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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Accelus Secures New Growth Financing To Support Continued Commercial Expansion and Pipeline Innovation
Industry Veteran Bernie Haffey Appointed Chairman of Accelus Board of Directors PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla., May 29, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Accelus ("The Company"), a privately held medical technology company committed to becoming the global market leader in expandable spinal implant technologies, today announced the closing of a new equity financing round led by Concord Health Partners, a healthcare-focused investment firm. The capital will support Accelus's continued commercial growth and further development of its differentiated spinal implant technologies. In conjunction with the financing, Accelus has appointed industry veteran Bernie Haffey as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. Haffey, who joined the Accelus board in February 2024, has over 20 years of medtech and healthcare sector experience and will help oversee the Company's next phase of growth. Mr. Haffey founded and serves as President of Haffey&Co, a strategic business management consultancy firm that partners with organizations to optimize performance and execute on strategic goals. He previously served as President & CEO of two successful medtech venture-backed start-ups, Nexis Vision Inc and NDO Surgical, and held executive management roles at Summit Technology, IntraLase Corp Mentor Corp and in Hewlett Packard's Medical Products Group. "The continued support from our partners through this latest equity financing round reinforces our long-term vision to bring meaningful innovation to spine care and expand access to minimally invasive solutions for both surgeons and patients," said Kevin McGann, President and CEO of Accelus. "We are now well positioned to deepen our U.S. market presence and invest in future pipeline innovations that meet the real-world needs of spine surgeons across care settings." Accelus's product portfolio includes the FlareHawk® Interbody Fusion System featuring Adaptive Geometry™ technology, LineSider® Spinal System with modular-cortical screws, and Toro-L® Interbody Fusion System. The company's differentiated implants and instruments support a wide range of minimally invasive techniques suitable for both hospital and ambulatory surgery center (ASC) environments with the goal of preserving patient anatomy, enhancing procedural efficiency, and promoting long-term spinal stability. With more than 32,000 cages implanted in 25 countries, Accelus has established a strong foundation for growth by delivering scalable, surgeon-driven technologies that challenge traditional limitations in spine surgery. The additional funding will enable the company to expand its reach and continue building momentum as it expands its FlareHawk and Toro portfolios. "I am delighted to take this new role as Chairman of the Accelus Board at an important time in the Company's evolution," said Haffey. "I look forward to working with Kevin and the rest of the Accelus team to help drive continued growth and advance the Company's ongoing commitment to building on its best-in-class product offering and stellar reputation." About Accelus Accelus, a worldwide leader in expandable spinal implant technology, is dedicated to enhancing surgical procedures and patient outcomes through innovative spinal solutions. The company's commitment to excellence is evident in its advanced Adaptive Geometry technologies specifically designed for transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF), posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF), endoscopic-assisted, percutaneous, and lateral spine surgeries. For more information on Accelus and its innovative product portfolio, please visit About Concord Health Partners Concord Health Partners is a healthcare-focused investment firm with a strategic model that optimizes the alignment of interests between investors and portfolio companies. Concord has developed a broad network of strategic relationships that contribute expertise and resources and serve as potential commercial partners to portfolio companies. Concord is primarily focused on investing in healthcare companies that have the potential to enhance the value of care through technologies and solutions that lower costs, improve quality, and expand access to care. For more information, visit View source version on Contacts Media Contact: Brandy Craig305-676-1679bcraig@
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Where Is Colleen Stan Now? Inside Her Life 48 Years After the Shocking ‘Girl in the Box' Kidnapping
Colleen Stan was abducted 48 years ago while hitchhiking Her captors, Cameron and Janice Hooker, kept her in a box for seven years giving her kidnapping the moniker 'Girl in the Box' Stan finally escaped and has gone on to tell her storyThe harrowing story of Colleen Stan's 'Girl in the Box' kidnapping captivated the country in the 1980s when she escaped and named her abductors, Cameron and Janice Hooker. On May 19, 1977, 20-year-old Colleen was hitchhiking on the way from her Eugene, Ore., home to a friend's birthday party when she was picked up by a couple, Cameron and Janice, who had their baby in the car. The child in the backseat made Colleen think they were a 'safe' option, as she told CBS News in 2009. After 30 minutes, Cameron pulled over and threatened to kill Colleen while holding a knife to her throat. He bound and gagged her and placed a homemade wooden 'head box," which weighed 20 lbs. according to Snapped Notorious: Girl in the Box, over her head. 'I thought I was going to die,' Colleen told PEOPLE in 2016. The Hookers kept Colleen imprisoned in their Red Bluff, Calif. home for seven years. She was kept in a coffin-like box for up to 23 hours a day, released only to be beaten, raped and tortured. Cameron told her that a group called 'The Company' would hunt her down and kill her if she tried to escape, and forced her to sign a slave contract that he claimed was from the group. Years later, Colleen eventually made a miraculous escape and has gone on to share her story. Here's everything to know about the 'Girl in the Box' kidnapping and Colleen Stan's life now. Colleen was 20 years old when she was kidnapped while hitchhiking in California. She earned the moniker the 'Girl in the Box' for the torture she faced at the hands of her kidnappers, Cameron and Janice, who kept her locked in a box for up to 23 hours a day. Not much is known about Colleen's life before her 1977 abduction and subsequent captivity. However, during her ordeal, her family theorized that she had joined a cult. Under Cameron's supervision, Colleen was allowed to visit and call her family three years into her captivity, but her sporadic, inconsistent contact and appearance made them believe something was wrong — and she never told them the truth about what was happening to her. They assumed she had joined a cult, as Colleen told Closer in 2008. 'I was so scared of Cameron and The Company that even when I was alone with my parents, I didn't tell them where I'd been for three years,' she told the outlet, adding that Cameron posed as her fiancé. 'We mostly talked about everything I'd missed out on – special occasions and family news. They were convinced I'd joined a cult.' After kidnapping Colleen in 1977, Cameron and Janice subjected Colleen to torture, rape and abuse throughout the seven years they kept her in captivity. Colleen was also repeatedly electrocuted and whipped by Cameron, often while chained to basement rafters or a homemade 'rack,' according to court documents. She was kept in a box under the couple's waterbed and only let out for a few hours late at night. Eventually, the Hookers let Colleen out of the box more regularly, as she performed chores around the house and babysat the couple's two children, according to court documents, and she later got a job as a hotel maid a few miles away from the house. Colleen didn't try to escape at first out of fear of 'The Company' — a group Cameron told her would kill her if she attempted to flee. Colleen told PEOPLE in 2016 that she got through the experience by focusing on all her happy memories of her family and friends. 'I learned I could go anywhere in my mind,' she said. 'You just remove yourself from the real situation going on and you go somewhere else. You go somewhere pleasant, around people you love. Whatever makes you happy.' Colleen escaped from the Hookers in 1984 with the help of one of her abductors. That year, Janice confided in a pastor about the past seven years of keeping Colleen hostage. The religious leader advised that both she and Colleen, as well as Janice and Cameron's children, should leave him and turn him into the authorities, according to court documents. While Cameron was at work, Janice took her children and Colleen to her parents' house, where Colleen called her father. 'I don't know why she waited so long, and really until this day I don't know exactly why,' Colleen told PEOPLE in 2016, adding that she believed Cameron did something that made Janice 'fear for her life and made her decide that we needed to get out.' The feelings Colleen experienced when she finally escaped were overwhelming. 'My first feeling when I was free and reunited with my family was just, I was so filled with joy,' Colleen said. 'It was just like my cup was overflowing with joy.' Since her escape, Colleen has attempted to live a normal life, though the impact of her captivity still remains with her. Closer reported in 2008 that Colleen was living in northern California, working as a secretary. Eight years later, Colleen told PEOPLE that she was still living in the southern state, having just married for the fourth time, and was raising her then-2-year-old grandson. She said that she had had a wonderful life since she escaped, and was grateful to be alive. 'Your life is just kinda in limbo when you're in captivity, and once you get that freedom back and you have that choice again, it's just like the gates open, and you just run for it," Colleen shared. Every year on August 10 — the day she escaped from the Hookers — Colleen and her family, including her daughter, have a party on the beach to celebrate, as Oxygen reported in 2021. 'I thoroughly enjoy my freedom. Always, always, always. Life today is good,' Colleen said in the Oxygen documentary Snapped Notorious: Girl in the Box. 'You have to learn how to live in the now and not let that past drag you back." In November 1985, Cameron was convicted for kidnapping and sexual assaults, and sentenced to 104 years in prison, per the Los Angeles Times. During his sentencing, the judge on the case called him 'the most dangerous psychopath I have ever encountered." He was incarcerated at the California Institute for Men in Chino, Calif., per Record Searchlight, but was released on parole to the Department of State Hospitals in 2021, according to Red Bluff Daily News. The Tehama County District Attorney in California has lobbied to get Cameron designated as a 'sexual violent predator,' the proceedings of which delay his hearing and parole eligibility, per Record Searchlight. Colleen lobbied for the designation, as she did not want Cameron released into the world. 'He's just an evil person,' she told local California news outlet KRCR in 2021. 'I would really love to say that he is a different person ... but he's not.' In April 2024, Cameron's hearing to determine whether he will be designated a sexually violent predator was delayed again to August 2024. Pending that outcome, his next parole eligibility hearing won't be until 2030, per The Mercury News. Though Janice was involved in the kidnapping and torture of Colleen, she faced no charges, as she agreed to testify against Cameron in exchange for immunity. 'I felt like I didn't have any choice,' she said at Cameron's trial, explaining that he threatened her life if she didn't participate in Colleen's torture. Multiple documentaries, books and a full-length movie have been released depicting Colleen's kidnapping and torture. At the time of Cameron's trial, the case was highly publicized, resulting in a 1989 book written by a district attorney who prosecuted the case titled Perfect Victim. Then, in 2009, Colleen published a memoir about her kidnapping, written by Jim Green but told through her first-person perspective. In 2013, the Investigation Discovery series Dangerous Persuasions included an episode about Colleen called 'Seven Year Slave,' and in 2016, the A&E Crime Central documentary series Girl in the Box featured first-hand testimony from Colleen and police officials involved in the case. That same year, Lifetime released a two-hour movie about Colleen's ordeal. The movie's director, Stephen Kemp, met Colleen while filming the Dangerous Persuasions docuseries, which he also directed, and sparked the idea for a movie. '[I was] struck by both her and her story,' Kemp told PEOPLE in 2016. 'I was very surprised it hadn't been sampled as a drama before, so I began the process of developing the script." Colleen was on set for the movie, meeting the actors and watching the filming. She told PEOPLE that the lead actor who played Cameron was afraid to meet her, thinking she would be angry with him for playing the role of her captor. 'I met him and I said, 'Hon, somebody had to play him.' I said, 'I feel bad for you that you had to play this guy,' ' Colleen said. In 2021, Oxygen also released a documentary special, Snapped Notorious: The Girl in the Box, which included first-hand accounts from Colleen about her experience. Read the original article on People
Indian Express
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
What are The Murderbot Diaries? The award-winning books behind Apple TV+'s sci-fi hit Murderbot starring Alexander Skarsgård
Apple TV+ has just premiered an adaptation of the award-winning sci-fi book series titled Murderbot. And if you're confused by the scary or maybe off-putting title, let us tell you, the show will introduce you to this strange, reluctant hero who likes watching soap operas. Set in the far future, the title is just a cheeky nod to its laid-back personality — and honestly, it's not very good at being a killer. Played by Alexander Skarsgård, the robot gives the title to itself after declaring 'humans are idiots' and breaking free from the system that used to control its actions. But the one who hates and is always horrified by human emotion is vulnerable as well. The books that inspired the show come from Martha Wells. She wrote a series called The Murderbot Diaries, which has seven novellas, two novels, and a couple of short stories. Also read: Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, in all its exhaustive and bloated messiness, stands as a tribute to the myth of Tom Cruise In the very first book of the series that came out in 2017, Murderbot says, 'As a heartless killing machine, I was a terrible failure,' and that pretty well sums up the whole point of this lighthearted series that can also turn dark and self-reflective at times. Fed up with human emotions, Murderbot—who was designed to make humans' lives easier in the future—hacks its own control system. Martha Wells, who is no stranger to writing fantasy novels, having already worked on Ile-Rien and The Books of the Raksura as well as Stargate and Star Wars-linked books, published the first Murderbot book, All Systems Red, in 2017. The first part is a quick read, and the next three follow the same pace. Then, in 2020, the first full-length novel in the series, Network Effect, was released. But when it comes to the adaptation, the show is based on only the first part. Also Read | Tom Cruise says 'Bharosa karo, ek aakhri baar' as he gets nostalgic about Taj Mahal, Mumbai: 'Want to make Bollywood-style film' If you want to go through the books first, this is the order Here's how the books came out: The story revolves around a group of scientists who are on a quest to explore an alien planet, and to protect them, security robots are appointed by a ruthless corporation called The Company. But to add to its annoyance, the humans around Murderbot are all kind and treat it like one of them. Murderbot finds people exhausting, they're emotional, they want eye contact, and they keep trying to talk and touch it. But he is nothing like them, though he's still vulnerable to a few, but often ends up needing a break to recharge. Interestingly, because of how it acts and feels, many neurodivergent viewers really connect with the character. The robot calls itself 'Murderbot' as a joke, but it's actually pretty shy and awkward around humans. It pretends the whole time, knowing humans might panic if they find out it's free-thinking. And since it's someone who doesn't want to overthrow humans or fight aliens, and instead just wants to do their job while binge-watching soap operas and TV serials, the humour part instantly kicks in. Murderbot likes judging humans around, but as the story goes on, it understands the harsh realities of the corporate-run future, where humans and robots alike are just tools in a bigger game. 'I was built to protect and obey humans. And humans… are idiots. But now that I've hacked my programming, I can do whatever I want… as long as they don't find out,' Murderbot says in the trailer. Unlike many robot stories where machines try to conquer or destroy humans, Murderbot is more about learning what it means to be free and to connect with others, even if it's reluctant. It's funny and clever, and sometimes sarcastic, often taking a jab at human emotions. 'Why did you even want freedom in the first place if all you're going to do is shut yourself away from the world?' The series sticks closely to the first novella, but it also expands the story with new characters like Leebeebee (played by Anna Konkle). New episode of Murderbot are released every Friday.
Daily Mirror
24-04-2025
- Daily Mirror
Disturbing smiling 'meth king' stripped of '£46billion drugs empire'
Alleged meth-billionaire Tse Chi Lop was living the high life after decades of evading multiple police operations when he was unexpectedly arrested at a European airport With his smiling, happy demeanour, even the police couldn't believe that Tse Chi Lop was the boss of a global operation that flooded New York's streets with a deadly influx of heroin. After his first arrest for importing heroin in August 12, 1998, investigators were stunned by the would-be billionaire's manner. When FBI agent Mark Calnan met him, Tse wasn't panicked or defensive, he was all cool charm and strategic – even faced with the prospect of jail Tse just smiled, according to Clanan. Ceci Scott, the assistant US attorney on his case, said: "I remember thinking, God, he's just got the most unusual demeanour, a kind of a down-to-earth personality." "He was impressive," Calnan told CNN,"He was different." But behind the smiles, Tse, now 61, was a fully immersed in the drug trade. After striking a plea deal, on September 26, 2000, Tse was given a nine-year prison term, and served six. A former inmate of Elkton, who wished to remain anonymous and so spoke to CNN under the pseudonym of Ben, described Tse as "a pretty nice guy" with a cheerful disposition. Whilst behind bars, he rubbed shoulders with American drug dealers and picked up new tricks of the trade. It is there that he's said to have crossed paths with future collaborator, Lee Chung Chak. Despite Tse's claims that he wanted to run a humble restaurant after leaving jail, by the time of their release in 2006, the pair were ready to embark on a drug enterprise together, Australian officials said. This time, he had designs on methamphetamine, and Tse - affectionately nicknamed Sam Gor, translating to "brother number three" in Cantonese - is rumoured to have commanded a conglomerate referred to simply as The Company. Unified by Tse in an allegiance similar to the Sicilian mafia, Sam Gor was allegedly responsible for an industrial-scale synthetic drug production within Myanmar's loosely controlled jungles—the same zones linked to Tse's heroin dealings in the 1990s. Their alleged tactic was straightforward: mass-produce meth to achieve economy of scale, undercut prices, then inundate the market with this affordable, addictive supply. Australian authorities say the Sam Gor Syndicate - as it was also known - was one of Asia's largest narcotic operations with an astonishing £22billion to £46billion generated in revenue. They claim it was responsible for 70 percent of the drugs that entered Australia alone, and that meth, along with heroin and ketamine, was smuggled into the country in tea boxes. The human cost has been "devastating," according to Jeremy Douglas, the regional representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). "He used cooperation, he crossed borders. He thought outside the box, and we had to do the same thing or else we never would have caught him," Calnan said. "We had to be as good as he was." Lee was arrested by Thai police in October 2020, just months before Dutch authorities apprehended Tse in Amsterdam. By this point had climbed to the top of a meth empire raking in £13billion annually and living a life of luxury with his spoils. But in January 2021, Tse's time ran out when he was nabbed at Amsterdam's Schipol International Airport at the request of Aussie cops, ending a decades-long manhunt. According to Australian authorities, Lee played a "key role" in the multibillion-dollar methamphetamine syndicate, with one investigator telling Reuters that Lee's "star had risen to be an equal or even a bigger player" than Tse. Calnan admitted he was taken aback when the name of the man who once sat calmly across from him in Hong Kong surfaced in the news more than two decades after their meeting. After Tse's conviction in 2000, Calnan hadn't spared him a second thought. He never imagined Tse would, allegedly, rise to become "one of the biggest international drug dealers of all time," Calnan remarked. "Looking back on it, it's not surprising at all. He (Tse) had the skills, and of course time in prison is networking like crazy."
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
LG RELEASES PRELIMINARY EARNINGS FOR FIRST-QUARTER 2025
The Company Achieves Record-High First-Quarter Revenue Surpassing KRW 22 Trillion SEOUL, South Korea, April 6, 2025 /CNW/ -- LG Electronics Inc. (LG) today announced its preliminary earnings results for the first-quarter of 2025, reporting a consolidated revenue of KRW 22.7 trillion and operating profit of KRW 1.3 trillion. This marks the first time LG's first-quarter revenue has exceeded KRW 22 trillion. Despite ongoing macroeconomic challenges, including a global economic slowdown, the company's focus on "qualitative growth" businesses played a key role. Especially in B2B sectors, the Eco Solution (ES) business has been the primary driver of growth in both revenue and profitability. Other areas—such as subscription services, webOS-based advertising and content, and direct-to-consumer (D2C) sales—also contributed to the company's record-breaking results. Operating profit exceeded KRW 1 trillion for the sixth consecutive year, continuing to reflect a stable profit structure. Increased revenue from high-margin areas created a strong operating leverage effect, helping to sustain a stable profit structure. Additional drivers of profitability included efficient resource allocation, normalization of raw material and logistics costs, and enhanced agility in global production operations. In the home appliance solution business, LG's premium products maintained strong leadership in the global market. The built-in appliance business – a B2B segment – alongside key component sales such as motors and compressors, also contributed meaningfully to the performance. The company's subscription business, which combines hardware and services, is rapidly expanding. In 2025, LG plans to further strengthen its subscription-ready product lineup and customer care services, while also accelerating the global rollout of its subscription model. In the media and entertainment solution business, from this year, LG is integrating its display-based businesses – including TVs, IT (laptops, monitors) and ID (commercial displays) – to generate synergy in its webOS-based advertising and content platform, traditionally centered around smart TVs. LG's 2025 TV lineup introduced enhanced AI features such as personalized content recommendations, superior picture quality and immersive sound. New products like the ultra-light LG gram Pro AI laptop and the portable LG StanbyME 2 lifestyle screen received positive responses from global markets. The commercial display segment also secured several large-scale international contracts. The vehicle solution business, continues to expand sales of high value-added products, especially in in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems, while diversifying into automotive content platforms. LG Magna e-Powertrain is strengthening its competitiveness through advanced motor and inverter technologies and is enhancing operational capabilities at global production sites to support long-term growth. Meanwhile, the automotive lighting business is accelerating development of next-generation technologies, such as high-resolution and intelligent lighting systems, while improving overall efficiency. The heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) business began operating as an independent Company in the first quarter. By focusing business capabilities on the essence of the order-based HVAC business and the characteristics of customers, the company is increasing its contribution to profitability. In the commercial HVAC space, LG secured major overseas contracts in markets such as Singapore, thanks to its ability to provide localized, tailored solutions. Going forward, LG aims to make HVAC a core pillar of its B2B portfolio by leveraging its proprietary technologies in compressors, fans, heat exchangers and AI engines. In the residential market, LG plans to maintain its leadership with AI-powered innovations. Additionally, in industrial and power-generation sectors, the company is actively pursuing new opportunities with large-scale chiller systems. These figures are tentative consolidated earnings based on K-IFRS provided as a service to investors prior to LG Electronics' final earnings results, including net profit. Details regarding each division will be announced officially later this month. About LG Electronics, Inc. LG Electronics is a global innovator in technology and consumer electronics with a presence in almost every country and an international workforce of more than 75,000. LG's four Companies – Home Appliance Solution, Media Entertainment Solution, Vehicle Solution and Eco Solution – combined for global revenue of over KRW 88 trillion in 2024. LG is a leading manufacturer of consumer and commercial products ranging from TVs, home appliances, air solutions, monitors, automotive components and solutions, and its premium LG SIGNATURE and intelligent LG ThinQ brands are familiar names world over. Visit for the latest news. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE LG Electronics View original content to download multimedia:
