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Major US indices close mixed. Dow lower for 7th day in a row. S&P unchanged. Nasdaq higher Pres.elect Trump is out to end the daylight saving time US prepares new AI chip restrictions to other countries to box out China - report S&P affirms Mexico's credit ratings Looking at long-dated bonds... European equity close: A finish on the lows of the week MUFG trade of the week: We stay long USD/CAD US Treasury yields have risen every day this week Disappointment sets into the China trade once again France names a new Prime Minister who will look to mend fences China central bank surveys banks on bond buying - report US import prices for November MoM 0.1% vs -0.2% estimate. YoY 1.3% Cananda October manufacturing sales +2.1% vs +1.3% expected Canada October wholesale sales +1.0% vs +0.5% expected ForexLive European FX news wrap: Mixed markets in final stretch of the week ECB's Centeno: The rate cut decision yesterday was fortunately absolutely consensual BOJ reportedly considers skipping rate hike at next week's policy meeting ECB's Makhlouf: The direction of travel on interest rates is clear ECB's Vasle: Declining services inflation strengthened the confidence in return to target Markets: Gold fell -$31.91 or -1.19% at $2648.66. Gold is ending the week up $16.27 or 0.619% WTI crude oil rose $1.07 or 1.3% at $71.10. Crude oil is up $3.88 or 5.77% US yields rose every day this week as the market adjusted to a less accommodative Fed in 2025 as a result of a solid economy. The gains came despite the expectations that the Fed will cut rates by 25 basis points when they need next week. 2 year yield 4.2448% up 5.9 bps. For the week, yields are up 13.7 bps US 10-year yields 4.394%, up 7.1 bps For the week yields are up 25 bps The US stock indices were mixed today with the Dow falling for the 7th day in a row. The S&P was unchanged and the Nasdaq marginally higher Dow industrial average fell -86.06 points or -0.20% at 43828.06. The NASDAQ closed lower for the 7th consecutive day (down 2.82%). For the trading week, the index fell -1.82% S&P index fell -0.16 points or -0.0% at 6051.09. For the trading week the index fell -0.64%. NASDAQ index rose 23.88 points or 0.12% at 19926.72. For the trading week the index squeaked out a small 0.34% gain. In the forex, the USD is closing mixed vs. the major currencies. The USD: -0.32% vs the EUR +0.66% vs the JPY +0.41% vs the GBP +0.07% vs the CHF +0.10% vs the CAD +0.16% vs the AUD +0.16% vs the NZD For the trading week, the USD rose vs all the major currencies as the expectations for the Fed to cut rates in 2025 eased and other central banks cut rates willingly. The SNB cut rates by 50 bps as did the CAD. The ECB cut rates by 25 bps but did talk about 50. The Bank of Japan may not raise rates at their next meeting which is bearish for that currency. The % changes of USD vs the major currencies shows. +0.61% vs EUR +2.42% vs JPY +0.89% vs GBP +1.65% vs CHF +0.61% vs CAD +0.45% vs AUD +1.06% vs NZD .For a review of the technical's driving the major currency pairs CLICK HERE . Key events next week will be highlighted by The Fed meeting and rate decision on Wednesday at 2 PM with the expectations of a 25 bp cut. The Bank of Japan on Thursday with no change expected The BOE will also meet on Thursday with no change expected. IN other key data releases: PMI flash data will be released in Europe and the UK, and then the US on Monday. UK employment data will be released on Tuesday at 2 AM ET Canada CPI data will be released on Tuesday at 8:30 AM ET US retail sales will also be released at 8:30 AM ET (0.6% estimate). UK CPI will be released at 2 AM on Wednesday New Zealand GDP for the quarter will be released on Thursday US final GDP for the third quarter will be released on Thursday at 8:30 AM ET along with the weekly initial jobless claims data. UK retail sales will be released on Friday at 2 AM ET Canada retail sales will be released at 8:30 AM on Friday US PCE data will be released at 8:30 AM on FridayTesla Stock Is Surging. Here’s Why.
FACT FOCUS: Vermont ruling does not say schools can vaccinate children without parental consentIran To Hold Nuclear Talks With 3 European PowersFORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Republican senators pushed back on Sunday against criticism from Democrats that Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump’s pick to lead U.S. intelligence services, is “compromised” by her comments supportive of Russia and secret meetings, as a congresswoman, with Syria’s president, a close ally of the Kremlin and Iran. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, a veteran of combat missions in Iraq, said she had concerns about Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s choice to be director of national intelligence. “I think she’s compromised,” Duckworth said on CNN’s “State of the Union,” citing Gabbard’s 2017 trip to Syria, where she held talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad. Gabbard was a Democratic House member from Hawaii at the time. “The U.S. intelligence community has identified her as having troubling relationships with America’s foes. And so my worry is that she couldn’t pass a background check,” Duckworth said. Gabbard, who said last month she is joining the Republican party, has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades. She was deployed to Iraq and Kuwait and, according to the Hawaii National Guard, received a Combat Medical Badge in 2005 for “participation in combat operations under enemy hostile fire in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III.” Duckworth’s comments drew immediate backlash from Republicans. “For her to say ridiculous and outright dangerous words like that is wrong,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, said on CNN, challenging Duckworth to retract her words. “That’s the most dangerous thing she could say — is that a United States lieutenant colonel in the United States Army is compromised and is an asset of Russia.” In recent days, other Democrats have accused Gabbard without evidence of being a “Russian asset.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, has claimed, without offering details, that Gabbard is in Russian President Vladimir “Putin’s pocket.” Mullin and others say the criticism from Democrats is rooted in the fact that Gabbard left their party and has become a Trump ally. Democrats say they worry that Gabbard’s selection as national intelligence chief endangers ties with allies and gives Russia a win. Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat just elected to the Senate, said he would not describe Gabbard as a Russian asset, but said she had “very questionable judgment.” “The problem is if our foreign allies don’t trust the head of our intelligence agencies, they’ll stop sharing information with us,” Schiff said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Gabbard in 2022 endorsed one of Russia’s justifications for invading Ukraine: the existence of dozens of U.S.-funded biolabs working on some of the world’s nastiest pathogens. The labs are part of an international effort to control outbreaks and stop bioweapons, but Moscow claimed Ukraine was using them to create deadly bioweapons. Gabbard said she just voiced concerns about protecting the labs. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Missouri, said he thought it was “totally ridiculous” that Gabbard was being cast as a Russian asset for having different political views. “It’s insulting. It’s a slur, quite frankly. There’s no evidence that she’s a asset of another country,” he said on NBC. Sen. James Lankford, another Oklahoma Republican, acknowledged having “lots of questions” for Gabbard as the Senate considers her nomination to lead the intelligence services. Lankford said on NBC that he wants to ask Gabbard about her meeting with Assad and some of her past comments about Russia. “We want to know what the purpose was and what the direction for that was. As a member of Congress, we want to get a chance to talk about past comments that she’s made and get them into full context,” Lankford said.
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — “My Driver and I” was supposed to be made in 2016, but was scuttled amid Eight years later, the landscape for film in the kingdom looks much different — and the star of “My Driver and I” now has an award. Roula Dakheelallah was named the winner of the Chopard Emerging Saudi Talent award at on Thursday. The award — and the glitzy festival itself — is a sign of Saudi Arabia’s commitment to shaping a new film industry. “My heart is attached to cinema and art; I have always dreamed of a moment like this,” Dakheelallah, who still works a 9-5 job, told The Associated Press before the awards ceremony. “I used to work in voluntary films and help my friends in the field, but this is my first big role in a film.” The reopening of cinemas in 2018 marked a cultural turning point for Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy that had instituted the ban 35 years before, under the influence of ultraconservative religious authorities. It has since invested heavily in a native film industry by building theaters and launching programs to support local filmmakers through grants and training. The Red Sea International Film Festival was launched just a year later, part of an attempt to expand Saudi influence into films, gaming, sports and other cultural fields. Activists have decried the investments as whitewashing the kingdom’s human rights record as it tightly controls speech and remains one of the world’s top executioners. With FIFA awarding to Saudi Arabia this week, with the London-based rights group ALQST, said Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman “has really managed to create this bubble where people only see entertainment and they don’t see the reality on the ground.” These efforts are part of unveiled in 2016 to ease the economy’s dependence on oil. As part of it, Saudi Arabia plans to construct 350 cinemas with over 2,500 movie screens — by this past April, across 22 cities, it already had 66 cinemas showing movies from the local film industry, as well as Hollywood and Bollywood. (The Red Sea International Film Festival attracts a host of talent from the latter industries, with and also picking up awards Thursday.) The country’s General Entertainment Authority last month opened Al Hisn Studios on the outskirts of Riyadh. As one of the largest such production hubs in the Middle East, it not only includes several film studios but also a production village with workshops for carpentry, blacksmithing and fashion tailoring. “These facilities, when they exist, will stimulate filmmakers,” said Saudi actor Mohammed Elshehri. “Today, no writer or director has an excuse to imagine and say, ‘I cannot implement my imagination.’” The facilities are one part of the equation — the content itself is another. One of the major players in transforming Saudi filmmaking has been founded in 2011 that began as a YouTube channel and quickly became a trailblazer. Producing high-quality digital content such as short films, comedy sketches and series, Telfaz11 offered fresh perspectives on Saudi and regional issues. In 2020, Telfaz11 to produce original content for the streaming giant. The result has been movies that demonstrate an evolution on the storytelling level, tackling topics that were once off-limits and sensitive to the public like secret nightlife in “Mandoob” (“Night Courier”) and changing social norms in “Naga.” “I think we tell our stories in a very simple way, and that’s what reaches the world,” Elshehri says of the changing shift. “When you tell your story in a natural way without any affectation, it will reach every person.” But the films were not without their critics, drawing mixed reaction. Social media discoursed ranged from pleasure that Saudi film were tackling such topics to anger over how the films reflected conservative society. As Hana Al-Omair, a Saudi writer and director, points out, there are still many stories left untold. “We certainly have a long time ahead of us before we can tell the Saudi narrative as it should be,” she said, acknowledging that there are still barriers and rampant censorship. “The Goat Life,” a Malayalam-language movie about an Indian man forced to work without pay in Saudi Arabia, is not available on Netflix’s platform in the country. Movies that explore political topics or LGBTQ+ stories are essentially out of the question. Even “My Driver and I,” featured at the Red Sea festival alongside 11 other Saudi feature-length films, was initially too controversial. It centers on a Sudanese man in Jeddah, living away from his own daughter, who feels responsible for the girl he drives as her parents are absent. It was initially blocked from being made because of the relationship between the girl and the driver, filmmaker Ahd Kamel has said, even though it’s not a romantic relationship. Now in 2024, the film is a success story — a symbol of the Saudi film industry’s evolution as well as the growing role of women like Kamel behind the camera and Dakheelallah in front of it. “I see the change in Saudi cinema, a very beautiful change and it is moving at a wonderful speed. In my opinion, we do not need to rush,” Dakheelallah said. “We need to guide the truth of the artistic movement that is happening in Saudi Arabia.” Baraa Anwer, The Associated Press
Russia is negotiating with the new Syrian authorities on maintaining two of its military bases in the country, Tartus and Khmeimim. Moscow and the Syrian jihadists who seized power in the country last weekend are currently discussing “maintaining Russia’s presence in Syria and its previous status,” according to TASS sources familiar with the negotiations. “The Russian side has secured temporary security guarantees, so the military bases are operating as usual,” the agency's source has said. On December 9, a TASS source reported that the day before, armed formations of then-President Bashar Assad's opponents had established full control over the provinces of Latakia and Tartus, where Russian military bases are located. They did not invade the Russian bases in Tartus and Khmeimim. The situation in Syria has rapidly deteriorated over the past two weeks, with assorted militants led by the Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS) jihadist group launching an offensive against the country’s troops, taking over major cities and ending up in Damascus. However, jihadists did not enter the Russian bases in Tartus and Khmeimim. After the collapse of the Syrian military Assad fled the country, finding refuge in Russia. According to a statement by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, Russian diplomats have already discussed several issues with the HTS political committee, including “ensuring the security of our diplomatic mission and Russian citizens who are on the territory of Syria.” Russian military forces are present in Syria at Khmeimim Air Base and at a logistics support center in Tartus, located in the western part of the country along the Mediterranean coast. In 2017, Moscow and Damascus agreed to the stationing of Russian troops at these bases for 49 years.Advertisement 2 This advertisement has not loaded yet.
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Malique Ewin finished with team highs of 17 points and seven rebounds to lead the Florida State Seminoles to a 92-59 victory over the Massachusetts Minutemen in each team's final game of the Naismith Hall of Fame Tip-Off on Sunday afternoon in Uncasville, Conn. The Seminoles (6-1) won their third consecutive game and went 2-0 in the event as they pulled away in the second half, leading by as many as 36 points. It's Florida State's best start since the 2019-20 season when it went 7-1. UMass (1-5) dropped its fifth in a row following a season-opening win over New Hampshire despite a strong game on Sunday from Jaylen Curry, who scored 17 points. Curry, with six free throws, helped propel the Minutemen on a 10-0 run over a four-plus minute span in the first half to take a 24-23 lead with 4:22 left. FSU closed the half on a 13-3 run to lead 37-27 at halftime. A 15-4 surge to open the second half helped the Seminoles break the game open. Florida State's defense frustrated UMass shooters throughout the contest, especially on the perimeter, limiting the Minutemen to 3-for-24 shooting (12.5 percent) from 3-point range and 18-for-58 (31 percent) overall. The Seminoles finished with 22 points off 17 UMass turnovers. On the flipside, Florida State had one of its best shooting games of the season. The Seminoles moved the ball well throughout the game and finished with 25 assists while only turning the ball over 10 times. The Seminoles shot 33 for 58 (57 percent) from the field and made 9 of 18 three-pointers to put together a season-high scoring output. Once again, Florida State shined thanks to its depth as 10 players scored and four scored in double figures. The Seminoles were able to have 16 players participate in the game as well. Jamir Watkins finished with 14 points while Jerry Deng and Justin Thomas each had 10 points. For UMass, Daniel Rivera finished with 12 points and six rebounds while Nate Guerengomba had 10 points. Daniel Hankins-Sanford collected a game-high 13 rebounds. --Field Level Media
The right book can inspire the young readers in your life, from picture books to YA novelsNoneCHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns , Spencer Shrader kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Carolina Panthers 30-27 on Sunday to reach double-digit wins for the 10th straight season. Noah Gray caught two TD passes as the Chiefs (10-1) bounced back from last week’s 30-21 loss at Buffalo and won at the buzzer yet again in a season of narrow escapes. DeAndre Hopkins also had a touchdown catch for the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, who scored on their first five possessions. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
Retired Army Sergeant in North Texas earns GRI designation
NEW YORK and AMSTERDAM , Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Dow Jones Indices ("S&P DJI"), the world's leading index provider, today announced the results of the annual Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) rebalancing and reconstitution. The DJSI are float-adjusted market capitalization weighted indices that measure the performance of companies selected using environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. The DJSI, including the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World), were launched in 1999 as the pioneering series of global sustainability benchmarks available in the market. The index family is comprised of global, regional and country benchmarks.Indian-origin founder of ChatGPT rival has this advice for startup founders
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Trae Young might be the NBA's biggest enigma. Young's fans can point to numbers and say he's an elite player. His detractors can point to numbers and say he's overrated. Both arguments have validity. To some, his cocky ways are endearing. To others, they're infuriating. This can't be argued: He's helping Atlanta author one of the season's surprise stories. The Hawks are in the NBA Cup semifinals, set to play Milwaukee on Saturday before the other semifinal between Oklahoma City and Houston. The title game is Tuesday night. “When we talk about Trae, the word I like to use is evolution,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “And every player evolves. They just evolve in different ways. He's been an important part of our young guys' growth and being able to elevate them.” The Hawks haven't had a ton of big moments in Young's seven seasons. But he has shown a propensity for rising to the occasion: ousting New York in the 2021 playoffs, ousting the Knicks from the quarterfinals of this tournament to get to Las Vegas — and now comes another chance on national TV on Saturday, facing the Bucks with a chance to play for a trophy. “I feel like this team has been embracing the challenge each and every night from the beginning of the season,” Young said. “We haven’t looked too far ahead in any moment. We’re just taking it day by day. Even though early on in the season we may have had some struggles and some bumps in the road and some guys out, we stuck with the process and focus on each day." Here's part of the pro-Young argument: He's averaging 21 points and 12 assists something that only Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas have done over a full season, and he's on pace to lead the league in assist average for the first time. Here's part of the anti-Young argument: Among the 220 players with at least 50 3-point attempts this season he ranks 189th at 30.8%, and of the 248 players with at least 100 field goal attempts this season he ranks 231st at 38.4%. Choose your side. They're both valid. But it's clear that Young — who made no secret that he was upset over not being picked for the team that won gold for USA Basketball at the Paris Olympics this past summer — is growing and maturing. “He’s doing a better job on both ends of the floor,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “Defensively he’s figured out a way of keeping himself out of actions. I know that sounds easy. That’s hard to do, and he’s brilliant at it, he really is. ... He must be really studying the game on both ends of the floor, and you can see that in his play. And he’s earned the trust of his players. This team likes playing with him, that’s obvious. I couldn’t say that in the past, but now they love playing with him.” Hawks forward Jalen Johnson doesn't deny that point. “He’s so good, man,” Johnson said. "It’s crazy, like just seeing it in person and on TV prior to me playing with the Hawks and getting drafted by the Hawks, it was crazy just watching it. A guy that’s undersized, being able to score at will, being able to make any pass at will. And then next thing you know you’re his teammate and you’re on the receiving end of those passes. “Watching those clutch late game buckets, it’s a joy to watch. It’s a gift that he has that’s very special and not many people have had it at that elite of a level. It’s been great being his teammate. It’s been a blessing.” Saturday is an opportunity. The semifinals are the only games on the NBA calendar for that day; the title game Tuesday — which doesn't count in the standings — is the only game on the NBA slate that night as well. Young will have tons of eyeballs on him Saturday and would have tons more on him Tuesday if the Hawks find a way to win another big game against the Bucks. They're 3-1 against Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland and Boston already this season, 1-0 against Milwaukee. The potential is clear for the Hawks. The potential for Young has always been clear as well. Only now, it's starting to be realized. “The narrative about me not being able to do certain things or being too mad or frustrated about certain things is — I mean, just aren’t true,” Young said. "I think you’re just now being able to see like with the young team we have, just some of the different things we’ve been doing this year, I think just now you’re starting to kind of see it because the results are showing and we’re winning now. We’re here in this final four of the Cup, and it’s a big deal.” AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Linda Hall Library Opens Applications for 2025-2026 FellowshipsJigawa injected over N20bn on education in 2 years -Commissioner
Etanabene Benedict, a member of the Labour Party (LP) caucus in the House of Representatives, has revealed that many of his colleagues are considering defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC). This comes after four members of the LP in the lower legislative chamber joined the APC on Thursday, citing an internal crisis within the Party as the reason for their defection. Benedict, who represents the Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie federal constituency of Delta, stated that the legislators defected to the APC as a strategy ahead of the 2027 general election. “Nobody believes that if you are elected to office, there is a time limit, and when that time comes, if the people want you again, you’re reelected; if they don’t want you, you go,” he said. According to Benedict, the lawmakers were not confident of winning reelection in 2027 under the LP platform. READ ALSO: APC Gains Four New Members As Labour Party Lawmakers Defect “It is about 2027. The trend of Edo and Ondo is frightening to them, and they do not believe that they are strategically positioned to seek reelection under the umbrella of the Labour Party. That is the main reason. “There are still many others in the Labour Party that are thinking along that line too. So, if it happens tomorrow, I won’t be surprised,” he explained. Benedict also dismissed the lawmakers’ claims of an internal crisis in the LP, saying it was an excuse to justify their exit from the party. The Labour Party has expressed discontent over the defections, saying it would take legal action against the lawmakers.
Arizona State dominates in Texas, giving CFP-seeking Big 12 exactly what it needs
B.C. NDP government, Greens forge confidence agreement with 'shared priorities'