Abuses linked to mining in countries such as Myanmar and Colombia are being overlooked by technology companies focused only on eliminating “conflict minerals” from war-torn parts of Africa in their supply chains, researchers said on Thursday. In Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), competition for mineral resources has fueled two decades …
Twitter has unveiled a new, light mobile site aimed at emerging markets where people are still using slower 2G mobile connections. Twitter Lite, according to the company, will use less data and will be up to 30 percent faster than the full Twitter website. The service will be rolled out …
Many companies aim for “Best in Class” status, but some are seeking another “B” — B corporation certification. Certified B corporations, or “B corps,” address the growing consumer interest in supporting socially and environmentally responsible companies. B corps are essentially for-profit companies that behave more like nonprofits, tackling global issues …
Many companies aim for B Corporation certification. Certified “B corps” address the growing demand for social and environmental responsibility. And more consumers are letting their wallets do the talking, aligning with business that complement their personal values. VOA’s Tina Trinh reports on the category of companies called B corps. …
Mexico’s central bank chief said Wednesday the bank altered course on how to protect the peso after a couple of tweets by U.S. President Donald Trump in early January pummeled the currency to near historic lows and wiped out the effect of a $2 billion currency intervention. The Banco de …
Germany has threatened to slap social media companies with huge fines if they do not act quickly enough to remove “hate speech” from their websites. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet on Wednesday approved a measure that would fine websites like Facebook and Twitter up to $55 million if they do not …
Ebay founder Pierre Omidyar’s philanthropy promised $100 million over the next five years to support journalism and fight fake news, the foundation announced Wednesday. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which broke the story of the controversial Panama Papers, is the first organization to receive funds from the Omidyar …
Controversial New Zealand-based internet mogul Kim Dotcom plans to launch a Bitcoin payments system for users to sell files and video streaming as he fights extradition to the United States for criminal copyright charges. The German-born entrepreneur, who is wanted by U.S. law enforcement on copyright and money laundering allegations …
Three years ago, 14-year-old Julius left his family near the lakeside city of Mwanza, Tanzania, to try his luck mining gold. Today, Julius is in no hurry to leave, despite having one of the riskiest jobs on a chaotic mine site — handling mercury each day with his bare hands. …
Mercedes-Benz owner Daimler and supplier Robert Bosch are teaming up to develop self-driving cars in an alliance aimed at accelerating the production of “robo-taxis.” The pact between the world’s largest maker of premium cars and the world’s largest automotive supplier forms a powerful counterweight to new auto industry players like …
Some big American coal companies have advised President Donald Trump’s administration to break his promise to pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement — arguing that the accord could provide their best forum for protecting their global interests. Remaining in the global deal to combat climate change …
Michael Evangelista-Ysasaga wants to build a humane wall on the border between the U.S. and Mexico. That is one reason the Mexican-American answered a call from U.S. Customs and Border Protection for proposals on sections of the wall to be built on the Southwestern border. Evangelista-Ysasaga said his company, the …
An innovator at Kenya’s Lake Victoria has turned an invasion of water hyacinth into a business opportunity, making paper from the weed that he sells in local shops. The initiative is creating jobs and supporting environmental sustainability. Michael Otieno began making paper from water hyacinth ten years ago. The flowering …
Recent political turmoil in South Africa has come at a cost, with ratings agency S&P Global saying a controversial Cabinet reshuffle and growing pressure on the president to resign have lowered the country’s sovereign credit rating to “junk” status. Economists predict that will result in higher interest rates and higher …
The U.S. plane maker Boeing said Tuesday it agreed to sell 30 of its 737 MAX jets to Iran’s Aseman Airlines, a deal worth $3 billion. The sale marks the second such Boeing deal made possible by the 2015 nuclear agreement signed by former U.S. president Barack Obama to relieve …
A “massive and growing” mental health burden across the world can only be tackled successfully with a major expansion of online psychiatric resources such as virtual clinics and web-based psychotherapies, specialists said on Tuesday. With resources tight and the global mental health system only serving around 10 percent of patients …
Since the 1990’s the U.S. has steadily abandoned coal and instead turned to natural gas and renewables to run America. But coal is back, thanks to President Trump’s recent repeal of restrictions on the coal industry. Most scientists agree that coal is one of the main sources of air pollution …
After his press secretary blasted it as an example of rampant government overreach, President Donald Trump signed a bill into law Monday that could eventually allow internet providers to sell information about their customers’ browsing habits. The bill scraps a Federal Communications Commission online privacy regulation issued in October …
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced steps on Monday to prevent the fraudulent use of H1B visas, used by employers to bring in specialized foreign workers temporarily, which appeared to fall short of President Donald Trump’s campaign promises to overhaul the program. Trump had promised to end the lottery …
The effects of the 2008 financial crisis are still being felt, says the International Monetary Fund’s Managing Director Christine Lagarde. She cites a new IMF study showing global productivity has slowed to 0.3 percent over the last decade, lower than the pre-crisis average of about 1 percent growth per year. …
Those handy Android apps on your smartphone are apparently mining your personal information, according to a new study. The study, done by researchers at Virginia Tech, is the first to study how apps “talk to one another and trade information,” according to a news release. Researchers say there are two …
Facebook and Mozilla are among the companies and organizations launching a $14 million fund to promote news literacy and increase trust in journalism. The nonprofit, called the News Integrity Initiative, will be based at the City University of New York. It will run as an independent project of the …
Japanese big manufacturers’ business confidence improved for a second straight quarter to hit a one-and-a-half year high in March, a closely watched central bank survey showed, a sign the benefits of an export-driven economic recovery were broadening. Service-sector sentiment improved for the first time in six quarters and companies remained …
Fed up with the theft of toilet paper from public bathrooms, tourist authorities in China’s capital have begun using facial recognition technology to limit how much paper a person can take. The unusual move – part of a “toilet revolution” – is another step in China’s vast upgrading of …
Training for the Boston Marathon has left Tommy Race feeling spent. His bank account, too: Race’s Boston adventure will cost about $2,000. “It’s a lot of money, but it’s also a vacation,” said Race, a high school math teacher from Bellingham, Washington. “For a runner like myself, I’d much …
Iraq’s oil minister said on Sunday that his country plans to increase daily crude oil production to 5 million barrels by the end of this year, up from the current rate of about 4.4 million barrels per day, to secure sorely needed cash for its ailing economy. Iraq, where …