Upcoming shows
Real News

NOW ON AIR
Now On Air

Real News with David Knight

9:00 am 12:00 pm



Maga First News

Upcoming Shows

Join The MAGA Network on Discord

0 0

UK government cannot submit the same Brexit deal to another vote in parliament: speaker

Speaker of the House John Bercow speaks ahead of a vote on Brexit in Parliament in London
FILE PHOTO: Speaker of the House John Bercow speaks ahead of a vote on Brexit in Parliament in London, Britain, March 13, 2019, in this screen grab taken from video. Reuters TV via REUTERS

March 19, 2019

LONDON (Reuters) – The British government must submit a different proposition to parliament to the one it lost last week if it wants to hold another vote on its Brexit plans, the parliament’s speaker, John Bercow, said on Monday.

Bercow, the ultimate arbiter of whether the government can ask parliament again to pass Prime Minister Theresa May’s deal to leave the European Union, said ministers could not submit the same proposition again.

“This is my conclusion: if the government wishes to bring forward a new proposition that is neither the same, nor substantially the same as that disposed of by the house on the 12th of March, this would be entirely in order,” he said.

“What the government cannot legitimately do is to resubmit to the House (of Commons) the same proposition or substantially the same proposition as that of last week which was rejected by 149 votes.”

According to precedents stretching back to 1604, parliamentary rules say that substantially similar proposals cannot be presented for a vote more than once during the same session of parliament.

“This ruling should not be regarded as my last word on the subject,” Bercow said.

“It is simply meant to indicate the test which the government must meet, in order for me to rule that a third meaningful vote can legitimately be held in this parliamentary session.”

(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan, writing by Elizabeth Piper; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)

Source: OANN

0 0

Judge rips into Roger Stone, bars him from speaking publicly on case: 'There will be no third chance'

A federal judge has completely barred former Trump political adviser Roger Stone from speaking publicly about his ongoing prosecution on obstruction and false statement charges, following a hearing on Thursday in which Stone took the stand to insist he was "heartfully sorry" for the picture of the judge that appeared on his Instagram showing what seemed to be crosshairs in the background.

U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson tore into Stone, saying she simply didn't believe his explanation that an unnamed "volunteer" had selected the image.

"I have serious doubts about whether you learned anything at all," Jackson said. "From this moment on, the defendant may not speak publicly about this case -- period. No statements about the case on TV, radio, print reporters, or Internet. No posts on social media. [You] may not comment on the case through surrogates. You may send out emails about donating to the Roger Stone defense fund."

Jackson added an apparent threat to revoke Stone's bail and send him to jail: "This is not baseball. There will be no third chance. If you cannot abide by this, I will be forced to change your surroundings so you have no temptations."

Jackson had issued a limited gag order in Stone's case last week, preventing him from discussing the case near the courthouse. Stone was being questioned Thursday by Jackson and government lawyers as to why Jackson should not issue a full gag order, or modify or revoke Stone's bail -- potentially sending him to jail.

On Thursday, Stone made the risky decision to take the stand. He denied using his phone to post the image himself, and under questioning from prosecutors and Jackson, claimed that an unnamed "volunteer" had picked the image -- even though he said he accepted responsibility for the post. The image was accompanied by a caption referring to "deep state hitman Robert Mueller" and called his prosecution a "show trial."

At one point during Thursday's hearing, Stone's lawyer, Bruce Rogow, called the post that featured Jackson's image "indefensible." Jackson replied: "I agree with you there."

The government is asking for additional restrictions on Stone's ability to talk about this case, while Stone's attorneys are requesting a more detailed court order that still allows Stone to be able to retain his ability to speak publicly about the case, citing his First Amendment rights. A final ruling from Jackson could come within minutes.

"I am under enormous pressure," Stone testified. "I now have TV people saying I will be raped if I go to jail. I'm having trouble putting food on the table and paying the rent." (Indeed, CNN senior political analyst David Gergen pondered on air Monday if Stone -- whom he called a "dandy" -- would be raped in prison.)

Stone deleted the Instagram photo, but later posted the same one again, this time without the apparent crosshairs, and slammed the trial in a caption.

Former campaign adviser for President Donald Trump, Roger Stone walks out of the federal courthouse following a hearing, Friday, Jan. 25, 2019, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Stone was arrested Friday in the special counsel's Russia investigation and was charged with lying to Congress and obstructing the probe. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Former campaign adviser for President Donald Trump, Roger Stone walks out of the federal courthouse following a hearing, Friday, Jan. 25, 2019, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Stone was arrested Friday in the special counsel's Russia investigation and was charged with lying to Congress and obstructing the probe. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) (Associated Press)

In court, Stone said he "didn’t recognize it as a crosshair" and "didn't notice" a crosshair in the image. Stone claimed a "volunteer" has selected the image, although Stone acknowledged reviewing the image before it was posted.

"This was a screwup," Stone said. "I admit it."

Rather than crosshairs, Stone said, he thought the image contained a "Celtic occult" symbol. But, he added, he wasn't sure what the symbol meant, because "I’m not into the occult."

CNN ANALYST PONDERS: WILL STONE BE SUBJECT TO RAPE IN PRISON?

Jackson reminded Stone before his testimony that he would be subject to government cross-examination and was under oath. Asked whether he understood the picture could be construed as a threat, Stone replied: "I now recognize that. … I can’t rationalize my thinking because I wasn’t thinking, and that’s my fault."

"I am kicking myself for my own stupidity, but not more than my wife is kicking me," Stone later told Jackson. He added that "my consulting business has dried up" and said, "I've exhausted my savings."

"This is not baseball. There will be no third chance."

— U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson

Stone acknowledged that "the posting was my responsibility, and I regret it. This was an egregious stupid error, for which I apologize again to the court."

Stone and his lawyers filed a notice on Monday night, admitting that sharing the picture wasn't appropriate and that he was sorry.

Stone pleaded not guilty last month to obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and making false statements to Congress after being indicted last month as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe, was also ordered not to travel anywhere other than Washington, the Eastern District of New York, and the Southern District of Florida while the case is pending.

Stone is not permitted to have a passport in his possession or apply for any new passport. Stone was also ordered to return to court “whenever required.”

This is a developing story. Check back soon for more updates.

Fox News' Jake Gibson and Adam Shaw contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News Politics

0 0

Watch Live: The Coup Against Trump Has Officially Failed – Now Learn How the Enemy Plans to Strike Back

Super Male Vitality

Limited Advanced Release

69.95

31.47

The all new and advanced Super Male Vitality formula uses the newest extraction technology with even more powerful concentrations of various herbs and extracts designed to be even stronger.

https://www.infowars.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/smv-200.jpg

https://www.infowarsstore.com/super-male-vitality.html?ims=jftqm&utm_campaign=IW+-+SuperMale+-STFA+-+55%25+Off+-+Widget&utm_source=Infowars+Widget&utm_medium=Widget&utm_content=IW-STFA-SuperMale-55%25off-Widget

https://www.infowarsstore.com/super-male-vitality.html?ims=jftqm&utm_campaign=IW+-+SuperMale+-STFA+-+55%25+Off+-+Widget&utm_source=Infowars+Widget&utm_medium=Widget&utm_content=IW-STFA-SuperMale-55%25off-Widget

Super Male Vitality

69.95

31.47

The all new and advanced Super Male Vitality formula uses the newest extraction technology with even more powerful concentrations of various herbs and extracts designed to be even stronger.

https://www.infowars.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/smv-200.jpg

https://www.infowarsstore.com/super-male-vitality.html?ims=jftqm&utm_campaign=IW+-+SuperMale+-STFA+-+55%25+Off+-+Widget&utm_source=Infowars+Widget&utm_medium=Widget&utm_content=IW-STFA-SuperMale-55%25off-Widget

https://www.infowarsstore.com/super-male-vitality.html?ims=jftqm&utm_campaign=IW+-+SuperMale+-STFA+-+55%25+Off+-+Widget&utm_source=Infowars+Widget&utm_medium=Widget&utm_content=IW-STFA-SuperMale-55%25off-Widget

Brain Force Plus

39.95

15.98

Flip the switch and supercharge your state of mind with the all-new Brain Force PLUS: 20% more capsules and a critically enhanced formula featuring a brand new ingredient and increased potency* – all for the same low price.

https://www.infowars.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/bf-300-1.jpg

https://www.infowarsstore.com/brain-force.html?ims=bnlem&utm_campaign=IW+-+Brain+Force+-STFA+-+60%25+Off+-+Widget&utm_source=Infowars+Widget&utm_medium=Widget&utm_content=IW-STFA-BrainForce-60%25off-Widget

https://www.infowarsstore.com/brain-force.html?ims=bnlem&utm_campaign=IW+-+Brain+Force+-STFA+-+60%25+Off+-+Widget&utm_source=Infowars+Widget&utm_medium=Widget&utm_content=IW-STFA-BrainForce-60%25off-Widget

Brain Force Plus

39.95

15.98

Flip the switch and supercharge your state of mind with the all-new Brain Force PLUS: 20% more capsules and a critically enhanced formula featuring a brand new ingredient and increased potency* – all for the same low price.

https://www.infowars.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/bf-300-1.jpg

https://www.infowarsstore.com/brain-force.html?ims=bnlem&utm_campaign=IW+-+Brain+Force+-STFA+-+60%25+Off+-+Widget&utm_source=Infowars+Widget&utm_medium=Widget&utm_content=IW-STFA-BrainForce-60%25off-Widget

https://www.infowarsstore.com/brain-force.html?ims=bnlem&utm_campaign=IW+-+Brain+Force+-STFA+-+60%25+Off+-+Widget&utm_source=Infowars+Widget&utm_medium=Widget&utm_content=IW-STFA-BrainForce-60%25off-Widget

Brain Force Plus

39.95

15.98

Flip the switch and supercharge your state of mind with the all-new Brain Force PLUS: 20% more capsules and a critically enhanced formula featuring a brand new ingredient and increased potency* – all for the same low price.

https://www.infowars.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/bf-300-1.jpg

https://www.infowarsstore.com/brain-force.html?ims=bnlem&utm_campaign=IW+-+Brain+Force+-STFA+-+60%25+Off+-+Widget&utm_source=Infowars+Widget&utm_medium=Widget&utm_content=IW-STFA-BrainForce-60%25off-Widget

https://www.infowarsstore.com/brain-force.html?ims=bnlem&utm_campaign=IW+-+Brain+Force+-STFA+-+60%25+Off+-+Widget&utm_source=Infowars+Widget&utm_medium=Widget&utm_content=IW-STFA-BrainForce-60%25off-Widget

Brain Force Plus

39.95

15.98

Flip the switch and supercharge your state of mind with the all-new Brain Force PLUS: 20% more capsules and a critically enhanced formula featuring a brand new ingredient and increased potency* – all for the same low price.

https://www.infowars.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/bf-300-1.jpg

https://www.infowarsstore.com/brain-force.html?ims=bnlem&utm_campaign=IW+-+Brain+Force+-STFA+-+60%25+Off+-+Widget&utm_source=Infowars+Widget&utm_medium=Widget&utm_content=IW-STFA-BrainForce-60%25off-Widget

https://www.infowarsstore.com/brain-force.html?ims=bnlem&utm_campaign=IW+-+Brain+Force+-STFA+-+60%25+Off+-+Widget&utm_source=Infowars+Widget&utm_medium=Widget&utm_content=IW-STFA-BrainForce-60%25off-Widget

Source: InfoWars

0 0

Cop's widow allegedly stole $410G from NYPD charity, used cash for tuition and Streisand tickets

The widow of a police officer who was killed in the line of duty -- who served as volunteer treasurer for a charity meant to benefit the families of other slain New York City police officers -- stole $410,000 that she spent on dental work, tuition, her son’s legal bills and Barbra Streisand tickets, federal prosecutors allege.

During the seven years that Lorraine Shanley, 68, of Staten Island, volunteered for Survivors of the Shield, the group received $1.9 million in donations -- mostly from employees of the New York Police Department. An average of 5,500 NYPD employees donated each year, a Department of Justice statement read.

NYPD DELETES 'COP KILLER' TWEET AFTER OFFICER IS REVEALED TO BE ALIVE

“As alleged in the complaint, Lorraine Shanley violated her position of trust at a charity and victimized families who have already sacrificed so much,” said Jonathan D. Larsen, acting head of the IRS criminal investigation division. “IRS-CI is committed to following the money and investigating those individuals who steal from charities for their own personal gain.”

“IRS-CI is committed to following the money and investigating those individuals who steal from charities for their own personal gain.”

— Jonathan D. Larsen, acting head of the IRS criminal investigation division

Shanley surrendered Thursday to federal prosecutors. She faces bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charges.

Prosecutors allege Shanley spent $29,000 for her grandchild’s private school tuition, $63,000 for legal services related to criminal charges against her son, $32,000 for dental services and more than $1,400 to see Barbra Streisand in concert.

She also allegedly wrote $45,000 in checks to family members and others, according to a criminal complaint.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“She betrayed the trust of the organization,” Kathleen Vigiano, whose husband was a detective who died rescuing people from the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, told the New York Times. “We have widows who have been on a pension since the Sixties and it’s not that high. And that money could have gone to the kids’ educations, the special needs kids, the college kids.”

If convicted, Shanley faces up to 30 years in prison.

Source: Fox News National

0 0

Bangladesh police arrest building owners over fatal blaze

Police in Bangladesh's capital have arrested two of the owners of a commercial complex that caught fire last week, killing 26 people and injuring about 70.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of the Detective Branch Shahjahan Shaju told The Associated Press early Sunday that they arrested F.R. Tower's owners Tasvir-ul-Islam and S.M.H.I. Faruque in Dhaka after police charged them with negligence and violations of a building code that resulted in casualties.

Authorities say the complex on a busy avenue in Dhaka's Banani commercial district had no fire-protected staircases and some top floors of the 22-story building were illegally constructed.

The blaze that burned for several hours Thursday trapped people inside the building, some shouting for help from windows on upper floors and the roof.

Source: Fox News World

0 0

Biden video ‘highlighted all of his weaknesses’ and shows he’s ‘out of date’: Matthew Continetti

Former Vice President Joe Biden did not do himself any favors when he released a video message addressing the controversy over his history of inappropriate touching, Washington Free Beacon editor-in-chief Matthew Continetti argued Wednesday.

In the video posted earlier in the day on Twitter, Biden promised he would be “more mindful and respectful of people’s personal space” going forward but never offered an apology to the women accusing him of making them feel uncomfortable. Since the video was released, at least three more accusers have come forward with accusations against him, making the total at least seven women.

During Wednesday's All-Star panel segment on Fox News' "Special Report with Bret Baier," Continetti -- along with Washington Times opinion editor Charles Hurt and Reuters White House correspondent Jeff Mason -- weighed in on the political fallout of Biden’s attempt at damage control as he mulls a 2020 run for president.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL SHOW

Continetti argued that you can “make a human connection” as Biden says “without sniffing somebody’s hair.”

“The video highlighted all of his weaknesses," Continetti continued. "His voice seemed frail, the production value is poor, he wasn’t framed very well, he was very pale, and he confesses that social norms have passed him by, which means he’s out of date -- which is exactly why Democrats are worried about him entering the race.

“This is another bad moment for Biden in several weeks of bad news. It makes me wonder whether he’ll actually pull the trigger and enter the race.”

“This is another bad moment for Biden in several weeks of bad news. It makes me wonder whether he’ll actually pull the trigger and enter the race.”

— Matthew Continetti, Washington Free Beacon editor-in-chief

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

But Mason told the panel that Biden was being “authentic,” pointing out that the former vice president wasn’t reading from a script and that his video message indicated that his previous statements weren’t enough and that he didn’t “feel the need to apologize.”

Meanwhile, Hurt noted how “strange” it is that former President Barack Obama hasn’t weighed in on the controversy and suggested that Obama and Biden overhyped their relationship while they were in office.

Source: Fox News Politics

0 0

China March factory activity seen contracting for fourth month

FILE PHOTO: A worker directs a crane lifting steel rails at a steel factory in Handan
FILE PHOTO: A worker directs a crane lifting steel rails at a steel factory in Handan, Hebei province, China November 23, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

March 28, 2019

BEIJING (Reuters) – Factory activity in China likely contracted for a fourth straight month in March, a Reuters poll showed, suggesting the economy is still losing steam and adding to worries about faltering global growth.

A downbeat reading, coming on the heels of the sharpest fall in industrial profits in at least 7 years, would underline the need for more stimulus as Beijing struggles to right the economy and end a bruising trade war with the United States.

The official Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) is forecast at 49.5, up slightly from February’s 49.2 but still below the 50 level separating expansion from contraction on a monthly basis, according to the median forecast of 24 economists.

Seasonal factors likely drove the uptick in the factory gauge in March as factories ramped up activity after long Lunar New Year holidays in February, analysts said. Some steel mills have also started increasing output as winter smog restrictions end.

While weakness in the headline reading is widely expected, investors and policymakers are likely to focus on whether there is any improvement in domestic orders in response to a series of growth boosting measures in recent months.

Regulators have fast tracked billions of dollars in infrastructure investment, but construction is only beginning to pick up with the return of warmer weather.

Export orders are likely to remain weak, as China’s trade-oriented neighbors Japan, South Korea and Taiwan have all seen further signs of slackening demand, both in China and elsewhere.

Tit-for-tat tariffs imposed by Washington and Beijing remain in place as they continue negotiations. But eight months into the trade war that has disrupted the flow of billions of dollars of goods between the world’s two largest economies, it is unclear if a deal acceptable to both sides can be done.

U.S. officials told Reuters on Wednesday that the United States and China have made progress in all areas under discussion in trade talks, with unprecedented movement on the touchy issue of forced technology transfers.

MORE SUPPORT MEASURES EXPECTED

Much of the data China reported for the first two months of the year pointed to a further weakening in the economy, though officials have largely attributed the declines to distortions created by the long holidays.

Growth in China’s industrial output slumped to a 17-year low in January-February from a year earlier, while investment in the manufacturing sector cooled. Data on Wednesday showed industrial profits fell 14 percent, the sharpest drop since late 2011.

But Premier Li Keqiang said on Thursday that earlier policy support measures were gaining traction, while adding that China will cut real interest rate levels and lower financing costs for Chinese companies. He did not elaborate on which interest rate he was referring to.

Earlier this month, Li announced more spending on roads, railways and ports, along with tax cuts of nearly 2 trillion yuan ($297.27 billion) to relieve pressure on strained corporate balance sheets and limit job losses.

Still, both analysts and officials have noted the measures will take some time to be felt.

Beijing is targeting economic growth of 6.0-6.5 percent this year. Actual growth cooled to 6.6 percent last year – the slowest in 28 years.

A private business survey – the Caixin/Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ index (PMI) – which focuses more on small and medium-sized Chinese firms – is expected to show a milder contraction.

The Caixin PMI is forecast to remain at 49.9 for a second month, only marginally below the neutral mark. The private survey is believed to cover smaller, private firms, which have been a key focal point for Beijing’s business support efforts.

The official PMI survey is due out ‪on March 31, along with a sister survey on services. The Caixin manufacturing PMI will come out ‪on April 1 and its services PMI ‪on April 3.

(Reporting by Stella Qiu and Ryan Woo; Editing by Kim Coghill)

Source: OANN

NOW ON AIR
Now On Air

Real News with David Knight

9:00 am 12:00 pm



Cyprus police on Friday widened their search for more victims of a suspected serial killer after the 35-year-old national guard captain told investigators he killed four more people that he previously admitted to on the small Mediterranean nation.

The count now has climbed to seven.

CYPRUS FEARS POSSIBLE SERIAL KILLER AFTER BODIES OF TWO WOMEN ARE DISCOVERED IN MINESHAFT

Authorities said they are focusing on a military firing range, a man-made lake and an abandoned mine about 20 miles west of the capital Nicosia.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades expressed “deep sorrow and concern” at the slayings and said he shared the public’s revulsion at “murders that appear to have selectively targeted foreign women who are in our country to work.”

“Such instincts are contrary to our culture’s traditions and values,” he said in a statement from China, where he was on an official visit. He urged calm so police can complete their investigation.

The scale of the alleged crimes by a Cypriot National Guard captain has horrified the small nation of over a million people, where multiple killings are rare. Five British law enforcement officials — including a coroner, a psychiatrist and investigators who specialize in multiple homicides — have been dispatched to help with the investigation.

On Thursday, the 35-year-old suspect, who can’t yet be named because he hasn’t been formally charged, told investigators that he had killed four more people than he had previously admitted to. Police said the suspect will appear in court Saturday for another custody hearing.

Cypriot investigators and police officers search a flooded mineshaft where two female bodies were found, outside of Mitsero village, near the capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Monday, April 22, 2019. Police on the east Mediterranean island nation, along with the help of the fire service, are conducting the search Monday in the wake of last week's discovery of the bodies in the abandoned mineshaft and the disappearance of the six-year-old daughter of one of the victims. 

Cypriot investigators and police officers search a flooded mineshaft where two female bodies were found, outside of Mitsero village, near the capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Monday, April 22, 2019. Police on the east Mediterranean island nation, along with the help of the fire service, are conducting the search Monday in the wake of last week’s discovery of the bodies in the abandoned mineshaft and the disappearance of the six-year-old daughter of one of the victims.  (AP)

The victims — all foreigners— include Marry Rose Tiburcio, 38, from the Philippines, whose bound body was found April 14 in a flooded mineshaft. She and her six-year-old daughter had been missing since May of last year.

The girl remains missing and authorities believe she was also slain by the suspect. Divers have entered the reservoir to search for her but have not found her body yet.

CYPRUS: GROUND NOT YET READY FOR PEACE TALKS RESUMPTION 

Authorities tracked down the officer last week by scouring Tiburcio’s online messages.

Six days later, police discovered another body April 20 in the same mineshaft, identified by Cypriot media as 28-year-old Arian Palanas Lozano, also from the Philippines.

A third alleged victim, also of Filipino descent, is 31-year-old Maricar Valtez Arquiola, who had been missing since December 2017. The suspect initially denied killing Arquiola but reversed himself after a court hearing Thursday, a police official said.

The suspect on Thursday also pointed investigators to a military firing range, where they discovered another unidentified body, which according to the suspect belongs to a woman of either Nepalese or Indian descent.

SERIAL KILLER WHO MAY HAVE COMMITTED 90 MURDERS IS LINKED TO YET ANOTHER KILLING 

Cypriot police are also looking for a Romanian mother and daughter. Cypriot media identified them as Livia Florentina Bunea, 36, and eight-year-old Elena Natalia Bunea, who are believed to have been missing since September 2016.

The man-made lake remains off-limits to a manned search because of high levels of toxic heavy metals from the copper pyrite mine, Fire Service Chief Marcos Trangolas said, adding that authorities will use other means to scour the lake.

Chief of Cypriot police Zacharias Chrysostomou, center, walks with Cypriot investigators and police officers at a flooded mineshaft where two female bodies were found, outside of Mitsero village, near the capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Monday, April 22, 2019.

Chief of Cypriot police Zacharias Chrysostomou, center, walks with Cypriot investigators and police officers at a flooded mineshaft where two female bodies were found, outside of Mitsero village, near the capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Monday, April 22, 2019. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

Cyprus police have faced criticism from immigrant activists who said they didn’t act fast enough to investigate the whereabouts of some of the victims, many of them domestic workers. The island nation has 80 unsolved missing persons cases, going back to 1990.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP

Police chief Zacharias Chrysostomou said a three-member panel has been assigned to probe whether police followed all the correct protocol in recent missing persons cases.

According to the state-run Cyprus News Agency, an investigator had told the court at an earlier hearing that the suspect admitted to killing one woman he met online after having sex with her.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Source: Fox News World

Listen to https://magaoneradio.net and Listen Daily! Don't Forget to Share Click a Link Below!
FILE PHOTO: Customers shop in a Sainsbury's store in Redhill
FILE PHOTO: Customers shop in a Sainsbury’s store in Redhill, Britain, March 27, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo

April 26, 2019

By James Davey

LONDON (Reuters) – With Sainsbury’s dream of creating Britain’s biggest supermarket group in tatters, its chastened CEO Mike Coupe needs to reassure investors he has the plan to arrest a sales decline when he presents annual results next week.

Britain’s competition regulator blocked Sainsbury’s 7.3 billion pound ($9.4 billion) takeover of Walmart’s Asda on Thursday, saying the deal would increase prices. Sainsbury’s shares fell 5 percent and are down 22 percent over the last three months.

For Sainsbury’s fourth quarter to March 9 analysts are on average forecasting a 1.6 percent fall in like-for-like sales, which would follow 1.1 percent decline over the Christmas period.

Monthly industry data from researcher Kantar has also shown Sainsbury’s as the weakest performer of the big four grocers this year and this month it lost its status as Britain’s No. 2 supermarket group by market share to Asda.

While Sainsbury’s has struggled, market leader Tesco has gained momentum, this month reporting a 34 percent jump in full year profit.

Prohibition of the deal was a major blow to Coupe, its architect and Sainsbury’s boss since 2014.

Martin Scicluna became Sainsbury’s chairman last month and when bedded-in may decide that if the group needs a major shake-up it is best carried out by a new leader.

Much will depend on the attitude of 22 percent shareholder the Qatar Investment Authority, which has so far declined to comment, as well as Coupe’s own appetite to continue after 15 years at the group.

THE RIGHT STRATEGY?

Coupe said on Thursday he was confident Sainsbury’s was pursuing the right strategy.

That was a clear indication that Wednesday’s results statement will not include radical changes to the group’s plans, such as a big margin reset — sacrificing profit to drive sales.

However, sources connected to Sainsbury’s said Coupe would likely acknowledge that more needs to be done on prices, so the supermarket business can better compete with its big four rivals – Tesco, Asda and No. 4 Morrisons – as well as German-owned discounters Aldi and Lidl.

Coupe’s strategy is based on differentiating Sainsbury’s food offer, growing its general merchandise, clothing business and bank, while investing in convenience and online channels.

Some analysts believe major change is needed.

HSBC analyst David McCarthy reckons Sainsbury’s needs a margin reset, should allocate more space for core lines and needs to drive better store standards. He said Sainsbury’s might consider closing down space in some of its larger stores and reducing its non-food offer.

For the full 2018-19 year analysts are on average forecasting a pretax profit of 626 million pounds, up from 589 million pounds in 2017-18 – a second straight year of profit growth. A full year dividend of 10.5 pence per share is forecast versus 10.2 pence last time.

Bank and lawyer fees related to the proposed combination with Asda were 17 million pounds in the first half and have reportedly jumped to around 50 million pounds.

(Reporting by James Davey; Editing by Keith Weir)

Source: OANN

Listen to https://magaoneradio.net and Listen Daily! Don't Forget to Share Click a Link Below!

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey rejected demands from a secular group to remove posts on social media where he sent Easter greetings and cited a Bible verse, offering to provide copies of the Constitution to his critics.

Ducey, who’s a practicing Catholic, has been bombarded with calls from Secular Communities for Arizona to remove the post, which included a cross, a Bible verse, and the phrase, “He is risen.”

ARIZONA’S GOP GOVERNOR WAGING WAR AGAINST OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING LAWS

The group argued the posts crossed a line into government sponsorship of religious messages and was unconstitutional.

The governor fired back at the group, saying in a tweet that he will never remove the posts or other religious ones.

“We won’t be removing this post. Ever. Nor will we be removing our posts for Christmas, Hanukkah, Rosh Hashanah, Palm Sunday, Passover or any other religious holiday,” he tweeted. “We support the First Amendment, and are happy to provide copies of the Constitution to anyone who hasn’t read it.”

Dianne Post, an attorney for the secular group, told the Arizona Republic “elected officials should not use their government position and government property to promote their religious views.”

LICENSE REQUIRED TO REPAIR DOORS? REGS SPARK HEATED DEBATE IN ARIZONA

She added the courts have repeatedly “struck down symbolism that unites government with religion,” adding that Ducey’s office must “represent and protect the rights of all residents of Arizona, including those who do not believe in a monotheistic God or any gods at all.”

Many congratulated Ducey for not backing down amid the pressure, though some Facebook users sided with the secular group and criticized the governor on his original post.

“Why do you use a government platform to bring up your personal religion?” asked one person. “Are there no citizens in your jurisdiction that believe differently from you?”

Another stipulated that the post was somewhat discriminatory. “Great sensitivity, Doug. That’s the last time this Jew votes for you,” one person wrote.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Ducey wished in a statement Arizonans last week a “blessed and joyful Easter and Passover weekend.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News Politics

Listen to https://magaoneradio.net and Listen Daily! Don't Forget to Share Click a Link Below!
FILE PHOTO: 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, Ontario, Canada, January 23, 2015. REUTERS/Mark Blinch/File Photo/File Photo

April 26, 2019

OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canada posted a budget surplus in the first 11 months of the 2018/19 fiscal year compared to a deficit the year earlier as revenues increased mostly on higher tax incomes, the finance department said on Friday.

The surplus for April-February was C$3.1 billion, compared to a deficit of C$6 billion in the same 2017/18 period. Revenues climbed by 8.5 percent, mainly due to higher tax receipts, while program expenses rose by 4.8 percent.

The surplus for February was C$4.3 billion compared with C$2.8 billion in February 2018. Revenues jumped by 12.2 percent while program expenses posted a more modest 6.9 percent gain.

Last month, the Liberals unveiled their new budget, projecting a C$14.9 billion deficit in 2018/19, with the deficit rising to C$19.8 billion in fiscal 2019/20.

(Reporting by Julie Gordon in Ottawa; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Source: OANN

Listen to https://magaoneradio.net and Listen Daily! Don't Forget to Share Click a Link Below!

President Trump said Friday he would beat Joe Biden “easily” in the 2020 presidential election, suggesting the former vice president could not have enough “energy” to hold the post—taking an apparent swipe at his age.

The president, departing the White House, was asked about Biden’s entrance into the Democratic primary field. Biden announced his presidential bid early Thursday morning, marking his third attempt at the White House.

JOE BIDEN OFFICIALLY LAUNCHES 2020 PRESIDENTIAL BID

“I think we’d beat him easily,” Trump told reporters Friday.

Trump, 72, said he feels “young” and is ready for 2020, and another term for his administration.

“I feel like a young man. I am a young, vibrant man,” Trump said. “I look at Joe, I don’t know about him.”

The president’s comments seemingly were a shot at the age of Biden, who is 76.

BIDEN ENTERS WHITE HOUSE RACE WITHOUT OBAMA’S ENDORSEMENT

“I would never say anyone’s too old,” Trump said. “I know they’re all making me look very young both in terms of age and in terms of energy.”

Biden became the 20th candidate to join the crowded Democratic primary field Thursday. But Biden is not the oldest in the pack. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is 77 and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is 69.

Should Trump be re-elected, he would be 74 on Jan. 20, 2021—Inauguration Day. Should the presidency go to one of the elder Democrats in the field—Biden would be 78; Sanders would be 79; and Warren would be 71.

Meanwhile, in a wide-ranging interview on “Hannity” Thursday night, Trump dismissed Biden’s candidacy, nicknaming him “Sleepy Joe,” and saying he’s “not the brightest bulb.” Trump also said that while the former vice president has name recognition, he won’t “be able to do the job.”

Source: Fox News Politics

Listen to https://magaoneradio.net and Listen Daily! Don't Forget to Share Click a Link Below!

Listen to https://magaoneradio.net and Listen Daily! Don't Forget to Share Click a Link Below!
Current track

Title

Artist