Pelican Press

Curry weaves his magic in Orlando for five in a row Curry weaves his magic in Orlando for five in a row Stephen Curry has scored a season-high 56 points, making 12 three-pointers and outscoring hosts Orlando by himself in the third quarter of another astounding performance, leading Golden State to a 121-115 victory. Curry was 12 for 19 behind the arc in his NBA-record 26th career game with 10 or more triples. He was 16 of 25 overall on Thursday night and made all 12 of his free throws in the Warriors’ (33-27) fifth straight victory. It is also their seventh win in eight games since acquiring Jimmy Butler in a trade on February 6. Curry had 22 points in the third term, in which Golden State turned a 14-point deficit into a five-point lead. He ended the first half with a shot from well beyond halfcourt to keep the Warriors within 14 at 66-52, then opened the second half with another three. The 36-year-old’s career scoring high is 62 points, set on January 3, 2021, against Portland. His career high for three-pointers in a game is 13. Paolo Banchero scored 41 points for the Magic (29-32) and Franz Wagner added 27. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 28 points, pulled down a season-high 19 rebounds and dished out seven assists as Milwaukee beat Denver 121-112. The two-time MVP helped the Bucks offset another brilliant performance from Nikola Jokic, who shot 13 of 16 and had 32 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists. Jokic has 27 triple-doubles in the 53 games the three-time MVP has played this season. This was the first matchup of the season between these two multiple-MVP winners. Antetokounmpo made just his eighth three-point basket of the season to give the home side a 67-66 lead with just over seven minutes left in the third quarter. He got a dunk off Taurean’s Prince steal 35 seconds later to cap a 12-4 run that put Milwaukee ahead for good. Brook Lopez added 22 points, Damian Lillard 19, Kyle Kuzma 16 and Gary Trent Jr. 15 for the Bucks (33-25), who have won five of their last six. The Nuggets (38-21) have followed a nine-game winning streak by dropping two of three. In Dallas, Aussies Dante Exum and Josh Green faced each other and it was Exum’s Mavericks who ran out 103-96 winners over Charlotte. Kyrie Irving scored 18 of his 25 points in the second half, and grabbed nine rebounds, for the Mavs (32-28), while Moses Brown added 20 points and 11 boards. Exum chipped in with 12 points, three rebounds, three assists, four steals and one block, while Green had seven points, two boards and two assists for the Hornets. With AAP. Source link #Curry #weaves #magic #Orlando #row Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The number Wall Street analysts zeroed in on during Nvidia’s earnings call The number Wall Street analysts zeroed in on during Nvidia’s earnings call Nvidia’s gross margin guidance was a sticking point for some analysts during its earnings call on Wednesday.Artur Widak/NurPhoto Nvidia’s gross margin guidance came up several times during its fourth-quarter earnings call. Nvidia expects gross margins in the “low 70s” in the current quarter as it focuses on speeding up Blackwell chip production. After that, Nvidia CFO Colette Kress said gross margins are expected to improve to the “mid 70s.” Nvidia knocked it out of the park with its fourth-quarter earnings report — but its gross margin guidance was a sticking point for Wall Street during the analyst call on Wednesday. The metric, a closely watched measure of profitability, was asked about multiple times by analysts after Nvidia projected GAAP and non-GAAP gross margins in the current quarter to be 70.6% and 71.0%, give or take 50 basis points. Nvidia CFO Colette Kress said expectations that it would be in the “low 70s” was partly because of the increased costs from speeding up the manufacturing of Blackwell systems and chips to meet demand. Once Blackwell is fully ramped, Kress said there will be an opportunity to improve costs and Nvidia anticipated its gross margin would “return to the mid-70s, late this fiscal year.” One analyst asked whether it was correct to view the first quarter guidance as the bottom for gross margins, to which the CFO reiterated the company’s explanation In the final question of the Q&A segment, a Citi analyst asked Kress to explain the company’s confidence in gross margin growth, given the uncertainty around the impact of tariffs on the semiconductor industry. Kress said Nvidia’s gross margins are “quite complex in terms of the material” and everything that goes into the Blackwell system. She said there’s a “tremendous amount of opportunity” to explore factors that could contribute to improving gross margins. Once Blackwell has ramped up, Kress said the company can “begin a lot of that work.” “If not, we’re going to probably start as soon as possible,” Kress said, adding that if it can be improved in the short term, the company will also do that. Blackwell is Nvidia’s next-generation GPU architecture for its AI chips, and Kress said Nvidia expects “a significant ramp of Blackwell in Q1.” The company announced Wednesday that its Blackwell chips reached full-scale production, generating $11 billion in revenue in its fourth quarter. “This is the fastest product ramp in our company’s history, unprecedented in its speed and scale,” Kress said during the call. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said during the analyst call that the company experienced an initial “hiccup” in early production and it was a “challenging transition” to go from the previous generation chipset, Hopper, to Blackwell. Story Continues Kress said that while tariffs remain a “bit of an unknown” until further guidance from the government is given, the company plans to follow “export controls and or tariffs in that manner.” Tariffs were a key concern leading up to Nvidia’s earnings release, as President Donald Trump’s administration considers tightening chip export rules to restrict China’s AI progress. Nvidia is not allowed to sell its most advanced AI chips to China and instead sells a less-powerful version to ******** customers. Last month, Trump also threatened tariffs on Taiwan, where Nvidia’s chip manufacturing partner TSMC is based. Nvidia stock experienced volatile after-hours trading immediately following the earnings release, dropping as much as 2% before stabilizing following comments from Nvidia’s CFO that demand for Blackwell “exceeded” expectations. The company’s stock was down over 4% mid-day Thursday. Read the original article on Business Insider Source link #number #Wall #Street #analysts #zeroed #Nvidias #earnings #call Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Female officer nicknamed ‘hot cop’ leaked details about Nicola Bulley Female officer nicknamed ‘hot cop’ leaked details about Nicola Bulley A female police officer nicknamed “hot cop” leaked confidential information about Nicola Bulley to her friends and family. Molly Bury, 28, the former police constable, illegally accessed the Police National Computer database to get intimate updates about the missing mother of two’s case, while it was still ongoing, so she could share them with friends and family. When one friend kept pressing her for more information, Bury, who worked for Lancashire police at the time, said: “I will get in s— if they see me checking.” When pressed again she added: “I have not checked. I cannot keep checking. I will get into trouble.” She faced up to two years in jail under sentencing guidelines but was handed six months in prison, suspended for 12 months, after a judge ruled she was “profoundly immature” and “not corrupt”. Gayle McCoubrey, prosecuting, said an unnamed member of the public contacted police in March 2023, after overhearing Bury’s mother, Andrea Mercer, sharing information about a ***** that had occurred in Lancashire. “She was heard to say, ‘I asked Molly. She checked her police thing and she said it was a *****’,” the court heard. Police systems then identified that Bury had viewed logs on a police-issued Samsung device while off duty. Nicola Bulley, 45, was found dead in the River Wyre in 2023 – Family handout/PA Investigations revealed Bury, who was nicknamed “hot cop” by locals after a crime prevention workshop, had been accessing the police logs between October 2019 and March 2023 to share “idle gossip” for ‘‘no policing purpose”. She also obtained information on the death of a baby, a stabbing and a preplanned arrest of a robbery suspect. She admitted she had been “stupid and nosey” but insisted she was not “malicious”. Most of the information was accessed when she was on annual or sick leave. Bury resigned from the force while under investigation, Lancashire police said. Had she not already resigned she would have been dismissed, a misconduct hearing last year found. Bulley, 45, was found dead in the River Wyre at St Michael’s on Wyre in February 2023 following a three-week search which provoked wild speculation on social media. A coroner later concluded she had drowned after accidentally falling into the water while walking her dog. Molly Bury resigned from the force while under investigation, Lancashire police said. – Cavendish Press 32 charges of unauthorised access to logs Bury, a mother of one from Accrington in Lancashire, appeared at Chester magistrates’ court and admitted to 32 charges of unauthorised access to police logs. Police raided Bury’s home and recovered a mobile phone which showed she had sent confidential information about various police incidents. In October 2019, she sent details about a stabbing incident which she had attended to a friend named Elliott, saying: “The lad from [the] stabbing survived.” She later sent him further messages saying: “A hit and run just came in. Woman probably going to die. Car drove onto the pavement into this lad and girl.” In a further message regarding a dead baby found in December 2019, Bury said: “Oh my God, it is a one-year-old child.” On a day off she sent further texts, saying to Elliott: “Undercover police are outside your address,” to which he replied: “F— the feds.” At 10.59am on January 29 2023, Bury was on a sick day when her friend, a woman named Amy Sanderson, asked: “Any update on Nicky?” to which she replied: “I will get in s— if they see me checking,” Ms McCoubrey told the court. Ms McCoubrey added: “At 11.01am, she accessed the Samsung device and searched again and a further message was sent regarding Nicola Bulley.” St Michael’s residents hold up cards during the search for Bulley, which provoked speculation on social media – Warren Smith “At 6.33pm, Ms Sanderson sent a message saying ‘Any update?’ and Bury replied: ‘I have not checked. I cannot keep checking. I will get into trouble.’” Ms McCoubrey told the court: “It is difficult to assess the harm as we do not know what the outcome was from accessing that information. She was spreading gossip or sensitive information. There was no policing purposes for this defendant to access the logs on these occasions.” Bury was also ordered to complete 30 days of rehabilitation activity and pay £154 in costs and surcharge. Deputy Senior District Judge Tan Ikram said: “These are not corrupt messages. There is no money involved. There is no suggestion this is a criminal fraternity. “She clearly knew what she was doing was wrong, but the harm is damage to the reputation of police and confidence in policing. It was immature gossiping throughout. She was doing work without any insight into the job. It was tittle tattle nonsense much of it.” Det Ch Insp Pete Reil, from the force’s anti-corruption unit, said: “Molly Bury’s behaviour fell way below what the constabulary expects and what the public would expect of a serving police officer. “I want to make it clear that the overwhelming majority of police officers in Lancashire are law abiding, respectful and go to work to make a difference in the communities in which they serve. “Where there is any evidence of wrongdoing by an officer or staff member, our [anti-corruption unit] will identify it, investigate it and work with the Crown Prosecution Service to take the appropriate action.” Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Source link #Female #officer #nicknamed #hot #cop #leaked #details #Nicola #Bulley Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Mexico Releases Cartel Operatives, Including Rafael Caro Quintero, Into U.S. Custody – The New York Times Mexico Releases Cartel Operatives, Including Rafael Caro Quintero, Into U.S. Custody – The New York Times Mexico Releases Cartel Operatives, Including Rafael Caro Quintero, Into U.S. Custody The New York TimesMexico extradites notorious drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero and dozens of cartel members to the US CNNFBI most wanted drug lord among 29 cartel figures sent from Mexico to US as Trump turns up pressure on organisations Sky NewsMexico sends major drug capos to US as Trump tariff threat looms Reuters CanadaDEA agent Kiki Camarena was murdered in Mexico in 1985. His alleged killer is now in the U.S. CBS News Source link #Mexico #Releases #Cartel #Operatives #Including #Rafael #Caro #Quintero #U.S #Custody #York #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Andrew Ellison-led RDG grabs more Mineral Resources money for troubled Lucky Bay garnet mine Andrew Ellison-led RDG grabs more Mineral Resources money for troubled Lucky Bay garnet mine The heavily indebted Mineral Resources has seen more money funnelled into a cash-burning garnet mine run by Chris Ellison’s brother. Source link #Andrew #Ellisonled #RDG #grabs #Mineral #Resources #money #troubled #Lucky #Bay #garnet Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Elon Musk says upgrade of FAA’s air traffic control system is failing and SpaceX needs to take over Verizon’s contract Elon Musk says upgrade of FAA’s air traffic control system is failing and SpaceX needs to take over Verizon’s contract Elon Musk said Thursday that Verizon’s efforts to provide a critically needed upgrade to the FAA’s air traffic control system is failing. And he said that it is important that Starlink, a unit of his SpaceX satellite and rocket company, take over. “The Verizon communication system to air traffic control is breaking down very rapidly,” he said in a post on his social media platform X. “The FAA assessment is single digit months to catastrophic failure, putting air traveler safety at serious risk.” “The situation is extremely dire,” Musk added. It was not immediately clear what FAA risk assessment Musk was referring to in his post. Verizon has a massive $2.4 billion contract to provide a long-sought upgrade to the FAA’s communications system, known as the FAA Enterprise Network Services, or FENS, program. Asked about Musk’s statement, the FAA issued a statement saying “Regarding the FENS program, no decisions have been made.” Earlier this week the FAA confirmed it is testing three Starlink terminals. Musk said those terminals were sent to the FAA at no cost to the agency or taxpayers at this time. He added that the shipment of terminals was done “on an emergency basis to restore air traffic control connectivity.” Verizon said another company – not Verizon – is running the FAA systems currently in place. “Our Company is working on building the next generation system for the FAA which will support the agency’s mission for safe and secure air travel,” said Verizon spokesman Rich Young. “We are at the beginning of a multi-year contract to replace antiquated, legacy systems. Our teams have been working with the FAA’s technology teams and our solution stands ready to be deployed. We continue to partner with the FAA on achieving its modernization objectives.” The company Verizon mentioned as running the current FAA equipment, and the FAA, did not have an immediate reply to requests for reaction to the Verizon statement. There is no dispute that the FAA’s various computer and communications systems are badly in need of an upgrade. A December report by the Government Accountability Office was entitled “urgent FAA actions are needed to modernize aging systems.” The Verizon contract for $2.4 billion was awarded by the FAA two years ago. The agency said it is designed to “usher in a new era in national air system and administrative telecommunications.” The Washington Post, citing two unidentified sources, reported Thursday that the agency was on the verge of canceling the contract and giving it to SpaceX. Musk appeared to confirm the Post report with his statement on X, which was retweeting an earlier post by someone else that said, “The FAA is on the verge of canceling Verizon’s bloated $2.4 billion contract and handing it to Starlink — a move that would bring faster, safer, and more reliable air traffic control services.” Story Continues Such a move could face legal challenges, as canceling federal contracts is a complex process that can take a year or more, the paper reported. It would be a large financial award for SpaceX at a time when Musk is leading Trump administration efforts to make massive cuts in federal spending, including staffing and spending at the FAA. The contract could also raise new questions about conflicts of interest for Musk’s role recommending cuts in agencies with which his businesses have contracts or which have regulatory oversight of his businesses. The FAA is among the agencies that oversees the operations of SpaceX. Air traffic safety has gotten a new focus from the public in recent weeks due to a series of crashes involving commercial jet, including the fatal ****** of a military helicopter and a regional jet on final approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, a fatal ****** that killed all 10 people aboard a small jet in Alaska, a Delta regional airline flight that flipped over and burst into flames upon landing in Toronto and a near collision on the runway of Midway Airport between a Southwest Airlines jet that had to abort a landing when a private jet improperly crossed in front of it. The causes of all those incidents are under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and there is no indication that problems with the Verizon systems played any role in any of the incidents. But soon after the fatal ****** in Washington, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that he had had discussions with Musk and that he was going to help the FAA “remake our airspace” and “do it quickly.” CNN’s Pete Muntean and Alexandra Skores contributed to this report. This story has been updated with additional reporting and context. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Source link #Elon #Musk #upgrade #FAAs #air #traffic #control #system #failing #SpaceX #Verizons #contract Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Why Scam Centers in Southeast Asia Keep Flourishing – The New York Times Why Scam Centers in Southeast Asia Keep Flourishing – The New York Times Why Scam Centers in Southeast Asia Keep Flourishing The New York TimesThailand’s scam centre crackdown not enough, top lawmaker warns Reuters84 Indonesians taken out of scam centers in Myanmar are set to go home YahooWhy 44 Kenyans are still stranded in Myanmar Nation84 Indonesians freed from scam centers in Myanmar are set to go home KPRC Click2Houston Source link #Scam #Centers #Southeast #Asia #Flourishing #York #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Edmond ‘Monty’ Margjini: Four charges over historical machete home invasion dropped by police Edmond ‘Monty’ Margjini: Four charges over historical machete home invasion dropped by police A former Sword Boy turned construction union official has walked from court pounding his chest after charges over an historical armed home invasion against him were dropped. Source link #Edmond #Monty #Margjini #charges #historical #machete #home #invasion #dropped #police Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Asian shares skid, hit by AI doubts and Trump tariff hikes Asian shares skid, hit by AI doubts and Trump tariff hikes BANGKOK (AP) — Shares retreated Friday in Asia, with benchmarks in Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea falling more than 2% after Wall Street indexes fell sharply on doubts over the frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology. President Donald Trump ’s decision to push ahead with 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada and to double tariffs on ******** products to 20% also left investors reeling. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index lost 3.4% to 36,939.89, pulled lower by plunging prices for shares in technology companies. Computer chip test equipment maker Advantest sank 9.4%, Disco Corp., another equipment maker, lost 11.1% and Tokyo Electron shed 5.3%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index lost 2.3% to 23,175.49, while the Shanghai Composite index lost 0.9% to 3,358.28. South Korea’s Kospi gave up 3.2% to 2,538.07. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 shed 1.1% to 8,174.10. On Thursday, the S&P 500 sank 1.6% to 5,861.57 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.4% to 43,239.50. The Nasdaq composite tumbled 2.8% to 18,544.42. The S&P 500 has fallen five out of the past six trading sessions after setting an all-time high last week. Concerns about the U.S. economic outlook have been behind much of the drop, including worries over how tariffs could worsen inflation and mass layoffs of government workers could increase unemployment. Superstar stock Nvidia, one of Wall Street’s most influential companies that’s been leading the market for years, lost 8.5% after initially rising at the open of trading following a better-than-expected profit report. Better-than-expected earnings reports have become routine for Nvidia, whose chips are powering the surge into artificial-intelligence technology, but this was the company’s first since China’s DeepSeek shook the entire AI industry by saying it has a large language model that can compete with the world’s best without using the most expensive chips. A 1.7% rise for Berkshire Hathaway, the company run by famed investor Warren Buffett, was one of the strongest upward forces on the index. The owner of Geico, BNSF railroad and other businesses has built a hoard of unused cash recently. That could indicate Buffett, who’s famous for buying stocks when prices are low, may not see much worth purchasing in a market that critics say looks too expensive. Treasury yields swung following Trump’s latest announcement on tariffs. He said “the proposed TARIFFS scheduled to go into effect on MARCH FOURTH will, indeed, go into effect, as scheduled” for imports from Canada and Mexico. He also said he would add an another 10% tariff to current 10% tariffs on ******** products on that date. Story Continues Such moves could push up prices for U.S. households when inflation has already proven to be stubborn. Wall Street has been hoping the threats are merely leverage that Trump will use to negotiate with other countries before ultimately inflicting less pain on the economy than feared. But even if that proves to be the case, all the talk on tariffs has already gotten U.S. households to feel more nervous about the economy. That’s dangerous because their strong spending has been a main reason the U.S. economy has avoided a recession. Such uncertainty also pressures the Federal Reserve, which has few if any tools to help an economy where growth is slowing and inflation is rising at the same time. For now, at least, the U.S. economy appears to be in solid shape. The government on Thursday left alone its estimate for the U.S. economy’s performance during the last three months of 2024, though it raised its estimate for a measure of inflation during the quarter. A separate report said more U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week. While the number is at a three-month high, it’s still nowhere close to where it’s been in past recessions. In other trading early Friday, U.S. benchmark crude oil lost 32 cents to $70.03 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, the international standard, handed back 33 cents, to $73.24 per barrel. The U.S. dollar fell to 149.55 Japanese yen from 149.82 yen late Thursday. The euro slipped to $1.0390 from $1.0401. ___ AP Business Writers Stan Choe and Matt Ott contributed. Source link #Asian #shares #skid #hit #doubts #Trump #tariff #hikes Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Xiaomi 15 Ultra With Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, Leica-Tuned Quad Camera Setup Launched: Price, Specifications Xiaomi 15 Ultra With Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, Leica-Tuned Quad Camera Setup Launched: Price, Specifications Xiaomi 15 Ultra was launched in China on Thursday (February 27), joining the Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Pro in the company’s flagship smartphone lineup. It arrives ahead of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 in Barcelona as the successor to last year’s Xiaomi 14 Ultra. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra, like the other phones in the Xiaomi 14 series, is powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC and ships with the new HyperOS 2 user interface. Xiaomi 15 Ultra Price Xiaomi 15 Ultra price starts at CNY 6,499 (roughly Rs. 78,000) for the 12GB + 256GB storage configuration, while the 16GB + 512GB and 16GB + 1TB variants are priced at CNY 6,999 (roughly Rs. 84,000) and CNY 7,799 (roughly Rs. 93,000), respectively. The phone is offered in multiple colourways — classic ****** and silver, pine and cypress green, ******, and white. Along with the handset, Xiaomi also offers a Professional imaging kit as an accessory which retails for CNY 999 (roughly Rs. 12,000). Xiaomi 15 Ultra Specifications The dual SIM (Nano) Xiaomi 15 Ultra runs on the company’s Android 15-based HyperOS 2 operating system (OS). It sports a 6.73-inch (1440 x 3200 pixels) LTPO AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and 3,200 nits peak brightness. The panel is claimed to offer a 300Hz touch sampling rate and support for HDR 10+ as well as Dolby Vision. It is powered by Qualcomm’s flagship octa-core 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset having a maximum clock speed of 4.32GHz under the hood, paired with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, up to 1TB of UFS 4.1 storage, and Adreno 830 GPU. For optics, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is equipped with a quad rear camera system placed within a centred, circular module. It comprises a 1-inch 50-megapixel Sony LYT900 primary sensor with optical image stabilisation (OIS) and a fixed f/1.63 aperture, a 50-megapixel Sony IMX858 sensor with f/1.8 aperture, 3x optical zoom, and 75mm focal length, a 200-megapixel Samsung ISOCELL HP9 telephoto sensor with 100mm focal length, and f/2.6 aperture, and a 50-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera with f/2.2 aperture and 115-degree field-of-view (FoV). The phone is capable of recording videos in up to 8K/30fps or 4K/60fps. It also gets a 32-megapixel front camera with f/2.0 aperture for selfies and video calls. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra packs a 6,000mAh battery with 90W (wired) and 80W (wireless) fast charging. It also supports reverse wireless charging. Connectivity options on the smartphone include 5G, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, NavIC, and USB Type-C. For security, it is equipped with an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor. The handset also has an IP68 rating for dust and splash resistance. In terms of dimensions, the ****** and white variants of the phone measure 161.3mm x 75.3mm x 9.35mm and weigh 226g. Meanwhile, its other variants have an increased 9.48mm thickness and 229g weight. Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details. Source link #Xiaomi #Ultra #Snapdragon #Elite #SoC #LeicaTuned #Quad #Camera #Setup #Launched #Price #Specifications Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Stephen Curry erupts for 56, sinks 12 3's to rally Warriors – ESPN Stephen Curry erupts for 56, sinks 12 3's to rally Warriors – ESPN Stephen Curry erupts for 56, sinks 12 3’s to rally Warriors ESPNSteph Curry lights up Orlando with season-high 56 points, including 12 3-pointers NBA.ComStephen Curry drops season-high 56 points and 12 3-pointers, including buzzer-beater from beyond halfcourt Yahoo SportsSteph Curry’s 56 points lead Warriors past Magic Golden State of MindWhat we learned as Steph erupts for 56 win Warriors’ comeback win NBC Sports Bay Area Source link #Stephen #Curry #erupts #sinks #3039s #rally #Warriors #ESPN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Xiaomi 15 Ultra With Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, Leica-Tuned Quad Camera Setup Launched: Price, Specifications Xiaomi 15 Ultra With Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, Leica-Tuned Quad Camera Setup Launched: Price, Specifications Xiaomi 15 Ultra was launched in China on Thursday (February 27), joining the Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Pro in the company’s flagship smartphone lineup. It arrives ahead of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 in Barcelona as the successor to last year’s Xiaomi 14 Ultra. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra, like the other phones in the Xiaomi 14 series, is powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC and ships with the new HyperOS 2 user interface. Xiaomi 15 Ultra Price Xiaomi 15 Ultra price starts at CNY 6,499 (roughly Rs. 78,000) for the 12GB + 256GB storage configuration, while the 16GB + 512GB and 16GB + 1TB variants are priced at CNY 6,999 (roughly Rs. 84,000) and CNY 7,799 (roughly Rs. 93,000), respectively. The phone is offered in multiple colourways — classic ****** and silver, pine and cypress green, ******, and white. Along with the handset, Xiaomi also offers a Professional imaging kit as an accessory which retails for CNY 999 (roughly Rs. 12,000). Xiaomi 15 Ultra Specifications The dual SIM (Nano) Xiaomi 15 Ultra runs on the company’s Android 15-based HyperOS 2 operating system (OS). It sports a 6.73-inch (1440 x 3200 pixels) LTPO AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and 3,200 nits peak brightness. The panel is claimed to offer a 300Hz touch sampling rate and support for HDR 10+ as well as Dolby Vision. It is powered by Qualcomm’s flagship octa-core 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset having a maximum clock speed of 4.32GHz under the hood, paired with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, up to 1TB of UFS 4.1 storage, and Adreno 830 GPU. For optics, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is equipped with a quad rear camera system placed within a centred, circular module. It comprises a 1-inch 50-megapixel Sony LYT900 primary sensor with optical image stabilisation (OIS) and a fixed f/1.63 aperture, a 50-megapixel Sony IMX858 sensor with f/1.8 aperture, 3x optical zoom, and 75mm focal length, a 200-megapixel Samsung ISOCELL HP9 telephoto sensor with 100mm focal length, and f/2.6 aperture, and a 50-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera with f/2.2 aperture and 115-degree field-of-view (FoV). The phone is capable of recording videos in up to 8K/30fps or 4K/60fps. It also gets a 32-megapixel front camera with f/2.0 aperture for selfies and video calls. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra packs a 6,000mAh battery with 90W (wired) and 80W (wireless) fast charging. It also supports reverse wireless charging. Connectivity options on the smartphone include 5G, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, NavIC, and USB Type-C. For security, it is equipped with an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor. The handset also has an IP68 rating for dust and splash resistance. In terms of dimensions, the ****** and white variants of the phone measure 161.3mm x 75.3mm x 9.35mm and weigh 226g. Meanwhile, its other variants have an increased 9.48mm thickness and 229g weight. Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details. Source link #Xiaomi #Ultra #Snapdragon #Elite #SoC #LeicaTuned #Quad #Camera #Setup #Launched #Price #Specifications Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Toure fuelled by group chat rev-up and trainer promise Toure fuelled by group chat rev-up and trainer promise A WhatsApp group connecting some of Australia’s most-gifted exports and the promise of a pair of trainers has helped Young Socceroos striker Musa Toure hit top form en route to the U20 Asian Cup final. Toure has been on fire for Australia, who meet Saudi Arabia in Saturday’s final (10.30pm AEDT) in Shenzhen, China. The 20-year-old scored the opening goal in a 2-0 semi-final win over Japan and played a key role in the lead-up to Jaylan Pearman’s winner. It represents Australia’s first shot at lifting an Asian trophy at any age group since Socceroos won the senior tournament in 2015. With three goals to his name in the tournament so far, Toure has played a key role in the Young Socceroos’ fortunes in qualifying for this year’s World Cup in Chile. And he has been able to keep pushing himself further courtesy of a group chat where a litany of Australia’s future stars offer each other words of encouragement. “In there, there’s Nestory Irankunda, Garang Kuol, Tete Yengi, Rhys Youlley, Raphael Borges Rodrigues, Yaya Dukuly, Ariath Piol,” Toure told AAP. “(After the Japan win) I went back into the changing room and saw my phone and everyone was jumping in (with comments) saying how happy they were. “To have everyone watching and having those boys supporting me is amazing. “We are always pushing each other and will say, ‘Oh, you won’t do this’. It gives us the belief to go do new things in the game.” Toure has found belief hard to come by in recent months. A move to French side Clermont didn’t pan out the way he would have liked but he is hopeful reuniting with older brother Mohamed at Danish top-flight club Randers can bring the best out of him. Mohamed has been following the Young Socceroos’ fortunes, promising his younger brother a pair of trainers if he moves ahead of South Korea’s Tae-won Kim (four goals) and lands the competition’s golden boot award. “Mohamed told me if I become the top goalscorer he’d buy me any trainers I want,” said the younger Toure, who has already eyed off a pair of Louis Vuitton sneakers. “I’m one goal off it and I think it can happen. “The win comes first and if the goals come it comes. Mohamed is doing well, his (goal) bonus is crazy.” Toure’s move to Randers happened while he was away in Young Socceroos camp in China. After Saturday’s final, he will have to return to France, empty his apartment, and then relocate to Denmark where he hopes he and his brother can become a devastating duo. “I didn’t play with him in the A-League but from juniors and NPL we’ve been together our whole life,” Toure said. “I know what we can do with each other … it’s going to be fun to play with him again.” Source link #Toure #fuelled #group #chat #revup #trainer #promise Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Trump Stuns British Prime Minister With Mind-Boggling Russia Question Trump Stuns British Prime Minister With Mind-Boggling Russia Question Donald Trump awkwardly joked to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer about hanging his country out to dry in a war against Russia, leaving the close U.S. ally speechless. During a joint press conference Thursday, Starmer was describing the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom as “the greatest alliance for prosperity and security” that the world had ever seen. “Whenever necessary, we’ve absolutely backed each other up—” Starmer said, before the president interjected. “Could you take on Russia by yourselves?” Trump asked, turning to Starmer. “Well, heh,” said Starmer laughing. Trump broke into a smile, laughing along with the press. “Alright, one or two more,” Trump said, changing the subject. Trump’s unsettling joke comes as the all-too-eager U.S. president and Russian President Vladimir Putin cozy up together, amid high-stakes negotiations to end Russia’s deadly invasion of Ukraine—showing just how willing the Trump administration is to throw its allies to the dogs at Moscow’s command. Starmer’s visit led to several bumpy moments between the two world leaders. At one point, Trump hinted at a tense discussion between himself and Starmer. “You’ve been terrific in our discussions. You’re a very tough negotiator, however. I’m not sure I like that—but that’s OK,” Trump said. At another point, when asked to respond to Trump’s comments about making Canada the fifty-first state, Starmer tried to reply, before being forcefully cut off by the president. “You mentioned Canada. I think you’re trying to find a divide between us that doesn’t exist,” Starmer said. “We’re the closest of nations, and we had very good discussions today, but we didn’t—” “That’s enough,” Trump interjected. “That’s enough. Thank you.” Last month, Elon Musk set his sights on unseating Starmer, consulting with his right-wing allies to devise a strategy to oust the Labour Party’s leader. Source link #Trump #Stuns #British #Prime #Minister #MindBoggling #Russia #Question Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Balatro Review- Gamerhub *** Balatro Review- Gamerhub *** Know when to hold them, know when to fold them. Know when to love this game. Source link #Balatro #Review #Gamerhub Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What The Economic Blackout Reveals About Our Changing Food Economy – Forbes What The Economic Blackout Reveals About Our Changing Food Economy – Forbes What The Economic Blackout Reveals About Our Changing Food Economy ForbesWhy Consumers Are Planning an ‘Economic Blackout’ on Feb. 28 TIMEConsumers are planning a one-day economic blackout on Feb. 28. Here’s what to know. USA TODAY Source link #Economic #Blackout #Reveals #Changing #Food #Economy #Forbes Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Weekly Famitsu Charts: Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii tops charts with 100,000 units sold Weekly Famitsu Charts: Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii tops charts with 100,000 units sold Famitsu has published its estimated physical game software data for Japan for the week of February 17, 2025 to February 23, 2025. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii was the highest selling new release of the week, opening at 68,219 copies on PlayStation 5 and 36,942 copies on PlayStation 4 for a total of 105,161 retail copies sold. Source link #Weekly #Famitsu #Charts #Dragon #Pirate #Yakuza #Hawaii #tops #charts #units #sold Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Mitchell Moses signs monster extension with the Eels, club now turns its focus to trying to keep Dylan Brown Mitchell Moses signs monster extension with the Eels, club now turns its focus to trying to keep Dylan Brown One half of Parramatta’s contract conundrum has been sorted, with captain Mitchell Moses agreeing to a new five-year deal that will likely keep him in the blue and gold jersey for life. Moses had signed a monster extension back in 2023 to keep him at the club until 2026 with a player option for a further two seasons, but this new deal removes all the clauses and ensures one of the best halfbacks in the world is locked in long term for an extra year. It’s a huge boost for the Eels who are also fighting to keep five-eighth Dylan Brown, who has been offered unheard of numbers to join a rival club if he decides to pass on his player option to remain at Parramatta. Moses joined the Eels midway through the 2017 season after he left the Wests Tigers, with the livewire playmaker starring for the Blues and Kangaroos last year in what was an otherwise frustrating season where injuries limited him to just eight club appearances. It’s also a ringing endorsement for rookie coach Jason Ryles, who played a key role in convincing Moses that the future is bright. Camera IconMitch Moses has signed a new deal to stay with the Eels until the end of the 2029 season. NRL Photos Credit: Supplied “Mitch has been in consistently good form for many years now but none better than 2024. The way he performed in Origin last year was outstanding and proved that he belongs in that arena,” Eels general manager of football Mark O’Neill said. “Being recently appointed captain continues the evolution of his development and is a very proud moment for him, his family and our club. “Having a player of Mitch’s calibre commit the rest of his career to the Eels is fantastic news for his teammates, our partners, members and the entire Eels community.” Attention will now turn to his halves partner who has until round 10 to activate his clause to stay, but Eels fans can rest easy knowing their new skipper is at least locked in that will allow the club to build around Moses. “He’s a competitor and he wears his heart on his sleeve,” new recruit Zac Lomax said. “He shows how emotional he can get sometimes, and that’s because he wants to win, and that’s what brings the best out of him. “He showed in the State of Origin series just how important he is to a team, and he’s at the point now where he’s ready to take his game to the next level. “He’s one of my really good mates, so I can’t wait to play on the same edge.” Source link #Mitchell #Moses #signs #monster #extension #Eels #club #turns #focus #Dylan #Brown Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

My Night Job review | Loot Level Chill My Night Job review | Loot Level Chill Sean Smith: “For all of its flaws, I have some love for My Night Job thanks to the “one more go” appeal, leaderboards, and overall humour and aesthetic.” Source link #Night #Job #review #Loot #Level #Chill Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Asian markets tumble as Trump tariff salvo fans fresh fears Asian markets tumble as Trump tariff salvo fans fresh fears Asian markets tracked losses across the world Friday as US President Donald Trump’s volley of tariff measures sparked fresh fears about a global trade war that could hammer struggling economies. Disappointing earnings from chip darling Nvidia added to the sense of unease on trading floors, with investors questioning their positions after China’s DeepSeek upended a blockbuster rally in the US tech sector. Economists are increasingly concerned for the world outlook owing to Trump’s insistence on hammering partners blamed for unfair practices, drug trafficking and immigration issues — and warning of levies on key sectors including auto, semiconductors and commodities. That has sent shivers through major exporter countries from the Americas to Europe to East Asia. After a relatively upbeat month on markets, Trump dealt a fresh blow this week, confirming that 25 percent tariffs on Mexico and Canada would go into effect on March 4, while China would face a further 10 percent levy. He had also warned the European Union that it could be hit with 25 percent duties. “Tariffs are back in the crosshairs, and a market that had reduced its sensitivity to recent tariff headlines has had to reconsider that reaction function,” said Chris Weston, of Pepperstone Group. Asian markets were on course to end a volatile week on a down note. Tokyo briefly shed three percent, while Shanghai, Sydney, Seoul, Singapore, Wellington, Manila and Jakarta were all well in the red. Hong Kong was off more than one percent, with high-flying tech firms also weighed by profit-taking at the end of a blockbuster February that has helped the Hang Seng Index to a three-year high. Market uncertainty has also dealt a blow to the crypto sphere, with bitcoin diving below $80,000 for the first time since November, well off the levels above $109,000 touched last month. The losses followed a painful day on Wall Street, where the Nasdaq dived more than three percent as US tech firms — led by the so-called Magnificent 7 — continue to suffer a pull-back following a long-running rally fuelled by investors’ voracious appetite for all things linked to AI. A number of weak economic readings recently have started to stoke concerns that the world’s top economy is slowing down, just as analysts warn that Trump’s plans to slash taxes, regulations and immigration will reignite inflation. “A macro storm is brewing as a barrage of high-stakes economic data collides with escalating trade tensions, putting markets on edge as February draws to a chaotic close,” said Stephen Innes at SPI Asset Management. “The AI darlings that led Wall Street’s charge over the past two years are suddenly looking vulnerable, with macro headwinds shifting sentiment from ‘unstoppable’ to deeply ‘unsettled’. “Nvidia’s post-earnings sell-off was a canary in the coal mine, signalling that even top-tier growth names are struggling to find footing in this environment.” And Saxo markets’ Charu Chanana added: “While the Magnificent 7 have dominated US markets, China’s tech landscape offers compelling alternatives, particularly as Beijing increases support for the sector. “With regulatory pressures easing and AI, cloud computing, and semiconductors driving growth, investors are looking at China’s version of big tech and beyond.” – Key figures around 0230 GMT – Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 2.8 percent at 37,182.09 (break) Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 1.5 percent at 23,364.28 Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.5 percent at 3,370.52 Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0384 from $1.0398 on Thursday Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2584 from $1.2600 Dollar/yen: DOWN at 149.52 from 149.79 yen Euro/pound: DOWN at 82.51 pence from 82.52 pence West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.5 percent at $70.02 per barrel Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.4 percent at $73.74 per barrel New York – Dow: DOWN 0.5 percent at 43,239.50 (close) London – FTSE 100: UP 0.3 percent at 8,756.21 (close) dan/lb Source link #Asian #markets #tumble #Trump #tariff #salvo #fans #fresh #fears Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Ora Banda eyes record year as gold mine overperforms in WA Ora Banda eyes record year as gold mine overperforms in WA Fresh off a record half of gold revenue, Ora Banda Mining has continued its smooth transition to become a high-grade underground miner, with its Sand King underground ramping up production and over-delivering on gold returns from its Davyhurst project in Western Australia. The company says it has successfully processed its first batch of Sand King ore through the 1.2-million-tonne per annum Davyhurst mill, with both the reconciled gold grade and metal recovery exceeding expectations at the recently opened underground mine. Ora Banda believes the high-grade deposit is shaping up beyond the company’s initial estimates, with early grade control drilling indicating a 19 per cent uplift in gold endowment, growing it from 17,000 ounces to 21,000 ounces. Management has attributed the increase to some newly identified discrete ore lodes and three high-yield “blow-out” zones – significant intersections where multiple mineralised structures converge, creating bulk mining opportunities. Stand-out hits in the blow-out zones, identified via 10,844m of drilling, included 7.2 metres running at a juicy 17.0 grams per tonne (g/t) gold, a smaller 2.5m intercept grading 16g/t and a meaty 6.8m going 8.3g/t gold. The company says stoping at Sand King is on track to begin this quarter, with the growing underground mine on course to hit steady-state production by June. It believes the continued solid results from both its Riverina and Sand King undergrounds indicate the company is well on its way to achieving its 150,000-ounce annual production target. The “drive to 150” milestone would denote the third consecutive year the company has over-performed on its guidance, reflecting a significant turnaround for the established goldie from nearly three years ago. The seamless ramp up of Sand King Underground towards steady-state production has been a credit to the operational and planning teams and demonstrates Ora Banda’s capability to find and rapidly advance underground opportunities. It is great to see the development ore reconciling positively compared to FID assumptions, and exciting that early grade control drilling shows a potential uplift in the gold endowment of the deposit. Under Mr Creagh’s leadership, Ora Banda has evolved from a flat-lining producer of 12,000 ounces per quarter at a grade of 1.5g/t to being on track to pour more than 30,000 ounces per quarter at nearly three times the grade. The company is also confident it can achieve further resource growth at its other major underground mine Riverina, where additional diamond rigs continue to uncover high-grade discoveries and extensions to the south of the existing underground development. Since breaking ground at Sand King last August, Ora Banda’s mine development has advanced swiftly, with some 1866m of development completed, including 676m of decline development. Following the intersection of first ore in December, the company has developed 558m across six separate ore lodes on the first production level. As the transformation to full-blown underground miner continues for Ora Banda, it appears to have hit a sweet spot with its efficient, high-grade gold operation. A self-funded expansion strategy and record-breaking gold price environment has this gold market darling on track to nail another production milestone on its path to 150,000-ounce annual gold production. Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: *****@*****.tld Source link #Ora #Banda #eyes #record #year #gold #overperforms Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

China’s Xiaomi prices luxury electric sedan 35% lower than initially promoted China’s Xiaomi prices luxury electric sedan 35% lower than initially promoted BEIJING (Reuters) -China’s Xiaomi on Thursday slashed its initial sticker price for its luxury electric sedan SU7 Ultra by over a third to 529,900 yuan ($72,931.72), mounting a ******* challenge to the likes of Tesla and Porsche in the world’s largest auto market. The ******** electronics manufacturer turned automaker started taking pre-orders for the car at the end of October at a sticker price of 814,900 yuan, but CEO Lei Jun said at the car’s official launch in Beijing on Thursday that it was now cutting that price by 35%. Lei said drivers of BMW 5 series, Audi A6 and Mercedes-Benz E-class cars were showing interest in the SU7 Ultra but thought it was a bit too expensive, as their cars sold for 500,000 and 600,000 yuan. “Our mission is that we should let more people who like us afford luxury cars. Then after discussions for three to four months, we’ve decided on the price of 529,900 yuan.” After the event, Xiaomi said it had received 6,900 orders for the car within 10 minutes. Xiaomi entered China’s crowded EV market last year with the launch of its hit SU7, a Porsche lookalike starting at less than $30,000. The SU7 outsold Tesla’s Model 3 in the fourth quarter of last year, a trend that has been extended to 2025. The SU7 Ultra was initially priced to be on par with the Tesla Model S Plaid, that sells for 814,900 yuan ($114,200) in China, and Xiaomi said in October that it outperformed the Porsche Taycan Turbo in acceleration and top speed specifications. The SU7 Ultra has more premium exterior and interior materials, seats and audio speakers compared to other cheaper SU7 models, Lei said. A limited-edition of the SU7 Ultra luxury EV, whose specifications are yet to be disclosed, still sells for 814,900 yuan. Buyers placing orders for the SU7 Ultra before the end of March are entitled to perks including lifelong free access to Xiaomi HAD end-to-end intelligent driving system that retails for 26,000 yuan, said Lei. Lei also took aim at Tesla, making reference to the U.S. carmaker’s update to its autopilot software in China, which “has gone viral over the past two days, but still needs (users) to pay more than 60,000 yuan,” he said. The Tesla update disappointed some Tesla owners who complained on social media that it fell short of CEO Elon Musk’s promises to bring full Autopilot and FSD systems to China. ($1 = 7.2657 ******** yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Qiaoyi Li, Che Pan and Brenda GohEditing by David Goodman and Susan Fenton) Source link #Chinas #Xiaomi #prices #luxury #electric #sedan #initially #promoted Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Andrew and Tristan Tate ‘not welcome’ in Florida says governor Ron DeSantis as brothers arrive in US: Live – The Independent Andrew and Tristan Tate ‘not welcome’ in Florida says governor Ron DeSantis as brothers arrive in US: Live – The Independent Andrew and Tristan Tate ‘not welcome’ in Florida says governor Ron DeSantis as brothers arrive in US: Live The IndependentWhat to know about the Tate brothers, social media influencers who face trafficking charges The Associated PressTrump Helps Alleged Sex Trafficker Andrew Tate Cross Border Into U.S. The InterceptAndrew Tate, brother Tristan return to US after Romanian prosecutors lift travel ban in trafficking case Fox News Source link #Andrew #Tristan #Tate #Florida #governor #Ron #DeSantis #brothers #arrive #Live #Independent Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

JACKSON HEWETT: BlackRock reveals five key forces it says will shape our financial future in years to come JACKSON HEWETT: BlackRock reveals five key forces it says will shape our financial future in years to come President Trump’s latest tariff tirade is finally starting to hit home. When the Don won the election in November, markets soared. Investors saw an administration championing low regulation, low taxes with a pro-business agenda that would juice company earnings. What they have been delivered is a grab bag of ideologues who professed to be free-market libertarians but have turned out to be the worst kind of interventionists with little regard for the importance of the institutions of government that have underpinned American exceptionalism. Now markets are starting to crack, which may encourage the President to temper some of the bull-in-a-china-shop energy of the first month of his administration. If he doesn’t, watch out. The four main US indices — the Dow, the NASDAQ, the S&P 500, and the Russell 2000, representing the gamut of companies from the largest industrials, tech firms, and small and medium corporations — began the year with bullish energy, with some bourses up an extraordinary 50 per cent over the previous two years. After such a meteoric rise, it is not unusual to see some of the heat coming out, but this selloff has been very broad-based. Since mid-February, when Trump’s tariff proposals really ramped up, the NASDAQ has fallen four per cent, the Dow, 3.3 per cent, the S&P 500, 2.5 per cent, and, perhaps most consequentially, the Russell 2000, 6.3 per cent. Last night’s plunge was prompted by Donald Trump’s declaration that he would go ahead with 25 per cent tariffs on Mexico and Canada and slap another 10 per cent tariff on China. Even the most rusted-on MAGA supporter should now be starting to see that with tariffs applied at that rate, prices have to go up. The sentiment is spilling through to the economic readings, including a softer-than-expected consumer confidence, disappointing retail sales numbers, and a weak consumer sentiment reading. That is why the fall in the broad-based Russell Index is so prophetic. The companies in that index are concentrated on the American domestic economy, and it is there that Mr Trump’s destabilising policies will hit hardest. As The Nightly wrote on Thursday, the world’s largest fund manager, BlackRock, with $US11.5 trillion under management, has looked into the future and declared it will be an era very different from the “great moderation” with low and stable inflation that helped drive the bull market of the post-GFC era. Now BlackRock sees a universe where high tariffs and a rewiring of global supply chains will mean inflation will be high and volatile for many years to come, according to BlackRock Investment Institute’s Asia Pacific strategist Ben Powell. The five investment mega forces1. Demographic divergence Ageing populations in developed economies are set to constrain economic growth by reducing the workforce, increasing government debt, and straining healthcare and retirement systems. While AI and immigration may help fill the gap, BlackRock expects they are unlikely to fully offset these pressures. Shrinking populations can’t grow as fast as before, and retirees will continue spending even after they have stopped creating economic output, pushing up inflation. BlackRock believes the consequence is overall slower growth and persistent inflation, which could keep interest rates elevated. Governments will face higher debt servicing costs at the same time as slowing tax revenues. As an investment, healthcare sectors in the EU and the US are in vogue. In emerging markets, countries with rising populations like India, Indonesia, and Mexico, are potential growth areas with BlackRock looking at ways to expand its offerings. 2. Digital disruption and AI The great promise of AI has already borne out in the meteoric rise of chip companies like NVIDIA. BlackRock thinks of chip companies and data centres as the buildout phase of AI, with investment in data centres potentially surpassing $US700 billion each year by 2030. The buildout phase also includes infrastructure like energy, industrial real estate, and other utilities. The next phases of disruption are yet to materialise, but BlackRock sees a maturation process where software and applications will begin to emerge. Finally, the transformation process is where companies unlock the productivity gains. 3. Geopolitical fragmentation As flagged by The Nightly on Thursday, the breakdown of the global geopolitical consensus will have profound implications. Donald Trump’s hostility to multilateralism, with the country’s imposition of tariffs and retreat from global institutions like the UN and World Trade Organisation, will usher in a new era of competing geopolitical and economic blocs. BlackRock sees countries favouring national resilience and security at the expense of economic efficiency. The result is permanently higher inflation, vulnerability to economic shocks, and government investment in defence, infrastructure, and energy self-sufficiency. 4. Transition to a low-carbon economy BlackRock has moderated its view that a low-carbon priority is a core consideration of governments in the wake of Donald Trump’s election. Global equity returns for renewables-focused energy stocks have swung into the negative in the past four years, but BlackRock notes that annual renewable power investment has increased by $350 billion a year since 2019. The fund manager sees a world where energy demand will only continue to grow, with data centres and AI hyperscalers experiencing voracious energy demand. The shifting sands of policy preferences for renewables versus traditional energy means that investors will need to be nimble. 5. A new financial architecture BlackRock believes regulation, rising interest rates, and technological disruption are tearing up the traditional playbook for banks. Fintech is also shaking up the financial system, with AI, digital currencies, and asset tokenisation all playing a role in reshaping how credit is created and who controls it. It will be a high stakes game based on speed and adaptability. With interest rate rising, deposits will no longer the cheap and stable funding source they once were, forcing banks to rein in lending. That means companies will increasingly turn to capital markets, private lenders, and non-traditional sources for credit. Katie Petering, Head of Multi-Asset Investment Strategy for BlackRock Australasia, said the firm was increasingly looking to satisfy investor demand for unlisted vehicles. “All of our institutional investors have high demand for private markets. About 40 per cent of ultra-high-net-worth portfolios are allocated to private markets, and that demand is increasing,” she said. Portfolios for an unstable world While the big themes all offer opportunities for investors, they come with a caveat. Many point to a future of high inflation, slower growth, larger government debts, and political instability. As pointed out by The Nightly’s coverage yesterday, that means structurally higher interest rates into the future, driven not just by inflationary tariffs and seized-up supply chains, but by competition for capital from governments facing higher outlays for health and defence, against a money-hungry AI investment *****. For investors, BlackRock warns, it is time to get much more granular. “It’s a totally different investment situation. If you’re still using the old ‘great moderation’ mindset, you’re going to miss the new game,” Mr Powell said, while explaining they are still confident about pockets of the US market. “Our message is that the world has changed and necessitates a new investment playbook, about nuance and specificity and picking your spots,” Powell said. Source link #JACKSON #HEWETT #BlackRock #reveals #key #forces #shape #financial #future #years Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

That glowing orb is just the sun returning to Spokane That glowing orb is just the sun returning to Spokane Feb. 27—After weeks of overcast skies and precipitation, the warmth of sunshine was beginning to feel like a distant, foggy memory for Spokane residents. That is, prior to this week, when an early taste of spring brought about by warm, dry conditions. Temperatures climbed above 50 degrees for the first time this year Wednesday as the National Weather Service’s tools at Spokane International Airport recorded a high of 51, followed by a high of 55 on Thursday. The mild weather is expected to continue through Saturday, with highs near 57 forecast for the coming days. The first day of 2025 above 50 degrees occurred about a month later than last year, according to weather service data. Daily highs through Saturday are expected to be about 10 to 13 degrees higher than what is typical for this time of year, said Ken Daniel, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Spokane branch. “It’s not unusual for us to have some occasional warmer temps as we approach and work our way into spring,” Daniel said. “It’s not all together very common, but we are not setting new records or anything by the looks of it.” Daniel said while temperatures are above average, it is not an indicator that winter weather is in the rearview mirror. “I don’t want to jump the gun and say we’re through with winter conditions just yet,” Daniel said. “But we are looking at a prolonged ******* of warmer conditions, especially through Saturday.” Beginning Sunday, temperatures will likely cool and the possibility for rain will return to the forecast. Most of the week is forecast to be in the mid-to-upper 40s, which is still a bit warmer than the historical average for the Spokane area, Daniel said. “Any chances for any precipitation is looking on the lighter side of things,” Daniel said. Daniel said water temperatures across the Inland Northwest are still well below safe conditions, and likely will be for months. He advised those looking to recreate during the warmer weather Saturday to exercise caution and avoid long exposure to frigid waters. Source link #glowing #orb #sun #returning #Spokane Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]