Trade negotiations between China and the United States continue early next week in Washington D.C., but analysts say after the first round, the differences between the two sides are huge. Some believe the differences are so fundamental and big that an escalation of tariffs is unavoidable. According to a widely circulated copy of Washington’s demands, President Donald Trump’s delegation not only asked Beijing to cut its trade deficit with the United States by $200 billion by 2020, but to also sharply lower tariffs and government subsidies of advanced technologies. Beijing wants the United States to no longer oppose granting China market economy status at the World Trade Organization, amend an export ban against Chinese tech company ZTE Corp and open American government procurement to Chinese technology and services among other demands. View to escalation Scott Kennedy, a China scholar at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the first round made it clear just how far apart the U.S. and China are in their views of what’s fair, what they want and expect the other side to do. “I think we’re still headed toward escalation with both sides adopting tariffs in the next few weeks, but at least now we know what the fight is about,” Kennedy said. “It’s about whether or not China should be a market economy, or what you know whether it should be able to maintain its state capitalist system without any constraints.” China joined the WTO in December of 2001 as a non-market …
Smoke to Ink? Indian Inventors Try Novel Approach to Tame Air Pollution
As the pre-monsoon summer heat takes hold in New Delhi, two things are as inevitable as 40-degree-Celsius days: power cuts and air pollution from the diesel generators that then kick in. But a team of Indian engineers has figured out away to bring some good from choking generator exhaust: They are capturing it and turning it into ink. “The alarming thing about diesel generators is they are located in the heart of densely populated areas. It’s spitting smoke right there,” said Kushagra Srivastava, one of the three engineers who developed the technology, now installed in Gurgaon, a satellite city of New Delhi, and in the southern city of Chennai. The idea, Srivastava said, came about when he and his co-founders stopped at a sugarcane juice stall on a hot day. They noticed a wall that had turned black behind the stand’s diesel generator, where exhaust emerged from a pipe. They wondered if diesel exhaust might be used to produce paint — and set out to try. The device they came up with, which attaches to generators, captures 90 percent of the soot particles from cooled diesel exhaust. The material can then be sold to ink manufacturers. Their company, Chakr Innovation, has so far installed 50 of the devices for government firms such as Indian Oil, real estate developers and other state government offices, earning more than 11 million rupees ($200,000) in revenue in the first year, Srivastava said. The company has plans to install another 50 devices over the coming …
Hotter Seas Threaten Marine Wildlife with Extinction, Researchers Say
Polar bears and other iconic animals could be extinct by the end of the century if ocean temperatures continue to rise at the current rate, marine biologists warned Monday. Warming temperatures caused by climate-changing emissions may result in a catastrophic loss of marine wildlife and drastic changes to ocean food webs by 2100, scientists at the Florida Institute of Technology and the University of North Carolina said in a paper published in the journal Nature Climate Change. Ocean temperatures on rise Much current marine life will be unable to tolerate ocean temperatures that are projected to increase by 2.8 degrees Celsius on average, according to the study. “With warming of this magnitude, we expect to lose many, if not most, animal species from marine protected areas by the turn of the century,” said the study’s lead author, John Bruno, a biologist at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Marine protected areas, established as sanctuaries for polar bears, coral reefs and other wildlife threatened by human activities such as fishing and oil extraction, have failed to protect species from the impacts of global warming, the scientists said. In Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, a large number of corals already have been destroyed by bleaching and diseases related to higher temperatures, the study noted. Poles are most at risk The protections in place will be ineffective by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise at the current rate, researchers said. Reduced oxygen concentrations in the ocean — one consequence of global …
Hawaii Volcano Has Oozed Hot Lava for Decades, Science Says
Hawaii’s Kilauea is not your typical blow-the-top-off kind of volcano. It’s been simmering and bubbling for about 35 years, sending superhot lava spewing up through cracks in the ground. This month’s eruptions are more of the same, except the lava is destroying houses miles from the summit. Scientists on Monday said there’s been a slight decrease in the pressure that forces lava to the surface, but it’s likely a temporary lull. Dennison University volcanologist Erik Klemetti said similar eruptions at Kilauea have simmered for years. “It’s going to take some time before you can say for sure whether things are winding down,” he said. Nonstop eruptions Kilauea is the youngest and most active of the five volcanoes on the Big Island. It’s been erupting continuously since 1983, but not the way most people think, not like Mount St. Helens in 1980, spewing straight up and everywhere. A couple of miles below Kilauea is a constantly fed “hot spot” of superhot molten rock from deep inside Earth. It needs to find a way out. And rather than exploding, at Kilauea “you get an oozing of lava at the surface,” explained U.S. Geological Survey volcano hazards coordinator Charles Mandeville. The molten rock is called magma when it is underground; when it reaches the surface, it is called lava. The lava flows out through cracks in the ground, usually within the confines at the national park that surrounds Kilauea. But this time the eruptions are destroying homes. “This kind of eruption that is …
Low Rents Drew Residents to Take Risk of Living Near Hawaii Volcano
Jeremy Wilson knew it was risky renting a home in an area with the highest hazard level for lava flows in Hawaii, but it was all he could afford for his family of six. Now, with magma spewing from cracks in the earth above and below his 3-bedroom home, he fears it could join the 26 other houses destroyed since the eruption of the nearby Kilauea volcano on Thursday, according to Hawaii County Civil Defense. “I’m a renter but everything we own is in that house,” said Wilson, a 36-year-old social worker, who moved to the Leilani Estates subdivision four years ago and is among 1,700 residents who have evacuated since the eruption. The semi-rural wooded area, with dirt roads and many homemade “off the grid” houses, is a landing pad for newcomers to Hawaii’s Big Island who cannot afford real-estate prices elsewhere. “If you want to live in Hawaii, it’s really your only option,” said Wilson, who has been staying with friends along with his two children, wife, mother-in-law and uncle since they were forced to flee. Keeping prices low in Leilani Estates is the “Zone 1” (out of nine) hazard rating for lava-flows the U.S. Geological Survey gives the area due to “vents that have been repeatedly active in historical time.” Reminder of 1955 event Geologists say this week’s activity is beginning to look like an event in 1955 in which eruptions continued for 88 days in the area and covered around 4,000 acres with lava, though few …
No One Thinks You’re Humble When You Mention Your Porsche
You’ve seen it among a group of friends, the inflated and often irritating “humblebrag.” Maybe it was even you who did it. Wanting to seem more important or smarter or wealthier or something, whatever, you blurted out how messy your hair looks as you pull off a Taylor Swift-worthy hair toss of your beautiful, long locks. Or you utter something about how irritating the traffic was Friday as you drove your new Porsche Panamera to your parents’ country house. Or how you can’t believe you got 1580 on your SATs, especially when you didn’t have time to study because you were volunteering at a homeless shelter. According to new research, the fake “humblebrag” will boomerang. “Humblebragging, in fact, does not create more favorable impressions than either bragging or complaining,” according to a study authored by Ovul Sezer recently published in Harvard Business Review. Because sincerity, the researchers said, is more highly valued than competence or success. How it’s done There are two types of humblebragging, explained Sezer, who now teaches at University of North Carolina. One is based in complaining and one tries to feign humility. “It’s like, ‘Oh my god, I’m so exhausted by all these dating requests, like, everyone just asks me out constantly, even in the grocery store,’” Sezer uses as an example. “Or, ‘I’m so tired of being the one my boss trusts in this company.’ “That’s very annoying to hear,” said Sezer. The humility-based brag tries to make yourself look humble, but not really. …
US-China Tensions Climb Over ‘Orwellian Nonsense’ on Airlines
As the United States considers ramping up trade tariffs and other actions in response to China’s economic policies, tensions in another area heated up in recent days: How airlines should refer to Taiwan. The White House released a statement over the weekend criticizing China for demanding international air carriers not refer to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau as countries. Airlines recently reported they had been asked to remove references on their websites that suggest the three are countries independent from China. China classifies Macau and Hong Kong as “special administrative regions,” and calls Taiwan a renegade province. The White House called China’s demand “Orwellian nonsense” and said it is “part of a growing trend by the Chinese Communist Party to impose its political views on American citizens and private companies.” China rejected the White House criticism. “Foreign enterprises operating in China should respect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, abide by China’s law and respect the national sentiment of the Chinese people,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Sunday. The White House statement came as the U.S. trade delegation headed by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin returned from China following a two-day meeting with Chinese counterparts aimed at avoiding a possible trade war. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters that members of the delegation briefed the president Monday morning and the talks will continue in Washington next week. “The president has a great relationship with President Xi, and we’re working on something that we think will be great for …
Egypt Approves Law to Govern Popular Ride-Hailing Apps
Egypt’s parliament has approved a law to govern popular ride-hailing apps Uber and Careem, which had faced legal challenges stemming from regulations designed for traditional taxis. The new law, as described Monday by state news agency MENA, establishes operating licenses and fees. It requires licensed companies to store user data for 180 days and provide it to Egyptian security authorities upon request. Uber and Careem welcomed the move. “This is a major step forward for the ride-sharing industry as Egypt becomes one of the first countries in the Middle East to pass progressive regulations,” Uber spokeswoman Shaden Abdellatif said. “We will continue working with the Prime Minister and the Cabinet in the coming months as the law is finalized, and look forward to continuing to serve the millions of Egyptian riders and drivers that rely on Uber.” Careem called the passage “a remarkable step for Egypt, Careem and our region.” It said it marked the first time in any of its markets “that a regulatory framework for ride-hailing has emerged from a consultative legislative and parliamentary process.” Both companies provide smartphone apps that connect passengers with drivers who work as independent contractors. An administrative court in Cairo ruled in March that it is illegal to use private vehicles as taxis, but another court overruled it on appeal, and both companies have continued operating. Data privacy is a major concern for Uber in its dealings with the Egyptian government. A strict new European law called the General Data Protection Regulation comes …
UN: Migrant Workers Sent $256 Billion Home to Asia-Pacific Last Year
Migrant workers from the Asia-Pacific region sent $256 billion home last year, but more needs to be done to cut costs and make money transfers easier, said a United Nations report Monday. Remittances, which have risen about 5 percent since 2008, helped about 320 million family members across the region last year, according to the United Nations’ International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). “It is crucial and critical to make sure these flows arrive fast and cheap,” said Pedro de Vasconcelos, a remittance expert at the IFAD. “It is a lifeline for millions of families.” According to the report, 80 million migrant workers sent money home an average eight to 10 times per year. They usually paid about 7 percent in charges to use cash-to-cash transfers, which enable money to be sent overseas often without using a personal bank account. A decade ago, remittances to people in rural areas could cost as much as 20 to 25 percent in fees, charges and currency exchange rates, said De Vasconcelos. But rates are still too high despite increased competition, he added. He urged those making and receiving remittances to embrace digital technology such as mobile phones for transferring money, and he predicted that such methods would soon overtake cash-to-cash. Regulators and the private sector must also work together to harmonize the legal and regulatory frameworks between countries and support new technologies that enter the market, he added. “The process of sending this money is where the real opportunity exists,” De Vasconcelos said. …
NAFTA Talks Enter Critical Week with US Pushing Hard Line
Talks to update the NAFTA trade deal enter a make-or-break week on Monday, as senior Canadian, U.S. and Mexican officials seek to resolve an impasse in key areas before elections in Mexico and the United States complicate the process. Discussions in Washington will center on rules of origin governing what percentage of a car needs to be built in the North American Free Trade Agreement region to avoid tariffs, the pact’s dispute-resolution mechanism and U.S. demands for a sunset clause that could automatically kill the deal after five years. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer warned last week that if the talks took too long, approval by the Republican-controlled Congress may be on “thin ice.” The aim is to complete a vote during the “lame-duck” period before a new Congress is seated after November’s congressional elections. Sources close to the talks suggest there is a creeping feeling of uncertainty and pessimism going into the new round because of gridlock on the most critical issues. Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo, who is set to meet Lighthizer and Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, said unless a deal in principle were agreed by mid-May there was almost no chance the current U.S. Congress could vote on it. “The problem is that the remaining 20 percent is highly complex and strategic to do. It could even be more difficult than the 80 percent that has already been done,” he told El Heraldo newspaper in an interview published on Monday. Mexico holds its presidential election on …
Dogs Trained to Monitor Low Blood Sugar May Save Lives
Dogs can be trained to sniff out drugs and explosives, so Mark Ruefenacht wondered if their exquisite sense of smell could be used to detect changes in a diabetic’s blood sugar level. A near fatal episode prompted the forensic scientist, who’s had diabetes for most of his adult life, to ask that question. In 1999, while he was training a puppy to be a guide dog for the blind, his blood sugar suddenly dropped to a dangerously low level. “More than likely, I had a seizure, from the low blood sugar,” Ruefenacht recalled, as he explained how the puppy kept trying to rouse him. “And he stuck with me and I was able to get my blood sugar up.” That incident made him wonder if dogs could be trained to detect the inherent chemical changes that accompany a drop in blood sugar, called hypoglycemia, then alert their owners. Dogs4Diabetics Ruefenacht worked with scientists and funded research which determined that the “smell” of hypoglycemia shows up in both breath and sweat. He also worked with and studied professionals who train dogs to sniff out everything from explosives to cancer. And most important of all, Ruefenacht started training a fun-loving yellow Labrador retriever named Armstrong to alert him when he was having a dangerously low blood sugar. The training proved so successful, Armstrong is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the first diabetes-detection dog. Sitting under a poster of Armstrong, who died in 2012, Ruefenacht recalls that those …
Dogs Trained to Monitor Low Blood Sugar Levels May Save Lives
Diabetics who use insulin to control their blood sugars can sometimes end up with very low readings that, if left untreated, can lead to death. While modern blood sugar monitoring systems can warn patients when their blood sugar levels are dangerously low, there is another, more “user-friendly” way to do the same thing. Shelley Schlender reports. …
WHO: Cholera Vaccination Campaign Starts in Yemen
The first vaccine campaign against cholera in Yemen has started, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday, a year and a half after an epidemic was triggered by war and a health and sanitation crisis. There have since been more than one million suspected cases of cholera in Yemen, and 2,275 recorded deaths, the WHO says. The disease is spread by feces in sewage contaminating water or food, and it can kill because patients quickly lose fluids through vomiting and diarrhea. Caught early it can be treated with oral rehydration salts. The oral vaccination campaign, which began in four districts in Aden on Sunday targeting 350,000 people, coincides with the rainy season, which health workers fear could spread the disease further. “The first four districts are being targeted… and then the campaign will move towards all the areas at risk in the country, covering at least four million people,” Lorenzo Pizzoli, WHO cholera expert, said in a tweet posted on Sunday. Yemen’s war, a proxy conflict between Iran-aligned Houthis and the internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, which is backed by a Saudi-led alliance, has killed more than 10,000 people since 2015. It has also displaced more than 2 million and destroyed much of the country’s infrastructure, including the health system whose workers have not been paid. Nevio Zagaria, the WHO representative in Yemen, told Reuters in April that some 1.4 million vaccine doses had been shipped via Nairobi, out of 4.4 million planned. “The rainy season …
ДФС: наймолодшому в Україні мільйонеру – 7 років
Наймолодшому в Україні мільйонеру сім років, повідомив в.о. голови Державної фіскальної служби України Мирослав Продан. Водночас найстаршому – 99. За його словами, доходи у розмірі понад 1 мільйон гривень, отримані у 2017 році, задекларували 4 063 платники. «Порівняно з відповідним періодом минулого року кількість цьогорічних мільйонерів зросла на 16%, або на 559 осіб. При цьому один громадянин задекларував дохід у розмірі понад 1 мільярд гривень», – сказав Продан. Він розповів, шо найбільшу кількість мільйонерів (2 270 платників) складають громадяни віком від 45 років і вище. Серед вікової категорії від 30 до 45 років – 1605 мільйонерів, до 30 років – 188. …
Україна і Туреччина разом будуватимуть військово-транспортний літак Ан-188 – «Укроборонпром»
«Проект передбачає повну вестернізацію всіх комплектуючих, впровадження сучасних та надійних технічних рішень, а також повну відповідність стандартам НАТО» …
Women in India Fighting Tough Cancer Battle
Globally, more cases of cancer are reported in men than in women. A recent study in India reveals that the reverse is true there. Published in the medical journal Lancet, the study reports that Indian women not only have a higher rate of cancer, they are also afflicted by it at a younger age compared with their counterparts in developed Western countries. Ritul Joshi reports from New Delhi. …
‘Cook It, Save It, Share It’ Campaign Fights Food Waste
An innovative consumer awareness campaign will be launched this summer in several cities in the United States. The campaign is aimed at preventing the waste of food that costs the world billions of dollars and has severe consequences on global food security and the environment. Verónica Balderas Iglesias spoke with experts. …
Мінекономіки назвало товари, на які США припинили безмитний режим
Міністерство економічного розвитку і торгівлі повідомило, що Сполучені Штати Америки припинили дію своєї Генералізованої системи преференцій для 155 різновидів українських товарів. Ідеться про деякі продукти харчової, легкої, деревообробної промисловості, машинобудування, деякі електроприлади. Вони, за повідомленням міністерства, ще з 26 квітня не користуються правом безмитного ввезення на територію США відповідно до ухваленого того дня рішення Офісу торговельного представника США. Із повним переліком товарних груп можна ознайомитись за посиланням: http://bit.ly/2HUpPfC Нині Генералізована система преференцій дає можливість безмитного ввезення на територію США понад 3 500 різновидів товарів із України. Мінекономрозвитку, мовиться в повідомленні, «перебуває в постійному діалозі з урядом США та працює над вирішенням проблеми». Водночас у міністерстві наголосили, що зняття обмежень у рамках Генералізованої системи преференцій значною мірою залежить від ухвалення Верховною Радою України проекту закону № 7466, відомого як законопроект «Про організації колективного управління». «Проект закону № 7466 розробило Мінекономрозвитку. Його мета ‒ встановлення в Україні ефективної та прозорої системи колективного управління майновими правами у сфері авторського права і суміжних прав», ‒ додало міністерство і нагадало, що 1 березня Верховна Рада України підтримала законопроект у першому читанні, а 19 квітня народні депутати розпочали розгляд цього законопроекту у другому читанні. Президент США Дональд Трамп наприкінці грудня 2017 року повідомив Конгрес, що його адміністрація має намір припинити низку преференцій щодо безмитної торгівлі з Україною через недостатнє забезпечення Києвом належного та ефективного захисту прав інтелектуальної власності. У США й раніше вже не раз критикували Київ за недостатній, за оцінкою Вашингтона, рівень захисту авторських і суміжних прав. Україна також зазнавала через це певних санкцій США. …
US Trade Delegation to Brief Trump After Talks in China
The U.S. and China ended the second day of high level talks Friday aimed at avoiding a possible trade war. The U.S. delegation, headed by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, will brief President Donald Trump Saturday and “seek his decision on next steps,” the White House said in a statement, adding that the administration had “consensus” for “immediate attention” to change the U.S.-China trade and investment relationship. “We will be meeting tomorrow to determine the results, but it is hard for China in that they have become very spoiled with U.S. trade wins!” Trump said in a Twitter post late Friday. “Both sides recognize there are still big differences on some issues and that they need to continue to step up their work to make progress,” China said in a statement released by Xinhua state news agency. An editorial Saturday by China’s ruling Communist Party newspaper, the People’s Daily, however, said that “in the face of the U.S.’s fierce offensive of protectionism, China resolutely defends its national interest,” adding that Beijing “will never trade away its core interests and rejects the U.S.’s demand for an exorbitant price.” The announcement followed comments by Mnuchin earlier in the day that the two sides were having “very good conversations.” Trump has threatened to levy new tariffs on $150 billion of Chinese imports while Beijing shot back with a list of $50 billion in targeted U.S. goods. …
NASA Mission to Peer Into Mars’ Past
A powerful Atlas 5 rocket was poised for liftoff early Saturday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, carrying to Mars the first robotic NASA lander designed entirely for exploring the deep interior of the red planet. The Mars InSight probe was scheduled to blast off from the central California coast at 4:05 a.m. PDT (1105 GMT), creating a luminous predawn spectacle of the first U.S. interplanetary spacecraft to be launched over the Pacific. The lander will be carried aloft for NASA and its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) atop a two-stage, 19-story Atlas 5 rocket from the fleet of United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing Co. The payload will be released about 90 minutes after launch on a 301-million-mile (484 million km) flight to Mars. It is scheduled to reach its destination in six months, landing on a broad, smooth plain close to the planet’s equator called the Elysium Planitia. InSight’s mission That will put InSight roughly 373 miles (600 km) from the 2012 landing site of the car-sized Mars rover Curiosity. The new 800-pound (360-kg) spacecraft marks the 21st U.S.-launched Martian exploration, dating to the Mariner fly-by missions of the 1960s. Nearly two dozen other Mars missions have been launched by other nations. Once settled, the solar-powered InSight will spend two years, about one Martian year, plumbing the depths of the planet’s interior for clues to how Mars took form and, by extension, the origins of the Earth and other rocky planets. Measuring marsquakes …
British Scientists Find More Accurate Test for Peanut Allergy
Peanuts are the most common cause of fatal food-induced anaphylaxis, or severe allergic reaction. But British scientists have found a better way to monitor a significant food hazard by developing a more accurate blood test, and it’s five times cheaper than the existing one. VOA’s Mariama Diallo reports. …
Can Landslides be Predicted?
Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and heavy rains can cause large amounts of rock and soil to collapse under their own weight and tumble down a slope. These landslides can crush everything in their path. Aided by sophisticated satellites, scientists are creating a comprehensive catalogue of landslide-prone areas, hoping it will help affected communities predict when and where they might happen. VOA’s George Putic has more. …
US Unemployment Rate 3.9 Percent, Lowest Since 2000
President Trump reveled in the 3.9 percent U.S. unemployment rate Friday, following the release of figures by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But some say that these numbers don’t tell the whole story. From Washington, VOA’s Jill Craig has more. …
Trump Demands China Slash Trade Surplus, Tariffs
The Trump administration has drawn a hard line in trade talks with China, demanding a $200 billion cut in the Chinese trade surplus with the United States, sharply lower tariffs and advanced technology subsidies, people familiar with the talks said Friday. The lengthy list of demands was presented to Beijing before the start of talks Thursday and Friday between top-level Trump administration officials and their Chinese counterparts to try to avert a damaging trade war between the world’s two largest economies. A White House statement did not mention specific demands, but said the U.S. delegation “held frank discussions with Chinese officials on rebalancing the United States-China bilateral economic relationship, improving China’s protection of intellectual property, and identifying policies that unfairly enforce technology transfers.” The statement gave no indication that U.S. President Donald Trump would back off on his threat to impose tariffs on up to $150 billion in Chinese goods over allegations of intellectual property theft. Trump, delegation to meet Saturday The delegation was returning to Washington to brief Trump and “seek his decision on next steps,” the White House said, adding that the administration had “consensus” for “immediate attention” to change the U.S-China trade and investment relationship. Trump said he would meet with the delegation Saturday. China’s state-run Xinhua news agency described the talks as “constructive, candid and efficient” but with disagreements that remain “relatively big.” Tariff threats have roiled stock markets in recent weeks, but the inconclusive outcome of the Beijing talks did little to stop a rally …