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New Mexico man arrested after police allegedly find dozens of diamonds in anal cavity

A New Mexico man faces multiple charges after police found over four dozen diamonds in a bag inside his anal cavity that he allegedly planned on trading for drugs, KOB 4 reported.

Twenty-three-year-old Eusebio Padilla was arrested on charges including receiving stolen property and tampering with evidence after what began as a routine traffic stop on April 7. Police pulled him over for allegedly riding a motorcycle without a license plate.

2 MEN CHARGED IN PHILADELPHIA TO PITTSBURGH DRUG RING BUST

Police said they spotted a knife on Padilla and patted him down. He was caught attempting to remove “a baggy” from his rear at some point during the traffic stop, according to a criminal complaint filed in Albuquerque’s Metropolitan Court.

Police said they found 44 diamonds inside the bag recovered from Padilla’s rectum. The man allegedly told officers that he obtained the jewels from his uncle who “usually has stolen items,” KOB 4 reported.

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The criminal complaint alleges that Padilla planned on trading the rare gemstones for drugs. It is not known if Padilla has an attorney.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News National

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Tug-of-war with a lion: UK zoo's bizarre big cat challenge sparks backlash

A zoo in the United Kingdom is coming under fire for offering its visitors a chance to play a challenging game of tug-of-war with its lions and tigers for a small fee.

For about $20 (£15), zoogoers — eight and older — at Dartmoor Zoo can join a team of four at a long rope to rival a big cat, according to The Guardian. A juicy piece of raw meat attached to the end of the rope coaxes the lion or tiger into biting the end and giving it a good tug.

The challengers are pulling from the other side of the enclosure and do not come into close contact with the wild animals. The zoo says the activity is beneficial to the big cats, allowing them to get the vital exercise they need.

HUGE SNAKE MAULED BY ALLIGATOR IN FLORIDA, SHOCKING VIDEO SHOWS

“In the cooler weather, Dartmoor zoo’s keepers occasionally do rope-pulling with their big cats for enrichment purposes. This type of activity, which is common at many zoos, is very important to keep the animals fit and healthy as it encourages exercise, which builds muscle mass," Dartmoor Zoo said in a statement to The Guardian, adding that it's allowing a small group of guests to join staff members in the tug-of-war-like game for the first time.

A zoo in the U.K. is under fire for allowing visitors to play tug-of-war with its big cats.

A zoo in the U.K. is under fire for allowing visitors to play tug-of-war with its big cats. (Jay/Twitter @jayalex87)

Over the past week, videos of the supposed exercise have been circulating online, garnering thousands of views — and a lot of opinions.

One participant expressed his delight after playing tug-of-war, saying it was an "absolutely amazing experience" with his wife. He later joked about losing. A video he posted of the match was viewed more than 1,000 times.

"Brilliant That zoo is only a 30 min drive to me. I’ve not been for a few years I’m definitely going to play tug o war with a tiger. #DartmoorZoo," one Twitter user replied.

HUGE SNAKE MAULED BY ALLIGATOR IN FLORIDA, SHOCKING VIDEO SHOWS

"There is nothing wrong with this. I play the same game with my cats, they love the play hunting mice," another man added.

"The lion had fun too I bet. Dogs and cats love to play tug of war," a third chimed in.

But the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) disagrees, telling the BBC the game "doesn't promote respect" for the animals but is rather a "money-making gimmick."

An online petition demanding the zoo stops the practice has already received more than 2,000 signatures, the news organization reports. The creator of the petition, Sue Dally, compared the Dartmoor Zoo to a circus.

An online petition demanding the zoo stops the practice has already received more than 2,000 signatures.

An online petition demanding the zoo stops the practice has already received more than 2,000 signatures. (Jay/Twitter @jayalex87)

“The zoo claims it’s to give the animals intellectual exercise and fun, but it comes across as putting profits before the animal’s welfare. There are plenty of ways that experienced professionals can care for the rare animals, without turning them into a novelty plaything for tourists," Dally said, according to The Guardian.

Several social media users echoed Dally's point of view.

"Uh lets not treat them like pet dogs- I don't think the tigers would be bothered but if something went freakishly wrong it'll be the animal that suffers eg be shot. Fantastic," one Twitter user wrote.

"I think that it's wrong, and the Zoo should stop it now," another added, tagging the zoo.

"Imagine your source of fun would be playing tug of war with a beautiful but captive tiger/lion," a user pointed out.

But the zoo’s owner, Benjamin Mee, argued the activity isn't cruel at all.

"People are making a fuss about nothing," Benjamin told PlymouthLive this week. "I think this is 100 percent the right thing to be doing; the lion loves it.

Source: Fox News World

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Italian cabinet infighting overshadows growth plan

FILE PHOTO: Matteo Salvini, Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the far-right League Party, speaks as he launches campaigning for the European elections
FILE PHOTO: Matteo Salvini, Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the far-right League Party, speaks as he launches campaigning for the European elections, in Milan, Italy April 8, 2019. REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo/File Photo

April 24, 2019

By Giuseppe Fonte and Gavin Jones

ROME (Reuters) – Italy’s government approved an economic growth plan in the early hours of Wednesday after a bad-tempered cabinet meeting that exposed divisions in the ruling coalition and fuelled speculation about a government collapse.

The infighting overshadowed media coverage of the “growth decree” which called for tax breaks and investment incentives and for simplified procedures for public tenders.

The ruling parties, the right-wing League and anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, are feuding as they compete for votes ahead of European Parliament elections on May 26, stoking investor fears that the government could fall.

The government had presented the decree as a landmark in its efforts to kickstart Italian growth, which has lagged euro zone peers for two decades, but it instead served to underline an intensifying feud between the coalition partners’ leaders.

5-Star chief Luigi Di Maio showed up for the meeting more than an hour late, after using a TV appearance to call for a junior League minister to resign over a corruption scandal. League leader Matteo Salvini has refused to sack the minister.

“It’s official – there are two governments,” read the front-page headline in national daily newspaper La Repubblica.

Di Maio and Salvini repeatedly say they want the alliance to continue even as they attack each other on a range of issues, and they have shown no willingness to compromise over the future of the League official at the centre of the scandal.

Armando Siri, a transport ministry undersecretary and economic adviser to Salvini, has been put under investigation for allegedly accepting bribes to promote the interests of renewable energy firms. Siri denies any wrongdoing.

“I plan to govern for a full mandate and I have no intention of sending Italians to (early) elections,” Salvini told reporters on Wednesday.

He added that he would not push for a cabinet reshuffle to have more weight in government after the EU elections, where the League is likely to be the largest party, opinion polls suggest.

He said Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte – an academic who is from neither ruling party but is close to 5-Star – had not asked for Siri’s resignation. Shortly afterwards Conte said he would speak to Siri, without giving further details.

DEBT RELIEF CHANGE

The growth decree contained few surprises, though the dispute was reflected in a change to one of the decree’s major measures – debt relief for the municipality of Rome, which is run by 5-Star.

The decree was less generous than an original draft of the plan after criticism from the League.

Cabinet also broadened the scope of its plan to compensate savers hit by the country’s recent banking crisis, making the money available to those with an annual income of up to 35,000 euros ($39,000) or with assets of up 200,000 euros.

The asset test was raised from 100,000 euros in the original draft, but it later emerged the amended scheme with the higher threshold would be conditional on EU approval.

The decree also gave the green light for the government to potentially take an equity stake in any vehicle set up to rescue loss-making airline Alitalia. The government is desperate to save the carrier and avoid mass layoffs.

Italy last year unveiled a big-spending budget for 2019, rattling the euro and other financial markets, but it has so far had little impact on growth. The economy slipped into technical recession at the end of 2018 and is now barely expanding.

Italy, the euro zone’s second-most indebted nation after Greece, had public debts equalling 132.2 percent of GDP in 2018, up from 131.4 percent in 2017.

($1 = 0.8923 euros)

(Editing by Giselda Vagnoni, Mark Bendeich and Alison Williams)

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Pompeo: 'More Sanctions to Be Had' to Pressure Venezuela

With Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro clinging to power, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence plans to announce new actions against the country in a speech Monday in Bogota, according to an administration official.

The steps outlined by Pence may include forms of economic or diplomatic pressure by the U.S., a second official said. The officials declined to provide specifics.

Secretary of State Michael Pompeo also said earlier on CNN’s “State of the Union” that more sanctions are possible on Venezuela without offering details on what measures the U.S. may be planning, as regional leaders prepare to meet in Colombia.

Pence’s announcement will come more than a month after the U.S. recognized Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s interim president. Yet Maduro hasn’t ceded power, even as the Trump administration has effectively blocked his regime from exporting oil to the U.S. by imposing sanctions on Venezuela’s state oil giant Petroleos de Venezuela SA.

As the Trump administration considers additional steps, Pence aims to reaffirm U.S. support for Guaido and call on Maduro to step aside, according to his office.

Read more: Venezuela Sits in a Dangerous Stalemate After a Day of Violence

When Pence arrives in Bogota on Monday, he’s expected to meet with Guaido and Colombian President Ivan Duque. He’ll will deliver remarks at the Lima group and meet with families that fled Venezuela under Maduro.

Maduro showed his true colors by obstructing international aid from entering the country over the weekend, according to one of the administration officials. The U.S. is undeterred from bringing aid into Venezuela, and those efforts will continue, according to the official.

Just hours after attempts to deliver humanitarian aid to Venezuela failed, the country’s opposition and U.S. allies suggested a more forceful multilateral move against Maduro.

In a press statement late Saturday, Pompeo called Guaido and the Venezuelan people “an inspiration to the world,” and urged Maduro to let humanitarian aid flow into the country.

While Guaido “builds distribution networks for humanitarian assistance, Maduro blocks its entry and sends armed criminal gangs to attack the innocent civilians accompanying the convoys,” Pompeo said in the statement.

Source: NewsMax Politics

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The Latest: Suspect in student’s death not at hearing

The Latest on the killing of a South Carolina college student (all times local):

4:35 p.m.

The man charged with kidnapping and killing a college student who police say mistakenly got into his car did not appear at a jail hearing.

Nathaniel David Rowland will remain in jail at least until his bond hearing at an undetermined date.

Police say the 24-year-old Rowland killed 21-year-old University of South Carolina student Samantha Josephson on Friday after she got into his car thinking it was her Uber ride.

The State newspaper reported the judge at Sunday's hearing allowed Josephson's mother to speak.

Marci Josephson said her daughter was bubbly, loving and full of life and planned to go to law school after graduating in May.

___

11:30 a.m.

Authorities say a South Carolina college student kidnapped and killed after mistakenly getting into what she thought was a ride share car had wounds all over her body.

Arrest warrants released Sunday morning said 21-year-old Samantha Josephson had numerous wounds to her head, neck, face, upper body, leg, and foot. The documents didn't say what was used to attack the University of South Carolina student.

Authorities have charged 24-year-old Nathaniel David Rowland with murder and kidnapping.

The arrest warrants say a large amount of what DNA testing showed to be Josephson's blood was found inside Rowland's vehicle and trunk after police say he was arrested early Saturday just blocks away from where Josephson was kidnapped the night before.

The warrants say Rowland turned on the child locks in his vehicle so the back doors could only be opened from the outside and also had turned on the window locks.

___

10:45 a.m.

Authorities say the man who kidnapped and killed a South Carolina college student who mistakenly thought she was getting in her ride share car was arrested in the same area the next night.

Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook says 24-year-old Nathaniel David Rowland will be charged with kidnapping and murder in the death of 21-year-old Samantha Josephson.

Holbrook says quick DNA testing determined Josephson's blood was in Rowland's car after his arrest Saturday near the same bar district in Columbia where Josephson was kidnapped the night before. The chief says her cellphone was also found in the vehicle.

Holbrook says Rowland activated the child locks so the back doors could only be opened from the outside.

Rowland is being held without bond. It wasn't known if he had a lawyer.

Source: Fox News National

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Saudi Arabia says Syrian opposition must unite before any dialogue with government

G20 leaders summit in Hamburg
FILE PHOTO: Saudi Arabia Minister of State Ibrahim Abdulaziz Al-Assaf is seen at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany July 7, 2017. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay

March 29, 2019

DUBAI (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said on Friday a unified Syrian opposition should emerge before the start of any dialogue with the Syrian government.

Ibrahim al-Assaf, speaking at an Arab League gathering in Tunisia, said the kingdom supported Syria’s territorial integrity and a political solution based on dialogue between the opposition and government.

He reiterated Saudi Arabia’s condemnation of the United States recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

(Reporting by Maher Chmaytelli; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)

Source: OANN

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Schiff rejects Michael Cohen’s plea for help delaying upcoming prison term

A request from President Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen to Democrats to help delay and reduce his upcoming three-year prison sentence – set to begin in just weeks – was rejected Monday by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif.

"I don't get involved in sentencing matters as a practice," Schiff told CNN. "I never have in Congress and that's been my policy."

In a letter sent to lawmakers last week, Cohen's legal team said he was still sorting through documents in his personal files that might be of interest to House Democrats investigating President Trump, including emails, voice recordings, images and other documents on a hard drive.

ADAM SCHIFF URGED TO STEP DOWN AS CHAIRMAN BY HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE REPUBLICANS

The letter was sent to a series of Trump opponents, including Schiff and Reps. Jerry Nadler of New York, Maxine Waters of California and Elijah Cummings of Maryland, all Democrats.

"To date, Mr. Cohen has located several documents that we believe have significant value to the various congressional oversight and investigation committees," Cohen attorneys, Lanny Davis, Michael Monico and Carly Chocron wrote in the letter.

Despite the decision to remain uninvolved in his sentencing, Schiff told CNN on Monday that he was still open to hearing anything else that Cohen wanted to share.

"We continue to encourage Mr. Cohen to provide us any materials that he has that are relevant to our investigation," Schiff said. "We will continue to do so and hope that he has additional information to offer."

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Cohen, who pleaded guilty last year to tax evasion, fraud, lying to Congress and campaign finance violations, already has received one short delay on medical grounds while he recovered from shoulder surgery.

He is scheduled to report to prison on May 6.

Fox News’ Gregg Re contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News Politics

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

April 26, 2019

By Julien Pretot

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SAME TREATMENT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

‘ONE CLUB’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Toby Davis)

Source: OANN

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

April 26, 2019

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Writing by Maher Chmaytelli, Editing by William Maclean)

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

April 26, 2019

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

1/DOLLAR JUGGERNAUT

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

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

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

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

2/FED: UP OR DOWN?

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

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

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

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

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

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

3/HEISEI TO REIWA

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

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

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

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

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

4/EARNING TURNING

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5/WAITING FOR THE OLD LADY

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: OANN

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

April 26, 2019

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

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

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

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

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

April 26, 2019

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

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

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

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