Читаем и понимаем | English News

Microsoft agreed to buy GitHub, an online platform for developers to write and share code, for $7.5bn. The deal underscores Microsoft’s embrace of open-source software under Satya Nadella, something that was unthinkable under previous chief executives. Its pivot towards cloud-based computing and services has rejuvenated its share price, allowing Microsoft to use only stock to pay for GitHub. See article. (The Economist. Business this week) 1. Выделенные слова: Underscore – подчеркнуть Embrace –...

China offered to buy $70bn-worth of American goods, including oil and gas, through its state-owned companies if America ditches its plan to impose tariffs on Chinese products. It was the latest move to avert a trade war between the two countries, submitted after talks between Chinese and American negotiators led nowhere. Meanwhile, trade hostilities broke out between America and its allies, after the Trump administration pressed ahead with tariffs on steel and aluminium. The European Union drew up a list of American products targeted for retaliation...

At an emergency meeting, Turkey’s central bank raised one of its key interest rates from 13.5% to 16.5% as it tried to halt another run on the Turkish lira, which had plunged by 5% against the dollar in a day. Its other rates stayed the same. The currency rallied after the move, but only briefly. Concerns remain about the political pressure on the bank to lower interest rates. 1. Выделенные слова Halt – остановить; остановка, привал Plunge – резко упасть Rally – быстрый рост после падения (цен) 2...

As America and China bargained, new fronts in the trade conflict opened up. Japan, Russia and Turkey notified the World Trade Organisation that they would follow the lead taken by the EU and India in applying tariffs on American steel and aluminium in retaliation for the duties America recently imposed on such imports, unless those duties are reversed. Mr Trump, meanwhile, signalled a new battle with Europe and Japan by ordering the Commerce Department to look at imposing tariffs on imports of cars...

The American Congress passed a bill that exempts medium-sized banks from the most stringent rules introduced after the financial crisis. Only those banks with at least $250bn in assets will now be subject to strict federal oversight, up from $50bn previously. It was the most substantial change yet to the maze of rules brought in under the Dodd-Frank act, which smaller banks have long bemoaned as being too cumbersome. ( The Economist: Busines this week) 1. Выделенные слова Exempt from – освобождать...