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New Delivery Bot Threatens to Destroy Gig-Economy

FedEx Corp. unveiled an autonomous delivery robot designed to assist retailers with last-mile deliveries to customers, which debuted on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Feb. 26.

The next day, the Memphis, Tenn.-based shipping company issued a press release that stated: “FedEx SameDay Bot ” will have the capabilities to aid retailers in accepting orders from customers and deliver directly to their homes or businesses.

FedEx is collaborating with retailers such as AutoZone, Lowe’s, Target, Walgreens and Walmart, in the development of autonomous delivery.

The FedEx SameDay Bot is an innovation designed to change the face of local delivery and help retailers efficiently address their customers’ rising expectations,” said Brie Carere, executive vice president and chief marketing and communications officer for FedEx.

“The bot represents a milestone in our ongoing mission to solve the complexities and expense of same-day, last-mile delivery for the growing e-commerce market in a manner that is safe and environmentally friendly.”

FedEx SameDay Bot can travel on sidewalks and along roadsides, delivering small packages to customers’ homes and businesses. Bot features include pedestrian-safe technologies, including LiDAR and multiple sensors, battery power for zero emissions, and machine-learning algorithms to detect and avoid objects.

FedEx is preparing a pilot test this summer in select markets, including Memphis, Tenn., pending final approval from local officials.

“We couldn’t be more excited that FedEx chose its hometown as one of the pilot cities for this revolutionary innovation,” Mayor Jim Strickland, City of Memphis, said.

“We look forward to working with FedEx to continue introducing technologies that will help improve the quality of life in our community.”

(Photo by Spencer Pxhere / CC0 Public Domain)

The test will include deliveries between selected FedEx Office locations.

FedEx said 60% of merchants’ customers live within a three-mile circumference of most stores. The upcoming test will run through the end of the year to see if autonomous delivery at the last mile is a viable solution for cheap deliveries.

Unlocking new technology that eliminates costs from the last mile is any delivery company and retailers’ dream heading into 2020. Restaurants pay third-party delivery companies like Uber Eats, DoorDash and GrubHub commissions of 10-30% per order.

So if FedEx succeeds in its upcoming test and offers a nationwide rollout, let’s say sometime in the early 2020s, then thousands of broke Americans who are working last-mile gig-economy jobs could find themselves displaced by robots.


Dr. Nick Begich explains how patriots and conservatives must kick down the digital doorway blocking their voice from being heard before it’s too late.

Source: InfoWars

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Smartphone shipments to China hit six-year low in February: market data

Mobile phones are seen on display at an electronics market in Shanghai
FILE PHOTO: Mobile phones are seen on display at an electronics market in Shanghai, China, June 24, 2015. REUTERS/Aly Song

March 13, 2019

By Josh Horwitz

SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Smartphone shipments to China in February fell to their lowest in six years, market data indicated, as consumers continued to put off handset purchases amid a slowing economy.

Shipments to the world’s biggest smartphone market totaled 14.5 million units, down 19.9 percent from a year ago, according to data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, a government-affiliated research institute.

That is the lowest since February 2013, when shipments to the China totaled 20.7 million.

Overall consumer purchases typically slow during February as the Chinese spend much of the month with family celebrating the Lunar New Year. But shipments this year fell more than usual as a slowing economy, exacerbated by a Sino-U.S. trade war, hurt demand for gadgets across the board.

Apple cited slowing iPhone sales in China when it took the rare step of cutting its sales forecast earlier this year. The firm then teamed up with China’s Ant Financial and local banks to offer interest-free iPhone financing in its first such move in the country as it looked to boost waning sales.

Several third-party retailers have also offered iPhones at discounted prices.

With smartphone sales expected to stay weak, companies like Chinese market leader Huawei Technologies have aimed to launch more expensive models to corner higher margins.

In 2018, Huawei’s market share of China’s $500-$800 device segment rose to 26.6 percent from 8.8 percent, according to Counterpoint Research. Apple’s share fell to 54.6 percent from 81.2 percent as it launched devices cracking the $1,000 price point, while others released competitive devices for less.

(Reporting by Josh Horwitz; Editing by Himani Sarkar)

Source: OANN

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Wife of ousted Nissan boss Ghosn return to Japan to testify: Nikkei

FILE PHOTO: Former Nissan Motor Chairman Carlos Ghosn accompanied by his wife Carole Ghosn, arrives at his place of residence in Tokyo
FILE PHOTO: Former Nissan Motor Chairman Carlos Ghosn accompanied by his wife Carole Ghosn, arrives at his place of residence in Tokyo, Japan, March 8, 2019. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo

April 10, 2019

TOKYO (Reuters) – The wife of ousted Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn returned to Japan on Wednesday and intends to testify to Tokyo prosecutors, the Nikkei newspaper reported, days after she left the country to seek help from the French government.

Prosecutors last week arrested the former Nissan chairman for the fourth time on suspicion he tried to enrich himself at the cost of $5 million to the automaker.

Authorities had also wanted to question his wife on suspicion that Ghosn had siphoned off payments through a company where his wife is an executive to purchase a yacht and a boat, public broadcaster NHK has reported.

Ghosn has said he is innocent of all the charges against him and said he is the victim of a boardroom coup.

His wife left Japan last week after Ghosn’s arrest, telling the Financial Times she was going to seek help for her spouse, a French citizen. Paris has said it was monitoring the situation.

Prosecutors had earlier seized her Lebanese passport but overlooked her U.S. one, allowing her to leave Japan, the Financial Times said.

On Wednesday the Nikkei reported that she had arrived back in Japan at Tokyo’s Haneda airport, with the intention of testifying to prosecutors on Thursday, citing sources. The newspaper quoted her as saying she wanted to tell a court that there was “absolutely nothing illegal”.

A spokesman for Ghosn did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

NHK said last week that prosecutors asked her to meet them for voluntary questioning as an unsworn witness, but the request was turned down, which prompted them to ask judges to question her on their behalf.

Such a request gives judges the power to question on a mandatory basis witnesses who refuse to testify, according to NHK.

(Reporting by David Dolan; Editing by Keith Weir)

Source: OANN

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Ariana Grande to play Manchester, 2 years after arena bomb

Ariana Grande is returning to Manchester, two years after a suicide bomber killed 22 people at her concert in the northwest England city.

Organizers say Grande will be a headliner at the Manchester Pride Live event on Aug. 25. Chief executive Mark Fletcher said Monday that "we're truly honored to be welcoming Ariana back to the city to help us celebrate LGBT+ life."

Grande and Manchester were bound together in tragedy on May 22, 2017, when a bomber blew himself up at Manchester Arena as fans were leaving her show. The singer returned to the city two weeks later to take part in a memorial concert, which she helped to organize.

Manchester authorities named Grande an honorary citizen of the city for her work in the wake of the attack.

Source: Fox News World

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Israeli fire kills Palestinian on Gaza border: Palestinian Health Ministry

Palestinian demonstrator wearing a mask stands next to a burning tire during clashes with Israeli forces at a protest marking Land Day, near the Jewish settlement of Beit El, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank
A Palestinian demonstrator wearing a mask stands next to a burning tire during clashes with Israeli forces at a protest marking Land Day, near the Jewish settlement of Beit El, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank March 30, 2019. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman

March 30, 2019

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA (Reuters) – Israeli fire killed a Palestinian man near the Gaza border on Saturday, Palestinian Health officials said, as Israel’s forces massed at the frontier ahead of a rally to mark the first anniversary of a surge of Gaza border protests.

The Israeli military said it had not heard of any such incident. Palestinian medics said the man was killed by bullet shrapnel before dawn at a site of frequent night protests near the border.

On Friday night, the Israeli military said Palestinians were throwing explosive devices at the border fence.

Tensions have mounted along the Israel-Gaza border this week ahead of the commemoration of the ‘Great March of Return’ border protests, which began on March 30 last year.

Fighting flared when a Palestinian rocket attack from Gaza wounded seven Israelis in a village north of Tel Aviv on Monday. In response, Israel launched a wave of air strikes and moved armor and reinforcements to the border.

The Israeli forces remained at the border area on Saturday and the military said it was expecting “violent riots” to take place and was prepared for escalation.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians were expected to attend the protests, which have turned deadly in the past, and Egyptian mediators were working to avoid further bloodshed. Leaders of Gazan armed groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad said that progress had been made in the truce talks.

LETHAL FORCE

About 200 Gazans have been killed by Israeli troops since the protests started, according to Palestinian Health Ministry figures, and an Israeli soldier was killed by a Palestinian sniper.

The demonstrations have turned into a standoff between Gazans hurling rocks and explosives and Israeli troops across the border. Palestinians have also launched incendiary balloons and kites into Israel and breached the Israeli frontier fence.

Israel’s use of lethal force has drawn censure from the United Nations and rights groups. U.N. investigators said last week that Israeli forces may be guilty of war crimes for using excessive force.

Israel says it has no choice but to use deadly force at the protests to prevent militants from breaching the border fence and attacking civilian communities in the area.

The protesters are calling for the lifting of a security blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt, and for Palestinians to have the right to return to land from which their families fled or were forced to flee during Israel’s founding in 1948.

More than 2 million Palestinians are packed into the narrow coastal enclave where poverty and unemployment rates are high. The Isla mist Hamas group rules the territory and has fought three wars with Israel in the past decade.

The blockade is cited by humanitarian agencies as a key reason for impoverishment in Gaza.

Israel seized Gaza in a 1967 war and pulled out its troops in 2005. The security blockade, it says, is necessary in order to stop weapons from reaching Hamas and other armed groups which have fired thousands of rockets into Israel.

(Writing by Maayan Lubell; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

Source: OANN

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Mike Gravel has filed to run for president but intends to drop out after debates, campaign says

Former Sen. Mike Gravel of Alaska, 88, has filed to run for president -- but apparently has no intention of winning, the Democrat's campaign team told Fox News on Tuesday.

Gravel’s Twitter account posted, “It. Is. On. Sen. Mike Gravel has officially filed to run for president. Our only aim is pushing the field left by appearing in the Democratic debates. Donate as little as you like, but help us get to the necessary 65k donors! Official launch is April 8.”

The announcement came a month after college-age fans eager to push the party further to the left started boosting the longshot candidate's Twitter cred. Gravel has not run for president since 2008, and he hasn’t been a senator since 1981.

A campaign spokesperson told Fox News: “I'd like to add that our goal is 65,000 donors to qualify the senator for the debate; the senator is planning to drop out after that and endorse the most progressive candidate. Oh, and none of the senior staffers (like myself) are getting paid. Money will go toward basic campaign expenses, and all leftover funds will be donated to get Flint clean water,” referring to the crisis in the Michigan city that began in 2014.

PRO-TRUMP PAC ATTACKS 'CREEPY JOE' BIDEN IN AD RECALLING CLINTON CAMPAIGN

His controversial past already is leaping to the fore.

Vice reported last month about claims that Gravel is a left-wing 9/11 truther, believing the infamous terror attacks were an inside job.

The Jewish Worker reported about claims that Gravel was linked to conspiracy theorists who support anti-Semitism, such as appearances on a podcast by known Holocaust denier Kevin Barrett.

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Staffers in charge of his Twitter account told Fox News: “The Vice piece neglects to note that this pales in comparison to other candidates... We disagree with Senator Gravel on this specific issue. Whatever you think of these views, they have never killed anyone or imprisoned anyone unjustly.”

They added: “The Jewish Worker piece has been updated. We think their analysis has been fair and they've been judicious in allowing us to respond. Senator Gravel has unequivocally denounced Mr. Barrett.”

Fox News' Patrick Ward contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News Politics

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Mideast’s biggest exchange expects foreign investment to grow, CEO says

Khalid al-Hussan attends a signing ceremony at Tokyo Stock Exchange
FILE PHOTO: Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) Khalid al-Hussan attends a signing ceremony with Japan Exchange Group (JPX) Chief Executive Officer Akira Kiyota (not in picture) at Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE), Japan March 14, 2017. REUTERS/Issei Kato

March 18, 2019

By Marwa Rashad

RIYADH (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s listed companies could see holdings by foreign investors rise to 10 percent when their shares are included in index providers MSCI and FTSE’s emerging-market indices, the chief executive of Tadawul told Reuters on Monday.

Tadawul is the Middle East’s largest exchange and Saudi Arabia’s main exchange. It has a total market capitalization of around $541.3 billion, with a free float of about 40 percent.

Saudi shares on Monday joined the FTSE Emerging All Cap Index with a weighting of 2.9 percent. In May, Saudi shares will join the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.

Khalid al-Hussan said he expected equities on Tadawul to attract $5 billion of passive fund inflows after the FTSE Russell inclusion. Foreign investors currently hold 5.9 percent of Saudi shares.

Active foreign investors in the market have been increasing since the beginning of the year, and the number of qualified foreign investors registering to trade on the Saudi exchange is increasing everyday.

Hussan said he estimates the Saudi exchange to see “around $5 billion of passive inflows coming from FTSE and around $10-11 from MSCI and some inflows from S&P.”

Foreigners have been net buyers of Saudi stocks since the start of the year, plowing more than $2.1 billion year-to-date into the Saudi market. The Saudi index is up nearly 9.6 percent, outperforming its Gulf peers.

“You have to applaud the Saudis for what they’ve done over the past year in relation to opening up the market, said Fadi Al Said, managing director and head of the MENA investment team at Lazard Asset in Dubai.

“I think the opening up the market, the QFI process, has gone through an evolution of simplifying the process,” Al Said said.

Index provider MSCI incorporated shares of United Arab Emirates and Qatar companies into its emerging market index in 2014.

Foreigners excluding strategic investors own less than 2 percent of Saudi stocks, analysts have said. Currently, foreign ownership of listed stocks is capped at 49 percent.

Hussan said it was too early to discuss raising the cap, given current ownership levels and size of the market.

“We would love that challenge to happen in the market and it will show that our market is very attractive, but until then I don’t see that the 49 percent is an obstacle to international investments, taking into the account the size of the Saudi market.”

The Saudi main equities index closed up 1 percent on Monday.

Tadawul is expected to introduce index futures this year, pending the feedback it receives from investors to the rules and regulations of trading derivatives, which will be offered for public consultation over next two weeks, he said.

(Reporting By Marwa Rashad; additional reporting by Nafisa Eltahir, editing by Hadeel Al Sayegh, Larry King)

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)

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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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U.S. President Trump departs for travel to Indianapolis from the White House in Washington
U.S. President Donald Trump talks to reporters as he departs for travel to Indianapolis, Indiana from the White House in Washington, U.S., April 26, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

April 26, 2019

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said trade talks with China are going very well, as the world’s two largest economies seek to end talks with a trade agreement to defuse tensions.

Trump said on Thursday he would soon host China’s President Xi Jinping at the White House.

Earlier this week, the White House said that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer would travel to Beijing for more talks on a trade dispute marked by tit-for-tat tariffs between the two countries.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Writing by Makini Brice; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

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U.S. President Donald Trump hosts Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day at the White House in Washington
U.S. President Donald Trump gives a thumbs up to his audience as he hosts Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 25, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

April 26, 2019

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday praised Russian President Vladimir Putin’s comments on North Korea this week following the Russian leader’s summit with Pyongyang’s Kim Jong Un.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump also said China was helping with efforts aimed at the denuclearization of North Korea.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason and Makini Brice; Writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

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