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MUMBAI: The IPO for Sri Lotus Developers & Real Estate is sure to be a star-studded affair. From super starts like Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, to other big names like Ajay Devgn, Hrithik Roshan, Sara Ali Khan, Ektaa Kapoor, Tiger Shroff and Rajkumar Rao, all have recently bought small stakes in the company. Earlier this month, the company that has made its name in the ultra-luxury residential and upscale commercial real estate segments in the city, made private placements of a little over 2.7 crore shares to 125 people including several Bollywood stars. The list of allottees also include some know names from the financial sector like Ashish Kacholia and Jagdish Master, ROC documents showed. Only recently, AKP Holdings - that was a private limited company and operates under the brand name Lotus Developers - changed its name to Sri Lotus Developers & Real Estate. Although company officials declined to comment on the IPO since it is in the process of finalising the offer document, sources said that the Anand Pandit-promoted company is looking to raise about Rs 1,000 crore. On Dec 4, Sri Lotus Developers made the private placement at Rs 150 per share and mobilised about Rs 407.6 crore. Among the allottees, Bollywood superstars Amitabh Bachhan bought about 6.7 lakh shares at Rs 10 crore while Shah Rukh Khan Family Trust bought about 6.75 lakh shares for 10.1 crore. among other big names Hrithik Roshan bought 70,000 shares for a little over Rs 1 crore. Several of these Bollywood stars own residential and commercial spaces in Lotus Developers' properties, sources said. Ready to Master Stock Valuation? ET’s Workshop is just around the corner!

NoneSILICON SLOPES, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 5, 2024-- Domo, Inc. (Nasdaq: DOMO) today announced results for its fiscal third quarter ended October 31, 2024. Fiscal Third Quarter Results Total revenue was $79.8 million Subscription revenue was $71.1 million Billings were $73.4 million Subscription Remaining Performance Obligations (RPO) was $354.1 million as of October 31, 2024, an increase of 3% year over year Subscription RPO expected to be recognized beyond twelve months was $145.9 million as of October 31, 2024, an increase of 14% year over year Net cash used in operating activities was $13.7 million Adjusted free cash flow was negative $13.8 million GAAP operating margin was negative 14% Non-GAAP operating margin was 3% GAAP net loss was $18.8 million, and GAAP net loss per share was $0.48, based on 38.8 million weighted-average shares outstanding Non-GAAP net loss was $3.2 million, and non-GAAP net loss per share was $0.08, based on 38.8 million weighted-average shares outstanding Cash and cash equivalents were $40.9 million as of October 31, 2024 “Our focus on ecosystem-led growth, consumption-based contracts and AI innovation is paying off with promising momentum, as we see more demand for Domo as an anchor technology in customers’ data stacks,” said Josh James, founder and CEO, Domo. “The data and AI landscape is evolving to create new market opportunities for Domo, and we feel confident we’re in the right position to capitalize on this moment.” Recent Highlights We believe the following announcements and recognition demonstrate our commitment to product innovation and customer value: Domo was named a leader in Nucleus Research’s 2024 Embedded Analytics Technology Value Matrix for the fourth consecutive year. Domo ranked #1 in the 2024 Dresner Advisory Wisdom of Crowds® Analytical Platforms Report for the fourth consecutive year, and was ranked an “Overall Leader” in Dresner Advisory Services’ 2024 Wisdom of Crowds® Small and Midsize Enterprise (SME) Business Intelligence (BI) Market Study for the eighth consecutive year. Domo and Domo.AI were named a finalist in the Business Intelligence or Analytics category of the 2024 SaaS Awards . Domo was recognized as a Business Intelligence (BI) One to Watch in the Modern Marketing Data Stack 2025 : How Leading Marketers Are Thriving In a World Redefined By AI, Privacy and Data Gravity executed and launched by Snowflake, the AI Data Cloud company. Business Outlook Based on information available as of December 5, 2024, Domo is providing the following guidance for its fourth quarter of fiscal 2025 and full year fiscal 2025: Q4 Fiscal 2025 Revenue is expected to be in the range of $77.5 million to $78.5 million Non-GAAP net loss per share, basic and diluted, is expected to be between $0.13 and $0.17 based on 39.3 million weighted-average shares outstanding, basic and diluted Full Year Fiscal 2025 Revenue is expected to be in the range of $315.5 million to $316.5 million Non-GAAP net loss per share, basic and diluted, is expected to be between $0.60 and $0.64 based on 38.5 million weighted-average shares outstanding, basic and diluted We have not reconciled guidance for non-GAAP metrics to their most directly comparable GAAP measures because certain items that impact these measures are not within our control or cannot be reasonably predicted. Earnings Call Details Domo plans to host a conference call today to review its fiscal 2025 third quarter financial results and to discuss its financial outlook. The call is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m. MT/ 5:00 p.m. ET. A live webcast of the event will be available on the Domo Investor Relations website at https://www.domo.com/ir and a live dial-in is available at (877) 484-6065 or (201) 689-8846. A replay will be available at (877) 660-6853 or (201) 612-7415 with the access ID#13750075 following the completion of the conference call until 11:59 p.m. (ET) January 4, 2025. About Domo Domo puts data to work for everyone so they can multiply their impact on the business. Our cloud-native data experience platform goes beyond traditional business intelligence and analytics, making data visible and actionable with user-friendly dashboards and apps. Underpinned by AI, data science and a secure data foundation that connects with existing cloud and legacy systems, Domo helps companies optimize critical business processes at scale and in record time to spark the bold curiosity that powers exponential business results. For more information, visit www.domo.com . You can also follow Domo on LinkedIn , X and Facebook . Domo Disclosure Channels to Disseminate Information Domo investors and others should note that we announce material information to the public about our company, products and services, and other issues through a variety of means, including Domo’s website, press releases, filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), blogs and social media, in order to achieve broad, non-exclusionary distribution of information to the public. We intend to use the Domo Facebook page , the Domo LinkedIn page , the Domo blog , the @Domotalk X account and the @JoshJames X account as a means of disclosing information about the Company and its services and for complying with the disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. The information we post through these social media channels may be deemed material. Accordingly, we encourage investors and others to monitor these social media channels in addition to following our press releases, SEC filings and public conference calls and webcasts. The social media channels that we intend to use as a means of disclosing the information described here may be updated from time to time as listed on our investor relations webpage. Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures To supplement our condensed consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States of America (GAAP), we reference in this press release and the accompanying tables the following non-GAAP financial measures: non-GAAP subscription gross margin, non-GAAP operating expenses, non-GAAP operating loss, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net loss, non-GAAP net loss per share, billings, and adjusted free cash flow. In computing the measures other than billings and adjusted free cash flow, we exclude the effects of stock-based compensation expense, amortization of certain intangible assets, severance of executive officers who report to the Chief Executive Officer, loss on extinguishment of debt, and remeasurement of warrant liability. Billings is defined as total revenue plus the change in deferred revenue in a period. In computing adjusted free cash flow, we exclude the effects of proceeds from shares issued in connection with the employee stock purchase plan, purchases of property and equipment, and net change in short-term payable financing. As it relates to adjusted free cash flow, we add back amounts equal to the proceeds from shares issued in connection with employee stock purchase plan to reflect the non-cash nature of these transactions. Because no cash is exchanged in these transactions, showing proceeds in the financing section of the statement of cash flows as required by GAAP results in a corresponding decrease in the operating section, which management believes is not indicative of actual cash used in or provided by our operations. We also add back the net change to short-term payable financing to adjusted free cash flow. We believe that this non-GAAP cash metric is useful because it provides investors with the same information that management uses to consistently evaluate, forecast and measure the Company’s actual cash flows and its ability to achieve and maintain positive cash flows. We use these non-GAAP financial measures for financial and operational decision-making and as a means to evaluate period-to-period comparisons. Our management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding our performance and liquidity by excluding certain items that may not be indicative of our ongoing core business operating results. We believe that both management and investors benefit from referring to these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing our performance and when analyzing historical performance and liquidity and planning, forecasting, and analyzing future periods. For a reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP measures, please see the tables captioned "Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" included at the end of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include statements of our Chief Executive Officer, statements regarding competitive positions, our financial outlook for our fourth fiscal quarter, and results for future periods. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and are based on potentially inaccurate assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expected or implied by the forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from the results predicted, and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. The potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from the results predicted include, among others, those risks and uncertainties included under the caption "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in our filings with the SEC, including, without limitation, the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 28, 2024 and the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 31, 2024 expected to be filed with the SEC on or about December 10, 2024. All information provided in this release and in the attachments is as of the date hereof, and we undertake no duty to update this information unless required by law. Domo is a registered trademark of Domo, Inc. 2023 2024 2023 2024 $ 71,293 $ 71,113 $ 213,594 $ 214,144 8,382 8,651 25,211 24,130 79,675 79,764 238,805 238,274 11,523 13,334 33,588 39,410 7,253 6,627 22,847 21,389 18,776 19,961 56,435 60,799 60,899 59,803 182,370 177,475 40,262 37,194 124,464 116,040 19,729 21,264 63,931 65,952 12,130 12,429 35,509 42,504 72,121 70,887 223,904 224,496 (11,222 ) (11,084 ) (41,534 ) (47,021 ) - (1,850 ) - (1,850 ) (4,930 ) (5,622 ) (14,549 ) (14,805 ) (4,930 ) (7,472 ) (14,549 ) (16,655 ) (16,152 ) (18,556 ) (56,083 ) (63,676 ) 261 205 801 582 $ (16,413 ) $ (18,761 ) $ (56,884 ) $ (64,258 ) $ (0.45 ) $ (0.48 ) $ (1.59 ) $ (1.68 ) 36,310 38,832 35,812 38,243 $ 670 $ 784 $ 1,958 $ 2,389 359 295 1,311 942 6,364 4,754 19,260 15,238 4,621 4,038 14,214 12,529 4,174 3,080 10,642 12,075 181 210 516 603 $ 16,369 $ 13,161 $ 47,901 $ 43,776 $ 20 $ 142 $ 60 $ 426 $ - $ - $ 443 $ - - - 1,553 - $ - $ - $ 1,996 $ - $ - $ 455 $ - $ 33 2024 2024 $ 60,939 $ 40,925 67,197 57,177 16,006 15,288 9,602 7,083 153,744 120,473 27,003 27,937 11,746 10,108 19,542 17,420 2,740 2,267 9,478 9,478 1,407 2,528 $ 225,660 $ 190,211 $ 4,313 $ 8,403 43,430 58,392 4,807 5,506 185,250 153,919 237,800 226,220 11,135 8,125 2,736 3,311 14,001 8,151 113,534 115,574 379,206 361,381 37 39 1,252,200 1,298,596 (180 ) 56 (1,405,603 ) (1,469,861 ) (153,546 ) (171,170 ) $ 225,660 $ 190,211 Domo, Inc. 2023 2024 2023 2024 $ (16,413 ) $ (18,761 ) $ (56,884 ) $ (64,258 ) 1,636 2,254 4,738 7,117 1,063 1,142 3,235 3,320 4,398 4,454 13,354 13,181 16,369 13,161 47,901 43,776 - 1,850 - 1,850 - 456 - 33 1,072 2,390 3,643 4,334 (3,022 ) (8,489 ) 23,750 10,020 (4,016 ) (4,524 ) (10,921 ) (10,328 ) 291 1,543 (173 ) 1,819 998 (11,655 ) (966 ) (152 ) (1,237 ) (1,392 ) (4,054 ) (4,000 ) (608 ) 10,238 (3,361 ) 6,073 (4,856 ) (6,368 ) (23,124 ) (30,756 ) (4,325 ) (13,701 ) (2,862 ) (17,971 ) (2,714 ) (2,515 ) (9,214 ) (7,245 ) - - (26 ) - (2,714 ) (2,515 ) (9,240 ) (7,245 ) - (402 ) - (402 ) 1,374 789 3,406 1,910 - (296 ) - (504 ) - 52,758 - 52,758 - (53,177 ) - (53,177 ) - 6,190 - 8,972 - (4,536 ) - (4,536 ) 62 - 65 - 1,436 1,326 3,471 5,021 (862 ) 111 (482 ) 181 (6,465 ) (14,779 ) (9,113 ) (20,014 ) 63,852 55,704 66,500 60,939 $ 57,387 $ 40,925 $ 57,387 $ 40,925 2023 2024 2023 2024 $ 71,293 $ 71,113 $ 213,594 $ 214,144 11,523 13,334 33,588 39,410 59,770 57,779 180,006 174,734 84 % 81 % 84 % 82 % 670 784 1,958 2,389 $ 60,440 $ 58,563 $ 181,964 $ 177,123 85 % 82 % 85 % 83 % $ 72,121 $ 70,887 $ 223,904 $ 224,496 (15,159 ) (11,872 ) (44,116 ) (39,842 ) (20 ) (142 ) (60 ) (426 ) - - (1,996 ) - $ 56,942 $ 58,873 $ 177,732 $ 184,228 $ (11,222 ) $ (11,084 ) $ (41,534 ) $ (47,021 ) 16,188 12,951 47,385 43,173 20 142 60 426 - - 1,996 - $ 4,986 $ 2,009 $ 7,907 $ (3,422 ) (14 )% (14 )% (17 )% (20 )% 20 17 19 19 - - 1 - 6 % 3 % 3 % (1 )% $ (16,413 ) $ (18,761 ) $ (56,884 ) $ (64,258 ) 16,369 13,161 47,901 43,776 20 142 60 426 - - 1,996 - - 1,850 - 1,850 - 455 - 33 $ (24 ) $ (3,153 ) $ (6,927 ) $ (18,173 ) $ (0.45 ) $ (0.48 ) $ (1.59 ) $ (1.68 ) 0.45 0.34 1.34 1.15 — — 0.06 — — 0.05 — 0.05 — 0.01 — — $ — $ (0.08 ) $ (0.19 ) $ (0.48 ) $ 79,675 $ 79,764 $ 238,805 $ 238,274 158,522 153,919 158,522 153,919 4,236 3,311 4,236 3,311 (164,882 ) (161,601 ) (182,273 ) (185,250 ) (2,732 ) (1,997 ) (3,609 ) (2,736 ) (4,856 ) (6,368 ) (23,124 ) (30,756 ) $ 74,819 $ 73,396 $ 215,681 $ 207,518 $ (4,325 ) $ (13,701 ) $ (2,862 ) $ (17,971 ) 1,374 789 3,406 1,910 (2,714 ) (2,515 ) (9,214 ) (7,245 ) - 6,190 - 8,972 - (4,536 ) - (4,536 ) $ (5,665 ) $ (13,773 ) $ (8,670 ) $ (18,870 ) View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241205261989/en/ CONTACT: Media – Cynthia Cowen PR@domo.comInvestors – Peter Lowry IR@domo.com KEYWORD: UTAH UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES DATA MANAGEMENT DATA ANALYTICS TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE INTERNET SOURCE: Domo, Inc. Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 12/05/2024 04:05 PM/DISC: 12/05/2024 04:06 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241205261989/en

Surging Ahead in the AI Race While Nvidia often grabs headlines with its soaring stock performance, another player in the semiconductor arena is quietly gaining momentum: Micron Technology. Known for its memory chips like DRAM and NAND, Micron reported a remarkable 400% increase in year-over-year data center revenue, driving its total quarterly revenue up by 84% to $8.7 billion. A Sleepy Giant Awakes Despite an impressive earnings report, Micron’s stock has slipped about 44% from its recent highs. This downturn, however, presents a compelling opportunity for investors. The company’s integrated model, which combines both design and manufacturing, positions it to capitalize effectively during industry booms. AI’s Growing Influence Micron is riding the wave of the AI boom with more than half of its revenue now stemming from data centers. Although recent guidance sent the stock plummeting by 19% due to anticipated softness in consumer segments like smartphones, this appears to be a temporary challenge. Management highlighted that impacts from inventory adjustments should be short-lived, with a rebound expected in the latter half of fiscal 2025. An Undervalued Treasure With close ties to giants like Nvidia, accounting for 13% of its revenue, Micron stands to benefit massively as AI demand intensifies. The High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) market, crucial for AI applications, is projected to expand significantly, potentially quadrupling Micron’s HBM revenue in the coming years. The Takeaway Investors have the chance to acquire Micron stock still underpriced compared to its peers. If the AI cycle continues its upward trajectory, this could translate into substantial returns, making Micron a promising pick in the semiconductor sector. Unveiling Micron’s Potential in the AI Revolution Micron Technology’s Evolving Role in AI As the world witnesses rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), Micron Technology is emerging as a significant player in this transformative wave. Best known for its DRAM and NAND memory chips, Micron is carving a larger niche in the AI-driven semiconductor industry. The company witnessed a stunning 400% year-over-year increase in data center revenue recently, propelling its total quarterly revenue to $8.7 billion—a marked growth of 84%. Pros and Cons of Investing in Micron Investing in Micron has its advantages: – Pros: – Strategic Positioning: Micron’s integrated model of design and manufacturing is well-poised to exploit industry booms, particularly in AI-driven markets. – AI Revenue Boost: The company’s growing focus on data centers means it derives over half its revenue from this expanding sector. – Future HBM Growth: The High Bandwidth Memory market is essential for AI, and significant growth is expected, which could quadruple Micron’s related revenues. – Cons: – Market Volatility: Recent stock dips indicate potential volatility, with a 44% fall from recent highs. – Consumer Segment Weakness: Temporary softness in segments like smartphones may affect near-term performance. Anticipated Market Trends and Growth Looking ahead, industry experts predict substantial expansion in the High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) market. As AI technologies evolve, demanding more robust data processing capabilities, Micron is strategically positioned to benefit from this growth. Furthermore, their collaboration with tech behemoth Nvidia is a remarkable milestone, with around 13% of Micron’s revenue tied to this partnership, hinting at lucrative opportunities as AI demand escalates. Market Analysis and Predictions Micron’s strategic initiatives are closely aligned with broader semiconductor market trends. The growing importance of HBM in AI applications forecasts a promising future for Micron, especially given the projected quadrupling of its HBM revenues in forthcoming years. Investors recognize this potential, particularly as the AI revolution continues to accelerate, making Micron an intriguing prospect for those seeking exposure in the semiconductor sector. Competitive Landscape and Comparisons Compared to its competitors, Micron offers a unique investment proposition: – Nvidia Partnership: Unlike many peers, Micron has secured substantial revenue streams from collaborations with AI giants. – Future-Ready Technologies: While some companies focus heavily on traditional markets, Micron’s emphasis on memory advancements for AI underscores its future-forward strategy. Micron’s positioning in the semiconductor landscape, combined with its integrated model, sets it apart as a formidable contender in tapping the explosive AI market growth. For more insights into Micron’s future and its role in AI, explore their official page at Micron Technology .

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he iconic sneakers are back, but with an unexpected twist that takes them beyond the basketball courts. Originally released on , these sneakers, inspired by the character of the " " from have been for the first time, marking a milestone in sports footwear history. This new design was unveiled by widow, who shared a teaser on her Instagram story, creating great anticipation among fans. "Hope you're on the 'nasty list' this year! #KobeCleat #boot #Kobe6 #MAMBA ," Vanessa wrote in the post, generating even more excitement. The story of the iconic Nike Kobe 6 "Grinch" sneakers The became an instant sensation upon its debut, known for its bold lime green color and red accents that evoked the . The scaly texture and festive design made these sneakers a coveted item within both basketball and sneaker cultures. wore them during a historic matchup in 2010 between the and the a game that left a lasting impact on the rivalry between and Despite 17-point effort, the were unable to overcome the , who won 96-80. The new football model and price Now, the model has been adapted into football cleats, expanding its legacy and capturing the attention of a new audience. This release, which retains the original lime green and scaly texture, has been met with enthusiasm from fans and collectors. The cleats, combine signature style with the functionality needed for athletes on the . While some players had previously worn custom versions of these cleats, this is the first time has launched an official edition. The transformation of the ' into football cleats is a testament to enduring influence, as he remains a transcendent figure in both sport and fashion. Furthermore, this release is part of the which continues to celebrate legacy through new models and collaborations, such as the cleat, which will be worn by the in their upcoming game against .

SINGAPORE: Outside the Bo’xing Experimental Primary School in Binzhou, a prefecture-level city in China’s northern Shandong Province, Huang, a 50-year-old, is ferrying his eight-year-old grandson to school in his “laotoule”. Huang's electric four-wheel ride, which translates to happy grandpa or old man's joy in Chinese, closely resembles a golf cart. His main reasons for using it are convenience and affordability. “Parking large vehicles here is a nightmare,” he told CNA in a call. “We need this type of vehicle. Think about it - a regular car is so much harder to park and in the space where you can fit three or five cars, you could park 10 laotoule vehicles.” Weather is also a factor, he adds, especially in a city currently as cold as Binzhou where daily temperatures have dropped to 2 degrees Celsius. “You can use an electric bike or bicycle during summer but that’s just not feasible in winter,” Huang said. Like him, many parents and grandparents in Binzhou also rely on laotoule vehicles to see their children off to school. It’s a scene that’s become ubiquitous in rural towns and smaller cities across China - except the situation in Binzhou stands in stark contrast to urban centers elsewhere, where various makeshift electric vehicles are strictly banned. Cities like Beijing and Shanghai as well as others in provinces like Jiangxi, Hebei, Jiangsu and Anhui have implemented varying measures to ban or restrict the use of senior-friendly vehicles. However it is challenging to establish a uniform policy nationwide, analysts say, due to differing levels of public transport development and population density. JOY FOR THE ELDERLY Laotoule vehicles started appearing on roads in China in the early 2000s and are one of the most popular forms of transport for seniors today - with more than 10 million stockpiles as of 2020, according to industry figures. Priced between 2,000 yuan (US$276) and 22,000 yuan, they are much cheaper than conventional cars and vans and are easy to park and drive. They also do not require vehicle licenses or registration and are not subject to traffic rules and regulations which apply to most conventional motorised vehicles - adding to their popularity. But their presence is controversial. Accidents are alarmingly frequent and their unregulated use has led to recent widespread bans in several major Chinese cities. Nearly 20,000 deaths due to low-speed electric vehicle incidents were reported by authorities nationwide between 2012 and 2016, Following more than 100 fatalities recorded in 2022, laotoule vehicles were banned in Beijing at the start of the year, no longer being allowed on roads or parked in public spaces. Laotoule accidents in other Chinese cities and provinces have continued. An accident in late November was reported in Ganzhou city in the southeast Jiangxi Province, which saw an elderly laotoule driver racing recklessly against traffic and injuring another electric vehicle rider. It sparked a city-wide crackdown, leading to over 2,000 laotoule vehicles being seized and hundreds phased out. In Sichuan, where authorities have allowed only registered and licensed laotoule on the road, a tragic accident occurred on a major expressway on Oct 12. A 74-year-old man drove his laotoule against traffic in the overtaking lane, resulting in a fatal collision that claimed two lives. Many laotoule drivers generally operate without proper licenses and were “less likely to comply” with traffic rules, which creates greater safety risks, said urban public transportation consultant Wang Yuanyuan, also general manager of the Shanghai-based Easy Traffic Consulting firm. “These vehicles often fail to meet automotive safety standards, such as structural integrity and occupant protection (and) in the event of an accident, these shortcomings can result in more severe casualties,” Wang said, pointing out that poor battery quality and inadequate charging facilities could also lead to fire hazards. “Furthermore, insurance systems are not well established, making it difficult to handle the aftermath of accidents.” Zhang Xiang, director of the Digital Automotive International Cooperation Research Center at the World Digital Economy Forum, echoed these concerns. “Without licenses, many drivers simply ignore traffic rules,” he said. “If drivers commit violations and flee, it’s hard to penalise them. They disrupt traffic order and affect road safety.” Zhang noted that laotoule sales had been “on the decline” after vehicles were banned in Beijing earlier this year. “Nowadays many places are regulating these kinds of vehicles unlike in the past, when they operated in a grey area,” he said. While drivers like Huang have acknowledged safety concerns about their vehicles, giving them up was not an option because they were still a cheap and convenient way of getting around. “From a safety perspective, it’s understandable to want these vehicles registered and insured but in some cases, it’s just not possible,” Huang said. NOT A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL SITUATION But tackling the issue will not be as straightforward as introducing a complete ban, experts say, especially not in a country as large as China, with more than 1,700 county-level cities and counties making regulations between cities much more complicated. “China's policymaking in urban transportation reflects a complex balance of interests,” Wang said. “While public opinion can influence directions, decisions are often top-down, prioritising public welfare, safety, and social stability. The persistence of banned vehicles underscores the challenges of addressing demand and enforcing policies effectively in a rapidly changing landscape.” Transport expert Raymond Ong Ghim Ping, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore, told CNA that China’s sheer geographic size, population diversity, economic differences and varied urbanisation levels would make uniform policies challenging. First-tier cities like Beijing and Shanghai also require different approaches than second and third-tier cities, he said. “China’s roads are divided into high-speed and low-speed sections”, Dr Ong said. “All of these factors can increase the chances of accidents and that’s why it becomes very apparent in denser cities.” Beijing, Shanghai and various cities across Jiangsu province have taken tougher approaches on the senior-friendly vehicles. Cities in other provinces like Anhui and Shandong have chosen to adopt more flexible approaches like prohibiting new sales or requiring proper licensing and insurance. Following public awareness campaigns, demand for driving tests surged there, with slots fully booked until late December, as reported by local media Qiluwanbao. Anhui authorities have tightened rules for laotoule drivers, requiring them to wear helmets and strictly adhere to traffic rules. “Cities without major incidents might not clamp down as hard, meaning drivers can continue as before until a serious event prompts stricter measures,” Wang said, adding that “reactive policy making was fairly common” in China and often prompted by localised incidents. Guo Baoyu, owner of a three-wheeled Shenghao-brand laotoule in Jinan, welcomed new measures and said they offered drivers like her a newfound sense of security and convenience. “Safety is always my priority,” she said, adding that she often chooses roads with fewer heavy vehicles and limits her travel distance to around 40km from home so she can commute and drop her child off at daycare easily. IMPROVED PUBLIC TRANSPORT AS AN ALTERNATIVE? Despite vehicle bans and crackdowns, transport experts do not believe laotoules will disappear from China’s roads in the near future. Zhang of the World Digital Economy Forum predicts that electric vehicles (EVs) will eventually replace laotoule, especially in cities where production numbers have ceased. “After laotoules are phased out, what will replace them will be small, micro-sized electric cars,” Zhang said. Such vehicles would be a cheaper and better option for seniors, priced affordably between 20,000 and 30,000 yuan, and would come with air-conditioning and proper braking systems, offering better safety standards and comfort. "They are legal and better. They will replace laotoule vehicles,” he said. But solving the issue will take time, experts say, especially because they are still popular among seniors. Alternatives like improving public transport systems like buses, trolleybuses and trains, or providing options like shared bikes will be critical, they add. Public transport is much more convenient in urban areas, Zhang said. “There are more metro lines and buses available (in these areas) so people give up their laotoules which used to be a more useful mode of transportation (for them) when commuting was less convenient.” Wang the consultant noted that seniors living in bigger Chinese cities would often enjoy free or discounted fares when travelling on public transport. “However, the flexibility and spatial coverage of public transit still lags behind what laotoule vehicles can offer,” he said. “With advancements in information technology, on-demand bus services might become a solution, though older adults may face challenges using digital platforms.” For laotoule drivers like Huang, their vehicles are still a necessity needed to ferry around their grandchildren and run errands for the day. With hundreds of laotoule still crowding the streets and pavements of Binzhou, it seems unlikely that a full ban will be implemented anytime soon. And for now, he will take a pragmatic approach. “Let’s think about it when it starts,” he said.U.S. stocks slipped below their records in the runup to a big jobs report due on Friday. The S&P 500 edged down 0.2% Thursday after setting an all-time high for the 56th time this year the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.6%, while the Nasdaq composite fell 0.2%. The crypto market had much more action, and bitcoin briefly burst to a record above $103,000 before falling back toward $99,000. It’s climbed dramatically since Election Day on hopes President-elect Donald Trump will be more friendly to crypto. Airline stocks were strong, while Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. On Thursday: The S&P 500 fell 11.38 points, or 0.2%, to 6,075.11. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 248.33 points, or 0.6%, to 44,765.71. The Nasdaq composite fell 34.86 points, or 0.2%, to 19,700.26. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 30.39 points, or 1.3%, to 2,396.17. For the week: The S&P 500 is up 42.73 points, or 0.7%. The Dow is down 144.94 points, or 0.3%. The Nasdaq is up 482.09 points, or 2.5%. The Russell 2000 is down 38.56 points, or 1.6%. For the year: The S&P 500 is up 1,305.28 points, or 27.4%. The Dow is up 7,076.17 points, or 18.8%. The Nasdaq is up 4,688.91 points, or 31.2%. The Russell 2000 is up 369.10 points, or 18.2%.

In Garfield Park, Camarria Williams often enjoyed walks with her mom. There, the 11-year-old girl also discovered a new cancer-fighting molecule in an unexpected source: goose poop. Williams and her twin sister Camerria, who attend the William H. Brown STEM Magnet School, spent the fall of 2022 participating in a science program at a West Side Boys & Girls Club where they worked with researchers to identify potential antibiotics that occur in nature. The twins from North Lawndale were part of the third cohort of middle school students who participated in the “Chicago Antibiotic Discovery Lab,” a partnership between the Boys & Girls Club and a UIC lab run by pharmaceutical sciences professor Brian Murphy. During a field trip to Garfield Park to collect samples rich in bacteria, Williams knew exactly where to look. She thought back to memories feeding the park’s geese with her mother, she said. “The reason I got the poop was because the goose eat everything,” Williams said. Now 13, Williams is officially a published scientific researcher. She is listed as a co-author in a study about the new cancer-fighting compound discovered by isolating bacteria from her goose poop sample, which appeared in a peer-reviewed scientific journal this October. “It was an amazing experience with the Boys & Girls Club, that they can venture and learn more and go in different atmospheres,” said Antwainetta Hunter, Williams’ mother. “It is our future, children are our future. And so the goals that they’re making, I think that it is wonderful and amazing what they’re experiencing now.” During the 14-week afterschool program, young members of the James R. Jordan Club on the Near West Side learned how to collect environmental samples, program robots and test bacteria for disease-fighting properties. The middle schoolers not only gained a scientist’s skillset but also actively participated in the work of Murphy’s lab at UIC, which aims to identify potential antibiotics that occur in nature. West Side middle schooler Camarria Williams, right, their mother mother Antwainetta Hunter, center, and her twin Camerria pose for a portrait James R. Jordan Boys and Girls Club on Dec. 20, 2024. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) “We decided we want to involve students directly in really interesting biomedical research and try and connect each step of that research with a different career in the sciences, just to try and try and get that spark, to get them interested at an age where they should start to think about, ‘oh wow, I could actually potentially make a career out of this,’” Murphy said. Murphy, who launched the Chicago Antibiotic Discovery Lab in the spring of 2022, said that he believes that universities have an obligation to use their resources to serve their community. Murphy’s goal with the program was to help establish a stronger pipeline to careers in STEM in Chicago neighborhoods that have faced “decades” of “engineered inequity,” he said. The program ran three cohorts of middle schoolers in 2022 at the James R. Jordan Club. After Williams made her discovery, the program ran one more time in early 2023 at the Bartlett J. McCartin Boys & Girls Club in Bridgeport, with high school students participating. Although the initial funding has run out, Murphy said that he and Boys & Girls Club leadership have applied for new grants with the hopes of offering the program again in 2025. Williams was one of the James R. Jordan Club’s “core club kids,” stopping by every day after school and participating in different programs, said Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago technology program manager Jonathon Rodriguez. Williams said she initially joined the Chicago Antibiotic Discovery Lab because it seemed like “a lot of opportunities.” After the program, both of the Williams twins said they became interested in pursuing science in the future. Both also said their favorite part of the Chicago Antibiotic Discovery Lab was visiting UIC’s campus and getting a tour of a real-life science lab. “We walked around and they had these chemicals, and they were working on something,” Williams said. “It was just fun.” Williams said that she preferred the Boys & Girls Club program to her science classes at school as it had more hands-on experience, adding “I just want to go out and find stuff and see what it can do.” When she grows up, she said, she wants to be either a climatologist, a pediatrician, scientist or a professional volleyball player. For the West Side club, the Chicago Antibiotic Discovery Program was a “real world kind of experience and exposure that our kids in our community normally don’t get the opportunity to do,” Rodriguez said. “For Camarria specifically, to be able to say ‘Hey, you participated in this program, you gave it a shot and then it led to something that you know is going to be utilized by the scientific community,’” Rodriguez said. “It’s just a testament to mentorship and programs that really focus on providing unique opportunities and experiences to our kids... their hard work and their dedication can lead to something.” The program was structured in order to “bring (students) along in the process of antibiotic discovery,” said Jin Yi “Jeanie” Tan, a fourth-year PhD student in Murphy’s lab who helped coordinate the program and run key experiments. Each cohort was quite small, Tan said, with Williams’ group consisting of seven middle schoolers. First, the students went out into their neighborhood – which for Williams was Garfield Park – to collect samples from nature, Tan said. They then worked with graduate student or postdoc mentors from UIC to isolate different types of bacteria from the samples and conduct tests to screen them for potential antibiotic properties, according to Tan. For safety reasons, Murphy said, children usually are not allowed to work with bacteria during science experiments, which previously was a barrier to him engaging youth from the community in his lab’s work. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Murphy’s lab was able to partner with UIC’s Institute for Tuberculosis Research to purchase a “colony-picking robot,” which could pick up bacteria colonies and transfer them onto new plates where they would be tested against a pathogen. This robot could be “programmed from a safe place” with the young participants still “making all of the decisions,” Murphy said. Boys & Girls Club members were brought to the UIC lab to program the approximately $200,000 robot and watch it at work, Murphy said, which for some was their “first time ever going to a college.” At the end of the program, the students were taught “how to analyze bioinformatics data” so that they could each choose which of their bacteria colonies “look promising” and should theoretically be prioritized for future research, Tan said. “For Camarria, she prioritized the bacteria with antibiotic properties,” Tan said. “So I followed up on the strains that she prioritized, which is where in the lab I would grow it up and purify the compounds and then do some further testing. And that’s where we found this new compound that had some cytotoxic activity against cancer cell lines.” The bacterium that Williams isolated and selected from her initial goose poop sample contained a cancer-fighting molecule that had never been documented before, according to Murphy. The lab’s partnership with the Boys & Girls Club had yielded “high-end biomedical research that was actually publishable,” he said. After over a year of research conducted by Tan and other UIC scientists to determine the structure and properties of the new compound, the scientists wrote a paper on their findings that was published on Oct. 24 in ACS Omega, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Chemical Society. Williams is now listed by name as a co-author of the study “Discovery of New Cyclic Lipodepsipeptide Orfamide N via Partnership with Middle School Students from the Boys and Girls Club.” When she found out about the significance of her own discovery, Williams said she was happy that “I did something that did work.” She now has a paper copy of the journal with her name inside. Listing Williams as an author “wasn’t charity,” Murphy said, but rather followed his lab’s own policies. Murphy’s students need to fulfill two of three criteria in order to be listed as a co-author on a study: physical lab work, intellectual input or participation in writing the manuscript. Williams had checked the box for the first two of these requirements. “It was Camarria’s intellectual input that chose the goose poop,” Murphy said. “None of us would have thought to do that, and she did it.”NDP will not support Liberal GST holiday bill unless rebate expanded: SinghParty City to close its stores as company files for bankruptcy LOS ANGELES (AP) — Party City announced that it's going to “wind down” its retail and wholesale operations as it prepares to shutter nearly 700 stores nationwide. The company said Saturday it has also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection "to maximize value for the benefit of the company’s stakeholders.” The New Jersey-based retailer said it will keep more than 95% of its 12,000 employees to help with the process of closing down. Customers have flocked to Party City for Halloween costumes, favors for children’s birthday parties and decorations for New Year’s Eve celebrations for nearly 40 years. It has faced growing competition from Walmart and Target and from occasion-based pop-up stores such as Spirit Halloween. A million taxpayers will soon receive up to $1,400 from the IRS. Who are they and why now? Approximately 1 million taxpayers will automatically receive special payments of up to $1,400 from the IRS in the coming weeks. The money will be directly deposited into eligible people’s bank accounts or sent in the mail by a paper check. Most people shouldn't get their hopes up about receiving the cash. The IRS says it’s distributing about $2.4 billion to taxpayers who failed to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit on their 2021 tax returns after missing one of the COVID stimulus payments or receiving less than the full amount. The IRS says most taxpayers eligible for the federal stimulus payments received them. Bluesky finds with growth comes growing pains — and bots Bluesky has seen its user base soar since the U.S. presidential election, boosted by people seeking refuge from Elon Musk’s X, or wanting an alternative to Meta’s Threads and its algorithms. The platform grew out of the company then known as Twitter and was eventually intended to replace it. While this is still very much a pie in the sky, Bluesky’s growth trajectory could make it a serious competitor to other social platforms. With growth, though, comes growing pains. It’s not just human users who’ve been flocking to Bluesky but also bots, including those designed to create partisan division or direct users to junk websites. 'Sonic 3' bests 'Mufasa: The Lion King' at the box office NEW YORK (AP) — In the holiday season battle of big-budget family movies, Paramount Pictures’ “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” sped past the Walt Disney Co.’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” to take the top spot at the box office. The results came just ahead of the lucrative Christmas corridor in theaters. According to studio estimates, “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” debuted with $62 million in ticket sales over the weekend. “Mufasa,” however, was humbled in its opening weekend, coming in notably shy of expectations. It returned just $35 million in domestic ticket sales. Amazon and Starbucks workers are on strike. Trump might have something to do with it Amazon delivery drivers and Starbucks baristas are on strike in a handful of U.S. cities as they seek to exert pressure on the two major companies to recognize them as unionized employees or to meet demands for an inaugural labor contract. Strikes during busy periods like the holidays can help unions exercise leverage during negotiations or garner support from sympathetic consumers. One expert says he thinks workers at both companies are “desperate” to make progress before President-elect Donald Trump can appoint a Republican majority to the National Labor Relations Board. Workers at Starbucks, Amazon and some other prominent consumer brands are fighting for their first contracts after several locations voted to unionize. Farmers are still reeling months after Hurricane Helene ravaged crops across the South LYONS, Ga. (AP) — Farmers in Georgia are still reeling more than two months after Hurricane Helene blew away cotton, destroyed ripened squash and cucumbers and uprooted pecan trees and timber. Agribusinesses in other Southern states saw costly damage as well. The University of Georgia estimates the September storm inflicted $5.5 billion in direct losses and indirect costs in Georgia alone. In rural Toombs County, Chris Hopkins just finished harvesting his ravaged cotton crop and figures he lost half of it, costing him about $430,000. Poultry grower Jeffrey Pridgen in Georgia's Coffee County had four of his 12 chicken houses destroyed and others badly damaged. Farmers say more government disaster assistance is needed. Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI’s strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products. But he grew disillusioned with the company and told The Associated Press this fall he would “try to testify” in copyright infringement cases against it. Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge shows price pressures eased last month WASHINGTON (AP) — An inflation gauge that is closely watched by the Federal Reserve barely rose last month in a sign that price pressures cooled after two months of sharp gains. Prices rose just 0.1% from October to November. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, prices also ticked up just 0.1%, after two months of outsize 0.3% gains. The milder inflation figures arrived two days after Federal Reserve officials, led by Chair Jerome Powell, rocked financial markets by revealing that they now expect to cut their key interest rate just two times in 2025, down from four in their previous estimate. Albania to close TikTok for a year blaming it for promoting violence among children TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania’s prime minister says the government will shut down video service TikTok for one year, blaming it for inciting violence and bullying, especially among children. Albanian authorities held 1,300 meetings with teachers and parents following the stabbing death of a teenager in mid-November by another teenager following a quarrel that started on TikTok. Prime Minister Edi Rama, speaking at a meeting with teachers and parents, said TikTok “would be fully closed for all. ... There will be no TikTok in the Republic of Albania.” Rama says the ban will begin sometime next year. Albanian children comprise the largest group of TikTok users in the country, according to domestic researchers. Stock market today: Wall Street rises to turn a dismal week into just a bad one NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to turn what would have been one of the market’s worst weeks of the year into just a pretty bad one. The S&P 500 rallied 1.1% Friday to shave its loss for the week down to 2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped nearly 500 points, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1%. A report said a measure of inflation the Federal Reserve likes to use was slightly lower last month than expected. It’s an encouraging signal after the Fed shocked markets Wednesday by saying worries about inflation could keep it from cutting interest rates in 2025 as much as earlier thought.

Examination malpractice, including cheating and tampering with results, has long been a blemish on Pakistan's education system, undermining the credibility of qualifications and creating an uneven playing field for students. The decision by the Rawalpindi Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education to install CCTV cameras in examination centres for the 2025 Matriculation and Intermediate examinations, while seemingly well-intentioned, represents a reactive approach to addressing this deep-rooted issue. CCTV cameras, at best, offer surface-level oversight. In a system already plagued by inefficiencies, the challenges of monitoring and maintaining these surveillance systems will inevitably arise. Past experiences in similar projects across the country have shown how technological interventions are often undermined by poor implementation and resource constraints. Without adequate training of staff and effective security mechanisms to act on surveillance data, this initiative risks becoming another bureaucratic box-ticking exercise. The underlying problem lies in the focus on reactive measures rather than proactive, systemic reforms. The issue of examination malpractice is reflective of broader failures such as overcrowded classrooms, undertrained teachers, outdated curricula and a lack of critical thinking development. Addressing cheating through surveillance does little to tackle the root causes, such as the immense pressure on students to succeed in a system that prioritises rote learning over genuine understanding. Educational upliftment requires a shift in priorities. A culture of ethical success begins with curriculum reforms that emphasise critical thinking. Teachers, as pivotal figures in this transformation, must be adequately trained and empowered to instill core values. Without these foundational changes, no technological intervention - CCTV cameras included - can truly elevate the educational landscape. COMMENTS Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. For more information, please see ourA ceasefire deal that could end more than a year of cross-border fighting between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group won backing from Israeli leaders Tuesday, raising hopes and renewing difficult questions in a region gripped by conflict. Hezbollah leaders also signaled tentative backing for the U.S.-brokered deal, which offers both sides an off-ramp from hostilities that have driven more than 1.2 million Lebanese and 50,000 Israelis from their homes. An intense bombing campaign by Israel has killed more than 3,700 people, many of them civilians, Lebanese officials say. But while the deal, set to take effect early Wednesday, could significantly calm the tensions that have inflamed the region, it does little directly to resolve the much deadlier war that has raged in Gaza since the Hamas attack on southern Israel in October 2023 that killed 1,200 people. Hezbollah, which began firing scores of rockets into Israel the following day in support of Hamas, has previously said it would keep fighting until there was a stop to the fighting in Gaza. Here’s what to know about the tentative ceasefire agreement and its potential implications: The agreement reportedly calls for a 60-day halt in fighting that would see Israeli troops retreat to their side of the border while requiring Hezbollah to end its armed presence in a broad swath of southern Lebanon. President Joe Biden said Tuesday that the deal is set to take effect at 4 a.m. local time on Wednesday (9 p.m. EST Tuesday). Under the deal, thousands of Lebanese troops and U.N. peacekeepers are to deploy to the region south of the Litani River. An international panel lead by the U.S. would monitor compliance by all sides. Biden said the deal “was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.” Israel has demanded the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations. Lebanese officials have rejected writing that into the proposal. Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz insisted Tuesday that the military would strike Hezbollah if the U.N. peacekeeping force, known as UNIFIL , does not provide “effective enforcement” of the deal. A Hezbollah leader said the group's support for the deal hinged on clarity that Israel would not renew its attacks. “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Qatari satellite news network Al Jazeera. “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state” of Lebanon, he said. The European Union’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said Tuesday that Israel’s security concerns had been addressed in the deal also brokered by France. After months of cross-border bombings, Israel can claim major victories, including the killing of Hezbollah’s top leader, Hassan Nasrallah, most of his senior commanders and the destruction of extensive militant infrastructure. A complex attack in September involving the explosion of hundreds of walkie-talkies and pagers used by Hezbollah was widely attributed to Israel, signaling a remarkable penetration of the militant group. The damage inflicted on Hezbollah has come not only in its ranks, but to the reputation it built by fighting Israel to a stalemate in the 2006 war. Still, its fighters managed to put up heavy resistance on the ground, slowing Israel’s advance while continuing to fire scores of rockets, missiles and drones across the border each day. The ceasefire offers relief to both sides, giving Israel’s overstretched army a break and allowing Hezbollah leaders to tout the group’s effectiveness in holding their ground despite Israel’s massive advantage in weaponry. But the group is likely to face a reckoning, with many Lebanese accusing it of tying their country’s fate to Gaza’s at the service of key ally Iran, inflicting great damage on a Lebanese economy that was already in grave condition. Until now, Hezbollah has insisted that it would only halt its attacks on Israel when it agreed to stop fighting in Gaza. Some in the region are likely to view a deal between the Lebanon-based group and Israel as a capitulation. In Gaza, where officials say the war has killed more than 44,000 Palestinians, Israel’s attacks have inflicted a heavy toll on Hamas, including the killing of the group’s top leaders. But Hamas fighters continue to hold scores of Israeli hostages, giving the militant group a bargaining chip if indirect ceasefire negotiations resume. Hamas is likely to continue to demand a lasting truce and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in any such deal. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas offered a pointed reminder Tuesday of the intractability of the war, demanding urgent international intervention. “The only way to halt the dangerous escalation we are witnessing in the region, and maintain regional and international stability, security and peace, is to resolve the question of Palestine,” he said in a speech to the U.N. read by his ambassador.