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Squatters occupy Venice homes in housing protest as tourism surges

Pasquale Ambrogio, 33, sits outside his illegally occupied apartment in the Casette neighbourhood during a lunch organized by squatters in Venice
Pasquale Ambrogio, 33, sits outside his illegally occupied apartment in the Casette neighbourhood during a lunch organized by squatters in Venice, Italy, April 3, 2019. Picture taken April 3, 2019. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane

April 12, 2019

By Guglielmo Mangiapane

VENICE, Italy (Reuters) – Squatters are taking over unoccupied buildings in Venice in defiance of what they say are high rents forcing families out of the city as tourism takes over.

Venice’s population has declined rapidly from roughly 175,000 after World War Two to about 50,000 today. Remaining residents complain that their city is being overrun by tourists while they have to pick up the bill for cleaning and security.

Around 25 million tourists pour into the Italian lagoon city each year, of whom around 14 million spend just one day there. It has close to 8,000 Airbnb apartments catering for those who stay longer, soaking up the attractions around the canals.

Nicola Ussardi, 41, co-founder of a housing community group that helps Venetians find homes, has been squatting in an apartment in the Cannaregio district since 2013, with his partner Nadia and their two children.

He says many houses remain empty as people are forced to move out and then cannot afford the upkeep of the properties in order to rent them out – although the city housing authority says the activists are preventing the renovation of homes by occupying them.

“There are no houses for the rich or for the less rich, not even for the poor. There are no houses available in Venice unless you are a tourist,” said Ussardi, who runs a souvenir stall near St. Mark’s square.

Ussardi earns between 800-1,300 euros a month ($900-$1,450) from his stall. Most rents for a family of four in central Venice are above 900 euros a month.

Alessandro Dus, 34, has been occupying an apartment for two years.

“We want to fight against the thousands of closed abandoned apartments in Venice, when we move to an abandoned apartment we renovate it and we make it habitable again,” he said.

Venetians do not want to end tourism – a huge revenue earner – but like many hotspots now looking to address the challenges from a surge in visitors, they are working out how numbers can be controlled and how locals might be able to stay in the city.

This year, Venice council voted to impose an entrance fee for visitors to help pay for the upkeep of the much-visited World Heritage Site and maybe help limit the numbers.

While acknowledging that “Venice risks extinction”, regional housing agency chief Raffaele Speranzon denounced the squatters for taking matters into their own hands, saying they are jeopardizing the fair allocation of homes.

“We have funds which come to us from the region in order to maintain these buildings but frequently we can’t use this money because the houses are occupied. In effect these are houses extracted from the community,” he said.

“Often they are passed out between friends, ignoring people who want to follow the rules or request apartments in a legal manner. It is like jumping the queue at the check-out till.”

(Reporting by Guglielmo Mangiapane; Writing by Eleanor Biles; Editing by Alison Williams)

Source: OANN

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Dollar hovers near 22-month peak buoyed by strong U.S. data

U.S. dollar banknote is seen in this picture illustration
FILE PHOTO: U.S. dollar banknote is seen in this picture illustration taken May 3, 2018. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

April 24, 2019

By Shinichi Saoshiro

TOKYO (Reuters) – The dollar hovered near a 22-month high against its peers on Wednesday, after strong U.S. housing data further eased concerns of a slowdown in the world’s biggest economy.

The dollar index versus a basket of six major currencies stood at 97.602 after rising to 97.777 overnight, its highest since June 2017.

Data showing sales of new U.S. single-family homes jumped to a near 1-1/2-year high in March on Tuesday added to recent positive readings in retail sales and exports.

The euro, which has the largest weighting within the dollar index, was a touch lower at $1.1219 after shedding 0.25 percent the previous day.

“The European economy looks particularly weak relative to the U.S. economy and this highlights the euro’s weakness,” said Takuya Kanda, general manager at Gaitame.Com Research.

“The United States is now expected to have experienced firm growth in the first quarter, reinforcing the dollar’s strength relative to the euro.”

U.S. first quarter GDP data on Friday could strengthen the case that while the current period of global expansion is in its late stages, the United States is on a firmer footing compared with other leading economies.

The dollar was steady at 111.885 yen after suffering mild losses overnight, weighed by a decline in long-term Treasury yields.

The Australian dollar was little changed at $0.7097 following a loss of 0.5 percent the previous day ahead of the closely-watched domestic inflation report.

Australia’s first-quarter consumer price index (CPI) data is due at 0130 GMT and analysts polled by Reuters expect core inflation to come in around 1.7 percent – undershooting the central bank’s 2-3 percent target band.

The Canadian dollar struggled near a four-week low of C$1.3443 marked against the greenback overnight amid expectations that the Bank of Canada (BoC) would forgo language pointing to further interest rate hikes.

Canada’s central bank is expected to hold its benchmark interest rate steady at a policy meeting later on Wednesday. A Reuters poll showed that the central bank is seen standing pat on policy until the beginning of 2020 at the earliest.

(Editing by Jacqueline Wong)

Source: OANN

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Israel arrests brother of Palestinian protest icon

The family of Palestinian protester Ahed Tamimi says her younger brother has been arrested in their home in the occupied West Bank.

Their father, Bassem Tamimi, says soldiers broke in early Monday and arrested 15-year-old Mohammed. He says Mohammed broke his arm over the weekend running from tear gas during protests in their village and suspected he was arrested for throwing stones at Israeli soldiers.

The military says it arrested 21 Palestinians overnight for rioting and other disturbances, without providing further details.

Ahed Tamimi served eight months in an Israeli prison for slapping two Israeli soldiers in an incident captured on film that made her a symbol of Palestinian opposition to Israeli military rule. In a video taken of her brother's arrest she yells: "Stop, or I will hit you."

Source: Fox News World

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NBA: Orlando looking to find elusive playoff Magic

NBA: Brooklyn Nets at Orlando Magic
FILE PHOTO: Feb 2, 2019; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic (9) dribbles the ball during the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice

March 14, 2019

By Jahmal Corner

ORLANDO (Reuters) – With less than a month remaining in the NBA’s regular season, the Orlando Magic’s contests have become something they have rarely been in the month of March – important.

The Magic are fighting to end one of the NBA’s longest playoff droughts and trail the final post-season spot in the Eastern Conference by one game. It is a welcome change for a franchise that has missed the playoffs for the past six seasons.

“It’s a huge difference (this year). The last few years this time of year we’d already be planning our vacation,” Orlando’s Serbian center Nikola Vucevic told Reuters following his team’s win over Dallas on Friday.”That’s no fun, you want to be competing at the highest stage and playing for something. This is it for us.”After the Magic beat the Dallas Mavericks 111-106 on Friday, several players checked their phones and shared results on their nearest competition.

Not since the Magic traded face of the franchise Dwight Howard, fired coach Stan Van Gundy, and parted ways with their general manager during the frenzied 2012 offseason has the team been a legitimate threat to the league.That upheaval set off a rebuilding process that has been a slow burn. The Magic acquired Vucevic via the Howard trade in 2012, forward Aaron Gordon and Frenchman Evan Fournier arrived in 2014, and the team traded for Terrence Ross in 2017 to cement the group’s core.  The growing cohesion of the lineup, Vucevic’s rise to All-Star status while averaging 20.7 points and 12 rebounds, and the hiring of first-year coach Steve Clifford can all be credited with this year’s resurgence. The added jolt of excitement has come with added pressure, though, and Ross is one of the few core players with meaningful playoff experience.”They don’t know what to expect so there’s only so much you can tell someone before they start learning for themselves. That’s the best teacher,” said Ross, of his team’s current post-season race.”At this point every possession counts. It’s going to get intense. The heat is going to turn up and the pressure is going to start to come on.”  The Magic will also face challenges this off-season when Ross and Vucevic will each become unrestricted free agents.Vucevic, in particular, has become a critical asset. If he joins a new team next season he will become the latest passing Orlando attraction, like former Magic big men Shaquille O’Neal and Howard.           

For now, the Magic, having lost three of their last four games, are focused only on trying pass the eighth-placed Miami Heat, and fend off playoff hopefuls Charlotte and Washington.

“There’s always a concern about everything,” said Clifford. “We have to have a defensive mentality (to make the playoffs).”Vucevic says it is time for them to show their mettle.

“We just have to be more consistent,” he said. “We have to show that we’re made for this and we can do it.”

(Editing by Toby Davis)

Source: OANN

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Teen seen beaten by police in video is released from custody

A teen seen beaten by Delaware police in a video of his arrest has been released from custody.

The News Journal of Wilmington reports the 16-year-old boy was released Monday night after a bail reduction hearing. Video of the teen's Friday arrest shows him being held down by one New Castle County police officer and repeatedly punched in the face by another.

Police have said the teen matched complaints of drug dealing in the area, and officers found marijuana, a digital scale and prescription pills on the teen. He is charged with offenses including resisting arrest.

It's unclear if the police officers were wearing body cameras at the time, though the department adopted a body camera policy in 2015. The Delaware Attorney General's Office and police department are investigating.

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Information from: The News Journal of Wilmington, Del., http://www.delawareonline.com

Source: Fox News National

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House Democrats increase demands for Trump tax returns, setting up potential court fight

House Democrats on Saturday increased their demands for the IRS to give them access to President Trump’s tax returns -- foreshadowing a lengthy legal battle in the courts

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., told the IRS that the law gives Congress a right to the six years of Trump’s personal and business tax returns, and set a deadline for the agency to respond by April 23.

TRUMP LAWYER CALLS ON IRS TO REJECT DEM DEMAND FOR TAX RETURNS, SAYS IT WOULD SET 'DANGEROUS PRECEDENT'

Neal told IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig that if he does not respond to his letter, Neal will interpret that as denying the request, setting the stage for a potential court battle.

The Treasury Department missed an April 10 deadline last week set by Democrats to deliver the tax returns, and Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the department hadn’t decided whether to comply with the request.

“It is not the proper function of the IRS, Treasury, or Justice to question or second guess the motivations of the Committee or its reasonable determinations regarding its need for the requested tax returns or return information,” Neal wrote.

The letter marks the latest in a yearslong effort by Democrats to get access to Trump’s financial documents. Neal asked for Trump’s personal and business returns from 2013-18. Democrats say it is within their mandate of congressional oversight, but the unprecedented move has been opposed by Republicans.

AOC REMINDS TRUMP IN TWEET ABOUT TAX RETURN REQUEST: 'WE DIDN'T ASK YOU'

Trump has said repeatedly throughout the 2016 presidential campaign and his presidency that he can’t make public his tax returns because he is under audit.

A lawyer for Trump said in a letter last week that the efforts are an attempt to harass a political opponent and that it would set a “dangerous precedent” for the agency to turn them over.

“For good reason, it would be a gross abuse of power for the majority to use tax returns as a weapon to attack, harass, and intimidate their political opponents. Once this Pandora’s box is opened, the ensuing tit-for-tat will do lasting damage to our nation,” William S. Consovoy said in a letter to the Treasury’s general counsel.

In his letter, Consovoy said that Neal “cannot legally request” the information as the tax code guards taxpayer privacy with the exception of certain conditions -- which he says are not met.

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“Even if Ways and Means had a legitimate committee purpose for requesting the President’s tax returns and return information, that purpose is not driving Chairman Neal’s request,” he wrote.

“His request is a transparent effort by one political party to harass an official from the other party because they dislike his politics and speech,” he added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News Politics

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Tennis: Opelka claims first tour title with victory over Schnur

Tennis - Australian Open - First Round
Tennis - Australian Open - First Round - Court 8, Melbourne, Australia, January 14, 2019. Reilly Opelka of the U.S. in action during the match against John Isner of the U.S. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

February 18, 2019

(Reuters) – Reilly Opelka blasted 43 aces and won his first ATP Tour title with a 6-1 6-7(7) 7-6(7) victory over Canadian Brayden Schnur at the New York Open on Sunday.

The 21-year-old American paved the way for the victory by successfully challenging what Schnur thought was a crucial ace at 7-7 in the final tiebreak.

Schnur’s shot was shown to be out by a millimeter or two, so instead of having championship point the Canadian had a second serve, which he netted.

Opelka then slammed his 43rd ace of the match for the victory. He had the same number of aces in beating top seed John Isner in their semi-final on Saturday.

Opelka easily won the opening set against Schnur but the Canadian rebounded in the second by saving two championship points in a tiebreak and claiming the set when Opelka double faulted.

(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

Source: OANN

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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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President Trump on Friday said “no money” was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, after reports that the U.S. received a $2 million hospital bill from Pyongyang for the late American prisoner’s care.

“No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else. This is not the Obama Administration that paid 1.8 Billion Dollars for four hostages, or gave five terroist[sic] hostages plus, who soon went back to battle, for traitor Sgt. Bergdahl!” Trump tweeted Friday.

NORTH KOREA GAVE US $2M HOSPITAL BILL OVER CARE OF AMERICAN OTTO WARMBIER, SOURCES SAY

The Washington Post first reported that North Korean authorities insisted the U.S. envoy sent to retrieve Warmbier, 21, who was a student of the University of Virginia, sign a pledge to pay the bill before allowing Warmbier’s comatose body to return to the United States. Sources confirmed the bill and the amount to Fox News on Thursday.

Sources told the post that the envoy signed an agreement to pay the medical bill on instructions from the president, but a source told Fox News that the U.S. did not ever pay money to North Korea.

The White House declined to comment when asked on the bill, with Press Secretary Sarah Sanders saying in a statement that: “We do not comment on hostage negotiations, which is why they have been so successful during this administration.”

Meanwhile, the president added: “’President[sic] Donald J. Trump is the greatest hostage negotiator that I know of in the history of the United States. 20 hostages, many in impossible circumstances, have been released in last two years. No money was paid.’ Cheif[sic] Hostage Negotiator, USA!”

Warmbier was on tour in North Korea when he allegedly stole a propaganda sign from a hotel. He was arrested in January 2016 and sentenced to 15 years in prison with hard labor in March 2016. Warmbier, for unknown reasons, fell into a coma while in custody and was held in that condition for an additional 17 months.

North Korean officials did not tell American officials until June 2017 that Warmbier had been unconscious the entire time. He died less than a week after he returned to the U.S. North Korean officials, though, have repeatedly denied accusations that Warmbier was tortured, instead claiming that he had suffered from botulism and then slipped into a coma after taking a sleeping pill.

AMERICAN PRISONERS HELD IN NORTH KOREA ON THEIR WAY HOME AFTER POMPEO VISIT, TRUMP SAYS

Fred and Cindy Warmbier sued North Korea over their son’s death and in December were awarded $501 million in damages – money that the Hermit Kingdom will probably never pay.

While the Warmbiers blamed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Trump has said he believes Kim’s claims that he did not know about the student’s treatment.

Trump and Kim have met in two separate summits. The most recent, held in February, ended without an agreement on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, told Fox News: “Otto Warmbier was mistreated by North Korea in so many ways, including his wrongful conviction and harsh sentence, and the fact that for 16 months they refused to tell his family or our country about his dire condition they caused.  No, the United States owes them nothing. They owe the Warmbier family everything.”

Last year, the Trump administration was also able to save three American prisoners held by North Korea. Kim Dong Chul, Tony Kim, and Kim Hak Song were all detained in North Korea. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo brought the three Americans home last May, and said they were all in “good health.”

Fox News’ John Roberts, Rich Edson, Nicholas Kalman, and Mike Emanuel contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News Politics

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Park Yoo-chun, a K-pop idol singer, arrives at the Suwon district court in Suwon
Park Yoo-chun, a K-pop idol singer, arrives at the Suwon district court in Suwon, South Korea, April 26, 2019. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

April 26, 2019

SEOUL (Reuters) – K-pop and drama star Park Yu-chun was arrested on Friday on charges of buying and using illegal drugs, a court said, the latest in a series of scandals to hit the South Korean entertainment business.

Suwon District Court approved the arrest warrant for Park, 32, due to concerns over possible destruction of evidence and flight risk, a court spokesman told Reuters.

Park is suspected of having bought about 1.5 grams of methamphetamine with his former girlfriend earlier this year and using the drug around five times, an official at the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said.

Park has denied wrongdoing, saying he had never taken drugs, and he again denied the charges in court, Yonhap news agency said.

Park’s contract with his management agency had been canceled and he would leave the entertainment industry, Park’s management agency, C-JeS Entertainment, said on Wednesday.

Park was a member of boyband TVXQ between 2003 and 2009 before leaving the group with two other members, forming the group JYJ.

A scandal involving sex tapes, prostitutes and secret chat about rape led at least four other K-pop stars to quit the industry earlier this year.

The cases sparked a nationwide drugs bust and investigations into tax evasion and police collusion at night clubs and other nightlife spots.

(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Additional reporting by Heekyong Yang; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Source: OANN

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