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Stock market today: Asian shares mostly fall as investors look ahead to economic data

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:51 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were trading mostly lower Tuesday as investors looked ahead to a week that could se e more swings in financial markets, including key reports on U.S. consumer confidence and the job market. Eyes are also on the U.S. Federal Reserve announcing its next move on interest rates, as well as on the Bank of Japan’s policy meeting. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped nearly 0.1% in morning trading to 30,672.49. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained nearly 0.3% to 6,789.50. South Korea’s Kospi lost 0.6% to 2,296.93. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng shed 0.9% to 17,257.70, while the Shanghai Composite declined 0.3% to 3,013.24.On Wall Street, the S&P 500 rose 49.45 points, or 1.2%, to close at 4,166.82. It was the first trading after the benchmark index dropped more than 10% below its high point for the year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 511.37, or 1.6%, to 32,928.96 points. The Nasdaq composite rose 146.47, or 1.2%, to 12,789.48.Western...

Samsung reports improved profit as its chip business losses narrow

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:51 GMT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Samsung Electronics on Tuesday reported its highest quarterly profit for the year as losses from its computer chip business narrowed amid a slow recovery in global demand.Samsung said it expects its business to further improve in coming months, considering the replacement cycles of personal computers and smartphones and the expansion of artificial intelligence-based devices and services, which has been increasing the demand for its DRAM chips.Jaejune Kim, executive vice president of Samsung’s memory business, said during a conference call that the company plans to more than double its production capacity of advanced high-bandwidth memory chips in 2024 to respond to demands created by AI. The South Korean technology giant’s 2.43 trillion won ($1.8 billion) operating profit for the three months to September still marked a 77.6% decline from the same period last year as the company in past months has grappled with weak memory chip prices and the global economi...

European politicos plan American tour to press for Ukraine support

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:51 GMT

Presented by ASD By JOSHUA POSANER with LAURA KAYALI, CALEB LARSON and CONNOR O’BRIEN PRESENTED BY View in your browser or listen to audioSNEAK PEEK— European politicians plan to engage directly with American voters over whether to continue to provide military aid to Ukraine.— A combined €800 million for intelligence and cyber in the next annual French budget is just about enough according to the chief of the defense staff. — Poland’s potential next defense minister is out to assure everyone, including us, that there’s not going to be big changes in national procurement policy.Good morning and welcome to Morning Defense. We’re taking a break on Wednesday due to Belgium’s national holiday but back with you again Thursday. Tips to [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected] or follow us at @joshposaner, @LauKaya and @calebmlarson.DRIVING THE DAYEURO ROADSHO...

Australia says it won’t bid for the 2034 World Cup, Saudi Arabia likely to host

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:51 GMT

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Football Australia on Tuesday said it won’t bid for the 2034 World Cup, clearing the way for Saudi Arabia to host the men’s marquee tournament.The chances of Australia hosting the 2034 event appeared unlikely after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) backed the Saudi bid on Oct. 5. Indonesia’s football association initially showed interest in a joint bid with Australia, potentially alongside Malaysia and Singapore, but that faded when Indonesia instead backed Saudi Arabia.“We have explored the opportunity to bid to host the FIFA World Cup and — having taken all factors into consideration — we have reached the conclusion not to do so for the 2034 competition,” Football Australia said in a statement.Australia will instead attempt to secure hosting rights for the 2029 Club World Cup and the 2026 Women’s Asian Cup.“We believe we are in a strong position to host the oldest women’s international competition in the world, the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026,...

Live updates | Israeli ground forces attack Hamas targets in north as warplanes strike across Gaza

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:51 GMT

Israeli ground forces are attacking Hamas militants and infrastructure in northern Gaza as warplanes strike across the sealed-off territory. Buoyed by the first successful rescue of a captive held by Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected calls for a cease-fire and again vowed to crush the militant group’s ability to govern Gaza or threaten Israel.More than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million Palestinians have fled their homes, with hundreds of thousands sheltering in packed U.N.-run schools-turned-shelters or in hospitals alongside thousands of wounded patients.The Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has reached 8,306, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza. In the occupied West Bank, more than 122 Palestinians have been killed in violence and Israeli raids.More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, most of them civilians slain in the initial Hamas rampage that started the fighting Oct. 7. In addition, 240 hostages were taken from Israel into Ga...

Israeli forces battle Hamas around Gaza City, as military says 800,000 have fled south

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:51 GMT

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli ground forces attacked Hamas militants and infrastructure on Tuesday in northern Gaza, which the military said some 800,000 people have fled since the war began more than three weeks ago, even as warplanes continued to strike from end to end of the sealed-off territory.Buoyed by the first successful rescue of a captive held by Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected calls for a cease-fire and again vowed to crush the militant group’s ability to govern Gaza or threaten Israel following its bloody Oct. 7 rampage, which ignited the war. The military said one of the estimated 240 captives seized by Palestinian militants during the wide-ranging assault was rescued in a special forces operation, lending support to Netanyahu’s contention that the ground war will help facilitate the recovery of more hostages rather than putting them in increased danger. The army said Pvt. Ori Megidish, 19, was “doing well” and had been reuni...

Elite Kenyan police unit goes on trial in the killing of a prominent Pakistani journalist last year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:51 GMT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — An elite Kenyan police unit went on trial Tuesday on charges of wrongful death in the killing of an outspoken Pakistani journalist in Nairobi a year ago. The case was jointly filed by the journalist’s widow and two Kenyan journalists’ unions.Arshad Sharif was killed Oct. 23, 2022, when the car he was in with another Pakistani man sped up and drove through a roadblock checkpoint outside the Kenyan capital and police opened fire. Nairobi police at the time expressed regret over the shooting, saying it was a case of “mistaken identity” during a search for a similar car involved in a child abduction case.The 50-year-old journalist had fled Pakistan earlier that year to avoid arrest at home on charges of maligning Pakistan’s national institutions — a phrase used for critics of the powerful military, which has ruled Pakistan for half of its 75-year history. He stayed briefly in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom before arriving in Keny...

Daily horoscope for October 31, 2023

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:51 GMT

Moon Alert: There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions today. The Moon is in Gemini.Happy Birthday for Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023:You are creative, intelligent and original, but you’re also very modest. Fortunately, you are resilient and courageous. This is a wonderful, fun-loving year! Let your guard down and loosen up a bit! Have fun, but don’t lose sight of your goals. Old friends might reappear.ARIES(March 21-April 19) ★★★★Surprise perks and pleasing events might be related to your job today. For example, a new co-worker might interest you. Or a co-worker is helpful to you. Or new equipment makes things easier. Likewise, a pleasant surprise with a pet or even your health could occur. Tonight: Busy!TAURUS(April 20-May 20) ★★★An unexpected invitation might come your way at this time. You should know that you’ll have to react quickly if you’re interested, because this window of opportunity is brief. Love at first sight? Romantic opportunities? ...

EU top official Josep Borrell comments on EU-Kazakhstan co-operation priorities  

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:51 GMT

Stability and prosperity is the shared interest for the benefit of people in Central Asia and Europe, said European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell in an interview with Kazinform published on Oct. 23, ahead of the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the five Central Asian states and the EU (C5+1), as well as the 20th meeting of Kazakhstan-EU Cooperation Council in Luxembourg, Staff Report in International.According to Borrell, the EU holds regular meetings with the five Central Asian countries at the level of foreign ministers. This year, the meeting was joined by 27 foreign ministers of the EU member states for the first time.“Since adopting the EU Strategy on Central Asia in 2019, cooperation between the EU and Central Asia has advanced in many areas. However, the EU and Central Asia have many opportunities to advance this relationship in transport connectivity, green energy, trade, investment, security, water, climate, educatio...

Seed Supreme Reviews [2024]: Is it Legit & Worth Buying? VERIFIED Customers Feedback

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:25:51 GMT

 Sponsored ContentSo, you’ve come across Seed Supreme, but are still determining if the company is worth your time and money? If yes, you have come to the right place, as our comprehensive Seed Supreme review is here to answer all your questions.In this Seed Supreme review, we discuss Seed Supreme coupons, reviews posted online by real customers, the company’s selection of premium-quality seeds, and more.Keep reading to find out more in this in-depth Seed Supreme review.Seed Supreme: Brand OverviewThe biggest marijuana seed bank in the United States, Seed Supreme, has been offering premium-quality cannabis seeds to customers in the US and abroad since 2013. The company is based in Norfolk, the United Kingdom.Seed Supreme reviews note that this is one of the biggest marijuana seed sellers in the industry, working with over 1,500 experienced and renowned cultivars scattered all over the globe.At Seed Supreme, you will come across an impressive selection of over 4,000 differ...