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BUFFALO, N.Y. —The Siena Saints shot 57.7 percent from the floor and made 6-of-12 3-point attempts in the game’s second half to post a 66-53 win against the Canisius Golden Griffins in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) men’s basketball action Sunday afternoon at the Koessler Athletic Center. Siena improved to 5-5 overall and 1-1 in MAAC play, while the Golden Griffins slipped to 0-10 overall and 0-2 in league games. This marks the first time since 1938-39 that the Griffs have dropped their first 10 games to start the season. Canisius junior guard Paul McMillan IV led all scorers with [...]Fennec Pharmaceuticals director sells $10,022 in stock
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Comrade Olusoji Oluwole, National President of Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSBIFI), in this interview with SYLVESTER ENOGHASE, on the sideline of a capacity building organised by ASSBIFI for business editors in Lagos, speaks on the emergence of Artificial Intelligence in financial service sector and reporting, and the need to curb its excesses. He also advocated fair compensation package for the sector’s workforce. Excerpts: Looking at the intersection between finance, technology and innovation, how do you think this is going to impact the performance of financial journalists? The whole idea is to bring everything together, because there will be an intersection at some point in time. We are coming from a period where things were done manually, to when they became automated, and now, to an era where Artificial Inelligence does everything. So, what AI has come to do, is to do in minutes what several people would have done probably in weeks or days.. However, the challenge that we see is that, artificial intelligence is prone to manipulation. Hence, whatever results an artificial intelligence system brings out, with this kind of training, you will be able to dissect it, and pick out any issues that you may find, and bring them to question. Since AI is developed by human beings too, so, whatever its result on a task, it’s still human beings that will be able to decode and dissect it. So, the whole purpose of this training is to put journalists in a position to receive reports, and be able to analyse, and ask questions where questions need to be asked. So, by the time these things are being put into public space, you would have been the first point of contact to raise any questions. Just as AI currently influences journalistic work, so also in the banking sector where it could be deployed for both negative and positive tasks. So, as an association, how do you ensure that some of these banking staffs are well trained, just like you are training us here, to understand how to effectively deploy AI in customer service delivery? Well, artificial intelligence will always be used positively and negatively, but one thing I can tell you is that, banks generally have a huge focus on risk and IT security, so, when we’re talking about security, we’re talking about IT security, and other securities all around their systems. It is interesting to let you know that, banks upskill and update their staff regularly. So whatever it is that is being developed, the first thing that is at the back of the mind of anybody is the security of it, and that is why if we look at it on the surface, for example, you will hear of two-factor authentication. The two-factor authentication is to further enhance securitisation of your account. In this regards, unless, you provided fraudsters some of your secret information, they will not be able to hack into your account and system. So, most time they hack customer’s account, we find out that there is usually a compromise on the part of the victim, but then, we will not blame the victim because there are times when things look normal, but are not actually what they seem to be. For example, some people who receive emails, or receive text messages purportedly from their financial institutions to click on something, and the moment they do that, their money is gone. Another scenario is, those who are asked to give their personal details, which they are not supposed to do; so, all those things combine to lead to loss of funds many times, because of that, banks have also gone on to do campaigns to their customers, telling them what is the things that they are not supposed to give to third parties, the things that are personal to them. There are occasions where systems may have been hacked, and where those happen, I know a lot of financial institutions will move swiftly, because there are regulations that guide all these things, so they move swiftly. There are people who check these things daily, they have teams that work 24 hours a day, they are sitting down looking at it. They are intelligent enough to tell you there is something amiss, so, all those things are in place in financial institutions. Financial fraud through artificial intelligence is not a Nigerian problem, it’s a global problem, and I recall a couple of weeks ago, I was in an engagement where we looked at a system that tracks cyber-attacks from various places. Cyber-attacks were more coming in from other countries into Nigeria than from Nigeria out. So, you find them from Europe, Asia, America, Latin America, South America, all coming in from different locations and there are millions. So, it is a global problem that needs to be addressed. As an institution that deals with workers’ welfare in the banking and financial industries sector, how have you been able to address casualisation of workers in the banking sector? For us, like we presented about two years ago, the then Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Ngige, released a document on casualisation, a guideline on how casualisation should be dealt with, the period of time that people can be in casual employment before they move into full employment, and we are aware that this was something that was given like a directive to financial institutions, and to the people who are providing those services. This is because casual workers are not actually staff of the banks, they are staff of outsourcing companies, so, we know that quite a number of organisations have complied, there are those who have still not done the same, so it’s become a case of not just us, but the government being able to monitor, regulate and ensure that the needful is done, because it’s almost like a law that has been passed and needs to be implemented. But, generally amongst our own institutions, it’s minimal, it’s quite minimal. Is there any advice for banks, especially, in terms of taking most of the responsibilities in what they do in this era of AI? Like we have always said, people should ensure that they increase their knowledge and skill in technology, it’s a dynamic environment, nothing remains the same, and everything keeps changing. AI is still going to be managed by humans, and the opportunities are very wide for people to exploit. So, our advice always is that, they should continue to improve on their skills, to continue to upskill and develop themselves very well. And while we are advising employees, we also advise employers, not to be too quick to discard people who, for some reason, have been unable to upskill, because one thing that you cannot just go out into the world to pick up is experience. This is because, there are times when artificial intelligence can malfunction, because it’s technology. If it decides to have a mind of its own, who is going to resolve it? It is the people with experience, because today, we are breeding a lot of people who are very versatile and conversant in technology, so, they can think it and they can write it, but they do not have that experience to be able to deal with it. Just like driving, today, everybody is driving an auto vehicle, put that same person who is fantastic in an auto vehicle, in a manual car, he’s going to have a problem, because he doesn’t understand the technology of clutch, changing up, changing down and all those things. It’s the same thing with technology, that, no matter how artificial intelligence malfunction , we must have that reserve in place in case, to deal with it. In this area of ongoing recapitalisation in the banking sector, are you putting measures in place to ensure that workers are not majorly affected? Yes, I’ve said this in different forums and interviews, that where we talk about it affecting our members, it’s situations where we have acquisitions and mergers happening. But again, when you look at the amount of money that is being required to raise, I do not expect any institution to remain the same size. So, it means that we expect business to grow, which means that we expect that there will be demand for staff in some of those areas. Nevertheless, we have simplified our interest in institutions that are likely to merge or are likely to be acquired. We’ve simplified our interest to them, to all parties involved and to the regulators as well, especially situations where one party is unionised and the other is not unionised. We let them know all that is happening. Of course we cannot discount the fact that there may be adjustments of some sort. So, what is important at the end of the day, is to find how some of these amendments can be appropriately placed, because there have been duplication of roles, whether we like it or not. If two organizations are coming together, let’s start from the top, we are going to have two chairmen, two folks, two MTs, two escorts, all down to the very last position. So, we understand that those things will happen. And where it happens, we are also campaigning to ensure that people are adequately compensated for the work that they have done, based on the kind of capitalisation that has been raised and based on the laws that govern such situations. As the anchor of this capacity building for Business Editors, what do you suggest as a take-home for business sectors? For me, my own desire, and a take-home for all of you, is that, at the end of this training, you will be able to give unbiased and objective reports without having to run to experts in the field, so to speak, because it’s not all the time that you are going to find professionals sitting in your position. There are times where they may just be people who studied journalism, not professionals who came into journalism, but you will be able to speak with authority. And where that comes to play is that, for professionals, there are times where they will have their own biases as well, because it’s difficult to have 100% objectivity. So, for people in your own field, in your own profession, you have the opportunity to be able to come out and say it the way it is, and be able to ask the right questions. So for us, the take-home that I want you to go with is that when you are reporting, you will be able to give to the public things that they will understand, they will be able to digest, and they will be able to use.The property owner John O’ Donnell surveys the damage to his garden. John reports the authorities have been and assessed the damage. Specialist Tree Surgeons are required to deal with such a massive tree. Luke Jervis stenaline ferry A bus collided with a building outside Templepatrick as Storm Darragh arrives in Northern Ireland on December 7th 2024 (Photo by Kevin Scott) Simon Grant from NIE Networks and Cookstown resident Thomas McDonald at the NIE Networks Community Assistance Centre in Cookstown Leisure Centre on Sunday afternoon, one of a number of centres set up across Northern Ireland by NIE for people affected by Storm Darragh. This car was lifted by the roots of a tree emerging from the ground after it was blown over. Storm Darragh causes damage to Ballylumford Power Station in Larne, Saturday, December 7, 2024. (Picture by Peter Morrison) stirn Around 3,000 customers remain without power following extensive damage to the network caused by Storm Darragh, NIE Networks has said. And while the operator said it will be working to restore power to homes as quickly as possible, some homes may have to wait until Tuesday. Around 95,000 customers were hit by power cuts over the course of the storm following sustained gusts of up to 70mph. At Darragh’s peak, over 48,000 homes were without power. An amber warning for wind – the second highest level of weather warning – had been issued from 1am-3pm on Saturday. A yellow wind warning was then in place until 6am on Sunday. Among the events cancelled on Saturday was the Christmas Market in Belfast. It re-opened to visitors on Sunday but as a knock-on effect traffic around the city centre ground to a halt as shoppers made their way in during one of the busiest weekends of the year. Alex Houston, Network Operations Manager for NIE Networks, said his team had been dealing with over 900 faults across the network as a result of storm damage. “Our teams will be working to restore customers as quickly as they can,” he said. “We estimate that the vast majority will be restored by Monday evening however there is the potential that small pockets will remain off supply into Tuesday.” Adding to the power problems, electricity generation was temporarily suspended at Ballylumford, one of Northern Ireland’s main power stations, after the natural gas-fired power station reported structural damage to one of its smaller chimneys. The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) said 1,336 incidents were reported on our roads, over 1,000 of which were caused by fallen trees and branches Essential travel only was advised on Saturday and there were several road traffic accidents, one resulting in a Translink driver needing hospital treatment as his double decker bus left the road near Belfast International Airport. A substantial number of road closures remain in place, and road users are advised to plan their journeys in advance, including in Lurgan where a large tree came down to block Cottage Road. Property owner John O’Donnell said a specialist tree surgeon will be needed to remove the fallen tree. Chainsaws were also needed across roads in Belfast, including along the Falls Road, to help remove fallen debris and make them passable again. At one point on Saturday morning there were no trains running in Northern Ireland but journeys have now resumed, with knock-on delays. Bus services, flights and ferries were also affected with many travellers seeing weekend plans cancelled. All six Irish Premiership games scheduled for Saturday were called off, with late postponements leaving fans in an “appalling situation”, according to Communities Minister Gordon Lyons. The strongest gusts on Saturday included 78mph at Orlock Head, Co Down; 71mph at Killowen, Co Down; and 68mph at Magilligan, Co Londonderry NIE Networks is now facing a challenge to restore power to affected homes and businesses. Mr Houston added: “At this stage we have worked through a lot of the faults which impact on larger numbers of customers and are now moving towards those faults where small numbers are affected. “The public are reminded to stay clear of any damaged electricity equipment, keep children and animals away and to report any incidents of damage immediately to the NIE Networks Customer Helpline on 03457 643 643.” On Sunday afternoon, NIE Networks manned community assistance centres at several locations around Northern Ireland to provide a warm place for those affected to stay warm.. Simon Grant travelled from Newry to help out at Cookstown Leisure Centre. “We’re here to provide a service and reassure people that NIE is doing all it can to have power restored as quickly as possible, and that we are in constant contact with all the relevant authorities to make sure that happens,” he said. Cookstown resident Thomas McDonald, who has been without power at home since the early hours of Saturday morning, said the assistance centre was welcome, but added that he had only found out about it from a neighbour who hadn’t lost power. “With no internet and no social media there will be a lot of people who maybe needed the assistance but didn’t know it was available,” he said. “That shows just how vital it is to get the supplies restored as quickly as possible. “I’m fortunate enough to have been able to take the family out for breakfast and dinner. “I have an office in the town with a kitchen, so we went there for breakfast this morning (Sunday) but some will be sitting at home alone in the cold, with no television, no heating and isolated.” On Sunday morning around 60 homes in the immediate Cookstown area remained affected, though that number had been reduced to single figures by Sunday afternoon as NIE worked overnight to restore the supply. Members of the public have been asked to check in on relatives, friends and neighbours who may require further support and to also ensure that their power cut has been reported. Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd thanked the multi-agency staff “who have once again risen to the challenge and have worked together very effectively to keep the public safe”. “When those who could were staying indoors, teams from my department were outside working in the atrocious weather conditions to keep people safe. Infrastructure staff were out on the ground all weekend monitoring river levels and removing accumulated material as well as clearing debris and trees off the roads to get all major routes open. I want to thank and pay tribute to them for doing so,” he said. “I also want to commend all of the emergency services who have been to the forefront of the weekend’s operation keeping people safe in very difficult conditions. Thank you also to the Community Resilience Groups who were kept up to date with advance notice of severe weather warnings so that they were prepared and ready to respond in their communities. We will continue to work with other agencies as the clear up continues.” NIE Networks will open community assistance centres tomorrow from noon-2pm and 5-7pm to offer assistance to those still without power:
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info With nine first-team players free to move on at the end of the season, Hearts boss Neil Critchley says he will know when the time is right to open up talks about new deals. The Gorgie gaffer arrived on the scene too late to influence Lawrence Shankland ’s contract negotiations, but he will be integral in deciding if there is a future at Tynecastle for the likes of Scotland keepers Craig Gordon and Zander Clark, as well as Barrie McKay, Liam Boyce and Jorge Grant, who have tumbled down the pecking order. Youngster James Wilson, who made his first start in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Dundee, is another in need of a new contract, while decisions will have to be made over loan signings Gerald Taylor and Andres Salazar as the season progresses, with the club enjoying the option to buy both, if desired. Asked if he would prefer to see more done to keep his captain Shankland, who ended his scoring drought at the weekend, Critchley said that was between the player and the board, with his mind focused on other things as the games come thick and fast. “Everyone's fully aware that his contract's running down and he'll be out of contract in the summer,” said the man who is looking to wrap up European progress with a win against Copenhagen on Thursday. “I know there were talks prior to me being here but obviously I've just been concentrating on trying to help Lawrence to find the form [he showed] in the last couple of seasons. “That's my main focus at the moment and he's the captain of the team. He's been playing up to the penalty area and he's been playing very well and contributing, he's just missed that final little bit. I think it's gone on slightly longer this year but he hasn't scored many goals at a similar period of last season. so I'm hoping...he can have a really strong second half of the season. “[The situation] is different for every individual and we also have to be mindful that they're contracted to play and contribute for Hearts. That's what they get paid to do so we have to protect ourselves. “We also think that if we know [we want them to stay or go] and it's right for that individual then at some point you sit down and have those conversations face to face and explain the reasoning for the decisions you make. At this moment in time we're in a busy period of fixtures so everything else is further down the line.”Environment Don't miss out on the headlines from Environment. Followed categories will be added to My News. Blazes in Victoria’s Grampians National Park are yet to be contained as of Christmas morning, with a total fire ban to take effect in the state from Boxing Day. The bushfire has already torn through more than44,000 ha of land and is expected to spread into the new year, with temperatures likely to skyrocket this week. The Country Fire Authority (CFA) reported on Christmas morning that the fire had moved north of the southern section of the national park overnight. “The fire could burn for weeks, as Grampians National Park has a lot of fuel and very little rain is forecast”, they said. Forecasters expect the mercury to soar above 40C across Victoria on Thursday and wind speeds to reach between 70 and 80km/h. Fires are set to get worse as a result of conditions forecast for Thursday. Picture: Instagram Country Fire Authority chief Jason Heffernan said the fires already burning and any new fires that could be sparked as a result of the extreme fire risk were both “major concerns”. “Follow the strict conditions associated with the total fire ban declaration and understand how the increased fire risk will impact you, and ensure your fire plan covers all possible contingencies,” Mr Heffernan said. The bushfire burning in the Grampians. Picture: Hamilton Fire Brigade It comes as not safe to return orders were issued for Bellfield, Bellfield Settlement, Flat Rock Crossing, Fyans Creek, Grampians Junction, and Halls Gap on Christmas Eve. Authorities are also asking people to avoid travelling in or around the areas flagged by VicEmergency. More than 200 residents and business owners evacuated from Halls Gap on Saturday were permitted to return to collect personal items on Christmas Eve. With heatwaves forecast around much of the country from Thursday, Victoria is unlikely to be the only state enduring scorching conditions on Boxing Day. Parts of southern NSW including Wagga Wagga are expected to hit 39C. Sydney’s in for a cooler forecast of 29C on Thursday, but things are set to heat up on Friday with temperatures forecast to peak at 37C. Residents in Sydney’s western suburbs are expected to cop the brunt of the city’s heatwave with an anticipated top of 41C in Penrith on Boxing Day. Canberra is expected to reach 35C, with Brisbane to remain in the low 30s on Thursday before a searing top of 37C on Friday. Back in Victoria, authorities will likely continue their efforts to contain the fires into 2025, with eighteen firebombing aircrafts and 600 firefighters currently on the ground. That includes more than 100 personnel who have come from NSW, Queensland, ACT, and Tasmania to assist the CFA’s efforts. A total fire ban means no fire can be lit in the open air or allowed to remain alight. The ban will take effect from 12.01am on Boxing Day. Originally published as Total fire ban issued as authorities brace for Boxing Day threat More related stories Environment State’s huge move ahead of ‘extreme’ Boxing Day One Aussie state has issued a sweeping ban due to “extreme” dangers over the Christmas period – prompted by dual threats of scorching temperatures and raging fires. Read more Gadgets Huge new feature coming to AirPods One of the most common pieces of tech has been given a massive new dimension with the approval of life-changing technology in Australia. Read more
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NEW YORK (AP) — Brian Thompson led one of the biggest health insurers in the U.S. but was unknown to millions of people his decisions affected. Then Wednesday's targeted fatal shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO on a midtown Manhattan sidewalk thrust the executive and his business into the national spotlight. Thompson, who was 50, had worked at the giant UnitedHealth Group Inc for 20 years and run the insurance arm since 2021 after running its Medicare and retirement business. As CEO, Thompson led a firm that provides health coverage to more than 49 million Americans — more than the population of Spain. United is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans, the privately run versions of the U.S. government’s Medicare program for people age 65 and older. The company also sells individual insurance and administers health-insurance coverage for thousands of employers and state-and federally funded Medicaid programs. The business run by Thompson brought in $281 billion in revenue last year, making it the largest subsidiary of the Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group. His $10.2 million annual pay package, including salary, bonus and stock options awards, made him one of the company's highest-paid executives. The University of Iowa graduate began his career as a certified public accountant at PwC and had little name recognition beyond the health care industry. Even to investors who own its stock, the parent company's face belonged to CEO Andrew Witty, a knighted British triathlete who has testified before Congress. When Thompson did occasionally draw attention, it was because of his role in shaping the way Americans get health care. At an investor meeting last year, he outlined his company's shift to “value-based care,” paying doctors and other caregivers to keep patients healthy rather than focusing on treating them once sick. “Health care should be easier for people,” Thompson said at the time. “We are cognizant of the challenges. But navigating a future through value-based care unlocks a situation where the ... family doesn’t have to make the decisions on their own.” Thompson also drew attention in 2021 when the insurer, like its competitors, was widely criticized for a plan to start denying payment for what it deemed non-critical visits to hospital emergency rooms. “Patients are not medical experts and should not be expected to self-diagnose during what they believe is a medical emergency,” the chief executive of the American Hospital Association wrote in an open letter addressed to Thompson. “Threatening patients with a financial penalty for making the wrong decision could have a chilling effect on seeking emergency care.” United Healthcare responded by delaying rollout of the change. Thompson, who lived in a Minneapolis suburb and was the married father of two sons in high school, was set to speak at an investor meeting in a midtown New York hotel. He was on his own and about to enter the building when he was shot in the back by a masked assailant who fled on foot before pedaling an e-bike into Central Park a few blocks away, the New York Police Department said. Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said investigators were looking at Thompson's social media accounts and interviewing employees and family members. “Didn’t seem like he had any issues at all,” Kenny said. "He did not have a security detail.” AP reporters Michael R. Sisak and Steve Karnowski contributed to this report. Murphy reported from Indianapolis.ASIA Resilience is the name of the game, Japan CPI eyed