Central banks are usually tasked with keeping inflation in check, while promoting economic growth and employment. Now, add fighting the climate crisis to the list. On Wednesday, the Bank of England was given a new mandate to support the UK government’s ambition to become a net zero economy by 2050. “I am today updating the
Continue ReadingParamount is one of the most iconic studios in Hollywood, but can the name “Paramount” translate to streaming? ViacomCBS is banking on it. Paramount+, the rebranded service from ViacomCBS, launches Thursday with a lot of content from the company’s biggest brands, including TV shows and movies from Paramount Pictures, CBS, Nickelodeon, and MTV as well
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The Senate is negotiating how much to adjust the Democrats’ massive coronavirus relief package that passed the House last week. While the final Senate bill has not been released yet, lawmakers are expected to make two major changes — narrowing eligibility for the stimulus checks and nixing an increase in the federal minimum wage to
Continue ReadingThe Disney Store, once a mall mainstay, is drastically reducing the number of locations it has in the United States and Canada. Disney said it’s closing at least 60 stores in North America, amounting to about 35% of its locations in the region. Moving forward, Disney is placing a larger emphasis on its e-commerce business
Continue Reading Lt. Gen. Russel Honore has shared his independent review of security at the US Capitol with Congress and submitted recommendations for sweeping changes to bolster protections for lawmakers after the January 6 insurrection, two sources with direct knowledge of his findings told CNN. The recommendations include those first reported by CNN last week, such as
Continue ReadingA 15-year-old boy who was shot Monday at a junior high school in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, has died from his injuries, police said. The teen was pronounced dead Wednesday evening, Pine Bluff police said in a prepared statement. Monday’s shooting happened at Watson Chapel Junior High in Pine Bluff, a city of about 43,000 people
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In the wake of the GameStop stock trading frenzy, the Biden administration recently said it’s worth evaluating the impact of a tax on financial transactions, which would include the purchases and sales of stocks, bonds and derivative contracts, such as options and futures. Some claim such a tax could stabilize markets and raise revenue. They
Continue ReadingFewer than a third of prominent pro-democracy activists charged under a new national security law were granted bail Thursday after a hearing at a Hong Kong court. The 15 defendants included ex-lawmakers Kwok Ka-ki, Jeremy Tam and Helena Wong, chief magistrate Victor So said. All the remaining 32 defendants, including former law professor Benny Tai
Continue ReadingThe vast majority of companies in the S&P 500 have reported results from the last three months of 2020, and Wall Street is calling it: The earnings recession has come to an end. What’s happening: By the end of last week, 96% of companies in the benchmark index had posted results, according to FactSet. Per
Continue ReadingClick here for updates on this story TORONTO, Ontario (CTV News) — A promising new treatment developed in Yukon for frostbite is reducing amputations among the most severe cases. Dr. Alex Poole, a surgeon at the Whitehorse General Hospital and one of the pioneers of the treatment, spoke to CTV’s Your Morning on Wednesday about
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Much of the Republican Party — despite the deaths of more than half a million Americans — still acts as though the pandemic is more a platform for political grandstanding than the worst national crisis since World War II. New ideological divides are being exposed with President Joe Biden’s huge Covid-19 relief bill coming up
Continue ReadingThey are usually eligible for Covid-19 vaccinations, but homebound seniors can often struggle to find a way of making the appointment to get the shots One city in Texas has found a solution that has brought relief to many family members — and it’s become a model across the state. “The program came about as
Continue ReadingClick here for updates on this story TORONTO, Ontario (CTV News) — The elusive northern lights have suddenly become easier to see in southern parts of Canada’s Prairies thanks to what experts are saying is an increase in solar activity. After being at a standstill for several years, astronomers say the aurora borealis is lighting
Continue ReadingCountries where more than half the population is overweight, such as the US and the UK, have recorded much higher death rates from Covid-19, according to a report released Wednesday by the World Obesity Forum. The research found that by the end of 2020, global coronavirus death tolls were more than 10 times higher in
Continue ReadingThe quote has been ringing in Jose Antonio Vargas’ ears ever since he came across it. “Nobody came. Nobody helped. Nobody made a video.” They were the words of Noel Quintana, a 61-year-old Filipino American who on February 3 was slashed across the face on the New York City subway. He was describing his experience
Continue ReadingA criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia is set to intensify this week, as a grand jury convenes, offering the local district attorney her first shot at seeking subpoenas for records and interviews. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis made her investigative intentions clear with
Continue ReadingHong Kong has been booted off an index of economic freedom that it used to lead, dealing another blow to the city’s standing as a global business hub. On Wednesday, the Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington think tank, revealed its annual ranking of the world’s freest economies, leaving the former British colony off the list.
Continue ReadingGlobal stocks are falling as a bond sell-off continues to rattle markets. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index led losses in Asia Pacific, tumbling nearly 2.2% on Thursday. The Shanghai Composite and Japan’s Nikkei 225 each fell roughly 2.1%, while South Korea’s Kospi and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 lost 1.3% and 0.8%, respectively. European stocks fell in
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Prince Philip, the 99-year-old husband of Queen Elizabeth II, underwent a medical procedure for a heart condition on Wednesday, Buckingham Palace said in a statement Thursday. “The Duke of Edinburgh yesterday underwent a successful procedure for a pre-existing heart condition at St Bartholomew’s Hospital,” the statement read. “His Royal Highness will remain in hospital for
Continue Reading A Democratic president has not filled a Supreme Court vacancy in more than a decade, so liberals are anticipating the possible retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer, who has served for a quarter century and understands the advantage of the new Democratic-led Senate. Breyer, 82, has declined to speak publicly on any retirement intentions. But if
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