Mohamed Salah’s landmark goal pulls Liverpool clear in Champions LeagueChina's new supersonic ramjet detonation engine takes to the skyGeneral Motors, after pouring billions of dollars into its Cruise robotaxi unit over the past eight years, said it’s ending the subsidiary’s stand-alone efforts and will combine it with in-house efforts to develop autonomous driving technologies for personal vehicles. The Detroit-based automaker said it will no longer fund Cruise’s robotaxi work as it will take too long and cost too much to scale the business to compete with competitors it didn’t identify. Presumably, its biggest challenge is catching up with Waymo, which is carrying hundreds of thousands of riders in its robotaxis every week and is about to expand the service to Miami, Austin and Atlanta. “This is the latest in a series of decisions that GM has announced that underscore our focus on having the right technology for the future of our company and the industry,” Mary Barra, GM’s chair and CEO, said on a conference call. “GM made this decision to refocus our strategy because we believe in the importance of driver assistance and autonomous driving technology in our vehicles.” “Cruise has been an early innovator in autonomy, and the deeper integration of our teams, paired with GM’s strong brands, scale, and manufacturing strength, will help advance our vision for the future of transportation.” Cruise, acquired by GM in 2016, was among the best-funded robotaxi companies, raising more than $8 billion, including investments from SoftBank and Honda. For years it was locked in a tight competition with Alphabet’s Waymo to be a dominant player in the emerging autonomous vehicle space. However the company struggled to regain its footing after an October 2023 accident when one of its robotaxis struck and dragged a woman in San Francisco, shortly after the company had opened up the robotic ride service to the public. Cruise recently announced plans to work with Uber and was focused on rebuilding trust in the brand, but those efforts were not seen as sufficient by GM’s management. The move is reminiscent of a 2022 decision by Ford and Volkswagen to shut down Argo AI , their joint-venture autonomous driving unit, which like Cruise had also raised billions from the automakers. Ford CEO Jim Farley at the time also said funding a robotaxi startup was too costly and would take too much time. Uber, which now partners with Waymo in some cities, shut down its efforts to develop robotaxis in 2020, months after a fatal accident in which one of its test vehicles killed a pedestrian in suburban Phoenix. Barra made no mention of the Cruise accident, instead focusing on the need for GM to use its funds more efficiently. “Given the considerable time and expense required to scale a robotaxi business in an increasingly competitive market, combining forces would be more efficient and therefore consistent with our capital allocation priorities,” she said. Though Tesla’s Elon Musk has set a goal for his company to be a leader in robotaxi technology, it hasn’t yet demonstrated the ability to achieve that , at least not in the near term. Instead, Waymo appears to be in a unique position of being the only large-scale player in the robotaxi space. The company last month said it’s carrying more than 150,000 paying customers in Phoenix, San Francisco and Los Angeles, a number that will likely jump dramatically next year as it enters new cities and expands its vehicle fleet. So far, it’s also managed to avoid any serious accidents that could slow its growth plans. Amazon’s Zoox unit, which is preparing to launch a robotaxi service in Las Vegas, for now appears to be one of Waymo’s few U.S. competitors though its scale is much smaller. GM owns about 90% of Cruise and will acquire the remaining shares in it from other investors after receiving approval from the Cruise board. It expects to save more than $1 billion a year after completing the restructuring plan next year. Barra didn’t say exactly how many Cruise employees would be moved over to GM during the conference call. More From Forbes8k8 agent login 。

When your team expectations include exactly one objective: winning the Stanley Cup, it is never a good time for a slump. When your team is the New York Rangers, located in the heart of the U.S. media capital, the adage rings especially true. Yet the Rangers, who are, make no mistake, slumping, are managing to ride just under the radar thanks to the debacle that is NFL football in the New York Region. Have a first line center with trouble getting it going? That’s nothing. I’ll see your slumping first liner and raise you by cutting my starting quarterback and promoting a third stringer with very little upside and a kitschy celebration that was a thing for about five minutes last season. Not playing much defense? Ha, that’s nothing. I’ll raise you spotting our opponent 30 points in a completely lackluster performance, devoid of even the courtesy of an attempted comeback. Both New York NFL teams would probably kill for a four game West Coast road trip about now. And they would certainly kill for one in which they came home at .500. Looking ahead, maybe you’re worried about what the Rangers might do at the trade deadline, as needs are starting to emerge for this group. Oh yeah? Well did your owner want to bench your franchise player when the team was 2-2? Oh, right, the team was never 2-2, thanks to a hot start. “Call me when you’ve got some real issues,” say Jets and Giants fans. Perhaps for Ranger fans this notion of cruising just under the collective fan radar is of little comfort. After all, we are counting on the Rangers to carry our championship dreams for the foreseeable future (although the Knicks may have something to say about that soon). But in an 82-game season that is effectively a prelude to the real action, there are bound to be highs and lows. Measuring the team’s worth after every game is certainly fodder for folks like me, but is likely of little consequence in the overall outcome of the season. The truth is that the Rangers are a highly talented team that seems to be searching a bit for this year’s identity. That they are doing so while in a playoff position doesn’t feel like it calls for the “sky is falling” narrative that many of the most vocal fans have taken up. There have been some real stinkers in there, to be sure, but for Rangers fans desperately in need of a little perspective, look no further than the two NFL teams across the river for a peak into what it could look like. The beauty of an 82-game regular season is that the opportunities come fast and furious. Tonight, the now Jim Montgomery-led Blues are in town. And there’s nothing that would chase the Rangers’ blues away quite like chasing the Blues away. It sure beats waiting for Thursday if you’re a Giants fan and through a bye week if you root for the Jets. This article first appeared on Inside The Rink and was syndicated with permission.DraftKings Inc. Cl A stock falls Monday, underperforms market

If You’re A Parent, Here's What You'll Want To Buy During Walmart’s Black Friday SaleCreating and maintaining an effective team, whether in business or education, has never been more important than today. After surviving the worst global pandemic in a century, and navigating economic challenges in an ever-changing political environment, ensuring you already have an effective team can be daunting. Perhaps in higher education, with the potential of lower enrollments, rising expenditures and more limited financial resources for funding higher wages, finding and keeping your IT team will be difficult. In some ways, just keeping your employees engaged has become a global challenge. According to a 2024 on the state of the global workplace, “the majority of the world’s employees continue to struggle at work and in life, with direct consequences for organizational productivity.” The study also estimated $8.9 trillion was lost in global GDP due to this problem. Given today’s nimble work population, if higher education cannot afford current salary levels, and the institutional environment is already poor, employees will simply move on to more promising job opportunities. So, to create and maintain a successful team, in your IT department and throughout your campus, you should carefully define, analyze and review your work environment from the top down. A September 2024 article on the business website Upwork titled, " ," lists a number of important and helpful steps you can take to achieve this goal. As we all reflect upon our staff and our general work environment in higher education, especially over the past several years, I pulled together a top 25 to-do list for the upcoming year. The list is in no particular order, but intended to recognize the dedication of the IT staff, which at times are forgotten or go unnoticed. The list is also intended to consider all the technological tools at our disposal, how to use them effectively, how to leverage educational technology in the future, and how to lead and manage our employees. 1. Work to recruit and retain the very best IT staff for my institution. 2. Protect my campus from a major cyber or ransomware attack. 3. Make certain all of our institutional data backups are both secure and fully tested, so we can confidently rely upon them for full operational use. 4. Before the next big decision at a meeting, ask the question, “Who should have been at the table who hasn’t been invited before?” 5. Provide special thanks to the staff at the help desk. Provide the staff with coffee, treats and make them feel they are valued. Offer them praise and validation for jobs well done. 6. Whatever direction the political winds are blowing, make sure our students, faculty and staff are thought of as essential to our country’s successful and peaceful future. 7. Ensure AI is utilized ethically and incorporate the elements of transparency, impartiality, accountability, reliability, security and privacy. 8. Continue working to ensure instruction can be supplemented and supported with educational technology which fosters individualized learning for each student. 9. Make use of technology which is translucent — meaning it’s there when you need it but doesn’t overtake the classroom or the moment, or interfere with important social interaction or conversation. 10. Make certain the CIO or CTO always has a seat at the table for administrative discussions and decisions. 11. Have all faculty, staff and students continually utilize good cybersecurity practices. 12. Create an environment where campus administrators support and practice cybersecurity protocols, and consistent cyber training occurs. 13. Ensure the IT department can communicate clearly, concisely, consistently and effectively to the campus community. 14. Work diligently to promote the concept of servant leadership throughout IT and the campus. Manage others as you would prefer to be managed yourself. 15. Foster IT leadership that leads with purpose, collaboration and teamwork. 16. When leading, celebrate successes as well as acknowledging failures. Learn from both to chart a successful course for the future. 17. Strive for a work-life balance, both for yourself and staff. 18. Provide training and professional development opportunities for team members. 19. Ensure you have developed a team atmosphere and a culture of trust. 20. Encourage IT leadership and staff to get out of the office and travel the campus to meet and greet faculty, staff and students on a regular basis. 21. Create a work environment with clear goals, measurable objectives and expectations. 22. Work to empower staff and appropriately delegate responsibility so there can be mutual professional growth and development. 23. Encourage staff to take calculated risks and learn from them. 24. Manage but don’t micromanage. 25. Continually motivate your IT staff with positivity. Tackling some or all of these items takes strong, resilient and empathetic leadership. Sam Walton, a well-known American businessperson and founder of Walmart and Sam’s Club, probably said it best: “Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they can accomplish.” The upcoming months may bring a fair amount of uncertainty and dynamic challenges. The key for leaders and managers is to believe that positive change can pay long-term dividends. The one-word quote from the hit TV series , from the coach himself, makes for a perfect parting message: “BELIEVE.” We can achieve a great deal by following and sharing each of these wishes to ensure our mutually productive future. Believe me.LAS VEGAS — Formula 1 on Monday at last said it will expand its grid in 2026 to make room for an American team that is partnered with General Motors. “As the pinnacle of motorsports, F1 demands boundary-pushing innovation and excellence. It’s an honor for General Motors and Cadillac to join the world’s premier racing series, and we’re committed to competing with passion and integrity to elevate the sport for race fans around the world," GM President Mark Reuss said. "This is a global stage for us to demonstrate GM’s engineering expertise and technology leadership at an entirely new level.” The approval ends years of wrangling that launched a U.S. Justice Department investigation into why Colorado-based Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of F1, would not approve the team initially started by Michael Andretti. Andretti in September stepped aside from leading his namesake organization, so the 11th team will be called Cadillac F1 and be run by new Andretti Global majority owners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter. The team will use Ferrari engines its first two years until GM has a Cadillac engine built for competition in time for the 2028 season. Towriss is the the CEO and president of Group 1001 and entered motorsports via Andretti's IndyCar team when he signed on financial savings platform Gainbridge as a sponsor. Towriss is now a major part of the motorsports scene with ownership stakes in both Spire Motorsports' NASCAR team and Wayne Taylor Racing's sports car team. Walter is the chief executive of financial services firm Guggenheim Partners and the controlling owner of both the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and Premier League club Chelsea. “We’re excited to partner with General Motors in bringing a dynamic presence to Formula 1," Towriss said. “Together, we’re assembling a world-class team that will embody American innovation and deliver unforgettable moments to race fans around the world.” Mario Andretti, the 1978 F1 world champion, will have an ambassador role with Cadillac F1. But his son, Michael, will have no official position with the organization now that he has scaled back his involvement with Andretti Global. “The Cadillac F1 Team is made up of a strong group of people that have worked tirelessly to build an American works team,” Michael Andretti posted on social media. “I’m very proud of the hard work they have put in and congratulate all involved on this momentous next step. I will be cheering for you!” The Cadillac F1 Team is made up of a strong group of people that have worked tirelessly to build an American works team. I’m very proud of the hard work they have put in and congratulate all involved on this momentous next step. I will be cheering for you! The approval has been in works for weeks but was held until after last weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix to not overshadow the showcase event of the Liberty Media portfolio. Max Verstappen won his fourth consecutive championship in Saturday night's race, the third and final stop in the United States for the top motorsports series in the world. Grid expansion in F1 is both infrequent and often unsuccessful. Four teams were granted entries in 2010 that should have pushed the grid to 13 teams and 26 cars for the first time since 1995. One team never made it to the grid and the other three had vanished by 2017. There is only one American team on the current F1 grid — owned by California businessman Gene Haas — but it is not particularly competitive and does not field American drivers. Andretti’s dream was to field a truly American team with American drivers. The fight to add this team has been going on for three-plus years and F1 initially denied the application despite approval from F1 sanctioning body FIA . The existing 10 teams, who have no voice in the matter, also largely opposed expansion because of the dilution in prize money and the billions of dollars they’ve already invested in the series. Andretti in 2020 tried and failed to buy the existing Sauber team. From there, he applied for grid expansion and partnered with GM, the top-selling manufacturer in the United States. The inclusion of GM was championed by the FIA and president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who said Michael Andretti’s application was the only one of seven applicants to meet all required criteria to expand F1’s current grid. “General Motors is a huge global brand and powerhouse in the OEM world and is working with impressive partners," Ben Sulayem said Monday. "I am fully supportive of the efforts made by the FIA, Formula 1, GM and the team to maintain dialogue and work towards this outcome of an agreement in principle to progress this application." Despite the FIA's acceptance of Andretti and General Motors from the start, F1 wasn't interested in Andretti — but did want GM. At one point, F1 asked GM to find another team to partner with besides Andretti. GM refused and F1 said it would revisit the Andretti application if and when Cadillac had an engine ready to compete. “Formula 1 has maintained a dialogue with General Motors, and its partners at TWG Global, regarding the viability of an entry following the commercial assessment and decision made by Formula 1 in January 2024,” F1 said in a statement. “Over the course of this year, they have achieved operational milestones and made clear their commitment to brand the 11th team GM/Cadillac, and that GM will enter as an engine supplier at a later time. Formula 1 is therefore pleased to move forward with this application process." Yet another major shift in the debate over grid expansion occurred earlier this month with the announced resignation of Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei, who was largely believed to be one of the biggest opponents of the Andretti entry. “With Formula 1’s continued growth plans in the US, we have always believed that welcoming an impressive US brand like GM/Cadillac to the grid and GM as a future power unit supplier could bring additional value and interest to the sport," Maffei said. "We credit the leadership of General Motors and their partners with significant progress in their readiness to enter Formula 1."

Santander Bank has officially launched Openbank , a new digital banking platform, whose initial offering brings high yield savings opportunities to more Americans. Openbank’s high yield savings account features an attractive Annual Percentage Yield (APY) of 5.00%*, no fees, low minimum deposits, and an exceptional customer experience with frictionless account opening that takes less than four minutes. With the launch of Openbank, Santander expands its addressable market in the U.S., complementing its existing branch network to serve customers nationally and grow deposits to be a lower-cost funding source for the company’s consumer lending, including its at-scale Auto business. “Openbank brings to life our strategy to build a digital bank with branches to accelerate growth and provide easy access to high yield savings accounts for U.S. customers nationwide,” said Tim Wennes, CEO of Santander US. “The early results for Openbank have been strong, and we expect our new customers will find Openbank to be a seamless and easy digital experience, backed by one of the world’s largest financial services companies with 171 million customers around the globe.” Santander US’s research shows that 6 in 10 middle-income Americans have not taken action to benefit from higher yields available. Consumers have been reluctant to act on higher interest rates because of commonly held misperceptions, such as that opening an account is overly burdensome, time-consuming, and not worth it. Openbank’s High Yield Savings account’s attractive APY is among the best savings opportunities available on the market, and the account has been rated 4.5 stars out of 5 on Bankrate.com.** Openbank provides eligible U.S. customers with a digital banking experience built upon Santander’s legacy of strength and stability, as a global financial powerhouse. This launch marks the first time Santander integrates its entire core, proprietary technology into one stack, offering customers a seamless and secure online banking experience. “High yield savings accounts are only the beginning, as we introduce Openbank to customers across the U.S. outside our historic footprint in the Northeast,” said Swati Bhatia, Head of Retail Banking & Transformation of Santander Bank. “At Santander, consumer banking is in our DNA. Operating a digital consumer bank within a global consumer bank allows us to innovate faster like a fintech and introduce new products in a matter of months, not years.” Additional products will be introduced in time to ensure that Openbank by Santander is meeting the ongoing needs of its customers. As part of the Openbank by Santander launch, Santander Bank created an in-person and mobile launch event called “Play to Save.” The innovative experience included two games focused on saving and making smart money moves. For the in-person experience, consumers were able to play using a large game controller placed in front of a projected gaming screen in Austin and Miami. Openbank by Santander deposits, through Santander Bank, are FDIC insured up to $250,000 per depositor, per ownership category and the platform employs biometric security protocols to add an extra layer of security, so customers can bank digitally with confidence. For more information about Openbank by Santander, including eligibility and how to open an account, please visit here.{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "NewsArticle", "dateCreated": "2024-12-19T22:24:23+02:00", "datePublished": "2024-12-19T22:24:23+02:00", "dateModified": "2024-12-19T22:25:17+02:00", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/22724/news/featured/featured-introducing-faranga-a-new-app-transforming-mobile-money-in-rwanda", "headline": "FEATURED: Introducing Faranga: A new app transforming mobile money in Rwanda", "description": "Financial inclusion, financial literacy, and consumer empowerment have long been established as a pillar of economic development. However, until...", "keywords": "", "inLanguage": "en", "mainEntityOfPage":{ "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/22724/news/featured/featured-introducing-faranga-a-new-app-transforming-mobile-money-in-rwanda" }, "thumbnailUrl": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/thenewtimes/uploads/images/2024/12/19/66790.jpg", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/thenewtimes/uploads/images/2024/12/19/66790.jpg" }, "articleBody": "Financial inclusion, financial literacy, and consumer empowerment have long been established as a pillar of economic development. However, until recently, few solutions were developed to ensure that no one is left behind, in a world where payments may have all been digitalised, but not necessarily been made easier for all. If you’ve ever had to make a quick payment while waiting in line at the store or delivered the payroll of staff via mobile money, you know that for all the reliability of the process, it can be lengthy and difficult to track. You know the hassle of sending to the wrong business codes, or inputting the wrong digits to an otherwise carefully saved contact and struggling to obtain a reversal. Rummaging through payment confirmation messages will give you a basic idea of your expenditure, but will require more effort than new technology now requires you to invest in managing your money. Faranga, launched in 2024 and available on both the App Store and Google Play Store, is here to revolutionise how mobile money is used, allowing the solid but complex technology of USSD codes, to translate into the rapid, clean and carefully monitored payment process of leading banking solutions across the world. There is no re-inventing the wheel, but rather, solidifying it Founded by Jonathan Sack, a young Rwandan national with a background in software engineering and sales, Faranga’s development is a testament to the local will to secure greater leadership in tech entrepreneurship across the continent. Faranga is an improved version of its pre-cursor PressPay (which is currently the highest-rated Rwandan application on the App Store). It simultaneously makes a case for complete, hassle-free reliance on mobile money payments in an increasingly cashless economy, and for safe, responsible spending. Faranga offers features like real-time transaction tracking, budgeting tools, and improved security, which go beyond the capabilities of USSD systems. This shift to an app-based platform supports Rwanda’s efforts to promote digital transformation and financial inclusion, helping users manage their financial needs with ease. The app, tried, tested, and perfected for easy and intuitive use, will leverage the momentum of a successful switch to a digital economy and a fertile ground for homegrown fintech solutions, to cement itself as the most reliable facilitator of mobile money solutions. Supporting Rwanda’s economic transformation Rwanda’s mobile money ecosystem, led by platforms like MTN Mobile Money, has grown significantly, creating a strong foundation for future innovation. The Rwf10 trillion transacted in 2021 highlights the country’s potential to lead the region in digital financial services. Rwanda’s National Strategy for Transformation (NST2) prioritises innovation, job creation, and financial inclusion as key drivers of economic growth. Faranga supports these objectives by offering tools that help users make informed financial decisions and manage their money more effectively. Features like transaction tracking and budgeting are designed to foster a more financially aware society, contributing to NST2’s vision for economic transformation. Faranga also aims to streamline financial operations for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which are critical to Rwanda’s economy. By simplifying financial management, Faranga helps entrepreneurs focus on growing their businesses, supporting the creation of productive jobs and driving industrial development. Aligning with Rwanda’s fintech vision Rwanda’s fintech strategy seeks to position the country as a regional leader in financial innovation. Faranga aligns with this vision by offering solutions that give users greater transparency and control over their finances. Its tools are designed to build trust in digital financial systems and make financial services more accessible to all. Rwanda’s Vision 2050 aims to achieve high-income status and a high quality of life for its citizens. With the rapid growth of mobile money usage and a clear focus on digital finance, Rwanda is well-positioned to set an example for the region and beyond. Faranga, launched in 2024, seeks to support this vision by promoting a cashless economy and encouraging financial independence. Its emphasis on simplicity, transparency, and efficiency helps equip Rwandans to thrive in a rapidly digitising world. Faranga’s role in Rwanda’s future Faranga’s journey, led by Jonathan Sack, reflects the power of homegrown innovation in achieving national goals. Sack’s leadership highlights Rwanda’s commitment to fostering local talent and developing solutions that address the country’s unique needs. As Rwanda continues its journey towards sustainable growth and digital transformation, Faranga seeks to contribute meaningfully to the country’s ambitious vision. Try it for yourself! Download Faranga now on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and enjoy faster, trackable payments, as well as precise spending insight, at no additional Mobile Money cost!", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "The New Times" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "The New Times", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/", "sameAs": ["https://www.facebook.com/TheNewTimesRwanda/","https://twitter.com/NewTimesRwanda","https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuZbZj6DF9zWXpdZVceDZkg"], "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "/theme_newtimes/images/logo.png", "width": 270, "height": 57 } }, "copyrightHolder": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "The New Times", "url": "https://www.newtimes.co.rw/" } }Many of the problems that plague the digital world come down to the need for strangers to trust each other. Why do you buy products from Amazon but not from an online merchant you've never heard of? Because you trust that Amazon will deliver the goods you pay for, and you don't trust an unknown seller. You don't want to take a risk with your money. This fear is rational, and it reflects a foundational problem with today's internet. It's a problem that I've been working for years to solve using decentralized blockchain technology. The journey that led me to take up this challenge has been an unusual one. It is a path that has informed my view of the world and technology and shaped the way I think about progress and innovation. I grew up in a small city of about 2 million. My parents were medical doctors, and they had big dreams for me—dreams of a stable, prestigious career in the region where I grew up. But from a young age, I had a curiosity that I knew would lead elsewhere. As a kid, I devoured books on philosophy, literature and science. Nietzsche, Kant and Haruki Murakami were among my early influences. They opened my eyes to the power of narratives and big ideas. The thirst for knowledge became my compass. I learned English through Western books and TV shows. I remember being so eager to read Harry Potter that I picked up the English version when there was no Chinese translation available. Shows like Friends and The Big Bang Theory were more than just entertainment; they became a way for me to understand American humor and culture. As a kid in China, I felt I knew New York. And while I didn't realize it then, these early experiences would be cornerstones in my personal development. Breaking the Mold After high school, I studied computer science at Wuhan University, which had a joint program with Carnegie Mellon, and experienced rigorous academics and cutting-edge research for the first time. Next, I went to Singapore to pursue a master's degree in computer science. It was my first time living outside China, further broadening my horizons and deepening my desire to learn and explore. From there, I finally made the move to the United States, where I was accepted into the University of Washington's Ph.D. program, one of the top computer science programs in the country. Seattle, with its interminable cloudy days, was a cultural adjustment, to say the least, but I made the most of it. I learned to ski in the winter and sail in the summer. This too broadened my horizons. The Bitcoin Revelation Then one day in 2018, Coinbase, the cryptocurrency exchange, sent me $20 worth of bitcoin as part of a campaign aimed at promising computer science students across the U.S. I didn't think much of it at first, but as the value of that BTC grew, so did my curiosity. Bitcoin was a big narrative—exactly the kind of thing that had always appealed to me, the kind of thing too many computer scientists dismiss as vague or unserious. It wasn't just about money; it was about trust, consensus and rethinking our fundamental systems. A truly shared economy. After earning my Ph.D., I joined Algorand, a blockchain startup founded by MIT professor and Turing Award winner Silvio Micali. At Algorand, I worked on coding the platform's first smart contract. And I learned that success, in blockchain and life, depends on more than technical innovation. It's about community, culture and, crucially, usage. That realization led me to launch my first startup, Manta Network, which focused on privacy-preserving decentralized finance. Building Manta was a crash course in entrepreneurship. I learned how to build a team, develop a product and navigate the volatile crypto market. The lessons were hard-earned, and they prepared me for what came next. Zero Knowledge Is a Beautiful Thing While attending a blockchain summit in Montenegro in 2022, I had a moment of clarity. Zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) were emerging as a major vector of blockchain development. And I realized that these proofs, which verify information without revealing it, held the key to making blockchains work for many more users and use cases. People who say blockchains are a problem in search of a solution are making a category error. Blockchains solve problems that are long-standing and well known. Since its development, the internet has never developed a satisfactory way to ensure that a counterparty will act honestly. Its systems require the establishment of trust through ever more invasive and cumbersome security measures, and it stores information and records in centralized databases that are vulnerable to attack or manipulation. A blockchain is, ultimately, a much more efficient coordination system, one that can prove the validity of a transaction or identity and that can ensure an agreement is carried out as intended. Blockchains' problem isn't that they don't solve a problem; it's that they are slow and expensive and therefore impractical for many everyday uses. This is because they simply lack—by orders of magnitude—the computing power of the centralized internet. With this in mind, I made it my mission to upgrade blockchain's computational power from something like that of a calculator to that of a supercomputer. To do this, I am working to reduce the cost and complexity of ZKPs, which greatly speeds up the processing of transactions on a blockchain. It turns out I've spent my entire life preparing for this, even if I didn't realize it at the time. My academic background gave me a broad understanding of computer science, from theory to systems. My time at Algorand and Manta taught me how to navigate the startup world and solve real-world problems. And my natural curiosity keeps me asking the big, and sometimes inconvenient, questions. My goal now is to upgrade blockchains by making ZKPs fast and cost-effective. If I succeed, I hope to help make the internet, and the entire economy, more efficient, transparent and fair. Shumo Chu is one of the co-founders of NEBRA Labs. A former assistant professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, he received his Ph.D. from the University of Washington and was a research scientist at Algorand. His current research interest is privacy-preserving systems.

KENT, Ohio (AP) — Jalen Sullinger led Kent State with 25 points and secured the victory with a 3-pointer with 43 seconds remaining as the Golden Flashes knocked off Heidelberg 84-80 on Sunday night. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * KENT, Ohio (AP) — Jalen Sullinger led Kent State with 25 points and secured the victory with a 3-pointer with 43 seconds remaining as the Golden Flashes knocked off Heidelberg 84-80 on Sunday night. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? KENT, Ohio (AP) — Jalen Sullinger led Kent State with 25 points and secured the victory with a 3-pointer with 43 seconds remaining as the Golden Flashes knocked off Heidelberg 84-80 on Sunday night. Sullinger shot 9 of 20 from the field, including 4 for 10 from 3-point range, and went 3 for 4 from the line for the Golden Flashes (9-3). VonCameron Davis scored 21 points while shooting 8 for 13 (1 for 3 from 3-point range) and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line and added five rebounds and five assists. Mike Bekelja had 14 points and shot 4 for 5 from beyond the arc and 2 of 4 from the free-throw line. Eric Panning finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and two steals for the Student Princes. Manny Hill added 15 points and seven rebounds for Heidelberg. Elijah Harden had 15 points. Sullinger scored 11 points in the first half and Kent State went into halftime trailing 42-36. Davis scored 15 points in the second half. Kent State outscored Heidelberg by 10 points over the final half. Kent State hosts Ball State in its next matchup on Saturday. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. AdvertisementJimmy Carter, 39th US president, Nobel winner, dies at 1001 / 7 Multiple companies, ranging from KPI Green to Garware Technical will undergo their respective corporate actions as their record dates have been fixed during the course of the week. However, the focus will be on the price action in ITC as the record date for its hotels business demerger approaches. Here is a look at the stocks in the list: 2 / 7 ITC | The cigarette-to-hotels-to-FMCG conglomerate has been working on the demerger of its hotels business for which it finally declared the record date last week. January 6, 2025 has been fixed as the record date for the demerger and shareholders will receive 1 share of the hotels business for every 10 shares of ITC they own. 3 / 7 Surya Roshni | The company had announced a bonus issue in the 1:1 ratio, which is one free share for every one held. The record date for the same has been fixed as Wednesday, January 1, 2025. 4 / 7 Garware Technical Fibres | This company, which has a market capitalisation of over ₹9,000 crore had announced the issue of four free shares for every one share held and the record date for the same has been fixed as Friday, January 3, 2025. This is the first instance of the company issuing bonus shares after conducting share buybacks earlier this year and in 2022. 5 / 7 KPI Green Energy | KPI Green Energy had also announced another bonus issue, this time in the ratio of 1:2, which means shareholders will get one free share for every two held as on the record date, which has been fixed as Friday, January 3, 2025. 6 / 7 Redtape | The footwear brand, demerged from Mirza International, declared a bonus issue as well as an interim dividend last week. The record date for the ₹2 interim dividend has been fixed as Friday, January 3, 2025. The record date for the three for one bonus issue or three free shares for every one held is yet to be determined. 7 / 7 Banco Products | The company had announced a bonus issue in the 1:1 ratio and the stock will trade ex-bonus from today, December 30. This means, shareholders who had shares of the company in their demat account by closing on Friday will be eligible for these bonus shares.

Ademola Lookman was named Man of the Match after and felt ‘pride, because we showed we can compete’ against the best. La Dea refused to give in against the reigning Champions League holders, as when trailing 3-1 in Bergamo to goals from Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, the Charles De Ketelaere penalty and Lookman strike kept them in it. Mateo Retegui had the chance to equalise with the last kick of the game, firing over the bar from Lookman’s roll across. “Tough game, they took their chances when they had them. We knew what type of game it would be, we were unlucky, but we have our heads held high,” and UEFA.com after he was named Man of the Match by UEFA. “We are disappointed with the result because we felt we could have done more, but there is also pride. We showed that we can compete against a team full of champions. Of course, there were moments when we could have done better, but I believe that today we stood up to Real, and this is important for our growth.” This was certainly an improvement over the encounter from August 14 that saw “We created chances, there are a lot of positives to take from the performance, but also a lot of things we can learn. It’s another great step for us today, we showed quality in moments and can learn a lot from today,” added Lookman. The fans continued to cheer and applaud their players even after the final whistle, well aware that this remains an extraordinary period for the club. Atalanta are still in a good position to continue in the Champions League on 11 points and are top of the Serie A table. “We mustn’t be too down, we’re in the Champions League, doing well in Serie A and we’ve got to keep going.”

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