Global pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions are just a fraction of what’s needed to prevent catastrophic global warming. That’s the warning from the United Nations, ahead of the critical…
more ...Rental Car Company Hertz Announces Purchase of 100,000 Teslas
Car rental company Hertz says it will buy 100,000 electric cars from Tesla. Hertz interim CEO Mark Fields said the Model 3 cars could be ready for renters as early…
more ...In Face of Hack Attacks, US State Department to Set Up Cyber Bureau
The U.S. State Department plans to establish a bureau of cyberspace and digital policy in the face of a growing hacking problem, specifically a surge of ransomware attacks on U.S.…
more ...Facebook Whistleblower Presses Case with British Lawmakers
Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen told British lawmakers Monday that the social media giant “unquestionably” amplifies online hate. In testimony to a parliamentary committee in London, the former Facebook employee echoed…
more ...US to Reopen Air Borders for Fully Vaccinated Visitors
The United States will soon reopen its air borders for fully vaccinated foreign visitors who have one of three approved COVID-19 vaccines or who can present a negative COVID-19 test…
more ...Microsoft Discloses New Russian Hacking Effort
The U.S. technology giant Microsoft says that the same Russia-backed hackers responsible for the 2020 SolarWinds breach of corporate computer systems is continuing to attack global technology systems, this time…
more ...Facebook’s Language Gaps Weaken Screening of Hate, Terrorism
In Gaza and Syria, journalists and activists feel Facebook censors their speech, flagging inoffensive Arabic posts as terrorist content. In India and Myanmar, political groups use Facebook to incite violence.…
more ...Whistleblower Haugen to Testify as UK Scrutinizes Facebook
Former Facebook data scientist turned whistleblower Frances Haugen plans to answer questions Monday from lawmakers in the United Kingdom who are working on legislation to rein in the power of…
more ...UK Plans $8 Billion Package to Boost Health Service Capacity
British finance minister Rishi Sunak’s budget this week will include an extra $8.1 billion of spending for the health service over the next few years to drive down waiting lists,…
more ...Is There a Constitutional Right to Food? Mainers to Decide
Depending on whom you ask, Maine’s proposed “right to food” constitutional amendment would simply put people in charge of how and what they eat — or would endanger animals and…
more ...Italian Lab Creates Extreme Weather; Could Predict Climate Change Effects
Researchers at a specialized lab in Italy say understanding climate change effects requires recreating them in a controlled environment. So, they built one. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more. …
more ...Biden Trying to Finalize Social Safety Net Spending Plan
U.S. President Joe Biden is meeting Sunday with two key senators at his home in Delaware to try to complete details of a pared-down social safety net and climate control…
more ...New US Justice Department Initiative to Combat ‘Redlining’
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Friday new measures to fight discriminatory lending practices. The Justice Department’s new Combating Redlining Initiative will redirect federal resources to investigating fair lending concerns,…
more ...Zoom Gets More Popular Despite Worries About Links to China
Very few companies can boast of having their name also used as a verb. Zoom is one of them. The popularity of the videoconferencing platform continues to grow around the…
more ...Facebook Dithered in Curbing Divisive User Content in India
Facebook in India has been selective in curbing hate speech, misinformation and inflammatory posts, particularly anti-Muslim content, according to leaked documents obtained by The Associated Press, even as its own…
more ...As Pandemic Empties Offices, Record Number of Buildings Converted to Apartments
The practice of converting office buildings into apartments is at an all-time high in the United States, according to a recent report. Of the nearly 32,000 apartments created through adaptive reuse…
more ...Apple Updates App Store Payment Rules in Concession to Developers
Apple has updated its App Store rules to allow developers to contact users directly about payments, a concession in a legal settlement with companies challenging its tightly controlled marketplace. According…
more ...Another Whistleblower Accuses Facebook of Wrongdoing: Report
A former Facebook worker reportedly told U.S. authorities Friday the platform has put profits before stopping problematic content, weeks after another whistleblower helped stoke the firm’s latest crisis with similar…
more ...US Deficit Hits $2.77 Trillion in Fiscal Year 2021
The U.S. government recorded its second largest budget deficit on record in fiscal year 2021, but it was down somewhat from 2020. This year’s deficit was $2.77 trillion compared to…
more ...China’s Troubled Property Behemoth Averts Default for Now
China Evergrande Group appeared to have averted default with a last-minute bond coupon payment, a source said Friday, buying it another week to wrestle with a debt crisis looming over…
more ...China’s Reach Into Africa’s Digital Sector Worries Experts
Chinese companies like Huawei and the Transsion group are responsible for much of the digital infrastructure and smartphones used in Africa. Chinese phones built in Africa come with already installed…
more ...Source: China Evergrande Readies Funds for Interest Payment, Set to Avert Default
China Evergrande Group has supplied funds to pay interest on a U.S. dollar bond, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Friday, days before a deadline…
more ...US Regulators Unveil Blueprint to Tackle Financial Climate Risks
Climate change is an “emerging threat” to U.S. financial stability that regulators should address in their everyday work, a top U.S. regulatory panel said Thursday, a first for the United…
more ...In Colombia, Blinken Announces Deal to Curb Amazon Deforestation
After a day of high-level talks in Colombia, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Thursday a regional partnership to address deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. “We’ll give much-needed…
more ...Warming Temperatures Could Spark Conflicts in Global Hot Spots, Reports Say
More than just altering the environment, climate change is threatening to permanently and dangerously reshape the global security landscape, according to a series of new assessments by U.S. military, intelligence and…
more ...South Korea Takes Another Step Toward Reaching the Moon
A global giant in technology completes a space launch as it aims to eventually send a probe to the moon. Plus, NASA launches its latest deep-space explorer and a look…
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