Washington — Russian opposition politician Ilya Ponomarev says he saw no reason to be suspicious when he received what appeared to be an email from former U.S. ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul, a trusted contact with whom he communicates periodically. “This letter was visually no different from his other letters. I …
your ad hereFrance says Telegram CEO has been freed, will appear in court
PARIS — French prosecutors on Wednesday freed Telegram CEO Pavel Durov from police custody after four days of questioning over allegations that the platform is being used for illegal activities. Durov was detained on Saturday at Le Bourget airport outside Paris as part of a judicial inquiry opened last month involving …
your ad hereUS clean energy jobs growth rate double that of overall jobs, report says
Washington — Jobs in the U.S. clean energy industry in 2023 grew at more than double the rate of the country’s overall jobs, and unionization in clean energy surpassed for the first time the rate in the wider energy industry, the Energy Department said on Wednesday. Employment in clean energy businesses …
your ad hereIran’s Khamenei urges government to impose cyberspace controls
Tehran, Iran — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday urged the new government to impose controls over the Islamic republic’s cyberspace, which has already been under heavy restrictions in recent years. “What matters is for the rule of law to be applied in the virtual space,” said Khamenei during …
your ad hereWhat is Telegram, why was its CEO arrested in Paris?
France’s Macron: Arrest of head of Telegram messaging app wasn’t political
Paris — French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that the arrest in France of the CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram, Pavel Durov, wasn’t a political move but part of an independent investigation. French media reported that Durov was detained at a Paris airport on Saturday on an arrest warrant …
your ad hereChina robot conference spotlights the changing face of humanoids
Beijing — As China seeks to race ahead in humanoid robot development, its supply chains showcased cheaper and innovative parts at the world robot conference in Beijing, but some executives warn the industry has yet to improve product reliability. Wisson Technology (Shenzhen), known for its flexible robotic manipulators, doesn’t depend on …
your ad hereWall Street Week Ahead — ‘Super Bowl’ Nvidia earnings stand to test searing AI trade
New York — The rally in U.S. stocks faces an important test […] with earnings from chipmaking giant Nvidia NVDA.O, whose blistering run has powered markets throughout 2024. The S&P 500 .SPX has pared a sharp drop it suffered after U.S. economic worries contributed to a sell-off at the beginning …
your ad hereCEO of Telegram messaging app arrested in France, say French media
paris — Pavel Durov, billionaire founder and CEO of the Telegram messaging app, was arrested at the Bourget airport outside Paris on Saturday evening, TF1 TV and BFM TV said, citing unnamed sources. Telegram, particularly influential in Russia, Ukraine and the republics of the former Soviet Union, is ranked as one …
your ad hereFed’s actions spoke louder than words in inflation fight, research shows
JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming — The Federal Reserve’s credibility in the eyes of financial markets helped in its battle against inflation over the past two years, but it had to be earned afresh with interest rate hikes that backed up policymakers’ verbal promises to restore price stability, according to new research presented …
your ad hereCanadian rail arbitration hearing ends without decision; strike looms
TORONTO — A workers’ union Friday threatened a strike at one of Canada’s two major freight railroads, only hours after the company’s trains restarted following a potentially devastating stoppage. A government-ordered arbitration hearing wrapped up without a decision, and Canadian National trains were expected to keep moving at least through Monday …
your ad hereIndonesia destroys $1.3M of illegal imports, cracks down on underground economy
Jakarta, Indonesia — Cellphones, electric pots and pans, and car washing machines were among goods worth $1.3 million destroyed Monday by the Indonesian Trade Ministry in West Java. Alcoholic drinks with an ethyl alcohol or ethanol content ranging from 5% to 20% were also destroyed. The ministry demolished the goods as …
your ad hereChinese entities turn to Amazon cloud, rivals to access US chips, AI
BEIJING/SINGAPORE/NEW YORK — State-linked Chinese entities are using cloud services provided by Amazon or its rivals to access advanced U.S. chips and artificial intelligence capabilities that they cannot acquire otherwise, recent public tender documents showed. The U.S. government has restricted the export of high-end AI chips to China over the past …
your ad hereIranian groups suspected in Trump campaign hack have dangerous history, deep expertise
How fast will interest rates fall? Fed chair may provide clues in high-profile speech
JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming — With the Federal Reserve considered certain to start cutting its benchmark interest rate next month, Chair Jerome Powell’s highly anticipated speech Friday morning at an economic conference will be closely watched for any hints about how many additional rate cuts might be in the pipeline. Powell is …
your ad hereNew EU deforestation regulations a challenge for Namibian farmers
Windhoek, Namibia — Namibia’s minister of agriculture has urged farmers in the Southern African country to look at alternative markets for its charcoal and beef products since the European Union, one of its largest trading partners, has implemented nontariff barriers that came into force in 2023. A unilateral decision by the …
your ad hereUS official holds talks in Africa on responsible use of military AI
Abuja, Nigeria — A U.S. State Department official was in Nigeria this week to meet with local and regional authorities about the responsible use of artificial intelligence in military applications. Mallory Stewart, assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Arms Control, Deterrence and Stability, said her two-day visit with Nigerian …
your ad hereShein sues Temu over copyright infringements as legal feud heats up
China questions, begins probe of European Union subsidies for dairy industry exports
Seoul authorities find toxic substances in Shein and Temu products
Seoul — Women’s accessories sold by some of the world’s most popular online shopping firms contained toxic substances sometimes hundreds of times above acceptable levels, authorities in Seoul said Wednesday. Chinese giants including Shein, Temu and AliExpress have skyrocketed in global popularity in recent years, offering a vast selection of trendy …
your ad hereUS appeals court revives Google privacy class action lawsuit
Myanmar fighting blocks key trade route with China, impacting economy
Bangkok — Ethnic and resistance forces in Myanmar have completely blocked a key trade route to China, halting cross-border commerce and further damaging Myanmar’s already struggling economy. The Mandalay-Lashio-Muse Road is considered the most strategically important road in the country’s northern Shan State. Formerly known as the “Burma Road,” locals commonly …
your ad herePowell may use Jackson Hole speech to hint at how fast and how far the Fed could cut rates
Washington — Federal Reserve officials have said they’re increasingly confident that they’ve nearly tamed inflation. Now, it’s the health of the job market that’s starting to draw their concern. With inflation cooling toward its 2% target, the pace of hiring slowing and the unemployment rate edging up, the Fed is poised …
your ad hereTech innovations offer hope for overburdened Africa health care system
Nairobi, Kenya — Overcrowding in African hospitals is blamed on the scarcity of health facilities and doctors, especially in rural areas. According to the United Nations, there is only one doctor for every 5,000 people in Africa, a continent that bears 25% of the global disease burden. But with the number …
your ad hereCompanies’ use of employee-monitoring software can have negative effects
Some bosses might want all their workers back in the office, but a clear majority of U.S. workers crave the flexibility of remote or hybrid jobs. And studies have found that such work, if managed well, will not harm a company’s culture or capability to innovate. But some companies concerned …
your ad here