BUENOS AIRES — Argentina’s triple-digit inflation, among the world’s highest, is starting to slow down but this offers little relief for workers whose salaries have stayed the same while costs of basic goods skyrocketed and the government slashed state subsidies. “We’re losing track of what’s expensive and what’s cheap,” said university …
your ad hereChina tees up fresh spending to boost ailing economy
beijing — China said Saturday it would issue special bonds to help its sputtering economy, signaling a spending spree to bolster banks, shore up the property market and ease local government debt as part of one of its biggest support packages in years. The plan is part of a series of …
your ad hereMeta removes fake accounts in Moldova ahead of presidential election
STOCKHOLM — Meta Platforms said on Friday that it had removed a network of group accounts targeting Russian speakers in Moldova ahead of the country’s October 20 election, for violation of the company’s policy on fake accounts. Authorities in Moldova, an ex-Soviet state lying between Romania and Ukraine, said they had …
your ad hereDespite tariffs, China drives toward dominating EV market all over world
washington — As China pursues tit-for-tat actions against the European Union in response to tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, Beijing’s drive for global dominance in the automotive sector continues unabated. Over the past year, companies such as EV giant BYD and others have made inroads in markets from Southeast Asia to …
your ad hereUS lawmakers seek answers from telecoms on Chinese hacking report
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers asked AT&T, Verizon Communications, and Lumen Technologies on Friday to answer questions after a report that Chinese hackers accessed the networks of U.S. broadband providers. The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday hackers obtained information from systems the federal government uses for court-authorized wiretapping, …
your ad hereSmithsonian and NASA present exhibit that explores ever-changing Earth
This month, [October 8] the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History opened “NASA’s Earth Information Center” an exhibition that gives visitors a firsthand look at the forces shaping our planet. Andrei Dziarkach has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. Camera: Artem Kohan …
your ad hereChina to lift 4-year ban on Australian lobster imports, Australia’s prime minister says
MELBOURNE, Australia — China will resume importing Australian live lobsters by the end of the year, removing the final major obstacle to bilateral trade that once cost Australian exporters more than 20 billion Australian dollars ($13 billion) a year, Australia’s prime minister said Thursday. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made the announcement …
your ad hereExpansion of ASEAN-China free-trade pact questioned amid summit
TAIPEI, TAIWAN — As Laos hosts this year’s summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Beijing is calling for additions to its free-trade agreement with the regional forum that focus on smart cities, 5G, artificial intelligence and e-commerce. Ahead of the ASEAN summit, which began Sunday and ends Friday, Chinese …
your ad hereWimbledon tennis tournament replaces line judges with AI in break with tradition
LONDON — That long-held Wimbledon tradition of line judges dressed in elegant uniforms is no more. The All England Club announced Wednesday that artificial intelligence will be used to make the “out” and “fault” calls at the championships from 2025. Wimbledon organizers said the decision to adopt live electronic line calling …
your ad hereX complies with court’s demands, cleared to be reinstated in Brazil
Global oil traders anxiously await Israel’s expected strikes on Iran
US states sue TikTok, saying it harms young users
NEW YORK/WASHINGTON — TikTok faces new lawsuits filed by 13 U.S. states and the District of Columbia on Tuesday, accusing the popular social media platform of harming and failing to protect young people. The lawsuits, filed separately in New York, California, the District of Columbia and 11 other states, expand Chinese-owned …
your ad herePioneers in artificial intelligence win the Nobel Prize in physics
STOCKHOLM — Two pioneers of artificial intelligence — John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton — won the Nobel Prize in physics Tuesday for helping create the building blocks of machine learning that is revolutionizing the way we work and live but also creates new threats to humanity, one of the winners said. …
your ad hereChina targets brandy in EU trade tit-for-tat after EV tariff move
Beijing/Paris — China imposed temporary anti-dumping measures on imports of brandy from the EU on Tuesday, hitting French brands including Hennessy and Remy Martin, days after the 27-state bloc voted for tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, or EVs. China’s commerce ministry said preliminary findings of an investigation had determined that dumping …
your ad hereChina is oversupplying lithium to eliminate rivals, US official says
LISBON — Chinese lithium producers are flooding the global market with the critical metal and causing a “predatory” price drop as they seek to eliminate competing projects, a senior U.S. official said on a visit to Portugal that has ample lithium reserves. Jose Fernandez, undersecretary for economic growth, energy and the …
your ad hereEurope braces for Chinese retaliation over EV import tariffs
The European Union is braced for retaliation from China after the bloc voted Friday to impose tariffs on the import of Chinese electric vehicles, which Brussels says receive unfair state subsidies. As Henry Ridgwell reports, there’s speculation that Beijing could target individual European countries that voted for the measures. …
your ad hereDebt burden threatens poor countries’ development goals, UN official says
HAMBURG, Germany — The world’s poorest countries are having to prioritize debt service over investments, United Nations Development Program administrator Achim Steiner said on Monday, scuppering progress towards their sustainable development goals. Speaking at an event in Hamburg, Steiner said the financial crunch meant countries worldwide were struggling to meet the …
your ad hereAs affordable housing disappears, states scramble to shore up the losses
Los Angeles — For more than two decades, the low rent on Marina Maalouf’s apartment in a blocky affordable housing development in Los Angeles’ Chinatown was a saving grace for her family, including a granddaughter who has autism. But that grace had an expiration date. For Maalouf and her family it …
your ad herePortugal looks to put new twist on cork industry
Mozelos, Portugal — Portugal, the world’s leading cork producer, is finding new uses for the material, from footwear to furniture, as demand for wine bottle stoppers wanes. Producers highlight the environmentally friendly properties of cork, which is lightweight, recyclable, waterproof and fire-resistant, to encourage its use in diverse settings. Cork is …
your ad hereChina-connected spamouflage networks spread antisemitic disinformation
washington — Spamouflage networks with connections to China are posting antisemitic conspiracy theories on social media, casting doubt on Washington’s independence from alleged Jewish influence and the integrity of the two U.S. presidential candidates, a joint investigation by VOA Mandarin and Taiwan’s Doublethink Lab, a social media analytics firm, has found. …
your ad hereEU backs tariffs on Chinese EVs despite concerns about Chinese retaliation
EU executive to adopt tariffs on Chinese EVs after vote
BRUSSELS — The European Commission said on Friday it had received enough support from E.U. members to impose tariffs of up to 45% on Chinese electric vehicle imports in the bloc’s highest profile trade case, but would continue to negotiate with Beijing. The Commission, which oversees the bloc’s trade policy, has …
your ad hereUS dockworkers to suspend strike until January
detroit — The union representing 45,000 striking U.S. dockworkers at East and Gulf coast ports reached a deal Thursday to suspend a three-day strike until January 15 to provide time to negotiate a new contract. The union, the International Longshoremen’s Association, is to resume working immediately. The temporary end to the …
your ad hereDockworkers join other unions in trying to fend off automation, or minimize impact
Australia’s online dating industry agrees to code of conduct to protect users
MELBOURNE, Australia — A code of conduct will be enforced on the online dating industry to better protect Australian users after research found that three-in-four people suffer some form of sexual violence through the platforms, Australia’s government said on Tuesday. Bumble, Grindr and Match Group Inc., a Texas-based company that owns …
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