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India state banks want Jet Airways’ Goyal to reduce stake to 10 percent: CNBC-TV18

FILE PHOTO: Naresh Goyal, Chairman of Jet Airways speaks during a news conference in Mumbai
FILE PHOTO: Naresh Goyal, Chairman of Jet Airways speaks during a news conference in Mumbai, India, November 29, 2017. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui/File Photo

March 21, 2019

MUMBAI (Reuters) – A group of Indian state-run banks want Jet Airways’ embattled founder and Chairman Naresh Goyal to reduce his stake in the carrier to 10 percent, news channel CNBC-TV18 reported on Thursday, quoting sources.

“Banks want Goyal to bring his stake down to 10 percent, below the 17 percent envisaged in the bank-led provisional resolution plan (BLPRP),” sources told CNBC-TV18.

The state-run banks are also pushing Goyal to step down, CNBC-TV18 added.

Jet has more than $1 billion in debt, and owes money to banks, suppliers, pilots and lessors – some of whom have started terminating leases with the carrier.

The government has asked state-run banks, led by State Bank of India (SBI), to rescue Jet without pushing it into bankruptcy, two people within the administration have told Reuters, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to avert thousands of job losses weeks before a general election.

Several people who have worked closely with Goyal, 69, have told Reuters that his penchant for control has emerged as a major obstacle in negotiating a rescue deal.

SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar had said on Wednesday that a resolution plan was “almost” ready and that it would not involve a bailout for any individual, including Goyal.

Jet and SBI did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Thursday, which is a public holiday in India.

(Writing by Alexandra Ulmer; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)

Source: OANN

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Trump's Fantasy Budget: No One Will Not Cut Spending

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WASHINGTON -- The good news about President Trump's proposed 2020 budget is that it vividly illustrates the basic causes of large, chronic deficits -- a mismatch between the government's commitments and the taxes needed to pay for them. The bad news is that the budget does virtually nothing to close the gap.

"We must protect future generations from Washington's habitual deficit spending," said the president in his budget message. Actually, Trump would make matters worse.

Under his budget, the federal government would spend $4.7 trillion in fiscal 2020, a 15 percent increase from the $4.1 trillion of spending in 2018. With tax receipts at $3.6 trillion, the projected deficit is $1.1 trillion. Although the economy is at or near "full employment," the annual deficit remains around $1 trillion until 2023 and then begins to decline, though it's still in deficit by 2029 when the projections stop.

Even these figures are optimistic, because -- as the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan advocacy and research organization, says -- "the budget is riddled with gimmicks and unrealistic assumptions."

The most obvious of these is projected economic growth. The Trump administration argues that, under its policies, economic growth (the increase of Gross Domestic Product) will average about 3 percent over the next decade. By contrast, private forecasters predict growth at about 2 percent annually. Higher growth would mean billions of added tax revenues. Prudent policy would base its forecasts on the lower figure and hope that it's too cautious.

The administration also erred in concentrating its steep spending cuts on "non-defense discretionary" programs -- a catch-all that includes environmental protection, the Justice Department, low-income housing assistance, child care, national parks and many other agencies. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a left-leaning advocacy group, reports that Trump's proposals would reduce spending by 12 percent for the Department of Health and Human Services, 18 percent for the Department of Housing and Urban Development and 31 percent for the Environmental Protection Agency.

Congress, which sets spending, seems likely to resist such deep cuts. For example, Trump would cut college student-loan programs by tightening repayment requirements. Over a decade, the estimated savings would be $207 billion. This would almost certainly be unpopular. Similarly, Trump's budget also includes a proposal to reduce federal payments to hospitals to cover their costs of unreimbursed care. Hospitals seem bound to fight that.

A final misunderstanding involves defense spending. Under the Trump budget, it receives a 5 percent increase in 2020, and this has been widely interpreted as a huge gain. That's questionable. Although total military spending would rise, its long-term growth would be less than the economy's rate of growth. In 2018, defense spending was 3.1 percent of GDP; by 2029, this share declines to 2.3 percent. The difference of almost 1 percentage point of GDP is (at today's prices) about $200 billion.

What this country desperately needs is an honest debate over the role of government, discarding programs that do not qualify and paying for the rest with new taxes. The relevant cliche is the unpopular reality: Neither Republicans nor Democrats want to make tough choices. The main purpose of Trump's budget seems to be re-electing Trump in 2020.

The budget, in short, is a fantasy. The actual deficits may be larger than the official figures.

But anyone who thinks Democrats are more responsible hasn't been paying attention. It's imperative to deal with the costs of retirees and health care, which are the largest part of the budget. For decades, Democrats have refused. Little has happened. And now Democrats back proposals (Medicare for all, guaranteed jobs, free college) that would raise spending even more.

Trump's budget shows where the inattention has landed us. The proposal is so skewed that, just possibly, it will force our leaders to face the world as it is, not as we would like it. That's a long shot, but it's the only one we've got.

(c) 2019, The Washington Post Writers Group

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Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen’s resignation letter

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen resigned Sunday. Read the letter she submitted to President Trump below.

Mr. President,

I hereby resign from the position of Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), effective April 7th 2019. It has been my great honor to lead the men and women of the Department as its sixth Secretary. I could not be prouder of and more humbled by their service, dedication, and commitment to keep our country safe from all threats and hazards. I join all Americans in thanking them for their sacrifices and those of their families.

For more than two years of service beginning during the Presidential Transition, I have worked tirelessly to advance the goals and missions of the Department. I am immensely proud of our successes in transforming DHS to keep pace with our enemies and adversaries — whether it is in cyberspace or against emerging threats from new technologies.

Despite our progress in reforming homeland security for a new age, I have determined that it is the right time for me to step aside. I hope that the next Secretary will have the support of Congress and the courts in fixing the laws which have impeded our ability to fully secure America’s borders and which have contributed to discord in our nation’s discourse. Our country - and the men and women of DHS - deserve to have all the tools and resources they need to execute the mission entrusted to them.

I can say with confidence our homeland is safer today than when I joined the Administration. We have taken unprecedented action to protect Americans. We have implemented historic efforts to defend our borders, combat illegal immigration, obstruct the inflow of drugs, and uphold our laws and values. We have responded decisively to record-breaking natural disasters and helped Americans rebuild. We have prevented the disruption of U.S. elections and guarded against foreign interference in our democracy. We have replaced complacency with consequences in cyberspace, we are holding digital intruders accountable, and we are stepping up our protection of American networks. We have thwarted terrorist plotting against our homeland and launched new efforts to block terrorists and criminals from reaching our shores. And we have ramped up security measures to make it harder for our enemies and adversaries to attack us, whether it is with drones, chemical and biological weapons, or through other means.

Thank you again for the privilege to serve the American people and to lead the outstanding men and women of the Department of Homeland Security. Supporting these patriots has been the honor of a lifetime.

Sincerely
Kirstjen M. Nielsen
Secretary of Homeland Security

Source: Fox News Politics

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UN gives green light for North Koreans to travel to Vietnam

U.N. diplomats say the Security Council committee monitoring sanctions against North Korea has given a green light to Kim Jong Un's delegation to travel to Vietnam next week for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump on denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.

The diplomats said Wednesday that Vietnam's government requested an exemption from sanctions for the entire delegation to travel to Hanoi and there was no objection by any of the 15 council nations. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because consultations were private.

The exemption covers anyone in the delegation who is on the U.N. sanctions blacklist and thus banned from traveling and subject to an asset freeze. It will also allow all delegation members to take home luxury goods whose import to North Korea is banned by the council.

Source: Fox News World

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Lifestyles of the Rich and Socialist: From Chavez to Castro, leaders who lived the high life

Socialist leaders come to power promising to equalize society.

But, in the words of George Orwell's "Animal Farm," their followers soon learn "some are more equal than others."

LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND SOCIALIST: BERNIE SANDERS HAS 3 HOUSES, MAKES MILLIONS

American democratic socialists have faced scrutiny for their own indulgences under the capitalist system -- for instance, Sen. Bernie Sanders has three homes and a proclivity for private jet travel.

But American socialists' luxuries pale in comparison to those of history's most infamous socialist and communist leaders around the world.

Venezuela

Hugo Chavez brought socialism to Venezuela and once said that it is "bad" to be rich. Yet his family lived in opulence even as the rest of the country has in recent years descended into starvation and violence.

Chavez, despite not being wealthy when he was democratically elected as the president of Venezuela in 1998, was worth between $1 and $2 billion at his death, according to global risk analysis firm Criminal Justice International Associates.

Chavez's daughter, Rosinés Chávez, once posted an Instagram photo of herself with celebrity Justin, and another of her posing with U.S. cash – even as ordinary Venezuelans saw their life savings wiped out by million-percent inflation caused by the government printing too much money.

Ordinary Venezuelans are angry.

“Claims of social justice and equality are ridiculous ... The elites led by Chavez have stayed wealthy through corruption and theft of money,” a Venezuelan college student named Roxana told Fox News in texts translated from Spanish.

“In Venezuela, there is a very particular word to refer to family and friends who benefit from government money. They are ‘enchufado’ [‘well-connected’].”

But on her end, Roxana says she finds it hard to get decent food and she constantly fears being attacked – Venezuela now has a murder rate two times higher than Detroit’s.

'Socialism in Venezuela loves poor people so much, it multiplies them.'

— Venezuelan adage

Surveys also show the average Venezuelan has lost 24 pounds due to lack of food.

GILLIBRAND SAYS 'THERE'S NOTHING SOCIALIST' ABOUT THE GREEN NEW DEAL

Roxana mentioned a common joke in her country about the rise in extreme poverty: "Socialism in Venezuela loves poor people so much, it multiplies them.”

Cuba

The Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, throughout his reign, claimed to live in a humble fisherman’s hut.

“The fisherman’s hut was really a luxury vacation home,” Castro’s former bodyguard, Juan Reinaldo Sanchez, writes in “The Double Life of Fidel Castro.”

According to the bodyguard, the Cuban dictator obtained more than 20 fancy properties throughout the island.

Castro also frequently relaxed on a 90-foot yacht decorated with exotic wood imported from Angola. He also had nearly endless beachfront property to himself.

Castro eventually made it to number seven on Forbes’ list of richest world leaders, which estimated his wealth at $900 million. Castro denied being so wealthy.

With all his wealth and power, Castro also had at least five mistresses, according to his bodyguard.

Soviet Union

The top leader of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics had access to a network of palaces, cars, and delicacies. However, Soviet leaders lived up to their ideals in one way: they never officially owned any of it. Upon death, the things they used went to the next leader.

Joseph Stalin loved American-made Packard cars, and had several.

Soviet leaders and bureaucrats also had their own elite, exclusive system of grocery stores, hospitals and schools -- even while ordinary Russian citizens sometimes waited for hours to buy food.

"There was not a lot of food to choose from, but in Moscow it was still edible,” Vladimir Yankov, a Soviet scientist who was born during Stalin’s reign and who later immigrated to the United States, told Fox News.

He said he never entered a special store for the political elite – but that twice in his life, he got a gift of top-quality Indian tea from well-connected friends with access to the stores.

“A party leader of a town with 100,000 [people] was paid a salary five times the national average,” Yankov recounted, “and had an apartment size five times the national average, plus a car with a driver.”

In 1985, 15 percent of Soviet households had a car. In the U.S., by contrast, households had an average of nearly two cars.

But Soviet elites’ wealth was always less ostentatious and flashy than that of American billionaires and celebrities, making things more equal in that way.

Yankov said that, to him, social democracies like Sweden struck a good balance – they reject traditional aspects of socialism such as government ownership, but also provide generous welfare.

“The problem in the Soviet Union was the leaders’ stupidity, not their consumption habits – at least for me,” Yankov said.

China

China’s constitution states that it “is a socialist state under the people's democratic dictatorship led by the working class” – yet, its leaders live far better than workers.

China suffered more deaths than any other country due to starvation caused by the government takeover of farms. Sixty-five million people were killed, per The Black Book of Communism.

“The leaders never intended for themselves to be the ones who were tightening their belts,” Marion Smith, executive director of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, told Fox News.

“Mao [Zedong] is a great example. He had a rotating harem of underage girls,” Smith said. That is per Mao’s former personal physician, who later moved to America.

“Mao was sitting in his luxurious pool, talking to Western journalists, while millions of Chinese died of starvation,” Smith added.

Romania

Nicolae Ceaușescu, dictator of the Socialist Republic of Romania from 1965 to 1989, claimed his government would aid in "the moulding of the new man and the promotion of socialist ethics and equity."

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But Ceaușescu himself owned 15 palaces, including one complete with gold bathroom fixtures, silk carpets, and a garden with peacocks. He owned multiple yachts, and the Guinness Book of Historical Blunders records him as having provided his pet dog, Corbu, with its own motorcade.

Maxim Lott is Executive Producer of Stossel TV and creator of ElectionBettingOdds.com. He can be reached on Twitter.

Source: Fox News Politics

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Rosenstein slams Obama administration for choosing ‘not to publicize full story’ of Russia hacking

Rod Rosenstein, the U.S. deputy attorney general who supervised the Mueller investigation, spoke publically on Thursday for the first time since the report was released, taking a swipe at the Obama administration’s real-time reaction to Russian hacking and its decision "not publicize the full story" to the American people.

Rosenstein, who was speaking in New York at the Public Servants Dinner of the Armenian Bar Association, defended his handling of the probe and criticized former officials in the process. He called out former FBI Director James Comey for alerting Congress about the investigation into Russian collusion at the height of the 2016 presidential campaign.

SWALWELL NOT CERTAIN TRUMP ISN'T A 'RUSSIAN ASSET'

“The FBI disclosed classified evidence about the investigation to ranking legislators and their staffers,” he said. “Someone selectively leaked details to the news media. The FBI director [Comey] announced at a congressional hearing that there was a counterintelligence investigation that might result in criminal charges. Then the former FBI director alleged that the president pressured him to close the investigation, and the president denied that the conversation occurred.

"So that happened,” he joked.

The Obama administration has been criticized for its handling of the Russian interference. Trump has blamed Obama for not acting quickly enough to stem Russia’s influence during the campaign.

In 2016, NBC News, citing unnamed high-level officials, reported that the Obama administration did not respond more forcefully because it did not want to appear to be interfering with the election. One official told the network at the time, "They thought [Hillary Clinton] was going to win, so they were willing to kick the can down the road."

A reporter for NPR said the Obama administration debated how to handle the information and decided that Obama should deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin privately about the matter.

The Rosenstein speech touched on a lot of topics.

He blasted “mercenary critics” who benefit financially by expressing “passionate opinions about any topic, often with little or no information. They do not just express disagreement. They launch ad hominem attacks unrestricted by truth or morality. They make threats, spread fake stories and even attack your relatives.”

Rosenstein has maintained a tenuous relationship with Trump. Congressional Republicans have also accused him of withholding documents and not investigating aggressively enough what they contend was political bias within the FBI.

Former FBI General Counsel James Baker, in closed-door testimony before congressional committees last October, provided detail about internal discussions concerning Rosenstein's reported offer to wear a wire to tape the president in the tumultuous days following James Comey’s firing as FBI director in May 2017.

Fox News has confirmed portions of the transcript to the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees.

"At my confirmation hearing in March 2017, a Republican senator asked me to make a commitment," he recalled. "He said: “You’re going to be in charge of this [Russia] investigation. I want you to look me in the eye and tell me that you’ll do it right, that you’ll take it to its conclusion and you’ll report [your results] to the American people.

"I did pledge to do it right and take it to the appropriate conclusion. I did not promise to report all results to the public, because grand jury investigations are ex parte proceedings. It is not our job to render conclusive factual findings. We just decide whether it is appropriate to file criminal charges."

Rosenstein is leaving his post in two months. He had some fun with his speech and answered the question that so many on social media were asking after watching him standing stoically behind Attorney General William Barr during the lead-up to the Mueller report release.

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“Last week, the big topic of discussion was, ‘What were you thinking when you stood behind Bill Barr at that press conference, with a deadpan expression?’ The answer is: I was thinking, “My job is to stand here with a deadpan expression.’"

Fox News' Catherine Herridge and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News Politics

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Spring training roundup: Athletics rally to defeat Padres

FILE PHOTO: MLB: Spring Training-Oakland Athletics at Seattle Mariners
FILE PHOTO: Feb 22, 2019; Peoria, AZ, USA; Oakland Athletics shortstop Chad Pinder (18) flips his bat after drawing a walk in the second inning against the Seattle Mariners during the second inning at Peoria Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

March 9, 2019

Greg Deichmann hit a two-run home run to cap a four-run bottom of the eighth inning as the Oakland Athletics rallied for a 6-5 victory over the San Diego Padres on Friday at Mesa, Ariz.

Chad Pinder delivered a run-scoring double and Austin Beck plated another run on an infield single before Deichmann swatted a 2-0 pitch from Padres right-hander Luis Perdomo over the wall in right field.

Hunter Renfroe went 2-for-3 with three RBIs for the Padres. Renfroe’s two-run double in the fifth gave San Diego a 5-0 lead before Oakland began its comeback with Josh Phegley’s two-run blast in the seventh.

Rockies 11, Rangers 10

Peter Mooney recorded the tying double in the bottom of the ninth and Colton Welker stroked the winning two-out single as Colorado rallied to beat Texas at Scottsdale, Ariz. Elvis Andrus hit a grand slam to help the Rangers build a 7-0 lead.

White Sox 15, Angels 8

Yonder Alonso went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs and Jon Jay went 3-for-4 with two RBIs as Chicago defeated Los Angeles at Tempe, Ariz. Albert Pujols had a run-scoring single for his second RBI of the spring for the Angels.

Marlins 10, Mets 3

Neil Walker went 3-for-3 with two homers and four RBIs as Miami rolled past host New York at Port St. Lucie, Fla. The Mets’ Robinson Cano hit his first homer of the spring while reaching base three times on two hits and a walk.

Brewers 6, Diamondbacks 3

Travis Shaw homered twice and drove in three runs as Milwaukee knocked off Arizona at Phoenix, Ariz. Andy Young and Wyatt Mathisen both went deep for the Diamondbacks.

Cardinals 3, Nationals 2

Matt Wieters had two hits and one RBI as St. Louis edged visiting Washington at Jupiter, Fla. Matt Adams and Jake Noll homered for the Nationals.

Blue Jays (ss) 5, Pirates (ss) 2

Right-hander Marcus Stroman gave up one hit over four shutout innings as the Blue Jays downed Pittsburgh at Dunedin, Fla. Freddy Galvis and Brandon Drury homered for Toronto, while Oneil Cruz went deep for the Pirates.

Royals 8, Reds 3

Alex Gordon and Khalil Lee had two RBIs apiece as host Kansas City cruised past Cincinnati at Surprise, Ariz. Jose Peraza smacked a two-run homer for the Reds.

Blue Jays (ss) 11, Pirates (ss) 0

Anthony Alford homered twice and Bo Bichette, Jonathan Davis and Billy McKinney each added solo shots as Toronto routed host Pittsburgh at Bradenton, Fla. The Pirates had three hits, all singles.

Orioles 4, Red Sox 2

Renato Nunez homered and Hanser Alberto lined the go-ahead double in the sixth inning as host Baltimore defeated Boston at Sarasota, Fla. The Red Sox had just two hits.

Rays 5, Twins 5

Ji-Man Choi, Willy Adames and Jake Smolinski each homered as Tampa Bay and host Minnesota played to a draw at Fort Myers, Fla. Tyler Austin went 3-for-3 for the Twins.

–Field Level Media

Source: OANN

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FILE PHOTO: Supporters of the Spain's far-right party VOX wave Spanish flags as they attend an electoral rally ahead of general elections in the Andalusian capital of Seville
FILE PHOTO: Supporters of the Spain’s far-right party VOX wave Spanish flags as they attend an electoral rally ahead of general elections in the Andalusian capital of Seville, Spain April 24, 2019. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo/File Photo

April 26, 2019

By John Stonestreet and Belén Carreño

MADRID (Reuters) – Spain’s Vox party, aligned to a broader far-right movement emerging across Europe, has become the focus of speculation about last minute shifts in voting intentions since official polling for Sunday’s national election ended four days ago.

No single party is anywhere near securing a majority, and chances of a deadlocked parliament and a second election are high.

Leaders of the five parties vying for a role in government get final chances to pitch for power at rallies on Friday evening, before a campaign characterized by appeals to voters’ hearts rather than wallets ends at midnight.

By tradition, the final day before a Spanish election is politics-free.

Two main prizes are still up for grabs in the home straight. One concerns which of the two rival left and right multi-party blocs gets more votes.

The other is whether Vox could challenge the mainstream conservative PP for leadership of the latter bloc, which media outlets with access to unofficial soundings taken since Monday suggest could be starting to happen.

The right’s loose three-party alliance is led by the PP, the traditional conservative party that has alternated in office with outgoing Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s Socialists since Spain’s return to democracy in the 1970s.

The PP stands at around 20 percent, with center-right Ciudadanos near 14 percent and Vox around 11 percent, according to a final poll of polls in daily El Pais published on Monday.

Since then, however, interest in Vox – which will become the first far-right party to sit in parliament since 1982 – has snowballed.

It was founded in 2013, part of a broader anti-establishment, far-right movement that has also spread across – among others – Italy, France and Germany.

While it is careful to distance itself from the ideology of late dictator Francisco Franco, Vox’s signature policies include repealing laws banning Franco-era symbols and on gender-based violence, and shifting power away from Spain’s regional governments.

TRENDING

According to a Google trends graphic, Vox has generated more than three times more search inquiries than any other Spanish political party in the past week.

Reasons could include a groundswell of vocal activist support at Vox rallies in Madrid and Valencia, and its exclusion from two televised debates between the main party leaders, on the grounds of it having no deputies yet in parliament.

Conservative daily La Vanguardia called its enforced absence from Monday’s and Tuesday’s debates “a gift from heaven”, while left-wing Eldiario.es suggested the PP was haemorrhaging votes to Vox in rural areas.

Ignacio Jurado, politics lecturer at the University of York, agreed the main source of additional Vox votes would be disaffected PP supporters, and called the debate ban – whose impact he said was unclear – wrong.

“This is a party polling over 10 percent and there are people interested in what it says. So we lose more than we win in not having them (in the debates),” he said

For Jose Fernandez-Albertos, political scientist at Spanish National Research Council CSIC, Vox is enjoying the novelty effect that propelled then new, left-wing arrival Podemos to 20 percent of the vote in 2015.

“While it’s unclear how to interpret the (Google) data, what we do know is that it’s better to be popular and to be a newcomer, and that Vox will benefit in some form,” he said.

For now, the chances of Vox taking a major role in government remain slim, however.

The El Pais survey put the Socialists on around 30 percent, making them the frontrunners and likely to form a leftist bloc with Podemos, back down at around 14 percent.

The unofficial soundings suggest little change in the two parties’ combined vote, or the total vote of the rightist bloc.

That makes it unlikely that either bloc will win a majority on Sunday, triggering horse-trading with smaller parties favoring Catalan independence – the single most polarizing issues during campaigning – that could easily collapse into fresh elections.

(Election graphic: https://tmsnrt.rs/2ENugtw)

(Reporting by John Stonestreet and Belen Carreno, Editing by William Maclean)

Source: OANN

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FILE PHOTO: The logo of the OPEC is seen at OPEC's headquarters in Vienna
FILE PHOTO: The logo of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries at OPEC’s headquarters in Vienna, Austria December 5, 2018. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo

April 26, 2019

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he called the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and told the cartel to lower oil prices.

“Gasoline prices are coming down. I called up OPEC, I said you’ve got to bring them down. You’ve got to bring them down,” Trump told reporters.

(Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Writing by Makini Brice; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Source: OANN

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Sonia Bompastor, director of the Olympique Lyonnais womenÕs Youth Academy, leads a training at the OL Academy near Lyon
Sonia Bompastor, director of the Olympique Lyonnais womenÕs Youth Academy, leads a training at the OL Academy in Meyzieu near Lyon, France, April 16, 2019. REUTERS/Emmanuel Foudrot

April 26, 2019

By Julien Pretot

MEYZIEU, France (Reuters) – Olympique Lyonnais president Jean-Michel Aulas was wringing out his women’s team shirts in the locker room on a rainy London day eight years ago when he decided it was time to take gender equality more seriously.

It was halftime in their Champions League semi-final second leg against Arsenal at Meadow Park with 507 fans watching and Aulas realized that his players did not have a another kit for the second half.

“Next time, there will be a second set just like for the men, that’s how it’s going to work from now on,” he said.

Lyon have since won five Champions League titles to become the most successful women’s team in Europe and recently claimed a 13th consecutive domestic crown.

They visit Chelsea on Sunday in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final, with a fourth straight title in their sights.

At the heart of their achievements is a pervasive ethos that promotes gender equality throughout the club, starting in the youth academy.

In 2013, Aulas appointed former Lyon and France player Sonia Bompastor as head of the Women’s Academy — the female equivalent of one of France’s top youth set-ups that has produced players such as Karim Benzema, Alexandre Lacazette and Hatem Ben Arfa.

At the Youth Academy, girls and boys share the same facilities.

“Pitches, physiotherapy rooms are the same for all,” the 38-year-old Bompastor told Reuters.

As the girls train under the watch of former Lyon and France international Camille Abily, the screams of the boys practicing can be heard nearby.

The boys and girls also benefit from the same psychological support that includes hypnosis sessions and yoga.

“We have a ‘mental ability’ cell and the hypnotist acts on the girls’ subconscious, on their deeply held beliefs after observing them on and off the pitch,” Bompastor added.

SAME TREATMENT

One message the Academy staff are trying to convey is that girls are as good as boys.

“Women’s nature is such that we have low self-esteem. So self-esteem is a big topic for our girls,” said Bompastor.

This is not the case with the boys, she added.

“Some 14, 15-year-old boys still think they would beat our professional players, we tell them this would not be happening. We still need to work on those beliefs,” she said.

Female players also have to face questions that their male counterparts do not, Bompastor explained.

“In France there is a problem with the way women are considered, there are high aesthetic expectations. So we get heavy questions on femininity, intimate questions that men don’t get,” she said.

OL’s Academy has been held up as a shining example for others to follow, even in the U.S., where women’s soccer has a wider audience than in Europe.

“About one third of the (senior women’s) squad comes from the Academy, we have a good balance,” said Bompastor.

“I’m getting tons of requests from American universities and foreign clubs, who want to come and visit our facilities.”

‘ONE CLUB’

The salaries of the senior players is one area where there remains a large discrepancy between Lyon’s men’s and women’s teams.

While the three best-paid women players in the world are at Lyon with Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg earning 400,000 euros ($445,520) a year, this figure is dwarfed by the around 4 million euros earned annually by men’s player Memphis Depay.

There is, however, a level of interaction between the men’s and women’s players that is not present at many other clubs.

“When you talk about OL you talk about women and men, you talk about one club and you feel it when you are here or outside in the city,” Germany defender Carolin Simon told Reuters.

“We see it when we play in the big stadium. It’s not ‘normal’ for women’s football,” the 26-year-old, who joined the club last year, added.

Lyon’s female players also enjoy respect from their male counterparts, Simon said.

“It’s very cool, it’s a big honor to feel that it doesn’t matter if you are a professional man or woman. We talk with the men, there are handshakes, it’s a good atmosphere and it’s also why we are successful,” said Simon.

“The men respect us and it’s not just for the cameras.”

Her team mate, England’s Lucy Bronze, sees the men’s respect as key to improving women’s football.

“We might not be paid the same but they are just normal with us, they see us as footballers the same as they are,” Bronze told Reuters.

“Being at Lyon has really opened my eyes. To improve women’s football, it starts with having the respect of your male counterparts. It’s the biggest thing because they can influence so many people.”

(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Toby Davis)

Source: OANN

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FILE PHOTO: Ethiopian migrants, stranded in war-torn Yemen, sit on the ground of a detention site pending repatriation to their home country, in Aden, Yemen
FILE PHOTO: Ethiopian migrants, stranded in war-torn Yemen, sit on the ground of a detention site pending repatriation to their home country, in Aden, Yemen April 24, 2019. REUTERS/Fawaz Salman/File Photo

April 26, 2019

GENEVA (Reuters) – Yemeni authorities have rounded up about 3,000 irregular migrants, predominantly Ethiopians, in the south of the country, “creating an acute humanitarian situation,” the U.N. migration agency said on Friday.

“IOM is deeply concerned about the conditions in which the migrants are being held and is engaging with the authorities to ensure access to the detained migrants,” the International Organization for Migration said.

The migrants are held in open-air football stadiums and in a military camp, it said in a statement.

The detentions began on Sunday in the city of Aden and the neighboring province of Lahj, which are under the control of the internationally recognized government backed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Iran-aligned Houthi rebels control Sanaa, the capital, and other major urban centers.

Both sides are under international diplomatic pressure to implement a United Nations-sponsored ceasefire deal agreed last year in Sweden and to prepare for a wider political dialogue that would end the four-year-old war.

Thousands of migrants arrive in Yemen every year, mostly from the Horn of Africa, driven by drought and unemployment at home and lured by the wages available in the Gulf.

(Writing by Maher Chmaytelli, Editing by William Maclean)

Source: OANN

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U.S. dollar notes are seen in this picture illustration
U.S. dollar notes are seen in this November 7, 2016 picture illustration. Picture taken November 7. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

April 26, 2019

(Reuters) – Following are five big themes likely to dominate thinking of investors and traders in the coming week and the Reuters stories related to them.

1/DOLLAR JUGGERNAUT

The dollar has zipped to near two-year highs, leaving many scratching their heads. To many, it’s down to signs the U.S. economy is chugging ahead while the rest of the world loses steam. After all, Wall Street is busily scaling new peaks day after day.

Never mind the cause, the effect is stark. The euro has tumbled to 22-month lows against the dollar and investors are preparing for more, buying options to shield against further downside. Emerging-market currencies are also in pain, with Turkish lira and Argentine peso both sharply weaker.

Now U.S. data need to keep surprising on the upside or even just meet expectations. The International Monetary Fund sees U.S. growth at 2.3 percent this year. For Germany, the forecast is 0.8 percent. The U.S. economy’s rude health has given rise to speculation the Fed might resume raising interest rates. Unlikely. But as other countries — Canada, Sweden and Australia are the latest — hint at more policy easing, there seems to be one way the dollar can go. Up.

(GRAPHIC: Dollar outperforms G10 FX – https://tmsnrt.rs/2Dz17S5)

2/FED: UP OR DOWN?

Wall Street is near record highs and recession worries are receding, so as we mentioned above, investors might wonder if the Federal Reserve will start raising rates again.

Such a pivot is unlikely after the Fed killed off rate-rise expectations at its March meeting. And the latest Reuters poll all but puts to bed any risk of rates will go up this economic cycle, given inflation remains below the Fed’s alarm threshold and unemployment is the lowest in generations.

Before the March rate-pause announcement, a preponderance of economists penciled in one or more increases this year. But that has flipped. A majority of those surveyed April 22-24 see no further tightening through December and more are leaning toward a cut by the end of next year.

Indeed, interest rate futures imply Fed Funds will be below the current 2.25-2.50 percent target range by this December.

Recent positive consumer spending and exports data have eased market concerns of a sharp economic slowdown. But inflation probably needs to run hot for a long period to panic policymakers off their wait-and-see course.     

(GRAPHIC: Federal funds and the economy – https://tmsnrt.rs/2DzjTZz)

3/HEISEI TO REIWA

Next week ends three decades of Japan’s Heisei era. Heisei, or Achieving Peace, began in 1989 near the peak of a massive stock market bubble and closes with the country trapped in low growth, no inflation, and negative interest rates.

The new era that dawns on May 1 is called Reiwa, meaning Beautiful Harmony. It begins when Crown Prince Naruhito ascends the Chrysanthemum Throne. But do investors really want harmony? What they want to see is a bit of economic growth and inflation to shake up the status quo.

The Bank of Japan’s stimulus toolkit to revive a long-suffering economy is anything but harmonious and yet it’s set to stay. The central bank confirmed recently rates will stay near zero for a long time. But the coming days may not be harmonious or peaceful for currency markets. A 10-day Golden Week holiday kicks off on April 29 and investors are fretting over the risk of a “flash crash” – a violent currency spasm that can occur in times of thin trading turnover.

The year has already seen two yen spikes and many, including Japan’s housewife-trader brigade – so-called Mrs Watanabes – appear to have bought yen as the holiday approaches. Their short dollar/long yen positions recently reached record highs, stock exchange data showed.

(GRAPHIC: Japan stocks: from Hensei to Reiwa – https://tmsnrt.rs/2W6a7Fe)

4/EARNING TURNING

Quarterly earnings were supposed to be the worst in Europe in almost three years, but with a third of results in, things are looking a little rosier.

Two-thirds of companies’ results have beat expectations, and they point to earnings growth of 4.5 percent year-on-year. Financials have delivered the biggest surprises, according to analysis by Barclays.

That might just show how low expectations were. In fact, analysts are still taking a red pen to their estimates.

The latest I/B/E/S data from Refinitiv shows analysts on average expect first-quarter earnings-per-share for STOXX 600-listed companies to fall 4.2 percent. That would be their worst quarter since 2016 and down sharply from an estimated 3.4 percent just a week earlier.

Those estimates may end up being a little too bearish as earnings season goes on, quelling worries that Europe is heading toward a corporate recession.

GSK and Reckitt Benckiser will give the market a glimpse of the health of the consumer products market and spending on everything from toothpaste, washing powder and paracetamol.

(GRAPHIC: Earnings forecasts – https://tmsnrt.rs/2DuO2ZF)

5/WAITING FOR THE OLD LADY

Sterling has gone into the doldrums amid the Brexit delay and unproductive talks between the UK government and the opposition Labour party on a EU withdrawal deal. The resurgent dollar, meanwhile, has taken 2 percent off the pound in April. It is unlikely the Bank of England will be able to rouse it at its May 2 meeting.

Despite robust retail and jobs data of late, the economic picture is gloomy – 2019 growth is likely to be around 1.2 percent, the weakest since 2009, investment is down and Governor Mark Carney says business uncertainty is “through the roof”.

Indeed, expectations for an interest rate increase have been whittled down; Reuters polls forecast rates will not move until early 2020, a calendar quarter later than was forecast a month ago. The hunt for a new governor to replace Carney in October adds more uncertainty to the mix.

The recent run of UK data has fueled hopes of economic rebound. That’s put net hedge fund positions in the pound into positive territory for the first time in nearly a year. The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street might temper some of that optimism.

(GRAPHIC: Sterling positions – https://tmsnrt.rs/2XJwUXX)

(Reporting by Alden Bentley in New York, Vidya Ranganathan in Singapore; Karin Strohecker, Josephine Mason and Saikat Chatterjee in London; compiled by Sujata Rao; edited by Larry King)

Source: OANN

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