President Donald Trump’s proposal to replace an Obama-era policy to fight climate change with a weaker plan allowing states to write their own rules on emissions from coal-fired power plants was criticized by coastal states, but applauded by coal interests on Wednesday. Under the proposed Affordable Clean Energy plan that …
your ad hereCuba Says Investor Interest Up Despite US Hostility
Cuba’s foreign trade and investment minister said on Wednesday the country had signed nearly 200 investment projects worth $5.5 billion since it slashed taxes and made other adjustments to its investment law in 2014. Cuba began a major effort to attract foreign investment as socialist ally Venezuela’s economy went into …
your ad hereUS Supreme Court Divided Over How Google Settled Privacy Case
U.S. Supreme Court justices, in an internet privacy case involving Google, disagreed on Wednesday over whether to rein in a form of settlement in class action lawsuits that awards money to charities and other third parties instead of to people affected by the alleged wrongdoing. The $8.5 million Google settlement …
your ad hereFitch Shifts Mexico Debt Outlook From Stable to Negative
Fitch Ratings changed its outlook on Mexico’s long-term foreign-currency debt issues Wednesday from “stable” to “negative,” citing the potential policies of President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. The leftist Lopez Obrador has tried to smooth anxieties in the business community, but upset many on Monday by cancelling a partly built, $13 …
your ad hereThai Junta’s Rap Headache Beats On
The director of a viral rap video that has racked up tens of millions of views on YouTube with lyrics flaying Thailand’s military junta says the artists behind it have no intention of hiding from police. Since the junta, led by Prayut Chan-o-cha, seized power in a coup four years ago and …
your ad hereAppendix Removal Linked to Lower Risk of Parkinson’s
Scientists have found a new clue that Parkinson’s disease may get its start not in the brain but in the gut – maybe in the appendix. People who had their appendix removed early in life had a lower risk of getting the tremor-inducing brain disease decades later, researchers reported Wednesday. …
your ad hereCorporate Pledge to Deal With Plastic Draws Mixed Reaction
More than 250 corporate signatories joined together to try and deal with plastic pollution in an announcement timed to coincide with the 5th Annual “Our Ocean Conference” in Bali, Indonesia. Under terms of the agreement, the companies agreed to, among other things, make all of the plastics they produce …
your ad hereRafael Nadal Pulls Out of Paris Masters with Abdominal Pain
Rafael Nadal pulled out of his second-round match at the Paris Masters on Wednesday because of an abdominal problem, meaning Novak Djokovic will reclaim the No. 1 ranking next week. Nadal was returning from a right knee injury which forced him to retire from the U.S. Open semifinals, but took …
your ad hereBirthday Blues for Bitcoin as Investors Face Year-on-Year Loss
Bitcoin was heading towards a year-on-year loss on Wednesday, its 10th birthday, the first loss since last year’s bull market, when the original and biggest digital coin muscled its way to worldwide attention with months of frenzied buying. By 1300 GMT, bitcoin was trading at $6,263 on the BitStamp exchange, …
your ad hereUK-Canadian ‘Grand Committee’ Seeks to Question Zuckerberg
Parliamentary committees in Britain and Canada on Wednesday urged Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify before a joint hearing of international lawmakers examining fake news and the internet. Damian Collins, the head of the U.K. parliament’s media committee, is joining forces with his Canadian counterpart, Bob Zimmer, to pressure Zuckerberg …
your ad hereRussia Blames Rocket Failure on Technical Malfunction
Russia’s space agency says an investigation has found that a rocket carrying a crew to the International Space Station failed recently because of a technical malfunction of a sensor. The Soyuz-FG rocket carrying a NASA astronaut and a Roscosmos cosmonaut failed two minutes into the October 11 flight, sending their …
your ad hereKanye West Distancing Himself from Politics
Three weeks after a bizarre White House meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, rapper Kanye West said on Tuesday he was distancing himself from politics. West, Trump’s biggest celebrity supporter, also sought to distance himself from a new campaign that encourages black Americans to quit the Democratic Party. …
your ad hereFacebook Caught in an Election-security Catch-22
When it comes to dealing with hate speech and attempted election manipulation, Facebook just can’t win. If it takes a hands-off attitude, it takes the blame for undermining democracy and letting civil society unravel. If it makes the investment necessary to take the problems seriously, it spooks its growth-hungry investors. …
your ad hereMore Security for NYC Halloween Parade a Year After Attack
A jittery New York will celebrate Halloween on Wednesday with the city’s police department planning on being out in force as precaution, a year after the holiday was marred by a deadly truck attack. Thousands of uniformed and plainclothes officers will be on hand for the city’s big Halloween parade …
your ad hereBeyonce in ’90s Halloween Mood With Tony Braxton Salute
Beyonce is in a 1990’s mood as she salutes singer Toni Braxton for Halloween. Beyonce appears on Instagram in a pixie wig, leather jacket, white tank top and jeans to re-create Braxton’s 1993 album, which she labeled Phoni Braxton. In the last of the three images, Beyonce writes: “Sending love …
your ad hereHidden Secrets of America’s Ghost Towns
Clues to America’s past can be found in its ghost towns, once bustling communities that have been abandoned. The deserted communities show us how the Industrial Revolution and two World Wars shaped the history of the United States, according to Geotab, a telematics company (think global positioning and vehicle tracking), …
your ad hereS. Korean Voting Machines at Center of DRC Election Dispute
As elections approach in the central African nation the Democratic Republic of Congo, concerns have been raised over the integrity of electronic voting machines being used in the national poll that were made by South Korea’s Miryu Systems. VOA’s Steve Miller reports from Seoul on the risks. …
your ad hereBolsonaro’s Economic Guru Urges Quick Brazil Pension Reform
The future economy minister tapped by Brazilian President-elect Jair Bolsonaro insisted on Tuesday that he wanted to fast-track an unpopular pension reform to help balance government finances despite mounting resistance to getting it done this year. Paulo Guedes, whom Bolsonaro selected as a “super minister” with a portfolio combining the …
your ad hereOcean Shock: Lobster’s Great Migration Sets Up Boom and Bust
This is part of “Ocean Shock,” a Reuters series exploring climate change’s impact on sea creatures and the people who depend on them. A lobster tattoo covers Drew Eaton’s left forearm, its pincers snapping at dock lines connecting it to the American flag on his upper arm. The tattoo is …
your ad hereGoogle Spinoff to Test Truly Driverless Cars in California
The robotic car company created by Google is poised to attempt a major technological leap in California, where its vehicles will hit the roads without a human on hand to take control in emergencies. The regulatory approval announced Tuesday allows Waymo’s driverless cars to cruise through California at speeds up …
your ad herePacific Trade Pact to Start at End of 2018 After Six Members Ratify
A landmark 11-member trade deal aimed at slashing barriers in some of Asia Pacific’s fastest growing economies will come into force at the end of December, the New Zealand government said on Wednesday. The deal would move forward after Australia informed New Zealand that it had become the sixth nation …
your ad herePistol Annies Tackle Divorce, Complicated Women with Humor
The Pistol Annies’ sassy new song about reclaiming singlehood called “Got My Name Changed Back” has raised some eyebrows for its lyrics about a husband who cheats while on the road and prompted speculation about who might have inspired it. The trio of Miranda Lambert, Angaleena Presley and Ashley …
your ad hereElectronics Flexes Into the Future
Advancements in digital printing are leading to more sophisticated, flexible electronics capable of changing the way we live and the way we use technology. Reporter Deana Mitchell takes a look at the latest technological innovations at a research center in San Jose, California. …
your ad hereWashington Residents Celebrate Halloween With Healthy Run Through Cemetery
Kids – and a lot of adults – around the country are counting the hours left until they can celebrate the spookiest night of the year – Halloween. But some folks prefer not to wait – celebrations, parties and events dedicated to All Hallows’ Eve are in full swing. Maxim …
your ad hereNew Report Documents Rapid Wildlife Population Loss
A just-released report from the World Wildlife Fund details a rapid decline in the world’s biodiversity. In general, the percentage of all kinds of animals in the land, sea and air have declined rapidly since 1970. VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports. …
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