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CNN Chief Derides Fox News as 'Propaganda Network' for Trump

CNN president Jeff Zucker delivered a keynote speech at SXSW Saturday that saw him expressing belief that there was political motivation behind the Justice Department's lawsuit to stop AT&T's acquisition of his parent company, Time Warner, as well as discussing the Democratic National Convention's relationship with the media.

Referring to comments Trump said in regard to filing suits against the deal, Zucker stated that he believed there was political motivation to block progress. "I believe that it came from the highest levels of the government," he said.

Earlier this week members of Congress petitioned the Department of Justice to look into whether or not there was interference with the deal as a report surfaced alleging that Trump ordered Gary Cohn to pressure the DOJ to block the merger.

"There was absolutely no basis for the government doing what they were doing," he said. "Clearly there was a political agenda at work, and I don't think it takes being a genius to where that comes from."

Zucker's appearance at the Austin, Texas-based entertainment and tech festival came less than a week after taking on both sports and news under WarnerMedia. In discussing his lateral move within the company, Zucker said that although his "two passions in life are news and sports" CNN would remain "fundamentally about news."

Zucker equally criticized the relationship between the Trump White House and Fox News, calling the network a "propaganda network" and noting their relationship is "completely symbiotic," which is detrimental to journalism. Zucker has spoken out about Fox News before and repeated some of his concerns by adding that the network has "done a lot of damage to the political discourse" in the country.

The controversy surrounding new hire, and Trump Administration aide Sarah Isgur Flores was brought up, but laid to rest by Zucker. Noting the similarities and quick transitions for many who work in politics to and from both journalism and entertainment, he stood by the choice citing the diversity in political leanings as healthy for the industry. Before moving on, Zucker mentioned Isgur Flores taking a step back from her role "due to recent personal events."

Turning an eye towards Fox News and their upset in not being handed a political debate, Zucker was quick to bring up the fact that news is not owed anything. He talked of the news network almost as a petulant child, citing Fox News as ultimately causing, "a lot of damage to the political discourse" both during the election and now Trump's presidency.

When it came to discussing the DNC's decision to keep Fox News from hosting a primary debate for the upcoming 2020 presidential election, Zucker said implied that it was the organization's right to deny such privileges.

"There's no obligation to give one to Fox," he said, also noting that the DNC doesn't have to give one to anyone, CNN included.

The conversation also took a turn towards the future of CNN with Zucker diving into the need for innovation within their digital platform and content. After the closing off their Beam and Snapchat show last summer, there was some concern that the news giant was taking a step backwards. The point being driven home as the moderator brought up controversy over the lack of diversity brought out by the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) this week. Zucker countered with an assurance of the commitment to diversity "on and off the air," bringing the company forward into the future with a pro-truth stance.

Source: NewsMax America

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MLB roundup: Encarnacion homers twice in same inning

MLB: Seattle Mariners at Kansas City Royals
Apr 8, 2019; Kansas City, MO, USA; Seattle Mariners designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion (10) hits a three run home run in the sixth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

April 9, 2019

Edwin Encarnacion hit a pair of home runs in the sixth inning, and the visiting Seattle Mariners scored eight times in the frame to earn a 13-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday.

The Mariners have scored five or more runs in 11 of their first 12 games and became the first team in the major leagues to win 10 games.

Encarnacion became the first major-leaguer to hit two home runs in an inning in almost three years. Mark Trumbo of the Los Angeles Angels did in on April 15, 2016, at Texas. Seattle also got homers from Daniel Vogelbach, Dylan Moore and Jay Bruce.

Roenis Elias (1-0) picked up the win, pitching three scoreless, hitless innings of relief. Royals starter Homer Bailey (0-1) gave up seven runs on eight hits, including three home runs, in five-plus innings.

Orioles 12, A’s 4

Jonathan Villar homered and had four RBIs while Cedric Mullins tripled twice and drove in three as Baltimore defeated visiting Oakland.

While most of the Orioles were enjoying a big offensive night, it was the opposite for Baltimore’s Chris Davis. He set a major league record for the longest hitless streak by a position player, going 0-for-5 to leave him 0-for-49 dating back to last year. Eugenio Velez had the previous record of 0-for-46.

Trey Mancini hit a solo homer in the first inning, and Mullins delivered a two-run triple in the second while scoring on a throwing error on the same play to give Baltimore an early 4-0 lead. The early margin helped the Orioles stop a four-game losing streak.

Cubs 10, Pirates 0

Ben Zobrist and Kyle Schwarber each drove in two runs, and Chicago rode a six-run second inning to a victory over Pittsburgh in the home opener at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs’ second win in eight games came with a caveat, as starter Jon Lester left during the third inning because of left hamstring tightness. Lester struck out four, walked one and gave up three hits in two-plus innings before four relievers combined to finish Chicago’s first shutout.

Brad Brach (1-0), who replaced Lester, gave up one hit in two innings. Pittsburgh starter Jameson Taillon (0-2), who gave up six unearned runs and four hits, left after two innings and will be re-evaluated after he took at least a glancing blow to the head on a comebacker by Anthony Rizzo.

Braves 8, Rockies 6

Ronald Acuna Jr. hit his third home run of the season to spark Atlanta past Colorado in Denver.

Acuna was 2-for-3, scored three runs and hit a two-run homer in the first inning to help give the Braves their sixth win in the past seven games. Dansby Swanson drove in three runs, and Nick Markakis was 3-for-4 with two RBIs for Atlanta.

Braves starter Julio Teheran (1-1) pitched five innings and allowed six runs, all coming in his last inning. The struggling Atlanta bullpen closed the game with four scoreless innings, handing the Rockies their fourth straight loss and their eighth defeat in the past nine games.

Astros 4, Yankees 3

Robinson Chirinos hit a two-run, game-tying double in the seventh inning, and Carlos Correa drove in the go-ahead run an inning later as Houston rallied for a victory over visiting New York.

Chirinos drove home Yuli Gurriel and Tyler White with his two-out double off the wall in front of the Houston bullpen, striking his blow against Yankees left-hander Zack Britton, who surrendered a leadoff single to Correa after entering in relief of starter Masahiro Tanaka.

The Astros stretched their winning streak to four games. Ryan Pressly (1-0) earned the win with a perfect eighth inning before Roberto Osuna notched his third save with a six-pitch ninth.

Angels 5, Brewers 2

Mike Trout did not hit a home run for the first time in five games, but he did steal a home run from reigning National League MVP Christian Yelich, helping Los Angeles extend its winning streak to four games with a win over Milwaukee at Anaheim, Calif.

Trout had at least one homer in four consecutive games (five total), but Brewers pitchers were able to keep him in the ballpark. Trout went 0-for-2 (strikeout, lineout) with two walks. He made up for it with his defense, reaching above the fence in left-center in the third inning to rob Yelich of what would have been his sixth homer of the year.

The Angels got a two-run homer from Tommy La Stella, a solo homer from Andrelton Simmons and a two-run blast by Justin Bour. Yelich wound up 2-for-4 with two singles.

Padres 6, Giants 5

Franmil Reyes capped a San Diego rally with a pinch-hit, two-run home run in the seventh inning as the visiting Padres overcame a five-run deficit and a Kevin Pillar grand slam to overtake San Francisco.

Fernando Tatis Jr. and Wil Myers also homered for the Padres, who had won three in a row before losing the finale of a series at St. Louis on Sunday.

The Giants, who have lost all three of their series this season, staked Madison Bumgarner to a five-run lead in the fourth inning. However, the ace left-hander wound up allowing five runs in six innings.

Phillies 4, Nationals 3

Rhys Hoskins hit two solo homers, including the tiebreaker on a full-count pitch in the last of the sixth, and Philadelphia beat visiting Washington.

Hoskins added an insurance run in eighth with a homer off Justin Miller to make it 4-2. It was the fourth multi-homer game of Hoskins’ career.

The first homer came off Anibal Sanchez (0-1), who was making his second start for the Nationals after coming over from the Atlanta Braves. He gave up seven hits and three runs in 5 2/3 innings with six strikeouts and two walks.

Rays 5, White Sox 1

Blake Snell allowed one run in six innings, and Tampa Bay continued to match its best start in franchise history with a win at Chicago. Snell (2-1) gave up six hits while striking out 11 and walking none.

Willy Adames had three hits, a walk and scored two runs in the No. 9 spot, and Avisail Garcia, Daniel Robertson and Yandy Diaz had two hits each for Tampa Bay, which has won eight of its first 11 games for the second time in team history.

Coming into the game, Tampa Bay starting pitchers had not allowed a run in their past 31 innings, and Snell had thrown eight straight shutout innings. He ran that streak to 12 before Jose Rondon hit a solo homer in the fifth to make it 4-1.

Cardinals 4, Dodgers 3

Marcell Ozuna lined a two-run homer, and Paul Goldschmidt scored the decisive run on a wild pitch as St. Louis beat visiting Los Angeles.

Jose Martinez added a run-scoring single as St. Louis halted the Dodgers’ five-game winning streak. Los Angeles didn’t trail for 42 innings until the Cardinals moved ahead in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas (1-1) gave up three runs and five hits over six innings. He struck out three and walked one. John Gant pitched two hitless innings, and Jordan Hicks finished up for his second save.

–Field Level Media

Source: OANN

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More than 40 million people work in artisanal mining: report

FILE PHOTO: A suspected illegal miner climbs out of a ventilation shaft in Benoni
FILE PHOTO: A suspected illegal miner climbs out of a ventilation shaft used to access an abandoned gold shaft in Benoni, east of Johannesburg, February 17, 2014. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings/File Photo

April 24, 2019

By Peter Hobson

LONDON (Reuters) – More than 40 million people around the world work in artisanal and small-scale mining where minerals including gold, diamonds and cobalt are dug up often by hand, a report by the World Bank and development organization Pact said on Wednesday.

Increasing demand for metals and rising prices have triggered a boom in small-scale mining in recent years, mainly in poorer countries in South America, Africa and Asia.

These mines are a vital source of income for communities, but many operate outside the law and leak chemicals into rocks, soil and rivers. Working conditions can be appalling, and the metal and stones dug up are often smuggled across borders on a vast scale, sometimes by criminal operations.

Billions of dollars worth of gold is being smuggled out of Africa, a Reuters investigation found this week.

The World Bank and Pact said too little was known about how many people worked in small mines and previous estimates, which were often far lower than 40 million, tended to be partial or rely on outdated data.

“It’s time to shine a light on this vital sector so we can accelerate investments in people and communities for greater equity and sustainable economic growth,” Riccardo Puliti, the World Bank’s head of energy and extractives global practice, said in a statement.

The report said 16.3 million people worked in small-scale mining in South Asia, of which 12 million were in India, and 9.8 million people in East Asia and the Pacific, of which 9 million were in China.

Another 9.9 million people worked in sub-Saharan Africa, the report said, with 2 million in the Democratic Republic of Congo and between 1 and 1.5 million each in Sudan, Ghana and Tanzania.

Just over 2 million people work in the industry in Latin America and the Caribbean, with 1.9 million more in the Middle East and North Africa and 100,000 in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, it said.

Thirty percent of the workers globally were women, the report found.

Minerals mined in small-scale and artisanal mines include gold and diamonds, used for jewelry and investment, and tin, tungsten, tantalum and cobalt consumed in industry, electronics and batteries that power electric vehicles.

(Reporting by Peter Hobson; editing by David Evans)

Source: OANN

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Pearl on Okeke injury: ‘We’re gonna miss him’

NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament-Midwest Regional-Auburn vs North Carolina
Mar 29, 2019; Kansas City, MO, United States; Auburn Tigers forward Chuma Okeke (5) is treated after suffering an apparent injury against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the second half in the semifinals of the midwest regional of the 2019 NCAA Tournament at Sprint Center. Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

March 30, 2019

Auburn forward Chuma Okeke underwent an MRI on his knee Saturday morning at a Kansas City hospital, and while he didn’t disclose the results, coach Bruce Pearl all but acknowledged his star won’t be available Sunday in the Midwest Region final against Kentucky.

“We fear for the worst, and we hope for the best. We think it’s a pretty serious injury,” Pearl said on ESPN’s “College GameDay” on Saturday, the morning after Okeke suffered the injury in Auburn’s Sweet 16 victory over North Carolina.

.”.. Almost night in and night out, in this month, Chuma Okeke’s been the best player on the floor. We’re gonna miss him a lot having to go up against Kentucky tomorrow.”

Okeke scored 20 points and 11 rebounds before suffering the knee injury with 8:08 left in the game, falling to the court while attempting a layup.

“It’s a bittersweet accomplishment because of Chuma getting hurt late in the game. Nobody works harder, nobody gives us more courage,” Pearl said after the win.

“When it gets tough and you got to go to a matchup, we got (No.) five and you don’t. That’s how we felt. In a game full of guys that — that have got a chance to play at the next level, I thought he was the best player, and that has happened a lot to us this year. So we’re disappointed he may be lost, but we are very, very grateful to be moving on and representing the SEC and Auburn in the Elite 8.”

–Field Level Media

Source: OANN

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The Latest: Official: Royal Air Maroc grounds sole Boeing

The Latest on Ethiopian Airlines crash (all times local):

9:05 p.m.

An official at Royal Air Maroc says Morocco has halted the commercial use of its sole operational Boeing 737 Max 8, pending tests and examinations of the airplane after the Ethiopian Airlines crash on Sunday.

The official, who spoke anonymously in line with his department rules, said the plane was scheduled to fly on Monday from Casablanca to London but was replaced.

The official said the plane, in use since December, was undergoing an "inspection and verification" procedure by a Moroccan team and would be operational after tests are done.

The official said Royal Air Maroc received a second Boeing 737 Max 8 airplane a few days ago, part of a deal with Boeing for acquiring a total of four.

A number of airlines have grounded the planes.

____

8:10 p.m.

Comair, the operator of British Airways and Kulula flights in South Africa says it has grounded its Boeing 737 Max 8 while it consults with Boeing, other operators and technical experts.

A statement does not say how many planes are affected. It says the decision was made without intervention from regulatory authorities.

Comair joins a number of other airlines in grounding the planes after Sunday's deadly crash in Ethiopia.

Wrenelle Stander, executive director of Comair's airline division, says in the statement that Comair "remains confident in the inherent safety of the aircraft."

___

6 p.m.

The United Nations secretary-general says at least 21 U.N. staff members died in the Ethiopian Airlines crash on Sunday along with an undetermined number of people who had worked closely with the world body.

Antonio Guterres spoke at the opening of the annual meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women, which began with hundreds of delegates standing in silent tribute to the 157 victims.

The U.N. Security Council also began its meeting on Afghanistan with diplomats standing in honor of those who perished.

Guterres said that "a global tragedy has hit close to home and the United Nations is united in grief."

He said the U.N. staff members came from all corners of the globe and that "they all had one thing in common — a spirit to serve the people of the world and to make it a better place for us all."

___

5 p.m.

A Greek man who narrowly missed the Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed near Addis Ababa on Sunday says he argued with ground staff to try and board after reaching the gate minutes too late.

"I saw the last passengers going through but the gate had already closed. I complained, in the usual way when that kind of thing happens. But they were very kind and placed me on another flight," Antonis Mavropoulos told Greece's private Skai Television, speaking from Nairobi.

Mavropoulos, who runs a recycling company and lives in Athens, was traveling to Kenya to attend an environmental conference.

"I'm slowly coming to terms with what happened and how close it came. On the other hand, I'm also very upset — I'm shattered — for those who were lost," he said in the interview Monday. "To be honest, I didn't get much sleep last night."

Mavropoulos put his survival down to luck.

"I didn't check my suitcase because I knew the gap between connecting flights was tight. If I had checked the bag in, they would have waited for me," he said. "This is a very difficult moment — one that can change your life."

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4:45 p.m.

Ethiopia's state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate cites the United States ambassador as saying a six-member team of U.S. aviation experts are on their way to the site of Sunday's crash.

Ambassador Michael Raynor visited the crash site on Monday. He told the broadcaster that the experts from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were expected to arrive at the site on Tuesday.

He says that "Boeing and Interpol will also assist the Ethiopian government in the investigation. Interpol will assist in identifying the victims."

The flight data recorder and voice cockpit recorder have been found.

___

4:35 p.m.

Ugandan authorities say a senior police officer is among the dead in the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash on Sunday.

Ugandan police say they are mourning Christine Alalo, who served as police commissioner under the banner of the African Union mission in Somalia.

The statement calls her "a highly respected member of the force who loved her job."

Alalo was returning from a trip to Italy. She is the lone Ugandan who died in the crash. All 157 on board were killed.

___

4:20 p.m.

A German pastor and an aid worker from Germany are among the victims of the Ethiopian Airlines crash on Sunday.

The World Council of Churches says Rev. Norman Tendis was traveling to a U.N. environment summit in Nairobi. The 51-year-old worked in Villach, Austria.

The German development aid organization GIZ confirms that a staffer was on the plane. Spokeswoman Tanja Stumpff tells The Associated Press that the woman was on a business trip.

Germany's Foreign Ministry has confirmed that at least five German citizens died in the crash.

___

4:05 p.m.

Catholic Relief Services announces "with heavy hearts" that four of its Ethiopian colleagues died in Sunday's plane crash outside Addis Ababa.

The aid group in a statement says Sara Chalachew, Getnet Alemayehu, Sintayehu Aymeku, and Mulusew Alemu had been traveling to Nairobi for training.

The four had worked with the organization for as long as a decade. They worked in procurement, logistics and finance.

All 157 people on board were killed. They came from 35 countries.

___

3:30 p.m.

There are scenes of agony as members of an association of Ethiopian airline pilots cry uncontrollably for colleagues killed in Sunday's crash near Addis Ababa.

Framed photographs of seven crew members sit in chairs at the front of a crowded room.

One pilot says he had planned to watch a soccer game between Manchester and Arsenal with the flight's main pilot, Yared Getachew.

It was Getachew who issued a distress call shortly after takeoff and was told to return. But all contact was lost.

Another pilot says he flew with Yared several times and said they even lived together before becoming senior pilots.

___

3:15 p.m.

Pope Francis has sent his condolences to the families of the victims of the plane crash in Ethiopia.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state, said in a statement Monday that the pope was sad to learn about the crash and "offers prayers for the deceased from various countries and commends their souls to the mercy of Almighty God."

The statement said, "Pope Francis sends heartfelt condolences to their families, and upon all who mourn this tragic loss he invokes the divine blessings of consolation and strength."

___

3 p.m.

Shares of Boeing are tumbling before the opening of U.S. markets following the crash in Ethiopia of a Boeing 737 Max 8, the second deadly crash since October.

All 157 people on board were killed on Sunday. A Lion Air model of the same plane crashed in Indonesia last year, killing 189 people.

Shares of Boeing Co. plunged more than 9 percent in premarket trading Monday. If that trend holds, it could be one of the company's worst trading days in about a decade.

Indonesia and China have grounded all Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft. Ethiopian Airlines and Cayman Airways are doing the same.

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1:35 p.m.

Ethiopia's state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate reports that the black box has been found from the crashed Ethiopian Airlines plane.

An airline official, however, tells The Associated Press that the box is partially damaged and that "we will see what we can retrieve from it."

The official spoke on condition of anonymity for lack of authorization to speak to the media.

The plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa on Sunday en route to Nairobi.

___

1:20 p.m.

China says two United Nations workers were among the eight Chinese nationals killed on the Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed shortly after takeoff Sunday.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang says the other Chinese passengers included four who were working for a Chinese company and two who had travelled to Ethiopia for "private matters."

All 157 people on board the flight to Nairobi died.

Lu said Chinese President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders have sent condolence messages to their Ethiopian counterparts. China has extended condolences to victims' families.

China has ordered its airlines to ground their Boeing 737 Max 8 aircrafts by 6 p.m.

___

12:45 p.m.

The United Nations migration agency said that one of its staffers, German citizen Anne-Katrin Feigl, was on the plane en route to a training course in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya and the plane's destination.

Germany's foreign ministry has officially confirmed that five victims of the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that killed 157 people were German citizens.

The ministry said in a statement Monday that it was in contact with the families of the victims. It did not reveal any information on the identity of those who died in the crash Sunday.

All in all, 35 countries had someone among the 157 people who were killed. All people on board died minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa.

___

12 p.m.

The U.N. office in Nairobi is joining Ethiopia in mourning the 157 dead in Sunday's Ethiopian Airlines crash shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa.

A moment of silence and U.N. flags at half-staff marked the deaths that included several workers with U.N. and affiliated organizations.

The U.N. resident coordinator in Nairobi, Siddharth Chatterjee, says that "This has taken us by shock. ... But it also goes to reinforce the mortality of human life and therefore reinforces the need for humanity."

He says U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent "a poignant message of condolences to everybody, not just the U.N. staff but the crew of the flight and all other nationalities which were on the plane."

People from 35 countries died.

___

10 a.m.

A spokesman says Ethiopian Airlines has grounded all its Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft as a safety precaution, following the crash of one of its planes in which 157 people were killed.

Asrat Begashaw said Monday that although it is not yet known what caused the crash on Sunday, the airline decided to ground its remaining four 737 Max 8 planes until further notice as "an extra safety precaution." Ethiopian Airlines was using five new 737 Max 8 planes and was awaiting delivery of 25 more.

Begashaw said searching and digging to uncover body parts and aircraft debris will continue. He said forensic experts from Israel have arrived in Ethiopia to help with the investigation.

Source: Fox News World

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Masvidal, Edwards brawl after UFC Fight Night

MMA: UFC Fight Night-London-Till vs Masvidal
Mar 16, 2019; London, UK; Jorge Masvidal (blue gloves) and Darren Till (red gloves) during UFC Fight Night at O2 Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports

March 17, 2019

UFC welterweights Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards won the last two official bouts on the UFC Fight Night card at O2 Arena in London Saturday night, then decided to put on an encore backstage.

While Masvidal was doing a live interview backstage, he took exception to a comment from a passing Edwards and walked toward the other fighter saying “Say it to my face.”

As they came within reach of each other, Masvidal struck Edwards with a series of punches before they are quickly separated.

Masvidal said afterward that Edwards had his hands up as if he were about to strike him and that he was simply defending himself.

“I had my hands back to signal I’m not coming here with problems,” said Masvidal, per ESPN. “But he put his hands up — it’s on video — and walks towards me. Well, where I’m from, you do that, you’re going to punch me in the face. And that’s not going to happen.”

“I was scared … It might not have looked it, because I’m cold-blooded, but I was scared out of my life. I said, ‘This hooligan is here and is going to assault me.’ He shouldn’t have done that and walked towards me like he was going to punch me. I got the first one in. Am I going to be in trouble because I got the first one in?”

Local police are reportedly investigating the matter, according to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, though Edwards’ team said it doesn’t intend to seek charges against Masvidal.

Masvidal (33-13) had capped the Fight Night event with a brutal knockout of Darren Till in the second round of the main event. Edwards (17-3) had defeated Gunnar Nelson by unanimous decision in the co-main event just prior.

“I can’t even believe that this happened. We need to do a much better job of making sure this (expletive) doesn’t happen at any of our events,” UFC president Dana White said afterward.

–Field Level Media

Source: OANN

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Brexit: DUP still seeking time limit on Northern Ireland backstop – MP

Children play soccer on a pitch at the border crossing between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland in Carrickcarnon
FILE PHOTO - Children play soccer on a pitch at the border crossing between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland in Carrickcarnon, Ireland March 30. 2019. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

April 3, 2019

BELFAST (Reuters) – Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party remains a key player in Brexit and is seeking a time limit on the “backstop” insurance mechanism designed to keep the region’s border with EU-member Ireland open, a senior member said on Wednesday.

Asked if British Prime Minister Theresa May’s decision on Tuesday to hold talks with the opposition Labour party had frozen it out, DUP member of parliament Jeffrey Donaldson told the BBC that the party was “still in a very strong and influential position” and that events could change quickly.

Donaldson said the DUP’s 10 members of parliament, who prop up May’s government, continued to demand changes to her EU withdrawal deal and would need “at the very least a time limit on that backstop” before they would consider supporting it.

(Reporting by Conor Humphries and Amanda Ferguson; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

Source: OANN

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Cambodian authorities have ordered a one-hour reduction in the length of school days because of concerns that students and teachers may fall ill from a prolonged heat wave.

Education Minister Hang Chuon Naron said in an announcement seen Friday that the shortened hours will remain in effect until the rainy season starts, which usually occurs in May. The current heat wave, in which temperatures are regularly reaching as high as 41 Celsius (106 Fahrenheit), is one of the longest in memory.

Most schools in Cambodia lack air conditioning, prompting concern that temperatures inside classrooms could rise to unhealthy levels.

School authorities were instructed to watch for symptoms of heat stroke and urge pupils to drink more water.

The new hours cut 30 minutes off the beginning of the school day and 30 minutes off the end.

School authorities instituted a similar measure in 2016.

Source: Fox News World

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Explosions have rocked Britain’s largest steel plant, injuring two people and shaking nearby homes.

South Wales Police say the incident at the Tata Steel plant in Port Talbot was reported at about 3:35 a.m. Friday (22:35 EDT Thursday). The explosions touched off small fires, which are under control. Two workers suffered minor injuries and all staff members have been accounted for.

Police say early indications are that the explosions were caused by a train used to carry molten metal into the plant. Tata Steel says its personnel are working with emergency services at the scene.

Local lawmaker Stephen Kinnock says the incident raises concerns about safety.

He tweeted: “It could have been a lot worse … @TataSteelEurope must conduct a full review, to improve safety.”

Source: Fox News World

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The Wider Image: China's start-ups go small in age of 'shoebox' satellites
LinkSpace’s reusable rocket RLV-T5, also known as NewLine Baby, is carried to a vacant plot of land for a test launch in Longkou, Shandong province, China, April 19, 2019. REUTERS/Jason Lee

April 26, 2019

By Ryan Woo

LONGKOU, China (Reuters) – During initial tests of their 8.1-metre (27-foot) tall reusable rocket, Chinese engineers from LinkSpace, a start-up led by China’s youngest space entrepreneur, used a Kevlar tether to ensure its safe return. Just in case.

But when the Beijing-based company’s prototype, called NewLine Baby, successfully took off and landed last week for the second time in two months, no tether was needed.

The 1.5-tonne rocket hovered 40 meters above the ground before descending back to its concrete launch pad after 30 seconds, to the relief of 26-year-old chief executive Hu Zhenyu and his engineers – one of whom cartwheeled his way to the launch pad in delight.

LinkSpace, one of China’s 15-plus private rocket manufacturers, sees these short hops as the first steps towards a new business model: sending tiny, inexpensive satellites into orbit at affordable prices.

Demand for these so-called nanosatellites – which weigh less than 10 kilograms (22 pounds) and are in some cases as small as a shoebox – is expected to explode in the next few years. And China’s rocket entrepreneurs reckon there is no better place to develop inexpensive launch vehicles than their home country.

“For suborbital clients, their focus will be on scientific research and some commercial uses. After entering orbit, the near-term focus (of clients) will certainly be on satellites,” Hu said.

In the near term, China envisions massive constellations of commercial satellites that can offer services ranging from high-speed internet for aircraft to tracking coal shipments. Universities conducting experiments and companies looking to offer remote-sensing and communication services are among the potential domestic customers for nanosatellites.

A handful of U.S. small-rocket companies are also developing launchers ahead of the expected boom. One of the biggest, Rocket Lab, has already put 25 satellites in orbit.

No private company in China has done that yet. Since October, two – LandSpace and OneSpace – have tried but failed, illustrating the difficulties facing space start-ups everywhere.

The Chinese companies are approaching inexpensive launches in different ways. Some, like OneSpace, are designing cheap, disposable boosters. LinkSpace’s Hu aspires to build reusable rockets that return to Earth after delivering their payload, much like the Falcon 9 rockets of Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

“If you’re a small company and you can only build a very, very small rocket because that’s all you have money for, then your profit margins are going to be narrower,” said Macro Caceres, analyst at U.S. aerospace consultancy Teal Group.

“But if you can take that small rocket and make it reusable, and you can launch it once a week, four times a month, 50 times a year, then with more volume, your profit increases,” Caceres added.

Eventually LinkSpace hopes to charge no more than 30 million yuan ($4.48 million) per launch, Hu told Reuters.

That is a fraction of the $25 million to $30 million needed for a launch on a Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems Pegasus, a commonly used small rocket. The Pegasus is launched from a high-flying aircraft and is not reusable.

(Click https://reut.rs/2UVBjKs to see a picture package of China’s rocket start-ups. Click https://tmsnrt.rs/2GIy9Bc for an interactive look at the nascent industry.)

NEED FOR CASH

LinkSpace plans to conduct suborbital launch tests using a bigger recoverable rocket in the first half of 2020, reaching altitudes of at least 100 kilometers, then an orbital launch in 2021, Hu told Reuters.

The company is in its third round of fundraising and wants to raise up to 100 million yuan, Hu said. It had secured tens of millions of yuan in previous rounds.

After a surge in fresh funding in 2018, firms like LinkSpace are pushing out prototypes, planning more tests and even proposing operational launches this year.

Last year, equity investment in China’s space start-ups reached 3.57 billion yuan ($533 million), a report by Beijing-based investor FutureAerospace shows, with a burst of financing in late 2018.

That accounted for about 18 percent of global space start-up investments in 2018, a historic high, according to Reuters calculations based on a global estimate by Space Angels. The New York-based venture capital firm said global space start-up investments totaled $2.97 billion last year.

“Costs for rocket companies are relatively high, but as to how much funding they need, be it in the hundreds of millions, or tens of millions, or even just a few million yuan, depends on the company’s stage of development,” said Niu Min, founder of FutureAerospace.

FutureAerospace has invested tens of millions of yuan in LandSpace, based in Beijing.

Like space-launch startups elsewhere in the world, the immediate challenge for Chinese entrepreneurs is developing a safe and reliable rocket.

Proven talent to develop such hardware can be found in China’s state research institutes or the military; the government directly supports private firms by allowing them to launch from military-controlled facilities.

But it’s still a high-risk business, and one unsuccessful launch might kill a company.

“The biggest problem facing all commercial space companies, especially early-stage entrepreneurs, is failure” of an attempted flight, Liang Jianjun, chief executive of rocket company Space Trek, told Reuters. That can affect financing, research, manufacturing and the team’s morale, he added.

Space Trek is planning its first suborbital launch by the end of June and an orbital launch next year, said Liang, who founded the company in late 2017 with three other former military technical officers.

Despite LandSpace’s failed Zhuque-1 orbital launch in October, the Beijing-based firm secured 300 million yuan in additional funding for the development of its Zhuque-2 rocket a month later.

In December, the company started operating China’s first private rocket production facility in Zhejiang province, in anticipation of large-scale manufacturing of its Zhuque-2, which it expects to unveil next year.

STATE COMPETITION

China’s state defense contractors are also trying to get into the low-cost market.

In December, the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp (CASIC) successfully launched a low-orbit communication satellite, the first of 156 that CASIC aims to deploy by 2022 to provide more stable broadband connectivity to rural China and eventually developing countries.

The satellite, Hongyun-1, was launched on a rocket supplied by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC), the nation’s main space contractor.

In early April, the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALVT), a subsidiary of CASC, completed engine tests for its Dragon, China’s first rocket meant solely for commercial use, clearing the path for a maiden flight before July.

The Dragon, much bigger than the rockets being developed by private firms, is designed to carry multiple commercial satellites.

At least 35 private Chinese companies are working to produce more satellites.

Spacety, a satellite maker based in southern Hunan province, plans to put 20 satellites in orbit this year, including its first for a foreign client, chief executive Yang Feng told Reuters.

The company has only launched 12 on state-produced rockets since the company started operating in early 2016.

“When it comes to rocket launches, what we care about would be cost, reliability and time,” Yang said.

(Reporting by Ryan Woo; Additional reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Gerry Doyle)

Source: OANN

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At least one person is reported dead and homes have been destroyed by a powerful cyclone that struck northern Mozambique and continues to dump rain on the region, with the United Nations warning of “massive flooding.”

Cyclone Kenneth arrived just six weeks after Cyclone Idai tore into central Mozambique, killing more than 600 people and displacing scores of thousands. The U.N. says this is the first time in known history that the southern African nation has been hit by two cyclones in one season.

Forecasters say the new cyclone made landfall Thursday night in a part of Mozambique that has not seen such a storm in at least 60 years.

Mozambique’s local emergency operations center says a woman in the city of Pemba was killed by a falling tree.

Source: Fox News World

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German drug and crop chemical maker Bayer holds annual general meeting
Werner Baumann, CEO of German pharmaceutical and chemical maker Bayer AG, attends the annual general shareholders meeting in Bonn, Germany, April 26, 2019. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay

April 26, 2019

By Patricia Weiss and Ludwig Burger

BONN (Reuters) – Bayer shareholders vented their anger over its stock price slump on Friday as litigation risks mount from the German drugmaker’s $63 billion takeover of seed maker Monsanto.

Several large investors said they will not support aspirin investor Bayer’s management in a key vote scheduled for the end of its annual general meeting.

Bayer’s management, led by chief executive Werner Baumann, could see an embarrassing plunge in approval ratings, down from 97 percent at last year’s AGM, which was held shortly before the Monsanto takeover closed in June.

A vote to ratify the board’s actions features prominently at every German AGM. Although it has no bearing on management’s liability, it is seen as a key gauge of shareholder sentiment.

“Due to the continued negative development at Bayer, high legal risks and a massive share price slump, we refuse to ratify the management board and supervisory board’s actions during the business year,” Janne Werning, representing Germany’s Union Investment, a top-20 shareholder, said in prepared remarks.

About 30 billion euros ($34 billion) have been wiped off Bayer’s market value since August, when a U.S. jury found the pesticide and drugs group liable because Monsanto had not warned of alleged cancer risks linked to its weedkiller Roundup.

Bayer suffered a similar defeat last month and more than 13,000 plaintiffs are claiming damages.

Bayer is appealing or plans to appeal the verdicts.

Deutsche Bank’s asset managing arm DWS said shareholders should have been consulted before the takeover, which was agreed in 2016 and closed in June last year.

“You are pointing out that the lawsuits have not been lost yet. We and our customers, however, have already lost something – money and trust,” Nicolas Huber, head of corporate governance at DWS, said in prepared remarks for the AGM.

He said DWS would abstain from the shareholder vote of confidence in the executive and non-executive boards.

Two people familiar with the situation told Reuters this week that Bayer’s largest shareholder, BlackRock, plans to either abstain from or vote against ratifying the management board’s actions.

Asset management firm Deka, among Bayer’s largest German investors, has also said it would cast a no vote.

Baumann said Bayer’s true value was not reflected in the current share price.

“There’s no way to make this look good. The lawsuits and the first verdicts weigh heavily on our company and it’s a concern for many people,” he said, adding it was the right decision to buy Monsanto and that Bayer was vigorously defending itself.

This month, shareholder advisory firms Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis recommended investors not to give the executive board their seal of approval.

(Reporting by Patricia Weiss and Ludwig Burger; Editing by Alexander Smith)

Source: OANN

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