An international team of scientists have announced a breakthrough aimed at saving the northern white rhino from extinction. The first-ever hybrid rhino embryo has been successfully created at a lab for biotechnology research in Italy. Conservationists now plan to use the technology by replicating the procedure with genes from a northern white rhino. The breakthrough was announced Wednesday by the Dvur Kralove Zoo and the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research. The development thrilled wildlife conservationists all over the world, especially in Kenya’s Olpajeta conservancy, which provided a sanctuary for 10 years for the last male northern white rhino. “Clearly it’s good news, it’s a step in the process to eventually being able to create a purebred northern white rhino calf through IVF [in vitro fertilization],” said Olpajeta CEO Richard Vigne. “Once we can create an embryo, that doesn’t mean we are yet able to put the embryo into a surrogate mother to create purebred northern white rhinos on the ground, but it’s a step in the right direction.” WATCH: Scientists Work to Create Northern White Rhino Embryos Rhino horn black market In recent years, rhino numbers have dropped dramatically, mainly due to poachers killing the animals to satisfy the black market for rhino horn. Adapting a reproduction technique used in horses, scientists used a southern white rhino egg and northern white rhino sperm to develop an embryo that they say has a strong chance of surviving to term. For fertilization, preserved semen from deceased northern white rhino males …
US Adds Solid 213,000 Jobs; Unemployment Up to 4%
U.S. employers kept up a brisk hiring pace in June by adding 213,000 jobs, a sign of confidence in the economy despite the start of a potentially punishing trade war with China. The job growth wasn’t enough to keep the unemployment rate from rising from 3.8 percent to 4 percent, the government said Friday. But the jobless rate rose for an encouraging reason: More people felt it was a good time to begin looking for a job, though not all of them immediately found one. The growing optimism that people can find work suggested that the 9-year old U.S. economic expansion — the second-longest on record — has the momentum to keep chugging along. Yet its path ahead is uncertain. Just hours before the monthly jobs report was released, the Trump administration imposed taxes on $34 billion in Chinese imports, and Beijing hit back with tariffs on the same amount of U.S. goods. “The tariffs jumble things about what we should expect to see in the next few months,” said Cathy Barrera, chief economist at ZipRecruiter, the online jobs marketplace. Some companies are likely to respond to the tariffs by putting their hiring plans on hold until the trade picture becomes clearer. Major U.S. stock indexes were mostly higher in early trading Friday after the jobs report was issued, keeping the market on track for a weekly gain after two weeks of losses. The June jobs data showed an economy that may be on the cusp of producing stronger pay …
WTO Urges Nations to Ease Trade Tensions
The World Trade Organization is urging nations to resolve trade tensions, warning that restrictive trade measures would have a harmful impact on the global economy. The group refuses to weigh in on what appears to be the start of a trade war between the United States and China, the world’s two biggest economies. China has reacted to Washington’s decision to slap 25 percent tariffs on $34 billion worth of Chinese goods by reciprocating in kind. While the Geneva-based WTO will not comment on specific actions, the organization’s director-general, Roberto Azevedo, has sent out a series of tweets warning nations against giving in to protectionist impulses. Azevedo says a new WTO monitoring report on trade measures enacted by the G-20 countries indicates a disturbing increase in trade restrictions by major economies. In his tweet, the WTO chief says recent developments show that more restrictive measures are on the way. His spokesman, Dan Pruzin, says Azevedo fears the deterioration in trade relations may be worse than previously anticipated and is likely to have very serious consequences. “The fallout from these measures is already being felt,” Pruzin said. “Companies are hesitating to invest, markets are getting jittery, some prices are rising. With further escalation, the effects would only grow in magnitude, hitting jobs and growth in the countries involved and sending economic shock waves around the world.” President Donald Trump has threatened that the United States might quit the WTO if it is not treated fairly. “I will just say that no U.S. …
India’s ‘Worst Water Crisis in History’ Leaves Millions Thirsty
Weak infrastructure and a national shortage have made water costly all over India, but Sushila Devi paid a higher price than most. It took the deaths of her husband and son to force authorities to supply it to the slum she calls home. “They died because of the water problem, nothing else,” said Devi, 40, as she recalled how a brawl over a water tanker carrying clean drinking water in March killed her two relatives and finally prompted the government to drill a tubewell. “Now things are better. But earlier … the water used to be rusty, we could not even wash our hands or feet with that kind of water,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in Delhi. India is “suffering from the worst water crisis in its history”, threatening hundreds of millions of lives and jeopardising economic growth, a government think-tank report said in June. From the northern Himalayas to the sandy, palm-fringed beaches in the south, 600 million people – nearly half India’s population – face acute water shortage, with close to 200,000 dying each year from polluted water. Residents like Devi queue daily with pipes, jerry cans and buckets in hand for water from tankers – a common lifeline for those without a safe, reliable municipal supply – often involving elbowing, pushing and punching. On the rare occasions water does flow from taps, it is often dirty, leading to disease, infection, disability and even death, experts say. “The water was like poison,” said Devi, who still …
Likely Impact of US-China Trade War: Prices Up, Growth Down
The world’s two biggest economies have fired the opening shots in a trade war that could have wide-ranging consequences for consumers, workers, companies, investors and political leaders. The United States slapped a 25 percent tax on $34 billion worth of Chinese imports starting Friday, and China is retaliating with taxes on an equal amount of U.S. products, including soybeans, pork and electric cars. The United States accuses China of using predatory tactics in a push to supplant U.S. technological dominance. The tactics include forcing American companies to hand over technology in exchange for access to the Chinese market, as well as outright cyber-theft. Trump’s tariffs are meant to pressure Beijing to reform its trade policies. Though the first exchange of tariffs is unlikely to inflict much economic harm on either nation, the damage could soon escalate. President Donald Trump, who has boasted that winning a trade war will be easy, said Thursday that he’s prepared to impose tariffs on up to $550 billion in Chinese imports — a figure that exceeds the $506 billion in goods that China actually shipped to the United States last year. Escalating tariffs would likely raise prices for consumers, inflate costs for companies that rely on imported parts, rattle financial markets, cause some layoffs and slow business investment as executives wait to see whether the Trump administration can reach a truce with Beijing. The damage would threaten to undo many of the economic benefits of last year’s tax cuts. A full-fledged trade war, economists at …
Ugandan Doctors Struggle to Provide Adequate Health Care
Uganda’s government has called the country’s doctors unprofessional, selfish, unpatriotic and enemies of the people, after they called for a sit-down strike in 2017 demanding better pay and improved working conditions. Halima Athumani spent a night at an Ugandan hospital and shows us the challenges doctors face. …
Scientists Working to Create Northern White Rhino Embryos
When Sudan, the last male northern white rhino, died in March, hopes for a revival of the sub-species were crushed. But as Sadie Witkowski explains, the magnificent creatures might not go the way of the dodo. …
Trump Tariffs Against China Take Effect
U.S. tariffs against Chinese imports took effect early Friday and President Donald Trump made clear Thursday that he is prepared to sharply escalate a trade war between the world’s two biggest economies. The administration started imposing tariffs at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time Friday on $34 billion worth of Chinese imports, a first step in what could become an accelerating series of tariffs. China has promised a swift retaliatory strike on an equal amount of U.S. goods. China responds Shortly after the tariffs took effect, China said it is “forced to make a necessary counterattack” to a U.S. tariff hike on billions of dollars of Chinese goods but gave no immediate details of possible retaliation. The Commerce Ministry on Friday criticized Washington for “trade bullying” following the tariff hike that took effect at noon Beijing time in a spiraling dispute over technology policy that companies worry could chill global economic growth. A ministry statement said, “the Chinese side promised not to fire the first shot, but to defend the core interests of the country and people, it is forced to make a necessary counterattack.” Beijing earlier released a list of American goods targeted for possible tariff hikes including soybeans, electric cars and whiskey. Hostilities could grow Trump discussed the trade war Thursday with journalists who flew with him to Montana for a campaign rally. The president said U.S. tariffs on an additional $16 billion in Chinese goods are set to take effect in two weeks. After that, the hostilities could …
NHC: Tropical Storm Beryl Could Become Hurricane by Saturday
Tropical Storm Beryl is strengthening over the tropical Atlantic and could become a hurricane by Friday or Saturday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Thursday. Beryl is about 1,295 miles (2,080 km) east-southeast of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea and contains maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour (85 km/h), the NHC said in its latest advisory. “The center of Beryl will remain east of the Lesser Antilles through Sunday,” the Miami-based weather forecaster added. …
US Border Authorities Find Invasive Beetles in Bag of Seeds
A woman traveling from Iraq to a Detroit-area airport was found to be carrying seeds infested with an invasive beetle. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says in a release Thursday that agriculture specialists discovered the Khapra beetles November 23 at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus. They were in a bag of seeds the woman planned to sow in her garden. The Khapra beetle is considered one of the world’s most destructive pests for stored grains, cereals and seeds. The Associated Press sent an email Thursday to border officials asking if the woman was fined or charged. Khapra beetles were found in January at Washington Dulles International Airport in rice brought from Saudi Arabia and in February at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in cow peas brought from Nigeria. …
Kenya’s Digital Taxi Services Paralyzed, Strike Enters 4th Day
Drivers of Kenya’s digital taxis shut down operations Monday in protest of what they term as exploitative corporate practices. They say the firms are charging low rates to their clients, yet imposing high commissions on the drivers, leading them to work longer hours with little pay. The Digital Taxi Association of Kenya, representing more than 2,000 digital taxi drivers, is in the fourth day of a protest that has seen drivers switch off their services, stalling transportation in the country. The drivers say client charges have reduced over time as more digital taxi apps enter the market, but their commissions to the taxi firms have remained the same. The drivers are demanding a review of their rates and working conditions. Through their association, they want the digital taxi services to double their client rates and reduce driver commissions to the companies so they can earn decent wages. “The fare itself, it has been very low from the word go,” said Anthony Maina, an Uber driver in Kenya. “The percentage after they get their commission, we get very little returns.” The main digital taxi services in Kenya are the American brand Uber and Estonian Taxify, as well as at least three others. Uber charges a 25 percent commission on each ride, while apps like Taxify charge 15 percent. The drivers want rates at least doubled per kilometer, and commissions slashed to 10 percent. Kenya Digital Taxi Services Director David Muteru is calling on Kenya’s Ministry of Transport to resolve the issue. …
New Treatments Give Hope To People With Brain Tumors
Republican Senator John McCain is perhaps the best known person with brain cancer. His is a glioblastoma, the most deadly type. The former presidential candidate announced the news last year. There’s no cure, and even with treatment, most people with this type of cancer don’t live longer than three years after the tumor is found. But scientists are experimenting with treatments that show promise. VOA’s Carol Pearson reports on some of the research that’s giving people with brain tumors new hope. …
Міжнародні резерви України впали нижче від 18 мільярдів доларів – НБУ
Міжнародні резерви України станом на 1 липня становили 17 мільярдів 978 мільйонів доларів США, за червень вони скоротилися більш як на відсоток у зв’язку зі здійсненням платежів за державним боргом, номінованим в іноземній валюті, повідомив Національний банк України 5 липня. За даними регулятора, понад 552 мільйони доларів були спрямовані на обслуговування та погашення за облігаціями внутрішньої державної позики (ОВДП), номінованими в іноземній валюті. Ще 162 мільйони доларів протягом червня уряд та НБУ сплатили на користь Міжнародного валютного фонду. Основним джерелом поповнення резервів у червні стали надходження на користь уряду від розміщення нових ОВДП, номінованих в іноземній валюті, у сумі понад 539 мільйони доларів. Купівля Національним банком валюти на міжбанківському ринку припинила бути головним джерелом поповнення резервів, яким була в минулі місяці. «З огляду на певне погіршення зовнішньої цінової кон’юнктури для товарів українського експорту і спад інтересів міжнародних інвесторів до ринків, що розвиваються, можливості Національного банку викуповувати надлишкову пропозицію іноземної валюти без тиску на обмінний курс гривні були обмежені», – вказано в повідомленні. Читайте також: Порошенко підписав закон про валюту Станом на 1 липня 2018 року обсяг міжнародних резервів покриває 3,2 місяця майбутнього імпорту і є достатнім для виконання зобов’язань України та поточних операцій уряду і НБУ. …
Illegal Cigarette Trade Costing S. Africa $510 mln a Year
South Africa has become one of the biggest markets for illegal cigarette sales and is losing out on 7 billion rand ($514 million) a year in potential tax revenue, a report funded by a tobacco industry group said on Thursday. The study carried out by Ipsos found illegal cigarette trade spiked between 2014 and 2017 after a probe into the underground industry was dropped by the South African Revenue Service (SARS) under suspended commissioner Tom Moyane. Moyane, an ally of former President Jacob Zuma, is the main focus of an ongoing SARS commission of inquiry over allegations of widespread corruption at the tax agency under his watch. He denies any wrongdoing. Former head of enforcement at SARS, Gene Ravele, told the inquiry last week the decision to drop the investigation into illegal tobacco trade was intended to let it continue. “After I left [in 2015], there was no inspections at cigarette factories. It was planned,” said Ravele. A packet of cigarettes should incur a minimum tax of 17.85 rand ($1.31), yet packs are sold on the black market for as little as 5 rand as manufacturers dodge official sales channels to avoid paying tax, the Ipsos study found. Three-quarters of all South Africa’s informal vendors — totaling 100,000 — sell illegal cigarettes in an industry that was worth 15 billion rand ($1.10 billion) over the last three years, the report said. “Independent superettes, corner cafes and general dealers are the key channels for ultra-cheap brands, with hawkers providing a key entry point, …
Merkel Would Back Cutting EU Tariffs on US Car Imports
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday she would back lowering European Union tariffs on U.S. car imports, responding to an offer from Washington to abandon threatened levies on European cars in return for concessions. “When we want to negotiate tariffs, on cars for example, we need a common European position and we are still working on it,” Merkel said. U.S. President Donald Trump threatened last month to impose a 20-percent import tariff on all EU-assembled vehicles, which could upend the industry’s current business model for selling cars in the United States. According to an industry source, the U.S. ambassador to Germany told German car bosses from BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen at a meeting on Wednesday that Trump could abandon such threats if the EU scrapped duties on U.S. cars imported into the bloc. Merkel said any move to cut tariffs on U.S. vehicles would require reductions on those imported from other countries to conform with World Trade Organization rules. “I would be ready to support negotiations on reducing tariffs, but we would not be able to do this only with the U.S.,” she said. German automotive trade body VDA said any suggestions about mutually removing tariffs and other trade barriers were positive signals. “But it is clear that the negotiations are exclusively being held at a political level,” it said in a statement. Current U.S. import tariff rates on cars are 2.5 percent and on trucks 25 percent. The EU has a 10 percent levy on car imports from …
«Газпром» маніпулює – «Нафтогаз» про рішення суду у Швейцарії
Національна акціонерна компанія «Нафтогаз України» заявила 5 липня, що російський «Газпром» «свідомо маніпулює словами і підмінює поняття», коли твердить, що арешт активів «Північних потоків» у Швейцарії не відновлений. «Вищий суд швейцарського кантону Цуґ призупинив дію рішення місцевого органу зі стягнення боргів про виключення акцій Nord Stream AG та Nord Stream 2 AG з переліку арештованого майна. Фактично рішення суду означає відновлення арешту на період як мінімум до моменту прийняття судом рішення щодо скарги Нафтогазу на рішення органу зі стягнення боргів», – вказує «Нафтогаз» у мережі Twitter. Згодом українська компанія додатково розтлумачила рішення так, як вона його розуміє. «Блумберг: Газпром каже, що акції Північних потоків повернули до переліку заарештованих активів тимчасово. Пояснюємо: 1. Суд наклав арешт. 2. Виконавча служба викреслила акції з переліку арештованого майна, бо «Газпром» сказав, що «ихтамнет». 3. Вищий суд скасував п.2. Повернулися до п. 1», – додали в «Нафтогазі». Кількома годинами раніше 5 липня в «Газпромі» вказали, що «заява «Нафтогазу України» про те, що суд кантону Цуґ (Швейцарія) поновив арешт акцій Nord Stream AG і Nord Stream 2 AG, не відповідає дійсності». За даними «Газпрому», швейцарський суд 29 червня 2018 року призупинив дію виключення акцій Nord Stream AG і Nord Stream 2 AG зі складених приставами сертифікатів про накладення забезпечувальних заходів на активи «Газпрому» в цих компаніях. «Виняток щодо акцій призупинений на термін розгляду заяви «Нафтогазу України» про оскарження дій судових приставів», – вказувала з посиланням на «Газпром» російська державна агенція економічної інформації «Прайм». Вищий суд швейцарського кантону Цуґ відновив арешт акцій Nord Stream AG та Nord …
Unemployment Among Saudis Hits Record 12.9 %
Unemployment among Saudi citizens edged up to a record 12.9 percent in the first quarter of this year as private employers struggled under the weight of a new tax and a domestic fuel price hike, official data showed on Thursday. The figures underlined the difficulties which the government faces as it pushes through reforms to reduce the economy’s reliance on oil exports. The reforms aim to develop non-oil industries and create jobs, but they also involve austerity steps to close a big state budget deficit; a 5 percent value-added tax was imposed at the start of 2018. The austerity is hurting many private companies. The first-quarter unemployment rate was the highest recorded by the official statistics agency in data going back to 1999. It exceeded the 12.8 percent level which had prevailed for the previous three quarters. Authorities are keen to lure more Saudis, especially Saudi women, into the labor force to make the economy more efficient and reduce the government’s financial burden. The latest data showed little progress in that area, however, with the number of Saudi job seekers falling to 1.07 million in the first quarter from 1.09 million in the previous quarter, even as the number of employed Saudis also declined. The figures revealed a continued exodus of hundreds of thousands of foreign workers from Saudi Arabia because of the weak economy and hikes in fees which companies must pay the government to hire expatriates. The number of foreigners employed in the kingdom shrank to 10.18 million …
Unemployment Among Saudis Hits Record 12.9 % as Private Firms Struggle
Unemployment among Saudi citizens edged up to a record 12.9 percent in the first quarter of this year as private employers struggled under the weight of a new tax and a domestic fuel price hike, official data showed on Thursday. The figures underlined the difficulties which the government faces as it pushes through reforms to reduce the economy’s reliance on oil exports. The reforms aim to develop non-oil industries and create jobs, but they also involve austerity steps to close a big state budget deficit; a 5 percent value-added tax was imposed at the start of 2018. The austerity is hurting many private companies. The first-quarter unemployment rate was the highest recorded by the official statistics agency in data going back to 1999. It exceeded the 12.8 percent level which had prevailed for the previous three quarters. Authorities are keen to lure more Saudis, especially Saudi women, into the labor force to make the economy more efficient and reduce the government’s financial burden. The latest data showed little progress in that area, however, with the number of Saudi job seekers falling to 1.07 million in the first quarter from 1.09 million in the previous quarter, even as the number of employed Saudis also declined. The figures revealed a continued exodus of hundreds of thousands of foreign workers from Saudi Arabia because of the weak economy and hikes in fees which companies must pay the government to hire expatriates. The number of foreigners employed in the kingdom shrank to 10.18 million …
Ford Says No Plans for Now to Hike China Prices
U.S. car maker Ford Motor Co said on Thursday it has no plans currently to hike retail prices of its imported Ford and Lincoln models in China, despite steep additional tariffs on imported U.S. vehicles set to come into play on Friday. The firm, which has been facing sluggish sales in the world’s largest auto market, said in a statement “it has no current plans to increase the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) on its import line-up in China.” Ford is the first foreign automaker to address pricing issues ahead of the new tariffs that will affect around $34 billion of U.S. imports from soybeans and cars to lobsters. China, which just days ago cut tariffs on all imported automobiles, has said that it will slap an additional 25 percent levy on 545 American products, including U.S.-made cars, should the Trump administration go ahead with plans to implement tariffs on $34 billion of Chinese imports from July 6. Ford added it encouraged Washington and Beijing to resolve their issues over trade and that it would “continue to monitor the situation as it evolves.” …
Scientists Harvest Drinking Water from Desert Air
Scientists have developed a way to harvest water from dry desert air and the only power the device needs is sunlight. It could be useful in an increasingly water-stressed world. VOA’s Steve Baragona has more. …
Investors Nervous Ahead of July 6 Deadline for US Tariffs Against China
Trade rhetoric is spilling into the real world of jobs and consumer goods. The United States is set to impose tariffs on $34 billion worth of goods from China on July 6. Beijing is fighting back with its own $34 billion of tariffs on American goods. As VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports, investors are understandably on edge. …
3D Printing Used to Make Synthetic Bones for Grafts
Orthopedic surgery can be tricky. So, researchers at Northwestern University are engineering new materials to make 3D printed bones that are a perfect match, ready for grafts. Faith Lapidus reports. …
Canadian Heat Wave Leaves at Least 17 Dead
Six more people have died in Montreal due to a heat wave, bringing to 12 the city’s total death toll from the extreme weather conditions that have gripped central and eastern Canada, health officials said on Wednesday. Montreal previously raised the city’s response level to “intervention” from “alert” after a spike in heat-related calls to the government’s health information line and for ambulances. David Kaiser, a physician at Montreal’s Public Health Department, said most of the victims lived alone and none had access to air conditioning. Separately, five people died in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, which health officials said could be linked to heat. Canadian Weather issued a heat warning for southern Quebec, which includes Montreal. The advisory was expected to be in place until Thursday. Heat warnings were also issued for much of Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Montreal reached a high of 34 degrees Celsius (93 degrees Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, a peak that is expected to continue on Thursday, before cooling to 24 degrees Celsius on Friday. According to Canadian Weather’s advisory, humidex values in southern Quebec will reach near 40 on Wednesday, but conditions will grow “even more uncomfortable” on Thursday, when humidex values reach 43. Humidex, or the humidity index, expresses how temperatures feel when incorporating the effect of humidity. In a statement issued on Wednesday, Montreal’s emergency services reported over 1,200 calls per day related to the heat, which represents 30 percent more than its busiest days. Montrealers were urged not to dial 911 for …
US Offers German Automakers Solution to Trade Spat, Report Says
United States Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell reportedly told German auto makers Wednesday the U.S. would back off threats of tariffs on European car imports in exchange for the European Union’s elimination of duties on U.S. cars. The German newspaper Handelsblatt reported Grenell told BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen executives of the proposal during a meeting Wednesday at the embassy in Berlin. Daimler and Volkswagen declined to comment and BMW was not immediately available for comment, the report said. The reported proposal comes after the European Union warned U.S. President Donald Trump last Friday the potential indirect costs of imposing tariffs on cars could amount to $294 billion. The EU report, submitted to the U.S. Commerce Department, maintained the tariffs would disrupt cross-border supply chains in the automotive industry. The report said the tariffs could possibly trigger higher U.S. industrial costs, raise consumer prices, hurt exports and cost jobs. The World Trade Organization said Wednesday trade barriers being set by world economic powers could jeopardize the global economic recovery. “This continued escalation poses a serious threat to growth and recovery in all countries, and we are beginning to see this reflected in some forward-looking indicators,” WTO Director General Roberto Azevendo said. Azevendo did not expound on his remarks, but the WTO’s quarter trade outlook indicator in May suggested trade growth in the second quarter would decelerate. …