Latest news with #Bloch
Business Recorder
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Explosive weapons taking too high a toll
EDITORIAL: Although our internal security situation has improved considerably relative to the years between 2008 and 2013 when a blast wounded or killed at least five people every day, Pakistan continues to be wracked by violence. As per a recent report put out by UK-based NGO, Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), Pakistan was the seventh most affected country for civilians harmed by explosive weapons in 2024, with 790 civilian casualties and 210 killings recorded across 248 incidents. This was a nine percent decrease from the previous year, but an eleven percent increase in incidents compared to 2018, placing Pakistan at 7th position among 15 countries and territories severely impacted by explosive weapons; that gloomy list topped by the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza followed by external attacks or civil war in other countries, such as Lebanon, Syria, Sudan, Ukraine and Myanmar. Overall, notes the AOAV report, 2024 saw the highest number of recorded incidents in Pakistan since 2014, and the second highest number of civilian casualties since 2018. The provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan were worst affected, accounting for 94 percent of all fatalities and 89 percent of all incidents nationwide. In KP, areas such as North Waziristan and Kurram bordering Afghanistan witnessed intensified insurgent activities, whilst Balochistan experienced a 90 percent rise in violence compared to 2023. Notably, for a while the TTP terrorists and Baloch insurgent groups, in particular Indian-back Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), are said to have made a nexus against the state. Frequently acting in coordination, they have been targeting not only the security forces but also the police and ordinary civilians, using arms and munitions acquired from Afghanistan as well as homemade improvised explosive devices (IEDs). And whereas in the past only religious extremists, such as the TTP and IS-K, carried out suicide bombings causing massive casualties, Bloch insurgent outfit BLA-affiliated suicide squad called the Majeed Brigade has been involved in several high profile attacks, specifically on Chinese interests. Pakistan now has the highest rate of IED and suicide bombings claiming civilian lives. Just last Wednesday, a suicide car bombing on a school bus in Khuzdar killed nine people, six of them children, and wounded 40 others. The situation calls for a comprehensive strategy to combat terrorism in its different forms. As mentioned earlier, one of the major problems is both munitions and militants coming from Afghanistan. There is some positive news on that front. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar upon his return from a three-day visit to China told journalists at a presser on Thursday that during tripartite meetings a clear agreement was reached with both Beijing and Kabul that no terrorist organisation, whether the banned TTP, BLA or any other groups would be allowed to use any country's — Afghanistan's to be sure — against another. Hopefully, we can count on this agreement. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A serial entrepreneur, a musician, and Walmart's CEO walk into an AI factory…
In the days after the serial entrepreneur Ben Kaufman exited from his retail store startup CAMP early last year, he found himself in Walmart's hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas meeting with a fellow tech founder he had partnered with years earlier. Before CAMP, Kaufman had also founded consumer startups Mophie, Quirky and Homesick Candles, and held exec roles at BuzzFeed. Now, he was looking for inspiration on what he might pursue next. The fellow entrepreneur was Yoni Bloch, an Israeli musical artist who in 2010 had founded a video tech startup now known as Eko, which Kaufman's companies partnered with in the past. In its early years, Eko (formerly Interlude) was supposed to disrupt the entertainment business by creating technology that enabled interactive features like choose-your-own adventure type customization of videos for online viewers. As a result, it attracted strategic investors like MGM Studios and Warner Music Group, in addition to venture players like Intel Capital and Sequoia Capital's former Israel-focused fund. But when that didn't catch on, layoffs and a pivot ensued. Eko finally found product-market fit in a less flashy but more monetizable space: the product catalogues of online shopping sites. More specifically, by bringing more detail and interactivity to product image galleries that the startup says drive higher engagement and better conversion rates from online shoppers. One of the biggest supporters of the reimagined Eko vision has been Walmart and, perhaps more importantly, its CEO Doug McMillon. (When I was conducting interviews for my book Winner Sells All about the Amazon/Walmart rivalry, several former Walmart execs used the same phrase to describe Eko founder Bloch's influence on McMillon—to them, he was the CEO's technology 'muse.') McMillon first met Bloch on a trip to Israel, the story goes, and a $250 million investment in Eko and joint venture followed. (In what is a rare startup occurrence that might only be interesting to an e-commerce nerd like me: Amazon sits alongside its retail rival Walmart on Eko's cap table, thanks to the tech giant's acquisition of early Eko investor MGM.) Now, a year and a half after the Kaufman/Bloch powwow in Bentonville, Eko is announcing that it has hired Kaufman as its president and chief commercial officer, and that he'll oversee the buildout and operations of a new 70,000-square-foot warehouse in Bentonville—what the startup is dubbing a 'capture factory.' Inside this 'factory,' AI-powered robotic cameras will shoot images of eventually hundreds of thousands of products—predominantly for Walmart at first, but eventually for other e-commerce websites and brands in the future. Eko says it'll hire 200 local residents to run the facility. Today, Eko's technology helps produce 'smart' image galleries—a few thousand are currently live on Walmart's shopping site—that provide online shoppers a more realistic view of a product: What does this bakeware set look like with the lids on versus off? How does the fabric of the swivel chair come across in the real world? But Kaufman's vision for Eko and its robotic photo studios is much bigger. He believes that all of the product data and attributes that the startup's proprietary camera system captures—and which the startup says is often more accurate than the details a product's suppliers might provide—could serve as a 'source of truth' in an online shopping world where AI companies like OpenAI and Perplexity need accurate data if they want to successfully popularize the AI-powered shopping recommendations and agents they've recently launched. 'GS1 was the standard to help computers identify products,' Kaufman told me recently, referencing the standard for retail barcodes. 'In the future, Eko could become the standard to help computers understand products.' It's an ambitious vision—and it starts on a new type of factory floor. See you tomorrow, Jason Del ReyX: @DelReyEmail: a deal for the Term Sheet newsletter here. Nina Ajemian curated the deals section of today's newsletter. Subscribe here. This story was originally featured on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Is the push to sell public land a solution or a risk to conservation?
Despite the U.S. Supreme Court's denial earlier this year to take up Utah's federal lands case, Republican members of Congress are advocating for the sale of several parcels of public lands to address housing and development challenges. Close to midnight in the Committee on Natural Resources meeting last week, Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., and Rep. Celeste Maloy, R-Utah, proposed and passed an amendment to the 2025 fiscal year reconciliation bill that would market multiple parcels of public land in both states. Nevada and Utah have the largest amount of federally owned land in the country, and Maloy argued during the committee meeting that not all federally owned land holds the same value. It would be best used by the public in other ways. 'Some should not be available for disposal. We all agree on that,' she said. Her district includes some of the state's most famous landmarks and national parks — areas such as Washington County, which encompasses parts of Zion National Park. It also includes St. George, one of the fastest-growing communities in the nation. Overall, her district consists of 82% federally managed land. 'The high percentage of federal lands impacts the local government's ability to work on economic and transportation development, manage natural resources and fully take advantage of recreational activities,' she added, further explaining that the amendment would target 60 regional parcels totaling over 10,000 acres 'to be conveyed to the water district, the city of St. George and Washington County at fair market value.' Despite the amendment passing the House committee 23-18, environmental groups and recreation advocates have been vocal in opposing developmental pressures in the name of public land conservation. Steve Bloch, the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance's legal director, cautioned that this could impact the American West as we know it. 'There's a right and a wrong way to identify tracks of land for disposal. The right way is working through the processes that the Bureau of Land Management has for identifying very discrete tracts of land that might be suitable for things like affordable housing or for other purposes,' he told the Deseret News. Bloch said that the organization felt Maloy and Amodei had not taken this route because they introduced the 33-page amendment 'at the 13th hour of a 13-hour hearing, literally at 11 o'clock at night.' Bloch was among close to 50 protesters that attended a field hearing on Monday to show public opposition to Maloy's public lands amendment during a House Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources in Cedar City. 'These are places that Utahns hunt and fish and recreate on, you know, enjoy with their families, and all of that's at risk,' he said. The fear is that though it's generally a small amount of land, eventually more and more federal land will be sold off too. None of the public land resides in a national park; a few parcels (11, 19, and 3) border Zion National Park. In her statements before the committee, Maloy stated that the land totals one-third of one percent of the federal land in the state. Bloch said that what he thinks it comes down to is 'Republican legislators who don't appreciate the value of federally public lands. They think of it as simply numbers in a ledger, to sell off some tracts of land and to use it as a part of a tax cut plan for billionaires, and (it's) so out of touch with how Utahns and Westerners and Americans think about federal lands.' However, Maloy has been very vocal about the fact that the public lands amendment requires that the Utah land be conveyed at fair market value to public entities, and it will be conveyed directly to the counties, water district, and St. George. She told Deseret News, 'It's not a money grab. It's a revenue source for the federal government' that will bring revenue to the country and ultimately reduce the nation's deficit. It is also 'ensuring a strong economy for Utah, which is good for everybody.'
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art selects architect for $170M expansion project
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art has selected the architect for its expansion and transformation project. The art museum unanimously selected Weiss/Manfredi as the lead architect for the museum's $170 million expansion project. Campsites, recreation areas across Kansas and Missouri to close in May, Army says In March, the museum asked for the public's help deciding which of the six finalists had the best design. The six finalists were selected after the museum launched a worldwide architectural competition. Weiss/Manfredi's concept is aligned with the museum's goals for a dynamic, open and inviting design that will create more spaces to present all forms of art, as well as new opportunities for immersive and creative experiences, the museum said. The museum's Architect Selection Committee made the recommendation, and the choice was ratified by the Board of Trustees shortly thereafter. The museum will now begin the months-long process of turning the concept into more specific and detailed plans to meet the long-term needs and goals of the community. 'Weiss/Manfredi's concept absolutely blew us away as it captured the spirit of the museum while offering a bold vision for our future,' said Julián Zugazagoitia, Director & CEO of the Nelson-Atkins. 'Central to our competition was the need to respect the Nelson-Atkins' original, neoclassical building, as well as our beautiful Bloch building, while also bringing something new to our campus. This concept delivers all of that, and we look forward to working with Marion, Michael, and their team to collaborate on an expansion design that keeps our commitment to great experiences with art and forges a deep sense of belonging and connection within our community.' The competition process was led by an Architect Selection Committee formed of current and former Trustees and Zugazagoitia. Lawrence Police recover man's stolen guitar after burglary spree Weiss/Manfredi's design, which the firm refers to as a 'connected tapestry,' re-establishes a front door for the museum on the north side, opens up the west side with an events and learning lobby along Oak Street—and, through new gateways and paths, makes the northern and southern perimeters more welcoming to the community. The events lobby will open out to a 'commons' space and a new photography center, allowing glimpses of the original building and landscape. 'We are deeply honored to work with The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art on this transformative project,' said Marion Weiss and Michael Manfredi, Design Partners at Weiss/Manfredi. 'We look forward to collaborating with the museum and community to create a more transparent and welcoming cultural campus.' The international competition announced in spring 2024 resulted in nearly 200 entries from architects in 30 countries on six continents. The six finalists were chosen to present at the museum in late 2024, and the public was asked to give their input. 'It is anticipated that the expansion will be privately funded,' the museum said. 'Now that an architect has been chosen, design development will commence and will be closely monitored by museum and Board of Trustees leadership.' Kansas City tattoo artist helps self-harm survivors find beauty in brokenness The museum said it will continue to keep the community involved in the process, in particular the many students who visit Nelson-Atkins for its programs and classes. The museum will host a free, public celebration of the announcement on Thursday, April 24, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Kirkwood Hall. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Forbes
01-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Eko Brings Online Product Pages To Life With Interactive Media
Eko helps consumers discover products. Courtesy of Eko Eko, an AI-driven ecommerce company, has transformed online product pages by creating video images that allow consumers to more deeply experience items. Founded by Yoni Bloch, an Israeli singer with three albums to his name, Bloch created music videos for Cold Play and Bob Dylan, but wanted a more sustainable business proposition. He found that retailers' online product pages were ripe for innovation. 'We went from the world of entertainment and storytelling to the much more boring world of ecommerce and we found out this interesting thing about product detail pages,' Bloch said. 'It's actually a very important moment in shopping. You're deciding whether you want to buy an item and the page hasn't been changed in the last 30 years since ecommerce started. It actually looks the same with text and a small gallery on the side that shows you pretty boring photos.' Walmart, a foundational partner, has implemented Eko's technology over the last 18 months and has increased sales across a variety of high-consideration items in the electronics, home goods, toys, and baby categories. Walmart and Eko are set to continue their partnership into 2025, during which time it's anticipated they will release hundreds of thousands of products on and its mobile applications. 'It's inspiring to see how our associates are leveraging Eko's technology to make shopping with us more enjoyable and convenient,' said Doug McMillon, president and CEO, Walmart. 'Around the world Walmart's goal is simple: We're focused on saving our customers and members both money and time. We'll continue to leverage great tech to give them the best possible experience.' When customers experience products through Eko, it positively impacts metrics such as gross merchandise value and lowers the rate of returns and increases both conversion rates and engagement because shoppers feel more confident about what they're buying, Bloch said. Now Walmart is implementing Eko across its entire catalog. After testing on thousands of items Eko will now be found on millions of items, making Walmart the first retailer to commit to video-based product pages across its entire catalog. 'It's a huge scale, a really big deal for us,' Bloch said. 'We're hiring hundreds of people and creating this huge capability. It really combines the incredible scale of the millions of items that Walmart brings and our capability which makes sure that each item is incredibly cinematic and engaging and exciting.' Eko uses data-driven insights to optimize and personalize customer experiences. The company creates one-on-one experiences for customers that optimize the product gallery and increase certainty and confidence. 'Imagine you're going shopping for a stroller,' said Bloch. 'We know if it's the first time you've been to the site or the third time or the tenth time. We tailor what we show you in the gallery. The first time, we show you all the things that you technically need to know. On the third time, you'll see social proof or other people using those strollers. 'We're a technology company but we're not selling technology, we're trying to reimagine the shopping experience,' Bloch said. 'We're coming with a big appetite. We feel this world of ecommerce hasn't changed and hasn't evolved. People are taking the same experience and making little iterations, but nobody's reimagined it.'
