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Bendigo and central Victorian VCE students have started receiving their VCE results. or signup to continue reading Tens of thousands of nervous students across the state will have found their VCE results and Australian Tertiary Admission Rankings (ATARs) from 7am today for students if they registered online at . Deputy Premier and Minister for Education Ben Carroll today congratulated the 61,998 students who will graduate this year with their VCE, including 8,250 VCE Vocational Major graduates who gained practical experience in one or more industries through VET studies. More than 22,700 VCE graduates have received study scores of 40 or higher, more than 688 have received the maximum study score of 50, and 3,160 students have been awarded the VCE Baccalaureate. The overall VCE completion rate in Victoria was 97.4 per cent and Year 12 students across the state will now make the choice to go to university, TAFE, start an apprenticeship or traineeship, start working or take some time off. Additionally, more than 1,100 students received the Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC) - a pathway that prepares students for future studies or entry into the workforce. Students with questions about their results can call the Post Results and ATAR Service on 9637 3877 or 1800 653 080. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. 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Fresh daily!United’s skies unfriendly to Catholic flight attendant, fired employee saysA YouTube creator is accusing PayPal of fraudulent behavior tied to the internet browser extension Honey , which advertises finding and applying coupon codes for online shoppers . YouTube creator MegaLag posted a video titled, "Exposing the Honey Influencer Scam" on Dec. 21 accusing Honey, which is owned by PayPal, of deceiving consumers and influencers by hijacking links that pay influencers for products they promote, providing limited coupon options and publishing inaccurate advertisements. The 23-minute video , the first in a three-part series, according to MegaLag, had more than 9.4 million views, as of Thursday morning. The video concludes with what appears to be a tease for a follow-up. "I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up going down as one of the most aggressive, shameless marketing scams of the century," MegaLag said in the video . In response to the video, PayPal Chief Corporate Affairs and Communications Officer Amy Bonitatibus provided USA TODAY with the following response: “Honey is free to use and provides millions of shoppers with additional savings on their purchases whenever possible. Honey helps merchants reduce cart abandonment and comparison shopping while increasing sales conversion. Honey follows industry rules and practices, including last-click attribution." MegaLag denied to comment when contacted by USA TODAY. Here's what to know about the accusations made by MegaLag and where they line up with industry standards. What is Honey? Honey is a free browser extension that claims to find coupon codes during online shopping checkout. Honey was released in 2012 and PayPal purchased it in 2020 for approximately $4 billion, according to a PayPal news release . When PayPal acquired Honey, PayPal's news release said the shopping tool served about 17 million monthly active users and helped consumers save about $1 billion annually. After purchasing Honey, PayPal launched PayPal Rewards, which incentivizes using the Honey extension. PayPal users earn points when using the browser extension, even if they don't redeem any coupons, according to the Honey website. Those points can be used to redeem cash back, PayPal shopping credit or gift cards. In the video, MegaLag called this rewards program a "lame cashback scheme." The creator proceeded to provide an example of how much money he earned through an affiliate link versus PayPal Rewards cashback when making the same purchase. MegaLag provided an example completed through Honey Gold, Honey's former rewards program utilized before PayPal purchased it. When purchasing a NordVPN standard package (about $95) through his own affiliate link, MegaLag reported making about $35 from the sale. When purchasing the same package but activating PayPal Rewards, rather than using his affiliate link, MegaLag reported earning about 89 cents in cashback. Not the first creator to speak out In the video, MegaLag mentions that upon conducting research about Honey, there was virtually no other information on the topic. However, since the video has gained traction, a clip of YouTube creator Markipiler talking about Honey during a Twitch stream in 2020 has resurfaced. Mark Fischbach (the creator behind Markipiler) did not get into much detail, but he did voice his "distrust" for the shopping tool. "I think they've even offered me (a brand deal) and I said no because I just don't trust Honey," Fischbach said during the stream . "I have a feeling in like a couple years there's going to be the great Honey conspiracy of like 2022." The day after MegaLag's video published, Fischbach reposted his stream clip to X with the comment, "I KNEW IT!!!" Breaching affiliate links or last-click attribution? In the video, "Exposing the Honey Influencer Scam," MegaLag accuses Honey of breaching affiliate links. MegaLag sets up the following example: If a consumer clicks an affiliate link in the description of a YouTube video, the consumer will be taken to the corresponding website. Without using Honey, if the consumer makes a purchase from that link, the YouTube creator will earn a commission. Thinking in real-world scenarios, an affiliate link is similar to a salesperson helping a customer at a store. For example, if a department store salesperson helps a customer find and purchase a piece of jewelry, the salesperson earns commission. If a consumer has the Honey browser extension installed and accepts a Honey pop-up − whether it be a coupon the shopping tool offers or just a message indicating that Honey didn't find any coupons - Honey will earn a commission from the online purchase. The YouTube creator, whose affiliate link the consumer originally followed, will not receive a commission. This model is called last-click attribution, which gives credit to the last touchpoint a user interacts with before making a purchase. Though there are other types of attribution − such as first-click, which provides a commission to the first touchpoint interacted with − last-click is considered the industry standard. In the video , MegaLag claims Honey is "exploiting" last-click attribution. When it comes to content creator versus content creator, MegaLag says last-click attribution is usually fair, but when it is content creator versus Honey, "there's no real competition." "Honey pops up right at the end of your purchasing journey, virtually guaranteeing they'll win that last click," MegaLag says in the video . "They, of course, know this and do anything they can to get that last click. Even where there's no coupon codes to offer." Another industry standard when it comes to affiliate marketing is the stand-down policy . This policy, implemented by host sites, in this case a retailer, requests that browser extensions respect affiliate marketing. If a retailer utilizes a stand-down policy, extensions like Honey cannot claim credit, even if they are the last touchpoint, according to Wildfire , a fintech company that offers white-label cashback services. In response to the MegaLag video, YouTube creator Hank Green released a video, "The Honey Scam and the Ridiculous Mess of Affiliate Marketing" on Dec. 25. In his video, Green discussed how affiliate marketing functions in the "small business ecosystem." Green said the ecosystem of small business creators looking to make money and being attracted to affiliate marketing is "ripe for exploitation." "How responsible should creators be for understanding the business models of the companies that they do brand deals for?" Green posed in his video . "I am certain that many creators aren't really savvy enough or have the time to do that work. The brand deal ecosystem, it's where, for most creators, where most of the money comes from, so it can be really hard to say no and it can be really easy to try to not think too hard about how things work." Ultimately, like MegaLag, Green claimed Honey and PayPal are taking advantage of content creators. USA TODAY has reached out to experts for more context on best practices in the industry. Where does Honey source coupons from? MegaLag also accused Honey of offering limited coupon codes, not providing customers with all of the best options. In the video , MegaLag said he was often able to find redeemable coupon codes from other shopping tools like RetailMeNot when Honey indicated no coupons could be found. PayPal's Bonitatibus told USA TODAY that merchants ultimately decide what coupons are offered to consumers through Honey. When it comes to sourcing its coupons, Bonitatibus said they are manually gathered by Honey's team, sourced from deal networks, made available through merchant partnerships and sourced from users who share codes with Honey. Previous advertising concerns In the video , MegaLag also accused Honey of releasing dishonest advertisements claiming the shopping tool searches for all available coupon codes, implying that a customer who uses Honey does not need to search for their own coupons. In 2020, the National Advertising Division opened an inquiry into a Honey advertisement that claimed, "With just a single click, Honey will find every working code on the internet and apply the best one to your cart," according to a Better Business Bureau news release . However, Honey informed the National Advertising Division, after the inquiry was opened, that it had been in the process of discontinuing the ad for "business reasons," according to a Better Business Bureau news release . Honey also agreed to permanently discontinue the related advertisements. Thus, the National Advertising Division inquiry was closed. Who is MegaLag? MegaLag is a New Zealand YouTube creator who had 508,000 subscribers, as of Monday afternoon. Self-identified as a tech investigative journalist, the creator, who confirmed to USA TODAY his first name is Jonathon, is known for his videos that "expose" companies or experiment with different technology. Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com .
White supremacist incidents are rising across the USMillions of western monarch butterflies once visited Oregon and other Western states each spring to drink flower nectar, pollinate plants and lay their eggs after wintering in forests in coastal California. But today just a couple hundred thousand make the journey. To help curb their decline, a federal wildlife nonprofit has granted nearly $760,000 to improve the monarch’s habitat. The money is part of $5.2 million in grants nationwide from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a nonprofit created by Congress in 1984 to direct federal and private dollars to urgent conservation work. The western monarch population has declined more than 95% since the 1980s, according to research from the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, a Portland-based nonprofit and one of the recipients of the Oregon grant. There were more than 10 million in the 1980s. In the winter of 2023, about 233,000 were counted. In response, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed Tuesday to list the western monarch butterfly as threatened under the the federal Endangered Species List. If finalized, the listing would protect the butterfly from harm and launch a comprehensive recovery plan to restore their habitat. “The fact that a butterfly as widespread and beloved as the monarch is now the face of the extinction crisis is a tri-national distress signal warning us to take better care of the environment that we all share,” Tierra Curry, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity. said in a release. “What’s bad for monarchs is bad for humans, so we have to stop pretending that our health is somehow separate from that of the wildlife our activities are decimating.” That sentiment was echoed last month by Oregon’s U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, who helped secure the federal funding as chair of the Senate interior and environmental appropriations subcommittee. “If we allow the iconic western monarch butterfly to go extinct, we will not only lose this beautiful species, but a critical pollinator forever,” Merkley said in a statement. The Xerces Society will get $300,000 to continue offering free kits that contain native milkweed and pollinator friendly wildflowers and shrubs to Oregon farmers and community groups in the Willamette Valley and Klamath-Siskiyou regions of the state, as well as eastern Washington and California. The idea is to increase the habitat available to pollinator species such as the western monarch. The money is expected to pay for handing out kits to at least 200 people, host more than a dozen events and improve at least 500 acres of pollinator habitat, according to a news release the offices of Merkley and Oregon’s other Democratic senator, Ron Wyden. The rest of the grant, nearly $460,000, will go to the San Francisco-based nonprofit Pollinator Partnership to support planning and conservation on about 600 acres of private farm, ranch, timber and “working lands” in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. The group will help landowners create conservation plans and will host events to raise awareness about threats to the species and how landowners can help. “Monarch butterflies are crucial pollinators on the West Coast, where much of America’s food is grown,” Wyden said in the release. “This investment will support a vital component of our food ecosystem while also helping to preserve a species that symbolizes the rebirth and resiliency Oregonians are known for.” Both Wyden and Merkley sponsored the 2023 Monarch Action, Recovery and Conservation of Habitat Act, or Monarch Act, which allocated $12.5 million over five years to western monarch habitat improvements. In 2022, Merkely hosted the first Monarch Butterfly Summit with the U.S. Department of the Interior and helped establish a Pollinator Conservation Center at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Oregon Capital Chronicle focuses on deep and useful reporting on Oregon state government, politics and policy. We help readers understand how those in government are using their power, what’s happening to taxpayer dollars, and how citizens can stake a bigger role in big decisions. We’re part of States Newsroom , the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.Packers fail yet again to produce a premier performance against a top NFC team in loss to Vikings MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The top of the NFC standings are towering over the Green Bay Packers as they move toward the playoffs, casting a long shadow shaped like Vikings, Lions and Eagles over what has been an otherwise-promising season on both sides of th Dave Campbell, The Associated Press Dec 29, 2024 7:25 PM Dec 29, 2024 7:35 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Green Bay Packers' Jordan Love walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The top of the NFC standings are towering over the Green Bay Packers as they move toward the playoffs, casting a long shadow shaped like Vikings, Lions and Eagles over what has been an otherwise-promising season on both sides of the ball. For as well as the Packers (11-5) had been playing down the stretch, they left Minnesota with a rather murky outlook for the playoffs after stumbling into a 17-point deficit that proved too large for their late surge in the 27-25 loss to the Vikings on Sunday . “They continued to compete and battle, but you just can’t do that against good teams. The margins in this league, especially against a good football team, are razor thin," coach Matt LaFleur said. "I don’t think we were at our best, but that’s a credit to them in our slow start — and that’s me as much as anybody.” The Packers gained 126 yards in the fourth quarter and still finished with a season-low 271 yards. The defense allowed 441 yards, which was also a season worst. The most glaring set of numbers after this frustrating afternoon, though, was this: 0-5. That's Green Bay's record against the top three teams in the NFC: Minnesota, Detroit and Philadelphia. There's no shame in losing to those opponents that carry a combined 40-7 record into Monday, particularly when four of those defeats — save for the 10-point loss to the Lions on Nov. 3 — came by a total of 12 points. “It’s not about who we can and can’t beat. We can beat everybody. If we figure out how to finish, we’ll win games,” cornerback Keisean Nixon said. But the Packers will more than likely be on the road the entire time they're alive in the playoffs, so any path to the Super Bowl would undoubtedly trigger rematches with one, two or even all three teams from that daunting trio. The Packers clearly aren't overmatched by the Vikings, Lions or Eagles, but in games against those premier foes that significantly shrink the margins for error the Packers have shown a troubling pattern of not meeting the moment with too many ill-timed mistakes and not enough big-time plays. “It's hard when you put yourself in a hole and are down early and just kind of shooting yourself in the foot,” quarterback Jordan Love said. “There’s so much stuff to clean up and get better at, but I think we’re still a really good team. We can put up points. But when you put yourself in a hole, it’s just hard to climb out of that hole. And when it’s a good team like the Vikings, you know, it just makes it even tougher.” The red flag came right away. Josh Jacobs, the NFL 's fourth-leading rusher, had just given the Packers a second first down on the opening drive of the game when defensive tackle Jerry Tillery pushed the ball out and safety Cam Bynum recovered at the Minnesota 38. Jacobs had gone 11 straight games without fumbling until losing one at Seattle on Dec. 15. Now he has coughed up the ball twice in three games. “I feel like it drained the energy out of the team just starting early,” Jacobs said. “I take it personal on getting the team to start fast and things like that. Yeah, that’s on me.” Though the Vikings punted on the subsequent possession, they moved the ball enough to flip the field position. Perhaps wary of the fumble getting in Jacobs' head, LaFleur then called three straight passes from their own 15-yard line, and Love was off the mark on all three to force a punt. After a breakout performance here a year ago in a 33-10 victory over the Vikings that helped the Packers squeak into the playoffs after a rough start and ride the momentum through a first-round win at Dallas, Love looked awfully amid the cocktail of blitzes ordered by Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores that fueled a fierce pass rush. He finished 19 for 30 for 185 yards and one touchdown. “They do a good job of keeping a lid on the coverage. That’s how they play," LaFleur said. "We knew that going in, so there was going to be minimal opportunities to push the ball down the field. You've got to be super efficient. You've got to stay on schedule because once they get you into third down, that’s where they’re really good.” ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL Dave Campbell, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Football (NFL) Browns' Myles Garrett makes history with 2 sacks, but another loss leaves him frustrated Dec 29, 2024 6:53 PM Darnold gives Vikings another gem with career-high 377 yards in 27-25 win over Packers Dec 29, 2024 6:26 PM NFC's No. 1 seed comes down to Vikings-Lions showdown at Detroit in Week 18 Dec 29, 2024 6:16 PM
Mumbai: At least 66 companies from the BSE 500 index could potentially return ₹99,100 crore to shareholders based on their FY24 cash and cash equivalent levels, according to a study by corporate governance firm Institutional Investor Advisory Services (IiAS). HCL Technologies , Bharat Electronics , LTI Mindtree, Siemens , and Sun TV Network are the top five companies with the largest estimated excess cash reserves, said the report. The IiAS assessment, drawn from FY24 financial statements, also accounts for acquisitions and announced capital expenditures after the balance sheet date. Excess cash is the cash and cash equivalent a company holds beyond its immediate operational and other needs. This cash can be seen as surplus liquidity. Companies with excess cash exceeding ₹500 per share include Honeywell Automation , Bosch , and ZF Commercial Vehicle Control Systems. Firms with surplus cash exceeding 75% of their on-balance-sheet cash include Oracle Financial , ZF Commercial, Sun TV Network, Pfizer , Finolex Cables , Graphite India, and Abbott India. Agencies "Given the changed external environment, boards believe in the need to build a war chest for growth and resilience, while the question remains 'how much is enough?," IiAS said. "While these 66 companies have been returning cash to investors, the pace of cash build-up appears to be higher than the pace at which these companies are utilising or distributing cash." 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(You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel )My Legacy Advisors LLC reduced its stake in shares of NVIDIA Co. ( NASDAQ:NVDA – Free Report ) by 8.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 33,389 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock after selling 3,153 shares during the quarter. NVIDIA accounts for approximately 1.6% of My Legacy Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 12th largest holding. My Legacy Advisors LLC’s holdings in NVIDIA were worth $4,055,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Lowe Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of NVIDIA during the second quarter worth about $25,000. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of NVIDIA by 1,900.0% in the second quarter. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. now owns 200 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. CGC Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of NVIDIA in the second quarter worth about $26,000. Koesten Hirschmann & Crabtree INC. acquired a new position in shares of NVIDIA in the first quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Quest Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of NVIDIA in the second quarter worth about $27,000. 65.27% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In NVDA has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. DA Davidson boosted their price target on NVIDIA from $90.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $200.00 price target on shares of NVIDIA in a research note on Monday, November 18th. Bank of America reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $190.00 price target on shares of NVIDIA in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Loop Capital reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $175.00 price target on shares of NVIDIA in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Redburn Atlantic started coverage on NVIDIA in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. They set a “buy” rating and a $178.00 price objective on the stock. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-nine have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, NVIDIA presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $164.15. NVIDIA Stock Performance Shares of NVDA stock opened at $138.25 on Friday. NVIDIA Co. has a 12-month low of $45.01 and a 12-month high of $152.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.39 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 1.66. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $136.05 and a 200 day simple moving average of $123.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 4.10 and a quick ratio of 3.64. NVIDIA ( NASDAQ:NVDA – Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 20th. The computer hardware maker reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.69 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $35.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $33.15 billion. NVIDIA had a return on equity of 114.83% and a net margin of 55.69%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 93.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.38 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that NVIDIA Co. will post 2.76 EPS for the current year. NVIDIA Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 27th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 5th will be paid a dividend of $0.01 per share. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.03%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 5th. NVIDIA’s payout ratio is currently 1.57%. NVIDIA announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, August 28th that authorizes the company to buyback $50.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the computer hardware maker to repurchase up to 1.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued. Insider Buying and Selling at NVIDIA In other NVIDIA news, CEO Jen Hsun Huang sold 120,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.76, for a total transaction of $13,291,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 76,375,705 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,459,373,085.80. This trade represents a 0.16 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink . Also, Director John Dabiri sold 716 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $142.00, for a total value of $101,672.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 19,942 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,831,764. The trade was a 3.47 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last ninety days, insiders sold 2,036,986 shares of company stock valued at $240,602,399. 4.23% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. NVIDIA Profile ( Free Report ) NVIDIA Corporation provides graphics and compute and networking solutions in the United States, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, and internationally. The Graphics segment offers GeForce GPUs for gaming and PCs, the GeForce NOW game streaming service and related infrastructure, and solutions for gaming platforms; Quadro/NVIDIA RTX GPUs for enterprise workstation graphics; virtual GPU or vGPU software for cloud-based visual and virtual computing; automotive platforms for infotainment systems; and Omniverse software for building and operating metaverse and 3D internet applications. Recommended Stories Five stocks we like better than NVIDIA How to Use High Beta Stocks to Maximize Your Investing Profits The Latest 13F Filings Are In: See Where Big Money Is Flowing What is an Earnings Surprise? 3 Penny Stocks Ready to Break Out in 2025 What Percentage Gainers Tell Investors and Why They Don’t Tell the Whole Story FMC, Mosaic, Nutrien: Top Agricultural Stocks With Big Potential Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NVDA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for NVIDIA Co. ( NASDAQ:NVDA – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for NVIDIA Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NVIDIA and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
Daiwa Securities Group Inc. reduced its stake in shares of Novanta Inc. ( NASDAQ:NOVT – Free Report ) by 11.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 7,779 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 1,000 shares during the period. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.’s holdings in Novanta were worth $1,392,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Diversified Trust Co boosted its holdings in shares of Novanta by 3.4% in the 2nd quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 4,640 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $757,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the last quarter. Yarbrough Capital LLC boosted its holdings in Novanta by 38.0% in the second quarter. Yarbrough Capital LLC now owns 7,735 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $1,262,000 after acquiring an additional 2,130 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates grew its position in Novanta by 3.5% during the second quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 50,640 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $8,260,000 after acquiring an additional 1,720 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in Novanta by 12.6% during the second quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,180 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $192,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nicholas Company Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Novanta by 41.7% in the 2nd quarter. Nicholas Company Inc. now owns 19,915 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $3,248,000 after purchasing an additional 5,865 shares during the period. 98.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Insider Buying and Selling at Novanta In related news, CEO Matthijs Glastra sold 7,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $179.70, for a total value of $1,347,750.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 56,382 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,131,845.40. The trade was a 11.74 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link . Also, CFO Robert Buckley sold 1,111 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.45, for a total value of $200,479.95. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 120,419 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,729,608.55. This trade represents a 0.91 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold 16,650 shares of company stock valued at $2,956,686 over the last 90 days. 1.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Novanta Stock Performance Novanta ( NASDAQ:NOVT – Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 5th. The technology company reported $0.85 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.85. Novanta had a return on equity of 15.20% and a net margin of 6.52%. The company had revenue of $244.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $242.33 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.85 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Novanta Inc. will post 3.03 EPS for the current year. Analyst Ratings Changes Separately, Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on Novanta from $175.00 to $169.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on NOVT Novanta Profile ( Free Report ) Novanta Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides precision medicine and manufacturing, medical solutions, and robotics and automation solutions in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Precision Medicine and Manufacturing, Medical Solutions, and Robotics and Automation. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Novanta Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Novanta and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Cornerback Taron Johnson is still agitated over the dud the Buffalo Bills defense produced in giving up season worsts in points and yards, while melting down on third down in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams last weekend. There’s no better time or opportunity to show how much better they are than this Sunday. That’s when the Bills (10-3) travel to play the NFC-leading Detroit Lions (12-1), who just happen to lead the NFL in scoring and feature the same dynamic style of offense as the Rams. “I think our mindset is just going to be attack,” Johnson said after practice Wednesday. “We can’t wait to play Sunday just to prove people wrong and prove to ourselves that how we played wasn’t who we are.” The Bills acknowledge having several excuses to lean on for why they unraveled in a 44-42 loss — riding a little too high after a division-clinching win, a cross-country trip and facing a more driven opponent in the thick of a playoff race. What’s unacceptable is the hesitancy their usually reliable defensive backs showed in coverage and the lack of pressure applied by their defensive front. The bright side is the substandard performance potentially serving as a late-season reminder of this not being the time to let their foot off the gas. “A lot of teams have scars on their way to having a darn good season. And we’re having a darn good season,” coach Sean McDermott said. “So what has to be in front of us this week is the opportunity that’s in front of us, quite frankly, to challenge that team,” he added, referring to Detroit. “You better bring your heart, you better bring your guts, you better put it on the line.” With a little bit of added fire, the Bills are going back to the basics on defense following an outing in which very little went right. The defense was off-balance from the start in being unable to stop the run, before eventually being picked apart in the passing game while allowing the Rams to score on each of their first six drives (not including a kneel-down to close the first half) in building a 38-21 lead. The most frustrating part was Buffalo’s inability to get off the field while allowing the Rams to convert 11 of 15 third-down chances. LA’s 73.3% third-down conversion rate was the third highest against Buffalo — and worst since Miami converted 75% of its chances in 1986 — since the stat was introduced to NFL gamebooks in 1973. “The recipe to lose a football game is what we did (Sunday) and it starts with me, first and foremost,” defensive coordinator Bobby Babich said Monday. “Move on and let it not happen again. Let it be a learning lesson. Failure is the best teacher.” The challenge is preparing for an exceptionally balanced Lions offense that ranks fourth in the NFL in both rushing and passing, and averaging 32.1 points per outing. The objective, McDermott said, is to not overcorrect but stick to the fundamentals that led to Buffalo winning seven straight before losing to Los Angeles. He placed an emphasis on winning at the line of scrimmage and forcing takeaways, something Buffalo failed to do last weekend for the first time this season. A little more urgency, would help, too. “It is a mentality. It is an attitude, and if you want to play good defense, that’s where it starts,” McDermott said. “There’s not a lot of shortcuts or ways around it. It’s got to be a mentality.” The message resonated even on offense, where quarterback Josh Allen nearly rallied the Bills to victory while becoming the NFL’s first player to throw three touchdown passes and rush for three more scores. “It was a case of you saw a team that’s fighting for their lives to try to make the playoffs in the Los Angeles Rams, and they came out ready to play. And maybe we didn’t have that type of urgency,” Allen said. “It forces us to know that we’ve got to be better. We know that.” NOTES: LB Baylon Spector (calf) and DE Dawuane Smoot (wrist) returned to practice Wednesday, opening their 21-day windows to be activated off IR. ... Starting CB Rasul Douglas did not practice and could miss time after hurting his knee on Sunday. ... Buffalo has until this weekend to determine whether to activate OL Tylan Grable (groin) off IR. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl2024’s top students: VCE duces revealed
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ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Cornerback Taron Johnson is still agitated over the dud the Buffalo Bills defense produced in giving up season worsts in points and yards, while melting down on third down in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams last weekend. There’s no better time or opportunity to show how much better they are than this Sunday. That’s when the Bills (10-3) travel to play the NFC-leading Detroit Lions (12-1), who just happen to lead the NFL in scoring and feature the same dynamic style of offense as the Rams. “I think our mindset is just going to be attack,” Johnson said after practice Wednesday. “We can’t wait to play Sunday just to prove people wrong and prove to ourselves that how we played wasn’t who we are.” The Bills acknowledge having several excuses to lean on for why they unraveled in a 44-42 loss — riding a little too high after a division-clinching win, a cross-country trip and facing a more driven opponent in the thick of a playoff race. What’s unacceptable is the hesitancy their usually reliable defensive backs showed in coverage and the lack of pressure applied by their defensive front. The bright side is the substandard performance potentially serving as a late-season reminder of this not being the time to let their foot off the gas. “A lot of teams have scars on their way to having a darn good season. And we’re having a darn good season,” coach Sean McDermott said. “So what has to be in front of us this week is the opportunity that’s in front of us, quite frankly, to challenge that team,” he added, referring to Detroit. “You better bring your heart, you better bring your guts, you better put it on the line.” With a little bit of added fire, the Bills are going back to the basics on defense following an outing in which very little went right. The defense was off-balance from the start in being unable to stop the run, before eventually being picked apart in the passing game while allowing the Rams to score on each of their first six drives (not including a kneel-down to close the first half) in building a 38-21 lead. The most frustrating part was Buffalo’s inability to get off the field while allowing the Rams to convert 11 of 15 third-down chances. LA’s 73.3% third-down conversion rate was the third highest against Buffalo — and worst since Miami converted 75% of its chances in 1986 — since the stat was introduced to NFL gamebooks in 1973. “The recipe to lose a football game is what we did (Sunday) and it starts with me, first and foremost,” defensive coordinator Bobby Babich said Monday. “Move on and let it not happen again. Let it be a learning lesson. Failure is the best teacher.” The challenge is preparing for an exceptionally balanced Lions offense that ranks fourth in the NFL in both rushing and passing, and averaging 32.1 points per outing. The objective, McDermott said, is to not overcorrect but stick to the fundamentals that led to Buffalo winning seven straight before losing to Los Angeles. He placed an emphasis on winning at the line of scrimmage and forcing takeaways, something Buffalo failed to do last weekend for the first time this season. A little more urgency, would help, too. “It is a mentality. It is an attitude, and if you want to play good defense, that’s where it starts,” McDermott said. “There’s not a lot of shortcuts or ways around it. It’s got to be a mentality.” The message resonated even on offense, where quarterback Josh Allen nearly rallied the Bills to victory while becoming the NFL’s first player to throw three touchdown passes and rush for three more scores. “It was a case of you saw a team that’s fighting for their lives to try to make the playoffs in the Los Angeles Rams, and they came out ready to play. And maybe we didn’t have that type of urgency,” Allen said. “It forces us to know that we’ve got to be better. We know that.” NOTES: LB Baylon Spector (calf) and DE Dawuane Smoot (wrist) returned to practice Wednesday, opening their 21-day windows to be activated off IR. ... Starting CB Rasul Douglas did not practice and could miss time after hurting his knee on Sunday. ... Buffalo has until this weekend to determine whether to activate OL Tylan Grable (groin) off IR. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflNo. 7 Tennessee gives up 1st 14 points before rallying to rout Vanderbilt 36-23The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted on Wednesday to demand an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the immediate release of all hostages. The ceasefire demand in the resolution – adopted with 158 votes in favour in the 193-member assembly – was expressed in more urgent language than one urging an immediate humanitarian truce in Gaza that the body “called for” in October 2023 then “demanded” in December 2023. General Assembly resolutions are not binding but carry political weight, reflecting a global view on the war. The United States, Israel and seven other countries voted against the ceasefire resolution, while 13 countries abstained. The world body also threw its support behind the UN Palestinian relief agency UNRWA, adopting a second resolution with 159 votes in favour to deplore a new Israeli law that will ban UNRWA’s operations in Israel from late January. It demanded that Israel respect UNRWA’s mandate and “enable its operations to proceed without impediment or restriction”. The US, Israel and seven other countries voted no, while 11 countries abstained. 04:01 Protests break out across Asia marking one year of Israel-Gaza conflict “The messages we send to the world through these resolutions matter. And both of these resolutions have significant problems,” Deputy US Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood told the assembly.Ireland blamed Northern Ireland Office for ‘damaging leaks’, records show
Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, has appealed to Christians in the country to embrace peace unity, especially during festive period. In a statement by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, on Tuesday, Atiku urged Nigerians to emulate life of Jesus Christ. He said: “Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President of Nigeria and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, extends heartfelt Christmas felicitations to the Christian community in Nigeria as they celebrate the 2024 commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ. “In his message, Atiku implored Nigerians to embrace a life of love and unity, drawing inspiration from the joyous spirit of the Christmas season. “He urged citizens to be guided by compassion and selflessness, encouraging them to cherish the significance of Christmas as a time for reflection and togetherness. Speaking further, Atiku berated President Bola Tinubu’s administration over economic challenges facing the country. He said: “The Waziri Adamawa, however, did not shy away from pointing out the failure of current political leaders to make the necessary sacrifices for the nation’s collective good. “He condemned the lack of leadership, which has resulted in widespread suffering and preventable deaths across the country. “Yet, despite these grave challenges, Atiku appealed to Nigerians to remain united, to embrace one another with love, and to confront the root cause of their struggles, poor leadership. “With love and unity, there is no obstacle too great to overcome. Let us, therefore, come together to share love and joy with all people of goodwill.”( MENAFN - TimesNewswire ) Recently, the leading brand in humanoid robots, EngineAI Robotics, has once again made significant strides following the successful launch of the SE01. They have meticulously developed the lightweight, highly dynamic, and fully open universal embodied intelligent robot, the PM01, which will officially begin its global sales journey on December 24. EngineAI has prepared two options for customers: a commercial version and an educational version. EngineAI has also announced important news: from now until March 31, 2025, both the commercial and educational versions will be available at a unified price of 88,000 yuan (during this specific period, customers purchasing the commercial version will automatically receive upgrade rights to the educational version). With its comprehensive performance and outstanding cost-effectiveness, the PM01 is expected to spark a new wave of market excitement and intense competition within the embodied intelligence industry. Outstanding Product Performance: Crafting a Technological Masterpiece The PM01 stands at a height of 1.38 meters, weighs approximately 40 kg, features 24 degrees of freedom, and has a movement speed of 2 m/s. Its waist can rotate 320 degrees, allowing it to perform a wide range of complex movements, with both mechanical gait and humanoid natural gait walking modes. Based on an end-to-end neural network solution, the PM01 utilizes advanced optical motion capture technology to accurately collect vast amounts of human motion data. Through reinforcement learning and imitation learning, its humanoid capabilities rival those of the flagship model SE01, while also demonstrating excellent adaptability to various complex environments. Compared to the previous generation research and education platform, the SA01, the PM01 offers better open-source capabilities, higher compatibility, stronger dynamic performance, more robust power, and more stable hardware. With the support of an X86 architecture-based computing suite and NVIDIA Jetson Orin high-performance modules, the PM01 meets the research needs of more developers, enabling cross-platform algorithm deployment and verification for diverse practical applications. Notably, the PM01 innovatively adopts a smart control interface inspired by Iron Man, serving as its interactive core screen, integrating various intelligent interactive functions. Users can quickly connect with the robot by simply touching the screen, issuing commands instantly and displaying information clearly. This ingenious design allows users to easily control the robot's powerful functions, experiencing the unique charm and limitless possibilities brought by cutting-edge technology. Strong Corporate Strength: Solidifying Industry Leadership EngineAI's achievements stem from its top-notch technical team and relentless pursuit of quality. From late July to late December 2024, three models were launched consecutively and received positive feedback, showcasing its R&D capabilities. By pioneering an end-to-end neural network solution and tackling the challenge of“natural gait,” EngineAI has distinguished itself in the competitive landscape. As one of the few companies capable of developing high-performance power joints in-house, EngineAI leverages advanced algorithms and self-developed modules to create quality products and provide exceptional experiences. Its elite team of 48 collaborates closely and operates efficiently, completing nearly a hundred units' delivery tasks in just five months, creating impressive“EngineAI speed” and“EngineAI efficiency.” At the same time, EngineAI adheres to the philosophy of“true open-source,”“gathering ecosystems,” and“promoting evolution,” contributing to technological innovation across the industry and gaining widespread respect and recognition. The global launch of the PM01 further enhances EngineAI's product matrix, taking a solid step toward achieving full-size, all-scenario coverage in humanoid robots and laying a strong foundation for large-scale development in 2025. In the future, EngineAI will continue to drive innovation, refine its product matrix, and focus on the development and refinement of embodied intelligence, delving into artificial intelligence scenario solutions, from the design and development of the hardware to exploring the embodied and cognitive aspects, linking, building, and serving ecosystems, training specialized models, enhancing the probability of intelligent emergence, and advancing the arrival of the AGI era. MENAFN24122024006250013577ID1109028656 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. 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By Godwin Aideloje Arik Air shareholders are compelled by the need to clarify and correct false and misleading statements attributed to AMCON through its head of corporate communications, Mr. Jude Nwauzor. which was published in Daily Sun of 20 December, 2024, and some social media handles. We dare say that this is yet another salvo in the series of calculated attempts to cover up the truth about AMCON’s forceful takeover, mismanagement and destruction of Arik Air. However, since most of the issues recklessly misrepresented by Mr. Nwauzor are before the court, we, out of our respect for the law courts, shall only limit ourselves to restating the facts. It is unfortunate that AMCON, a public institution, under the pretext of replying an opinion expressed in a newspaper by an independent commentator, resorted to launching a malicious tirade against the shareholders of Arik Air and perhaps other government agencies, especially the EFCC. Instead of addressing the issues raised by the commentator. First, we must start by thanking AMCON for finally admitting that the takeover of Arik Air was as a result of a “directive” from the Buhari-led Federal Government. This “directive,” however, side-stepped the statutory procedure and due process that guide the takeover of companies in Nigeria. Thus, the forceful takeover of Arik was a political ambush followed by an after-thought of an economic justification of insolvency, which was badly portrayed as an “economic rescue act”. 1. On the issue of petition to EFFC: We were forced to file a petition to the EFCC through the chambers of Femi Falana & Co only after AMCON refused to obey any of the consequential orders of the Federal High Court’s judgment in suit number FHC/L/CS/1175/2021 of March 31 , 2023, and instead, resorted to disobeying and disparaging the court. It should also be stated that Arik shareholders were investigated by the EFCC at the instance of AMCON from 2021 until relieved from invitations on the unsubstantiated allegations by AMCON. This was during the tenure of Mr. Rasheed Bawa during Buhari’s administration. Mr. Bawa also authorized the investigation of the Arik shareholders’ petition, even in the face of reported intense pressure by former MD of AMCON, Mr. Ahmed Kuru, to scuttle investigations of the affairs of AMCON in Arik Air receivership. The investigation progressed even after the change of guards at the EFCC and its findings are finally seeing the light of day only because Mr. Bawa, former chairman, and the new EFCC chairman, Mr. Olu Olukayode, insisted that nobody was above the law. For the record, the same EFCC at the instance of AMCON arrested and detained Sir J.I.A. Arumemi-Ikhide on the 8 February, 2017, the eve of the takeover of Arik. Sir Arumemi-Ikhide was investigated by EFFC and released without indictment. Yet, he neither cast an aspersion against the EFCC nor castigate AMCON for the trauma he suffered from the AMCON-induced unjustified detention. It is unfortunate that AMCON is falsely alleging that Arik shareholders’ petition and the resultant prosecution by the EFCC was collusion to frame its former managing director, Mr. Ahmed Kuru; Mr. Kamilu Alaba Omokide (former Receiver Manager, Arik); Captain Roy Ilegbodu (CEO, Arik in Receivership); Super Bravo Limited, and Union Bank Plc. On our part, we respect the mandates of government agencies and wait for the courts to adjudicate without resorting to sub-judicial commentaries. Peradventure, the AMCON protagonists should be reminded that Mr. Femi Falana’s petition on our behalf is not the only one calling Mr. Ahmed Kuru’s regime at AMCON to account. Could other petitions through other lawyers to the EFCC on Keystone Bank in which Mr. Kuru and others have been charged to court also be a collusion and an attempt to embarrass AMCON and its officers? One would have thought that Mr. Gbenga Alade, the new MD of AMCON, would use the findings offered by the EFCC investigations of Mr. Kuru and others to make corrections, improvement, and allow the law to be the arbiter in disputes. It is most unfortunate that AMCON, a Federal Government agency entrusted with unprecedented special powers by our laws and offered a new lease of life with a new leadership, is playing the role of judge, jury, executioner and victim through all its dramas in the media. The descent to name-calling when the law or court judgments fail to suit AMCON’s false narratives is sad. We wish to remind AMCON that to execute the Arik receivership, AMCON used the same EFCC, police and the courts. The Alade-led AMCON should be courageous enough to own up to the fact that his predecessor misadvised the Federal Government, instead of recycling the false narrative that continue to project the country as a space not governed by values, law, order and due process. After all, no human is beyond error! In addition, he should be reminded that the case in court is between the Federal Republic of Nigeria (his employers) and former employees of AMCON and others, Mr. Alade’s utterances as reported in the media indicate he is not in agreement with the actions of his present employers, with respect to the former MD and others being charged to court. On FG’s intervention or AMCON‘s Forced Takeover: We hereby wish to restate the position in our response to the statement made in 2023 by Mr. Kuru that the Acting President at the time (Prof. Yemi Osinbajo) directed AMCON to take over Arik. We consider this claim as untenable that a learned man of law would direct AMCON to take over a private business when there are extant laws in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria governing receiverships and processes of putting companies into administration! Unless he was wrongly advised or misinformed by Mr. Kuru. It may be unknown to the public and therefore bears repeating that several companies just like Arik have been victims of Mr. Kuru’s novel “creation” of receiverships for companies allegedly of interest to him and his collaborators. President Bola Tinubu’s Angle: AMCON’s desperate attempt at invoking the name of former President Mohammadu Buhari into this matter is tantamount to disparaging the office of the President and dragging this exalted office into disrepute. We are confident that President Tinubu will not condone any act of impunity for the arbitrary take-over of a private business by a stroke of pen. Clearly this implies that AMCON’s justification of business take-over by executive fiat runs at cross purposes with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s private sector leadership agenda. This is aptly captured in his own words as follows: “There is no driver of the economy that is bigger than the private sector. If the private sector is not flourishing, there is no growth, no prosperity, no employment or development. No matter how flowery the speeches are, not even a mushroom will grow”. 4. AMCON’s Claims of Indebtedness by Arik: We wish to state that we will not discuss the alleged indebtedness of Arik Air on the pages of the newspapers, as this is one of the main issues before the courts. Unlike AMCON who disobeyed the courts and discuss all matters pending before the courts in the media and press conference. Suffice it to state the new MD of AMCON recently called on the courts to rescue it on its own terms whereas AMCON brazenly refused to obey ALL consequential orders of the judgement of the Federal High Court (without stay of execution) on the Arik Air receivership. 5. State of Arik Fleet by Unaccountable Receivership: Mr. Alade was invited and visited the Arik Air Hangars at the request of the shareholders on 28 August 2024 so he could see for himself first-hand the wanton destruction of 14 new generation aircraft and other Arik assets by AMCON and its agents. We are therefore shocked to read in the publication under reference, offer of superlative praises for the same agents and officers who superintended over the wanton decimation/cannibalisation of the airline’s fleet. 6. Other Issues: The matters of alleged loans, lease defaults, maintenance reserves , fake letters and KPMG audits have been uploaded to the media by AMCON in its traditional methods to set false narratives and promote conclusions not founded on truth and equity including inciting public disaffection for the promoters of Arik and tacitly overreaching the Courts. However, since these are key issues to be adjudicated by the courts, we have been advised by our lawyers to refrain from responding on the pages of newspapers. 7. Obstruction of Aircraft Sales etc: We are not aware of any plans to sell any aircraft by AMCON. But we state categorically that as shareholders of Arik, we exercised our constitutionally guaranteed rights for protection of our investments by seeking the court’s protection for the 3 units Boeing 737-NG aircraft that were fraudulent transferred to Super Bravo and for the reversal of Arik funds illegally used for the registration/processing of AOC for NG Eagle by AMCON. The courts ruled in our favour, and ordered the reversal the transfer and indicted the Receiver Manager for breach of fiduciary duties to Arik. The court also ordered AMCON to file audited accounts of its receivership from 2017 to date (December 2022) to the Corporate Affairs Commission which AMCON and its Receiver Managers have failed to do. 8. AMCON`s leadership for Arik: The claims of stabilisation of Arik Air by AMCON is an insult to the travelling public. The downturn and dwindled fortunes of the airline is visibly displayed for the world to see, both in the airline operations under receivership and at the Arik Hangar where 14 cannibalised and destroyed aircraft are on display. AMCON’s solely appointed Receiver Manager and CEO’s mismanagement is a testament to this fact. Capt Roy Ilegbodu, Kamilu Alaba Omokide and members of the Technical Advisory Board have used Arik to support their champagne lifestyles in retirement and enhanced their businesses/jobs while the airline is run aground. Arik under shareholders management operated an average of 120 flights daily with a route network traversing the whole of Nigeria, all west and central Africa’s major airports including Angola and Johannesburg. As well as London and New York with about 22 aircraft. But today, under AMCON, it only operates about 25 flights daily with 3 aircraft out of the 19 that AMCON inherited from the shareholders at take-over. Indeed, what a display of expertise by AMCON’s standard! That the AMCON’s “revered” aviation experts could not convert the much-sought-after Arik London Heathrow and JFK landing slots worth over USD70M to a quick cash when the receivership management discontinued flights to those destinations, speaks to his incompetencies. He lost those hard earned valuable slots to inexperience and selfishness!. If AMCON’s measure of expertise should be a bench mark in Nigeria, then the future in aviation is bleak for the country. It is surprising that rather than relieve the officers charged to Court by Federal Government from their duties pending the determination of the cases in Court, AMCON MD is protecting and keeping them in their duty post in disregard of government code of conduct. We recall that when allegations of impropriety was made against serving Minister in this administration, the President took appropriate actions. Mr Oluseye Opasanya SAN, Kamilu Alaba Omokide FCA and Captain Roy Ilegbodu inherited a well maintained fleet of 19 new generation aircraft with large inventory of over USD 200M worth of spare parts and spare engines. It should be noted that most of the aircraft have been fully paid for by the shareholders, but AMCON refused to meet the ongoing obligations for a few aircraft whose obligations will crystallise in 2025, when they took over in 2017. Yet they cannot manage the airline. Clearly the receivership manager NEVER had any positive plan for the airline. Its claim of intervention, rescue and promise to turn around the airline is a hoax and a woeful failure. It appears that AMCON is more fixated on covering the malfeasance it created in Arik by angrily attacking Arik shareholders. They should however remember other cases making headlines such as Keystone Bank that AMCON’s former executives must answer to. As stated earlier, we have answers to all the issues raised by AMCON in the refrenced publications. We have made them known in previous publications. However, since some of the matters are now before the court, we shall refrain from public commentaries as advised by our lawyers. We, the shareholders of Arik, are willing and ready for an open dialogue and discussions with AMCON in the presence of the relevant authorities such as Police, EFCC, the CBN, the Ministries of Finance, Justice, and Aviation & Aerospace. We come to equity with clean hands and ask that AMCON do the same. • Godwin Aideloje wrote from Lagos on behalf of Arik StakeholdersDUP ministers Peter Robinson and Nigel Dodds were sanctioned in 2000 by Stormont’s leaders over their plan to disrupt the powersharing Executive. Minutes of an Executive meeting from June of that year state further action would be considered “as appropriate” if the DUP went ahead with a threat to rotate its ministers. The minutes are within files which have been declassified at the Public Record Office in Belfast. Devolved powersharing had been restored to Northern Ireland in May 2000 when Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble had received the backing of his party to go back into the Assembly, despite there having been no decommissioning of IRA arms at that point. Then DUP deputy leader Mr Robinson and Mr Dodds took up the offices as ministers for regional development and social development, but refused to attend Executive meetings due to the presence of Sinn Fein ministers. The party also said it would rotate its ministerial posts to prevent other parties from taking them. A minute of an Executive meeting on June 8 said Mr Robinson and Mr Dodds had refused a request from First Minister Mr Trimble and deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon to meet with them “to discuss recent public comments by the DUP concerning their positions as ministers”. The minute records that the Executive endorsed a proposal from the First and deputy First Ministers to write again to the two DUP ministers setting out sanctions against them. It says: “The First Minister and and Deputy First Minister would assume responsibility for representing the Executive Committee on transport matters at the British-Irish Council in place of the Minister for Regional Development. “The Minister for Social Development and the Minister for Regional Development would not be nominated to attend meetings of the Joint Ministerial Committee. “Pending the receipt of satisfactory assurances from DUP Ministers regarding the confidentiality and integrity of Executive Committee business, the Minister for Social Development and Minister for Regional Development would not receive Executive Committee papers as of right. “The First Minister and Deputy First Minister would seek briefing, as appropriate, from officials in the Department for Regional Development and Department for Social Development.” The minute continues: “If the DUP carried out their threat to change the holders of the two Ministerial offices on a frequent basis, the Executive Committee would consider other action as appropriate.” Mr Robinson and Mr Dodds resigned as ministers on June 27 and were replaced by party colleagues Gregory Campbell and Maurice Morrow. A minute from an Executive meeting that day says: “The Executive Committee noted that the Minister for Social Development and Minister for Regional Development would be resigning their posts that afternoon, and expressed concern at the proposed rotation of the ministries held by their Party Members.”
India's former prime minister Manmohan Singh, architect of economic reforms, dies at 92Minutes of an Executive meeting from June of that year state further action would be considered “as appropriate” if the DUP went ahead with a threat to rotate its ministers. The minutes are within files which have been declassified at the Public Record Office in Belfast. Devolved powersharing had been restored to Northern Ireland in May 2000 when Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble had received the backing of his party to go back into the Assembly, despite there having been no decommissioning of IRA arms at that point. Then DUP deputy leader Mr Robinson and Mr Dodds took up the offices as ministers for regional development and social development, but refused to attend Executive meetings due to the presence of Sinn Fein ministers. The party also said it would rotate its ministerial posts to prevent other parties from taking them. A minute of an Executive meeting on June 8 said Mr Robinson and Mr Dodds had refused a request from First Minister Mr Trimble and deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon to meet with them “to discuss recent public comments by the DUP concerning their positions as ministers”. The minute records that the Executive endorsed a proposal from the First and deputy First Ministers to write again to the two DUP ministers setting out sanctions against them. It says: “The First Minister and and Deputy First Minister would assume responsibility for representing the Executive Committee on transport matters at the British-Irish Council in place of the Minister for Regional Development. “The Minister for Social Development and the Minister for Regional Development would not be nominated to attend meetings of the Joint Ministerial Committee. “Pending the receipt of satisfactory assurances from DUP Ministers regarding the confidentiality and integrity of Executive Committee business, the Minister for Social Development and Minister for Regional Development would not receive Executive Committee papers as of right. “The First Minister and Deputy First Minister would seek briefing, as appropriate, from officials in the Department for Regional Development and Department for Social Development.” The minute continues: “If the DUP carried out their threat to change the holders of the two Ministerial offices on a frequent basis, the Executive Committee would consider other action as appropriate.” Mr Robinson and Mr Dodds resigned as ministers on June 27 and were replaced by party colleagues Gregory Campbell and Maurice Morrow. A minute from an Executive meeting that day says: “The Executive Committee noted that the Minister for Social Development and Minister for Regional Development would be resigning their posts that afternoon, and expressed concern at the proposed rotation of the ministries held by their Party Members.”
NASHVILLE, Tenn (AP) — Nico Iamaleava threw for 257 yards and four touchdowns rallying No. 7 Tennessee from a 14-point deficit within the first five minutes to rout in-state rival Vanderbilt 36-23 Saturday. “Man, it couldn't have started any worse,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel told his Vols postgame . “And you know what? Competitive composure ... You just kept coming. That's what elite people, champions do. You just keep coming.” Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
UN General Assembly overwhelmingly demands immediate Gaza ceasefireRichard Parsons, one of corporate America's most prominent Black executives who held top posts at Time Warner and Citigroup , died Thursday. He was 76. Parsons, who died at his Manhattan home, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2015 and cited “unanticipated complications” from the disease for cutting back on work a few years later. The financial services company Lazard, where Parsons was a longtime board member, confirmed his death. The NBA , where Parsons was interim CEO of the Los Angeles Clippers in 2014, was among organizations offering condolences. “Dick Parsons was a brilliant and transformational leader and a giant of the media industry who led with integrity and never shied away from a challenge,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. Parsons’ friend Ronald Lauder told The New York Times that the cause of death was cancer. Parsons stepped down Dec. 3 from the boards of Lazard and Lauder's company, Estée Lauder, citing health reasons. He had been on Estée Lauder’s board for 25 years. Parsons, a Brooklyn native who started college at 16, was named chairman of Citigroup in 2009, one month after leaving Time Warner Inc., where he helped restore the company’s stature following its much-maligned acquisition by internet provider America Online Inc. He steered Citigroup back to profit after financial turmoil from the subprime mortgage crisis, which upended the economy in 2007 and 2008. Parsons was named to the board of CBS in September 2018 but resigned a month later because of illness. Parsons said in a statement at the time that he was already dealing with multiple myeloma when he joined the board, but “unanticipated complications have created additional new challenges.” He said his doctors advised him to cut back on his commitments to ensure recovery. “Dick’s storied career embodied the finest traditions of American business leadership,” Lazard said in a statement. The company, where Parsons was a board member from 2012 until this month, praised his “unmistakable intelligence and his irresistible warmth.” “Dick was more than an iconic leader in Lazard’s history — he was a testament to how wisdom, warmth, and unwavering judgment could shape not just companies, but people’s lives,” the company said. “His legacy lives on in the countless leaders he counseled, the institutions he renewed, and the doors he opened for others.” Parsons was known as a skilled negotiator, a diplomat and a crisis manager. Although he was with Time Warner through its difficulties with AOL, he earned respect for the company and rebuilt its relations with Wall Street. He streamlined Time Warner’s structure, pared debt and sold Warner Music Group and a book publishing division. He also fended off a challenge from activist investor Carl Icahn in 2006 to break up the company and helped Time Warner reach settlements with investors and regulators over questionable accounting practices at AOL. Parsons joined Time Warner as president in 1995 after serving as chairman and chief executive of Dime Bancorp Inc., one of the largest U.S. thrift institutions. In 2001, after AOL used its fortunes as the leading provider of Internet access in the U.S. to buy Time Warner for $106 billion in stock, Parsons became co-chief operating officer with AOL executive Robert Pittman. In that role, he was in charge of the company’s content businesses, including movie studios and recorded music. He became CEO in 2002 with the retirement of Gerald Levin, one of the key architects of that merger. Parsons was named Time Warner chairman the following year, replacing AOL founder Steve Case, who had also championed the combination. The newly formed company’s Internet division quickly became a drag on Time Warner. The promised synergies between traditional and new media never materialized. AOL began seeing a reduction in subscribers in 2002 as Americans replaced dial-up connections with broadband from cable TV and phone companies. Parsons stepped down as CEO in 2007 and as chairman in 2008. A year later AOL split from Time Warner and began trading as a separate company, following years of struggles to reinvent itself as a business focused on advertising and content. Time Warner is now owned by AT&T Inc. A board member of Citigroup and its predecessor, Citibank, since 1996, Parsons was named chairman in 2009 at a time of turmoil for the financial institution. Citigroup had suffered five straight quarters of losses and received $45 billion in government aid. Its board had been criticized for allowing the bank to invest so heavily in the risky housing market. Citigroup returned to profit under Parsons, starting in 2010, and would not have a quarterly loss again until the fourth quarter of 2017. Parsons retired from that job in 2012. In 2014 he stepped in as interim CEO of the Clippers until Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer took over later that year. Parsons, a Republican, previously worked as a lawyer for Nelson Rockefeller, a former Republican governor of New York, and in Gerald Ford’s White House. Those early stints gave him grounding in politics and negotiations. He also was an economic adviser on President Barack Obama’s transition team. Parsons, who loved jazz and co-owned a Harlem jazz club, also served as Chairman of the Apollo Theater and the Jazz Foundation of America. And he held positions on the boards of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the American Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Parsons played basketball at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and received his law degree from Albany Law School in 1971. He is survived by his wife, Laura, and their family. ___ This obituary was primarily written by the late Associated Press reporter Anick Jesdanun, who died in 2020.The Future Of Entertainment: How Global Content Access Is Evolving
HireRoad Achieves ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Certification, Strengthening Commitment to Cyber Security
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim is reportedly cracking down on squad discipline and has announced that players will no longer be able to use international breaks as an excuse for extra holidays. Amorim took up his coaching duties at the beginning of the week and found his squad depleted due to many being away playing for their nations. Two players who were not involved for their national teams were Marcus Rashford and Casemiro. Both players took the opportunity to travel to the US; Rashford was spotted at an NBA game in Madison Square Garden, while Casemiro visited Disney World in Florida. READ MORE: Ruben Amorim might have already found his most important player for his Manchester United plan READ MORE: Manchester United considering including exciting youngsters in Europa League squad Whilst not pointing the finger at Rashford or Casemiro for seizing their break, Amorim clearly stated: "Would I set a different structure? Yes, for sure. But we cannot put this on the players. They told them they have five days off so they can fly anywhere. Because nobody in the club says you cannot fly. So we cannot, this time, put that on Rash [Rashford] or Case [Casemiro]." The recent escapades of Rashford and Casemiro were met with criticism from ex-United stalwart Gary Neville , who voiced concerns about the poor optics and questioned whether trips abroad are the best way for players to recuperate amidst difficult times at the club. He stated: "I'm not that wound up about [Marcus] Rashford and Casemiro going over to the United States, but what I'm asking is, if you've got a four-day break, Portland is a 12-hour flight and an eight-hour time difference, your jetlag is bad, and you feel a bit [rough]. "They went to Portland, and I'm asking the question based on professionalism – you're playing badly, the team are losing, your 13th in the league, and there is a new manager coming in – would you choose that trip as a break to recharge your batteries? That's not a recharging trip. It's not right that.", reports the Mirror . Amorim commented on the changes he plans to make: "Us as a club have to set the standards and have to manage that. It's my decision if they can have five days, or three days, or three days to rest and you cannot fly. This is something that us as a club have to decide. So this must be started in the club, with us and me being responsible in that area." Amorim, known for his attention to detail, has prohibited his coaches from giving out complex instructions. The former Sporting Lisbon boss believes that if he can't explain a particular idea in a single sentence, it shouldn't be communicated until it's simplified.Charleston Southern grabs late lead, stuns host Miami
ASX to drop after tech giants slide in the US
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Bendigo and central Victorian VCE students have started receiving their VCE results. or signup to continue reading Tens of thousands of nervous students across the state will have found their VCE results and Australian Tertiary Admission Rankings (ATARs) from 7am today for students if they registered online at . Deputy Premier and Minister for Education Ben Carroll today congratulated the 61,998 students who will graduate this year with their VCE, including 8,250 VCE Vocational Major graduates who gained practical experience in one or more industries through VET studies. More than 22,700 VCE graduates have received study scores of 40 or higher, more than 688 have received the maximum study score of 50, and 3,160 students have been awarded the VCE Baccalaureate. The overall VCE completion rate in Victoria was 97.4 per cent and Year 12 students across the state will now make the choice to go to university, TAFE, start an apprenticeship or traineeship, start working or take some time off. Additionally, more than 1,100 students received the Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC) - a pathway that prepares students for future studies or entry into the workforce. Students with questions about their results can call the Post Results and ATAR Service on 9637 3877 or 1800 653 080. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. 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Fresh daily!United’s skies unfriendly to Catholic flight attendant, fired employee saysA YouTube creator is accusing PayPal of fraudulent behavior tied to the internet browser extension Honey , which advertises finding and applying coupon codes for online shoppers . YouTube creator MegaLag posted a video titled, "Exposing the Honey Influencer Scam" on Dec. 21 accusing Honey, which is owned by PayPal, of deceiving consumers and influencers by hijacking links that pay influencers for products they promote, providing limited coupon options and publishing inaccurate advertisements. The 23-minute video , the first in a three-part series, according to MegaLag, had more than 9.4 million views, as of Thursday morning. The video concludes with what appears to be a tease for a follow-up. "I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up going down as one of the most aggressive, shameless marketing scams of the century," MegaLag said in the video . In response to the video, PayPal Chief Corporate Affairs and Communications Officer Amy Bonitatibus provided USA TODAY with the following response: “Honey is free to use and provides millions of shoppers with additional savings on their purchases whenever possible. Honey helps merchants reduce cart abandonment and comparison shopping while increasing sales conversion. Honey follows industry rules and practices, including last-click attribution." MegaLag denied to comment when contacted by USA TODAY. Here's what to know about the accusations made by MegaLag and where they line up with industry standards. What is Honey? Honey is a free browser extension that claims to find coupon codes during online shopping checkout. Honey was released in 2012 and PayPal purchased it in 2020 for approximately $4 billion, according to a PayPal news release . When PayPal acquired Honey, PayPal's news release said the shopping tool served about 17 million monthly active users and helped consumers save about $1 billion annually. After purchasing Honey, PayPal launched PayPal Rewards, which incentivizes using the Honey extension. PayPal users earn points when using the browser extension, even if they don't redeem any coupons, according to the Honey website. Those points can be used to redeem cash back, PayPal shopping credit or gift cards. In the video, MegaLag called this rewards program a "lame cashback scheme." The creator proceeded to provide an example of how much money he earned through an affiliate link versus PayPal Rewards cashback when making the same purchase. MegaLag provided an example completed through Honey Gold, Honey's former rewards program utilized before PayPal purchased it. When purchasing a NordVPN standard package (about $95) through his own affiliate link, MegaLag reported making about $35 from the sale. When purchasing the same package but activating PayPal Rewards, rather than using his affiliate link, MegaLag reported earning about 89 cents in cashback. Not the first creator to speak out In the video, MegaLag mentions that upon conducting research about Honey, there was virtually no other information on the topic. However, since the video has gained traction, a clip of YouTube creator Markipiler talking about Honey during a Twitch stream in 2020 has resurfaced. Mark Fischbach (the creator behind Markipiler) did not get into much detail, but he did voice his "distrust" for the shopping tool. "I think they've even offered me (a brand deal) and I said no because I just don't trust Honey," Fischbach said during the stream . "I have a feeling in like a couple years there's going to be the great Honey conspiracy of like 2022." The day after MegaLag's video published, Fischbach reposted his stream clip to X with the comment, "I KNEW IT!!!" Breaching affiliate links or last-click attribution? In the video, "Exposing the Honey Influencer Scam," MegaLag accuses Honey of breaching affiliate links. MegaLag sets up the following example: If a consumer clicks an affiliate link in the description of a YouTube video, the consumer will be taken to the corresponding website. Without using Honey, if the consumer makes a purchase from that link, the YouTube creator will earn a commission. Thinking in real-world scenarios, an affiliate link is similar to a salesperson helping a customer at a store. For example, if a department store salesperson helps a customer find and purchase a piece of jewelry, the salesperson earns commission. If a consumer has the Honey browser extension installed and accepts a Honey pop-up − whether it be a coupon the shopping tool offers or just a message indicating that Honey didn't find any coupons - Honey will earn a commission from the online purchase. The YouTube creator, whose affiliate link the consumer originally followed, will not receive a commission. This model is called last-click attribution, which gives credit to the last touchpoint a user interacts with before making a purchase. Though there are other types of attribution − such as first-click, which provides a commission to the first touchpoint interacted with − last-click is considered the industry standard. In the video , MegaLag claims Honey is "exploiting" last-click attribution. When it comes to content creator versus content creator, MegaLag says last-click attribution is usually fair, but when it is content creator versus Honey, "there's no real competition." "Honey pops up right at the end of your purchasing journey, virtually guaranteeing they'll win that last click," MegaLag says in the video . "They, of course, know this and do anything they can to get that last click. Even where there's no coupon codes to offer." Another industry standard when it comes to affiliate marketing is the stand-down policy . This policy, implemented by host sites, in this case a retailer, requests that browser extensions respect affiliate marketing. If a retailer utilizes a stand-down policy, extensions like Honey cannot claim credit, even if they are the last touchpoint, according to Wildfire , a fintech company that offers white-label cashback services. In response to the MegaLag video, YouTube creator Hank Green released a video, "The Honey Scam and the Ridiculous Mess of Affiliate Marketing" on Dec. 25. In his video, Green discussed how affiliate marketing functions in the "small business ecosystem." Green said the ecosystem of small business creators looking to make money and being attracted to affiliate marketing is "ripe for exploitation." "How responsible should creators be for understanding the business models of the companies that they do brand deals for?" Green posed in his video . "I am certain that many creators aren't really savvy enough or have the time to do that work. The brand deal ecosystem, it's where, for most creators, where most of the money comes from, so it can be really hard to say no and it can be really easy to try to not think too hard about how things work." Ultimately, like MegaLag, Green claimed Honey and PayPal are taking advantage of content creators. USA TODAY has reached out to experts for more context on best practices in the industry. Where does Honey source coupons from? MegaLag also accused Honey of offering limited coupon codes, not providing customers with all of the best options. In the video , MegaLag said he was often able to find redeemable coupon codes from other shopping tools like RetailMeNot when Honey indicated no coupons could be found. PayPal's Bonitatibus told USA TODAY that merchants ultimately decide what coupons are offered to consumers through Honey. When it comes to sourcing its coupons, Bonitatibus said they are manually gathered by Honey's team, sourced from deal networks, made available through merchant partnerships and sourced from users who share codes with Honey. Previous advertising concerns In the video , MegaLag also accused Honey of releasing dishonest advertisements claiming the shopping tool searches for all available coupon codes, implying that a customer who uses Honey does not need to search for their own coupons. In 2020, the National Advertising Division opened an inquiry into a Honey advertisement that claimed, "With just a single click, Honey will find every working code on the internet and apply the best one to your cart," according to a Better Business Bureau news release . However, Honey informed the National Advertising Division, after the inquiry was opened, that it had been in the process of discontinuing the ad for "business reasons," according to a Better Business Bureau news release . Honey also agreed to permanently discontinue the related advertisements. Thus, the National Advertising Division inquiry was closed. Who is MegaLag? MegaLag is a New Zealand YouTube creator who had 508,000 subscribers, as of Monday afternoon. Self-identified as a tech investigative journalist, the creator, who confirmed to USA TODAY his first name is Jonathon, is known for his videos that "expose" companies or experiment with different technology. Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com .
White supremacist incidents are rising across the USMillions of western monarch butterflies once visited Oregon and other Western states each spring to drink flower nectar, pollinate plants and lay their eggs after wintering in forests in coastal California. But today just a couple hundred thousand make the journey. To help curb their decline, a federal wildlife nonprofit has granted nearly $760,000 to improve the monarch’s habitat. The money is part of $5.2 million in grants nationwide from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a nonprofit created by Congress in 1984 to direct federal and private dollars to urgent conservation work. The western monarch population has declined more than 95% since the 1980s, according to research from the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, a Portland-based nonprofit and one of the recipients of the Oregon grant. There were more than 10 million in the 1980s. In the winter of 2023, about 233,000 were counted. In response, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed Tuesday to list the western monarch butterfly as threatened under the the federal Endangered Species List. If finalized, the listing would protect the butterfly from harm and launch a comprehensive recovery plan to restore their habitat. “The fact that a butterfly as widespread and beloved as the monarch is now the face of the extinction crisis is a tri-national distress signal warning us to take better care of the environment that we all share,” Tierra Curry, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity. said in a release. “What’s bad for monarchs is bad for humans, so we have to stop pretending that our health is somehow separate from that of the wildlife our activities are decimating.” That sentiment was echoed last month by Oregon’s U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, who helped secure the federal funding as chair of the Senate interior and environmental appropriations subcommittee. “If we allow the iconic western monarch butterfly to go extinct, we will not only lose this beautiful species, but a critical pollinator forever,” Merkley said in a statement. The Xerces Society will get $300,000 to continue offering free kits that contain native milkweed and pollinator friendly wildflowers and shrubs to Oregon farmers and community groups in the Willamette Valley and Klamath-Siskiyou regions of the state, as well as eastern Washington and California. The idea is to increase the habitat available to pollinator species such as the western monarch. The money is expected to pay for handing out kits to at least 200 people, host more than a dozen events and improve at least 500 acres of pollinator habitat, according to a news release the offices of Merkley and Oregon’s other Democratic senator, Ron Wyden. The rest of the grant, nearly $460,000, will go to the San Francisco-based nonprofit Pollinator Partnership to support planning and conservation on about 600 acres of private farm, ranch, timber and “working lands” in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. The group will help landowners create conservation plans and will host events to raise awareness about threats to the species and how landowners can help. “Monarch butterflies are crucial pollinators on the West Coast, where much of America’s food is grown,” Wyden said in the release. “This investment will support a vital component of our food ecosystem while also helping to preserve a species that symbolizes the rebirth and resiliency Oregonians are known for.” Both Wyden and Merkley sponsored the 2023 Monarch Action, Recovery and Conservation of Habitat Act, or Monarch Act, which allocated $12.5 million over five years to western monarch habitat improvements. In 2022, Merkely hosted the first Monarch Butterfly Summit with the U.S. Department of the Interior and helped establish a Pollinator Conservation Center at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Oregon Capital Chronicle focuses on deep and useful reporting on Oregon state government, politics and policy. We help readers understand how those in government are using their power, what’s happening to taxpayer dollars, and how citizens can stake a bigger role in big decisions. We’re part of States Newsroom , the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.Packers fail yet again to produce a premier performance against a top NFC team in loss to Vikings MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The top of the NFC standings are towering over the Green Bay Packers as they move toward the playoffs, casting a long shadow shaped like Vikings, Lions and Eagles over what has been an otherwise-promising season on both sides of th Dave Campbell, The Associated Press Dec 29, 2024 7:25 PM Dec 29, 2024 7:35 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Green Bay Packers' Jordan Love walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The top of the NFC standings are towering over the Green Bay Packers as they move toward the playoffs, casting a long shadow shaped like Vikings, Lions and Eagles over what has been an otherwise-promising season on both sides of the ball. For as well as the Packers (11-5) had been playing down the stretch, they left Minnesota with a rather murky outlook for the playoffs after stumbling into a 17-point deficit that proved too large for their late surge in the 27-25 loss to the Vikings on Sunday . “They continued to compete and battle, but you just can’t do that against good teams. The margins in this league, especially against a good football team, are razor thin," coach Matt LaFleur said. "I don’t think we were at our best, but that’s a credit to them in our slow start — and that’s me as much as anybody.” The Packers gained 126 yards in the fourth quarter and still finished with a season-low 271 yards. The defense allowed 441 yards, which was also a season worst. The most glaring set of numbers after this frustrating afternoon, though, was this: 0-5. That's Green Bay's record against the top three teams in the NFC: Minnesota, Detroit and Philadelphia. There's no shame in losing to those opponents that carry a combined 40-7 record into Monday, particularly when four of those defeats — save for the 10-point loss to the Lions on Nov. 3 — came by a total of 12 points. “It’s not about who we can and can’t beat. We can beat everybody. If we figure out how to finish, we’ll win games,” cornerback Keisean Nixon said. But the Packers will more than likely be on the road the entire time they're alive in the playoffs, so any path to the Super Bowl would undoubtedly trigger rematches with one, two or even all three teams from that daunting trio. The Packers clearly aren't overmatched by the Vikings, Lions or Eagles, but in games against those premier foes that significantly shrink the margins for error the Packers have shown a troubling pattern of not meeting the moment with too many ill-timed mistakes and not enough big-time plays. “It's hard when you put yourself in a hole and are down early and just kind of shooting yourself in the foot,” quarterback Jordan Love said. “There’s so much stuff to clean up and get better at, but I think we’re still a really good team. We can put up points. But when you put yourself in a hole, it’s just hard to climb out of that hole. And when it’s a good team like the Vikings, you know, it just makes it even tougher.” The red flag came right away. Josh Jacobs, the NFL 's fourth-leading rusher, had just given the Packers a second first down on the opening drive of the game when defensive tackle Jerry Tillery pushed the ball out and safety Cam Bynum recovered at the Minnesota 38. Jacobs had gone 11 straight games without fumbling until losing one at Seattle on Dec. 15. Now he has coughed up the ball twice in three games. “I feel like it drained the energy out of the team just starting early,” Jacobs said. “I take it personal on getting the team to start fast and things like that. Yeah, that’s on me.” Though the Vikings punted on the subsequent possession, they moved the ball enough to flip the field position. Perhaps wary of the fumble getting in Jacobs' head, LaFleur then called three straight passes from their own 15-yard line, and Love was off the mark on all three to force a punt. After a breakout performance here a year ago in a 33-10 victory over the Vikings that helped the Packers squeak into the playoffs after a rough start and ride the momentum through a first-round win at Dallas, Love looked awfully amid the cocktail of blitzes ordered by Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores that fueled a fierce pass rush. He finished 19 for 30 for 185 yards and one touchdown. “They do a good job of keeping a lid on the coverage. That’s how they play," LaFleur said. "We knew that going in, so there was going to be minimal opportunities to push the ball down the field. You've got to be super efficient. You've got to stay on schedule because once they get you into third down, that’s where they’re really good.” ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL Dave Campbell, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Football (NFL) Browns' Myles Garrett makes history with 2 sacks, but another loss leaves him frustrated Dec 29, 2024 6:53 PM Darnold gives Vikings another gem with career-high 377 yards in 27-25 win over Packers Dec 29, 2024 6:26 PM NFC's No. 1 seed comes down to Vikings-Lions showdown at Detroit in Week 18 Dec 29, 2024 6:16 PM
Mumbai: At least 66 companies from the BSE 500 index could potentially return ₹99,100 crore to shareholders based on their FY24 cash and cash equivalent levels, according to a study by corporate governance firm Institutional Investor Advisory Services (IiAS). HCL Technologies , Bharat Electronics , LTI Mindtree, Siemens , and Sun TV Network are the top five companies with the largest estimated excess cash reserves, said the report. The IiAS assessment, drawn from FY24 financial statements, also accounts for acquisitions and announced capital expenditures after the balance sheet date. Excess cash is the cash and cash equivalent a company holds beyond its immediate operational and other needs. This cash can be seen as surplus liquidity. Companies with excess cash exceeding ₹500 per share include Honeywell Automation , Bosch , and ZF Commercial Vehicle Control Systems. Firms with surplus cash exceeding 75% of their on-balance-sheet cash include Oracle Financial , ZF Commercial, Sun TV Network, Pfizer , Finolex Cables , Graphite India, and Abbott India. Agencies "Given the changed external environment, boards believe in the need to build a war chest for growth and resilience, while the question remains 'how much is enough?," IiAS said. "While these 66 companies have been returning cash to investors, the pace of cash build-up appears to be higher than the pace at which these companies are utilising or distributing cash." 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(You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel )My Legacy Advisors LLC reduced its stake in shares of NVIDIA Co. ( NASDAQ:NVDA – Free Report ) by 8.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 33,389 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock after selling 3,153 shares during the quarter. NVIDIA accounts for approximately 1.6% of My Legacy Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 12th largest holding. My Legacy Advisors LLC’s holdings in NVIDIA were worth $4,055,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Lowe Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of NVIDIA during the second quarter worth about $25,000. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of NVIDIA by 1,900.0% in the second quarter. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. now owns 200 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. CGC Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of NVIDIA in the second quarter worth about $26,000. Koesten Hirschmann & Crabtree INC. acquired a new position in shares of NVIDIA in the first quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Quest Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of NVIDIA in the second quarter worth about $27,000. 65.27% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In NVDA has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. DA Davidson boosted their price target on NVIDIA from $90.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $200.00 price target on shares of NVIDIA in a research note on Monday, November 18th. Bank of America reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $190.00 price target on shares of NVIDIA in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. Loop Capital reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $175.00 price target on shares of NVIDIA in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Redburn Atlantic started coverage on NVIDIA in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th. They set a “buy” rating and a $178.00 price objective on the stock. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-nine have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, NVIDIA presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $164.15. NVIDIA Stock Performance Shares of NVDA stock opened at $138.25 on Friday. NVIDIA Co. has a 12-month low of $45.01 and a 12-month high of $152.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.39 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 1.66. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $136.05 and a 200 day simple moving average of $123.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 4.10 and a quick ratio of 3.64. NVIDIA ( NASDAQ:NVDA – Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 20th. The computer hardware maker reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.69 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $35.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $33.15 billion. NVIDIA had a return on equity of 114.83% and a net margin of 55.69%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 93.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.38 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that NVIDIA Co. will post 2.76 EPS for the current year. NVIDIA Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 27th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 5th will be paid a dividend of $0.01 per share. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.03%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 5th. NVIDIA’s payout ratio is currently 1.57%. NVIDIA announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, August 28th that authorizes the company to buyback $50.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the computer hardware maker to repurchase up to 1.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued. Insider Buying and Selling at NVIDIA In other NVIDIA news, CEO Jen Hsun Huang sold 120,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.76, for a total transaction of $13,291,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 76,375,705 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,459,373,085.80. This trade represents a 0.16 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink . Also, Director John Dabiri sold 716 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $142.00, for a total value of $101,672.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 19,942 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,831,764. The trade was a 3.47 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last ninety days, insiders sold 2,036,986 shares of company stock valued at $240,602,399. 4.23% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. NVIDIA Profile ( Free Report ) NVIDIA Corporation provides graphics and compute and networking solutions in the United States, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, and internationally. The Graphics segment offers GeForce GPUs for gaming and PCs, the GeForce NOW game streaming service and related infrastructure, and solutions for gaming platforms; Quadro/NVIDIA RTX GPUs for enterprise workstation graphics; virtual GPU or vGPU software for cloud-based visual and virtual computing; automotive platforms for infotainment systems; and Omniverse software for building and operating metaverse and 3D internet applications. Recommended Stories Five stocks we like better than NVIDIA How to Use High Beta Stocks to Maximize Your Investing Profits The Latest 13F Filings Are In: See Where Big Money Is Flowing What is an Earnings Surprise? 3 Penny Stocks Ready to Break Out in 2025 What Percentage Gainers Tell Investors and Why They Don’t Tell the Whole Story FMC, Mosaic, Nutrien: Top Agricultural Stocks With Big Potential Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NVDA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for NVIDIA Co. ( NASDAQ:NVDA – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for NVIDIA Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NVIDIA and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
Daiwa Securities Group Inc. reduced its stake in shares of Novanta Inc. ( NASDAQ:NOVT – Free Report ) by 11.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 7,779 shares of the technology company’s stock after selling 1,000 shares during the period. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.’s holdings in Novanta were worth $1,392,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Diversified Trust Co boosted its holdings in shares of Novanta by 3.4% in the 2nd quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 4,640 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $757,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the last quarter. Yarbrough Capital LLC boosted its holdings in Novanta by 38.0% in the second quarter. Yarbrough Capital LLC now owns 7,735 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $1,262,000 after acquiring an additional 2,130 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates grew its position in Novanta by 3.5% during the second quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 50,640 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $8,260,000 after acquiring an additional 1,720 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in Novanta by 12.6% during the second quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,180 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $192,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nicholas Company Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Novanta by 41.7% in the 2nd quarter. Nicholas Company Inc. now owns 19,915 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $3,248,000 after purchasing an additional 5,865 shares during the period. 98.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Insider Buying and Selling at Novanta In related news, CEO Matthijs Glastra sold 7,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $179.70, for a total value of $1,347,750.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 56,382 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,131,845.40. The trade was a 11.74 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link . Also, CFO Robert Buckley sold 1,111 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.45, for a total value of $200,479.95. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 120,419 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $21,729,608.55. This trade represents a 0.91 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold 16,650 shares of company stock valued at $2,956,686 over the last 90 days. 1.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Novanta Stock Performance Novanta ( NASDAQ:NOVT – Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 5th. The technology company reported $0.85 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.85. Novanta had a return on equity of 15.20% and a net margin of 6.52%. The company had revenue of $244.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $242.33 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.85 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Novanta Inc. will post 3.03 EPS for the current year. Analyst Ratings Changes Separately, Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on Novanta from $175.00 to $169.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on NOVT Novanta Profile ( Free Report ) Novanta Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides precision medicine and manufacturing, medical solutions, and robotics and automation solutions in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Precision Medicine and Manufacturing, Medical Solutions, and Robotics and Automation. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Novanta Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Novanta and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Cornerback Taron Johnson is still agitated over the dud the Buffalo Bills defense produced in giving up season worsts in points and yards, while melting down on third down in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams last weekend. There’s no better time or opportunity to show how much better they are than this Sunday. That’s when the Bills (10-3) travel to play the NFC-leading Detroit Lions (12-1), who just happen to lead the NFL in scoring and feature the same dynamic style of offense as the Rams. “I think our mindset is just going to be attack,” Johnson said after practice Wednesday. “We can’t wait to play Sunday just to prove people wrong and prove to ourselves that how we played wasn’t who we are.” The Bills acknowledge having several excuses to lean on for why they unraveled in a 44-42 loss — riding a little too high after a division-clinching win, a cross-country trip and facing a more driven opponent in the thick of a playoff race. What’s unacceptable is the hesitancy their usually reliable defensive backs showed in coverage and the lack of pressure applied by their defensive front. The bright side is the substandard performance potentially serving as a late-season reminder of this not being the time to let their foot off the gas. “A lot of teams have scars on their way to having a darn good season. And we’re having a darn good season,” coach Sean McDermott said. “So what has to be in front of us this week is the opportunity that’s in front of us, quite frankly, to challenge that team,” he added, referring to Detroit. “You better bring your heart, you better bring your guts, you better put it on the line.” With a little bit of added fire, the Bills are going back to the basics on defense following an outing in which very little went right. The defense was off-balance from the start in being unable to stop the run, before eventually being picked apart in the passing game while allowing the Rams to score on each of their first six drives (not including a kneel-down to close the first half) in building a 38-21 lead. The most frustrating part was Buffalo’s inability to get off the field while allowing the Rams to convert 11 of 15 third-down chances. LA’s 73.3% third-down conversion rate was the third highest against Buffalo — and worst since Miami converted 75% of its chances in 1986 — since the stat was introduced to NFL gamebooks in 1973. “The recipe to lose a football game is what we did (Sunday) and it starts with me, first and foremost,” defensive coordinator Bobby Babich said Monday. “Move on and let it not happen again. Let it be a learning lesson. Failure is the best teacher.” The challenge is preparing for an exceptionally balanced Lions offense that ranks fourth in the NFL in both rushing and passing, and averaging 32.1 points per outing. The objective, McDermott said, is to not overcorrect but stick to the fundamentals that led to Buffalo winning seven straight before losing to Los Angeles. He placed an emphasis on winning at the line of scrimmage and forcing takeaways, something Buffalo failed to do last weekend for the first time this season. A little more urgency, would help, too. “It is a mentality. It is an attitude, and if you want to play good defense, that’s where it starts,” McDermott said. “There’s not a lot of shortcuts or ways around it. It’s got to be a mentality.” The message resonated even on offense, where quarterback Josh Allen nearly rallied the Bills to victory while becoming the NFL’s first player to throw three touchdown passes and rush for three more scores. “It was a case of you saw a team that’s fighting for their lives to try to make the playoffs in the Los Angeles Rams, and they came out ready to play. And maybe we didn’t have that type of urgency,” Allen said. “It forces us to know that we’ve got to be better. We know that.” NOTES: LB Baylon Spector (calf) and DE Dawuane Smoot (wrist) returned to practice Wednesday, opening their 21-day windows to be activated off IR. ... Starting CB Rasul Douglas did not practice and could miss time after hurting his knee on Sunday. ... Buffalo has until this weekend to determine whether to activate OL Tylan Grable (groin) off IR. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl2024’s top students: VCE duces revealed
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ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Cornerback Taron Johnson is still agitated over the dud the Buffalo Bills defense produced in giving up season worsts in points and yards, while melting down on third down in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams last weekend. There’s no better time or opportunity to show how much better they are than this Sunday. That’s when the Bills (10-3) travel to play the NFC-leading Detroit Lions (12-1), who just happen to lead the NFL in scoring and feature the same dynamic style of offense as the Rams. “I think our mindset is just going to be attack,” Johnson said after practice Wednesday. “We can’t wait to play Sunday just to prove people wrong and prove to ourselves that how we played wasn’t who we are.” The Bills acknowledge having several excuses to lean on for why they unraveled in a 44-42 loss — riding a little too high after a division-clinching win, a cross-country trip and facing a more driven opponent in the thick of a playoff race. What’s unacceptable is the hesitancy their usually reliable defensive backs showed in coverage and the lack of pressure applied by their defensive front. The bright side is the substandard performance potentially serving as a late-season reminder of this not being the time to let their foot off the gas. “A lot of teams have scars on their way to having a darn good season. And we’re having a darn good season,” coach Sean McDermott said. “So what has to be in front of us this week is the opportunity that’s in front of us, quite frankly, to challenge that team,” he added, referring to Detroit. “You better bring your heart, you better bring your guts, you better put it on the line.” With a little bit of added fire, the Bills are going back to the basics on defense following an outing in which very little went right. The defense was off-balance from the start in being unable to stop the run, before eventually being picked apart in the passing game while allowing the Rams to score on each of their first six drives (not including a kneel-down to close the first half) in building a 38-21 lead. The most frustrating part was Buffalo’s inability to get off the field while allowing the Rams to convert 11 of 15 third-down chances. LA’s 73.3% third-down conversion rate was the third highest against Buffalo — and worst since Miami converted 75% of its chances in 1986 — since the stat was introduced to NFL gamebooks in 1973. “The recipe to lose a football game is what we did (Sunday) and it starts with me, first and foremost,” defensive coordinator Bobby Babich said Monday. “Move on and let it not happen again. Let it be a learning lesson. Failure is the best teacher.” The challenge is preparing for an exceptionally balanced Lions offense that ranks fourth in the NFL in both rushing and passing, and averaging 32.1 points per outing. The objective, McDermott said, is to not overcorrect but stick to the fundamentals that led to Buffalo winning seven straight before losing to Los Angeles. He placed an emphasis on winning at the line of scrimmage and forcing takeaways, something Buffalo failed to do last weekend for the first time this season. A little more urgency, would help, too. “It is a mentality. It is an attitude, and if you want to play good defense, that’s where it starts,” McDermott said. “There’s not a lot of shortcuts or ways around it. It’s got to be a mentality.” The message resonated even on offense, where quarterback Josh Allen nearly rallied the Bills to victory while becoming the NFL’s first player to throw three touchdown passes and rush for three more scores. “It was a case of you saw a team that’s fighting for their lives to try to make the playoffs in the Los Angeles Rams, and they came out ready to play. And maybe we didn’t have that type of urgency,” Allen said. “It forces us to know that we’ve got to be better. We know that.” NOTES: LB Baylon Spector (calf) and DE Dawuane Smoot (wrist) returned to practice Wednesday, opening their 21-day windows to be activated off IR. ... Starting CB Rasul Douglas did not practice and could miss time after hurting his knee on Sunday. ... Buffalo has until this weekend to determine whether to activate OL Tylan Grable (groin) off IR. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflNo. 7 Tennessee gives up 1st 14 points before rallying to rout Vanderbilt 36-23The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted on Wednesday to demand an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the immediate release of all hostages. The ceasefire demand in the resolution – adopted with 158 votes in favour in the 193-member assembly – was expressed in more urgent language than one urging an immediate humanitarian truce in Gaza that the body “called for” in October 2023 then “demanded” in December 2023. General Assembly resolutions are not binding but carry political weight, reflecting a global view on the war. The United States, Israel and seven other countries voted against the ceasefire resolution, while 13 countries abstained. The world body also threw its support behind the UN Palestinian relief agency UNRWA, adopting a second resolution with 159 votes in favour to deplore a new Israeli law that will ban UNRWA’s operations in Israel from late January. It demanded that Israel respect UNRWA’s mandate and “enable its operations to proceed without impediment or restriction”. The US, Israel and seven other countries voted no, while 11 countries abstained. 04:01 Protests break out across Asia marking one year of Israel-Gaza conflict “The messages we send to the world through these resolutions matter. And both of these resolutions have significant problems,” Deputy US Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood told the assembly.Ireland blamed Northern Ireland Office for ‘damaging leaks’, records show
Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, has appealed to Christians in the country to embrace peace unity, especially during festive period. In a statement by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, on Tuesday, Atiku urged Nigerians to emulate life of Jesus Christ. He said: “Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President of Nigeria and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, extends heartfelt Christmas felicitations to the Christian community in Nigeria as they celebrate the 2024 commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ. “In his message, Atiku implored Nigerians to embrace a life of love and unity, drawing inspiration from the joyous spirit of the Christmas season. “He urged citizens to be guided by compassion and selflessness, encouraging them to cherish the significance of Christmas as a time for reflection and togetherness. Speaking further, Atiku berated President Bola Tinubu’s administration over economic challenges facing the country. He said: “The Waziri Adamawa, however, did not shy away from pointing out the failure of current political leaders to make the necessary sacrifices for the nation’s collective good. “He condemned the lack of leadership, which has resulted in widespread suffering and preventable deaths across the country. “Yet, despite these grave challenges, Atiku appealed to Nigerians to remain united, to embrace one another with love, and to confront the root cause of their struggles, poor leadership. “With love and unity, there is no obstacle too great to overcome. Let us, therefore, come together to share love and joy with all people of goodwill.”( MENAFN - TimesNewswire ) Recently, the leading brand in humanoid robots, EngineAI Robotics, has once again made significant strides following the successful launch of the SE01. They have meticulously developed the lightweight, highly dynamic, and fully open universal embodied intelligent robot, the PM01, which will officially begin its global sales journey on December 24. EngineAI has prepared two options for customers: a commercial version and an educational version. EngineAI has also announced important news: from now until March 31, 2025, both the commercial and educational versions will be available at a unified price of 88,000 yuan (during this specific period, customers purchasing the commercial version will automatically receive upgrade rights to the educational version). With its comprehensive performance and outstanding cost-effectiveness, the PM01 is expected to spark a new wave of market excitement and intense competition within the embodied intelligence industry. Outstanding Product Performance: Crafting a Technological Masterpiece The PM01 stands at a height of 1.38 meters, weighs approximately 40 kg, features 24 degrees of freedom, and has a movement speed of 2 m/s. Its waist can rotate 320 degrees, allowing it to perform a wide range of complex movements, with both mechanical gait and humanoid natural gait walking modes. Based on an end-to-end neural network solution, the PM01 utilizes advanced optical motion capture technology to accurately collect vast amounts of human motion data. Through reinforcement learning and imitation learning, its humanoid capabilities rival those of the flagship model SE01, while also demonstrating excellent adaptability to various complex environments. Compared to the previous generation research and education platform, the SA01, the PM01 offers better open-source capabilities, higher compatibility, stronger dynamic performance, more robust power, and more stable hardware. With the support of an X86 architecture-based computing suite and NVIDIA Jetson Orin high-performance modules, the PM01 meets the research needs of more developers, enabling cross-platform algorithm deployment and verification for diverse practical applications. Notably, the PM01 innovatively adopts a smart control interface inspired by Iron Man, serving as its interactive core screen, integrating various intelligent interactive functions. Users can quickly connect with the robot by simply touching the screen, issuing commands instantly and displaying information clearly. This ingenious design allows users to easily control the robot's powerful functions, experiencing the unique charm and limitless possibilities brought by cutting-edge technology. Strong Corporate Strength: Solidifying Industry Leadership EngineAI's achievements stem from its top-notch technical team and relentless pursuit of quality. From late July to late December 2024, three models were launched consecutively and received positive feedback, showcasing its R&D capabilities. By pioneering an end-to-end neural network solution and tackling the challenge of“natural gait,” EngineAI has distinguished itself in the competitive landscape. As one of the few companies capable of developing high-performance power joints in-house, EngineAI leverages advanced algorithms and self-developed modules to create quality products and provide exceptional experiences. Its elite team of 48 collaborates closely and operates efficiently, completing nearly a hundred units' delivery tasks in just five months, creating impressive“EngineAI speed” and“EngineAI efficiency.” At the same time, EngineAI adheres to the philosophy of“true open-source,”“gathering ecosystems,” and“promoting evolution,” contributing to technological innovation across the industry and gaining widespread respect and recognition. The global launch of the PM01 further enhances EngineAI's product matrix, taking a solid step toward achieving full-size, all-scenario coverage in humanoid robots and laying a strong foundation for large-scale development in 2025. In the future, EngineAI will continue to drive innovation, refine its product matrix, and focus on the development and refinement of embodied intelligence, delving into artificial intelligence scenario solutions, from the design and development of the hardware to exploring the embodied and cognitive aspects, linking, building, and serving ecosystems, training specialized models, enhancing the probability of intelligent emergence, and advancing the arrival of the AGI era. MENAFN24122024006250013577ID1109028656 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. 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By Godwin Aideloje Arik Air shareholders are compelled by the need to clarify and correct false and misleading statements attributed to AMCON through its head of corporate communications, Mr. Jude Nwauzor. which was published in Daily Sun of 20 December, 2024, and some social media handles. We dare say that this is yet another salvo in the series of calculated attempts to cover up the truth about AMCON’s forceful takeover, mismanagement and destruction of Arik Air. However, since most of the issues recklessly misrepresented by Mr. Nwauzor are before the court, we, out of our respect for the law courts, shall only limit ourselves to restating the facts. It is unfortunate that AMCON, a public institution, under the pretext of replying an opinion expressed in a newspaper by an independent commentator, resorted to launching a malicious tirade against the shareholders of Arik Air and perhaps other government agencies, especially the EFCC. Instead of addressing the issues raised by the commentator. First, we must start by thanking AMCON for finally admitting that the takeover of Arik Air was as a result of a “directive” from the Buhari-led Federal Government. This “directive,” however, side-stepped the statutory procedure and due process that guide the takeover of companies in Nigeria. Thus, the forceful takeover of Arik was a political ambush followed by an after-thought of an economic justification of insolvency, which was badly portrayed as an “economic rescue act”. 1. On the issue of petition to EFFC: We were forced to file a petition to the EFCC through the chambers of Femi Falana & Co only after AMCON refused to obey any of the consequential orders of the Federal High Court’s judgment in suit number FHC/L/CS/1175/2021 of March 31 , 2023, and instead, resorted to disobeying and disparaging the court. It should also be stated that Arik shareholders were investigated by the EFCC at the instance of AMCON from 2021 until relieved from invitations on the unsubstantiated allegations by AMCON. This was during the tenure of Mr. Rasheed Bawa during Buhari’s administration. Mr. Bawa also authorized the investigation of the Arik shareholders’ petition, even in the face of reported intense pressure by former MD of AMCON, Mr. Ahmed Kuru, to scuttle investigations of the affairs of AMCON in Arik Air receivership. The investigation progressed even after the change of guards at the EFCC and its findings are finally seeing the light of day only because Mr. Bawa, former chairman, and the new EFCC chairman, Mr. Olu Olukayode, insisted that nobody was above the law. For the record, the same EFCC at the instance of AMCON arrested and detained Sir J.I.A. Arumemi-Ikhide on the 8 February, 2017, the eve of the takeover of Arik. Sir Arumemi-Ikhide was investigated by EFFC and released without indictment. Yet, he neither cast an aspersion against the EFCC nor castigate AMCON for the trauma he suffered from the AMCON-induced unjustified detention. It is unfortunate that AMCON is falsely alleging that Arik shareholders’ petition and the resultant prosecution by the EFCC was collusion to frame its former managing director, Mr. Ahmed Kuru; Mr. Kamilu Alaba Omokide (former Receiver Manager, Arik); Captain Roy Ilegbodu (CEO, Arik in Receivership); Super Bravo Limited, and Union Bank Plc. On our part, we respect the mandates of government agencies and wait for the courts to adjudicate without resorting to sub-judicial commentaries. Peradventure, the AMCON protagonists should be reminded that Mr. Femi Falana’s petition on our behalf is not the only one calling Mr. Ahmed Kuru’s regime at AMCON to account. Could other petitions through other lawyers to the EFCC on Keystone Bank in which Mr. Kuru and others have been charged to court also be a collusion and an attempt to embarrass AMCON and its officers? One would have thought that Mr. Gbenga Alade, the new MD of AMCON, would use the findings offered by the EFCC investigations of Mr. Kuru and others to make corrections, improvement, and allow the law to be the arbiter in disputes. It is most unfortunate that AMCON, a Federal Government agency entrusted with unprecedented special powers by our laws and offered a new lease of life with a new leadership, is playing the role of judge, jury, executioner and victim through all its dramas in the media. The descent to name-calling when the law or court judgments fail to suit AMCON’s false narratives is sad. We wish to remind AMCON that to execute the Arik receivership, AMCON used the same EFCC, police and the courts. The Alade-led AMCON should be courageous enough to own up to the fact that his predecessor misadvised the Federal Government, instead of recycling the false narrative that continue to project the country as a space not governed by values, law, order and due process. After all, no human is beyond error! In addition, he should be reminded that the case in court is between the Federal Republic of Nigeria (his employers) and former employees of AMCON and others, Mr. Alade’s utterances as reported in the media indicate he is not in agreement with the actions of his present employers, with respect to the former MD and others being charged to court. On FG’s intervention or AMCON‘s Forced Takeover: We hereby wish to restate the position in our response to the statement made in 2023 by Mr. Kuru that the Acting President at the time (Prof. Yemi Osinbajo) directed AMCON to take over Arik. We consider this claim as untenable that a learned man of law would direct AMCON to take over a private business when there are extant laws in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria governing receiverships and processes of putting companies into administration! Unless he was wrongly advised or misinformed by Mr. Kuru. It may be unknown to the public and therefore bears repeating that several companies just like Arik have been victims of Mr. Kuru’s novel “creation” of receiverships for companies allegedly of interest to him and his collaborators. President Bola Tinubu’s Angle: AMCON’s desperate attempt at invoking the name of former President Mohammadu Buhari into this matter is tantamount to disparaging the office of the President and dragging this exalted office into disrepute. We are confident that President Tinubu will not condone any act of impunity for the arbitrary take-over of a private business by a stroke of pen. Clearly this implies that AMCON’s justification of business take-over by executive fiat runs at cross purposes with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s private sector leadership agenda. This is aptly captured in his own words as follows: “There is no driver of the economy that is bigger than the private sector. If the private sector is not flourishing, there is no growth, no prosperity, no employment or development. No matter how flowery the speeches are, not even a mushroom will grow”. 4. AMCON’s Claims of Indebtedness by Arik: We wish to state that we will not discuss the alleged indebtedness of Arik Air on the pages of the newspapers, as this is one of the main issues before the courts. Unlike AMCON who disobeyed the courts and discuss all matters pending before the courts in the media and press conference. Suffice it to state the new MD of AMCON recently called on the courts to rescue it on its own terms whereas AMCON brazenly refused to obey ALL consequential orders of the judgement of the Federal High Court (without stay of execution) on the Arik Air receivership. 5. State of Arik Fleet by Unaccountable Receivership: Mr. Alade was invited and visited the Arik Air Hangars at the request of the shareholders on 28 August 2024 so he could see for himself first-hand the wanton destruction of 14 new generation aircraft and other Arik assets by AMCON and its agents. We are therefore shocked to read in the publication under reference, offer of superlative praises for the same agents and officers who superintended over the wanton decimation/cannibalisation of the airline’s fleet. 6. Other Issues: The matters of alleged loans, lease defaults, maintenance reserves , fake letters and KPMG audits have been uploaded to the media by AMCON in its traditional methods to set false narratives and promote conclusions not founded on truth and equity including inciting public disaffection for the promoters of Arik and tacitly overreaching the Courts. However, since these are key issues to be adjudicated by the courts, we have been advised by our lawyers to refrain from responding on the pages of newspapers. 7. Obstruction of Aircraft Sales etc: We are not aware of any plans to sell any aircraft by AMCON. But we state categorically that as shareholders of Arik, we exercised our constitutionally guaranteed rights for protection of our investments by seeking the court’s protection for the 3 units Boeing 737-NG aircraft that were fraudulent transferred to Super Bravo and for the reversal of Arik funds illegally used for the registration/processing of AOC for NG Eagle by AMCON. The courts ruled in our favour, and ordered the reversal the transfer and indicted the Receiver Manager for breach of fiduciary duties to Arik. The court also ordered AMCON to file audited accounts of its receivership from 2017 to date (December 2022) to the Corporate Affairs Commission which AMCON and its Receiver Managers have failed to do. 8. AMCON`s leadership for Arik: The claims of stabilisation of Arik Air by AMCON is an insult to the travelling public. The downturn and dwindled fortunes of the airline is visibly displayed for the world to see, both in the airline operations under receivership and at the Arik Hangar where 14 cannibalised and destroyed aircraft are on display. AMCON’s solely appointed Receiver Manager and CEO’s mismanagement is a testament to this fact. Capt Roy Ilegbodu, Kamilu Alaba Omokide and members of the Technical Advisory Board have used Arik to support their champagne lifestyles in retirement and enhanced their businesses/jobs while the airline is run aground. Arik under shareholders management operated an average of 120 flights daily with a route network traversing the whole of Nigeria, all west and central Africa’s major airports including Angola and Johannesburg. As well as London and New York with about 22 aircraft. But today, under AMCON, it only operates about 25 flights daily with 3 aircraft out of the 19 that AMCON inherited from the shareholders at take-over. Indeed, what a display of expertise by AMCON’s standard! That the AMCON’s “revered” aviation experts could not convert the much-sought-after Arik London Heathrow and JFK landing slots worth over USD70M to a quick cash when the receivership management discontinued flights to those destinations, speaks to his incompetencies. He lost those hard earned valuable slots to inexperience and selfishness!. If AMCON’s measure of expertise should be a bench mark in Nigeria, then the future in aviation is bleak for the country. It is surprising that rather than relieve the officers charged to Court by Federal Government from their duties pending the determination of the cases in Court, AMCON MD is protecting and keeping them in their duty post in disregard of government code of conduct. We recall that when allegations of impropriety was made against serving Minister in this administration, the President took appropriate actions. Mr Oluseye Opasanya SAN, Kamilu Alaba Omokide FCA and Captain Roy Ilegbodu inherited a well maintained fleet of 19 new generation aircraft with large inventory of over USD 200M worth of spare parts and spare engines. It should be noted that most of the aircraft have been fully paid for by the shareholders, but AMCON refused to meet the ongoing obligations for a few aircraft whose obligations will crystallise in 2025, when they took over in 2017. Yet they cannot manage the airline. Clearly the receivership manager NEVER had any positive plan for the airline. Its claim of intervention, rescue and promise to turn around the airline is a hoax and a woeful failure. It appears that AMCON is more fixated on covering the malfeasance it created in Arik by angrily attacking Arik shareholders. They should however remember other cases making headlines such as Keystone Bank that AMCON’s former executives must answer to. As stated earlier, we have answers to all the issues raised by AMCON in the refrenced publications. We have made them known in previous publications. However, since some of the matters are now before the court, we shall refrain from public commentaries as advised by our lawyers. We, the shareholders of Arik, are willing and ready for an open dialogue and discussions with AMCON in the presence of the relevant authorities such as Police, EFCC, the CBN, the Ministries of Finance, Justice, and Aviation & Aerospace. We come to equity with clean hands and ask that AMCON do the same. • Godwin Aideloje wrote from Lagos on behalf of Arik StakeholdersDUP ministers Peter Robinson and Nigel Dodds were sanctioned in 2000 by Stormont’s leaders over their plan to disrupt the powersharing Executive. Minutes of an Executive meeting from June of that year state further action would be considered “as appropriate” if the DUP went ahead with a threat to rotate its ministers. The minutes are within files which have been declassified at the Public Record Office in Belfast. Devolved powersharing had been restored to Northern Ireland in May 2000 when Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble had received the backing of his party to go back into the Assembly, despite there having been no decommissioning of IRA arms at that point. Then DUP deputy leader Mr Robinson and Mr Dodds took up the offices as ministers for regional development and social development, but refused to attend Executive meetings due to the presence of Sinn Fein ministers. The party also said it would rotate its ministerial posts to prevent other parties from taking them. A minute of an Executive meeting on June 8 said Mr Robinson and Mr Dodds had refused a request from First Minister Mr Trimble and deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon to meet with them “to discuss recent public comments by the DUP concerning their positions as ministers”. The minute records that the Executive endorsed a proposal from the First and deputy First Ministers to write again to the two DUP ministers setting out sanctions against them. It says: “The First Minister and and Deputy First Minister would assume responsibility for representing the Executive Committee on transport matters at the British-Irish Council in place of the Minister for Regional Development. “The Minister for Social Development and the Minister for Regional Development would not be nominated to attend meetings of the Joint Ministerial Committee. “Pending the receipt of satisfactory assurances from DUP Ministers regarding the confidentiality and integrity of Executive Committee business, the Minister for Social Development and Minister for Regional Development would not receive Executive Committee papers as of right. “The First Minister and Deputy First Minister would seek briefing, as appropriate, from officials in the Department for Regional Development and Department for Social Development.” The minute continues: “If the DUP carried out their threat to change the holders of the two Ministerial offices on a frequent basis, the Executive Committee would consider other action as appropriate.” Mr Robinson and Mr Dodds resigned as ministers on June 27 and were replaced by party colleagues Gregory Campbell and Maurice Morrow. A minute from an Executive meeting that day says: “The Executive Committee noted that the Minister for Social Development and Minister for Regional Development would be resigning their posts that afternoon, and expressed concern at the proposed rotation of the ministries held by their Party Members.”
India's former prime minister Manmohan Singh, architect of economic reforms, dies at 92Minutes of an Executive meeting from June of that year state further action would be considered “as appropriate” if the DUP went ahead with a threat to rotate its ministers. The minutes are within files which have been declassified at the Public Record Office in Belfast. Devolved powersharing had been restored to Northern Ireland in May 2000 when Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble had received the backing of his party to go back into the Assembly, despite there having been no decommissioning of IRA arms at that point. Then DUP deputy leader Mr Robinson and Mr Dodds took up the offices as ministers for regional development and social development, but refused to attend Executive meetings due to the presence of Sinn Fein ministers. The party also said it would rotate its ministerial posts to prevent other parties from taking them. A minute of an Executive meeting on June 8 said Mr Robinson and Mr Dodds had refused a request from First Minister Mr Trimble and deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon to meet with them “to discuss recent public comments by the DUP concerning their positions as ministers”. The minute records that the Executive endorsed a proposal from the First and deputy First Ministers to write again to the two DUP ministers setting out sanctions against them. It says: “The First Minister and and Deputy First Minister would assume responsibility for representing the Executive Committee on transport matters at the British-Irish Council in place of the Minister for Regional Development. “The Minister for Social Development and the Minister for Regional Development would not be nominated to attend meetings of the Joint Ministerial Committee. “Pending the receipt of satisfactory assurances from DUP Ministers regarding the confidentiality and integrity of Executive Committee business, the Minister for Social Development and Minister for Regional Development would not receive Executive Committee papers as of right. “The First Minister and Deputy First Minister would seek briefing, as appropriate, from officials in the Department for Regional Development and Department for Social Development.” The minute continues: “If the DUP carried out their threat to change the holders of the two Ministerial offices on a frequent basis, the Executive Committee would consider other action as appropriate.” Mr Robinson and Mr Dodds resigned as ministers on June 27 and were replaced by party colleagues Gregory Campbell and Maurice Morrow. A minute from an Executive meeting that day says: “The Executive Committee noted that the Minister for Social Development and Minister for Regional Development would be resigning their posts that afternoon, and expressed concern at the proposed rotation of the ministries held by their Party Members.”
NASHVILLE, Tenn (AP) — Nico Iamaleava threw for 257 yards and four touchdowns rallying No. 7 Tennessee from a 14-point deficit within the first five minutes to rout in-state rival Vanderbilt 36-23 Saturday. “Man, it couldn't have started any worse,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel told his Vols postgame . “And you know what? Competitive composure ... You just kept coming. That's what elite people, champions do. You just keep coming.” Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
UN General Assembly overwhelmingly demands immediate Gaza ceasefireRichard Parsons, one of corporate America's most prominent Black executives who held top posts at Time Warner and Citigroup , died Thursday. He was 76. Parsons, who died at his Manhattan home, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2015 and cited “unanticipated complications” from the disease for cutting back on work a few years later. The financial services company Lazard, where Parsons was a longtime board member, confirmed his death. The NBA , where Parsons was interim CEO of the Los Angeles Clippers in 2014, was among organizations offering condolences. “Dick Parsons was a brilliant and transformational leader and a giant of the media industry who led with integrity and never shied away from a challenge,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. Parsons’ friend Ronald Lauder told The New York Times that the cause of death was cancer. Parsons stepped down Dec. 3 from the boards of Lazard and Lauder's company, Estée Lauder, citing health reasons. He had been on Estée Lauder’s board for 25 years. Parsons, a Brooklyn native who started college at 16, was named chairman of Citigroup in 2009, one month after leaving Time Warner Inc., where he helped restore the company’s stature following its much-maligned acquisition by internet provider America Online Inc. He steered Citigroup back to profit after financial turmoil from the subprime mortgage crisis, which upended the economy in 2007 and 2008. Parsons was named to the board of CBS in September 2018 but resigned a month later because of illness. Parsons said in a statement at the time that he was already dealing with multiple myeloma when he joined the board, but “unanticipated complications have created additional new challenges.” He said his doctors advised him to cut back on his commitments to ensure recovery. “Dick’s storied career embodied the finest traditions of American business leadership,” Lazard said in a statement. The company, where Parsons was a board member from 2012 until this month, praised his “unmistakable intelligence and his irresistible warmth.” “Dick was more than an iconic leader in Lazard’s history — he was a testament to how wisdom, warmth, and unwavering judgment could shape not just companies, but people’s lives,” the company said. “His legacy lives on in the countless leaders he counseled, the institutions he renewed, and the doors he opened for others.” Parsons was known as a skilled negotiator, a diplomat and a crisis manager. Although he was with Time Warner through its difficulties with AOL, he earned respect for the company and rebuilt its relations with Wall Street. He streamlined Time Warner’s structure, pared debt and sold Warner Music Group and a book publishing division. He also fended off a challenge from activist investor Carl Icahn in 2006 to break up the company and helped Time Warner reach settlements with investors and regulators over questionable accounting practices at AOL. Parsons joined Time Warner as president in 1995 after serving as chairman and chief executive of Dime Bancorp Inc., one of the largest U.S. thrift institutions. In 2001, after AOL used its fortunes as the leading provider of Internet access in the U.S. to buy Time Warner for $106 billion in stock, Parsons became co-chief operating officer with AOL executive Robert Pittman. In that role, he was in charge of the company’s content businesses, including movie studios and recorded music. He became CEO in 2002 with the retirement of Gerald Levin, one of the key architects of that merger. Parsons was named Time Warner chairman the following year, replacing AOL founder Steve Case, who had also championed the combination. The newly formed company’s Internet division quickly became a drag on Time Warner. The promised synergies between traditional and new media never materialized. AOL began seeing a reduction in subscribers in 2002 as Americans replaced dial-up connections with broadband from cable TV and phone companies. Parsons stepped down as CEO in 2007 and as chairman in 2008. A year later AOL split from Time Warner and began trading as a separate company, following years of struggles to reinvent itself as a business focused on advertising and content. Time Warner is now owned by AT&T Inc. A board member of Citigroup and its predecessor, Citibank, since 1996, Parsons was named chairman in 2009 at a time of turmoil for the financial institution. Citigroup had suffered five straight quarters of losses and received $45 billion in government aid. Its board had been criticized for allowing the bank to invest so heavily in the risky housing market. Citigroup returned to profit under Parsons, starting in 2010, and would not have a quarterly loss again until the fourth quarter of 2017. Parsons retired from that job in 2012. In 2014 he stepped in as interim CEO of the Clippers until Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer took over later that year. Parsons, a Republican, previously worked as a lawyer for Nelson Rockefeller, a former Republican governor of New York, and in Gerald Ford’s White House. Those early stints gave him grounding in politics and negotiations. He also was an economic adviser on President Barack Obama’s transition team. Parsons, who loved jazz and co-owned a Harlem jazz club, also served as Chairman of the Apollo Theater and the Jazz Foundation of America. And he held positions on the boards of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the American Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Parsons played basketball at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and received his law degree from Albany Law School in 1971. He is survived by his wife, Laura, and their family. ___ This obituary was primarily written by the late Associated Press reporter Anick Jesdanun, who died in 2020.The Future Of Entertainment: How Global Content Access Is Evolving
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Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim is reportedly cracking down on squad discipline and has announced that players will no longer be able to use international breaks as an excuse for extra holidays. Amorim took up his coaching duties at the beginning of the week and found his squad depleted due to many being away playing for their nations. Two players who were not involved for their national teams were Marcus Rashford and Casemiro. Both players took the opportunity to travel to the US; Rashford was spotted at an NBA game in Madison Square Garden, while Casemiro visited Disney World in Florida. READ MORE: Ruben Amorim might have already found his most important player for his Manchester United plan READ MORE: Manchester United considering including exciting youngsters in Europa League squad Whilst not pointing the finger at Rashford or Casemiro for seizing their break, Amorim clearly stated: "Would I set a different structure? Yes, for sure. But we cannot put this on the players. They told them they have five days off so they can fly anywhere. Because nobody in the club says you cannot fly. So we cannot, this time, put that on Rash [Rashford] or Case [Casemiro]." The recent escapades of Rashford and Casemiro were met with criticism from ex-United stalwart Gary Neville , who voiced concerns about the poor optics and questioned whether trips abroad are the best way for players to recuperate amidst difficult times at the club. He stated: "I'm not that wound up about [Marcus] Rashford and Casemiro going over to the United States, but what I'm asking is, if you've got a four-day break, Portland is a 12-hour flight and an eight-hour time difference, your jetlag is bad, and you feel a bit [rough]. "They went to Portland, and I'm asking the question based on professionalism – you're playing badly, the team are losing, your 13th in the league, and there is a new manager coming in – would you choose that trip as a break to recharge your batteries? That's not a recharging trip. It's not right that.", reports the Mirror . Amorim commented on the changes he plans to make: "Us as a club have to set the standards and have to manage that. It's my decision if they can have five days, or three days, or three days to rest and you cannot fly. This is something that us as a club have to decide. So this must be started in the club, with us and me being responsible in that area." Amorim, known for his attention to detail, has prohibited his coaches from giving out complex instructions. The former Sporting Lisbon boss believes that if he can't explain a particular idea in a single sentence, it shouldn't be communicated until it's simplified.Charleston Southern grabs late lead, stuns host Miami
ASX to drop after tech giants slide in the US
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