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The Game of Thrones effect: Central European film industry on a roll

Visitors walk on the
Visitors walk on the "Hellboy 2" movie set at the Korda Studios in Etyek, Hungary April 5, 2019. Picture taken April 5, 2019. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo

April 10, 2019

By Michael Kahn

PRAGUE (Reuters) – It’s the kind of maneuvering that might make the Game of Thrones’ shrewdest operator Tyrion Lannister feel right at home.

As streaming giants Amazon, Netflix and Hulu prepare to splash out on their next fantasy blockbusters and dystopian dramas, Central European countries are slugging it out to get a grab a slice of their bumper production budgets.

Experienced crews, lower labor costs and generous production incentives have long attracted international filmmakers to the Czech Republic and Hungary but other countries in the region are now getting into the game.

The Czechs and Hungarians are both considering raising their incentives after Romania approved a production rebate of up to 45 percent in 2018 and Poland introduced a 30 percent cash rebate in February to keep pace with its neighbors.

A new European Union directive due to come in this year is also expected to spur investment as it will require video-on-demand platforms selling to European audiences to ensure at least 30 percent of their catalogs are European works.

“This is a new era,” said Agnes Havas, chief executive of the Hungarian Film Fund told Reuters, noting that the Netflix series “The Crown” and Amazon Prime Video’s “Hanna” were shot in Hungary.

“What we see is we started at 30 percent (incentives) and now we are looking at the other countries in Europe and we will evaluate the situation and see whether we should potentially think about raising it again in the future.”

BITG media analyst Rich Greenfield estimates Amazon will spend $5 billion to $6 billion in 2019 on content with Netflix laying out about $15 billion – and a significant portion of the Netflix budget will flow overseas.

“We are aware there is a shift in global production and you can’t ignore the big streaming companies,” Anna Dziedzic of the Film Commission Poland told Reuters. In 2018 Netflix filmed “1983” in the country, the company’s first original Polish Netflix series.

“They are one of the biggest players now. You have to adjust to the changing environment and you have to have them in mind,” Dziedzic told Reuters.

Amazon and Netflix declined to comment on their plans in the region.

GAME OF THRONES EFFECT

A landscape dotted with castles and rolling countryside makes central Europe a versatile setting for increasingly popular historical and fantasy shows looking to cash in on the success of series such as “Game of Thrones”.

“The types of shows being shot have dramatically changed,” said David Minkowski, head of production at Stillking Films, which co-produced Amazon’s neo-noir fantasy “Carnival Row” and Hulu’s historical series “Das Boot”, in the Czech Republic.

“Call it the Game of Thrones effect. A lot of it is fantasy or historical that naturally gravitates to this part of the world,” he told Reuters, adding that the company was now working on fantasy drama “The Witcher” for Netflix. “The typical production centers are bursting at the seams.”

Dziedzic at the Film Commission Poland said she has also received requests from international companies wanting to use post-Soviet locations and brutalist Communist architecture for science fiction series.

This has helped push international investment in regional production to record highs, leaving studios booked a year in advance and crews forced to turn away work, industry professionals say.

“There is now an ever increased premium on local crew relationships and good access to infrastructure and studios which need to be planned up to 12 months in advance of production,” added Stillking’s Managing Director Matthew Stillking.

“It’s a boom time … likely to last several years as the sector becomes more competitive with a perfect storm of increased consumer viewing demand and more platforms needing content to compete for customers.”

‘IT WILL ROCKET’

Foreign investment in the Czech film industry leapt nearly 1.2 billion crowns to a record 4.8 billion ($210 million) on 1,072 shooting days for 38 foreign series and films in 2018, according to the Czech Film Commission.

Investment is expected to remain at that level or higher this year, though Czech plans to increase cash rebates on offer for film makers from 20 percent now could be a game changer.

“It will rocket once the incentives are raised,” Pavlina Zipkova, head of the Czech Film Commission, told Reuters. “The government has not increased it yet but we strongly believe it will happen later this year.”

In Hungary, spending on a total of 333 productions last year amounted to 110 billion forints (385 million), with 84 percent of the investment coming from international productions including Hollywood blockbusters “Terminator: Dark Fate” and “Gemini Man.”

This was up from 108 billion in 2017, when “Red Sparrow” and “Colette” were made in Hungary but Havas at Hungary’s Film Fund expects the new EU rules to accelerate the streaming-fueled production boom.

The rise of streaming services has also shifted the types of productions in the region. Hungary attracts more blockbuster films these days while episodic series tend to gravitate towards the Czech Republic, said Tomas Krejci, founder of Milk and Honey Pictures and Prague Studios.

This helped Prague Studio’s turnover jump more than 50 percent in 2018 – and Krejci predicts demand will remain strong as top notch crews shooting historical shows are more than a third cheaper than in rival countries such as Spain.

“The demand for historical shows is getting stronger,” Krejci said whose company has produced “Haunted” for Netflix and Amazon’s “Patriot” and the second season of “Lore.”

“Here it’s not just the phenomenal historic architecture but also the vast amount of props, costumes and local talent that make it cheaper and easier to make these kinds of shows.”

($1 = 22.8160 Czech crowns)

($1 = 285.6800 forints)

(Reporting by Michael Kahn; editing by David Clarke)

Source: OANN

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Owens Nukes Nadler’s ‘Hate Crime’ Hearing

If you want to know why the Democrats are frightened of Candace Owens, watch the video of her Tuesday morning testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. For example, early in the proceedings, Owens chastised Chairman Jerrold Nadler for misrepresenting her...

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Israel, US intercept long-range missiles during joint drill

Israel and the U.S. have successfully intercepted a series of medium to long-range ballistic missiles in a joint drill.

The missile test in southern Israel was conducted Tuesday by the Israeli Ministry of Defense along with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency and Rafael, an Israeli defense technology company.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauded the tests, noting that Israel has earned a place "among global leaders" in the development of missile defenses.

The test follows a temporary U.S. troop deployment in Israel during the installment of an advanced American missile defense system earlier this month.

The countries' close military cooperation against the backdrop of tensions with Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah reflects their shared concerns about Iran's development of long-range missiles.

Source: Fox News National

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Gregg Jarrett: Impeachment will be ‘poison’ for ‘hardcore Trump haters’

Fox News legal analyst and commentator Gregg Jarrett told “The Todd Starnes Show” Wednesday that Democrats should not try to impeach President Trump after the release of the Mueller report because "it is a poison for them."

ILHAN OMAR CLAIMS US FORCES KILLED 'THOUSANDS' OF SOMALIS DURING 'BLACK HAWK DOWN' MISSION, RESURFACED TWEET SHOWS

Portraying himself as unjustly persecuted by the special counsel’s probe, Trump said Wednesday that his administration would refuse to cooperate with any further congressional investigations.

“I thought after two years we’d be finished with it. No, now the House goes and starts subpoenaing,” Trump told reporters on the White House lawn, claiming the probes have been commissioned by Democrats solely for political advantage.

"Look, these aren't, like, impartial people," the president said. "The Democrats are trying to win 2020."

"The only way they can luck out is by constantly going after me on nonsense," Trump added. "But they should be really focused on legislation."

Jarrett, who formerly worked as a defense attorney and adjunct law professor, agreed with the president, telling Starnes that what Democrats do next “remains to be seen. You know, there are a hardcore group of people, of Trump haters.”

Washington has spent a week sifting through the aftermath of Mueller’s report, which did not find a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia to help the president win the 2016 election but reached no conclusion on whether he obstructed justice. Attorney General William Barr later said that he and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein determined that Mueller did not establish sufficient evidence that Trump committed obstruction.

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Trump has at times railed against Mueller’s report, even resorting to public profanity in dismissing it, but has also embraced it, claiming exoneration and painting any other attempt as partisan overreach.

Meanwhile, Democrats have debated whether to pursue impeachment, a course that Speaker Nancy Pelosi has counseled against. But her party’s lawmakers have already signaled they will vote to hold reluctant witnesses in contempt of Congress and are preparing to eventually go to court to force testimony and cooperation. Democrats also argue that by refusing to cooperate with Congress, Trump is obstructing additional investigations.

Jarrett said that hardcore liberal Trump haters aren’t that much of a threat.

“I'm not sure the numbers are there [for impeachment],” he said. “And look, Nancy Pelosi well knows the repercussions of bringing an impeachment proceeding against the president.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News Politics

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Taylor Swift announces release of new single “ME!” during NFL draft

FILE PHOTO: Time celebrates its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, in New York
FILE PHOTO: Taylor Swift poses upon arriving for the Time 100 Gala celebrating Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in New York, U.S., April 23, 2019. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

April 26, 2019

(Reuters) – Grammy-winning singer Taylor Swift announced the release of her new single “ME!” on ABC television’s broadcast of the National Football League draft in Nashville on Thursday.

Swift, 29, said the song and its music video will be released at midnight on Friday and will feature Brendon Urie, the lead singer of Panic! at the Disco.

“‘ME!’ is a song about embracing your individuality and really celebrating it and owning it,” she said during an interview with ABC host Robin Roberts.

“With a pop song, we have the ability to get a melody stuck in people’s heads and I just want it to be one that makes them feel better about themselves,” she said.

Swift began her career as a country singer in Nashville at age 15 before branching out with pop hits such as “Shake It Off” and “Bad Blood.”

The NFL held the first round of its annual draft on Thursday. The rest of the seven-round draft will be held at the weekend.

Swift had been hinting on social media about a coming announcement and posting photos of flowers, kittens and jewels, all in a pastel palette.

On Thursday afternoon, Swift surprised hundreds of her fans by joining them at the unveiling of a butterfly wing mural in the Gulch area of the city. “ME!” was written in the center of the mural as a hint to her evening announcement.

Her last album was 2017’s revenge-oriented “Reputation,” which included songs such as “Look What You Made Me Do” that took aim at people who had attacked her personally and professionally.

(Reporting by Lisa Richwine and Brendan O’Brien; Editing by Paul Tait)

Source: OANN

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License required to repair doors? Regs spark heated debate in Arizona

PHOENIX -- Arizona wants to make it easier for workers who need an occupational license for their jobs.

A bill making its way through the state legislature would allow out-of-staters moving to Arizona to do their job with the occupational license they received from another state. Right now, Arizona has some of the most stringent laws that require workers to go through the state’s rigorous licensing standards before being allowed to work.

The law would impact jobs that require a license from the state -- barbers, realtors, nurses, bus drivers, respiratory therapists, security guards, teacher assistants and even to repair doors.The bill could set the tone for the rest of the nation when it comes to loosening occupational licensing requirements.

“This is actually a first of its kind bill and I think it's one that's going to set the trend for a lot of other states,” Steve Slivinski, Arizona State University Center of Economic Liberty senior research fellow, said.  “It's going to make Arizona a lot more competitive for people moving to the state…a lot of the licensing burdens we see nowadays are really excessive. It’s overregulation.”

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Realtor and State Rep. Warren Petersen sponsors the bill and said the goal is to offer universal occupational licensing recognition to anyone in the country who moves to Arizona, which Petersen said would make Arizona the first state in the country to allow that—and wants to let out-of-staters know “Arizona is open for business.”

“Were you educated?" Petersen sadi. "Were you doing a similar profession? So, the reality is, it’s not asking to…give them the upper-hand, it’s saying we’re going to put you on the same level as us. You’ve gone through what we’ve gone through so you shouldn’t have to start all over.”

“Were you educated?" Petersen sadi. "Were you doing a similar profession? So, the reality is, it’s not asking to…give them the upper-hand, it’s saying we’re going to put you on the same level as us. You’ve gone through what we’ve gone through so you shouldn’t have to start all over.” (Fox News)

“Those people have already gone through the same process, there’s a lot of parody in this bill because this bill looks at those other states and says did you get licensed in your state?” Petersen said. “Were you educated? Were you doing a similar profession? So, the reality is, it’s not asking to…give them the upper-hand, it’s saying we’re going to put you on the same level as us. You’ve gone through what we’ve gone through so you shouldn’t have to start all over.”

ARIZONA'S GOP GOVERNOR WAGING WAR AGAINST OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING LAWS

Even though Petersen is a realtor, the Arizona Association of Realtors is strongly against the bill, with concerns over out-of-state realtors coming in without the proper educational background that could put the public and homeowners at risk. In Arizona, to be a realtor you have to go through 90 hours of license education and six hours of contract writing, along with paying licensing fees.

“By having people come into the industry and not necessarily have the education or the background, it really could potentially create some situations where people are financially harmed…We do not believe that there's too much regulations,” Laslavic said.

“By having people come into the industry and not necessarily have the education or the background, it really could potentially create some situations where people are financially harmed…We do not believe that there's too much regulations,” Laslavic said. (Fox News)

Nicole Laslavic is the Arizona Association of Realtors vice president of government affairs and said the organization knows what works best for the industry in Arizona, having a “very specific, unique set of circumstances.” Laslavic said the statutes in place to be a licensed real estate agent are “sufficient.”

“By having people come into the industry and not necessarily have the education or the background, it really could potentially create some situations where people are financially harmed…We do not believe that there's too much regulations,” Laslavic said. "What we do believe is that when we are establishing regulation and government oversight that it needs to be done in a thoughtful manner where, ultimately, what we pass at the legislature and what’s signed at the governor’s office protects the public. ”

Certain occupational licensing professions are supporting the bill, like the Arizona Nurses Association, the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona, and local Arizona chambers of commerce.

When it comes to those professions, including barbering, Petersen argues you don’t lose that skill simply by packing up and moving to another state.

“I don't think it's right,” Torres said. “I think everybody should pay. (You’re) trying to work under a license or you having any kind of license, go to the state board. Put your information down, put your name down let the state know that you’re licensed through this state, not just anywhere.”

“I don't think it's right,” Torres said. “I think everybody should pay. (You’re) trying to work under a license or you having any kind of license, go to the state board. Put your information down, put your name down let the state know that you’re licensed through this state, not just anywhere.” (Fox News)

“They would need to show us how somebody's hair in Arizona is vastly different than somebodies hair in another state,” Petersen said. “I’ve lived in multiple states and my hair stayed the same in every state that I moved to…That’s exactly what this bill does, it recognizes that your skills, your talent, your education, your experience, it doesn't dissolve just because you crossed the border into the state of Arizona.”

But, Junior Torres, who owns a barber shop in Phoenix, is concerned about people moving from another state and start working at a barbershop “just like that” without having to go through the same Arizona process he and other barbers did to get their licenses, including paying fees.

FIREFIGHTER HAS BECOME MASTER OF MAXING OUT OVERTIME PAY

“I don't think it's right,” Torres said. “I think everybody should pay. (You’re) trying to work under a license or you having any kind of license, go to the state board. Put your information down, put your name down let the state know that you’re licensed through this state, not just anywhere.”

“That’s like having somebody out in the street not having a license, they can just have a fake license or something and you just don’t know, I wouldn’t want that, I would want somebody being licensed to come up in here and show proof that they’re with the state,” Torres said. “That’s how its been for years, so why change it.”

“That’s like having somebody out in the street not having a license, they can just have a fake license or something and you just don’t know, I wouldn’t want that, I would want somebody being licensed to come up in here and show proof that they’re with the state,” Torres said. “That’s how its been for years, so why change it.” (Fox News)

Torres said there’s been a lot of barbers who’ve come looking for work who’ve had licenses from other states but he can’t honor those because this is his livelihood and he doesn’t want to put people at risk. But, if this bill becomes law, that would change.

“That’s like having somebody out in the street not having a license, they can just have a fake license or something and you just don’t know, I wouldn’t want that, I would want somebody being licensed to come up in here and show proof that they’re with the state,” Torres said. “That’s how its been for years, so why change it?”

Petersen said America has been a “beacon and example of freedom and entrepreneurship to the rest of the world and that's something that we need to preserve and maintain.”

“As we allow these excessive regulations and occupational licensees to proliferate, it's really stifling motivation for people to work, it's stifling entry into the economy, and it's really a downward pressure on productivity and people accomplishing things and promoting to the economy and to society,” Petersen said.

The occupational licensing bill is now up for a final vote in the Senate.

Arizona governor Doug Ducey is a strong advocate of the bill, even mentioning it in this year's State of the State. He plans on signing it, if it’s passed.

“100,000 people will move here this year,” Ducey said. “There’s a job available for every one of them. Lots of them are trained and certified in other states. Standing in their way of earning a living in Arizona, our own licensing boards, and their cronies who tell them -- 'you can’t work here. You haven’t paid the piper.' Let’s stop this foolishness. Pass Warren Petersen’s bill to grant universal recognition for all occupational licenses -- and let them work.”

Source: Fox News National

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Exclusive: EU to drop threat of Huawei ban but wants 5G risks monitored – sources

FILE PHOTO: A 3-D printed Huawei logo is seen in front of displayed 5G words in this illustration
FILE PHOTO: A 3-D printed Huawei logo is seen in front of displayed 5G words in this illustration taken February 12, 2019. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

March 22, 2019

By Foo Yun Chee and Robin Emmott

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Commission will next week urge EU countries to share more data to tackle cybersecurity risks related to 5G networks but will ignore U.S. calls to ban Huawei Technologies, four people familiar with the matter said on Friday.

European digital chief Andrus Ansip will present the recommendation on Tuesday. While the guidance does not have legal force, it will carry political weight which can eventually lead to national legislation in European Union countries.

The United States has lobbied Europe to shut out Huawei, saying its equipment could be used by the Chinese government for espionage. Huawei has strongly rejected the allegations and earlier this month sued the U.S. government over the issue.

Ansip will tell EU countries to use tools set out under the EU directive on security of network and information systems, or NIS directive, adopted in 2016 and the recently approved Cybersecurity Act, the people said.

For example, member states should exchange information and coordinate on impact assessment studies on security risks and on certification for internet-connected devices and 5G equipment.

The Commission will not call for a European ban on global market leader Huawei, leaving it to EU countries to decide on national security grounds.

“It is a recommendation to enhance exchanges on the security assessment of digital critical infrastructure,” one of the sources said.

The Commission said the recommendation would stress a common EU approach to security risks to 5G networks.

The EU executive’s guidance marks a tougher stance on Chinese investment after years of almost unfettered European openness to China, which controls 70 percent of the global supply of the critical raw materials needed to make high-tech goods.

The measures, if taken on board, will be part of what French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday was a “European awakening” about potential Chinese dominance, after EU leaders held a first-ever discussion about China policy at a summit.

Germany this month set tougher criteria for all telecoms equipment vendors, without singling out Huawei and ignoring U.S. pressure.

Big telecoms operators oppose a Huawei ban, saying such a move could set back 5G deployment in the bloc by years. In contrast, Australia and New Zealand have stopped operators using Huawei equipment in their networks.

The industry sees 5G as the next money spinner, with its promise to link up everything from vehicles to household devices.

Alongside from the Huawei issue, the bloc also plans to discuss Chinese subsidies, state involvement in the Chinese economy and more access to the Chinese market at an EU-China summit on April 9.

(Writing by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Edmund Blair)

Source: OANN

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Members of The Cranberries, bassist Mike Hogan, drummer Fergal Lawler and guitarist Noel Hogan speak to Reuters during an interview in London
Members of The Cranberries, bassist Mike Hogan, drummer Fergal Lawler and guitarist Noel Hogan speak to Reuters during an interview in London, Britain, April 24, 2019. REUTERS/Gerhard Mey

April 26, 2019

By Hanna Rantala

LONDON (Reuters) – Irish rockers The Cranberries are saying goodbye with their final album released on Friday, a poignant tribute to lead singer Dolores O’Riordan who died last year.

“In the End” is the eighth studio album from the band that rose to fame in the early 1990s with hits likes “Zombie” and “Linger”, and includes the final recordings by O’Riordan, who drowned in a London hotel bath in January 2018 due to alcohol intoxication.

Work on the album began during a 2017 tour and by that winter, O’Riordan and guitarist Neil Hogan had penned and demoed 11 tracks.

With O’Riordan’s vocals recorded, Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawler completed the album in tribute to her.

“When we realized how strong the songs were, that was the deciding factor really… There was no point… trying to ruin the legacy of the band,” Noel Hogan said in an interview.

“It was obvious that Dolores wanted this album done because when you hear the album, you hear the songs and how strong they are, and she was very, very excited to get in and record this.”

The Cranberries formed in Limerick in 1989 with another singer. O’Riordan replaced him a year later and the group went on to become Ireland’s best-selling rock band after U2, selling more than 40 million records.

O’Riordan, known for her strong distinctive voice singing about relationships or political violence, was 46 when she died.

“She was actually in quite a good place mentally. She was feeling quite content and strong and looking forward to a new phase of her life,” Lawler said.

“A lot of the lyrics in this album are about things ending… people might read into it differently but it was a phase of her personal life that she was talking about.”

The group previously announced their intention to split after the release of “In The End”.

“We are absolutely gutted we can’t play (the songs) live because that’s something that’s been a massive part of this band from day one,” Noel Hogan said.

“A few people have said to us about maybe even doing a one off where you have different vocalists… as kind of guests of ours. A year ago that’s definitely something we weren’t going to entertain but I don’t know, I think it’s something we need to go away and take time off for the summer and have a think about.”

Critics have generally given positive reviews of the album; NME described it as “(seeing) the band’s career go full-circle” while the Irish Times called it “an unexpected late career high and a remarkable swan song for O’Riordan”.

Their early songs still play on the radio. This week, “Dreams” was performed at the funeral of journalist Lyra McKee, who was shot dead in Londonderry last week as she watched Irish nationalist youths attack police following a raid.

“We wrote them as kids, as a hobby and 30 years later they are on radio and on TV, like all the time… That’s far more than any of us ever thought we would have,” Noel Hogan said.

“That would make Dolores really happy because she was very precious about those songs. Her babies, she called them and to have that hopefully long after we’re gone… that’s all any band can wish for.”

(Reporting by Hanna Rantala; additoinal reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Writing by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Susan Fenton)

Source: OANN

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2020 Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren participates in the She the People Presidential Forum in Houston
2020 Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren participates in the She the People Presidential Forum in Houston, Texas, U.S. April 24, 2019. REUTERS/Loren Elliott

April 26, 2019

By Joshua Schneyer and M.B. Pell

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Senator Elizabeth Warren will introduce a bill Friday that offers new protections for U.S. military families facing unsafe housing, following a series of Reuters reports revealing squalid conditions in privately managed base homes.

The Reuters reports and later Congressional hearings detailed widespread hazards including lead paint exposure, vermin infestations, collapsing ceilings, mold and maintenance lapses in privatized base housing communities that serve some 700,000 U.S. military family members.

(View Warren’s military housing bill here. https://tmsnrt.rs/2Dy5aht)

(Read Reuters’ Ambushed at Home series on military housing here. https://www.reuters.com/investigates/section/usa-military)

The Massachusetts Democrat’s bill would mandate both regular and unannounced spot inspections of base homes by certified, independent inspectors, holding landlords accountable for quickly fixing hazards. The military’s privatization program for years allowed real estate firms to operate base housing with scant oversight, Reuters found, leaving some tenants in unsafe homes with little recourse against landlords.

The bill would also require the Department of Defense and its private housing operators to publish reports annually detailing housing conditions, tenant complaints, maintenance response times and the financial incentives companies receive at each base. The provisions aim to enhance transparency of housing deals whose finances and operations the military had allowed to remain largely confidential under a privatization program since the late 1990s.

The measure would also require private landlords to cover moving costs for at-risk families, and healthcare costs for people with medical conditions resulting from unsafe base housing, ensuring they receive continuing coverage even after they leave the homes or the military.

“This bill will eliminate the kind of corner-cutting and neglect the Defense Department should never have let these private housing partners get away with in the first place,” Warren said in a statement Friday.

The proposed legislation comes after February Senate hearings where Warren, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee who is seeking the Democratic nomination for the 2020 U.S. presidential election, slammed private real estate firms for endangering service families, and sought answers about why military branches weren’t providing more oversight.

Her legislation would direct the Defense Department to allow local housing code enforcers onto federal bases, following concerns they were sometimes denied access. Warren’s office said a companion bill in the House of Representatives would be introduced by Rep. Deb Haaland, Democrat of New Mexico.

In response to the housing crisis, military branches are developing a tenant bill of rights and hiring hundreds of new housing staff. The branches recently dispatched commanders to survey base housing worldwide for safety hazards, resulting in thousands of work orders and hundreds of tenants being moved. The Defense Department has pledged to renegotiate its 50-year contracts with private real estate firms.

Congress has been quick to take its own measures. Earlier legislation proposed by senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris of California, along with Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia, would compel base commanders to withhold rent payments and incentive fees from the private ventures if they allow home hazards to persist.

(Editing by Ronnie Greene)

Source: OANN

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FILE PHOTO: Offices of Deloitte are seen in London
FILE PHOTO: Offices of Deloitte are seen in London, Britain, September 25, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo

April 26, 2019

By Noor Zainab Hussain and Tanishaa Nadkar

(Reuters) – Deloitte quit as Ferrexpo’s auditor on Friday, knocking its shares by more than 20 percent, days after saying it was unable to conclude whether the iron ore miner’s CEO controlled a charity being investigated over its use of company donations.

Blooming Land, which coordinates Ferrexpo’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, came under scrutiny after auditors found holes in the charity’s statements.

Ferrexpo on Tuesday said findings of an ongoing independent investigation launched in February indicated some Blooming Land funds could have been “misappropriated”. It did not provide any details or publish its findings.

Shares in Ferrexpo, the third largest exporter of pellets to the global steel industry, were 23.4 percent lower at 206.1 pence at 1022 GMT following news of Deloitte’s resignation.

“Ferrexpo’s shares are deeply discounted vs peers … following the resignation of Deloitte, we expect downside risks to dominate Ferrexpo’s shares near term.” JP Morgan analyst Dominic O’Kane said in a note on Friday.

Swiss-headquartered Ferrexpo did not provide a reason for the resignation of Deloitte, which declined to comment, while Blooming Land did not respond to a request for comment.

Funding for Blooming Land’s CSR activities is provided by one of Ferrexpo’s units in Ukraine and Khimreaktiv LLC, an entity ultimately controlled by Ferrexpo’s CEO and majority owner Kostyantin Zhevago, Ferrexpo said on Tuesday.

Ferrexpo’s board has found that Zhevago did not have significant influence or control over the charity, but Deloitte said it was unable reach a conclusion on this.

Reuters was not immediately able to contact Zhevago.

In a qualified opinion, a statement addressing an incomplete audit, Deloitte said it had been unable to conclude whether $33.5 million of CSR donations to Blooming Land between 2017 and 2018 was used for “legitimate business payments for charitable purposes”.

Deloitte said on Tuesday that total CSR payments made to Blooming Land by Ferrexpo since 2013 total about $110 million.

Ferrexpo, whose major mines are in Ukraine, has said that the investigation was ongoing and new evidence pointed to potential discrepancies.

Zhevago, 45, who ranked 1,511 on Forbes magazine’s list of billionaires for 2019 with a net worth of $1.4 billion, owns the FC Vorskla soccer club and has been a member of Ukraine’s parliament since 1998.

(Reporting by Noor Zainab Hussain and Tanishaa Nadkar in Bengaluru and additional reporting by Pavel Polityuk in Kiev; editing by Gopakumar Warrier, Bernard Orr)

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Children walk past a damaged building in the aftermath of the Cyclone Kenneth in Pemba
Children walk past a damaged building in the aftermath of the Cyclone Kenneth in Pemba, Mozambique April 26, 2019 in this still image obtained from social media. SolidarMed via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES

April 26, 2019

By Emma Rumney and Stephen Eisenhammer

JOHANNESBURG/LUANDA (Reuters) – Cyclone Kenneth killed at least one person and left a trail of destruction in northern Mozambique, destroying houses, ripping up trees and knocking out power, authorities said on Friday.

The cyclone brought storm surges and wind gusts of up to 280 km per hour (174 mph) when it made landfall on Thursday evening, after killing three people in the island nation of Comoros.

It was the most powerful storm on record to hit Mozambique’s northern coast and came just six weeks after Cyclone Idai battered the impoverished nation, causing devastating floods and killing more than 1,000 people across a swathe of southern Africa.

The World Food Programme warned that Kenneth could dump as much as 600 millimeters of rain on the region over the next 10 days – twice that brought by Cyclone Idai.

One woman in the port town of Pemba died after being hit by a falling tree, the Emergency Operations Committee for Cabo Delgado (COE) said in a statement, while another person was injured.

In rural areas outside Pemba, many homes are made of mud. In the main town on the island of Ibo, 90 percent of the houses were destroyed, officials said. Around 15,000 people were out in the open or in “overcrowded” shelters and there was a need for tents, food and water, they said.

There were also reports of a large number of homes and some infrastructure destroyed in Macomia district, a mainland district adjacent to Ibo.

A local group, the Friends of Pemba Association, had earlier reported that they could not reach people in Muidumbe, a district further inland.

Mark Lowcock, United Nations under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, warned the storm could require another major humanitarian operation in Mozambique.

“Cyclone Kenneth marks the first time two cyclones have made landfall in Mozambique during the same season, further stressing the government’s limited resources,” he said in a statement.

FLOOD WARNINGS

Shaquila Alberto, owner of the beach-front Messano Flower Lodge in Macomia, said there were many fallen trees there, and in rural areas people’s homes had been damaged. Some areas of nearby Pemba had no power.

“Even my workers, they said the roof and all the things fell down,” she said by phone.

Further south, in Pemba, Elton Ernesto, a receptionist at Raphael’s Hotel, said there were fallen trees but not too much damage. The hotel had power and water, he said, while phones rang in the background. “The rain has stopped,” he added.

However Michael Charles, an official for the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said heavy rains over the next few days were likely to bring a “second wave of destruction” in the form of flooding.

“The houses are not all solid, and the topography is very sandy,” Charles said.

In the days after Cyclone Idai, heavy inland rains prompted rivers to burst their banks, submerging entire villages, cutting areas off from aid and ruining crops. There were concerns the same could happen again in northern Mozambique.

Before Kenneth hit, the government and aid workers moved around 30,000 people to safer buildings such as schools, however authorities said that around 680,000 people were in the path of the storm.

(Reporting by Emma Rumney and Stephen Eisenhammer; Writing by Emma Rumney; Editing by Janet Lawrence and Alexandra Zavis)

Source: OANN

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A worker holds a nozzle to pump petrol into a vehicle at a fuel station in Mumbai
FILE PHOTO: A worker holds a nozzle to pump petrol into a vehicle at a fuel station in Mumbai, India, May 21, 2018. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas

April 26, 2019

By Manoj Kumar and Nidhi Verma

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Surging global oil prices will pose a first big challenge to India’s new government, whoever wins an election now under way, especially as domestic prices have been allowed to lag, meaning consumers are in for a painful surge as they catch up.

For oil-import dependent India, higher global prices could lead to a weaker rupee, higher inflation, the ruling out of interest rate cuts and could further weigh on twin current account and budget deficits, economists warned.

But compounding the future pain, state-run fuel suppliers and retailers have held off passing on to consumers the higher prices during a staggered general election, which began on April 11 and ends on May 23, according to sources familiar with the situation.

That delay is expected to be unwound once the election is over. And there could be additional price increases to make up for losses or profits missed during the period of delayed increases, the sources said.

In some major Asian countries, such as Japan and South Korea, pump prices are adjusted periodically so they move largely in tandem with international crude prices.

That was what was supposed to happen in India but the election means there have been many days when pump prices have been unchanged.

In New Delhi, for example, while crude oil prices have gone up by nearly $9 a barrel, or about 12 percent, in the past six weeks, gasoline prices have only risen by 0.47 rupees a liter, or 0.6 percent.

State-controlled fuel suppliers and retailers declined to say why they had delayed price increases, or discuss whether there has been any pressure from the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A government spokesman declined to comment.

The opposition Congress party said Modi’s government was violating its own policy of daily price revision by advising the state oil companies to hold prices steady.

“The government should cut fuel taxes otherwise consumers will have to pay much higher oil prices once the elections are over,” said Akhilesh Pratap Singh, a senior leader of the Congress party.

(GRAPHIC: India Polls: Fuel price hike lags crude surge – https://tmsnrt.rs/2XLlxik)

Nitin Goyal, treasurer at the All India Petroleum Dealers Association, representing fuel stations in 25 states, said prices were similarly held down for 19 days in the southern state of Karnataka last year, when it held state assembly elections.

Only for them to surge after the vote.

“Consumers should be ready for a rude shock of a massive jump in retail prices, similar to the level we have seen in the Karnataka state election,” Goyal said.

‘CREDIT NEGATIVE’

Sri Paravaikkarasu, director for Asia oil at Singapore-based consultancy FGE, said retail prices of gasoline and gasoil prices would have been up to 6 percent, or about 4 rupee, higher if they had been allowed to rise in line with global prices.

“Indian pump prices have failed to keep up with the recent uptrend in crude prices,” Paravaikkarasu said.

“With the country’s general elections underway, the incumbent government has been keeping pump prices relatively unchanged.”

India had switched to a daily price revision in June 2017 from a revision every two weeks, as the government allowed retailers to set prices.

But the government faced protests last October when retailers raised prices by up to 10 rupees a liter after the crude oil price went above $80 a barrel, forcing it to cut fuel taxes.

Global prices rose to their highest level in 2019 on Thursday, days after the United States announced all Iran sanction waivers would end by May, pressuring importers including India to stop buying Tehran’s oil. [O/R]

Higher oil prices will mean Asia’s third largest economy is likely to see growth of less than 7 percent rate this fiscal year, economists said. Growth slowed to 6.6 percent in the October-December quarter, the slowest in five quarters.

Rating agency CARE has warned that a 10 percent rise in global oil prices could increase demand for dollars, putting pressure on the rupee and widening the current account deficit.

India’s oil import bill rose by nearly one-third in the fiscal year ending March 31 to $140.5 billion, against $108 billion the previous year.

“The increase in international oil prices is a credit negative for the Indian economy,” ICRA, the Indian arm of the Fitch rating agency, said in a note.

“Every $10/ bbl increase in crude oil prices increases the fiscal deficit by about 0.1 percent of GDP.”

Any big price rise would also build a case for the central bank to keep rates steady, or even raise them.

The Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee, which cut the benchmark policy repo rate by 25 basis points this month, warned that rising oil and food prices could push up inflation.

Policymakers are worried that a sustained increase in the oil price in the range of $70-75/barrel or higher can move the rupee down by 3-4 percent on an annual basis.

The rupee has depreciated by 1.24 percent against the dollar since a year high in mid-March.

($1 = 70.1800 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Manoj Kumar and Nidhi Verma; Editing by Martin Howell and Rob Birsel)

Source: OANN

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