Genpact Signs Strategic Collaboration Agreement with AWS to Accelerate AI AdoptionBy Michelle Conlin NEW YORK (Reuters) - Several key players in President-elect Donald Trump's new cryptocurrency venture head to Abu Dhabi on Monday for the largest bitcoin gathering in the Gulf region as the digital currency sets record highs. Speakers include the president-elect's son Eric and billionaire Steve Witkoff, the new White House envoy for the Middle East and co-founder of World Liberty Financial, a crypto platform launched in September that Donald Trump and his family helped form. Eric Trump will deliver Tuesday's keynote address at the Bitcoin MENA conference, which is projected to draw more than 6,000 people, and will then hold a "whale-only" chat in the conference's VIP lounge, according to the event's agenda. Witkoff will also speak separately to that more exclusive crowd, which requires a $9,999 "whale" pass, a nickname for large players who have potential to move a market. The president-elect is World Liberty Financial's chief crypto advocate, and sons Eric, Don Jr. and Barron are ambassadors, according to the WLF website. Company filings show Donald Trump is entitled to 22.5 billion WLF tokens and a share of its revenues. "The bitcoin conference carries a lot of significance for crypto as it's one of the longest-running conferences focused on bringing our industry together," said Marshall Beard, chief operating officer of Gemini, the crypto exchange founded by Trump backers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. "It’s been incredible to see the rise of bitcoin alongside the growth of the conference ... and crypto became a major campaign issue in this year’s presidential election." Other speakers also have close ties to World Liberty Financial, including Justin Sun, the 32-year-old Chinese founder of blockchain platform Tron. Three weeks after Trump won the Nov. 5 election, Sun posted on X that he bought $30 million worth of WLF tokens, making him the venture's largest investor. Sun was charged with crypto-related fraud and securities violations under the Biden administration. The Gulf gathering is occurring at an inflection point for the industry as Trump, once a crypto skeptic, has vowed he will be the "crypto president" and make America the new "crypto capital of the planet." Buoyed by these promises, bitcoin smashed records last week when it hit $100,000. Trump also named a White House czar for artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies, former PayPal executive David Sacks, a close friend of Trump adviser and megadonor Elon Musk. Musk, whose companies include X, SpaceX and Tesla, spent more than a quarter of a billion dollars to help elect Trump in 2024, records show. Other technology and digital asset veterans also gave millions to candidates friendly to the industry, according to analytics firm Breadcrumbs. Trump's 2016 campaign manager, Paul Manafort, will address the conference on "A Life of Politics with the Man Closest to Donald Trump." Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, who served a four-month U.S. prison sentence this year for crypto-tied money-laundering law violations, will also hold a whale session at the conference. Trump, his family members, other speakers and their firms did not respond to requests for comment. (Reporting By Michelle Conlin; editing by Megan Davies and Cynthia Osterman) Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .Telangana now sees Congress playing politics over policies too
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President-elect Donald Trump sent a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin following the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria after Islamist opposition fighters captured Damascus. He called for an immediate cease-fire in Ukraine. “Assad is gone. He has fled his country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday morning. “His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer. There was no reason for Russia to be there in the first place.” The incoming president added that Moscow had “lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine, where close to 600,000 Russian soldiers lay wounded or dead, in a war that should never have started, and could go on forever.” Trump then said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “would like to make a deal” to end the nearly three-year-long war, noting the loss of hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians. “There should be an immediate cease-fire and negotiations should begin,” he said. “Too many lives are being so needlessly wasted, too many families destroyed, and if it keeps going, it can turn into something much bigger, and far worse. I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act.” Moscow, a backer of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, whom it intervened to help in 2015 in its biggest Middle East foray since the Soviet collapse at the end of 1991, is scrambling to protect its position, with its geopolitical clout in the wider region and two strategically important military bases in Syria on the line. Russia has yet to respond to Trump’s remark, although its foreign ministry confirmed that Assad left Syria amid the conflict. “There is currently no serious threat to their security,” the ministry said. Over the weekend, in a separate Truth Social comment, Trump said that the United States should not intervene in the Syrian conflict. A top adviser in the Biden administration made a similar remark, stressing that the United States will not send troops to the restive Middle Eastern country. “The United States is not going to ... militarily dive into the middle of a Syrian civil war,” President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters in California. Sullivan stressed that the U.S. military would act out of necessity to keep the ISIS terrorist group from gaining a foothold in Syria should it happen. The insurgents who took over Damascus are led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which the United States has designated as a terrorist group and says has links to the al-Qaeda terror organization, although the group reportedly has since broken ties with al-Qaeda.
Some Chinese state-owned and second-tier oil and gas companies have been looking to sell LNG cargoes for the January-February 2025 period to alleviate pressure from growing inventory and weak domestic demand, according to market participants. The selling interest reflects expectations that regional heating demand is unlikely to surge as winter progresses, which would help lower spot Asian LNG prices, despite some demand for spot cargoes from Europe that would typically trigger price competition and tighten supply. “We did hear of some players selling spot LNG. They are definitely making some profit, as the cost of the cargoes is lower than their own term contracts or a previous buying spree,” a trade source said. Opportunistic Chinese LNG importers have previously sold LNG purchased under relatively cheaper oil-indexed contracts at higher spot prices. Platts assessed JKM — the benchmark price reflecting LNG delivered to Northeast Asia — for January at $14.983/MMBtu on Dec. 5, while oil-indexed LNG is likely to cost around $11-$12/MMBtu, based on current oil prices of around $75/b. Not all national oil and gas companies were selling, as they have a government mandate to secure winter supply for energy security and would face scrutiny. However, second-tier gas companies were reportedly quite active. Other Chinese LNG importers selling cargoes were optimizing their January-February portfolios, traders said. “Currently, supply in China exceeds demand, and it makes sense that Chinese players are selling cargoes in the spot market to capitalize on stronger spot prices. We are monitoring the positions of Chinese NOCs, especially the major supplier in the south, to understand regional supply and plan our strategies for the upcoming year,” a second Chinese trade source said. “The recent cold weather was too short to stimulate additional demand. In previous years, we would typically observe a significant reduction in inventory and some price movement during cold spells,” a third trade source said. One of the Chinese NOCs sent out a message last week saying that there is ample inventory in both north and south China. Some domestic importers have also sought to sell cargoes arriving over January-March 2025 to relieve inventory pressure, a fourth trade source said. However, mild winter weather has also suppressed demand in other Northeast Asian regions, including Japan and South Korea, complicating efforts by Chinese companies to resell or optimize their LNG positions. This has exerted additional downward pressure on prices. “Quite a lot of second tiers are checking prices and looking to sell their term contract volumes in the spot market, but not many trades were done because it is difficult to get buyers,” another trade source said. “Literally no one would buy now except trading houses. Only one to two cargoes were sold last week by the second tiers for January deliveries,” the source added. “We also have no plans to sell in the spot market, as demand is too weak. Japan only had demand for one or two cargoes, and we weren’t invited to participate in the tender,” another trade source said. Other Chinese market participants were seeking prompt cargoes for December delivery, indicating preparations for winter demand sooner rather than later in the season. “Demand is still on the weaker side, and we have enough inventory. If there is another cold snap that is long enough, we may need to come out to buy a few spot cargoes,” a source with an NOC said. “We are still actively monitoring the situation, and if Chinese buyers have the need to make any purchases, we may see some activity around mid-December,” a second-tier gas company said. Chinese LNG importers are also struggling to sell surplus gas in the domestic market, as a lack of demand has pushed prices below breakeven levels, making it difficult for spot LNG to compete profitably with local sources. China prepared for the heating season by instructing domestic gas suppliers to fill storage before winter, and large-scale centralized district heating in northern China began Nov. 15. However, no cold wave has materialized, and average temperatures in many areas are above normal. Trucked LNG prices at China’s 107 LNG receiving terminals and inland plants averaged Yuan 4,641/mt ($10.5/MMBtu) in November, down 16% year over year and 9% from October, data from gas distributor ENN showed. These prices, an indicator of unregulated marginal LNG sold in China, are lower than November LNG imports at around $12/MMBtu, meaning sales would need to be above Yuan 5,200/mt to achieve breakeven level. “Trucked LNG prices continued to fall due to challenges in distributing stocks and very weak downstream demand, significantly lower than usual winter rates,” a China-based market participant said. “With the Lunar New Year occurring at the end of January, we expect a delayed recovery in demand, as factories may resume operations later due to prevailing weak macroeconomic conditions,” a trader said. Source:Cover Five: What to make of wild week around Nebraska football, and 5 biggest impact signees
The law doubles the time tenants have to respond after receiving an eviction notice from five business days to ten. Lawyers who work with renters say that what may seem like a minor procedural change could make a big difference in allowing people to stay in their homes. RELATED: Landlords are using AI to raise rents; California cities are leading the pushback Tenants who are served an eviction notice and don’t respond in writing within the legal timeframe can lose their case by default, potentially incurring financial penalties and a black mark on their record that affects their future ability to obtain housing. That’s true even if a tenant has a valid legal defense – for example, if their landlord increased the rent above state limits or refused to fix problems like lack of heat or broken door locks. About 40% of California tenants lose their cases this way, researchers have estimated . “Five days has never been enough for a tenant to find legal assistance and try to decipher the complaint filed against them, find out what kind of defenses they have, fill out the paperwork and make it to court,” Lorraine López, a senior attorney with the Western Center on Law and Poverty, told CalMatters earlier this fall. Related Articles Housing | Where is California’s cheapest place to live? Housing | Landlords are using AI to raise rents; California cities are leading the pushback Housing | California rent hikes: Where are the biggest increases in November? Housing | ‘Affordable housing’: Bay Area renters pay more, investors make millions Housing | Rental home investors poised to benefit as mortgage rates, high home prices sideline buyers in 2025 Access to legal services varies widely across California . San Francisco guarantees legal representation to any tenant facing eviction, and in other cities like Oakland and Los Angeles, robust networks of pro-bono lawyers help renters file responses. But Californians who live in so-called “legal deserts” – often in rural areas – must travel many miles to meet with an attorney. Tenants with lawyers are less likely to get locked out of their homes , some studies have shown – though fewer than 5% of renters in eviction cases nationwide have legal help , compared with more than 80% of landlords, the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel estimates. Authored by Assemblymember Ash Kalra , a San Jose Democrat, the new law also offers something for landlords, who generally like eviction cases to move faster. It limits the amount of time tenant lawyers can take to file certain motions alleging errors in a landlord’s complaint. Landlord representatives said lawyers would use those motions to drag out cases unnecessarily. “The longer these things take, the more expensive it is (for landlords) and the more rent is lost,” said Daniel Bornstein, an attorney who represents property owners. Lea esta historia en EspañolFACT CHECK: Obama did not resettle 70,000 Somalis in Minnesota
Multi-year collaboration aims to expand artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, foster innovation, and enhance industry-specific solutions for diverse business leaders NEW YORK , Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Genpact (NYSE: G), a global professional services and solutions firm delivering outcomes that shape the future, today announced a multi-year Strategic Collaboration Agreement (SCA) with Amazon Web Services (AWS) with plans to accelerate the adoption of AI and empower business leaders across functions to harness its transformative potential. By simplifying access to cutting-edge data and AI technologies, Genpact and AWS are allowing a broad range of decision-makers—from CFOs and COOs to procurement and operations leaders—to drive innovation within their organizations. "Our collaboration with AWS is focused on bringing AI innovations directly to the forefront of decision-making across every line of business," said Murat Aksu , Global Leader for Partnerships, Genpact. "This Strategic Collaboration Agreement will break down traditional barriers to AI adoption, making it accessible to business leaders beyond the CIO's office, and help our clients accelerate value through AI-driven insights and solutions." While AI innovations were previously centralized within IT functions, this expanded collaboration ensures that advanced technologies can now be seamlessly integrated into all business lines. Genpact's collaboration with AWS democratizes AI capabilities, offering tailored solutions that meet the unique needs of multiple business areas, empowering them to solve complex challenges with agility and efficiency. "Thanks to the Genpact and AWS collaboration, we've been able to become a fully cloud-native fixed-annuity provider," said Bob Guilmette , Chief Information Officer, Revol One Financial. "With AWS and Genpact's advanced technology expertise, we are streamlining operations, accelerating product launches, and enhancing digital customer experiences, positioning ourselves for sustainable growth and a competitive edge over legacy insurers." As an AWS Premier Tier Services Partner, Genpact brings deep expertise in AI, data and analytics. With nearly 1,000 certified AWS professionals, Genpact helps clients unlock the full potential of AWS services, including Amazon Connect and Amazon OpenSearch, to modernize operations and scale AI solutions. Genpact's numerous offerings in AWS Marketplace include: "We are expanding our collaboration with Genpact to drive AI transformation across industries," said Rima Olinger , Managing Director, North America Partners, AWS. "Genpact's industry expertise and advanced technology capabilities make them a valuable partner in helping organizations harness AI effectively, empowering business leaders to leverage data-driven insights and achieve their strategic objectives." This collaboration underscores the value of Genpact and AWS to provide flexibility and unlock greater business value for customers across industries. To learn how Genpact and AWS help enterprises across every industry and function, click here . About Genpact Genpact (NYSE: G) is a global professional services and solutions firm delivering outcomes that shape the future. Our 125,000+ people across 30+ countries are driven by our innate curiosity, entrepreneurial agility, and desire to create lasting value for clients. Powered by our purpose – the relentless pursuit of a world that works better for people – we serve and transform leading enterprises, including the Fortune Global 500, with our deep business and industry knowledge, digital operations services, and expertise in data, technology, and AI. Get to know us at genpact.com and on LinkedIn , X , YouTube , and Facebook . MEDIA CONTACT: Sue Martenson Genpact Media Relations +1 978-905-9582 susan.martenson@genpact.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/genpact-signs-strategic-collaboration-agreement-with-aws-to-accelerate-ai-adoption-302321582.html SOURCE Genpact Ltd.Football: Coach Prime’s CU Buffs set to add young talent as signing period begins
Premier claims Cayman now more resilient in Christmas messageA couple of ASX 200 shares are catching the eye with acquisition announcements on Monday. Let's now dig a little deeper into what they have announced: ( ) The first ASX 200 share that is is gold miner Capricorn Metals. According to the release, the company has entered into an agreement with (ASX: LAT) to acquire the prospective Sylvania Project tenements. These tenements cover approximately 1,740 square kilometres of land located next to the company's Karlawinda Gold Project (KGP) tenure in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Capricorn Metals is paying $1.5 million for the tenements, which will be settled through the issue of shares. In addition, there is further consideration including the grant of a 1% net smelter royalty on the sale of all precious minerals and a 1.5% net smelter royalty in respect to the sale of non-precious minerals extracted from the Sylvania Project area. ( ) Another ASX 200 share that has this morning is Sonic Healthcare. The medical diagnostic services provider is paying out considerably more than Capricorn Metals is for its acquisition. According to the release, Sonic Healthcare has signed binding agreements to acquire for an enterprise value of 423 million euros (A$699 million). This comprises a maximum value equivalent to ~222 million euros in shares and the balance in cash LADR is one of the top five medical laboratory groups in Germany. In 2024, its revenues are expected to be ~370 million euros (~A$610 million) with EBITDA of ~50 million euros (~A$82 million). The release notes that transaction is expected to be immediately earnings per share (EPS) accretive, reaching high single-digit percentage accretion after three years (including synergies). Management believes the return on invested capital (ROIC) will significantly exceed Sonic's cost of capital once synergies are achieved, with a ROIC in excess of 11% per annum expected after three years. The ASX 200 share's CEO, Dr. Colin Goldschmidt, said: The partnership between LADR and Sonic Healthcare Germany is an important and substantial step for Sonic in Germany and Europe. We are honoured and excited to commence our collaboration with the Dr. Kramer family and their many local colleagues, teams and partners. Our closely aligned respective cultures, both based on a commitment to Medical Leadership and high-quality medicine, augur well for a successful integration which will further strengthen our service offering to clinicians and patients, and which will also enhance efficiencies in our operations. I warmly welcome the pathologists, clinicians and staff of LADR into the global Sonic Healthcare group.
A flashing traffic light that shouldn’t have been flashing on a busy Bangor road was fixed Tuesday. On Sunday, the city received a report that the signal at the intersection of Hogan Road and the ramps onto Interstate 95 was flashing instead of cycling from green to yellow to red, Public Works Director Aaron Huotari said. The arrival of colder weather can cause periodic problems with traffic lights, Huotari said, but there do not currently appear to be similar issues in the city. At least one other traffic light appeared to have a problem earlier this week. When a Bangor Daily News employee drove through the light at the intersection of Main Street and Bass Park Boulevard on Monday morning, it wasn’t cycling correctly, leaving some drivers stuck with red lights. That issue wasn’t reported to the city until the Bangor Daily News raised it on Tuesday, Huotari said. But the city tested the light that day and couldn’t find any problems with it. On Hogan Road, the light was flashing the way it does between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., with drivers from the northbound I-95 off-ramp seeing a red light, and drivers going north or south on Hogan Road seeing a yellow light, he said. An electrical technician went out Sunday and reset the light, but there was a larger problem with its programming and it was flashing again on Tuesday morning, Huotari said. That prompted reports on social media of a traffic backup in the area. A technician spent most of Monday programming a new controller for the light and then installed it Tuesday, Huotari said. After it was installed, he watched it cycle through to ensure everything was working correctly. The controller with the problem will be sent back to the manufacturer to be rebuilt, Huotari said. When temperatures drop, the public works department generally sees more issues with traffic lights, because lines can sag, which can then mess up their programming, Huotari said. With intersections like Main Street and Bass Park Boulevard, a technician can access the light remotely and ensure the detection zones are set to cover the right areas to trigger the changes, he said. People can report issues with Bangor’s traffic lights or other public works on the SeeClickFix website. More articles from the BDN
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