
Taoiseach Simon Harris has insisted he is not aware that any member of his team tried to get RTE to take down a viral social media clip of a much-criticised encounter with a disability care worker. The Fine Gael leader was asked about the controversy in the first question posed during the second and final TV leaders’ debate of Ireland’s General Election campaign. Mr Harris apologised over the weekend for his handling of the discussion with Charlotte Fallon while canvassing in Kanturk in Co Cork on Friday evening. The Taoiseach was accused of dismissing concerns that Ms Fallon raised about Government support for the disability sector during the exchange filmed by RTE in a supermarket. Mr Harris rang Ms Fallon on Saturday and said he unreservedly apologised for the way he treated her, however focus has since shifted to Fine Gael’s interactions with the national broadcaster about the social media video. At the outset of Tuesday’s TV debate, co-host Miriam O’Callaghan directly asked the Fine Gael leader whether a member of his party contacted RTE to ask for the clip to be taken down. “I have no knowledge of that whatsoever, because this clip was entirely appropriate,” said Mr Harris. “It was a very important moment on the campaign. “And RTE and indeed many media outlets have been with me throughout the campaign, covering many interactions that I’ve had with many, many people right across this country.” The Taoiseach said the approach by his team member was part of the “normal contact that happens between party politics and broadcasters on a daily basis”. Mr Harris’s partner-in-government in the last coalition, Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin , said he was not aware of the approach to RTE by Fine Gael. “I didn’t realise this had happened,” he said. “I think Simon has given his explanation to it. I’m not sure it’s as normal or as usual. I just get on with it every day. But, again, I think, you know, I’m not au fait with the details behind all of this, or the background to it. “The video didn’t come down, and it was seen by many, many people. “And I think it illustrates that out there, there are a lot of people suffering in our society. “Notwithstanding the progress we’ve made as a country, a lot of people are facing a lot of individual challenges, and our job as public representatives and as leaders in travelling the country is to listen to people, hear their cases, to understand the challenges that they are going through in their lives. “And when we go about in election campaigns, we have to open up ourselves to criticism and to people calling us to account.” Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald had earlier in the day described reports of the Fine Gael approach to RTE as “chilling”. However, at the start of the debate, she was asked about a media-focused issue related to her own party, namely the controversial manifesto proposal for an independent expert review of RTE’s objectivity in its coverage of the war in Gaza and other international conflicts. Mr Harris previously branded the proposal a “dog whistle to conspiracy theorists” while Mr Martin said it was a “dangerous departure”. Ms McDonald defended the idea during the RTE Prime Time debate on Tuesday. “Politics and politicians should not try to influence editorial decisions or try and have clips taken down because they are inconvenient to them,” she said. “There has to be distance, there has to be objectivity. But I would say I am struck by the very defensive reaction from some to this (the review proposal). “The BBC, for example, a peer review looked at their coverage on migration. Politicians didn’t put their hands on it, and rightly so. “I think in a world where we have to rely on quality information, especially from the national broadcaster, which is in receipt of very substantial public funding, that has to be the gold standard of reliability. I think peer reviews like that are healthy.”Chennai on Saturday witnessed gusty winds and rain, uprooting many trees and causing water logging in many parts of the city as the Cyclonic Storm Fengal is expected to cross the north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast this evening. Officials were seen clearing the uprooted trees from the roadsides. The India Meteorological Department ( IMD ) has reported that Cyclonic Storm Fengal is expected to cross the north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram on Saturday evening, with wind speeds of 70-80 kmph, gusting to 90 kmph. Meanwhile, officials in Puducherry monitored the situation from the Disaster Management Control Room ahead of the landfall of Fengal. According to the IMD, Cyclone Fengal over the southwest Bay of Bengal is moving west-northwestwards at a speed of 10 kmph and is currently located near latitude 12.3°N and longitude 80.7°E, approximately 100 km east-northeast of Puducherry and 100 km southeast of Chennai. 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There is a possibility of a slowdown in the system's movement as it approaches the coast. The system is being continuously monitored," the IMD stated. The IMD also noted that wind speeds in the Tiruvallur to Mayiladuthurai regions are expected to range from 70-90 kmph during landfall. On Sunday, coastal areas from Tiruvallur to Nagapattinam districts are expected to experience wind speeds of 50-70 kmph. Meanwhile, heavy rainfall lashed several parts of Tamil Nadu as the cyclone approached. In Chennai, visuals showed waterlogged roads due to incessant rainfall. Several areas, including New Washermanpet, the Gemini Flyover, and Mount Road, reported ankle-deep waterlogging, causing slow movement and difficulties for vehicles, including cars and two-wheelers. Cyclone Fengal has also caused rough sea conditions, strong winds, and incessant rainfall in Chennai since last night. The IMD stated that the cyclone is being closely monitored using Doppler weather radars at Chennai (S-band), Sriharikota, and Chennai (X-band), along with satellite observations. In light of the cyclone, multiple airlines have issued travel advisories and updates on flight services due to the heavy rains in Chennai. Authorities have also advised fishermen to avoid venturing into the sea due to high waves and turbulent conditions. Residents have been urged to stay away from beaches, including Marina Beach, Pattinapakkam, and Edward Elliot's Beach, while tourist spots in Puducherry have been temporarily closed as a precaution. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
Should the U.S. increase immigration levels for highly skilled workers?Sherrone Moore taunted Ohio State fans after upset winB&G Foods, Inc. ( NYSE:BGS – Get Free Report ) shares traded up 3.7% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $6.73 and last traded at $6.68. 1,209,889 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 10% from the average session volume of 1,102,383 shares. The stock had previously closed at $6.44. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research firms have recently commented on BGS. Barclays cut their price target on shares of B&G Foods from $8.00 to $7.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Evercore ISI reduced their target price on shares of B&G Foods from $10.00 to $9.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 6th. TD Cowen lowered their price target on B&G Foods from $8.00 to $7.50 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. Royal Bank of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and set a $10.00 price objective on shares of B&G Foods in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded B&G Foods from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, September 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have issued a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $8.30. Check Out Our Latest Research Report on BGS B&G Foods Stock Performance B&G Foods ( NYSE:BGS – Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, November 5th. The company reported $0.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.20 by ($0.07). The company had revenue of $461.10 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $473.82 million. B&G Foods had a negative net margin of 1.34% and a positive return on equity of 6.97%. The firm’s revenue was down 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.27 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that B&G Foods, Inc. will post 0.73 earnings per share for the current year. B&G Foods Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be issued a $0.19 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 11.38%. B&G Foods’s dividend payout ratio is presently -223.53%. Insider Buying and Selling at B&G Foods In other news, EVP Jordan E. Greenberg sold 8,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $8.33, for a total transaction of $66,640.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 66,095 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $550,571.35. This represents a 10.80 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink . Also, Director Stephen Sherrill acquired 70,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 8th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $6.63 per share, with a total value of $464,100.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 353,084 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,340,946.92. This represents a 24.73 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here . Over the last ninety days, insiders bought 90,111 shares of company stock valued at $593,054. 3.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On B&G Foods A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BGS. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of B&G Foods during the second quarter worth about $33,000. nVerses Capital LLC purchased a new stake in B&G Foods during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in B&G Foods by 36.9% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 5,768 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 1,555 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of B&G Foods by 1,556.9% in the first quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 4,921 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after buying an additional 4,624 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LRI Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of B&G Foods during the first quarter worth $60,000. 66.15% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. B&G Foods Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) B&G Foods, Inc manufactures, sells, and distributes a portfolio of shelf-stable and frozen foods, and household products in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. The company's products include frozen and canned vegetables, vegetables, canola and other cooking oils, vegetable shortening, cooking sprays, oatmeal and other hot cereals, fruit spreads, canned meats and beans, bagel chips, spices, seasonings, hot sauces, wine vinegar, maple syrups, molasses, salad dressings, pizza crusts, Mexican-style sauces, dry soups, taco shells and kits, salsas, pickles, peppers, tomato-based products, crackers, baking powder and soda, corn starch, nut clusters, and other specialty products. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for B&G Foods Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for B&G Foods and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
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