China unveiled a national artificial intelligence (AI) development plan on Thursday, laying out its ambitions to build world-leading technology amid heightened international friction over applications of AI in military technology. The value of the country’s core AI industries will exceed 150 billion yuan ($22.15 billion) by 2020 and 400 billion …
your ad hereCEOs at Major US Firms Earn 271 Times as Much as Employees
A study by the Economic Policy Institute says the chief executive officers of America’s largest firms were paid an average of $15.6 million each in 2016. In a report published Thursday, authors Lawrence Mischel and Jessica Schieder say that amount is 271 times as much as a “typical” worker’s earnings …
your ad hereStudy: Heat Waves in India Hit Urban Poor Hardest
In summer, life becomes intolerable for rickshaw puller Mohammad Khan. “I keep running into the shade to save myself from the sun,” he said as he waited for midafternoon customers in a busy New Delhi market. Like millions of others, Khan is experiencing on the ground what a recent study …
your ad hereStudy: Drinking Coffee May Help You Live Longer
Many people enjoy a cup of coffee, especially in the morning. Turns out, that is giving them a good start – not just to their day – but to their lives. A new study indicates that people who drink at least three cups of coffee each day appear to live longer …
your ad hereWorking to Close the Math Gap Between Rich and Poor
The achievement gap is defined as the persistently low scores disadvantaged children get on tests when compared to their middle and upper class peers. It has economic and racial components, and educators have been battling to solve the problem for decades. Some research done with low-income kids in India is …
your ad hereAustralia Helping Sri Lanka Fight Dengue Outbreak
Australia is contributing funds to help Sri Lanka combat its worst outbreak of dengue fever, which has claimed 250 lives and infected nearly 100,000 people so far this year in the Indian Ocean island nation. Visiting Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Wednesday night that Australia is giving $475,000 Australian (US …
your ad hereIndian Builders Pledge ‘Green’ Homes in Race to Meet Climate Goals
India’s top builders have pledged to make at least a fifth of their new housing developments sustainable by 2022, as the country looks to tap sectors other than renewable energy to meet its ambitious climate goals. The campaign is led by the Sustainable Housing Leadership Consortium (SHLC) comprising builders Godrej …
your ad hereIn China, Ford Cars Pass ‘Golden Noses’ Test Before Sale
While Western drivers like the “new car smell” of a vehicle fresh off the production line, Chinese would rather their cars didn’t smell of anything — a cultural divide that’s testing carmakers seeking an edge to revive sales in the world’s biggest auto market. At Ford Motor Co., for example, …
your ad hereVenezuelan Business Leader Slams Maduro’s Congress Plan
Venezuela’s severe economic crisis will worsen if President Nicolas Maduro presses ahead with a controversial new congress that would further undermine investor confidence in the OPEC nation, the head of the country’s biggest business guild said. Despite months of protests by the majority-backed opposition and widespread international condemnation, the ruling …
your ad hereRobot Swims Around Fukushima Reactor to Find Melted Fuel
An underwater robot entered a badly damaged reactor at Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant Wednesday, capturing images of the impact of its meltdown, including key structures that were torn and knocked out of place. Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said the robot, nicknamed “the Little Sunfish,” successfully completed the …
your ad hereStudy: Production of Enough Plastic to Cover Argentina Causes Havoc
More than nine billion tons of plastic has been produced since 1950 with most of it discarded in landfills or the environment, hurting ecosystems and human health, according to the first major global analysis of mass-produced plastics. Nearly 80 percent of this plastic ended up in landfills or the environment …
your ad hereArgentina Ratifies Treaty; Tariffs to Be Lifted Soon
Argentina said Wednesday that it has sent the regional bloc Mercosur its ratification of the group’s 2010 trade agreement with Egypt, and the pact will go into force within a month. The trade deal, which covers food, cars, auto parts and industrial supplies, was signed by Egypt and Mercosur members …
your ad hereSummer-release Movies Grabbing Oscar Buzz
The stranglehold that autumn prestige films have on Oscar season just might be wilting in the summer sun. Christopher Nolan’s World War II epic Dunkirk hits theaters Friday, but the overflowing reviews have made it abundantly clear: It’s a major Oscar contender and a best-picture front-runner, even in July. And Dunkirk, which …
your ad hereSpaceX Chief Says First Launch of Big New Rocket Will Be Risky
SpaceX’s chief said Wednesday that the first launch of its big new rocket is risky and stands “a real good chance” of failure. Founder Elon Musk told a space station research conference Wednesday that he wants to set realistic expectations for the flight later this year from Cape Canaveral. The …
your ad hereAmazon Launches Shopping Social Network Spark for iOS
Amazon.com has launched a social feature called Spark that allows members to showcase and purchase products on its platforms, the retail giant’s first clear move into the world of social media. Spark, which is currently only available for Amazon’s premium paying Prime members, encourages users to share photos and videos, …
your ad hereLatin Dance Hit ‘Despacito’ Sets Global Streaming Record
Catchy summer dance song Despacito has set a record as the most streamed music track of all time, with 4.6 billion plays across leading platforms, record company Universal Music said Wednesday. The song, first released in January in Spanish by Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi and rapper Daddy Yankee and …
your ad hereUN Experts Seek Halt to Use of Spyware in Mexico, Want Full Probe
U.N. human rights experts called on the government of Mexico on Wednesday to “cease the surveillance immediately” of activists and journalists and to conduct a fully impartial investigation into the illegal spying. In the latest case, an international probe into the 2014 disappearance of 43 students in Mexico was targeted …
your ad hereGOP Targets Endangered Species Act as Protections Lifted
Congressional Republicans are moving forward with legislation to roll back the Endangered Species Act, amid complaints that the landmark 44-year-old law hinders drilling, logging and other activities. At simultaneous hearings Wednesday, House and Senate committees considered bills to revise the law and limit lengthy and costly litigation associated with it. …
your ad hereFleetwood Mac to Earn Musicares Person of the Year
Fleetwood Mac will be named the 2018 MusiCares Person of the Year, becoming the first group to receive the honor. The Recording Academy announced Wednesday that the 28th annual benefit gala will take place at Radio City Music Hall in New York on January 26, 2018, two days before …
your ad hereRural US Hospitals Face Uncertainty with Health Care Proposals
Kathy Holbrook was at home one night last year when she started having chest pains, so the 63-year-old former office manager drove to a hospital near her home in the eastern Kentucky mountains. “I am a Christian lady, so I believe in the power of prayer and I was just …
your ad here‘Game of Thrones’ Debut Draws Record 10.1 Million Viewers
Women dominate Westeros as never before, and it’s the same with the Game of Thrones ratings. The HBO drama’s seventh-season premiere last weekend drew a record-setting 10.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen company figures released Tuesday. That eclipsed previous top-rated Game of Thrones episodes, including the 8.11 million who watched …
your ad hereMeasles Kills 35 Children in Europe; Outbreak in Minnesota Not Over
Thirty-five European children have died from measles in the past 12 months in what the World Health Organization calls an “unacceptable” tragedy. The deaths could have been prevented by a vaccine. A measles outbreak in Minnesota sent nearly two dozen people to the hospital. Still, some parents in developed countries …
your ad hereAuction of Madonna’s Panties, Love Letter From Tupac Halted
An impending auction of pop star Madonna’s personal items, including a love letter from her ex-boyfriend the late rapper Tupac Shakur, a pair of previously worn panties and a hairbrush containing her hair, was halted by a judge on Tuesday. Manhattan state Supreme Court Judge Gerald Leibovitz ordered Gotta Have …
your ad here2 New Harry Potter Books Set to Be Published in October
Two new books from the Harry Potter universe are set to be released as part of a British exhibition that celebrates the 20th anniversary of the launch of the series. The British Library’s Harry Potter exhibition, “A History of Magic,” opens in October and runs through February 2018. In an …
your ad hereTeen Robot Builders from 157 Countries Compete
Robots from around the world clashed in Washington, DC (this week, July 17-18). It’s part of a global competition bringing high school students together to learn tech, but also to learn to cooperate to solve important problems. VOA’s Steve Baragona reports. …
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