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NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, March 9 (game #371) NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, March 9 (game #371) Looking for a different day? A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing ‘today’s game’ while others are playing ‘yesterday’s’. If you’re looking for Saturday’s puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, March 8 (game #370). Strands is the NYT’s latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it’s great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints. Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc’s Wordle today page for the original viral word game. SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers. NYT Strands today (game #371) – hint #1 – today’s theme What is the theme of today’s NYT Strands? • Today’s NYT Strands theme is… Kitty corner NYT Strands today (game #371) – hint #2 – clue words Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system. WASP COPS SLAG WITH PURE VIBE NYT Strands today (game #371) – hint #3 – spangram What is a hint for today’s spangram? • Feline habits NYT Strands today (game #371) – hint #4 – spangram position What are two sides of the board that today’s spangram touches? First side: top, 3rd column Last side: bottom, 4th column Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM. NYT Strands today (game #371) – the answers (Image credit: New York Times) The answers to today’s Strands, game #371, are… PURR HISS SNUGGLE STRETCH SWAT BLINK POUNCE SPANGRAM: CAT BEHAVIOR My rating: Easy My score: 1 hint This puzzle filled with CAT BEHAVIOR does not include the one thing our cats Ringo and Opal do the most: snooze. That said, they do PURR a lot, especially while eating or if there’s the imminent promise of eating. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Once they were always busy – hunting mice, bringing in frogs (we have no idea where from, as there is no water or ponds nearby) and working on month-long projects to entrap some poor baby birds. The neighborhood explored and conquered, they are both now very much in retirement mode and spend most of their time curled up inside whatever is the latest cardboard box to enter the house, conked out after three minutes of playing with a catnip toy. I think they would have found today’s Strands far too taxing. How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below. Yesterday’s NYT Strands answers (Saturday, 8 March, game #370) PLATOON PARASITE MOONLIGHT CODA SPOTLIGHT SPANGRAM: BEST PICTURE What is NYT Strands? Strands is the NYT’s not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It’s now a fully fledged member of the NYT’s games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile. I’ve got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you’re struggling to beat it each day. Source link #NYT #Strands #hints #answers #Sunday #March #game Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Many investors aren’t planning for traditional IRA taxes in retirement Many investors aren’t planning for traditional IRA taxes in retirement Guido Mieth | Moment | Getty Images ‘Your IRA is an IOU to the IRS’ Traditional IRAs are the oldest and most common type of IRA, owned by 31.3% of U.S. households as of mid-2023, according to research from the Investment Company Institute. Nearly two-thirds of families with traditional IRAs have accounts with retirement plan rollovers, and 43% made contributions on top of rolled over funds, ICI found. These accounts continue to grow, and many retirees don’t have a plan to withdraw the money, experts say. “Your IRA is an IOU to the IRS,” said Slott, who is also a certified public accountant. Starting at age 73, pre-tax retirement accounts are generally subject to required minimum distributions, or RMDs, based on your previous year-end balance and a life expectancy factor. By comparison, Roth accounts, which are funded with after-tax dollars and grow tax-free, don’t have RMDs until after the accountholder’s death. But these accounts are less common. As of mid-2023, only 24.3% of households had Roth IRAs, according to ICI. Leverage ‘bargain basement rates’ Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act enacted by President Donald Trump, income tax brackets have been lower since 2018. That provision could be extended past 2025 under the current Republican-controlled Congress. Slott argues it’s better to pay income taxes now at “bargain basement rates” than withdrawing from a pre-tax IRA when rates could be higher, depending on future legislative changes. You can do that by contributing to Roth accounts or making so-called Roth conversions, which incur an upfront bill, but grow tax free. With Roth accounts, “there’s no obligation to share with Uncle Sam,” he said. Plus, Roth accounts avoid tax issues for non-spouse heirs who inherit your IRA since most beneficiaries must follow the “10-year rule,” and empty accounts within 10 years of the original owner’s death. Roth-only strategy could mean ‘fewer options’ While building a bucket of tax-free retirement savings is appealing to many investors, there could be some trade-offs, experts say. With only Roth accounts, “you’re taking away choice from individuals … because they have fewer options down the road,” certified public accountant Jeff Levine said at the Horizons conference session. You should aim to incur taxes at the lowest rates possible, Levine told CNBC. By paying all your taxes in advance, there’s no “dry powder” to withdraw from pre-tax accounts in future lower-income years. Plus, you could miss future tax planning opportunities, he said. For example, if you’re philanthropic, you can make so-called qualified charitable distributions, or QCDs, at age 70½ or older, which transfer money directly from an IRA to an eligible non-profit, Levine said. The move lowers your adjusted gross income since you can use the withdrawal to satisfy RMDs and helps reduce your pretax balance for smaller future required withdrawals. Source link #investors #arent #planning #traditional #IRA #taxes #retirement Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

WA election 2025: Labor’s Lara Dalton concedes defeat in Geraldton, but result remains unknown WA election 2025: Labor’s Lara Dalton concedes defeat in Geraldton, but result remains unknown Geraldton MLA Lara Dalton has conceded she has lost the election, telling her supporters she “just couldn’t quite get there”. Nationals challenger Kirrilee Warr has all but claimed victory. Source link #election #Labors #Lara #Dalton #concedes #defeat #Geraldton #result #remains #unknown Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

5 Ways AI Will Transform the Mobile Industry in 2025 5 Ways AI Will Transform the Mobile Industry in 2025 PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing. BARCELONA—Mobile World Congress attracted more than 109,000 attendees from 205 countries, 2,900 exhibitors, and 1,900 speakers this year. Hardware vendors showcased all sorts of exciting products and concepts, almost all of which had one thing in common: AI. No longer an emerging technology, MWC 2025 made it crystal clear that AI is present in all aspects of the industry, including chips, networks, and software. With that in mind, these are the ways we expect AI to shape the mobile landscape in the year ahead. 1. More Phone Makers Are Going All In on AI Honor and Oppo announced large AI initiatives at MWC and set the stage for big changes ahead. Honor talked about its Alpha Plan, which will see the company invest $10 billion over the next five years to develop an “intelligent phone” to change how we interact with our devices. This includes adding agentic AI to its phones and bringing AI its to computers, tablets, and wearables. Oppo’s strategy will focus on AI-based productivity, creativity, and imaging to help people work and create more efficiently. To do this, Oppo will invest an undisclosed sum in research and development and work more closely with Google and MediaTek to ensure its software and hardware are prepared to provide these experiences. It promised to bring generative AI features to 100 million users by the end of the year. 2. AI Is Trickling Down to Midrange Phones AI features have largely been reserved for pricey flagship phones, like the Google Pixel 9 and the Samsung Galaxy S25 series, which cost between $800 and $1,600. That’s set to change. At MWC, several companies announced more affordable AI-enhanced phones. For example, Samsung showed off the Galaxy A56, a $499 handset that will get access to some of the company’s best Galaxy AI features. And Realme is prepared to bring Google’s Gemini to midrange devices like the $430 Realme 14 Pro. 3. AI Is Coming to Far More Products Than Phones It’s hard to believe there’s enough computing power in a product as lightweight as smart glasses to include AI, but we saw several examples at MWC. TCL’s RayNeo X3 Pro glasses have an AI translation feature that might be a lifesaver on your next trip abroad. The glasses hear the spoken word, show you the text of the phrase in its native form, and then translate it visually into the language you prefer. It was a little slow in person, but we see the potential. The BleeqUp Ranger smart glasses for cycling take an entirely different approach. The Ranger glasses are meant to help cyclists capture photos and videos of their two-wheeled adventures. BleeqUp has tapped AI to help with tagging specific moments when recording video. Using motion detectors, the glasses can do things like sense when you swerve suddenly to avoid an object or accelerate or decelerate rapidly. The glasses tag the video at these moments so you can find them quickly when reviewing the footage. 4. Telcos Are Adopting AI to Repair Networks and Lower Costs Both T-Mobile and Verizon told me their companies have been responsibly adopting AI for more than a decade. The network operators are deploying AI deep within their infrastructure to help with various tasks. T-Mobile’s parent company, Deutsche Telekom, is prepared to release an AI phone later this year. The phone won’t have traditional apps on board. Instead, everything you do will be through the AI-powered MyMagenta app. The virtual assistant, which can be accessed directly from the lock screen, will be able to make calls, play your favorite tunes, summarize or translate text, and even write emails. Moreover, Deutsche Telekom has partnered with Google Cloud to develop what it calls the RAN Guardian. This AI agent watches DT’s core RAN for problems and then self-deploys to resolve any issues. Yes, DT is using AI to repair its network in real time. This is almost a Skynet-like idea. For its part, Verizon worked with Qualcomm and Samsung to save the energy used by its RAN. The company deployed an AI-powered RAN Intelligent Controller that monitors the power needed by its network in real time. It analyzes the number of connections at individual cell sites to determine the amount of power needed to meet customer demand. When fewer customers are accessing a site, it can ramp the power down to lower its usage. In the first month, Verizon saved $2 million. 5. AI Is Being Deployed at the Chip Level Even the smallest components of mobile phones are getting AI. MediaTek and Qualcomm announced new high-level modems at MWC that embed AI in order to make split-second decisions on how to connect. MediaTek’s M90 5G modem includes MediaTek Modem AI, which it says can evaluate network conditions, learn user patterns, use power more efficiently, reduce latency, and stabilize connectivity. The end result is a stronger network connection while realizing up to 18% gains in efficiency. In plain speak, your phone will have faster internet and use less battery doing it. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X85 modem is doing pretty much the same thing. The X85 can look at how every individual app on the phone is using data and as an “efficiency-minded air data-traffic controller” to provide bandwidth where it is most needed at any given instant. Of course, it’s not just modems. Nearly every part of a modern system-on-a-chip, such as the CPU, GPU, ISP, NPU, and other components, includes AI. More From MWC Can’t get enough MWC coverage? From laptops to smart glasses, check out all the devices and concepts that at the show. Source link #Ways #Transform #Mobile #Industry Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump resort in Scotland vandalised over Gaza comments Trump resort in Scotland vandalised over Gaza comments Donald Trump’s Scottish golf resort in Turnberry has been vandalised by activists in apparent response to the US president’s statements on the Gaza Strip. The golf course in South Ayrshire, owned by Trump, was targeted overnight, with activists painting “Gaza Is Not For *****” in three-metre high letters on the lawn and damaging the greens including the course’s most prestigious hole, used in Open Championships. Red spray paint was used to deface the elite club house at the 800-acre resort on Friday night. Palestine Action described it as a “direct response to the US administration’s stated intent to ethnically cleanse Gaza”. BREAKING: Trump’s Turnberry Golf Resort is fully shut today after actionists dug up the greens and painted ‘Gaza is not for *****’ on the lawn. Yesterday, it was ranked #3 golf course in Europe. Today, its shut. pic.twitter.com/xmCRncaqIv— Palestine Action (@Pal_action) March 8, 2025 Trump’s recent comments include plans to “clean out the whole thing”. The US president last week posted an AI-made video on Truth Social which included himself and Israel’s president Benjamin Netanyahu, shirtless, drinking at the “Trump Gaza” resort. The creator of the AI video, which shows a gold balloon shaped like Trump’s head in a satire inspired by comparing the Las Vegas Strip with the Gaza Strip, said it was a joke and there were concerns it might offend the White House. A spokesperson from Palestine Action said: “Palestine Action rejects Donald Trump’s treatment of Gaza as though it were his property to dispose of as he likes. “To make that clear, we have shown him that his own property is not safe from acts of resistance. “We will continue to take action against US-Israeli colonialism in the ************ homeland.” Police Scotland said they received a report of damage to the golf course and a premises in Turnberry. A spokesman for Trump Turnberry said: “This was a childish, criminal act but the incredible team at Trump Turnberry will ensure it does not impact business. “Turnberry is a national treasure and will continue to be the number one beacon of luxury and excellence in the world of golf.” Source link #Trump #resort #Scotland #vandalised #Gaza #comments Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

These Are the Tax Tips You Need To Know If You’re Self-Employed These Are the Tax Tips You Need To Know If You’re Self-Employed Khanchit Khirisutchalual / Getty Images/iStockphoto If you are small-business owner or self-employed, there are a number of special tax credits and deductions that you qualify for. However, if you don’t know to take advantage of them, you could be missing out on major tax savings. Find Out: 7 Tax Loopholes the Rich Use To Pay Less and Build More Wealth Learn More: 5 Types of Vehicles Retirees Should Stay Away From Buying GOBankingRates spoke with Ismail Mohamed, a TurboTax expert and CPA, to get his top tax tips for entrepreneurs and other self-employed individuals, including the credits and deductions they need to know about. Many of the expenses you pay to keep your business going on the day to day can be deducted if you are a small-business owner or self-employed. “Self-employed individuals can deduct a wide variety of business-related expenses, including home office costs, business travel and equipment,” Mohamed said. “Be sure to keep detailed records and receipts, as these deductions can reduce your overall taxable income.” Read Next: 6 Reasons Your Tax Refund Will Be Higher in 2025 Section 179 provides a major tax benefit you might not know about. “Section 179 of the tax code allows businesses to deduct the full purchase price of qualifying equipment and software, up to a certain limit, in the year it was placed in service, rather than depreciating it over time,” Mohamed said. “This can be a significant tax benefit for small businesses, allowing for immediate expensing and reduced taxable income.” To make tax filing season more efficient, it’s essential to keep your personal finance accounts and business accounts separate. “Maintaining a clear separation between business and personal finances is very important,” Mohamed said. “Open a separate bank account and use a dedicated credit card for business expenses. This makes tracking income and expenses much easier, simplifies tax preparation and provides a clear audit trail. Mixing funds can lead to complications and potential issues with the IRS.” More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: I’m an Accountant: These Are the Tax Tips You Need To Know If You’re Self-Employed Source link #Tax #Tips #Youre #SelfEmployed Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Keir Starmer praised for statesman role abroad but can he turn things round at home? Keir Starmer praised for statesman role abroad but can he turn things round at home? Laura KuenssbergPresenter, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg•@bbclaurakBBC “Trump may be the best thing to happen to Starmer,” says a diplomat, suggesting the brash property tycoon busy upending the world order might be just what the strait-laced prime minister – who’s been dragging in the polls – needs. One of Labour’s business backers calls it “the PM’s finest hour” – a Remainer leader putting Britain at the heart of international action as Trump rattles the Western world’s cage. Sir Keir Starmer has certainly been incredibly visible – in the White House, leading a European summit at Lancaster House last weekend, hugging Zelensky, plotting a peacekeeping path with Macron. It’s hard for the Conservatives and other opponents to compete with the prime minister’s international moves dominating the news. Moments of crisis like the one we’re living through are often when the public tunes into politics and looks to their leaders. With a shaky global situation, does No 10 look more solid than before? Some of his colleagues are certain. One government source tells me all the international activity is “almost Blair-esque”, or even a moment like Thatcher and the Falklands which enabled the 80s Conservative prime minister to burnish her reputation and win successive election victories. Another minister suggests other leaders “get their knickers in a twist” publicly reacting to Trump’s unpredictable comments and actions – “but Keir has spent his whole career dealing with extreme circumstances. What he is able to do is get people to focus on the things that really matter.” But impressive-looking diplomacy doesn’t mean the *** is getting what it wants – missiles are still falling, overnight again in Donetsk and Kharkhiv. Donald Trump’s commitment to guaranteeing Ukraine’s security, even NATO’s future, is shaky too. Reuters Sir Keir Starmer engaged in phone conversations with both U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky following a heated exchange between the two leaders So let’s take a calm look. Polling suggests there has been a nudge upwards for Sir Keir’s personal ratings and for Labour, after a dreadful start in office and a steep, fast drop in the polls. His government would not be the first to be swept away by the intensity and glamour of global diplomacy which, however difficult or worthy, doesn’t necessarily translate into significant brownie points at home. Perhaps in these wild times, we’re seeing the prime minister carve out a role as “reassurer in chief”. In political circles it’s long been common to find criticisms of Sir Keir Starmer for frankly, being a bit dull, not willing to play the minute-by-minute political game. But with Trump in the White House stoking drama the PM’s colleagues believe his steadiness has become an asset. And he’s shown willingness to take action – increasing defence spending, albeit after months of pressure, getting European leaders together and drawing up military plans for after a peace deal. A senior government source says: “the global crisis means people looking at us again, and the government has been making an argument that people are responding to: that we have got their backs.” Reuters Sir Keir Starmer unveiled a four-point plan to collaborate with Ukraine, aiming to end the conflict and bolster the nation’s defence against Russian aggression. So while there’s evidence that the public are looking at Sir Keir a touch more favourably since his White House trip, as one union leader warns, “for it to count he has to show the same mojo at home”. Take the row over sentencing this week. Upcoming arguments over cutting ********, which ministers have been falling over themselves to soften the ground for. But overshadowing everything, priority number one: the grisly state of the economy and getting it to grow. In around a fortnight Rachel Reeves will be on her feet in Parliament, probably announcing cuts to public spending running to billions. Government sources point to some better statistics on wages, and cuts to interest rates, but Reeves is under enormous pressure to explain how the economy is going to escape the doldrums its been stuck in for ages. All the Kodak moments and grip and grins with international leaders in the world won’t change that. The PM “can walk and talk at the same” time, one ally says. But there are, they acknowledge, “only so many hours in the day”. Helping Ukraine against Putin’s Russia has a clear moral story that the prime minister finds it easy to tell, and compelling to try to shape. In contrast, “how do you bring prosperity to the regions? That’s a real puzzle.” Getty Images In the next few days, starting with the PM’s right-hand man Pat McFadden in the studio tomorrow, you will see the government try to kick up the pace of whats happening at home. First up – perhaps not a box-office hit – they’ll be looking at making the Whitehall machine work better, including making it easier to get rid of civil servants. Ministers tell me that Downing Street is being run more effectively than before Christmas and has a clearer sense of direction, after early embarrassment over being far less prepared than promised. Sir Keir chairs regular meetings with individual Cabinet ministers in charge of the government’s “missions”. I’m told he “cross-examines” them and their officials – and if their answers aren’t up to snuff, they get called in for another meeting. “He is a very nice man, but he is a hard man too,” one of them confides. As well as slimming down parts of the civil service, there’ll be more on the government’s plans to cut billions off the ******** bill. Labour will argue it’s for good reason, to help people stuck on benefits – while critics will say it’s a way for the government to save money off the backs of some of the most vulnerable people in the country. On Thursday, the prime minister is expected to make his own speech in an attempt to weave it all together into a grand narrative about safety abroad and at home. One government source said the last few weeks had galvanised Sir Keir’s thinking on this: when things are uncertain on the international stage, “everything feels a bit wobbly” and domestic security is amplified: you look around and feel your job isn’t secure, your street isn’t safe. This thinking has been a long time coming. “Security” was a word and a concept used by Reeves and Sir Keir in opposition – but recently he’s been making a more ideological argument than those close to him are used to hearing. Getty Images As well as making the case that what happens around the world is inextricably linked to what happens at home, he holds that the old international consensus among Western leaders has failed for millions of voters. That argument was crystallised into a long memo he sent to his Cabinet ministers and political team in the middle of February. In it he wrote: “the government’s challenge was to shape this new era. Not to defend institutions that are broken or old ideas that have failed, but to be the voice of working people who more than anything want security in their lives, and a country that is on the up again.” He wrote that politicians were wrong to think that markets had solutions for almost everything. “We were cowed by the market – we came to act as if it always knew best and the state should sit it out.” He also said governments had failed on immigration, failed to understand the public’s concerns and also – to tell the truth. “We ended up treating all immigration as an untrammelled good. Somehow, politics ended up being too scared to say what is obvious – that some people are genuine refugees and some aren’t; that people coming here to work can be a positive, but that an island nation needs to control its borders.” Some extracts from the letter have been revealed before. But what’s notable, reading the whole document, is that the prime minister closes his letter to colleagues with a call to provide “security” for the country, alongside renewing public services. He writes: “Now is our moment to be ******* and bolder – to put pedal on metal on wholescale reform and change our politics and our country. Security and renewal are our twin tasks – we must now deliver them.” You’ll hear more of that argument from ministers in the coming days – we had a glimpse of it in the studio last Sunday morning too. The profound uncertainty Donald Trump’s arrival in the White House has given the prime minister a moment to step in to the spotlight on the world stage. And his government is now much more overtly weaving an argument that working to establish security round the world is fundamentally connected to sorting out security at home. There is a reason why fresh from all the diplomatic handshakes, Sir Keir was back in the more familiar hi-vis and hard hat announcing defence jobs in Belfast. Number 10 wants you to see and believe that crisis abroad can mean opportunity at home. This spasm in global security has given a prime minister who was sometimes accused of being a blank page a clearer story to tell. But in the end, for any prime minister, it is what happens on home turf, not foreign adventures that matter the most. A sceptical public will take a lot of convincing to believe government can improve their situation – make it easier to manage the bills, buy a house, or for their kids to find a decent job. As as a senior figure in the Labour movement concludes, “he likes the statesman role but the bottom line is, change in people’s lives will be the decider.” BBC InDepth is the home on the website and app for the best analysis, with fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions and deep reporting on the biggest issues of the day. And we showcase thought-provoking content from across BBC Sounds and iPlayer too. You can send us your feedback on the InDepth section by clicking on the button below. Source link #Keir #Starmer #praised #statesman #role #turn #home Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

WA election 2025: Liberals cursing more than three consecutive defeats WA election 2025: Liberals cursing more than three consecutive defeats At 10.30pm, only four lower house seats are in the Liberal bag and while there is hope of victories in some unresolved tight contests, the evening is shaping up to be another horror show. Source link #election #Liberals #cursing #consecutive #defeats Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Female students mark International Women’s day by leading protests in Serbia against corruption Female students mark International Women’s day by leading protests in Serbia against corruption BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Female students on Saturday marked International Women’s Day in Serbia by leading the daily street protests against corruption and sending a message decrying widespread violence against women in the Balkan country. University students in Serbia are behind almost daily rallies that started after a concrete canopy crashed down in November at a railway station in the northern city of Novi Sad, killing 15 people. Many in Serbia believe that the huge concrete construction fell down because of poor renovation work fueled by government corruption. Street demonstrations have become a challenge to the populist President Aleksandar Vucic. Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. The students carried a banner reading: “Women in front rows,” heading the marching column that passed through central streets in Belgrade and by the building hosting the state prosecutor’s office. The protesters held 19 minutes of silence, instead of the 15 held normally for the 15 victims of the canopy ******. The additional four minutes were dedicated to the four women killed in domestic violence in Serbia this year. ”I am here to support all women around the world, all mothers and fighters, and students of course,” said Slavica Djajic, a resident of Belgrade. The protesting university students have insisted on full accountability in the canopy fall, a call that has garnered widespread support among citizens who are largely disillusioned with politicians and have lost trust in state institutions. Student-led rallies have drawn tens of thousands of people, becoming among the biggest ever in Serbia which has a long history of anti-government protests. Vucic has described the rallies as a Western-orchestrated ploy to oust him from power. The next big rally is planned on March 15 in Belgrade and Vucic alleged that “they will try to achieve something with violence and that will be the end.” He added that “many (demonstrators) will end up behind bars accused of criminal acts.” All student-led protests in the past months have been peaceful, while incidents were recorded when opponents drove their cars into protest blockades or attacked the protesters. The populist leader and his right-wing Serbian Progressive Party have held a firm grip on power in Serbia for over a decade, facing accusations of stifling democratic freedoms despite formally seeking European Union entry for Serbia. Authorities have indicted 16 people over the canopy collapse, but many doubt that the actual culprits will face justice. Source link #Female #students #mark #International #Womens #day #leading #protests #Serbia #corruption Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Russia sees tech ***** amid sanctions — microelectronics industry sees massive hiring surge and increased salaries Russia sees tech ***** amid sanctions — microelectronics industry sees massive hiring surge and increased salaries Despite sanctions, in 2024, Russian electronics and computer hardware manufacturers expanded their workforce by an average of 13%, reports Vedomosti. Engineers were the most sought-after professionals, which indicates that companies in the country that start wars are adapting to sanctions and developing various workaround ways to keep Russia’s economy (and the war machine) going. Perhaps more importantly, Russia’s Mikron, the leading chipmaker in the country, is hiring R&D personnel, which may lead to breakthroughs. R&D staff expansion According to the report, Element Group, Aquarius, RDV Technology, Rikor, and Graviton led the growth, with some firms increasing staff by over 30%. Alongside workforce expansion, engineers’ salaries rose significantly, and the highest increases were in R&D roles. The industry also faced labor shortages, prompting companies to invest in training programs and student internships. Moreover, trends indicate continued growth into 2025, with companies planning further hiring and expansion. Element Group, which happens to own Mikron, Russia’s most advanced chipmaker, grew to 9,500 employees, with engineers making up 42% of the workforce after a 9% increase in their numbers in 2024. Graviton, a server maker, tripled its R&D staff to more than 150 specialists, focusing on electronic modules and software development. RDV Technology, a PC and equipment maker, doubled its workforce to 200, with engineers accounting for over 20% of employees. The company launched two new assembly lines and expanded its product lineup, introducing Altai and Caucasus servers. Aquarius, a PC and server maker, also saw an increase in technical hires, with specialists in radio electronics comprising 16.3% of staff. Rikor Group, a contract maker of pretty much everything based on printed circuit boards (PCBs), expanded by 15%, reaching 1,200 employees, mainly due to production growth. According to Vedomosti, production ramp-ups led to peak workloads, particularly in late 2024. RDV Technology saw a 3.6-fold increase in output in December compared to monthly averages, requiring additional labor. To meet urgent orders, the company enlisted students from technical colleges. The high demand for electronics contributed to the growing need for skilled workers across multiple firms. Salaries peaking Salary growth followed workforce expansion. At Element Group, engineers’ wages increased by 20% to 126,000 rubles. RDV Technology and Rikor saw salaries rise by 18% and 25%, respectively. Aquarius raised wages by 20% in production and 27% in R&D. Azimut, a Rostec subsidiary, increased average salaries by a third. Median earnings for electronics engineers grew by 15% in the Moscow region (115,000 rubles, $1,280), 22% in St. Petersburg (110,000 rubles, $1,220), and 20% in Kazan (90,000 rubles, $1,000). Still, this is a far cry from what software developers make in the three biggest cities of Russia. Java programmers in Moscow saw a 7% salary increase to 320,000 rubles ($3,560), while those in St. Petersburg and Kazan earned 8% (270,000 rubles, $3,000) and 4% (240,000 rubles, $2,670) more, respectively, based on SuperJob data. There is a trend A key trend observed by the Vedomosti journalists is the movement of IT specialists into electronics in general and microelectronics in particular, as their skills prove valuable in hardware development. Of course, a problem will occur when software developers are needed to support that hardware, but it seems that for now, nobody cares. In 2025, industry growth is expected to continue. On average, companies plan an 8% increase in headcount, with 30% of companies anticipating a workforce expansion of over 20%, according to Vedomosti. Element Group aims to reach 10,000 employees, focusing on engineers and R&D professionals. Rikor also projects a 15% increase in staff. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. There is a major catch. Where will the staff who have relocated to other countries due to the war against Ukraine, in particular, and general disagreements with the regime be? To address labor shortages, GS Group suggests expanding education in radio electronics, increasing state-funded university spots, and offering production internships with employment opportunities. Amid competition for talent, firms are increasing salaries and providing additional benefits to attract skilled workers. Source link #Russia #sees #tech #***** #sanctions #microelectronics #industry #sees #massive #hiring #surge #increased #salaries Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Gen Z’s wealth effect will shape the economy over time — here’s who will benefit Gen Z’s wealth effect will shape the economy over time — here’s who will benefit With rising incomes and a willingness to spend, Generation Z could have a profound impact on the economy and the market. The cohort’s global income levels are expected to increase from $9 trillion in 2023 to $36 trillion around 2030 and $74 trillion by 2040 — the largest of all generations, Bank of America said in a January note. In addition, more than $84 trillion in assets is expected to be transferred to younger generations, including Gen Z, by 2045, according to Cerulli Associates . At the same time, Gen Z is expected to grow their spending power to an estimated $12 trillion by 2030, according to NielsenIQ and World Data Lab’s global report on Gen Z spending . The oldest in the generation are in their late 20s, while the youngest are teens. Dates vary, with McKinsey putting the cohort’s birth years between 1996 and 2010, while McCrindle uses 1995 to 2009. NielsenIQ and World Data Lab said Gen Z is roughly defined as anyone born between 1997 and 2012. The generation was the first to be born into an online world, said Haim Israel, global strategist and head of thematic research at Bank of America. “They didn’t experience an offline moment in their lives and that has a huge impact on everything that they do — from consumer to banking to financial services to behavior to the health situation,” he said in an interview with CNBC. That will ultimately affect companies in those spaces. In addition, for the first time in history, the older generations are adapting to the younger generation, and not the other way around, Israel said. That means the impact is actually much ******* than just the size of the population, he said. “They are about to become the most disruptive to economies, markets and social systems,” he wrote in his January note. Gen Z’s impact on stocks The effect of Gen Z’s spending habits will be felt across a swath of sectors, including tech, retail and restaurants. One of the biggest and obvious beneficiaries is social media. Gen Z spends 2.5 hours daily across social media platforms, Bernstein said in an October report. Meta -owned Instagram is the social app most used by teens, with a monthly usage of 87%, according to Piper Sandler’s latest teen survey in October. The firm surveyed 13,000 teens across the United States. META 1Y mountain Meta Platforms Meta has also made a big push into short-form video, which is a draw for Gen Z. “This has demonstrated a very tangible result in terms of Instagram growing more popular, I would say, in the last three surveys that we’ve run,” said Piper Sandler analyst Tom Champion. He has an overweight rating on the stock and a $775 price target, suggesting 24% upside from Friday’s close. Different priorities While Gen Z’s spending power will evolve over time, it is already clear their priorities are different from previous generations. They spend a lot of time online, on social media, streaming content, playing video games and shopping. In fact, Gen Z is spending significantly more time playing games over the last decade than Americans of similar ages a decade ago, according to Bernstein. They also devote more time to eating and drinking and have sacrificed socializing, watching television and sports as a result. When it comes to shopping, they often start their journey online — both on e-commerce sites and social media. Some 53% of Gen Z said they have clicked “buy” buttons on social media networks, according to NielsenIQ and World Data Lab’s report. However, they also like to go to brick-and-mortar locations, whether to get an item faster, see a product in person or make it an experience. “The ability to see, touch and feel in person, to engage with sales associates, to be able to meet somewhere, it also goes to show that people want to be together,” said Dana Telsey, CEO Telsey Advisory Group, an equity research, investment banking and consulting firm focusing on the consumer space. Gen Z’s tech obsessions The digitally-native generation loves their smartphones, with 87% of teens owning an Apple iPhone, according to Piper Sandler’s survey. “The brand awareness is just fantastic,” investor Mark Malek, chief investment officer at Siebert Financial, said of Apple. “It’s the Coca-Cola of this generation.” While the tech giant may be lagging in artificial intelligence, it has always been a company that has been very measured in its releases, he said. When it comes to streaming content, the cohort turns to sites like Netflix and Alphabet ‘s YouTube, which are typically neck-in-neck for the top spot during Piper Sandler’s surveys, Champion said. However, the big disruption ahead may be reality versus scripted programming and long-form versus short form, as Gen Z flocks to short-form video and user-generated content, said Bernstein analyst Mark Shmulik. “Gen Z has taken reality/authenticity to a new level, creating stars from User Generated Content (UGC) on YouTube such as MrBeast, which averages the viewership of the Super Bowl, weekly,” he wrote. “But time matters, and while we’re spending ~18 minutes deciding what to watch on Netflix, Gen Z has consumed 40-50 videos on TikTok or Reels. Dollars follow eyeballs.” The generation also likes video games, but tends to access them differently than their older counterparts. “The majority of this group, who are tagged as digital natives, enjoyed their first gaming experience on six-inch mobile devices,” Bernstein said in its note. “It is reasonable to argue that gaming content has become more accessible with the growth of mobile penetration and is consumed more casually but more frequently by this younger generation.” Gaming platform Roblox saw a big jump in active users in Piper Sandler’s survey. Some 46% reported actively using it, up from 34% in the spring of 2024. “Roblox is aging up in terms of the user base, the content is growing more mature,” Champion said. “It’s potentially transcending gaming in almost being used as a quasi social media site.” He has an overweight rating and $73 price target on Roblox, implying 28% upside from Friday’s close. Retail stocks Amazon is the clear leader in e-commerce, with 52% of upper-income teens choosing it as their top online shopping site, according to Piper Sander. The tech giant has an average rating of buy from the analysts covering the stock and 34.5% upside to the average price target, according to FactSet. AMZN 1Y mountain Amazon Retailers like Target and Walmart should also remain on solid footing with Gen Z, thanks to their value and the convenience of their locations, Telsey said. She has outperform ratings on both names. Her $145 price target on Target suggests 26% upside from Friday’s close, while her $115 price target on Walmart implies 25% upside. In addition to liking both online and in-store shopping, Gen Z is open to trying new brands, but is big on loyalty, she said. For instance, Ulta Beauty attracts shoppers with its loyalty program and its independent brands, she said. Telsey has an outperform rating and $500 price target on the stock, suggesting 41% upside from Friday’s close. In fact, hygiene and health “are the new wealth,” with Gen Z focusing more on skin care versus makeup, according to Bank of America. That has stores like Ulta becoming popular among the crowd. Uggs, from Deckers Outdoor , and Birkenstock are also two brands that are trending with the generation, said Telsey. She has outperform ratings on both names. Sportswear should also be a beneficiary of Gen Z spending, according to Bernstein. “Sportswear remains a long-term secular growth sector — despite a short-term slowdown in 2024, the ongoing mix-shift within the closet, compounded by demographic shifts as Gen Z grows in the spending mix, will likely drive a steady tailwind for the next two decades,” the firm wrote. While brands matter, so does fashion, analyst Aneesha Sherman wrote in Bernstein’s report. Adidas and On Holding are good examples of that, she noted. The growth of fintech The generation has also turned to technology to manage money, with payment apps replacing cash. “They’re going to spend a lot of their money through the Venmos and Paypals of the world,” said Luke O’Neill, portfolio manager of the Catalyst Dynamic Alpha Fund. “They are already big users of buy now, pay later services.” William Blair initiated coverage of buy now, pay later company Affirm Holdings and financial services firm SoFi Technologies in January with outperform ratings. “We believe that alternatives to traditional consumer finance and bank cards will gain momentum as younger demographics seek better, more transparent financial experiences,” analyst Andrew Jeffrey wrote in a note to clients. Gen Z members are also turning more toward brokerage and high-yield savings accounts versus traditional banks, said Siebert’s Malek. “I think you’ll see more money shift away from full service broker dealers, a little bit more toward the, dare I say, Robinhoods of the world, Wealthfronts of the world, where they can almost self direct with a little bit of help,” the investor said. HOOD 1Y mountain Robinhood Robinhood is a top pick of Morgan Stanley analyst Michael Cyprys. He believes the company will gain market share “as the platform curates more content at an accelerated pace to win share from Gen Y/Z that’s moving into prime earnings years,” he wrote in a Feb. 10 note. After Robinhood reported earnings last month, Cyprys raised his price target to $90, suggesting 103% upside from Friday’s close. Dining While Gen Z isn’t spending a lot right now on dining out, they already exhibit a higher propensity for it rather than cooking at home, Bernstein analyst Danilo Gargiulo said. He continues to like Yum Brand’ s Taco Bell, Wingstop and Chipotle ******** Grill because of their social media presence and cultural relevance. He also believes McDonald’s and Starbucks can leverage their scale to bring in more Gen Z diners. Catalyst Dynamic Alpha Fund’s O’Neill said Gen Z’s focus on health impacts its dining options. “There’s a focus on more organic or sustainably sourced items,” he said. “Traditional fast food [is] not a big beneficiary here at all, but more of your healthier options, like Chipotle, like Cava and those sorts of fast-casual dining are far more beneficiaries than McDonald’s and Wendy’s.” They also like to get their food delivered to them. DoorDash was the most popular food service with 75% of teens, Piper Sandler’s survey found. The bottom line Cleary, many of the stocks that will benefit from Gen Z’s spending may hit near-term headwinds, particularly around the Trump administration’s tariffs . However, while the impact of Gen Z’s behaviors may seem far off, it will actually be felt much sooner than many realize, Bank of America’s Israel said. “In the next couple of years, every industry will understand that there’s a tectonic change over here,” he said. “This shift in thinking is going to happen in these five years, before they will be the richest generation and every industry that will not adopt Gen Z as the next consumer, as the number one consumer, is just not going to be around anymore.” Source link #Gen #wealth #effect #shape #economy #time #heres #benefit Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Body found in Valentine’s Day ******* suspect hunt Body found in Valentine’s Day ******* suspect hunt PA Lisa Smith suffered serious injuries in a shooting in the car park of the Three Horseshoes pub in Knockholt A body has been found in the search for a suspect after a woman was killed in a shooting on Valentine’s Day. Edvard Stockings is suspected of shooting Lisa Smith in the car park of the Three Horseshoes pub in Knockholt, Kent, on 14 February. Kent Police have said a body was found in the River Thames near Rainham, Essex, at roughly 15:45 GMT on Friday. The body has not been formally identified but the man’s family have been informed. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts. Source link #Body #Valentines #Day #******* #suspect #hunt Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

It’s too close to call as Labor’s Divina D’Anna leads the vote It’s too close to call as Labor’s Divina D’Anna leads the vote Kimberley Labor MLA Divina D’Anna is set to retain her seat after leading the first preference vote with 32.96 per cent. Source link #close #call #Labors #Divina #DAnna #leads #vote Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Clues and answer for Saturday, March 8 Clues and answer for Saturday, March 8 Hey, there! Welcome to the weekend. It’s a joyous one for many of us in North America, as daylight savings time begins on Sunday. Don’t forget to change your clocks! Perhaps today’s Wordle will be relevant and timely (pun fully intended). In case you need a little assistance, here’s our daily Wordle guide with some hints and the answer for Saturday’s puzzle (#1,358). It may be that you’re a Wordle newcomer and you’re not completely sure how to play the game. We’re here to help with that too. What is Wordle? Wordle is a deceptively simple daily word game that first emerged in 2021. The gist is that there is one five-letter word to deduce every day by process of elimination. The daily word is the same for everyone. Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. Wordle blew up in popularity in late 2021 after creator Josh Wardle made it easy for players to share an emoji-based grid with their friends and followers that detailed how they fared each day. The game’s success spurred dozens of clones across a swathe of categories and formats. The New York Times purchased Wordle in early 2022 for an undisclosed sum. The publication said that players collectively played Wordle 5.3 billion times in 2024. So, it’s little surprise that Wordle is one of the best online games and puzzles you can play daily. How to play Wordle To start playing Wordle, you simply need to enter one five-letter word. The game will tell you how close you are to that day’s secret word by highlighting letters that are in the correct position in green. Letters that appear in the word but aren’t in the right spot will be highlighted in yellow. If you guess any letters that are not in the secret word, the game will gray those out on the virtual keyboard. You’ll only have six guesses to find each day’s word, though you still can use grayed-out letters to help narrow things down. It’s also worth remembering that letters can appear in the secret word more than once. Wordle is free to play on the NYT’s website and apps, as well as on Meta Quest headsets. The game refreshes at midnight local time. If you log into a New York Times account, you can track your stats, including the all-important win streak. How to play Wordle more than once a day If you have a NYT subscription that includes full access to the publication’s games, you don’t have to stop after a single round of Wordle. You’ll have access to an archive of more than 1,300 previous Wordle games. So if you’re a relative newcomer, you’ll be able to go back and catch up on previous editions. In addition, paid NYT Games members have access to a tool called the Wordle Bot. This can tell you how well you performed at each day’s game. Previous Wordle answers Before today’s Wordle hints, here are the answers to recent puzzles that you may have missed: Yesterday’s Wordle answer for Friday, March 7 — TROOP Thursday, March 6 — ALERT Wednesday, March 5 — SCRUM Tuesday, March 4 — CHECK Monday, March 3 — SPEAR Today’s Wordle hints explained Every day, we’ll try to make Wordle a little easier for you. First, we’ll offer a hint that describes the meaning of the word or how it might be used in a phrase or sentence. We’ll also tell you if there are any double (or even triple) letters in the word. In case you still haven’t quite figured it out by that point, we’ll then provide the first letter of the word. Those who are still stumped after that can continue on to find out the answer for today’s Wordle. This should go without saying, but make sure to scroll slowly. Spoilers are ahead. Today’s Wordle help Here is a hint for today’s Wordle answer: A belly button. Are there any double letters in today’s Wordle? There are no repeated letters in today’s Wordle answer. What’s the first letter of today’s Wordle? The first letter of today’s Wordle answer is N. The Wordle answer today This is your final warning before we reveal today’s Wordle answer. No take-backs. Don’t blame us if you happen to scroll too far and accidentally spoil the game for yourself. What is today’s Wordle? Today’s Wordle answer is… Today’s Wordle answer for Saturday, March 8 – NAVEL NAVEL Not to worry if you didn’t figure out today’s Wordle word. If you made it this far down the page, hopefully you at least kept your streak going. And, hey: there’s always another game tomorrow. Source link #Clues #answer #Saturday #March Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Activist Spectrum has a stake in Landis+Gyr, and it may be poised to build value Activist Spectrum has a stake in Landis+Gyr, and it may be poised to build value Landis+Gyr Group AG’s residential and commercial FOCUS electric meter installation. Landis+Gyr Group AG Company: Landis+Gyr Group AG (LAND-CH) Business: Landis+Gyr Group is a Switzerland-based company primarily engaged in the electrical components and equipment manufacturing business. It specializes in metering solutions for electricity, gas, heat/cold and water for energy measurement solutions for utilities. Landis+Gyr product portfolio consists of advanced metering and intelligent energy management products, such as electricity meters, heating and cooling meters, grid management solutions and personal energy management solutions. In addition, the company offers various software services, managed services, cloud services, smart grid services, systems integration, training, as well as consulting and support services. Stock Market Value: roughly 1.49B Swiss francs (CHF 51.60 per share) Activist: Spectrum Entrepreneurial Ownership Ownership: 5.01% Average Cost: n/a Activist Commentary: Spectrum Entrepreneurial Ownership (“SEO”) manages a concentrated portfolio of large ********* investments, typically six to eight positions, in listed European companies with a focus on the DACH region (Germany, Austria and Switzerland). As a long-term and engaged anchor shareholder, SEO strives to unleash its portfolio companies’ full value potential. The firm targets small and mid-cap companies with multiple catalysts for value creation and prioritizes amicable engagement, typically sitting on the board of most of the companies where they have engagements. The fund’s stable capital base stems from family offices, endowments, pension funds, and other long-term institutional investors. SEO was co-founded in 2022 by Fabian Rauch and Dr. Ilias Läber. The two principals have a combined four decades of board experience in listed companies and each previously worked at Cevian Capital for roughly a decade. What’s happeningBehind the scenes Landis+Gyr is a Switzerland-based leading global provider of integrated energy management solutions, specializing in advanced metering infrastructure and smart grid technologies. Utilities and energy providers utilize Landis’ portfolio of smart metering tech, sensors, software and services to modernize and improve the efficiency of their infrastructure. While Landis is a very old company, founded in 1896, it was privately owned and invested in by a series of strategic and financial investors for much of its history. In 2011, Toshiba acquired a 60% stake in the company for U.S. $2.3 billion, but eventually opted to IPO the Swiss unit six years later. It began trading on the SIX Swiss Exchange on July 21, 2017, at 78 Swiss francs (CHF) per share, implying a market cap of CHF 2.3 billion. Today, Landis is trading well below its IPO price, down over 35%. It is also significantly undervalued, trading around 7.5-times enterprise value/EBITDA, compared to its Nasdaq-listed pure-play peer Itron (roughly 15-times) with which it functionally has a duopoly in the United States, each controlling 35% to 40% of the market. In July 2024, SEO acquired a 5% interest in Landis from Kirkbi, becoming the second largest shareholder. Shortly after, Landis requisitioned an extraordinary general meeting to elect to the board Fabian Rauch, co-founder and managing partner of SEO, in August 2024. Two months later, on Oct. 30, 2024, the company announced a strategic review of its business portfolio which includes the following key elements: (i) increasing focus on its Americas business; (ii) reviewing value creation opportunities for its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) business; and (iii) evaluating a potential change in listing location to the United States. However, several things have sent the stock price down since then, including Landis reducing its FY24 revenue guidance by 8% and the announcement that it will exit its electric vehicle charging business in EMEA, resulting in expected impairment charges of $35 million to 45 million. Regarding the reduction of guidance, despite Landis continually messaging that post-Covid growth was unsustainable due to pent-up demand, the warnings fell on deaf ears. Shares fell nearly 22% on Feb. 11, 2025, the date of the announcement. Focusing on the Americas makes a lot of sense. Landis generated $1.963 billion of revenue from three geographic segments: Americas (58%), EMEA (34%), and Asia-Pacific (8%). Despite EMEA contributing a third of revenue, it delivered just 8% of adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, less EBITDA than its significantly smaller Asia-Pacific unit. Exploring additional possibilities for growth in the Americas and winding down its EMEA business through either a ***** or spinoff of this business could be highly accretive to shareholder value. A change in listing location, likely to a U.S. exchange, would also make sense considering that this Swiss company is generating most of its profits in the region. This is a strategy which Cevian pushed for at both CRH and Pearson, and it has been a popular activist catalyst in Europe in recent years. Landis is a story of a failed equity with somewhat of an insular board. Welcoming Fabian Rauch was the first strong signal that the board wanted change. Announcing a value-creating plan shortly thereafter was the second signal. The third happened in November 2024, when the company replaced CEO Werner Lieberherr with Peter Mainz. Finally, the fourth signal happened in January 2025 when the company announced that its chairman Andreas Umbach will not stand for re-election and will be replaced by Audrey Zibelman. Ken Squire is the founder and president of 13D Monitor, an institutional research service on shareholder activism, and the founder and portfolio manager of the 13D Activist Fund, a mutual fund that invests in a portfolio of activist 13D investments. Source link #Activist #Spectrum #stake #LandisGyr #poised #build Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Russian strikes on Ukraine kill 20 as U.S. cuts intelligence sharing with Kyiv – National Russian strikes on Ukraine kill 20 as U.S. cuts intelligence sharing with Kyiv – National Russian strikes on Ukraine have killed at least 20 people, officials said Saturday, as heavy aerial attacks continued into the second night following a U.S. decision to stop sharing satellite images with Ukraine. The decision to withhold intelligence and military aid came on the heels of a tempestuous White House visit last week by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Without U.S. satellite imagery, Ukraine’s ability to strike inside Russia and defend itself from bombardment is significantly diminished. At least 11 people were killed in multiple strikes on a town in Ukraine’s embattled Donetsk region late Friday, regional Gov. Vadym Filashkin said. The attack damaged eight apartment blocks in the town of Dobropillya, which is close to the front where Russian troops have been making steady advances. Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said a Russian drone damaged a Ukrainian fire truck while rescuers fought to extinguish the burning buildings. Story continues below advertisement Another six people were killed in the front-line towns of Pokrovsk, Kostyantynivka, Myrnograd and Ivanopillya, Filashkin said, while emergency services reported that three others died when a Russian drone hit a civilian workshop in the northeastern Kharkiv region. Filashkin declared Saturday a day of mourning in the region and warned that more victims could still be found in the rubble. Get daily National news Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Zelenskyy said at least five children were among the injured in Dobropillya. “Last night, the Russian army fired two ballistic missiles at the center of Dobropillya,” he said. “After emergency services arrived at the scene, they launched another strike, deliberately targeting rescuers. It is a vile and inhumane intimidation tactic to which the Russians often resort.” More on World More videos The wave of attacks took place just 24 hours after Russia hit Ukrainian energy facilities with dozens of missiles and drones, hobbling its ability to deliver heat and light to its citizens and to power weapons factories vital to its defences. The U.S. freeze of intelligence sharing ups pressure on Zelenskyy The barrage came after the U.S. suspended military aid and intelligence to Ukraine to pressure it into accepting a peace deal being pushed by the Trump administration. When asked Friday by a reporter during an Oval Office exchange if Russian President Vladimir Putin was taking advantage of the U.S. pause on intelligence-sharing to attack Ukraine, President Donald Trump responded: “I think he’s doing what anybody else would.” Trending Now Canada suspends pork imports from top U.S. plant amid Trump tariffs Family with kids aged 1 and 2 found frozen trying to cross Canada-U.S. border Story continues below advertisement Zelenskyy did not reference the intelligence-sharing deal on Saturday, but did seem to appeal to other statements Trump made Friday related to financial sanctions against Moscow. Writing on social media, the U.S. president proposed imposing large-scale banking sanctions and tariffs on Russia until a cease-fire and final peace settlement was reached. Zelenskyy welcomed the prospect of additional sanctions on Moscow, saying, “Everything that helps Putin finance the war must be broken.” In a post on X, Zelenskyy said he would travel alongside other high ranking Ukrainian officials, including Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and his chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, to Saudi Arabia in the coming week to speak with their American counterparts. “Ukraine has been seeking peace from the very first second of this war. Realistic proposals are on the table. The key is to move quickly and effectively,” he said. Ukraine’s air force reported Saturday that Russian troops launched three Iskander missiles and 145 drones over the country overnight. The bombardment contained a mix of attack and decoy drones intended to confuse air defences. One missile and 79 drones were shot down, while 54 more drones were lost without causing damage, the Ukrainian air force said. Meanwhile, Russian troops shot down 31 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 26 over the country’s Krasnodar region, Russia’s Defence Ministry said Saturday. Story continues below advertisement Falling debris from one drone sparked a blaze at the KINEF oil refinery in Russia’s northern Leningrad region, local Gov. Aleksandr Drozdenko said in a statement. No casualties were reported. &copy 2025 The ********* Press Source link #Russian #strikes #Ukraine #kill #U.S #cuts #intelligence #sharing #Kyiv #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Peter Rundle on track to cruise to victory in Roe Peter Rundle on track to cruise to victory in Roe Peter Rundle is on track to cruise to victory in Roe with early counts showing a swing towards the WA Nationals after he faced contest from Liberal candidate Marie O’Dea second time. Source link #Peter #Rundle #track #cruise #victory #Roe Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Eating This Fruit Daily Can Improve Insulin Resistance in Just 4 Weeks Eating This Fruit Daily Can Improve Insulin Resistance in Just 4 Weeks Are you eating enough fruit? If not, you should consider it: Fruit can do everything from decrease depression to boost muscle mass. If you needed yet another reason to be convinced, the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Center for Nutrition Research might be of interest for you: According to their most recent research, one especially beloved (and tasty) fruit is such a nutritional powerhouse it can improve insulin resistance in as little as four weeks. SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week Published in Nutrients, the IIT study investigated whether eating certain fruit everyday could improve insulin sensitivity in people who were especially prone to developing type 2 diabetes, meaning participants needed to be obese or overweight, have chronic low-grade inflammation and have fasting blood sugar in the prediabetic range. After recruiting 48 adults who fit the criteria (they were an average of 38 years old and had an average BMI of 30.5), researchers followed them for a total four weeks and split them into two groups. The first (or group A) ate two cups of the fruit daily while the second (group B) ate a calorie-matched control food (Italian ice) without any fruit. Both were told to follow their usual diet but avoid similarly high-polyphenol foods to ensure any observed results were from the experiment itself. Related: This Beverage Could Lower Your Type 2 Diabetes Risk By 19% The Fruit That Can Improve Insulin Resistance in Just Four Weeks After measuring participants’ blood sugar, insulin levels and inflammation markers before and after the four weeks, the researchers found that Group A’s fasting levels were significantly lower than the control B’s. And drum roll, please … the fruit that group A was eating was mango! More specifically, the mango group showed a 51.2% improvement in insulin sensitivity compared to the control group (measured by fasting insulin levels and HOMA-IR, a measure of insulin resistance) and major improvements compared to their own baselines from the start. Translation? The mango group’s bodies became much better at processing and using insulin than when they began and compared with the control group, putting them at a significantly lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes over all. Related: The No. 1 Food That Helps With Insulin Resistance, According to Dietitians Who Specialize in Diabetes Why Does This Matter For Me? Since the study’s participants were chosen specifically because of their high type 2 diabetes risk, the fact that something as simple improved their insulin resistance this much is pretty big deal. These findings suggest that there could be a safe, natural and of course, delicious, way to prevent type 2 diabetes—especially for people who are at risk. This is also a helpful lesson for anyone whose instinct is to avoid fruit due to its high sugar content: People tend to worry fruit is “too sugary,” but this shows that mango actually helps metabolic health as opposed to hurting it. Related: This Common Spice May Help Lower Your Blood Sugar, According to New Study Health Benefits of Mangoes As for why the researchers chose to study mango? Well, it may have had something to do with the fact that it was funded by the National Mango Board. That said, there are plenty of good reasons to consider mango for metabolic health. Mangos are high in polyphenols. Mangos are especially high in polyphenols, which have been found to reduce blood sugar levels and improve insulin function as is. Related: 10 Ways to Make Mango Magic Mangos are high in fiber. Fiber helps to slow digestion and prevent blood sugar spikes, which is why dietitians often suggest boosting fiber intake. (Plus, it’s great for bowel movements.) Mangos are high in vitamins and antioxidants. Mangos are high in vitamins C, A, E, K and B vitamins, along with powerful antioxidants like mangiferin. These nutrients can help reduce oxidative stress, inflammation and blood sugar levels—all of which are linked to insulin resistance (and therefore, type 2 diabetes risk). Up Next: Related: This Weekly Workout Routine Can Boost Longevity By 31% Sources: “Mango Consumption Is Associated with Increased Insulin Sensitivity in Participants with Overweight/Obesity and Chronic Low-Grade Inflammation.” Nutrients. “Effects of Polyphenols on Insulin Resistance.” Nutrients. “The Effects of Soluble Dietary Fibers on Glycemic Response: An Overview and Futures Perspectives.” Foods. “Multifaceted Health Benefits of Mangifera indica L. (Mango): The Inestimable Value of Orchards Recently Planted in Sicilian Rural Areas.” Nutrients. Source link #Eating #Fruit #Daily #Improve #Insulin #Resistance #Weeks Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Handicapping the next move for a stressed bull market Handicapping the next move for a stressed bull market The market’s message and intentions are always worth debating — especially so during an intense pullback, with cacophonous policy headlines and piqued investor emotions animating the action day to day. Here’s an assessment of the weight of the evidence, after another rough week — but one that ended in a perky, if apprehensive, rally off a six-month low Friday afternoon, leaving the S & P 500 more than 6% from its record high reached less than three weeks ago — in the form of a bull-bear debate. The bear case: This tape is guilty until proven innocent. The Nasdaq ended one of its longer streaks above its 200-day average in recent memory, and history says to expect more near-term downside for a while at least. The S & P 500 just broke its December low during the first quarter, a classic warning sign from the Stock Trader’s Almanac, which suggests a high chance of significant further weakness before an ultimate low (and likely strong finish to the year) is reached. In fact, the index briefly even cracked its low from the entire fourth quarter, a rare gut check. Yes, the S & P 500 chopped around the 5700 for most of the week and held it with the late-Friday levitation. But does the market typically give traders four straight days to buy a durable low? The market could easily continue this tentative bounce here for any reason (or none at all), but the upside is capped well below the record highs. A slight majority of 5%+ pullbacks end before getting to a full 10% correction. Since 2022, though, it’s been more like a coin toss, according to 3Fourteen Research, which notes here that the best dip-buying backdrop was 2009-2021, when economic-growth scares meant falling bond yields and a lack of inflation meant the Federal Reserve’s safety net was never far below the market. Whatever the ultimate makeup of trade and immigration policies, they are at least initially more a source of economic friction than fuel, and a drag on growth. The Treasury market, with two-year yields down from 4.35% to 4% in a few weeks, is on high alert for a slowdown, just as Trump administration officials express an apparent acceptance of a potential “detox” economic slump front-loaded into the first year of its term. Granted, the retail-investor surveys are reflecting a panicky response to chaotic policy headlines, making it hazardous to get incrementally bearish from here. But we haven’t seen the kind of headlong fund outflows or aggressive short-selling activity that would suggest the bears are overplaying their hand and that the low is in. Wall Street strategists haven’t yet cut year-end index targets and while sell-side economists are trimming GDP estimates, recession calls haven’t begun. Sure, the tech giants have come well off the boil and the Nasdaq 100 held tough at the 20,000 level and there’s a scenario in which mega-cap tech starts to act as defensive leadership again at some point. But the Nasdaq 100’s valuation has barely retreated as is far above pre-pandemic norms. And for investors who have an itch to play a cyclical acceleration, the rest of the world can now scratch it. Germany’s move to lift government borrowing restraints and invest heavily in infrastructure and defense was an historic release of previously untapped fiscal power and growth sentiment. The ******* 10-year government bond yield rocketed from 2.66% to 3.09 on the week, the Euro soaring from $1.05 to above $1.08, the ******* DAX up 15% year to date. This as China also stimulates and its stock market roars back. If this is all about a rebalancing of consumption patterns and fiscal relationships across the globe after many years of overreliance on U.S. consumption, it’s a positive. But big, rapid moves in currencies and global bond yields can be destabilizing and raise risk premiums. The early August 2024 “yen carry trade” panic is a recent example, which came after a two-week U.S. equity market setback that looks quite a bit like the current one. The bull case: The market has had a proper reset The S & P fell more than 7% from high to low over 12 trading days, taking it back to the mid-July high —almost to the tick — before bouncing a full 1.8% from the midday Friday low into the weekend. .SPX 1Y mountain S & P 500, 1-year Yes, the index pierced below its 200-day moving average, but that trend line continues to slope solidly higher. The tape became oversold enough into the end of the week to make a pretty good bounce plausible, relieving some immediate pressure, and all things considered it’s remained rather orderly. Investor attitudes have grown starkly worried, according to surveys of retail and professional investors. The Fear & Greed Index , a composite of several market-based indicators rather than opinions, by Thursday was pressing toward anxious extremes, a pretty good contrarian setup. A decent case can be made that the noisy sell-off into the middle of last week represented a moment of peak tariff aggression just as the slow-moving economic growth scare of recent weeks burst into the open for all to observe and fret over. The S & P 500 has spent the past four days testing the 5700 level repeatedly, and — so far — has absorbed the pressure, the bulls showing some fight even into another potentially noisy news weekend. Those charts that show blowout readings of the Economic Policy Uncertainty Index and tally up mentions of “tariffs” on corporate conference calls have been ubiquitous in recent weeks. One can’t argue against the sense of mass indecision given the lack of policy-message clarity. Yet historically, such high levels of perceived uncertainty coincide with better buying than selling opportunities for stocks. Let’s not forget, too, that along with the fitful on-off tariff news and a stutter-step in consumer spending, the recent market seizure was triggered by a ****** turnabout in once-crowded momentum stocks across every sector. While the market surely traded twitch-by-twitch with headlines about the less-than-coherent plan for tariffs last week, the stocks that exerted the most downside pressure on the S & P 500, were former momentum leaders Nvidia , Amazon , Meta , Tesla and JPMorgan . The momentum cohort has now had a true correction and JP Morgan quantitative strategists argued Friday that funds’ exposures to this group have come back from historic extremes toward the more normal range. This style is not necessarily washed out yet but should present less risk of erratic liquidation looking ahead. Admittedly, the year started with the consensus brimming with high expectations, with valuations at post-pandemic highs and retail investors on a raging risk bender. But the market has largely taken care of this, puncturing all of the most popular premises entering 2025: U.S. exceptionalism, bearishness on bonds and a belief that the market could broaden in a smooth and painless way. Stocks have traded terribly off a pretty good earnings season, in part because corporate guidance has been uninspiring and current-quarter consensus S & P 500 profit growth has dropped from 11.6% to 7.3%, according to FactSet. Yet assuming the forecast settles near 7% and penciling in a typical margin or estimate-beating by companies, that’s supportive growth. Consumer incomes in aggregate continue to grow, February job growth was passable and a slow start to retail sales this winter means a ******* spending cushion in coming months. Sure, the drop in Treasury yields speaks to slowdown fears, but they also support rate-sensitive parts of the economy such as housing. Who knows if a good trading bottom is in. And any bounce will initially be suspect given all the congestion looming above on the charts. But when prices sink and valuations fall, stocks become less risky for a long-term owner, not more. The median S & P 500 stock is 15% from its high. The equal-weighted S & P 500 is back to its 10-year average forward P/E ratio. Quality stocks have slackened even as speculative ones have buckled. Alphabet is now trading at its largest-ever discount to the broader market. A choppy start to a post-election year was to be expected, pullbacks are perfectly normal, and it remains a bull market until proven otherwise. Doesn’t it? Source link #Handicapping #move #stressed #bull #market Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

WA State election 2025: Race for Churchlands tight as Basil Zempilas says he’s not giving up WA State election 2025: Race for Churchlands tight as Basil Zempilas says he’s not giving up Premier Roger Cook’s chief of staff Daniel Pastorelli was poised to become his own political force and was leading a wave of at least a dozen new Labor MPs entering State Parliament. Source link #State #election #Race #Churchlands #tight #Basil #Zempilas #hes #giving Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Zelenskiy says Ukraine is “fully committed” to constructive dialogue with US Zelenskiy says Ukraine is “fully committed” to constructive dialogue with US KYIV (Reuters) – Ukraine is “fully committed” to constructive dialogue with U.S. representatives in Saudi Arabia next week and hopes to agree on the necessary decisions and steps, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday. “Ukraine has been seeking peace from the very first second of this war. Realistic proposals are on the table. The key is to move quickly and effectively,” Zelenskiy said on social media network X. “On our side, we are fully committed to constructive dialogue, and we hope to discuss and agree on the necessary decisions and steps,” he added. Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. Zelenskiy said he would visit Saudi Arabia next week and after his meeting with the Crown Prince on Monday, Ukrainian diplomatic and military representatives would stay for a meeting on Tuesday with the U.S. team. (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; Editing by Sharon Singleton) Source link #Zelenskiy #Ukraine #fully #committed #constructive #dialogue Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

My favorite author Vaclav Smil’s new book is a must-read My favorite author Vaclav Smil’s new book is a must-read Bill Gates’ favorite author has a new book, and the billionaire says “it will teach you a lot” about food. Specifically, how eliminating food waste and reducing global food insecurity could make food cheaper for everyone. Vaclav Smil’s “How to Feed the World,” which was published on Tuesday, “will transform the way you think about hunger, food, and what we eat (and don’t),” Gates wrote in an Instagram post on Wednesday. Smil, a Czech-********* professor emeritus at the University of Manitoba, has written more than 40 books on a range of topics like technological innovation, energy, public policy and population growth. Gates is a “devoted reader” of the academic’s entire catalogue, reading “nearly all” of Smil’s published works, he wrote in a blog post published Tuesday. “The truth is, I’d read just about any topic he found interesting and wanted to dissect,” Gates wrote in 2017, adding: “I wait for new Smil books the way some people wait for the next ‘Star Wars’ movie.” DON’T MISS: How to start a side hustle to earn extra money Ending world hunger is a central focus for the Gates Foundation, and Smil’s newest book turns “conventional wisdom on its head” by using data to reframe the problem, Gates noted in his recent blog post. The world produces roughly 3,000 calories-worth of food per person per day, which is “more than enough to feed everyone,” Gates wrote. The problem is how food is distributed, with rampant inefficiencies in the supply chain resulting in massive amounts of food waste: Roughly one-third of food ends up unconsumed, according to the United Nations. The inefficiencies also increase costs for producers and retailers, resulting in higher prices for shoppers around the world. Reducing food waste can take pressure off of the global food supply, making food more accessible and more affordable for everyone, according to Smil. Other researchers agree. Roughly $600 billion worth of food is lost during or following its harvest annually, according to a 2022 report from consulting firm McKinsey. And food waste of all kinds leads to lost revenue for retailers and inflated consumer prices, found a 2024 Pacific Coast Collaborative report. Smil’s book offers some potential solutions, including improvements to food storage, packing, supply chains and pricing models. One of Gates’ favorites, he wrote: CRISPR gene editing, which could theoretically develop more resilient crops that better withstand the effects of climate change. “Like all of Vaclav’s best books, it challenges readers to think differently about a problem we thought we understood,” Gates wrote, adding: “We also need to ensure that food is more accessible and affordable, less wasted, and just as nutritious as it is abundant.” Want to earn some extra money on the side? Take CNBC’s new online course How to Start a Side Hustle to learn tips to get started and strategies for success from top side hustle experts. Sign up today and use coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 30% off $97 (+taxes and fees) through April 1, 2025. Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It’s newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life. Source link #favorite #author #Vaclav #Smils #book #mustread Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

WA election 2025: Labor hold Scarborough in shock result, sees Stuart Aubrey re-elected for second term WA election 2025: Labor hold Scarborough in shock result, sees Stuart Aubrey re-elected for second term Labor has held onto the seat of Scarborough in a major battleground seat win, a sign of support for Labor in the northern suburbs has not fallen away completely. Source link #election #Labor #hold #Scarborough #shock #result #sees #Stuart #Aubrey #reelected #term Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Atomfall flips typical RPG conventions on their head, then nukes them Atomfall flips typical RPG conventions on their head, then nukes them Table of Contents Table of Contents Reimagining the Windscale Fires Leading the player on Fighting to survive Even the best RPGs fall into mechanical and stylistic conventions of their genres. Avowed is fantastic thanks to its captivating world and expertly written, timely narrative. At the same time, it was constructed upon the worldbuilding and art direction of Pillars of Eternity, and its gameplay isn’t much more ambitious than something like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was over 14 years ago. If you like games that feel immersed within their genre but aren’t afraid to take bolder swings, then Atomfall should be on your radar. Atomfall is a new first-person survival RPG from Sniper Elite studio Rebellion Developments, and I can’t stop thinking about it after playing a pre-release build of it at a preview event in London. Narratively, the decision to set the game around the Windscale Disaster gives its world a distinct flair not found in nuclear RPG peers like Fallout or S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. Mechanically, it swaps the typical RPG quest structure of a “lead” system that makes finding and completing story beats feel more natural. On top of that, it plays into the survival fantasy with gameplay elements like a heart rate that affects the player’s accuracy, minimal ammo scattered around the world, and a bartering system that’s not about cash. It’s the kind of innovative thinking I’d expect from a studio tackling a new genre for the first time, and why Atomfall could be a surprise hit when it launches later this month. Reimagining the Windscale Fires Rebellion’s Head of Design Ben Fisher tells Digital Trends that the idea for Atomfall emerged from the studio’s co-founder Jason Kingsley, who “noticed that there are a lot of games set in post-nuclear disaster quarantine zones, but none set around the world’s first major nuclear disaster: The Windscale Fire.” After ideating on this concept, Rebellion began to understand that this setting could give them a unique hook and feel with their nuclear survival niche of RPGs. Atomfall sees the player, a voiceless-faceless protagonist, awaken with amnesia in a quarantined zone of the United Kingdom following the Windscale disaster. It imagines a world where the Windscale Fires were catastrophic (and possibly influenced by the supernatural), creating a Chornobyl-like exclusion zone in the ***. From a narrative perspective, Fisher believes Rebellion gave Atomfall an authentic British feel. Rebellion Some developers who worked on the game grew up around where the Windscale Fire took place. Rebellion also had no problem taking inspiration from the characters and stories from the earlier seasons of Doctor Who, The Quatermass Experiment, and The Wicker Man. From there, the setting took form and informed Rebellion Developments of the kind of game it’d be best as. “We didn’t want it to be a run-and-gun shooter because that didn’t seem appropriate to the Lake District in the ***. There are not a lot of guns around, but this location is occupied by a military force. What we found through a lot of the worldbuilding and development of the game was to let the setting tell us what mechanics it needed to balance the game.” Leading the player on According to Fisher, Atomfall ultimately took the form of an RPG, but that’s not how the game’s structure started. “Earlier in development, we had a more traditional quest system. The game was structured more like a Metroidvania, actually, as you would gradually unlock a series of sandbox maps and explore dungeons within them,” Fisher revealed. “The game felt very linear, so we looked at what we had and asked what would happen if we unlocked all the doors and let the player go anywhere they wanted. We don’t tell the player what to do and allow them to explore the game world as they see fit.” As soon as I started playing Atomfall, I proved the decision to switch the structure to that was the right one. Initially, I was directed to investigate a herbalist called Mother Jago in the mines near an irradiated forest. Before long, I encountered a cashed helicopter with an audio log by Dr. Harrow, a scientist who’d crashlanded in the quarantine zone. From here, I got a new lead I spent the rest of my Atomfall playtime pursuing. Atomfall does not have quests; instead, story objectives are split into individual leads that players can encounter and complete at their own pace. Rebellion “What we did was flip quests on their head,” Fisher says. “Quests tell you what to do as you explore. We thought, ‘How about we just log for the player what they’ve uncovered, their understanding of the game world, and treat them more like a detective?” It’s more like a case briefing; as you explore and uncover things in the world, you start to understand how the world fits together. The game helps you organize them, but there’s a sense over time that you’re piecing together clues as a detective to help you understand the game world. It means that you can open and close routes through the game through your actions at all times.” Atomfall is the kind of game that does not hold the player’s hand, and the popularity of titles like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 shows there’s a real demand for RPGs like that. It almost gave my personal journey a procedurally generated feel, even though all of the content was hand-crafted by Rebellion. When I spoke to the other journalists demoing the game alongside me, I found they all had completely different experiences pursuing different leads. Some continued the Mother Jago storyline I’d immediately abandoned. Others played into the detective-like fantasy Fisher outlined by looking for a ********* who killed someone in the church. Atomfall can potentially be quite the buzzworthy game when it releases, solely because players will want to discover content they might completely overlook in their own playthrough. Fighting to survive Atomfall continued to set itself apart more as I continued to play it. I’m used to RPGs littering my map with quest objectives, but Atomfall doesn’t do that. Instead, when I learned that Dr. Harrow had gone to a city after ****** landing, I had to intuit where one was on my map and start heading in that direction. As I strolled up to the town, I noticed that the militarized faction there would be aggressive and start fighting me if I had a weapon drawn or sprinted, but would stay cool if I unequipped what I was using and strolled through. Rebellion I did minimal fighting in Atomfall because it’s tough. Ammo for guns is sparse, so a lot of my fights were up close and personal as I whacked enemies with cricket bats or my fists. I had to monitor my character’s heart rate to ensure my attacks were accurate, something Fisher says was carried over from Sniper Elite as a “consistent design line between games.” When I eventually found a vendor in the village, I discovered there was no in-game currency, and I instead had to barter with items I picked up. Fisher said he wanted players to feel like “they might not survive as much as the other person” and that the game’s setting lent itself to this RPG not being a run-and-gun experience. Ultimately, Fisher says that “all of these details came from this pressure cooker environment,” referring to the quarantine zone players explore in Atomfall. “We wanted to encourage the players to be observant and to reward them for paying attention to conversations with characters, the environment, and the storytelling.” Throughout the rest of my playtime, I sided with that militarized faction, ratted out a baker resisting their authority to get access to the prison where they were keeping Dr. Harrow, strolled right in there without trouble to speak with her, and learned she knew a way out of the quarantine zone. While my play session ended there, I’m looking forward to hopping back in and seeing how my playthrough of the entire game shakes out differently. I’ll always love an RPG like Avowed that executes genre conventions at their best, but games like Atomfall that test the waters of what an RPG can excite me just as much. Atomfall launches for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on March 27. It will be part of the Xbox Game Pass catalog from day one. Source link #Atomfall #flips #typical #RPG #conventions #nukes Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

“Marvin Ellison’s Excellent Quarter – It’s Not as Bad as Feared” “Marvin Ellison’s Excellent Quarter – It’s Not as Bad as Feared” We recently published a list of Jim Cramer Discusses These 14 Stocks & Zero Day Options. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) stands against other stocks that Jim Cramer discusses with insights into Zero Day Options. In a recent appearance on CNBC’s Squawk on the Street, Jim Cramer commented on how day traders were trading the shares of Wall Street’s favorite AI GPU stock. He recalled a conversation that he had with Vlad Tenev, who’s the CEO of the most popular stock trading platform in the US. Cramer shared that the number of zero-day options that were actually being traded for the stock around the time of its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings release meant that the options, instead of the fundamentals, were driving the share price. He also marveled at the fact that trading these options came with little risk. According to Cramer: “And what’s amazing is this it actually makes sense! I mean when I was with [Vlad Tenev], you don’t want, time degradations, you can actually put that bet on, this morning. And if it doesn’t work, doesn’t work.” He added: “There are many professionals who are using zero-day through Robinhood because they’ve got the most, they’ve got the cheapest market.” The CNBC TV show host also commented on how the GPU company needed to “get away from this five clients syndrome.” He believes that if the firm’s only clients are going to be mega-cap technology giants then “We’re all gonna just keep saying, are they ordering? Are they ordering? If you have an order book that includes say, many countries, uh that’d be great.” Cramer’s co-host David Faber asked him about his recent discussion with Trump advisor Peter Navarro, here’s what Cramer said: “Okay, so it’s really interesting, really interesting to say that because the larger takeaway was missed. It was meant to be a stop to the Mag 7. It was meant to be, listen, we’re gonna protect you from the honey pot, that so many people, we wake up all the time and we see ‘oh, billion dollar fine by so and so’. . . so Peter thought that it would be welcomed by the tech companies because they’re the ones, they’ve been complaining about it endlessly, but it did not resonate like that. And I think that one of the part is because there was like, oh how about the copper tariff?” To make our list of the stocks that Jim Cramer talked about, we listed down all the stocks he mentioned during CNBC’s Squawk on the Street aired on February 26th. For these stocks, we also mentioned the number of hedge fund investors. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here). Story Continues Jim Cramer On Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (LOW): “Marvin Ellison’s Excellent Quarter – It’s Not as Bad as Feared” A family excitedly browsing through the aisles of a home improvement retail store. Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q4 2024: 70 Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) is a home improvement retailer that has managed to hedge against some of its industry’s slowdown through the devastation ushered in by hurricanes in 2024. Its shares are flat over the past year as the firm navigates the broader slowdown such as a 1.1% same-store sales drop in the third quarter. In his earlier remarks for Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW), Cramer has shared that the low valuation might prove to be an attractive entry point. Here are his latest comments for the firm: “Marvin Ellison, go[ing] back and forth with him, this was an excellent quarter. Particularly considering rates, although the rates have come down a little bit. And the lack of housing turnover which is typically been the key metric because when there’s housing turnover you go to Lowe’s, you tend to rehabilitate, you make it so you renovate. I was struck by the fact that the numbers were [inaudible] are improving. Because Lowe’s is of the [inaudible] of do it yourself. We had good pro numbers from Home Depot, good pro numbers from Lowe’s, something could be on here David. It is not as bad as feared. These two companies are excellent. Overall, LOW ranks 3rd on our list of stocks that Jim Cramer discusses with insights into Zero Day Options. While we acknowledge the potential of LOW as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than LOW but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and Complete List of 59 AI Companies Under $2 Billion in Market Cap Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Source link #Marvin #Ellisons #Excellent #Quarter #Bad #Feared Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]