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Former Member of Parliament (MP) Gloria Julia King has donated VT1 million to the Mele Union of Moderate Parties Sub-committee (MUS) for road infrastructure. However, the project is currently on hold as there is constant rainfall due to the cyclone season. Former MP King has been recognised by the community for her contributions, particularly in facilitating donations during the holiday season to support celebrations. She has consistently been a primary resource in times of need. Mr. Ati George Sokomanu, Vanuatu’s first President, reaffirmed his support for the former MP, commending her community efforts in providing financial assistance to her constituents. He emphasised the necessity for the MUS to work together with the local and collaborate on improving the road conditions, which are currently inadequate. “I must stress the importance of ensuring that residents have access to reliable transportation, particularly as the village is the largest in Vanuatu,” he said. The village committee establishment an agreement with the World Bank regarding road infrastructure three years ago. However, there is now uncertainly regarding the allocation of the funds, as it is suspected that political interference may have redirected the money to another province. The village road leading from the main road into the Mele community is plagued by large potholes, which blocks vehicle passage, often taking several minutes to navigate. During the rainy season, these potholes accumulate water and can remain filled for up to a week before drying out, creating considerable difficulties for residents attempting to access transportation for work and school. The villagers frequently encounter various difficulties, particularly concerning the river during rainy periods. The rainfall often results in damage to homes and gardens, as the locals typically construct bridges using manual labour. To address widespread unemployment among the youth in the community to sustain their living, the Area Council is assisting individuals in travelling for seasonal work in order to generate income that will help support their families. Leaders have urged the residents to collaborate and unite in order to build a resilient community and ensure that operations align with both traditional customs and government regulations.
The UN General Assembly on Wednesday overwhelmingly adopted a resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, a symbolic gesture rejected by the United States and Israel. The resolution -- adopted by a vote of 158-9, with 13 abstentions -- urges "an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire," and "the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages" -- wording similar to a text vetoed by Washington in the Security Council last month. At that time, Washington used its veto power on the Council -- as it has before -- to protect its ally Israel, which has been at war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip since the Palestinian militant group's October 7, 2023 attack. It has insisted on the idea of making a ceasefire conditional on the release of all hostages in Gaza, saying otherwise that Hamas has no incentive to free those in captivity. Deputy US Ambassador Robert Wood repeated that position Wednesday, saying it would be "shameful and wrong" to adopt the text. Ahead of the vote, Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon said: "The resolutions before the assembly today are beyond logic. (...) The vote today is not a vote for compassion. It is a vote for complicity." The General Assembly often finds itself taking up measures that cannot get through the Security Council, which has been largely paralyzed on hot-button issues such as Gaza and Ukraine due to internal politics, and this time is no different. The resolution, which is non-binding, demands "immediate access" to widespread humanitarian aid for the citizens of Gaza, especially in the besieged north of the territory. Dozens of representatives of UN member states addressed the Assembly before the vote to offer their support to the Palestinians. "Gaza doesn't exist anymore. It is destroyed," said Slovenia's UN envoy Samuel Zbogar. "History is the harshest critic of inaction." - 'Price of silence' - That criticism was echoed by Algeria's deputy UN ambassador Nacim Gaouaoui, who said: "The price of silence and failure in the face of the Palestinian tragedy is a very heavy price, and it will be heavier tomorrow." Hamas's October 2023 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,208 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. That count includes hostages who died or were killed while being held in Gaza. Militants abducted 251 hostages, 96 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed at least 44,805 people, a majority of them civilians, according to data from the Hamas-run health ministry that is considered reliable by the United Nations. "Gaza today is the bleeding heart of Palestine," Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour said last week during the first day of debate in the Assembly's special session on the issue. "The images of our children burning in tents, with no food in their bellies and no hopes and no horizon for the future, and after having endured pain and loss for more than a year, should haunt the conscience of the world and prompt action to end this nightmare," he said, calling for an end to the "impunity." After Wednesday's vote, he said "we will keep knocking on the doors of the Security Council and the General Assembly until we see an immediate and unconditional ceasefire put in place." The Gaza resolution calls on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to present "proposals on how the United Nations could help to advance accountability" by using existing mechanisms or creating new ones based on past experience. The Assembly, for example, created an international mechanism to gather evidence of crimes committed in Syria starting from the outbreak of civil war in 2011. A second resolution calling on Israel to respect the mandate of the UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and allow it to continue its operations was passed Wednesday by a vote of 159-9 with 11 abstentions. Israel has voted to ban the organization starting January 28, after accusing some UNRWA employees of taking part in Hamas's devastating attack. abd/sst/jgc/nro/des
Bad Bunny has lifted the curtain on his next long-form studio release. Entitled Debí Tirar Más Fotos – which translates to “I should have taken more photos” – Benito announced the album with a teaser video starring one of Puerto Rico’s most influential film directors Jacobo Morales. “I should have lived more, I should have loved more while I could,” he says to his cartoonish companion Cocho who stands on the table. “While you’re alive, one should love as much as they can.” The official album announcement wasn’t too much of a surprise, with the musician dropping hints via socials – yesterday posting a 17-track “BOMBA” tracklist on X among a series of other posts about x100pre, his debut studio project that he released on Christmas Eve. Earlier this morning, Benito fueled the album allegations with a surprise new single “PIToRRO DE COCO” which arrived alongside its official visualizer. Shortly thereafter its release, he followed up with the trailer. Stream it in full below. A post shared by Benito Antonio (@badbunnypr) Debí Tirar Más Fotos will mark Bad Bunny’s sixth studio album, arriving a little over a year after his fifth LP Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana . Expect Debí Tirar Más Fotos to drop on January 5.Tata Group Chairman N Chandrasekaran is looking forward to 2025 with hope and optimism. In his New Year message to employees, Chandrasekaran said the conglomerate plans to add another half-million jobs in the next five years. The group currently employs over one million people, with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) accounting for 60% of the total workforce. Tata Steel comes in a distant second with a headcount of 78,321. These jobs will be spread across key sectors such as semiconductors, electric vehicles, solar equipment, and other critical hardware industries, said Chandrasekaran. He also touched on the year’s geopolitical upheavals, including ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan, and the growing focus on resilience over efficiency in global supply chains. Tata Group Cos with the highest headcount Company Number of employees TCS 6,01,546 Tata Steel 78,321 Trent 25,277 Tata Motors 20,576 Tata Elxsi 12,969 He further added that our retail companies continue to scale up and Indian hotels’ TAJ brand continues to be the world’s strongest hotel brand. Not surprisingly, the stock of Trent and Indian Hotels has rallied the most among group companies. Shares of Trent have rallied as much as 131% in 2024, while those of Indian Hotels have almost doubled to ₹ 868.30 during the same period. Additionally, the group also anticipates generating numerous jobs in sectors like retail, technology services, aviation, and hospitality. “I am particularly excited by two areas where economic opportunity and social progress converge: AI and manufacturing,” said Chandrasekaran. The group recently began construction activities at over seven new manufacturing facilities, including India’s first semiconductor fab in Dholera, Gujarat and a brand new semiconductor OSAT plant in Assam. Other facilities that were launched in the recent past include an electronic assembly plant in Karnataka, an automotive plant in Tamil Nadu and new MRO facilities in Karnataka, and among others. The combined revenue of the group companies surpassed $165 billion in FY24, with net profit crossing the $10 billion mark. There are 26 companies listed on the bourses with a combined market capitalisation of $373 billion as of December 26, 2024. The group’s market capitalisation has increased by 12.4% in 2024 against 9.3% gains yielded by the benchmark Nifty50 during the same period. The group chairman also paid a heartfelt tribute to Ratan Tata, whose passing earlier this year left an irreplaceable void within the Group and by and large, India Inc. “Our Group has lost an irreplaceable role model and leader. And I have lost a cherished mentor and friend,” Chandra wrote.
This is a good week to snap up hotel rooms, memberships, tickets and passes in San Diego.
The discussions in the West about authorizing long-range missile strikes on Russia are profoundly dishonest and misleading. The political-media elites present deeply flawed arguments to support the conclusion that attacking Russia with these weapons doesn’t cross the line between proxy war and direct war. NATO may be successful in deluding itself, yet for Moscow there is no doubt that this is an act of war. The argument that Ukraine has the right to defend itself as a justification for NATO to authorize long-range strikes into Russia is very manipulative. The public is pulled in with a very reasonable premise, based on the universal acceptance of the right to self-defense. Once people have accepted this, then it’s presented as a foregone conclusion that Ukraine should be supplied with long-range missiles to attack Russia. The extent of NATO’s involvement in the war, as the main issue, is subsequently eliminated entirely from the argument. The point of departure in an honest discussion should start with the right question: When is the line between proxy war and direct war crossed? These are US long-range missiles, their use is entirely dependent on American intelligence and targeting. They will be operated by US soldiers and guided by US satellites. Launching them from Ukraine does not make it any less of a direct American attack on Russia. Washington didn’t use these weapons against Russia for three years as it knew it would amount to a direct attack, yet now the media is attempting to sell the narrative of this merely being uncontroversial military aid to enable Ukraine to defend itself. The US and some of its NATO allies have decided to attack Russia directly, and they should be honest about this intention. Attempts to present it as merely giving military aid to Ukraine to defend itself constitute an irresponsible effort to shame any dissent and avoid a serious discussion about attacking the world’s largest nuclear power. It is imperative to place oneself in the shoes of opponents and ask how we would interpret a situation and what we would do if the situation were reversed. The US and NATO have invaded many countries over the years, so we do not need to delve too deep into our imagination to set up a hypothetical scenario. How would we have reacted if Moscow had sent long-range missiles, dependent on Russian intelligence and targeting, operated by Russian soldiers and guided by Russian satellites, to attack NATO countries under the guise of merely helping Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen of another country to defend itself? We are deluding ourselves if we pretend that this would not have been interpreted as a direct attack, and despite the great risks involved, we would be compelled to retaliate to restore our deterrent. President Putin warned in September 2024 that Russia would interpret this as a direct attack and the beginning of a NATO-Russia War, and Putin argued that Russia would respond accordingly. The clarity in his language makes it nearly impossible to walk back the commitment to strike back at NATO, which is a deliberate tactic in the game of chicken, as Russia cannot swirl away. Stories about thousands of North Korean soldiers fighting in Ukraine or Kursk are used to legitimize the attack on Russia. This is most likely NATO war propaganda as there would be some evidence if thousands of North Korean soldiers were fighting. The North Koreans allegedly training in Russia are likely intended as a deterrent in case NATO would go to war against Russia. However, even if North Koreans involve themselves in the fighting, it does not make NATO any less of a participant in the war by attacking Russia. The reluctance by Moscow in the past to sufficiently retaliate against NATO’s incremental escalations has been presented as evidence for the false conclusion that it wouldn’t dare respond. There is no doubt that Russia’s restraints have emboldened NATO. President Biden once argued that sending F-16s would result in a Third World War, such warnings now are denounced as ”Russian propaganda”. Russia’s failure to respond when the US crossed that line meant that the US could argue it did not amount to a direct attack. The rules of proxy war subsequently changed. Russia’s dilemma over the past three years has been to either respond at the risk of triggering a Third World War, or to gradually abandon its deterrent and embolden the US. With every NATO escalation, Russia is facing an ever-higher price for its restraint. Russia has been under pressure to set a final red line, and NATO attacking Russia directly is simply too dangerous to go unanswered. How will Russia respond? There are several more steps on the escalation ladder before pushing the nuclear button. Russia can intensify strikes on Ukrainian political targets and infrastructure, possibly introduce North Korean troops, strike NATO assets in the Black Sea and logistic centers in Poland or Romania, destroy satellites used for the attacks on Russia, or attack US/NATO military assets in other parts of the world under the guise of enabling other countries to defend themselves. Russia’s response will also depend on how these missiles are used. The New York Times has suggested that the use of these missiles would be limited and primarily used to assist Ukraine with the occupation of Kursk, which also makes the US an even more involved participant in the occupation of Russian territory. However, Russia must respond forcefully to any breach of its red lines to counter NATO’s incrementalism – salami tactics that aim to chop away at its deterrent. The purpose of such incrementalism is to avoid an excessive response from Russia. The US will predictably impose restrictions on how these weapons can be used as it engages in direct attacks on Russia, but gradually these restrictions will be removed. The extent of Russia’s response will depend on the extent to which these weapons are effective. The war is evidently being won by Russia, which is why Moscow is cautious about any escalations, as it only needs time. However, if these weapons would actually turn the tide of the war, then Russia would consider itself compelled to launch a powerful attack on NATO as Moscow considers this to be a war for its survival. NATO should therefore hope that these weapons are not effective, which undermines the reasoning for using them at all. The war has already been lost, and Washington previously admitted that these long-range missiles would not be a game changer. There are two reasons for escalating the war at this point, to further bleed Russia and to sabotage Trump’s objective to end the fighting. There is overwhelming evidence that the overarching objective in sabotaging all paths to peace and fighting the proxy war in Ukraine has been to weaken Russia as a strategic rival. Even Vladimir Zelensky recognized in March 2022 that some Western states wanted to use Ukraine as a proxy against Russia: ”There are those in the West who don’t mind a long war because it would mean exhausting Russia, even if this means the demise of Ukraine and comes at the cost of Ukrainian lives.” Both Israeli and Turkish mediators have confirmed that the US and UK sabotaged the Istanbul peace agreement in order to pit Russia against the Ukrainians, while interviews with top American and British diplomats have revealed that the weakening of Russia and regime change in Moscow was the only acceptable outcome. The timing of Washington’s decision is also suspicious and appears to aim at sabotaging Trump’s massive mandate to end the proxy war. By comparison, Obama similarly threw a wrench into US-Russia relations in late 2016 as he was handing the White House over to Trump. The anti-Russian sanctions and expulsion of Russian diplomats were intended to sabotage Trump’s promise to get along with Russia. Biden appears to be following the same playbook by risking a Third World War to prevent peace from breaking out in Ukraine. Biden was too cognitively impaired to run for re-election, yet he is supposedly mentally fit enough to attack Russia as he prepares to leave the White House. The world today is more dangerous than at any other time in history. The US decision to attack the world’s largest nuclear power is a desperate effort to restore global primacy. What makes this situation even more dangerous is the absurd self-deception across the West that results in us sleepwalking towards nuclear war. The public should be presented with more honest arguments when making the case for risking a third world war and nuclear annihilation. This piece was first published on Glenn Diesen’s Substack and edited by the RT team.
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his Tuesday, November 26, marks the beginning of retrograde and it will last until Sunday, December 15. This will be the last time this year that this planet will show such behavior. Traditionally, a Mercury retrograde occurs about three times a year and is a phenomenon feared in astrology. In its apparent backward motion, Mercury will move from 22 degrees to 6 degrees in the sign of Sagittarius. , it is an optical illusion in which it appears that this planet is moving in the opposite direction in its orbit. While , Mercury is a planet to which an energy is attributed that affects individuals. It is associated with aspects such as communication, travel and technology. The presence of retrograde has to do with a connection with the past and encourages introspection. Astrologers indicate that this transit is not bad in itself, but rather opens up possibilities for learning and working on different aspects of life. It is recommended for deep reflection, to slow down routines and to become aware of reality. Additionally, astrologers recommend taking advantage of this time to learn to say no, to close the year in a harmonious way to better receive the coming year. Which zodiac signs will be affected during Mercury retrograde? This time, retrograde will occur in the sign of Sagittarius, symbolizing a dispute between logic and spirituality, generating doubts between beliefs and the decisions we make. Because the energy is focused on introspection, experts also recommend avoiding making big decisions until this influence is over. The signs that will have the greatest influence from this movement are:
Though the Town of Essex has been able to improve its energy consumption and reduce its Greenhouse Gas Emissions over the past five-years, Essex Council was urged to look for ways to reduce fossil fuel use from a long-term planning standpoint. Andrea Dwight, President of Blue Sky Energy Engineering and Consulting Inc., presented the most recent Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan to Essex Council at the November 18 meeting. Dwight worked with Town of Essex staff over the past few months to complete the Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan, which sets out a path towards a more energy-efficient future. The scope of work includes all Town-owned facilities requiring heat, corporate facilities, wastewater treatment plants, and street-lighting. This plan is legislatively required under the Provincial Electricity Act and lays out the foundation for energy conservation at the Town of Essex for the next five-years. Dwight noted it is important to celebrate the hard work the Town has done over the past-five years in this work. There is a list of programs she said impacted energy and heat consumption, such as changing and upgrading lighting and HVAC systems. This resulted in a 1.5% improvement in energy compared to 2019, and a 2.5% reduction to Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Since 2011, overall Greenhouse Gas Emissions have dropped, so has electricity consumption. The Town is proud to have achieved a 13% reduction in electricity between 2011 and 2023, excluding street-lighting, the report details. Natural gas consumption, however, has risen by 4.6% over the same period. Combining electricity and natural gas, these changes have resulted in an overall energy reduction of close to 7% and a 44.5% reduction in GHG emissions over the twelve-year period, the report adds. In addition, electricity consumption on street-lighting has dropped 18%, Dwight told Council. The Essex Centre Sports Complex and Harrow Arena, street-lighting, and sewage treatment plant are the largest electricity consumers. In addition, both arenas are the largest natural gas consumers. In 2023, Dwight highlighted that Essex’s natural gas use was 37% and electricity was 63%. Yet, natural gas is responsible for 78% of its Greenhouse Gas Emissions. As the Town of Essex renvisions climate planning, Dwight suggested looking for ways to reduce fossil fuel use from a long-term planning standpoint. Without reducing natural gas usage, the Town will not be able to significantly improve Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Looking ahead, a 3% reduction in overall energy is targeted for 2029 as measured against the 2023 figures. “Although it sounds like a small number, it is actually quite significant,” Dwight told Council, adding a number of great programs have been developed to make sure this goal is achieved. The Town, she added, has a number of strategic planning priorities in which to focus over the next-five years, including the Town leveraging all incentive opportunities from the Federal Government and local utilities to make technological improvements. Another is to look at the asset management and capital planning process and put in guidelines regarding energy efficient purchasing of larger capital projects. Actions set in the Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan include identifying energy-savings opportunities, and putting in place a planning process that reviews facilities and delivering cost-savings through the identification and implementation of programs, processes, and projects on an ongoing basis. Another priority is communication, training, and outreach. The action plan also includes a set of specific projects pulled together over the next five-years to make a significant improvement to energy consumption. That varies from lighting upgrades, to HVAC, to controls. She also spoke of the Town needing to think about what natural gas reduction strategy it would like to have to integrated into the capital project process. “I think you are very well positioned to make a significant improvement in both GHGs and energy consumption over the next five-years,” Dwight said. “I think this shows your corporate responsibility and your focus on helping make sure the environment is at the forefront. I think that this is a very strong plan.” Seeing as the twin pads at the Essex Arena use the most energy, Councillor Katie McGuire-Blais asked what could be further done to reduce that footprint beyond what was suggested in the report. Director of Community Services, Jake Morassut, noted the twin pads have had a significant number of projects on the compressor system over the past five-years. The energy usage for the facility comes from the compressor plants, for which none of its major components should need replacing in the next-five years. So, that will likely be part of the next five-year plan. Through the Plan, the focus was on things that could be controlled over the next-five years, with the funding models and resources in place, he added. That included upgrading to LED lighting, which saves on energy and maintenance cost. In addition, LEDs have a longer lifecycle, Morassut said. “We are looking at projects like that where we are going to see a bigger impact and a quicker payback period,” he added. Though it is great to see what Essex is doing, Mayor Sherry Bondy asked about comparing the local town to others. Dwight noted there are ways to benchmark that information, such as how Essex’s largest facilities are doing compared to similar ones across the province. Council received the Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan.US stocks rallied in the final, shortened trading session before the Christmas holiday. The benchmark S&P 500 ( ^GSPC ) finished the session up over 1.1%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite ( ^IXIC ) rose roughly 1.4%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ( ^DJI ) climbed around 0.9%. Wall Street successfully entered its Christmas break rejuvenated, after tech stocks including AI chip giant Nvidia ( NVDA ) led the march higher . Markets closed at 1 p.m. ET and are off tomorrow for Christmas Day. Sizable gains in the past three trading sessions have put the indexes back on the path toward their record highs, from which they took a Fed-fueled nosedive last week. Wall Street is reassessing the path of interest rates next year as it grapples with the reality that the Fed mostly pulled off a so-called soft landing — but couldn't fully shake the US economy's inflation problem. According to the CME FedWatch tool, most bets are on two coming holds at the Fed's January and March meetings, followed by a toss-up in May. Meanwhile, many eyes continue to be trained on Nvidia, which ticked up again Tuesday after a 3.5% gain on Monday. As Yahoo Finance's Dan Howley writes , 2024 was Nvidia's year, with the stock up some 180%. But 2025 could contain plenty of challenges. US stocks leaned into the start of the "Santa Claus" rally in the final, shortened trading session before the Christmas holiday. The benchmark S&P 500 ( ^GSPC ) finished the session up 1.1%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite ( ^IXIC ) rose roughly 1.4%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ( ^DJI ) climbed around 0.9%. Inflation has been one of the top concerns for the US economy in 2024. And it looks like fears over sticky prices will continue in 2025. "We expect a gradual deceleration from where we are, but to levels that are still uncomfortably high for the Fed," Deutsche Bank chief economist Matthew Luzzetti told Yahoo Finance in an interview. So far this year, inflation has moderated but remains stubbornly above the Federal Reserve's 2% target on an annual basis, pressured by hotter-than-expected readings on monthly "core" price increases, which strip out volatile food and energy costs. In November, the core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) index and the core Consumer Price Index (CPI), both closely tracked by the central bank, rose 2.8% and 3.3%, respectively, over the prior year period. "Inflation is primarily going to be driven by the services side of the economy," Luzzetti said, calling out core services like health care, insurance, and even airfares. "Shelter inflation is also still high and although it'll come down over the next year, it's likely that it could remain somewhat elevated." According to updated economic forecasts from the Fed's Summary of Economic Projections (SEP), the central bank sees core inflation hitting 2.5% next year, higher than its previous projection of 2.2%, before cooling to 2.2% in 2026 and 2.0% in 2027. This largely aligns with Wall Street's current projections. Out of the 58 economists surveyed by Bloomberg, the majority see core PCE moderating to 2.5% in 2025. Still, they do expect less of a deceleration in 2026, with the bulk of economists anticipating a higher 2.4% reading compared to the Fed. "The risks are certainly tilted in the direction of higher inflation," Nancy Vanden Houten, lead US economist at Oxford Economics, told Yahoo Finance. "A lot of the risk comes from the possibility of certain policies being implemented under the Trump administration on tariffs and on immigration." President-elect Donald Trump's proposed policies, such as high tariffs on imported goods, tax cuts for corporations, and curbs on immigration, are considered potentially inflationary by economists. Those policies could further complicate the Federal Reserve's path forward for interest rates, with the central bank now seeing just two rate cuts next year. At the end of 2022, Spotify ( SPOT ) stock was trading below $80 a share after a disastrous year for investors that erased over $35 billion from the company's market cap. Today, shares are trading at just under $500. The audio giant is on track to hit full-year profitability for the first time ever. And its market cap? About $100 billion, up from just $15 billion two years ago. The company's colossal run-up in stock price follows an intense business overhaul that's included everything from mass layoffs and C-suite shakeups to a major strategic shift away from podcasts, an area it had aggressively pursued. At the company's 2022 Investor Day, Spotify set seemingly lofty objectives that included long-term gross margin targets between 30% and 35%. At the time, the company had been struggling to turn a profit, with its gross margin stuck at around 25%. In the most recent quarter, Spotify said its gross margin increased to 31.1% from the prior year's 26.4%. "We've never been in a stronger position, thanks to what's really been an outstanding execution by the Spotify team," CEO Daniel Ek said during the company's fiscal third quarter earnings call in November. He added, "We are where we set out to be, if not a little bit further, and on a steady path toward achieving our long-term goals." Read more here about how the audio giant climbed back from its lows and where it could be headed next. President Biden is set to decide the fate of Japanese-owned Nippon Steel's ( NISTF , 5401.T ) $15 billion bid for US Steel ( X ). The Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) referred the deal to Biden on Monday after failing to reach a consensus. The president has 15 days to review the deal, which he has long opposed. Despite the deal's uncertainty, shares of US Steel Corporation edged higher on Tuesday, rising just under 1%. Bitcoin ( BTC-USD ), one of the biggest beneficiaries of the post-election rally, rose over 5% to trade above $98,000 a coin. Although the cryptocurrency lost some momentum after hitting above $100,000 earlier this month, investors and analysts remain mostly bullish heading into 2025. Trump's win in November pushed bitcoin prices to all-time highs in the immediate aftermath of the election, with the administration viewed as generally more friendly to the alternative asset class. In July, Trump attended a bitcoin conference in Nashville and has since pledged to usher in more supportive regulation . His promises also included appointing a crypto Presidential Advisory Council and firing current SEC Chair Gary Gensler, who announced he would step down on Jan. 20. Other cryptocurrencies and crypto-adjacent names echoed bitcoin's moves to the upside. Ethereum ( ETH-USD ) rose about 7% to trade around $3,500 a coin. Meanwhile, shares of MicroStrategy ( MSTR ), which owns nearly 280,000 bitcoins, rose around 6%. The company recently announced the purchase of an additional 51,780 bitcoins for $4.6 billion. MicroStrategy now holds $16.5 billion worth of bitcoin. Coinbase ( COIN ), which allows crypto trading on its platform, saw shares rise nearly 3%. It's the start of the so-called Santa Claus rally. Historically, the stock market has seen gains from the last five trading sessions of December through the first two trading days of January. So far, markets are embracing the Christmas spirit, with all three major indexes trading firmly in the green. The tech-heavy Nasdaq led the way higher in late morning trade, up about 1%. Tesla ( TSLA ), Arm Holdings ( ARM ), and Broadcom ( AVGO ) saw the largest gains within the index, rising 5%, 4%, and 3%, respectively. Most sectors also traded in the green, with Consumer Discretionary ( XLY ), Energy ( XLE ), and Tech ( XLK ) the three biggest gainers of the morning session. Health care ( XLV ) was the biggest laggard, dragged down by drug manufacturer Viatris ( VTRS ) and insurance company Cigna ( CI ). American Airlines ( AAL ) briefly grounded all flights nationwide due to a technical issue earlier this morning. The FAA lifted the ground stop at around 8 a.m. ET. American Airlines said in a statement that "a vendor technology issue briefly affected flights this morning. That issue has been resolved, and flights have resumed." The ground stop lasted for about an hour. Shares initially fell over 5% in premarket trading on the news. They've since recovered most of those losses, but are still down a little over 1% shortly after the opening bell. The development comes during a busy holiday travel day with the TSA expecting to screen nearly 30 million people from Dec. 19 through Jan. 2. In the final sprint to the Christmas holiday, markets added to gains. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite ( ^IXIC ) led the way higher, rising roughly 0.3%. The benchmark S&P 500 ( ^GSPC ) edged up about 0.2%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average ( ^DJI ) hugged the flatline. Markets close at 1 p.m. ET today and are off tomorrow for Christmas Day. Christmas Eve — Markets close at 1 p.m. ET Economic data : Building permits (November); Durable Goods Orders (November); New homes sales (November); New home sales (November) Earnings : No notable earnings Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning: Nvidia dominated 2024 big-time. Next year? Plenty of challenges. American Airlines grounds US flights amid technical glitch The Fed avoided a recession in 2024 but failed to shake inflation Biden to decide on US Steel takeover after panel deadlocks MicroStrategy mania exposes rare faultline in ETF industry Elon Musk's xAI lands $6B in new cash to fuel AI ambitions Starbucks strike to hit over 300 US stores on Christmas EveSuspected Child Sex Abuse Found in Dozens of OnlyFans Accounts by Exploitation Experts: 'She Doesn't Even Look 15'
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1,000-foot-tall roller coaster about to become a realityFormer Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Dies at 92: A Legacy of Economic ReformsAna cinikin N50b duk mako a kasuwar shanu a Kano