French President Emmanuel Macron wants Europe to become a leader in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector, he told a global summit of AI and political leaders in Paris Monday where he announced that France’s private sector has invested nearly $113 billion in French AI. Financial investment is key to achieving …
your ad hereMusk-led group makes $97.4 billion bid for control of OpenAI
A consortium led by Elon Musk said Monday it has offered $97.4 billion to buy the nonprofit that controls OpenAI, another salvo in the billionaire’s fight to block the artificial intelligence startup from transitioning to a for-profit firm. Musk’s bid is likely to ratchet up longstanding tensions with OpenAI CEO …
your ad hereAs tariffs take effect, Beijing and Washington look back to 2020 deal
New Chinese tariffs on a range of U.S. goods went into effect Monday, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to impose a 10% tariff on Chinese products last week. Tariffs of 25% on steel and aluminum are next. Despite the tariffs and rising tensions, both sides seem reluctant to launch …
your ad hereOn sidelines of AI Summit in Paris, unions denounce its harmful effects
PARIS — In front of political and tech leaders gathered at a summit in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron called for a strategy on Monday to make up for the delay in France and Europe in investing in artificial intelligence (AI) but was faced with a “counter-summit” that pointed out the …
your ad hereTrump signs executive orders on steel, aluminum tariffs
Washington — President Donald Trump moved to substantially raise tariffs on steel and aluminum imports on Monday, canceling exemptions and duty-free quotas for major suppliers Canada, Mexico, Brazil and other countries in a move that could boost the risk of a multifront trade war. Trump signed proclamations that raised the tariff …
your ad hereHigh-stakes AI summit in Paris: World leaders, tech titans and challenging diplomatic talks
PARIS — Major world leaders are meeting for an AI summit in Paris, where challenging diplomatic talks are expected as tech titans fight for dominance in the fast-moving technology industry. Heads of state, top government officials, CEOs and scientists from around 100 countries are participating in the two-day international summit from …
your ad hereTrump to announce 25% steel, aluminum tariffs in latest trade escalation
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE — U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that he will announce on Monday new 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the U.S., which would come on top of existing metals duties in another major escalation of his trade policy overhaul. Trump, speaking to reporters …
your ad hereSoaring egg prices in US pique interest in backyard chickens
NEW YORK — Thinking about backyard chickens as egg prices soar? Think hard, especially in light of the bird flu outbreak. Keeping home chickens as a pastime has continued to grow since the pandemic. But if eggs are the goal, remember that it takes planning and investment to raise the chickens …
your ad hereBaltic states switch to European power grid, ending Russia ties
VILNIUS — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania said on Sunday they had successfully synchronized their electricity systems to the European continental power grid, one day after severing decades-old energy ties to Russia and Belarus. Planned for many years, the complex switch away from the grid of their former Soviet imperial overlord is …
your ad hereUS stocks slide amid inflation, tariff worries
NEW YORK — U.S. stocks slumped Friday amid worries about higher inflation and tariffs, while a closely watched report gave a mixed picture of the U.S. job market. The S&P 500 was down almost 1%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell more than 400 points, or almost 1%. A sharp …
your ad hereTrump signals his support for cryptocurrency
U.S. President Donald Trump says he wants to make the United States the cryptocurrency capital of the world. He is putting his plan into place in the early weeks of his second presidential term. VOA’s Michelle Quinn has the story. …
your ad hereVOA Mandarin: China’s DeepSeek banned by several countries out of censorship fear
Several governments, including the U.S., Taiwan and Australia, have banned the use of China’s AI software DeepSeek on official devices. Analysts say these restrictions are justified, as tests show DeepSeek not only collects excessive user data but also filters sensitive topics and promotes Chinese government narratives more aggressively than Baidu …
your ad hereRobots learn problem-solving from each other, internet
Robots with reasoning power are becoming a reality thanks to massive amounts of training data and breakthroughs in artificial intelligence. VOA’s Matt Dibble visits a lab where robots are learning to solve problems themselves. Cameras: Matt Dibble, Tina Trinh. …
your ad hereHouse lawmakers push to ban AI app DeepSeek from US government devices
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan duo in the U.S. House is proposing legislation to ban the Chinese artificial intelligence app DeepSeek from federal devices, similar to the policy already in place for the popular social media platform TikTok. Lawmakers Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat from New Jersey, and Darin LaHood, a Republican from …
your ad hereUS Postal Service to accept inbound parcels from China, Hong Kong after suspension
HONG KONG/SEOUL/SHANGHAI — The U.S. Postal Service said on Wednesday it would accept parcels from China and Hong Kong, in a U-turn after a suspension following President Donald Trump ending a trade provision used by retailers including Temu, Shein, and Amazon AMZN.O to ship low-value packages duty-free to the U.S. “The …
your ad hereBird flu pushes egg prices up; US retailers, consumers worry
The latest outbreak of bird flu is wiping out chicken flocks and driving higher prices for eggs in the United States. While retailers and consumers are feeling the pinch, but at least one small farmer sees an opportunity – if he can get his hands on some healthy chickens. VOA’s …
your ad hereFormer Google engineer faces new US charges he stole AI secrets for Chinese companies
U.S. prosecutors on Tuesday unveiled an expanded 14-count indictment accusing former Google software engineer Linwei Ding of stealing artificial intelligence trade secrets to benefit two Chinese companies he was secretly working for. Ding, 38, a Chinese national, was charged by a federal grand jury in San Francisco with seven counts …
your ad hereTrump, Xi to discuss tariffs imposed on each other’s exports
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are set soon to hold a high-stakes phone call on the tit-for-tat tariffs each has imposed on the other country’s exports. Trump’s new 10% tariff on Chinese goods took effect at midnight Monday, with China quickly announcing it would impose 15% …
your ad hereFrance pitches AI summit as ‘wake-up call’ for Europe
PARIS — France hosts top tech players next week at an artificial intelligence summit meant as a “wake-up call” for Europe as it struggles with AI challenges from the United States and China. Players from across the sector and representatives from 80 nations will gather in the French capital on February …
your ad hereBotswana, De Beers reach diamond sales agreement after years of negotiations
Gaborone, Botswana — The government of Botswana and South African diamond firm De Beers say they have reached a new, 10-year sales agreement following talks that had dragged on since 2019. Analysts say the diamond industry is sure to welcome the deal, as Botswana, after Russia, is the world’s second-largest producer …
your ad hereFacing tariff threats, India lowers import duties to signal it is not protectionist
New Delhi — With trade likely to emerge as the most contentious issue between India and the United States, New Delhi has signaled that it is moving to allay concerns of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has named India among countries that impose high tariffs. The government will cut duties on …
your ad hereTrump: Americans could face ‘pain’ with new tariffs on key trading partners
U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday that Americans may face economic “pain” because of new tariffs he is imposing on the country’s three biggest trading partners —Canada, China and Mexico — but contended that it would be “worth the price” to bolster U.S. interests. Despite sharing a free-trade pact he …
your ad hereUK to become 1st country to criminalize AI child abuse tools
LONDON — Britain will become the first country to introduce laws against AI tools used to generate sexual abuse images, the government announced Saturday. The government will make it illegal to possess, create or distribute AI tools designed to generate sexualized images of children, punishable by up to five years in …
your ad hereFleet of abandoned ships is growing, leaving sailors stuck at sea
More ships than ever are being abandoned around the world by their owners, according to the United Nations’ labor and maritime organizations, leaving thousands of workers stuck on board without pay or the means to travel home to their families. Cases have doubled in the past three years, impacting more …
your ad hereConsumers brace for impact of China tariffs
washington — White House press secretary Karoline Levitt announced Friday that President Donald Trump would be implementing 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods and a 10% tariff on all Chinese imports on Saturday. Consumers told VOA they were bracing for the possible impact of increased costs. “I’m concerned about …
your ad here