Algerian President AbdelazizÊBouteflika hands over resignation letter to constitutional council head Tayeb Belaiz as upper house chairman Abdelkader Bensalah (L) looks on, in Algeria, April 2, 2019, in this still image from Algerian State TV video. Algerian State TV/Handout via REUTERS
April 3, 2019
By Lamine Chikhi and Hamid Ould Ahmed
ALGIERS (Reuters) – Algeria’s caretaker government faces the prospect of unrelenting popular demands for the removal of a sclerotic ruling elite and wholesale reforms after ailing 82-year-old President Abdelaziz Bouteflika quit in the face of mass protests.
“We want a president who understands what we want,” 25-year old Bouzid Abdoun, an engineer at state-owned energy concern Sonelgaz told Reuters on Wednesday. “We want to live here, not to migrate to Europe.”
Bouteflika resigned on Tuesday after a final nudge by the military following six weeks of street marches calling for democratic reforms after almost 60 years of monolithic rule by veterans of the 1954-62 independence war against France.
That leaves the major oil and natural has exporter extraordinarily in the hands of a caretaker government until elections in three months, but with no successor in sight.
However, protesters made quickly clear that they would accept no new president from “le pouvoir”, the popular nickname for the entrenched establishment of elderly veterans, business tycoons and National Liberation Front (FLN) party functionaries.
“What is important to us is that we do not accept the (caretaker) government,” Mustapha Bouchachi, a lawyer and protest leader, told Reuters just before Bouteflika stepped down. “Peaceful protests will continue.”
Algeria’s streets were quiet on Wednesday but the next test for the interim rulers looms on Friday, the day of the weekly mass marches since Feb. 22.
Bouteflika’s exit is seen only as a first gesture for young Algerians demanding jobs in a country where one in every four under the age of 30 is unemployed in a highly statist, undiversified economy dependent on oil and gas exports.
The outpouring of dissent is also over systemic cronyism that has seen Algeria effectively run by Bouteflika’s brothers, tycoons and ex-military intelligence officers since he suffered a stroke in 2013 and largely vanished from view, analysts say.
Earlier this week, in a sign of Bouteflika’s pending political demise, authorities seized the passports of a dozen politically connected businessmen under investigation for alleged corruption. One of them, Bouteflika loyalist Ali Haddad, has taken into custody, Ennahar TV reported on Wednesday.
“Bouteflika’s group captured the state, so the top priority for whoever replaces Bouteflika is really to re-connect with the millions of protesters who marched because they no longer trust the pouvoir,” said independent analyst Farid Ferrahi.
(Writing by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
Apr 4, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves left fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) runs around second base before scoring a run against the Chicago Cubs during the eighth inning at SunTrust Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
April 5, 2019
Trevor Bauer tossed seven no-hit innings, and two relievers combined to finish a three-hit gem as the host Cleveland Indians posted a 4-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday.
Bauer (1-0) finished with a flourish, striking out Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Alen Hanson and Brandon Drury to end the seventh inning. The 28-year-old fanned eight on the night, but six walks drove up his pitch count to 117.
Jon Edwards sandwiched a pair of walks around a hit batter to load the bases in the eighth before Brad Hand induced Gurriel to pop out to second to end the threat. Hand, however, allowed a single to Freddy Galvis to lead off the ninth, ending the Indians’ bid for their first no-hitter since Len Barker threw a perfect game against Toronto on May 15, 1981.
Tyler Naquin had two hits and scored a run, and Jose Ramirez and Roberto Perez each had sacrifice flies for the Indians, who have alternated losses and wins to even their record after six games despite mustering just 17 runs. The Blue Jays began their six-game road trip by falling for the fourth time in five outings.
Braves 9, Cubs 4
Nick Markakis drove in five runs to support the strong effort of starting pitcher Max Fried, and Atlanta rolled over visiting Chicago, capping a three-game series sweep.
Markakis was 5-for-5 with three doubles and scored three runs to pace the 13-hit Atlanta attack. He matched his career high for hits and doubles in a game. Markakis raised his batting average to .375 from .211 when the day started and was 8-for-12 in the three-game series.
Fried (1-0) showed good command of his breaking pitches and limited the Cubs to only one hit — a sixth-inning single by Mark Zagunis that spoiled a perfect game — in six shutout innings. Yu Darvish (0-1) allowed three runs in four innings as the Cubs lost their fifth straight.
Yankees 8, Orioles 4
Gleyber Torres hit a pair of homers, including the go-ahead three-run shot with two outs in the top of the sixth inning, lifting New York to victory at Baltimore.
Torre set a career high by going 4-for-4, falling a triple shy of the cycle, and he tied a career best with four RBIs. He helped the Yankees overcome a 4-1 deficit, driving a 0-2 fastball by Mike Wright Jr. (0-1) over the left field fence to put New York up 5-4. Gary Sanchez and Luke Voit also homered for the Yankees.
Jonathan Villar homered on the second pitch of the bottom of the first inning from James Paxton (1-1). Chris Davis went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the eighth. He is hitless in 17 at-bats with 11 strikeouts this season and is hitless in his past 38 at-bats since Sept. 14.
Nationals 4, Mets 0
Stephen Strasburg struck out nine over 6 2/3 scoreless innings and earned the win as Washington spoiled New York’s home opener.
Wilmer Difo had two RBIs via a second-inning safety squeeze and a ninth-inning single for the Nationals, who were held to one hit — Victor Robles’ leadoff homer in the sixth — through eight innings before collecting four hits and adding two insurance runs in the ninth. Washington won its second straight.
Noah Syndergaard (0-1) took a hard-luck loss for the Mets, who had their three-game winning streak snapped. New York fell to 37-21 all-time in home openers. Syndergaard allowed two runs on one hit and two walks while striking out six.
A’s 7, Red Sox 3
Stephen Piscotty collected two singles, a double and a home run, driving in five runs as Oakland beat visiting Boston to win the series 3-1.
Three Oakland relievers combined to pitch 3 2/3 innings of two-hit, shutout relief to protect the lead.
J.D. Martinez hit a solo home run, his third of the season, for Boston, which fell to 2-6 on its season-opening trip that moves to Arizona on Friday. The Red Sox don’t get their home opener until Tuesday against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Tigers 5, Royals 4
Niko Goodrum knocked in three runs, Josh Harrison scored three times, and Detroit won its home opener by edging Kansas City.
Blaine Hardy (1-0) gave up one run in two innings of relief to pick up the win. Tigers starter Spencer Turnbull struck out a career-high 10 batters in six innings. He gave up three runs (two earned). Nicholas Castellanos scored two runs for Detroit, which has won three straight.
Alex Gordon hit a solo homer, scored two runs and drove in two for Kansas City. Whit Merrifield supplied two hits and two runs. Reliever Kyle Zimmer (0-1) walked all three batters he faced and took the loss.
Pirates 2, Reds 0
Jordan Lyles and three relievers spun a six-hit shutout as host Pittsburgh scored late for a shutout win over the poor-hitting Cincinnati. The Reds were blanked for the third time in their first six games of the season.
Kevin Newman drove in a run in the seventh on a groundout, and Josh Bell singled home an insurance run in the eighth as the Pirates ended a two-game losing streak while sticking the Reds with their fifth straight defeat.
The Reds, who were shut out 1-0 by the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday, have not scored in their past 19 innings.
Rangers 11, Angels 4
Joey Gallo and Ronald Guzman each homered in a five-run first inning, leading Texas to a victory that spoiled Los Angeles’ home opener in Anaheim, Calif.
Kole Calhoun and Mike Trout hit home runs in the losing effort for the Angels, who fell to 1-6 on the season. It is the worst start through seven games by an Angels team since the franchise’s inaugural club began 1-8 in 1961.
Angels starter Matt Harvey (0-1) was tagged for eight runs on 10 hits and two walks in four-plus innings. Rangers reliever Jeffrey Springs (1-0) got the victory.
KINSHASA, Congo – Congo's interior minister says the president has suspended installing newly elected senators after weekend protests led to violence that killed at least one person.
Interior Minister Basile Olongo said Monday that President Felix Tshisekedi has also postponed governor elections set for March 27. He made the decision after meeting with the chief of the National Assembly, the president of the outgoing senate, the prime minister and foreign and interior ministers.
Tshisekedi said the suspension is meant to give prosecutors time to investigate allegations that local deputies were corrupted by candidates for senate seats.
Members of Tshisekedi's Union for Democracy and Social Progress party demonstrated Saturday after the party failed to win any senate seats from Kinshasa in the regional assembly. While voters elect regional deputies, senators are then chosen by the deputies.
Embattled celebrity lawyer Michael Avenatti has been accused of embezzling almost $2 million after he struck a lucrative settlement for the former girlfriend of NBA player Hassan Whiteside.
Avenatti, as the attorney for Alexis Gardner, 27, negotiated a $3 million deal for the actress and barista, $2.75 million of which Miami Heat player Whiteside, 29, wired to a trust account set up by Avenatti in January 2017, according to bank records and an Apr. 10 indictment by a California-based grand jury.
Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images
Avenatti was entitled to $1 million in legal fees, but he did not tell Gardner about the payment and misrepresented the terms of her agreement with Whiteside, prosecutors allege in the indictment. Instead, he funneled $2.5 million into the bank account of a law firm owned by an associate so he could buy a share of a small private jet.
CHICAGO – A man has been charged with murder in the shooting death of a security guard outside a Chicago nightclub earlier this month.
Chicago police said Friday that 37-year-old Armond Williams faces two felony counts of first-degree murder.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Williams is accused in the March 8 killing of 28-year-old Thurman Bailey outside Sound Bar, a nightclub in the city's River North neighborhood.
Police say the shooting stemmed from a fist fight that developed when a group was denied entry to the nightclub. Authorities say Williams shot Bailey multiple times during the fight.
Police say they identified Williams on surveillance video. There was no answer at a phone listing for Williams, who is from the Chicago suburb of Villa Park. He's due in bond court later Friday.
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Information from: Chicago Sun-Times, http://chicago.suntimes.com/
Libya's prime minister says unless his country finds political stability, more than 800,000 migrants could make their way into Europe - creating even more of a crisis.
In recent months, there has been frantic fighting on the perimeter of the city and thousands of civilians have abandoned their homes to escape the violence.
Fighters loyal to Fayez al-Sarraj have been trying to stop an advancing army commanded by Khalifa Haftar, a warlord who served under Libya's former Colonel Muammar Qaddafi. Haftar launched a surprise offensive to retake Tripoli on April 5.
In this Sept. 21, 2018 file photo, a fighter under the UN-backed government prepares his gun during clashes in southern Tripoli, Libya. (AP)
Sarraj runs the government in Tripoli, the authority west of Libya, which is recognized by the United Nations, while Haftar has set up a rival administration in the east from his base in Benghazi.
Haftar's forces have been accused of launching bombs and rocket attacks on schools, homes and offices. The general himself has declared that he's clearing the capital of "terrorists."
It's a threat Sarraj pushes back strongly on and says the bombings are a thinly-disguised military power grab.
In this Aug. 14, 2017 file photo, Libyan militia commander General Khalifa Hafter meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)
"Has Tripoli all of a sudden become a terrorist city?" he told Sky News. "And are all its residents now terrorists? Are Abu Salim residents who were bombed yesterday now terrorists? Or those living in Ain Zara, or Sawani? Are all of these terrorists? Or are these crimes against humanity? Isn't it time now to call it as it is?"
Sarraj said that while the ultimate goal is peace, he added: "If we are forced to fight, we are up for the fight."
Sarraj, an architect who got into politics during his 50s, is calling on the international community to "pressurize these forces and call it by its name and pressurize them to go back where they came from."
This April 3, 2019 photo shows migrants on a rubber dinghy rescued by the Sea-Eye rescue ship in the waters off Libya. The humanitarian ship Sea-Eye with 64 rescued migrants aboard was stuck at sea on Thursday as Italy and Malta refuse it safe harbor as their refusal set the stage for another Mediterranean standoff that can only be resolved if European governments agree to accept the asylum-seekers. (Fabian Heinz/Sea-eye.org via AP)
The prime minister also wants the fighters who are carrying out the attacks on civilians to be tried for crimes against humanity and for Heftar to be held accountable.
Sarraj also warned of a migrant crisis if the international community doesn't step in and help.
"What's going to happen with this security breakdown is that 800,000 illegal migrants on Libyan ground will have to leave Libya and will cross the sea towards Europe," he said. "Amongst these 800,000 there are terrorists and criminals. This will be disastrous".
The finding, along with the pictures themselves, has been subjected to an extensive peer review, and the majority of researchers appear to support the hypothesis.
An array of new snapshots purporting to sport “Martian mushrooms” have assured scientists that there is life on the Red Planet, with the 15 images by NASA’s Curiosity Rover becoming central in a new study published in the Journal of Astrobiology.
The photos from the two-year mission are said to show the potential life forms in the making, as they emerge from Mars’s red sand dunes – from what looks like algae to mushroom and lichen.
According to Dr. Regina Dass, a microbiologist from Pondicherry University in India, no non-living force, known to humans, could have shown the obvious growth in size and volume “in just three days”.
“There are no geological or other abiogenic forces on Earth which can produce sedimentary structures, by the hundreds, which have mushroom shapes, stems, stalks and shed what looks like spores on the surrounding surface”, she was quoted by The Express as saying.
Meanwhile, NASA hasn’t yet commented on the research, although the majority of experts that engaged in a peer review tend to agree with the hypothesis. Three of six independent scientists and eight senior editors, who subjected the report to scrutiny, rejected the evidence outright, saying the specimens featured in the images are not biological ones, but more likely hematite, a form of iron oxide.
The journal’s official position reads that “evidence is not proof and there is no proof of life on Mars”, adding that “abiogenic explanations for this evidence can’t be ruled out.”
(Photo by NASA)
The speculation arrived against the backdrop of Exomars, a joint mission by the European Space Agency and Russian space corporation Roscosmos, seeking to find evidence of life on Mars. First launched in 2003, it earlier unveiled images that showed “clear signs” of past water activity on the surface of our smaller, redder neighbor.
In a study published in the Journal “Geophysical Research: Planets, Mars Express” researchers explored 24 deep, enclosed craters in Mars’ northern hemisphere and claim to have found the first geological evidence of an intertwined water system, apparently former lakes, deep beneath the Martian surface. In five of the 24 craters, scientists detected an array of clays, carbonates, and silicates, which are closely linked to the emergence of life on Earth and which essentially prop up the theory that Mars, similarly, had the necessary components for life at some point in the past.
The bombshell news that charges have been dropped against Jussie Smollett now leads many to suspect involvement by former president Obama in orchestrating a cover-up. Alex gives his take on who he believes may benefit from this hoax hate crime.
Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond looks on during an interview with Reuters at the British Ambassador’s residence in Beijing, China April 26, 2019. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Pool
April 26, 2019
BEIJING (Reuters) – British finance minister Philip Hammond said on Friday that he had a “very constructive meeting” with his counterpart in the opposition Labour Party before leaving for Beijing and that he was optimistic about finding common ground.
Hammond, speaking on the sidelines of a summit on China’s Belt and Road initiative in Beijing, said talks with Labour aimed at finding a way forward on Brexit had not stalled.
“I’m optimistic that we will find common ground,” he said. “Both sides have got clear positions and both sides will have to compromise in order to reach an agreement.”
Hammond added that he absolutely did not favor a no deal exit from the European Union.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; editing by Darren Schuettler)
Police secure the area where the body of a woman was discovered near the village of Orounta, Cyprus, April 25, 2019. REUTERS/Stefanos Kouratzis
April 26, 2019
NICOSIA (Reuters) – Cypriot police searched on Friday for more victims of a suspected serial killer, in a case which has shocked the Mediterranean island and exposed the authorities to charges of “criminal indifference” because the dead women were foreigners.
The main opposition party, the left-wing AKEL, called for the resignation of Cyprus’s justice minister and police chief.
Police were combing three different locations west of the capital Nicosia for victims of the suspected killer, a 35-year-old army officer who has been in detention for a week.
The bodies of three women, including two thought to be from the Philippines, have been recovered. Police sources said the suspect had indicated the location of the third body, found on Thursday, and had said the person was “either Indian or Nepali”.
Police said they were searching for a further four people, including two children, based on the suspect’s testimony.
“These women came here to earn a living, to help their families. They lived away from their families. And the earth swallowed them, nobody was interested,” AKEL lawmaker Irene Charalambides told Reuters.
“This killer will be judged by the court but the other big question is the criminal indifference shown by the others when the reports first surfaced. I believe, as does my party, that the justice minister and the police chief should resign. They are irrevocably exposed.”
Police have said they will investigate any perceived shortcomings in their handling of the case.
One person who did attempt to alert the authorities over the disappearances, a 70-year-old Cypriot citizen, said his motives were questioned by police.
The bodies of the two Filipino women reported missing in May and August 2018 were found in an abandoned mine shaft this month. Police discovered the body of the third woman at an army firing range about 14 km (9 miles) from the mine shaft.
Police are now searching for the six-year-old daughter of the first victim found, a Romanian mother who disappeared with her eight-year-old child in 2016, and a woman from the Phillipines who vanished in Dec. 2017.
The suspect has not been publicly named, in line with Cypriot legal practice.
A public vigil for the missing was planned later on Friday.
(Reporting By Michele Kambas; Editing by Gareth Jones)
FILE PHOTO: An employee looks up at goods at the Miniclipper Logistics warehouse in Leighton Buzzard, Britain December 3, 2018. REUTERS/Simon Dawson
April 26, 2019
LONDON, April 26 – British factories stockpiled raw materials and goods ahead of Brexit at the fastest pace since records began in the 1950s, and they were increasingly downbeat about their prospects, a survey showed on Friday.
The Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI) quarterly survey of the manufacturing industry showed expectations for export orders in the next three months fell to their lowest level since mid-2009, when Britain was reeling from the global financial crisis.
The record pace of stockpiling recorded by the CBI was mirrored by the closely-watched IHS Markit/CIPS purchasing managers’ index published earlier this month.
(Reporting by Andy Bruce, editing by David Milliken)
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad speaks at the opening ceremony for the second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China April 26, 2019. REUTERS/Florence Lo
April 26, 2019
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Fewer than half of Malaysians approve of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, an opinion poll showed on Friday, as concerns over rising costs and racial matters plague his administration nearly a year after taking office.
The survey, conducted in March by independent pollster Merdeka Center, showed that only 46 percent of voters surveyed were satisfied with Mahathir, a sharp drop from the 71 percent approval rating he received in August 2018.
Mahathir’s Pakatan Harapan coalition won a stunning election victory in May 2018, ending the previous government’s more than 60-year rule.
But his administration has since been criticized for failing to deliver on promised reforms and protecting the rights of majority ethnic Malay Muslims.
Of 1,204 survey respondents, 46 percent felt that the “country was headed in the wrong direction”, up from 24 percent in August 2018, the Merdeka Center said in a statement. Just 39 percent said they approved of the ruling government.
High living costs remained the top most concern among Malaysians, with just 40 percent satisfied with the government’s management of the economy, the survey showed.
It also showed mixed responses to Pakatan Harapan’s proposed reforms.
Some 69 percent opposed plans to abolish the death penalty, while respondents were sharply divided over proposals to lower the minimum voting age to 18, or to implement a sugar tax.
“In our opinion, the results appear to indicate a public that favors the status quo, and thus requires a robust and coordinated advocacy efforts in order to garner their acceptance of new measures,” Merdeka Center said.
The survey also found 23 percent of Malaysians were concerned over ethnic and religious matters.
Some groups representing Malays have expressed fear that affirmative-action policies favoring them in business, education and housing could be taken away and criticized the appointments of non-Muslims to key government posts.
Last November, the government reversed its pledge to ratify a UN convention against racial discrimination, after a backlash from Malay groups.
Earlier this month, Pakatan Harapan suffered its third successive loss in local elections since taking power, which has been seen as a further sign of waning public support.
Despite the decline, most Malaysians – 67 percent – agreed that Mahathir’s government should be given more time to fulfill its election promises, Merdeka Center said.
This included a majority of Malay voters who were largely more critical of the new administration, it added.
(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Editing by Nick Macfie)
The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, April 25, 2019. REUTERS/Staff
April 26, 2019
By Medha Singh and Agamoni Ghosh
(Reuters) – European shares slipped on Friday after losses in heavyweight banks and Glencore outweighed gains in healthcare and auto stocks, while investors remained on the sidelines ahead of U.S. economic data for the first quarter.
The pan-European STOXX 600 index was down 0.1 percent by 0935 GMT, eyeing a modest loss at the end of a holiday-shortened week. Banks-heavy Italian and Spanish indices were laggards.
The banking index fell for a fourth day, at the end of a heavy earnings week for lenders.
Britain’s Royal Bank of Scotland tumbled after posting lower first quarter profit, hurt by intensifying competition and Brexit uncertainty, while its investment bank also registered poor returns.
Weakness in investment banking also dented Deutsche Bank’s quarterly trading revenue and sent its shares lower a day after the German bank abandoned merger talks with smaller rival Commerzbank.
“The current interest rate environment makes it challenging for banks to make proper earnings because of their intermediary function,” said Teeuwe Mevissen, senior market economist eurozone, at Rabobank.
Since the start of April, all country indexes were on pace to rise between 1.8 percent and 3.4 percent, their fourth month of gains, while Germany was strongly outperforming with 6 percent growth.
“For now the current sentiment is very cautious as markets wait for the first estimates of the U.S. GDP growth which could see a surprise,” Mevissen said.
U.S. economic data for the first-quarter is due at 1230 GMT. Growth worries outside the United States resurfaced this week after South Korea’s economy unexpectedly contracted at the start of the year and weak German business sentiment data for April also disappointed.
Among the biggest drags on the benchmark index in Europe were the basic resources sector and the oil and gas sector, weighed down by Britain’s Glencore and France’s Total, respectively.
Glencore dropped after reports that U.S authorities were investigating whether the company and its subsidiaries violated certain provisions of the commodity exchange act.
Energy major Total said its net profit for the first three months of the year fell compared with a year ago due to volatile oil prices and debt costs.
Chip stocks in the region including Siltronic, Ams and STMicroelectronics lost more than 1 percent after Intel Corp reduced its full-year revenue forecast, adding to concerns that an industry-wide slowdown could persist until the end of 2019.
Meanwhile, healthcare, which is also seen as a defensive sector, was a bright spot. It was helped by French drugmaker Sanofi after it returned to growth with higher profits and revenues for the first-quarter.
Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES led media stocks higher after it maintained its full-year outlook on the back of the company’s Networks division.
Automakers in the region rose 0.4 percent, led by Valeo’s 6 percent jump as the French parts maker said its performance would improve in the second half of the year.
Continental AG advanced after it backed its outlook for the year despite reporting a fall in first-quarter earnings.
Renault rose more than 3 percent as it clung to full-year targets and pursues merger talks with its Japanese partner Nissan.
(Reporting by Medha Singh and Agamoni Ghosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Gareth Jones and Elaine Hardcastle)
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