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NoneThe Nigerian equities market ended the week with a loss of N98 billion by investors on Friday. This followed a dip in the share prices of stocks like MULTIVERSE, DAAR COMMUNICATION, and FBNH amongst others on the trading floor. After five hours of trading at the capital market, the equity capitalization crashed to N59.2 trillion from N59.3 trillion recorded by the bourse on Thursday. The benchmark All-Share Index (ASI) decreased to 97,829.02 from 97,992.55 recorded the previous day. The market breadth was positive as 26 stocks advanced and 24 stocks declined, while 75 stocks remained unchanged in 9, 677 deals. EUNISELL, AUSTINLAZ, and HM CALL led other gainers with 9.99%, 9.92% and 9.91% growth each in share prices to close at N19.27, N2.66, and N5.10 from the previous N17.52, N2.42 and N4.64 per share. MULTIVERSE, DAAR COMMUNICATION and FBNH led other price decliners with 9.03%, 8.82%, and 5.75% decline each in share prices to close at N6.55, N0.62, and N25.40 from the previous N7.20, N0.68 and N26.95 per share. On the volume index, FBNH led trading with 42 million shares in 381 deals followed by GUINEA INSURANCE which traded 34 million shares in 135 deals. PRESTIGE traded 27 million shares in 115 deals. On the value index, FBNH traded stocks worth N1.1 billion in 381 deals followed by UBA which traded equities worth N466 million in 550 deals. ARADEL traded shares valued at N465 million in 205 deals. Opinions Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs. As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake. If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause. Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development. Donate NowRobinhood CFO Jason Warnick sells $948,615 in stock
Donald Trump has threatened to seize the Panama Canal, revived calls to buy Greenland and joked about annexing Canada -- leaving the world guessing once again whether he is serious or not. By challenging the sovereignty of some of Washington's closest allies four weeks before he even returns to the Oval Office, the US-president elect has underscored his credentials as global disruptor-in-chief. His comments have renewed fears from his first term that Trump will end up being harsher on US friends than he is on adversaries like Russia and China. But there are also suspicions that billionaire tycoon Trump is looking for leverage as part of the "art of the deal" -- and that the former reality television star is grabbing headlines to look strong at home and abroad. "It's hard to tell how much of this he really wants, and how much is the latest soundbite that will be heard around the world," said Frank Sesno, a professor at George Washington University and former White House correspondent. "He puts other leaders in position of having to figure out what is literal and what is not," he told AFP. The idea of buying Greenland is not a new one for Trump. He also raised the prospect of purchasing the vast strategic island, a Danish territory, during his first term in office. He revived his push over the weekend when naming his ambassador to Copenhagen, saying the "ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity" for US national security. But he received the same answer this time as he did then, with Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede saying on Monday that the resource-rich island was "not for sale." Yet his most headline-grabbing remarks have been on Panama, as he slammed what he called unfair fees for US ships passing through and threatened to demand control of the Panama Canal be returned to Washington. Trump said on Sunday that if Panama did not agree "then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America -- in full, quickly and without question." He also hinted at China's growing influence around the canal, which was built by the United States in 1914 to link the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It was returned to Panama under a 1977 deal. Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino dismissed Trump's threats, saying that "every square meter" of the canal would remain in Panamanian hands. Trump responded on TruthSocial: "We'll see about that!" Trump also teased neighboring Canada last week that it would be a "great idea" to become the 51st US state -- but against a dark backdrop of threatened tariffs. Sesno said it was hard for other countries to know how to deal with Trump's comments. "Well, it's clearly a joke. Or is it? said Sesno. "Imagine if you're the President of Panama, how do you react to something like that? You can't ignore it and your country will not let you. So the ripple effect of these comments is extraordinary." Trump's harsh treatment of US allies also stands in stark contrast to his repeated praise for the leaders of US foes -- including Russia's Vladimir Putin, who invaded Ukraine in 2022 in a bid for a land-grab. But there is still likely to be method behind Trump's rhetoric. "Maybe the message is for China" when Trump talks about buying Greenland, said Stephanie Pezard, senior political scientist with the Rand Corporation. Just as Trump expressed concern about Beijing's influence in Panama, China's growing presence in the Arctic and its ties with Russia were "something that the US is really worried about," Pezard told AFP. But there could also be a signal to Denmark that 'If you're too friendly with China, you'll find us in your way" -- even though Denmark and Greenland had been "very good NATO allies." And perhaps Trump knows the reality. Any US plan to "buy" Greenland would be unfeasible "not just in international law but more broadly in the global order that the US has been trying to uphold," she said. dk/bgsOcado is ridiculed by customers over 'atrocious' Christmas substitute choices items after retailer suffers delivery malfunction Has YOUR Christmas shopping been axed? Email tom.cotterill@mailonline.co.uk By MILO POPE Published: 20:43, 23 December 2024 | Updated: 20:50, 23 December 2024 e-mail 64 View comments Ocado has been ridiculed by customers over a series of 'atrocious' substitute choices after the retailer suffered a delivery malfunction. With Christmas Day fast approaching, scores of Brits slammed the retailer for leaving them without key ingredients after a 'robot' malfunctioned at the upmarket food retailer's £185million delivery centre. Long-booked Christmas shops were delivered to Londoners over the weekend without any chilled or frozen foods, with some claiming dozens of items were missing. The news comes as Morrisons triggered Christmas panic after online orders for scores of customers were cancelled just two days before Christmas. Now, Ocado shoppers have taken to social media, with some complaining that vegan items have been substituted for non vegan items. One person wrote on X: 'Substituting prawn toast for smoked salmon is an interesting one @Ocado.' Another said: 'Have just received our Christmas order with no less than a dozen substitution which included spicy party foods which we don’t like or tolerate. 'Although we have a smart pass, we paid £10 for the slot/privilege of not receiving half of what was ordered. Terrible service! Scores of customers were left without key staples of a Christmas dinner after a malfunction at Ocado's delivery centre Customers said they were left without almost all the items needed for their Christmas dinner Ocado shoppers took to social media to share their fury with the food retailer A third wrote: '@Ocado another disappointing Christmas shop. No crisp/ nuts at all! Lots of rubbish subs too. Thankfully I placed my meat order direct with another shop. I can see I’m not the only one disappointed.' A fourth added: '@Ocado my Christmas order is a joke - 1/3 of order out of stock despite having been booked months ago . Vegan items substituted for non vegan . I’m having to go shopping tomorrow for vegan dishes . Not what I paid £10 delivery for.' A fifth commented: '@Ocado what is wrong with your system that I can put an order in six weeks ago and your system doesn’t allocate the product ordered to me? Substitutions today are no good to me - and how can you have NO satsumas? It’s Christmas ffs. #angry.' A sixth also said: 'The fact that @Ocado don’t price match substitutions is atrocious. the substitutes i’m getting today are about £40 more expensive in total than what i ordered but that’s not my fault so why am i paying extra??? what a joke.' The robot malfunction took place at Ocado's hi-tech 563,000sq ft Erith centre, which is the world's largest automated warehouse for food deliveries, dealing with 200,000 orders a week. 'We are aware that a small proportion of orders were not delivered as expected. This does not meet our usual high standards and we understand the inconvenience this will have caused, especially at this time of year. We are proactively reaching out to apologise to those affected,' a spokeswoman added. The festive shopping woes came as Morrisons customers were today left reeling after the supermarket giant cancelled home deliveries and festive shops for scores of Brits. The shopping chain said its More rewards card is facing difficulties, with customers unable to get discounts on their food shops. The error took place at Ocado's hi-tech 563,000sq ft Erith centre, which is the world's largest automated warehouse for food deliveries, dealing with 200,000 orders a week Meanwhile Morrisons customers were also facing chaos today after the retailer was forced to cancel their shopping orders just two days before Christmas The shopping giant says an issue with its More rewards card scheme is to blame Read More BREAKING NEWS Fury as Morrisons customers have orders axed and unable to get discounts on their Christmas shops Some shoppers have also raged that their online orders have been cancelled or delayed, with Morrisons saying click-and-collect purchases are mostly affected. The chaos comes on what is predicted to be the busiest shopping day of the year for supermarkets ahead of the Christmas rush. Morrisons has apologised for the mayhem and said it was 'experiencing some system issues' that were impacting 'some' discount cards and collection orders. 'For More Card customers who have Morrisons Fivers to redeem, these will be done manually in store by colleagues. And if More Card prices are not registering, we will apply a 10% discount to the customer's entire shop,' it added in a statement online. 'For Click and Collect orders, we are asking customers to wait for an email to inform them that their order is ready for collection before heading to store. Some home delivery orders may be arriving late today - and we will be communicating directly with those customers affected. 'We sincerely apologise to our customers for this inconvenience.' But fuming shoppers have taken to social media to vent their anger, with one demanding Morrisons to 'get a f***ing grip', while another raged on X: 'Hope @Morrisons loses a s*** ton of money today for the simple fact they knew the more cards wasn't working but don't say on entry instead they wait till your at the till... 'I left like £100 - £150 worth of shopping just at the till because of the more saving I would have lost.' Furious customers have since taken to social media to slam the retailer for the 'shambles' Customers on social media have lashed out over the cancellations and issues with Morrisons' 'More' discount card scheme Morrisons' website also went down, with a '502 bad gateway' error message on some pages, leaving some customers panicking. One person on X - former known as Twitter until it was bought and rebranded by the world's richest man, Elon Musk - wrote: 'Hope you're not hoping to get any deals at today or use your card. Conveniently they are all down across all stores! Busiest shopping day of the year! No refunds apparently either.' On the Morrisons' Facebook page, outraged shoppers have also claimed their Christmas deliveries ordered a month ago have been cancelled. 'Half my Christmas shopping isn't coming including the turkey and puddings and they were ordered a month ago,' one person wrote under a post advertising discounts. Others claimed on X they had orders cancelled without any warning. 'Thanks so much @Morrisons for cancelling my delivery without any warning. No contact, no email, phone call, nothing to explain why. Superb customer service,' wrote one woman on X. Lorraine Calvo from Longhorsley, Northumberland, placed her food order with the supermarket seven weeks ago and was due to receive it between 5pm and 6pm today. But this morning she received a message notifying her that the order had been cancelled, leaving Lorraine stranded as her disability means that she can't get to the shops in person. Lorraine said: 'I rang them up and they said there's nothing they can do. I've looked at all of the other supermarkets and even the Co-op doesn't deliver where I am or Deliveroo. I'm just stuck. Morrisons shoppers were left outraged over the issue with click-and-collect deliveries 'I've got no family here so there's nobody that can go and get anything for me. It's not just my Christmas shop, it's my whole weekly shop because I just get it delivered once a week. 'I normally use Sainsbury's or Tesco's, but I was trying to find a Christmas slot and this is the only one I could find. I won't ever be using them again.' The supermarket chain has been advertising heavy discounts in the run-up on Christmas dinner food, including vegetables, in the last week. Morrisons released an updated statement, saying: 'Today we are experiencing some system issues which are affecting our More Card customers. For More Card customers who have Morrisons Fivers to redeem, these will be done manually in store by colleagues. 'All our stores have now made the top 100 More Card prices the regular price - including the 10p veg deal, turkeys, spirits and champagne. And in addition we will give More Card customers an extra 10% off their entire shop as an apology.' After reports that Ginger Pig - which delivers fresh meat to buyers via DPD - was also affected by delivery problems, one customer said: 'DPD have promised Ginger Pig to deliver the 300 ordered birds which were due out for delivery today - and have been picked up but not left the depot. 'No confirmations have yet been sent by either Ginger Pig or DPD to that effect, so those of us waiting for their premium poultry and other cuts not available at supermarkets will be waiting with baited breath to see if they arrive or whether we will have to rush out at the last moment tomorrow in the hope of finding a bog-standard frozen turkey which may be all that's left.' Retail analysts at Kantar say today is expected to be the busiest day of the year for shops as millions of Brits rush to their local supermarkets to stock up on last-minute food and drink for Christmas. Supermarket sales were expected to continue grow, exceeding £13billion over the four weeks of December for the first time ever. It comes as the cost of an average Christmas dinner for four ballooned by 6.5 per cent, rising to £32.57. MailOnline has gone to Ocado for comment. Morrisons Ocado Share or comment on this article: Ocado is ridiculed by customers over 'atrocious' Christmas substitute choices items after retailer suffers delivery malfunction e-mail Add commentLIVERMORE, Calif. , Dec. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Tane Remington is acknowledged as a Pinnacle Professional Member Inner Circle of Excellence for her contributions at the Forefront of Innovation in Physics & Engineering. Dr. Tane Remington , a trailblazer in the fields of physics, engineering, and materials science, continues to drive forward technological innovation as the co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Maelstrom Water Technologies. With a profound commitment to advancing environmental sustainability through cutting-edge research and development, Dr. Remington has established herself as a visionary leader in the industry. Dr. Remington's journey into the realm of scientific discovery began with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, laying a solid foundation for her academic pursuits at Swarthmore College . At the University of California, San Diego . Here, she earned a Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering, followed by a PhD in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, completing her education in 2015. Her academic achievements underscore her deep expertise and dedication to pushing the boundaries of scientific exploration. Throughout her illustrious career spanning over a decade, Dr. Remington has amassed multiple pending patents and has actively contributed to pioneering research initiatives. Her seminal works, including groundbreaking articles on Numerical Simulations of Laboratory-Scale Hypervelocity-Impact Experiments for Asteroid-Deflection Code Validation and Deformation and failure in extreme regimes by high-energy pulsed lasers, highlight her pivotal role in advancing the frontiers of science and technology. An active member of the American Physical Society, Dr. Remington remains committed to fostering collaborative partnerships and driving impactful change within her field. Her contributions have not only garnered acclaim but have also set new standards for innovation and excellence in physics and engineering. Beyond her professional achievements, Dr. Remington attributes much of her success to the support of her family and peers, expressing gratitude to "all the dreamers" who have inspired and motivated her throughout her journey. Looking ahead, Dr. Remington envisions a future marked by continued growth and success in her pursuit of environmental sustainability through technological advancement. Her unwavering commitment to innovation and scientific inquiry positions her as a catalyst for positive change in the global landscape of physics and engineering. Contact: Katherine Green , 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE The Inner Circle
Controversial social media star HSTikkyTokky has pulled out of his planned return to the ring with just hours until the bell. The Tik Tok sensation is one of the most popular personalities in the influencer boxing space, and was due to compete for the first time since August tomorrow in a short-notice bout. He was set to face Moziah ‘Mosai Warrior’ Pinder on the Misfits Boxing Super Card on Thursday in Qatar. The event features a massive headliner between AnEsonGib and Slim Albaher and a co-main between Beta Squad’s King Kenny and beloved Tik Tok star Salt Papi . HSTikkyTokky was due to be one of the biggest names on the card, but is now out of action. BEEF: YouTube boxer KSI feuds with former coach over claims he ‘destroyed’ AnEsonGib in early sparring session HSTikkyTokky sends crude message as he pulls out of fight hours before One of the most anticipated fights of the Misfits event in Qatar was announced last week on short notice as HSTikkyTokky was drafted in to fight the ‘Mosai Warrior’. The Brit, whose name is Harrison Sullivan, made his debut in August when he viciously knocked out George Fensom in Dublin. And he was set to return tomorrow night, until he suffered a shoulder injury that ruled him out of the event. He had missed the entirety of fight week due to a travel issue, but reportedly weighed in this morning before skipping ceremonial weigh-ins with his injury. Last minute medicals were undergone to try to make the fight happen, but HS now claims he was unable to make it happen. He shared the news in his own inimitable style on his backup Instagram page HSDubaiTokky late on Wednesday evening in Qatar. He posted a video with his girlfriend dining at Nobu, with the crude caption: “Quick nobu with @lillie_may6 in Qatar. Injured my shoulder strumming the narn too hard last night so can’t scrap tomorrow unfortunately, big love.” HSTikkyTokky’s opponent breaks his silence after fight appears to be cancelled Love Island star Moziah Pinder had been drafted in on short notice to face HS, marking the second time he would face a contestant from the popular British show. He showed up throughout fight week, and seems to be ready to fight on Thursday still. He shared a brief video to his Instagram story slamming Sullivan for not appearing at the fight week events, saying: “Harrison Sullivan, you need to stop this now, this princess movement that you’re doing, you need to stop this. “Turn up to fight me tomorrow, on paper you’re 1-0 against me. So you have the advantage, right? Turn up and fight me tomorrow. You need to stop this, you’re failing to turn up to basic things, how?” Mams Taylor gave health update on HSTikkyTokky hours before fight pullout Misfits Boxing boss Mams Taylor is one of Sullivan’s most outspoken fans. Many viewers compare his regular defence of the controversial star to Dana White’s at times comical relationship with Jon Jones, and he was eager to see his fellow Brit compete. But speaking with Pro Boxing Fans earlier on Wednesday evening, Taylor explained: “Honestly, he’s had a really, really bad injury and medical clearance is pending. But it doesn’t look good... I’d say it’s about 87.4 per cent chance he won’t fight.” The injury is undisclosed as yet, but Bloody Elbow understands that it is legitimate according to sources within the promotion. Who is Jake Paul? Get to know the YouTuber-turned-boxing sensation as he prepares to fight Mike TysonIsrael’s attorney general has ordered police to open an investigation into Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife on suspicion of harassing political opponents and witnesses in the Prime Minister’s corruption trial. The Israeli Justice Ministry made the announcement in a message late on Thursday, saying the investigation would focus on the findings of a recent report by the Uvda investigative programme into Sara Netanyahu. The programme uncovered a trove of WhatsApp messages in which Mrs Netanyahu appears to instruct a former aide to organise protests against political opponents and to intimidate Hadas Klein, a key witness in the trial. The announcement did not mention Mrs Netanyahu by name and the Justice Ministry declined further comment. Earlier on Thursday, Mr Netanyahu blasted the Uvda report as “lies”. It is the latest in a long line of legal troubles for the Netanyahus, highlighted by the PM’s ongoing corruption trial. Mr Netanyahu is charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in a series of cases alleging he exchanged favours with powerful media moguls and wealthy associates. He denies the charges and says he is the victim of a “witch hunt” by overzealous prosecutors, police and the media.
Schwab Charles Corp executive sells $188k in stockTOKYO, Dec. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MEDIROM Healthcare Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: MRM) (“MEDIROM”) announces that M3, Inc. (TOKYO PRIME: 2413), or an affiliate within the M3 group, is participating in the Series A equity financing round of MEDIROM MOTHER Labs Inc., a subsidiary of MEDIROM. NFES Technologies Inc. is the lead investor of the Series A financing round at a pre-money valuation of JPY9 billion. Additional information is available here: https://medirom.co.jp/en/ir/20240824/6148%09 Forward-Looking Statements Regarding MEDIROM Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may include estimates or expectations about MEDIROM’s possible or assumed operational results, financial condition, business strategies and plans, market opportunities, competitive position, industry environment, and potential growth opportunities. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “design,” “target,” “aim,” “hope,” “expect,” “could,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “continue,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “goal,” or other words that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes. These statements relate to future events or to MEDIROM’s future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause MEDIROM’s actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond MEDIROM’s control and which could, and likely will, affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects MEDIROM’s current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to MEDIROM’s operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. More information on these risks and other potential factors that could affect MEDIROM’s business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition, and stock price is included in MEDIROM’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including in the “Risk Factors” and “Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” sections of MEDIROM’s most recently filed periodic report on Form 20-F and subsequent filings, which are available on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. MEDIROM assumes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. ABOUT M3, Inc. M3 is a one of a kind venture company that operates a multitude of global services centred around its physician platform such as m3.com. M3 is the first company incorporated after the year 2000 to be included in the Nikkei 225 Index. Its 330,000+ Japanese and 6,500,000+ global physician member panel serves as a central platform in advancing innovation and reform across healthcare worldwide. Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market (Securities code 2413) 1-11-44 Akasaka Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052 JAPAN Web https://corporate.m3.com/en ABOUT MEDIROM MOTHER Labs Inc. A subsidiary of MEDIROM Healthcare Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: MRM), focuses on the health-tech sector. The company’s core activities include the "Specific Health Guidance Program" offered through the "Lav" health application and development and sales of the 24/7 recharge-free MOTHER Bracelet smart tracker. By leveraging the features of the recharge-free MOTHER Bracelet, MOTHER Labs offers customizable health management solutions across diverse sectors, including caregiving, logistics, manufacturing, etc. MEDIROM Healthcare Technologies Inc. NASDAQ Symbol: MRM Tradepia Odaiba, 2-3-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan Web https://medirom.co.jp/en Contact: ir@medirom.co.jp MEDIROM MOTHER Labs Inc. Tradepia Odaiba, 2-3-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan MOTHER Bracelet is the world's first* 24/7 recharge-free smart tracker. It uses innovative technology from a Silicon Valley tech company that allows for power generation based on temperature differences between body and surrounding air. The recharge-free feature eliminates the risk of data loss when a device is taken off for recharge. MOTHER Bracelet records five basic metrics: heart rate, calories burned, body surface temperature, step count, and sleep. Official Website: https://mother-bracelet.comFrancis also had five rebounds for the Highlanders (1-7). Sebastian Robinson went 8 of 18 from the field (4 for 7 from 3-point range) to add 21 points. Tim Moore Jr. had 16 points and shot 4 for 8 (3 for 5 from 3-point range) and 5 of 5 from the free-throw line. Kenny White Jr. led the Eagles (2-4) in scoring, finishing with 34 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. Kade Ruegsegger added 11 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Indian Stock Market Opens Flat, Realty Stocks Shine
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TORONTO — Canada's main stock index rose Thursday, helped by strength in energy and utilities stocks, while U.S. markets moved lower ahead of reports on the labour market on both sides of the border. The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 38.86 points at 25,680.04. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 248.33 points at 44,765.71. The S&P 500 index was down 11.38 points at 6,075.11, while the Nasdaq composite was down 34.86 points at 19,700.26. Friday will bring the monthly jobs reports in both the U.S. and Canada, which markets will be eyeing for clues on upcoming interest rate decisions by central banks, said Kevin Headland, co-chief investment strategist at Manulife Investment Management. The U.S. Federal Reserve has several key data reports coming before it makes its own decision on Dec. 18, said Headland, including inflation. Markets are currently leaning toward a quarter-percentage-point cut from the Fed, he said. But “there’s a lot of data for them to digest before the announcement.” The Bank of Canada’s decision is next week, and Headland said markets seem to think there’s a good chance the central bank could cut by an outsized half-percentage point. “In my belief, the bank is trying to front-run the mortgage renewals that are coming due over the next year or so, to just avoid some of the bigger hits to discretionary spending,” said Headland. “There’s no reason for them not to continue rate cuts unless there’s a surprise tomorrow.” Canadian bank earnings continued to roll in on Thursday. CIBC saw its profit rise while its provisions for loan losses dropped. TD also saw its profit rise, though its adjusted earnings were lower as the bank continues to work through the fallout from its anti-money laundering deficiencies. Meanwhile, BMO’s earnings were a miss on analyst expectations but the bank said it expects loan performance to improve in 2025. So far, there haven’t been any major surprises from bank earnings overall, said Headland. Bitcoin continued its meteoric rise, briefly breaching US$100,000 for the first time after U.S. president-elect Donald Trump tapped crypto advocate Paul Atkins to head the Securities and Exchange Commission. “US$100,000 is definitely a psychological threshold,” said Headland. “I guess time will tell whether it can remain at that level,” he added. “If we’re getting downside pressure to risk assets, I would assume that Bitcoin and other companies will be swept up in that negativity.” But for now, the surge is indicative of the broader positive momentum markets have enjoyed since Donald Trump’s election, said Headland. The Canadian dollar traded for 71.24 cents US compared with 71.09 cents US on Wednesday. The January crude oil contract was down 24 cents at US$68.30 per barrel and the January natural gas contract was up four cents at US$3.08 per mmBTU. The February gold contract was down US$27.80 at US$2,648.40 an ounce and the March copper contract was down a penny at US$4.19 a pound. — With files from The Associated Press This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD) Rosa Saba, The Canadian Press
Washington (CNN) — The surprise offensive on Aleppo by Syrian rebel groups has left the US in the difficult position of not fully supporting either side while also maintaining a force posture of nearly 1,000 troops in Syria as part of the ongoing mission to fight ISIS. Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, on Monday distanced the US from the offensive last week, in which rebel groups quickly advanced on and took Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city, for the first time in years. “Let me be clear that the US is in no way involved in the operations you see playing out in and around Aleppo in northwestern Syria, which as you know are being led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a designated terrorist organization,” he said in reference to a group known as HTS, adding that the US “is urging de-escalation.” The dilemma for the US was further put into focus by national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who told CNN on Sunday that HTS is a “a terrorist organization designated by the United States. So, we have real concerns about the designs and objectives of that organization.” “At the same time, of course, we don’t cry over the fact that the Assad government, backed by Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, are facing certain kinds of pressure,” Sullivan added. “So, it’s a complicated situation. It’s one we’re monitoring closely, and we’re staying in close touch with regional partners about it.” The founder of HTS, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, previously started a different group, an al Qaeda Syrian affiliate called Jabhat al-Nusra. And despite efforts by HTS to distance itself from al Qaeda, the US designated the group a terror organization in 2018, saying it evolved from the original group, Jabhat al-Nusrah. “As you know, they are formerly known as ‘Nusrah Front,’ an al Qaeda affiliate in Syria, but bottom line is: still a designated terrorist organization,” Ryder said Monday of HTS. Meanwhile, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said later Monday that the US would not lift its sanctions on President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, which he said has shown “no change in behavior.” The US has applied more sanctions to the regime since 2011, when uprisings in the country began, to cut off needed resources as a result of the government’s violence against civilians and “to pressure the Syrian regime to allow for a democratic transition as the Syrian people demand,” according to the State Department. Amid the renewed unrest in the country, roughly 900 US service members are deployed in Syria as part of the anti-ISIS mission. And while the operations in Aleppo are on the other side of the country from where US forces are operating, the instability — and primarily, Russia’s response in assisting the Assad government — has resulted in the US military communicating with Moscow to prevent “miscalculation.” In response to the surprise advance on Aleppo, Russia — a main supporter of the Syrian regime — launched an aerial offensive against armed opposition forces in the Aleppo and Idlib provinces. Ryder said Monday that the US general in charge of the coalition mission to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria has now spoken with Russian officials on a preestablished hotline. “My understanding is that the CJTF-OIR commander has used the hotline that we have with Russia to ensure that we have open lines of communication, given the fact that we do have forces operating in fairly close proximity — as it relates geographically — to Syria,” Ryder said Monday. “I won’t go into details about those conversations, other than we have that communication mechanism to prevent potential miscalculation.” Meanwhile, US and coalition forces in the country are coming under fire as they have for nearly the last year. Asked about reports of attacks over the last 24 hours, Ryder said there was a “rocket attack against one of our facilities in Syria,” though no US personnel were injured and no infrastructure damage was reported. And on Friday, he said, US forces conducted a “self-defense strike near MSS Euphrates,” taking out a potential threat to the US base. There were also no injuries or infrastructure damage reported in that incident. Ryder said that was “completely unrelated to the ongoing situation in northwestern Syria.” He added that there have not yet been any US force posture changes in Syria. CNN’s Jennifer Hansler and Michael Conte contributed to this report. The-CNN-Wire TM & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.CELSIUS ALERT: Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. Announces That A Class Action Lawsuit Has Been Filed Against Celsius Holdings, Inc. And Encourages Investors To Contact The Firm