Zimbabwe’s finance minister has unveiled the country’s 2019 budget. Mthuli Ncube says the plan should help restore the economy of the southern African nation after years of recession. “Madam Speaker, ma’am, in conclusion, this budget should mark a turning point towards realizing the country’s vision 2030, as austerity will lead …
your ad hereTechnology Shapes Insurance Companies’ Response to Wildfires
As wildfires raged this month in California, insurance claims experts at Travelers sat in a command center 3,000 miles (4,828 kilometers) away in Connecticut, monitoring screens showing satellite images, photos from airplane flyovers and social media posts describing what was happening on the ground. Real-time data and technology that were …
your ad hereNissan Board Fires Jailed Chairman Ghosn
Once-admired auto executive Carlos Ghosn’s fall from grace deepened Thursday when directors of Nissan Motor Co. voted unanimously to fire the recently jailed businessman from his post as board chairman. Dismissed along with Ghosn was another director, Greg Kelly, whom the board accused of working with Ghosn to understate their …
your ad hereBalloons, Blankets at Frigid Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Bystanders are refusing to let cold temperatures put a damper on watching Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, breaking out the blankets and sleeping bags to watch the giant balloons go by. Tony Stout camped out with his extended family since 2 a.m. to make sure they got a good view of …
your ad hereLeaning Tower of Pisa Continues Long Path Towards Vertical
The Leaning Tower of Pisa isn’t leaning so much anymore. After more than two decades of efforts to straighten it, engineers say the famed Tuscan bell tower has recovered four centimeters (1.57 inches) more and is in better structural health than predicted. ANSA news agency quotes a consultant to …
your ad hereLebanon’s Economy Faces Stark Choice: Reform or Collapse
Lebanon is marking 75 years of independence with a military parade Thursday in Beirut, but many anxious Lebanese feel they have little to celebrate: the country’s corruption-plagued economy is dangerously close to collapse and political bickering over shares in a new Cabinet is threatening to scuttle pledges worth $11 billion …
your ad hereDiana Ross to Headline Frigid Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
Diana Ross might be singing “Stop! In The Name of Gloves” by the time she’s done performing at New York City’s super chilly Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which forecasters say could be the coldest ever. John Legend, Martina McBride and the Muppets from “Sesame Street” are also slated to …
your ad hereA Holiday Miracle? Stores Try to Cut Down on Long Lines
Retailers will once again offer big deals and early hours to lure shoppers into their stores for the start of the holiday season. But they’ll also try to get shoppers out of their stores faster than ever by minimizing the thing they hate most: long lines. Walmart, Target and other …
your ad hereSolar-powered Suitcases Bring Light to Darkened Classrooms
Solar-powered suitcases are bringing light to darkened classrooms and struggling students in rural Kenya. Before solar power, the alternatives were small tin kerosene lamps that are not only expensive to fill but also have caused some health problems. VOA’s Mariama Diallo reports. …
your ad hereStudy Shows Chemotherapy Not Needed to Treat Many Breast Cancers
After a diagnosis of breast cancer, many women have surgery followed by chemotherapy and radiation. But a new study shows that if it’s caught early enough, women might be able to avoid the chemotherapy. VOA’s Carol Pearson has more. …
your ad hereNissan Board to Meet for Ousting Ghosn as Future of Alliance in Focus
Nissan Motor Co will hold a board meeting on Thursday to oust Chairman Carlos Ghosn after the shock arrest of its once-revered leader, starting what could be a long period of uncertainty in its 19-year alliance with Renault. The Franco-Japanese alliance, enlarged in 2016 to include Japan’s Mitsubishi Motors, has …
your ad hereCanada Unveils Investment Tax Break
Canada will allow businesses to write off additional capital investments to make them more competitive at a time when the United States is aggressively cutting taxes, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said Wednesday. But Morneau, speaking as he unveiled a budget update that forecast a slightly smaller than predicted deficit for 2018-19, said Ottawa would …
your ad hereSuicide Rate Rising Among US Workers, CDC Study Finds
Suicide rates are rising among U.S. workers, and the risk may depend partly on the types of jobs people do, government researchers suggest. From 2000 to 2016, the U.S. suicide rate among those aged 16 to 64 rose 34 percent, from 12.9 deaths for every 100,000 people in the population to 17.3 per …
your ad hereCDC Says US Abortion Rate Fell to Decade Low in 2015
A U.S. government agency said Wednesday that abortion rates among American women of all ages fell to a decade low in 2015, which both opponents and supporters of abortion rights attributed in part to individual states’ efforts to restrict women’s access to the procedure. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that statistics …
your ad hereGerman Car Bosses Reportedly Invited to White House to Discuss Tariffs
The Trump administration has invited the heads of Volkswagen, BMW and Daimler to the White House to discuss U.S. tariffs on carmakers, the Handelsblatt newspaper reported on Wednesday. Citing industry and diplomatic sources, the paper said the meeting could possibly take place as soon as next week, depending on circumstances. …
your ad hereRadical Experimental Plane With No Moving Parts Wows Scientists
Some 115 years after the first powered flight, scientists have developed a radical new approach toward flying in the form of a small, lightweight and virtually noiseless airplane that gets airborne with no moving parts like propellers or turbine blades. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) engineers on Wednesday described successful …
your ad hereRepatriated 6th-Century Mosaic to Help Reconstitute Apse
A rare, 1,500 year-old mosaic depicting St. Mark has joined other repatriated pieces that were looted from the ethnically split Cyprus’ breakaway north, a Cypriot Orthodox Church official said Wednesday. Together the pieces will create a Swiss government-funded reproduction of an apse that adorned a 6th-century church in the island’s …
your ad hereSpaceX’s Crew Rocket Set for January Test Flight
The first flight of a SpaceX rocket tailored to fly astronauts to the International Space Station is set for liftoff from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 7, NASA said on Wednesday. The launch test is a crucial milestone in the space agency’s Commercial Crew Program, which aims to …
your ad hereTrump Thanks Saudis for Tamping Down World Oil Prices
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday thanked Saudi Arabia for tamping down world oil prices, a day after saying the U.S. would not turn its back on Riyadh despite its responsibility for killing a dissident U.S.-based Saudi journalist. From his retreat along the Atlantic Ocean in Florida, Trump praised the …
your ad hereFree Clinics Fill Huge Gaps in US Health Care System
The most important issue for many U.S. voters in this month’s midterm elections wasn’t the economy. It wasn’t immigration. And it wasn’t even Donald Trump. According to exit polls, the number one concern for voters was health care. That’s in large part because even with government subsidized programs, millions of …
your ad hereUS: China has Failed to Alter ‘Unfair, Unreasonable’ Trade Practices
The Trump administration on Tuesday said that China has failed to alter its “unfair” practices at the heart of the U.S.-China trade conflict, adding to tensions ahead of a high-stakes meeting later this month between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The findings were issued in an …
your ad hereMillions Left Behind as Diabetes Drives Surge in Insulin Demand
A global diabetes epidemic is fueling record demand for insulin but tens of millions will not get the injections they need unless there is a dramatic improvement in access and affordability, a new study concluded on Wednesday. Diabetes — which can lead to blindness, kidney failure, heart problems, neuropathic pain …
your ad hereFacebook Sued by Russian Firm Linked to Woman Charged by US Government
A Russia-based news company whose accountant was charged by federal prosecutors for attempting to meddle in U.S. elections sued Facebook Inc in a federal court Tuesday, claiming that its Facebook page was improperly removed. The Federal Agency of News LLC and its sole shareholder, Evgeniy Aubarev, filed the lawsuit against …
your ad hereA New Toy Promises To Teach Girls To Code While Playing With Dolls
Technology jobs will experience high growth between now and 2030 but only a fraction of girls are likely to pursue degrees that will help them get those jobs. A new toy called SmartGurlz hopes to help change that. Deana Mitchell joins in on the play time. …
your ad hereU.S., Canada Warn About E.coli in Romaine Lettuce
Public health officials in the United States and Canada on Tuesday warned against eating romaine lettuce while they investigate an outbreak of E. coli that has sickened 50 people in the two countries, including 13 who were hospitalized. The alerts, issued as millions of Americans plan their Thanksgiving Day menus, covered all forms of romaine, including whole …
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