Florida men arrested in Bank of America robbery, police say

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Florida police have nabbed two men in connection with a Bank of America robbery in Tampa Saturday morning. 

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said a man entered a Bank of America in Tampa just before 10:20 a.m. on Saturday, August 20, 2022. 

L-R: John Ward and Terry Zukowski.  (Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.)

The sheriff’s office said the man jumped behind the teller’s counter and demanded money. He left with an undisclosed amount and fled in a waiting white Honda Accord, the sheriff’s office said.  Investigators tracked down the vehicle to the Park on Waters Apartments at 2701 W Waters Ave. Deputies connected the vehicle to 48-year-old John Ward. Inside the vehicle, deputies found "large amounts of cash" that matched the money stolen from the bank.  TEXAS WOMEN ACCUSED OF STEALING 460 GALLONS OF FUEL FROM 7-ELEVEN GAS STATION, POLICE SAY Deputies located another male who they said was running around wearing only his boxers and a white tank top. The rest of his clothes were later found at a nearby lake. The man – later identified as 28-year-old Terry Zukowski – admitted to driving the getaway vehicle in the bank robbery.  The sheriff’s office said he also admitted to driving the getaway car in the robbery of a Suncoast Credit Union earlier this month.   "Thanks to the hard work, great investigative skills, and quick response by deputies responding to the scene, the two suspects were located and charged," Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Ward and Zukowski are both charged with robbery while wearing a mask. 

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/florida-men-arrested-in-bank-of-america-robbery-police-say/?feed_id=14024&_unique_id=6302ea10c586e

Israeli forces kill Palestinian youth, wound dozens in occupied West Bank

Fast News

Eighteen-year-old Waseem Khalifa was shot dead in Nablus city, medics say, adding occupying Israeli forces also wounded 30 Palestinians, three of whom critically.

Scouts gather around names carved in the sand of the children who were killed during the recent Israeli aggression on Gaza. (AFP)

Israeli troops have killed a Palestinian youth in the Israeli-occupied West Bank city of Nablus and wounded dozens of others.

Palestinian medics identified the man who was killed early on Thursday as Waseem Khalifa, 18, from Balata, the largest refugee camp in the West Bank.

At least 30 Palestinians were wounded, four of whom were shot with live ammunition and three of whom were in critical condition, the Palestine Red Crescent said.

Witnesses said clashes erupted when Israeli forces arrived to protect Jewish worshippers visiting Joseph's Tomb, a site that has been a flashpoint.

The Israeli military told the Reuters news agency it was checking on the incident.

Killings in Gaza

The fresh killing of a Palestinian comes after Israeli jets pounded the besieged Gaza enclave that saw Palestinian fighters responding with hundreds of rockets that wounded 70 Israelis.

At least 49 Palestinians were killed in Gaza, including civilians and children, and hundreds more were wounded during 56 hours of fighting.

Israeli forces have carried out near-daily raids in the occupied West Bank in recent months.

Source: Reuters

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/israeli-forces-kill-palestinian-youth-wound-dozens-in-occupied-west-bank/?feed_id=12337&_unique_id=62fd99d27431d

Lebanon bank gunman who sought access to his own savings released

A Lebanese judge orders the release from detention of the man who last week took hostages at a Beirut bank in an attempt to access his savings frozen after the country's 2019 financial implosion.

Hussein has been hailed as a hero by many in the country and observers have speculated the incident may inspire copycats. (AP)

Lebanon’s state prosecutor has released a man who took up to 10 people hostage in a bank at gunpoint while demanding funds from his locked savings account.

In the court decision obtained by the Associated Press, state prosecutor Ghassan Ouweidat said Federal Bank had dropped its charges against food delivery driver Bassam al Sheikh Hussein on Tuesday.

In a case that has drawn nationwide attention, Hussein, 42, fired three warning shots from a shotgun last Thursday at a Federal Bank branch in Beirut.

He threatened to douse himself with gasoline and set himself ablaze if the bank didn't let him withdraw his $210,000 in savings for his father’s medical bills and other expenses.

Hussein was released from custody after he went on a hunger strike and the bank dropped charges against him.

Hussein had locked himself in the bank and held up to 10 people hostage for about seven hours. 

Dozens of protesters gathered around the bank to support him, while soldiers and riot police cordoned off the area. No one was injured.

READ MORE:Hostage drama at Beirut bank ends after armed man turns himself in

During the hostage situation, a crowd gathered outside the bank to support Hussein, chanting "Down with the rule of the banks!" (AP)

Tied up savings

Lebanon’s cash-strapped banks since 2019 have imposed strict limits on withdrawals of foreign currency, tying up the savings of millions of people. 

About three-quarters of the population have slipped into poverty, as the tiny Mediterranean country’s economy continues to spiral.

After hours of negotiations, Hussein and officers agreed that the bank would release $35,000 of his savings, while he and his brother would be briefly questioned at the Internal Security Forces headquarters in the Lebanese capital. 

Hussein's lawyers said his family had received the money.

The bank’s lawyer declined to talk about the details of the settlement reached with Hussein allowing him to withdraw some of his savings last week.

Hussein had been held in pre-trial detention after Federal Bank pressed charges. 

A small group of protesters had gathered outside the courthouse earlier Tuesday, temporarily closing off the main road to traffic. They chanted slogans calling for Hussein's release.

The state has yet to drop its charges against Hussein, whose actions could land him up to two years in jail.

READ MORE: Beirut blast: Pleas for international probe after two years of disaster

A small group of protesters had gathered outside the courthouse on Tuesday, temporarily closing off the main road to traffic. They chanted slogans calling for Hussein's release. (AP)

Source: AP

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/lebanon-bank-gunman-who-sought-access-to-his-own-savings-released/?feed_id=11805&_unique_id=62fbfaba20c87

Former Deutsche Bank co-CEO Anshu Jain dies at 59

Jain Anshu, President of Cantor Fitzgerald appears on CNBC's Squawk on the Street at the 2020 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 22nd. 2020.

Gerry Miller | CNBC

Anshu Jain, an Indian-born investment banker who rose to the role of co-CEO at Deutsche Bank, died last night after a long battle with cancer, his family announced in a statement Saturday. He was 59 years old.

Jain, who most recently served as the president of Cantor Fitzgerald, earned an MBA at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and worked at several financial firms, including Merrill Lynch, before moving to Deutsche Bank. He served as co-CEO from 2012 to 2015.

Jain stepped down from his role at Deutsche before his contract ended after the bank was beset by a string of regulatory issues.

His other positions included a role as an advisor at fintech company SoFi from 2016 to 2017 and as a trustee of British charity Chance to Shine.

"He believed in hard work, meritocracy, operating outside of expectations or conventional boundaries, placing family first, standing by one's roots (having turned away many attempts to Westernize him in an industry that was often homogenous), in speaking 'at the margin' rather than delivering plain facts, in wit and wordplay, in being nonmaterialistic, and in the importance of having broad-bandwidth and being a 'scholar-athlete,'" his family said in a statement.

"We are grateful to the many people who cared for Anshu throughout his life. For us, his legacy is tenacity, honour, and love," the statement said.

Howard Lutnick, the CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, also released a statement about Jain's passing.

"Anshu was the consummate professional who brought a wealth of experience and wisdom to his role as President. He will be remembered as an extraordinary leader, partner, and dear friend who will be greatly missed by all of us and by all who knew him," Lutnick said. "On behalf of all our partners and employees, we extend our deepest sympathies to Anshu's family and wish them peace and healing during this difficult time."

Correction: This article has been updated to delete a reference to Ajit Jain, who is not related to Anshu Jain.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/former-deutsche-bank-co-ceo-anshu-jain-dies-at-59/?feed_id=10482&_unique_id=62f80b51c2772

New Israeli raids on occupied West Bank turn deadly

Fast News

Two Palestinians were killed and about 30 wounded as Israeli troops raided a house in the city of Nablus.

Israeli security forces have conducted frequent operations in the occupied West Bank in recent months. (AFP)

Israel's forces have killed two Palestinians in the city of Nablus in occupied West Bank, Palestinian media has reported, two days after deadly Israeli air strikes on Gaza was halted by a truce.

At least 30 Palestinians were wounded as Israeli troops raided a house in Nablus on Tuesday, according to the Red Crescent.

"Israeli army and special forces are surrounding the house of a wanted man in Nablus. There is exchange of fire," the Israel's military said in a statement.

Gunfire was traded in the old city of Nablus, according to AFP news agency. Trouble also broke out in other parts of Nablus.

Israeli security forces have conducted frequent operations in occupied West Bank in recent months, focusing on operatives from the Islamic Jihad group.

On Friday, Israel launched what it called a "pre-emptive" aerial and artillery bombardment of Islamic Jihad positions in besieged Gaza, leading the armed group there to fire rockets in retaliation.

An Egypt-brokered ceasefire reached on Sunday ended three days of Israeli bombardment that killed 46 Palestinians, 16 of them children, and wounded 360, according to Gaza's health ministry.

READ MORE: Palestine demands protection against Israel's 'unprovoked' attacks

READ MORE: Gaza crossing opens as ceasefire holds between Israel, Palestinian group

Source: TRTWorld and agencies

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/new-israeli-raids-on-occupied-west-bank-turn-deadly/?feed_id=8536&_unique_id=62f21465a7f72

US, Taliban representatives meet on Afghan central bank reserves

Fast News

The two sides discussed the $3.5 billion Afghan central bank reserves to be used for the benefit of the Afghan people said State Department.

US and Taliban representatives discussed ongoing efforts to enable the $3.5 billion in licensed Afghan central bank reserves to be used for the benefit of the Afghan people. (Reuters)

A US delegation discussed with Taliban officials efforts to enable the release of billions of dollars from Afghan central bank reserves, the State Department said.

The meeting, involving Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West and Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson, took place on Wednesday, the State Department said on Thursday in a release.

"The United States expressed the need to address the urgent humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. The two sides discussed ongoing efforts to enable the $3.5 billion in licensed Afghan central bank reserves to be used for the benefit of the Afghan people," the media note said.

The meetings took place after the conclusion of the Uzbekistan-hosted Tashkent Conference on Afghanistan on July 26.

The Taliban is seeking a way to unlock some of the country's foreign reserves — currently frozen by the United States — following a devastating earthquake in June, with the United States looking for assurances the money would go to help the population.

After taking over Afghanistan in July 2021, the Taliban sought international recognition but Western nations are reluctant to do so, citing humanitarian issues and freedom of expression.

READ MORE: US, Taliban discuss foreign reserves, aid for earthquake-hit Afghanistan

READ MORE: Russia hints it may recognise Taliban govt in Afghanistan

Source: TRTWorld and agencies

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/us-taliban-representatives-meet-on-afghan-central-bank-reserves/?feed_id=3620&_unique_id=62e338919f835