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Stock indexes drifted to a mixed finish on Wall Street as some heavyweight technology and communications sector stocks offset gains elsewhere in the market. The S&P 500 slipped less than 0.1 percent Thursday, its first loss after three straight gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.1 percent, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.1 percent. Gains by retailers and health care stocks helped temper the losses. Trading volume was lighter than usual as U.S. markets reopened following the Christmas holiday. The Labor Department reported that U.S. applications for unemployment benefits held steady last week, though continuing claims rose to the highest level in three years. Treasury yields fell in the bond market. On Thursday: The S&P 500 fell 2.45 points, or 0.04 percent, to 6,037.59. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 28.77 points, or 0.1 percent, to 43,325.80. The Nasdaq composite fell 10.77 points, or 1 percent, to 19,764.89. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 20.34 points, or 0.9 percent, to 2,280.19. For the week: The S&P 500 is up 106.74 points, or 1.80 percent. The Dow is up 485.54 points, or 1.1 percent. The Nasdaq is up 447.76 points, or 2.3 percent. The Russell 2000 is up 37.82 points, or 1.7 percent. For the year: The S&P 500 is up 1,267.76 points, or 26.6 percent. The Dow is up 5,636.26, or 15 percent. The Nasdaq is up 5,009.01 points, or 33.4 percent. The Russell 2000 is up 253.12 points, or 12.5 percent. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors. They are meant for general informational purposes only and should not be construed or interpreted as a recommendation or solicitation. The Epoch Times does not provide investment, tax, legal, financial planning, estate planning, or any other personal finance advice. The Epoch Times holds no liability for the accuracy or timeliness of the information provided.Hyundai Motor and Kia's Robotics LAB Announce Plans to Launch 'X-ble Shoulder' at Wearable Robot Tech Day
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MANCHESTER UNITED'S flops were booed off following the 2-0 defeat at Wolves. And the result leaves the Red Devils just eight points above the relegation zone. After a drab goalless first half at Molineux, Bruno Fernandes' moment of madness when already on a yellow card changed the game. His careless lunge on Nelson Semedo 90 seconds into the second period, Tony Harrington sent him for a third early bath of the season . And that gave Wolves the boost they needed to go on and snatch all three points. Matheus Cunha scored directly from a corner before Hwang Hee-chan grabbed a second in the 99th minute . There was only just time for the restart as Harrington blew the full-time whistle as Ruben Amorim's men fell to a third defeat in a week - following the Carabao Cup exit at Spurs then the 3-0 humiliation at home to Bournemouth. And the end of the latest result saw patience run out for plenty of the travelling supporters who made the Boxing Day trip to the West Midlands. A chorus of jeers, whistles and boos sounded from the away end as United slumped to 14th in the Premier League table. They tally of 22 points from 18 games features six wins, four draws and eight defeats with a goal difference of -3. FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS That leaves them 17 points off leaders Liverpool but more worryingly just eight ahead of 18th-placed Leicester before kick-off between the two teams at Anfield in the late game on Boxing Day. And the complaints were not limited to inside the stadium. On social media, fans were quick to voice their growing concerns about the state of their team yet again. One said: "Another disappointing and frustrating game to watch. Team is clearly a bang average one and bereft of any ideas and creativity. Amorim has a huge job on his hands." Another wrote: "You owe Erik ten Hag an apology. This is genuinely embarrassing." A third added: "Woeful performance." A fourth replied: "Worst I’ve seen my club in 30 years." And a final user asked: "How long before Amorim is booted?" Things don't get much easier for the Red Devils with Newcastle, Liverpool and Arsenal in their next three fixtures. By Ken Lawrence WOLVES landed a shock Boxing Day knockout as Manchester United's struggles continued. The 2-0 defeat means Ruben Amorim has won just two of the seven Premier League games he has taken charge of. United find themselves 14th in the table and today were not helped by Bruno Fernandes' red card and Andre Onana letting one in direct from a corner. Here is how SunSport rated the performances... ANDRE ONANA: 4 He needed to make an agile save from Jorgen Strand Larsen in the first half, but badly misjudged the flight of Cunha’s corner for the opening goal - his claim that he was obstructed by Matt Doherty was rejected. LENY YORO: 5 Recalled but booked after only four minutes for a foul on Cunha, so he was walking on eggshells and was tested by Wolves throughout. Subbed just after the hour mark. HARRY MAGUIRE: 6 The England defender did his best to keep United in the game when they were under pressure for long periods - at least he helped to stem the tide until the dying seconds and had a header on target in stoppage time. LISANDRO MARTINEZ: 6 Teamed up well with Maguire to stop Wolves from winning this more easily, he stood his ground and produced some important challenges in the latter stages before Wolves caught him on the break with the last action of the game. NOUSSAIR MAZRAOUI: 5 Tenacious and determined, but was one of several players given a torrid time by the best player on the pitch - Cunha. MANUEL UGARTE: 5 Dispossesed too easily at times, struggled against a lively Wolves attack and was eventually taken off as one of Amorim’s subs following Fernandes’ red card. KOBBIE MAINOO: 5 Looked a threat early on, created some good openings, but he was booked after the break as United looked short on ideas. Faded and was subbed. DIOGO DALOT: 6 Brought a tremendous save from Jose Sa in the first half in what was a rare bright spot for United - but he had no major influence on a poor team display. AMAD DIALLO: 5 Lacked awareness of his team-mates sometimes and looked a shadow of the player who turned the Manchester derby around less than two weeks ago. BRUNO FERNANDES: 3 Sent off early in the second half for a second yellow after a challenge on Nelson Semedo, but the captain had cut a frustrated figure before that. RASMUS HOJLUND: 5 Became visibly annoyed at times at a lack of service from his team-mates, he had no joy up front and was subbed with 10 minutes left. SUBS Casemiro (for Mainoo, 63 mins): 6 Christian Eriksen (for Ugate, 63 mins): 6 Antony (for Yoro, 63 mins): 6 Alejandro Garnacho (for Amad, 79 mins): 5 Joshua Zirkzee (for Hojlund, 79 mins): 5 Amorim, though, was desperate to try and keep spirits up despite the nightmare triple header off the back of three painful defeats. He said: "Of course, when you lose, when we don't win, it's a step back. It was really hard with the sending off. "The goal was similar against Tottenham. Then, we tried. "Even with one less guy we tried to and I think we were near something but then Wolves scored the second one. "Then, in the end, we tried everything and the transition was 2-0. For us, let's continue."
LAFIA – Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule, on Thursday awarded scholarship to 92 students of Phoenix University, Agwada in Kokona local government area of the state as the institution set to matriculate 260 first pioneer students Prof. Abdullahi Bala, the Vice Chancellor of the university, disclosed this at a press briefing held in the institution’s Senate building in Kokona LGA of the state Speaking on the activities line up for matriculation, the Vice chancellor explained that the university was allocated an admission portal of 500 for the 2024/2025 academic cycle, nothing that out of a total of three hundred and forty two candidates that applied for admission, about two hundred and sixty met all the requisites criteria for admission.and they were admitted accordingly. He, further explained that 38 students were admitted into the faculty of computing, 32 into the faculty of applied science and agriculture and 52 students are admitted into the faculty of social science and management science, saying that academic activities have since commenced. The VC, appreciate the governor’s kind gesture for awarding scholarship to 92 indigenous students across the 13 local government areas of the state, revealing that the governor has equally awarded the contract for the reconstruction and of 24-KM portion of the Kokona junction-Agwada road to easy free flow of movement of students and the hosting community. He then applauded his deep gratitude to the university’s Founder, visitor and chairman of the Board of Trustees, former senator representing Nasarawa West at the national assembly, Abdullahi Adamu for his leadership, unflinching support and relentless towards development of humanity.
Fox News Flash top sports headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. The Jimmy Butler trade rumors have gotten to the point where Miami Heat president Pat Riley needed to step in to say what the organization will be doing. From his words, Butler isn’t going anywhere. "We usually don’t comment on rumors, but all this speculation has become a distraction to the team and is not fair to the players and coaches," Riley said in a Heat statement . "Therefore, we will make it clear – we are not trading Jimmy Butler." CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM Miami Heat president Pat Riley gestures as he speaks during his postseason news conference, Monday, June 6, 2022, in Miami. As is always the case, Riley is going into the offseason saying that if there's a deal to be made and get Miami closer to a championship, he'll make it. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) What sparked the rumors was an ESPN report that stated the veteran wanted to leave Miami amid his sixth season with the organization. The report added that the Heat were willing to listen to trade offers ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline. Then, the Miami Herald reported that Butler had the desire to leave, because the team wasn’t publicly shooting down the rumors. 2024-25 NBA CHAMPIONSHIP ODDS: CELTICS, THUNDER FAVORED Well, all that changed with Riley’s statement on the matter, as the Heat want their star guard/forward to stay put. Butler is currently averaging 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists over 20 games so far this season. Looking ahead to next season, Butler isn’t expected to activate his $52.4 million player option. The Miami Herald also reported the Heat being unwilling to extend him through the 2026-27 season, so there’s a good chance that Butler, who would be 36 years old next season, would be looking for a new squad next season. Miami Heat forward Kevin Love (42) talks to forward Jimmy Butler (22) in the second half against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. (Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images) Before becoming a force on the Heat, Butler spent his first six NBA seasons with the Chicago Bulls , starting in the 2011-12 campaign after being drafted 30th overall out of Marquette. He was a three-time All-Star in the Windy City, while winning Most Improved Player for his performance in the 2014-15 season. Butler would end up going to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2017, but it didn’t last long as he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers midway through the 2018-19 season. Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) walks off the court after the game against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. (Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images) CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The versatile two-way star has been a cornerstone of the Heat locker room since joining the squad in 2019, getting two All-Star nods over the past six seasons. Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X , and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter . Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.One of my top shows of 2024 actually premiered in 2021. That’s because it took a couple of years for the Australian series “The Newsreader” to make its way Stateside. Alas, it was only legal to stream in the U.S. for a handful of weeks in September and then — pffft! — it was gone before most people had even heard of it. Well, I have great news. The show is available once again, this time via Sundance Now (accessible through the AMC+ streaming platform), which has licensed the first season. It stars Anna Torv (“Fringe”) and Sam Reid (“Interview with the Vampire”) as TV reporters in Melbourne, circa 1986. At the outset, Reid’s character exudes big loser energy, which is such an amusing contrast to his work as Lestat. The show is unexpectedly funny and terrifically Machiavellian in its portrayal of small-time office politics, and I’m thrilled audiences in the U.S. will get another shot at watching it. Overall, 2024 offered a modestly better lineup than usual, but I’m not sure it felt that way. Too often the good stuff got drowned out by Hollywood’s pointless and endless pursuit of rebooting intellectual property (no thank you, Apple’s “Presumed Innocent”) and tendency to stretch a perfectly fine two-hour movie premise into a saggy multipart series (“Presumed Innocent” again!). There were plenty of shows I liked that didn’t make this year’s list, including ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” and CBS’ ”Ghosts” (it’s heartening to see the network sitcom format still thriving in the streaming era), as well as Netflix’s “A Man on the Inside” (Ted Danson’s charisma selling an unlikely premise) and Hulu’s “Interior Chinatown” (a high-concept parody of racial stereotypes and cop show tropes, even if it couldn’t sustain the idea over 10 episodes). Maybe it just felt like we were having more fun this year, with Netflix’s “The Perfect Couple” (Nicole Kidman leading a traditional manor house mystery reinterpreted with an American sensibility) and Hulu’s “Rivals” (the horniest show of 2024, delivered with a wink in the English countryside). I liked what I saw of Showtime’s espionage thriller “The Agency” (although the bulk of episodes were unavailable as of this writing). The deluge of remakes tends to make me cringe, but this year also saw a redo of Patricia Highsmith’s “The Talented Mr. Ripley” on Netflix that was far classier than most of what’s available on the streamer. Starring Andrew Scott, I found it cool to the touch, but the imagery stayed with me. Shot in black and white, it has an indelible visual language courtesy of director of photography Robert Elswit, whether capturing a crisp white business card against the worn grain wood of a bar top, or winding stairways that alternately suggest a yawning void or a trap. As always, if you missed any of these shows when they originally premiered — the aforementioned titles or the Top 10 listed below — they are all available to stream. Top 10 streaming and TV shows of 2024, in alphabetical order: “Couples Therapy” (Showtime) The least cynical reality show on television remains as absorbing as ever in Season 4, thanks to the probing questions and insights from the show’s resident therapist, Dr. Orna Guralnik. Everything is so charged. And yet the show has a soothing effect, predicated on the idea that human behavior (and misery) isn’t mysterious or unchangeable. There’s something so optimistic in that outlook. Whether or not you relate to the people featured on “Couples Therapy” — or even like them as individuals — doesn’t matter as much as Guralnik’s reassuring presence. “Diarra From Detroit” (BET+) Created by and starring Diarra Kilpatrick, the eight-episode series defies categorization in all the right ways. Part missing-person mystery, part comedy about a school teacher coming to grips with her impending divorce, and part drama about long-buried secrets, it has tremendous style right from the start — sardonic, knowing and self-deprecating. The answers to the central mystery may not pack a satisfying punch by the end, but the road there is as entertaining and absorbing as they come. We need more shows like this. “English Teacher” (FX) A comedy created by and starring Brian Jordan Alvarez (of the antic YouTube series “The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo”), the show has a sensibility all its own, despite a handful of misinformed people on social media calling it a ripoff of “Abbott Elementary.” There’s room enough in the TV landscape for more than one sitcom with a school setting and “English Teacher” has a wonderfully gimlet-eyed point of view of modern high school life. I’m amused that so much of its musical score is Gen-X coded, because that neither applies to Alvarez (a millennial) nor the fictional students he teaches. So why does the show feature everything from Laura Branigan’s “Gloria” to Exposé’s “Point of No Return”? The ’80s were awash in teen stories and maybe the show is using music from that era to invoke all those tropes in order to better subvert them. It’s a compelling idea! It’s streaming on Hulu and worth checking out if you haven’t already. “Fifteen-Love” (Sundance Now) A one-time tennis phenom accuses her former coach of coercing her into a sexual relationship in this British thriller. The intimacy between a coach and athlete often goes unexplored, in real-life or fictional contexts and that’s what the show interrogates: When does it go over the line? It’s smart, endlessly watchable and the kind of series that would likely find a larger audience were it available on a more popular streamer. “Hacks” (Max) There’s real tenderness in this show. Real cruelty, too. It’s a potent combination and the show’s third and strongest season won it an Emmy for best comedy. Jean Smart’s aging comic still looking for industry validation and Hannah Einbinder’s needy Gen-Z writer are trapped in an endless cycle of building trust that inevitably gives way to betrayal. Hollywood in a nutshell! “Hacks” is doing variations on this theme every season, but doing it in interesting ways. Nobody self-sabotages their way to success like these two. “Interview with the Vampire” (AMC) I was skeptical about the show when it premiered in 2022. Vampire stories don’t interest me. And the 1994 movie adaptation starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt wasn’t a persuasive argument to the contrary. But great television is great television and nothing at the moment is better than this show. It was ignored by Emmy voters in its initial outing but let’s hope Season 2 gets the recognition it deserves. Under showrunner Rolin Jones, the adaptation of Anne Rice’s novels is richly written, thrillingly inhabited by its cast and so effortlessly funny with a framing device — the interview of the title — that is thick with intrigue and sly comedy. I wouldn’t categorize the series as horror. It’s not scary. But it is tonally self-assured and richly made, rarely focused on the hunt for dinner but on something far more interesting: The melodrama of vampire existence, with its combination of boredom and lust and tragedy and zingers. Already renewed for Season 3, it has an incredible cast (a thrilling late-career boost for Eric Bogosian) and is well worth catching up with if you haven’t already. “Nobody Wants This” (Netflix) It’s been too long since the pleasures of banter fueled a romantic comedy in the spirit of “When Harry Met Sally.” But it’s all over the place in “Nobody Wants This,” one of the best shows on Netflix in recent memory. Renewed for a second season, it stars Kristen Bell as a humorously caustic podcaster and Adam Brody as the cute and emotionally intelligent rabbi she falls for. On the downside, the show has some terrible notions about Jewish women that play into controlling and emasculating stereotypes. You hate to see it in such an otherwise sparkling comedy, because overall Bell and Brody have an easy touch that gives the comedy real buoyancy. “Nolly” (PBS Masterpiece) I suspect few people saw this three-part series on PBS Masterpiece, but it features a terrific performance by Helena Bonham Carter playing the real-life, longtime British soap star Noele “Nolly” Gordon, who was unceremoniously sacked in 1981. She’s the kind of larger-than-life showbiz figure who is a bit ridiculous, a bit imperious, but also so much fun. The final stretch of her career is brought to life by Carter and this homage — to both the soap she starred in and the way she carried it on her back — is from Russell T. Davies (best known for the “Doctor Who” revival). For U.S. viewers unfamiliar with the show or Gordon, Carter’s performance has the benefit of not competing with a memory as it reanimates a slice of British pop culture history from the analog era. “Shōgun” (FX) The year is 1600 and a stubborn British seaman piloting a Dutch ship washes ashore in Japan. That’s our entry point to this gorgeously shot story of power games and political maneuvering among feudal enemies. Adapted from James Clavell’s 1975 novel by the married team of Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, it is filled with Emmy-winning performances (for Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada; the series itself also won best drama) and unlike something like HBO’s far clunkier “House of the Dragon,” which tackles similar themes, this feels like the rare show created by, and for, adults. “Slow Horses” (Apple TV+) The misfits and losers of Britain’s MI5 counterintelligence agency — collectively known as the slow horses, a sneering nickname that speaks to their perceived uselessness — remain as restless as ever in this adaptation of Mick Herron’s Slough House spy novels. As a series, “Slow Horses” doesn’t offer tightly plotted clockwork spy stories; think too deeply about any of the details and the whole thing threatens to fall apart. But on a scene-by-scene basis, the writing is a winning combination of wry and tension-filled, and the cumulative effect is wonderfully entertaining. Spies have to deal with petty office politics like everyone else! It’s also one of the few shows that has avoided the dreaded one- or two-year delay between seasons, which has become standard on streaming. Instead, it provides the kind of reliability — of its characters but also its storytelling intent — that has become increasingly rare.
Marler to retire from rugby on Friday, a month after quitting international duty with England
Cooper Rush's best plays from 2-TD game vs. Commanders Week 12"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" Thanks for your interest in Kalkine Media's content! To continue reading, please log in to your account or create your free account with us.
CRIME SCENE: Scarborough man accused of threateningABUJA – The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) and the National Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) have called on the Nigerian government and lawmakers to strengthen the National Tobacco Control Act, 2015, to protect public health and prevent the exploitation of vulnerable populations. According to CAPPA, recent efforts to review the Act are a step in the right direction, but any amendments must prioritize the protection of public health and strengthen regulatory oversight. The group emphasized that the review must also close loopholes that allow the tobacco industry to exploit Nigerians. A public hearing was held last week at the House of Representatives to discuss two proposed Bills aimed at amending the National Tobacco Control Act, 2015. While these Bills present an opportunity to strengthen tobacco control in Nigeria, CAPPA noted that they also reveal gaps that must be addressed to ensure that the proposed amendments align with the ultimate goal of safeguarding public well-being. Akinbode Oluwafemi, the Executive Director of CAPPA, said the organization’s call to action is not isolated, as the group has consistently advocated for the full implementation of the National Tobacco Control Act and its regulations, enhanced transparency in government dealings with the tobacco industry, and the denormalization of the tobacco industry’s so-called socially responsible activities. Oluwafemi also said the need to reinforce Nigeria’s tobacco control framework cannot be overstated, urging the Nigerian government and lawmakers to take decisive action to strengthen the tobacco control law and protect the health and well-being of Nigerians. He said current gaps in the existing regulation not only leave vulnerable populations exposed to the harms of tobacco but also provide fertile ground for the industry to exploit emerging products such as e-cigarettes, snus, smokeless tobacco and vapes ,among others ,which are now advertised to young Nigerians as the new cool. Also speaking, the Senior Programme Manager, Policy Research of CAPPA, Zikora Ibeh while briefing newsmen in Abuja said they strongly recommended that this bill be withdrawn. She explained that a public hearing was held last week at the House of Representatives to discuss two proposed Bills aimed at amending the National Tobacco Control Act (NTCA) 2015, titled House Bill (HB) 47 and HB 1151. She said while these Bills represent an opportunity to strengthen tobacco control in Nigeria, they also reveal gaps that must be addressed to ensure that their proposed amendments align with what ought to be the ultimate goal, which is safeguarding the well-being of all Nigerians over the profit-driven interests of the tobacco industry. She said the HB 1151, which seeks to impose stiffer penalties for violations of smoking regulations, suffers from a fundamental flaw in misrepresenting the title of the Principal Act and the referenced Sections for amendments. “Regarding HB 47, which aims to cure certain defects in the NTCA 2015, ensure its effective implementation, as well as address the lacuna that may exploited by the tobacco industry in Nigeria, we have commended its intent but highlighted some gaps and areas that require strengthening. She recommended that there is need to Strengthen the Law and Regulation to Cover New and Emerging Tobacco Products: Emerging products such as vapes, e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, heat-not-burn devices, and smokeless tobacco remain largely unregulated under the NTCA 2015. According to her, these products, which have rapidly gained traction, are aggressively marketed to youth and often falsely advertised as “safer alternatives.”
By JOSH BOAK WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump loved to use tariffs on foreign goods during his first presidency. But their impact was barely noticeable in the overall economy, even if their aftershocks were clear in specific industries. The data show they never fully delivered on his promised factory jobs. Nor did they provoke the avalanche of inflation that critics feared. This time, though, his tariff threats might be different . The president-elect is talking about going much bigger — on a potential scale that creates more uncertainty about whether he’ll do what he says and what the consequences could be. “There’s going to be a lot more tariffs, I mean, he’s pretty clear,” said Michael Stumo, the CEO of Coalition for a Prosperous America, a group that has supported import taxes to help domestic manufacturing. The president-elect posted on social media Monday that on his first day in office he would impose 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada until those countries satisfactorily stop illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl into the United States. Those tariffs could essentially blow up the North American trade pact that Trump’s team negotiated during his initial term. Chinese imports would face additional tariffs of 10% until Beijing cracks down on the production of materials used in making fentanyl, Trump posted. Business groups were quick to warn about rapidly escalating inflation , while Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she would counter the move with tariffs on U.S. products. House Democrats put together legislation to strip a president’s ability to unilaterally apply tariffs this drastic, warning that they would likely lead to higher prices for autos, shoes, housing and groceries. Sheinbaum said Wednesday that her administration is already working up a list of possible retaliatory tariffs “if the situation comes to that.” “The economy department is preparing it,” Sheinbaum said. “If there are tariffs, Mexico would increase tariffs, it is a technical task about what would also benefit Mexico,” she said, suggesting her country would impose targeted import duties on U.S. goods in sensitive areas. Related Articles House Democrats on Tuesday introduced a bill that would require congressional approval for a president to impose tariffs due to claims of a national emergency, a largely symbolic action given Republicans’ coming control of both the House and Senate. “This legislation would enable Congress to limit this sweeping emergency authority and put in place the necessary Congressional oversight before any president – Democrat or Republican – could indiscriminately raise costs on the American people through tariffs,” said Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash. But for Trump, tariffs are now a tested tool that seems less politically controversial even if the mandate he received in November’s election largely involved restraining inflation. The tariffs he imposed on China in his first term were continued by President Joe Biden, a Democrat who even expanded tariffs and restrictions on the world’s second largest economy. Biden administration officials looked at removing Trump’s tariffs in order to bring down inflationary pressures, only to find they were unlikely to help significantly. Tariffs were “so new and unique that it freaked everybody out in 2017,” said Stumo, but they were ultimately somewhat modest. Trump imposed tariffs on solar panels and washing machines at the start of 2018, moves that might have pushed up prices in those sectors even though they also overlapped with plans to open washing machine plants in Tennessee and South Carolina. His administration also levied tariffs on steel and aluminum, including against allies. He then increased tariffs on China, leading to a trade conflict and a limited 2020 agreement that failed to produce the promised Chinese purchases of U.S. goods. Still, the dispute changed relations with China as more U.S. companies looked for alternative suppliers in other countries. Economic research also found the United States may have sacrificed some of its “soft power” as the Chinese population began to watch fewer American movies. The Federal Reserve kept inflation roughly on target, but factory construction spending never jumped in a way that suggested a lasting gain in manufacturing jobs. Separate economic research found the tariff war with China did nothing economically for the communities hurt by offshoring, but it did help Trump and Republicans in those communities politically. When Trump first became president in 2017, the federal government collected $34.6 billion in customs, duties and fees. That sum more than doubled under Trump to $70.8 billion in 2019, according to Office of Management and Budget records. While that sum might seem meaningful, it was relatively small compared to the overall economy. America’s gross domestic product is now $29.3 trillion, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The total tariffs collected in the United States would equal less than 0.3% of GDP. The new tariffs being floated by Trump now are dramatically larger and there could be far more significant impacts. If Mexico, Canada, and China faced the additional tariffs proposed by Trump on all goods imported to the United States, that could be roughly equal to $266 billion in tax collections, a number that does not assume any disruptions in trade or retaliatory moves by other countries. The cost of those taxes would likely be borne by U.S. families, importers and domestic and foreign companies in the form of higher prices or lower profits. Former Biden administration officials said they worried that companies could piggyback on Trump’s tariffs — if they’re imposed — as a rationale to raise their prices, just as many companies after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 boosted food and energy costs and gave several major companies the space to raise prices, according to their own earnings calls with investors. But what Trump didn’t really spell out is what might cause him to back down on tariffs and declare a victory. What he is creating instead with his tariff threats is a sense of uncertainty as companies and countries await the details to figure out what all of this could mean. “We know the key economic policy priorities of the incoming Trump administration, but we don’t know how or when they will be addressed,” said Greg Daco, chief U.S. economist at EY-Parthenon. AP writer Mark Stevenson contributed to this report from Mexico City.Opeyemi Bamidele dismisses report of fight with Akpabio