Author: Admin

[WASHINGTON] US President Donald Trump is weighing slashing “thousands” of federal jobs ahead of a meeting with his budget director, Russell Vought, as the White House looks to ratchet up pressure on Democrats to end a government shutdown that has entered its second day.“It’s likely going to be in the thousands,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday (Oct 2), saying that the “entire team at the White House” was working to identify possible cuts.“We are going to look at agencies that don’t align with the administration’s values, that we feel are a waste of the taxpayer…

The Nuggets gave Nikola Jokic what he wanted this offseason, adding the kind of depth the Oklahoma City Thunder boasted when they survived a seven-game second-round series with Denver on their way to winning the NBA championship.The expected payoff isn’t just in a deeper rotation and fresher legs come playoff time, but also in a colossal contract extension for their superstar next summer.Jokic bypassed the opportunity to sign a four-year, $212 million deal this summer because next year he can sign that same four-year extension for $293 million.”I mean, I don’t think about it,” Jokic said. “I think those contract…

Trump threatens permanent cuts as shutdown stalemate continues – CBS News Watch CBS News As Republicans and Democrats fail to come to an agreement on government funding, President Trump is threatening to use the shutdown to fire some federal workers. Weijia Jiang reports.

Singapore must make the shift from measuring progress in research outputs or startup numbers to judging success by how science improves livesAS SINGAPORE celebrates SG60, it is an opportune moment to reflect on six decades of scientific and technological achievement and the challenges that lie ahead. We have built world-class universities, a vibrant startup ecosystem, and a research and innovation landscape that consistently ranks among the most competitive globally. What underpins this progress is not funding alone, but the connective tissue that binds academia and the public and private sectors. When partnerships work, discoveries do not remain in journals; they…

Marissa Chase never thought she’d find herself walking into a fertility clinic. But after nearly a year of trying to conceive with her husband and facing mounting disappointment, she realized something wasn’t right.”You know, it was finally the time. The month. The time to start trying,” Chase said. “And ultimately, it was pregnancy test fail after fail after fail.”Each negative test brought new waves of uncertainty. With no clear diagnosis, anxiety took hold.”It was honestly terrifying, right? Because you didn’t know,” she said. “Everything runs through your head, like, I’m never going to be able to have a family. Among…

Oil prices rose slightly on Friday after four straight sessions of declines but were on track for their steepest weekly decline since late June due to market expectations that the OPEC+ group could hike output further despite oversupply concerns. Brent crude futures gained 18 cents, or 0.3 per cent, to $64.29 a barrel by 0000 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude climbed by 19 cents, or 0.3 per cent, to $60.67 a barrel.If prices do not further recover in this session, Brent could close at the lowest level since the week ended May 30, while WTI would finish at a…

The Osaka-based insurer is taking advantage of guidelines for bond investors when prices move sharply.[TOKYO] Sumitomo Life Insurance is taking an unusual step to avoid writing down losses on its debt assets, promising to never sell them while they are in the red, according to a source familiar with the matter.The Osaka-based insurer is taking advantage of guidelines for bond investors when prices move sharply. When there’s a 50%-or-more tumble in the market value of a bond from its acquisition price with no prospect of recovery, the drop in the debt’s value must be booked as a loss, according to…

Microsoft may have made the unfortunate decision to raise the price of a Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription to $30 a month, but you don’t have to live by the company’s rules — at least not yet. Most online retailers are still selling codes for prepaid Game Pass subscriptions at the original $20 a month price. That means you can pay $60 for three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, stack your codes and keep your subscription without having to downgrade or cancel.XboxYou can still purchase pre-paid Game Pass codes at their original price. $60 at AmazonAs the highest tier…

Skyline of Tokyo, Japan.Jackyenjoyphotography | Moment | Getty ImagesAsia-Pacific markets were set to open mostly higher Friday, tracking Wall Street gains as investors shrugged off the U.S. government shutdown.Investors are waiting to see how long the shutdown will last to assess the gravity of its economic repercussions. Historically, government shutdowns in the U.S. have not been market-moving events.Japan’s September manufacturing purchasing managers’ index reading will be released later in the day.The country’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index was set for a higher open, with its futures contract in Chicago trading at 45,130, while its counterpart in Osaka last traded at 45,050,…

Backing the shift to this strategy is the government’s multi-year drive to get households to invest more[TOKYO] Japan’s largest bank is recruiting more new graduates and experienced specialists as it seeks a bigger piece of the country’s growing wealth management market.Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) is planning to increase annual hiring to about 40 new graduates for its business catering to the rich from April next year, according to Yutaka Miyashita, head of the lender’s commercial banking and wealth management business group. That compares with around five hires a year recently.“Simply put, we are rather short of hands,” said Miyashita.…