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2024: The year in reviewMENLO PARK, Calif. , Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BillionToOne, a next-generation molecular diagnostics company with a mission to create powerful and accurate tests that are accessible to all, today announced that they will be presenting at the 43rd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, CA , on January 14, 2025 . BillionToOne marks a transformative year of achievements as it looks toward 2025. The company closed an oversubscribed, upsized Series D funding round led by Premji Invest in June, and was recently recognized as the Biotech Breakthrough Awards' Diagnostics Company of the Year. More than 500,000 patients have received BillionToOne tests to date, and the company has grown from $0M to $150M+ in annual recurring revenue over the past five years. This will be BillionToOne's second year in attendance at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, and the company will present on the topic of "Redefining Molecular Diagnostics with Single-Molecule Precision." Presentation details are as follows: Location: Mission Bay (32nd Floor) at The Westin Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2025 Time: 2:30-2:55 pm PT A webcast and presentation materials will be available on BillionToOne's website: https://billiontoone.com/event/jpm-2025-43rd-annual-healthcare-conference/ About BillionToOne Headquartered in Menlo Park, California , BillionToOne is a precision diagnostics company on a mission to make molecular diagnostics more accurate, efficient, and accessible for everyone. The company's patented Quantitative Counting TechnologyTM (QCTTM) molecular counting platform is the only multiplex technology that can accurately count DNA molecules at the single-molecule level. For more information, please visit www.billiontoone.com . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/billiontoone-to-present-at-the-43rd-annual-jp-morgan-healthcare-conference-302338634.html SOURCE BillionToOne

NoneUndergraduate admission tests under the cluster system faces uncertainty for the 2024-25 academic year, as several prominent universities have decided to withdraw and conduct their own admission tests independently. The cluster system is a centralised undergraduate admission process in Bangladesh designed to streamline applications for multiple universities under shared categories. It was introduced in the 2020-21 academic year to reduce financial strain, save time, and simplify admissions. However, lack of coordination among universities has delayed result publication, student admissions, and department allocations, leading to session jams. The cluster system has also faced growing criticism for alleged corruption. Leading universities from the clusters including General, Science and Technology, Engineering, and Agricultural are now reconsidering their participation. "The cluster system caused session delays. While many JnU students from the 2023-24 session have completed their first semester, others are still undergoing migration processes. How can these students keep up with those who have already progressed a semester ahead?" said Jagannath University (JnU) Vice-Chancellor Prof Md Rezaul Karim. Several other VCs from different clusters expressed similar dissatisfaction. The cluster admission system initially included 20 general and science-technology universities, later expanding to 24 general, three engineering, and nine agricultural universities. GENERAL CLUSTER Jagannath University, which spearheaded the first cluster admission test, has formally withdrawn from the system and announced its 2024-25 undergraduate admission circular independently. Prof Md Rezaul Karim described the cluster system as an initiative introduced with good intentions but marred by poor planning. At Khulna University, Vice-Chancellor Prof Rezaul Karim said students and faculty alike have opted out of the system. "KU now handles five batches simultaneously, instead of the usual four, causing a session jam and disrupting the academic calendar," he said. While acknowledging the university's recent progress in academic excellence, he warned that the flawed admission process risks undoing these gains. "We are also considering holding our own admission tests," he added. Meanwhile, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Comilla University, Barishal University, and Noakhali Science and Technology University have also decided to hold independent admission tests. Prof Md Anwarul Azim Akhand, Convener of the GST Integrated Admission Test Committee and VC of Maulana Bhashani Science and Technology University, expressed hope that the cluster exam could still proceed with the remaining universities. He said no official discussions have taken place yet as the current academic year is still ongoing. A proper decision from the government is awaited. ENGINEERING CLUSTER The engineering cluster, consisting of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, and Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, is also dissolving. KUET announced its independent admission circular on November 17, scheduling its test for January 11, 2025. Following this, RUET called an emergency meeting to discuss its participation. "With KUET's departure, the cluster effectively no longer exists," said RUET Vice-Chancellor Prof SM Razzak. CUET has yet to finalise its stance, but said the departure of two major universities has left the future uncertain. AGRICULTURAL CLUSTER In the agricultural cluster, admission processes for nine universities under the 2023-24 academic year are still ongoing, leaving decisions for 2024-25 pending. Bangladesh Agricultural University has proposed holding its own tests, as recommended by its Dean Council. However, no official circular has been published yet. Meanwhile, a group of students preparing for the 2024-25 admission tests submitted a memorandum to the education ministry, urging measures to preserve the cluster system. They said without it, their application fees and travel expenses would rise substantially. UGC's POSITION University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Prof SMA Fayez said the UGC has no legal authority to prevent universities from conducting independent admission tests. Prof Fayez suggested that universities opting out should consider holding tests in divisional cities and keeping application fees low. "We will monitor the decisions of other universities and coordinate the next steps. However, universities should prioritise students' convenience and consult all stakeholders before finalising their decisions," he added.

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OTTAWA — After being blanked 4-0 by host Canada the night before, Finland bounced back with a gritty 3-1 win over Germany during Friday's second day of competition at the World Junior Hockey Championship in Ottawa. Emil Pieniniemi, Arttu Alasiurua and Jesse Kiiskinen scored for Finland, which outshot the winless German crew 43-32. Clemens Sager scored for Germany, which lost 10-4 to the defending champion United States on Boxing Day. Finland led 1-0 after the first period and 2-1 heading into the third. Germany's goaltender Linus Vieillard stopped 40 of 42 shots directed at him, while Petteri Rimpinen stopped 31 of 32 shots for Finland. Both teams play their next games Sunday when Finland plays the U.S. and Germany faces Canada. Earlier on Friday, Slovakia bounced back from a 5-2 opening-day loss to Sweden to edge Switzerland 2-1. Jan Chovan's goal with 3:18 left in the third period snapped a 1-1 deadlock and lifted Slovakia to the victory. Daniel Jencko also scored for Slovakia. Eric Schneller scored for winless Switzerland, which lost 5-1 on Thursday to Czechia. Both teams had 29 shots on goal. Both teams play again Sunday when Slovakia faces Czechia and Switzerland plays Sweden. In later games Friday, Sweden will square off with Kazakhstan, while Canada will face Latvia. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 27, 2024. The Canadian PressThe US State and Treasury departments said they hit Georgian Dream party founder and honorary chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili with penalties “for undermining the democratic and Euro-Atlantic future of Georgia for the benefit of the Russian Federation”, according to a statement. The designation of Mr Ivanishvili is the latest in a series of sanctions the US has placed on Georgian politicians and others this year. Those sanctions include freezes on assets and properties those targeted may have in US jurisdictions or that might enter US jurisdictions as well as travel bans on the targets and members of their families. “We strongly condemn Georgian Dream’s actions under Ivanishvili’s leadership, including its ongoing and violent repression of Georgian citizens, protesters, members of the media, human rights activists, and opposition figures,” the State Department said in a statement. “The United States is committed to promoting accountability for those undermining democracy and human rights in Georgia.” Mr Ivanishvili is a billionaire who made his fortune in Russia and served briefly as Georgia’s prime minister. In 2012, he founded Georgian Dream, Georgia’s longtime ruling party. Critics have accused Georgian Dream of becoming increasingly authoritarian and tilted towards Moscow. The party recently pushed through laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to crack down on freedom of speech and LGBT+ rights, prompting the European Union to suspend Georgia’s membership application process indefinitely. In October, Georgian Dream won another term in a divisive parliamentary election that has led to more mass protests. Last month, the country’s prime minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, announced a four-year suspension of talks on Georgia’s bid to join the European Union, fuelling further public outrage.

NoneNEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are rising toward records Tuesday after Donald Trump’s latest talk about tariffs created only some ripples on Wall Street, even if they could roil the global economy were they to take effect. The S&P 500 climbed 0.5% and was on track to top its all-time high set a couple weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 81 points, or 0.2%, to its own record set the day before, while the Nasdaq composite was 0.5% higher, with less than an hour remaining in trading. People are also reading... Stock markets abroad were down, but mostly only modestly, after President-elect Trump said he plans to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China as soon as he takes office. Stock indexes were down 0.1% in Shanghai and nearly flat in Hong Kong, while Canada's main index edged down by just 0.1%. Trump has often praised the use of tariffs , but investors are weighing whether his latest threat will actually become policy or is just an opening point for negotiations. For now, the market seems to be taking it more as the latter. Unless the United States can prepare alternatives for the autos, energy products and other goods that come from Mexico, Canada and China, such tariffs would raise the price of imported items all at once and make households poorer, according to Carl Weinberg and Rubeela Farooqi, economists at High Frequency Economics. They would also hurt profit margins for U.S. companies, while raising the threat of retaliatory tariffs by other countries. General Motors sank 8.2%, and Ford Motor fell 2.6% because both import automobiles from Mexico. Constellation Brands, which sells Modelo and other Mexican beer brands in the United States, dropped 3.9%. Beyond the pain such tariffs would cause U.S. households and businesses, they could also push the Federal Reserve to slow or even halt its cuts to interest rates. The Fed had just begun easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high a couple months ago to offer support to the job market . While lower interest rates can boost the overall economy and prices for investments, they can also offer more fuel for inflation. “Many” officials at the Fed's last meeting earlier this month said they should lower rates gradually, according to minutes of the meeting released Tuesday afternoon. Unlike tariffs in Trump's first term, his proposal from Monday night would affect products across the board. Trump’s tariff talk came almost immediately after U.S. stocks rose Monday amid excitement about his pick for Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent. The hope was the hedge-fund manager could steer Trump away from policies that balloon the U.S. government deficit, which is how much more it spends than it takes in through taxes and other revenue. The talk about tariffs overshadowed another set of mixed profit reports from U.S. retailers that answered few questions about how much more shoppers can keep spending. They’ll need to stay resilient after helping the economy avoid a recession, despite the high interest rates instituted by the Fed to get inflation under control. Kohl’s tumbled 17.6% after its results for the latest quarter fell short of analysts’ expectations. CEO Tom Kingsbury said sales remain soft for apparel and footwear. A day earlier, Kingsbury said he plans to step down as CEO in January. Ashley Buchanan, CEO of Michaels and a retail veteran, will replace him. Best Buy fell 4.7% after likewise falling short of analysts’ expectations. Dick’s Sporting Goods topped forecasts for the latest quarter thanks to a strong back-to-school season, but its stock lost an early gain to fall 1.4%. A report on Tuesday from the Conference Board said confidence among U.S. consumers improved in November, but not by as much as economists expected. J.M. Smucker jumped 5.4% for one of the biggest gains in the S&P 500 after topping analysts' expectations for the latest quarter. CEO Mark Smucker credited strength for its Uncrustables, Meow Mix, Café Bustelo and Jif brands. Big Tech stocks also helped prop up U.S. indexes. Gains of 2.8% for Amazon and 2% for Microsoft were the two strongest forces lifting the S&P 500. In the bond market, Treasury yields rose following their big drop from a day before driven by relief following Trump’s pick for Treasury secretary. The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed to 4.30% from 4.28% late Monday, but it’s still well below the 4.41% level where it ended last week. In the crypto market, bitcoin continued to pull back after topping $99,000 for the first time late last week. It's since dipped back toward $91,600, according to CoinDesk. It’s a sharp turnaround from the bonanza that initially took over the crypto market following Trump’s election. That boom had also appeared to have spilled into some corners of the stock market. Strategists at Barclays Capital pointed to stocks of unprofitable companies, along with other areas that can be caught up in bursts of optimism by smaller-pocketed “retail” investors. AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.

Luke Humphries defeats Luke Littler to retain Players Championship Finals titleOpenAI, one of the world’s most valuable startups, originally began in 2015 as a nonprofit focused on AI research. But as the cost of achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI)—AI that could surpass human intelligence—soars, the company is shifting gears to attract more funding. On December 26, OpenAI announced in a blog post that it plans to set up a public benefit corporation ( PBC ) for its commercial operations, while keeping its nonprofit arm focused on charitable initiatives. Key changes in structure The proposed transformation will enable OpenAI’s existing for-profit division to function as a Delaware PBC “with ordinary shares of stock.” This shift is designed to attract the substantial investments required for the company’s ambitious projects. “The hundreds of billions of dollars that major companies are now investing into AI development show what it will really take for OpenAI to continue pursuing the mission,” OpenAI’s board explained . They emphasized the need for “conventional equity” to secure funding at this scale. OpenAI’s latest $6.6 billion funding round at a valuation of $157 billion hinged on whether the company could restructure its corporate model to remove a profit cap for investors. The board highlighted the importance of aligning its structure to sustain both its nonprofit goals and the for-profit capital needed to advance AI technologies. The nonprofit arm will retain a significant stake in the PBC, with its valuation determined by independent financial advisors. This structure aims to balance OpenAI’s mission-driven goals with the flexibility to raise capital effectively. | Financial landscape and market position OpenAI has experienced exponential growth, achieving the $157 billion valuation within two years of launching its groundbreaking chatbot, ChatGPT. Recent McKinsey research suggests that generative AI could contribute between $2.6 trillion and $4.4 trillion annually to the global economy, reflecting the immense potential of AI technologies. But despite generating $3.7 billion in revenue this year, OpenAI anticipates losses of $5 billion , underscoring the need for additional capital to sustain its trajectory.

An American missile defense system was used for the first time to intercept a retaliatory attack launched by Yemen’s Houthis rebels at Israel’s central airport overnight as threats continue to escalate between the Jewish state and Iran’s terror proxies. The projectile, targeting Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, was intercepted outside Israel’s airspace using a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system that was deployed by the United States in Israel this year, Reuters reported , citing an anonymous source. “18 years I’ve been waiting for this,” an American soldier could be heard saying in footage posted to social media showing the THAAD system launching an interceptor. President Biden placed the anti-missile system, along with about 100 US soldiers, in Israel to help defend the country following Iran’s Oct. 1 ballistic missile attack on the Jewish state, the outlet reported. The THADD system generally consists of six, truck-mounted launchers, 49 interceptors and radio and radar equipment, with 95 soldiers needed to operate. The latest attack — the fifth in the past eight days — triggered air raid sirens in Tel Aviv and surrounding areas overnight. Flights were reportedly halted for 30 minutes and about 18 people suffered minor injuries escaping to bomb shelters, The Times of Israel reported . Israel launched a multi-wave attack across Yemen on Thursday in retaliation for Houthi missiles and drone strikes, hitting key infrastructure like Sana’a International Airport in the Yemeni capital, as well as power plants in Aziz and Ras Cantib. Israel Defense Forces warplanes also took out key infrastructure in the ports of Hodeidah, al-Salif and Ras Cantib on Yemen’s western coast. Israel said the facilities it targeted were used by Houthi terrorists to shuttle Iranian weapons to the region, and demonstrated how the group uses “civilian infrastructure for terrorist purposes.” At least six people were killed during the attack, according to Houthi-run media. Houthi rebels have been a continuous thorn in the side of both Israel and international shipping companies since Hamas attacked the Jewish state on Oct. 7, 2023. They have repeatedly attacked cargo and tanker ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz and have also launched missiles and drones at US forces stationed in the region. The Houthis have previously promised to continue their harassment of Israel so long as the war in Gaza persists. At least 200 missiles and 170 drones have been launched into Israel by the terror group in the past year. With Post wires

MP's expenses 'incomplete'ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons are back in first place in the NFC South and again in control of their playoff hopes. Rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. showed the poise in his first NFL start the Falcons will need to take advantage of their opportunity to end a six-year playoff drought. Powered by a big-play defense that produced two pick-6s, a solid starting debut by Penix and two rushing touchdowns by Bijan Robinson, the Falcons cruised past the hapless New York Giants 34-7 on Sunday. On Sunday night, the Falcons (8-7) received the assist they needed when Tampa Bay lost at Dallas . Because the Falcons swept the Buccaneers, they hold the tiebreaker advantage if they remain tied atop the division. The Falcons have games remaining at Washington on Sunday night and at home against Carolina to close the regular season. If Atlanta wins both games, it would win the division and have a home playoff game. The Falcons are assured of their best record since a 10-6 finish under coach Dan Quinn in 2017, their most recent playoff season. Quinn is in his first season as Washington's coach and has led the Commanders (10-5) to three straight wins, including Sunday's 36-33 victory over Philadelphia. Penix, the No. 8 overall pick in this year's NFL draft, was promoted after coach Raheem Morris benched Kirk Cousins. Penix completed 18 of 27 passes for 202 yards with one interception on a pass that should have been caught by tight end Kyle Pitts. Penix is not a dual-threat quarterback, but he showed the ability to escape pressure in the pocket that Cousins lacks following his 2023 Achilles tendon injury. The left-hander's superior arm strength also was immediately obvious. Robinson's production provided a safety net for the offense which helped make for a smooth transition to Penix. Robinson had scoring runs of 2 and 4 yards. Robinson has rushed for 10 touchdowns this season. He's the first Atlanta player with 10 more more rushing touchdowns since Devonta Freeman during the 2016 Super Bowl season. Robinson ran for 94 yards on 22 carries and had 103 yards from scrimmage. His 11th game this season with at least 100 yards from scrimmage are the most for the Falcons since Warrick Dunn's 11 in 2005. Morris said Robinson deserves to be considered with Philadelphia's Saquon Barkley in discussions regarding the league's top running backs. “Bijan has been outstanding all year in the things that he’s able to do," Morris said. “He’s special. If it wasn’t for this other guy out in Philly, he’d get a lot more recognition across the league. But that guy is having a special year, and Bijan’s not far behind him.” With kicker Younghoe Koo on injured reserve and watching from the sideline, Riley Patterson was wide left on his first field-goal attempt from 43 yards. Patterson rebounded to make attempts from 52 and 37 yards. Jessie Bates III and Matthew Judon each had a pick-6 to highlight a day of big plays for the defense. Arnold Ebiketie had his fifth sack of the season and added a fumble recovery. Kaden Ellis added a strip-sack. He also has five sacks this season, including sacks in four consecutive games. It is the longest streak for Atlanta since Patrick Kerney had sacks in five straight games in 2001. There was some thought that a change at quarterback could be good news for Pitts, who often seemed to be missing in action with Cousins running the offense. After all, a tight end often is a natural target for quick passes from a rookie making his first start. Instead, Pitts had a poor start to the Penix era when he bobbled his first pass from the left-hander, creating an interception by cornerback Cor’Dale Flott. Pitts caught a 7-yard pass on his only other target. For the season, Pitts has 41 catches for 543 yards and three touchdowns. There will be much interest in this week's injury report after WR Drake London (hamstring) was hurt in the second half. Morris provided an optimistic postgame outlook on London. CB Antonio Hamilton (quad) did not return after leaving the game in the first half. 8: Bates has four interceptions and four forced fumbles. His combined eight forced turnovers lead the NFL. The game against Jayden Daniels and the Commanders is a reminder Penix was only the fourth of six quarterbacks selected in the first round of the NFL draft. Daniels, from LSU, was the No. 2 overall pick behind Caleb Williams by Chicago. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl