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☆ An ex-flight attendant who flew with 2 US airlines shares ways travelers can save money on flights — without skiplagging
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Marielle Descalsota | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Travel expert Bobby Laurie shared two ways travelers can save money on airfare. Laurie suggested travelers search for the cheapest upgrades and not just the cheapest overall fare. Laurie said travelers should avoid searching their flights on the same search engine, device, or IP network as many airlines have a dynamic pricing strategy. I've seen many times situations where first class or premium economy was cheaper than the coach ticket," Laurie said. Laurie said travelers should avoid spending extra for a refundable fare when booking with major US airlines.

Persons: Bobby Laurie, Laurie, —, who've, I've Organizations: Service, International Trade Administration, US Airways, Virgin America Locations: skiplagging

☆ A woman who quit her job to travel says she regrets not saving enough for a house or retirement
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Marielle Descalsota | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Helen Zhao quit her dream job and spent $34,000 of her life savings to travel. In a CNBC article, Zhao wrote that she wishes she had continued saving while traveling. AdvertisementA woman who quit her dream job to travel says she regrets not saving enough money for a house or retirement. In an article for CNBC, Helen Zhao wrote that she quit her dream job as a video producer at the news outlet in 2022, after working there for four years. Zhao wrote that she traveled to 18 countries in Asia and South America over the course of a year and a half, on a budget of $34,000.

Persons: Helen Zhao, Zhao, —, I'm Organizations: CNBC, Service, International Trade Administration Locations: Asia, South America, Los Angeles, Europe

At the center of that growth are newer genres of Afrobeats — the renowned blend of distinct West African music styles — and amapiano, which fuses South African kwaito with African jazz, house music and soulful vocals. The 2022 track became the first led by an African artist to hit 1 billion Spotify streams and has the record for the most weeks — 64 — spent on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart. And some tracks meld the genres under the African music umbrella. That reach is particularly interesting considering that African music is produced for its people, embodying all aspects of their lives from their culture and experiences to their struggles, LeriQ says. The continent leads mobile device web traffic in the world, according to the U.S. International Trade Administration, translating to more market opportunities for artists.

Persons: ”, Burna Boy’s, Rema’s, Selena Gomez, —, Joey Akan, ‘, Burna, ’, Musa Keys, Boy, Istanbul's, Rema, Davido, Tina Davis, Olamide's, Angélique Kidjo, LeriQ, Nay, Mitego, Chika Anene, gatekeepers, Eric Wainaina, G’bemi Ereku, Nigeria —, Jhello, ” ___ Mureithi, Maria Sherman Organizations: FIFA, International Federation of, Phonographic Industry's, Spotify, Afrobeats Intelligence, UEFA Champions League, Pew Research, U.S . International Trade Administration, United, Afro Nation, AP Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria, Nigerian, Saharan Africa, African, South Africa, Africa, Tanzania, Abuja, Kenyan, Lagos, United States, Statista, Nairobi, Kenya, Johannesburg, Los Angeles

☆ Hunger is India’s ‘biggest problem’ — one of the world's largest food producers leaves millions hungry
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A labourer works inside a mill of refined wheat flour at Khanna in India's Punjab state on May 18, 2022. "Hunger is the biggest problem in India," a representative of global agribusiness Bunge told CNBC on the sidelines of the Commodity Trading Week held in Singapore. If they are getting the food, it's not nutritious," said Amit Sharma, Bunge's global trade execution team leader. India's Department of Food and Public Distribution did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. Vipin Kumar | Hindustan Times | Getty ImagesIndia's food problem is also compounded by the fact that the rising middle class is on course to demand for more food — and better quality food as well.

Persons: Sajjad Hussain, Bunge, There's, Amit Sharma, Sharma, India's, Garima, Louis Dreyfus, Vipin Kumar, Jain, It's Organizations: AFP, Getty, CNBC, Logistics, International Trade Administration, U.S . Commerce Department, India's Department of Food, ITA, Hindustan Times Locations: Khanna, India's Punjab, India, Singapore

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — An unregulated gold mine collapsed late last week in Mali, killing more than 70 people, an official said Wednesday, and a search continued amid fears that the toll could rise. Artisanal miners — small-scale, informal ones — are often accused of ignoring safety measures, especially in remote areas. Political Cartoons View All 253 Images“The state must bring order to this artisanal mining sector to avoid these kinds of accidents in the future,” Berthé said. Artisanal gold mining is estimated to produce around 30 tons of gold a year, and represents 6% of Mali’s annual gold production. The country also has an estimated 2 million gold miners operating in around 300 artisanal mining sites, Pona said.

Persons: Karim Berthé, Abdoulaye Pona, ” Berthé, “, Pona Organizations: and Mining Directorate, Associated Press, Mali Chamber of Mines, Mines, International Trade Administration, U.S . Department of Commerce, of Mines Locations: BAMAKO, Mali, Kangaba district, Koulikoro, Africa’s, Bamako, “

The hefty Davos promotions come after India surpassed China last year as the world's biggest country by population. Now India is touting its growing strength as a nation of innovation and as a global business hub in front of some of the world's richest and most powerful people. "As China's economy slows down, India's relatively rapid growth stands out as a clear opportunity for investors in Davos looking for bright spots." "We had an all-time revenue record in India," Apple CEO Tim Cook said on the company's latest earnings call in November, in response to an analyst's question about the company's momentum there. Hidary said Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani's smartphone company Jio will serve about 600 million people in India through a $12 device.

Persons: There's, Ravi Agrawal, Agrawal, Narendra Modi, that's, Tim Cook, Apple Tim Cook, Punit Paranjpe, Jack Hidary, Hidary, Mukesh, Ambani Organizations: India Engagement, Wipro, Infosys, Tata, Foreign Policy, CNN, CNBC, World Bank, International Trade Administration, Visual, Bank of India, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Apple, AFP, Getty, India, AMD, Nvidia, Micron, WEF Locations: DAVOS, Switzerland, Davos, India, China, CNN India, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, U.S, Mumbai, Bangalore, Gujarat

State-owned Motor Sich is Ukraine's main manufacturer of aircraft and helicopter engines, including for some of the world's largest cargo planes. Many legacy Ukrainian defense companies will trigger "red flags" during the lengthy due diligence and compliance reviews conducted by Western defense companies, said one U.S. defense executive. A Motor Sich representative stopped by ITA's booth and spoke briefly about their company's capabilities, the spokesperson said. ROOTING OUT CORRUPTIONZelenskiy has made rebuilding Ukraine's defense and aerospace sector a top priority, which includes deeper investment in drone technology. While the talks in Washington later this week and last month's Dubai air-show contacts are potentially promising, the political realities that Western defense officials are grappling with could hinder any progress.

Persons: Gleb Garanich, Olexiy Nikiforov, Lockheed Martin, Pavlo Verkhniatsky, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Korzh, Trump, Nikiforov, RTX, Northrop, Valerie Insinna, Joanna Plucinska, Tim Hepher, Jo Mason, Jane Merriman Organizations: Motor Sich, REUTERS, State, Sich, Reuters, Lockheed, White, U.S, Western, U.S . Department of Commerce, Dubai Air Show, Commerce Department's International Trade Administration, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Republicans, Ukraine –, Thomson Locations: Ukrainian, Kyiv, Ukraine, WASHINGTON, Russia, China, Washington, U.S, Moscow, Zaporizhzhia, Dubai, Gaza, London

☆ Supply chains, trade top agenda for Yellen Mexico trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen hosts Leaders from Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity (APEP) countries at the Treasury Department in Washington, DC, on November 3, 2023. WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will travel to Mexico City this week to strengthen economic ties with America's top trading partner, the Treasury Department said Monday. Yellen will meet with Mexican counterparts, including President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, from Dec. 5-7 on creating supply chains spanning the bordering nations to spur job growth and bolster economic security, according to a release. Imports and exports between the U.S. and Mexico reached nearly $600 billion so far in 2023, per the International Trade Administration, and exceeded $850 billion in 2022, according to Treasury. Direct investments between the nations include manufacturing, wholesale trade, real estate and finance and insurance, according to the U.S. Trade Representative.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Yellen, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping Organizations: Americas Partnership, Economic Prosperity, Treasury Department, WASHINGTON —, Mexican, U.S, International Trade Administration, Treasury, U.S . Trade, Jalisco Nueva Generacion, U.S . Locations: Washington ,, Mexico City, Mexico, United States, Jalisco, U.S

☆ Blast kills dozens of coal miners in Kazakhstan
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Akanksha Sharma | Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —At least 45 coal miners were killed in a fire sparked by a methane gas explosion at a mine in Kazakhstan, authorities in the country said on Sunday. In a statement, the Ministry for Emergency Situations said the blast sparked a blaze early on Saturday at the Kostenko mine in the Karaganda region, state-owned Kazinform news agency reported. More than 200 people were evacuated from the mine to safety and search efforts are ongoing for one missing miner, the ministry said. The mine is owned by Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest producer of steel, and run by its local representative ArcelorMittal Temirtau, which operates multiple coal and iron ore mines across Kazakhstan. The multi-billion dollar mining sector accounted for an estimated 17% of GDP in mineral-rich Kazakhstan in 2021, according to the US International Trade Administration.

Persons: ArcelorMittal, “, Kassym, Jomart Tokayev Organizations: CNN, Ministry, Emergency, General, Office, Kazakh, US International Trade Administration Locations: Kazakhstan, Karaganda, Luxembourg, Kazakh, Temirtau

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Africa’s fashion industry is growing rapidly to meet local and international demand but inadequate investment limits its potential, UNESCO said Thursday in a report released during Lagos Fashion Week. The demand for African fashion brands is also spurred by the growth in e-commerce, the UNESCO report noted. It’s really beautiful to see because it hasn’t always been like this,” said Omoyemi Akerele, who founded the Lagos Fashion Week in 2011 to encourage the patronage of Nigerian and African fashion. In Nigeria and other parts of Africa, young fashion designers are hungry for success and are taking over the global scene, said the UNESCO director-general. “So Africa is really the next frontier (for the fashion industry).”___Associated Press journalist Dan Ikpoyi in Lagos, Nigeria contributed.

Persons: Audrey Azoulay, ”, Omoyemi Akerele, “, Ejiro Amos, Tafiri, Dan Ikpoyi Organizations: UNESCO, Lagos Fashion, U.S . International Trade Administration, Associated Press Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria, Lagos, Africa, Nigerian

☆ ComBio wants industrial players to use sustainable biomass instead of fossil fuels for heat generation. Check out the 9-slide pitch deck it used to raise $90 million in growth capital.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Brazilian company ComBio wants industrial players to swap out fossil fuel boilers for biomass. Founded in 2008, ComBio has developed biomass-based systems to remove the need to use oil and gas when generating heat. The company sources biomass from agricultural and forestry waste, which it said is sustainable and would typically have no other use. "If you look at the energy transition on heat, on thermal, you have quite limited options and by far the best one is biomass," Filho said. Check out the 9-slide pitch deck the company used to raise the funds below.

Persons: Lightrock, ComBio, Paulo Skaf Filho, Filho Organizations: Capital, Renewables, US International Trade Administration Locations: London, Brazil, Europe

☆ India's been touted as the new China — but here are 4 key areas where the South Asian giant is still playing catch up
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Some investors see India as the new China, but the South Asian economy still has to narrow a few gaps. These factors make it difficult for India to surpass China as the factory of the world. The country's potential appears brighter after its population surpassed China's, prompting many observers to tout the South Asian country as the next economy to watch. There's so much optimism about India that Goldman Sachs forecasts India's economy will surpass the US by 2075. Here are four ways India is still playing catch-up to its Asian rival, China.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Pramit Chaudhuri, Chaudhuri, Narendra Modi's, hasn't, Eurasia Group's Chaudhuri, Ashutosh Sharma, Forrester Organizations: Service, Eurasia Group, Swiss, UBS, East, China, US International Trade Administration, Bank Locations: India, China, Wall, Silicon, South Asia, China's, Eurasia

☆ India's gearing up to be the new China, but even Elon Musk is finding it hard to crack into the market. Here are 5 reasons why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

India has overtaken China as the world's most populous country, and it's pushing for foreign investments. But foreign investors keen to enter the Indian market face various barriers to entry. Earlier this year, India overtook China as the world's most populous country. Among investors keen on investing in India are Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, and tech giant Apple. But given the huge Indian market, Tesla isn't giving up.

Persons: —, Narendra Modi's, Elon Musk, Mark Mobius, Modi —, Modi, Musk, Ashutosh Sharma, Forrester, That's, Sharma, India's, Mukesh Ambani Organizations: Service, India, Indian, Tesla, SpaceX, US International Trade Administration, ITA, Bank, World Bank, US, Reliance Industries SpaceX, Reliance, Reuters, Ambani's Locations: India, China

☆ Elon Musk wants to bring Starlink to the Indian market — but he'll have to get around India's richest tycoon first
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Elon Musk said he hopes to bring SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service to India. SpaceX is lobbying the government to assign licenses for satellite services, but Reliance is calling for a public auction. Elon Musk is eyeing the massive Indian market, saying he hopes to bring SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service into the country after meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week. Musk told reporters on Tuesday he was keen to launch Starlink in India as the service "can be incredibly helpful" in remote villages, per India's ANI agency. Reliance Jio vs. StarlinkThe two companies have different stances on how the Indian government's satellite broadband spectrum should be distributed, Reuters reported.

Persons: Elon Musk, He's, Mukesh Ambani, Narendra Modi, Musk, Ambani, Tesla, China, Modi —, — Organizations: Asia's, Reliance, SpaceX, Morning, Reliance Industries, He's, Bloomberg, Ambani's Reliance, Reuters, Ambani's, US International Trade Administration, ITA Locations: India, India's, China, Indian

Qaem-5 precision-guided munition, documented by Conflict Armament Research in Ukraine. Shahed-131 UAV documented by Conflict Armament Research in Ukraine. Circuit boards of four different items of Russian military equipment found in Ukraine by Conflict Armament Research investigators. Electronic components documented by Conflict Armament Research investigators in Ukraine. Source: Conflict Armament Research

☆ Is the U.S. falling behind China in Africa’s lithium industry?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Sydney Boyo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The demand for lithium is rising as it has become a critical component needed in electric vehicle batteries. Zimbabwe has been mining lithium for 60 years and the government estimates that its Chinese-owned Bikita Minerals Mine, which is located 300 kilometers south of the capital Harare, has about 11 million metric tons of lithium resources. In December 2022, Zimbabwe passed the Base Mineral Export Control Act that banned the export of raw lithium. That includes Chinese firms Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt , Sinomine Resource Group and Chengxin Lithium Group which have invested $678 million into lithium projects in Zimbabwe. Both the Bikita mine, which is the largest lithium mine in the country, and the Arcadia Lithium mine are Chinese owned.

REUTERS/Andrew KellyWASHINGTON, Dec 22 (Reuters) - A $1.7 trillion government funding bill approved by the U.S. Senate Thursday will bolster U.S. regulators and make it easier for states to bring antitrust lawsuits. The National Labor Relations Board is receiving a $25 million increase to $299 million after not receiving a funding lift in more than a decade. The International Trade Administration, which investigates foreign trade practices, is getting a $55 million increase to $625 million. The spending bill includes a measure that strengthens state attorneys general by allowing them to choose the venue where they bring antitrust lawsuits. The funding bill includes a new provision to ensure millions of working mothers have reasonable break time and a private place to pump breast milk.

☆ Philippines to cut tariffs on electric vehicles, parts
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA, Nov 24 (Reuters) - A Philippine inter-agency panel chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Thursday approved removing tariffs on electric vehicles (EVs) to spur demand amid high fuel costs. Marcos will issue an executive order cutting to 0% the most favoured nation tariff on EVs like passengers cars, buses, vans, trucks, motorcycles, and bicycles, and their parts for five years. Consumers in the Philippines currently need to shell out $21,000 to $49,000 for an EV, versus the $19,000 to $26,000 price for conventional vehicles. Of the country's more than five million registered automotives, only 9,000 are electric, mostly passenger vehicles, government data show. The Southeast Asian nation's automotive sector relies mostly on imported fuel.

Alibaba's international e-commerce platform AliExpress has expanded in South Korea and Brazil, in addition to Europe. BEIJING — Alibaba 's international e-commerce business AliExpress is spending the equivalent of $7 million to reach consumers in South Korea, the unit told CNBC in an exclusive interview. AliExpress said it launched three-to-five-day shipping to South Korea last year, allowing South Korean residents to buy some products, especially in fashion, from Taobao. In all, the business unit said it spent 10 billion won this year in South Korea to lower product prices. "Although in 2020, the United States was ranked number one, other countries such as China are expanding their presence in the Korean e-commerce market," the report said, noting South Korean consumers are now buying from more than 30 countries.

☆ White House taps Commerce official to run 'Made in America' office
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The White House said Wednesday it is tapping a Commerce Department official to run an office aimed at spurring the U.S. government's purchase of more American products and services. Livia Shmavonian is taking the helm of the White House Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) "Made in America" office created by President Joe Biden last year. Shmavonian was at the Commerce Department's International Trade Administration and previously staff director for a Senate Finance trade subcommittee. She is replacing Celeste Drake, a former trade official at the AFL-CIO, who has moved to a new White House job. The order sought to make "Buy America" waivers more transparent.

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