Brazil Files Charges Against Former Executive of US Company
13/07/2018
Brazilian prosecutors have filed corruption and money laundering charges against Paul Bragg, the former chief executive officer of Houston-based offshore drilling contractor Vantage Drilling.
Federal prosecutors said in a Thursday night statement that Bragg was involved in the payment of $31 million in bribes to a former executive of state-owned oil company Petrobras.
The statement says the bribe was paid to help Vantage win a $1.8 billion contract in 2009 to charter a drill ship to Petrobras.
The charges against Bragg are part of the probe into the corruption scheme at Petrobras and major construction companies through which kickbacks were paid for government projects.
In the last few years, dozens of politicians and top businessmen have been convicted and jailed.
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US Farmers Brace for Long-Term Impact of Escalating Trade War
13/07/2018
As farmer Brian Duncan gently brushes his hands over the rolling amber waves of grain in the fields behind his rural Illinois home, this picturesque and idyllic American scene belies the dramatic hardship he currently faces.
“We’re in trouble,” he told VOA.
Wheat is just one product that grows on Duncan’s diverse farm, also home to about 70,000 hogs annually, which Duncan said “were projected to be profitable this year.”
Were, but not anymore.
Pork is now subject to a 62 percent Chinese tariff, and demand is drying up in one of the world’s largest pork markets.
“Once that tariff went on, the pork stopped going into China. Not going to Taiwan, either. Not finding other routes. That market just disappeared,” said Duncan, who expected to see a $4 to $5 profit on each pig, then watched it become a $7 to $8 loss per head.
“The difference between making and losing money in the hog industry is exports,” said Duncan, acknowledging that for most hog farmers, exports are key to profits. A lack of competitive access to international markets could spell long-term financial hardship, particularly for independent pork producers like Duncan.
“The reality is 95 percent of the world population is outside these borders. We need them … as markets and trading partners,” Duncan said.
Tariffs begin to bite
U.S. farmers like Duncan are beginning to feel the effects of such tariffs imposed by China in retaliation for U.S. tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum.
As the trade dispute continues, Duncan, who also serves as vice president of the Illinois Farm Bureau, is losing money on virtually everything growing on his farm because of imposed or impending tariffs.
“Soybeans were a buck and a half higher than they are now,” he told VOA. “Corn was 50 to 70 cents higher than it is now. So, certainly the attitude has changed here in the last two to three weeks.”
So has Duncan’s mood.
“Frustrated. This was preventable. This was predictable — the outcome. There was a better way to go about this,” he said.
Long-term loss of market
“Tariffs are kind of a last resort for a really specific instance or really serious breach of a contract and not something that you would lob out there to try to make progress in a trade agreement, and I think that’s what surprised farmers a bit,” said Tamara Nelsen, senior director of commodities with the Illinois Farm Bureau.
Nelsen said history shows the long-term impact of tariffs and trade embargoes is a loss of market access and competitiveness for U.S. products.
“In every event, we lost market share, or we encouraged production somewhere else of that same product. And it took U.S. agriculture 20, 30 years to get some of those markets back. And in some cases, we haven’t gotten those markets back.”
For Duncan, the long-term impact on the reputation of U.S. agricultural products is his biggest concern.
“How are we going to be seen? Is a country going to look at us and say, ‘Why would I sign an agreement with them, anyhow? If they don’t like something we do, are they just going to put a bunch of tariffs up and blow things up?’ How are we seen going forward in the next five, 10, 15, 20 years? For me, that is the biggest issue more than the here and now.”
Farm income at risk
But in the here and now is the difficult reality that farmers are also experiencing their fifth year of declining income.
“We’ve seen farm income cut in half in the last four years for various reasons. We could easily see it cut in half again if we lost all our export markets,” which Duncan said could increase dependence on government aid at a time when lawmakers in Washington debate new Farm Bill legislation that the agriculture industry needs to provide security.
All of the uncertainty has him evaluating his options the next time he heads to the ballot box.
“It’s the economy, stupid. My vote will depend an awful lot on the farm economy,” he said. That’s just the world I live in.”
A world that is now more connected — and dependent on international trade — than ever before.
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Trump: May’s Strategy Will ‘Kill’ Trade Deal With US
13/07/2018
President Donald Trump said the U.S. would “probably not” strike a trade deal with Britain if Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit plan went ahead as planned.
“If they do a deal like that, we would be dealing with the European Union instead of dealing with the U.K., so it will probably kill the deal,” Trump told The Sun, a conservative British newspaper.
Trump said May had ignored his advice on how to negotiate Britain’s exit from the European Union. “I would have done it much differently,” Trump said of May’s Brexit plan. “I actually told Theresa May how to do it, but she didn’t listen to me.”
Trump said May’s so-called soft-Brexit approach went “the opposite way” to what he had recommended and that it was “very unfortunate.”
May’s proposal was finalized Friday. It was quickly followed by the resignation of two members of her Cabinet, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Brexit Secretary David Davis, who did not approve of her approach.
In the exclusive interview with The Sun, Trump also said that Johnson would make a “great prime minister,” adding, “I think he’s got what it takes.”
The Sun is owned by Rupert Murdoch, a close ally of the president’s, who also owns Fox News Network, Trump’s favorite U.S. TV channel.
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Trump: May’s Strategy Will ‘Kill’ Trade Deal With US
13/07/2018
President Donald Trump said the U.S. would “probably not” strike a trade deal with Britain if Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit plan went ahead as planned.
“If they do a deal like that, we would be dealing with the European Union instead of dealing with the U.K., so it will probably kill the deal,” Trump told The Sun, a conservative British newspaper.
Trump said May had ignored his advice on how to negotiate Britain’s exit from the European Union. “I would have done it much differently,” Trump said of May’s Brexit plan. “I actually told Theresa May how to do it, but she didn’t listen to me.”
Trump said May’s so-called soft-Brexit approach went “the opposite way” to what he had recommended and that it was “very unfortunate.”
May’s proposal was finalized Friday. It was quickly followed by the resignation of two members of her Cabinet, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Brexit Secretary David Davis, who did not approve of her approach.
In the exclusive interview with The Sun, Trump also said that Johnson would make a “great prime minister,” adding, “I think he’s got what it takes.”
The Sun is owned by Rupert Murdoch, a close ally of the president’s, who also owns Fox News Network, Trump’s favorite U.S. TV channel.
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Inside the World of Jehovah’s Witnesses
13/07/2018
Jehovah’s Witnesses have a long history of being persecuted around the world. Their activities are banned or restricted in several countries. They are considered an extremist organization in Russia, while their members are imprisoned in South Korea and Eritrea. Even near their main headquarters and publishing house in New York state, Jehovah’s Witnesses lead a somewhat secluded life. VOA’s Anush Avetisyan has the story.
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Inside the World of Jehovah’s Witnesses
13/07/2018
Jehovah’s Witnesses have a long history of being persecuted around the world. Their activities are banned or restricted in several countries. They are considered an extremist organization in Russia, while their members are imprisoned in South Korea and Eritrea. Even near their main headquarters and publishing house in New York state, Jehovah’s Witnesses lead a somewhat secluded life. VOA’s Anush Avetisyan has the story.
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Pentagon: 2 of 3 Immigrants in US Military Program Go On to Serve
13/07/2018
Two-thirds of immigrants recruited by the military under a program targeting medical specialists and language specialists pass their security screening and go on to serve in the U.S. armed forces, according to the Pentagon.
“Two of three MAVNI applicants, on average, make it through,” Pentagon spokesman Air Force Major Carla Gleason told VOA on Wednesday, using an acronym for the Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest program. This acceptance rate does not include the hundreds of immigrants still waiting to pass their security clearances.
The 2-to-1 ratio of accepted MAVNI recruits is about the same as that of American recruits who go on to serve in the military, Gleason added Thursday.
In fact, just 29 percent of Americans ages 17 to 24 meet the standards to join the military without a waiver, said Pentagon spokeswoman Jessica Maxwell.
MAVNI came under additional scrutiny after The Associated Press reported last week that more than 40 immigrants recruited under the program had been “abruptly discharged” from the Army.
In response to the AP report, the Pentagon said “there is no new policy” concerning immigrants who wish to join the U.S. military, with the Army adding that “any recruit … who receives an unfavorable security screening is deemed unsuitable for military service and is administratively discharged.”
The MAVNI program ended in September 2017. However, hundreds of MAVNI recruits who were still in the process of joining the military at that time were to be “grandfathered in” if they passed appropriate security checks, according to Gleason.
Foreign nationals must complete security screening, basic military training and 180 days of “honorable service” before they can become naturalized U.S. citizens. Those in the reserve components of the military must complete security screening, basic military training and one year of honorable service before they can become naturalized.
Since 2009, more than 10,000 non-U.S. citizens have joined or signed contracts to join the military through the MAVNI program. As of April this year, about 1,100 of those MAVNI recruits were still in the Army’s delayed entry program, a process where individuals sign an enlistment agreement but are not yet service members.
A U.S. defense official told VOA and other reporters that the hundreds constituting this final group of MAVNI recruits most likely could include those with backgrounds that are more difficult to clear through security.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the discharge of approximately 40 immigrant recruits from the Army as reported by the AP was part of a “normal process” and would “likely keep happening” as the final MAVNI recruits are assessed.
Service members in the U.S. military come from more than 240 countries and territories, according to Defense Department data from December 2017.
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Pentagon: 2 of 3 Immigrants in US Military Program Go On to Serve
13/07/2018
Two-thirds of immigrants recruited by the military under a program targeting medical specialists and language specialists pass their security screening and go on to serve in the U.S. armed forces, according to the Pentagon.
“Two of three MAVNI applicants, on average, make it through,” Pentagon spokesman Air Force Major Carla Gleason told VOA on Wednesday, using an acronym for the Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest program. This acceptance rate does not include the hundreds of immigrants still waiting to pass their security clearances.
The 2-to-1 ratio of accepted MAVNI recruits is about the same as that of American recruits who go on to serve in the military, Gleason added Thursday.
In fact, just 29 percent of Americans ages 17 to 24 meet the standards to join the military without a waiver, said Pentagon spokeswoman Jessica Maxwell.
MAVNI came under additional scrutiny after The Associated Press reported last week that more than 40 immigrants recruited under the program had been “abruptly discharged” from the Army.
In response to the AP report, the Pentagon said “there is no new policy” concerning immigrants who wish to join the U.S. military, with the Army adding that “any recruit … who receives an unfavorable security screening is deemed unsuitable for military service and is administratively discharged.”
The MAVNI program ended in September 2017. However, hundreds of MAVNI recruits who were still in the process of joining the military at that time were to be “grandfathered in” if they passed appropriate security checks, according to Gleason.
Foreign nationals must complete security screening, basic military training and 180 days of “honorable service” before they can become naturalized U.S. citizens. Those in the reserve components of the military must complete security screening, basic military training and one year of honorable service before they can become naturalized.
Since 2009, more than 10,000 non-U.S. citizens have joined or signed contracts to join the military through the MAVNI program. As of April this year, about 1,100 of those MAVNI recruits were still in the Army’s delayed entry program, a process where individuals sign an enlistment agreement but are not yet service members.
A U.S. defense official told VOA and other reporters that the hundreds constituting this final group of MAVNI recruits most likely could include those with backgrounds that are more difficult to clear through security.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the discharge of approximately 40 immigrant recruits from the Army as reported by the AP was part of a “normal process” and would “likely keep happening” as the final MAVNI recruits are assessed.
Service members in the U.S. military come from more than 240 countries and territories, according to Defense Department data from December 2017.
…
A Look at Euro-Russian Energy Deal Opposed by Trump
13/07/2018
President Donald Trump’s criticism of Germany’s involvement in a natural gas pipeline deal with Russia launched a tense two days of NATO meetings in Brussels — but it also may have set the tone for the U.S. leader’s highly anticipated summit with his Russian counterpart Monday in Helsinki.
In a taut exchange with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday, Trump said Nord Stream 2 — an offshore pipeline that would deliver gas to Germany directly from Russia via the Baltic Sea — leaves the Western military alliance’s largest and wealthiest European member “totally controlled” by and “captive to” Russia.
“We’re supposed to protect you against Russia but [Germany is] paying billions of dollars to Russia, and I think that’s very inappropriate,” Trump told Stoltenberg.
According to the U.S. leader, Germany “got rid of their coal plants, got rid of their nuclear, they’re getting so much of the oil and gas from Russia. I think it’s something NATO has to look at.”
As Europe’s biggest natural gas consumer, Germany relies on Russia for roughly half of its gas imports, which account for 20 percent of its current energy mix, according to London-based Marex Spectron group. The International Energy Association projects German natural gas demand to increase by 1 percent in the next five years, as Berlin continues phasing out its nuclear power plants by 2022.
Expanding upon the existing Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which has been transporting gas from Russia to Germany along the same Baltic Sea route since 2011, Nord Stream 2, currently slated for completion by 2019, would roughly double Russia’s export volume.
Trump says the $11 billion, 800-mile pipeline expansion linking Russia and Germany would give Moscow greater geopolitical leverage over Europe at a time of heightened international tensions, an opinion in keeping with that of his his immediate predecessor, former President Barack Obama, and former President George W. Bush, who opposed Nord Stream 1.
The administrations have long pushed for Germany, Europe’s largest energy consumer, to buy American liquefied natural gas (LNG) in an attempt to overtake a sector of the market long dominated by Russian distribution routes that run through Ukraine.
Poland and Lithuania, who are among Nord Stream 2’s most vociferous European critics, have built LNG terminals that would stand to profit from an American takeover of the market. But other former Soviet satellite nations — such as Ukraine, Latvia and Estonia — have long warned that a growing reliance on Russian energy not only compromises European security, but rewards Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and other campaigns to destabilize the European Union.
There have been numerous price disputes between Moscow and Kyiv over natural gas deliveries to Ukraine, whose pipelines serve other European nations. In 2009, a disagreement between the two nations cut natural gas supplies to Western Europe in the middle of winter, leaving many without heat.
Nord Stream 2, they argue, will not only deprive land-transit countries such as Poland and Ukraine of billions in annual transit fees, it will also give Russia a way to penalize Eastern European foes without sacrificing lucrative deals further to the west.
According to Atlantic Council energy expert Agnia Grigas, Nord Stream 2 contradicts the EU’s official energy security strategy, which calls on EU nations to diversify energy sources, distributors and routes.
“If Nord Stream 2 is built, Germany would be the EU country most exposed to dubious Russian influence,” Grigas recently reported. “Moscow already has a track record of relying on German businesses and lawmakers to advance its own strategic goals. For instance, following Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014, large German companies with considerable business ties with Russia were among the harshest critics of Western sanctions against Moscow.”
As a private project backed by energy giants such as Shell — a British-Dutch multinational — Germany’s Wintershall and Uniper, along with Russia’s state-owned Gazprom, Nord Stream 2 is also being financed by private firms from Austria, France and Britain, but not by German tax funds.
In responding to Trump’s Wednesday tirade against Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she knew all too well from her childhood in the East what it is like to live under Soviet control. But she said energy deals with Russia do not make 21st-century Berlin beholden to Moscow.
“I am very happy that today we are united in freedom as the Federal Republic of Germany. Because of that, we can say that we can make our independent policies and make independent decisions,” she said.
Merkel’s predecessor, Gerhard Schroeder, a longtime friend of Putin, has championed the Nord Stream enterprise since just before being voted out of office in 2005. He soon went on to lead the shareholder committee of Nord Stream AG, a consortium for construction and operation of the submarine pipeline, eventually going on to become chairman of the Kremlin-controlled Rosneft, Russia’s largest oil company.
In March, European politicians increased calls for sanctions against the ex-chancellor for representing Russian interests, though his name has yet to appear on any lists of individuals targeted for sanctions.
Despite repeated U.S. warnings that companies involved in the deal also risk being slapped with sanctions, Nord Stream 2 is scheduled for completion next year.
This story originated in VOA’s Russian service.
…
A Look at Euro-Russian Energy Deal Opposed by Trump
13/07/2018
President Donald Trump’s criticism of Germany’s involvement in a natural gas pipeline deal with Russia launched a tense two days of NATO meetings in Brussels — but it also may have set the tone for the U.S. leader’s highly anticipated summit with his Russian counterpart Monday in Helsinki.
In a taut exchange with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday, Trump said Nord Stream 2 — an offshore pipeline that would deliver gas to Germany directly from Russia via the Baltic Sea — leaves the Western military alliance’s largest and wealthiest European member “totally controlled” by and “captive to” Russia.
“We’re supposed to protect you against Russia but [Germany is] paying billions of dollars to Russia, and I think that’s very inappropriate,” Trump told Stoltenberg.
According to the U.S. leader, Germany “got rid of their coal plants, got rid of their nuclear, they’re getting so much of the oil and gas from Russia. I think it’s something NATO has to look at.”
As Europe’s biggest natural gas consumer, Germany relies on Russia for roughly half of its gas imports, which account for 20 percent of its current energy mix, according to London-based Marex Spectron group. The International Energy Association projects German natural gas demand to increase by 1 percent in the next five years, as Berlin continues phasing out its nuclear power plants by 2022.
Expanding upon the existing Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which has been transporting gas from Russia to Germany along the same Baltic Sea route since 2011, Nord Stream 2, currently slated for completion by 2019, would roughly double Russia’s export volume.
Trump says the $11 billion, 800-mile pipeline expansion linking Russia and Germany would give Moscow greater geopolitical leverage over Europe at a time of heightened international tensions, an opinion in keeping with that of his his immediate predecessor, former President Barack Obama, and former President George W. Bush, who opposed Nord Stream 1.
The administrations have long pushed for Germany, Europe’s largest energy consumer, to buy American liquefied natural gas (LNG) in an attempt to overtake a sector of the market long dominated by Russian distribution routes that run through Ukraine.
Poland and Lithuania, who are among Nord Stream 2’s most vociferous European critics, have built LNG terminals that would stand to profit from an American takeover of the market. But other former Soviet satellite nations — such as Ukraine, Latvia and Estonia — have long warned that a growing reliance on Russian energy not only compromises European security, but rewards Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and other campaigns to destabilize the European Union.
There have been numerous price disputes between Moscow and Kyiv over natural gas deliveries to Ukraine, whose pipelines serve other European nations. In 2009, a disagreement between the two nations cut natural gas supplies to Western Europe in the middle of winter, leaving many without heat.
Nord Stream 2, they argue, will not only deprive land-transit countries such as Poland and Ukraine of billions in annual transit fees, it will also give Russia a way to penalize Eastern European foes without sacrificing lucrative deals further to the west.
According to Atlantic Council energy expert Agnia Grigas, Nord Stream 2 contradicts the EU’s official energy security strategy, which calls on EU nations to diversify energy sources, distributors and routes.
“If Nord Stream 2 is built, Germany would be the EU country most exposed to dubious Russian influence,” Grigas recently reported. “Moscow already has a track record of relying on German businesses and lawmakers to advance its own strategic goals. For instance, following Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014, large German companies with considerable business ties with Russia were among the harshest critics of Western sanctions against Moscow.”
As a private project backed by energy giants such as Shell — a British-Dutch multinational — Germany’s Wintershall and Uniper, along with Russia’s state-owned Gazprom, Nord Stream 2 is also being financed by private firms from Austria, France and Britain, but not by German tax funds.
In responding to Trump’s Wednesday tirade against Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she knew all too well from her childhood in the East what it is like to live under Soviet control. But she said energy deals with Russia do not make 21st-century Berlin beholden to Moscow.
“I am very happy that today we are united in freedom as the Federal Republic of Germany. Because of that, we can say that we can make our independent policies and make independent decisions,” she said.
Merkel’s predecessor, Gerhard Schroeder, a longtime friend of Putin, has championed the Nord Stream enterprise since just before being voted out of office in 2005. He soon went on to lead the shareholder committee of Nord Stream AG, a consortium for construction and operation of the submarine pipeline, eventually going on to become chairman of the Kremlin-controlled Rosneft, Russia’s largest oil company.
In March, European politicians increased calls for sanctions against the ex-chancellor for representing Russian interests, though his name has yet to appear on any lists of individuals targeted for sanctions.
Despite repeated U.S. warnings that companies involved in the deal also risk being slapped with sanctions, Nord Stream 2 is scheduled for completion next year.
This story originated in VOA’s Russian service.
…
US to Appeal Approval of AT&T Acquisition of Time Warner
13/07/2018
The U.S. Justice Department said Thursday that it would appeal a federal judge’s approval of AT&T Inc.’s $85.4 billion acquisition of Time Warner.
The Justice Department opted in June not to seek an immediate stay of the court’s approval of the merger, allowing the merger to close on June 14. The department still had 60 days to appeal the decision.
The government’s court filing did not disclose on what ground it intended to challenge the approval.
AT&T and the Justice Department did not immediately comment.
AT&T shares fell 1 percent after the bell.
The merger, announced in October 2016, was opposed by President Donald Trump. AT&T was sued by the Justice Department but won approval from a judge to move forward with the deal in June following a six-week trial.
Judge Richard Leon of U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the tie-up between AT&T’s wireless and satellite businesses and Time Warner’s movies and television shows was legal under antitrust law.
The Justice Department had argued the deal would harm consumers.
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US to Appeal Approval of AT&T Acquisition of Time Warner
13/07/2018
The U.S. Justice Department said Thursday that it would appeal a federal judge’s approval of AT&T Inc.’s $85.4 billion acquisition of Time Warner.
The Justice Department opted in June not to seek an immediate stay of the court’s approval of the merger, allowing the merger to close on June 14. The department still had 60 days to appeal the decision.
The government’s court filing did not disclose on what ground it intended to challenge the approval.
AT&T and the Justice Department did not immediately comment.
AT&T shares fell 1 percent after the bell.
The merger, announced in October 2016, was opposed by President Donald Trump. AT&T was sued by the Justice Department but won approval from a judge to move forward with the deal in June following a six-week trial.
Judge Richard Leon of U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the tie-up between AT&T’s wireless and satellite businesses and Time Warner’s movies and television shows was legal under antitrust law.
The Justice Department had argued the deal would harm consumers.
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Saudi Prince Alwaleed Pledges Support for Crown Prince’s Reforms
12/07/2018
Saudi Arabian billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who was detained for three months in an anti-corruption campaign under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, pledged support on Thursday for the young leader’s program of sweeping reforms.
“I was honored to meet with my brother HRH the Crown Prince and to discuss economic matters and the private sector’s future &; role in #Vision2030 success,” he tweeted with a photograph of the royal cousins embracing in front of a desk.
It is the first publicly disclosed meeting between the two men since the anti-corruption crackdown was launched in November.
“I shall be one of the biggest supporters of the Vision through @Kingdom_KHC &; all its affiliates,” Prince Alwaleed added, referring to his international investment company.
Vision 2030 is Prince Mohammed’s scheme to wean the world’s top crude exporter off oil revenues and open up Saudis’ cloistered lifestyles. The corruption sweep alarmed the Saudi business community as well as international investors the kingdom is courting to support the reforms.
Prince Alwaleed, the kingdom’s most recognised business figure, was freed in January after being held at Riyadh’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel along with scores of royals, senior officials and businessmen, most of whom reached financial settlements with the authorities.
He said in March he had cut a deal but declined to disclose the details. He said he was in discussions with the Public Fund, the sovereign wealth fund chaired by the crown prince, about making joint investments inside the kingdom. He previously told Reuters that he was innocent and expected to keep full control of his firm.
In the absence of more information, speculation has run rampant about whether Prince Alwaleed secured his freedom by forfeiting part of his fortune — once estimated by Forbes magazine at $17 billion — or stood up to authorities and won.
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Saudi Prince Alwaleed Pledges Support for Crown Prince’s Reforms
12/07/2018
Saudi Arabian billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who was detained for three months in an anti-corruption campaign under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, pledged support on Thursday for the young leader’s program of sweeping reforms.
“I was honored to meet with my brother HRH the Crown Prince and to discuss economic matters and the private sector’s future &; role in #Vision2030 success,” he tweeted with a photograph of the royal cousins embracing in front of a desk.
It is the first publicly disclosed meeting between the two men since the anti-corruption crackdown was launched in November.
“I shall be one of the biggest supporters of the Vision through @Kingdom_KHC &; all its affiliates,” Prince Alwaleed added, referring to his international investment company.
Vision 2030 is Prince Mohammed’s scheme to wean the world’s top crude exporter off oil revenues and open up Saudis’ cloistered lifestyles. The corruption sweep alarmed the Saudi business community as well as international investors the kingdom is courting to support the reforms.
Prince Alwaleed, the kingdom’s most recognised business figure, was freed in January after being held at Riyadh’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel along with scores of royals, senior officials and businessmen, most of whom reached financial settlements with the authorities.
He said in March he had cut a deal but declined to disclose the details. He said he was in discussions with the Public Fund, the sovereign wealth fund chaired by the crown prince, about making joint investments inside the kingdom. He previously told Reuters that he was innocent and expected to keep full control of his firm.
In the absence of more information, speculation has run rampant about whether Prince Alwaleed secured his freedom by forfeiting part of his fortune — once estimated by Forbes magazine at $17 billion — or stood up to authorities and won.
…
Москва відреагувала на українсько-американські навчання в Чорному морі
12/07/2018
Росія розглядає проведення українсько-американських військових навчань «Сі Бриз-2018» як спробу спровокувати напруженість на Чорному морі, заявила офіційний представник міністерства закордонних справ РФ Марія Захарова.
«Відповідальність за можливі негативні наслідки несуть ті країни, які втягують Україну в небезпечні «ігри з вогнем», і постійно звинувачують Росію в тому, що вона загрожує регіональній стабільності», – стверджує дипломат.
МЗС РФ також вважає, що воєнна активність союзників буде здійснюватися в безпосередній близькості до «зони конфлікту», маючи на увазі Операцію Об’єднаних Сил, яка покликана звільнити частину окупованих російськими гібридними силами територій Луганської та Донецької областей.
Читайте також: Росія не пройде. Кораблі НАТО ‒ проти агресії в Чорному морі
«Спроби в цих умовах «пограти м’язами» навряд чи будуть сприяти стабілізації обстановки в цьому регіоні. Це повинні розуміти і ті партнери України, які, схоже, навмисно підіграють київській «партії війни», яка мріє про різного роду «бліцкригу», – сказала Захарова.
Як повідомляло раніше Радіо Свобода, 9 липня стартували українсько-американські військові навчання «Сі Бриз-2018». Окрім організаторів, у маневрах беруть участь 17 країн: Болгарія, Великобританія, Грузія, Греція, Данія, Естонія, Індія, Італія, Канада, Литва, Молдова, Норвегія, ОАЕ, Польща, Румунія, Туреччина, Швеція. Всього до навчань залучили більше ніж 2000 осіб.
Москва відреагувала на українсько-американські навчання в Чорному морі
12/07/2018
Росія розглядає проведення українсько-американських військових навчань «Сі Бриз-2018» як спробу спровокувати напруженість на Чорному морі, заявила офіційний представник міністерства закордонних справ РФ Марія Захарова.
«Відповідальність за можливі негативні наслідки несуть ті країни, які втягують Україну в небезпечні «ігри з вогнем», і постійно звинувачують Росію в тому, що вона загрожує регіональній стабільності», – стверджує дипломат.
МЗС РФ також вважає, що воєнна активність союзників буде здійснюватися в безпосередній близькості до «зони конфлікту», маючи на увазі Операцію Об’єднаних Сил, яка покликана звільнити частину окупованих російськими гібридними силами територій Луганської та Донецької областей.
Читайте також: Росія не пройде. Кораблі НАТО ‒ проти агресії в Чорному морі
«Спроби в цих умовах «пограти м’язами» навряд чи будуть сприяти стабілізації обстановки в цьому регіоні. Це повинні розуміти і ті партнери України, які, схоже, навмисно підіграють київській «партії війни», яка мріє про різного роду «бліцкригу», – сказала Захарова.
Як повідомляло раніше Радіо Свобода, 9 липня стартували українсько-американські військові навчання «Сі Бриз-2018». Окрім організаторів, у маневрах беруть участь 17 країн: Болгарія, Великобританія, Грузія, Греція, Данія, Естонія, Індія, Італія, Канада, Литва, Молдова, Норвегія, ОАЕ, Польща, Румунія, Туреччина, Швеція. Всього до навчань залучили більше ніж 2000 осіб.
Чеські активісти до дня народження Сенцова влаштували символічну акцію біля посольства Росії
12/07/2018
Символічну акцію підтримки до дня народження українського режисера Олега Сенцова, який нині перебуває в ув’язненні на території Росії, влаштували чеські активісти.
У Празі троє учасників громадської організації Kaputin причепили до паркана посольства Росії у Чехії плакати із зображенням Олега Сенцова. Фотографії режисера разом з інформацією про термін ув’язнення (20 років) та голодування (60 днів) звертали увагу про незаконне утримування в російських тюрмах українських політв’язнів.
«13 липня режисер Олег Сенцов святкуватиме свій 42-й день народження в сибірській в’язниці міста Лабитнангі. Замість солодкого торта, він отримає ін’єкцію з основними вітамінами і мінералами, які утримують його при житті. Вже 60 днів він протестує голодуванням», – йдеться у повідомленні організаторів акції на сторінці у фейсбуці.
Із вимогою звільнення Олега Сенцова та інших українських політв’язнів до російської влади зверталися чеські активісти, громадські діячі, сенатори та представники опозиційних політичних партій Чехії.
Активісти в Україні і по всьому світу продовжують вимагати від Росії і її президента Володимира Путіна звільнити незаконно утримуваних українців. Акції проходять в різних країнах і на різних континентах під гаслами #FreeOlegSentsov і #SaveOlegSentsov.
Український режисер і письменник Олег Сенцов, якого утримують в російській колонії у місті Лабитнангі за Полярним колом, 14 травня оголосив голодування із вимогою звільнення усіх українських політв’язнів. За даними «Медійної ініціативи за права людини», таких у Росії – понад 70.
Європейський парламент закликав Росію негайно звільнити всіх українських політичних бранців, які були незаконно затримані, заарештовані і ув’язнені.
…
Чеські активісти до дня народження Сенцова влаштували символічну акцію біля посольства Росії
12/07/2018
Символічну акцію підтримки до дня народження українського режисера Олега Сенцова, який нині перебуває в ув’язненні на території Росії, влаштували чеські активісти.
У Празі троє учасників громадської організації Kaputin причепили до паркана посольства Росії у Чехії плакати із зображенням Олега Сенцова. Фотографії режисера разом з інформацією про термін ув’язнення (20 років) та голодування (60 днів) звертали увагу про незаконне утримування в російських тюрмах українських політв’язнів.
«13 липня режисер Олег Сенцов святкуватиме свій 42-й день народження в сибірській в’язниці міста Лабитнангі. Замість солодкого торта, він отримає ін’єкцію з основними вітамінами і мінералами, які утримують його при житті. Вже 60 днів він протестує голодуванням», – йдеться у повідомленні організаторів акції на сторінці у фейсбуці.
Із вимогою звільнення Олега Сенцова та інших українських політв’язнів до російської влади зверталися чеські активісти, громадські діячі, сенатори та представники опозиційних політичних партій Чехії.
Активісти в Україні і по всьому світу продовжують вимагати від Росії і її президента Володимира Путіна звільнити незаконно утримуваних українців. Акції проходять в різних країнах і на різних континентах під гаслами #FreeOlegSentsov і #SaveOlegSentsov.
Український режисер і письменник Олег Сенцов, якого утримують в російській колонії у місті Лабитнангі за Полярним колом, 14 травня оголосив голодування із вимогою звільнення усіх українських політв’язнів. За даними «Медійної ініціативи за права людини», таких у Росії – понад 70.
Європейський парламент закликав Росію негайно звільнити всіх українських політичних бранців, які були незаконно затримані, заарештовані і ув’язнені.
…
Через Керченський міст цього року Україна втратила щонайменше півмільярда гривень – Омелян
12/07/2018
Міністр інфраструктури України Володимир Омелян повідомив, що через Керченський міст цього року Україна вже втратила щонайменше півмільярда гривень. Про це він заявив в ефірі Радіо Свобода.
«За найскромнішими підрахунками, цього року ми втратили вже півмільярда гривень. Це прямі втрати через зниження параметрів суден для перевалки в портах Маріуполя і Бердянська, але цих втрат, безумовно, набагато більше, якщо порахувати соціально-економічний ефект, втрати самих судновласників, бізнесу. Я думаю, що це на мільярди, і, можливо, навіть не гривень», – зауважив Омелян.
За словами міністра, зараз найбільше шкоди завдає те, що міст обмежує прохідність суден. Це, зазначив Омелян, знижує економічну привабливість Маріупольського і Бердянського портів. Крім того, додав міністр, є загроза закриття проходу Керченською протокою, як це було під час будівництва мосту.
Читайте також: «Я наголошував: будувати міст не можна» – експерт назвав головну небезпеку Керченського мосту
Російська влада, яка контролює Крим, запустила 16 травня автомобільний рух по мосту через Керченську протоку. Згідно з українським законодавством, в’їзд до Криму через переправу та міст заборонений і кваліфікується як порушення порядку перетину в’їзду на окуповану територію або виїзд із неї.
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». Верховна Рада України офіційно оголосила датою початку тимчасової окупації Криму і Севастополя Росією 20 лютого 2014 року.
Повністю інтерв’ю з Володимиром Омеляном дивіться у програмі Радіо Свобода «Суботнє інтерв’ю» у суботу, 14 липня.
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Через Керченський міст цього року Україна втратила щонайменше півмільярда гривень – Омелян
12/07/2018
Міністр інфраструктури України Володимир Омелян повідомив, що через Керченський міст цього року Україна вже втратила щонайменше півмільярда гривень. Про це він заявив в ефірі Радіо Свобода.
«За найскромнішими підрахунками, цього року ми втратили вже півмільярда гривень. Це прямі втрати через зниження параметрів суден для перевалки в портах Маріуполя і Бердянська, але цих втрат, безумовно, набагато більше, якщо порахувати соціально-економічний ефект, втрати самих судновласників, бізнесу. Я думаю, що це на мільярди, і, можливо, навіть не гривень», – зауважив Омелян.
За словами міністра, зараз найбільше шкоди завдає те, що міст обмежує прохідність суден. Це, зазначив Омелян, знижує економічну привабливість Маріупольського і Бердянського портів. Крім того, додав міністр, є загроза закриття проходу Керченською протокою, як це було під час будівництва мосту.
Читайте також: «Я наголошував: будувати міст не можна» – експерт назвав головну небезпеку Керченського мосту
Російська влада, яка контролює Крим, запустила 16 травня автомобільний рух по мосту через Керченську протоку. Згідно з українським законодавством, в’їзд до Криму через переправу та міст заборонений і кваліфікується як порушення порядку перетину в’їзду на окуповану територію або виїзд із неї.
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». Верховна Рада України офіційно оголосила датою початку тимчасової окупації Криму і Севастополя Росією 20 лютого 2014 року.
Повністю інтерв’ю з Володимиром Омеляном дивіться у програмі Радіо Свобода «Суботнє інтерв’ю» у суботу, 14 липня.
…
Trump Continues to Hammer NATO Nations on Defense Spending
12/07/2018
President Donald Trump is continuing to hammer NATO nations over their defense spending as he prepares for a second day of meetings in Brussels.
Trump will be meeting with the leaders of Azerbaijan, Romania, Ukraine and Georgia as he kicks off his second day at the NATO summit in Brussels. He will also attend a pair of meetings of the North Atlantic Council before he departs for the United Kingdom.
Trump’s first day of meetings with leaders of the military alliance was contentious, with Trump demanding nations spend far more on defense and accusing Germany of being “totally controlled” by Russia because of a pipeline project.
He began his day Thursday continuing to make his point on Twitter.
Trump also railed against a German pipeline deal with Russia, saying it’s “Not acceptable!”
And he weighed in on news from the Russia investigation that former FBI lawyer Lisa Page is resisting a subpoena.
Trump alleges, “So much corruption on the other side. Where is the Attorney General?”
Trump’s next stop will be London, where he’ll be meeting with Queen Elizabeth II and British Prime Minister Theresa May.
May’s government is in turmoil over how to exit the European Union following the Brexit vote.
…
Trump Continues to Hammer NATO Nations on Defense Spending
12/07/2018
President Donald Trump is continuing to hammer NATO nations over their defense spending as he prepares for a second day of meetings in Brussels.
Trump will be meeting with the leaders of Azerbaijan, Romania, Ukraine and Georgia as he kicks off his second day at the NATO summit in Brussels. He will also attend a pair of meetings of the North Atlantic Council before he departs for the United Kingdom.
Trump’s first day of meetings with leaders of the military alliance was contentious, with Trump demanding nations spend far more on defense and accusing Germany of being “totally controlled” by Russia because of a pipeline project.
He began his day Thursday continuing to make his point on Twitter.
Trump also railed against a German pipeline deal with Russia, saying it’s “Not acceptable!”
And he weighed in on news from the Russia investigation that former FBI lawyer Lisa Page is resisting a subpoena.
Trump alleges, “So much corruption on the other side. Where is the Attorney General?”
Trump’s next stop will be London, where he’ll be meeting with Queen Elizabeth II and British Prime Minister Theresa May.
May’s government is in turmoil over how to exit the European Union following the Brexit vote.
…
Порошенко: «Північний потік-2» – політична забаганка Росії, яку треба зупинити
12/07/2018
Президент України Петро Порошенко закликає західних партнерів України зупинити реалізацію російського газогону «Північний потік-2», який він назвав «політичною забаганкою» Росії, що не має економічного підґрунтя.
Про це Порошенко сказав вранці 12 липня у штаб-квартирі НАТО в Брюсселі перед засіданням Північноатлантичної ради за участю лідерів України і Грузії в рамках саміту НАТО.
«Північний потік-2» не є економічним проектом. Це політично мотивована, абсолютно геополітична забаганка Росії. І така ситуація є абсолютно неприйнятною. Тут чітка позиція Україна – цей проект не має економічного сенсу. Це чиста правда», – сказав Порошенко.
Він додав, що Київ готовий запропонувати спільне з європейцями управління українською газотранспортною системою, «де є зарезервовані потужності, набагато більші, аніж матиме «Північний потік-2».
Читайте також: Серед країн НАТО немає згоди щодо «Північного потоку-2» – Столтенберґ
«І європейські платники податків, європейська економіка не повинні витрачати зайву копійку. І використання української газотранспортної системи зробить європейську економіку набагато більш конкурентоспроможною. І я сподіваюся. Що ми зможемо зупинити «Північний потік-2», – наголосив Порошенко.
Президент США Дональд Трамп та інші представники його адміністрації критикували проект «Північний потік-2». Частина країн ЄС і Україна прямо закликали заблокувати його спорудження, стверджуючи, що він поставить під загрозу енергетичну безпеку України та Євросоюзу.
У будівництві газопроводу, який пройде з Росії до Німеччини дном Балтійського моря, беруть участь, зокрема, компанії з Німеччини і Австрії. Влада в цих країнах стверджує, що йдеться про суто економічний проект. Канцлер Німеччини Анґела Меркель, однак, заявила, що робота газопроводу можлива лише в разі, якщо Росія не припинить транзит газу через Україну.
Порошенко: «Північний потік-2» – політична забаганка Росії, яку треба зупинити
12/07/2018
Президент України Петро Порошенко закликає західних партнерів України зупинити реалізацію російського газогону «Північний потік-2», який він назвав «політичною забаганкою» Росії, що не має економічного підґрунтя.
Про це Порошенко сказав вранці 12 липня у штаб-квартирі НАТО в Брюсселі перед засіданням Північноатлантичної ради за участю лідерів України і Грузії в рамках саміту НАТО.
«Північний потік-2» не є економічним проектом. Це політично мотивована, абсолютно геополітична забаганка Росії. І така ситуація є абсолютно неприйнятною. Тут чітка позиція Україна – цей проект не має економічного сенсу. Це чиста правда», – сказав Порошенко.
Він додав, що Київ готовий запропонувати спільне з європейцями управління українською газотранспортною системою, «де є зарезервовані потужності, набагато більші, аніж матиме «Північний потік-2».
Читайте також: Серед країн НАТО немає згоди щодо «Північного потоку-2» – Столтенберґ
«І європейські платники податків, європейська економіка не повинні витрачати зайву копійку. І використання української газотранспортної системи зробить європейську економіку набагато більш конкурентоспроможною. І я сподіваюся. Що ми зможемо зупинити «Північний потік-2», – наголосив Порошенко.
Президент США Дональд Трамп та інші представники його адміністрації критикували проект «Північний потік-2». Частина країн ЄС і Україна прямо закликали заблокувати його спорудження, стверджуючи, що він поставить під загрозу енергетичну безпеку України та Євросоюзу.
У будівництві газопроводу, який пройде з Росії до Німеччини дном Балтійського моря, беруть участь, зокрема, компанії з Німеччини і Австрії. Влада в цих країнах стверджує, що йдеться про суто економічний проект. Канцлер Німеччини Анґела Меркель, однак, заявила, що робота газопроводу можлива лише в разі, якщо Росія не припинить транзит газу через Україну.
Papa John’s Founder Apologizes, Resigns as Chairman
12/07/2018
Papa John’s founder John Schnatter has resigned as chairman of the board.
The company made the announcement late Wednesday, hours after Schnatter apologized for using a racial slur during a conference call in May.
Forbes said Schnatter used the N-word during a media training exercise. When asked how he would distance himself from racist groups, Schnatter reportedly complained that Colonel Sanders never faced a backlash for using the word.
In a statement released by Louisville, Kentucky-based Papa John’s, Schnatter said reports attributing use of “inappropriate and hurtful” language to him were true.
“Regardless of the context, I apologize,” the statement says.
The University of Louisville also said Wednesday that Schnatter resigned from its board of trustees, effective immediately.
Schnatter stepped down as CEO last year after blaming slowing sales growth on the outcry surrounding football players kneeling during the national anthem. He remained chairman of the company he started when he turned a broom closet at his father’s bar into a pizza spot.
Papa John’s shares fell nearly 5 percent Wednesday after the report, closing at $48.33.
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Papa John’s Founder Apologizes, Resigns as Chairman
12/07/2018
Papa John’s founder John Schnatter has resigned as chairman of the board.
The company made the announcement late Wednesday, hours after Schnatter apologized for using a racial slur during a conference call in May.
Forbes said Schnatter used the N-word during a media training exercise. When asked how he would distance himself from racist groups, Schnatter reportedly complained that Colonel Sanders never faced a backlash for using the word.
In a statement released by Louisville, Kentucky-based Papa John’s, Schnatter said reports attributing use of “inappropriate and hurtful” language to him were true.
“Regardless of the context, I apologize,” the statement says.
The University of Louisville also said Wednesday that Schnatter resigned from its board of trustees, effective immediately.
Schnatter stepped down as CEO last year after blaming slowing sales growth on the outcry surrounding football players kneeling during the national anthem. He remained chairman of the company he started when he turned a broom closet at his father’s bar into a pizza spot.
Papa John’s shares fell nearly 5 percent Wednesday after the report, closing at $48.33.
…