Latest news with #andTechnology
The Hindu
7 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri meets U.S. Under Secretary Jeffrey Kessler in Washington
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met U.S. Under Secretary Jeffrey Kessler in Washington to advance bilateral cooperation in critical and emerging technologies, the Indian Embassy in Washington said. Mr Misri is visiting Washington DC from May 27 to 29 to meet with senior officials of the U.S. administration, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Monday (May 26, 2025). The visit is a follow up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the United States in February 2025, when both sides launched the India-U.S. COMPACT (Catalysing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce and Technology) for the 21st century, the MEA said. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Under Secretary Jeffrey Kessler to advance 🇮🇳🇺🇸 cooperation in critical & emerging technologies. They also discussed early convening of the India-US Strategic Trade Dialogue to deepen tech & trade collaboration. — India in USA (@IndianEmbassyUS) May 28, 2025 In a post on X, the Indian Embassy said that Mr Misri met Mr Kessler to advance India-U.S. cooperation in critical and emerging technologies. 'They also discussed early convening of the India-U.S. Strategic Trade Dialogue to deepen tech and trade collaboration,' the Embassy said.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
New Orleans Police Secretly Used Prohibited Facial Recognition Surveillance for Years
The New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) secretly received real-time, AI-generated alerts from 200 facial recognition cameras throughout the city for two years, despite a city ordinance barring generalized surveillance of the public. "Police increasingly use facial recognition software to identify unknown culprits from still images, usually taken by surveillance cameras at or near the scene of a crime," an exposé by The Washington Post explains. However, "New Orleans police took this technology a step further," automatically alerting officers with real-time updates of names and locations of possible matches of wanted suspects from a private network of cameras through a mobile app. "This is the facial recognition technology nightmare scenario that we have been worried about," Nathan Freed Wessler, a deputy director for the American Civil Liberties Union's Speech, Privacy, and Technology project, told the Post. "This is the government giving itself the power to track anyone—for that matter, everyone—as we go about our lives walking around in public." According to Wessler, New Orleans is the first known instance in which a major American city has used artificial intelligence to identify people through live footage for the purpose of making arrests. The use of these automatic alerts may have violated a city ordinance meant to protect the public's privacy from a generalized surveillance tool and prevent wrongful arrests due to software errors. Passed in 2022 in response to New Orleans' post-pandemic crime wave, the Surveillance Technology and Data Protection Ordinance removed a previous prohibition on surveillance technology in criminal investigations to increase public safety. Mayor LaToya Cantrell said at the time that the NOPD needed "every tool available at their disposal" to keep the city's "residents, businesses and visitors safe." However, the ordinance stopped short of allowing the NOPD to utilize a "face surveillance system"—defined as "any computer software or application that performs face surveillance"—while limiting data collection to "only the minimum amount of personal information needed to fulfill a narrow well-defined purpose." While violent crime in New Orleans has declined since 2022, so have the crime rates in most major American cities that do not use real-time facial recognition surveillance systems. Anne Kirkpatrick, superintendent of the NOPD since September 2023, paused the automatic alerts in April after learning about potential legal problems with using the system. Records obtained by the Post reveal that Kirkpatrick sent an email to Project NOLA, the nonprofit that provides the NOPD with facial recognition services, on April 8 stating "that the automated alerts must be turned off until she is 'sure that the use of the app meets all the requirements of the law and policies.'" The network of cameras remains in place. While automatic pings of potential suspect matches to NOPD officers are paused, Kirkpatrick maintains that facial recognition technology is essential to law enforcement. On May 16, 10 inmates escaped from the New Orleans jail, prompting a manhunt (five inmates remain at large). Facial recognition is credited with the capture of two of the escaped inmates. Kirkpatrick told WVUE, the local Fox affiliate, that such a situation is "the exact reason facial recognition technology is so critical and well within our boundaries of the ordinance here." Bryan Lagarde, Project NOLA's executive director, confirmed that NOPD is not currently using real-time, AI-generated alerts but is still utilizing facial recognition technology and footage from 5,000 cameras across New Orleans to track and apprehend the escapees. Lagarde described to WVUE an instance in which officers narrowly missed an inmate by a matter of minutes, insinuating that automated alerts might be necessary to protect public safety, despite the cost to privacy. Currently, Project NOLA staff continue to receive the AI-generated alerts provided by the camera network. The location of wanted suspects is then conveyed to police via phone calls, texts, and emails. According to Lagarde, the system is still sending alerts to the Louisiana State Police and federal authorities. The government's increased use of AI tools raises new challenges that impact Americans' civil liberties and privacy. Many questions around accountability, due process, and audits concerning the information AI tools collect still remain as the technology is deployed in the name of public safety. The post New Orleans Police Secretly Used Prohibited Facial Recognition Surveillance for Years appeared first on
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NVEE Q1 Earnings Call: Revenue Beats Expectations, Profit Margin Initiatives Underway
Infrastructure consulting firm NV5 Global (NASDAQ:NVEE) reported Q1 CY2025 results beating Wall Street's revenue expectations , with sales up 10.1% year on year to $234 million. The company's full-year revenue guidance of $1.04 billion at the midpoint came in 1% above analysts' estimates. Its non-GAAP profit of $0.17 per share was 8.9% below analysts' consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy NVEE? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Revenue: $234 million vs analyst estimates of $228.6 million (10.1% year-on-year growth, 2.4% beat) Adjusted EPS: $0.17 vs analyst expectations of $0.19 (8.9% miss) Adjusted EBITDA: $29.74 million vs analyst estimates of $29.44 million (12.7% margin, 1% beat) The company reconfirmed its revenue guidance for the full year of $1.04 billion at the midpoint Management reiterated its full-year Adjusted EPS guidance of $1.32 at the midpoint Operating Margin: 1.9%, in line with the same quarter last year Free Cash Flow Margin: 11.7%, up from 7.5% in the same quarter last year Market Capitalization: $1.24 billion NV5 Global's first quarter results were driven by notable growth in its Infrastructure and Buildings and Technology segments, with management highlighting robust demand for essential consulting services in utilities, transportation, and data centers. CEO Ben Heraud pointed to a 12% increase in Infrastructure and a 17% rise in Buildings and Technology revenues, attributing these gains to ongoing infrastructure investments and the company's ability to provide mandated, non-discretionary services. The quarter also saw the successful completion of several acquisitions, which management believes have already contributed to cross-selling opportunities and expanded the company's client base. Looking ahead, management reaffirmed full-year guidance and emphasized a strategic focus on organic growth, margin improvement, and cash flow conversion. CFO Edward Codispoti stated, 'We continue to target an unlevered free cash flow conversion rate of 60% for the year and the results of this quarter put us on track to achieve that goal.' The team identified efficiency measures, including labor reductions and office consolidations, as key to achieving planned margin expansion, while expressing confidence in the stability of infrastructure funding and minimal direct impact from tariffs or supply chain disruptions. Management attributed quarterly performance to segment growth and operational changes, while also providing updates on strategic acquisitions and margin improvement initiatives. Infrastructure and Buildings Growth: The Infrastructure segment benefited from increased public investment in utilities and transportation, particularly in the Northeast and Southeast, while the Buildings and Technology segment saw strong demand from data center and real estate clients. Geospatial Segment Update: Growth in the Geospatial segment was muted by delays in federal contract awards, which management linked to transitions in government administration, but they expect this segment to accelerate later in the year as contracts move forward. Margin and Cash Flow Initiatives: The company implemented cost reduction measures, including indirect labor cuts and office consolidations, and launched efficiency projects in geospatial data storage and sales automation to support margin expansion targets. Strategic Acquisitions: Three acquisitions in the quarter—Herman CX (commissioning for data centers), CRS Survey (land surveying), and Group Delta—expanded NV5's service offerings and geographic reach, providing new cross-selling and client access opportunities. Limited Tariff and Supply Chain Exposure: Management repeatedly emphasized that NV5's consulting-focused, mandated services are largely insulated from tariff and supply chain risks that may affect traditional construction or materials businesses. Management expects continued growth for the remainder of the year, driven by recurring demand for infrastructure consulting and new efficiency measures, while monitoring for improved performance in the Geospatial segment. Recurring Infrastructure Demand: Essential service consulting in utilities, transportation, and water is expected to remain resilient, supported by multi-source pre-funded projects and stable government and municipal investment. Margin Expansion Programs: Cost structure improvements, including labor optimization, office consolidations, and software-driven efficiencies, are intended to deliver the targeted 150 basis point EBITDA margin increase over the year. Federal Contract Timing Risks: Management noted that timing of federal contract awards, especially in Geospatial, remains a variable, with potential delays due to administrative transitions but expectations for improvement as the year progresses. Chris Moore (CJS Securities): Asked about the slow start in Geospatial and the outlook for federal versus commercial business. Management replied that internal integration was the main early drag, with improving trends expected as the year continues. Rob Brown (Lake Street): Inquired about the typical contract size and expansion opportunities of the newly acquired data center commissioning business. CEO Ben Heraud explained contracts are typically $1–2 million, often phased, and the acquisition allows broader cross-selling of NV5 services. Andy Wittmann (Baird): Pressed on the confidence level and timeline for margin expansion. CFO Edward Codispoti clarified that the bulk of margin improvements will materialize in the second half of the year, with some benefits already underway. Sam Kusswurm (William Blair): Asked how tariffs might affect NV5 clients' project timelines or budgets. Management stated that their services have minimal direct exposure to tariffs and supply chain issues, with no observed project slowdowns. Andy Wittmann (Baird): Questioned the company's capital allocation plans, specifically regarding share buybacks. Executive Chairman Dickerson Wright confirmed a $20 million buyback authorization, with intent to use cash opportunistically for both buybacks and accretive acquisitions. In the coming quarters, the StockStory team will monitor (1) the pace of margin improvement as cost and efficiency initiatives are rolled out, (2) the recovery of growth in the Geospatial segment as federal contracts are awarded, and (3) the impact of recent acquisitions on cross-selling and organic revenue growth. Progress on these fronts will be important indicators of NV5's ability to deliver on its full-year targets. NV5 Global currently trades at a forward P/E ratio of 16.7×. Should you load up, cash out, or stay put? Find out in our free research report. Market indices reached historic highs following Donald Trump's presidential victory in November 2024, but the outlook for 2025 is clouded by new trade policies that could impact business confidence and growth. While this has caused many investors to adopt a "fearful" wait-and-see approach, we're leaning into our best ideas that can grow regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. Take advantage of Mr. Market by checking out our Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 176% over the last five years. Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Comfort Systems (+782% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today. 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
15-05-2025
- Politics
Japanese-Language Schools at a Crossroads: New Regulations Pose Tough Challenge for Unsubsidized Industry
In March 2023, the government of former Prime Minister Kishida Fumio announced a national target of hosting 400,000 international students within 10 years. By the end of 2024, the target had already been surpassed, according to the Immigration Services Agency. A substantial portion of this total consists of students enrolled at registered private Japanese-language schools, often in hopes of securing employment at a Japanese company or gaining admission to a Japanese college or university. At last count, there were about 870 such schools operating nationwide, more than double the number recorded a decade ago. But controversy has swirled around the schools for years now. Critics charge that they have helped thousands of 'fake students' enter Japan in search of low-skilled jobs. There is no question that some of these schools have been habitually lax in both their admissions standards and their monitoring of student attendance. Inadequate faculty and facilities have also been a recurring problem, according to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, or MEXT. Tough New Accreditation Law The Act on the Accrediting of Japanese-Language Educational Institutes is the government's latest response to such concerns. Enacted in 2023, the law came into effect in April 2024, it gives MEXT direct jurisdiction over Japanese-language education (previously under the Agency for Cultural Affairs), as well as the certification of Japanese-language schools (previously carried out by the Ministry of Justice, which handles immigration). To secure accreditation henceforth, a school must meet detailed standards pertaining to curriculum (tailored to different needs, such as employment or college admissions), staffing, facilities, and finances. Each institution must also be able to show that it is paying reasonable sums for overseas recruiting services and that its founders are respected members of society with adequate knowledge of Japanese-language education and business management. Under the new law, registered Japanese-language schools will have until the end of March 2029 to earn accreditation if they wish to continue sponsoring international students for student visas. As of the end of March 2025, 120 schools (including newly established institutions) had submitted applications, of which 41 had earned accreditation. In addition, Japanese-language instructors employed at nationally accredited schools are now required to obtain a new professional certification. For new teachers, this involves passing the Japanese Language Teacher Examination and undergoing practical training in the classroom. (Previously, instructors could earn qualification either by passing the Japanese Language Teaching Competency Test, completing an approved Japanese-language teacher training course, or completing the Japanese-language education course at a university.) Thus far about 18,000 candidates have sat for the new examination, first held in November 2024, and 11,000 have passed. Language Schools as Labor Brokers The Japanese government launched its first concerted effort to attract international students back in 1983. Determined to enhance Japan's international profile and influence, Prime Minister Nakasone Yasuhiro announced an ambitious plan to expand the number of international students in Japan by a factor of 10, from roughly 10,000 to at least 100,000. The idea was to nurture understanding of and friendship toward Japan while contributing to the training of human resources in the developing world. Pursuant to this policy, the government simplified procedures for obtaining student visas. To attract more privately-financed students, it promoted Japanese-language education while relaxing restrictions on part-time work. One result was the proliferation of profit-driven schools geared to helping young people enter Japan for the purpose of securing work. As it happened, this trend meshed perfectly with the needs of industry in the 1980s—the period of the 'bubble economy'—when certain jobs were becoming difficult to fill. In the 1990s, amid growing controversy, the government cracked down by instituting a certification system for Japanese-language schools and tightening requirements for student visas. As a result, the number of incoming students dropped substantially, forcing some schools out of business. It was not until 2003, two decades after Nakasone announced his initiative, that the target of 100,000 international students was finally reached. Of that number, about 70,000 were Chinese nationals, who continue to make up the largest group of foreign students by nationality. Policy shifted again in 2008, when the government, alarmed about the impact of demographic aging on the labor force, adopted a new target of 300,000 international students. Once again the screening of student visa applications was loosened, and Japanese-language schools sprouted up. Before long, the influx of 'fake students' reemerged as a public issue. Role of Chinese Capital Meanwhile, legitimate schools have found themselves under growing financial pressure. Since the 1990s, registered Japanese-language schools have been required to own their own buildings and grounds. The purpose of this requirement was to ensure stability and continuity in the learning environment. It was a high hurdle that forced a considerable number of operators to shut down or sell their schools. According to one former school administrator, the influx of Chinese capital began around this time. 'The ownership requirement was a heavy burden for Japanese school operators, but for Chinese investors, who have typically done very well with real estate, it may have seemed like a great business opportunity.' In my own research on Japanese-language schools, I have found that a considerable number are foreign-owned, with Chinese and South Korean operators predominating. In some cases, Chinese and South Korean nationals who came to Japan as international students in the 1980s eventually decided to go into business themselves. According to some industry insiders, the last few years have witnessed another spurt of Chinese buyouts, as schools have struggled to adapt to a changing environment, including an increasingly multinational student population and the growing needs of Chinese students seeking advanced degrees from Japanese universities. The former school administrator cited above speculates that close to a third of Japan's registered Japanese-language schools may be Chinese-owned, but there is no way to be sure, since the government does not keep such statistics. Losing the Recruitment Battle Another challenge facing Japanese-language schools is recruitment of foreign students, and here Chinese-owned schools have an inherent advantage. Recruitment is typically carried out either through links with foreign educational institutions or through the services of overseas-based commercial brokers. Schools that rely on the latter must budget for substantial brokerage fees, which can have a major impact on their bottom line. According to one consultant specializing in foreign human resources, brokerage costs began to soar after the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 and the anti-Japanese demonstrations that broke out in China (protesting Japan's nationalization of the disputed Senkaku Islands) the following year. 'It became much more difficult to recruit Chinese students, and the brokerage fees recruiters charged per student rose to more than 20 percent of tuition,' he says. Furthermore, schools that want to attract serious students often feel compelled to send their own employees overseas to monitor or supervise the process. Professor Emeritus Tanaka Hiroshi, who devoted himself to Japanese-language education for years at Daitō Bunka University, recalls the struggles his university had recruiting international students. 'A number of Japanese universities, including ours, established permanent overseas offices with full-time Japanese staff in order to recruit international students. I don't think it was a very efficient approach,' he says. 'Most schools seem to have shut down such operations because it wasn't worth the cost.' Foreign-operated schools, by contrast, can leverage their local connections, and with no language barrier to contend with, they can communicate more easily with recruiting services. This obviates the need to station staff overseas and leads to substantial reductions in recruitment costs. Underpaid, Overworked Teachers It is notoriously difficult to make a decent living teaching Japanese as a foreign language in Japan. I recently visited a famously conscientious Japanese-owned school in Tokyo and found the instructors up to their ears in work inside and outside the classroom. In addition to teaching, they are expected to monitor and support each student individually, taking note of absences, tardiness, and attitude issues while checking to be sure they understand each day's homework. The teachers I spoke to said they found their work fulfilling. But their low pay per classroom hour was a source of dissatisfaction and anxiety. An instructor at a Chinese-owned school in Tokyo told me that the working conditions were better there. 'The rate per classroom hour is higher,' she said, 'and we're not required to submit lesson plans, so that lightens the burden.' While she has occasional misgivings about the school's educational policy and how clean it keeps the facilities, she finds it best not to be too fastidious. I found that the going rate for Japanese-language teachers in Tokyo was about ¥1,800 per classroom hour at Japanese-owned language schools and between ¥2,000 and ¥3,000 at Chinese-run schools. Backing up Standards with Support Thus far, policies to increase the number of international students in Japan have outrun measures to monitor the language schools that sponsor many of those students. Through the new accreditation law, the government is responding to rising pressure to screen out 'fake students' and improve the quality of Japanese-language education. The hope is that the law's requirements will have the effect of weeding out shady operators. But tougher standards alone will not solve the industry's biggest challenge—hiring and retaining qualified teachers. As part of its bid to raise the quality of education at Japanese-language schools, MEXT has increased the required number of full-time teachers to one per 40 enrolled students from the previous 1:60 ratio. At present, more than half of the teaching staff at such schools are part-time instructors. Securing enough certified full-time teachers to meet the needs of a burgeoning number of international students will be next to impossible unless schools can offer higher pay along with steady employment. If, as some believe, high fees paid to overseas brokers are forcing schools to skimp on teacher pay, then the government needs to address that issue. Yet the new law simply calls for 'reasonable brokerage fees' without offering clear-cut guidelines. Since their inception, private Japanese-language schools have had to make do without public grants or subsidies, despite the key role they have played in helping the government reach its targets for international students. They are supported exclusively by student tuition, leaving them highly vulnerable not only to rising brokerage costs but also to sudden business slumps, such as that caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. MEXT's plan is to create mechanisms to encourage private companies, universities, and local governments to support accredited language schools as an investment in the future. The idea is to shore up the fragile finances of those schools and improve conditions for teachers through partnerships with industry, academia, and local government. Under the government's Specified Skilled Worker system and its new training and employment program, businesses in particular will be expected to support the education of foreign talent to address worsening labor shortages. By creating this sort of environment, Japan may also achieve its long-cherished goal of fostering deeper understanding and friendship overseas. (Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)
Business Recorder
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Several bills introduced in Punjab Assembly
LAHORE: The Punjab Community Justice (Panchayat) Bill 2025, The Punjab Civilians Victims of Terrorism and (Relief and Rehabilitation) Amendment Bill 2025, The Punjab Women's Inheritance Rights Enforcement Bill 2025, The Punjab Maan Boli Bill 2025, The Musarrat Institute of Technology Bill 2025, The Times Institute Multan (Amendment) Bill 2025 , The Punjab Registration of Private Academies Coaching/ Tuition Centers Bill 2025 and The Next Institute of Science and Technology (Amendment) Bill 2025 were introduced in the House. The Punjab Assembly session began one hour and 53 minutes late under the chairmanship of Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan. Several resolutions were approved, including resolution presented by Amjad Ali Javed regarding extending the age limit for government job applicants in Punjab to 30 years, with three attempts. A unanimous resolution against forced and child labor, presented by MPA Sara Ahmed was passed. The House passed the resolution related to immediate transfer of departments, including EOBI, to provinces under the 18th Amendment, citing incomplete devolution of powers. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
