Myanmar Military on UN Sexual Violence Blacklist
14/04/2018
A new U.N. report for the first time puts Myanmar’s armed forces on a U.N. blacklist of government and rebel groups “credibly suspected” of carrying out rapes and other acts of sexual violence in conflict.
An advance copy of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ report to the Security Council, obtained Friday by The Associated Press, says international medical staff and others in Bangladesh have documented that many of the almost 700,000 Rohingya Muslims who fled from Myanmar “bear the physical and psychological scars of brutal sexual assault.”
The U.N. chief said the assaults were allegedly perpetrated by the Myanmar Armed Forces, known as the Tatmadaw, “at times acting in concert with local militias, in the course of military ‘clearance’ operations in October 2016 and August 2017.”
“The widespread threat and use of sexual violence was integral to this strategy, serving to humiliate, terrorize and collectively punish the Rohingya community, as a calculated tool to force them to flee their homelands and prevent their return,” Guterres said.
Buddhist-majority Myanmar doesn’t recognize the Rohingya as an ethnic group, insisting they are Bengali migrants from Bangladesh living illegally in the country. It has denied them citizenship, leaving them stateless.
Recent wave of violence
The recent spasm of violence began when Rohingya insurgents launched a series of attacks last Aug. 25 on about 30 security outposts and other targets. Myanmar security forces then began a scorched-earth campaign against Rohingya villages that the U.N. and human rights groups have called a campaign of ethnic cleansing.
“Violence was visited upon women, including pregnant women, who are seen as custodians and propagators of ethnic identity, as well as on young children, who represent the future of the group,” Guterres said. “This can be linked to an inflammatory narrative alleging that high fertility rates among the Rohingya represent an existential threat to the majority population.”
Governments and extremists
The report, which will be a focus of a U.N. Security Council meeting Monday on preventing sexual violence in conflict, puts 51 government, rebel and extremist groups on the list.
They include 17 from Congo including the armed forces and national police, seven from Syria including the armed forces and intelligence services, six each from Central African Republic and South Sudan, five from Mali, four from Somalia, three from Sudan, one each from Iraq and Myanmar, and Boko Haram which operates in several countries.
“As a general trend,” Guterres said, “the rise or resurgence of conflict and violent extremism, with its ensuing proliferation of arms, mass displacement, and collapsed rule of law, triggers patterns of sexual violence.”
This was evident in many places in 2017 as insecurity spread to new regions in Central African Republic, violence surged in eastern and central Congo, conflict engulfed South Sudan, violence wracked Syria and Yemen, and “ethnic cleansing in the guise of clearance operations unfolded in Northern Rakhine State, Myanmar,” he said.
Guterres said most victims are “politically and economically marginalized women and girls” concentrated in remote, rural areas with the least access to services that can help them, and in refugee camps and areas for the displaced.
The year 2017 “also saw sexual violence continue to be employed as a tactic of war, terrorism, torture and repression,” he said, citing conflicts in CAR, Congo, Iraq, Mali, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan as examples of “this alarming trend.”
Guterres said sexual violence continues to serve as a “push factor” for forced displacement in places such as Colombia, Iraq, the Horn of Africa and Syria. And he said it remained “a heightened risk in transit, refugee and displacement settings.”
Impact lasts generations
The secretary-general said the effects of sexual violence can impact generations as a result of trauma, stigma, poverty, poor health and unwanted pregnancy.
In South Sudan, for instance, Guterres said sexual violence is so prevalent that a Commission of Inquiry described women and girls as “collectively traumatized.” He said children born of this violence have been labeled “bad blood” or “children of the enemy” and warned that this vulnerability “may leave them susceptible to recruitment, radicalization and trafficking.”
Guterres said many women, including Rohingya refugees, are reluctant to return to locations they fled where forces including alleged perpetrators remain in control.
“Colombia is the only country in which children conceived through wartime rape are legally recognized as victims, though it has been difficult for them to access redress without being stigmatized,” he said.
The secretary-general lamented that “most incidents of mass rape continue to be met with mass impunity.”
For example, Guterres said, not a single member of the Islamic State extremist group or Boko Haram “has been prosecuted for sexual violence offenses to date.”
Myanmar Military on UN Sexual Violence Blacklist
14/04/2018
A new U.N. report for the first time puts Myanmar’s armed forces on a U.N. blacklist of government and rebel groups “credibly suspected” of carrying out rapes and other acts of sexual violence in conflict.
An advance copy of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ report to the Security Council, obtained Friday by The Associated Press, says international medical staff and others in Bangladesh have documented that many of the almost 700,000 Rohingya Muslims who fled from Myanmar “bear the physical and psychological scars of brutal sexual assault.”
The U.N. chief said the assaults were allegedly perpetrated by the Myanmar Armed Forces, known as the Tatmadaw, “at times acting in concert with local militias, in the course of military ‘clearance’ operations in October 2016 and August 2017.”
“The widespread threat and use of sexual violence was integral to this strategy, serving to humiliate, terrorize and collectively punish the Rohingya community, as a calculated tool to force them to flee their homelands and prevent their return,” Guterres said.
Buddhist-majority Myanmar doesn’t recognize the Rohingya as an ethnic group, insisting they are Bengali migrants from Bangladesh living illegally in the country. It has denied them citizenship, leaving them stateless.
Recent wave of violence
The recent spasm of violence began when Rohingya insurgents launched a series of attacks last Aug. 25 on about 30 security outposts and other targets. Myanmar security forces then began a scorched-earth campaign against Rohingya villages that the U.N. and human rights groups have called a campaign of ethnic cleansing.
“Violence was visited upon women, including pregnant women, who are seen as custodians and propagators of ethnic identity, as well as on young children, who represent the future of the group,” Guterres said. “This can be linked to an inflammatory narrative alleging that high fertility rates among the Rohingya represent an existential threat to the majority population.”
Governments and extremists
The report, which will be a focus of a U.N. Security Council meeting Monday on preventing sexual violence in conflict, puts 51 government, rebel and extremist groups on the list.
They include 17 from Congo including the armed forces and national police, seven from Syria including the armed forces and intelligence services, six each from Central African Republic and South Sudan, five from Mali, four from Somalia, three from Sudan, one each from Iraq and Myanmar, and Boko Haram which operates in several countries.
“As a general trend,” Guterres said, “the rise or resurgence of conflict and violent extremism, with its ensuing proliferation of arms, mass displacement, and collapsed rule of law, triggers patterns of sexual violence.”
This was evident in many places in 2017 as insecurity spread to new regions in Central African Republic, violence surged in eastern and central Congo, conflict engulfed South Sudan, violence wracked Syria and Yemen, and “ethnic cleansing in the guise of clearance operations unfolded in Northern Rakhine State, Myanmar,” he said.
Guterres said most victims are “politically and economically marginalized women and girls” concentrated in remote, rural areas with the least access to services that can help them, and in refugee camps and areas for the displaced.
The year 2017 “also saw sexual violence continue to be employed as a tactic of war, terrorism, torture and repression,” he said, citing conflicts in CAR, Congo, Iraq, Mali, Myanmar, Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan as examples of “this alarming trend.”
Guterres said sexual violence continues to serve as a “push factor” for forced displacement in places such as Colombia, Iraq, the Horn of Africa and Syria. And he said it remained “a heightened risk in transit, refugee and displacement settings.”
Impact lasts generations
The secretary-general said the effects of sexual violence can impact generations as a result of trauma, stigma, poverty, poor health and unwanted pregnancy.
In South Sudan, for instance, Guterres said sexual violence is so prevalent that a Commission of Inquiry described women and girls as “collectively traumatized.” He said children born of this violence have been labeled “bad blood” or “children of the enemy” and warned that this vulnerability “may leave them susceptible to recruitment, radicalization and trafficking.”
Guterres said many women, including Rohingya refugees, are reluctant to return to locations they fled where forces including alleged perpetrators remain in control.
“Colombia is the only country in which children conceived through wartime rape are legally recognized as victims, though it has been difficult for them to access redress without being stigmatized,” he said.
The secretary-general lamented that “most incidents of mass rape continue to be met with mass impunity.”
For example, Guterres said, not a single member of the Islamic State extremist group or Boko Haram “has been prosecuted for sexual violence offenses to date.”
US Holds Syria, Russia Accountable for Chemical Weapons Attack in Douma
14/04/2018
U.S. officials are expressing “high confidence” that Syria carried out last week’s chemical weapons attack in Douma, promising the West will respond and that all options remain on the table.
Despite tweets from U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this week suggesting a missile strike might be imminent, the White House, State Department and Pentagon have been cautious in their language, emphasizing the need to forge an airtight case against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
By late Friday, there were indications such a case was coming together.
“We have a very high confidence that Syria was responsible,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters at a briefing.
“We also hold Russia responsible for their failure to stop chemical weapons attacks from taking place,” Sanders added. “Russia’s failure to stop them and their continued [inaction] on this front has been part of the problem.”
The State Department went one step further, claiming the U.S. now had definitive proof.
“We can say that the Syrian government was behind this attack,” said spokeswoman Heather Nauert.
“We know that this was a chemical weapon that was used in Syria,” Nauert said. “The kind or the mix — that we are still looking into.”
A ‘chess game’
Despite such confidence, other U.S. officials remained wary, warning that while Syria’s use of chemical weapons could not be tolerated, much more was at stake, given the backing it gets from Moscow.
“This is a chess game and the Russians are ratcheting up the pressure,” a U.S. official told VOA on the condition of anonymity, given the sensitivity of the situation.
“They’re playing dirty,” the official added. “We need to think two or three steps ahead.”
Complicating any U.S. response is the presence of Russian and Iranian forces on the ground in Syria. One official said those foreign detachments had “grown and matured” since the U.S. carried out airstrikes against the Syrian government last April after a sarin gas attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun.
“We’re trying to stop the murder of innocent people,” U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told the House Armed Services Committee on Thursday. But on a strategic level, he said, the question is “how do we keep this from escalating out of control — if you get my drift on that.”
Russia, long an ally of Assad, has warned that a military conflict could erupt if the U.S. and its Western allies take action in Syria.
“We hope that … the U.S. and their allies will refrain from military action against a sovereign state,” Russian Ambassador to the U.N. Vassily Nebenzia said Friday.
“We cannot exclude any possibilities, unfortunately, because we saw messages coming from Washington. They were very bellicose,” he added.
Russia: Britain staged attack
Also Friday, Moscow alleged it had “proof that testifies to the direct participation of Britain” in staging the chemical attack in Douma.
Britain pressured the White Helmets, volunteers and activists who serve as first responders in rebel-held areas, to stage the attack, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.
Britain called the allegation a “blatant lie,” while White House spokeswoman Sanders said, “Certainly our intelligence tells us otherwise.”
Inspectors from an international chemical weapons watchdog, the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons, are set to begin collecting samples from Douma on Saturday.
But the group said that while it could possibly determine what types of chemicals were used in the attack, it would not be able to assign responsibility.
VOA’s Steve Herman at the White House and Margaret Besheer at the United Nations contributed to this report.
…
US Holds Syria, Russia Accountable for Chemical Weapons Attack in Douma
14/04/2018
U.S. officials are expressing “high confidence” that Syria carried out last week’s chemical weapons attack in Douma, promising the West will respond and that all options remain on the table.
Despite tweets from U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this week suggesting a missile strike might be imminent, the White House, State Department and Pentagon have been cautious in their language, emphasizing the need to forge an airtight case against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
By late Friday, there were indications such a case was coming together.
“We have a very high confidence that Syria was responsible,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters at a briefing.
“We also hold Russia responsible for their failure to stop chemical weapons attacks from taking place,” Sanders added. “Russia’s failure to stop them and their continued [inaction] on this front has been part of the problem.”
The State Department went one step further, claiming the U.S. now had definitive proof.
“We can say that the Syrian government was behind this attack,” said spokeswoman Heather Nauert.
“We know that this was a chemical weapon that was used in Syria,” Nauert said. “The kind or the mix — that we are still looking into.”
A ‘chess game’
Despite such confidence, other U.S. officials remained wary, warning that while Syria’s use of chemical weapons could not be tolerated, much more was at stake, given the backing it gets from Moscow.
“This is a chess game and the Russians are ratcheting up the pressure,” a U.S. official told VOA on the condition of anonymity, given the sensitivity of the situation.
“They’re playing dirty,” the official added. “We need to think two or three steps ahead.”
Complicating any U.S. response is the presence of Russian and Iranian forces on the ground in Syria. One official said those foreign detachments had “grown and matured” since the U.S. carried out airstrikes against the Syrian government last April after a sarin gas attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun.
“We’re trying to stop the murder of innocent people,” U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told the House Armed Services Committee on Thursday. But on a strategic level, he said, the question is “how do we keep this from escalating out of control — if you get my drift on that.”
Russia, long an ally of Assad, has warned that a military conflict could erupt if the U.S. and its Western allies take action in Syria.
“We hope that … the U.S. and their allies will refrain from military action against a sovereign state,” Russian Ambassador to the U.N. Vassily Nebenzia said Friday.
“We cannot exclude any possibilities, unfortunately, because we saw messages coming from Washington. They were very bellicose,” he added.
Russia: Britain staged attack
Also Friday, Moscow alleged it had “proof that testifies to the direct participation of Britain” in staging the chemical attack in Douma.
Britain pressured the White Helmets, volunteers and activists who serve as first responders in rebel-held areas, to stage the attack, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said.
Britain called the allegation a “blatant lie,” while White House spokeswoman Sanders said, “Certainly our intelligence tells us otherwise.”
Inspectors from an international chemical weapons watchdog, the Organization for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons, are set to begin collecting samples from Douma on Saturday.
But the group said that while it could possibly determine what types of chemicals were used in the attack, it would not be able to assign responsibility.
VOA’s Steve Herman at the White House and Margaret Besheer at the United Nations contributed to this report.
…
Zuckerberg’s Compensation Jumps to $8.9M as Security Costs Soar
14/04/2018
Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg’s compensation rose 53.5 percent to $8.9 million in 2017, a regulatory filing showed Friday, largely because of higher costs related to the 33-year old billionaire’s personal security.
About 83 percent of the compensation represented security-related expenses, while much of the rest was tied to Zuckerberg’s personal usage of private aircraft.
Zuckerberg’s security expenses climbed to $7.3 million in 2017, compared with $4.9 million a year earlier.
His base salary was unchanged at $1, while his total voting power at Facebook rose marginally to 59.9 percent.
Menlo Park, California-based Facebook, which has consistently reported stronger-than-expected earnings over the past two years, has faced public outcry over its role in Russia’s alleged influence over the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Earlier this week, Zuckerberg emerged largely unscathed after facing hours of questioning from U.S. lawmakers on how the personal information of several million Facebook users may have been improperly shared with political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.
…
Zuckerberg’s Compensation Jumps to $8.9M as Security Costs Soar
14/04/2018
Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg’s compensation rose 53.5 percent to $8.9 million in 2017, a regulatory filing showed Friday, largely because of higher costs related to the 33-year old billionaire’s personal security.
About 83 percent of the compensation represented security-related expenses, while much of the rest was tied to Zuckerberg’s personal usage of private aircraft.
Zuckerberg’s security expenses climbed to $7.3 million in 2017, compared with $4.9 million a year earlier.
His base salary was unchanged at $1, while his total voting power at Facebook rose marginally to 59.9 percent.
Menlo Park, California-based Facebook, which has consistently reported stronger-than-expected earnings over the past two years, has faced public outcry over its role in Russia’s alleged influence over the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Earlier this week, Zuckerberg emerged largely unscathed after facing hours of questioning from U.S. lawmakers on how the personal information of several million Facebook users may have been improperly shared with political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.
…
Російського репера МОТ не впустили до України – ДПСУ
13/04/2018
Російського репера Матвія Мельникова, який виступає під сценічним ім’ям МОТ, українські прикордонники не впустили на територію країни, повідомив речник Державної прикордонної служби України Олег Слободян у Facebook.
«У зв’язку з порушенням порядку в’їзду до тимчасово окупованої території АР Крим сьогодні, 13 квітня, в аеропорту «Бориспіль» прикордонники не пропустили цього громадянина Росії через кордон та заборонили йому в’їзд до України терміном на три роки», – заявив Слободян.
У Мельникова на вечір 13 квітня був запланований концерт у Києва.
Українська сторона неодноразово наголошувала, що іноземці, приїжджаючи до анексованого Росією Криму через закриті Україною пункти пропуску, порушують українське законодавство. Низка артистів, які виступили на анексованій території або висловилися на підтримку російської анексії Криму, втратили можливість виступати на материковій Україні.
Верховна Рада України офіційно оголосила 20 лютого 2014 року початком тимчасової окупації Криму і Севастополя Росією. Міжнародні організації визнали окупацію і анексію Криму незаконними і засудили дії Росії. Країни Заходу запровадили низку економічних санкцій. Росія заперечує окупацію півострова і називає це «відновленням історичної справедливості».
…
Російського репера МОТ не впустили до України – ДПСУ
13/04/2018
Російського репера Матвія Мельникова, який виступає під сценічним ім’ям МОТ, українські прикордонники не впустили на територію країни, повідомив речник Державної прикордонної служби України Олег Слободян у Facebook.
«У зв’язку з порушенням порядку в’їзду до тимчасово окупованої території АР Крим сьогодні, 13 квітня, в аеропорту «Бориспіль» прикордонники не пропустили цього громадянина Росії через кордон та заборонили йому в’їзд до України терміном на три роки», – заявив Слободян.
У Мельникова на вечір 13 квітня був запланований концерт у Києва.
Українська сторона неодноразово наголошувала, що іноземці, приїжджаючи до анексованого Росією Криму через закриті Україною пункти пропуску, порушують українське законодавство. Низка артистів, які виступили на анексованій території або висловилися на підтримку російської анексії Криму, втратили можливість виступати на материковій Україні.
Верховна Рада України офіційно оголосила 20 лютого 2014 року початком тимчасової окупації Криму і Севастополя Росією. Міжнародні організації визнали окупацію і анексію Криму незаконними і засудили дії Росії. Країни Заходу запровадили низку економічних санкцій. Росія заперечує окупацію півострова і називає це «відновленням історичної справедливості».
…
Аваков заявив, що на Донбасі перебуває 35,5 тисяч бойовиків
13/04/2018
На окупованих територіях Донбасу перебуває 35,5 тисяч бойовиків, повідомив міністр внутрішніх справ України Арсен Аваков під час 11-го Київського безпекового форуму.
За даними МВС, на окупованих територіях Донецької та Луганської областей під виглядом «ДНР» та «ЛНР» насправді перебуває восьма армія Південного військового округу збройних сил Росії, сказав Аваков. До збройних формувань входять кадрові російські військовослужбовці, найманці та місцеве населення.
«Це 35,5 тисяч лише на Донбасі. В їхньому арсеналі 478 танків, 848 бронемашин, 750 артилерійських систем мінометів, 208 реактивних систем залпового вогню, 363 протитанкових засобів, 419 засобів протиповітряної оборони», – заявив Аваков.
Читайте також: Підрозділи МВС готуються до деокупації Донбасу – Аваков
Збройний конфлікт на Донбасі триває від 2014 року після російської анексії Криму. Україна і Захід звинувачують Росію у збройній підтримці сепаратистів. Кремль відкидає ці звинувачення і заявляє, що на Донбасі можуть перебувати хіба що російські «добровольці». За даними ООН, за час конфлікту загинули понад 10 300 людей.
…
Аваков заявив, що на Донбасі перебуває 35,5 тисяч бойовиків
13/04/2018
На окупованих територіях Донбасу перебуває 35,5 тисяч бойовиків, повідомив міністр внутрішніх справ України Арсен Аваков під час 11-го Київського безпекового форуму.
За даними МВС, на окупованих територіях Донецької та Луганської областей під виглядом «ДНР» та «ЛНР» насправді перебуває восьма армія Південного військового округу збройних сил Росії, сказав Аваков. До збройних формувань входять кадрові російські військовослужбовці, найманці та місцеве населення.
«Це 35,5 тисяч лише на Донбасі. В їхньому арсеналі 478 танків, 848 бронемашин, 750 артилерійських систем мінометів, 208 реактивних систем залпового вогню, 363 протитанкових засобів, 419 засобів протиповітряної оборони», – заявив Аваков.
Читайте також: Підрозділи МВС готуються до деокупації Донбасу – Аваков
Збройний конфлікт на Донбасі триває від 2014 року після російської анексії Криму. Україна і Захід звинувачують Росію у збройній підтримці сепаратистів. Кремль відкидає ці звинувачення і заявляє, що на Донбасі можуть перебувати хіба що російські «добровольці». За даними ООН, за час конфлікту загинули понад 10 300 людей.
…
Волкер заявив, що відвідає Україну в середині травня
13/04/2018
Спеціальний представник Державного департаменту США з питань України Курт Волкер запланував наступну поїздку до України на середину травня. Про це дипломат повідомив кореспонденту української служби Радіо Свобода під час зустрічі із закордонними журналістами в Центрі міжнародної преси Держдепартаменту США.
«Ми ще опрацьовуємо дати, і все виглядає так, що це буде десь у середині травня. Я відвідаю ще й схід України, не тільки Київ», – сказав Волкер, відповідаючи на запитання Радіо Свобода.
Дипломат планує обов’язково побувати в зоні бойових дій. Водночас він не готовий поки сказати, чи відвідає Росію і чи матиме будь-які переговори з російськими офіційними особами.
Востаннє Волкер відвідував Україну в січні. Наступний візит Волкера до цієї країни має стати сьомим за вісім місяців на посаді.
Читайте також: Росія повинна погодитись припинити конфлікт – Волкер (ексклюзивне інтерв’ю)
Наприкінці березня спецпредставник заявив, що останній його контакт із росіянами був у січні цього року. За словами посадовця, після цього російська сторона жодного разу не виходила на контакт. Він переконаний, що завершення конфлікту залежить від бажання Росії припинити цю війну.
Збройний конфлікт на Донбасі триває від 2014 року після російської анексії Криму. Україна і Захід звинувачують Росію у збройній підтримці сепаратистів. Кремль відкидає ці звинувачення і заявляє, що на Донбасі можуть перебувати хіба що російські «добровольці». За даними ООН, за час конфлікту загинули понад 10 300 людей.
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Breathtaking Cherry Blossoms Draw International Visitors to Maryland Neighborhood
13/04/2018
In the springtime, the Tidal Basin in Washington is known for having a spectacular display of cherry blossoms. But in a quiet neighborhood in Maryland, just outside Washington, more than 1,000 cherry trees also put on quite a show. VOA’s Deborah Block takes us to Chevy Chase, Maryland, where the breathtaking canopy of flowers attracts visitors from around the world.
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Breathtaking Cherry Blossoms Draw International Visitors to Maryland Neighborhood
13/04/2018
In the springtime, the Tidal Basin in Washington is known for having a spectacular display of cherry blossoms. But in a quiet neighborhood in Maryland, just outside Washington, more than 1,000 cherry trees also put on quite a show. VOA’s Deborah Block takes us to Chevy Chase, Maryland, where the breathtaking canopy of flowers attracts visitors from around the world.
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На ювілей до Коломойського до Женеви злетілися Хомутиннік, Фукс і Зеленський – «Схеми»
13/04/2018
На святкування 55-го дня народження українського олігарха Ігоря Коломойського, який був 13 лютого цього року, до швейцарської Женеви прилітали українські бізнесмени, народні депутати та шоумени. Про це йдеться у розслідуванні журналістів програма «Схеми» (спільний проект Радіо Свобода і телеканалу UA: Перший) «Коломойський в екзилі. Таємна зустріч на Женевському озері».
Знімальній групі «Схем» вдалося зафіксувати серед гостей, зокрема, народних депутатів від групи «Відродження» Віталія Хомутинніка та Євгена Гєллєра, донедавна російського, а нині українського підприємця Павла Фукса, бізнесменів братів Суркісів, шоумена та керівника студії «Квартал 95» Володимира Зеленського, яка співпрацює з телеканалом Коломойського «1+1», екс-заступника губернатора Дніпропетровської області Святослава Олійника.
Святкування відбувалося у ресторані Parc des eaux vives на березі Женевського озера. Журналісти «Схем» відшукали його завдяки фото гостей в Instagram.
Серед гостей останніми на святі залишились екс-заступник колишнього губернатора Дніпропетровської області Коломойського Святослав Олійник та народний депутат від групи «Відродження» Євген Гєллєр.
Пізніше «Схеми» звернулися до адміністрації ресторану з проханням порахувати, скільки коштуватиме відзначити свято в такому ж форматі, як 13 лютого, коли святкував Коломойський.
Згідно із даними, які надіслала «Схемам» адміністрація ресторану, святкування було розраховане на 100 гостей. Вартість харчування гостей та обслуговування офіціантів склала 23 тисячі 175 швейцарських франків. Особа, на чиє ім’я замовляли свято, мала таке ж прізвище, що і сестра Коломойського.
Сам український олігарх у коментарі «Схемам» заявив, що не витратив на нього «ні копійки».
«Я взагалі навіть не витратив жодної копійки. Ліміт не був перевищений, а друге: сплачував не я. А може друзі скинулись, я не знаю. Я не дам пану Порошенку, як основному замовнику чи бенефіціару цього Лондонського суду, такого шансу, щоб він порадів, що я виявив неповагу до суду», – сказав Коломойський.
20 грудня 2017 року прес-служба «Приватбанку» повідомила, що Високий суд Англії 19 грудня видав наказ про всесвітній арешт активів Ігоря Коломойського і Геннадія Боголюбова, а також шести компаній, які, ймовірно, їм належать на суму понад 2,5 мільярда доларів. За повідомленням, суд ухвалив рішення за позовом «Приватбанку» проти своїх колишніх власників і керівників – Коломойського і Боголюбова. Суд також встановив ліміт і на особисті витрати – 20 тисяч фунтів стерлінгів на тиждень для кожного.
Виходить, що святкування Дня народження без спиртних напоїв коштувало – якщо у перерахунку на британську валюту – 17 тисяч фунтів стерлінгів, що на 3 тисячі фунтів менше за тижневий ліміт Коломойського відповідно до рішення Високого суду Лондона. Однак, схоже, що розраховуватись могла сестра Коломойського, оскільки саме її прізвище зазначене в листі, який «Схеми» отримали від адміністрації ресторану. Тому ця сума, скоріш за все, могла бути не врахована в особисті витрати олігарха, йдеться у розслідуванні «Схем». Коломойський у коментарі «Схемам» підкреслив, що ліміт не був перевищений.
Раніше «Схеми» повідомляли, що олігархи Коломойський і Боголюбов таємно зустрілись у Женеві з екс-головою адміністрації президента Порошенка Ложкіним. Журналісти зафіксували, що вони зустрілись у ресторані готелю Four seasons. Після двох годин перемовин всі троє продовжили спілкування, прогулюючись уздовж Женевського озера, без охорони.
Про що саме говорили один з найближчих соратників президента Борис Ложкін та олігархи Ігор Коломойський та Геннадій Боголюбов того вечора – невідомо. Могло йтися про медіапідтримку – в обмін на збереження активів чи сприяння у вирішенні справ в українських судах. Ще у 2015-му році Коломойський зазначав, що президента Порошенка цікавить медійна підтримка і що саме це є предметом торгу з чинною владою, йдеться у розслідуванні.
В Україні Ігор Коломойський не з’являвся понад вісім місяців.
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На ювілей до Коломойського до Женеви злетілися Хомутиннік, Фукс і Зеленський – «Схеми»
13/04/2018
На святкування 55-го дня народження українського олігарха Ігоря Коломойського, який був 13 лютого цього року, до швейцарської Женеви прилітали українські бізнесмени, народні депутати та шоумени. Про це йдеться у розслідуванні журналістів програма «Схеми» (спільний проект Радіо Свобода і телеканалу UA: Перший) «Коломойський в екзилі. Таємна зустріч на Женевському озері».
Знімальній групі «Схем» вдалося зафіксувати серед гостей, зокрема, народних депутатів від групи «Відродження» Віталія Хомутинніка та Євгена Гєллєра, донедавна російського, а нині українського підприємця Павла Фукса, бізнесменів братів Суркісів, шоумена та керівника студії «Квартал 95» Володимира Зеленського, яка співпрацює з телеканалом Коломойського «1+1», екс-заступника губернатора Дніпропетровської області Святослава Олійника.
Святкування відбувалося у ресторані Parc des eaux vives на березі Женевського озера. Журналісти «Схем» відшукали його завдяки фото гостей в Instagram.
Серед гостей останніми на святі залишились екс-заступник колишнього губернатора Дніпропетровської області Коломойського Святослав Олійник та народний депутат від групи «Відродження» Євген Гєллєр.
Пізніше «Схеми» звернулися до адміністрації ресторану з проханням порахувати, скільки коштуватиме відзначити свято в такому ж форматі, як 13 лютого, коли святкував Коломойський.
Згідно із даними, які надіслала «Схемам» адміністрація ресторану, святкування було розраховане на 100 гостей. Вартість харчування гостей та обслуговування офіціантів склала 23 тисячі 175 швейцарських франків. Особа, на чиє ім’я замовляли свято, мала таке ж прізвище, що і сестра Коломойського.
Сам український олігарх у коментарі «Схемам» заявив, що не витратив на нього «ні копійки».
«Я взагалі навіть не витратив жодної копійки. Ліміт не був перевищений, а друге: сплачував не я. А може друзі скинулись, я не знаю. Я не дам пану Порошенку, як основному замовнику чи бенефіціару цього Лондонського суду, такого шансу, щоб він порадів, що я виявив неповагу до суду», – сказав Коломойський.
20 грудня 2017 року прес-служба «Приватбанку» повідомила, що Високий суд Англії 19 грудня видав наказ про всесвітній арешт активів Ігоря Коломойського і Геннадія Боголюбова, а також шести компаній, які, ймовірно, їм належать на суму понад 2,5 мільярда доларів. За повідомленням, суд ухвалив рішення за позовом «Приватбанку» проти своїх колишніх власників і керівників – Коломойського і Боголюбова. Суд також встановив ліміт і на особисті витрати – 20 тисяч фунтів стерлінгів на тиждень для кожного.
Виходить, що святкування Дня народження без спиртних напоїв коштувало – якщо у перерахунку на британську валюту – 17 тисяч фунтів стерлінгів, що на 3 тисячі фунтів менше за тижневий ліміт Коломойського відповідно до рішення Високого суду Лондона. Однак, схоже, що розраховуватись могла сестра Коломойського, оскільки саме її прізвище зазначене в листі, який «Схеми» отримали від адміністрації ресторану. Тому ця сума, скоріш за все, могла бути не врахована в особисті витрати олігарха, йдеться у розслідуванні «Схем». Коломойський у коментарі «Схемам» підкреслив, що ліміт не був перевищений.
Раніше «Схеми» повідомляли, що олігархи Коломойський і Боголюбов таємно зустрілись у Женеві з екс-головою адміністрації президента Порошенка Ложкіним. Журналісти зафіксували, що вони зустрілись у ресторані готелю Four seasons. Після двох годин перемовин всі троє продовжили спілкування, прогулюючись уздовж Женевського озера, без охорони.
Про що саме говорили один з найближчих соратників президента Борис Ложкін та олігархи Ігор Коломойський та Геннадій Боголюбов того вечора – невідомо. Могло йтися про медіапідтримку – в обмін на збереження активів чи сприяння у вирішенні справ в українських судах. Ще у 2015-му році Коломойський зазначав, що президента Порошенка цікавить медійна підтримка і що саме це є предметом торгу з чинною владою, йдеться у розслідуванні.
В Україні Ігор Коломойський не з’являвся понад вісім місяців.
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US, Allies Mull Response to Syria’s Gas Attack
13/04/2018
The United States and its European allies Thursday discussed ways to effectively stop Syria’s government from using chemical weapons to kill rebels and civilians opposed to President Bashar al-Assad. French President Emmanuel Macron said he has proof that Assad’s forces used chlorine in last week’s attack on Douma, a suburb of the capital, Damascus. U.S. officials say they believe the banned substance was used, but are looking for definitive evidence. VOA’s Zlatica Hoke has more.
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US, Allies Mull Response to Syria’s Gas Attack
13/04/2018
The United States and its European allies Thursday discussed ways to effectively stop Syria’s government from using chemical weapons to kill rebels and civilians opposed to President Bashar al-Assad. French President Emmanuel Macron said he has proof that Assad’s forces used chlorine in last week’s attack on Douma, a suburb of the capital, Damascus. U.S. officials say they believe the banned substance was used, but are looking for definitive evidence. VOA’s Zlatica Hoke has more.
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Ryan Retirement Blow to GOP Effort to Control House
13/04/2018
Speaker Paul Ryan’s decision to retire after this Congress in January is widely seen as a blow to the Republican Party’s effort to maintain control of the House in upcoming midterm elections. VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson looks back at Ryan’s relationship with President Donald Trump and the speaker’s impact on his party’s agenda.
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Ryan Retirement Blow to GOP Effort to Control House
13/04/2018
Speaker Paul Ryan’s decision to retire after this Congress in January is widely seen as a blow to the Republican Party’s effort to maintain control of the House in upcoming midterm elections. VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson looks back at Ryan’s relationship with President Donald Trump and the speaker’s impact on his party’s agenda.
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Trump Task Force to Study Postal System Finances
13/04/2018
After weeks of railing against online shopping giant Amazon, President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday creating a task force to study the United States Postal System.
In the surprise move, Trump said that USPS is on “an unsustainable financial path” and “must be restructured to prevent a taxpayer-funded bailout.”
The task force will be assigned to study factors including its pricing in the package delivery market and will have 120 days to submit a report with recommendations.
The order does not specifically mention Amazon or it owner, Jeff Bezos. But Trump has been criticizing the company for months, accusing it of not paying its fair share of taxes, harming the postal service, and putting brick-and-mortar stores out of business. Trump has also gone after Bezos personally and accused The Washington Post, which he owns, of being Amazon’s “chief lobbyist.”
The U.S. Postal Service has indeed lost money for years, but package delivery has actually been a bright spot for the service.
Boosted by e-commerce, the Postal Service has enjoyed double-digit revenue increases from delivering packages. That just hasn’t been enough to offset pension and health care costs as well as declines in first-class letters and marketing mail, which together make up more than two-thirds of postal revenue.
Still, Trump’s claim the service could be charging more may not be entirely far-fetched. A 2017 analysis by Citigroup concluded that the Postal Service, which does not use taxpayer money for its operations, was charging below market rates as a whole on parcels. Still, federal regulators have reviewed the Amazon contract with the Postal Service each year, and deemed it to be profitable.
Trump Task Force to Study Postal System Finances
13/04/2018
After weeks of railing against online shopping giant Amazon, President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday creating a task force to study the United States Postal System.
In the surprise move, Trump said that USPS is on “an unsustainable financial path” and “must be restructured to prevent a taxpayer-funded bailout.”
The task force will be assigned to study factors including its pricing in the package delivery market and will have 120 days to submit a report with recommendations.
The order does not specifically mention Amazon or it owner, Jeff Bezos. But Trump has been criticizing the company for months, accusing it of not paying its fair share of taxes, harming the postal service, and putting brick-and-mortar stores out of business. Trump has also gone after Bezos personally and accused The Washington Post, which he owns, of being Amazon’s “chief lobbyist.”
The U.S. Postal Service has indeed lost money for years, but package delivery has actually been a bright spot for the service.
Boosted by e-commerce, the Postal Service has enjoyed double-digit revenue increases from delivering packages. That just hasn’t been enough to offset pension and health care costs as well as declines in first-class letters and marketing mail, which together make up more than two-thirds of postal revenue.
Still, Trump’s claim the service could be charging more may not be entirely far-fetched. A 2017 analysis by Citigroup concluded that the Postal Service, which does not use taxpayer money for its operations, was charging below market rates as a whole on parcels. Still, federal regulators have reviewed the Amazon contract with the Postal Service each year, and deemed it to be profitable.
China Trade Deficit in March, Surplus with US for Quarter
13/04/2018
China’s exports growth unexpectedly fell in March, raising questions about the health of one of the economy’s key growth drivers even as trade tensions rapidly escalate with the United States.
March import growth beat expectations, however, suggesting its domestic demand may still be solid enough to cushion the blow from any trade shocks.
That left China with a rare trade deficit for the month, also the first drop since last February.
The latest readings on the health of China’s trade sector follow weeks of tit-for-tat tariff threats by Washington and Beijing, sparked by U.S. frustration with China’s massive bilateral trade surplus and intellectual property policies, that have fueled fears of a global trade war.
China’s March exports fell 2.7 percent from a year earlier, lagging analysts’ forecasts for a 10 percent increase, and down from a sharper-than-expected 44.5 percent jump in February, which economists believe was heavily distorted by seasonal factors.
For the first quarter as a whole, exports still grew a hefty 14.1 percent.
Stronger currency
Some analysts had expected a pullback in March exports following an unusually strong start to the year, when firms stepped up shipments before the long Lunar New Year holiday in mid-February. That scenario did not alter their view that global demand remains robust.
But a stronger currency could also be starting to erode Chinese exporters’ competitiveness. The yuan appreciated around 3.7 percent against the U.S. dollar in the first quarter this year, on top of a 6.6 percent gain last year.
No hard timeline has been set by either Washington or Beijing for the actual imposition of tariffs, which leaves the door open to negotiations and a possible compromise that could limit the damage to both sides.
But with the threat of tariffs hanging over nearly a third of China’s exports to the United States, analysts say its companies and their U.S. customers may try to front-load shipments before any measures kick in.
China’s exports to the U.S. rose 14.8 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier, while imports rose 8.9 percent.
That sent its quarterly trade surplus with the U.S. surging 19.4 percent to $58.25 billion, though the March reading narrowed to $15.43 billion from $20.96 billion in February.
China’s total aluminum exports in March rose to their highest since June, just as the United States imposed a 10 percent tariff on imports of the metal on March 23 along with a 25 percent duty on steel imports.
Outlook cloudy
China’s exports rode a global trade boom last year, expanding at the fastest pace since 2013 and serving as one of the key drivers behind the economy’s forecast-beating expansion.
But the sudden spike in trade tensions with the United States is clouding the outlook for both China’s “old economy” heavy industries and “new economy” tech firms.
Washington says China’s $375 billion trade surplus with the United States is unacceptable, and has demanded Beijing reduce it by $100 billion immediately.
In a move to further force China to lower the trade surplus running with the U.S., Trump unveiled tariff representing about $50 billion of technology, transport and medical products early this month, drawing an immediate threat of retaliatory action from Beijing.
China’s tech sector, which is key part of Beijing’s longer-term “Made in China 2025” strategy to move from cheap goods to higher-value manufacturing, may be particularly vulnerable.
High-tech products have been among its fastest growing export segments. China exported $137.8 billion worth of high-tech products in the first quarter, up 20.5 percent on-year.
…
China Trade Deficit in March, Surplus with US for Quarter
13/04/2018
China’s exports growth unexpectedly fell in March, raising questions about the health of one of the economy’s key growth drivers even as trade tensions rapidly escalate with the United States.
March import growth beat expectations, however, suggesting its domestic demand may still be solid enough to cushion the blow from any trade shocks.
That left China with a rare trade deficit for the month, also the first drop since last February.
The latest readings on the health of China’s trade sector follow weeks of tit-for-tat tariff threats by Washington and Beijing, sparked by U.S. frustration with China’s massive bilateral trade surplus and intellectual property policies, that have fueled fears of a global trade war.
China’s March exports fell 2.7 percent from a year earlier, lagging analysts’ forecasts for a 10 percent increase, and down from a sharper-than-expected 44.5 percent jump in February, which economists believe was heavily distorted by seasonal factors.
For the first quarter as a whole, exports still grew a hefty 14.1 percent.
Stronger currency
Some analysts had expected a pullback in March exports following an unusually strong start to the year, when firms stepped up shipments before the long Lunar New Year holiday in mid-February. That scenario did not alter their view that global demand remains robust.
But a stronger currency could also be starting to erode Chinese exporters’ competitiveness. The yuan appreciated around 3.7 percent against the U.S. dollar in the first quarter this year, on top of a 6.6 percent gain last year.
No hard timeline has been set by either Washington or Beijing for the actual imposition of tariffs, which leaves the door open to negotiations and a possible compromise that could limit the damage to both sides.
But with the threat of tariffs hanging over nearly a third of China’s exports to the United States, analysts say its companies and their U.S. customers may try to front-load shipments before any measures kick in.
China’s exports to the U.S. rose 14.8 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier, while imports rose 8.9 percent.
That sent its quarterly trade surplus with the U.S. surging 19.4 percent to $58.25 billion, though the March reading narrowed to $15.43 billion from $20.96 billion in February.
China’s total aluminum exports in March rose to their highest since June, just as the United States imposed a 10 percent tariff on imports of the metal on March 23 along with a 25 percent duty on steel imports.
Outlook cloudy
China’s exports rode a global trade boom last year, expanding at the fastest pace since 2013 and serving as one of the key drivers behind the economy’s forecast-beating expansion.
But the sudden spike in trade tensions with the United States is clouding the outlook for both China’s “old economy” heavy industries and “new economy” tech firms.
Washington says China’s $375 billion trade surplus with the United States is unacceptable, and has demanded Beijing reduce it by $100 billion immediately.
In a move to further force China to lower the trade surplus running with the U.S., Trump unveiled tariff representing about $50 billion of technology, transport and medical products early this month, drawing an immediate threat of retaliatory action from Beijing.
China’s tech sector, which is key part of Beijing’s longer-term “Made in China 2025” strategy to move from cheap goods to higher-value manufacturing, may be particularly vulnerable.
High-tech products have been among its fastest growing export segments. China exported $137.8 billion worth of high-tech products in the first quarter, up 20.5 percent on-year.
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Обережно, міни! Скільки вибухонебезпечних знахідок приховує Донбас? – Ранковий ефір Радіо Свобода
13/04/2018
Ввізне мито на авто. Як захистити український автопром?
Замінований Донбас. Як зберегти людські життя?
Гендерна рівність. Що запланували в уряді?
На ці теми говоритимуть ведучий «Ранкової Свободи» Дмитро Баркар і гості студії: народний депутат (фракція Радикальної партії), голова парламентського комітету з питань промислової політики Віктор Галасюк, голова ГО «Авто Євро Сила» Олег Ярошевич; начальник управління екологічної безпеки та протимінної діяльності Міноборони України, полковник Максим Комісаров, офіцер Генерального штабу ЗСУ, полковник Віктор Шидлюх; президент ГО «Жіноча професійна ліга» Олена Лазоренко та провідний науковий співробітник Інституту демографії та соціальних досліджень НАНУ Анна Герасименко.
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Year-Round Sales of E15 Fuel Possible, Trump Says
13/04/2018
U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that his administration might allow the sale of gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol year-round, which could help farmers by firing up corn demand but faces opposition from oil companies.
The proposal marked the latest move by the Trump administration to navigate the rival oil and corn constituencies as they clash over the nation’s biofuels policy. Oil refiners say the Renewable Fuel Standard requiring them to add biofuels into gasoline is costly and displaces petroleum, while the farm sector says the law provides critical support to growers.
The Environmental Protection Agency currently bans the higher ethanol blend, called E15, during summer because of concerns it contributes to smog on hot days — a worry biofuels advocates say is unfounded.
Gasoline typically contains just 10 percent ethanol.
“We’re going to be going probably, probably to 15, and we’re going to be going to a 12-month period,” Trump told reporters during a White House meeting. “We’re going to work out something during the transition period, which is not easy, very complicated.”
Earlier Thursday, EPA spokeswoman Liz Bowman said the agency had been “assessing the legal validity of granting an E15 waiver since last summer” and was awaiting an outcome from discussions with the White House, the Department of Agriculture and Congress before making any final decisions.
Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, said the proposed shift to year-round E15 sales would be “very exciting news.”
“It would be a great morale boost for rural America, and more importantly a real demand boost if it can be moved forward quickly,” he said in an interview.
Annual biofuels figure
Under the RFS, the EPA sets the volume of ethanol and other biofuels that must be mixed into the nation’s fuel supply on a yearly basis — and a move to expand E15 sales could encourage the EPA to set those volumes higher in coming years.
Currently, refiners are required to blend around 15 billion gallons of ethanol into the nation’s fuel annually.
Shares of major biofuels producers rose slightly after the announcement. Archer Daniels Midland Co shares gained 2.7 percent to close at $45.30.
It was unclear, however, whether the move would help the refining sector — which has been lobbying hard instead for a cap on the price of blending credits that refiners must acquire to prove compliance with the RFS.
Greater blending of ethanol through year-round E15 sales would theoretically increase supplies of the tradable credits, and thus reduce prices. But at the same time, more ethanol translates to a smaller share of petroleum-based fuel in American gas tanks, which would hurt refiner sales.
The American Petroleum Institute, which represents big oil companies, issued a statement opposing Trump’s proposal to expand E15 sales, arguing that high-ethanol fuel can damage engines and is incompatible with certain boats, motorcycles and lawn mowers.
“The industry plans to consider all options to prevent such a waiver. The RFS is broken and we continue to believe the best solution is comprehensive legislation,” API Downstream Group Director Frank Macchiarola said in the statement.
Refiners’ shares were mixed after Trump’s comments, with Andeavor closing down 2.6 percent at $110.13 and Valero Energy Corp. up 0.2 percent at $100.53.
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Year-Round Sales of E15 Fuel Possible, Trump Says
13/04/2018
U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that his administration might allow the sale of gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol year-round, which could help farmers by firing up corn demand but faces opposition from oil companies.
The proposal marked the latest move by the Trump administration to navigate the rival oil and corn constituencies as they clash over the nation’s biofuels policy. Oil refiners say the Renewable Fuel Standard requiring them to add biofuels into gasoline is costly and displaces petroleum, while the farm sector says the law provides critical support to growers.
The Environmental Protection Agency currently bans the higher ethanol blend, called E15, during summer because of concerns it contributes to smog on hot days — a worry biofuels advocates say is unfounded.
Gasoline typically contains just 10 percent ethanol.
“We’re going to be going probably, probably to 15, and we’re going to be going to a 12-month period,” Trump told reporters during a White House meeting. “We’re going to work out something during the transition period, which is not easy, very complicated.”
Earlier Thursday, EPA spokeswoman Liz Bowman said the agency had been “assessing the legal validity of granting an E15 waiver since last summer” and was awaiting an outcome from discussions with the White House, the Department of Agriculture and Congress before making any final decisions.
Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, said the proposed shift to year-round E15 sales would be “very exciting news.”
“It would be a great morale boost for rural America, and more importantly a real demand boost if it can be moved forward quickly,” he said in an interview.
Annual biofuels figure
Under the RFS, the EPA sets the volume of ethanol and other biofuels that must be mixed into the nation’s fuel supply on a yearly basis — and a move to expand E15 sales could encourage the EPA to set those volumes higher in coming years.
Currently, refiners are required to blend around 15 billion gallons of ethanol into the nation’s fuel annually.
Shares of major biofuels producers rose slightly after the announcement. Archer Daniels Midland Co shares gained 2.7 percent to close at $45.30.
It was unclear, however, whether the move would help the refining sector — which has been lobbying hard instead for a cap on the price of blending credits that refiners must acquire to prove compliance with the RFS.
Greater blending of ethanol through year-round E15 sales would theoretically increase supplies of the tradable credits, and thus reduce prices. But at the same time, more ethanol translates to a smaller share of petroleum-based fuel in American gas tanks, which would hurt refiner sales.
The American Petroleum Institute, which represents big oil companies, issued a statement opposing Trump’s proposal to expand E15 sales, arguing that high-ethanol fuel can damage engines and is incompatible with certain boats, motorcycles and lawn mowers.
“The industry plans to consider all options to prevent such a waiver. The RFS is broken and we continue to believe the best solution is comprehensive legislation,” API Downstream Group Director Frank Macchiarola said in the statement.
Refiners’ shares were mixed after Trump’s comments, with Andeavor closing down 2.6 percent at $110.13 and Valero Energy Corp. up 0.2 percent at $100.53.
…