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Business Standard
a day ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Kerala community in Dubai faces backlash for hosting Shahid Afridi at event
A segment of the Keralite diaspora in Dubai has come under sharp criticism on social media after warmly receiving former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi at a recent event. The backlash stems from Afridi's remarks following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which intensified tensions between India and Pakistan. In a video that quickly gained traction online, Afridi is seen being enthusiastically welcomed on stage by the Keralite community during the event. The crowd greeted him with loud cheers and chanted 'Boom Boom', a nod to Afridi's well-known nickname. Kerala community in Dubai under fire for warmly welcoming Shahid Afridi, despite his past anti-India remarks (even after the recent Pahalgam attack). Seriously? Patriotism shouldn't have borders when it comes to national sentiment. #Kerala #Dubai #ShahidAfridi #IndiaFirst … — Vivid Insaan ???? (@VividInsaan) May 31, 2025 Pausing their cultural performance to acknowledge his arrival, community members created a lively atmosphere. Afridi responded to the chants, saying, 'Hogaya Boom Boom". During his address, Afridi expressed his fondness for 'the Kerala part in India and its food", further endearing himself to the audience. The event, titled 'Ormachuvadukul 2025,' was organised by the Cochin University Alumni Association (CUBAA) and held at the Pakistan Association Dubai (PAD) Auditorium in Oud Metha on May 25. Afridi's remarks on Pahalgam terror attack The uproar stems largely from Afridi's statements made in April on Pakistan's Samaa TV regarding the Pahalgam terror attack which claimed 26 lives. Afridi suggested that any incident in India is blamed on Pakistan, saying, 'even if a firecracker were to burst in India, fingers will always be pointed at Pakistan". He also criticised the Indian armed forces' security efforts in Kashmir. Social media reacts with strong disapproval The video of Afridi's reception was shared on X with the caption: 'What a shame!! - Desperate Keralites welcome this anti-India Paki with 'Boom Boom' at an event in Dubai, especially after Pahalgam terror attack and his venomous stand against India.' It quickly went viral, sparking widespread condemnation. One user expressed disappointment, commenting, 'Patriotism gone for a six… what a shame. Expected better from them (Kerala community).' Another wrote, 'How much disloyal can you be to your nation… learn from the most literate people… Disgraceful!' A third questioned the loyalty of the community, saying, 'Don't they have anyone from India origin!! Shame to see this happen.'
Business Insider
a day ago
- Business
- Business Insider
How AI startups are using hackathons to compete with Big Tech for talent
Hackathons bring together computer engineers to rapidly solve technical problems. Now, they are increasingly helping startups solve another problem: scouting AI talent. The event, which brings people together for around 24 to 72 hours to build a software product, gained traction in Silicon Valley in the 2000s and became a staple affair for Big Tech companies like Meta. But after the pandemic, hackathons were slow to get going again, said Bela Wiertz, founder of Tech: Europe, and organizer of multiple AI hackathons across the continent. That changed with the AI boom. Wiertz said that, since the arrival of ChatGPT in late 2022, more research labs and AI startups have been arranging hackathons in cities with less "tech organization" in a bid to bring together top talent. And the events' talent-pulling power is making hackathons "a viable way for hot AI startups to compete with Big Tech for a top talent pool," Zoe Qin, vice president at Dawn Capital, told Business Insider. Big Tech companies typically have a major advantage over startups in the talent market: they can outspend them in recruitment and entice candidates with substantial compensation packages. Hackathons are one way for startups to level the playing field. "Startups cannot spend as much money on LinkedIn ads or copy what Big Tech do in terms of prestige, but they can show that they're more agile, and more approachable, that they're more committed during a hackathon," said Benjamin Wolba, the founder of European Defense Tech Hub, which organizes hackathons across the continent. In some cases, startups use hackathons to scout early-career talent that they might not reach during traditional hiring processes. Angelo Giacco, an Imperial College London and ETH Zurich graduate, participated in an AI hackathon organized by ElevenLabs in November. Two weeks later, he landed a job offer as an engineer at the AI startup. "I wouldn't even have considered applying if I hadn't gone to the hackathon," he told BI. "We're now hiring a few more people from hackathons, and we've launched one in seven different countries," he added. It's not just junior roles. Dawn Capital's Qin said that after some hackathons, she's seen some startups go after "high-performing candidates, or in the case of a hackathon run by a tech company itself, their engineers who have performed really well." Often, AI startups want entrepreneurial talent that's not rooted in a specific background, and recruiting from a hackathon allows these upstarts to find people "who want to tinker, build, and make things better — who may not necessarily match a classic profile of a computer scientist who wants to work in Big Tech," Qin added. While traditional AI research labs may not hire pure research talent from hackathons, it's useful for them to source solutions and customer-facing engineers who can build up the technology at the application layer. "For the foundation labs and all the infrastructure partners like Mistral and Eleven Labs, they're labs, but they're selling their technology as an infrastructure," said Wiertz. "So for them, yes, it's about hiring, but it's also the adoption of the technology in the ecosystem." Non-technical talent also has a shot Increasingly, more people from non-technical backgrounds are using AI coding assistants to vibe code and create technical products. That has lowered the barrier to entry for coding-related projects and broadened the talent pool that participates in hackathons. "University can be so theoretical, but hackathons help us to tackle real-life problems and get projects off the ground," said Franziska Harzheim, a venture scout at Flashpoint who has participated in multiple AI hackathons. With a degree in business analytics, Harzheim has still found a way to leverage her background to build an AI product with a team. "I feel like those hackathons are not about having a team of five super-experienced coders. It's more like we look at everyone's skill set, and according to that, we divide the tasks," she said. "If you're willing to learn something new on the spot, this is your space, it's amazing." They're also a valuable opportunity for companies to assess potential candidates from technical and non-technical backgrounds. "You get to see how people perform, whether they earn the food or are actually doing stuff in real life, not in an assessment center," European Defense Tech Hub's Wolba said. "You get to see them working on the inside — it could be very information dense, so it's a time-effective way to understand whether you want to work with this person."
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Columbus McKinnon (NASDAQ:CMCO) Reports Sales Below Analyst Estimates In Q1 Earnings
Material handling equipment manufacturer Columbus McKinnon (NASDAQ:CMCO) missed Wall Street's revenue expectations in Q1 CY2025, with sales falling 7% year on year to $246.9 million. Its non-GAAP profit of $0.60 per share was 3.4% above analysts' consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy Columbus McKinnon? Find out in our full research report. Revenue: $246.9 million vs analyst estimates of $250.1 million (7% year-on-year decline, 1.3% miss) Adjusted EPS: $0.60 vs analyst estimates of $0.58 (3.4% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $36.07 million vs analyst estimates of $35.04 million (14.6% margin, 3% beat) Operating Margin: 2%, down from 10.1% in the same quarter last year Free Cash Flow Margin: 11.9%, similar to the same quarter last year Backlog: $322.5 million at quarter end Market Capitalization: $508.7 million "We enter fiscal 2026 with a strong backlog and continued order growth as our commercial initiatives gain traction. Our conviction in Columbus McKinnon's strategy and business model remains strong as we continue to anticipate tailwinds from industry megatrends like on-shoring, scarcity of labor and global infrastructure investments over time," said David Wilson, President and Chief Executive Officer. With 19 different brands across the globe, Columbus McKinnon (NASDAQ:CMCO) offers material handling equipment for the construction, manufacturing, and transportation industries. Reviewing a company's long-term sales performance reveals insights into its quality. Any business can experience short-term success, but top-performing ones enjoy sustained growth for years. Regrettably, Columbus McKinnon's sales grew at a sluggish 3.5% compounded annual growth rate over the last five years. This was below our standard for the industrials sector and is a tough starting point for our analysis. We at StockStory place the most emphasis on long-term growth, but within industrials, a half-decade historical view may miss cycles, industry trends, or a company capitalizing on catalysts such as a new contract win or a successful product line. Columbus McKinnon's recent performance shows its demand has slowed as its annualized revenue growth of 1.4% over the last two years was below its five-year trend. This quarter, Columbus McKinnon missed Wall Street's estimates and reported a rather uninspiring 7% year-on-year revenue decline, generating $246.9 million of revenue. Looking ahead, sell-side analysts expect revenue to grow 3.1% over the next 12 months. Although this projection indicates its newer products and services will spur better top-line performance, it is still below the sector average. Here at StockStory, we certainly understand the potential of thematic investing. Diverse winners from Microsoft (MSFT) to Alphabet (GOOG), Coca-Cola (KO) to Monster Beverage (MNST) could all have been identified as promising growth stories with a megatrend driving the growth. So, in that spirit, we've identified a relatively under-the-radar profitable growth stock benefiting from the rise of AI, available to you FREE via this link. Columbus McKinnon has done a decent job managing its cost base over the last five years. The company has produced an average operating margin of 8.4%, higher than the broader industrials sector. Analyzing the trend in its profitability, Columbus McKinnon's operating margin decreased by 3.2 percentage points over the last five years. This raises questions about the company's expense base because its revenue growth should have given it leverage on its fixed costs, resulting in better economies of scale and profitability. In Q1, Columbus McKinnon generated an operating profit margin of 2%, down 8.1 percentage points year on year. Since Columbus McKinnon's operating margin decreased more than its gross margin, we can assume it was less efficient because expenses such as marketing, R&D, and administrative overhead increased. We track the long-term change in earnings per share (EPS) for the same reason as long-term revenue growth. Compared to revenue, however, EPS highlights whether a company's growth is profitable. Sadly for Columbus McKinnon, its EPS declined by 2.2% annually over the last five years while its revenue grew by 3.5%. This tells us the company became less profitable on a per-share basis as it expanded. We can take a deeper look into Columbus McKinnon's earnings to better understand the drivers of its performance. As we mentioned earlier, Columbus McKinnon's operating margin declined by 3.2 percentage points over the last five years. Its share count also grew by 19.5%, meaning the company not only became less efficient with its operating expenses but also diluted its shareholders. Like with revenue, we analyze EPS over a more recent period because it can provide insight into an emerging theme or development for the business. For Columbus McKinnon, its two-year annual EPS declines of 8.2% show it's continued to underperform. These results were bad no matter how you slice the data. In Q1, Columbus McKinnon reported EPS at $0.60, down from $0.75 in the same quarter last year. Despite falling year on year, this print beat analysts' estimates by 3.4%. Over the next 12 months, Wall Street expects Columbus McKinnon's full-year EPS of $2.48 to grow 8.3%. It was encouraging to see Columbus McKinnon beat analysts' EBITDA expectations this quarter. We were also happy its EPS outperformed Wall Street's estimates. On the other hand, its revenue slightly missed. Overall, this was a softer quarter. The stock traded down 1.1% to $17.55 immediately following the results. Big picture, is Columbus McKinnon a buy here and now? The latest quarter does matter, but not nearly as much as longer-term fundamentals and valuation, when deciding if the stock is a buy. We cover that in our actionable full research report which you can read here, it's free. 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
Indianapolis Star
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indianapolis Star
How 'Operation Bigfoot' brought Hoosier the bison back to life. Why IU finds value in mascot
BLOOMINGTON — For Christmas last winter, Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson's children gifted him something nearly no one else would understand. A clapperboard — the black-and-white apparatus snapped together to signify the start of filming on a movie set — with the words 'Operation Bigfoot' written on the production line. The clapperboard sits on Dolson's desk. Sharp-eyed viewers will have spotted it in the background of a video posted to IU's social media channels Tuesday. Because that was the day Operation Bigfoot went off, and Indiana brought back the bison as its official mascot. The idea of a mascot has steadily gained traction with Indiana fans in recent years. For a little more than a century, Indiana's athletic teams have gone by 'Hoosiers,' a term meant to refer to a native of the state whose origins have long been debated and almost certainly cannot be historically proven. While 'Hoosiers' embodies a certain cultural resonance for IU fans, it's hard to assign a physical manifestation to a word with no universally agreed-upon meaning. Decades ago, for just a few years, drawing on the animal figuring prominently on the state seal, IU tried a bison mascot. It was introduced in 1965 and abandoned by the end of that decade. But it never really went away. Nick's English Hut pound jars still feature a bison image. Fans produced AI-generated graphics depicting an IU bison on social media. 'Bring back the bison' became a rallying cry stretching from podcasts like the popular CrimsonCast, to independent retail, including popular Indianapolis-based company Homefield Apparel. Bring back the bison: A look back at the history of IU's mascot Athletics officials felt that groundswell, which came to a head in December when IU Student Government passed a bill reinstating the bison as the university's official mascot. From that point forward, the department was in. 'The students really pushing it was a big determining factor,' Jeremy Gray, IU senior associate athletic director for strategic communications, told IndyStar. 'It was clear the fan base had really rallied behind the idea.' Department officials settled on the code name 'Operation Bigfoot' as a way to talk about the mascot introduction process in official correspondence while sidestepping premature attention. Dolson firmly supported the idea. His predecessor, Fred Glass, had in a variety of ways softened the ground for bringing a mascot back, and Dolson was excited to see the idea through to reality. Last year's football success, which included Indiana's first Saturday visit from ESPN "College GameDay," brought into relief the value of an identifiable mascot. When legendary "GameDay" analyst (and former IU coach) Lee Corso picked the Hoosiers to beat Washington, Indiana had no mascot headgear for him to pull on as is his custom. Corso opted instead for a hat commemorating his team's 1979 Holiday Bowl victory over BYU. 'Finding something to represent the school in those large, public ways,' Gray said, 'I think it became obvious a mascot could help with that.' No more headgear? Former Indiana football coach Lee Corso will retire as ESPN 'College GameDay' analyst The department met with student groups, including Student Government and IU's Board of Aeons — a student advisory group that works closely with the university president — to discuss ways to introduce the bison to the student body. IU began subtly implanting bison imagery across its branding, with small logos in the corners of video scoreboard graphics and horns crashing through schedule posters for the 2025-26 athletic year. Beginning in 2024, winners of the men's and women's Little 500 bicycle races received plush stuffed bison on the winners' podium. 'We decided to lean into it,' Gray said. A variety of considerations went into the selection and design of 'Hoosier the Bison.' Concerns over staffing, upkeep and animal welfare steered the department away from a live mascot toward the more common option of a person in a suit. IU knew from the outset it wanted a mascot muscular and imposing enough to project a robust image of the department. Able, as Gray put it, 'to win a play fight against a turtle.' But also one that was approachable and endearing to children. Enter graduating senior Adam Day, who last spring built one of his final projects as a student around studying mascots over time. Working alongside department officials, he found the key to giving mascots personal appeal lay in their eyes. Specifically, they needed to be soft and sympathetic, rather than hard, or empty. The department engaged Alinco Costumes in Utah, a company with a history of designing mascots or characters for professional baseball, football and basketball franchises, as well as corporations like Nestle and Disney. Its website claims credit for more than half of the NBA's team mascots. Mark Skirvin, senior assistant athletic director for marketing, worked with Alinco through several rough sketches before settling on a design. And thus, Hoosier was born. He still needed an announcement. Operation Bigfoot went to studio. Gray, a self-professed cinephile, drew inspiration from several movies for a series of videos released across the last several days on IU's official social media channels. 'Something magical happening here': Indiana announces return of bison mascot Gray's own character, Ray, opening a glowing box in the first video nodded to "Pulp Fiction" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Recently graduated IU women's basketball player Sydney Parrish assumed a role akin to Sigourney Weaver's Ripley, from the Alien series, in discovering evidence of a large, unidentifiable creature. In total, the department also included nods to films including "ET," "Pulp Fiction," "Silence of the Lambs," "Scream," "Jurassic Park," "Return of the Jedi," the Marvel series and "The Usual Suspects." The final shot of the mascot standing, back to camera, atop the Memorial Stadium press box drew from the final scene in "The Last of the Mohicans." When IU approached football coach Curt Cignetti about a Roy Schneider's-"Jaws"-inspired scene, he replied, 'Nah, I've got what I want to say.' In his cameo, Cignetti is seen watching film when the silhouette of a bison head appears behind him. Cignetti turns and says simply, 'Where you been?' 'What's in the box?' Indiana trailer has fans wishing for return of the bison mascot Bison-branded products should become available soon, according to Gray. The department's research suggested reintroduction of a mascot would both open meaningful revenue streams (at a time when departments are pursuing more of them) and also capture fans from a young age with a face to assign to IU sports. 'An identifiable mascot is one of a few visual tools a university possesses that can cut through noise and create positive brand association, particularly for youth,' Homefield Apparel founder and CEO (and IU alumnus) Connor Hitchcock said. 'Indiana is capitalizing on a unique opportunity to simultaneously honor its past while creating opportunities for kids to begin their lifelong fandom.' As for the full reveal, fans will have to wait. The mascot will be filled by current students via a tryout, common practice across college athletics. Gray said it's custom not to reveal said students' identities until their tenure concludes. While bison paraphernalia should be available moving into the summer, Tuesday's profile shot from behind of Hoosier surveying the athletics campus in Bloomington might be fans' best look at the real thing for a while. When asked when he would make his first public appearance, Gray responded simply: 'Stay tuned.'
Pink Villa
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Maaman Tamil Nadu Box Office Day 12: Soori and Aishwarya Lekshmi's actioner grosses Rs 1.50 crore on 2nd Tuesday, nears Rs 30 crore mark
Maaman, starring Soori and Aishwarya Lekshmi in the lead roles, is doing well at the box office. The Tamil movie directed by Prasanth Pandiyaraj is witnessing better trends than its rival release, DD Next Level. The movie continues to gain better traction even on its second Tuesday. Maaman collects Rs 1.50 crore, cume approaches Rs 30 crore mark Backed by Lark Studios, Maaman opened with Rs 1.90 crore on its debut day. It raked in over Rs 8.30 crore in its opening weekend and Rs 16.75 crore by the end of its opening week. The Soori starrer added Rs 8.55 crore in its second weekend, higher than the opening weekend. As per estimates, the movie added around Rs 1.50 crore to the tally on its second Tuesday, taking the total cume to Rs 28.45 crore gross at the Tamil box office. The movie is expected to surpass the Rs 30 crore mark by the end of its second week. It might witness a good traction on its third weekend as well. If it continues to record such a superlative box office number, the movie will surpass the Rs 50 crore mark, despite facing a tough clash with Thug Life from June 6th. Let's see how the movie performs in its fourth weekend against the Kamal Haasan movie, which is considered one of the biggest box office bets from Kollywood cinema this year. Day-wise box office collections of Maaman are as follows: Day Gross Tamil Box Office 1 Rs 1.90 crore 2 Rs 2.55 crore 3 Rs 3.85 crore 4 Rs 2.25 crore 5 Rs 2.15 crore 6 Rs 2.05 crore 7 Rs 2.00 crore 8 Rs 1.80 crore 9 Rs 2.95 crore 10 Rs 3.80 crore 11 Rs 1.65 crore 12 Rs 1.50 crore (est.) Total Rs 28.45 crore Maaman in cinemas Maaman is playing in cinemas nearby. You can book your tickets from the online ticket-booking websites or grab them from the counter. Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates.
