Author: Press Room

Santander UK has become the latest bank to be hit with a heavy fine by the country’s financial regulator over anti-money laundering failings.The Financial Conduct Authority said on Friday that it had fined the UK division of the Spanish bank £107.8mn for failing to manage its systems properly, which affected the way it dealt with 560,000 business customers. It is the largest fine Santander UK has received from the FCA and one of the regulator’s biggest anti-money laundering penalties.The regulator found that between 2012 and 2017 the bank’s systems were not able to properly verify information provided by customers about…

President Biden announced a prisoner swap with Russia on Thursday, offering Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in exchange for Brittney Griner. Still, some conservatives are amiss that the president excluded American Paul Whelan. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, took to Twitter demanding an answer from the Biden administration on why the Iraq war veteran was excluded from the deal. “This was likely not a simple ‘choose him or her’ situation. But if it was, you choose the guy that served our country, Paul Whelan. We should get an explanation from this administration immediately,” Crenshaw wrote. Those same sentiments were shared by Rep. Adam…

But there are signs the reassuring new message has still to convince many of the country’s 1.4 billion people. With the need for tests dropped and most infected people now being allowed to isolate at home, some have embraced the new freedoms. For others, habits formed under months of stifling lockdowns, are proving hard to break. On the Beijing subway, many seats were empty on Friday night during what should have been rush hour, even though the city this week scrapped the need to show negative tests to ride trains or enter offices. Some downtown restaurants were deserted at lunchtime.…

The state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) passed the airline a “commemorative key to the world’s first C919”, CCTV reported. COMAC said at an airshow last month that it had secured orders for 300 C919s, but did not clarify whether the orders were fully confirmed and gave no details about the value of the deals or delivery dates. But if the orders go through, they would take the number of known deals for the C919 to over 1,100, based on figures from previous COMAC statements. Domestic media previously reported that four aircraft were expected to be delivered to China…

Baker Mayfield was so pumped up during the Los Angeles Rams’ 17-16 comeback win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night that he delivered a crazy head butt during the victory. A helmetless Mayfield was caught on video on the sidelines delivering a big head-butt to teammate Robert Rochell, who had his helmet on. Baker MayfieldUSA TODAY Sports Rochell, a 24-year-old cornerback, took a step backward and put his hand on his helmet after the head-butt, apparently taken by surprise. It was an impressive comeback for Mayfield. The 27-year-old quarterback led Los Angeles to two late fourth-quarter touchdowns, capped…

Sky News Australia host Chris Kenny has slammed the federal government’s energy market intervention, following Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s announcement of “extraordinary measures” to address rising energy prices.The Prime Minister on Friday afternoon announced a package of measures – agreed at National Cabinet – including a 12 month cap on coal prices, $1.5 billion of targeted subsidies for households and small businesses, and a capacity investment scheme.Kenny described the package as “more energy madness”. Stream “The Kenny Report” live, weekdays 5pm AEDT, or on demand with Flash. 25+ news channels, 1 place. New to Flash? Try 1 month free. Offer ends…

Renmark Resident Max Burr says the water levels in Renmark “are not too far away” from reaching the same level as the 1974 floods.“There has been a lot of discussion about the levels … compared to the flows, but overall I think you’ll find that the levels are not too far away,” Mr Burr told Sky News host Chris Kenny. Source: Sky News

“The UN is concerned that several articles in the revised Criminal Code contravene Indonesia’s international legal obligations with respect to human rights,” the UN’s local office said in a statement released on Thursday. “Some articles have the potential to criminalise journalistic work … Others would discriminate against, or have a discriminatory impact on, women, girls, boys and sexual minorities,” it said. The code could also affect reproductive and privacy rights and exacerbate gender-based violence based on sexual orientation and identity, the statement said. Civil society groups have slammed the new laws saying the changes constitute a huge democratic setback, and…

A stunning new detail has emerged in the murder of 7-year-old Texas girl, Athena Strand. It has now been revealed that Tanner Horner, 30, the contracted FedEx driver who struck Strand with his van, strangled the girl, according to Fox 4. Horner has claimed that he accidentally hit Strand with his van while delivering what wound up being a Christmas present. Despite being hit by the van, Horner says Strand was okay, even able to talk after the incident and tell him her name. However, the driver apparently panicked and shoved Strand into his vehicle. ATHENA STRAND’S ALLEGED KILLER WAS DELIVERING THE 7-YEAR-OLD’S CHRISTMAS…

CNN  —  The investigation into the killings of four University of Idaho students has received an overwhelming amount of tips related to their search for a white sedan seen near the crime scene around the time of the deaths last month, police said Friday. Due to the amount of tips received, calls are being directed to an FBI call center to help sort leads received, according to a Thursday update from the Moscow Police Department. “The global call center has the resources to take those calls, categorize them, and send them on to investigators so they can utilize those tips…