In a ceremony last week attended by heads of state from across East Africa, Djibouti inaugurated what it says will become the largest free-trade zone on the continent. The project will take 10 years to complete and will occupy more than 48 square kilometers when finished. In the pilot phase, it will increase the size of Djibouti’s economy by 11 percent, Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed told VOA’s French-to-Africa service. But the $3.5 billion project will also add to what some experts consider to be an extreme reliance on Chinese financing and could raise the small desert nation’s debt to alarming levels. Debt distress Scott Morris is a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development and the director of the U.S. Development Policy Initiative. He co-wrote a report in March that highlights the debt implications of the Belt and Road Initiative. Morris and his colleagues considered the debt vulnerability of 68 countries involved in the BRI, including China. They concluded that most countries have a low risk, but for eight countries, the risk is high. Djibouti is the only high-risk African country. It stands out because its debt represents a large portion of its gross domestic product, which economists consider to be a good indicator of a country’s overall economic strength and size. By the end of 2016, Djibouti’s debt had reached more than 86 percent of its GDP, and it owed nearly all of that money to China. Combined, these factors make Djibouti susceptible to debt distress, a …
Екс-дружина судді Ємельянова інвестує у контрафактний тютюновий бізнес – розслідування
Світлана Ємельянова, екс-дружина судді Артура Ємельянова, уклала договір про інвестиції на $1 млн 300 тис у закордонний цигарковий бізнес. Як ідеться у розслідуванні програми «Наші гроші з Денисом Бігусом», компанія Svitland Global, засновницею і директоркою якої є Світлана Ємельянова, погодилася інвестувати цю суму у цигарковий бізнес Віталія Кіро. Люди Кіро, у тому числі його дружина, є серед партнерів фабрики у Жовтих Водах «Юнайтед табако», пов’язаної із Русланом Журилом. Саме ця фабрика, як довели раніше журналісти програми «Схеми» (спільний проект Радіо Свобода і телеканалу UA: Перший) виготовляє цигарки із підробними акцизними марками. Телеканал «Жовта річка» у лютому 2018 року повідомляв, що ця тютюнова фабрика відкрилася за сприяння народного депутата від «Народного фронту» Олега Кришина. Заступником директора із загальних питань «Юнайтед табако» працює Микола Журило – рідний брат Руслана Журила, який раніше працював на керівній посаді на державному підприємстві «Східний гірничо-збагачувальний комбінат». Руслан Журило фігурує як підозрюваний в організації розкрадань на мільйони доларів на цьому держпідприємстві у справі НАБУ разом із екс-депутатом та одним зі спонсорів тієї ж партії «Народний Фронт Миколою Мартиненком». Журналісти«Наших грошей» також зафільмували, що сам суддя Артур Ємельянов 6 і 20 червня 2018 року мав зустрічі із Русланом Журилом. «Вперше вони зустрілися 6 червня, і після їхньої зустрічі Верховний суд ухвалив рішення у господарській справі, яке відтягує оголошення Журилу ще однієї підозри. 14 червня «господарська палата Верховного суду направила справу про розірвання договорів на купівлю сірки для держпідприємства «СхідГЗК» на новий розгляд, – йдеться у розслідуванні. – За матеріалами слідства, держпідприємство, яке очолював раніше Журило, купувало сірку в …
Група Жебрівського, створена після скандалу з нелегальною торгівлею на КПВВ, не дала висновків – Добряк
Моніторингова група, створена Жебрівським після скандалу з нелегальними схемами торгівлі на лінії розмежування, досі не надала результатів роботи, повідомив проекту Радіо Свобода Донбас.Реалії заступник голови Донецької обласної військово-цивільної адміністрації Сергій Добряк, який за розпорядженням Павла Жебрівського мав контролювати роботу групи. «Павло Іванович дійсно створив таку групу, але поки що результатів і самого протоколу немає», – відповів чиновник на запитання журналістів. Створити групу з моніторингу діяльності гуманітарно-логістичного центру на КПВВ «Майорське» Павло Жебрівський розпорядився 1 березня 2018 року. Причиною стали публічні заяви голови військово-цивільної адміністрації селища Зайцеве Володимира Весьолкіна про нелегальну схему торгівлі з окупованим територіями, що діє на ГЛЦ і дозволяє переправляти через лінію розмежування оптові партії товарів. Тоді голова Донецької ОДА спростовував існування схем, заявивши, що звертався з цього приводу до правоохоронних органів, однак ті жодних порушень не виявили. На додачу пообіцяв створити спеціальну моніторингову групу, за результатами роботи якої він прийме рішення про можливе закриття ГЛЦ в Майорську. Тепер колишній голова Донецької ОДА Павло Жебрівський, якого в червні президент Порошенко включив до складу комісії з аудиту НАБУ, говорити з журналістами про роботу групи та її висновки не захотів. До складу групи увійшли 12 чоловік, більшість з яких – співробітники Донецької адміністрації. У відповідь на запит Донбас.Реалії в облдержадміністрації повідомили, що група за час роботи двічі побувала в ГЛЦ 5 та 6 березня. Вперше про схему на гуманітарно-логістичному центрі в Майорську Донбас.Реалії повідомили у березні 2017 року. Про припинення діяльності ГЛЦ у зв’язку зі зловживаннями в штабі ООС повідомили тільки у липні 2018 року. …
China Jolted by US Tariffs on Chinese Imports
China expressed shock Wednesday at the Trump administration’s decision to prepare 10-percent tariffs on another $200 billion of Chinese imports covering thousands of products, the latest move in an escalating trade war between the world’s two largest economies. China’s commerce ministry called the decision totally unacceptable and vowed to respond. The proposed new U.S. tariffs follow the decision to impose duties in two stages on $50 billion in Chinese goods. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said the Trump administration has patiently urged China to stop its unfair practices, open its market and engage in true market competition. “Rather than address our legitimate concerns, China has begun to retaliate against U.S. products,” Lighthizer said in a statement announcing the tariffs.”There is no justification for such action.” The proposed tariffs come just days after the Trump administration imposed 25 percent tariffs on more than 800 Chinese products worth about $34 billion, citing what it calls China’s unfair trade practices and intellectual property theft.Beijing followed suit with an equal amount of levies on U.S. goods. Christine McDaniel, a senior research fellow at George Mason University in Virginia, told VOA that while the Trump administration’s actions have bipartisan congressional support, its strategy to date of tariffs and investment restrictions could be costly to U.S. manufacturers and consumers. “A tariff is a tax and in today’s global economy.American manufacturers are simply tied to suppliers from outside the U.S. for their competitiveness.So when we tax those imports, we’re taxing American manufacturers, not to mention consumers, and …
Податковий комітет завтра передасть на розгляд Ради законопроект про «євробляхи» – Южаніна
Комітет з питань податкової та митної політики планує передати на розгляд Верховної Ради законопроект про розмитнення машин на єврономерах, повідомила в ефірі Радіо Свобода голова комітету – народний депутат від «Блоку Петра Порошенка» Ніна Южаніна. «Це правда. Такий лист, щойно повернувшись від мітингувальників підписала я і секретар комітету. 11 членів комітету є авторами цього законопроекту, і це – єдина можливість вирішити ситуацію для того, щоб люди пішли додому, а ми почали працювати над кінцевим рішенням щодо цієї проблеми», – заявила вона, називаючи це «компромісним рішенням». Тим часом, як повідомляє кореспондент Радіо Свобода з-під Верховної Ради, учасники акції заявляють, що не розходитимуться, поки не будуть задовольнити їхні вимоги. 11 липня водії на єврономерах заблокували центр Києва. Зранку утворилися затори. За даними поліції, в акції беруть участь близько 4,5 тисячі людей. Водночас, організація «Автоєросила» заявляє, що для участі у протестах до Києва прибули близько 10 тисяч автомобілів на єврономерах. У Верховній Раді зареєстровані законопроекти № 8487 і № 8488, які спрямовані, на думку авторів, на розв’язання проблеми із засиллям автомобілів на єврономерах в Україні. Законопроекти передбачають зменшення розміру акцизного податку з авто, скасування заборони на митне оформлення машин, що не відповідають екологічному стандарту «євро-5», а також посилення контролю за переміщенням і використанням транспортних засобів, зареєстрованих в інших державах. …
Кабмін зменшив обсяг держзамовлення в університетах на 9,6%
У Кабінеті міністрів заявили 11 липня про затвердження держзамовлення на підготовку фахівців у кількості 191 100 осіб, у тому числі за денною формою навчання – 171 355 осіб, що менше затверджених у 2017 році показників на 9,6% та 9,5% відповідно. Обсяг державного замовлення за рівнем підготовки «бакалавр» на денну форму навчання скоротився на 3,5%, для спеціалістів денної форми навчання цей показник знизився на 30,6%, але для магістрів та аспірантів – зріс на 0,9% та 1,4% відповідно. «Держзамовлення має відповідати потребам ринку. Тому Мінекономрозвитку розробило зміни до механізму державного замовлення, щоб створити додаткову мотивацію для студентів найбільш затребуваних спеціальностей. З цього року ми запропонували заборонити перерозподіл держзамовлення між галузями, з наступного року запроваджується ще кілька важливих змін. Наприклад, пропонуємо підвищену стипендію для студентів за інженерними, технічними, аграрними спеціальностями, яких наразі дуже потребує промисловість, ІТ-сфера. Це важливе питання для української економіки», – коментує рішення Уряду перший віце-прем’єр-міністр Степан Кубів. Уже з 12 липня абітурієнти зможуть подати заяви на вступ до університетів через електронні кабінети. Прийом заяв буде відкритий до 18:00 26 липня. …
Trump’s Steel Tariff Squeezes US Can Manufacturer
The Trump administration’s 25 percent tariff on imported steel has been welcomed by U.S. producers of the material but slammed by American manufacturers that rely on a global steel supply chain to make everything from cars to razor blades. VOA’s Michael Bowman visited a can company that is being squeezed by the new tariff and has this report, which was produced by Elizabeth Cherneff. …
Stuck in Trade War, US and China Face Uncertain Path to Deal
As the trade war between the world’s two largest economies nears the end of its first week, its most unsettling fact may be this: No one seems to foresee any clear path to peace. The United States insists that China abandon the brass-knuckles tactics it’s used to try to supplant America’s technological dominance. Yet Beijing isn’t about to drop its zeal to acquire the technology it sees as crucial to its prosperity. Having run for the White House on a vow to force China to reform its trade policies, President Donald Trump won’t likely yield to vague promises by Beijing to improve its behavior — or to pledges to buy more American soybeans or liquefied natural gas. “It certainly feels like we’re in for a protracted fight,” said Timothy Keeler of the law firm Mayer Brown and a former chief of staff at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. “Truthfully, I don’t know what the off-ramp is.” The first shots sounded July 6: The United States slapped 25 percent taxes on $34 billion in Chinese imports. Most of them are industrial goods that the Trump administration says receive subsidies or other unfair support from Beijing. China quickly lashed back with tariffs on $34 billion in U.S. products. The two countries have targeted an additional $16 billion worth of each other’s products for a second round of25 percent tariffs. On Tuesday, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative proposed 10 percent tariffs on another $200 billion …
Former Apple Engineer Charged With Stealing Self-driving Car Technology
A federal court has charged a former Apple engineer with stealing trade secrets related to a self-driving car and attempting to flee to China. Agents in San Jose, California, arrested Xiaolang Zhang on Saturday, moments before he was to board his flight. Zhang is said to have taken paternity leave in April, traveling to China just after the birth of a child. When he returned, he informed his supervisors he was leaving Apple to join Xiaopeng Motors, a Chinese company in Guangzhao, which also plans to build self-driving cars. But security cameras caught Zhang allegedly entering Apple’s self-driving car lab and downloading blueprints and other information on a personal computer at the time he was supposed to be in China on paternity leave. Neither the FBI nor Zhang’s lawyers have commented. …
Libyan Food Delivery Service Looks to Serve Up Gender Equality
Fatima Nasser’s new business had barely got off the ground when she was accused of being a foreign spy for giving women employment opportunities in Libya, her war-torn home country. The accusation was a measure of the opposition working women face in the conservative Muslim country, which has been in turmoil since a NATO-backed revolt toppled long-time leader Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. Just one in four Libyan women is employed, according to World Bank data – a situation Nasser, 21, hopes to change with a new food delivery app that allows them to earn money from their own kitchens. “I’m just doing something to help women that I know deserve better. They need opportunities, just like males,” Yasser told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The app, Yummy, connects women who cook at home with customers wanting to order food, in much the same way as Uber connects private drivers with would-be passengers. It acts as a conduit, offering anonymity options for the cooks, and allows women to take food orders from men without having to speak to them. “You have a society that has been closed for 100 years, you can’t just open a communication gate between two genders that were not supposed to talk to each other unless they were married to do business,” said Nasser. She now has 300 cooks ready to start work, having tested the service successfully with 20 in the southern Libyan city of Sabha – among them 26-year-old Ekhlas Ekrim. Ekrim has been cooking and …
New Zealand’s Rocket Lab to Open Second Launch Pad in US
Rocket Lab, a Silicon Valley-funded space launch company, planned to open a second launch site in the United States to complement its remote New Zealand pad, the firm said Wednesday. Rocket Lab said it was considering four sites on both the East and West coasts and would make a final decision in August. Founder and Chief Executive Peter Beck said in an emailed statement that launching from the United States “adds an extra layer of flexibility for our government and commercial customers.” The Auckland and Los Angeles-headquartered firm has designed a battery-powered, partly 3-D-printed rocket and has touted its service as a way for companies to get satellites into orbit regularly. Its successful launch of a rocket that deployed satellites in January after years of preparation was an important step in the global commercial race to bring down financial and logistical barriers to space. Rocket Lab counts the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as well as earth imaging firm Planet and global data and analytics company Spire among its customers. American sites being considered were Cape Canaveral in Florida, Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, Pacific Spaceport Complex in Alaska and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, Rocket Lab said. The firm expected its first launch from the United States would take place in the second quarter of 2019. Rocket Lab operates the world’s only private orbital launch pad on the Mahia Peninsula in northwest New Zealand, Beck’s home country. The island nation is well-positioned to send satellites bound …
Rescued Thai Boys Could Face Anxiety Disorders, Other Mental Health Problems
With the trauma of being trapped in the flooded Tham Luang cave complex behind them, the young members of the Wild Boars soccer team are facing a new challenge – dealing with lingering emotional and psychological stress. As Faith Lapidus reports, mental health experts are assessing how their terrifying experience could impact their lives. …
Fossils of Early Giant Dinosaur Discovered in Argentina
Scientists have unearthed in northwestern Argentina fossils of the earliest-known giant dinosaur, a four-legged plant-eater with a medium-length neck and long tail that was a forerunner of the largest land animals of all time. Researchers said the dinosaur – named Ingentia prima, meaning “the first giant” – was up to 33 feet (10 meters) long and weighed about 10 tons, living about 210 million years ago during the Triassic Period. Ingentia was an early member of a dinosaur group called sauropods that later included Earth’s biggest terrestrial creatures including the Patagonian behemoths Argentinosaurus, Dreadnoughtus and Patagotitan. “We see in Ingentia prima the origin of gigantism, the first steps so that, more than 100 million years later, sauropods of up to 70 tons could come into existence like those that lived in Patagonia,” said paleontologist Cecilia Apaldetti of the Universidad Nacional de San Juan in Argentina, lead author of the study published on Monday in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution. Unlike later sauropods, Ingentia’s legs were not pillar-like. Its neck also was shorter than later sauropods, which possessed among the longest necks relative to body length of any animals ever. Dinosaurs first appeared earlier in the Triassic Period, roughly 230 million years ago. The first ones were modestly sized, a far cry from the immense dinosaurs of the subsequent Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods. Scientists had previously believed the first giant dinosaurs appeared roughly 180 millions years ago. Apaldetti called Ingentia not only the largest dinosaur but the biggest land animal …
American Airlines to Eliminate Plastic Straws from Cabins, Lounges
American Airlines on Tuesday said it plans to no longer offer plastic straws and stir sticks in its lounges and onboard its flights, amid a broader global push to abandon one-time use plastics. Starting this month, American said drinks in its airport lounges will no longer come with plastic utensils and will instead feature biodegradable straws and wooden stir sticks. The phase-out onboard its planes will begin in November, with plastic straws and stirrers to be replaced by environmentally friendly bamboo. “We’re cognizant of our impact on the environment and we remain committed to doing our part to sustain the planet for future generations of travelers,” Jill Surdek, vice president of flight service, said in a statement. The carrier will also transition to “eco-friendly” flatware in its lounges. American said that the move will eliminate more than 71,000 pounds (32,200 kg) of plastic each year. The Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier joins rival Alaska Airlines, which announced in May its plans to replace plastic straws with more environmentally friendly alternatives. On Monday, Starbucks, the world’s largest coffee chain, said it would no longer offer plastic straws at its 28,000 locations by 2020. …
Survey: Most People Think World is More Dangerous Than Two Years Ago
Most people think the world is more dangerous today than it was two years ago as concerns rise over politically motivated violence and weapons of mass destruction, according to a survey released Tuesday. Six out of 10 respondents to the survey, commissioned by the Global Challenges Foundation, said the dangers had increased, with conflict and nuclear or chemical weapons seen as more pressing risks than population growth or climate change. The results come as NATO leaders prepare to meet in Brussels on Wednesday amid growing tensions between the United States and fellow members over defense spending, which some fear could damage morale and play into the hands of Russia. “It’s clear that our current systems of global cooperation are no longer making people feel safe,” said Mats Andersson, vice chairman of the Global Challenges Foundation, in a statement. Andersson said turbulence between NATO powers and Russia, ongoing conflict in Syria, Yemen and Ukraine and nuclear tensions with North Korea and Iran were making people feel unsafe. A separate survey commissioned by the Global Challenges Foundation after North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un met U.S. President Donald Trump found the talks reassuring. Less than a third of the nearly 5,000 respondents reported feeling less concerned about weapons of mass destruction. “War is more likely,” said Dr. Patricia Lewis, director of international security at the think tank Chatham House. “We have a great deal of instability and that is so often a precursor to wars.” “Two large powers are disrupting the established …
Doctors Say Breast Milk, Not Formula, Is Best
You would never think there could be a dispute about breastfeeding, especially since decades of research show that breast milk is better for babies than formula. But after The New York Times reported the Trump administration opposed a U.N. resolution calling for countries to encourage this practice, health officials the world over responded. The administration called the Times report “fake news.” Both the State Department and the Department of Health and Human Services issued statements saying the U.S. is not anti-breastfeeding. The State Department said the original resolution “called on states to erect hurdles for mothers seeking to provide nutrition to their children.” Both agencies defended bottle feeding with infant formulas and issued statements saying that “not all women are able to breastfeed for a variety of reasons.” Some women don’t have enough milk. Others may take medication that prohibits breastfeeding. And breastfeeding does not always come naturally for both newborns and mothers. Many doctors think these hurdles can be worked around. They also say if a mother can’t produce enough breast milk, what she can produce is still far better than formula. Dr. Dennis Kuo heads the general pediatrics unit at the University of Buffalo Medical Center. As both an academic and a practicing pediatrician, he agrees that some women may need to use formula; but, he says the majority of women can breastfeed if they are supported by their doctors, families, communities and employers even before they give birth. Infant formulas have improved with the addition of fatty …
Tesla Goes Big in China With Shanghai Plant
Tesla Inc Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk on Tuesday landed a deal with Chinese authorities to build a new auto plant in Shanghai, its first factory outside the United States, that would double the size of the electric car maker’s global manufacturing. The deal was announced as Tesla raised prices on U.S.-made vehicles it sells in China to offset the cost of new tariffs imposed by the Chinese government in retaliation for U.S. President Donald Trump’s move to slap heavier duties on Chinese goods. Musk was in Shanghai Tuesday, and the Shanghai government in a statement said it welcomed Tesla’s move to invest not only in a new factory in the city, a center of the Chinese auto industry, but in research and development, as well. China has long pushed to capture more of the talent and capital invested by global automakers in advanced electric vehicle technology. Tesla plans to producing the first cars about two years after construction begins on its Shanghai factory, ramping up to as many as 500,000 vehicles a year about two to three years after that, the company said. That would make Tesla’s Shanghai plant large by auto industry standards, where most factories are tooled to build 200,000 to 300,000 vehicles a year, and roughly equivalent to the planned annual production at Tesla’s plant in Fremont, California. Tesla shares rose 1.5 percent in early U.S. trading, even as some analysts questioned where the money-losing company will get the capital required to build and staff such …
Cuba Unfreezing Growth of Private Tourism Businesses
The Cuban government will allow new restaurants, bed-and-breakfasts and transportation businesses by the end of the year, reopening the most vibrant sectors of the private economy after freezing growth for more than a year. The government is unveiling a set of new regulations Tuesday meant to control the growth of tourism-related private businesses and collect more tax revenue from them. Private restaurants and bed-and-breakfasts boomed after U.S.-Cuba normalization in 2014 prompted rapid growth in tourism to Cuba. Tax evasion and purchase of stolen state materials also boomed in the mostly cash-based private hospitality sector. Among other measures, the new regulations announced Tuesday require private businesses to move all their revenue through state-run bank accounts. Cuba froze new licenses for restaurants, bed-and-breakfasts and other key business in August 2017. …
BMW to Make Electric MINIs in China
BMW Group and the biggest Chinese SUV brand, Great Wall Motor, announced a partnership Tuesday to produce electric MINI vehicles in China as global automakers ramp up development under pressure from Beijing. The companies said they signed an agreement Monday during an event in Berlin attended by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. BMW and Great Wall said their venture, Spotlight Automotive Ltd., also will make electrics for the Chinese partner’s brand. Great Wall put total investment in the venture at 5.1 billion yuan ($770 million) and said it is aiming for annual production of 160,000 vehicles. Automakers are pouring billions of dollars into creating electric models for China, the biggest market for the technology. Beijing is using access to its market as leverage to induce global automakers to help Chinese brands develop battery and other technology. Auto brands in China are required to make electric vehicles at least 10 percent of their sales starting next year or buy credits from competitors that exceed their quotas. Later, they face pressure to raise those sales in order to satisfy fuel efficiency requirements that increase annually. Sales of pure-electric passenger vehicles in China rose 82 percent last year to 468,000, according to an industry group, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. That was more than double the U.S. level of just under 200,000. Other automakers including General Motors Co., Volkswagen AG and Nissan Motor Co. have announced similar plans with Chinese partners to produce dozens of electric models. Great …
Egypt’s Inflation Rate Spikes in June Amid Price Hikes
Egypt’s annual inflation rate increased to 13.8 percent in June, the first time it has jumped in 11 months following a new round of austerity measures designed to overhaul the country’s economy, the official statistics agency said Tuesday. The figure, announced by the Central Agency for Mobilization and Statistics, covers the period from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018. The June rate compares to 11.5 percent in May, covering the period of June 1, 2017 to May 31, 2018. The agency attributed the increase to a hike in the price of some commodities, including vegetables (4 percent) and cereals and bread (2 percent). Transportation fares increased by 27.8 percent. Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuel prices hiked by 8.1 percent in June, according to CAMS. Inflation peaked last summer, hovering around 30 percent after the government cut fuel and electricity subsidies as part of broader economic reforms to meet demands by the International Monetary Fund for a $12 billion bailout loan. Egypt secured the loan in 2016. In June 2017, the annual inflation rate was 30.9 percent, according to the statistics agency. Since then, inflation figures showed a steady monthly decline to reach 11.5 in May, the lowest level in around two years. June figures came in the wake of recent steep price hikes for fuel, drinking water and electricity was introduced by the government in the recent weeks. The hikes come as Egypt presses ahead with a broader economic reform program that has included slashing subsidies, imposing …
China Pledges $20 Billion in Loans to Revive Middle East
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday pledged a package of $20 billion in loans, and about $106 million in financial aid, to Middle East nations, as part of what he called an “oil and gas plus” model to revive economic growth in the region. Beijing has ramped up engagement in the Middle East in recent years as Arab nations play an important role in Xi’s signature Belt and Road foreign policy plan for strong trade routes linking China with central and southeast Asia. Development was key to resolving many security problems in the Middle East, Xi told a gathering with representatives of 21 Arab nations in the Chinese capital. “We should treat each other frankly, not fear differences, not avoid problems, and have ample discussion on each aspect of foreign policy and development strategy,” he said. China would offer aid worth 100 million yuan ($15 million) to Palestine to support economic development, besides providing a further 600 million yuan ($91 million) to Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, he added. A consortium of banks from China and Arab nations, with a dedicated fund of $3 billion, will also be set up, he said. It was unclear what the relationship between the bank consortium, financial aid and the overall loan package would be. The loans will fund a plan of “economic reconstruction” and “industrial revival” that would include cooperation on oil and gas, nuclear and clean energy, Xi said. He urged “relevant sides” to respect the international consensus in the Israel-Palestine dispute, …
Doctors Say Breast Milk, Not Formula Is Best
World health officials were stunned when the U.S. opposed a resolution for countries to encourage breastfeeding, especially when decades of research have shown its benefits for both mothers and babies. VOA’s Carol Pearson spoke with two prominent doctors who fully support the U.N. resolution based on scientific studies and explain the benefits and risks of breast or bottle feeding. …
Glimmer of Hope in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS
There’s a glimmer of hope in the fight against the deadly HIV virus that causes AIDS. A new vaccine has produced a favorable immune system response during a trial on nearly 400 people. VOA Correspondent Mariama Diallo has details from the recent study published in the Lancet medical journal. …
How China’s Chickens are Going to Lay a Billion Eggs a Day
Behind a row of sealed red incubator doors in a new facility in northern China, about 400,000 chicks are hatched every day, part of the rapidly modernizing supply chain in China’s $37 billion egg industry, the world’s biggest. As China overhauls production of everything from pork to milk and vegetables, farmers raising hens for eggs are also shifting from backyards to factory farms, where modern standardized processes are expected to raise quality and safety. That’s an important step in a country where melamine-tainted eggs and eggs with high antibiotic residues have featured in a series of food safety scandals in recent years. It is also spurring demand for higher priced branded eggs over those sold loose in fresh produce markets. “These days if you’re a small farmer, your eggs won’t get into the supermarkets,” said Yuan Song, analyst with China-America Commodity Data Analytics. Tough new regulations on treating manure and reducing the environmental impact from farms have also pushed many small farmers out. Most egg producers now have between 20,000 and 50,000 hens, said Yuan, a significant change even from two years ago. The remainder with less than 10,000 birds are likely to be shut down soon as local governments favor larger producers that can be more easily scrutinized. High-tech hatchery Those rapid changes are driving investments like the 150 million yuan ($22.60 million) hatchery in Handan, about 400km (250 miles) southwest of Beijing. The highly automated plant, owned by a joint venture between China’s Huayu Agricultural Science and Technology …