President Barack Obama arrived to small but cheering crowds on Sunday at the start of a historic visit to Cuba that opened a new chapter in U.S. engagement with the island's government after decades of hostility between the former Cold War foes. The three-day trip, the first by a U.S. president to Cuba in 88 years, is the culmination of a diplomatic opening announced by Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro in December 2014, ending an estrangement that began when the Cuban revolution ousted a pro-American government in 1959. "It's a historic opportunity to engage directly with the Cuban people," Obama told staff at the newly reopened U.S. Embassy who were gathered at a hotel, his first stop after arriving in the afternoon. Groups of Cubans watched the motorcade from balconies and backyards as Obama was driven downtown, where a small crowd of Cubans braved a tropical downpour and tight security. They chanted: "Viva Obama, Viva Fidel," as the president and his family left after … [Read more...] about Obama cheered in Havana at start of historic visit to Cuba
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Snowstorm in U.S. Midwest wreaks havoc on travel, schools
Snowstorm in U.S. Midwest wreaks havoc on travel, schools A major wind and snow storm downed power lines, closed highways and schools and grounded hundreds of flights over a wide swath of the U.S. Midwest on Wednesday. Blizzard and winter storm warnings were in effect until Thursday morning for parts of Indiana, Michigan and Illinois as the National Weather Service (NWS) predicted as much as 13 inches (33 cm) of snow and winds of up to 50 miles per hour (80 km per hour). "That's creating a lot of blowing and drifting snow and creating very hazardous travel conditions," said Chuck Schaffer, a meteorologist with the NWS in Illinois. Some 860 flights were canceled on Wednesday at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. The NWS predicted as much as 10 inches (26 cm) of heavy snow and strong gusts in the Chicago area during the afternoon commute and into the evening. "This will create a wind-whipped snow that will reduce visibilities to near zero, making travel dangerous if not … [Read more...] about Snowstorm in U.S. Midwest wreaks havoc on travel, schools
Digging out begins after ‘Snowmageddon’ in US
Residents of the US East Coast began digging out from under a thick blanket of snow Sunday after a record-breaking blizzard paralyzed Washington and the region, snapping power to 350,000 residents and killing two people. The monster storm stretched more than 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) from eastern Indiana across into New Jersey and then down as far south as North Carolina, affecting tens of millions of Americans. With winds gusting at almost 60 miles (90 kilometers) an hour, meteorologists said they had recorded snowfall as high as 38 inches (96 centimeters) near Baltimore, Maryland -- a record. The heavy, sticky snow toppled trees and snapped power lines, leaving more than 350,000 people without electricity in Maryland and neighboring Virginia. "Snowmageddon here in DC," President Barack Obama told Democrats in a speech, only a year after chiding the capital for over responding to small snowfalls. The National Weather Service put the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area under a … [Read more...] about Digging out begins after ‘Snowmageddon’ in US
Millions in U.S. Northeast struggle after massive storm
* New York City, New Jersey especially hard hit … [Read more...] about Millions in U.S. Northeast struggle after massive storm
BUSINESS IN BRIEF 14/8
HCM City's IIP surges 7% in seven months Notably, key industrial sectors, such as mechanical and manufacturing industry, electronics, chemicals, rubber and plastics and food processing, posted a year-on-year rise of 7.3 per cent, higher than the average growth of industry as a whole. This was attributed to their efforts to expand markets, update technology with new equipment and improve product quality and competitiveness, the municipal people's committee said. Sectors that posted growth in production are food and beverages (14.3 per cent), non-metallic products (21.3 per cent) and machinery and equipment (32.1 per cent). In July alone, the city's industrial production index rose by 3.1 per cent. During the month, the processing sector and industrial parks focused on drawing hi-tech investment projects and supporting business activities to record turnover of US$3.16 billion in exports and $3.17 billion in imports. The IIP in the first seven months of last year grew by 6.6 per … [Read more...] about BUSINESS IN BRIEF 14/8