Fast-food giant McDonald’s said Tuesday it would phase out plastic toys from its signature Happy Meals by 2025. “Starting now, and phased in across the globe by the end of…
more ...US Slaps Sanctions on Crypto Exchange in Effort to Curb Ransomware Attacks
The U.S. Treasury Department says it is sanctioning a cryptocurrency exchange for its alleged role in processing illicit proceeds from ransomware attacks. The move, the department says, is part…
more ...US Eases Foreign Coronavirus Travel Restrictions
The United States said Monday that starting in early November it will ease its coronavirus restrictions for foreign travelers arriving in the country. Foreign travel to the U.S. had been…
more ...Benin Startup Builds Low-Cost Computers
BloLab is converting plastic jerricans into computers using recycled components.. Anne Nzouankeu visited the startup in Cotonou, Benin in this story narrated by Moki Edwin Kindzeka. …
more ...China’s New Stock Exchange Eyes Small, Medium-Sized Companies
U.S. experts say Beijing’s establishment of a new stock exchange catering to China’s small and medium-sized companies (SMS) is unlikely to raise the capital the enterprises had anticipated from listing…
more ...US Business Demand High, Worker Availability Low
Millions of Americans who were thrown out of work in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic are now encountering a hot jobs market with businesses eager, even desperate, to…
more ...Media: ‘Quad’ Countries to Agree on Secure Microchip Supply Chains
Leaders of the United States, Japan, India and Australia will agree to take steps to build secure semiconductor supply chains when they meet in Washington next week, the Nikkei business…
more ...US Debt Limit Struggle Raises Specter of Catastrophic Default
Unless Congress votes to increase the amount of money the U.S. Treasury is allowed to borrow above its current debt of $28.5 trillion, the United States will default on its…
more ...‘Devious Licks’ Videos of Damage, Thefts Bedevil US Schools
Kids across the U.S. are posting TikTok videos of themselves vandalizing school bathrooms and stealing soap dispensers and even turf from football fields, bedeviling school administrators seeking to contain the…
more ...Navalny App Gone from Google, Apple Stores on Russia Vote Day
Jailed Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny’s Smart Voting app disappeared from Apple and Google stores Friday as Russians began voting in a three-day parliamentary election marked by a historic crackdown on the opposition.…
more ...China Gets Serious About Cracking Down on Youth Online Gaming
With China’s new restrictions on minors playing online games, the global gaming industry wonders what’s next. Michelle Quinn reports. …
more ...Taiwan Calls for Quick Start to Trade Talks with EU
Taiwan’s government called on the European Union to quickly begin trade talks after the bloc pledged to seek a trade deal with the tech-heavyweight island, something Taipei has long angled…
more ...IMF Chief Denies Altering World Bank Report to Appease China
International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva on Thursday disputed an independent investigation that found that in her previous job at the World Bank, she pressed staff to alter a report…
more ...Clive Sinclair, Computing Pioneer, Dies at 81
Sir Clive Sinclair, the British inventor who pioneered the pocket calculator and affordable home computers, died Thursday at age 81. He died at his home in London a decade after…
more ...Radical Action Needed to Prevent Irreversible Climate Change, Scientists Say
Scientists from multiple organizations that monitor and assess the state of the Earth’s climate system warn the world is not on track to meet the target of the Paris Agreement…
more ...US Jobless Benefit Claims Increase, but Still Near Pandemic Low
First-time claims for U.S. unemployment compensation increased last week but remained near the low point during the 18-month coronavirus pandemic, the Labor Department reported Thursday. A total of 332,000…
more ...China Targets Canada Goose, Maker of Posh Parkas
Canada Goose, the Canadian maker of parkas it claims are designed to keep wearers toasty warm in the “the coldest places on Earth,” is the latest foreign brand targeted by…
more ...House Democrats Seek Major Tax Hike on Wealthy, Businesses
House Democrats this week have proposed a bill that would sharply raise taxes on wealthy Americans and corporations while slashing taxes paid by lower-income citizens. On balance, the proposal would…
more ...UN Rights Chief Calls for Moratorium on Artificial Intelligence Systems
The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, is calling for a moratorium on the sale and use of artificial intelligence systems, which she says pose a serious risk…
more ...US Accuses Russia of Stonewalling on Cybercrime
U.S. warnings to Russian President Vladimir Putin over shielding cybercriminals holed up in Russia appear to have made little impact, according to top U.S. law enforcement and cyber officials. “There is…
more ...Apple Plugs ‘No-Click’ Phone Hack Attributed to Pegasus Spyware
Apple released a critical software patch to fix a security vulnerability that researchers said could allow hackers to directly infect iPhones and other Apple devices without any user action. …
more ...Hospitals Turn to Robots to Free Up More Time for Patients
A robot called Moxi is helping nurses and hospital staff focus more on patients by taking care of menial tasks. The VOA’s Deana Mitchell has the story. …
more ...First Private All-Civilian Orbital Spaceflight Set for Wednesday
Four people are set to become the world’s first all-civilian crew to fly into Earth orbit when they blast off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Wednesday as space tourism takes…
more ...Cyber Arms Dealer Exploits New iPhone Software Vulnerability, Watchdog Says
A cyber surveillance company based in Israel developed a tool to break into Apple iPhones with a never-before-seen technique that has been in use since February, internet security watchdog group…
more ...SpaceX to Launch Private, All-civilian Crew into Earth Orbit
SpaceX is set to launch four people into space Wednesday on a three-day mission that is the first to orbit the Earth with exclusively private citizens on board, as Elon…
more ...Apple Must Loosen App Store Grip, Judge Says; What’s the Impact?
Apple will be forced to loosen the grip it holds on its App Store payment system, a U.S. federal judge ruled Friday in a closely watched battle with Fortnite maker…
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