TUCSON, Ariz. – A plan by wildlife officials to bolster the endangered jaguar population in the U.S. Southwest and Mexico by establishing two sprawling habitat areas drew criticism Wednesday from environmental groups.
The final recovery plan for the large cats was released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
It calls for one habitat area from western Mexico into southern Arizona and southwest New Mexico. The other would stretch from eastern Mexico to northern Argentina.
Mexico as well as countries in Central and South America would be primarily responsible for monitoring jaguar movements within their territory, according to the plan.
Environmental groups slammed the plan. Michael Robinson of the Center for Biological Diversity called it "feeble" because it "relies entirely on Mexico to ensure the cats' survival."
Robinson says the ability of the animals to roam the proposed area straddling the U.S. and Mexico could be stymied if the Trump administration builds a wall along the border.
Even with gaps to accommodate jaguars, a wall would cut off the possibility of the animals recovering in their native range, he said.
Defenders of Wildlife said the U.S. agency is overlooking millions of acres of potential habitat farther north in the U.S.
Jaguars are currently found in 19 countries, but only seven male jaguars have been seen in Arizona and New Mexico since 1996. The animals have been protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act since 1997.
Shrinking habitats, insufficient prey, poaching and retaliatory killings over livestock deaths are some of the things that have contributed to the jaguar's decline in the U.S. Southwest over the past 150 years.
The Center for Biological Diversity released video in 2017 of a male jaguar spotted on camera in southern Arizona. Conservationists had hoped it would turn out to be the first female jaguar to be seen in decades.
In this photo taken on Tuesday, April 16, 2019, a polar walks on ice near in Tilichiki, about 936 kilometers (585 miles) north of Petropavlosk Kamchatsky, Russia. Residents of a village on Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula were stunned when they saw a polar bear climbing on the shore hundreds of kilometers (miles) away from its usual habitat. Russian media say the animal, which looked exhausted, prowled the village searching for food. (Alina Ukolova via AP)
MOSCOW – Residents of a village in Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula have been stunned by the sight of a polar bear prowling for food — hundreds of miles away from its usual habitat.
Russian media reported Wednesday that the animal, which looks exhausted, has somehow ended up in the village Tilichiki on Kamchatka, some 700 kilometers (about 430 miles) south of Kamchatka.
Environmentalists say the bear could have lost its bearings while drifting on an ice floe.
Locals are making it feel welcome, giving it some fish.
Authorities in Kamchatka are preparing a rescue effort later this week, in which they will use a sedative to put the bear to sleep and then airlift it to Chukotka in a helicopter.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – Gaza's Health Ministry says a Palestinian has died of wounds sustained from Israeli gunfire at protests along the perimeter fence.
The ministry says Sunday that 24-year-old Habib al-Masri was shot in the chest at protests near Beit Hanoun the previous night, and that two others were wounded. Hundreds had gathered for protests in various locations, hurling stones and firebombs toward Israel.
The Israeli military says that in response to the explosives its aircraft targeted two Hamas observation posts in the southern Gaza Strip.
The protests are aimed at breaking a blockade that Israel and Egypt imposed when Hamas seized power in 2007. Over the past year, about 190 Palestinians and an Israeli soldier have been killed in weekly rallies. Two more Palestinians were killed on Friday.
FILE PHOTO: Gustavo Bebianno, President of the Social Liberal Party (PSL) attends a news conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil October 7, 2018. REUTERS/Sergio Moraes/File Photo
February 18, 2019
BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Monday fired one of his most senior aides, Secretary General Gustavo Bebianno, amid a scandal involving campaign financing for some of his party’s congressional candidates, a presidential spokesman said.
Bebianno’s departure punctuates Bolsonaro’s first cabinet crisis since he took office on Jan. 1, but could make it harder for his government to muster support in Congress for an overhaul of the costly pension system, which is seen as key to bolstering Brazil’s economic recovery.
(Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Howard Goller)
Mexican troops questioned two U.S. soldiers along the two countries’ border earlier this month. The American soldiers were on the U.S. side of the border conducting a routine surveillance operation, defense officials say.
Military officials from the U.S. Northern Command said that “five to six Mexican military personnel questioned two U.S. Army soldiers who were conducting border support operations.”
The soldiers were in an unmarked Customs and Border Protection vehicle near the southwest border in the vicinity of Clint, Texas.
Officials confirmed that the Mexican troops were armed with what seemed to be assault riffles. They drew their weapons when they saw the two U.S. soldiers and ordered the U.S. troops to return their weapons to a military vehicle.
According to officials, the two Americans obliged “in an attempt to de-escalate a potential volatile situation.”
“Throughout the incident, the U.S. soldiers followed all established procedures and protocols,” Northern Command said in a statement.
The crisis at America’s southern border has reached unprecedented levels with human/drug trafficking and violence on the rise. Former heavyweight champion David “Nino” Rodriguez joins Alex to discuss the realities of illegal immigration you won’t hear about on any other network!
Police have arrested four people following attacks that took place in two Muslim places of worship in Christchurch on Friday afternoon (local time). One of the shooters wrote in a manifesto that he’d carried out the attack to “directly reduce immigration rates to European lands”.
The gunman who live-streamed himself killing Muslims at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand on Friday appeared to be rooting for the Swedish blogger.
In an extremely graphic 17-minute video published on an American internet forum, he can be heard saying “Remember lads, subscribe to PewDiePie” as he drove to the Al Noor Mosque.
An excerpt from the video:
#BREAKING The Christchurch gunman filmed his mass shooting live on social media, video shows dozens wounded/deceased.
Pewds himself condemned the shooting, saying that he was “absolutely sickened” by the shooter mentioning his name.
Just heard news of the devastating reports from New Zealand Christchurch. I feel absolutely sickened having my name uttered by this person. My heart and thoughts go out to the victims, families and everyone affected by this tragedy.
The man, who was apparently wearing a GoPro device, filmed himself storming into the mosque and gunning down worshippers with a semi-automatic weapon.
In the video, dozens appeared to be wounded or deceased, with reports circulating that he also opened fire at another Christchurch mosque. Fourty-nine people have been killed in these two attacks and nearly 20 wounded.
The man in the shocking video described himself as Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian. His Twitter and Facebook accounts have been taken down, but he published a lengthy manifesto shortly before the shooting, which sheds light on his beliefs and motives.
He described his actions as a “terrorist attack” and called himself a fascist. In the manifesto, he said white people are failing to reproduce and are being replaced by the “non-European population” as a result of mass immigration — something that he called an “invasion”.
He said he wanted to “take revenge” for Europeans lost to terror attacks in Europe, and it appears that he was most outraged by the death of Ebba Akerlund, a Stockholm schoolgirl who was one of the four people killed by a Muslim asylum-seeker who drove a hijacked lorry into a crowd in April 2017.
He said his actions were also inspired by a 2017 trip to France, where he was disappointed with the state of the cities; he described what he saw as an “invasion of France by non-whites”.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern condemned the shooting, saying there is “no place” in the country for such acts of violence. “This is one of New Zealand’s darkest days,” she added. “Clearly, what has happened here is an extraordinary and unprecedented act of violence.”
Officials count ballots on the final day of the referendum on draft constitutional amendments, in Cairo, Egypt April 22, 2019. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany
April 23, 2019
CAIRO (Reuters) – Nearly 90 percent of Egyptian voters have approved in a referendum constitutional changes that could see President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stay in power until 2030, the election commission said on Tuesday.
Voter turnout during the three-day referendum was 44.33 percent and 88.83 percent of those taking part approved the amendments, commission chairman Lasheen Ibrahim said.
“These (changes) are effective from now as your constitution,” Ibrahim told a news conference broadcast on state TV, adding that more than 23.4 million voters had endorsed the changes in the referendum.
The amendments, which were approved by Egypt’s parliament last week, will extend Sisi’s current term to six years from four and allow him to run again for a third six-year term in 2024.
They will also bolster the role of the military and expand the president’s power over judicial appointments.
(Reporting by Nayera Abdallah, writing by Lena Masri; Editing by Gareth Jones)
FILE PHOTO: Customers shop in a Sainsbury’s store in Redhill, Britain, March 27, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo
April 26, 2019
By James Davey
LONDON (Reuters) – With Sainsbury’s dream of creating Britain’s biggest supermarket group in tatters, its chastened CEO Mike Coupe needs to reassure investors he has the plan to arrest a sales decline when he presents annual results next week.
Britain’s competition regulator blocked Sainsbury’s 7.3 billion pound ($9.4 billion) takeover of Walmart’s Asda on Thursday, saying the deal would increase prices. Sainsbury’s shares fell 5 percent and are down 22 percent over the last three months.
For Sainsbury’s fourth quarter to March 9 analysts are on average forecasting a 1.6 percent fall in like-for-like sales, which would follow 1.1 percent decline over the Christmas period.
Monthly industry data from researcher Kantar has also shown Sainsbury’s as the weakest performer of the big four grocers this year and this month it lost its status as Britain’s No. 2 supermarket group by market share to Asda.
While Sainsbury’s has struggled, market leader Tesco has gained momentum, this month reporting a 34 percent jump in full year profit.
Prohibition of the deal was a major blow to Coupe, its architect and Sainsbury’s boss since 2014.
Martin Scicluna became Sainsbury’s chairman last month and when bedded-in may decide that if the group needs a major shake-up it is best carried out by a new leader.
Much will depend on the attitude of 22 percent shareholder the Qatar Investment Authority, which has so far declined to comment, as well as Coupe’s own appetite to continue after 15 years at the group.
THE RIGHT STRATEGY?
Coupe said on Thursday he was confident Sainsbury’s was pursuing the right strategy.
That was a clear indication that Wednesday’s results statement will not include radical changes to the group’s plans, such as a big margin reset — sacrificing profit to drive sales.
However, sources connected to Sainsbury’s said Coupe would likely acknowledge that more needs to be done on prices, so the supermarket business can better compete with its big four rivals – Tesco, Asda and No. 4 Morrisons – as well as German-owned discounters Aldi and Lidl.
Coupe’s strategy is based on differentiating Sainsbury’s food offer, growing its general merchandise, clothing business and bank, while investing in convenience and online channels.
Some analysts believe major change is needed.
HSBC analyst David McCarthy reckons Sainsbury’s needs a margin reset, should allocate more space for core lines and needs to drive better store standards. He said Sainsbury’s might consider closing down space in some of its larger stores and reducing its non-food offer.
For the full 2018-19 year analysts are on average forecasting a pretax profit of 626 million pounds, up from 589 million pounds in 2017-18 – a second straight year of profit growth. A full year dividend of 10.5 pence per share is forecast versus 10.2 pence last time.
Bank and lawyer fees related to the proposed combination with Asda were 17 million pounds in the first half and have reportedly jumped to around 50 million pounds.
FILE PHOTO: A Canadian dollar coin, commonly known as the “Loonie”, is pictured in this illustration picture taken in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, January 23, 2015. REUTERS/Mark Blinch/File Photo/File Photo
April 26, 2019
OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canada posted a budget surplus in the first 11 months of the 2018/19 fiscal year compared to a deficit the year earlier as revenues increased mostly on higher tax incomes, the finance department said on Friday.
The surplus for April-February was C$3.1 billion, compared to a deficit of C$6 billion in the same 2017/18 period. Revenues climbed by 8.5 percent, mainly due to higher tax receipts, while program expenses rose by 4.8 percent.
The surplus for February was C$4.3 billion compared with C$2.8 billion in February 2018. Revenues jumped by 12.2 percent while program expenses posted a more modest 6.9 percent gain.
Last month, the Liberals unveiled their new budget, projecting a C$14.9 billion deficit in 2018/19, with the deficit rising to C$19.8 billion in fiscal 2019/20.
(Reporting by Julie Gordon in Ottawa; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
President Trump said Friday he would beat Joe Biden “easily” in the 2020 presidential election, suggesting the former vice president could not have enough “energy” to hold the post—taking an apparent swipe at his age.
The president, departing the White House, was asked about Biden’s entrance into the Democratic primary field. Biden announced his presidential bid early Thursday morning, marking his third attempt at the White House.
“I would never say anyone’s too old,” Trump said. “I know they’re all making me look very young both in terms of age and in terms of energy.”
Biden became the 20th candidate to join the crowded Democratic primary field Thursday. But Biden is not the oldest in the pack. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is 77 and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is 69.
Should Trump be re-elected, he would be 74 on Jan. 20, 2021—Inauguration Day. Should the presidency go to one of the elder Democrats in the field—Biden would be 78; Sanders would be 79; and Warren would be 71.
Meanwhile, in a wide-ranging interview on “Hannity” Thursday night, Trump dismissed Biden’s candidacy, nicknaming him “Sleepy Joe,” and saying he’s “not the brightest bulb.” Trump also said that while the former vice president has name recognition, he won’t “be able to do the job.”
Venezuela’s Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza talks to the media during a news conference in Caracas, Venezuela April 8, 2019. REUTERS/Manaure Quintero
April 26, 2019
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday imposed sanctions on Venezuela’s foreign minister and a Venezuelan judge, according to a statement on the department’s website.
Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza and a judge, Carol Padilla, were targeted over the ongoing crisis in Venezuela, the Treasury Department said, the latest in a list of officials blacklisted by U.S. authorities for their role in President Nicolas Maduro’s government.
(Reporting by Susan Heavey, Makini Brice and Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
Avengers fans gather at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood to attend the opening screening of “Avengers: Endgame” in Los Angeles, California, U.S., April 25, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Blake
April 26, 2019
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Marvel Studios superhero spectacle “Avengers: Endgame” hauled in a record $60 million at U.S. and Canadian box offices during its Thursday night debut, distributor Walt Disney Co said.
Global ticket sales for the film about Iron Man, Hulk and other popular characters reached $305 million for the first two days, Disney said.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
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