SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said he will lift his martial law decree, giving in to the parliament’s opposition, just hours after his dramatic move imposing it Tuesday. Yoon said in a televised address early Wednesday that he will “accept the National Assembly’s demand and lift the martial law through a cabinet meeting,” which he said he had called but its members hadn’t yet arrived. He will immediately lift the martial law when they convene, he said. Yoon, 63, stunned the nation, lawmakers and investors earlier by declaring martial law in a high-stakes move he claimed would prevent the opposition from trying to paralyze his administration amid a political rift that is set to deepen markedly. The South Korean leader’s political future will be put to test after his daring move, which caught even his fellow party members and foreign allies like the U.S. by surprise. “I request the National Assembly to immediately stop the reckless acts of paralyzing the functions of the state through repeated impeachments, legislative manipulation, and budget manipulation,” Yoon said in his earlier televised address. After Yoon announced he would lift the decree, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said its troops that had been mobilized for the martial law declaration have returned to their original posts as of 4:22 a.m., Yonhap reported. No unusual activities have been spotted from North Korea, it added. The move was viewed by analysts as a risky political play that was likely to backfire rather than an attempt to return to military-led regimes of the past. With his own government and party kept in the dark alongside the U.S. and other friendly nations, Yoon created a chaotic moment that left him isolated and even further from controlling the political agenda going forward. Early Wednesday morning, 190 lawmakers in the 300-seat parliament unanimously voted to demand the lifting of martial law. The president had said his move was intended to protect freedom and constitutional order, that it wouldn’t have an impact on South Korea’s foreign policy, and that it would help eradicate the influence of North Korean supporters. A proclamation released after the address banned all political activities and strikes and said media would be subject to control of the Martial Law Command. Korean assets were battered during New York trading. The won suffered its sharpest drop since the global financial crisis to hit 1444.65 its lowest in over two years, before paring losses. Samsung Electronics’ London-listed shares fell as much as 7.2% then regained some ground. The finance minister and central bank chief met and promised to provide unlimited liquidity to markets if needed. The Bank of Korea will meet early Wednesday, just a week after a surprise rate cut partly triggered by heightened uncertainty generated by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s election victory. Adding to the sense of chaos, the nation’s largest union federation called a general strike in defiance of Yoon’s order. The shock announcement to impose martial law for the first time since the democratization of South Korea in 1987 caught even Yoon’s own party off guard. Han Dong-hoon, leader of Yoon’s People Power Party, condemned the move and vowed to stop it, in a sign of the president’s increasing isolation and his lack of consultation. The move also surprised the White House, prompting Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell to say that the Biden administration was watching the developments with “grave concern.” Yoon’s abrupt decision came after months of wrangling and deadlock in parliament between the president’s minority government and the main opposition Democratic Party, but with little expectation that the president would take such a drastic step. The opposition has been trying to force its budget proposal through parliament and has submitted an impeachment motion against the chief prosecutor after months of also trying to get Yoon’s wife prosecuted. Adding to the fractious political rift, the DP’s leader has faced multiple court cases and was convicted last month of election-law violations, barring him from running for president if it is finalized. Amid the political standoff, Yoon had vetoed a string of bills passed by parliament and at times angering his own party. His latest act ramped up tensions considerably domestically, while also creating high uncertainty abroad for the outlook of one of the world’s key suppliers of semiconductors and a stalwart U.S. ally in an increasingly complex security environment in Asia. Even though the martial law order lasted less than a day, the political instability it will generate is set to last two or three years, according to Lee Won-Jae, a sociology professor at at Kaist Graduate School of Culture Technology in Daejeon. “Martial law has lost its effect, so from this moment on, all state institutions exercising physical force, including the military and police of the Republic of Korea, are obligated not to follow unlawful or unfair instructions,” Han, the leader of Yoon’s party, said in a Facebook post. Yoon’s moves came at a time of high uncertainty for the nation as its trade-dependent economy faces potential tariffs from Trump’s incoming U.S. administration. Bloomberg Economics estimates that full imposition of tariffs on China, South Korea and other U.S. trading partners could reduce Seoul’s exports to the U.S. by as much as 55%. Meanwhile, North Korea continues to present a security concern as it deepens its ties with Russia, having sent thousands of troops there to help in Moscow’s war against Ukraine. Russia’s defense minister visited Pyongyang last week in the latest sign of talks between the two countries. Russia may help provide North Korea key technology for its weapons programs including its intercontinental ballistic missiles. “We shouldn’t be fooled — this has nothing at all to do with North Korea and all to do with domestic politics,” said Defense Priorities Fellow Daniel DePetris. China suggested its citizens residing in South Korea keep calm and try to avoid going outdoors for anything non-essential, the country’s embassy said in a post on social media Tuesday night. The embassy also asked Chinese citizens to comply with official orders from the Korean government and “use caution” over sharing political opinions. “The domestic uncertainty adds to the external pressures in recent weeks as the market is starting to price in the rise of higher U.S. tariffs under the new Trump administration,” said Aroop Chatterjee, a strategist at Wells Fargo. “Korea is an open economy sensitive to shifts in global export demand and spillovers from a weaker China.” While it remains to be seen if the short-lived declaration of martial law will have a lasting impact on markets and the economy, Yoon’s high-stakes move is certain to knock confidence in his leadership and his reliability as a bullwark of democracy in a nation with many authoritarian neighbors. “U.S. officials look to South Korea now as a beacon of democracy so for a president to pull a fast one like this is certainly shocking and unprecedented,” said DePetris. Bank of Korea’s monetary board, which unexpectedly cut the key rate last week, will also hold an extraordinary meeting Wednesday morning to discuss steps to shield the economy and markets. “From a near-term policy standpoint, apart from the market disruptions, uncertainty could also arise in the event of cabinet changes,” Goldman Sachs Group Inc. analysts Goohoon Kwon and Kamakshya Trivedi wrote in a note Tuesday. (With assistance from Maria Elena Vizcaino.) ©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.The Third Eye: A New Strategy For The Business WorldAwarded industry-first design win from a top-four hyperscaler SANTA CLARA, Calif. , Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Pure Storage (NYSE: PSTG ), the IT pioneer that delivers the world's most advanced data storage technologies and services, announced financial results for its third quarter fiscal year 2025 ended November 3, 2024. "Pure Storage has achieved another industry first in our journey of data storage innovation with a transformational design win for our DirectFlash technology in a top-four hyperscaler," said Pure Storage Chairman and CEO Charles Giancarlo . "This win is the vanguard for Pure Flash technology to become the standard for all hyperscaler online storage, providing unparalleled performance and scalability while also reducing operating costs and power consumption." Third Quarter Financial Highlights Revenue $831.1 million , an increase of 9% year-over-year Subscription services revenue $376.4 million , up 22% year-over-year Subscription annual recurring revenue (ARR) $1.6 billion , up 22% year-over-year Remaining performance obligations (RPO) $2.4 billion , up 16% year-over-year GAAP gross margin 70.1%; non-GAAP gross margin 71.9% GAAP operating income $59.7 million ; non-GAAP operating income $167.3 million GAAP operating margin 7.2%; non-GAAP operating margin 20.1% Q3 operating cash flow $97.0 million ; free cash flow $35.2 million Total cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities $1.6 billion Returned approximately $182 million in the third quarter to stockholders through share repurchases of 3.6 million shares "Our third quarter results exceeded our expectations on revenue and operating income, demonstrating the sustaining strength of our business models," said Kevan Krysler , Pure Storage CFO. "We remain focused on driving both near-term results and long-term value creation through disciplined investments and innovation that position Pure as the leader in transforming the data storage landscape." Third Quarter Company Highlights Leading the Hyperscale Opportunity: With its industry-first design win with a top-four hyperscaler, Pure Storage is extending its DirectFlash ® technology into massive scale environments today dominated by hard disks. The unmatched capabilities of Pure's DirectFlash ® technology deliver new levels of innovation, performance, and scalability to an industry with demanding requirements, enabling hyperscalers to fully modernize their infrastructure, significantly improve operational efficiency, and dramatically free up scarce electrical power. Pure Storage also deepened its collaboration with Kioxia, a global leader of NAND Flash technology, to develop cutting-edge technology and manufacturing capacity to address the growing need for high-performance, scalable storage infrastructure for tomorrow's hyperscale environments. Advancing Enterprise AI: Pure Storage expanded its ability to serve the world's largest AI training environments with recent certification of FlashBlade//S500 with NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD, which optimizes performance, power, and space efficiency. Pure also entered into a strategic partnership with CoreWeave to better serve AI customers by making Pure Storage available as a standard option within the CoreWeave dedicated cloud environment. With its introduction of the new Pure Storage GenAI Pod, Pure Storage is providing a set of full-stack solutions which reduce the time, cost, and expertise required to deploy generative AI projects. Delivering Platform Innovation: With the Pure Storage platform, Pure is driving the biggest shift in enterprise storage since Flash. Pure Storage will be delivering v2.0 of Pure Fusion TM in its fourth quarter, which will enable customers to create their own enterprise data cloud, opening their data storage environment like the hyperscalers operate theirs. During the quarter Pure Storage unveiled solutions enabling seamless VMware migrations to Microsoft Azure, delivering enterprise-scale flexibility. And the new Pure Storage FlashArray TM with AWS Outposts brings together Amazon Web Services and Pure's enterprise-grade storage on AWS Outposts, giving customers the flexibility to run cloud services on an enterprise-grade storage platform within their own data centers. Industry Recognition and Accolades Leader for Fifth Consecutive Year in the 2024 Gartner ® Magic Quadrant TM for Primary Storage Platforms Leader for Fourth Consecutive Year in the 2024 Gartner ® Magic Quadrant TM for File and Object Storage Platforms Forbes Most Trusted Companies in America 2025 (Ranked #144) Fortune Best Places to Work in Technology 2024 (Ranked #14) Fourth Quarter and FY25 Guidance These statements are forward-looking and actual results may differ materially. Refer to the Forward Looking Statements section below for information on the factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from these statements. Pure has not reconciled its guidance for non-GAAP operating income and non-GAAP operating margin to their most directly comparable GAAP measures because certain items that impact these measures are not within Pure's control and/or cannot be reasonably predicted. Accordingly, reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures guidance to the corresponding GAAP measures are not available without unreasonable effort. Conference Call Information Pure will host a teleconference to discuss the third quarter fiscal 2025 results at 2:00 pm PT today, December 3, 2024. A live audio broadcast of the conference call will be available on the Pure Storage Investor Relations website . Pure will also post its earnings presentation and prepared remarks to this website concurrent with this release. A replay will be available following the call on the Pure Storage Investor Relations website or for two weeks at 1-800-770-2030 (or 1-647-362-9199 for international callers) with passcode 5667482. Additionally, Pure is scheduled to participate at the following investor conferences: Wells Fargo 8th Annual TMT Summit Date: Wednesday, December 4, 2024 Time: 1:30 p.m. PT / 4:30 p.m. ET Chief Technology Officer Rob Lee 27th Annual Needham Growth Conference Date: Thursday, January 16, 2025 Time: 9:45 a.m. PT / 12:45 p.m. ET Founder & Chief Visionary Officer John "Co z" Colgrove Chief Financial Officer Kevan Krysler The presentations will be webcast live and archived on Pure's Investor Relations website at investor.purestorage.com . ---- About Pure Storage Pure Storage (NYSE: PSTG ) delivers the industry's most advanced data storage platform to store, manage, and protect the world's data at any scale. With Pure Storage, organizations have ultimate simplicity and flexibility, saving time, money, and energy. From AI to archive, Pure Storage delivers a cloud experience with one unified Storage as-a-Service platform across on premises, cloud, and hosted environments. Our platform is built on our Evergreen architecture that evolves with your business – always getting newer and better with zero planned downtime, guaranteed. Our customers are actively increasing their capacity and processing power while significantly reducing their carbon and energy footprint. It's easy to fall in love with Pure Storage, as evidenced by the highest Net Promoter Score in the industry. For more information, visit www.purestorage.com . Connect with Pure Blog LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Pure Storage, the Pure P Logo, Portworx, and the marks on the Pure Storage Trademark List are trademarks or registered trademarks of Pure Storage Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. The Trademark List can be found at purestorage.com/trademarks . Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding our products, business and operations, including but not limited to our views relating to our opportunity with hyperscale and AI environments, our ability to meet hyperscalers' performance and price requirements, our ability to meet the needs of hyperscalers for the entire spectrum of their online storage use cases, the timing and magnitude of large orders, including sales to hyperscalers, the timing and amount of revenue from hyperscaler licensing and support services, future period financial and business results, demand for our products and subscription services, including Evergreen//One, the relative sales mix between our subscription and consumption offerings and traditional capital expenditure sales, our technology and product strategy, specifically customer priorities around sustainability, the environmental and energy saving benefits to our customers of using our products, our ability to perform during current macro conditions and expand market share, our sustainability goals and benefits, the impact of inflation, economic or supply chain disruptions, our expectations regarding our product and technology differentiation, new customer acquisition, and other statements regarding our products, business, operations and results. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on potentially inaccurate assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expected or implied by the forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from the results predicted, and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. The potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from the results predicted include, among others, those risks and uncertainties included under the caption "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in our filings and reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available on our Investor Relations website at investor.purestorage.com and on the SEC website at www.sec.gov . Additional information is also set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended February 4, 2024. All information provided in this release and in the attachments is as of December 3, 2024, and Pure undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law. Key Performance Metric Subscription ARR is a key business metric that refers to total annualized contract value of all active subscription agreements on the last day of the quarter, plus on-demand revenue for the quarter multiplied by four. Non-GAAP Financial Measures To supplement our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, Pure uses the following non-GAAP financial measures: non-GAAP gross profit, non-GAAP gross margin, non-GAAP operating income (loss), non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net income (loss), non-GAAP net income (loss) per share, and free cash flow. We use these non-GAAP financial measures for financial and operational decision-making and as a means to evaluate period-to-period comparisons. Our management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding our performance and liquidity by excluding certain expenses such as stock-based compensation expense, payments to former shareholders of acquired companies, payroll tax expense related to stock-based activities, amortization of debt issuance costs related to debt, and amortization of intangible assets acquired from acquisitions that may not be indicative of our ongoing core business operating results. Pure believes that both management and investors benefit from referring to these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing our performance and when analyzing historical performance and liquidity and planning, forecasting, and analyzing future periods. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for our financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP, and our non-GAAP measures may be different from non-GAAP measures used by other companies. For a reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP measures, please see the tables captioned "Reconciliations of non-GAAP results of operations to the nearest comparable GAAP measures" and "Reconciliation from net cash provided by operating activities to free cash flow," included at the end of this release. Reconciliations of non-GAAP results of operations to the nearest comparable GAAP measures The following table presents non-GAAP gross margins by revenue source before certain items (in thousands except percentages, unaudited): The following table presents certain non-GAAP consolidated results before certain items (in thousands, except per share amounts and percentages, unaudited): Reconciliation from net cash provided by operating activities to free cash flow (in thousands except percentages, unaudited): SOURCE Pure Storage

Donald Trump’s lawyers cited President Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter Monday in their latest push to throw out Trump’s Manhattan “hush money” conviction. The attorneys argued that Biden’s claim that the cases against Hunter were “infected” by politics echo the president-elect’s argument that the charges of falsifying business records levied against him by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office were politically motivated. The lawyers added that failing to throw out the jury’s verdict would unconstitutionally interfere with Trump preparing to serve a second term. Trump was convicted in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment made to former porn star Stormy Daniels. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who has floated delaying Trump’s sentencing until 2029, is due to reply to the filing from Trump’s attorneys by Dec 9. This is a developing story. Check back for updates:Judge weighs whether to order Fani Willis to comply with lawmakers' subpoenas over Trump case

Sharif, who was convicted of Sara’s murder on Wednesday, also described her as “one of the best kids” when visited by social workers in February 2015. But staff at Surrey County Council had previously recorded that they did not “trust” Sharif, and described his parenting style as “quite dictatorial”. Sharif was found guilty of murdering his daughter in August last year along with her stepmother, Beinash Batool. Sara’s uncle, Faisal Malik, was convicted of causing or allowing her death following a trial at the Old Bailey. Documents previously released to the media from three separate sets of family court proceedings – which were allowed to be published following the verdicts – showed that concerns were raised by Surrey County Council about Sara’s care within a week of her birth in 2013, with Sharif and Sara’s mother, Olga, known to social services as early as 2010. But new documents, released on Thursday, show that in 2014, a social worker said engagements with the parents “causes the local authority not to trust” Sharif. The same year, the council applied for Sara to be taken into emergency care, telling a family court it had “significant concerns” about the children returning to Sharif, “given the history of allegations of physical abuse of the children and domestic abuse with Mr Sharif as the perpetrator”. As part of that application, the council told the court that in 2013, Sharif was assessed as having “repeatedly overlooked” the needs of Sara and her siblings, and said “there is no evidence to suggest that this assessment of Mr Sharif would be any different now”. The report added that “there is evidence to suggest Mr Sharif poses a risk” to Sara, and that she was at “immediate risk of harm”. As part of the same set of proceedings, a report by a social worker said: “Mr Sharif described Sara as ‘one of the best kids, she is very good and brings a smile to my face. She gives hugs and kisses, she plays with you, she understands what you say to her and knows what she needs when going out. She has very good hygiene and is not a messy eater.” But the social worker recorded that Sharif demonstrated “some emotional warmth” to Sara, but said “it can be inconsistent”, and also recorded that Sharif stated that Sara had “‘no option’ but to listen to him, which comes across as quite dictatorial”. Despite the council’s concerns, Sara remained in contact with her father, and later moved to his home in Woking in 2019. Having previously said in 2015 that there is “no violence in our home”, Sharif later admitted to jurors at his trial that he hit Sara with a cricket bat as she was bound with packaging tape, repeatedly throttled her with his bare hands, and battered her over the head with a mobile phone, in a campaign of abuse. He will be sentenced alongside Batool and Malik on Tuesday. Following the guilty verdicts, Rachael Wardell, executive director for children, families and lifelong learning at Surrey County Council, said: “Sara’s death is incredibly distressing and we share in the profound horror at the terrible details that have emerged during the trial. “We cannot begin to comprehend the suffering that poor Sara endured at the hands of members of her family who should have loved, protected, and cared for her. “The focus of the trial has been on the evidence needed to secure the convictions of those responsible for Sara’s death. This means that until the independent safeguarding review concludes, a complete picture cannot be understood or commented upon. “What is clear from the evidence we’ve heard in court is that the perpetrators went to extreme lengths to conceal the truth from everyone. “We are resolute in our commitment to protecting children, and we are determined to play a full and active part in the forthcoming review alongside partner agencies, to thoroughly understand the wider circumstances surrounding Sara’s tragic death.”

NEW YORK (AP) — Free agent pitchers Luis Gabriel Moreno and Alejandro Crisostomo were suspended for 80 games each by Major League Baseball on Friday following positive tests for performance-enhancing substances under the minor league drug program. Moreno tested positive for Nandrolone, and Crisostomo tested positive for Boldenone and Nandrolone, the commissioner’s office said. A 26-year-old right-hander, Moreno was released by the New York Mets’ Class A Brooklyn Cyclones on Tuesday. He was 5-1 with a 5.33 ERA in 12 relief appearances this season for Brooklyn after spending 2016-23 in the San Francisco Giants organization. Crisostomo, a 24-year-old right-hander, was released by Minnesota on Aug. 24 after going 0-1 with a 7.13 ERA this year with the Florida Complex League Twins. He signed with Boston in 2017, spent 2018 in the Dominican Summer League with the Red Sox, then signed with Minnesota and spent 2023 with the Twins DSL team. Nineteen players have been suspended this year for positive drug tests, including eight under the minor league program and nine under the new program for minor league players assigned outside the United States and Canada. Two players have been suspended this year under the major league drug program. Noelvi Marté , a 22-year-old infielder who is the Cincinnati Reds’ top prospect, missed the first 80 games following a positive test for boldenone. Toronto Blue Jays infielder Orelvis Martínez was suspended for 80 games on June 23 following a positive test for the performance-enhancing drug clomiphene, an announcement made two days after his major league debut . AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Tight race for the North Carolina Supreme Court is heading to another recount1. A reviewer-beloved Cozy Spaces-themed coloring book featuring lil' bugs sleeping in upside down teacups, koalas snuggling in mushrooms, and all kinds of little critters reading, eating, and chilling in whimsical scenes. Psst — Coco Wyo has a *ton* of other cozy stress relief coloring books with different themes in their Amazon storefront ! Another psst — you can pick up a cult-fave colored pencil set on Amazon. Promising review : "This coloring book is a wonderful way to unwind and de-stress. The illustrations feature familiar, cozy corners that are both charming and relaxing to color. The designs are intricate enough to keep you engaged but not overly complicated, making it perfect for both adults and teens. The quality of the paper is great, holding up well to colored pencils, markers, and gel pens. I love how each page feels like a little escape, and coloring them has become a therapeutic routine." — Ali El-Khatib Get it from Amazon for $7.99 . 2. A pair of fleece-lined joggers that will feel like slipping on clouds that happen to be customized to your human form. Promising review : "These pants are warm and comfortable. I have been wearing these for over a year now and they are wonderful. They wash and dry well, and I have experienced no pills or shrinkage. They also have a functional back pocket as well as side pockets. I have these in three colors and I will purchase again. " — Spotted Mermaid Get it from Amazon $38.99 (available in women's sizes XS–XXL and in 10 colors). 3. A container of Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cinnadust so absurdly delicious that all food will just become a mere canvas for putting Cinnadust on. Reviewers use this on everything from coffee to toast to yogurt to fries to popcorn to sweet potatoes to ice cream to — you know what, I'll let you decide on your cinnajourney for yourself. Check out a TikTok of the Cinnadust in action. Promising review: "Ten out of ten, would order again. Try it on yogurt, ice cream, toast, carrots, and amazingly I saw a TikTok challenge with it on hard boiled eggs. It is stupendous!!!" — ThatGuy Get it from Amazon for $3.21 . 4. Self-heating soothing foot masks made with Epsom salts, lavender, and peppermint perfect for anyone whose recent step count is "too many." Now instead of dealing with aching feet all night, you can get ahead of the situation with some ~self-care~. Check out a TikTok of the foot masks in action. I'm a long-ish distance runner and these were certainly an interesting experience for my feet! You slide them on and after a few minutes feel a tingling, mildly burning (in a good way) sensation. It doesn't quite numb your feet, but it relaxes them. I kept them on for 30 minutes and then toweled my feet off, and the tingling sensation slowly faded over the next 30 minutes. After that my feet felt very refreshed and relaxed at a time of day when they're usually aching from all the miles I put in. The whole thing was a mess-free, easy process, and I will definitely keep them on hand for longer run days! Promising review: "Very soothing. My husband and l used these on our European vacation and they definitely felt good on our feet!" — KS2018 Get a set of three pairs from Amazon for $11.97 . 5. A "Cup Cozy Pillow" to keep everything steady on your bed or couch when you are one silly little beverage away from accidentally turning yourself into a LaCroix swamp. This will not only keep all your accessories upright and on hand, but has expandable cup holes to fit mugs, water bottles, and snacks, with an insulating foam that keeps drinks hot or cold for longer periods. Cup Cozy Pillow is a small business that specializes in family-friendly snack and drink organizers. Check out a TikTok of the Cup Cozy Deluxe Pillow in action. Promising review: "This thing is great! I’m home on maternity leave with my new baby and spend most of my time on the couch under a sleeping baby. This product makes it easy for me to keep my drinks, remote, etc, close by, even with dogs running around . It’s a little more expensive than I would have liked, but it works, and I love it, so money well spent!" — Amber Get it from Amazon for $34.99 . 6. A pickling starter kit complete with everything you need to start fermenting small batches of INFINITE delicious things, from the traditional cucumbers and onions to yummy sauerkraut and kimchi to adventurous watermelon and mango 😋 . (If you've never had pickled mango before ... THANK ME LATER.) Fermentaholics is a small business that specializes in pickling and kombucha starter kits. 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I have a home office, but sitting at my desk all day is sometimes very tiring. I purchased this big memory foam desk pillow so that I can relax on my couch and still put my laptop up and have a comfortable working area. This pillow is big but very comfortable. It has armrests that wrap around your sides, and they also have little pockets for random things like your cell phone or the remote. It’s so nice to just lean back into my comfortable couch and have this big soft desk in front of me." — Jenn Butterfield Get it from Amazon for $62.99 (available in two styles). 10. A pink oyster mushroom kit that grows right there in the packaging, so you can add some cottagecore sweetness to your kitchen and add some savory umami flavors to all your favorite dishes by sautéing, roasting, or air frying them up. Back To The Roots is a California-based small business founded by two college friends that specializes in indoor gardening kits with a mission to reconnect families to food. Check out a TikTok of the mushroom kit in action. Promising review : "Easy to grow. Purchased these for my children for an experiment. They love them deep fried and sautéed. Great value, great activity for young and old. Even for my daughter who could kill grass by simply looking at it was amazed when hers grew big and strong . We had success without hardly following the simple directions of soaking for 6–10 hours and spraying daily. T hey still grew well! Even after a few days of neglect." — HoneyHideout Get it from Amazon for $20.66 (also available in a shiitake mushroom version). 11. A weighted eye mask that's basically like a weighted blanket for your human eyes, designed to decrease stress and encourage ~deep sleep~. They also feature a 3D contour, so they're hollowed out in the middle and won't rest right on top of your eyes. Promising review : "Love these . These are soft and very comfortable, and they seriously black out every bit of ligh t. I love them. I would highly recommend. I’ll probably never sleep without them again." — AJ Get a pack of two from Amazon for $16.99 (available in four sets). 12. An ultimate "girl dinner" plate — okay, technically a cheeseboard, but HEAR ME OUT. This labeled board is the *gremlin's kiss* perfect size for a human who wants to curl up with a Netflix rom-com alone and eat sharp cheddar cheese, Ritz crackers, and stuffed olives on a Friday night. Bonus: it's blank on the other side if you want to flip it over and use it for entertaining! Promising review : "Perfect. The charcuterie board looks exactly like the picture. I am very happy with it." — Joetta Adgate Get it from Amazon for $14.38. 13. An oversize, lightweight knit button-up cardigan with a vibe reviewers compare to the beloved Jenni Kayne "Cocoon" cardigan. This is just *begging* to be layered with all your coziest looks, and it this price point, it might be an investment to grab a few colors to have on hand 👀 . Promising review: "The sweater is extremely comfortable and high quality, and the color selections were awesome. I chose the cognac color which is kind of a taupe-ish brownish color. Bought it to match some khaki boots, and the match was terrific. The pockets are nice. The sweater is roomy. The sleeves are a good length. The thickness is perfect for warmth without being overly bulky. I really like this sweater and will order more colors." — Alana Mohacsi Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in women's sizes XS–XL and 29 styles). 14. And a criminally cozy plush blanket sweater for anyone who's ready to take loungewear to the next level. Reviewers are obsessed with how soft this cozy nest of a sweater is, and that it comes with *pockets* for snack stashing. Aemicion is a small business specializing in oversize comfy sweaters. Promising review : "It’s like wearing a huge blanket wrapped around you without the hassle of it falling off or dragging on the floor. Very soft. Love the oversized bagginess of it. The hood is my favorite thing. And it has pockets! What more do you need?! Honestly it’s perfect for any cozy cold person." — Donavan Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (available in dozens of styles and kid sizes). 15. A stuffed waffle maker to introduce yourselves to the infinite glory of stuffing food into a pillowy warm carb — I'm talking jam, cheesy eggs, meats, NUTELLA (!!), pie filling, peanut butter, the whole nine yards. I'm truly shaking thinking about amassing this kind of breakfast power. Promising review: "I bought this after I saw a video on TikTok, so I had an idea about the yummy waffles I could make. First waffles were stuffed with apple pie filling. Second ones with scrambled eggs with bacon and cheese . Just amazing!!! The only way you could make this better is to send a chef!! I definitely recommend watching a video on TikTok or YouTube to inspire you before you start!!" — Adirondackdarling Get it from Amazon for $49.99 . 16. A sturdy, minimalist reading journal with such a comprehensive, satisfying design that you'll never bother with another again — this features space for 52 thorough book reviews, along with challenges and lists for Books I’ve Read, Finished, Favorites, Did Not Finish, Lent, and Borrowed. Kunitsa Co. is a small business that specializes in reading, exercise, and food journals. Promising review: "This book journal had plenty of room for all the book reviews and so much more. It has pages for daily reading tracking, pages for reading goals, pages for DNF books, favorite books, loaned-out books, and tons of review pages all you have to do is feel it out. It’s perfect!!!!" — Cody McNeal Get it from Amazon for $22.95 (available in four colors). 17. A set of oh-so-toasty but breathable winter socks in a wool cotton blend so cozy that you'll rotate between the cute colors all winter long. Promising review: "Love them! They are so warm. I am cold every month of the year. My feet stay blue. Not with these. They are warm, look good, and feel good. I can wear them with a low-cut shoe. I’ve washed them in the machine and hung them up to dry. No problem. Highly recommend for those of us with perennial cold feet." — Frances Get a set of five from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in a variety of color combos and styles). 18. A cider making starter kit so easy to use that you'll have four bottles of wine, cider, or mead in just nine days — and then you can repeat the whole process all over again for more boozey deliciousness. You can use any juice you want, or you can access over 5,000 unique recipes through Brewsy, which also includes online support if you have any questions! Brewsy is a small business that specializes in affordable, app-enabled cider, wine, and mead kits. Note: you have to provide your own jug or juice bottle (there's one on Amazon if you don't already have a vessel large enough!). Promising review: "I've been interested in making my own wine for awhile, but getting started can be costly and time consuming. This kit is a great way to get started for very little money or time. The instructions are easy to follow, and the ability to use any juice at all means you can make some really unique flavors. I have already made one batch of wine using grape juice because I didn't want to get too wild on my first batch. It was sweeter then most red wines I've bought, but tasted great and the alcohol content was at least 12 percent. I base that on my body's reaction after drinking two glasses. I recommend these for yourself or a friend, I think it's a great buy and product. " — Maximillion M. Get it from Amazon for $29.99 (available in cider, mead, or wine kits). 19. A pair of chic wireless headband headphones to keep your ears toasty warm listening to music during outdoor workouts or long walks. Promising review : "I hate wearing earbuds and headphones with a winter hat is clunky and odd, so I love these. It holds a nice charge and has good sound quality. I had low expectations for this but was pleasantly surprised!" — Amazon Customer Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (available in 19 colors). 20. Small Batch Cookies , tailor made for folks who live alone *or* for people who want to broaden their baking horizons, but don't want to deal with the mess of big batches (or the leftovers!). This book takes you through a bunch of delicious recipes for one to six people using minimal equipment, so you can have hassle-free treats and live your most delicious life. Promising review : "Edd Kimber is so creative with his bakes and this book is full of fun and interesting cookie recipes. love the flavors in this book...subtle and layered. Baking small batches is surprisingly liberating. Most ingredients are on hand and I'm not stressing about what to do with large quantities of cookies. With small amounts, it feels easier to play and experiment. " — Monica Get it from Amazon for $23.67 . 21. An electric heated mattress pad that might be just proof that humans CAN biologically hibernate?? Because it would simply take too much effort to ever leave something so perfectly toasty again. It comes with timed auto-shutoffs and 10 heat settings, with dual controls for the queen and king sizes so two people can each set the temp *just* to their liking. Promising review : "We live in Wisconsin, where it gets very cold at night. We like to crack the bedroom windows open at night because we prefer a cold room to sleep in. But this makes getting in bed with freezing cold sheets brutal. Not anymore! This mattress pad is a game-changer! Turning the mattress pad on before getting in bed makes all the difference in the world; no more freezing cold sheets. The dual controls are great since I like my side warmer than my husband does his side. The mattress pad is soft and comfortable ; you cannot feel the wires at all. It has nice deep pockets that fit on our mattress and memory foam pad very nicely." — Linda Stranzl Get a queen-sized pad from Amazon for $89.95+ (clip the $10 off coupon on the product page for this price; available in sizes Twin–California King). 22. A Potato Express , because I think if we're all being honest with ourselves, the older we get, the more we crave a weeknight at home with Netflix in our eyes and a warm potato in our laps. This cooks up to *four* potatoes flawlessly in mere minutes so you don't have to wait to go to clown town with cheese and other fixings. Promising review: "Makes baked potatoes so easy. Just wash them, poke them with a fork, and place in your microwave. A few minutes later, it's time to eat. I bought my first bag about eight years ago, and finally, it was time to replace it. If you have never tried one of these, you should. I bought extras so I could give them to friends as a small gift and to save them time." — Dennis S. Get it from Amazon for $14.99 . 23. A pair of oh-so-cozy "teddy" slippers that might just be that ~holy grail~ pair you've been searching for — not only are these mega soft and warm, but reviewers note that they don't overheat, hold up over time, and machine wash beautifully. (Bonus: they're also very quiet if you're trying not to wake the fam!) Promising review: "I’ve been searching for a pair of slippers for a long time. Literally have bought and returned many. I bought a pair for my husband and he loved them so I decided to try them. So glad I did . Love the color, fit, comfort and warmth. Also, machine washable. I’m going to buy another style. Highly recommend." — J Get it from Amazon for $15.99 (available in women's sizes 5–12 and seven colors). 24. And a pair of fur-lined Crocs as a ridiculously cozy update to the ~~naked~~ version , so you don't have to give up your comfiest shoe when the temperatures drop. Your very insulated toes will thank you! Promising review: "I work from home and was looking for the perfect comfortable shoe. These crocs were perfect because they are lined for extra coziness but also if I need to go out to the store or get the mail they are durable for outside. Love them!" — Brooklyn Whitesides Get them from Amazon for $39.12+ (available in women's sizes 4–17 and in 33 colors). 25. A portable mug warmer with three different temperature settings so you can take your sweet, sweeeeet time enjoying your morning cuppa without worrying about having to reheat it in the microwave or chugging lukewarm coffee. Bonus: it also operates as a candle warmer! Promising review: "LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! Love the look. Love the temperature settings, although I don't believe I will use the lower ones since the 170 seems to be just right for me. Very simple to operate. Perfect Christmas gift or stocking stuffer for my daughter-in-law." — rkd Get it from Amazon for $25.99 . 26. A collapsible Magic Mushroom funnel so you can go into full happy hobbit mode while you funnel your baking ingredients, coffee, or wine on cozy days in. Check out a TikTok of the magic mushroom funnel in action. Promising review: "I am obsessed with this funnel!!! I juice a lot of citrus and juices for cocktails, and this little guy is the perfect size for bottling. It’s beyond cute and really great quality . I’m always hesitant about buying silicone items, as I don’t want them to be too thin. This is perfect! Sturdy and cute! Can’t get better than that! The perfect addition to any cottagecore kitchen! " — Abbey Klem Get it from Amazon for $13.95+ (available in two sizes). 27. Equal Exchange's decadently rich dark chocolate hot cocoa mix for anyone with high chocolate standards and a small budget. This fair trade, small farmer-grown cocoa is so perfectly bittersweet and pure in taste that you'll forget all the other brand name hot cocoas you used to settle for. Promising review: "If you are a fan of really dark chocolate, this is the hot chocolate powder you want. Deep, rich dark fudge flavor with just a hint of sweetness. This is not a 'big cup of cocoa' kind of hot chocolate; this is an espresso cup kind of hot chocolate. Intense, but so satisfying. " — theratwitch Get it from Amazon for $8.29 (available in two sizes and five other styles, including a spicy hot cocoa 🔥). 28. A "flaming" humidifier so you can have your aromatherapy and perfectly breathable air *and* enjoy the coziness of a teensy fireplace vibe for a little cottagecore touch. Note : According to Johns Hopkins , you may want to avoid diffusing oils around larger groups and young children because of the side effects of different oils. You may also want to avoid using an oil diffuser around pets with breathing problems, according to the ASPCA . Promising review : "I like how this diffuser kind of looks like a mini fireplace and it’s perfect for winter. I also like how long the water of this diffuser lasts — I always add my favorite essential oil in it when I go to sleep every night without worrying it will run out of water. I used to have insomnia and it helped me to sleep through the night with my relaxing essential oil scent, and it also worked as a humidifier." — Benny Get it from Amazon for $32.99+ (available in black and white and three sizes). 29. A bottle of sensitive skin-friendly Honest Company lavender bubble bath reviewers are obsessed with because the bubbles are GINORMOUS and super long-lasting. Rumor has it Glinda came down in a bubble made from this very bubble bath blend. Promising review : "We love this brand and have been using this bubble bath for years. Just two squirts fills out tubs with a ton of bubbles. I love the ingredients list and it gives off a pleasant scent. Definitely will continue using this bubble bath for years to come!" — Stephanie Get it from Amazon for $13.79+ (available in four scents). 30. A lush double-sided shaggy faux-fur duvet set to really make a statement — the statement being, of course, "I am never leaving my bedroom again, and as this duvet has emotionally replaced all the humans in my heart." One side is faux fur and the other side is plush velvet; the twin set comes with one pom-pom fringed pillow sham, and other size sets include two. Promising review: "If my house caught on fire, this is the first thing I’d grab. But seriously, this is one of my favorite things in my whole house. I feel like it tied my entire room together. I get so many compliments on it and it seriously so cozy and well made. My only complaint would be how hard this thing makes it to get out of bed in the mornings. It’s incredibly soft and isn’t the type of 'fur' that will mat and get gross-looking over time. I rely heavily on reviews when I buy things so I’m here to tell you — if you’re on the fence about buying this ... do it!! Also, the pillowcases are amazing also. Super soft and the pom-pom fringe is adorable." — SK Get it from Amazon for $51.99+ (available in sizes Twin–King and 34 colors). 31. A tin of literal pure honeycomb so you can live your best Pooh Bear life and either eat it raw, steep it in tea, or crooonch it over jam and toast. Reviewers love to get adventurous with it and pair it with all kinds of meat, cheese, and fruit dishes! Bushwick Kitchen is a small business that specializes in honey and hot sauce products. Promising review : "Had to buy as we’ve been wanting to try honeycomb and this was absolutely delightful. So light and decadent with just the right sweetness. One of the best desserts we’ve had. Enjoyed with tea, blistered shishito peppers and dates appetizer, and even on its own . Chew the waxy comb like gum for added enjoyment." — DaneMama Get it from Amazon for $14.99 (also available as a pourable honey). 32. A TikTok-famous 3-in-1 convertible "reading chair" that reviewers love putting in their home office and living room spaces because it truly fulfills *so* many essential cozy needs at once. Not only does this include USB ports for your phone or Kindle, a cup holder, and a side pocket for books, but it can be pulled out easily into a sleeper chair or a full flat sleeper in an instant. Bonus? There's ~secret storage~ at the bottom for extra sheets and pillows. Check out a TikTok of the reading chair in action. Promising review: "Amazing reading chair/lounger . If you're one of those people who needs to change positions often while reading, this chair is the bomb. I leave a charging cord in the arm for my phone and headphones, slide out the foot, and grab whatever book I chucked under there. I can lay down, recline, sit straight, etc. with ease. The foot stool part, being collapsible and held up with thin bars, did kind of sink a little after awhile but nothing that makes the chair feel broken or look lopsided. It's a solid little guy and I plan on picking another one up eventually for another room I like to read in. " — Calvin Andrews Get it from Amazon for $249.99+ (available in seven colors). 33. A cozy two-in-one sandwich maker with uniquely-designed nonstick plates you can use to make everything from grilled cheese sandwiches to quesadillas to pizza pockets to omelettes. Sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of the CRUNNCHHHH of perfectly crisped sandwich edges. Promising review: "It has exceeded expectations. It browns sandwiches quickly and toasts faster than any toaster!! It's good and compact, but a powerful little cooker. I'm very happy! Great value!" — jon james Get it from Amazon for $21.99 (available in two styles). 34. And a mini donut maker to keep anyone with a sweet tooth occupied — truly, can you think of anything in this universe more delicious than a warm homemade donut?? I'll wait. The donuts cook within minutes, have an auto shutoff to stop them from overheating, and come with a recipe book that even includes gluten-free and Paleo-friendly options . Bonus? You don't even need to figure out how to make donuts — this machine will take store bought brownie, muffin, and cake mix just fine . Promising review : "I cannot say enough about the Dash Mini Donut Maker. It is so much fun to use and make donuts at home. Rather than going to the local chain donut restaurant, you can make your own specialty donuts at home. It is very easy to use and cleans up quickly. My children love to decorate the donuts after they are cooked. It's a fun family activity and the donuts taste great! Also, it comes with a neat design and stands out among my other boring looking kitchen cooking appliances. If you like donuts, this product is for you." — JoshH Get it from Amazon for $21.99 (available in two sizes). 35. A set of heat-safe microwave bowl holders for all your hot meals — you can pull this right out of the microwave with your bowl without burning your hands, *plus* use them to hold your bowl in your hands or lap while you're eating (presumably in front of the TV, as one does) without hurting your fingers. Bonus: It also helps keep your food warm for longer! Check out a TikTok of the microwave bowl holders in action. Bonus — the insulation of these also keeps cold food like ice cream colder for longer (and helps prevent your fingers from freezing!). Promising review : "Buy these for yourself and everyone you know. They are soft and fit a variety of sizes of bowls to put under them in the microwave and eat from. My kids love them. We bought some to gift to other people too, and I will get some for my son to use at college. Made of a heavy terry cloth that can be thrown right in the washer when needed. We used towels before under our bowls, but these cradle the bowls so are easier to hold. We bought some bigger plate sizes too." — Heidi J. Get a set of four from Amazon for $22.99 (available in five color combos). 36. Plus an ice cream cozy to keep your fingers warm when you're eating ice cream in chilly temps, because as all true dessert lovers know, ice cream season is all of them. Whimsical Winnie is a Maryland-based Etsy shop established in 2017 that specializes in home decor and accessories. Promising review : "Perfect size!! I saw others that went higher up on the pint, but I would of totally gotten ice cream on those. This is just the right size! The thickness of the material is great too, my hands don’t get cold :) Although Jenis would taste amazing any way, it’s even better to enjoy it in a coozie. Highly recommend! Quick shipping too." — Meghan Collins Get it from Whimsical Winnie on Etsy for $8 (available in five prints). 37. A supremely soft, insulating hooded bathrobe reviewers say serves some Barefoot Dreams energy — it's lightweight, ridiculously plush, has pockets (!!), and is designed to never shed. Truly, no notes. Promising review : "Amazing, I absolutely loved it! Fits perfectly and the length is really good. The material is comfortable, warm and hasn't faded after washed. I also like the pattern of this robe. Now it is part of my daily wardrobe." — Ivy Get it from Amazon for $40.99 (available in eight styles). Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.

HONG KONG , Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Dunxin Financial Holdings Limited ("Dunxin" or the "Company") (OTC Pink: DXFFY), a company engaged in real estate operation management and investment and a digital technology security business in Hong Kong , today announced that it plans to change the ratio of its American depositary shares ("ADSs") from one (1) ADS representing four hundred and eighty (480) Class A ordinary shares to one (1) ADS representing sixty thousand (60,000) Class A ordinary shares. The effect of the ratio change on the ADS trading price on the OTC Pink (the "OTC") is expected to take place at the open of trading on December 4, 2024 (U.S. Eastern Time). For the Company's ADS holders, the ADS ratio change will have the same effect as a one-for-one hundred and twenty-five reverse split. There will be no change to the Company's Class A ordinary shares. ADS holders of record on the effective date will need to surrender their ADS to the depositary bank for cancellation and exchange in connection with the ADS ratio change, with further details to be provided in the notice by the depositary bank. As of the effective date for the ADS ratio change, Dunxin's ADSs will continue to be traded on the OTC under the symbol "DXFFY". No fractional new ADSs will be issued in connection with the change in the ADS ratio. Instead, fractional entitlements to new ADSs will be aggregated and sold by the depositary bank and the net cash proceeds from the sale of the fractional ADS entitlements (after deduction of fees, taxes and expenses) will be distributed to the applicable ADS holders by the depositary bank. As a result of the change in the ADS ratio, the ADS price is expected to increase proportionally, although the Company can give no assurance that the ADS price after the change in the ADS ratio will be equal to or greater than the ADS price on a proportionate basis. About Dunxin Financial Holdings Limited Dunxin is a licensed microfinance lender serving individuals and SMEs in Hubei Province , China . Dunxin suspended offering loans to its customers since 2020. Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. When the Company uses words such as "may, "will, "intend," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "project," "estimate" or similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters, it is making forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations discussed in the forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, the following: the Company's goals and strategies; the Company's future business development; product and service demand and acceptance; changes in technology; economic conditions; the growth of market in China and the other international markets the Company plans to serve; reputation and brand; the impact of competition and pricing; government regulations; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in China and the international markets the Company plans to serve and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing and other risks contained in reports filed by the Company with the SEC. For these reasons, among others, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements in this press release. Additional factors are discussed in the Company's filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov . The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward–looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date hereof.

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( MENAFN - IANS) New Delhi: The call for 'Digital India' coming from Prime Minister Narendra Modi provides a timely push to business transactions by encouraging corporates to switch over to online work, use computerisation for speedy delivery and facilitate an outreach to customers that was not so easy to achieve earlier. An ultimate advance of Information technology symbolised by Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now sweeping the business world in a manner that makes it necessary to administer a word of caution to all concerned against presuming that AI is the quick-time panacea for all their problems -- big and small. The important point here is that India on its way to becoming the third largest economy in the world in the foreseeable future, is benefitting a great deal from the strategic initiative of speeding up with 'digitisation'. This policy flowed right from the top and gave this country a significant competitive advantage in today's globalised world enabling it to move ahead of others in the 'knowledge economy'. India is a leading power and a storehouse of talent so far as IT is concerned and it will not be presumptuous to conclude that it will guide the world in the area of AI applications, too. These applications will expedite growth, improve efficiency and also take care of the issues of security that 'digitisation' would create for all stakeholders. There cannot be a one-fit for all, however, and a progressive understanding of the specific needs of an organisation will go a long way in giving that particular business a competitive advantage. AI will never replace human jobs completely. It can free human hands of routine tasks that do not bank on creativity, strategic thinking and leadership qualities. A company that makes its employees do their jobs better or 'more swiftly' than earlier, is adding to their 'efficiency' by improving the output per unit of 'time' -- time being a recognised 'resource' now. This does not necessarily entail laying down any part of the workforce -- the new requirement is to make the existing manpower more productive. This is not all that easy to achieve since it calls for deep planning for 'customising' the AI applications to the employee's tasks and duties. AI is adopted for creating business value and this has to be done in an innovative and ethical way to win customer's confidence. Human intelligence and imagination are needed while planning for an AI application -- it can be said, therefore, that AI is a 'product' not a 'substitute' of the human mind. AI aims at enhancing operational efficiency and has to be built into the concerned 'processes'. Its validation takes time and cannot be fixed in a moment. AI applications also get linked to a possible organisational resetting, training regimen and investment of time because they worked for long-term advantage -- often altering the decision-making protocols. It is advisable to start with AI applications for small management projects and make them a part of the evolution of the larger organisational growth. It has to be understood that AI lays the path of steady progress and cannot be 'ordered' to produce instant results except in the area of 'data analytics' where algorithms can be devised to read the 'patterns' for further deductions and 'machine learning' introduced to help a certain degree of 'automation'. AI is important but there is something unnatural about the way every business is feeling pressurised to embrace it like a blind spot for success in terms of achieving an immediate enhancement of 'productivity' and 'return on investment'. When the Information Technology revolution appeared on the scene in 1991, the world transitioned from the Industrial Age to the Information Age and a new level of globalisation set in because of instant communications that could be made across geographical frontiers and the advent of a level of competitiveness that had not been encountered earlier. Businesses got new opportunities for reaching out to customers and prospects of diversification, mergers and acquisitions multiplied. With the advent of AI, it became possible to analyse a large amount of data that was humanly impossible to examine earlier. Also, 'machine learning' could be used for improving 'processes' and making transactions cost-effective in terms of time utilisation, which would boost 'productivity' and consequently enhance 'profitability'. There is literally a transformation of the Age of Information into the Age of Intelligence because AI does add to the ability of business houses to have a peep into the future and read the 'risks and opportunities' ahead of others. Analysis of what is available in the public domain always helped to produce 'intelligence' that could provide this insight. Analysis is the instrument that allowed for the advantage of human imagination and far-sight to be built into AI applications. Digitisation in general and AI in particular has produced a new socio-economic atmosphere that gave intensive for launching start-ups and innovating 'products' and 'services'. On the other hand, in the strategic sphere, it has allowed 'proxy wars' to replace open military attacks -- social media emerging as a particularly powerful instrument of combat. Misinformation, 'deepfakes' and indoctrination are used for narrative building against a regime. They were affecting people's lives by exposing them to newer kinds of cyber fraud and also creating a new risk profile for businesses. Just as Information Technology fundamentally altered the lifestyle of people, AI is likely to impact the cultural outlook of society -- creating new normals for businesses, inter-personal interactions and even social values to an extent. The Information Age had mandated that being well-informed is the key to success in any field and Artificial Intelligence has further added to the importance of being aware of what was happening within the society and also in the world outside. Business-customer relations, people's approach to the ruling elite and life in the universities are all impacted by AI offerings. 'Writing assistants' are helping the 'cost-effective' management of organisations. What has gained in importance is the discipline of accepting and acting only on reliable information. One should not run into the erroneous belief that whatever appears on the internet is trustworthy. There are both promises and perils associated with AI and this is a sobering thought for all well-informed people. It is interesting to recall that the awardees of the Nobel Prize in Physics this year are two pioneers of Information Technology -- John Hopfield of Princeton University and Geoffrey Hinton of the University of Toronto. Hinton warned that AI -- which he compared with 'another Industrial Revolution' -- could produce unforeseen consequences creating a situation where 'things could get out of control'. Hopfield was even more forthright in declaring at a university Conclave that 'AI could create an apocalypse'. Hinton praised GPT4 -- an AI offering -- saying that 'if I want to know the answer to anything I would just ask it' but added with a twist that 'I do not totally trust it because it can hallucinate'. AI is subject to the fundamental principle of 'garbage in garbage out' that did not apply to human intelligence because the latter could invoke 'logic', 'power of recall' and 'imagination' which were not available to the former while absorbing information. AI applications are situation-specific, anchored on processes and meant to produce a long-term gain for the organisation. They are used after deep consideration and planning and have a strategic perspective -- there is nothing tactical about them. In the times ahead successful CEOs would be leaders that were well-versed in AI and the personnel working for them would be individuals who had been up-skilled about AI applications -- even though they might not be 'technologists' themselves. The new-age businesses would be different from the traditional-looking ones in as much as they would be far more competent and aggressive about exploring the 'opportunities' and averting the 'risks'. (The writer is a former Director of the Intelligence Bureau. Views are personal) MENAFN28122024000231011071ID1109038420 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.After his team's 102-89 home win on Wednesday night over Purdue Fort Wayne, Penn State coach Mike Rhoades challenged his team's fan base to show up and make more noise. "Sweat with us," he said at one point. At 5-0, the Nittany Lions haven't had to sweat much to get off to a fast start. They might not have to expend much perspiration to make it 6-0 on Monday when they meet Fordham in a semifinal matchup at the Sunshine Slam tournament in Daytona Beach, Fla. Penn State hasn't played a strong schedule so far, but the team has been impressive. It's averaging 98.2 points per game and 13.8 steals per game, both of which ranked second in Division I through Saturday's play. The Nittany Lions were seventh per kenpom.com in turnover rate, forcing 25.3 per 100 possessions. Point guard Ace Baldwin Jr. is leading the charge, scoring 16.4 points and dishing out 7.8 assists while chipping in 2.6 steals. Zach Hicks has nearly doubled his scoring average from 8.4 last season to 15.8 this season, while Northern Illinois transfer Yanic Konan Niederhauser has beefed up the interior, tallying 12.2 points and 7.2 rebounds. Meanwhile, Fordham (3-3) is coming off a 73-71 home loss Friday night against Drexel in New York. The Rams blew a seven-point lead early in the second half and missed a chance to force overtime when leading scorer Jackie Johnson III missed a layup as time expired. Johnson, a UNLV transfer, is averaging 19 points per game and is making nearly 48 percent of his shots as one of three Rams with double-figure scoring averages. Jahmere Tripp scores at an 11.0 clip while Japhet Medor is contributed 10.5, but Fordham is struggling to make shots, canning only 41.5 percent from the field. The Rams were picked for a 14th-place finish in the Atlantic 10 despite returning more scoring than any team in the league except for VCU. Third-year coach Keith Urgo thinks his team can defy low external expectations. "We're experienced and I think we're poised to have a tremendous year," he said. --Field Level MediaAfter his team's 102-89 home win on Wednesday night over Purdue Fort Wayne, Penn State coach Mike Rhoades challenged his team's fan base to show up and make more noise. "Sweat with us," he said at one point. At 5-0, the Nittany Lions haven't had to sweat much to get off to a fast start. They might not have to expend much perspiration to make it 6-0 on Monday when they meet Fordham in a semifinal matchup at the Sunshine Slam tournament in Daytona Beach, Fla. Penn State hasn't played a strong schedule so far, but the team has been impressive. It's averaging 98.2 points per game and 13.8 steals per game, both of which ranked second in Division I through Saturday's play. The Nittany Lions were seventh per kenpom.com in turnover rate, forcing 25.3 per 100 possessions. Point guard Ace Baldwin Jr. is leading the charge, scoring 16.4 points and dishing out 7.8 assists while chipping in 2.6 steals. Zach Hicks has nearly doubled his scoring average from 8.4 last season to 15.8 this season, while Northern Illinois transfer Yanic Konan Niederhauser has beefed up the interior, tallying 12.2 points and 7.2 rebounds. Meanwhile, Fordham (3-3) is coming off a 73-71 home loss Friday night against Drexel in New York. The Rams blew a seven-point lead early in the second half and missed a chance to force overtime when leading scorer Jackie Johnson III missed a layup as time expired. Johnson, a UNLV transfer, is averaging 19 points per game and is making nearly 48 percent of his shots as one of three Rams with double-figure scoring averages. Jahmere Tripp scores at an 11.0 clip while Japhet Medor is contributed 10.5, but Fordham is struggling to make shots, canning only 41.5 percent from the field. The Rams were picked for a 14th-place finish in the Atlantic 10 despite returning more scoring than any team in the league except for VCU. Third-year coach Keith Urgo thinks his team can defy low external expectations. "We're experienced and I think we're poised to have a tremendous year," he said. --Field Level Media

Moreno tested positive for Nandrolone, and Crisostomo tested positive for Boldenone and Nandrolone, the commissioner’s office said. A 26-year-old right-hander, Moreno was released by the New York Mets’ Class A Brooklyn Cyclones on Tuesday. He was 5-1 with a 5.33 ERA in 12 relief appearances this season for Brooklyn after spending 2016-23 in the San Francisco Giants organization. Crisostomo, a 24-year-old right-hander, was released by Minnesota on Aug. 24 after going 0-1 with a 7.13 ERA this year with the Florida Complex League Twins. He signed with Boston in 2017, spent 2018 in the Dominican Summer League with the Red Sox, then signed with Minnesota and spent 2023 with the Twins DSL team. Nineteen players have been suspended this year for positive drug tests, including eight under the minor league program and nine under the new program for minor league players assigned outside the United States and Canada. Two players have been suspended this year under the major league drug program. Noelvi Marté , a 22-year-old infielder who is the Cincinnati Reds’ top prospect, missed the first 80 games following a positive test for boldenone. Toronto Blue Jays infielder Orelvis Martínez was suspended for 80 games on June 23 following a positive test for the performance-enhancing drug clomiphene, an announcement made two days after his major league debut . AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Babagana Umara Zulum, the Borno State Governor has called for a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s education system to address the disconnect between educational institutions and the needs of industries. Zulum made this statement during a courtesy visit by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, at the Government House, Maiduguri. He expressed concern that many graduates produced by higher institutions lack the necessary skills to drive innovation and technological advancement. He urged NELFUND to critically assess the issue and implement solutions that enable graduates to become self-employed rather than depend on limited job opportunities. “We have two major problems in our educational system: the mismatch between educational institutions and industries, as they do not communicate effectively, and the mismatch between the labor market and graduates, many of whom are unprepared to work in the industries,” Zulum stated. Zulum further encouraged NELFUND to support entrepreneurship, technical education, and vocational training programs. “Beyond offering loans, I urge you to explore ways to support entrepreneurship education and promote technical and vocational training to reduce the reluctance toward these critical areas of study,” he added. The Governor commended President Bola Tinubu for establishing NELFUND, emphasizing its potential to significantly reduce illiteracy, particularly in the North East region. He pledged to mobilize local government chairmen and traditional rulers to raise awareness about the program, noting its importance for underprivileged students who wish to pursue higher education. “I have held discussions with heads of tertiary institutions since you assumed office, and reports indicate that a significant number of students who applied for NELFUND loans received them with ease,” Zulum remarked. During the visit, Akintunde Sawyerr, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (Nelfund) highlighted the fund’s mission to tackle the growing issue of students dropping out due to financial constraints. He noted that the loan is interest-free, with repayment set at 10% of the recipient’s income upon securing employment. Sawyerr was accompanied by Professor Babagana Gutti, the Vice Chancellor of Borno State University, and representatives of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).

Noah Waterman's driving, twisting shot in the lane with 1.2 seconds left rescued Louisville from a home upset bid by Eastern Kentucky, escaping with a 78-76 home victory on Saturday. The Cardinals (8-5) equaled their win total from the 2023-24 campaign. Louisville claimed a 71-61 edge on a James Scott dunk with 6:17 remaining, but Eastern Kentucky (6-7) followed with a 12-1 run to claim the lead on Devontae Blanton's layup with 2:20 to play. The teams traded baskets until Waterman's shot in the final seconds provided the difference. Terrance Edwards Jr. made one of two free throws to pad the Cardinals' margin with 0.4 seconds to play. Louisville grabbed a season-high 21 offensive rebounds in the win. The Cardinals were led by Edwards' 20-point performance on 6-for-12 shooting. J'Vonne Hadley dropped in 15 points and added 10 rebounds, four on the offensive end. Chucky Hepburn added 14 points despite six turnovers and guard Reyne Smith had 12 points, including a trio of 3-pointers. Waterman contributed 12 points, none more significant than the game winner. Eastern Kentucky's George Kimble III keyed the Colonels' rally with 24 points, with 17 coming in the second half. Blanton scored 22 points on 10-for-23 shooting. Guard Jackson Holt added 15 points, shooting 3-for-5 from 3-point range. The game was a back-and-forth battle throughout. Louisville stretched a first-half lead to as many as 15 points, in part by canning nine 3-point shots in the first 20 minutes, as opposed to just two in the second half. The Cardinals led 46-37 at halftime and stretched their lead back to 13 before a 12-2 led by 3-pointers from Holt and Mayar Wol pulled the Colonels back into the game midway through the second half. The Cardinals will take on North Carolina at home on Wednesday. Eastern Kentucky opens Atlantic Sun play at Central Arkansas on Thursday. --Field Level Media

It’s time to lighten things up. As we exit the holidays, we officially enter bowl-food season. Rich and heavy holiday dinners — featuring cocktails and multiple courses, ribs and roasts, sauces and reductions — will take a New Year’s timeout, replaced by steaming bowls brimming with warm and nourishing soups and stews. And while meat is certainly welcome to join the bowl-fun, the lightness of seafood is a refreshing alternative. It’s time for a cioppino. Cioppino is a San Francisco seafood stew that originated in the 1800s when the Italian and Portuguese fishermen chopped up leftovers from their daily catches to make a robust tomato-based soup. Its name is derived from the Italian term ciuppin, which means to chop. Wine is a key ingredient in the cioppino stock, and recipes gamely call for white or red, depending on the source. I prefer to use red wine, which adds more fruit and less acidity to the broth. As for the fish and shellfish, there is no set rule, except to choose as fresh as possible. Select a variety of shellfish and seafood, such as clams, mussels, shrimp and scallops, and thicken the soup with chunks of firm-fleshed white fish, such as halibut. While many cioppinos include crab, which is local to and abundant in the San Francisco Bay area during the winter season, it can easily be omitted. If you have access to crab, purchase the cracked legs or simply buy the cleaned meat for a splurge. Unlike many stews that taste better with time, this stew is meant to be eaten straight away to capture the freshness of the fish. This rule was heeded with my pot of stew, since I had no time to style a pretty photo before it was devoured, leaving me only with the process shot you see here. Cioppino Active time: 50 minutes Total time: 50 minutes Yield: Serves 6 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 1 medium fennel bulb, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1/4 cup tomato paste 1 (28-ounce) can crushed Italian plum tomatoes 2 cups medium-bodied red wine 2 cups chicken stock 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional) 12 to 18 littleneck clams 12 to 18 mussels, scrubbed and debearded 1 pound large (18/20) shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails intact optional 1 pound firm white fish, such as halibut, cut into 1-inch chunks Chopped fresh Italian parsley for garnish Heat the oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and fennel and cook until the vegetables soften, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for about 1 minute more, stirring to create a slurry. Add the tomatoes, wine, chicken stock, orange juice, bay leaf, salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or the sugar, if desired. Add the clams to the pot, cover and cook over medium heat about 5 minutes. Add the mussels, cover the pot and cook 3 to 4 minutes more. Discard any unopened clams or mussels. Stir in the shrimp and halibut, partially cover the pot, and simmer until the fish is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Ladle the stew into warm serving bowls and garnish with parsley. Serve with crusty bread or garlic bread. This recipe is from Lynda Balslev, a cookbook author, food and travel writer, and recipe developer. She can be found at TasteFoodBlog.comKBC Group NV acquired a new stake in shares of AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. ( NYSE:AMC – Free Report ) during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 8,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $37,000. Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in AMC Entertainment by 22.9% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 24,804,669 shares of the company’s stock valued at $92,273,000 after purchasing an additional 4,617,007 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its holdings in shares of AMC Entertainment by 24.6% during the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 65,620 shares of the company’s stock worth $245,000 after purchasing an additional 12,975 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio boosted its position in AMC Entertainment by 14.0% in the first quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 95,472 shares of the company’s stock valued at $355,000 after buying an additional 11,760 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its holdings in AMC Entertainment by 1,894.0% in the 2nd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 1,121,025 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,583,000 after buying an additional 1,064,805 shares during the period. Finally, Tyche Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in AMC Entertainment during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $90,000. 28.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. AMC Entertainment Stock Performance Shares of AMC Entertainment stock opened at $4.55 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $4.43 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $4.74. AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $2.38 and a fifty-two week high of $11.88. The company has a market cap of $1.71 billion, a P/E ratio of -2.83 and a beta of 1.83. Analyst Ratings Changes AMC has been the topic of several recent research reports. Macquarie reaffirmed an “underperform” rating and issued a $4.00 price objective on shares of AMC Entertainment in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. B. Riley cut their price target on AMC Entertainment from $8.00 to $6.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. Wedbush reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $4.00 price objective on shares of AMC Entertainment in a report on Monday, August 5th. Benchmark restated a “hold” rating on shares of AMC Entertainment in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded AMC Entertainment to a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and three have given a hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $5.44. Get Our Latest Analysis on AMC AMC Entertainment Profile ( Free Report ) AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the theatrical exhibition business. It owns, operates, or has interests in theatres in the United States and Europe. The company was founded in 1920 and is headquartered in Leawood, Kansas. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AMC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. ( NYSE:AMC – Free Report ). 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