Mar 10, 2019; Avondale, AZ, USA; Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch (18) races during the TicketGuardian 500 at ISM Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports
March 10, 2019
Kyle Busch easily could have laid claim to being the top Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver not driving a Team Penske Ford through the first three races of the 2019 season. Following Sunday’s victory at ISM Raceway near Phoenix, Busch can now lay claim to be the series’ top driver. Period.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver dominated in Arizona, leading a race-best 177 of 312 laps in winning the TicketGuardian 500 — a race that began with Busch being the only driver in Cup to have notched top-10 finishes in the previous three events.
The victory was his 52nd in Cup and it gave him a weekend sweep at ISM as he won Saturday’s Xfinity Series race. It also gave him 199 victories over NASCAR’s top three series and two straight wins in Arizona as he won at the one-mile oval last November.
With the win, Busch joins teammate Denny Hamlin and Penske drivers Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano as drivers having won races and securing berths in the season-ending Playoffs.
Martin Truex Jr. of Joe Gibbs Racing finished second and Ryan Blaney third.
Aric Almirola of Stewart-Haas Racing and Hamlin rounded out the top five.
To get the victory, Busch had to track down Blaney of Team Penske — who led 95 laps — over the final 50 laps. He made the pass for the lead with 16 laps to go and then drove to the victory.
At the end, Truex had moved past Blaney into second place and finished 1.2-seconds back.
Team Penske’s run of two straight victories came to an end at ISM. Brad Keselowski, who won at Atlanta two weeks ago, suffered a couple of scrapes with walls and finished 19th. Last week’s winner at Las Vegas, Joey Logano, finished 10th.
Pole-sitter Blaney started from the pole and led 46 of the first 75 laps to win Stage 1. Busch led all 75 laps in winning Stage 2.
ATHENS, Greece – Greek authorities said Friday they have arrested and charged a Bulgarian man over the suspected contract killing of a Greek-Australian who was fatally shot outside his home in an Athens seaside suburb last year.
The suspect's brother is also wanted on suspicion of having helped plan the murder of John Macris, 46, and driving the killer's getaway car. The 33-year-old brother is believed to be in Bulgaria.
Police spokeswoman Ioanna Rotziokou said the suspects, whose names were not made public, spent nearly three weeks allegedly planning the murder.
"We have strong indications that ... it was a contract killing," she said. "They carefully organized the murder plan keeping the suspect under surveillance and using various rented vehicles."
It was unclear who had ordered the murder in the Voula suburb. Macris, who was shot from close range outside his home as he left in his car, had earlier been the target of an alleged murder plot in Sydney.
Police said the brothers fled to Bulgaria a day after the Oct. 31 shooting, but the suspected murderer, aged 31, returned to Athens — possibly for another contract killing.
He was identified with the help of footage from cameras near the murder scene and arrested Tuesday after trying to escape a police blockade in southern Athens, during which he allegedly rammed a patrol car with his vehicle.
The man was charged with murder. His lawyer, Apostolos Lytras, said his client denied any wrongdoing.
Authorities say Macris had run-ins with Australian and Greek police in the past.
BRUSSELS – European Union leaders are pushing back a decision on the bloc's efforts to end most emissions of greenhouse gases.
Leaders meeting in Brussels agreed Friday to discuss the EU's long-term plans for tackling climate change at their next summit in June, ahead of a U.N. gathering on the issue in the fall.
Much of the two-day EU summit this week was taken up with haggling over the EU's future relationship with Britain.
Some countries, including France and the Netherlands, had proposed that leaders agree on "an ambitious long-term strategy by 2020 striving for climate neutrality by 2050" in line with the 2015 Paris climate accord's goal of keeping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit).
But Germany and some eastern European countries opposed an explicit reference to the year 2050 for curbing emissions.
Stepping up pressure on Cuba, President Donald Trump is poised to allow lawsuits against foreign companies that have benefited from Cuba's seizure of American companies after the 1959 revolution, a senior administration official said Tuesday.
The move marks a change in more than two decades of U.S. policy on Cuba.
The 1996 Helms-Burton Act gave Americans the right to sue companies profiting from properties that Cuba confiscated. But every U.S. president since Bill Clinton has suspended the key clause because of fears of alienating U.S. allies and complicating relations with Cuba.
The official said going forward, there will be no more waivers. The official spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of the official announcement.
The Trump administration had signaled plans to end the waivers. It's taking the step in retaliation for Cuba's support of embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whom the U.S. is trying to oust in favor of opposition leader Juan Guaido.
National security adviser John Bolton is expected to discuss the new policy during a speech Wednesday in Miami, which is home to thousands of exiles and immigrants from Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.
The speech at the Bay of Pigs Veterans Association is being delivered on the 58th anniversary of the United States' failed 1961 invasion of the island, an attempt to overthrow the Cuban government.
A 2007 book authored by Donald Trump features a chapter breaking down how it’s crucial to exact revenge on enemies.
In Think Big and Kick Ass: In Business and in Life, Trump dedicates Chapter 6 to the importance of getting revenge on people who wronged him.
“My motto is: Always get even,” he wrote. “When somebody screws you, screw them back in spades.”
Trump goes on to describe various situations in his life where he retaliated against someone who didn’t pay back a favor, or who went out of their way to say something negative about him. He also writes that he takes pleasure in seeing the people who attacked him receive their just deserts.
Mind you, this was petty vengeance over simple social faux pas – with the latest Russian hoax witch hunt they tried to overthrow his election and frame him for betraying the nation — that amounts to treason, punishable by death!
Moreover, Trump says it’s important to hit someone back “15 times harder.”
Perhaps the Deep State should have reviewed this chapter before going all in on the Russian collusion delusion.
Already we’ve seen Trump hinting at preparations for his “counter punch.”
“Before I even got elected, it began,” the president told reporters Sunday regarding the Russia hoax. “And it began illegally. And hopefully, somebody’s going to look at the other side. This was an illegal take-down that failed.”
FILE - In this July 31, 2005 file photo, Boy Scouts salute as they recite the Pledge of Allegiance during the Boy Scout Jamboree in Bowling Green, Va. In 2019, financial threats to the Boy Scouts have intensified as multiple states consider adjusting their statute-of-limitations laws so that victims of long-ago child sex-abuse have a chance to seek redress in the courts. (AP Photo/ Haraz N. Ghanbari)
NEW YORK – Lawyers across the U.S. are recruiting clients for a potentially crippling new wave of sexual abuse lawsuits against the Boy Scouts.
Past payouts have already seriously strained the organization's finances, and it hasn't ruled out filing for bankruptcy. But now the threat is increasing because a number of states are moving to create a new legal window so that victims of long-ago abuse can sue.
A bankruptcy filing by the Boy Scouts could be epic in its scope and complexity and could prove crippling to the organization. It could also result in lower payouts to people who were molested as youngsters by scoutmasters or other volunteers.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Bahrain's king has reinstated the citizenship of 551 people convicted amid a crackdown on dissent on the island.
The surprise royal decree, announced Sunday by the state-run Bahrain News Agency, gave no explanation for King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa's decision.
However, the report said those stripped of their citizenship had been convicted in cases brought over the "protection of society against terrorist acts."
Bahrain has faced widespread international criticism for mass trials that resulted in hundreds losing their citizenship on this island nation off the coast of Saudi Arabia.
Last week, 138 people lost their citizenship in a mass trial.
The Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy said then that the verdict brought to 990 the number of people ordered stripped of their nationality since 2012.
FILE PHOTO: Customers shop in a Sainsbury’s store in Redhill, Britain, March 27, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo
April 26, 2019
By James Davey
LONDON (Reuters) – With Sainsbury’s dream of creating Britain’s biggest supermarket group in tatters, its chastened CEO Mike Coupe needs to reassure investors he has the plan to arrest a sales decline when he presents annual results next week.
Britain’s competition regulator blocked Sainsbury’s 7.3 billion pound ($9.4 billion) takeover of Walmart’s Asda on Thursday, saying the deal would increase prices. Sainsbury’s shares fell 5 percent and are down 22 percent over the last three months.
For Sainsbury’s fourth quarter to March 9 analysts are on average forecasting a 1.6 percent fall in like-for-like sales, which would follow 1.1 percent decline over the Christmas period.
Monthly industry data from researcher Kantar has also shown Sainsbury’s as the weakest performer of the big four grocers this year and this month it lost its status as Britain’s No. 2 supermarket group by market share to Asda.
While Sainsbury’s has struggled, market leader Tesco has gained momentum, this month reporting a 34 percent jump in full year profit.
Prohibition of the deal was a major blow to Coupe, its architect and Sainsbury’s boss since 2014.
Martin Scicluna became Sainsbury’s chairman last month and when bedded-in may decide that if the group needs a major shake-up it is best carried out by a new leader.
Much will depend on the attitude of 22 percent shareholder the Qatar Investment Authority, which has so far declined to comment, as well as Coupe’s own appetite to continue after 15 years at the group.
THE RIGHT STRATEGY?
Coupe said on Thursday he was confident Sainsbury’s was pursuing the right strategy.
That was a clear indication that Wednesday’s results statement will not include radical changes to the group’s plans, such as a big margin reset — sacrificing profit to drive sales.
However, sources connected to Sainsbury’s said Coupe would likely acknowledge that more needs to be done on prices, so the supermarket business can better compete with its big four rivals – Tesco, Asda and No. 4 Morrisons – as well as German-owned discounters Aldi and Lidl.
Coupe’s strategy is based on differentiating Sainsbury’s food offer, growing its general merchandise, clothing business and bank, while investing in convenience and online channels.
Some analysts believe major change is needed.
HSBC analyst David McCarthy reckons Sainsbury’s needs a margin reset, should allocate more space for core lines and needs to drive better store standards. He said Sainsbury’s might consider closing down space in some of its larger stores and reducing its non-food offer.
For the full 2018-19 year analysts are on average forecasting a pretax profit of 626 million pounds, up from 589 million pounds in 2017-18 – a second straight year of profit growth. A full year dividend of 10.5 pence per share is forecast versus 10.2 pence last time.
Bank and lawyer fees related to the proposed combination with Asda were 17 million pounds in the first half and have reportedly jumped to around 50 million pounds.
FILE PHOTO: A Canadian dollar coin, commonly known as the “Loonie”, is pictured in this illustration picture taken in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, January 23, 2015. REUTERS/Mark Blinch/File Photo/File Photo
April 26, 2019
OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canada posted a budget surplus in the first 11 months of the 2018/19 fiscal year compared to a deficit the year earlier as revenues increased mostly on higher tax incomes, the finance department said on Friday.
The surplus for April-February was C$3.1 billion, compared to a deficit of C$6 billion in the same 2017/18 period. Revenues climbed by 8.5 percent, mainly due to higher tax receipts, while program expenses rose by 4.8 percent.
The surplus for February was C$4.3 billion compared with C$2.8 billion in February 2018. Revenues jumped by 12.2 percent while program expenses posted a more modest 6.9 percent gain.
Last month, the Liberals unveiled their new budget, projecting a C$14.9 billion deficit in 2018/19, with the deficit rising to C$19.8 billion in fiscal 2019/20.
(Reporting by Julie Gordon in Ottawa; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
President Trump said Friday he would beat Joe Biden “easily” in the 2020 presidential election, suggesting the former vice president could not have enough “energy” to hold the post—taking an apparent swipe at his age.
The president, departing the White House, was asked about Biden’s entrance into the Democratic primary field. Biden announced his presidential bid early Thursday morning, marking his third attempt at the White House.
“I would never say anyone’s too old,” Trump said. “I know they’re all making me look very young both in terms of age and in terms of energy.”
Biden became the 20th candidate to join the crowded Democratic primary field Thursday. But Biden is not the oldest in the pack. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is 77 and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is 69.
Should Trump be re-elected, he would be 74 on Jan. 20, 2021—Inauguration Day. Should the presidency go to one of the elder Democrats in the field—Biden would be 78; Sanders would be 79; and Warren would be 71.
Meanwhile, in a wide-ranging interview on “Hannity” Thursday night, Trump dismissed Biden’s candidacy, nicknaming him “Sleepy Joe,” and saying he’s “not the brightest bulb.” Trump also said that while the former vice president has name recognition, he won’t “be able to do the job.”
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)
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)
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