Author: Press Room

FLINT, Mich. — A married couple and their son convicted of first-degree premeditated murder in the fatal shooting of a security guard who demanded the woman’s daughter wear a mask while shopping were sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without parole.Larry Teague, wife Sharmel Teague, and Sharmel Teague’s son, Ramonyea Bishop, were sentenced by Genesee Circuit Court Judge Brian Pickell in the shooting death of Calvin Munerlyn on May 1, 2020.The three were convicted of first-degree premeditated murder, a crime that carries a mandatory punishment of life in prison without parole, following a trial that spanned several weeks, The Flint Journal reported.Munerlyn, 43,…

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s trade surplus hit a record high of RM255.1 billion (US$59.09 billion) last year, International Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said on Wednesday (Jan 18). This is the 25th consecutive year the country has recorded a trade surplus since 1998. A trade surplus occurs when the value of a country’s exports exceeds the costs of its imports. The Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), however, has warned that the country’s trade performance is expected to grow “at a softer pace” this year. According to Tengku Zafrul, Malaysia’ trade performance registered its fastest growth…

Prosecutors call for the 39 defendants to be imprisoned and that $7.7m of their assets be frozen to help cover damages.Brazil’s prosecutor-general has presented its first charges against some of the thousands of people accused of storming government buildings in an effort to overturn the results of the October election, which former President Jair Bolsonaro lost. The prosecutors in the recently formed group to combat anti-democratic acts also requested that the 39 defendants accused of ransacking Congress be imprisoned as a preventive measure, and that 40 million reais ($7.7m) of their assets be frozen to help cover damages. The defendants…

A New York City Fire Department firefighter who was fatally injured while prepping for a training exercise at work saved the lives of five others through organ donation, including two fellow FDNY firefighters.Veteran Firefighter William “Billy” Moon died after a 20-foot fall at his Brooklyn fire station on Dec. 12 left him with a severe head injury. Moon was an organ donor and his heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys went to five people.One of those people was retired FDNY Lt. Terrence Jordan, 64, who developed a 9/11-related illness after responding to the World Trade Center and needed new lungs, Long…

For many of us, breaks abroad are filled with good food and good wine, but that’s not always the best recipe for returning home feeling refreshed.With Dry January upon us and the health benefits of going booze-free gaining traction, you might be wondering: Where can I have a great holiday if I’m not drinking?A new survey of over 1,000 ‘teetotal’ travellers reveals the best countries and activities for an alcohol-free getaway.Four out of the top 10 destinations for boozeless travel are in Europe, the survey by Swiss travel company Kuoni reveals.What are the best destinations for an alcohol-free break?With its…

Global oil demand is set to rise to an all-time high in 2023 as China relaxes its Covid-19 restrictions in a move that may push crude prices higher in the second half of the year, according to the International Energy Agency.Demand for crude oil could rise 1.9mn barrels a day to reach an all-time high of 101.7mn b/d, the IEA said in its first monthly oil report of 2023.“Two wild cards dominate the 2023 oil market outlook: Russia and China,” the report said, adding that such robust demand would tighten “the balances as Russian supply slows under the full impact…

It turns out that the Bank of Japan is pretty unconcerned with what market hive-mind might think about it. Here is a one day USDJPY chart that screams macro hedge fund pain. Since last autumn the winning trade has been to bet on Japanese yen appreciation against the dollar, on the expectation that the BoJ would inevitably have to cave in to pressure and scrap its yield curve control policy. After tweaking it last month, some people thought a major overhaul or perhaps even an end would be announced at today’s BoJ meeting — Haruhiko Kuroda’s penultimate as governor. Instead,…

TAIPEI: Taiwan Vice President William Lai pledged on Wednesday (Jan 18) to maintain the peaceful status quo with China but also to defend Taiwan, as he took the helm at the ruling party ahead of an expected presidential run. Lai was elected the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) new chairman on Sunday, after President Tsai Ing-wen resigned as chairwoman in November following the DPP’s trouncing at local elections. Lai is widely expected to be the party’s candidate for president in the early 2024 election, though he has not formally accepted the nomination. Tsai cannot run again as president due to constitutional…

Silvergate shares moved higher on Tuesday after the crypto bank assured investors it is taking steps to weather the FTX collapse despite posting a $1 billion loss in the last quarter of 2022. Silvergate posted its fourth-quarter results on Tuesday, reporting a net loss of $1 billion for the latest quarter of 2022, compared with a net income of $40.6 million for the third quarter and a net income of $18 million for the same period a year earlier.The company posted a loss of $949 million for the entirety of 2022, compared with a net income of $75.5 million in 2021. The company’s…

GOP Rep. George Santos, N.Y., claims allegations he used a fake animal charity to scam a disabled veteran by raising money for their dog’s cancer treatment, only to keep the funds himself, are not true.Santos said he has no knowledge of the purported scheme involving a charity he claimed to have founded.”Fake. No clue who this is,” Santos told Semafor.U.S. Navy veteran Richard Osthoff told Patch.com that he came into contact with an animal charity called “Friends of Pets United” after he learned it would cost $3,000 for surgery for his service dog, a pit bull mix named Sapphire who…