Latest news with #traction
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
Seoul shares up for 4th day amid Israel-Iran conflict; won at 1-month low
South Korean stocks rose for the fourth consecutive day Thursday as investors were trying to digest recent developments in the Israel-Iran military conflict and the US Federal Reserve's rate freeze. The local currency was trading sharply lower against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 5.55 points, or 0.19 percent, to close at 2,977.74, continuing its winning streak since Monday. Trade volume was moderate at 427.3 million shares worth 13.5 trillion won ($9.8 billion), with losers slightly outnumbering winners 441 to 431. Retail investors purchased 351 billion won worth of local shares, offsetting a combined 383.9 billion-won sell-off by foreigners and institutions. Overnight, Wall Street closed mixed after the Fed decided to maintain its benchmark interest rate steady at the 4.25-4.50 percent range. The Dow Jones Industrial Average went down 0.1 percent, and the S&P 500 fell 0.03 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite went up 0.13 percent. The Fed kept its projection for two rate cuts this year but showed a more cautious mode amid persisting uncertainties stemming from US President Donald Trump's administration's tariff policies. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said uncertainties have come down after peaking in April, but tariffs are expected to heighten inflationary pressure and weigh on the US economy. Investors' eyes were also on the escalating military conflict between Israel and Iran, with the Trump administration yet to decide whether to join Israel's attack on Tehran's nuclear facilities. The KOSPI began lower due to such global uncertainties but turned higher as retail investors moved to buy shares in IT, defense and other sectors that have recently gained traction. Naver, the operator of the country's biggest search engine, jumped 3.49 percent to 252,000 won, continuing its upward momentum created by Seoul's massive investment plan in artificial intelligence and global investment bank JP Morgan's favorable outlook on the company's future performance. Kakao, the operator of the country's dominant mobile messenger, jumped 9.42 percent to 60,400 won, and Samsung SDS, a cloud provider, climbed 4.53 percent to 168,400 won, also on AI expectations. Defense shares also rose big on the back of escalating tensions in the Middle East. Industry leader Hanwha Aerospace gained 0.76 percent to 934,000 won, Poongsan shot up 17.02 percent to 126,500 won, Hyundai Rotem soared 7.89 percent to 212,000 won, and LIG Nex1 advanced 5.33 percent to 593,000 won. On the other hand, market heavyweight Samsung Electronics shed 1 percent to 59,200 won, and its chipmaking rival SK hynix lost 0.2 percent to 246,000 won. Major shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean lost 3.46 percent to 89,200 won, and game maker Krafton slid 5.75 percent to 360,500 won. Automakers were mixed, with Hyundai Motor up 0.49 percent to 207,000 won and its sister Kia down 0.71 percent to 98,200 won. The local currency was quoted at 1,380.2 won against the greenback at 3:30 p.m., sharply down 10.8 won from the previous session. (Yonhap)
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Swedish Days festival begins Wednesday in downtown Geneva
One of the largest annual events in Kane County is on tap this week as the Geneva Chamber of Commerce will stage the 75th annual Swedish Days festival beginning Wednesday in Geneva. The event features a carnival, live music, shopping, food, a community parade, kids' activities and more. The five-day event, which goes through Sunday, June 22, draws an estimated 200,000 visitors annually to downtown Geneva during its run, organizers said. The Geneva Chamber of Commerce website said the event 'celebrates the heritage of Swedish immigrants who settled in the area.' 'Today, nearly every member of the Geneva community participates in some way, either as a volunteer or participant in the festivities,' according to the website. Johanna Patterson, communications director for the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, said the fest used to run for six days. 'This used to start the Tuesday after Father's Day, but after we came back from COVID, we shortened it by a day,' she said. 'Early on, this was known as Geneva Butter Days and then it became Geneva Days and now Swedish Days which it has been now for a number of years. I think this event continues to have traction because it's popular with visitors and locals. It's kind of a local, unofficial kick-off for summer.' Patterson said having the event the week after Father's Day 'is a good time of year as well.' 'People are still generally in town, and there's a lot of live music for free. There's a lot of food, the carnival and the beer tent,' she said. 'There are sales and specials at all the merchants along the street, and I think that also draws the crowds. It's just all of those things combined.' New events this year at the festival include a pickleball tournament run by the Geneva Park District that will be held from 8 to 11 a.m. Thursday on Third Street. Those looking to participate in the tournament need to go to to sign up. Also, the Mid-Summer Masterpiece event, featuring a sidewalk chalk art competition, will be held Saturday morning at Dodson Place at 500 S. Third St. that will include categories for both children and adults. 'We provide the chalk and then there are prizes for first and second place,' Patterson said. 'We are also doing Bingo in the beer tent on Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m. which is new, and a wine tasting in the beer tent on Thursday, also from 4 to 6 p.m., for those who don't love beer.' The carnival at the fest opens on Wednesday and provides unlimited rides with the purchase of a wristband. Friday will be Kids Day, which will include a parade leaving from Campbell and Fourth streets at 11 a.m. followed by activities at the Geneva Public Library. At 1 p.m. on Sunday, the 75th annual Swedish Days Parade will be held beginning at Anderson Boulevard and Center Street downtown. Patterson said Swedish Days is a staple in Geneva. 'It's a great gathering of people that are out for just a positive vibe which is nice and there is something for someone of all ages from young to old,' Patterson said. For a full list of events, go to
Broadcast Pro
5 days ago
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
Grass Valley scales up with software and IP workflows
With a growing footprint across the Middle East, Grass Valley is navigating the challenges and opportunities of a broadcast market in transition. In an exclusive interview with BroadcastPro ME, GV's VP of Sales for EMEA, Mark Gardner, discusses how evolving needs in the Middle East are shaping the company's regional strategy. What kind of momentum are you seeing for Grass Valley across the Middle East? We're continuing to see strong growth in our traditional products such as cameras, switchers and IP solutions. However, what's especially exciting is the growth in our software offerings. At last year's CABSAT, we announced a new partnership with Arabsat to provide our cloud playout software, Playout X, as a managed service. This year Arabsat showcased it at their booth, and we're thrilled to welcome new customers to the platform through this partnership. We're also seeing increasing interest in remote production for sports coverage. Technologies we've been successfully deploying in mainland Europe, particularly in the Netherlands and the UK, are now beginning to gain traction in the Middle East. Can you share any customer use cases in the region? We worked closely with NEP on their new IP trucks for the Middle East, supplying cameras and switchers, which were showcased at CABSAT. This collaboration also included our new shallow-depth-of-field camera, the LDX 180, a single large-sensor model that delivers a cinematic look for sports. Although the camera's official release is scheduled for IBC, NEP provided a regional sneak preview. This highlights the strength of our partnership. What stands out is how this technology allows broadcasters to achieve cinematic storytelling without added operational complexity. NEP was able to connect the camera to their system just like any other, integrating it into their existing live workflow. The result is the ability to tell more creative stories while maintaining a streamlined and more efficient production process. You've been discussing AMPP for some time. Has that translated into real-world applications? It's more than a POC now. For example, AMPP is being used across all Saudi Pro League games. They are using it for ingest and then using FrameLight X, our production asset management system, for highlight cuts. This relationship continues to grow, and we are helping them explore additional ways to use AMPP, particularly in cloud and remote production workflows. Given the breadth of your portfolio, where are you seeing the most traction? Last year we saw significant growth in cameras and switchers, but one of our key areas of focus is software products. Playout for example is an area where we see strong potential in the region. We're currently working with several customers on tests and proof-of-concept projects for both on-premises and cloud deployments. One of the strengths of our product line is its flexibility. You can deploy on-premises using COTS servers or in cloud environments such as AWS, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud, Alibaba or whichever platform best suits your business needs. What overarching message did you bring to CABSAT this year? It's the Grass Valley Media Universe, bringing all of our existing hardware products into the AMPP ecosystem. It's a true platform approach, with the entire product range connected. We're also making sure customers understand that it's an open ecosystem. Third-party vendors are encouraged to join the system and benefit from the platform approach. In addition, we've been working on the Media Exchange Layer (MXL). This is an EBU initiative, and Grass Valley has been a strong supporter. It enables the exchange of video and audio flows on a CPU-based platform. We expect to make the SDK available to customers in the coming months, giving them confidence that the platforms will remain open and that interoperability is built in. What are the biggest challenges right now from a sales standpoint? The breadth of our portfolio is always a challenge. We're selling software products, solutions that can be deployed on-premises or in cloud environments, and more traditional hardware products. We offer a lot of choice to customers, and while they benefit from that flexibility, they also want a clear understanding of where things are headed. Cloud may be ideal for one customer, while another may benefit more from an on-premises deployment. For example, we spoke with a few customers in Saudi Arabia who feel that connectivity charges are still too high, making cloud less viable for them at the moment. In other parts of the region, however, customers may see the benefits of cloud and be ready to adopt it. We're working to tailor our message to each individual market. It's a mistake to treat the Gulf as a single homogenous market. Each country is unique, with its own specific needs and conditions. Where will Grass Valley focus its efforts next? Interoperability remains a top priority for us. We are actively involved in initiatives like the Media Exchange Layer (MXL) and are accelerating our efforts in this area. Our goal is to ensure that customers can seamlessly integrate our solutions with other software environments. We understand that customers make long-term investments and need confidence that their systems will stay flexible and future-proof. By supporting open standards and speeding up development in areas like MXL, we are helping customers achieve the security and adaptability they need.
NDTV
5 days ago
- Business
- NDTV
Is Airbus Safer Than Boeing? No, And That's Not The Point
When a Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed in Ahmedabad last week, the fallout extended far beyond the scorched wreckage. For Air India, it was a devastating blow, as it was engaged in a long-overdue brand revival. But for Boeing, it was something worse. It was a jolt that reopened wounds the company had barely managed to scar over after years of public scrutiny, software failures and shattered reputations. This was no ordinary aircraft. The Dreamliner was Boeing's comeback symbol. Sleek, long-range, fuel-efficient and technologically advanced, it was meant to restore faith after the 737 MAX fiasco, a debacle that had cast a dark shadow over the American aerospace giant. But as flames lit up the sky over Gujarat, so did old questions and new doubts. No one yet knows what went wrong. The black boxes will take time to yield answers. Was it pilot error? Mechanical failure? A freak accident? Until we know more, speculation will fill the void and fear will follow. This sentiment, which first gained traction after the 737 MAX crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, when many travellers began saying, 'I'm not flying Boeing again, is being felt again. For Boeing, the crash happened in Ahmedabad but the damage to trust could be felt around the world. A Tale of Two Giants Globally, there are just two most dominant aircraft manufacturers: America's Boeing and Europe's Airbus. The duopoly has shaped the global aviation landscape for decades. The two aerospace titans have forever locked in an eternal dogfight, their names stamped invisibly beneath our boarding passes. Which one has better safety records? Between 2013 and 2022, Boeing aircraft were involved in 60 accidents, while Airbus had 50. On the surface, that makes Boeing look worse. But the catch is that Boeing also has more aircraft in service. When adjusted for the number of flights, the fatality rates are neck-and-neck. The difference is just a few hundredths of a point per million departures. 'In purely statistical terms,' says aviation analyst Richard Aboulafia, 'you are as safe flying an Airbus as you are flying a Boeing. The plane itself is rarely the problem.' Still, perception isn't bound by data. Boeing's problems in recent years haven't just been mechanical, they have been moral. The 737 MAX disasters in Indonesia and Ethiopia killed 346 people. Investigations pointed to a flawed MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome) software system that overrode pilot commands. What truly damaged Boeing's brand was the revelation of a toxic internal culture - one that prioritised cost-cutting over safety. Airbus, meanwhile, has avoided such intense scrutiny. But it hasn't been faultless. In 2009, an Air France A330 crashed into the Atlantic after a sensor failure caused the autopilot to disengage. The pilots stalled the plane fatally. In 2020, Airbus paid a $4 billion settlement over a global corruption probe. A cynical industry insider once said, 'Airbus sins in boardrooms. Boeing sins in cockpits.' A brutal summary, but one that sticks. The Politics of the Skies Boeing and Airbus aren't just competitors; they are geopolitical avatars. Boeing enjoys close ties with the US government and Pentagon contracts. Airbus, a European creation, was meant to counter American aviation dominance. Their rivalry has spilt into trade disputes, WTO battles, and lobbying skirmishes. When Boeing's 737 MAX was grounded worldwide, some pointed fingers at a US regulator being too cosy with the manufacturer. Meanwhile, Airbus faced multibillion-dollar investigations across Europe for corporate bribery. It's capitalism at 40,000 feet, and we passengers are mostly unaware of the backroom turbulence behind the polished check-in counters. Boeing's Bruised Legacy To be honest, Boeing has had a rough decade. The 737 MAX saga was a crisis of design and ethics. Internal messages showed engineers mocking regulators. A new software system was quietly slipped in without adequate pilot training. The result? Two crashes, hundreds dead, and a global grounding that lasted nearly 20 months. Even after its return, the MAX hasn't escaped turbulence. In early 2024, an Alaska Airlines MAX-9 suffered a mid-air blowout - a door plug, improperly bolted, flew off during ascent. Boeing was once again in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. But here's what gets overlooked: In 2023, Boeing operated over 31 million flights with just 11 accidents - all non-fatal. That's a stellar safety record, even if media coverage suggests otherwise. The Safest Way to Be Afraid According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), in 2023, there was just one major accident for every 5.3 million flights. Your odds of dying in a plane crash are one in 11 million. For a car crash, it is one in 5,000. Statistically, you are more likely to choke on a vada pao or get struck by lightning than perish in a commercial airliner. Aircraft today are marvels of engineering. They are built to survive lightning strikes, bird impacts, dual-engine failures and intense turbulence. Redundancy is their religion. And as YouTube-famous pilot Captain Joe puts it: 'If you knew how much backup is built into a modern jetliner, you'd sleep like a baby at 35,000 feet.' Even so, aviation disasters feel apocalyptic. The rarity of crashes makes each one more horrifying. But they are not signs of systemic collapse, especially not with newer models like the Dreamliner. The Human Variable Aviation experts are never tired of explaining that planes don't crash, people do. Over 50% of aviation accidents are attributed to pilot error. Fatigue, miscommunication, poor judgment, all can be fatal. Mechanical issues account for only about 21%. Software glitches? Less than that. Both Boeing and Airbus equip their cockpits with state-of-the-art tech. But pilots remain fallible. Long hauls and erratic schedules increase error risk fivefold after 13 hours in the air. And even the best aircraft can't override a miscalculated decision. The Irony of Choice Most passengers don't choose a plane, they choose an airline. But in a duopoly, the illusion of safety in one brand over another is often just that - an illusion. One could argue: 'I trust Airbus more.' Fair enough. But the next time you book a last-minute flight to Shanghai or Bengaluru, odds are you will fly on whichever jet is available. Because the real enemy isn't Boeing. It's emotion over data. The question one might ask is: does the Ahmedabad crash signal a deeper rot? Possibly. It certainly warrants scrutiny. But the broader data shows something comforting: commercial aviation has never been safer. In 2023, not a single passenger jet was lost in a fatal accident. That's unprecedented. Boeing's 787, until last week, had an impeccable record. Airbus's A320 family remains a workhorse across continents. Both companies, while battered by scandals, produce planes that are safer than any other mode of mass transport known to humanity. At Heathrow Two days after the Ahmedabad crash, I found myself at London's Heathrow airport, boarding a flight to Delhi. The airline? Air India. Was I nervous? Absolutely. But I reminded myself of math and logic. Dreamliner had completed over a billion passenger journeys without a single fatal hull loss, until Ahmedabad. One tragedy, no matter how heartbreaking, should not negate that record. So I stepped on board, settled into my seat and buckled in, not just out of habit, but out of faith in an industry that, for all its flaws, remains an astonishing modern miracle.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rivals Camp Series: The five best LBs of the 2025 regionals
Jeff McCulloch/ The regional stops of the Rivals Camp Series are in the books with the Rivals Five-Star at the Indianapolis Colts' practice facility coming up later this month. Today, we continue our look at the best players at each position through the regional events with the linebackers. Advertisement BEST OF RCS: The five best QBs of the 2025 Rivals Camp Series regionals | Five best RBs | Five best WRs/TEs | Five best OL | Five best DL RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Rivals Five-Star heading back to Indy | Rivals Five-Star roster | Schedule/info CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker Jeff McCulloch/ A Louisiana native who wrapped up his junior season without much recruiting traction, Darensburg made the trek to Los Angeles to make a considerable splash at the linebacker spot. The combination of sheer size and power impressed in tight quarters while he also showed he can operate in space while working coverage as well. Advertisement Following the MVP effort, more than a dozen scholarship offers would eventually come in for the late-bloomer. Darensburg eventually made a verbal commitment to South Alabama on June 9. The IMG Academy star worked out at both pass rusher and linebacker during the Atlanta stop of the tour, showcasing grit and overall competitiveness against a loaded field of players. While Forkpa held his own off the edge, he was ultra comfortable at the second level, too powerful for blockers in one setting yet swift and effective while working in coverage. One of the top testers nationally at the position, Forkpa proved it was plenty functional en route to MVP honors near his hometown. Advertisement Those elite traits have Florida, Florida State, Miami, Colorado and others positioning for a potential commitment. Jeff McCulloch/ An elite pass rusher who led the Orlando-area in sacks as a junior, Lafayette has showed more second-level ability as the offseason has rolled on as well. He is plenty capable working off the edge as a third-down specialist, but has shown overall athleticism and lateral ability from an off-ball position as well. The edge talent is so immense a coordinator may not ask for many coverage reps, but the linear speed and physicality Lafayette brings to the table has created a benefit-of-the-doubt with plenty of programs courting his commitment. Advertisement Miami, Oklahoma, Florida and several others are angling for more time from the rising-senior recruit. Jeff McCulloch/ The camp setting isn't the most friendly to the linebacker position, especially in coverage with so much space to operate for running backs on the other side of the ball. Still, Pettijohn pushed against that narrative successfully when it came to that portion of the event. He showcased hip fluidity and comfort in transitioning from one direction to the other, allowing the Texan to make plays against routes both intermediate and deep. Also built to contend in the running game, the balance led to MVP honors at the Dallas RCS stop. Advertisement Pettijohn is hearing from Syracuse and SMU, among others, while adding his most recent offer from Sam Houston State. Jeff McCulloch/ Amid official visits to bluebloods this month, Thomas' name has picked up pace nationally and our staff got that preview at the RCS Dallas stop more than a month ago. The big 'backer stands 6-foot-3 and was once considered more of a pass-rusher, but the camp effort and his subsequent recruitment confirmed a three-down projection. Auburn, Michigan and others have hosted him and Texas is on deck at the end of June.
