Daily Archives: March 4, 2024

Yellow.ai unveils Email Automation feature for streamlined support – IT Brief New Zealand

Posted: March 4, 2024 at 7:33 am

Yellow.ai, a specialist in AI-generated customer service automation, has announced the general availability of its Email Automation feature. The feature is capable of managing high volumes of email-based support queries effectively, offering real-time responses and scalability in customer support. Notably, the feature utilises generative AI to handle up to 80% of all incoming email queries, providing fast and accurate solutions round the clock.

The Email Automation service is advantageous as it not only supports multiple languages but also integrates with Yellow.ai's omnichannel customer service platform to deliver a holistic and tailored support experience. Such an offering is particularly valuable in today's business environment where despite the preference of many consumers for email customer service, businesses continually struggle with efficiently managing email inquiries. This challenge has spurred the necessity for robust automated solutions like Yellow.ai's that enhance customer service and minimise instances of lapsed responses and inadequate responses to enquiries during first interaction.

Yellow.ai's Email Automation service innovatively adopts Large Language Models (LLM) to comprehend complex and unstructured emails, accurately identifying multiple intents and understanding the object and urgency of the email. By identifying the user, it delivers a contextual response based on user insights, dramatically reducing ticket volumes by up to 80% and enhancing first contact resolution by up to 20%. The result of this is a significant 60% reduction in operational costs, mainly due to reduced expenses related to the recruitment and training of additional agents.

Raghu Ravinutala, CEO & Co-founder of Yellow.ai said, "With Email Automation, we're revolutionising how businesses manage customer email inquiries. Yellow.ai's Email Automation, powered by YellowG, our proprietary LLM, showcases a hallucination rate below one percent for highly accurate and contextually relevant responses. This well-timed launch aligns with our broader goal to transform customer service by solving complex enterprise challenges."

Yellow.ai's Email Automation blesses customer support teams with manifold features including Automated Workflow Triggering, Agent Assist, Simplified Classification and Seamless Integrations with leading ticketing and CRM systems such as Salesforce, SAP and Zendesk. Jessica Osborn, Sr. Manager IT Operations, Randstad USA, declared this feature a game-changer for businesses desiring to streamline their support operations on email.

Overall, With Yellow.ai offering an ode to next-generation customer support, companies can look forward to handling email queries more efficiently and instantaneously, enhancing customer experiences while aligning with cost efficiency.

Headquartered in San Mateo, Yellow.ai serves more than 1100 enterprises, including Tiket.com, Dominos, Bank of Maldives, and UnionBank, across over 85 countries. The platform is built on multi-LLM architecture and continuously trained on 16B+ conversations annually, enabling businesses to deliver elevated experiences and build lasting customer relationships.

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Clinical Lab Automation Market to Reach $3.72 Billion by 2030 Amid Technological Advancements – PR Newswire

Posted: at 7:32 am

DUBLIN, March 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The"Global Clinical Lab Automation Market by Product (Liquid Handling, Nucleic Acid Purification System, Microplate Reader, Automated ELISA, Software), End User (Hospital Laboratories, Diagnostic Laboratories) - Forecast to 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

A comprehensive market report reveals critical insights into the flourishing Clinical Lab Automation Market, with an emphasis on major products like liquid handling systems and nucleic acid purification systems. It underscores innovative technologies and systems that are transforming hospital laboratories and diagnostic centers, driving market growth at a significantCAGR of 7.8% from 2023 to 2030.

The global clinical lab automation market is expected to witness robust expansion, moving towards a valuation of $3.72 billion by 2030. With a resurgence of infectious diseases and a surging geriatric population worldwide, clinical lab automation has become critical in delivering precise and efficient diagnostic solutions.

Detailed insights provided by this report shed light on pivotal factors accelerating market growth, including the relentless pursuit of technological advancements and enhanced accuracy in laboratory instruments. The implementation of automation has been shown to markedly improve the consistency of test results while also bolstering laboratory productivity key considerations for its widespread adoption.

Extensive Product Analysis

End-User Insights:

With substantial growth anticipated in the hospital laboratories segment largely attributed to increased healthcare spending and the adoption of cutting-edge laboratory technologies this area is poised to be a major contributor to market expansion.

Regional Market Developments:

Challenges such as the high cost of clinical laboratory automation systems and the complexity of data security may impede growth. Yet, despite these hurdles, the market is expected to flourish, supported by a range of innovative products and end-user applications. Healthcare professionals and diagnostic labs are equipped to enhance their services with the sophisticated, automated technologies detailed in this comprehensive market report.

As the industry navigates through technological revolutions and demographic shifts, stakeholders in the global clinical lab automation market are cognizant of the burgeoning opportunities presented by this growth. An in-depth understanding of the existing market landscape, as provided by this report, is essential for market participants looking to consolidate their presence and capitalize on these emerging trends.

Company Profiles (Company Overview, Financial Overview, Product Portfolio, Strategic Developments, SWOT Analysis)

Scope of the Report:

Clinical Lab Automation Market Assessment-by Product

Note:Other systems include automated incubators, automated cell counters, and cell imaging systems.

Clinical Lab Automation Market Assessment-by End User

Note: Other end users include blood banks, forensic labs, and clinical research organizations

Clinical Lab Automation Market Assessment-by Geography

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/7p081d

About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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SOURCE Research and Markets

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Clinical Lab Automation Market to Reach $3.72 Billion by 2030 Amid Technological Advancements - PR Newswire

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#ETFutureForwardME: Hiring and onboarding right with AI and automation, ETHRWorldME – ETHRWorld Middle East

Posted: at 7:32 am

In a recent session conducted at The Economic Times Future Forward Middle East, leading experts gathered to discuss the key trends in hiring and onboarding leveraging technologies like AI and automation. The panel included stellar lineup of leaders like Mohammad Alfawazi, CHRO, Tabuk Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing Company, Paul Michael Gledhill, Co-founder, XpertLearning, Manish Mohan Mishra, Group Head - HR Transformation Digital & Analytics, Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), and the panel was moderated by was moderated by Nada Rashed, Group Director, Human Resources and Operations, The N Gage Group.

AI's ability to automate tasks like resume screening, scheduling interviews, and answering candidate questions promises increased efficiency and cost savings. However, the very aspects that make AI efficient can also lead to ethical concerns, as Paul aptly highlights: "AI is just another tool, which is here to aid enable and make our lives easier." However, he warns, "we need to be conscious" of the ethical implications.

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Iraq’s Customs starts using ASYCUDA automation system in Umm Qasr – Iraqi News

Posted: at 7:32 am

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The Iraqi General Commission for Customs started on Sunday using the ASYCUDA automation system in the Port of Umm Qasr in southern Iraq.

Iraqs Customs said in a statement that the Minister of Finance, Taif Sami, ordered to start using the automation system during a ceremony held in the Grand Welcome Yard (GWY), situated within Umm Qasr Port, attended by the United Nations representative, Nizar Amari, and other Iraqi officials, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported.

During the ceremony, Sami stated that the governments strategic plan to use modern technologies includes the use of automation systems. This plan aims to provide accurate data and information, achieve financial discipline, reduce errors, and achieve efficiency in the use of government resources.

The Minister erupted in rage at individuals who oppose the use of the automation system, confirming that customs officers create gangs and that they would be held responsible. In addition, an inquiry into the cause of the internet outage to stop the system will be launched.

The Iraqi General Commission for Customs uses this automation system at the customs in Baghdad International Airport.

ASYCUDA is a customs management system that utilizes information and communications technology (ICT) with the goal of modernizing customs clearance procedures in middle-class and developing economies.

The automation system streamlines and computerizes processes. ASYCUDA has a significant influence on electronic business and government activities, simplifying and lowering the cost of international commerce and increasing the accessibility of international markets for businesses from developing countries.

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ImageSource Unveils ILINX AI for Intelligent Process Automation – PR Newswire

Posted: at 7:32 am

OLYMPIA, Wash., Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Process innovation leaderImageSource proudly introduces ILINX AI, the latest addition to the ILINX enterprise platform, that gives organizations the ability to apply intelligent process automation to their content and data-driven business processes. ILINX AI uses content understanding, predictive analytics, and generative AI to enrich communications and transform transaction-heavy business processes, enabling organizations to realize tangible benefits in analytics, efficiency, productivity, and enhanced customer experiences.

Terry Sutherland, CEO of ImageSource, says artificial intelligence has been part of ImageSource intelligent document processing for years. But new AI capabilities, such as machine learning and large-language models, have expanded the opportunities for organizations.

"Today, our customers are looking for ways to responsibly and productively leverage tools like generative AI and predictive analytics," saysSutherland. "ILINX AI gives organizations tremendous flexibility to apply intelligent process automation where it makes the most sense, where they see value, and where they can learn the most from it. This is a long game, and we're partnering with our customers to deliver value quickly with ILINX AI and evolve every day."

ILINX AI utilizes existing content within an organization, as well as data in motion, to intelligently route information to the right person, process, or system, extract historical knowledge to power generative AI, and analyze multi-system information to make predictions and assist with smarter decision-making.

"ILINX is an incredible tool set for orchestrating the intake, utilization, and integration of content and data," says ImageSource CTO Randy Weakly. "Now, we can apply ILINX AI anywhere in the business process to augment those services and further optimize automation, enhance communications, and help organizations deliver superior user experiences."

The use cases for ILINX AI are vast, and customers are already working with ILINX to improve complex business processes. ILINX AI uses the intelligence of patterns from content and transactions to provide exceptionally accurate anomaly detection and give organizations the ability to create exceptional customer experiences by reserving the human touch for the most impactful parts of their customer relationships.

"We're incredibly proud to help our customer-partners harness AI to reimagine the customer-facing interactions they carry out every day." CEO Terry Sutherland says, "ILINX AI is a game-changer; it's highly configurable and trainable and empowers organizations to predict outcomes and speed up business processes-empowering their systems of record."

Paired with the ImageSource approach to partnering with customer-partners and creating long-term strategic vision, ILINX AI is a foundational tool for organizations looking to accelerate their digital transformation.

About ImageSourceImageSource, Inc. makes process innovation easy with advanced solutions built on ILINX, the world's most flexible process-improvement platform, delivered by a team of experts committed to customer-partner success. Leveraging proven technology and deep implementation expertise, ImageSource empowers leading enterprises and government organizations to reduce risk, modernize operations, unlock revenue, and transform the customer experience. For more information, visitwww.imagesourceinc.com, or call (360) 943-9273

SOURCE Imagesource, Inc

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Gen AI isn’t the only tech driving automation in banking – Finextra

Posted: at 7:32 am

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has surged into the mainstream and is poised to revolutionize operations in the banking sector. Several factors have fueled this surge, notably the exponential growth in data volume and complexity, heightened pressure for swift and precise decision-making, and the imperative for transparency. While generative AI is going to be invaluable with helping banks summarize large populations of data, and you may need to whisper this, its not the only technology driving automation in the banking sector.

AI Begins with Context

In risk modeling, selecting input data points, or features, holds paramount importance, often surpassing the choice of model or algorithm. In an industry bound by stringent regulatory requirements for modeling transparency and explainability, the scope for model selection is frequently constrained, elevating the significance of input features as the primary determinants of model success or failure. Therefore, the pivotal inquiry becomes: how can we imbue our features with maximal contextual relevance?

Network-based features emerge as a strong mechanism for infusing copious amounts of information into models while upholding the imperative for transparency and explainability. One effective approach entails leveraging bespoke document-entity networks to generate features that delineate the interconnectedness of businesses and individuals. For example, utilization of network features, depicting relationships between companies and their directors, can serve as pivotal inputs for machine learning shell company detection models, in some cases yielding a 20% enhancement in performance compared to relying solely on record-level features.

The outputs of such models predictions pertaining to shell companies and the agents orchestrating their formationhold implications for bolstering risk detection efforts across Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Know Your Customer (KYC), and Fraud mitigation domains.

By leveraging a composite AI tech stack banks can integrate subject matter expertise with a range of machine learning and deep learning techniques, alongside access to vast structured and unstructured industry data. This comprehensive approach enhances adaptability, accuracy, and effectiveness of models. Leveraging expertise and domain knowledge throughout the model development process ensures high accuracy and trust in solving complex business problems. In short, banks looking to implement AI should avoid relying on one model, technique or approach. Doing so can lead to limitations in perspective, adaptability and performance.

The Importance of Network Features

Networks offer a versatile framework for modeling entity relationships across various contexts. For instance, networks depicting payment transactions between parties can unveil telltale signs of financial malfeasance. By scrutinizing specific patterns within the networksuch as cycles of transactions with similar magnitudesbanks can unearth risks that would otherwise evade detection when examining transactions in isolation. Moreover, when supplemented with a repository of known instances of fraud, network features like the frequency of U-turn or cyclic payments can fortify supervised learning models, augmenting their predictive capacity for future risk scenarios.

One particularly salient network for modeling corporate risk is the organizational legal hierarchy, encompassing directors, shareholders, and subsidiaries. Fundamental attributes such as network size, connection density, and hierarchical layers serve as invaluable dimensions for segmentation and feature generation in supervised learning models, enhancing our ability to discern and mitigate potential risks effectively.

For investigators and analysts, its here that graph analytics comes into its own by allowing them to analyze, visualize and understand hidden connections across disparate datasets. Crucially its scalable and intuitive, allowing teams to traverse billions of edges without compromising on throughput with high frequency querying.

Entity Resolution is Transforming Bankings Future

Entity resolution leverages advanced AI and Machine Learning techniques to parse, cleanse, and standardize data, enabling the identification of entities across disparate datasets reliably. This process involves clustering related records, aggregating attributes for each entity, and establishing labeled connections between entities and their source records. Compared to traditional record-to-record matching approaches, entity resolution offers significantly enhanced efficacy.

Rather than attempting to directly link every source record, organizations can introduce new entity nodes as central points for connecting real-world data. High-quality entity resolution not only facilitates linking internal data but also enables the integration of valuable external data sources, such as corporate registries, which were previously challenging to match accurately.

Integration of entity resolution technology within the banking sector marks a significant leap forward, enabling banks to transition from batch-based processes to nearly real-time product-and-service offerings across omnichannel service frameworks. This evolution can go beyond counter-fraud to encompass all customer interactions through various touchpoints, including call centers, branches, and digital channels, ensuring a seamless and dynamic customer experience.

Generative AI has an important role to play

Over the next year, I do expect to see generative AI assistants leveraging Large Language Models (LLMs) to become increasingly prevalent within banking. Generative AI allows an intuitive and conversational interface, enhancing efficiencies for analysts engaged in risk identification within investigations. For organizations, the potential advantages are substantial, as this AI assistant empowers all analyst personnel to perform at the level of the most seasoned investigators. Many of these assistants will be LLM-agnostic, allowing businesses the flexibility to employ their preferred models, whether proprietary, open source, or commercially available models like ChatGPT from OpenAI. When integrated with other aspects of the composite AI stack it will support entity resolution, graph analytics, and scoring capabilities, unlocking unprecedented potential by enabling natural language queries and prompts.

Crucially, all generative AI products cannot act as a bolt-on or in isolation to wider AI automation. The results that it will generate are only as good as the data, context and entity resolution technology on which its built. Banks looking to implement generative AI should think more broadly about how different technologies fit into their AI automation tech stack.

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Winning the Game: Essentials skills to survive AI, LLMs and Automation – DataDrivenInvestor

Posted: at 7:32 am

We are all living somewhere in between these words. Bounded by a legitimate fear of what's true and whats fake, it is fascinating and frightening at the same time to witness these technological miracles. I only thought CGI existed in movies. But like seriously! Is this even happening, I mean what went so right that AI today can make reality morph?

Back in 2019 when I was 1 year deep into conversation designing, somebody could have asked me at gunpoint, can I imagine a world in 4 to 5 years where all your content needs will be taken care of, realistic images can be generated with just a few lines of text and your job getting haunted by AI? I would have thought they had too many pints last night. How can someone be so ready to figure out the possibilities these AI systems would bring?

It took me a whole lot of time and thinking to figure a way out rather way in this changing wind and rising tides. I even rode the layoff train. What worked out for me was a small mindset that is: I have the skills to navigate. What are those you might ask! In this article, Ive tried accumulating my thoughts to live the big buck dream. Unless you are a genius, an awesome content creator, or blessed with a utopian life, these pointers might help:

Dont think the winning shot requires you to work hard. That is already getting taken care by AI. Work smart. Swap out those outdated strategies stuck to your head. Dont just strive for perfection by rigor alone. Show you are unique in your approach and thought process. People love these traits. Learn, unlearn and relearn the world and what is changing.

AI might get you from point A to point B but the road taken might not always be the road to be taken. Consequence of actions is still something only we humans can determine and figure out. Your emotional intelligence is the ultimate playlist. As these innovations create more independence and dependency on tech, its high time to connect with people and understand emotions. Only then you can bring that unique human touch to roles where algorithms fear to tread.

As AI takes center stage, ethical considerations become the heartbeat of the party. You need to navigate the moral maze of bias, transparency, and responsible tech. There are tons of examples where AI getting biased and saying something its not meant to. While these AI systems play around, someone needs to mark the boundaries and create rules of engagement, something that has created a lot of interest and in turn opportunities.

Think about building bridges not just cubicles. Forget traditional silos, dress codes and strict log-in times. Its time to collaborate with everyone around you. Master the art of interdisciplinary teamwork, something that is not only good for any business but its gonna take you places. Cue the fireworks!

Nothing beats the aura of a creative flair in your work. AI can automate, LLMs can generate but nothing can bring sense without your creative virtuoso. It's a priceless skill, something no one can take it away from you. Just perfect it with time. Thrive in style.

Today I work as Senior Experience Designer with Publicis Sapient. I design conversations everyday. Automation and AI didnt make me helpless, oh darn well it could. My bridge is into creating experiences for people who rely on humans to figure out kinds of stuff unless done by AI. Wish this helps!!

PS: This article is ChatGPT free, written with pure grit and creativity.

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Automation tools Archives – Milwaukee Community Journal – The Milwaukee Community Journal

Posted: at 7:32 am

By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Contributor

Tyler Perry was planning an $800 million expansion of his studio in Atlanta. Now the plans are on hold. Why? Because a new text-to-video artificial intelligence (AI) model. The new AI model by ChatGTP entitled Sora creates video from a text prompt.

In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter on Feb. 23, Perry, who is worth over $1 billion, said that the new technology will cause job loss in the movie industry. The question of how artificial intelligence technology will impact employment across fields is a growing concern.

In the creative fields around special effects and animation design, artificial intelligence is all but certain to cause impact and create job loss. But there are other jobs that are likely to be impacted.

With the rise of e-commerce and automated checkout systems, traditional retail roles may diminish. Cashiers: Similar to retail salespersons, automated checkout systems are reducing the need for human cashiers. Telemarketers: AI-driven chatbots and voice recognition systems are increasingly handling customer inquiries. Data Entry Clerks: Automation tools can handle routine data entry tasks more efficiently. Bookkeepers and Accounting Clerks: AI can automate many financial tasks, potentially reducing the need for manual bookkeeping.

Over the years, Tyler Perry has expanded his talents from filmmaking, television production, and writing. He established Tyler Perry Studios, one of the largest film production studios in the United States, located in Atlanta, in2006. Perrys films often explore themes of faith, family, and resilience, resonating strongly with Black audiences.

Some of Perrys notable films include: Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005), Madeas Family Reunion (2006), Why Did I Get Married? (2007), and For Colored Girls (2010).

In addition to his film work, Perry has created successful television series such as Tyler Perrys House of Payne and The Haves and the Have Nots.

Now like so many others in an ever-changing industry impacted by changing technology, Perry will navigate changes brought on by AI.

Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent investigative journalist and the publisher of Black Virginia News. She is a political analyst who appears regularly on #RolandMartinUnfiltered. She can be contacted at[emailprotected]and on twitter at @LVBurke

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Mason Shaw wins credit-card roulette, but skidding Wild can’t get win in his NHL return – The Athletic

Posted: at 7:29 am

ST. LOUIS Mason Shaw was out to dinner with one of his best friends, Connor Dewar, and fellow teammates Marc-Andre Fleury, Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Jake Middleton, Ryan Hartman and Alex Goligoski on Friday night when John Hynes name flashed across his caller ID.

A week before the trade deadline, you typically dont want to receive a call from the head coach or the GM of your hockey team, but Shaw figured this was going to be the call he had been waiting for since the beginning part of last month when the Minnesota Wild tore up his AHL deal and re-signed him to an NHL deal.

Get ready to go, kid, and be buzzin, the Wild coach told the 25-year-old 336 days after he tore an ACL for the fourth time in his young hockey career.

If a years worth of rehab wasnt excruciatingly long enough, Shaw had to bide his time for 16 days to make his season debut since re-signing. The Wild were winning and fighting for a playoff spot, so he didnt get to play. But with Freddy Gaudreau suddenly needing to be removed from the lineup Saturday after enduring a nagging injury for some time, Shaw was suddenly an NHL player again.

Sometimes you gotta be patient and wait for things in life, whether its hockey or away from it, Shaw said. I think last night you kind of realize that youre gonna get the chance to play in the NHL again and thats all Ive wanted from day one of this recovery process was to get a chance to play in the NHL again.

I think last night before the game, you appreciate what youve given yourself and what youve worked back to, but at the end of the day once we get to the rink its just hockey again and were in the middle of a fight right now.

That was the shame of the Wilds 3-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center, a third straight defeat to continue a weeklong destruction of their season after climbing to within two points of a playoff spot only seven days earlier.

What an accomplishment for Shaw on Saturday night, yet the teams biggest example of unparalleled determination couldnt even celebrate because the Wild are keenly aware of what theyve done to themselves with successive losses to the Hurricanes, Predators and Blues. Nashville won for an eighth straight time, meaning the Wild in one measly week have gone from two points back to 10 points back of the Preds for the top wild-card spot and eight back of the Kings for the bottom wild-card spot.

I think everyone in this room is doing the best to just put their head down and work, and obviously you want to be on the winning side of these games, but just let the chips fall where they may, Shaw said.

Shaw wasnt talking about wins and losses here.

He was talking about the uncomfortable feeling teammates like Dewar and Brandon Duhaime are dealing with knowing that their names are being floated in trade banter. Every game could be their last in Minnesota with the Wild only having two games before Fridays 2 p.m. trade deadline (Sunday against San Jose and Thursday at Arizona).

Dewy 1 and Dewy 2 are on expiring deals. Shaw is back in the lineup. Marat Khusnutdinov is on his way from Russia to Kazakhstan for an appointment to get his U.S. work visa finalized so he could cross the Atlantic and join the Wild next week hopefully in time for the teams trip to Arizona and Denver.

The Wild brass, even though everybodys talking a good game that theyre still in the playoff race, know the reality of this situation. They are likely ready to punt on this close to being lost season and begin a mini roster reset as long as Gaudreaus injury and an undisclosed one sustained by Marcus Johansson on Saturday night dont cause Bill Guerin to change his mind with the need to keep healthy bodies around. Remember, Pat Maroon hasnt played since before the All-Star break and isnt close to returning, and Marcus Foligno was injured during the second game after the break and isnt close to returning. He was in St. Louis on Saturday to see a specialist for his injury, and Hynes said an update should come soon.

Its obviously a stressful time of year, Shaw said of Dewar and Duhaime. Those are some of your best friends and teammates, so to see them going through it, its hard. But at the end of the day, we try to do our best to let the noise be what it is. Whoever it is, we know what we sign up for when we sign these contracts and what can come with it. Not an easy time of year, but its part of the game.

Shaw is just content to be able to play this game again.

He skated on the left side of Jake Lucchini and Vinni Lettieri, played nine shifts totaling 7 minutes, 6 seconds of ice time, had four shot attempts and two hits. He was on the ice for one goal in the first period, but that was a bad bounce when a deflected puck hit the near post, ricocheted back into Fleury and over the goal line by about an inch.

There were plays he wanted back, like when he continued a first 10-minute trend for the entire Wild team by forcing a pass to Lettieri when he was ahead a play.

Thats probably an opportunity where if I was to do that again, I would have shot that puck or taken it to the net, he said. But the game happens fast. And obviously at the NHL level, it happens even faster. So, to do that again, I definitely would have shot that one.

Shaw admitted he had trouble sleeping Friday night, but he said he was calm before the game.

It felt like I was just straight back where I was supposed to be, he said. Certainly, youd like a few things back in the game like you always would when youre on the losing side of things. But (lets) see what (Sunday) brings, I guess.

If he was thinking he may not be playing, he shouldnt worry about that.

Hynes ruled Gaudreau out for the home game against the Sharks. And if Johansson cant play he left the game after a five-second shift in the first period and never returned, the Wild will need to recall a forward or play seven defensemen by dressing Dakota Mermis or Goligoski.

Teammates were downtrodden after the loss, but it wasnt lost on them what type of achievement Shaw made by being back on an NHL ice surface for the first time since April 1.

Its spectacular, Dewar said. I cant put it into words. Everyone knows Mason and just his character, so Im lucky to be able to call him a friend.

Those friends gave Shaw knuckles after he hung up the phone with Hynes the night before.

These guys have been my biggest supporters through all this, Shaw said. Whether I was in Iowa or in the summer, theyve always been making sure theyre reaching out to me and taking the time to appreciate what Im going through.

Best yet, Shaw and his dinner dates Friday night played credit-card roulette to settle up their expensive tab.

Each players credit card went into the middle. Middleton lost, meaning he had to pay for it all.

That was maybe the cherry on top for me was I didnt have to grab the bill, Shaw said, laughing.

(Photo: Scott Rovak / NHLI via Getty Images)

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Mason Shaw wins credit-card roulette, but skidding Wild can't get win in his NHL return - The Athletic

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Russian Roulette: Why Macron raised the stakes on Ukraine – RTE.ie

Posted: at 7:29 am

At the Ukraine summit in Paris on Monday, President Emmanuel Macron made a startling announcement.

"We will do whatever it takes to ensure that Russia cannot win this war," he told reporters.

"Everything is possible," he said, including sending Western troops to Ukraine.

It seemed a clear escalation in the West's support for Kyiv. It has also signalled a decisive shift by President Macron.

In late 2021 he was the holdout leader exhausting every diplomatic initiative to get Vladimir Putin to change course, even warning against the west "humiliating" Russia.

Now he was presenting himself as the standard bearer of a more robust European response as the war enters its third year.

The Paris summit, at which Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said Ireland had sent mine clearing units to Ukraine, came on the heels of the second anniversary of Mr Putins invasion, the death of Russian anti-corruption campaigner Alexei Navalny, and the setback on the battlefield with Russian troops capturing the strategically important city of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region.

French officials insist that an acceleration in a French-led response has been evolutionary and not an overnight conversion.

In particular, Paris believes Russia has intensified its aggressive behaviour, not just in Ukraine, but in Africa and the Caucuses, and in overt disinformation campaigns targeting EU citizens which officials say can be traced to Moscow (in particular, the spray-painting of 200 Star of David symbols on buildings in Paris).

While the EUs response in February 2022 has been largely unified, with 13 sanctions packages against Russia, some 80 billion in economic and military support and the taking in of 4.3 million Ukrainians fleeing the war, Mr Macron is said to have realised it is no longer enough, not least because Ukrainian frontline troops are at the point of physical exhaustion.

The change of gear reflects a deeper French anxiety: that a Russian victory would be catastrophic for Europe, that countries in Africa and Asia would come to the conclusion that neither the US, under a possible second Trump administration, nor Europe have the appetite to attempt to guarantee peace and stability in the world.

For France to interpret a new geopolitical role which looks to Eastern Europe is a significant departure.

"While France had long opposed the geopoliticisation of EU and NATO policies toward the Eastern neighborhood," writes David Cadier, assistant professor of international relations at Sciences Po for Carnegie Europe.

"It is now openly embracing and even promoting it. Previously, approaching the post-Soviet space as an object of hard-power competition as done by the Kremlin or the George W Bush administration was seen in Paris as detrimental to these countries security and to Europes stability and independent agency," he says.

President Macron signalled that change in a speech in Bratislava in May last year, during which he virtually apologised for not taking eastern European warnings about the Russian threat seriously, and for his over-egged overtures to Vladimir Putin on the eve of the invasion.

The speech asserted not just a need, according to the French president, to "forge a more sovereign European capacity when it comes to energy, technology and military capabilities", but also to anchor Ukraine, as well as Moldova, Georgia and the Western Balkans, in the European political and military sphere (in July last year France supported Ukraines accession to NATO and in December all 27 EU leaders, with the exception of Hungarys Viktor Orbn, agreed to open EU accession negotiations with Kyiv).

The Bratislava speech went down well in central and eastern Europe, where unhappiness about high-handed French attitudes going back to Jacques Chirac has long festered.

A survey of diplomats, academics and journalists by the Think Visegrad foundation detected "a real, concrete and significant change in Frances policies towards Ukraine, Russia, and their region".

This is not cost-free for President Macron at home or abroad.

At home his comments after Mondays meeting were attacked by the far-right and far-left, who accused him of escalating the conflict.

French voters are evenly divided between those who believe Europe should support Ukraine in recapturing Russian-occupied territories and those who believe Europe should push Ukraine towards the negotiating table, according to a poll by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).

There was pushback too from Frances allies on the notion of NATO or EU member states sending troops.

"Everyone must do more for Ukraine," Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz said after the meeting, but "one thing is clear: There will be no ground troops from European states or NATO".

NATO officials have echoed the sentiment, while the US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said: "President [Joe] Biden has been clear that the US will not send troops to fight in Ukraine."

On Tuesday, the French foreign minister Stphane Sjourn told the Assemble Nationale that there was no question of French troops deploying to Ukraine to combat Russian soldiers.

A French presence could involve "mine clearance, cyber defence, the production of weapons on site[which] could require a presence on Ukrainian territory, without crossing the threshold of fighting. Nothing should be ruled out".

French officials insist Mr Macron is using strategic ambiguity to keep Russia off-balance.

On Wednesday, Vladimir Putin threatened European countries with nuclear attack if ground troops entered Ukraine.

"Macron wants to send a signal of strength to Russia," says Jana Puglierin, Senior Policy Fellow with ECFR Berlin.

"But for deterrence to work, it must be credible. By stating that he does not rule out the use of ground troops, he has unnecessarily introduced a potential for division into NATO, whose member states are extremely sceptical on this issue. This is no way to promote European unity and strength," she says.

However, the reference to sending troops overshadowed other highly significant moves on President Macrons part.

He appeared to drop a long-standing French demand that the European defence sector should be prioritised when sending weapons to Ukraine, including the one million artillery shells the EU promised Ukraine but which has not yet been delivered, rather than sourcing them from producers elsewhere.

At his news conference on Monday evening, President Macron told reporters that France was leading the so-called "Artillery Coalition", one of six endeavours through which western countries team up with Ukraine to meet its needs across a range of military capabilities, which also include ground-air defence, armour, air forces (led by the US and the Netherlands) and maritime security.

Ukraine is suffering from an acute shortage of artillery shells, being able to fire one tenth of what Russia can deploy, an asymmetry which has been blamed for the loss of Avdiivka and for high Ukrainian casualties.

"All of us at the table have undertaken to dig down to the bottom of the stocks that remain available," Mr Macron told reporters, "to identify third countries that can be brought on board, in the various categories of ammunition, and also reach out when it comes to all new solutions that are put forward, to solicit third countries".

Across the board, EU and NATO members are increasing defence spending to make up for the fall in investment which followed the end of the Cold War.

However, the defence sector is struggling to replenish conventional stocks which have been shipped to Ukraine and to ensure that Kyiv has the capabilities it needs to defend itself in the long run.

"Europes defence industrial base shrank after the Cold War and is fragmented along national lines," writes Luigi Scazzieri, a Senior Research Fellow, in a paper for the Centre for European Reform (CER).

He says: "It is structured to produce in relatively low volumes and has struggled to increase its output. Lack of certainty over the trajectory of defence budgets and future orders also makes many companies unwilling to make costly investments in expanding their production capacity.

"The continuing lack of coordination between member-states in investing their defence budgets is making it difficult to generate economies of scale and has given rise to competing orders."

Russias invasion has prompted the EU to deepen defence cooperation.

In a meeting at Versailles in March 2022, hosted by President Macron, EU leaders agreed to invest "more and better in defence capabilities".

The European Commission followed up by creating a Defence Joint Procurement Task Force to identify bottlenecks and shortfalls in supply chains across different capabilities.

In July 2023, the EU adopted the Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP), legislation that would ensure EU funding is used to help defence firms to increase ammunition production.

The EU is currently mobilising military support to Ukraine through the European Peace Facility (EPF), an existing off-budget mechanism that reimburses member states who help Ukraine build resilience and to help civilian populations targeted by Russian drones and missiles.

Between 2022-24, the EPF has mobilised 6.1 billion for Ukraines war effort.

In a Dil answer in April last year, Tnaiste Michel Martin said Irelands contribution in non-lethal assistance (medical equipment, food, personal protective clothing and fuel) amounted to 122 million.

Ireland has also contributed to the EUs Military Assistance Mission (EUMAM Ukraine), which is also aimed at enhancing the Ukrainian Armed Forces military capability by training 15,000 members within EU member states.

EUMAM Ukraine has a mandate to provide individual, collective and specialised training to up to 15,000 Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel over multiple locations in the territory of EU member states, subject to the explicit consent of each host member state.

Irelands involvement in these training missions is coordinated by a senior staff officer within the EUs Military Planning and Conduct Capability department in Brussels as well as in Strausberg, Germany.

As he arrived at the Paris meeting, Mr Varadkar told reporters that Irish Defence Forces teams had been training Ukrainian personnel in Poland in the operation of so-called Mine Flail units, vehicle-mounted equipment which clears paths through minefields by literally flailing the ground in front of them to trigger mines.

Two such units had already arrived in Ukraine.

Irelands provision of such equipment has inevitably stirred up the debate on neutrality, a policy position on which a sharper spotlight will fall as the European Union seeks ways to deepen defence cooperation in the light of Russias invasion of Ukraine and the risk that a second Trump presidency could leave Europe militarily exposed.

The EU is already cooperating more deeply on defence.

It set up the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD) in 2017, while the Strategic Compass, endorsed by member states in March 2022, encourages national capitals to invest more in defence and to identify areas where member states could collectively develop new capabilities, such as through PESCO, of which Ireland is a participant.

EU diplomats tread carefully when asked about Irelands neutrality, now that we share that particular bench with only Malta, Austria and Cyprus (Sweden and Finland have joined NATO), but at a panel discussion at the Munich Security Conference, Leo Varadkar was asked several times about the charge of Irish "free-riding" on European security (a charge he politely, but firmly, rebuffed).

The Irish debate, and the consultative forums on security, are being watched with interest in EU capitals, not least Paris.

Ireland and France have had a strategic and security dialogue since the former President Francois Hollandes visit to Dublin in 2016, and officials from both ministries of defence have had meetings every 18 months, including one between high-level experts in December.

Security and defence have also been discussed during official visits to Paris by both Leo Varadkar and Micheal Martin as Taoisigh, and when President Macron came to Ireland in June 2021 (the French Embassy in Dublin has hosted a conference on defence and security).

French officials speak of each member state having their own "path, rhythm and objectives" when it comes to national security.

Irish officials in Brussels insist that neutrality is never questioned in diplomatic exchanges.

However, one EU diplomat observed: "We would certainly say that Ireland, like each and every other EU member state, has to now increase its defence spending and it has to think more European when it comes to defence.

"No country can consider security in isolation."

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Russian Roulette: Why Macron raised the stakes on Ukraine - RTE.ie

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