Міжвідомча комісія з міжнародної торгівлі 21 травня ухвалила рішення про введення антидемпінгових мит на імпорт в Україну цементних клінкерів та портландцементу з Росії, Білорусі та Молдови. «МКМТ встановила наявність демпінгового імпорту з цих країн протягом 2015-2018 років. Водночас, частки імпорту цементних клінкерів та портландцементу з РФ, Білорусі та Молдова у загальному обсязі імпорту цих товарів в Україну протягом усього періоду дослідження постійно зростали, що свідчить про намір подальшого збільшення обсягів демпінгового імпорту з цих країн», – мовиться у повідомленні міністерства економічного розвитку. МКМТ водить мито у розмірі 114,95% з товару походженням з Росії; 57,03% – з Білорусі; 94,46% – з Молдови. Мито стягуватиметься протягом п’яти років. Раніше Кабінет міністрів України повідомив про запровадження ембарго на російський цемент та фанеру. 15 травня уряд доповнив перелік російських товарів, які заборонені до ввезення в Україну. Серед заборонених є кілька груп промислових товарів, мінеральних добрив, сільськогосподарської продукції, транспортних засобів. Загальна вартість цієї продукції становить 510 мільйонів доларів на рік. …
Playing Music to Ease Pain, Nourish Social Connections
Music has long helped people express their emotions and connect with one another. Over the years, medical studies have proved that music has many health benefits, too. They range from facilitating regular breathing and lifting mood to improving emotional function and motor control in patients. Faiza Elmasry tells us more about music therapy. Faith Lapidus narrates. …
Sources: Turkey to Reduce US Import Tariffs This Week
Turkey’s Trade Ministry will implement a reciprocal reduction in tariffs on U.S. imports after the United States halved tariffs on Turkish steel imports last week, two Turkish sources said on Tuesday. The White House last week terminated Turkey’s eligibility for the Generalized System of Preferences (GTS) program, in a move Turkey said contradicted trade goals, but also halved some of the tariffs it had raised last August amid a diplomatic row between the NATO allies. The sources said the reciprocal reduction will halve tariffs on some U.S. imports, including passenger cars, alcoholic drinks, tobacco, cosmetics and PVC. The lowered tariffs will take effect with a presidential decree this week, the sources said. …
WHO: Ebola Strategies Need Adjusting in Congo
A panel of World Health Organization experts says strategies must be strengthened to combat the worsening Ebola epidemic in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The WHO’s latest report counted 1,738 cases of Ebola in Congo, including 1,218 deaths. Congo’s minister of health, Oly Ilungo, likened the Ebola epidemic to a multi-headed dragon. Speaking through an interpreter, he said the epidemic began in one place, Mangina, but keeps popping up elsewhere. “Our response, therefore, needs to continually adapt itself to the situation,” said Ilungo. “We need to continually adapt and change our strategy bearing in mind lessons learned.” He said prevention measures, surveillance, the tracing of infected people, timely treatment and safe burial practices must be maintained. At the same time, he said old tools need to be refreshed and improved. He proposed setting up a data-driven system, which compiles all the information produced in the response effort. “Increasingly, it manages to carry out analyses that allow us to get ahead of the problem and we can identify the danger areas where there might be a greater risk of the virus spreading and we can get ahead of the problem,” he added. The WHO regional director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, finds the increasing number of new Ebola cases extremely worrying and challenging. She warned the risk of the disease spreading beyond Congo’s borders is very high. She said the DRC’s nine neighboring countries are aware of the dangers and, with the help of the WHO, have taken many steps to …
Vaccine Chief: Vaccine Doubts Online Spread Like Disease, Must Be Taken Down
Doubts about vaccines have spread across social media like a disease and false information that “kills people” should be taken down by the companies running digital platforms, the head of global vaccine alliance Gavi said on Tuesday. Speaking at a U.S.-sponsored event on the sidelines of the World Health Organization’s annual assembly in Geneva, Gavi CEO Seth Berkley said there was a strong scientific consensus about the safety of vaccines. But social media algorithms favored sensational content over scientific facts, rapidly convincing people who had never seen family members die from preventable illness. “We have to think about it as a disease. This is a disease,” Berkley said. “This spreads at the speed of light, literally.” WHO says poor vaccination coverage is causing measles outbreaks globally, with numbers spiking in countries that were previously almost free of the disease, including the United States. Misinformation about vaccines, which the WHO says save two million lives annually, was not a freedom of speech issue and social media firms need to take it offline, Berkley said. “I remind people that this kills people,” he said. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said complacency, misunderstanding and misinformation were causing vaccination rates to decline globally, with tragic results. “In my country, social media conspiracy groups confuse well-meaning parents so they hesitate to get the recommended vaccinations,” Azar said. He rejected any criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump, who repeatedly and erroneously tweeted about links between vaccines and autism in the years before he …
В Україні дозволять зводити будівлі висотою до 150 метрів
Міністерство регіонального розвитку, будівництва та ЖКГ затвердило нові будівельні норми, піднявши обмеження по висоті громадських будівель до 150 метрів. Про це повідомив заступник міністра регіонального розвитку Лев Парцхаладзе. «Зараз у чинних нормах максимальна висота, за якою дозволяється проектувати висотні житлові та громадські будівлі, складає 100 метрів. Для громадських будівель ми пропонуємо підвищити її до 150 метрів для можливості реалізації сучасних та цікавих рішень у висотному будівництві», – повідомив Парцхаладзе. Йдеться про офісні будівлі, торгівельні центри та інші нежитлові споруди громадського використання. За словами Парцхаладзе, зміна міститься у проекті нових державних будівельних норм «Висотні будинки і комплекси», який вже затверджений і буде опублікований найближчим часом. …
Huawei Founder Shrugs Off US Blacklisting Order
The founder of Chinese telecom giant Huawei is dismissing the decision by the United States to blacklist the company on the grounds it poses a threat to U.S. national security. In a series of interviews with state-run news outlets Tuesday, Ren Zhengfei said the Trump administration’s actions underestimate his company’s true capabilities to continue operating and developing the next generation of mobile technology commonly referred to as 5G. Last week’s order would curb the future transfer of hardware, software and services to Huawei, possibly limiting the Chinese company’s expansion globally and its efforts to overtake South Korea’s Samsung as the world’s biggest smart phone manufacturer. The world’s second biggest smartphone maker sustained a major blow Monday when the giant U.S. search engine Google announced it will restrict Huawei from access to its popular Android operating system in compliance with the order. Google services were already banned in China, so analysts say the impact of the curb on technology sales could mostly affect Huawei’s international sales, making its phones less attractive to customers if they do not have Google features. Last year, Huawei sold nearly half of its production of 208 million smart phones overseas and the rest in China. The U.S. Commerce Department on Monday granted Huawei a 90-day license to continue providing software updates to existing Huawei smartphones and maintain existing networks. The Chinese firm is at the center of ongoing trade disputes between Washington and Beijing. The U.S. contends that Huawei’s technology could be used to spy on …
Гривня вдруге за місяць штурмує річний максимум щодо долара
На українському міжбанківському валютному ринку вдруге за травень посилення гривні щодо долара наблизило пару до річного максимуму – 26 гривень 11 копійок за одиницю американської валюти. Станом на 11:00 котирування становили 26 гривень 9,5-11,5 копійки за долар, повідомляє профільний сайт «Мінфін», який відстежує перебіг торгів. «Торги по долару активні з самого ранку. Укладаються угоди по лотах до 1 мільйона доларів за явного переважання пропозиції», – ідеться в повідомленні. Серед чинників, що впливають на валютну пару – чергове розміщення облігацій внутрішньої державної позики (ОВДП), зниження гривневої ліквідності в банківській системі та безпроблемне завершення передачі повноважень від п’ятого до шостого президента України. За даними сайту «Мінфін», НБУ 20 травня викупив близько 40 мільйонів доларів переважно у нерезидентів, які продавали валюту для участі в аукціоні з розміщення ОВДП. Курс, встановлений Нацбанком за результатом торгів 13 травня (26 гривень 11 копійок), став повторенням річного максимуму. Востаннє на рівні 26,11 щодо долара гривня перебувала 21 травня 2018 року. На 21 травня курс НБУ становить 26 гривень 20 копійок за долар. …
Місія МВФ має 21 травня розпочати роботу в Україні
Місія Міжнародного валютного фонду має 21 травня розпочати роботу в Україні. 16 травня постійний представник МВФ в Україні Йоста Люнгман заявляв, що місія перебуватиме в Україні два тижні й оцінюватиме виконання поточної програми співпраці з фондом. 18 грудня 2018 року посол України у США Валерій Чалий повідомив, що в штаб-квартирі Міжнародного валютного фонду у Вашингтоні затвердили виділення Україні фінансової підтримки для продовження реалізації важливих реформ. Обсяг нової програми – 3,9 мільярда доларів. Згідно з повідомленням, вона має стати основою для економічної політики уряду в 2019 році – передбачається, що ця політика буде зосереджена на зниженні інфляції та реформах оподаткування, фінансового і енергетичного секторів. 21 грудня Україна отримала перший транш за новою програмою співпраці з Міжнародним валютним фондом обсягом близько 1,4 мільярда доларів. …
UN: Loss of Bees, Wild Insects Would Devastate World Food Supply
The decline and disappearance of bees, wild insects and other pollinators would have devastating consequences for mankind and the global food supply, the U.N. warned Monday. “Bees support a staggering 170,000 species of plants that sustain over 200,000 animal species,” General Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa said on World Bee Day Monday. “They are responsible for roughly one-third of all food produced” — including tomatoes, coffee, apples, almonds, cocoa and plants that can be used in medicines. The U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization says pollinators, including bees, are under threat and their numbers are falling globally primarily because of human activity, including global warming, habitat loss and too many pesticides. Other pollinators whose populations are threatened include butterflies, hummingbirds, bats and monkeys, who pick up pollen from self-pollinating plants as the primates move through trees and the bush. “Urgent and wide-ranging efforts are needed to protect bees across wild, agricultural and urban habitats,” Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said. Experts say promoting bee habitats is key. They recommend people plant a variety of bee-friendly flowers and place a hollow log or tree trunk on their property, calling it an ideal shelter for pollinating insects. …
AP Explains: US Sanctions on Huawei Bite, But Who Gets Hurt?
Trump administration sanctions against Huawei have begun to bite even though their dimensions remain unclear. U.S. companies that supply the Chinese tech powerhouse with computer chips saw their stock prices slump Monday, and Huawei faces decimated smartphone sales with the anticipated loss of Google’s popular software and services. The U.S. move escalates trade-war tensions with Beijing, but also risks making China more self-sufficient over time. Here’s a look at what’s behind the dispute and what it means. What’s this about? Last week, the U.S. Commerce Department said it would place Huawei on the so-called Entity List, effectively barring U.S. firms from selling it technology without government approval. Google said it would continue to support existing Huawei smartphones but future devices will not have its flagship apps and services, including maps, Gmail and search. Only basic services would be available, making Huawei phones less desirable. Separately, Huawei is the world’s leading provider of networking equipment, but it relies on U.S. components including computer chips. About a third of Huawei’s suppliers are American. Why punish Huawei? The U.S. defense and intelligence communities have long accused Huawei of being an untrustworthy agent of Beijing’s repressive rulers — though without providing evidence. The U.S. government’s sanctions are widely seen as a means of pressuring reluctant allies in Europe to exclude Huawei equipment from their next-generation wireless networks. Washington says it’s a question of national security and punishment of Huawei for skirting sanctions against Iran, but the backdrop is a struggle for economic and technological …
CDC: Measles Cases in US Continue to Rise
Federal health officials report 41 new cases of measles across the U.S. last week, bringing the number of total cases for the year to 880 — the highest number recorded since 1994. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports outbreaks in 24 states, with only the very Deep South and Northern Plains spared. The CDC says outbreaks in several states, including California, Georgia, Michigan and New York, are linked to travelers who are suspected of bringing back the virus from countries with large measles outbreaks, such as Israel, the Philippines and Ukraine. The CDC recommends vaccinations for everyone older than 12 months, except those who already had the disease as children and have become immune. The virus has spread among school-age children whose parents have chosen not to vaccinate them. Parents who do not vaccinate their children often cite religious beliefs or the concerns the vaccine may cause autism or other health problems, despite scientific studies that have debunked such claims. The World Health Organization says parents who refuse to inoculate their children against such diseases is one of the top 10 threats to global health. The measles vaccine, first available in the 1960s, is considered safe and effective by most public health experts, who say that it also can save lives. The measles virus is highly contagious and is spread primarily by coughing and sneezing. It is still a common disease in many parts of the world. It was declared eradicated in the United States in 2000 with …
Trade War Adds to Woes of European Companies in China
The U.S.-China trade war has not spared European companies in China. More than one-third of them are feeling a direct impact on their businesses and fear the situation will worsen in the coming weeks. “They [European companies] are feeling more anxious than they felt last year, rising tensions such as the trade tensions that we are facing currently that don’t seem to be on the point of being sorted out quickly,” European Chamber Vice President Charlotte Roule told VOA. The trade conflict has come on top of several other problems faced by European companies in China. “Macroeconomic challenges such as the Chinese economic slowdown and global economic slowdown are worrying them,” Roule said. In a survey conducted last January and released Monday, the European Chamber of Commerce in China reported the trade war has impacted 25% of its members engaged in U.S.-bound exports from their operations in China. Since January, the United States has since expanded its tariff measures against China-made goods, while Beijing has announced its own set of retaliatory measures. These moves would affect a larger number of European companies, including those that import products from the U.S. Significantly, the survey showed that only five percent of the chamber’s member companies see the trade tussle as an opportunity for themselves. Intertwined relations The trade war involves two countries at the political level, but has impacted other businesses with overlapping interests and intertwined connections across regions and industry segments. Nick Marro, an analyst at the Economic Intelligence Unit, …
WHO Chief Pitches Universal Health Coverage
In opening this year’s World Health Assembly, WHO General-Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed the importance of universal health coverage as an essential component in the quest for a healthier, safer, fairer world. Nearly 4,000 delegates from WHO’s 194 member states were on hand to hear the WHO chief outline the main health achievements of the past year, and current as well as future challenges. Tedros campaigned vigorously for the adoption of universal health coverage in the run-up to last year’s election for WHO director-general. Now a year later, he told delegates attending the World Health Assembly that great progress toward achieving national health systems has been made under his watch. He cited ambitious initiatives which have been implemented or are in the process of being enacted in countries as diverse as Kenya, South Africa, the Philippines, Egypt and El Salvador. But he noted that universal health coverage is not possible without primary health care. He said primary health care is where the battle for human health is won or lost. “Strong primary health care is the front line in defending the right to health, including sexual and reproductive rights. It is through strong primary care that countries can prevent, detect and treat noncommunicable diseases. It is through strong primary health care that outbreaks can be detected and stopped before they become epidemics,” Tedros said Over the past year, Tedros said significant progress has been made against many of the world’s causes of death and disease. He said a historic …
Ford to Cut 7,000 Jobs, 10% of Global Staff
Ford plans to cut 7,000 jobs, or 10 percent of its global workforce, as part of a reorganization as it revamps its vehicle offerings, the company said Monday. The reorganization will involve some layoffs and reassignments and should be complete by the end of August, a Ford spokeswoman said. Ford has been phasing out most sedan models in the United States as more consumers have opted for pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. The move, which began last year, will lead to 800 layoffs in North America in total, including about 500 this week, said Ford spokeswoman Marisa Bradley. The company has yet to determine the specifics in other regions, she said. “As we have said, Ford is undergoing an organizational redesign process helping us create a more dynamic, agile and empowered workforce, while becoming more fit as a business,” Bradley said. “We understand this is a challenging time for our team, but these steps are necessary to position Ford for success today and yet preparing to thrive in the future.” Ford had signaled it expected significant job cuts in April 2018 when it announced a plan to phase out several small models in North America. At the same time, the company is ramping up investment in electric cars and autonomous driving technology. General Motors has also undertaken job cuts over the last year for similar reasons. Shares of Ford dipped 0.4 percent to $10.25 in early trading. …
Сан-Франциско визнали містом з найвищими у світі зарплатами
Американське місто Сан-Франциско посіло перше місце у рейтингу міст з найвищим рівнем зарплат у світі. Рейтинг підготував Deutsche Bank. Сан-Франциско посунуло з першого місця швейцарський Цюрих. Середня зарплата у американському місті з вирахуванням податків складає 6,52 тисячі доларів, у Цюріху на 400 доларів менше. До першої п’ятірки також увійшли Нью-Йорк (4,6 тисячі доларів), Бостон (4,28) та Чикаго (4,06). …
Гривня значно зміцнилася на міжбанку
На міжбанківському валютному ринку 20 травня значно посилюється українська гривня. Опівдні котирування склали 26 гривень 18-21 копійка, повідомляє профільний сайт «Мінфін», який відстежує перебіг торгів. «Торги по долару до 12:00 на піку активності. Пропозиція істотно перевищує попит, що притискає котирування. Частина клієнтів очікує виходу НБУ з купівлею надлишку долара в резерви», – ідеться в оперативному повідомленні. Національний банк України встановив на 12:00 довідкове значення курсу на рівні 26 гривень 23 копійки за долар, це на 14 копійок менше за офіційний курс на 20 травня. Аналітики пов’язують посилення гривні із завершенням періоду бюджетних платежів. Ті з клієнтів, хто не встиг це зробити раніше, не особливо зважають на курс міжбанку і для номінованих у гривні розрахунків продають валюту. Штрафи за несвоєчасний розрахунок з державою настільки серйозні, що ризикувати ніхто з компаній не хоче. …
Vietnam, EU Eye Trade Alternative to US
Vietnam and Europe could be swapping more pomelo fruit and Portuguese cheese soon if a new trade deal comes into effect, linking two regions that have been looking for an alternative to the trade tensions brought on by the United States. The European Parliament is scheduled to discuss the trade deal on May 28, after years of negotiations between Vietnam and the European Union. The deal is significant not only because it facilitates exports, like tropical fruit, but also as it lays out commitments on human rights, labor unions, and protection of the environment. Critics, though, say the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement would not really enforce human rights standards and would continue the offshoring of jobs that has left workers vulnerable. For the EU, the deal is one more way to access Asia’s fast-growing economies, set a model for trading with developing countries, and hold Vietnam’s one-party state accountable on its promise to level the business playing field. For Vietnam, it is a chance to call itself a country open for business, with many trade deals, as well as raise quality standards to those expected by European customers. “It includes a lot of commitments to improve the business environment in Vietnam,” Le Thanh Liem, standing vice chair of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, said at a European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam event. Vietnamese officials often say that it helps to have an external factor to get difficult internal reforms over the finish line. For example it might …
Vietnam, EU Snub US on Trade
Vietnam and Europe could be swapping more pomelo fruit and Portuguese cheese soon if a new trade deal comes into effect, linking two regions that have been looking for an alternative to the trade tensions brought on by the United States. The European Parliament is scheduled to discuss the trade deal on May 28, after years of negotiations between Vietnam and the European Union. The deal is significant not only because it facilitates exports, like tropical fruit, but also as it lays out commitments on human rights, labor unions, and protection of the environment. Critics, though, say the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement would not really enforce human rights standards and would continue the offshoring of jobs that has left workers vulnerable. For the EU, the deal is one more way to access Asia’s fast-growing economies, set a model for trading with developing countries, and hold Vietnam’s one-party state accountable on its promise to level the business playing field. For Vietnam, it is a chance to call itself a country open for business, with many trade deals, as well as raise quality standards to those expected by European customers. “It includes a lot of commitments to improve the business environment in Vietnam,” Le Thanh Liem, standing vice chair of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, said at a European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam event. Vietnamese officials often say that it helps to have an external factor to get difficult internal reforms over the finish line. For example it might …
Company Touts the Value of Ice Cream Made with Insects
Lately we’ve been hearing about the nutritional value of eating insects, such as high-protein ants, grasshoppers and crickets. But what about insects in ice cream? A company in South Africa is producing just that, saying the sweet treat may even be better with bugs. VOAs Deborah Block tells us about it. …
Radio Telescope Explores Cosmic Mysteries
Every year astronomers are seeing farther and more clearly into the cosmos than ever before. One of the ways they are doing it is by linking telescopes together to make them more powerful. The Very Large Array in New Mexico supported by the National Science Foundation is one incredible example. VOA’s Kevin Enochs reports. …
Huawei Founder Sees Little Effect From US Sanctions
Huawei Technologies’ founder and chief executive said Saturday that the growth of the Chinese tech giant “may slow, but only slightly,” because of recent U.S. restrictions. In remarks to the Japanese press and reported by Nikkei Asian Review, Ren Zhengfei reiterated that the Chinese telecom equipment maker had not violated any law. “It is expected that Huawei’s growth may slow, but only slightly,” Ren said in his first official comments after the U.S. restrictions, adding that the company’s annual revenue growth might undershoot 20%. On Thursday, Washington put Huawei, one of China’s biggest and most successful companies, on a trade blacklist that could make it extremely difficult for Huawei to do business with U.S. companies. China slammed the decision, saying it would take steps to protect its companies. Trade, security issues The developments surrounding Huawei come at a time of trade tensions between Washington and Beijing and amid concerns from the United States that Huawei’s smartphones and network equipment could be used by China to spy on Americans, allegations the company has repeatedly denied. A similar U.S. ban on China’s ZTE Corp. had almost crippled business for the smaller Huawei rival early last year before the curb was lifted. The U.S. Commerce Department said Friday that it might soon scale back restrictions on Huawei. Ren said the company was prepared for such a step and that Huawei would be “fine” even if U.S. smartphone chipmaker Qualcomm Inc. and other American suppliers would not sell chips to the company. Huawei’s chip arm HiSilicon said Friday that …
Адвокат Трампа заявив, що порадив іншим своїм клієнтам cудитись з Коломойським
Джуліані звинуватив Коломойського у наклепі щодо двох громадян США …
China’s Top Diplomat Calls for US Restraint on Trade, Iran
Senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi told U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday that recent U.S. words and actions had harmed the interests of China and its enterprises, and that Washington should show restraint, China’s Foreign Ministry said. Speaking to Pompeo by telephone, Wang said the United States should not go “too far” in the current trade dispute between the two sides, adding that China was still willing to resolve differences through negotiations but that the nations should be on an equal footing. On Iran, Wang said China hoped all parties would exercise restraint and act with caution to avoid escalating tensions. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement that Pompeo spoke with Wang and discussed bilateral issues and U.S. concerns about Iran, but she gave no other details. Tensions between Washington and Tehran have increased in recent days, raising concerns about a potential U.S.-Iran conflict. Earlier this week the United States pulled some diplomatic staff from its Baghdad embassy following attacks on oil tankers in the Persian Gulf. Harder line China struck a more aggressive tone in its trade war with the United States on Friday, suggesting a resumption of talks between the world’s two largest economies would be meaningless unless Washington changed course. The tough talk capped a week that saw Beijing unveil fresh retaliatory tariffs, U.S. officials accuse China of backtracking on promises made during months of talks, and the Trump administration level a potentially crippling blow against one of China’s biggest and most successful …