Finance
The Paris summit on finance and climate comes to an end. Time for concrete steps?
PARIS — After all the talking, time for tangible solutions?
The aim of the two-day climate and finance summit ending Friday in Paris was to set up concrete measures to help poor and developing countries whose predicaments have been worsened by the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine better tackle poverty and climate change.
Even though the gathering of world and financial leaders has no mandate to make formal decisions, French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to deliver a to-do list that should be accompanied by a progress-tracking tool.
“We have to come up with mobilizations, commitments, new instruments and very concrete solutions that will change life on the ground in countries facing these challenges,” Macron said.
U.S. climate envoy John Kerry was on the same wavelength, telling The Associated Press the conference would aim to “come out with some results that are specific to how you can mobilize finance” in a bid to reduce emissions faster.
Several activists and non-governmental organizations have urged the summit participants to ensure that rich countries commit to debt relief for poor nations, including the cancellation of loans. A debt suspension clause for countries hit by extreme climatic events was also discussed.
In addition, the idea of implementing a tax on the greenhouse gas emissions produced from international shipping has been gaining traction, with possible adoption at a July meeting of the International Maritime Organization. Some experts believe that a tax on shipping alone could raise $100 billion a year, and a strong declaration on this in Paris might provide Macron with a symbolic win, especially if it gets backing from the IMO next month.
To bring in more money, activists are pushing for a tax on the fossil fuel industry and another one on financial transactions — but those two proposals appear to have little support from wealthier nations.
Ineza Grace, a young climate activist from Rwanda, said a good outcome for the summit would be the emergence of a new vision in developed countries for what they need to do.
“To understand how they can replace the current financial structures that are reproducing the colonial structure,” she said.
Fellow activist Greta Thunberg, speaking alongside Grace on the sidelines of the meetings, agreed.
“The aspect of climate justice and equity has been more or less excluded from the global climate negotiations and the discourse,” Thunberg said.
The summit’s first day included announcements of a pair of deals. French officials said debt-burdened Zambia reached a deal with several creditors including China to restructure $6.3 billion in loans. And Senegal reached a deal with the European Union and western allies to support its efforts to improve its access to energy and increase its share of renewable energy to 40% by 2030.
Many officials from poor and climate-vulnerable nations attended, with only two top leaders from the Group of Seven most developed countries — Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz — in the audience.
The U.S. was represented by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and climate envoy John Kerry. Other attendees included China’s Prime Minister Li Qiang, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, World Bank head Ajay Banga and IMF President Kristalina Georgieva.
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Associated Press writer Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed.
Finance
Al-Ahly Mortgage Finance aims to grow portfolio to EGP 4bn by 2024-end – Dailynewsegypt
Hatem Amer, Managing Director of Al-Ahly Mortgage Finance, a subsidiary of the National Bank of Egypt (NBE), announced that the company aims to achieve exceptional growth in its financing portfolio, targeting a total of EGP 4bn by the end of 2024.
According to Amer, the company successfully issued over EGP 2bn in new mortgage finance in 2024. This was achieved through a variety of Programmes designed to finance residential, administrative, and commercial units, catering to the diverse needs of mortgage finance customers in Egypt.
He explained that these specialized Programmes were key to attracting new customer segments, including Egyptians working abroad, residents in Egypt with foreign income sources, and regional and multinational companies seeking to acquire administrative properties. These successes were driven by thorough studies of the real estate market and its evolving demands.
Al-Ahly Mortgage Finance was also recognized with the “Most Innovative Company in Egypt for 2024” award by International Business Magazine, a prestigious institution specializing in market analysis and financial sector evaluations.
Amer emphasized that this award is a reflection of the company’s leadership and position in Egypt’s mortgage finance sector, as well as its dedication to providing the best possible experience for its customers.
He further highlighted that the company achieved these results despite significant challenges in the Egyptian market, including ongoing fluctuations in exchange rates, high inflation, and rising real estate prices across various sectors. The company’s resilience, he said, was key to its success, enabling it to launch innovative solutions that addressed these challenges, with full support from NBE, the largest Egyptian bank.
Finance
Savings interest rates today, December 28, 2024 (best account provides 4.30% APY)
The Federal Reserve cut its target rate three times in late 2024, which means savings interest rates are falling. So it’s important to be sure you’re getting the best rate possible when shopping around for a savings account. The following is a breakdown of savings interest rates today and where to find the best offers.
The national average savings account rate stands at 0.42%, according to the FDIC. This might not seem like much, but consider that three years ago, it was just 0.06%.
Although the national average savings interest rate is fairly low compared to other types of accounts (such as CDs) and investments, the best savings rates on the market today are much higher. In fact, some of the top accounts are currently offering 4% APY and higher.
Today, the highest savings account rate available from our partners today is 4.30% APY. This rate is offered by BMO Alto and there is no minimum opening deposit required.
Here is a look at some of the best savings rates available today from our verified partners:
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Related: 10 best high-yield savings accounts today>>
The amount of interest you can earn from a savings account depends on the annual percentage rate (APY). This is a measure of your total earnings after one year when considering the base interest rate and how often interest compounds (savings account interest typically compounds daily).
Say you put $1,000 in a savings account at the average interest rate of 0.42% with daily compounding. At the end of one year, your balance would grow to $1,004.21 — your initial $1,000 deposit, plus just $4.21 in interest.
Now let’s say you choose a high-yield savings account that offers 4% APY instead. In this case, your balance would grow to $1,040.81 over the same period, which includes $40.81 in interest.
The more you deposit in a savings account, the more you stand to earn. If we took our same example of a high-yield savings account at 4% APY, but deposit $10,000, your total balance after one year would be $10,408.08, meaning you’d earn $408.08 in interest.
Read more: What is a good savings account rate?
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Finance
Canadian foreign, finance ministers meet Trump's team on tariffs
Senior members of Canada’s cabinet held talks Friday with US President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees to lead the departments of commerce and the interior, as Ottawa works to hold off the threat of punishing tariffs.
Canada’s newly-appointed Finance Minister Dominic Leblanc and Foreign Minister Melanie Joly met with Howard Lutnick, Trump’s commerce secretary nominee, who will also lead the country’s tariff and trade agenda.
Interior secretary nominee Doug Burgum was also at the meeting held at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Leblanc’s spokesman Jean-Sebastien Comeau, who confirmed the participants, described the talks as “positive and productive.”
Trump has vowed to impose crippling 25-percent tariffs on all Canadian imports when he takes office next month.
He has said they will remain in place until Canada addresses the flow of undocumented migrants and the drug fentanyl into the United States.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has promised retaliatory measures should Trump follow through on his pledge, raising fears of a trade war.
Leblanc and Joly “outlined the measures in Canada’s Border Plan and reiterated the shared commitment to strengthen border security as well as combat the harm caused by fentanyl to save Canadian and American lives,” Comeau said in a statement.
Canada’s Border Plan — estimated to cost CAN$1 billion ($694 million) — was crafted as part of Ottawa’s response to Trump’s concerns.
Lutnick and Burgum “agreed to relay information to President Trump,” the statement said.
Trudeau is facing his worst political crisis since sweeping into office in 2015.
Leblanc was named finance minister earlier this month after the surprise resignation of Chrystia Freeland.
In a scathing resignation letter, Freeland accused Trudeau of prioritizing handouts to voters instead of preparing Canada’s finances for a possible trade war.
More than 75 percent of Canadian exports go to the United States and nearly two million Canadian jobs depend on trade.
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