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RBC Global Asset Management Inc. announces estimated December 2024 cash distributions for RBC ETFs and ETF Series of RBC FundsLUQUE, Paraguay — Sake is perhaps more Japanese than the world-famous sushi. It's brewed in centuries-old mountaintop warehouses, savored in the country’s pub-like izakayas, poured during weddings and served slightly chilled for special toasts. The smooth rice wine that plays a crucial role in Japan's culinary traditions was enshrined on Wednesday by UNESCO on its list of the “intangible cultural heritage of humanity." At a meeting in Luque, Paraguay, members of UNESCO’s committee for safeguarding humanity's cultural heritage voted to recognize 45 cultural practices and products around the world, including Brazilian white cheese, Caribbean cassava bread and Palestinian olive oil soap. Unlike UNESCO’s World Heritage List, which includes sites considered important to humanity like the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, the Intangible Cultural Heritage designation names products and practices of different cultures that are deserving of recognition. Japan's Takehiro Kano, ambassador to UNESCO, reacts after the traditional Japanese brewing of sake was officially named to UNESCO's "intangible cultural heritage of humanity" list during a World Heritage Convention in Asuncion, Paraguay on Wednesday. A Japanese delegation welcomed the announcement in Luque. “Sake is considered a divine gift and is essential for social and cultural events in Japan,” Kano Takehiro, the Japanese ambassador to UNESCO, told The Associated Press. The basic ingredients of sake are few: rice, water, yeast and koji, a rice mold that breaks down the starches into fermentable sugars like malting does in beer production. The whole two-month process of steaming, stirring, fermenting and pressing can be grueling. The rice — which wields tremendous marketing power as part of Japan's broader cultural identity — is key to the alcoholic brew. For a product to be categorized Japanese sake, the rice must be Japanese. Japanese sake, a nominee for UNESCO's "intangible cultural heritage of humanity" list, are displayed on Japan's delegation table, during a UNESCO World Heritage Convention in Asuncion, Paraguay, on Wednesday. The UNESCO recognition, the delegation said, captured more than the craft knowledge of making high-quality sake. It also honored a tradition dating back some 1,000 years — sake makes a cameo in Japan’s famous 11th century novel, “The Tale of Genji,” as the drink of choice in the refined Heian court. Now, officials hope to restore sake's image as Japan's premier alcoholic drink even as the younger drinkers in the country switch to imported wine or domestic beer and whiskey. Japanese breweries also expressed hope the listing could give a lift to the country's export economy as the popularity of sake booms around the world and in the United States amid heightened interest in Japanese cuisine. “I hope that this will also be an opportunity for Japanese people to take another look at sake, shochu and awamori, which are the essence of their culture," Hitoshi Utsunomiya, director of the trade group Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association, said in Tokyo. "I would like them to try it even once and see what it tastes like,” he said. Sake exports, mostly to the U.S. and China, now rake in over $265 million a year, according to the association. Japan's Takehiro Kano, ambassador to UNESCO, reacts as the traditional Japanese brewing of sake was named to UNESCO's "intangible cultural heritage of humanity" list during a World Heritage Convention in Asuncion, Paraguay on Wednesday. Japan's delegation appeared ready to celebrate Wednesday — in classic Japanese style. After the announcement, Takehiro raised a cypress box full of sake to toast the alcoholic brew and cultural rite. “It means a lot to Japan and to the Japanese,” he said of the UNESCO designation. "This will help to renew interest in traditional sake elaboration.” In Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he was “delighted” by UNESCO's recognition of traditional sake-making techniques, and he congratulated those dedicated to preserving and promoting the tradition. How many people to invite is a question largely informed by the answers to tip #1: Are you having a big, formal affair or an intimate catch-up with close friends? Or something in between? Whatever the case, an RSVP is essential because not only do you need to plan the setup of the space, but you must also make sure there's enough wine for everyone to taste, including each of the wines featured. There's nothing worse than a tasting that runs dry! The math to determine how much wine you need considers the size of the tasting pours—a full glass of wine at a restaurant is usually around 5 ounces, which yields around five glasses of wine from a standard bottle. For tastings, you'll want to do less, depending on how many wines you are featuring—say, 2 ounces if you'll be trying a lot of different wines. Experts agree, having more wine than you need is always a good idea—that way you can send guests home with a bottle should there be a prize at the end of the night. The bottom line is, however you do it, hosting the ultimate wine tasting should be fun. Wine can feel intimidating to many people, but most wine experts are passionate, inspired folks who want to share what they know and help you find wines you like. So visit your local wine store or winemaker and ask questions. There are good guides specifically concerning how to taste wine. Dig a little, taste a lot, and have fun. It's all research for your next ultimate wine tasting. Story editing by Carren Jao. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick. This story originally appeared on Peerspace and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. The crisp autumn air ushers in more than just pumpkin spice latte season. Consider cozying up inside with friends for a wine tasting and sharing delicious food and drinks with more complex flavors than cinnamon and sugar. Perhaps once thought of as stuffy affairs only for wine connoisseurs, today a tasting can be as casual as pouring a few bottles while doing another activity—say, bar games like darts or art activities like painting. The tasting can also be more traditional, especially if held at a winery or local wine shop, which is a great way to learn about what wines you might like to later serve at home. To host the ultimate wine tasting, it pays to do some R&D. One of the best aspects of hosting a wine tasting at home is that you get to establish the mood, tone, and guest list for the gathering—you can't pick a playlist when you sample wines at a bar or wine shop or make the dress code loungewear. So whether the mood is serious or playful, sophisticated or laid-back, the key to a successful tasting is enjoying and appreciating the wine and having fun with friends and family. Of course, there are a few other things to figure out along the way. Peerspace put together a few tips for hosting your wine-tasting party. A tasting party is all about sampling different wines and evaluating and hopefully enjoying them—and there are a variety of ways to do that. Would you like to host a playful gathering where each guest brings a mystery bottle of wine within a certain price range—a BYOB affair? Or would it be better to have more control over which wines are featured by curating and supplying all the wines as a host? This decision sets the tone—a tasting where guests contribute wine can be a bit of a free-for-all, whereas one where you select wines you supply allows guests to sit back and simply enjoy. And you don't have to break the bank to buy excellent wines—there are lots of wine experts ready to share their affordable picks. How much folks know about wine differs—and that's a good thing. Tastings are group learning experiences. Expertise isn't necessary to host or attend a tasting, but it is helpful to think about what will keep guests comfortable and having fun. Decide whether the vibe will be relaxed and laid-back, like friends sipping wine fireside, or more upbeat and formal. Think about elements like the atmosphere and the location, and consider whether folks will be seated or standing. Will you have a spirited playlist (couldn't resist) or live music? Do you want an expert to introduce each wine, or will you be that expert? Consider how guests will share their thoughts on what they are tasting. Do you want to just talk about them or do something more organized, like take notes or give ratings? Then supply notebooks or notecards and pencils, with categories or questions established ahead of time—all of which can reflect your evening's tone as well. Picking a theme is essential to curating the selection of wines—it's the organizing principle behind your selections. Otherwise, your tasting might as well be just walking down the wine aisle at the grocery store and taking sips from random bottles. There's too much wine out there not to be strategic about this. Plus, a theme helps you to tell the story of each wine better—it's the plot line of the night, if you will. Common themes are types of wine, regions they are from, or even price points—really, one can get as creative as they wish. For inspiration, check out local wine shops and see what they do for tastings. Often, they will follow seasonality and group wines in novel ways for their own in-house tastings. Don't let food be an afterthought for the festivities—after all, food can enhance particular qualities of wine and vice versa. There are many rules around what foods to pair with which wines, but consider this simple advice from Alder Yarrow's Vinography : "Stick with eating good food and drinking good wine." Since the focus is on the wines, allow the drinks to determine what food makes sense, but don't overthink it. Food is a supporting character here—at the very least, guests will need something to soak up all the alcohol (unless you are spitting it out). Eating foods that contain a mixture of protein, fats, and carbs when drinking helps increase the rate of alcohol elimination . Whether it's a full meal or heavy hors d'oeuvres, thoughtful noshes are necessary. Get local news delivered to your inbox!What next for Bitcoin after bursting $100k barrier?
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Dow rises for fifth day as megacap stocks face pressureDonald Trump is returning to the world stage. So is his trollingAs they gear up for Saturday's crucial matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Denver Broncos' injury situation is overwhelmingly positive. After logging three full practices this week, starting cornerback Riley Moss is expected to return to the lineup after missing Denver's last three games with an MCL injury. Moss will give the Broncos' secondary a big boost, and it's just in time as it faces the Bengals' No. 1 ranked passing offense. Also expected to return is running back Jaleel McLaughlin, who suffered a quadriceps injury against the Indianapolis Colts two weeks ago. He provides Denver's offense with some needed speed, and is averaging a stellar 4.5 yards per carry this season. McLaughlin could be joined by a potentially returning Tyler Badie in the Broncos' backfield. After missing the previous 12 games on injured reserve with a scary back injury that he suffered against the New York Jets in Week 4, Badie's 21-day practice window was opened on Tuesday. He practiced in full from Tuesday-Thursday, but is listed as questionable. If Denver's brass feels as though Badie is up to speed and can absorb hits, he should be able to play. As you can see below, Badie is the only Broncos with an injury designation heading into Cincinnati. RB Tyler Badie Back Questionable RB Jaleel McLaughlin Quad CB Riley Moss Knee WR Troy Franklin Ankle If Denver can beat the Bengals in Week 17, it will clinch it's first playoff berth since 2015. The No. 7 seed Broncos could jump as high as the No. 5 seed by season's end, but need to finish with a better record than both the Los Angeles Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers since the two own tiebreakers over Denver. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — Donovan Newby had 18 points in UNC Wilmington's 78-69 victory over Marshall on Saturday. Newby shot 5 for 10 (0 for 3 from 3-point range) and 8 of 11 from the free-throw line for the Seahawks (7-2). Sean Moore scored 14 points while shooting 6 for 11, including 2 for 3 from beyond the arc and added 16 rebounds. Khamari McGriff shot 5 of 6 from the field and 3 for 3 from the line to finish with 13 points, while adding six rebounds. The Thundering Herd (5-4) were led in scoring by Mikal Dawson, who finished with 12 points and two steals. Marshall also got 10 points and nine rebounds from Nate Martin. Dezayne Mingo also had 10 points, eight rebounds and five assists. UNC Wilmington took the lead with 12:17 to go in the first half and did not give it up. The score was 44-34 at halftime, with Moore racking up 12 points. UNC Wilmington was outscored by Marshall in the second half by one point, with Newby scoring a team-high 12 points after halftime. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
By JOSH BOAK WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Tuesday he was “stupid” not to put his own name on pandemic relief checks in 2021, noting that Donald Trump had done so in 2020 and likely got credit for helping people out through this simple, effective act of branding. Biden did the second-guessing as he delivered a speech at the Brookings Institution defending his economic record and challenging Trump to preserve Democratic policy ideas when he returns to the White House next month. Related Articles National Politics | Trump names Andrew Ferguson as head of Federal Trade Commission to replace Lina Khan National Politics | Donald Trump is returning to the world stage. So is his trolling National Politics | Biden issues veto threat on bill expanding federal judiciary as partisan split emerges National Politics | Trump lawyers and aide hit with 10 additional felony charges in Wisconsin over 2020 fake electors National Politics | After withdrawing as attorney general nominee, Matt Gaetz lands a talk show on OANN television As Biden focused on his legacy with his term ending, he suggested Trump should keep the Democrats’ momentum going and ignore the policies of his allies. The president laid out favorable recent economic data but acknowledged his rare public regret that he had not been more self-promotional in advertising the financial support provided by his administration as the country emerged from the pandemic. “I signed the American Rescue Plan, the most significant economic recovery package in our history, and also learned something from Donald Trump,” Biden said at the Washington-based think tank. “He signed checks for people for 7,400 bucks ... and I didn’t. Stupid.” The decision by the former reality TV star and real estate developer to add his name to the checks sent by the U.S. Treasury to millions of Americans struggling during the coronavirus marked the first time a president’s name appeared on any IRS payments. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris , who replaced him as the Democratic nominee , largely failed to convince the American public of the strength of the economy. The addition of 16 million jobs, funding for infrastructure, new factories and investments in renewable energy were not enough to overcome public exhaustion over inflation, which spiked in 2022 and left many households coping with elevated grocery, gasoline and housing costs. More than 6 in 10 voters in November’s election described the economy as “poor” or “not so good,” according to AP VoteCast, an extensive survey of the electorate. Trump won nearly 7 in 10 of the voters who felt the economy was in bad shape, paving the way for a second term as president after his 2020 loss to Biden. Biden used his speech to argue that Trump was inheriting a strong economy that is the envy of the world. The inflation rate fell without a recession that many economists had viewed as inevitable, while the unemployment rate is a healthy 4.2% and applications to start new businesses are at record levels. Biden called the numbers under his watch “a new set of benchmarks to measure against the next four years.” “President-elect Trump is receiving the strongest economy in modern history,” said Biden, who warned that Trump’s planned tax cuts could lead to massive deficits or deep spending cuts. He also said that Trump’s promise of broad tariffs on foreign imports would be a mistake, part of a broader push Tuesday by the administration to warn against Trump’s threatened action. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also issued a word of caution about them at a summit of The Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council. “I think the imposition of broad based tariffs, at least of the type that have been discussed, almost all economists agree this would raise prices on American consumers,” she said. Biden was also critical of Trump allies who have pushed Project 2025 , a policy blueprint from the Heritage Foundation that calls for a complete overhaul of the federal government. Trump has disavowed participation in it, though parts were written by his allies and overlap with his stated views on economics, immigration, education policy and civil rights. “I pray to God the president-elect throws away Project 2025,” Biden said. “I think it would be an economic disaster.” Associated Press writer Fatima Hussein in Washington contributed to this report.Japan's famous sake joins UNESCO's cultural heritage list, a boost to brewers and enthusiasts
IT’S not Gavin & Stacey’s fault, but I’d started hating the Christmas special long before it came to screen. A resentment you can probably put down to personal failings and the fact that rolling news, the print media and even the BBC’s main bulletins seemed to be hyping the 90-minute episode’s expectations way beyond a point it could possibly deliver. Without anything else worth watching on Christmas Day, since the last Gavin & Stacey special in 2019, the longing was as understandable as it was damning, I suppose. But for the first half, at least, it seemed like all the pre-publicity had been a dreadful miscalculation. The storyline was going nowhere and everyone, bar James Corden and Ruth Jones , who’ve written themselves the two best parts, seemed to be performing instead of acting, to an annoying degree in the cases of Rob “Bryn” Brydon and Alison “Pam” Steadman . They clearly knew something we didn’t, though. READ MORE ON GAVIN AND STACEY Because, as soon as Smithy and Sonia’s abortive wedding scene kicked in, everything made perfect sense. It was an old-fashioned love story that had momentum, heart, soul, staggeringly good stars, Anna Maxwell Martin and Sheridan Smith , and also the good sense to flag up its own plot holes, on the final chase to Southampton Docks. As I’m sure the whole audience was screaming “Give her a ring,” long before Joanna Page’s Stacey said “I’ll try her on her mobile” and Jason replied “Why didn’t we just call her in the first place?” They would have looked daft, of course, if the show hadn’t delivered the ending the audience craved and deserved. Most read in News TV But it gave the people what they wanted, a Smithy and Nessa wedding , and spared them from the one thing that infected other significant parts of the BBC’s Christmas Day TV, preachiness. For there were no gear-crunching references to diversity, as we got in the King’s Speech and EastEnders , nor was there any bleating about the arms trade, as in Doctor Who . For 90 minutes on Christmas Day, TV was a glorious, happy, woke-free zone again. And if you think the BBC will learn from Gavin & Stacey’s triumph and cut the political lectures in 2025? Well, I’d settle back and watch the Christmas special again and again, if I were you.
CELH Investors Have Opportunity to Lead Celsius Holdings, Inc. Securities Fraud LawsuitA Nebraska man is getting title to his home back, years after losing it over a $588 tax debt, one of his lawyers said Thursday. Kevin Fair of Scottsbluff has been involved in a legal dispute since 2018, when he lost title to the home he had owned for nearly three decades for failing to pay $588 in overdue property taxes. Scotts Bluff County sold the lien to a private investor, as allowed by Nebraska law at the time. When Fair couldn’t repay the money along with interest and fees, the title went to the investor, though Fair was allowed to stay in the home while the legal dispute played out. The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled against Fair in 2022, but a year later, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the state court to reconsider. In August, the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled that Fair should retain title to the house. Fair’s appellate law firm, Pacific Legal Foundation, said Fair and the investor have amicably resolved their dispute, ending the legal battle. The case confirmed that home equity “is protected by the Constitution,” said Christina Martin, senior attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation. As for Fair, the ruling “is protecting him from, in all likelihood, homelessness,” she said. A message seeking comment was left Thursday with an attorney for Scotts Bluff County. Fair and his wife, Terry, had already paid off the mortgage for their home in Scottsbluff, a town of 14,300 people in far western Nebraska, by the early 2010s. But in 2013, Terry was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and Kevin quit his job to care for her. The couple fell behind on their property taxes, owing $588. The county placed a lien on the home and listed the delinquency in the newspaper. In 2015, the county sold the tax lien to the private investor, which paid the home’s taxes for three years. When the investor called for the Fairs to pay the accrued $5,268 in taxes, interest and fees, they couldn’t. Scotts Bluff County turned the title and equity over to the investor in 2018. Kevin Fair’s lawsuit contended that while the state should be allowed to collect its debt, it should not be allowed to seize the home or the equity in it above the debt amount — $54,000 in this case. The court victory is bittersweet for Kevin Fair. His wife died in 2019, and he suffered a stroke last month. Martin said he’ll need a ramp built at the home to accommodate him. A GoFundMe account had raised nearly $10,000 by Thursday afternoon. Nebraska changed its law in 2023 so that homeowners are no longer at risk of losing their equity over unpaid property taxes. Stock indexes drifted to a mixed finish on Wall Street Large fossil fuel companies would have to pay fees to A Nebraska man is getting title to his home back, Technology stocks led a broad rally on Wall Street Tuesday
After dropping attorney general nomination, Matt Gaetz says he won't return to CongressGoogle's biggest wins, fails, and WTF moments of 2024
LIKE the characters aboard the Bapor Tabo of Jose Rizal’s second novel, El Filibusterismo, Filipinos found themselves in a similar boat that bobbed up and down with the volatile economic developments throughout the year. The pessimist would call the economy’s performance this year as sailing through treacherous waters, while the optimist would often see the economy as resilient—a word some would argue is overused, abused to describe anything Filipino. In an interview, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan admitted there were many challenges in 2024 and the government even fell short of its goals. But the economy managed to post respectable growth compared to its peers. “We certainly have faced, encountered many challenges for this year,” the country’s Chief economist told BusinessMirror. “We fell short of what we expected in the national economy. But again, no other economy in our region has met the expectations of their respective economies. And we still are able to maintain our relative position.” Growth Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data showed the economy started the year by growing only 5.8 percent, mildly higher than the 5.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023 but short of matching the 6.4-percent growth in the first quarter of 2023. The second quarter saw the economy growing 6.4 percent, the highest since the 7.1-percent growth in the fourth quarter of 2022. Data said government consumption increased 11.9 percent and general government construction spending grew 21.7 percent in the second quarter. In the third quarter, the economy’s performance was slower-than-expected at 5.2 percent, blowing the wind out of the economy’s sails. Analysts attributed this to slower private consumption Balisacan said one major challenge this year were the successive typhoons that wreaked havoc on many provinces and caused billions of damage to agriculture and infrastructure. Typhoons Kristine and Leon had a combined damage of P6.75 billion in production losses; 208,458 damaged homes worth P3.38 billion; and P10.57 billion worth of infrastructure damage, per the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s (NDRRMC) last report on these typhoons. In June 2024, the NDRRMC reported that the El Niño cost the agricultural sector P9.89 billion, mostly in Livestock, Poultry and Fisheries worth P68.19 million. “The impact of the typhoons and both the El Nino in the first half of the year and the La Nina, has made a dent in the economy, particularly in agriculture and that contributed to the slowdown,” Balisacan told BusinessMirror. “But again,” he added, “the fact that the other sectors of the economy, particularly the consumption and the services sector, while slower than expected, managed to do well” is worth noting. Household consumption grew 5.1 percent in the third quarter, the highest in four quarters, and averaged 4.8 percent in the nine-month period this year. Government consumption slowed to 5 percent in the third quarter and averaged 6.5 percent in the first three quarters of 2024. PSA data showed the services sector grew 6.3 percent in the third quarter and averaged 6.7 percent in the first three quarters of the year. Prices Despite these, former Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Dante B. Canlas said inflation was the biggest concern this year—not just for the Philippines but all over the world. “Central banks all over the world made concerted efforts to fight inflation. The risk from disinflation is inducing a recession and high unemployment,” Canlas told BusinessMirror. However, Ateneo de Manila University economist Leonardo Lanzona Jr. told this newspaper the government’s efforts fell short of expectations, particularly in bringing down the cost of food. Lanzona said importation by the national government was ineffective. By November, inflation averaged 2.5 percent, fueled by a 5.9-percent increase in the prices of vegetables, tubers, cooking bananas and pulses. He noted that this could be blamed for the tepid consumption of households this year. Faced with high prices, consumers tend to scrimp on various food and non-food items they purchase daily. “High or unpredictable inflation disrupts the balance between consumption, investment, and trade, reducing the efficiency of the economy and hindering growth,” Lanzona told BusinessMirror. “Ensuring stable and moderate inflation is key to fostering a conducive environment for sustainable economic development. And as the GDP growth decreases, the debt to GDP increases, placing the country on the brink of a financial crisis,” he added. University of the Philippines Professor Emeritus Epictetus Patalinghug also told BusinessMirror the reduction in rice tariffs to 15 percent from 35 percent did not translate to lower retail prices of the country’s food staple. “Big rice importers benefited from lower cost of imported rice. The effect of the anti-agricultural smuggling law passed in 2024 remains to be proven in the future, whether it is effective,” Patalinghug said. Nonetheless, Canlas said, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) efforts to keep monetary policy tight have allowed the economy to dodge a recession and high unemployment. The PSA data showed a 369,000 year–on-year increase in employment to 48.157 million workers in October 2024 from 47.788 million in October 2023. There was also a 5.9-percent contraction in the number of jobless Filipinos: at 1.966 million in October 2024, this was 124,000 less than the 2.089 million in October 2023. However, the data also showed an 8.7-percent increase in the number of underemployed Filipinos. This covered those who were visibly underemployed and invisibly underemployed, which posted a year on year growth of 4.1 percent and 15.2 percent, respectively. “The Philippines dodged those problems as BSP tightened money. The BSP’s stabilization worked and set a good stage for output growth, job creation, and rising real wages,” Canlas, however, said. “As inflation further declines, expect consumption of households and investments of enterprises to resume and grow, with salutary impacts on next year’s growth,” he added. Infrastructure, taxes Apart from high commodity prices, Patalinghug said general government construction suffered because of the delays faced by many projects. PSA data showed general government construction spending slowed to 3.7 percent in the third quarter, the slowest in five quarters. General government construction averaged 14.9 percent in the nine-month period. Patalinghug said Cavite-Laguna Expressway, Central Luzon Link Expressway, MRT 7, North-South Commuter Railway, Metro Manila Subway, and the Grand Central Station in Trinoma were all delayed. He said “the only major economic development” in the Philippines this year was the privatization of NAIA, the completion of Panguil Bay Bridge, and, to a lesser degree, the extension of LRT-1 by five stations from Baclaran to Sucat. “The BBM infrastructure program is simply a continuation of the Duterte infrastructure program. In 2024, it has not addressed the major implementation problem: right-of-way acquisition problem; and during the pre-implementation stage, it does not have the capability to undertake project analysis and the period of implementation from pre-feasibility stage is dragged too long (e.g. the EDSA busway project),” Patalinghug explained. The economist also lamented the passage of the Create-More Law which would reduce the government’s revenues leading to more debt. The new law brought down corporate income tax to 20 percent from the current 25 percent. Patalinghug also noted that lower taxes was not included in the nine disincentives to investment in the Philippines as indicated in the US State Department Investment Climate Report. He said the list of disincentives were poor infrastructure, high power costs, slow broadband connection, regulatory inconsistencies, cumbersome bureaucracy, corruption, complex and slow justice system, traffic in major cities, and congestion in ports. “None of our attractive tax incentives allowed us to attract Apple, Samsung, or Intel to choose the Philippines over Vietnam because we need tax revenues to build infrastructure, to solve road traffic, to reduce port congestion, and so on,” he told BusinessMirror. Surviving The year saw many distractions, including from the political side of the spectrum. This, Patalinghug said, side-tracked the government in terms of addressing the country’s economic development. These included geopolitical developments, particularly in the West Philippine Sea, and domestic issues such as investigations on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations and what he called a “demolition job against the Vice President.” Ultimately, he said, these resulted in wasted government and legislative resources, preventing the economy to be more productive and dynamic. He noted that while the government was distracted by these developments and other challenges, the country remained export- dependent through Overseas Filipino remittances and the earnings of the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry. “In fairness to the BBM administration, it has passed a lot of laws in 2024 (e.g. real estate valuation and assessment law; value added tax in digital services, etc.). I hope they have a positive impact on the economy in the future,” Patalinghug said. “The economy in 2024 can best be described as “muddling through.” De La Salle University economist Maria Ella Oplas chooses to be positive, saying the economy was a survivor in 2024. Despite the odds, the country managed to post respectable economic growth, attract foreign direct investment and manage inflation. Oplas said while it was good to use the word “resilient” to describe the economy this year, this is still inaccurate given the need to be sustainable. She said the Philippines was not yet there. Elections as gamechanger Nonetheless, what is good was that the economy managed to weather its development challenges. The upcoming elections could be a gamechanger for next year as elections often lead to faster economic growth. “I would like to use the word, survivor to describe 2024. I would love to use resilient but that will require sustainability and I don’t think we are there yet,” Oplas said. “(We are) survivors because despite the El Nino, the typhoons and scandals we managed to still grow (economically) and even pushed for (the) Build Build More.” For his part, Lanzona said 2024 also showed that despite having good economic managers, they cannot prevent challenges from emerging and reaching Filipinos wherever they may be in the archipelago we call home. Given the political and economic challenges the country faced this year, he said his word was unraveling given how structural issues can have a significant impact not only on the general economic development of the country but also the life of every Filipino. “Even with good economic managers, there is no way of creating a firewall between a weak political structure and the economy. As the political structures continue to place unfit and corrupt individuals into positions of power, the economic activities continue to grow weaker,” Lanzona. Whether the economy muddled through—achieving a certain degree of success without much planning—or was resilient or was a survivor, the year 2024 certainly brought focus to the ebb and flow of life while aboard a boat sailing through a vast sea of change and uncertainty.
Boots' £21 hair growth product that shoppers are calling a 'miracle in a bottle'20 yrs of growth felled in a day, FIR against 2 ‘slayers’C5ISR Market worth $19,280.8 Million by 2029, at a CAGR of 12.5% 12-19-2024 10:34 PM CET | Associations & Organizations Press release from: ABNewswire C5ISR Market The C5ISR Market is projected to reach USD 19,280.8 million by 2029, from USD 10,720.1 million in 2024, at a CAGR of 12.5%. The report "C5ISR Market [ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/c5isr-market-233985336.html?utm_source=abnewswire.com&utm_medium=PaidPR&utm_campaign=C5ISRmarket ] by Solution (Hardware, Software, and Services), End User (Army, Navy, Airforce, and Government & Law Enforcement), Installation (New Installations, and Upgrades) and Region - Global Forecast to 2029" The C5ISR market is projected to reach USD 19,280.8 million by 2029, from USD 10,720.1 million in 2024, at a CAGR of 12.5%. The growth of the C5ISR market is driven by several factors, including evolving cybersecurity threats. Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=233985336 [ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=233985336&utm_source=abnewswire.com&utm_medium=PaidPR&utm_campaign=C5ISRmarket ] Browse 233 market data Tables and 77 Figures spread through 340 Pages and in-depth TOC on "C5ISR Market" View detailed Table of Content here - https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/c5isr-market-233985336.html [ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/c5isr-market-233985336.html?utm_source=abnewswire.com&utm_medium=PaidPR&utm_campaign=C5ISRmarket ] Image: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Images/c5isr-market.webp [ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/c5isr-market-233985336.html?utm_source=abnewswire.com&utm_medium=PaidPR&utm_campaign=C5ISRmarket ] In the defense sector, C5ISR technologies are transforming operational effectiveness by enhancing situational awareness, decision-making, and mission execution. Modern militaries are increasingly relying on integrated C5ISR systems for seamless communication, robust cybersecurity, and real-time intelligence across various domains. The growing complexity of global security challenges is driving defense organizations to invest in resilient, adaptable, and technologically advanced C5ISR systems. As nations strive to maintain a tactical edge in modern warfare, the demand for innovative C5ISR capabilities continues to grow, underpinned by significant government funding and a focus on next-generation defense strategies. Based on end user, the army segment is dominating the C5ISR market from 2024 to 2029 As the army has a wide operational scope and reliance on integrated systems for land-based missions, this segment is leading the C5ISR market based on end users. For mission-critical tasks like battlefield awareness, real-time command and control, secure communications, and intelligence collection, armies need sophisticated C5ISR capabilities. In complex and dynamic situations, these talents are essential for maintaining operational effectiveness. The army segment's supremacy is also fueled by rising investments in updating ground troops with technology like cyber defense, unmanned ground vehicles, and electronic warfare systems. The need for complete C5ISR solutions is still at the forefront of the market since land forces continue to play a key role in military operations across the globe. Based on installation, the new installation segment is estimated to dominate the market from 2024 to 2029 As defense forces throughout the world are adopting more sophisticated and upgraded systems, the new installation segment is anticipated to dominate the C5ISR market based on installation. Armed forces are making significant investments in cutting-edge C5ISR technology as they concentrate more on improving their ability to counter new threats like cyberattacks and multi-domain warfare. Advanced technologies that cannot always be effortlessly retrofitted into older systems, such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data analytics, and autonomous systems, require new installations. Additionally, this sector has grown to be the largest in the market due to modernization initiatives in emerging economies and the requirement for new infrastructure to support cutting-edge technology. North America is expected to capture the largest share during the forecast period in 2024. Because of the North American region's strong defense spending, especially from the US, which makes up the greatest portion of global military spending, North America has the largest market share in the C5ISR industry. To keep up its technological advantage in multi-domain operations, such as land, air, sea, space, and cyber warfare globally, the US Department of Defense (DoD) is making significant investments in cutting-edge C5ISR technologies. Major C5ISR companies that foster innovation and provide state-of-the-art solutions, such Lockheed Martin Corporation (US), Northrop Grumman Corporation (US), General Dynamics Corporation (US), and RTX Corporation (US), are also based in the region. The emphasis on updating military hardware, the expanding use of artificial intelligence and cyber defenses, and the growing demand for integrated solutions to further combat new threats The major players in the region include General Dynamics Corporation (US), Leidos (US), Lockheed Martin Corporation (US), CACI International Inc. (US), Airbus (France), Northrop Grumman (US), Lockheed Martin Corporation (US), and L3harris Technologies Inc. Media Contact Company Name: MarketsandMarkets Trademark Research Private Ltd. Contact Person: Mr. Rohan Salgarkar Email:Send Email [ https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=c5isr-market-worth-192808-million-by-2029-at-a-cagr-of-125 ] Phone: 18886006441 Address:1615 South Congress Ave. Suite 103, Delray Beach, FL 33445 City: Delray Beach State: Florida Country: United States Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/c5isr-market-233985336.html This release was published on openPR.By JOSH BOAK WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Tuesday he was “stupid” not to put his own name on pandemic relief checks in 2021, noting that Donald Trump had done so in 2020 and likely got credit for helping people out through this simple, effective act of branding. Biden did the second-guessing as he delivered a speech at the Brookings Institution defending his economic record and challenging Trump to preserve Democratic policy ideas when he returns to the White House next month. Related Articles National Politics | Trump names Andrew Ferguson as head of Federal Trade Commission to replace Lina Khan National Politics | Donald Trump is returning to the world stage. So is his trolling National Politics | Biden issues veto threat on bill expanding federal judiciary as partisan split emerges National Politics | Trump lawyers and aide hit with 10 additional felony charges in Wisconsin over 2020 fake electors National Politics | After withdrawing as attorney general nominee, Matt Gaetz lands a talk show on OANN television As Biden focused on his legacy with his term ending, he suggested Trump should keep the Democrats’ momentum going and ignore the policies of his allies. The president laid out favorable recent economic data but acknowledged his rare public regret that he had not been more self-promotional in advertising the financial support provided by his administration as the country emerged from the pandemic. “I signed the American Rescue Plan, the most significant economic recovery package in our history, and also learned something from Donald Trump,” Biden said at the Washington-based think tank. “He signed checks for people for 7,400 bucks ... and I didn’t. Stupid.” The decision by the former reality TV star and real estate developer to add his name to the checks sent by the U.S. Treasury to millions of Americans struggling during the coronavirus marked the first time a president’s name appeared on any IRS payments. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris , who replaced him as the Democratic nominee , largely failed to convince the American public of the strength of the economy. The addition of 16 million jobs, funding for infrastructure, new factories and investments in renewable energy were not enough to overcome public exhaustion over inflation, which spiked in 2022 and left many households coping with elevated grocery, gasoline and housing costs. More than 6 in 10 voters in November’s election described the economy as “poor” or “not so good,” according to AP VoteCast, an extensive survey of the electorate. Trump won nearly 7 in 10 of the voters who felt the economy was in bad shape, paving the way for a second term as president after his 2020 loss to Biden. Biden used his speech to argue that Trump was inheriting a strong economy that is the envy of the world. The inflation rate fell without a recession that many economists had viewed as inevitable, while the unemployment rate is a healthy 4.2% and applications to start new businesses are at record levels. Biden called the numbers under his watch “a new set of benchmarks to measure against the next four years.” “President-elect Trump is receiving the strongest economy in modern history,” said Biden, who warned that Trump’s planned tax cuts could lead to massive deficits or deep spending cuts. He also said that Trump’s promise of broad tariffs on foreign imports would be a mistake, part of a broader push Tuesday by the administration to warn against Trump’s threatened action. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also issued a word of caution about them at a summit of The Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council. “I think the imposition of broad based tariffs, at least of the type that have been discussed, almost all economists agree this would raise prices on American consumers,” she said. Biden was also critical of Trump allies who have pushed Project 2025 , a policy blueprint from the Heritage Foundation that calls for a complete overhaul of the federal government. Trump has disavowed participation in it, though parts were written by his allies and overlap with his stated views on economics, immigration, education policy and civil rights. “I pray to God the president-elect throws away Project 2025,” Biden said. “I think it would be an economic disaster.” Associated Press writer Fatima Hussein in Washington contributed to this report.
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Boeing is resuming production of its bestselling plane, the 737 Max, for the first time since 33,000 workers began a seven-week strike that ended in early November. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * Boeing is resuming production of its bestselling plane, the 737 Max, for the first time since 33,000 workers began a seven-week strike that ended in early November. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? Boeing is resuming production of its bestselling plane, the 737 Max, for the first time since 33,000 workers began a seven-week strike that ended in early November. The company said Tuesday that plane-building resumed at its plant in Renton, Washington, after going through a process of training workers and identifying and fixing potential problems. Boeing shares rose 4.5%, their best single-day percentage gain in nearly four months. Production and deliveries of Max jets and another airline plane, the 787 Dreamliner, have been stopped several times in recent years to fix manufacturing flaws. “Our team has worked methodically to restart factory operations in the Pacific Northwest. We have now resumed 737 production in our Renton factory, with our Everett (Washington) programs on plan to follow in the days ahead,” the company said in a statement. Boeing builds its 777 and 767 jets in Everett, north of Seattle. Separately, the company said it took orders for 49 planes in November but lost an order by U.K. carrier TUI for 14 Max jets. It delivered 13 planes, down from 56 a year earlier. Ever since a panel called a door plug blew off a Max operated by Alaska Airlines in January, the Federal Aviation Administration has capped Boeing’s production of Max jets to 38 per month. Boeing hopes to convince regulators that it has corrected quality and safety issues and can raise that number to 56 planes per month. Boeing has been losing money since 2019, after two Max jets crashed, killing 346 people. It needs the cash it earns from delivering new planes to begin digging out of a deep financial hole. New CEO Kelly Ortberg has announced plans to lay off about 17,000 workers and sell new stock to raise cash and prevent the company’s credit rating from sliding into junk status. AdvertisementHOOSER: The Christmas present we deserve