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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
Cardinals are average through 12 games and the frustration is it feels as if they could be betterMinister of Labor Hung Sun-han, center, speaks to reporters at a news conference in Taipei on Wednesday. Photo: CNA GENDER EQUALITY:City labor officials issued a NT$1 million fine after the fast food restaurant failed to refer the complainant to counseling before she committed suicide / Staff writer, with CNA 請繼續往下閱讀... The Taipei City Department of Labor has ordered McDonald’s to pay a fine of NT$1 million (US$30,585) for breaching gender equality laws in relation to a recent high-profile case of alleged sexual assault by a supervisor at the fast food restaurant of a teenager who later committed suicide. In a news release on Wednesday, the department said the company contravened Article 13-2 of the Gender Equality in Employment Act (性別平等工作法), which mandates that employees must take “immediate and effective corrective and remedial measures” in instances where the employer “becomes aware of a situation involving sexual harassment.” The department said McDonald’s failed to “provide or refer the complainant to counseling, medical or psychological counseling, social welfare resources, and other necessary services” as stipulated in the act. As a result, the city government said it had levied the maximum fine allowable for the offense. The fine was announced just one day after the company submitted its investigation report to the department after it was ordered to do so. The case relates to a 17-year-old former employee who killed herself after being coerced into sex by her supervisor over a year-long period, according to the girl’s mother in a social media post that has attracted significant media attention in recent days. The company said on Tuesday that it dismissed the supervisor in May following the girl’s sexual harassment complaint in March. On Wednesday, Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) told a news conference that his department had “a very clear stance on the issue” and that the firing of the supervisor did not mean the end of the matter. The case was referred to prosecutors in May, Taipei police said. On Tuesday, a civil society group called for stronger protections for young people following the suicide. “Teenagers often face high risks in the labor environment during the job search or when they first start working because of their age, experience and skills,” the Taiwan Alliance for Advancement of Youth Rights and Welfare said on Facebook. The group said it is “extremely difficult” for young workers to seek help when faced with sexual assault or sexual harassment due to “unequal power relations” in the workplace. Despite discussions with the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and other agencies since 2018, the alliance said that overall “systematic management mechanisms” and complaint channels have not yet been implemented. On Wednesday, the Taipei City Police Department’s Shilin District issued a news release saying that it referred a separate criminal case to the Shilin District Prosecutors’ Office that involved the same former McDonald’s employee. The girl fell victim to financial scammers in the months after she left her job at McDonald’s, the police said. 新聞來源: TAIPEI TIMES 不用抽 不用搶 現在用APP看新聞 保證天天中獎 點我下載APP 按我看活動辦法FRONT ROYAL, Va. — Gladys Marie (Paugh) Silber of Front Royal, Va., died peacefully in her sleep in her home on Dec. 5, 2024. Born on July 6, 1919 on a farm near Oakland to the late Robert Scott Paugh and Mabel Browning Paugh, she was predeceased by her husband of 53 years, Frank Charles Silber. After graduating from Oakland High School in Oakland in 1935, Gladys graduated from Catherman’s Business College in Cumberland in 1937. In 1941, she moved to Washington, D.C. to work for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. After she and Frank married in 1942, she transferred to the War Department and later to Edgewood Arsenal with the Chemical Warfare Service and the Chemical Corps. In 1953, they built their home in Falls Church, Va. In 1962, she retired to give birth to their daughter, Lisa. From the mid-195’s until 1983, Gladys and Frank owned and operated Falls Church Plumbing and Heating Inc. In 1981, Gladys returned to federal employment with the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency and retired with 24 years of federal service. In 2001, six years after Frank died, she moved to Front Royal to begin a new life. Fiercely independent, she lived in her new home for 23 years. She was in excellent health and was not hospitalized between 1962 and 2024. She drove her car until 2020. She loved meeting new people, eating at her favorite restaurants, sending Christmas cards, and watching the birds at her bird feeder. A devout Christian and Republican, she followed politics as avidly as some people follow baseball. Gladys is survived by her daughter, Lisa Silber Mauck (Dwayne) of Front Royal, grandson Derrick Mauck (Cassandra) and great-granddaughters, Mackenzie Mauck and Mackayla Mauck of Warrenton, Va. Predeceased by several nieces and nephews, Gladys is survived by nephews James Owendoff, Michael Paugh, Bill Athey, and nieces Donna Paugh, Cathy Shaffer, Denise Blankinship, Kay Himes, Frances Vandivier, Norma Schlosnagle, and Mary Silber, and their extended families. She is also survived by cousins Jane Bennighof of Lutherville, and Janet Paugh of Oakland. Gladys was predeceased by her brothers, Rob Roy Paugh, Jeremiah Lester Paugh and her sisters, Vauda Owendoff Schwanke and Oma Paugh Moses. A Celebration of Life will be held at The Church at Skyline, 7655 Stonewall Jackson Highway, Front Royal, on Saturday, Dec. 14, at 3 p.m. Family visitation will be from 1:30-2:30 p.m. prior to the service. Interment will be at Garrett County Memorial Gardens, 881 Memorial Drive, Oakland, on Sunday, Dec. 15, at 1 p.m. She will be buried alongside the love of her life, Frank Silber, in the town where they met in 1939. Pallbearers will be Derrick Mauck, James Owendoff, Nathan Owendoff, John Owendoff, Michael Paugh, and Manuel Tederick. In lieu of flowers, Gladys requested family and friends consider donating to The Church at Skyline Building Expansion Fund at https://www.thechurchatskyline.com/giving .
AI will help Saudi Arabia achieve ambitious growth targets: expertMarvell Announces Breakthrough Custom HBM Compute Architecture to Optimize Cloud AI AcceleratorsBRIDGEWATER — Jaden Alsberry is closing in on a remarkable career milestone in her fifth season at Bridgewater. The 6-foot-3 Strasburg alum has tallied 929 points across 89 games played with the Eagles and is 71 points shy of becoming just the 23rd player in program history to accumulate 1,000 career points. Chasing that feat is something that excited Alsberry as she returned to the Eagles for her graduate season. Yet, it’s not in the forefront of her mind as Bridgewater continues an impressive unbeaten start, sitting at 9-0 thus far. “It means a lot,” Alsberry said. “I haven’t really thought about it. I’ve just been thinking more about the team and our success.” Alsberry had all the tools to be a force on the court when she arrived at Bridgewater, but she didn’t always have the confidence to go with it. It’s been a consistent struggle throughout Alsberry’s career to get in her own head and overthink matters when on the court. Yet, with some maturity and a great support system, Alsberry has diminished those negative thoughts as the years have gone on. “Freshman year, I had little to no confidence,” Alsberry said. “Each year, it’s been something I’ve been trying to work on, especially with [BC head] coach [Stephanie] Flamini. Over the years, she’s really been trying to pour confidence into me and just make sure I don’t get in my head. ... I think this year, I’ve been harder on just, ‘You miss a shot, just get back and do better on defense.’ I think my confidence has definitely grown over the years.” Bridgewater’s Jaden Alsberry reacts to a call during a game earlier this season. Flamini has witnessed Alsberry’s stronger mentality develop firsthand. “When I get on them, she handles it better than she used to,” Flamini said. “She keeps what I expect in the forefront for everyone. Always trying to learn, always trying to do better. I think her confidence has improved. ... Jaden’s come a long way there. She’s getting close to her 1,000th point. We’re really excited about that and we want her to continue to be confident.” Having the belief and trust of the BC coaching staff has gone a long way in helping Alsberry be the player she is today. “I think having a good coaching staff that believes in you and is always making sure you are confident in yourself is definitely helpful,” Alsberry said. Bridgewater’s Jaden Alsberry goes up for a shot against Roanoke during a game last season. Between her growing relationship with the coaching staff and work behind the scenes, Flamini sees that confidence exuding from Alsberry when she’s on the court. “Give her a lot of credit,” Flamini said. “She’s been in the gym. When you’re in the gym working hard, I think your confidence automatically has to go up, because you’re prepared. You’re more prepared than others.” Alsberry’s fifth season with the Eagles is bittersweet as she knows it’s her final. Like the 1,000-point mark, Alsberry isn’t focusing on the emotions yet as she’s doing what she can to enjoy every last second of playing at Bridgewater. “It kind of feels unreal,” Alsberry said. “I don’t know. It doesn’t feel like it’s my last year. I’m sure as we get closer to the end of the season, it’ll definitely all sink in. I’m just trying to make the most of it.”