President Donald Trump will herald a robust economy and push for bipartisan congressional action on immigration in Tuesday’s State of the Union address, as he seeks to rally a deeply divided nation and boost his own sagging standing with Americans. The speech marks the ceremonial kickoff of Trump’s second year …
your ad hereCuba Tourism Slides in Wake of Hurricane Irma, Trump
Tourism to Cuba, one of the few bright spots in its ailing economy, has slid in the wake of Hurricane Irma and the Trump administration’s tighter restrictions on travel to the Caribbean island, a Cuban tourism official said on Monday. Although the number of visitors rose nearly 20 percent in …
your ad hereEU Ready to Hit Back if Trump Imposes Anti-EU Trade Measures
The European Union says that if U.S. President Donald Trump initiates unfair trade measures against the 28-nation bloc, it would stand ready “to react swiftly and appropriately.” In a weekend interview, Trump said he was annoyed with EU trade policy since he claims the U.S. cannot sufficiently export to …
your ad hereSome Optimism, But Much Work Left as Latest NAFTA Talks End
Top trade representatives from Canada, Mexico and the United States are set to give an update Monday on the process of renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement, while people familiar with the process say a final deal could be pushed far beyond a March target date. The three nations …
your ad hereIKEA Furniture Magnate Ingvar Kamprad Dies at 91
Ingvar Kamprad, who founded Sweden’s IKEA furniture brand and transformed it into a worldwide business empire, has died at the age of 91. Kamprad died Saturday of pneumonia in the southern Swedish region of Smaland where he grew up on a farm, and with some modest financial help from his …
your ad hereMumbai’s Dharavi Breaks Stereotypes of Slum for Foreign Tourists
Why has Mumbai’s largest slum, which packs some one million people in about two square kilometers, emerged as an unlikely stop for foreign tourists? The draw is not images of squalor and poverty in the heart of India’s largest city, but a place where thriving entrepreneurship and stories of hope …
your ad hereTrump Lauds US Economic Performance
U.S. President Donald Trump touted the continued growth of the U.S. economy on Sunday, saying it is “better than it has been in many decades.” “Businesses are coming back to America like never before,” Trump said in a Twitter remark, a likely theme of his State of the Union address …
your ad hereCanada Hopes NAFTA Talks Proceed to Next Round; Some Progress Made
Officials trying to settle differences over how to update the North American Free Trade Agreement have made some progress and hope politicians decide the talks should continue, Steve Verheul, Canada’s chief negotiator, told Reuters on Saturday. The United States, Canada and Mexico are due to finish the sixth of seven …
your ad hereEPA Puts Brakes on Approval Process for Gold, Copper Mine
In a surprise move, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reversed itself Friday and stopped the approval process for the proposed Pebble Mine copper and gold mine project in southwest Alaska’s Bristol Bay region. “It is my judgment at this time that any mining projects in the region likely pose a …
your ad herePacific Trade Deal Will Move Forward Without the US
President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy on trade aims to reverse decades of lopsided exchange by withdrawing from international trade deals, renegotiating others and raising tariffs on foreign-made goods destined for the U.S. But, in a connected global economy, analysts warn the U.S. could find itself increasingly isolated as other …
your ad hereAlaska Delegation Wants Some Waters Out of Drilling Plan
Alaska’s all-Republican congressional delegation three weeks ago praised Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke after he announced nearly all federal waters off the state’s coast could be offered for petroleum lease sales. But after hearing from critics who do not want drilling in their home waters, U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan …
your ad hereUS Trade Body Backs Canadian Plane Maker Bombardier Against Boeing
A U.S. trade commission on Friday handed an unexpected victory to Bombardier Inc. against Boeing Co., in a ruling that allows the Canadian company to sell its newest jets to U.S. airlines without heavy duties, sending Bombardier’s shares up 15 percent. The U.S. International Trade Commission’s unanimous decision was the latest twist in U.S.-Canadian …
your ad hereTrump Warns Rivals About Trade Practices in Davos Speech
President Donald Trump has warned that the United States will no longer tolerate unfair trade practices and will always put America first in future trade deals. Giving the closing speech at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos on Friday, Trump lauded the performance of the U.S. …
your ad hereTokyo-based Cryptocurrency Exchange Hacked, $530 Million Lost
Coincheck, a major cryptocurrency trading exchange in Tokyo, has been hacked into and has lost about $534 million worth of virtual money, national broadcaster NHK reported on Friday. Coincheck posted on its website on Friday afternoon that it had suspended withdrawals of almost all cryptocurrencies. The exchange has already reported …
your ad hereAnalysts Skeptical of China’s Boast on Industrial Performance
The Chinese government recently claimed that 98 major state-run industries have turned in the best industrial and financial performance in 2017 compared to the past five years. These companies, which have assets totaling $9 trillion, produced a remarkable profit of $218 billion, an increase of 15.2 percent in profit in …
your ad hereTrump Defends ‘America First’ Policy at Davos Forum
In a strong defense of his “America First” policies, U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday told a gathering of global business and political luminaries that the world would benefit from U.S. economic power and invited them to embrace his growth-oriented philosophy. “When the United States grows, so does the world,” …
your ad hereReport Sees Profit in Restoring Degraded Land
Around the world, an area larger than all of South America has been deforested, eroded, drained or salinized. A new report says there’s money to be made restoring that land. VOA’s Steve Baragona has more. …
your ad hereRosy US Economic Report Expected Friday
The U.S. economy likely maintained a brisk pace of growth in the fourth quarter, driven by an acceleration in consumer and business spending, which could set it on course to attain the Trump administration’s 3 percent annual growth target this year. Gross domestic product probably increased at a 3.0 percent …
your ad hereDespite Sanctions, N. Korea Reportedly Exported Coal to S. Korea, Japan via Russia
North Korea shipped coal to Russia last year which was then delivered to South Korea and Japan in a likely violation of U.N. sanctions, three Western European intelligence sources said. The U.N. Security Council banned North Korean exports of coal last Aug. 5 under sanctions intended to cut off an …
your ad hereNutella Riots Spread Across France
Grocery shopping went a little nuts in France when a supermarket chain deeply discounted jars of Nutella. Aficionados of the chocolate hazelnut spread jostled and fought each other when the Intermarché supermarkets offered the treat at a 70 percent discount. “They are like animals. A woman had her hair pulled, …
your ad hereAt Davos Forum, Trump Threatens to Cut Aid to Palestinians
U.S. President Donald Trump has questioned whether peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians will ever resume. He made the remarks in a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he accused the Palestinians of disrespecting the United States by refusing …
your ad hereUS, Mexican Unions to File NAFTA Complaint Over Labor Bill
U.S. and Mexican unions will formally complain to the U.S. Labor Department on Thursday that Mexico continues to violate NAFTA’s weak labor standards, a move that they hope will persuade U.S. negotiators to push for stronger rules. The AFL-CIO told Reuters that it and Mexico’s UNT were filing the complaint …
your ad herePuerto Rico Warns of 11 Percent GDP Drop in new Fiscal Plan
Puerto Rico’s governor submitted a revised fiscal plan overnight Thursday that estimates the U.S. Caribbean territory’s economy will shrink by 11 percent and its population drop by nearly 8 percent next year. The proposal doesn’t set aside any money to pay creditors in the next five years as the island …
your ad hereChina Pledges to Further Open Up Economy at Davos
A top economic adviser and trusted aid of Chinese leader Xi Jinping has promised that reforms are coming to China this year and adds that some could even “exceed expectations.” Speaking at a forum on the Chinese Economy at the World Economic Forum, Liu He said China would take steps …
your ad hereMnuchin ‘Not Concerned’ About Short-term Value of Dollar
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says the U.S is “not concerned” about the value of the dollar in the short-term. At a press briefing at the World Economic Forum on Thursday, Mnuchin said the short-term value of the dollar is dependent on many factors in what is a very liquid …
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