The deficit in the broadest measure of U.S. trade rose to the highest level in more than eight years this spring, reflecting in part a drop in fines and penalties paid by foreign companies. The deficit in the current account increased to $123.1 billion, up 8.5 percent from an imbalance …
your ad herePopular US Toy Store Files for Bankruptcy
Toys ‘R’ Us, an iconic United States toy store, has filed for bankruptcy after struggling to compete with online retailers and racking up about $5 billion worth of debt. In a statement Monday, the company said it is voluntarily seeking relief through the U.S. bankruptcy process, but that its international …
your ad hereJet Fuel Shortage Disrupts Travel To-From New Zealand’s Main Airport
As many as three dozen domestic and international flights at New Zealand’s Auckland Airport have been canceled Tuesday as it struggles to deal with a weeklong fuel shortage. New Zealand’s main airport has lost 70 percent of its jet fuel supplies since a digger ruptured the main pipeline that carries …
your ad hereFIFA Hopes for Big Increase in TV Viewers at Women’s World Cup
FIFA president Gianni Infantino wants the next edition of the Women’s World Cup to draw a billion TV viewers across the world. Infantino, who attended the official launch of the tournament that will be organized in France in 2019, said on Tuesday that the previous edition in Canada in 2015 …
your ad hereProbe into State Firms Reveals Nagging Corruption Problem in Vietnam
A multi-million-dollar banking flap being investigated in Vietnam this month casts light on a tough corruption problem that nips at the Southeast Asian country’s explosive economic growth. The Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security last week began investigating three companies under state-owned gas and oil giant PetroVietnam on suspicion of trying …
your ad hereSelf-driving Boats Could Launch Before Self-driving Cars
While car manufacturers are racing to get self-driving cars on the road, researchers are well ahead in developing self-driving vessels that could soon start ferrying passengers and cargo in busy ports. VOA’s George Putic has more. …
your ad hereMattaponi Tribe’s Pow Wow a Time of Celebration & Giving Thanks
The Native American celebration known as a pow wow is typically a day-long event of singing, dancing, socializing and playing traditional games. The Narragansett tribe word “pow wow,” means “spiritual leader.” But in popular American culture it has come to mean any gathering of Native Americans, though such use is …
your ad hereVirtual Reality Therapy to Treat the World’s Most Common Vision Problem
Amblyopia or Lazy Eye, as it is called, is a vision problem in which the brain doesn’t receive or process signals from the affected eye. It can be caused by any number of physical issues, but the real problem is that it can’t be fixed with glasses. But it can …
your ad hereCoffee Rivals Square Off in Italy Ahead of Starbucks Invasion
Two of Italy’s biggest coffee houses are reinforcing their brands with flagship cafes in Milan near the spot where U.S. rival Starbucks is set to begin operations next year. Lavazza opens its first flagship cafe in the coffee-obsessed city on Tuesday, not far from the renovated 19th century palazzo where …
your ad hereEconomy Minister: Mexico Sees ‘Elephants in the Room’ in NAFTA Talks
Mexico’s economy minister said on Monday a successful retool of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) would hinge on two or three complex areas that he called “elephants in the room,” just days before the next round of treaty talks in Canada. Speaking at an event in Mexico City, …
your ad hereUS Trade Envoy says WTO Dispute Settlement ‘Deficient’
The WTO dispute settlement system is “deficient” and has often ruled in favor of free trade that overlooks details of a trade agreement, U.S. trade envoy Robert Lighthizer said on Monday. Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Lighthizer, a trade lawyer, made clear that the administration was …
your ad hereLady Gaga Calls Off European Tour, Citing Severe Physical Pain
Lady Gaga on Monday called off the European leg of her world tour, saying she was suffering from severe physical pain and was seeking medical treatment. The “Born This Way” singer, 31, who says she suffers from fibromyalgia, also canceled an appearance at a music festival in Rio de Janeiro …
your ad hereWomen Win Big at Emmys, in Front of and Behind the Camera
The Emmy statuette depicts a winged woman, and this year’s Emmy telecast celebrated a TV season in which women, as never before, were able to soar. Strong roles about strong women abounded. And they were rewarded. The winning drama series and limited series (”The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Big Little …
your ad herePeru’s PM: New Cabinet to Revive Slumping Public Investments
Peru’s prime minister said on Monday that the country’s new Cabinet will focus on reviving public investments as it seeks to mend fences with the opposition party that forced President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski to form a new government. Congress ousted the former Cabinet last week following a dispute over education …
your ad hereFederal Reserve Expected to Hold US Interest Rates Steady
U.S. central bank leaders are expected to hold the key interest rate steady this week, but they may begin trimming a huge bond-buying program that was intended to boost economic growth. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen is scheduled to speak with reporters about those decisions Wednesday afternoon, following a two-day …
your ad hereActivists in Dakar Demand End to Colonial-Era Currency
Protesters gathered in several West African capitals Saturday to demand their countries abandon the CFA franc in favor of a common African currency. It Is not a new debate, but passions have been reignited since Senegal arrested and expelled an activist for burning a CFA bill at a rally last …
your ad hereSources: Google Offers to Display Rival Sites Via Auction
Alphabet unit Google has offered to display rival comparison shopping sites via an auction as part of an EU compliance order following a landmark fine for favoring its own service, four people familiar with the matter said on Monday. The proposal, submitted to the European Commission on August 29 following …
your ad hereGoogle Offers to Display Rival Sites Via Auction – Sources
Alphabet unit Google has offered to display rival comparison shopping sites via an auction as part of an EU compliance order following a landmark fine for favoring its own service, four people familiar with the matter said on Monday. The proposal, submitted to the European Commission on August 29 following …
your ad hereWHO: Too Many People Dying Prematurely From Non-communicable Diseases
The World Health Organization reports some progress is being made in reducing premature deaths from non-communicable diseases. But it says much more needs to be done to save the lives of nearly 40 million people who die every year from preventable causes. In this latest global assessment, the World Health …
your ad hereErdem Sparkles With Glamour in London Fashion Week Catwalk
Canada-born designer Erdem Moralioglu has turned the Old Selfridges Hotel into a glamorous speakeasy for his London Fashion Week show. With classics “Stormy Monday” and “My Funny Valentine” playing, the fashion house named Erdem on Monday displayed glamorous, full-length evening gowns with full-length gloves and sparkly accessories. Many …
your ad hereUrgent Action Under Way to Prevent Spread of Cholera in West Africa
An emergency vaccination campaign is getting under way in northeastern Nigeria to prevent a deadly cholera outbreak from spreading to other countries. The World Health Organization reports the potentially devastating cholera situation is emerging in Borno State in northeastern Nigeria. During the past few months, it says 2,600 suspected cases …
your ad hereWhy Are Dogs Such Doting Companions? It’s in Their Genes
U.S. researchers have identified a genetic difference between dogs and their wild cousins, wolves, that could explain why dogs are so friendly. Faith Lapidus reports. …
your ad hereCountries Racing to Develop Warfare Robots
With air drones now being a fixture in nearly every army’s arsenal, defense industries are hard at work developing ground and underwater robotic vehicles, trying not to fall behind others. Most of the technology has already been developed for industrial robots, and the rapidly expanding self-driving vehicle segment of the …
your ad hereAn Eye In the Sky May Help Resolve Hurricane Insurance Claims
The hurricanes that brought howling winds and destructive floods to the Houston area and much of Florida are now swamping insurance companies with a multi-billion dollar wave of claims. Some insurance firms are using aerial photography to gather facts to help settle claims. Aerospace firm Airbus is offering free access …
your ad hereTottori Sand Museum Celebrates American History and Culture
The Tottori sand dunes, on Japan’s west coast, attract some two million visitors a year. Many come to see the huge sand sculptures created for an annual exhibit hosted by the Tottori Sand Museum, the world’s first indoor sand museum. With the recurring theme of Touring the World in Sand, …
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