Свідок обвинувачення у справі «українських диверсантів» у Криму змінила свідчення – адвокат
18/04/2018
Свідок обвинувачення у справі так званих «українських диверсатів», яку розглядає підконтрольний Кремлю сімферопольський Верховний суд Криму, на суді змінила свої свідчення. Про це проекту Радіо Свобода Крим.Реалії розповіла адвокат фігуранта цієї справи Євгена Панова Ольга Дінзе.
За її словами, тепер свідок заявляє, що не бачила раніше на анексованому півострові підсудного громадянина України Євгена Панова, якого підозрюють у підготовці диверсій.
Всього на засіданні суду 18 квітня допитали чотирьох свідків звинувачення, включино з понятим, а решта свідків істотних свідчень не надали, зазначила Дінзе.
У квітні суд перейшов до розгляду по суті справи «українського диверсанта» Панова. Йому продовжили арешт на півроку, до 26 вересня.
У серпні 2016 року ФСБ Росії затримала в анексованому Криму групу чоловіків, які нібито готували теракти на півострові. Затриманих деякий час тримали в московському СІЗО Лефортово, пізніше – повернули до Криму.
Російські спецслужби заявляють, що затримані Євген Панов і Андрій Захтей були членами «групи диверсантів», яка нібито планувала здійснити теракти на об’єктах туристичної та соціальної інфраструктури анексованого півострова.
Влада України заперечує російські звинувачення на адресу українців і назвала їх «провокацією» російських спецслужб.
Раніше повідомлялося, що Захтей підписав досудову угоду зі слідством. Однією з умов підписання угоди з боку слідства була відмова Захтея від адвоката за угодою.
У лютому його засудили до 6 років і 6 місяців колонії суворого режиму та штрафу в 220 тисяч рублів (близько 105 тисяч гривень).
Євген Панов провину не визнав і від угоди зі слідством відмовився.
Trump Accuses Porn Star Stormy Daniels of Pulling ‘Total Con Job’
18/04/2018
U.S. President Donald Trump attacked the credibility of adult film star Stormy Daniels Wednesday, saying a composite sketch of the man who allegedly threatened her to keep quiet about her alleged sexual affair with the president is a fabrication.
“A sketch years later about a nonexistent man,” Trump said in a post on Twitter. “A total con job, playing the Fake News Media for Fools (but they know it)!”
Daniels’ lawyer, Michael Avenatti, had initially offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to the identity of the man but said he has increased the amount to $131,000.
Daniels appeared on ABC television’s The View Tuesday morning and displayed an artist’s sketch of the man whom she said approached her in a Las Vegas parking lot and threatened her. Daniels called the man “a thug.”
“Leave Mr. Trump alone,” Daniels said the man told her, and then pointed to her daughter and said, “That’s a beautiful little girl. It’d be a shame if something happened to her mom.”
Daniels claims she and Trump had a sexual encounter at a Lake Tahoe resort in 2006.
Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about the alleged affair, fearing the news would ruin Trump’s chances of winning the 2016 election. Some legal experts said the payment could be construed as an illegal campaign contribution.
Trump denied knowing about the payment and has also denied there was an affair.
Some of the documents seized in an FBI raid on Cohen’s home and New York office reportedly relate to the payment to Daniels.
When asked on The View why she insists on pursuing a legal challenge to the president, she said she was “tired of being bullied.”
“I’m tired of being threatened, intimidating me, and trying to say that you’ll ruin my life and take all my money and my house. I’m done.”
Trump Accuses Porn Star Stormy Daniels of Pulling ‘Total Con Job’
18/04/2018
U.S. President Donald Trump attacked the credibility of adult film star Stormy Daniels Wednesday, saying a composite sketch of the man who allegedly threatened her to keep quiet about her alleged sexual affair with the president is a fabrication.
“A sketch years later about a nonexistent man,” Trump said in a post on Twitter. “A total con job, playing the Fake News Media for Fools (but they know it)!”
Daniels’ lawyer, Michael Avenatti, had initially offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to the identity of the man but said he has increased the amount to $131,000.
Daniels appeared on ABC television’s The View Tuesday morning and displayed an artist’s sketch of the man whom she said approached her in a Las Vegas parking lot and threatened her. Daniels called the man “a thug.”
“Leave Mr. Trump alone,” Daniels said the man told her, and then pointed to her daughter and said, “That’s a beautiful little girl. It’d be a shame if something happened to her mom.”
Daniels claims she and Trump had a sexual encounter at a Lake Tahoe resort in 2006.
Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about the alleged affair, fearing the news would ruin Trump’s chances of winning the 2016 election. Some legal experts said the payment could be construed as an illegal campaign contribution.
Trump denied knowing about the payment and has also denied there was an affair.
Some of the documents seized in an FBI raid on Cohen’s home and New York office reportedly relate to the payment to Daniels.
When asked on The View why she insists on pursuing a legal challenge to the president, she said she was “tired of being bullied.”
“I’m tired of being threatened, intimidating me, and trying to say that you’ll ruin my life and take all my money and my house. I’m done.”
Trump Confirms CIA Chief Met with Kim Jong Un
18/04/2018
U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday his CIA Director Mike Pompeo held a secret meeting in Pyongyang with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
“Meeting went very smoothly and a good relationship was formed,” Trump said on Twitter. “Details of Summit are being worked out now. Denuclearization will be a great thing for World, but also for North Korea!”
Trump had said Tuesday the United States and North Korea “had talks at the highest level” without giving specifics.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is visiting Trump at his Florida resort, praised the president Tuesday for agreeing to hold a summit with Kim, saying the move took “courage.”
Trump stated “that will be taking place probably in early June or a little before that, assuming things go well. It’s possible things won’t go well, and we won’t have the meetings, and we’ll just continue to go along this very strong path that we’ve taken.”
Shortly after, in an extended bilateral meeting with Abe, Trump revealed that in preparation for the summit “we have also started talking directly to North Korea. We have had direct talks at extremely high levels.” But that response did not mention Kim by name.
Trump also said Seoul has his blessing to try to negotiate with Pyongyang an end to the 1950s Korean War.
“They do have my blessing to end the war,” Trump told reporters as he sat next to Abe at the start of their meeting on Tuesday. “People don’t realize the Korean War has not ended,” explained Trump. “It’s going on right now. And they are discussing an end to the war.”
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim are scheduled to hold a summit April 27. A senior South Korean presidential official said Wednesday the peace talks are a possible subject, but that the discussion of formally ending the war would need to involve the other relevant parties.
Active combat
Active combat in the war ended in 1953 with an armistice signed by the United States (which commanded the United Nations forces), North Korea and China. South Korea was not a signatory, and the two Koreas have never established diplomatic relations.
Abe expressed relief that Trump pledged to address with Kim issues of concern to Tokyo, including abductions of Japanese citizens over decades. He praised the U.S. president for maintaining a tough stance toward Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.
“Donald, you demonstrated your unwavering determination in addressing the challenge of North Korea,” the Japanese prime minister told Trump.
According to Larry Kudlow, assistant to the U.S. president for economic policy, “a lot of key issues are on the line” during the two days of talks between Trump and Abe.
The discussions Tuesday at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort off Florida’s Atlantic coast focused on North Korea and turn to trade issues Wednesday, according to White House officials.
“We’re certainly going to be taking into account the full range of threats North Korea poses to regional security,” said Matt Pottinger, senior director for Asian affairs on the National Security Council.
Japanese officials also want to avoid having Trump try to link any trade negotiations to security matters, a separation strictly maintained during decades of post-World War II diplomacy between the former enemies. But Trump has frequently stated that military allies, such as Japan and South Korea, should pay more for American forces defending them.
“I don’t think Prime Minister Abe will leave Mar-a-Lago with anything other than a high degree of confidence in the alliance,” predicted Pottinger.
Tokyo tariffs
There is disappointment in Japan that despite the close relationship between Trump and Abe, the U.S. government has not exempted Tokyo from tariffs placed on steel and aluminum imports.
“It will be under discussion,” Kudlow told reporters. “It’s a key point on the agenda.”
On a related topic, “the United States would probably like to see a free trade agreement (with Japan) come out at some point,” Kudlow told reporters early Tuesday afternoon just hours before Trump and Abe met.
The economic adviser also said that “there’s nothing at all concrete” yet on the United States returning to what was the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership.
“It will come up in the summit, no question about it,” added Kudlow, in reference to the TPP from which Trump withdrew shortly after becoming president.
Trump has opposed the TPP and reiterated that stance in a tweet late Tuesday.
“While Japan and South Korea would like us to go back into TPP, I don’t like the deal for the United States. Too many contingencies and no way to get out if it doesn’t work,” Trump said. “Bilateral deals are far more efficient, profitable and better for OUR workers. Look how bad WTO is to U.S.”
Japan is one of the countries that agreed to join the trade pact, but South Korea is not.
White House Senior Correspondent Steve Herman contributed to this report
…
Trump Confirms CIA Chief Met with Kim Jong Un
18/04/2018
U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday his CIA Director Mike Pompeo held a secret meeting in Pyongyang with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
“Meeting went very smoothly and a good relationship was formed,” Trump said on Twitter. “Details of Summit are being worked out now. Denuclearization will be a great thing for World, but also for North Korea!”
Trump had said Tuesday the United States and North Korea “had talks at the highest level” without giving specifics.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is visiting Trump at his Florida resort, praised the president Tuesday for agreeing to hold a summit with Kim, saying the move took “courage.”
Trump stated “that will be taking place probably in early June or a little before that, assuming things go well. It’s possible things won’t go well, and we won’t have the meetings, and we’ll just continue to go along this very strong path that we’ve taken.”
Shortly after, in an extended bilateral meeting with Abe, Trump revealed that in preparation for the summit “we have also started talking directly to North Korea. We have had direct talks at extremely high levels.” But that response did not mention Kim by name.
Trump also said Seoul has his blessing to try to negotiate with Pyongyang an end to the 1950s Korean War.
“They do have my blessing to end the war,” Trump told reporters as he sat next to Abe at the start of their meeting on Tuesday. “People don’t realize the Korean War has not ended,” explained Trump. “It’s going on right now. And they are discussing an end to the war.”
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim are scheduled to hold a summit April 27. A senior South Korean presidential official said Wednesday the peace talks are a possible subject, but that the discussion of formally ending the war would need to involve the other relevant parties.
Active combat
Active combat in the war ended in 1953 with an armistice signed by the United States (which commanded the United Nations forces), North Korea and China. South Korea was not a signatory, and the two Koreas have never established diplomatic relations.
Abe expressed relief that Trump pledged to address with Kim issues of concern to Tokyo, including abductions of Japanese citizens over decades. He praised the U.S. president for maintaining a tough stance toward Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.
“Donald, you demonstrated your unwavering determination in addressing the challenge of North Korea,” the Japanese prime minister told Trump.
According to Larry Kudlow, assistant to the U.S. president for economic policy, “a lot of key issues are on the line” during the two days of talks between Trump and Abe.
The discussions Tuesday at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort off Florida’s Atlantic coast focused on North Korea and turn to trade issues Wednesday, according to White House officials.
“We’re certainly going to be taking into account the full range of threats North Korea poses to regional security,” said Matt Pottinger, senior director for Asian affairs on the National Security Council.
Japanese officials also want to avoid having Trump try to link any trade negotiations to security matters, a separation strictly maintained during decades of post-World War II diplomacy between the former enemies. But Trump has frequently stated that military allies, such as Japan and South Korea, should pay more for American forces defending them.
“I don’t think Prime Minister Abe will leave Mar-a-Lago with anything other than a high degree of confidence in the alliance,” predicted Pottinger.
Tokyo tariffs
There is disappointment in Japan that despite the close relationship between Trump and Abe, the U.S. government has not exempted Tokyo from tariffs placed on steel and aluminum imports.
“It will be under discussion,” Kudlow told reporters. “It’s a key point on the agenda.”
On a related topic, “the United States would probably like to see a free trade agreement (with Japan) come out at some point,” Kudlow told reporters early Tuesday afternoon just hours before Trump and Abe met.
The economic adviser also said that “there’s nothing at all concrete” yet on the United States returning to what was the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership.
“It will come up in the summit, no question about it,” added Kudlow, in reference to the TPP from which Trump withdrew shortly after becoming president.
Trump has opposed the TPP and reiterated that stance in a tweet late Tuesday.
“While Japan and South Korea would like us to go back into TPP, I don’t like the deal for the United States. Too many contingencies and no way to get out if it doesn’t work,” Trump said. “Bilateral deals are far more efficient, profitable and better for OUR workers. Look how bad WTO is to U.S.”
Japan is one of the countries that agreed to join the trade pact, but South Korea is not.
White House Senior Correspondent Steve Herman contributed to this report
…
EU Pushes to Approve Japan Trade Deal
18/04/2018
The European Commission will put forward a proposed free-trade agreement with Japan for fast-track approval Wednesday, hoping to avoid a repeat of the public protests that nearly derailed a trade pact with Canada two years ago.
The European Union and Japan concluded negotiations to create the world’s largest economic area in December, signaling their rejection of the protectionist stance of U.S. President Donald Trump. Now they want to see it go into force.
The agreement would remove EU tariffs of 10 percent on Japanese cars and the 3 percent rate for most car parts. It would also scrap Japanese duties of some 30 percent on EU cheese and 15 percent on wines, and secure access to large public tenders in Japan.
Canada deal memories
The commission, which negotiates trade agreements for the EU, will present its proposals to the 28 EU members, along with another planned trade agreement with Singapore. EU countries, the European Parliament, and the Japanese parliament will have to give their assent before the trade pact can start.
The EU is mindful of protests against and criticism of the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in 2016, which culminated in a region of Belgium threatening to destroy the deal. It provisionally entered force last September.
Both Brussels and Tokyo want to ensure the agreement can enter force early in 2019, ideally before Britain leaves the EU at the end of March. If it does, it could apply automatically to Britain during a transition period until the end of 2020.
Otherwise, it might not.
Before Brexit
Many of Japan’s carmakers serve the EU from British bases, and it has said having a deal in force during the transition would buy it more time to establish a separate trade agreement with Britain.
One reason the Japan deal may get rapid approval is that it does not deal with investment protection, which critics say allows multinational companies to influence public policy with the threat of legal action.
The agreement could then enter force after approval by the national governments and the European Parliament, rather than also having to secure clearance from national and even regional parliaments.
In fact, EU and Japanese negotiators have not agreed on the way in which foreign investors should be protected.
…
EU Pushes to Approve Japan Trade Deal
18/04/2018
The European Commission will put forward a proposed free-trade agreement with Japan for fast-track approval Wednesday, hoping to avoid a repeat of the public protests that nearly derailed a trade pact with Canada two years ago.
The European Union and Japan concluded negotiations to create the world’s largest economic area in December, signaling their rejection of the protectionist stance of U.S. President Donald Trump. Now they want to see it go into force.
The agreement would remove EU tariffs of 10 percent on Japanese cars and the 3 percent rate for most car parts. It would also scrap Japanese duties of some 30 percent on EU cheese and 15 percent on wines, and secure access to large public tenders in Japan.
Canada deal memories
The commission, which negotiates trade agreements for the EU, will present its proposals to the 28 EU members, along with another planned trade agreement with Singapore. EU countries, the European Parliament, and the Japanese parliament will have to give their assent before the trade pact can start.
The EU is mindful of protests against and criticism of the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in 2016, which culminated in a region of Belgium threatening to destroy the deal. It provisionally entered force last September.
Both Brussels and Tokyo want to ensure the agreement can enter force early in 2019, ideally before Britain leaves the EU at the end of March. If it does, it could apply automatically to Britain during a transition period until the end of 2020.
Otherwise, it might not.
Before Brexit
Many of Japan’s carmakers serve the EU from British bases, and it has said having a deal in force during the transition would buy it more time to establish a separate trade agreement with Britain.
One reason the Japan deal may get rapid approval is that it does not deal with investment protection, which critics say allows multinational companies to influence public policy with the threat of legal action.
The agreement could then enter force after approval by the national governments and the European Parliament, rather than also having to secure clearance from national and even regional parliaments.
In fact, EU and Japanese negotiators have not agreed on the way in which foreign investors should be protected.
…
Chinese City Turns to Wind Power Lottery
18/04/2018
The city of Yanan, a major wind power base in northwest China’s Shaanxi province, has introduced a lottery system to decide which wind projects will go ahead this year, a sign that grid constraints are forcing local governments to restrict capacity.
China has been aggressively developing alternative power as part of its efforts to cut pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Grid-connected wind power reached 163.7 gigawatts (GW) last year, up 10.1 percent on the year and amounting to 9.2 percent of total generating capacity.
But capacity expansion has outpaced grid construction, and large numbers of wind, solar and hydropower plants are unable to deliver all their power to consumers as a result of transmission deficiencies, a problem known as curtailment.
Grid constraints
According to a Yanan planning agency notice seen by Reuters, the city was given permission to build 900 megawatts of wind capacity this year, but 1,300 megawatts (or 1.3 GW) have already been declared eligible for construction, forcing authorities to whittle the total number of projects.
“After study it was decided that the lottery method should be used to determine what plans will be submitted (for approval) to the provincial development and reform commission,” it said.
The authenticity of the document was confirmed by a local municipal government official. He declined to give his name or provide details.
China aims to raise the share of non-fossil fuels in its total energy mix to around 15 percent by the end of the decade, up from 12 percent in 2015.
Renewable power grows
But while renewable power has grown rapidly, around 80 GW of wind capacity was still unable to transmit electricity to consumers in 2015. Wasted wind power amounted to around 12 percent of total generation in 2017, according to the energy regulator.
An environmental group is suing grid companies in the northwest for failing to fulfill its legal obligation to maximize purchases of local renewable power.
To try to prevent waste, China has drawn up guidelines aimed at preventing new plant construction in regions suffering from surplus capacity.
It also released draft guidelines last month for a new renewable energy certificate system that will force regions to meet mandatory clean electricity utilization targets. The plan is expected to help alleviate curtailment.
…
Chinese City Turns to Wind Power Lottery
18/04/2018
The city of Yanan, a major wind power base in northwest China’s Shaanxi province, has introduced a lottery system to decide which wind projects will go ahead this year, a sign that grid constraints are forcing local governments to restrict capacity.
China has been aggressively developing alternative power as part of its efforts to cut pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Grid-connected wind power reached 163.7 gigawatts (GW) last year, up 10.1 percent on the year and amounting to 9.2 percent of total generating capacity.
But capacity expansion has outpaced grid construction, and large numbers of wind, solar and hydropower plants are unable to deliver all their power to consumers as a result of transmission deficiencies, a problem known as curtailment.
Grid constraints
According to a Yanan planning agency notice seen by Reuters, the city was given permission to build 900 megawatts of wind capacity this year, but 1,300 megawatts (or 1.3 GW) have already been declared eligible for construction, forcing authorities to whittle the total number of projects.
“After study it was decided that the lottery method should be used to determine what plans will be submitted (for approval) to the provincial development and reform commission,” it said.
The authenticity of the document was confirmed by a local municipal government official. He declined to give his name or provide details.
China aims to raise the share of non-fossil fuels in its total energy mix to around 15 percent by the end of the decade, up from 12 percent in 2015.
Renewable power grows
But while renewable power has grown rapidly, around 80 GW of wind capacity was still unable to transmit electricity to consumers in 2015. Wasted wind power amounted to around 12 percent of total generation in 2017, according to the energy regulator.
An environmental group is suing grid companies in the northwest for failing to fulfill its legal obligation to maximize purchases of local renewable power.
To try to prevent waste, China has drawn up guidelines aimed at preventing new plant construction in regions suffering from surplus capacity.
It also released draft guidelines last month for a new renewable energy certificate system that will force regions to meet mandatory clean electricity utilization targets. The plan is expected to help alleviate curtailment.
…
Venezuela Arrests Two Chevron Executives Amid Oil Purge
18/04/2018
Chevron said on Tuesday two of its executives were arrested in Venezuela, a rare move likely to spook foreign energy firms still operating in the OPEC nation stricken by hyperinflation, shortages and crime.
Venezuelan Sebin intelligence agents burst into the Petropiar joint venture’s office in the coastal city of Puerto La Cruz on Monday and arrested the two Venezuelan employees for alleged wrongdoing, a half-dozen sources with knowledge of the detentions told Reuters.
Venezuela’s Information Ministry and state oil company PDVSA did not respond to a request for information about the detentions, which come amid a crackdown on alleged graft in the oil sector.
One of the detainees, Carlos Algarra, is a Venezuelan chemical engineer and expert in oil upgrading whom Chevron had brought in from its Argentina operations. The other, Rene Vasquez, is a procurement adviser, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Arrests comfirmed
The U.S. company confirmed the arrests, which are believed to be the first to affect a foreign oil company’s direct employees.
“Chevron Global Technology Services Company is aware that two of its Venezuelan-based employees have been arrested by local authorities,” Chevron said in a statement.
“We have contacted the local authorities to understand the basis of the detention and to ensure the safety and wellbeing of these employees. Our legal team is evaluating the situation and working towards the timely release of these employees.”
Disagreements lead to arrests
A Chevron spokeswoman declined to provide further details on the case or the status of its operations. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The executives were arrested after disagreements with their PDVSA counterparts over procurement processes, two of the sources said.
The arrests highlight risks for foreign companies in Venezuela, home to the world’s biggest crude reserves but heaving under a fifth straight year of recession. Some insiders say a fracturing ruling elite is using the purge to wage turf wars or settle scores.
“Our view has been that oil industry companies would do well to be cautious and stop assuming that good relations with PDVSA can last forever due to a common interest in pumping oil,” said Raul Gallegos, associate director with the consultancy Control Risks. “The level of corruption in PDVSA, especially under a military administration, can and will trump production logic.”
Other oil executives jailed
President Nicolas Maduro since last year has overseen the arrest of dozens of oil executives, including the former energy minister and PDVSA president.
The purge comes years after industry analysts began criticizing PDVSA for widespread graft. The government long decried such accusations as “smear campaigns.” But last year, Maduro changed his tone and started blaming “thieves” for rampant graft in the oil sector and an economic crisis that has spawned malnutrition, disease and emigration.
Vowing a cleanup, Maduro replaced many jailed executives with soldiers, but the unpopular management has spurred a wave of resignations.
…
Venezuela Arrests Two Chevron Executives Amid Oil Purge
18/04/2018
Chevron said on Tuesday two of its executives were arrested in Venezuela, a rare move likely to spook foreign energy firms still operating in the OPEC nation stricken by hyperinflation, shortages and crime.
Venezuelan Sebin intelligence agents burst into the Petropiar joint venture’s office in the coastal city of Puerto La Cruz on Monday and arrested the two Venezuelan employees for alleged wrongdoing, a half-dozen sources with knowledge of the detentions told Reuters.
Venezuela’s Information Ministry and state oil company PDVSA did not respond to a request for information about the detentions, which come amid a crackdown on alleged graft in the oil sector.
One of the detainees, Carlos Algarra, is a Venezuelan chemical engineer and expert in oil upgrading whom Chevron had brought in from its Argentina operations. The other, Rene Vasquez, is a procurement adviser, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Arrests comfirmed
The U.S. company confirmed the arrests, which are believed to be the first to affect a foreign oil company’s direct employees.
“Chevron Global Technology Services Company is aware that two of its Venezuelan-based employees have been arrested by local authorities,” Chevron said in a statement.
“We have contacted the local authorities to understand the basis of the detention and to ensure the safety and wellbeing of these employees. Our legal team is evaluating the situation and working towards the timely release of these employees.”
Disagreements lead to arrests
A Chevron spokeswoman declined to provide further details on the case or the status of its operations. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The executives were arrested after disagreements with their PDVSA counterparts over procurement processes, two of the sources said.
The arrests highlight risks for foreign companies in Venezuela, home to the world’s biggest crude reserves but heaving under a fifth straight year of recession. Some insiders say a fracturing ruling elite is using the purge to wage turf wars or settle scores.
“Our view has been that oil industry companies would do well to be cautious and stop assuming that good relations with PDVSA can last forever due to a common interest in pumping oil,” said Raul Gallegos, associate director with the consultancy Control Risks. “The level of corruption in PDVSA, especially under a military administration, can and will trump production logic.”
Other oil executives jailed
President Nicolas Maduro since last year has overseen the arrest of dozens of oil executives, including the former energy minister and PDVSA president.
The purge comes years after industry analysts began criticizing PDVSA for widespread graft. The government long decried such accusations as “smear campaigns.” But last year, Maduro changed his tone and started blaming “thieves” for rampant graft in the oil sector and an economic crisis that has spawned malnutrition, disease and emigration.
Vowing a cleanup, Maduro replaced many jailed executives with soldiers, but the unpopular management has spurred a wave of resignations.
…
North Korea Tops Trump-Abe Agenda
17/04/2018
“A lot of key issues are on the line” during the two days of talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo, according to Larry Kudlow, assistant to the U.S. president for economic policy.
The discussions Tuesday at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort off Florida’s Atlantic coast are expected to focus on North Korea. They turn to trade issues Wednesday.
Trump and Abe – both currently buffeted by domestic scandals — are no strangers. The Japanese prime minister is the foreign leader the U.S. president has met with and spoken to most often during his presidency.
Asked if there’s still a Trump-Abe “bromance,” amid recent reports of frustration expressed by the Japanese leader about Trump, the senior director for Asian affairs on the National Security Council, Matt Pottinger replied, “I’m sure you’ll make your own judgments based on the chemistry” after Abe arrives at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump and Abe share a pressing concern — North Korea, which has ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs in defiance of international sanctions.
With an unprecedented summit being planned between Trump and Kim Jong Un, Abe said this week he is looking to confirm the U.S. stance on applying pressure on North Korea to get it to irreversibly abandon its missiles and nuclear weapons.
Abe is hoping to convince Trump that if there is a meeting with Kim, the U.S. president will not make agreements with the North Korean leader that could weaken the security of Japan, which is under America’s nuclear umbrella and hosts thousands of U.S. military personnel.
“We’re certainly going to be taking into account the full range of threats North Korea poses to regional security,” said Pottinger.
Japanese officials want to avoid having Trump try to link any trade negotiations to security matters, a separation strictly maintained during decades of post-World War II diplomacy between the former enemies. But Trump has frequently stated that military allies, such as Japan and South Korea, should pay more for American forces defending them.
“I don’t think Prime Minister Abe will leave Mar-a-Lago with anything other than a high degree of confidence in the alliance,” predicted Pottinger.
There is disappointment in Japan that despite the close relationship between Trump and Abe, the U.S. government has not exempted Tokyo from tariffs placed on steel and aluminum imports.
“It will be under discussion,” Kudlow told reporters. “It’s a key point on the agenda.”
On a related topic, “the United States would probably like to see a free trade agreement (with Japan) come out at some point,” Kudlow told reporters early Tuesday afternoon just hours before Trump and Abe were to meet.
The economic advisor also said that “there’s nothing at all concrete” yet on the United States returning to what was the 12-nation Trans Pacific Partnership.
“It will come up in the summit, no question about it,” added Kudlow, in reference to the TPP from which Trump withdrew shortly after becoming president.
Kudlow, a conservative economic commentator who recently joined the Trump administration, also denied any linkage between TPP and China trade issues. But he said a global “trade coalition of the willing needs to be formed as a bulwark against Beijing.
China, added Kudlow, “really needs to play by the rules…or there will be consequences.”
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North Korea Tops Trump-Abe Agenda
17/04/2018
“A lot of key issues are on the line” during the two days of talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo, according to Larry Kudlow, assistant to the U.S. president for economic policy.
The discussions Tuesday at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort off Florida’s Atlantic coast are expected to focus on North Korea. They turn to trade issues Wednesday.
Trump and Abe – both currently buffeted by domestic scandals — are no strangers. The Japanese prime minister is the foreign leader the U.S. president has met with and spoken to most often during his presidency.
Asked if there’s still a Trump-Abe “bromance,” amid recent reports of frustration expressed by the Japanese leader about Trump, the senior director for Asian affairs on the National Security Council, Matt Pottinger replied, “I’m sure you’ll make your own judgments based on the chemistry” after Abe arrives at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump and Abe share a pressing concern — North Korea, which has ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs in defiance of international sanctions.
With an unprecedented summit being planned between Trump and Kim Jong Un, Abe said this week he is looking to confirm the U.S. stance on applying pressure on North Korea to get it to irreversibly abandon its missiles and nuclear weapons.
Abe is hoping to convince Trump that if there is a meeting with Kim, the U.S. president will not make agreements with the North Korean leader that could weaken the security of Japan, which is under America’s nuclear umbrella and hosts thousands of U.S. military personnel.
“We’re certainly going to be taking into account the full range of threats North Korea poses to regional security,” said Pottinger.
Japanese officials want to avoid having Trump try to link any trade negotiations to security matters, a separation strictly maintained during decades of post-World War II diplomacy between the former enemies. But Trump has frequently stated that military allies, such as Japan and South Korea, should pay more for American forces defending them.
“I don’t think Prime Minister Abe will leave Mar-a-Lago with anything other than a high degree of confidence in the alliance,” predicted Pottinger.
There is disappointment in Japan that despite the close relationship between Trump and Abe, the U.S. government has not exempted Tokyo from tariffs placed on steel and aluminum imports.
“It will be under discussion,” Kudlow told reporters. “It’s a key point on the agenda.”
On a related topic, “the United States would probably like to see a free trade agreement (with Japan) come out at some point,” Kudlow told reporters early Tuesday afternoon just hours before Trump and Abe were to meet.
The economic advisor also said that “there’s nothing at all concrete” yet on the United States returning to what was the 12-nation Trans Pacific Partnership.
“It will come up in the summit, no question about it,” added Kudlow, in reference to the TPP from which Trump withdrew shortly after becoming president.
Kudlow, a conservative economic commentator who recently joined the Trump administration, also denied any linkage between TPP and China trade issues. But he said a global “trade coalition of the willing needs to be formed as a bulwark against Beijing.
China, added Kudlow, “really needs to play by the rules…or there will be consequences.”
…
Niger May Have Arrested Militant With Ties to US Ambush
17/04/2018
Niger’s military has detained a suspect who it believes could be the militant leader who was being pursued when an ambush left four American soldiers dead in October, the American ambassador said Tuesday.
U.S. Ambassador Eric P. Whitaker told The Associated Press he does not know the identity of the detained suspect but that the head of Niger’s special forces is hopeful it’s a known extremist leader.
At the time of the October ambush that also left five Nigeriens dead, U.S. forces and their counterparts from the Niger military were pursuing Doundou Chefou, a militant suspected of being involved in the kidnapping of an American aid worker.
Authorities on Tuesday were awaiting identification of whether the man in custody is Chefou.
“Detentions by Nigerien forces are ongoing,” Whitaker said.
A U.S. investigation into the October ambush, which was claimed by fighters linked to the so-called Islamic State group, has not yet been released.
“Regrettably, they were ambushed by ISIS Greater Sahara forces,” said Whitaker.
U.S. officials familiar with the military investigation into the Niger ambush said last month that it concluded the team didn’t get required senior command approval for their risky mission to capture Chefou. As a result, commanders couldn’t accurately assess the mission’s risk, according to the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the results of the not-yet-released investigation.
The investigation finds no single point of failure leading to the attack, which occurred after the soldiers learned Chefou had left the area. It also draws no conclusion about whether villagers in Tongo Tongo, where the U.S. team stopped for water and supplies, alerted IS militants to American forces in the area. Still, questions remain about whether higher-level commanders – if given the chance – would have approved the mission, or provided additional resources for it.
Before October, there had not been any major incursion like that into Niger before, said the commander of Special Operations Command Africa, Maj. Gen. Marcus Hicks, who warned that the extremist threat has been marching south in the Sahel at an unprecedented level.
Threats in the region include al-Qaida-linked fighters in Mali and Burkina Faso, IS group-affiliated fighters in Niger, Mali and Nigeria and the Nigeria-based Boko Haram. All take advantage of the vast region’s widespread poverty and poorly equipped security forces.
U.S. special operations forces have been advising local troops on the continent for years, just under 1,000 across Africa.
Even before the October attack, the U.S. began to shift away from assisting tactical units on the front lines toward training, advising and assisting farther up the chain of command at the battalion level, Hicks said.
…
Niger May Have Arrested Militant With Ties to US Ambush
17/04/2018
Niger’s military has detained a suspect who it believes could be the militant leader who was being pursued when an ambush left four American soldiers dead in October, the American ambassador said Tuesday.
U.S. Ambassador Eric P. Whitaker told The Associated Press he does not know the identity of the detained suspect but that the head of Niger’s special forces is hopeful it’s a known extremist leader.
At the time of the October ambush that also left five Nigeriens dead, U.S. forces and their counterparts from the Niger military were pursuing Doundou Chefou, a militant suspected of being involved in the kidnapping of an American aid worker.
Authorities on Tuesday were awaiting identification of whether the man in custody is Chefou.
“Detentions by Nigerien forces are ongoing,” Whitaker said.
A U.S. investigation into the October ambush, which was claimed by fighters linked to the so-called Islamic State group, has not yet been released.
“Regrettably, they were ambushed by ISIS Greater Sahara forces,” said Whitaker.
U.S. officials familiar with the military investigation into the Niger ambush said last month that it concluded the team didn’t get required senior command approval for their risky mission to capture Chefou. As a result, commanders couldn’t accurately assess the mission’s risk, according to the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the results of the not-yet-released investigation.
The investigation finds no single point of failure leading to the attack, which occurred after the soldiers learned Chefou had left the area. It also draws no conclusion about whether villagers in Tongo Tongo, where the U.S. team stopped for water and supplies, alerted IS militants to American forces in the area. Still, questions remain about whether higher-level commanders – if given the chance – would have approved the mission, or provided additional resources for it.
Before October, there had not been any major incursion like that into Niger before, said the commander of Special Operations Command Africa, Maj. Gen. Marcus Hicks, who warned that the extremist threat has been marching south in the Sahel at an unprecedented level.
Threats in the region include al-Qaida-linked fighters in Mali and Burkina Faso, IS group-affiliated fighters in Niger, Mali and Nigeria and the Nigeria-based Boko Haram. All take advantage of the vast region’s widespread poverty and poorly equipped security forces.
U.S. special operations forces have been advising local troops on the continent for years, just under 1,000 across Africa.
Even before the October attack, the U.S. began to shift away from assisting tactical units on the front lines toward training, advising and assisting farther up the chain of command at the battalion level, Hicks said.
…
Cambridge Analytica ex-CEO Refuses to Testify in UK
17/04/2018
Cambridge Analytica’s ex-CEO, Alexander Nix, has refused to testify before the U.K. Parliament’s media committee, citing British authorities’ investigation into his former company’s alleged misuse of data from millions of Facebook accounts in political campaigns.
Committee Chairman Damian Collins announced Nix’s decision a day before his scheduled appearance but flatly rejected the notion that he should be let off the hook, saying Nix hasn’t been charged with a crime and there are no active legal proceedings against him.
“There is therefore no legal reason why Mr. Nix cannot appear,” Collins said in a statement. “The committee is minded to issue a formal summons for him to appear on a named day in the very near future.”
Nix gave evidence to the committee in February, but was recalled after former Cambridge Analytica staffer Christopher Wylie sparked a global debate over electronic privacy when he alleged the company used data from millions of Facebook accounts to help U.S. President Donald Trump’s 2016 election campaign. Wylie worked on Cambridge Analytica’s “information operations” in 2014 and 2015.
Wylie has also said the official campaign backing Britain’s exit from the European Union had access to the Facebook data.
Cambridge Analytica has previously said that none of the Facebook data it acquired from an academic researcher was used in the Trump campaign. The company also says it did no paid or unpaid work on the Brexit campaign. The company did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The Information Commissioner’s Office said Tuesday that it had written to Nix to “invite him” to be interviewed by investigators. The office is investigating Facebook and 30 other organizations over their use of data and analytics.
“Our investigation is looking at whether criminal and civil offences have been committed under the Data Protection Act,” the office said in a statement.
Nix’s refusal to appear comes as the seriousness of the British inquiry becomes more evident.
Facebook has said it directed Cambridge Analytica to delete all of the data harvested from user accounts as soon as it learned of the problem.
But former Cambridge Analytica business development director Brittany Kaiser testified Tuesday that the U.S. tech giant didn’t really try to verify Cambridge Analytica’s assurances that it had done so.
“I find it incredibly irresponsible that a company with as much money as Facebook … had no due diligence mechanisms in place for protecting the data of U.K. citizens, U.S. citizens or their users in general,” she said.
Kaiser suggested that the number of individuals whose Facebook data was misused could be far higher than the 87 million acknowledged by the Silicon Valley giant.
In an atmosphere where data abuse was rife, Kaiser told lawmakers she believed the leadership of the Leave.EU campaign had combined data from members of the U.K. Independence Party and customers from two insurance companies, Eldon Insurance and GoSkippy Insurance. The data was then sent the University of Mississippi for analysis.
“If the personal data of U.K. citizens who just wanted to buy car insurance was used by GoSkippy and Eldon Insurance for political purposes, as may have been the case, people clearly did not opt in for their data to be used in this way by Leave.EU,” she said in written testimony to the committee.
Leave.EU’s communications director, Andy Wigmore, called Kaiser’s statements a “litany of lies.”
It is how the data was used that alarms some members of the committee and has captured the attention of the public.
An expert on propaganda told the committee Monday that Cambridge Analytica used techniques developed by the Nazis to help Trump’s presidential campaign, turning Muslims and immigrants into an “artificial enemy” to win support from fearful voters.
University of Essex lecturer Emma Briant, who has for a decade studied the SCL Group – a conglomerate of companies, including Cambridge Analytica – interviewed company founder Nigel Oakes when she was doing research for a book. Oakes compared Trump’s tactics to those of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler in singling out Jews for reprisals.
“Hitler attacked the Jews, because … the people didn’t like the Jews,” he said on tapes of the interview conducted with Briant. “He could just use them to . leverage an artificial enemy. Well that’s exactly what Trump did. He leveraged a Muslim.”
…
Cambridge Analytica ex-CEO Refuses to Testify in UK
17/04/2018
Cambridge Analytica’s ex-CEO, Alexander Nix, has refused to testify before the U.K. Parliament’s media committee, citing British authorities’ investigation into his former company’s alleged misuse of data from millions of Facebook accounts in political campaigns.
Committee Chairman Damian Collins announced Nix’s decision a day before his scheduled appearance but flatly rejected the notion that he should be let off the hook, saying Nix hasn’t been charged with a crime and there are no active legal proceedings against him.
“There is therefore no legal reason why Mr. Nix cannot appear,” Collins said in a statement. “The committee is minded to issue a formal summons for him to appear on a named day in the very near future.”
Nix gave evidence to the committee in February, but was recalled after former Cambridge Analytica staffer Christopher Wylie sparked a global debate over electronic privacy when he alleged the company used data from millions of Facebook accounts to help U.S. President Donald Trump’s 2016 election campaign. Wylie worked on Cambridge Analytica’s “information operations” in 2014 and 2015.
Wylie has also said the official campaign backing Britain’s exit from the European Union had access to the Facebook data.
Cambridge Analytica has previously said that none of the Facebook data it acquired from an academic researcher was used in the Trump campaign. The company also says it did no paid or unpaid work on the Brexit campaign. The company did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The Information Commissioner’s Office said Tuesday that it had written to Nix to “invite him” to be interviewed by investigators. The office is investigating Facebook and 30 other organizations over their use of data and analytics.
“Our investigation is looking at whether criminal and civil offences have been committed under the Data Protection Act,” the office said in a statement.
Nix’s refusal to appear comes as the seriousness of the British inquiry becomes more evident.
Facebook has said it directed Cambridge Analytica to delete all of the data harvested from user accounts as soon as it learned of the problem.
But former Cambridge Analytica business development director Brittany Kaiser testified Tuesday that the U.S. tech giant didn’t really try to verify Cambridge Analytica’s assurances that it had done so.
“I find it incredibly irresponsible that a company with as much money as Facebook … had no due diligence mechanisms in place for protecting the data of U.K. citizens, U.S. citizens or their users in general,” she said.
Kaiser suggested that the number of individuals whose Facebook data was misused could be far higher than the 87 million acknowledged by the Silicon Valley giant.
In an atmosphere where data abuse was rife, Kaiser told lawmakers she believed the leadership of the Leave.EU campaign had combined data from members of the U.K. Independence Party and customers from two insurance companies, Eldon Insurance and GoSkippy Insurance. The data was then sent the University of Mississippi for analysis.
“If the personal data of U.K. citizens who just wanted to buy car insurance was used by GoSkippy and Eldon Insurance for political purposes, as may have been the case, people clearly did not opt in for their data to be used in this way by Leave.EU,” she said in written testimony to the committee.
Leave.EU’s communications director, Andy Wigmore, called Kaiser’s statements a “litany of lies.”
It is how the data was used that alarms some members of the committee and has captured the attention of the public.
An expert on propaganda told the committee Monday that Cambridge Analytica used techniques developed by the Nazis to help Trump’s presidential campaign, turning Muslims and immigrants into an “artificial enemy” to win support from fearful voters.
University of Essex lecturer Emma Briant, who has for a decade studied the SCL Group – a conglomerate of companies, including Cambridge Analytica – interviewed company founder Nigel Oakes when she was doing research for a book. Oakes compared Trump’s tactics to those of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler in singling out Jews for reprisals.
“Hitler attacked the Jews, because … the people didn’t like the Jews,” he said on tapes of the interview conducted with Briant. “He could just use them to . leverage an artificial enemy. Well that’s exactly what Trump did. He leveraged a Muslim.”
…
Уже здійснений перерахунок пенсій 90% військовослужбовців – Розенко
17/04/2018
90 відсоткам військових пенсіонерів уже перерахували пенсії, заявив віце-прем’єр-міністр України Павло Розенко, передає прес-служба уряду.
«Зараз триває процес перерахунку пенсій військовослужбовцям. Станом на сьогодні уже 480 тисячам військових пенсіонерів (із 544 тисяч), тобто 90%, перерахунок вже здійснений», – сказав Розенко, зазначивши, що до 1 травня перерахунок усіх військових пенсій має бути завершений.
11 квітня віце-прем’єр заявив, що на той час перераховані пенсії отримували близько 316 тисяч військових пенсіонерів.
30 березня прем’єр-міністр Володимир Гройсман заявив, що у квітні всі військові пенсіонери отримають доплати до пенсій за січень-березень, а з травня Кабінет міністрів починає системну виплату вже підвищених військових пенсій.
У лютому Кабінет міністрів України схвалив рішення про підвищення пенсій військовослужбовцям з 1 січня в середньому на 1,5 тисячі гривень. В уряді заявляли, що це рішення є тимчасовим і діятиме до моменту ухвалення закону, який закріпить не тільки системне підвищення пенсій військовим, а й окреслить систему пенсійного забезпечення для військових, які сьогодні проходять службу у силових органах.
За даними уряду, пенсії будуть підвищуватись поетапно. На першому етапі, починаючи з 1 січня 2018 року, пенсії для військовослужбовців підвищаться в середньому на 1500 гривень. З 1 січня 2019 року пенсії зростуть у середньому ще на 750 гривень. І з 1 січня 2020 року – ще в середньому на 750 гривень.
Зараз середня пенсія військових складає близько 2900 гривень.
…
Уже здійснений перерахунок пенсій 90% військовослужбовців – Розенко
17/04/2018
90 відсоткам військових пенсіонерів уже перерахували пенсії, заявив віце-прем’єр-міністр України Павло Розенко, передає прес-служба уряду.
«Зараз триває процес перерахунку пенсій військовослужбовцям. Станом на сьогодні уже 480 тисячам військових пенсіонерів (із 544 тисяч), тобто 90%, перерахунок вже здійснений», – сказав Розенко, зазначивши, що до 1 травня перерахунок усіх військових пенсій має бути завершений.
11 квітня віце-прем’єр заявив, що на той час перераховані пенсії отримували близько 316 тисяч військових пенсіонерів.
30 березня прем’єр-міністр Володимир Гройсман заявив, що у квітні всі військові пенсіонери отримають доплати до пенсій за січень-березень, а з травня Кабінет міністрів починає системну виплату вже підвищених військових пенсій.
У лютому Кабінет міністрів України схвалив рішення про підвищення пенсій військовослужбовцям з 1 січня в середньому на 1,5 тисячі гривень. В уряді заявляли, що це рішення є тимчасовим і діятиме до моменту ухвалення закону, який закріпить не тільки системне підвищення пенсій військовим, а й окреслить систему пенсійного забезпечення для військових, які сьогодні проходять службу у силових органах.
За даними уряду, пенсії будуть підвищуватись поетапно. На першому етапі, починаючи з 1 січня 2018 року, пенсії для військовослужбовців підвищаться в середньому на 1500 гривень. З 1 січня 2019 року пенсії зростуть у середньому ще на 750 гривень. І з 1 січня 2020 року – ще в середньому на 750 гривень.
Зараз середня пенсія військових складає близько 2900 гривень.
…
У Росії заявили, що Україна направила запит про правову допомогу у справі про анексію Криму
17/04/2018
Генеральна прокуратура Росії отримала запит від українських колег щодо суддів Конституційного суду Росії, яких офіційний Київ підозрює в посяганні на територіальну цілісність України, заявив заступник генерального прокурора Росії Саак Карапетян. Зокрема, Генеральна прокуратура України просить Росію надати правову допомогу в справі про анексію Криму.
«Буквально вчора надійшов запит щодо суддів Конституційного суду Росії, всіх суддів. [В Україні] їх підозрюють в замаху на порушення цілісності держави», – сказав Карапетян.
Карапетян додав, що раніше Київ передавав подібні запити щодо осіб з оточення екс-президента України Віктора Януковича, а також керівництва Міністерства оборони Росії.
Українська сторона заяву Карапетяна поки що не коментувала.
У березні 2014 року Росія анексувала український півострів Крим. Міжнародні організації визнали анексію Криму незаконною і засудили дії Росії, країни Заходу запровадили проти неї економічні санкції. Кремль заперечує анексію півострова і називає це «відновленням історичної справедливості».
…
У Росії заявили, що Україна направила запит про правову допомогу у справі про анексію Криму
17/04/2018
Генеральна прокуратура Росії отримала запит від українських колег щодо суддів Конституційного суду Росії, яких офіційний Київ підозрює в посяганні на територіальну цілісність України, заявив заступник генерального прокурора Росії Саак Карапетян. Зокрема, Генеральна прокуратура України просить Росію надати правову допомогу в справі про анексію Криму.
«Буквально вчора надійшов запит щодо суддів Конституційного суду Росії, всіх суддів. [В Україні] їх підозрюють в замаху на порушення цілісності держави», – сказав Карапетян.
Карапетян додав, що раніше Київ передавав подібні запити щодо осіб з оточення екс-президента України Віктора Януковича, а також керівництва Міністерства оборони Росії.
Українська сторона заяву Карапетяна поки що не коментувала.
У березні 2014 року Росія анексувала український півострів Крим. Міжнародні організації визнали анексію Криму незаконною і засудили дії Росії, країни Заходу запровадили проти неї економічні санкції. Кремль заперечує анексію півострова і називає це «відновленням історичної справедливості».
…
Київрада визначила вивезення твердих побутових відходів окремою комунальною послугою
17/04/2018
Київська міська рада визначила вивезення твердих побутових відходів окремою комунальною послугою. За відповідне рішення проголосували 75 депутатів Київради.
Депутати доповнили перелік житлово-комунальних послуг у житловому фонді Києва, затверджений рішенням Київради 8 листопада 2017 року, пунктом «Послуга з вивезення побутових відходів».
За словами доповідача з цього питання, заступника голови КМДА Петра Пентелеєва, рішення не передбачає підвищення тарифів.
«Тарифна політика як така не змінюється. Тобто виокремлюється із вартості житлово-комунальних послуг послуга на вивезення сміття… На сьогодні вивезення сміття оплачується по квадратурі, як за квадратний метр, при тому що продукується сміття людьми – кількістю осіб, які зареєстровані в помешканні. Необхідно розраховувати і вартість послуги на поводження з відходами з урахуванням цього», – сказав Пентелєєв.
Компанія, що буде надавати послуги з вивезення сміття, може обиратися на конкурсній основі.
За даними Державної служби статистики, станом на кінець лютого 2018 року заборгованість населення України за комунальні послуги становила близько 40,6 мільярда гривень, зокрема за вивезення побутових відходів – 0,4 мільярда гривень.
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Київрада визначила вивезення твердих побутових відходів окремою комунальною послугою
17/04/2018
Київська міська рада визначила вивезення твердих побутових відходів окремою комунальною послугою. За відповідне рішення проголосували 75 депутатів Київради.
Депутати доповнили перелік житлово-комунальних послуг у житловому фонді Києва, затверджений рішенням Київради 8 листопада 2017 року, пунктом «Послуга з вивезення побутових відходів».
За словами доповідача з цього питання, заступника голови КМДА Петра Пентелеєва, рішення не передбачає підвищення тарифів.
«Тарифна політика як така не змінюється. Тобто виокремлюється із вартості житлово-комунальних послуг послуга на вивезення сміття… На сьогодні вивезення сміття оплачується по квадратурі, як за квадратний метр, при тому що продукується сміття людьми – кількістю осіб, які зареєстровані в помешканні. Необхідно розраховувати і вартість послуги на поводження з відходами з урахуванням цього», – сказав Пентелєєв.
Компанія, що буде надавати послуги з вивезення сміття, може обиратися на конкурсній основі.
За даними Державної служби статистики, станом на кінець лютого 2018 року заборгованість населення України за комунальні послуги становила близько 40,6 мільярда гривень, зокрема за вивезення побутових відходів – 0,4 мільярда гривень.
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IMF: World Economy Expands Next 2 Years; Growth Fades After 2020
17/04/2018
International Monetary Fund experts say the global economy will continue growing well for the next two years, but expect expansion to slow after 2020.
IMF research director Maurice Obstfeld said Tuesday fading trade could hurt growth and, “The first shots in a potential trade war have now been fired.” He repeated a warning the international rules that nurtured “unprecedented” economic growth after World War II are at risk of being “torn apart.”
Many economists worry that Trump administration efforts to slap tariffs on China and other U.S. trading partners are sparking retaliatory taxes on U.S.-made products that raise the cost of trading and hurt demand, stifling economic growth. Administration officials disagree, and insist their trade and tax policies will boost growth and not spark soaring deficits.
Trade squabbles are a key issue this week as top economic officials and experts gather from 189 nations in Washington for meetings of the IMF and the World Bank.
Obstfeld and his colleagues are also worried that efforts to stimulate economic recovery from the 2008 recession, such as low interest rates and massive purchases of bonds, are now ending. They put the current global growth rate at 2.9 percent, and say this moment of good growth is the time to make changes in tax and other policies that will help economies weather inevitable future downturns.
Growth in advanced economies like the United States is hampered by an aging population with larger numbers of people retiring and leaving the workforce. Slow growth in productivity and high levels of government and private debt are also threats to future growth.
The IMF predicts the world’s second-largest economy, China, will expand at a 6.6 percent rate this year and 6.4 percent in 2019. The global lender says China will continue changing its economic focus from investment and manufacturing toward consumption and services, but warns that a rising debt clouds the nation’s medium-term outlook.
IMF: World Economy Expands Next 2 Years; Growth Fades After 2020
17/04/2018
International Monetary Fund experts say the global economy will continue growing well for the next two years, but expect expansion to slow after 2020.
IMF research director Maurice Obstfeld said Tuesday fading trade could hurt growth and, “The first shots in a potential trade war have now been fired.” He repeated a warning the international rules that nurtured “unprecedented” economic growth after World War II are at risk of being “torn apart.”
Many economists worry that Trump administration efforts to slap tariffs on China and other U.S. trading partners are sparking retaliatory taxes on U.S.-made products that raise the cost of trading and hurt demand, stifling economic growth. Administration officials disagree, and insist their trade and tax policies will boost growth and not spark soaring deficits.
Trade squabbles are a key issue this week as top economic officials and experts gather from 189 nations in Washington for meetings of the IMF and the World Bank.
Obstfeld and his colleagues are also worried that efforts to stimulate economic recovery from the 2008 recession, such as low interest rates and massive purchases of bonds, are now ending. They put the current global growth rate at 2.9 percent, and say this moment of good growth is the time to make changes in tax and other policies that will help economies weather inevitable future downturns.
Growth in advanced economies like the United States is hampered by an aging population with larger numbers of people retiring and leaving the workforce. Slow growth in productivity and high levels of government and private debt are also threats to future growth.
The IMF predicts the world’s second-largest economy, China, will expand at a 6.6 percent rate this year and 6.4 percent in 2019. The global lender says China will continue changing its economic focus from investment and manufacturing toward consumption and services, but warns that a rising debt clouds the nation’s medium-term outlook.
Ramaphosa Team to Seek $100B Investment for South Africa
17/04/2018
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed a team of business and finance experts on Monday to hunt the globe for $100 billion in investment to boost the ailing economy.
The team of economic envoys includes ex-finance minister Trevor Manuel as well as a former top banker.
Ramaphosa became president in February after winning the leadership of the ruling African National Congress last year on promises to revive the economy and crack down on corruption.
Monday’s appointments to the team also include economist Trudi Makhaya, who becomes special economic adviser to the president, former Treasury Director General Lungisa Fuzile, ex-Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas and former Standard Bank chief executive Jacko Maree.
“These are people with valuable experience in the world of business, investment and finance and they have extensive networks across a number of major markets,” said Ramaphosa before leaving Johannesburg for a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London.
Ramaphosa said the envoys would travel to Europe, Asia and across Africa to build an “investment book” to help plug a substantial shortfall of foreign and local direct investment.
“We are modest because we want to over-achieve,” Ramaphosa said, explaining why the government was targeting $100 billion rather than a much larger sum.
Political and policy uncertainty damaged investment and business confidence during nine-year presidency of Ramaphosa’s predecessor, Jacob Zuma, when South Africa’s credit rating was slashed to junk by two of the top three agencies and economic growth slowed to a crawl.
The tide has begun to turn under Ramaphosa, with Moody’s last month keeping the country at investment grade and changing the outlook to stable from negative.
The economic outlook has also improved, with the World Bank raising its 2018 growth forecast to 1.4 percent this month from 1.1 percent forecast in September, a touch below the Treasury’s projection of 1.5 percent.
Ramaphosa has sacked or demoted a number of ministers allied to his scandal-ridden predecessor, and reinstated Nhlanhla Nene as finance Minister after Zuma fired him in 2015.
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