The U.S. launched a new trade pact with Taiwan on Wednesday, hoping to forge closer economic ties with the island territory that China claims as its own, while blunting Beijing’s…
more ...Small US mask makers struggle as federal aid, demand shrinks
In the spring of 2020, as COVID-19 spread throughout the world in ways not fully understood, the United States faced a critical shortage of protective masks. Dozens of manufacturing startups…
more ...Nigerian Manufacturers Struggle with Wheat, Energy Shortages
Nigerian manufacturers say they are struggling with rising grain prices, especially for wheat, sparked by Russia’s war on Ukraine. But even before the war started in February, Nigeria had been…
more ...Biden, Powell Meet to Discuss Taming Inflation
With inflation in the United States at levels not seen in decades, President Joe Biden on Tuesday met with Jerome Powell, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, to discuss the…
more ...Severe Water Shortages Strain Wheat Harvest in Iraq
Salah Chelab crushed a husk of wheat plucked from his sprawling farmland south of Baghdad and inspected its seeds in the palm of one hand. They were several grams lighter…
more ...Some UK Companies to Trial 4-Day Workweek
Louis Bloomsfield inspects the kegs of beer at his brewery in north London, eagerly awaiting June, when he will get an extra day off every week. The 36-year-old brewer plans…
more ...Why Immigrant Children Excel More than US-Born Kids
More than 12 million immigrants moved through Ellis Island, a primary U.S. federal immigration station in New York, between 1892 and 1954. The assimilation of these newcomers into the great…
more ...US Economy Shrank by 1.5% in Q1 but Consumers Kept Spending
The U.S. economy shrank in the first three months of the year even though consumers and businesses kept spending at a solid pace, the government reported Thursday in a slight…
more ...Ivory Coast Chocolatier Strives to Sweeten Cocoa Processors’ Earnings
In Ivory Coast, an artisanal chocolatier blends good flavor and good intentions in his work. Axel-Emmanuel Gbaou trains women to get good taste and good profits from the cocoa beans…
more ...Pandemic Creates New Billionaires as Global Inequality Rises
The world’s billionaires have increased their wealth by trillions of dollars since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic – while the poorest countries are struggling with soaring commodity prices and…
more ...Egyptian Wheat Farmers Cope with Compounding Disruptions
This year’s wheat harvest season in Egypt—the world’s biggest importer of the staple crop—comes at a time when the U.N. says the Ukraine war has sent international food prices soaring…
more ...US Stocks Gain Ground Following 7 Straight Weeks of Losses
Stocks rallied in afternoon trading on Wall Street Monday, following seven weeks of declines that nearly ended the bull market that began in March 2020. The S&P 500 rose 1.8%…
more ...Who is Buying Russia’s Oil?
So far, Russia’s oil exports have not slowed down a bit from the war in Ukraine and international sanctions. In fact, Russia exported more oil in April than it did…
more ...Biden Highlights Hyundai Announcement of $10B US Investment
President Joe Biden tended to both business and security interests Sunday as he wraps up a three-day visit to South Korea, showcasing Hyundai’s pledge to invest at least $10 billion…
more ...Grain Prices Soar as Ukraine War Drags On
As U.S. farmers head to the fields to plant this year’s crops, prices for grains like corn and soybeans are near record highs. As VOA’s Kane Farabaugh reports, those high…
more ...Stocks End Lower but Not Quite in Bear Market
Another volatile day on Wall Street ended with more losses for stocks Thursday, drawing the S&P 500 closer to its first bear market since the beginning of the pandemic. A…
more ...New Zealand Hands Out Extra Cash to Fight ‘Inflation Storm’
New Zealand’s government said Thursday it will hand out an extra few hundred dollars to more than 2 million lower-income adults to help them navigate what it describes as “the…
more ...US Stocks Fall Sharply on Renewed Inflation Fears
Stocks closed sharply lower Wednesday on Wall Street as dismal results from Target renewed fears that inflation is battering U.S. companies. The S&P 500, the benchmark for many index funds,…
more ...US Calls for More Economic Support for Ukraine
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is calling on allies to boost their economic support for Ukraine, saying the support pledged so far will not be enough to meet the country’s…
more ...Americans Return to the Office With Willingness and Trepidation
As cases of coronavirus continue to decline in the United States, many businesses have told their employees it’s time to return to the office. Some people are already doing the…
more ...EU Cuts Eurozone Growth Forecast As Ukraine War Bites
The European Commission on Monday sharply cut its eurozone growth forecast for 2022 to 2.7 percent, blaming skyrocketing energy prices caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The war also spurred…
more ...US, EU to boost coordination on semiconductor supply, Russia
The United States and the European Union plan to announce on Monday a joint effort aimed at identifying semiconductor supply disruptions as well as countering Russian disinformation, officials said. The…
more ...African Union Chief Wants Pan-African Credit Ratings Agency
Senegal President Macky Sall called Sunday for the creation of a pan-African credit ratings agency, saying that the “very arbitrary” nature of the system of assessment by international organizations made…
more ...Egypt to Privatize Key State Companies as Inflation Surges
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli announced Sunday a string of planned privatizations of state-owned companies, as Cairo grapples with an economic crisis and inflation at almost 15%. Following years of…
more ...Pricey Tortillas: Latin America’s Poor Struggle to Afford Staples
No item is more essential to Mexican dinner tables than the corn tortilla. But the burst of inflation that is engulfing Latin America and the rest of the world means…
more ...India Bans Wheat Exports, Irks G7
India banned wheat exports without government approval Saturday after its hottest March on record hit production, in a blow to countries reeling from supply shortages and soaring prices since Russia’s…
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