Thailand opened its borders to vaccinated visitors for the first time in 18 months this week, as the country struggles to boost an economy still languishing due to the pandemic.…
more ...Ecuador Balances Relationship with China, Protection of Marine Reserve
Maintaining the unique environment of the Galápagos Islands and protecting the surrounding marine resources is testing Ecuador. China’s industrial fishing fleet threatens the islands, but China is a key trading partner. Jaime…
more ...US Sues Penguin Random House Over Plans to Acquire Simon & Schuster
The U.S. Justice Department is seeking to block Penguin Random House, the world’s largest publisher, from acquiring rival publisher Simon & Schuster, the fourth largest in the United States. An…
more ...Facebook Shuts Down Facial Recognition Technology
Facebook says it is shutting down its facial recognition system. Citing “growing societal concerns” about the technology that can automatically identify people in photos and videos, the company says it…
more ...Taiwan Chip Giant to Expand to Japan
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), one of the world’s largest chipmakers, has announced plans to build a new plant in Japan, a move experts say may help revive Japan’s declining…
more ...Yahoo Halts Services in Mainland China
Yahoo said it stopped providing services in mainland China because of what it described as a difficult operating environment. The U.S. web services provider said in a statement on its…
more ...Barclays CEO Staley Resigns After Epstein Probe
Barclays chief executive Jes Staley is leaving the bank after a dispute with British financial regulators over how he described his ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Staley will…
more ...G-20 Leaders Pledge to End Financing for Overseas Coal Plants
G-20 leaders meeting in Rome have agreed to work to reach carbon neutrality “by around mid-century” and pledged to end financing for coal plants abroad by the end of this…
more ...Day One of G-20 Summit Focuses on Global Minimum Tax, Pandemic Preparedness
The G-20 Summit hosted by Italy in Rome this weekend brought together leaders from the world’s major economies. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara has this report from Rome. …
more ...Thai Businesses Eager for Foreign Tourists’ Imminent Return
Before the pandemic effectively closed Thailand off to the rest of the world in March of last year, Bangkok’s Kin & Koff Café was perfectly placed to catch the throngs…
more ...China Hits Reset on Belt and Road Initiative
Green energy is the new focus of China’s one-of-a-kind Belt and Road Initiative or BRI, that aims to build a series of infrastructure projects from Asia to Europe. The eco-friendlier version of BRI has caught the attention…
more ...US Wages Jump by Most in Records Dating Back 20 Years
Wages jumped in the three months ending in September by the most on records dating back 20 years, a stark illustration of the growing ability of workers to demand higher…
more ...Central Bankers Struggle to Tame Markets’ Inflation Fears
Central bankers and government officials around the world are scrambling to convince both the financial markets and the general public that recent spikes in price inflation are temporary, and don’t…
more ...Facebook to Rename Itself ‘Meta’
Facebook announced Thursday it was changing its name to Meta, rechristening itself as a digitally innovative company moving beyond 2D screens even as insider revelations paint the tech giant as…
more ...US Lawmakers Vote to Tighten Restrictions on Huawei, ZTE
The U.S. Senate voted unanimously on Thursday to approve legislation to prevent companies that are deemed security threats, such as Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. or ZTE Corp., from receiving new…
more ...Tariff Debate Divides US Solar Industry
Some American solar energy companies are calling on the U.S. Commerce Department to expand tariffs on Chinese solar components to include Chinese-linked products from Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand. VOA’s Mike O’Sullivan reports on a debate that has divided the solar…
more ...US Economy Slowed Markedly in Recent Months
U.S. economic growth slowed markedly in the July-to-September period, weighed down by a summer surge in the coronavirus pandemic and a snarled supply chain for consumer products, the country’s Commerce…
more ...Facebook Inc. Rebrands as Meta to Stress ‘Metaverse’ Plan
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said his company is rebranding itself as Meta in an effort to encompass its virtual-reality vision for the future — what Zuckerberg calls the ” metaverse.” Skeptics point…
more ...Nigerians Skeptical About New Digital Currency Days After Launch
Thousands of Nigerians are expressing concern about the country’s new digital currency after its user app was temporarily removed from the Google Play store this week. The app has recorded…
more ...US Retailers Pull Products From Companies Linked to Rights Abuses in China
Three U.S. retail giants have pulled products made by tech surveillance specialists Lorex and Ezviz, following revelations by the tech press that the companies are linked to human rights abuses…
more ...US State Department Creates Bureau to Tackle Digital Threats
The State Department is creating a new Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy to focus on tackling cybersecurity challenges at a time of growing threats from opponents. There will also…
more ...Pandemic Worsens Prospect of Global Labor Recovery
New figures from the U.N.’s International Labor Organization indicate the global labor market has been slow to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic, with the economies of lower-income countries faring worse than those of the wealthier countries. Early this year,…
more ...US Holiday Sales Could Hit Record Levels
U.S. holiday sales could rise over 10% this year, a trade body said on Wednesday, as major consumer goods makers and retailers work to prevent supply chain disruptions from leaving…
more ...Five Things Facebook Has to Worry About After Whistleblower Disclosures
The past several weeks have been difficult for the social media behemoth Facebook, with a series of whistleblower revelations demonstrating that the company knew its signature platform was exacerbating all…
more ...International Police Operation Cracks Down on Illegal Internet Drug Vendors
U.S. federal law enforcement agencies and Europol announced dozens of arrests to break up a global operation that sold illegal drugs using a shadowy realm of the internet. At a…
more ...Artificial Intelligence-Powered App Helps Musicians Learn to Play
A popular new music app uses artificial intelligence to “democratize” how musicians of all skill levels learn and play music. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more. …
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