Boeing Buying Stake in Brazil’s Embraer for $4.2 Billion
17/12/2018
Boeing is buying a majority stake in Embraer’s commercial aircraft and services operations for $4.2 billion.
The joint venture, announced Monday, gives Boeing 80 percent ownership of those operations, with Embraer owning the remaining stake.
Boeing will have operational and management control of the company. Embraer will keep consent rights for some decisions, such as the transfer of operations from Brazil.
The deal still needs approval from the Brazilian government, as well as shareholders and regulators.
The companies also agreed to another joint venture to promote and develop new markets for the multi-mission medium airlift KC-390. Embraer will own a 51 percent stake in the joint venture, with Boeing owning the remaining 49 percent. The transaction is targeted to close by the end of next year.
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Most Teen Drug Use Down, but Vaping Is Booming
17/12/2018
Twice as many high school students used nicotine-tinged electronic cigarettes this year compared with last year, an unprecedented jump in a large annual survey of teen smoking, drinking and drug use.
It was the largest single-year increase in the survey’s 44-year history, far surpassing a mid-1970s surge in marijuana smoking.
The findings, released Monday, echo those of a government survey earlier this year. That survey also found a dramatic rise in vaping among children and prompted federal regulators to press for measures that make it harder for kids to get them.
Experts attribute the jump to newer versions of e-cigarettes, like those by Juul Labs Inc. that resemble computer flash drives and can be used discreetly.
Trina Hale, a junior at South Charleston High School in West Virginia, said vaping — specifically Juul — exploded at her school this year.
“They can put it in their sleeve or their pocket. They can do it wherever, whenever. They can do it in class if they’re sneaky about it,” she said.
Olivia Turman, a freshman at Cabell Midland High School in Ona, West Virginia, said she too has seen kids “hit their vape in class.”
The federally funded survey released Monday is conducted by University of Michigan researchers and has been operating since 1975. This year’s findings are based on responses from about 45,000 students in grades 8, 10 and 12 in schools across the country. It found 1 in 5 high school seniors reported having vaped nicotine in the previous month.
After vaping and alcohol, the most common thing teens use is marijuana, the survey found. About 1 in 4 students said they’d used marijuana at least once in the past year. It was more common in older kids — about 1 in 17 high school seniors said they use marijuana every day.
Overall, marijuana smoking is about the same level as it was the past few years. Vaping of marijuana rose, however.
More teens, however, are saying no to lots of other substances. Usage of alcohol, cigarettes, cocaine, LSD, ecstasy, heroin and opioid pills all declined.
Experts say it’s not clear what’s behind those trends, especially since the nation is in the midst of the deadliest drug overdose epidemic ever.
“What is it that we’re doing right with teenagers that we’re not doing with adults?” said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a federal agency that funds the Michigan study.
One leading theory is that kids today are staying home and communicating on smartphones rather than hanging out and smoking, drinking or trying drugs.
“Drug experimentation is a group activity,” Volkow said.
What about vaping? “Vaping mostly is an individual activity,” said David Jernigan, a Boston University researcher who tracks alcohol use.
The vaping explosion is a big worry, however. Health officials say nicotine is harmful to developing brains. Some researchers also believe vaping will make kids more likely to take up cigarettes, and perhaps later try other drugs.
So far that hasn’t happened, surveys show. But the Juul phenomenon is recent, noted Richard Miech, who oversees the Michigan survey.
If vaping does lead to cigarette use among teens, that may start to show up in the survey as early as next year, he added.
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Guinea Bissau Women Entrepreneurs Share Ideas, Expand Business
17/12/2018
A group of young female business owners in Guinea Bissau have banded together to learn more about the business world and increase sales. A year later, their efforts appear to be paying off. Ricci Shryock reports from the west African nation.
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Ottawa’s Ambassador Meets with 2nd Canadian Citizen Arrested in China
17/12/2018
China has allowed the Canadian ambassador to meet with a second Canadian citizen detained for reasons that are still unclear, the foreign ministry in Ottawa said.
Ambassador John McCallum spoke with Canadian business executive Michael Spavor on Sunday — two days after he met with another Canadian detainee, former diplomat Michael Kovrig.
A foreign ministry statement said Sunday the ambassador will continue providing consular services to Spavor and will seek further access to him.
China detained both men after Canadian police arrested senior Chinese telecom executive Meng Wanzhou earlier this month in Vancouver on a U.S. warrant.
Meng is out on bail awaiting possible extradition to the United States on charges of evading U.S. sanctions against Iran.
Canada denies Meng’s arrest was a political move. It says it was purely a judicial matter and a case of Canada living up to its treaty obligations to the United States.
“We are being absolutely clear on standing up for our citizens who have been detained, trying to figure out why, trying to work with China to demonstrate that this is not acceptable,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said late last week.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also calls the arrests in China unacceptable.
Ottawa has declined to say why it believes the two Canadians were arrested. But China’s state-run Beijing News newspaper says the two are suspected of activities that endanger Chinese national security.
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Washington Reacts after Obamacare Struck Down
16/12/2018
The future of health care in America is murkier than ever after a federal judge ruled that former President Barack Obama’s signature health care law is unconstitutional. VOA’s Michael Bowman reports that the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, is still in effect pending appeals that could reach the U.S. Supreme Court.
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«Північний потік-2» має зберегти інтереси України – міністр економіки Німеччини
16/12/2018
Міністр економіки Німеччини заявляє, що здійснення російського газотранспортного проекту «Північний потік-2» може продовжитися з тим, щоб були дотримані життєво важливі інтереси України. При цьому, сказав міністр Петер Альтмаєр в інтерв’ю агентству «Ройтерз», Берлін також веде переговори про диверсифікацію свого енергопостачання також і за рахунок зрідженого природного газу.
За словами міністра, один із цих життєво важливих інтересів України полягає в тому, що і після 2019 року має зберегтися істотний рівень транзиту газу з Росії через Україну. «Про це зараз ведуться дискусії», – сказав Альтмаєр і додав, що тонкощі цих переговорів дуже складні.
«Ми не зменшимо залежності від Росії тим, що підірвемо такий проект, як «Північний потік-2», а потім будемо отримувати російський же газ із інших трубопроводів», – сказав він.
«Про більшу енергонезалежність можна говорити тільки тоді, коли ми, крім забезпечення довготермінового постачання газу, також створимо в Німеччині інфраструктуру для отримання зрідженого природного газу», – додав Альтмаєр. За його словами, зараз уже ведеться з’ясування з приватними інвесторами можливих місць для об’єктів такої інфраструктури.
Агентство нагадує, що транзит російського газу дає нині Україні до 3 відсотків від її валового внутрішнього продукту.
Україна називає проект «Північний потік-2» суто політичним, без економічного обґрунтування, і закликає заблокувати його будівництво. Київ підтримують у цьому і деякі європейські країни, а також США. На їхню думку, газогін має на меті збільшити залежність Європи від російського газу і водночас позбавити російського газового транзиту Україну і деякі східноєвропейські держави, тим самим зробивши їх вразливими перед російським газовим шантажем.
Зокрема, Європейський парламент 12 грудня у своїй резолюції підкреслив вирішальну роль України в європейській мережі енергопостачання, засудив будівництво газопроводу «Північний потік-2» як «політичний проект, який становить загрозу європейській безпеці та зусиллям для диверсифікації енергопостачань», і закликав скасувати цей проект.
А Палата представників Конгресу США 11 грудня ухвалила резолюцію щодо «Північного потоку-2», якою «підтримує накладення санкцій» щодо цього газогону і закликає президента США «підтримати енергетичну безпеку Європи за допомогою політики диверсифікації з метою послаблення залежності від Росії». США сподіваються постачати до Європи свій зріджений природний газ.
Тим часом низка країн-членів Європейського союзу, в першу чергу Німеччина, компанії з яких беруть участь у будівництві газопроводу, підтримує «Північний потік-2» і говорить про нього як про «суто економічний проект». Але при цьому канцлер Німеччини Анґела Меркель і члени її уряду останнім часом заявляють, що робота нового газопроводу буде можлива лише в разі, якщо Росія не припинить транзит свого газу через Україну.
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Порошенко розповів про перспективи воєнного стану
16/12/2018
Президент України Петро Порошенко розповів про перспективи продовження воєнного стану, запровадженого в Україні на термін до 26 грудня. Як сказав голова держави на прес-конференції в Києві, він чітко наголосив при його запровадженні, що він запроваджується на 30 днів.
«Моя принципова позиція, що жоден воєнний стан не буде перешкоджати проведенню виборів. І якщо не відбудеться початок широкомасштабної агресії, вторгнення військ, збройних сил Російської Федерації, на територію України за межами лінії зіткнення і адміністративного кордону окупованого Криму, військовий стан продовжений не буде. І почнеться, відповідно до проголосованої у Верховній Раді постанови, підготовка до виборів президента 31 березня 2019 року», – заявив Порошенко.
За його словами, він припинив би цей воєнний стан і раніше, «негайно», – якби були відведені російські війська, напередодні масово передислоковані до кордону України, що й стало однією з підстав запровадження воєнного стану. Але, заявив президент про ці війська, «левова частка» їх наразі залишається біля кордону, відведено лише менш ніж 10 відсотків від їхньої кількості.
Крім того, сказав Порошенко, вже 17 грудня в ООН будуть розглядати проект резолюції ООН у зв’язку з мілітаризацією Чорного і Азовського морів. «Україна ініціювала цей процес. І станом на зараз вже 41 країна погодилися бути співавторами цієї резолюції», – сказав президент і назвав цей документ «достатньо сильним».
Радіо Свобода вело пряму трансляцію прес-конференції президента України Петра Порошенка.
Верховна Рада затвердила указ президента про виконання ухвали РНБО і запровадження воєнного стану терміном до 26 грудня на територіях 10 областей України, що межують із Росією, окупованим Кримом і фактично підконтрольним Росії Придністров’ям у Молдові, де постійно дислоковані російські війська, а також у внутрішніх водах Азово-Керченської акваторії. Серед причин цього було згадане різке нарощування Росією своїх військових сил біля кордону України, напруженість в Азовському морі, а також криза в Керченській протоці, коли російські війська з застосуванням зброї на ураження захопили 25 листопада як військовополонених українських військових моряків.
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US, Taliban to Meet Monday in UAE
16/12/2018
A Pakistan-arranged meeting between U.S. and Taliban officials will be held Monday in the United Arab Emirates to push a political settlement to the war in Afghanistan.
The special representative for Afghan reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, will lead the U.S. team at the talks in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the gulf state, a senior Pakistani official privy to the development confirmed to VOA on Sunday.
The official, requesting anonymity, said Islamabad has facilitated the dialogue after President Donald Trump wrote to Prime Minister Imran Khan earlier this month seeking his cooperation in bringing the Taliban to the table for peace negotiations.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, in a brief statement sent to VOA, has confirmed participation of its political negotiators in Monday’s meeting with American officials, but said that representatives of the host country, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia will also be in attendance.
Initially, it was Khan who disclosed on Friday that Pakistan-aided talks between U.S. and Taliban officials would take place on December 17, though he would not say where.
The Pakistani prime minister, while speaking in the northwestern city of Peshawar, explained his country has agreed to assist in Afghan peace efforts because Washington has changed its position by requesting help, instead of saying Islamabad is not doing enough, as U.S. leaders have previously insisted.
A spokesperson for the U.S. embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Saturday hailed Khan’s remarks and support for a political reconciliation in the war-ravaged neighboring country.
“The United States welcomes any actions by the Pakistani government to promote greater cooperation, including fostering negotiations between the Taliban, the Afghan government, and other Afghans,” the spokesperson told VOA.
“Special Representative Khalilzad has met, and will continue to meet, with all interested parties, including the Taliban, to support a negotiated settlement to the conflict in Afghanistan,” noted the U.S. embassy official.
In his speech on Friday, Khan said that if peace were achieved in Afghanistan, his country will be the immediate beneficiary in terms of security, economic stability and regional connectivity.
Khalilzad, is visiting regional countries to gather support for Afghan peace talks. He is 14 days into an 18-day visit to the region and has already visited Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Belgium.
Since taking office in September, the Afghan-born U.S. special envoy has held two meetings with the Taliban in Qatar, where the insurgent group operates its so-called “political office.”
But those talks have been for the sake of talks, say insurgent and Pakistani officials.
Demands, accusations
Pakistani officials privy to Khalilzad’s interaction with the Taliban have told VOA that until now no progress has been achieved because the insurgents adamantly demand “a date or timeframe” for all U.S. and NATO troops to withdraw from Afghanistan before the Taliban decides to participate in an intra-Afghan peace process.
Washington has long maintained Taliban leaders are sheltering in Pakistan with covert support from the country’s intelligence agency. Washington has been urging Islamabad to use its influence to bring the insurgents to the negotiating table.
Pakistani officials say their influence over the Taliban has significantly declined over the years because the insurgents have gained control over large areas of Afghanistan and continue to pose serious battlefield challenges for U.S.-backed Afghan security forces.
The United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan 17 years ago and the war with the Taliban has since killed nearly 150,000 people, including Afghan civilians, security forces, insurgents and more than 2,400 American soldiers, according to an American University study released recently.
The longest war effort in U.S. history has also cost Washington nearly one trillion dollars. The Taliban has expanded its insurgent activities and currently controls or hotly contests about half of Afghanistan. The conflict is said to have killed more Afghan civilians and security forces in 2018 than in any other year.
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Про що говорив Порошенко на прес-конференції – відео
16/12/2018
У неділю, 16 грудня, президент України Петро Порошенко дві години спілкувався з журналістами. Радіо Свобода зібрало 5 найактуальніших тем, про які говорив глава держави: автокефалія, Росія, вибори, політичні опоненти й президентські амбіції
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Debt Threat: Business Debt, Worries About it, Are up
16/12/2018
Homeowners appear to have learned the lesson of the Great Recession about not taking on too much debt. There is some concern that Corporate America didn’t get the message.
For much of the past decade, companies have borrowed at super-low interest rates and used the money to buy back stock, acquire other businesses and refinance old debt. The vast majority of companies are paying their bills on time, thanks in large part to profits that have surged since the economy emerged from the Great Recession nine and a half years ago.
But with interest rates rising and U.S. economic growth expected to slow next year, worries are building from Washington to Wall Street that corporate debt is approaching potentially dangerous levels. U.S. corporate debt has grown by nearly two-thirds since 2008 to more than $9 trillion and, along with government debt, has ballooned much faster than other parts of the bond market. Investors are most concerned about companies at the weaker end of the financial-strength scale _ those considered most likely to default or to get downgraded to “junk” status should a recession hit.
“I’ve been more worried about the bond market than the equity market,” said Kirk Hartman, global chief investment officer at Wells Fargo Asset Management. “I think at some point, all the leverage in the system is going to rear its ugly head.”
Consider General Electric, which said in early October it would record a big charge related to its struggling power unit, one that ended up totaling $22 billion. Both Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s subsequently downgraded GE’s credit rating to three notches above “speculative” grade, which indicates a higher risk of default.
GE, with about $115 billion in total borrowings, is part of a growing group of companies concentrated at the lower end of investment-grade. Other high-profile names in this area within a few notches of junk grade include General Motors and Verizon Communications. They make up nearly 45 percent of the Bloomberg Barclays Credit index, more than quadruple their proportion during the early 1970s.
Credit-rating agencies say downgrades for GE, GM or Verizon aren’t imminent. But the concern for them, and broadly for this swelling group of businesses, is if profits start falling or the economy hits a recession.
If those companies do drop below investment grade, they’d be what investors call “fallen angels,” and they can trigger waves of selling. Many mutual funds and other investors are required to own only high-quality, investment-grade bonds — so they would have to sell any bonds that get cut to junk.
The forced selling would lead to a drop in bond prices, which could result in higher borrowing costs for companies, which hurts their ability to repay their debts, which could lead to even more selling.
Even the chairman of the Federal Reserve has taken notice of the rise in corporate debt. Jerome Powell said in a recent speech that business borrowing usually rises when the economy is growing. But he said it’s concerning that, over the last year, the companies increasing their borrowing the most are those already with high debt and interest burdens.
To be sure, many bond fund managers say companies were smart to borrow hefty sums at low rates. And at the moment, there are no outward signs of danger. The default rate for junk-rated corporate bonds was 2.6 percent last month, which is lower than the historical average, and S&P Global Fixed Income Research expects it to fall in upcoming months.
Even if the economy does fall into a recession, fund managers say losses won’t be to the same scale as 2008 when the financial crisis sent the S&P 500 to a drop of nearly 37 percent and the most popular category of bond funds to an average loss of 4.7 percent.
In his speech, Powell said he doesn’t see the weaker parts of the corporate debt market undermining the financial system in the event of an economic downturn, at least “for now.”
Other investors see the market’s growing worries as premature. Companies are still making record profits, which allow them to repay their debts, and consumer confidence is still high.
“There is a story out there that there’s a recession coming very soon, and you had better head for the hills,” said Warren Pierson, deputy chief investment officer at Baird Advisors. “We think that’s a pretty early call. We don’t see recession on the horizon.”
That’s why he and Mary Ellen Stanek, who run bond mutual funds at Baird, haven’t given up on corporate bonds, even if they’ve moderated how much they own.
But critics see some echoes of the financial crisis in today’s loosening lending standards. Consider leveraged loans, a section of the market that makes loans to companies with lots of debt or relatively weak finances. These loans have been popular with investors in recent years because they often have what are called floating rates, so they pay more in interest when rates are rising.
Paul Massaro, portfolio manager for floating-rate strategies at T. Rowe Price, says he’s still positive about this market in general. But his team of analysts has been finding more warning flags in offerings, where the terms of the deal may be overly friendly to borrowers and allow them to amass more debt than they should.
It’s gotten to the point where Massaro is participating in about 15 percent of all offerings today, down from 30 percent a few years ago.
Investors have largely been willing to stomach higher risk because they’ve been starved for income following years of very low interest rates.
As a result, some bonds that by many accounts look like risky junk bonds are trading at prices and yields that should be reserved for higher-quality bonds, say Tom McCauley and Yoav Sharon, who run the $976.3 million Driehaus Active Income fund. To take advantage, they’re increasingly “shorting” corporate bonds, which are trades that pay off if the bonds’ prices fall.
They recently began shorting bonds of a packaged goods company with a “BBB” rating that borrowed to help pay for a large acquisition, for example. A “BBB” rating is at the lower end of investment grade, and a drop to “BB” would send it into junk status.
With so much debt, McCauley and Sharon believe that it’s at risk of getting downgraded to junk and is not paying enough in yield to compensate for its risk.
“As we get into the later stages of the cycle, the sins of the early stages of the cycle tend to start showing up,” said Sharon. “We think that’s where we are today.”
Michigan Sand Dunes Attract Tourists, Swallow Properties
16/12/2018
Sand dunes in the state of Michigan are a scenic attraction for many American and foreign tourists. These sand dunes expand and move. Over time, they swallow cottages and the vegetation around them, as VOA’s Emre Elci reports.
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The Historic Place Where Literary, Political Worlds Intersect
16/12/2018
A relatively modest, independently owned bookstore in Washington has become a standout on the cultural scene in the U.S. capital. It’s called Politics and Prose. Since opening in 1984, it’s managed to survive the age of online book buying and thrive as a magnet for some of the world’s highest profile authors, from former Presidents Clinton and Obama, to J.K. Rowling, Salman Rushdie and photographer Annie Leibovitz. Ani Chkhikvadze stopped by Politics and Prose to learn more about its success.
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Fate of Kansas Ban on Telemedicine Abortions Uncertain
16/12/2018
Kansas clinics still don’t know whether it will be legal for them to offer telemedicine abortions in January. Meanwhile a state-court judge Friday derided the upcoming ban as an “air ball” that can’t stop doctors from providing pregnancy-ending pills to patients they don’t see in person.
An abortion rights group seeking an order to block the ban found its request enmeshed in larger legal battles over abortion. Attorneys for the state raised the question of whether other state laws might block telemedicine abortions, and District Judge Franklin Theis held off on issuing an order.
Suit: Ban unconstitutional
The Center for Reproductive Rights filed a lawsuit last month on behalf of Trust Women of Wichita, which operates a clinic there that performs abortions. Since October, some patients seeking abortion pills have consulted with offsite doctors through teleconferencing, and the clinic hopes to start providing abortion pills to women in rural areas without having them come to Wichita.
The center argues that the new law violates the state constitution by placing an undue burden on women seeking abortion and singling out abortion for special treatment as part of broader policies otherwise meant to encourage telemedicine.
“The use of telemedicine right now for medication abortions is extremely important,” said Leah Wiederhorn, an attorney for the center. “It’s a way for women to access this type of health care during a time when there are a lot of hostile laws that are meant to shut down clinics across the country.”
Seventeen other states have telemedicine abortion bans, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a group that advocates for abortion rights. The new Kansas law says that in policies promoting telemedicine, “nothing” authorizes “any abortion procedure via telemedicine.”
But Theis said the law doesn’t give a prosecutor any avenue for pursuing a criminal case. While the state medical board could act against the clinic’s doctors, the judge added, “There’s no jeopardy yet.”
Few clinics
Kansas has no clinics providing abortions outside Wichita and the Kansas City area. The Republican-controlled Legislature has strong anti-abortion majorities, and the state has tightened restrictions over the past decade.
Lawmakers have tried three times to ban telemedicine abortions. In 2011, a ban was part of legislation imposing special regulations on abortion clinics that critics said were meant to shut them down. Providers sued and Theis blocked all of the regulations. The case is still pending.
Legislators passed a law in 2015 requiring a doctor to be in the same room when a woman takes the first of two abortion pills. The Center for Reproductive Rights argues that it’s covered by the 2011 lawsuit over clinic regulations and has been blocked by Theis. Though the judge said he’s inclined to agree, state attorneys argued that it is in effect, even if it hasn’t been enforced.
The anti-abortion group Kansans for Life filed a complaint Friday against the Wichita clinic with the state medical board, asking it to investigate its “illegal” telemedicine abortions. Jeanne Gawdun, the group’s senior lobbyist, called them “dangerous.”
“Where’s that important physician-patient relationship?” Gawdun said. “It’s not there.”
Few complications
A study of abortions in California, published in the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ journal in 2015, said less than one-third of 1 percent of medication abortions resulted in major complications.
The Kansas health department has reported that in 2017, nearly 4,000 medication abortions were reported, or 58 percent of the state’s total, all in the first trimester. It’s not clear if any were telemedicine abortions.
Wiederhorn said banning telemedicine abortion would be a hardship for the clinic’s patients because its doctors, while licensed in Kansas, are outside the state and can spend only two days a week in Wichita. Also, many women in rural areas would face hardships in getting medication abortions without telemedicine, she said.
But Assistant Attorney General Shon Qualseth said: “We’re just theorizing on what could happen.”
Governments Agree on Rules for Implementing Climate Accord
16/12/2018
After two weeks of bruising negotiations, officials from almost 200 countries agreed Saturday on universal, transparent rules that will govern efforts to cut emissions and curb global warming. Fierce disagreements on two other climate issues were kicked down the road for a year to help bridge a chasm of opinions on the best solutions.
The deal agreed upon at U.N. climate talks in Poland enables countries to put into action the principles in the 2015 Paris climate accord.
“Through this package, you have made a thousand little steps forward together,” said Michal Kurtyka, a senior Polish official chairing the talks.
He said while each individual country would likely find some parts of the agreement it didn’t like, efforts had been made to balance the interests of all parties.
“We will all have to give in order to gain,” he said. “We will all have to be courageous to look into the future and make yet another step for the sake of humanity.”
The talks in Poland took place against a backdrop of growing concern among scientists that global warming on Earth is proceeding faster than governments are responding to it. Last month, a study found that global warming will worsen disasters such as the deadly California wildfires and the powerful hurricanes that have hit the United States this year.
Overhaul of global economy
And a recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, concluded that while it’s possible to cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the century compared with pre-industrial times, this would require a dramatic overhaul of the global economy, including a shift away from fossil fuels.
Alarmed by efforts to include this in the final text of the meeting, oil-exporting nations the United States, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait blocked an endorsement of the IPCC report midway through this month’s talks in Katowice. That prompted an uproar from vulnerable countries like small island nations and environmental groups.
The final text at the U.N. talks omits a previous reference to specific reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and merely welcomes the “timely completion” of the IPCC report, not its conclusions.
Last-minute snags forced negotiators in Katowice to go into extra time, after Friday’s scheduled end of the conference had passed without a deal.
One major sticking point was how to create a functioning market in carbon credits. Economists believe that an international trading system could be an effective way to drive down greenhouse gas emissions and raise large amounts of money for measures to curb global warming.
But Brazil wanted to keep the piles of carbon credits it had amassed under an old system that developed countries say wasn’t credible or transparent.
Push from U.S.
Among those that pushed back hardest was the United States, despite President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris climate accord and promote the use of coal.
“Overall, the U.S. role here has been somewhat schizophrenic — pushing coal and dissing science on the one hand, but also working hard in the room for strong transparency rules,” said Elliot Diringer of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, a Washington think tank.
When it came to closing potential loopholes that could allow countries to dodge their commitments to cut emissions, “the U.S. pushed harder than nearly anyone else for transparency rules that put all countries under the same system, and it’s largely succeeded.”
“Transparency is vital to U.S. interests,” added Nathaniel Keohane, a climate policy expert at the Environmental Defense Fund. He noted that the breakthrough in the 2015 Paris talks happened only after the U.S. and China agreed on a common framework for transparency.
“In Katowice, the U.S. negotiators have played a central role in the talks, helping to broker an outcome that is true to the Paris vision of a common transparency framework for all countries that also provides flexibility for those that need it,” said Keohane, calling the agreement “a vital step forward in realizing the promise of the Paris accord.”
Among the key achievements in Katowice was an agreement on how countries should report their greenhouses gas emissions and the efforts they’re taking to reduce them. Poor countries also secured assurances on getting financial support to help them cut emissions, adapt to inevitable changes such as sea level rises and pay for damages that have already happened.
Some not hearing alarms
“The majority of the rulebook for the Paris Agreement has been created, which is something to be thankful for,” said Mohamed Adow, a climate policy expert at Christian Aid. “But the fact countries had to be dragged kicking and screaming to the finish line shows that some nations have not woken up to the urgent call of the IPCC report” on the dire consequences of global warming.
But a central feature of the Paris Agreement — the idea that countries will ratchet up their efforts to fight global warming over time — still needs to be proved effective, he said.
“To bend the emissions curve, we now need all countries to deliver these revised plans at the special U.N. secretary-general summit in 2019. It’s vital that they do so,” Adow said.
In the end, a decision on the mechanics of an emissions trading system was postponed to next year’s meeting. Countries also agreed to consider the issue of raising ambitions at a U.N. summit in New York next September.
Speaking hours before the final gavel, Canada’s Environment Minister Catherine McKenna suggested there was no alternative to such meetings if countries want to tackle global problems, especially at a time when multilateral diplomacy is under pressure from nationalism.
“The world has changed, the political landscape has changed,” she told The Associated Press. “Still, you’re seeing here that we’re able to make progress, we’re able to discuss the issues, we’re able to come to solutions.”
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Вселенський патріархат офіційно запросив митрополита Епіфанія для отримання томосу
16/12/2018
15 грудня відбувся Об’єднавчий собор зі створення єдиної української помісної православної церкви, який обрав її предстоятелем митрополита Епіфанія
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Архієпископ Климент (Кущ) остерігається «помсти за томос» у Криму
15/12/2018
Архієпископ Климент також зазначив, що має намір боротися за свою паству, в тому числі і через суд
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Адвокат відвідав у СІЗО Москви полоненого українського моряка Лісового – Полозов
15/12/2018
Один з захисників військовополонених українських моряків відвідав члена екіпажу рейдового буксира «Яни-Капу» Володимира Лісового, повідомив у Facebook адвокат Микола Полозов.
За його словами, зустріч відбулася 14 грудня в кабінеті слідчого у Слідчому управлінні ФСБ РФ до початку слідчих дій.
«Володимир почуває себе добре, ніяких скарг або прохань не висловлював. Передачу йому віддали. За його словами, він на даний момент не має потреби ні в чому. Як і інші моряки, яких раніше змогли відвідати адвокати нашої команди, Лісовий заявив, що вважає себе військовополоненим», – написав Полозов.
Він прогнозує, що захисники інших українських моряків зможуть з ними побачитися протягом двох наступних тижнів.
«Через об’єктивні причини (зокрема, особливості організації роботи ізолятора), у СІЗО «Лефортово» ускладнений доступ адвокатів. Зустрічі адвокатів з військовополоненими українськими моряками, принаймні до Нового року, будуть обумовлені графіком слідчих дій», – зазначив Полозов.
Раніше сьогодні він повідомив, що адвокат Еміль Курбедінов відвідав у московському СІЗО захопленого в полон українського моряка, командира бронетанкового катера «Нікополь» Богдана Небилицю.
Читайте також: «Лефортово – в’язниця ФСБ». Розповіді тих, хто відвідав українських моряків
25 листопада російські силовики у Керченській протоці відкрили вогонь по українських кораблях, захопили їх і 24 членів їхніх екіпажів. Троє моряків при цьому були поранені. Усіх захоплених українців утримують у СІЗО в Москві. Українська влада визнає їх військовополоненими.
Дії Росії в районі Керченської протоки критикують у низці європейських країн і США. У НАТО заявили, що уважно стежать за розвитком подій у Керченській протоці і закликали до стриманості й деескалації напруги.
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Томос для України: спецефір Радіо Свобода до Об’єднавчого собору
15/12/2018
15 грудня з 9:30 Радіо Свобода веде спеціальний ефір з нагоди Об’єднавчого собору Української православної церкви, який відбувається у Софії Київській.
У суботу ієрархи українських православних церков мають утворити нову українську незалежну церкву, затвердити її статут та обрати нового предстоятеля.
Голосування буде таємним і визначатиметься голосами більшості. У соборі візьмуть участь ієрархи УПЦ Київського патріархату, ієрархи Української автокефальної церкви і частина ієрархів УПЦ Московського патріархату.
Поки що достеменно невідомо, скільки саме представників Російської православної церкви в Україні візьмуть участь в голосуванні, оскільки офіційно УПЦ МП не визнає собору і не підтримує створення єдиної помісної церкви.
Томос про автокефалію новообраний предстоятель помісної православної церкви отримає у Константинополі 6 січня 2019 року.
У рамках ефіру дивіться включення з Софійської площі, а також ефір зі студії Радіо Свобода з коментарями експертів й аналітикою на тему створення єдиної помісної православної церкви.
Спеціальний ефір можна дивитися на YouTube, Facebook, Twitter і сайті Радіо Свобода.
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Адвокат Курбедінов відвідав у СІЗО Москви моряка Небилицю
15/12/2018
Адвокат Еміль Курбедінов відвідав у московському СІЗО захопленого в полон українського моряка, командира бронетанкового катера «Нікополь» Богдана Небилицю, повідомив на Facebook-сторінці «Захист військовополонених українських моряків» адвокат Микола Полозов.
«Адвокат команди захисту військовополонених українських моряків Еміль Курбедінов відвідав командира МБАК «Нікополь» Богдана Небилицю. За словами адвоката, Небилиця тримається молодцем. Виглядає бадьоро, посміхається. Разом з тим, за час перебування в СІЗО «Лефортово» його чотири рази переводили в різні камери. Зараз сидить з людиною на ім’я Мухамед. Відносини нормальні, але особливо не спілкуються», – написав Полозов.
Адвокат додав, що з Небилицею були проведені слідчі дії, його ознайомили з кількома постановами про призначення експертиз. Також провели допит, на якому Небилиця наголосив, що є військовополоненим.
11 грудня закінчився термін адміністративного арешту самого адвоката Еміля Курбедінова в окупованому Росією Криму. Він заявив, що одразу стане до роботи у «справі «Хізб ут-Тахрір», а також захищатиме полоненого українського моряка.
25 листопада російські силовики у Керченській протоці відкрили вогонь по українських кораблях, захопили їх і 24 членів їхніх екіпажів. Троє моряків при цьому були поранені. Усіх захоплених українців утримують у СІЗО в Москві. Українська влада визнає їх військовополоненими.
Дії Росії в районі Керченської протоки критикують у низці європейських країн і США. У НАТО заявили, що уважно стежать за розвитком подій у Керченській протоці і закликали до стриманості й деескалації напруги.
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US Couple Accused of Enticing Chinese Into Sex Trafficking
15/12/2018
A New Hampshire husband and wife used a messaging system popular in China to entice women to come to the U.S. on tourist visas to serve in the sex industry in northern New England, according to court documents.
Sou Chao Li, 37, and his wife, Derong Maio, 37, orchestrated an elaborate scheme involving at least 27 women and hotels and rented houses across Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, prosecutors wrote.
The pair made their initial appearance in court Thursday and will remain detained until their next hearing on Tuesday.
The indictment unsealed Thursday upon their arrest indicated the pair arranged for travel for the women and collected proceeds either themselves or through intermediaries, the documents indicate.
Daphne Hallett Donahue, attorney for the husband, said he was “bewildered and exhausted” when she met him in court after his arrest Thursday. She said she couldn’t yet comment on details of the case.
An attorney for the wife declined comment.
According to the indictment, the prostitution took place between July 2016 and February 2018, and the defendants controlled the movement of the women and isolated them.
The women’s services were advertised on Backpage.com, a website that was shut down earlier this year.
The couple faces multiple sex trafficking charges including defrauding and coercing two of the women. The couple took a passport from at least one woman to ensure her cooperation, the indictment said.
The most serious of the federal sex trafficking charges carry a penalty of up to life in prison upon conviction.
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Росія: Навальний звинуватив Путіна і «його ідіотів» у церковному «розколі» в Україні
15/12/2018
Російський опозиціонер Олексій Навальний звинуватив президента Росії Володимира Путіна в тому, що українські православні на соборі в Києві завершують схвалений Константинополем процес об’єднання.
«Сьогодні відбудеться подія історичного масштабу. Розкол. Собор у Києві завершить створення Помісної церкви в Україні. РПЦ втратить до половини «живих» парафій. Те, що створювалося сотні років, було зруйноване Путіним і його ідіотами за чотири роки. Путін – ворог «русского мира», – написав Навальний у мережі Twitter.
У Києві 15 грудня відбувається Об’єднавчий собор українського православ’я, у якому беруть участь церковні ієрархи, священики та миряни.
Вони представляють три православні церкви, які на цей час існують в Україні – Українську православну церкву Київського патріархату (УПЦ КП), Українську автокефальну православну церкву (УАПЦ) та Українську православну церкву (УПЦ), яка перебуває в єдності з Московським патріархатом. Перші дві релігійні організації схвалили участь у соборі на рівні своїх Архієрейських соборів, остання представлена окремими представниками кліру та мирян.
Собор у Києві може стати вирішальним кроком, що підсумує роки зусиль, спрямованих на створення в Україні незалежної від Москви церкви.
Вселенський патріарх Варфоломій оголосив рішення про визнання прохання України про створення автокефальної церкви в жовтні. Вселенський патріарх є лідером всесвітньої православної спільноти, яка нараховує близько 300 мільйонів чоловік.
Москва виступила категорично проти надання українській церкві автокефалії.
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US Immigrant Detentions, Accusations of Rights Violations Rise
15/12/2018
A growing number of immigrants in the United States are being incarcerated in detention centers for increasingly extended periods of time, and without being afforded the legal protections given to criminals, according to a recent report issued by the American Immigration Council.
The report, entitled “The Landscape of Immigration Detention in the United States,” says the number of people imprisoned for violating U.S. immigration laws has increased “more than fivefold in the past two decades,” from an average daily detention population of less than 7,000 in 1994 to more than 44,000 in 2017.
The rise in immigration detention temporarily dipped in 2014, even though the administration of President Barack Obama increased efforts to deport immigrant criminal offenders and recent border crossers. The Migration Policy Institute attributed this temporary decline in part to improved economic conditions in Mexico and reduced post-recession job demand in the United States.
The report said that during the administration of President Donald Trump, the number of detentions has “steeply increased.” As of Oct. 20, the average daily population in detention had reached 44,631 people, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement testified to Congress. The report notes that the 2019 U.S. federal budget requests funding for 52,000 detention beds.
WATCH: U.S. Immigrant Detentions, Rights Abuse Claims Rise
Claims of human rights violations
The increase in immigrant detentions has also been accompanied by a rise in claims of human rights violations, the report said.
“There are growing reports of civil and human rights violations in detention, including substandard medical care, sexual and physical abuse, and exploitative labor practices. ICE acknowledged at least 185 deaths in detention between October 2003 and July 2018,” the report said.
“We’re talking about basic human rights and the bare minimum of legal protections that anyone in any detention should enjoy, the right to speedy trial, the right against self-incrimination, the right to a government appointed counsel, and a ban on cruel and unusual punishment,” said Kathryn Shepherd, the American Immigration Council’s national advocacy counsel.
Zero tolerance
The Trump administration has demonstrated a willingness to hold immigrants whether they cross legally or illegally in detention.
It’s “zero tolerance policy,” announced in April, mandated that anyone who entered the country illegally should be charged as a felon and incarcerated. Under U.S. law children cannot be held for more than 20 days with a felon parent, so border authorities separated children from their parents.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions, cited a “crisis at the border” when announcing the policy, as a caravan of migrants, mostly from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, approached. It was reversed in June because of strong public condemnation. A federal judge subsequently ordered detained families be reunited.
Lacking accountability
Under U.S. law, immigrants may seek asylum if they can demonstrate a “credible fear of persecution or torture” if sent back to their home countries.
In the past, asylum-seekers were often allowed to return to the local community to await their day in court, but the Trump administration has increasingly moved to force them to remain in custody until their cases are resolved. However, since zero tolerance was ended, people with children are often once again released into the community.
Some asylum-seekers have been surprised to be sent to detention facilities while their cases are under review.
“I was told I was going to be taken to a jail. So at first I wanted to return back to Nigeria because I had never been to a jail before. So why would you take me to a jail? So it was like shocking for me,” said Edafe Okporo, a gay activist whose life was threatened in Nigeria. After requesting asylum he was held in detention for five months in 2017.
The American Immigration Council argues that detaining legitimate asylum-seekers is for the most part unnecessary.
“A lot of the people who are in detention facilities are not flight risks, are not dangerous to the community, and many of them have demonstrated that they have somewhere to go and that they will show up at their future hearing,” Shepherd said.
For-profit prisons
The American Immigration Council report criticizes the immigration detention process as lacking “public accountability and transparency.” Under U.S. law, immigration detention is categorized as civil and “non-punitive” rather than criminal, but at the same time immigrants are not granted the same legal protections given to citizens charged under the criminal code.
The more than 600 immigration detention facilities in the United States are essentially prisons with inmates issued uniforms, guards enforcing rigid rules, and limited communication and access to the outside world.
More than 65 percent of immigrants are held in privately run facilities that critics say are incentivized to cut back on basic care and extend detentions to increase profit margins.
This year, protests broke out at the privately run Adelanto Detention Facility in Southern California after guards were accused of using excessive force to end a hunger strike by detainees protesting what they claim was the lack of clean water, quality food and clothing at the facility.
“They sprayed me with pepper spray. The roughed me up, they hit me in my kidneys, they grabbed my arm. Also, when there wasn’t any pepper spray they made us shower in hot water, which caused unbearable pain,” said Josue Mateo Lemus Campos, an immigrant detainee who is now a plaintiff in a civil rights lawsuit against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE.)
The advocacy group Human Rights Watch also blamed the Adelanto facility for the deaths of at least three immigrants during the past eight years because of “dire health and safety conditions” at the detention center.
The budget for immigrants in detention facilities has also increased significantly. The cost to the U.S. taxpayer for holding an individual in a detention facility is more than $126 per day, and in 2017 the budget for immigrant detention centers exceeded $1.4 billion.
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Russian Spy’s Guilty Plea Illustrates Danger Facing US
15/12/2018
Former top U.S. intelligence officials are warning the guilty plea by a former Russian graduate student and self-proclaimed gun-rights advocate should serve as a wake-up call about the Kremlin’s brazen desire and ability to interfere with the American political system.
Maria Butina, a 30-year-old native of Siberia, entered the plea Thursday in Washington, admitting she worked with a top Russian official, and two other Americans, to infiltrate U.S. conservative groups and the Republican Party for Russia’s benefit.
Her efforts, according to court documents, which included attending events hosted by the National Rifle Association gun-rights group and hosting so-called “friendship dinners,” were directed by Alexander Torshin, a deputy governor of Russia’s central bank with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
At one gathering in 2015, she even managed to ask President Donald Trump, a candidate at the time, about U.S.-Russian relations, prompting him to say he thought he would “get along very nicely” with President Putin.
“It certainly is yet more validation of the Intelligence Community Assessment,” former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told VOA via email, referring to the unclassified January 2017 report by the country’s top three intelligence agencies that concluded that Putin and the Russian government aspired to sway the election in Trump’s favor
Significance of plea
Clapper, who has been publicly critical of Trump since leaving office, said the Butina plea is most significant because it shows “the lengths to which the Russians went to meddle in the 2016 election.”
“It illustrates, as well, the astute understanding the Russians have of our political ecosystem; the fact that they singled out the NRA speaks to the death grip the NRA has on many of our politicians,” he added.
Other former intelligence officials said the details in Butina’s guilty plea put a spotlight on the Kremlin’s obsession with undermining the U.S. from within.
“The big picture takeaway is that Russia comes at the U.S. target with every option it can muster — full-fledged spies operating under some kind of cover, a corps of “Illegals” like the 10 expelled from the U.S. in 2010, and someone like Butina who is best seen as espionage ‘lite,’” said John McLaughlin, a former acting director of the CIA.
“In combination, these three techniques increase dramatically the possibility that Moscow will gain something — or someone — of intelligence value,” he warned.
Plea agreement downplayed
A Kremlin spokesman Friday called the charges against Butina “absolutely groundless and invalid.”
And Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov downplayed the significance of the plea agreement.
“As far as I understand the whole idea of this plea agreement — this practice is typical for the U.S. — is to bargain for a chance to go free as soon as possible and to get back home,” he told reporters.
Plea deal unusual
Former U.S. officials admit a plea deal in a case like this is unusual and note that if she makes good on her promise to cooperate truthfully with prosecutors, it could help unravel and expose others who were part of Butina’s network, leading perhaps to more indictments and embarrassment for some organizations.
“It basically pulls the curtain back on the Kremlin’s broader objectives, to gain influence with the Republican Party and the right in America,” said Max Bergman, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and director of the Moscow Project, and who served in the State Department under President Barack Obama.
One of those coming under scrutiny is Paul Erickson, a U.S. political activist with extensive ties to the Republican Party who was romantically linked with Butina.
Erickson matches the description of “Person 1” in the statement offense provided by prosecutors. “Person 1” helped advise Butina on which politicians to target, according to the document.
Erickson’s lawyer, William Hurd, said in an email to the Reuters news agency, “Paul Erickson is a good American. He has done nothing to harm our country and never would.”
White House officials had no comment Friday on the Butina guilty plea.
Trump himself, while not having commented on Butina specifically, has repeatedly denied allegations he or his presidential campaign coordinated with Russia, calling the special counsel investigation by Robert Mueller a “witch hunt” and stating “NO COLLISION” on Twitter.
Russian efforts to meddle
U.S. intelligence agencies, including the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, also have not commented on the significance or impact of the Butina guilty plea, though many officials have warned Russia’s efforts to meddle in U.S. domestic politics have not stopped.
“We continue to see a pervasive message campaign by Russia to try to weaken and divide the United States,” Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told reporters from the White House briefing room in the run-up to the U.S. midterm elections this past November.
And in October, U.S. prosecutors unsealed charges against Elena Alekseevna Khusyaynova, described as the chief accountant for Russia’s multimillion-dollar information warfare operation to influence both the 2016 and 2018 elections.
While many of Khusyaynova’s social media efforts focused on conservative U.S. voters, some also targeted liberal voters and aimed to stir up anger, and even hatred, for Trump.
Officials and experts said as a result, it would be a mistake to assume there are no others like Butina out there who, rather than targeting Republicans and conservative groups, are looking to infiltrate liberal parties and organizations.
“The Russians don’t have a partisan agenda,” said the Moscow Project’s Bergman, pointing to a 2015 gala to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Russian-owned television outlet RT, during which Russia’s Putin sat at a table with former Trump adviser, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn and U.S. Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein.
“Their agenda is for discord,” Bergman said.
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Stocks Plunge to 8-month Lows on Growth Fears; J&J Nosedives
15/12/2018
Stocks staggered to eight-month lows Friday after weak economic data from China and Europe set off more worries about the global economy. Mounting tensions in Europe over Britain’s impeding departure from the European Union also darkened traders’ moods.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped as much as 563 points. On the benchmark S&P 500 index, health care and technology companies absorbed the worst losses. Johnson & Johnson plunged by the most in 16 years after Reuters reported that the company has known since the 1970s that its talc Baby Powder sometimes contained carcinogenic asbestos. The company denied the report.
China said industrial output and retail sales both slowed in November. That could be another sign that China’s trade dispute with the U.S. and tighter lending conditions are chilling its economy, which is the second-largest in the world. Meanwhile, purchasing managers in Europe signaled that economic growth was slipping.
Running out of steam?
Sameer Samana, senior global market strategist for Wells Fargo Investment Institute, said investors are concerned that weakness will make it way to the U.S. They’re wondering if the U.S. economy is likely to run out of steam sooner than they had thought.
“Market consensus has been that the next recession is probably in 2020 or beyond,” he said. Now, he said, the market is “really testing that assumption and trying to figure out whether it’s sooner.”
The S&P 500 index lost 50.59 points, or 1.9 percent, to 2,599.95, its lowest close since April 2. The Dow retreated 496.87 points, or 2 percent, to 24,100.51.
The Nasdaq composite slid 159.67 points, or 2.3 percent, to 6,910.66. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks fell 21.89 points, or 1.5 percent, to 1,410.81.
December is typically the best month of the year for stocks and Wall Street usually looks forward to a “Santa Claus rally” that adds to the year’s gains. With 10 trading days left this month, however, the S&P 500 is down 5.8 percent. That followed a small gain in November and a steep 6.9 percent drop in October.
Market value falls
Johnson & Johnson dropped 10 percent to $133 in very heavy trading. Its market value fell by $40 billion.
Reuters reported that court documents and test results show Johnson & Johnson has known for decades that its raw talc and finished Baby Powder sometimes contained asbestos, but that the company didn’t inform regulators or the public. The company called the story “false and inflammatory.”
In July the company lost a lawsuit from plaintiffs who argued that its products were linked to cases of ovarian cancer and mesothelioma. A St. Louis jury awarded plaintiffs $4.7 billion. Johnson & Johnson faces thousands of other lawsuits.
For more than 20 years, China has been one of the biggest contributors to growth in the global economy, and when investors see signs the Chinese economy is weakening, they expect it will affect other countries like the U.S. that sell things to China.
Protests hurt France
In Europe, the index of purchase managers fell in France, which is racked by protests, to a level that points toward economic contraction. Germany’s reading still pointed to growth, but it fell to its lowest level in four years.
Those reports canceled out some potential good news on trade: the Chinese government announced a 90-day suspension of tariff increases on U.S. cars, trucks and auto imports. It’s part of a cease-fire that China and the U.S. announced earlier this month to give them time to work on other issues.
Among technology companies, Apple dipped 3.2 percent to $165.48. Adobe skidded 7.3 percent to $230 after its fourth-quarter profit disappointed investors and it also forecast lower-than-expected earnings in the current fiscal year. Industrial companies sank as well. Boeing lost 2.1 percent to $318.75.
Oil prices again turned lower, as a slower global economy would weaken demand for oil and other fuels. Benchmark U.S. crude fell 2.6 percent to $51.20 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, dropped 1.9 percent to settle at $60.28 a barrel in London.
European Union leaders rejected British Prime Minister Theresa May’s request to make changes to their deal covering Britain’s departure from the EU on March 29. British legislators aren’t satisfied with the terms May negotiated, and she canceled a scheduled vote earlier this week because it was clear Parliament wouldn’t approve it. Britain’s economy and financial markets across Europe face severe disruption without an agreement.
European bonds slide
European bond prices rose and yields fell. Both the British pound and the euro weakened. The pound slipped to $1.2579 from $1.2660 and the euro fell to $1.1303 from $1.1367.
Germany’s DAX declined 0.5 percent and the CAC 40 in France declined 0.8 percent. Britain’s FTSE 100 fell 0.5 percent.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 index slid 2 percent and the Kospi in South Korea lost 1.3 percent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was down 1.6 percent.
Bond prices edged higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.89 percent 2.90 percent.
In other commodities trading, wholesale gasoline lost 3 percent to $1.43 a gallon. Heating oil fell 1.7 percent to $1.85 a gallon and natural gas dropped 7.2 percent to $3.83 per 1,000 cubic feet.
Gold fell 0.5 percent to $1,241.40 an ounce. Silver dipped 1.5 percent to $14.64 an ounce. Copper was little changed at $2.77 a pound.
The dollar fell to 113.29 yen from 113.60 yen.
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Nigerian Governor: Buhari Says Economy in ‘Bad Shape’
14/12/2018
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari said the country’s economy was in “bad shape,” the governor of a northwestern state told reporters Friday after a meeting with governors from across the country.
Buhari will seek a second term in an election to be held in February in which the economy is likely to be a campaign issue.
Africa’s top oil producer last year emerged from its first recession in 25 years, caused by low crude prices, but growth remains sluggish.
“Mr. President, as usual, responded by telling us that the economy is in a bad shape and we have to come together and think and rethink on the way forward,” Abdulaziz Yari, who chairs the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, told reporters when asked how Buhari answered requests for a bailout to some states.
“Mr. President talked to us in the manner that we have a task ahead of us. So, we should tighten our belts and see how we can put the Nigerian economy in the right direction,” said Yari, governor of Zamfara state. He spoke to journalists in the capital, Abuja.
The main opposition candidate, businessman and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has criticized Buhari’s handling of the economy and said that, if elected, he would aim to double the size of the economy to $900 billion by 2025.
Nigeria’s economy grew by 1.81 percent in the third quarter of this year, the statistics office said Monday. And on Friday, it said consumer prices had risen 11.28 percent in November compared with a year ago.
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China Denies Arrest of Two Canadians Is Tied to Meng Case
14/12/2018
China has rallied the power of its one-party state behind tech giant Huawei to boost public support for the company’s chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou. But the case is getting increasingly complex with the arrest of two Canadian citizens in apparent retaliation as Meng awaits possible extradition to the United States from Canada. VOA’s Bill Ide files from Beijing.
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