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Japanese automaker Honda reports its 3Q profit jumped on strong demand at home and in the US

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:51 GMT

TOKYO (AP) — Honda Motor Co.’s profit jumped 34% in July-September from a year earlier as a weak yen helped boost the Japanese automaker’s strong overseas earnings thanks to healthy demand, especially in the U.S.Tokyo-based Honda’s profit rose to 254 billion yen ($1.7 billion) from 189 billion yen. Quarterly sales gained 17% to 4.9 trillion yen ($32 billion).Production in North America continued to recover from the crunch caused by a shortage of computer chips and other supplies, contributing to a recovery in profitability, Honda Senior Executive Officer Shinji Aoyama told reporters.Disruptions due to restrictions on business activity related to the COVID-19 pandemic had caused production delays for automakers around the world, but are gradually clearing up.Aoyama said slowing economic growth in China and Vietnam hurt Honda’s motorcycle sales.Surging demand for electric vehicles in China also hurt sales for Honda, which has fallen behind in the global shift toward battery elec...

A judge is set to hear arguments as Michigan activists try to keep Trump off the ballot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:51 GMT

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A judge in Michigan is expected to hear arguments Thursday on whether Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has the authority to keep Donald Trump’s name off state ballots for president.Activists are suing Benson in the Michigan Court of Claims to force her to keep Trump’s name off ballots and to assess Trump’s constitutional qualifications to serve a second term as president.Meanwhile, attorneys for the former president are demanding that Trump’s name be allowed on the 2024 Republican presidential primary ballot.Arguments were scheduled to begin Thursday morning in Grand Rapids before Judge James Robert Redford.Activists — in two separate suits — point to a section of the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment that prohibits a person from running for federal office if they have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the U.S. or given aid or comfort to those who have.Liberal groups also have filed lawsuits in Colorado and Minnesota to bar Trump from th...

Political advertising: Deal on new measures to crack down on abuse 

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:51 GMT

On Monday evening (6 November), EU co-legislators reached a provisional deal on new rules to make election and referenda campaigns more transparent and resistant to interference.The new rules will regulate political advertisements, notably online ads, while also providing for a framework for political actors to advertise more easily across the EU.Commenting after the deal was struck between Parliament and Spanish Presidency negotiators, lead MEP Sandro Gozi (Renew, FR) said: “This is a major step in protecting our elections and achieving digital sovereignty in the EU. Citizens will be able to easily spot political advertising online and who stands behind it. The new rules will make it harder for foreign actors to spread disinformation and interfere in our free and democratic processes. We also secured a favourable environment for transnational campaigning in time for the next European Parliament elections”.Greater transparency and accountabilityPolitical advertising will have to be ...

Vigil held for Jewish man who died after 'altercation' with pro-Palestinian demonstrator in Thousand Oaks

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:51 GMT

In the presence of armed guards, family members, friends and supporters of many faiths gathered at Temple Etz Chaim in Thousand Oaks Wednesday for a vigil to remember 69-year-old Paul Kessler, a Jewish man who died just three miles away during an altercation with a pro-Palestinian demonstrator last weekend.Deputies with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office received multiple calls at around 3:20 p.m. Nov. 5 about a “battery” at the intersection of Westlake and Thousand Oaks boulevards where demonstrations were taking place involving pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups.When deputies arrived, they located Kessler, who was suffering from a head injury, the Sheriff’s Office said. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on Monday.Paul Kessler, a Jewish man who died after an altercation with a pro-Palestinian demonstrator on in thousand Oaks on Nov., 5, 2023. (Kessler Family)Video posted to social media shows an elderly man lying on the ground after purportedl...

Sabonis and Monk rally Kings past Trail Blazers 121-118 in overtime

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:51 GMT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Domantas Sabonis had 27 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists, Malik Monk made two critical free throws with 13 seconds left in overtime and the Sacramento Kings rallied after trailing late in the fourth quarter to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 121-118 on Wednesday night.Monk scored Sacramento’s final nine points in regulation but was scoreless in overtime before getting fouled by Toumani Camara. Monk calmy sank both free throws to put the Kings ahead by three.At the other end, Jerami Grant missed two 3-pointers for Portland before the final buzzer, and a sold-out crowd at Golden 1 Center broke into chants of “Light the beam!”The teams combined for 22 turnovers and 50 fouls.“That was a grimy, gutty, ugly win,” Kings coach Mike Brown said. “Had a lot of really good performances from a lot of guys. Finding a way to win in a situation like this was a lot of fun.”Monk finished with 23 points and 10 assists to help the Kings snap a three-game skid that included...

Stock market today: Asian shares mixed as China reports that prices fell in October

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:51 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares meandered in Asia on Thursday after a another mixed close on Wall Street where benchmarks have been recalibrating following recent big swings. Stock prices fell in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Bangkok and rose in Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai. U.S. futures slipped and oil prices edged higher. China reported that its consumer prices fell 0.2% from a year earlier in October while factory-gate prices declined 2.6%, suggesting demand remains slack as the economy struggles to recover from the economic disruptions of the pandemic. Falling prices have raised worries that China may fall into a bout of deflation, or chronically lower prices, but some analysts say much of the weakness recently is due to a decline in the cost of pork, a staple item for Chinese.“What China has right now, is a low rate of underlying inflation, which reflects the fact that domestic demand is fairly weak,” Robert Carnell of ING Economics said in a report. “If you want to use any term, ‘disinflation’ wou...

Luis Miguel donará $570,000 a damnificados de Acapulco; banco duplicara cifra

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:51 GMT

CIUDAD DE MÉXICO – El cantante mexicano Luis Miguel, quien se encuentra en medio de una intensa gira que llegará hasta mediados de 2024, donará 10 millones de pesos (unos $570,000) para ayudar en la reconstrucción del puerto de Acapulco, principal zona del estado mexicano de Guerrero que recibió hace dos semanas el impacto de huracán Otis, que hasta ahora ha dejado 48 muertos.La donación del llamado “El Sol de México” fue dada a conocer este miércoles por el director general del mexicano Grupo Financiero Banorte, Marcos Ramírez, mediante un mensaje en la red social X (antes Twitter). Ramírez dijo además que la cifra será duplicada por el banco, para una donación total de 20 millones de pesos.“Muchas gracias, Luis Miguel por tu donativo de 10 millones de pesos a Fundación Banorte para la reconstrucción y equipamiento de vivienda de la comunidad afectada en Acapulco. Fundación Banorte, lo duplicará para llegar a 20 millones de pesos. Con tu apoyo, y el de miles de mexicano...

Tracy Chapman gana el premio de la CMA por ‘Fast Car’ décadas después del debut de la canción

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:51 GMT

(CNN) — Tracy Chapman sigue haciendo historia con su éxito de 1988 “Fast Car” tras ganar el premio a la canción del año en los Country Music Awards este miércoles.Chapman no estuvo presente durante la retransmisión, que tuvo lugar en el Bridgestone Arena de Nashville, pero la estrella del country y presentadora de la categoría Sarah Evans leyó un mensaje en nombre de Chapman tras anunciarla como ganadora.“Siento no haber podido unirme a todos ustedes esta noche. Es un verdadero honor que mi canción reciba un nuevo reconocimiento después de 35 años de su debut. Wow. Gracias a los CMA y un agradecimiento especial a Luke (Combs) y a todos los fans de ‘Fast Car'”, dijo Evans en nombre de Chapman.Muere la leyenda de la música country Naomi Judd, integrante de The JuddsLa victoria en los CMA es un logro notable si se tiene en cuenta que “Fast Car” se estrenó hace 35 años y resurgió en popularidad en julio después de que la estrella del count...

Kings win 7th straight road game with 4-1 win in Vegas

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:51 GMT

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist and the Los Angeles Kings won their fourth in a row with a 4-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday night.The Kings became just the eighth team in league history to win each of their first seven road games to start a season, and the first to accomplish the feat since the Pittsburgh Penguins and New Jersey Devils did it in 2009.After opening the season with points in their first 12 games, the Golden Knights lost for the second straight time in regulation. Vegas hadn’t lost consecutive games in regulation since Jan. 16 and 19 of last season, to Dallas and Detroit, respectively.Trevor Moore, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Anze Kopitar also scored for the Kings. Cam Talbot made 37 saves and is now tied with two others with a league-leading seven wins.William Karlsson scored for the Golden Knights and Adin Hill stopped 29 shots.The Kings broke through first, opening the scoring midway through the second period.Hemmed into the of...

Czech power company CEZ says its net profit is $1.3 billion for 3 quarters of the year

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:23:51 GMT

PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech power utility CEZ said on Thursday its net profit in the first three quarters of the year reached 29.8 billion Czech crowns ($1.3 billion), 22.5 billion less than in the same period a year ago.The country’s main electricity producer attributed the 43% decline to a windfall tax on profits introduced as prices for energy soared.The Czech state, which has an almost 70% stake in the company, will receive up to 125 billion Czech crowns from CEZ this year in dividends, income taxes and levies on production sales, including a windfall tax, the company said.It is 5 billion more than expected in August.CEZ chief executive Daniel Benes said the results reflect “the gradual stabilization on energy markets.”Last year, the company’s profit soared on an enormous rise in prices caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, higher profit from commodity trading on foreign markets and high operational reliability in its power plants.That resulted in record dividends of 145 Czech ...