Latest news with #CC
Hans India
10 hours ago
- Business
- Hans India
FII holdings in IT at 13-year low: Time to buy or brace for more pain?
Investor sentiment in India's IT services sector continues to remain bearish as foreign institutional investor (FII) holding has plummeted to a 13-year low. Domestic institutional ownership has also seen a marked decline. According to BNP Paribas, such pessimism could signal a contrarian buying opportunity — historically, low investor holdings have often preceded IT sector outperformance. The brokerage notes that the Indian IT sector is currently trading at a dividend yield of 3.2%, among the highest in the last decade, providing a cushion to valuations amid uncertainty. Despite weak sentiment, key indicators such as deal wins, pricing improvements, and hiring trends point to a relatively stable demand environment. Infosys, Persistent Favoured; Wipro, TCS Expected to Lag BNP Paribas expects Q1FY26 performance to diverge across Tier I IT firms. Infosys and Persistent Systems are forecast to post strong numbers, while TCS and Wipro may report weaker results. Infosys is projected to deliver 2.1% constant currency (CC) revenue growth, defying seasonal headwinds, whereas large-cap peers could see a -1% to -2.5% QoQ CC revenue decline. Mid-cap players like Persistent may see QoQ dollar revenue growth of 1%–4%, supported by operational efficiency and favourable currency movements. EBIT margins are likely to remain flat or decline among large caps, while mid-caps could witness improvement. Recovery Signs from Global Peers Encouraging signals from global players also fuel cautious optimism. Accenture's Q4FY25 guidance, placed at the higher end of its range, implies a rebound in organic growth. BNP Paribas highlights a shift in client conversations from 'pause' to 'leapfrog' initiatives. The brokerage maintains a positive outlook on Infosys, TCS, Persistent Systems, and HCL Technologies, while downgrading LTIMindtree to neutral following recent stock gains. It remains wary of Tech Mahindra and Wipro, citing continued underperformance risks. Sector Guidance and Outlook For FY26, Infosys may revise its growth guidance to 1.5–3.5%, while HCL Tech is expected to retain a 2–5% CC growth outlook. Wipro could project a modest -1% to +1% QoQ CC growth for Q2FY26. BNP Paribas concludes that despite short-term headwinds and the possibility of trade tension escalations, the bearish investor positioning is already pricing in much of the downside. If macroeconomic indicators stay supportive — particularly in the US — the current levels could offer long-term accumulation opportunities in select IT names. Disclaimer: This report is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. Investors are advised to consult certified financial advisors before making decisions.
Forbes
6 days ago
- Science
- Forbes
500 Bird Species Face Extinction Within The Next Century
The loss of these birds will lead to the unraveling or to the complete collapse of entire ecosystems. An adult male yellow-bellied sunbird-asity (Neodrepanis hypoxantha) in Ranomafana National Park, ... More Madagascar. This tiny songbird lives in montane forests where it feeds on feeds on nectar. (Credit: Dubi Shapiro / CC BY-SA 3.0) A recent international study warns that more than 500 bird species could go extinct in the next 100 years due to climate change and human persecution. The species that are most vulnerable to extinction include the yellow-bellied sunbird-asity, the helmeted hornbill and the bare-necked umbrellabird. The loss of these vulnerable birds would greatly reduce the variety of avian sizes and shapes and would harm ecosystems as well as humans that depend on unique birds for vital ecosystem functions. 'The rate of extinction in modern times is unprecedented,' the study's lead author, ornithologist and conservation biologist Kerry Stewart, a PhD student at the University of Reading, told me in email 'We predict three times as many bird extinctions in the next 100 years as have been recorded since 1500 AD (164 recorded avian extinctions). Extinctions on this scale are expected to fundamentally alter avian communities worldwide, potentially undermining ecosystem stability and resilience.' Helmeted Hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil) is a very large bird in the hornbill family. It is found on the ... More Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, Thailand and Myanmar. It is critically endangered due to poaching and habitat loss. (Credit: Doug Janson / CC BY-SA 3.0) Many of these threatened birds will require targeted interventions if they are to survive at all. 'We need immediate action to reduce human threats across habitats and targeted rescue programs for the most unique and endangered species,' Ms Stewart explained. 'Many birds are already so threatened that reducing human impacts alone won't save them. These species need special recovery programs, like breeding projects and habitat restoration, to survive.' Tragically, Ms Stewart and collaborators found that even with complete protection from hunting, habitat loss, and climate change, roughly 250 bird species will probably go extinct anyway. Ms Stewart and collaborators came to this conclusion after examining IUCN Red List data for nearly 10,000 bird species. They predicted extinction risk based on the types of threats that each species faces. 'Birds differ in their vulnerability to different human threats, so large-bodied species are particularly likely to be vulnerable to hunting and climate change, while birds with broad wings suffer more from habitat loss,' Ms Stewart told me in email. 'We also found that many of the world's most unique species in terms of their size and shape are threatened with extinction.' Why should people care about these bird species, many of which live in faraway places? 'Bird declines have serious implications for ecosystems and human societies,' Ms Stewart replied in email. 'Declines alter species interaction networks which undermines ecosystem stability and has knock-on effects for other species including plants, mammals and insects. The impact of bird declines are expected to be particularly serious when they reduce the diversity of the roles that species play within an ecosystem.' The Indian vulture (Gyps indicus) is an Old World scavenger native to India, Pakistan, and Nepal. ... More They are usually found in savannas and other open habitats around villages, cities, and near cultivated areas. They are critically endangered after their populations crashed in 2002 and afterwards. (Credit: Mike Prince via / CC BY) 'Birds provide many services that humans depend upon. For example, pollination, pest control and seed dispersal are necessary for agricultural production, and some birds are important scavengers – the vulture decline in India was estimated to have killed more than half a million people between 2000 and 2005 (ref) following the spread of disease-carrying pathogens due to an excess of dead animals,' Ms Stewart elaborated in email. 'Birds also have immense cultural value, with over $14.5 billion being spent on birdwatching trips every year in the US alone (PDF).' Considering this is not the first warning that scientists have delivered regarding the conservation status of the world's birds, what makes this study unique? 'One of the novel aspects of this paper is that we estimated biodiversity loss in more than one way, looking at species extinctions and functional diversity decline,' Ms Stewart explained in email. 'Functional diversity describes the diversity of size and shape of species within a community, and can be useful for understanding the range of ecological roles present in an ecosystem which is important for understanding ecosystem function and integrity. We found that functional diversity will decline as much as species richness in response to species extinctions, and that threats like hunting and collection have a particularly large impact on functional diversity per the number of species affected.' In addition to sounding yet another warning regarding these birds' extinction risks, Ms Stewart and collaborators also identified which conservation actions will best preserve both the number of bird species and their ecological functions. The study found that stopping the destruction of habitats would save the most bird species overall. However, reducing hunting and preventing accidental deaths would save birds with more unusual functions, which are especially important for ecosystem health. But as many as 250–350 species will require more intensive conservation measures, such as captive breeding programs and habitat restoration, if they are to survive into the next century. For example, prioritizing conservation programs for just 100 of the most unusual threatened birds could save 68% of the variety in bird shapes and sizes. This approach could help to keep ecosystems healthy. One particularly inspirational conservation triumph that illustrates successful intensive conservation efforts is the California condor, Gymnogyps californianus. With a 9½-foot wingspan, this species is amongst the largest birds in North America. When in flight, this spectacular bird is hard to miss. But poaching for feathers and eggs, poisoning from consuming lead ammunition in carcasses, and habitat destruction caused the condors' population to crash. By 1987, the entire species – numbering just 22 individuals – was removed from the wild and placed into captive breeding programs at a number of zoos throughout the United States. Meanwhile, lead ammunition for hunting has been either banned or severely restricted, thereby protecting condors as well as other large birds, particularly eagles. These targeted intensive conservation efforts are paying off: there are more than 350 condors currently living in the wild, with more than 200 individuals in the state of California alone, and over 180 birds (including chicks) living in captivity. A fledgling California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) spreads her wings to absorb the sun's rays. ... More (Credit: NPS / Gavin Emmons / public domain.) What is this study's most important take-home message? 'The take-home message of this study is that immediate and ambitious actions to reduce threats to natural populations are essential to prevent avian diversity loss, but threat reduction alone is not enough. Many species will require additional measures such as captive breeding efforts for their survival.' Source: Kerry Stewart, Chris Venditti, Carlos P. Carmona, Joanna Baker, Chris Clements, Joseph A. Tobias & Manuela González-Suárez (2025). Threat reduction must be coupled with targeted recovery programmes to conserve global bird diversity, Nature Ecology & Evolution | doi:10.1038/s41559-025-02746-z © Copyright by GrrlScientist | hosted by Forbes | Socials: Bluesky | CounterSocial | LinkedIn | Mastodon Science | MeWe | Spoutible | SubStack | Threads | Tumblr | Twitter
The Herald Scotland
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Arts centre to close temporarily after pro-Palestine protest
The Arts Workers For Palestine Scotland campaign had announced plans to "reclaim the CCA" for several days this week with a series of events in a "liberated zone" at the venue. Read more: The CCA, which has been targeted over a refusal to support a boycott of Israeli academic and cultural institutions, said it had been forced to close to the public due to "safety and security concerns" over the "intended occupation" of its courtyard. The CC added that the police had been called in to respond to a "forced entry" at the venue, which showcases a number of different art forms. However campaigners have accused the CCA of "colluding" with the police, and have demanded the resigning of its chair, Jean Cameron, and board member, Roddy Hunter. The Centre for Contemporary Arts has been running since 1992. A statement from the campaign group, which has suggested there was a "violent crackdown" against its protest plans, added: "We will not back down. We will reclaim our centre." The group had claimed that the CCA had refused to let run events in a "liberated zone" and had urged supporters to "mobilise" to enter the building and "reclaim" its courtyard space. A spokesperson for the CCA said: "In light of recent events and ongoing conversations involving the CCA, we've made the decision to keep the building closed to the public for the rest of this week. "This is not a decision we take lightly, but we recognise the need to pause. The temporary closure will allow us to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of our staff and partners, and to create space for reflection. "We understand the strength of feeling being expressed by our community and we remain committed to engaging with this moment thoughtfully. "We will be sharing updates in the coming days. Thank you for your support and your patience." The CCA had earlier said that it wanted to acknowledge the activists who had gathered to "express their views" at the venue. It added: "We recognise the conviction, deep emotion, urgency and purpose behind their presence. "We also understand the significance of this moment. "This has been particularly challenging for our staff." Earlier this month the CCA said that its board had been "unable to reach a consensus" over whether to endorse the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel. At the time, the centre said it would be instigating a "transparent, values-based consultation with our staff and the broader CCA community to address the substantive issues." The CCA was opened in 1992 at the home of the former Third Eye Centre, which was founded in 1974. Writers, artists and performers who have shown work or performed there include Allen Ginsberg, Whoopi Goldberg, John Byrne, Billy Connolly, Edwin Morgan, Kathy Acker, Damien Hirst, Sophie Calleite, Nathan Coley, Jacqueline Donachie, Louise Hopkins, Carol Rhodes, Richard Wright, David Shrigley and Ross Sinclair. The venue has had a number of difficulties over the last decade, including being forced to close for several months due to the impact of the 2018 Glasgow School of Art fire, a long-running dispute over the pay and conditions of workers at its cafe-bar, and financial problems, which forced the venue to close temporarily in December. The venue finally reopened in April after securing a new £3.4 million Scottish Government funding deal for the next three years.
Newsweek
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Ukraine's New Drone Boss Is Getting Results, On and Off Battlefield
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's appointment of Robert "Madyar" Brovdi as Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces has formalized the frontline role of one of the country's most prolific drone warfighters. Brovdi, who led the elite aerial reconnaissance unit "Birds of the Madyar," was tapped for the top drone command in late May, replacing Vadym Sukharevskyi. Known for his aggressive style, Brovdi's unit had already gained national attention for pioneering Ukraine's FPV (First-Person-View) drone assaults against entrenched Russian positions. But Brovdi's fight isn't limited to countering Russian forces—he's also targeting the morale of their recruits, using viral battlefield footage to wage a psychological war. Why It Matters Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have evolved from supplemental tools into essential weapons in the Ukraine-Russia war, redefining modern combat on both strategic and tactical levels. Initially used for reconnaissance, drones now execute precision strikes, destroy armored vehicles, and provide real-time battlefield intelligence. Ukraine's defense ministry says drone strikes are now responsible for up to 80 percent of Russian battlefield casualties. In May alone, Ukrainian drones destroyed over 89,000 Russian targets, according to Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. Robert Brovdi's elevation signals a structural shift in how Ukraine is organizing its war effort, with the Unmanned Systems Forces expected to play a decisive role in upcoming campaigns. Robert Brovdi's elevation signals a structural shift in how Ukraine is organizing its war effort, with the Unmanned Systems Forces expected to play a decisive role in upcoming campaigns. By Птахи Мадяра 414ОБ - Птахи Мадяра 414ОБ, CC BY-SA 4.0, What To Know The promotion of 49-year-old Robert Brovdi, known by his call sign "Madyar," formalized what many in Kyiv and beyond had already recognized: drone warfare is now the backbone of Ukraine's military strategy. His appointment as commander of Ukraine's newly formed Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) underscores the central role drones now play in the country's defense. General Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, told reporters that Brovdi's leadership is already yielding results. "He is an experienced man with vast experience, who went through the war as a volunteer, platoon, company, battalion, regiment, brigade commander, and now he is the commander of this new kind of troops," Syrskyi said, according to Badaboom!🔥🍞 Robert Brovdi "Madyar" (Lord of the Drones) and his birds burn a Russian tank! — Challenger Tank In Ukraine🇬🇧🇺🇦 (@ChallengerInUA) January 15, 2025 Originally from the western city of Uzhhorod, Brovdi quickly took on operational duties. His swift rise—from conscript to drone commander—drew strong reactions from Russian pro-war bloggers, who contrasted Ukraine's meritocratic approach with Russia's rigid military hierarchy. Soon after taking command, Brovdi outlined a development plan for the USF that focused on boosting domestic munitions production, deploying robotic logistics systems to the front lines and expanding drone pilot training. A still image from footage of Operation Spiderweb published by Ukraine's security services. A still image from footage of Operation Spiderweb published by Ukraine's security services. SBU Those plans quickly moved from paper to the battlefield. On June 1, Ukrainian FPV drones struck strategic air bases in four Russian regions as part of Operation Spiderweb—a stunning surprise attack some pro-Moscow bloggers compared to "Russia's Pearl Harbor." The operation involved the covert deployment of 117 drones targeting long-range aviation sites deep inside Russian territory. The drones were smuggled across the border in wooden containers with removable roofs, hidden on civilian trucks. Brovdi has also weaponized social media. His Telegram channel, followed by around half a million users, regularly features narrated footage of drones tracking and killing Russian soldiers. "We promote these killings to cause moral and psychological damage to the enemy," he told the Times of Britain. "Maybe some Russian Ivan will see these videos and think: 'Why the hell should I go there for money? They'll just kill me.'" He claimed that each of his fallen pilots had taken out around 1,000 Russian soldiers, though the numbers couldn't be independently verified. "Our goal," he said, "is to trade the lives of Russian soldiers for our drones—just plastic and metal. Good morning!☕️🔥 The Russian EW system is not helpful as Ukraine has fibre optics FPV, and the tank got Badaboom!🔥🍞 Robert Brovdi "Madyar" (Lord of the Drones) and his unit. — Challenger Tank In Ukraine🇬🇧🇺🇦 (@ChallengerInUA) January 7, 2025 At his underground base, drone operators—known as "Madyar's Birds"—work 12-hour shifts monitoring live drone feeds. The walls are covered with destroyed or captured Russian UAVs, including a battered Merlin reconnaissance drone capable of flying nearly 400 miles, displayed like a war trophy, according to the Times. Brovdi's unit also benefits from a video-game like, performance-based incentive program. Crews earn points for confirmed kills and equipment strikes—six for a soldier, 40 for a tank—which can be exchanged for new gear. Digital Minister Mykhailo Fedorov told Politico that Brovdi's team has already accumulated enough points to receive more than 1,100 new drones. What Happens Next On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump met with Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO summit and suggested that increased spending by the trans-Atlantic alliance could help prevent future Russian aggression against its neighbors.
TechCrunch
25-06-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
Creative Commons debuts CC signals, a framework for an open AI ecosystem
Nonprofit Creative Commons, which spearheaded the licensing movement that allows creators to share their works while retaining copyright, is now preparing for the AI era. On Wednesday, the organization announced the launch of a new project, CC signals, which will allow dataset holders to detail how their content can or cannot be reused by machines, as in the case of training AI models. The idea is meant to create a balance between the open nature of the internet and the demand for ever more data to fuel AI. As Creative Commons explains in a blog post, the continued data extraction underway could erode openness on the internet and could see entities walling off their sites or guarding them with paywalls, instead of sharing access to their data. The CC signals project, on the other hand, aims to provide a legal and technical solution that would provide a framework for dataset sharing meant to be used between those who control the data and those who use it to train AI. Demand is increasing for such a tool, as companies grapple with changing their policies and terms of service to either limit AI training on their data or explain to what extent they'll use users' data for purposes related to AI. For instance, X initially made a change that allowed third parties to train their models on its public data, then later reversed that. Reddit is using its file, which is meant to tell automated web crawlers whether they can access its site, to restrict bots from scraping its data for training AI. Cloudflare is looking toward a solution that would charge AI bots for scraping, as well as tools for confusing them. And open source developers have also built tools to slow down and waste the resources of AI crawlers that didn't respect their 'no crawl' directives. The CC signals project instead proposes a different solution: a set of tools that offers a range of legal enforceability, but all of which have an ethical weight to them, similar to the CC licenses that today cover billions of openly licensed creative works online. Techcrunch event Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Boston, MA | REGISTER NOW 'CC signals are designed to sustain the commons in the age of AI,' said Anna Tumadóttir, Creative Commons CEO, in an announcement. 'Just as the CC licenses helped build the open web, we believe CC signals will help shape an open AI ecosystem grounded in reciprocity.' The project is only now beginning to take shape. Early designs have been published on the CC website and GitHub page. The organization is actively seeking public feedback ahead of its plans for an alpha launch (early test) in November 2025. It will also host a series of town halls for feedback and questions.
