Category: Бізнес
Protests Erupt Again in Tunisia, Cradle of 2011 Arab Spring
13/01/2018
Protesters took to the streets in towns and cities across Tunisia for a fourth day Friday, as anger grows over price hikes introduced by the government. Demonstrations in 2011 in Tunisia grew into the revolution that overthrew the government and triggered a wave of uprisings across the Arab world. Seven years on, the dictatorship may …
No Pedal to Metal in GM’s Planned Self-driving Cruise AV Car
12/01/2018
General Motors Co is seeking U.S. government approval for a fully autonomous car — one without a steering wheel, brake pedal or accelerator pedal — to enter the automaker’s first commercial ride-sharing fleet in 2019, executives said. For passengers who cannot open doors, the Cruise AV — a rebranded version of GM’s Chevrolet Bolt EV …
Transit Shutdown in Greece as Unions Strike for Right to Strike
12/01/2018
The Athens subway came to a standstill Friday as Greeks protested new reforms that parliament is set to approve Jan. 15 in return for bailout funds, including restrictions on the right to strike. In the first major industrial upheaval of 2018, the shutdown of the Athens metro, used by about 938,000 commuters daily, caused traffic …
As Sanctions Bite, China Trade With North Korea Plummets
12/01/2018
China’s trade with North Korea plunged 50 percent in December as U.N. sanctions imposed over Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile development tightened, the government reported Friday. China accounts for nearly all of the isolated North’s trade and energy supplies. Beijing has imposed limits on oil sales and cut deeply into the North’s foreign revenue by …
Fiat Chrysler to Invest $1 Billion in Michigan Plant, Add 2,500 Jobs
12/01/2018
Fiat Chrysler Automobile said on Thursday it will shift production of Ram heavy-duty pickup trucks from Mexico to Michigan in 2020, a move that lowers the risk to the automaker’s profit should President Donald Trump pull the United States out of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Fiat Chrysler said it would create 2,500 jobs …
Samsung Targeted by French Lawsuit Amid Alleged Labor Abuse
11/01/2018
Two French rights groups have filed a lawsuit against electronics giant Samsung, accusing it of misleading advertising because of alleged labor abuses at factories in China and South Korea. It’s the latest labor challenge to Seoul-based Samsung, which has faced growing health complaints from workers in recent years, even as profits soar thanks to its …
London Mayor: ‘No Deal’ Brexit Could Cost Britain about 500,000 Jobs
11/01/2018
Britain could lose almost 500,000 jobs and 50 billion pounds ($67.41 billion) investment over the next 12 years if it fails to agree a trade deal with the European Union, according a report commissioned by London Mayor Sadiq Khan. Cambridge Econometrics, an economics consultancy, looked at five different Brexit scenarios, from the hardest to the …
China Denies It May Slow Purchases of US Government Bonds
11/01/2018
China is denying a published report that it may slow or even stop purchasing U.S. Treasury bonds. Sources told U.S.-based financial news outlet Bloomberg Wednesday that senior government officials recommended the action as the market for U.S. government bonds is becoming less attractive, along with rising trade tensions with the United States. The Bloomberg report …
Wall Street Falls on China, NAFTA Concerns
11/01/2018
The three major U.S. stock indexes ended lower Wednesday after a choppy trading session as investors worried that China would slow U.S. government bond purchases and that U.S. President Donald Trump would end a key trade agreement. The S&P and the Nasdaq snapped a six-day rally after Bloomberg reported that China, the world’s biggest holder …
7-Eleven Probe Opens New Front on Immigration
10/01/2018
U.S. immigration agents descended on dozens of 7-Eleven stores before dawn Wednesday to open employment audits and interview workers in what officials described as the largest operation against an employer under Donald Trump’s presidency. Agents targeted about 100 stores nationwide, broadening an investigation that began with a 4-year-old case against a franchisee on New York’s …
Disregarding Geography, Britain Hopes to Join Pacific Trade Deal
10/01/2018
Britain is making known its hopes to one day join the Trans-Pacific Partnership or TPP, a free trade agreement currently being negotiated by eleven countries bordering the Pacific and the South China Sea. The British government hopes trade with fast-growing economies will make up for losses that may occur after it leaves the European Union …
2017 Most Expensive Year for Natural Disasters
09/01/2018
2017 was the costliest year on record for natural disasters in the United States, according to scientists. Sixteen disasters caused an estimated $306 billion in damage. VOA’s Steve Baragona reports. …
Ecuador to Probe Legality of Debt Under Ex-president Correa
09/01/2018
Ecuador’s comptroller’s office on Monday announced it will open an audit of debt contracted in the last five years of the government of former President Rafael Correa to determine the legality of the operations and the use of the funds. The move follows a report by the comptroller’s office revealing that some documentation relating to …
Tunisian Protester Killed in Clashes with Police Over Price Hikes, Unemployment
09/01/2018
One person was killed Monday during clashes between security forces and protesters in a Tunisian town, a security official and residents said, as demonstrations over rising prices and tax increases spread in the North African country. A man was killed during a demonstration against government austerity measures in Tebourba, 40 km (25 miles) west of …
Retail Workers Feel Disruption From Shifting Shopper Habits
08/01/2018
With new options and conveniences, there’s never been a better time for shoppers. As for workers… well, not always. The retail industry is being radically reshaped by technology, and nobody feels that disruption more starkly than 16 million American shelf stockers, salespeople, cashiers and others. The shifts are driven, like much in retail, by the …
Velib Bike-Sharing Scheme Hits Road Bump in French Capital
08/01/2018
Paris’ pioneering Velib bicycle hire service, which has been copied from London to Seattle, has ground to a virtual standstill after the new concession holder failed to install revamped docking stations on schedule. In May 2017, Paris awarded a new contract to the French-Spanish Smovengo consortium to operate its bike-sharing scheme from 2018 to 2032, …
Israel’s Central Bank: Bitcoin Is an Asset, Not a Currency
08/01/2018
Israel’s central bank said on Monday it would not recognize virtual currencies such as bitcoin as actual currency and that it was difficult to devise regulations to monitor the risks of such activity to the country’s banks and their clients. Deputy Governor Nadine Baudot-Trajtenberg said there had been public complaints Israeli banks were making it …
Eritrea Closes Hundreds of Businesses for Bypassing Banks
07/01/2018
Eritrea has temporarily shut down nearly 450 private businesses, the latest in a series of moves that has sent shockwaves through the economy of the Red Sea nation. The closures were a response to companies hoarding cash and “failing to do business through checks and other banking systems,” according to a Dec. 29 editorial published …
Iran’s Working Class on Front Lines of Protests
07/01/2018
The Iranian town of Doroud should be a prosperous place — nestled in a valley at the junction of two rivers in the Zagros Mountains, it’s in an area rich in metals to be mined and stone to be quarried. Last year, a military factory on the outskirts of town unveiled production of an advanced …
US Economy Ends Year with Modest Job Gains
06/01/2018
The U.S. economy ended 2017 by adding 148,000 new jobs in December. Despite the modest gain, hiring was strong enough to suggest the economic momentum will continue. But while the national unemployment rate remained unchanged at a 17-year low of 4.1 percent, analysts say the pace of job growth may be slowing down. Mil Arcega …
Businesses Delay Patch, Fear Fix Will Be Worse Than Chip Flaw
06/01/2018
Chances that a fix to a major microchip security flaw may slow down or crash some computer systems are leading some businesses to hold off installing software patches, fearing the cure may be worse than the original problem. Researchers this week revealed security problems with chips from Intel Corp and many of its rivals, sending …
Bluefin Tuna Brings $320,000 at Japanese Market
06/01/2018
An 892-pound (405-kilogram) bluefin tuna has sold for 36.5 million yen ($320,000) in what may really be Tsukiji market’s last New Year auction at its current site in downtown Tokyo, local media reports said Friday. The winning bid for the prized but threatened species at the predawn auction was well below the record 155.4 million …
US Employers Add Modest 148,000 Jobs; Unemployment 4.1 Pct.
05/01/2018
U.S. employers added 148,000 jobs in December, a modest gain but still enough to suggest that the economy entered the new year with solid momentum. The unemployment rate remained 4.1 percent for a third straight month, the lowest level since 2000, the Labor Department said Friday. For all of 2017, employers added nearly 2.1 million …
Brits Call for ‘Latte Levy’ to Reduce Cup Waste
05/01/2018
Britain should charge a 25-pence ($0.34) levy on disposable coffee cups to cut down waste and use the money to improve recycling facilities, a committee of lawmakers said Friday. Chains Pret A Manger, Costa Coffee, Caffe Nero and Greggs alongside U.S. firm Starbucks are among the biggest coffee-sellers in Britain, rapidly expanding in the last …
Investors Skittish, but Marijuana Growers, Sellers to Stay the Course
05/01/2018
Marijuana-related stocks plummeted, cannabis boosters worried about the industry’s future and defiant growers and sellers vowed to keep operating after U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions signaled a tougher approach Thursday to federal pot enforcement. The plunging stock prices reversed a weekslong rally driven by optimism for legal recreational sales that started Monday in California. Several …
Wall Street’s Love of Tax Cuts Drives Dow to 25,000 Mark
05/01/2018
Wall Street sure loves the tax bill, even if polls show most Americans don’t. The Dow Jones industrial average surged past 25,000 Thursday, a strong signal of investor enthusiasm for President Donald Trump’s $1.5 trillion tax cut. The milestone comes less than a year after the Dow topped 20,000. “We broke a very, very big …