Huawei Launches First Hyperscale Local Cloud to Safeguard Nigeria’s Data
Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen returns to a tournament after a dispute over jeans is resolvedA Wisconsin-based firm, developing magnetic mirror fusion energy generators, got a funding boost. Realta Fusion has received the funding from TitletownTech, a venture capital firm formed by Microsoft and the Green Bay Packers. The company is developing modular, compact, magnetic mirror fusion energy generators to power AI-driven infrastructure and other industrial applications, according to reports. Although, TitletownTech didn’t specify the amount it invested in Realta Fusion. Innovative approach to fusion energy Fusion offers a clean and sustainable energy source to reduce emissions from “hard-to-decarbonize” industrial processes. Clean energy is the need of today’s era as 37 billion metric tons is the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) released annually into the atmosphere from energy combustion (including flaring) and industrial processes, accelerating climate change. “At Realta Fusion, we’ve developed an innovative approach to fusion energy with a right-sized fusion system design – compact and scalable to provide efficient and reliable solutions for decarbonizing industrial heat and power,” said the company in a statement. The company claims that its magnetic mirror confines a plasma between two high-field superconducting magnets. The strong magnetic fields cause charged, energetic particles to bounce back and forth, also known as the mirror effect. Zero-carbon energy to be used anywhere in the world Realta Fusion maintains that it’s unlocking the limitless potential of humanity, while addressing the threat of climate change . “We are a cutting-edge fusion energy company revolutionizing the way we decarbonize industrial process heat and electricity. We are developing economic, zero-carbon energy to be used anywhere in the world, for everyone in the world,” added the statement. The basis for Realta’s technology is the Wisconsin High-field Axisymmetric Mirror (WHAM) project, which operates as a public-private partnership between the company and UW–Madison. The WHAM project has received over $10m from the DOE’s ARPA-E (Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy) programme, along with contributions from the University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Commonwealth Fusion Systems, and other partners. The company’s approach uses magnetic mirrors to channel deuterium and tritium into a central chamber where it is heated up to extremely high temperatures. The fuels get so hot they turn to plasma and individual particles smash into one another and fuse, a chemical reaction that produces neutrons, heat, helium and electricity. The materials will react with additional lithium-containing materials to create more tritium, which is refined and fed back into the generator to continue the reaction. The heat and electricity are captured for other uses. The heat can be used as-is or can be converted into additional electricity .
Tesla’s staggering rally – and why it might not lastSupreme Court will take up a challenge related to California's tough vehicle emissions standards WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court says it will take up a business-backed appeal that could make it easier to challenge federal regulations, acting in a dispute related to California’s nation-leading standards for vehicle emissions. The justices agreed Friday to hear an appeal filed by fuel producers who object to a waiver granted to California in 2022 by the Environmental Protection Agency during Joe Biden’s presidency. The waiver allows California to set more stringent emissions limits than the national standard. The case won’t be argued until the spring, when the Trump administration is certain to take a more industry-friendly approach to the issue. Musk says US is demanding he pay penalty over disclosures of his Twitter stock purchases DETROIT (AP) — Elon Musk says the Securities and Exchange Commission wants him to pay a penalty or face charges involving what he disclosed — or failed to disclose — about his purchases of Twitter stock before he bought the social media platform in 2022. In a letter, Musk’s lawyer Alex Spiro tells the outgoing SEC chairman, Gary Gensler, that the commission’s demand for a monetary payment is a “misguided scheme” that won’t intimidate Musk. The letter also alleges that the commission reopened an investigation this week into Neuralink, Musk’s computer-to-human brain interface company. The SEC has not released the letter. Nor would it comment on it or confirm whether it has issued such a demand to Musk. Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is pushing toward a vote on legislation that would provide full Social Security benefits to millions of people. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer began the process on Thursday for a final vote on the bill, known as the Social Security Fairness Act. It would eliminate policies that currently limit Social Security payouts for roughly 2.8 million people. The legislation has passed the House. The bill would add more strain on the Social Security Trust funds, which are already estimated to be unable to pay out full benefits beginning in 2035. The measure would add an estimated $195 billion to federal deficits over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Trump offers support for dockworkers union by saying ports shouldn't install more automated systems WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is offering his support for the dockworkers union before their contract expires next month at Eastern and Gulf Coast ports. He posted on social media Thursday that he met with union leaders and that any further “automation” of the ports would harm workers. He wrote that the “amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American Workers.” The International Longshoremen’s Association has until Jan. 15 to negotiate a new contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies. The Maritime Alliance says the technology will improve worker safety and strengthen our supply chains, among other things. IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power WASHINGTON (AP) — IRS leadership on Thursday announced that the agency has recovered $4.7 billion in back taxes and proceeds from a variety of crimes. The announcement comes under the backdrop of a promised reckoning from Republicans who will hold a majority over both chambers of the next Congress and have long called for rescinding the tens of billions of dollars in funding provided to the agency by Democrats. IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said improvements made to the agency will help the incoming administration and new Republican majority congress achieve its goals of administering an extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. OpenAI's legal battle with Elon Musk reveals internal turmoil over avoiding AI 'dictatorship' A 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and best avoid an artificial intelligence ‘dictatorship’ is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker’s ongoing conversion into a for-profit company. Musk, an early OpenAI investor and board member, sued the artificial intelligence company earlier this year. Musk has since escalated the dispute, adding new claims and asking for a court order that would stop OpenAI’s plans to convert itself into a for-profit business more fully. OpenAI is filing its response Friday. OpenAI's Altman will donate $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund LOS ANGELES (AP) — OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is planning to make a $1 million personal donation to President-Elect Donald Trump’s inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships the incoming administration. A spokesperson for OpenAI confirmed the move on Friday. The announcement comes one day after Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said it donated $1 million to the same fund. Amazon also said it plans to donate $1 million. China signals it's prepared to double down on support for the economy as Trump tariffs loom BANGKOK (AP) — Chinese leaders met this week to plot economic policy for the coming year and sketched out plans to raise government spending and relax Beijing's monetary policy. Analysts said the broad-brush plans from the annual Central Economic Work Conference were more of a recap of current policy than ambitious new initiatives at a time when the outlook is clouded by the President-elect Donald Trump's threats to sharply raise tariffs once he takes office. The ruling Communist Party did commit to raising China's deficit and to doing more to encourage consumer spending by bringing wage increases in line with the pace of economic growth. Here's a look at China's main priorities and their potential implications. Stock market today: Wall Street ends mixed after a bumpy week Stock indexes closed mixed on Wall Street at the end of a rare bumpy week. The S&P 500 ended little changed Friday. The benchmark index reached its latest in a string of records a week ago. It lost ground for the week following three weeks of gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%. The Nasdaq composite edged up 0.1%. Broadcom surged after the semiconductor company beat Wall Street’s profit targets and gave a glowing forecast, highlighting its artificial intelligence products. RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, surged after raising its revenue forecast. Treasury yields rose in the bond market. Next Week: Retail sales, Fed policy update, existing home sales The Commerce Department releases its monthly snapshot of U.S. retail sales Tuesday. Federal Reserve officials wrap up a two-day meeting and issue an interest rate policy update Wednesday. The National Association of Realtors issues its latest update on U.S. home sales Thursday.
One of the leading causes of accidental death worldwide is drowning. Every sailor who joins their country's navy knows there's a risk of drowning, since most roles will place them in a spot where they're surrounded by water. No matter how good a swimmer you are or how long you can hold your breath, drowning can happen to anyone, but the men and women who serve aboard submarines have a mental fortitude the average civilian only wishes they had. It takes a certain kind of person to serve on a submarine. Being a submariner isn't the same kind of life sailors experience on surface vessels. It's similar, but not identical. Not only can it get claustrophobic, everyone has to operate at 100% efficiency all the time. One small mistake can be the difference between life and death for everyone on board. But it's not always in the crew's hands to keep the ship operational. Mechanical failures have sent submarines to the ocean floor; poorly handled torpedoes can explode. On the surface, an explosion means injuries and potential death. Underwater, if the hull is punctured, it means almost certain death. Even with today's advanced technology, working on a sub is risky. And it's not always enemy subs you have to be careful of. Losing a submarine and its crew is bad enough. But losing them without any known cause is even harder for a navy and family members to deal with. In May of 1968, that's what happened to the Skipjack-class attack submarine USS Scorpion (SSN-589). After finishing up a deployment in the Mediterranean, the Scorpion headed back to its home port of Norfolk, Virginia. The submarine's last known position came in on May 21, roughly 50 miles south of the Azores, an island group in the North Atlantic. The sub was supposed to be stateside six days later, and when there was no word by then, the U.S. Navy initiated a search for the vessel. It wasn't until October that the Navy's oceanographic research ship Mizar (T-AGOR-11) discovered parts of the Scorpion's hull 400 miles southwest of the Azores, at a depth of 10,000 feet. That's far deeper than the sun can penetrate. There had been 99 sailors aboard. None survived. The death of the USS Scorpion remains an unsolved Cold War mystery to this day. None of the Navy's several investigations has yielded conclusive results. The generally accepted cause was uncontrolled flooding that led to an explosion, but the Navy may never discover the truth. Despite what Tom Clancy wrote in his 1984 novel "The Hunt for Red October," the Soviet Union rarely named its submarines. The subs were typically given a designation consisting of one letter and a series of numbers after. Thus, K-8. The K-8 was part of the USSR's November class of submarines, the Soviets' first real attempt at creating a nuclear attack sub. K-8 was the third November-class submarine to come off the assembly line, entering service in 1960. So when it sank a decade later — with four nuclear torpedoes aboard — it was a blow to the country for national security reasons. In April 1970, K-8 was participating in a wargame displaying the USSR's international reach when everything started to go wrong. Both of K-8's nuclear reactors had to be shut down and it was forced to surface after it was struck by two fires that, along with flooding, killed eight of the crew. When the rest of the crew followed their captain's orders to abandon ship, a rescue vessel showed up to tow K-8. But bad weather made the trek to port significantly more difficult, and much of the crew reboarded to try to keep the sub afloat. After three days, they failed, and K-8 sank to a depth of around 15,000 feet. It became the final resting place for all 52 crewmembers. [Image by pliskin1 via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC0 1.0 ] The USS Thresher (SSN-593) was the first nuclear attack submarine of its class. In 1963, it conducted a series of deep-dive tests off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, testing its rated depth of 1,300 feet. It wasn't alone during these tests. A submarine-rescue vessel, the USS Skylark (ASR-20), was nearby in case anything went wrong. But there's only so much a surface vessel can do if everything goes wrong. Skylark received a series of garbled transmissions from the Thresher that reported minor technical difficulties. Then these communications abruptly stopped. The Thresher was gone and with it all 129 crew, officers and civilian technicians aboard. But what had happened? A deep submergence vehicle, the bathyscaphe Trieste II, along with the USS Mizar (AK-272), discovered Thresher's imploded remains around 8,400 feet deep. Evidence pointed to the culprits being piping failure, power loss, and issues with the sub's ballast tanks. This caused the Navy to create its Submarine Safety Program, known as Subsafe. Its goal is to ensure quality of all critical systems, including the hull, to prevent similar tragedies. Submarine disasters aren't restricted to half a century ago. As recently as the turn of this century, the Russian nuclear guided-missile submarine Kursk experienced its own tragedy. Russia had boasted that it was an unsinkable submarine that could stay afloat even after a direct hit from a torpedo, but in August 2000, two explosions occurred on the sub and crippled it, forcing it 350 feet below the Barents Sea's surface. The worst part of this story is that Russia could have rescued 23 of the crewmembers had they acted sooner. The other 118 crewmembers apparently died instantly in the explosion, but those 23 survivors fled to a rear compartment, where they were safe for a brief period. But the Russian navy waited hours before launching a search-and-rescue mission and refused assistance from other nations for a week, dooming those survivors, since an investigation eventually determined that all of the initial survivors had died of carbon monoxide no more than eight hours after the explosions. A two-year investigation concluded that the explosion was caused by torpedoes using unstable hydrogen peroxide as their fuel. But that didn't stop conspiracy theories from arising before the investigation was complete, or Russia from later pointing fingers at a collision caused by a NATO sub. It's not always an explosion or sinking that's catastrophic to a submarine and its crew. Sometimes it's the lack of oxygen. In May 2003, Chinese fisherman saw a periscope protruding from the water. They attempted to make contact, but the fishermen couldn't establish any kind of communications, so they called the People's Liberation Army Navy to the scene. The sub turned out to be a diesel-powered Ming-class submarine, not one of China's newest attack submarines , and it hadn't made contact for several days. However, that didn't strike the navy as peculiar because Changcheng 361 was participating in an exercise that required it to be radio silent. When investigators boarded the outdated submarine, they found all 70 crewmembers slumped over at their stations. There was no sign of a struggle, explosion, or any kind of foul play. China didn't release many details beyond mechanical failure as to the cause of the issue, but the report unleashed speculation that the sub's diesel engines had malfunctioned, suffocating the crew. Moreover, if 70 sailors were aboard, it would have been over capacity, as the Ming class was only supposed to hold a crew of 57. As a result of the sinking, China removed the PLA Navy's Commander Shi Yunsheng and Political Commissar Yang Huaiqing after the investigation concluded.Rodgers & Associates LTD grew its stake in shares of NVIDIA Co. ( NASDAQ:NVDA – Free Report ) by 1.9% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 11,555 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock after acquiring an additional 220 shares during the period. Rodgers & Associates LTD’s holdings in NVIDIA were worth $1,403,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Legal & General Group Plc raised its stake in NVIDIA by 884.0% during the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 213,127,959 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock valued at $26,329,751,000 after purchasing an additional 191,469,114 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake in NVIDIA by 854.1% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 182,622,629 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock valued at $22,561,200,000 after purchasing an additional 163,482,580 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its stake in NVIDIA by 870.3% during the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 102,422,225 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock valued at $12,658,922,000 after purchasing an additional 91,867,031 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in NVIDIA by 1,123.2% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 92,039,713 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock valued at $11,371,255,000 after purchasing an additional 84,515,429 shares during the period. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its stake in NVIDIA by 808.6% during the 2nd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 82,689,605 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock valued at $10,215,474,000 after purchasing an additional 73,589,208 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.27% of the company’s stock. Analyst Ratings Changes Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. Needham & Company LLC boosted their target price on shares of NVIDIA from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of NVIDIA from $165.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Benchmark upped their price target on shares of NVIDIA from $170.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Melius Research upped their price target on shares of NVIDIA from $165.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Citigroup upped their price target on shares of NVIDIA from $170.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-nine have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, NVIDIA currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $164.15. NVIDIA Stock Up 2.2 % NASDAQ NVDA opened at $138.25 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 3.64 and a current ratio of 4.10. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $136.05 and a 200 day simple moving average of $123.67. NVIDIA Co. has a twelve month low of $45.01 and a twelve month high of $152.89. The stock has a market cap of $3.39 trillion, a PE ratio of 54.41, a PEG ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 1.66. NVIDIA ( NASDAQ:NVDA – Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, November 20th. The computer hardware maker reported $0.81 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.69 by $0.12. NVIDIA had a net margin of 55.69% and a return on equity of 114.83%. The business had revenue of $35.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $33.15 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.38 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 93.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that NVIDIA Co. will post 2.76 EPS for the current year. NVIDIA Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 27th. Investors of record on Thursday, December 5th will be given a $0.01 dividend. This represents a $0.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 5th. NVIDIA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 1.57%. NVIDIA announced that its board has authorized a stock buyback program on Wednesday, August 28th that permits the company to buyback $50.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the computer hardware maker to reacquire up to 1.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, CEO Jen Hsun Huang sold 120,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.76, for a total value of $13,291,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 76,375,705 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,459,373,085.80. This represents a 0.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink . Also, Director John Dabiri sold 716 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $142.00, for a total transaction of $101,672.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 19,942 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,831,764. This trade represents a 3.47 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold 2,036,986 shares of company stock valued at $240,602,399 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 4.23% of the company’s stock. NVIDIA Company Profile ( Free Report ) NVIDIA Corporation provides graphics and compute and networking solutions in the United States, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, and internationally. The Graphics segment offers GeForce GPUs for gaming and PCs, the GeForce NOW game streaming service and related infrastructure, and solutions for gaming platforms; Quadro/NVIDIA RTX GPUs for enterprise workstation graphics; virtual GPU or vGPU software for cloud-based visual and virtual computing; automotive platforms for infotainment systems; and Omniverse software for building and operating metaverse and 3D internet applications. Recommended Stories Five stocks we like better than NVIDIA Stock Sentiment Analysis: How it Works The Latest 13F Filings Are In: See Where Big Money Is Flowing The How And Why of Investing in Oil Stocks 3 Penny Stocks Ready to Break Out in 2025 What is the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA)? 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BANGKOK — Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan will attempt to merge and create the world's third-largest automaker by sales as the industry undergoes dramatic changes in its transition away from fossil fuels. The two companies said they had signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday and that smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors also had agreed to join the talks on integrating their businesses. Honda will initially lead the new management, retaining the principles and brands of each company. Following is a quick look at what a combined Honda and Nissan would mean for the companies, and for the auto industry. Nissan Chief Executive Makoto Uchida, left, and Honda Chief Executive Toshihiro Mibe, center, and Takao Kato CEO of Mitsubishi Motors, right, arrive to attend a joint news conference Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) The ascent of Chinese automakers is rattling the industry at a time when manufacturers are struggling to shift from fossil fuel-driven vehicles to electrics. Relatively inexpensive EVs from China's BYD, Great Wall and Nio are eating into the market shares of U.S. and Japanese car companies in China and elsewhere. Japanese automakers have lagged behind big rivals in EVs and are now trying to cut costs and make up for lost time. Nissan, Honda and Mitsubishi announced in August that they will share components for electric vehicles like batteries and jointly research software for autonomous driving to adapt better to dramatic changes in the auto industry centered around electrification. A preliminary agreement between Honda, Japan's second-largest automaker, and Nissan, third largest, was announced in March. A merger could result in a behemoth worth about $55 billion based on the market capitalization of all three automakers. Joining forces would help the smaller Japanese automakers add scale to compete with Japan's market leader Toyota Motor Corp. and with Germany's Volkswagen AG. Toyota itself has technology partnerships with Japan's Mazda Motor Corp. and Subaru Corp. Nissan Chief Executive Makoto Uchida, left, Honda Chief Executive Toshihiro Mibe, center, and Takao Kato, CEO of Mitsubishi Motors, right, pose for photographers during a joint news conference in Tokyo, Japan, Monday, Dec. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) Nissan has truck-based body-on-frame large SUVs such as the Armada and Infiniti QX80 that Honda doesn't have, with large towing capacities and good off-road performance, said Sam Fiorani, vice president of AutoForecast Solutions. Nissan also has years of experience building batteries and electric vehicles, and gas-electric hybird powertrains that could help Honda in developing its own EVs and next generation of hybrids, he said. "Nissan does have some product segments where Honda doesn't currently play," that a merger or partnership could help, said Sam Abuelsamid, a Detroit-area automotive industry analsyt. While Nissan's electric Leaf and Ariya haven't sold well in the U.S., they're solid vehicles, Fiorani said. "They haven't been resting on their laurels, and they have been developing this technology," he said. "They have new products coming that could provide a good platform for Honda for its next generation." Nissan said last month that it was slashing 9,000 jobs, or about 6% of its global work force, and reducing global production capacity by 20% after reporting a quarterly loss of 9.3 billion yen ($61 million). Earlier this month it reshuffled its management and its chief executive, Makoto Uchida, took a 50% pay cut to take responsibility for the financial woes, saying Nissan needed to become more efficient and respond better to market tastes, rising costs and other global changes. Fitch Ratings recently downgraded Nissan's credit outlook to "negative," citing worsening profitability, partly due to price cuts in the North American market. But it noted that it has a strong financial structure and solid cash reserves that amounted to 1.44 trillion yen ($9.4 billion). Nissan's share price has fallen to the point where it is considered something of a bargain. A report in the Japanese financial magazine Diamond said talks with Honda gained urgency after the Taiwan maker of iPhones Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., better known as Foxconn, began exploring a possible acquisition of Nissan as part of its push into the EV sector. The company has struggled for years following a scandal that began with the arrest of its former chairman Carlos Ghosn in late 2018 on charges of fraud and misuse of company assets, allegations that he denies. He eventually was released on bail and fled to Lebanon. Honda reported its profits slipped nearly 20% in the first half of the April-March fiscal year from a year earlier, as sales suffered in China. Toyota made 11.5 million vehicles in 2023, while Honda rolled out 4 million and Nissan produced 3.4 million. Mitsubishi Motors made just over 1 million. Even after a merger Toyota would remain the leading Japanese automaker. All the global automakers are facing potential shocks if President-elect Donald Trump follows through on threats to raise or impose tariffs on imports of foreign products, even from allies like Japan and neighboring countries like Canada and Mexico. Nissan is among the major car companies that have adjusted their supply chains to include vehicles assembled in Mexico. Meanwhile, analysts say there is an "affordability shift" taking place across the industry, led by people who feel they cannot afford to pay nearly $50,000 for a new vehicle. In American, a vital market for companies like Nissan, Honda and Toyota, that's forcing automakers to consider lower pricing, which will eat further into industry profits. ____ Airbags, advanced driver assistance features, and high-strength materials mean that the safest cars today are far better at protecting people from injuries than ever before. Although most new cars compare well to their predecessors, some stand above the rest. The safest cars for 2025 offer excellent occupant protection and also do a good job of preventing accidents from happening in the first place. Based on testing data from the , or IIHS, and the , or NHTSA, these are some of the safest cars available today. Ranging from inexpensive compact cars and mainstream midsize sedans to stylish station wagons, posh luxury cars, and sporty coupes and convertibles, shares a list that has something for just about everyone. For those who prefer a higher seating position and maybe some added practicality, Edmunds' list of is for you. The stylish Mazda 3 has a lot to offer compact-car shoppers, including great looks, a composed driving experience, and reasonable fuel economy from its base 2.0-liter engine. It's also one of the safest cars in its class, earning a perfect five stars in NHTSA crash testing and sterling crashworthiness and collision avoidance scores from the IIHS. Its standard features are forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane departure prevention. With mature styling, a premium interior, and an efficient hybrid powertrain option, the 2025 Honda Civic is a great option if safety is a concern since it aces almost all of the IIHS' crash tests and earns a five-star safety rating from the federal government. It also comes standard with adaptive cruise control, lane departure prevention, and forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking. The Civic falls short slightly in the IIHS' updated moderate overlap front test, which now accounts for rear passenger safety, but even so, it's one of the safest cars in its class. Reflective of parent company BMW, today's Mini Cooper is well constructed and features premium safety features that belie its small size, including automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning. Although the Mini hasn't been tested by NHTSA, the IIHS gives the Cooper its highest score of Good in the original driver-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, and side-impact tests. That said, the IIHS doesn't place the Cooper on its Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ lists since it hasn't been evaluated on the updated battery of passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, or side-impact tests. Expect the new-for-2025 Mini Cooper to earn decent crash ratings in those scenarios, especially since it shares its strong platform with the outgoing model. With its recent redesign, the Toyota Prius transformed from a frumpy little caterpillar to a stylish and efficient butterfly. It also became a very safe hybrid hatchback. Perfect scores in all of its government and IIHS crash tests, as well as a sophisticated system of collision avoidance technology, earn it top marks. It's also one of our favorite cars on the market, period, as evidenced by its status as a vehicle. The Honda Accord is among the safest midsize sedans on the market today thanks to excellent crashworthiness scores and a competent standard collision prevention system. It's a Top Safety Pick+, beating out rivals like the Hyundai Sonata, Kia K5, and Subaru Legacy, and the Accord also earns a perfect five-star rating from NHTSA. Honda's hybrid-intensive product planning is on full display here—all but the two lowest Accord trims have a hybrid powertrain—and it's also among the most spacious cars in its class. Like its Honda Accord rival, the Toyota Camry is also an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ with a five-star NHTSA rating. It also has a very impressive suite of driver assistance and safety technology, including lane departure prevention with active centering, full-speed adaptive cruise control, and automatic emergency braking. The Camry edges out the Accord in IIHS testing thanks to a more effective collision avoidance system, but both cars are remarkably well matched otherwise. The fully electric Hyundai Ioniq 6 offers excellent safety and collision prevention, with excellent scores across the entire line of IIHS tests. The Ioniq 6 hasn't been tested for rollover resistance by NHTSA, but it earned a four-star front safety rating and a five-star side-impact rating in government tests. Like most EVs, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 comes standard with forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane departure prevention. It also offers up to 342 miles of all-electric driving in its longest-range trim level. The Acura Integra is a close mechanical cousin to the Honda Civic, so it's no surprise it does well in both the IIHS' and NHTSA's crash tests. The luxury hatchback is a Top Safety Pick+ and earns a perfect five stars in government testing. The AcuraWatch safety suite is standard on the Integra, bringing automatic emergency braking, lane centering, lane departure prevention, and adaptive cruise control. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a safe option in the popular small luxury sedan segment thanks to its good scores in IIHS crash testing. Mercedes' best-selling sedan also comes standard with automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning, which helps it earn a Top Safety Pick award. However, it hasn't been tested by the NHTSA. Both the Genesis G80 and the fully electric earn a Top Safety Pick+ score from the IIHS thanks to their good scores on the agency's crash tests, as well as a comprehensive suite of active safety features that avoided collisions with simulated pedestrians. The internal-combustion-engine G80 earned a perfect five-star safety rating from NHTSA, and although the Electrified G80 hasn't been tested by the feds just yet, it should likely excel in those tests too. The flagship Genesis G90 sedan competes with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series, and the South Korean automaker clearly hasn't skimped on safety in its fight against the establishment. Although it hasn't been subjected to the NHTSA array of tests, it aced almost all of its IIHS tests, and a long list of standard active safety and driver assistance features sets it apart from the stingy German makes that charge extra for them. With handsome styling and a well-finished interior, the Volvo V60 is a very appealing station wagon for those looking for such a thing. It's also quite safe, with good crashworthiness scores in the IIHS' original moderate overlap front and side-impact scores. Unfortunately, since it hasn't been tested with the updated versions of those tests, it didn't earn this year's Top Safety Pick award, but it was called a Top Safety Pick+ in 2022. NHTSA also gives the V60 a five-star safety rating. Although the Mercedes-Benz E 450 All-Terrain isn't a traditional wagon — it follows the lifted almost-crossover formula shared with the Audi A6 Allroad and Volvo V90 Cross Country — we'll take what we can get in this dwindling category. The All-Terrain hasn't been tested by the IIHS or NHTSA, but a previous-generation E-Class earned a 2023 Top Safety Pick+ award, and Mercedes isn't the kind of company that goes backward when it comes to safety. The E 450 All-Terrain comes standard with automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning, though, at this price, Benz should just make other active safety features standard. With a five-star NHTSA safety rating, standard forward collision warning and emergency braking, and excellent IIHS crashworthiness scores on its original tests, the Audi A6 Allroad does a good job protecting people (both passengers and pedestrians) from crashes. However, since the IIHS hasn't subjected the Allroad to its updated side and moderate front crash criteria, it lost its Top Safety Pick+ status in 2022. Still, it should be a fine option for luxury longroof shoppers. Both the Ford Mustang coupe and convertible perform well in crash testing. The coupe received a five-star safety rating from NHTSA, and both variants scored decently on all the IIHS tests they've undergone. They also come standard with forward collision warning, lane departure prevention, and automatic emergency braking. However, the IIHS needs to test both models on its updated criteria before it will rate them. Although the government hasn't tested it, the Toyota GR86 aced all of its IIHS crashworthiness tests when it was new for the 2022 model year. Unfortunately, since it hasn't been subjected to the IIHS' updated testing since then, it lost its Top Safety Pick+ status. Still, this is a fun-to-drive, sporty coupe that comes standard with a long list of active safety features, and it's reasonably priced to boot. Mechanically identical to the Toyota GR86, the 2025 Subaru BRZ achieves the same safety ratings—who would have thought? It likewise received a Top Safety Pick+ score in 2022 that lapsed when the IIHS updated its criteria for 2023, but like the Toyota, it has a long list of active safety features to go along with its lightweight, rip-roaring sports car attitude. The Audi A5 lost its traditional two-door coupe body style after 2024, but the five-door Sportback body style remains before it's replaced later in 2025. Although it hasn't seen the IIHS' more stringent test regimen, its original crashworthiness scores were good enough to earn it a Top Safety Pick award as recently as 2022. The Sportback is the only variant to be tested by the government, where it earned a five-star safety rating. Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.
Trade means more headaches for SimmonsAaron Rodgers and David Bakhtiari are close friends . So after the quarterback had a tough day in the office on Sunday during the New York Jets ' lopsided loss to the Buffalo Bills, the left tackle had his jokes. Besides leaving the field when the Jets had zero points before garbage time, Rodgers was sacked several times and broke the NFL record. He reached 566 sacks in his career, the most in NFL history by any player. Bakhtiari, who protected Rodgers' blindside for ten seasons, joked about the situation on social media. Hell yeah! Congrats @AaronRodgers12 another one for the record books!!!! https://t.co/6pSiccMhOd Aaron Rodgers has had a rough season for the Jets, and it looks like he will soon be released . If that happens, he might look for other options on the market, or simply decide to retire. David Bakhtiari was released from the Packers in March. He has played only 13 games since he suffered a serious knee injury late in 2020. The left tackle is still trying to return to the field, but there's no recent indication that he will be able to do so. Before the end of the regular season, the Jets will still face the Miami Dolphins next week at MetLife Stadium, which very well might be Aaron Rodgers’ final game as a Jet. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.
The Chinese government protested Sunday the latest American announcements of military sales and assistance to Taiwan, warning the United States that it is "playing with fire." U.S. President Joe Biden authorized Saturday the provision of up to $571 million in Defense Department material and services and in military education and training for self-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory and says must come under its control. Separately, the Defense Department said Friday that $295 million in military sales had been approved. A Chinese Foreign Ministry statement urged the U.S. to stop arming Taiwan and stop what it called "dangerous moves that undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait." U.S. military sales and assistance aim to help Taiwan defend itself and deter China from launching an attack. The $571 million in military assistance comes on top of Biden's authorization of $567 million for the same purposes in late September. The military sales include $265 million for about 300 tactical radio systems and $30 million for 16 gun mounts. 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In October, the U.S. approved $2 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, including the first-time delivery of an advanced surface-to-air missile defense system, also drawing China's criticism while Beijing has responded with war drills around Taiwan. Taiwan earlier this month demanded that China end its ongoing military activity in nearby waters, which it said undermed peace and stability and disrupted international shipping and trade. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has said he would not commit to defending Taiwan if China were to invade during his presidency. Trump has also said that Taiwan should pay the U.S. for defending it against China, likening the relationship to insurance. Taiwan spends about 2.5% of its GDP on defense. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )Beloved J-pop icon Kana Nishino has stirred excitement among her fans by sharing an array of intriguing photos on her Instagram, offering a glimpse of her life and events in 2024. The pictures range from playful selfies wearing a silk hat and faux mustache to a graceful shot of her in a white dress, and another capturing her amidst a sea of red balloons. These captivating images are linked to her much-anticipated solo concert, “Kana Nishino Love Again Live 2024,” held on November 13th and 14th, marking her grand return to the stage after nearly six years. Fans attending the concert were thrilled to see these visuals featured in the event’s VTRs and merchandise. The Instagram post has garnered an enthusiastic response from fans, with comments expressing awe and admiration. Many fans were thrilled to witness Nishino’s charm and were overjoyed to reconnect with their favorite singer at her live performance. Adding to the excitement, Nishino is set to make a long-awaited appearance at the “75th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen,” after a six-year hiatus. As if that weren’t enough, she is embarking on a nationwide arena tour across five cities in Japan in April, entitled “Fall In Love With You Again Tour 2025,” promising ten spectacular shows. Kana Nishino’s return is highly anticipated, with fans eagerly looking forward to more unforgettable performances and moments. Kana Nishino’s Triumphant Return: What to Expect From Her Upcoming Tours and Appearances Beloved J-pop icon Kana Nishino’s recent flurry of activity has not only delighted her fans but also sparked renewed interest in her career. As she gears up for her “Kana Nishino Love Again Live 2024” concert and other major appearances, here’s a deeper look at what fans and music enthusiasts can expect from her triumphant return to the spotlight. Innovations in Live Performance Kana Nishino’s live concerts have always been a visual and auditory treat. With the “Kana Nishino Love Again Live 2024” concert, fans can anticipate groundbreaking stage designs and interactive elements that reflect Nishino’s unique charm and artistry. Her team is reportedly integrating advanced audiovisual technology to create an immersive experience that will captivate the audience. Nationwide Arena Tour: “Fall In Love With You Again Tour 2025” Nishino’s nationwide arena tour across five major cities in Japan is expected to be a highlight of 2025. This tour, entitled “Fall In Love With You Again Tour 2025,” marks her first major tour since her hiatus and will feature ten spectacular shows. Fans can expect a mix of classic hits and new music, with each performance promising to deliver unique set designs and exclusive surprises tailored for each city. Sustainability in the Spotlight As awareness of environmental issues grows, many artists are adopting more sustainable practices in their tours. Kana Nishino’s team is committed to this trend by implementing eco-friendly measures throughout her tour, from reducing waste to using energy-efficient lighting and promoting sustainable merchandising options. Predictions and Trends in J-pop Kana Nishino’s comeback coincides with a broader trend of J-pop artists returning to the scene after extended breaks, bringing a mix of nostalgia and innovation. Her concerts and appearances are set against a backdrop of growing interest in Japanese pop culture globally, suggesting that her return could further boost J-pop’s international appeal. Insights into Kana Nishino’s Future Projects While the focus is on her upcoming concerts and tours, fans are also curious about possible new music releases. Industry insiders hint that Nishino might be working on fresh material that continues to explore themes of love and self-discovery, hallmarks of her previous work. Key Takeaways Kana Nishino’s return is a cause for celebration, not only for her dedicated fanbase but for the J-pop industry as a whole. Her upcoming concerts will showcase the evolution of her artistry while embracing sustainability and innovation. Fans can look forward to a unique blend of nostalgia and new experiences that only Nishino can deliver. For more information about J-pop and other updates on your favorite artists, visit NHK.