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Mexico's last penal colony starts new life as nature center

It's unclear if Islas Marias ever really worked as a penal colony: The remote Mexican archipelago is battered regularly by hurricanes, and its ramshackle, often century-old installations are sprinkled with the ruins of failed "productive" projects that once aimed to make the prison population self-sustaining.

Now, with the prison just closed, the hurdles of distance, weather and decayed infrastructure may not make it easy for the islands to prosper in their new role as a nature center and education camp for children.

It's a rough, eight-hour boat ride out to the islands, which lie 70 miles (110 kilometers) off the Pacific shores of Mexico's Nayarit state. Appropriately for a place where most of the few dozen prisoners who attempted to escape drowned, the Environment Department says it is thinking about offering survival courses. Bird watching, nature walks and arts programs are also planned.

All that remains for now are a few goats, some cattle and once-domesticated cats that roam the main island where thousands of prisoners once lived.

The thick-walled remains of an old salt-evaporation warehouse and the disused pools of a former shrimp farm are a mute testament to the idea that Islas Marias was founded on in 1905 — that penal colonies could earn their keep, and reform inmates through clean living, ocean air and hard work.

Bars and cells weren't necessary because the surrounding ocean effectively prevented escape. Islas Marias was the last of its kind, the final of a half dozen island penal colonies that were scattered around Latin America. It was done in by high costs — almost $150 per day per inmate, far beyond what mainland prison costs — and by the increasing space available at mainland prisons as legal reforms reduced jail populations.

Rogelio Zedillo, a former employee in the island's legal area, is one of the believers in the penal colony. Some of his fellow prison employees even want to stay on and are trying to swing transfers to the Environment Department, which will now oversee the islands.

"I think it's a pity that they have closed what could have been a model prison," Zedillo said. "They were self-supporting, they (inmates) were producing. They grew vegetables. They had cattle, goats, pigs. There was a fish farm and a salt works ... the problem was political, the authorities decided not to continue as a penal colony, and so little by little it fell apart."

Prison official Marco Antonio Rugerio Estrada spent the past 31 years on the main island, known as Maria Madre. He also is sad to see the prison go.

"It was a very healthy life," Rugerio Estrada said. "We started off every day in a very beautiful environment, and that allows you to see life in a different way. You wake up and say, 'I am in a very pretty place,' and you start to recognize yourself."

But it was far from a tropical paradise for the inmates. They weren't allowed to go the island's beaches. They led a fairly regimented life, with designated areas, bunk beds in small houses and 5 a.m. morning wake-up calls.

Officials say inmates also brewed homemade liquor out of fermented fruit and some tried to grow marijuana. The moonshine, known on the island as "turbo," led to a ban on the possession of sugar by inmates, since it accelerated the fermentation process.

The prison was started as a way to isolate and punish political prisoners, such as striking workers and socialists, and the inmates helped pay its way by working on the salt flats or at the shrimp farm. But in its waning years, salt could be harvested from evaporation ponds on the mainland more cheaply, and transportation costs for the island's shrimp production made it less profitable.

A further blow was the decision in 2006 during Mexico's drug war to turn the colony into a regular prison holding as many as 8,000 to 10,000 inmates. The "semi-freedom" the island once offered inmates, and the production schemes, suffered under the influx. The overcrowded, under-fed inmates rioted in 2013, killing six people before marines regained control of the island.

A final blow came this past October, when Hurricane Willa made a direct hit as a Category 3 storm and caused about $100 million in damages to the prison. Buildings can be seen around the island with their roofs torn off.

When it closed in February, the penal colony housed just 659 prisoners.

One of the most charming of the prison's features — that families, including children, could come live with some inmates — also proved one of its most costly burdens. And people worried whether the kids were getting a decent childhood on the island and questioned the cost of providing schooling and recreational facilities.

"There are a lot of people in the non-prison population who deserve that funding, to live a decent life," said Francisco Garduno Yanez, director of Mexican prisons who was assigned with the task of shutting down the penal colony.

Source: Fox News World

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The Latest: Saudi media says 1 citizen killed in NZ attack

The Latest on shootings at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand (all times local):

5:30 p.m.

The Saudi-owned satellite news channel Al-Arabiya is reporting one of two citizens of the kingdom wounded in the New Zealand mosque attack has died.

The channel, citing his family, said Mohsen al-Muzaini had succumbed to the wounds he suffered in the shooting Friday.

The channel reported Saturday that the second wounded Saudi, named as 19-year-old Aseel Ansari, was struck in the knee by a rifle round, but still was able to flee.

The attack at two mosques in Christchurch killed 49 people.

Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old man, has been arrested and charged with murder. He appeared in court earlier Saturday.

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5:25 p.m.

People across New Zealand are reaching out to Muslims in their communities and around the country the day after mass shootings at two mosques that left 49 people dead.

As a 28-year-old white supremacist stood silently before a judge on Saturday, New Zealanders everywhere volunteered acts of kindness. Some offered rides to the grocery store or volunteered to walk with their Muslim neighbors if they felt unsafe.

In other online forums, people discussed Muslim food restrictions as they prepared to drop off meals for those affected.

Brenton Harrison Tarrant appeared in court amid strict security and showed no emotion when the judge read him one murder charge. The judge said more such charges would likely follow.

Friday's slaughter was streamed live on Facebook and took place during midday prayers.

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2:40 p.m.

A Super Rugby match between the Christchurch-based Crusaders and the Dunedin-based Highlanders has been canceled in the wake of the shootings at two mosques that killed 49 people.

New Zealand Rugby spokesman Nigel Cass said the decision to cancel Saturday's game in Dunedin was made after an urgent meeting involving both teams, venue management and police.

Cass said police advised that the game could go ahead but both teams agreed to not proceed with the match as a mark of respect.

The Crusaders are the defending champions in Super Rugby, a competition that involves teams from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Japan and Argentina.

Crusaders chief executive Colin Mainsbridge says "yesterday's horrific attacks have left us all feeling stunned. All other issues and considerations pale in significance."

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1:55 p.m.

Christchurch Hospital chief Greg Robertson says seven of the 48 gunshot victims admitted after Friday's mosque shootings in have been discharged.

Roberson says a 4-year-old girl who has been transferred to an Auckland hospital in critical condition and 11 patients who remain in Christchurch are also critically wounded.

He says: "We have had patients with injuries to most parts of the body that range from relatively superficial soft tissue injuries to more complex injuries involving the chest, the abdomen, the pelvis, the long bones and the head."

He says many patients will require multiple operations to deal with their complex series of injuries.

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1:40 p.m.

New Zealand police commissioner Mike Bush says authorities have no information about any imminent threats in the country but everyone should continue to be vigilant in the wake of mass shootings at two mosques.

Bush told a news conference that the investigation into Friday's attacks that killed at least 49 was wide ranging and ongoing. When asked if they believed the same person was responsible for both attacks, he said he couldn't go into details, but "we know nothing that will contradict what you've just suggested."

Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old man, has been arrested and charged with murder. He appeared in court earlier Saturday.

Bush said it took 36 minutes from the first attack to the suspect's arrest.

The gunman posted a 74-page manifesto on social media in which he identified himself as Tarrant and said he was a 28-year-old Australian and white supremacist who was out to avenge attacks in Europe perpetrated by Muslims.

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12:10 p.m.

Australian police say the family of the suspect in the New Zealand mosque shootings is helping their investigation.

New South Wales state Police Commissioner Mick Fuller says his officers are investigating to help New Zealand police and to ensure the safety of residents in the Australian state where suspect Brenton Tarrant is from.

Fuller says Tarrant's family is from the northern New South Wales town of Grafton and contacted police after seeing media reports of the shootings that killed at least 49.

Fuller says Tarrant has spent little time in Australia in the past four years.

Acting Deputy Police Commissioner Mick Willing says Tarrant was only known to police for "minor traffic matters."

Willing says there's no information to suggest any further threat in New Zealand or Australia.

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11:35 a.m.

A man suspected in at least one of the shootings that killed at least 49 people at two mosques in New Zealand has appeared briefly in court.

Two armed guards brought Brenton Tarrant into court Saturday. He showed no expression as District Court Judge Paul Kellar read one charge of murder to him.

The court appearance lasted only about a minute and he was led back out in handcuffs. He was ordered to return to court again April 5.

After Tarrant left, the judge said that while "there is one charge of murder brought at the moment, it is reasonable to assume that there will be others."

The gunman posted a 74-page manifesto on social media in which he identified himself as Tarrant and said he was a 28-year-old Australian and white supremacist who was out to avenge attacks in Europe perpetrated by Muslims.

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This item has been corrected to show the suspect appeared in court Saturday.

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10:50 a.m.

There was strict security at the district court in Christchurch, awaiting a court appearance by a suspect in the killing of at least 49 people at mosques.

Authorities say most if not all were killed by an immigrant-hating white supremacist.

More than 10 armed officers guarded the courtroom even before the suspect entered. Nearly 50 reporters packed the courtroom in downtown Christchurch. Only a pool video and still camera were allowed in the room.

There did not appear to be any victims' family members there.

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10:10 a.m.

New Zealand's prime minister says the "primary perpetrator" in the killing of at least 49 people in two Christchurch mosques was living in Dunedin, a seaside city south of Christchurch.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Saturday the Australian suspect has traveled around the world and spent sporadic periods in New Zealand.

Police say homes around a "location of interest" in Dunedin have been evacuated as a precaution. Two improvised explosive devises were found in a suspect's car.

At least 49 people were shot to death at the mosques. Authorities say most if not all were killed by an immigrant-hating white supremacist. He will appear in court on Saturday charged with murder.

Ardern says police are still investigating whether two more suspects who were arrested were directly involved in the crimes.

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9:55 a.m.

New Zealand's prime minister says the "primary perpetrator" in the mosque shootings was a licensed gun owner and legally acquired the five guns used in the shootings.

Jacinda Ardern said Saturday the country's national gun laws will change after at least 49 worshippers were shot dead in the two mosques in Christchurch.

She did not specify how the laws will be changed.

The Australian suspect will appear in court on Saturday morning.

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9:50 a.m.

President Donald Trump is downplaying the threat of white nationalism in the aftermath of a self-described racist's shooting rampage at a pair of New Zealand mosques.

Trump spoke in the Oval Office Friday, answering"I don't, really" when asked if he felt that the racist movement was a rising threat around the world.

He said that it was "a small group of people that have very, very serious problems."

Trump added that the shooting in Christchurch was "certainly a terrible thing."

An immigrant-hating white nationalist killed at least 49 people gathered for weekly prayers in a live-streamed attack. Another 48 people suffered gunshot wounds.

The alleged gunman, in a rambling manifesto, deemed Trump "a symbol of renewed white identity."

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9:45 a.m.

A man who can't find out information about what happened to his father and two brothers in one of the New Zealand mosques that were attacked has pushed through police barricades in an effort to get closer.

A police officer stopped Ash Mohammed, who told the officer "we just want to know if they are dead or alive."

Mohammed said Saturday that he has repeatedly called cellphones for his relatives that rang unanswered and then appeared to have run out of battery power.

He says he has not heard from his father and brother since Friday, when they went to the mosque.

Mohammed says he had planned to join them for prayers but did not because an appointment he had with a lawyer about buying a house went late.

At least 49 people were shot to death at the mosques. Authorities say most if not all were killed by an immigrant-hating white supremacist.

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9:20 a.m.

The Frenchman who coined the term "the Great Replacement" used as the title of the alleged manifesto by the New Zealand mosque attacker says his theory is "diametrically opposed" to the bloodbath at the mosques.

Renaud Camus said in an interview on Friday that the shootings by a white supremacist that killed at least 49 people are "totally contrary to what I defend."

Camus held firm to his notion that immigrants are replacing natives in France and elsewhere. He says it is a "changing of the people" that should be combated with what he calls "re-immigration" and not with violence.

Camus is 72 and developed his theory 20 years ago.

The term has been used more recently by French politicians opposed to immigration, notably far-right leader Marine Le Pen.

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8:55 a.m.

Christchurch's mayor says graves are being dug for the dozens of worshippers who were shot dead in two New Zealand mosques.

At least 49 people were slain during midday prayers Friday.

Mayor Lianne Dalziel says city officials on Saturday were working closely with the community on the specific requirements of a large number of Muslim funerals.

Authorities say most if not all were killed by an immigrant-hating white supremacist.

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8:40 a.m.

A senior Turkish official says the suspect arrested in the New Zealand mosque attack travelled to Turkey multiple times and spent what the official called an "extended period of time in the country.

He says the suspect may have also travelled to countries in Europe, Asia and Africa.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with Turkish government rules.

The official says an investigation is underway of "the suspect's movements and contacts within the country."

He did not say when the suspect travelled to Turkey.

— By Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey.

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8:35 a.m.

President Donald Trump is pledging "any assistance" the U.S. can give New Zealand following deadly shootings at a pair of mosques.

Trump tweeted that "we stand in solidarity with New Zealand" after speaking with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

The president says "any assistance the U.S.A. can give, we stand ready to help. We love you New Zealand!"

At least 49 people were shot to death at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, during midday prayers Friday.

Authorities say most if not all were killed by an immigrant-hating white supremacist.

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7:55 a.m.

Officials say nine Indian nationals or people of Indian origin are missing after the mosque attacks in Christchurch.

India's high commissioner to New Zealand, Sanjiv Kohli, tweeted Saturday that nine people were missing and called the attack a "huge crime against humanity."

Indian officials have not said whether the nine were believed to be living in Christchurch.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a letter to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern saying that "hatred and violence have no place in diverse and democratic societies."

An immigrant-hating white nationalist killed at least 49 people gathered for weekly prayers in a live-streamed attack. Another 48 people suffered gunshot wounds.

Source: Fox News World

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Agree Realty: 4Q Earnings Snapshot

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. (AP) _ Agree Realty Corp. (ADC) on Thursday reported a key measure of profitability in its fourth quarter. The results missed Wall Street expectations.

The real estate investment trust, based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, said it had funds from operations of $25.6 million, or 72 cents per share, in the period.

The average estimate of seven analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for funds from operations of 73 cents per share.

Funds from operations is a closely watched measure in the REIT industry. It takes net income and adds back items such as depreciation and amortization.

The company said it had net income of $13.2 million, or 37 cents per share.

The real estate investment trust posted revenue of $40.7 million in the period, exceeding Street forecasts. Five analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $39.5 million.

The company's shares have risen almost 9 percent since the beginning of the year. In the final minutes of trading on Thursday, shares hit $64.38, a climb of 43 percent in the last 12 months.

_____

This story was generated by Automated Insights using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on ADC at https://www.zacks.com/ap/ADC

Source: Fox News National

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Kamala Harris pledges executive order on gun control if Congress doesn’t act in her first 100 days

Sen. Kamala Harris on Monday night pledged that, if elected president, she will sign a series of executive orders on gun control if Congress fails to pass comprehensive legislation in her first 100 days in the Oval Office.

During a town hall hosted by CNN, Harris said that if a bill from Congress did not make it to her desk, she would unilaterally mandate background checks for customers purchasing a firearm from any dealer who sells more than five guns a year.

KAMALA HARRIS JOINS ELIZABETH WARREN'S CALL FOR IMPEACHMENT

Dealers who violate the law, she said, would have their licenses revoked. The other executive orders would prohibit fugitives from purchasing a firearm or weapon, as well as close the loophole that allows some domestic abusers to purchase a firearm if their victim is an unwedded partner.

“There are people in Washington, D.C., supposed leaders,” Harris said, “who have failed to have the courage to reject a false choice which suggests you’re either in favor of the second amendment or you want to take everyone’s guns away.”

KAMALA HARRIS ADMITS 'UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES' IN ANTI-TRUANCY LAW WHILE SHE WAS CALIFORNIA AG

She continued, “we need reasonable gun safety laws in this country, starting with universal background checks and a renewal of the assault weapon ban, but they have failed to have the courage to act.”

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The proposal is Harris’ second policy announcement since launching her presidential campaign, the New York Times reports. The former California attorney general previously proposed a federal increase in teacher pay.

Source: Fox News Politics

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NFL notebook: TE Eifert returns to Bengals

NFL: Cincinnati Bengals at Atlanta Falcons
Sep 30, 2018; Atlanta GA, USA; Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert (85) is carted off the field with an injury early in the third quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Greene/The Cincinnati Enquirer via USA TODAY NETWORK

March 17, 2019

Injury-plagued tight end Tyler Eifert is re-signing with the Cincinnati Bengals, he announced on Twitter on Saturday. Eifert is signing a one-year contract, according to multiple reports.

Eifert, a product of Notre Dame, was the No. 21 overall selection by the Bengals in 2013 and played 15 games that season. Since then, he has only reached double-digit games in a season once.

That was 2015, when he scored 13 touchdowns in 13 games. He made the Pro Bowl that year, but an ankle injury in that game limited his action the following season.

Eifert, 28, has had season-ending surgery each of the past three seasons. In 2018, it was a broken ankle suffered in Week 4 that sent him to injured reserve.

–The Oakland Raiders released veteran left tackle Donald Penn in what was called a mutual decision.

Penn, who turns 36 next month, indicated that he wants to return for a 13th NFL season elsewhere in 2019.

Penn missed 12 games with a groin injury in 2018 and was slated to count $7.2 million against Oakland’s salary cap this season.

–New Orleans Saints center Max Unger retired in a surprising development, multiple outlets reported.

Unger, who turns 33 next month, completed his 10th NFL season and earned his third Pro Bowl selection in 2018. He had one year left on a three-year, $22 million contract and was set to earn $5.1 million in base salary in 2019.

Unger started 130 regular-season and 12 postseason games with the Seattle Seahawks (2009-14) and Saints (2015-18).

–When suspended Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman David Irving shared a post — in which he appeared to be smoking marijuana — on Instagram and announced his retirement last week, it was with coach Jason Garrett’s encouragement, he said.

“He told me I should just quit, smoke all the weed I want, the team didn’t need me,” Irving told USA Today in an interview. “I’m a distraction to the team.”

Irving said he suffers from mental illnesses that he attributes to football and that players should have the option to treat their ailments with cannabis.

“People need to understand I’m not doing this — I didn’t quit football to smoke weed,” Irving said. “That would be idiotic. I understand that. … It’s about wellness, about rights. People need to understand that.”

–The Jacksonville Jaguars stayed busy in free agency, announcing the signings of wide receiver Chris Conley and offensive lineman Cedric Ogbuehi. Contract terms for the two players were not announced.

Conley, 26, played for the Kansas City Chiefs over his first four seasons, making 104 catches for 1,238 yards and six touchdowns. He emerged as a scoring target for Patrick Mahomes last season, catching 32 passes for 334 yards and five touchdowns.

Ogbuehi, 26, started 25 of 35 games over his first four seasons, all with the Cincinnati Bengals, but appeared in just two games last season.

–New head coach Bruce Arians is bringing a familiar face to Tampa Bay, with the Buccaneers signing offensive lineman Earl Watford to a one-year deal.

Watford, who spent last season with the Cleveland Browns, was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in 2013 and spent his first five seasons playing for Arians.

Watford, 28, has played both guard spots and right tackle over his NFL career, which spans 55 games and 22 starts. Financial terms of his deal were not disclosed.

–Field Level Media

Source: OANN

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The Latest: Mother, daughter claim 1 victim aided killings

The Latest on a mother and daughter charged in the deaths of five relatives in suburban Philadelphia (all times local):

10:30 a.m.

A mother and daughter charged with homicide in the deaths of five relatives, including three children, have told police that one of the victims helped with the killings.

Police in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, say Shana Decree and her 19-year-old daughter, Dominique Decree, were found in the apartment Monday acting disoriented. They were taken to the hospital where they were treated and interviewed by police.

An affidavit describing the charges says both women changed their stories while talking to police. It says they first described one to three unknown men committing the killings, before telling police they had killed several of the family members.

The documents say Shana Decree told police that everyone "wanted to die." The women claimed 42-year-old Jamilla Campbell killed at least one of the children before she herself was choked to death.

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7:30 a.m.

Authorities say a Pennsylvania woman charged along with her teenage daughter in the deaths of five relatives, including three children, has been arraigned on murder charges.

The bodies were found Monday inside an apartment in suburban Philadelphia.

Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub says 45-year-old Shana S. Decree and 19-year-old Dominique Decree are charged with five counts of homicide and one count each of conspiracy.

Shana Decree was arraigned early Tuesday, while her daughter was expected to make her initial court appearance later in the day. The teen remains hospitalized.

It wasn't clear if either woman has retained an attorney.

The victims include Shana Decree's two other children, ages 13 and 25; her 45-year-old sister; and the sister's 9-year-old twin daughters.

Source: Fox News National

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Man filmed getting massage at Florida spa files lawsuit

A Florida man is claiming his constitutional rights were violated when his massage at a day spa was secretly recorded during an investigation into human trafficking.

In the federal lawsuit recently filed by a man identified as "John Doe," the man says police were "spying" on him while he was in a "state of undress" during a massage at Jupiter's Orchids of Asia Day Spa.

The man isn't among those charged with solicitation of prostitution in connection with the case. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has pleaded not guilty to two counts of solicitation.

The lawsuit says the man "did not engage in any sexual or illegal activity." The lawsuit asks for an unspecified amount of damages and names Jupiter police and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

Source: Fox News National

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Logo of the Exxon Mobil Corp is seen at the Rio Oil and Gas Expo and Conference in Rio de Janeiro
FILE PHOTO: A logo of the Exxon Mobil Corp is seen at the Rio Oil and Gas Expo and Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil September 24, 2018. REUTERS/Sergio Moraes

April 26, 2019

(Reuters) – Exxon Mobil Corp on Friday reported first-quarter profit fell sharply on lower oil and gas prices and weakness in its refining and chemicals businesses that offset modest production gains.

The largest U.S. oil producer’s first quarter earnings fell to $2.35 billion, or 55 cents a share, from $4.65 billion, or $1.09 a share, a year ago.

Analysts had expected Exxon to earn 70 cents per share, according to Refinitiv Eikon estimates.

Shares were trading down about 2.7 percent in premarket trading on Friday.

Exxon’s oil equivalent production rose 2 percent to 4 million barrels per day, up from 3.9 million bpd in the same period the year prior. The company said its output in the Permian Basin, the largest U.S. shale basin, rose 140 percent over a year ago.

(Reporting by Jennifer Hiller; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Source: OANN

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A Baha’i advocacy group has expressed concerns over the fate of minority Baha’is at the hands of Yemen’s Houthi rebels ahead of the appeals hearing for one of the community leaders sentenced to death.

The Baha’i International Community said in a statement Friday that the hearing for Hamed bin Haydara, detained in 2013 and sentenced to death last year on espionage and apostasy charges, is due on Tuesday.

The statement quotes Bani Dugal, the Baha’i community representative at the United Nations, as saying the prosecution hasn’t addressed Haydara’s appeal but is instead making “absurd, wide-ranging accusations.”

International rights groups have decried the prosecution of Yemeni Baha’is by the Iran-backed Houthis.

Iran has banned the Baha’i religion, which was founded in 1844 by a Persian nobleman considered a prophet by followers.

Source: Fox News World

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Afghan President Ashraf Ghani speaks during the inauguration of the newly-elected parliament in Kabul
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani speaks during the inauguration of the newly-elected parliament in Kabul, Afghanistan April 26, 2019. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani

April 26, 2019

By Rupam Jain and Hameed Farzad

KABUL (Reuters) – Afghan President Ashraf Ghani encouraged newly-elected lawmakers to participate in the peace process with the Taliban as he opened on Friday the first session of parliament since a controversial election.

Ghani has invited thousands of politicians, religious scholars and rights activists to an assembly known as a loya jirga next week to discuss ways to end the 17-year war.

Several opposition leaders have said they will boycott the four-day assembly in Kabul, saying it was pulled together without their input and is being used by Ghani as he seeks a second term in a September presidential election.

“We have presented the peace plan on a regular basis and we are committed to it,” Ghani said in the first session since parliamentary elections marred by technical problems, militant attacks and accusations of voting fraud last year.

“Based on this plan, there will be no peace deal and negotiation that does not have the green card of the parliament,” he added.

Officials from the United States and the Taliban have held several rounds of talks to end the Afghan war.

U.S. negotiator, Zalmay Khalilzad, has reported some progress toward an accord on a U.S. troop withdrawal and on how the Taliban would prevent extremists from using Afghanistan to launch attacks as al Qaeda did on Sept. 11, 2001.

The insurgents have so far rejected U.S. demands for a ceasefire and talks on the country’s political future that would include Afghan government officials.

The loya jirga, a centuries-old institution used to build consensus among competing tribes, factions and ethnic groups, is an attempt by Ghani to influence the peace talks and cement his position for a second term, Afghan politicians and Western diplomats say.

Amid growing political divisions in Kabul, opposition politicians have demanded that Ghani step down when his mandate ends next month, and give way to an interim government to oversee peace talks with the Taliban. Ghani has ruled that out.

The country’s top court said last week Ghani can stay in office until the presidential election in September.

(Reporting by Hameed Farzad, Rupam Jain, Editing by Darren Schuettler)

Source: OANN

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Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein Thursday defended special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation while slamming former President Barack Obama’s administration for being slow to take action on Russian interference in U.S. elections and ex-FBI Director James Comey for telling Congress the agency was investigating collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

“Our nation is safer, elections are more secure, and citizens are better informed about covert foreign influence schemes,” Rosenstein said in a speech to the Armenian Bar Association, marking his first public remarks after the Mueller report was released, reports CBS News.

He also pointed out that the investigation revealed a pattern of computer hacking and the use of social media to undermine elections as “only the tip of the iceberg of a comprehensive Russian strategy to influence elections, promote social discord, and undermine America, just like they do in many other countries,” reports The Wall Street Journal.

The Obama administration also made “critical decisions,” including choosing not to publicize the full story about Russian hackers and social media trolling, “and how they relate to a broader strategy to undermine America,” said Rosenstein.

He noted that the Mueller probe began after Comey disclosed during a hearing before Congress that President Donald Trump “pressured him to close the investigation and the president denied that the conversation occurred.”

Rosenstein said two years ago, when he was confirmed, he was told by a Republican senator that he would be in charge of the probe and that he’d report the results to the American people.

However, he said he didn’t promise to do that, because it is “not our job to render conclusive factual findings. We just decide whether it is appropriate to file criminal charges.”

Source: NewsMax Politics

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FILE PHOTO: The Huawei logo is pictured outside its Huawei's factory campus in Dongguan, Guangdong province
FILE PHOTO: The Huawei logo is pictured outside its Huawei’s factory campus in Dongguan, Guangdong province, China, March 25, 2019. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu/File Photo

April 26, 2019

By Ben Blanchard

BEIJING (Reuters) – Britain must get to the bottom of the leak of confidential discussions during a top-level security meeting about the role of China’s Huawei Technologies in 5G network supply chains, British finance minister Philip Hammond said on Friday.

News that Britain’s National Security Council, attended by senior ministers and spy chiefs, had agreed on Tuesday to bar Huawei from all core parts of the country’s 5G network and restrict its access to non-core elements was leaked to a national newspaper.

The leak of secret discussions has sparked anger in parliament and amongst Britain’s intelligence community. Britain’s most senior civil servant Mark Sedwill has launched an inquiry and written to ministers who were at the meeting.

“My understanding from London (is) that an investigation has been announced into apparent leaks from the NSC meeting earlier this week,” said Hammond, speaking on the sidelines of a summit on China’s Belt and Road initiative in Beijing.

“To my knowledge there has never been a leak from a National Security Council meeting before and therefore I think it is very important that we get to the bottom of what happened here,” he told Reuters in a pooled interview.

British culture minister Jeremy Wright said on Thursday he could not rule out a criminal investigation. The majority of the ministers at the NSC meeting have said they were not involved, according to media reports.

Hammond said he was unaware of any previous leak from a meeting of the NSC.

“It’s not about the substance of what was apparently leaked. It’s not earth-shattering information. But it is important that we protect the principle that nothing that goes on in national security council meetings must ever be repeated outside the room.”

Allowing Huawei a reduced role in building its 5G network puts Britain at odds with the United States which has told allies not to use its technology at all because of fears it could be a vehicle for Chinese spying. Huawei has categorically denied this.

There have been concerns that the NSC’s conclusion, which sources confirmed to Reuters, could upset other allies in the world’s leading intelligence-sharing network – the Five Eyes alliance of the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

However, British ministers and intelligence officials have said any final decision on 5G would not put critical national infrastructure at risk. Ciaran Martin, head of the cyber center of Britain’s main eavesdropping agency, GCHQ, played down any threat of a rift in the Five Eyes alliance.

(Writing by Michael Holden; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Source: OANN

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