Illinois Republican Rep. Aaron Schock Stepping Down

An announcement has been made by Illinois Republican Rep. Aaron Schock that he is resigning. Congressman Schock, still in his early 30s resigned after a month long cascade of revelations regarding his business deals and his lavish spending from overseas travel to office decor in the style of Downton Abbey.

Schock said that he took the decision with a heavy heart. Schock also said that serving the people of the 18th District is the highest and greatest honor for him. "But the constant questions over the last six weeks have proven a great distraction that has made it too difficult for me to serve the people of the 18th District with the high standards that they deserve and which I have set for myself", added Schock.

Three people killed in shooting at corner store in Northern California

According to the Stockton Police Department, three people have been killed during an apparent drive-by shooting at a corner store in Northern California. As per Stockton Police spokesman Joseph Silva, two women and a man were killed in the shooting that took place on Tuesday night. Identities of three have not been disclosed yet.

Joseph Silva also informed that one person died on the spot and other two died while undergoing emergency treatment at a local hospital. The other four people were also injured and were taken to the hospital. It is expected that the injured ones will survive.

Presbyterians accept same-sex marriage

Gay marriage has been a major issue for many across the country for the past few decades. Now, a church in the US has announced support for the same-sex relationships. The Presbyterian Church has approved gay marriage and has recognized it amid many beliefs and disbeliefs in such marriages.

Last year, the redefinition was permitted by the church General Assembly, or top legislative body. However, approval from a majority of the denomination's 171 regional districts, or presbyteries was also required. The 86th vote, which was required to approve the same-sex marriage in the church, came on Tuesday. With this vote from the Presbytery of the Palisades in New Jersey, same-sex couples can tie the knot in church.

Envelope sent to white house tests positive for cyanide

According to the Secret Services, an envelope sent to the White House has been tested positive for cyanide. On Monday, the envelope was received at an off-site mail screening facility. In the beginning, biological testing was negative. According to the agency, additional testing which was done on Tuesday gave a positive results for cyanide. Further testing on the sample will also be conducted.

The Secret Service looks after security of President Barack Obama. According to the agency, investigation is still being carried out. Generally, suspicious letters are sent to some of the leading politicians of the country, together with the president. So far, some letters have been tested positive for hazardous substances. Many other letters include threats of physical harm and death.

Zara-owner Inditex posts 5% rise in 2014 profit

The net profit of Spanish fashion giant Inditex, which owns Zara stores, increased by 5% in 2014. On Wednesday, the company reported profit for February 2014 through January 2015, which rose to 2.5 billion euros ($2.7 billion) from 2.4 billion euros for the previous 12-month period. The sales jumped 8% to 18.1 billion euros.

Zara sales were strong this winter with the introduction of leather skirts and tunics. In the first six weeks of the first quarter, the sales rose 13% in euro terms.

Results at the Zara owner were in line with expectations in a Reuters poll, which had predicted 2.49 billion euros net profit on sales of 18.06 billion euros.

Anti-capitalist protesters spoil inauguration of ECB’s new $1.4 billion tower

Anti-capitalist protesters spoilt the inauguration of the European Central Bank's (ECB) new headquarters in Frankfurt. More than 10,000 protesters descended on the euro area's financial capital hours before the ceremonial opening of the billion-euro ($1.4 billion) tower.

Several cars were set on fire and streets were blocked by burning stacks of tyres and rubbish bins. The protesters clashed with riot police and also set off smoke bombs and threw stones, glass and corrosive substances.

Police officers deployed water cannons to keep the demonstrators at bay in the area surrounding the building.

Pages

News in Focus

Nvidia (NVDA) Stock Price Could Reach $300 as per Bernstein’s David Dai; Nasdaq Composite at Record Highs

Nvidia continues to command the narrative in global technology markets, with Bernstein reaffirming its bullish stance and projecting a $300 price target, anchored by the transformative potential o

Nasdaq Composite Closes at All-Time Highs; Nvidia Stock Price Above $200, Tesla Closes 3% Higher

Nasdaq Composite Closed at all-time highs as investors turned bullish on Iran-US talks to end the war.

HDFC AMC Share Price Target at Rs 3,063: Deven Choksey Research

Deven Choksey Research has reiterated an ACCUMULATE stance on HDFC Asset Management Company, highlighting that the recent earnings miss is largely optical and driven by one-off treasury adjustments

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Share Price Target at Rs 650: Motilal Oswal

Motilal Oswal Financial Services has reiterated a BUY call on ICICI Prudential Life Insurance with a target price of Rs 650, implying an upside of ~19% from the current market pric

Nasdaq Composite Closes at All-Time Highs; Tesla Stock Price Jumps 7.6%, MSFT Stock Gains 4.6

The Nasdaq Composite has surged into record territory, signaling a renewed wave of bullish momentum driven largely by heavyweight technology stocks.