Ex-Barclays CEO Staley didn’t mislead UK watchdog about Epstein

 

Former Barclays boss Jes Staley did not mislead the UK’s financial watchdog over his relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, Staley’s lawyers said on Monday at the start of a London court case in which the former banker seeks to restore his reputation.

Staley appeared in court flanked by his lawyers as his appeal against the Financial Conduct Authority’s intention to ban him from working in the UK finance industry indefinitely, and fine him 1.8 million pounds ($2.3 million), began at London’s Upper Tribunal.

The 68-year-old will next week be cross-examined over his relationship with Epstein, whose 2019 arrest for sex trafficking minors and subsequent death in custody brought scrutiny on the late financier’s many high-profile associates.

Epstein’s crimes have also prompted lawsuits against JPMorgan, where Staley was previously head of the private bank and had Epstein as a major client, and public figures like Britain’s Prince Andrew as well as against Staley himself.

Staley has fought to clear his name since 2021 when he left Barclays, in response to the FCA’s initial decision to take disciplinary action over a 2019 letter sent to the watchdog by Barclays.

The FCA said in 2023 that it intended to ban Staley as the letter contained two misleading statements: that Staley “did not have a close relationship” with Epstein and their last contact was “well before he joined Barclays in 2015.”

Staley says both statements were accurate and that the pair had only a “close professional relationship,” arguing his occasional visits to Epstein’s private island or use of his private jet do not contradict that.

His lawyer, Robert Smith, said on Monday that the letter to the FCA “was never intended to provide a definitive description of the relationship.”

FCA lawyer Leigh-Ann Mulcahy earlier said the watchdog does not allege Staley was aware of Epstein’s crimes after the latter’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution.

She said in court filings, however, that Staley has “consistently mis-stated the nature of his relationship with Mr Epstein, in particular downplaying the closeness and extent of their connection”.

The FCA’s case centers on a cache of over 1,000 emails between Staley and Epstein, in which Staley described their friendship as “profound” and referred to Epstein as “family.”

The emails also feature previously reported references to some of Epstein’s other well-known associates, such as Peter Mandelson, now British ambassador in Washington, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and billionaire investor Leon Black.

“Many people will have born the stigma of having to explain why they had a long standing and close association with Mr. Epstein,” Staley’s lawyer Smith said in court filings. “Mr. Staley does not stand in some unique position in this regard.”

The FCA says the emails show Staley passed non-public information to Epstein while at JPMorgan and updated Epstein on his application for the Barclays CEO job.

Further emails obtained from litigation in the U.S. Virgin Islands suggests that Staley’s daughter acted as an “intermediary” in 2016 and 2017, the FCA argues.

“Could you ask your dad if he would like to be considered for Treasury,” Epstein emailed Alexa Staley in November 2016, weeks after Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election.

Staley’s lawyers, however, say the fact Epstein initiated all five email chains with Staley’s daughter demonstrates that Staley was no longer in contact with Epstein.

The appeal will hear evidence from Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey, who was FCA chief executive between 2016 and 2020, later this week. Barclays Chair Nigel Higgins is expected to enter the witness box next week, shortly before Staley.

Kroger ousts longtime CEO after ethics probe uncovers ‘personal conduct’ issue

 

Kroger on Monday said its longtime chief executive Rodney McMullen has stepped down after a probe into his personal conduct revealed inconsistencies with the grocery chain’s ethics policy.

The company said it was made aware of “certain personal conduct” by McMullen on Feb. 21 and immediately obtained independent counsel to launch an investigation. Kroger declined to comment on the specific conduct that led to his resignation.

McMullen’s adverse conduct is unrelated to Kroger’s finances, and did not involve any company associates, the grocery chain said in a press release.

Kroger’s lead director, former Staples CEO Ronald “Ron” Sargent, has stepped into the role as interim chairman and chief executive officer.

The company’s board of directors has formed a search committee, which is scouring for the next permanent chief executive.

Kroger shares dipped 1% on Monday morning.

The longtime leader’s ouster comes soon after the Federal Trade Commission killed Kroger’s $25 billion merger with rival chain Albertsons.

The deal – which would have created the largest supermarket chain in US history – was blocked on antitrust grounds.

Soon after the upset, Albertsons slapped Kroger with a lawsuit, alleging it violated their contract by failing to make “best efforts” to secure regulatory approval.

Authorities search for a missing 2-year-old Oregon boy last seen playing in a yard

 

SILETZ, Ore.  — Authorities in Oregon were searching Sunday for a missing 2-year-old boy last seen playing in a yard the day before.

Dane Paulsen was reported missing around 4:25 p.m. Saturday, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said. Members of the sheriff’s office and fire and police agencies searched the property and surrounding areas on foot and with drones with thermal imaging equipment Saturday, the sheriff’s office said in a statement on social media.

On Sunday, search and rescue teams were conducting methodical searches of an area north of the small city of Siletz, near the Siletz River, using drones, dogs and watercraft, the sheriff’s office said. Volunteers who wanted to help were urged to stay out of the main search area.

A late 1990s gold station wagon that was seen near the home where Dane was last known to be is considered a “vehicle of interest” in the investigation, the sheriff’s office said.

However, Sheriff Adam Shanks told KATU-TV that there is no evidence that the vehicle was directly involved in Dane’s disappearance.

FSB Kills Man in Shootout Over Alleged Moscow Metro, Jewish Site Attack Plot

 

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said Monday that its agents killed a man suspected of plotting attacks on the Moscow metro and a Jewish religious site in the Moscow region.

“During his arrest, the criminal put up armed resistance to the FSB officers and was neutralized by return fire,” the agency said in a statement.

The FSB identified the man as a Russian citizen born in an unspecified Central Asian country and claimed he had planned to travel to Afghanistan to join an “international terrorist organization” after carrying out the attacks. It did not specify which organization.

A video released by the law enforcement agency showed a nighttime raid on a home, followed by an image of a body indoors with a pistol next to it. A black flag resembling that of the Islamic State appeared in one section of the video, along with household items.

The FSB said it seized firearms, as well as chemicals and materials for making explosives, which were also shown in the video.

Israeli charged with offering Iran access to nuclear research site

 

An Israeli engineer has been indicted for allegedly initiating contact with Iranian intelligence and offering to sell classified information, including claims of access to Israel’s nuclear research facility.

Doron Bokobza, 29, a Be’er Sheva resident and engineer at Haifa Chemicals South, was charged Sunday with contacting a foreign agent and transferring information to an enemy, according to an indictment filed by state prosecutors at the Be’er Sheva District Court. He was arrested last month in a joint operation by Israeli police and the Shin Bet security agency.

Investigators say Bokobza established contact with Iranian intelligence through Telegram, messaging profiles displaying the Iranian flag. "I am an Israeli and I want to work with you," he wrote according to the charges. From December until his arrest in February, he allegedly carried out various tasks for his Iranian handler, including photographing sensitive sites. He also falsely presented himself as having access to the Negev Nuclear Research Center and provided publicly available details about the facility.

Authorities allege Bokobza initiated the contact, fully aware that he was engaging with Iranian intelligence operatives and that his actions could harm national security. At the request of his handler, he filmed himself making a hand gesture on a Be’er Sheva street and later took videos of supermarket prices, earning small payments in cryptocurrency. The indictment states he later escalated his activities, offering to meet his handler abroad and sending a photo of a communications rack, falsely claiming it was linked to a nuclear facility.

After learning of the arrest of two Israeli IDF soldiers in the reserves accused of similar offenses, Bokobza reportedly deleted his exchanges with the Iranian handler, only to reestablish contact later. At one point, he warned his handler of an imminent Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear sites, claiming he had inside knowledge.

Shin Bet and police issued a joint warning following Bokobza’s indictment, urging citizens not to engage with unknown foreign contacts, particularly those linked to enemy states.

Israeli suspected of spying for Iran his indictment

"Iranian intelligence and terrorist operatives continue efforts to recruit Israelis for espionage and security-related tasks," the statement said, highlighting social media as a primary recruitment tool. "Israeli security agencies will continue to identify and thwart Iranian operations and will ensure those involved face the full extent of the law."

The case is one of several in recent months involving Israeli citizens, including reservists, allegedly recruited by Iranian intelligence in exchange for payment. Some cases have led to indictments, while others remain under investigation.

Former Hezbollah supporter embraces Israel and converts to Judaism

 

Rawan Osman’s hostility towards Israel was just part and parcel of growing up in Lebanon, but her views were uncomfortably challenged, and then ultimately took a 180-degree turn after a life-altering season in France.

Osman went to Strasbourg back in 2011 to gain business acumen, pursuing her dream to open a wine bar. It was there that she met Jewish people for the first time in her life and came face to face with the falsehoods in her own antisemitic beliefs.

She had been raised to believe Jews were the enemy, even monsters, and experienced a panic attack when realizing she’d accidentally ended up living in the Jewish quarter. However, her experiences in the weeks and months that followed led her to become an outspoken peace activist, challenging antisemitism in the Arab world.

Now based in Germany, she regularly goes back to Strasbourg. “There, I lived in the Jewish quarter and slowly realized that the Jews are normal people, that they are not 'enemies,'" Osman wrote on Instagram. “Every year, I celebrate my birthday there, to express my gratitude and to celebrate the city that opened my eyes.”

In an interview with Ynet News, Osman relayed how she had been drip-fed views that demonized Israel. "I was a fan of Hezbollah. I believed the narrative the state wanted us to learn about Israel and the Jews," she shared. "I'd never spoken to a Jew until I moved to France."

Osman admits the transformation from Syrian-Lebanese antisemite to Israel-loving peace activist took a great deal of time. "It sounds as if it happened overnight, but that was a long journey," she said. "Slowly, after years of reading about Israel and Jewish history, I became a proud Zionist activist. And after October 7, that event changed my life."

For many, Oct. 7, 2023, was a pivotal moment. For Osman, after a decade of advocating for the Jewish people, it triggered the decision to convert to Judaism.

"I still have many family members and friends in Lebanon and Syria. Most of them blocked me right after October 7 when I made a public statement condemning Hamas and supporting Israel," she said. "Many out of fear, but many just because they are antisemites, as I was until my mid-twenties."

After many years of learning about Israel, visiting Auschwitz, and gaining insight into the suffering of the Jewish people, she was staggered to see how the world responded to the horrific Hamas attack. She has been distraught to see how many Muslims still support the terror group.

"I don't understand how anyone can buy their narrative," she said. "I just read this morning – like many around the world, we don’t want to believe the Bibas family was killed. They are monsters, and learning that the aggressor is your own side, not Israel, is a harsh realization. I'm trying desperately to get Arabs to understand that they are intensely brainwashed."

For Osman, there is no equivocating. "Every day, it becomes clearer that the enemy of the people in the region is not Israel, but the so-called 'Axis of Resistance' led by Iran or by the Iranian regime.”

Wanting to make the distinction between the regime and the people of Iran, she added, “The Iranian people are awesome and they deserve better."

Now an unashamed and vocal Zionist, Osman has become a target of hate and regularly receives death threats. There is a criminal investigator in Germany to whom she can pass the threats on directly, but she doesn’t always bother to report them. “As they say, 'A dog that barks rarely bites,'” she said. “Those who want to kill me won’t inform me in advance."

She draws courage and strength from her conviction that she’s doing the right thing. "I have to be careful where I'm invited to speak publicly. We have heavy security, but I truly believe I'm doing the right thing, so it doesn’t bother me at all," she said.

Working with fellow peace activist, Rabbi Raphael Shore, author of 'Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Jews', Osman will star in his new documentary, 'Tragic Awakening' which explores the roots and reasons of antisemitism. Shore has his own theories about what drives the antisemitism we see skyrocketing today, saying, “There's something bothering them, bothering antisemites, including much of the Islamist world today about the Jewish people. And it's deep down and it's even progressive liberals today. It's bothering them about the Jews and they label it anything.”

Some have suggested to Osman that her voice as a Lebanese Arab is more powerful than it might be if she converted to Judaism, but she takes Shore’s stance that the best thing to do in the face of antisemitism is to be steadfastly Jewish.

"Converting to Judaism is not my dirty secret,” she says, adding, “there's nothing to be ashamed of. It's something I'm proud of and I'd like the Jews to understand that it is something you should be proud of. There's nothing wrong with you and everything wrong with the world."

Osman believes, from her own experience, that personal encounters are the best remedy to bring peace, saying, “You might not be able to visit Lebanon or Syria yet, however, you are able to meet Syrians and Lebanese on neutral ground wherever fate chooses. When it happens, don’t retreat out of despair or mistrust. Engage them and change their mind about Israel, like the shopkeeper in Strasbourg changed mine. All he had to do was to smile.”

"Many Arab countries have anti-normalization laws and policies forbidding people-to-people contact," she says. "Arab citizens, including Lebanese, are afraid of communicating with Israelis because of these laws, even abroad when they are on holiday. But thanks to social media, the Jews can reclaim their space, reclaim their voices and communicate their narrative, exposing the lies told for very long in the Arab world."

Search for missing American-Israeli woman in Montana paused

 

The search for missing American-Israeli woman Danit Ehrlich, who went missing from a Missoula, Montana dog park on February 21, has been paused, a friend of the missing woman told

Both the source and local reports said that local authorities have paused the search due to low visibility in the Clark Fork River, where authorities believe she drowned in.

A team of divers has been searching the river for Ehrlich, but the Missoula Police Department (MPD) said that the conditions were not conducive to the divers, noting that searchers have stated weather and other conditions may impact the search.

When the Post reached out to MPD for further details, the corresponding officer declined to answer any further questions.

Ehrlich was on a road trip between Colorado and Washington, where she was relocating for a new job. 

She was last seen around 7 a.m. that Friday morning at the Jacob’s Island Dog Park. Local media has reported that many locals have petitioned to have the park closed during the winter months due to potentially harsh and dangerous weather conditions.

Last week, MPD asked people to stop looking for Bamba, Ehrlich’s dog, who is also still missing.

Enlisting additional search and rescue teams

Though authorities have limited their search and rescue efforts to the river, Ehrlich’s loved ones have not given up hope.

In addition to fundraising efforts within their community, the family has hired an additional Jewish search and rescue team to aid in the efforts to recover the missing.

A vigil was held on a footbridge near the dog park, with a significant turnout to support the family. More than 50 people attended, with even more tuning in from a distance online.