Author: Press Room

Taiwan has drawn up a blacklist of 52 Chinese-owned ships that use flags of convenience, which it will track and proactively inspect in an effort to regulate part of a rapidly growing “shadow fleet” that is causing global security concerns.The move comes amid explosive growth in the number of ageing vessels that evade oversight and hide their identity with deceptive signalling. While international attention has focused on Russia’s use of this shadow fleet to export oil in circumvention of sanctions over its war on Ukraine, the ranks of such ships have swelled beyond tankers and pose increasing maritime and national…

Forget E. F. Hutton; when Warren Buffett talks, people listen. And I don’t feel like that’s simply because he’s the world’s most famous investor, though he is. He’s a person of wisdom. A wisdom that seems to have been applied not only in his investing, but also in his marriage, his parenting, and his own personal finances. So when he recently offered his personal advice on estate planning—on how, when, and why you should talk to your kids about your estate plans—it certainly got my attention. And it offers a framework for all of us, regardless of our net worth.…

This article was written byFollowWith combined experience of covering technology companies on Wall Street and working in Silicon Valley, and serving as an outside adviser to several seed-round startups, Gary Alexander has exposure to many of the themes shaping the industry today. He has been a regular contributor on Seeking Alpha since 2017. He has been quoted in many web publications and his articles are syndicated to company pages in popular trading apps like Robinhood.Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, but may initiate a beneficial Long position through a…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.The CIA has concluded that Covid-19 probably began as a leak from a laboratory in China in a new assessment of the origins of the pandemic that killed millions of people.The US intelligence agency said it concluded with “low confidence” that the Covid-19 virus had leaked from the research facility, in a shift of its previous position that there was insufficient information to reach a conclusion.“CIA assesses with low confidence that a research-related origin of the COVID-19 pandemic is more likely than…

Taxpayers should give as much consideration to the form in which they make charitable donations as they do to the amounts they give. By making some changes they might deliver more benefits to themselves and the charities. Cash contributions, including donations made by checks and payment cards, are the most common and easiest way to donate. The donor makes the transfer to the charity, and the gift is complete. The amount of the gift is clear and easy to prove to the IRS. An alternative is to give property. Non-cash gifts might generate more tax benefits for you and the…

Existing home sales in the U.S. in 2024 were the lowest in nearly 30 years, as home prices hit an all-time high. The National Association of Realtors released data that showed existing home sales declined to the lowest level since 1995 last year, with 4.06 million homes sold on an annual basis.Meanwhile, the median home price rose to a record high of $407,500 in 2024. “With mortgage rates close to 7% and generally soft homebuying sentiment, strength in existing home sales is unlikely to be sustained,” said Alice Zheng, an economist at Citigroup. “We do not expect much further upside for…

President Donald Trump’s Justice Department on Friday asked the Supreme Court to freeze a handful of cases, including a challenge to one of former President Biden’s student loan bailouts. Acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris filed several motions Friday asking the court to halt proceedings in the student loan case and three environmental cases while the new administration will “reassess the basis for and soundness” of Biden’s policies.The Supreme Court was expected to hear oral arguments for these cases in March or April and issue decisions later this term. But Trump’s DOJ requested that the high court halt all written brief…

This article was written byFollowNeuberger Berman, founded in 1939, is a private, independent, employee-owned investment manager. The firm manages a range of strategies—including equity, fixed income, quantitative and multi-asset class, private equity and hedge funds—on behalf of institutions, advisors and individual investors globally. With offices in 23 countries, Neuberger Berman’s team is more than 2,100 professionals. For five consecutive years, the company has been named first or second in Pensions & Investments Best Places to Work in Money Management survey (among those with 1,000 employees or more). Tenured, stable and long-term in focus, the firm has built a diverse team…

Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for freeYour guide to what the 2024 US election means for Washington and the worldOne of Donald Trump’s most controversial cabinet picks has been narrowly confirmed by the US Senate to head the Pentagon, despite allegations of sexual assault and alcohol abuse. Pete Hegseth will become US secretary of defence after the Senate voted 51-50 in his favour late on Friday night, squeaking by after vice-president JD Vance broke the tie. Republican senators Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins joined Democrats in voting against Hegseth’s confirmation. Hegseth survived a last-ditch effort by Democrats to prevent…

I’ve been well aware of the significant financial advantages of waiting to start my Social Security benefits until age 70, having written and researched about the transition into retirement for the past twenty years. But until my wife and I were actually approaching our retirement years, this awareness was just in my head—I didn’t have the first-hand emotional experience that results from having to wait for a significant source of retirement income. Like many people, just having the knowledge about what’s best for me doesn’t always convince me to make the right decision. Over the years, I’ve learned about the…