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Suspect accused of rape just days out of jail after alleged convenience store meltdown: reports

A California man who was being held on multiple charges related to a gas station attack last month is accused of committing sexual assault just six days after a judge ordered his release.

Richard Hernandez, 25, was arrested last month for allegedly attacking a San Jose gas station's convenience store. Video from the incident shows a visibly riled suspect appearing to throw sticks at a store employee. The suspect then storms out of the store and returns with a rock, which he throws at one of the windows.

Two employees are seen in the video chasing the suspect, then holding him until police arrive.

Hernandez was arrested on three counts of assault with a deadly weapon, San Jose's KNTV-TV reported. Prosecutors recommended that Hernandez be kept in jail pending further legal action, but a judge ordered his release on bail, the station reported.

WASHINGTON WOMAN RAPED AFTER GETTING INTO FAKE RIDE-SHARE, PERSON OF INTEREST SOUGHT, POLICE SAY

Six days later -- and less than five miles from the gas station -- Hernandez allegedly sexually assaulted a 28-year-old woman in her bedroom. He now faces felony charges of sexual battery, and sexual assault with intent to commit rape and burglary, police said.

“I didn’t know the judge would do that, with what we’ve seen with the video,” said Nilesh Bhadani, owner of the gas station. “It showed you he shouldn’t be roaming around in the streets.”

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Hernandez had allegedly caused another scene before the attack, and was arrested for refusing to leave, Bhadani said. Court records cited by KNTV indicate Hernandez has been in and out of mental health court over the past seven years.

“We deserve better than this,” Bhadani said.

The district attorney's office said it is reviewing Hernandez's multiple cases, San Francisco's KRON-TV reported.

Source: Fox News National

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Senate will vote on 'born-alive' bill, which guarantees medical care to infants who survive failed abortion

The U.S. Senate on Monday will vote on the “Born-Alive” Infants Protection Act, which guarantees medical care to infants who survive a failed abortion.

The legislation was introduced after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam made controversial remarks that angered pro-life activists. Northam defended a state bill that would make it easier to obtain a third-trimester abortion. He later said his remarks, which critics equated to infanticide, were misconstrued.

"In this particular example, if a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen: the infant would be delivered; the infant would be kept comfortable; the infant would be resuscitated if that's what the mother and the family desired. And then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother,” Northam said.

ILLINOIS BILL WILL MAKE STATE THE 'ABORTION CAPITAL OF AMERICA,' PRO-LIFE GROUP WARNS

Even if the bill passes in the Senate, it would face an uphill battle in the House, where Democrats are the majority.

The bill would require doctors to provide the same level of care to infants who survive an abortion as they would to any other infant the same gestational age. Under the bill, those who violate the law could be prosecuted.

SEN. BEN SASSE: DO YOU SUPPORT INFANTICIDE? EVERY SENATOR MUST CHOOSE WHETHER THEY DO OR NOT

“We’re talking about making sure that newborn babies are treated with dignity and receive care whether they’re born in the maternity wing or an abortion clinic,” Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse wrote inopinion piece for Fox News. “This is the bare minimum in humane treatment.”

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Source: Fox News Politics

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Hurd: Congress Should 'Claw Back' President's Emergency Funding Powers

Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas, said Sunday that Congress should “claw… back” the power it gave to presidents to skirt around Congress for funding in times of emergency.

In an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Hurd — whose district includes 820 miles along the U.S.-Mexico border — explained why he joined 12 other House Republicans in voting with Democrats to block President Donald Trump’s declaration of a national emergency to get funding for his long-promised wall.

“Ultimately the issue with the use of the word ‘emergency’ that gives the president certain powers… goes against what our Constitution has said,” Hurd said. “Congress, back before I was alive, gave this authority up, that they have the power of the purse to the executive branch in times of an emergency. I think we need to claw that back.”

He reiterated his position against a wall across the entire border — and noted Trump has too.

“What I’ve always said — and I’ve been saying this since 2002 — building a 30-foot-high concrete structure from sea to shining sea is the most expensive and least effective way to do border security,” he said. “And guess what? The president agrees. He mentioned that in one of his last announcements from the Rose Garden.”

Instead, Hurd said, Congress also needs to be “focusing on things like fixing asylum.”

“Asylum is being abused,” he declared. “That's why you're seeing an influx of families. … We should be using more technology. You can put what I call a smart wall along the border on all 2,000 miles in less than a year and gain operational control of the border, which means you know everything that's going back and forth across the border.”

Source: NewsMax Politics

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Twitter not amused by long wait for Tesla earnings

FILE PHOTO: File photo of the Twitter logo displayed on a screen on the floor of the NYSE
FILE PHOTO: The Twitter logo is displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., September 28, 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

April 24, 2019

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Twitter was ablaze on Wednesday with humorous commentary and speculation over why Tesla Inc’s first-quarter earnings release was so late. As of 5:05 p.m. ET (2105 GMT), one hour after the market close, the results still had not been released.

Here is a sampling of comments on Twitter:

“Tesla forgot to get Deepak’s password when he left and now they can’t release the earnings. 40 minute late and counting…” – @FredericLambert, referring to former Chief Financial Officer Deepak Ahuja

“TSLA has sent one of the new flawless robotaxis to deliver the earnings report, apparently.” – @NickGiva

“Maybe Tesla switched to full self accounting and it works as well as their full self driving.” – @bgrahamdisciple

“TSLA forgot to pay their WebEx Conference call bill.” – @mackandcompany

“I’m imagining Elon in a huge fight with the board right now who’s trying to convince him that he has to release the #s.” – “@EternityStake

(Reporting by Alexandria Sage; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

Source: OANN

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Foxconn’s Gou’s close China links could weigh on Taiwan election chances

Terry Gou, founder and chairman of Foxconn, looks on during an announcement of seeking the nomination of Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang party to run for the island's presidency, in Taipei
Terry Gou, founder and chairman of Foxconn, looks on during an announcement of seeking the nomination of Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang party to run for the island's presidency, in Taipei, Taiwan April 17, 2019. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

April 18, 2019

By Yimou Lee

TAIPEI (Reuters) – While Foxconn chairman Terry Gou enters Taiwan’s rancorous political arena free of any political baggage, he could yet find himself weighed down by connections to Beijing forged during his pragmatic commercial rise.

Gou, 68, announced on Wednesday that he would contest Taiwan’s 2020 presidential election, seeking to represent the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party – a vote that comes after a period of increasing tension between Beijing and the self-ruled island.

After building the world’s largest contract manufacturer from scratch over the past 40 years, Gou’s connections reach as high as Chinese President Xi Jinping and other senior officials. His $40 billion empire has an extensive Chinese footprint of factories producing components for Apple.

The network of Gou, Taiwan’s richest person, also includes extensive U.S. connections, including a friendship with President Donald Trump.

But ties with Taiwan’s key political and security backer are likely to be overshadowed by his ties to a Chinese leadership that refuses to renounce the use of force to unify with an island it considers a wayward province, some analysts and political figures say.

“Because he has a lot of wealth in China … China has some control over him,” said Shane Lee, a political scientist at Chang Jung University in Taiwan.

“So I think the U.S. government would have to be very cautious about him running for political office.”

Gou was not available for comment. Foxconn did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Many ordinary Taiwanese are fearful of the intentions of Beijing’s Communist Party towards the staunchly democratic island.

Tensions were highlighted on Monday again as Chinese bombers and warships conducted drills around the island, prompting Taiwan to scramble jets and ships to monitor the Chinese forces.

Some analysts believe that Gou’s ties with Beijing could turn off ordinary voters, who are likely to have to choose between incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party and a KMT candidate.

“He’s one of the smartest businessmen in Taiwan,” said John Brebeck, a senior adviser at Quantum International, a capital markets advisory firm.

“The problem is though is that with so much of his business enterprise in China, it may prove a liability for him with the voters, as they may not be sure where his priorities lie.”

‘TENSIONS WILL EASE’

While most Taiwanese trace their ancestry to China, there remains a clear distinction in society between those who consider themselves “native” Taiwanese, and those whose ancestors came over more recently, most in a wave of refugees who fled to Taiwan at the end of a civil war in 1949, when nationalist forces lost to the communists.

Gou’s parents were born in China and are part of that generation, though he was born in Taiwan.

The Chinese government has not commented on Gou’s decision, which has been widely reported in Chinese state media, though mostly citing Taiwanese press reports.

However, on Thursday Global Times tabloid, published by the Communist Party’s official People’s Daily, welcomed Gou’s bid for power.

“If Terry Gou becomes the leader of the Taiwan region next year, tensions between the two sides will ease, and the situation in the Taiwan Strait, in the short term, is likely to reach a turning point,” it said in an editorial.

The KMT developed closer ties with Beijing when it last held power, focusing on developing business ties. Under Tsai, who came to power in 2016, ties have deteriorated sharply.

China suspects Tsai is pushing for the island’s formal independence – a red line for Beijing. Tsai says she wants to maintain the status quo with China but will defend Taiwan’s security and democracy.

Gou met Xi in 2014 in Beijing, and he was quoted by Taiwan media in 2017 describing Xi as a great leader.

In an interview with the People’s Daily to mark China’s 40th anniversary of reforms last year, Gou said he was happy to have witnessed the changes.

He talked about how his father was from Shanxi province and mother from Guangdong, and how he had first visited China in 1987 to trace his family’s roots, the “first time I had stepped foot on the soil of the motherland”.

“While on the road I saw the scene of reforms and opening up, which made me extremely excited,” he said.

Gou also cited Xi in his interview.

“Xi Jinping has pointed out that it is necessary to promote the deep integration of information technology and the real economy … I think the general secretary’s point of view is very far-sighted.”

Some in Tsai’s DPP are already eyeing Gou’s China links as a weak spot.

Yao Chia-wen, a senior adviser to Tsai, told Reuters he thought Gou’s bid could create problems, given his business.

“He’s very pro-China and he represents the class of the wealthy people. Will that gain support from Taiwanese?” Yao said.

(Reporting By Yimou Lee in TAIPEI, additional reporting by Josh Horwitz in SHANGHAI, Ben Blanchard and Cate Cadell in BEIJING; Writing by Greg Torode and Ben Blanchard; Editing by Robert Birsel)

Source: OANN

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Supreme Court weighs Virginia racial dispute over electoral maps

FILE PHOTO: The Supreme Court stands before decisions are released for the term in Washington
FILE PHOTO: The Supreme Court is seen in Washington, U.S., May 14, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo

March 18, 2019

By Lawrence Hurley

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Supreme Court justices on Monday wrestled for the second time over whether Republican legislators in Virginia drew electoral districts in the state in a way that unlawfully diluted the clout of black voters.

The high court heard arguments in an appeal by the Republican-led state House of Delegates in defense of 11 state House districts that a lower court ruled last year violated the rights of black voters to equal protection under the law under the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment.

The case involves gerrymandering, a practice involving the manipulation of electoral district boundaries to marginalize a certain set of voters and increase the influence of others.

While the Supreme Court for decades has invalidated electoral maps due to racial gerrymandering, the justices have not yet made a definitive ruling on whether drawing legislative districts for purely partisan advantage violates the Constitution. The court will hear two major cases on that issue next week, one from North Carolina and the other from Maryland.

One way the court could resolve the Virginia racial gerrymandering dispute is to say that the House of Delegates, which sought to appeal the ruling, did not have legal standing to do so. The state’s Democratic attorney general, Mark Herring, has argued that the House cannot pursue the case independently and that only he could decide whether or not there would be an appeal.

Some of the nine justices appeared sympathetic to Herring’s argument, although it is unclear if there is a majority in favor of that outcome. Conservative Justice Samuel Alito suggested that the court could send the case to the Virginia Supreme Court to decide who can represent the state.

“I would be very uncomfortable trying to decide whether, as a matter of Virginia law, anybody other than the attorney general can ever represent the Commonwealth,” Alito said, referring to Virginia.

Morgan Ratner, a lawyer for President Donald Trump’s administration, argued that the House of Delegates does not have standing to appeal. But Ratner said that the House of Delegates is correct that the lower court used the wrong standard to assess the districts.

Democrats have accused Republicans in Virginia and other states of crafting such legislative maps in a way that crams black and other minority voters, who tend to favor Democratic candidates, into certain districts in order to reduce their overall sway in the state.

The voters who brought the lawsuit accused Republicans of packing black voters into certain districts to diminish their voting power and make surrounding districts more white and more likely to support Republicans.

Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh expressed sympathy for the Republicans who drew the maps, noting that if they assigned fewer black voters to each district “they would get hammered from the other side, saying you are discriminating against African American voters because you’re not giving the voters a sufficient opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice.”

When the litigation first reached the high court, the justices in 2017 threw out an earlier lower court ruling that had found the 11 districts, as well as one other district, to be lawful. The justices said the lower court had not sufficiently analyzed the consideration of race by the Republican legislators in the process of drawing Virginia’s electoral map.

At issue was the state legislative map drawn by Republicans after the 2010 national census. Since then, Democrats have made gains in Virginia in both state and federal elections. The current governor and attorney general are both Democrats.

Race can be considered in redrawing boundaries of voting districts only in certain instances, such as when states are seeking to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act. That law protects minority voters and was enacted to address a history of racial discrimination in voting, especially in southern states.

A ruling is due by the end of June.

(Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Will Dunham)

Source: OANN

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Merck KGaA wins Versum’s support for sweetened $6.5 billion offer

FILE PHOTO: A logo of drugs and chemicals group Merck KGaA is pictured in Darmstadt
FILE PHOTO: A logo of drugs and chemicals group Merck KGaA is pictured in Darmstadt, Germany January 28, 2016. REUTERS/Ralph Orlowski/File Photo

April 8, 2019

(Reuters) – Merck KGaA won the support of Versum Materials Inc’s board with a sweetened $6.5 billion takeover proposal, topping an agreed merger with rival Entegris.

“This proposal constitutes a ‘Superior Proposal’ as defined in Versum’s previously announced merger agreement with Entegris, Inc.,” Versum said in a statement on Monday.

On a per share basis, Merck offered $53, up from $48 previously, after reviewing business data and following meetings between Merck Chief Executive Stefan Oschmann and Versum Chairman Seifi Ghasemi, filings showed.

Entegris has the right to propose revisions to the existing merger agreement until April 11.

Versum will owe its jilted partner $140 million in termination fees if it agrees to be bought by Merck.

Versum, the former specialty chemicals division of industrial gases group Air Products, had previously opposed Merck’s overture, saying it was committed to an all-share merger with Entegris, agreed in January.

Merck last month launched a hostile all-cash takeover offer to Versum shareholders – with a price tag of $5.9 billion including debt – as the German pharma group looks to boost its presence in the semiconductor materials market.[L3N21G3QZ]

Based on about $700 million in assumed Versum debt and about 109 million shares, the increased Merck offer would be worth close to $6.5 billion.

(Additional reporting by Saumya Sibi Joseph in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D’Silva/Keith Weir)

Source: OANN

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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.

SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE’S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF OF THE DAY’S HOTTEST STORIES

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.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

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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