SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean legislative push to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived imposition of martial law fell through on Saturday after most lawmakers from his conservative governing party boycotted the vote. The defeat of the motion is expected to intensify public protests calling for Yoon’s ouster and deepen political chaos in South Korea, with a survey suggesting a majority of South Koreans support the president’s impeachment. Yoon’s martial law declaration drew criticism from his own ruling conservative party, but it is also determined to oppose Yoon’s impeachment apparently because it fears losing the presidency to liberals. Impeaching Yoon required support from two-thirds of the National Assembly, or 200 of its 300 members. The opposition parties who brought the impeachment motion had 192 seats, but only three lawmakers from PPP participated in the vote. The motion was scrapped without ballot counting because the number of votes didn’t reach 200. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik called the result “very regrettable” and an embarrassing moment for the country’s democracy that has been closely watched by the world. “The failure to hold a qualified vote on this matter means we were not even able to exercise the democratic procedure of deciding on a critical national issue,” he said. Opposition parties could submit a new impeachment motion after a new parliamentary session opens next Wednesday. There are worries that Yoon won’t be able to serve out his remaining 2 1/2 years in office because his leadership took a huge hit. Many experts say some ruling party lawmakers could eventually join opposition parties’ efforts to impeach Yoon if public demands for it grow further. If Yoon is impeached, his powers will be suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to remove him from office. If he is removed, an election to replace him must take place within 60 days. Woo repeatedly urged ruling party members to return to the chamber to participate in the vote, waiting several hours for them to come. At one point, Democratic Party leaders visited a hall on the floor below the main chamber where PPP lawmakers were gathered, attempting to persuade them to vote. After being blocked from entering, they angrily accused the conservatives’ leadership of preventing its lawmakers from voting freely. Earlier Saturday, Yoon issued a public apology over the martial law decree, saying he won’t shirk legal or political responsibility for the declaration and promising not to make another attempt to impose martial law. He said would leave it to his party to chart a course through the country’s political turmoil, “including matters related to my term in office.” “The declaration of this martial law was made out of my desperation. But in the course of its implementation, it caused anxiety and inconveniences to the public. I feel very sorry over that and truly apologize to the people who must have been shocked a lot,” Yoon said. Since taking office in 2022, Yoon has struggled to push his agenda through an opposition-controlled parliament and grappled with low approval ratings amid scandals involving himself and his wife. In his martial law announcement on Tuesday night, Yoon called parliament a “den of criminals” bogging down state affairs and vowed to eliminate “shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces.” The turmoil resulting from Yoon’s bizarre and poorly-thought-out stunt has paralyzed South Korean politics and sparked alarm among key diplomatic partners like the U.S. and Japan. Tuesday night saw special forces troops encircling the parliament building and army helicopters hovering over it, but the military withdrew after the National Assembly unanimously voted to overturn the decree, forcing Yoon to lift it before daybreak Wednesday. The declaration of martial law was the first of its kind in more than 40 years in South Korea. Eighteen lawmakers from the ruling party voted to reject Yoon’s martial law decree along with opposition lawmakers. Yoon’s speech fueled speculation that he and his party may push for a constitutional amendment to shorten his term, instead of accepting impeachment, as a way to ease public anger over the marital law and facilitate Yoon’s early exit from office. Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, told reporters that Yoon’s speech was “greatly disappointing” and that the only way forward is his immediate resignation or impeachment. His party called Yoon’s martial law “unconstitutional, illegal rebellion or coup.” The passage of Yoon’s impeachment motion appeared more likely Friday when the chair of Yoon’s party called for his removal on Friday, but the party remained formally opposed to impeachment. On Saturday, tens of thousands of people densely packed several blocks of roads leading up to the National Assembly, waving banners, shouting slogans and dancing and singing along to K-pop songs with lyrics changed to call for Yoon’s ouster. Protesters also gathered in front of PPP’s headquarters near the Assembly, angrily shouting for its lawmakers to vote to impeach Yoon. A smaller crowd of Yoon’s supporters, which still seemed to be in the thousands, rallied in separate streets in Seoul, decrying the impeachment attempt they saw as unconstitutional. Lawmakers on Saturday first voted on a bill appointing a special prosecutor to investigate stock price manipulation allegations surrounding Yoon’s wife. Some lawmakers from Yoon’s party were seen leaving the hall after that vote, triggering angry shouts from opposition lawmakers. On Friday, PPP chair Han Dong-hun, who criticized Yoon’s martial law declaration, said he had received intelligence that during the brief period of martial law Yoon ordered the country’s defense counterintelligence commander to arrest and detain unspecified key politicians based on accusations of “anti-state activities.” Hong Jang-won, first deputy director of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, told lawmakers in a closed-door briefing Friday that Yoon had ordered him to help the defense counterintelligence unit to detain key politicians. The targeted politicians included Han, Lee and Woo, according to Kim Byung-kee, one of the lawmakers who attended the meeting. The Defense Ministry said Friday it suspended three military commanders including the head of the defense counterintelligence unit over their involvement in enforcing martial law. Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon Ho has told parliament that Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun ordered the deployment of troops to the National Assembly after Yoon imposed martial law. Opposition parties accused Kim of recommending to Yoon to enforce martial law. Kim resigned Thursday, and prosecutors imposed an overseas travel ban on him. Kim Tong-hyung And Hyung-jin Kim, The Associated PressPreview: Burnley vs. Coventry City - prediction, team news, lineupsHouseholders and businesses will continue to suffer the worst effects of flooding until the State puts in place an early flood warning system, the country's leading independent weather forecaster has said. Alan O'Reilly, who runs Carlow Weather, said if such a system was in place — at a cost of around €9m — people in areas worst hit by the weekend's Storm Bert could have been better prepared. A major clean-up operation is continuing after the storm caused widespread flooding and damage to homes and businesses. Towns and villages across Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Galway, and Donegal were hardest hit, experiencing torrential flooding. Met Éireann had issued a red weather warning — it's highest alert — for Cork and Galway. Fr Casey's GAA Club at Abbeyfeale, Co Limerick, was hit by flooding overnight during Storm Bert. Picture: Larry Cummins But Mr O'Relly said an early warning system, delivering specific flood alerts, could have helped people better prepare. "If you know how much rain is falling on upland areas and match that data with existing river water levels, it is possible to get reasonably accurate localised flood predictions," he said. For around the €9m this Government spent on phone pouches, you could set up a national early warning system that could give people warnings between one or two hours ahead "There does not appear to be the political will to create... Neil Michael

WASHINGTON (AP) — For years, Pat Verhaeghe didn’t think highly of Donald Trump as a leader. Then Verhaeghe began seeing more of Trump’s campaign speeches online and his appearances at sporting events. There was even the former president’s pairing with Bryson DeChambeau as part of the pro golfer’s YouTube channel series to shoot an under-50 round of golf while engaging in chitchat with his partner. “I regret saying this, but a while ago I thought he was an idiot and that he wouldn’t be a good president,” said the 18-year-old first-time voter. “I think he’s a great guy now.” Verhaeghe isn't alone among his friends in suburban Detroit or young men across America. Although much of the electorate shifted right to varying degrees in 2024, young men were one of the groups that swung sharply toward Trump. More than half of men under 30 supported Trump, according to AP VoteCast , a survey of more than 120,000 voters, while Democrat Joe Biden had won a similar share of this group four years earlier. White men under 30 were solidly in Trump’s camp this year — about 6 in 10 voted for Trump — while young Latino men were split between the two candidates. Most Black men under 30 supported Democrat Kamala Harris, but about one-third were behind Trump. Young Latino men’s views of the Democratic Party were much more negative than in 2020, while young Black men’s views of the party didn’t really move. About 6 in 10 Latino men under 30 had a somewhat or very favorable view of the Democrats in 2020, which fell to about 4 in 10 this year. On the other hand, about two-thirds of young Black men had a favorable view of the Democrats this year, which was almost identical to how they saw the party four years ago. “Young Hispanic men, and really young men in general, they want to feel valued," said Rafael Struve, deputy communications director for Bienvenido, a conservative group that focused on reaching young Hispanic voters for Republicans this year. “They're looking for someone who fights for them, who sees their potential and not just their struggles.” Struve cited the attempted assassination of Trump during a July rally in Pennsylvania as one of the catalyzing moments for Trump’s image among many young men. Trump, Struve said, was also able to reach young men more effectively by focusing on nontraditional platforms like podcasts and digital media outlets. “Getting to hear from Trump directly, I think, really made all the difference," Struve said of the former president's appearances on digital media platforms and media catering to Latino communities, like town halls and business roundtables Trump attended in Las Vegas and Miami. Not only did Trump spend three hours on Joe Rogan's chart-topping podcast, but he took up DeChambeau's “Break 50” challenge for the golfer's more than 1.6 million YouTube subscribers. Trump already had an edge among young white men four years ago, although he widened the gap this year. About half of white men under 30 supported Trump in 2020, and slightly less than half supported Biden. Trump's gains among young Latino and Black men were bigger. His support among both groups increased by about 20 percentage points, according to AP VoteCast — and their feelings toward Trump got warmer, too. It wasn’t just Trump. The share of young men who identified as Republicans in 2024 rose as well, mostly aligning with support for Trump across all three groups. “What is most alarming to me is that the election is clear that America has shifted right by a lot,” said William He, founder of Dream For America, a liberal group that works to turn out young voters and supported Harris’ presidential bid. With his bombastic demeanor and a policy agenda centered on a more macho understanding of culture , Trump framed much of his campaign as a pitch to men who felt scorned by the country’s economy, culture and political system. Young women also slightly swung toward the former president, though not to the degree of their male counterparts. It's unclear how many men simply did not vote this year. But there's no doubt the last four years brought changes in youth culture and how political campaigns set out to reach younger voters. Democrat Kamala Harris' campaign rolled out policy agendas tailored to Black and Latino men, and the campaign enlisted a range of leaders in Black and Hispanic communities to make the case for the vice president. Her campaign began with a flurry of enthusiasm from many young voters, epitomized in memes and the campaign's embrace of pop culture trends like the pop star Charli XCX's “brat” aesthetic . Democrats hoped to channel that energy into their youth voter mobilization efforts. “I think most young voters just didn’t hear the message,” said Santiago Mayer, executive director of Voters of Tomorrow, a liberal group that engages younger voters. Mayer said the Harris campaign’s pitch to the country was “largely convoluted” and centered on economic messaging that he said wasn’t easily conveyed to younger voters who were not already coming to political media. “And I think that the policies themselves were also very narrow and targeted when what we really needed was a simple, bold economic vision,” said Mayer. Trump also embraced pop culture by appearing at UFC fights, football games and appearing alongside comedians, music stars and social media influencers. His strategists believed that the former president’s ability to grab attention and make his remarks go viral did more for the campaign than paid advertisements or traditional media appearances. Trump's campaign also heavily cultivated networks of online conservative platforms and personalities supportive of him while also engaging a broader universe of podcasts, streaming sites, digital media channels and meme pages open to hearing him. “The right has been wildly successful in infiltrating youth political culture online and on campus in the last couple of years, thus radicalizing young people towards extremism,” said He, who cited conservative activist groups like Turning Point USA as having an outsize impact in online discourse. “And Democrats have been running campaigns in a very old fashioned way. The battleground these days is cultural and increasingly on the internet.” Republicans may lose their broad support if they don't deliver on improving Americans' lives, Struve cautioned. Young men, especially, may drift from the party in a post-Trump era if the party loses the president-elect's authenticity and bravado. Bienvenido, for one group, will double down in the coming years to solidify and accelerate the voting pattern shifts seen this year, Struve said. “We don’t want this to be a one and done thing,” he said. ___ Associated Press writer Joey Cappelletti in Lansing, Michigan, and AP polling editor Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux contributed to this report. Matt Brown, The Associated PressThe best Nintendo Cyber Monday deals for 2024: Save on the Nintendo Switch, games, controllers and more

NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s recent dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his visit to Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral were not just exercises in policy and diplomacy. They were also prime trolling opportunities for Trump. Throughout his first term in the White House and during his campaign to return, Trump has spun out countless provocative, antagonizing and mocking statements. There were his belittling nicknames for political opponents, his impressions of other political figures and the plentiful memes he shared on social media. Now that's he's preparing to return to the Oval Office, Trump is back at it, and his trolling is attracting more attention — and eyerolls. On Sunday, Trump turned a photo of himself seated near a smiling first lady Jill Biden at the Notre Dame ceremony into a social media promo for his new perfume and cologne line, with the tag line, “A fragrance your enemies can’t resist!” The first lady’s office declined to comment. When Trudeau hastily flew to Florida to meet with Trump last month over the president-elect's threat to impose a 25% tax on all Canadian products entering the U.S., the Republican tossed out the idea that Canada become the 51st U.S. state. The Canadians passed off the comment as a joke, but Trump has continued to play up the dig, including in a post Tuesday morning on his social media network referring to the prime minister as “Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada.” After decades as an entertainer and tabloid fixture, Trump has a flair for the provocative that is aimed at attracting attention and, in his most recent incarnation as a politician, mobilizing fans. He has long relished poking at his opponents, both to demean and minimize them and to delight supporters who share his irreverent comments and posts widely online and cheer for them in person. Trump, to the joy of his fans, first publicly needled Canada on his social media network a week ago when he posted an AI-generated image that showed him standing on a mountain with a Canadian flag next to him and the caption “Oh Canada!” After his latest post, Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller said Tuesday: “It sounds like we’re living in a episode of South Park." Trudeau said earlier this week that when it comes to Trump, “his approach will often be to challenge people, to destabilize a negotiating partner, to offer uncertainty and even sometimes a bit of chaos into the well established hallways of democracies and institutions and one of the most important things for us to do is not to freak out, not to panic.” Even Thanksgiving dinner isn't a trolling-free zone for Trump's adversaries. On Thanksgiving Day, Trump posted a movie clip from “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” with President Joe Biden and other Democrats’ faces superimposed on the characters in a spoof of the turkey-carving scene. The video shows Trump appearing to explode out of the turkey in a swirl of purple sparks, with the former president stiffly dancing to one of his favorite songs, Village People’s “Y.M.C.A." In his most recent presidential campaign, Trump mocked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, refusing to call his GOP primary opponent by his real name and instead dubbing him “Ron DeSanctimonious.” He added, for good measure, in a post on his Truth Social network: “I will never call Ron DeSanctimonious ‘Meatball’ Ron, as the Fake News is insisting I will.” As he campaigned against Biden, Trump taunted him in online posts and with comments and impressions at his rallies, deriding the president over his intellect, his walk, his golf game and even his beach body. After Vice President Kamala Harris took over Biden's spot as the Democratic nominee, Trump repeatedly suggested she never worked at McDonalds while in college. Trump, true to form, turned his mocking into a spectacle by appearing at a Pennsylvania McDonalds in October, when he manned the fries station and held an impromptu news conference from the restaurant drive-thru. Trump’s team thinks people should get a sense of humor. “President Trump is a master at messaging and he’s always relatable to the average person, whereas many media members take themselves too seriously and have no concept of anything else other than suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome,” said Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director. “President Trump will Make America Great Again and we are getting back to a sense of optimism after a tumultuous four years.” Though both the Biden and Harris campaigns created and shared memes and launched other stunts to respond to Trump's taunts, so far America’s neighbors to the north are not taking the bait. “I don’t think we should necessarily look on Truth Social for public policy,” Miller said. Gerald Butts, a former top adviser to Trudeau and a close friend, said Trump brought up the 51st state line to Trudeau repeatedly during Trump’s first term in office. “Oh God,” Butts said Tuesday, “At least a half dozen times.” “This is who he is and what he does. He’s trying to destabilize everybody and make people anxious,” Butts said. “He’s trying to get people on the defensive and anxious and therefore willing to do things they wouldn’t otherwise entertain if they had their wits about them. I don’t know why anybody is surprised by it.” Gillies reported from Toronto. Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.

Chargers will be without top RB Dobbins and could lean on QB Herbert against FalconsPresident-elect Donald Trump has promised swift immigration action during his second term in office. He has repeatedly pledged to seal the U.S.-Mexico border and implement a mass deportation program targeting millions of people who are in the U.S. illegally. On Dec. 8, in a wide-ranging interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Trump suggested he is considering deporting entire families, including children who are U.S. citizens with undocumented parents. “I don’t want to be breaking up families, so the only way you don’t break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back,” Trump said, echoing remarks his border czar Tom Homan made in October. Multiple people on social media claim the president cannot legally deport U.S. citizens because doing so would be unconstitutional. Recent online search trends show many people online are wondering if this is true. THE QUESTION Is it unconstitutional to deport U.S. citizens? THE SOURCES 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution Afroyim v. Rusk Michelle Mittelstadt , director of communications and public affairs for the Migration Policy Institute Allen Orr, Jr., J.D. , an immigration attorney and founder of Orr Immigration Law Firm P.C. Jean Lantz Reisz, J.D. , co-director of the USC Immigration Clinic, and clinical associate professor of law at the USC Gould School of Law Maureen Sweeney, J.D. , law school professor and director of the Chacón Center for Immigrant Justice at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law Scott D. Pollock & Associates, P.C , an immigration law firm in Chicago, Illinois THE ANSWER Yes, deporting U.S. citizens is a violation of the U.S. Constitution. Sign up for the VERIFY Fast Facts daily Newsletter! WHAT WE FOUND The president cannot deport U.S. citizens, including those with undocumented parents, because doing so would be unconstitutional, according to immigration law experts. The U.S. Constitution protects natural-born citizens from being deported by the government. But citizens may choose to renounce their citizenship voluntarily. “It is unconstitutional to deport U.S. citizens,” said Michelle Mittelstadt, a spokesperson for the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute. U.S. citizenship through birth, which is known as “birthright citizenship,” comes via the 14th Amendment , which was ratified after the Civil War to secure citizenship for newly freed Black Americans. It was later, after multiple court challenges, used to guarantee citizenship to all babies born on U.S. soil regardless of the citizenship of their parents. Section 1 of the 14th Amendment reads: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” Trump has repeatedly said he would attempt to end birthright citizenship through executive action in his second term. However, we previously found that the president cannot end birthright citizenship by executive order because it would also violate the Constitution. Amending the Constitution would require congressional action and ratification by three-quarters of the states. Law experts agree that any executive order by Trump or any president to terminate birthright citizenship would likely be subjected to legal and judicial challenges. On Dec. 8, immigration attorney Allen Orr Jr. wrote on X that a president cannot deport U.S. citizens because “U.S. citizenship cannot be revoked arbitrarily” under the 14th Amendment. Orr added that in 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a landmark case known as Afroyim v. Rusk “that the government cannot involuntarily strip a citizen of their citizenship, meaning a person can only lose their citizenship if they voluntarily relinquish it.” Jean Reisz, a law professor and the co-director of the USC Immigration Clinic, told VERIFY it is unclear if Trump actually plans to forcefully deport U.S. citizens with undocumented parents, which she agrees he cannot legally do because it would be unlawful. “It seems to me Trump is addressing a situation that often occurs in mixed-status families with young U.S. citizen or LPR [legal permanent resident] children, and/or spouses where a noncitizen family member is going to be deported and the family must decide whether they will go with the noncitizen to the country to where the noncitizen is being deported and start a life there, or stay in the U.S. and be separated from the noncitizen,” Reisz explained. VERIFY reached out to the Trump transition team for clarification but did not hear back before publication. Although deporting U.S. citizens is unconstitutional, it has happened illegally in the past, according to Mittelstadt and Maureen Sweeney, the director of the Chacón Center for Immigrant Justice at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. “U.S. citizens have been deported, unlawfully, during prior instances of significant deportations, including during local ‘repatriation drives’ that took place around the U.S. during the Great Depression and during ‘Operation Wetback ’ in the Eisenhower administration,” Mittelstadt said. “These deportations were illegal then, as they would be now,” Sweeney noted. The Associated Press contributed to this report . Related Articles No, the president cannot end birthright citizenship by executive order Yes, Trump will have the authority to pardon Jan. 6 rioters What we can VERIFY about Trump’s plan to use the military to support mass deportations The VERIFY team works to separate fact from fiction so that you can understand what is true and false. Please consider subscribing to our daily newsletter , text alerts and our YouTube channel . You can also follow us on Snapchat , Instagram , Facebook and TikTok . Learn More » Follow Us YouTube Snapchat Instagram Facebook TikTok Want something VERIFIED? Text: 202-410-8808By Aubrey Rose A. Inosante, Reporter THE P3,000 ($51) minimum purchase requirement for nonresident tourists to qualify for a value-added tax (VAT) refund is “just right” to ensure small businesses benefit, analysts said. President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. recently signed into law Republic Act (RA) No. 12079, which allows tourists to claim VAT refunds on purchases worth at least P3,000 from government-accredited stores, in an effort to boost tourism receipts. “The P3,000 is just right to benefit micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) retailers and local products,” Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) President Roberto S. Claudio said. He said the purchase cap is kept to a minimum to benefit locally made products. “I think it’s a good entry and good starting point. Some countries are still higher than P3,000 as well. I think we’re above the middle, so I think that’s a good place to be,” Tourism Congress of the Philippines President James M. Montenegro said via phone call. Under RA 12079, the value of the locally bought goods from accredited stores must reach at least P3,000 per transaction, provided these goods are taken out of the country within 60 days of purchase. “This law is primarily designed to boost tourist arrivals and expenditure. Hopefully, it will also increase the sales revenue of retailers,” Mr. Claudio said. Mr. Montenegro said the minimum purchase amount could be adjusted in the future. The threshold is subject to review and adjustment every three years by the Finance secretary, upon recommendation of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, considering the inflation data from the statistics agency. “I think the minimum rate is at par with our ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] neighbors. If you look at the minimum amounts in other countries, it is almost the same,” Eleanor L. Roque, a tax principal at P&A Grant Thornton, told BusinessWorld. The Philippines has joined other ASEAN countries with a tax refund program for nonresident tourists. The scheme has increased retail activity, particularly in sectors such as fashion, electronics and souvenirs. In Thailand, tourists are eligible for a VAT refund if they buy goods worth at least 2,000 baht ($58) from each store per day. In Malaysia, the minimum purchase is 300 ringgit ($67). Singapore allows tourists to spend at least S$100 ($74), while in Indonesia, it starts at 500,000 rupiah ($31). “It is good to have a minimum amount as it limits the refund claim to valuable expenses. De minimis spendings are normally not considered for VAT refund as it is not administratively practical. In some cases, the cost will be more expensive than the amount being refunded,” Ms. Roque said. She said the government should tap accredited international firms in the VAT refund processing, adding that the “government should take advantage of the track record and best practices of these known companies.” Ms. Roque said the government should ensure the goods bought are really brought out of the country. “Physical inspection of the goods when exiting the country should be strict to ensure that local buyers do not use tourists for availing themselves of the VAT refund,” she added. However, Philippine Institute for Development Studies Senior Research Fellow John Paolo R. Rivera said the P3,000 threshold “may not be enough to significantly encourage higher spending among affluent tourists,” especially compared with ASEAN counterparts. “A higher or more flexible threshold might align better with international best practices and encourage larger purchases,” he said. Mr. Rivera also urged the government to simplify the VAT refund process, rather than make it “extra bureaucratic.” He cited countries such as Singapore and Thailand, which have digitalized their VAT refund process at airports or designated outlets, reducing friction. Mr. Rivera also urged the government to expand access by having refund points beyond airports like seaports or malls, to ensure greater convenience. “The Philippines must also do away with excessive forms by using technology to link transactions directly to refund systems that can streamline the process and minimize fraud. Tax refund should not be as dif f icult as applying for a plate number, license, etc.,” he said. SHOPPING TOURISM At the signing ceremony last week, Mr. Marcos said the law is expected to boost tourism spending by 30% and support the county’s goal to become a major shopping destination. “You’d probably see that shopping accounts for approximately 20% of total inbound tourism expenditure. This is where the impact of the VAT refund law for nonresidents will be felt,” University of the Philippines Professor Edieser DL. Dela Santa said in an e-mail. As the Philippines boosts tourism spending, he said arrivals would not necessarily increase because foreign tourists are more likely to be influenced by other conditions like airfares and exchange rates. In 2023, tourism-related spending by nonresidents stood at P697.46 billion, the Department of Tourism (DoT) said. The United Nations Tourism said on its website that shopping is a key area of tourist spending. It significantly contributes to national economies, both directly and through its connections to other economic sectors. The Department of Finance (DoF) has said foregone revenues from the law could be off set by higher tourism spending. “Data from the DoF show savings from the refund fully channeled into additional tourism spending may boost economic output by P2.8 billion to P4 billion annually,” it said.11 High-Mileage Vehicles That Can Last Well Over 300K Miles

Article content REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP) — Icelanders voted to elect a new parliament Saturday after disagreements over immigration, energy policy and the economy forced Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson to pull the plug on his coalition government and call an early election. Recommended Videos This is Iceland’s sixth general election since the 2008 financial crisis devastated the economy of the North Atlantic island nation and ushered in a new era of political instability. Opinion polls suggested the country could be in for another upheaval, with support for the three governing parties plunging. Benediktsson, who was named prime minister in April following the resignation of his predecessor, struggled to hold together the unlikely coalition of his conservative Independence Party with the centrist Progressive Party and the Left-Green Movement. “My expectation is like, something new going to happen, hopefully,” said Hörður Guðjonsson, voting in the capital, Reykjavik. “We always have had these old parties taking care of things. I hope we see the light now to come in with a younger people, new ideas.” Iceland, a nation of about 400,000 people, is proud of its democratic traditions, describing itself as arguably the world’s oldest parliamentary democracy. The island’s parliament, the Althingi, was founded in 930 by the Norsemen who settled the country. Fierce weather in the sub-Arctic nation threatened to hamper some voters getting to polling stations on Saturday, with heavy snow blocking roads in many areas. The weather could also delay the delivery of ballot boxes to counting centers after polls close at 10 p.m. (2200GMT). How does the election work? Voters are choosing 63 members of the Althingi in an election that will allocate seats both by regional constituencies and proportional representation. Parties need at least 5% of the vote to win seats in parliament. Eight parties were represented in the outgoing parliament, and 10 parties are contesting this election. Turnout is traditionally high by international standards, with 80% of registered voters casting ballots in the 2021 parliamentary election. Why now? A windswept island near the Arctic Circle, Iceland normally holds elections during the warmer months of the year. But Benediktsson decided on Oct. 13 that his coalition couldn’t last any longer, and he asked President Halla Tomasdottir to dissolve the Althingi. “The weakness of this society is that we have no very strong party and we have no very strong leader of any party,” said Vilhjalmur Bjarnason a former member of parliament. “We have no charming person with a vision ... That is very difficult for us.” Despite the electoral headwinds, Benediktsson expressed confidence that his Independence Party could emerge on top. “It was an uphill battle for my party, initially, but as we moved on into the election campaign, I think things started to turn our way and I feel that this will be a very exciting election day,” he said. Why is Iceland’s politics so fractured? The splintering of Iceland’s political landscape came after the 2008 financial crisis, which prompted years of economic upheaval after the country’s debt-swollen banks collapsed. The crisis led to anger and distrust of the parties that had traditionally traded power back and forth, and prompted the creation of new parties ranging from the environment focused Left-Green Alliance to the Pirate Party, which advocates direct democracy and individual freedoms. “This is one of the consequences of the economic crash,” said Eva H. Önnudottir, a professor of political science at the University of Iceland. “It’s just the changed landscape. Parties, especially the old parties, have maybe kind of been hoping that we would go back to how things were before, but that’s not going to happen.” What are the issues? Like many Western countries, Iceland has been buffeted by the rising cost of living and immigration pressures. Inflation peaked at an annual rate of 10.2% in February 2023, fueled by the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. While inflation slowed to 5.1% in October, that is still high compared with neighbouring countries. The U.S. inflation rate stood at 2.6% last month, while the European Union’s rate was 2.3%. Iceland is also struggling to accommodate a rising number of asylum-seekers, creating tensions within the small, traditionally homogenous country. The number of immigrants seeking protection in Iceland jumped to more than 4,000 in each of the past three years, compared with a previous average of less than 1,000. What about the volcano? Repeated eruptions of a volcano in the southwestern part of the country have displaced thousands of people and strained public finances. One year after the first eruption forced the evacuation of the town of Grindavik, many residents still don’t have secure housing, leading to complaints that the government has been slow to respond. But it also added to a shortage of affordable housing exacerbated by Iceland’s tourism boom. Young people are struggling to get a foot on the housing ladder at a time when short-term vacation rentals have reduced the housing stock available for locals, Önnudottir said. “The housing issue is becoming a big issue in Iceland,” she said.

Daily Post Nigeria Intensify efforts to end terrorism — COAS Oluyede urges troops Home News Politics Metro Entertainment Sport News Intensify efforts to end terrorism — COAS Oluyede urges troops Published on December 7, 2024 By John Gabriel The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has charged army personnel of Joint Task Force North-East Operation Hadin Kai to intensify efforts to end terrorism and insurgency in the North East region. Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, Director of Army Public Relations, in a statement on Sunday, said Oluyede gave the charge on Saturday, December 7, 2024, when he visited the headquarters of the theatre command of Operation Hadin Kai in Maiduguri to interact and obtain first-hand information about troops welfare and challenges with a view to proferring solutions that would boost their morale. According to the statement, the Chief of Army Staff reaffirmed his commitment to providing requisite and essential support to enhance troops’ operational effectiveness in carrying out their tasks and to restore peace and stability to the North East, even as he urged the troops to remain disciplined and committed to their duties in order to successfully achieve the tasks ahead. Part of his visits was to 7 Division Medical Services and Hospital, where he met and empathised with injured officers and soldiers undergoing treatment in the military medical facility, just as he assured them of the Army’s readiness to give them adequate medical care to ensure their recovery. Related Topics: COAS Oluyede Don't Miss Use your position to create jobs for youths — Miners task Shinkafi You may like Reps confirm Oluyede as Army Chief Army will collaborate with Nigerian communities on infrastructure development – COAS Chief of Army Staff: Reps Committee grills Oluyede behind closed door Tinubu sends name of Oluyede to Reps for confirmation as Chief of Army Staff Tinubu asks Senate to confirm Oluyede as Chief of Army Staff Acting COAS charges troops to shun complacency Advertise About Us Contact Us Privacy-Policy Terms Copyright © Daily Post Media Ltd

Christopher Nolan’s next film is based on ‘The Odyssey’By ROB GILLIES and FATIMA HUSSEIN WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau returned home Saturday after his meeting with Donald Trump without assurances the president-elect will back away from threatened tariffs on all products from the major American trading partner. Trump called the talks “productive” but signaled no retreat from a pledge that Canada says unfairly lumps it in with Mexico over the flow of drugs and migrants into the United States. After the leaders’ hastily arranged dinner Friday night at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, Trudeau spoke of “an excellent conversation” and said in a post later Saturday on X, accompanied by a photo of the two men seated a table and smiling, that he looked forward to “the work we can do together, again.” Trump said earlier on Truth Social that they discussed “many important topics that will require both Countries to work together to address.” For issues in need of such cooperation, Trump cited fentanyl and the “Drug Crisis that has decimated so many lives as a result of Illegal Immigration,” fair trade deals “that do not jeopardize American Workers” and the U.S. trade deficit with its ally to the north. Trump asserted that the prime minister had made “a commitment to work with us to end this terrible devastation” of American families from fentanyl from China reaching the United States through its neighbors. The U.S., he said, “will no longer sit idly by as our Citizens become victims to the scourge of this Drug Epidemic.” The Republican president-elect has threatened to impose a 25% tax on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico as one of his first executive orders when he takes office in January. U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border. On immigration, the U.S. Border Patrol made 56,530 arrests at the Mexican border in October alone and 23,721 arrests at the Canadian border between October 2023 and September 2024 — and Canadian officials say they are ready to make new investments in border security. Trudeau called Trump after the Republican’s social media posts about the tariffs last Monday and they agreed to meet, according to a official familiar with the matter who was not authorized to publicly discuss detail of the private talks. The official said other countries are calling Canadian officials to hear how about how the meeting was arranged and to ask for advice. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, after speaking with Trump on the telephone, said Thursday she was confident a tariff war with Washington would be averted. At the dinner that was said to last three hours, Trump said he and Trudeau also discussed energy, trade and the Arctic. A second official cited defense, Ukraine, NATO, China, the Mideast, pipelines and the Group of Seven meeting in Canada next year as other issues that arose. Trudeau’s office said in a statement that the leaders “shared a productive wide-ranging discussion” centering on “collaboration and strengthening our relationship,” adding, “As Canada’s closest friend and ally, the United States is our key partner, and we are committed to working together in the interests of Canadians and Americans.” Trump, during his first term as president, once called Trudeau “weak” and “dishonest,” but it was the prime minister who was the first G7 leader to visit Trump since the Nov. 5 election. “Tariffs are a crucial issue for Canada and a bold move was in order. Perhaps it was a risk, but a risk worth taking,” Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal. Trudeau had said before leaving from Friday that Trump was elected because he promised to bring down the cost of groceries but now was talking about adding 25% to the cost of all kinds of products, including potatoes from Prince Edward Island in Atlantic Canada. “It is important to understand that Donald Trump, when he makes statements like that, he plans on carrying them out. There’s no question about it,” Trudeau said. “Our responsibility is to point out that he would not just be harming Canadians, who work so well with the United States, but he would actually be raising prices for Americans citizens as well and hurting American industry and business,” he added. The threatened tariffs could essentially blow up the North American trade pact that Trump’s team negotiated during his first term. Trudeau noted they were able to successfully renegotiate the deal, which he calls a “win win” for both countries. When Trump imposed higher tariffs as president, other countries responded with retaliatory tariffs of their own. Canada, for instance, announced billions of new duties in 2018 against the U.S. in a response to new taxes on Canadian steel and aluminum. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian (US $2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the border each day. About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports are from Canada. Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for and investing in for national security. Canada is one of the most trade-dependent countries in the world, and 77% of Canada’s exports go to the U.S. ___ Gillies reported from Toronto.Householders and businesses will continue to suffer the worst effects of flooding until the State puts in place an early flood warning system, the country's leading independent weather forecaster has said. Alan O'Reilly, who runs Carlow Weather, said if such a system was in place — at a cost of around €9m — people in areas worst hit by the weekend's Storm Bert could have been better prepared. A major clean-up operation is continuing after the storm caused widespread flooding and damage to homes and businesses. Towns and villages across Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Galway, and Donegal were hardest hit, experiencing torrential flooding. Met Éireann had issued a red weather warning — it's highest alert — for Cork and Galway. Fr Casey's GAA Club at Abbeyfeale, Co Limerick, was hit by flooding overnight during Storm Bert. Picture: Larry Cummins But Mr O'Relly said an early warning system, delivering specific flood alerts, could have helped people better prepare. "If you know how much rain is falling on upland areas and match that data with existing river water levels, it is possible to get reasonably accurate localised flood predictions," he said. For around the €9m this Government spent on phone pouches, you could set up a national early warning system that could give people warnings between one or two hours ahead "There does not appear to be the political will to create... Neil Michael

Share Tweet Share Share Email Adam and Joel Reveal Five-Step Strategy to Earn Up to $800 Daily, Independent of Market Fluctuations. The Crypto Code, led by instructors Adam and Joel, has announced a new, technology-driven method that enables individuals to benefit from cryptocurrency markets without extensive research, chart monitoring, or direct trading experience. By leveraging their proprietary five-step strategy, they aim to empower both novice and experienced investors to generate consistent profits—even in volatile market conditions—and unlock meaningful returns on their crypto investments. The core approach developed by Adam and Joel centers on streamlining the investment process in such a way that participants only need minimal time and effort to start seeing results. According to their system, it is possible to earn as much as $800 per day by an automated processes that capitalizes on the market regardless of whether crypto prices are rising or falling, and it operates on autopilot to reduce the need for constant oversight. Adam and Joel emphasize that their five-step method is designed to remove many of the barriers that hold individuals back from profiting in the crypto space. They believe that extensive research, chart-watching, and attempts at timing the market are factors that can intimidate many prospective investors. Through their unique technology-driven model, participants no longer have to decide on what to trade, as the system manages these processes while constantly scanning for profitable opportunities. During a free workshop available through their website, Adam and Joel details how this approach can be set up and optimized. They also provide examples of existing campaigns that quietly operate in the background to deliver steady daily returns. As part of this interactive session, attendees receive $10 in Bitcoin, as a means of introducing them to the mechanics of digital currencies. Adam and Joel have stated that their campaigns are generating profits such as $4,000 per week, and they refer to their most recent venture, which reportedly earned $8,803 in two weeks and is projected to surpass $100,000 this year in a hands-free manner. Their method involves opening a crypto exchange account, connecting a specialized technology called WaveBot to that account, selecting a cryptocurrency from a curated list of top options, deploying the WaveBot, and then collecting potential profits on an ongoing basis. No in-depth financial background or advanced trading skills are required. The process can be completed in a short time frame, making it feasible for busy professionals and beginners who prefer to invest only a small sum at the outset. An additional feature of The Crypto Code’s success lies in its Premium Trade Alerts, which have maintained an 84 percent win rate. This high level of accuracy has helped investors achieve significant gains, even when starting with modest capital. It’s their brand new strategy that turn $500 into $38,963 in just four months. For many participants, the appeal is further reinforced by the system’s adaptability and potential for rapid results. Adam and Joel note that individuals who may not have any prior knowledge of cryptocurrency or trading can still benefit from the program. For additional information and to sign up for a free online seminar visit https://www.smartpathinvesting.com/crypto-code About The Crypto Code The Crypto Code is an educational platform created by Adam and Joel, two experienced crypto enthusiasts who have been active in the digital asset space for many years. The company’s mission is to “create” practical solutions and training programs that guide everyday individuals toward sustainable crypto returns without the complexities often associated with trading and investing. Related Items: Share Tweet Share Share Email CommentsJapan's famous sake joins UNESCO's cultural heritage list, a boost to brewers and enthusiasts76ers' star Paul George sidelined the next 2 games with bone bruise in left knee

AI could help scale humanitarian responses. But it could also have big downsides

Adele bids tearful farewell to her Las Vegas residency: I will miss it terriblyIntech Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Adient plc ( NYSE:ADNT – Free Report ) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 32,144 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $725,000. A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Pzena Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Adient by 45.0% in the 3rd quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 2,825,491 shares of the company’s stock valued at $63,771,000 after purchasing an additional 877,142 shares during the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its holdings in shares of Adient by 202.8% during the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 69,831 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,576,000 after buying an additional 46,766 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new position in shares of Adient in the third quarter valued at approximately $6,653,000. KBC Group NV raised its position in shares of Adient by 51.8% in the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 3,328 shares of the company’s stock valued at $75,000 after buying an additional 1,136 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MQS Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Adient during the third quarter valued at approximately $278,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.44% of the company’s stock. Adient Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:ADNT opened at $19.23 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $20.95 and a two-hundred day moving average of $23.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.63 billion, a PE ratio of 83.61, a P/E/G ratio of 0.32 and a beta of 2.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.90. Adient plc has a 12 month low of $18.53 and a 12 month high of $37.19. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several analysts have commented on ADNT shares. StockNews.com raised shares of Adient from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $24.00 price objective on shares of Adient in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. Barclays reduced their target price on Adient from $29.00 to $24.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Adient from $31.00 to $27.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Adient from $27.00 to $24.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $24.38. View Our Latest Report on Adient Adient Profile ( Free Report ) Adient plc engages in the design, development, manufacture, and market of seating systems and components for passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and light trucks. The company's automotive seating solutions include complete seating systems, frames, mechanisms, foams, head restraints, armrests, and trim covers. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ADNT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Adient plc ( NYSE:ADNT – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Adient Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Adient and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .