Brussels — The European Commission on Thursday fined Meta Platforms $840.24 million over abusive practices benefiting Facebook Marketplace, it said in a statement, confirming an earlier report by Reuters. “The European…
more ...China’s largest air show takes off with fighter jets, attack drones
Zhuhai, China — Stealth fighter jets and attack drones took center stage as China’s largest air show officially opened on Tuesday, an opportunity for Beijing to showcase its growing military might…
more ...Web Summit kicks off in Lisbon as tech leaders weigh Trump’s return
LISBON, PORTUGAL — Lisbon will this week play host to Europe’s biggest annual tech conference, Web Summit, where industry leaders and lawmakers will weigh the pros and cons of Donald Trump’s…
more ...As data center industry booms, English village becomes battleground
ABBOTS LANGLEY, England — Originally built to store crops from peasant farmers, the Tithe Barn on the edge of the English village of Abbots Langley was converted into homes that preserve…
more ...EV industry watching Musk’s role in tariff fixing
New Delhi — The electric vehicle industry is closely watching to see how Tesla boss Elon Musk, who played a key role in the victory of Republican President-elect Donald Trump, will…
more ...Can honeybees and dogs detect cancer earlier than technology?
Washington — Researchers at Michigan State University recently discovered that honeybees, with their keen sense of smell, can sniff out lung cancer on a patient’s breath. “Our world is visual. Insects’…
more ...Canada orders TikTok’s Canadian business to be dissolved but won’t block app
Canada announced Wednesday it won’t block access to the popular video-sharing app TikTok but is ordering the dissolution of its Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese…
more ...Australia proposes ‘world-leading’ ban on social media for children under 16
sydney — The Australian government will legislate for a ban on social media for children under 16, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday, in what it calls a world-leading package…
more ...French families sue TikTok over alleged failure to remove harmful content
PARIS — Seven French families have filed a lawsuit against social media giant TikTok, accusing the platform of exposing their adolescent children to harmful content that led to two of them…
more ...US tech firms warn Vietnam’s planned law to hamper data centers, social media
HANOI, Vietnam — U.S. tech companies have warned Vietnam’s government that a draft law to tighten rules on data protection and limit data transfers abroad would hamper social media platforms and…
more ...California attempts to regulate election deepfakes
The state of California has passed several laws attempting to regulate artificial intelligence, including AI used to create realistic looking but manipulated audio or video — known as a deepfake.…
more ...Thousands of passenger flight signals jammed over war zones in Ukraine, Middle East
The navigation systems of thousands of passenger aircraft are being disrupted every day as they fly close to conflict zones, according to researchers. They are warning that the blocking or…
more ...Residents in Ethiopia’s Oromia region report network disruptions as government forces fight rebels
ADAMA, ETHIOPIA — Residents in Ethiopia’s Oromia region say access to phone communication and internet service has been disrupted for months as government forces fight against two rebel groups. The disruption…
more ...Chinese online retailer Temu faces EU probe into rogue traders, illegal goods
LONDON — The European Union is investigating Chinese online retailer Temu over suspicions it’s failing to prevent the sale of illegal products, the 27-nation bloc’s executive arm said on Thursday. The…
more ...Musk’s X ineffective against surge of US election misinformation, report says
The crowd-sourced fact-checking feature of Elon Musk’s X, Community Notes, is “failing to counter false” claims about the U.S. election, the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) said in a…
more ...China launches new crew to its space station as it seeks to expand exploration
JIUQUAN, China — China declared a “complete success” after it launched a new three-person crew to its orbiting space station early Wednesday as the country seeks to expand its exploration of…
more ...US finalizes rule restricting investment in Chinese tech firms
The Treasury Department on Monday finalized a new rule meant to prevent U.S.-based people and companies from investing in the development of a range of advanced technologies in China, thereby…
more ...Companies find solutions to power EVs in energy-challenged Africa
NAIROBI, KENYA — Some companies are coming up with creative ways of making electric vehicles a more realistic option in power-challenged areas of Africa. Countries in Africa have been slow adopters…
more ...Cryptocurrency promoters on X amplify China-aligned disinformation
Washington — A China-linked disinformation operation is using so-called “Spamouflage” networks to ramp up Beijing’s propaganda aimed at social media users in the West who regularly promote cryptocurrency-related content on X.…
more ...Small modular reactors could give developing countries access to nuclear energy
Experts say small modular reactors, called SMRs, are bringing affordable nuclear energy to less wealthy countries. But what are SMRs and why are proponents so excited about them? VOA reporter…
more ...US military, intelligence agencies ordered to embrace AI
washington — The Pentagon and U.S. intelligence agencies have new marching orders — to more quickly embrace and deploy artificial intelligence as a matter of national security. U.S. President Joe Biden…
more ...AI decodes oinks and grunts to keep pigs happy in Danish study
VIPPEROD, Denmark — European scientists have developed an artificial intelligence algorithm capable of interpreting pig sounds, aiming to create a tool that can help farmers improve animal welfare. The algorithm could…
more ...China space plan highlights commitment to space exploration, analysts say
Chinese officials recently released a 25-year space exploration plan that details five major scientific themes and 17 priority areas for scientific breakthroughs with one goal: to make China a world…
more ...Chinese official urges Apple to continue ‘deepening’ presence in China
A top Chinese official has urged tech giant Apple to deepen its presence and investment in innovation in the world’s second largest economy at a time when supply chains and…
more ...‘Garbage in, garbage out’: AI fails to debunk disinformation, study finds
Washington — When it comes to combating disinformation ahead of the U.S. presidential elections, artificial intelligence and chatbots are failing, a media research group has found. The latest audit by the…
more ...Microsoft to allow autonomous AI agent development starting next month
Microsoft will allow customers to build autonomous artificial intelligence agents starting in November, the software giant said on Monday, in its latest move to tap the booming technology. The company…
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