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Fiji players praised for ‘beautiful’ gesture to President Michael D Higgins
RapDev Named One of North America's Fastest-Growing Tech Companies on the 2024 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 ListA slide for market superstar Nvidia helped pull U.S. stock indexes down from their records. The S & P 500 fell 0.6% Monday, coming off its 57th all-time high of the year so far. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite dropped 0.6% from its own record. Nvidia was the market’s heaviest weight after China said it’s probing the chip giant for potential antitrust violations. Stocks in Hong Kong jumped after top Chinese leaders agreed on a “moderately loose” monetary policy. Prices for oil and gold rose following the ouster of Syrian leader Bashar Assad. On Monday: The S & P 500 fell 37.42 points, or 0.6%, to 6,052.85. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 240.59 points, or 0.5%, to 44,401.93. The Nasdaq composite fell 123.08 points, or 0.6%, to 19,736.69. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 16.16 points, or 0.7%, to 2,392.84. For the year: The S & P 500 is up 1,283.02 points, or 26.9%. The Dow is up 6,712.39 points, or 17.8%. The Nasdaq is up 4,725.34 points, or 31.5%. The Russell 2000 is up 365.76 points, or 18%.
Rupert Murdoch's audacious bid to cement his eldest son's control over one of the world's most influential media empires has failed, a US report said Monday. The first family of news -- commanding a stable that includes Fox News, The Wall Street Journal and a host of British and Australian media -- had been the inspiration for the hit TV series "Succession." Like the fictional version, this real-life fight pitted the children of a powerful patriarch against each other for who should be the face and the voice of the empire after the old man dies. Murdoch, now 93, had long intended that his children inherit the empire, and jointly decide its direction. The eldest daughter, Prudence, has had little involvement in the family business, but at various times the other three -- Lachlan, James and Elisabeth -- have all been considered as successors. But in recent years Murdoch senior had reportedly grown concerned that Fox News -- the crown jewels of the collection -- might drift away from its lucrative right-wing moorings after his death, to reflect the more centrist views of James and Elisabeth. He had therefore sought to designate Lachlan -- who currently heads Fox News and News Corp -- as the controlling player in the wider business. That had required rewriting the terms of an irrevocable trust that passed power to the four siblings jointly, stripping three of them of voting power, while allowing them to continue to benefit financially. Rupert Murdoch had argued that giving control to Lachlan -- who is understood to share his father's worldview -- was in the financial interests of the whole brood. - 'Carefully crafted charade' - The family intrigue played out behind closed doors in a Nevada courtroom, where Murdoch senior and his four children were understood to have given several days' evidence in September. In a decision filed at the weekend, probate commissioner Edmund J. Gorman Jr. said the father and son had acted in "bad faith" in trying to rewrite the rules, The New York Times reported, citing a copy of the sealed court document. The plan to alter the trust's structure was a "carefully crafted charade" to "permanently cement Lachlan Murdoch's executive roles." "The effort was an attempt to stack the deck in Lachlan Murdoch's favor after Rupert Murdoch's passing so that his succession would be immutable," the Times cited the ruling as saying. "The play might have worked; but an evidentiary hearing, like a showdown in a game of poker, is where gamesmanship collides with the facts and at its conclusion, all the bluffs are called and the cards lie face up. "The court, after considering the facts of this case in the light of the law, sees the cards for what they are and concludes this raw deal will not, over the signature of this probate commissioner, prevail." Murdoch's lawyer, Adam Streisand, did not immediately reply to an AFP request for comment. The ruling is not final, and must now be ratified or rejected by a district judge. That ruling could be challenged, perhaps provoking another round of legal arguments. The complicated structure of the irrevocable trust reflects the colourful familial relationships that shaped Rupert Murdoch's life as he built the multibillion-dollar empire. The trust was reported to have been the result of a deal agreed with his second wife -- mother of Lachlan, Elisabeth and James -- who wanted to ensure her offspring would not be disenfranchised by children Murdoch had with his third wife, Wendi Deng. The Murdoch empire has transformed tabloid newspapers, cable TV and satellite broadcasting over the last few decades while facing accusations of stoking populism across the English-speaking world. Brexit in Britain and the rise of Donald Trump in the United States are credited at least partly to Murdoch and his outlets. hg/nro'Sab EVM Ka Khel Hai': Bigg Boss Fame Ajaz Khan Reacts After Getting Only 155 Votes For Versova Seat In Maharashtra Election
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Halifax security forum begins amid questions about Canada's military spending HALIFAX — The Halifax International Security Forum opened Friday with Defence Minister Bill Blair defending Canada's military spending amid mounting pressure on NATO members to do more following Donald Trump's win in the U.S. presidential election. Michael Tutton, The Canadian Press Nov 22, 2024 11:52 AM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Uncertainty is a key theme this year at an annual, three-day gathering in Halifax of political leaders, defence officials and policy analysts who aim to promote democratic values around the globe. People arrive for the 2023 Halifax International Security Forum in Halifax on Nov. 18, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kelly Clark HALIFAX — The Halifax International Security Forum opened Friday with Defence Minister Bill Blair defending Canada's military spending amid mounting pressure on NATO members to do more following Donald Trump's win in the U.S. presidential election. About 300 policy analysts, politicians and defence officials from 60 countries are participating in the 16th annual gathering in the Nova Scotia capital. Former U.S. ambassador to Canada Kelly Craft said in the waning days of the U.S. presidential election campaign that Canada would be wise to accelerate its timeline for meeting its NATO spending commitments in the event of a Trump victory. Retired Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie — a former Liberal MP — told the House of Commons defence committee two days after the U.S. election that he detects "no sense of urgency" from the government to meet those commitments. Blair told reporters in Halifax his government knows it needs to increase defence spending, both to help Ukraine and to protect its own territory, but he has to ensure Canada gets "good value" for its investments. “When our allies say they want us to meet the commitment, I've told them the answer is ‘Yes,’ and I’ve told them you’re pushing on an open door," he said. "We are going to make those investments." Blair says some of the American and domestic criticisms are unfair, as the government committed during a July NATO summit to "a credible and realistic plan" of spending two per cent of GDP on its military by 2032, as it buys a fleet of up to 12 new submarines. He said there are examples where Canada can "accelerate" its spending by making purchases that mesh with its allies, citing Ottawa's announcement it would replace CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft with the Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft. The defence minister also announced that a surface-to-air defence system Canada bought two years ago has arrived in Ukraine to help protect the country against Russian missiles, though he would have liked the procurement to move faster. “There's a lot in some of our procurement processes that have really slowed us down," he said. NATO's 32 member nations agreed to each spend the equivalent of at least two per cent of their GDP on defence, but Canada is among the nine members that aren't going to do that this year. The alliance's figures project that Canada will spend the equivalent of 1.37 per cent of its GDP on defence, placing it at the back of the pack. The Defence Department projects the figure to tick upward over the coming years, rising to 1.76 per cent by 2030. Trump has a long history of criticizing NATO, and former administration officials have told The Associated Press he repeatedly threatened to pull out of the alliance that has been central to U.S. policy for decades. But allies and supporters argue that Trump's rhetoric is simply a negotiating tactic and point out that, despite his denunciations, he did not abandon NATO during his previous term. Nicolas Todd, who is attending the security forum as vice-president of government relations with the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries, said in an interview Friday that if the Liberal government wants to advance more rapidly on military spending, it needs to clearly signal its spending plans. "What we've seen so far is an expectation to hit two per cent. That's not a plan. We need a detailed, year-over-year money plan on what it will take," he said. He contrasted the government's announcement Thursday that it will pause federal sales tax on a long list of items, at a cost of $6.3 billion, with a slow growth in military spending. Peter Van Praagh, president of the forum, said during the opening news conference that a path to world peace still depends on Ukraine defeating Russia, which will require continued support from the United States and its allies. “If Russia gets away with this naked aggression, we are entering a world where might makes right. That’s a world that is not safe for anybody,” he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 22, 2024. — With files from The Associated Press. Michael Tutton, The Canadian Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message More National News 'Immoral depravity': Two men convicted in case of frozen migrant family in Manitoba Nov 22, 2024 12:46 PM Canada Post quarterly loss tops $300M as strike hits second week — and rivals step in Nov 22, 2024 12:23 PM Canada ordered to address Jordan's Principle backlog, find new solutions Nov 22, 2024 11:35 AM Featured FlyerGreece’s economy held up well during recent crises and has outpaced growth in the euro area since the global energy crisis. Further policy action is now needed to ensure continuing strong growth and fiscal sustainability, notably to keep public debt on a firmly declining path, according to a new OECD report. The latest OECD Economic Survey of Greece projects GDP growth to rise from 2.3% in 2024 and 2.2% in 2025 to 2.5% in 2026. The government plans primary fiscal surpluses of 2.5% of GDP in 2025 and 2.4% in 2026. Inflation is proving persistent and remained at 3.2% in October 2024, but is projected to decline gradually, returning close to target by end 2026. “Greece has reaped the benefits of the many important reforms it has implemented over the years, but more needs to be done to promote competition, allow more youths and women to participate in the labour market and maintain significant primary fiscal surpluses while preserving investment.” OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann said, presenting the Survey in Athens alongside Greece’s Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and Minister of Finance, Kostis Hatzidakis. “Greece’s outlook remains positive, with disinflation, improving growth in trading partners and increasing disbursements of European funds set to support growth over the coming years.” Public debt has been declining since 2020 but remains high, at 163.9% of GDP in 2023. Maintaining public debt on its firmly declining path and increasing fiscal space for investment will require additional efforts to reduce tax expenditures and tackle tax evasion. Moreover, a gradual shift of spending towards infrastructure, education and health would improve both economic and social outcomes. Significant challenges remain. Labour productivity has stagnated at low levels over the past decade. Despite recent progress, investment remains relatively low, particularly in intangibles and R&D. The productivity gap between small firms and large enterprises is large, with many of the large enterprises failing to grow and adopt new technologies. Further reforms to strengthen competition, reduce regulatory burdens, improve access to skills and financing would support firm growth and innovation. Competition remains weak in some parts of the economy, making it all the more important for Greece to review some of the unnecessarily stringent regulations in services and to ease entry restrictions in professional services. Skill shortages have increased. Strengthening apprenticeships and vocational training is key to ensure a supply of skills that better matches the needs of employers. The expansion of childcare capacities would allow more women to join the labour market and support employment growth. Extreme weather events are becoming more likely with a warming climate and could lead to renewed disruptions of production and reduce domestic demand. Greece has cut emissions by 42% over the past two decades and renewable energy generation is expanding rapidly. A mix of investment, tighter regulations and emission pricing, complemented with financial support for vulnerable groups, can steer households and business to move towards greener technologies. Source: OECDSyrian government services come to ‘complete halt’ as workers stay at home
Article content A 1954 Mercedes-Benz Formula One race car piloted in period by two of the greatest drivers known to the sport, Juan Manuel Fangio and Sir Stirling Moss, will cross the auction block at a special standalone event in Germany on February 1, 2025. It’s estimated the car may fetch in excess of €50,000,000, or CDN$73.65 million. What you’re looking at is one of just 14 Mercedes-Benz W 196 R race cars built, specifically chassis 00009/54. It wears the marque’s rather aerodynamic Elektron-alloy Stromlinienwagen bodywork, which together with the car’s 3.0-litre M196 straight-eight engine helped it achieve speeds of up to 186 mph (299 km/h). The specs aren’t what gives this piece of history its value, though: it’s its racing pedigree. This Benz was first campaigned in an open-wheel configuration, without that sleek, streamlined body, by Juan Manuel Fangio at the Formula Libre Buenos Aires Grand Prix in January 1955, near the start of that year’s Formula One season; you won’t be surprised to hear he took the win, there. It went on to become one of four W 196 R racers fitted with that then-experimental Stromlinienwagen coachwork, and in that configuration was raced by a young Stirling Moss at the 1955 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where it was forced to retire mid-race—after setting a record fastest lap, mind you. At the end of the ’55 F1 season, just 10 examples of those 14 W 196 R race cars remained, and Mercedes itself initially held on to all of them. Eventually, it decided to donate four of them to various museums; chassis 00009/54 here thus went to the then-fledgling Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) Museum in 1965. The museum kept the car in good nick, refinishing it to a high standard twice, in 1980 and then in 2015. While living most of its life in the IMS Museum vault, chassis 00009/54 got around some, too, for example flying to the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto in 2003, among more prestigious concours and events. Its sale out of the museum collection is being coordinated by Chatham, Ontario, Canada-based RM Sotheby’s; the firm claims “chassis number 00009/54 represents only the second W 196 R ever offered for private ownership,” and the first streamliner-bodied example. It predicts its sale price will exceed €50,000,000, or CDN$73.65 million. The Benz’s standalone auction will take place not in Indianapolis, but in the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, on February 1, 2025. RM Sotheby’s was also behind the (similarly standalone) sale of the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé that in May 2022 became the world’s most expensive car ever , when it hammered for €135 million (US$142 million, about CDN$182 million). Sign up for our newsletter Blind-Spot Monitor and follow our social channels on X , Tiktok and LinkedIn to stay up to date on the latest automotive news, reviews, car culture, and vehicle shopping advice.By KAREEM CHEHAYEB BEIRUT (AP) — In 2006, after a bruising monthlong war between Israel and Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah militant group, the United Nations Security Council unanimously voted for a resolution to end the conflict and pave the way for lasting security along the border. But while there was relative calm for nearly two decades, Resolution 1701’s terms were never fully enforced. Now, figuring out how to finally enforce it is key to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal approved by Israel on Tuesday. In late September, after nearly a year of low-level clashes , the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah spiraled into all-out war and an Israeli ground invasion . As Israeli jets pound deep inside Lebanon and Hezbollah fires rockets deeper into northern Israel, U.N. and diplomatic officials again turned to the 2006 resolution in a bid to end the conflict. Years of deeply divided politics and regionwide geopolitical hostilities have halted substantial progress on its implementation, yet the international community believes Resolution 1701 is still the brightest prospect for long-term stability between Israel and Lebanon. Almost two decades after the last war between Israel and Hezbollah, the United States led shuttle diplomacy efforts between Lebanon and Israel to agree on a ceasefire proposal that renewed commitment to the resolution, this time with an implementation plan to try to bring the document back to life. What is UNSC Resolution 1701? In 2000, Israel withdrew its forces from most of southern Lebanon along a U.N.-demarcated “Blue Line” that separated the two countries and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, which most of the world considers occupied Syrian territory. U.N. peacekeeping forces in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL , increased their presence along the line of withdrawal. Resolution 1701 was supposed to complete Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon and ensure Hezbollah would move north of the Litani River, keeping the area exclusively under the Lebanese military and U.N. peacekeepers. Up to 15,000 U.N. peacekeepers would help to maintain calm, return displaced Lebanese and secure the area alongside the Lebanese military. The goal was long-term security, with land borders eventually demarcated to resolve territorial disputes. The resolution also reaffirmed previous ones that call for the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon — Hezbollah among them. “It was made for a certain situation and context,” Elias Hanna, a retired Lebanese army general, told The Associated Press. “But as time goes on, the essence of the resolution begins to hollow.” Has Resolution 1701 been implemented? For years, Lebanon and Israel blamed each other for countless violations along the tense frontier. Israel said Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force and growing arsenal remained, and accused the group of using a local environmental organization to spy on troops. Lebanon complained about Israeli military jets and naval ships entering Lebanese territory even when there was no active conflict. “You had a role of the UNIFIL that slowly eroded like any other peacekeeping with time that has no clear mandate,” said Joseph Bahout, the director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy at the American University of Beirut. “They don’t have permission to inspect the area without coordinating with the Lebanese army.” UNIFIL for years has urged Israel to withdraw from some territory north of the frontier, but to no avail. In the ongoing war, the peacekeeping mission has accused Israel, as well as Hezbollah , of obstructing and harming its forces and infrastructure. Hezbollah’s power, meanwhile, has grown, both in its arsenal and as a political influence in the Lebanese state. The Iran-backed group was essential in keeping Syrian President Bashar Assad in power when armed opposition groups tried to topple him, and it supports Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Yemen. It has an estimated 150,000 rockets and missiles, including precision-guided missiles pointed at Israel, and has introduced drones into its arsenal . Hanna says Hezbollah “is something never seen before as a non-state actor” with political and military influence. How do mediators hope to implement 1701 almost two decades later? Israel’s security Cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement late Tuesday, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. The ceasefire is set to take hold at 4 a.m. local time Wednesday. Efforts led by the U.S. and France for the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah underscored that they still view the resolution as key. For almost a year, Washington has promoted various versions of a deal that would gradually lead to its full implementation. International mediators hope that by boosting financial support for the Lebanese army — which was not a party in the Israel-Hezbollah war — Lebanon can deploy some 6,000 additional troops south of the Litani River to help enforce the resolution. Under the deal, an international monitoring committee headed by the United States would oversee implementation to ensure that Hezbollah and Israel’s withdrawals take place. It is not entirely clear how the committee would work or how potential violations would be reported and dealt with. The circumstances now are far more complicated than in 2006. Some are still skeptical of the resolution’s viability given that the political realities and balance of power both regionally and within Lebanon have dramatically changed since then. “You’re tying 1701 with a hundred things,” Bahout said. “A resolution is the reflection of a balance of power and political context.” Now with the ceasefire in place, the hope is that Israel and Lebanon can begin negotiations to demarcate their land border and settle disputes over several points along the Blue Line for long-term security after decades of conflict and tension.Rich nations raise COP29 climate finance offer to US$300bil as developing nations fume
President Joe Biden recently took a step he previously said he wouldn’t take: He pardoned his son, Hunter Biden . Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to nine tax violations in September and was convicted in a separate case on felony firearms-related charges. He could have faced decades in prison, though his upcoming sentencing was likely to be a much less severe punishment. “From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,” Biden said in a statement about the pardon. However, he went on to say that “raw politics has infected this process, and it led to a miscarriage of justice.” “I hope Americans will understand why a father and a president would come to this decision,” Biden concluded. The White House on Monday defended the decision. "They would continue to go after his son," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Air Force One during a trip to Angola. She added that it was not the first time a president pardoned a family member. For example, former President Bill Clinton issued a presidential pardon for his half-brother on his last day in office. And President-elect Donald Trump pardoned Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner. While pardons are typical toward the end of a president’s term in office, Biden repeatedly pledged that he would not step in to pardon his son. Here are some examples of previous statements related to Hunter Biden’s situation from Biden and the White House:Syrian government services come to ‘complete halt’ as workers stay at homeIan Schieffelin, Clemson topple Penn State to win Sunshine Slam
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