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U.S. Rep. John Curtis speaks during the Utah Senate primary debate for Republican contenders battling to win the seat of retiring U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney, June 10, 2024, in Salt Lake City.Rick Bowmer | APSALT LAKE CITY — John Curtis, a Republican congressman from Utah, has become a favorite of the crypto industry in his bid to win the Senate seat held by the departing Mitt Romney. He took a somewhat oblong route through the telecommunications sector to get there.At an event in Salt Lake City last week, Curtis told a few dozen crypto enthusiasts that he had a conversation a few years ago with some fellow House members about internet service providers and how to incentivize them to boost their offerings. The various lawmakers were throwing around different connection speeds — 50 megabits, 100 ...

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the BRICS Business Forum in Moscow, Russia October 18, 2024. Alexander Zemlianichenko | Via ReutersThe BRICS group will generate most of the global economic growth in the coming years thanks to its size and relatively fast growth compared with that of developed Western nations, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.Putin hopes to build up BRICS - which has expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates as well as Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - as a powerful counterweight to the West in global politics and trade.The Kremlin leader is due to host a BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan on Oct. 22-24."The countries in our association are essentially the drivers of global economic growth. In the for...

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 79th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 27, 2024. Mike Segar | ReutersThe Israeli government said a drone was launched toward the prime minister's house Saturday, with no casualties, as Iran's supreme leader vowed that Hamas would continue its fight against Israel following the killing of the mastermind of last year's deadly Oct. 7 attack.Sirens wailed Saturday morning in Israel, warning of incoming fire from Lebanon, including a drone launched toward Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's house in Caesarea, the Israeli government said. Neither he nor his wife were home and there were no casualties, said his spokesperson in a statement.Meanwhile, in Gaza, more than 50 people, includ...

Chinese consumers have long powered luxury brands to new highs. But with questions surrounding China's sluggish economy and changing consumer tastes, analysts aren't so sure whether these shoppers will be able to coax the luxury sector out of its doldrums. The Chinese government's new stimulus measures announced late September revived interest in the country's economic prospects — stoking hopes it would revive luxury spending among this critical cohort. But these measures may not target the consumers the industry most relies on, analysts say. Even if it does, the taste for luxe labels may have vanished as consumers look more closely at brands closer to home. "I personally don't think that the Chinese have the same level of aspirational consumption like they did," said Ben Harburg, portfoli...