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Boston’s Betts ready to wait for big payday

FILE PHOTO: MLB: Spring Training-Boston Red Sox at Tampa Bay Rays
FILE PHOTO: Mar 10, 2019; Port Charlotte, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts (50) takes the field prior to a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Charlotte Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

March 20, 2019

Reigning American League Most Valuable Player Mookie Betts said Wednesday he doesn’t expect to sign a contract extension with the Boston Red Sox.

He told Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald he’s firm that he will enter the 2019 season playing under his existing one-year, $20 million deal.

“That’s exactly what I expect,” the outfielder said. “Didn’t expect anything to happen until I’m a free agent.”

Betts confirmed to reporters he rejected an offer of eight years and $200 million following the 2017 season, first reported by Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Betts can become a free agent after the 2020 season.

With baseball’s brightest young stars now committed to monster deals — Manny Machado (San Diego, 10 years/$300 million) Bryce Harper (Philadelphia, 13 years/$330 million) and Mike Trout (finalizing a reported 12-year, $430 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels) — Betts will command much more than $200 million if he remains on his career trajectory.

And he knows it.

“I love it here in Boston. It’s a great spot. I’ve definitely grown to love going up north in the cold,” Betts, a 26-year-old Tennessee native, told reporters. .”.. That doesn’t mean I want to sell myself short of my value.”

In 2018, Betts led the AL with a .346 batting average, a .640 slugging percentage and 129 runs. His .438 on-base percentage ranked second to Trout’s .460 mark. He displayed power and speed, hitting 32 home runs and stealing 30 bases.

In 644 career games over four-plus seasons with the Red Sox, Betts has a .303 career batting average, 110 home runs, 110 stolen bases and 390 RBIs.

–Field Level Media

Source: OANN

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UK parliament will have to look at other options if May pursues her Brexit deal: Labour

British PM May walks outside Downing Street in London
British Prime Minister Theresa May walks outside Downing Street, as she faces a vote on Brexit, in London, Britain March 13, 2019. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls

March 13, 2019

LONDON (Reuters) – If Prime Minister Theresa May presses on with her Brexit deal after lawmakers vote to delay Britain’s exit, parliament will have to look at other options, the opposition Labour Party’s Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer said on Wednesday.

Lawmakers are expected to be given a vote on Thursday on whether they want to seek an extension to the Article 50 negotiation period. The EU have said any extension would need a purpose.

“She will have to make decision of whether that is the point at which she drops her red lines and her blinkers and opens up the debate to other options,” Starmer told parliament.

“If she presses on with her own deal I think we still have to go on and look at other options and get a common purpose.”

(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper, Writing by Kylie MacLellan; editing by William James)

Source: OANN

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Cousin: Upstate NY burial likely for remains of WWII airman

A relative of a New York airman whose remains were identified more than 75 years after he died in World War II says his reburial will likely be in a rural upstate cemetery.

Wayne Rogers told The Associated Press on Monday that the family would like to inter the remains of his first cousin, Vincent J. Rogers Jr., in the family plot in a cemetery in Willing, New York. Details of the reburial are still being worked out with Pentagon officials.

Vincent Rogers was 21 when he and six other men were killed when their B-24 bomber crashed after taking off from an airfield on the Pacific atoll of Tarawa in January 1943.

The Pentagon announced last week that Vincent Rogers' remains had been identified after being located in 2017.

Source: Fox News National

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Spanish far-right Vox in spotlight in Catalan trial

Ortega Smith, secretary general of Spain's far-right Vox party, speaks during the trial of jailed Catalan separatist leaders in Madrid
Javier Ortega Smith, secretary general of Spain's far-right Vox party, speaks during the trial of jailed Catalan separatist leaders at the Supreme Court in Madrid, Spain, March 13, 2019 in this screen grab taken from video. Spanish Supreme Court Pool via REUTERS

March 13, 2019

By Jose Elías Rodríguez

MADRID (Reuters) – Spanish far-right party Vox has an active role in the trial of Catalan separatist leaders, seizing the opportunity to make political capital out of its fervent opposition to the independence movement.

Defendants are refusing to take their questions and one witness even walked out of the courtroom in protest.

Under the Spanish legal system, anyone can become a co-accuser – also known as a people’s prosecutor – and take part in court proceedings in such trials.

The Vox party, a newcomer to the Spanish political scene, has made use of this peculiarity to take on a role in the high-profile televised trial of the Catalan separatist leaders over their region’s failed independence bid in 2017.

Twelve are on trial on charges ranging from rebellion to misuse of funds, which they deny. They were arrested and jailed after Catalonia’s regional authorities organized a referendum, deemed illegal by a Spanish court, then unilaterally declared independence in October 2017.

Vox, whose platform focuses on nationalism and strongly opposes any concessions to regions, made its presence known on the national scene when it won seats in Andalucian elections in 2018.

Feeding on resentment against immigrants, high unemployment, and the Catalan independence drive, it was the first electoral success for a far-right party since Spain’s return to democracy in the late 1970s following the death of dictator General Francisco Franco.

The trial taking place in a Madrid courtroom offers it a showcase in the battle for the votes of Spaniards upset by Catalonia’s independence drive – a main theme for all right-wing parties in a national election set for April 28.

“The independence movement acts as a driver (in the election) and Vox can capitalize on this thanks to its role as people’s accuser,” said Xavier Casals, a historian born in Barcelona and a specialist in Spain’s far-right.

“Vox is seen as the ‘punisher’, the one who has taken the secessionists to court for what they did in the separatist movement,” he said.

Many in the trial are not happy with that.

“For the sake of democratic and anti-fascist dignity I refuse to answer and be interrogated by Vox,” said witness Antonio Banos, a former member of the Catalan parliament for the far-left independent party CUP, before leaving the courtroom on Feb. 27.

It is a legal obligation for witnesses to answer questions at the trial and Banos and another ex-lawmaker were each handed a 2,500 euros fine and risk being charged with disobedience if they keep refusing to answer questions from Vox lawyers.

Unlike the witnesses, the accused are allowed to refuse to take questions and none have agreed to be interrogated by Vox.

Barcelona’s leftist mayor Ada Colau, cited as a witness, agreed to take questions but expressed her disapproval with having Vox in the courtroom.

“I am ready to take all the questions…but I have to tell the court my deep discomfort for having to respond to a far-right group,” she said.

PUBLIC INTEREST

Vox itself insists that it is there to defend the public interest and that its role in the trial is not political.

But outside the courtroom, it is hammering on about the Catalonia issue and presenting itself as a guarantor of Spanish unity.

“We must put a stop to secessionism. It wants to confront us, it wants to divide us,” Vox secretary general Javier Ortega Smith said last week at a conference on Catalonia in the European Parliament in Brussels. He is also one of Vox’s two lawyers at the trial.

Vox, also an advocate of anti-feminist and anti-immigration policies, is hoping to win seats in the April election which would be the first for a far-right party in Spain in 40 years.

It is not guaranteed that the trial, which will take months to finish and will still be running when Spaniards go to the polls, will bring Vox votes.

The conservative People’s Party, which has moved its own political agenda to the right with the rise of Vox, and centrist Ciudadanos have also put the unity of Spain and a hardline against Catalan independence at the top of their agendas.

“There is an over-concentration of parties in this battlefield. It seems to be a fight to see which one is the most Spanish of all,” said Beatriz Acha, lecturer at the Public University of Navarra and expert on far-right parties in Western Europe.

But the issue is helping Vox to be known by the broader public ahead of the election. Opinion polls forecast it could possibly get as much as one in eight seats, though surveys vary widely.

(Writing by Jose Elias Rodriguez and Ingrid Melander, Editing by Angus MacSwan)

Source: OANN

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China says Silk Road not geopolitical tool, understands concerns

Man walks past a flower installation set up for the upcoming Belt and Road Forum in front of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing
A man walks past a flower installation set up for the upcoming Belt and Road Forum in front of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing, China April 18, 2019. Picture taken April 18, 2019. Jia Tianyong/CNS via REUTERS

April 19, 2019

By Ben Blanchard

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s Belt and Road project is not a “geopolitical tool” or a debt crisis for participating nations, but Beijing welcomes constructive suggestions on how to address concerns over the initiative, the government’s top diplomat said on Friday.

Beijing will host a Belt and Road summit next week which 37 foreign leaders will attend, including some of China’s closest allies, though the United States which has been critical of the project is only sending low level representatives.

The Belt and Road Initiative, as it is formally called, is a key initiative of President Xi Jinping, and envisions rebuilding the old Silk Road to connect China with Asia, Europe and beyond with massive infrastructure spending.

But it has proved controversial in many Western capitals, particularly Washington, which views it as merely a means to spread Chinese influence abroad and saddle countries with unsustainable debt through nontransparent projects.

The United States has been particularly critical of Italy’s decision to sign up to the plan last month, during Xi’s visit to Rome, the first for a G7 nation.

Chinese State Councillor Wang Yi, the government’s top diplomat, told reporters that the Belt and Road scheme had brought real benefits to participating countries.

“This partnership relationship is not a geopolitical tool, but a platform for cooperation,” he said.

“You can’t put hats like ‘debt crises’ onto the head of the Belt and Road, and this is not something any participating country would recognize,” Wang added.

“Of course, there is a development process for the Belt and Road. You can’t get there in one step, and it’s unavoidable it will cause some worries during its development. So we welcome all sides to come up with constructive suggestions,” he said.

CLOSE ALLIES COMING

The number of foreign leaders at the April 25-27 summit is up from 29 last time, mainly from China’s closest allies like Pakistan and Russia but also Italy, Switzerland and Austria.

The United States will not send high-level officials, a U.S. State Department spokesman said earlier this month, citing concerns about financing practices for the initiative.

Wang said there would be Americans at the summit, made up of diplomats, state-level officials, executives and academics, though he did not give details.

“We welcome any country that is interested to take part. When the United States participates, or whether it participates, is up to them to decide,” he added.

While the United States and China are currently working to end a bitter trade war, they have numerous other areas of disagreement, including human rights and U.S. support for self-ruled Taiwan.

China on Monday condemned as “slanderous” criticism U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made of Beijing’s policies in South America last week.

“The United States has no plans to send high-level officials from Washington to the Belt and Road Forum,” a U.S. Embassy in Beijing spokesman said.

“We call upon all countries to ensure that their economic diplomacy initiatives adhere to internationally-accepted norms and standards, promote sustainable, inclusive development, and advance good governance and strong economic institutions.”

At the first Belt and Road summit two years ago, the United States submitted a diplomatic note to China complaining about North Korea’s participation, though since then Washington and Pyongyang have sought to re-set ties, including with two summits between their leaders.

Wang said North Korea would also take part in this year’s summit, but gave no further details.

“I think this is normal as it’s an economic cooperation initiative. All countries have the freedom to attend, but I think they don’t have the right to prevent any other country from participating. This is an open, inclusive platform.”

More than 150 countries are sending delegations, and there will be some 5,000 guests, Wang said.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Michael Martina; Editing by Michael Perry)

Source: OANN

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Arizona hiker describes being hip-deep in quicksand in Utah park

An Arizona man who was hiking with his girlfriend at Zion National Park in Utah is telling the tale of being stuck hip-deep in quicksand for 11 hours during a winter storm over the weekend.

“It was one of those scariest moments of my life,” Ryan Osmun told Shepard Smith on “Shepard Smith Reporting.”

HIKER WHO GOT STUCK IN QUICKSAND FOR 10 HOURS SAYS HE THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO LOSE HIS LEG

He said he was able to stand on his left leg, but the quicksand was up to his hip and right leg.

“I stopped sinking at my hip,” he said.

He struggled to stay awake during his ordeal.

Osmun said he was hiking with his girlfriend, Jessika McNeill, on Saturday when she got stuck in mud and fell into the creek. He helped her up, only to realize he was himself sinking into the sand.

“My leg just went right into the ground, and it sucked me in,” McNeill told Smith.

Osmun's girlfriend tried to free his leg, to no avail. “I was trying to dig him out with my hands, and it was freezing,” she told Smith.

ARIZONA MAN RESCUED AFTER GETTING STUCK IN QUICKSAND FOR HOURS

McNeill left to go get help. One major complication: They were five hours into the hike, with no real trail or cellphone reception.

Osmun recalled collapsing into the water eight hours after his girlfriend left to look for help. He later awoke to a flash of light and thought he was dreaming, when rescuers found him.

Winter storms continued to delay rescue efforts into Sunday afternoon.

“Only after a small break in the weather occurred in the afternoon, the (Utah Department of Public Safety) helicopter was able safely extricated the patient with a hoist rescue operation,” officials said in a news release.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Osmun was reunited with his girlfriend at the hospital, where he was treated for exposure, hypothermia and extremity injuries.

Fox News’ Katherine Lam contributed to this report. 

Source: Fox News National

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China official says West using Christianity to undermine country

Red flags flutter in front of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing
Red flags flutter in front of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China September 30, 2018. Picture taken September 30, 2018. REUTERS/Jason Lee

March 12, 2019

BEIJING (Reuters) – Western forces are trying to use Christianity to influence China’s society and even subvert the government, a senior official said, warning that Chinese Christians needed to follow a Chinese model of the religion.

China’s constitution guarantees religious freedom, but since President Xi Jinping took office six years ago, the government has tightened restrictions on religions seen as a challenge to the authority of the ruling Communist Party.

The government has cracked down on underground churches, both Protestant and Catholic, even as it seeks to improve relations with the Vatican.

In a speech on Monday, Xu Xiaohong head of the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China, said there were many problems with Christianity in the country, including “infiltration” from abroad and “private meeting places”.

“It must be recognized that our movement’s surname is ‘China’ and not ‘Western’,” Xu said, according to remarks reported by the United Front Work Department, which is in charge of co-opting non-communists, ethnic minorities and religious groups.

“Anti-China forces in the West are trying to continue to influence China’s social stability and even subvert our country’s political power through Christianity, and it is doomed to fail,” he said, speaking to the Chinese parliament’s largely ceremonial advisory body.

“For individual black sheep who, under the banner of Christianity, participate in subverting national security, we firmly support the country to bring them to justice.”

Only by eliminating the “stigma of foreign religion” in China’s Christianity can its believers benefit society, he added.

“Only by continually drawing on the fine traditions of Chinese culture, can China’s Christianity be rooted in the fertile soil of Chinese culture and become a religion recognized by the Chinese themselves,” Xu added.

“Only by continuously carrying forward and practicing the core values ​​of socialism can our Christianity truly be suited to socialist society.”

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Robert Birsel)

Source: OANN

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Sonia Bompastor, director of the Olympique Lyonnais womenÕs Youth Academy, leads a training at the OL Academy near Lyon
Sonia Bompastor, director of the Olympique Lyonnais womenÕs Youth Academy, leads a training at the OL Academy in Meyzieu near Lyon, France, April 16, 2019. REUTERS/Emmanuel Foudrot

April 26, 2019

By Julien Pretot

MEYZIEU, France (Reuters) – Olympique Lyonnais president Jean-Michel Aulas was wringing out his women’s team shirts in the locker room on a rainy London day eight years ago when he decided it was time to take gender equality more seriously.

It was halftime in their Champions League semi-final second leg against Arsenal at Meadow Park with 507 fans watching and Aulas realized that his players did not have a another kit for the second half.

“Next time, there will be a second set just like for the men, that’s how it’s going to work from now on,” he said.

Lyon have since won five Champions League titles to become the most successful women’s team in Europe and recently claimed a 13th consecutive domestic crown.

They visit Chelsea on Sunday in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final, with a fourth straight title in their sights.

At the heart of their achievements is a pervasive ethos that promotes gender equality throughout the club, starting in the youth academy.

In 2013, Aulas appointed former Lyon and France player Sonia Bompastor as head of the Women’s Academy — the female equivalent of one of France’s top youth set-ups that has produced players such as Karim Benzema, Alexandre Lacazette and Hatem Ben Arfa.

At the Youth Academy, girls and boys share the same facilities.

“Pitches, physiotherapy rooms are the same for all,” the 38-year-old Bompastor told Reuters.

As the girls train under the watch of former Lyon and France international Camille Abily, the screams of the boys practicing can be heard nearby.

The boys and girls also benefit from the same psychological support that includes hypnosis sessions and yoga.

“We have a ‘mental ability’ cell and the hypnotist acts on the girls’ subconscious, on their deeply held beliefs after observing them on and off the pitch,” Bompastor added.

SAME TREATMENT

One message the Academy staff are trying to convey is that girls are as good as boys.

“Women’s nature is such that we have low self-esteem. So self-esteem is a big topic for our girls,” said Bompastor.

This is not the case with the boys, she added.

“Some 14, 15-year-old boys still think they would beat our professional players, we tell them this would not be happening. We still need to work on those beliefs,” she said.

Female players also have to face questions that their male counterparts do not, Bompastor explained.

“In France there is a problem with the way women are considered, there are high aesthetic expectations. So we get heavy questions on femininity, intimate questions that men don’t get,” she said.

OL’s Academy has been held up as a shining example for others to follow, even in the U.S., where women’s soccer has a wider audience than in Europe.

“About one third of the (senior women’s) squad comes from the Academy, we have a good balance,” said Bompastor.

“I’m getting tons of requests from American universities and foreign clubs, who want to come and visit our facilities.”

‘ONE CLUB’

The salaries of the senior players is one area where there remains a large discrepancy between Lyon’s men’s and women’s teams.

While the three best-paid women players in the world are at Lyon with Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg earning 400,000 euros ($445,520) a year, this figure is dwarfed by the around 4 million euros earned annually by men’s player Memphis Depay.

There is, however, a level of interaction between the men’s and women’s players that is not present at many other clubs.

“When you talk about OL you talk about women and men, you talk about one club and you feel it when you are here or outside in the city,” Germany defender Carolin Simon told Reuters.

“We see it when we play in the big stadium. It’s not ‘normal’ for women’s football,” the 26-year-old, who joined the club last year, added.

Lyon’s female players also enjoy respect from their male counterparts, Simon said.

“It’s very cool, it’s a big honor to feel that it doesn’t matter if you are a professional man or woman. We talk with the men, there are handshakes, it’s a good atmosphere and it’s also why we are successful,” said Simon.

“The men respect us and it’s not just for the cameras.”

Her team mate, England’s Lucy Bronze, sees the men’s respect as key to improving women’s football.

“We might not be paid the same but they are just normal with us, they see us as footballers the same as they are,” Bronze told Reuters.

“Being at Lyon has really opened my eyes. To improve women’s football, it starts with having the respect of your male counterparts. It’s the biggest thing because they can influence so many people.”

(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Toby Davis)

Source: OANN

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FILE PHOTO: Ethiopian migrants, stranded in war-torn Yemen, sit on the ground of a detention site pending repatriation to their home country, in Aden, Yemen
FILE PHOTO: Ethiopian migrants, stranded in war-torn Yemen, sit on the ground of a detention site pending repatriation to their home country, in Aden, Yemen April 24, 2019. REUTERS/Fawaz Salman/File Photo

April 26, 2019

GENEVA (Reuters) – Yemeni authorities have rounded up about 3,000 irregular migrants, predominantly Ethiopians, in the south of the country, “creating an acute humanitarian situation,” the U.N. migration agency said on Friday.

“IOM is deeply concerned about the conditions in which the migrants are being held and is engaging with the authorities to ensure access to the detained migrants,” the International Organization for Migration said.

The migrants are held in open-air football stadiums and in a military camp, it said in a statement.

The detentions began on Sunday in the city of Aden and the neighboring province of Lahj, which are under the control of the internationally recognized government backed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Iran-aligned Houthi rebels control Sanaa, the capital, and other major urban centers.

Both sides are under international diplomatic pressure to implement a United Nations-sponsored ceasefire deal agreed last year in Sweden and to prepare for a wider political dialogue that would end the four-year-old war.

Thousands of migrants arrive in Yemen every year, mostly from the Horn of Africa, driven by drought and unemployment at home and lured by the wages available in the Gulf.

(Writing by Maher Chmaytelli, Editing by William Maclean)

Source: OANN

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U.S. dollar notes are seen in this picture illustration
U.S. dollar notes are seen in this November 7, 2016 picture illustration. Picture taken November 7. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

April 26, 2019

(Reuters) – Following are five big themes likely to dominate thinking of investors and traders in the coming week and the Reuters stories related to them.

1/DOLLAR JUGGERNAUT

The dollar has zipped to near two-year highs, leaving many scratching their heads. To many, it’s down to signs the U.S. economy is chugging ahead while the rest of the world loses steam. After all, Wall Street is busily scaling new peaks day after day.

Never mind the cause, the effect is stark. The euro has tumbled to 22-month lows against the dollar and investors are preparing for more, buying options to shield against further downside. Emerging-market currencies are also in pain, with Turkish lira and Argentine peso both sharply weaker.

Now U.S. data need to keep surprising on the upside or even just meet expectations. The International Monetary Fund sees U.S. growth at 2.3 percent this year. For Germany, the forecast is 0.8 percent. The U.S. economy’s rude health has given rise to speculation the Fed might resume raising interest rates. Unlikely. But as other countries — Canada, Sweden and Australia are the latest — hint at more policy easing, there seems to be one way the dollar can go. Up.

(GRAPHIC: Dollar outperforms G10 FX – https://tmsnrt.rs/2Dz17S5)

2/FED: UP OR DOWN?

Wall Street is near record highs and recession worries are receding, so as we mentioned above, investors might wonder if the Federal Reserve will start raising rates again.

Such a pivot is unlikely after the Fed killed off rate-rise expectations at its March meeting. And the latest Reuters poll all but puts to bed any risk of rates will go up this economic cycle, given inflation remains below the Fed’s alarm threshold and unemployment is the lowest in generations.

Before the March rate-pause announcement, a preponderance of economists penciled in one or more increases this year. But that has flipped. A majority of those surveyed April 22-24 see no further tightening through December and more are leaning toward a cut by the end of next year.

Indeed, interest rate futures imply Fed Funds will be below the current 2.25-2.50 percent target range by this December.

Recent positive consumer spending and exports data have eased market concerns of a sharp economic slowdown. But inflation probably needs to run hot for a long period to panic policymakers off their wait-and-see course.     

(GRAPHIC: Federal funds and the economy – https://tmsnrt.rs/2DzjTZz)

3/HEISEI TO REIWA

Next week ends three decades of Japan’s Heisei era. Heisei, or Achieving Peace, began in 1989 near the peak of a massive stock market bubble and closes with the country trapped in low growth, no inflation, and negative interest rates.

The new era that dawns on May 1 is called Reiwa, meaning Beautiful Harmony. It begins when Crown Prince Naruhito ascends the Chrysanthemum Throne. But do investors really want harmony? What they want to see is a bit of economic growth and inflation to shake up the status quo.

The Bank of Japan’s stimulus toolkit to revive a long-suffering economy is anything but harmonious and yet it’s set to stay. The central bank confirmed recently rates will stay near zero for a long time. But the coming days may not be harmonious or peaceful for currency markets. A 10-day Golden Week holiday kicks off on April 29 and investors are fretting over the risk of a “flash crash” – a violent currency spasm that can occur in times of thin trading turnover.

The year has already seen two yen spikes and many, including Japan’s housewife-trader brigade – so-called Mrs Watanabes – appear to have bought yen as the holiday approaches. Their short dollar/long yen positions recently reached record highs, stock exchange data showed.

(GRAPHIC: Japan stocks: from Hensei to Reiwa – https://tmsnrt.rs/2W6a7Fe)

4/EARNING TURNING

Quarterly earnings were supposed to be the worst in Europe in almost three years, but with a third of results in, things are looking a little rosier.

Two-thirds of companies’ results have beat expectations, and they point to earnings growth of 4.5 percent year-on-year. Financials have delivered the biggest surprises, according to analysis by Barclays.

That might just show how low expectations were. In fact, analysts are still taking a red pen to their estimates.

The latest I/B/E/S data from Refinitiv shows analysts on average expect first-quarter earnings-per-share for STOXX 600-listed companies to fall 4.2 percent. That would be their worst quarter since 2016 and down sharply from an estimated 3.4 percent just a week earlier.

Those estimates may end up being a little too bearish as earnings season goes on, quelling worries that Europe is heading toward a corporate recession.

GSK and Reckitt Benckiser will give the market a glimpse of the health of the consumer products market and spending on everything from toothpaste, washing powder and paracetamol.

(GRAPHIC: Earnings forecasts – https://tmsnrt.rs/2DuO2ZF)

5/WAITING FOR THE OLD LADY

Sterling has gone into the doldrums amid the Brexit delay and unproductive talks between the UK government and the opposition Labour party on a EU withdrawal deal. The resurgent dollar, meanwhile, has taken 2 percent off the pound in April. It is unlikely the Bank of England will be able to rouse it at its May 2 meeting.

Despite robust retail and jobs data of late, the economic picture is gloomy – 2019 growth is likely to be around 1.2 percent, the weakest since 2009, investment is down and Governor Mark Carney says business uncertainty is “through the roof”.

Indeed, expectations for an interest rate increase have been whittled down; Reuters polls forecast rates will not move until early 2020, a calendar quarter later than was forecast a month ago. The hunt for a new governor to replace Carney in October adds more uncertainty to the mix.

The recent run of UK data has fueled hopes of economic rebound. That’s put net hedge fund positions in the pound into positive territory for the first time in nearly a year. The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street might temper some of that optimism.

(GRAPHIC: Sterling positions – https://tmsnrt.rs/2XJwUXX)

(Reporting by Alden Bentley in New York, Vidya Ranganathan in Singapore; Karin Strohecker, Josephine Mason and Saikat Chatterjee in London; compiled by Sujata Rao; edited by Larry King)

Source: OANN

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U.S. President Trump departs for travel to Indianapolis from the White House in Washington
U.S. President Donald Trump talks to reporters as he departs for travel to Indianapolis, Indiana from the White House in Washington, U.S., April 26, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

April 26, 2019

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said trade talks with China are going very well, as the world’s two largest economies seek to end talks with a trade agreement to defuse tensions.

Trump said on Thursday he would soon host China’s President Xi Jinping at the White House.

Earlier this week, the White House said that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer would travel to Beijing for more talks on a trade dispute marked by tit-for-tat tariffs between the two countries.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Writing by Makini Brice; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Source: OANN

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U.S. President Donald Trump hosts Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day at the White House in Washington
U.S. President Donald Trump gives a thumbs up to his audience as he hosts Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 25, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

April 26, 2019

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday praised Russian President Vladimir Putin’s comments on North Korea this week following the Russian leader’s summit with Pyongyang’s Kim Jong Un.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump also said China was helping with efforts aimed at the denuclearization of North Korea.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason and Makini Brice; Writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Source: OANN

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