By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday named Andrew Ferguson as the next chair of the Federal Trade Commission . He will replace Lina Khan, who became a lightning rod for Wall Street and Silicon Valley by blocking billions of dollars’ worth of corporate acquisitions and suing Amazon and Meta while alleging anticompetitive behavior . Ferguson is already one of the FTC’s five commissioners, which is currently made up of three Democrats and two Republicans. “Andrew has a proven record of standing up to Big Tech censorship, and protecting Freedom of Speech in our Great Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding, “Andrew will be the most America First, and pro-innovation FTC Chair in our Country’s History.” Related Articles National Politics | Donald Trump is returning to the world stage. So is his trolling National Politics | Biden says he was ‘stupid’ not to put his name on pandemic relief checks like Trump did National Politics | Biden issues veto threat on bill expanding federal judiciary as partisan split emerges National Politics | Trump lawyers and aide hit with 10 additional felony charges in Wisconsin over 2020 fake electors National Politics | After withdrawing as attorney general nominee, Matt Gaetz lands a talk show on OANN television The replacement of Khan likely means that the FTC will operate with a lighter touch when it comes to antitrust enforcement. The new chair is expected to appoint new directors of the FTC’s antitrust and consumer protection divisions. “These changes likely will make the FTC more favorable to business than it has been in recent years, though the extent to which is to be determined,” wrote Anthony DiResta, a consumer protection attorney at Holland & Knight, in a recent analysis . Deals that were blocked by the Biden administration could find new life with Trump in command. For example, the new leadership could be more open to a proposed merger between the country’s two biggest supermarket chains, Kroger and Albertsons, which forged a $24.6 billion deal to combine in 2022. Two judges halted the merger Tuesday night. The FTC had filed a lawsuit in federal court earlier this year to block the merger, claiming the deal would eliminate competition, leading to higher prices and lower wages for workers. The two companies say a merger would help them lower prices and compete against bigger rivals like Walmart. One of the judges said the FTC had shown it was likely to prevail in the administrative hearing. Yet given the widespread public concern over high grocery prices, the Trump administration may not fully abandon the FTC’s efforts to block the deal, some experts have said. And the FTC may continue to scrutinize Big Tech firms for any anticompetitive behavior. Many Republican politicians have accused firms such as Meta of censoring conservative views, and some officials in Trump’s orbit, most notably Vice President-elect JD Vance, have previously expressed support for Khan’s scrutiny of Big Tech firms. In addition to Fergson, Trump also announced Tuesday that he had selected Jacob Helberg as the next undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment.

Virginian-Pilot: As Trump enacts his agenda, weather services must be protectedNoneNone

Bipartisan group of governors join together for national education initiative86,000 SIMs blocked over anti-Pakistan activities, NA told

EDMONTON - A report from Canada's chief actuary suggests Alberta would not be entitled to more than half of the Canada Pension Plan's assets that the province has argued it should get if it were to leave the investment fund. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * EDMONTON - A report from Canada's chief actuary suggests Alberta would not be entitled to more than half of the Canada Pension Plan's assets that the province has argued it should get if it were to leave the investment fund. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? EDMONTON – A report from Canada’s chief actuary suggests Alberta would not be entitled to more than half of the Canada Pension Plan’s assets that the province has argued it should get if it were to leave the investment fund. The chief actuary’s paper, published Friday, says the calculation that claims Alberta should get 53 per cent — or $334 billion — of the $575-billion in CPP assets “does not respect” federal pension legislation. The $334-billion estimate comes from a report commissioned by the Alberta government in 2023 from consultants LifeWorks. Instead, the chief actuary agreed with the interpretation of University of Calgary economics professor Trevor Tombe, who had pegged Alberta’s share at between 20 and 25 per cent of total assets. “It is a complete rejection of the formula used in the LifeWorks report,” said Tombe, adding that he, like Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, was disappointed the report didn’t contain more detailed data. However, Tombe said Smith’s frustration over not getting a dollar figure is disingenuous because the report provides a simple formula to arrive at one. “This is not hard. We can have this assigned to some high school students to calculate, and they could do it,” he said, adding provincial officials have likely already calculated a number. Smith reiterated Thursday that her government wouldn’t consider moving forward with a referendum on the issue until it had a firm number from Ottawa. “We were under the impression that the chief actuary was hiring three different analysts to look at the legislation, to be able to get three very precise ways of looking at this issue, so that we had a precise number,” Smith said at an unrelated news conference. Applying data from the LifeWorks report to the formula provided by the chief actuary would suggest Alberta’s share would be about $135 billion, Tombe said. However, he noted that CPP assets grow and shrink all the time, so any estimate could quickly become irrelevant. Chief Actuary Assia Billig wrote that the LifeWorks formula would split up the CPP pie by leaving some provinces with a net negative allocation — an arrangement that would go against the wording of federal legislation. That position, the report says, is consistent with the findings of an independent advisory council. Four of the five panel members ultimately sided with Tombe’s approach. Tombe said the LifeWorks estimate calculated what Alberta would be entitled to if it had an independent provincial pension plan beginning at the same time as the inception of the CPP in 1966. Smith has long argued Albertans are getting a raw deal under the CPP. Her United Conservative Party government spent $7.5 million on a public campaign touting the benefits of a provincial plan, including the possibility of lower contributions and higher payouts to retirees. It also struck a public panel to speak directly to Albertans on the issue but later set it on the back burner pending a federal estimate. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Tombe said it’s worth having a public debate about the potential risks and rewards of a provincial pension plan, but the Alberta government should be transparent about its methods. “The challenge for the government is that the poll numbers didn’t move at all, even with a completely exaggerated set of benefits,” he said. Last week, a spokesperson for the federal finance department said it, along with the provinces and territories, are reviewing the findings from the chief actuary. “Discussions will take place between the government of Canada and provinces and territories over the coming weeks regarding the report and possible next steps,” the spokesperson said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 23, 2024. Advertisement Advertisement

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Coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes still have a narrow path to get into the Big 12 Conference championship game after dropping into a four-way tie for first place with BYU, Arizona State and Iowa State. There are two clear ways for them to get in with one game left in the regular season, as confirmed by the Big 12 on Sunday according to league tiebreaker rules. First the Buffs (8-3) need to beat Oklahoma State (3-8) at home in their regular-season finale on Friday at noon ET. ∎ Then they need at least two of those other three first-place teams to lose on Saturday, thereby leaving the Buffs alone or in a two-way tie atop the standings with a 7-2 league record. ∎ Or they just need BYU to lose to Houston and Texas Tech to beat West Virginia. The latter scenario would put the Buffs in a specific three-way tie for first place that would favor them under league tiebreaker rules. If one of those scenarios happens, the Buffs will play for the Big 12 title Dec. 7 in Arlington, Texas, despite suffering a damaging 37-21 loss Saturday against Kansas . If neither of those scenarios happens, the Buffs will instead next play in a non-playoff bowl game such as the Holiday or Alamo Bowl on Dec. 27 or 28. What if all four first-place Big 12 teams win? If all four teams win next weekend, Arizona State will play Iowa State for the league title. Because Colorado has not played those other four first-place teams, the tiebreaker gets complicated and involves records against common conference opponents. The four first-place teams have four common Big 12 opponents: Kansas, Kansas State, Utah and Central Florida. Arizona State is 4-0 against those teams. BYU is 3-1. Colorado is 2-2. Iowa State is 2-1 and hosts Kansas State next week. BYU hosts Houston and Arizona State plays at Arizona on Saturday. All four first-place teams have 6-2 records in league play. RECRUITING STRATEGY: Deion Sanders debuts new talk show during amid Big 12 title chase What if three teams tie for first place? The Big 12 spelled it out like this, according to which of the four first-place teams loses and leaves a three-way tie for first place. ∎ If Colorado loses vs. Oklahoma State and the other three teams win, it would be Arizona State vs. Iowa State in the league title game ∎ If Arizona State loses but the others win, it would be Iowa State vs. BYU playing for the championship. ∎ If Iowa State loses but the others win, it would be Arizona State vs. BYU. ∎ If BYU loses but the other three win, it gets even more complicated under league tiebreaker rules and involves records against the next highest placed common opponent in the league standings. If BYU loses and the other three win, Colorado needs Texas Tech to beat West Virginia in the regular-season finale. That’s because Arizona State and Iowa State both lost to Tech while Colorado beat Tech this season. Colorado would play in the Big 12 title game in that scenario against either Arizona State or Iowa State. But if West Virginia beats Tech in that scenario, Colorado is out and Arizona State would play Iowa State for the league title. What about the five teams tied for second place? Five teams are tied for second place in the league standings with 5-3 league records: Texas Tech, Baylor, TCU, West Virginia and Kansas State. The league said they must win and see at least three of the four 6-2 teams take a loss. Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboe r. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.comNEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump used his image as a successful New York businessman to become a celebrity, a reality television star and eventually the president. Now he will get to revel in one of the most visible symbols of success in the city when he rings the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday as he's also named Time Magazine's Person of the Year. Trump is expected to be on Wall Street to mark the ceremonial start of the day's trading, according to four people with knowledge of his plans. He will also be announced Thursday as Time's 2024 Person of the Year , according to a person familiar with the selection. The people who confirmed the stock exchange appearance and Time award were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. It will be a notable moment of twin recognitions for Trump, a born-and-bred New Yorker who at times has treated the stock market as a measure of public approval and has long-prized signifiers of his success in New York's business world and his appearances on the covers of magazines — especially Time. Trump was named the magazine's Person of the Year in 2016, when he was first elected to the White House. He had already been listed as a finalist for this year's award alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, X owner Elon Musk, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Kate, the Princess of Wales. Time declined to confirm the selection ahead of Thursday morning's announcement. “Time does not comment on its annual choice for Person of the Year prior to publication,” a spokesperson for the magazine said Wednesday. The ringing of the bell is a powerful symbol of U.S. capitalism — and a good New York photo opportunity at that. Despite his decades as a New York businessman, Trump has never done it before. It was unclear whether Trump, a Republican, would meet with New York's embattled mayor, Democrat Eric Adams , who has warmed to Trump and has not ruled out changing his political party. Adams has been charged with federal corruption crimes and accused of selling influence to foreign nationals; he has denied wrongdoing. Trump himself was once a symbol of New York, but he gave up living full-time in his namesake Trump Tower in Manhattan and moved to Florida after leaving the White House. CNN first reported Wednesday Trump’s visit to the stock exchange and Politico reported that Trump was expected to be unveiled as Time's Person of the Year. The stock exchange regularly invites celebrities and business leaders to participate in the ceremonial opening and closing of trading. During Trump’s first term, his wife, Melania Trump, rang the bell to promote her “Be Best” initiative on children’s well-being. Last year, Time CEO Jessica Sibley rang the opening bell to unveil the magazine's 2023 Person of the Year: Taylor Swift . After the Nov. 5 election, the S&P 500 rallied 2.5% for its best day in nearly two years. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 1,508 points, or 3.6%, while the Nasdaq composite jumped 3%. All three indexes topped records they had set in recent weeks. The U.S. stock market has historically tended to rise regardless of which party wins the White House, with Democrats scoring bigger average gains since 1945. But Republican control could mean big shifts in the winning and losing industries underneath the surface, and investors are adding to bets built earlier on what the higher tariffs, lower tax rates and lighter regulation that Trump favors will mean. Trump has long courted the business community based on his own status as a wealthy real estate developer who gained additional fame as the star of the TV show “The Apprentice” in which competitors tried to impress him with their business skills. He won the election in part by tapping into Americans' deep anxieties about an economy that seemed unable to meet the needs of the middle class. The larger business community has applauded his promises to reduce corporate taxes and cut regulations. But there are also concerns about his stated plans to impose broad tariffs and possibly target companies that he sees as not aligning with his own political interests. Trump spends the bulk of his time at his Florida home but was in New York for weeks this spring during his hush money trial there. He was convicted, but his lawyers are pushing for the case to be thrown out in light of his election. While he spent hours in a Manhattan courthouse every day during his criminal trial, Trump took his presidential campaign to the streets of the heavily Democratic city, holding a rally in the Bronx and popping up at settings for working-class New Yorkers: a bodega, a construction site and a firehouse. Trump returned to the city in September to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Manhattan tower and again in the final stretch of the presidential campaign when he held a rally at Madison Square Garden that drew immediate blowback as speakers made rude and racist insults and incendiary remarks . At the stock exchange, the ringing of the bell has been a tradition since the 1800s. The first guest to do it was a 10-year-old boy named Leonard Ross, in 1956, who won a quiz show answering questions about the stock market. Many times, companies listing on the exchange would ring the bell at 9:30 a.m. to commemorate their initial offerings as trading began. But the appearances have become an important marker of culture and politics -- something that Trump hopes to seize as he’s promised historic levels of economic growth. The anti-apartheid advocate and South African President Nelson Mandela rang the bell, as has Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone with his castmates from the film “The Expendables.” So, too, have the actors Robert Downey Jr. and Jeremy Renner for an “Avengers” movie and the Olympians Michael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin. In 1985, Ronald Reagan became the first sitting U.S. president to ring the bell. “With tax reform and budget control, our economy will be free to expand to its full potential, driving the bears back into permanent hibernation,” Reagan said at the time. “We’re going to turn the bull loose.” The crowd of traders on the floor chanted, “Ronnie! Ronnie! Ronnie!” The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed in 1985 and 1986, but it suffered a decline in October 1987 in an event known as “Black Monday.” Long reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Josh Boak in Washington contributed to this report.Matt Gaetz joins Cameo like disgraced congressman before him

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / December 23, 2024 / LQWD Technologies Corp. (TSXV:LQWD)(OTCQB:LQWDF) ("LQWD" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed its non-brokered private placement financing of CDN$3,000,000 (the "Private Placement"), which was previously announced on November 15, 2024. Under the Private Placement, the Company issued an aggregate of 2,000,000 units of the Company at a price of CDN$1.50 per unit to raise gross proceeds of CDN$3,000,000. Each unit consists of one common share of the Company and one-half of one common share purchase warrant. Each full warrant is exercisable into one common share at an exercise price of CDN$2.00 per share at any time up to 18 months following the closing date of the Private Placement. The shares and warrants from the Private Placement are subject to a 4 month hold period before becoming free trading. If the volume weighted average trading price of the common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange is equal to or greater than CDN$2.50 for a period of 20 consecutive trading days, the Company will have the right to accelerate the expiry date of the warrants by giving written notice that the warrants will expire on the date that is not less than 10 days from the date notice is provided by the Company to the warrant holder. The net proceeds from the Private Placement will be used for, but are not limited to, continuing to expand LQWD's Lightning Network business, additional Bitcoin purchases, and general working capital purposes. In connection with the Private Placement, the Company did not pay a finder's fee. Alex Guidi, a non-executive director of the Company, and 210K Capital LP, a significant shareholder of the Company, participated in the Private Placement by purchasing 247,666 units and 256,333 units for aggregate subscription prices of $371,499 and $384,500, accordingly. Also, an Affiliate of 210K Capital LP, Beach Chair 615 LLC, participated in the Private Placement by purchasing 188,667 units for an aggregate subscription price of $283,000. Therefore, the Private Placement constitutes a "related party transaction" for the Company within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company is exempt from the requirements to obtain a formal valuation and minority shareholder approval under MI 61-101 as the fair market value of each insider's participation in the Private Placement does not exceed more than 25% of the market capitalization of the Company, as set forth in Sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101. About LQWD Technologies Corp. LQWD is a Canadian-based, publicly traded company focused on expanding Lightning Network transaction infrastructure to enable instant, low-cost, internet-powered payments. The Company is committed to delivering enterprise-ready solutions for open payments at scale using the Lightning Network. For further information: Ashley Garnot, Director Phone: 1.604.669.0912 Email: ashley@lqwd.money Website: www.lqwdtech.com X: @LQWDTech Forward-Looking Statements This release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to the Company's business plans and the outlook of the Company's industry. Although the Company believes, considering the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate, that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this release and the Company assumes no responsibility to update them or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances other than as required by applicable securities laws. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the Units, nor shall there be any sale of the Units in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. The Units being offered will not be, and have not been, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, a U.S. person. SOURCE: LQWD Technologies Corp. View the original on accesswire.comManipur: Mobile internet suspension extended till Nov 25 in seven districts

Trump and NATO Chief Meet for Crucial Global Security TalksMozambique's highest court confirmed Monday the ruling party's victory in a disputed October vote after allegations of rigging triggered weeks of deadly street clashes. Fears are high in the country and abroad that more violence could break out in the southern African nation after the opposition threatened to call an uprising following the decision. The United States called for calm after the Constitutional Court said the ruling Frelimo party presidential candidate Daniel Chapo secured 65 percent of the vote, revising down provisional results from the electoral commission which said he got nearly 71 percent. Chapo's main challenger, exiled opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, received an upward revision to 24.2 percent of the vote. The final results extend Frelimo's half-century grip on power and lines up Chapo to take over from President Filipe Nyusi whose second term ends on January 15. Mondlane has said that the election was rigged in favour of Frelimo and that a separate count shows he won enough votes to take office, which he intends to do. Several international observer missions have also said there were irregularities. In Washington, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said there was "a lack of transparency" about the results and urged all parties to "refrain from violence and engage in meaningful collaboration to restore peace and foster unity". In his first speech after being declared winner, Chapo struck a conciliatory tone, promising to reach out to Mondlane, who has been in a self-imposed exile. "For our development we will continue to talk to everyone," said Chapo, a former provincial governor with no experience in national government. Mondlane has been in exile since the assassination of his lawyer on October 19, a killing he blames on security forces, and it was unclear if he intended to return. In address on social media after the court announced the result, the 50-year-old said that he would continue his fight for the "electoral truth". "The Mozambican people demand that we remain firm, that we don't stop our struggle and that we remain united and strong," said Mondlane, who appeals to disenchanted younger voters in a country of 33 million people marked by poverty despite its abundant resources. Before the announcement, he vowed to bring the country to a "new popular uprising at a level never seen before", should the council endorse Frelimo as winner. Maputo was tense ahead of the announcement, with main roads deserted and the metal curtains of stores lowered. Protesters set fire to tyres early in the evening but dispersed after a heavy rainfall. Mozambique has been rocked by unrest since the election commission said that the October 9 vote was won by Chapo. At least 130 people have been killed in two months of violence, most of them opposition demonstrators shot by security forces, according to local NGOs. Cities, mines, borders and ports have been affected by protest action and operations at the main border with South Africa halted, causing its neighbour major losses in exports. The US government on Thursday raised its warning level against travel to Mozambique before the council's announcement. Pope Francis called Sunday for dialogue and goodwill to "prevail over mistrust and discord" in Mozambique. The protests have been the "most dangerous" ever seen in Mozambique, said analyst Borges Nhamirre, continuing despite deaths and arrests, and intensifying with police stations and Frelimo offices torched. "I'm convinced that if Monday the Constitutional Council declares the election as free and fair, which I am 100 percent convinced it will, then the blood is going to flow," Maputo-based political and security risk analyst Johann Smith told AFP. "The whole game changes on Monday," said Smith. "It will be a lot more intense and bloody." Mondlane had awakened resentment against Frelimo, he said, similar to discontent that this year led to the party that governed Botswana since independence being voted out and threatening to do the same in Namibia. "It's almost like the Southern African Spring," Smith said, in a reference to the Arab anti-government protests in North Africa in the early 2010s. bur-ho/br/phz

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BANGKOK — Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan will attempt to merge and create the world's third-largest automaker by sales as the industry undergoes dramatic changes in its transition away from fossil fuels. Nissan Chief Executive Makoto Uchida, left, Honda Chief Executive Toshihiro Mibe, center, and Takao Kato, CEO of Mitsubishi Motors, right, pose for photographers during a joint news conference in Tokyo, Japan, Monday, Dec. 23, 2024. The two companies said they had signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday and that smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors also had agreed to join the talks on integrating their businesses. Honda will initially lead the new management, retaining the principles and brands of each company. Following is a quick look at what a combined Honda and Nissan would mean for the companies, and for the auto industry. An industry shakeup The ascent of Chinese automakers is rattling the industry at a time when manufacturers are struggling to shift from fossil fuel-driven vehicles to electrics. Relatively inexpensive EVs from China's BYD, Great Wall and Nio are eating into the market shares of U.S. and Japanese car companies in China and elsewhere. Japanese automakers have lagged behind big rivals in EVs and are now trying to cut costs and make up for lost time. Nissan, Honda and Mitsubishi announced in August that they will share components for electric vehicles like batteries and jointly research software for autonomous driving to adapt better to dramatic changes in the auto industry centered around electrification. A preliminary agreement between Honda, Japan's second-largest automaker, and Nissan, third largest, was announced in March. A merger could result in a behemoth worth about $55 billion based on the market capitalization of all three automakers. Joining forces would help the smaller Japanese automakers add scale to compete with Japan's market leader Toyota Motor Corp. and with Germany's Volkswagen AG. Toyota itself has technology partnerships with Japan's Mazda Motor Corp. and Subaru Corp. What would Honda need from Nissan? Nissan has truck-based body-on-frame large SUVs such as the Armada and Infiniti QX80 that Honda doesn't have, with large towing capacities and good off-road performance, said Sam Fiorani, vice president of AutoForecast Solutions. Nissan also has years of experience building batteries and electric vehicles, and gas-electric hybird powertrains that could help Honda in developing its own EVs and next generation of hybrids, he said. "Nissan does have some product segments where Honda doesn't currently play," that a merger or partnership could help, said Sam Abuelsamid, a Detroit-area automotive industry analsyt. While Nissan's electric Leaf and Ariya haven't sold well in the U.S., they're solid vehicles, Fiorani said. "They haven't been resting on their laurels, and they have been developing this technology," he said. "They have new products coming that could provide a good platform for Honda for its next generation." Why now? Nissan said last month that it was slashing 9,000 jobs, or about 6% of its global work force, and reducing global production capacity by 20% after reporting a quarterly loss of 9.3 billion yen ($61 million). Earlier this month it reshuffled its management and its chief executive, Makoto Uchida, took a 50% pay cut to take responsibility for the financial woes, saying Nissan needed to become more efficient and respond better to market tastes, rising costs and other global changes. Fitch Ratings recently downgraded Nissan's credit outlook to "negative," citing worsening profitability, partly due to price cuts in the North American market. But it noted that it has a strong financial structure and solid cash reserves that amounted to 1.44 trillion yen ($9.4 billion). Nissan's share price has fallen to the point where it is considered something of a bargain. A report in the Japanese financial magazine Diamond said talks with Honda gained urgency after the Taiwan maker of iPhones Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., better known as Foxconn, began exploring a possible acquisition of Nissan as part of its push into the EV sector. The company has struggled for years following a scandal that began with the arrest of its former chairman Carlos Ghosn in late 2018 on charges of fraud and misuse of company assets, allegations that he denies. He eventually was released on bail and fled to Lebanon. Honda reported its profits slipped nearly 20% in the first half of the April-March fiscal year from a year earlier, as sales suffered in China. More headwinds Toyota made 11.5 million vehicles in 2023, while Honda rolled out 4 million and Nissan produced 3.4 million. Mitsubishi Motors made just over 1 million. Even after a merger Toyota would remain the leading Japanese automaker. All the global automakers are facing potential shocks if President-elect Donald Trump follows through on threats to raise or impose tariffs on imports of foreign products, even from allies like Japan and neighboring countries like Canada and Mexico. Nissan is among the major car companies that have adjusted their supply chains to include vehicles assembled in Mexico. Meanwhile, analysts say there is an "affordability shift" taking place across the industry, led by people who feel they cannot afford to pay nearly $50,000 for a new vehicle. In American, a vital market for companies like Nissan, Honda and Toyota, that's forcing automakers to consider lower pricing, which will eat further into industry profits. Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Trump names Andrew Ferguson as head of Federal Trade Commission to replace Lina Khan

DALLAS – The Washington Nationals will have the No. 1 overall pick in the amateur draft next summer after winning the lottery in a drawing of ping-pong balls at the winter meetings Tuesday. Unlike last year, when the Nationals were ineligible after initially coming out with the top spot, they will get to make the first pick in July in Atlanta, the site of the All-Star Game. Recommended Videos Washington was ineligible for a top-six pick last year because the collective bargaining agreement states a team that pays into the revenue-sharing plan cannot have a lottery selection in back-to-back years. The Nationals chose outfielder Dylan Crews with the No. 2 pick in 2023. The Los Angeles Angels have the second pick for next summer. Seattle, Colorado, St. Louis and Pittsburgh round out the top six. A weighted lottery among the 18 teams that failed to make the playoffs this season determined the order of picks for the third year in a row. The Nationals went in with a 10.2% chance, the fourth-best odds, for getting the No. 1 pick. Colorado and Miami, both 100-loss teams, had the best odds at 22.45%, ahead of the Angels at 17.96%. Miami instead ended up with the seventh pick. Seattle got the No. 3 overall pick after having a 0.53% chance to get the No. 1 pick, the second-worst odds among 16 eligible teams. The 121-loss Chicago White Sox, who had the most losses of any major league club since 1900, were not eligible for the draft lottery since they had one of the top six picks last year (No. 5) and is a team that pays into the revenue-sharing plan. The CBA also doesn’t allow teams that receive money in revenue sharing to have lottery picks three years in a row. That made the Athletics (69-93) ineligible for the lottery — they picked fourth last year after having the No. 6 selection in 2023. Chicago instead got the 10th pick, one spot ahead of Oakland — the highest possible positions for those two teams because of their recent lottery picks. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLBChairman All Progressive Congress APC Ebonyi State Chapter Chief Stanley Okoro-Emegha has commended Governor Francis Nwifuru’s led administration for creating enabling environment for businesses to strive. According to him, the peace and security Nwifuru provided in the State including the completion of Chuba Okadigbo International Airport Runway has proven that his administration is doing very well. Okoro-Emegha stated this after the 2023 governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party PDP in the State Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, accused Nwifuru government of wasting N20billion Ebonyi resources on the Airport. He said “We are not surprised, Anyi Chuks cannot say that the wife of the president’s visit to Ebonyi is a waste of fund. He is somebody who do not look beyond his nose. What is being at the centre of politics? Don’t you know that it is a plus if the president or the wife of the president visits a state. There is no way it will not attract a positive development. “Talking about our airport, if he is not myopic, he should have known that in the aviation industry, cement technology runway does not go because the smoothness of cement technology can never be the same with asphalting and that is what the governor has done. “The wife of the president landed there and said this is the best and the highest in the whole country. Who is Anyi Chuks to say it is a waste of fund? Since he feels he is a big man, he has private jet and flies to other states, why can’t he fly to our airport. Well, the Ebonyians want it and the governor knows the development it is going to bring to the state. “People from some part of Abia are going to use that airport. People from some areas of Cross River are going to use that airport. People from some parts of Okigwe in Imo State are going to be using that airport and Ebonyians will stop losing their lives trying to go to airport in Enugu. He also said that the governor buying aircraft is a waste of fund. I don’t join issues. He is a failed entity.” READ MORE FROM: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE Get real-time news updates from Tribune Online! Follow us on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive stories and interviews, and much more. Join our WhatsApp Channel now