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UK’s Refusal to Allow U.S. Iran Strike Plans Sparks Diplomatic Fallout

                                                       British PM Keir Starmer and US President Donald A growing diplomatic rift has emerged between London and Washington after the United Kingdom declined a U.S. request to use RAF bases for potential military strikes on Iran. British officials reportedly argued that authorizing such operations could breach international law, prompting Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government to block access to key facilities, including RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. The decision has reportedly angered President Donald Trump, who has been weighing military options amid rising tensions with Tehran. Several outlets note that the dispute has spilled into other areas of U.S.–UK cooperation, including disagreements over the future of the joint base at Diego Garcia and Trump’s withdrawal of sup...

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TD to slash jobs after disappointing earnings report


The Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) announced that it will cut an unspecified number of jobs as part of a restructuring plan to reduce costs and improve efficiency. The move comes after the bank reported lower-than-expected earnings for the fourth quarter of 2023, amid rising expenses and higher provisions for credit losses.

According to its financial results, TD earned $3.2 billion, or $1.72 per share, in the quarter ended Oct. 31, down from $3.5 billion, or $1.87 per share, a year earlier. Analysts had expected earnings of $1.79 per share, according to Refinitiv. The bank’s revenue increased by 4 per cent to $11.8 billion, but its expenses rose by 7 per cent to $6.9 billion. The bank also set aside $1.1 billion for bad loans, up from $891 million in the same period last year.

TD’s chief executive officer Bharat Masrani said the bank is facing “a challenging and uncertain environment” due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the economy. He said the bank is taking “decisive actions” to adapt to the changing conditions and position itself for long-term growth. He did not provide details on how many jobs will be affected by the restructuring, but said the bank will offer support and transition assistance to the impacted employees.

TD’s disappointing earnings contrast with the strong performance of its peers, such as Royal Bank of Canada, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Bank of Montreal and National Bank of Canada, which all beat analysts’ estimates and raised their dividends in the fourth quarter. TD was the only one of the Big Six banks that did not increase its dividend, keeping it at 79 cents per share.

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