Chief of staff John Kelly to leave White House by year-end: President Trump

We'll be announcing who will be taking John's place' Nicky Ayers, currently chief of staff to Vice-President Mike Pence, leads the speculation race, with the reported backing of Trump's daughter and son-in-law Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, who are said to have been chiefly responsible for Kelly's ouster. The outgoing chief of staff had sought to regulate their access to the president as he had sought to bring discipline to a chaotic White House. Kelly is Trump's second chief of staff, hauled over from the department of homeland security to replace Reince Priebus, a top Republican party official who had never quite gained the president's trust and respect and found himself outmaneuvered in the court intrigues and bitter fights between top aides that marked the first months of Trump's tenure. Departures from the White house started within weeks of the president's inauguration in January 2017, and have shown no sings of a let up. Recent high-profile exits include ambassador to UN Nikki Haley, attorney general Jeff Sessions and now Kelly, from a position that is said to be the gatekeeper to the Oval Office and president. 'President Trump is breaking records,' said an October analysis by Brookings, a top US think tank, of departures from top positions in the Trump administration. 'Ten (or 83 percent) of the most senior-ranking White House advisers have departed, sparking a cascade of turnover in the junior ranks as well.' As this stage of the presidency, two years under the belt, President Ronald Reagan (who was in office from 1981 to 1989) had 59% turnover; George H W Bush (commonly known now as Buch I) had an incredibly low 17% turnover — his loyalty to his staff and their's to him was on display amply past week during his state funeral. Bill Clinton, a Democrat who was president from 1993 to 2001, had exited over half his staff by then, 58%. Bush Junior, George W Bush, who was president from 2001 to 2009, was as circumspect about his hires as his father and was just a loyal to them — 17% turnover. And, President Barack Obama, who held the White House from 2008 to 2016, scored 41%attrition rate — not clear if it was the average at the end of his two years in office or at the ned of the four-year mark. Dailyhunthttp://www.feedbooks.com/user/4775995/profile Dailyhunthttps://www.sellmytires.com/author/greekfranchise/

Virat Kohli introduces One8 Fragrances, his maiden foray into realm of scents

Crafted by the best French perfumers, the new fragrance line from One8 will be available in six variants - Aqua, Willow, Intense, Active, Fresh and Pure. The marquee product offerings by One8 Fragrances will include 100ml EDPs at Rs.1495, 200ml Body Sprays at Rs.249, 20ml Pocket Sprays at Rs.75 and Gift Sets at Rs.1650, Rs. 1850 and Rs.1925. The One8 Fragrance line aspires to provide consumers luxury at an affordable price. Sharing an insight about the One8 brand, Virat Kohli said, 'One8 is very close to my heart. Through the brand and its collections, I want to connect with my fans on a deeper level and give them an access to the candid and joyful side of my personality that has not been seen before. I want everyone to be closely involved in my journey, grow with me, and celebrate being fun yet focused, giving it one's all and living harmoniously without compromising. The launch of One8 Fragrances is an extension of this brand proposition - and of my personality.' Christened after the number '18' that belongs not just on his jersey but also holds immense significance in his life, Virat passionately believes in leading a life which encapsulates the essence of being 18 - young, uninhibited, liberated, and fun. It is this side of his personality which reflects in the brand and its collections, which are playful, spontaneous, and fun, yet determined and brave. Along with expanding its horizons and catering to all demographics, One8 envisions to strike a chord with its audiences, stir them up to create conversations, and build a legacy through its collections. The brand holds a special place in Virat's life and he aspires to spread his ideology of being playful, lively, fun, uninhibited, and spontaneous through the vast collection of all One 8 categories. ... Dailyhunthttps://www.intensedebate.com/people/cheekgeeks

Avengers Endgame trailer: Five key takeaways

The trailer has not said much, but it has revealed the point at which Endgame will begin - almost immediately. Previously it was rumoured that the movie will jump FIVE years in future but now it appears that is not the case. Here are our five key takeaways from the clip. Tony Stark's situation: I do not think Tony is in any real danger (somebody will rescue him - probably Captain Marvel?), except for the fact that he seems to have accepted his fate. We know Tony to be the smartest character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and one who can get out from pretty much any predicament. He built his first Iron Man suit from scrap metal, remember? But this time, he seems to have a defeatist attitude. Perhaps there really is no way out this time, or perhaps Peter Parker's death took its toll on him. He has no food and water. Oxygen, too, will run out soon. Now, all he wants is to transmit the last message to Pepper Potts Thanos is content with his new life: Unaware that the remaining superheroes are craving for revenge against him, Thanos is busy farming at an unknown planet somewhere in the universe. He keeps his golden armour (since he thinks there is no use of it) like a scarecrow on his farm. We see the damaged Infinity Gauntlet in his hand - does he think he still needs it? Does he know the Avengers are coming for him? Are they coming for him? Will they be able to find him? Avengers HQ: Remaining Avengers, Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner and Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) and Thor can be seen discussing what happened. They cook up a plan as well, but we are not shown even a hint of it. This is gonna work, Steve," says Black Widow. "I know it is," Steve replies, "'Cause I don't know what I am gonna do if it doesn't." Hawkeye or Ronin: Clint Barton, as expected, has assumed a new persona. We do not know if he will call it Ronin, but that was what he called it in comics. Barton may have lost his family or one or more family members in the finger snap, which caused him to adopt a new identity. He still has a love for premodern combat weapons, and wields a short sword apart from the bow and arrow. Scott Lang: The diminutive superhero Ant-Man is alive, after all. Oh, we did know he was alive, but the last time we saw him was in the quantum realm, without any means of escape. So he might as well be dead. In Ant-Man and the Wasp, the Pyms - Hank Pym, Janet van Dyne and Hope van Dyne - perished in Thanos' purge just as Scott entered the realm. We were told that the button on his suit that helped Scott get out of that place in Ant-Man is not working. So how the heck did he come out? Avengers: Endgame is out on April 26, 2019 in India. Dailyhunthttps://www.intensedebate.com/people/kotlashaaa

Amazing to see George Clooney being a dad, says Jennifer Aniston

Steel stocks lose edge However, it would take at least another 30-45 days before the steel contracted at those prices hit the Indian shore.The anti-dumping duty imposed by the Indian government on basic HRC has not kicked in as yet but will do so if the landed cost goes below $489 per tonneOne reason why the stock market is less than kind to the steel scrips could be that companies' profit margin will be squeezed under the present circumstances.Raw material prices, coal and iron ore are yet to come down as much as steel. Iron ore prices have corrected 7 per cent, while coking coal prices are ruling at $225 a tonne (free on board, Australia) in end November, up from $173 a tonne in July.Only Tata Steel and SAIL meet the entire iron ore requirement from their own mines, while JSW and JSPL buy the majority from the market.In the case of coking coal, Tata and SAIL are the only ones who partly meet the need from captive sources, while the rest are fully dependent on imports.According to an Icra report, the possibility of a downward revision in domestic flat steel prices in the coming months is likely to lead to a sequential contraction in the gross contribution of a domestic blast furnace-based flat steel player by around $20 per million tonnes (mt) in the third quarter of 2018-19 and by a sharper $45 per mt in the fourth quarter, unless raw material prices start softening. Multiple price cuts along with international headwinds are taking the sheen off the spectacular rally in steel scrips this year.Stocks of all integrated majors - Tata Steel, JSW Steel, Jindal Steel & Power, SAIL - underperformed the broad-based indices last month as steel makers brace for further price cuts in the wake of a China slowdown, a less-than-anticipated output cut during winter and a weak outlook on the global economic growth.SAIL led the pack on the downside correcting 24 per cent over one month, while Tata Steel corrected the least after prices fell following nearly a year-long steady rise. There have been two cuts in November, while the one in December is expected on Monday. "Put together, flat steel prices are likely to be moderated by Rs 3,000 per tonne," an executive with a Mumbai-based steel giant said over the weekend. Benchmark hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices are hovering around Rs 44,000-45,000 ($633) per tonne.Jayanta Roy, senior vice-president of Icra, said three factors were pushing global prices down, which in turn is putting pressure on the Indian prices. Dailyhunthttp://doodleordie.com/profile/juckzingchuk The group of friends also hung out with Bono while in Italy. 'Bono was there, that was kind of fun to see him. They're all just so nice.' The actress also dished to DeGeneres about her upcoming Apple TV series with Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell, who Aniston said is 'great' in his role. ... Dailyhunthttps://www.polygon.com/users/jeedsbeeds

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Croatia captain Zeljko Krajan hails his Davis Cup dream team

'This is one of the best teams we've ever had - it's like a dream team,' Krajan said. 'After seven years on the bench (as captain) it's an honour for me to be here.  : Marin Cilic beats Lucas Pouille, seals historic Davis Cup win for Croatia 'My singles players not only didn't lose a set, they didn't lose serve in three matches which is an unbelievable achievement and shows you the quality that we produced.' Victory was especially sweet for Cilic who had bitter memories of the 2016 final against Argentina to banish. In that match in Zagreb, he was two sets to love up against Juan Martin del Potro and required just one more set to give Croatia a match-winning 3-1 lead. However, Del Potro battled back to win in five before Federico Delbonis beat Ivo Karlovic to give Argentina victory. 'I always sleep well,' the 30-year-old Cilic, who made his debut in 2006, said, when asked whether that Del Potro defeat occasionally kept him awake at night. 'I'm just proud of the team today after everything we've been through. This is definitely one of the best moments of my career. There was a lot of pressure but I played a hell of a match today and deservedly won.' Cilic said the fact that the final was the last in the competition's current guise added to the joy. 'It's historic,' he said. 'I have been part of this team since 2006. I have seen a few generations of players, I have seen a lot of tennis, a lot of wins, a lot of matches lost too. 'It's amazing to finish a chapter of this kind with the way we played and the atmosphere that was in the team.' France captain Yannick Noah, who will step down from his third stint in charge, said his team had been outplayed as they failed in their bid to win the title two years in succession. 'The guys did the maximum,' Noah said. 'Sometimes the bar is too high. That's my feeling. 'We lost to a better team. We did everything we could to be at this level with the Croatian team. We just went to their locker-room to congratulate them. I think they're beautiful winners and they deserve it.' Dailyhunthttps://issuu.com/cheekgeeks

Cash in commercial properties takes real estate investment to 10-year high

Commercial, as a sector, has been doing really well. Since 2015, the absorption of office space has been upwards of 40 million square feet per annum. Last year, it was 42.5 million square feet, and in 2018, we expect it to be more than 40 million square feet. Because of the leasing that is happening in the commercial space, the overall sentiments are pretty strong. This is why more and more investors are picking up stakes in completed and leased out assets," Abhinav Joshi, head of research at the India operations of CBRE, the US-based commercial real estate services and investment firm. In 2017, a total 78 private equity deals were transacted in the sector - the biggest one of which was purchase of 33.34 per cent stake in realty major DLF's rental arm by Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC for around $1.38 billion. In a presentation about the deal, DLF had said that the transaction would mean significant debt reduction in the company's residential business. "The weakness in real estate is largely in the residential sector because of reasons such as demonetisation, GST, and RERA that have impacted the sector directly. Sales and registrations have been going down, developers have been very cautious while launching new projects. New supplies have also gone down. In fact, last year was a bottom year in terms of the housing market," Joshi said. Next to the DLF-GIC deal in 2017 was the $600 million investment by the Singapore-headquartered sustainable urban development and business space solutions provider Ascendas in Firstspace Realty. Given the strain in the residential sector, developers may have also parted with stake in certain commercial projects at below the market price to raise funds and enhance their liquidity situation. "Private equity investment momentum has been strong over the last 4-5 years, but only a few distress sales by developers have happened where liquidity was a requirement. Because of the stress in residential sector, liquidity has been impacted in general. But largely deals have happened at the market rate," Joshi said. The real estate sector as a whole has, however, remained short of funds. The Indian Express had reported last month that the government was likely to underline at the RBI's Central Board meeting on December 14 that the stress in the real estate sector threatens job losses. RBI data on sectoral deployment of funds shows that while commercial real estate (CRE) witnessed significant slowdown in bank credit availability post-demonetisation, the credit outstanding for CRE witnessed a contraction for the first time in 13 months. In September, it contracted 0.8 per cent over the same period last year. CRE comprises loans extended to builders for construction of housing buildings, hotels, shopping malls, industrial parks, office blocks and hospitals, which are classified as commercial real estate by RBI. "This money (from PE investors) has gone into completed assets. Blackstone, Brookfield, GIC have invested in completed office buildings, which is not risky. The market is very bad on the residential side, and money has not gone there at all. PE investors have cherry-picked fully completed and leased out assets giving a return of 8-9 per cent per annum," Anuj Puri, chairman of Anarock Property Consultants, said. The PE investment in commercial real estate has gone beyond the metros and tier-I towns. "Even in tier-II cities, private equity investors have been looking at mall spaces with good footfall, tenant mix, and strong sales. They have also been acquiring such properties," Joshi said. "While we say that these policy measures have impacted the sector, for the investors it is positive, as they view these as structural reforms. There is a regulator for the sector now, there is more clarity on GST, which is why investors are expected to put in more money in the real estate sector," he added. Dailyhunthttps://issuu.com/zeevakeeno

Political row again in Karnataka's Ballari LS seat over mining baron G Janardhan Reddy's role

Shantha is pitted against VS Ugrappa, the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition candidate. Former chief minister Siddaramaiah last week attacked Reddy, who is an accused in illegal mining cases, and Sreeramulu. He said the duo did not know about the special status accorded to the backward Hyderabad-Karnataka region, where the district is located under the Constitution's Article 371 J, for reservation to the residents in education, jobs, and promotions. Siddaramaiah said they knew of the Indian Penal Code's section 420, which deals with cheating. Reddy claimed some sources within the state's intelligence department had advised him to be alert as Karnataka's Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) alliance government was gunning for him. 'They have created an atmosphere of fear not just here but also at my house in Bengaluru,'' Reddy told journalists in Molkalmuru district near Ballari, where he cannot go as per Supreme Court directions because of the cases he faces. 'But I did not get scared even after they put me in jail. Let these elections conclude and I will tell the people of the state everything.' A BJP leader declined to comment on whether Reddy was a part of the party. In the run-up to the assembly elections, BJP president Amit Shah had dissociated the party from Reddy, even as it fielded his brothers Karunakara and Somashekhar. The mining baron said the Congress had decided to attack him every single day to discredit his close friend Sreeramulu. 'Siddaramaiah keeps saying I looted money. But in his five-year tenure as chief minister he could not prove what it was that I had done,' he said. Siddaramaiah said the Congress had given the state schemes for free rice and milk. 'The BJP government's contribution to the state is the looter Reddy brothers and Sreeramulu who is standing in their support,' he tweeted. Dailyhunthttps://my.desktopnexus.com/juckzingchuk/