Soon after presenting his credentials to the German president, the new U.S. ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, told German companies to start leaving Iran. “As Donald Trump said, U.S. sanctions will target critical sectors of Iran’s economy. German companies doing business in Iran should wind down operations immediately,” Grenell tweeted …
your ad here‘Museum of Broken Relationships’ Comes to Kosovo
Dolls, a memory jar, a magnifying glass, a used condom — each is a memento of heartbreak contributed by an anonymous contributor to the Museum of Broken Relationships, an eccentric display in Kosovo. The traveling exhibition — tied to a permanent tourist attraction in the Croatian capital, Zagreb, dedicated to …
your ad hereYemeni Car Traders Cash In on Japan Connection
Wooden dhows crammed with secondhand Japanese cars have been sailing unhindered into Yemeni ports for the past three years despite rigid wartime controls on imports of aid and other vital supplies. Like many Yemeni traders, Ali al-Mahry jumped at this chance to turn a profit by supplying customers at home …
your ad hereDisney Seeks New Frontiers as More People Watch Video Online
Disney is seeking new frontiers. The media company launched its $5-a-month sports streaming service, ESPN Plus, last month, and it signed a deal with Twitter this month to create Marvel, ABC and ESPN content on that service. Meanwhile, Disney is trying to buy much of 21st Century Fox, including the …
your ad hereUS to Reveal Winners of Drone Program That Attracted Top Firms
Major technology and aerospace companies including Amazon.com, Apple, Intel, Qualcomm and Airbus SE are vying to take part in a new slate of drone tests the United States is set to announce on Wednesday, people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The wide interest in the U.S. initiative, launched by …
your ad hereYankees and Red Sox to Play in London in 2019
The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will face each other in two regular-season games at the Olympic Stadium in London next year. “We are bringing you one of the best rivalries in baseball,” MLS Commissioner Rob Manfred said Tuesday. Boston will be the home team for both of …
your ad hereWhite House, Industry Leaders to Meet on Artificial Intelligence
The White House plans to convene a meeting on Thursday on the future of artificial intelligence in U.S. industry with major companies including Facebook, Amazon.com, Google parent Alphabet and Oracle as well as senior government officials. Intel CEO Brian Krzanich and the chief technical officers of Ford and Boeing are …
your ad herePop Singers Compete for Top Prize at CMT Music Awards
Carrie Underwood, Florida Georgia Line and Jason Aldean are the leading nominees for the CMT Music Awards with four each, but it’s the pop artists who might steal the big prize at this year’s awards show. CMT announced Tuesday that for the first time, pop artists who have collaborated with …
your ad here104-Year-old Australian Promotes Right to Assisted Suicide
A 104-year-old British-born Australian scientist who is planning to kill himself on Thursday says he doesn’t think the drugs used for assisted suicide should be available to just anyone, but that doctors should be able to prescribe them. In an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press just two days before …
your ad hereDRC Confirms 2 Ebola Cases, 10 More Suspected
Democratic Republic of Congo has confirmed two cases of Ebola in the northwestern town of Bikoro and at least 10 more cases are suspected, the head of the national institute for biological research, Jean Jack Muyembe, said on Tuesday. A source at the Ministry of Health also said two cases …
your ad hereFacebook Bans Foreign Ads in Ireland Abortion Referendum
Facebook announced Tuesday that it is banning foreign advertisements related to Ireland’s abortion referendum amid concerns that North American groups are trying to influence the campaign. Irish voters will decide May 25 whether to repeal a constitutional ban on abortion, in a divisive referendum that has drawn international attention. …
your ad hereWalmart’s Grocery Delivery Partnerships With Uber, Lyft Falter
Walmart’s online grocery delivery partnerships with ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft have ended, according to two sources, a potential setback for the retailer’s ambitions to challenge Amazon.com head-on with speedy delivery of groceries to people’s homes. The end of the Walmart partnerships, which has not been previously reported and was …
your ad hereHistoric Drought Takes Toll on South Africa’s Vineyards
The worst drought in living memory has hit vineyards in South Africa’s Western Cape hard, reducing grape harvests and adding to pressure on the region’s centuries-old wine industry, officials said on Tuesday. In its latest wine harvest report, industry body Vinpro said South Africa’s wine-grape production was down 15 percent …
your ad hereZimbabwe Parliament Delays Mugabe’s Questioning on Diamond Revenue
Former President Robert Mugabe will not appear before Zimbabwe’s parliament as scheduled on Wednesday to answer questions on diamond mining operations, a legislator said. Temba Mliswa, who leads the parliamentary committee on mines, said the clerk of parliament hadn’t written to Mugabe to invite him to appear. “It has been …
your ad hereIt’s Back to School for Some of Thailand’s Elderly
Wearing crisp red-and-white uniforms, a group of 60-year-olds pile into a bus, smiling broadly as they make their way to a school in Ayutthaya, a province in Thailand. For this group, and others across the country, going back to school offers a way to fight loneliness at a time when …
your ad hereUS, China to Meet for Round 2 of Trade Talks, But Big Differences Remain
Trade negotiations between China and the United States continue early next week in Washington D.C., but analysts say after the first round, the differences between the two sides are huge. Some believe the differences are so fundamental and big that an escalation of tariffs is unavoidable. According to a widely …
your ad hereTechnology Revolution Can Help or Harm Societies
As artificial intelligence is used in an increasingly connected world, experts say inherent risks need to be addressed now as societies become more and more dependent on the technology for everyday tasks. “It’s quite explosive what we’re seeing,” said Tom Siebel, chairman and chief executive officer at computer software company …
your ad hereGoogle to Showcase AI Advances at Its Big Conference
Google is likely to again put artificial intelligence in the spotlight at its annual developers conference Thursday. The company’s digital concierge, known only as the Google Assistant, could gain new abilities to handle tasks such as making restaurant reservations without human hand-holding. Google may also unveil updates to …
your ad hereCountries Race Towards Technological Dominance Knowing Benefits and Risks
With technology developing at an exponential rate, experts say the world is experiencing a fourth industrial revolution – one that will be driven by artificial intelligence and machines that can analyze huge amounts of data from connected devices. But experts warn that aside from the benefits, the revolution also has …
your ad hereFrom Chief’s Wife to Impersonator in Hollywood
Super heroes, villains, or robots on Hollywood Boulevard — impersonators are everywhere. These characters, adamant tip hunters, are part of the Hollywood entertainment industry. Among them is a woman from Nigeria who decided to try her hand at this type of work. VOA’s Arzouma Kompaoré takes us to meet her. …
your ad hereTrump Proposing Billions in Spending Cuts to Congress
The Trump administration is unveiling a multibillion-dollar roster of proposed spending cuts but is leaving this year’s $1.3 trillion catchall spending bill alone. The cuts wouldn’t have much impact, however, since they come from leftover funding from previous years that wouldn’t be spent anyway. The White House said …
your ad hereAustralia to Release Budget with Looming Election in Mind
Australia’s government is expected to release annual spending plans on Tuesday with a focus on winning votes at elections due within a year. Cheaper craft beer plus personal tax cuts compensated by strengthening company tax revenue have been flagged as well as more investment on roads and rail to stimulate …
your ad hereConocoPhillips Moves to Take Key Venezuelan Oil Operations
U.S. oil giant ConocoPhillips is pressing for control of Venezuela’s key offshore operations in the Caribbean, seeking to recoup $2 billion from a decade-old dispute with the nation struggling to feed its people, a source confirmed Monday. The Houston-based ConocoPhillips is asking a court in the Dutch Antilles for …
your ad hereSmoke to Ink? Indian Inventors Try Novel Approach to Tame Air Pollution
As the pre-monsoon summer heat takes hold in New Delhi, two things are as inevitable as 40-degree-Celsius days: power cuts and air pollution from the diesel generators that then kick in. But a team of Indian engineers has figured out away to bring some good from choking generator exhaust: They …
your ad hereHotter Seas Threaten Marine Wildlife with Extinction, Researchers Say
Polar bears and other iconic animals could be extinct by the end of the century if ocean temperatures continue to rise at the current rate, marine biologists warned Monday. Warming temperatures caused by climate-changing emissions may result in a catastrophic loss of marine wildlife and drastic changes to ocean food …
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