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After Confronting Reporters, Oliver Darcy and Will Sommer, CPAC Bans Conservative Journalist Laura Loomer

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Oxon Hill, Md. — Conservative activist Laura Loomer was banned from the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Saturday after confronting or “loomering” CNN reporter Oliver Darcy and Daily Beast reporter Will Sommer on Friday.

Loomer confronted Darcy on Saturday for lobbying Twitter to get Infowars founder Alex Jones banned from the social network. She alleged that Sommer has targeted her in the past, but refused to provide details.

Loomer posted a video to YouTube and Instagram of CPAC security officials confiscating her press credentials.

One America News network correspondent Jack Posobiec tweeted that CPAC revoked Loomer’s credentials after a “george soros organization” asked them to, referring to Right Wing Watch, a organization which seeks to deplatform conservatives.

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Swiss watchmakers say slowing growth in China won’t hurt sales this year

Visitors are seen in front of a display of Swiss watch manufacturer Patek Philippe at the Baselworld watch and jewellery fair in Basel
Visitors are seen in front of a display of Swiss watch manufacturer Patek Philippe at the Baselworld watch and jewellery fair in Basel, Switzerland March 21, 2019. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

March 21, 2019

BASEL, Switzerland (Reuters) – Swiss watchmakers are confident they can grow sales this year even in the face of a cooling Chinese economy, executives told Reuters at an industry fair on Thursday, as demand strengthens in other markets like the United States and Britain.

Switzerland’s watch industry, which relies heavily on Chinese customers, has seen exports – the best available indicator for demand – rise only 2.1 percent in the first two months of the year, following a 6.3 percent increase last year.

However, some are confident they will do much better this year.

“We’re aiming for double-digit growth in our watch business this year,” Jean-Christophe Babin, chief executive of LVMH’s jeweler Bulgari, said in an interview at the Baselworld show.

His comments were echoed by independent watchmaker Oris, also banking on a double-digit increase, while LVMH stablemate Hublot said it had an exceptional year in 2018 and was counting on 7-8 percent growth this year from a high basis.

Oris said sales in the United States, its biggest market, were growing strongly. That trend was confirmed by retailer Watches of Switzerland, which also reported firm UK demand, particularly for Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet products.

Luxury watch brand Patek Philippe, whose most affordable models cost around 14,000 Swiss francs, said it expected sales this year to be at a similar level to last year as it was again going to deliver around 62,000 pieces.

Its president, Thierry Stern, categorically denied recent speculation the family-owned company could be up for sale.

Swetha Ramachandran, who manages a luxury brands equity fund for GAM, said privately owned brands like Patek or Rolex were seeing better demand than their listed counterparts because they had not given in to the temptation of easy volume growth when Chinese demand boomed a few years ago.

That meant they have avoided the build-up of excess inventory that has hurt some rivals, while protecting the scarcity value of their brands.

“Private players are managing their business for price rather than for volume,” she told Reuters in an interview earlier this week.

She said Richemont was still one of her top 10 holdings due to its exposure to faster-growing jewelry, but she had exited Swatch Group shares.

Switzerland’s watch industry is going through a period of profound change, notably in distribution, as brands focus on developing their own boutiques — brick and mortar or online — while reducing their network of third-party retailers.

This development has led more and more brands to exit the traditional watch fairs in Basel and Geneva, which they had used to build up contacts with distributors. That was reflected in fewer exhibiting brands and much less crowded aisles at the Baselworld fair on Thursday.

Several executives said efforts to hold both watch fairs in April next year, instead of separately in January and March, were going in the right direction, but were not sufficient.

“April is too late in the year,” said Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe. “At LVMH, we have not really decided what to do next year. We already signed contracts for Baselworld so we’re likely to be in Basel, but we might also organize a separate event in January to present our new models.”

(Reporting by Silke Koltrowitz; Editing by Jan Harvey)

Source: OANN

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Indonesian stocks set to scale highs on elections, capital inflows

A man walks past screen at the Indonesia Stock Exchange building in Jakarta
A man walks past screen at the Indonesia Stock Exchange building in Jakarta, Indonesia, September 6, 2018. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan

March 29, 2019

By Patturaja Murugaboopathy

(Reuters) – A steep rally in Indonesian stock markets ahead of a general election in April is likely to get a further boost from the dovish shifts in monetary policies of global central banks.

Recovering from a 7.5 percent sell-off from a record high of 6,693.46 in February 2018 owing to foreign capital outflows as the Federal Reserve raised policy rates, the Jakarta stock index has gained more than 4 percent this year. The index is within striking distance of that high.

State-owned toll-road operator Jasa Marga and mobile gadgets retailer Global Teleshop are among companies leading the rally.

Indonesia is holding presidential and parliamentary elections on April 17. The country’s stock markets have historically performed well during election years on hopes of government spending to boost growth.

(Graphic: JKSE performance in election years – https://tmsnrt.rs/2CFzUMY)

A recent survey showed President Joko Widodo’s big lead over his challenger, retired general Prabowo Subianto, is narrowing.

“A Prabawo Subianto election victory would be a return to the cronyism of the Sukarno/Suharto days and would give foreign investors deep concern. If Jokowi can pull it, foreign investors will become re-energized,” said Eric Leve, chief investment officer at investment management firm, Bailard Inc.

(Graphic: JKSE index – https://tmsnrt.rs/2HGXJIj)

Foreign investors have returned to Indonesian stocks this year, buying a net $786 million after offloading $3.6 billion last year, data from the stock exchange showed.

(Graphic: Foreign flows into Indonesian markets – https://tmsnrt.rs/2CDqNfK)

Bank Indonesia’s (BI) proactive monetary policies for markets, which have heavy foreign ownership, have also boosted investor confidence. It raised rates last year but has signaled readiness to lower them against the backdrop of slowing global demand and a sharp about-turn on policy tightening by the Fed.

“We expect Indonesia will cut rates later this year to reverse some of its aggressive tightening stance in 2018 to ease monetary conditions as a less hawkish Fed gives central banks policy space to do so,” said Alicia Garcia Herrero, chief Asia Pacific economist at Natixis SA in Hong Kong.

Morgan Stanley analysts expect BI to cut rates by 75 basis points in the third quarter, and the MSCI Indonesia index to rise 14.5 percent this year.

“Banks are the biggest beneficiaries from rate cuts, but we are also positive on (consumer) discretionary and real estate stocks,” they said.

The country has a lower share of exports to overall economic output, hence it has seen fewer firms impacted by the long-running Sino-U.S. trade tariff spat.

(Graphic: Asia’s exports to GDP – https://tmsnrt.rs/2WzGs7x)

Refintiv data showed Indonesia’s large and mid-cap firms’ earnings are expected to grow 8.2 percent in 2019, compared with Asia’s average growth of 3.7 percent.

(Graphic: Asia’s estimated earnings for 2019 – https://tmsnrt.rs/2USI63y)

(Reporting By Patturaja Murugaboopathy; Additional Reporting by Gaurav Dogra in Bengaluru; Editing by Vidya Ranganathan and Sam Holmes)

Source: OANN

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U.S. Senator Udall announces retirement from Congress

FILE PHOTO: Sen. Tom Udall visits the Standing Rock Reservation near Fort Yates
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM), visits with Phyliss Young, an organizer of the tribal get-out-the-vote coalition ahead of the 2018 mid-term elections on the Standing Rock Reservation in Fort Yates, North Dakota, U.S. October 26, 2018. Picture taken October 26, 2018. REUTERS/Dan Koeck

March 25, 2019

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democratic Senator Tom Udall on Monday announced that he will not seek re-election in 2020, ending a long career of representing the state of New Mexico in the U.S. Congress.

“The worst thing anyone in public office can do is believe the office belongs to them, rather than to the people they represent. That’s why I’m announcing today that I won’t be seeking re-election next year,” Udall said in a statement.

(Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Source: OANN

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House committee chairman warns of subpoenas in White House security clearance probe

House Oversight Committee Chairman Cummings waves his gavel during Michael Cohen hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington
Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform Committee Elijah Cummings (D-MD) waves his gavel as Michael Cohen, the former personal attorney of U.S. President Donald Trump, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., February 27, 2019. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

April 1, 2019

By Ginger Gibson and Mark Hosenball

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings on Monday threatened to begin subpoenaing current and former White House officials as part of his panel’s investigation of security clearances issued under President Donald Trump, including that of his son-in-law Jared Kushner.

In a letter to White House Counsel Pat Cipollone on Monday, Cummings said his panel would look to authorize a subpoena for former White House personnel security director Carl Kline at a committee meeting on Tuesday. He called on the White House to forestall additional subpoenas by providing documents sought by the committee.

Cummings letter was the second sent from Congress on Monday warning the White House of pending subpoenas as the Democratic-controlled Congress seeks to compel the administration to comply with wide-ranging investigations.

House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler informed the administration on Monday that he intends to subpoena Special Counsel Robert Muller’s full report on his investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Writing by David Morgan; Reporting by Ginger Gibson, Mark Hosenball and David Morgan; Editing by Bill Trott)

Source: OANN

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Finland’s top candidate for prime minister says wants to raise taxes

Social Democratic Party leader Antti Rinne listens during an interview in Helsinki
Social Democratic Party leader Antti Rinne listens during an interview in Helsinki, Finland April 9, 2019. Picture taken April 9, 2019. REUTERS/Attila Cser

April 11, 2019

By Anne Kauranen

HELSINKI (Reuters) – Finland’s Social Democrats, who may be returned to power for the first time in 20 years on Sunday, plan to raise taxes to fund the country’s generous welfare system as it struggles to cope with a rapidly aging population.

Antti Rinne’s Social Democrats have led in the polls for almost a year, with many Finns concerned over the future of public services and welfare due partly to the cost of caring for its growing ranks of pensioners.

“We need to strengthen our welfare society – and that needs money,” Rinne, a former union strong man, told Reuters in an interview ahead of parliamentary elections on Sunday.

He said raising taxes would also help combat inequality in Finnish society.

The left-leaning Social Democratic Party (SDP) topped the most recent poll with 19.0 percent support, Finland’s public broadcaster Yle reported on Thursday, although it would need to build a coalition to form a stable government.

“We need to spread our tax base and we need to strengthen it. That’s a big policy change here in Finland if we do that,” Rinne said.

The current center-right government’s policies have hurt the income of less privileged groups such as pensioners, families with children, students and the unemployed, Rinne said.

Since the last parliamentary elections, in 2015, centrist Prime Minister Juha Sipila has made preventing Finland from taking on more debt one of the government’s main goals together with pulling the country out of the three-year recession that eventually ended in late 2015.

Last year, Sipila’s government managed to cut Finland’s outstanding debt for the first time in a decade.

But the tight finances led to austerity measures and spending cuts such as reductions in unemployment benefits, pension freezes and cuts to public sector holiday pay, which made his government deeply unpopular.

“That’s not a fair way to do it,” Rinne said, adding he would adopt a different strategy to balance the public finances.

“We can collect a little bit over 1.5 billion euros more in taxes, but not via income taxes,” he said.

He suggested raising some consumption taxes as well as the capital gains tax, which now stands at 30 percent and at 34 percent for gains above 30,000 euros ($34,000).

Rinne’s talk of raising taxes is unlikely to drive off his supporters, many of whom value highly Finland’s huge welfare state.

A poll commissioned by the tax authority in 2017 found 79 percent of Finns were happy with their taxes, up 10 percentage points from a similar poll four years earlier.

One of Rinne’s election promises has been to increase all state pensions of less than 1,400 euros per month by 100 euros, a reform worth 700 million euros that would help “more than 55,000 pensioners escape poverty”, he said.

But taxpayers’ solvency might have its limits in the coming years, not only due to the increasing costs of caring for a rapidly aging population, but also because Finland will have to spend an estimated 7-10 billion euros on renewing its equally aging fighter jet fleet.

To Rinne’s disappointment, his party’s performance in the polls has declined in the weeks ahead of the election day, while the nationalist Finns Party has made significant gains, rising to second place, ahead of the SDP’s traditional opponent, the center-right National Coalition in the latest Yle poll.

If the SDP wins on Sunday, Rinne will have to team up with at least one of his main rivals such as the National Coalition’s chair and finance minister Petteri Orpo – who has called Rinne’s economic policies “irresponsible” – or with Sipila’s Centre Party, to be able to form a majority government.

Rinne has ruled out forming a government with the nationalists led by Jussi Halla-aho, an anti-immigration hardliner, who was fined by the Supreme Court in 2012 for blog comments linking Islam to paedophilia and Somalis to theft.

“My values are not similar to Jussi Halla-aho’s values, and it seems very difficult (for us) to be in the same government,” Rinne said.

(Reporting by Anne Kauranen; Additional reporting by Attila Cser; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

Source: OANN

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Emotional statements from parents, kids in torture case

A Southern California couple who pleaded guilty to locking up and abusing 12 of their 13 children for years, as well as some of the victims, made their first public comments Friday during an emotion-charged hearing where the parents were sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

Louise Turpin wept and said she hoped to hug her children again one day. Her husband, David Turpin, was overcome with emotion as he tried to read his statement just after the two eldest of the couple's 13 children, also in tears, described the impact of the abuse.

The children, ranging from 3 to 30, have not been publicly identified. Here are excerpts from their statements and from the judge:

___

Jane Doe 4, age 30:

"My parents took my whole life from me but now I'm taking my life back. I'm in college now and living independently.

"I believe everything happens for a reason. Life may have been bad but it made me strong. I fought to become the person I am. I saw my dad change my mom. They almost changed me but I realized what was happening. I immediately did what I could to not become like them.

"I'm a fighter, I'm strong and I'm shooting through life like a rocket."

___

John Doe 2, age 27:

"Sometimes I still have nightmares of things that have happened, such as my siblings being chained up or getting beaten. But that is the past and this is now. I love my parents and have forgiven them for a lot of the things that they did to us.

"Since January I have learned so much and become very independent. In June of last year I learned how to ride a bike and ever since then I've been hooked and ride it everywhere, such as to school, the store, or sometimes I just go on long rides because I enjoy it so much.

"I'm getting a bachelor's degree in software engineering and after I get my bachelor's degree. I'm going to get a job as a software engineer and go to school part-time to get my master's degree. I also have learned how to advocate for myself, how to swim, how to eat healthy and prepare a balanced meal. I have also been learning how to manage money wisely."

___

John Doe 2, reading a statement from another sister:

"I love both of my parents so much. Although it may not have been the best way of raising us, I am glad that they did because it made me the person I am today. I just want to thank them for teaching me about God and faith. I hope that they never lose their faith. God looks at the heart and I know he sees theirs. I pray often for them."

___

Attorney Janet Latourette, reading a statement on behalf of another daughter:

"I want the court to know that our parents loved each other and loved each of their children. People ... said our parents were having too many children. Our parents didn't agree. They felt that God blessed them with all their children so they kept away from the world and trusted God would guide them through life.

"Through the years things became more and more overwhelming but they kept trusting in God. I remember our mother sitting in her recliner and crying saying she don't know what to do. She didn't want to use rope or chain, but she was afraid her children were taking in too much sugar and caffeine. The reason our parents didn't stop buying the soda was because father needed it for work. He would fall asleep driving and got in an accident. They didn't know what else to do.

"I believe our parents feared if they asked for help, they would lose their children.

"I feel like 25 years is too long. I believe with all my heart our parents tried their best to raise all 13 of us and they wanted to give us a good life. They believed everything they did was to protect us.

"If at all possible, I would appreciate if the court would place our parents as close to the detention center they are in right now so if we ever want to visit them, we can."

___

David Turpin's attorney, Allison Lowe, read from his statement:

"I thank God for all of my children. Each one of them is a blessing from God. My homeschooling and discipline had good intentions. I never intended for any harm to come to my children. I'm sorry if I've done anything to cause them harm.

"I love my children and I believe my children love me. I hope and pray that my children can stay close to each other and look out for each other since their mother and father cannot be there for them and with them."

David Turpin then took over reading, saying he wants his children to be successful in school.

"I am so proud of each and every one of my children. I miss all of my children and I will be praying for them. I long for the opportunity to have contact with them again."

___

Louise Turpin:

"I'm sorry for everything I've done to hurt my children. I love my children so much. I'm blessed to be the mother of each one of them. I really want the best for them. Their happiness is very important to me.

"They are very smart, amazing individuals. I hope they get all the education they need to make their dreams come true. They deserve only the best in life. I don't want any of them to be sad or depressed because of all of this.

"I want them to know that Mom and Dad are going to be OK. ... I really look forward to the day I can see them, hug them and tell them I'm sorry."

___

Judge Bernard Schwartz:

The lives of the children "have been permanently altered in their ability to learn, grow and thrive. You have delayed their mental, physical and emotional health. To the extent that they do thrive ... it'll be not because of you both but in spite of you both.

"The only reason that your punishment is less than the maximum time in my opinion is because you accepted responsibility at an early stage in the proceedings to spare your children from having to relive the humiliation and the harm they endured in that house of horrors."

Source: Fox News National

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A California man who allegedly fatally shot his ex-girlfriend in broad daylight last month before fleeing the country has been returned to the U.S. following his arrest in Mexico on Wednesday, authorities said.

Julio Cesar Rocha, 25, of Montlcair, is accused of shooting his 25-year-old ex-girlfriend Thalia Flores and a second unidentified male victim March 21 around 2:45 p.m. while the two were sitting in a vehicle in the parking lot of a discount store in Chino. Both communities are about 36 miles east of Los Angeles.

ARREST MADE IN DOUBLE HOMICIDE OF EX-PRO HOCKEY PLAYER, COMMUNITY ADVOCATE, POLICE SAY

Julio Cesar Rocha, 25, of Montlcair, Calif. was located in Mexico Wednesday and returned to California where he faces murder and attempted murder charges related to the death of his ex-girlfriend, Thalia Flores.

Julio Cesar Rocha, 25, of Montlcair, Calif. was located in Mexico Wednesday and returned to California where he faces murder and attempted murder charges related to the death of his ex-girlfriend, Thalia Flores. (City of Chino Police Department)

Flores died at the scene. The man, whose name was not released, walked to a nearby hospital where he’s recovering from his gunshot wounds.

Rocha allegedly fled the scene and remained at large for more than a month, the Daily Bulletin reported. He was formally arrested at 4:30 p.m. after arriving at Los Angeles International Airport from Mexico, KTLA-TV reported.

The suspect was booked at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga on murder and attempted murder charges, the City of Chino Police Department said on Facebook.

Flores ended her seven-year relationship with Rocha just two months before her death and still lived in fear of him until that point, a sister of the victim, Bernice Flores, told the Daily Bulletin.

“He said himself so many times to other people, ‘If I can’t have her, no one will.’ ” Flores said, adding that her sister stayed in the relationship longer that she would have liked in fear that Rocha would hurt her or her family if they broke up.

Rocha was convicted on misdemeanor battery in 2016 and sentenced to 60 days in prison. He was originally charged with misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon, but the charges were lowered in a plea deal, the Daily Bulletin reported.

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Rocha was convicted of misdemeanor resisting or obstructing a peace officer in 2014. A second charge of misdemeanor battery was dropped in a plea deal, and Rocha was ordered to complete a 26-week anger management course, according to San Bernardino County Superior Court records. Rocha was later arrested and sentenced to 10 days behind bars for failing to complete the course.

Source: Fox News National

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Multiple people died Thursday when a semitrailer plowed into stationary traffic that resulted in explosions and flames on a Colorado freeway, authorities said.

The incident occurred just before 5 p.m. in the Denver suburb of Lakewood when a truck driver lost control while traveling east on Interstate 70, according to a preliminary investigation. The collision started a chain reaction and a diesel fuel spill, Lakewood police spokesman Ty Countryman told the Denver Post.

“This is looking to be one of the worst accidents we’ve had here in Lakewood,” he said.

The driver of the runaway truck survived. At least one truck was carrying lumber, another was hauling gravel and the third may have been carrying mattresses, KDVR-TV reported.

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Lakewood police tweeted there were multiple fatalities but did not give a specific number. Six people were taken to a hospital. Their conditions were not released, according to the paper.

Lanes in both directions were closed and expected to remain so into Friday morning.

Source: Fox News National

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President Trump will address members and leaders of the National Rifle Association on Friday at the group’s annual convention in Indiana.

Around 80,000 gun enthusiasts and more than 800 exhibitors are expected to pack the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis for the three-day event, the Indianapolis Star reported. It will mark the third straight year that Trump will deliver the keynote address, where he is expected to champion the rights of gun owners.

“Donald Trump is the most enthusiastic supporter of the Second Amendment to occupy the Oval Office in our lifetimes,” Chris Cox, executive director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action (ILA), said in a statement. “President Trump’s Supreme Court appointments ensure that the Second Amendment will be respected for generations to come. Our members are excited to hear him speak and thank him for his support for our Right to Keep and Bear Arms.”

“Donald Trump is the most enthusiastic supporter of the Second Amendment to occupy the Oval Office in our lifetimes.”

— Chris Cox, executive director, NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action

COLORADO ENACTS ‘RED FLAG’ LAW TO SEIZE GUNS FROM THOSE DEEMED DANGEROUS, PROMPTING BACKLASH

President Donald Trump speaks at the National Rifle Association annual convention in Dallas last year. (Associated Press)

President Donald Trump speaks at the National Rifle Association annual convention in Dallas last year. (Associated Press)

Trump and Vice President Mike Pence spoke at last year’s convention in Dallas. During his speech, Trump assured gun owners that he would protect their Second Amendment rights, according to the paper.

“Your Second Amendment rights are under siege,” Trump told the cheering audience in Dallas. “But they will never, ever be under siege as long as I am your president.”

Trump has supported some gun control measures in the past. Last year, his administration imposed a ban on bump stocks, attachments that enable semiautomatic rifles to fire in rapid bursts. Although, he most recently threatened to veto two Democratic gun control bills.

This year’s convention comes as the NRA faces outside pressure and internal problems. The group has seen its legislative agenda stall amid a series of mass shootings — including a massacre at a Parkland, Fla., high school in February 2018 that left 17 dead and launched a youth movement against gun violence.

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It’s also grappling with infighting in its ranks, money problems and investigations into whether Russian agents courted officials and funneled money through the group.

“I’ve never seen the NRA this vulnerable,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that advocates for gun control measure.

The convention will run through the weekend and conclude Sunday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News Politics

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FILE PHOTO: Shoppers walk past the Debenhams department store on Oxford Street in London
FILE PHOTO: Shoppers walk past the Debenhams department store on Oxford Street in London, Britain December 15, 2018. REUTERS/Simon Dawson

April 26, 2019

(Reuters) – Ailing British retailer Debenhams said two proposed company voluntary arrangements (CVA) could see all its stores remaining open during 2019, with 22 closures planned for next year, putting about 1,200 jobs at risk.

Debenhams’ lenders took control of the retailer earlier this month in a process designed to keep its shops open at the expense of shareholders.

(Reporting by Noor Zainab Hussain in Bengaluru; editing by Gopakumar Warrier)

Source: OANN

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FILE PHOTO: Xiaomi branding is seen on a carrier bag at a UK launch event in London
FILE PHOTO: Xiaomi branding is seen on a carrier bag at a UK launch event in London, Britain, November 8, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville

April 26, 2019

BENGALURU (Reuters) – Chinese brands controlled a record 66 percent of Indian smartphone market in the first quarter, led by Xiaomi Corp, a report showed, with volumes rising 20 percent on the back of popularity for brands like Vivo, RealMe and Oppo.

Xiaomi’s India shipments fell by 2 percent over last year, but the Beijing-based company was still the biggest smartphone brand in the country, followed by Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, according to Hong-Kong based Counterpoint Research.

Shipment volumes for Vivo jumped 119 percent, while those of Oppo rose 28 percent.

“Vivo’s expanding portfolio in the mid-tier range ($100 to $180) drove its growth along with aggressive Indian Premier League cricket campaign,” Counterpoint analysts said.

India is the world’s fastest growing market for smartphones, where affordable pricing coupled with features like “selfie” cameras and big screens have popularized Chinese brands.

Video streaming services like Netflix Inc and Hotstar, as well as heavy usage of messaging apps like Facebook Inc’s WhatsApp have further spurred demand.

“Data consumption is on the rise and users are upgrading their phones faster as compared to other regions,” Counterpoint’s Tarun Pathak said.

“As a result of this, the premium specs are now diffusing faster into the mid-tier price brands. We estimate this trend to continue leading to a competitive mid-tier segment in coming quarters.”

(Reporting By Arnab Paul in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)

Source: OANN

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