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Sitting at his desk in an isolated compound north of Bucharest, presidential front-runner and far-right populist Calin Georgescu says Romania’s Western alliances remain secure providing they “serve the sovereignty of the country and nothing else.” Georgescu unexpectedly topped the polls in the first round of the Romanian presidential vote on Nov. 24, despite being a huge outsider, plunging the European Union and NATO country into unprecedented turmoil. On Sunday, he will face reformist Elena Lasconi of the Save Romania Union party in a final vote. “I am interested in us being a sovereign and self-sufficient power,” the 62-year-old independent candidate told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “Freedom and independence come from the ability to finance yourself, not from being financed by others.” His vision for his country’s future lies in a series of Romania-first policies in a push to become self-reliant in areas such as energy, food, and water. Other key issues he wants to address if he wins the presidency, he said, span tackling high poverty rates, organized crime, and drug use in schools. “Our children are dying from drug use,” he said. “It’s unimaginable.” Georgescu is also a self-professed Donald Trump supporter and says the incoming U.S. president “knows what he wants, he loves his people, he put America first, just like I put Romania first ... we have the same ideology.” His success has left Western allies on edge. In the past, Georgescu — who declared zero campaign spending — praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as “a man who loves his country” and called Ukraine “an invented state.” Still, he claims not to be pro-Russian. He has also courted controversy for describing Romanian fascist and nationalist leaders from the 1930s and 1940s as national heroes. He denies having any connection to extremist organizations and says the quotes were miss represented. “I am only for God and my country,” he said. “Period.” Once a member of Romania’s far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, Georgescu left the party in 2022 after being accused by colleagues of being Russia-friendly and critical of NATO. Romania has played a key role in the U.S.-led military alliance since Russia fully invaded neighboring Ukraine nearly three years ago. Observers wonder how a Georgescu presidency could affect NATO unity. “NATO is a defensive organization, but as long as it remains defensive, everything is fine,” the presidential hopeful said. “We will evaluate and see what is to Romania’s advantage ... Everything, no matter what, must benefit the Romanian people," referring to two NATO bases in Romania. On the war in Ukraine, “it’s a very difficult and grave situation," he said. "And my main position is a strategy of peace. Peace with everyone, regardless of who they are.” But Lasconi, his opponent in Sunday’s runoff, has cast Georgescu as a threat to democracy and national security who is not fit for high office. “Let us be very clear, Calin Georgescu is an open admirer of Vladimir Putin. He is openly against NATO and the European Union,” she said a day after the first vote. “He is for Romania’s isolation, which he calls neutrality." She also added that "without NATO we are at the mercy of Russia.” His past controversial remarks are wide-ranging and often veer in conspiracy, like his questioning of vaccine safety or calling climate change a “business scam,” or that “feminism is an absolute mess.” Georgescu holds a doctorate in pedology, a branch of soil science, and held different positions in Romania’s environment ministry in the 1990s. Between 1999 and 2012, he was a representative for Romania on the national committee of the United Nations Environment Program. But he remained a little-known entity until just weeks ago. Many observers attributed his success to his TikTok account, which now has 5.8 million likes and 531,000 followers. But some experts suspect Georgescu’s online following was artificially inflated while Romania’s top security body alleged he was given preferential treatment by TikTok over other candidates. Asked whether he believes the Chinese-owned platform TikTok can pose a threat to democracy, he said: “The most important existing function for promoting free speech and freedom of expression is social media.” In his downtime, he says he enjoys listening to classical composers, such as 19th-century composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and is a big fan of the Irish singer Enya. He holds black belts in judo and karate and said he would make sports investment a top priority “because otherwise, you can’t have a healthy nation.” Romania’s political class, he said, has “constantly shown an inferiority complex” toward the West and vowed to change the dynamic. “Everything I do and will do will be from a negotiation standpoint, in the sense that Romania will stand tall and not on its knees,” he said.OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Investor Warren Buffett renewed his Thanksgiving tradition of giving by handing out more than $1.1 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock to four of his family's foundations Monday, and he offered new details about who will be handing out the rest of his fortune after his death. Buffett has said previously that his three kids will distribute his remaining $147.4 billion fortune in the 10 years after his death, but now he has also designated successors for them because it's possible that Buffett's children could die before giving it all away. He didn't identify the successors, but said his kids all know them and agree they would be good choices. “Father time always wins. But he can be fickle – indeed unfair and even cruel – sometimes ending life at birth or soon thereafter while, at other times, waiting a century or so before paying a visit,” the 94-year-old Buffett said in a letter to his fellow shareholders Monday. “To date, I’ve been very lucky, but, before long, he will get around to me. There is, however, a downside to my good fortune in avoiding his notice. The expected life span of my children has materially diminished since the 2006 pledge. They are now 71, 69 and 66.” Buffett said he still has no interest in creating dynastic wealth in his family — a view shared by his first and current wives. He acknowledged giving Howard, Peter and Susie millions over the years, but he has long said he believes “hugely wealthy parents should leave their children enough so they can do anything but not enough that they can do nothing.” The secret to building up such massive wealth over time has been the power of compounding interest and the steady growth of the Berkshire conglomerate Buffett leads through acquisitions and smart investments like buying billions of dollars of Apple shares as iPhone sales continued to drive growth in that company. Buffett never sold any of his Berkshire stock over the years and also resisted the trappings of wealth and never indulged in much — preferring instead to continue living in the same Omaha home he'd bought decades earlier and drive sensible luxury sedans about 20 blocks to work each day. “As a family, we have had everything we needed or simply liked, but we have not sought enjoyment from the fact that others craved what we had,” he said. If Buffett and his first wife had never given away any of their Berkshire shares, the family's fortune would be worth nearly $364 billion — easily making him the world's richest man — but Buffett said he had no regrets about his giving over the years. The family's giving began in earnest with the distribution of Susan Buffett's $3 billion estate after her death in 2004, but really took off when Warren Buffett announced plans in 2006 to make annual gifts to the foundations run by his kids along with the one he and his wife started, as well as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Warren Buffett's giving to date has favored the Gates Foundation with $55 billion in stock because his friend Bill Gates already had his foundation set up and could handle huge gifts when Buffett started giving away his fortune. But Buffett has said his kids now have enough experience in philanthropy to handle the task and he plans to cut off his Gates Foundation donations after his death. Buffett always makes his main annual gifts to all five foundations every summer, but for several years now he has been giving additional Berkshire shares to his family's foundations at Thanksgiving. Buffett reiterated Monday his advice to every parent to allow their families to read their will while they are still alive — like he has done — to make sure they have a chance to explain their decisions about how to distribute their belongings and answer their children's questions. Buffett said he and his longtime investing partner Charlie Munger, who died a year ago, “saw many families driven apart after the posthumous dictates of the will left beneficiaries confused and sometimes angry.” Today, Buffett continues to lead Berkshire Hathaway as chairman and CEO and has no plans to retire although he has handed over most of the day-to-day managing duties for the conglomerates dozens of companies to others. That allows him to focus on his favorite activity of deciding where to invest Berkshire's billions . One of Buffett's deputies who oversees all the noninsurance companies now, Greg Abel, is set to take over as CEO after Buffett's death. Even after converting 1,600 Class A shares into 2.4 million Class B Berkshire shares and giving them away, Buffett still owns 206,363 Class A shares and controls more than 30% of the vote.
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Ace's innovative modular battery recycling platform is designed to minimize battery waste and retain critical battery materials of strategic importance. Ace, with commercial operations in Asia , is focused on global expansion and plans to develop a flagship battery recycling plant in Texas for lead and lithium-ion batteries. Ace believes that it is uniquely positioned to commercially recycle both lead and lithium-ion batteries using fully electrified processes that produce zero Scope 1 emissions, zero toxic water and zero solid waste. Ace has established a robust network of supply chain partners, including a 15-year offtake agreement with Glencore, one of the world's largest global diversified natural resource companies and a leading company in the recycling industry. Ace is assigned an equity value of $250 million in the transaction, which is expected to close in the first half of 2025. HOUSTON , Dec. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ace Green Recycling, Inc. ("Ace" or the "Company"), a leading provider of sustainable battery recycling technology solutions, and Athena Technology Acquisition Corp. II ("ATAC II") ATEK , a special purpose acquisition company, today announced that they have entered into a definitive business combination agreement, pursuant to which a wholly-owned subsidiary of ATAC II will merge with and into Ace, with Ace becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of ATAC II and Ace's operations becoming the operating business of the combined entity. Ace's revolutionary battery recycling technology focuses on recovering critical battery materials from both lead and lithium-ion batteries. The Company's innovative and modular technologies are fully electrified, producing zero Scope 1 emissions, zero toxic water and zero solid waste. These capabilities position Ace as a provider of hydrometallurgical recycling solutions without any smelting or thermal processes for both lead and lithium batteries. Ace currently operates commercial facilities in India (lithium-ion; since 2023) that it owns and has licensed its technology to ACME Metal in Taiwan (lead; since 2024), with advanced plans to deploy its technology by building its own plant in the United States . The Company has proven its technology's commercial credentials by enabling processing of more than three million pounds of lead and lithium batteries in India and Taiwan. The Company's LithiumFirstTM technology is capable of commercially recovering up to 75% of lithium with a purity exceeding 99% from lithium iron phosphate ("LFP") and Nickel Manganese Cobalt ("NMC") batteries. In addition to recovering Lithium, the Company's LithiumFirst TM technology also recovers NMC salts, graphite, iron phosphate and other materials such as plastics, steel, aluminum and copper by utilizing a closed-loop hydrometallurgical process that avoids pyrometallurgical operations and produces no liquid waste or Scope 1 carbon emissions. Ace's GREENLEAD® Recovery Technology is a fully electric process that produces zero Scope 1 emissions and is capable of recovering up to 99% of battery-grade lead with more than 99.98% purity. Ace's process is designed to replace legacy smelting operations, which are detrimental to the environment, as well as human health due to potential lead poisoning, and is expected to facilitate a more streamlined permitting process. Ace's expansion strategy centers on the development of battery recycling plants in the U.S., creating centralized hubs for the sustainable recovery of valuable materials from end-of-life batteries. These plants are expected: Drive domestic job creation: Generate high-quality manufacturing jobs in the U.S., stimulating local economies and strengthening America's workforce. Enhance critical battery material security: Reduce reliance on foreign sources of critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel and lead, bolstering domestic supply chains and supporting the growth of the U.S. electric vehicle and renewable energy sectors. Promote renewable energy partnerships: Develop partnerships for renewable captive power with distributed power generators, further minimizing the environmental impact of operations. Key Investment Highlights Commercial Stage/Revenue Generating: Ace operates commercial facilities in India (since 2003) and Taiwan (since 2024), with planned project development in the U.S. ( Texas ), Europe , and Israel , along with complimentary supply chain operations. The Company is currently generating approximately $23 million in annual revenue. Large Target Markets: Ace's market strategy targets immense opportunities across two core sectors: the mature lead battery recycling market, valued at over $20 billion in 2024, and the rapidly growing lithium-ion battery recycling market, projected to exceed $35 billion by 2040. Anticipated Profitability in 2026: Unique modular, cost-effective deployment strategy allows for high margins and an efficient CapEx and OpEx model. Diversified Business Model: The Company monetizes considerable opportunities in battery recycling through owned and operated facilities, joint venture and licensing agreements, and supply chain and services contracts. Differentiated and Superior Proprietary Green Technology: Already approved by regulators in key global markets, Ace's electrified process eliminates the typical toxic waste and carbon emissions that have forced the shutdown of peer facilities. Additionally, Ace is differentiated in its ability to process both lead and lithium batteries, including LFP, as its competitors are generally unable to process LFP batteries and are able to process either lead or lithium batteries, but not both. Superior Supply-Chain Expertise : Ace believes that it is poised for global expansion, supported by a robust network of supply chain partners across the U.S., Europe , Asia and Africa . Anchored by Marquee Customers: Global offtake agreement with Glencore, one of the world's largest global diversified natural resource companies and a leading company in the recycling industry, underpins the high demand for low-cost feedstock to enable the electrification of vehicles, solar energy and the transition to green energy solutions. Supportive Global Tailwinds: National security, economic and sustainability initiatives have globalized the refining of feedstock and battery production away from traditional sources. U.S. Focus: We believe that Ace's planned facility in Texas and anticipated U.S. footprint will support the U.S. in safeguarding its critical battery metals supply chain. Additionally, Ace is collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory for advanced research on recycling of LFP batteries and upcycling of spent graphite to battery grade. Leading IP Portfolio: Executing customized IP strategies in the lithium and lead recycling spaces, Ace has developed an industry-leading IP portfolio consisting of utility patents, stealth patents and trade secrets supported by more than a decade of research and development ("R&D"). Ace also collaborates with R&D institutions such as the Indian Institute of Technology and Singapore Polytechnic on battery recycling topics. Management Expertise: Ace's team of industry leaders brings together diverse expertise in battery recycling, green energy, business development and global strategy. Backed by Seasoned Industry Investors: Ace's current investors have deep expertise in the metals and recycling sectors, including Claude Dauphin Family Office, former executives at Trafigura, Circulate Capital, and the Francis Family Fund ApS. Management Commentary "Ace is advancing electrification by building a global recycling technology to create sustainable supply chain solutions for critical metals that will enable next-generation technologies," said Nishchay Chadha, CEO of Ace. "Compared to other recyclers, we employ a modular, fully electrified, low CapEx strategy, addressing two distinct and sizeable markets in lead and lithium-ion batteries. We believe that this approach will allow us to rapidly achieve commercial scale while diversifying both our feedstock and end-markets. Our planned focus on the U.S. market makes listing on a U.S. exchange a strategic move that better aligns our goals with our core stakeholders." Transaction Overview The proposed business combination (the "Proposed Business Combination") is expected to close in the first half of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions including regulatory, court and shareholder approvals. Concurrently, Ace expects to complete a financing from existing insiders and various strategic and fundamental investors. Advisors Chardan is serving as exclusive financial advisor to Ace Green Recycling Inc. Lucosky Brookman LLP is serving as legal counsel to Ace Green Recycling Inc. Latham & Watkins LLP is serving as legal counsel to Athena Technology Acquisition Corp. II. About Ace Green Recycling Ace Green Recycling, Inc., incorporated in Delaware , is an innovative battery recycling technology platform offering sustainable end-of-life solutions. It has deployed modular, Scope 1 emissions-free recycling plants for Lithium (NMC & LFP) and Lead batteries used in various industries including electronics, automotive and energy storage. Ace is founded by Nishchay Chadha, who serves as its Chief Executive Officer and is a veteran in recycling, mining and global supply chain industries and Dr Vipin Tyagi as Chief Technology Officer, who is an accomplished scientist with extensive experience in battery materials recycling technology. For more information, please visit https://www.acegreenrecycling.com/ . Additional Information and Where to Find It In connection with the Proposed Business Combination, ATAC II and Ace are expected to prepare a registration statement on Form S-4 (the "Registration Statement") to be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") by ATAC II, which will include preliminary and definitive proxy statements to be distributed to ATAC II's shareholders in connection with ATAC II's solicitation for proxies for the vote by ATAC II's shareholders in connection with the Proposed Business Combination and other matters as described in the Registration Statement, as well as the prospectus relating to the offer of the securities to be issued to Ace's shareholders in connection with the completion of the Proposed Business Combination. After the Registration Statement has been filed and declared effective, ATAC II will mail a definitive proxy statement and other relevant documents to its shareholders as of the record date established for voting on the Proposed Business Combination. ATAC II's shareholders and other interested persons are advised to read, once available, the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus and any amendments thereto and, once available, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus, in connection with ATAC II's solicitation of proxies for its special meeting of shareholders to be held to approve, among other things, the Proposed Business Combination, because these documents will contain important information about ATAC II, ACE, and the Proposed Business Combination. This communication is not a substitute for the Registration Statement, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus, or any other document that ATAC II will send to its shareholders in connection with the Proposed Business Combination. Shareholders may also obtain a copy of the preliminary or definitive proxy statement, once available, as well as other documents filed with the SEC regarding the Proposed Business Combination and other documents filed with the SEC by ATAC II, without charge, at the SEC's website located at www.sec.gov or by directing a request to Athena Technology Acquisition Corp. II, Attn: Isabelle Freidheim , 442 5th Avenue, New York, NY . INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO READ, WHEN AVAILABLE, THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED BUSINESS COMBINATION AND THE PARTIES TO THE PROPOSED BUSINESS COMBINATION . Investors and security holders will be able to obtain copies of these documents (if and when available) and other documents filed with the SEC free of charge at www.sec.gov . The definitive proxy statement/ prospectus (if and when available) will be mailed to shareholders of ATAC II as of a record date to be established for voting on the Proposed Business Combination. Shareholders of ATAC II will also be able to obtain copies of the proxy statement/prospectus without charge, once available, at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov . Participants in the Solicitation ATAC II, Ace and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from ATAC II's shareholders in connection with the Proposed Business Combination. Information about ATAC II's directors and executive officers and a description of their interests in ATAC II and with respect to the Proposed Business Combination and any other matters to be acted upon at the ATAC II shareholder meeting will be included in the proxy statement/prospectus for the Proposed Business Combination and be available at the SEC's website ( www.sec.gov ). Information about Ace's directors and executive officers and information regarding their interests in Ace and with respect to the Proposed Business Combination will also be included in such registration statement. No Offer or Solicitation This press release relates to a proposed transaction between ATAC II and Ace. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or exchange, or the solicitation of an offer to buy or exchange, any securities, nor shall there be any offer, sale or exchange of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, sale or exchange would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts. These forward-looking statements include the statements regarding the expected timing for completion of the Proposed Business Combination, Ace's U.S. development plans and global expansion plans, the expected impact of Ace's planned battery recycling plants in the U.S., and Ace's expectation that it will be profitable in 2026; in some cases you can also identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," or "continue" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. All forward-looking statements are based on ATAC II's and Ace's current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects. Forward-looking statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, are not guarantees of future performance, and involve a number of risks, uncertainties, or other factors that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements included in this press release. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: (i) the failure to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the Proposed Business Combination, including the adoption and approval of the Business Combination Agreement, the Proposed Business Transaction, the intended financing and other related matters by ATAC II's shareholders, (ii) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the Business Combination Agreement, (iii) the effect of the announcement or pendency of the Proposed Business Combination on Ace's business relationships, operating results and business generally, (iv) risks that the Proposed Business Combination disrupts Ace's current plans and operations, (v) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against ATAC II or Ace related to the Business Combination Agreement or the Proposed Business Combination, (vi) the risks that the consummation of the Proposed Business Combination is substantially delayed or does not occur, including prior to the date on which ATAC II is required to liquidate under the terms of its charter documents (as may be amended) and the potential failure to obtain an extension of its business combination deadline in ATAC II's upcoming Annual Meeting of Stockholders, (vii) costs related to the Proposed Business Combination and the failure to realize anticipated benefits thereof or to realize estimated pro forma results and underlying assumptions, including with respect to estimated shareholder redemptions, (viii) the risk that Ace and its current and future collaborators are unable to continue to successfully develop and commercialize Ace's products and services, or experience significant delays in doing so, (ix) the risk that Ace may need to raise additional capital to execute its business plan, which may not be available on acceptable terms or at all, (x) the ability of ATAC II to maintain the listing of its securities on a U.S. exchange before the closing of the Proposed Business Combination and following the Proposed Business Combination, and (xi) the risk that the post-transaction company experiences difficulties in managing its growth and expanding operations. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors" section of the registration statement on Form S-4 and proxy statement/prospectus discussed above and other documents filed or to be filed by ATAC II and/or or any successor entity thereof from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and ATAC II and Ace assume no obligation and do not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. Contacts: Media Media@acegreenrecycling.com Investors Investors@acegreenrecycling.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ace-green-recycling-a-global-leader-in-battery-recycling-technology-to-become-a-public-company-302323175.html SOURCE ACE Green Recycling © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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Coinbase chief people officer Lawrence Brock sells $8m in stockThursday, December 5, 2024 Facebook Instagram Twitter WhatsApp Youtube Personal Finance Education Entertainment Jobs Alert Sports Hindi Technology Complaint Redressal. Fact-Checking Policy Correction policy Authors and Team DNPA Code of Ethics Onwership and Funding Cookie Policy Terms of Service Disclaimer Contact US About Us More Search Home Personal Finance 8th Pay Commission: Central employees will get good news on 8th Pay... Personal Finance 8th Pay Commission: Central employees will get good news on 8th Pay Commission? government made it clear By Shyamu Maurya December 5, 2024 0 6 Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Telegram 8th Pay Commission: Central employees will get good news on 8th Pay Commission? government made it clear More than one crore central government employees and pensioners are waiting for the formation of the 8th Pay Commission. Its implementation will increase the basic salary, allowances, pension and other benefits of the employees. 8th Pay Commission latest news: The government has given a big blow to the central employees. In fact, the Finance Ministry said on 3 December 2024 that there is no plan to constitute the Eighth Pay Commission in the near future. Let us tell you that more than one crore central government employees and pensioners are waiting for the formation of the 8th Pay Commission. Its implementation will increase the basic salary, allowances, pension and other benefits of the employees. What did the government say Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, in response to a question in the Rajya Sabha, said that at present no proposal is being considered to constitute the 8th Central Pay Commission. Actually, it was asked whether the central government is thinking of announcing the new pay commission in the Union Budget 2025-26. Constituted every 10 years The Central Pay Commission is generally constituted every 10 years to assess and suggest changes in the salaries, allowances and perks of central government employees. The 7th Pay Commission was constituted by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on February 28, 2014. It submitted its recommendations on November 19, 2015 and the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission came into effect from January 1, 2016. Now the next pay commission i.e. 8th Central Pay Commission is expected to be implemented from January 1, 2026. Whenever a pay commission is implemented, it usually leads to a revision in the salary structure of central government employees and pensioners. The salary usually includes dearness allowance and dearness relief (DR). Currently, central employees get DA of 53 per cent. The same allowance is also given to pensioners. The government increases the allowance i.e. DA twice a year. This is done on a half-yearly basis. Join Informal Newz Tags 8th Pay Commission Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Telegram Previous article UPI transaction limits: RBI increased the limit of UPI Lite transactions, now you can do this much per transaction per day Shyamu Maurya Shyamu has done Degree in Fine Arts and has knowledge about bollywood industry. He started writing in 2018. Since then he has been associated with Informalnewz. 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NoneThe Yomiuri Shimbun 7:00 JST, December 30, 2024 Websites that allow users create sexually explicit deepfake images using generative AI received more than 18 million visits from Japan over a year, a survey by The Yomiuri Shimbun has found. That makes Japan the third-largest country in the world for such traffic after the United States and India. It is becoming increasingly common both in Japan and abroad for people to create explicit deepfakes of others and then spread the images via social media, and websites that let users create such images are believed to play a major role in the problem. One expert has called for rules and regulations to prevent harm in Japan. In the survey, The Yomiuri Shimbun identified 41 websites that say they let users create fake sexual images. Visits to the sites were also examined by country for the year from December 2023 to November 2024, using a tool provided by digital analysis firm Similarweb Ltd. The United States saw the most traffic at about 59.73 million visits, followed by India at around 24.57 million visits, Japan at about 18.43 million visits, Russia at about 17.59 million visits and Germany at around 16.86 million visits. From Japan, about 410,000 people accessed the websites each month on average, with 80% of users visiting via a smartphone. The websites allow users to upload images of people and alter the images to remove people’s clothes. Instructions on the websites are mostly given in English and Russian, with some sites offering Japanese. More than half the websites are believed to have been launched this year. With the rise of these sites, there has been a similar rise in the creation of fake and unauthorized images, as well as videos, and the sharing of this content online. There were confirmed to be 95,820 deepfake videos online in 2023, or 5.5 times more videos than in 2019, and 98% of these were sexual videos, according to a survey by U.S. security firm Security Hero. As deepfakes have become more common, other countries have moved to draft new laws. “To prevent people from easily creating fake sexual images, Japan also needs to consider laws and regulations, as well as provide instruction on information literacy to keep people from making such harmful images,” said Ichiro Sato, a professor specializing in information science at the National Institute of Informatics.The Split Barcelona episode 1 recap: a shocking secret throws a family wedding into chaos
Tim Cook sat down with Wired for a wide-ranging interview He confirmed that Apple hasn't considered charging for AI features as of yet Cook shedded some light on Vision Pro performance, albeit indirectly I like Tim Cook . The now long-time Apple CEO is gracious, smart, and as close to a human sphinx as you can imagine. He rarely drops major news, either casually or when the media are grilling him. Cook did not disappoint in his latest wide-ranging interview with Wired's Steven Levy . One of the best in the business, Levy peppered Cook with questions about everything from the iPhone's 16's new Camera Control button to Apple Intelligence , the company, and his own legacy. Cook didn't exactly break news, but there were areas where he revealed a bit more about himself and some of Apple's strategic decisions relating to AI, mixed reality, and what comes next for Cook himself. Apple Intelligence, Apple's brand of AI that Cook insists is not a pun, has been slowly rolling out to supported iPhones, iPads, and Macs, with each iteration getting a bit closer to what Apple promised during its June WWDC 2024 keynote. Cook didn't walk through any new features, though he does have a point of view on the fine line between utility and taking over. Cook tends to believe that AI is an assistant (like a copilot, I guess) and is not straight-up doing things for you. However, Cook's perspective on charging for additional and maybe more powerful AI Apple Intelligence features was more interesting. It's not a discussion they've been having on the Apple Campus. "We never talked about charging for it," Cook told Levy. Now, that doesn't mean it's off the table, but since Apple and Cook view Apple Intelligence as similar to multitouch on the iPhone, AI is likely a feature that adds value to all the other products and services Apple charges for. Apple could simply raise the prices on them to cover the cost of building and supporting Apple intelligence features. Vision Pro realities Apple has been mum on Vision Pro sales. The powerful VR and mixed-reality headset is undoubtedly the apex of Apple's consumer electronics capabilities and the company makes you pay dearly for it – $3,500 – which may account for consumer apathy. Cook didn't speak directly about sales performance, but he's still bullish about the headset. I think, though, he may have acknowledged that the pricey wearable is not for everyone. Here's how Cook characterized it to Levy: Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more. Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content. "It’s an early adopter product, for people who want tomorrow’s technology today." Cook insisted that the ecosystem is flourishing, which may be a sign of product category health, but then he added one encouraging bit of almost news about what might come next. Levy asked about Meta Orion and Snap AR glasses . These lighter and more glasses-like wearables focus on AR experiences, and I wondered if Vision Pro's next iteration could be headed in that direction. "Yes," Cook told Levy, "It’s a progression over time in terms of what happens with form factors." I think the market cannot wait to try out those next form factors. After Cook Some believe that Apple Hardware lead John Ternus is the next likely Apple CEO , but for Ternus to step in, Cook would have to step away. The current Apple CEO, however, did not paint a picture of someone running out of steam or one who is becoming less engaged with the brand. The Apple-Tim Cook love affair is still very much alive. Cook is not planning his exit and told Levy that he would not "do it until the voice in my head says, 'It's time." Cook said he loves the job and can't imagine his life without it. Put another way, Tim Cook will be steering the Apple ship and building upon his legacy, which Cook wants to be health. "We have research going on. We’re pouring all of ourselves in here, and we work on things that are years in the making," Cook told Levy. I think it will likely be Apple Silicon for many years to come, though. A new affordable iPad could launch in 2025 too These are the best Apple iPads right now Apple needs to fix its infuriating Home appIndian headline equity indices opened higher for the fifth consecutive day on Thursday, driven by gains in the index heavyweight Reliance Industries and IT stocks, with investors awaiting the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) rate decision on Friday. The BSE Sensex was trading over 200 points, or 0.27%, higher at 81,174. The Nifty50 was up 51.85 points, or 0.21%, trading at 24,519 around 9:30 am. From the Sensex stocks, TCS , Infosys , Bharti Airtel , Tech Mahindra , and UltraTech Cement opened with gains, while NTPC , JSW Steel , Maruti , and HDFC Bank opened with cuts. Ahead of the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) rate decision, interest-sensitive sectors opened in the red. The Nifty Financial Services fell 0.1%, Nifty Realty opened 0.3% lower, while the Nifty Bank and Auto indices opened flat with a negative bias. Meanwhile, the RBI is expected to keep rates steady at its policy meeting on Friday due to elevated inflation. However, its commentary will likely be crucial for markets following the sharp growth slowdown in the September quarter. 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Among individual stocks, Indraprastha Gas (IGL) rose as much as 4% after the company announced plans to propose a bonus share issue during its upcoming board meeting on December 10. Meanwhile, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell made balanced comments at a New York Times event on Wednesday, describing the economy as in good shape but not really pushing back on market pricing for rate cuts. Earlier this week Fed Governor Christopher Waller had said he was leaning towards a cut later in December. European retail sales figures and German factory orders are due later in the day, though the week's focus is on US employment data on Friday where a strong reading could reverse bond-market moves. Experts Take "The Fed chief Powell’s remark yesterday that the “economy is in remarkably good shape” is a shot in the arm for the US bulls. However, there is a concern that the valuations in the US are getting stretched. This concern about high valuations is true in India, too. In a bull market, valuations can get stretched and, therefore, some caution is always good," said V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Financial Services . "FIIs turning buyers is positive for markets, particularly for largecaps. The strength in banking stocks has the potential to take the Bank Nifty towards all-time highs. This can help Nifty,too, to move higher," Vijayakumar added. Deepak Jasani, Head of Retail Research at HDFC Securities, said, "A decisive move above 24,500 is likely to open the next upside of around 24,900 in the near term. The immediate support is at 24,300." Global Markets The S&P 500, Nasdaq and Dow had all notched record highs overnight. Over the past week and a half markets have all but priced in an extra US rate cut for 2025 and the implied chance of a cut in December has lifted from even to around 75%. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was flat in morning trade as selling in Hong Kong offset gains in Australia and Japan. Japan's Nikkei rose about 0.6% to hit a three-week high. Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell around 1%. FII/DII Tracker Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) extended their buying on second day as they bought equities of Rs 1,797 crore on December 4, on the other hand, domestic institutional investors also extended their selling as they sold equities of Rs 900 crore on the same day. Crude Oil Oil prices rose ahead of an OPEC+ meeting later in the day, with investors waiting to see what the producer group would do next on supply cuts while also monitoring tension in the Middle East. Brent crude futures climbed 12 cents, or 0.2%, to $72.43 a barrel by 0103 GMT while U.S. crude futures were at $68.70 a barrel, up 16 cents, or 0.2%. Both benchmarks fell nearly 2% on Wednesday. Currency Watch The Indian rupee rose 4 paise to 84.71 against the US dollar in early trade. The dollar index, which tracks the movement of the greenback against a basket of six major world currencies, declined 0.08% to 106.23 level. (With inputs from agencies) (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel )
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