Hackers who penetrated the business networks of U.S. energy and nuclear companies in recent weeks were working for the Russian government according to a report in a prominent newspaper. The Washington Post reported late Saturday that anonymous U.S. government officials confirmed the hackers were working for the Russian government. The …
your ad hereFrom Pet to Pest: Red-eared Turtles Threaten Native Species
Invasive species are wreaking havoc in waters around the world — from Burmese pythons in the Florida Everglades, to Asian carp in the Mississippi River, to turtles native to the US on every continent except Antarctica. Faith Lapidus reports on efforts to control the reptile in Poland. …
your ad hereIn India, Drug Makers Try to Stay a Step Ahead of FDA
In 28 years in India’s pharmaceuticals sector, Rajiv Desai has never been busier. Most of the last six months on his desk calendar is marked green, indicating visits to the 12 plants of Lupin, India’s No. 2 drugmaker, where Desai is a senior quality control executive. Only one day is …
your ad hereCanada’s Desjardins Suspends Lending for Energy Pipelines
Canadian lender Desjardins is considering no longer funding energy pipelines, a spokesman said Saturday, citing concerns about the impact such projects may have on the environment. Desjardins, the largest association of credit unions in North America, Friday temporarily suspended lending for such projects and may make the decision permanent, spokesman …
your ad here‘Monster Stage’ Likely to Shake Up Tour Standings
After 1,400 kilometers (nearly 900 miles) in eight days of racing, the suffer-fest Tour de France now turns the pain dial up a notch or five. How does scaling half the height of Everest in one day sound? That’s the monstrous challenge lurking Sunday for the 193 tired, sunbaked riders …
your ad hereTrump Is Biggest Attraction at G-20 Summit
The G-20 summit of the world’s richest economies wrapped up Saturday against a backdrop of angry protests, and a pledge by leaders to fight protectionism in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy and Brexit. The U.S. leader took center stage at the two-day gathering, and his …
your ad hereUS, Russia on Collision Course Vying for Europe Gas Market
Visiting Poland this week, U.S. President Donald Trump pledged to boost exports of American liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Central Europe and take on Russia’s stranglehold on energy supplies. “America stands ready to help Poland and other European nations diversify their energy supplies so that you can never be held …
your ad hereFiber Optics Help Understand Australian Bushfires
Each year, wildfires around the world devastate thousands of square kilometers of forests and grasslands and make many people homeless. Some plants recover faster from fire than others, and scientists would like to know why. In Australia, they are experimenting with a simple monitoring device relying on fiber optics. VOA’s …
your ad hereBiodegradable Microplastics Could Help Ocean Health
Microplastics are pieces of plastic less than 5 millimeters in size. They make up part of the estimated tens of millions of tons of plastic that gets washed into the ocean every year. That could be hurting fish that eat plastic, and humans, when we eat fish. But help may …
your ad hereUS, Russia on Collision Course in Competition for European Gas Market
Visiting Poland this week, US President Donald Trump pledged to boost exports of American liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Central Europe, challenging Russia’s dominance of the market. Many European countries accuse Moscow of using energy as a political tool. As Henry Ridgwell reports from Warsaw, analysts say the United States …
your ad hereUS Economy Adds 222,000 Jobs in June; Wages Remain Flat
Job creation in the U.S. appears to have picked up speed, with employers adding 222,000 jobs last month. But the unemployment rate ticked higher as more Americans resumed their job search. That’s probably a good thing, according to some economists who say the bigger challenge is how to speed up …
your ad hereFacebook to Build Housing in Silicon Valley for First Time
The shortage of housing in California’s Silicon Valley has gotten so severe that Facebook Inc. on Friday proposed taking homebuilding into its own hands for the first time with a plan to construct 1,500 units near its headquarters. The growth of Facebook, Alphabet Inc.’s Google and other tech companies has …
your ad hereRingo Starr Celebrates Birthday, Talks McCartney Reunion on New Album
Former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr celebrated his 77th birthday on Friday by announcing a new album that will feature former bandmate Paul McCartney. Starr’s 19th solo album “Give More Love” will be released on Sept. 15 and will include McCartney on two tracks – “We’re on the Road Again” and …
your ad hereArgentina Reopens Museum for Tango Great Gardel
At the peak of his career in the 1930s, Carlos Gardel’s fans used to gather at the curb outside his home, hoping to hear one of Argentina’s greatest tango singers practice a tune before a show. Now, they can gather inside to hear him again. Visitors to the remodeled …
your ad hereArgentina Slaps Embattled Firm Odebrecht With 1-year Bid Ban
Argentina on Friday banned embattled Brazilian construction conglomerate Odebrecht from bidding on public works projects in the country for 12 months due to investigations of bribes the company paid here and elsewhere. The announcement published in the government’s official bulletin also cites corruption and money laundering cases in Brazil …
your ad hereUS Energy Department Helps Power Firms Defend Against Cyber Attacks
The U.S. Department of Energy said on Friday it is helping U.S. firms defend against a hacking campaign that targeted power companies including at least one nuclear plant, saying the attacks have not impacted electricity generation or the grid. News of the attacks surfaced a week ago when Reuters reported …
your ad hereFacebook Meets With Pakistan Government After Blasphemy Death Sentence
A senior Facebook official met with Pakistan’s interior minister on Friday to discuss a demand the company prevent blasphemous content or be blocked. The meeting comes after a Pakistani counter-terrorism court sentenced a 30-year-old man to death for making blasphemous comments on Facebook, part of a wider crack-down. Joel Kaplan, …
your ad hereSlavery Thriving on London’s Building Sites and in Restaurants, Says Police Chief
London is a hotspot of modern slavery, with workers in hotels, restaurants and on construction sites at particular risk of exploitation, said the head of the Metropolitan police’s anti-slavery unit. Modern slavery cases surged in the first half of this year to about 820 by the end of June, compared …
your ad hereGeorgia Health Commissioner Named CDC Director
Georgia’s health commissioner was named Friday to lead the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the federal government’s top public health agency. Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald is an OB-GYN and has been head of the Georgia Department of Public Health since 2011. She succeeds Dr. Tom Frieden, who resigned as …
your ad hereMexico Coach Osorio Banned From Gold Cup For Insults
Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio has been effectively banned from the Gold Cup by FIFA for insulting match officials. FIFA banned Osorio for six matches on Friday for his behavior during the Confederations Cup third-place game last Sunday, when Mexico lost to Portugal 2-1. Mexico will have to play up …
your ad hereUganda Public Workers Resist New Dress Code
No more mini-skirts and large earrings for female civil servants in Uganda. Male staff are now required to wear a jacket and tie. The Ugandan government instituted a new dress code for public workers this week, and it continues to anger some people. Women activists in Uganda have criticized the …
your ad hereUS Economy Gains 222,000 Job; Unemployment Rate Rises Slightly
The U.S. economy posted strong job growth in June, with a net gain of 222,000 jobs, while the unemployment rate rose slightly to hit 4.4 percent. Friday’s report from the Labor Department shows wages grew 2.5 percent in June from the same period a year earlier. That is just slightly …
your ad hereFrance Unveils New Measures to Lure Bankers from London
The French government on Friday pledged to remove some of the charges banks pay in France and make sure they are not overregulated compared to European peers as it launched an offensive to lure banking business displaced by Brexit. In a document due to be presented by Prime Minister Edouard …
your ad hereMinnesota’s Measles Outbreak Looks to Be Tapering Off
The state of Minnesota is battling the biggest outbreak of measles since 1990, and state health officials are hoping it is tapering off. Seventy-eight people caught the disease, mostly Somali-Americans, and nearly a third were hospitalized. The Somali-American community in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is tight-knit. At one time, they had the …
your ad hereChina Says Jump in North Korea Trade Just a Blip
A jump in first-quarter trade between China and North Korea was “unexpected” and masks a declining trend, a state-run Chinese newspaper said Friday, after U.S. President Donald Trump denounced China’s trade with its isolated neighbor. Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40 percent in the first quarter, Trump …
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