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UK headed for downturn as Brexit worries hammer services sector: PMI

Visitors admire St. Paul's Cathedral from the restaurant floor of the Tate Modern gallery in London
Visitors admire St.Paul's Cathedral from the restaurant floor of the Tate Modern gallery in London March 15, 2007. REUTERS/Alessia Pierdomenico/File Photo

April 3, 2019

By David Milliken

LONDON, (Reuters) – Britain’s economy looks likely to shrink over the coming months after Brexit worries caused the dominant services sector to contract for the first time in nearly three years, a survey showed on Wednesday.

The closely watched IHS Markit/CIPS services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) tumbled to 48.9 in March from 51.3 in February, weaker than all forecasts in a Reuters poll of economists.

This index is now below 50 and in contractionary territory for the first time since July 2016, immediately after Britons voted to leave the European Union.

Britain’s economy has been sluggish since the 2016 Brexit referendum and saw its weakest expansion in six years in 2018, despite having the lowest unemployment rate in over 40 years.

The slowdown in the global economy has also weighed on growth. But until now few surveys have pointed to an outright contraction in the world’s fifth-largest economy.

Britain had been due to leave the EU on March 29 but parliament repeatedly opposed the Brexit deal Prime Minister Theresa May had negotiated with Brussels.

“There were widespread reports that domestic political uncertainty had constrained demand in March, with clients hoping for clarity about Brexit outcomes before committing to new projects,” IHS Markit said.

Late on Tuesday, May said she would seek another Brexit delay to try to broker a deal with the opposition Labour Party leader, a last-ditch gambit to break an impasse over Britain’s departure that enraged many in her party.

A broader PMI, including manufacturing and construction data released this week, also fell to its lowest since July 2016 and escaped outright contraction only because firms bought more raw materials to prepare for a potentially disorderly Brexit.

“A stalling of the economy in the first quarter will … likely turn into a downturn in the second quarter unless demand revives suddenly, which given the recent escalation of Brexit uncertainty, seems highly improbable,” IHS Markit said.

Unlike in 2016, when demand rebounded rapidly after the initial shock of the referendum result, British businesses have now reported falling orders for the past three months, the longest such run since the depths of a recession in 2009.

Last week the head of the British Chambers of Commerce said business was angry with politicians for “chasing rainbows” rather than accepting that some Brexit goals were unrealistic.

And in news likely to depress growth this month, carmakers BMW and Peugeot said May’s delay to Brexit had come too late for them to cancel stoppages at their British factories, which they had planned because of fears of parts shortages post-Brexit.

(Reporting by David Milliken; Editing by Catherine Evans)

Source: OANN

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Societe General plans to cut thousands of jobs at investment bank: Bloomberg

A general view shows French bank Societe Generale headquarters buildings in La Defense near Paris
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows French bank Societe Generale headquarters buildings in La Defense near Paris, France, February 11, 2016. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

February 22, 2019

(Reuters) – French bank Societe General SA is planning to cut thousands of jobs at its global banking and investor solutions unit, as it looks to offset cost pressure from regulation, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The bank is also looking to find a partner for its cash-equity business, the report added.

Societe Generale did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

(Reporting by Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru)

Source: OANN

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Washington wolf census finds more packs, breeding pairs

The number of gray wolves in Washington state kept growing last year and for the first time the state documented a pack living west of the Cascade Range, wildlife officials said Thursday.

The state has a minimum of 126 wolves in 27 packs with 15 successful breeding pairs, defined as male and female adults that have raised at least two pups that survived through the end of the year, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife found in its annual wolf census.

A year ago, there were 122 wolves in 22 packs with 14 breeding pairs.

The pack west of the Cascade Range, in Skagit County, consists of a single male wolf, captured in 2016 and released with a radio collar, that has been traveling with a female wolf through the winter. Biologists named the pack Diobsud Creek.

"We're pleased to see our state's wolf population continue to grow and begin to expand to the west side of the Cascades," agency Director Kelly Susewind said. "We will continue to work with the public to chart the future management of this important native species."

Wolves were nearly wiped out in Washington by the 1930s but started returning to the state from surrounding areas early in this century. The animals have preyed on livestock, causing conflicts with ranchers.

The census numbers are compiled from state, tribal, and federal wildlife specialists based on aerial surveys, remote cameras, wolf tracks and signals from radio-collared wolves. The count leads to estimates of the minimum numbers of wolves, because it is not possible to count every animal.

Most of the packs live in Ferry, Stevens and Pend Oreille counties in the northeast corner of the state. But the census showed increasing numbers in Washington's southeast corner and its north-central region.

The upturn in new packs and breeding pairs sets the stage for more growth this year, said Donny Martorello, policy lead for the agency.

"Packs and breeding pairs are the building blocks of population growth," Martorello said.

Since 1980, gray wolves have been listed as endangered throughout Washington. They are classified as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act In the western two-thirds of the state.

The agency recorded 12 wolf deaths last year. Six were legally killed by tribal hunters; four were killed by the wildlife agency in response to repeated wolf-caused livestock deaths; and two deaths apparently caused by humans remained under investigation at year's end.

The census reinforces the profile of wolves as a highly resilient, adaptable species with members that are well-suited to Washington's landscape, said Ben Maletzke, the agency's statewide wolf specialist.

Their numbers have increased by an average of 28% a year since 2008, he said.

"Wolves routinely face threats to their survival — from humans, other animals, and nature itself," he said. "But despite each year's ups and downs, the population in Washington has grown steadily and probably will keep increasing by expanding their range."

Maletzke said five of the 27 packs in Washington last year were involved in at least one livestock death.

Wolves killed at least 11 cattle and one sheep, and injured another 19 cattle and two sheep. The agency processed five livestock damage claims totaling $7,536 to compensate producers for direct wolf-caused livestock losses.

Source: Fox News National

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SoftBank invests $125 million in Alphabet venture to put cellphone antennas in the sky

FILE PHOTO: The logo of SoftBank Group Corp is displayed at SoftBank World 2017 conference in Tokyo
FILE PHOTO: The logo of SoftBank Group Corp is displayed at SoftBank World 2017 conference in Tokyo, Japan, July 20, 2017. REUTERS/Issei Kato

April 25, 2019

By Paresh Dave

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – A SoftBank Corp business seeking to find a way to fly cellphone antennas high in the atmosphere to provide internet in underserved areas said on Wednesday it was investing $125 million in an Alphabet Inc spinoff working on the same problem.

SoftBank’s year-old HAPSMobile and Alphabet’s Loon, which spun out last July from the research incubator of the Google parent, separately have been trying to fly networking equipment at high altitudes to provide high-speed internet where ground-based towers are unreachable.

Loon carries the gear with a large balloon, while HAPSMobile uses a large drone.

Despite internet coverage gaps in rural areas or during natural disasters, mobile network operators, governments and other potential customers have yet to demonstrate much enthusiasm for buying skyborne technologies.

Also in the competition to fill the coverage gaps are several billionaire entrepreneurs, including Elon Musk, Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos. Each is backing separate early-stage ventures that want to beam internet from satellites in near-Earth orbit.

Loon and HAPSMobile said on Wednesday that collaboration could be the key to adoption. They are discussing the possibility of using each others’ technology, standardizing their airborne and ground networking gear and joining forces in regulatory discussions, they said in a statement.

The companies described their partnership as a “long-term” tie-up of one of Japan’s top three wireless carriers and one of the world’s biggest tech companies.

“I’m confident we can accelerate the path toward the realization of utilizing the stratosphere for global networks by pooling our technologies, insights and experience,” Junichi Miyakawa, SoftBank’s chief technology officer and HAPSMobile’s chief executive, said in the statement.

“Even in this current era of coming 5G services, we cannot ignore the reality that roughly half of the world’s population is without internet access,” Miyakawa added.

Loon has tested balloons for nearly a decade and expects to hold its first commercial trial in Kenya this year.

HAPSMobile emerged from technology developed by dronemaker AeroVironment Inc, which owns 10 percent of the SoftBank subsidiary.

Loon said it has the option to later invest $125 million in HAPSMobile.

(Reporting by Paresh Dave, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)

Source: OANN

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China central bank has no intent to tighten or relax monetary policy: vice-governor

FILE PHOTO: Headquarters of the PBOC, the central bank, is pictured in Beijing
FILE PHOTO: Headquarters of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), the central bank, is pictured in Beijing, China September 28, 2018. REUTERS/Jason Lee

April 25, 2019

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s central bank has no intent to tighten or relax monetary policy, a vice governor said on Thursday, adding that its use of reverse repos or a medium-term lending facility (MLF) does not signal it has a loosening bias.

Liu Guoqiang, a People’s Bank of China vice-governor, made the above comments at a briefing in Beijing.

China’s prudent monetary policy is appropriate overall, and is neither tight nor loose, Sun Guofeng, another PBOC official, said at the same briefing.

(Reporting by Beijing Monitoring Desk; Editing by Kim Coghill)

Source: OANN

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Global gloom may force Japan central bank to temper its outlook

FILE PHOTO: A security guard walks past in front of the Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo
FILE PHOTO: A security guard walks past in front of the Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo, Japan January 23, 2019. REUTERS/Issei Kato

March 14, 2019

By Leika Kihara

TOKYO (Reuters) – The Bank of Japan is likely to stand pat on monetary policy on Friday but temper its optimism that robust exports and factory output will underpin growth, a nod to heightened overseas risks that threaten to derail a fragile economic recovery.

Factories across the globe slammed on the brakes last month as demand was hit by the U.S.-China trade war, slowing global growth and political uncertainty in Europe ahead of Britain’s departure from the European Union.

Such weak signs have forced major central banks to pause in raising interest rates and cast doubt on the BOJ’s repeatedly-stated assessment that overseas economies “continue to grow steadily”.

Many in the BOJ expect Japan’s economy to emerge from the current soft patch in the second half of this year, when Beijing’s stimulus plans could lift Chinese demand and underpin global growth, sources have told Reuters.

But there is uncertainty on how quickly global demand could rebound, adding to woes for Japanese companies already feeling the pinch from slowing Chinese demand, analysts say.

“The BOJ likely won’t change its view that the economy is sustaining momentum to achieve its price target. But it’s probably aware of heightening risks to the price outlook,” said Mari Iwashita, chief market economist at Daiwa Securities.

“If both the economy and prices prove to be weak, the BOJ may be forced to concede that the momentum is diminishing and ponder additional monetary easing,” she said.

At a two-day rate review ending on Friday, the BOJ is widely expected to maintain a pledge to guide short-term interest rates at minus 0.1 percent and 10-year government bond yields around zero percent.

While the BOJ is seen sticking to its assessment that Japan’s economy “continues to expand moderately,” it may slightly modify the language to reflect heightening external risks, the sources say.

In a nod to the increased risks, the BOJ may also offer a bleaker view on exports and output from its current assessment, which says they are “increasing as a trend.”

The BOJ faces a dilemma. Years of heavy money printing have dried up market liquidity and hurt commercial banks’ profits, stoking concern over the rising risks of prolonged easing.

And yet, subdued inflation has left the BOJ well behind other major central banks in dialing back crisis-mode policies, leaving it with little ammunition to battle the next recession.

The BOJ’s nine-member board is split between those who see room to ramp up stimulus, and others who are more wary of the rising cost of prolonged easing.

But the central bank’s dwindling policy tool-kit means the hurdle for additional easing remains high, analysts say.

The biggest worry among BOJ policymakers is that weakening exports and output will hurt corporate sentiment, prompting firms to delay capital expenditure and wage hikes.

Markets are thus focusing on the BOJ’s “tankan” quarterly business sentiment survey, due out on April 1, for clues on whether further easing could be on the table, analysts say.

(Reporting by Leika Kihara; Editing by Sam Holmes)

Source: OANN

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NHL roundup: Crosby, Pens top Predators in shootout

NHL: Pittsburgh Penguins at Nashville Predators
Mar 21, 2019; Nashville, TN, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) celebrates with teammates after scoring the game winner in the shootout past Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne (35) at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

March 22, 2019

Sidney Crosby scored the only goal of a shootout as the Pittsburgh Penguins snapped a three-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over the Nashville Predators, who had their three-game winning streak halted.

After Bryan Rust scored in the second period for Pittsburgh, Nashville’s Ryan Ellis tied it 1-1 with 3:01 left in regulation with an unassisted sharp-angle goal from the bottom of the right circle.

Penguins goalie Matt Murray stopped Ryan Johansen, Ellis and Brian Boyle in the shootout after he turned away 28 shots in regulation and overtime.

Nashville’s Pekka Rinne stopped Phil Kessel in the shootout and made 32 saves through regulation and overtime.

Golden Knights 5, Jets 0

William Karlsson had two goals and an assist, Reilly Smith scored two goals, and Malcolm Subban picked up the first shutout of his career as Vegas cruised past Winnipeg in Las Vegas.

Tomas Nosek also scored a goal, and Paul Stastny and Nick Holden each added two assists for Vegas, which won its fourth straight game and prevailed for the 10th time in its last 11 games. Subban, playing his third straight game in place of the injured Marc-Andre Fleury, finished with 20 saves.

Winnipeg goalie Laurent Brossoit allowed three goals on 18 shots before leaving early in the second period with a lower-body injury.

Blues 5, Red Wings 2

Fourth-liner Ivan Barbashev recorded his first career hat trick as host St. Louis skated to a victory over Detroit.

St. Louis native Patrick Maroon scored in his career-high fourth consecutive contest, Oskar Sundqvist also tallied and rookie Jordan Binnington finished with 20 saves as the Blues improved to 3-0-1 in their last four games. David Perron had an assist to extend his point streak to 17 games.

Thomas Vanek scored twice, and Jonathan Bernier turned aside 19 shots for the Red Wings, who have lost 13 of their past 16 (3-10-3).

Flames 5, Senators 1

Andrew Mangiapane netted his first career multi-point game with a goal and an assist, and host Calgary scored five unanswered goals en route to its second straight win, a rout of Ottawa.

Four other Calgary players collected two points, and Mike Smith made 18 saves for the Flames, who have won five of six and hold the top spot in the Western Conference.

Craig Anderson made 31 saves for the Senators, who have dropped two straight.

Lightning 6, Hurricanes 3

Tampa Bay scored four goals in the third period to emerge with the win at Raleigh, N.C.

Ryan Callahan tallied the go-ahead goal, and Brayden Point and Ryan McDonagh followed with goals. Steven Stamkos, Tyler Johnson and Anthony Cirelli scored earlier for the Lightning, who have a seven-game winning streak.

Nino Niederreiter, Dougie Hamilton and Jordan Staal scored for Carolina. Staal also had an assist.

Canadiens 4, Islanders 0

Carey Price made 28 saves as Montreal topped visiting New York, which was blanked for the second consecutive game.

Price collected his 31st win and fourth shutout of the season. Over his past five games, Price has a sparkling 1.21 goals-against average and .958 save percentage.

Joel Armia, Jonathan Drouin and Jordan Weal each had a goal and an assist, and Shea Weber also scored for the Canadiens.

Bruins 5, Devils 1

David Pastrnak collected an assist on the first goal of the game and scored the game-winner for Boston, which continued its late-season surge by prevailing at Newark, N.J.

Patrice Bergeron scored off Pastrnak’s feed late in the first period and added an empty-netter in the waning seconds of the game for the Bruins, who have won three straight following a three-game losing streak.

Danton Heinen also scored, David Backes added an insurance goal with 22 seconds left in the third, and Brad Marchand racked up three assists for Boston. Drew Stafford scored for New Jersey.

Oilers 4, Blue Jackets 1

Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist, both in the third period, as Edmonton rallied for a victory against visiting Columbus. Leon Draisaitl assisted on all three goals in the final period as the Oilers broke a 1-1 tie.

Kyle Brodziak, Zack Kassian and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also scored for the Oilers, who had lost three of their previous four games. Mikko Koskinen made 18 saves.

David Savard scored the lone goal for the Blue Jackets, who have lost three straight (0-2-1). The Blue Jackets’ Joonas Korpisalo, starting in net because Sergei Bobrovsky was scratched with an undisclosed injury, stopped 18 of 22 shots.

Avalanche 3, Stars 1

Philipp Grubauer stopped 44 shots, Erik Johnson scored on his 31st birthday, and Colorado won at Dallas.

Tyson Barrie and Carl Soderberg also had goals, and Sam Girard had two assists for the Avalanche, who have won three in a row and moved into a tie with Arizona for the second Western Conference wild card. Tyler Seguin scored, and Ben Bishop had 29 saves for Dallas, which holds the West’s top wild-card spot.

Colorado sustained a potentially serious loss when second-leading scorer Mikko Rantanen left the game late in the third period holding his hip after a big check and did not return.

Kings 4, Sharks 2

Matt Roy scored his first NHL goal to start a third-period comeback, and Jonathan Quick made 23 saves as host Los Angeles beat San Jose.

With his team down 2-1 nearing the midway point of the third period, Roy fired a slap shot from the point that somehow went through a maze of players and a screened netminder to tie the game. Roy was playing his 16th NHL game.

Anze Kopitar’s 21st goal of the season a couple of minutes later became the game-winner, and Jeff Carter added an empty-net goal. The Sharks, who were without key forwards Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture plus defenseman Erik Karlsson, lost their fourth consecutive game.

Panthers 4, Coyotes 2

Jonathan Huberdeau had his third three-assist game of the season, and Roberto Luongo snapped a personal five-game losing streak as Florida defeated Arizona in Sunrise, Fla.

Huberdeau assisted on goals by Aleksander Barkov, Mike Hoffman and MacKenzie Weegar. Barkov added his second of the night into an empty net with 50 seconds left.

Michael Grabner and Brad Richardson were Arizona’s goal-scorers. Darcy Kuemper made 18 saves as the Coyotes lost their third straight game (0-2-1).

Flyers 3, Blackhawks 1

James van Riemsdyk scored the tiebreaking goal just before the midway point of the third period, and rookie Carter Hart made 40 saves as Philadelphia won at Chicago.

Sean Couturier added an empty-netter to tie his career high with 31 goals and also had an assist for Philadelphia, which lost three of four entering the contest but improved to 10-2-1 over the last 13 on the road.

The Blackhawks have dropped two in a row following a five-game winning streak.

–Field Level Media

Source: OANN

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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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