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Oldest southern sea otter in captivity, Charlie, dies in California aquarium at 22

The oldest southern sea otter in a zoo or aquarium died on Monday in California, according to the aquarium where he was kept.

Charlie was 22 years old when he died at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.

THREE RARE RIVER OTTERS DISAPPEAR FROM NORTH CAROLINA ANIMAL SANCTUARY, OFFICIALS SAY

“It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that our sea otter Charlie passed away this morning,” the aquarium tweeted, in part, on Monday.

The aquarium posted a series of tweets about the beloved sea otter, who celebrated his 22nd birthday on March 2 by eating colorful seafood cupcakes.

According to the aquarium, Charlie is only the second sea otter to reach 22 years old. Male southern sea otters typically only live 10 to 14 years in the wild.

“Known for his intelligence and easy-going disposition, Charlie could often be seen sucking his paw while relaxing on exhibit,” one tweet from the aquarium said. “In addition to his role as an animal ambassador living at the Aquarium, Charlie also contributed to scientific research.”

The aquarium went on to say that Charlie “was the first otter in the world to give a voluntary blood sample” and that he participated in a study about how sea otters perceive sound from 2011 to 2013.

SOMEONE IS KILLING CALIFORNIA’S PROTECTED SEA OTTERS

In a post about Charlie, the aquarium said he was orphaned in 1997 during the El Niño storms. He spent some time at a sea otter rescue program, but experts decided he couldn’t live on his own.

Charlie, the oldest southern sea otter held by any zoo or aquarium, died Monday, April 22, 2019 at the age of 22, at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, Calif. (Robin Riggs/Aquarium of the Pacific via AP)

Charlie, the oldest southern sea otter held by any zoo or aquarium, died Monday, April 22, 2019 at the age of 22, at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, Calif. (Robin Riggs/Aquarium of the Pacific via AP)

He moved in at the Aquarium of the Pacific in 1998 before it was opened to the public, the aquarium said.

The aquarium lost another otter in January. Brook, a female, was 21 when she died of congestive heart failure.

California's sea otters are considered threatened. Hunting in the 18th and 19th centuries nearly wiped them out.

Conservation efforts have brought the population to about 3,000 but otters still face threats such as pollution and habitat loss.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News National

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U.S. Federal reserve provides more information on bank stress tests

FILE PHOTO: The Federal Reserve Board building on Constitution Avenue is pictured in Washington
FILE PHOTO: The Federal Reserve Board building on Constitution Avenue is pictured in Washington, U.S., March 27, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

March 28, 2019

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Reserve provided additional information on its 2019 bank stress testing models on Thursday, following through on its pledge to increase transparency around the test.

The 80-page document includes enhanced descriptions of the models the Fed relies on for the annual exam, as well as how hypothetical loan portfolios would perform under those models. The Fed announced in February it would release more information around the tests, following bank complaints they were too opaque.

(Reporting by Pete Schroeder; Editing by Leslie Adler)

Source: OANN

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Macron vows to rebuild Notre Dame in 5 years as dramatic firefighter footage is released

French President Emmanuel Macron vowed Tuesday to rebuild the badly burned Notre Dame Cathedral in five years, as dramatic footage was released showing the heroism of firefighters who battled the blaze for hours.

“We will rebuild Notre Dame even more beautifully and I want it to be completed in five years," Macron said in a televised address to the nation. "We can do it."

NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL DONATIONS SWELL PAST $700 MILLION MARK

“It is up to us to change this disaster into an opportunity to come together, having deeply reflected on what we have been and what we have to be and become better than we are. It is up to us to find the thread of our national project," he said.

Macron added that Monday's inferno "reminds us that our story never ends. And that we will always have challenges to overcome. What we believe to be indestructible can also be touched."

Macron's comments came one day after a fire raged through the cathedral for more than 12 hours, ultimately destroying its spire and roof but sparing its twin medieval bell towers. As the blaze roared, there was a frantic effort to rescue the monument's "most precious treasures," including the Crown of Thorns said to have been worn by Jesus.

NOTRE DAME'S GOLDEN ALTAR CROSS SEEN GLOWING AS IMAGES EMERGE FROM INSIDE SHOWING FIRE-RAVAGED CATHEDRAL

Also surviving was the Roman Catholic cathedral’s famous 18th century organ that boasts more than 8,000 pipes. Statues removed from the roof for restoration just days before were spared. The cathedral’s high altar was damaged by falling debris when the spire collapsed, an official said.

Although authorities consider the fire an accident, possibly as a result of restoration work at the global architectural treasure that survived almost 900 years of French history, Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz said the inquiry into what caused the fire would be “long and complex.”

Fifty investigators were working on it and are expected to interview workers from five companies hired for the renovations to the cathedral’s roof, where the flames first broke out.

Among those will likely be Julien Le Bras.

The young construction boss bragged about his company's ability to protect historic sites when he landed the lucrative $5.6 million deal to repair the famed cathedral's spire.

Bras, 32, owns the company Le Bras Freres. He has boasted in the past that "our first thought is to protect the values of historical buildings" and that "it's in our DNA."

The Daily Mail reported Tuesday that workers from his company are being questioned by investigators.

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As the probe into what happened continues, the Paris Fire Brigade shared dramatic footage of the roof of the cathedral engulfed in flames and billowing clouds of smoke. The incredible video also shows firemen and women racing into the burning building to save it from destruction.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Source: Fox News World

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MLB roundup: Bauer pitches Indians past Astros

MLB: Cleveland Indians at Houston Astros
Apr 25, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Trevor Bauer (47) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

April 26, 2019

Trevor Bauer won his individual matchup against Gerrit Cole, his former UCLA staff mate, and the Cleveland Indians claimed the opener of their four-game series with the host Houston Astros 2-1 Thursday.

Bauer (3-1) allowed at least one baserunner in each of his eight innings yet faced just one batter with a runner in scoring position. The Astros managed one run off Bauer: a 411-foot solo home run from George Springer in the third.

Bauer yielded four hits and six walks while fanning three. Cleveland got solo homers from Leonys Martin in the third inning and Jake Bauers in the fifth. Brad Hand threw a perfect ninth inning for his seventh save.

Cole (1-4) allowed two runs on three hits and three walks in seven innings. He struck out 10.

Diamondbacks 5, Pirates 0

Zack Greinke pitched seven two-hit scoreless innings and tripled and scored to lead visiting Arizona past Pittsburgh, completing a four-game series sweep.

Greinke (4-1) struck out seven and walked one. He retired the final 14 batters he faced. Andrew Chafin pitched the eighth and Yoshihisa Hirano the ninth to complete the combined five-hit shutout.

Christian Walker doubled twice, scored once and drove in a run, and Jarrod Dyson was 3 for 5 with an RBI and two runs scored for Arizona, which has won nine of its last 11.

Angels 11, Yankees 5

David Fletcher drove in a career-high five runs, helping Los Angeles rally from a four-run deficit to beat New York in Anaheim, Calif. The result ended the Yankees’ six-game winning streak.

Fletcher snapped a 4-4 tie in the sixth inning with a two-run single, then added a three-run triple in the seventh inning, extending the Angels’ lead to 11-4. Both hits came with two outs.

Tommy La Stella and Kole Calhoun homered for the Angels. Luke Voit had three hits for the Yankees, who got a home run from Gio Urshela.

Reds 4, Braves 2

Luis Castillo pitched six shutout innings, and Eugenio Suarez drove in three runs and scored another to lift Cincinnati past visiting Atlanta.

Castillo (3-1) allowed eight hits, no walks and struck out a season-low two batters. He also got a base hit — his first of the season — and scored a run. Castillo has posted a 1.16 ERA in his past 11 starts since Aug. 1, 2018.

The Reds won two games in the three-game series and have not lost a series against Atlanta since 2014. Cincinnati has won five of its past seven.

Marlins 3, Phillies 1 (10 innings)

Starlin Castro hit a two-run home run off Hector Neris with two outs in the 10th inning to lift visiting Miami over Philadelphia.

Neil Walker had three hits, including a pair of doubles, while Castro and Jorge Alfaro each added two hits for Miami. Walker’s double in the 10th set up Castro for the go-ahead homer. Tayron Guerrero (1-0) earned the win with a scoreless ninth. Sergio Romo picked up his fourth save in four chances this season.

Sean Rodriguez hit a solo home run and Cesar Hernandez had two hits for the Phillies.

Red Sox 7, Tigers 3

Rick Porcello collected his first victory of the season, rookie Michael Chavis hit his second career homer, and host Boston downed Detroit.

Porcello (1-3), who began the night with an 8.47 ERA, allowed three runs on six hits in six innings with five strikeouts. The Red Sox salvaged the last two games of the four-game series after dropping a day-night doubleheader on Tuesday.

Nicholas Castellanos hit a two-run homer, his first this season, for Detroit. Jordan Zimmermann (0-4) gave up five runs on five hits in three innings.

Dodgers 2, Cubs 1

A pair of runs without the aid of a base hit were all Los Angeles needed to earn a victory at Chicago that salvaged the finale of the three-game series.

The Dodgers scored once in the fifth inning when Chris Taylor’s hot smash to shortstop in the fifth inning eluded the glove of the Cubs’ Javier Baez, allowing Alex Verdugo to score from third. They added an insurance run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly from Cody Bellinger.

The Cubs got their lone run with two outs in the ninth inning when Albert Almora Jr. hit a home run against Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen.

–Field Level Media

Source: OANN

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Euro buoyant on improved economic views, awaits euro zone PMI

FILE PHOTO: U.S. dollar and Euro banknotes are seen in this picture illustration
FILE PHOTO: U.S. dollar and Euro banknotes are seen in this picture illustration taken May 3, 2018. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

April 18, 2019

By Shinichi Saoshiro

TOKYO (Reuters) – The euro was buoyant on Thursday after more evidence of strength in China improved the outlook for the global economy, with the market looking next to European indicators to provide the currency with a further boost.

The euro was a shade higher at $1.1298, having eked out a gain of 0.1 percent the previous day.

The single currency has steadily recovered from a recent low of $1.1183 plumbed at the start of April.

The euro was lifted after data on Wednesday showed China’s economy grew at a steady 6.4 percent pace in the first quarter, defying expectations for a further slowdown, as industrial production surged and consumer demand showed signs of improvement.

“A recovering Chinese economy is also good news for the German economy, and thus positive for the euro. The ongoing surge in bund yields amid ‘risk on’ is a key factor supporting the euro,” said Junichi Ishikawa, senior FX strategist at IG Securities in Tokyo.

The 10-year German bund yield rose to a one-month high of 0.10 percent overnight, in a sharp rebound from a 2-1/2-year low of minus 0.094 percent set at the end of March.

Bund yields had sunk in March as concerns about slowing global growth gripped the broader market. Investors are now watching Chinese and European economic data for signs that the global economy is performing better than initially feared.

The Purchasing Managers Indexes (PMIs) for the manufacturing and service sectors in Europe due later on Thursday will provide the next indication of strength for the European economy.

“Data from China cleared the way for the euro, which needs follow through support in the form of strong euro zone indicators,” Ishikawa at IG Securities said.

The dollar index against a basket of six major currencies was flat at 97.015 after dipping 0.05 percent the previous day.

The U.S. currency was steady at 112.035 yen after briefly touching a four-month peak of 112.17 on Wednesday amid a bounce in U.S. Treasury yields to a one-month high.

Commodity-linked currencies sagged after a surge in crude oil prices ran out of steam.

The Canadian dollar stood at C$1.3352 per dollar, having pulled back from a one-month high of C$1.3275 brushed on Wednesday.

The Australian dollar was down 0.1 percent at $0.7173 after popping up to a two-month peak of $0.7206 the previous day in response to the stronger-than-expected Chinese economic growth data.

(Editing by Jacqueline Wong)

Source: OANN

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MLB roundup: Angels stay hot even without Trout

MLB: Milwaukee Brewers at Los Angeles Angels
Apr 10, 2019; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Cam Bedrosian (32) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers in the eighth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

April 11, 2019

Mike Trout got the day off to recover from a strained right groin, and the Los Angeles Angels made the most of their five hits in a 4-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night at Anaheim, Calif., completing a three-game sweep.

It also was the Angels’ sixth win in a row, putting Los Angeles (7-6) above .500 for the first time this season.

Three of the Angels’ hits came in the third inning, when they scored all four of their runs. The big blow was Justin Bour’s two-run single that snapped a 1-1 tie. Brian Goodwin started in center field in place of Trout, who is day-to-day, and made a Trout-like catch, robbing Yasmani Grandal of a potential home run in the second inning.

Angels starter Felix Pena gave up only an unearned run on three hits and two walks, but he lasted only four innings and didn’t qualify for the win after throwing 72 pitches. The victory went to Jaime Barria, called up from Triple-A Salt Lake earlier in the day. Barria (1-0) gave up one run over 2 2/3 innings, and Hansel Robles pitched the ninth for his first save.

Mariners 6, Royals 5

Mitch Haniger’s two-out, solo home run in the top of the ninth inning gave Seattle the victory over host Kansas City as the Mariners extended baseball’s best record to 12-2 with their fifth straight win.

The Royals (2-9) have lost nine straight, but Whit Merrifield extended his hitting streak to 31 games with an RBI bunt single in the seventh.

Anthony Swarzak (1-0) picked up the win in relief. The Mariners became the second team since 1908 (2002 Cleveland Indians) to homer in each of their first 14 games.

Astros 8, Yankees 6

Jose Altuve recorded his fourth career multi-homer game while Collin McHugh produced another effective start as Houston capped a perfect homestand and a three-game sweep of New York.

One night after recording his 100th career home run, Altuve socked solo dingers in the first and fifth innings. He was one of five Astros to record a multi-hit game and led the charge against Yankees left-hander James Paxton (1-2).

Paxton tormented Houston pitching for Seattle in 2018, winning all four of his starts with a 2.05 ERA. He’d allowed just one home run over seven career starts at Minute Maid Park before Altuve took him deep twice. Paxton surrendered three additional extra-base hits, including an RBI triple to Yuli Gurriel in the first inning and an RBI double to Carlos Correa in the third.

Cardinals 7, Dodgers 2

Jack Flaherty allowed one run and three hits in six innings, and St. Louis extended its winning streak to four with a victory against visiting Los Angeles.

Flaherty (1-0) struck out eight and did not walk a batter. Yadier Molina and Marcell Ozuna hit two-run homers. Ozuna also singled and doubled, and Paul DeJong also had three hits, three runs and an RBI for St. Louis.

Kenta Maeda (2-1) allowed five runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings for the Dodgers, who have lost three in a row following a five-game winning streak. Joc Pederson and Max Muncy hit solo home runs for Los Angeles.

Pirates 5, Cubs 2

Francisco Cervelli and Starling Marte each belted home runs, Jordan Lyles notched 10 strikeouts in a quality start, and Pittsburgh pulled away for the victory at Chicago.

Josh Bell also drove in a run for Pittsburgh, which evened the three-game series at one game apiece. Marte, Cervelli, Bell and Erik Gonzalez had two hits each on a cold, blustery night along Lake Michigan with temperatures dropping into the 30s.

Jason Heyward went 3-for-4 with a home run to lead the Cubs. Chicago has lost eight of 11 games this season.

Nationals 15, Phillies 1

Anthony Rendon continued his torrid hitting with two hits and three RBIs, and Matt Adams had two hits and four RBIs as visiting Washington scored three runs in the first and kept going, routing Philadelphia.

The Nationals took two of three in the series with the Phillies after winning two of three in New York against the Mets.

Jeremy Hellickson (1-0) pitched six scoreless innings against his former team and allowed just three hits. Rendon has now hit in 10 games in a row and has an extra-base hit in eight straight, the longest active mark in the majors.

Mets 9, Twins 6

Noah Syndergaard tossed seven-plus strong innings, Michael Conforto drove in three runs, and host New York benefited from unconventional offense to post the victory over Minnesota.

Conforto and Wilson Ramos each had a two-run single and Jeff McNeil added an RBI single for the Mets, who plated their first four runs via a hit batsman and three walks with the bases loaded.

Syndergaard (1-1) allowed just one run through the first seven innings, but he wound up charged with four runs on five hits. He struck out seven without issuing a walk.

A’s 10, Orioles 3

Khris Davis homered twice, including the 200th of his career, leading a five-homer attack for Oakland in a victory at Baltimore.

Davis finished the night 3-for-5 with four RBIs. He homered in the fifth and seventh innings, his 23rd multi-homer game. The second homer was No. 200 and his seventh in Oakland’s first 16 games this season.

Matt Chapman, Jurickson Profar and Chad Pinder also each went deep for the A’s. Chapman and Davis hit back-to-back homers in the seventh, the first time Oakland has done that this season.

Reds 2, Marlins 1

Jose Iglesias and Jesse Winker hit solo homers in the eighth inning as Cincinnati rallied to defeat visiting Miami.

Both homers were hit off Drew Steckenrider (0-2), who was taken deep both times on fastballs to the opposite field. Iglesias’ shot, his first of the season, went 391 feet to right-center. Winker’s blow, his second, traveled 358 feet to left.

The Marlins, who were shut out by the Reds 14-0 on Tuesday, managed a Neil Walker home run. Walker’s long ball, his second of the year, gave Miami the lead in the third inning, and it held up until Cincinnati’s late power surge.

Padres 3, Giants 1

Manny Machado cleared the right field wall for a tiebreaking home run, and San Diego’s bullpen preserved the lead, delivering the victory over host San Francisco to win the three-game series.

Rookie Nick Margevicius (1-1) recorded his first major league win with six innings of one-run ball and aided his own cause with a sacrifice bunt that helped produce a run. The Padres beat the Giants for the fifth time in seven meetings this season.

The teams traded runs before Machado’s high fly to right field with one out in the sixth made it over the top of Oracle Park’s 20-foot brick wall near the right field foul pole, giving the Padres a lead they never relinquished.

Rays 9, White Sox 1

Tommy Pham homered twice to back a combined six-hitter from Tyler Glasnow and Jalen Beeks and lift Tampa Bay to the victory against host Chicago, capping a sweep of the three-game series.

The surging Rays have won four successive series to open a season for the first time in franchise history and boast victories in 10 of 13 games overall.

Austin Meadows had three hits and three RBIs, and Avisail Garcia added three hits and two RBIs for the Rays in his return to Chicago. Garcia, a member of the White Sox from 2013-18, went 8-for-15 with a home run and four RBIs in the series.

Tigers 4, Indians 1

Niko Goodrum blasted a two-run homer in the first, Matthew Boyd tossed six strong innings, and host Detroit cooled off Cleveland.

John Hicks also homered for Detroit, which has won six of its past seven games. Goodrum, Hicks, Miguel Cabrera and Dustin Peterson had two hits apiece.

Boyd (1-1) gave up one run on four hits, striking out six and walking two. Shane Greene recorded his eighth save in as many opportunities by getting the last three outs, snapping Cleveland’s five-game winning streak.

Rangers 5, Diamondbacks 2

The Texas offense recovered after five no-hit innings from Arizona’s Robbie Ray, and the bullpen held on to support a strong outing from Lance Lynn in a victory at Phoenix.

Lynn (1-1) allowed one run and four hits in six innings, striking out nine and walking two. The right-hander improved to 6-0 in 10 career starts against the Diamondbacks.

Texas closer Jose Leclerc, who coughed up a 4-2 lead in the ninth Tuesday in a 5-4 loss, got into more trouble when he walked in a run in the ninth. Kyle Bird came on to close out the victory for his first save.

Braves at Rockies, ppd.

The scheduled game between Atlanta and Colorado was postponed due to a blizzard warning in Denver. The contest was rescheduled for Aug. 26.

–Field Level Media

Source: OANN

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Sex offender driving instructor held on suspicion of molesting 17-year-old student, authorities say

A California driving instructor whom authorities said was a registered sex offender was arrested last week for sexually assaulting a 17-year-old driving student during multiple lessons, authorities said Thursday.

Tom Lam, 56, sexually assaulted the female driving student earlier this month in Rowland Heights, about 25 miles east of Los Angeles. The girl’s parents had reportedly paid Lam for six driving lessons and the first four were without incident, the Los Angeles Times reported. Lam allegedly assaulted the teen during the last two lessons.

MICHIGAN PRIEST ACQUITTED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT CHARGES

The victim reported Lam to authorities March 12 and an investigation was opened, the press release said. Amid the investigation, authorities discovered that Lam was arrested in late 2014 for “annoying or molesting a minor” -- also while acting as a driving instructor, authorities said in a news release.

Lam was arrested March 15 in his Montclair home and taken into custody at the Walnut-Diamond Bar sheriff’s station, authorities said. He was released two days later on $140,000 bond, they added, with his next court appearance is slated for April 8 in Pomona.

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Authorities said they believe Lam may have assaulted other victims. Anyone with information on the matter is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Special Victims Bureau at 877-710-5273.

Source: Fox News National

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Members of The Cranberries, bassist Mike Hogan, drummer Fergal Lawler and guitarist Noel Hogan speak to Reuters during an interview in London
Members of The Cranberries, bassist Mike Hogan, drummer Fergal Lawler and guitarist Noel Hogan speak to Reuters during an interview in London, Britain, April 24, 2019. REUTERS/Gerhard Mey

April 26, 2019

By Hanna Rantala

LONDON (Reuters) – Irish rockers The Cranberries are saying goodbye with their final album released on Friday, a poignant tribute to lead singer Dolores O’Riordan who died last year.

“In the End” is the eighth studio album from the band that rose to fame in the early 1990s with hits likes “Zombie” and “Linger”, and includes the final recordings by O’Riordan, who drowned in a London hotel bath in January 2018 due to alcohol intoxication.

Work on the album began during a 2017 tour and by that winter, O’Riordan and guitarist Neil Hogan had penned and demoed 11 tracks.

With O’Riordan’s vocals recorded, Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawler completed the album in tribute to her.

“When we realized how strong the songs were, that was the deciding factor really… There was no point… trying to ruin the legacy of the band,” Noel Hogan said in an interview.

“It was obvious that Dolores wanted this album done because when you hear the album, you hear the songs and how strong they are, and she was very, very excited to get in and record this.”

The Cranberries formed in Limerick in 1989 with another singer. O’Riordan replaced him a year later and the group went on to become Ireland’s best-selling rock band after U2, selling more than 40 million records.

O’Riordan, known for her strong distinctive voice singing about relationships or political violence, was 46 when she died.

“She was actually in quite a good place mentally. She was feeling quite content and strong and looking forward to a new phase of her life,” Lawler said.

“A lot of the lyrics in this album are about things ending… people might read into it differently but it was a phase of her personal life that she was talking about.”

The group previously announced their intention to split after the release of “In The End”.

“We are absolutely gutted we can’t play (the songs) live because that’s something that’s been a massive part of this band from day one,” Noel Hogan said.

“A few people have said to us about maybe even doing a one off where you have different vocalists… as kind of guests of ours. A year ago that’s definitely something we weren’t going to entertain but I don’t know, I think it’s something we need to go away and take time off for the summer and have a think about.”

Critics have generally given positive reviews of the album; NME described it as “(seeing) the band’s career go full-circle” while the Irish Times called it “an unexpected late career high and a remarkable swan song for O’Riordan”.

Their early songs still play on the radio. This week, “Dreams” was performed at the funeral of journalist Lyra McKee, who was shot dead in Londonderry last week as she watched Irish nationalist youths attack police following a raid.

“We wrote them as kids, as a hobby and 30 years later they are on radio and on TV, like all the time… That’s far more than any of us ever thought we would have,” Noel Hogan said.

“That would make Dolores really happy because she was very precious about those songs. Her babies, she called them and to have that hopefully long after we’re gone… that’s all any band can wish for.”

(Reporting by Hanna Rantala; additoinal reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Writing by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Susan Fenton)

Source: OANN

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2020 Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren participates in the She the People Presidential Forum in Houston
2020 Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren participates in the She the People Presidential Forum in Houston, Texas, U.S. April 24, 2019. REUTERS/Loren Elliott

April 26, 2019

By Joshua Schneyer and M.B. Pell

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Senator Elizabeth Warren will introduce a bill Friday that offers new protections for U.S. military families facing unsafe housing, following a series of Reuters reports revealing squalid conditions in privately managed base homes.

The Reuters reports and later Congressional hearings detailed widespread hazards including lead paint exposure, vermin infestations, collapsing ceilings, mold and maintenance lapses in privatized base housing communities that serve some 700,000 U.S. military family members.

(View Warren’s military housing bill here. https://tmsnrt.rs/2Dy5aht)

(Read Reuters’ Ambushed at Home series on military housing here. https://www.reuters.com/investigates/section/usa-military)

The Massachusetts Democrat’s bill would mandate both regular and unannounced spot inspections of base homes by certified, independent inspectors, holding landlords accountable for quickly fixing hazards. The military’s privatization program for years allowed real estate firms to operate base housing with scant oversight, Reuters found, leaving some tenants in unsafe homes with little recourse against landlords.

The bill would also require the Department of Defense and its private housing operators to publish reports annually detailing housing conditions, tenant complaints, maintenance response times and the financial incentives companies receive at each base. The provisions aim to enhance transparency of housing deals whose finances and operations the military had allowed to remain largely confidential under a privatization program since the late 1990s.

The measure would also require private landlords to cover moving costs for at-risk families, and healthcare costs for people with medical conditions resulting from unsafe base housing, ensuring they receive continuing coverage even after they leave the homes or the military.

“This bill will eliminate the kind of corner-cutting and neglect the Defense Department should never have let these private housing partners get away with in the first place,” Warren said in a statement Friday.

The proposed legislation comes after February Senate hearings where Warren, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee who is seeking the Democratic nomination for the 2020 U.S. presidential election, slammed private real estate firms for endangering service families, and sought answers about why military branches weren’t providing more oversight.

Her legislation would direct the Defense Department to allow local housing code enforcers onto federal bases, following concerns they were sometimes denied access. Warren’s office said a companion bill in the House of Representatives would be introduced by Rep. Deb Haaland, Democrat of New Mexico.

In response to the housing crisis, military branches are developing a tenant bill of rights and hiring hundreds of new housing staff. The branches recently dispatched commanders to survey base housing worldwide for safety hazards, resulting in thousands of work orders and hundreds of tenants being moved. The Defense Department has pledged to renegotiate its 50-year contracts with private real estate firms.

Congress has been quick to take its own measures. Earlier legislation proposed by senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris of California, along with Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia, would compel base commanders to withhold rent payments and incentive fees from the private ventures if they allow home hazards to persist.

(Editing by Ronnie Greene)

Source: OANN

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FILE PHOTO: Offices of Deloitte are seen in London
FILE PHOTO: Offices of Deloitte are seen in London, Britain, September 25, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo

April 26, 2019

By Noor Zainab Hussain and Tanishaa Nadkar

(Reuters) – Deloitte quit as Ferrexpo’s auditor on Friday, knocking its shares by more than 20 percent, days after saying it was unable to conclude whether the iron ore miner’s CEO controlled a charity being investigated over its use of company donations.

Blooming Land, which coordinates Ferrexpo’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, came under scrutiny after auditors found holes in the charity’s statements.

Ferrexpo on Tuesday said findings of an ongoing independent investigation launched in February indicated some Blooming Land funds could have been “misappropriated”. It did not provide any details or publish its findings.

Shares in Ferrexpo, the third largest exporter of pellets to the global steel industry, were 23.4 percent lower at 206.1 pence at 1022 GMT following news of Deloitte’s resignation.

“Ferrexpo’s shares are deeply discounted vs peers … following the resignation of Deloitte, we expect downside risks to dominate Ferrexpo’s shares near term.” JP Morgan analyst Dominic O’Kane said in a note on Friday.

Swiss-headquartered Ferrexpo did not provide a reason for the resignation of Deloitte, which declined to comment, while Blooming Land did not respond to a request for comment.

Funding for Blooming Land’s CSR activities is provided by one of Ferrexpo’s units in Ukraine and Khimreaktiv LLC, an entity ultimately controlled by Ferrexpo’s CEO and majority owner Kostyantin Zhevago, Ferrexpo said on Tuesday.

Ferrexpo’s board has found that Zhevago did not have significant influence or control over the charity, but Deloitte said it was unable reach a conclusion on this.

Reuters was not immediately able to contact Zhevago.

In a qualified opinion, a statement addressing an incomplete audit, Deloitte said it had been unable to conclude whether $33.5 million of CSR donations to Blooming Land between 2017 and 2018 was used for “legitimate business payments for charitable purposes”.

Deloitte said on Tuesday that total CSR payments made to Blooming Land by Ferrexpo since 2013 total about $110 million.

Ferrexpo, whose major mines are in Ukraine, has said that the investigation was ongoing and new evidence pointed to potential discrepancies.

Zhevago, 45, who ranked 1,511 on Forbes magazine’s list of billionaires for 2019 with a net worth of $1.4 billion, owns the FC Vorskla soccer club and has been a member of Ukraine’s parliament since 1998.

(Reporting by Noor Zainab Hussain and Tanishaa Nadkar in Bengaluru and additional reporting by Pavel Polityuk in Kiev; editing by Gopakumar Warrier, Bernard Orr)

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Children walk past a damaged building in the aftermath of the Cyclone Kenneth in Pemba
Children walk past a damaged building in the aftermath of the Cyclone Kenneth in Pemba, Mozambique April 26, 2019 in this still image obtained from social media. SolidarMed via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES

April 26, 2019

By Emma Rumney and Stephen Eisenhammer

JOHANNESBURG/LUANDA (Reuters) – Cyclone Kenneth killed at least one person and left a trail of destruction in northern Mozambique, destroying houses, ripping up trees and knocking out power, authorities said on Friday.

The cyclone brought storm surges and wind gusts of up to 280 km per hour (174 mph) when it made landfall on Thursday evening, after killing three people in the island nation of Comoros.

It was the most powerful storm on record to hit Mozambique’s northern coast and came just six weeks after Cyclone Idai battered the impoverished nation, causing devastating floods and killing more than 1,000 people across a swathe of southern Africa.

The World Food Programme warned that Kenneth could dump as much as 600 millimeters of rain on the region over the next 10 days – twice that brought by Cyclone Idai.

One woman in the port town of Pemba died after being hit by a falling tree, the Emergency Operations Committee for Cabo Delgado (COE) said in a statement, while another person was injured.

In rural areas outside Pemba, many homes are made of mud. In the main town on the island of Ibo, 90 percent of the houses were destroyed, officials said. Around 15,000 people were out in the open or in “overcrowded” shelters and there was a need for tents, food and water, they said.

There were also reports of a large number of homes and some infrastructure destroyed in Macomia district, a mainland district adjacent to Ibo.

A local group, the Friends of Pemba Association, had earlier reported that they could not reach people in Muidumbe, a district further inland.

Mark Lowcock, United Nations under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, warned the storm could require another major humanitarian operation in Mozambique.

“Cyclone Kenneth marks the first time two cyclones have made landfall in Mozambique during the same season, further stressing the government’s limited resources,” he said in a statement.

FLOOD WARNINGS

Shaquila Alberto, owner of the beach-front Messano Flower Lodge in Macomia, said there were many fallen trees there, and in rural areas people’s homes had been damaged. Some areas of nearby Pemba had no power.

“Even my workers, they said the roof and all the things fell down,” she said by phone.

Further south, in Pemba, Elton Ernesto, a receptionist at Raphael’s Hotel, said there were fallen trees but not too much damage. The hotel had power and water, he said, while phones rang in the background. “The rain has stopped,” he added.

However Michael Charles, an official for the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said heavy rains over the next few days were likely to bring a “second wave of destruction” in the form of flooding.

“The houses are not all solid, and the topography is very sandy,” Charles said.

In the days after Cyclone Idai, heavy inland rains prompted rivers to burst their banks, submerging entire villages, cutting areas off from aid and ruining crops. There were concerns the same could happen again in northern Mozambique.

Before Kenneth hit, the government and aid workers moved around 30,000 people to safer buildings such as schools, however authorities said that around 680,000 people were in the path of the storm.

(Reporting by Emma Rumney and Stephen Eisenhammer; Writing by Emma Rumney; Editing by Janet Lawrence and Alexandra Zavis)

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A worker holds a nozzle to pump petrol into a vehicle at a fuel station in Mumbai
FILE PHOTO: A worker holds a nozzle to pump petrol into a vehicle at a fuel station in Mumbai, India, May 21, 2018. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas

April 26, 2019

By Manoj Kumar and Nidhi Verma

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Surging global oil prices will pose a first big challenge to India’s new government, whoever wins an election now under way, especially as domestic prices have been allowed to lag, meaning consumers are in for a painful surge as they catch up.

For oil-import dependent India, higher global prices could lead to a weaker rupee, higher inflation, the ruling out of interest rate cuts and could further weigh on twin current account and budget deficits, economists warned.

But compounding the future pain, state-run fuel suppliers and retailers have held off passing on to consumers the higher prices during a staggered general election, which began on April 11 and ends on May 23, according to sources familiar with the situation.

That delay is expected to be unwound once the election is over. And there could be additional price increases to make up for losses or profits missed during the period of delayed increases, the sources said.

In some major Asian countries, such as Japan and South Korea, pump prices are adjusted periodically so they move largely in tandem with international crude prices.

That was what was supposed to happen in India but the election means there have been many days when pump prices have been unchanged.

In New Delhi, for example, while crude oil prices have gone up by nearly $9 a barrel, or about 12 percent, in the past six weeks, gasoline prices have only risen by 0.47 rupees a liter, or 0.6 percent.

State-controlled fuel suppliers and retailers declined to say why they had delayed price increases, or discuss whether there has been any pressure from the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A government spokesman declined to comment.

The opposition Congress party said Modi’s government was violating its own policy of daily price revision by advising the state oil companies to hold prices steady.

“The government should cut fuel taxes otherwise consumers will have to pay much higher oil prices once the elections are over,” said Akhilesh Pratap Singh, a senior leader of the Congress party.

(GRAPHIC: India Polls: Fuel price hike lags crude surge – https://tmsnrt.rs/2XLlxik)

Nitin Goyal, treasurer at the All India Petroleum Dealers Association, representing fuel stations in 25 states, said prices were similarly held down for 19 days in the southern state of Karnataka last year, when it held state assembly elections.

Only for them to surge after the vote.

“Consumers should be ready for a rude shock of a massive jump in retail prices, similar to the level we have seen in the Karnataka state election,” Goyal said.

‘CREDIT NEGATIVE’

Sri Paravaikkarasu, director for Asia oil at Singapore-based consultancy FGE, said retail prices of gasoline and gasoil prices would have been up to 6 percent, or about 4 rupee, higher if they had been allowed to rise in line with global prices.

“Indian pump prices have failed to keep up with the recent uptrend in crude prices,” Paravaikkarasu said.

“With the country’s general elections underway, the incumbent government has been keeping pump prices relatively unchanged.”

India had switched to a daily price revision in June 2017 from a revision every two weeks, as the government allowed retailers to set prices.

But the government faced protests last October when retailers raised prices by up to 10 rupees a liter after the crude oil price went above $80 a barrel, forcing it to cut fuel taxes.

Global prices rose to their highest level in 2019 on Thursday, days after the United States announced all Iran sanction waivers would end by May, pressuring importers including India to stop buying Tehran’s oil. [O/R]

Higher oil prices will mean Asia’s third largest economy is likely to see growth of less than 7 percent rate this fiscal year, economists said. Growth slowed to 6.6 percent in the October-December quarter, the slowest in five quarters.

Rating agency CARE has warned that a 10 percent rise in global oil prices could increase demand for dollars, putting pressure on the rupee and widening the current account deficit.

India’s oil import bill rose by nearly one-third in the fiscal year ending March 31 to $140.5 billion, against $108 billion the previous year.

“The increase in international oil prices is a credit negative for the Indian economy,” ICRA, the Indian arm of the Fitch rating agency, said in a note.

“Every $10/ bbl increase in crude oil prices increases the fiscal deficit by about 0.1 percent of GDP.”

Any big price rise would also build a case for the central bank to keep rates steady, or even raise them.

The Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee, which cut the benchmark policy repo rate by 25 basis points this month, warned that rising oil and food prices could push up inflation.

Policymakers are worried that a sustained increase in the oil price in the range of $70-75/barrel or higher can move the rupee down by 3-4 percent on an annual basis.

The rupee has depreciated by 1.24 percent against the dollar since a year high in mid-March.

($1 = 70.1800 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Manoj Kumar and Nidhi Verma; Editing by Martin Howell and Rob Birsel)

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