Caribbean tourism officials say the region received a record number of visitors last year as arrivals topped 29 million. But they say they expect a slight drop this year because of the uncertainty surrounding actions that U.S. President Donald Trump might take. The majority of last year’s visitors came from …

The expected demise of transparency regulations for minerals and oil companies listed in the United States will not cloud the global drive for financial clarity in extractive industries, company executives told Reuters at an Africa mining conference. Efforts to shine a light on payments such companies make to foreign governments …

Construction of the Dakota Access pipeline under a North Dakota reservoir has begun and the full pipeline should be operational within three months, the developer of the long-delayed project said Thursday, even as an American Indian tribe filed a legal challenge to block the work and protect its water supply. …

President Donald Trump told airline and airport executives Thursday that he supports privatizing America’s air traffic control system, according to a top airline industry lobbyist who was in the meeting.   Nick Calio, president and CEO of Airlines for America, the trade association that represents the major airlines, said after …

The White House is rushing to the defense of Ivanka Trump’s company _ the latest sign the president can’t seem to separate the presidency from his family’s businesses. President Donald Trump added to a string of presidential firsts on Wednesday, and drew fire from ethics lawyers, with a Twitter attack …

The Chinese government says it intends to create 50 million new urban jobs by 2020 and cap unemployment at five percent. But analysts say that while 10 million jobs a year shouldn’t be difficult, creating good jobs with satisfying income growth in a slowing economy will be challenging. And keeping …

The company building the Dakota Access oil pipeline said it plans to resume work immediately to finish the long-stalled project.    The Army on Wednesday granted the developer of the four-state oil pipeline formal permission to lay pipe under a Missouri River reservoir in North Dakota, clearing the way for …

Some of America’s most popular cars and trucks are made in Mexico – for now.   Many Americans have benefited from Mexico’s emergence as a production hub. Low-cost production helps keep sticker prices lower on vehicles such as the Ford Fusion and Nissan Sentra.   But Mexico’s growing share of …

When McDonald’s opened its first Russian restaurant in 1990 in Moscow, it was not unusual to see wedding receptions held there, so strong was the appeal of the quintessential American brand at the end of the Cold War. In recent years, with U.S.-Russia ties increasingly frosty, the fast-food chain has …

U.S. governors Wednesday sent the Trump administration a list of 428 “shovel-ready” projects they regard as high priorities for President Donald Trump’s plan to fix the nation’s infrastructure. The list of projects covers 49 U.S. states and territories, the bipartisan National Governor’s Association said in an email. The NGA will …

A group of conservative thinkers led by leaders from the Reagan and Bush administrations have proposed what they are calling a “Conservative Answer to Climate Change.” The group, including two former U.S. secretaries of state – James Baker and George Shultz – held a press conference Wednesday in Washington to …

Madam C.J. Walker embodies the quintessential American success story, as someone who fought seemingly insurmountable odds to become one of the 20th century’s most successful self-made woman entrepreneurs. The daughter of former slaves, Walker built a cosmetics empire selling hair care and beauty products for African-American women. By the time …

Colombia’s chief prosecutor said Wednesday that suspicions of illegal campaign contributions to President Juan Manuel Santos are based on testimony of a rancher connected to the leader’s opponents.   The allegations have drawn the winner of last year’s Nobel Peace Prize into a widening corruption scandal rocking politicians across Latin …

She tugged 13 envelopes from a cabinet above the stove, each one labeled with a different debt: the house payment, the student loans, the vacuum cleaner she bought on credit. Lydia Holt and her husband tuck money into these envelopes with each paycheck to whittle away at what they owe. …

Multilateral banks based in China have defied critics over the past year with strong performances that include financing projects across a dozen countries.  The new banks, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and New Development Bank (NDB), have given added political legitimacy to China, and helped to push forward Beijing’s geopolitical interests …

Efforts to pay employees staying home to care for family in the United States got a boost on Tuesday with a legislative proposal that would benefit workers, especially women tending to children and aging parents. The United States stands alone among developed nations with its lack of paid family leave, …

A manufacturing company says skills and technology it developed making lobster traps could help save money on U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial plan to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.   Riverdale Mills’ super-tough steel fence already guards 43 kilometers of the border, and the company says its technology …

A group of Republican senior statesmen are pushing for a carbon tax to combat the effects of climate change and hoping to sell their plan to the White House. Former Secretary of State Jim Baker is leading the effort, which also includes former Secretary of State George Shultz. In an …

Gray, smoky skies are a familiar sight in Beijing, and authorities promising to spend billions of dollars to fix the ongoing air quality issues. But with no quick fix for the capital’s air, its residents are finding ways to cope and adapt to it, and some have turned dealing with …

A manufacturing company says the skills and technology it developed making lobster traps could help save money on President Donald Trump’s controversial plan to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border. Riverdale Mills’ super-tough steel fence already guards 43 kilometers of the border, and the plant’s owner says its technology …

The Army told Congress on Tuesday that it will allow the $3.8 billion Dakota Access oil pipeline to cross under a Missouri River reservoir in North Dakota, completing the disputed four-state project. The Army intends to allow the Lake Oahe crossing as early as Wednesday, according to court documents the …

China’s willingness to implement existing sanctions is vital to financial pressure on the development of nuclear arms by North Korea, a former senior U.S. official said Tuesday. Since early 2015, Washington has been applying incremental pressure on Pyongyang as it appears to be making strides in its nuclear and missile …

The Ukrainian central bank is stepping up efforts to edge Russian state-owned commercial banks out of the local market, though that process should be gradual to avoid disruptions, one of its deputy chiefs said Tuesday. Five Russian state-owned banks operate in Ukraine, including three in the top 20, and they …

Home-sharing website Airbnb has partnered with global aid agency International Rescue Committee (IRC) to provide short-term accommodation for refugees, joining a number of companies that has voiced their support for people fleeing conflicts. The company said it plans to house 100,000 people in temporary homes over the next five years, …

The U.S. trade deficit improved slightly in December, but the deficit for the whole year was still the worst since 2012. The gap between what the U.S. buys from overseas and what Americans sell to foreign markets was just over $44 billion for December. That was a little better than …