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Norway is poised to become the first country to ban internal combustion engines in 2025, with 93.6% of new car registrations in November 2024 being electric. The government's ambitious policy involves incentives such as tax exemptions, free parking, and dedicated lanes, which have driven citizen interest in clean technology. The country's infrastructure has also played a crucial role, with 29,473 public charging stations and a fast charger for every 100 vehicles.

The impact is evident, with models like the Tesla Model Y leading sales, and Chinese manufacturers like BYD and Nio gaining traction. However, Norway also faces challenges, including taxing high-end electric vehicles to balance public finances and reduce private vehicle numbers. The country's experience demonstrates the impact of effective policies and serves as an inspiration for other nations, including Mexico, where a goal is to make all new car sales electric by 2035.

The REDMAGIC 10 Pro is a gaming powerhouse that fully harnesses the capabilities of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. With its advanced cooling system, including a liquid metal plate and a 23,000 RPM fan, the device delivers exceptional performance and thermal management, allowing users to enjoy extended gaming sessions without overheating. The 144Hz OLED display, 2500Hz touch sampling rate, and customizable shoulder triggers further enhance the immersive gaming experience.

Beyond gaming, the REDMAGIC 10 Pro offers reliable daily performance, a long-lasting 7,000mAh battery, and a comprehensive Game Space software suite. While the camera capabilities are adequate, the device's primary focus is on providing an uncompromised gaming experience, making it an attractive option for mobile gaming enthusiasts.

China has banned the export of gallium, germanium, antimony, and superhard materials to the United States, citing national security concerns. These minerals are crucial for electronics and weapons manufacturing. The move follows increased US sanctions against Chinese companies and represents a significant escalation in trade tensions between the two nations.

The ban immediately impacts semiconductor and weapons production in the US, given gallium and germanium's use in semiconductors and antimony's role in munitions. Concerns are also rising about potential future restrictions on nickel and cobalt, vital for electric vehicle batteries, with US supplies dwindling. The White House has pledged a response to China's actions, though specifics remain unclear. This development highlights the growing geopolitical and economic rivalry between the US and China.

The U.S. Department of Energy has provisionally approved a $7.54 billion loan for a joint venture between Stellantis and Samsung SDI to build two electric vehicle (EV) battery plants in Kokomo, Indiana. The project, expected to create 3,200 jobs, will produce enough batteries for approximately 670,000 vehicles annually at full capacity.

This loan, from the DOE's Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing program, is the latest in a series of commitments since President Biden revived the program in 2022. However, the loan's future may be uncertain, as President-elect Trump has pledged to reverse or cancel much of Biden's spending on EVs once in office.

Stellantis, which owns brands like Jeep and Chrysler, is currently facing leadership changes and struggles to keep pace with competitors in the shift to electric vehicles, potentially impacting its ability to meet the loan's demands.

Canada is positioning itself as a major player in the global supply of critical minerals like graphite and lithium, essential for electric vehicles (EVs). The country's optimism is tempered by concerns over heavy reliance on the U.S. EV market, amidst a backdrop of industrial policy shifts aimed at bolstering domestic production.

As the demand for EV components rises, Canada faces both opportunities and challenges. The strategic development of its mineral resources is crucial, yet uncertainties linked to external market dependencies could affect long-term growth. This article explores the dynamics of Canada’s mining sector within the broader context of North American industrial policy.

The major trends shaping the second half of this decade are the "five Ds": debt, deglobalization, demographics, decarbonization, and digitalization. While these challenges pose macroeconomic risks, they can be mitigated by revolutionary technological disruptions in digitalization and the electrification of the economy, leading to higher productivity growth and more sustainable production processes.

Many of the most innovative companies, across sectors, are private. Investors with a longer investment horizon can access these high-growth, often younger companies through private equity, potentially earning higher returns than investing in public companies. Private equity can also help Swiss investors diversify beyond their domestic market and sectors.

During the Agent OpenDay event, Zhipu demonstrated its technological advancements and highlighted growth strategies aimed at enhancing market presence. The company also took the opportunity to recruit new talent, emphasizing the importance of innovation and workforce expansion in their future plans. Their showcase not only illustrated their current capabilities but also projected confidence in their ambitious goals for industry leadership.

Carrefour Group has announced the sale of eight of its supermarkets located in Curitiba, Brazil, for R$ 400 million. Half of these stores have been acquired by Muffato, the country's sixth-largest food retailer, which is focused on expanding its presence in Paraná and São Paulo. This marks a significant shift as these stores transition from foreign to national ownership after 25 years.

Elon Musk's Starlink Direct to Cell offers satellite internet access directly to smartphones, bypassing the need for external antennas. This service aims to provide connectivity in remote areas lacking traditional cellular coverage. Initially launched in January 2024 and undergoing testing throughout the year, the service received FCC approval, making it a recent social media trend.

Starlink's Direct to Cell satellites enable text messaging, calls, and data browsing globally, including land, lakes, and coastal waters. Importantly, no special hardware, firmware, or apps are required; all smartphones with LTE capabilities (available since 2009) are compatible. The service also supports standard LTE IoT devices.

Amid rising economic uncertainty, the exchange rate of the Korean won has surged to the 1,420 won level against the US dollar. This significant increase raises concerns about potential implications for South Korea's national credit rating. Analysts suggest that prolonged volatility in the currency market could reflect economic instability, which may, in turn, affect investor confidence and capital flow.

This situation highlights the interconnectedness of currency valuation and national creditworthiness, prompting discussions on whether corrective policy measures are needed to stabilize the currency and safeguard the country's financial standing.

Gold has seen a record-breaking 39 highs in 2024, a feat only surpassed by 1979. Experts predict further growth, with the possibility of hitting US$3,000 in 2025, although they warn that this might not occur quickly.

The World Gold Council notes the current trend's similarity to the 1979 market, which experienced 57 record highs. As gold prices continue to rise, investors and analysts remain optimistic about its future performance.

Recent news highlights significant advancements in AI video generation. Google has granted select companies access to its Veo AI video generation service. Meanwhile, a leaked OpenAI Sora model has been made available via a test API, reportedly as a protest against the company. Other updates include new AI tools for video, image, audio, and code generation, along with announcements from Amazon (a limited advertising-focused video generator) and YouTube (new author tools including video dubbing and short-form video generation). The lack of computing power is hindering OpenAI's product release schedule, according to CEO Sam Altman. Finally, Google is developing a browser-based AI agent and a competitor to OpenAI's o1 language model, and will begin labeling AI-generated images in search results.

Intel is grappling with immense challenges as it faces stiff competition and technological setbacks. Pat Gelsinger, who returned as CEO in early 2021 with plans to reinvigorate the company, has abruptly stepped down from his position. His ambitions, including a four-year strategy to introduce five new chip manufacturing processes, have not materialized effectively, and Intel's stock has plummeted since early 2023.

Gelsinger’s departure follows scrutiny over his costly initiatives, and interim leadership will be assumed by David Zisner and Michelle Johnston Holthaus. As Intel attempts to pivot and focus more on chip design rather than just manufacturing, the company remains in a precarious position, with unclear pathways to recovery and profitability.

After two consecutive years of decline, global smartphone sales are set to increase, according to IDC's forecast. A 6.2% growth is expected in 2024, totaling 1.24 billion units sold, primarily driven by budget Android devices with a 7.6% rise, fueled by demand in emerging markets like Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

While Apple is strengthening its presence in India, growth is stagnating in regions like China, Europe, and the U.S., leading to only 0.4% expected growth for iOS in 2024. Notably, interest in generative AI and foldable phones has not translated into sales, as sales of foldable devices actually fell by 7.4% despite new releases from major manufacturers.

Stephen King is closing his three independent radio stations in Bangor, Maine, after decades of ownership. The decision, attributed to a desire to streamline his business affairs and address consistent financial losses, will result in the stations ceasing operations on New Year's Eve. While King expressed fondness for his role as a local, independent owner, the stations faced challenges in a landscape increasingly dominated by large corporate broadcasting groups. The closure is lamented by the Bangor community, where the stations played a significant role in local events and fundraising, notably raising over $240,000 for heating assistance in 2011. The loss highlights the struggles faced by small, independent radio stations nationwide.

Kestra is an open-source, event-driven orchestration platform that makes both scheduled and event-driven workflows easy to build and manage. It uses Infrastructure as Code best practices to bring reliability to data, process, and microservice orchestration. Key features include a declarative YAML interface, a rich plugin ecosystem, and a scalable architecture that can handle millions of workflows.

Kestra's UI allows users to build and visualize workflows through a drag-and-drop interface, with real-time validation and auto-completion. The platform is extensible through custom plugins, and users can integrate with various cloud services and databases using its plugin ecosystem. Kestra supports multiple programming languages, including Python, Node.js, R, and Go.

This document describes an Ark protocol implementation on Bitcoin, comprising an ASP server (aspd), a client (bark), and supporting libraries. Ark is a Layer 2 protocol designed to accelerate and reduce the cost of Bitcoin transactions. Further information is available on the Ark protocol website and in the technical documentation. A guide for compiling from source and running an ASP server using regtest is provided. Users encountering issues are encouraged to report them via the project's issue tracker on Codeberg.