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ISIS claims responsibility for Sri Lanka Easter bombings, but involvement not verified by officials

ISIS claimed responsibility Tuesday morning for the coordinated Sri Lanka Easter bombings as the death toll in the massacre has risen to 321.

The international terror group – despite not producing evidence to prove their involvement – tweeted via its propaganda wing that the violence was carried out by “fighters of the Islamic State,” reports said.

The terror group's assertion comes amid Sri Lanka's minister of defense stating the bombings at multiple churches and hotels in Colombo were "carried out in retaliation" for attacks on mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand on March 15 by an apparent white supremacist gunman.

Sri Lankan officials also have blamed the domestic militant group National Thowfeek Jamaath for the bombings and authorities revealed the little-known outfit likely received assistance in carrying out the horrific plot.

In the past year, ISIS has lost almost all of the territory in Syria and Iraq that made up its so-called "caliphate," and the reeling Islamists have increasingly begun to take credit for militant attacks around the world while not demonstrating any evidence they were involved in the plotting.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News World

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How Indonesia’s president has tried to claw back voter support in Muslim heartland

FILE PHOTO: Indonesia's President and presidential candidate for the next election Joko Widodo and his running mate for the upcoming election Ma'ruf Amin gesture as they greet their supporters at a carnival during campaign rally in Tangerang
FILE PHOTO: Indonesia's President and presidential candidate for the next election Joko Widodo and his running mate for the upcoming election Ma'ruf Amin gesture as they greet their supporters at a carnival during campaign rally in Tangerang, Banten province, Indonesia, April 7, 2019. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan/File Photo

April 12, 2019

By Agustinus Beo Da Costa and Kanupriya Kapoor

GARUT, Indonesia (Reuters) – When Wawan Setiawan, a volunteer for Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s re-election campaign, goes door-to-door in this conservative part of Java, his opening line is: “If you hear he is anti-Islam or a communist, remember, it’s all lies.”

The 41-year-old is one of thousands of volunteers – armed with T-shirts, stickers, pins, and other giveaways – seeking to bolster support for Widodo in the teeming villages of West Java, the most populous province and a key battleground in the April 17 vote in the world’s largest Muslim-majority country.

Widodo’s aides say such mobilizing of grassroots support and canvassing of thousands of Islamic boarding schools in this and other conservative provinces is crucial to prevent a repeat of 2014, when a smear campaign accusing Widodo of being a bad Muslim beholden to Chinese interests nearly cost him the presidency, with the heaviest losses in West Java.

As in 2014, Widodo is running against retired general Prabowo Subianto, whose military background and strong ties with hardline Islamist groups make him a popular choice in West Java, with a voting population of 32.5 million, or about 17 percent of the electorate.

On a national level most opinion surveys give Widodo a double-digit lead, but he trails in West Java, which is known to be among the country’s most conservative regions.

As conservative Islam gains greater traction in Indonesia, many politicians including Widodo have taken pains to appear “more Islamic” to appeal to Muslim voters. The worry for many investors is whether this appeal for conservative votes will translate into populist policy.

Around the hilly city of Garut, which favored Prabowo in 2014, gigantic banners show the president dressed in a peci cap and sarong – traditional garb worn in Islamic boarding schools – saying, “let’s pray”.

To the disappointment of some of his more moderate and progressive supporters, Widodo also picked 76-year-old Islamic cleric Ma’ruf Amin as his running mate – part of a deliberate strategy to enhance his ticket’s appeal among Muslims.

“The one thing that I really like about the Jokowi campaign is that they understand where they failed in 2014,” said Achmad Sukarsono, a senior analyst at Control Risks in Singapore, using the president’s nickname.

“They made a mathematical calculation that Jokowi lost in areas where the Muslim population was above 97 percent,” he said.

FORGING TIES

Religious leaders say Widodo’s most effective strategy has been forging closer ties with Islamic boarding schools – which hold huge cultural and social sway in many parts of Indonesia – and his decision to choose Amin as running mate, a respected Islamic scholar from the country’s biggest moderate Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama.

“The key difference now is Jokowi has systematically shown his appreciation for pesantrens and santri,” said a young cleric, Hilman Uman Basori, using the Indonesian words for Islamic boarding schools and their students.

Basori, who runs nine pesantrens in Garut, said Widodo has visited regularly, channeled funding, and introduced much-needed vocational training programs to complement religious education and allow graduates to find jobs.

“Picking Ma’ruf Amin as vice presidential nominee made the choice final for us…We have mobilized all the resources in our pesantrens to make sure they win,” Basori added.

Aides say Widodo has also sought to appeal to more voters in opposition strongholds by making public appearances with his family and subtly drawing a contrast with his rival Prabowo, who is divorced.

DEEP SUSPICIONS

But not everyone is convinced. West Java, which has a history of bloodshed between Muslims and leftists, remains a stronghold for conservative Islamists who harbor suspicions about Widodo, a moderate Muslim hailing from Central Java whose government has sought to crack down on some hardline groups.

“Jokowi has criminalized clerics and that has been very hurtful for the Muslim public,” said cleric Cecep Abdul Halim.Authorities have launched investigations into prominent Muslim figures on charges of violating pornography laws or defamation. The government also banned the hardline Hizb-ut Tahrir Indonesia group, which advocates a caliphate to replace Indonesia’s secular ideology.

Halim says he also suspects that Widodo, who is the first leader to come from outside Indonesia’s military and political elite, may have links to communist groups – which are illegal in Indonesia – and is allowing “millions” of Chinese workers into the country.

The president has repeatedly denied such claims and urged voters not to be taken in by such falsehoods.

In late 2016, Widodo scrambled to distance himself from a one-time ally, the popular ethnic Chinese, Christian governor of Jakarta who was accused by hardline groups of insulting Islam. As hundreds of thousands of Muslims took to the streets to oust the governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, Widodo sought to reassure Islamists and the broader public that his government was not anti-Islam.

Purnama eventually lost the next election for governorship, was jailed for blasphemy and released earlier this year.

Prabowo’s provincial campaign team say voter dissatisfaction over these issues and Widodo’s performance on the economy are swaying voters.

“We’re not just optimistic, we are sure we will win,” said Yusuf Supriadi, at a campaign post piled high with banners and t-shirts, as well as a poster of Prabowo calling to “Make Indonesia Great Again”.

“MORE ISLAMIC”

Surveys show that although Widodo trails in West Java, his focused campaign has narrowed a gap that in 2014 stood at 20 points. His support rose from 39 percent at the start of the campaign in September to 42 percent last month, while Prabowo’s numbers have slipped from 50 to 47 percent.

“The hardest part has been changing public perception of Jokowi at the very grassroots level,” said Yuda Puja Turnawan, a member of Widodo’s party, the Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle. “Our volunteers spend most of their time countering hoaxes.”

According to his national campaign manager, Erick Thohir, the president’s choice to reside in the presidential palace in the West Java city of Bogor, rather than in Jakarta, had also boosted his visibility in the region.

Since taking office, Widodo has also made efforts to bring religious parties into his coalition – something analysts say has provided more “tools in his arsenal to approach voters not reached in 2014”.

PANDERING

Liberal supporters of Widodo have criticized him for pandering to conservatives, raising concerns over the erosion of Indonesia’s reputation for religious tolerance and pluralism.

Analysts say Widodo’s overtures to Islamic groups and voters point to a potential populist turn in policymaking if he wins a second term.

“There’s a space opening for Islamic identity politics,” political analyst Sukarsono said.

“What we will have is Jokowi having to accommodate the interests of the majority, the mainstream Muslim groups and the Islamic parties that backed him, in policymaking, so he is likely to become more populist.”

(Additional reporting by Yerica Lai and Ed Davies; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Source: OANN

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Prosecutors broke law by not informing victims of Jeffrey Epstein plea bargain, judge rules

A federal judge in Florida ruled Thursday that prosecutors -- including current Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta -- violated federal law when they reached a plea agreement in 2007 with financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and did not inform his dozens of victims.

In a 33-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Kenneth Marra wrote that prosecutors in the Southern District of Florida "mislead" Epstein's victims after negotiating the plea agreement by telling them "to be 'patient' while the investigation proceeded" and leading them to believe "that federal prosecution was still a possibility." However, Marra stopped short of short of invalidating the agreement, but asked prosecutors and victims' lawyers to recommend in 15 days how to move forward.

The judge wrote that evidence showed that Epstein "sexually abused more than 30 minor girls" between 1999 and 2007 "at his mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, and elsewhere in the United States and overseas." Epstein, Marra added, "used paid employees to find and bring minor girls to him [and] worked in concert with others to obtain minors not only for his own sexual gratification, but also for the sexual gratification of others."

JEFFREY EPSTEIN SETTLES CIVIL LAWSUIT AND AVOIDS TESTIMONY FROM ALLEGED VICTIMS

Marra cited a letter to Acosta, then the U.S. Attorney in Miami, from Epstein attorney Jay Lefkowitz following an October 2007 breakfast meeting in which Lefkowitz wrote: "I ... want to thank you for the commitment you made to me during our October 12 meeting in which you . . . assured me that your Office would not . . . contact any of the identified individuals, potential witnesses, or potential civil claimants and their respective counsel in this matter."

Marra's ruling cites a statement by Marie Villafaña, then as now an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, that "[f]rom the time the FBI began investigating Epstein until September 24, 2007—when the [plea agreement] was concluded—the Office never conferred with the victims about [an agreement] or told the victims that such an agreement was under consideration."

Two of Epstein's victims, identified only as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, filed suit against prosecutors in 2008, soon after they were notified of the federal plea deal and approximately one year after the agreement was concluded. In January of that year, the judge noted, Jane Doe 1, Jane Doe 2 and other victims received letters from the FBI notifying them that their case "is currently under investigation." Jane Doe 1 met with FBI agents and an unidentified assistant U.S. Attorney, where she "provided additional details of Epstein's sexual abuse of her.

"The AUSA did not disclose to Jane Doe 1 at this meeting that they had already negotiated a [non-prosecution agreement] with Epstein," Marra wrote.

PRINCE ANDREW'S TEENAGE ACCUSER DOUBLES DOWN ON SEXUAL ASSAULT CLAIMS, WARNS HE MAY FACE PROSECUTION

Today’s order represents long-overdue vindication for all of the victims of Mr. Epstein and his co-conspirators," the victims' attorney, Brad Edwards, said in a statement. "Unfortunately, this decision also highlights the failure of the United States Government to acknowledge its obvious wrongdoing. Rather than work to correct the injustices done to the victims, the Government spent 10 years defending its own improper conduct. It is time for the Government to work with the victims, and not against them, to hold everyone who committed these crimes accountable. Hopefully, the victims will finally receive the strong and direct apology they deserve for the flagrant depravation of their rights under the Crime Victim’s Rights Act."

DOJ TO INVESTIGATE EPSTEIN PLEA BARGAIN, BUT WATCHDOGS SAY PROBE IS TAINTED

In addition to his Palm Beach mansion, Epstein, now 66, allegedly operated his sex ring at a residence in New York City and his private island estate on the 72-acre Virgin Islands home dubbed “Orgy Island.” by some. Court documents obtained by Fox News in 2016 showed former President Bill Clinton took at least 26 trips flying aboard Epstein's private jet, known as the "Lolita Express," and apparently ditched his Secret Service detail on some of the excursions.

Epstein and President Trump also had a friendship, and one of Epstein's accusers told the Miami Herald newspaper that she was 16 years old and working at Mar-a-Lago as a locker room attendant when a female Epstein associate approached her in the summer of 2000 to offer her a job as a masseuse. The accuser, Virginia Roberts, told the Herald that Epstein and the associate sexually abused her and claimed she was "lent out to politicians and academics and royalty."

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During his confirmation hearing in 2017, Acosta told lawmakers that the decision to make a deal with Epstein was "broadly held" in the U.S. Attorney's office.

"The grand jury [in Florida] recommended a single count of solicitation not involving minors. That would have resulted in zero jail time, zero registration as a sexual offender and zero restitution for the victims in this case," said Acosta, who added, "It was highly unusual where a U.S. attorney becomes involved in a matter that has already gone to the grand jury at the state level. We decided that Mr. Epstein should plead guilty to two years, register as a sexual offender, and concede liability so the victims should get restitution in this matter."

Fox News' Gregg Re and Kristin Brown and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News Politics

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Factbox: Elon Musk on Tesla’s self-driving capabilities

FILE PHOTO: Tesla CEO Elon Musk attends the Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory groundbreaking ceremony in Shanghai
FILE PHOTO: Tesla CEO Elon Musk attends the Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory groundbreaking ceremony in Shanghai, China January 7, 2019. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo

April 22, 2019

(Reuters) – Tesla Inc will focus on its autonomous driving system when it hosts its investor day on Monday.

Elon Musk, the electric vehicle company’s chief executive officer, has touted the company’s self-driving capabilities over the years, highlighting its semi-autonomous Autopilot system.

Tesla began offering a feature described as “Full Self-Driving Capability” in 2016. The company instructs drivers to keep their hands on the wheel when those systems are engaged, sparking some criticism of terms used.

The company’s investor day starts at 2 p.m. ET.

Following are the comments made by Musk and Tesla related to the topic in the past few years:

2019

April 15 – Musk says that buying a car that can’t upgrade to full self-driving is like “buying a horse instead of a car in 2019.”

April 11 – Tesla says that Autopilot, the company’s advanced driver assistance system, is now standard on all vehicles.

April 3 – Tesla says it is making “significant progress” in development of its autonomous driving software and hardware, including the FSD (Full Self-Driving) computer, saying the computer is in production and will enable full-self driving through over-the-air software updates in future.

Feb. 28 – In response to a media question whether it is problematic that Musk uses the term “full self-driving,” Musk replies: “I think we’re very clear when you buy the car what is meant by full self-driving. It means it’s feature complete. Feature complete requiring supervision … There’s really three steps: feature complete of full self-driving but requiring supervision, feature complete but not requiring supervision, feature complete not requiring supervision and regulators agree.”

2018

Oct. 5 – Tesla introduces software version 9.0 with a number of features including ‘Navigate on Autopilot’ – intended to guide a car from a highway’s on-ramp to off-ramp, including suggesting lane changes, navigating highway interchanges and taking exits that would still require driver supervision [http://bit.ly/2IFfMMN]

June 11 – Musk tweets that Tesla’s Autopilot driver assistance system will get full self-driving features following a software upgrade in August

May 23 – Two U.S. consumer advocacy groups urge the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Tesla’s “deceptive and misleading” use of the name Autopilot for its assisted-driving technology

Feb. 2018 – Musk says Tesla can do a coast-to-coast autonomous drive in 3 months, 6 months at most

Oct. 19 – Musk says he expects that by the end of 2017 a Tesla would be able to drive in full autonomous mode from Los Angeles to New York “without the need for a single touch” on the wheel. [https://reut.rs/2Pk7RYI]

Oct. 2016 – Tesla begins to sell a “Full Self-Driving Capability” option in its vehicles for $3,000, on top of the $5,000 price for “Enhanced Autopilot.” Musk says full self-driving features will be rolled out in future via over-the-air updates when available. The option was removed in October 2018, then reinstated in February 2019.

Oct 2016 – Musk says all new Teslas built have the hardware required for full self-driving.

2015

Oct. 15 – Tesla launches an advanced driver assistance system called Autopilot, with Musk cautioning that drivers should keep their hand on the wheel. [https://reut.rs/2VS8gnB]

(Reporting by Sayanti Chakraborty in Bengaluru and Alexandria Sage in San Francisco; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)

Source: OANN

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The Latest: Wind and outages as storms move into Mississippi

The Latest on severe weather moving across the United States (all times local):

2:15

Heavy winds and power outages are being reported as a storm system moves across Louisiana and Mississippi.

The National Weather Service reported gusts of 60 mph (97 kph) in Natchez, Mississippi, on Thursday afternoon as the storm system moved across the Mississippi River from Louisiana.

Utilities report about 13,000 customers without power across central Louisiana and another 10,000 without power in southwest Mississippi.

Trees were reported down in multiple locations throughout the region. A spotter confirmed a tornado on the ground southwest of Jackson.

Dozens of schools and colleges dismissed students early as tornado watches were issued.

There was also a band of power outages in east Texas stretching from Tyler south to nearly College Station.

The same system produced tornadoes and hail earlier in North Texas, the Texas Panhandle, Oklahoma and southeastern Kansas.

11:45 a.m.

Forecasters are warning about tornadoes and other violent weather as a storm system moves into the southeastern United States.

The National Weather Service issued a series of tornado warnings about a front pushing eastward from Texas on Thursday. Strong storms covered much of Louisiana.

A tornado watch reached from coastal Louisiana into central Mississippi, and more weather alerts are likely. Flood warnings reached as far north as central Indiana.

The same system produced tornadoes and hail earlier in North Texas, the Texas Panhandle, Oklahoma and southeastern Kansas.

___

9:55 a.m.

Severe thunderstorms rumbled across North Texas, the Texas Panhandle, Oklahoma and southeastern Kansas, producing several tornadoes and unleashing widespread hail.

Seven tornadoes were reported across the Plains from the northeastern Texas Panhandle to southeastern Kansas. Strong winds hit elsewhere Wednesday evening, toppling utility poles and trees and downing power lines in parts of North Texas. No significant structural damage has been reported.

The National Weather Service received numerous reports of hail pelting the storm-struck areas. Egg-size hail was reported about 60 miles (95 kilometers) northwest of Fort Worth.

The storms were expected to move Thursday into the Deep South. Dozens of schools in Mississippi and Alabama dismissed students early as a precaution.

The threat comes days after dozens of tornadoes from East Texas to Georgia left at least nine dead.

Source: Fox News National

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Israel to withhold $138 million in Palestinian funds

Israel says it will withhold over $138 million from the Palestinian Authority for payments given to families of Palestinians who carried out attacks against Israelis.

The government's security Cabinet said Sunday that it was implementing a law passed last year allowing Israel to withhold funds used to pay stipends to Palestinian attackers and their families from taxes Israel collects on the Palestinian Authority's behalf.

Israel says the payments encourage violence — a claim the Palestinians reject.

The freeze comes as the Palestinians face major budget cuts made last year after the United States slashed funding for the U.N.'s Palestinian refugee program UNRWA and for development programs in the Palestinian territories. The U.N.'s World Food Program also cut back services due to funding shortages.

Source: Fox News World

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USGA wants communication on rules but no popularity contest

PGA: THE PLAYERS Championship - Second Round
FILE PHOTO: Mar 15, 2019; Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, USA; Justin Thomas reacts to his putt on the 17th green during the second round of THE PLAYERS Championship golf tournament at TPC Sawgrass - Stadium Course. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

March 21, 2019

By Andrew Both

(Reuters) – The U.S. Golf Association (USGA) wants professionals to feel comfortable questioning the rules, but the organization’s mission does not include engaging in a popularity contest, says senior director of governance Thomas Pagel.

A raft of new rules were introduced for 2019 and there has been vocal dissent from certain players, including American Justin Thomas.

The world number five’s latest outburst came three weeks ago at the Honda Classic, where he was unable to replace a nine-iron he had bent striking a tree on his follow-through.

Under the old rule, had an official deemed the club unfit for play Thomas could have replaced the club, assuming there was a replacement handy.

The new rule allows players to continue using a damaged club, even bending it back into shape if possible, but not to replace it during a round.

“You can just add that one to the list of rules that don’t make any sense,” Thomas told reporters.

“If you break or bend the club in play, I don’t see where the harm is in replacing it.”

Pagel disputes the new rule does not make sense.

“That rule used to be so complicated (determining) when a club was damaged, unfit,” Pagel told Reuters in an interview.

“We said let’s simplify it. You can start with up to 14 (clubs) and if one becomes damaged you’re not able to replace it.

“Justin and I have connected. I thought it was very positive conversation. I want to keep the nature of it private.”

The Thomas criticism followed what at times was a rocky rollout of the new rules in January, though Pagel says he expected growing pains after such a significant overhaul.

The first major controversy involved a rule banning caddies from standing behind players and lining them up toward a target.

PENALTY RESCINDED

An incident at the Phoenix Open where Denny McCarthy had a two-stroke penalty rescinded prompted the USGA and its joint ruling body the R&A to rewrite the rule in a matter of days.

Pagel said the rule as it was originally written was too unforgiving.

“That’s one of the things we learnt and went in and quickly changed,” he said.

Another change required players taking a drop to do so from knee height, rather than shoulder height.

This also was put under the microscope when Rickie Fowler at the WGC-Mexico Championship became the first player penalized.

Fowler was well aware of the rule change, but simply forget in the heat of the moment and took a drop from shoulder height so quickly that his caddie, who was zipping up a pocket in the golf bag, did not even see it.

The drop rule was introduced so the ball will not roll as far when it hits the ground.

Pagel said the USGA had expected “growing pains” given the scope of the changes.

“The first six weeks we had a member on site at every PGA Tour event,” he said.

“We’ve kept an open mind all along. Going back to last year, we acknowledged this is a lot of change.

“We want to have conversations with players and understand their perspectives.”

But that does not mean the players will always get their way.

“Governance is not easy but it’s a role we take (seriously),” Pagel said. “It’s not about a popularity contest.”

(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina, editing by Ed Osmond)

Source: OANN

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Venezuela's Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza talks to the media during a news conference in Caracas
Venezuela’s Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza talks to the media during a news conference in Caracas, Venezuela April 8, 2019. REUTERS/Manaure Quintero

April 26, 2019

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday imposed sanctions on Venezuela’s foreign minister and a Venezuelan judge, according to a statement on the department’s website.

Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza and a judge, Carol Padilla, were targeted over the ongoing crisis in Venezuela, the Treasury Department said, the latest in a list of officials blacklisted by U.S. authorities for their role in President Nicolas Maduro’s government.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey, Makini Brice and Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Source: OANN

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Avengers fans gather at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood to attend the opening screening of
Avengers fans gather at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood to attend the opening screening of “Avengers: Endgame” in Los Angeles, California, U.S., April 25, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Blake

April 26, 2019

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Marvel Studios superhero spectacle “Avengers: Endgame” hauled in a record $60 million at U.S. and Canadian box offices during its Thursday night debut, distributor Walt Disney Co said.

Global ticket sales for the film about Iron Man, Hulk and other popular characters reached $305 million for the first two days, Disney said.

(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Source: OANN

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Funeral of journalist Lyra McKee in Belfast
Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn attends the funeral service for murdered journalist Lyra McKee at St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast, Northern Ireland April 24, 2019. Brian Lawless/Pool via REUTERS

April 26, 2019

LONDON (Reuters) – The leader of Britain’s opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, said on Friday he had turned down an invitation to a state dinner which will be part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to Britain in June.

“Theresa May should not be rolling out the red carpet for a state visit to honor a president who rips up vital international treaties, backs climate change denial and uses racist and misogynist rhetoric,” Corbyn said in a statement.

He said maintaining the relationship with the United States did not require “the pomp and ceremony of a state visit” and he said he would welcome a meeting with Trump “to discuss all matters of interest.”

(Reporting by Andy Bruce; Writing by William Schomberg)

Source: OANN

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A bedridden 67-year-old woman and more than a dozen animals were rescued Thursday after a welfare check found that they were living in a home filled with trash, urine, and feces, Florida police said.

Pinellas County sheriff’s deputies said when they arrived at the home in Dunedin around 7:20 p.m. Thursday, they could smell the odor of rotting trash and animal feces as they walked up to the driveway.

“Inside the residence, the odor of feces and urine was so overwhelming that deputies had to don masks,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement.

FLORIDA SHERIFF ON BORDER CRISIS AFTER MAJOR DRUG BUST: ‘IT MAKES ME ABSOLUTELY CRAZY’

Walking throughout the residence, the deputies found 10 emaciated dogs and puppies living in bins filled with their own feces, five large Macaw birds flying freely, rats, bugs and overall squalor.

Puppies discovered living in their own feces inside a Florida home that was filled with trash, urine, and feces.

Puppies discovered living in their own feces inside a Florida home that was filled with trash, urine, and feces. (Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office)

Deputies said due to the large amounts of trash in the home, they had to clear a path to reach the victim’s bedroom.

“None of the home’s toilets were working and all were found to be overflowing with feces,” deputies said. “The only working sink was located on the opposite end of the house from the victim’s bedroom.”

They said there was no food or water for the victim or the animals.

FLORIDA MAN IN EASTER BUNNY COSTUME CAUGHT IN VIRAL BRAWL IS WANTED IN NEW JERSEY, HAS HISTORY OF ARRESTS

The victim was transported to a local hospital for injuries that were non-life threatening, while the animals were transported to shelters.

The woman’s caretaker, Richard Lawrence Goodwin, 65, was arrested and charged with abuse and neglect of an elderly person, disabled person, and cruelty to animals.

Richard Goodwin, 69, was arrested for abuse and neglect of an elderly and disabled person after deputies found she was living in deplorable conditions.

Richard Goodwin, 69, was arrested for abuse and neglect of an elderly and disabled person after deputies found she was living in deplorable conditions. (Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office)

The sheriff’s department said this was Goodwin’s second arrest for abuse and neglect of the same victim. He was previously arrested in May 2018.

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Neighbor Victoria Muenzerbeer told FOX 13 that Goodwin and the victim were hoarders and the conditions inside the home were horrible years ago when she visited once.

“I went in and it was absolutely, a human being couldn’t live there,” she said. “The kitchen wasn’t usable and part of the wall was falling in.”

Source: Fox News National

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Libyan Minister of Economy Ali Abdulaziz Issawi speaks during an interview with Reuters in Tripoli
Libyan Minister of Economy Ali Abdulaziz Issawi speaks during an interview with Reuters in Tripoli, Libya April 25, 2019. REUTERS/Hani Amara

April 26, 2019

By Ulf Laessing

TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Libya’s U.N.-recognized government has budgeted up to 2 billion dinars ($1.43 billion) to cover costs of a three-week-old war for control of the capital, such as treatment for the wounded, to be funded without new borrowing, the economy minister said.

Ali Abdulaziz Issawi suggested the government hoped for business to continue more or less as usual despite the assault on Tripoli, in the country’s northwest, by forces tied to a parallel administration based in the eastern city of Benghazi.

Once Africa’s third largest producer of oil, Libya has been riven by factional conflict since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, with the country now broadly split between eastern-based forces under Khalifa Haftar and the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli, in the west, under Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj.

Still, with Haftar’s Libyan National Army forces unable so far to pierce defenses in Tripoli’s southern suburbs, normal life and business activities continue in much of the capital and western coastal towns.

Issawi, in an interview with Reuters in his Tripoli office, also said Libya’s commercial ports and wheat imports were still functioning normally, although some roads have been blocked.

He said the Serraj government estimates it will spend up to 2 billion dinars extra on medical treatment for wounded, aid for displaced people and other “emergency” war costs.

He said this was not military spending but analysts believe that the sum will also cover expenditures such as pay for allied armed groups or food for fighters.

“We could actually spend less,” he added, in comments that gave the first insight into the economic impact of the fighting.

Issawi said the Tripoli government, which controls little territory beyond the greater capital region, would not incur new debt to fund the war costs, sticking to a plan to post a 2019 budget without a deficit.

Tripoli derives revenue largely from oil and natural gas production, interest-free loans from local banks to the central bank, and a 183 percent surcharge on foreign exchange transactions conducted at official rates.

But with centralized tax collection greatly diminished, public debt has piled up – to 68 billion dinars in the west, including unpaid state obligations such as social insurance.

Some analysts expect Serraj’s government will be forced to raise new debt if the war for control of Tripoli drags on.

With much of Libya dominated by armed factions that also act as security forces, the public wage bill for both the western and eastern administrations has soared as fighters have been made public employees in efforts to buy their loyalty.

The east has sold bonds worth 35 billion dinars outside the official financial system as the Tripoli central bank does not fund the parallel government apart from some wages.

Despite its limited reach, the Tripoli government still runs an annual budget of around 46.8 billion dinars, mainly for public salaries and fuel subsidies.

“This year we cannot finance via debt…we will not borrow (by agreement with the central bank),” Issawi said.

According to International Monetary Fund data, Libya’s central government debt-to-GDP ratio is 143 percent, making it one of the most heavily indebted in the world on that measure.

Issawi declined to say what parts of the budget would be trimmed to support the extra outlay for war costs.

However, with some 70 percent of the budget allocated to public wages, fuel subsidies and other welfare benefits, a portion devoted to infrastructure is most likely to be axed.

Widespread lawlessness has meant there have been no major infrastructural projects since 2011, when a NATO-backed uprising overthrew dictator Muammar Gaddafi, leaving schools, hospitals and roads in acute need of restoration.

FOREX SURCHARGE

Issawi said the government planned to raise as much as 30 billion dinars by the end of 2019 from hard currency deals after imposing in September a 183 percent surcharge on commercial and private transactions done on the official rate of 1.4 to the U.S. dollar. That fee has effectively devalued the official rate to 3.9, much closer to the black market equivalent.

Some 17 billion dinars have been raised since then, with hard currency allocated for import credit letters now issued without delays, Issawi said. The forex fee has helped the government forecast a budget in the black for 2019.

Despite the narrowing spread between the two rates, the black market continues to thrive. Dozens of traders remained at their favorite spot behind the central bank headquarters in Tripoli when Reuters reporters visited it last week.

But traders said it could take time for the Serraj government to register the extra forex receipts as official banking channels were taking up to six months to approve import financing, keeping the black market in play for dealers.

Issawi said authorities planned to lower the forex fee from 183 percent, without saying when. The black market rate has dropped from 6 to around 4.1 since September but it has hardly moved of late as demand for black market cash remains high.

The Tripoli government has stopped subsidizing food and bread, which used to be cheaper than drinking water in Libya. Wheat imports are now being arranged by private traders and there are surplus stocks of flour at the moment, Issawi said.

(Reporting by Ulf Laessing in Tripoli with additional reporting by Karin Strohecker in London; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Source: OANN

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