The European Union executive is seeking to protect farmers by imposing fines on retailers and supermarket chains using unfair trade practices. EU Farm Commissioner Phil Hogan said Thursday the plan was “about giving voice to the voiceless” as small-scale farmers across the EU have struggled to eke out a …
your ad hereAnother Trump Trade War, This Time with Rwanda over Clothes
The sweaty mechanic tossed aside the used jeans one by one, digging deep through the pile of secondhand clothes that are at the center of another, if little-noticed, Trump administration trade war. The used clothes cast off by Americans and sold in bulk in African nations, a multimillion-dollar business, …
your ad hereWHO: Breastfeeding Should Be Standard Care for All Babies
The World Health Organization (WHO) says breastfeeding all babies for the first two years would save the lives of more than 820,000 children under the age of five every year. The WHO is issuing a new 10-step guide aimed at promoting breastfeeding in health facilities around the world. The World …
your ad hereOverdose Deaths from Opioids Keep Rising in the US
The opioid crisis leaves no community in the U.S. untouched. It’s nationwide, but it hits small towns and rural states particularly hard. In tiny Bellevue, Ohio, population 8,000, Koriann Evans had just gotten fentanyl from her dealer. Fentanyl is a drug dozens of times more powerful than heroin, and Evans …
your ad hereExperts Explore the Way Forward after Facebook Data Leak
A data leak that enabled political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica to access personal information from about 87 million Facebook users has generated an uproar and concerns over online privacy and the power of the major internet platforms. On VOA’s Plugged In with Greta Van Susteren experts explore the issue and …
your ad hereItalian Football Team’s Persian Twitter Account a Hit after Iran Censors Crest
An Iranian state TV network’s unusual decision to censor the crest of Italian football club AS Roma has helped the club attract a big following of Iranian fans to its new Persian Twitter account. AS Roma’s head of digital media, Paul Rogers, posted a tweet Wednesday, saying the club’s Persian …
your ad hereOpioid Deaths Still Rising in the US
The opioid crisis leaves no community in the U.S. untouched. It’s become a nationwide epidemic, but it’s hitting small towns and rural states especially hard. VOA’s Carol Pearson looks at the scope of the problem and what some states are doing to tackle the crisis. …
your ad hereOn Witness Stand, Accuser Calls Bill Cosby a ‘Serial Rapist’
The first accuser to testify at Bill Cosby’s retrial described the comedian as “a serial rapist” Wednesday, stunning the courtroom as she parried with his lawyers. In her second day on the witness stand, Heidi Thomas, a Colorado music teacher, told jurors she came forward with her allegations in …
your ad hereFacebook CEO Says Regulation of Internet Sector ‘Inevitable’
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told lawmakers Wednesday the internet sector will need some form of regulation. After weathering heated questions from two Senate panels, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg returned to Capitol Hill Wednesday to face more questions from the House Energy and Commerce Committee about the social media platform’s transparency …
your ad hereSolar Surge Threatens Hydro Future on Mekong
Thousands of megawatts of wind and solar energy contracts in the Mekong region of Southeast Asia have been signed, seriously challenging the financial viability of major hydropower projects on the river, an energy expert told a water conference last week. Buoyed by a recent Thai government decision to delay a …
your ad hereZuckerberg Vows to Step Up Facebook Effort to Block Hate Speech in Myanmar
Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said on Tuesday his company would step up efforts to block hate messages in Myanmar as he faced questioning by the U.S. Congress about electoral interference and hate speech on the platform. Facebook has been accused by human rights advocates of not doing enough to …
your ad hereFarmers Fret Over Trump’s Trade Tactics
The increasing trade tensions between the United States and China has rattled farmers in the American heartland, the place where many of the products on which China seeks to impose a tariff are produced. As VOA’s Kane Farabaugh reports, those farmers, once supportive of President Trump, are increasingly wary about …
your ad hereDC Water Utility Goes Underground to Divert Raw Sewage
Dumping sewage into a local river is common practice in some of America’s older cities. With the benefits of modern engineering, cities like Washington D.C. will soon be able to divert hundreds of millions of liters of raw sewage every day to wastewater treatment plants instead of a river. Arash …
your ad hereZuckerberg Apologizes for Data Breach, Promises Change
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified on Capitol Hill for the first time Tuesday, answering lawmakers’ concerns about the social media giant’s failure to protect the private information of as many 87 million users worldwide from Trump-affiliated political firm Cambridge Analytica. VOA’s Congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson has more from a key day …
your ad hereIMF Chief Warns Global Trade in Danger
The head of the International Monetary Fund is warning that the global trading system is in danger of being “torn apart.” In a speech prepared for delivery in Hong Kong Wednesday, Christine Lagarde urged nations to “steer clear of protectionism.” That may be a reference to Washington’s recent moves …
your ad hereUS Lawmakers Demand Changes at Facebook After Data Breaches
After weathering heated questions from two Senate panels, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg returns to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to face more questions from a House committee about the social media platform’s transparency and user privacy. Lawmakers want better protections after data breaches that affected tens of millions of users. WATCH: …
your ad hereApple Adds Isaac Asimov Sci-fi Series to TV Development List
Isaac Asimov’s influential “Foundation” science fiction novels about the collapse and resurgence of a galactic empire are heading to Apple as a television drama series, a company spokeswoman said on Tuesday. The series is the latest step the iPhone maker has taken to acquire original programming as it seeks to …
your ad hereFrom Housing Projects to TV: Tracy Morgan Gets His Hollywood Star
Comedic actor Tracy Morgan, who rose to prominence on sketch comedy series “Saturday Night Live” after growing up in one of New York City’s toughest housing projects, said he felt right at home receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday. With his trademark wide, mischievous grin, …
your ad hereYvonne Staples of Hit-making Staple Singers Dies in Chicago
Yvonne Staples, whose voice and business acumen powered the success of the Staple Singers, has died at age 80. The Chicago funeral home Leak and Sons says she died Tuesday at her home in Chicago. Staples’ family gospel group had a string of Top 40 hits and scored …
your ad here‘Sesame Street’ Helping Kids in Mideast Affected by War
Conflicts across the Middle East have had a tremendously adverse effect on children, the most vulnerable members of the population. With the Syrian civil war now in its seventh year and the Iraqi territories retaken from the Islamic State still unstable, millions of children in refugee camps have had to spend …
your ad hereUS Federal Reserve Proposes New Capital Rules for Banks
The Federal Reserve on Tuesday proposed new rules that could allow some large banks to reduce the amount of capital they must hold as a cushion against a future economic shock. The proposal may clear the way for some large banks to reduce their capital levels in the future, but …
your ad hereFederal Reserve Proposes New Capital Rules for Banks
The Federal Reserve on Tuesday proposed new rules that could allow some large banks to reduce the amount of capital they must hold as a cushion against a future economic shock. The proposal may clear the way for some large banks to reduce their capital levels in the future, but …
your ad hereBMI to Honor 51-time Oscar Nominee John Williams With Award
Composer John Williams will be honored by performing rights organization BMI with an award bearing his name. BMI says The John Williams Award will be presented to the celebrated musician at the 34th annual BMI Film, TV and Visual Media Awards on May 9 in Beverly Hills, California. …
your ad hereCosby Lawyer Launches Fierce Attack on ‘Con Artist’ Accuser
Bill Cosby’s lawyer launched a blistering courtroom attack on the comedian’s accuser Tuesday, branding her a con artist whose goal was “money, money and lots more money.” Tom Mesereau told jurors in his opening statement at the former TV star’s sex-assault trial that Andrea Constand wasn’t attracted to Cosby but …
your ad hereGwen Stefani to Kick Off Las Vegas Residency in June
Gwen Stefani is the latest superstar to ink a deal for a series of regularly scheduled shows in Las Vegas. Caesars Entertainment on Tuesday announced Stefani will kick off a residency at the Planet Hollywood casino-resort in June. The hollaback girl in a statement says having a show …
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