OTTAWA — NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says his party will not support a Liberal plan to give Canadians a GST holiday and $250 unless the government expands eligibility for the cheques, saying the rebate leaves out "the most vulnerable." The Liberals announced a plan last week to cut the federal sales tax on a raft of items like toys and restaurant meals for two months, and to give $250 to more than 18.7 million Canadians in the spring. Speaking after a Canadian Labour Congress event in Ottawa, Singh says he's open to passing the GST legislation, but the rebate needs to include seniors, students, people who are on disability benefits and those who were not able to work last year. Singh says he initially supported the idea because he thought the rebate cheques would go to anyone who earned under $150,000 last year. But the so-called working Canadians rebate will be sent to those who had an income, leaving out people Singh says need the help. The government intends to include the measures in the fall economic statement, which has not yet been introduced in the House of Commons. The proposed GST holiday would begin in mid-December, lasting for two months. It would remove the GST on prepared foods at grocery stores, some alcoholic drinks, children's clothes and toys, Christmas trees, restaurant meals, books, video games and physical newspapers. A privilege debate has held up all government business in the House since late September, with the Conservatives pledging to continue a filibuster until the government hands over unredacted documents related to misspending at a green technology fund. The NDP said last week they had agreed to pause the privilege debate in order to pass the legislation to usher in the GST holiday. Singh said Tuesday that unless there are changes to the proposed legislation, he will not support pausing the debate. The Bloc Québécois is also pushing for the rebates to be sent to seniors and retirees. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024. David Baxter, The Canadian Press

Time to be cautious: Unveiling dark patterns and impact on customers

China has launched a new AI Experts Committee to influence artificial intelligence’s global development and governance as part of its broader strategy. The committee was announced during the four-day World Internet Conference, also known as the Wuzhen Summit, held in Zhejiang province, China. The AI Experts Committee will be led by Wang Jian, founder of Alibaba Group Holding BABA Alibaba Cloud, who was named chief expert, SCMP reports . Also Read: Alibaba Reshapes E-Commerce Operations, Names Jiang Fan as Unit CEO The committee includes approximately 170 specialists, featuring prominent figures such as British computer scientist Wendy Hall, Vienna University of Technology professor Schahram Dustdar and Chinese-American scientist Zhang Ya-qin of Tsinghua University. Representatives from U.S. firms, including chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices, Inc . AMD , are also members. The committee aims to enhance international collaboration and promote China’s perspective on responsible AI governance. This initiative mirrors Beijing’s approach to influencing global standards, similar to its efforts in shaping 4G and 5G mobile technologies. Panel discussions at the Wuzhen Summit focused on AI innovation, governance, and its potential to empower productivity across industries. At the summit, Eddie Wu Yongming, CEO of Alibaba Group Holding, emphasized AI could transform productivity across various sectors, forming what he described as a “superintelligent body.” Meanwhile, Xiaomi founder Lei Jun shared plans to launch an intelligent-driving application by year-end, aligning with the company’s “All in AI” strategy. Ant Group CEO Eric Jing Xiandong underscored AI’s potential for personalization in services while emphasizing responsible risk management. The formation of this committee highlights China’s commitment to taking a leading role in global AI governance, even as it faces trade restrictions from the U.S. government. This effort aligns with Beijing’s broader ambitions to remain competitive in advanced technologies. China has been actively involved in boosting its AI semiconductor base after the U.S. imposed sanctions on advanced AI chip exports to the country, restricting it from advanced technologies from companies like NVIDIA Corp NVDA and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co TSM . Also Read: Alibaba’s Monetization Strategy Gains Momentum, But GMV Growth Lags: Analyst Photo: Shutterstock © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.‘We are far away from that,’ says Mo Salah as Liverpool star sends club another contract warning

What a merger between Nissan and Honda means for the automakers and the industryTyrann Mathieu owns up to hot mic quote from Giants-Saints game, takes heat off Malik Nabers

The two companies said they had signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday and that smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors also had agreed to join the talks on integrating their businesses. Honda will initially lead the new management, retaining the principles and brands of each company. Following is a quick look at what a combined Honda and Nissan would mean for the companies, and for the auto industry. An industry shakeup The ascent of Chinese automakers is rattling the industry at a time when manufacturers are struggling to shift from fossil fuel-driven vehicles to electrics. Relatively inexpensive EVs from China's BYD, Great Wall and Nio are eating into the market shares of U.S. and Japanese car companies in China and elsewhere. Japanese automakers have lagged behind big rivals in EVs and are now trying to cut costs and make up for lost time. Nissan, Honda and Mitsubishi announced in August that they will share components for electric vehicles like batteries and jointly research software for autonomous driving to adapt better to dramatic changes in the auto industry centered around electrification. A preliminary agreement between Honda, Japan's second-largest automaker, and Nissan, third largest, was announced in March. A merger could result in a behemoth worth about $55 billion based on the market capitalization of all three automakers. Joining forces would help the smaller Japanese automakers add scale to compete with Japan's market leader Toyota Motor Corp. and with Germany's Volkswagen AG. Toyota itself has technology partnerships with Japan's Mazda Motor Corp. and Subaru Corp. What would Honda need from Nissan? Nissan has truck-based body-on-frame large SUVs such as the Armada and Infiniti QX80 that Honda doesn't have, with large towing capacities and good off-road performance, said Sam Fiorani, vice president of AutoForecast Solutions. Nissan also has years of experience building batteries and electric vehicles, and gas-electric hybird powertrains that could help Honda in developing its own EVs and next generation of hybrids, he said. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts "Nissan does have some product segments where Honda doesn't currently play," that a merger or partnership could help, said Sam Abuelsamid, a Detroit-area automotive industry analsyt. While Nissan's electric Leaf and Ariya haven't sold well in the U.S., they're solid vehicles, Fiorani said. "They haven't been resting on their laurels, and they have been developing this technology," he said. "They have new products coming that could provide a good platform for Honda for its next generation." Why now? Nissan said last month that it was slashing 9,000 jobs, or about 6% of its global work force, and reducing global production capacity by 20% after reporting a quarterly loss of 9.3 billion yen ($61 million). Earlier this month it reshuffled its management and its chief executive, Makoto Uchida, took a 50% pay cut to take responsibility for the financial woes, saying Nissan needed to become more efficient and respond better to market tastes, rising costs and other global changes. Fitch Ratings recently downgraded Nissan's credit outlook to "negative," citing worsening profitability, partly due to price cuts in the North American market. But it noted that it has a strong financial structure and solid cash reserves that amounted to 1.44 trillion yen ($9.4 billion). Nissan's share price has fallen to the point where it is considered something of a bargain. A report in the Japanese financial magazine Diamond said talks with Honda gained urgency after the Taiwan maker of iPhones Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., better known as Foxconn, began exploring a possible acquisition of Nissan as part of its push into the EV sector. The company has struggled for years following a scandal that began with the arrest of its former chairman Carlos Ghosn in late 2018 on charges of fraud and misuse of company assets, allegations that he denies. He eventually was released on bail and fled to Lebanon. Honda reported its profits slipped nearly 20% in the first half of the April-March fiscal year from a year earlier, as sales suffered in China. More headwinds Toyota made 11.5 million vehicles in 2023, while Honda rolled out 4 million and Nissan produced 3.4 million. Mitsubishi Motors made just over 1 million. Even after a merger Toyota would remain the leading Japanese automaker. All the global automakers are facing potential shocks if President-elect Donald Trump follows through on threats to raise or impose tariffs on imports of foreign products, even from allies like Japan and neighboring countries like Canada and Mexico. Nissan is among the major car companies that have adjusted their supply chains to include vehicles assembled in Mexico. Meanwhile, analysts say there is an "affordability shift" taking place across the industry, led by people who feel they cannot afford to pay nearly $50,000 for a new vehicle. In American, a vital market for companies like Nissan, Honda and Toyota, that's forcing automakers to consider lower pricing, which will eat further into industry profits. ____ AP Auto Writer Tom Krisher contributed to this report from Detroit.

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