China’s August Trade Surplus With US Hits Record $31 Billion
08/09/2018
China’s trade surplus with the United States reached a record $31 billion in August, despite hefty tariffs recently imposed on Chinese goods.
The news of the surplus came just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose another $267 billion worth of tariffs on Chinese imports, which would cover virtually all the goods China imports to the United States.
The potential tariffs would come on top of punitive levies on $50 billion in Chinese goods already in place as well as another $200 billion that Trump says “could take place very soon.”
He told reporters traveling with him to Fargo, North Dakota “behind that, there’s another $267 billion ready to go on short notice if I want.”
“That changes the equation,” he added.
Such a move would subject virtually all U.S. imports from China to new duties.
The president’s comments Friday came one day after a public comment period ended on his proposal to add duties on $200 billion of Chinese imports.
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Friday the Trump administration would evaluate the public comments before making any decisions on the new proposed tariffs.
The U.S. Trade Representative’s office received nearly 6,000 comments during seven days of public hearings on the proposal.
The Trump administration has argued that tariffs on Chinese goods would force China to trade on more favorable terms with the United States.
It has demanded that China better protect American intellectual property, including ending the practice of cyber theft. The Trump administration has also called on China to allow U.S. companies greater access to Chinese markets and to cut its U.S. trade surplus.
China has retaliated to the U.S. tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese imports with an equal amount of import taxes on U.S. goods. It has also threatened to retaliate against any potential new tariffs. However, China’s imports from the United States are $200 billion a year less than American imports from China, so it would run out of room to match U.S. sanctions.
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Russian Accused of Massive Data Theft Extradited to US
08/09/2018
A Russian hacker accused of helping pull off the biggest theft yet of consumer bank data in the United States has been extradited to the U.S. to face charges, federal prosecutors said Friday.
Russian national Andrei Tyurin was arrested by Georgian authorities to face charges he helped steal personal data of more than 80 million JP Morgan Chase customers in a massive hacking scheme uncovered by federal prosecutors three years ago, according to the Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman.
Tyurin is alleged to have participated in a global hacking ring that ran illegal Internet casinos and payment processors and targeted the publisher of The Wall Street Journal and brokers such as E-Trade and Scottrade.
Phone calls to Tyurin’s attorney were not immediately returned.
In an indictment unsealed Friday, Tyurin, 35, is charged with ten counts of conspiracy to commit computer hacking, securities fraud, illegal internet gambling, and wire and bank fraud, the latter which carries a maximum prison term of 30 years. He follows several others accused of participating in the sprawling hacking enterprise.
“As Americans increasingly turn to online banking, theft of online personal information can cause devastating effects on their financial wellbeing, sometimes taking years to recover,” said U.S. prosecutor Berman. “Today’s extradition marks a significant milestone for law enforcement in the fight against cyber intrusions targeting our critical financial institutions.”
Federal prosecutors have previously named several alleged co-conspirators, including Israeli Gery Shalon and U.S. citizen Joshua Samuel Aaron.
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Russian Accused of Massive Data Theft Extradited to US
08/09/2018
A Russian hacker accused of helping pull off the biggest theft yet of consumer bank data in the United States has been extradited to the U.S. to face charges, federal prosecutors said Friday.
Russian national Andrei Tyurin was arrested by Georgian authorities to face charges he helped steal personal data of more than 80 million JP Morgan Chase customers in a massive hacking scheme uncovered by federal prosecutors three years ago, according to the Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman.
Tyurin is alleged to have participated in a global hacking ring that ran illegal Internet casinos and payment processors and targeted the publisher of The Wall Street Journal and brokers such as E-Trade and Scottrade.
Phone calls to Tyurin’s attorney were not immediately returned.
In an indictment unsealed Friday, Tyurin, 35, is charged with ten counts of conspiracy to commit computer hacking, securities fraud, illegal internet gambling, and wire and bank fraud, the latter which carries a maximum prison term of 30 years. He follows several others accused of participating in the sprawling hacking enterprise.
“As Americans increasingly turn to online banking, theft of online personal information can cause devastating effects on their financial wellbeing, sometimes taking years to recover,” said U.S. prosecutor Berman. “Today’s extradition marks a significant milestone for law enforcement in the fight against cyber intrusions targeting our critical financial institutions.”
Federal prosecutors have previously named several alleged co-conspirators, including Israeli Gery Shalon and U.S. citizen Joshua Samuel Aaron.
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Shooter’s Gun Jammed During Rampage, Cincinnati Police Say
08/09/2018
The shooter who killed three people in a Cincinnati office high-rise once acted disoriented after being fired four years ago in South Carolina, and he filed a recent lawsuit that a judge in June said “borders on delusional.”
Authorities on Friday said they had not figured out why Omar Enrique Santa Perez, 29, opened fire inside the lobby of a building where he never worked or had any known connection. The city’s police chief said the gunman’s mental health history was one of several areas they were investigating.
Police Chief Eliot Isaac said Santa Perez bought the 9 mm handgun legally about a month ago in Cincinnati before he randomly shot at workers Thursday morning in the building that houses the headquarters of Fifth Third Bancorp.
Security footage from inside the lobby showed him firing while carrying a briefcase containing hundreds of rounds of ammunition over his shoulder. Police later found his gun had jammed during the four-minute rampage, Isaac said.
The video also showed Santa Perez walking quickly past a security turnstile just as he was shot by police officers who fired through a plate glass window.
Santa Perez had been in Cincinnati since at least 2015, police said. Before that he lived in South Carolina and Florida.
Computer hacking alleged
He filed a lawsuit in 2017 that claimed CNBC Universal Media LLC and TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. had hacked into his computer, spied on him and published details about him.
Santa Perez said the companies had tapped into audio speakers and digital cameras to invade his private life.
Both companies rejected the claims, and a federal magistrate in late June recommended dismissing the lawsuit, saying it was “rambling, difficult to decipher and borders on delusional.”
Records show Santa Perez had a history of minor offenses in all three states where he had lived. One arrest painted a troubling portrait of him when he was charged with trespassing after being fired from a company that makes kayaks in Greenville, South Carolina.
His boss told officers in October 2014 that Santa Perez had been throwing tools and not acting right in the week before he was let go and that he “was afraid of what Omar might do,” according to a police report.
A police officer said Santa Perez was on the ground, refusing to leave and appeared upset and disoriented. He mumbled “about the war and the economy” and talked about how he was upset about being fired, the officer said in a report.
Neighbors who lived in a Cincinnati-area apartment building that Santa Perez moved into this year gave conflicting descriptions of him.
Some told local news outlets that he usually looked angry and wouldn’t say hello, while another said he always appeared to be in a good mood.
The body of one of the three men killed in the shooting was recognized by the coroner. Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco had met Pruthvi Kandepi, 25, at a local Hindu temple. The two also had the same hometown and shared a language, Telugu. In a post Thursday on Facebook, Sammarco asked how officials would explain to his parents that “they will never see their son again because of a senseless shooting in a foreign country.”
Home for burial
The local Telugu Association of North America office said it planned to help Kandepi’s father. He wants his son’s body to be taken back to India.
Kandepi was an engineer who worked as a consultant for the bank.
The other two victims were identified as bank employee Luis Calderon, 48, and Richard Newcomer, 64, a contractor who worked for Gilbane Building Company.
One of the wounded was in fair condition Friday and another patient was in serious condition at University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
Hundreds of people gathered Friday to remember the victims at a vigil in Fountain Square, just steps from the site of the shooting.
Police and city officials said there could have been more victims if the shooter’s gun hadn’t malfunctioned and if police hadn’t been nearby.
Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley praised the officers who confronted and took down the shooter.
“If he had gotten on the elevator, gone up to a floor, if he had been there earlier or a little bit longer, many more people would have been killed,” Cranley said.
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Shooter’s Gun Jammed During Rampage, Cincinnati Police Say
08/09/2018
The shooter who killed three people in a Cincinnati office high-rise once acted disoriented after being fired four years ago in South Carolina, and he filed a recent lawsuit that a judge in June said “borders on delusional.”
Authorities on Friday said they had not figured out why Omar Enrique Santa Perez, 29, opened fire inside the lobby of a building where he never worked or had any known connection. The city’s police chief said the gunman’s mental health history was one of several areas they were investigating.
Police Chief Eliot Isaac said Santa Perez bought the 9 mm handgun legally about a month ago in Cincinnati before he randomly shot at workers Thursday morning in the building that houses the headquarters of Fifth Third Bancorp.
Security footage from inside the lobby showed him firing while carrying a briefcase containing hundreds of rounds of ammunition over his shoulder. Police later found his gun had jammed during the four-minute rampage, Isaac said.
The video also showed Santa Perez walking quickly past a security turnstile just as he was shot by police officers who fired through a plate glass window.
Santa Perez had been in Cincinnati since at least 2015, police said. Before that he lived in South Carolina and Florida.
Computer hacking alleged
He filed a lawsuit in 2017 that claimed CNBC Universal Media LLC and TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. had hacked into his computer, spied on him and published details about him.
Santa Perez said the companies had tapped into audio speakers and digital cameras to invade his private life.
Both companies rejected the claims, and a federal magistrate in late June recommended dismissing the lawsuit, saying it was “rambling, difficult to decipher and borders on delusional.”
Records show Santa Perez had a history of minor offenses in all three states where he had lived. One arrest painted a troubling portrait of him when he was charged with trespassing after being fired from a company that makes kayaks in Greenville, South Carolina.
His boss told officers in October 2014 that Santa Perez had been throwing tools and not acting right in the week before he was let go and that he “was afraid of what Omar might do,” according to a police report.
A police officer said Santa Perez was on the ground, refusing to leave and appeared upset and disoriented. He mumbled “about the war and the economy” and talked about how he was upset about being fired, the officer said in a report.
Neighbors who lived in a Cincinnati-area apartment building that Santa Perez moved into this year gave conflicting descriptions of him.
Some told local news outlets that he usually looked angry and wouldn’t say hello, while another said he always appeared to be in a good mood.
The body of one of the three men killed in the shooting was recognized by the coroner. Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco had met Pruthvi Kandepi, 25, at a local Hindu temple. The two also had the same hometown and shared a language, Telugu. In a post Thursday on Facebook, Sammarco asked how officials would explain to his parents that “they will never see their son again because of a senseless shooting in a foreign country.”
Home for burial
The local Telugu Association of North America office said it planned to help Kandepi’s father. He wants his son’s body to be taken back to India.
Kandepi was an engineer who worked as a consultant for the bank.
The other two victims were identified as bank employee Luis Calderon, 48, and Richard Newcomer, 64, a contractor who worked for Gilbane Building Company.
One of the wounded was in fair condition Friday and another patient was in serious condition at University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
Hundreds of people gathered Friday to remember the victims at a vigil in Fountain Square, just steps from the site of the shooting.
Police and city officials said there could have been more victims if the shooter’s gun hadn’t malfunctioned and if police hadn’t been nearby.
Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley praised the officers who confronted and took down the shooter.
“If he had gotten on the elevator, gone up to a floor, if he had been there earlier or a little bit longer, many more people would have been killed,” Cranley said.
…
US Warns North Korea: No Concessions Without Denuclearization
08/09/2018
A top State Department official insisted Friday that North Korea would have to blink first if it wanted to make a deal on denuclearization with the United States.
Negotiators from the U.S. and North and South Korea have engaged in on-again, off-again talks on denuclearization since a June summit in Singapore between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump.
But despite some high hopes, efforts have been stymied by a lack of specifics from North Korea as well as Pyongyang’s demands for security assurances and other concessions in advance of dismantling its nuclear arsenal.
“We’re not going to give anything until North Korea does what it says,” Andrea Thompson, undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, told reporters in Washington.
Officials in Pyongyang must first make good on “their obligations that they committed to in Singapore,” she said, referring to their pledge to denuclearize.
“What we want to offer is a future of a denuclearized peninsula. What we want to offer is the economic livelihood of a North Korea that can interact with the global neighbors,” she added, cautioning, “It depends on if North Korea’s forthcoming to do what they say they’re going to do.”
Thompson’s comments were just the latest on what has been a diplomatic roller coaster, with hopes rising and falling as talks involving Pyongyang, Washington and Seoul make progress, only to hit additional stumbling blocks.
The latest hopes for success came Thursday, when North Korea’s Kim told South Korean officials his faith in Trump was “unchanged” and suggested he would be willing to denuclearize by the end of Trump’s first term in office.
On Friday, en route to a rally in North Dakota, Trump expressed further optimism.
“A letter is being delivered to me, a personal letter from Kim Jong Un,” the president told reporters on Air Force One. “I think it’s going to be a positive letter.”
Yet many U.S. officials remain skeptical, noting it was just last month that Trump abruptly canceled Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s plans to meet with Kim in Pyongyang because of a lack of progress.
Pompeo himself admitted during a visit to India on Thursday that “there is still an enormous amount of work to do.”
“We haven’t had any nuclear tests, we haven’t had any missile tests, which we consider a good thing,” he said. “But the work of convincing Chairman Kim to make the strategic shift that we’ve talked about for a brighter future for the people of North Korea continues.”
U.S. intelligence officials are even more wary about Pyongyang’s repeated commitments to denuclearize.
Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told a conference in Washington on Tuesday that the U.S. intelligence assessment of North Korea’s nuclear intentions had not changed.
“Kim Jong Un sees nuclear weapons as key to the regime’s survival and as leverage to achieve his long-term strategic ambitions,” he said.
Coats also said that despite some symbolic steps by Pyongyang in early June to destroy the entrances to some nuclear testing tunnels and to start dismantling some other equipment, there had been no signs of additional movement.
Asked Friday what had led U.S. diplomatic officials to believe North Korea’s Kim would eventually go through with denuclearization, Thompson replied, “He said he was going to do it.”
“He said it to the secretary. And he said it to the president, so we’ll hold him to his word,” Thompson added.
…
US Warns North Korea: No Concessions Without Denuclearization
08/09/2018
A top State Department official insisted Friday that North Korea would have to blink first if it wanted to make a deal on denuclearization with the United States.
Negotiators from the U.S. and North and South Korea have engaged in on-again, off-again talks on denuclearization since a June summit in Singapore between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump.
But despite some high hopes, efforts have been stymied by a lack of specifics from North Korea as well as Pyongyang’s demands for security assurances and other concessions in advance of dismantling its nuclear arsenal.
“We’re not going to give anything until North Korea does what it says,” Andrea Thompson, undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, told reporters in Washington.
Officials in Pyongyang must first make good on “their obligations that they committed to in Singapore,” she said, referring to their pledge to denuclearize.
“What we want to offer is a future of a denuclearized peninsula. What we want to offer is the economic livelihood of a North Korea that can interact with the global neighbors,” she added, cautioning, “It depends on if North Korea’s forthcoming to do what they say they’re going to do.”
Thompson’s comments were just the latest on what has been a diplomatic roller coaster, with hopes rising and falling as talks involving Pyongyang, Washington and Seoul make progress, only to hit additional stumbling blocks.
The latest hopes for success came Thursday, when North Korea’s Kim told South Korean officials his faith in Trump was “unchanged” and suggested he would be willing to denuclearize by the end of Trump’s first term in office.
On Friday, en route to a rally in North Dakota, Trump expressed further optimism.
“A letter is being delivered to me, a personal letter from Kim Jong Un,” the president told reporters on Air Force One. “I think it’s going to be a positive letter.”
Yet many U.S. officials remain skeptical, noting it was just last month that Trump abruptly canceled Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s plans to meet with Kim in Pyongyang because of a lack of progress.
Pompeo himself admitted during a visit to India on Thursday that “there is still an enormous amount of work to do.”
“We haven’t had any nuclear tests, we haven’t had any missile tests, which we consider a good thing,” he said. “But the work of convincing Chairman Kim to make the strategic shift that we’ve talked about for a brighter future for the people of North Korea continues.”
U.S. intelligence officials are even more wary about Pyongyang’s repeated commitments to denuclearize.
Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told a conference in Washington on Tuesday that the U.S. intelligence assessment of North Korea’s nuclear intentions had not changed.
“Kim Jong Un sees nuclear weapons as key to the regime’s survival and as leverage to achieve his long-term strategic ambitions,” he said.
Coats also said that despite some symbolic steps by Pyongyang in early June to destroy the entrances to some nuclear testing tunnels and to start dismantling some other equipment, there had been no signs of additional movement.
Asked Friday what had led U.S. diplomatic officials to believe North Korea’s Kim would eventually go through with denuclearization, Thompson replied, “He said he was going to do it.”
“He said it to the secretary. And he said it to the president, so we’ll hold him to his word,” Thompson added.
…
Гройсман: невиконання вимог МВФ поставить Україну на межу дефолту
07/09/2018
Невиконання вимог Міжнародного валютного фонду поставить Україну на межу дефолту, заявив прем’єр-міністр України Володимир Гройсман в ефірі телеканалу «Інтер».
«Я перший за те, аби зменшувати ціни на ресурси. Але невиконання вимог поставить Україну на межу дефолту», – сказав Гройсман.
Він зазначив, що Україна наразі не може виплатити свої борги, тому «треба виходити на зовнішні ринки, перекредитовуватися, зменшувати відсотки».
«Раніше меморандум з кредиторами підписували і не виконували обіцяне. А це підірвало довіру до України. Я мушу вирішувати це питання. Місія МВФ приїхала. Ми працюємо, у нас конструктивні відносини. За два тижні повідомимо про результати перемовин», – заявив прем’єр.
6 вересня у Києві розпочала роботу місія Міжнародного валютного фонду, яка перебуватиме в Україні до 19 вересня 2018 року. Постійний представник фонду в Україні Йоста Люнгман заявляв, що представники місії під час візиту обговорюватимуть останні економічні події й економічну політику.
У червні прем’єр-міністр України Володимир Гройсман визнав, що підвищення цін на газ для населення залишається серед вимог Міжнародного валютного фонду, і додав, що уряд не має «простої відповіді» на це питання.
Національний банк України розраховує отримати транш від МВФ до кінця 2018 року.
У березні 2015 року між МВФ і Україною була затверджена чотирирічна програма розширеного фінансування на суму близько 17,5 мільярда доларів США. Наразі МВФ надав Україні за цією програмою близько 8 мільярдів 380 мільйонів доларів.
…
Гройсман: невиконання вимог МВФ поставить Україну на межу дефолту
07/09/2018
Невиконання вимог Міжнародного валютного фонду поставить Україну на межу дефолту, заявив прем’єр-міністр України Володимир Гройсман в ефірі телеканалу «Інтер».
«Я перший за те, аби зменшувати ціни на ресурси. Але невиконання вимог поставить Україну на межу дефолту», – сказав Гройсман.
Він зазначив, що Україна наразі не може виплатити свої борги, тому «треба виходити на зовнішні ринки, перекредитовуватися, зменшувати відсотки».
«Раніше меморандум з кредиторами підписували і не виконували обіцяне. А це підірвало довіру до України. Я мушу вирішувати це питання. Місія МВФ приїхала. Ми працюємо, у нас конструктивні відносини. За два тижні повідомимо про результати перемовин», – заявив прем’єр.
6 вересня у Києві розпочала роботу місія Міжнародного валютного фонду, яка перебуватиме в Україні до 19 вересня 2018 року. Постійний представник фонду в Україні Йоста Люнгман заявляв, що представники місії під час візиту обговорюватимуть останні економічні події й економічну політику.
У червні прем’єр-міністр України Володимир Гройсман визнав, що підвищення цін на газ для населення залишається серед вимог Міжнародного валютного фонду, і додав, що уряд не має «простої відповіді» на це питання.
Національний банк України розраховує отримати транш від МВФ до кінця 2018 року.
У березні 2015 року між МВФ і Україною була затверджена чотирирічна програма розширеного фінансування на суму близько 17,5 мільярда доларів США. Наразі МВФ надав Україні за цією програмою близько 8 мільярдів 380 мільйонів доларів.
…
Trump Threatens to Tax Virtually All Chinese Imports to US
07/09/2018
U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening to impose tariffs on another $267 billion worth Chinese imports, which would cover virtually all the goods China imports to the United States.
The potential tariffs would come on top of punitive levies on $50 billion in Chinese goods already in place, as well as tariffs on another $200 billion worth of goods that Trump says “could take place very soon.”
He told reporters traveling with him to Fargo, North Dakota, on Friday that “behind that, there’s another $267 billion ready to go on short notice if I want.”
“That changes the equation,” he added.
Such a move would subject virtually all U.S. imports from China to new duties.
The president’s comments came one day after a public comment period ended on his proposal to add duties on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Friday that the Trump administration would evaluate the public comments before making any decisions on the new proposed tariffs.
The U.S. trade representative’s office received nearly 6,000 comments during seven days of public hearings on the proposal.
The Trump administration has argued that tariffs on Chinese goods will force China to trade on more favorable terms with the United States. It has demanded that China better protect American intellectual property, including ending the practice of cybertheft. The Trump administration has also called on China to allow U.S. companies greater access to Chinese markets and to cut its U.S. trade surplus.
China has retaliated against the U.S. tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese imports with import taxes on an equal amount of U.S. goods. It has also threatened to retaliate against any new tariffs. However, China’s imports from the United States are worth $200 billion a year less than American imports from China, so it would run out of room to match U.S. sanctions.
…
Trump Threatens to Tax Virtually All Chinese Imports to US
07/09/2018
U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening to impose tariffs on another $267 billion worth Chinese imports, which would cover virtually all the goods China imports to the United States.
The potential tariffs would come on top of punitive levies on $50 billion in Chinese goods already in place, as well as tariffs on another $200 billion worth of goods that Trump says “could take place very soon.”
He told reporters traveling with him to Fargo, North Dakota, on Friday that “behind that, there’s another $267 billion ready to go on short notice if I want.”
“That changes the equation,” he added.
Such a move would subject virtually all U.S. imports from China to new duties.
The president’s comments came one day after a public comment period ended on his proposal to add duties on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Friday that the Trump administration would evaluate the public comments before making any decisions on the new proposed tariffs.
The U.S. trade representative’s office received nearly 6,000 comments during seven days of public hearings on the proposal.
The Trump administration has argued that tariffs on Chinese goods will force China to trade on more favorable terms with the United States. It has demanded that China better protect American intellectual property, including ending the practice of cybertheft. The Trump administration has also called on China to allow U.S. companies greater access to Chinese markets and to cut its U.S. trade surplus.
China has retaliated against the U.S. tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese imports with import taxes on an equal amount of U.S. goods. It has also threatened to retaliate against any new tariffs. However, China’s imports from the United States are worth $200 billion a year less than American imports from China, so it would run out of room to match U.S. sanctions.
…
Міжнародний ПЕН-центр закликав звільнити Сенцова, який голодує 117-й день
07/09/2018
Міжнародний ПЕН-центр закликав звільнити українського режисера Олега Сенцова й інших ув’язнених, які «опинилися за ґратами винятково через мирне висловлення власної думки й за правозахисну діяльність», йдеться у зверненні, яке підписав виконавчий директор ПЕН-центру Карлес Торнер.
Міжнародний ПЕН-центр також згадує у зверненні російського режисера Кирила Серебренникова, якого звинувачують у розкраданнях бюджетних коштів, і главу карельського «Меморіалу» Юрія Дмитрієва, заарештованого у справі про насильницькі дії сексуального характеру щодо прийомної дочки. Обидва звинувачення відкидають.
Звернення ПЕН-центру було адресоване учасникам Міжнародного конгресу перекладачів, який відкрився 7 вересня. Водночас директор Інституту перекладу Євген Резниченко відмовився читати лист на відкритті Конгресу. За його словами, це не привітання, а відозва, для якої є більш підходящі місця, наприклад, Червона площа в Москві, повідомили російській редакції Радіо Свобода в Асоціації «Вільне слово».
Заступник керівника Росдруку Володимира Григор’єва, який виступав після Резніченка, повідомив, що не вважає за потрібне щось приховувати, і запропонував Інституту перекладу роздати копії тексту учасникам Конгресу.
Олег Сенцов засуджений у Росії на 20 років ув’язнення за звинуваченням у підготовці терактів в анексованому Криму. Режисер відкидає звинувачення. Від 14 травня він тримає голодування, вимагаючи звільнити з російських тюрем українських політв’язнів.
З вимогою негайно звільнити Сенцова до Росії неодноразово зверталися міжнародні організації, західні уряди, митці й активісти в усьому світі.
28 серпня кандидатуру Олега Сенцова на здобуття Нобелівської премії миру висунув колишній президент Польщі, засновник профспілки «Солідарність» і лауреат Нобелівської премії миру Лех Валенса.
Окрім того, Європейський парламент може номінувати українського режисера Олега Сенцова на премію «За свободу думки» імені Сахарова. Ця премія була заснована Європарламентом в 1988 році і вручається за видатний внесок у захист прав людини і основних свобод.
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Міжнародний ПЕН-центр закликав звільнити Сенцова, який голодує 117-й день
07/09/2018
Міжнародний ПЕН-центр закликав звільнити українського режисера Олега Сенцова й інших ув’язнених, які «опинилися за ґратами винятково через мирне висловлення власної думки й за правозахисну діяльність», йдеться у зверненні, яке підписав виконавчий директор ПЕН-центру Карлес Торнер.
Міжнародний ПЕН-центр також згадує у зверненні російського режисера Кирила Серебренникова, якого звинувачують у розкраданнях бюджетних коштів, і главу карельського «Меморіалу» Юрія Дмитрієва, заарештованого у справі про насильницькі дії сексуального характеру щодо прийомної дочки. Обидва звинувачення відкидають.
Звернення ПЕН-центру було адресоване учасникам Міжнародного конгресу перекладачів, який відкрився 7 вересня. Водночас директор Інституту перекладу Євген Резниченко відмовився читати лист на відкритті Конгресу. За його словами, це не привітання, а відозва, для якої є більш підходящі місця, наприклад, Червона площа в Москві, повідомили російській редакції Радіо Свобода в Асоціації «Вільне слово».
Заступник керівника Росдруку Володимира Григор’єва, який виступав після Резніченка, повідомив, що не вважає за потрібне щось приховувати, і запропонував Інституту перекладу роздати копії тексту учасникам Конгресу.
Олег Сенцов засуджений у Росії на 20 років ув’язнення за звинуваченням у підготовці терактів в анексованому Криму. Режисер відкидає звинувачення. Від 14 травня він тримає голодування, вимагаючи звільнити з російських тюрем українських політв’язнів.
З вимогою негайно звільнити Сенцова до Росії неодноразово зверталися міжнародні організації, західні уряди, митці й активісти в усьому світі.
28 серпня кандидатуру Олега Сенцова на здобуття Нобелівської премії миру висунув колишній президент Польщі, засновник профспілки «Солідарність» і лауреат Нобелівської премії миру Лех Валенса.
Окрім того, Європейський парламент може номінувати українського режисера Олега Сенцова на премію «За свободу думки» імені Сахарова. Ця премія була заснована Європарламентом в 1988 році і вручається за видатний внесок у захист прав людини і основних свобод.
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Заяви про «вибори» на Донбасі ставлять на паузу мінський і норманський формати – Геращенко
07/09/2018
Заяви сепаратистів про намір провести позачергові «вибори» на непідконтрольній Україні частині Донецької області у листопаді мають на меті загальмувати переговори у норманському та мінському форматах, вважає віце-спікер Верховної Ради України Ірина Геращенко.
«Зараз Москва також зацікавлена, аби апелювати до західних партнерів, що, мовляв, Київ зриває виконання політичного блоку. Але Кремлю буде важко це доводити, бо і в ЄС, і в США чудово усвідомлюють, що жодні дії на окупованих територіях не відбуваються без відмашки Путіна. Москва нічого не зробила й на крок не просунулася у виконанні мінських угод. І зараз йде на свідоме загострення ситуації на Донбасі, зачищаючи спільників, призначаючи «вибори»», – написала вона у Facebook.
7 вересня в угрупованні «ДНР» назвали нового «голову» – ним став «голова парламенту» Денис Пушилін. Після загибелі ватажка бойовиків Олександра Захарченка обов’язки «голови ДНР» взяв на себе Дмитро Трапезников. Згодом таке рішення в «прокуратурі» угруповання назвали незаконним, адже ці обов’язки може взяти на себе лише «перший віце-прем’єр ДНР».
Також цього ж дня стало відомо, що «Народна рада ДНР» призначила вибори нового голови угруповання на 11 листопада. Це суперечить Мінським угодам, згідно з якими місцеві вибори на нині окупованих територіях можливі лише після політичного врегулювання конфлікту, у відповідності до українського законодавства та за стандартами ОБСЄ.
Міністерство закордонних справ України оприлюднило заяву, що у випадку проведення голосування його результати будуть «юридично нікчемними, не створюватимуть жодних правових наслідків та не будуть визнані ані Україною, ані світовою спільнотою».
Заяви про «вибори» на Донбасі ставлять на паузу мінський і норманський формати – Геращенко
07/09/2018
Заяви сепаратистів про намір провести позачергові «вибори» на непідконтрольній Україні частині Донецької області у листопаді мають на меті загальмувати переговори у норманському та мінському форматах, вважає віце-спікер Верховної Ради України Ірина Геращенко.
«Зараз Москва також зацікавлена, аби апелювати до західних партнерів, що, мовляв, Київ зриває виконання політичного блоку. Але Кремлю буде важко це доводити, бо і в ЄС, і в США чудово усвідомлюють, що жодні дії на окупованих територіях не відбуваються без відмашки Путіна. Москва нічого не зробила й на крок не просунулася у виконанні мінських угод. І зараз йде на свідоме загострення ситуації на Донбасі, зачищаючи спільників, призначаючи «вибори»», – написала вона у Facebook.
7 вересня в угрупованні «ДНР» назвали нового «голову» – ним став «голова парламенту» Денис Пушилін. Після загибелі ватажка бойовиків Олександра Захарченка обов’язки «голови ДНР» взяв на себе Дмитро Трапезников. Згодом таке рішення в «прокуратурі» угруповання назвали незаконним, адже ці обов’язки може взяти на себе лише «перший віце-прем’єр ДНР».
Також цього ж дня стало відомо, що «Народна рада ДНР» призначила вибори нового голови угруповання на 11 листопада. Це суперечить Мінським угодам, згідно з якими місцеві вибори на нині окупованих територіях можливі лише після політичного врегулювання конфлікту, у відповідності до українського законодавства та за стандартами ОБСЄ.
Міністерство закордонних справ України оприлюднило заяву, що у випадку проведення голосування його результати будуть «юридично нікчемними, не створюватимуть жодних правових наслідків та не будуть визнані ані Україною, ані світовою спільнотою».
Modest Premium Hikes Expected as ‘Obamacare’ Stabilizes
07/09/2018
Millions of people covered under the Affordable Care Act will see only modest premium increases next year, and some will get price cuts. That’s the conclusion from an exclusive analysis of the besieged but resilient program, which still sparks deep divisions heading into this year’s midterm elections.
The Associated Press and the consulting firm Avalere Health crunched available state data and found that “Obamacare’s” health insurance marketplaces seem to be stabilizing after two years of sharp premium hikes. And the exodus of insurers from the program has halted, even reversed somewhat, with more consumer choices for 2019.
The analysis found a 3.6 percent average increase in proposed or approved premiums across 47 states and Washington, D.C., for next year. This year the average increase nationally was about 30 percent. The average total premium for an individual covered under the health law is now close to $600 a month before subsidies.
For next year, premiums are expected either to drop or increase by less than 10 percent in 41 states with about 9 million customers. Eleven of those states are expected to see a drop in average premiums. In six other states, plus Washington, D.C., premiums are projected to rise between 10 percent and 18 percent.
Insurers also are starting to come back. Nineteen states will either see new insurers enter or current ones expand into more areas. There are no bare counties lacking a willing insurer.
Even so, Chris Sloan, an Avalere director, says, “This is still a market that’s unaffordable for many people who aren’t eligible for subsidies.”
Nearly nine in 10 ACA customers get government subsidies based on income, shielding most from premium increases. But people with higher incomes, who don’t qualify for financial aid, have dropped out in droves.
It’s too early to say if the ACA’s turnabout will be fleeting or a more permanent shift. Either way, next year’s numbers are at odds with the political rhetoric around the ACA, still heated even after President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans failed to repeal the law last year.
Trump regularly calls “Obamacare” a “disaster” and time again has declared it “dead.” The GOP tax-cut bill repealed the ACA requirement that Americans have health insurance or risk fines, effective next year. But other key elements remain, including subsidies and protection for people with pre-existing conditions. Democrats, meanwhile, accuse Trump of “sabotage,” driving up premiums and threatening coverage.
The moderating market trend “takes the issue away from Republican candidates” in the midterm elections, said Mark Hall, a health law and policy expert at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. “Part of the mess is now their fault, and the facts really don’t support the narrative that things are getting worse.”
Market stability also appears to undercut Democrats’ charge that Trump is undermining the program. But Democrats disagree, saying the ACA is in danger while Republicans control Washington, and that premiums would have been even lower but for the administration’s hostility.
“Voters won’t think that the Trump threat to the ACA has passed at all, unless Democrats get at least the House in 2018,” said Bill Carrick, a strategist for Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., whose re-election ads emphasize her support for the health law.
As if seconding Democrats’ argument, the Trump administration has said it won’t defend the ACA’s protections for pre-existing conditions in a federal case in Texas that could go to the Supreme Court. A new Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that Americans regardless of partisan identification said those protections should remain the law of the land.
In solidly Republican Arkansas, Democratic state legislator and cancer survivor Clarke Tucker is using the ACA in his campaign to try to flip a U.S. House seat from red to blue. Tucker, 37, says part of what made him want to run is the House vote to repeal the ACA last year and images of Trump and GOP lawmakers celebrating at the White House.
Business analysts say the relatively good news for 2019 is partly the result of previous premium increases, which allowed insurers to return to profitability after losing hundreds of millions of dollars.
“They can price better, and they can manage this population better, which is why they can actually make some money,” said Deep Banerjee of Standard & Poor’s.
Repeal of the ACA’s requirement to carry insurance doesn’t seem to have had a major impact yet, but Banerjee said there’s “a cloud of uncertainty” around the Trump administration’s potential policy shifts. Yet some administration actions have also helped settle the markets, such as continuing a premium stabilization program.
April Box of Spokane Valley, Washington, lives in a state where premiums could rise substantially since insurers have proposed an 18 percent increase. In states expecting double-digit increases, the reasons reflect local market conditions. Proposed increases may ultimately get revised downward.
Box is self-employed as a personal advocate helping patients navigate the health care system. She has an ACA plan, but even with a subsidy her premiums are expensive and a high deductible means she’s essentially covered only for catastrophic illness.
“I’m choosing not to go to the doctor, and I’m saying to myself I’m not sick enough to go to the doctors,” Box said. “We need to figure out how to make it better and lower the price.”
Now in her 50s, Box was born with dislocated hips. She worries she could be uninsurable if insurers are allowed to go back to denying coverage for pre-existing conditions. She might need another hip surgery.
“It needs to be a level playing field for everybody,” said Box. “We need to have universal coverage – that is really the only answer.”
Tennessee is a prime example of the ACA’s flipped fortunes.
Last year, the state struggled to secure at least one insurer in every county. But approved rates for 2019 reflect an 11 percent average decrease. Two new insurers – Bright Health and Celtic_ have entered its marketplace, and two others – Cigna and Oscar – will expand into new counties.
Tennessee Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander called that a “welcome step,” but argued rates could have been even lower if congressional Democrats had supported a market stabilization bill. Democrats blame Republicans for the failure.
To calculate premium changes, Avalere and The Associated Press used proposed overall individual marketplace rate filings for 34 states and D.C., and final rates for 13 states that have already approved them. Data was not available for Massachusetts, Maryland and Alabama. The average rate change calculations include both on-exchange and off-exchange plans that comply with ACA requirements. The government isn’t expected to release final national figures until later this fall.
Modest Premium Hikes Expected as ‘Obamacare’ Stabilizes
07/09/2018
Millions of people covered under the Affordable Care Act will see only modest premium increases next year, and some will get price cuts. That’s the conclusion from an exclusive analysis of the besieged but resilient program, which still sparks deep divisions heading into this year’s midterm elections.
The Associated Press and the consulting firm Avalere Health crunched available state data and found that “Obamacare’s” health insurance marketplaces seem to be stabilizing after two years of sharp premium hikes. And the exodus of insurers from the program has halted, even reversed somewhat, with more consumer choices for 2019.
The analysis found a 3.6 percent average increase in proposed or approved premiums across 47 states and Washington, D.C., for next year. This year the average increase nationally was about 30 percent. The average total premium for an individual covered under the health law is now close to $600 a month before subsidies.
For next year, premiums are expected either to drop or increase by less than 10 percent in 41 states with about 9 million customers. Eleven of those states are expected to see a drop in average premiums. In six other states, plus Washington, D.C., premiums are projected to rise between 10 percent and 18 percent.
Insurers also are starting to come back. Nineteen states will either see new insurers enter or current ones expand into more areas. There are no bare counties lacking a willing insurer.
Even so, Chris Sloan, an Avalere director, says, “This is still a market that’s unaffordable for many people who aren’t eligible for subsidies.”
Nearly nine in 10 ACA customers get government subsidies based on income, shielding most from premium increases. But people with higher incomes, who don’t qualify for financial aid, have dropped out in droves.
It’s too early to say if the ACA’s turnabout will be fleeting or a more permanent shift. Either way, next year’s numbers are at odds with the political rhetoric around the ACA, still heated even after President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans failed to repeal the law last year.
Trump regularly calls “Obamacare” a “disaster” and time again has declared it “dead.” The GOP tax-cut bill repealed the ACA requirement that Americans have health insurance or risk fines, effective next year. But other key elements remain, including subsidies and protection for people with pre-existing conditions. Democrats, meanwhile, accuse Trump of “sabotage,” driving up premiums and threatening coverage.
The moderating market trend “takes the issue away from Republican candidates” in the midterm elections, said Mark Hall, a health law and policy expert at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. “Part of the mess is now their fault, and the facts really don’t support the narrative that things are getting worse.”
Market stability also appears to undercut Democrats’ charge that Trump is undermining the program. But Democrats disagree, saying the ACA is in danger while Republicans control Washington, and that premiums would have been even lower but for the administration’s hostility.
“Voters won’t think that the Trump threat to the ACA has passed at all, unless Democrats get at least the House in 2018,” said Bill Carrick, a strategist for Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., whose re-election ads emphasize her support for the health law.
As if seconding Democrats’ argument, the Trump administration has said it won’t defend the ACA’s protections for pre-existing conditions in a federal case in Texas that could go to the Supreme Court. A new Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that Americans regardless of partisan identification said those protections should remain the law of the land.
In solidly Republican Arkansas, Democratic state legislator and cancer survivor Clarke Tucker is using the ACA in his campaign to try to flip a U.S. House seat from red to blue. Tucker, 37, says part of what made him want to run is the House vote to repeal the ACA last year and images of Trump and GOP lawmakers celebrating at the White House.
Business analysts say the relatively good news for 2019 is partly the result of previous premium increases, which allowed insurers to return to profitability after losing hundreds of millions of dollars.
“They can price better, and they can manage this population better, which is why they can actually make some money,” said Deep Banerjee of Standard & Poor’s.
Repeal of the ACA’s requirement to carry insurance doesn’t seem to have had a major impact yet, but Banerjee said there’s “a cloud of uncertainty” around the Trump administration’s potential policy shifts. Yet some administration actions have also helped settle the markets, such as continuing a premium stabilization program.
April Box of Spokane Valley, Washington, lives in a state where premiums could rise substantially since insurers have proposed an 18 percent increase. In states expecting double-digit increases, the reasons reflect local market conditions. Proposed increases may ultimately get revised downward.
Box is self-employed as a personal advocate helping patients navigate the health care system. She has an ACA plan, but even with a subsidy her premiums are expensive and a high deductible means she’s essentially covered only for catastrophic illness.
“I’m choosing not to go to the doctor, and I’m saying to myself I’m not sick enough to go to the doctors,” Box said. “We need to figure out how to make it better and lower the price.”
Now in her 50s, Box was born with dislocated hips. She worries she could be uninsurable if insurers are allowed to go back to denying coverage for pre-existing conditions. She might need another hip surgery.
“It needs to be a level playing field for everybody,” said Box. “We need to have universal coverage – that is really the only answer.”
Tennessee is a prime example of the ACA’s flipped fortunes.
Last year, the state struggled to secure at least one insurer in every county. But approved rates for 2019 reflect an 11 percent average decrease. Two new insurers – Bright Health and Celtic_ have entered its marketplace, and two others – Cigna and Oscar – will expand into new counties.
Tennessee Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander called that a “welcome step,” but argued rates could have been even lower if congressional Democrats had supported a market stabilization bill. Democrats blame Republicans for the failure.
To calculate premium changes, Avalere and The Associated Press used proposed overall individual marketplace rate filings for 34 states and D.C., and final rates for 13 states that have already approved them. Data was not available for Massachusetts, Maryland and Alabama. The average rate change calculations include both on-exchange and off-exchange plans that comply with ACA requirements. The government isn’t expected to release final national figures until later this fall.
US Adds Strong 201K Jobs; Unemployment Stays at 3.9 Percent
07/09/2018
Hiring picked up in August as U.S. employers added a strong 201,000 jobs, a sign of confidence that consumers and businesses will keep spending despite the Trump administration’s conflicts with U.S. trading partners.
The Labor Department said Friday the unemployment rate remained 3.9 percent, near an 18-year low.
Americans’ paychecks grew at a faster pace in August. Average hourly wages rose last month and are now 2.9 percent higher than they were a year earlier, the fastest year-over-year gain in eight years. Still, after adjusting for inflation, pay has been flat for the past year.
The economy is expanding steadily, fueled by tax cuts, confident consumers, greater business investment in equipment and more government spending. Growth reached 4.2 percent at an annual rate in the April-June quarter, the fastest pace in four years.
Most analysts have forecast that the economy will expand at an annual pace of at least 3 percent in the current July-September quarter. For the full year, the economy is on track to grow 3 percent for the first time since 2005.
Consumer confidence rose in August to its highest level in nearly 18 years. Most Americans feel that jobs are widely available and expect the economy to remain healthy in the coming months, according to the Conference Board’s consumer confidence survey.
The buoyant mood is lifting spending on everything from cars to restaurant meals to clothes. Consumers’ enthusiasm is even boosting such brick-and-mortar store chains as Target, Walmart and Best Buy, which have posted strong sales gains despite intensifying competition from online retailers.
In August, factories expanded at their quickest pace in 14 years, according to a survey of purchasing managers. A manufacturing index compiled by a trade group reached its highest point since 2004. Measures of new orders and production surged, and factories added jobs at a faster pace than in July.
Not all the economic news has been positive. Higher mortgage rates and years of rapid price increases are slowing the housing market. Sales of existing homes dropped in July for a fourth straight month.
And wages are still rising only modestly, even after more than nine years of economic expansion and an ultra-low unemployment rate.
Many economists also worry President Donald Trump will soon follow through on a threat to impose tariffs of up to 25 percent on $200 billion of imports from China. That would be in addition to $50 billion in duties already imposed. That move could shave as much as a quarter-point off growth over the next year, Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, has estimated.
For now, there’s little sign that companies are worried enough about a trade war to slow hiring. Businesses are increasingly reluctant to even lay off workers, in part because it would be difficult to replace them at a time when qualified job applicants have become harder to find.
On Thursday, the government said the number of people seeking unemployment benefits — a proxy for layoffs — amounted to just 203,000 last week, the fewest total in 49 years.
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US Adds Strong 201K Jobs; Unemployment Stays at 3.9 Percent
07/09/2018
Hiring picked up in August as U.S. employers added a strong 201,000 jobs, a sign of confidence that consumers and businesses will keep spending despite the Trump administration’s conflicts with U.S. trading partners.
The Labor Department said Friday the unemployment rate remained 3.9 percent, near an 18-year low.
Americans’ paychecks grew at a faster pace in August. Average hourly wages rose last month and are now 2.9 percent higher than they were a year earlier, the fastest year-over-year gain in eight years. Still, after adjusting for inflation, pay has been flat for the past year.
The economy is expanding steadily, fueled by tax cuts, confident consumers, greater business investment in equipment and more government spending. Growth reached 4.2 percent at an annual rate in the April-June quarter, the fastest pace in four years.
Most analysts have forecast that the economy will expand at an annual pace of at least 3 percent in the current July-September quarter. For the full year, the economy is on track to grow 3 percent for the first time since 2005.
Consumer confidence rose in August to its highest level in nearly 18 years. Most Americans feel that jobs are widely available and expect the economy to remain healthy in the coming months, according to the Conference Board’s consumer confidence survey.
The buoyant mood is lifting spending on everything from cars to restaurant meals to clothes. Consumers’ enthusiasm is even boosting such brick-and-mortar store chains as Target, Walmart and Best Buy, which have posted strong sales gains despite intensifying competition from online retailers.
In August, factories expanded at their quickest pace in 14 years, according to a survey of purchasing managers. A manufacturing index compiled by a trade group reached its highest point since 2004. Measures of new orders and production surged, and factories added jobs at a faster pace than in July.
Not all the economic news has been positive. Higher mortgage rates and years of rapid price increases are slowing the housing market. Sales of existing homes dropped in July for a fourth straight month.
And wages are still rising only modestly, even after more than nine years of economic expansion and an ultra-low unemployment rate.
Many economists also worry President Donald Trump will soon follow through on a threat to impose tariffs of up to 25 percent on $200 billion of imports from China. That would be in addition to $50 billion in duties already imposed. That move could shave as much as a quarter-point off growth over the next year, Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, has estimated.
For now, there’s little sign that companies are worried enough about a trade war to slow hiring. Businesses are increasingly reluctant to even lay off workers, in part because it would be difficult to replace them at a time when qualified job applicants have become harder to find.
On Thursday, the government said the number of people seeking unemployment benefits — a proxy for layoffs — amounted to just 203,000 last week, the fewest total in 49 years.
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Верховний Суд закрив провадження про визнання недійсним призначення Жебрівського аудитором НАБУ
07/09/2018
Верховний Суд закрив провадження у справі щодо визнання недійсним призначення Павла Жебрівського аудитором Національного антикорупційного бюро від президента.
Це рішення суд ухвалив 6 вересня після розгляду позовної заяви депутата Верховної Ради від «Батьківщини» Сергія Власенка. Депутат просив визнати протиправним та нечинним указ президента Порошенка про призначення третім аудитором НАБУ колишнього голови Донецької обласної військово-цивільної адміністрації Павла Жебрівського.
Суд обґрунтував своє рішення тим, що цю справу йому не належить розглядати «за правилами адміністративного судочинства».
Читайте також: «Верховний суд пояснив, чому відмовився розглядати позов активістів до Порошенка»
У липні Верховний Суд вже відмовився розглядати аналогічний позов від громадських організацій – Центру протидії корупції, Transparency International і Автомайдану.
19 червня президент України Петро Порошенко за своєю квотою призначив аудитором Павла Жебрівського, цим призначенням завершилося формування комісії. Це викликало критику антикорупційних організацій.
За кілька днів до цього Жебрівський подав прохання про відставку з посади голови Донецької обласної військово-цивільної адміністрації, яку він очолював три роки.
Читайте також: «Група Жебрівського, створена після скандалу з нелегальною торгівлею на КПВВ, не дала висновків – Добряк»
Жебрівський заявив, що буде здійснювати оцінку діяльності відомства «неупереджено, справедливо, безвідносно до політичних вподобань та підтекстів».
У травні 2017 року аудитором НАБУ від уряду став професор Михайло Буроменський. 7 червня 2018 року Верховна Рада вирішила делегувати до комісії з аудиту Національного антикорупційного бюро України професора, доктора юридичних наук Володимира Василенка.
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Верховний Суд закрив провадження про визнання недійсним призначення Жебрівського аудитором НАБУ
07/09/2018
Верховний Суд закрив провадження у справі щодо визнання недійсним призначення Павла Жебрівського аудитором Національного антикорупційного бюро від президента.
Це рішення суд ухвалив 6 вересня після розгляду позовної заяви депутата Верховної Ради від «Батьківщини» Сергія Власенка. Депутат просив визнати протиправним та нечинним указ президента Порошенка про призначення третім аудитором НАБУ колишнього голови Донецької обласної військово-цивільної адміністрації Павла Жебрівського.
Суд обґрунтував своє рішення тим, що цю справу йому не належить розглядати «за правилами адміністративного судочинства».
Читайте також: «Верховний суд пояснив, чому відмовився розглядати позов активістів до Порошенка»
У липні Верховний Суд вже відмовився розглядати аналогічний позов від громадських організацій – Центру протидії корупції, Transparency International і Автомайдану.
19 червня президент України Петро Порошенко за своєю квотою призначив аудитором Павла Жебрівського, цим призначенням завершилося формування комісії. Це викликало критику антикорупційних організацій.
За кілька днів до цього Жебрівський подав прохання про відставку з посади голови Донецької обласної військово-цивільної адміністрації, яку він очолював три роки.
Читайте також: «Група Жебрівського, створена після скандалу з нелегальною торгівлею на КПВВ, не дала висновків – Добряк»
Жебрівський заявив, що буде здійснювати оцінку діяльності відомства «неупереджено, справедливо, безвідносно до політичних вподобань та підтекстів».
У травні 2017 року аудитором НАБУ від уряду став професор Михайло Буроменський. 7 червня 2018 року Верховна Рада вирішила делегувати до комісії з аудиту Національного антикорупційного бюро України професора, доктора юридичних наук Володимира Василенка.
…
Trump Officials Denounce Anonymous Attack From ‘The Quiet Resistance’
07/09/2018
Top officials within the Trump administration, from Vice President Mike Pence to several key Cabinet members, have denied that they authored an anonymous opinion piece in the New York Times critical of President Donald Trump’s leadership. Publication of the column has set off a furious debate in Washington about the Trump presidency and a high-stakes guessing game as to who the mysterious dissident voice may be. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has more from Washington.
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Trump Officials Denounce Anonymous Attack From ‘The Quiet Resistance’
07/09/2018
Top officials within the Trump administration, from Vice President Mike Pence to several key Cabinet members, have denied that they authored an anonymous opinion piece in the New York Times critical of President Donald Trump’s leadership. Publication of the column has set off a furious debate in Washington about the Trump presidency and a high-stakes guessing game as to who the mysterious dissident voice may be. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has more from Washington.
…
US, Canada Push to Resolve Issues, Reach NAFTA Deal
07/09/2018
U.S. and Canadian negotiators pushed ahead in grinding talks to rescue the North American Free Trade Agreement on Thursday, but a few stubborn issues stood in the way of a deal, including dairy quotas, protection for Canadian media companies, and how to resolve future trade disputes.
A U.S. source familiar with the discussions in Washington said it was still unclear whether the two sides could bridge the gaps or whether President Donald Trump will opt for a Mexico-only bilateral trade deal.
“We’re down to three issues: Chapter 19, the cultural issues and dairy. We’ve created leverage and driven Canada to the table,” the source said. “Part of our problem is that Canada has been backsliding on its commitments (on dairy).”
NAFTA’s Chapter 19 governs how disputes are resolved.
Talks ‘making good progress’
Trump has set a deadline for a deal this week, prompting aides to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland to work well into the evening Thursday to find ways to move forward.
Bloomberg News cited a Canadian government official as saying that a deal was not expected to be reached this week.
“We are making good progress,” Freeland told reporters following a short meeting with Lighthizer at the USTR offices Thursday evening.
She repeated her earlier statements that the day’s discussions were “constructive and productive” amid an atmosphere of “goodwill on both sides.”
She declined to discuss specific issues under negotiation but said talks would resume Friday.
Differences remain
The Republican chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, Kevin Brady, a powerful voice in Congress on trade, told reporters that differences remained between the two sides over Canada’s dairy quota regime, a trade dispute resolution settlement procedure and “other longstanding issues.”
The Trump administration charges that Canada discriminates against U.S. dairy exports. It also wants to end the Chapter 19 arbitration panels for resolving disputes over anti-dumping tariffs, something Canada has used to defend its lumber exports to the United States, despite U.S. charges that Canadian lumber is unfairly subsidized.
“They are continuing to push toward a conclusion of that agreement. A lot depends on the seriousness of Canada in resolving these final disputes,” Brady told reporters after speaking with Lighthizer earlier Thursday. “My sense is that everyone is at the table with the intention of working these last, always difficult issues out.”
The third unresolved issue is Canada’s insistence that previous NAFTA cultural exemptions protecting its publishing and media companies from being acquired by American companies be preserved. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this week said this was important to Canada’s national sovereignty and identity.
Lighthizer has referred to the exemptions as “cultural protectionism” as Canadian companies are free to buy U.S. media outlets.
Trump threatens bilateral deal
Trump has threatened to push ahead with a bilateral deal with Mexico, effectively killing the three-country NAFTA pact, which covers $1.2 trillion in trade.
The United States and Mexico reached an agreement on overhauling NAFTA at the beginning of last week, turning up the pressure on Canada to agree to new terms.
Trump said Wednesday that he expected it to be clear whether there would be a deal to include Canada in a few days.
Canada also wants a permanent exemption from Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs, and for Washington to eliminate the threat of U.S. auto tariffs.
But Freeland said the “Section 232” national security tariffs on metals were not part of the current NAFTA talks.
“Canada’s position on the 232 tariffs is unchanged. These tariffs are unjustified and illegal,” she said Thursday.
Trump has claimed that the 1994 NAFTA pact has caused the loss of hundreds of thousands of U.S. jobs, something that most economists dispute.
Data released Wednesday showed the U.S. trade deficit hit a five-month high of $50 billion. The shortfall with Canada shot up 57.6 percent.
Trump has notified Congress he intends to sign the trade deal reached last week with Mexico by the end of November, and officials said the text would be published by around Oct. 1.
Negotiators have blown through several deadlines since the talks started in August 2017. As the process grinds on, some in Washington insist Trump cannot pull out of NAFTA without the approval of Congress.
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US, Canada Push to Resolve Issues, Reach NAFTA Deal
07/09/2018
U.S. and Canadian negotiators pushed ahead in grinding talks to rescue the North American Free Trade Agreement on Thursday, but a few stubborn issues stood in the way of a deal, including dairy quotas, protection for Canadian media companies, and how to resolve future trade disputes.
A U.S. source familiar with the discussions in Washington said it was still unclear whether the two sides could bridge the gaps or whether President Donald Trump will opt for a Mexico-only bilateral trade deal.
“We’re down to three issues: Chapter 19, the cultural issues and dairy. We’ve created leverage and driven Canada to the table,” the source said. “Part of our problem is that Canada has been backsliding on its commitments (on dairy).”
NAFTA’s Chapter 19 governs how disputes are resolved.
Talks ‘making good progress’
Trump has set a deadline for a deal this week, prompting aides to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland to work well into the evening Thursday to find ways to move forward.
Bloomberg News cited a Canadian government official as saying that a deal was not expected to be reached this week.
“We are making good progress,” Freeland told reporters following a short meeting with Lighthizer at the USTR offices Thursday evening.
She repeated her earlier statements that the day’s discussions were “constructive and productive” amid an atmosphere of “goodwill on both sides.”
She declined to discuss specific issues under negotiation but said talks would resume Friday.
Differences remain
The Republican chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, Kevin Brady, a powerful voice in Congress on trade, told reporters that differences remained between the two sides over Canada’s dairy quota regime, a trade dispute resolution settlement procedure and “other longstanding issues.”
The Trump administration charges that Canada discriminates against U.S. dairy exports. It also wants to end the Chapter 19 arbitration panels for resolving disputes over anti-dumping tariffs, something Canada has used to defend its lumber exports to the United States, despite U.S. charges that Canadian lumber is unfairly subsidized.
“They are continuing to push toward a conclusion of that agreement. A lot depends on the seriousness of Canada in resolving these final disputes,” Brady told reporters after speaking with Lighthizer earlier Thursday. “My sense is that everyone is at the table with the intention of working these last, always difficult issues out.”
The third unresolved issue is Canada’s insistence that previous NAFTA cultural exemptions protecting its publishing and media companies from being acquired by American companies be preserved. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this week said this was important to Canada’s national sovereignty and identity.
Lighthizer has referred to the exemptions as “cultural protectionism” as Canadian companies are free to buy U.S. media outlets.
Trump threatens bilateral deal
Trump has threatened to push ahead with a bilateral deal with Mexico, effectively killing the three-country NAFTA pact, which covers $1.2 trillion in trade.
The United States and Mexico reached an agreement on overhauling NAFTA at the beginning of last week, turning up the pressure on Canada to agree to new terms.
Trump said Wednesday that he expected it to be clear whether there would be a deal to include Canada in a few days.
Canada also wants a permanent exemption from Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs, and for Washington to eliminate the threat of U.S. auto tariffs.
But Freeland said the “Section 232” national security tariffs on metals were not part of the current NAFTA talks.
“Canada’s position on the 232 tariffs is unchanged. These tariffs are unjustified and illegal,” she said Thursday.
Trump has claimed that the 1994 NAFTA pact has caused the loss of hundreds of thousands of U.S. jobs, something that most economists dispute.
Data released Wednesday showed the U.S. trade deficit hit a five-month high of $50 billion. The shortfall with Canada shot up 57.6 percent.
Trump has notified Congress he intends to sign the trade deal reached last week with Mexico by the end of November, and officials said the text would be published by around Oct. 1.
Negotiators have blown through several deadlines since the talks started in August 2017. As the process grinds on, some in Washington insist Trump cannot pull out of NAFTA without the approval of Congress.
…
Mattis Optimistic About Peace in Afghanistan
07/09/2018
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis arrived at Bagram Air Base Friday on an unannounced visit, one year into a new White House strategy for Afghanistan.
Despite a surge in violence, Mattis and other top U.S. officials insist President Donald Trump’s South Asia strategy, announced in August 2017, is helping bring the conflict to an end.
“Right now we have more indications that reconciliation is no longer just a shimmer out there, no longer just a mirage,” Mattis told reporters while flying to India Tuesday.
Mattis pointed to “open lines of communication,” but stopped short of confirming U.S.-Taliban talks reportedly held in Qatar in late July.
“Reconciliation reinforced by the State Department — it’s put additional staff into the embassy with that sole effort — you’re seeing this now pick up traction,” he said.
This is Mattis’ fourth visit to Afghanistan as defense secretary. Earlier, Mattis visited New Delhi, where he praised India’s economic and development assistance to Afghanistan.
New phase of conflict
This week Army General Scott Miller took over as top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, the ninth U.S. general to lead the 17-year-old war.
Miller will be tasked with guiding the conflict into a reconciliation-focused phase, even while both sides ramp up attacks.
On Wednesday, a twin suicide bombing at a wrestling club in a predominantly Shiite area of Kabul killed at least 26 people, including two journalists.
The Afghanistan branch of Islamic State, known as ISIS-K, claimed responsibility for the attack. ISIS-K has proved resilient, even while doing battle with both the Taliban and U.S.-led forces.
Last week, the U.S. military announced it killed the leader of ISIS-K, Abu Saad Orakzai. He is the third ISIS-K leader to be killed since 2016.
The Taliban has also stepped up attacks. Last month, the insurgents launched a multifront offensive, overrunning at least two Afghan military bases and temporarily capturing parts of the key city of Ghazni.
The surge in Taliban violence may be meant to secure a better negotiating position ahead of future negotiations, says Ahmed Shuja, a Fulbright scholar and Afghan analyst.
“There has been serious overtures from the side of the Taliban but also from the American side for the last year or more actually,” he said. “And so we are I think at this point closer to a peace process than we have been in the last few years.”
Pakistan’s role
But U.S. officials have expressed frustration at what they see as Pakistan’s lingering support for Taliban militants on their side of the border.
The U.S. last week withheld $300 million from Pakistan’s military “due to a lack of Pakistani decisive actions in support of the South Asia Strategy.”
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo this week visited Islamabad, where he spoke of a “reset” in relations with Pakistan.
Pakistan, which denies sheltering Taliban militants, has a new government, led by former cricketer Imran Khan.
Mattis appears to hold out hope the new government will change its policies on Afghanistan.
“We do expect that Pakistan will be part of a community of nations that gives no haven to terrorism,” he said.
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