U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Thursday that the United States was seeking to add a five-year sunset provision to the North American Free Trade Agreement to provide a regular, “systematic re-examination” of the trade pact. Ross told a forum hosted by Politico that both he and U.S. Trade …
your ad hereBrazilians Toil for Gold in Illegal Amazon Mines
Informal mining in Brazil is seen by many as a scourge polluting the Amazon rainforest, poisoning indigenous tribes and robbing the nation of its wealth. For others it is a way of life. Brazilian garimpos, or wildcat mines, are operated by small crews of men, often caked in red-brown mud …
your ad hereHong Kong Singer, Actress Josie Ho Making New Music
To say that Josie Ho has been busy is an understatement. The Hong Kong singer and actress is putting out new music, touring Asia and has shot a new travel show on TLC. Together with her indie rock band, Josie and the Uni Boys, Ho is releasing seven new singles …
your ad hereText Message Network Connects Offline Farmers in Kenya
When she woke up one morning in February, Catherine Kagendo realized that one of her cows could not stand. “It was lying on its side, had lost its appetite and was breathing heavily,” she told Reuters from her farm in Meru, in eastern Kenya. With her husband, she decided to …
your ad hereIrma Pushes Florida’s Poor Closer to the Edge of Ruin
Larry and Elida Dimas didn’t have much to begin with, and Hurricane Irma left them with even less. The storm peeled open the roof of the old mobile home where they live with their 18-year-old twins, and it destroyed another one they rented to migrant workers in Immokalee, one of …
your ad hereA Dead Dictator, His Rusting Boat and a Fight for History
In a Croatian port sits a boat built to carry bananas from Africa to Italy, that laid mines for Nazi Germany and was sunk by Allied planes before it was salvaged as the personal yacht of a globe-trotting communist leader. Josip Broz Tito and the state he led – Yugoslavia …
your ad hereCarrie Fisher’s Annotated ‘Empire Strikes Back’ Script Up for Auction
Carrie Fisher’s hand-annotated script for her Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back movie is expected to fetch up to $50,000 at an auction next month of her personal property. California auctioneers Profiles in History said Thursday that the 158-page shooting script is marked and underlined in pencil by Fisher for …
your ad hereVenezuela’s New Plan to Beat Hunger: Breed Rabbits
Venezuela’s government this week urged citizens to see rabbits as more than “cute pets” as it defended a plan to breed and eat them even as the opposition says this would do nothing to end chronic food shortages. The “Rabbit Plan” is an effort by the government of President Nicolas …
your ad hereSpaceX Bloopers Video: ‘How NOT to Land an Orbital Rocket’
SpaceX has put together a bloopers video showing “How NOT to land an orbital rocket booster.” Set to John Philip Sousa’s rousing march “The Liberty Bell,” the two-minute video posted Thursday shows rockets exploding at sea and over land. The opening blast, from 2013, is even synchronized to the music. …
your ad hereHarvey Charities Raise More Than $350M in Less Than 3 Weeks
More than 50 local and national charities have raised more than $350 million in the nearly three weeks since Hurricane Harvey struck the Texas Gulf Coast, and the disparate groups are trying to decide on priorities while some storm victims still await help. Distrust of large charities such as the …
your ad hereImmigrants, Refugees Revive Depressed Neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio
The Northland area of Columbus, Ohio was booming in the 1960s and 70s. About 65 square kilometers, the area was a shopping and dining destination. Its centerpiece was the Northland Mall on Morse Road. “You couldn’t get a parking space at the mall at Christmas time,” Dave Cooper, president of the …
your ad hereHurricanes Boost Inflation & Scramble Some US Job Markets
The two recent hurricanes that hit the United States raised inflation and puzzled analysts tracking job losses in Texas and Florida. Experts say the impact on the huge economy is “limited.” Thursday’s report from the Labor Department says overall unemployment claims declined 14,000 over the past week, after jumping by …
your ad hereImmigrants and Refugees Revive Depressed Neighborhood
A large influx of immigrants and refugees certainly helps boost the population of a region. But they can also have social and economic impacts. The northern part of Columbus, Ohio – an abandoned wasteland in the early 2000s – has been revitalized thanks to the new Americans. VOA’s June Soh …
your ad hereSelena Gomez Undergoes Kidney Transplant
Selena Gomez recently received a kidney transplant from television actress Francia Raisa due her struggle with lupus, the singer revealed Thursday. Gomez revealed in an Instagram post confirmed by her publicist early Thursday that she has been somewhat out of the spotlight this summer because she was recovering from the …
your ad hereThriving Black Market Could Mitigate North Korea Sanctions Impact
Illicit evasion and a thriving black market continue to mitigate the impact of sanctions intended to deprive North Korea of billions of dollars in revenue and needed components for its nuclear program. The latest round of United Nations sanctions imposed on North Korea this week for conducting its sixth nuclear …
your ad hereAmerican Basketballers Find Their Dream Teams in Africa
Reggie Moore rarely gets through a day without stopping for an autograph or selfie in the basketball-mad African country of Angola. “If I’m in the mall, it’s going to be 30 to 40 selfies,” said Moore, a bearded 36-year-old Californian who plays in Angola’s professional league and also for …
your ad hereWinfrey Joins ’60 Minutes’ for 50th Anniversary Year
CBS’ “60 Minutes,” the newsmagazine that can credit consistency for much of its success as it enters its 50th anniversary year, is about to see a major change with the addition of Oprah Winfrey. Winfrey will debut Sept. 24, reporting on a story about America’s political divisions. It’s …
your ad hereLong-endangered Snow Leopard Upgraded to ‘Vulnerable’ Status
The elusive snow leopard – long considered an endangered species – has been upgraded to “vulnerable,” international conservationists said Thursday. But experts warned the new classification does not mean they are safe. The animals still face serious challenges including poaching and loss of prey in their high Himalayan habitat. “The …
your ad hereSouth Africa’s Johnny Clegg Begins Last International Tour
South African musician Johnny Clegg, who has had chemotherapy and other treatment for pancreatic cancer, says he feels “fit and strong” as he begins his last international tour. The 64-year-old Clegg told journalists Thursday that he is “dealing with another, parallel world that I live in with my diagnosis” …
your ad herePolice Widen PetroVietnam Graft Inquiry
Vietnamese police have widened their investigation into alleged graft and mismanagement connected with the state-owned oil and gas giant PetroVietnam that caused $69 million in losses. Three PetroVietnam subsidiaries are being investigated for alleged abuse of power in appropriating $5.3 million, the Ministry of Public Security said in a statement …
your ad hereStudy: Future of Oldest Tree Species in Peril
The bristlecone pine tree, famous for its wind-beaten, gnarly limbs and having the longest lifespan on Earth, is losing a race to the top of mountains throughout the Western United States, putting future generations in peril, researchers said Wednesday. Driven by climate change, a cousin of the tree, the limber …
your ad hereCassini on Course for Final Death Dive Into Saturn to Preserve the Possibility of Life
After a 20-year mission, including two extensions, the spacecraft Cassini is preparing to make a final death dive into the planet Saturn on Friday. Scientists and Engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory said their decision to end the life of the spacecraft in this way is because of what they …
your ad hereMotherless Tiger Cubs Brought Together at San Diego Zoo
There’s a happy ending for two motherless tiger cubs now at a zoo in California. Faith Lapidus has the story. …
your ad hereTwo Motherless Tiger Cubs Are Brought Together at San Diego Zoo
The birth of a critically endangered Sumatran tiger cub in July at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington was celebrated, but less than three weeks later, his mother, Damai, began displaying aggressive behaviors toward him. …
your ad herePerlan II Sets a New Altitude Record for Gliders
High above the mountains in southern Argentina, two pilots recently set a new altitude world record for gliders. They hope the ability of their plane to reach the edge of outer space will turn it into a research platform and inspire young people to pursue careers in science and engineering. …
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