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Trump declares 'socialism is dying' amid Venezuela 'catastrophe,' promises 'this will never happen to us'

President Donald Trump, speaking in a major foreign policy address in Miami to members of the Venezuelan community, declared Monday that "a new day is coming in Latin America" and issued a stark assessment that "socialism is dying" across the world.

In a wide-ranging rebuke of socialism that seemed targeted as much at Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua as it was at congressional Democrats, Trump remarked: "We know that socialism is not about justice, it's not about equality, it's not about lifting up the poor -- it's about one thing only: power for the ruling class. And, the more power they get, the more they crave. They want to run health care, run transportation and finance, run energy, education, run everything. They want the power to decide who wins and who loses, who's up and who's down, what's true and what's false, and even who lives and who dies."

Before a supportive and raucous crowd at Florida International University in Miami Trump announced, flanked by large American and Venezuelan flags, "This will never happen to us. ... America will never be a socialist country."

The president's vow came as Democrats have proposed an evolving agenda of "Medicare-for-all," free college tuition, minimum wage increases and even guaranteed basic income.

"When Venezuela is free, and Cuba is free, and Nicaragua is free, this will become the first free hemisphere in all of human history," Trump said.

The address was the second time Trump publicly and forcefully has condemned what he has called "the horrors of socialism and communism" and "massive wealth confiscation" in recent weeks, following his similar vow during the State of the Union address that "America will never be a socialist country."

That remark, which left Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., stone-faced, came as part of a larger condemnation of disputed President Nicolas Maduro for "turning that nation from being the wealthiest in South America into a state of abject poverty and despair" through a mixture of "brutality" and "socialist policies."

Venezuelan boys holding cups of a grape-flavored drink, part of the free lunch that is given out daily at the "Divina Providencia" migrant shelter in La Parada, near Cucuta, Colombia, on the border with Venezuela, on Monday. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Venezuelan boys holding cups of a grape-flavored drink, part of the free lunch that is given out daily at the "Divina Providencia" migrant shelter in La Parada, near Cucuta, Colombia, on the border with Venezuela, on Monday. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

On Monday, Trump hammered that theme repeatedly and called on Venezuela's military to rise up and take on Maduro, who has blocked U.S. humanitarian aid shipments.

"We know the truth about socialism in Venzuela, in Cuba, in Nicaragua, and all around the world. Socialism promises prosperity, but it delivers poverty," Trump said. "Socialism promises unity, but it delivers hatred and it delivers division. Socialism promises a better future, but it always returns to the darkest chapters of the past. That never fails. It always happens. Socialism is a sad and discredited ideology rooted in a total ignorance of history and human nature, which is why socialism, eventually, must always give rise to tyranny -- which it does. Socialists profess a love of diversity, but they always insist on absolute conformity."

DEMS SIT EXPRESSIONLESS AS TRUMP DECLARES SOCIALISM WILL NEVER COME TO THE U.S.

As the crowd chanted "USA," Trump, who was joined by first lady Melania Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and National Security Adviser John Bolton, asserted, "The people of Venezuela stand at the threshold of history -- ready to reclaim their country and to reclaim their future. Not long ago, Venezuela was the wealthiest nation by far in South America. But, years of socialist rule have brought this once-thriving nation to the brink of ruin.

"The results have been catastrophic," Trump continued. "Almost 90 percent of Venezuelans now live in poverty. In 2018, hyperinflation in Venezuela exceeded one million percent. Crippling shortages of food and medicine plague the country. Socialism has so completely ravaged this great country that even the world's largest reserves of oil are no longer enough to keep the lights on."

FOX NEWS POLL: CAPITALISM TRUMPS SOCIALISM

As the monthslong political crisis in Venezuela continued, Trump took multiple generalized shots at socialism that pointedly were not limited to the country's borders.

"America will never be a socialist country."

— President Trump

"The days of socialism and communism are numbered not only in Venezuela, but in Nicaragua and Cuba as well," Trump said, as the crowd roared. "Do we love Cuba? Do we love Nicaragua? Great countries. Great potential."

SOCIALIST OCASIO-CORTEZ SAYS TRUMP IS 'SCARED' OF SOCALISM, AS AMAZON BAILS ON NYC

Trump again declared that Guaido was the country's rightful president amid what he called an unprecedented "humanitarian disaster." He also made a public case to Venezuela's military, which could play a decisive role in the stalemate, to support Guaido's government. The Venezuelan military largely has remained loyal to Maduro.

Free lunches prepped with lentils, a slice of bologna, rice and a piece of plantain ready to be served at a migrant shelter in La Parada, near Cucuta, Colombia, on the border with Venezuela, Monday. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Free lunches prepped with lentils, a slice of bologna, rice and a piece of plantain ready to be served at a migrant shelter in La Parada, near Cucuta, Colombia, on the border with Venezuela, Monday. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Trump told the Venezuelan military that they "have a clear choice — work toward democracy for their future and the future of their families, or they will lose everything they have."

The Maduro-controlled military has blocked the U.S. from moving tons of humanitarian aid airlifted in recent days to the Colombian border with Venezuela. The aid shipments have been meant in part to emphasize the hyperinflation and shortages of food and medicine that are gripping Venezuela.

"Unfortunately, Dictator Maduro has blocked this life-saving aid from entering the country. He would rather see his people starve than give them aid, than help them," Trump said. "Millions of Venezuelans are starving and suffering while a small handful at the top of the Maduro regime plunder the regime into poverty and death. We know who they are and we know where they keep the billions of dollars they have stolen."

The aid is supposed to be moved into Venezuela on Feb. 23 by supporters of Guaido. But, Maduro has called the aid unnecessary and said it constituted an attempt to destabilize his government.

Trump delivered the remarks to a supportive audience at Florida International University in Miami. South Florida is home to more than 100,000 Venezuelans and Venezuelan-Americans, the largest concentration in the country. Trump has largely been spending the holiday weekend at his private club in West Palm Beach.

Juan Guaido speaking during an economic forum in Caracas last week. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Juan Guaido speaking during an economic forum in Caracas last week. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Critics said Maduro's re-election last year was fraudulent, making his second term illegal.

On Sunday, Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio -- whom Trump invoked in his Monday address -- visited a border staging point for U.S. aid to Venezuela and warned soldiers loyal to Maduro that it would be a "crime against humanity" if they blocked entry of the goods being channeled through Maduro's rivals.

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An enthusiastic throng of Venezuelan migrants, some chanting "Rubio! Liberty," met the senator as he visited Cucuta and held a news conference in sight of a border bridge that has been flooded in recent months by people escaping the hardships of Venezuela's hyperinflation and severe shortages of food and medicine.

While Russia, China, Turkey and a large number of Asian and African countries still back Maduro, Rubio dismissed them, saying in English: "The countries that support Maduro do not surprise us. All of them are corrupt and none of them is a democracy and many of them are owed billions of dollars that they want to get paid by the corrupt regime."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News Politics

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Cleric ‘mastermind’ behind Sri Lanka attacks known for hate-filled online sermons, possible ISIS ties

Over the past three years, radical Islamic cleric Zahran Hashim, alternately known as Mohammed Zahran, has amassed an online following of thousands for his hate-filled online sermons – sometimes delivered before a banner depicting the Twin Towers – that are composed of impassioned calls for “all non-Muslims be eliminated.”

But despite reportedly being known to authorities, Hashim’s videos – which have since been removed for violating YouTube terms – were seemingly left unchecked, according to The Telegraph.

Now, unconfirmed reports are not only pointing the finger at him for being one of the suicide bombers to strike the Shangri La hotel but pegging him as the mastermind of the coordinated attacks which have left more than 320 people dead and over 500 wounded.

SRI LANKA CHURCH, HOTEL MASSACRE VICTIMS INCLUDE TV CHEF, MOTHER, AND SON, AMERICANS

Over the past three years, radical Islamic cleric Zahran Hashim, alternately known as Mohammed Zahran, amassed an online following of thousands for hate-filled online sermons – sometimes delivered before a banner depicting the enkindled Twin Towers – and composed of impassioned calls for “all non-Muslims be eliminated.”

Over the past three years, radical Islamic cleric Zahran Hashim, alternately known as Mohammed Zahran, amassed an online following of thousands for hate-filled online sermons – sometimes delivered before a banner depicting the enkindled Twin Towers – and composed of impassioned calls for “all non-Muslims be eliminated.” (YouTube)

Sri Lanka government spokesperson Rajitha Senaratne said Monday that authorities believe a small extremist group known as the National Thowfeek Jamaath (NJT) – despite having generated little cause for concern with the exception of slashing Buddha statues in 2017 –  were the orchestrators.

Moreover, one of NJT’s leaders Hashim may have had additional terrorist ties.

A Sri Lankan Police officer inspects a blast spot at the Shangri-la hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

A Sri Lankan Police officer inspects a blast spot at the Shangri-la hotel in Colombo, Sri Lanka. (AP)

ISIS – which was officially run out of its self-designated “caliphate” in Syria just weeks ago – also capitalized on the chance to insert itself into the narrative. According to the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), an ISIS media activist used the encrypted messenger app Telegram this week to publish photographs of three armed Sri Lankan men posing in front of the trademark black ISIS flag, claiming that the men – now all dead – carried out the bombings.

“Pictures of some of the brothers who carried out the attacks in Sri Lanka, may Allah accept them,” the photo caption declared.

One of the featured individuals is believed to be Hashim, who is described as a “well-known preacher who has expressed ISIS sympathies in the past.”

WHY I LEFT ISIS: FORMER BAGHDADI 'FRIEND' AND AIDE, OTHERS SPEAK OUT

“The ISIS claim of responsibility lends credence to the veracity of the assertion that the men depicted in the photographs were indeed among the perpetrators,” MEMRI stated in its threat report, highlighting that the ISIS media wing Amaq also claimed responsibility. More than 30 members of Sri Lanka's minority Muslim population were documented to have fled abroad to fight with ISIS in Iraq and Syria in recent years, according to officials.

A relative of a blast victim grieves outside a morgue in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, April 21, 2019. More than hundred were killed and hundreds more hospitalized with injuries from eight blasts that rocked churches and hotels in and just outside of Sri Lanka's capital on Easter Sunday, officials said, the worst violence to hit the South Asian country since its civil war ended a decade ago. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

A relative of a blast victim grieves outside a morgue in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, April 21, 2019. More than hundred were killed and hundreds more hospitalized with injuries from eight blasts that rocked churches and hotels in and just outside of Sri Lanka's capital on Easter Sunday, officials said, the worst violence to hit the South Asian country since its civil war ended a decade ago. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lankan authorities suspect that there are “international terror groups which are behind the local terrorists,” and are said to be investigating funding sources. Officials also said Tuesday that they believe the onslaught was "in retaliation" to the New Zealand mosque terror attack that claimed the lives of fifty people in Christchurch last month.

Nonetheless, Hashim had developed a reputation as a preacher who "copied" ISIS propaganda videos with his animated and vehement postings who has long espoused vocal support for the world's most dangerous terrorist brand. The pro-ISIS "Al-Ghuraba" media channel in Sri Lanka, which operated across Facebook and YouTube as its primary platforms, reportedly featured his inflammatory videos. The videos often advocated the notion that only Muslims are acceptable rulers and he routinely railed against Christians, Buddhists, and Hindus.

Unconfirmed local reports have since indicated he once studied in neighboring India; but became a controversial figure within the Muslim community and he prompted clashed with other students before dropping out.

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Yet what also remains unanswered is why a warning issued by Sri Lanka’s police chief on April 11 –who raised the alarm after receiving information from a foreign intelligence agency, allegedly India, with the caution that NTJ was concocting attacks – was ultimately ignored.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Source: Fox News World

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M&S and Ocado in talks over British retail joint venture

A view of a Marks and Spencer shop in Singapore
A view of a Marks and Spencer shop in Singapore December 14, 2018. REUTERS/Edgar Su

February 26, 2019

LONDON (Reuters) – Retailer Marks & Spencer is in talks with online supermarket Ocado to form a British joint venture, it said on Tuesday, after the Evening Standard newspaper reported it was set to pay up to $1.2 billion for a 50 percent stake.

The deal would give M&S a food delivery service for the first time.

The Evening Standard said the two groups could announce a deal as soon as Wednesday.

(Reporting by Kate Holton, editing by Louise Heavens)

Source: OANN

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Indiana teachers hit with plastic pellets during active shooter drill: ‘It hurt so bad’

Indiana elementary school teachers participating in an active shooter training drill said they were shot with plastic pellets which left them with bruises and welts.

The White County Sheriff office conducted the training exercise at Meadowlawn Elementary in Monticello, Ind. in January.

IndyStar reported two elementary school teachers testified before state lawmakers this week that they participated in a drill where teachers were asked by local law enforcement to kneel down against a classroom wall before being hit with plastic pellets without warning.

“They told us, ‘This is what happens if you just cower and do nothing,’” one of the two teachers who did not want to be identified told IndyStar.  “They shot all of us across our backs. I was hit four times. It hurt so bad.”

The Indiana State Teachers Association tweeted: "During active shooter drill, four teachers at a time were taken into a room, told to crouch down and were shot execution style with some sort of projectiles - resulting in injuries to the extent that welts appeared, and blood was drawn."

The ISTA is now lobbying lawmakers to add language prohibiting teachers from being shot with any kind of ammunition to a school safety bill, House Bill 1004, which is working its way through the Statehouse.

HORRIFYING DETAILS RELEASED IN INVESTIGATION OF 'EXTREMIST MUSLIM' COMPOUND THAT ALLEGEDLY CONDUCTED SCHOOL-SHOOTING TRAINING

According to House Bill 1004, all schools must conduct an active-shooter drill at least once a year but, it does not mandate any specific type of training program.

The White County Sheriff, Bill Brooks, told Fox News, about four officers went to Meadowlawn Elementary School in January to conduct an active shooter training exercise called ALICE, which he said typically involves the use of an air-powered device called airsoft guns.

Thousands of schools across the country, including many in Indiana, are using ALICE for training exercises, according to IndyStar.

TEEN SUSPECT KILLED HIMSELF INSIDE INDIANA MIDDLE SCHOOL AFTER FIRING AT OFFICERS, POLICE SAY

Brooks said the plastic pellets are more than 6 mm in diameter compared to a BB, which is metal and is about 4 mm in diameter.

“It’s a larger plastic projectile compared to a metal, much smaller projectile,” Sheriff Brooks told Fox News. He said the plastic projectile is much softer.

“It was 100% voluntary,” Brooks told Fox News “Most teachers volunteered, a few did not and were allowed to observe.”

He said the teachers were told they would be shot with the airsoft guns as part of the training and still volunteered.

Brooks said he was at the elementary school for part of the January training, but was not present when the airsoft gun was used.

Both Meadowlawn teachers who spoke to IndyStar said they were not warned by the officers before the drill that anyone would be shot.

One of the teachers said she was waiting in the library with other teachers as the first small group went into a classroom for the January training session.

“The firsts group went in and we heard them scream and yell,” she said. “We thought, ‘What is going on?’”

The teacher described what happened when it was her turn to participate, “it was like a quick spew of those pellets.”

“Most of us got hit several times in our backs,” said the teacher.

She said the pellets left welts and a spot where it broke her skin.

“Our children’s safety is still our highest priority and we will continue active shooter training exercises however teachers will no longer be involved.”

— Bill Brooks, White County Sheriff

Juli Topp, vice president of member representation for Twin Lakes Classroom Teachers Organization, told IndyStar she met with the Meadowlawn teachers last week and heard similar stories from more than a dozen different teachers.

“They voluntarily signed up for this training, however, they had no idea they were going to be shot,” Topp said. 

In a statement released Thursday, Michael Galvin, Superintendent for Twin Lakes Schools said the school district is committed to providing a safe environment for its students and employees.

"...Twin Lakes partners with the White County Sheriff’s Department for public safety guidance and to train Twin Lakes staff, which includes ALICE training," said Galvin. "Recently the Twin Lakes Classroom Teachers Organization voiced questions regarding how the Sheriff’s Department conducted ALICE training, and Twin Lakes facilitated a meeting with the Association and the Sheriff’s Department to collaboratively discuss these matters."

Brooks told Fox News teachers will no longer be asked to participate in any training at all and airsoft guns will only be used in active shooter training drills when only officers are involved.

“This is the first incident or complaint we ever received. We did not receive any complaints that day. In fact, the opposite, they loved the training and we are still receiving numerous calls of support from teachers and the public,” Brooks told Fox News. “Our children’s safety is still our highest priority and we will continue active shooter training exercises however teachers will no longer be involved.”

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House Bill 1004 is scheduled to be up for amendments in the Senate’s education committee next week.

Source: Fox News National

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Digital lenders lure unbanked Argentines out of shadow economy

Employees work at the Wilobank offices, in Buenos Aires
Employees work at the Wilobank offices, in Buenos Aires, Argentina March 20, 2019. Picture taken March 20, 2019. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

April 8, 2019

By Eliana Raszewski

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – María Rosales, 39, is one of millions of less affluent Argentines locked out of the traditional financial sector. The former cruise ship worker lost her job in 2015 and has relied on her family for financial support to stay afloat since.

Now her small pot of savings is in demand from a new group of lenders: digital banks on the hunt to mop up funds from the country’s huge shadow economy.

The nascent shift could shake up how people save their money in a market noticeable for a heavy reliance on cash, a paucity of bank savings and little trust in traditional banks or the volatile local peso, which lost half its value against the dollar last year.

Argentine bank deposits as a portion of gross domestic product are just 18.8 percent, according to a recent OECD report, which said the country had a “scarcity of domestic savings.”

That compares to nearly 60 percent in neighboring Brazil. In Mexico, which has also been promoting alternatives to traditional banking, it is almost 30 percent.

“I do not know if there is a sector in Argentina as behind as the financial one,” Stefano Angeli, chief executive of Rebanking, a digital bank which will start operations in May, told Reuters.

“We believe digital banking will be the way to develop this business in the long term.”

As well as start-ups, international lenders are looking at getting into Argentina’s digital banking market. Banco Santander has said its digital bank will launch in the country soon, while Brazil’s Itau Unibanco said last year it was looking at opening online-only accounts in Argentina.

When Rosales became unemployed her former bank started to charge her to keep her old account open and she did not have the paperwork such as payslips and utility bills needed to open a new one.

Instead, she turned to local digital lender Wilobank, which touts easy access and gives her some interest on her savings – important with inflation running at 50 percent annually.

“You become a client in minutes without going anywhere,” Wilobank says on its website.

Rival Brubank says, “You will need a few minutes. Have your national identity document at hand and that’s it.”

Lucas Llach, a former vice president at Argentina’s central bank who focused on financial inclusion, said the shift was logical, with so many people unable to access brick-and-mortar banks.

“There is a population that does not feel welcome (in traditional banks),” he told Reuters, adding the advent of digital lenders could help the government by bringing more funds out of the unregulated shadow sector.

“Technology lowers the costs of banking, and with these new technologies – where everything is digital – it becomes profitable to have lower-income clients.”

‘IT’S A TEST’

Firms like online auction company MercadoLibre Inc, recently invested in by PayPal, and George Soros-backed Uala are also pushing technology such as digital wallets and payment apps.

“There is a market because there are many people who are not banked, who do not want the costs of traditional banks,” Wilobank President Guillermo Francos told Reuters.

Wilobank said it has attracted 25,000 clients in its first six months of operation, and expects to hit 100,000 by the end of the year and 300,000 by late 2020.

The government has sought to help the sector, cutting red tape and making it faster to set up new banks.

A central bank official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said this could help force established lenders to become more competitive, something the bank has been pushing for to bolster savings accounts and shore up the local peso.

Digital banking heads told Reuters they were looking to reinvest deposits into the same kinds of instruments traditional banks use, including high-interest government debt that has been a boon for lenders.

Luring hard-hit Argentines back to the financial sector will not be easy, however. Many lost their savings during a major financial crisis in 2002, since when a sharp devaluation of the peso and a period of currency controls battered trust in banks.

Nicolás Cánepa, a 39-year-old scientific researcher, is wary but curious. He opened a digital account earlier this year and got a credit and debit card within a week.

“I kept the accounts I have in traditional banks because I get some benefits,” he said in a telephone interview, adding however he got a better interest rate on the new digital account.

“I did not put all my salary in. For now it’s a test.”

(Reporting by Eliana Raszewski; editing by Adam Jourdan and Rosalba O’Brien)

Source: OANN

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KPMG plans overhaul of British business: The Times

FILE PHOTO: The KPMG logo is seen at the company's head offices at La Defense business and financial district in Courbevoie
FILE PHOTO: The logo of KPMG, a professional service company, is seen at the company's head offices at La Defense business and financial district in Courbevoie near Paris, France. May 16, 2018. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File Photo

April 7, 2019

(Reuters) – KPMG is planning an overhaul of its British business to create an independent audit firm, regardless of any decision by the competition regulator to force a break-up of the Big Four accounting firms, The Times reported on Monday.

KPMG’s audit practice has 200 partners and about 5,000 staff, who could move to a standalone entity or to a subsidiary of KPMG if the plans go ahead, the newspaper said.

KPMG was not immediately available for a comment.

Parliament’s business committee last week urged the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to force EY, KPMG, Deloitte and PwC to separate audit and consultancy services to improve standards and transparency in book-keeping after audit failures at construction company Carillion and retailer BHS.

EY, KPMG, Deloitte and PwC have sought to head off being split up by voluntarily agreeing not to offer consultancy services to audit clients.

The government is expected to propose legislation to implement the audit shake-up once the CMA has published its final recommendations on the subject in coming weeks.

(Reporting by Rama Venkat in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)

Source: OANN

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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggests US will have ‘blood on our hands’ if climate change isn’t tackled

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) has suggested that the United States would have “blood on our hands” if legislation is not passed to tackle climate change.

Her comments came during a House Oversight Committee hearing Tuesday with John Kerry, the former Secretary of State, and Chuck Hagel, the former Secretary of Defense, where the subject of the role of global warming and national security was discussed.

Ocasio-Cortez first asked Hagel: “Do you think that neglecting to address these threats is – could contribute to an American – the loss of American life?”

PELOSI APPEARS TO MOCK OCASIO-CORTEZ OVER-RELIANCE ON TWITTER FOR SUPPORT

When he responded in the affirmative, she asked: “And do you think that denial or even delaying in that action could cost us American lives?”

When he again replied “yes,” she asked Kerry: “Do you think that appointing a federal panel that questions 26 years of established climate science (could) be responsible for the loss of American life?”

When Kerry said: “It could be,” she again followed up: “So I think what we have laid out here is a very clear moral problem and in terms of leadership, if we fail to act or even if we delay in acting, we will have blood on our hands? I don’t know if you’re allowed to agree with that Secretary Kerry or Secretary Hagel, but would you agree with that assessment?”

CROWLEY HAD DIRT ON OCASIO-CORTEZ BUT DECIDED NOT TO USE IT IN CAMPAIGN

Kerry replied: “As long as we do nothing, congresswoman, we are complicit in our acts of omission and commission of what we’re doing to choose for our energy, etc. And we’re going to contribute to people dying, we’re going to contribute to trillions of dollars of damage to property and we will change the face of life on this planet.”

During the hearing, Kerry also praised Ocasio-Cortez for offering “more leadership in one day or one week than President Trump has in his lifetime” on climate change.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP

Ocasio-Cortez, who championed the Green New Deal, responded on Twitter, saying she was “honored and humbled” by the climate.

Source: Fox News Politics

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FILE PHOTO: Small toy figures are seen in front of a displayed Huawei and 5G network logo in this illustration picture
FILE PHOTO: Small toy figures are seen in front of a displayed Huawei and 5G network logo in this illustration picture, March 30, 2019. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

April 26, 2019

By Charlotte Greenfield

WELLINGTON (Reuters) – China’s Huawei Technologies said Britain’s decision to allow the firm a restricted role in building parts of its next-generation telecoms network was the kind of solution it was hoping for in New Zealand, where it has been blocked from 5G plans.

Britain will ban Huawei from all core parts of 5G network but give it some access to non-core parts, sources have told Reuters, as it seeks a middle way in a bitter U.S.-China dispute stemming from American allegations that Huawei’s equipment could be used by Beijing for espionage.

Washington has also urged its allies to ban Huawei from building 5G networks, even as the Chinese company, the world’s top producer of telecoms equipment, has repeatedly said the spying concerns are unfounded.

In New Zealand, a member of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network that includes the United States, the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) in November turned down an initial request from local telecommunication firm Spark to include Huawei equipment in its 5G network, but later gave the operator options to mitigate national security concerns.

“The proposed solution in the UK to restrict Huawei from bidding for the core is exactly the type of solution we have been looking at in New Zealand,” Andrew Bowater, deputy CEO of Huawei’s New Zealand arm, said in an emailed statement.

Spark said it has noted the developments in Britain and would raise it with the GCSB.

The reports “suggest the UK is following other European jurisdictions in taking a considered and balanced approach to managing supplier-related security risks in 5G”, Andrew Pirie, Spark’s corporate relations lead, said in an email.

“Our discussions with the GCSB are ongoing and we expect that the UK developments will be a further item of discussion between us,” Pirie added.

New Zealand’s minister for intelligence services, Andrew Little, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

British culture minister Jeremy Wright said on Thursday that he would report to parliament the conclusions of a government review of the 5G supply chain once they had been taken.

He added that the disclosure of confidential discussions on the role of Huawei was “unacceptable” and that he could not rule out a criminal investigation into the leak.

The decisions by Britain and Germany to use Huawei gear in non-core parts of 5G network makes it harder to prove Huawei should be kept out of New Zealand telecommunication networks, said Syed Faraz Hasan, an expert in communication engineering and networks at New Zealand’s Massey University

He pointed out Huawei gear was already part of the non-core 4G networks that 5G infrastructure would be built on.

“Unless there is a convincing argument against the Huawei devices … it is difficult to keep them away,” Hasan said.

(Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Himani Sarkar)

Source: OANN

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FILE PHOTO: The logo commodities trader Glencore is pictured in Baar
FILE PHOTO: The logo of commodities trader Glencore is pictured in front of the company’s headquarters in Baar, Switzerland, July 18, 2017. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

April 26, 2019

(Reuters) – Glencore shares plunged the most in nearly four months on Friday after news overnight that U.S. regulators were investigating whether the miner broke some rules through “corrupt practices”.

Shares of the FTSE 100 company fell as much as 4.2 percent in early deals, and were down 3.5 percent at 310.25 pence by 0728 GMT.

On Thursday, Glencore said the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission is investigating whether the company and its units have violated some provisions of the Commodity ExchangeAct and/or CFTC Regulations.

(Reporting by Muvija M in Bengaluru)

Source: OANN

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Well, Joe Biden didn’t exactly clear the field.

I don’t think it matters much that Biden waited until yesterday to become the 20th Democrat vying for the nomination, even though it exposed him to weeks of attacks while he seemed to be dithering on the sidelines.

A much greater warning sign, in my view, is the largely negative tone surrounding his debut. He is, after all, a former vice president, highly praised by Barack Obama, who has consistently led in the early primary polls, and beating President Trump in head-to-head matchups. Yet much of the press is acting like he’s an old codger and it’s just a matter of time before he keels over politically.

This is all the more remarkable in light of the fact that the vast majority of journalists and pundits know and like Joe Biden and his gregarious personality.

The reason is that Biden, after a half-century in politics, lacks excitement, and the press is magnetically attracted to novel and unorthodox types like Beto and Mayor Pete. You don’t see Biden on the cover of Vanity Fair, and a grind-it-out win by a conventional warrior doesn’t set journalistic hearts racing.

JOE BIDEN ANNOUNCES 2020 PRESIDENTIAL BID: 3 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE FORMER VICE PRESIDENT

For many in the media, Biden isn’t liberal enough, at least not for the post-Obama era. He doesn’t promise free college and free health care and has a history of working with Republicans, such as John McCain (whose daughter Meghan loves him, and Biden will hit “The View” today.)

What’s more, Biden’s campaign style — speak at rallies, rack up union endorsements — seems hopelessly old-fashioned when we measure popularity by Instagram followers. News outlets are predicting he’ll have trouble getting in the online fundraising game, leaving him reliant on big donors, which used to be standard practice.

And then there’s the age thing. Biden would be the oldest president to be inaugurated, at 78, and he looked a step slow in encounters with reporters yesterday and a few weeks ago.

But what if the journalists are in something of a Twitter bubble, and the actual Democratic Party is much more moderate? We saw that with the spate of allegations by women of unwanted touching, which dominated news coverage until polls showed that most Dem voters weren’t concerned. In that wider world, the Scranton guy’s connection to white, working-class voters could help him against Trump in the industrial Midwest.

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Biden denounced the president’s term as an “aberrant moment” in his launch video, saying four more years would damage the country’s character and “I cannot stand by and watch that happen.”

But first, he’d have to win the nomination in the face of an unenthusiastic press corps.

A New York Times news story said Biden would be “marshaling his experience and global stature in a bid to lead a party increasingly defined by a younger generation that might be skeptical of his age and ideological moderation.”

The Washington Post quoted Democratic strategists as saying that Biden faces an “uphill battle” and “isn’t necessarily the heir apparent to Obama, despite being his No. 2 in the White House for eight years. They argue voters will judge Biden by the span of his decades-long career and are worried the veteran pol hasn’t yet found a winning formula for his own candidacy.”

The liberal Slate said the ex-veep’s rivals view him as a “paper tiger”:

“Biden is something more like a 2016 Jeb Bush: a weak establishment favorite whose time might be past … Biden’s biggest challenge in the primary will be a compromised past spanning nearly 50 years.”

“Compromised” suggests a history of scandal, yet what Slate means is political baggage, such as his backing of a Clinton-era crime bill unpopular with black voters today. Yet I think the rank and file isn’t as concerned about a vote back in 1994, or even the Anita Hill hearings, as the chattering classes.

BIDEN’S SENATE RECORD, ADVOCACY OF 1994 CRIME BILL WILL BE USED AGAINST HIM, EX-SANDERS STAFFER SAYS

One of the few left-leaning pundits to suggest the press is underestimating Biden is data guru Nate Silver at 538:

“Media coverage could nonetheless be a problem for Biden. Within the mainstream media, the story of Biden winning the nomination will be seen as boring and anticlimactic. That tends not to lead to favorable coverage. Meanwhile, some left-aligned media outlets may prefer candidates who are some combination of more leftist, more wonkish, more reflective of the party’s diversity, and more adept on social media.

“If Biden is framed as being out of touch with today’s Democratic Party and that narrative is repeated across a variety of outlets, it could begin to resonate with voters who don’t buy it initially. If he’s seen as a gaffe-prone candidate, then minor missteps on the campaign trail could be blown up into big fumbles.”

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Look, it’s entirely possible that Biden could stumble, get lapped in fundraising and just be outclassed by younger and savvier rivals. He was hardly a great candidate in 1987 and in 2008.

But if the former vice president finds his footing and the field narrows, the press will be forced to change its tune, and we’ll see a spate of stories about how Joe Biden has “grown.”

Source: Fox News Politics

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South Africa's 400m Olympic gold medallist and world record holder Wayde van Niekerk looks on as he attends South African Championships in Germiston
South Africa’s 400m Olympic gold medallist and world record holder Wayde van Niekerk looks on as he attends South African Championships in Germiston, South Africa, April 25, 2019. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

April 26, 2019

GERMISTON, South Africa (Reuters) – Olympic 400 meters champion Wayde van Niekerk has backed South African compatriot Caster Semenya in her battle with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which now appears to have taken a new twist.

Semenya, a double 800 meters Olympic gold medalist, is waiting for the outcome of her appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to halt the introduction of new regulations by governing body IAAF that would require her to take medicine to limit her natural levels of testosterone.

The IAAF wants female athletes with differences of sexual development who run in events from 400 meters to a mile, to reduce their blood testosterone level to below five (5) nmol/L for a period of six months before they can compete, saying they have an unfair advantage.

“She’s fighting for something beyond just track and field, she’s fighting for woman in sports, in society and I respect her for that,” Van Niekerk told reporters.

“I will support her and with the hard work and talent that she’s been putting into the sport. With what she believes in and what she’s dreaming for, I’ve got a lot of respect for her.

“I really hope and pray that everything just goes from strength to strength for her.”

Semenya has sprung a surprise at the on-going South African Athletics Championships though, ditching the 800 meters and instead competing over 1,500 and 5,000-metres – the latter one would not require her to medically lower her testosterone level.

She stormed to victory in the 5,000-metres final in a modest time of 16:05.97, but looked to have lots left in the tank as she passed the finish line.

Semenya beat fellow Olympian and defending national 5,000m champion Dominique Scott in Thursday’s final but the latter admitted she is unsure whether the 800m specialist could be a serious Olympic contender over the longer distance.

“Honestly‚ I have no idea‚” Scott said. “Before today I probably would have said no. It’s hard to compare a 5,000 at altitude to a 5,000 at sea level.

“But I think she’s an amazing runner and I don’t think there’s any limit or ceiling on what she can do.”

Van Niekerk, the 400m world record holder, had to abort his comeback from a knee injury, that had sidelined him for 18 months, following a combination of cold weather and a wet track.

“We are trying to take the correct decisions now early in the year so as not to put myself in any harm,” he said.

“It was a bit chilly this entire week prepping and coming through here as well it was quite cold and it caused bit of tightness in my leg. We decided to not risk it.

“My recovery is going well and I would like to be back in competition this year, but will only do so if I can deliver a good performance.

“I am a competitor and respect my opponents, so I need to be at my best when I return.”

(Reporting by Nick Said, additional reporting by Siyabonga Sishi; editing by Sudipto Ganguly)

Source: OANN

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The suspected leader of the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka died in the Shangri-La hotel, one of six hotels and churches targeted in the attacks that killed at least 250 people, authorities said.

Police said Mohamed Zahran, leader of the National Towheed Jamaat militant group, had been killed in one of the bombings. The group’s second in command was also arrested, police said.

Zahran amassed an online following for his hate-filled sermons. Some were delivered before a banner depicting the Twin Towers.

Sri Lankan authorities said Friday that Islamic cleric Mohammed Zahran died in the blast at the Shangri-La hotel during the Easter Sunday atatcks that killed at least 250 people. 

Sri Lankan authorities said Friday that Islamic cleric Mohammed Zahran died in the blast at the Shangri-La hotel during the Easter Sunday atatcks that killed at least 250 people.  (YouTube)

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Friday that the attackers responsible for the bombings were supported by the Islamic State group. Around 140 people in Sri Lanka had connections to ISIS, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said.

“We will completely control this and create a free and peaceful environment for people to live,” he said.

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Investigators determined the attackers received military training from someone called “Army Mohideen.” They also received weapons training overseas and at some locations in Sri Lanka, according to authorities.

A copper factory operator arrested in connection with the bombings helped Mohideen make improvised explosive devices, police said. The bombings have led to increased security throughout the island nation as authorities warned of another attack.

Source: Fox News World

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