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2025-01-12   

bet 99 Brian Howey column: Hoosier farmers, automakers brace for Trump tariff 2.0None

Stock market today: Wall Street ends little changed after giving up a big morning gainAP Trending SummaryBrief at 5:32 p.m. EST

From the BlackBerry to the iPhone: The most popular phones over the past 20 yearsSouth Carolina is off to an uneven start, but that hasn't obscured the steady rise of Collin Murray-Boyles. The 6-foot-7 sophomore will be the player to watch when South Carolina (6-3) hosts South Carolina Upstate (4-8) Saturday afternoon in Columbia. Murray-Boyles leads the Gamecocks in points (16.2), rebounds (9.4), steals (1.2) and blocks (1.1) per game. As South Carolina struggled to a 75-68 victory over East Carolina on Saturday, Murray-Boyles carried the Gamecocks, making all 10 of his shots from the floor and finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds. "He's been working on pivoting towards the basket and getting on balance and then making a strong move through some contact," South Carolina coach Lamont Paris said. The Gamecocks have been highly dependent on Murray-Boyles. In the two games in which he has fouled out, South Carolina lost to Xavier and Indiana. Meanwhile, the Gamecocks are unbeaten in the six games in which he has collected at least eight rebounds. "He's still growing and it's exciting to see," Paris said. "He's got phenomenal natural touch." Also emerging lately have been Norfolk State transfer Jamarii Thomas, who had season highs of 22 points and seven assists against East Carolina, and Morris Ugusuk, who has hit 10 of 14 shots from 3-point range in the last three games. South Carolina Upstate has been sparked by a pair of guards who each have won multiple Big South freshman of the week awards. Carmelo Adkins had 31 points and 12 rebounds in wins last week over Division III Brevard and at Western Carolina, while Mister Dean leads the Spartans in points (15.7), rebounds (5.6) and steals (2.0) per game. "He sparks runs because he'll make a dynamic dunk," Spartans coach Marty Richter said of Dean. "He brings energy with how he scores the basketball, in a hurry. He can score in bunches." The Spartans enter on a high as the win over Western Carolina was Richter's first over a Division I team. South Carolina Upstate is 1-8 all-time against South Carolina. This year, the Spartans are winless in four games against power conference schools. In an 85-80 loss a month ago at Wake Forest, however, they led for much of the second half. --Field Level Media

Disneyland's 70th Anniversary Is Bringing Back Some Classic Attractions, But I'm Bummed About A Few That Are Missing

Ruling on Monday after an emergency hearing at Belfast High Court, judge Mr Justice McAlinden rejected loyalist activist Jamie Bryson’s application for leave for a full judicial review hearing against Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn. The judge said Mr Bryson, who represented himself as a personal litigant, had “very ably argued” his case with “perseverance and cogency”, and had raised some issues of law that caused him “some concern”. However, he found against him on the three grounds of challenge against Mr Benn. Mr Bryson had initially asked the court to grant interim relief in his challenge to prevent Tuesday’s democratic consent motion being heard in the Assembly, pending the hearing of a full judicial review. However, he abandoned that element of his leave application during proceedings on Monday, after the judge made clear he would be “very reluctant” to do anything that would be “trespassing into the realms” of a democratically elected Assembly. Mr Bryson had challenged Mr Benn’s move to initiate the democratic consent process that is required under the UK and EU’s Windsor Framework deal to extend the trading arrangements that apply to Northern Ireland. The previously stated voting intentions of the main parties suggest that Stormont MLAs will vote to continue the measures for another four years when they convene to debate the motion on Tuesday. After the ruling, Mr Bryson told the court he intended to appeal to the Court of Appeal. Any hearing was not expected to come later on Monday. In applying for leave, the activist’s argument was founded on three key grounds. The first was the assertion that Mr Benn failed to make sufficient efforts to ensure Stormont’s leaders undertook a public consultation exercise in Northern Ireland before the consent vote. The second was that the Secretary of State allegedly failed to demonstrate he had paid special regard to protecting Northern Ireland’s place in the UK customs territory in triggering the vote. The third ground centred on law changes introduced by the previous UK government earlier this year, as part of its Safeguarding the Union deal to restore powersharing at Stormont. He claimed that if the amendments achieved their purpose, namely, to safeguard Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom, then it would be unlawful to renew and extend post-Brexit trading arrangements that have created economic barriers between the region and the rest of the UK. In 2023, the UK Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the trading arrangements for Northern Ireland are lawful. The appellants in the case argued that legislation passed at Westminster to give effect to the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement conflicted with the 1800 Acts of Union that formed the United Kingdom, particularly article six of that statute guaranteeing unfettered trade within the UK. The Supreme Court found that while article six of the Acts of Union has been “modified” by the arrangements, that was done with the express will of a sovereign parliament, and so therefore was lawful. Mr Bryson contended that amendments made to the Withdrawal Agreement earlier this year, as part of the Safeguarding the Union measures proposed by the Government to convince the DUP to return to powersharing, purport to reassert and reinforce Northern Ireland’s constitutional status in light of the Supreme Court judgment. He told the court that it was “quite clear” there was “inconsistency” between the different legal provisions. “That inconsistency has to be resolved – there is an arguable case,” he told the judge. However, Dr Tony McGleenan KC, representing the Government, described Mr Bryson’s argument as “hopeless” and “not even arguable”. He said all three limbs of the case had “no prospect of success and serve no utility”. He added: “This is a political argument masquerading as a point of constitutional law and the court should see that for what it is.” After rising to consider the arguments, Justice McAlinden delivered his ruling shortly after 7pm. The judge dismissed the application on the first ground around the lack consultation, noting that such an exercise was not a “mandatory” obligation on Mr Benn. On the second ground, he said there were “very clear” indications that the Secretary of State had paid special regard to the customs territory issues. On the final ground, Justice McAlinden found there was no inconsistency with the recent legislative amendments and the position stated in the Supreme Court judgment. “I don’t think any such inconsistency exists,” he said. He said the amendments were simply a “restatement” of the position as set out by the Supreme Court judgment, and only served to confirm that replacing the Northern Ireland Protocol with the Windsor Framework had not changed the constitutional fact that Article Six of the Acts of Union had been lawfully “modified” by post-Brexit trading arrangements. “It does no more than that,” he said. The framework, and its predecessor the NI Protocol, require checks and customs paperwork on goods moving from Great Britain into Northern Ireland. Under the arrangements, which were designed to ensure no hardening of the Irish land border post-Brexit, Northern Ireland continues to follow many EU trade and customs rules. This has proved highly controversial, with unionists arguing the system threatens Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom. Advocates of the arrangements say they help insulate the region from negative economic consequences of Brexit. A dispute over the so-called Irish Sea border led to the collapse of the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2022, when the DUP withdrew then-first minister Paul Givan from the coalition executive. The impasse lasted two years and ended in January when the Government published its Safeguarding the Union measures. Under the terms of the framework, a Stormont vote must be held on articles five to 10 of the Windsor Framework, which underpin the EU trade laws in force in Northern Ireland, before they expire. The vote must take place before December 17. Based on the numbers in the Assembly, MLAs are expected to back the continuation of the measures for another four years, even though unionists are likely to oppose the move. DUP leader Gavin Robinson has already made clear his party will be voting against continuing the operation of the Windsor Framework. Unlike other votes on contentious issues at Stormont, the motion does not require cross-community support to pass. If it is voted through with a simple majority, the arrangements are extended for four years. In that event, the Government is obliged to hold an independent review of how the framework is working. If it wins cross-community support, which is a majority of unionists and a majority of nationalists, then it is extended for eight years. The chances of it securing such cross-community backing are highly unlikely.

Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd. ( NYSE:CHT – Get Free Report ) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest in December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 552,800 shares, a drop of 19.6% from the November 30th total of 687,300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 105,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 5.3 days. Approximately 0.1% of the company’s shares are sold short. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Chunghwa Telecom Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Chunghwa Telecom by 120.5% during the third quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 915,853 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $36,332,000 after purchasing an additional 500,475 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in Chunghwa Telecom by 4.2% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 407,062 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $15,710,000 after purchasing an additional 16,428 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in shares of Chunghwa Telecom by 5.9% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 179,356 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $6,925,000 after buying an additional 9,968 shares during the last quarter. Creative Planning raised its position in shares of Chunghwa Telecom by 1.1% during the third quarter. Creative Planning now owns 124,913 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $4,955,000 after acquiring an additional 1,420 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can raised its position in shares of Chunghwa Telecom by 178.8% during the second quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 103,593 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $4,074,000 after acquiring an additional 66,441 shares during the last quarter. 2.11% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Chunghwa Telecom Stock Down 0.1 % Shares of NYSE CHT opened at $37.96 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $38.01 and a 200 day simple moving average of $38.13. The firm has a market cap of $29.45 billion, a PE ratio of 26.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 18.43 and a beta of 0.19. Chunghwa Telecom has a 1 year low of $35.92 and a 1 year high of $40.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 1.47 and a quick ratio of 1.29. About Chunghwa Telecom Chunghwa Telecom Co, Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunication services in Taiwan and internationally. It operates through Consumer Business, Enterprise Business, International Business, and Others segments. The company offers local, domestic long distance, and international long distance fixed-line telephone services; mobile services such as prepaid and postpaid plans; broadband plans; and internet and data services. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Chunghwa Telecom Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chunghwa Telecom and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

Court challenge over vote to extend post-Brexit trading arrangements dismissedNone

‘Stinks’: Ire after major coalmines decision

Court challenge over vote to extend post-Brexit trading arrangements dismissed

WASHINGTON — Let the Trump Trade Wars 2.0 begin! If you're a Hoosier farmer or auto worker, brace yourselves for potential impacts and bailouts. On Tuesday, President-elect Donald J. Trump announced huge tariffs aimed at our three biggest trade partners, Mexico, Canada and China. There is now intense speculation that these three nations will retaliate. “On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. “This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!” Trump allies see these tariffs as potential bargaining chip. “I think Trump is a world-class negotiator, and I’m confident that he’ll support the U.S. agriculture economy,” Kip Tom, a Kosciusko County farmer and co-chair of the Farmers and Ranchers for Trump 47, told Hoosier Ag Today. U.S. Trade Representative data reveals that Indiana exported $56 billion, with 27% ($14.9 billion) to Canada, $7.5 billion to Mexico and $5 billion to China in 2022. According to Hoosier Ag Today, Indiana is the seventh-largest agriculture exporting state shipping $7.4 billion in domestic exports abroad in 2022, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. That same year, Indiana exported $2.6 billion in soybeans, $1.3 billion in corn, $836 million in feeds and other feed grains, $472 million in soybean meal, and $394 million in pork. According to Autos Drive America, Indiana produced 948,130 vehicles in 2023, generating 124,135 jobs (and another 97,813 in indirect employment) while making $9.4 billion in employee compensation. It's a $19 billion industry producing 3.8% of Indiana's gross state product. The proposed tariffs and Trump's threat to pull electric vehicle tax credits could change the playing field at a time when General Motors and Samsung are building a $3.5 billion battery plant near New Carlisle. This project has already been delayed by a year due to what The Associated Press described as slowing EV sales in the U.S. This is a repeat from Trump's playbook after he imposed similar tariffs in 2018 in 2019. The Tax Foundation described those tariffs as "tax increases" on American consumers, despite Trump's assertion that China would be paying. "The Trump administration imposed nearly $80 billion worth of new taxes on Americans by levying tariffs on thousands of products valued at approximately $380 billion in 2018 and 2019, amounting to one of the largest tax increases in decades," the Tax Foundation observed. The Biden administration has kept most of the Trump tariffs in place, and in May 2024, announced tariff hikes on an additional $18 billion of Chinese goods, including semiconductors and electric vehicles, for an additional tax increase of $3.6 billion. "We estimate the Trump-Biden tariffs will reduce long-run GDP by 0.2%, the capital stock by 0.1%, and employment by 142,000 full-time equivalent jobs," the Tax Foundation said. The impact of Trump's initial tariffs on U.S. households had been about $625 a year. "If imposed permanently, we estimate these tariffs would generate $1.2 trillion in tax revenue from 2025 through 2034 on a conventional basis," the Foundation added. "In the long run, we estimate the tariffs would reduce GDP by 0.4% and employment by 344,900 jobs. Our estimates do not capture the effects of retaliation, nor the additional harms that would stem from starting a global trade war." According to Agriculture Dive, "Higher tariffs could further erode market opportunities for farmers as they struggle to compete with lower-priced commodities from other countries. If China were to retaliate with its own 60% tariffs on U.S. farm goods, it would result in a loss of 25 million metric tons of soybean exports and 90% of corn exports, according to a study commissioned by National Corn Growers Association and American Soybean Association. “Bottom line: A repeated tariff-based approach accelerates conversion of cropland in South America, which has permanent ramifications on soybean and corn exports worldwide,” the trade groups said following the release of the study, completed by the World Agricultural Economic and Environmental Services. “And U.S. soybean and corn growers bear the burden.” As for Hoosier farmers, the Trump tariffs were damaging, and he responded by creating Market Facilitation Payments, the USDA's program for farmers whose access to the Chinese market has been cut off. According to Politico, direct farm aid climbed each year of Trump’s first presidency, from $11.5 billion in 2017 to more than $32 billion 2020. The New York Times reported that in 2020, Market Facilitation Payments reached $46 billion that election year. For contrast, the Bush43 and Obama administrations bailed out GM and Chrysler in 2008-10 to the tune of $80 billion. Moody's chief economist Mark Zandi told Marketplace that all but $9 billion had been repaid. Politically, these federal bailout funds proved to be advantageous for the Trump campaign, as he carried most rural Indiana counties with 65% to 75% of the vote in 2020 and again Nov. 5. But the reality is that these bailout funds simply end up on the federal credit card, to be paid (or endured) by future generations.Japan's cabinet approves $140 billion stimulus package to spur growthWhy Choose a Reliable Carbon Fiber Supplier for Business Projects?

The Onion's bid to buy Infowars goes before judge as Alex Jones tries stopping sale The Onion's bid to buy conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' Infowars has returned to a Texas courtroom. A federal judge in Houston is hearing arguments Monday on whether a bankruptcy auction was run properly as Jones alleges collusion and fraud. The hearing is expected to continue into Tuesday. The Onion satirical news outlet was named the winning bidder last month over a company affiliated with Jones. The auction was held to help pay nearly $1.5 billion in defamation judgments that Jones was ordered to pay families of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The families won lawsuits against Jones for calling the shooting a hoax. Juan Soto agrees to record $765 million, 15-year contract with Mets, AP source says DALLAS (AP) — A person familiar with the deal tells The Associated Press that star outfielder Juan Soto and the New York Mets have agreed to a record $765 million, 15-year contract. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement, first reported by the New York Post, was subject to a successful physical. Soto’s deal is the largest and longest in Major League Baseball history, topping Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Fernando Tatis Jr.’s $340 million, 14-year contract with San Diego. Soto's deal does not include deferred money, the person said. TikTok asks federal appeals court to bar enforcement of potential ban until Supreme Court review TikTok on Monday asked a federal appeals court to bar the Biden administration from enforcing a law that could lead to a ban on the popular platform until the Supreme Court reviews the case. The legal filing was made after a panel of judges on the same court sided with the government last week and ruled that the law, which requires TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company or face a ban as soon as next month, was constitutional. If the law is not overturned, both TikTok and its parent company ByteDance have said the popular app will shut down by mid-January. Pinheiro Braathen performs snow samba to celebrate Brazil's first podium in a World Cup ski race It’s not just soccer anymore. Brazil is finding World Cup success in skiing now too. Lucas Pinheiro Braathen became the first Brazilian skier to finish on a World Cup podium when he placed second in a giant slalom in Beaver Creek, Colorado, on Sunday. Pinheiro Braathen celebrated the achievement in truly Brazilian style: with a samba dance on the podium, the Brazilian flag wrapped around his waist and cowboy boots on his feet. Pinheiro Braathen’s mother is Brazilian and his father is Norwegian. He raced for Norway until switching his nationality for this season. The end of an Eras tour approaches, marking a bittersweet moment for Taylor Swift fans NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The global phenomenon that is Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is coming to an end after the popstar performed more than 150 shows across five continents over nearly two years. Since launching the tour in 2023, Swift has shattered sales and attendance records. It's even created such an economic boom that the Federal Reserve took note. But for many who attended the concerts, and the millions more who eagerly watched on their screens, the tour also became a beacon of joy. It's become a chance not only to appreciate Swift’s expansive music career, but also celebrate the yearslong journey fans have taken with her. College Football Playoff's first 12-team bracket is set with Oregon No. 1 and SMU in, Alabama out SMU captured the last open spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff, bumping Alabama to land in a bracket that placed undefeated Oregon at No. 1. The selection committee preferred the Mustangs, losers of a heartbreaker in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, who had a far less difficult schedule than Alabama of the SEC but one fewer loss. The inaugural 12-team bracket marks a new era for college football, though the Alabama-SMU debate made clear there is no perfect formula. The tournament starts Dec. 20-21 with four first-round games. It concludes Jan. 20 with the national title game in Atlanta. Dave Parker and Dick Allen elected to baseball's Hall of Fame DALLAS (AP) — Dave Parker and Dick Allen have been elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame by the classic era committee. Parker received 14 of 16 votes and Allen got 13. A vote of 75% or more was needed for election. They will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 27 along with players voted in by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, whose balloting will be announced on Jan. 21. ‘Moana 2’ cruises to another record weekend and $600 million globally “Moana 2” remains at the top of the box office in its second weekend in theaters as it pulled in another record haul. According to studio estimates Sunday, the animated Disney film added $52 million, bringing its domestic total to $300 million. That surpasses the take for the original “Moana” and brings the sequel's global tally to a staggering $600 million. It also puts the film in this year's top five at the box office. “Wicked” came in second place for the weekend with $34.9 million and “Gladiator II” was third with $12.5 million. The 10th anniversary re-release of Christopher Nolan's “Interstellar” also earned an impressive $4.4 million even though it played in only 165 theaters. Hemingway look-alikes visit Cuba and some of the late writer's favorite places HAVANA (AP) — Eighteen white-bearded men who resemble the late U.S. author Ernest Hemingway have arrived in Havana for the weekend to visit some of the his favorite places when he lived on the island decades ago. Members of the Hemingway Look-alike Society visited the author’s favorite bar in Havana, La Floridita, where the music immediately picked up, and tourists and locals gathered around to take photos. The visit comes as Cuba and the United States are in the midst of tense relations. Hemingway lived in Cuba from 1939 to 1960. 'Reindeer' volunteers bring holiday magic to Ukrainian children living on the frontlines IZIUM, Ukraine (AP) — A volunteer group is trying to fulfill the holiday dreams of thousands of children living near the frontlines in Ukraine. The St. Nicholas’ Reindeers initiative publishes letters online detailing the children's wishes. Some ask for gifts, such as a bicycle or a pet mouse, alongside more complicated requests for their family members to be released from captivity or to be able to return to their homes. Donors fulfill the gift requests and volunteer “reindeers,” named for the magical beasts that pull Santa's sleigh, deliver them in the weeks following Dec. 6, when Ukraine celebrates St. Nicholas Day. Project co-founder Inna Achkasova says the reindeer volunteers aim to ensure that every child feels seen, heard and loved.Sable Offshore (NYSE:SOC) Trading 2.6% Higher – Here’s What Happened'We've just walked around it': Tourists unfazed by Seoul's impeachment protests Published: 14 Dec. 2024, 06:00 Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI Entrance to the Myeong-Dong shopping streets on a cold Thursday morning [HA YUN-JI] President Yoon Suk-Yeol’s martial law declaration threw Korea into a political crisis last week. Citizens, it was widely reported, fell into a nationwide panic, taking to the streets to protest, clearing daily necessities from convenience store shelves and flooding the country's social networks with a deluge of traffic that likely took their servers down. The won crashed, and the stock market has struggled to recover. On the streets of Seoul's most Instagram-able tourist districts, however, international visitors largely seem to be getting on with things. Related Article 'Travel advisory: Korea': Martial law scare threatens tourism with national warnings Railway workers' strike disrupts commutes as union fails to reach agreement Tourism minister aims to hit inbound traveler targets with foreigner friendly infrastructure boost Crowds were slightly below their usual levels in Seoul's famous Myeong-dong shopping center on a crisp Thursday winter morning. Dotted throughout the throng were several pairs of Walking Tourist Guides, dressed in bright red, who'd been sent to help overseas travelers find their way. A group of five Australian visitors in Myeong-dong, central Seoul, said that they were “stoked” to be in Korea, having experienced nothing so far that would prompt them to cut their trip short. “We haven’t experienced anything with regards to the martial law stuff,” one mid-20s tourist told the JoongAng Daily, seated in front of a large Christmas tree. Although the group had recently crossed paths with a protest in Busan, none of the five had viewed it as a concern. “It was fine,” the tourist said of the experience. Fewer visitors than usual enter and exit Lotte Young Plaza in Myeong-dong, central Seoul. [HA YUN-JI] Government officials, however, clearly don't feel the same way. Several countries have issued travel warnings: China told its citizens to “enhance security awareness and reduce unnecessary outings” while in Korea while the United States recommended avoiding large crowds. Domestically, stakeholders including businesses and tourism associations have expressed public fear that the political crisis could hurt future tourism, pushing officials to spring to damage control. In response, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon announced several countermeasures, to promote “Safe Seoul,” at a meeting of tourism stakeholders on Wednesday. “We will do our best to ensure that tourists who experience Seoul return home with the conviction that Seoul is a safe, enjoyable city that they would want to visit again,” the mayor said. Oh’s office promised to provide targeted incentives to small businesses, such as employment subsidies for skilled workers and support to develop travel packages and events. Alongside deploying more Walking Tourist Guides, the city is pushing out more promotional material with the message that Seoul is a “consistently safe and tourist-friendly city.” A group of students explore their surroundings. [HA YUN-JI] On Thursday, the government extended the K-ETA temporary exemption, which grants free entry to visitors from 67 countries, by one year to the end of 2025. How the aftermath of Yoon's declaration will impact international tourism numbers — which had recovered to 97 percent of pre-Covid levels as of October of this year — remains to be seen. The key demographic of concern is Chinese tourists, who represented more than 29 percent of Korea’s international visitors between January and October of 2024. That number represented an increase of 158.9 percent from the January-October 2023 period and grew 57.2 percent in October alone. According to Bloomberg Intelligence, there could be a reduction in Chinese visitor levels of as much as 19 percent early next year, as public safety concerns have a greater resonance among them. Japanese visitor levels were the second most populous group, making up 19.2 percent of Korea's total. The group grew 42.9 percent year-over-year in 2024. Shoppers frequent Myeong-dong stores. [HA YUN-JI] But the Australian tourists on the streets of Myeong-dong, for their part, remain undeterred by the occasional protest they encounter. “We've just sort of walked around it,” a member of the group said. BY KAYA SELBY [ [email protected] ] var admarutag = admarutag || {} admarutag.cmd = admarutag.cmd || [] admarutag.cmd.push(function () { admarutag.pageview('3bf9fc17-6e70-4776-9d65-ca3bb0c17cb7'); });

A court challenge over a Stormont vote on extending post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland has been dismissed, and the Assembly debate will go ahead as planned on Tuesday. Ruling on Monday after an emergency hearing at Belfast High Court, judge Mr Justice McAlinden rejected loyalist activist Jamie Bryson’s application for leave for a full judicial review hearing against Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn. The judge said Mr Bryson, who represented himself as a personal litigant, had “very ably argued” his case with “perseverance and cogency”, and had raised some issues of law that caused him “some concern”. However, he found against him on the three grounds of challenge against Mr Benn. Mr Bryson had initially asked the court to grant interim relief in his challenge to prevent Tuesday’s democratic consent motion being heard in the Assembly, pending the hearing of a full judicial review. However, he abandoned that element of his leave application during proceedings on Monday, after the judge made clear he would be “very reluctant” to do anything that would be “trespassing into the realms” of a democratically elected Assembly. Mr Bryson had challenged Mr Benn’s move to initiate the democratic consent process that is required under the UK and EU’s Windsor Framework deal to extend the trading arrangements that apply to Northern Ireland. The previously stated voting intentions of the main parties suggest that Stormont MLAs will vote to continue the measures for another four years when they convene to debate the motion on Tuesday. After the ruling, Mr Bryson told the court he intended to appeal to the Court of Appeal. Any hearing was not expected to come later on Monday. In applying for leave, the activist’s argument was founded on three key grounds. The first was the assertion that Mr Benn failed to make sufficient efforts to ensure Stormont’s leaders undertook a public consultation exercise in Northern Ireland before the consent vote. The second was that the Secretary of State allegedly failed to demonstrate he had paid special regard to protecting Northern Ireland’s place in the UK customs territory in triggering the vote. The third ground centred on law changes introduced by the previous UK government earlier this year, as part of its Safeguarding the Union deal to restore powersharing at Stormont. He claimed that if the amendments achieved their purpose, namely, to safeguard Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom, then it would be unlawful to renew and extend post-Brexit trading arrangements that have created economic barriers between the region and the rest of the UK. In 2023, the UK Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the trading arrangements for Northern Ireland are lawful. The appellants in the case argued that legislation passed at Westminster to give effect to the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement conflicted with the 1800 Acts of Union that formed the United Kingdom, particularly article six of that statute guaranteeing unfettered trade within the UK. The Supreme Court found that while article six of the Acts of Union has been “modified” by the arrangements, that was done with the express will of a sovereign parliament, and so therefore was lawful. Mr Bryson contended that amendments made to the Withdrawal Agreement earlier this year, as part of the Safeguarding the Union measures proposed by the Government to convince the DUP to return to powersharing, purport to reassert and reinforce Northern Ireland’s constitutional status in light of the Supreme Court judgment. He told the court that it was “quite clear” there was “inconsistency” between the different legal provisions. “That inconsistency has to be resolved – there is an arguable case,” he told the judge. However, Dr Tony McGleenan KC, representing the Government, described Mr Bryson’s argument as “hopeless” and “not even arguable”. He said all three limbs of the case had “no prospect of success and serve no utility”. He added: “This is a political argument masquerading as a point of constitutional law and the court should see that for what it is.” After rising to consider the arguments, Justice McAlinden delivered his ruling shortly after 7pm. The judge dismissed the application on the first ground around the lack consultation, noting that such an exercise was not a “mandatory” obligation on Mr Benn. On the second ground, he said there were “very clear” indications that the Secretary of State had paid special regard to the customs territory issues. On the final ground, Justice McAlinden found there was no inconsistency with the recent legislative amendments and the position stated in the Supreme Court judgment. “I don’t think any such inconsistency exists,” he said. He said the amendments were simply a “restatement” of the position as set out by the Supreme Court judgment, and only served to confirm that replacing the Northern Ireland Protocol with the Windsor Framework had not changed the constitutional fact that Article Six of the Acts of Union had been lawfully “modified” by post-Brexit trading arrangements. “It does no more than that,” he said. The framework, and its predecessor the NI Protocol, require checks and customs paperwork on goods moving from Great Britain into Northern Ireland. Under the arrangements, which were designed to ensure no hardening of the Irish land border post-Brexit, Northern Ireland continues to follow many EU trade and customs rules. This has proved highly controversial, with unionists arguing the system threatens Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom. Advocates of the arrangements say they help insulate the region from negative economic consequences of Brexit. A dispute over the so-called Irish Sea border led to the collapse of the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2022, when the DUP withdrew then-first minister Paul Givan from the coalition executive. The impasse lasted two years and ended in January when the Government published its Safeguarding the Union measures. Under the terms of the framework, a Stormont vote must be held on articles five to 10 of the Windsor Framework, which underpin the EU trade laws in force in Northern Ireland, before they expire. The vote must take place before December 17. Based on the numbers in the Assembly, MLAs are expected to back the continuation of the measures for another four years, even though unionists are likely to oppose the move. DUP leader Gavin Robinson has already made clear his party will be voting against continuing the operation of the Windsor Framework. Unlike other votes on contentious issues at Stormont, the motion does not require cross-community support to pass. If it is voted through with a simple majority, the arrangements are extended for four years. In that event, the Government is obliged to hold an independent review of how the framework is working. If it wins cross-community support, which is a majority of unionists and a majority of nationalists, then it is extended for eight years. The chances of it securing such cross-community backing are highly unlikely.

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