Town Hall News

SHENZHEN, China (Reuters) – While the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an end to the global emergency status for COVID-19, the virus remains harmful and China will continue to monitor it while increasing vaccinations among high-risk groups, a top Chinese health official said. The WHO ended its highest level of alert for COVID on Friday, more than three years after its original declaration, saying countries should now manage the […]

By Andrew Goudsward and Steve Gorman WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A Pennsylvania man found guilty of felony assault and other charges for pepper-spraying police officers outside the U.S. Capitol was sentenced on Friday to 14 years behind bars, the longest prison term to date for anyone convicted in the riot of Jan. 6, 2021. Peter J. Schwartz, 49, was convicted last December at a trial in federal court where evidence showed […]

SYDNEY (Reuters) – FIFA secretary general Fatma Samoura is confident the global governing body’s threat of a Women’s World Cup TV blackout in Europe this year will bring broadcasters to the table with improved offers for the rights. The rights are being sold separately from the men’s World Cup for the first time and FIFA President Gianni Infantino said last week that Britain, Spain, France, Germany and Italy would face […]

By Julia Harte NEW YORK (Reuters) -Protesters in New York City on Friday called for charges against a former U.S. Marine who choked a homeless man to death on the subway they were both riding in, as the veteran’s lawyers said he never intended to harm the man. The death of Jordan Neely, 30, on Monday has stoked an outcry over the lack of city support for those suffering from […]

By Jacqueline Thomsen and Andrew Goudsward WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Department asked a federal judge on Friday to sentence Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes to 25 years in prison for his conviction on seditious conspiracy and other charges over the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump. The Justice Department is also seeking a sentence of 21 years for another Oath Keepers […]

(Reuters) -Scope Ratings on Friday placed the United States of America’s AA long-term issuer and senior unsecured debt ratings in local and foreign currency under review for a possible downgrade due to longer run risks associated with the misuse of the debt ceiling instrument. Scope, which is seen as the leading European credit rating agency, said that recurrent debt-ceiling crises have resulted in phases of debt repayment distress for the […]

SYDNEY (Reuters) – A decision not to light up the sails of the Sydney Opera House to mark the coronation of King Charles was a cost saving measure, a spokesperson for the state government of New South Wales said on Saturday. Across Australia, where King Charles is head of state, the role of the monarchy is controversial. The country held a referendum in 1999 on becoming a republic with 55% […]

(Reuters) – MSCI will lower the free float of two of India’s Adani Group companies, Adani Total Gas and Adani Transmission in its May index review, the financial index provider said on Friday. MSCI now sees the Adani Total Gas’ free float at 14% and Adani Transmission at 10%, from 25%. Free float is defined as the proportion of outstanding shares considered available for purchase in public equity markets by […]

By Martin Coulter LONDON (Reuters) – Artificial intelligence could pose a “more urgent” threat to humanity than climate change, AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton told Reuters in an interview on Friday.  Geoffrey Hinton, widely known as one of the “godfathers of AI”, recently announced he had quit Alphabet after a decade at the firm, saying he wanted to speak out on the risks of the technology without it affecting his former […]