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California GOP picks Latina woman to lead historic 'Republican comeback'

The California Republican Party chose 38-year-old Jessica Patterson as its leader on Monday, and the first-ever woman to chair the state GOP wasted no time in vowing to "take the fight to Democrats" and lead a "Republican comeback" in the liberal stronghold.

Patterson's appointment comes as state Democrats are foundering on a series of high-profile issues on the national stage, with the White House suggesting it will sue the state to reclaim billions of federal dollars wasted on the state's constantly delayed -- and eventually abandoned -- high-speed rail project.

"Let's serve notice to the Democrats in California that we are back and we are ready to deliver on the Republican comeback," Patterson, who also became the first Latina to ever chair the state GOP, said after winning. "Then let's dig in and make it happen."

She added: "We’re going to take the fight to Democrats. We’re going to fight them in the press, at community gatherings ... and we’re going to beat them in elections.”

Patterson has a lengthy career in Republican politics, and previously directed the organization California Trailblazers, which prepares new candidates to run for office. She previously worked for the administrations of former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as the campaign of gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman, among others.

Jessica Patterson, candidate for chair of the California Republican Party, speaks to delegates after her nomination during the party convention in Sacramento, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. (AP Photo/Steve Yeater)

Jessica Patterson, candidate for chair of the California Republican Party, speaks to delegates after her nomination during the party convention in Sacramento, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. (AP Photo/Steve Yeater)

The state, however, has shifted markedly leftward in recent years. California Democrats hold all statewide offices and a veto-proof supermajority in the state legislature, and Republicans have not won statewide office since 2006. The GOP ranks as third party status in voter registration behind Democrats and independents.

The 2018 election pushed the party further toward the brink of extinction in the nation's most populous state, with Democrats flipping seven U.S. House seats once considered GOP strongholds and Republicans holding less than a quarter of state legislative seats.

"We're going to be about one thing: Winning."

— Jessica Patterson

The results stunned Republicans, with then-House Speaker Paul Ryan calling the outcome "bizarre." Despite holding substantial leads on Election Day, many Republican candidates in California saw their advantage shrink, and then disappear, as late-arriving Democratic votes were counted in the weeks following the election.

HOW A MINOR CHANGE IN CALIFORNIA'S ELECTION LAW MAY HAVE DOOMED REPUBLICANS' CHANCES

Some Republicans blamed a newly legal practice called "ballot harvesting." Two years ago, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law AB1921, which legalized the so-called practice of “ballot harvesting.” Previously, only a family member or someone living in the same household was permitted to drop off mail ballots for a voter, but the new allowed anyone – including political operatives – to collect and return them for a voter.

But without substantive evidence of electoral misconduct, the California Republican Party's delegates had to look inward and decide where the party would go next with its leadership. A majority of about 1,200 delegates chose Patterson, who previously headed a Republican candidate recruitment and training program.

Patterson argued bringing the Republican message into new communities would be the key to success and said she would push candidates to focus on California issues rather than the president's message.

Her two rivals, former state Assemblyman Travis Allen and party activist Steve Frank, said energizing the party base that loves President Trump was the key to success. Both are strident backers of the president.

Stephen R. Frank, candidate for chair of the California Republican Party, speaks to delegates after his nomination during the party convention in Sacramento, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. (AP Photo/Steve Yeater)

Stephen R. Frank, candidate for chair of the California Republican Party, speaks to delegates after his nomination during the party convention in Sacramento, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. (AP Photo/Steve Yeater)

But Patterson had the backing of most elected officials, including top Trump supporters like GOP House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. She was viewed as the candidate better prepared to raise money and do the grunt work required of a chair.

Her opponents argued she represents more of the same leadership that led the party into decline. Both charged the state party has not advocated for strong conservative values and shied away from full-throated Trump support. Allen came in second and Frank placed third.

CALIFORNIA NEWS CREW SURPRISED AS ROBBERS DRIVE UP, ROB THEM, SHOOT THEIR GUARD IN LEG

"California Republicans are every bit as Republican as Republicans across the country," Allen said in an interview last week. "It's about time we have a Republican party that stands for our values, our ideals and supports our Republican president."

After the vote, Allen said only that he hopes "the Republican party starts fighting again for the good of all Californians."

Patterson said prior to the election she supports Trump. Beyond McCarthy, she had the backing of key Trump supporters such as U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes and the state's two Republican National Committee members.

Jessica Patterson, right, shares a moment with her mother Julie Millan, after being nominated for chair of California Republican Party during their convention in Sacramento, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. (AP Photo/Steve Yeater)

Jessica Patterson, right, shares a moment with her mother Julie Millan, after being nominated for chair of California Republican Party during their convention in Sacramento, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. (AP Photo/Steve Yeater)

But some of Trump's most fervent California supporters were disappointed by the outcome. Stephanie Sporcich, a teacher, said she got involved with the state party because of Trump's election. She cast her vote for Allen, and saw the chairmanship race as a battle between the grassroots and the establishment.

"We're the ones that are the strongest Trump supporters with Trump values," she said, adding she and other new activists have already successfully infiltrated the party structure and will keep working to do so.

ANALYSIS: CALIFORNIA POLITICS WILL GET CRAZY IN 2019. WHAT'S THE SILVER LINING FOR THE GOP?

But Elizabeth Patock, another teacher, liked Patterson's focus on bringing "non-traditional Republicans" into the party. Patock did not vote for Trump and said she dislikes how ugly national politics have become.

She said Patterson "has a positive message."

U,S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson speaks to delegates during the California Republican Party convention in Sacramento, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. (AP Photo/Steve Yeater)

U,S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson speaks to delegates during the California Republican Party convention in Sacramento, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. (AP Photo/Steve Yeater)

Patterson is the first Latina to lead the state party. She did not make her personal heritage a major piece of her campaign, but said the party needs to use "new messengers."

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California Republicans have struggled to appeal to the state's growing Latino and Hispanic population because of the party's position on illegal immigration, among other things. Patterson did not provide specifics Sunday on how she will deal with that issue.

As a gesture of goodwill, she named Frank and Allen as co-chairs of a voter registration committee. Both had highlighted the party's outsourcing of voter registration activities as a major flaw. And she called for unity among California Republicans.

"Our success will be a team effort, no egos, no personal agenda, no drama," she said. "We're going to be about one thing: Winning."

Fox News' Alex Pappas and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News Politics

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1 dead, 2 missing as extreme flooding hinders rescues across Midwest

At least one person is dead and two more are missing after extreme flooding from snowmelt and heavy rains continued to overwhelm most of the Midwest, hindering rescue efforts on Saturday.

James Wilke, 50, died Thursday in Nebraska while trying to rescue a stranded driver using his tractor, family members said. The bridge he was on collapsed and his body was later found downstream.

NEBRASKA FARMER WHO DIED TRYING TO RESCUE A STRANGER FROM FLOODWATERS IS HAILED AS A HERO

Two other people in Nebraska were reported missing because of rising floodwaters. One man was last seen on top of his flooded car late Thursday before being swept away. Another man was carried away by floodwaters when a dam on the Niobrara River collapsed.

Looking southwest toward Waterloo, Neb., high waters from the Elkhorn River cover Maple Street on Saturday. (Jeff Bundy/Omaha World-Herald via AP)

Looking southwest toward Waterloo, Neb., high waters from the Elkhorn River cover Maple Street on Saturday. (Jeff Bundy/Omaha World-Herald via AP)

The dangerous floodwaters come after days of snow and rain swept through the West and Midwest, setting records in Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota.

On Saturday rescue efforts were stifled in Omaha after levee breaches and washouts of bridges and roads prevented officials from reaching people in need.

Authorities confirmed that a bridge crossing the Elkhorn River washed out Saturday. In Freemont, west of Omaha, the Dodge County Sheriff's Office issued a mandatory evacuation for some residents after floodwaters broke through a levee along the Platte River. And in Mills County, Iowa, authorities ordered people in some rural areas to evacuate after the Missouri River overtopped levees.

Dodge street is closed from flood waters on Saturday March 16, 2019 in Omaha Neb. (Jeff Bundy/Omaha World-Herald via AP)

Dodge street is closed from flood waters on Saturday March 16, 2019 in Omaha Neb. (Jeff Bundy/Omaha World-Herald via AP)

Officials in Sarpy County said Saturday that power may be shut off to communities along the Missouri, Platte and Elkhorn Rivers for safety reasons.

Farther east, the Mississippi River saw moderate flooding in Illinois from Rock Island south to Gladstone. Meteorologist Brian Pierce with the National Weather Service's Quad Cities office in Davenport, Iowa, said flooding on the Mississippi could get worse in early April, as more snow melts in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

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"What we're having now is the dress rehearsal for the main event that's going to happen in early April," he said of the flooding on the Mississippi.

Rising waters along the Pecatonica and Rock Rivers flooded some homes in the northern Illinois cities of Freeport, Rockford and Machesney Park. The weather service said record crests were possible along the rivers, with water levels forecast to continue to rise over the next several days and remain above flood stage through most of the weekend.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News National

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Respite for banks as payouts for mis-sold insurance fall

The logo of RBS bank is seen reflected in the windows of a branch of the bank in the City of London financial district in London
FILE PHOTO: The logo of RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) bank is seen reflected in the windows of a branch of the bank in the City of London financial district in London September 4, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville

April 18, 2019

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s lenders are starting to put the most costly consumer scandal to hit the industry behind it, with payouts for mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI) falling in the second half of 2018 ahead of an August deadline for claims.

Firms paid 1.99 billion pounds ($2.59 billion) in compensation to customers for mis-sold PPI over the period, down 14 percent on the first half of the year and 3 percent lower than the same period in 2017.

The number of complaints about PPI also fell, down 8 percent on the first half to 1.72 million, according to the latest figures from watchdog the Financial Conduct Authority published on Thursday.

This helped pull down the overall number of complaints against financial firms by 5 percent.

The slowdown in PPI complaints will come as a relief for banks, including RBS and Lloyds, which have already paid out more than 30 billion pounds in redress to customers since 2007.

PPI policies were meant to protect borrowers in the event of sickness or unemployment but were often sold to those who would have been ineligible to claim.

PPI claims had previously surged following an FCA advertising campaign launched in August 2017 featuring the animatronic head of actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, ahead of this August’s deadline.

Despite the fall, PPI remained the most complained about product, accounting for 40 percent of all complaints.

Complaints about current accounts also fell 13 percent, after a jump in the first half in part caused by a major IT failure at challenger bank TSB, a subsidiary of Spain’s Sabadell.

Complaints about credit cards, the third most complained about product, bucked the trend rising 10 percent.

Christopher Woolard, executive director of strategy and competition at the FCA, said: “It is encouraging to see that complaint figures have dropped and firms are dealing with complaints more quickly.”

(Reporting by Iain Withers; editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)

Source: OANN

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China aims to make Belt and Road sustainable, prevent debt risks: finance minister

Chinese Finance Minister Liu Kun attends a news conference during the ongoing NPC in Beijing
FILE PHOTO: Chinese Finance Minister Liu Kun attends a news conference during the ongoing National People's Congress (NPC), China's parliamentary body, in Beijing, China March 7, 2019. REUTERS/Jason Lee

April 25, 2019

BEIJING (Reuters) – China aims to make the Belt and Road Initiative sustainable and prevent debt risks, finance minister Liu Kun said at a forum on Thursday, adding that Beijing will support financing via multiple channels.

Yi Gang, the central bank governor, said at the Belt and Road Forum that local currencies will be used for investments related to China’s Belt and Road Initiative to curb exchange rate risks.

China will follow market principles and rely on commercial funds for Belt and Road financing, Yi said.

(Reporting by Kevin Yao; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)

Source: OANN

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Former California Democratic Party chair Eric Bauman named in sexual assault lawsuit

The California Democratic Party was hit Wednesday with a lawsuit by a former employee who alleged that the party’s former chairman groped and sexually assaulted him.

William Floyd, who served an assistant to former CDP Chairman Eric Bauman, alleges in the lawsuit that his former boss performed oral sex on him without his consent on at least three occasions and threatened him – allegedly telling Floyd “If you cross me, I will break you.”

The 28-year-old Floyd's lawsuit seeks damages for lost income, emotional distress and pain and suffering, along with punitive damages and attorneys’ fees. The suit names the CDP and the Los Angeles County Democratic Party – arguing that the two parties did nothing to stop Bauman’s alleged behavior and retained him in “conscious disregard of the rights and well-being of others.”

CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR RESIGNS AMID SEXUAL MISCONDUCT CLAIMS 

“We have not yet been formally served with this lawsuit and have only learned about the filing of it through media inquiries this evening,” said Neal S. Zaslavsky, Bauman’s attorney, according to the Los Angeles Times. “As with the other pending matter, Mr. Bauman will not be trying this case in the media. Mr. Bauman denies the allegations in the complaint and looks forward to complete vindication once the facts come out.”

Bauman resigned from his post as CDP chair last November amid a slew of sexual misconduct allegations leveled against him.

Bauman, who allegedly made sexually explicit comments while at work and sometimes touched staffers without permission, said it was “in everyone’s best interest” for him to step down from his post.

Multiple staffers said that Bauman, the party’s first openly gay chairman, would often make sexual comments to men and women at work.

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One woman told the newspaper Bauman said he wanted to have sex with her and suggested she would have been a gay man in a previous life.

Grace Leekley, a 21-year-old temporary worker in the party’s communications department, said she arranged for her own transportation when the party traveled around the state with candidates earlier this month because she did not want to be on a bus with Bauman.

At a lunch on the trip, she claimed Bauman asked her and another woman if they were having an affair in front of other colleagues. Although they said no, Bauman allegedly continued to press the pair.

Fox News' Matt Richardson contributed to this report. 

Source: Fox News Politics

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Machado says Padres were the complete package

MLB: San Deigo Padres-Manny Machado
Feb 22, 2019; Peoria, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) answers questions from the media during an introductory press conference at the Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

February 22, 2019

Manny Machado was unveiled at an introductory press conference on Friday and expressed how thrilled he is to be a member of the San Diego Padres.

Machado received a 10-year, $300 million deal to sign with the Padres but it was more than the big pile of cash that swayed his decision.

“I liked the game plan, from ownership to front office to the coaching staff to the players,” Machado said during a press conference in Peoria, Ariz. “The whole ‘shabam’ was so perfect.”

One of the revelations from Machado is that he is perfectly fine playing third base for the Padres.

Machado was vocal last season about how he intended to play shortstop. But while doing his homework, he understood that San Diego that has one of the top prospects in the majors on the fast track in shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr.

“That was definitely a big part of our conversation, face to face,” Padres general manager A.J. Preller said. “The biggest thing he kept coming back to was wanting to win. He said, ‘If your best club is someone else at shortstop … I’m open to playing third base.'”

Machado recalled the tutelage he got from former Baltimore Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy when he was on the verge of reaching the majors in 2012.

“I’m just coming here, playing third base, trying to help him out like J.J. Hardy helped me out when I got called up,” Machado said. “He was a big influence. I got my (first) Gold Glove because of J.J. having that influence. Hopefully I can do the same for (Tatís).”

Machado was a four-time All-Star with Baltimore and won two Gold Glove Awards. He has topped 30 homers in each of the past four seasons and matched his career high of 37 last season when he split time between the Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 26-year-old Machado already has 175 career homers and feels the best is about to come.

“This is just the beginning,” Machado said. “Obviously, I have put up consistent numbers as everyone knows, but at the end of the day it’s about winning games. I know the production is going to be up there. I’m going to bring it every day.

“But at this point in my career, it’s about the numbers and helping your team win, but helping others out around you makes everyone else better … makes the team better … makes the whole organization better.”

Machado’s mood dipped when a reporter asked about the “Johnny Hustle” controversy from last year’s postseason, as well as a situation where he nearly stepped on the foot of Milwaukee first baseman Jesus Aguilar.

Machado’s lack of hustle was called out by a wide range of people from industry experts to fans on social media.

“Things are going to happen,” Machado said. “You kind of just leave that in the past. You address it at the moment and move forward from there.”

–Field Level Media

Source: OANN

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Man gets life in prison for Michigan workplace shooting

A man convicted of murder for killing a man at a trucking business before allegedly fatally shooting another man in a different suburban Detroit community has been sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Forty-six-year-old Vernest Griffin of Sterling Heights was sentenced Monday. A Wayne County jury earlier found him guilty of first-degree murder and other charges in connection with the February 2018 fatal shooting in Taylor of 60-year-old Keith Kitchen. Griffin declined to address the court.

Authorities said Griffin had lost his job at the company in November 2017.

Griffin also is awaiting trial in Oakland County on first-degree murder and gun charges in the slaying of 58-year-old Eriberto Perez at an aluminum stamping firm in Pontiac. Griffin was captured after a shootout with officers.

Source: Fox News National

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Senior White House adviser Jared Kushner said Tuesday that a detailed plan for a merit-based immigration system will be presented to President Trump, giving priority to skilled immigrants rather than those with family ties to the U.S.

“I do believe that the president’s position on immigration has been maybe defined by his opponents by what he’s against as opposed to what he’s for,” Kushner said at the Time 100 Summit in New York City. “What I’ve done is I’ve tried to put together a very detailed proposal for him.”

KUSHNER: RUSSIA INVESTIGATION HAD ‘HARSHER IMPACT’ ON US THAN ELECTION MEDDLING

Kushner announced that the new immigration proposal, which Trump will receive this week or next, will resemble the point-based systems in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and will unify people by ensuring strong wages and secure borders while protecting humanitarian values.

“We want to protect our country’s humanitarian values. We want to make sure we’re reunifying families, and we want to do this in a way that allows our country to be competitive long term,” he said. “And my hope is we can really do something that unifies people around what we’re for on immigration.”

“We want to protect our country’s humanitarian values. We want to make sure we’re reunifying families, and we want to do this in a way that allows our country to be competitive long term. And my hope is we can really do something that unifies people around what we’re for on immigration.”

— Jared Kushner

JARED KUSHNER RESPONDS AFTER HASAN MINHAJ CALLS OUT HIS TIES TO SAUDI PRINCE

Kushner denied in the same talk that he has clashed with White House staffer Stephen Miller, who’s seen as tougher on immigration than others, adding that the plan was concocted with the help of Miller and Kevin Hassett, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers.

“And I say that If that if I can get Stephen Miller and Kevin Hassett to agree on an immigration plan, then Middle East peace will be easy by comparison,” Kushner joked, referring to the Israel-Palestine peace plan he’s working on.

“And I say that If that if I can get Stephen Miller and Kevin Hassett to agree on an immigration plan, then Middle East peace will be easy by comparison.”

— Jared Kushner

After the plan gets presented to Trump, it will likely undergo some changes and then he will decide when to proceed with it, Kushner said.

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“It’s very, very complicated, but it’s a very interesting issue, and if we can solve it, I do think it’s a critical component for America’s long-term competitive advantage,” he added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: Fox News Politics

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Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Thursday said his government must make men aware of the dangers of poor hygiene after expressing dismay over the 1,000 penis amputations that apparently occur in his country each year.

“In Brazil, we have 1,000 penis amputations a year due to a lack of water and soap,” he said while speaking to reporters in Brasilia after visiting the Education Ministry. “We have to find a way to get out of the bottom of this hole.”

The far-right leader called the figure “ridiculous and sad,” Reuters reported. A spokeswoman for the Brazilian urology society told the news agency the number is based on its official data for penis amputations.

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The amputations were conducted out of necessity over untreated infections, along with complications from HIV and various cancers, she said.

Source: Fox News World

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A top Russian diplomat says Russia is willing to negotiate a new nuclear weapons treaty with the United States and China.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters on Friday Moscow is closely following reports in the United States that the U.S. would like to reach a nuclear weapons deal with both Russia and China, and is “willing” to negotiate. The story was reported by CNN earlier Friday.

Ryabkov also said that Russia “would like to convince” the U.S. to adopt a joint statement that would condemn any use of nuclear weapons.

Ryabkov’s comments come just months after the U.S. withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, a cornerstone of the post-Cold War security, and Russia followed suit. Each claims breaches by the other.

Source: Fox News National

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Government dysfunction and an intelligence failure that preceded the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka are traced to simmering divisions between the president and prime minister after a weekslong political crisis that crippled the country last year.

The government has admitted to a “lapse of intelligence” after officials failed to act upon near-specific information received from foreign agencies. Suicide bombers exploded themselves last Sunday in three churches and three luxury hotels, killing 253 people and wounding 400 more. Authorities said eight Muslim militants blew themselves up at their targets while the wife of one of the attackers blasted herself on being rounded up by police.

The carnage has brought forth arguments that worshippers and holidaymakers fell victim to the rivalry and a lack of communication between the country’s two leaders — President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The Cabinet led by Wickremesinghe says neither he nor his ministers were informed of the intelligence received by the defense authorities. Sirisena is the head of state, defense minister, minister in charge of the police and head of the armed forces. He also chairs the National Security Council, which includes the heads of security agencies and departments. Traditionally the prime minister also plays an important role on the council.

According to Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne, Sirisena has not included Wickremesinghe in national security affairs since a dispute between them came into the open in October last year. This is an unusual departure from the protocol, he said.

Senaratne said that Sirisena was overseas when the attacks took place and even after that, the National Security Council refused to meet with Wickremesinghe as he tried to give them instructions.

Sirisena has also said that he was not informed of the intelligence received and vowed to overhaul the leadership of the defense forces.

The top bureaucrat at the Defense Ministry, Hemasiri Fernando, has resigned at Sirisena’s insistence.

“It is a major factor,” said Jehan Perera, the head of local activist group National Peace Council, referring to the alleged lack of coordination between the leaders contributing to the failure to prevent the attacks.

“The primary responsibility has to be taken by the president, he did not give the information and he did not act,” Perera said. “He had the Ministry of Defense, took the police from the prime minister, chaired the National Security Council meetings and did nothing,” Perera said.

Kusal Perera, a journalist and political commentator, says security and intelligence officials should have acted on the information whether or not they received orders from politicians.

“If they (Wickremesinghe and his party) were not invited to the National Security Council, why did not they say in Parliament that they were not responsible for the security of the country any longer,” said Perera, who is not related to Jehan Perera.

“Saying that now is taking political advantage, not taking responsibility,” he said.

Sirisena and Wickremesinghe belong to different political parties but came together for Sirisena’s presidential campaign in 2015. Their relationships broke down and their differences exploded last year when Sirisena suddenly sacked Wickremesinghe as prime minister and appointed in his place former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa, whom he defeated in the presidential election. The crisis crippled the country for more than seven weeks to the point of not being able to pass this year’s national budget on time.

A court decision compelled Sirisena to reappoint Wickremesinghe, but the two leaders have been rivals within the same government.

Rajapaksa, who is the minority leader in Parliament, blames the government for weakening intelligence and dropping its guard, which he had maintained to defeat the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels 10 years ago to end the 26-year-old civil war. He also criticized the government for the detention of intelligence officers accused of extrajudicial killings and abductions during the closing days of the war, which he said crippled the security apparatus before the bombings. According to conservative U.N estimates, some 100,000 people were killed in Sri Lanka’s conflict.

Sirisena summoned an all-party conference Thursday to which Wickremesinghe was also invited. At the conference, Sirisena stressed “setting aside all the political beliefs and difference (so that) everybody should collectively commit towards building a peaceful environment within the country,” a statement from his office said.

“It is not a secret that the disagreements between me and the government aggravated over the past two years,” Sirisena told the country’s media executives Friday. “One of the reasons for that is weakening of military intelligence and arresting military officials unnecessarily and my speaking up against it within and outside the government.”

Jehan Perera said that the security threat could prove politically advantageous to Rajapaksa and his family, with a presidential election scheduled at the end of this year. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, a younger brother of Mahinda, was the powerful defense secretary during his brother’s reign and has expressed his interest to join the contest.

“People are saying we want a stronger leader and they are talking about Gotabhaya. It (the blasts) has worked to their benefit,” Perera said.

Source: Fox News World

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Cyprus police are intensifying a search for the remains of more victims at locations where an army officer, who authorities say admitted to killing five women and two girls, allegedly had dumped their bodies.

Police said Friday’s search will concentrate on a military firing range, a reservoir and a man-made lake near an abandoned mine approximately 32 kilometers (20 miles) west of the capital Nicosia.

On Thursday, the 35-year-old suspect told investigators that he had killed four more people than he had previously admitted to. All the suspect’s alleged victims are foreign nationals.

Police have already found the bodies of a 38-year-old Filipino woman and two as yet unidentified women.

Search crews are now looking for the daughter of the 38-year-old, a Romanian mother and daughter and another Filipino woman.

Source: Fox News World

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