Feed aggregator

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

New York — TikTok will begin labeling content created using artificial intelligence when it's uploaded from certain platforms. TikTok says its efforts are an attempt to combat misinformation from being spread on its social media platform. The announcement came on ABCs "Good Morning America" on Thursday. "Our users and our creators are so excited about AI and what it can do for their creativity and their ability to connect with audiences." Adam Presser, TikTok's Head of Operations & Trust and Safety told ABC News. "And at the same time, we want to make sure that people have that ability to understand what fact is and what is fiction." TikTok's policy in the past has been to encourage users to label content that has been generated or significantly edited by AI. It also requires users to label all AI-generated content where it contains realistic images, audio, and video.

Last year, Congress called for an investigation into 100 reported incidents of Chinese nationals attempting to enter U.S. military bases and other sensitive sites around the world. Officials on the island of Guam – which hosts some of the most strategically important U.S. bases in the Pacific – says they too are at risk and are asking for help in protecting their shores.  VOA’s Jessica Stone reports.

The European Union has agreed in principle to a deal that would use the proceeds from frozen Russian assets to supply weapons for Ukraine. As Henry Ridgwell reports, allies in Washington want the EU to go much further

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

DAKAR — A Boeing 737 plane carrying 85 people skidded off a runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal's capital, injuring 10 people, the transport minister said Thursday.  Transport Minister El Malick Ndiaye said the Air Sénégal flight operated by TransAir was headed to Bamako late Wednesday with 79 passengers, two pilots and four cabin crew.  The injured were being treated at a hospital, while the others were taken to a hotel to rest.  No other details were immediately available.  The Aviation Safety Network, which tracks airline accidents, published photos of the damaged plane in a grassy field surrounded by fire suppressant foam on X, formerly known as Twitter. One engine appeared to have broken apart and a wing was also damaged, according to the photos.  ASN is part of the Flight Safety Foundation, a nonprofit group that aims to promote safe air travel and tracks accidents. 

Beijing — Two of China's wealthiest cities said Thursday they would lift all restrictions on buying homes, joining a growing list of urban areas rolling back curbs as they look to prop up the faltering property market. Many Chinese cities imposed restrictions and tough credit requirements on home purchases well over a decade ago in an effort to tamp down soaring prices and rampant speculation. But they are now reversing those policies in a bid to stem an economic slump characterized by a debt crisis among developers, low demand and falling prices. The eastern city of Hangzhou — home to 12.5 million people — said Thursday it had ditched all purchase restrictions "to promote the [market's] stable and healthy development". "From the date of issuance... those who buy lodgings within the bounds of this city will no longer have their purchasing qualifications reviewed," it said. Hangzhou, a major innovation hub home to tech giants such as Alibaba, is one of the most desirable and expensive places to buy property in China. In a separate announcement, the northwestern city of Xi'an, which has a population of 13 million, said it had also cancelled all such restrictions. The announcements quickly racked up more than 230 million views on social media site Weibo, where many users were doubtful the policy would make any difference. "With Hangzhou's house prices, what's the point of cancelling buying restrictions? I still can't afford it," wrote one commenter. Bill Bishop, publisher of the influential Sinocism newsletter, called the move "a sign of desperation." "If this does not goose sales there will be more trouble as prices will have to adjust downward a lot," he wrote on social media site X. More than 20 cities have abolished home purchase restrictions since the beginning of last year, according to an AFP tally. Chengdu in southwestern China said last month it would no longer look at prospective buyers' household registration documents, social security and other conditions before greenlighting purchases. Several of the biggest cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, have partly lifted curbs but have resisted dumping them entirely. Property and construction account for more than a quarter of China's gross domestic product, but the sector has been under unprecedented strain since 2020. That year, authorities tightened developers' access to credit in a bid to reduce mounting debt. Since then, major companies including Evergrande and Country Garden have teetered on bankruptcy, while falling prices have dissuaded consumers from investing in property. Measures introduced by the central government to support the sector have so far had little effect. And President Xi Jinping has largely stuck to his often-touted maxim that "houses are for living in, not for speculation." Last month, the International Monetary Fund said China's economic recovery from the pandemic could falter if the crisis was not properly addressed. "Without a comprehensive response to the troubled property sector, growth could falter, hurting trading partners," it warned in its World Economic Outlook report.

Issue of hiring intern doctors is still under discussion

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.