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China’s financial hub dream for Shanghai 2020 still distant: AmCham

A man checks phone at Lujiazui financial district in Pudong
A man checks phone at Lujiazui financial district in Pudong, Shanghai, China March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Aly Song

April 4, 2019

SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China’s commercial capital of Shanghai is still far from its goal of becoming a global financial hub by 2020 due to hurdles such as capital controls and a lack of consistent rules, a report by a U.S. business lobby group said on Thursday.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai said that for the city to become a financial center on par with London or New York, China should make its yuan currency fully convertible, improve transparency and lift internet restrictions in the city.

China’s State Council, or cabinet, announced plans a decade ago to build Shanghai into an international financial center by 2020.

The AmCham Shanghai report, titled “Shanghai 2020: A Financial Vision Unfulfilled”, drew conclusions from a recent survey with financial industry executives.

“In China, capital controls show little sign of being lifted. But unless they are, Shanghai’s international financial center status ambitions will come to naught,” said the report.

AmCham Shanghai urged China to make its currency fully convertible, arguing that otherwise, “it’s difficult to envisage Shanghai ever achieving its ambition.”

It also said Shanghai should make rules transparent and predictable in financial markets, while removing excessive regulation and creating a level playing field. 

Shanghai officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

In January, eight Chinese regulators issued an action plan for the city to become a leading global financial market by next year, state media reported.

Most respondents to the AmCham survey said it was more difficult to obtain a license in Shanghai than in other financial centers, with several executives citing the absence of recognizable “standards” in the approval process as a fundamental weakness, the report said.

They also noted the practice in Shanghai of window guidance, or unofficial instructions from regulators. Foreign banks believe such communication is provided earlier to domestic banks than to their Western peers, putting foreign businesses at a disadvantage.

“One prerequisite for international financial center status is that all banks, domestic or foreign, be treated equally,” AmCham Shanghai said.

The recommendations also included one that asked Beijing to ease internet restrictions by lifting the so-called Great Firewall in Shanghai’s financial zone to give its citizens access to Google and other sources of information, touching on one of the most politically sensitive areas in China.

“China’s internet restrictions severely handicap Shanghai’s global financial center ambitions,” the report said.

(Reporting by Samuel Shen and Brenda Goh; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)

Source: OANN

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Ukraine’s parliament adopts controversial language bill

Ukrainian lawmakers have approved a language law that seeks to increase the use of Ukrainian in a country where Russian is also widely used.

The Supreme Rada on Thursday voted overwhelmingly to support the bill which will force increased use of Ukrainian in the media and in public administration.

The office of the U.N. Human Rights Commissioner as well as the Council of Europe has expressed its concern over the previous draft of the bill, saying that it could infringe the rights of language minorities.

Most Ukrainians switch between Ukrainian and Russian effortlessly but generations of Ukrainian politicians have exploited and encouraged the language divide in this country of 45 million.

The language issue became a major point of discontent in 2014 when separatists took control of parts of eastern Ukraine after Russian officials and media fanned fears that the new pro-Western government in Kiev would be forcing the Ukrainian language on the residents in that predominantly Russian-speaking region.

The language bill was passed a day after the Kremlin said that it would be offering fast-track Russian citizenship to Ukrainians living in the areas under separatist control. President Vladimir Putin on Thursday defended his decision, saying it will help people stranded in areas where Ukrainian government services are not available.

Ukraine's president-elect Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a Russian speaker, said he favors Ukrainian as the official language but has spoken in favor of encouraging the use of Ukrainian rather than forcing it on people. He won a whopping 73% of the vote, including in the Ukrainian-speaking west of the country.

Outgoing President Petro Poroshenko who stays in office until next month said he would sign it into law.

Source: Fox News World

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U.S., Russia say cannot support a U.N. call for Libya truce: diplomats

A Libyan man walks near a house damaged by an overnight shelling in Abu Salim district in Tripoli
A Libyan man walks near a house damaged by an overnight shelling in Abu Salim district in Tripoli, Libya April 17, 2019. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah

April 18, 2019

By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The United States and Russia both said on Thursday they could not support a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Libya at this time, diplomats said, as mortar bombs crashed down on a suburb of the Libyan capital, Tripoli.

Russia objects to the British-drafted resolution blaming eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar for the latest flare-up in violence when his Libyan National Army (LNA) advanced to the outskirts of Tripoli earlier this month, diplomats said.

The United States gave no reason for its position on the draft resolution, which would also call on countries with influence over the warring parties to ensure compliance and for unconditional humanitarian aid access in Libya, which has been gripped by anarchy since Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in 2011.

The United States’ U.N. mission declined to comment and the Russian U.N. mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the United States, Britain, France, Russia or China – the so-called permanent five – to pass. It was not immediately clear if Britain would persist with negotiations on a draft next week.

The United States and Russia made their positions clear during a closed-door council briefing by U.N. Libya envoy Ghassan Salame, who diplomats said appealed for a ceasefire, warning that weapons were pouring into the country and it was heading toward a serious humanitarian situation.

The U.S. reluctance to support Security Council action is in contrast to Washington’s earlier public opposition to Haftar’s offensive, which began while U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was visiting Tripoli.

Some U.N. diplomats have suggested the United States might be trying to buy time as President Donald Trump’s administration works out how to deal with the latest developments in Libya.

“I think there are a range of views in Washington on the policy side and they haven’t reconciled them and they’re not entirely certain where the president is on it,” said a senior U.N. diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“The American system is trying to evaluate all the scenarios and work out which one is in America’s best interest and just hasn’t done that yet,” the diplomat said.

CONCERN

Haftar’s forces predicted victory within days, but Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj’s internationally recognized government has bogged them down in southern suburbs with help from armed groups from various western Libyan factions.

A united Security Council informally expressed concern on April 5, calling on all forces to de-escalate and halt military activity and specifically calling out the LNA.

In the following days, the council was unable, however, to issue a more formal statement, diplomats said, as Russia objected to a reference to the LNA, while the United States said it could not agree to a text that did not mention Haftar’s forces.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo then said in a statement on April 7 that “we have made clear that we oppose the military offensive by Khalifa Haftar’s forces and urge the immediate halt to these military operations against the Libyan capital.”

Haftar enjoys the backing of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which view him as an anchor to restore stability and combat Islamist militants, while most Western powers have supported Serraj.

Trump met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on April 9.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian spoke with Pompeo about Libya on Thursday and both agreed on the need for a “rapid” ceasefire and return to the U.N-led political process, the French foreign ministry said in a statement. Paris has given Haftar support in the past.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Additional reporting by John Irish in Paris; Editing by Peter Cooney)

Source: OANN

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Sen. Kennedy: President Trump should release all documents on FBI's involvement in 2016 election

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., is calling on President Trump to declassify all documents pertaining to the FBI’s involvement in the 2016 election and is calling on Democrats to move on from the Mueller report.

“If our chairman was to conduct hearings I would attend and I’d ask questions. I would respectfully suggest as a precursor to that, that the president… declassify, rather, all documents pertaining to the FBI’s involvement to the 2016 election,” Kennedy said on “America’s Newsroom.”

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“Here’s what I believe, I think the FBI is the premier law enforcement agency in the history of the world but i think there was some bad apples over there. There still may be. I think some of them acted on their political beliefs, some tried to hurt Trump, some tried to hurt Clinton. All I want for those people is a way, we need to get rid of them.”

Kennedy added: “If the president will declassify those documents and let everybody see them, who did what to whom, who tried to manipulate the election, then the American people will be able to make up their mind.”

RUSSIA PROBE FLASHBACK: 7 WAYS FBI ACTIONS RAISED BIAS QUESTIONS

The Louisiana senator called for the president to redact what needs to be redacted but ultimately called for the entire documents to be released so that important questions could be answered.

“How did the investigation of President Trump start? How did the investigation of Secretary Clinton start? What was the attorney general’s involvement? What was Mr. Comey’s involvement? Just release the documents,” Kennedy said. “Let us all see them, let the American people see them.”

ANDREW MCCARTHY: HOW LONG HAS MUELLER KNOWN THERE WAS NO COLLUSION

Co-host Sandra Smith asked Kennedy about the Mueller report which he said was thorough.

“This thing was a cross between an endoscopy and a colonoscopy,” Kennedy said.  “After all of this effort, Mr. Mueller concluded there was no collusion. The obstruction of justice allegations appeared to be a little closer call for him but he didn’t recommend an indictment. Now, as far as I’m concerned this is over in terms of the hearings and judiciary.”

Kennedy called on Democrats to move on to other pressing matters.

“If we focused all this energy, all this passion on trying to reduce the cost of health insurance in America, on trying to reduce our debt, on trying to balance the budget, on trying to cut the waste out of spending, on trying to contain China’s rise in a peaceful way.  Imagine what we could accomplish,” Kennedy said.

Source: Fox News Politics

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China says humanitarian aid should not be forced into Venezuela

People wait with their vehicles at a checkpoint set up by Venezuelan security forces in Taguanes, Venezuela
People wait with their vehicles at a checkpoint set up by Venezuelan security forces in Taguanes, Venezuela, February 21, 2019. REUTERS/Andres Martinez Casares

February 22, 2019

BEIJING (Reuters) – Humanitarian aid should not be forced into Venezuela, lest it cause violence, China’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday, warning that Beijing opposed military intervention in the country.

Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro threatened to close the border with Colombia on Thursday as opposition leader Juan Guaido and some 80 lawmakers ran a gauntlet of roadblocks trying to get to the frontier to receive humanitarian aid.

Guaido, who is recognized by dozens of countries as Venezuela’s legitimate head of state, was poised for a showdown with Maduro’s government on Saturday, when the opposition will attempt to bring in food and medicine being stockpiled in neighboring countries.

Maduro denies there is a humanitarian crisis and said on Thursday he was considering closing Venezuela’s key border with Colombia and would close the country’s other main border with Brazil, effectively shutting off any legal land access.

Speaking at a daily news conference, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said that the Venezuelan government had “remained calm and exercised restraint”, effectively preventing large-scale clashes.

“If so-called aid material is forced into Venezuela, and then if it causes violence and clashes, it will have serious consequences. This is not something anyone wants to see,” Geng said.

“China opposes military intervention in Venezuela, and opposes any actions causing tensions or even unrest,” he said.

Maduro retains the backing of both Russia and China.

Beijing has lent more than $50 billion to Venezuela through oil-for-loan agreements over the past decade, securing energy supplies for its fast-growing economy.

A change of government in Venezuela would favor Russia and China, who are the country’s two main foreign creditors, Guaido told Reuters in an interview last month.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; editing by Darren Schuettler)

Source: OANN

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Coast Guard leader: More money needed to keep service viable

The commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard says the service is about to award a contract for a much-needed new icebreaker, but additional vessels are needed along with more funding for operations and infrastructure.

Adm. Karl Schultz outlined the state of the Coast Guard in a speech Thursday to personnel at its base in the Port of Los Angeles.

Schultz says he appreciates the funding in the fiscal 2019 budget and in President Donald Trump's 2020 budget request. But he says the Coast Guard has deferred maintenance, a strained and undersize workforce and a backlog of more than $1.7 billion in shore infrastructure needs.

Its only working heavy icebreaker is 43 years old.

Shultz also announced initiatives to create better conditions for female and minority service members.

Source: Fox News National

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Politicians look to separate Chicago from Illinois to create 51st state

The so-called "Second City" may eventually become the next state, after frustration regarding Chicago's influence over politics in Illinois.

A group of state Republican lawmakers recently signed on to legislation proposing the nation's third-largest city become the 51st state.

"It's more of a frustration of the policies than the true belief that Chicago and Illinois would be better off as separate states," Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer told the State Journal-Register. "I don't believe that Chicago and the state of Illinois should be separated. Our relationship is mutually beneficial."

CHICAGO IS MOST CORRUPT BIG CITY, ILLINOIS THIRD MOST CORRUPT STATE IN COUNTRY, STUDY FINDS

Davidsmeyer said he co-sponsored the legislation to spark a discussion about how the city's politics impact rural residents in downstate Illinois.

“The reality is the city of Chicago is competing with New York City and L.A. and San Francisco, and (downstate is) competing against rural Indiana and rural Missouri,” he told the State Journal-Register. “The policies that come down from Chicago are actually pushing our economic opportunity away.”

A central Illinois lawmaker is sponsoring legislation proposing the separation of Chicago from Illinois to spark discussion about the overarching influence of the city in state politics.

A central Illinois lawmaker is sponsoring legislation proposing the separation of Chicago from Illinois to spark discussion about the overarching influence of the city in state politics. (AP)

Forming a new state from a portion of a current state requires endorsement from Congress and the state legislature, according to the U.S. Constitution.

The bill, HR0101, was introduced in February by state Rep. Brad Halbrook, who said he supports removing the city of 2.7 million people from Illinois because of differing views on issues such as abortion and gun rights.

“Our traditional family values seem to be under attack at every angle,” Halbrook told the Journal-Register. “We are trying to drive the discussion to get people at the table to say these are not our values down here.”

Part of the bill states that: “Numerous counties in the southern and central parts of Illinois are approving resolutions to become sanctuary counties for gun owners, while the City of Chicago has some of the strictest gun laws in the country."

Halbrook co-sponsored a similar resolution filed last year that failed. This year's attempt has even less of a chance of succeeding and getting out of the Rules Committee in the Democratic-controlled legislature as Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the leaders of the state House and Senate are all Democrats from Chicago.

"When you have a large population center that seems to control the agenda for the rest of the state, it just kind of creates some issues," he told the paper.

CHICAGO REDUCES MURDER RATE IN 2018, BUT LEVEL STILL OUTSTRIPS LA AND NY COMBINED

A report in February from the University of Illinois at Chicago found that Chicago was still the top in the ranking of the most corrupt big cities in the nation and Illinois the third most corrupt state in the nation.

An Illinois lawmaker says that Chicago needs to recognize how its policies impact rural residents of the state.

An Illinois lawmaker says that Chicago needs to recognize how its policies impact rural residents of the state. (iStock)

The tension between urban and rural areas isn't exclusive to Illinois. The same has occurred in New York and California, according to a paper published last year by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University.

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John Jackson, a visiting professor at the institute and co-author of the paper, told the Journal-Register it was odd that the resentment has persisted in Illinois, but many politicians from southern and central parts of the state often "run against Chicago."

"We ought to have leaders who get together and coalesce for the good of the state," he told the paper.

Davidsmeyer said since the resolution has been introduced, it's spurred a greater discussion about how big an influence Chicago politics has over Illinois.

“People say Chicago’s a huge economy, there’s no way you can survive without them, (but) I have people on the other side saying Chicago’s killing us with their policies, we need to separate,” he said. “I’m one of the people in the middle saying let’s see both sides of it.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News National

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FILE PHOTO: Small toy figures are seen in front of a displayed Huawei and 5G network logo in this illustration picture
FILE PHOTO: Small toy figures are seen in front of a displayed Huawei and 5G network logo in this illustration picture, March 30, 2019. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

April 26, 2019

By Charlotte Greenfield

WELLINGTON (Reuters) – China’s Huawei Technologies said Britain’s decision to allow the firm a restricted role in building parts of its next-generation telecoms network was the kind of solution it was hoping for in New Zealand, where it has been blocked from 5G plans.

Britain will ban Huawei from all core parts of 5G network but give it some access to non-core parts, sources have told Reuters, as it seeks a middle way in a bitter U.S.-China dispute stemming from American allegations that Huawei’s equipment could be used by Beijing for espionage.

Washington has also urged its allies to ban Huawei from building 5G networks, even as the Chinese company, the world’s top producer of telecoms equipment, has repeatedly said the spying concerns are unfounded.

In New Zealand, a member of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network that includes the United States, the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) in November turned down an initial request from local telecommunication firm Spark to include Huawei equipment in its 5G network, but later gave the operator options to mitigate national security concerns.

“The proposed solution in the UK to restrict Huawei from bidding for the core is exactly the type of solution we have been looking at in New Zealand,” Andrew Bowater, deputy CEO of Huawei’s New Zealand arm, said in an emailed statement.

Spark said it has noted the developments in Britain and would raise it with the GCSB.

The reports “suggest the UK is following other European jurisdictions in taking a considered and balanced approach to managing supplier-related security risks in 5G”, Andrew Pirie, Spark’s corporate relations lead, said in an email.

“Our discussions with the GCSB are ongoing and we expect that the UK developments will be a further item of discussion between us,” Pirie added.

New Zealand’s minister for intelligence services, Andrew Little, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

British culture minister Jeremy Wright said on Thursday that he would report to parliament the conclusions of a government review of the 5G supply chain once they had been taken.

He added that the disclosure of confidential discussions on the role of Huawei was “unacceptable” and that he could not rule out a criminal investigation into the leak.

The decisions by Britain and Germany to use Huawei gear in non-core parts of 5G network makes it harder to prove Huawei should be kept out of New Zealand telecommunication networks, said Syed Faraz Hasan, an expert in communication engineering and networks at New Zealand’s Massey University

He pointed out Huawei gear was already part of the non-core 4G networks that 5G infrastructure would be built on.

“Unless there is a convincing argument against the Huawei devices … it is difficult to keep them away,” Hasan said.

(Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Himani Sarkar)

Source: OANN

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FILE PHOTO: The logo commodities trader Glencore is pictured in Baar
FILE PHOTO: The logo of commodities trader Glencore is pictured in front of the company’s headquarters in Baar, Switzerland, July 18, 2017. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

April 26, 2019

(Reuters) – Glencore shares plunged the most in nearly four months on Friday after news overnight that U.S. regulators were investigating whether the miner broke some rules through “corrupt practices”.

Shares of the FTSE 100 company fell as much as 4.2 percent in early deals, and were down 3.5 percent at 310.25 pence by 0728 GMT.

On Thursday, Glencore said the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission is investigating whether the company and its units have violated some provisions of the Commodity ExchangeAct and/or CFTC Regulations.

(Reporting by Muvija M in Bengaluru)

Source: OANN

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Well, Joe Biden didn’t exactly clear the field.

I don’t think it matters much that Biden waited until yesterday to become the 20th Democrat vying for the nomination, even though it exposed him to weeks of attacks while he seemed to be dithering on the sidelines.

A much greater warning sign, in my view, is the largely negative tone surrounding his debut. He is, after all, a former vice president, highly praised by Barack Obama, who has consistently led in the early primary polls, and beating President Trump in head-to-head matchups. Yet much of the press is acting like he’s an old codger and it’s just a matter of time before he keels over politically.

This is all the more remarkable in light of the fact that the vast majority of journalists and pundits know and like Joe Biden and his gregarious personality.

The reason is that Biden, after a half-century in politics, lacks excitement, and the press is magnetically attracted to novel and unorthodox types like Beto and Mayor Pete. You don’t see Biden on the cover of Vanity Fair, and a grind-it-out win by a conventional warrior doesn’t set journalistic hearts racing.

JOE BIDEN ANNOUNCES 2020 PRESIDENTIAL BID: 3 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE FORMER VICE PRESIDENT

For many in the media, Biden isn’t liberal enough, at least not for the post-Obama era. He doesn’t promise free college and free health care and has a history of working with Republicans, such as John McCain (whose daughter Meghan loves him, and Biden will hit “The View” today.)

What’s more, Biden’s campaign style — speak at rallies, rack up union endorsements — seems hopelessly old-fashioned when we measure popularity by Instagram followers. News outlets are predicting he’ll have trouble getting in the online fundraising game, leaving him reliant on big donors, which used to be standard practice.

And then there’s the age thing. Biden would be the oldest president to be inaugurated, at 78, and he looked a step slow in encounters with reporters yesterday and a few weeks ago.

But what if the journalists are in something of a Twitter bubble, and the actual Democratic Party is much more moderate? We saw that with the spate of allegations by women of unwanted touching, which dominated news coverage until polls showed that most Dem voters weren’t concerned. In that wider world, the Scranton guy’s connection to white, working-class voters could help him against Trump in the industrial Midwest.

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Biden denounced the president’s term as an “aberrant moment” in his launch video, saying four more years would damage the country’s character and “I cannot stand by and watch that happen.”

But first, he’d have to win the nomination in the face of an unenthusiastic press corps.

A New York Times news story said Biden would be “marshaling his experience and global stature in a bid to lead a party increasingly defined by a younger generation that might be skeptical of his age and ideological moderation.”

The Washington Post quoted Democratic strategists as saying that Biden faces an “uphill battle” and “isn’t necessarily the heir apparent to Obama, despite being his No. 2 in the White House for eight years. They argue voters will judge Biden by the span of his decades-long career and are worried the veteran pol hasn’t yet found a winning formula for his own candidacy.”

The liberal Slate said the ex-veep’s rivals view him as a “paper tiger”:

“Biden is something more like a 2016 Jeb Bush: a weak establishment favorite whose time might be past … Biden’s biggest challenge in the primary will be a compromised past spanning nearly 50 years.”

“Compromised” suggests a history of scandal, yet what Slate means is political baggage, such as his backing of a Clinton-era crime bill unpopular with black voters today. Yet I think the rank and file isn’t as concerned about a vote back in 1994, or even the Anita Hill hearings, as the chattering classes.

BIDEN’S SENATE RECORD, ADVOCACY OF 1994 CRIME BILL WILL BE USED AGAINST HIM, EX-SANDERS STAFFER SAYS

One of the few left-leaning pundits to suggest the press is underestimating Biden is data guru Nate Silver at 538:

“Media coverage could nonetheless be a problem for Biden. Within the mainstream media, the story of Biden winning the nomination will be seen as boring and anticlimactic. That tends not to lead to favorable coverage. Meanwhile, some left-aligned media outlets may prefer candidates who are some combination of more leftist, more wonkish, more reflective of the party’s diversity, and more adept on social media.

“If Biden is framed as being out of touch with today’s Democratic Party and that narrative is repeated across a variety of outlets, it could begin to resonate with voters who don’t buy it initially. If he’s seen as a gaffe-prone candidate, then minor missteps on the campaign trail could be blown up into big fumbles.”

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Look, it’s entirely possible that Biden could stumble, get lapped in fundraising and just be outclassed by younger and savvier rivals. He was hardly a great candidate in 1987 and in 2008.

But if the former vice president finds his footing and the field narrows, the press will be forced to change its tune, and we’ll see a spate of stories about how Joe Biden has “grown.”

Source: Fox News Politics

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South Africa's 400m Olympic gold medallist and world record holder Wayde van Niekerk looks on as he attends South African Championships in Germiston
South Africa’s 400m Olympic gold medallist and world record holder Wayde van Niekerk looks on as he attends South African Championships in Germiston, South Africa, April 25, 2019. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

April 26, 2019

GERMISTON, South Africa (Reuters) – Olympic 400 meters champion Wayde van Niekerk has backed South African compatriot Caster Semenya in her battle with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which now appears to have taken a new twist.

Semenya, a double 800 meters Olympic gold medalist, is waiting for the outcome of her appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to halt the introduction of new regulations by governing body IAAF that would require her to take medicine to limit her natural levels of testosterone.

The IAAF wants female athletes with differences of sexual development who run in events from 400 meters to a mile, to reduce their blood testosterone level to below five (5) nmol/L for a period of six months before they can compete, saying they have an unfair advantage.

“She’s fighting for something beyond just track and field, she’s fighting for woman in sports, in society and I respect her for that,” Van Niekerk told reporters.

“I will support her and with the hard work and talent that she’s been putting into the sport. With what she believes in and what she’s dreaming for, I’ve got a lot of respect for her.

“I really hope and pray that everything just goes from strength to strength for her.”

Semenya has sprung a surprise at the on-going South African Athletics Championships though, ditching the 800 meters and instead competing over 1,500 and 5,000-metres – the latter one would not require her to medically lower her testosterone level.

She stormed to victory in the 5,000-metres final in a modest time of 16:05.97, but looked to have lots left in the tank as she passed the finish line.

Semenya beat fellow Olympian and defending national 5,000m champion Dominique Scott in Thursday’s final but the latter admitted she is unsure whether the 800m specialist could be a serious Olympic contender over the longer distance.

“Honestly‚ I have no idea‚” Scott said. “Before today I probably would have said no. It’s hard to compare a 5,000 at altitude to a 5,000 at sea level.

“But I think she’s an amazing runner and I don’t think there’s any limit or ceiling on what she can do.”

Van Niekerk, the 400m world record holder, had to abort his comeback from a knee injury, that had sidelined him for 18 months, following a combination of cold weather and a wet track.

“We are trying to take the correct decisions now early in the year so as not to put myself in any harm,” he said.

“It was a bit chilly this entire week prepping and coming through here as well it was quite cold and it caused bit of tightness in my leg. We decided to not risk it.

“My recovery is going well and I would like to be back in competition this year, but will only do so if I can deliver a good performance.

“I am a competitor and respect my opponents, so I need to be at my best when I return.”

(Reporting by Nick Said, additional reporting by Siyabonga Sishi; editing by Sudipto Ganguly)

Source: OANN

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The suspected leader of the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka died in the Shangri-La hotel, one of six hotels and churches targeted in the attacks that killed at least 250 people, authorities said.

Police said Mohamed Zahran, leader of the National Towheed Jamaat militant group, had been killed in one of the bombings. The group’s second in command was also arrested, police said.

Zahran amassed an online following for his hate-filled sermons. Some were delivered before a banner depicting the Twin Towers.

Sri Lankan authorities said Friday that Islamic cleric Mohammed Zahran died in the blast at the Shangri-La hotel during the Easter Sunday atatcks that killed at least 250 people. 

Sri Lankan authorities said Friday that Islamic cleric Mohammed Zahran died in the blast at the Shangri-La hotel during the Easter Sunday atatcks that killed at least 250 people.  (YouTube)

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Friday that the attackers responsible for the bombings were supported by the Islamic State group. Around 140 people in Sri Lanka had connections to ISIS, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said.

“We will completely control this and create a free and peaceful environment for people to live,” he said.

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Investigators determined the attackers received military training from someone called “Army Mohideen.” They also received weapons training overseas and at some locations in Sri Lanka, according to authorities.

A copper factory operator arrested in connection with the bombings helped Mohideen make improvised explosive devices, police said. The bombings have led to increased security throughout the island nation as authorities warned of another attack.

Source: Fox News World

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