Pelican Press

Elon Musk’s Neuralink Cleared to Start Brain Chip Trial in Canada Elon Musk’s Neuralink Cleared to Start Brain Chip Trial in Canada Canada’s University Health Network said its Toronto Western Hospital would be the first non-US site of a trial for a device created by Neuralink Corp., Elon Musk’s brain-implant company. “We are incredibly proud to be at the forefront of this research advancement in neurosurgery,” UHN Chief Executive Officer Kevin Smith said in an announcement. He also said UHN would be the “first and exclusive” site for the trial in Canada, but did not say when it would begin. On Wednesday, Neuralink said that it had received approval from regulators in Canada to launch clinical trials for its device in that country. “Health Canada has approved the launch of our first clinical trial in Canada!” the company posted on X, the social media service also owned by Musk. “Recruitment is now open.” Neuralink added that it was seeking patients with Quadriplegia due to ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s ********, or spinal cord injury. Health Canada didn’t immediately provide a comment. For months, Neuralink has been recruiting patients in the US, *** and Canada, with links to a registry on its website. Other companies in the field, such as Synchron Inc., are recruiting for their own future trials. Neuralink’s first product aims to allow patients to control external devices, such as computers, through their thoughts. Neuralink is also working on treating other conditions such as blindness, but that project is further away. In the distant future, Musk has said Neuralink could work with healthy patients on functions such as augmenting memory. Its first human patient, Noland Arbaugh, was implanted with Neuralink’s device earlier this year, at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. © 2024 Bloomberg L.P. (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source link #Elon #Musks #Neuralink #Cleared #Start #Brain #Chip #Trial #Canada Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Essex Police taking no further action against Allison Pearson Essex Police taking no further action against Allison Pearson Essex Police says it is not taking any further action against Allison Pearson after an investigation into a social media post by the Daily Telegraph columnist. The investigation has been closed, but there will be an independent review of the force’s handling of the matter, a police statement said. The force previously defended its actions after Pearson said she was left “dumbstruck” by a visit to her home on Remembrance Sunday. The visit was to arrange a time to do an interview as part of an investigation into alleged incitement to ******* hatred, following a complaint from a member of the public, the force said. Essex Police said in a statement that the force “has reviewed this case, having sought advice from the Crown Prosecution Service. They have advised that no charges should be brought. We have concluded therefore that there will be no further action.” The force said Chief Constable BJ Harrington asked the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Hate ****** Lead Chief Constable Mark Hobrough “to conduct an independent review of the force’s handling of this matter and he has agreed”. “We investigate ******* reported to us without ***** or favour,” an Essex Police spokesperson said. “We’re sometimes faced with allegations of ****** where people have strong opposing views. That’s why we work so hard to remain impartial and to investigate allegations, regardless of where they might lead.” Pearson publicised the visit from police after she penned an article in which she claimed she was told by the police who came to her home it was over a “non-****** hate incident”, but not told which post it was about. The force said body cam footage of the incident showed that “at no stage” did its officers tell her the report being investigated was being treated as a “non-****** hate incident”. A non-****** hate incident is where no ********* offence has been committed but the person reporting it believes the incident to be motivated by hostility. The BBC has seen the now-deleted post the police complaint related to. It dates from 16 November 2023 and shows an image of two police officers standing next to two men holding what appears to be a flag of the Pakistani political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The post tags the Metropolitan Police alongside the words “how dare they”. It adds: “Invited to pose for a photo with lovely peaceful British Friends of ******* on Saturday police refused. Look at this lot smiling with the **** haters.” X added a notice to the post stating that the image was taken in Manchester, not London, and that it is “not related to Palestine”. A number of political figures came out in support of Pearson, including shadow home secretary Chris Philp and former prime minister Boris Johnson – sparking a debate around free speech. Responding to the debate, Essex Police previously said it supports free speech but “it does not support inaccuracy”. “If an alleged ****** is reported, it is investigated. There is no public interest in falsehood.” Source link #Essex #Police #action #Allison #Pearson Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Complete Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl Achievements & Trophies list guide Complete Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl Achievements & Trophies list guide Curiouser and curiouser! Collect all arch-artifacts. A priceless collection, arguably too weird, even by Zone standards. Miracle hoarder Collect all artifacts. What about arch-artifacts? Flash Royal Gather all armor and gear enhancement flash drives. Bouncy A successful jump from a 30-meter height. No parachute, though. Taking it for granted Gear broken beyond repair. Don’t forget to pay regular visits to the technician. Can opener Use a ****** to ***** an ****** wearing an exoskeleton. Epic battle indeed. Catching up ****** an incoming grenade to make it explode. Nice view! Run, stalker, run! That Chimera made you run like an Olympic champion! The four winds Unlock the whole map. Few folks know the Zone this well. Keeping your hand steady ****** an ****** in the head, through an obstacle, having the intoxication effect. Proxy ***** a squad that just finished off another squad and won the ******. Or so they thought… Pump it up Fully enhance any type of *******. Somewhere out there, a Zone technician just shed a tear of pride. The good, the bad and the ugly 5 headshots in 10 seconds. Good eye. Welcome to the Zone Prologue complete, but this is far from over. Lockpick Lure a mutant into an anomaly. Hardly a noble deed, but it gets the job done. Loner shooter ****** an ****** in the head from 75 meters. No scope-peeking! Merry-go-round Drop a corpse into the Whirlgig anomaly. A joy for someone who never got to ride the Ferris Wheel. Zone’s deadliest predator ***** a mutant of every kind. You’ll need a ******* wall to fit all those trophies. **** for tat Sidorovich’s worst nightmare: buy and sell goods for the exact same amount of coupons in on deal. Coupons to ***** Spend over 1,000,000 coupons. Myklukha and Sidorovich will ****** hard over their favorite customer. *****! 20 enemies ******* by blowing up the surroundings. Save on hand grenades and enjoy the fireworks. Clincher 100 enemies shot in the head. Not bad for a head start… Goodnight Get 20 covert ******. The Zone likes it quiet. No obstacle too big… ***** 50 enemies through obstacles. No one in the Zone is really safe. First touches First equipment enhancement. Never the last, for most Zone folks. Bingo Experience the effects of bleeding, sleep, hunger, alcohol, radiation and psi. Doesn’t sound pretty. On the go Bread and sausage – Zone’s most popular sandwich recipe. Goss Join Stalkers for some campfire gossip. Peace and quiet ***** everyone the camp before the alarm is set off. They couldn’t see it coming! Personal approach One ******, four enemies, ******* by different weapons. That tricks would charm the ***** out of Mavka! Wiped Out ***** a Rodent using a grenade launcher. A good wipe-out makes the Duty proud. One awkward step I am ******, but it’s you who cannot see. Between the lines The “Best reader” award. And reward. House of glass Witness the temple of science get destroyed. Monolith envoy You know more than I do, envoy. Doctor’s oath The mysterious Doctor had to reveal what he’d been hiding. Project Y Go through with Kaimanov’s initial plan. Brave new world Korshunov sacrificed himself so that humanity could have a new future, free of doubt and the Zone. Today never ends Scar went into the pod to rid the Zone of darkness. She will never be free Strelok went into the pod to protect her. Always. Scanning complete You were out looking for a scanner, but ended up collecting them all. Good hunting, stalker Leave the Lesser Zone to go Scanner-hunting. More miracles await, and more dangers, too. Such is the will of the Monolith ***** Faust. All quiet in the Zone ***** Korshunov. Alas poor Yorick ***** Scar. Legends never **** ***** the Strelok. Eyes on the prize Retrieve the stolen Scanner. Time to find out what is so special about it. The Prypiat guardian Meet Degtyarev in Prypiat. The toughest place in the Zone has the toughest-looking watchman. Would you like some toast? Meet Scar. Living legend Meet Strelok. How was it, talking to a living legend? I see you have many questions Meet the C-Consciousness Representative. Didn’t Strelok finish them off? On a leash The Leash project experiments are finally over. Hopefully. Wardens drool Save a bandit’s life, get on the Ward’s naughty list. Was it worth it? The good ol’ days Help Skadovsk get its name and rightful owners back. Baptism by ***** Help Zalissya survive the Monolith *******. New generations of stalkers will have a place to stay. Apple-shot Three precise shots at apples spared stalker lives and helped you win a twisted bandit’s game. Stalker’s smarts Find a way to get the parts without sneaking into the warehouse. Your move! Found a unique ******* designed for a kingpin. Checkmate! Source link #Complete #Stalker #Heart #Chornobyl #Achievements #Trophies #list #guide Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Solar Orbiter Sends High-Resolution Images of Sun’s Surface, Unveiling New Details Solar Orbiter Sends High-Resolution Images of Sun’s Surface, Unveiling New Details The ********* Space Agency’s (ESA) Solar Orbiter spacecraft has delivered the most detailed images of the sun’s surface to date. These images, taken in March 2023 from a distance of approximately 74 million kilometres, were released on November 20. They provide unprecedented insights into the photosphere, the layer of the sun responsible for emitting visible light. The photos reveal the intricate and dynamic patterns of granules—plasma cells roughly 1,000 kilometres wide—formed by convection as hot plasma rises and cooler plasma sinks. Sunspot Activity and Magnetic Fields Analysed The images highlight sunspots as cooler, darker regions on the photosphere, where intense magnetic fields disrupt the movement of plasma. The Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager (PHI) on board the Solar Orbiter produced detailed maps of these magnetic fields, identifying their significant concentration in sunspot regions. According to Daniel Müller, ESA Project Scientist for Solar Orbiter, these observations are essential for understanding the sun’s dynamic processes. The sunspots appear colder because magnetic forces restrict normal convection, causing a decrease in surface temperature. New Data on Solar Rotation and Winds A velocity map, known as a tachogram, has also been shared, illustrating the speed and direction of material movement on the sun’s surface. Blue regions represent plasma moving towards the spacecraft, while red areas show plasma moving away, revealing the sun’s rotational dynamics. Additionally, magnetic fields in sunspot regions were seen to disrupt the surface material further. The sun’s outer atmosphere, the corona, was imaged by the spacecraft’s Extreme Ultraviolet Imager. Plasma loops protruding from the sun, visible in these images, are connected to sunspots and contribute to the solar wind. This solar wind, when reaching Earth, often results in auroral displays. Future Missions to Study Solar Poles The Solar Orbiter, launched in 2020 as a ****** mission with NASA, aims to capture unprecedented views of the sun’s poles. These observations are scheduled for 2025, when the spacecraft’s orbit will align for a direct perspective. The recent imaging involved the assembly of 25 smaller images, a complex process now expected to accelerate for future releases. Source link #Solar #Orbiter #Sends #HighResolution #Images #Suns #Surface #Unveiling #Details Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Gla: The Forgotten Fortress of Mycenaean Greece Gla: The Forgotten Fortress of Mycenaean Greece Nestled in the fertile plains of Viotia (Boeotia) in central Greece ***** a colossal fortress that, despite its impressive size, ******** largely unknown to the wider public. The Mycenaean-era citadel of Gla, perched atop a limestone outcrop in what was once Lake Kopais, is a marvel of Late Bronze Age engineering, boasting fortifications ten times larger than those of contemporary Athens or Tiryns. And yet, beyond the niche circles of archaeologists and prehistorians, precious few people have heard of it. Visiting this extraordinary site is well worth the journey. Referred to by locals as Palaiokastro, meaning “ancient fortress,” Gla’s story is one of ambition, ingenuity, and mystery, embodying the innovative spirit of the Bronze Age Mycenaean culture that flourished in Greece and across the southern Aegean over 3,000 years ago. The citadel’s Cyclopean walls—3m thick and spanning nearly 3km in circumference—encompassed a space far larger than any other Mycenaean site in Greece. Even more impressive, Gla oversaw a transformative engineering project that drained Lake Kopais (sometimes spelled Kopaida), the then largest lake in Greece, creating a vast agricultural plain. For modern travelers, Gla offers a rare glimpse into the world Homer referred to as the “Age of Heroes,” immortalized in the Iliad and the Odyssey. A two-hour drive northwest from Athens, the site is an ideal destination for a weekend excursion from the capital, meandering through the rolling Viotian countryside. Combine a visit to Gla with a stop at Thebes, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, where the recently refurbished Archaeological Museum showcases remarkable finds from the region, including artifacts from Gla itself. Nearby, the picturesque towns of Livadia and Arachova, famed for their charm and proximity to Mount Parnassos, offer additional opportunities to explore and unwind. Sideview of one of the towers of the SE gate. Sideview of one of the towers of the SE gate. The Breadbasket of Mycenaean Greece Rising 38 meters above the plain, Gla occupies a triangular limestone plateau, commanding the surrounding landscape. Its size is astonishing: the citadel spans 23.5 hectares (235,000 square meters), dwarfing the 3.1 hectares enclosed by the walls of Mycenae. Built around 1300 BC during the Late Helladic III B *******, Gla was central to a grand Mycenaean project to reclaim the lakebed of Lake Copais, a natural body of water with fertile soils ideal for agriculture. The Mycenaeans achieved this feat through a sophisticated hydraulic system, including over 50 kilometers of canals and dams that diverted water from the Cephissus and Melas rivers into natural sinkholes and then on to the Evian Gulf. This ambitious endeavor turned the lakebed into a vast fertile plain, capable of supporting extensive farming and herding. Scholars believe Gla’s strategic position at the eastern edge of the reclaimed plain made it an administrative hub for managing the cultivation and storage of wheat, barley, and olives—staples that would have sustained the wider Mycenaean economy. The system’s ingenuity, however, could not withstand the collapse of the Mycenaean palace-centered civilization around 1200 BC. As the hydraulic works fell into disrepair, Lake Copais gradually returned, swallowing the once dry plain by Classical antiquity (c. 500 BC). After two ******* attempts in the Roman *******, the lake was eventually drained again in the late 19th century by the British Lake Copais Company, echoing the Mycenaean innovation over 3,000 years earlier. An aerial view of the L-shaped building, often described as a “palace.” © Millerium / An aerial view of the L-shaped building, often described as a “palace.” © Millerium / Mighty Walls, Empty Spaces Gla’s imposing Cyclopean masonry shields a vast interior that is strikingly sparse compared to the densely constructed palace complexes of Mycenae or Tiryns. Uniquely, Gla features four gates—north, west, south, and southeast—suggesting a need for both defense and accessibility. Within its walls, archaeologists have identified only a handful of permanent structures, including an L-shaped building in the north of the site, often referred to as a “palace,” though its exact function is debated. Rows of rooms in the so-called “agora” may have served as workshops, barracks, or storage facilities. The discovery of large quantities of carbonized grain in one building, likely burned during the site’s destruction, sometime around 1200 BC, supports the theory that Gla functioned as a storage center for agricultural surplus generated by the reclaimed Copais plain. One of the best-known finds from the site is the preserved ******** of a wall frieze known as the “Dolphins of Gla,” unearthed in the agora and now displayed in the Archaeological Museum of Thebes. Other discoveries, including storage jars and figurines, hint at a complex and organized settlement, though much about Gla’s purpose ******** shrouded in mystery. Was it primarily a military garrison, a regional administrative center, or an agricultural stronghold? The evidence suggests it may have served multiple roles in the region’s economy and defense. The famous frieze depicting the “Dolphins of Gla”, found in the Gla Agora and currently on display in the Archaeological Museum of Thebes. The famous frieze depicting the “Dolphins of Gla”, found in the Gla Agora and currently on display in the Archaeological Museum of Thebes. Conspicuously Absent Despite its immense size and strategic location in the heart of mainland Greece, Gla is conspicuously absent from Homer’s Catalogue of Ships in Book II of the “Iliad,” which lists the Achaean Greek forces that sailed to Troy in exhaustive detail. Conversely, nearby fortified sites such as Orchomenos and Thebes are prominently featured, in addition to 27 other contingents from the historical territory of Boeotia, leading scholars to speculate on Gla’s omission. Why such a massive citadel, enclosing an area over seven times larger than Mycenae itself, was excluded from this epic ******** one of its enduring mysteries. Over the years, scholars have come up with a number of theories. Some have suggested Gla’s role as an agricultural and administrative hub, rather than a seat of royal power, may have made it less appealing for Homer’s epic narrative, which favored mythic grandeur over practical utility. Another longstanding theory is that Gla is in fact Homer’s Arne, “rich in vines,” mentioned among the Boeotian contingents in the Catalogue of Ships. Adding to its intrigue, Gla offers archaeological evidence of advanced construction techniques, including the use of fired pan and cover tiles, a technology more commonly associated with later periods. These findings challenge long-held assumptions about technological progress in the Late Bronze Age, suggesting that Mycenaean builders were experimenting with innovations that anticipated developments of the Classical era. The south gate, external view (note ashlar masonry) © Millerium / The south gate, external view (note ashlar masonry) © Millerium / Rediscovery and Preservation Since the 19th century, the enigmatic ruins of Gla and the wider region of the Copais Basin have fascinated archaeologists, with early studies by Michalis A. Kambanis, André de Ridder, and Ferdinand Noack paving the way for more systematic excavations by Greek scholar Ioannis Threpsiadis in the mid- to late-1950s. Professor Spyros Iakovidis continued the work from 1978-1991, updating previous research and carrying out surveys of hitherto unexplored sections of the site. A more recent 5-year project (2018-2022), led by Greek Ministry of Culture archaeologist Elena Kountouri and a multidisciplinary team, have uncovered new building complexes, and a large number of portable finds, including Mycenaean pottery, fragments of wall paintings and anthropomorphic figurines. Despite evidence of earlier Neolithic and later Byzantine activity at the site, archaeologists believe that Gla was abruptly abandoned at the end of the 13th century BC, during a time that witnessed the collapse of Bronze Age palatial culture across Greece and much of the eastern Mediterranean, and remained uninhabited during the Archaic-Classical and Roman periods. This gap adds yet another layer of mystery to its story, underscoring its unique place in the history of the region. Today, the citadel of Gla is at the heart of a major revitalization project led by the Greek Ministry of Culture, aimed at preserving the site and enhancing its appeal to visitors. Planned improvements include walking routes around the Cyclopean walls and across the top of the acropolis, detailed signage, lighting, and connections to nearby archaeological sites like Orchomenos. By positioning Gla as both a historical landmark and a hub for hiking and heritage tourism, the project seeks to celebrate its engineering achievements and highlight its significance within the Mycenaean world. For those seeking to step away from the crowded paths of Greece’s better-known archaeological sites, Gla offers a journey into a world of monumental ambition and innovation. The Viotian region of central Greece, rich in history and archaeological treasures, invites deeper exploration, whether as part of a weekend trip from Athens or a dedicated journey into its ancient past. Gla’s story of resilience and ingenuity resonates across millennia, connecting us to the enduring legacy of the land it once ruled. Source link #Gla #Forgotten #Fortress #Mycenaean #Greece Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Russia could strike countries who let Ukraine use their missiles: ****** – National Russia could strike countries who let Ukraine use their missiles: ****** – National Russian President Vladimir ****** announced Thursday that Moscow has tested a new intermediate-range missile in a strike on Ukraine, and he warned that it could use the ******* against countries that have allowed Kyiv to use their missiles to strike Russia. The Russian strike on Ukraine on Thursday came in response to Ukrainian strikes on the Russian territory with U.S. and British missiles earlier this week, ****** said during a nationwide TV address. ****** declared that Russia would issue advance warnings if it launches more strikes with such missile against Ukraine to allow civilians to evacuate to safety. He warned that U.S. air defense systems wouldn’t be capable of intercepting Russian missiles. ******’s announcement came hours after Ukraine claimed that Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile overnight at the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro. But ********* officials said an initial U.S. assessment indicated the strike was carried out with an intermediate-range ballistic missile. Story continues below advertisement Two people were wounded in the *******, and an industrial facility and a rehabilitation center for people with disabilities were damaged, according to local officials. The ******* comes in a week when tensions have repeatedly soared, as the U.S. eased restrictions on Ukraine’s use of *********-made longer-range missiles inside Russia and Russian President Vladimir ****** lowered the threshold for launching nuclear weapons. 1:35 Biden agrees to supply Ukraine with anti-personnel landmines The Ukrainian air force said in a statement that the ******* on Dnipro was launched from Russia’s Astrakhan region, on the Caspian Sea. Get daily National news Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. “Today, our crazy neighbor once again showed what he really is,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. “And how afraid he is.” Ballistic missiles can have a range of anywhere from under 500 kilometers (310 miles) to over 5,500 kilometers (3,400 miles) in the case of intercontinental ones. “Ballistic” refers to the shape of their trajectory. Story continues below advertisement The ******* comes during a week of soaring tensions in the war. Earlier this week, the Biden administration authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied, longer-range missiles to strike deeper inside Russia — a move that drew an ****** response from Moscow. Days later, Ukraine fired several of the missiles into Russia, according to the Kremlin. The same day, ****** signed a new doctrine that allows for a potential nuclear response even to a conventional ******* on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power. The doctrine is formulated broadly to avoid a firm commitment to use nuclear weapons. In response, Western countries, including the U.S., said Russia has used irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and behavior throughout the war to intimidate Ukraine and other nations. They have also expressed dismay at the deployment of thousands of North Korean troops to Russia to ****** against Ukraine. 1:24 Russia-Ukraine: U.S. closes Kyiv embassy over ‘significant air *******’ threats Also Thursday, Russia also struck Zelenskyy’s home city of Kryvyi Rih, wounding 26 people, said the head of regional administration, Serhii Lysak. The missile strike caused damage to an administrative building, at least five multistory residential buildings, and civilian vehicles. Story continues below advertisement The Russian Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said in a statement that its air defense systems shot down two British-made Storm Shadow missiles, six HIMARS rockets, and 67 drones. The statement didn’t say when or where the Storm Shadows were shot down or what they were targeting. Russia earlier reported downing some of the missiles over the illegally annexed Crimean Peninsula. More than 1,000 days into war, Russia has the upper hand, with its larger army advancing in Donetsk and Ukrainian civilians suffering from relentless drone and missile strikes. More on World More videos Analysts and observers say that the loosening of restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Western missiles is unlikely to change the the course of the war, but it puts the Russian army in a more vulnerable position and could complicate the logistics that are crucial in warfare. ****** has also warned that the move would mean that Russia and NATO are at war. “It is an important move and it pulls against, undermines the narrative that ****** had been trying to establish that it was fine for Russia to rain down Iranian drones and North Korean missiles on Ukraine but a reckless escalation for Ukraine to use Western-supplied weapons at legitimate targets in Russia,” said Peter Ricketts, a former U.K. national security adviser who now sits in the House of Lords. —Associated Press writers Jill Lawless in London and Aamer Madhani, Tara Copp and ******* C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report. &copy 2024 The ********* Press Source link #Russia #strike #countries #Ukraine #missiles #****** #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Study Concludes Fall of Eastern Rome is Falsely Linked to Climate and Plague Study Concludes Fall of Eastern Rome is Falsely Linked to Climate and Plague It has widely been accepted that climate (in the form of the Late Little Ice Age or LLIA and the Justinianic Plague were the primary culprits of empirical change, causing a massive dwindling of the population, driving Rome to its knees in the 6th century AD. But a new study has refuted this claim and argues that, in fact, there was likely a spike in population size around the second half of the 6th century AD, and thus the plague and climate change had limited impact. Primary Movers of Change: Not Climate and ******** This new study, published in the journal Klio by researchers Haggai Olshanetsky, from the University of Warsaw, and Lev Cosijns, from the University of Oxford carefully analyses available archaeological evidence, data from settlements, shipwrecks, and trade patterns in the Mediterranean. They posit that human and military factors, including Persian invasions and Islamic expansion in the 7th century, were the primary movers of change. Agriculture, the base economy of most empires like this one, was thus not as affected by LLIA as was erroneously thought, relying on selected textual evidence, and archaeological evidence outside of the boundaries of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire. In fact, the researchers suggest that agriculture and commercial activity could actually have both been maintained and increased in the eastern Mediterranean area, which a lot of previously considered sources have conveniently not consulted. The researchers write in the paper: “Why do empires fall? This is one of the questions that fascinate many, both in academia and among the general public. In the search for an answer, emotions are high, and imagination can run wild. Human intervention, mostly in the form of war, is commonly attributed to the decline of empires. Up until 40 years ago, historical research was oriented to this line of thinking. However, in recent decades, new suggestions have emerged that attributed the rise and fall of empires to climate and ********”. Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (now Istanbul) was built by Emperor Justinian. (blackdiamond67/Adobe Stock) In any case, it seems that LILA’s impact has been grossly overstated, and was definitely less severe in the Eastern Roman empire, reports LBV Magazine. In the higher latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, annual average temperatures fell by as much as 1.6°C, the effects in the south, like Egypt and Judea, was only about 0.25°C! “So, it seems that 536 AD was not the worst year to be alive. At least, not for most people who lived during that time. It was a terrible ******* for people living in Scandinavia, but for people who lived in the eastern Roman Empire, there were limited effects, and so life went on as usual”, said Cosjins. Even the Plague of Justinian, often described as one of the deadliest pandemics in history, is blown out of proportion. Archaeological evidence does not support such a rapid population collapse, or an ensuing economic crisis that was irreversible. St Sebastian pleading for the life of a gravedigger afflicted with plague during the 7th-century Plague of Pavia. (Josse Lieferinxe/Public domain) Irrefutable Evidence: Analyzing Genetics, Trade, Pottery, Population In fact, there are minor outbreaks mentioned by reputable sources in this *******; other sources point to how studies conducted on the genetics of the plague show that it arrived in Europe much earlier than previously believed, co-existing with the population. Looking at trade, they analyzed shipwrecks from the Mediterranean at Marseille, Naples, Carthage, eastern Spain, and Alexandria. At some point in the second half of the 7th century, Roman ships, which lined the shores by the hundreds, started disappearing. Roman goods from this ******* across *******, Tunisia, Jordan, Cyprus, Turkey, Egypt, and Greece point to a prosperity and flow of trade still very much intact. In fact, there seemed to be an increase in prosperity and demography – witnessed with a rise in the number of settlements, after the 550s. The information “led us to conclude that the eastern Roman Empire started to decline … after a [disruption in trade] and military failures,” Cosijns and Olshanetsky told The Daily Mail. The researchers also considered 16,000 pieces of pottery uncovered in Nessana, southwest Negev (Judea), bordering modern-day Egypt. The trade of pottery flourished during the late 6th and early 7th centuries – in fact, there was a ‘stark increase’ after 550 AD, reflective of an ‘increase in the industrial capacity and prosperity of the region.’ The final piece of analysis was one of the in-depth case studies of Elusa, also in the Negev Desert. Previous studies had alleged that an abandonment of municipal dumps here was indicative of social collapse – the dating of trash seems to be limited and not representative of a whole set. There was likely a gradual decline in stability and the socio-economic fabric slowly eroded over the invasions from Persia, and the general expansion of the Islamic sultanates. A slow fragmentation of trade activity and disruption in agricultural practices confirms this. “We think that looking for climate change and plague as the cause for every significant change in history is problematic. This approach can especially harm the current climate change debate when claiming that past climate change caused catastrophic disruptions in society, in cases when there were none or limited effects. Such claims may inadvertently support arguments that state since climate change has always occurred, the current man-made one is not a serious issue”, the researchers conclude. Top image: View across Istanbul (ancient Constantinople). Source: Shchipkova Elena/Adobe Stock By Sahir Pandey Source link #Study #Concludes #Fall #Eastern #Rome #Falsely #Linked #Climate #Plague Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Defeats the Most Vicious Soulsborne Boss That Makes Radahn Look Like a Pacifist With a Single Parry Defeats the Most Vicious Soulsborne Boss That Makes Radahn Look Like a Pacifist With a Single Parry For most Souls veterans, the Orphan of Kos from Bloodborne was probably the first boss that truly broke our wills, as even in a series of games known for their fair but punishing difficulty, this guy felt just a little too intimidating with his move set. The Orphan crawling out of Kos’ body – Image Credit: FromSoftware. Since then, however, we as a community have grown a lot more, to the point that one-shotting bosses has almost become routine. So when we watch some random guy pull up to the nightmare baby and ***** it with a single parry, it feels like a healing balm on a wound long unattended. People Are One-Shotting Bloodborne’s Orphan of Kos Now With Ease The Orphan staring up at the sky mournfully – Image Credit: FromSoftware. Back when Bloodborne was arguably the best and most challenging gaming experience that FromSoftware had created, Orphan of Kos was the one boss to ****** just about every hunter’s brain out there in half. The problem with the guy was that it was designed to punish at the slightest hint of defense or hesitation. It was a fair ******—don’t get us wrong—but ******** if it wasn’t a jump in difficulty the likes of which we just weren’t prepared for. You know, in the first phase, the ****** seems easy enough. The Orphan gives you enough parry windows, and even its plunging ******* leaves him susceptible to backstabs if you can dodge forward in time. But the moment the second phase begins, the difficulty gets cranked up to infinity, with the parentless menace growing faster, stronger, and more unrelenting. It swings its placenta with reckless abandon and summons near-unavoidable lightning AoEs at every chance it gets. As far back as we can remember, this was the first boss in Bloodborne that almost made it mandatory to use every trick and buff that we could gather just to stand a fighting chance, and even then, almost always, it felt as though you barely survived the ******. But why are we talking about this ****** all these years later and in such great detail? Well, just look at the following clip, and you’ll know exactly why: Back when we all first encountered the boss, it felt like a Souls game was truly testing your growth, patience, reflexes, and determination all in one ******. So, when we watch someone one-shot it the way OP did above, even with all sorts of buffs like the Poorman’s Gems, Clawmark Runes, and a good old Trick threaded can, it just feels so liberating, as though some side of us still stuck in the battle all those years ago has finally been given peace. More importantly, though, it reminds us why Orphan of Kos is still one of the best and toughest fights FromSoftware has ever crafted and how we all continue to “git gud” with each new game. Orphan of Kos Is Still One of the Best Bosses Fromsoftware Has Ever Designed The Orphan wielding his Placenta – Image Credit: FromSoftware. Fast-forward nearly a decade, and Elden Ring’s bosses have basically taken the Souls formula’s bosses to unbelievable new heights. Whether it be Maliketh’s Destined ****** attacks and unpredictability, Elden ******’s golden tracers, or Consort Radahn’s pillars of light, all of them push the players to their absolute limits. However, few fights within the series feel as raw, brutal, and yet fair as our ****** with the Orphan of Kos. Not that the new bosses are bad or anything—all of them have things to like about them and are incredible in their own ways—but the way the Orphan just stays in your face the entire time, attacking in this unpredictable and relentless rhythm, it just feels pure, visceral, and simply different. Even after all these years, there aren’t many bosses who can perfectly match Orphan’s storm of aggression, rage, and despair. It never needed any flashy moves or some hail-mary type of *******; its placenta and lore were enough to make us back off and rethink our approach. This was, at the end of the day, an appreciation post of sorts for the sheer nightmarish challenge that Orphan posed to us all those years ago. Though some of the newer bosses may have one-shot moves or some truly cinematic attacks, that child is still one of the best and will forever remain unforgettable. With all that said, what are your thoughts on Orphan of Kos’ boss ******? Would you like to head back into Bloodborne to try and one-shot it yourself? Let us know in the comments below! Source link #Defeats #Vicious #Soulsborne #Boss #Radahn #Pacifist #Single #Parry Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Irminger Sea’s Crucial Role in Atlantic Ocean Current Collapse Identified Irminger Sea’s Crucial Role in Atlantic Ocean Current Collapse Identified A new study highlights the critical role of the Irminger Sea, located off southeastern Greenland, in maintaining the strength of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). The AMOC, a global ocean conveyor belt, is crucial for regulating Earth’s climate, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere. According to research led by Dr Qiyun Ma, a postdoctoral researcher at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Germany, disruptions in this region could have far-reaching climate impacts. Dr Ma emphasised that freshwater input into the Irminger Sea directly inhibits deep-water formation, a key process for sustaining the AMOC. This reduction in deep-water currents, caused by increasing Arctic meltwater, significantly alters atmospheric circulation and disrupts the broader ocean current system. The study underscores the urgent need for targeted monitoring of the Irminger Sea, as findings suggest its influence on the AMOC surpasses that of neighbouring regions, including the Labrador Sea and Nordic Seas. Freshwater Flow Weakens Ocean Currents The research simulated scenarios of increased freshwater in four regions of the North Atlantic and assessed the AMOC’s sensitivity. It was discovered that the Irminger Sea plays a unique role in regulating deep-water formation across adjacent seas, including the Labrador Sea. Freshwater input in this area also exacerbates climate extremes, such as altered precipitation patterns in North America and the Amazon Basin. Wider Climate Implications Findings from this study align with earlier predictions of Northern Hemisphere cooling and Arctic sea ice expansion due to a weakening AMOC. Additionally, slight warming in the Southern Hemisphere and disruptions to tropical monsoon systems were observed. Dr Ma pointed out that the location of freshwater input heavily influences these outcomes, making precise predictions more challenging. The study, published in Science Advances on November 20, highlights the growing need for climate experts and policymakers to address AMOC vulnerabilities. Enhanced monitoring of sensitive areas like the Irminger Sea could aid in developing adaptive strategies to mitigate future climate disruptions. For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Prasar Bharati Launches ‘Waves’ OTT Platform with Live TV, Regional Shows, and More Lineman OTT Release Date: When and Where to Watch it Online? Source link #Irminger #Seas #Crucial #Role #Atlantic #Ocean #Current #Collapse #Identified Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

WA Nationals in support of Geraldton council push to create more workers’ accommodation in Mahomets Flats WA Nationals in support of Geraldton council push to create more workers’ accommodation in Mahomets Flats As Geraldton’s house prices continue to climb amid a cost-of-living crisis, the WA Nationals have backed the local council’s move to build workers’ accommodation. Source link #Nationals #support #Geraldton #council #push #create #workers #accommodation #Mahomets #Flats Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Marvel Rivals "Hawkeye" Character Reveal Trailer Features the Sharpshooter's Abilities Marvel Rivals "Hawkeye" Character Reveal Trailer Features the Sharpshooter's Abilities Marvel Rivals “Hawkeye” character trailer reveals the hero’s abilities, as this seems to be a mix of Hanzo and Genji from Overwatch. Source link #Marvel #Rivals #quotHawkeyequot #Character #Reveal #Trailer #Features #Sharpshooter039s #Abilities Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

******* Resumes Strikes South of Beirut ******* Resumes Strikes South of Beirut ******* bombarded the Dahiya, a Hezbollah-controlled area south of Lebanon’s capital, with a wave of airstrikes on Thursday. Source link #******* #Resumes #Strikes #South #Beirut Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

****** Friday deals bring the price of the Fitbit Charge 6 down to a record low of $100 ****** Friday deals bring the price of the Fitbit Charge 6 down to a record low of $100 ****** Friday promos are in full swing now, and that’s brought many of our favorite gadgets down to their lowest prices of the year. Case in point, the Fitbit Charge 6, which is down to a record low of $100 right now. It’s a top pick in our best fitness trackers guide in part because of its comprehensive exercise tracking capabilities and its built-in GPS. The Charge 6 has a few things going for it. With the new model, Fitbit added a more accurate heart rate sensor, the ability to pair with exercise machines over Bluetooth and a physical side button to aid with menu navigation. If you’re a YouTube Music Premium subscriber, you can also use the device to control YouTube Music playback. Fitbit One of Engadget’s favorite fitness trackers is currently on ***** for a record-low price of $99.95. $100 at Amazon Carrying over from older iterations, the Charge 6 offers comprehensive tracking for 20 discrete exercises, with built-in GPS for activities like running and cycling. It also retains the design of the Charge 5, which in this case, is a good thing. The fact it’s not a smartwatch means the Charge 6 is comfortable to wear and offers a battery that will last you for several days instead of just one at most. The full-****** AMOLED display is easy to read and looks great, even outdoors. Other notable features include support for contactless payments through Fitbit Pay and Google Wallet. The only downsides to the Charge 6 are that Fitbit doesn’t offer Apple Health integration and that some data and features are locked behind the company’s premium subscription. However, if you’re looking for a fitness tracker that can basically do it all, the Charge 6 is one of the best options right now. For those looking to spend less on a fitness tracker, I’ll mention that Amazon has also discounted the Inspire 3. It’s currently $70, down from $100. Fitbit’s entry-level fitness tracker is a good option for those who don’t mind bringing their phone to their bike rides and runs as the device lacks built-in GPS tracking. Check out all of the latest ****** Friday and Cyber Monday deals here. Source link #****** #Friday #deals #bring #price #Fitbit #Charge #record Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Elon Musk to ‘summon MPs to US to explain threats to ********* citizens’ | Elon Musk Elon Musk to ‘summon MPs to US to explain threats to ********* citizens’ | Elon Musk Elon Musk has said *** MPs “will be summoned to the ******* States of America to explain their censorship and threats to ********* citizens” in a fresh escalation of tensions between the world’s richest man and Labour. Musk, who has been a fixture at the side of Donald Trump since his re-election as US president, was responding to a Guardian report on Wednesday that the Commons’ science and technology select committee would call him to give evidence in the new year in its inquiry into the spread of harmful content on social media after the August riots. Committee chair Chi Onwurah said she wanted Musk to answer how he ‘reconciles his promotion of freedom of expression with his promotion of pure disinformation’. Photograph: Richard Gardner/Rex/Shutterstock The committee’s chair, Chi Onwurah, a Labour MP, said she wanted to see how Musk, who owns the X social media platform, “reconciles his promotion of freedom of expression with his promotion of pure disinformation”. X hosts accounts by figures including Tommy Robinson and Andrew Tate, who were accused of inciting people to join Islamophobic protests. Musk, who has more than 205 million followers on X, responded by saying the MPs would be summoned to the US. He has previously complained that prison sentences handed down to people who stoked the riots on X are a breach of free speech rights and said: “I don’t think anyone should go to the *** when they’re releasing convicted paedophiles in order to imprison people for social media posts.” He has labelled the British prime minister “two-tier Kier”, alleging that not all communities were equally protected by police in the ***, while Jess Philips, a government minister, has labelled X “a place of misery”. Musk weighed in on changes to inheritance tax on farms by saying on Monday that “Britain is going full Stalin”. Peter Mandelson, who is tipped to become the next *** ambassador to Washington, then called for an end to the “feud” between Musk and the *** government, calling him “a sort of technological, industrial, commercial phenomenon” with whom the *** must build bridges. In an interview with the Guardian on Thursday, Peter Kyle, the secretary of state for science and technology, denied there was a feud and called Musk “an innovator of extraordinary proportions, the like of which our globe, our humanity, very rarely sees”. He said he was ready to have “a frank conversation where we disagree, but also strive to find common ground”. However, Kyle added: “The way that he has characterised British society is wrong. I would love to have a conversation with him about how, with his view of free speech, we can keep people safe. Free speech, in my view, doesn’t include the right to sow either misinformation or hatred to a degree that damages either people or communities … as happened in August and that led to arrests because that was ********* activity.” skip past newsletter promotion Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion Kyle said he was “in touch with X” and has had “many conversations with them about the nature of free speech and how it should be applied”. He also said he had “no plans to go off X, simply because I respect so much of the audience that’s there and I do want to communicate with”. It was not immediately clear to what “threats to ********* citizens” Musk was referring in his call for British MPs to be summoned to Washington, but one of his US-based online followers claimed, without providing evidence, he was called by British police and threatened with charges if he did not take down certain posts during the riots. Another follower described the MPs’ wish to call Musk to give evidence as a trap, saying: “They’ll detain him at the border, demand to see the contents of his phone, and charge him under counter-terrorism laws when he refuses.” Asked about Musk’s response, Onwurah said: “X is one of the most relevant social media platforms to our inquiry. We want to hear from senior figures at the company so that we can gather the best evidence possible. And Mr Musk is the most senior representative of X, with strong views on misinformation as well as freedom of expression, an important subject in its own right.” Musk has started calling himself “first buddy” in relation to the president-elect and has been given the job of reforming US government efficiency. It appears he will have considerable influence on the regulation of artificial intelligence, especially considering he owns an AI startup, xAI, which has attracted billions of dollars in investment from the Qatar sovereign wealth fund and Silicon Valley private equity giants. Source link #Elon #Musk #summon #MPs #explain #threats #********* #citizens #Elon #Musk Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Stocks making the biggest moves midday: NFLX, GOOGL, NVDA, BJ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: NFLX, GOOGL, NVDA, BJ Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading. Nvidia — Shares of the chipmaker dipped about 1% in midday trading, after gyrating earlier in the session. Nvidia beat on top and bottom lines for the third quarter, posting adjusted earnings of 81 cents per share on revenue of $35.08 billion. Analysts polled by LSEG had called for earnings of 75 cents per share on $33.16 billion in revenue. Nvidia also gave a better-than-expected forecast for the current quarter. Baidu — U.S. shares of the ******** search engine fell about 5% after Baidu’s third-quarter revenue declined by 3% compared to the year-ago ******* . Still, the company posted a 12% increase in its non-online marketing revenue, fueled mostly by growth in its artificial intelligence cloud business. Alphabet — Shares declined 5% on news that the Department of Justice is pushing a federal judge to force Google divest its Chrome internet browser in order to create a more level playing field for competitors in the search industry. That follows a ruling in August that Google has a monopoly in the search market. Snowflake — The data analytics software maker saw shares skyrocket more than 34%, after the company’s better-than-expected third-quarter results . The stock is heading for its best day ever. Snowflake also called for $3.43 billion in fiscal 2025 product revenue, implying 29% growth. CEO Sridhar Ramaswamy said Snowflake is focusing more on saving money. Merus — Shares of the ******* therapeutics company gained nearly 4%. Goldman Sachs initiated coverage of Merus with a buy rating, saying it sees big gains ahead driven by the company’s ******* treatment. Netflix — Shares rose nearly 2% on the heels of Bank of America reiterating its buy rating on the stock and upping its price target to $1,000. The bank cited live events, as well as Netflix’s in-house ad tech platform, as catalysts for growth. Crypto-related stocks — Stocks tied to cryptocurrencies earlier rose after the price of bitcoin crossed $98,000 for the first time , but they fluctuated after Galaxy Digital CEO Michael Novogratz warned that a pullback in bitcoin will come eventually. MicroStrategy was down 1%, reversing its earlier gains, while Coinbase dipped 3%. Miner Mara Holdings gained nearly 10%, while trading platform Robinhood dipped about 1%. BJ’s Wholesale Club — Shares moved 9% higher after the warehouse club’s third-quarter adjusted earnings beat the Street’s estimates. BJ’s also boosted its full-year guidance. The company said it will increase its membership fee and announced plans to repurchase $1 billion shares. PDD Holdings — Shares of the e-commerce giant, which owns Temu, fell 9.7%. PDD missed profit and revenue estimates. — CNBC’s Sean Conlon, Yun Li and Michelle Fox contributed reporting. Source link #Stocks #making #biggest #moves #midday #NFLX #GOOGL #NVDA Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

This Batman Collection Of 4K Movies Has Gotten A Massive ****** Friday Discount This Batman Collection Of 4K Movies Has Gotten A Massive ****** Friday Discount Early ****** Friday deals are here, but if you’re a resident of the DC Universe, then prepare yourself for some Bat Friday specials instead. For many Batman fans, there was the first golden age of films starring the Caped Crusader that began in 1989 and ended in 1997. This particular era is on ***** right now, and you can watch all of them in 4K for $40. Normally $90, this box set includes Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin. Each film has a new cover, as well as enough extra content to fill up the Batcave. The Batman film directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton as the Dark Knight got the ball rolling on a new era of superhero movies when it was first released in 1989, and 35 years later, it’s still highly regarded as one of the best Batman movies of all time. Burton and Keaton would be back for a sequel in 1992, and while it wasn’t as big at the box office as the first film, it still made a ******** at the time when it came to ticket sales. Batman Returns also had an ensemble cast that included Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Christopher Walken, and it’s a way better Christmas movie than **** Hard. By 1995, things were changing for the Batman movie franchise, and with an aim to appeal to younger audiences, Warner Bros. hired Joel Schumacher to direct Batman Forever, with Val Kilmer stepping up to replace Keaton as Gotham’s protector. The movie also introduced Robin–played by Chris O’Donnell–and while it was a massive tonal shift from Burton’s Batman movies, the film still has plenty of charm, a cool neon design, and numerous moments where Tommy Lee Jones and Jim Carrey chewed up all the scenery as the villains Two-Face and the Riddler, respectively. While it was critically–and commercially slammed–when it came out in 1997, time has been kinder to Batman & Robin. It’s a goofy movie that feels like a toy commercial, but it’s a ***** of a great advert to watch. George Clooney delivered an underrated performance as Batman, and there’s a lot of groovy inspiration here from the 1966 Batman TV series that starred Adam West as the unflappable vigilante. It’s also the only movie where you can see Arnold Schwarzenegger ham it up and drop ice-related puns. ****** Friday Batman Films and TV Blu-ray deals For a few more bat-related deals, Amazon has several early ****** Friday deals on Batman movies and TV series. The classic Batman TV series is still delightful and on ***** for $30 (was $90), the full run of Batman Beyond episodes is available for $26.50 (was $31.40) on Blu-ray, and Batman: The Animated Series is a steal at $30 (was $80) for the entire award-winning series. Just don’t let Batman catch you pilfering it. Source link #Batman #Collection #Movies #Massive #****** #Friday #Discount Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

AMD is allegedly readying budget hexa-core Krackan Point APUs — Hybrid 3+3 core “Zen 5 + Zen 5c” offering surfaces at Geekbench AMD is allegedly readying budget hexa-core Krackan Point APUs — Hybrid 3+3 core “Zen 5 + Zen 5c” offering surfaces at Geekbench A new hexa-core processor under AMD’s Krackan Point (KRK) lineup of APUs has emerged at Geekbench – thanks to Olrak at X. The CPU wields a rather unconventional 3+3 hybrid configuration – taking a different approach than AMD did with its Phoenix 2 APUs. Krackan Point is AMD’s cheaper alternative to Strix Point – packing upwards of eight cores and an eight Compute Unit (CU) RDNA 3.5-based iGPU (Integrated GPU). Krackan Point utilizes a hybrid-core design to save valuable **** space, featuring up to four Zen 5 and four Zen 5c cores. The six-core offering has an OPN code of “100-000001600-40_Y,” corresponding to a Ryzen 5 APU per previously leaked shipping manifests. The benchmark, being an AI test, isn’t that exciting once you consider that Krackan employs the same 50 TOPS XDNA 2 NPU as Strix Point. Going over the listed specs, the budget Ryzen 5 300 APU packs three Zen 5 and three Zen 5c cores alongside 12 threads – quite different from the Phoenix 2-based Ryzen 5 7545U – which had two Zen 4 and four Zen 4c cores. Moreover, the APU was being tested in an Asus validation platform and had a relatively low base frequency of 2 GHz – but that’s likely a result of early silicon. (Image credit: Geekbench) AMD reintroduced a dual-CCX design with Strix Point – splitting up the Zen 5 and Zen 5c cores across different rings – with separate L3 caches for both core types. Interestingly, for the Krackan Point APU in question, Geekbench divides the core count into two clusters. However, Olrak suggests that AMD might package all six cores together – connected through a unified ring bus – sharing a coherent L3 cache. To chip in, the Ryzen 5 7545U (Phoenix 2) also employed a single CCX, but the final decision rests on AMD. Rest assured, laptops powered by AMD’s Krackan Point offerings are set to arrive in early 2025 – starting at $799 if we go by leaks. Overall, CES 2025 will be jampacked with next-gen launches from all major players. Expect to see AMD unveil Krackan Point alongside Strix Halo APUs, ***** Range CPUs, and Radeon RX 8000 “RDNA 4” GPUs. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #AMD #allegedly #readying #budget #hexacore #Krackan #Point #APUs #Hybrid #core #Zen #Zen #offering #surfaces #Geekbench Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Matt Gaetz withdraws as attorney general nominee Matt Gaetz withdraws as attorney general nominee CBS News 24/7 Live Washington — Former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz announced Thursday that he is withdrawing his nomination for attorney general. President-elect Donald Trump tapped Gaetz to lead the Justice Department as the nation’s top law enforcement officer last week. He swiftly resigned his seat in the House and was on Capitol Hill with Vice President-elect JD Vance, an Ohio senator, meeting with Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee who would oversee his confirmation hearings. Gaetz said in a social media post that while he had “excellent meetings” with senators, his confirmation battle was taking away from the work of the incoming Trump administration. “While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” he wrote on social media. “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1.” He added, “I remain fully committed to see that Donald J. Trump is the most successful President in history. I will forever be honored that President Trump nominated me to lead the Department of Justice and I’m certain he will Save America.” In response to Gaetz’s decision, Trump wrote on social media, “I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General. He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect.” He predicted Gaetz “has a wonderful future.” ahead. Gaetz’s nomination was swiftly shrouded in controversy as he was under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for alleged ******* misconduct and illicit ***** use. He denied any wrongdoing and called the investigation a “smear.” Gaetz blamed the probe on former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, whose ouster Gaetz helped lead last year. More from CBS News Melissa Quinn Melissa Quinn is a politics reporter for CBSNews.com. She has written for outlets including the Washington Examiner, Daily Signal and Alexandria Times. Melissa covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts. Source link #Matt #Gaetz #withdraws #attorney #general #nominee Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Gautam Adani’s U.S. ****** charges could have wider repercussions for India Gautam Adani’s U.S. ****** charges could have wider repercussions for India This report is from this week’s CNBC’s “Inside India” newsletter which brings you timely, insightful news and market commentary on the emerging powerhouse and the big businesses behind its meteoric rise. Like what you see? You can subscribe here. The head of a $25 billion Indian energy company, the former CEO of a New York-listed energy firm, and one of Asia’s wealthiest men were set to meet in New Delhi to discuss business. To prepare for the meeting, Vneet Jaain, chief executive of $25 billion Adani Green Energy, photographed a document on his cellphone. This document, according to the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York, summarized the amounts the Indian energy company was owed by Azure Power, previously listed on the NYSE, for bribing Indian government officials. Jaain’s phone and other electronic devices were seized as evidence by U.S. prosecutors in their months-long investigation and included in the indictment on Wednesday in a New York federal court on charges related to a massive bribery and ****** scheme. The U.S. prosecutors also allege that Gautam Adani, the second most-wealthy Indian man, personally met with Indian government officials to further their “bribery scheme.” They allege that about $265 million in bribes were offered to Indian officials to “motivate” the state-owned electricity distribution companies to purchase solar power from Adani and related companies at above-fair market prices. The indictment also describes a trail of evidence that Adani and his executives left behind, such as presentation slides and spreadsheets. One document is alleged to reveal $7 million paid to secure a 650 megawatt power purchase agreement and $76 million as bribe for a 2.3 gigawatt contract. The prosecutors have also successfully obtained an arrest warrant for the billionaire from a federal court. Why are U.S. authorities involved? The 62-year-old billionaire and others are charged with misleading U.S. and international investors as they raised more than $3 billion in capital to fund those energy contracts. “As alleged, the defendants orchestrated an elaborate scheme to bribe Indian government officials to secure contracts worth billions of dollars and Gautam S. Adani, Sagar R. Adani and Vneet S. Jaain lied about the bribery scheme as they sought to raise capital from U.S. and international investors,” said Breon Peace, U.S. attorney for the eastern district of New York. “Adani and other defendants also defrauded investors by raising capital on the basis of false statements about bribery and ***********, while still other defendants allegedly attempted to conceal the bribery *********** by obstructing the government’s investigation,” added James Dennehy, FBI assistant director in charge. The Securities Exchange Commission also piled in, calling the actions by Adani and two others a “massive bribery scheme.” “During the alleged scheme, Adani Green raised more than $175 million from U.S. investors, and Azure Power’s stock was traded on the New York Stock Exchange,” the SEC said in a statement justifying its jurisdiction and cause in the investigation. What’s Adani’s response? An Adani Group spokesperson said the allegations made by the U.S. Department of Justice and the SEC against the directors of Adani Green Energy are “baseless and denied.” “The Adani Group has always upheld and is steadfastly committed to maintaining the highest standards of governance, transparency and regulatory compliance across all jurisdictions of its operations. We assure our stakeholders, partners and employees that we are a law-abiding organisation, fully compliant with all laws,” the spokesperson told investors. Azure Power has said that the company has continued to cooperate with U.S. authorities and its staff referenced in the U.S. indictment were no longer associated with the company. What’s the impact on Adani? Aside from the steep share price falls, where Adani Enterprises lost nearly a quarter of its market value, there have also been wider ramifications. Investors in Adani’s bonds have also suffered steep price drops after news of the indictment emerged. There are also concerns about whether Adani companies will be able to raise debt in the future in U.S. markets. “The indictment of Adani Group’s chairman and other senior officials on bribery charges is credit negative for the group’s companies,” Moody’s, a credit ratings agency, said in a statement. “Our main focus when assessing Adani Group is on the ability of the group’s companies to access capital to meet their liquidity requirements and on its governance practices.” The Adani Group was also forced to withdraw a planned $600 million bond ***** on Thursday. Even ardent believers of Adani also appear to be rethinking their backing of the conglomerate. GQG Partners, which poured $1.9 billion into Adani companies despite a short-seller ******* in 2023, told investors it was “reviewing the emerging details and determining what, if any, actions for our portfolios are appropriate.” The investment management firm’s Sydney-listed shares also lost a fifth of their value on Thursday. Broader implications and impact The allegations against the Adanis could also risk souring foreign investors’ sentiment and threaten to accelerate outflows from India. Foreign institutional investors pulled record sums from local bourses in October, and November also looks very similar. “The U.S. bribery charges against Gautam Adani further complicate the calculus for foreign investors with respect to India,” Matt Orton, chief market strategist at Raymond James, told CNBC’s Tanvir Gill. “While the 10% pullback on the Nifty presented investors with an interesting entry point to deploy capital, the Adani charges will pose a significant overhang to sentiment. In an environment where the U.S. continues to march higher, why add headline risk now in India?” Orton added that select Indian equities still remained attractive despite the wider negative sentiment. Investors are also concerned about lenders exposed to Adani Green Energy, the firm under the spotlight. One estimate by analysts at Citi puts Indian banks on the ***** for more than $15 billion in borrowings and collateralized loans, with the State Bank of India owed large chunks of the debt. Elsewhere, Singapore-headquartered lender DBS Group has previously disclosed nearly $1 billion in loans to other Adani companies. DBS declined to comment on the matter. But it’s not just investors and financial firms feeling the heat. Regulators in India have also come under severe scrutiny for their association with Adani. “The Federal Bureau of Investigations has said [Adani] has committed a ********* act. Why isn’t [India’s] Central Bureau of Investigations saying the same? Why isn’t SEBI saying the same?” questioned India’s opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, referring to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), according to a CNBC translation. Earlier this year, the stock market regulator’s chair, Madhabi Buch, was accused of having a conflict of interest while investigating Adani group companies, according to short-seller Hindenburg. Now, politicians are calling for her to be sacked. Source link #Gautam #Adanis #U.S #****** #charges #wider #repercussions #India Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

MLB The Show 25 First Details Announced MLB The Show 25 First Details Announced · · November 21, 2024 Sony San Diego has announced the first set of details for the next installment of its long-running baseball franchise, MLB The Show 25. In a post on the game’s website, Sony San Diego gave minor teases of what fans can expect across the game while also announcing a major change coming to Diamond Dynasty in MLB The Show 25. Starting with Diamond Dynasty, the game’s popular card-collecting mode, it has been announced that Sets and Seasons will no longer be part of the mode starting next year. The removal of Sets and Seasons means that every card will be able to be “used freely throughout the year”. Elsewhere in the game, both Franchise Mode and Road to the Show will be getting updates in MLB The Show 25. Though not a lot was shared, the team did give a short tease of what fans should expect. MLB The Show 25 First Details Road To The Show: Deepen the player’s journey, before being drafted, and return control to how a player develops and grows in new and interesting ways. Diamond Dynasty*: Alongside the retirement of Sets and Seasons, our fans can look forward to all-new elements of the Diamond Dynasty experience blended with what our fans love most about Diamond Dynasty. Franchise: Improved trade evaluation metrics are coming along with a new fun and engaging offseason experience. Gameplay: With the expansion of quick time events, defensive AI, and pathing updates, enjoy more engaging moment-to-moment gameplay. MLB The Show 25 is scheduled to launch in spring 2025 and official platforms will be announced at a later date. What do you think of the first details for MLB The Show 25? Let us know in the comments, and join the discussion in the official Insider Gaming forums. For more Insider Gaming, check out what GPU the PlayStation 6 is rumored to be using. And don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #MLB #Show #Details #Announced Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Matt Gaetz withdraws from consideration as Trump’s attorney general – National Matt Gaetz withdraws from consideration as Trump’s attorney general – National By Staff The Associated Press Posted November 21, 2024 12:45 pm 1 min read Descrease article font size Increase article font size Matt Gaetz withdrew Thursday as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general following continued scrutiny over a federal **** trafficking investigation that cast doubt on the former congressman’s ability to be confirmed as the nation’s chief federal law enforcement officer. The Florida ***********’s announcement came one day after meeting with senators in an effort to win their support for his confirmation to lead the Justice Department. 3:04 Why Trump’s nominations of Gaetz, RFK Jr. are so polarizing Trending Now Amazon Canada’s Early ****** Friday deals are *finally* here Susan Smith denied parole 30 years after drowning her 2 children “While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz said in a statement announcing his decision. “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1.” Story continues below advertisement Gaetz’s withdrawal is a ***** to Trump’s push to install steadfast loyalists in his incoming administration and the first sign that Trump could face resistance from members of his own party. More on Politics More videos &copy 2024 The ********* Press Source link #Matt #Gaetz #withdraws #consideration #Trumps #attorney #general #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Possible Rowan selection for Treasury Secretary would be boost for Apollo stock, private equity industry, says TD Cowen Possible Rowan selection for Treasury Secretary would be boost for Apollo stock, private equity industry, says TD Cowen The potential appointment of Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan would boost the stock and the broader alternative asset management sector, according to TD Cowen. The race for President-elect Donald Trump’s Treasury Secretary pick appears to be between Rowan, former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh, Key Square Group founder and CEO Scott Bessent and Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn. Rowan and Warsh were expected to meet with Trump for talks at Mar-a-Lago as part of the selection process. “Broadly, such an outcome would be a positive for the industry, as it likely tempers regulatory risk(s) while possibly accelerating the sector’s entry into the retirement market, even beyond his official purview,” analyst Bill Katz wrote in a note, referring to a possible Rowan appointment. President-elect Donald Trump’s reelection platform included efforts to deregulate industries, which would facilitate large transactions such as the ones seen in the private equity sector. Since the election, the stock has jumped 10% — outperforming the S & P 500’s 2.6% gain in that time. On Thursday, shares were up more than 1%. APO 1D mountain Apollo shares on Thursday Katz also thinks any “key man risk” at Apollo in the event Rowan is appointed to Trump’s cabinet is limited. Fundamental momentum “is likely to remain strong,” the analyst said. Likely CEO successors are co-presidents Jim Zelter and Scott Kleinman, according to Katz. Both are well-known and have “********* strongly,” he said. The analyst reiterated his buy rating on the stock, citing a constructive setup heading into 2025. His price target of $178 implies upside of more than 9% from Wednesday’s close. Shares of Apollo have soared 77% year to date. Source link #Rowan #selection #Treasury #Secretary #boost #Apollo #stock #private #equity #industry #Cowen Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Star Wars: Visions Season 3 uses ********* studios Star Wars: Visions Season 3 uses ********* studios A newly announced Star Wars project sounds exciting for sure, but revealing a new animated project will definitely amp up the hype for a lot of fans wanting to break away from the live-action stuff. Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Disney and Lucasfilm have recently revealed the third volume of Star Wars: Visions which will be returning next year in 2025. News of the upcoming season was shown on the first day of Disney’s two-day Content Showcase event in Singapore. The third volume of the animated anthology series will be under the hands of ********* studios once again, similar to the first season. The ********* animation studios involved in the third season includes David Production (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure), Kamikaze Douga+Anima (Tales of Luminaria: The Fateful Crossroad), Kinema Citrus (Made in Abyss), Polygon Pictures (Ajin), Production I.G (Kaiju No. 8), Project Studio Q (Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon A Time), Studio Trigger (Delicious in Dungeon), and Wit Studio (Spy x Family). The official Star Wars X account confirmed that the new season will stream on Disney Plus. Kamikaze Douga, Kinema Citrus, Production I.G, and Studio Trigger are returning to produce the upcoming season while the rest of the studios will be working on the project for the first time. Polygon Pictures was involved in previous Star Wars animated projects including production of the fan favorite Star Wars: The Clone Wars cartoon between 2011 and 2013 and Star Wars: Resistance, which came out in 2018. Visions has been one the most interesting output coming from the Star Wars franchise as animators were given the creative freedom to go all out with their ****** scenes and utilize different elements from the Star Wars universe to create their own unique stories. Whether it’s canon or not, it doesn’t matter and it shouldn’t to begin with. The second season continued the idea but with a global expansion of other studios outside Japan. Fingers crossed that more seasons will be in development regardless of whether they’re from Japan or other nations. Maybe one day an anime television series will be greenlit and announced at the Star Wars Celebration held in Japan next year in 2025 as it does seem relevant. Speaking of the Star Wars Celebration taking place at Makuhari Messe, expect more footage, visual arts, and hopefully a release date of the third season of Visions which seems likely to happen. At the end of the day, this is very exciting news for both Star Wars and anime fans alike. Source link #Star #Wars #Visions #Season #********* #studios Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Alphabet shares slide 6% following DOJ push for Google to divest Chrome Alphabet shares slide 6% following DOJ push for Google to divest Chrome Jaque Silva | Nurphoto | Getty Images Alphabet shares slid 6% Thursday, following news that the Department of Justice is calling for Google to divest its Chrome browser to put an end to its search monopoly. The proposed break-up would, according to the DOJ in its Wednesday filing, “permanently stop Google’s control of this critical search access point and allow rival search engines the ability to access the browser that for many users is a gateway to the internet.” This development is the latest in a years-long, bipartisan antitrust case that found in an August ruling that the search giant held an ******** monopoly in both search and text advertising, violating Section 2 of the Sherman Act. The potential break-up would include preventing Google from entering into exclusionary agreements with competitors like Apple and Samsung, part of a set of remedies that would last 10 years. CNBC’s Jennifer Elias contributed to this report. Source link #Alphabet #shares #slide #DOJ #push #Google #divest #Chrome Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump AG pick Matt Gaetz says he’s withdrawing Trump AG pick Matt Gaetz says he’s withdrawing US Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) speaks to members of the media after speaking on the House floor about a possible Motion to Vacate to oust US Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on October 2, 2023. Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images Matt Gaetz said Thursday he is withdrawing his name from consideration as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for U.S. attorney general. “I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday. I appreciate their thoughtful feedback – and the incredible support of so many,” Gaetz said in a statement posted on his X account. “While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” said the former *********** congressman from Florida. “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General,” he said. The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment. Gaetz’s selection had put a new spotlight on prior allegations of ******* misconduct and other impropriety that had been investigated by the Department of Justice and the House Ethics Committee. This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates. Source link #Trump #pick #Matt #Gaetz #hes #withdrawing Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]