BEIJING (AP) ― China’s economic growth decelerated in the final quarter of 2013 and appears set to slow further, adding to pressure on its leaders to shore up an expansion as they try to implement sweeping reforms. The world’s second-largest economy grew by 7.7 percent over a year earlier, down from previous quarter’s 7.8 percent, data showed Monday. Growth for the full year was 7.7 percent, tying 2012 for the weakest annual performance since 1999. Those figures appeared to mask a much sharper d

Algordanza, a company based in Switzerland, is transforming human ashes into diamonds, Business Insider reported.A raw diamond created from human ashes (Algordanza)According to the report, diamonds are essentially just pressurized carbon atoms. “Since diamonds are made of carbon and the human body is roughly 18 percent carbon, it is possible to transform human ashes into diamonds,” it said.“It’s possible to separate out the carbon from the other elements in the ashes. These carbon atoms can be u

Apple must change its billing practices to make it more obvious that a purchase is taking place

U.S. House passes election-year budget with scant tea party protests as Senate waits its turn

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― lnternational Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde said Wednesday that growth in the global economy was picking up, but warned of the “rising risks” of deflation.“Momentum strengthened in the latter half of 2013, and should strengthen further in 2014 ― largely due to improvements in the advanced economies,” Lagarde said in a speech at the National Press Club in Washington.The IMF managing director, however, declined to put numbers on the growth rate ahead of next week’s updat

Fed: Economy picked up over Thanksgiving, Christmas, driven by consumers, factories

DETROIT (AFP) ― More vehicles than ever on display at the Detroit auto show are using nontraditional materials ― aluminum, carbon fiber, magnesium ― as U.S. automakers fight to get vehicle weight down and gas mileage up.Ford‘s introduction of aluminum body panels for its workhorse F-150 pickup truck was a radical shift which it said would knock up to 317 kilograms from the truck’s weight.But it presents a challenge to discerning buyers who are accustomed to the country’s premier pickup being bui

TOKYO (AFP) ― Japan Airlines has grounded another one of its Dreamliner jets after “white smoke” was seen outside the cockpit window during maintenance, a year after the aircraft suffered a months-long global grounding over battery problems.The carrier said that a technician at Tokyo’s Narita airport, who was working on the parked plane before its departure to Bangkok Tuesday afternoon, first noticed what appeared to be smoke outside the cockpit window and then a battery system warning.An invest

DETROIT (AFP) ― Luxury vehicles and powerful sports cars stole the spotlight on the second day of the Detroit auto show Tuesday. Here are the highlights of what was unveiled in Motor City at the premier U.S. auto show.Toyota’s luxury Lexus brand introduced a performance version of its powerful RC coupe ― the RC F ― fitted with a V8 engine with 450 horsepower, 383 pound-feet of torque and an attention to styling and detail that includes an F pattern in the mesh of its grill.Nissan’s luxury Infini