Iran is studying ways to keep exporting oil and other measures to counter U.S. economic sanctions, state news agency IRNA reported Saturday. Since last month, when U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal that lifted most sanctions in 2015, the rial currency has dropped up to 40 percent in value, prompting protests …
your ad hereTrump Claims Saudi Arabia Will Boost Oil Production
President Donald Trump said Saturday that he had received assurances from King Salman of Saudi Arabia that the kingdom will increase oil production, “maybe up to 2,000,000 barrels” in response to turmoil in Iran and Venezuela. Saudi Arabia acknowledged the call took place, but mentioned no production targets. Trump wrote …
your ad hereExhibit Showcases Delicate Beauty of US Botanical Art
Botanical artist Carol Malone-Brown is seated, bent forward, intently concentrating on a painting she is working on of a green apple with leaves. She carefully puts a small amount of paint on one leaf using the “dry brush” method — mixing tiny drops of water with watercolors and then using …
your ad hereWashington Exhibit Showcases Delicate Beauty of Botanical Art
Botanical art illustrates the delicate beauty of plant species, frequently in watercolor paintings. A series of botanical art exhibits featuring native plants is being showcased in 25 countries around the world. The idea is to highlight botanical art and the diversity of plants worldwide. In the United States, 46 pieces …
your ad hereAP Fact Check: Were Tax Cuts an ‘Economic Miracle?’
Editor’s note: A look at the veracity of claims by political figures President Donald Trump has elevated his tax cuts to an act of biblical proportions, misleadingly claiming at a White House speech Friday that they triggered an “economic miracle.” Not quite. Also Friday, the president’s top economics aide, Larry …
your ad hereGM: US Import Tariffs Could Mean Fewer Jobs
General Motors Co warned on Friday that higher tariffs on imported vehicles under consideration by the Trump administration could cost jobs and lead to a “a smaller GM” while isolating U.S. businesses from the global market. The administration in May launched an investigation into whether imported vehicles pose a national …
your ad here‘Insect Vision’ Hunts Down Asteroids
June 30 marks Asteroid Day, a U.N.-sanctioned campaign to promote awareness around the world of what’s up in the sky. In Milan, scientists are assembling a new telescope that uses “insect vision” to spot risky celestial objects. Faith Lapidus explains. …
your ad hereUS Manufacturers Brace for Impact of Escalating US-China Trade Battles
Just days before the Trump administration’s tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum imports are set to go into effect, trade analysts are watching for ripple effects across the automotive, manufacturing and technology sectors. VOA’s Elizabeth Cherneff has more from Washington. …
your ad hereTrump: Expect Another Tax Cut, ‘Probably in October’
U.S. President Donald Trump said he expects a second tax overhaul to be unveiled in October or a bit earlier, and he is considering cutting the corporate tax rate to 20 percent from 21 percent. In an excerpt of a Fox Business Network interview to be broadcast Sunday, Trump said: …
your ad hereTrump Celebrates Tax Cut Law at 6-Month Mark
U.S. President Donald Trump touted the Republican tax cut plan Friday, six months after he signed it into law, saying it was strengthening the U.S. economy and helping average Americans by increasing investment, jobs and wages. “It is my great honor to welcome you back to the White House to …
your ad hereConcerns Mount About US Commitment to Allies, Global Order
President Donald Trump is denying any immediate plan to withdraw the United States from the World Trade Organization (WTO). “We have been treated very badly by the WTO,” Trump said to reporters on Air Force One during a short Friday afternoon flight from Maryland to New Jersey. But asked if …
your ad hereStudy: HIV Drug Not Linked to Depression
A new study of a popular HIV drug could ease concerns about its link to depression. Researchers in Uganda found that efavirenz, once feared to lead to depression and suicide, did not cause the expected negative side effects in their patients. Efavirenz is an affordable, once-a-day pill used around the …
your ad hereCanada Strikes Back at US over Tariffs, Unveils Aid Package
Canada struck back at U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs on Friday, vowing to impose punitive measures on C$16.6 billion ($12.63 billion) of American goods and unveiling a C$2 billion aid package for affected industries and workers. Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland told a news conference the tariffs would come into effect …
your ad hereAgony, Ecstasy Loom as Penalty Shootouts Come into Play at World Cup
Football’s cruel mistress — the penalty shootout — arrives at the World Cup on Saturday after a packed fortnight of group games, ready to dispense her characteristic doses of unbridled joy and heartbreak in the knockout stages. There has been a penalty shootout at every World Cup since 1982 in …
your ad here‘This Is Congo’ Explores Everyday Voices Amid Conflict
“To grow up as a child in Congo, according to God’s will, is to grow up in paradise,” Col. Mamadou Ndala says in the opening scenes of “This Is Congo,” a film making its theatrical release Friday in the United States. Strolling outside the eastern city of Goma where he …
your ad hereBob Mackie Gowns Worn by Carol Burnett, Cher up for Auction
Gowns and ensembles worn by Carol Burnett, Cher and Raquel Welch are going up on the auction block. The clothing was created by 78-year-old fashion and costume designer Bob Mackie, who has been honored for his work in motion pictures, television and the fashion industry. Julien’s Auctions says the highlights …
your ad hereDrake Confirms Son in Newest Album ‘Scorpion’
Drake confirms he’s a father on his new album. The 31-year-old rapper from Canada released “Scorpion” on Friday. In two songs on his fifth album, he addresses rumors that he fathered a son with a former French adult-film star. In “Emotionless,” Drake raps, “I wasn’t hiding my kid from the …
your ad hereUS Consumer Spending Grew Just 0.2 Percent in May
U.S consumers increased their spending just 0.2 percent in May, a disappointing result after two months of much stronger gains. The weaker reading could raise questions about the extent of economic growth overall in the current April-June quarter. The Commerce Department says the tiny rise in spending last month followed …
your ad hereTrade Dispute Hits China’s Yuan, Investors
After a sharp sell-off, China’s yuan and stock markets attempted a modest recovery Friday, yet investors were grappling with some of their worst losses in years as a bitter Sino-U.S. trade row threatened to ruffle the world’s second-biggest economy. The yuan was set for its biggest monthly fall on record. …
your ad hereUS Suicide Rate is on the Rise
The suicide rate in the U.S. is rising. A new government report shows nearly 45,000 Americans killed themselves in 2016, more than twice the number of homicides. In fact, the suicide rate, particularly among young people ages 15 to 34, has been rising at an alarming rate for almost three …
your ad hereFirst LP Record is Re-Released Amid Vinyl Revival
Seventy years ago this month, a major record company, Columbia Records, introduced the first LP, or long-playing record. The new format revolutionized music sound recording and was quickly adopted as the new standard by the recording industry. To celebrate the milestone anniversary, Sony has pressed a very limited quantity of …
your ad hereSharks Return to New York Aquarium
Sharks are the stars of a splashy new exhibit at the New York Aquarium. The new exhibit is a major step in the beachfront facility’s recovery from the devastating impact of 2012’s Superstorm Sandy. Faith Lapidus reports. …
your ad hereSmoke Exposure During Pregnancy, Infancy Tied to Hearing Loss
Kids exposed to tobacco smoke in the womb and early in infancy could have double the odds of developing hearing loss compared with children who were not exposed to tobacco at all, a Japanese study suggests. While previous research suggests that adult smokers are at greater risk of hearing loss than nonsmokers, less is …
your ad hereMinnesota Approves Enbridge Energy Line 3 Pipeline Project
Minnesota regulators on Thursday approved Enbridge Energy’s proposal to replace its aging Line 3 oil pipeline across the northern part of the state. All five members of the Public Utilities Commission backed the project, though some cited heavy trepidation, and a narrow majority later approved the company’s preferred route despite …
your ad hereUS Delegation Attends Kenya’s Inaugural Economic Summit
A U.S. delegation traveled to Kenya on Thursday to attend the inaugural economic summit of the American Chamber of Commerce, Kenya. About 500 delegates, including Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and Gilbert Kaplan, U.S. undersecretary of commerce for international trade, other high-ranking government officials from both nations and representatives from nearly 30 …
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