a surprising choice: they’re abandoning millions of acres once lush with crops and livestock. It’s part of a pattern of migration away from the rural, and it’s leaving a mark on the landscape that has ecologists talking: is it a loss of

Read & Share sourced from: NPR

Ukraine Agricultural Exports Near Pre-Invasion Levels in 2024

by: MinotVoice | January 4, 2025

Ukraine’s agricultural sector has triumphed against the odds, contributing a remarkable $24.5 billion to its economy in 2024. After years of disruption due to Russia’s invasion, these exports are back on track, approaching the peak levels seen in 2021. Sunflower oil and corn spearhead this resurgence, driving significant growth alongside key exports like wheat and

Read & Share sourced from: The Kyiv Independent

Afghanistan shows what investing in women’s education – or divesting – can do to an economy

by: MinotVoice | January 4, 2025

When the Taliban fell in 2001, Afghan women saw a doorway open—one leading to education and new opportunities. This change wasn’t just personal; it was national. It was real, measurable economic gains. The results were clear: each extra year of schooling for women increased their earnings by 13%. But now, with the Taliban’s return and

Read & Share sourced from: The Conversation

Dark Energy May Not Exist: Something Stranger Might Explain The Universe

by: MinotVoice | January 3, 2025

The Universe might not be expanding under the spell of a mysterious “dark energy” after all. Instead, the answer could lie in time itself—bubbles of space where clocks tick differently. New research suggests these variations in time, shaped by gravity’s uneven pull, might explain why distant galaxies seem to flee faster than expected. By analyzing

Read & Share sourced from: Science Alert

As Australia bans social media for kids, Sweden Says the Same Course Is On the Table

by: MinotVoice | December 31, 2024

Australia has taken a bold step, banning social media for kids under 16, and now Sweden is watching closely. The Swedish government is considering a similar move but warns it might not be so straightforward. Jannike Tillå from the Swedish Internet Foundation raises an important point: defining social media proves tricky, and a ban might

Read & Share sourced from: Radio Sweden

Ukraine in 2024 & Resisting American News Fatigue

by: MinotVoice | December 30, 2024

Editor’s Note: If you have news fatigue, the circumstances of the world and Ukraine are no doubt contributing to it. The urge to “tune out” is tempting; it also comes with a price. Our ammunition against an uncertain future is knowing; it is being well informed. So when the moment comes that you’re asked to

Read & Share sourced from: The Kyiv Independent

Norwegian quits chess championship after refusing to change out of jeans

by: MinotVoice | December 29, 2024

Chess can often feel like a world of quiet intensity, but sometimes, even the grandmasters find themselves in unexpected scenarios. Recently, a Norwegian chess prodigy was fined $200 and warned by FIDE over attire deemed unsuitable for the game. Whenever a stubborn Norwegian commits to staying forever in blue jeans, it will make the news

Read & Share sourced from: NPR