Edge of Memories, a New JRPG, Announced for PC, PS5, and Xbox
Edge of Memories, a New JRPG, Announced for PC, PS5, and Xbox
IGN: “Introducing Edge of Memories, a new JRPG for PC, PS5, and Xbox from Nacon and developer Midgar Studio that’s being worked on by decorated team, including Chrono Trigger composer Yasunori Mitsda, NieR lyricist Emi Evans, Xenoblade Chronicles character designer Raita Kazama, and Final Fantasy XV combat designer Mitsuru Yokoyama. It’s the sequel to 2021’s Edge of Eternity.”
Source link
#Edge #Memories #JRPG #Announced #PS5 #Xbox
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Reserve Bank interest rates: Australia’s core inflation now running at 2.8 per cent
Reserve Bank interest rates: Australia’s core inflation now running at 2.8 per cent
Australia’s core inflation has posted a second monthly reading within the Reserve Bank’s target band at 2.8 per cent in the year to the end of January.
That was up slightly from 2.7 per cent in the 12 months to December, according to the *********** Bureau of Statistics data released on Wednesday.
The Reserve Bank will likely brush off the monthly data because it only gives a partial picture of inflation — with the bureau’s quarterly assessment deemed a better gauge.
Headline inflation — which includes the impact of subsidies such as power rebates — was steady at 2.5 per cent.
The fresh numbers come after the RBA last week slashed the official cash rate to 4.1 per cent.
It was followed by a warning from governor Michele Bullock not to expect another swift move downward.
Ms Bullock told Parliament just days later that core inflation would have likely undershot the RBA’s 2 to 3 per cent target band without that dose of rate relief.
She also said the central bank had moved too late lifting rates in 2022, and did not want to make the same mistake.
Among big banks, Westpac has also predicted inflation would slow significantly in coming months.
Markets had overnight tipped just a 19 per cent chance of a rate cut in April. But they have still pencilled in two more before 2025 is over.
About 44,000 new jobs were created in January, while the unemployment rate lifted from 4 per cent to 4.1 per cent.
Both employment and unemployment rose because more people were participating in the market. Roughly two in three working-age Aussies were either in work or looking.
Source link
#Reserve #Bank #interest #rates #Australias #core #inflation #running #cent
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Johnson scraps budget vote amid conservative pushback
Johnson scraps budget vote amid conservative pushback
Speaker Mike Johnson canceled a planned Tuesday evening vote on a House Republican budget plan, throwing his approach to President Donald Trump’s sweeping domestic policy agenda into serious question.
The decision to scrap the vote came after several conservative hard-liners made clear they would not support the fiscal blueprint as written. Adopting the budget measure is a key step toward passing the “big, beautiful bill” that Trump and Johnson have called for — one that includes border security, tax and energy provisions that the president campaigned on. It is unclear when or if House GOP leaders will bring the measure back up.
Given the House GOP’s tiny majority, and the united opposition of Democrats, the handful of hard-right holdouts are sufficient to block action.
They include Reps. Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Warren Davidson of Ohio, Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Victoria Spartz of Indiana. All four voiced public opposition to the budget plan Tuesday.
Still, Republican leaders vowed to push ahead. Roughly an hour before the vote was scheduled to begin, Majority Leader Steve Scalise said “we’re still moving forward” as the whip effort continued.
Trump was among those who put the pressure on Tuesday, speaking to Burchett earlier in day in a phone call placed by Johnson.
“I told him that I would talk about it, think about it, pray about it. And that’s what I’m doing,” Burchett said afterward, saying he would decide “right before I walk up” for the vote.
The fiscal hawks all raised objections about inadequate spending cuts in the measure; Davidson also aired concerns about how Republican leaders plan to handle the impending March 14 government funding deadline.
Leadership had been hoping that members would fall in line behind the budget plan as the only way to deliver the vast agenda Trump is seeking. Some hard-liners agreed to back the plan last month in the House Budget Committee after securing an additional $500 billion in spending cuts over 10 years.
But others held out for more. And a different faction of the GOP conference — moderate Republicans, many representing swing districts — had qualms about the scale of the Medicaid cuts implied by the budget plan.
That group, however, showed signs of softening: On Monday night some said that a presentation from House leaders had moved them closer to supporting the budget plan.
Asked earlier Tuesday about the prognosis for a vote, Johnson was noncommittal in addressing reporters.
“There may be a vote tonight, there may not be. Stay tuned,” he said.
Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report.
Source link
#Johnson #scraps #budget #vote #conservative #pushback
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
ROSÉ, Jennifer Lopez & More Stars Mourn the Death of Hairstylist Jesus Guerrero, ‘The Sweetest Angel’ – Yahoo Entertainment
ROSÉ, Jennifer Lopez & More Stars Mourn the Death of Hairstylist Jesus Guerrero, ‘The Sweetest Angel’ – Yahoo Entertainment
ROSÉ, Jennifer Lopez & More Stars Mourn the Death of Hairstylist Jesus Guerrero, ‘The Sweetest Angel’ Yahoo EntertainmentKylie Jenner ‘Shocked’ by Hairstylist Jesus Guerrero’s Death and Is Covering ******** Expenses (Exclusive Source) PEOPLEKylie Jenner Paying ******** Costs for Deceased Hairstylist Jesus Guerrero TMZHairstylist Jesus Guerrero’s Sister Addresses ‘Unanswered Questions’ About His Death (Exclusive) Us Weekly
Source link
#ROSÉ #Jennifer #Lopez #amp #Stars #Mourn #Death #Hairstylist #Jesus #Guerrero #Sweetest #Angel #Yahoo #Entertainment
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Cole Palmer: Keep working and laughing and goals will come, Enzo Maresca tells forward
Cole Palmer: Keep working and laughing and goals will come, Enzo Maresca tells forward
Palmer started the season in red-hot form for the Blues, scoring 14 goals and creating six assists across his first 21 Premier League appearances. However, he has zero goal involvements since.
Many Chelsea supporters, as well as Fantasy Football fans, had pencilled in Chelsea’s home match against a Southampton side who sit bottom of the league and have the worst defensive record as the fixture where Palmer would restart his goalscoring form.
And the former Manchester City man did find himself on the end of several chances, having seven shots – the joint-highest total for a Chelsea player in the league this season.
Palmer missed two glorious opportunities when one-on-one in the first half with one effort saved by Aaron Ramsdale and another dragged wide. After the restart he blasted a cut-back over the bar.
In total, his chances accumulated to an expected goals (xG) figure of 1.07.
After he had a late free-kick saved by Ramsdale, Palmer reacted by smiling, appearing to see the funny side of his barren run, which Maresca praised in his post-match press conference.
“It is how you react. He is reacting perfectly. He is smiling and he is happy. We have no doubt he will score more goals,” Maresca said.
“He’s a human being. All human beings, all big players, all the normal players, big club, big manager – we all go through a bad moment.
“Even if he is young, he shared time in a big club and he knows that all the big players go through moments like this.”
Palmer joined Chelsea from Manchester City in September, 2023 and has since scored 39 goals across all competitions.
Source link
#Cole #Palmer #working #laughing #goals #Enzo #Maresca #tells
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Barca manager bemoans sloppy defending after 4-4 draw
Barca manager bemoans sloppy defending after 4-4 draw
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has criticised his side’s defending and lack of concentration after Atletico Madrid fought back from two goals down to rescue a last-gasp 4-4 draw in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final.
Flick said on Tuesday (local time) that conceding four goals should be unacceptable for a club like Barcelona and that his side must learn how to close out games properly.
“I have warned the players not to concede any chances,” Flick told Spanish television station TVE.
“I’m disappointed with the result because it was good to see how we managed to fight back after conceding two goals early and, even after we opened a 4-2 lead, we created a lot of chances.
“But it was all in vain because in the last few minutes we let them back into it.
“We had chances to go to the second leg with an advantage. We will have to talk a lot in the changing room about the goals we conceded.
“We have to correct the mistakes. The team is very young, there is a lot of room for improvement, but that is no excuse. They scored four goals against us and it’s just too much for our standards.”
Flick praised Atletico’s resilience and said that there were positives he could take from his side’s performance, mainly in attack.
“I am frustrated but still happy with many things I saw in the game. But the conceded goals can’t happen,” Flick said.
“At least, I think the fans enjoyed it because it was a battle.”
Atletico stunned the home side early on, taking a two-goal lead with Julian Alvarez opening the scoring inside the first minute and Antoine Griezmann extending their advantage five minutes later.
However, Barcelona fought back with goals by Pedri in the 19th minute and Pau Cubarsi in the 21st, before taking the lead through Inigo Martinez’s header from a corner in the 41st minute.
Barca took control of proceedings and Robert Lewandowski made it 4-2 with a tap-in from close range after great individual work by Lamine Yamal in the 74th minute.
Atletico struck back through Marcos Llorente in the 84th minute, while another goal on the counter by Alexander Sorloth in the third minute of stoppage time left it all square ahead of the return encounter in the Spanish capital on April 2.
“That was just crazy,” Atletico forward Alvarez told Spanish station Movistar Plus.
Source link
#Barca #manager #bemoans #sloppy #defending #draw
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Cash yields more than 4% as markets become rocky. How use it in your portfolio
Cash yields more than 4% as markets become rocky. How use it in your portfolio
Investors looking for steady investments during bouts of market volatility can find solid yields with cash. However, they should be thoughtful on how they incorporate it into their portfolio. This year is expected to be rocky , although strategists still expect stocks to ultimately end higher. On Tuesday, the S & P 500 was on track for a fourth losing day amid concerns around economic growth and President Donald Trump ‘s trade policies. At one point during the trading session, the CBOE Volatility Index jumped to 21.28, reaching its highest point since Jan. 27, when it hit 22.51. It has since moved lower. While yields on cash-equivalent assets like money market funds and certificates of deposit are down from their highs, the Federal Reserve has paused its rate-cutting campaign, leaving rates “higher for longer.” The annualized 7-day yield on the Crane 100 list of the largest taxable money funds is currently 4.16%. In fact, Americans have continued to pour their cash into money market funds, even after the central bank started cutting rates in September. There was $6.91 trillion in total money market fund assets the week ended Feb 19, according to the Investment Company Institute . While down from the record high it hit the week prior, the total is higher than the $6.3 trillion reached in early September. “As money markets pay an attractive yield, they become a true asset class,” said certified financial planner Barry Glassman, founder and president of Glassman Wealth Services in North Bethesda, Md. “When yields are half a percent or below, we are talking about safety. When they are 4%, they become more of an attractive, stable asset class.” Even Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has a stockpile of cash . The billionaire said while he’s keeping $334 billion on the sidelines, the majority of money remains in equities. “That preference won’t change,” Buffett said in his 2024 annual letter released Saturday. What to do with your cash When you may need the cash could determine where to park it. Dollars held in high-yield savings and money market funds are easily accessible and can make sense for emergency funds and immediate spending needs. However, interest rates will fluctuate. For more targeted needs, locking in CD rates may work. They have different maturities and a penalty if the money is withdrawn early. If you have enough cash, you can split it between accounts, said CFP Marguerita Cheng. “It doesn’t make sense to tie everything up in a CD only to pay a penalty if you need the money,” she said. “It also doesn’t make sense for everything to be in a high-yield savings account if you don’t need all of it right away.” Cheng, CEO at Blue Ocean Global Wealth in Gaithersburg, Md. and a member of the CNBC Financial Advisor Council , believes the sweet spot in CD maturities is between six months and 13 months. To help with liquidity needs, she suggests building a ladder by splitting the money across several CDs of varying maturities. Still, cash isn’t just for a safety net outside your portfolio, Glassman said. He has recently shifted his fixed-income allocation in portfolios to include more short-term Treasurys. While he once had almost nothing in Treasury bills, they now make up about 4% of the nearly $2.3 billion his firm manages. T-bills have terms ranging from four weeks to one year. “The concern was six months or a year ago that short term interest rates as governed by the Fed were going to head lower and keep going lower,” Glassman said. “The fact that they have stabilized at this level is interesting and makes it a bit more attractive.” In fact, strategists aren’t expecting another big year for stocks, so adding some risk-free returns with T-bills can make sense, he said. The average S & P 500 year-end 2025 forecast from the CNBC Market Strategist Survey released in December is 6,630. That is about 11% higher than where the index closed on Monday. Perryne Desai, senior manager in the fixed income product group at Vanguard, suggests high-yield savings accounts for immediate needs and money market funds to save for big purchases expected in the coming months. Short-term Treasurys can also be a good place for cash that can be held a little longer, she noted. Vanguard recently launched its Ultra-Short Treasury ETF (VGUS) , which has an average effective maturity of half a year, and 0-3 Month Treasury Bill ETF (VBIL) earlier this month. On average, Vanguard sees advised clients generally allocate 2% to 5% toward cash or cash alternatives. “This cash sleeve can act as a little bit of a buffer in your investment portfolio to ensure that you can engage in reasonable rebalancing, reasonable strategic asset allocation,” she added. Looking beyond cash Still, holding too much cash won’t help your portfolio outperform. “Typically speaking, even if you invested in the worst possible time every single year, that still would have significantly outperformed the same amount left in cash over the long run,” said Heather Knight, a national brokerage coach at Fidelity. Cash instruments also have inflation risk, with the higher cost of goods diminishing its value, as well as reinvestment risk, she said. For instance, once a CD reaches maturity, investors may not be able to reinvest that money at the same rate. Knight suggests having six months of living expenses saved in cash, and then investors should decide if excess funds should go into stocks for long-term growth or bonds to help provide some safety and income. Allocations across cash, stocks and bonds all depends on each person’s personal financial journey, she said. “What are you using this money for? When is your retirement coming up,” Knight said. “There are folks a lot younger sitting in cash, waiting and trying to time the market. That is a danger.” For those that feel they have too much cash, Blue Ocean Global Wealth’s Cheng suggests dollar cost averaging into equity funds. This involves investing a specified amount of money at regular intervals — for instance, monthly or every two weeks — regardless of what the market is doing at that particular time. “Start small,” she said. Glassman likes core bond funds and short-term high yield bonds.
Source link
#Cash #yields #markets #rocky #portfolio
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Penn State president announces that some campuses will close. Which are at risk?
Penn State president announces that some campuses will close. Which are at risk?
The Pennsylvania State University will close some of its 19 branch campuses.
University President Neeli Bendapudi announced Tuesday that the university is looking at a dozen campuses to decide which will close.
More: Penn State Behrend alum gives $2 million to benefit college’s students with special needs
Not all of the campuses under scrutiny will close. “While it is clear that not all 12 campuses can continue, it is equally clear that a number of them will,” she said.
Bendapudi cited declining enrollments, declining populations and financial pressures as the reasons for the “difficult choices” ahead.
“Across higher education, institutions are grappling with similar headwinds, and we have reached a moment where doing nothing is no longer an option,” she said.
Students walk between classes near the Reed Student Union on the Penn State Behrend campus in Erie County in this file photo.
The 12 campuses
The campuses under review are
Campuses that will remain open
The university’s seven largest campuses will remain open. They are
Nearly 75% of Penn State’s enrollment attend those campuses, served by 67% of the university’s faculty and staff.
The Great Valley campus focused on graduate education will also remain open, along with Penn State Dickinson Law in Carlisle, the College of Medicine in Hershey, and the Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport.
The timeline
No campus will close before the end of the 2026-27 academic year, Bendapudi said in her announcement.
The university will continue admitting students at all campuses this coming fall.
And every student who begins a Penn State degree will have the opportunity to complete it at the university, if not at the same campus, Bendapudi said.
At Penn State Behrend in Erie: College to cut 8 teaching positions as university looks to trim budget
Contact Valerie Myers at *****@*****.tld.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Some Penn State campuses will close. Here are the 12 at risk
Source link
#Penn #State #president #announces #campuses #close #risk
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
What’s likely to move the market
What’s likely to move the market
Stocks @ Night is a daily newsletter delivered after hours, giving you a first look at tomorrow and last look at today. Sign up for free to receive it directly in your inbox. Here’s what CNBC TV’s producers were watching as the S & P 500 posted its fourth consecutive losing day, and what’s on the radar for the next session. Nvidia The tech giant reports Wednesday after the bell. CNBC TV’s Jon Fortt speaks with CEO Jensen Huang on Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. ET. The stock is down nearly 7% over the past three months. Nvidia is 17% from the Jan. 7 high. NVDA 3M mountain Nvidia shares over the past three months Amazon CNBC TV’s Jon Fortt also will interview CEO Andy Jassy. Amazon shares are 12% from the Feb. 4 high. The stock is down 6% in a week. Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev was on “Mad Money” with Jim Cramer on Tuesday night. Among other things, Cramer asked him about the market for prediction. Tenev said, “I think that prediction markets are going to be a ******* and ******* thing across all events. And of course there’s lots of market participants. There’s people that speculate, folks that use it to hedge like any market, and I think Robinhood can serve all of them.” Tenev also gave his first reaction to the end of the SEC’s probe of Robinhood . He said, “It’s nice not to have to play as much defense. Frankly, in the last administration, we were playing a lot of defense. There was an all-out assault on not just crypto but individual retail trading in general with market structure proposals, predictive data analytics — which is basically an assault on AI and financial services — so now we’re fortunate to have an administration that wants the U.S. to be No. 1 in AI, financial services and crypto. The stock has been a real “steal from the bulls, give to the bears” kind of story. It is down 24% in five sessions. Robinhood is down six straight sessions. HOOD 5D mountain Robinhood shares over the past five sessions Tesla Amid Elon Musk’s efforts in Washington, the stock took a hit on Tuesday. It dropped 8.4%. Tesla is below the billion-dollar market cap now. The stock is up 20% since the election, but it’s down 29% since inauguration day. The Relative Strength Index on this stock is now 28.8, meaning it would be considered “oversold.” RSI measures short term buying and selling. A reading of 30 indicates a stock is “oversold,” and a 70 or above indicates “overbought.” An RSI is just one of many metrics traders use when considering to buy a stock. Neither oversold nor overbought is a guarantee that a trend is about to reverse. Palantir The stock is now down 29.5% in a week. Palantir fell 3.1% on Tuesday. The market Since President Donald Trump was sworn into office last month, the S & P 500 is down 0.7%. The Nasdaq 100 is down 1.65% since that day. The Nasdaq Composite is down 3% in that time. The Dow Transports are down 3.17%. The Russell 2000 is down 4.65% since Trump’s inauguration. The Dow Industrials are up 0.3%. The story is indeed different if you go back to Election Day. Since Trump was elected, the Dow, Nasdaq and S & P 500 have all gained about 3%. The Nasdaq 100 is up 4.25% in that time. .SPX 1M mountain The S & P 500 in the past month The Great American Consumer Anheuser-Busch reports in the morning. The stock is flat in the past three months. Shares are 19% from the May high. Lowe’s reports in the morning. The stock is down nearly 12% in three months. Shares are 15.5% from the mid-October high. Bloomin’ Brands reports in the morning. The stock is down about 16% in three months, and it’s 60% from the March 2024 high. EBay reports in the afternoon. The stock up 9% in three months. It is just off the high. Urban Outfitters reports in the afternoon. The stock is up 30% in three months, 13.6% from last month’s high. The SPDR S & P Retail ETF (XRT) is down 3% since Trump’s inauguration, and it’s down nearly 2% since the November election. It is also 10.6% from the late November high. Stellantis The automaker reports before the bell Wednesday morning. Stellantis is up about 5% over the past three months. The stock is 52% from the 52-week high. Ford is down 17% in three months, 36% from the July high. GM is down 22% in three months, 24% from the November high. STLA 3M mountain Stellantis shares in the past three months Wednesday is 3M’s investor day CNBC’s Seema Mody will cover the event starting at 9 a.m. Shares of 3M is 5.5% from the Jan. 31 high. It is up about 90% in a year.
Source link
#Whats #move #market
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Diana Taurasi retires: Mercury legend, WNBA's all-time leader scorer calls it a career after 20 seasons – CBS Sports
Diana Taurasi retires: Mercury legend, WNBA's all-time leader scorer calls it a career after 20 seasons – CBS Sports
Diana Taurasi retires: Mercury legend, WNBA’s all-time leader scorer calls it a career after 20 seasons CBS SportsExclusive: After an Unparalleled Career, WNBA Star Diana Taurasi Announces Her Retirement TIMEBasketball legend Diana Taurasi retires after 20 seasons in WNBA Chicago Sun-TimesPhoenix Mercury superstar Diana Taurasi retires AxiosTaurasi, champ at all levels, retires from WNBA ESPN
Source link
#Diana #Taurasi #retires #Mercury #legend #WNBA039s #alltime #leader #scorer #calls #career #seasons #CBS #Sports
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Minister backs expansion of airports as Gatwick decision looms
Minister backs expansion of airports as Gatwick decision looms
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has said the government “believes in increasing airport capacity”, as a deadline approaches on approving the expansion of Gatwick.
A decision is expected later this week on whether the airport in West Sussex can expand its operations to two simultaneously functioning runways.
Alexander said the government would do “all we can to support the sector and take the brakes off growth”.
She has a deadline of Thursday to announce whether she has decided to approve Gatwick’s application, enabling 100,000 more flights a year.
Gatwick wants to relocate its northern runway, which is currently used only for taxiing or in emergencies, and says it could be completed and operational by the end of the decade.
This would cost an estimated £2.2bn and would be a privately financed project.
The expansion plans are controversial and some MPs, local authorities and residents are strongly opposed.
Alexander made her comments during a speech at the annual dinner of trade body Airlines *** in London on Tuesday evening.
“I have no intention of clipping anyone’s wings. I am not some sort of flight-shaming eco warrior. I love flying – I always have,” the transport secretary said.
Alexander also raised the issue of climate change an extreme weather events.
She said she did not want a world “ravaged” by this but wanted a world where her nieces and nephews are not denied the opportunity to travel.
“This Government believes in increasing airport capacity. We’re ambitious for the sector. But these strict criteria must be met if we are to balance the needs of today with the necessities of tomorrow,” Alexander said.
Source link
#Minister #backs #expansion #airports #Gatwick #decision #looms
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
Keir Starmer to meet Donald Trump with world history in flux
Keir Starmer to meet Donald Trump with world history in flux
A big moment and a big decision, ahead of a big meeting.
The government’s announcement that it will crank up defence spending and shrivel the international aid budget amounts to a big shift in strategy, posture and political positioning.
Take a look at the Labour Party’s election manifesto, written less than a year ago, if you would like proof of that.
On page 125, it says: “Labour is committed to restoring development spending at the level of 0.7 per cent of gross national income as soon as fiscal circumstances allow.”
The party is now committing to doing the precise opposite – cutting development spending by the same amount it had promised to raise it by.
There is nothing like an outspoken American president and an imminent visit to the White House to sharpen the mind – and hey presto, along came this announcement just as the prime minister packs his shirts for his trip across the Atlantic.
Along came the thumbs up from the Trump administration not long later.
But it is also true that there has been a growing recognition for some time and across multiple parties that more money had to be spent on defence.
The prime minister has taken to recalling how the Berlin Wall coming down made him feel. “It felt as if we were casting off the shackles of history, a continent united by freedom and democracy,” as he puts it – contrasting that with the reality of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
A wider critique along these lines has been crystallising for some time: the sense that the 1990s were a holiday from history, as Jonathan Freedland called it, and that the end of the Cold War had created a peace dividend where defence budgets could atrophy and the money could be spent on hospitals and schools, for instance.
Instead, not only is there war in Europe, there is an occupant of the White House with seemingly little regard for the American security umbrella this continent has relied upon since World War Two.
Little wonder, then, that we have seen a blitz of the jitters in European capitals as presidents and prime ministers try to work out what it may or may not mean.
The task facing Starmer – the second strand of the European tag team of leaders to visit Washington, after President Emmanuel Macron on Monday – is to attempt to mould President Donald Trump’s position.
Over the coming weeks and months, can a deal be done where the war stops, Ukraine does not feel defeated, Europe does not feel imperilled and transatlantic relations are as near to conventional as possible?
It is not going to be easy.
The prime minister’s trip to the White House is but one building block in developing answers to these questions.
And then, over the following weekend, Starmer will host a gathering of European leaders to reflect on where the conversations so far have taken us.
President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected in Washington soon too.
The next few weeks could prove crucial.
Source link
#Keir #Starmer #meet #Donald #Trump #world #history #flux
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
2025 Mercedes-AMG CLE53 price and specs
2025 Mercedes-AMG CLE53 price and specs
The Mercedes-AMG CLE53 has been priced for Australia, arriving in the first half of the year with a potent twin-turbo six-cylinder engine.
Having only launched in 2023, the Mercedes-Benz CLE Coupe is a replacement for the C-Class and E-Class coupes, with the AMG-fettled CLE53 following the performance arm’s formula of more power, better handling and meaner looks.
Priced from $158,900 before on-road costs, the CLE 4Matic+ Coupe (as it’s officially called) is more than $35,000 dearer than the turbocharged four-cylinder CLE300 coupe.
For context, the last AMG C43 4Matic coupe – which also featured a twin-turbo inline six-cylinder engine – was priced from $131,770 before on-road costs, while the AMG E53 4Matic+ was $177,670 plus on-roads.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert
While the CLE53 serves as the model’s flagship performance variant for now, reports from Europe claim the upcoming CLE63 will soon launch with a twin-turbo V8 engine, rather than the four-cylinder plug-in hybrid system in the C63 sedan.
Orders for the AMG CLE53 are now open, and deliveries are expected to begin before the second half of 2025.
PricingDrivetrains and EfficiencyCamera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpertDimensionsServicing and Warranty
Service pricing has yet to be announced.
Safety
The Mercedes-Benz CLE has yet to be tested by ANCAP or Euro NCAP.
Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert
Standard safety equipment includes:
10 airbagsAdaptive cruise controlAutonomous emergency brakingBlind-spot monitoringDriving Assistant Package PlusLane-keep assistParking assistSurround-view cameraTraffic sign recognitionStandard Equipment20-inch light-alloy wheelsAdaptive dampingRear-axle steering (up to 2.5 degrees)Automatic high-beam LED headlightsAMG Exterior Night Package 1 and 2AMG illuminated door sill platesAMG floor matsNappa leather-wrapped steering wheel with Microcut microfibreBlack leather upholstery with red contrast stitchingCarbon interior trim64-colour ambient lightingHead-up display12.3-inch digital instrument cluster11.9-inch infotainment touchscreenWireless Apple CarPlay and Android AutoDAB+ digital radioBurmester surround sound systemPanoramic sunroofKeyless entry and startPower boot-lidRear privacy glassCamera IconOverseas model shown Credit: CarExpertOptions
A handful of option packages are available for the CLE53 4Matic+ Coupe.
The $2100 Plus Package adds:
Multicontour front seatsEnergising package plusAir-balance packageMemory parking assistant
The $8900 Carbon Package adds:
Carbon-fibre exterior trimCarbon-fibre steering wheel and interior trim
AMG Performance seats are also available for an additional $5400.
MORE: Everything Mercedes-AMG CLE
Source link
#MercedesAMG #CLE53 #price #specs
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
Judge gives Trump administration two days to release billions of dollars in blocked foreign aid
Judge gives Trump administration two days to release billions of dollars in blocked foreign aid
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday gave the Trump administration less than two days to release billions of dollars in U.S. foreign aid, saying the administration had given no sign of complying with his nearly two-week-old court order to ease its funding freeze.
The lawsuit was filed by nonprofit organizations over the cutoff of foreign assistance through the U.S. Agency for International Development and State Department, which followed a Jan. 20 executive order by President Donald Trump targeting what he portrayed as wasteful programs that do not correspond to his foreign policy goals.
Nonprofit groups and businesses that receive federal money for work abroad said the freeze breaks federal law and has shut down funding for even the most urgent life-saving programs abroad. Those USAID and State partners say the administration has stiffed them on billions of dollars in money already owed, forcing them to lay off tens of thousands of staffers and pushing some organizations toward financial ruin.
Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox
See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories.
U.S. District Judge Amir H. Ali on Feb. 13 had ordered the administration at least temporarily to get funding flowing again, including to make good on its bills. Despite the order, USAID staffers and the businesses and nonprofit groups say they know of no payments that have gotten through.
“I’m not sure why I can’t get a straight answer from you on this: Are you aware of an unfreezing of the disbursement of funds for those contracts and agreements that were frozen before Feb. 13,” the judge asked Indraneel Sur, the lawyer for the government. “Are you aware of steps taken to actually release those funds?”
“I’m not in a position to answer that,” Sur said.
The case had been brought by the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition and the Global Health Council, representing health organizations receiving U.S. funds for work abroad. They had asked Ali to find the Trump administration in contempt of his earlier order.
It’s the second time a judge has found the Trump administration did not follow a court order. U.S. District Court Judge John McConnell in Rhode Island also found this month that the administration had not fully unfrozen federal grants and loans within the U.S., even after he blocked sweeping plans for a pause on trillions of dollars in government spending.
Source link
#Judge #Trump #administration #days #release #billions #dollars #blocked #foreign #aid
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Applications open for CNBC’s top global fintechs list
Applications open for CNBC’s top global fintechs list
For the third year in a row, CNBC is working with market research firm Statista to list the world’s top financial technology companies.
Including startups, scaleups and established tech players, the top global fintech list aims to assess companies using an objective, key performance indicator-based methodology.
You can find out more information on the research project and methodology by clicking here.
Woman using digital tablet and credit card to do shopping.
John Lamb | Digital Vision | Getty Images
Applications are now open for companies to register their information for consideration by Statista’s researchers. To qualify, a company must focus primarily on developing innovative, technology-based financial products and services.
This year, we’re also digging deeper into the research to name the standout companies operating in the U.K. — the largest fintech market in Europe, as measured by the amount of funding raised.
Applications from companies headquartered in the U.K. will — in addition to being considered for the global fintech list — also be considered for a separate list of the U.K.’s top fintech companies. Firms do not need to fill in a separate application to be considered for the U.K. ranking.
Last year, fintech startups in the U.K. raised $3.6 billion in venture capital, ranking second worldwide and first in Europe for funding, according to industry trade body Innovate Finance. The country is also home to Revolut, Europe’s biggest fintech unicorn with a $45 billion valuation.
How to apply
Companies can submit their information for consideration by clicking here. The form, hosted by Statista, includes questions about a company’s business model and certain key performance indicators, including revenue growth and employee headcount.
The deadline for submissions is April 25, 2025.
If you have any questions about the lists or need assistance filling out the form, please reach out to Statista: *****@*****.tld.
Successful companies will be listed in the category that most closely reflects their business model. This year, insurance technology will be included as a category in the global fintech list. The other categories are payments, neobanking, digital assets, alternative financing, wealth technology, and enterprise fintech.
You can check out last year’s list here, which included well-known brands such as Mastercard and China’s Ant Group, global unicorns such as Brazilian digital lender Nubank and buy now, pay later firm Klarna, as well as smaller disruptors including payments platform Primer and investing app Stash.
Source link
#Applications #open #CNBCs #top #global #fintechs #list
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
House Republicans struggle to pass budget advancing Trump’s agenda – PBS NewsHour
House Republicans struggle to pass budget advancing Trump’s agenda – PBS NewsHour
House Republicans struggle to pass budget advancing Trump’s agenda PBS NewsHourJohnson Grasps for Republican Votes to Pass Budget Plan The New York Times
Source link
#House #Republicans #struggle #pass #budget #advancing #Trumps #agenda #PBS #NewsHour
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Federal workers urge congressional lawmakers to reverse job cuts
Federal workers urge congressional lawmakers to reverse job cuts
Washington — As federal workers continue to face massive layoffs, some are bringing their job search to Capitol Hill.
The newly-formed Fork Off Coalition, composed of recently laid off government employees, held a job fair and staged a sit-in at a Senate building Tuesday. They targeted the offices of Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Tammy Duckworth and Lindsey Graham.
Organizers have been holding informal training sessions with terminated workers over several days on the Hill. Representing an alphabet soup of agencies with various levels of tenure, each worker is paired up and dispatched to a Senator’s office to share their stories.
One worker, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, had been placed on administrative leave from the Administration for Children and Families, which is housed under the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency oversees programs ranging from Head Start to the Office of Refugee Resettlement. She brought her sixth-grade son to walk the halls of Congress with her, calling it a “civics lesson.”
“I have three children and I had to sit them down and tell them that I had been fired illegally from my job,” she explained. “And both my son and my daughter were asking, like, what are we going to do? Will we be able to buy things?”
Wiping away tears, she said they wanted to lend a hand.
“My son offered to sell his, like, card collection to like, make money for our family,” she recalled. “My daughter has a birthday next month and she was like, ‘Mom, you don’t have to buy me any presents, like, if we need to save money.'”
Her last day on the job is approaching next month. She says she was one of nearly 200 probationary employees in her agency that were told they were let go due to their performance, even though she and other colleagues had received “outstanding” reviews.
Another worker, who also did not want to be identified, had recently completed her probationary ******* at the National Science Foundation. She said she was reclassified into that category.
“They didn’t notify us,” she said. “We found out through no proper channels. It was just an email, come to this meeting at 10 o’clock. You’re back on probation and now you’re fired.”
She said roughly 10% to 12% of the workforce was cut at NSF, which she called the “heart and soul of science, engineering, and R&D” in the United States.
“We are all PhD scientists. We’re all former professors. We’re all experts doing, you know, doing the best we can every single day to make sure our tax dollars are well invested,” she said.
The workers said they have been received “very well” by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
“We’re looking for senators to get a backbone, whether they are Republican or Democrat, to actually do something to protect the rule of law,” said a former worker at the U.S. Agency for International Development, which was effectively dismantled last month.
Thousands of government employees have been laid off as the Trump administration seeks to scale back the federal workforce. Last week, a federal judge declined a request from a group of labor unions to block the mass firings. The wide-ranging reductions have been ordered across agencies including the Pentagon, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Education, US Department of Agriculture and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Activists hold signs during the Fork Off Coalition protest to “stop the Musk coup” outside the Office of Personnel Management in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 3, 2025.
Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
The Fork Off Coalition has held demonstrations outside of various agencies to protest the cuts by the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which is led by billionaire Elon Musk. The coalition hopes to keep the pressure on Congress.
“We want to make visible the actual personal impacts of these ******** firings,” said the former USAID worker. “We want to help senators understand their responsibility and any kind of potential actions they can take to support, not only individuals who are hurting from the ******** firings, but their communities that are going to be reeling from the impact.”
Nikole Killion
Nikole Killion is a CBS News congressional correspondent based in Washington D.C. As a correspondent, Killion played a key role in the Network’s 2020 political and election coverage, reporting from around the country during the final stretch of the campaign and throughout the Biden transition.
Source link
#Federal #workers #urge #congressional #lawmakers #reverse #job #cuts
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
BP to slash renewables investment and ramp up gas and oil production.
BP to slash renewables investment and ramp up gas and oil production.
BP is expected to announce it will slash its renewable energy investments and instead focus on increasing oil and gas production.
The energy giant will outline its strategy later following pressure from some investors unhappy its profits and share price have been much lower than its rivals.
Shell and Norwegian company Equinor have already scaled back their plans to invest in green energy. Meanwhile US President Donald Trump’s “drill baby drill” comments have encouraged investment in fossil fuels and a move away from low carbon projects.
Some shareholders and environmental groups have voiced concerns over any potential ramping up on production of fossil fuels.
Five years ago, BP set some of the most ambitious targets among large oil companies to cut production of oil and gas by 40% by 2030, while significantly ramping up investment in renewables.
In 2023, the company lowered this oil and gas reduction target to 25%.
It is now expected to abandon it altogether while confirming it is cutting investments in renewable energy by more than half in what chief executive Murray Auchincloss called a “fundamental reset”.
In 2024, BP’s net income fell to $8.9bn (£7.2bn) down from $13.8bn the previous year.
Mr Auchincloss is under pressure to boost profits from some shareholders including the influential activist group Elliot Management, which took a near £4 billion stake in the £70 billion company to push for more investment in oil and gas.
Since 2020 when former chief executive Bernard Looney first unveiled his strategy, shareholders have received total returns including dividends of 36% over the last five years. In contrast, shareholders in rivals Shell and Exxon have seen returns of 82% and 160% respectively.
BP’s under performance has prompted speculation that it may be a takeover target or may consider moving its main stock market listing to the US where oil and gas companies command higher valuations.
Not all shareholders want the company to change course so radically.
Last week, a group of 48 investors called on the company to allow them a vote on any potential plans to move away from its previous commitments to renewables.
A spokesperson for one of the signatories, Royal London Asset Management, said: “As long-term shareholders, we recognise BP’s past efforts toward energy transition but remain concerned about the company’s continued investment in fossil fuel expansion.”
The environmental group Greenpeace *** has warned BP could expect “pushback and challenge at every turn if it doubles down on fossil fuels – not just from green campaigners but from its own shareholders”.
Senior climate adviser Charlie Kronick said: “Government policies will also need to prioritise renewable power, and as extreme weather puts pressure on insurance models – policymakers will be looking to fossil fuel profits as a way to fund extreme weather recovery. BP might want to seriously put the brakes on this U-turn.”
AJ Bell analyst Russ Mould said this was one of the most significant moments for BP in the last four or five years.
“Other energy companies have been clearer about their intentions thus far than BP,” he said.
“They need to prove to people that after a difficult operational and share price performance compared to their peers, that they’re looking to do something about it, not just let things drift along, he added.
BP has already placed its offshore wind business in a joint venture with Japanese company Jera and is looking to find a partner to do the same with its solar business.
The refocus on oil and gas could also see sales of other businesses in order to get “non-core stuff off the books” as insiders describe it.
It is over 20 years since former chief executive Lord John Browne said BP could stand for “Beyond Petroleum” as he launched the company’s first tentative moves away from oil and gas.
Today’s strategy shift could be dubbed “Back to Petroleum” – to the delight of some shareholders and to the dismay of others.
Both BP and Elliott management declined to comment.
Source link
#slash #renewables #investment #ramp #gas #oil #production
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Ukraine and US agree terms of major minerals deal
Ukraine and US agree terms of major minerals deal
Abdujalil Abdurasulov
BBC News
Bloomberg via Getty Images
Lorries carry ore from an a mine in central Ukraine. File photo
Ukraine has agreed the terms of a major minerals deal with the US, a senior official in Kyiv has told the BBC.
“We have indeed agreed it with a number of good amendments and see it as a positive outcome,” the official said, without providing any further details.
Media reports say Washington has dropped initial demands for a right to $500bn (£395bn) in potential revenue from utilising the natural resources but has not given firm security guarantees to war-torn Ukraine – a key Ukrainian demand.
US President Donald Trump said he was expecting his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington to sign the deal this week, after the two leaders exchanged strong words about each other.
Just last week, Trump described Zelensky as a “dictator”, and appeared to blame Ukraine – not Russia – for starting the war, after the Ukrainian leader rejected US demands for $500bn in mineral wealth and suggested that the American president was living in a “disinformation space” created by Russia.
Trump has been pushing for access to Ukraine’s minerals in return for previous military and other aid to the country since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion three years ago.
Zelensky argued nowhere near that much American aid had been provided, adding: “I can’t sell our state.”
On Tuesday, Trump said the US had given Ukraine between $300bn and $350bn.
“We want to get that money back,” he told reporters. “We’re helping the country through a very very big problem… but the American taxpayer now is going to get their money back plus.”
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna told the Financial Times – which first reported the minerals deal on Tuesday – that the deal was “only part of the picture”.
“We have heard multiple times from the US administration that it’s part of a ******* picture,” said Stefanishyna, who has led the negotiations.
According to Ukrainian sources, the US has had to back away from some of its more onerous demands from the war-torn nation and many of the details of this agreement will require further negotiation.
The precedent, however, is set. US aid in the Trump era comes with strings attached. Aid for aid’s sake – whether given for humanitarian or strategic reasons – is a thing of the past.
That represents a fundamental reordering of American foreign policy for more than 75 years, from the days of the Marshall Plan to post-Cold War idealism and George W Bush’s “Freedom Agenda” push to promote global democracy.
Ukraine is just the start. Expect Trump and his foreign policy team to apply their “America First” principles around the world over the course of the next four years.
Ros Atkins on… the fight for Ukraine’s critical minerals
Ukraine’s news site Ukrainska Pravda reported that the minerals deal was set to be signed by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The news site’s economics unit EP said the two countries had also agreed to set up a reconstruction investment fund.
Ukraine holds huge deposits of critical elements and minerals, including lithium and titanium, as well as sizeable coal, gas, oil and uranium deposits – supplies worth billions of dollars.
Last year, Zelensky presented a “victory plan” to Ukraine and its Western partners which proposed that foreign firms could gain access to some of the countries’ mineral wealth at the end of the war.
On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was open to offering the US access to rare minerals, including from Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine.
Ukraine and its European allies have become increasingly alarmed over a recent thaw in US-Russian ties, including their bilateral talks in Saudi Arabia last week.
There is concern in Kyiv and across Europe that they might be excluded from any negotiations aimed at ending the war, and that the continent’s future security as a whole could be decided behind their backs.
What minerals does Ukraine actually have?
It is estimated that about 5% of the world’s “critical raw materials” are in Ukraine – including:
19 million tonnes of proven reserves of graphite, which is used to make batteries for electric vehiclesA third of all European lithium deposits, the key component in current batteries.
Before Russia’s full-scale invasion began three years ago, Ukraine also produced 7% of the world’s titanium, used in construction for everything from aeroplanes to power stations.
Ukrainian land also contains significant deposits of rare earth metals, a group of 17 elements that are used to produce weapons, wind turbines, electronics and other products vital in the modern world
Some mineral deposits have been seized by Russia. According to Yulia Svyrydenko, Ukraine’s economy minister, resources worth $350bn remain in Russian-occupied territories today.
Source link
#Ukraine #agree #terms #major #minerals #deal
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
Half of homes need heat pump by 2040
Half of homes need heat pump by 2040
Mark Poynting and Justin Rowlatt
BBC Climate & Science
Getty Images
Four in five cars should be electric and half of homes should have heat pumps within 15 years, say the government’s independent climate advisers.
By law the *** must reach ‘net zero’ – no longer adding to the total amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere – by 2050.
*** greenhouse gas emissions have more than halved since 1990, largely thanks to less electricity coming from fossil fuels and more from renewables. But the Climate Change Committee (CCC) says that to reach the 2050 target we’ll also need to change how we drive and heat our homes.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said the government would consider the advice and respond in due course.
“We owe it to current generations to seize the opportunities for energy security and lower bills, and we owe it to future generations to tackle the existential climate crisis,” he said.
Under *** law, the CCC provides independent advice on how much the *** should emit over five-year periods, known as ‘carbon budgets’, and how it might get there.
Each carbon budget is a stepping stone to net zero by 2050. The latest advice is that by 2040, emissions should be 13% of their 1990 levels, for the *** to stay on track.
The CCC advice is not policy, but the government has historically accepted it. If it does, the target will become legally binding, but government will still decide how to achieve it.
Meeting these long-term goals will mean significant changes in the years ahead. One-third of emissions cuts between now and 2040 need to come from households making low-carbon choices, the CCC says.
This will mainly be through switching from petrol and diesel cars to electric vehicles and from fossil fuel boilers to heat pumps, making use of growing supplies of clean electricity. Smaller contributions will come from other choices, such as eating less meat and dairy.
As the graph below shows, these changes are ambitious. But they are deliverable, argues the CCC, without people having to scrap their existing boiler or car early.
Other emerging technologies, like mobile phones and internet connections, have achieved similar rates of increases previously.
Emissions cuts will be needed in other areas too, such as farming and flying, two of the hardest sectors to decarbonise.
The CCC no longer directly advises against net airport expansion, which it has previously. But it warns the costs of decarbonising aviation will need to be picked up by airlines, which will likely drive up ticket prices.
It says we will need to eat less meat and dairy too. In the CCC’s pathway, sheep and cattle numbers fall by 27% by 2040, and the area covered by woodland rises from 13% to 16%.
Cost of net zero
The costs of tackling climate change have become highly politicised in recent years.
The CCC estimates most of the expense will be borne by the private sector and calculates the savings from moving to more efficient technologies should outweigh costs by the early 2040s.
“We are crystal clear in this analysis, in this carbon budget, for the first time we start to see the economy making savings from this investment, and they make savings over and above what we would do if we stay dependent on fossil fuels,” Emma Pinchbeck, chief executive of the CCC, told BBC News.
This should improve energy security and filter down to lower bills in the long term, the CCC argues, provided the government acts to make electricity cheaper.
It advises removing policy costs – funding for social and environmental schemes – from electricity bills. That would cut them by around 19% based on expected 2025 prices, the CCC says, making it more cost-effective for people to switch to electric vehicles or heat pumps.
These costs could instead sit on gas bills or general taxation.
“Regardless of what you think about climate change, what we are laying out today is a massive industrial revolution,” said Ms Pinchbeck.
“It will save the economy money by 2040, it saves people money on their energy bills, it saves people money on their driving costs, but all of that is underpinned by a cheaper electricity price.”
Additional reporting by Becky Dale
Source link
#homes #heat #pump
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Submarine could be with ******** task group off coast
Submarine could be with ******** task group off coast
Australia is not sure if a submarine is travelling with a ******** task group that is 250 kilometres south of Hobart, the defence chief says.
Source link
#Submarine #******** #task #group #coast
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
Supermicro Stock Soars in Extended Trading as Server Maker Meets Filing Deadline
Supermicro Stock Soars in Extended Trading as Server Maker Meets Filing Deadline
Bloomberg / Getty Images
Super Micro Computer shares surged after the company submitted its delayed financial reports just ahead of a deadline late Tuesday to avoid being delisted by the Nasdaq.
The stock had tumbled during Tuesday’s regular session amid concerns about whether the deadline would be met.
The stock lost about half its value over the past year through Tuesday’s close.
Super Micro Computer (SMCI) shares rocketed higher after the company submitted its delayed financial reports late Tuesday, just beating its deadline to avoid being delisted by the Nasdaq.
The company had until the end of the day to file its reports for fiscal 2024 and the first two quarters of fiscal 2025. Supermicro shares jumped over 20% following the submissions, more than making up for losses during the regular trading session amid concerns about whether the deadline would be met.
Supermicro said in a release that it received confirmation from the Nasdaq it has regained compliance with its filing requirements, and that “the matter is now closed.” The Nasdaq did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the filings.
The update comes after Supermicro said on Feb. 11 that it expected to meet the deadline, which propelled shares to a five-day winning streak.
The server maker has gone through months of uncertainty after delaying the filing of its annual report amid accusations of accounting manipulation last August that led to the resignation of the company’s auditor. The shares lost about half their value over the past year through Tuesday’s close.
UPDATE—Feb. 25, 2025: This article has been updated since it was first published to include additional information and reflect more recent share price values.
Read the original article on Investopedia
Source link
#Supermicro #Stock #Soars #Extended #Trading #Server #Maker #Meets #Filing #Deadline
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Stocks set to trade mixed
Stocks set to trade mixed
Melbourne’s skyline at dusk
Kokkai Ng | Moment | Getty Images
Asia-Pacific markets were set to trade mixed Wednesday, tracking declines in two key Wall Street benchmarks overnight after the U.S. consumer confidence survey came in much weaker than economists’ estimates.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 was set to open slightly lower, with the futures contract in Chicago at 38,055 while its counterpart in Osaka last traded at 37,960, against the index’s last close of 38,237.79.
Futures for Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index stood at 23,148, pointing to a higher open compared to HSI’s close of 23,034.02.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 started the day down 0.38%, extending its losses its decline to a second straight day.
The country is set to release its inflation data for January later in the day. A Reuters poll expects its weighted consumer price index to rise 2.5% year on year, same as the month before.
Overnight in the U.S., stocks slid on investor concerns over economic growth and global trade.
The broad-based S&P 500 fell for a fourth consecutive session, slipping 0.47%, to close at 5,955.25.
The Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.35% to end the day at 19,026.39. The tech-heavy index’s decline was led by a 2.8% in drop in chipmaker Nvidia’s shares.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average, however, climbed 159.95 points, or 0.37%, to close at 43,621.16.
Investors sought safety in the U.S. bond market, with the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield dropping below 4.3% to hit their lowest level since December.
— CNBC’s Hakyung Kim and Sean Conlon contributed to this report.
Source link
#Stocks #set #trade #mixed
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
I tried adding audio to videos in Dream Machine, and Sora’s silence sounds deafening in comparison
I tried adding audio to videos in Dream Machine, and Sora’s silence sounds deafening in comparison
Luma Labs’ Dream Machine can now add audio to video clips for free
You can prompt the audio or let the AI come up with something it decides is appropriate
Sora and other AI video makers mostly lack even an imperfect AI audio creator to go with their visuals
Luma Labs has added a score to the AI videos produced on its Dream Machine platform. The new feature brings audio to your video, custom-generated to match a written prompt or created by the AI, and is based solely on what’s happening in the video. That could mean chirping birds at the sunrise scene, a spaceship’s distant hum for your sci-fi animation, the chaotic clatter of a busy café, or anything else you care to hear.
The new feature is free in beta for all users. After generating a video with Dream Machine, you’ll see a new “Audio” button along the row at the bottom of the video next to the existing “Extend” and “Enhance” buttons. Click it, and you get two choices: let the AI decide the best fitting sounds on its own, or take the wheel and provide a text prompt describing exactly what you want. Maybe you’ve got a dreamy nature scene and want to hear a distant waterfall, or maybe you want to hear how the AI does it; either way, it works.
Luma AI – Introducing Video to Audio – YouTube
Watch On
Sound Idea
This update is big because AI-generated videos, while sometimes visually stunning, have always felt incomplete without sound. It’s a lot of work to painstakingly add audio yourself. Even some of the biggest names in AI video don’t have audio as an option yet, including OpenAI’s Sora.
Of course, AI sound generation on its own isn’t unique. There are a lot of AI music makers, even full voice and song producers. But, the production within the platform linked to the video already there makes Dream Machine a real standout. That said, it isn’t perfect. You can tell from the way the motion and sound don’t quite match with this dog as it swims.
On the other hand, when prompted correctly, this crackling fire and laughter of people around it sounds pretty good.
But, I wouldn’t rely on Dream Machine to create sound on its own without any guidance in a prompt. With a blank audio prompt, the AI took the same short clip of people around a fire and came up with something a lot spookier.
You might also like…
Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
Source link
#adding #audio #videos #Dream #Machine #Soras #silence #sounds #deafening #comparison
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
Privacy Notice: We utilize cookies to optimize your browsing experience and analyze website traffic. By consenting, you acknowledge and agree to our Cookie Policy, ensuring your privacy preferences are respected.
