Four revelations from the House ethics report on Matt Gaetz

Rachel Reeves' hopes to regain business confidence suffered a blow as AstraZeneca cancelled a £450 million investment in a vaccine plant in Merseyside, amid concerns over promised subsidies. This setback came after failed attempts to attract major investments and job losses at companies like Lloyds Bank and Tesco, with criticism focused on national insurance hikes and new employment rights. Shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith criticized Labour's handling of the situation, highlighting the impact of tax...

Two terrorists were killed in an attempted infiltration across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, as alert troops engaged them in an intense firefight at Khari Karmara. The operation led to the recovery of multiple weapons, and a massive search operation is ongoing in the area to ensure no other threats remain present. Full Article

Barclays bank is facing major IT issues affecting its app, online banking, and payments, with customers unable to get help via telephone or messaging services. The outage, occurring on a critical tax deadline day, has caused frustration among customers, some experiencing declined cards and missing wages. The bank is working to resolve the issue as customers face difficulties making tax payments and other financial transactions, impacting millions of UK retail customers. Full Article

Barclays customers faced financial chaos as a major outage disrupted the bank's services, leaving users unable to access accounts, make payments, or check wages. Over 3,000 complaints were reported, with mobile and online banking being the most affected, sparking frustration among customers. Barclays apologized for the inconvenience and directed customers to their website for updates on the ongoing technical issues. Full Article

Heavy rainfall in North Queensland has caused road closures and multiple rescues, with three tropical lows looming off the coast. Crocodile sightings have been reported in floodwaters, with the focus on a low pressure system off Cairns bringing up to 700mm of rain in some areas. Authorities are preparing for "life threatening" flash flooding, with emergency services on high alert and reinforcements sent north in anticipation of continued riverine flooding impacts. Full Article

Inflation closed out 2024 strong, with the personal consumption expenditures price index increasing 2.6% year-over-year in December, meeting expectations and above the Fed's 2% target. Core PCE also came in at 2.8%, signaling elevated inflation levels. Fed Governor Michelle Bowman expects inflation to decelerate in 2025 but suggests keeping interest rates on hold until clear signs of improvement are seen. Full Article