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The share of adults with literacy skills at the lowest measured levels increased substantially as the gap between the high-skilled and low-skilled in the United States expands, according to new data from the National Center for Education Statistics’ latest survey of adult skills. The survey was previously administered in 2017, when 19% of U.S. adults ranked at the lowest levels of literacy. In 2023, that figure increased to 28%, a change that NCES Commissioner Peggy Carr called “substantial” in a news conference announcing the survey Monday. “It is larger than what we would normally see in an international assessment, particularly literacy, which is a fairly stable construct,” she said.

Persons: Peggy Carr Organizations: National Center for Education Statistics Locations: United States, U.S

☆ Israel strikes and advances into Syrian territory after Assad's overthrow, fueling alarm
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Freddie Clayton | Freddie Clayton Is A Freelance Journalist Based In London. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The exact location of Israeli forces was unclear. And U.S. NATO ally Turkey said Israel was "once against displaying its occupying mentality," condemning its actions while Syria strives for "peace and stability." But Israel’s ground offensive carries “significant risks,” especially if they are going beyond the buffer zone as Netanyahu hinted, warned Michael A. Horowitz, a geopolitical and security analyst. The roughly 155-square-mile buffer zone between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights was created after the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. Netanyahu said Sunday that the agreement that established the zone had “collapsed” after Syrian soldiers abandoned their positions amid the overthrow of Assad.

Persons: Nadav Shoshani, Avichay Adraee, Israel’s “, Israel's, Israel, Netanyahu, Michael A, Horowitz, ” Horowitz, Assad Organizations: Syrian Observatory, Human Rights, IDF, Gaza, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, United Nations Charter, . Security, NATO, United, ISIS, NBC, Sunday, Syrian Scientific Studies, Research, Reuters, News Locations: U.K, Damascus, Israel, ”, Lebanon, Qatar’s, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Russia, United States, Golan, Barzeh

A grenade was found inside a man’s carry-on luggage at LaGuardia International Airport, according to the Transportation Security Administration. The passenger was going through security at the New York City airport on Monday when the weapon of war was discovered in his bag. It was determined to be a real, albeit inert, grenade, according to the TSA. He told TSA officers that he got the grenade as a gift from a museum. The passenger who had packed the grenade was allowed to continue on to his flight, the TSA said.

Organizations: LaGuardia International, Transportation Security Administration, New, TSA, Port Authority Police Locations: New York City

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Tech firms take center stage
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

(Photo by Dominika Zarzycka/NurPhoto via Getty Images)This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Nvidia shares fall after China opens investigationShares of artificial intelligence darling Nvidia were under pressure after a regulator in China said it was investigating the chipmaker over possible violations of the country's antimonopoly law. Most Asia markets gain, breaking ranks with Wall StreetMost markets rose in Asia, shrugging off the weaker close overnight on Wall Street. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite pulled back from record highs Monday, with tech shares lagging.

Persons: Dominika Zarzycka, Luigi Mangione, Brian Thompson, Mangione, shrugging, Korea's Kospi Organizations: Nvidia, Getty, CNBC, UnitedHealthcare, University, Pennsylvania, Nasdaq, Dow Jones Locations: China, Asia

☆ Police vehicle crash responding to a bomb threat toward Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene results in death of woman
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Hanna Park | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A motorist was killed Monday in a traffic accident with a police officer responding to a bomb threat at the home of Congresswoman Majorie Taylor Greene, authorities said. Greene, a Republican who represents Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, said in a statement that her local police department in Rome, about 60 miles northwest of Atlanta, received the bomb threat via email. The collision resulted in the death of the other driver, Tammie Pickelsimer, Rome Police spokesperson Kelly Madden confirmed to CNN. The threat directed at Greene comes in the wake of multiple false threats made against various members of Congress. “The individual responsible for this crime has effectively committed murder in our small community of Rome, Georgia,” Greene said.

Persons: Majorie Taylor Greene, Greene, Tammie Pickelsimer, Kelly Madden, “, ”, ” Greene, Lori Trahan, “ I’m Organizations: CNN, Republican, Congressional, Rome Police Department, Rome Police, FBI, ” CNN, Massachusetts Democrat, Democratic Locations: Rome, Atlanta, Floyd, Russian, Massachusetts, Rome , Georgia

☆ Brazil's Lula rushed to Sao Paulo for brain surgery, stable in ICU
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was rushed to Sao Paulo overnight for emergency surgery to drain a bleed on his brain linked to a fall in October, a medical note published by the government said on Tuesday. The operation was successful and the 79-year-old Lula is "well" and being monitored in the intensive care unit, the note said. Lula had an MRI scan, which detected an intracranial hemorrhage, and he was transferred to Sao Paulo for surgery at the Sirio Libanes Hospital. Tests in early November showed his condition was stable and Lula remained active, recently travelling to Montevideo to discuss a Mercosur trade deal. Brazil's Labor Minister Luiz Marinho was among the first politicians to wish Lula a swift and full recovery on social media platform X.

Persons: Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Lula, Luiz Marinho Organizations: American, Brazil's Labor Locations: Planalto, Brasilia, Brazil, Sao Paulo, Montevideo, Mercosur, Russia, Kazan

☆ ‘A really stocky, powerful-looking little animal:’ Scientists are gaining precious clues about the world’s rarest whale
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Lex Harvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“I immediately went, ‘Oh my goodness, it’s a spade-toothed whale!’” the senior marine science adviser for New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DOC) told CNN. The spade-toothed whale is the world’s rarest, only seven of its species have ever been recorded. Beaked whale expert Anton van Helden inspects a male spade-toothed whale ahead of a dissection at Invermay Agricultural Centre, Mosgiel, near Dunedin, New Zealand, on December 2, 2024. Derek Morrison/APSome of the world’s finest whale scientists, alongside members of the local Māori community, gathered last week in New Zealand to dissect the 16-foot, 3,000-pound, mammal — marking the first time anyone has ever seen inside a spade-toothed whale. The spade-toothed whale is a member of the beaked whale family, which gets its name for its “dolphin-like” snouts, according to the DOC.

Persons: Anton van Helden, ”, It’s, Derek Morrison, Alexander Werth, Joy Reidenberg, Michael Denk, van Helden, they’ve, Tumai Cassidy, Te, ” Cassidy, “, Ōtākou, ” Kane Fleury, Helden Organizations: CNN, New Zealand’s Department of Conservation, Agricultural, AP, “, Tūhura Otago Museum Locations: Mosgiel, Dunedin , New Zealand, New Zealand, Pitt, Chile, Plenty, Gisborne

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Tech firms in the spotlight
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Nvidia shares fall after China opens investigationShares of artificial intelligence darling Nvidia were under pressure after a regulator in China said it was investigating the chipmaker over possible violations of the country's antimonopoly law. Markets retreat from record highsThe S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite pulled back from record highs Monday, with tech shares lagging. Many investors expect further gains for mid-caps, which offer better quality businesses than small-caps, as well as stronger growth prospects than large-caps.

Persons: Luigi Mangione, Brian Thompson, Mangione Organizations: CNBC, Nvidia, Oracle, Revenue, UnitedHealthcare, University, Pennsylvania, Nasdaq, Dow Jones Locations: China, Europe

☆ Israel bombs Syria and seizes territory as Netanyahu pledges to change ‘the face’ of the Middle East
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Mick Krever | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

But they also fear what could come from radical Islamists governing Syria, which borders Israel in the occupied Golan Heights. Images taken by an AFP journalist at Mezzeh Air Base southwest of Damascus also showed destroyed Syrian military helicopters. CNN could not independently confirm that claim, but the village lies in the Syrian foothills of Mount Hermon, which Israeli forces captured on Sunday. That zone was established in 1974, after Israeli forces – responding to a Syrian attack – captured the Golan Heights in 1967. Israeli officials have refused to give details on how far Israeli forces will advance, or how long they will stay there.

Persons: Assad, Benjamin Netanyahu, Bashar al, ”, Gideon Sa’ar, I’m, Omar Haj Kadour, Israel Katz, Ali Haj Suleiman, Israel, ” Katz, Mount Hermon, Netanyahu, –, Danny Dannon, ” Eyad Kourdi, Dana Karni Organizations: CNN, Getty, Israeli Defense, Mezzeh, Base, Arab League, ”, Capital, Hermon, Sunday, United Nations, Security Locations: Israel, Syria, Iran, Lebanon, Golan Heights, Syrian, Damascus, AFP, Latakia, ”, Egypt, “, Mount, Golan

☆ Here's what we're seeing Russia's warships and aircraft doing in new satellite images of Syria amid regime change
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Newly captured satellite imagery shows what the Russian military in Syria is doing following the collapse of the Assad regime. Satellite image ©2024 Maxar TechnologiesCrowds and traffic at the civilian airport adjacent to Khmeimim on December 9. Satellite image ©2024 Maxar TechnologiesIt is unclear at this time if assets have already left and whether Russia will hold its position at this base. Satellite image ©2024 Maxar TechnologiesThe vessels are missing in this December 10 image. Satellite image ©2024 Maxar TechnologiesAnother Russian frigate was spotted off the coast of Syria on December 10.

Persons: Assad, Syria's, Bashar Assad, Al Organizations: Russian, Maxar Technologies, Business, Ukraine, Assad International Airport, BI, Institute for Locations: Syria, Russia, Tartus, Damascus, Moscow, Ukraine, Africa, Latakia, Khmeimim, Russian, US

☆ World governments need to curb spending or risk being 'too late' when markets panic, BIS warns
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Governments need to address high debt levels before markets revolt, the Bank for International Settlements said. Runaway debt isn't unique to the US, and bond yields could surge across global economies. AdvertisementGlobal politicians need to act on rising debt levels or risk facing a revolt from global markets, the Bank for International Settlements said this week. BIS, which facilitates collaboration between world central banks, has long been apprehensive about ballooning debt levels. By 2028, IIF expects government debt levels to rise by more than a third.

Persons: Claudio Borio, Borio, Donald Trump's, IIF, Michel Barnier Organizations: Bank for International, BIS, Bloomberg, Bank, International, Institute of International Finance, The, of International Finance Markets Locations: France

☆ Russia's access to crucial military bases in Syria hangs in the balance, threatening its role in the region
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The downfall of Assad has threatened Russia's military presence in Syria along with its wider strategic objectives. Russia's bases in Syria made it a major diplomatic player in the Middle East. AdvertisementThe fall of Bashar Assad has thrown Russia's military presence in Syria into question. Russia has been a close ally of Syria and has leases on two military bases in the country, giving it a strategic foothold in the Middle East. Advertisement"I think it will rattle some folks in the Kremlin to see just how quickly Russia's military had to withdraw," Dailey said.

Persons: Assad, Bashar Assad, Tahrir, Sham, Syria's, Edmund Fitton, Brown, Andreas Krieg, Ann Marie Dailey, doesn't, Dmitry Peskov, Wagner, Dailey, Vladimir Putin, Ali Bilgic, Putin, Cristian Nitoiu, Nitoiu, Loughborough University's Bilgic, Donald Trump, Bilgic, they've Organizations: Russia, Counter, Institute of Middle Eastern, King's College London, RAND, BI, Planet Labs PBC, Russian, Institute for, UK's Loughborough University, Loughborough University, US, UN, Loughborough Locations: Syria, Africa, Russia, Gulf, Tartus, Soviet, USSR, Ukraine, Qatar, Turkey

☆ Drone strikes UN vehicle on way to inspect Ukrainian nuclear plant
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Daria Tarasova | Michael Rios | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —An armored vehicle belonging to the UN’s atomic watchdog was hit by a drone strike on its way to inspect a Ukrainian nuclear power plant on Tuesday, in an attack President Volodymyr Zelensky has blamed on Russia. “The driver of a second IAEA vehicle in the convoy saw the Kamikaze drone coming from behind and slamming into the targeted vehicle,” the agency said. “I have said in the past that attacking a nuclear power plant is a no-go. Attacking those who care for the nuclear safety and security of these plants is also absolutely unacceptable,” he said. Following the drone strike Tuesday, the IAEA said its personnel eventually reached the nuclear plant to complete a staff rotation.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, ” Zelensky, Rafael Mariano Grossi, “, ” Organizations: CNN, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA Locations: Ukrainian, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow

☆ Meet the 2 Australian chefs who walked away from top restaurants to serve up premium meals in nursing homes
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Erin Liam | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

David Martin and Harry Shen are chefs from St Vincent's Care, a nursing home in Melbourne. The chefs understand that not all nursing homes have the budget, but they hope to raise standards. Martin, now 35, is an executive chef manager at St Vincent's Care, a nursing home facility in Australia. Apart from working under top chefs, including Donovan Cooke, Shen had also picked up shifts at Australian nursing homes in the past. AdvertisementThe chefs are well aware that not all nursing homes have the same luxuries of staffing and budgets to prepare premium meals.

Persons: David Martin, Harry Shen, Vincent's, Martin, hasn't, Donovan Cooke, Shen, St Vincent's, —, Gordon Ramsey, Michael Deane, Culinaire, Andrea Maier, Wee Shiou Liang, David Martin Martin Organizations: St, Mayo Clinic, Nursing, Michelin, World Health, Population, National University of Singapore's, Healthy, Gerontology, Singapore University of Social Sciences Locations: Melbourne, Australia, London, Kew, It's, Vincent's, New South Wales, Victoria

☆ US wildlife officials move to add iconic monarch butterfly to threatened species list
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Every winter, millions of monarch butterflies journey thousands of miles across North America to spend winters in the forests and mountains of central Mexico. The US Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing the monarch butterfly as threatened with extinction under the Endangered Species Act. The butterfly’s eastern migratory population is estimated to have declined by roughly 80%, while the western migratory population plunged by more than 95% since the 1980s, according to US wildlife officials. Eduardo Rendón-Salinas, the lead of the monarch butterfly program for WWF-Mexico, previously told CNN that the climate crisis is a major contributing factor to the decline. Rendón-Salinas said what’s happening to monarch butterflies is representative of what pollinator species such as bees, birds and other butterflies face globally.

Persons: Eduardo Rendón, milkweed, Salinas, ”, Donald Trump —, Clay Bolt, ” Martha Williams, ” Williams Organizations: CNN, and Wildlife Service, International Union for Conservation, Nature, World Wildlife Fund, WWF, Wildlife, “ Locations: North America, Mexico, Salinas, California

☆ I was born in the 'Silicon Valley' of India and watched it change from a quiet, green city to an international tech hub
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Charissa Cheong | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

There are too many people and a limited water supply due to a decreasing number of lakes. I've never struggled with water supply in the past: I have access to a well, rainwater harvesting, and facilities to store water from the public supply. But this year, I noticed the public water supply was running out more frequently, so even I had to buy water a few times. There are opportunities in tech and other industries serving that community, such as schools, public transport, and cooking. It's going to take a long while for anything to change, so I still think Bengaluru will continue to be "India's Silicon Valley."

Persons: Vikram Chandrashekar, Chandrashekar, It's, I've, I'm, they're, that's Organizations: Indian Institute of Science, Raman Research, Infosys, Wipro, Texas Instruments, Oracle, Jobs Locations: Bengaluru, India, Valley, J.P, Nagar, Silicon Valley, there's, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Mysore, Mangalore, Silicon

☆ Netanyahu assails media as he testifies for first time in his corruption trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Reuters —Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the witness stand for the first time on Tuesday in his long-running corruption trial, saying he was being hounded for his hawkish security policies. Netanyahu, 75, is Israel’s first sitting prime minister to be charged with a crime. “I have been waiting for eight years for this moment to tell the truth,” Netanyahu told the three-judge court. In the runup to his court date, Netanyahu revived familiar pre-war rhetoric against law enforcement, describing investigations against him as a witch hunt. The shock Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the ensuing Gaza war swept Netanyahu’s trial off the public agenda as Israelis came together in grief and trauma.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, ” Netanyahu, …, Sara, “, ”, Amit Hadad, Prosecutors, Hadad, Yoav Gallant Organizations: Reuters, Israeli, Israel’s Defense Ministry, Likud, ”, Bezeq Telecom Israel, Tel, Court, Palestinian, Criminal Court, ICC Locations: Israel, Gaza, Syria, Palestinian, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Lebanese

☆ Top Russian official says internal corruption surged in 2024, with 30,000 officials caught for graft this year
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

He told state media that 30,000 officials were disciplined for corruption in 2024. AdvertisementRussia's prosecutor-general said on Monday that detections of corruption among officials have jumped this year, with a 30% increase in bribery cases compared to 2023. Igor Krasnov told state media that almost 30,000 Russian officials were caught and disciplined for breaking anti-graft rules in 2024. Krasnov said that at least half of all corruption cases involved bribery and that almost 19,000 such crimes were discovered in the first nine months of 2024. That's nearly as many as the 20,300 bribery cases his office found in 2023, Krasnov added.

Persons: Igor Krasnov, Krasnov, That's, DIB, Vladimir Putin, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Sergei Shoigu, Mark Galeotti Organizations: hemming Russia, US, Reagan National Defense, Royal United Services Institute Locations: Washington, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Argentina’s economy: What Milei’s chainsaw approach has delivered in a year
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Hanna Ziady | Stefano Pozzebon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

London/Bogota/Buenos Aires CNN —Javier Milei swept to power in Argentina a year ago on a ticket to tackle chronic hyperinflation and overhaul the long-suffering economy. In one regard — slashing the size of the state — he has proven so successful that Donald Trump’s government efficiency tsars want to replicate his approach. Homeless people at the gates of the closed Retiro train station during a general strike on May 9, 2024, in Buenos Aires. But the adjustment has proved painful in a country where roughly every 10th person is employed in the public sector. But capital controls, which limit the flow of foreign currency into and out of the country, are giving investors pause.

Persons: Buenos Aires CNN — Javier Milei, Donald Trump’s, Natalia Burone, Lucas Aguayo, ”, Hans, Dieter Holtzmann, Friedrich Naumann, it’s, Milei —, Holtzmann, Milei “, Matteo Maffia, Milei, “, you’d, ” Maffia, I’m, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, Donald Trump, Carlos Barria, Kimberley Sperrfechter, ” Milei, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Luis Lacalle Pou, Ursula von der Leyen, Santiago Pena, Eitan Abramovich, European Union —, Flor Maffia, Diego Fenoglio, “ There’s Organizations: Buenos Aires CNN, International Monetary Fund, Investors, CNN, Monetary Fund, Friedrich, Freedom, Milei, “, of Government, America, KNG Securities, Capital Economics, South, Friedrich Naumann Foundation, Paraguay's, Mercosur, European Union, Bolivia — Locations: Bogota, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Latin America, Retiro, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, German, United States, Palm Beach , Florida, Argentine, Spain, Montevideo, Bolivia, Europe

☆ At age 21, climber Tommy Caldwell pushed his kidnapper off a cliff. Here's what he learned from the experience.
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Julia Pugachevsky | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In 2000, Tommy Caldwell and three other climbers were kidnapped in Kyrgyzstan. In "The Devil's Climb," a National Geographic documentary, famed rock climbers Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnold ("Free Solo") break a world record by climbing a treacherous Alaskan mountain in under 12 hours. Caldwell told Business Insider that he "just didn't experience trauma the way that a lot of people would expect" from the kidnapping. He told BI that he's learned two major things about trauma and high-stress situations since that day 24 years ago. Beth Rodden, Tommy Caldwell, Jason Smith, and John Dickey after their rescue.

Persons: Tommy Caldwell, Caldwell, Alex Honnold, Beth Rodden, Jason Smith, John Dickey, he's, Mike Caldwell, Greg Child, Peter Levine Organizations: Geographic Locations: Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyz

☆ Ex-Abercrombie and Fitch CEO requests a hearing to determine if he's mentally fit to be tried on sex trafficking charges
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Laura Italiano | Alice Tecotzky | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Attorneys for Mike Jeffries asked a judge to rule on whether he is mentally fit for trial. The former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch is seeking to delay his federal sex-trafficking case on mental competency grounds. The defense will have until December 24 to file papers telling US District Judge Nusrat Choudhury how much of their competency motion can be sealed. AdvertisementThe defense has until February 6 to file a doctor's report in support of the competency motion, the spokesperson said. During his time at Abercrombie, Jeffries steered the brand toward a more sexualized image, complete with shirtless models greeting shoppers.

Persons: Mike Jeffries, Fitch, Jeffries, Nusrat Choudhury, Brian Bieber, Matthew Smith, Les Wexner, Jeffrey Epstein Organizations: Abercrombie, US, of, of New York, Prosecutors, Eastern Locations: Manhattan, Eastern, of New, Court, Florida, America, New York, of New York

☆ Alaska Airlines plans new nonstop flights to Japan, Korea in $1 billion postmerger profit push
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Alaska Air Group expects to grow profits by $1 billion through 2027, and plans to ride the wave of high-end travel demand to get there. The airline will launch nonstop service between its home hub of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Tokyo's Narita International Airport in May on Hawaiian's Airbus A330-200s, and between Seattle and Seoul, South Korea's, Incheon International Airport in October, Alaska said Tuesday. By 2030, Alaska plans to serve at least a dozen international destinations from Seattle using wide-body planes, reshaping the carrier. The carrier said Tuesday that it authorized a $1 billion share buyback. It raised its fourth-quarter earnings estimates to 40 cents to 50 cents a share, up from a previous outlook for 20 cents to 40 cents.

Organizations: Alaska Air Group, Hawaiian Airlines, Boeing, Airbus, Seattle - Tacoma International Airport, Tokyo's, Airport, Incheon International Airport Locations: Alaska, Seattle, Seoul, South Korea's, Incheon, Tokyo

☆ I've flown on the Airbus jet Alaska will fly to Tokyo. It was a comfortable ride and I'm excited about the airline's new long-haul flights.
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Alaska Airlines' merger with Hawaiian Airlines gives it access to long-haul Airbus and Boeing planes. Fresh off a $1.9 merger with Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines has big plans for using its new widebody planes with new routes to Asia. The author's economy seats on Hawaiian Airlines' A330 in November 2023. Taylor Rains/Business InsiderThe expansion will also put pressure on competing Delta Air Lines, which already flies nonstop from Seattle to both cities. Japan Airlines' new free flight program may have helped, which comps domestic legs for many tourists who also book a roundtrip international flight to Japan on the same booking.

Persons: Andrew Harrison, Guy, Taylor Rains, Harrison Organizations: Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Airbus, Boeing, Seattle, United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Alaska —, Mastercard Economics, Travelers, CNBC, Japan Airlines Locations: Seattle, Asia, Tokyo, Seoul, Alaska, Honolulu, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Japan, Alaska's Asia, Canada, Sapporo, Okinawa, Osaka

During the first nine months of 2024, international arrivals worldwide reached 98% of pre-pandemic levels, compared to the same period in 2019, it said. The remaining 2% gap will close this month, according to the organization, marking a momentous shift in the industry into a new era of growth. Growth in the region during that timeframe was led by an increase of visitors to Qatar (+141%) and Saudi Arabia (+61%), it said. Epicenter of global growthInternational travel in Asia-Pacific may be lagging behind today, but it's expected to be the epicenter of global travel growth in the coming decades. 'Back with a vengeance'Global recovery has been thwarted by the slow return of two types of travelers: Chinese outbound travelers and business travelers.

Persons: Alan Watts, Hilton, Watts, Anthony Capuano Organizations: Council International Asia, Indonesia . Hospitality, Hilton's, Marriott International, Sheraton, CNBC Travel, Marriott Locations: U.N . Tourism, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Africa, Europe, Americas, Asia, Pacific, Middle, China, India, Indonesia, Hilton's Asia, Vietnam, Japan, Southeast Asia

☆ It's not just the US. Housing around the world is more expensive than it was prior to the 2008 peak, the IMF says.
▼ + stars: | 2024-12-10 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Housing around the world is the most unaffordable it's been in decades, the IMF said. AdvertisementHousing affordability is lower than levels recorded prior to the 2008 financial crisis, according to a new analysis of 2023 housing data. In the US, mortgage rates have climbed in recent years, influenced by the Fed's rate-hiking cycle as it fought high inflation. AdvertisementZillow thinks home prices could rise 2.6% in 2025, while mortgage rates could remain elevated, but see "choppy" swings. Redfin, meanwhile, saw home prices rising another 4% next year, while mortgage rates remain stuck near 7%.

Persons: it's, —, Fu, Deniz Igan, Freddie Mac, Igan, Zillow, Redfin Organizations: Monetary, IMF, IMF's Finance, Development

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