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  • Associated Press Finance

    Biden administration restricts oil and gas leasing in 13 million acres of Alaska's petroleum reserve

    The Biden administration said Friday it will restrict new oil and gas leasing on 13 million acres (5.3 million hectares) of a federal petroleum reserve in Alaska to help protect wildlife such as caribou and polar bears as the Arctic continues to warm. The decision — part of an ongoing, yearslong fight over whether and how to develop the vast oil resources in the state — finalizes protections first proposed last year as the Biden administration prepared to approve the controversial Willow oil project. The approval of Willow drew fury from environmentalists, who said the large oil project violated Biden's pledge to combat climate change.

  • Associated Press Finance

    Key ally of Pakistan's prime minister demands end to ban on social media platform X

    An important ally of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif demanded the government lift a two-month-old ban on the social media platform X, saying on Friday that it violates citizens' right to speech and expression. The ban on X has been in place since February, when the party of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan announced a nationwide protest against alleged election rigging ahead of the Feb. 8 vote that allowed Sharif to come to power. “We demand that the ban on X, which is known as Twitter, should immediately be lifted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to stop any further violation of human rights,” said Farhatullah Babar, a senior leader of the Pakistan People's Party.

  • GlobeNewswire

    Private Bancorp of America, Inc. Announces Strong Net Income and Earnings Per Share for First Quarter 2024

    First Quarter 2024 Highlights Net income for the first quarter of 2024 of $7.9 million, compared to $7.9 million in the prior quarter and $9.0 million in the first quarter of 2023. Net income for the first quarter of 2024 represents a return on average assets of 1.48% and a return on average tangible common equity of 16.86%Diluted earnings per share for the first quarter of 2024 of $1.36, compared to $1.36 in the prior quarter and $1.57 in the first quarter of 2023Loans held-for-investment (“HFI