Ambarella, Inc. Announces Third Quarter Fiscal Year 2025 Financial Results
In a recent segment on the '7 PM in Brooklyn' podcast, NBA legend Carmelo Anthony looked back on the trade that sent J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert to play with LeBron James. Carmelo still resents the Knicks for that deal and recently described his reaction after hearing the news all those years ago: "F**k them! I told LeBron, I said 'That's what we doing?' When it happened, the only thing going through my mind was LeBron. I know this is a chess game... I gotta get these guys away from him," said Anthony . "Sh*t is f***ed up because I could have used Shump and J.R. to go win a championship. That's why I flipped out like that in the locker room because you do not touch this nucleus right here! I don't give a f**k what you do. I said 'Y'all can't say sh*t to me. Do y'all know what the f**k you just did? You're gonna send them to him?" The Knicks /Cavaliers trade happened back in January of 2015. It was a three-team deal that involved sending Dion Waiters to the Thunder , Shumpert, and Smith to the Cavaliers, while the Knicks received Lou Amundson, Alex Kirk, Lance Thomas, and a 2019 second-round pick. The Knicks were not a championship team by any stretch, but many saw the deal as a step-down for the team, including Carmelo Anthony , who described how he went off in the locker room after finding out about the trade. The worst part about it for Melo is that they were sent to play with LeBron James, his biggest rival at the time. At the height of his career, Anthony was competing with LeBron James for supremacy in the East. With career averages of 22.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game on 44.7% shooting, Anthony was an expert three-level scorer who often went toe-to-toe with some of the game's top superstars. LeBron James, however, was arguably his biggest competitor. The two were known to be close friends, and it's a relationship that stands even now , but they were also rivals back in the day who played the same position in the same era of the game. When Carmelo forced his way to the Knicks in 2011, it put him in the same Conference as LeBron and he knew that it was going to take a massive effort to defeat him. Sadly, Carmelo never got further than the second round in his Knicks tenure. He eventually left the team in disgrace after a falling out with Phil Jackson and his career took a rapid decline from here. Meanwhile, LeBron James is still going strong to this day as a 4x MVP, 4x champion, and the NBA's all-time leading scorer. He defeated a lot of people on his way to victory and Carmelo was just one of many of them. Of course, the Knicks helped Lebron win all those years ago by gaining him the support he needed to beat the competition. If only they had done the same for Carmelo, his career might have taken a radically different turn. Related: Kiyan Anthony Says LeBron James And Bronny Would Beat Him And Carmelo In A 2 Vs. 2 Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News . We appreciate your support.
FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setupThe Centre for Ageing Better said data analysed on its behalf suggested more than a fifth of people in this age group are living in a poor-quality home that could be making their existing health condition worse. It said people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, those living in London and those who have a serious health condition or disability are more likely to be affected. Data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing covering 2022/23 was analysed by the National Centre for Social Research on behalf of the charity. It found an estimated 4.5 million people aged 50 or older in England with a health condition aggravated by the cold are living in a home with one or more serious problems. Some 2.8 million were aged between 50 and 70, while 1.7 million were aged 70 and older. Health conditions included respiratory diseases, congestive heart failure, heart disease and lung conditions, including asthma. Housing problems identified in the research included damp, water leaks, bad condensation, electrical or plumbing problems, rot and decay. While some 2.2 million people over 50 with health and housing problems owned their home outright, the biggest proportion of people (51%) with such issues lived in rented accommodation. The charity said older renters with a health condition were up to three times more likely to have five or more issues with their home than someone in the same age group who owns their home. Those with a health condition that can be affected by poor housing who had a significant issue in their homes were most likely to live in London (52%) followed by the North East (35%) and the North West (35%), the West Midlands and the East of England (both on 28%), and the South West (27%). Almost half (46%) of people aged 50 and above from black and minority ethnic backgrounds with one of the health conditions had at least one problem with their home, which the charity said amounted to almost 500,000 people. Among white people in this age group it was just under one in three (32%). The research also suggested people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds living with a health condition were also more than twice as likely to have five or more issues with their housing compared with their white counterparts – 15% compared with 6%. Dr Carole Easton, the charity’s chief executive, said not only does the research show the difficulties faced by those living in poor housing, but it is also “very bad news” for both the economy and the NHS. She said: “Our latest research shows that our poor-quality housing crisis is putting people with health conditions in their 50s, 60s and beyond, in harm’s way. “This is obviously terrible for those individuals who live in homes that carry a very real risk of making them sick, particularly when winter comes around. “But it is also very bad news for the country. Older workers living in homes that are making their health conditions worse are going to be less likely to be able to work and help grow the economy. “Older people whose serious health conditions are made worse by their homes will require treatment, putting additional winter pressures on our health system. “All could be averted if we tackled poor-quality housing with the urgency and priority it demands.” Holly Holder, deputy director for homes at the charity, said the Government must “fix this hidden housing crisis by delivering a national strategy to tackle poor quality housing across all tenures and committing to halving the number of non-decent homes over the next decade”. She added: “No-one should have to live in a home that damages their health, yet it is the norm for far too many people in England today. “By failing to address poor-quality homes we are limiting the lives of some of the country’s poorest and most vulnerable people. “Our new analysis shows that the combination of health and house problems are most likely to impact groups of people who are already disadvantaged by multiple health and wealth inequalities.” A Government spokesperson said: “Despite the challenging inheritance faced by this Government, through our Plan for Change we’re taking action to improve housing conditions across all tenures and ensure homes are decent, safe and warm – especially for the most vulnerable. “We’re consulting on reforms to the Decent Homes Standard next year to improve the quality of social and privately rented housing, and introducing Awaab’s Law to both sectors to tackle damp, dangerous and cold conditions for all renters in England. “Our warm homes plan will also help people find ways to save money on energy bills and deliver cleaner heating, with up to 300,000 households to benefit from upgrades next year.”
Company Announcement COPENHAGEN, Denmark; December 3, 2024 – Genmab A/S (Nasdaq: GMAB) will increase its share capital by 10,355 shares as a consequence of the exercise of employee warrants. The increase is effected without any preemption rights for the existing shareholders of the company or others. The shares are subscribed in cash at the following price per share of nominally DKK 1: 554 shares at DKK 962.00, 3,436 shares at DKK 1,025.00, 4,942 shares at DKK 1,032.00, 305 shares at DKK 1,050.00, and 1,118 shares at DKK 1,334.50. Proceeds to the company are approximately DKK 11.0 million. The increase corresponds to approximately 0.02% of the company's share capital. The new shares are ordinary shares without any special rights and are freely transferable negotiable instruments. The new shares give rights to dividends and other rights in relation to the company as of subscription. The new shares will be listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen after registration with the Danish Business Authority. The capital increase is expected to be finalized shortly. Pursuant to section 32 of the Danish Capital Markets Act No. 198 of February 26, 2024, it is hereby announced, that the total nominal value of Genmab A/S' share capital after the capital increase is DKK 66,187,186 which is made up of 66,187,186 shares of a nominal value of DKK 1 each, corresponding to 66,187,186 votes. About Genmab Genmab is an international biotechnology company with a core purpose of guiding its unstoppable team to strive toward improving the lives of patients with innovative and differentiated antibody therapeutics. For 25 years, its passionate, innovative and collaborative team has invented next-generation antibody technology platforms and leveraged translational, quantitative and data sciences, resulting in a proprietary pipeline including bispecific T-cell engagers, antibody-drug conjugates, next-generation immune checkpoint modulators and effector function-enhanced antibodies. By 2030, Genmab’s vision is to transform the lives of people with cancer and other serious diseases with knock-your-socks-off (KYSO ® ) antibody medicines. Established in 1999, Genmab is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, with international presence across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information, please visit Genmab.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X . Contact: Marisol Peron, Senior Vice President, Global Communications & Corporate Affairs T: +1 609 524 0065; E: mmp@genmab.com Andrew Carlsen, Vice President, Head of Investor Relations T: +45 3377 9558; E: acn@genmab.com This Company Announcement contains forward looking statements. The words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend” and “plan” and similar expressions identify forward looking statements. Actual results or performance may differ materially from any future results or performance expressed or implied by such statements. The important factors that could cause our actual results or performance to differ materially include, among others, risks associated with preclinical and clinical development of products, uncertainties related to the outcome and conduct of clinical trials including unforeseen safety issues, uncertainties related to product manufacturing, the lack of market acceptance of our products, our inability to manage growth, the competitive environment in relation to our business area and markets, our inability to attract and retain suitably qualified personnel, the unenforceability or lack of protection of our patents and proprietary rights, our relationships with affiliated entities, changes and developments in technology which may render our products or technologies obsolete, and other factors. For a further discussion of these risks, please refer to the risk management sections in Genmab’s most recent financial reports, which are available on www.genmab.com and the risk factors included in Genmab’s most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which are available at www.sec.gov . Genmab does not undertake any obligation to update or revise forward looking statements in this Company Announcement nor to confirm such statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances after the date made or in relation to actual results, unless required by law. Genmab A/S and/or its subsidiaries own the following trademarks: Genmab ® ; the Y-shaped Genmab logo ® ; Genmab in combination with the Y-shaped Genmab logo ® ; HuMax ® ; DuoBody ® ; HexaBody ® ; DuoHexaBody ® , HexElect ® and KYSO ® . Company Announcement no. 63 CVR no. 2102 3884 LEI Code 529900MTJPDPE4MHJ122 Genmab A/S Carl Jacobsens Vej 30 2500 Valby Denmark Attachment 031224_CA63_Warrant ExerciseUS tech blind spot risks harming the country’s competitiveness
A DUP minister rebuffed a suggestion that there could be an extension of pub opening hours in Northern Ireland to celebrate the golden jubilee of the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2002, declassified files show. Stormont minister Maurice Morrow told an official he would not raise the issue with the Northern Ireland Executive, despite similar measures being considered in England and Wales. A file on planning arrangements for the jubilee celebrations reveals a series of civil service correspondences on how Northern Ireland would mark the occasion. It includes a letter sent on January 11 2001 from an official in the Office of the First Minister/Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) to the Department of Social Development, advising that a committee had been set up in London to consider a programme of celebrations. The correspondence says: “One of the issues the committee is currently considering is the possibility of deregulating liquor licensing laws during the golden jubilee celebrations on the same lines as the arrangements made for the millennium. “It is felt that the golden jubilee bank holiday on Monday 3 June 2002 is likely to be an occasion on which many public houses and similar licensed premises would wish to stay open beyond normal closing time.” The letter said a paper had been prepared on the issue of extending opening hours. It adds: “You will note that paragraph seven of the paper indicates that the devolved administrations ‘would need to consider deregulation separately within their own jurisdictions’. “I thought that you would wish to be aware that this issue is receiving active consideration for England and Wales and to consider whether anything needs to be done for Northern Ireland.” Some months later a “progress report” was sent between officials in OFMDFM, which again raised the issue of licensing laws. It says: “I spoke to Gordon Gibson, DSD, about Terry Smith’s letter of 12 January 2001 about licensing laws: the matter was put to their minister Maurice Morrow (DUP) who indicated that he would not be asking the NIE (Northern Ireland Executive) to approve any change to current licensing laws in NI to allow for either 24 hour opening (as at the millennium) nor a blanket approval for extended opening hours as is being considered in GB. “In both cases, primary legislation would be required here and would necessitate consultation and the minister has ruled out any consultation process.” The correspondence says individual licensees could still apply for an extension to opening hours on an ad hoc basis, adding “there the matter rests”. It goes on: “DSD await further pronouncements from the Home Office and Gibson and I have agreed to notify each other of any developments we become aware of and he will copy me to any (existing) relevant papers. “Ministers may well come under pressure in due course for a relaxation and/or parity with GB.” The document concludes “That’s it so far...making haste slowly?” Emails sent between officials in the department the same month said that lord lieutenants in Northern Ireland had been approached about local events to mark the jubilee. One message says: “Lord lieutenants have not shown any enthusiasm for encouraging GJ celebrations at a local level. “Lady Carswell in particular believes that it would be difficult for LLs to encourage such activities without appearing political.”There’s nothing quite as satisfying as leaving the dentist’s office with a nod of approval from your doc. One thing that has helped get me and keep me there was switching to an electric toothbrush . If you’re in the market for some cleaner, healthier teeth and gums, Amazon has answered the call by offering almost 50% off on one of the best oral hygiene tools in the biz that some reviewers say is “worth every penny”: Philips Sonicare Electric toothbrushes . Specifically, the Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 5300 is 45% off in Amazon’s Early Black Friday deal offerings , clocking in at just under $60 for a limited time. This particular rechargeable model (the ProtectiveClean 5300) provides a customized brushing experience. In addition to the three cleaning modes (white, clean, and gum care), it also has a pressure sensor to ensure you’re not harming your gums or overbrushing. Coupled with the QuadPacer technology, which lets you know just the right amount of time you should spend cleaning each part of your mouth, the guesswork of oral hygiene is eliminated, and you can be confident that you’re achieving the ideal clean. We can’t forget to mention the super convenient travel case for carrying your brush on the go. Its battery is claimed to last up to 14 days on a single charge , by the way. “Fantastic electric toothbrush!” raves user Swede63 . Great cleaning action at a great price. I feel like I’ve been to the dentist's office for a cleaning every time I use this brush.” Many Sonicare converts are pleased with their transitions from manual to electric cleaning. You can see their testimonies below, many of which mention happy dentists and improved gum and teeth health. Grab yourself one while the early Amazon Prime Day sale is still going on. Promising reviews: “ Fantastic electric toothbrush! Great cleaning action at a great price. I feel like I’ve been to the dentist's office for a cleaning every time I use this brush. I really like the timer function that prompts me to move from quadrant to quadrant and brush for two minutes. Brush pauses and emits a beep every 30 seconds and shuts off automatically after two minutes in the CLEAN setting. Two and a half minutes for the WHITENING setting and three minutes for the GUMS setting. Haven’t tried the latter two settings, but I assume they have the same feel, just longer durations. Brush comes with a charging stand, but I’ve only charged it once initially and have been using it twice a day for a week without having to recharge. Mine also came with two extra brush heads. The sonic action is a little disconcerting at first, and it sort of tickles if I touch the roof of my mouth with the brush. Can be a little messy if you don’t keep your mouth closed around the brush as much as possible. And you will drool a little when brushing for two minutes.” — Swede63 “ This is a repeat purchase in our house with six family members as my husband uses a bit too much pressure and can’t stop this, so his lasts about 2.5 years while I get 3+ out of mine. The battery life on this is fantastic, and it charges very fast if you forget to put it on the charger. Love the more basic brush head as it’s wider, but have used others with it as well. Easy to reach all parts of the mouth, and the timer advises when it’s time to change sections. Overall really great product, and still very happy my dentist got me onto these in 2017. I do not use the app, but it’s an option.” — Amazon Customer “This is easy to use and leaves my teeth feeling clean. It tells you to break your mouth down into quadrants and then times you for each quadrant, so you just wiggle it around until the pause. It’s worth the price to keep your teeth! ” — Dustin Harper “I was on the fence about an electric toothbrush for a really long time. Between thinking a manual was more effective and an electric one was unwieldy, I put it off for years. I ended up ordering this on sale because I wanted a travel case. In the end, this was one of the best purchases I’ve ever made. I love the toothbrush and it’s not even a question that it cleans better than a manual. The travel case is a bit bulky but protects well. The extra heads are nice to have, but I haven’t needed to replace the original yet. I have had the toothbrush for almost 3 months and have only charged it once. I use it for the advised 2 minutes twice daily, and it’s amazing how long the charge lasts. I can’t speak for its longevity, and it might eventually fail. But I plan on taking care of the lithium-ion battery (you know, how you’re supposed to with all batteries). I’ll report back if the battery life starts to go, or if the toothbrush dies.” — Knuckles “I’ve had other sonics, and this one is by far the best. I didn't buy the higher-end model to save a few bucks, and this toothbrush is perfect for the price. the battery will last a long time, and I love the 3 cleaning modes. They really do get my teeth a lot whiter and cleaner than a regular toothbrush. Worth every penny. ” — Gina Hall Get it from Amazon for $59.96+ (originally $109.96). Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.By Nicholas Tan Many world leaders have responded to the Trump tariffs that the president-elect says will be enacted on the first day of his administration . In several posts on social media, Donald Trump shares that he will impose through executive orders a 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada as well as an additional 10% tariff on China. He positions these taxes as actions made against Mexico and Canada for not preventing enough illegal aliens from entering the US, and also blames them and China for the increase in fentanyl in the country. Here’s how Justin Trudeau , Claudia Sheinbaum, and China’s leaders have responded to these tariffs. China, Canada, and Mexico have reacted in different ways to Trump’s proposed tariffs. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that he had a 10-minute call with Trump that was a “good conversation,” as reported by BBC . They discussed border security and trade, with Trudeau saying that the volume of migrants going through the Canadian border was much lower than than the Mexican border. Per The Guardian , he said that they “obviously talked a bout laying out the facts, talking about how the intense and effective connections between our two countries flow back and forth.” On Wednesday, he plans on meeting with the leaders of other Canadian provinces and territories to discuss how to deal with the new tariffs and border control. Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s president, says that she will warn Trump in a letter about the tariffs likely raising job losses and inflation in the US and Mexico. In a statement made at a press conference on Tuesday, via Reuters , she is concerned that tariffs will snowball: “To one tariff will follow another in response and so on, until we put our common businesses at risk.” Additionally, she will seek a phone call with Trump and send a letter to Trudeau. Considering that various U.S. carmaking plants for General Motors and Ford are based in the country, she added, “What sense is there?” On the subject of weapons and drugs, Sheinbaum said that “we do not produce weapons, we do not consume the synthetic drugs” and pointed out that people in her country “are being killed by crime that is responding to the demand in [the United States].” The response from China has been firmer. Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy, says that the country was already dealing with drug trafficking as part of a deal between Xi Jinping and Joe Biden. In a statement, he said their “progress made in US-related law enforcement operations against narcotics” shows that the country is not “knowingly allowing fentanyl precursors to flow into the United States.” A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry also warned the US that it should not “take China’s goodwill for granted” in its cooperation in counternarcotic operations. Nick Tan is a SEO Lead Writer for GameRevolution. Once upon a time, his parents took away his Super Nintendo as a punishment. He has sworn revenge ever since. Share article
Injustice with Balochistan’s Players
o do philosophy, you don’t need expensive labs or equipment. You don’t need a huge team. You can do it all by yourself. The downside is that philosophers are often lonely. Reading in solitude while wrestling with your own thoughts is difficult. We do discuss and debate our ideas with others at conferences and symposia, but these peers, invaluable as they are, are bounded by many of the same constraints we are, living and thinking in our own brief historical moment. To overcome this myopathy of the mind, I stumbled upon an unexpected hack: not just reading the ancients, but becoming friends with them. The medieval Japanese Buddhist philosopher Kenkō this practice as follows in his free-flowing brush style: “The pleasantest of all diversions is to sit alone under the lamp, a book spread out before you, and to make friends with people of a distant past you have never known.” The medieval Italian poet and philosopher Petrarch not only wrote letters to his living friends, but also to the dead, such as Cicero, who lived 1,400 years before. In her biography of Rahel Varnhagen, an 18th-century German writer and salon host, Hannah Arendt called her “my closest friend, though she has been dead for some hundred years.” I interrogated the philosopher, and sometimes, in my mind, he answered back. Once you spot these friendships with the ancients, you start to see them everywhere (I more about them recently in the ). What do philosophers get out of not merely reading old philosophy texts but also befriending their authors? How does one even do this, given that the other person is, well, dead? About 10 years ago, I was unaware of this practice, and I could not foresee how it would transform the way I think. I was a proper academic philosopher, writing in the style and developing the kinds of arguments that were suited for mainstream philosophy journals—for example, on whether the or mathematical beliefs cast doubt on these beliefs. My citations to old philosophical texts were few and sparing. I used them mainly to support my arguments. I wondered whether people like Plato or Nāgārjuna could help me at all, given that their cultural contexts (ancient Greece and ancient India, respectively) were so different. This changed when I read the a Chinese philosophy book from the Warring States Period (around the fourth century B.C.) about ethics, etiquette, and politics, with sayings and dialogues attributed to the philosopher Mengzi (also Latinized as Mencius). I read this book because I wanted to diversify my syllabus and to introduce some Chinese philosophy in my ethics class at Oxford Brookes University (where I was a senior lecturer at the time). I wasn’t prepared for how much this work would blow me away. Maybe I was under the influence of stereotypes of Chinese philosophy as collections of ambiguous sayings by sage old men with wispy beards. Instead, I found a deeply challenging picture of humanity. engzi offers the thought experiment of a child who is about to fall in a well. He writes that anyone would be alarmed at the sight, not because of ulterior motives—such as praise from the parents if one were to help the child—but because of genuine altruistic motives. Mengzi held that we all have within us emotional beginnings (or “sprouts” as he calls them) of virtue. For example, the emotion of compassion is the sprout of the virtue of benevolence. We are all born with these sprouts the way we are born with four limbs. To become a good person, one must nurture the sprouts the way one nurtures young plants. I fell in love with Mengzi, particularly because it was the first ethics text I read that gave me helpful advice to cultivate my own virtues. Mengzi tells you that you have all the resources to be a good person within you. You don’t need to abide by ethical systems dreamt up by others, the sprouts of goodness are already there. From that starting point, it’s just slow and gradual practice. For example, if I lost my temper yesterday, I have an opportunity not to do so today. If my comments on the work of a student have been too harsh, I can tell them that there were also many good things in the work and be gentler with students next time. Up until that point, I saw philosophical papers as 9,000-word sized self-contained publishable units where you cite philosophers to support your arguments, or to engage with their arguments to critique them. But I didn’t truly love any philosophical text, not the way I can love a piece of music, a novel, or a painting. That changed with Mengzi. Mengzi transformed not only my view on human nature, but also how I engage with philosophical texts. He says that if you cannot find suitable friends among the living, then you should “ascend to examine the ancients. Recite their Odes and read their Documents. But can you do this without understanding what sort of people they were? Because of this, you must examine their era. This is how friendship ascends.” What Mengzi says here is that to befriend ancient philosophers, we must immerse ourselves not only in their words but also attempt to do the same with the cultural context in which they lived and worked. That understanding is not one of an impartial scholar but of a friend. A friend knows where you are coming from and realizes why you hold certain views. tried this practice by talking to Mengzi in my mind. In my imagination, he looks more like a young C-drama actor than like the severe scholar who is featured in . I asked him questions and requested his help in the interpretation of some of the more difficult passages in the . This prompted me to read more about his era, the Warring States Period, when smaller states were invaded by larger ones. I interrogated the philosopher, and sometimes, in my mind, he answered back. For example, I found him helpful when considering a tricky professional situation some years ago in which I was being urged to not give an invited talk because the organizer had made some remarks that sounded, as reported, transphobic. If I accepted and gave the talk, I would implicitly condone him. On the other hand, if I didn’t give the talk, I would cave to peer pressure without knowing all the details. What does Mengzi recommend? To give the presentation, I would be in line with the virtue of ritual, as it is awkward etiquette to decline a talk you have accepted earlier. However, I might be hurting the people who were upset or harmed by the remarks, which would not be in line with the virtue of benevolence. I didn’t truly love any philosophical text, not the way I love a piece of music, a novel, or a painting For Mengzi, situations like these require the virtue of wisdom. Wisdom is a kind of meta-virtue that requires that you weigh the dilemma carefully. In this case, I contacted people involved in the situation to learn more about it, and we reached a compromise that was acceptable to all, namely that I would give short remarks at the start of my presentation about how the state of trans philosophers in our profession could improve. This was also in line with the fourth Mengzian virtue, righteousness, where you try to use whatever platform you have to further the common good. The great thing about Mengzi’s views on virtue is that you can mess up; it doesn’t mean you are a terrible human being. You can always try again. For example, if you have been an ungracious partner, you can try to be more gracious tomorrow. Unlike Scrooge in who can only get shocked into becoming a better person by ghosts and visions, it is possible to do so gradually, in the small observations and practices of everyday life. While you cannot undo past harms, it is never too late to prevent yourself from causing future ones. If you ask Westerners whether we can improve by practice in such endeavors as playing the guitar, or tennis, or even writing, they will say, “of course!” But if you ask them if we can improve our virtue in this way, many will say no: Some people are simply born more virtuous than others or are otherwise made more virtuous by circumstances largely out of their control. But Mengzi thinks that you can practice your virtue by growing your sprouts. He likens cultivating your virtue with . “Now, Go is an insignificant craft. But if one does not focus one’s heart and apply one’s intention, then one won’t get it.” hen you make friends with a long-dead philosopher, you don’t think of them in a detached, objective manner. That is, we better understand where they are coming from, and why they hold certain views. Though this doesn’t mean we let them off the hook. In a June 1345 letter to his dead friend the Roman philosopher Cicero, Petrarch laments Cicero’s shortcomings, particularly his inability to live up to his own standards: “What good is there in teaching others, what benefit is there in speaking constantly with the most magnificent words about the virtues, if at the same time you do not give heed to your own words?” We can share our candid thoughts with our good friends. Befriending a long-dead philosopher also helps us to understand ourselves better. It is an easy reflex to “cancel” any dead philosopher—write them and all of their work off part and parcel—because of some unsavory (racist, sexist, classist, etc.) views they held. It is more difficult to engage with their work, to understand it, while also recognizing that these views are elements of their work. This helps us to see ourselves as thinkers who may hold some flawed views, but who do this in a larger picture of humanity striving to better understand ourselves and the world in which we live. We are not so different from the ancients, and the problems they dealt with are similar to ours. For example, many of us are forced, or greatly pressured by circumstances, to work for companies solely focused on profit, that are short-sighted, and even corrupt. Ancient friends such as Confucius and Mengzi considered this as an important dilemma: It is vital to know when to step away. If you cannot find suitable friends among the living, you should “ascend to examine the ancients.” With the climate spinning out of control, the fallout of a pandemic (and likely others in the making), and the , I cannot help but feel doubts about Mengzi’s core view that human nature is good. By this, Mengzi did not mean that each individual human being is good. But he did believe that we are good by nature, the way it is in the nature of a duck to swim. Due to circumstances (for example, living in captivity without nearby water), a duck may never swim. Similarly, circumstances can make a nation’s actions devoid of virtue. But the nature of the people in those nations is to be good. What does this mean? To better grasp this idea, I examined Mengzi’s era. His time, the Warring States Period, was one of unrest, epidemics, and violent conflict. He was an advisor to the ruler of Qi, helping to shape policy and foreign affairs. Yan, a neighboring smaller state, was weakened due to a succession crisis. The ruler of Qi asked if it was morally permissible to annex Yan (this was a common policy during the period). Mengzi advised that it was. However, he was horrified by how Qi’s ruler took the state, by looting and by killing huge numbers of innocent civilians. Mengzi resigned in disgust, even though he was unable to obtain another position. He was well aware of the depths to which humans can plunge, and yet, in spite of this, he still held that human nature is good. A possible way to read this is to see his view of as aspirational. Having faith in the goodness of humanity is, as Martin Luther King, Jr. and other activists have demonstrated, an attitude that can help you to make the needle move in the right direction. Mengzi lived in desperate times. We, like Mengzi’s peers, may fervently wish to live in a more peaceful era. “So do all who live to see such times,” as Gandalf advises Frodo in , “but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” This is what Mengzi did, and his view of human nature was crucial to this. He arguably believed that it is part of human nature to aspire to be good. In one passage from the , for example, a ruler asks the philosopher if he should be a king who rules by virtue, that is, by showing a good example and being benevolent, or rather if he should be content by ruling as a hegemon who uses realpolitik—using purely instrumental political means, even if not always above the board, much as Machiavelli prescribes—to achieve one’s goals. The ruler is worried that he isn’t good enough to be a virtuous king. “Can one such as ourselves care for the people?” he asks. Mengzi says simply, “You can.” He thinks the king is able to do this, because he showed compassion on earlier occasions, such as when he spared an ox that was led to be ritually slaughtered. If he can feel compassion for an animal, he should all the more be capable of empathizing with his subjects, who are human beings. In another passage, Mengzi mentions the village worthies, the prominent people in the village everyone respects. Mengzi, by contrast, holds them in low esteem. When he is asked why he, like Kongzi (Confucius), views them with disdain, he replies that the village worthies settle for mediocrity: “Born in this era, we should be for this era. To be good is enough.” Mengzi thinks that with this mindset, the village worthies set the bar too low for themselves. They think that if you live in a time when the standards are low, it’s okay to do the bare minimum to be deemed virtuous. What my conversations with my ancient friend Mengzi helped me to understand is that the norms and ideas about what being a good person is, and what a good life is, are not restricted to our time. We can be ambitious in what we hope and strive for, by reaching out to the ancients who continue to inspire us. This way, we can overcome the limitations of being born in our own era and can situate ourselves in a much bigger world, brimming with possibilities and with many voices of the past and present to guide us. Posted on Helen De Cruz is a philosopher who works and teaches at Saint Louis University, where she holds the Danforth Chair in the Humanities. She is the author of many books and papers, most recently with Princeton University Press (2024). Cutting-edge science, unraveled by the very brightest living thinkers.Sullinger leads Kent State past Div. III-Heidelberg 84-80NDP will not support Liberal GST holiday bill unless rebate expanded: Singh
By JUAN A. LOZANO, Associated Press HOUSTON (AP) — An elaborate parody appears to be behind an effort to resurrect Enron, the Houston-based energy company that exemplified the worst in American corporate fraud and greed after it went bankrupt in 2001. If its return is comedic, some former employees who lost everything in Enron’s collapse aren’t laughing. “It’s a pretty sick joke and it disparages the people that did work there. And why would you want to even bring it back up again?” said former Enron employee Diana Peters, who represented workers in the company’s bankruptcy proceedings. Here’s what to know about the history of Enron and the purported effort to bring it back. What happened at Enron? Once the nation’s seventh-largest company, Enron filed for bankruptcy protection on Dec. 2, 2001, after years of accounting tricks could no longer hide billions of dollars in debt or make failing ventures appear profitable. The energy company’s collapse put more than 5,000 people out of work, wiped out more than $2 billion in employee pensions and rendered $60 billion in Enron stock worthless. Its aftershocks were felt throughout the energy sector. Twenty-four Enron executives , including former CEO Jeffrey Skilling , were eventually convicted for their roles in the fraud. Enron founder Ken Lay’s convictions were vacated after he died of heart disease following his 2006 trial. Is Enron coming back? On Monday — the 23rd anniversary of the bankruptcy filing — a company representing itself as Enron announced in a news release that it was relaunching as a “company dedicated to solving the global energy crisis.” It also posted a video on social media, advertised on at least one Houston billboard and a took out a full-page ad in the Houston Chronicle In the minute-long video that was full of generic corporate jargon, the company talks about “growth” and “rebirth.” It ends with the words, “We’re back. Can we talk?” Enron’s new website features a company store, where various items featuring the brand’s tilted “E” logo are for sale, including a $118 hoodie. In an email, company spokesperson Will Chabot said the new Enron was not doing any interviews yet, but that “We’ll have more to share soon.” Signs point to the comeback being a joke. In the “terms of use and conditions of sale” on the company’s website, it says “the information on the website about Enron is First Amendment protected parody, represents performance art, and is for entertainment purposes only.” Documents filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office show that College Company, an Arkansas-based LLC, owns the Enron trademark. The co-founder of College Company is Connor Gaydos, who helped create a joke conspiracy theory that claims all birds are actually surveillance drones for the government. What do former Enron employees think of the company’s return? Peters said that since learning about the “relaunch” of Enron, she has spoken with several other former employees and they are also upset by it. She said the apparent stunt was “in poor taste.” “If it’s a joke, it’s rude, extremely rude. And I hope that they realize it and apologize to all of the Enron employees,” Peters said. Peters, who is 74 years old, said she is still working in information technology because “I lost everything in Enron, and so my Social Security doesn’t always take care of things I need done.” “Enron’s downfall taught us critical lessons about corporate ethics, accountability, and the consequences of unchecked ambition. Enron’s legacy was the employees in the trenches. Leave Enron buried,” she said. Follow Juan A. Lozano on X at https://x.com/juanlozano70By JUAN A. LOZANO, Associated Press HOUSTON (AP) — An elaborate parody appears to be behind an effort to resurrect Enron, the Houston-based energy company that exemplified the worst in American corporate fraud and greed after it went bankrupt in 2001. If its return is comedic, some former employees who lost everything in Enron’s collapse aren’t laughing. “It’s a pretty sick joke and it disparages the people that did work there. And why would you want to even bring it back up again?” said former Enron employee Diana Peters, who represented workers in the company’s bankruptcy proceedings. Here’s what to know about the history of Enron and the purported effort to bring it back. Once the nation’s seventh-largest company, Enron filed for bankruptcy protection on Dec. 2, 2001, after years of accounting tricks could no longer hide billions of dollars in debt or make failing ventures appear profitable. The energy company’s collapse put more than 5,000 people out of work, wiped out more than $2 billion in employee pensions and rendered $60 billion in Enron stock worthless. Its aftershocks were felt throughout the energy sector. Twenty-four Enron executives , including former CEO Jeffrey Skilling , were eventually convicted for their roles in the fraud. Enron founder Ken Lay’s convictions were vacated after he died of heart disease following his 2006 trial. On Monday — the 23rd anniversary of the bankruptcy filing — a company representing itself as Enron announced in a news release that it was relaunching as a “company dedicated to solving the global energy crisis.” It also posted a video on social media, advertised on at least one Houston billboard and a took out a full-page ad in the Houston Chronicle In the minute-long video that was full of generic corporate jargon, the company talks about “growth” and “rebirth.” It ends with the words, “We’re back. Can we talk?” Related Articles Enron’s new website features a company store, where various items featuring the brand’s tilted “E” logo are for sale, including a $118 hoodie. In an email, company spokesperson Will Chabot said the new Enron was not doing any interviews yet, but that “We’ll have more to share soon.” Signs point to the comeback being a joke. In the “terms of use and conditions of sale” on the company’s website, it says “the information on the website about Enron is First Amendment protected parody, represents performance art, and is for entertainment purposes only.” Documents filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office show that College Company, an Arkansas-based LLC, owns the Enron trademark. The co-founder of College Company is Connor Gaydos, who helped create a joke conspiracy theory that claims all birds are actually surveillance drones for the government. Peters said that since learning about the “relaunch” of Enron, she has spoken with several other former employees and they are also upset by it. She said the apparent stunt was “in poor taste.” “If it’s a joke, it’s rude, extremely rude. And I hope that they realize it and apologize to all of the Enron employees,” Peters said. Peters, who is 74 years old, said she is still working in information technology because “I lost everything in Enron, and so my Social Security doesn’t always take care of things I need done.” “Enron’s downfall taught us critical lessons about corporate ethics, accountability, and the consequences of unchecked ambition. Enron’s legacy was the employees in the trenches. Leave Enron buried,” she said. Follow Juan A. Lozano on X at https://x.com/juanlozano70
SYDNEY, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Asian shares edged lower on Monday as high Treasury yields challenged lofty Wall Street equity valuations while underpinning the U.S. dollar near multi-month peaks. Volumes were light with the New Year holiday looming and a rather bare data diary this week. China has the PMI factory surveys out on Tuesday, while the U.S. ISM survey for December is due on Friday. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) , opens new tab dipped 0.2%, but is still 16% higher for the year. Japan's Nikkei (.N225) , opens new tab eased 0.2%, but is sitting on gains of 20% for 2024. South Korea's main index has not been so fortunate, having run into a storm of political uncertainty in recent weeks, and is saddled with losses of more than 9% for the year. It was last off 0.35%. S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures were both off 0.1%. Wall Street suffered a broad-based sell off on Friday with no obvious trigger, though volumes were just two-thirds of the daily average. . The S&P 500 is still up 25% for the year and the Nasdaq 31%, which is stretching valuations when compared to the risk-free return of Treasuries. Investors are counting on earnings per share growth of just over 10% in 2025, versus a 12.47% expected rise in 2024, according to LSEG data. Yet yields on 10-year Treasuries are near eight-month highs at 4.631% and ending the year around 75 basis points above where they started it, even though the Fed delivered 100 basis points of cuts to cash rates. "The continued rise in bond yields, driven by the reassessment of less restrictive monetary policy expectations, creates some concern," said Quasar Elizundia, a research strategist at broker Pepperstone. "The possibility that the Fed may keep restrictive monetary policy for longer than expected could temper corporate earnings growth expectations for 2025, which could in turn influence investment decisions." Bond investors may also be wary of burgeoning supply as President-elect Donald Trump is promising tax cuts with few concrete proposals for restraining the budget deficit. Trump is expected to release at least 25 executive orders when he takes office on Jan. 20, covering a range of issues from immigration to energy and crypto policy. Widening interest rate differentials have kept the U.S. dollar in demand, giving it gains of 6.5% for the year on a basket of major currencies . The euro has lost more than 5% on the dollar so far in 2024 to last stand at $1.0429 , not far from its recent two-year trough of $1.0344. The dollar held near a five-month top on the yen at 157.71 , with only the risk of Japanese intervention preventing another test of the 160.00 barrier. The strength of the dollar has been something of a burden for gold prices, though the metal is still 28% higher for the year so far at $2,624 an ounce . Oil has had a tougher year as concerns about demand, particularly from China, kept a lid on prices and forced OPEC+ to repeatedly extend a deal to limit supplies. Brent fell 37 cents to $73.80 a barrel, while U.S. crude lost 17 cents to $70.43 per barrel. Sign up here. Reporting by Wayne Cole;Editing by Shri Navaratnam Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tabThe Manhattan district attorney’s office is asking Judge Juan M. Merchan to “pretend as if one of the assassination attempts against President Trump had been successful,” Trump’s lawyers wrote in a blistering 23-page response. 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Scottish international Adams scores long-range stunner in Serie A win for Torino‘Living in a home that damages health the norm for far too many older people’NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma appears to have borrowed from the past to cure its recent offensive ills. The Sooners , best known this century for a passing prowess that has produced four Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks, took it back to the 20th century against then-No. 7 Alabama. Oklahoma ran 50 times for 257 yards while only throwing 12 times in a 24-3 win over the Crimson Tide that took coach Brent Venables off the hot seat. The Sooners more resembled Barry Switzer’s squads that dominated the old Big 8 with the wishbone offense in the 1970s and ’80s than the more recent Air Raid teams. Venables said the change was a matter of necessity for a unit that has been besieged by injuries at receiver and offensive line. “I think this staff has done a really good job with trying to figure that out, get better every week, put together a great gameplan but also figure out, ‘OK, what does this group of guys, what does this team — what do we need to do?'” Venables said. To make it work, Oklahoma needed to trust that such a change would work in the modern Southeastern Conference. They had to implement it with an interim play-caller in Joe Jon Finley, who stepped in after the Sooners fired Seth Littrell last month. Oklahoma (6-5, 2-5 SEC) pulled it off, and LSU coach Brian Kelly has taken notice ahead of their game on Saturday. “This is now much more about controlling the football, running the football, playing with physicality," Kelly said. "They've got perimeter skill, but I think it's centered around much more of a run-centric, quarterback run and take care of the football." The Sooners started to see success on the ground against Maine. They ran 52 times for 381 yards in a 59-14 win that got the wheels turning. Jovantae Barnes ran for career highs of 203 yards and three touchdowns that day. Venables said the timing of the opportunity to play that non-conference game against Maine in early November and figure some things out was perfect. “Everybody has some degree of vulnerability and maybe some self-doubt,” he said. “And just developing some confidence and putting something on tape other than practice, like, ‘Man, look, see what you’re capable of?’ And executing against, again, a well-coached team — certainly, we played off of that in all the right ways like you would expect us to. And so there’s a real place for that.” After a bye week, the Sooners tried the same approach against Missouri. It wasn't as successful — they ran 36 times for 122 yards — but they hung tough before losing 30-23 . The Sooners went all in against Alabama. Jackson Arnold — the same guy who threw 45 times in the Alamo Bowl last year, ran 25 times for 131 yards and threw just 11 passes. The Sooners found something in running back Xavier Robinson. With Barnes out with an injury, Robinson carried 18 times for career highs of 107 yards and two touchdowns. Suddenly, a team that had been forcing the pass and getting sacked at an alarming rate was moving the line of scrimmage and controlling the tempo. Oklahoma had the ball for more than 34 minutes against the Crimson Tide, lending support to a talented defense that had been spending way too much time on the field. The new approach could be helpful on Saturday — LSU (7-4, 4-3) ranks 14th out of 16 conference teams against the run. Venables said the Sooners still need to throw the ball well to win, but he's glad to know his squad can run with force when necessary. “I think that’s the art of having a system that’s adjustable, flexible, adaptable, week in and week out, but also has an identity — toughness, physicality," he said. "You’ve got to be able to run the ball at every level of football, but you do have to throw it. You can’t just do one thing. But we need to be efficient.” Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
In a message to the American people, the King expressed “great sadness” at the news of Mr Carter’s death, describing him as “a committed public servant” who “devoted his life to promoting peace and human rights”. He added: “His dedication and humility served as an inspiration to many, and I remember with great fondness his visit to the United Kingdom in 1977. “My thoughts and prayers are with President Carter’s family and the American people at this time.” Mr Carter, a former peanut farmer, served one term in the White House between 1977 and 1981 and spent his post-presidency years as a global humanitarian, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Carter had “lived his values in the service of others to the very end” through “decades of selfless public service”. Praising a “lifelong dedication to peace” that saw him win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, Sir Keir added: “Motivated by his strong faith and values, President Carter redefined the post-presidency with a remarkable commitment to social justice and human rights at home and abroad.” Tributes to Mr Carter followed the announcement of his death by his family on Sunday, more than a year after he decided to enter hospice care. His son, Chip Carter, said: “My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love.” Very sorry to hear of President Carter’s passing. I pay tribute to his decades of selfless public service. My thoughts are with his family and friends at this time. pic.twitter.com/IaKmZcteb1 — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) December 29, 2024 US President Joe Biden, one of the first elected politicians to endorse Mr Carter’s bid for the presidency in 1976, said the world had “lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian”. He said: “Over six decades, we had the honour of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend. But, what’s extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people throughout America and the world who never met him thought of him as a dear friend as well. “With his compassion and moral clarity, he worked to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil rights and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless, and always advocate for the least among us.” Vice President Kamala Harris said Mr Carter “reminded our nation and the world that there is strength in decency and compassion”. “His life and legacy continue to inspire me — and will inspire generations to come,” she said. “Our world is a better place because of President Carter.” Other UK politicians also paid tribute to Mr Carter. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said he was “an inspiration” who “led a truly remarkable life dedicated to public service with a genuine care for people”. Scottish First Minister John Swinney described the former president as “a good, decent, honest man who strove for peace in all that he did”, while Welsh First Minister said he was “a remarkable man” and “a humanitarian and scholar”. Former prime minister Sir Tony Blair said Mr Carter’s “life was a testament to public service”. He added: “I always had the greatest respect for him, his spirit and his dedication. He fundamentally cared and consistently toiled to help those in need.” Gordon Brown, another former prime minister, said it was a “privilege” to have known Mr Carter, who “will be mourned, not just in America, but in every continent where human rights are valued”. Mr Carter is expected to receive a state funeral featuring public observances in Atlanta, Georgia, and Washington DC before being buried in his hometown of Plains, Georgia. A moderate democrat born in Plains in October 1924, Mr Carter’s political career took him from the Georgia state senate to the state governorship and, finally, the White House, where he took office as 39th president in the wake of the Watergate scandal and the Vietnam War. His presidency saw economic disruption amid volatile oil prices, along with social tensions at home and challenges abroad including the Iranian revolution that sparked a 444-day hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran. But he also brokered the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel, which led to a peace treaty between the two countries in 1979. After his defeat in the 1980 presidential election, he worked more than four decades leading The Carter Centre, which he and his late wife Rosalynn co-founded in 1982 to “wage peace, fight disease, and build hope”. Under his leadership, the Carter Center virtually eliminated Guinea Worm disease, which has gone from affecting 3.5 million people in Africa and Asia in 1986 to just 14 in 2023. Mrs Carter, who died last year aged 96, had played a more active role in her husband’s presidency than previous first ladies, with Mr Carter saying she had been “my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished”. Earlier this year, on his 100th birthday, Mr Carter received a private congratulatory message from the King, expressing admiration for his life of public serviceSmokers have been urged to kick the habit in the new year after new analysis shows how much of their lives are lost by each cigarette smoked. Men lose 17 minutes of life with every cigarette they smoke while a woman’s life is cut short by 22 minutes with each cigarette, experts have estimated. This is more than previous estimates, which suggest that each cigarette shortens a smoker’s life by 11 minutes. The new estimates, which suggest that each cigarette leads to 20 minutes loss of live on average across both genders, are based on more up-to-date figures from long-term studies tracking the health of the population. The new analysis, commissioned by the Department for Health and Social Care, suggests that if a 10-cigarettes-a-day smoker quits on January 1, then by January 8 they could “prevent loss of a full day of life”. By February 20, their lives could be extended by a whole week. And if their quitting is successful until August 5, they will likely live for a whole month longer than if they had continued to smoke. The authors added: “Studies suggest that smokers typically lose about the same number of healthy years as they do total years of life. Make 2025 the year you quit smoking for good. There’s lots of free support available to help you. Find out more ? https://t.co/J0ehnoRM1D pic.twitter.com/LQpUp6HJBm — WHH ? (@WHHNHS) December 27, 2024 “Thus smoking primarily eats into the relatively healthy middle years rather than shortening the period at the end of life, which is often marked by chronic illness or disability. “So a 60-year-old smoker will typically have the health profile of a 70-year-old non-smoker.” The analysis, to be published in the Journal of Addiction, concludes: “We estimate that on average, smokers in Britain who do not quit lose approximately 20 minutes of life expectancy for each cigarette they smoke. “This is time that would likely be spent in relatively good health. “Stopping smoking at every age is beneficial but the sooner smokers get off this escalator of death the longer and healthier they can expect their lives to be.” “The evidence suggests people lose, on average, around 20 minutes of life for each cigarette they smoke. “The sooner a person stops smoking, the longer they live. “Quitting at any age substantially improves health and the benefits start almost immediately. “It’s never too late to make a positive change for your health and there are a range of effective products and treatments that can help smokers quit for good.” There are so many reasons to quit smoking this New Year – for your health, for more money, and for your family. Make a fresh quit for 2025 – find tips and support at https://t.co/GyLk65o8kS or https://t.co/iW6WLxTL00 pic.twitter.com/KxPZ5N378y — North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust (@NTeesHpoolNHSFT) December 27, 2024 Health officials have said that smokers can find advice, support and resources with the NHS Quit Smoking app, as well as the online Personal Quit Plan. Public health minister Andrew Gwynne said: “Smoking is an expensive and deadly habit and these findings reveal the shocking reality of this addiction, highlighting how important it is to quit. “The new year offers a perfect chance for smokers to make a new resolution and take that step.” Commenting on the paper, Professor Sanjay Agrawal, special adviser on tobacco at the Royal College of Physicians, said: “Every cigarette smoked costs precious minutes of life, and the cumulative impact is devastating, not only for individuals but also for our healthcare system and economy. “This research is a powerful reminder of the urgent need to address cigarette smoking as the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the UK.”Dec 30 (Reuters) - Goodman Group's (GMG.AX) , opens new tab stock has been on a hot streak this year, shining bright among its Australian real-estate peers as the artificial intelligence boom has driven a frenzied demand for data centres. Global "hyperscalers", or large-scale cloud service providers, such as Amazon (AMZN.O) , opens new tab , Microsoft (MSFT.O) , opens new tab and Meta (META.O) , opens new tab , have been spending billions on data centres to cater to growing demand for AI services. Australia's data-centre market, though nascent, saw outsized investment this year with Blackstone (BX.N) , opens new tab buying AirTrunk for A$24 billion ($14.91 billion) in September and developer NEXTDC (NXT.AX) , opens new tab raising nearly A$4.6 billion in equity and debt . Goodman, the country's biggest property developer, counts the world's largest hyperscalers as its customers, its website says, but the company did not confirm the identities of its customers in response to Reuters. Its inventory, however, reflects the heightened demand for these specialized facilities, with data centres under construction making up 42% of its A$12.8 billion ($7.96 billion) portfolio of projects under development at the end of September, up from 37% at the end of last year. This has sent its stock flying 45.8% higher this year, positioning Goodman for its best performance since 2006. It is also the Australian real estate index's (.AXRE) , opens new tab top performer. Higher exposure to data centres in development makes the market more comfortable paying a higher multiple for the business, said John Lockton, head of investment strategy at Sandstone Insights. "Investments into data centres continue to see momentum ... We expect this environment to continue to support Goodman – CAPEX outlook for hyperscalers implies ongoing growth for FY25." The consensus is split on whether Goodman's stock rise can continue. Some factions of the market highlighted that investor interest in data-centre-focused stocks has begun to cool as valuations get rich. They drew caution from landlord DigiCo Infrastructure REIT's (DGT.AX) , opens new tab initial public offering this month, where it raised A$2 billion , but the stock fell 9% on debut. "We think Goodman's securities are expensive at current prices ... we are more cautious about assuming maintainable excess returns from DC investment in the longer term," said Winky Yingqi Tan, a Morningstar analyst focused on REITs. Tan also flagged risks of data-centre obsolescence leading to capital-intensive upgrades, and rivals adding more supply, as factors that could erode Goodman's returns over time. Lockton, however, remains upbeat on Goodman's prospects. He lauds its existing pipeline, and access to land with power supply that can be converted to data centres, which rivals have flagged as difficult to obtain. ($1 = 1.6093 Australian dollars) Sign up here. Reporting by Aaditya Govind Rao and Roushni Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Rushil Dutta and Rod Nickel Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tabNone
