Author: Press Room

Jill Sobule, the singer and songwriter whose hit “Supermodel” and gay anthem “I Kissed a Girl” were followed by three decades of touring, advocacy and a one-woman musical, died on Thursday morning in a house fire in Woodbury, Minn., according to her publicist. She was 66.The Public Safety Department in Woodbury, a Minneapolis suburb, said that firefighters had responded at 5:30 a.m. to a house that was engulfed in flames. The homeowners said one person was possibly still inside. Firefighters found the body of a woman in her 60s inside the house, the department said.The cause of the fire was…

A tariff loophole that allowed cheap Chinese goods to enter the United States duty free was eliminated on Friday.The result could be immediate and costly: T-shirts, stationery and other low-price products on popular e-commerce sites and elsewhere could shoot up in price as shipping carriers and sellers factor in new import taxes. Packages could be delayed, too, as processing goods becomes much more intensive for customs officials.Ultimately, carriers are responsible for paying the tariff, but here’s how you may be affected: Note: Tariffs apply to all Chinese and Hong Kong-origin goods regardless of country of shipment. Tariff amounts assume a…

The Trump administration on Friday officially eliminated a loophole that had allowed American shoppers to buy cheap goods from China without paying tariffs. The move will help U.S. manufacturers that have struggled to compete with a wave of low-cost Chinese products, but it has already resulted in higher prices for Americans who shop online.The loophole, called the de minimis rule, allowed products up to $800 to avoid tariffs and other red tape as long as they were shipped directly to U.S. consumers or small businesses. It resulted in a surge of individually addressed packages to the United States, many shipped…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Shell has announced $3.5bn of share buybacks, maintaining its strategy of returning large amounts of cash to shareholders despite a 28 per cent fall in first-quarter profits.The UK-listed energy major on Friday reported adjusted earnings of $5.6bn in the first quarter, down 28 per cent year on year but roughly 10 per cent ahead of analysts’ expectations. Chief executive Wael Sawan has said Shell can maintain its buybacks even if oil prices fall to $50 a barrel and can continue to pay its…

Stay informed with free updatesSimply sign up to the UK banks myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox.Standard Chartered increased profits and beat market expectations in the first quarter, although the bank warned on the coming impact of President Donald Trump’s trade war.The Asia-focused lender reported 10 per cent higher pre-tax profits of $2.1bn for the first three months of 2025. That compared with $1.91bn a year earlier and the $1.905bn average of analysts’ forecasts compiled by the bank. Stanchart’s return on tangible equity — a measure of profitability — increased by 1.3 percentage points to 14.8 per cent.But…

Block reported first-quarter results that missed Wall Street expectations on Thursday and issued a disappointing outlook. The stock tumbled 15% in extended trading.Here is how the company did, compared to analysts’ consensus estimates from LSEG.Earnings per share: 56 cents adjusted. That figure may not be comparable to estimates.Revenue: $5.77 billion vs. $6.2 billion expectedRevenue decreased about 3% from $5.96 billion a year earlier. Gross profit rose 9% to $2.29 billion from $2.09 billion a year earlier. That missed analysts’ forecasts of $2.32 billion for the quarter.Block provided weaker-than-expected profit guidance for the second quarter and full year, reflecting challenging economic…

President Donald Trump spoke at the University of Alabama on Thursday night ahead of their official commencement ceremonies starting Friday, and urged students not to consider themselves a “victim” in their futures, noting that far too many young people think that way. The special address to graduates also included remarks from the university’s president, Stuart R. Bell, and former Alabama Crimson Tide head football coach, Nick Saban. Trump touted success during his first 100 days as president, and took a few opportunities to jab at his political opponents as well. But Trump’s message was largely focused on the graduating class, which he…

An Army soldier who was arrested as part of a raid on an underground nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, last week is suspected of possessing and distributing cocaine while also trafficking firearms with high-capacity magazines to illegal aliens, according to a criminal complaint.The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced Thursday that 28-year-old Staff Sgt. Juan Gabriel Orona-Rodriguez has been charged with a single count each of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to distribute cocaine.Filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado on Wednesday, the criminal complaint alleges that…

By Annabel Bessem Global News Posted May 1, 2025 5:36 pm 1 min read Descrease article font size Increase article font size Residents of the B.C. Interior are asked to avoid open fires for the first weekend of May due to an increase in fire risks. The B.C. Wildfire Service says temperatures are expected to climb Thursday morning, causing fine fuels to dry out, putting them at risk of ignition. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Fire weather forecasters are also…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! President Donald Trump stirred the hearts of the University of Alabama graduates when he reaffirmed his promise to “keep men out of women’s sports.”During a commencement speech at the university’s graduation ceremony on Thursday night, Trump gave a shutout to the school’s SEC champion women’s track and field team before igniting a raucous applause by “vowing to defend women’s sports.””As long as I’m president, we will always protect women’s sports. Men will not play in women’s sports,” Trump said before the crowd erupted in cheers for its loudest and longest applause of…