Workers at several Indonesian palm oil plantations that supply Pepsi and Nestle suffer from a variety of labor abuses, including lower-than-minimum wages, child labor, exposure to pesticides, and union busting,…
more ...Luxury Car Makers Shift Gears from Sporty Sedans to SUVs
Luxury brands are switching gears at this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show. Manufacturers once known for iconic sports cars are facing an identity crisis — trying to compete with Tesla’s…
more ...Venezuela to Launch Cryptocurrency to Fight US Sanctions
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says his government will launch a cryptocurrency, or digital currency, to circumvent what he called a financial “blockade” by the U.S. government. The new currency will…
more ...Venezuela Maduro Gains Control Over Oil Contracts Amid Purge
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday gained more powers over the OPEC member’s oil contracts, as a deepening purge looks set to strengthen the leftist leader’s control of the key…
more ...Facebook Opens New London Office, to Create 800 UK Jobs
Facebook opens its new London office on Monday and said it would add 800 more jobs in the capital next year, underlining its commitment to Britain as the country prepares…
more ...Nevada Gambling Leaders Grapple with Pot’s Future in Casinos
A committee exploring the effects of recreational marijuana on Nevada’s gambling industry is wrestling with how the state’s casinos might deal with the pot business while not running afoul of…
more ...Rising Number of Young Americans Are Leaving Jobs to Farm
Liz Whitehurst dabbled in several careers before she ended up on a Maryland farm, crating fistfuls of fresh-cut arugula in the November chill. The hours were better at her nonprofit…
more ...China’s Ceramics Capital Struggles to Adapt Amid War on Smog
The city of Zibo, China’s ceramics capital, is undergoing environmental shock therapy to clear its filthy skies and transform its economy — and not everyone is happy. Much of Zibo’s…
more ...Geologists Say Fracking Won’t Solve England’s Energy Problems
Fracking, at least in the U.S., has changed the country’s energy outlook. It has cut the cost of fossil fuels and turned the U.S. into a net exporter of fuel.…
more ...Toyota Unveils a New Robot That Mimics its Operator’s Movements
Toyota Motor Corporation recently unveiled a high-tech personal assistant at the International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo. It mimics the moves of the user, which Toyota says may turn this machine…
more ...Greece, Creditors Agree on New Package of Reforms
Greece’s finance minister said Saturday that an agreement had been reached between the heavily indebted country and its creditors on its progress in implementing reforms. The agreement on the so-called…
more ...UK Warns Government Agencies not to use Kaspersky Software
Britain’s cybersecurity agency has told government departments not to use antivirus software from Moscow-based firm Kaspersky Lab amid concerns about Russian snooping. Ciaran Martin, head of the National Cyber Security…
more ...World’s Largest Lithium Ion Battery Switched on in South Australia
The world’s largest lithium ion battery has begun providing electricity into the power grid in South Australia. The project is a collaboration between the state government, American firm Tesla, and…
more ...Risk of Volcanic Ash Cancels Some Bali Flights
Airlines canceled more flights leaving the Indonesian island of Bali on Saturday, citing forecasts of deteriorating flying conditions because of a risk of volcanic ash from the erupting Mount Agung…
more ...Unwrapping Mummy Mysteries Goes High-Tech
More than a century after being unearthed in Egypt, a nearly 2000-year-old mummy is giving scientists, museum curators and medical researchers a unique look at the ancient world. Faith Lapidus…
more ...US Officials Drop Mining Cleanup Rule After Industry Objects
President Donald Trump’s administration announced Friday that it won’t require mining companies to prove they have the financial wherewithal to clean up their pollution, despite an industry legacy of abandoned…
more ...After Flurry of Deals, Senate GOP Passes Tax Bill
Republicans pushed a nearly $1.5 trillion tax bill through the Senate early Saturday after burst of eleventh-hour horse trading, as a party starved all year for a major legislative triumph…
more ...Venezuela Arrests Relative of Powerful ex-Oil Boss Ramirez in Graft Probe
Venezuela has arrested Diego Salazar, a relative of former oil czar Rafael Ramirez, as part of an investigation into a money laundering scandal in Andorra, the South American country’s state…
more ...Peru Prosecutors Ask to Jail Executives Linked to Odebrecht
A Peruvian prosecutor asked a judge to jail executives of three local construction companies that had previously partnered with Brazilian builder Odebrecht, which has admitted to paying bribes in the…
more ...US Envoy: Economic Support for Cambodia to Continue
Despite criticism from Washington over Cambodia’s crackdown on the opposition and accusations that the U.S. helped plot Prime Minister Hun Sen’s downfall, U.S. Ambassador William Heidt has said that America’s…
more ...Egyptian Billionaire Denounces Saudi Corruption Crackdown
Egyptian billionaire businessman Naguib Sawiris condemned on Friday a crackdown on graft in Saudi Arabia, saying the purge had undermined the rule of law in the Kingdom and would deter…
more ...US Formally Opposes China Market Economy Status at WTO
The United States has formally told the World Trade Organization (WTO) that it opposes granting China market economy status, a position that if upheld would allow Washington to maintain high…
more ...Los Angeles Set to Embark on a Smart City Experiment
From cellphones and cars, to televisions and refrigerators, more devices are being connected to the Internet. This network of connected devices is called the “Internet of Things” (IoT). Los Angeles,…
more ...Virtual Reality Allows Patients to Preview Their Own Surgery
Most of us would be shocked and afraid if a doctor told us we needed brain surgery. But imagine how much calmer you’d be if you could get inside your…
more ...Los Angeles About to Embark on a Smart City Experiment
As the U.S. Supreme Court considers a case about privacy and technology, Los Angeles, California, is becoming a city that is ever more connected. From cell phones to televisions to…
more ...Tesla Plugs Biggest Battery into Australian Outback
The world’s biggest lithium-ion battery has plugged into an Australian state grid, delivering on a promise by Tesla Inc. chief executive Elon Musk. Musk said he would build the 100-megawatt…
more ...
