Iranian crude oil imports by Asia’s top four buyers dropped to the lowest volume in three years in 2018 amid U.S. sanctions on Tehran, but China and India stepped up imports in December after getting waivers from Washington. Asia’s top four buyers of Iranian crude — China, India, Japan and South Korea — imported a total 1.31 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2018, down 21 percent from the previous year, data from the countries showed. That was the lowest since about 1 million bpd in 2015, when a previous round of sanctions on Iran led to a sharp drop in Asian imports, Reuters data showed. The United States reimposed sanctions on Iran’s oil exports last November as it wants to negotiate a new nuclear deal with the country. U.S. officials have said they intend to reduce the Islamic Republic’s oil exports to zero. On a monthly basis, Asia’s imports from Iran rebounded to a three-month high of 761,593 bpd in December as China and India stepped up purchases after Washington granted eight countries waivers from the Iranian sanctions for 180 days from the start of November. “We expect Iranian exports to Asia to remain stable at around 800,000 barrels per day until May, when the waivers expire,” said Energy Aspects analyst Riccardo Fabiani. In December, China’s imports climbed above 500,000 bpd for the first time in three months, while India’s imports rose above 302,000 bpd. Japan and South Korea did not import any Iranian crude that month because they …
US Researchers Looking For Long Lasting Ebola Vaccine
The World Health Organization reports that more than 700 people have been sickened with Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo. And now, neighboring countries of South Sudan and Rwanda are bracing for the virus to spread. But, half a world away, U.S. researchers are hoping to develop a new, long-lasting vaccine against Ebola. VOA’s Carol Pearson has more. …
Nearly Half of US Adults Have Heart or Blood Vessel Disease
A new report estimates that nearly half of all U.S. adults have some form of heart or blood vessel disease, a medical milestone that’s mostly due to recent guidelines that expanded how many people have high blood pressure. The American Heart Association said Thursday that more than 121 million adults had cardiovascular disease in 2016. Taking out those with only high blood pressure leaves 24 million, or 9 percent of adults, who have other forms of disease such as heart failure or clogged arteries. Measuring the burden of diseases shows areas that need to improve, the heart association’s chief science and medical officer, Dr. Mariell Jessup, said in a statement. High blood pressure, which had long been defined as a top reading of at least 140 or a bottom one of 90, dropped to 130 over 80 under guidelines adopted in 2017. It raises the risk for heart attacks, strokes and many other problems, and only about half of those with the condition have it under control. Being diagnosed with high blood pressure doesn’t necessarily mean you need medication right away; the first step is aiming for a healthier lifestyle, even for those who are prescribed medicine. Poor diets, lack of exercise and other bad habits cause 90 percent of high blood pressure. The report is an annual statistics update by the heart association, the National Institutes of Health and others. Other highlights: Heart and blood vessel disease is linked to 1 of …
Ghirardelli, Russel Stover Fined over Chocolate Packaging
Ghirardelli and Russell Stover have agreed to pay $750,000 in fines after prosecutors in California said they offered a little chocolate in a lot of wrapping. Prosecutors in Sacramento, San Joaquin, Shasta, Fresno, Santa Cruz and Yolo counties sued the candy makers, alleging they misled consumers by selling chocolate products in containers that were oversized or “predominantly empty.” Prosecutors also alleged that Ghirardelli offered one chocolate product containing less cocoa than advertised. The firms didn’t acknowledge any wrongdoing but agreed to change their packaging under a settlement approved earlier this month. Some packages will shrink or will have a transparent window so consumers can look inside. San Francisco-based Ghirardelli and Kansas City-based Russell Stover are owned by a Swiss company, Lindt & Sprungli. …
Trump Order Asks Federal Fund Recipients to Buy US Goods
President Donald Trump will sign an executive order Thursday pushing those who receive federal funds to “buy American.” The aim is to boost U.S. manufacturing. Peter Navarro, director of the White House National Trade Council, told reporters during a telephone briefing the policies are helping workers who “are blue collar, Trump people.” Later he amended that, saying he “every American is a Trump person” because Trump’s economic policies affect everyone. Navarro said the order would affect federal financial assistance, which includes everything from loans and grants to insurance and interest subsidies. He says some 30 federal agencies award over $700 billion in such aid each year. Recipients working on projects like bridges and sewer systems will be encouraged to use American products. …
WHO: Cervical Cancer Preventable, Can Be Eliminated
Ahead of World Cancer Day (February 4), the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for accelerated action to eliminate cervical cancer, a preventable disease that kills more than 300,000 women every year. Cervical cancer ranks among leading causes of death for women worldwide. Nine in 10 deaths occur in poor and middle-income countries. The disease is caused by the human papillomavirus and is transmitted through sexual contact. The WHO says cervical cancer can be cured if the infection is diagnosed and treated at an early stage. But, as with some ailments in life, prevention is the best cure. And, in the case of cervical cancer, an effective vaccine is available that can prevent the disease when given to girls between the ages of nine and 14. The WHO’s Immunization Program technical officer, Paul Bloem, says the vaccine is widely administered in rich countries. While countries with the highest burden of cervical cancer in Africa and Asia are lagging behind, he says progress is being made. “In countries, such as Rwanda, a trailblazer in Africa, that reaches over 90 percent since five, six years. Bhutan, that reaches also 90 percent of its girls. Malaysia, that reaches 97 percent of its girls. So, there are some extremely good examples that show that this vaccine is accepted and can be delivered in low-income settings,” he said. Bloem says four countries in Africa – Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Senegal – introduced the vaccine last year. He says 11 more countries in Africa …
Survey: 2018 ‘Worst Year Ever’ for Smartphone Market
Global smartphone sales saw their worst contraction ever in 2018, and the outlook for 2019 isn’t much better, new surveys show. Worldwide handset volumes declined 4.1 percent in 2018 to a total of 1.4 billion units shipped for the full year, according to research firm IDC, which sees a potential for further declines this year. “Globally the smartphone market is a mess right now,” said IDC analyst Ryan Reith. “Outside of a handful of high-growth markets like India, Indonesia, (South) Korea and Vietnam, we did not see a lot of positive activity in 2018.” Reith said the market has been hit by consumers waiting longer to replace their phones, frustration around the high cost of premium devices, and political and economic uncertainty. The Chinese market, which accounts for roughly 30 percent of smartphone sales, was especially hard hit with a 10 percent drop, according to IDC’s survey, which was released Wednesday. IDC said the top five smartphone makers have become stronger and now account for 69 percent of worldwide sales, up from 63 percent a year ago. Samsung remained the number one handset maker with a 20.8 percent share despite an eight percent sales slump for the year, IDC said. Apple managed to recapture the number two position with a 14.9 percent market share, moving ahead of Huawei at 14.7 percent, the survey found. IDC said fourth-quarter smartphone sales fell 4.9 percent – the fifth consecutive quarter of decline. “The challenging holiday quarter closes out the worst year ever for …
Slowing Economy Hangs Over Chinese New Year Holiday
As millions make the trek home in China to celebrate the Lunar New Year Holiday, news about layoffs at big companies, the slowing economy and the rising cost of goods has added a layer of uncertainty at a time that is typically marked by festivity. In 2018, China’s economy grew at its slowest rate in 28 years and some employers are warning of “tough times” and talking about “surviving” at year-end banquets. On top of that, the U.S.-China trade dispute and tariffs has added to the uncertainty and downward pressure on the broader economy. On the streets in Beijing, most people that VOA spoke with were still hopeful the situation would improve but nervous as well. Li Xu, who runs an Internet music startup, said there’s not much one can do but find ways to adapt and create new opportunities. “Everyone can see what’s happening. Online businesses rely on money and investors are very cautious now,” Li said. To adapt, he said his company is “cutting promotion costs, squeezing the cost of personnel and office rent.” Tech anxiety Another tech worker voiced similar concerns, calling the situation serious. “The overall environment for online businesses is not good. In addition to competition, the industry is taking a downturn and many big Internet companies are making cutbacks,” he said. The tech worker, surnamed Wang, who works for a small online advertising agency, said the company he works for has not seen any layoffs so far. Others have not been as lucky. In …
Державна агенція із закупівлі ліків оголосила перші тендери – МОЗ
Державне підприємство «Медичні закупівлі», яке має перебрати на себе повноваження із закупівель ліків та медичних виробів у міжнародних організацій, оголосило перші тендери, повідомляє Міністерство охорони здоров’я на своєму сайті. За цією інформацією, йдеться про закупівлі ліків від супутніх інфекцій при ВІЛ та побічних реакцій від терапії, а також медичних респіраторів у межах програм Глобального фонду. «У цілому у 2019 році «Медичні закупівлі України» мають не лише провести десятки тендерів, а й застосувати нові інструменти закупівель. Наприклад, електронні каталоги (е-каталоги), що дозволять замовникам, в першу чергу – невеликим регіональним медичним закладам, – швидко і зручно замовляти типові препарати і вироби за принципом інтернет-магазину», – мовиться у повідомленні. Міністерство охорони здоров’я України в 2015 році передало міжнародним організаціям ПРООН, ЮНІСЕФ та компанії Crown Agents право проводити державні закупівлі медичних препаратів. Це, насамперед, ліки з онкології, ВІЛ/СНІДу, туберкульозу, гепатиту, дитячої гемофілії і вакцинації. Читайте також: Від міжнародних організацій – до нацагенції: як відбувається і як зміниться закупівля ліків в Україні Потім цю функцію мала перебрати новостворена держагенція із 2019-го, але врешті було ухвалено рішення відтермінувати її офіційний запуск. МОЗ обіцяє запустити повноцінну роботу національної агенції із закупівель ліків із наступного року, а нинішній рік має стати перехідним. …
Protecting Pollinators is Crucial to Food Production
Scientists in Kenya are warning that poor agricultural practices and climate change are decimating bees and other vital pollinators. The U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), says about $575 billion worth of annual global food production relies directly on pollinators. VOA’s Mariama Diallo reports. …
Need for Speed: Carts on Rails Help Manila’s Commuters Dodge Gridlock
Thousands of commuters flock to Manila’s railway tracks every day, but rather than boarding the trains, they climb on to wooden carts pushed along the tracks, to avoid the Philippine capital’s infamous traffic gridlock. The trolleys, as the carts are known, most of them fitted with colorful umbrellas for shade from the sun, can seat up to 10 people each, who pay as little as 20 U.S. cents per ride, cheaper than most train rides. “I do this because it gives us money that’s easy to earn,” said Reynaldo Diaz, 40, who is one of more than 100 operators, also known as “trolley boys,” who push the carts along the 28-km (17-mile) track, most wearing flimsy flip-flops on their feet. “It’s better than stealing from others,” said Diaz, adding that he earned around $10 a day, just enough for his family to get by. A trolley boy since he was 17, he lives in a makeshift shelter beside the track with his two sons. Diaz said the trolley boys were just “borrowing” the track from the Philippine National Railways, but the state-owned train company has moved to halt the trolley service after the media drew attention to its dangers recently. The risk arises because those pushing and riding the trolleys have to watch out for the trains to avoid collisions. “Of course we get scared of the trains,” said Jun Albeza, 32, who has been a trolley boy for four years after he was laid off from plumbing and construction …
Lawmakers Attempt to Rein in President’s Tariff Power
U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday introduced legislation to limit the president’s power to levy import tariffs for national security reasons. The bills face an uncertain future but underscore bipartisan concerns on Capitol Hill over the rising costs of the Trump administration’s trade policies. The United States in 2018 slapped duties on aluminum and steel from other countries, drawing criticism from lawmakers who support free trade and complaints of rising supply chain costs across business sectors. Two bipartisan groups of lawmakers Wednesday introduced legislation known as the Bicameral Congressional Trade Authority Act in the Senate and the House of Representatives. The bills would require Trump to have congressional approval before taking trade actions like tariffs and quotas under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. The law currently allows the president to impose such tariffs without approval from Capitol Hill. “The imposition of these taxes, under the false pretense of national security (Section 232), is weakening our economy, threatening American jobs, and eroding our credibility with other nations,” said Republican Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, co-sponsor of the Senate bill. Toomey led a similar push last year that did not go to a vote. It is unclear that Congress would consider taking up such legislation now. Still, the bills underscore mounting pressure from lawmakers to address concerns over tariffs, especially those on Canada and Mexico as lawmakers prepare to vote on a new North American trade deal agreed to late last year. Republican Chuck Grassley from Iowa, chairman of the …
Extreme Cold Causes Misery Across US
Hundreds of millions of Americans spent Wednesday seeking relief from some of the coldest weather ever recorded in the continental United States. Officials said temperatures were below the freezing mark in 85 percent of the country, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. Chicago recorded a low temperature of about minus 23 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 30 Celsius) — not a record, but close to it. Minneapolis recorded minus 27 F (minus 32 C). In Sioux Falls, S.D., the mercury dropped to minus 25 F (minus 31 C). Wind chills reportedly made it feel like minus 50 F (minus 45 C) or worse in several parts of the Midwest. Downtown Chicago streets were largely deserted after most offices told employees to stay home. Trains and buses operated with few passengers; engineers set fires along tracks to keep commuter trains moving. The hardiest commuters ventured out only after covering nearly every square inch of flesh to protect against the extreme chill, which froze ice crystals on eyelashes and eyebrows in minutes. The city used transit buses, with nurses on board, as emergency warming centers for the homeless. Doctors in Minneapolis said they were treating cases of what they called fourth-degree frostbite, in which limbs are frostbitten down to the bone. Mail carriers, known for making deliveries through rain, sleet and snow, draw the line at life-threatening cold. The U.S. Postal Service canceled mail service in parts of 11 states Wednesday. With nine weather-related deaths reported so far, the cold was spreading east into New England …
Trump Organization to Use E-Verify for Worker Status Checks
The Trump Organization, responding to claims that some of its workers were in the U.S. illegally, said on Wednesday that it will use the E-Verify electronic system at all of its properties to check employees’ documentation. A lawyer for a dozen immigrant workers at the Trump National Golf Club in New York’s Westchester County said recently that they were fired on Jan. 18. He said many had worked there for a dozen or more years. Workers at another Trump club in Bedminster, New Jersey, came forward last month to allege managers there had hired them knowing they were in the country illegally. “We are actively engaged in uniforming this process across our properties and will institute E-verify at any property not currently utilizing this system,” Eric Trump, executive vice president of the Trump Organization, said in a statement provided to The Associated Press. “As a company we take this obligation very seriously and when faced with a situation in which an employee has presented false and fraudulent documentation, we will take appropriate action.” “I must say, for me personally, this whole thing is truly heartbreaking,” he added. “Our employees are like family but when presented with fake documents, an employer has little choice.” Launched in 1996, the E-Verify system allows employers to check documentation submitted by job applicants with records at the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to see whether they are authorized to work. During his presidential campaign, Republican Donald Trump called for all employers …
Brazil’s Fight Against Urban Slavery Getting Harder
A surge in cases of urban slavery in Brazil brings new challenges for prosecutors and labor inspectors, top government officials said on Wednesday. Last year 523 workers were found in slavery-like conditions during labor inspections in Brazilian cities, about 225 more than in 2017, government data released Friday shows. “We found that there is fragmentation happening. Instead of one big sweatshop with 20, or 30 people, we now have many, with four of five, usually family owned,” said Maurício Krepsky, head of the Division for Inspection and Eradication of Slave Labor. The change makes detection harder, Krepsky said. Last year 42 workers were rescued from slavery-like conditions in sweatshops in São Paulo. Urban slavery on the move The country has the world’s fourth-largest garment production industry, with 1.5 million direct employees. In Brazil, the textile industry is fragmented and informal, with thousands of immigrant subcontractors from Bolivia and Paraguay sewing clothes in small shops — some of them sweatshops — for well-known national retailers. “Working conditions in Bolivia manage to be worse than those in Brazil, so they are very easily groomed (by traffickers),” said labor prosecutor-general Ronaldo Fleury. Rural enslavement is still more common — 1,200 people were found in slavery-like conditions in rural areas last year — but there are added complexities for cases in cities. Victims in rural areas usually stay in one place, while urban victims can be moved around quickly, or may even be mobile themselves, as investigators found in 2018. “To me that is …
Siberian Cave Findings Shed Light on Extinct Human Species
Scientists using sophisticated techniques to determine the age of bone fragments, teeth and artifacts unearthed in a Siberian cave have provided new insight into a mysterious extinct human species that may have been more advanced than previously known. Research published Wednesday shed light on the species called Denisovans, known only from scrappy remains from Denisova Cave in the foothills of the Altai Mountains in Russia. While still enigmatic, they left a genetic mark on our species, Homo sapiens, particularly among indigenous populations in Papua New Guinea and Australia that retain a small but significant percentage of Denisovan DNA, evidence of past interbreeding between the species. Fossils and DNA traces demonstrated Denisovans were present in the cave from at least 200,000 to 50,000 years ago, and Neanderthals, a closely related extinct human species, were present there between 200,000 and 80,000 years ago, the new research found. Stone tools indicated one or both species may have occupied the cave starting 300,000 years ago. Scientists last year described a Denisova Cave bone fragment of a girl whose mother was a Neanderthal and father a Denisovan, evidence of interbreeding. The girl, nicknamed “Denny,” lived around 100,000 years ago, the new research showed. Pendants made of animal teeth and bone points from the cave were determined to be between 43,000 and 49,000 years old. They may have been crafted by Denisovans, suggesting a degree of intellectual sophistication. “Traditionally these objects are associated in Western Europe with the expansion of our species, and are seen as hallmarks of …
Study: E-cigs Beat Patches, Gums in Helping Smokers Quit
A major new study provides the strongest evidence yet that vaping can help smokers quit cigarettes, with e-cigarettes proving nearly twice as effective as nicotine gums and patches. The British research, published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, could influence what doctors tell their patients and shape the debate in the U.S., where the Food and Drug Administration has come under pressure to more tightly regulate the burgeoning industry amid a surge in teenage vaping. “We know that patients are asking about e-cigarettes and many doctors haven’t been sure what to say,” said Dr. Nancy Rigotti, a tobacco treatment specialist at Harvard Medical School who was not involved in the study. “I think they now have more evidence to endorse e-cigarettes.” At the same time, Rigotti and other experts cautioned that no vaping products have been approved in the U.S. to help smokers quit. Top cause of preventable death Smoking is the No. 1 cause of preventable death worldwide, blamed for nearly 6 million deaths a year. Quitting is notoriously difficult, even with decades-old nicotine aids and newer prescription drugs. More than 55 percent of U.S. smokers try to quit each year, and only about 7 percent succeed, according to government figures. Electronic cigarettes, which have been available in the U.S. since about 2007 and have grown into a $6.6 billion-a-year industry, are battery-powered devices that typically heat a flavored nicotine solution into an inhalable vapor. Most experts agree the vapor is less harmful …
Three US States Win Settlement for Oil Spills
U.S.-based Sunoco Pipelines has agreed to pay hefty fines and make procedural changes after it was found in violation of state and federal environmental laws in connection to oil spills in three states. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state regulators in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma said Sunoco Pipelines and its Louisiana partner Mid-Valley Pipeline Company have agreed to make amends for the spills that occurred in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Sunoco has also agreed to take additional steps to prevent and detect corrosion in its pipeline segments, including in the ones no longer in use by the company. “This excellent result shows how a strong federal and state partnership can bring about effective environmental enforcement to protect local communities in these states,” said Jeffrey Bossert Clark of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. The fines of more than $5 million will be used to restore waterway shorelines when disasters strike, including other oil spills. “Our nation relies on the oil and gas sector to meet our energy needs, and we also expect companies to do so while protecting our vital water resources,” said EPA Regional Administrator Ann Idsal. “Companies who violate this responsibility must face consequences and assure their future compliance.” …
Drought Threatens Thousands of Flamingo Chicks in S. Africa
Rescuers are moving hundreds of dehydrated lesser flamingo chicks from their breeding ground at a drought-stricken South African dam to a bird sanctuary in Cape Town, to save them from death by starvation and lack of water. Their birthplace, Kamfers Dam in the Northern Cape, is one of only three breeding grounds for the famously pink birds in southern Africa, the other two being in Namibia and Botswana, according to researcher Katta Ludynia. The rescued chicks take three to four months to fledge, and it is not yet clear whether they will eventually be released back into the wild in Cape Town or transported back hundreds of kilometers to their home in Kimberley, she said. “There are still several thousand birds breeding in the dam in areas that still have water,” said Katta Ludynia, research manager at the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB). “It now depends on the water levels whether these birds will pull through.” Ludynia said the sanctuary was caring for around 550 chicks, most of them dehydrated when they arrived Monday after having been abandoned by parents who went off in search of food. The chicks are being moved to the sanctuary by plane and road. SANCCOB is one of several centers across South Africa caring for around 2,000 chicks that were rescued from the dam. Although it hosts the biggest population of lesser flamingoes in southern Africa, Kamfers Dam, north of Kimberley, is often dry and depends mainly on rainwater. It also gets some water from …
Біржі США зросли після рішення ФРС не збільшувати облікову ставку
Американський фондовий ринок позитивно відреагував на рішення Федеральної резервної системи не підвищувати ключову ставку, яка є орієнтиром для кредитування в усій економіці США. Індекс S&P 500 додав близько 1,5%, індекс Dow Jones зріс у межах 2%. «З огляду на глобальні економічні та фінансові події, а також на інфляційний тиск, комітет виявить терпіння, визначаючи в майбутньому коригування цільового діапазону ставки по федеральних фондах», – ідеться в комюніке, оприлюдненому за підсумками засідання 30 січня Федеральною резервною системою, яка в США виконує функції центробанку. Нині облікова ставка у США становить від 2,25 до 2,5%. …
A Virtual Human Teaches Negotiating Skills
Whether it’s haggling for a better price or negotiating for a higher salary, there is a skill to getting the most of what you want. Researchers at the University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies are conducting research on how a virtual negotiator may be able to teach you the art of making a good deal. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee has the details. …
Egypt Sentences Senior Official to 12 Years Over Corruption
An Egyptian court has sentenced the deputy governor of the country’s second-largest city to 12 years in prison on corruption charges. The Cairo criminal court also sentenced Souad el-Kholy, deputy governor of the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, to a one-year suspended sentence for bribery, profiteering and squandering public funds on Wednesday. The court acquitted five local businessmen in the same case. El-Kholy can appeal the verdict against her. She became Alexandria’s deputy governor in 2015 and was arrested two years later, in October 2017, in a case linked to illegal seizures of state land, illegal construction and building violations. She is the most senior female official to be arrested on corruption charges. Alexandria is notorious for illegal construction and demolition of historical buildings to make way for high-rise apartment towers. …
Japan’s Nikkei: Ghosn Says Arrest Due to Plot Within Nissan
Nissan’s former chairman Carlos Ghosn, in his first interview since his arrest in November, blamed fellow executives opposed to forging closer ties with the automaker’s French alliance partner Renault for scheming against him, the Japanese newspaper Nikkei reported Wednesday. The financial daily said it spoke with Ghosn for 20 minutes earlier in the day at the Tokyo Detention Center, where the 64-year-old star executive has been held since Nov. 19. Earlier, Ghosn only was allowed visits by his lawyers and embassy officials. Prosecutors have charged Ghosn with falsifying financial reports in under-reporting his compensation. He has also been indicted on charges of breach of trust related to his handling of investment losses and to payments made to a Saudi businessman. In the interview, Ghosn reiterated that he is innocent and said others in the company schemed to force him out with a “plot and treason.” “People translated strong leadership to (mean) dictator, to distort reality,” he told the Nikkei. It was for the “purpose of getting rid of me,” he was quoted as saying. Nissan Motor Co. defended itself, saying prosecutors took action following an internal investigation set off by whistleblowers in the company. “The sole cause of this chain of events is the misconduct led by Ghosn and Kelly,” company spokesman Nicholas Maxfield said. He was referring to Greg Kelly, another executive who has been charged with collaborating with Ghosn in underreporting his compensation. Kelly was released on bail last month and remains in Tokyo. French government spokesman Benjamin …
US, China Begin Second Round of Trade, Economic Talks
Negotiators from China and the United States are meeting in Washington Wednesday for a second round of negotiations aimed at resolving the ongoing trade war between the economic superpowers. Chinese Vice Premier Liu He and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will lead their respective delegations in two days of discussions over Washington’s long-standing complaints that Beijing forces U.S. companies to transfer their technology advances to Chinese firms and that it limits access to China’s vast market. But Monday’s indictment by U.S. prosecutors of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technologies, threatens to overshadow the new round of talks. The indictment alleges Meng, Huawei and the company’s affiliates conspired to violate U.S. sanctions on Iran and deceived financial institutions and the U.S. government of their activities. China is angered over Meng’s arrest in Vancouver by Canadian authorities on December 1 for extradition to the United States. The trade talks are the result of an agreement last month between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to stop the tit-for-tat tariff conflict between the two countries for 90 days starting on New Year’s Day. The Trump administration has imposed punitive tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese imports to compel Beijing to changes its trading practices, prompting Beijing to retaliate with its own tariff increases on $110 billion of U.S. exports. If a deal is not reached by March 2, U.S tariffs will rise from 10 percent to 25 percent. …