Siri, Alexa may have made your lives easier, but can they also educate you?

Convenience is atop the list of benefits Siri and Alexa have brought to millions. But is it possible that they’re promoting literacy, too?

Certainly, it’s not a benefit that immediately comes to mind. After all, we speak and Siri writes. We ask a question and Alexa enters the search terms for us. Load your iPhone up with podcasts, or ask Siri or Alexa to find you the bestseller you’ve been wanting from Audible.com, and you might never need to read a book again. With each voice-to-text improvement, we seem to be moving backward — toward a culture that relies less and less on letters or the ability to read and write.


History tells a different story. As the scope for oral communication expands, we can take comfort, and some instruction, from the variety of forms literacy has taken since its beginning in the West.

India to roll out 5G by 2022, increase fiber backbone to 2.5 mn kilometers

India plans to roll out state-of-the-art 5G telecom services in the next four years, a senior official said, as the nation rushes to catch up with its Asian peers.

“We are not there yet,” Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan said in an interview in New Delhi, adding that complete roll-out of 5G will be done by 2022.
“5G won’t be driven by supply, it’ll be driven by demand and the rest of industry needs to wake up to this.”

The South Asian nation, traditionally a laggard while embracing latest technology in telecommunications, will follow South Korea, Japan and China where 5G service will be offered within the next two years. The high-speed and low latency service will help Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India plan, which seeks to broaden Internet access, and the Smart Cities initiative.

'No big changes' in H-1B visa says US Deputy Chief of Mission Carlson

There have been "no big changes" in the H-1B programme and "nothing new" on the H-4 visa policy, the US said on Wednesday, amid the Trump administration's plan to overhaul the immigration system. US Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) in Delhi, MaryKay L Carlson said granting employment visa and work permits is the sovereign decision of a country. 

The US Mission here on Wednesday observed 'Student Visa Day', an event to celebrate higher education ties between India and the United States. "There have been no big changes in the H-1B programme and nothing new on H-4...," Carlson told reporters here. Certainly, employment visa and work permits for Indians is the sovereign decision of the US, the official said. The Trump administration's move to end the Obama-era rule could have an impact on more than 70,000 H-4 visas holders, who have work permits.

Why Trump's zeal for tariffs is yet to derail global economic outlook

President Donald Trump’s zeal for tariffs has yet to derail the global economic outlook. While Trump has sown confusion and frustration among fellow political leaders, economists at most Wall Street banks are barely changing their forecasts for solid global growth this year as they estimate only modest fallout from a skirmish over commerce. Take Trump’s 25 percent steel tariffs. 

After stripping out food and energy, consumer prices are poised to rise by three basis points in response, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said in a research note Monday. The worry remains that Trump may just be getting started. If the president delivers on all his tariff threats, $475 billion in goods would be affected, and core inflation would speed up by about 15 basis points, according to Goldman. That’s still a small increase, but one that might get the attention of the Federal Reserve, which could spur more aggressive policy tightening.

Ex-SoftBank COO Nikesh Arora awarded $128 mn to lead Palo Alto networks

Nikesh Arora could become one of the highest-paid U.S. executives after being named to lead Palo Alto Networks Inc., which granted him a pay package worth about $128 million. Arora, 50, is entitled to equity awards worth as much as $126 million when he takes over as chief executive officer on June 6, the Santa Clara, California-based company said Monday in a regulatory filing. 

About half of it will vest only if the firm’s shares more than double, while the rest is tied to his remaining on the job. Arora, who spent two years at SoftBank Group Corp. as founder Masayoshi Son’s No. 2, became Japan’s best-compensated public company executive in 2015. Regulatory filings show that the tech giant dished out 31.5 billion yen ($290 million) in compensation and related expenses during his tenure, a sum that rivals Silicon Valley’s richest pay packages.

Trump aims to impose tariffs on steel, aluminium imports from EU: Report

President Donald Trump intends to impose steep import duties on steel and aluminium imports from Europe starting Friday, after weeks of talks failed to reach a compromise, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

Trade officials from Washington and Brussels had continued discussions to find a solution, such as import quotas, that would convince Trump to extend the exemption for the European Union from the 25 per cent tariff on steel and 10 per cent on aluminium.

But The Wall Street Journal cited people familiar with the matter saying a last minute deal appeared unlikely, and the tariff announcement could come as early as Thursday.

Trump imposed the tariffs in March to address global oversupply of the metals, but though it was largely aimed at China it hit US allies as well.

Washington exempted Canada and Mexico from the tariffs while negotiations continue to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement, and South Korea agreed to quotas instead of tariffs.

Trump aims to impose tariffs on steel, aluminium imports from EU: Report

President Donald Trump intends to impose steep import duties on steel and aluminium imports from Europe starting Friday, after weeks of talks failed to reach a compromise, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

Trade officials from Washington and Brussels had continued discussions to find a solution, such as import quotas, that would convince Trump to extend the exemption for the European Union from the 25 per cent tariff on steel and 10 per cent on aluminium.

But The Wall Street Journal cited people familiar with the matter saying a last minute deal appeared unlikely, and the tariff announcement could come as early as Thursday.

Trump imposed the tariffs in March to address global oversupply of the metals, but though it was largely aimed at China it hit US allies as well.

Hillary Clinton says she wants to be Facebook CEO. Is Zuckerberg listening?

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton might be willing to swap a life in politics to lead the world's largest social-networking company, a media report said.

On being asked by Attorney General Maura Healey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, which company she would want to be the CEO of, Clinton didn't pause before quickly answering "Facebook", CNET reported on Friday.

"It's the biggest news platform in the world. Most people in our country get their news -- true or not from Facebook," Clinton was quoted as saying.

The former US presidential candidate was at Harvard on Friday receiving the Radcliffe Medal, which honours people who have "had a transformative impact on society".

Facebook is working to win back its users' trust following a series of recent controversies, including the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which data from as many as 87 million Facebook users were improperly shared with the political consultancy.

Venezuela's President also wants North Korea style talks with the US

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has called for dialogue with Washington similar to that between the US and North Korea, but warned that he will not give in to threats from Donald Trump.

"I think that the processes of dialogue between Democratic Republic of Korea and the US government are very positive and could serve as an example" for a rapprochement between Washington and Caracas, Maduro told a news conference in the southern city of Bolivar.

However, he noted differences between the tensions between the White House and Venezuela and those between the US and North Korea, as "we do not have nuclear missiles." But the talks with Pyongyang "could serve as an example that the world needs tolerance, dialogue, respect for differences," Maduro said ahead of a campaign event for Sunday's election.

The early polls are being boycotted by the Venezuelan opposition, and much of the international community has condemned them as illegitimate.

Will take away credentials If you do negative stories, Trump warns media

Expressing his anguish over the continued "negative" coverage of his administration, US President Donald Trump today threatened to revoke media credentials of news channels.

"The Fake News is working overtime. Just reported that despite the tremendous success we are having with the economy & all things else, 91 percent of the Network News about me is negative (Fake)," Trump rued in a tweet.

"Why do we work so hard in working with the media when it is corrupt? Take away credentials?" Trump continued.

During the election campaign, Trump had denied credentials to some of the top media outlets including The Washington Post and Politico. They were later given access.

Trump routinely describes news outlets critical of him as "dishonest" and "fake". However, his White House has never denied credentials to news outlets. In fact, more news outlets have been given White House media credentials after he came to power.

Buffett steers clear of controversy as 'politics' shows up at Nebraska bash

Even Warren Buffett can’t escape the political and social debates that have spilled over into the corporate world.

Tens of thousands of investors descended on Omaha, Nebraska, over the weekend to hear him speak about business and the economy at the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., the conglomerate he’s been building for five decades. But many also wanted to hear the famous investors take stances on some of the most-divisive issues of the day.

Shareholders asked the 87-year-old billionaire to weigh in on the Trump administration’s trade policies, guns and gender equality. But he mostly skirted controversy, sticking with beliefs that may have surprised some attendees but ultimately won over many.

“There are so many things at Berkshire that could be politicized, and he did a good job of nipping that in the bud,” said David Rolfe, chief investment officer at money manager Wedgewood Partners, which oversees about $4.2 billion and counts Berkshire among its largest holdings. “Everything these days is politicized.”

Verification a critical factor in North Korea denuclearisation programme

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged to dismantle his nuclear test site, and supposedly, he’s even inviting the international press into his usually off-limits kingdom to witness the extravaganza. The gesture is meant to prove he’s serious about eliminating his weapons program – and he wants all the world to see it.

But be warned: This could be a show of the dog-and-pony variety. Some experts claim the site has already been pulverized by previous tests and is now of little use. If that’s the case, Kim’s move, at best, may be merely symbolic; at worst, it could be a ruse, meant to convince a hopeful world that he’s ditching his nukes when he’s not. How can we know what the truth really is?

And here we find the one factor that may kill off any nuclear deal with North Korea: verification.

The U.S. and South Korea will need to be assured the North Koreans are doing what they say they’re doing. Any agreement will have to include some sort of process to inspect Pyongyang’s nuclear facilities and verify that every aspect of Kim’s weapons-making program has been eliminated.

Will only be questioned in Russia probe if treated fairly: Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump said on Friday said that he is willing to be interviewed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller in the Russia meddling probe, but only if he gets fair treatment.

"I would love to speak, but I have to find that we're going to be treated fairly," Trump told reporters.

"I would love to speak because we've done nothing wrong," he said.

It took 8 yrs, Trump's tariff war for China, Japan to hold economic summit

China and Japan have resumed high-level economic talks after a hiatus of nearly eight years in a sign of improving ties in their often-frosty relationship.

The Japan-China High-Level Economic Dialogue was being held Monday in Tokyo for the first time since August 2010.

The Chinese side was led by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the first visit by a Chinese foreign minister for bilateral talks since 2009.

Asia's two largest economies have reason to cooperate in the face of President Donald Trump's moves to impose tariffs on imports from their countries and his demands that they open their markets more to American exports.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is headed to the United States this week to meet Trump.

South Carolina jail: 7 inmates killed, 17 injured at correctional facility

Seven inmates have been killed and at least 17 others seriously injured amid fighting between prisoners inside a maximum security prison in South Carolina. Prisons spokesman Jeff Taillon announced the grim outcome after State Law Enforcement Division agents helped secure Lee Correctional Institution around 3 AM today.

Taillon said no officers were wounded after multiple inmate fights broke out at 7:15 PM Sunday. He said 17 of the injured required medical attention outside the prison. It was one of the deadliest U.S. prison incidents in years.

The South Carolina Department of Corrections tweeted that it involved multiple inmate-on-inmate altercations in three housing units.

Lee County Fire/Rescue said ambulances from multiple jurisdictions lined up outside to tend to the wounded. The local coroner's office also responded.

Airstrikes on Syria, Riyadh-Tehran tension dominate Arab League Summ

Arab leaders -- minus Syrian President Bashar al-Assad -- meet in Saudi Arabia for a summit on Sunday as world powers face off over Syria and tensions rise between Riyadh and Tehran.

Saudi Arabia is pushing for a tough, unified stance against its regional arch-rival Iran at the annual gathering of the 22-member Arab League.

The two regional titans, locked in proxy wars in Syria and in Saudi Arabia's southern neighbour Yemen, back opposing parties in Iraq and Lebanon.

The summit begins 24 hours after the United States, France and Britain launched controversial air strikes in war-torn Syria in response to a reported regime chemical attack on the decimated rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta last week.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which both voiced support for the strikes, remain locked in a months-long diplomatic standoff, with Riyadh accusing Doha of supporting Islamist extremists and being too close to Iran.

Trump plays down trade war rhetoric; says talks with China going very well

US President Donald Trump today said said trade negotiations with China were going on "very well", asserting that the two countries have made a lot of progress.

"I'm proud to announce that we're getting along very well with respect to the whole very big negotiation that we're having with China," Trump told American workers at the White House today.

His remarks assume significance as both the US and China are locked in a virtual trade war, slapping additional import duties against each other's products.

The US has nearly USD 500 billion trade deficit. Trump has imposed an additional import tariff on some 1,300 Chinese products worth USD 50 billion and directed to look into another round of additional tariffs worth USD 150 billion. China has been quick in drawing up trade retaliation options against the US.

US Federal Reserve officials discuss 'slightly steeper' future rate hikes

US Federal Reserve officials signalled that the central bank may have to accelerate the pace of future rate hikes amid stronger economic growth and inflation, according to the minutes of the Fed's latest monetary policy meeting.

"A number of participants indicated that the stronger outlook for economic activity, along with their increased confidence that inflation would return to two per cent over the medium term, implied that the appropriate path for the federal funds rate over the next few years would likely be slightly steeper than they had previously expected," said the minutes of the Fed's March 20-21 meeting released on Wednesday.

At that meeting, the Fed raised its target range for the federal funds rate to 1.5-1.75 per cent, the first rate hike of 2018, reports Xinhua.

It was also the first meeting led by Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, who took the helm of the central bank in February.

Will ensure fair elections in India: Mark Zuckerberg at senate hearing

Testifying before US senators in the wake of Facebook's data breach scandal and foreign interference in election, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has told them that his company will do everything to ensure fair polling takes place in India and other countries.

"2018 is an important year for the whole world. Several countries like India, Pakistan will have elections. We'll do everything possible to ensure these elections are safe," Zuckerberg said in the joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committees, at the Capitol Hill here.

Earlier, the CEO and founder of the world's most popular social networking website said he was "sorry" that Facebook did not take a "broad enough view" of the responsibility when their platform was being used for circulating fake news and was becoming a tool for foreign interference in elections.

The 33-year-old billionaire also expressed regret that his company was slow in identifying the Russian operations in 2016, which allegedly benefitted the then presidential candidate, Donald Trump, who is now USA's 45th president.

De-escalating trade war: Xi promises lower tariffs, opens economy further

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday promised to open the country's economy further and lower import tariffs on products including cars, in a speech that comes amid rising trade tensions between China and the United States.

Xi also said China would raise the foreign ownership limit in the automobile sector "as soon as possible" and push previously announced measures to open the financial sector.

"This year, we will considerably reduce auto import tariffs, and at the same time reduce import tariffs on some other products," Xi said at the Chinese Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan province.

The comments sent U.S. stock futures, the dollar and Asian shares higher.

They come amid rising trade tensions between China and the United States following a week of escalating tariff threats sparked by U.S. frustration with China's trade and intellectual property policies.