( MENAFN - UkrinForm) In field conditions, soldiers of the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after King Danylo upgrade ordinary drones from volunteers turning them into lethal weapons against the enemy. This was reported to Ukrinform by the press service of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. It is noted that a unique workshop has been set up near the combat zone. Drones from volunteers that reach the hands of experienced technicians undergo deep modernization, system upgrades, and are equipped with deadly payloads. Special attention is given to FPV drones, which become true "flying swords" in the hands of our defenders. At nearby training grounds, operators practice complex tactical tasks. They improve their skills to maximize the effectiveness of drones for reconnaissance, artillery fire adjustment, and direct strikes on enemy targets. The Ground Forces emphasized that every drone flight is a step toward our shared victory. As reported by Ukrinform, the Ukrainian Ground Forces are undergoing fundamental changes in recruitment, military training, advanced technologies, battle management, digitization of processes, transformation of leadership, logistics, and social support for service members. MENAFN29122024000193011044ID1109040122 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.Facebook Messenger Twitter Whatsapp Email The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, or ARPA-H, has unveiled a new platform aimed at enhancing medical imaging by leveraging artificial intelligence tools and technology. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agency said Monday it is seeking proposals for the ImagiNg Data EXchange, or INDEX, program. The objective of the funding opportunity is to develop the exchange platform and foster connection between medical imaging data providers, users and services. This is expected to boost the development of AI-enhanced tools for radiology, pathology and surgical imaging. What Is the ImagiNg Data EXchange? The INDEX program is an initiative meant to address the gaps in the development of medical AI tools, particularly the lack of high-quality medical imaging data. Medical imaging is essential for diagnosis and treatment but there is a lack of trained professionals, particularly radiologists and pathologists, that can interpret imaging exams. The use of AI and machine learning can potentially address this issue. Through the INDEX platform, medical software developers can access large volumes of imaging data for training, testing and validating AI/ML applications. Developers can leverage digital pathology, surgical videos, radiological scans and other medical imaging data to enhance these applications. Should the initiative succeed, healthcare providers will be able to process more medical images faster and provide more accurate diagnoses. ARPA-H Director Renee Wegrzyn , remarked, “For AI-enabled medical diagnostic tools to become commonplace in medical settings, we must work to enable consistent performance, which requires large volumes of diverse and representative data for training, testing and validation.” Register now and join Potomac Officers Club as they present the 2024 Healthcare Summit . Get to know the latest about the healthcare sector from industry experts and thought leaders.
HALIFAX — A day after Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston led the Progressive Conservatives to a massive majority win, the Liberals were licking their wounds and wondering why their party was almost wiped off the political map. On Wednesday morning, once all the ballots were counted, the incumbent Tories had secured 43 of the 55 seats in the legislature, an increase of nine. The NDP won nine seats, an increase of three, and the Liberals fell to only two seats, a dozen less than when the campaign started. One Independent candidate held her seat — a first for the province. Liberal Leader Zach Churchill, a 40-year-old former cabinet minister, lost his seat after a long, see-saw battle with his Tory rival in the riding of Yarmouth — Churchill's hometown on Nova Scotia's southwestern shore. The Liberals had to give up their role as official opposition and the party barely held on to official party status. "At the end of the day, this falls on my shoulders," Churchill said afterwards. "This loss belongs to me and me alone." But it would be wrong to blame Churchill for his party's collapse at the polls, says Tom Urbaniak, a political science professor at Cape Breton University in Sydney, N.S. "Zach Churchill was dealing with a damaged Liberal brand — damaged in large part by the current standing of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau," Urbaniak said in an interview Wednesday, adding that Houston took advantage of that weakness. "(Churchill) was portrayed as Justin Trudeau's junior protege. And that stuck with some Nova Scotians." Throughout the campaign, Houston and his Tory colleagues tried to link Trudeau — whose Liberals are trailing the federal Tories by about 20 points in the polls — with Churchill, a well-spoken career politician who was elected to lead the provincial party in July 2022. "We know Zach Churchill defends his federal cousins at every turn,” provincial Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Kent Smith said in a statement early in the campaign. “Once again, when Zach Churchill had the choice to stand up for Nova Scotians or stand with Justin Trudeau, he chose Trudeau.” Churchill was also hobbled by a relatively low provincial profile, Urbaniak said. Despite the fact that he had held the riding of Yarmouth for the past 14 years and served in the cabinet of former Liberal premier Stephen McNeil, Churchill failed to leave much of an impression on the electorate, he said. Part of the problem was that McNeil, who served as premier from 2013 to 2021, rarely let his ministers spend much time in the limelight. "Stephen McNeil, at times, ran a one-person government," the professor said. "The premier made the big decisions .... That came back to hurt Zach Churchill." As well, Houston's decision to call an early election also stung the Liberals and the NDP, both of which were still nominating candidates when the campaign started. On another front, the Liberals in southwestern Nova Scotia were hurt by the fact that residents in several fishing communities had long complained about what they said was the federal Liberal government's failure to stop the illegal fishing of lobsters and baby eels. "The perceived federal mismanagement was a factor in some ridings," Urbaniak said, pointing to the Acadian riding of Clare, which had been held by the Liberals for the past 31 years. Liberal candidate Ronnie LeBlanc, a local fisherman, lost the riding to rookie Tory candidate Ryan Robicheau on Tuesday night by more than 1,000 votes. During the campaign, Churchill promised to establish an inquiry into illegal fishing, but voters on the South Shore were unimpressed. The Tories won all nine ridings in the region. It was Churchill's first election as leader. On Tuesday night, he declined to say if he would stay in the role. Neither Churchill nor Houston were available for an interview Wednesday. As for the NDP, party leader Claudia Chender said she was looking forward to taking on the large Tory majority. "I think what we take away from being the official Opposition is that people are looking for a strong voice and they are looking for a different voice,” said Chender, a 48-year-old lawyer. It was also her first election as leader. She said her priorities include pushing for more protection for renters, and reducing the number of people still seeking a doctor. The three additional seats won by the NDP are all in the Halifax area, part of the party’s traditional power base. Chender said the election results showed her party has room to grow, particularly along the South Shore and in Cape Breton. “In many ridings across this province there were tight two- or three-way races and we are building,” she said. “I think that work has started and will continue.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2024. Michael MacDonald, The Canadian PressPorter's 26 lead Middle Tennessee over South Florida 95-88Italy fines OpenAI for ChatGPT's violations in collecting users' personal data
MCKINNEY, Texas , Dec. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hartwater Aesthetics ® , a leading medical aesthetic brand, announced an expansion of its clinical and leadership team with the addition of a new aesthetic provider and a new practice manager at its location in McKinney, TX. The Hartwater Clinical team is joined by Tiffany Byres , LMA, a licensed Medical Aesthetician, Certified Laser Technician, and Laser Safety Officer with 13 years of experience in the plastic surgery and medical aesthetics space. Byres brings to Hartwater an extensive knowledge of skin care techniques and protocols as well as expertise with numerous laser technologies and other treatments to provide top-quality care to patients. Joining the leadership team as Practice Manager is Lauren Parker , an experienced operational and sales leader in the beauty industry. Parker will oversee daily operations at the practice and ensure the continued delivery of a seamless, patient-focused experience. This growth reflects Hartwater's ongoing commitment to delivering exceptional care and innovative services to its patients. The team expansion marks an exciting new chapter for Hartwater Aesthetics ® as it continues to set the standard for medical aesthetic care. About Hartwater Aesthetics ® Hartwater Aesthetics ® is a premier medical aesthetic practice offering industry-leading treatments for the face, body, and skin. It is home to a team of world-class aesthetic providers and uses the most state-of-the-art technology to offer patients the highest quality of care available. Media Contact: pr@h artwatera esthetics.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hartwater-aesthetics-expands-team-302337620.html SOURCE Hartwater AestheticsFalcons feeling the pressure at .500 as Cousins’ interceptions put spotlight on downturn for offenseThe Arizona Cardinals are 6-6 through 12 games, which makes them an average football team. That's much better than the previous two years, which both ended with just four wins. But after two straight frustrating losses, it's not providing much consolation for a franchise that feels as though it should be much better. The latest setback came on Sunday, when the Minnesota Vikings rallied to beat the Cardinals 23-22 . Arizona never trailed until Sam Darnold threw a 5-yard touchdown pass with 1:18 remaining that proved to be the winning score. It was a mistake-filled performance for the Cardinals, who racked up 10 penalties for 96 yards. That's a big reason they had to settle for five field goals and scored just one touchdown. The Cardinals were leading 19-16 in the fourth quarter and had first-and-goal at the Vikings 5, but Tip Reiman was called for a false start and then quarterback Kyler Murray was called for intentional grounding . The Cardinals kicked a field goal for a 22-16 lead, giving the Vikings the chance they needed to drive for the winning score. Murray threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter. “I thought we moved the ball well,” Murray said. “Again, it just comes down to not scoring touchdowns. Get down there and kick field goals and penalties bite us. It’s bad — it’s bad football.” The loss knocked the Cardinals out of first place in the NFC West, though they're still in decent playoff position. A pivotal game against the division-rival Seahawks looms on Sunday. Second-year coach Jonathan Gannon acknowledged the frustration of Sunday's loss, but said they've got to rebound quickly. “They’re disappointed and down, but it’s the NFL,” Gannon said. “They’ve got to put all their energy and focus into tomorrow.” What’s working Arizona's defense blamed itself for not coming up with a stop on the Vikings' winning drive, but the unit played exceptionally well for most of the afternoon. Mack Wilson and L.J. Collier both had two sacks and the Cardinals held Minnesota to just 273 total yards. For a group that looked as if it might be the team's weakness this season, it was another rock solid performance. What needs help The Cardinals aren't a good enough football team to overcome 10 penalties and get a win — particularly on the road. Reiman had a rough day, getting called for three false starts. His false start on the next-to-last offensive drive — coupled with Murray's intentional grounding penalty — proved to be extremely costly. “That was brutal,” Gannon said. “Just got to figure out ways to punch the ball in for touchdowns there, not field goals.” Stock up Rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. had five catches for 60 yards, including an impressive touchdown catch that put the Cardinals up 19-6. It was Harrison's seventh TD reception of the season. The No. 4 overall pick has been a little inconsistent in his first year, but there's little doubt he's a difference-maker for the offense. He's still got a chance to reach 1,000 yards receiving this season if he averages about 80 yards receiving over the final five games. Considering his talent, that's certainly possible. Stock down Gannon was second-guessed for his decision to kick a field goal late in the fourth quarter instead of trying for a touchdown at the Vikings 4 with 3:29 left. Chad Ryland made the 23-yard chip shot for a 22-16 lead, but the Vikings drove the field on the ensuing possession for the winning score. “I trust JG,” Murray said. “I see both sides. Go up six and make them score; trust the defense to go get a stop. Go for it, you don’t get it, they’ve still got to go down and score. If you do get it, you probably put the game away.” Said Gannon: "Yeah, I mean there’s thought about it. Just wanted to go up more than a field goal there. Definitely a decision point that we talked about. So be it.” Injuries The Cardinals came out of the game fairly healthy. Rookie DL Darius Robinson — the No. 27 overall pick — made his NFL debut against the Vikings after missing the first 11 games due to a calf injury. Key number 1,074 — Running back James Conner's total yards from the line of scrimmage this season, including 773 on the ground and 301 in the passing game. Next steps The Cardinals return home for a game against the Seahawks on Sunday. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Shane Lenon says O and M recruits from the RFL should be four-pointers
LAS VEGAS — There are three races remaining in the Formula 1 season and Max Verstappen of Red Bull is close to a fourth consecutive world championship, which can wrap up Saturday night at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. All is not smooth sailing headed into this final month of racing: "It was a bit of a surprise, I think, for everybody," said Mercedes driver George Russell, a GPDA director. "It's a hell of a lot of pressure now onto the new race director (with) just three races left. Often, as drivers, we probably feel like we're the last to find out this sort of information." The Andretti team is expected to receive F1 approval to join the grid, albeit without Michael Andretti, who has scaled back his role dramatically since the IndyCar season ended in September. Many drivers, particularly seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, have been at odds with FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem since his election following the 2021 season finale. In the GDPA statement, they reminded the sanctioning body "our members are adults" who don't need lectures and fines on foul language or jewelry bans, and simply want fair and consistent race control. There's been no response from Ben Sulayem, and won't be this weekend since he does not attend the LVGP. He will be at Qatar and the finale in Abu Dhabi next month. Hamilton doesn't think all the behind-the-scenes changes will be a fan topic as the season comes to a close. But he noted that consistency from race control is all the drivers have asked for, while throwing his support behind Domenicali and the job Maffei has done in growing F1 since Liberty took over. "I really hope Stefano is not leaving because he's been so instrumental in changes and progress to this whole thing," Hamilton said. "And he knows the sport as well as anyone. But all good things do come to an end, and whoever they put into place, I just hope they are like-minded. But sometimes you have to shake the trees." That's just what happened with the surprise departure of race director Wittich. Although drivers have been unhappy with race officiating this season and held a private GPDA meeting in Mexico City, Russell said they had no prior warning Wittich was out. The race director is the referee each weekend and Wittich has been in charge since 2022, when Michael Masi was fired following the controversial 2021 season-ending, championship-altering finale at Abu Dhabi. Now the man in charge for the final three races is Rui Marques, the Formula 2 and Formula 3 race director. Las Vegas, which overcame multiple stumbling blocks in last year's debut before putting on one of the best races of the season, is a difficult place to start. Verstappen can win his fourth title by simply scoring three points more than Lando Norris of McLaren. "It's a bit weird with three races to go to do that," Verstappen said. "It doesn't matter if you're positive or negative about certain things. I thought in Brazil there was definitely room for improvement, for example. It's still a bit weird having to now then deal with a different race director." Charles Leclerc of Ferrari wondered why the move was made with only three races to go. "To do it so late in the season, at such a crucial moment of the season, it could have probably been managed in a better way," he said. The drivers have consistently asked for clearer guidelines in the officiating of races, specifically regarding track limits and racing rules. The drivers have no idea how Marques will officiate, highlighting a disconnect between the competitors and Ben Sulaymen's FIA. "We just want to be transparent with the FIA and have this dialogue that is happening," Russell said. "And I think the departure of Niels is also a prime example of not being a part of these conversations." The GDPA statement made clear the drivers do not think their voice is being heard. "If we feel we're being listened to, and some of the changes that we are requesting are implemented, because ultimately we're only doing it for the benefit of the sport, then maybe our confidence will increase," Russell said. "But I think there's a number of drivers who feel a bit fed up with the whole situation. It only seems to be going in the wrong direction." He also said the relationship between the drivers and the FIA seems fractured. "Sometimes just hiring and firing is not the solution," he said. "You need to work together to improve the problem." Norris, who has battled Verstappen this year with mixed officiating rulings, said "obviously things are not running as smoothly as what we would want." Marques has his first driver meeting ahead of Thursday night's two practice sessions and then three weeks to prove to the competitors he is up for the job. Carlos Sainz Jr., who will leave Ferrari for Williams at the end of the season, hopes the drama doesn't distract from the momentum F1 has built over the last five years. "I think Formula 1 is in a great moment right now and all these rumors, I think in every team, every job, there's job changes," he said. "It's not big drama. I'm a big fan of the people you mentioned, they've done an incredible job in Formula 1 and Formula 1 is what it is thanks to these people. But it's just so emotional, especially the Stefano one. The only one that has a real effect is the race director. But I think if he does a good job, it should be transparent and nothing big." Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Mobileye Global Inc. ( NASDAQ:MBLY – Get Free Report )’s stock price shot up 2.1% on Friday . The company traded as high as $19.89 and last traded at $19.88. 2,977,792 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 43% from the average session volume of 5,209,533 shares. The stock had previously closed at $19.47. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research analysts recently commented on MBLY shares. BNP Paribas downgraded shares of Mobileye Global from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $12.00 target price on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday, October 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating and issued a $15.00 price objective on shares of Mobileye Global in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on shares of Mobileye Global from $17.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued an “underweight” rating and issued a $10.00 target price (down from $16.00) on shares of Mobileye Global in a research note on Monday, October 7th. Finally, UBS Group lowered Mobileye Global from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price target for the company from $20.00 to $14.00 in a research report on Friday, October 4th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $23.38. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Mobileye Global Mobileye Global Price Performance Institutional Trading of Mobileye Global Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. BCGM Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Mobileye Global by 178.0% during the third quarter. BCGM Wealth Management LLC now owns 190,595 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,611,000 after buying an additional 122,031 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Mobileye Global by 168.4% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,526,234 shares of the company’s stock valued at $20,909,000 after acquiring an additional 957,565 shares in the last quarter. AXA S.A. raised its position in shares of Mobileye Global by 35.6% in the 2nd quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 518,076 shares of the company’s stock worth $14,550,000 after purchasing an additional 135,967 shares during the last quarter. PFG Investments LLC bought a new position in Mobileye Global in the 3rd quarter worth about $635,000. Finally, Select Equity Group L.P. grew its position in Mobileye Global by 74.6% during the 2nd quarter. Select Equity Group L.P. now owns 237,137 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,660,000 after purchasing an additional 101,350 shares during the last quarter. 13.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Mobileye Global Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Mobileye Global Inc develops and deploys advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving technologies and solutions worldwide. The company operates through Mobileye and Other segments. It offers Driver Assist comprising ADAS and autonomous vehicle solutions that covers safety features, such as real-time detection of road users, geometry, semantics, and markings to provide safety alerts and emergency interventions; Cloud-Enhanced Driver Assist, a solution for drivers with interpretations of a scene in real-time; Mobileye SuperVision Lite, a navigation and assisted driving solution; and Mobileye SuperVision, an operational point-to-point assisted driving navigation solution on various road types and includes cloud-based enhancements, such as road experience management. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Mobileye Global Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mobileye Global and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Joo Hyung-hwan, vice chair of South Korea’s Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy, said on Monday that his country’s fertility rate is expected to rise slightly when the data from 2024 is fully tabulated. This is welcome news for South Korea, the country with the world’s worst confirmed demographic decline, even though the improvement predicted by Joo will be minimal. “If the recent increase in the number of marriages and births continues, the country’s fertility rate is expected to be about 0.74 this year, which is higher than Statistics Korea’s initial long-term projection of 0.68 and last year‘s figure of 0.72,” Joo said on Monday. If this projection holds up, it will be the first increase in South Korea’s fertility rate in nine years and the largest increase in 14 years. According to Statistics Korea, the government statistical agency, September 2024 was the third straight month in which more than 20,000 babies were born. A fertility rate of 0.74 births per woman is still far, far below the level of 2.1 needed for population stability, let alone growth, so South Korean officials are keen to understand exactly how this baby bump was achieved. Joo urged business leaders to transform South Korea’s workplace culture to nourish demographic growth by implementing more family-friendly policies – or they might soon find themselves without enough young workers to keep their enterprises running. “We are entering a new normal era of labor shortages, moving beyond mere mismatches in the labor market. It is time for companies to establish new survival strategies for themselves,” Joo said. Joo also credited the increased number of marriages in recent years for bringing more children into the world. Some observers caution this marriage surge was largely a result of post-pandemic euphoria and might fade soon. As with other industrialized nations facing demographic crunches, South Korea has implemented a wide variety of government subsidies to reduce the cost of childbirth and childrearing, including a $750 cash allowance for newborns, increased parental leave, and tax incentives for businesses that create “family-friendly work cultures.” None of this has been enough to reverse the decline, probably because the real “cost” preventing young South Koreans from starting families is not just the high cost of maternity care or daycare, but the tremendous opportunity cost of setting career and personal goals aside to become mothers and fathers, especially mothers. South Korea’s birth rates collapsing so precipitously in the new millennium has prompted vigorous discussion on why – and how other countries might avoid a similar fate. One factor often mentioned is the rise of an extremist left-wing feminist movement in South Korea known as “4B,” which took shape about ten years ago. Some pinpoint the birth of the movement as the Gangnam murder of 2016, in which a man stabbed a woman to death for ignoring him. “Bi” is a Korean word for adamant refusal, so the name of the movement translates to “Four Nos,” specifically “no dating, no marriage, no sex, no children.” 4B is an expression of angry, radical feminism, the mirror image of the “incel” phenomenon among young Western men. Some of its adherents believe they are sending a message to the male-dominated business and political system by denying them sex, in the manner of the classical Greek comedy Lysistrata, in which women tried to end the Peloponnesian War by staging a “sex strike.” The number of women who announce themselves as adherents of 4B is not large, but they have an outsized impact on South Korean culture, which is filled with confused and unhappy young people. Some observers believe the rise of 4B exacerbated the demographic crisis by pulling young women out of the dating and marriage pool, while others see it as a response to demographic collapse, as women feel they are being unfairly blamed for the demise of the next generation. The 4B movement has grown influential enough to attract notice from women in other countries, including in the United States. CNN recently claimed there was a surge of interest in 4B among “young liberal women across TikTok and Instagram” after the election of Donald Trump, although the report offered only anecdotal evidence for this contention and talking about militant celibacy online is much easier than actually doing it. “I have been waiting for this to happen. It took eight years to reach you guys!” South Korean feminist writer and 4B pioneer Mingyeong Lee told her new American followers on Monday. No matter how many women might fully commit themselves to a movement like 4B – or how many young men might swear off women and dating in similar fashion – the cold, hard, biological truth is that population stability requires young people to start having children at a young age, and a fair number of couples must have more than two children to hit the threshold for growth. Any cultural trend that makes young people less likely to embrace that enormous commitment is bound to have a negative effect, especially since getting upwardly mobile, career-minded youth to embrace that commitment was already difficult.None
Asian shares commenced the week on a subdued note, as elevated Treasury yields posed a challenge to Wall Street's valuation metrics, while supporting the U.S. dollar's surge near multi-month highs. Trading volumes remained thin with the New Year holiday approaching and a relatively light economic calendar this week. China's PMI factory surveys are anticipated on Tuesday, followed by the U.S. ISM survey on Friday. MSCI's broad Asia-Pacific index outside Japan decreased by 0.2%, yet retains a 16% annual increase. Japan's Nikkei eased by 0.9% but maintains about 20% gains for 2024. Conversely, South Korea faced political unrest, seeing a 9% loss this year, despite a slight increase of 0.3% recently. South Korean budget carrier Jeju Air saw its share value plunge drastically after a fatal plane crash, while Chinese blue chips appreciated slightly. With Wall Street experiencing a broad sell-off, experts suggest cautious investment decisions amid potentially prolonged restrictive monetary policy from the Fed and Trump's anticipated policy shifts. (With inputs from agencies.)Bemidji State Alumni and Foundation receives $200,000 from Women's Foundation of Minnesota