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  • Karnataka to hike payment of specialists working at govt hospitals

    Karnataka to hike payment of specialists working at govt hospitals

    Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dinesh Gundu Rao said on Monday, February 17, that the government will increase the payment being made to paediatricians, gynaecologists and anesthetists working at government hospitals.

    Speaking at the quarterly meeting of Karnataka Development Programme (KDP) Review Committee the Minister said that the decision to hike the payment is to attract those doctors to work at government hospitals to meet the dearth of doctors.

    Earlier, Dhananjaya Sarji, MLC and also a doctor, suggested the Minister that authorities of all government hostels in Dakshina Kannada should get the students tested by dermatologists at least twice a year. It is because many students at government hostels faced skin infections.

    “Girls at hostels do require the guidance of gynaecologists to create awareness on female health issues. The government should do the needful for the same. In addition, as Dakshina Kannada is facing drug addiction issues hostel students should get counselling service from clinical psychologists or psychiatrists,” he said.

    Water contamination
    Drawing the attention of the meeting Dr. Sarji said that farmers should be guided on the proper use of fertilisers, particularly related to quantity. If more aluminium content joined water bodies consumption of those water can cause severe health issues, including brain disorders, and liver and bone damages, he alerted.

    Bharat Mundodi, chairman of Dakshina Kannada committee for implementing the guarantee schemes, and Bhagirathi Murulya, MLA, Sullia said that arecanut growers affected by Yellow Leaf Disease and Leafspot Disease should get a package from the government for growing alternative crops.

    U. Rajesh Naik, MLA, Bantwal said that some farm land have submerged due to storing of water in the newly built vented dam (across the Netravathi) at Jakribettu up to five metres high. Some people have complained that water has entered into their dwelling premises. The engineers concerned should address the issue by reducing the storage level at the dam.

    There were heated arguments between the Minister and D. Vedavyasa Kamath, MLA, Mangaluru City South over the inauguration of Jeppu enclave in the city recently and over the adherence to protocol. The blame game lasted for some time and subsided later. The Hindu

  • Tiger Brokers enhancess finance with DeepSeek AI chatbot

    Tiger Brokers enhancess finance with DeepSeek AI chatbot

    Tiger Brokers said on Tuesday it embedded DeepSeek’s model into its AI-powered chatbot, as brokerages and money managers race to capitalise on the Chinese start-up’s artificial intelligence breakthrough, and develop use cases for the financial industry.

    The integration of the DeepSeek-R1 model into TigerGPT follows DeepSeek’s meteoric rise which stunned Silicon Valley and triggered a rally in Chinese tech shares on bets of an AI revolution sweeping across sectors from education to finance.

    Tiger Brokers, an online broker backed by shareholders including Chinese electronics maker Xiaomi and renowned U.S. investor Jim Rogers, is the latest to embrace DeepSeek.

    At least 20 Chinese brokers and fund managers, including Sinolink Securities, CICC Wealth Management and China Universal Asset Management, have already started to integrate DeepSeek models into their businesses, potentially changing the way they conduct research, manage risks, make investment decisions and interact with clients.

    DeepSeek will be able to tap Tiger Brokers’ financial data and help customers analyse valuations, make trading decisions and “feel the beauty of investment,” said Wu Tianhua, Tiger Brokers’ founder and CEO.

    “Its impact is real. It’s no longer a concept, or a marketing trick.”

    UBS expects rapid AI adoption will boost financial IT spending by 24%, or 69 billion yuan ($9.49 billion), in five years, benefiting vendors including Hundsun Technologies Inc, Northking Information Technology Co and iSoftStone Information Technology (Group) Co.

    “We expect the launch of DeepSeek R1 to drive faster GenAI adoption in the financial industry in 2025,” UBS analyst Haifeng Cao said, referring to DeepSeek’s recently released model that was developed at a fraction of the cost of Western rivals.

    “We think the industry is likely to be more profoundly reshaped by GenAI than others, given its data-heavy and high labour intensive characteristics, and high mix of language-related tasks.”

    An index tracking China’s Fintech companies has jumped 17% this month, flirting with record highs.

    Tiger Brokers said the upgraded version of its investment assistant TigerGPT will initially be available for free to users in mainland China and Singapore.

    “The integration of DeepSeek has enhanced TigerGPT’s logical reasoning abilities, enabling it to analyse market shifts more clearly and interpret investment opportunities more effectively,” CEO Wu said.

    The chain of thoughts generated by the DeepSeek model “is often inspiring to even most seasoned traders.”

    Sinolink Securities, which sees AI as a key engine of growth, said early this month it would use the DeepSeek model in a range of scenarios including information search, market analysis and industry research. In the future, the application will be expanded to core business areas such as risks management and investing.

    CICC Wealth Management said its has integrated DeepSeek’s R1 model into its investment advisory services, potentially boosting information processing efficiency by 90%.

    Zhongou Fund Management said the immediate challenge for the financial industry is to standardize internal database to feed AI models.

    “AI has given financial companies a tool to make better use of troves of data” which was previously sitting idle, said Zhongou’s head of tech research Du Houliang.

    “Now, many financial institutions, including us, are hurrying into meetings” to discuss how local adoption of DeepSeek’s models can empower internal management, marketing, and investing. Reuters

  • Karnataka mandates job creation for AI-automation era incentives

    Karnataka mandates job creation for AI-automation era incentives

    Anticipating disruption from Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation, Karnataka has asked enterprises investing Rs 50 crore to create a minimum of 25 jobs in order to receive incentives under the government’s new industrial policy.

    “Due to advancements in Artificial Intelligence as well as industry focus on automation to increase productivity, minimum employment thresholds have been rationalised,” the Industrial Policy 2025-30, which aims to create 20 lakh new jobs, states.

    According to the policy document, the minimum investment for a large enterprise must be Rs 50 crore and it must create at least 25 jobs.

    Similarly, a mega enterprise with a minimum investment of Rs 300 crore must have 150 jobs. An ultra mega enterprise with a minimum of Rs 1,000 crore should create 500 jobs. Ultra mega projects should also create additional six jobs for every Rs 50 crore.

    Under the previous Industrial Policy 2020-25, large enterprises were asked to create 50 jobs for a minimum Rs 50 crore investment.

    Meeting the new minimum employment thresholds is necessary for enterprises to avail capital expenditure subsidy or production-linked incentives.

    “AI and automation…that’s the reality. AI will play a role everywhere…in the areas of medical equipment, smartphones, chipmaking and so on. Robots will replace human beings,” Industries Minister M B Patil told DH, adding that there were even robot masseuses. Patil, however, added that it was “too early” to speculate how AI would impact jobs.

    At the recent Invest Karnataka summit, Google X cofounder Sebastian Thrun uged youngsters to prepare themselves for AI. “Approximately 60% of current jobs may disappear,” Thrun said at the summit, according to a statement. “But far more new jobs will emerge as a result of AI and other technologies.”

    Thrun, who led the development of Google’s driverless car, also said that AI’s rise would lead to a shift in job types. “Those who adapt will find new career prospects in fields that are currently emerging,” he said.

    The new Industrial Policy also offers incentives to enterprises that employ more women. Enterprises with 50%, 60% and 70% women in workforce will get incentive boosters of 7.5%, 10% and 15%, respectively.

    “Such measures are expected to contribute significantly to the state’s social and economic objectives, making it a model for gender inclusiveness in industrial development,” the policy states. Deccan Herald

  • Bharti Telecom raises stake in Airtel to 40.47% after ₹8,485 crore deal

    Bharti Telecom raises stake in Airtel to 40.47% after ₹8,485 crore deal

    Bharti Telecom Limited has increased its stake in Bharti Airtel to approximately 40.47 per cent following a significant market transaction today. Indian Continent Investment Limited (ICIL), a promoter-group entity of Bharti Airtel, sold about 0.84 per cent shareholding (approximately 5.11 crore shares) for ₹8,485.11 crore.

    The shares of Bharti Airtel Limited were trading at ₹1,662.50, down by ₹13.05 or 0.78 per cent on the NSE today at 11.05 am.

    Bharti Telecom anchored the trade by acquiring approximately 1.20 crore shares, representing about 24 per cent of ICIL’s total sale. The company ensured that the remaining shares were allocated to “key marquee long only names, both global and domestic,” according to the filing.

    This transaction follows Bharti Telecom’s earlier acquisition of an additional 1.2 per cent stake (approximately 7.31 crore shares) in Airtel from ICIL in November 2024. The company stated that these moves reinforce its “previously stated intent of strengthening its position as the principal vehicle to hold controlling stake in Airtel.”

    Bharti Telecom remains “focused on gradually increasing its stake while maintaining a prudent leverage profile,” according to the announcement filed with the stock exchanges today.

    The transaction continues the consolidation strategy that began with earlier announcements in August 2022 and December 2023, as Bharti Telecom progressively increases its controlling interest in one of India’s largest telecommunications companies. The Hindu BusinessLine

  • Chunghwa Telecom deploys microwave backup after cable cut

    Chunghwa Telecom deploys microwave backup after cable cut

    Chunghwa Telecom has activated a microwave backup system to maintain communications between Taiwan proper and Lienchiang County (Matsu) after a submarine cable linking the areas was disconnected, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said.

    Communications between Taiwan and Matsu are mainly maintained through two submarine cables: Taima No. 2 and Taima No. 3.

    Last month, communications were slightly disrupted after Taima No. 3 and part of Taima No. 2 were disconnected due to natural deterioration.

    However, the nation’s largest telecom on Sunday informed the National Communications and Cyber Security Center that Taima No. 2, installed off New Taipei City, was completely disconnected, the ministry said, adding that the cause of the disconnection had yet to be determined.

    The telecom has also notified the Coast Guard Administration and requested its assistance in its investigation into whether the submarine cable was deliberately disconnected, it said.

    Chunghwa Telecom has been asked to activate its microwave backup system, through which voice and data communications between Taiwan and Matsu can be maintained, it said.

    The microwave backup system can transmit data at 12.5 gigabits per second (Gbps), higher than the 9.5Gbps required during peak traffic on weekdays.

    The telecom has also told the submarine cable laying ship that has arrived at the Port of Kaohsiung to repair the Taima No. 3 cable to start repairs on Taima No. 2 once the No. 3 line is operational, the ministry said.

    Taima No. 3 and Taima No. 2 should be fixed by the end of this month and next month respectively if weather permits, the Chunghwa Telecom said.

    Priority access to the microwave backup system would be given to government agencies, banks and hospitals to ensure that Matsu residents can perform daily tasks while submarine cables are being fixed, such as online transactions and cash withdrawals from automated teller machines, the ministry said.

    The Ministry of Digital Affairs has subsidized Chunghwa Telecom to build a fourth submarine cable, which is expected to be completed in June next year. Taipei Times

  • Vietnam moves to clear path for Starlink to enter market

    Vietnam moves to clear path for Starlink to enter market

    Vietnam plans to adopt rules that would allow Elon Musk’s Starlink to provide satellite internet services in the country while maintaining full ownership of any local subsidiary, a draft of the regulations shows.

    The change paves the way for Starlink to launch in Vietnam and follows protracted talks with its parent company SpaceX, a government official said.

    It represents a sudden shift in stance and can be seen as “an olive branch” to SpaceX amid nervousness in Vietnam about tariff threats from US President Donald Trump, according to a person familiar with the matter.

    It’s a “demonstration from the Vietnamese side that they can play the transactional diplomacy game if the Trump administration wants that,” said the person.

    All sources declined to be identified so they could speak more freely.

    Attempts by SpaceX to enter Vietnam – a market of nearly 100 million people – were put on hold in late 2023 after the Communist-run country declined to lift a ban on foreign control of satellite internet providers – a precondition for Musk, who is now a key adviser to Trump.

    The draft rules, set to be adopted by parliament in an extraordinary sitting on Wednesday, allow for full foreign control of operations for internet providers who have a network of low-orbit satellites, under a pilot scheme that would run until the end of 2030.

    The provision is included in a 12-page resolution that seeks “to remove obstacles in scientific, technological and innovation activities”. Projects submitted under the pilot scheme would require the approval of Vietnam’s prime minister.

    SpaceX and Vietnam’s information ministry did not reply to requests for comment.

    SpaceX has been expanding its network of suppliers in Vietnam. The Vietnamese government has said the company wants to invest $1.5 billion in the country.

    If many Vietnamese firms and individuals were to subscribe to Starlink that could help trim the large surplus in goods and services that the country has with the United States, according to a person with knowledge of the discussions.

    Its surplus last year hit a record high of $123.5 billion, the fourth biggest among US partners, according to US data.

    Trump last Thursday directed his team to devise reciprocal tariffs on every country that taxes US imports by April 1 and his aides have said countries with large imbalances will be closely scrutinised.

    US duties have the potential to seriously disrupt Vietnam’s export-reliant economy, which counts the US as its main market.

    Vietnam hosts many China-based manufacturers which have invested heavily in the Southeast Asian country after Trump’s first administration imposed tariffs on China in 2018.

    To narrow its surplus with the US, Vietnam has also separately offered to import more US agricultural products, and is discussing other possible imports. Indian Express

  • SURJ completes DAZN minority stake acquisition

    SURJ completes DAZN minority stake acquisition

    SURJ Sports Investments, the sports arm of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) sovereign wealth investment vehicle, has finalized a major investment into international sports-focus streaming service DAZN.

    Reported to be worth $1 billion in exchange for a 10% stake in the business, SURJ’s investment will see the creation of a media joint venture, DAZN MENA, centered around the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

    The joint venture will be an “official streaming and broadcast partner” for Saudi sports events broadcast both live and on-demand.

    Speaking on the announcement, SURJ Sports Investment chief executive Danny Townsend stated: “SURJ supports the leadership of DAZN, and our partnership will accelerate the growth of DAZN and capitalize on the significant and growing demand for high-quality sports broadcasting.

    “This investment will help SURJ achieve its mandate of driving fan engagement, encouraging sports participation and unlocking game-changing opportunities, and further showcasing the region as a destination for world-class sports.”

    Shay Segev, DAZN chief executive, added: “As part of the DAZN MENA joint venture with SURJ, DAZN is committed to maximizing the reach and accessibility of sports, while delivering the best entertainment experience to a global community of passionate fans.

    “This is a milestone partnership for the group, which is bound to transform the sports entertainment landscape in Saudi Arabia and the wider region.”

    Rumors had been circling regarding the PIF’s interest in DAZN since October 2024 – although that same month the PIF publicly stated it had no interest in DAZN.

    DAZN has a good relationship with authorities in the Kingdom and in October 2024 agreed a major multi-year broadcast partnership with the Riyadh Season brand of sporting and entertainment events from the Saudi capital, becoming the exclusive global broadcaster of its events (excluding the Middle East and North Africa).

    The broadcaster is also a significant rights-holder for the Saudi Pro League soccer competition, while earlier this year it provided coverage of the Esports World Cup from Riyadh, as well.

    In addition, the ties between the country and DAZN were strengthened in September when the streaming platform announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Saudi Arabian soccer side Al-Hilal for the establishment of a new global channel – backed by Riyadh Season – on the service.

    This partnership was much needed for DAZN, which in the calendar year 2023 posted yet another hefty loss despite the continued investment of owner Len Blavatnik.

    Over that year DAZN posted a pre-tax loss of $1.43 billion (up from the loss of $1.2 billion in 2022) despite a growth in revenue year-on-year from $2.19 billion to $2.86 billion.

    DAZN’s user base grew in the year, as did its paid subscription tier, but that was still not enough to offset its operational costs, mostly composed of spiraling accumulated rights fees.

    Rights costs for DAZN in 2023 amounted to $3.1 billion, up by 32% ($757 million) on the $2.4 billion it paid across 2022.

    The service still has $9.4 billion in sports rights fees it has committed to pay across the coming years, and will likely still add more as it looks to compete with the likes of Amazon Prime Video and new sports rights entrant Netflix.

    Its struggle, however, is competing against diversified media businesses that offer entertainment such as film and TV along with other benefits alongside their sports programming whereas DAZN, solely sports-focused with a heavy priority in boxing (globally) and soccer (in certain markets), charges a similar if not larger fee for what is a less expansive offering. Sportcal

  • SES wins ATP Media worldwide delivery

    SES wins ATP Media worldwide delivery

    SES announced today a new agreement to deliver and manage video content for ATP Tour events around the world using Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) and its unique Sports Content Orchestration Enabler ( SES SCORE) platform enabled by SES’s hybrid IP, fibre and satellite distribution network.

    With more than 200,000 hours of live content per year from 3,200 tennis matches across various ATP Masters 1000, ATP 500 and ATP 250 tournaments, SES SCORE gives ATP Media an easy-to-use, centralized platform to manage and deliver its content. ATP Media’s 70+ broadcast partners can select from a variety of video feeds, audio, metadata and other content when creating their broadcasts with a simplified booking process.

    “We wanted to give our broadcast partners unrestricted access to up to 10 Court Feeds we produce at our ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, as well as a secure method of delivering the World Feed as we transitioned away from satellite,” said Tom Copeland, Director of Technology at ATP Media. “By working with SES, we’ve created a simple, unified content orchestration and fully redundant hybrid distribution system where our partners can easily book and receive our SRT streams automatically through the SES SCORE Portal, enabling them to regionalise their coverage even further.”

    “This is an important agreement, not only because of ATP Media’s status as a major and iconic professional sports media organization, but also that it showcases our unique content orchestration technology and hybrid distribution capabilities,” said Michele Gosetti, Head of Sales, Sports & Events at SES. “Our SES SCORE platform enables ATP Media to offer a single source to its broadcasters for picking various feeds and content sources – from full court views to player and coach isolation shots and more – to customize the broadcast to the tennis fans in their specific markets.” Financial Post

  • Curry wins MVP and leads Shaq’s OGs to All-Star title

    Curry wins MVP and leads Shaq’s OGs to All-Star title

    The NBA rolled out a new format with four teams, each coached by a legend, competing in a single-elimination tournament as two semi-finals and a championship game.

    Curry, 36, scored 12 points in the final to seal a 41-25 victory against Chuck’s Global Stars.

    “I had a lot of fun,” Curry said.

    “The intensity was definitely different than last year, a step in the right direction. It’s something new, everybody is still trying to figure it out.”

    Four-time NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal coached the winning team, with two-time NBA winner Kenny Smith, 11-time All-Star Charles Barkley and three-time WNBA champion Candace Parker in charge of the other three sides.

    Curry ended the competition with 20 points in total, having scored eight points in the 42-35 semi-final win against Candace’s Rising Stars was named MVP.

    The Golden State Warriors point guard is the 15th player in NBA history to win the All-Star MVP on more than one occasion.

    New format receives mixed reviews
    The 2024 All-Star game drew criticism with both teams combining to score 397 points in Indianapolis and organisers were hoping a new format might help to bring back a competitive edge.

    Aside from making it a mini-tournament with semi-finals and final, one of the key changes was games being played on a first-to-40-points basis rather than across four quarters.

    MVP Curry was among those to praise the NBA for trying something new.

    “I think it was a good step in the right direction to reinvigorate the game in some way,” Curry said.

    Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard was also on the winning side and echoed the thoughts of Curry.

    “I think they’re just looking for a more competitive game and trying to find ways to create that and it was a little bit more competitive than they have been the last few years,” Lillard said.

    “That’s the number one thing, to provide the entertainment and competitiveness on the floor, and I thought it was a little bit more of that.”

    However, Curry’s Golden State Warriors team-mate Draymond Green, who was working as a television analyst for the event, was critical of change.

    Asked to rate it on a scale, Green said, “Ten being the best? A zero. It sucks. Awful.”

    “You work all year to be an All-Star and you get to play up to 40 (points) and then you’re done,’” Green added on TNT. BBC

  • AANP supports ICAN Act

    AANP supports ICAN Act

    The American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) announces its strong support for the Improving Care and Access to Nurses (ICAN) Act. AANP thanks Senators Merkley (D-OR) and Lummis (R-WY), and Representatives Joyce (R-OH-14), Bonamici (D-OR-1), Kiggans (R-VA-2), Underwood (D-IL-14) and Rogers (R-AL-3) for introducing this bipartisan legislation in the U.S. House and Senate, which would improve health care access for Medicare and Medicaid patients and modernize the programs by removing barriers to practice for nurse practitioners (NPs) and other advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs).

    “This important legislation takes a necessary step toward modernizing outdated policies that limit patient access to timely care,” said AANP President Stephen A. Ferrara, DNP. “Nurse practitioners are essential providers in our nation’s health care system and removing these barriers ensures patients can receive the high-quality care they need—when and where they need it.”

    NPs provide high-quality health care to Medicare and Medicaid patients across all geographic areas and health care settings. Approximately 40% of Medicare beneficiaries receive care from NPs, and NPs are the fastest growing Medicare provider group. Yet, despite the essential health care NPs provide to Medicare and Medicaid patients, outdated barriers still exist within the programs that prevent the effective and efficient delivery of care.

    The ICAN Act would increase access to health care services for patients across the country by removing outdated federal barriers to care. This bill would authorize NPs to order cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, certify when patients with diabetes need therapeutic shoes, fully include NPs’ patients in the beneficiary attribution process for the Medicare Shared Savings Program, refer patients for medical nutrition therapy, certify and recertify a patient’s terminal illness for hospice eligibility, perform all mandatory examinations in skilled nursing facilities and more.

    “Now is the time for Congress to act,” Ferrara added. “By passing the ICAN Act, lawmakers can help ensure Medicare and Medicaid patients receive the comprehensive, patient-centered care they deserve. This legislation strengthens the health care workforce and empowers providers to deliver care more efficiently.”

    The American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) is the largest professional membership organization for nurse practitioners (NPs) of all specialties. It represents the interests of the more than 385,000 licensed NPs in the U.S. AANP provides legislative leadership at the local, state and national levels, advancing health policy; promoting excellence in practice, education and research; and establishing standards that best serve NPs’ patients and other health care consumers. As The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner®, AANP represents the interests of NPs as providers of high-quality, cost-effective, comprehensive, patient-centered health care.
    NewsBit Bureau