By Naveen Athrappully Contributing Writer Multiple regulatory agencies have urged American financial institutions to implement strict measures to ensure the protection of older adults in light of the increasing number of scams targeting the vulnerable population. State and federal agencies, including the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., said in a Dec. 4 joint statement that the financial exploitation of older Americans is estimated to cause annual losses exceeding $28 billion. “Elder financial exploitation is the illegal use of an older adult’s funds or other resources for the benefit of an unauthorized recipient,” the agencies said in the statement. Such abuse “can deprive older adults of their life savings in whole or in part, devastate their financial security, and cause other harm.” Between June 15, 2022, and June 15, 2023, over 155,000 reports of such potential abuse were reported by institutions that were linked to more than $27 billion in suspicious activity. According to an FBI report, there were more than 101,000 “elder fraud” complaints in 2023, with people over the age of 60 losing an average of $33,915. The average loss was nearly 270% higher than in 2020 when the average loss was $9,175. Last year, older adults reported most losses were from investment scams. “Investment fraud involves complex financial crimes often characterized as low-risk investments with guaranteed returns,” the FBI report said. “They comprise of advanced fee frauds, Ponzi schemes, pyramid schemes, market manipulation fraud, real estate investing, and trust-based investing such as cryptocurrency investment scams.” Other major scams were related to business email compromise, romance, government impersonation, and personal data breaches. Last week, regulatory agencies urged institutions, such as banks, to help older adults more effectively by increasing account oversight and by training employees to recognize and respond to such financial exploitation. In questionable situations, institutions may delay the disbursement of funds. Designated employees can also serve as a single point of contact for older account holders, the agencies said. Institutions are asked to contact regulatory authorities and “elder fraud prevention and response networks” immediately if they encounter suspicious activity. “These networks can help improve coordination among supervised institutions, law enforcement, APS [adult protective services], local aging service providers, and other key partners,” the agencies said. According to the Arizona State University’s Center for Problem-Oriented Policing, older adults are typically duped financially either through fraudulent schemes perpetrated by strangers or via exploitation by relatives or caregivers. Strangers deceive older people through fake sweepstakes, investments, and charity contributions. Fraudsters offer loans to older adults in need of cash and then charge exorbitant interest rates and other fees. Some scammers promise to resolve health issues facing older individuals by promoting “miracle cures.” “Unlike strangers, relatives and caregivers often have a position of trust and an ongoing relationship with the elderly,” researcher Kelly Dede wrote in a 2023 guide for the center. “Financial exploitation occurs when the offender steals, withholds, or otherwise misuses their elderly victims’ money, property, or valuables for personal advantage or profit, to the disadvantage of the elder.” Such activities include cashing an older adult’s Social Security or pension checks without their approval, repeatedly borrowing money from them without paying back, and forcing older people to legally hand over their assets, according to the guide. According to the American Bankers Association, older adults are often targeted as they tend to have more accumulated wealth. Older adults who are most vulnerable to financial exploitation include those who have previously been victimized by scams, experience social isolation, suffer from mental health issues such as dementia, are unfamiliar with modern technology, and do not have much information about the various types of scams, the ABA said in an infographic. Some of the warning signs that an older adult could be experiencing monetary exploitation include unusual activity in their bank accounts, new people accompanying them to banks, account withdrawals that they cannot explain, and relatives or caretakers who start monetary transactions on the older adult’s behalf without any documentation, ABA noted. CFPB advises people who suspect an older person may have been duped out of their money to report the incident to the adult protective services. In case the older adult is facing immediate harm, the matter should be reported to 911. Otherwise, filing a complaint with the local police or sheriff’s office would do. “If the financial abuse involved a financial account, work with your loved one to contact their bank, credit union, credit card company, or other financial services provider as soon as possible,” the agency said. “Depending on the situation, the financial institution may be able to get your loved one’s money back. You can also check whether your loved one has any insurance that might cover the loss.”Atos SE announces the completion of the settlement and delivery of its €233 million rights issuelodibet tv 。

Recap of the China Economic Roundtable Annual Meeting on Stimulating Domestic DemandIn conclusion, China's foreign trade is set to conclude the year 2021 on a positive and stable note, reflecting the resilience, adaptability, and competitiveness of the country's trade sector. Despite the challenges posed by the global uncertainties, China's foreign trade has demonstrated its ability to withstand the headwinds and emerge stronger. Moving forward, China will continue to play a key role in driving global trade and fostering economic cooperation across borders, contributing to the shared prosperity of the global community.Cameron Haffner helps Evansville end five-game skid with 57-40 victory over Missouri State

While others scrambled to adjust their positions, our intrepid trader saw his profits skyrocket as Chinese stocks surged higher and higher. With each tick upward, his gains multiplied exponentially, eventually culminating in a mind-blowing profit of $138 million by the closing bell.

Trump asks Supreme Court to pause law that could ban TikTok

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Dallas Cowboys star guard Zack Martin is doubtful for Sunday's game against the Washington Commanders due to ankle and shoulder injuries. Martin didn't practice at all this week. He also physically struggled during Monday night's loss to the Houston Texas. Martin, who turned 34 on Wednesday, has started all 162 games played in 11 seasons with the Cowboys. He's a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and a seven-time first-team All-Pro. Tight end Jake Ferguson (concussion) and safety Markquese Bell (shoulder) have been ruled out. Neither player practiced this week after being hurt against the Texans. Cornerback DaRon Bland (foot) practiced in full this week and will make his season debut. He was injured in August. Star wideout CeeDee Lamb (back/foot) was a full practice participant on Friday and is good to go. Cornerback Trevon Diggs (groin/knee) and receiver Brandin Cooks (knee) are among six players listed as questionable. The others are offensive tackle Chuma Edoga (toe), guard Tyler Smith (ankle/knee), defensive end Marshawn Kneeland (knee) and linebacker Nick Vigil (foot). --Field Level MediaNEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes are drifting lower Tuesday in the runup to the highlight of the week for the market, the latest update on inflation that’s coming on Wednesday. The S&P 500 dipped by 0.2% in late trading, a day after pulling back from its latest all-time high . The index is on track for its first back-to-back losses in more than three weeks, as momentum slows following a big rally that has it on track for one of its best years of the millennium . The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down by 7 points, or less than 0.1%, with roughly an hour remaining in trading, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.3%. Tech titan Oracle dragged on the market and sank 7.8% after reporting growth for the latest quarter that fell just short of analysts’ expectations. It was one of the heaviest weights on the S&P 500, even though CEO Safra Catz said the company saw record demand related to artificial-intelligence technology for its cloud infrastructure business, which trains generative AI models. AI has been a big source of growth that’s helped many companies’ stock prices skyrocket. Oracle’s stock had already leaped nearly 81% for the year coming into Tuesday, which raised the bar of expectations for its profit report. C3.ai fell 2.1% despite reporting a smaller loss for the latest quarter than analysts expected. The AI software company increased its forecast for how big a loss it expects to take this fiscal year from its operations. In the bond market, Treasury yields ticked higher ahead of Wednesday’s report on the inflation that U.S. consumers are feeling. Economists expect it to show roughly similar increases as the month before. That and a report on Thursday about inflation at the wholesale level will be the final big pieces of data the Federal Reserve will get before its meeting next week, where many investors expect the year’s third cut to interest rates . The Fed has been easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high since September to lift the slowing jobs market, after bringing inflation nearly down to its 2% target. Lower rates would help give support to the economy, but they could also provide more fuel for inflation. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.22% from 4.20% late Monday. Even though the Fed has been cutting its main interest rate, mortgage rates have been more stubborn and have been volatile since the autumn. That has hampered the housing industry, and homebuilder Toll Brothers’ stock fell 5.2% even though it beat analysts’ expectations for profit and revenue in the latest quarter. CEO Douglas Yearley Jr. said the luxury builder has been seeing strong demand since the start of its fiscal year six weeks ago, an encouraging signal as it approaches the beginning of the spring selling season in mid-January Elsewhere on Wall Street, Alaska Air Group soared 13.6% after raising its forecast for profit in the current quarter. The airline said demand for flying around the holidays has been stronger than expected. It also approved a plan to buy back up to $1 billion of its stock, along with new service from Seattle to Tokyo and Seoul . Boeing climbed 5.2% after saying it's resuming production of its bestselling plane , the 737 Max, for the first time since 33,000 workers began a seven-week strike that ended in early November. Vail Resorts rose 2.7% after the ski resort operator reported a narrower first-quarter loss than expected in what is traditionally its worst quarter. In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in China after the world’s second-largest economy said its exports rose by less than expected in November. Stocks rose 0.6% in Shanghai but fell 0.5% in Hong Kong. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

As the snowflakes drift lazily to the ground and the north wind whispers through the trees, Beijing is reminded once again of the beauty and resilience that can be found in the midst of winter's chill. And with each passing snowfall, the city is transformed into a magical winter wonderland, ready to be explored and enjoyed by all who call it home.

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb has directed the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) to expedite its inquiries and investigations into cartelization and collusion practices. The Minister assured CCP of government’s complete support and resolve to discipline markets, promote best practices and foster competition. The Federal Minister visited the CCP head office Tuesday to receive a comprehensive briefing on the Commission’s performance. Chairman CCP, Dr Kabir Ahmed Sidhu, briefed the Minister on ongoing inquiries, provided details of significant cases pending in courts, and outlined recent initiatives to strengthen the CCP. The briefing was attended by CCP members Saeed Nawaz, Salman Amin and, Abdul Rashid Sheikh, along with senior management. Fighting cartelism: CCP brings enforcement, policy actions under focus Senator Aurangzeb expressed his appreciation for the Commission’s efforts but stressed the importance of adopting modern technologies and data analytics, to monitor and detect cartelization and collusion. He assured CCP of the government’s full support, including budgetary provisions to digitalize the Commission’s operations and implement international benchmarking practices to strengthen its capabilities. “The government is determined to discipline the markets and stop illegal practices at any cost. The Commission has the full backing of the government, and we expect the ongoing inquiries to be completed swiftly. However, it is crucial that the due process is followed, and there is no harassment,” the Minister stated. Dr Sidhu apprised the Minister that there was a backlog of 567 cases involving penalties worth Rs 74 billion. Over the past year, the Commission has made significant progress by recovering Rs 100 million in penalties and resolving 73 cases in courts. He also provided details of the number of pending cases, with around 200 in the Supreme Court, 179 in the Competition Appellate Tribunal, and 146 in various high courts. A key development was the establishment of the Market Intelligence Unit (MIU), which has already identified over 150 instances of anti-competitive practices by using advanced data collection and analysis techniques. Dr Kabir also highlighted CCP’s research reports on market competitiveness in sectors such as insurance, aviation, road construction, and power. The Minister commended the reports, urging government departments to leverage CCP’s findings to drive sectoral reforms. Senator Aurangzeb also assured Dr Kabir Sidhu of his support in requesting the Chief Justice of Pakistan to help expedite the resolution of competition-related cases. He also mentioned that he would approach the Federal Minister for Law and Justice for the early appointment of the Chairman and members for the Competition Appellate Tribunal (CAT). The Minister further advised the CCP to engage the best legal professionals to pursue its cases and suggested establishing service legal agreements (SLAs) with agencies like the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to ensure the timely forensic examination of evidence collected during raids. “The performance of the Competition Commission has been commendable, but there is always room for improvement. The goal is to make CCP more effective in its mission to curb market abuse and ensure fair competition,” the Finance Minister concluded. Copyright Business Recorder, 2024Share Tweet Share Share Email Cart.com has purchased OceanX. Takeaway Points Cart.com Purchases OceanX Bill Guthy, Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of Guthy-Renker, will also serve as a strategic advisor to Cart.com. About 200 OceanX employees will join the Cart.com team as part of the transaction. The company will also add two new facilities totaling over 600,000 square feet to its network, including a west coast distribution hub in Southern California and its third facility near Columbus, Ohio. Cart.com is the leading provider of interconnected omnichannel commerce and logistics solutions that enable B2C and B2B companies. Why did Cart.com purchase OceanX? Cart.com, a leading unified commerce solutions provider, said on Tuesday that it has acquired OceanX, the wholly owned fulfillment operations arm of Guthy-Renker. The acquisition further strengthens Cart.com’s position as a leader in mid-market to enterprise logistics and expands its tech-enabled capabilities to support high-volume beauty, wellness, and lifestyle brands. Bill Guthy, Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of Guthy-Renker, will also serve as a strategic advisor to Cart.com as the company extends its multichannel selling and logistics offerings to new verticals and geographies, the company said. Omair Tariq, Cart.com’s Founder & CEO, commented, “Acquiring OceanX is part of Cart.com’s strategy to continue to scale our platform and capabilities across industries, leveraging our proprietary technology to improve efficiency and deliver superior results to our clients and their customers. By deploying our Constellation OMS and WMS software and seasoned operations team across these two new facilities, we will improve order visibility, labor efficiency, shipping costs and customer satisfaction for the benefit of our new clients.” Rick Odum, Chief Executive Officer of Guthy-Renker, said,“Cart.com has built a comprehensive, enterprise-grade logistics network with modern, digital capabilities that offer unparalleled visibility, control and efficiency for our brands. This partnership will marry our own channel and marketing expertise with their track record of driving growth and savings for high-volume, high-SKU brands, supercharging performance across our portfolio.” How many OceanX employees will join the Cart.com team? The company said that about 200 OceanX employees will join the Cart.com team as part of the transaction, and it will also add two new facilities totaling over 600,000 square feet to its network, including a west coast distribution hub in Southern California and its third facility near Columbus, Ohio. The company now has 17 omnichannel fulfillment and distribution centers with nearly 10 million square feet and over 1,600 team members. Through the acquisition, Cart.com will enable many iconic brands , including Meaningful Beauty, The Body Firm, Smileactives, and Westmore Beauty, to see, control, and orchestrate their supply chains with the same sophistication as the world’s most dominant retailers, the report stated. ABOUT CART.COM Cart.com is the leading provider of interconnected omnichannel commerce and logistics solutions that enable B2C and B2B companies as well as public sector agencies to unify order and inventory management from product discovery to product delivery. The company’s enterprise-grade software, services and logistics infrastructure, including its own network of fulfillment and distribution centers, are used by some of the world’s most beloved brands and complex companies to achieve omnichannel excellence and drive more efficient growth. Related Items: Cart.com , logistics , OceanX Share Tweet Share Share Email Recommended for you Impact of Automation on Freight Shipping and Logistics Revolutionizing Logistics: Insights on AI, Automation, and Distributed Team Leadership from Industry Veteran Anupam Narayan How U.S. D2C Brands Can Expand Internationally Using a 3PL Comments

Beyond the realm of food, the couple's journey with radish meatballs symbolized a larger transformation – one of resilience, creativity, and the power of never giving up. With each batch of meatballs they fried, they were not just creating a delicious dish, but also molding their own destinies. Through the highs and lows, they remained steadfast in their commitment to their vision, cherishing the lessons learned and the growth experienced along the way.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Thursday that he wouldn’t rule out inside linebacker and leading tackler Roquan Smith for Monday night’s game against the host Los Angeles Chargers “by any stretch.” Two days later, that remained the case. Smith, who in last week’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and hasn’t practiced all week, is listed as questionable for the critical AFC showdown. Smith leads Baltimore (7-4) in tackles (110) while contributing an interception, three pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The two-time All Pro has also been incredibly durable, having not missed a regular-season game because of injury since 2019, his second year in the league with the Chicago Bears. If he can’t play, the Ravens’ options are less than ideal, particularly with a defense that has struggled in the middle of the field. Baltimore could shift linebacker Malik Harrison to more of an inside role to fill in for Smith. They also have Chris Board, who plays primarily on special teams, and Kristian Welch, whom they signed to the 53-man roster after . Or the Ravens could deploy a dime linebacker look, though that would make them more vulnerable against the run against an offense led by former Baltimore coordinator Greg Roman and running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards. “If ‘Ro’ can’t go, it’ll be linebacker by committee, depending on what we want to run and what they want to run, as well,” defensive coordinator Zach Orr said Friday. “You’ll see a mixture of guys in there.” The only players the Ravens will definitely be without are cornerback Arthur Maulet (calf) and rookie safety Sanoussi Kane (ankle). Related Articles Defensive tackle Travis Jones (ankle) is listed as questionable after being limited during Saturday’s walk-through practice. Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum (back) was also limited and is questionable. The Chargers (7-3), meanwhile, will be without former Ravens tight end Hayden Hurst (hip) and linebacker Denzel Perryman (groin), who ranks third on the team with 54 tackles. Outside linebacker Khalil Mack (groin), wide receiver Ladd McConkey (shoulder), outside linebacker Bud Dupree (foot), safety AJ Finley (ankle) and cornerback Cam Hart (concussion/ankle) are all questionable. The 33-year-old Mack, who has 4 1/2 sacks in a resurgent season, missed last week’s game.

In conclusion, Guotai Junan's assessment of the Chinese stock market paints a picture of cautious optimism and resilience in the face of adversity. While challenges remain, there are clear signs that the stock market bottom is forming, and a transition bull market is on the horizon. Investors who stay informed, diversify their portfolios, and adopt a long-term perspective stand to benefit from the potential opportunities that lie ahead. As the world navigates through these uncertain times, the Chinese stock market may serve as a beacon of hope and a source of economic recovery for investors around the globe.LAHORE - The Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF) has called upon the government to announce robust economic strategies, as the country is stuck in low economic growth situation, where double-digit policy rate for the last few years has diminished capacity to increase domestic production. PIAF Chairman Faheemur Rehman Saigol in a joint statement along with senior vice chairman Nasrullah Mughal and vice chairman Tahir Manzoor Chaudhary said that the government will have its work sharply cut out as far as the economic challenges are concerned. Coming at the back of fast-unfolding climate change crisis that pushed millions into poverty with little fiscal capacity of government to provide anywhere near close to what was needed in stimulus spending. Then there is acute debt distress, and inflation at the back of global aggregate supply shock, and accentuated by a world of rising conflicts, mainly in Ukraine, and the Middle East. The PIAF leaders emphasized that such transparency from the government is crucial, as the country has had trouble raising enough money to cover its expenses. Faheem Saigol said that the domestic investment at the moment is alarmingly low which has sent a negative signal to the potential foreign investors and now is the time that the federal government should give some patient hearing to the private sector calling. They said if the government was seriously desirous of having economic turnaround in the coming years it would have to do two things that are: an immediate freeze on domestic and foreign borrowing and secondly put in place a well-tailored strategy to show-case Pakistan’s potentials to the outer world. Nisar Khuhro calls on federal govt to withdraw from controversial canal project Tahir Manzoor Chaudhary said that even though Pakistan’s economic crisis is a recurring factor in the country’s political unrest, it has a history of ignoring the nation’s true issues, which include poor governance, a broken judicial system, outdated laws, complicated tax system, lack of transparency, duplication in the government system, ineffective bureaucracy, improper use of our human, natural and water resources, lack of efficient local government, inadequate data for country’s planning, and the consistent flaws in policies in execution by the government departments. Nasrullah Mughal said that Pakistan’s GDP growth rate has always remained below its potential despite efforts to boost economic growth. He said that the development of important sectors and investment prospects was hampered by inadequate revenue collection, structural problems, and governance issues. PIAF chairman said that due to the low tax-to-GDP ratio, borrowing and outside help are heavily relied upon to close the fiscal imbalance. Kamran Tessori announces grand fireworks at Governor House on New Year’s eve There is a recurring budget deficit because the government spends more than it takes in Faheem Saigol said that the national debt burden has risen, as a result, needing substantial financial resources for debt repayment. Both internal and external debt in Pakistan has been constantly rising. He said inflation in Pakistan was cost-push, which spiked due to surging prices of commodities in world markets as well as deprecation of the rupee against the dollar. The economy doesn’t have the capacity to absorb the high interest rate as it was already struggling with the weak exchange rate, he pointed out. Tags: piaf calls announcing robustBonucci: Guardiola Approached with Nearly €100 Million Offer in 2016/17, Insists on Selling Otamendi First

In a shocking turn of events, a man recently made headlines for embezzling a staggering 2.2 million from his company before resigning from his position as a gang leader. This astonishing case sheds light on the destructive power of vanity and the lengths some individuals will go to satisfy their egos.