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CEO of royal banker Coutts resigns amid furor over closure of politician Nigel Farage’s account

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:33 GMT

LONDON (AP) — The chief executive of Coutts Bank, long known as the bankers for Britain’s royal family and nobility, has stepped down amid the furor surrounding populist politician Nigel Farage’s complaints that his account was closed because of his political views.CEO Peter Flavel’s resignation came just a day after Coutts owner NatWest Group parted ways with its CEO, Alison Rose, the first woman to head one of Britain’s four big banks. Rose left after acknowledging that she had discussed Farage’s personal details with a journalist.“In the handling of Mr. Farage’s case we have fallen below the bank’s high standards of personal service,” Flavel said in a statement. “As CEO of Coutts it is right that I bear ultimate responsibility for this, which is why I am stepping down.”The controversy began two weeks ago when Farage, a right-wing talk show presenter and former leader of the pro-Brexit U.K. Independence Party, said Coutts had improperly closed his account because it disagree...

Republican senator calls out Canada’s ‘feeble commitment’ on NATO spending

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:33 GMT

WASHINGTON — Canada is again in the U.S. spotlight for what one Republican senator is calling its “feeble commitment” to defence spending. Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan called out the Liberal government’s commitment to NATO during a confirmation hearing Wednesday for the next Norad commander. Sullivan cited a Wall Street Journal editorial earlier this month that described Canada as a free rider on the global military alliance. The country has a history of falling well short of NATO’s agreed-upon spending target of two per cent of GDP. And a Washington Post report in April said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has privately conceded that Canada, where defence spending is at around 1.3 per cent, would never meet NATO’s threshold. U.S. Air Force Lt.-Gen. Gregory Guillot, President Joe Biden’s nominee to take over the continental aerospace defence system, promised Sullivan he would press Canada to meet the target. “Americans get frustrated when our alli...

UK government’s routine housing of unaccompanied child migrants in hotels ruled unlawful

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:33 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s government acted unlawfully when it routinely housed newly arrived unaccompanied child asylum seekers in hotels, the High Court ruled Thursday. A child protection charity brought legal action against Britain’s Home Office and local authorities in Kent, on England’s southern coast, over their treatment of unaccompanied migrant children, saying the temporary housing arrangements deny the youngsters the statutory child protection safeguards to which they are entitled. Justice Martin Chamberlain ruled that authorities breached legal duties of care owed to all children who require looking after, irrespective of their immigration status. “Ensuring the safety and welfare of children with no adult to look after them is among the most fundamental duties of any civilized state,” the judge said. Every Child Protected Against Trafficking, or ECPAT, the charity that brought the lawsuit, said hundreds of children had gone missing, with many potentia...

Stock market today: Wall Street rises as economy keeps growing and profits keep rising

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:33 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are rising Thursday following fatter-than-expected profit reports from big companies and the latest signals that the economy continues to defy predictions for a recession.The S&P 500 was 0.6% higher in morning trading after touching its highest level in nearly 16 months. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 72 points, or 0.2%, at 35,592, as of 10:30 a.m. Eastern time, and on track for a 14th straight gain. The Nasdaq composite, meanwhile, was leading the market with a gain of 0.9% following a strong profit report from Meta Platforms.Earnings rose more for Meta, which owns Instagram and WhatsApp in addition to Facebook, than analysts expected after its services attracted additional active members. Meta is one of Wall Street’s most influential stocks because of its massive size, and it rose 6.9%.McDonald’s was helping to prop up the Dow after it easily topped analysts’ forecasts for profits during the spring. Its sales grew worldwide, and its stock rose 1...

Formed to combat Olympic sex abuse, SafeSport center is struggling 6 years after opening

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:33 GMT

DENVER (AP) — The case involves almost everything a victim of sexual harassment would be desperate to avoid. Multiple requests for follow-up interviews about a traumatizing episode. Bickering over legal fees. Documents with dense legalese and no conclusive answers about the outcome of the three-year-long case. “At the end of the day, they didn’t even investigate,” the female curler said of her 2020 complaint about sexual harassment at her Colorado curling club filed with the U.S. Center for SafeSport. Established six years ago to create accountability in the aftermath of sex-abuse scandals in Olympic sports that landed USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar in prison, the SafeSport center’s mandate covers not only the elite facilities molding the nation’s top athletes but also grassroots clubs like the one where the woman trained, which form the backbone of the Olympic system. The woman’s case, which she shared with The Associated Press on condition she and her sports facility not be na...

Man, 34, wanted for first-degree murder in Moss Park shooting

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:33 GMT

Police are searching for a 34-year-old man in connection with a fatal shooting in Moss Park earlier this week.Police were called to the area of Shuter and Sherbourne streets around 12:14 p.m. on Tuesday after reports of gunshots heard in a nearby parking lot.When they arrived they found a man unresponsive in a car suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. He has been identified as Mohamed Ahmed of Toronto.Police have issued a warrant for first-degree murder for 34-year-old Mohammed Abdullahi.

New grocery store moving into former Happy Foods site in Edison Park

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:33 GMT

CHICAGO — A new market is coming to the location previously occupied by Happy Foods in Edison Park.According to Ald. Anthony Napolitano, the family-owned market will offer groceries and prepared foods. The store will also be completely renovated with an indoor and outdoor cafe. Construction on the new grocery store will begin in the next few months."The owners have signed a commitment to the Edison Park location that will last for decades to come. We are so excited to welcome this family owned and operated business and much needed amenity to our community," said Ald. Napolitano in a Facebook post.Happy Foods closed back in September of 2022.

Boy, 16, and 19-year-old injured after shooting Austin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:33 GMT

CHICAGO -- According to police, a teen and 19-year-old are injured after a shooting in the city's Austin neighborhood Wednesday night.Police said both individuals were standing near a sidewalk at the 5200 block of West Ferdinand Street around 7:03 p.m. when at least one individual produced a handgun and fired shots towards them. Woman, 43, critical after being shot while at red light on South Side The 16-year-old boy suffered a gunshot wound to the elbow and was transported to West Suburban Hospital and was initially reported in good condition. The 19-year-old sustained a gunshot wound to the legs and hand. He was transported to West Suburban Hospital initially in good condition.There is currently no one in custody and police are investigating the incident.

Dean's A-List Interviews: Co-stars John Cho and Ken Jeong in Afterparty: 2

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:33 GMT

Check out Dean's A-List Interviews with co-stars John Cho and Ken Jeong in 'Afterparty: 2.'Get Dean's reviews and A-List interviews delivered right to your inbox. Sign up for Dean's Downloads weekly newsletter. You'll also get his Dean Cooks recipes too!

Hearing set in Ken Paxton’s securities fraud case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:36:33 GMT

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) -- After years of delays, there will soon be some progress in the securities fraud case against suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. A hearing was scheduled for Aug. 3 in Harris County. Paxton faces felony charges and is accused of defrauding investors in a tech startup. He was indicted in 2015.The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled last month the case should remain in Houston, settling a key issue in the case as Paxton faces an impeachment trial in the Texas Senate later this year. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, in a 6-3 ruling, overturned lower-court decisions that said Paxton’s trial had been improperly moved from Collin County, where he lives, to Harris County because the trial judge had lost jurisdiction over the matter, the Texas Tribune reported. However, the Texas Constitution and state law protected the judge’s authority over the case, the court ruled. Ken Paxton’s securities fraud trial will remain in Houston, court rules In 2...