U.S. single-family homebuilding and permits surged to more than 10-year highs in November, in a hopeful sign for a housing market that has been hobbled by supply constraints. Builders have struggled to meet robust demand for housing, which is being fueled by a labor market near full employment. Land and …
your ad hereArgentina Leader Defends Pension Reform Approved in Congress
Argentina’s president defended a pension reform bill approved by Congress Tuesday that has prompted violent protests and a general strike, saying it seeks only to benefit retirees. The measure passed in the lower house by a 127-117 vote after more than 12 hours of debate, much of which came as …
your ad hereUS House Set to Vote on Republican Tax Bill
The U.S. House of Representatives will vote Tuesday on a Republican $1.5 trillion tax bill that will provide tax relief for most Americans, but benefit the wealthy the most, according to a non-partisan tax analysis group. Following the House vote, the Senate will vote on the measure later Tuesday, according …
your ad herePakistan Examines Chinese Proposal to Replace Dollar with Yuan
Officials in Pakistan say a Chinese proposal to replace the U.S. dollar with yuan for bilateral trade is under consideration. Beijing has already committed to investing around $60 billion in the country by 2030 under a long-term plan of development cooperation with Islamabad, known as the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, …
your ad herePostcards of DC Daily Life from a Mexican Immigrant
Artist Carlos Carmonamedina is curious about his surroundings. Since growing up in Mexico, traveling around to Europe for school, he’s always seen the cultures in a city’s periphery. When he moved to Washington D.C. two years ago, he was inspired to create a work that represents the city’s visual identity. …
your ad hereFreeze Dried Plasma Makes a Life-Saving Comeback
An old technology is making a comeback with some elements of the U.S. military. Freeze dried plasma was used routinely in World War 2 but discontinued until a month ago, when it was reintroduced into the field. VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports. …
your ad herePostcards of DC Daily Life by a Mexican Immigrant
In the two years since he came to Washington, D.C., Carlos Carmonamedina has created almost 100 postcards of everyday scenes in the nation’s capital. Many have DC landmarks in the background, like the White House, the Capitol and the Washington Monument, but all give a taste of what life in …
your ad hereAmnesty: Failed and Exploited, Nepal Migrant Workers Trapped in Debt Cycle
Nepali migrant workers are trapped in a vicious cycle of debt and exploitation due to a failure by authorities to crack down on recruitment firms that charge illegally high fees for jobs abroad, human rights group Amnesty International said on Monday. Wages sent back by an estimated four million Nepalis …
your ad hereCryptoKitties Brings Blockchain to the Masses
How do you explain the abstract concepts of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies? With adorable, digital kittens of course. CryptoKitties, an online game and marketplace featuring virtual kittens, has become an entry point for curious outsiders looking to dabble in cryptocurrencies – decentralized digital monies that rely on blockchain technology to …
your ad hereUS Blames North Korea for Global Cyber Attack
The United States is publicly blaming North Korea for unleashing a cyber attack that crippled hospitals, banks and other companies across the globe earlier this year. In an op-ed piece posted on the Wall Street Journal website Monday night, Homeland Security Adviser Tom Bossert said that North Korea was “directly …
your ad hereSalt Lake City Targets Bid for 2030 Winter Olympics
Utah officials studying the possibility of Salt Lake City making a bid to host another Winter Olympics said Monday they would rather host the games in 2030, but could be ready if they’re needed for 2026. Hosting the games after the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles would provide a …
your ad hereUS EPA Seeks Comment on Carbon Rule Replacement
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday issued a notice that it wants public input for a possible replacement of Obama-era regulations on carbon dioxide emissions from power plants that the agency is repealing. The agency’s advance notice kicks off a 60-day comment period on “specific topics for the Agency …
your ad herePlummer Brings on the Charm in Reshot ‘All the Money in the World’
When director Ridley Scott decided to remove Kevin Spacey from his film All the Money in the World and reshoot it with Christopher Plummer, he did not just pull off an extraordinary feat. Plummer’s performance as U.S. oil billionaire J. Paul Getty also subtly changed the tone of the movie …
your ad hereBrazil Court Approves Compensation for Decades-old Depositor Losses
A Supreme Court justice on Monday approved an agreement to compensate bank depositors for losses caused by government policies several decades ago, settling more than a million legal disputes that have hung over Brazil’s banking system since the 1980s. Depositors who lost their savings due to economic programs applied in …
your ad hereFacebook Reveals Data on Copyright and Trademark Complaints
Facebook announced Monday that it removed nearly 3 million posts, including videos, ads and other forms of content, from its services during the first half of 2017 following complaints of counterfeiting and copyright and trademark infringement. The worldwide data on intellectual property-related takedowns is a new disclosure for Facebook as …
your ad hereEU Governments Agree on Renewable Energy Targets for 2030
European Union environment and energy ministers on Monday agreed on renewable energy targets for 2030 ahead of negotiations next year with the European Parliament, which has called for more ambitious green energy goals. Ministers said they would aim to source at least 27 percent of the bloc’s energy from renewables …
your ad hereUS Bars Drones Over Nuclear Sites for Security Reasons
The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it will bar drone flights over seven major U.S. nuclear sites, including Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. The move is the latest in a series of growing restrictions on unmanned aerial vehicles over U.S. sites that have national security implications. The new …
your ad hereArgentine Congress Tries for Pension Reform Amid Violent Protests
Argentina’s Congress could pass a hotly debated pension reform measure Monday, lawmakers told reporters, as stone-throwing demonstrators gathered in the capital and the country’s main union called a 24-hour general strike to protest the proposal. Debate on the bill was suspended Thursday amid violent protests, which were put down by …
your ad hereEgypt Begins Production on Largest Undersea Gas Field in Mediterranean
Egypt’s economic prospects are looking brighter after the long-anticipated production of undersea gas from the al Zohr gas field began coming online in recent days. Petroleum Minister Tareq al Molla tells Arab media the al Zohr field will be a major boon for the economy, saving $750 million to possibly …
your ad hereSouth Sudan Refugees Stage Talent Show
South Sudanese refugees at the Bidibidi settlement in Uganda live a hard life, residing in tents and mud huts and surviving on international aid. But on Saturday, the refugees put aside their hardships and held a talent show, with songs and plays that touched on the war back home but …
your ad hereTwitter Suspends White Nationalists Under New Rules
Twitter suspended the accounts of well-known white nationalists Monday, moving swiftly after putting into place new rules on what it sees as abusive content. The account of far-right group Britain First, a small group that regularly posts inflammatory videos purporting to show Muslims engaged in acts of violence, was among …
your ad hereStudy: Shop Early, Shop Often to Avoid Christmas Impulse Buying
Parceling out holiday shopping in small amounts and completing it in a realistic schedule helps people maintain the self-control needed to avoid being swept away in impulse purchases that can wreck budgets, a study to be published in January said. The study from Texas A&M University researchers looked at how …
your ad hereWeinstein Denies Blacklisting Actresses Ashley Judd, Mira Sorvino
Harvey Weinstein on Friday denied barring actresses Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino from working on the movie adaptation of “The Lord of the Rings” or blacklisting them from further projects. Weinstein, who has been accused of sexual harassment by more than 50 women, including Judd and Sorvino, was responding to …
your ad hereInternet Giants Told: Accept Cyber Curbs to Be Welcome in China
Google and Facebook will have to accept China’s censorship and tough online laws if they want access to its 751 million internet users, Chinese regulators told a conference in Geneva on Monday. Google and Facebook are blocked in China, along with Twitter Inc and most major Western news outlets. “That’s …
your ad hereFamilies Field Test Autonomous Vehicles
It’s all fun and games until a family gets behind the wheel. That’s the whole idea behind Volvo’s Drive Me project. Automated vehicles are now being test driven by families as part of a multi-stage experiment that’s taking place in Norway. VOA’s Steve Redisch reports. …
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