Pelican Press

Federal candidate for Watson Dr Ziad Basyouny praised for saving man’s life in horrific ****** Federal candidate for Watson Dr Ziad Basyouny praised for saving man’s life in horrific ****** Federal candidate for Watson Ziad Basyouny has been praised for saving the life of a man who was trapped in a vehicle following a horrific car ******. Source link #Federal #candidate #Watson #Ziad #Basyouny #praised #saving #mans #life #horrific #****** Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trudeau Reveals the Real Reason Trump Wants to Start ‘Dumb’ Trade War Trudeau Reveals the Real Reason Trump Wants to Start ‘Dumb’ Trade War ********* Prime Minister Justin Trudeau revealed the real reason he believes President Donald Trump is making the “dumb” move of starting a trade war with his country. Trudeau called Trump’s explicit explanation—that the 25 percent import tax is meant to stanch the flow of fentanyl into the U.S.—“completely bogus.” “What he wants to see is a total collapse of the ********* economy,” the outgoing Liberal Party leader said at a press conference on Tuesday, as the tariff went into effect. “Because that will make it easier to annex us.” Trudeau assured that he wasn’t worried that Trump’s plan would work: “That’s never going to happen. We will never be the 51st state.” While Trump’s oft-repeated jab about Canada becoming the 51st state was initially understood by many as a joke, Trump doubled down last month and confirmed he was serious. In response to the tariff, which Trump announced in early February but opted to delay a month, Trudeau on Tuesday announced that he would be challenging the tariffs at the World Trade Organization. Canada and the U.S. have a free trade agreement. Canada has already instituted retaliatory tariffs of their own against the U.S., and Trudeau confirmed that they would stay in place until America backed down. Trump has leveled a matching tariff against Mexico and a smaller one against China. On Tuesday, typically mild-mannered Trudeau didn’t ****** words when discussing Trump’s decision. “Now, it’s not in my habit to agree with The Wall Street Journal, but Donald, they point out that even though you’re a very smart guy, this is a very dumb thing to do,” the ********* said. “We two friends fighting is exactly what our opponents around the world want to see.” Less than 1 percent of fentanyl seized entering the U.S. is taken at the northern border—98 percent of it is coming in from Mexico. Trump has been repeating the “51st state” rib since before he entered office for his second term. “If Canada merged with the U.S.,” he wrote on social media in early January. “There would be no Tariffs, taxes would go way down, and they would be TOTALLY SECURE from the threat of the Russian and ******** Ships that are constantly surrounding them.” Trudeau, who has expressed his disdain for the idea, was caught on a hot mic last month explaining why he believes it is not a joke. Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau attend the NATO summit at the Grove Hotel on December 4, 2019 in Watford, England. / Dan Kitwood / Getty Images “I suggest that not only does the Trump administration know how many critical minerals we have but that may be even why they keep talking about absorbing us and making us the 51st state,” he said after the end of a press conference. “They’re very aware of our resources, of what we have, and they very much want to be able to benefit from those. But Mr. Trump has it in mind that one of the easiest ways of doing that is absorbing our country. And it is a real thing.” The tariffs on Canada and Mexico, which began after midnight on Tuesday, are expected to rapidly raise prices for American consumers, especially in sectors like automaking and aluminum. Source link #Trudeau #Reveals #Real #Reason #Trump #Start #Dumb #Trade #War Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

JD Vance denies disrespecting *** and France over Ukraine peacekeeping force – Reuters JD Vance denies disrespecting *** and France over Ukraine peacekeeping force – Reuters JD Vance denies disrespecting *** and France over Ukraine peacekeeping force ReutersJD Vance Ignites Outrage in *** With ‘Random Country’ Comment The New York Times’Vance’s slur’ and ‘Entry level hosting’ BBC.comUK MPs condemn ‘deeply disrespectful’ JD Vance comments | Defence policy The Guardian Source link #Vance #denies #disrespecting #France #Ukraine #peacekeeping #force #Reuters Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

2026 Volvo ES90 revealed as brand’s most car-like EV yet 2026 Volvo ES90 revealed as brand’s most car-like EV yet Volvo’s first electric vehicles (EVs) have been SUVs and people movers, but now it has revealed an electric sedan. Or has it? Volvo says its new ES90 – due here late in 2025 – isn’t simply a sedan, and instead blurs boundaries. “Some might say it is a sedan. Others will see a fastback, or even hints of an SUV. We’ll let you be the judge,” the company says in its press release. Volvo says it combines the “refined elegance of a sedan, the adaptability of a fastback, and the spacious interior and higher ground clearance associated with SUVs”, with none of the compromises of those body styles. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert Conceptually, then, it’s reminiscent of the Polestar 2, another product from under the Geely Holding Group umbrella. Technically it’s not a sedan but rather a liftback, much like the Polestar, and there’s 424L of boot space. This expands to 733L with the rear seats dropped, and these can be folded individually. There’s also 22L of space under the bonnet. While it sits higher than the petrol/plug-in hybrid S90 sedan, Volvo says it still has a drag coefficient of 0.25 – not the best in the market, but the best figure of any car the brand has ever built. Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert Volvo’s ‘Thor’s Hammer’ *********** feature, while down back there C-shaped tail lights plus LED lights in the rear window, much like the EX30. A choice of four wheel options are available, ranging from 20 to 22 inches in size, while the ES90 can be had in seven different exterior finishes. It rides on the SPA2 architecture underpinning the EX90 electric SUV, and sits on a 3.1m-long wheelbase. The ES90 also uses the Volvo Cars Superset tech stack, a single set of hardware and software modules that’ll be used in all the brand’s upcoming electric cars. Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert It’s Volvo’s first vehicle with an 800-volt electrical architecture, which Volvo says allows for faster charging and better overall performance and efficiency. Volvo will offer the following variants: Single Motor Extended Range: Up to 245kW, 0-100km/h in 6.9 secondsTwin Motor: Up to 330kW, 0-100km/h in 5.5 secondsTwin Motor Performance: Up to 500kW, 0-100km/h in 4 seconds Range is up to 700km under the WLTP cycle in dual-motor all-wheel drive models with the 106kWh battery, and up to 650km in the Single Motor Extended Range with its 92kWh battery. These figures see the ES90 beat the rival BMW i5 and Mercedes-Benz EQE, which top out at 627km and 626km of WLTP range, respectively. Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert Energy consumption is 16.1kWh/100km in the Single Motor Extended Range model, and 17.1kWh/100km in both Twin Motor versions. The company says 300km of range can be added in 10 minutes when using a 35kW DC fast charger. Inside, there’s a 14.5-inch infotainment touchscreen with Google built-in, featuring embedded Google Maps, Google Assistant, and more apps that can be downloaded via the Google Play Store. There’s a 9.0-inch digital instrument cluster and a head-up display. There’s a range of sound systems available, with the cream of the crop being a 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins setup that includes headrest and ceiling speakers plus Dolby Atmos. Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert There’s a panoramic roof that Volvo says provides UV protection of up to 99.9 per cent. It’s also available in an electrochromic version, were you can adjust the transparency of the glass. Quad-zone climate control with an advanced air purifier that can stop up to 95 per cent of PM 2.5 particulates also features, plus ambient lighting with six themes for “sensory well-being”, and various upholstery options. The ES90 has a suite of active safety technology, including driver attention monitoring and safe exit warning. This is powered by one LiDAR, five radars, seven cameras, and twelve ultrasonic sensors. A rear occupant detection system can sense sub-millimetre scale movement, including the soft breathing of a baby, while the surround-view camera features a 3D view. Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert The ES90 is Volvo’s sixth electric vehicle, joining the EC40 and EX40 (née C40 and XC40 Recharge) SUVs as well as the newer EX30 and EX90 SUVs and China-only EM90 people mover. Volvo is busily expanding its range of EVs, which will grow next year to include the EX60. This is an electric counterpart to the XC60, which will debut the new SPA3 platform. In its 2024 financial results presentation, Volvo also teased an additional two models on the SPA3 platform, plus a long-range plug-in hybrid (PHEV) on an unspecified platform which is being developed for China. In addition to new EVs, Volvo is also continuing to refresh its existing range of petrol/plug-in hybrid vehicles. Volvo’s global CEO Jim Rowan says that this year the brand plans to launch five brand new or refreshed products, with another five new or refreshed models due in 2026. Click an image to view the full gallery. Source link #Volvo #ES90 #revealed #brands #carlike Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Close-Up View Reveals ‘Incredible’ Scale of Mega-Iceberg That Ran Aground in Southern Ocean Close-Up View Reveals ‘Incredible’ Scale of Mega-Iceberg That Ran Aground in Southern Ocean The scale of the world’s largest iceberg was dramatically illustrated for those aboard a nearby ship on February 15, weeks before it ran aground in shallow water off the remote island of South Georgia. The mega-iceberg, A23a, weighs nearly a trillion metric tonnes and, when measured in August 2024, was found to be slightly smaller than Rhode Island and more than twice the size of London. It had been drifting with the currents of the Southern Ocean towards South Georgia since 2020, according to the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). It was feared the iceberg could have impacted the wildlife of South Georgia, home to large colonies of penguins and seals, but those fears have abated as the berg appeared to have grounded on the continental shelf around 90 km (56 miles) from shore, the BAS said. 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. Kate Jamieson recorded this video from a ship as she travelled to South Georgia in mid-February. A23a is expected to eventually break up, according to the BAS, and the smaller icebergs it produces will pose a hazard to fishing and shipping operations as they are harder to detect and track. Credit: Kate Jamieson via Storyful Source link #CloseUp #View #Reveals #Incredible #Scale #MegaIceberg #Ran #Aground #Southern #Ocean Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

When video game age ratings go wrong: Balatro’s battle with PEGI | Games When video game age ratings go wrong: Balatro’s battle with PEGI | Games Over the last few months, the makers of a popular card game have been wrestling with the byzantine process that surrounds video game age classifications. Age ratings are intended to help parents determine whether or not a game is appropriate for their children. But in practice, an erroneous label doesn’t just mislead consumers – it can be the difference between success or failure. Balatro is an award-winning poker game made by an anonymous game developer known as LocalThunk, in which the only guiding principle is chaos. In each match the player must divine the best possible poker hand out of a randomised draw, but the conditions fluctuate constantly. In one round, the game might prevent you from using an entire suit or junk all your face cards, while the next round might challenge you to achieve an eyebrow-raising score with only a single hand. As the game progresses, players accrue jokers for their deck that add yet more wild rules. It’s an ingenious premise that has allowed a game that began as a small side-project to sell millions of copies since its release in February 2024. Though players win in-game money to buy new cards between rounds, Balatro’s version of poker is fictional, and only bears a faint resemblance to the classic card game. Yet shortly after launching, Balatro hit a snag: it was classified as a gambling game. At first, Balatro went on ***** with a classification that deemed it appropriate for audiences ages three and up. But then, the classification was revised to an adults-only 18 rating. The reasoning? The Pan-European Game Information (Pegi), the organisation that determines age classifications, claimed that Balatro “contains prominent gambling imagery and material that instructs about gambling”. Without warning, Balatro was pulled from ***** on some digital storefronts in Europe and Asia. “This was obviously a crucial moment and we had two options,” says Wout van Halderen, the communications director at PlayStack, Balatro’s publisher. “Be de-listed, or take the 18+ rating and get back in the store Asap. We opted for the second and started preparing an appeal to have the rating changed.” The appeal was initially declined – and issues began to snowball. In Korea, the rating outright barred Balatro from being sold. In December, when Balatro won Game of the Year at The Game awards, the team was also ramping up for a physical release. Another appeal was filed by that version’s distributor, Fireshine. It is only now, a year later and after a handful of updates, that the dust has settled and Balatro has been bumped down to a 12+ rating by Pegi. “It’s difficult to quantify the sales impact, as Balatro’s surge in popularity may have mitigated losses,” Halderen says. “That said, the de-listing disrupted momentum at a key point in the launch. Development-wise, the rating saga took time and resources, but it didn’t fundamentally delay planned updates.” Pegi, for its part, reiterated that it seeks to apply a fair criteria for ratings in a press release, and that any game that teaches or glamorises gambling will automatically lead to an 18+ rating. The board that oversaw the appeal also ceded that Pegi is a system that “continuously evolves in line with cultural expectations and the guidance of independent experts who support our assessment process”. To that end, Balatro’s dilemma has led Pegi to create a more granular classification system for games that depict gambling. The 18+ rating will now only apply to games that simulate the type of poker people play at actual casinos. It is a tale with a happy ending for Balatro, yet it highlights the limitations of Pegi’s current system. The appeal process was an extended one, and while that didn’t impact Balatro’s massive success, a smaller game without such acclaim would not fare nearly as well. The wording of the new classification system suggests that any realistic depiction of gambling within a game would still result in an 18+ rating, even if players cannot actually spend, bet or lose money in the game. Meanwhile, games such as EA’s football series Sports FC, which sell players digital loot boxes with randomised contents, sport Pegi’s 3+ classification. The loot boxes only have a small chance of dropping a rare item, which means players are effectively gambling their money by buying them. Even with better classification systems and streamlined processes, any age rating system would struggle to keep consumers informed about the contents of a game in the age of user-generated content. A game like Roblox, for example, is deemed to be appropriate for users 7+ – but the rating does not apply to anything created by players, which is the vast majority of the content, and can be inappropriate. The reclassification of Balatro has been a great relief for its publisher, and the amendment to Pegi’s rules shows that the organisation is open to change. “We applaud the Pegi Experts Group on their commitment to develop a more granular set of classification criteria as indie games continue to stretch into new ideas and concepts,” Halderen says. “We believe it is a sign of a healthy classification board that it evolves in line with cultural expectations and continues to ensure that audiences understand the type of content present in games.” Source link #video #game #age #ratings #wrong #Balatros #battle #PEGI #Games Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

UBS upgrades Arista Networks due to AI momentum, calls for more than 30% upside UBS upgrades Arista Networks due to AI momentum, calls for more than 30% upside Investments related to artificial intelligence should bring in big gains for Arista Networks , according to UBS. The investment bank upgraded the networking stock to buy from neutral and increased its price target to $115 from $112. That increase implies 34.5% upside from Tuesday’s close. “Our upgrade is supported by our view that investments in data center [capital expenditures] will remain strong growing at ~a 25% CAGR through 2027,” analyst David Vogt wrote in a note to clients. “In addition, an acceleration in key Arista metrics including ‘purchase commitments’, deferred revenue’, and ‘finished goods inventory’ last quarter provides revenue recognition support that the company’s CY25 revenue guidance of 17% is overly conservative relative to our 19% forecast and analysis that suggests growth could approach 25%.” The call comes as shares have meaningfully underperformed the S & P 500 this year. Year to date, Arista has plunged more than 22%, while the broad market index has fallen nearly 2%. ANET YTD mountain ANET, year-to-date Notably, Vogt believes that the AI infrastructure build-out is still in its early innings. Seeing hyperscalers “aggressively” invest in AI capacity over the next several years, he believes Arista’s revenue should line up with spending on the technology from key customers, like Meta Platforms , Microsoft and Oracle . In that area, the analyst forecast more than 40% data center capex growth from the hyperscalers in 2025, and then about 30% in 2026 and 2027. These investments should serve as a powerful tailwind for Arista in the years to come, he said. Moreover, while there is recent concern around white-box vendors – those that sell unbranded hardware – making inroads in areas where Arista has performed well, Vogt called the risk “manageable” at current valuations. A majority of analysts on Wall Street are also bullish on the name. Vogt’s stance joins 19 other analysts out of the 25 in total covering it that have a strong buy or buy rating. Arista also has a consensus target of roughly $117, reflecting more than 37% upside potential. Arista shares rose more than 3% in the premarket Wednesday following the call. Source link #UBS #upgrades #Arista #Networks #due #momentum #calls #upside Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Stock futures jump on hope of possible Trump compromise on tariffs: Live updates – CNBC Stock futures jump on hope of possible Trump compromise on tariffs: Live updates – CNBC Stock futures jump on hope of possible Trump compromise on tariffs: Live updates CNBCLutnick: US could announce trade deal Wednesday with Mexico and Canada after imposing tariffs CNNTrump tariffs threaten to derail Canada’s economic recovery ReutersDonald The Taxman Strikes at Midnight Center for Economic and Policy Research -Trump’s Latest Tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China Could Be His Biggest Gamble The New York Times Source link #Stock #futures #jump #hope #Trump #compromise #tariffs #Live #updates #CNBC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Liam Roberts: FA wants Millwall goalkeeper’s ban to be extended Liam Roberts: FA wants Millwall goalkeeper’s ban to be extended Palace chairman Steve Parish described the challenge as “the most reckless I’ve ever seen” and that Roberts “endangered a fellow professional and maybe his life”. On Monday Millwall said reporting of the incident “contributed to an unwarranted character assassination” of Roberts. Millwall said he contacted Mateta after the match “with an apology which was accepted immediately”. Roberts served the first game of his ban as Millwall lost 2-0 to Bristol City in the Championship on Tuesday. Millwall supporters showed their support for the goalkeeper by holding a minute’s applause for Roberts in the ninth minute, while singing “there’s only one Liam Roberts”. There were also some boos. Michael Oliver, who refereed the game, will not be involved in a Premier League match this weekend. He sent Roberts off for the challenge after intervention from the video assistant referee (VAR). Source link #Liam #Roberts #Millwall #goalkeepers #ban #extended Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Historic debt overhaul to fund ******* military revamp Historic debt overhaul to fund ******* military revamp The parties hoping to form Germany’s next government want to overhaul borrowing rules to boost military spending amid doubts over the US’s support for Europe. Source link #Historic #debt #overhaul #fund #******* #military #revamp Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How a key ingredient in Coca-Cola, M&M’s is smuggled from war-torn Sudan How a key ingredient in Coca-Cola, M&M’s is smuggled from war-torn Sudan By Richa Naidu and Khalid Abdelaziz LONDON/DUBAI (Reuters) – Gum arabic, a vital ingredient used in everything from Coca-Cola to M&M’s sweets, is increasingly being trafficked from rebel-held areas of war-torn Sudan, traders and industry sources say, complicating Western companies’ efforts to insulate their supply chains from the conflict. Sudan produces around 80% of the world’s gum arabic, a natural substance harvested from acacia trees that’s widely used to mix, stabilise and thicken ingredients in mass-market products including L’Oreal lipsticks and Nestle petfood. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), at war since April 2023 with Sudan’s national army, seized control late last year of the main gum-harvesting regions of Kordofan and Darfur in western Sudan. Since then the raw product, which can only be marketed by Sudanese traders in return for a fee to the RSF, is making its way to Sudan’s neighbours without proper certification, according to conversations with eight producers and buyers who are directly involved in gum arabic trading or based in Sudan. The gum is also exported through informal border markets, two traders told Reuters. Asked for comment, a RSF representative said that the force had protected the gum arabic trade and only collected small fees, adding that talk of any lawbreaking was propaganda against the paramilitary group. Last month, the RSF signed a charter with allied groups establishing a parallel government in the parts of Sudan it controls. In recent months, traders in countries with lower-gum arabic production than Sudan, such as Chad and Senegal, or which barely exported it before the war, like Egypt and South Sudan, have begun to aggressively offer the commodity at cheap prices and without proof it is conflict-free, two buyers who have been approached by traders told Reuters. While the acacia trees that yield gum arabic grow across the Africa’s arid Sahel region – known as the ‘gum belt’ – Sudan has become by far the world’s biggest exporter due to its extensive groves. Herve Canevet, Global Marketing Specialist at Singapore-based supplier of speciality food ingredients Eco-Agri, said it was often difficult to determine where gum supplies are coming from as many traders would not say if their product has been smuggled. “Today, the gum in Sudan, I would say all of it is smuggled, because there’s no real authority in the country,” he said. The Association for International Promotion of Gums (AIPG), an industry lobby, said in a January 27 public statement it “does not see any evidence of links between gum (arabic) supply chain and the competing (Sudanese) forces.” Story Continues However, five industry sources said the opaque new trade in gum risked infiltrating the procurement system of global ingredients makers. Companies like Nexira, Alland & Robert, and Ingredion buy a refined version of the amber-colored gum, turn it into emulsifiers and sell it to big consumer goods firms. Contacted by Reuters, Ingredion said it works to ensure that all supply chain transactions are fully legitimate and has diversified sourcing since the start of the war to include other countries such as Cameroon. Nexira told Reuters the civil war prompted it to cut its imports from Sudan and take proactive measures to mitigate the impact of the conflict on its supply chain, including broadening sourcing to ten other countries. Alland & Robert, Nestle and Coca Cola did not comment. M&Ms maker Mars and L’Oreal did not return requests for comment. CHEAP GUM FOR ***** Mohammed Hussein Sorge, founder of Khartoum-based Unity Arabic Gum, which served global ingredients makers before the war, said he was offered gum arabic in December by traders in Senegal and Chad. He said the Chad-based traders wanted $3,500 per tonne for hashab gum, a more expensive variety of gum arabic primarily produced in Sudan, for which he would normally expect to pay more than $5,000 per tonne. The sellers could not provide a Sedex certification, which ensures buyers a supplier meets sustainable and ethical standards, Sorge also told Reuters. Sorge did not buy the gum because he feared the low price and lack of documentation was an indication it had been stolen in Sudan or exported via informal RSF-affiliated networks. “Smugglers manage to smuggle gum arabic through the RSF because the RSF controls all production areas,” Sorge said. Sorge, who fled to Egypt after RSF forces stole his entire gum supply in 2023, shared WhatsApp messages with Reuters showing these gum traders had reached out on five separate occasions, including as recently as January 9. Since October, the RSF banned exports for 12 goods to Egypt, including gum Arabic, in retaliation for what it said was Egyptian airstrikes against the militia. Asked for comment, the paramilitary said it banned what it called smuggling to Egypt because it was not benefiting Sudan. A buyer, who declined to be named for safety reasons, recounted how he also was approached by shadowy gum traders. “I have (acacia) seyal cleaned open quantities ready for shipping,” read one WhatsApp message, reviewed by Reuters and offering a load of seyal gum, a cheaper gum arabic variety. In subsequent WhatsApp messages, the trader proposed to schedule shipping every two months at a negotiable price of $1,950 per metric tonne, lower than the $3,000 per tonne the buyer said he would expect to pay for this kind of load. In a different WhatsApp conversation with the same buyer, reviewed by Reuters, a different trader said that trucks carrying gum arabic had crossed the Sudanese border into South Sudan and Egypt. In all instances, the gum traders could not provide a Sedex certification, the buyer said, adding that he declined the offers for fear the gum came from RSF-affiliated networks. CHANGING ROUTES Before the Sudanese civil war, the raw gum would be sorted in Khartoum and then trucked to Port Sudan, on the Red Sea, to be shipped via the Suez Canal around the world. Since late last year, however, RSF-affiliated gum Arabic started to appear on ***** at two informal markets on the border between the Sudanese province of West Kordofan and South Sudan, according to a buyer based in an RSF-controlled area, who declined to be named due to safety concerns. The buyer, a major trader in the West Kordofan area, said traders collect gum from Sudanese land owners and sell them to South Sudanese traders in these markets for U.S. dollars. All of this happens with RSF protection, which the traders pay for, the buyer added. Abdallah Mohamed, a producer who owns acacia groves in West Kordofan, also told Reuters the RSF takes a fee from the traders for protection. The paramilitary group has diversified its interests into gold, livestock, agriculture and banking. South Sudan Information Minister Michael Makuei, who is also the government’s spokesperson, told Reuters transport of gum through South Sudan was not the government’s responsibility. Calls and messages to Joseph Moum Majak, the minister of trade and industry for South Sudan, went unanswered. The RSF also takes the product to the Central African Republic through the border town of Um Dafoog, the buyer said, adding that some goes to Chad. A wholesale buyer, based outside Sudan, told Reuters the gum was now being exported through Mombasa in Kenya and South Sudan’s capital Juba. Arabic gum of illicit origin has also appeared on ***** online. Isam Siddig, a Sudanese gum processor who is now a refugee in Britain, told Reuters his warehouses in Khartoum had been raided by the RSF after he fled in April 2023 with three suitcases of gum in tow. A year later, his gum products appeared on *****, still in his company’s branded packaging, in an online Facebook group according to a screenshot shared with Reuters. (Reporting by Richa Naidu in London, Khalid Abdelaziz in Dubai; Additional reporting by Edwin Okoth in Nairobi and Nafisa Eltahir in Cairo; editing by Matt Scuffham and Lisa Jucca) Source link #key #ingredient #CocaCola #MMs #smuggled #wartorn #Sudan Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

PlayStation’s Visual Arts and Malaysia studios have reportedly suffered ‘many’ layoffs PlayStation’s Visual Arts and Malaysia studios have reportedly suffered ‘many’ layoffs Sony has laid off a number of developers at PlayStation’s Visual Arts studio and its Malaysian support studio, with a new report suggesting many staff are affected. On Monday, former PlayStation Visual Arts project manager Abby LeMaster posted a message on LinkedIn stating that “many” people from the Visual Arts group had lost their job that day. “It was tough waking up to messages that many friends and former coworkers from PSVA were laid off this morning,” said LeMaster, who now works at Riot Games. “The layoffs today hit hard. PSVA let go of developers with decades of subject matter expertise, talent that will be extraordinarily difficult to recoup. This industry can be unpredictable, but the skill, experience, and passion of the people I worked with at PSVA are undeniable.” While LeMaster’s comments didn’t state how many people have been affected, a source familiar with the situation reportedly told Kotaku that the cuts are “widespread”, and that while some were related to recently cancelled projects – such as Bend Studio’s canned live service game – the layoffs reportedly went beyond that. Located in San Diego, the Visual Arts studio supports Sony‘s other first-party studios with art, animation and technical assistance, and also collaborates with third-parties on games, movies and TV shows. Visual Arts was founded in 2007 and became notable for its work on The Last of Us Part 1. It was also reported by Nmia Gaming that layoffs have also taken place at the Kuala Lumpur-based PlayStation Studios Malaysia, which was founded in 2020 as a support studio to work alongside the Visual Arts team. In a post on LinkedIn, PlayStation Studios Malaysia senior project manager Johann Mahfoor said he had been affected by the layoffs, stating: “It was a tough start of the week for us at PlayStation Studios Visual Arts. There was a wave of mass workforce reduction which affected Malaysia and our global counterparts, and unfortunately I’m no longer part of the brand.” This is the latest in a series of layoffs being carried out by PlayStation in recent years, something that has been affecting the games industry as a whole. A year ago it was confirmed that Sony’s PlayStation department was laying off around 900 employees worldwide – around 8% of its entire workforce. In January it was reported that Sony had cancelled a live service game being worked on by Bend, as well as another in development at Bluepoint Games. Source link #PlayStations #Visual #Arts #Malaysia #studios #reportedly #suffered #layoffs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump doubles down in address to Congress | Playbook Daily Briefing Trump doubles down in address to Congress | Playbook Daily Briefing Trump doubles down in address to Congress | Playbook Daily Briefing lead image Source link #Trump #doubles #address #Congress #Playbook #Daily #Briefing Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Fact-checking Trump's address to Congress – BBC.com Fact-checking Trump's address to Congress – BBC.com Fact-checking Trump’s address to Congress BBC.comPresident Trump’s speech to Congress, annotated and fact-checked CNNDOUG SCHOEN: Biggest winner and most lamentable losers from Trump’s speech Fox NewsTrump’s address to Congress fact-checked: From immigration to tariff fallout The Independent Source link #Factchecking #Trump039s #address #Congress #BBC.com Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump tariffs threaten the future of physical video games, analyst warns Trump tariffs threaten the future of physical video games, analyst warns US president Donald Trump’s newly imposed tariffs could make publishers decide to stop releasing physical games due to the increased cost of manufacturing, an analyst has suggested. After weeks of threats, Trump has now imposed 25% tariffs on goods that have been imported from Mexico and Canada. In addition, Trump announced a further 10% tariff on goods from China, on top of the previously announced 10%. The tariffs on Mexico and China will likely have a significant impact on the video game industry, due to both regions playing a large part in the physical production of both physical video games and games consoles themselves. Posting on Bluesky, Circana analyst Mat Piscatella suggested that the increased cost to import physical goods from Mexico, which is where the vast majority of discs for North American physical games are produced, could see publishers move further away from physical games. In response to Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad noting that the 20% China tariff impacts on consoles and the 25% Mexico tariff will affect physical game manufacture, Piscatella noted: “Very small piece of all this, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see physical games that would be subject to tariffs simply not get made, with [publishers] moving to an all digital strategy. What a mess.” While most big games are still released physically, numerous titles – in particular lower budget or indie titles – are released exclusively digitally. Earlier this year, Avowed was released as a digital-only product. While there was a physical case in some game stores, the box contained a code for the digital version of the game, rather than a disc. In February, the ESA shared a statement with VGC about the potential tariffs, warning they could impact millions of American consumers. “Video games are one of the most popular and beloved forms of entertainment for Americans of all ages,” the ESA told VGC. “Tariffs on video game devices and related products would negatively impact hundreds of millions of Americans and would harm the industry’s significant contributions to the US economy. We look forward to working with the Administration and Congress to find ways to sustain the economic growth supported by our sector.” Game preservationists have long argued that a move to a digital-only future will cause games to be lost forever if proper preservation measures aren’t put in place. There are already scores of online-only titles that can no longer be played either due to their delisting or servers being shut down. In some cases, game discs serve only as physical entitlement keys to be able to play the digital version of the game, meaning if the digital store itself shuts down in the future the disc will become useless. Source link #Trump #tariffs #threaten #future #physical #video #games #analyst #warns Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Cashed up West Coast Eagles set to hit the market for WA talent as they build list under Andrew McQualter Cashed up West Coast Eagles set to hit the market for WA talent as they build list under Andrew McQualter West Coast are sitting on a war chest they will use to target several West *********** products to bolster their list and fast-track their rebuild. Source link #Cashed #West #Coast #Eagles #set #hit #market #talent #build #list #Andrew #McQualter Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

2,400-year-old puppets with ‘dramatic facial expression’ discovered atop pyramid in El Salvador 2,400-year-old puppets with ‘dramatic facial expression’ discovered atop pyramid in El Salvador When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Archaeologists uncovered five ceramic figurines at the San Isidro archaeological site in El Salvador. Scale in centimeters. | Credit: J. Przedwojewska-Szymańska/PASI; Antiquity Publications Ltd Archaeologists have discovered rare, 2,400-year-old puppets in El Salvador that may have been used in public rituals to perform well-known events that were “mythical or real.” The finding suggests that the people of El Salvador were more integrated into the wider Central American culture than previously thought, a new study finds. Archaeologists found the five ceramic figurines, depicting four females and one male, on top of a large pyramidal structure in 2022. The unexpected find, reported in the journal Antiquity on Wednesday (March 5), initially appeared to be part of lavish burial offerings. But because the archaeologists found no human remains onsite, the puppets’ location at the tallest pyramid at the site instead hints that they were used for public rituals, the archaeologists said. “One of the most striking features of the puppets is their dramatic facial expression, which changes depending on the angle that we look at them from,” study lead author Jan Szymański, an archaeologist at the University of Warsaw, said in a statement. At eye-level, the puppets appear angry; from above, they appear to be grinning; from below, they look scared. “This is a conscious design, perhaps meant to enhance the gamut of ritual performances the puppets could have been used in,” Szymański said. Three of the five puppets are each nearly 1 foot (30 centimeters) tall, while the others are shorter at 0.6 feet (18 cm) and 0.3 feet (10 cm) in height. The three larger figurines are depicted naked and don’t have hair or jewelry, but the two smaller ones are fashioned with “locks of hair on their foreheads and earspools in the lobes,” the researchers wrote in the study. The larger figurines have movable heads and open mouths, like modern toy dolls, and may have been used in a theatrical scene or tableau to convey messages or stories from “readily decodable events, mythical or real,” that are now lost, the archaeologists wrote. It was unclear whether these figures represent actual individuals. Related: What’s hidden inside the ancient Maya pyramids? Apart from the five intact figurines, the archaeologist also found figurine fragments in other parts of the excavation site. The upper part of the smallest figurine from the tableau fits into a hollow torso figure, which the archaeologists speculated could be elements of a birth reenactment scene. This is only the second time that researchers have found ceramic figurines like these in their original location, and “the first to feature a male figure,” Szymański said. The first discovery was of six broken but complete female figurines that other archaeologists found in 2012 at a burial site in the western Guatemalan highlands. Those figurines date to the late Middle Preclassical ******* (350 to 100 B.C.). The El Salvador finds, which date to around 400 B.C. suggest that this kind of puppet may have been used in rituals during the Preclassic (2000 B.C. to A.D. 200) and Classic (A.D. 200 to 900) periods in Central America. Their style and material, similar to those found in Guatemala, suggests a shared tradition and connections between the elites of the time, according to the archaeologists. Image 1 of 3 a close-up showing the ball-and-socket joint that allows the ceramic figurines’ heads to be moved Three of the five figurines have movable heads with a protrusion and socket allowing for movement. Image 2 of 3 a close-up of a ceramic figurine’s face One of the three large figurines depicts a male whose head bears tattoos or scars. Image 3 of 3 a series of images of how the ceramic figurines fit inside each other The upper body of the smallest figurine fits inside the hollow belly of another figurine discovered nearby at the site. El Salvador was thought to be isolated Around A.D. 400 to 500, many of El Salvador’s artifacts were lost or buried in volcanic ashes when the Ilopango volcano erupted and unleashed pyroclastic flows — a mixture of volcanic gases, ash and rocks. The massive eruption released 10 times the volume of material as Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in Pompeii in A.D. 79 and killed all life within 25 miles (40 kilometers) of the volcano, a 2020 study in the journal PNAS found. Because of the devastation caused by the volcano, as well as the region’s high population density today, which limits archaeological digs, “very little is known about the identities and ethnolinguistic affiliations of the creators of ancient settlements that predate the arrival of Europeans in the early 16th century,” Szymański said. This lack of evidence led some to believe that El Salvador might not share the same political or social beliefs that neighboring countries had. RELATED STORIES —’Stunning’ discovery reveals how the Maya rose up 4,000 years ago —Giant pyramid built by the Maya was made from rock spewed by a volcano —Why did the Maya civilization collapse? But the discovery of the figurines suggests that ancient people in what is now El Slavador had ties with other parts of Central America. Other artifacts found at the El Salvador site, including ***** pendants, are similar to those found at archaeological sites in modern-day Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, indicating cultural and trade connections between El Salvador and its neighbors, the researchers found. “This discovery contradicts the prevailing notion about El Salvador’s cultural backwardness or isolation in the ancient times,” Szymański said. “It reveals the existence of vibrant and far-reaching communities capable of exchanging ideas with remarkably distant places.” Source link #2400yearold #puppets #dramatic #facial #expression #discovered #atop #pyramid #Salvador Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

iPad Air M3 and MacBook Air M4 live updates — everything you need to know – Tom's Guide iPad Air M3 and MacBook Air M4 live updates — everything you need to know – Tom's Guide iPad Air M3 and MacBook Air M4 live updates — everything you need to know Tom’s GuideApple introduces iPad Air with powerful M3 chip and new Magic Keyboard Apple NewsroomApple Upgrades the iPad Air to M3 and Improves the Basic iPad for the Same Price CNETApple Debuts Faster iPad Air, Low-End Model in New Product Wave Bloomberg Source link #iPad #Air #MacBook #Air #live #updates #Tom039s #Guide Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 1 review [SideQuesting] Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 1 review [SideQuesting] “Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is from Don’t Nod, the original creators of Life Is Strange. The story unfolds across timelines, with the first placing you firmly in the summer of 1995, when Batman Forever played in cinemas and Oasis headlined Glastonbury.” Cameron @ Thumb Culture Source link #Lost #Records #Bloom #Rage #Tape #review #SideQuesting Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Death Row inmate David Leonard Wood says he’s innocent as execution nears Death Row inmate David Leonard Wood says he’s innocent as execution nears LIVINGSTON, Texas – David Leonard Wood is angry. He’s angry that he’s been on Texas Death Row for nearly four decades when no DNA evidence links him to the murders of six women and girls in El Paso. He’s angry at every cop and prosecutor who put him behind bars, and he’s angry that his community largely believes he is the so-called Desert Killer. But right now, he’s mostly angry about his execution, scheduled for next week. In an hour-long interview with USA TODAY at the state’s Death Row just north of Houston, Wood stood behind his longtime claims of innocence, picked apart the state’s case against him and talked about his struggle to find peace as his death nears. David Leonard Wood, known as the “Desert Killer,” is scheduled to be executed on Thursday, March 13, 2025, at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Huntsville Unit prison in Livingston, Texas on Feb. 26, 2025. Wood has been on Texas Death Row since 1992, when he was convicted of killing six women and girls. Wood is set to be executed by lethal injection on March 13, which would make him the seventh man put to death in the U.S. this year and the third alone in Texas, by far the nation’s deadliest state for Death Row inmates. “I’m accused of killing six people when an entire police force couldn’t find a single shred of evidence of anything,” Wood told USA TODAY. “How can I not be angry at the corruption that put me here? How can you let people just dump cases on you and not be angry?” Who is David Leonard Wood? Wood, who grew up in El Paso in the 1960s, said he was “a problem child” who turned into a partier as an adult, hanging out in biker bars and strip clubs. He said he started running with the wrong crowd as a teen and got kicked out on his very first day of high school for fighting. His family, speaking in court, described him as a hyperactive kid who was placed in foster homes twice. When Wood was 18, he caught some jail time for siphoning gas from an off-duty cop car. Less than two years later in 1977, he was convicted of indecency with a 12-year-old girl and served just over three years in prison. In 1980, he was convicted of raping a 13-year-old and 19-year-old in separate crimes, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He served seven years before he was paroled and freed in January 1987 at the age of 29, one month before the Desert Killer’s victims began disappearing. Wood, now 67, told USA TODAY that he didn’t ***** the girls but acknowledged some wrongdoing, and blamed it on alcohol and **********. He said, “I’m sorry.” “Anybody would tell you, my friends or my family, if I hadn’t have been drunk or high, I wouldn’t have did what I did,” he said. David Leonard Wood, known as the “Desert Killer,” is scheduled to be executed on Thursday, March 13, 2025, at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Huntsville Unit prison in Livingston, Texas on Feb. 26, 2025. Wood has been on Texas Death Row since 1992, when he was convicted of killing six women and girls. David Leonard Wood was convicted of being the Desert Killer In 1992, a jury convicted Wood of killing six women and girls in 1987 in a case dubbed by local media as the Desert Killer. The victims are: 14-year-old Dawn Marie Smith, 15-year-old Desiree Wheatley, 17-year-old Angelica Frausto, 20-year-old Karen Baker, 23-year-old Ivy Susanna Williams, and 24-year-old Rosa Maria Casio. Dawn was a ninth-grader who may have been pregnant, Desiree was a middle school student who liked to collect plushies, Frausto was a beloved sister with an infectious laugh, Baker was a mother of three who wanted to go to cosmetology school, Williams was a dancer who loved riding her Harley Davidson and Casio was about to start community college. “She was my partner in crime,” Frausto’s sister, Jolieen Denise Gonzalez, told USA TODAY. “I miss her laugh the most.” From left to right counterclockwise, David Leonard Wood, Desiree Wheatley, Rose Maria Casio, Ivy Susanna Williams, Karen Baker, Melissa Alaniz, Marjorie Knox, Cheryl Vasquez-Dismukes, Dawn Marie Smith and Angelica Fausto. Wood is on death row in Texas for the ******* of six of these young girls and women. The bodies of the six victims were all found in various states of decomposition in shallow graves in the same desert area in northeastern El Paso. Investigators couldn’t determine how many of them were killed, though at least one had been strangled. Police believed three missing girls – 12-year-old Melissa Alaniz, 14-year-old Marjorie Knox, and 19-year-old Cheryl Vasquez-Dismukes – were also victims of the Desert Killer, but their bodies were never found. What was the evidence against Wood? Wood’s conviction was based mainly on circumstantial evidence. No DNA evidence has ever connected Wood to the murders. El Paso Assistant District Attorney Karen Shook told jurors during the trial that the “case in the totality points to David Wood.” “It’s clear that the signature aspect of these murders was the shallow graves in this dark, isolated desert area,” she said. “It became the private graveyard of the defendant, David Wood.” Jurors heard testimony from two jailhouse informants who said Wood confessed to the killings, and a sex worker who said Wood ****** her in the same desert area where the bodies were found and had begun digging her grave when a nearby noise startled him. Wood, who was convicted of the sex worker’s *****, told USA TODAY during his recent interview that all three were lying and were only helping prosecutors in exchange for leniency in their own cases. “I’ve never confessed anything to anybody about anything,” Wood said. David Leonard Wood sits in 171st District court listening to both the judge and attorneys discuss his appeal. In a recent court filing, Wood’s attorneys said that both jailhouse informants and the sex worker either got many years shaved off of prison sentences or were seeking a financial reward. The filing also details a statement from a man named George Hall, who described how El Paso police tried to get him to lie that Wood had confessed to the murders while they were jailed together. Additional testimony came from a 26-year-old woman who said Wood ****** her under an El Paso bridge when she was 13, according to archived coverage by the Associated Press at the time. Another woman testified that she was 12 when Wood lured her by saying he needed help finding a lost dog and then ****** her at a nearby construction site, AP reported. The state’s remaining evidence included testimony from witnesses saying they had seen some of the women and girls with Wood ahead of their murders and microscopic orange fibers that prosecutors argued connected one of the women’s bodies with Wood’s vacuum cleaner and a blanket in his truck. Wood’s attorney, Gregory Wiercioch, told USA TODAY this week that the state’s evidence connecting him to the murders is weak and criticized prosecutors for failing to test barely any of the items collected from the scene for DNA. Only three pieces of evidence of hundreds were ever tested − fingernail scrapings from one victim and bloodstains on the clothing of two other victims. Tests on the fingernail scraping and one of the bloodstains were inconclusive. The other bloodstain belonged to a man but couldn’t have been Wood’s, new DNA testing obtained by defense attorneys in 2010 found. “This is a serial ******* case, a case with six victims, and in a serial ******* case, I would expect the government, the state, to have a mountain of evidence − direct evidence tying David Wood to these victims, and there’s not,” Wiercioch said. “It’s incomprehensible to me how little evidence there is.” What do the families of the victims say? Jolieen Denise Gonzalez, whose 17-year-old sister Angelica Frausto, was among the Desert Killer’s victims, told USA TODAY that she believes Wood helped plan her sister’s death but that he didn’t kill her himself. She said Frausto had been selling drugs on behalf of a bar manager and a police officer, and believes that she was killed for showing off an apartment where bags of ********** were being stored. “I believe in my heart that he didn’t do it,” Frausto told USA TODAY last week, adding that her sister was tough and strong, and at 5 feet, 10 inches, Wood isn’t that big. “My sister could have taken him out.” Jolieen Denise Frausto Gonzalez sits at the front porch of her home in Central El Paso, Texas, on Saturday, March 1, 2025. Gonzalez’s 17-year-old sister, Angelica Frausto, was reported missing on Sept. 16, 1987, and her body was found Nov. 3, 1987. David Leonard Wood, known as the “Desert Killer” has been on Texas death row since Nov. 10, 1992, and is scheduled to be executed on March 13, 2025. Wood was convicted of killing Angelica and five other women and girls whose bodies were found in El Paso’s Northeast desert. But she said Wood deserves the death penalty and has had plenty of time to “tell the truth” about her sister’s *******. “We don’t need a person like that on this planet anyway,” she said. Marcia Fulton, whose 15-year-old daughter Desiree Wheatley was murdered, told the El Paso Times − part of the USA TODAY Network that she believes Wood is guilty and is planning on attending his execution. “The last thing he sees when he dies will be me,” she said in 2017. “I don’t care if I gotta crawl, I will be there. I said to Desi at her ********, I put my hand on her coffin, and I said, ‘I will find out who did this, and I will bring them to justice.’” Marcia Fulton with photos of her daughter Desiree Wheatley in the living room of her West El Paso home. Is there a chance Wood’s execution will be stopped? Wood and his attorney continue to argue for a reprieve, with Wiercioch focused on fighting for more DNA testing, only to be rejected over and over again. Wiercioch filed actions seeking to stop the execution with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Feb. 21. That court can intervene and if it doesn’t, Wood could plead his case with the U.S. Supreme Court, and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott still has the power to intervene. A Texas district judge and the criminal appeals court rejected previous requests for more DNA testing in 2022 and 2024, respectively. “To this day, it is still mind-boggling why (the state) didn’t agree to more testing,” Wiercioch said. “I think they’re afraid of what they would find. If they believe David Wood is the desert serial *********, then why are they afraid of additional testing? We’ve never tested anything other than those three items out of 135, and one excluded David Wood. That’s very troubling.” The Texas Attorney General’s Office has not responded to repeated requests for comment from USA TODAY. The El Paso District Attorney’s Office, which prosecuted the case, declined to comment about the strength of the evidence, saying it recused itself from the matter in 1993 over a conflict of interest. “The El Paso County District Attorney’s Office has not worked on or been involved in Mr. Woods’ case for more than 30 years, and it would be ill-advised to insert ourselves into the case now,” El Paso District Attorney James Montoya said in a statement. About Wiercioch’s calls for his office to push for additional DNA testing, Montoya said that “would require a comprehensive review of the entire case and the state of the evidence, both as it was in 1987 and now in the present day – which is precisely why our office is ill-suited to offer an opinion one way or another; it has not been our case for over 30 years.” The El Paso Police Department hasn’t responded to USA TODAY’s request for comment about the strength of its evidence and Wood’s claims that officers unfairly targeted him, planted evidence and sought false testimony. David Leonard Wood, known as the “Desert Killer,” is scheduled to be executed on Thursday, March 13, 2025, at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Huntsville Unit prison in Livingston, Texas on Feb. 26, 2025. Wood has been on Texas Death Row since 1992, when he was convicted of killing six women and girls. David Leonard Wood, facing death Back on Texas Death Row, Wood vowed to continue fighting “tooth and nail” as long as possible. “I’ve done everything I could to prove my innocence … I’ve given enough body specimens from every part of my body on multiple times to create 15 crime scenes. Believe me, there’s nothing I haven’t done to cooperate, to show I had nothing to do with this case. “So am I angry? Yes, yes, I am,” he continued. “But I believe in God above, and anybody leaves this Earth, if you’re believing Christian, then you’re going home.” Contributing: Greta Cross, Fernando Cervantes, USA TODAY, and El Paso Times archive reports. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Death Row inmate David Leonard Wood is angry over execution: Interview Source link #Death #Row #inmate #David #Leonard #Wood #hes #innocent #execution #nears Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Everhood 2 Review | Game Sandwich Everhood 2 Review | Game Sandwich Everhood 2 brings a unique battle system with great music supporting it, but the obscure story and world are too random to follow completely. Source link #Everhood #Review #Game #Sandwich Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How insights from the Messinian Salinity Crisis can help us find life on Mars – The Jerusalem Post How insights from the Messinian Salinity Crisis can help us find life on Mars – The Jerusalem Post How insights from the Messinian Salinity Crisis can help us find life on Mars The Jerusalem PostScientists Just Found a New Way to Search for Life on Mars SciTechDailyStar Trek-Style Life Detector Successfully Finds Microbial Life in Mars Rock Analogue The DebriefIf Mars has microbe fossils, a laser and rock quarry in Algeria could help find them Space.com Source link #insights #Messinian #Salinity #Crisis #find #life #Mars #Jerusalem #Post Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Split Fiction Review – An Ode to Gaming | TNS Split Fiction Review – An Ode to Gaming | TNS TNS: Split Fiction is the best co-op adventure we’ve gotten in recent years, but beyond that, is a love letter to everything we love about games. Source link #Split #Fiction #Review #Ode #Gaming #TNS Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Samsung Showcases Flexible Briefcase, Flex Gaming Console and 27-Inch 500 Hz QD-OLED Monitor at MWC 2025 Samsung Showcases Flexible Briefcase, Flex Gaming Console and 27-Inch 500 Hz QD-OLED Monitor at MWC 2025 Samsung Display showcased several advanced OLED screens and foldable display technologies at the ongoing Mobile World Congress (MWC 2025) in Barcelona, including its OCF smartphone displays that are claimed to deliver a peak brightness of up to 5,000nits. The firm also took the wraps off concept devices, including a ‘Flexible Briefcase’, a Flex Gaming console, and its bezel-less OLED Tile displays. Samsung also unveiled a 27-inch QD-OLED monitor, with a 500Hz refresh rate, as well as laptops equipped with 15.6-inch 240Hz OLED screens. Samsung’s OCF Displays Offer Higher Peak Brightness, Without Increasing Power Consumption At MWC 2025, Samsung showed off its on-cell film (OCF) OLED panels, which are claimed to offer “1.5 times the brightness” compared to existing OLED screens, while keeping power consumption in check. These OCF displays have a peak brightness level of up to 5,000nits, and the company showcased the panel alongside a regular OLED screen used on smartphones. Samsung compared a standard OLED screen (left) to its OCF panels Photo Credit: Samsung Display Samsung says that the OCF panels were developed under its LEAD (low power, eco-friendly, augmented brightness, and designed to be slim and thin) initiative. The company also claims that the OCF displays are thinner than regular OLED panels and can perform in very bright scenarios. At its MWC 2025 exhibit, Samsung also demonstrated its Seamless Colour Studio to show how an LCD monitor fails to deliver the same colour accuracy as its OLED counterpart, when a smartphone (also equipped with an OLED screen) is placed in front of both monitors. The Flexible Briefcase concept showcased by Samsung at MWC 2025 Photo Credit: Samsung Display New QD-LED and Foldable OLED Display Technologies Some of the new displays unveiled at MWC 2025 included Samsung’s 27-inch QD-LED monitor, which has a 500Hz refresh rate. The firm also showcased laptops with OLED displays and a 240Hz refresh rate, and ten ‘OLED Tiles’ with a 0.6mm bezel that can be joined to form a larger screen. A novel Flexible Briefcase with a considerably large 18.1-inch foldable display was also revealed by the company, which can be folded into a bag-like form factor for portability. The Flex Gaming console — another concept device like the briefcase — sports a 7.2-inch foldable OLED screen and supports popular games from South Korean publisher Krafton. Multiple OLED Tiles can be places together to form a larger screen Photo Credit: Samsung Display Like most concept devices showcased at technology shows like CES and MWC, it’s unclear whether (or when) Samsung plans to turn some of these designs into commercial devices. Some of the company’s foldable designs have previously make their way to consumer products, and we might eventually see the arrival of some of the new technologies revealed by the company at MWC 2025. For details of the latest launches and news from Samsung, Xiaomi, Realme, OnePlus, Oppo and other companies at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, visit our MWC 2025 hub. Source link #Samsung #Showcases #Flexible #Briefcase #Flex #Gaming #Console #27Inch #QDOLED #Monitor #MWC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Hot-handed Hawks smash Phoenix, into NBL title series Hot-handed Hawks smash Phoenix, into NBL title series The Illawarra Hawks are a step closer to a second NBL championship after Trey Kell spearheaded a 126-96 thumping of South East Melbourne in their playoff series decider. All-NBL First Team star Kell, who struggled with just six points in game two, exploded with 26 of the Hawks’ 70 in the highest-scoring first half by any team this season. It laid the platform for a dominant victory for the home side at the WIN Entertainment Centre on Wednesday night. American guard Kell finished with a game-high 30 points, propelling Illawarra into their first championship series in eight years and fifth overall. The top seeds will have home-court advantage for the best-of-five title series against Melbourne United, starting on Saturday night. A foundation club in 1979, the Hawks’ only previous title was in 2001. Kell had plenty of influential teammates, including veteran Todd Blanchfield, who celebrated a rare start with 28 points and an equal career-high eight made three-pointers. Tyler Harvey (12 points), Wani Swaka Lo Buluk (12), Will Hickey (11) and Lachlan Albrich (10) also reached double figures for Illawarra. “It started with No.3 for Illawarra not being terrible at basketball,” Kell said post-game. “I was awful in game two, so I took it upon myself to bring the energy and be aggressive. “If we were going to lose, I wanted it to be playing aggressive and not be playing tentative and slow. “I took a lot of the blame in game two and shoutout to this team, this crowd. “It’s been a great year for us and I’m just happy we get to keep it going.” Nathan Sobey (19 points) and Joe Wieskamp (25) fought hard for the Phoenix as NBL MVP finalist Matt Hurt was rendered ineffective, managing just four points on one-of-six shooting. The result ended SEM’s fairytale fightback under coach Josh King, who joined mid-season after Mike Kelly was sacked following a 0-5 start to the campaign. They recovered to finish the regular season in fourth spot (16-13) and missed out on reaching what would have been the club’s first championship series by just one win. Kell was outstanding in the Hawks’ irresistible opening *******, draining 16 points on perfect five-of-five shooting from the field and four-of-four at the foul line. It put the league’s best first-quarter team up 37-22 and the lead quickly ballooned out beyond 20 points during the second *******. Hurt had taken just two shots to that point – both unsuccessful – as the Phoenix failed to bring their star man into the game. There was drama late in the first half when a Sobey steal at half-court caught a pair of floor-wipers napping. Sobey flew past them through the air and missed his lay-up, Hurt followed up to score his first points but fortunately nobody was injured. Illawarra led 70-44 at the main break and shooting percentages told the tale, with the home side going at 61 per cent from the field to SEM’s 34 per cent. The one-sided demolition continued in the second half as the Hawks powered away to the biggest score and winning margin in the club’s finals history. Tempers flared twice during the final *******, first when Sobey and Hickey clashed away from the ball, and again when Owen Foxwell took exception to Daniel Grida’s heavy foul and subsequent standing over Wieskamp. Grida was handed a double technical foul in the fall-out and was ejected, while Hawks coach Justin Tatum was also given a technical foul for blowing up at the referees. Source link #Hothanded #Hawks #smash #Phoenix #NBL #title #series Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]