The World Trade Organization is urging nations to resolve trade tensions, warning that restrictive trade measures would have a harmful impact on the global economy. The group refuses to weigh in on what appears to be the start of a trade war between the United States and China, the world’s …
your ad hereIndia’s ‘Worst Water Crisis in History’ Leaves Millions Thirsty
Weak infrastructure and a national shortage have made water costly all over India, but Sushila Devi paid a higher price than most. It took the deaths of her husband and son to force authorities to supply it to the slum she calls home. “They died because of the water problem, …
your ad hereLikely Impact of US-China Trade War: Prices Up, Growth Down
The world’s two biggest economies have fired the opening shots in a trade war that could have wide-ranging consequences for consumers, workers, companies, investors and political leaders. The United States slapped a 25 percent tax on $34 billion worth of Chinese imports starting Friday, and China is retaliating with taxes …
your ad hereUgandan Doctors Struggle to Provide Adequate Health Care
Uganda’s government has called the country’s doctors unprofessional, selfish, unpatriotic and enemies of the people, after they called for a sit-down strike in 2017 demanding better pay and improved working conditions. Halima Athumani spent a night at an Ugandan hospital and shows us the challenges doctors face. …
your ad hereFor Nizhny Novgorod: ‘World Cup Has Been Biggest Party in Town for Decades’
By the time the World Cup is over, 64 matches will have taken place in 12 venues in 11 cities. For many people in Nizhny Novgorod, one of the soccer venues, the monthlong event has been the biggest party in town for decades. VOA’s Mariama Diallo reports. …
your ad hereScientists Working to Create Northern White Rhino Embryos
When Sudan, the last male northern white rhino, died in March, hopes for a revival of the sub-species were crushed. But as Sadie Witkowski explains, the magnificent creatures might not go the way of the dodo. …
your ad hereMaryland Town’s Bathtub Races Attract Tourists for a Good Cause
Every year, hundreds of tourists arrive at the small town of Berlin, Maryland, to watch an unusual event — bathtub races! Despite all the fun, the races have a serious goal: to raise money to help critically ill children. Evgeny Baranov has a report, narrated by Anna Rice. …
your ad hereUS, China Slap Tariffs on Billions of Dollars of Each Other’s Exports
China said Friday it was “forced to take a necessary counterattack” and responded in kind to the United States after Washington placed tariffs on 800 Chinese import products valued at $34 billion. China said it applied retaliatory tariffs on 545 U.S. items, also worth $34 billion, “including agricultural products, vehicles …
your ad hereTrump Tariffs Against China Take Effect
U.S. tariffs against Chinese imports took effect early Friday and President Donald Trump made clear Thursday that he is prepared to sharply escalate a trade war between the world’s two biggest economies. The administration started imposing tariffs at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time Friday on $34 billion worth of Chinese imports, a first …
your ad hereNational Zoo Plans to Beef up Security
The National Zoo in Washington is adding fencing and security, not for the animals but for the human visitors. The zoo has submitted a plan to add perimeter fencing around the popular public venue to close all the gaps and reduce pedestrian entrances from 13 to three. Eventually, the institution …
your ad hereCalifornia Senators Reach Agreement on Net Neutrality Bill
Key California lawmakers said Thursday they’ve reached an agreement on legislation to enshrine net neutrality provisions in state law after the Federal Communications Commission dumped rules requiring an equal playing field on the internet. California’s bill is one of the nation’s most aggressive efforts to continue net neutrality, and the …
your ad hereWorld Cup Soccer Jerseys Score as Fashion Statements
As the 2018 FIFA World Cup continues its drama-filled march to the final game on July 15, one thing is sure: Sports merchandisers are already big winners. Untold millions of fans and fashionistas have been snapping up national team jerseys to show their support. Adidas AG’s chief executive has predicted …
your ad hereNHC: Tropical Storm Beryl Could Become Hurricane by Saturday
Tropical Storm Beryl is strengthening over the tropical Atlantic and could become a hurricane by Friday or Saturday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Thursday. Beryl is about 1,295 miles (2,080 km) east-southeast of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea and contains maximum sustained winds of 50 miles …
your ad hereUS Border Authorities Find Invasive Beetles in Bag of Seeds
A woman traveling from Iraq to a Detroit-area airport was found to be carrying seeds infested with an invasive beetle. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says in a release Thursday that agriculture specialists discovered the Khapra beetles November 23 at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus. They were in a …
your ad hereKenya’s Digital Taxi Services Paralyzed, Strike Enters 4th Day
Drivers of Kenya’s digital taxis shut down operations Monday in protest of what they term as exploitative corporate practices. They say the firms are charging low rates to their clients, yet imposing high commissions on the drivers, leading them to work longer hours with little pay. The Digital Taxi Association …
your ad hereNew Treatments Give Hope to People With Brain Tumors
Republican Senator John McCain is perhaps the best known person who has brain cancer. His is a glioblastoma, the most deadly type. Since McCain announced the news last year, he has had surgery and chemotherapy. There’s no cure for this type of cancer, and even with treatment, most people don’t …
your ad hereIllegal Cigarette Trade Costing S. Africa $510 mln a Year
South Africa has become one of the biggest markets for illegal cigarette sales and is losing out on 7 billion rand ($514 million) a year in potential tax revenue, a report funded by a tobacco industry group said on Thursday. The study carried out by Ipsos found illegal cigarette trade …
your ad hereRussian Search Engine Alerts Google to Possible Data Problem
The Russian Internet company Yandex said Thursday that its public search engine has been turning up dozens of Google documents that appear meant for private use, suggesting there may have been a data breach. Yandex spokesman Ilya Grabovsky said that some Internet users contacted the company Wednesday to say that …
your ad hereMerkel Would Back Cutting EU Tariffs on US Car Imports
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday she would back lowering European Union tariffs on U.S. car imports, responding to an offer from Washington to abandon threatened levies on European cars in return for concessions. “When we want to negotiate tariffs, on cars for example, we need a common European …
your ad hereUnemployment Among Saudis Hits Record 12.9 %
Unemployment among Saudi citizens edged up to a record 12.9 percent in the first quarter of this year as private employers struggled under the weight of a new tax and a domestic fuel price hike, official data showed on Thursday. The figures underlined the difficulties which the government faces as …
your ad here1968 Exhibit Looks Back at Tumultuous Year in US
The year 1968 was a time of great social and political upheaval in America. Coincidentally, the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington also opened to the public that year. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the museum is presenting a time capsule of that important period and the cultural icons who …
your ad hereIran’s OPEC Boss: Trump’s Tweets Have Added $10 to Oil Prices
U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently called on OPEC producers to help reduce oil prices, has raised prices through his tweets, Iranian OPEC Governor Hossein Kazempour Ardebili was quoted as saying by news agency SHANA on Thursday. “Your tweets have increased the prices by at least $10. Please stop this …
your ad hereFord Says No Plans for Now to Hike China Prices
U.S. car maker Ford Motor Co said on Thursday it has no plans currently to hike retail prices of its imported Ford and Lincoln models in China, despite steep additional tariffs on imported U.S. vehicles set to come into play on Friday. The firm, which has been facing sluggish sales …
your ad hereHouse of Fear in Heart of Moscow: Soviet History in Miniature
Moscow’s most famous landmarks — Red Square, the Kremlin, and the domes of St. Basil’s Cathedral — are swarmed with World Cup fans doing a bit of sightseeing in between matches. Just upriver, more adventurous tourists will find an anonymous-looking apartment block whose history sheds light on the Soviet Union’s …
your ad hereScientists Harvest Drinking Water from Desert Air
Scientists have developed a way to harvest water from dry desert air and the only power the device needs is sunlight. It could be useful in an increasingly water-stressed world. VOA’s Steve Baragona has more. …
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