Sebi taps DigiLocker to ease unclaimed assets transfer

NoneA report from the charity on hurricanes, floods, typhoons and storms influenced by climate change warns that the top 10 disasters each cost more than 4 billion US dollars in damage (£3.2 billion). The figures are based mostly on insured losses, so the true costs are likely to be even higher, Christian Aid said, as it called for action to cut greenhouse gas emissions and finance for poor countries to cope with climate change. Politicians who “downplay the urgency of the climate crisis only serve to harm their own people and cause untold suffering around the world”, climate expert Joanna Haigh said. While developed countries feature heavily in the list of costliest weather extremes, as they have higher property values and can afford insurance, the charity also highlighted another 10 disasters which did not rack up such costs but were just as devastating, often hitting poorer countries. Most extreme weather events show “clear fingerprints” of climate change, which is driving more extreme weather events, making them more intense and frequent, experts said. The single most costly event in 2024 was Hurricane Milton, which scientists say was made windier, wetter and more destructive by global warming, and which caused 60 billion US dollars (£48 billion) of damage when it hit the US in October. That is closely followed by Hurricane Helene, which cost 55 billion US dollars (£44 billion) when it hit the US, Mexico and Cuba just two weeks before Milton in late September. The US was hit by so many costly storms throughout the year that even when hurricanes are removed, other storms cost more than 60 billion US dollars in damage, the report said. Three of the costliest 10 climate extremes hit Europe, including the floods from Storm Boris which devastated central European countries in September and deadly flooding in Valencia in October which killed 226 people. In other parts of the world, floods in June and July in China killed 315 people and racked up costs of 15.6 billion US dollars (£12.4 billion), while Typhoon Yagi, which hit south-west Asia in September, killed more than 800 people and cost 12.6 billion dollars (£10 billion). Events which were not among the most costly in financial terms but which have still been devastating include Cyclone Chido which hit Mayotte in December and may have killed more than 1,000 people, Christian Aid said. Meanwhile, heatwaves affected 33 million people in Bangladesh and worsened the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, flooding affected 6.6 million people in West Africa and the worst drought in living memory affected more than 14 million in Zambia, Malawi, Namibia and Zimbabwe, the charity said. Christian Aid chief executive Patrick Watt said: “There is nothing natural about the growing severity and frequency of droughts, floods and storms. “Disasters are being supercharged by decisions to keep burning fossil fuels, and to allow emissions to rise. “And they’re being made worse by the consistent failure to deliver on financial commitments to the poorest and most climate-vulnerable countries. “In 2025 we need to see governments leading, and taking action to accelerate the green transition, reduce emissions, and fund their promises.” Dr Mariam Zachariah, World Weather Attribution researcher who analyses extreme events in near-real time to discern the role of climate change, at Imperial College London, said: “This report is just a snapshot of climate devastation in 2024. “There are many more droughts, heatwaves, wildfires and floods not included that are becoming more frequent and intense. “Most of these disasters show clear fingerprints of climate change. “Extreme weather is clearly causing incredible suffering in all corners of the world. Behind the billion-dollar figures are lost lives and livelihoods.” And Prof Haigh, emeritus professor of atmospheric physics at Imperial College London, said: “The economic impact of these extreme weather events should be a wake-up call. “The good news is that ever-worsening crises doesn’t have to be our long-term future. “The technologies of a clean energy economy exist, but we need leaders to invest in them and roll them out at scale.” The 10 costliest climate disasters of 2024 were: – US storms, December to January, more than 60 billion US dollars; – Hurricane Milton in the US, October 9-13, 60 billion US dollars (£48 billion); – Hurricane Helene in the US, Mexico, Cuba, 55 billion US dollars (£44 billion); – China floods, June 9-July 14, 15.6 billion US dollars (£12.4 billion); – Typhoon Yagi, which hit south-west Asia from September 1 to 9, 12.6 billion US dollars (£10 billion); – Hurricane Beryl, in the US, Mexico and Caribbean islands from July 1-11, 6.7 billion US dollars (£5.3 billion); – Storm Boris in central Europe, September 12-16, 5.2 billion US dollars (£4.1 billion); – Rio Grande do Sul floods in Brazil, April 28-May 3, 5 billion US dollars (£4 billion); – Bavaria floods, Germany, June 1-7, 4.45 billion US dollars (£3.5 billion); – Valencia floods, Spain, on October 29, 4.22 billion US dollars (£3.4 billion).AAP releases 1st list of 11 candidates for Delhi polls

SpinLaunch just proved that satellites are a lot more sturdy than one would think. In its pursuit of catapulting payloads to space, the California-based startup recently accelerated a small satellite under extreme gravitational forces, using minor tweaks, and a little bit of glue, to keep it together. In a recent demonstration, SpinLaunch tested an off-the-shelf satellite with a few ruggedized components for the first time, spinning it to 10,000Gs inside a lab to prove that the spacecraft can survive mass acceleration. This marks a major milestone for the company, which is seeking to build a groundbreaking centrifugal launch system that can deliver small satellites to low-Earth orbit. “For prospective launch customers, [the demonstration] serves as a valuable engineering case study and helps to answer the common question of how to build a satellite for SpinLaunch,” Sev Sandomirsky, director of satellite programs at SpinLaunch, told Gizmodo in an email. “This testing serves as the foundation for the development of a wide variety of payloads, including the satellites that enable critical science and power the global economy.” For the test, SpinLaunch partnered with Portland State University’s open-source CubeSat program, OreSat. The space startup made a few design adjustments to the small satellite; notably, SpinLaunch engineers rotated the battery cells so they acted as pillars, supporting their own weight along their long axis, and added a little bit of glue behind the cells. The team of engineers also upgraded the structure of the satellite from Aluminum 6061 to Aluminum 7075, known for having more strength, and reinforced larger parts of the circuit boards to minimize stress on sensitive components. “While relatively minimal, these core adjustments ensured the satellite’s structural compatibility for SpinLaunch,” Sandomirsky said. Surprisingly, the 1U CubeSat used for the demonstration required a small number of modifications to survive 10,000Gs. “A compelling finding from our years of testing satellite subsystems in our accelerator is that many parts of modern satellites are already capable of withstanding the high-g environment,” Sandomirsky added. “We don’t claim that every component or every technology can survive our launch environment, but we have proven that high-performance, cost-effective satellites can be launched with our launch system.” Founded in 2014, SpinLaunch is developing a cost-effective, and environmental friendly way of delivering payload to space. The company wants to build a kinetic launch system, which is essentially a giant centrifuge designed to catapult objects to high altitudes. Once the payload reaches stratospheric heights, a propulsion stage takes over to complete the journey to low-Earth orbit. SpinLaunch claims that its launch system will result in a 10-fold reduction in launch costs and a 70% reduction in the use of fuel compared to chemical rockets. It almost sounds too good to be true, but the company is slowly inching closer to its vision . SpinLaunch has had success with testing its suborbital 108-foot (33-meter) accelerator A-33 at Spaceport America in the New Mexico desert. During the first test in October 2021, the accelerator, working at 20% capacity, flung a 10-foot projectile to an altitude of tens of thousands of feet. A little over a year later, SpinLaunch hurled a Test Launch Vehicle packed with demonstration payloads for NASA, Airbus, Cornell University, and satellite manufacturer Outpost Space.

A former prominent Vancouver stock promoter residing in California has been sentenced to four months in jail and one year of supervised release for committing securities fraud through companies he directed in the U.S. In a federal court in Boston, Mass., on Wednesday, Avtar Singh Dhillon learned his fate from Judge Allison D. Burroughs after to wilful failure to disclose stock sales, aiding and abetting the sale of unregistered securities and conspiracy to not disclose touting compensation. Authorities had determined Dhillon and his corporate lawyer Daniel Martinez concealed ownership of shares for Boston-based Arch Therapeutics and New Jersey-based OncoSec Medical Inc. — two “fledgling” biotechnology companies Dhillon was chairman of the board for, between March 2011 and April 2020. Specifically, the U.S Attorney’s Office stated, Martinez made “misleading representations” directly and indirectly to stockbrokers in order to make it appear as if the shares held by Dhillon’s nominees were eligible for unrestricted sale to retail investors. Dhillon then clandestinely sold the shares for $2.1 million, profiting $1.5 million while Martinez gained just under $200,000. As such, Dhillon was ordered to repay $1.5 million as part of his guilty plea. Dhillon also participated in a securities conspiracy involving the non-disclosure of what the U.S. Attorney’s Office called , a subsidiary of Dhillon’s B.C.-based investment firm Emerald Health Sciences. Dhillon and the subsidiary (EHP) already settled fraud allegations in separate civil proceedings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) while Martinez pleaded guilty to criminal fraud in October 2023 and was sentenced to one year of supervised release. Dhillon faced the prospect of up to 63 months in prison; however, his recommended sentence was lowered to 18 months after pleading guilty and testifying against his former business associates in a contemporaneous civil complaint launched by the SEC, in August 2021. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Drabick noted Dhillon lied to the SEC twice under oath thus “digging his hole deeper.” Drabick said Dhillon and Martinez “were not equal partners” and “to be sure, Dhillon directed Martinez to take certain actions at certain times throughout the course of their criminal activity” and Martinez also never lied under oath. Drabick said Dhillon’s guilty plea and consideration for his two young children played a role in lowering the sentencing recommendation. But Burroughs was much more lenient on Wednesday after hearing from Dhillon, who resides in a US$12-million, 9,300-square-foot, yacht-lined waterfront home in Long Beach, Calif. “Avtar Singh Dhillon stands humbly before this Court, having reflected deeply on his conduct, anguished by the hurt to which he has exposed his daughter, son, and wife, and full of genuine remorse for the pain he has caused to his family, friends, and colleagues,” Dhillon wrote to the court in a pre-sentencing memorandum wherein he requested no prison time, no fine and two years of probation. Dhillon stated how he was not a U.S. citizen, unlike his wife Diljit Bains, and that “this case may ultimately have immigration consequences.” Bains stated in a letter to the court her husband’s crimes were contrary to the values she perceived himself to live by: “honesty, compassion, ambition, integrity, hard work, and the desire to make a positive impact on the world.” Bains hails from a prolific farming family, the daughter of the late “Peach King” Didar Bains, who has operations in B.C. Dhillon submitted, via his lawyer George W. Vien, that he wished to “rebuild and repair the relationships in his life, including within his family.” Dhillon, 63, touted a rags-to-riches type story, telling the court how he was disadvantaged as an immigrant child from Punjab growing up in Canada due to discrimination and bullying as well as a father troubled by alcohol-fuelled violence. But Dhillon overcame those disadvantages, working “in far-away fields under inhumane conditions” but ultimately graduating with a medical degree at the University of B.C. in 1988. However, after a short stint practising medicine, he turned to investment work in the 1990s and moved to the U.S. in 2001 before marrying Bains in 2004. Dhillon’s corporate work occurred largely in the medical and biotechnology fields after graduating from medical school. He once claimed, after an initial career as a medical doctor, to have raised more than $1 billion from investors. Dhillon is the past chairman of the Cannabis Canada Council and is a former member of the securities practice advisory committee to the B.C. Securities Commission. The commission has taken no regulatory action against him, to date. But south of the border, Dhillon had been subject to an intensive, widespread investigation from the SEC and Federal Bureau of Investigation for his part in an unprecedented and widespread $1-billion stock fraud scheme orchestrated, in part, from Vancouver, between 2011 and 2019, according to the authorities. In August 2021, the SEC filed a civil complaint against Dhillon, who only to finally admit to his part in the scheme and agree to testify against his associates, allowing him to avoid further criminal charges of obstruction. Dhillon testified in the civil trial that involved seven other B.C. residents since found liable of committing fraud. Some are facing criminal fraud charges in the U.S. Chief among them is former Vancouver lawyer and . to conceal shares for so-called “control groups” of individuals who secretly obtained vast amounts of shares of otherwise low-value public companies they secretly controlled. Dhillon testified in 2023 how he raised money for another of his companies OncoSec Biomedical from B.C. residents Paul Sexton, Mike Veldhuis — who face criminal fraud charges — as well as another former prominent Vancouver stock promoter David Sidoo. Sidoo is allegedly part of a separate control group led by former to what the U.S. Attorney’s Office called a “sprawling ‘pump-and-dump’ scheme involving the shares of numerous U.S.-based issuers that preyed on ordinary, retail investors.” The SEC charged Sidoo with civil fraud offences in April 2022, nearly two years after he was sentenced to jail for criminal wire fraud for his participation in the U.S. college admissions and bribery scandal. Sidoo’s own case involves other companies not associated with Dhillon. through B.C. company American Helium, which sold shares in U.S. markets. The allegations against Sidoo remain unproven as his trial is adjourned for the U.S. Attorney’s Office to clear up criminal cases of alleged co-conspirators (one of them being Bauer). Sidoo continues to reside in a home valued at about $35 million on Belmont Avenue in Vancouver’s West Point Grey neighbourhood near UBC; he has not been pursued by Canadian authorities. in monetary orders stemming from the SEC fraud complaint, albeit some are currently appealing the amounts and Sharp never responded to the SEC claiming he was not properly served. The residents are also contesting . Sharp has since been banned by the B.C. Securities Commission and owes the SEC US$52.9 million. As for Dhillon, , representing the net profits gained as a result of his fraud through OncoSec. He is also to pay US$1.3 million in interest. Of the US$10.4 million, US$1.5 million will be offset from his criminal sentence. Dhillon is also permanently banned from participating in penny stock trading (defined as any equity or security below a price of $5) and related business activity with public companies and stockbrokers in the U.S., although he is still free to conduct business in Canada. Dhillon also directed Vancouver-based medical marijuana company Emerald Health Therapeutics in the Lower Mainland before running afoul with the SEC in 2021. The company operated out of Richmond, where Dhillon leased land to it, according to company filings. Therapeutics was controlled by Emerald Health Sciences, whose shareholders include companies alleged to be controlled by Sharp, Sexton, Taylor and Delta resident Jackson Friesen (also facing criminal charges). One of Therapeutics’ co-founders is Dhillon’s nephew Yadvinder Singh Kallu, a U.S.- who was sentenced to nine years in a New York federal prison in 1999 after being caught running drugs and cash in Los Angeles for a transnational organized crime network. Kallu was able to obtain Health Canada medical marijuana growing licences for Therapeutics along with his brother Kris Kallu, on their parents’ property in Richmond. Meanwhile, Dhillon touted the company’s on his Richmond farm property. Therapeutics has since been absorbed by Skye Bioscience Inc., a company now being investigated by California law firms, including , for alleged securities fraud after being sued by a whistle-blowing employee. Two years prior to the Skye takeover, the Kallu property associated with Therapeutics was raided by Delta police in October 2020 under and is now subject to a civil forfeiture claim by the provincial government after police asserted an illegal marijuana grow-op was taking place under the guise of a medical marijuana company. Police have linked the grow-op to organized crime, including the Hells Angels. Notably, Sharp; Courtney Vasseur now . Evidence tendered by the SEC purports to show text messages from Sharp to an associate cautioning the associate to the risk of leaving evidence of money laundering for the Hells Angels: "On aug 12 u wrote a draft for grand yachts against cash. Cld u pls explain to me how this is legitimate payment? My concern is money laundering: hells angels gives us cash, we give them a draft to buy a boat. Later, boat is seized, polic investigate, find out charterhouse paid for it; visit us and ask why. What will u say?" With respect to Dhillon’s family, it is his nephew Kris Kallu who is suing Dhillon and Emerald Health Sciences, claiming the firm was a “sham” to serve as a “conduit for undisclosed payments” for chosen shareholders. Kris Kallu claims he was Therapeutics' co-founder and cultivator, using his blueberry farming skills, however a falling out took place in 2018 over share compensation. It was the September 2021 indictments against Dhillon and Sharp that also led Kris Kallu to use a 2019 Emerald securities registry to email shareholders about the proceedings. As a result, Emerald .

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Global stocks mostly fall ahead of ECB, US inflation data

A new Brexit trade deal is in the EU’s best interests, Rachel Reeves has said as she urged European finance ministers to back plans for a “closer” economic partnership with the UK. On Sunday, Reeves became the first chancellor since Britain left the EU to attend a meeting of her European counterparts, describing it as a “milestone moment” in resetting Britain’s relationship with Brussels. She used the meeting with eurozone finance ministers to urge them to ease post-Brexit trade frictions to help both the British and European economies grow and “to see people’s living standards improve”. “The truth is these unnecessary barriers to trade are one of the things that will contribute to the deterioration of living standards and make it harder for British businesses

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who played a pivotal role in securing peace between Israel and Egypt and later won the Nobel Peace Prize for his lifelong humanitarian efforts, has passed away at the age of 100. The news sparked a cascade of tributes from global leaders and politicians, acknowledging his profound impact on the world stage. President Joe Biden described Carter as an extraordinary leader, highlighting his deep faith and commitment to service. Former presidents, including Donald Trump and George W. Bush, echoed these sentiments, applauding his dedication to improving lives and maintaining integrity and compassion throughout his life. International figures, such as Egypt's President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and France's President Emmanuel Macron, paid homage to Carter's efforts in advancing peace and human rights. They joined others in marking his departure as the end of an era, honoring his lifelong devotion to creating a better, peaceful world for future generations. (With inputs from agencies.)Global stock markets mostly retreated Tuesday as traders eyed looming US inflation data and a key European interest rate call amid global political upheaval. After winning numerous records in the weeks since the November 5 US presidential election, US stocks fell for the second straight day as analysts pointed to profit-taking. But Alphabet jumped more than five percent after Google showed off a new quantum computing chip that it described as a significant breakthrough in the field, arguing it could lead to advances in drug discovery, fusion energy and other areas. The Paris stock market retreated as French party leaders gathered at President Emmanuel Macron's Elysee Palace office to chart a route towards a new government. The euro also fell ahead of the European Central Bank's monetary policy meeting on Thursday. The ECB is expected to lower interest rates by 25 basis points amid weak eurozone growth. Independent analyst Andreas Lipkow said traders were taking a cautious approach ahead of the ECB meeting. The main US indexes struggled as traders eyed US consumer price inflation (CPI) data due Wednesday, which could play a role in whether the US Federal Reserve decides to cut interest rates next week. On Wall Street, "tomorrow's CPI report is in full focus with a looming rate-decision from the Fed coming," analyst Bret Kenwell of trading platform eToro said in a note. Following recent spending and jobs data "traders have felt even more emboldened to bet on a December rate cut, while the Fed has done little... to quiet that expectation," he added. Earlier, stock markets weighed "concerns that China's economic stimulus measures might not have a long-lasting effect", noted Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at AJ Bell. The growth plan comes as Beijing contemplates Donald Trump's second term in the White House. The US president-elect has indicated he will reignite his hardball trade policies, fueling fears of another standoff between the economic superpowers. The Shanghai stock market ended higher but Hong Kong fell. Seoul's Kospi index rallied more than two percent after tumbling since President Yoon Suk Yeol declared short-lived martial law on December 3. On the corporate front, shares in Stellantis rose around one percent on the Paris stock exchange after the car giant and Chinese manufacturer CATL announced plans for a $4.3-billion factory making electric-vehicle batteries in Spain. Walgreens Boots Alliance soared 17.7 percent following reports that it could be acquired by private equity firm Sycamore Partners. Boeing jumped 4.5 percent as it announced it was resuming production at two Seattle-area plants that had been shuttered for nearly three months due to a labor strike. More from this section New York - Dow: DOWN 0.4 percent at 44,247.83 (close) New York - S&P 500: DOWN 0.3 percent at 6,034.91 (close) New York - Nasdaq Composite: DOWN 0.3 percent at 19,687.24 (close) Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 1.1 percent at 7,394.78 (close) Frankfurt - DAX: DOWN 0.1 percent at 20,329.16 (close) London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.9 percent at 8,280.36 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.5 percent at 20,311.28 (close) Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.6 percent at 3,422.66 (close) Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.5 percent at 39,367.58 (close) Seoul - Kospi: UP 2.4 percent at 2,417.84 (close) Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0529 from $1.0554 on Monday Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2773 from $1.2757 Dollar/yen: UP at 151.92 yen from 151.21 yen Euro/pound: DOWN at 82.42 from 82.73 pence West Texas Intermediate: UP 0.1 percent at $68.59 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: UP 0.1 percent at $72.19 per barrel burs-jmb/nro

A new app called RapidDeploy has a video feature that allows 911 responders to see and hear what's going on at the scene of an emergency. 911 Dispatcher : Walton County, 911. What's the address of the emergency? Caller : We're out in the water right off of Dolphin Cove. My husband fell in the water off the boat. A woman frantically called 911 after her husband went overboard from a boat off the coast of Florida. And thanks to the video feature in RapidDeploy allowing 911 dispatchers to see and hear what's going on at the scene, they were able to help the woman start her boat, and guide her to the location of the original call to rescue her husband. Apps like RapidDeploy are serving as vital reinforcement for 911 telecommunicators at call centers across the country. Debbie de la Fuente, who has been on the job for 18 years in Arlington, Virginia showed ABC's Elizabeth Schulze how the app works. "I'm going to go ahead and send you a video request," she said. This will pinpoint a caller's exact location and initiate a video call. "I'm going to accept it and there we go. So now you can see me, and if I was at the scene of a crime, you could also see what's happening in real-time," said Schulze. "Yes, which is great for us if we need to obtain a good description of a suspect," said De la Fuente. The new technology has been deployed at over 1,500 911 call centers in 25 states, as they face intense staffing shortages. It's a critical backup in a job where every second counts. A recent national report found a staggering number of unfilled positions at 911 call centers, with an average 25% vacancy rate nationwide. With this technology, there is no app to download. The 911 operator sends you a link and you simply click on it to activate video sharing. When you hang up, the 911 dispatcher no longer has access to your camera or your location.

Logan Paul responds to X-rated John Fury fight offer with clear two-word statement

No. 7 Tennessee gives up 1st 14 points before rallying to rout Vanderbilt 36-23These tips for investing in mutual funds and ETFs help you ride a year-end rally