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A Nigerian lady has shared a video explaining why the pastors left her wedding venue shortly after their arrival According to the lady, the pastors were displeased with her husband's hairstyle and refused to go ahead with the wedding Mixed reactions trailed the video on TikTok as social media users stormed the comments section to react PAY ATTENTION: Follow our WhatsApp channel to never miss out on the news that matters to you! A Nigerian lady's wedding day took an unexpected turn when the pastors officiating the ceremony walked out in protest over the groom's hairstyle. The incident, which left the bride and her family stunned, was shared in a video posted by the bride on TikTok . Bride reacts after pastors left her wedding The bride, identified as @ missteecal0 on TikTok, recounted the events leading up to the pastors' dramatic exit. PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app! According to her, the pastors had initially taken issue with the groom's cornrows, deeming them unacceptable for the wedding ceremony. Read also After 2 years in UK, lady suddenly returns to Nigeria to resume old job, hints on reason in video A compromise was reached, with the groom agreeing to style his hair in a jheri curl. However, when the big day arrived, the groom's hair proved too long to style as agreed, prompting a last-minute solution of two cornrows. The pastors, however, were unimpressed by the groom's new hairstyle and refused to proceed with the ceremony. Despite pleas from the wedding planner and other guests, the pastors stood firm, ultimately abandoning the ceremony. The incident left the bride and her family shocked and disappointed, with many taking to social media to express their outrage and disbelief at the pastors' actions. In the bride's words "They told my husband that it's not allowed to have cornrows on his head. So we eventually agreed to do something like a jheri curl on the hair. However, we discovered a day to the wedding that his hair was too long and it wasn't possible. Read also Bishop TD Jakes: Portter's House Church shares what happened as preacher suffers health emergency "On the day of the wedding, we loosened the hair to reveal the jheri curl but it didn't even form anything. So I asked my stylist to leave my hair and go and make his own hair. That was the fastest thing we can do. He made two cornrows and I called my dad to tell him what happened. My dad said okay, fine. "We went for the joining. We did the registry part like you already saw. Time for church, I started wondering why haven't we started the ceremony? I was in the car and I saw my mum throwing hands and talking to my husband. My younger brother was just going from one place to another. "He then came to tell me that the pasrors are refusing to go ahead with the ceremony cause the groom has two cornrows on his head. My event planner was begging, everyone was begging them. Eventually, my brother came to tell me that the pastors already left." Read also Nigerian man emotional after seeing long lost secondary school friend working as delivery rider Reactions as pastors leave wedding ceremony TikTok users stormed the comments section to share their varying opinions. @OmogeNaija said: "Church wedding is really not that important sha, has your dad handed you over to him and his family? That's what matters the most biko. Congratulations on your wedding." @Melvin Ravenclaw reacted: "What is the pastor's business with his hair looking long or whatever???? na the hair she dey marry? shuuuuu." @Ąäłiyaħ| said: "You all saying is it not just hair, if it was a white man with a long hair will they do the same thing let’s be realistic na, Abi the picture of jesus they hang in churches is he bald??" @Tumtum said: "I’ll stand in front of that alter, hold my husband’s hand, we would close our eyes and pray and go to the reception." @victoriavictory232 added: "So basically I didn’t do church wedding I did trads & registry, but my husband willingly cut his 7yrs dreadlocks before meeting my family I didn’t ask him to, it’s just hair it’s has grown back." Read also "Nappi na talk and do": Lady in relationship with oyinbo man hails him for building house for family Pastor suspends wedding on D-day Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a pastor suspended a wedding following the absence of a family member to walk the bride down the aisle. According to the pastor, family ties are very important and a relative must be available to give the bride out. PAY ATTENTION : Legit.ng Needs Your Opinion! That's your chance to change your favourite news media. Fill in a short questionnaire Source: Legit.ngNo. 2 UConn entered the Maui Invitational as the favorite in a stacked field to win the Feast Week showcase. Instead, it has a date for the seventh-place game. Unranked Colorado over UConn on Tuesday. The loss was the second in two games for the Huskies in Maui. UConn . The game featured an outburst from head coach Dan Hurley directed at officials that resulted in a costly technical foul in overtime. Hurley doubled down against the officials in that didn't take responsibility for his technical foul. Tuesday brought further disappointment for a UConn team that's off to a rough start in its quest for a third consecutive national championship. The Huskies are now 4-2 without having played a ranked team. UConn held the lead on Tuesday for the entirety of the first half that it led 40-32 at the break. But hot 3-point shooting allowed the Buffaloes to rally after halftime. Colorado took its first lead on a Julian Hammond 3-pointer at 48-46. It then retook the lead at 57-56 on an RJ Smith 3. UConn repeatedly answered the Colorado runs and held a 72-69 lead with 1:29 remaining. But Colorado scored the last four points of the game including a go-ahead layup in traffic by Andrej Jakimovski. ANDREJ JAKIMOVSKI WINS IT FOR THE BUFFS 🤯 — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) UConn had a last look at the basket following a timeout with 5.9 seconds remaining. But Hassan Diarra's go-ahead 3-point attempt clanged off the rim just before the final buzzer sounded. For the game, Colorado shot 51.1% from the field including a 9-of-16 (56.3%) effort from 3-point distance. Hammond led the way with a 4-for-5 effort from long distance en route to 16 points. Jakimovski hit 2 of 4 3-point attempts en route to 12 points and 10 rebounds. Elijah Malone tied Hammond for the team scoring lead with 16 points on a 6-for-10 shooting effort from the field. The Huskies finished the game without starting center Samson Johnson and backup center Tarris Reed Jr., both of whom fouled out. They countered Colorado's efficient shooting with a 48.1% rate from the field and a 12-of-31 (38.7%) effort from long distance. Liam McNeely led the way with 20 points while shooting 4 of 6 from 3. But it wasn't enough to overcome Colorado's second-half rally. Hurley got heated again when officials declined to call a loose-ball foul on Colorado on a physical offensive rebound that set up the game-winning shot. Dan Hurley is fuming. UConn on the ropes right now. — Kyle Boone (@kyletheboone) An over-the-back call against UConn on another contested rebound was the source of Hurley's anger against officials on Monday. "Sometimes you’re not getting a great whistle, and I don’t think out here per CBS Sports' Matt Norlander. "It just hasn’t bounced our way out here that way. It killed us to have so many guys in foul trouble during the game." He also directly addressed the no-call at the end of Tuesday's game. Dan Hurley postgame: "Today's (no-call) felt more egregious. The kid pulled Liam McNeeley's arm down. I saw the replay of it. It's obviously ironic. But that's not why I think we lost. Our defense has been just, so dreadful. Just so dreadful." — The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) "Yesterday, the biggest play of the game was an over-the-back that was called against us," Hurley said. "And then today, it was more egregious because the kid pulled Liam’s arm down." This week was supposed to be UConn's first test against a fellow contender in a Maui field that also features No. 4 Auburn, No. 5 Iowa State and No. 12 North Carolina. There's still a chance to face a ranked foe if No. 5 Iowa State loses its second game of the tournament to Dayton later Tuesday. If Iowa State advances, UConn will leave Maui still in search of its first test against a top-25 team. Colorado advances to face the winner between Iowa State and Dayton in the fifth-place game on Wednesday. UConn will face the loser. Auburn will take on North Carolina and Memphis will take on Michigan State in the semifinals of the winners' bracket.

A subtle but potentially significant shift is occurring in artificial intelligence (AI). Machines are advancing beyond processing commands to undertaking tasks with more autonomy. Google’s release of Gemini 2.0 may mark a turning point in this evolution, showcasing AI systems that can independently navigate complex tasks across multiple platforms. For example, Gemini 2.0 powers projects like Astra, a universal assistant for Android devices, and Mariner, an agent capable of autonomous web navigation. These developments suggest the system could transform user interactions and task automation. For businesses, such advancements indicate possibilities for AI to impact operations ranging from warehouse management to customer service. “Gemini 2.0 improves on previous AI systems by advancing the capabilities of autonomous decision-making through the integration of more sophisticated AI agents that leverage real-time data processing and adaptive learning models,” Prashant Kelker , chief strategy officer, partner and lead consulting sourcing and transformation – Americas, with global technology research and advisory firm ISG , told PYMNTS. “As a result, enterprises will need to strengthen the cross-functional alignment between technology, business and compliance teams. As agentic AI goes into production, we are expecting cloud and edge computing capabilities to scale.” AI Agents and Commerce The key innovation lies in Gemini 2.0’s ability to handle multistep processes with reduced human oversight. Unlike traditional AI that responds to specific prompts, this system aims to autonomously coordinate across platforms, potentially managing inventory or processing orders. “Rather than completely redesigning their eCommerce systems, businesses will likely extend existing accessibility and structured data standards to create an ‘AI-enhanced HTML’ layer that sits between pure visual interfaces and full APIs,” Dev Nag , CEO of QueryPal , a support automation company, told PYMNTS. A distinguishing feature of Gemini 2.0 is its unified approach to processing different types of information. While previous systems often required separate tools for handling text, images and audio, this new model reportedly integrates them—a development seen as critical for real-world applications where data often spans multiple formats. For retailers and logistics companies , such advancements might manage supply chains, from tracking shipments to predicting inventory needs, while also handling customer interactions across multiple channels. Financial institutions might consider deploying it to enhance fraud detection systems, potentially allowing human analysts to focus on strategic tasks. With further development, Gemini’s agentic approach could have massive usefulness for practical and inefficient consumer tasks, Kevin Green , COO of Hapax , an AI for the financial services industry , told PYMNTS . But, he said, there are a few important things to note. “First, agentic is not a tidal wave. It will not come in and impact every aspect of consumer life. Much of what we do is already incredibly efficient and will not be improved upon, or at least not improved upon quickly, by agents. “Take online shopping for example. While AI may allow us to more quickly find what we are looking for or better introduce us to new products, the act of purchasing on Amazon is already incredibly efficient so products like AI shoppers are not something I’m expecting to take hold.” Race for AI Autonomy Gemini 2.0 could be an indicator of broader changes in business operations. The ability to process multiple data types and make decisions autonomously could have implications for retail and manufacturing industries. Some early adopters are already exploring applications. For instance, logistics companies are testing AI agents for tasks like tracking shipments and rerouting them based on real-time conditions and customer preferences. Similarly, Salesforce recently announced Agentforce 2.0 , a platform designed to enhance sales, marketing and customer service through AI-driven solutions. Customer service departments are experimenting with agents capable of resolving complex support issues by accessing multiple systems without human intervention. However, these advancements raise concerns. As AI systems gain more autonomy, ensuring their security becomes critical. A compromised AI agent could disrupt supply chains or execute unauthorized financial decisions. The potential cost savings and efficiency gains are considerable but not guaranteed. By automating routine processes, companies might reduce operational overhead and improve response times, though the extent of these benefits remains to be seen. For instance, SoundHound AI’s voice technology, used in automotive and restaurant sectors, highlights the interest in AI-driven solutions but also underscores the challenges in scaling such systems effectively. For businesses, the outlook is complex. Autonomous AI is no longer just a theoretical prospect — it is beginning to influence how companies operate and compete. However, success will likely depend on balancing automation with appropriate human oversight. Companies starting small-scale implementations now may position themselves better as these technologies evolve.It’s here. American Thanksgiving. While most of our friends south of the border look at the late-November holiday and think NFL when it comes to sports, most Canadians view it through a different lens. They examine the NHL standings – hoping that their team is above the playoff line. Why? Since realignment occurred over a decade ago, 80% of the teams that are in playoff spots at Thanksgiving qualify for the post-season. For those that are mathematically challenged, that’s 13 out of 16 teams. That was the case last season as well as Edmonton, Nashville and the New York Islanders were the only teams to make the playoffs despite being on the outside looking in on Nov. 23, 2023. Last year on that date, the Vancouver Canucks had 27 points and only the Vegas Golden Knights — with 30 — had more. The Canucks performance in those first 20 games basically clinched a playoff spot. This season the Canucks haven’t been as fortunate. Not having the services of all-star goaltender Thatcher Demko since the start of the season due to a knee injury was the first issue that the hockey club had to deal with. Dakota Joshua also missed the first 14 games recovering from off-season cancer surgery. Brock Boeser suffered what appeared to be a concussion on Nov. 7 and missed seven games but was set to return to the lineup in Boston against the Bruins on Tuesday night. Then there’s J.T. Miller, who took a leave of absence on Nov. 19 for personal reasons. Add it all up and it’s a Canuck team that has been treading water without their three All-Stars from a year ago. After Monday’s games, Vancouver was below the playoff bar with 23 points, trailing both Colorado and Edmonton by one point for the two wildcard spots. The Canucks are also two points behind the Los Angeles Kings for third place in the Pacific Division. The good news with all of these scenarios is that the Canucks have played the least number of games — 19 — of any team in the National Hockey League entering Tuesday’s game versus Boston. They have three games in hand on Edmonton, Colorado and Los Angeles. However, the question remains: will the Canucks make the playoffs? Many assume once the team gets 100% healthy, they will find a way to get it done but you know what they say about people who assume. Let’s start with Demko, the 28-year-old who compiled a 2.45 goals-against-average and a .918 save percentage last season to go along with 35 wins in 51 games. Since March 10, he has played a grand total of four games; that’s four games in eight months. After such a lengthy layoff, the biggest concern for Demko will be timing and getting used to the intensity level of NHL games. As we often say when it comes to football, nothing duplicates game speed. For Demko, getting used to the speed and regular chaos of NHL games will be a challenge. Then there is Boeser, who had been out of the lineup for almost three weeks after taking a headshot from Tanner Jeannot in a game against the Kings in early November. Hopefully, there won’t be any lingering symptoms from that injury and Boeser can regain the pace that saw him score 40 goals last year and which he was duplicating this season with six goals in 12 games. As for Miller, when he does return, what player will the Canucks be getting? His play had dipped to the point where he was benched for the last 14:40 of the third period in his final game versus Nashville on Nov. 17. Miller’s production had waned with only six goals and ten assists in 17 games – well off the levels from a year ago when he tallied 37 goals and 66 assists. Then there are other issues that are of concern as well. The second defensive pair of Tyler Myers and Carson Soucy has struggled this season to the point where the organization is checking in with other teams as they look to get help for their blue line corps. What has compounded the problem is that Tocchet has emphasized since training camp that he wants his defencemen to be more involved in the offense and generating more chances. That doesn’t exactly fit into the skill set of either Myers or Soucy so it’s been noted that the Canucks are talking to other teams with Pittsburgh’s Marcus Pettersson being a player of interest. Although Pettersson is a solid defender, he’s not exactly the answer to the Canucks problems when it comes to offence from the back-end. While we are on the topic of Petterssons, the enigma known as Elias Pettersson will need to regain the form that saw him be a dynamic play-driver who scored 30-plus goals the last three seasons. Tocchet and the organization wanted to see more of an investment from Pettersson and the Swede has shown signs of improvement with four goals and six assists in his last seven games. There are other positive signs as well. Quinn Hughes continues to play at a Norris Trophy-calibre level while Kevin Lankinen has provided consistent goaltending during Demko’s absence. Conor Garland continues to play like Conor Garland and Pius Sutter and Teddy Blueger continue to provide good depth while new additions Kiefer Sherwood and Erik Brannstrom have exceeded expectations. Given what we know about the U.S Thanksgiving Day playoff trend, it’s not a slam dunk that the Canucks will make the post-season but it’s not a slam dunk they won’t either. Unlike last year when the team had enough of a cushion in the standings to play games pressure-free for the most part in the second half, it appears they won’t have that luxury this season. As Tocchet always likes to say, things are going to just keep ‘getting tougher’ and the Canucks are going to have to ‘embrace the hard’ as they deal with the grind of an NHL season. Their playoff hopes will depend on it.

Lisa McHugh and daughter Hallie (Image: Instagram) Get the latest Belfast Live breaking news on WhatsApp Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Join us on WhatsApp Country singer Lisa McHugh has had to postpone her upcoming Belfast concert due to her daughter being in hospital. Earlier this week, she revealed her daughter Hallie had been hospitalised with the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). On her Instagram, Lisa shared a heartfelt message alongside photos of Hallie, emphasising the importance of protecting children from this common yet potentially serious illness. Read more: Lisa McHugh shares update on daughter who is 'having a rough time' in hospital On Friday, Lisa confirmed that her show at Belfast's Ulster Hall would be unable to go ahead on November 30 and that she was "disappointed" but looking forward to the rescheduled show next year. In a statement on social media, she said: "After what has been a truly traumatic and extremely worrying time for my family over the last couple of weeks, and as it stands, still being unsure on when Hallie will be well enough to get home from hospital, we unfortunately will have to reschedule our show in the Ulster Hall on 30th November. "As disappointed as I am to do this, right now I have to put my baby, her wellbeing and my family first. Lisa McHugh with her daughter Hallie in hospital (Image: Instagram) "And as well as that, I want to be able to give all of you the performance you truly deserve. "All tickets will still be valid for the new date which will now be saturday 1st march or a full refund is also available at the point of purchase. "We are extremely grateful for your prayers, support and messages of well wishes to date and apologies for any inconvenience caused. "Look forward to seeing you all on March 1st." For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here. Story Saved You can find this story in My Bookmarks. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Follow BelfastLive Facebook Twitter More On Ulster Hall Co FermanaghDalits in T.N. will support the BJP in 2026 elections, says AnnamalaiGamers, Power Up Your Game! Tesla Stock Market Simulator Coming to Your Devices

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Business Don't miss out on the headlines from Business. Followed categories will be added to My News. The market operator has not ruled out further delays on the 2026 start date for its CHESS program , as costs blow out further. ASX Ltd said on Tuesday that it expects its CHESS Release 2 implementation to start in 2029 and estimates that it will cost between $270m and $320m. ASX “continues to work towards” a 2026 delivery of Release 1, with estimated project costs now expected to be at the “upper end of the previously communicated range of between $105m to $125m.” It means the cost for Release 1 has blown out by up to $10m versus the midpoint of the expected range. ASX shares fell 4 per cent to a three-day low of $66.42 on the news. In a conference call for investors and analysts, ASX chief executive Helen Lofthouse said the revision in the cost guidance to the upper end of the previously communicated range was linked to Cloud and Data platforms. ASX CEO Helen Lofthouse. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers “And probably the most material change is that’s driven the cost for the higher end of the month has really been getting more clarity around the Cloud and Data platform and the building costs for that,” Ms Lofthouse said. “And in particular, you know, we’ve very consciously designed the configuration there for a very high resilience decision availability.” Existing capital expenditure guidance was unchanged and includes allowances for both releases of the CHESS system, noting that expenditure for Release 2 will extend beyond the guidance period. Capex guidance for fiscal 2025 to 2027 is for a range of $160m to $180m per year, with “an aim that CAPEX starts to reduce after FY27”. “As our CAPEX is primarily to support the technology modernisation program, which includes the replacement of CHESS, inherent delivery risks in the program – including timing, scope and stakeholder dependencies – may impact this guidance,” ASX warned. It plans to use the full $70m of the CHESS Replacement Partnership Program, subject to other considerations, with the remaining $37m to be recognised in FY26 and FY28 as significant items. ASX said it also continues to consult and work with the industry to consider whether to adopt a shorter T+1 settlement cycle. “If there is to be a move to a shorter settlement cycle, ASX has received initial industry feedback that it should follow the implementation of the CHESS project,” the exchange operator said. It comes amid rising angst about the repeated delays and cost increases that ASX has faced while attempting to replace its ageing CHESS technology system. ASX has said it will vehemently defend a landmark legal action brought against it by the corporate regulator, denying it contravened the law or made misleading or deceptive statements relating to the bungled CHESS upgrade. In a statement earlier this month, the exchange operator noted it had filed a concise statement in response to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s Federal Court case against it. The ASX said it denied that statements made by the company on February 10, 2022, about the status of the CHESS technology upgrade, broke the law. ASIC kicked off the legal case against the ASX in August, alleging a “collective failure” by the company’s board and executives to keep investors, the public and stakeholders properly informed on the CHESS replacement project. ASIC claims statements made by the exchange operator in February 2022 were “misleading and deceptive” around how its CHESS technology upgrade project was tracking. The maximum penalty for the ­alleged contraventions of the ASIC Act is $555m. More Coverage Bonuses back as ASX acts like nothing has happened Eric Johnston ASX cops first strike over pay report at testy AGM David Ross Originally published as ASX’s CHESS program costs blow out further Join the conversation Add your comment to this story To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout More related stories Business Trump’s rise could spoil BHP’s run at Anglo As restrictions on BHP making another mega-approach to Anglo’s board lift in coming days, this time the Australian miner could be racing against another clock. Read more Business Architecture’s leaders failing the industry, ex-Rob Mills staff say Former staff who worked at an award-winning architectural firm have sounded the alarm about the sector’s governance as bullying complaints pile up. Read more

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. , Nov. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM ), the cybersecurity and cloud computing company that powers and protects business online, announced that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware has approved its bid to acquire select assets from Edgio, including certain customer contracts from Edgio's businesses in content delivery and security, and non-exclusive license rights to patents in Edgio's portfolio. The transaction does not include the acquisition of Edgio personnel, technology, or assets related to the Edgio network. The court approval follows Akamai submitting the winning bid for the select assets during Edgio's 363 bankruptcy auction on November 13, 2024 , as part of its filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy relief. The court decision provides the necessary approval for the closing of the sale to proceed. When the transaction closes, several hundred net new Akamai customers will have a clear path and the necessary support to smoothly migrate to a best-in-class and reliable provider of the services they need prior to Edgio ceasing operations of its content delivery network. The customers will also have immediate access to the full portfolio of Akamai's cybersecurity and cloud computing services. "Akamai is offering Edgio customers a smooth, secure transition without impacting their business or that of their end users," said Adam Karon , Akamai's Chief Operating Officer and General Manager, Cloud Technology Group. "We have the capacity, capabilities, and experience to help Edgio customers easily migrate to Akamai, and we believe our track record with similar transactions gives us the expertise to help move them to Akamai as seamlessly as possible. We look forward to welcoming these new customers and giving them the opportunity to take advantage of Akamai's full range of security and cloud solutions, which run on the world's most distributed platform." For the fourth quarter of 2024, Akamai expects this transaction to add approximately $9 - $11 million in revenue. As part of its bid, Akamai agreed to pay certain costs for Edgio to operate its network during the transition and wind-down period until such time as Edgio ceases operation of its content delivery network in mid-January 2025 . Akamai expects those transition services costs to be approximately $15 - $17 million in the fourth quarter. Akamai anticipates the transaction to be dilutive to non-GAAP net income per diluted share by approximately $0.03 - $0.05 in the fourth quarter, inclusive of the transition service costs. For the full year 2025, Akamai anticipates this transaction will add approximately $80 - $100 million in revenue, approximately $25 - $30 million of transition service costs, and be accretive to non-GAAP net income per diluted share by approximately $0.15 - $0.20 . "We believe this transaction will create significant value for Akamai and our shareholders," said Ed McGowan , Akamai's Chief Financial Officer. "By integrating these customers onto our platform with its advantageous cost structure, we expect to improve profitability and unlock new growth opportunities. We're excited about the potential to cross-sell and up-sell our advanced security and cloud computing solutions to this expanded customer base." The transaction is expected to close in early December 2024 , subject to customary closing conditions for a transaction of this type. About Akamai Akamai is the cybersecurity and cloud computing company that powers and protects business online. Our market-leading security solutions, superior threat intelligence, and global operations team provide defense-in-depth to safeguard enterprise data and applications everywhere. Akamai's full-stack cloud computing solutions deliver performance and affordability on the world's most distributed platform. Global enterprises trust Akamai to provide the industry-leading reliability, scale, and expertise they need to grow their business with confidence. Learn more at akamai.com and akamai.com/blog , or follow Akamai Technologies on X and LinkedIn . Contacts Akamai Public Relations [email protected] Akamai Investor Relations [email protected] Akamai Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act This press release contains statements that are not statements of historical fact and constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements about: management's guidance regarding the expected impact of the transaction on Akamai, including its expected impact on revenue, non-GAAP net income per diluted share, capital expenditures, and new customer additions; the potential benefits of the transaction to Akamai, its customers and its shareholders; expectations regarding customer migration in connection with the transaction; expected transition services costs; the expected duration of Edgio's transition and wind-down period; and the expected closing date of the transaction. Each of the forward-looking statements is subject to change as a result of various important factors, many of which are beyond the company's control, including, but not limited to: the risk that the transaction may not be completed in a timely manner or at all; the parties' ability to satisfy closing conditions; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the transaction agreements; Akamai being unable to achieve the anticipated benefits of the transaction; the risk that customer migration may be more difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected; the retention of key personnel during the transition period; potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships resulting from the announcement or completion of the proposed transaction; effects of competition, including pricing pressure and changing business models; impact of macroeconomic trends, including economic uncertainty, turmoil in the financial services industry, the effects of inflation, rising and fluctuating interest rates, foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, securities market volatility and monetary supply fluctuations; continuing supply chain and logistics costs, constraints, changes or disruptions; defects or disruptions in Akamai's products or IT systems, including cyber-attacks, data breaches or malware; changes to economic, political and regulatory conditions in the United States or internationally; and other factors that are discussed in the company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and Akamai does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures In addition to providing financial measurements based on generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (GAAP), Akamai provides additional financial metrics that are not prepared in accordance with GAAP (non-GAAP financial measures). Management uses non-GAAP financial measures, in addition to GAAP financial measures, to understand and compare operating results across accounting periods, for financial and operational decision making, for planning and forecasting purposes, to measure executive compensation and to evaluate Akamai's financial performance. The non-GAAP financial measure used in this release is non-GAAP net income per diluted share. Management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures reflect Akamai's ongoing business in a manner that allows for meaningful comparisons and analysis of trends in the business, as they facilitate comparison of financial results across accounting periods and to those of our peer companies. Management also believes that these non-GAAP financial measures enable investors to evaluate Akamai's operating results and future prospects in the same manner as management. These non-GAAP financial measures may exclude expenses and gains that may be unusual in nature, infrequent or not reflective of Akamai's ongoing operating results. The non-GAAP financial measures do not replace the presentation of Akamai's GAAP financial results and should only be used as a supplement to, not as a substitute for, Akamai's financial results presented in accordance with GAAP. In addition, the financial guidance contained in this press release that is provided on a non-GAAP basis cannot be reconciled to the closest GAAP measures without unreasonable effort because of the unpredictability of the amounts and timing of events affecting the items we exclude from non-GAAP measures. For example, stock-based compensation is unpredictable for Akamai's performance-based awards, which can fluctuate significantly based on current expectations of the future achievement of performance-based targets. Amortization of intangible assets, acquisition-related costs and restructuring costs are all impacted by the timing and size of potential future actions, which are difficult to predict. In addition, from time to time, Akamai excludes certain items that occur infrequently, which are also inherently difficult to predict and estimate. It is also difficult to predict the tax effect of the items we exclude and to estimate certain discrete tax items, such as the resolution of tax audits or changes to tax laws. As such, the costs that are being excluded from non-GAAP guidance are difficult to predict and a reconciliation or a range of results could lead to disclosure that would be imprecise or potentially misleading. Material changes to any one of the exclusions could have a significant effect on our guidance and future GAAP results. Akamai's definition of the non-GAAP measures used in this press release are outlined below: Non-GAAP net income per diluted share – Non-GAAP net income divided by weighted average diluted common shares outstanding. Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding are adjusted in non-GAAP per share calculations for the shares that would be delivered to Akamai pursuant to the note hedge transactions entered into in connection with the issuances of $1,265 million of convertible senior notes due 2029 and the issuances of $1,150 million of convertible senior notes due 2027 and 2025, respectively. Under GAAP, shares delivered under hedge transactions are not considered offsetting shares in the fully-diluted share calculation until they are delivered. However, Akamai would receive a benefit from the note hedge transactions and would not allow the dilution to occur, so management believes that adjusting for this benefit provides a meaningful view of operating performance. With respect to the convertible senior notes due in each of 2029, 2027 and 2025, unless Akamai's weighted average stock price is greater than $126.31 , $116.18 and $95.10 , respectively, the initial conversion prices, there will be no difference between GAAP and non-GAAP diluted weighted average common shares outstanding. Non-GAAP net income – GAAP net income adjusted for the following tax-affected items: amortization of acquired intangible assets; stock-based compensation; amortization of capitalized stock-based compensation; acquisition-related costs; restructuring charges; amortization of debt issuance costs; amortization of capitalized interest expense; certain gains and losses on investments; gains and losses from equity method investment; and other non-recurring or unusual items that may arise from time to time. The non-GAAP adjustments, and Akamai's basis for excluding them from non-GAAP financial measures, are outlined below: Amortization of acquired intangible assets – Akamai has incurred amortization of intangible assets, included in its GAAP financial statements, related to various acquisitions Akamai has made. The amount of an acquisition's purchase price allocated to intangible assets and term of its related amortization can vary significantly and is unique to each acquisition; therefore, Akamai excludes amortization of acquired intangible assets from its non-GAAP financial measures to provide investors with a consistent basis for comparing pre- and post-acquisition operating results. Stock-based compensation and amortization of capitalized stock-based compensation – Stock-based compensation is an important aspect of the compensation paid to Akamai's employees which includes long-term incentive plans to encourage retention, performance-based plans to encourage achievement of specified financial targets and also short-term incentive awards with a one year vest. The grant date fair value of the stock-based compensation awards varies based on the stock price at the time of grant, varying valuation methodologies, subjective assumptions and the variety of award types. This makes the comparison of Akamai's current financial results to previous and future periods difficult to interpret; therefore, Akamai believes it is useful to exclude stock-based compensation and amortization of capitalized stock-based compensation from its non-GAAP financial measures in order to highlight the performance of Akamai's core business and to be consistent with the way many investors evaluate its performance and compare its operating results to peer companies. Acquisition-related costs – Acquisition-related costs include transaction fees, advisory fees, due diligence costs and other direct costs associated with strategic activities, as well as certain additional compensation costs payable to employees acquired from the Linode acquisition if employed for a certain period of time. The additional compensation cost was initiated by and determined by the seller, and is in addition to normal levels of compensation, including retention programs, offered by Akamai. Acquisition-related costs are impacted by the timing and size of the acquisitions, and Akamai excludes acquisition-related costs from its non-GAAP financial measures to provide a useful comparison of operating results to prior periods and to peer companies because such amounts vary significantly based on the magnitude of the acquisition transactions and do not reflect Akamai's core operations. Restructuring charge – Akamai has incurred restructuring charges from programs that have significantly changed either the scope of the business undertaken by the Company or the manner in which that business is conducted. These charges include severance and related expenses for workforce reductions, impairments of long-lived assets that will no longer be used in operations (including acquired intangible assets, right-of-use assets, other facility-related property and equipment and internal-use software) and termination fees for any contracts canceled as part of these programs. Akamai excludes these items from its non-GAAP financial measures when evaluating its continuing business performance as such items vary significantly based on the magnitude of the restructuring action and do not reflect expected future operating expenses. In addition, these charges do not necessarily provide meaningful insight into the fundamentals of current or past operations of its business. Amortization of debt issuance costs and capitalized interest expense – Akamai has convertible senior notes outstanding that mature in 2029, 2027 and 2025. The issuance costs of the convertible senior notes are amortized to interest expense and are excluded from Akamai's non-GAAP results because management believes the non-cash amortization expense is not representative of ongoing operating performance. Gains and losses on investments – Akamai has recorded gains and losses from the disposition, changes to fair value and impairment of certain investments. Akamai believes excluding these amounts from its non-GAAP financial measures is useful to investors as the types of events giving rise to these gains and losses are not representative of Akamai's core business operations and ongoing operating performance. Gains and losses from equity method investment – Akamai records income or losses on its share of earnings and losses from its equity method investment, and any gains from returns of investments or impairments. Akamai excludes such income and losses because it does not have direct control over the operations of the investment and the related income and losses are not representative of its core business operations. Income tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments and certain discrete tax items – The non-GAAP adjustments described above are reported on a pre-tax basis. The income tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments is the difference between GAAP and non-GAAP income tax expense. Non-GAAP income tax expense is computed on non-GAAP pre-tax income (GAAP pre-tax income adjusted for non-GAAP adjustments) and excludes certain discrete tax items (such as the impact of intercompany sales of intellectual property related to acquisitions), if any. Akamai believes that applying the non-GAAP adjustments and their related income tax effect allows Akamai to highlight income attributable to its core operations. SOURCE Akamai Technologies, Inc.( MENAFN - The Conversation) With the help of new scientific and technological developments , the HIV/Aids research community is increasingly turning to an ambitious goal: finding a cure for HIV/Aids. If the world is to get close to meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goal of reducing HIV infections and Aids-related deaths by 90% between 2010 and 2030, a cure for HIV/Aids would be a game changer. Much progress has been made during the 30 years in the fight against HIV/Aids. An HIV diagnosis is no longer the death sentence it was in the 1990s. Antiretroviral treatment – which targets and suppresses the replication of the virus within the body – means people living with HIV are able to live long, fulfilling lives , without the risk of spreading the HIV virus to others. However, even with antiretroviral treatments, living with HIV increases the risk of other serious health issues. All of this is ends up putting an economic burden on states, through increased healthcare spending and losses in workplace productivity. South Africa is a good example of a country that would benefit from the discovery of a cure. South Africa's been providing free antiretrovirals through the public healthcare system since 200 . It is the largest factor behind the 50% drop in the number of new HIV infections in South Africa from 2010 to 2021. But the programme is expensive. In 2023, South Africa's total budget for HIV response was R30-billion (around US$1.5 billion). This amount includes funding from international sources, such as the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief , better known as Pepfar. Consider that the country's total national healthcare budget for 2022/23 was approximately R64.5 billion (around US$3.5billion). Also, we never know when the external funding, or part of it, might dry up. Funding for HIV/Aids response is heavily dependent on political will and leadership . Recent political developments in high income countries, such as the US presidential election, would suggest a reluctance and even opposition towards pumping funds into healthcare beyond their own borders, and especially in Africa. I work in HIV prevention and cure research. My work focuses specifically on understanding interactions between HIV and the immune system and how these may be harnessed and translated for HIV prevention or cure. There is hope and optimism that HIV can be cured, with various strategies beginning to show some promise, with partial successes reported. Cure research is in its infancy, but there are exciting hints that gene therapy and immunotherapies might lead us to a cure. So far, there have been an seven people , worldwide, cured of HIV. They were persons living with HIV who developed cancer, and were treated for the cancer through bone marrow transplantation, a form of gene therapy, and this also led to elimination of HIV because the bone marrow transplants were from donors lacking HIV coreceptors – proteins on cell surfaces that viruses use to bind and enter cells. But a bone marrow transplant is a radical ,expensive and often dangerous procedure . There is no way we can view it as an avenue for developing a cure when there is reliable ART on hand. In contrast, some strategies involving a combination of early treatment and immunotherapy are also showing some promise and these could be developed further for long-term control of HIV without antiretroviral therapy. While curing a viral infection is difficult, medical science is already able to eradicate some viral infections, such as hepatitis C . Others, such as the common cold and Covid-19 , are effectively eliminated by a well-functioning immune system. The challenge with HIV is that it locks into an individual's DNA , making it particularly difficult to get rid of. It also mutates a lot , which is why it is so difficult to develop a vaccine against it. That has led us to explore why some people appear able to neutralise HIV when not taking antiretroviral therapy but on once-off or temporary therapy that boosts their immune system. This seems to happen in some people who are diagnosed with HIV early on in their infection and immediately go on ART, and then interrupt the treatment but simultaneously take the special immune-boosting treatments with antiviral properties. So far, the HIV research community is unable to predict who will react in this way, but the Africa Health Research Institute and the HIV Pathogenesis Programme, within the University of KwaZulu-Natal, are conducting research among a group of young women from a community in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, with a high HIV infection rate. These young women are invited to participate in a socio-economic empowerment programme that has them attend a clinic twice weekly for training in basic computer skills, HIV prevention and other life skills. At each attendance, each woman is tested for HIV. If one is found to have acquired the HIV virus, she is immediately given a standard course of ART. After a while, immune-boosting therapies that include broadly neutralising antibodies are added, and then the woman is asked to stop ART treatment under strict monitoring to establish whether she is able to control the virus on her own. If not, she is immediately returned to ART. Of more than 2,500 attendees since the study began a decade ago, 108 have become HIV-positive. Of these 108 living with HIV, 20 are participating in the cure clinical trial. The study is ongoing , and our hope is that this strategy will lead to long-term control of the virus in the absence of ART in some of the women. This can then help us to better understand the immune mechanisms that may control the virus without antiretroviral therapy, and this could lead to a cure. Much work still needs to be done but finding a cure is important, especially for the 40-million people across the world living with HIV. The world is not on track to meet the UN goal of ending the HIV/Aids pandemic by 2030. While the rate of HIV infection has dropped remarkably, it is still much higher than the targets the global healthcare community has set itself. For example, in 2023 there were new HIV infections worldwide against a target of 500 000 to achieve the aim of nearly eradicating HIV by 2030. It is vital that HIV/Aids research continues in Africa because, while the incidence of HIV infection is reducing markedly , this status quo could change at any time and we could be back fighting a pandemic. It would be good to do so with better tools. Also, we must find a cure or vaccine that is tailored to Africa, where HIV is a young woman's disease , while also seeking the same for the regions where HIV infection is rising – Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. We're playing a long game, but there is definitely hope, and that is definitely something to celebrate. MENAFN30112024000199003603ID1108941970 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. 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Apple Faces Lawsuit Over Child Sexual Abuse Material on iCloudCouple charged in ring suspected of stealing $1 million in Lululemon clothesMobile wallets that allow you to pay using your phone have been around for well more than a decade, and over those years they’ve grown in popularity, becoming a key part of consumers’ credit card usage. According to a "state of credit card report" for 2025 from credit bureau Experian, 53% of Americans in a survey say they use digital wallets more frequently than traditional payment methods. To further incentivize mobile wallet usage, some credit card issuers offer bonus rewards when you elect to pay that way. But those incentives can go beyond just higher reward rates. In fact, mobile wallets in some ways are becoming an essential part of activating and holding a credit card. For example, they can offer immediate access to your credit line, and they can be easier and safer than paying with a physical card. From a rewards perspective, it can make a lot of sense to reach for your phone now instead of your physical card. The Apple Card offers its highest reward rates when you use it through the Apple Pay mobile wallet. Same goes for the PayPal Cashback Mastercard® when you use it to make purchases via the PayPal digital wallet. The Kroger grocery store giant has a co-branded credit card that earns the most when you pay using an eligible digital wallet, and some major credit cards with quarterly rotating bonus categories have a history of incentivizing digital wallet use. But again, these days it's not just about the rewards. Mobile wallets like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and PayPal can offer immediate access to your credit line while you wait for your physical card to arrive after approval. Indeed, most major issuers including Bank of America®, Capital One and Chase now offer instant virtual credit card numbers for eligible cards that can be used upon approval by adding them to a digital wallet. Additionally, many co-branded credit cards — those offered in partnership with another brand — commonly offer instant card access and can be used immediately on in-brand purchases. More from this section Credit cards typically take seven to 10 days to arrive after approval, so instant access to your credit line can be particularly useful if you need to make an urgent or unexpected purchase. Plus, they allow you to start spending toward a card’s sign-up bonus right away. As issuers push toward mobile payments, a growing number of merchants and businesses are similarly adopting the payment method. The percentage of U.S. businesses that used digital wallets increased to 62% in 2023, compared to 47% the previous year, according to a 2023 survey commissioned by the Federal Reserve Financial Services. Wider acceptance is potentially good news for the average American, who according to Experian has about four credit cards. While that won’t necessarily weigh down your wallet, it can be hard to manage multiple cards and rewards categories at once. Mobile wallets offer a more efficient way to store and organize all of your workhorse cards, while not having to carry around ones that you don't use often. They can also help you more easily monitor your spending and rewards, and some even track your orders' status and arrival time. Plus, paying with a digital wallet offers added security. That’s because it uses technology called tokenization when you pay, which masks your real credit card number and instead sends an encrypted "token" that’s unique to each payment. This is unlike swiping or dipping a physical card, during which your credit card number is more directly accessible. And again, because a mobile wallet doesn't require you to have your physical cards present, there's less chance of one falling out of your pocket or purse. More From NerdWallet Should You Donate Your Points and Miles to Charity? Need Credit Card Debt Relief? Debt Management Could Help If You’re in Credit Card Debt, Forget About Rewards Funto Omojola writes for NerdWallet. Email: fomojola@nerdwallet.com . The article Activating Your Credit Card? Don’t Skip the Mobile Wallet Step originally appeared on NerdWallet.