BEIJING/TOKYO — Talks between China and Japan’s foreign ministers in Beijing have paved way for Japan to host China’s foreign affairs chief next year, and mutual agreement to hold a security…
more ...Iran cyberspace council votes to lift ban on WhatsApp
TEHRAN, IRAN — Iran’s top council responsible for safeguarding the internet voted Tuesday to lift a ban on the popular messaging application WhatsApp, which has been subject to restrictions for over…
more ...Big banks, business groups sue US Federal Reserve over annual ‘stress tests’
Major banks and business groups sued the Federal Reserve on Tuesday, alleging the U.S. central bank’s annual “stress tests” of Wall Street firms violate the law. The lawsuit filed in…
more ...VOA Mandarin: Trump’s new AI policy seeks to loosen regulations, support innovation, defeat China
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to repeal President Joe Biden’s executive order on artificial intelligence security, setting the stage for deregulation for AI companies by nominating pro-business, pro-startups Silicon…
more ...Nissan, Honda announce plans to merge, creating world’s No. 3 automaker
TOKYO — Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan have announced plans to work toward a merger, forming world’s third-largest automaker by sales as the industry undergoes dramatic changes in its transition away…
more ...Albanian PM says TikTok ban was not ‘rushed reaction to a single incident’
Tirana, Albania — Albania’s prime minister said Sunday the ban on TikTok his government announced a day earlier was “not a rushed reaction to a single incident.” Edi Rama said Saturday…
more ...Trump taps ex-Treasury official Miran as chair of Council of Economic Advisers
Washington — President-elect Donald Trump said on Sunday that Stephen Miran, a Treasury Department adviser in his first administration, would be the chair of his Council of Economic Advisers. The council…
more ...Albania to shut down TikTok for 1 year, says platform promotes violence among children
TIRANA, ALBANIA — Albania’s prime minister said Saturday the government will shut down the video service TikTok for one year, blaming it for inciting violence and bullying, especially among children. Albanian…
more ...Trump wants US to dominate AI as industry weighs benefits, risks
Generative artificial intelligence companies are racing to build on the popularity of programs like ChatGPT, but AI regulation has not kept pace with the technology. Now, an incoming administration could…
more ...Rising butter prices give European consumers and bakers a bad taste
PARIS — Pastry chef Arnaud Delmontel rolls out dough for croissants and pains au chocolat that later emerge golden and fragrant from the oven in his Paris patisserie. The price for…
more ...US slow to react to pervasive Chinese hacking, experts say
As new potential threats from Chinese hackers were identified this week, the federal government issued one of its strongest warnings to date about the need for Americans — and in…
more ...Amazon workers strike at seven US facilities ahead of Christmas rush
Amazon.com workers at seven U.S. facilities walked off the job early on Thursday during the holiday shopping rush, aiming to pressure the retailer into contract talks with their union. Warehouse…
more ...Bluesky could become target of foreign disinformation, experts warn
washington — Experts on cybersecurity and online foreign influence campaigns are urging social media company Bluesky, whose app has exploded in popularity in recent weeks, to step up moderation to counter…
more ...Thailand joins other Asia nations in battle against cheap Chinese imports
Bangkok — For many countries in Southeast Asia, Chinese investment and tourism are key to their economies. However, cheap low-quality Chinese products that are flooding markets across the region are also…
more ...US Federal Reserve cuts key loan rate by quarter-point
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate Wednesday by a quarter-point — its third cut this year — but also signaled that it expects to reduce rates more…
more ...US cyber watchdog seeks switch to encrypted apps following ‘Salt Typhoon’ hacks
WASHINGTON — The U.S. cybersecurity watchdog CISA is telling senior American government officials and politicians to immediately switch to end-to-end encrypted messaging following intrusions at major American telecoms blamed on Chinese…
more ...Top US Senate Republican urges Supreme Court to reject TikTok appeal
WASHINGTON — Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell on Wednesday urged the U.S. Supreme Court to reject a bid by TikTok and its China-based parent company ByteDance to block a law intended…
more ...Kenyan president strongly defends animal vaccination program
NAIROBI, KENYA — Kenya’s president said Tuesday that a mass livestock vaccination campaign will continue despite fears of some herders and farmers that the inoculations will somehow hurt their animals. Kenyan…
more ...Senators urge US House to pass Kids Online Safety Act
A bipartisan effort to protect children from the harms of social media is running out of time in this session of the U.S. Congress. If passed, the Kids Online Safety…
more ...VOA Kurdish: Syrian currency increased; prices remain high
After the fall of the regime of Bashar al-Assad, the value of the Syrian currency increased against the U.S. dollar, but the price of goods remains high. Residents say that…
more ...G20 watchdog urges governments to address non-bank financial risks
ZURICH — The Financial Stability Board (FSB) on Wednesday pitched recommendations for governments to reduce risks around hedge funds, insurers and other non-bank financial intermediaries, which now account for almost half…
more ...Nissan, Honda confirm talks on closer collaboration but say there’s been no decision on a merger
BANGKOK — Japanese automakers Nissan Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. confirmed Wednesday that they are discussing closer collaboration but denied reports they have decided on a merger. Nissan’s share price…
more ...Congo files criminal complaints against Apple in Europe over conflict minerals
Paris — The Democratic Republic of Congo has filed criminal complaints against Apple subsidiaries in France and Belgium, accusing the tech firm of using conflict minerals in its supply chain, lawyers…
more ...EU investigates TikTok over Romanian presidential election
LONDON — European Union regulators said Tuesday they’re investigating whether TikTok breached the bloc’s digital rulebook by failing to deal with risks to Romania’s presidential election, which has been thrown into…
more ...Japan targets 40-50% power supply from renewable energy by 2040
Tokyo — Japan wants renewable energy to account for up to 50% of its electricity mix by fiscal year 2040 with nuclear power taking up another 20%, according to a draft…
more ...Labor organization: International migrants play crucial role in global economy
GENEVA — Migrants play a crucial role in the global economy by filling essential jobs in foreign countries and sending much-needed remittances to their home countries, according to a report released…
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