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Washington Examiner journalist on Barr’s ‘spying’ allegations: What AG said is ‘a fact’

Washington Examiner chief political correspondent Byron York said Wednesday that Attorney General William Barr was speaking in "fact" when he said he thought federal authorities had spied on the Trump presidential campaign.

“It's set off this this firestorm of reaction. But what the attorney general said was accurate when he said, ‘I think spying did occur,’ and the question whether ...  it was adequately predicated,” York said on “Special Report.”

COMEY MEMOS CONTAINED FAR MORE CLASSIFIED INFO THAN PREVIOUSLY KNOWN

“And the fact is, the FBI wiretapped Carter Page, they monitored his electronic communications. You can look at the warrant application; it was all about the campaign. This is just actually a fact.”

"I think spying did occur," Barr said Wednesday during a hearing before the Senate Appropriations subcommittee. "The question is whether it was adequately predicated. …Spying on a political campaign is a big deal."

Barr later clarified: "I am not saying that improper surveillance occurred; I’m saying that I am concerned about it and looking into it, that’s all.”

Washington Post opinion writer Charles Lane said the use of the word “spying” was a mistake that Barr made that triggered everyone.

FBI BLAMES SYSTEM-WIDE SOFTWARE GLITCH FOR MISSING TEXTS; STRZOK'S TEXTS FROM MUELLER PROBE TOTALLY WIPED

“Bill Barr is a very seasoned experienced lawyer who got into a little trouble today by not using lawyerly words. ‘Spying’ is an inflammatory term that kind of gets people triggered and if he had said a word like surveillance which is what he reverted to later we might not be having this discussion,” Lane told Bret Baier.

“So some kind of contact or surveillance or observation was going on of these people in Trump's orbit and to call it ‘spying’ I think was an indiscretion that triggered everybody.”

Fox News' Gregg Re and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News Politics

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Sri Lanka may need more IMF help as blasts threaten tourism

A security personnel observes three minutes of silence as a tribute to victims, two days after a string of suicide bomb attacks on churches and luxury hotels across the island on Easter Sunday, near St Anthony Shrine in Colombo
A security personnel observes three minutes of silence as a tribute to victims, two days after a string of suicide bomb attacks on churches and luxury hotels across the island on Easter Sunday, near St Anthony Shrine in Colombo, Sri Lanka April 23, 2019. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte

April 23, 2019

By Marius Zaharia and Vidya Ranganathan

HONG KONG/SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Sri Lanka faces a likely collapse in tourism following Easter Sunday bomb attacks on churches and hotels, which would deal a severe blow to the island’s economy and financial markets, and potentially force it to seek further IMF assistance.

The International Monetary Fund extended last month a $1.5 billion loan for an extra year into 2020, a key step in keeping foreign investors involved in what so far this year has been a top-performing frontier debt market.

But with growth, and therefore state revenues, now likely to slow significantly, the budget targets agreed with the IMF may have to be reviewed, and the government is expected to resist pressure for any spending cuts before elections expected later this year.

There is even a possibility that more IMF money may be needed if foreign investment falls, adding to the hard currency gap left by plunging tourism receipts.

“If growth slows a lot more and the budget deficit assumptions need to be reassessed, then they’ll have to sit down and negotiate something more feasible,” said Alex Holmes, Asia economist at Capital Economics.

The Sri Lankan stock index dived 2.6 percent on Tuesday in its first day of trading after the attacks that killed more than 300 people, while the heavily-managed rupee held steady.

Tourism is Sri Lanka’s third-largest and fastest growing source of foreign currency, after remittances and garment exports, accounting for almost $4.4 billion or 4.9 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2018.

A fall in tourism receipts is bound to weaken the rupee over time. The central bank, whose coffers are too light to defend the currency through interventions, is likely to have to raise interest rates.

This, in turn, would choke lending, hurting consumers and the investment plans of local businesses, while also making it more costly for the government to seek funding from foreign investors via bond markets.

“The central bank may be forced to hike rates again this year,” said Win Thin, global head of currency strategy at Brown Brothers Harriman (BBH).

“With foreign reserves very low right now, the central bank cannot actively support the rupee.”

After falling 16 percent against the U.S. dollar last year to record lows, the rupee had gained 4.6 percent this year as of last week.

Sri Lankan bonds have been among the best performing globally, only bettered by Argentina and Chile. But the main stock index has lost about 10 percent.

WEAK FINANCES

Sri Lanka’s external position was already precarious.

To help fund a record $5.9 billion in foreign loans this year, the country successfully sold $2.4 billion in five-year and 10-year U.S. dollar bonds last month, but that was right after the IMF extension and amid bets of looser monetary policy.

(GRAPHIC: Sri Lanka’s precarious balance of payments – https://tmsnrt.rs/2IAqHKj)

In January, Sri Lanka used its reserves to repay debt worth $1 billion. It had about $5 billion left in February, the least since April 2017, and only enough to cover two months of imports and about two-thirds of its short-term external debt, according to BBH calculations.

Colombo also needs to finance a current account deficit of about 3 percent of GDP.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is already facing heavy criticism domestically for higher taxes, and tight monetary and fiscal policies that have crimped growth to a 17-year low.

Having emerged from a 51-day political crisis in which President Maithripala Sirisena sacked and replaced him with pro-China former president Mahinda Rajapaksa – a decision which was later reversed – Wickremesinghe set an ambitious fiscal deficit goal of 4.4 percent of GDP, compared with 5.3 percent in 2018.

But he also boosted spending on state employees, pensioners and the armed forces and promised more funds for rural infrastructure, leading economists to doubt the targets. A presidential vote is expected later this year followed by a general election in 2020.

“Given the fact they have repayments coming up for sovereign bonds, it could lead to more pressure on foreign currency reserves. So, it’s a near term negative for the tourism sector and also market sentiment as well,” said Ruchir Desai, fund manager at Asia Frontier Capital, who co-manages the $16 million AFC Asia Frontier Fund.

“Valuations are cheap, no doubt… but until they get some kind of political unity which can result in stable policy-making, we will probably remain underweight (equities) until the elections.”

(Reporting by Marius Zaharia in HONG KONG, Vidya Ranganathan in SINGAPORE and Daniel Leussink in TOKYO; Writing by Marius Zaharia; Editing by Kim Coghill)

Source: OANN

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Modi government advertising blitz dries up as Indian poll rules kick in

FILE PHOTO: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the National Cemetery in Seoul
FILE PHOTO: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the National Cemetery in Seoul, South Korea, February 22, 2019. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo

March 11, 2019

By Aditya Kalra and Alasdair Pal

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – An advertising blitz by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration, which saw more than 150 newspaper ads exulting over its performance in 10 days, stopped on Monday, a day after the schedule for the next general election was announced.

The election will be held over seven stages from April 11 in what will be the world’s biggest democratic exercise, the Election Commission said on Sunday, when a code of conduct over election campaigning came into force.

Citing the code, the commission said “no advertisements shall be issued in electronic and print media highlighting the achievements of the govt. at the cost of public exchequer”.

Leading English-language national dailies including the Times of India, the Hindustan Times and the Indian Express carried no government ads on Monday.

The New Delhi editions of the same three newspapers had 162 government ads between March 1 and March 10, according to Reuters calculations. Of those, 93 were full page.

Most included a picture of Modi and highlighted government initiatives from rural development and solar power to airport infrastructure and social security benefits, among others.

One of the full-page ads took a broad view to highlight 12 achievements in different sectors, saying it was “putting farmers first” and “national security is top priority”. It ran with a slogan: “impossible is now possible”.

Some people took to Twitter to express their frustration with what they regarded as the excessive advertising.

One user, Dhruv Rathee, last week tweeted a video in which he flipped pages of the Times of India newspaper and said: “Every page you turn has Modi’s face on it”. The video received nearly 82,000 views. (https://bit.ly/2JeDMtQ)

Another Twitter user, Shashank Rajak, said: “It’s so much annoying to read newspapers these days … Do we really need all this nonsense? Pure waste of OUR money.”

Modi faces growing anger about a shortage of jobs and weak farm prices but he is expected to get a popularity boost from his decision to send warplanes into Pakistan to attack an alleged militant site after a Pakistan-based group claimed a suicide bombing that killed 40 Indian paramilitary police in Kashmir.

The Directorate of Advertising & Visual Publicity, a government agency which coordinates with ministries on government ads, did not respond to a request for comment. Modi’s office also did not respond.

It wasn’t immediately clear how much money the government had spent on the ads.

(Reporting by Aditya Kalra and Alasdair Pal; Edited by Martin Howell and Nick Macfie)

Source: OANN

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Thunder’s George rips ‘bad officiating’ after defeat

NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder at Portland Trail Blazers
Mar 7, 2019; Portland, OR, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George (13) takes a shot during shoot around before Oklahoma plays Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

March 9, 2019

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Paul George did not hold back on his opinion of the referees in Friday night’s 118-110 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, shortly after he fouled out of the game, along with Russell Westbrook and Steven Adams over the final four minutes of the game.

“It’s just bad officiating,” George said. “I’m sorry, just bad officiating. We don’t get a fair whistle. We haven’t gotten a fair whistle all year.

“Somebody’s got to look into this. It’s getting out of hand, where we somehow just walk teams to the line. And there’s nobody that gets more contact. If I don’t speak for myself, I speak for Russ. There’s nobody that gets more contact than Russ going to the basket. And it’s just crazy. I don’t understand it. It’s a piece of (expletive) being on that floor.”

The Clippers took 46 free-throw attempts in the game, with slashing guard Lou Williams going to the foul line 24 times alone. The Thunder had 26 free-throw attempts as a team.

“We’re giving everything we got,” George continued. “We’re playing hard. We’re getting grabbed. We’re getting scratched, clawed, held, shoved. And there’s nothing for it. The officials just get to walk out, and there’s nothing that penalizes them for not officiating the game the right way.”

The Clippers are first in the league with 28.8 trips to the free-throw line a game, while the Thunder are third in the league at 25.9. The Thunder are called for 22.8 personal fouls per game, fourth most in the NBA.

“Too much fouling,” Thunder head coach Billy Donovan said. “Our guys are playing hard and competing, but like there is no reason for Lou Williams to get to the free throw line 20 times. We’ve got to know that. And like our guys are playing really hard and are really competing, but we are fouling too much away from the ball when we don’t have to.”

According to ESPN, Friday’s game was just the second in 10 years where three starters from the same team fouled out in regulation time of a game. The last was Feb. 12, 2014 when it happened to the Washington Wizards. In the last 20 seasons, just three teams have seen two All-Stars foul out in a single game.

George fouled out with 3:49 to play, Westbrook had to leave with 54.2 seconds remaining and Adams took a seat with 9.2 seconds remaining.

“To play without fouling is tough sometimes,” Westbrook told reporters. “A lot of those guys like play to get fouled. That is how the game is nowadays. It’s not really basketball. You’re just playing to get fouled to see what happens.”

–Field Level Media

Source: OANN

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Kayak.com says to filter travel searches by aircraft model

A commercial flight takes off from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix
FILE PHOTO: A commercial flight takes off from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S., November 3, 2016. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

March 13, 2019

(Reuters) – Travel website Kayak.com is changing its search filters this week to allow customers to exclude particular types of aircraft from queries, the company, part of the Booking.com stable of firms, said.

“We are releasing that enhancement this week,” a company spokeswoman said.

(Reporting by Sanjana Shivdas in Bengaluru; editing by Patrick Graham)

Source: OANN

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Brazilian graft probe puts Swedish firm AF under microscope

FILE PHOTO: Brazil's former President Michel Temer is seen at the Federal Police headquarters in Rio de Janeiro
FILE PHOTO: Brazil's former President Michel Temer is seen at the Federal Police headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil March 21, 2019. REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes/File Photo

March 22, 2019

By Christian Plumb

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – The arrest of a former Brazilian president on corruption charges is raising questions about how a Swedish consulting company won a contract to help build a nuclear power plant at the center of what prosecutors say was a massive bribery and kickback scheme.

The company, now known as AF Poyry, on Thursday became the latest in a series of multinationals caught up in Brazil’s sweeping “Car Wash” investigation, which has ensnared politicians as well as executives in businesses from oil trading to engineering and shipping.

In a statement, the company defended its 2011 victory in the bidding contest for work on the Angra 3 nuclear reactor on the Rio de Janeiro coast, saying it had beaten out three international competitors.

The consultancy, which was known as AF before it acquired a smaller Finnish peer, said it has “zero tolerance for fraud, bribery and corruption,” but declined to comment on the Brazilian investigation.

AF has not been formally accused in the probe, but at least two of its executives were cited in court filings on Thursday which accused former Brazilian President Michel Temer of running a scheme to extract some 1.8 billion ($470 million) in bribes related to the Angra nuclear power complex.

Temer, the leader of one of Brazil’s largest political parties before becoming vice president in 2011, took over from former President Dilma Rousseff after her impeachment in 2016. He was succeeded by President Jair Bolsonaro at the beginning of 2019. Temer has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

OTHERS TARGETED

Work on the Angra 3 reactor has advanced in fits and starts since the 1980s amid cost overruns and allegations of politically-driven decisions.

Among those targeted for arrest was Carlos Jorge Zimmermann, AF’s main Brazilian representative when it won the contract for Angra 3, who pushed for the inclusion of a Temer-linked company in the bidding consortium, prosecutors said.

They cited evidence that former Eletronuclear CEO Othon Luiz Pinheiro da Silva, a retired admiral who has previously faced a number of bribery charges, had determined years before the 2011 auction that AF should win the bidding contest.

Pinheiro da Silva, according to a charging document filed by prosecutors, was a political appointee of Temer. A law firm representing Pinheiro da Silva did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

Under pressure from Temer and his allies, the Eletronuclear CEO allegedly pushed for an architectural and engineering firm known as Argeplan with no background in building nuclear plants to be a partner in the AF-led consortium.

Argeplan, whose main experience was building metro stations in Sao Paulo, served as a vehicle for at least 2.4 million reais in cash bribes to Temer, prosecutors said.

Argeplan representatives could not immediately be reached for comment.

AF Consult and its Brazilian unit, which had only three civil engineers on its payroll when it won the Eletronuclear contract, only hired Argeplan to guarantee that it would win the bid, prosecutors said.

“The investigations show that the hiring of AF Consult do Brasil, in partnership with Argeplan, was solely designed to permit the payment of undue advantages to Michel Temer’s group,” they wrote in the court documents.

AF Poyry said independent auditors hired by Eletronuclear, a unit of Brazilian state-controlled utility Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA, had “dismissed any wrongdoing in the contract.”

(Reporting by Christian Plumb; Additional reporting by Helena Soderpalm in Stockholm; Editing by Paul Simao)

Source: OANN

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Mexico's 'Me Too' movement swells in media, cultural circles

Prosecutors in western Mexico say they have opened a criminal investigation into complaints of sexual harassment aired by the country's exploding "#MeToo" movement.

The prosecutors' office in Michoacan state said Wednesday that some of the complaints published on social media constituted possible crimes that occurred in the state and therefore fall under its jurisdiction.

Mexico had a tepid response to the original #MeToo movement that sprang up in 2017. Only a few Mexican actresses said they had been harassed, despite reports that abuse was widespread.

But over the last few days, the United Mexican Journalists group says it has gathered over 120 allegations of sexual harassment across the country's biggest media outlets.

Similar campaigns have sprung up on social media for Mexican writers, academics and activists to share their stories.

Source: Fox News World

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Multiple people died Thursday when a semitrailer plowed into stationary traffic that resulted in explosions and flames on a Colorado freeway, authorities said.

The incident occurred just before 5 p.m. in the Denver suburb of Lakewood when a truck driver lost control while traveling east on Interstate 70, according to a preliminary investigation. The collision started a chain reaction and a diesel fuel spill, Lakewood police spokesman Ty Countryman told the Denver Post.

“This is looking to be one of the worst accidents we’ve had here in Lakewood,” he said.

The driver of the runaway truck survived. At least one truck was carrying lumber, another was hauling gravel and the third may have been carrying mattresses, KDVR-TV reported.

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Lakewood police tweeted there were multiple fatalities but did not give a specific number. Six people were taken to a hospital. Their conditions were not released, according to the paper.

Lanes in both directions were closed and expected to remain so into Friday morning.

Source: Fox News National

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President Trump will address members and leaders of the National Rifle Association on Friday at the group’s annual convention in Indiana.

Around 80,000 gun enthusiasts and more than 800 exhibitors are expected to pack the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis for the three-day event, the Indianapolis Star reported. It will mark the third straight year that Trump will deliver the keynote address, where he is expected to champion the rights of gun owners.

“Donald Trump is the most enthusiastic supporter of the Second Amendment to occupy the Oval Office in our lifetimes,” Chris Cox, executive director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action (ILA), said in a statement. “President Trump’s Supreme Court appointments ensure that the Second Amendment will be respected for generations to come. Our members are excited to hear him speak and thank him for his support for our Right to Keep and Bear Arms.”

“Donald Trump is the most enthusiastic supporter of the Second Amendment to occupy the Oval Office in our lifetimes.”

— Chris Cox, executive director, NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action

COLORADO ENACTS ‘RED FLAG’ LAW TO SEIZE GUNS FROM THOSE DEEMED DANGEROUS, PROMPTING BACKLASH

President Donald Trump speaks at the National Rifle Association annual convention in Dallas last year. (Associated Press)

President Donald Trump speaks at the National Rifle Association annual convention in Dallas last year. (Associated Press)

Trump and Vice President Mike Pence spoke at last year’s convention in Dallas. During his speech, Trump assured gun owners that he would protect their Second Amendment rights, according to the paper.

“Your Second Amendment rights are under siege,” Trump told the cheering audience in Dallas. “But they will never, ever be under siege as long as I am your president.”

Trump has supported some gun control measures in the past. Last year, his administration imposed a ban on bump stocks, attachments that enable semiautomatic rifles to fire in rapid bursts. Although, he most recently threatened to veto two Democratic gun control bills.

This year’s convention comes as the NRA faces outside pressure and internal problems. The group has seen its legislative agenda stall amid a series of mass shootings — including a massacre at a Parkland, Fla., high school in February 2018 that left 17 dead and launched a youth movement against gun violence.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

It’s also grappling with infighting in its ranks, money problems and investigations into whether Russian agents courted officials and funneled money through the group.

“I’ve never seen the NRA this vulnerable,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that advocates for gun control measure.

The convention will run through the weekend and conclude Sunday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News Politics

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FILE PHOTO: Shoppers walk past the Debenhams department store on Oxford Street in London
FILE PHOTO: Shoppers walk past the Debenhams department store on Oxford Street in London, Britain December 15, 2018. REUTERS/Simon Dawson

April 26, 2019

(Reuters) – Ailing British retailer Debenhams said two proposed company voluntary arrangements (CVA) could see all its stores remaining open during 2019, with 22 closures planned for next year, putting about 1,200 jobs at risk.

Debenhams’ lenders took control of the retailer earlier this month in a process designed to keep its shops open at the expense of shareholders.

(Reporting by Noor Zainab Hussain in Bengaluru; editing by Gopakumar Warrier)

Source: OANN

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FILE PHOTO: Xiaomi branding is seen on a carrier bag at a UK launch event in London
FILE PHOTO: Xiaomi branding is seen on a carrier bag at a UK launch event in London, Britain, November 8, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville

April 26, 2019

BENGALURU (Reuters) – Chinese brands controlled a record 66 percent of Indian smartphone market in the first quarter, led by Xiaomi Corp, a report showed, with volumes rising 20 percent on the back of popularity for brands like Vivo, RealMe and Oppo.

Xiaomi’s India shipments fell by 2 percent over last year, but the Beijing-based company was still the biggest smartphone brand in the country, followed by Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, according to Hong-Kong based Counterpoint Research.

Shipment volumes for Vivo jumped 119 percent, while those of Oppo rose 28 percent.

“Vivo’s expanding portfolio in the mid-tier range ($100 to $180) drove its growth along with aggressive Indian Premier League cricket campaign,” Counterpoint analysts said.

India is the world’s fastest growing market for smartphones, where affordable pricing coupled with features like “selfie” cameras and big screens have popularized Chinese brands.

Video streaming services like Netflix Inc and Hotstar, as well as heavy usage of messaging apps like Facebook Inc’s WhatsApp have further spurred demand.

“Data consumption is on the rise and users are upgrading their phones faster as compared to other regions,” Counterpoint’s Tarun Pathak said.

“As a result of this, the premium specs are now diffusing faster into the mid-tier price brands. We estimate this trend to continue leading to a competitive mid-tier segment in coming quarters.”

(Reporting By Arnab Paul in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)

Source: OANN

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The Dalai Lama has returned to his headquarters in the north Indian hill town of Dharmsala after a brief stay in a hospital in the capital for treatment of a chest infection.

Hundreds of exiled Tibetans lined the streets of Dharmsala carrying ceremonial scarves and incense sticks to welcome the Dalai Lama on Friday.

The 83-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader told reporters that he had fully recovered, but that the illness had been “a little bit serious.” He did not give any details.

The Dalai Lama usually spends several months a year traveling the world to teach Buddhism and highlight Tibetans’ struggle for greater freedom in China. But he has cut down on his travels in the past year to take care of his health.

Source: Fox News World

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