63 jili online casino
Harris scores 16 as South Carolina Upstate beats Western Carolina 74-68US President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for the Federal Trade Commission chair is expected to push back against regulating AI, undermining efforts so far. While efforts to regulate the creation and use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the United States have been slow to make gains, the administration of President Joe Biden has attempted to outline how AI should be used by the federal government and how AI companies should ensure the safety and security of their tools. The incoming Trump administration, however, has a very different view on how to approach AI, and it could end up reversing some of the progress that has been made over the past several years. President Biden signed an executive order in October 2023 that was meant to promote the “safe, secure, and trustworthy development and use of artificial intelligence” within the federal government. President-elect Donald Trump has promised to repeal that executive order, saying it would hinder innovation. Biden was also able to get seven leading AI companies to agree to guidelines for how AI should be safely developed going forward. Aside from that, there are no federal regulations that specifically address AI. Experts say the Trump administration will likely have a more hands-off approach to the industry. “I think the biggest thing we’re going to see is the massive repealing of the sort of initial steps the Biden administration has taken toward meaningful AI regulation,” says Cody Venzke, a senior policy counsel in the ACLU’s National Political Advocacy Department. “I think there’s a real threat that we’re going to see AI growth without significant guardrails, and it’s going to be a little bit of a free-for-all.” Growth without guardrails is what the industry has seen so far, and that’s led to a sort of Wild West in AI. This can cause problems, including the spread of deepfake porn and political deepfakes, without lawmakers restricting how the technology can be used. One of the top concerns of the Biden administration, and those in the tech policy space, has been how generative AI can be used to wage disinformation campaigns, including deepfakes, which are fraudulent videos of people that show them saying or doing things they never did. This kind of content can be used to attempt to sway election results. Venzke says he doesn’t expect the Trump administration to be focused on preventing the spread of disinformation. AI regulations may not necessarily be a major focus for the Trump administration, Venzke says, but it is on their radar. Just this week, Trump chose Andrew Ferguson to lead the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) – and he will likely push back against regulating the industry. Ferguson, a commissioner on the FTC, has said that he will aim to “end the FTC’s attempt to become an AI regulator”, Punchbowl News reported, and said the FTC, an independent agency accountable to the US Congress, should be wholly accountable to the Oval Office. He has also suggested that the FTC should investigate companies that refuse to advertise next to hateful and extremist content on social media platforms. Venzke says Republicans think that Democrats want to regulate AI to make it “woke,” which means that it would acknowledge things like the existence of transgender people or man-made climate change. AI’s ability to ‘inform decisions’ Artificial intelligence doesn’t just answer questions and generate images and videos, though. Kit Walsh, director of AI and access-to-knowledge legal projects at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, tells Al Jazeera that AI is being used in many ways that threaten people’s individual liberties, including in court cases, and regulating it to prevent harm is necessary. While people think computers making decisions can eliminate bias, it can actually cause bias to become more entrenched if the AI is created using historical data that is itself biased. For instance, an AI system that was created to determine who receives parole might utilise data from cases where Black Americans received harsher treatment than white Americans. “The most important issues in AI right now are its use to inform decisions about people’s rights,” Walsh says. “That ranges from everything from predictive policing to deciding who gets governmental housing to health benefits. It’s also the private use of algorithmic decision-making for hiring and firing or housing and so on.” Walsh says she thinks there’s a lot of “tech optimism and solutionism” among some of the people who Trump is interested in recruiting to his administration, and they may end up trying to use AI to promote “efficiency in government”. This is the stated goal of people like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy , who will be leading what appears to be an advisory committee called the Department of Government Efficiency. “It is true that you can save money and fire some employees if you are alright with less accurate decisions [that come with AI tools]. And that might be the path that someone might take in the interest of reducing government spending. But I would recommend against that, because it’s going to harm the people who rely on government agencies for essential services,” Walsh says. The Trump administration will likely be spending a lot more time focused on deregulation than creating new regulations if Trump’s first term as US president in 2017-2021 offers any hint of what to expect. That includes regulations related to the creation and use of AI tools. “I would like to see sensible regulation that paves the way for socially responsible development, deployment, and use of AI,” says Shyam Sundar, director of the Penn State Center for Socially Responsible Artificial Intelligence. “At the same time, the regulation should not be so heavy-handed that it curtails innovation.” Sundar says the “new revolution” sparked by generative AI has created “a bit of Wild Wild West mentality among technologists”. Future regulations, he says, should focus on creating guardrails where necessary and promoting innovation in areas where AI can be useful.
Seoul: Embattled South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol avoided an opposition-led attempt to impeach him over his short-lived imposition of martial law , as most ruling party lawmakers boycotted a parliamentary vote on Saturday to deny a two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential powers. The scrapping of the motion is expected to intensify protests calling for Yoon’s ousting and deepen political chaos in South Korea , with a survey suggesting most South Koreans support the president’s impeachment. A protest against President Yoon Suk Yeol outside Seoul’s national assembly on Saturday. Credit: Bloomberg Yoon’s martial law declaration drew criticism from his own ruling conservative People Power Party (PPP), but the party is also determined to oppose Yoon’s impeachment apparently because it fears losing the presidency to liberals. After the motion fell through, members of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party rallied inside the national assembly, chanting slogans calling for Yoon’s impeachment or resignation. The party’s floor leader, Park Chan-dae, said the opposition would soon prepare for a new impeachment motion. Opposition parties could submit a new motion after a new parliamentary session opens on Wednesday. Loading “We’ll surely impeach Yoon Suk Yeol, who is the greatest risk to Republic of Korea,” party leader Lee Jae-myung said. “We’ll surely bring back this country to normal before Christmas Day or year’s end.” Many experts worry Yoon won’t be able to serve out his remaining 21⁄2 years in office. They say some PPP lawmakers could eventually join opposition parties’ efforts to impeach Yoon if public demands for it increase. The ruling party risks “further public outrage and national confusion if they don’t find a formula fast for Yoon’s departure”, said Duyeon Kim, a senior analyst at the Centre for a New American Security in Washington.
The recent sightings of mysterious drones over Massachusetts and the arrests of two men who allegedly flew the unmanned aircraft close to Logan Airport are leading a state lawmaker to refile legislation he says would increase accountability. State Rep. Bruce Ayers, D-Quincy, says more safeguards against “reckless behavior” are essential as drone technology increases every year, making them faster and capable of carrying significant weight with “high-powered cameras.” Ayers plans to refile two pieces of legislation at the State House in the new year, one that would impose fines and restrictions on flying drones in flight paths, near airports, and another that would target flight over schools. Boston Police responded to Long Island, part of Ayers’ district, on Dec. 14 after officials noticed a drone flying around the Boston Harbor, at a distance deemed too close to Logan Airport on their monitoring systems. Authorities charged Robert Duffy, 42, of Charlestown, and Jeremy Folcik, 32, of Bridgewater, with trespassing, breaking and entering, and violating a municipal ordinance or bylaw, in connection to flying the drones in “hazardous air space.” Dorchester District Court Judge Erika Reis ordered the defendants to stay away from the closed Long Island health campus and not operate drones , releasing them without bail. Ayers told the Herald on Saturday that he believes Duffy and Folcik should have faced harsher consequences. “We need to set a stronger precedent that if people are flying these drones recklessly, it’s no joke, it’s no harmless prank,” he said. “There are going to be consequences.” Under his act relative to air traffic safety, individuals who purposely fly drones or aim the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft or the flight path, interfering with travel, would be punished by a fine of no more than $1,500. The punishment would increase if a “significant change of course or other serious disruption to the safe travel of an aircraft” threatened the safety of passengers or the crew. In those instances, individuals would face a fine of up to $5,000 or up to five years in state prison, or both. “That is the most dangerous time when a flight is descending, our pilots are trying to navigate the instruments and prepare to land,” Ayers said. “We need to be able to protect them.” Massport has installed more than 200 “No Drone Zone” signs around Logan Airport and other facilities, and the state Department of Conservation and Recreation prohibits flying over its properties unless authorized. Drone operators in Massachusetts don’t need a state-level permit but must follow federal regulations. Recreational drones that weigh over 0.55 pounds are required to be registered with the Federal Aviation Administration, and commercially, an FAA remote pilot certificate is required. Individuals who fly in restricted airspace and commit a federal violation could be fined up to $27,500 for civil penalties or criminal charges. Local law enforcement is unable to enforce FAA regulations. Boston Police said that the men who they arrested for flying the drones too close to Logan Airport could end up facing federal charges. Ayers added his proposed law would provide “more resources on the ground,” meaning more local and state police surrounding airports would be focused on tracking down drones to assist the feds. The other legislation that Ayers is set to refile would carry fines for flying drones within a vertical distance of 400 feet in school zones. While the reported sightings of the mysterious drones over Cape Cod and elsewhere in Massachusetts were fairly limited and have dropped during the holidays, Ayers said he’s still hearing from constituents. “People were scared, they’re concerned, and they’re frustrated,” he said. “They want to know what is going on. This would give us more resources to identify and go after people who may be doing wrongdoing, and if so, to prosecute them.” Gov. Maura Healey has also expressed concern although she admitted Massachusetts wasn’t seeing the volume of reported drones as in New York and New Jersey, and that authorities weren’t aware of a public safety threat. Healey has urged Congress to allow states to investigate and prosecute illegal activity and provide better technology to help detect drones. “The pace of technology has really evolved very quickly,” the governor told reporters on Dec. 17, “and it’s a serious concern.” The week before Christmas, the FAA banned drone flights in 22 areas in New Jersey and 30 areas in New York, mostly in and around New York City and on Long Island, where critical infrastructure is located, through mid-January. Federal authorities had said many of the sightings had been of legal drones, manned aircraft, helicopters and even stars. The feds have not identified any public safety or national security risks. “There are more than 1 million drones that are lawfully registered with the Federal Aviation Administration here in the United States,” White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said. “And there are thousands of commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones that are lawfully in the sky on any given day. That is the ecosystem that we are dealing with.” The Associated Press contributed to this reportHerbert tosses 3 TD passes and Chargers secure a playoff spot with a 40-7 rout of Patriots FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Justin Herbert threw three touchdown passes and the Los Angeles Chargers clinched their second playoff appearance in three seasons with a 40-7 victory over the New England Patriots. The win also secured the fourth postseason appearance in Jim Harbaugh’s five seasons as an NFL coach, adding to the three he made during his stint with tAshe San Francisco 49ers. Herbert finished 26 of 38 for 281 yards to become the third player in NFL history with at least 3,000 passing yards and 20 touchdown passes in each of his first five seasons. The Patriots have lost six straight games, their second such losing streak of the season. They are now 2-14 the last two seasons at home. Dallas' Naji Marshall gets 4-game suspension, Phoenix's Jusuf Nurkic is banned 3 games for fight The NBA has suspended Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall for four games and Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic for three games for their roles in an on-court fight during Friday night’s game. Dallas forward P.J. Washington was suspended for one game. All of the suspensions are without pay. Nurkic was called for an offensive foul while being guarded by Daniel Gafford with 9:02 left in the third quarter before the altercation quickly escalated. Nurkic confronted Marshall before taking an open-handed swing at his head and then Marshall responded with a punch. Washington quickly shoved Nurkic to the ground before the teams were separated. The NBA said Marshall “attempted to further engage Nurkic in a hostile manner in the corridor outside the locker rooms.” Shohei Ohtani to become a father for the 1st time in 2025 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani is adding a newcomer to his family lineup. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar has posted on his Instagram account that he and wife Mamiko Tanaka are expecting a baby in 2025. The photo shows the couple's beloved dog, Decoy, as well as a pink ruffled onesie along with baby shoes and a sonogram that is covered by a baby emoji. Ohtani announced in February that he had married Tanaka, a former professional basketball player from his native Japan. The news from the intensely private player stunned Ohtani's teammates and his fans. Eli Manning and Antonio Gates are among the finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, former Defensive Players of the Year Luke Kuechly and Terrell Suggs, and prolific tight end Antonio Gates are among the finalists for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. The Hall on Saturday announced the names of the 15 modern-era finalists who advanced from a group of 25 to the final stage of voting. The selection committee will vote next month to pick the class of between three and five modern-era players that will be announced the week of the Super Bowl. Georgia QB Carson Beck announces plan to enter NFL draft after season-ending elbow injury Georgia quarterback Carson Beck has announced his plans to enter the NFL draft, five days after having season-ending elbow surgery. The fifth-year senior made his NFL plans official on social media. Beck suffered a right elbow injury in the first half of the Bulldogs’ 22-19 overtime win over Texas in the Southeastern Conference championship game on Dec. 7. Beck had surgery on Monday to repair his ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow. He is expected to begin throwing next spring. Backup Gunner Stockton will make his first start in the Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame on Wednesday. Colts QB Anthony Richardson ruled out for Sunday's game against the Giants EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Indianapolis quarterback Anthony Richardson has been ruled out for the Colts’ big game at the New York Giants on Sunday. Richardson missed practice on Thursday and Friday because of back and foot injuries. He was listed as questionable before he was downgraded to out. Indianapolis has a slim chance of making the playoffs. The Colts need to win out and get some help. Richardson’s absence likely means Joe Flacco will start against New York. Victor Wembanyama plays 1-on-1 chess with fans in New York Victor Wembanyama went to a park in New York City and played 1-on-1 with fans on Saturday. He even lost a couple of games. Not in basketball, though. Wemby was playing chess. Before the San Antonio Spurs left New York for a flight to Minnesota, Wembanyama put out the call on social media: “Who wants to meet me at the SW corner of Washington Square park to play chess? Im there,” Wembanyama wrote. It was 9:36 a.m. And people began showing up almost immediately. Mavs star Luka Doncic is latest pro athlete whose home was burglarized, business manager says DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks is the latest professional athlete whose home has been burglarized. The star guard’s business manager tells multiple media outlets there was a break-in at Doncic’s home Friday night. Lara Beth Seager says nobody was home, and Doncic filed a police report. The Dallas Morning News reports that jewelry valued at about $30,000 was stolen. Doncic is the sixth known pro athlete in the U.S. whose home was burglarized since October. Star NFL quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes of Kansas City and Joe Burrow of Cincinnati are among them. The NFL and NBA have issued security alerts to players over the break-ins. Panthers place 1,000-yard rusher Chuba Hubbard on IR for final 2 games with strained calf CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers have shut down leading rusher Chuba Hubbard for the final two games of the season because of a strained calf. He was placed on injured reserve Saturday. Hubbard was limited in practice Friday with a knee injury and was listed as questionable to play Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After practice, Hubbard complained of pain and had an MRI, which revealed a grade two calf strain, according to the team. Hubbard ran for 1,195 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. He becomes the third Panthers running back to be placed on injured reserve this season, joining Miles Sanders and rookie Jonathan Brooks. Corbin Burnes and Arizona Diamondbacks agree to $210 million, 6-year deal, AP source says PHOENIX (AP) — Corbin Burnes and the Arizona Diamondbacks have agreed to a $210 million, six-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a successful physical. The 30-year-old Burnes was perhaps the top free agent pitcher on the market after going 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA for Baltimore last season. The Orioles acquired the right-hander in a February trade after he spent his first six major league seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers.
None
Attorneys representing President-elect Donald Trump have asked the Supreme Court to pause a law that would force TikTok-owner ByteDance to sell the short-form video app or see it banned from the United States. If the app isn’t sold, the ban is set to take effect in just a few weeks, on January 19. ByteDance is challenging the constitutionality of the law — officially titled the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act — with the Supreme Court scheduled to hear arguments on January 10 . In a new filing , Trump’s lawyers describe the ban-or-sell deadline, coming one day before his inauguration, as “unfortunate timing” that interferes with his “ability to manage the United States’ foreign policy.” The filing does not specify what approach Trump might take to the issue, but it claims that he “alone possesses the consummate dealmaking expertise, the electoral mandate, and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform while addressing the national security concerns expressed by the Government.” The filing also notes that he currently has 14.7 million followers on TikTok, “allowing him to evaluate TikTok’s importance as a unique medium for freedom of expression, including core political speech.” The law’s supporters have claimed TikTok presents a national security threat because the Chinese government could use it to collect data and push propaganda to US viewers. While Trump attempted to ban TikTok during his first term as president, he has expressed support for the app more recently. During his presidential campaign, he posted on Truth Social, “FOR ALL OF THOSE THAT WANT TO SAVE TIK TOK IN AMERICA, VOTE TRUMP!” Several civil liberties and free speech groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and Electronic Frontier, have filed their own brief supporting TikTok’s appeal and arguing that “the government has not presented credible evidence of ongoing or imminent harm caused by TikTok.”Google and the US government faced off in a federal court on Monday, as each side delivered closing arguments in a case revolving around the technology giant's alleged unfair domination of online advertising. The trial in a Virginia is Google's second US antitrust case now under way as the US government tries to rein in the power of big tech. In a separate trial, a Washington judge ruled that Google's search business is an illegal monopoly, and the US Justice Department is asking that Google sell its Chrome browser business to resolve the case. The latest case, also brought by the Justice Department, focuses on ad technology for the open web—the complex system determining which online ads people see when they surf the internet. The vast majority of websites use a trio of Google ad software products that together, leave no way for publishers to escape Google's advertising technology, the plaintiffs allege. Publishers—including News Corp and Gannett publishing— complain that they are locked into Google's advertising technology in order to run ads on their websites. "Google is once, twice, three times a monopolist," DOJ lawyer Aaron Teitelbaum told the court in closing arguments. Presiding judge Leonie Brinkema has said that she would deliver her opinion swiftly, as early as next month. Whatever Brinkema's judgment, the outcome will almost certainly be appealed, prolonging a process that could go all the way to the US Supreme Court. 'Winners and losers' The government alleges that Google controls the auction-style system that advertisers use to purchase advertising space online. The US lawyers argue that this approach allows Google to charge higher prices to advertisers while sending less revenue to publishers such as news websites, many of which are struggling to stay in business. The US argues that Google used its financial power to acquire potential rivals and corner the ad tech market, leaving advertisers and publishers with no choice but to use its technology. The government wants Google to divest parts of its ad tech business. Google dismissed the allegations as an attempt by the government to pick "winners and losers" in a diverse market. The company argues that the display ads at issue are just a small share of today's ad tech business. TikTok not question Google says the plaintiffs' definition of the market ignores ads that are also placed in , apps and and where, taken as a whole, Google does not dominate. "The law simply does not support what the plaintiffs are arguing in this case," said Google's lawyer Karen Dunn. She warned that if Google were to lose the case, the winners would be rival tech giants such as Microsoft, Meta or Amazon, whose market share in is ascendant as Google's share is falling. The DOJ countered that it simply "does not matter" that Google is competing in the broader market for online ads. "That is a different question" than the market for ads on websites that is the target of the case, said Teitelbaum. Google also points to US legal precedent, saying arguments similar to the government's have been refuted in previous antitrust cases. Dunn also warned that forcing Google to work with rivals in its ad products would amount to government central planning that the court should reject. If the judge finds Google to be at fault, a new phase of the trial would decide how the company should comply with that conclusion. And all that could be moot if the incoming Trump administration decides to drop the case. The president-elect has been a critic of Google's, but he warned earlier this month that breaking it up could be "a very dangerous thing." © 2024 AFP
Ghana Schools U15 Girls beat Cote D'voire 2-1 in the semi-finals of the WAFU B Zonal Qualifiers of the CAF African Schools Football Championships, in Niamey, Niger, on Thursday November 21, 2024. The Ghanaian teenage girls overcame their neighbours to advance to the finals, set to take place on Saturday November 23, 2024. In the Boys Division, Ghana lost 2-1 to Cote D'voire to miss out on the final. The Ghanaians will play Burkina Faso in the third-placed match. A total of six WAFU B nations are participating in both the boys and girls divisions of the tournament, where each nation will contest the honours of being crowned champions of the zone and secure a place at the CAF African Schools Football Championship Finals set to take place in 2025. The CAF African Schools Football Championship, an initiative launched by CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe, is making strides in youth football development across Africa. With over 800,000 participants from more than 28,000 schools across 44 countries, the competition offers young players an invaluable platform to showcase their skills and pursue their football dreams. This tournament both symbolizes CAF's commitment to nurturing African football talent and its support for the growth of future leaders in the game across the continent. GFA Communications Get all the latest football news sent directly to your inbox
Daily Post Nigeria Muhammad Nami: VAT attribution and derivation: A personal appeal to all parties Home News Politics Metro Entertainment Sport Opinion Muhammad Nami: VAT attribution and derivation: A personal appeal to all parties Published on November 25, 2024 By Daily Post Staff I have read a ton of views on the proposed Nigeria Tax Administration and other tax reform bills. On one hand, some stakeholders decry the bills as being a contrast to the current administration’s championing for local government autonomy. Some, like the National Economic Council (NEC), last month recommended the withdrawal of the bills, stating that there were too many controversies surrounding it. They called for more inclusion in the stakeholder consultation process. The Northern Governors Forum (NGF) in similar fashion rejected the new derivation-based model for Value Added Tax (VAT) distribution in the bills. On the other hand, some wholly support the bills and believe that their benefits are transformational and necessary. Each stakeholder and commentator holds their view in light of information that is available to them. And that is valid and fair. But before I go into the lengthy details of my thoughts on this matter, let me share the definition of the two subjects that are crucial to this conversation: attribution and derivation. The principle of derivation in revenue sharing ensures that revenues from taxes are distributed to the region or jurisdiction where they were generated. For example, if a company generates revenue through sales in a particular state, a portion of the taxes or royalties from that economic activity is returned to the state. The principle of attribution, on the other hand, involves allocating tax revenues based on predefined criteria, such as population size, geographical size, need, national interest, expenditure responsibilities, etc., rather than the location of a tax-generating entity. Thus, revenues are collected nationally and are distributed to states according to agreed-upon formulas. MY VIEW “The present controversy is based on the VAT sharing formula proposed in Section 77 of the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill. I have come to appreciate that the myriad of criticisms against this well-intended bill may be a result of the lack of clarity or understanding of Section 22 (12) of the Bill, which provides for Attribution of VAT Revenue, requiring companies to file their returns on the basis of derivation by location (place of consumption). “This provision, from my understanding, was included to cure an existing problem with our current VAT administration. As it stands today, in the existing system, VAT returns by companies are not filed on the basis of the place of consumption but reported based on the head office locations of these companies. This means that a whopping 20% of VAT returns are distributed back to states where these head offices are located—whether consumption took place there or not; it explains why Lagos, FCT and Rivers always take the largest chunk of VAT under the current regime. “The proposed amendments of the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill offer a different position that emphasises fairness and more equitable distribution of VAT returns. It proposes that VAT will now be reported based on the place of consumption, which will ensure that most of the amounts currently reported for Lagos, FCT and Rivers states will now be reported by where the consumption takes place. “The new rule will ensure that places where consumption took place get 60% of the amounts reported for them. For instance, if consumption happens in Niger State, the state would receive 60% of the VAT generated from its jurisdiction, while the balance would be put in a VAT sharing pool, which it (Niger State) would further benefit from. “In my view, this will result in a more favourable outcome for most states when compared to the current regime that favours Lagos, Rivers and FCT. It will more or less redistribute most of the present allocation received by those 3 states. My appeal to NEC, NGF and NEF as well as other stakeholders, is thus: A. We must not make the misjudgment of throwing away the baby with the bathing water. B. Let us carefully look at the benefits of these reforms and weigh the impact on our tax and fiscal space versus the proposed amendments’ ‘perceived shortfalls’. C. There is no single problem on earth that is without a solution. In this light, we should think out of the box and suggest workable solutions to address or fix these perceived shortfalls, or we will be condemned to having our cap in hand at the doorsteps of the World Bank and IMF Headquarters more frequently than ever. D. On a personal note and based on my little experience as a tax accountant, consultant and administrator, I would suggest to all stakeholders, particularly the National Assembly, to go ahead and consider the bill, pass it to law, and have Mr. President sign same, but provided the proposed amendments to the VAT law will be implemented in phases bearing in mind the following: 1. FIRS is currently undergoing its own reforms; the FIRS Establishment Act has been re-presented to the NASS and is receiving their attention simultaneously. For FIRS to be able to function as envisaged by the proposed changes or amendments to the FIRS Act, then it must first fix the roof over its head to ensure that if any storm arises tomorrow, revenue administration officials and our money entrusted in their hands would be safe. 2. FIRS must also fix the issue of fiscalisation within the next three to five years from now. The need for fiscalisation is one of the key amendments proposed in the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill before the NASS. Fiscalisation is the process of using technology, like cash registers or POS systems, to ensure businesses comply with tax laws by automatically recording and reporting their sales to tax authorities. It is an expensive project and will not only require political will at the centre but also at the sub-national level. To achieve it, the FG, FIRS and FAAC must be ready to jointly fund this project. It is important because it will bring about transparency and accountability as well as address the issue of subjectivity, which is mainly the fear of the members of NEC, particularly the NGF. I must emphasize that Fiscalisation cannot happen without data. This brings me to my third point. 3. The FIRS HQ project should be completed and equipped as a world-class edifice while ensuring that the entire floor historically conceived as the “National Revenue Data Centre” becomes a reality. 4. Item 2 above (i.e., fiscalisation) will not only address the issue of transparency and accountability; it will also curtail the influence and excesses of vested interests, particularly the tax accountants who are accomplices in the whole of this VAT issue. If the amendment is passed into law and its implementation is not delayed, say by 3 to 5 years, the fear of the stakeholders would be justified because tax accountants are likely to be subjective (or used to being subjective) in the course of filing VAT returns (i.e., VAT attribution) in favour of the states of their choice or those of the choices of some of the political class. As a tax accountant of your company, you know where your customers are located if not all, especially the major ones. But when asked to file their companies’ monthly VAT returns based on the location of their customers, for instance, sentiments come into play. And even with the proposal in Section 77 of the Tax Administration Bill, the subjectivity is likely to continue. Though it was an administrative initiative at FIRS in 2020, I recall that we redesigned the VAT Form 002 that required companies to file their VAT returns based on attribution. Only a few companies (less than 10) complied with our directives nationwide (i.e., file VAT returns based on the location of their customers.) Fiscalisation will help our revenue administrators in many ways including boosting their capacity to generate more revenue for the Federation. It has the capacity to address or track transactions or sales of goods from a customer in one state to the other, particularly cashless transactions. It will also create room for the implementation of a system for immediate tax refunds. 5. Phasing the implementation of the two key controversial but necessary amendments to the VAT law would also assist the states to go back home, sit and weigh the level of financial inclusion in their respective states and address them accordingly. Recent reports on financial inclusion reveal that while you may have an estimated population of 10 million people in a given state for example, less than 2 million of that population would be financially inclusive. In some states, more than 70% of the population do not have a BVN not to talk of a bank account. So as a state governor, your argument that huge consumption is taking place in your state but the current ‘headquarters effect’ is affecting your share of monthly VAT revenue can only be addressed when your resident population are financially inclusive. It goes without saying that your problem would be compounded in the near future if buying and selling of goods continues to happen in your state using cash. Buying and selling of goods and services in this fashion will also affect your ability to improve on your state’s IGR. 6. The process of input-output mechanism in VAT input claim is another key issue that has been of keen interest to me, and equally needs to be emphasised here. The intended amendments and fiscalisation of Nigeria’s business environment will also help in addressing sharp practices or the abilities of businesses to manipulate the input claim in the course of filing their monthly VAT returns. This is because under the current regime, if an item is purchased in Lagos and taken to Kano for example, the Kano company will not be able to claim the input VAT if the Lagos company fails to correctly disclose the location of its output VAT. With fiscalisation the input claim of the Kano company will simply expose the Lagos company. In my view, the following four (4) factors will drive compliance with the proposed tax reform bills, and this will mean more revenue to share to the states: 1. Attribution is now clearly provided in the law. It is no longer an administrative decision or at the discretion of the FIRS or tax accountants working for or representing VAT agents nationwide. 2. There is now a strong political will to drive tax reforms, this means that tax laws will not only be passed but will be well enforced going forward in Nigeria. 3. Technology deployment for VAT invoicing and fiscalisation is clearly provided in the new bills, with the attendant administrative processes that are ongoing to implement same. It will no longer be at the discretion of companies to determine who bought what—technology will. 4. The processes and challenges in Input-Output mechanism in VAT input claims will now be addressed using technology. Finally, the many benefits of these bills are excellent. It behoves us to give the NASS our support to pass them into law. But I hold that we should do so on the following conditions: A. That the implementation of the Tax Administration Bill should be phased. B. That the implementation (i.e., the effective date) of the proposed amendments to Section 77 of the Tax Administration Bill should be delayed for at least three to five years to enable all parties to plan and invest in technology and the relevant infrastructure. C. FIRS should administratively prepare the minds of all stakeholders, particularly the VAT agents, lawyers and tax accountants, on the need to honestly file VAT returns based on attribution as a first step, because Section 26 of the FIRS Establishment Act (as it is today) is adequate enough for them to call for VAT returns based on attribution from all VAT agents in Nigeria. D. The current sharing formula should be used in distributing revenue accruable from VAT to all parties, and all parties within the next three to five years (that the amendment is expected to take effect) would have played their part so that there would be equity, transparency and accountability as intended by the proposed amendments to the VAT law. Muhammad Nami, a tax accountant and consultant, is the immediate past Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Joint Tax Board. He was also the President of the Commonwealth Association of Tax Administrators (CATA). Related Topics: Muhammad Nami Phyna VAT Don't Miss Aviation safety: Are airlines regulating the regulators? You may like Phyna disowns family, drops surname Arabinrin Aderonke: Tax Reform Bill: VAT as a consumption tax DNA test should be made compulsory after birth – Phyna Why VAT proposal is generating controversy – Oyedele, Tax Committee Chair Hardship: Nigerian govt removes VAT on cooking gas, CNG, diesel VeryDarkMan invites Phyna to a date amidst legal battle with Falanas Advertise About Us Contact Us Privacy-Policy Terms Copyright © Daily Post Media Ltd
3 Dividend Stocks That Pay Monthly Passive IncomeThe Fall of Ant Group's IPO: Alibaba's Missteps, Legal Battles, and a $433.5M Settlement
Students of several universities and colleges in the state capital took out marches and hosted programmes to mark the Constitution Day on Tuesday. At University of Lucknow (LU), students associated with National Student Union of India (NSUI), Bhim Army Student Federation (BASF) and All India Student Association (AISA) raised slogans and held discussions regarding the Constitution and the recent violence in Sambhal near the Ambedkar statue on the campus. They read out the preamble on the occasion. Slogans such as ‘Constitution Zindabad’ and ‘Bhartiya Loktantra Zindabad’ were raised. At an event organised by the department of political science of LU, Vidhan Sabha speaker Satish Mahana spoke about the significance of the Constitution. Competitions were held at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Legal Aid Centre and the department of chemistry. The PHYSOC Society of the Department of Physics (LU), organized an educational tour for postgraduate students to the Ambedkar Memorial Park. A ‘Samta March’ was taken out by Birsa Ambedkar Phule Student Association (BAPSA) of Dr. Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU). As part of the march, students and professors walked from gate number 3 – gate number 1 of the university hailing ‘Birsa, Phule and Ambedkar’. Later in the evening, a cultural programme was held in which democratic songs were rendered by the students. A ‘padyatra’ was taken out by National Service Scheme (NSS) Unit-1 of Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET). It was flagged off by director Prof. Vineet Kansal. Later, a debate competition was organised by the NSS wing on Fundamental Rights versus Fundamental Duty and if there was a need for an additional bench of the Supreme Court in South India to ensure timely, accessible and affordable justice in view of legal challenges?’ The preamble and a summary of the Constitution were distributed by Prof. Robin Sharma among students at Shia PG College. A lecture series was organised among the students and teachers of Shri Jai Narayan Mishra. Rakesh Kumar Mishra, an LU professor, spoke about the process of making the Constitution and its present context. The preamble was read collectively by students and teachers at Dr. Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University, Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti Language University and Bhatkhande Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya and State Lalit Kala Akademi. Students of Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences and Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical Institution also organised programmes and competitions to mark the occasion. A rally was taken out at King George’s Medical University followed by a cultural programme. At an event organised by the social welfare department of the state government, the preamble was read out collectively by its employees.
Packers star reveals he tried to play through serious injuryEverhart Financial Group Inc. Has $22.21 Million Stock Holdings in NVIDIA Co. (NASDAQ:NVDA)
Witney review of the year: Storm scare, park overhaul and park and ride with no roadThe NPP’s ascent and the Opposition’s descent in Sri Lanka
Drew Quartermaine ( Cameron Mathison ) and Willow Corinthos’ ( Katelyn MacMullen ) illicit tryst on General Hospital , which was caught on video, is made public in the most embarrassing way, leaving the cheating duo to face the music. Mathison admits he never expected the story to take the twists and turns it has when he first started sharing scenes with MacMullen, whose Willow is already married to Michael Corinthos. “It felt very much initially like a chemistry test between the two of us,” he recalls. “Katey and I always worked really well together, and then all of a sudden, Drew and Willow dabbled into a little bit more than just a close friendship, and I had no idea that it would be to this extent. I had no idea that it would blow up Port Charles. I had no idea that Drew’s character would almost do a 180 as far as what he’s willing to do and the sacrifices he’s willing to make for this love for this woman. So, it’s way bigger and wilder and more disruptive than I ever could have imagined, which I say in an exciting way.” Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Cardlytics reports that card-linked cash-back offers represent a strategic stocking stuffer for smart shoppers navigating the expensive holiday landscape. Click for more. Holiday spending hacks: How to unwrap savings without sacrificing festive cheer
Interest in Nyonya kebaya among tourists on the rise, set to trend after Unesco recognitionJoy Behar told her co-hosts Tuesday on ABC’s “The View” that President-elect Donald Trump did “a lot of scapegoating” in the 2024 election like “every autocrat or throughout history.” Co-host Sunny Hostin said, “Most people are saying, this was a kitchen table issue, this was about the cost of eggs. Donald Trump never talked about the cost of eggs. He tried to commit a sex act on a microphone. He talked about, you know, pets being eaten but when the exit polls were taken the 92% of black women that voted for the vice president said that the number one issue for them was January 6th and the fall of democracy. So there were some voters that felt that that was very, very important.” Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin said, “Donald Trump was never on message this election, we talked about it constantly, but he still won because he had ads that were on message, that were being blast all over TV, so people were still hearing it, here’s how he’s going to bring down the cost of living, here’s what he’s going to do for you. So we’re all thinking like oh, he’s talking about cats and dogs and crazy stuff, but a lot of voters who aren’t tuning into the day-to-day news are seeing these targeted ads that are reaching them where they are.” Hostin said, “Fear mongering ads, about trans people.” Behar said, “A lot of scapegoating and every autocrat or throughout history has found a scapegoat, and that’s what he did.” Follow Pam Key on X @pamkeyNEN2034 World Cup visitors will live in 'a bubble', Saudi rights activist says
WCM Investment Management LLC lowered its position in NVIDIA Co. ( NASDAQ:NVDA – Free Report ) by 1.1% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 6,113,891 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock after selling 66,549 shares during the period. NVIDIA accounts for 1.7% of WCM Investment Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest holding. WCM Investment Management LLC’s holdings in NVIDIA were worth $742,226,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NVDA. Hoertkorn Richard Charles raised its holdings in NVIDIA by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. Hoertkorn Richard Charles now owns 3,490 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock worth $424,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Smart Portfolios LLC raised its stake in shares of NVIDIA by 2.7% during the third quarter. Smart Portfolios LLC now owns 2,805 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock worth $341,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Total Wealth Planning LLC lifted its holdings in NVIDIA by 3.6% in the third quarter. Total Wealth Planning LLC now owns 2,275 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock valued at $276,000 after buying an additional 78 shares during the period. Boyd Watterson Asset Management LLC OH grew its holdings in NVIDIA by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Boyd Watterson Asset Management LLC OH now owns 30,080 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock worth $3,653,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the period. Finally, Pavion Blue Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of NVIDIA by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Pavion Blue Capital LLC now owns 21,650 shares of the computer hardware maker’s stock valued at $2,629,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 65.27% of the company’s stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research firms recently commented on NVDA. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on NVIDIA from $150.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Benchmark increased their target price on shares of NVIDIA from $170.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Mizuho raised their price objective on NVIDIA from $165.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. HSBC raised their price target on NVIDIA from $145.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. Finally, Phillip Securities restated an “accumulate” rating and set a $160.00 target price (up from $155.00) on shares of NVIDIA in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-nine have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $164.15. NVIDIA Stock Down 2.1 % NVDA stock opened at $137.01 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $3.36 trillion, a PE ratio of 53.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 1.64. The company has a quick ratio of 3.64, a current ratio of 4.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. NVIDIA Co. has a 52 week low of $47.32 and a 52 week high of $152.89. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $139.97 and a 200 day simple moving average of $127.90. NVIDIA ( NASDAQ:NVDA – Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 20th. The computer hardware maker reported $0.81 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.69 by $0.12. NVIDIA had a net margin of 55.69% and a return on equity of 114.83%. The business had revenue of $35.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $33.15 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.38 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 93.6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that NVIDIA Co. will post 2.78 EPS for the current fiscal year. NVIDIA Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 27th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 5th were given a $0.01 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 5th. This represents a $0.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.03%. NVIDIA’s dividend payout ratio is currently 1.57%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, Director Mark A. Stevens sold 155,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.27, for a total value of $20,501,850.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 8,100,117 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,071,402,475.59. This represents a 1.88 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink . Also, Director Tench Coxe sold 1,000,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.26, for a total transaction of $131,260,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 28,671,360 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,763,402,713.60. This trade represents a 3.37 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 1,351,886 shares of company stock valued at $176,825,650. 4.23% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. NVIDIA Company Profile ( Free Report ) NVIDIA Corporation provides graphics and compute and networking solutions in the United States, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, and internationally. The Graphics segment offers GeForce GPUs for gaming and PCs, the GeForce NOW game streaming service and related infrastructure, and solutions for gaming platforms; Quadro/NVIDIA RTX GPUs for enterprise workstation graphics; virtual GPU or vGPU software for cloud-based visual and virtual computing; automotive platforms for infotainment systems; and Omniverse software for building and operating metaverse and 3D internet applications. Featured Stories Five stocks we like better than NVIDIA Basic Materials Stocks Investing S&P 500 ETFs: Expense Ratios That Can Boost Your Long-Term Gains 3 Fintech Stocks With Good 2021 Prospects How AI Implementation Could Help MongoDB Roar Back in 2025 3 Best Fintech Stocks for a Portfolio Boost Hedge Funds Boost Oil Positions: Is a Major Rally on the Horizon? Receive News & Ratings for NVIDIA Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NVIDIA and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .