Kate Beckinsale puts on a very leggy display in white fur coat as she poses for snaps with her beloved pink-dyed catMr Bayrou, 73, a crucial partner in Macron’s centrist alliance, has been a well-known figure in French politics for decades. His political experience is seen as key in efforts to restore stability as no single party holds a majority at the National Assembly. Mr Macron’s office said in a statement that Mr Bayrou “has been charged with forming a new government”. During the handover ceremony, Mr Bayrou said that “no one knows the difficulty of the situation better” than he does. “I’ve taken reckless risks all along my political life to raise the issue of debt and deficits in the most important elections,” he said. France is under pressure from the European Union’s executive body and financial markets to reduce its colossal debt, estimated to reach 6% of its gross domestic product this year. “I know that the risks of difficulties are much greater than the chances of success,” Mr Bayrou said, adding that he hopes to lead the country towards a “needed reconciliation”. “I think this is the only possible path to success,” he said. The new prime minister is expected to hold talks with political leaders from various parties in the coming days in order to choose new ministers. Former prime minister Michel Barnier resigned last week following a no-confidence vote prompted by budget disputes in the National Assembly, leaving France without a functioning government. Mr Macron in an address to the nation vowed to remain in office until his term ends in 2027. Mr Macron’s centrist alliance does not have a majority in parliament and Mr Bayrou’s Cabinet will need to rely on moderate lawmakers from the left and the right to be able to stay in power. Some conservatives are expected to be part of the new government. Mr Macron’s strategy aims at preventing far-right leader Marine Le Pen from holding “make or break” power over the government. Ms Le Pen helped oust Mr Barnier by joining her National Rally party’s forces to the left to pass the no-confidence motion last week. Mr Bayrou’s appointment is also in line with Mr Macron’s efforts to build a non-aggression pact with the Socialists so that they commit not to vote against the government in any future confidence motion. Mr Bayrou leads the centrist Democratic Movement, known as MoDem, which he founded in 2007. In 2017, he supported Mr Macron’s first presidential bid and became a weighty partner in the French president’s centrist alliance. At the time, he was appointed justice minister, but he quickly resigned from the government amid an investigation into the MoDem’s alleged embezzlement of European Parliament funds. Mr Bayrou this year was cleared in the case by a Paris court, which found eight other party officials guilty and sentenced the party to pay a fine. Mr Bayrou became well known to the French public when he was education minister from 1993 to 1997 in a conservative government. He was three times a candidate for president: in 2002, 2007 and 2012.Trump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise prices, won't rule out revenge prosecutions
DURHAM, N.C., Dec. 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chimerix (NASDAQ:CMRX), today announced that on December 2, 2024, the Compensation Committee of Chimerix’s Board of Directors granted inducement awards to three new employees of non-statutory stock options to purchase up to a total of 385,000 shares of Chimerix’s common stock. The Compensation Committee of Chimerix’s Board of Directors approved the awards as an inducement material to the new employees’ employment in accordance with Nasdaq Listing rule 5635(c)(4). The stock options have an exercise price per share equal to Chimerix’s closing trading price as of the grant date. The stock options have a 10-year term and will vest over four years, with one-fourth vesting on the one-year anniversary of the date of hire and the remaining three-fourths vesting over the following three years in equal monthly installments. The stock options are subject to the terms of Chimerix’s 2024 Equity Incentive Plan but were granted outside of the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan. Chimerix is a biopharmaceutical company with a mission to develop medicines that meaningfully improve and extend the lives of patients facing deadly diseases. The Company’s most advanced clinical-stage development program, dordaviprone (ONC201), is in development for H3 K27M-mutant glioma. The Company is conducting Phase 1 dose escalation studies of ONC206 to evaluate safety and PK data. CONTACTS: Will O’Connor Stern Investor Relations 212-362-1200 ir@chimerix.com will@sternir.com
Kane hat trick against Augsburg hides Bayern's concerning lack of goals BERLIN (AP) — Harry Kane scored a hat trick including two penalties for Bayern Munich to beat Augsburg 3-0 in the Bundesliga on Friday. Ciarán Fahey, The Associated Press Nov 22, 2024 2:24 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Bayern's Harry Kane, kicks a penalty to score his side's second goal during the Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Augsburg at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader) BERLIN (AP) — Harry Kane scored a hat trick including two penalties for Bayern Munich to beat Augsburg 3-0 in the Bundesliga on Friday. The win stretched Bayern’s lead to eight points ahead of the rest of the 11th round, and Kane took his goals tally to a league-leading 14. The England forward is the fastest player to reach 50 goals in the Bundesliga in what was his 43rd game. However, coach Vincent Kompany should be concerned by his team’s ongoing difficulty of scoring in matches it dominates. Bayern previously defeated St. Pauli and Benfica only 1-0. Kompany’s team had to wait until stoppage time before Kane sealed the result with his second penalty. Two minutes later, Kane scored with a header after controlling Leon Goretzka's cross with his first touch for a flattering scoreline. “We had to be patient,” Kane said. “And at halftime that’s what we said, to keep doing what we’re doing. We had a few chances in the first half and we just had to be a bit more clinical and obviously, thankfully, we got the penalty to kind of open the game up.” Mads Pedersen was penalized for handball following a VAR review and Kane duly broke the deadlock in the 63rd. Bayern continued as before with 80% possession, but had to wait for Keven Schlotterbeck to be penalized through VAR for a foul on Kane. Kane sealed the result in the third minute of stoppage time and there was still time for him to grab another. It’s Bayern’s seventh consecutive win without conceding a goal since it conceded four at Barcelona (4-1) on Oct. 23 in the Champions League. “You can see now that we have a solid defense and that's the basis, also in games like today's,” Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich said. “When it's a game of patience, then it's important for us to know that sometimes one goal will have to do. Like today we added two more before the finish, but in the end you only need to score one more than the opponent.” Bayern next hosts Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday, then Borussia Dortmund away in the Bundesliga next weekend, before defending champion Bayer Leverkusen visits in the third round of the German Cup. ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer Ciarán Fahey, 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 Soccer Marta's magic helped get the Pride to Saturday's NWSL title game against the Washington Spirit Nov 22, 2024 2:25 PM PSG beats Toulouse 3-0 and Akliouche double gives Monaco home win over Brest Nov 22, 2024 2:07 PM Caitlin Clark to join Cincinnati bid for 16th National Women's Soccer League team Nov 22, 2024 10:42 AM
These Winter Outfits Are So Cozy and So Chic
By Louis Collins Housing has been one of the trickiest portfolios for successive governments. Its quality, supply, warmth, and affordability have all been problems. Theories about how to fix 'the housing crisis' are common. Suburban New Zealand is thick with ex-state houses. They show that housing has been in crisis before, and has been managed. Nearly a century since the first state houses, they remain a crucial service. Kāinga Ora's 72,000-plus properties make it the largest residential landlord in the country. Debt loads, hefty waiting lists and a mismatch between available housing and what is needed are identified as issues. During the annual review of Kāinga Ora this week , Housing Minister Chris Bishop told the Social Services Committee 60 percent of people on the housing register required one-bedroom homes, but only about 10 percent of the ministry's homes fit the bill. Bishop suggested the problem was also true of New Zealand housing stock generally. "It all comes down to rent and affordability, and we just have an undersupply of houses across the continuum... [The wait-list] people classified as 'in severe and urgent need of housing' ... can't afford the private rental market because we haven't built enough houses over the last 30 years, when we've had the fastest house price growth in the OECD... and we've made it nearly impossible to build housing in this country." Bishop is also the minister for RMA reform - an area he seems passionate about. During the Kāinga Ora hearing, Bishop lamented low land availability and regulation as barriers to housing, saying "the evidence is really clear". "Cities that have functional land markets and infrastructure that is allowed to be built without barrier after barrier in the way, have cheaper and affordable housing." Nodding supportively beside Bishop was his junior minister, Tama Potaka, responsible for emergency housing. In Question Time some questions are known in advance and deflection is easy. There are fewer escapes in an annual review hearing. Labour MP Kieran McAnulty suggested Potaka was avoiding questions. "Whenever we've tried to ask you about this in the House, frankly, it's been dismissed," McAnulty said. "At least give us an acknowledgement that the change in criteria has played a part in the reduction of the emergency housing numbers." Potaka didn't give McAnulty as straight an answer as he wanted. "In terms of the declines, there has been a slight increase in the number of applications that have been declined, but nearly 50 percent of those that have been declined in the month of October were actually triaged and helped in a different way to get into housing, not into emergency housing. So I think there's some 'good news stories', and how we are making sure that the system operates in a manner to help people get into housing that is not emergency housing." There certainly isn't an easy fix to housing - results will take time. The combined housing and emergency portfolios require both addressing short-term needs, while also working to fix systemic housing issues over the longer term. It's a role unlikely to show real success until years after a minister has departed. RNZ's The House , with insights into Parliament, legislation and issues, is made with funding from Parliament's Office of the Clerk. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.TikTok edged closer to being banned in the United States after it lost an appeal on Friday against a law requiring the video-sharing app to divest from its Chinese parent company by January 19. The potential ban could strain US-China relations just as president-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office on January 20. TikTok said it would now appeal to the Supreme Court, which could choose to take up the case or let the DC circuit court's decision stand. TikTok will also be looking to Trump, who has emerged as an unlikely ally, arguing that a ban would mainly benefit Meta's platforms owned by Mark Zuckerberg. Trump's stance reflects broader conservative criticism of Meta for allegedly suppressing right-wing content, including Trump's ban from Facebook after the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. Also Read : Android and iPhone users in danger? FBI conducting serious scrutiny about texts amid espionage concerns Artificial Intelligence(AI) ChatGPT Mastery from Zero to Hero: The Complete AI Course By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Data Analysis Animated Visualizations with Flourish Studio: Beginner to Pro By - Prince Patni, Software Developer (BI, Data Science) View Program Astrology Vastu Shastra Course By - Sachenkumar Rai, Vastu Shashtri View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Java Programming with ChatGPT: Learn using Generative AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Legal Complete Guide to AI Governance and Compliance By - Prince Patni, Software Developer (BI, Data Science) View Program Entrepreneurship From Idea to Product: A Startup Development Guide By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Entrepreneurship Startup Fundraising: Essential Tactics for Securing Capital By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Entrepreneurship Building Your Winning Startup Team: Key Strategies for Success By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Data Analysis Learn Power BI with Microsoft Fabric: Complete Course By - Prince Patni, Software Developer (BI, Data Science) View Program Web Development Advanced C++ Mastery: OOPs and Template Techniques By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Strategy Succession Planning Masterclass By - Nigel Penny, Global Strategy Advisor: NSP Strategy Facilitation Ltd. View Program Finance AI and Generative AI for Finance By - Hariom Tatsat, Vice President- Quantitative Analytics at Barclays View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Master in Python Language Quickly Using the ChatGPT Open AI By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) AI and Analytics based Business Strategy By - Tanusree De, Managing Director- Accenture Technology Lead, Trustworthy AI Center of Excellence: ATCI View Program Office Productivity Microsoft Word Mastery: From Beginner to Expert By - CA Raj K Agrawal, Chartered Accountant View Program Artificial Intelligence(AI) Tabnine AI Masterclass: Optimize Your Coding Efficiency By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Office Productivity Mastering Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and 365 By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By - Neil Patel, Co-Founder and Author at Neil Patel Digital Digital Marketing Guru View Program Entrepreneurship Validating Your Startup Idea: Steps to Ensure Market Fit By - Dr. Anu Khanchandani, Startup Coach with more than 25 years of experience View Program Data Science SQL for Data Science along with Data Analytics and Data Visualization By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Finance A2Z Of Finance: Finance Beginner Course By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program Web Development Master RESTful APIs with Python and Django REST Framework: Web API Development By - Metla Sudha Sekhar, IT Specialist and Developer View Program Leadership Business Storytelling Masterclass By - Ameen Haque, Founder of Storywallahs View Program The US government alleges TikTok allows Beijing to collect data and spy on users. It also says TikTok is a conduit to spread propaganda, though China and app owner ByteDance strongly deny these claims. The law, signed by President Joe Biden in April, would block TikTok from US app stores and web hosting services unless ByteDance sells the platform by January 19. While recognizing that "170 million Americans use TikTok to create and view all sorts of free expression," the three-judge panel unanimously upheld the law's premise that divesting it from China's control "is essential to protect our national security." They found that the law did not hinder free speech as it was "devoid of an institutional aim to suppress particular messages or ideas." The judges also disagreed with the idea that less drastic alternatives than a sale by ByteDance would solve the security issues. "This conclusion is supported by ample evidence that the Act is the least restrictive means of advancing the Government's compelling national security interests," the judges said in their opinion. Trump's position marks a reversal from Trump's first term, when he tried to ban TikTok over similar security concerns. That effort got bogged down in the courts when a federal judge questioned how the move would affect free speech and blocked the initiative. Trump's newly nominated tech policy czar David Sacks also opposes the ban as government overreach. Trump's shift coincides with his connection to Jeff Yass, a major Republican donor with ByteDance investments. The President-elect launched his own TikTok account in June, gaining 14.6 million followers, but hasn't posted since Election Day. Despite the uncertainty, TikTok's US presence continues growing. Also Read : Boffins issue clear-cut warning, British men could lose hair this Christmas, urge them not to indulge in these things The platform reported $100 million in Black Friday sales for its new shopping venture, and Emarketer projects US ad revenue will reach $15.5 billion next year, accounting for 4.5 percent of total digital ad spending in the country. But Enberg warned a ban would significantly disrupt the social media landscape, benefiting Meta, YouTube, and Snap while harming content creators and small businesses dependent on TikTok. FAQs Q1. When is TikTok's ban deadline? A1. January 19 is the date for TikTok's ban deadline. Q2. When will Donald Trump take charge? A2. Donald Trump will take charge as the US President on January 20. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )There's a BBC documentary about loaded magazine on TV tonight. It’s called, imaginatively enough, Loaded: Lads, Mags and Mayhem. It’s supposed to be about loaded magazine. Not the loaded magazine you might have seen on newsagents’ shelves from the early 2000s onwards – airbrushed picture of a half-dressed woman you’ve never heard of, unfunny coverlines and no soul. Not that one. No, this is about the original Loaded magazine that launched in May 1994, the one that had Harry Hill riding a badger, Kathy Burke smoking a fag, and Vic and Bob wearing hats made of meat on the covers. The one with lines like ‘Go Straight To Ale – drinking around the Monopoly board’, ‘Room Servicing – why hotel sex is best’ and this endorsement taken from an interview inside with Sir Michael Caine: “I’ve just been reading Loaded. I was laughing my bollocks off”. The one that used to send writers to impersonate Magnum P.I. in Hawaii, search for Jesus in Jerusalem and get in a ring with Prince Naz whilst also giving the world Platinum Rogues – the league table of celebrity bad behaviour– and the Crisps World Cup. You remember. The Loaded magazine that shut down the London Stock Exchange as traders downed tools to read the December 1994 Kathy Lloyd issue and would soon go on to sell over half a million copies a month and define the last truly great decade. The Loaded magazine that should have been humanely destroyed at the turn of the millennium. That one. Not because, as this missed opportunity of a documentary seems keen to suggest, it promoted some kind of generalised mass misogyny that eventually produced creatures like social media scumbag Andrew Tate – it didn’t – but so that its legacy would not be tainted by the lowest common denominator lads mag flotsam that subsequently appeared in its name and beneath the same iconic logo. The makers of Loaded: Lads, Mags and Mayhem talk to several key members of the original team who patiently try to explain what the magazine was all about. Not easy three decades hence, after years of hedonistic excess and when you never had a clue in the first place. “You can look back now and try and reverse engineer a genius publishing masterplan but there wasn’t one,” says loaded co- founder Tim Southwell . “We just knew that was a market because we were the market and we knew there were millions like us out there. “Up to that point all men had were these faux American po-faced advertising vehicles busy selling a contrived version of alpha male bullshit to desperate wannabes in London and the South-East of England. If you want to talk about toxic masculinity you might start there. “We were just a gang of working-class berks from all over the country who ended up in this insane office producing something for ourselves and our mates that we wanted to read. We’d all had our own fanzines and this was just a bigger version – a national fanzine.” Southwell appears in the documentary and has just updated and republished his book, Getting Away With It to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the launch of the magazine. “This is the inside story,” he continues. “When I was updating it I was even more amazed that we got the thing in the shops every month than I was at the time and I found it hard to believe then.” He’s right. I was there. First as a writer (that was me being embarrassed in the ring by Naseem Hamed) and then as Editor-at-Large where one brief was “Go to America and don’t come back until you’ve got into trouble.” Seeking out the godfather of gonzo journalism and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas author Hunter S. Thompson in Colorado, becoming involved in a bar brawl and being chased across the state line by angry gun-toting cowboys and police before taking refuge at his attorney’s place probably qualified. And this was for a magazine that very nearly didn’t happen at all. A chance phone call in early April 1994 alerted the team to the fact that Kurt Cobain had died. Obviously a tragedy in its own right but of more immediate concern was the fact that issue 1 was at the printers and contained an article pointing out that the Nirvana lead singer wasn’t a proper rock star because, after a recent suicide attempt had failed, he couldn’t even kill himself. Hmmm. A frantic call just in time prevented the debut issue from being pulped. Five years later, a print run of 800,000 copies was about to be destroyed after someone pointed out that the actress Cameron Diaz ’s right nipple was clearly visible on the cover of the February 1999 issue. A big legal no-no only averted when someone came up with the idea of placing a sticker over the “offending” body part with the words, “Free Sticker” on it. This kind of thing happened all the time in a work environment before health and safety even existed but space and certain legal considerations prevent me from describing it in full. Kept away from main building in the kind of low-slung bunker with a shed built on an adjoining roof (planning permission? Er no), panics concerning imminent police busts were frequent while it was not uncommon to find annoying staff members sellotaped to chairs and, having been spun round until their faces turned purple, on the brink of passing out. They would be in good company. There were often unconscious people lying around, some of them even worked there. Perhaps this charming tableau from Southwell’s book best captures the essence of the Loaded office: [A heated exchange has just taken place between a writer and a designer] “When Phil went to the toilet Jon sat down at Phil’s computer and set fire to it. There were flames and black smoke everywhere, fumes and everything. Phil put the fire out with his T-shirt and then carried on working at the computer.” Thefts from the fashion dept became so out of control a secure room had to be constructed (subsequently used to store more exotic contraband) and as the magazine’s success and notoriety spread it became a de facto drop-in centre for a lot of the people associated with the 1990s in Britain or just passing through. Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh was a columnist as was convicted drug dealer/ author Howard ‘Mr Nice’ Marks. Robbie Williams , then in his post Take That wilderness period, would occasionally walk-in off the street looking for someone to go for a drink with. Loaded did not report on the swinging 1990s, it was the swinging 1990s - the in-house bible for that glorious moment in time like Rolling Stone in 60s America. Everybody wanted to be in it – although Noel Gallagher was proving hard to get. We did get him eventually (cover had a roll with it because well... you know) but we should have had him earlier. Southwell had left his dictaphone in a hotel room commandeered by Loaded at a festival. Gallagher was one of many who passed through, found the recording device, interviewed himself and sent someone to deliver it to Southwell... who, to his absolute horror, discovered that in something resembling professionalism had made him switch the batteries round in order to prevent recording over an interview with Mr C from the Shamen. “I only did that once,” he remembers now. “Behave like a professional that is.” By the time of the inaugural Loaded awards in 1999 , Gallagher had been interviewed again by Irvine Welsh and they were both in attendance at West End night club Talk of the Town. It was the hottest ticket in London. As Southwell and I watched from the balcony we could see Noel pouring wine into the glass of Richard Whiteley from Countdown while Welsh was playing I-Spy with Charlatans front man Tim Burgess and page 3 model/ loaded cover girl Jo Guest. Across the way TV presenter Johnny Vaughan and girl band All Saints were deep in conversation with Wolf from Gladiators . Next to them, the actor Robert Carlyle, Paul Weller and George Best were laughing their heads off about something while Southwell’s dad was busy flirting with Kathy Burke. Vic and Bob (“enjoy your lunch and watch out for that lunchtime semi”), Prince Naz, Ali G, The Dice Man novelist Luke Rhinehart, Beastie Boys and Paul Whitehouse all recorded cheeky video messages. As had Jean Reno, star of Leon, with the “Best Assassin” award. I presented it to him in Chicago having been thankfully diverted there (and saving my job, probably) after turning up in LA to interview Bridget Fonda for the cover, failing to do so after falling into the right/ wrong company and disappearing for three days. If this all reads like a rollercoaster of misbehaviour, mayhem and joyous escapism, it should do. It all came to a shuddering halt a few months later on a winter evening in Milan in January 2000. Beth Summers, our “big sister” and brilliant Fashion Editor suffered a major brain injury in a horrific motorbike accident during fashion week. She now receives 24/7 care. As Southwell puts it, “My book is called Getting Away With it... that’s when we stopped getting away with it. The original team were gone in a matter of months. Out of there.” You won’t know this if you watch BBC documentary Loaded: Lads, Mags and Mayhem tonight because it’s not mentioned. In fact, despite being a visionary who did more than anyone else that decade to democratise the business of dressing young British men across every demographic, Beth Summers isn’t mentioned at all. At just about 5ft2in tall, she was The Don nonpareil in the wildest, most dysfunctional, creative and dangerous office in magazine history. One look was all it took to get things done her way. As she said before her accident: “The type of men I was working with at Loaded were so different to those I’d worked with [elsewhere]. I can just remember everyone jumping around all the time, just so over-excited. That was so brilliant. The portrayal of women didn’t bother me. Everyone in the office had a certain respect for me. Also I’ve been there, seen it and done it so you couldn’t actually say anything to me that I was going to be shocked by. Apart from that, I was worse [behaved] than they were.” Despite being concerned enough about Loaded’s legacy and how women felt at about it at the time to talk to several people who had nothing to do with the magazine or appeared in it once or twice, here were the filmmakers with the most positive female and defiantly feminist role model and her incredible story staring them right in the face and they bottled it. They knew the facts. They even filmed Beth’s beautiful 32-year-old daughter Eden, now a successful music PR, and spoke to Southwell and others about what happened in Milan but it’s sadly not in the final cut. Perhaps it didn’t serve a narrative they appeared to have – that Loaded was some kind of touchpaper to an explosion of anti-female sentiment and could be bagged up with all the lads mags that came subsequently. That’s not real Loaded, not the one we worked on that was adored by millions of young men and women who subsequently deserted the title as it morphed into something else . If you want a rush of 90s nostalgia you could watch the documentary tonight – there are still some laugh aloud moments provided by the original team members – but if you manage to get to the end you will find yourself profoundly depressed. Without hope. The very opposite of what it felt like to read the magazine in the 1990s. ‘Loaded: Lads, Mags and Mayhem’ airs on BBC Two on Friday November 22 at 9pm and will also be available on iPlayer . ‘Getting Away With It: The Real Inside Story of Loaded’ is available here
Asana (NYSE:ASAN) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Oppenheimer Analyst Says
Dylan Hernández: MLS deal with Apple TV could be hurting league's efforts to grow its fan baseTech firms are escalating their push to turn every outfit spotted on social media into an instant shopping opportunity, with startup Aesthetic launching the latest entry into the artificial intelligence (AI)-powered clothing recognition field. The launch adds to the growing competition in “see-now-buy-now” fashion AI technology, where established players like Google Lens and Pinterest already offer tools to help users identify and purchase clothing they discover while scrolling through their feeds. Aesthetic has gone through a seed funding round led by Craft Ventures, according to an Oct. 29 TechCrunch report . The startup’s founder told the publication that its technology can identify specific garments with 90% accuracy across major fashion brands and retailers. The field has seen increasing investment as social media platforms race to add shopping features. Pinterest recently expanded its visual search capabilities to identify multiple items in a single image, while Google has partnered with retailers to integrate its Lens technology directly into their apps. See also: Google’s Revamped Platform Brings AI Insights, Price Comparisons to In-Store and Online Retail “At a time when influencer marketing is rapidly optimizing lead generation across visual social platforms like TikTok and Instagram, the rise of ‘see it, buy it’ technology can lead to new opportunities for brands to appeal to their target audience by supplying wardrobes to carefully selected influencer accounts,” Tom South , director of organic and web at Epos Now , told PYMNTS. Aesthetic’s technology lets users search with screenshots or photos, analyzing an image to identify specific clothing items and matching them to similar products. Unlike broader visual search tools, the company says it focuses exclusively on fashion, training its AI to recognize details like necklines, sleeve lengths and fabric patterns. The use of AI for search isn’t entirely new. Google Lens launched a feature in 2019 called “style ideas,” letting users find outfit inspirations by analyzing clothing through photos. This feature helps shoppers see how others style similar items or match existing wardrobe pieces. Snap, Search, Shop AI-powered visual search is changing eCommerce by shifting how consumers shop. Instead of typing queries, customers use images to find products intuitively. Amazon ’s app lets users snap a photo to discover similar items on their platform, simplifying the shopping experience. Pinterest’s visual tools enable users to identify and buy products directly from images. Fashion retailers like ASOS have added a visual search feature to their apps, allowing customers to upload photos to find matching clothing items. “I think this type of AI visual shopping search makes it very convenient for consumers,” Alex Smith , the founder of A Couple Consumers , told PYMNTS. “People can view content, see what people are wearing or what products they are using, and instantly know, assuming the software is spot-on, which product it is. Then, obviously, they can purchase it or add it to the cart when they’re ready to buy.” In the past few months, visual search AI has made notable strides in the eCommerce world. Miros , an AI-powered visual search company from Tallinn, Estonia, last month secured 6 million euros (about $6.3 million) in pre-Series A funding to advance its technology. This innovation aims to tackle a massive $2 trillion global issue: product loss due to poor text-based searches. By enabling shoppers to find items using images instead of text, it greatly enhances the online shopping experience. At the same time, these technological developments are reshaping personal style discovery, enhancing the influence of social media personalities and providing brands with new collaboration opportunities. “Innovations in personal style discovery will generate even more power for influencers and improve the options available to brands looking to use social media personalities to promote products,” South said. “From shipping garments as freebies to structured wardrobes provided for events, this new frontier for instant shopping opportunities could be a watershed moment for influencer marketing ROI.”
Thankfully, the field for the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff was set Sunday morning. Had the process lasted another week, it might have ripped the sport apart and pitted conference commissioners against each other in steel-cage matches. Not everything sparked outrage when the CFP selection committee revealed the pairings. Oregon and Georgia were the top-two seeds, as expected. Boise State, champion of the Mountain West, and Arizona State, which won the Big 12, received the No. 3 and 4 seeds, respectively, and will have opening-round byes. Texas, Penn State, Notre Dame and Ohio State will play home games in the opening round. But that’s where the relative peace and tranquility ended. The committee granted the final at-large berth to SMU, not Alabama, and you could instantly imagine smoke billowing from the nostrils of SEC commissioner Greg Sankey. Alabama (9-3) had more quality wins and played a vastly tougher schedule than the Mustangs (11-2) but also had uglier losses than the ACC runner-up. That wasn’t the only flashpoint. Boise State was seeded higher than Arizona State despite a weaker schedule — an outcome that sends the Broncos to the Fiesta Bowl (Glendale) for their quarterfinal game and forces the Sun Devils to play in the Peach Bowl (Atlanta). The debate Sunday was simply a continuation of the past five weeks, which featured athletic directors squabbling on social media, conference commissioners squawking over resumes and the committee chair himself, Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel, seemingly contradicting the stated selection criteria. All of it unfolded under the threat of demolition. Two months ago, executives from the SEC and Big Ten gathered in Nashville to discuss the future of the sport. At the conclusion of the summit, Sankey, the most powerful figure in the sport, told reporters that the CFP process “just has to go incredibly well.” You did not need a master’s degree in political gamesmanship to grasp the meaning. If the SEC and Big Ten were less than satisfied with their allotments of bids and seeds, they would force changes to the selection process. Specifically, the behemoths would grant themselves a truckload of automatic bids, reduce access for the other conferences and, potentially, disband the selection committee altogether. Needless to say, the process did not go “incredibly well” for the SEC. In fact, it could not have gone much worse. In addition to Alabama’s exclusion, Tennessee lost the No. 8-9 seed showdown against Ohio State and will open the playoff in Columbus. Meanwhile, three-loss South Carolina was left out entirely one week after winning at three-loss Clemson, while the Tigers advanced to the CFP with the ACC’s automatic bid. (In the committee’s final rankings, South Carolina was one spot above Clemson.) The repercussions could ripple through the sport for years. Earlier this week, another warning flare went skyward from SEC country when Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne posted the following note on the social media platform X: “When you look at the @CFBPlayoff Principles for its Selection Committee, the first bullet point on the list of considerations is strength of schedule. Not all schedules and conferences are created equal. We’ve worked diligently to add more challenging non-conference home-and-homes, which is good for college football ...” The implication was clear: If Alabama’s schedule strength wasn’t rewarded, the Crimson Tide would rethink the merits of playing A-level non-conference games in the first half of September. Alabama faced Wisconsin this season and has booked upcoming series with Florida State, Ohio State and Notre Dame. Those could be in jeopardy. Why risk the loss when the benefits of scheduling the game are limited? And if Alabama cancels marquee matchups, other SEC schools will assuredly follow — potentially sapping the sport of must-see intersectional duels that energize the September competition calendar. Asked on ESPN about the non-conference scheduling issue, Manuel, the committee chair and Michigan’s athletic director, offered the following: “I would just say, you need to schedule the games you feel are best for your team and your fan base.” Given the unprecedented nature of the season — with the expanded playoff and engorged conferences — there was no reason to expect a smooth ride from early November, when the first CFP rankings were released, through selection day. But the gaffes, misreads and contradictions by the 13-person committee were frequent and severe. Head-to-head results, schedule strength and quality wins were shoved to the background as the committee, loaded with former coaches, prioritized win-loss record. It was as if the coaches were collectively channeling their inner Lou Holtz — the former Notre Dame coach was the ultimate sandbagger — and determined a 74- point win over Western Illinois (by Indiana) was equivalent to a 15-point win at Texas (by Georgia). “One of the things we really need to do,” said Nick Saban, the ESPN analyst and former Alabama coach, “is (recognize) all wins are not the same as the other wins.” There were risks to selecting Alabama over SMU, as well. Had the committee excluded the Mustangs following their loss to Clemson in the ACC championship — on a walk-off field goal, no less — the decision would have undermined the credibility of conference title games. “The committee is going to lose no matter what they do,” ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit said. But just as not all wins are created equal, neither are all losses. Alabama’s out, the SEC is seething and major changes are coming to the CFP as a result. *** Send suggestions, comments and tips (confidentiality guaranteed) to wilnerhotline@bayareanewsgroup.com or call 408-920-5716 *** Follow me on the social media platform X: @ WilnerHotline
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Medical Imaging Workstations Market to Exhibit a Remarkable CAGR of 8.72% by 2030, Size, Share, Trends, Key Drivers, Demand, Opportunity Analysis and Competitive Outlook 12-18-2024 09:28 PM CET | Advertising, Media Consulting, Marketing Research Press release from: Data Bridge Market Research Data Bridge Market Research analyses that the global medical imaging workstations market which was USD 6.79 billion in 2022, is expected to reach USD 9.82 billion by 2030, and is expected to undergo a CAGR of 8.72% during the forecast period 2023-2030. Market Definition: In the operating room, electrosurgical units are the most frequent type of electrical equipment. In laparoscopic surgery, electrosurgery is the most commonly employed energy system. Electro section, electro fulguration, electrodessication, and electrocoagulation are some of the electrosurgical methods. The differences in frequency, amperage, voltage, and application manner contribute to the distinct characteristics of each of these electrosurgical modalities. Higher frequency alternating current is used in these treatments, which is converted to heat via resistance as it passes through the tissues. Browse More About This Research Report @ https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-medical-imaging-workstations-market Some of the major players operating in the global medical imaging workstations market are: Medtronic (U.S.), B. Braun Melsungen AG (Germany), Johnson & Johnson Private Limited (U.S.), Smith+Nephew (U.K.), Symmetry Surgical Inc. (U.S.), CONMED Corporation (U.S.), Erbe Elektromedizin GmbH (Germany), Olympus Corporation (Japan), Boston Scientific Corporation (U.S.), Kirwan Surgical Products, LLC. (U.S.), ATMOS MedizinTechnik GmbH & Co. KG (Germany), Parkell, Inc. (U.S.), BOWA-electronic GmbH & Co. KG (Germany), KLS Martin Group (Germany), Applied Medical Resources Corporation (U.S.), Utah Medical Products, Inc. (U.S.), XCELLANCE Medical Technologies (Germany), International group medical technology and electronics GmbH (Germany), Stryker (U.S.), Tecno Instruments (Italy), Electro Surgical Instrument Company (U.S.). Competitive Landscape and Global Medical Imaging Workstations Market Share Analysis : The global medical imaging workstations market competitive landscape provides details by competitor. Details included are company overview, company financials, revenue generated, market potential, investment in research and development, new market initiatives, global presence, production sites and facilities, production capacities, company strengths and weaknesses, product launch, product width and breadth, application dominance. The above data points provided are only related to the companies' focus related to global medical imaging workstations market. 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Contact Us: - Data Bridge Market Research Email: - sopan.gedam@databridgemarketresearch.com This release was published on openPR.Structural health monitoring (SHM) is vital for safeguarding infrastructure by identifying and addressing damage risks. Traditional methods, however, often struggle to deliver accurate real-time data on high-stress areas, like crack tips, where failure is most likely. These regions require careful monitoring to predict and prevent catastrophic structural failure. Yet, capturing the complexities of stress concentrations at crack tips remains a significant challenge. This study addresses these shortcomings by proposing a novel solution to achieve real-time structural assessments of pre-cracked structures. Researchers from the National University of Sciences & Technology, Islamabad, and the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, have introduced an innovative contribution to the field of SHM, in the . Their study introduces a two-dimensional, six-node triangular inverse crack-tip element formulated to ensure strain singularities at the crack tip without compromising computational efficiency, enabling real-time health assessments of cracked structures. The study presents a two-dimensional, six-node triangular inverse crack-tip element, marking a significant advancement in SHM of through-thickness pre-cracked structures. The proposed crack-tip element integrates seamlessly with the inverse finite element method (iFEM) for shape-sensing and health assessment applications of engineering structures with and without preexisting cracks. A critical characteristic for accurate fracture analysis is maintaining strain singularities at the crack tip, accomplished by strategically repositioning mid-side nodes in this research. The element is adaptable to both structured and unstructured mesh discretization, making it highly versatile for modeling complex geometries, particularly in areas of high stress, such as crack tips. Rigorous validation confirms its effectiveness in shape-sensing and computing stress intensity factors (SIFs) across various crack geometries and loading conditions, highlighting its potential to revolutionize real-time monitoring of structures with preexisting cracks. Prof. Dr. Erkan Oterkus, the corresponding author and supervisor of the research, is of the view that "the formulation of the inverse crack-tip element represents a step forward in monitoring and the assessment of engineering structures with preexisting cracks. This approach enables precise shape-sensing capabilities and accurate reconstruction of critical fracture parameters, which are crucial for timely and informed decision-making regarding the maintenance and safety of critical infrastructure." This research has transformative potential across industries where structural integrity is paramount, notably in the aerospace and marine sectors. It enhances safety by detecting issues early, reduces maintenance costs through targeted repairs, and extends the lifespan of vital structures. Automating and streamlining the evaluation process minimizes downtime and operational disruptions, paving the way for more innovative, efficient, and sustainable infrastructure management.
How to watch Tennessee Titans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: TV channel, streaming infoLINCOLN -- Senior transfer Alberte Rimdal led a balanced Big Red attack with 12 points and a career-high six assists, as No. 25 Nebraska rolled to an 84-65 women's basketball win over previously unbeaten Minnesota in the Big Ten Conference opener for both teams on Sunday afternoon at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Senior Alexis Markowski just missed a double-double with 11 points and a game-high nine rebounds, while Minnesotan Callin Hake added 11 points of her own including a trio of three-pointers to help the Huskers improve to 8-1 overall and 1-0 in the Big Ten. Nebraska also extended its home winning streak to 10 straight games. The Golden Gophers slipped to 10-1 overall and 0-1 in the conference. Amiah Hargrove rounded out the four Huskers in double figures with 10 points and a career-high eight rebounds in just 14 minutes off the bench to lead a hugely productive effort by the Big Red freshmen. Petra Bozan pitched in nine points and five rebounds, while Britt Prince contributed seven points and a career-high seven boards to go along with three assists. As a group, Nebraska's freshmen combined for 26 points and 20 rebounds in 55 total minutes, while Minnesota's four returning starters of Amaya Battle, Mallory Heyer, Sophie Hart and Grace Grocholski combined for 31 points and 20 rebounds in 116 minutes. Logan Nissley contributed eight points, while Kendall Moriarty added seven points in strong efforts. Minnesotan Kendall Coley also pitched in five points and six rebounds in her second consecutive start. Coley scored all five of her points late in the second period to send Nebraska to halftime with a 36-19 lead. Nebraska's 84 points were 28 more than any of the previous 10 Gopher opponents were able to muster, as the Huskers hit 51.7 percent (31-60) of their field goals, including 12-of-28 threes (.429) against a Minnesota squad that had been allowing just 46 points per game. The Big Red also dominated the glass, 49-30, against a Gopher club that entered the game with a plus-8.8 margin on the boards. The Huskers held Minnesota to just 35.2 percent (25-71) shooting for the game, including just 17.9 percent (7-39) in the first half. The Gophers finished 5-for-21 from three-point range after going 1-for-14 in the first half. Minnesota did win the turnover battle, 15-4. Nebraska opened the game on a 12-2 surge that included four points from Markowski, a putback from Nissley and back-to-back threes from Prince and Hake to set the tone for the game. Minnesota rallied to cut the lead to six points at 17-11, before Hargrove sparked a 10-0 run with eight straight points in a 1:09 stretch, including back-to-back three-pointers. Prince capped the run with a bucket at the buzzer to send the Huskers to the second quarter with a 27-11 lead. In a low-scoring second quarter, Minnesota cut the lead to 27-15 with two early baskets before Rimdal scored four straight. Alexsia Rose, who had 10 points in just over 11 minutes off the bench for the Gophers, then scored Minnesota's final four points of the half, while Coley responded with five for the Big Red. Minnesota scored the first two buckets of the third quarter, and eventually trimmed the margin to 46-34 with 3:36 left in the period. However, a Hargrove basket followed by five straight points from Bozan and a three-pointer from Rimdal capped a 10-1 surge that gave Nebraska its first 20-point of the game at 56-35 with 1:45 left in the quarter and forced a Minnesota timeout. Nebraska took a 21-point lead to the fourth and built the margin to 28 points, the last time on Moriarty's three-point play with 5:28 left to make it 74-46. All 11 Huskers scored at least one point and grabbed at least one rebound in the game, while Minnesota played just eight players. Heyer led the Gophers with 12 points and eight rebounds, while Tori McKinney added 11 points. Grocholski and Rose both pitched in 10 points, while former Husker Annika Stewart added nine points, including seven points in the final five minutes to help pull the Gophers within 20 at the buzzer.Netanyahu blames Labor over synagogue fire
TONY HETHERINGTON: 'Gold guru' who does NOT have the golden touchCARSON, Calif. — Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljic scored in the first half, and the LA Galaxy won their record sixth MLS Cup championship with a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday. After striking twice in the first 13 minutes of the final with goals from their star forwards, the Galaxy nursed their lead through a scoreless second half to raise their league's biggest trophy for the first time since 2014. MLS' most successful franchise struggled through most of the ensuing decade, even finishing 26th in the 29-team league last year. But the Galaxy turned everything around this season with a high-scoring new lineup that finished second in the Western Conference and then streaked through the playoffs with a whopping 18 goals in five games to win another crown. Sean Nealis scored for the seventh-seeded Red Bulls, whose improbable charge through the playoffs ended one win shy of its first Cup championship. With the league's youngest roster, New York fell just short of becoming the lowest-seeded team to win MLS' playoff tournament under first-year German coach Sandro Schwarz. Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy made four saves to win his second MLS title in three seasons. He was the MVP of the 2022 MLS Cup Final for the Galaxy's crosstown rival, Los Angeles FC. The Galaxy won this title without perhaps their most important player. Riqui Puig, the playmaking midfielder from Barcelona who ran their offense impressively all season long, tore a ligament in his knee last week in the Western Conference final. Puig watched the game in a suit, but his teammates hadn't forgotten him: After his replacement, Gastón Brugman, set up LA's opening goal with a superb pass, Paintsil held up Puig's jersey to their fans during the celebration. Paintsil put the Galaxy ahead in the ninth minute when he ran onto that sublime pass from Brugman and pounded home his 14th MLS goal — including four in the playoffs — in the Ghanaian forward's outstanding first season. Just four minutes later, Joveljic sprinted past four New York defenders and chipped home the 21st goal of his outstanding year as the Galaxy's striker. Nealis got New York on the scoreboard in the 28th minute when he volleyed home a ball that got loose in LA's penalty area after a corner. The Galaxy's usually shaky defense gave up another handful of good chances before reaching halftime with a tenuous lead. The second half was lively, but scoreless. Red Bulls captain Emil Forsberg hit the outside of the post in the 72nd minute, while Gabriel Pec and Galaxy substitute Marco Reus nearly converted chances a few moments later. The ball got loose again in the Galaxy's penalty area in the third minute of extra time, but two Red Bulls couldn't finish. The Galaxy bench rushed onto the field and prematurely celebrated a victory in the seventh minute of injury time, only to be herded back off for another 30 seconds of play. The Galaxy finished 17-0-3 this season at their frequently renamed suburban stadium, where the sellout crowd of 26,812 for the final included several robust cheering sections of traveling Red Bulls supporters hoping to see their New Jersey-based club's breakthrough on MLS' biggest stage. The Galaxy's Greg Vanney became the fourth coach to win an MLS title with two clubs. The former Galaxy player also won it all with Toronto in 2017. The club famous for employing global stars from David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Robbie Keane and Javier "Chicharito" Hernández rebuilt itself this season with lesser-known young talents from around the world. The Galaxy signed Pec from Brazil and the Ghanaian Paintsil out of Belgium, and the duo combined with incumbent Serbian striker Joveljic to form a potent attack that could outscore almost any MLS opponent. But the Galaxy also relied heavily on Puig, their Catalan catalyst and one of MLS' best players. Puig stayed in last week's game after injuring his knee, and he even delivered the decisive pass to Joveljic for the game's only goal. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!