The United States is an economic powerhouse. As the largest economy in the world, the U.S. produced $20.5 trillion worth of goods and services — known as its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) — in 2018. That’s impressive when you consider that the total GDP for the entire world was about …
your ad hereUS Government Posts $234 Billion Deficit in February
The U.S. federal government posted a $234 billion budget deficit in February, according to data released Friday by the Treasury Department. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected a $227 billion deficit for the month. The Treasury said federal spending in February was $401 billion, up 8 percent from the same …
your ad hereUS Official: China’s Race to 5G Raises Global Security Concerns
Michael R. Wessel is a commissioner of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a U.S. government organization that investigates the national security implications of trade and economic relationship between the U.S. and China. He recently discussed with VOA his concerns about China’s race to 5G, the next generation of …
your ad hereGM Announces Jobs, Electric Vehicle After Trump Criticism
Less than a week after a series of critical tweets from the president over an Ohio plant closure, General Motors is announcing plans to add 400 jobs and build a new electric vehicle at a factory north of Detroit. The company says it will spend $300 million at its plant …
your ad hereSouth Africa’s Liberal Abortion Laws Hampered by Widespread Stigma
Twenty-six-year-old Precious, as she has asked us to call her to protect her identity, is 16 weeks pregnant. And so is her best friend, also by Precious’ boyfriend. That event turned her life upside down and brought her to the difficult decision to seek an abortion. She lives in South Africa, …
your ad hereTribes Call for Ban on Drilling Near Sacred New Mexico site
Native American leaders are banding together to pressure U.S. officials to ban oil and gas exploration around a sacred tribal site that features massive stone structures and other remnants of an ancient civilization but are facing the Trump administration’s pro-drilling stance. Creating a formal buffer around Chaco Culture National Historical …
your ad hereUNESCO Campaign Tackles Racism
The Paris-based U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on Thursday launched a campaign to fight prejudice. The move coincided with International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Begun with the French city of Bordeaux, the UNESCO billboard campaign features a variety of faces — old and young, men and women, …
your ad hereUS House to Vote in April to Reinstate Net Neutrality Rules
The Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives will vote in April on a bill to reinstate landmark net neutrality rules repealed by the Federal Communications Commission under President Donald Trump. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland said in a letter to colleagues on Thursday, seen by Reuters, that lawmakers would vote on the “Save the Internet …
your ad hereFormer UN Ambassador Nikki Haley Walks into Twitter Feud with Finland
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley found herself in a Twitter feud with the people of Finland on Thursday, after she commented unfavorably on their health care system. Haley, a savvy politician who as President Donald Trump’s United Nations ambassador from 2017 until December 2018, regularly topped opinion polls as the …
your ad hereMalaysian Leader in Pakistan to Sign $900M in Investment Deals
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad arrived Thursday in Pakistan on an official three-day visit, where his high-powered delegation is expected to finalize investment deals worth nearly $900 million, officials said. The Malaysian leader will also be the chief guest at the Pakistan Day military parade Saturday, the Foreign Ministry announced. …
your ad hereFacebook Left Millions of Passwords Readable by Employees
Facebook left millions of user passwords readable by its employees for years, the company said Thursday, an acknowledgement it offered after a security researcher posted about the issue online. By storing passwords in readable plain text, Facebook violated fundamental computer-security practices. Those call for organizations and websites to save passwords …
your ad hereUS Labor Market Solid; Manufacturing Sector Slowing
The number of Americans filing applications for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, pointing to still strong labor market conditions, though the pace of job growth has slowed after last year’s robust gains. Other data on Thursday showed a measure of factory activity in the mid-Atlantic region rebounding …
your ad hereGermany: Michael Jackson Exhibit Opens Amid Revived Abuse Allegations
An exhibition of art about Michael Jackson is opening in Germany amid fresh controversy over the singer’s alleged abuse of children. Curator Nicholas Cullinan said Thursday the show at Bonn’s Bundeskunsthalle was conceived long before the recent broadcast of HBO documentary “Leaving Neverland,” which details Jackson’s alleged molestation of two …
your ad hereEU Parliament Urged to Strip ExxonMobil Lobbyists of Access Badges
The European Parliament faced calls Thursday to strip ExxonMobil lobbyists of their access badges after the US oil giant missed the assembly’s first hearing into claims it knowingly misled the public on climate change. Greens deputy Molly Scott Cato told the hearing in Brussels she would formally make the request …
your ad hereDubai Finds Itself Entangled in Case Against R. Kelly
Dubai found itself entangled in the sex abuse case against American R&B singer R. Kelly on Thursday after the performer asked a U.S. judge to allow him to come to the Arabian Peninsula sheikhdom to perform shows and “meet with the royal family.” Officials in Dubai and the wider United …
your ad hereUS Negotiators to Visit China Next Week for New Round of Trade Talks
China says a high-ranking U.S. delegation will travel to Beijing next week to resume negotiations aimed at resolving the ongoing trade war between the world’s two leading economies. Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng announced Thursday that U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will visit the Chinese …
your ad hereWorld Water Day 2019: Leaving No One Behind
March 22 is the annual observance of World Water Day. This year’s theme is “No One Left Behind.” But according to a report from UNICEF and the World Health Organization, nearly a billion people today live without access to clean drinking water. Arash Arabasadi reports. …
your ad hereUS Meteorologists Retire Hurricane Names Florence, Michael
Hurricanes Florence and Michael, which caused widespread death and destruction in the United States last year, have earned the dubious distinction of having their names retired. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Wednesday that the two names will be replaced with Francine and Milton, starting with the 2024 hurricane …
your ad hereHarvard Sued for Profiting From Images of Enslaved Ancestors
An American woman has filed a lawsuit against Harvard University, accusing the prestigious institution of “shamelessly” profiting from photos of her ancestors who were slaves in the 19th century. Tamara Lanier of Norwich, Connecticut, is suing the Ivy League school for “wrongful seizure, possession and expropriation” of images of her …
your ad hereFederal Reserve Foresees No Interest Rate Hikes in 2019
The Federal Reserve left its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday and projected no rate hikes in 2019, dramatically underscoring its plan to be “patient” about any further increases. The Fed said it was keeping its benchmark rate — which can influence everything from mortgages to credit cards to home equity …
your ad hereLabrador Retriever Most Pup-ular US Dog Breed for 28th Year
Labrador retrievers aren’t letting go of their hold on U.S. dog lovers, but German shorthaired pointers are tugging on the top ranks of doggy popularity, according to new American Kennel Club data. Labs topped the list for the 28th year in a row. Yet there’s been plenty of movement over …
your ad hereEven With Trade Deal, US Tariffs on China Could Remain
U.S. tariffs on China are likely to remain in place for a while, even if a trade deal is reached, President Donald Trump told reporters Wednesday. “The deal is coming along nicely,” the president said about the trade talks with Beijing, noting U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven …
your ad hereWHO: New Oral Treatment More Effective in Combating Multidrug-Resistant TB
Tuberculosis has plagued humans for thousands of years and continues to do so. In advance of this year’s World TB Day, March 24, the World Health Organization is issuing a call to action to eradicate the disease by 2030. As part of these efforts, the WHO is launching an …
your ad hereBMW Warns Profits Will Fall Due to Costs, Trade Uncertainty
German automaker BMW said Wednesday that profits in 2019 would be “well below” last year’s and that it planned to cut 12 billion euros ($13.6 billion) in costs by the end of 2022 to offset spending on new technology. The company said profits would be eroded by higher raw materials …
your ad hereEU Fines Google $1.7 Billion for Abusing Online Ads Market
European Union regulators have hit Google with a 1.49 billion euro ($1.68 billion) fine for abusing its dominant role in online advertising. It’s the third time the commission has slapped Google with an antitrust penalty, following multibillion-dollar fines resulting from separate probes into two other parts of the Silicon Valley …
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