Dear Santa: Do you speak every language?US President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to demand control of the Panama Canal be returned to Washington, complaining of "unfair" treatment of American ships and hinting at China's growing influence. Here are five things to know about the waterway connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The 80-kilometer (50-mile) interoceanic waterway is operated by the Panama Canal Authority, an autonomous public entity. The Central American nation's constitution describes the canal as an "inalienable heritage of the Panamanian nation" that is open to vessels "of all nations." The United States is its main user, accounting for 74 percent of cargo, followed by China with 21 percent. Panama's government sets the price of tolls based on canal needs and international demand. Rates depends on a vessel's cargo capacity. "The canal has no direct or indirect control from China, nor the European Union, nor the United States or any other power," Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino said Sunday as he dismissed Trump's threat. All vessels, including warships and submarines, are given a Panama Canal pilot. Panama's independence from Colombia in 1903 is linked to the canal. Following the failure of French count Ferdinand de Lesseps to open a channel through the isthmus, the United States promoted the separation of the province of Panama and signed a treaty with the nascent country that ceded land and water in perpetuity to build it. After 10 years of construction and an investment of $380 million, the canal was inaugurated on August 15, 1914 with the transit of the steamer Ancon. Some 25,000 deaths from disease and accidents were recorded during its construction. The canal "is part of our history" and "an irreversible achievement," Mulino said. Washington's establishment of a "Canal Zone" -- an enclave with its own military bases, police and justice system -- gave rise to decades of demands by Panamanians to reunify the country and take control of the waterway. More from this section In 1977, Panamanian nationalist leader Omar Torrijos and US president Jimmy Carter signed treaties that allowed the canal to be transferred to Panama on December 31, 1999. "Any attempt to reverse this historic achievement not only dishonors our struggle, but is also an insult to the memory of those who made it possible," former president Martin Torrijos, the general's son, wrote on social media. Under the treaties, supported by more than 40 countries, the canal is deemed neutral and any ship can pass through. The only conditions are that ships must comply with safety regulations and military vessels from countries at war must not pass through at the same time. Unlike Egypt's Suez Canal, the Panama Canal operates using freshwater stored in two reservoirs. A drought led to a reduction in the number of transits in 2023, but the situation has since normalized. The canal, which has a system of locks to raise and lower vessels, transformed global shipping. Crafts can travel between the two oceans in about eight hours without having to sail all the way around Cape Horn, the southern tip of the Americas. The canal allows a ship to shave 20,300 kilometers off a journey from New York to San Francisco. Five percent of world maritime trade passes through the canal, which connects more than 1,900 ports in 170 countries. By the early 21st century, it had become too small, so it was expanded between 2009 and 2016. Today, the canal can accommodate ships up to 366 meters long and 49 meters wide (1,200 feet by 161 feet) -- equivalent to almost four football pitches. It generates six percent of Panama's national economic output and since 2000 has pumped more than $28 billion into state coffers. More than 11,200 ships transited the canal in the last fiscal year carrying 423 million tons of cargo. jjr/fj/dr/mlmS&P/TSX composite index gains more than 350 points, U.S. stock markets also rise
As the highly charged battle for Maharashtra assembly elections will be settled on November 23, Saturday, seat Nagpur South West will remain one of the essential battlegroud to look forward to as Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is contesting against Congress' Prafulla Gudadhe. The Nagpur South-West assembly seat in Maharashtra is considered a stronghold of the BJP, but this time its MLA and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is expected to get a good fight from his Congress opponent, according to political observers. While Fadnavis has a strong chance of winning the seat in the November 20 state polls, it could be a close contest between him and his Congress rival Prafulla Gudhade Patil, whom the BJP leader trounced in 2014, they said. Poll and result date: The voting was conducted on November 20 and results will be announced on November 23. What happened in past elections? 2019 elections : Fadnavis secured 109,237 votes, easily defeating Indian National Congress (INC) candidate Dr. Ashish Deshmukh, who garnered 59,893 votes. Fadnavis’s victory margin was a significant 49,344 votes, underscoring his strong political base in the region. 2014 elections: Fadnavis once again claimed victory with 113,918 votes, surpassing INC's Prafulla Vinod Gudadhe (Patil), who secured 54,976 votes. The margin of victory was a large 58,942 votes, solidifying BJP’s influence in Nagpur South West. 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Who are the candidates? In the battleground Nagpur South West, BJP has fielded Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis against Congress' Prafulla Gudhade. Prafulla Gudhade Patil's father Vinod Gudhade Patil was the first BJP MLA from Nagpur district in 1990. The senior Patil was a two-term MLA from Nagpur-West before he left the BJP and joined Congress. He fought as Congress candidate in the 1999 assembly polls and lost to Fadnavis, who was then contesting his first state election. What are key issues of Napur South-West constituency? The flooding in some areas of the constituency after heavy rains last year and inflation are among the most discussed topics among the electorate in the high-profile seat, comprising 4,08,149 voters. The BJP is hoping to blunt the opposition's campaign by highlighting Ladki Bahin Yojana, a financial aid scheme for the poor women, and other welfare measures for different sections of the society, political analysts said. Some prominent establishments like the Multi Modal international Cargo Hub and Airport at Nagpur (MIHAN), AIIMS, IIM Nagpur are located in the constituency and Fadnavis, who is seeking a sixth term, is expected is to score over his opponent on the development plank, they said. (with agency inputs) (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
2024: A Milestone Year for Democracy in J&K, First Popular Government Established in UT.If safeguarding your identity from theft is a top priority, freezing your credit is one of the smartest actions you can take. This straightforward but highly effective measure stops creditors from viewing your credit report without your direct authorization. By cutting off access to your credit file, you create a strong barrier that makes it far more difficult for criminals to misuse your personal details to open accounts or secure loans under your name. Secure Your Credit with a Freeze Today Think of a credit freeze as a virtual lock on your financial profile. Once in place, it restricts access to your credit report entirely, preventing unauthorized parties from exploiting your Social Security number or credit information. When your credit is frozen, lenders cannot check your credit score, which renders your Social Security number and credit details useless to would-be fraudsters. 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Northvolt crisis may be make or break for Europe's EV battery ambitionsDamien Duff doesn’t see the point of slapping booze bans on his Shelbourne players - and his captain reckons it’s a masterstroke. Shels had to fight for their right to party since claiming the title on a dramatic final day of the season and Mark Coyle admits the champions milked the celebrations. But he makes no apologies for rinsing every last ounce out of team bonding nights - whether it’s before, during or after the season. If the play hard, party hard mentality was good enough for Roy Keane’s Manchester United-led team back in the day, Coyle believes it’s good enough for the Reds. Read More: League of Ireland's key transfers so far ahead of eagerly awaited 2025 season Read More: The good, the bad and the ugly of Ireland's international year In an era where footballers’ every move is monitored and policed by an army of sports scientists, and where other codes impose rigorous alcohol bans, Shels cut loose. They were celebrating the end of an 18-year trophy drought after all, with Duff waking the sleeping giant of Drumcondra. Coyle said: “I was listening to Brian O’Driscoll’s autobiography and they all emphasise how important those bonds are. You have training sessions where it’s tough and it’s hard and you get each other through. But on a night out, people start to open up a bit more and you get to know them on a deeper level and that matters massively. “And especially when it came to the end of last season when the going got tough, because we all know each other so. You want to stand up for the man next to you and that was seen in the last three games when it really mattered - we all stood up for each other and did the job. I definitely think it’s a load of nonsense if you ever have a drinking ban to be honest with you.” But Coyle accepts that players have to be smart about their socialising, as the era of weekly team sessions in the pub belongs to a bygone era. It’s a case of picking and choosing the right moments and Coyle said: “It’s not about getting drunk, it’s about bonding and getting to know your team-mates. “We pick the right times. It’s never going out on a Wednesday, that’s not allowed. It might be a weekend where we don’t have another game for seven or eight days. We have a thing where if you don’t have a genuine excuse to come out, you have to pay a fine because we know how important it is, and that’s the way it is. “If you go out, the alcohol is out of your system after a day or two and when we do (go out) you know the next training session is always tough. You’re nearly coming in on Monday going ‘I wish I didn’t now’ because you know how tough it’s going to be, the way the manager is. We know it’s about your standards. You can enjoy yourself but you’ve got standards that he expects from us. To me, it’s so important to the game.” Donegal man Coyle continued: “We work extremely hard and that allows us (have nights out). It’s not at stupid times, but when we do it, we make sure we party hard as well . You look at all the great teams, or you listen to The Overlap now and you’d hear Roy Keane and them about United and their bonding sessions. It’s probably proved over the test of time that these things are important.” But the pints have been parked since December 16 as that's the day Shelbourne returned to pre-season training ahead of their title defence in 2025. Duff has been busy bolstering his squad of late with Mipo Odubeko, Daniel Kelly, Ellis Chapman and Ryan O’Kane already through the door as new signings. If some League of Ireland fans felt Duff might have burned himself out by now, they are wrong as he faces into his fourth season at Shels. “His standards will go through the roof again next season, and he has warned us already that it will be tough,” said midfielder Coyle. “That's why it's exciting, it’s a new challenge. He had a glittering career in England and this is what he’s done his whole life, so I don't see him burning out any time soon. “Even though he loves us lads and loves Shelbourne, he gives everything for the league and he cares about Irish football as a whole. He knows that for the national team to improve, the league has to improve and a lot of his stuff is to improve the league, get it the recognition it deserves. “That's one of the best things about him, he actually cares a lot about Irish football and I don't get why he gets so much criticism from people outside of Shels. He has brought so much recognition to the league, to us as a club and to us as players.” Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts .
Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor embarks on coaching career in Prince Albert
Stock indexes drifted to a mixed finish on Wall Street Thursday, as some heavyweight technology and communications sector stocks offset gains elsewhere in the market. The S&P 500 fell less than 0.1% after spending the day wavering between small gains and losses. The tiny loss ended the benchmark index's three-day winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.1%. Trading volume was lighter than usual as U.S. markets reopened following the Christmas holiday. Semiconductor giant Nvidia, whose enormous valuation gives it an outsize influence on indexes, slipped 0.2%. Meta Platforms fell 0.7%, and Amazon and Netflix each fell 0.9%. Tesla was among the biggest decliners in the S&P 500, finishing 1.8% lower. Some tech companies fared better. Chip company Broadcom rose 2.4%, Micron Technology added 0.6% and Adobe gained 0.5%. Health care stocks were a bright spot. CVS Health rose 1.5% and Walgreens Boots Alliance added 5.3% for the biggest gain among S&P 500 stocks. Several retailers also gained ground. Target rose 3%, Ross Stores added 2.3%, Best Buy rose 2.9% and Dollar Tree gained 3.8%. Traders are watching to see whether retailers have a strong holiday season. The day after Christmas traditionally ranks among the top 10 biggest shopping days of the year, as consumers go online or rush to stores to cash in gift cards and raid bargain bins. U.S.-listed shares in Honda and Nissan rose 4.1% and 16.4%, respectively. The Japanese automakers announced earlier this week that the two companies are in talks to combine. All told, the S&P 500 fell 2.45 points to 6,037.59. The Dow added 28.77 points to 43,325.80. The Nasdaq fell 10.77 points to close at 20,020.36. Wall Street got a labor market update. U.S. applications for unemployment benefits held steady last week , though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years, the Labor Department reported. Treasury yields mostly fell in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 4.58% from 4.59% late Tuesday. Major European markets were closed, as well as Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia. Trading was expected to be subdued this week with a thin slate of economic data on the calendar. Still, U.S. markets have historically gotten a boost at year’s end despite lower trading volumes. The last five trading days of each year, plus the first two in the new year, have brought an average gain of 1.3% since 1950. So far this month, the U.S. stock market has lost some of its gains since President-elect Donald Trump’s win on Election Day, which raised hopes for faster economic growth and more lax regulations that would boost corporate profits. Worries have risen that Trump’s preference for tariffs and other policies could lead to higher inflation , a bigger U.S. government debt and difficulties for global trade. Even so, the U.S. market remains on pace to deliver strong returns for 2024. The benchmark S&P 500 is up 26.6% so far this year and remains near its most recent all-time high it set earlier this month — its latest of 57 record highs this year. Wall Street has several economic reports to look forward to next week, including updates on pending home sales and home prices, a report on U.S. construction spending and snapshots of manufacturing activity. AP Business Writers Elaine Kurtenbach and Matt Ott contributed.Stock market today: Wall Street drifts to a mixed close in thin trading following a holiday pause