NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump used his image as a successful New York businessman to become a celebrity, a reality television star and eventually the president. Now he will get to revel in one of the most visible symbols of success in the city when he rings the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday as he's also named Time Magazine's Person of the Year. Trump is expected to be on Wall Street to mark the ceremonial start of the day's trading, according to four people with knowledge of his plans. He will also be announced Thursday as Time's 2024 Person of the Year , according to a person familiar with the selection. The people who confirmed the stock exchange appearance and Time award were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. It will be a notable moment of twin recognitions for Trump, a born-and-bred New Yorker who at times has treated the stock market as a measure of public approval and has long-prized signifiers of his success in New York's business world and his appearances on the covers of magazines — especially Time. Trump was named the magazine's Person of the Year in 2016, when he was first elected to the White House. He had already been listed as a finalist for this year's award alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, X owner Elon Musk, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Kate, the Princess of Wales. Time declined to confirm the selection ahead of Thursday morning's announcement. “Time does not comment on its annual choice for Person of the Year prior to publication,” a spokesperson for the magazine said Wednesday. The ringing of the bell is a powerful symbol of U.S. capitalism — and a good New York photo opportunity at that. Despite his decades as a New York businessman, Trump has never done it before. It was unclear whether Trump, a Republican, would meet with New York's embattled mayor, Democrat Eric Adams , who has warmed to Trump and has not ruled out changing his political party. Adams has been charged with federal corruption crimes and accused of selling influence to foreign nationals; he has denied wrongdoing. Trump himself was once a symbol of New York, but he gave up living full-time in his namesake Trump Tower in Manhattan and moved to Florida after leaving the White House. CNN first reported Wednesday Trump’s visit to the stock exchange and Politico reported that Trump was expected to be unveiled as Time's Person of the Year. The stock exchange regularly invites celebrities and business leaders to participate in the ceremonial opening and closing of trading. During Trump’s first term, his wife, Melania Trump, rang the bell to promote her “Be Best” initiative on children’s well-being. Last year, Time CEO Jess Sibley rang the opening bell to unveil the magazine's 2023 Person of the Year: Taylor Swift . After the Nov. 5 election, the S&P 500 rallied 2.5% for its best day in nearly two years. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 1,508 points, or 3.6%, while the Nasdaq composite jumped 3%. All three indexes topped records they had set in recent weeks. The U.S. stock market has historically tended to rise regardless of which party wins the White House, with Democrats scoring bigger average gains since 1945. But Republican control could mean big shifts in the winning and losing industries underneath the surface, and investors are adding to bets built earlier on what the higher tariffs, lower tax rates and lighter regulation that Trump favors will mean. Trump has long courted the business community based on his own status as a wealthy real estate developer who gained additional fame as the star of the TV show “The Apprentice” in which competitors tried to impress him with their business skills. He won the election in part by tapping into Americans' deep anxieties about an economy that seemed unable to meet the needs of the middle class. The larger business community has applauded his promises to reduce corporate taxes and cut regulations. But there are also concerns about his stated plans to impose broad tariffs and possibly target companies that he sees as not aligning with his own political interests. Trump spends the bulk of his time at his Florida home but was in New York for weeks this spring during his hush money trial there. He was convicted, but his lawyers are pushing for the case to be thrown out in light of his election. While he spent hours in a Manhattan courthouse every day during his criminal trial, Trump took his presidential campaign to the streets of the heavily Democratic city, holding a rally in the Bronx and popping up at settings for working-class New Yorkers: a bodega, a construction site and a firehouse. Trump returned to the city in September to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Manhattan tower. At the stock exchange, the ringing of the bell has been a tradition since the 1800s. The first guest to do it was a 10-year-old boy named Leonard Ross, in 1956, who won a quiz show answering questions about the stock market. Many times, companies listing on the exchange would ring the bell at 9:30 a.m. to commemorate their initial offerings as trading began. But the appearances have become an important marker of culture and politics -- something that Trump hopes to seize as he’s promised historic levels of economic growth. The anti-apartheid advocate and South African President Nelson Mandela rang the bell, as has Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone with his castmates from the film “The Expendables.” So, too, have the actors Robert Downey Jr. and Jeremy Renner for an “Avengers” movie and the Olympians Michael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin. In 1985, Ronald Reagan became the first sitting U.S. president to ring the bell. “With tax reform and budget control, our economy will be free to expand to its full potential, driving the bears back into permanent hibernation,” Reagan said at the time. “We’re going to turn the bull loose.” The crowd of traders on the floor chanted, “Ronnie! Ronnie! Ronnie!” The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed in 1985 and 1986, but it suffered a decline in October 1987 in an event known as “Black Monday.” Long reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Josh Boak in Washington contributed to this report.LONDON The UK government has launched a search for a new EU negotiator as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer moves to reset Britain’s relationship with Europe, according to media reports on Saturday. The Cabinet Office is advertising the position, which will serve as the principal adviser to Starmer and Minister for European Union Relations Nick Thomas-Symonds. The successful candidate will act as a representative for all UK dealings with the EU, including upcoming renewal talks on the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) in 2025. Described as critical to delivering an "EU reset" and advising on international economic issues, the negotiator will also represent the prime minister during discussions with the bloc. Starmer has made rebuilding ties with the EU a priority since taking office, meeting key European leaders such as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron. The leader of the Labour Party also hosted the European Political Community meeting at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire last month, bringing together 50 leaders across the continent. Acknowledging challenges in mending relations, Starmer has championed a "constructive" approach to negotiations, distancing his government from past approaches. The Conservative Party, however, criticized the move. Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel warned that Labour would "capitulate to the EU" and reverse the results of the 2016 Brexit referendum.
Trudeau's comments on Kamala Harris 'not helpful,' premiers say, as Musk blasts PM
NEBRASKA-OMAHA (1-4) Moore 2-5 2-2 7, Olsen 3-5 3-3 9, Ford 3-7 0-0 6, Cave 3-16 1-2 7, Weir 0-1 0-0 0, Gardner 3-5 1-1 8, Horne 0-0 0-0 0, Stephens 1-3 0-0 3, Harvey 6-11 0-0 14, Keitges 3-3 0-0 9, Perry 0-0 0-0 0, Powell 1-2 0-0 2, Totals 25-58 7-8 65 WISCONSIN (5-1) Williams 9-13 2-4 20, McCray 0-3 0-0 0, Jimenez 1-5 0-0 2, Leuzinger 4-8 7-10 16, Myers 5-11 0-0 15, Bisballe 0-0 0-0 0, Douglass 2-7 1-2 6, Krahn 1-3 0-0 2, Spasovski 3-4 0-0 6, Totals 25-54 10-16 67 3-Point Goals_Nebraska-Omaha 8-18 (Moore 1-2, Olsen 0-2, Cave 0-4, Gardner 1-2, Stephens 1-2, Harvey 2-3, Keitges 3-3), Wisconsin 7-18 (Williams 0-1, Leuzinger 1-2, Myers 5-10, Douglass 1-4, Krahn 0-1). Assists_Nebraska-Omaha 15 (Cave 5), Wisconsin 13 (Douglass 3, Leuzinger 3, Williams 3). Fouled Out_None. Rebounds_Nebraska-Omaha 26 (Ford 6), Wisconsin 38 (Williams 14). Total Fouls_Nebraska-Omaha 16, Wisconsin 12. Technical Fouls_None. A_3,014.$1. 045 committed to education infrastructures in FCT – Wike
Crescent Energy Announces Pricing of Upsized $400 Million Private Placement of Additional 7.625% Senior Notes Due 2032LONDON — A woman who claimed mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor "brutally raped and battered" her in a Dublin hotel penthouse was awarded nearly 250,000 Euros ($257,000) on Friday by a civil court jury in Ireland. Nikita Hand said the Dec. 9, 2018, assault after a night of partying left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced the woman to do anything against her will and said she fabricated the allegations after the two had consensual sex. His lawyer had called Hand a gold digger. The fighter, once the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship but now past his prime, shook his head as the jury of eight women and four men found him liable for assault after deliberating about six hours in the High Court in Dublin. He was mobbed by cameras as he left court but did not comment. He later said on the social platform X that he would appeal the verdict and the "modest award." Hand's voice cracked and her hands trembled as she read a statement outside the courthouse, saying she would never forget what happened to her but would now be able to move on with her life. She thanked her family, partner, friends, jurors, the judge and all the supporters that had reached out to her online, but particularly her daughter. "She has given me so much strength and courage over the last six years throughout this nightmare to keep on pushing forward for justice," she said. "I want to show (her) and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and justice will be served." The Associated Press generally does not name alleged victims of sexual violence unless they come forward publicly, as Hand has done. Under Irish law, she did not have the anonymity she would have been granted in a criminal proceeding and was named publicly throughout the trial. Her lawyer told jurors that McGregor was angry about a fight he had lost in Las Vegas two months earlier and took it out on his client. "He's not a man, he's a coward," attorney John Gordon said in his closing speech. "A devious coward and you should treat him for what he is." Gordon said his client never pretended to be a saint and was only looking to have fun when she sent McGregor a message through Instagram after attending a Christmas party. He said Hand knew McGregor socially and that they had grown up in the same area. She said he picked her and a friend up in a car and shared cocaine with them, which McGregor admitted in court, on the way to the Beacon Hotel. Hand said she told McGregor she didn't want to have sex with him and that she was menstruating. She said she told him "no" as he started kissing her but he eventually pinned her to a bed and she couldn't move. McGregor put her in a chokehold and later told her, "now you know how I felt in the octagon where I tapped out three times," referring to a UFC match when he had to admit defeat, she said. Hand had to take several breaks in emotional testimony over three days. She said McGregor threatened to kill her during the encounter and she feared she would never see her young daughter again. Eventually, he let go of her. "I remember saying I was sorry, as I felt that I did something wrong and I wanted to reassure him that I wouldn't tell anyone so he wouldn't hurt me again," she testified. She said she then let him do what he wanted and he had sex with her. A paramedic who examined Hand the next day testified that she had never before seen someone with that intensity of bruising. A doctor told jurors Hand had multiple injuries. Hand said the trauma of the attack had left her unable to work as a hairdresser, she fell behind on her mortgage and had to move out of her house. Police investigated the woman's complaint but prosecutors declined to bring charges, saying there was insufficient evidence and a conviction was unlikely. McGregor, in his post on X, said he was disappointed jurors didn't see all the evidence prosecutors had reviewed. He testified that the two had athletic and vigorous sex, but that it was not rough. He said "she never said 'no' or stopped" and testified that everything she said was a lie. "It is a full blown lie among many lies," he said when asked about the chokehold allegation. "How anyone could believe that me, as a prideful person, would highlight my shortcomings." McGregor's lawyer told jurors they had to set aside their animus toward the fighter. "You may have an active dislike of him, some of you may even loathe him – there is no point pretending that the situation might be otherwise," attorney Remy Farrell said. "I'm not asking you to invite him to Sunday brunch." The defense said the woman never told investigators McGregor threatened her life. They also showed surveillance video in court that they said appeared to show the woman kiss McGregor's arm and hug him after they left the hotel room. Farrell said she looked "happy, happy, happy." McGregor said he was "beyond petrified" when first questioned by police and read them a prepared statement. On the advice of his lawyer, he refused to answer more than 100 follow-up questions. The jury ruled against Hand in a case she brought against one of McGregor's friends, James Lawrence, whom she accused of having sex with her in the hotel without consent. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!
The Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) Saturday appealed to the Members of the Parliament to raise their voice for the release of fellow parliamentarian and party chief Sheikh Abdul Rashid. Addressing a press conference here, AIP vice president G N Shaheen said Rashid alias Engineer Rashid “was summoned to Delhi and detained under false and baseless charges” on August 5, 2019, the day Article 370 was abrogated. “Despite being held in custody, he contested the parliamentary elections, won with a massive mandate and became the elected voice of the Baramulla constituency. However, since taking his oath as a Member of Parliament, he has not been allowed to attend even a single session of the Lok Sabha,” Shaheen said. He said the Baramulla constituency consists of 18 assembly segments and accounts for nearly 40 per cent of Jammu and Kashmir’s population, and from 2008 to 2018, Rashid “fearlessly served” his people, voicing their concerns and aspirations without compromise. “Yet today, the same voice is being silenced under the pretext of incarceration, denying the people of Baramulla their rightful representation,” he added. The AIP leader urged all parliamentarians to rise above political affiliations and stand for “democratic principles” by demanding’s Rashid’s release and his right to attend the Parliament. “Denying him this opportunity is not just a betrayal of his mandate, but an insult to the democratic process itself. It sets a dangerous precedent where the will of the people is suppressed and their chosen representative is silenced,” he said. Shaheen warned what was happening with Rashid “could happen to any of you (MPs) tomorrow.”