Alphabet’s Google aims to train 10 million people in Africa in online skills over the next five years in an effort to make them more employable, its chief executive said Thursday. The U.S. technology giant also hopes to train 100,000 software developers in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, a company spokeswoman said. Google’s pledge marked… more


Apple said Thursday that it will discontinue the iPod Shuffle and iPod Nano, the last two music players in the company’s lineup that cannot play songs from Apple Music, its streaming service that competes with Spotify and Pandora Media. The two devices are the direct descendants of the original iPod introduced by then-CEO Steve Jobs… more


Twitter has made it clear that it won’t ban Donald Trump from its service, whether the president follows its rules against harassment or not.   That’s no surprise: The president’s tweets draw attention to the struggling service, even if tweets mocking reporters and rivals undercut Twitter’s stated commitment to make the service a welcoming place.… more


After 13 years of military service that included deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, Indiana National Guard reservist Cameron St. Andrew felt crushed Wednesday by President Donald Trump’s decision to ban transgender people from the U.S. military. The sergeant first class, who transitioned to living as a man while on active duty, said getting kicked out… more


One day after getting a green light to debate health care in America, Senate Republicans struggled Wednesday to put forth a politically viable plan to repeal former U.S. president Barack Obama’s health care law, despite continuing pressure from the White House. Nine Republicans joined a unified Democratic caucus late Tuesday to vote down a plan… more


Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made clear that he has no plans to resign in the face of harsh criticism from President Donald Trump, but he is said to be considering action that could ease the president’s displeasure. Trump kept up pressure Wednesday on Sessions. In a two-part Twitter post, he asked why the attorney… more


Against a backdrop of cyberattacks that have grown into full-fledged sabotage, Facebook chief security officer Alex Stamos is bringing a new message to hackers and security experts at the Black Hat conference. In short: It’s time for hackers once known for relatively harmless mischief to shoulder responsibility for helping detect and prevent major attacks. The… more


Facebook Inc (FB.O) will provide initial funding for a nonprofit organization that aims to help protect political parties, voting systems and information providers from hackers and propaganda attacks, the world’s largest social network said on Wednesday. The initiative, dubbed Defending Digital Democracy, is led by the former campaign chairs for Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican… more


Twitter Inc heads toward its quarterly earnings report on Thursday with a stock that has risen more than 40 percent since April when much of Wall Street was ready to write off the tech company.   The company’s share price popped after its most recent earnings report in April, when Twitter disclosed better-than-expected user growth.… more


The Justice Department escalated its promised crackdown on so-called sanctuary cities Tuesday, saying it will no longer award coveted grant money to cities unless they give federal immigration authorities access to jails and provide advance notice when someone in the country illegally is about to be released. Under old rules, cities seeking grant money needed… more


Days after a brain cancer diagnosis, Republican Senator John McCain returned to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, just in time to cast a decisive vote to begin debate on repealing former President Barack Obama’s health care law. McCain received a rousing ovation from his colleagues when he strode onto the Senate floor, and they broke into… more


Silicon Valley baron Elon Musk insulted rival billionaire Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday, escalating a tech wizard war of words over whether robots will become smart enough to kill their human creators. “His understanding of the subject is limited,” Musk said in a tweet about the Facebook founder whose algorithms and other technology revolutionized social media… more


A Wisconsin company is offering to microchip its employees, enabling them to open doors, log onto their computers and purchase break room snacks with a simple swipe of the hand. Three Square Market, also known as 32M, says it expects about 50 employees to take advantage of the technology. The chips are the size of… more


In spite of an earlier denial, the Chinese government has tightened its grip on the Internet, stepping up efforts against netizens’ access to unsupervised connections, including those via virtual private networks (VPNs) halfway through its 14-month-long crackdown nationwide. VPNs are third-party services that help bypass the so-called Great Firewall, installed by state censors to filter… more


THE WHITE HOUSE   Office of the Press Secretary ________________________________________________________________ For Immediate Release                 July 24, 2017     REMARKS BY PRESIDENT TRUMP AT 2017 NATIONAL SCOUT JAMBOREE   Summit Bechtel National Scout Reserve Glen Jean, West Virginia       6:32 P.M. EDT        AUDIENCE:  USA!  USA!  USA!        THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you,… more


Conservative Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives are seeking to add an amendment this week to spending legislation that would slash the number of staff at the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The budget research office, known as the CBO, has drawn recent Republican criticism, including from the White House, after it concluded that Republican… more


President Donald Trump’s commission investigating voter fraud may request voter roll data from U.S. states, a federal judge ruled on Monday, in a setback for groups that contend the effort could infringe on privacy rights. The judge said a lawsuit by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) watchdog did not have grounds for an injunction… more


Animated chatter spills out from a corner of tech giant Google’s Nairobi offices as five Kenyan schoolgirls discuss their upcoming trip to California where they hope to win $15,000 for I-cut, an app to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The five teenagers, aged 15 to 17, are the only Africans selected to take part in… more


The popularity of drones keeps growing, both for personal and commercial use. Instead of humans controlling them, researchers are working on ways to teach the unmanned vehicles how to navigate and avoid obstacles. In Switzerland, researchers are training drones to recognize their surroundings and build 3D maps. VOA’s Deborah Block explains how. …… more


There are many reasons why the Senate will probably reject Republicans’ crowning bill razing much of former President Barack Obama’s health care law. There are fewer why Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell might revive it and avert a GOP humiliation. Leaders say the Senate will vote Tuesday on their health care legislation. They’ve postponed votes… more


Experts say the temperature inside of the tractor-trailer where smuggled immigrants died and many others were left in dire health would have quickly become unbearable in the Texas heat. Authorities said they found more than three dozen people, including eight who were dead, in the truck’s trailer after an employee at the San Antonio Walmart… more


President Donald Trump’s new communications adviser says it’s time to hit the “reset button.” Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Wall Street financier Anthony Scaramucci pledged to begin “an era of a new good feeling” and said he hopes to “create a more positive mojo.” He also promised to crack down on information leaks and pledged… more


A bipartisan group of U.S. congressional leaders have reached agreement on new sanctions for Russia, in response to its meddling in the 2016 presidential election, as well as a provision that would prevent President Donald Trump from trying to relax sanctions against Moscow. The bill, Countering Iran’s Destabilizing Activities Act, was passed more than a month… more


Sergei Kislyak, Russia’s controversial ambassador to Washington, on Saturday departed from the United States as he ended his nine-year term as Moscow’s chief diplomat to its main global rival. The Russian Embassy said his departure was part of a scheduled reassignment for the 66-year-old ambassador. Russian state-run Interfax news agency quoted a source as saying… more