The United States is preparing to impose “very significant” Venezuela-related sanctions against financial institutions in the coming days, U.S. special envoy Elliott Abrams said on Tuesday. Abrams did not elaborate on the fresh measures but his warning came a day after the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on Russian bank Evrofinance …
your ad hereSelf-driving Test Vehicle Added to Auto History Museum
One of General Motors’ first self-driving test vehicles is going on display at an automotive history museum in suburban Detroit. The Henry Ford history attraction announced Tuesday that it has acquired a modified pre-production Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle. The GM-donated vehicle originally made its debut testing on the streets of …
your ad hereAt Age 30, World Wide Web Is ‘Not the Web We Wanted’
At the ripe old age of 30 and with half the globe using it, the World Wide Web is facing growing pains with issues like hate speech, privacy concerns and state-sponsored hacking, its creator says, trumpeting a call to make it better for humanity. Tim Berners-Lee on Tuesday joined a …
your ad hereUS Warns of WTO Action Over ‘Discriminatory’ New Digital Taxes
The U.S. is weighing a complaint at the World Trade Organization against “discriminatory” new taxes on digital giants such as a Facebook and Google which are being planned by France and other EU nations, a top US trade official said Tuesday. “We think the whole theoretical basis of digital service …
your ad hereUS Warns Germany a Huawei Deal Could Hurt Intelligence Sharing
The United States on Monday warned Germany about future “information sharing” if it uses “untrusted vendors” in its 5G telecom infrastructure amid debate over whether Chinese IT giant Huawei is an espionage risk. The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. Ambassador Richard Grenell sent a letter to German Economy Minister …
your ad hereKenya’s Lone Ice Hockey Team
The first and only ice hockey team in Kenya continues to defy the odds by playing and practicing the sport in one of the few ice rinks found across Eastern and Central Africa. This pioneer team is now inspiring a new generation of ice hockey players who hope to expand …
your ad hereAs Sanctions on N. Korea Remain, Kim’s Economic Development Goals May Recede
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may not be able to achieve his economic development goals given the divergent ideas over denuclearization exhibited by Washington and Pyongyang after the Hanoi summit, said experts. After the Hanoi summit broke down last month over discussions of Washington’s demand on denuclearization and Pyongyang’s …
your ad hereTick Tock, Tick Tock: Tokyo Olympics Clock Hits 500-day Mark
Tick tock, tick tock. The Tokyo Olympic clock has hit 500 days to go. Organizers marked the milestone on Tuesday, unveiling the stylized pictogram figures for next year’s Tokyo Olympics. The pictogram system was first used extensively in 1964 when the Japanese capital lasted hosted the Olympics _ just …
your ad hereUN: Methamphetamine Output Booming in Southeast Asia
Production of methamphetamine is skyrocketing in Southeast Asia, with prices dropping and usage expanding, the U.N.’s anti-drug agency said Monday. Even as seizures of the drug known as speed, ice and “ya ba” in its various forms reached a record high last year, street prices have dropped, indicating increased …
your ad hereApple: ‘It’s Show Time’ March 25, TV Service Announcement Expected
Apple on Monday invited media to a March 25 event at the Steve Jobs Theater on its campus in Cupertino, California, where it is expected to launch a television and video service. Sources previously told Reuters that the company is targeting April for the launch of a streaming television service …
your ad hereUN Probing North Korea Sanctions Violations in 20 Countries
U.N. experts say they are investigating possible violations of United Nations sanctions on North Korea in about 20 countries, from alleged clandestine nuclear procurement in China to arms brokering in Syria and military cooperation with Iran, Libya and Sudan. The expert panel’s 66-page report to the Security Council, obtained Monday …
your ad hereStudy: US Minorities Consume Less But Suffer More From Pollution
U.S. air pollution is disproportionately caused by white consumers, while African-Americans and Hispanics are burdened most by the emissions, a peer-reviewed study showed on Monday. On average, African-Americans are exposed to about 56 percent more fine particulate matter pollution than is caused by their consumption of goods and services, said …
your ad hereGovernments Seek UN Scrutiny of Technologies to Cool the Climate
As climate change accelerates, the United Nations Environment Assembly will this week consider whether to start assessing, and setting rules on, technologies that could pull carbon out of the atmosphere or block some of the sun’s warmth to cool the Earth. Delegates at the week-long meeting in Nairobi will debate …
your ad herePopular Boeing Jet Under Scrutiny After Crash
The United States told international carriers on Monday that the Boeing 737 Max 8 is airworthy as regulators scrutinize two fatal crashes of the new model of aircraft since October, but said it will mandate forthcoming “design changes” from Boeing by April. An Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max 8 bound for …
your ad hereAmazon Domain Battle Rages as Internet Overseer Postpones Decision
Brazil on Monday thanked the global body that oversees internet addresses for extending until April a deadline for Amazon basin nations to reach a deal with Amazon.com in their seven-year battle over the .amazon domain name. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) meeting this week in Kobe, …
your ad hereKenya’s Only Ice Hockey Team Inspires New Generation of Players
The first and only ice hockey team in Kenya continues to defy the odds by playing and practicing the sport in the only solar ice rink in Eastern and Central Africa. This pioneer team is now inspiring a new generation of ice hockey players who hope to expand the sport …
your ad hereAlexa, Are You Male or Female? ‘Sexist’ Virtual Assistants Go Gender-Neutral
Barking orders at a digital device that responds in a woman’s voice can reinforce sexist stereotypes, according to academics and creatives who launched the first gender-neutral artificial intelligence voice Monday. Responding to such concerns, a Denmark-based team has created a voice nicknamed Q that was presented at the South by …
your ad hereIn Rural Nepal, Solar Irrigation Helps Keep Families Together
Bhadri Sarki used to walk for more than an hour to fetch enough water to irrigate just one apple tree. But since a solar-powered water pump was installed in her village, about 350 km (217 miles) northwest of Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, she can hydrate her whole orchard in a few …
your ad hereFree Books Inspire Love of Reading in DC’s Youngest Residents
When Washington resident Joshua Clark snuggles with his son in a comfy armchair and reads to him, it brings back uncomfortable memories. Reading for fun “I remember my mom almost forcing me to read books [for] those summer reports right before you got back to school, and it was tough,” …
your ad hereUS Olympic Cyclist Catlin Dies at 23
Kelly Catlin, an Olympic track cyclist who helped the U.S. women’s pursuit team win a silver medal at the 2016 summer games in Rio de Janeiro, has died at the age of 23. USA Cycling announced her death in a statement Sunday, saying the community has “suffered a devastating loss.” …
your ad hereWhite House: Trump Wants $8.6 Billion for Border Wall in 2020 Budget
President Donald Trump plans to seek another $8.6 billion for a border wall in his new budget to be released Monday, White House officials say. This new request would be on top of the nearly $7 billion Trump has ordered to be used to build a wall under his state …
your ad hereDecline in Readers, Ads Leads Hundreds of Newspapers to Fold
Five minutes late, Darrell Todd Maurina sweeps into a meeting room and plugs in his laptop computer. He places a Wi-Fi hotspot on the table and turns on a digital recorder. The earplug in his left ear is attached to a police scanner in his pants pocket. He wears a …
your ad hereOcean Mission Looking for Fossils and Clues to Oceans Health
The Seychelles Islands are located in the Indian ocean hundreds of miles off the coasts of Somalia and Kenya. It’s a great place to do scientific research because the isolated set of islands is relatively pristine. That’s why researchers are studying corals in the region, monitoring plastics, and looking for …
your ad hereOrganization in Iraq’s Kurdish Region Helps College Graduates Start Businesses
One of the biggest concerns for university graduates in Iraq is finding a job. Young graduates often seek the government’s help to find employment, but in the city of Sulaymaniyah in Iraq’s Kurdish region there’s another alternative. An organization called 5-1 Labs helps train and fund young graduates who want …
your ad hereBoeing Likely to Face New Questions After Another 737 Crash
Investigators rushed to the scene of a devastating plane crash in Ethiopia on Sunday, an accident that could renew safety questions about the newest version of Boeing’s popular 737 airliner. The Boeing 737 Max 8 operated by Ethiopian Airlines crashed shortly after taking off from the capital of Addis Ababa, …
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