
A Mumbai-based travel vlogger, Ami Palan, recently took to social media to share her experience and explain why Indian passport holders should consider investing in a 10-year US visa. Her post on X has since gone viral, as many people found her advice to be a game-changer for frequent travelers. ET Year-end Special Reads What kept India's stock market investors on toes in 2024? India's car race: How far EVs went in 2024 Investing in 2025: Six wealth management trends to watch out for Ami, who secured her 10-year US visa last year, called it one of her best travel investments. "Last year, I secured a 10-year USA visa, and it’s one of the best travel investments I’ve made," she wrote in her post. According to Ami, the long-term US visa provides numerous benefits, including discounts on travel to other countries and an easier visa application process for various destinations. Lower Costs for Other Visas One of the standout perks of holding a 10-year US visa is the cost reduction when applying for other country visas. Ami shared that with a US visa, she was able to get a Turkish e-Visa for just $60 (approximately Rs 5,000), which she called "a fraction of the standard cost." She also mentioned that her experience in the UAE was far more convenient. "When I traveled to the UAE, I paid half the usual visa price, and it was visa-on-arrival & no prior hassle," she explained. Simplified Travel to Over 25 Countries A valid US visa opens up significant advantages for travelers, especially when it comes to accessing other countries. "With a valid US visa, Indian passport holders get visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to over 25 countries, making travel more affordable and convenient," Ami added. Countries such as Mexico, Costa Rica, and the Philippines also offer visa-free entry for those with a US visa, making spontaneous travel plans much easier to execute. — markmeyourze (@markmeyourze) Social Media Buzz: Followers Share Their Experiences Ami's followers on social media quickly expressed their gratitude for the information and shared their own experiences. One user commented, “I went to Dubai, and the immigration officer just glanced at my US visa, asked me to smile in front of the camera, stamped my passport, gave me a 10 GB sim card, and let me go. No questions asked. It’s truly amazing how countries trust a US visa affixed to a passport.” Another user echoed similar thoughts, saying, “Smart move. Access to a broader range of countries with less hassle can really enhance spontaneous travel plans.” The post sparked a lively discussion, with several users sharing their positive experiences. One individual wrote, “I went to Taiwan and Macedonia without a visa, and when the officer saw the US visa, they did not even ask questions at Seoul and Helsinki. Elevates the weak passport!” Such stories highlight the value of a US visa in simplifying travel logistics and opening doors to more travel opportunities. For frequent travelers, the 10-year US visa offers more than just ease of travel to the US. It also serves as a gateway to a host of other countries, making international travel more seamless and cost-effective.BERKELEY, Calif. , Dec. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Bamboo Technology , a mental health technology innovation company, is announcing its participation in Batch 19 of the prestigious UC Berkeley Skydeck IPP Program for startup acceleration. The company's HereHear AI therapist solution will be the key focus of the program, driven by the vision of revolutionizing mental health with AI-powered virtual solutions. To learn more about HereHear, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngU32WgiWf4 "HereHear is here in the US, and I am truly grateful to the Berkeley Skydeck IPP Program for recognizing its potential," noted Lynia Huang , Bamboo Technology's CEO. "As important as mental health has become in recent years, there is a shortage of mental health providers and access to support is low — and HereHear is paving the way for AI to bridge that gap as a first line of defense." A growing case for incorporating AI into mental healthcare With data showing that the US is in a mental health crisis, the CDC recently noted a dire need for public health initiatives that create environments centered around mental health. Specific to the workplace, the Society for Human Resource Management's Employee Mental Health in 2024 Research Series found that 44% of US employees feel burned out at work. The combination of a shortage of mental health providers in the US with the flourishing capabilities of AI builds a strong case for the technology to be deployed in the form of human-guided mental health solutions. HereHear's YangYang: A personalized 3D virtual therapist As organizations seek out ways to empower team members to take better care of their mental health, AI is increasingly emerging as a solution for on-demand, personalized support. Offering a more engaging interaction than chatbots, HereHear's 3D virtual therapist YangYang was launched in January 2024 and offers: Sophisticated vocal and emotional analysis: Aligned with professional assessment scales, it analyzes voice features in 30 seconds to detect levels of stress, depression and happiness, assessing both verbal and nonverbal cues. Broad accessibility : Multiple languages and real-time, personalized support Powered by AI and deep learning: Continuously learns from patient interaction YangYang has already been implemented in several therapy clinics and has helped 70% of users improve stress and depression levels by 25% within 3 months. Taking the form of a sheep further distinguishes her — this functions both to provide a 'cute' aspect lending to the warm, healing emotional support she provides, while also helping users who are struggling emotionally to keep in perspective that their interactions are ultimately not with a human. Bringing success in Taiwan to the US market Bamboo Technology's acceptance into the Berkeley Skydeck IPP Program is a major accomplishment as the platform seeks to enter the US market. Batch 19 has only 117 startups out of around 2300 applications, and the program will support HereHear to develop, pilot and launch, as well as to pitch for funding. The company aims to target the app in the human resources space—as a tool for companies to offer staff for on-demand, privacy-first mental health support. Back in Taiwan , the app already has hospitals, mental health clinics, universities, publicly listed companies, and government agencies that use it, similarly spurred by a shortage of mental health workers. About Bamboo Technology Established in November 2018 , the Taipei -based Bamboo Technology is a mental health technology innovation company that focuses on improving public mental health with voice emotion analysis technology. It embraces a belief that a universal, objective, and scientific mental health system can effectively solve the problem of deteriorating mental health in today's society — a core tenet upheld by its many psychologists; social workers; and information management, AI and big data experts. SOURCE BAMBOO TECHNOLOGY LTD.
The world's shortest runway just 1,312ft long so difficult pilots need special training
Hutson scores 20 as Northern Iowa defeats Southern Illinois 78-67Caprock Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines, Inc. ( NYSE:DAL – Free Report ) by 15.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 11,956 shares of the transportation company’s stock after buying an additional 1,559 shares during the quarter. Caprock Group LLC’s holdings in Delta Air Lines were worth $607,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Pathstone Holdings LLC raised its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines by 8.4% in the third quarter. Pathstone Holdings LLC now owns 56,926 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,891,000 after acquiring an additional 4,413 shares in the last quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC increased its holdings in Delta Air Lines by 8.3% during the 3rd quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 51,145 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,598,000 after purchasing an additional 3,934 shares during the period. Quest Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Delta Air Lines in the 3rd quarter valued at about $453,000. Swiss National Bank boosted its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 478,900 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $24,323,000 after buying an additional 3,400 shares during the period. Finally, Claro Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Delta Air Lines by 172.4% during the third quarter. Claro Advisors LLC now owns 11,704 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $594,000 after buying an additional 7,408 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.93% of the company’s stock. Insider Activity In other news, EVP Allison C. Ausband sold 7,510 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.62, for a total transaction of $470,276.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 58,897 shares in the company, valued at $3,688,130.14. The trade was a 11.31 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link . Also, SVP William C. Carroll sold 21,530 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.62, for a total transaction of $1,305,148.60. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 19,756 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,197,608.72. The trade was a 52.15 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 140,240 shares of company stock valued at $8,044,893. Company insiders own 0.96% of the company’s stock. Delta Air Lines Stock Performance Delta Air Lines ( NYSE:DAL – Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 10th. The transportation company reported $1.50 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.52 by ($0.02). Delta Air Lines had a net margin of 7.71% and a return on equity of 29.93%. The business had revenue of $15.68 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $14.65 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.03 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Delta Air Lines, Inc. will post 6.07 earnings per share for the current year. Delta Air Lines Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 10th were paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, October 10th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.95%. Delta Air Lines’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 8.33%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research analysts have commented on the stock. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Delta Air Lines to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, September 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Delta Air Lines from $68.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, October 11th. Barclays raised their price target on Delta Air Lines from $60.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on Delta Air Lines from $60.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Bank of America raised their target price on Delta Air Lines from $55.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Delta Air Lines presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $72.75. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on DAL Delta Air Lines Company Profile ( Free Report ) Delta Air Lines, Inc provides scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo in the United States and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Airline and Refinery. Its domestic network centered on core hubs in Atlanta, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Detroit, and Salt Lake City, as well as coastal hub positions in Boston, Los Angeles, New York-LaGuardia, New York-JFK, and Seattle; and international network centered on hubs and market presence in Amsterdam, Bogota, Lima, Mexico City, London-Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Sao Paulo, Seoul-Incheon, and Tokyo. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DAL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Delta Air Lines, Inc. ( NYSE:DAL – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Delta Air Lines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Delta Air Lines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .SAN FRANCISCO -- Northern California was under a rare and brief tsunami warning alert Thursday that tested local emergency notification systems after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook part of the state. The National Weather Service canceled its alert after roughly an hour and before the tsunami was expected to arrive. In that hour, some cities and counties ordered evacuations while others relied on social media and text messages to inform people of the warning. Some people headed for higher ground, while others drove to the beach to get a better view. People took to social media to figure out why a warning was issued and then canceled so quickly, and how the NWS determines when to send alerts. Here are answers to more questions. The word for tsunami comes from the Japanese characters for harbor and wave. It's a series of extremely long waves set in motion when energy from an earthquake causes the ocean floor to suddenly rise or fall, according to the National Weather Service . Since 1800, California's shores have been struck by more than 150 tsunamis, most of them minor, according to the California Geological Survey. Phones buzzed Thursday when the National Weather Service issued its warning just minutes after the quake struck west of Ferndale, a small city in coastal Humboldt County. It read in part: “You are in danger. Get away from coastal waters. Move to high ground or inland now.” The National Weather Service Bay Area posted on the social platform X early Friday that the region doesn't get tsunami alerts often and “there are lot of questions, frustration, and even some anger” about Thursday's event. A warning alert is the most serious of four tsunami alerts, including a watch alert for a possible tsunami and an advisory alert telling people to stay out of the water and away from the shore. The last time California received a warning alert was 2011 when an earthquake in Japan caused about $100 million in damages along the California coast. Basically, a distant, offshore earthquake or other trigger event gives scientists more time to analyze data and confirm that a large tsunami was generated before sounding a warning. But Thursday’s earthquake was local and close to the coast, forcing a hasty high-level alert in order to give people the maximum time to prepare as tsunami waves can travel very fast, up to 500 mph (800 kph) in the deep ocean, the NWS wrote. “By the time we actually observe it, it may be too late, because it's right there in our back doors,” said Dalton Behringer, a meteorologist with NWS Bay Area, on Friday. Scientists used the time Thursday to monitor buoys and get more information on the earthquake itself, he said. They canceled the alert after seeing little sea-level change and determining the quake was a strike-slip type of temblor that shifts more horizontally and is less prone to cause tsunamis, he said. “These things happen so infrequently for us, I think it just caught a lot of people off-guard,” he said. Authorities in Eureka, the biggest city in Humboldt County, sent texts and went door-to-door to order businesses in high-risk areas to evacuate, said City Manager Miles Slattery. He said only a small portion of the city was at risk, and Thursday's test run showed evacuees need to work on leaving by foot, rather than by car. In the San Francisco Bay Area, the commuter light-rail system known as BART stopped traffic in all directions through the underwater tunnel between San Francisco and Oakland, and the San Francisco Zoo’s visitors were evacuated. Responses varied as fire and police in Berkeley evacuated certain areas of the city while in San Francisco, officials sent alerts and messages on social media telling residents to stay away from water, beaches, harbors, marina docks, and piers. “Move at least one block inland,” said the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management. Emergency personnel in vehicles with public address systems also went to make sure no one was on beaches and other low-lying areas. But some critics said San Francisco should have sounded its loud emergency sirens, which have been off-line since 2019 for repairs. In San Mateo County, just south of San Francisco, officials considered but decided against sounding its tsunami warning sirens after receiving more comprehensive information from the NWS that any tsunami would affect coastlines north of the Golden Gate Bridge, said Michelle Durand, a spokesperson for the county. Fire and police cleared the beaches while emergency personnel gathered to monitor the situation, she said, which “prioritized both public safety and the prevention of unnecessary panic.”
Wildcats receive purple carpet treatment during their sendoffThe world’s 10 most costly climate disasters of 2024 caused $229bn in damages and killed 2,000 people, the latest annual analysis of insurance payouts has revealed. Three-quarters of the financial destruction occurred in the world’s biggest economy, the US, where climate denier Donald Trump will become president next month. For the first time since the ranking was first compiled in 2018, there were two storms in a single year responsible for more than $50bn of losses: the hurricanes Helene and Milton that battered the US in September and October. Released at the end of what is almost certain to be another record-breaking year for global heat, the top 10 also included , which killed at least 829 people and wreaked $12.6bn of economic havoc; Storm Boris in Europe, which killed at least 26 and caused $5bn of losses; and the devastating floods in southern China, Bavaria, Valencia and Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. The rising financial impact of human-caused climate disruption was apparent in another first: all of the top 10 disasters racked up bills of more than $4bn. In every case, climate scientists calculated how much more likely the catastrophes were made by the burning of fossil fuels, such as gas, oil and coal. Dr Mariam Zachariah, a world weather attribution researcher at Imperial College London, said: “Most of these disasters show clear fingerprints of climate change. Extreme weather is clearly causing incredible suffering in all corners of the world. “This report is just a snapshot of climate devastation in 2024. There are many more droughts, heatwaves, wildfires and floods not included that are becoming more frequent and intense.” The ranking is compiled at the end of each year by Christian Aid, using data from insurance payouts. The charity said the true cost of disasters is likely to be much higher because many people are uninsured, particularly in poor countries. The NGO noted that other major climate disasters in 2024 had a lower immediate financial impact, but would have an incalculable knock-on cost in terms of deaths, destruction of globally important ecosystems and long-term damage to food supplies, social stability or sea levels. This included , , droughts in southern Africa and heatwaves in Bangladesh, Gaza and . Christian Aid’s CEO, Patrick Watt, urged global policymakers to cut emissions and increase compensation payments to poor countries. “The human suffering caused by the climate crisis reflects political choices. There is nothing natural about the growing severity and frequency of droughts, floods and storms,” he said. “Disasters are being supercharged by decisions to keep burning fossil fuels, and to allow emissions to rise. And they’re being made worse by the consistent failure to deliver on financial commitments to the poorest and most climate-vulnerable countries.”PEP GUARDIOLA is really finding Manchester City’s current slump difficult to swallow. The Catalan admitted a run like this can affect everything — from the amount of sleep he gets to his diet. Recently, he has just been having soup for his evening meal as he is struggling to digest much else due to the nerves. With his kids grown up and his wife Cristina back in Barcelona, Pep admits it can be a lonely business being a coach during a bad run. He said this week: “You have people by your side but the pain of defeat only happens to one. “It’s true your friends are there but when you go to sleep and you turn off the light, there’s no consolation possible. Read More in Football “You have to swallow on it, spend a day or two and then come back.” But by and large Guardiola says his frame of mind is not much different to how it was in the spring, when his team were crowned champions for a fourth straight year. That is despite a run of seven defeats in the last ten matches — the same number as City suffered in the previous 105 games up until the end of April. The decline in his all-conquering team has been sudden and alarming and left many people scratching their head. Most read in Football FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS That includes Pep himself, who showed up for his press conference after the draw with Feyenoord last month with marks on his head and a cut on his nose. At the time he put it down to his nails getting too long — although he explained this week there was another factor. PEP GUARDIOLA admitted he is having sleepless nights as he endures his worst-ever spell as a manager. Here are the three-time defending Premier League champions' nightmare last 10 games... Oct 30: Tottenham 2 Man City 1 - DEFEAT Nov 2: Bournemouth 2 Man City 1 - DEFEAT Nov 5: Sporting Lisbon 4 Man City 1 - DEFEAT Nov 9: Brighton 2 Man City 1 - DEFEAT Nov 23 - Man City 0 Tottenham 4 - DEFEAT Nov 26: Man City 3 Feyenoord 3 - DRAW Dec 1: Liverpool 2 Man City 0 - DEFEAT Dec 4: Man City 3 Nottingham Forest - WIN Dec 7: Crystal Palace 2 Man City 2 - DRAW Dec 11: Juventus 2 Man City 0 - DEFEAT TOTAL - WINS 1, DRAWS 2, DEFEATS 7 He said: “I have a skin problem. I have to take antihistamine for the last two or three years. The nails, yes, I did them on my nose. But the rest was that.” Guardiola turns 54 next month and said in a recent interview he does not have the energy to take another club job after he leaves the Etihad. The question some have been asking since is whether he has enough within him for the rebuilding job needed at City. Some of the older players who have achieved so much for him — the likes of Kevin De Bruyne , Kyle Walker and Ilkay Gundogan — are reaching the end of the road. And having achieved pretty much everything he set out to — and even more — with City, some wonder if he has the drive to go again. Yet is easy to forget amid the chaos of the last seven weeks, that he signed a new two-year contract at the Etihad in the middle of it all. It was Pep who indicated he was ready to talk — despite a run of four straight losses before then — and the deal was concluded in a couple of hours. Given what has happened since and the problems he is facing, he may be asking himself whether he did the right thing. Those around him say he has no regrets and is more determined than ever to turn the season around. He accepted the challenge of staying on less than four weeks ago and there is no way he has changed his mind already. I have a skin problem. I have to take antihistamine for the last two or three years. The nails, yes, I did them on my nose. But the rest was that. His feeling all season has been that this was not the right time for him to hand over the keys to his successor and three months in, he was sure of it. The imminent verdict on the 130 charges of financial wrong-doing was a factor, as he has previously said he would not desert the club he loves in their hour of need. But the Club World Cup in the USA in the summer was also a consideration, as it will make the start of next season extremely difficult to navigate. Guardiola felt he wanted to navigate City through this tricky period and he remains determined to do that. In any case, Pep had predicted this would be a tough start to the season — partly due to strain of their recent success and the summer of international duty at Euro 2024 for most of his stars. He did not quite expect it to be this tough, though, as the injuries have made the early months of the season even more challenging. But he remains convinced that once his trusted players are back, he will be able to turn them back into a force. Nothing that has happened since things started to unravel at the end of October has changed his mind. He said: “I have learned with football, not to go against feelings, what you feel at that moment. READ MORE SUN STORIES “If I am sad, I am sad but I know it will pass. That’s how I see it.” A derby win over United on Sunday would help it to pass very quickly.
Taylor Swift has made a surprise stop at a Kansas City children’s hospital, shocking parents and patients alike as she laughed with them, posed for photos and exchanged gifts. All parent Cassie Thomas was told beforehand was that she might want to brush her hair and teeth because there was going to be a special visitor. But she was stunned when Swift, fresh off her Eras Tour and one day before her 35th birthday, walked into her son's son Beckett Thomas' room on Thursday at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. “No rumors. Like, we literally had absolutely no idea this was happening,” Thomas recalled. Her 13-year-old son, Beckett Thomas, is a cancer patient and a fan of Swift's Kansas City Chiefs tight-end boyfriend, Travis Kelce. Beckett uses a 3D printer to make earrings bearing his and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes' names, walking around the hospital unit selling them to nurses. Now, Swift has a pair as well. “She was amazing,” Beckett's mom said. “So down to earth.” Another patient told Swift that her favorite song was “Love Story" and had some questions about San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy, whose team played the Chiefs in the Super Bowl earlier this year. Surprised, Taylor, muttered: “Brock Purdy, What? I mean, I don’t mind Brock Purdy.” She then continued: “He put me through a lot last February.” Asked before the Super Bowl whether he was prepared to disappoint Swift, Purdy responded: “Yes.” The game ended with Mahomes rallying the Chiefs to second straight Super Bowl title, 25-22 over the 49ers in overtime. “I was very stressed for a second but it all ended up fine,” Swift told the girl, their recorded conversation posted online. The girl then chimed in: “I like Travis now.” Swift responded with: “Me too. That’s an absolute yes on that one." There is no word on whether Swift will be in the stands when the Chiefs play the Browns on Sunday in Kelce’s hometown of Cleveland.In search for U.S. journalist Austin Tice, a clue from 11 years ago