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Patriots owner Kraft pleads not guilty, requests jury trial

FILE PHOTO: New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft attends a conference at the Cannes Lions Festival in Cannes
FILE PHOTO: New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft attends a conference at the Cannes Lions Festival in Cannes, France, June 23, 2017. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

March 26, 2019

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft on Tuesday entered a not guilty plea to two counts of solicitation of prostitution and requested a jury trial.

His attorneys submitted the paperwork in Palm Beach County, Fla., and the filing cancels Kraft’s arraignment, which was scheduled for Thursday.

Kraft is in Phoenix, attending the NFL’s annual meetings.

The 77-year-old billionaire was charged last month for allegedly receiving sex acts at a day spa in Jupiter, Fla. He has pleaded not guilty, and on Friday, his attorney said they intended to vehemently fight the charges as well as the release of two tapes that purportedly show Kraft receiving services at the spa.

In his first words since the charges were filed, Kraft issued a statement of apology on Saturday.

“In deference to the judicial process, I have remained silent these past several weeks,” Kraft’s statement read. “To correct some of the misinformation surrounding this matter, my attorney made his first public comments on Friday night. I would like to use this opportunity to say something that I have wanted to say for four weeks.

“I am truly sorry. I know I have hurt and disappointed my family, my close friends, my co-workers, our fans and many others who rightfully hold me to a higher standard.”

If convicted at trial on the misdemeanor charges, he could receive one year in jail, a $5,000 fine and 100 hours of community service.

CNN reported earlier Tuesday that NFL owners said they would not make a decision on whether to punish Kraft until the legal case is over.

–Field Level Media

Source: OANN

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North Carolina man gets life for triple murder of neighbors

A North Carolina man has been sentenced to life in prison for the triple murder of his neighbors who had accused him of child molestation.

News outlets report Jonathan Sander was sentenced Monday for the 2016 deaths of Sal Mazzella's wife, adult son and daughter-in-law.

Before the sentence was handed down, Mazzella said he has forgiven Sander. Sander sarcastically applauded that announcement and launched into a nearly 30-minute rant that blamed and insulted other people.

He began to threaten jurors and was cut off by Judge Graham Shirley, who said Sander would die in obscurity despite his crimes.

Sander was friends with Mazzella's son Sandy, and the family accused him of child molestation in 2016. Evidence says he burst into their home with a shotgun while screaming, "Child molester? Really, Sandy?"

Source: Fox News National

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Brother's teasing proved prophetic before NZ mosque shooting

She wonders now if that moment was a prophecy, if her brother somehow knew it was the last time they'd see each other. Or maybe he was just teasing her, like he always did. But whatever the whole thing meant, Aya Al-Umari likes to believe it was her brother's way of saying goodbye.

It was Thursday, the evening before a white supremacist stormed into the mosque where Hussein Al-Umari was praying, killing the 35-year-old in New Zealand's deadliest mass shooting in modern history. Hussein had joined his sister Aya and their parents for dinner. And he was fixated on Aya's new shirt.

It was just a simple cream-colored T-shirt. But on the front were three words: "See You Bye."

Every time she passed him, he'd chirp: "Hey, that's a nice top!"

Was he serious, or just making fun of her? She couldn't tell. After the fifth comment, she started ignoring him. Like most big brothers, he could be a real pest.

He'd always delighted in teasing her. One time when they were visiting Malaysia as kids, he'd given her some candy that he assured her was smooth and sweet. When she put it in her mouth, she quickly realized he'd tricked her. It was popping candy, which instantly began to fizz and spark on her tongue. She shrieked. He laughed.

When Hussein left her house on Thursday night, she was busy. She didn't get the chance to hug him goodbye, or say the words out loud.

The next day was a nightmare. Hussein, who worked in the tourism industry, was between jobs, which left him free to attend Friday prayers at Al Noor mosque. He died there, one of 50 people whose lives were cut short in a barrage of racist violence that day.

On Friday night, Aya returned home and saw the shirt lying on a chair. She looked at the words, "See You Bye." She thought of Hussein. Maybe he'd had a premonition.

She alternates between laughter and tears when she thinks of him now. The two of them moved from Abu Dhabi to Christchurch in 1997, and had settled comfortably into their new lives in the peaceful green country. Hussein, an exercise enthusiast, loved taking long walks, sometimes several times a day. He also loved to travel, most recently to the seaside South Island city of Nelson. He'd created a video blog of his adventures; Aya had been impressed by how polished the video was.

When she remembers Hussein, she pictures him with his arms wide open, ready to wrap her in an embrace. He'd always been a hugger. Even after a long day, when she just wanted to go to bed, he insisted on giving her a squeeze first.

On Monday, she was left wondering where Hussein was. Like most families who lost loved ones in the attacks, she was still waiting for her brother's body to be released. The wait has been made more painful by the fact that Islamic law calls for bodies to be cleansed and buried as soon as possible after death, usually within 24 hours.

"It's very unsettling not knowing what's going on. If you just let me know — is he still in the mosque? Is he in a fridge? Where is he?" she said. "I understand the police need to do their job because it's a crime scene, but you need to communicate with the families."

For now, she comforts herself with memories of Hussein the way he was in life: arms wide open, wrapping her in a hug. Teasing her about a T-shirt that she clings to as a symbol of their final farewell.

Source: Fox News World

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California’s early primary poised to pull 2020 Democrats further left

A Democratic presidential primary field that already embraces the Green New Deal and has floated ideas like reparations and guaranteed jobs could drift even further left thanks to a quirk in this year’s primary calendar.

Unlike past elections, California will hold its primary early in the season – on March 3, 2020. That means the West Coast state, and its famously liberal voters, will hold extra influence this cycle. And while the 2020 candidates still have to connect with supporters in earliest-voting Iowa and New Hampshire – with their more moderate-leaning electorates – California’s combination of an early primary and massive delegate count could motivate the field to run decisively in the progressive lane from the start.

DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES TO DEBATE IN FORUM FOCUSED ON LGBTQ ISSUES

“The Democratic electorate is much more progressive than almost any state,” said Roger Salazar, spokesman for the California Democratic Party. “All of that is going to help bring up some of the core issues Californians care about.”

He listed the environment, health care, immigration and economic injustice as top issues among California Democrats – incidentally, issues that many 2020 candidates are already talking about. Climate change, in particular, has been a rallying cry for candidates, with Washington Gov. Jay Inslee making it the centerpiece of his campaign. Salazar said he’s already seen an ad from Inslee – the earliest primary ad he’s ever witnessed in the state.

“I think Californians are ready for 2020,” he said. “It’s already begun.”

In another sign of California’s emerging influence this cycle, putative front-runner Sen. Bernie Sanders plans to visit the state this week.

Back in 2016, California’s primary was June 7, making it a virtual afterthought for the primary field.

Not only is California’s primary now slated for Super Tuesday in March, but early voting is set to start around the time of the Iowa caucuses. With that in mind, Sanders’ visit this week is likely the start of a political gold rush of sorts, as the 2020 candidates look west for electoral gold.

California currently is worth nearly 500 delegates in the primary. By comparison, Iowa yields roughly 50 delegates, while New Hampshire has close to 30.

Sanders already has put in some face time in California, campaigning for candidates there during the 2018 midterms, and also in 2016 during a last-ditch attempt to defeat Hillary Clinton in the presidential primary. Former Vice President Joe Biden, who has not made his official 2020 plans public, also spent much of the midterms campaigning and fundraising with candidates out west. Other candidates, like Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, have made stops to the Golden State already this cycle.

Another top candidate, Kamala Harris, has a built-in advantage on the California battleground as the state is her home turf. Now a U.S. senator, Harris used to serve as California attorney general – and kicked off her campaign in Oakland, highlighting those roots.

BERNIE SANDERS AND BETO RESONATING STRONGLY WITH DEMS, WARREN NOT SO MUCH: RESEARCHER

How much California voters are able to refocus the field’s agenda remains to be seen. But some strategists argue that what those voters want to see most is someone capable of beating President Trump.

“California voters want to see a candidate who can beat Donald Trump,” said Nathan Ballard, a Democratic strategist in the state and longtime friend and adviser to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. “California will not be home for an ideological purity test.”

Brian Brokaw, a Democratic strategist who worked on Harris’ Senate race, agreed, saying while California Democrats are more liberal on certain issues, they are determined to beat Trump above all else.

“This is California,” said Brokaw. “The heart of the resistance to President Trump and the administration.”

Still, he said issues like immigration will probably be discussed more given the state’s demographics.

“We have a very different view of immigration than the Trump administration likes to put out,” said Brokaw. Issues like Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals – which made headlines during much of Trump’s first year in office – remain prominent in California. “Without a doubt, candidates will need to weigh in on their views with DACA.”

California will also shake up the race in another way: by forcing candidates to spend big, and early.

Not only is the media market among the most expensive in the country, but the size of the state presents challenges for candidates limited on time and resources.

Here, too, Harris enjoys an advantage, with built-in name identification and a donor network already in place. She’s the only one in the field who has competed statewide.

“The fact that California is an early state is something going to be very advantageous to her,” said Brokaw, who remains unaffiliated but said he’ll likely support Harris. “The Bay Area always plays an important role in the statewide primary ... [and] that’s her backyard. The stars are aligning quite well.”

Fox News reached out to several of the declared candidates’ campaigns to ask about competing in California. Few returned requests for comment. A spokesperson for Andrew Yang – one of the lesser-known candidates – told Fox News that their team is excited to run in such a large state early in the process and added the campaign has over 10,000 donors in California.

Harris and Sanders’ campaigns did not return requests for comment.

Source: Fox News Politics

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Motor racing: Hamilton shrugs off Ferrari’s early testing pace

F1 - Pre Season Testing
FILE PHOTO: Formula One F1 - Pre Season Testing - Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain - February 19, 2019 Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton leaves the motor home during testing REUTERS/Albert Gea

February 20, 2019

By Alan Baldwin

BARCELONA (Reuters) – Lewis Hamilton shrugged off Ferrari’s testing pace on Wednesday while recognizing that he and Mercedes faced their toughest challenge yet as they seek to stretch their Formula One domination into a sixth successive season.

Ferrari, overall runners-up last year, have led the timesheets for the first two days of testing at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya and have also done plenty of laps with their new SF90 car.

Sebastian Vettel, the four times champion who is partnered by young Monegasque Charles Leclerc this year, said on Monday his Ferrari had been “close to perfection”.

Mercedes, winners of both titles for the past five years, have also been pounding out the mileage without setting any eye-catching times.

“They (Ferrari) have been looking great,” Hamilton, who will be chasing his sixth title, told reporters. “For us it’s been just digging deep, trying to understand the car, Pretty much the same as the beginning of every year.

“The Ferraris always look strong, particularly in the last few years they look very strong right at the beginning so it’s to be expected.”

Ferrari won the first two races of last year with a car that seemed quicker than the Mercedes but the champions came back strongly and Hamilton ended the year with 11 wins to Vettel’s tally of five.

NO WORRIES

Last year Ferrari — who won six successive constructors’ titles between 1999 and 2004 — were fastest in testing but it was still Hamilton who put his Mercedes on pole position at the first race in Melbourne with a circuit record time.

“At the moment I don’t really hold any worry about anything,” said the 34-year-old Briton, who conceded that Ferrari did appear to have produced a better package than last season.

“I just try to focus on our job. I don’t know what everyone’s doing, there’s different fuel loads. I’ve been in this business a long time so I know how it goes over the first week and into the second.

“It’s not a time where we need to be focusing on others. We let everyone else do their thing and really try to focus on digging deep, making sure our processes are better than ever before, analyzing the data better than ever before.”

Hamilton said the W10 Mercedes felt similar to last year’s W09, despite aerodynamic rule changes, and he was in the best shape of his life physically.

“I’m here for round seven with the team,” he said. “This is going to be the most challenging year, I think, of our partnership.

“And I still love racing so nothing really changes there.”

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, Editing by Ken Ferris)

Source: OANN

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China central bank likely to pause reserve cuts, but policy easing on track: sources

FILE PHOTO: Headquarters of the PBOC, the central bank, is pictured in Beijing
FILE PHOTO: Headquarters of the People's Bank of China (PBOC), the central bank, is pictured in Beijing, China September 28, 2018. REUTERS/Jason Lee/File Photo

April 23, 2019

By Kevin Yao

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s central bank is likely to pause to assess economic conditions before making any further moves to ease lenders’ reserve requirements, after better-than-expected growth data reduced the urgency for action, policy insiders said.

Although the central bank’s easing bias remains unchanged, it sees less room this year for cutting reserve requirement ratios (RRRs) – the share of cash banks must hold as reserves – as fiscal stimulus plays a bigger role in spurring growth, according to government advisers involved in internal policy discussions.

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) is also worried that pumping too much cash into the economy could reignite bubbles over time, the policy insiders said, and wants to save some of its policy ammunition.

“In the short term, it’s not necessary to use RRR cuts to boost economic growth,” one policy adviser told Reuters. “Monetary policy should leave some room – if economic uncertainties rise or economic conditions deteriorate, the central bank could ease policy.”

The chance of a cut in benchmark interest rates, meanwhile, has further diminished, as the central bank focuses on reforming its interest rate regime this year, the policy insiders said.

LESS ROOM FOR RRR CUTS

China’s economy grew a steady 6.4 percent in the first quarter, defying expectations of a further slowdown, with factory output, retail sales and investment in March all growing faster than expected following a raft of expansion-boosting measures in recent months.

Still, economists do not expect a sharp recovery in the world’s second-largest economy, as many private firms grapple with high funding costs, while external demand may weaken in the coming months as the world economy loses steam.

Optimism is rising, however, that China and the United States will reach a trade deal in coming weeks.

“The possibility of seeing big policy changes is not big. We may maintain the strength of policy support but it could become more structural,” said a second policy source.

The PBOC did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

The PBOC has cut RRRs five times since the start of 2018, lowering the ratio to 13.5 percent for big banks and 11.5 percent for small-to medium-sized lenders.

Central bank Governor Yi Gang said in March that there was still some room to cut RRRs, but less so than a few years ago.

The PBOC is likely to cut RRRs for small banks to encourage more lending to small and private firms – which are vital for economic growth and job creation – said the policy insiders, who have penciled in at least one such “targeted” RRR cut this year.

“Monetary policy will maintain counter-cyclical adjustments and keep liquidity ample as interest rates should go lower for the real economy,” said one of the policy insiders.

A Reuters poll, conducted before the first-quarter data release on April 17, showed economists expected the central bank to deliver three more RRR cuts of 50 basis points in each of the remaining three quarters of 2019.

But the stronger-than-expected growth data compelled some economists to trim their forecasts for RRR cuts. UBS now expects another 100 bps cuts this year, with the next one likely in June-July, instead of the 200 bps it had forecast earlier.

ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTIES LINGER

A statement on Friday from the Politburo, a key decision-making body of the ruling Communist Party, said China would maintain policy support for the economy, which still faced “downward pressure” and difficulties.

Authorities would strike a balance between stabilizing economic growth, promoting reforms, controlling risks and improving livelihoods, the Politburo said, adding that China would move forward with structural efforts to control debt levels and prevent speculation in the property market.

First-quarter economic growth was backed by record new bank loans of 5.81 trillion yuan ($865.61 billion) and local government special bond issuance of 717.2 billion yuan, which rocketed ninefold from a year earlier.

Beijing has ramped up fiscal stimulus, unveiling tax and fee cuts amounting to 2 trillion yuan to ease burdens on firms, while allowing local governments to issue 2.15 trillion yuan of special bonds to fund infrastructure projects.

Chinese leaders have pledged to ensure economic stability in a year that will mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic, while vowing not to adopt “flood-like” stimulus that could worsen debt and structural risks.

The government’s target range for 2019 growth is 6-6.5 percent but growth of about 6.2 percent is seen needed this year and the next to meet the party’s longstanding goal of doubling GDP and incomes in the decade to 2020.

China’s growth slowed to a 28-year low of 6.6 percent last year, and further cooling is expected this year.

(Reporting by Kevin Yao; Editing by Alex Richardson)

Source: OANN

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Canadian dollar dips as investors weigh global trade uncertainty

FILE PHOTO: A Canadian dollar coin, commonly known as the
FILE PHOTO: A Canadian dollar coin, commonly known as the "Loonie", is pictured in this illustration picture taken in Toronto January 23, 2015./File Photo

February 19, 2019

TORONTO (Reuters) – The Canadian dollar weakened against its U.S. counterpart on Tuesday as an uncertain outlook for global trade offset the lift from the highest crude oil prices in nearly three months.

A new round of talks between the United States and China to resolve their trade war will take place in Washington on Tuesday, with follow-up sessions at a higher level later in the week, the White House said.

Meanwhile, a confidential U.S. Commerce Department report sent to U.S. President Donald Trump over the weekend was widely expected to clear the way for him to threaten tariffs of up to 25 percent on imported autos and auto parts by designating the imports a national security threat.

Canada would be largely spared from auto tariffs under the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade.

Still, Canada is running a current account deficit and is a major producer of commodities, including oil, so its economy could be hurt if the global flow of trade or capital slows.

U.S. crude oil futures rose to their highest since Nov. 20 last year, up 0.40 percent at $55.81 a barrel, boosted by lower supplies.

At 9:45 a.m. (1445 GMT), the Canadian dollar was trading 0.2 percent lower at 1.3271 to the greenback, or 75.35 U.S. cents. The currency traded in a range of 1.3235 to 1.3281.

The loonie was little changed on Monday, when Canada’s stock and bond markets were closed for the Family Day holiday. Last week, the loonie rose 0.3 percent.

Data last Friday from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and Reuters calculations showed that speculators cut their bearish bets on the Canadian dollar.

As of Jan. 22, net short positions had fallen to 56,096 contracts from 59,524 in the prior week. Earlier in January net short positions were at their highest since June 2017, at 66,002 contracts.

Canadian government bond prices were higher across the yield curve, with the two-year up 1 Canadian cent to yield 1.772 percent and the 10-year rising 8 Canadian cents to yield 1.885 percent.

(Reporting by Fergal Smith; Editing by David Gregorio)

Source: OANN

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FILE PHOTO: Cases of Pepsi are shown for sale at a store in Carlsbad
FILE PHOTO: Cases of Pepsi are shown for sale at a store in Carlsbad, California, U.S., April 22, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo

April 26, 2019

By Amit Dave and Mayank Bhardwaj

AHMEDABAD/NEW DELHI (Reuters) – PepsiCo Inc has sued four Indian farmers for cultivating a potato variety that the snack food and drinks maker claims infringes its patent, the company and the growers said on Friday.

Pepsi has sued the farmers for cultivating the FC5 potato variety, exclusively grown for its popular Lay’s potato chips. The FC5 variety has a lower moisture content required to make snacks such as potato chips.

PepsiCo is seeking more than 10 million rupees ($142,840.82) each for alleged patent infringement.

The farmers grow potatoes in the western state of Gujarat, a leading producer of India’s most consumed vegetable.

“We have been growing potatoes for a long time and we didn’t face this problem ever, as we’ve mostly been using the seeds saved from one harvest to plant the next year’s crop,” said Bipin Patel, one of the four farmers sued by Pepsi.

Patel did not say how he came by the PepsiCo variety.

A court in Ahmedabad, the business hub of Gujarat, on Friday agreed to hear the case on June 12, said Anand Yagnik, the lawyer for the farmers.

“In this instance, we took judicial recourse against people who were illegally dealing in our registered variety,” A PepsiCo India spokesman said. “This was done to protect our rights and safeguard the larger interest of farmers that are engaged with us and who are using and benefiting from seeds of our registered variety.”

PepsiCo, which set up its first potato chips plant in India in 1989, supplies the FC5 potato variety to a group of farmers who in turn sell their produce to the company at a fixed price.

The All India Kisan Sabha, or All India Farmers’ Forum, has asked the Indian government to protect the farmers.

The farmers’ forum has also called for a boycott of PepsiCo’s Lay’s chips and the company’s other products.

The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

PepsiCo is the second major U.S. company in India to face issues over patent infringement.

Stung by a long-standing intellectual property dispute, seed maker Monsanto, which is now owned by German drugmaker Bayer AG, withdrew from some businesses in India over a cotton-seed dispute with farmers, Reuters reported in 2017. (reut.rs/2ncBknn)

(Reporting by Amit Dave in AHMEDABAD and Mayank Bhardwaj in NEW DELHI; Editing by Martin Howell and Louise Heavens)

Source: OANN

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FILE PHOTO: The Archer Daniels Midland Co (ADM) logo is displayed on a screen on the floor of the NYSE in New York
FILE PHOTO: The Archer Daniels Midland Co (ADM) logo is displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., May 3, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo

April 26, 2019

By P.J. Huffstutter and Shradha Singh

CHICAGO/BENGALURU (Reuters) – Archer Daniels Midland Co said on Friday it was considering spinning off its ethanol business after slim biofuel margins and Midwestern floods slammed the U.S. grains merchant’s profit, which tumbled 41 percent in the first quarter.

ADM said it was creating an ethanol subsidiary, which will include dry mills in Columbus, Nebraska; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Peoria, Illinois.

The ethanol subsidiary will report as an independent segment, the company said, allowing options “which may include, but are not limited to, a potential spin-off of the business to existing ADM shareholders.”

Results were hit by the “bomb cyclone” blizzards that devastated the Midwest and Great Plains this year, causing massive flooding across Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri, washing out rail lines and wreaking havoc in the moving and processing of corn, soybeans and wheat. One-sixth of U.S. ethanol production was halted.

In March, ADM warned Wall Street that flooding and severe winter weather in the U.S. Midwest would reduce its first-quarter operating profit by $50 million to $60 million.

“The first quarter proved more challenging than initially expected,” said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Juan Luciano, with earnings down in its starches, sweeteners and bioproducts unit. Luciano said impacts of the severe weather ultimately “were on the high side of our initial estimates”.

Ongoing problems in the ethanol industry added to the problems and “limited margins and opportunities” for ADM, Luciano said.

The ethanol industry has been in the midst of a historic downswing due to the U.S.-China trade war, excess domestic supply and weak margins.

ADM, which had been an ethanol pioneer, signaled to Wall Street in 2016 that it was hunting for options and considering sales of its U.S. dry ethanol mills. Luciano told Reuters this year that offers ADM had received for the mills were too low.

In addition, ADM said it planned to repurpose its corn wet mill in Marshall, Minnesota, to produce higher volumes of food and industrial-grade starches.

Other major traders are alsy trying to distance themselves from struggling ethanol businesses. Louis Dreyfus Company BV spun off its Brazilian sugar and ethanol business Biosev in 2013. Rival Bunge sold its sugar book and has sought a buyer for its Brazilian mills since 2013.

ADM, which makes money trading, processing and transporting crops, such as corn, soybeans and wheat, has been looking to strengthen its core business. Last month it said it would seek voluntary early retirements of some North American employees and cut jobs as part of a restructuring effort.

The company expects to lower 2019 capital spending by 10 percent to between $800 million and $900 million.

Net earnings attributable to the company fell to $233 million, or 41 cents per share, in the three months ended March 31, from $393 million, or 70 cents per share, a year earlier.

Revenue fell to $15.30 billion from $15.53 billion. On an adjusted basis, the company earned 46 cents per share, while analysts on average had estimated 60 cents, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

(Reporting by Shradha Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta, Chizu Nomiyama and David Gregorio)

Source: OANN

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The Slack app logo is seen on a smartphone in this illustration
FILE PHOTO: The Slack app logo is seen on a smartphone in this picture illustration taken September 15, 2017. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

April 26, 2019

(Reuters) – Slack Technologies Inc, operator of the popular workplace instant-messaging app, reported a loss of $140.7 million in the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2019, the company said on Friday in a regulatory filing ahead of its planned public market debut.

The company said its daily active users exceeded 10 million in the three months ended Jan. 31, 2019.

Slack expects to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “SK”, it said.

The San Francisco-based company is seeking to go public via a direct listing, making it the second big technology company after Spotify Technology SA to bypass the traditional route of listing shares through an initial public offering.

A direct listing is a cheaper way of becoming a public company as the process requires fewer investment banks and therefore lower fees.

In a direct listing, however, a company does not sell any new shares to raise money. Instead, it gives existing shareholders the opportunity to cash out.

Slack is the latest in a string of high-profile technology companies looking to go public this year. Lyft Inc, Pinterest and Zoom Video Communications have completed IPOs so far in 2019.

The company is hoping for a valuation of more than $10 billion in the listing, Reuters had previously reported. Some early investors and employees have been selling the stock at around $28, valuing the company close to $17 billion, Kelly Rodriques, CEO of Forge, a brokerage company, told CNBC on Thursday.

Slack set a placeholder amount of $100 million to indicate the size of the IPO. The amount of money a company says it plans to raise in its first IPO filings is used to calculate registration fees. The final size of the IPO could be different.

Its competitors include Microsoft Teams, a free chat add-on for Microsoft’s Office365 users.

(Reporting By Aparajita Saxena and Joshua Franklin in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler and Anil D’Silva)

Source: OANN

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FILE PHOTO: Candidate Zelenskiy reacts following the announcement of an exit poll in Ukraine's presidential election in Kiev
FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian presidential candidate Volodymyr Zelenskiy reacts following the announcement of the first exit poll in a presidential election at his campaign headquarters in Kiev, Ukraine April 21, 2019. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko/File Photo

April 26, 2019

By Matthias Williams

KIEV (Reuters) – Russia’s decision to make it easier for residents of rebel-controlled eastern Ukraine to obtain a Russian passport is meant to test Ukraine’s new leader and the West should not recognize the documents, Lithuania’s foreign minister said on Friday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the order on facilitating passports on Wednesday, three days after comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a political novice, won a landslide victory in Ukraine’s presidential election.

Linas Linkevicius, whose own country also has strained relations with Moscow, told Reuters in an interview that the West should consider imposing new sanctions on Russia.

“This is a blatant violation of international law. And basically also a kind of test to the new (Ukrainian) leadership, which is also a usual game,” Linkevicius said.

“The least we can do (is) we shouldn’t recognize these passports. How to do that technically, it’s another issue to discuss. Also (we need) to look at additional sanctions,” said Linkevicius, whose small Baltic nation is a member of NATO and the European Union.

Western nations imposed sanctions on Russia over its 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region and its support for armed separatists battling Kiev’s forces in eastern Ukraine. Some 13,000 people have been killed in that conflict despite a notional ceasefire signed in Minsk in 2015.

Linkevicius, who in Kiev on Friday became the first minister of an EU country since Ukraine’s election to meet President-elect Zelenskiy, said they had discussed the passport issue.

Zelenskiy also raised the possibility of resetting the Minsk ceasefire agreement without giving any concessions to Russia, Linkevicius said.

“DANGEROUS CANCER” OF GRAFT

The minister urged Zelenskiy to deliver on his electoral promise of tackling corruption, which he described as the “most dangerous cancer” facing Ukraine, which hopes one day to join the EU.

Last month, Lithuania’s own relations with Russia came under renewed strain after a Vilnius court found former Soviet defense minister Dmitry Yazov, in absentia, guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in a 1991 crackdown against Lithuania’s pro-independence movement.

Russia branded the verdict “extremely unfriendly and essentially provocative” and opened a probe into the judges involved.

Linkevicius accused Russia of seeking to politicize the judicial process by trying to take revenge on the judges, adding: “This is lamentable.”

(Editing by Gareth Jones)

Source: OANN

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A Cook County judge recently called out embattled State Attorney Kim Foxx for upholding a double standard by prosecuting a woman for filing a false police report — but dropping similar charges against embattled “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett.

Foxx has faced intense criticism over her office’s decision to drop a 16-count indictment against Smollett, just weeks after bringing the charges against the high-profile TV star. Foxx’s deal with Smollett, which did not require him to admit guilt, drew ire from the public, the city’s top cop and the former mayor who called it a “whitewash of justice.”

JUSSIE SMOLLETT CHICAGO PROSECUTOR KIM FOXX CHIDED BY NATIONAL ATTORNEYS GROUPS AFTER JUSSIE SMOLLETT CHARGES DROPPED 

Cook County Judge Marc Martin, who was presiding over an unrelated case, chastised Foxx and her office for creating a situation where anyone charged with filing a false report would expect the same leniency her office afforded Smollett.

Candace Clark, 21, is facing one felony count of making a false report. Prosecutors accused her of giving a friend access to her bank account and then telling authorities the money had been stolen. She denies the charges and claims she’s the victim of Foxx’s double standard — something the judge weighed in on.

“Well, Ms. Clark is not a movie star, she doesn’t have a high-price lawyer, although, her lawyer’s very good. And this smells, big time,” Martin said to prosecutors during a recent hearing, Fox 32 reported. “I didn’t create this mess, your office created this mess. And your explanation is unsatisfactory to this court. She’s being treated differently.”

The judge continued, “There’s no publicity on this case. She doesn’t have Mark Geragos as her lawyer or Ron Safer or Judge Brown. It’s not right. And (if) I proceed in this matter, you’re just digging yourselves further in a hole. (If the) press gets a hold of this, it’ll be in a newspaper. Why is Ms. Clark being treated differently than Mr. Smollett?”

Foxx recused herself from the Smollett case in February but continued to oversee the investigation through text messages with her assistant Joseph Magats.

The text messages revealed Foxx called Smollett a “washed up celeb who lied to cops.” They also show she cautioned Magats about throwing the book at Smollett.

“Sooo……I’m recused, but when people accuse us of overcharging cases…16 counts on a class 4 becomes exhibit A,” Foxx wrote to Magats on March 8.

“Pedophile with 4 victims 10 counts. Washed up celeb who lied to cops, 16. On a case eligible for deferred prosecution I think it’s indicative of something we should be looking at generally. Just because we can charge something doesn’t mean we should,” she added, referring to the case of R&B singer R. Kelly, who was indicted on 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in connection with four women, three of whom were underage.

KIM FOXX’S CHIEF ETHICS OFFICER RESIGNS FOLLOWING SMOLLETT CONTROVERSY

President Trump said last month he asked for a federal review of Foxx’s decision to drop the charges against Smollett. He also called the actor “an absolute embarrassment to our country.”

The Smollett case garnered national attention and threatened to tear Chicago apart. It pit the police department and mayor against prosecutors and underscored the idea that wealthy people are somehow above the law.

Smollett told police he was attacked on Jan. 29 around 2 a.m. as he was returning home from a sandwich shop in Chicago. He said two masked men shouted racial and anti-gay slurs, poured bleach on him, beat him and tied a rope around his neck. He claimed they shouted, “This is MAGA country” — a reference to President Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan.

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After an intense investigation, police said Smollett staged the entire incident to drum up publicity for his career.

Smollett has strongly denied the accusations.

Source: Fox News National

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