Trump Carbon Plan Attacked by Coastal States, Lauded by Coal Interests

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President Donald Trump's proposal to replace an Obama-era policy to fight climate change with a weaker plan allowing states to write their own rules on emissions from coal-fired power plants was criticized by coastal states, but applauded by coal interests on Wednesday. Under the proposed Affordable Clean Energy plan that acting Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chief Andrew Wheeler issued in August, the federal government would set carbon emission guidelines, but states would have the leeway to set less stringent standards on coal plants, taking into account the age and upgrade costs of facilities. The heads of environmental and energy agencies from 14 mostly coastal states, including California, New York and North Carolina, told the EPA in joint comments on the Trump plan that it would result in minimal reductions of…
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Cuba Says Investor Interest Up Despite US Hostility

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Cuba's foreign trade and investment minister said on Wednesday the country had signed nearly 200 investment projects worth $5.5 billion since it slashed taxes and made other adjustments to its investment law in 2014. Cuba began a major effort to attract foreign investment as socialist ally Venezuela's economy went into crisis and has ratcheted it up as export revenues decline and the Trump administration backtracks on a detente begun under then-U.S. President Barack Obama. "Foreign investment in Cuba is growing despite the recent strengthening of the U.S. economic, trade and financial blockade, though it is below what we want," the minister, Rodrigo Malmierca, said at an investment forum in Havana. Even as the forum unfolded, debate on an annual resolution condemning U.S. sanctions got under way at the U.N. General…
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US Supreme Court Divided Over How Google Settled Privacy Case

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U.S. Supreme Court justices, in an internet privacy case involving Google, disagreed on Wednesday over whether to rein in a form of settlement in class action lawsuits that awards money to charities and other third parties instead of to people affected by the alleged wrongdoing. The $8.5 million Google settlement was challenged by an official at a Washington-based conservative think tank, and some of the court's conservative justices during an hour of arguments in the case shared his concerns about potential abuses in these awards, including excessive fees going to plaintiffs' lawyers. Some of the liberal justices emphasized that such settlements can funnel money to good use in instances in which dividing the money among large numbers of plaintiffs would result in negligible per-person payments. Conservatives hold a 5-4 majority…
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Fitch Shifts Mexico Debt Outlook From Stable to Negative

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Fitch Ratings changed its outlook on Mexico's long-term foreign-currency debt issues Wednesday from “stable” to “negative,” citing the potential policies of President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. The leftist Lopez Obrador has tried to smooth anxieties in the business community, but upset many on Monday by cancelling a partly built, $13 billion new airport on the outskirts of Mexico City. The private sector had strongly backed the airport project, but Lopez Obrador called it wasteful. Instead he plans to upgrade existing commercial and military airports. He made the decision based on a public referendum that was poorly organized and drew only about 1 percent of the country's voters.   Alfredo Coutino, Latin America director at Moody's Analytics, said the decision to cancel the airport project “added not only volatility but also…
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Birthday Blues for Bitcoin as Investors Face Year-on-Year Loss

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Bitcoin was heading towards a year-on-year loss on Wednesday, its 10th birthday, the first loss since last year's bull market, when the original and biggest digital coin muscled its way to worldwide attention with months of frenzied buying. By 1300 GMT, bitcoin was trading at $6,263 on the BitStamp exchange, leaving investors who had bought it on Halloween 2017 facing yearly losses of nearly 3 percent. A year ago, bitcoin closed at $6,443.22 as it tore towards a record high of near $20,000, hit in December. That run, fueled by frenzied buying by retail investors from South Korea to the United States, pushed bitcoin to calendar-year gains of over 1,300 percent. Ten years ago, Satoshi Nakamoto, bitcoin's still-unidentified founder, released a white paper detailing the need for an online currency…
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UK-Canadian ‘Grand Committee’ Seeks to Question Zuckerberg

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Parliamentary committees in Britain and Canada on Wednesday urged Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify before a joint hearing of international lawmakers examining fake news and the internet. Damian Collins, the head of the U.K. parliament's media committee, is joining forces with his Canadian counterpart, Bob Zimmer, to pressure Zuckerberg to personally take part in hearings, as he did before the U.S Congress and the European Parliament. The so-called "international grand committee" session would be held Nov. 27 and could include lawmakers from other countries. "We understand that it is not possible to make yourself available to all parliaments. However, we believe that your users in other countries need a line of accountability to your organization — directly, via yourself," the pair said in a letter to Zuckerberg. "We would…
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Bolsonaro’s Economic Guru Urges Quick Brazil Pension Reform

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The future economy minister tapped by Brazilian President-elect Jair Bolsonaro insisted on Tuesday that he wanted to fast-track an unpopular pension reform to help balance government finances despite mounting resistance to getting it done this year. Paulo Guedes, whom Bolsonaro selected as a "super minister" with a portfolio combining the current ministries of finance, planning and development, has urged Congress to pass an initial version of pension reform before the Jan. 1 inauguration. "Our pension funds are an airplane with five bombs on board that will explode at any moment," Guedes said on Tuesday. "We're already late on pension reform, so the sooner the better." He called the reform essential to controlling surging public debt in Latin America's largest economy and making space for public investments to jump-start a sluggish…
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Ocean Shock: Lobster’s Great Migration Sets Up Boom and Bust 

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This is part of "Ocean Shock," a Reuters series exploring climate change's impact on sea creatures and the people who depend on them.  A lobster tattoo covers Drew Eaton's left forearm, its pincers snapping at dock lines connecting it to the American flag on his upper arm. The tattoo is about three-quarters done, but the 27-year-old is too busy with his new boat to finish it.  Eaton knows what people here in Stonington have been saying about how much the boat cost him.  “I've heard rumors all over town. Small town, everyone talks," he says. "I've heard a million, two million."  By the time he was in the third grade, Eaton was already lobstering here on Deer Isle in Downeast Maine. By the time he was in the eighth grade,…
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Google Spinoff to Test Truly Driverless Cars in California

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The robotic car company created by Google is poised to attempt a major technological leap in California, where its vehicles will hit the roads without a human on hand to take control in emergencies. The regulatory approval announced Tuesday allows Waymo's driverless cars to cruise through California at speeds up to 65 miles per hour.  The self-driving cars have traveled millions of miles on the state's roads since Waymo began as a secretive project within Google nearly a decade ago. But a backup driver had been required to be behind the wheel until new regulations in April set the stage for the transition to true autonomy.  Waymo is the first among dozens of companies testing self-driving cars in California to persuade state regulators its technology is safe enough to permit…
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Pacific Trade Pact to Start at End of 2018 After Six Members Ratify

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A landmark 11-member trade deal aimed at slashing barriers in some of Asia Pacific's fastest growing economies will come into force at the end of December, the New Zealand government said on Wednesday. The deal would move forward after Australia informed New Zealand that it had become the sixth nation to formally ratify the deal, alongside Canada, Japan, Mexico and Singapore. "This triggers the 60 day countdown to entry into force of the Agreement and the first round of tariff cuts," said New Zealand Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker. His country is responsible for official tasks such as receiving and circulating notifications made by members of the pact. The original 12-member deal was thrown into limbo early last year when President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement to…
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China Steps Up VPN Blocks Ahead of Major Trade, Internet Shows

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Chinese authorities have stepped up efforts to block virtual private networks (VPN), service providers said Tuesday in describing a "cat-and-mouse" game with censors ahead of a major trade expo and internet conference. VPNs allow internet users in China, including foreign companies, to access overseas sites that authorities bar through the so-called Great Firewall, such as Facebook Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google. Since Xi Jinping became president in 2013, authorities have sought to curb VPN use, with providers suffering periodic lags in connectivity because of government blocks. "This time, the Chinese government seemed to have staff on the ground monitoring our response in real time and deploying additional blocks," said Sunday Yokubaitis, the chief executive of Golden Frog, the maker of the VyprVPN service. Authorities started blocking some of its services…
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Apple’s New iPads Embrace Facial Recognition

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Apple's new iPads will resemble its latest iPhones as the company ditches a home button and fingerprint sensor to make room for the screen.   As with the iPhone XR and XS models, the new iPad Pro will use facial-recognition technology to unlock the device and authorize app and Apple Pay purchases.   Apple also unveiled new Mac models at an opera house in New York, where the company emphasized artistic uses for its products such as creating music, video and sketches. New Macs include a MacBook Air laptop with a better screen.   Research firm IDC says tablet sales have been declining overall, though Apple saw a 3 percent increase in iPad sales last year to nearly 44 million, commanding a 27 percent market share.   ...
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Zimbabwean Widows Punished by Tribal Courts for Selling Gold-rich Land

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When massive gold deposits were discovered about a decade ago in Chimanimani, eastern Zimbabwe, the rural district became famous for attracting hundreds of artisanal miners from across the country every year. Wealthy small-scale prospectors regularly offer residents generous deals for their land, locals say. To many widows selling their unused land, that kind of money can be life-changing and a source of greater autonomy. But in recent years, widows in Chimanimani have found that taking a deal can have consequences. Many say they have been taken to tribal courts by their husbands' families for selling portions of their land. "I feel bruised," said Mavis, a 63-year-old widow from Haroni village who did not want to disclose her surname. "I lived in peace as a widow in my home until last…
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US Survey: What Pay Gap? Men Less Aware of Women’s Workplace Struggles

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Far more men than women think their companies offer equal pay and promote the sexes equally, yet younger generations are wising up, a U.S. entertainment industry survey found on Monday. Only a quarter of women think their employers pay them the same as men, while twice as many men believe their company has no gender pay gap, according to the survey by CNBC, a business news channel, and job-oriented social networking site LinkedIn. About one third of women said both sexes rise up the ranks at the same rate in their workplaces, while more than half of men think the promotion rates are equal, according to responses from at least 1,000 LinkedIn members who work in entertainment. "Men, typically we found across industries ... they're not as cognizant as their…
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Scientists: Producing Bitcoin Currency Could Void Climate Change Efforts

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Demand for bitcoin could single-handedly derail efforts to limit global warming because the increasingly popular digital currency takes huge amounts of energy to produce, scientists said on Monday. Producing bitcoin at a pace with growing demand could by 2033 defeat the aim of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius, according to U.S. research published in the journal Nature Climate Change. Almost 200 nations agreed in Paris in 2015 on the goal to keep warming to "well below" a rise of 2°C above pre-industrial times. But mining, the process of producing bitcoins by solving mathematical equations, uses high-powered computers and alto of electricity, the researchers said. "Currently, the emissions from transportation, housing and food are considered the main contributors to ongoing climate change," said study co-author Katie Taladay in a statement.…
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UN Human Rights Expert Urges States to Curb Intolerance Online

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Following the shooting deaths of 11 worshippers at a synagogue in the eastern United States, a U.N. human rights expert urged governments on Monday to do more to curb racist and anti-Semitic intolerance, especially online. "That event should be a catalyst for urgent action against hate crimes, but also a reminder to fight harder against the current climate of intolerance that has made racist, xenophobic and anti-Semitic attitudes and beliefs more acceptable," U.N. Special Rapporteur Tendayi Achiume said of Saturday's attack on a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Achiume, whose mandate is the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, noted in her annual report that "Jews remain especially vulnerable to anti-Semitic attacks online." She said that Nazi and neo-Nazi groups exploit the internet to spread and incite hate…
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How Green Is My Forest? There’s an App to Tell You

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A web-based application that monitors the impact of successful forest-rights claims can help rural communities manage resources better and improve their livelihoods, according to analysts. The app was developed by the Indian School of Business (ISB) to track community rights in India, where the 2006 Forest Rights Act aimed to improve the lives of rural people by recognizing their entitlement to inhabit and live off forests. With a smartphone or tablet, the app can be used to track the status of a community rights claim. After the claim is approved, community members can use it to collect data on tree cover, burned areas and other changes in the forest and analyze it, said Arvind Khare at Washington D.C.-based advocacy Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI). "Even in areas that have made…
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Zimbabwe President Asks Business Leaders to Address Shortages

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Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa met with business leaders Monday in an effort to assure the public his government can stabilize the sinking economy. But as one business leader explains, uncertainty about the cash supply and the currency in use makes it hard for the economy to function. Addressing business executives at the State House, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said his government was “working day and night to stabilize the economy.” Zimbabweans are dealing with an acute shortage of most essentials, including fuel, medical drugs, cooking oil, and clean drinking water. Prices have been rising, though not at the same rate as in 2008, when the official annual inflation rate reached 231 million percent. Mnangagwa asked businesses to fix the shortages by bringing more products to market. “I am advised that some…
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App Taken Down After Pittsburgh Gunman Revealed as User

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Gab, a social networking site often accused of being a haven for white supremacists, neo-Nazis and other hate groups, went offline Monday after being refused by several web hosting providers following revelations that Pittsburgh synagogue shooting suspect Robert Bowers used the platform to threaten Jews. "Gab isn’t going anywhere," said Andrew Torba, chief executive officer and creator of Gab.com. "We will exercise every possible avenue to keep Gab online and defend free speech and individual liberty for all people. Founded two years ago as an alternative to mainstream social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, Torba billed Gab as a haven for free speech. The site soon began attracting online members of the alt-right and other extremist ideologies unwelcome on other platforms. “What makes the entirely left-leaning Big Social monopoly…
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Report: Africa Not Creating Enough Jobs for Booming Youth Population

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A new report says African nations are failing to create enough jobs for a booming young population even as some countries have seen strong economic growth. The latest Ibrahim Index of African Governance sounds a warning for a continent where the sub-Saharan population is projected to double by 2050.   The report released Monday says Africa's overall GDP has risen nearly 40 percent over the past decade but the continent's average score for sustainable economic opportunity has increased just a fraction of 1 percent. Africa is seeing the rise of young opposition leaders in countries like Uganda, Zimbabwe and Cameroon who are impatient with some of the world's oldest or longest-serving heads of state. Earlier this month, some in East Africa said they would unite with like-minded colleagues in West…
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China’s Yuan Sinks to 10-Year Low Against Dollar

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China's yuan sank to a 10-year low against the dollar on Monday, coming close to breaking the politically sensitive level of seven to the U.S. currency. The yuan declined to 6.9644 per dollar at midday, passing its most recent low in 2016 before recovering slightly. It was the lowest level since May 2008. The currency's weakness is one of a series of elements fueling Washington's trade complaints against Beijing. The U.S. Treasury Department declined this month to label China a currency manipulator but said it was closely watching Beijing. Chinese authorities have promised to avoid "competitive devaluation" to boost exports amid a tariff war with U.S. President Donald Trump over Beijing's technology policy. But they are trying to make the state-controlled exchange rate more responsive to market forces, which are…
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Japan, India Leaders Build Ties Amid Trade, Security Worries

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The leaders of Japan and India are reaffirming their ties amid growing worries about trade and regional stability. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived Saturday, was meeting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a resort area near Mount Fuji on Sunday. Modi is also visiting a nearby plant of major Japanese robot maker Fanuc.   Relations with China are a major issue shared by Modi and Abe, as their cooperation may balance China's growing regional influence and military assertiveness.   "The India-Japan partnership has been fundamentally transformed and it has been strengthened as a 'special strategic and global partnership,'" Modi told Kyodo News service. "There are no negatives but only opportunities in this relationship which are waiting to be seized."   Modi chose Japan among the first nations to…
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French FinMin: Eurozone not Prepared Enough to Face New Crisis

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There is no risk of contagion from Italy's budget crisis in the European Union but the euro zone is not prepared enough to face a new economic crisis, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told daily Le Parisien on Sunday. The European Commission rejected Italy's draft 2019 budget earlier this week for breaking EU rules on public spending, and asked Rome to submit a new one within three weeks or face disciplinary action. "We do not see any contagion in Europe. The European Commission has reached out to Italy, I hope Italy will seize this hand," he said in an interview. "But is the eurozone sufficiently armed to face a new economic or financial crisis? My answer is no. It is urgent to do what we have proposed to our…
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Istanbul to Unveil New Airport, Seeks to be World’s Biggest

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Recep Tayyip Erdogan has held plenty of grand opening ceremonies in his 15 years at Turkey's helm. On Monday he will unveil one of his prized jewels — Istanbul New Airport — a megaproject that has been dogged by concerns about labor rights, environmental issues and Turkey's weakening economy. Erdogan is opening what he claims will eventually become the world's largest air transport hub on the 95th anniversary of Turkey's establishment as a republic. It's a symbolic launch, as only limited flights will begin days later and a full move won't take place until the end of the year.   Tens of thousands of workers have been scrambling to finish the airport to meet Erdogan's Oct. 29 deadline. Protests in September over poor working conditions and dozens of construction deaths…
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China to Give Pakistan ‘Grant’ as UAE Mulls $6B in Aid

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China plans to provide an unspecified financial "grant" to Pakistan while the United Arab Emirates is actively considering Islamabad's request for a fiscal relief package of up to $6 billion to help the country deal with a looming balance-of-payments crisis, Chinese and Pakistani officials say.   News of the anticipated financial aid came days after Prime Minister Imran Khan secured more than $6 billion in immediate financial support from Pakistan's close ally, Saudi Arabia, during an official visit to Riyadh.  Pakistan urgently needs foreign currency to shore up its depleting reserves of less than $8 billion, which is barely enough for servicing its debt and paying import bills.  Khan's nascent government, which took office two months ago and has inherited a debt-ridden national economy, estimates the country urgently needs about $12 billion…
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Plant Fibers Make Stronger Concrete

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It may surprise you that cement is responsible for 7 percent of the world's carbon emissions. That's because it takes a lot of heat to produce the basic powdery base of cement that eventually becomes concrete. But it turns out that simple fibers from carrots could not only reduce that carbon footprint but also make concrete stronger. VOA's Kevin Enochs reports. ...
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Q&A: Facebook Describes How It Detects ‘Inauthentic Behavior’

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Facebook announced Friday that it had removed 82 Iranian-linked accounts on Facebook and Instagram. A Facebook spokesperson answered VOA’s questions about its process and efforts to detect what it calls “coordinated inauthentic behavior” by accounts pretending to be U.S. and U.K. citizens and aimed at U.S. and U.K. audiences. Q: Facebook’s post says there were 7 “events hosted.” Any details about where, when, who? A: Of seven events, the first was scheduled for February 2016, and the most recent was scheduled for June 2018. One hundred and ten people expressed interest in at least one of these events, and two events received no interest. We cannot confirm whether any of these events actually occurred. Some appear to have been planned to occur only online. The themes are similar to the…
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