Latest news with #Regnier
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Bend man convicted for hitting Yellowstone National Park worker with vehicle
PORTLAND, Ore. () — An Oregon man has been convicted after hitting a worker at the world's first national park. Following a three-day trial, Bend resident David Tyler Regnier was found guilty of . The case was sparked by an incident that occurred at Yellowstone National Park on Sept. 18, 2024. Portland Rose Festival, Multnomah County Fair among things to do for Memorial Day weekend According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Wyoming, two park employees were directing traffic near Canyon Junction due to ongoing road construction. Officials reported that Regnier was driving a Jeep in the opposite direction of traffic while complaining about how it was being directed. One employee directed the 67-year-old man to back up, as another stood in front of his vehicle with a stop sign. The District Attorney's Office alleged that Regnier accelerated instead, hitting the worker who then jumped out of his path. Regnier was later stopped by Yellowstone National Park Service law enforcement officers and arrested. 'Ongoing security concerns' spark closure of West Burnside burger joint 'Our office will take a strong stance against the frequent acts of violence directed at public servants who are merely doing their jobs to protect the community,' Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie I. Sprecher said in a statement. The Oregon man is slated to be sentenced on Thursday, Aug. 7. Officials reported that he could be penalized with up to 20 years in federal prison and three years of supervised release, along with a maximum fine of $250,000 and a $100 special assessment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Independent
30-04-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Santander UK profits fall as bank lowers economic growth outlook
Santander has revealed lower profits in the UK as it set aside more cash to cover costs related to cutting its high street branches, and lowered its outlook for economic growth this year. The UK bank said it was making some big changes to how the business is run in order to reduce costs. It reported a pre-tax profit of £358 million for the first quarter, between January and March, which was 8% lower than the same period a year ago. Mike Regnier, Santander UK's chief executive, said that 'charges relating to changes to our branch network' drove profits lower in recent months. This has involved it putting aside more cash to cover charges and business expenses that come with the overhaul – with total provisions rising 69% to £140 million for the quarter. Last month, the Spanish-owned banking giant said it was shutting 95 of its 444 branches across Britain from June, while also cutting hours across 36 sites and switching 18 to be counter-free. Some 750 staff will be placed at risk of redundancy as a result of the move. It said the changes will 'enable the bank to better serve the changing needs of its customers', as it also highlighted that customers were continuing to opt for digital banking over 'traditional' channels. It has also been pushing ahead with simplifying and automating parts of the business which it expects to lead to cost-savings over 2025. Meanwhile, Santander said it was keeping a close eye on increasing geopolitical risks and the potential impact on its customers. It comes as Banco Santander, the wider group which incorporates its international operations, said the first three months of the year had been 'characterised by growing uncertainty caused by certain geopolitical tensions', mainly tariff policies in the US and increased defence spending in Europe. New projections by the bank show UK economic growth is expected to be slower this year than previously forecast. The 'base case' scenario shows gross domestic product (GDP) falling to 0.8% this year, from 1.4% growth forecast in February. GDP will then rise to 1.3% in 2026, also lower than the 1.6% previously forecast. The downgrade reflects weaker growth over the second half of the year and reduced consumer and business confidence. In a worst-cast scenario, which could happen if investment weakens, global risks increase, and the UK labour force shrinks, GDP could drop by as much as 2.8% this year, according to the bank. Mr Regnier said that, 'looking ahead, we will look to build on our positive momentum and will continue to work closely with Banco Santander to ensure that we harness the benefits of being part of a global business'.
The Citizen
26-04-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
EU fines Apple and Meta millions for digital violations
EU spokesperson Thomas Regnier said both Apple and Meta have 60 days to comply or face even higher fines. Both Apple and Meta have 60 days to comply or face even higher fines. Picture: Canva The European Union (EU) has announced a €700 million fine on both Apple and Meta for the violation of digital competition rules. The EU accuse the two US tech giants of breaching the recently passed Digital Markets Act (DMA). Apple and Meta fines EU spokesperson Thomas Regnier said both Apple and Meta have 60 days to comply or face even higher fines. 'So today, the commission has imposed fines of 500 million euros to Apple and 200 million euros to Meta for breaching the Digital Market Act. Now, Apple is indeed breaching its anti-steering obligations under the DMA by imposing a number of restrictions on app developers to steer their customers to alternative offers outside the Apple App Store. 'Meta, with its binary pay or consent advertising model, is breaching the DMA obligation to give consumers the choice of a service that uses less of their personal data,' Regnier said. Apple might have to remove technical and commercial restrictions that prevent app developers from steering users to cheaper deals outside the App Store. ALSO READ: Google to study Competition Commission report on R500m payment After numerous exchanges with the Commission, Meta introduced another version of the free personalised ad model in November last year, offering a new option that uses less personal data to display advertisements. The Commission is currently assessing this new option and continues its dialogue with Meta, requesting the company to provide evidence of the impact of this new 'less ads' model in practice. Regnier added that the fines for Apple and Meta are the first ones under the DMA. WATCH: Apple apologises for controversial iPad Pro 'crush' ad Meta and Apple react angrily The two tech firms have reacted angrily, with Meta accusing the EU of 'attempting to handicap successful American businesses' and Apple saying it was being 'unfairly targeted' and forced to 'give away our technology for free.'+ The EU started both investigations last year under a new law brought in to promote fairness in the tech sector. ALSO READ: Zuckerberg downplays Meta's alleged abuse of power to acquire Instagram and WhatsApp [VIDEO]
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Toronto drivers brace for more gridlock on Gardiner Expressway as bridge repairs begin
Drivers are gearing up for more construction on the Gardiner Expressway, set to begin Monday, that will close down a lane of traffic for a stretch of the busy highway for close to a year. The city says critical repair work is needed on five bridges located in the section of the Gardiner which runs from Highway 427 to the Humber River. In order to complete the repairs, the westbound Gardiner Expressway will be reduced from four lanes to three between Park Lawn Road and Grand Avenue for approximately a year, city officials said in a news release last week. Some residents living in Toronto's west end neighbourhoods say they've already been coping with lane closures and construction on the Gardiner for months since work began to refurbish the 60-year-old highway and portions of its elevated structure that run through the downtown core. Joelle Regnier said she's planning on leaving for work 45 minutes earlier than usual once the lane closure begins. "Already my heart is like, oh my goodness, what road am I going to take?" she said. "I know I'm speaking on behalf of many residents here. It's discouraging and a little bit disheartening," Regnier said. She said she wished the city could have been more proactive about maintaining the highway. "I think one has to wonder … when there is critical work that needs to be done suddenly, urgently from one day to the next, one has to wonder about preventative maintenance and how well that's being done with," she said. WATCH | What you need to know about upcoming repairs on the Gardiner Expressway: Iegor Satyr said he used to be able to get downtown within about half an hour, but it now usually takes him at least 40 minutes. "It takes way longer to get to where you're going," he said. Satyr said he also thinks road construction could be managed better to avoid creating gridlock, especially during the summer when most of it takes place. "You can't just turn every road into a 40-kilometre zone." As frustrating as these delays can be, the city is in a tough spot when it comes to these critical repairs, said Matthias Sweet, an associate professor in the school of urban and regional planning at Toronto Metropolitan University. "Once you have actual infrastructure failure, things get only worse, so you're choosing between really tricky pain now and even potentially worse pain down the road," he said. "So the city doesn't have an enormous amount of choice on these kind of matters." The city says crews will be enabled to work up to 24 hours a day, seven days a week to meet the planned construction schedule. There will be a phased approach to construction as well to minimize impact on traffic, as well as traffic monitoring on the Gardiner Expressway and diversion routes and traffic agents at "key intersections" during busy periods to help keep traffic flowing. The bridge repairs are expected to be completed by November 2026, with a pause from May to July 2026 to accommodate traffic for the FIFA World Cup.
Voice of America
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Voice of America
Belgium makes arrests in corruption probe linked to EU
Belgian federal prosecutors announced Thursday the arrests of several people as part of a corruption probe linked to the European Parliament amid reports in local media that Chinese company Huawei bribed EU lawmakers. The arrests came as an investigation by Le Soir newspaper and other media said lobbyists working for the Chinese telecoms giant are suspected of bribing current or former European Parliament members to promote the company's commercial policy in Europe. About 100 federal police officers carried out 21 searches in Brussels, the Flanders and Wallonia regions, and Portugal, the federal prosecutor's office said. The suspects would be questioned over 'alleged involvement in active corruption within the European Parliament, as well as for forgery and use of forgeries,' prosecutors said. 'The offenses were allegedly committed by a criminal organization.' Huawei public relations representatives in London did not respond to an emailed request for comment and could not be reached by phone. The European Parliament said only that the assembly 'takes note of the information" and "always cooperates fully with the judicial authorities.' Huawei, which makes cellphones and is the biggest maker of networking gear for phone and internet carriers, has been caught in tensions between the United States and China over technology and trade. Some European nations have followed Washington's lead and banned Huawei's equipment from next-generation mobile networks over allegations that it poses a security risk that could help facilitate Chinese spying. The company has repeatedly denied this. European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said the EU's executive branch had no comment regarding the investigation, but underlined security concerns the commission has about Huawei and Europe's fifth-generation mobile phone networks. 'The security of our 5G networks is obviously crucial for our economy,' Regnier told reporters. 'Huawei represents materially higher risks than other 5G suppliers.' EU member states should swiftly "adopt decisions to restrict or to exclude Huawei from their 5G networks,' Regnier said. 'A lack of swift action would expose the EU as a whole to a clear risk.' The federal prosecutor's office, which did not name Huawei, said it believes there was corruption 'from 2021 to the present day" in various forms, "such as remuneration for taking political positions or excessive gifts such as food and travel expenses or regular invitations to football matches." Prosecutors say payments might have been disguised as business expenses and in some cases may have been directed to third parties. They would also look to "detect any evidence of money laundering.' Police seized several documents and objects during the searches. Staff at Huawei's offices in Brussels declined to comment and turned the lights off inside to avoid photographs taken through the window. According to Follow The Money, an investigative journalism platform, one of the main suspects in the probe is 41-year-old Valerio Ottati, a Belgian Italian lobbyist who joined Huawei in 2019. Before becoming Huawei's EU public affairs director, Ottati was an assistant to two Italian MEPs who were both members of a European Parliament group dealing with China policy, Follow the Money reported. This is the second corruption case targeting the EU Parliament in less than three years. In December 2022, the legislature was shaken by a corruption scandal in which Qatari officials were accused of bribing EU officials to play down labor rights concerns ahead of the soccer World Cup.
