U.S. shoppers spent a record $9.12 billion online on Black Friday, a report showed Saturday, as consumers weathered the squeeze from high inflation and grabbed steep discounts on everything from…
more ...World Economic Outlook for 2023 Increasingly Gloomy
The outlook for the global economy headed into 2023 has soured, according to a number of recent analyses, as the ongoing war in Ukraine continues to strain trade, particularly in…
more ...Inflation Clouds ‘Black Friday’ Shopping Bonanza
Retailers braced for their biggest test of the year: Will U.S. consumers open their wallets wide for the Black Friday sales that kick off the holiday shopping season? Consumer confidence…
more ...Wildlife Summit to Vote on Shark Protections
Delegates at a global summit on trade in endangered species were scheduled to decide Thursday whether to approve a proposal to protect sharks, a move that could drastically reduce the…
more ...Inflation Worries Turn US Holiday Shopping Into Bargain Hunt
In the U.S., the 2022 holiday shopping season officially begins on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving Day. VOA’s Chris Casquejo looks at spending expectations for inflation-battered shoppers. …
more ...Electric Cars Steal the LA Car Show
One of the world’s largest auto shows is underway in Los Angeles. The headline this year is high tech and electric vehicles. Veronica Villafañe has a sneak preview and more…
more ...US Supply Chain Under Threat as Unions, Railroads Clash
Railroad engineers accepted their deal with the railroads that will deliver 24% raises but conductors rejected theirs, threatening the health of the economy just before the holidays and casting more…
more ...Younger Workers Spurn Factory Jobs that Power China’s Economy
Growing up in a Chinese village, Julian Zhu saw his father only a few times a year when he returned for holidays from his exhausting job in a textile mill…
more ...Food Prices Put Bite on US Thanksgiving Feast
Let the sticker shock begin: The upcoming U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, a time when families and friends typically celebrate with groaning sideboards, a stuffed turkey, and a more-is-better-than-less attitude, is going…
more ...Holmes Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Theranos Scam
Disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes was sentenced Friday to more than 11 years in prison for duping investors in the failed startup that promised to revolutionize blood testing but instead…
more ...US Vice President Convenes Emergency Session on Missiles at APEC Summit
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris convened an emergency meeting of key regional powers Friday on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Bangkok to discuss North Korea’s…
more ...African Cotton Exporter Benin Looks to Local Manufacturing to Reduce Emissions
Africa’s biggest cotton exporter, Benin, has built an industrial park to move the country away from raw exports to finished products. Environmental activists say local manufacturing will also cut down…
more ...Nigerians Rush to Buy Dollars Ahead of Deadline for Old Local Bills
Nigeria’s plan to replace its naira currency with new designs to reduce excess cash and to fight counterfeiting, inflation and crime has led to a rush on U.S. dollars. Analysts…
more ...World Population Hits 8 Billion, Creating Many Challenges
The world’s population is projected to hit an estimated 8 billion people on Tuesday, according to a United Nations projection, with much of the growth coming from developing nations in…
more ...US Says Airlines to Refund $600+ Million to Flyers
Frontier Airlines and four foreign carriers have agreed to refund more than $600 million combined to travelers whose trips were canceled or significantly delayed since the start of the pandemic,…
more ...Appeals Court Ruling Keeps Biden Student Debt Plan on Hold
President Joe Biden’s plan to forgive student loan debt for millions of borrowers was handed another legal loss Monday when a federal appeals court panel agreed to a preliminary injunction…
more ...Germany’s Scholz Visits Vietnam as Manufacturers Eye Shift From China
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz discussed energy and trade ties with Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh during a visit to Hanoi on Sunday, the first for a German leader in…
more ...UK Warns of Budget Pain to Come This Week
Britain’s government on Sunday warned of impending tax hikes, especially for the wealthy, as it bids to repair economic havoc wrought by the short-lived tenure of former prime minister Liz…
more ...Thailand Open for Business as Tourism Sector Continues Rebound
Thailand’s tourist economy appears to be on the rebound as millions of international arrivals flock to the Southeast Asian country following COVID-19 border restrictions and closures. The government says it…
more ...Wall Street Surges in Inflation News; Best Day Since April 2020
Wall Street surged to its best day since April 2020 as markets cheered a government report that inflation cooled more than expected last month. The S&P 500 jumped 5.5% Thursday,…
more ...US Says Consumer Price Inflation Eased in October
Consumer price increases are beginning to ease in the U.S., not rapidly, but at a slower pace than the four-decade-high inflation boost in June. The government’s Labor Department said Thursday…
more ...Eyeing Global Food Crisis, Beijing Revives Elements of Planned Economy
China may be reviving key elements of its 20th-century planned economy to ensure domestic stability as a way to reduce dependence on the West for consumer commodities, particularly foodstuffs affected…
more ...Traders Say Equatorial Guinea Border Closure Ahead of Elections Hurts Business
Traders in the Cameroon town of Kiossi, on the border with Equatorial Guinea, say business is suffering after the land border was closed last week ahead of November 20 elections.…
more ...War Fallout, Aid Demands Overshadow Climate Talks in Egypt
When world leaders, diplomats, campaigners and scientists descend on Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt for talks on tackling climate change, don’t expect them to part the Red Sea or other miracles…
more ...In Meat-Loving South Africa, Climate Concerns Whet Appetite for Veggie Burgers
In South Africa, a country where ‘braai’ all-day barbecuing is a national pastime, plant-based substitutes are making surprising inroads despite a deep cultural love of meat and hostility from the…
more ...Hong Kong Hopes Summit of Business Leaders Signals Comeback as Financial Hub
International and regional business leaders from more than 100 financial institutions ended a three-day summit in Hong Kong Thursday that was widely seen as a signal that the territory is…
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