At least 242 million children in 85 countries had their schooling interrupted last year because of heat waves, cyclones, flooding, and other extreme weather, the United Nations Childrens Fund said in a new report Friday.UNICEF said it amounted to one in seven school-going children across the world being kept out of class at some point in 2024 because of climate hazards.The report also outlined how some countries saw hundreds of their schools destroyed by weather, with low-income nations in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa hit especially hard.But other regions werent spared the extreme weather, as torrential rains and floods in Italy near the end of the year disrupted school for more than 900,000 children. Thousands had their classes halted after catastrophic flooding in Spain.While southern Europe dealt with deadly floods and Asia and Africa had flooding and cyclones, heat waves were the predominant climate hazard shuttering schools last year, UNICEF said, as the earth recorded its hottest year ever.More than 118 million children had their schooling interrupted in April alone, UNICEF said, as large parts of the Middle East and Asia, from Gaza in the west to the Philippines in the southeast, experienced a sizzling weeks-long heat wave with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).Children are more vulnerable to the impacts of weather-related crises, including stronger and more frequent heat waves, storms, droughts and flooding, UNICEF executive director Catherine Russell said in a statement. Childrens bodies are uniquely vulnerable. They heat up faster, they sweat less efficiently, and cool down more slowly than adults. Children cannot concentrate in classrooms that offer no respite from sweltering heat, and they cannot get to school if the path is flooded, or if schools are washed away.Around 74% of the children affected in 2024 were in middle- and low-income countries, showing how climatic extremes continue to have a devastating impact in the poorest countries. Flooding ruined more than 400 schools in Pakistan in April. Afghanistan had heat waves followed by severe flooding that destroyed over 110 schools in May, UNICEF said.Months of drought in southern Africa exacerbated by the El Nio weather phenomenon threatened the schooling and futures of millions of children.And the crises showed little sign of abating. The poor French territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean off Africa was left in ruins by Cyclone Chido in December and hit again by Tropical Storm Dikeledi this month, leaving children across the islands out of school for six weeks.Cyclone Chido also destroyed more than 330 schools and three regional education departments in Mozambique on the African mainland, where access to education is already a deep problem.UNICEF said the worlds schools and education systems are largely ill-equipped to deal with the effects of extreme weather.AP climate and environment news: https://apnews.com/climate-and-environmentGerald Imray, Associated Press

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced last month that automatic payments are being sent to roughly one million taxpayers who did not claim the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit on their tax returns.These payments, according to the IRS, were expected to be disbursed throughout December and arrive by late January 2025 in most cases, meaning most eligible recipients should receive them by this week or next at the latest.Why are these payments being sent out?The Recovery Rebate Credit was created to provide financial support during the COVID-19 pandemic for individuals who missed or did not receive the full amount of their Economic Impact Payments, commonly known as stimulus checks.While most eligible taxpayers have already claimed their credits, IRS officials identified a significant group that overlooked this benefit.Looking at our internal data, we realized that one million taxpayers overlooked claiming this complex credit when they were actually eligible, Danny Werfel, commissioner of the IRS, said in a statement in December. To minimize headaches and get this money to eligible taxpayers, were making these payments automatic, meaning these people will not be required to go through the extensive process of filing an amended return to receive it.How are these payments being disbursed?The payments, which can reach up to $1,400 per individual, will be sent via direct deposit or as a paper check to the address or bank account listed on the recipients 2023 tax return. Those receiving payments will also be notified by letter. If a taxpayers bank account has changed, the funds will be reissued as a check to the updated address on file.Am I eligible for a payment?In total, the IRS estimates approximately $2.4 billion will be distributed through these final payments. Taxpayers who did not file a 2021 return but believe they are eligible have until April 15, 2025, to submit a return and claim the credit.The IRS encourages taxpayers to confirm their eligibility using online resources or by reviewing the credit guidelines on the IRS website.Importantly, if you are eligible for a payment and filed a 2021 return, you dont not have to do anything. The payments are automatic.The agency has also committed to further outreach during the 2025 tax season to ensure individuals understand other available benefits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and other pandemic-related tax relief.This final round of payments closes the chapter on pandemic stimulus measures, offering a last opportunity for eligible individuals to access unclaimed financial support.

Switzerland-based designer Ini Archibong has created a dimpled-glass gin bottle for musicians Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg's spirits company Gin & Juice, following the brand's launch in 2024.For the Still G.I.N. bottle, California-born Archibong was informed by references such as 90's West Coast hip-hop culture and the "old world elegance" of Murano, Italy where the designer has worked extensively with glass blowers.Ini Archibong has designed a glass gin bottle for Gin & JuiceThe bottle features a short silhouette made of glossy black glass with a "honeycomb" texture covering its entirety. A brushed gold cork cap tops the bottle, while its label is encapsulated in a debossed oval.Archibong pulled from a host of eras for its design, from the low-riders and diamond-stiched leather of 90s West Coast street style to the old-world culture of Murano glassmaking, which was concentrated into law on the Venetian island in 1291.Read: Sabine Marcelis and Ini Archibong among designers to collaborate with Japanese artisans"There was an attempt to combine things that were considered classic and beautiful in general and then take it through that 90s era of what would be considered 'high-end baller'," Archibong told Dezeen."Making the bottle in Venice added another element to it the old-world elegance. Imagining somebody from that era, what kind of bottle would they have on their shelf?"The design was informed by Dr Dre's music productionUltimately, Archibong designed the bottle to encapsulate Dr Dre's style,partly to complementa more punchy premixed drink that the designer previously created,representative of Snoop Dogg.The Gin & Juice can has a "happy-go-lucky" spirit, according to Archibong, while the Still G.I.N bottle was informed by the refinement of Dr Dre's musical production."There's an attempt to try to translate some of the intangibles of the art that Dr Dre makes into an object," said Archibong."It's part of the reason that I took the route of sampling different eras and then pulling them together into a refined, finished piece, similar to how Dr Dre would put together a production."It features a dimpled exterior and brushed gold topThe launch of the gin bottle also coincides with Archibong being named creative director for Gin & Juice, where he'll oversee graphic identity, design language, future packaging concepts and visual presentation for the brand.Other bottles created by designers for spirit companies include a collection of sculpturalbottles by Thomas Heatherwick for gin brand Bombay Sapphire and "brain" cases by Philippe Starck for Mortlach whiskey.The photography is courtesy of Gin & JuiceThe post Ini Archibong designs gin bottle for Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre appeared first on Dezeen.

In this week's comments update, readers are discussing the Thin range of modular shelving by industrial design duo SF-SO, which is just 1.6 millimetres thick but can support the weight of a baby elephant.Made from mild steel sheets, the Thin furniture series includes a storage unit and wall shelf and comes in a range of different colours and finishes.SF-SO folds steel sheets to create a "paper-like" shelving system"Over-designed, over thought, over-engineered"Some commenters were in awe of the design. "I understand it, but I'm still amazed by it!" exclaimed Petra S.Henry had nothing but praise. "Elegant functional design that's confident enough to be visually quiet," they commended. "More please!"But not all readers were quite so smitten. "Over-designed, over thought-out, over-engineered," concluded Disbelief. "Next time I have a baby elephant over, I'll test it out..." they jested.BBOB was also unsure. "Why do people need shelves that are really thin?" they asked. "Is it beautiful? No, not at all. Does it solve a problem? No, not as far as I can see," they continued.Which camp are you in? Join the discussion Archer + Braun adds "modernist extension" to Limestone House in Edinburgh"Elegant and daring"Another story causing a stir in the comments sectionthis week was Archer + Braun's renovation of a listed home in Edinburgh, in which the studio added a limestone-clad extension punctured by expansive glazing."Finely executed, but I find the design flat-out uninspired," reflected Rd. "It's a bit like they dropped a container in the backyard," they observed.Charlotte Tindle took a more blunt view, scorning "what a terrible decision". They argued that "this beautiful old building has been destroyed to accommodate the owners' desire to have a modern indoor-outdoor experience".But the project had just as many admirers as detractors.Lisa Helmanis called the extension "a lovely transition from the existing space, I imagine it's a delight to live in".For Pa Varreon it was "elegant and daring", and "a perfect example of how to enhance the value of a listed building while adding a supportive modern structure".Uninspired or daring? Join the discussion Valerio Olgiati reveals plans for trio of concrete skyscrapers in Tirana"Note to Tirana you are not Dubai!"Also stoking plenty of debate was the news that Swiss architect Valerio Olgiati has unveiled a mixed-use development in Tirana, set to comprise "three totemic figures" built from red-toned concrete blocks sat atop a large concrete base."Please get it built!" enthused Spadestick. "It'll be a marvel in the making," they wrote.Shawn Meindl weighed in to say "I really like the design, it's unique, elemental...'totemic' seems like the right word choice".However, Apsco Radiales issued a word of warning "note to Tirana you are not Dubai! You don't have to be".Meanwhile, Don Bronkema branded the towers "excrementally hideous".Hvck wasn't convinced, and predicted "I see a future where these are joyfully imploded to much cheering, returning the skyline and city to its once former beauty". They suggested that "perhaps we can skip the whole building them part".Do you think Tirana could do better? Join the discussion Comments UpdateDezeen is the world's most commented architecture and design magazine, receiving thousands of comments each month from readers. Keep up to date on the latest discussions on our comments page and subscribe to our weekly Debate newsletter, where we feature the best reader comments from stories in the last seven days.The post "Why do people need shelves that are really thin?" asks commenter appeared first on Dezeen.

GAF Energy developed a novel way to make solar power more accessible. But when they ran into a technical and aesthetic problem they couldn't solve, they turned to industrial design firm Mighty Studios to get the product market-ready. Timberline Solar Roofing ShingleOVERVIEWGAF Energy, the leading roofing manufacturer in North America, has been developing a new solar roofing shingle system that is not only energy-efficient but also durable and attractive. GAF's ultimate goal is to make the solar shingle as easy to install as asphaltic tile, so that the system can be installed by a roofing contractor rather than a skilled solar installer. While the solar shingle itself is rather durable and defined, other aspects of the system required further development. This included the raceway, or path where the electronic cabling passes through. This is found along the edge of each solar shingle. When solar shingles are stacked up on the roof, these sections form a channel, creating a raised feature across the roof. However, this featurefunctional though it wasdistracted from the system's appearance. Frustrated with their internal design attempts, GAF turned to Mighty Studios for some out-of-the-box thinking. INSIGHTOur internal team analyzed the CAD models against real-world installs and discovered overlapping features and overlooked details such as irregularities and compounding tolerances. In addition, GAF's laminating process of solar shingles resulted in an uneven mounting surface. As it turns out, their original parts cannot be mounted as accurately as their CAD model depicted. It is a well-known fact that construction tolerances are intentionally loose (0.125" 0.25"), as the majority of a residential structure is woodan organic material which expands and contractsbased on temperature and moisture. These irregularities can create challenges for roofers who install the solar system because these professionals must contend with such anomalies as warped roofs, sagging boards, residential construction tolerances, environmental factors, among other issues. With maximum functionality and an improvement in aesthetics as our goals, we added curvatures to flat surfaces, making it hard to spot visual distortion in surfaces. In addition, the crowned surfaces we designed are stronger and resist warping, similar to crowned car body panels. We also added flexible waterproofing skirts, which allowed the parts to conform to surface inconsistencies. Our design proved superior to GAF's original idea where wire covers were designed as rigid parts with unforgiving assembly features. You can see more of Mighty's work here.

Due to its size, a spirit level can get beat up inside of a tool bag. Festool has come up with a nifty way of keeping theirs safe: Their design slides right into the handle of the Systainers that all of their tools come in. The little spring-loaded green blister locks it in place. The bottom of the level is notched so it can ride on a pipe. It's made out of anodized aluminum, and runs $65.

Speakers today come in all shapes and sizes, but the one thing they all still have in common is that they all have a fixed way of emitting sound, either in a single direction or in all directions. Yes, you can move a directional speaker to face somewhere else, but you cant turn it into a 360-degree speaker or vice versa. It isnt exactly a limitation of technology but more of a limitation of design, something that needs a bit more creative thinking to solve.Fortunately, its not an impossible puzzle, as this concept design proves. Using a simple folding mechanism, this Bluetooth speaker turns from a pentagon-shaped barrel into a flat panel or anything in between, giving you the flexibility to use the speaker in a way that matches your lifestyle or your needs, instead of forcing yourself to adapt to the speakers unchanging design.Designers: Andrew Lim, Anthony Saul Lopez (All Design Lab)Think five gold bars all laid out side-by-side in a row, except theyre made of aluminum. Thats pretty much the unfolded appearance of the Pentatonic speaker concept, with all the drivers facing forward. The four outer panels actually house the speakers, a combination of regular drivers and bass, while the middle panel has the controls for volume and pairing with a Bluetooth audio source.Although the panels are made of aluminum, they are all held together with a luxurious leather backing that contrasts with the metal in both texture and appearance. The material also gives the arrangement some flexibility, letting you roll the speaker up into a pentagon shape, with the speakers facing inward, or a rough star shape with the speakers facing outward. Or you can even have them alternate in a snake-like formation depending on where you need to direct the sound.This flexibility is what gives the Pentatonic concept its appeal. You lay it all out with the speakers facing forward like a regular speaker, or spread the sound around like an omnidirectional speaker. You can even use it while its rolled up, with all the speakers facing inward. Not only does this mean that you can continue using the speaker even as you carry it around like a duffle bag, it also creates a sort of echo chamber that amplifies the sound.As interesting as the design might be, there could be reasons why this design is difficult to implement in reality. The flexible backing, for example, might leave little room for wires connecting the different speakers. There might also be the question of durability, as wires tend to wear down faster when bent in this or that direction frequently. Still, it does touch on the subject of how speakers are designed today, demonstrating that theres definitely still plenty of room for innovation.The post Pentagon-shaped foldable speaker concept changes its form to adapt to your life first appeared on Yanko Design.

Weve seen our fair share of DIY laptops and designs, most of which are made for fun or simply for achievement. Many end up looking like functional cyberpunk props, but a few do come out as decent laptops or palmtops, at least until you open them up to take a peek inside. There youll be greeted with a jungle of cables and an odd assortment of circuit boards necessary to make the computer boot up at all.Designing a laptop isnt easy, and assembling one by hand is even harder. Coming across a DIY homemade laptop that actually looks like it could have been made by a manufacturer is a rare treat, and thats exactly what we have here. Its by no means an easy task, but the end result definitely makes the arduous journey well worth it.Designer: Byran HuangUnlike their larger desktop cousins, laptops dont exactly have a modular and uniform design that would allow you to easily build your own. While some components like RAM and SSDs are definitely replaceable, others like the motherboard are often custom-made, not to mention have parts that are soldered down on them. Then you have to consider the most efficient arrangement of components and cables while taking into account thermal management and airflow.That said, laptops do have a standard set of components as mentioned, so at least its a matter of putting the pieces together. Unlike most DIY laptop projects, however, anyon_e aimed high in terms of specs, including a 13.3-inch 4K AMOLED screen and support for up to 32GB of RAM. That said, the bigger part of the design challenge was designing as many components from scratch as possible, like the custom motherboard and what is claimed to be the thinnest wireless mechanical QWERTY keyboard around.Whats really striking is how polished and professional the end result looked, especially with the anodized aluminum chassis in handsome matte black. Even the internals look relatively tidy, at least for something that was all done by hand. The overall user experience seems to be quite decent as well, at least for people familiar with using a Linux operating system.Unfortunately, anyon_e isnt something that anyone can follow, ironic as that may sound. While some of the parts are available for purchase from some vendors, they arent exactly accessible to most people. The custom boards and chassis are even harder to pull off unless you have access to printers or services that make these. The project does highlight the need for the laptop industry to finally adopt a modular design, though that will probably take years or even decades.The post Homemade laptop looks almost as good as a commercial product first appeared on Yanko Design.

A former USDS employee called the repurposing of the Digital Service into DOGE an A+ bureaucratic jiu-jitsu move. It will give Musk and his associates access to unclassified data in every government agency.

After Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order directed against trans people this week, trans and nonbinary people are scared of what happens next.