UK’s Sunak preparing to block Scottish gender reform bill -The Times

(Reuters) -British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is poised to block Scottish laws that make it easier for people to change their gender, The Times reported on Friday. New legal advice could pave the way for the government to stop Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s gender recognition laws from getting royal assent next week, the newspaper …

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S&P 500 ends at highest in month, indexes gain for week as earnings kick off

By Caroline Valetkevitch NEW YORK (Reuters) – The S&P 500 and Nasdaq finished at their highest levels in a month on Friday, with shares of JPMorgan Chase and other banks rising following their quarterly results, which kicked off the earnings season. All three major indexes also registered strong gains for the week, leaving the S&P …

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House Republicans probe Biden documents, ask if Hunter had access

By Gram Slattery and David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives launched an investigation on Friday into the Justice Department’s handling of improperly stored classified documents possessed by President Joe Biden, and questioned whether his son, Hunter, had access to any. In a Jan. 13 letter to Attorney General Merrick …

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German defence minister Lambrecht to step down -govt source

BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany’s defence minister Christine Lambrecht plans to resign, a government source said on Friday, potentially adding to chancellor Olaf Scholz’s problems as he cautiously seeks to step up military support for Ukraine. Lambrecht, a member of Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), aimed to resign next week and had already informed Scholz about her …

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Biden taps problem-solver Bob Bauer as personal lawyer in document probe

By Andrew Goudsward and Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden is turning to a longtime Democratic problem-solver, lawyer Bob Bauer, to manage his response to a U.S. special counsel’s investigation into his handling of classified material after the discovery of documents at his private office and home. Bauer will serve as Biden’s personal …

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Nine dead, more casualties expected after tornadoes rip through U.S. Southeast

By Rich McKay and Tyler Clifford ATLANTA (Reuters) -At least nine people died in tornadoes that destroyed homes and knocked out power to tens of thousands in the U.S. Southeast, local officials said on Friday, and the death toll in hard-hit central Alabama was expected to rise. The storms on Thursday stretched from Mississippi to …

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Biden administration vaccine drive leader David Kessler to step down

(Reuters) – David Kessler, who led the COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts for the United States, is stepping down from President Joe Biden’s administration, the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed on Friday. Kessler, a pediatrician and lawyer who headed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration under presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, will …

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Scotland’s SNP set to row back on de facto independence referendum- The Times

(Reuters) -Scottish first minister Nicola sturgeon is preparing to row back on her plan to make the next general election in 2024 a “de facto referendum” on Scottish independence, The Times reported on Saturday. The Scottish National Party (SNP)’s executive committee will be presented with an alternative option on Saturday which would say that votes …

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