Pelican Press

Lotto: One *********** takes out $15 million division one prize Lotto: One *********** takes out $15 million division one prize Luck has rained down on one *********** who has taken out a mammoth division one win. The fortunate player has scored a staggering $15 million after matching seven winning numbers in Tuesday’s Oz Lotto draw. Division two dished out a cool $47,444.90 to six ticketholders — including one West Aussie. Luck continued into division three, with 65 players pocketing more than $5,100.00 each. The winning numbers from draw #1619 are 12, 8, 11, 30, 17, 46 and 18. The supplementary numbers are 24, 37 and 42. Lotto luck in the west comes after a player from the State scooped a $3.3 million in Saturday’s draw. The huge win is the largest prize a WA player has won in a Saturday draw so far this year. Source link #Lotto #*********** #takes #million #division #prize Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Last chance to grab this free survival horror FPS that’s playable on Steam Deck Last chance to grab this free survival horror FPS that’s playable on Steam Deck truthBombs9d ago Don’t get me wrong. As games become more demanding Steam Deck will struggle. But on this occasion, Wilds really isn’t the best optimized game. The requirements to play the game says it all. Heavy emphasis on frame generation for 1080p 60 experience. That is ridiculous. This is one of the advantages of a console. Devs don’t have a choice but to optimize their games on console. Source link #chance #grab #free #survival #horror #FPS #playable #Steam #Deck Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Realme Neo 7 SE With MediaTek Dimensity 8400-Max SoC, 7,000mAh Battery Launched: Price, Specifications Realme Neo 7 SE With MediaTek Dimensity 8400-Max SoC, 7,000mAh Battery Launched: Price, Specifications Realme Neo 7 SE has been launched in China. The new Realme Neo series phone runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 8400-Max chipset and has a dual rear camera setup headlined by a 50-megapixel main sensor. It houses a massive 7,000mAh battery with 80W fast charging support and is available in three colour ways. The Realme Neo 7 SE is said to meet the IP69 + IP69 + IP66 ratings for dust and water resistance. Realme Neo 7 SE Price Realme Neo 7 SE is priced at CNY 1,799 (roughly Rs. 22,000) for the 8GB RAM + 256GB storage variant. Meanwhile, the 12GB+256GB, 12GB+512GB, and 16GB+512GB RAM and storage models are priced at CNY 1,899 (roughly Rs. 23,000) CNY 2,199 (roughly Rs. 26,000), and CNY 2,499 (roughly Rs. 30,000), respectively. It is currently up for ***** in China in Blue Mecha, Dark Armored Cavalry and White Winged God of War colourways. Realme Neo 7 SE Specifications The dual SIM (nano) Realme Neo 7 SE runs on Realme UI 6.0 based on Android 15 and features a 6.78-inch 1.5K 8T LTPO display with 6,000nits peak brightness, 450ppi pixel density, and 120Hz refresh rare. The display is touted to deliver a 2,600Hz touch sampling rate and 100 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut. Realme Neo 7 SE runs on an octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 8400-Max chipset paired with up to 16GB RAM and up to 512GB storage. The handset features an airflow cold front cooling system and a 7,700mm square VC heat dissipation area for thermal management. Realme Neo 7 SE Photo Credit: Realme For optics, the Realme Neo 7 SE boasts a dual rear camera unit that includes a 50-megapixel Sony IMX882 camera with OIS support and an 8-megapixel secondary ultrawide-angle camera. For selfies, the phone has a 16-megapixel front camera. Connectivity options on the Realme Neo 7 SE include 5G, Beidou, Bluetooth 5.4, GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, A-GNSS, NFC, and Wi-Fi. Sensors onboard are an accelerometer, colour temperature sensor, distance sensor, light sensor, geomagnetic sensor gyroscope sensor, infrared remote control and under-screen fingerprint sensor. The handset boasts dual speakers with support for OReality Audio sound effects and Hi-Res Audio certification. It is said to meet the IP69 + IP68 + IP66 ratings for dust and water resistance. Like the standard variant, the Realme Neo 7 SE also carries a 7,000mAh battery with 80W wired fast charging support. It measures 162.55x 76.27 x8.56 mm and weighs 212 grams. Source link #Realme #Neo #MediaTek #Dimensity #8400Max #SoC #7000mAh #Battery #Launched #Price #Specifications Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Palantir: Down 30% This Week, Is It Time to Flee the High-Flying Stock? Palantir: Down 30% This Week, Is It Time to Flee the High-Flying Stock? After reaching an all-time high of $125 on February 18, Palantir (NASDAQ:) shares dropped over 28% in just a few sessions, falling to $90.68 by February 25. As of this writing, the stock is down 30% in just five sessions—a sharp drop, especially for recent buyers caught up in the market euphoria. The spark came from news that the Pentagon plans to cut US military spending by 8% in the coming years. Since government contracts made up about 40% of Palantir’s 2024 revenue, investors grew concerned about the impact of a smaller defense budget. The big question now—should investors steer clear, given the risk of catching a falling knife, or is there a chance for a rebound? How to Protect Your Portfolio from Sudden Sell-Offs Judging a stock solely by its recent performance is risky. No one can predict whether it will plunge further or stage a comeback. However, certain key indicators should always be considered before investing. Ignoring them and jumping in just because of market hype is no different from gambling. With InvestingPro’s ProTips, identifying these crucial factors becomes much easier. Here are a few to keep in mind. Understanding the Price/Earnings Ratio and What It Signals Source: InvestingPro For instance, a high price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio means investors are paying a premium for each dollar of company earnings. Generally, a high P/E is seen as a bearish signal, suggesting the stock might be overvalued and vulnerable to a correction. In Palantir’s case, even after its recent decline, the P/E ratio stands at 460x. By comparison, Tesla—often considered overinflated—has a P/E below 150x, while Nvidia’s sits at just 50x. Understanding the P/B Ratio Another red flag is the stock’s high price relative to its book value, reflected in an elevated Price-to-Book (P/B) ratio. Source: InvestingPro In Palantir’s case, the P/B ratio stands at 42.5x, compared to 5.3x for its competitors. Measuring Volatility To assess the risk of investing in a stock, it is important to consider its beta. A high beta means the stock moves more dramatically than the market, leading to greater potential gains in uptrends but also higher losses during downturns. This heightened volatility signals increased investment risk. Source: InvestingPro Palantir’s average beta is 2.81, significantly higher than its competitors’ average of 1.77. This indicates that Palantir’s stock is more volatile, making it riskier but also potentially more rewarding during market upswings. What’s Next for Palantir Shares? All of this data (which InvestingPro users can access here) suggests that Palantir remains overvalued. The most straightforward indicator to check is Fair Value, calculated by InvestingPro using 11 recognized financial models tailored to the stock. Palantir Fair Value | Source: InvestingPro As shown in the chart above, Palantir’s intrinsic value is $58.99 per share, which is 33.7% lower than its February 24 closing price. Additionally, the 21 analysts covering the stock project further downside over the next 12 months, with a target price of $87.38. Time to Hold or Head for the Exits? The chart above highlights the high level of uncertainty surrounding Palantir. The future remains unpredictable, but the warning signs are clear. Entering now comes with significant risk—there is a chance of a rebound and solid gains, but the correction could continue. It is also worth noting that despite the recent drop, the stock is still up 280% over the past year. For risk-averse investors, staying on the sidelines might be the wiser choice. Many shareholders seem to share this sentiment, as evidenced by profit-taking in recent sessions, as reported by Investing.com. However, after Palantir’s remarkable 2024 rally, a 30% drop may not be cause for much regret. Source: InvestingPro The Importance of Diversifying The best approach for investors is always diversification. For those looking to invest in top US tech companies, InvestingPro’s ProPicks AI Tech Giants strategy offers a smart alternative. This strategy delivered a 42.7% return in 2024, outperforming the 23.3%. By updating its list of 15 stocks every month, it helps manage risk on high-beta stocks, identifying the best buys and the ones to avoid. Want a tool to help you pick the best stocks to buy and sell when volatility rises? Try InvestingPro. Between advanced stock screeners, Fair Value and Propicks AI, the AI-driven strategies for beating the markets, InvestingPro is the tool for you. Try it now, CLICK HERE and start investing like a PRO! **** DISCLAIMER: This article is written for informational purposes only; it does not constitute a solicitation, offer, advice, counsel or recommendation to invest as such it is not intended to incentivize the purchase of assets in any way. As a reminder, any type of asset, is evaluated from multiple points of view and is highly risky and therefore, any investment decision and the associated risk remains with the investor Source link #Palantir #Week #Time #Flee #HighFlying #Stock Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

House Speaker Mike Johnson tries to push Trump’s ‘big’ agenda forward, but GOP votes are in jeopardy House Speaker Mike Johnson tries to push Trump’s ‘big’ agenda forward, but GOP votes are in jeopardy WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson will try against the odds to muscle a Republican budget blueprint to passage this week, a step toward delivering President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” with $4.5 trillion in tax breaks and $2 trillion in spending cuts over stiff opposition from Democrats — and even some Republicans. With almost no votes to spare in Johnson’s bare-bones GOP majority, the speaker is fighting on all fronts — against Democrats, uneasy rank-and-file Republicans and skeptical GOP senators — as he works to keep the package on track. Votes set for Tuesday evening are in jeopardy, and the outcome is uncertain. “We’re going to get everyone there,” Johnson, of Louisiana, said at an event at the start of the week, half-joking that he had a “prayer request” involved. The package, if approved, would be a crucial part of the budget process as Trump pushes the Republicans who control Congress to approve a massive bill that would extend tax breaks, which he secured during his first term but are expiring later this year, while also cutting spending across federal programs and services. Slashing government is not always popular at home But Republicans are running into a familiar problem: Slashing federal spending is typically easier said than done. With cuts to the Pentagon and other programs largely off limits, much of the other government outlays go for health care, food stamps, student loans and programs relied on by their constituents. It’s all unfolding as billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk is tearing through federal agencies with his Department of Government Efficiency firing thousands of workers nationwide, and angry voters are starting to confront lawmakers at town hall meetings back home. “While we fully support efforts to rein in wasteful spending and deliver on President Trump’s agenda, it is imperative that we do not slash programs that support American communities across our nation,” wrote Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, and several other GOP lawmakers in the Congressional Hispanic Conference. Democrats protest tax cuts for wealthy Democrats in the House and the Senate are vowing to fight the whole process. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York was planning to gather lawmakers on the Capitol steps in protest during Tuesday’s session. “This is not what people want,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., during a rules debate ahead of planned votes. “We all know that trickle-down economics,” he said about the 2017 tax breaks that flowed mainly to the wealthy, “don’t work.” Trump has signaled a preference for the “big” bill but also appears to enjoy a competition between the House and the Senate, lawmakers said, as he pits the Republicans against each other to see which version will emerge on a path toward approval. Senate Republicans, wary that Johnson can lift his bill over the finish line, launched their own scaled-back $340 billion package last week. It’s focused on sending Trump money his administration needs for its deportation and border security agenda now, with plans to tackle the tax cuts separately later this year. “I’m holding my breath. I’m crossing my fingers,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who said he is rooting for the House’s approach as the better option. “I think a one-shot is their best opportunity.” The House GOP faces pitfalls ahead Johnson, whose party lost seats in last November’s election, commands one of the thinnest majorities in modern history, which means he must keep almost every Republican in line or risk losing the vote. Already, several lawmakers have objected to the package either because it cuts too much or because it doesn’t cut enough. The most conservative Republicans warn it will pile onto the nation’s $36 trillion debt load, because the cost of the tax breaks, at least $4.5 trillion over the decade, outweighs the $2 trillion in spending cuts to government programs. More moderate Republican lawmakers worry that the enormous budget cuts being eyed — some $880 billion to the committee that handles health care spending, including Medicaid, for example, or $230 billion to the agriculture committee that funds food stamps — will be too harmful to their constituents back home. GOP leaders are trying to convince lawmakers that the details will be debated in the weeks to come and that this week’s vote is just a first step. The budget is being compiled during a lengthy process that first sends instructions to the various House and Senate committees, which will then have several weeks to devise more detailed plans for additional debate and votes. “The committees need time to go work to find savings,” said Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La. “But we can’t even get to that if we don’t get through the budget. So, we’ve got to get the first step done later this week.” Ten House GOP chairmen of the committees involved issued a joint statement in a show of force to push the package forward. “The House’s ‘one big beautiful bill’ delivers on the entirety of President Trump’s policy agenda,” they wrote in a letter obtained by The Associated Press. “We must meet this historic moment with the bold action it requires.” Rep. Jodey Arrington, the Republican chairman of the House Budget Committee, told reporters he recognizes the tension between Republicans who want more cuts and those from politically competitive districts who “have a higher level of sensitivity to some of the spending reforms.” Arrington said with economic growth assumptions, from 1.8% as projected by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office to 2.6% as projected by House Republicans, the package would generate about $2.6 trillion in savings over 10 years and would ensure the plan helps reduce the deficit. Some fiscal advocacy groups view the GOP’s economic projections as overly optimistic. ___ Follow the AP’s coverage of the U.S. House of Representatives at [Hidden Content]. Source link #House #Speaker #Mike #Johnson #push #Trumps #big #agenda #GOP #votes #jeopardy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Human Fall Flat VR: PSVR2 Review – Spawning Point Human Fall Flat VR: PSVR2 Review – Spawning Point The excellent puzzle platformer gets a re-release for PSVR2 headsets. Source link #Human #Fall #Flat #PSVR2 #Review #Spawning #Point Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Putin says Europe is needed in Ukraine talks, but hints deal is distant Putin says Europe is needed in Ukraine talks, but hints deal is distant Europe’s participation in Ukraine peace talks will be needed eventually but Moscow first wants to build trust with Washington, President Vladimir Putin said on Monday, while suggesting that a deal to end the conflict may still be far off. As Ukraine marked the third anniversary on Monday of Russia’s invasion that has killed thousands of civilians and displaced millions, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested the war could end within weeks. But he did not elaborate. Putin told Russian state television that Trump was approaching the Russia-Ukraine conflict rationally and not emotionally, but gave the impression it might not end as soon as Trump would like. Both his telephone conversation with Trump and recent talks between the United States and Russia in Riyadh touched on the issue of resolution of the conflict in Ukraine, Putin added. “But it was not discussed in detail,” he said in an interview. “We only agreed that we would move toward this. And in this case, of course, we are not refusing the participation of European countries.” Ukraine and Kyiv’s European allies both objected to not having been invited to the initial round of talks on Ukraine, held last week in Saudi Arabia by the United States and Russia. Putin said Europe had “nothing with” the talks in Riyadh, as they were focused on establishing trust between Moscow and Washington, which he said was key. “In order to resolve complex and rather acute issues, such as related to Ukraine, both Russia and the United States must take the first step,” Putin said. “What does it consist of? This first step should be devoted to increasing the level of trust between the two states,” he added. “But what do the Europeans have to do with it?” The next few rounds of talks and high-level contacts will be devoted to building that trust, he said, but once the talks turn to reaching a settlement to the conflict, the presence of European partners will be logical. “Their participation in the negotiating process is needed. We never rejected that, we held constant discussions with them.” Michael Froman, president of the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations thinktank, said it would be a mistake for a ceasefire deal to come at the cost of the transatlantic alliance. “To secure peace through strength, it would be in Trump’s interest to work in tandem with our European partners, who will bear the burden of Ukraine’s financial and economic survival,” he wrote in a note last week. Halving Defense Budgets Putin also said he approved a suggestion that Russia and the United States could discuss deep cuts, of as much as half, in military spending. “We could come to an agreement with the United States. We’re not against that,” Putin said. “The idea seems like a good one to me. The United States reduces theirs by 50% and we reduce ours by 50%. And China could join us later if it wishes.” Putin dismissed any notion that Trump’s sharp alteration of Washington’s policy on Ukraine, including criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and suggestions that Kyiv might not recover all lost territory, was based on emotion. Trump, he said, was acting logically and free of the constraints of promises to Ukraine made by European leaders. “Unlike them, the new president of the United States has his hands free from shackles that don’t allow you to move forward,” he said. “He is moving in a straightforward manner and without particular constraints. He is in a unique position: he doesn’t just say what he thinks, he says what he wants. This is the privilege of the leader of one of the major powers.” Source link #Putin #Europe #needed #Ukraine #talks #hints #deal #distant Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

In Russia, Anniversary of Ukraine War Draws Little Public Mention In Russia, Anniversary of Ukraine War Draws Little Public Mention No public events. No speeches, memorial church services for fallen soldiers or mentions on state television. Three years after sending troops across the border into Ukraine, Russian officials are marking the anniversary on Monday with a resounding silence. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia is not scheduled to attend any events on Monday for the anniversary of the full-scale invasion that he ordered, which has metastasized into Europe’s biggest military conflict since World War II. Russian state TV opened Monday morning news bulletins with routine reports from the front lines in Ukraine, making no reference to the symbolism of the date. And local officials who typically toe the Kremlin’s line on glorifying the invasion — casting Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine as heroes and the war as a moral imperative — were uncharacteristically quiet on Monday. Nor is Russia mourning its casualties — which U.S. intelligence estimates to be in the hundreds of thousands including the wounded — in any public way on Monday. However, independent Russian journalists in exile published a joint report saying that Russia had lost over 165,000 soldiers in three years of fighting, based on publicly available data from court records. Those figures could not be independently confirmed, and Russia’s defense ministry refuses to disclose casualty figures. A top Russian diplomat made no mention of the anniversary on Monday but praised the Trump administration’s efforts to draw closer to Mr. Putin and bring an end to the war. “A cease-fire without a long-term settlement is a path to renewed fighting and conflict at a later date with even graver consequences including for Russian-American ties,” Sergei A. Ryabkov, a deputy foreign minister, told the RIA Novosti news agency, a week after Russian and U.S. officials sat down for talks for the first time in three years. “We don’t want that,” Mr. Ryabkov went on. “We need to look for a long-term settlement that should include a way to deal with the underlying reasons for what has been happening in Ukraine and around it.” Source link #Russia #Anniversary #Ukraine #War #Draws #Public #Mention Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

How to follow Amazon’s hardware event tomorrow How to follow Amazon’s hardware event tomorrow Amazon doesn’t usually do device events in February, but in a year of turbulence, why not? The company is holding a presentation in New York, and, like in the past, Amazon won’t be livestreaming anything. Engadget will attend, however, and liveblog the event so you’ll know what’s happening. Amazon has teased its next-gen Alexa for what feels like years, promising a conversational vibe and the ability to process and execute complex requests. Is it ready to chat? And what random tech will Amazon cram it into? Clocks? Microwave ovens? Here’s what we’re expecting. — Mat Smith Get this delivered directly to your inbox. Subscribe right here! The biggest tech stories you missed There’s a huge built-in SSD instead. Sigma Sigma’s newest camera is the BF, a 24.6-megapixel full-frame, mirrorless camera with a built-in SSD instead of a removable memory card. The BF is compatible with L-mount lenses, and as well as photos, its 35mm full-frame sensor can capture 6K video and supports things like HEVC encoding and capture speeds at up to 120 frames per second. At the highest settings, the camera can cram in up to two and a half hours of video footage — probably enough. The Sigma BF will be available, body-only, for $1,999 in April, in ****** or silver. Continue reading. A minute will cost $30, then. Google’s Veo 2 model, announced last December, now has pricing. At the moment, Veo 2 is limited to two-minute clips at up to 4K resolution — a lot more than ChatGPT’s 1080p 20-second snippets. It’s difficult to compare pricing as Sora is part of a subscription-based service. If you’re paying for a $200 ChatGPT Pro plan, that’s 500 videos per month, while the Plus plan caps at 50 videos at 720p and only five seconds. Even if many don’t bite at that pricing, Google is already testing its Veo 2 AI to generate backgrounds for YouTube Shorts. Continue reading. Apple might announce a powerful new Air in March. Apple In his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports Apple is readying itself for the launch of the upgraded laptop next month. The company is reportedly winding down inventory of the existing models. The M4 MacBook Air is expected to come in two sizes, 13-inch and 15-inch, like the previous model. Last year’s M3 MBA launched awkwardly: Apple unveiled the M4 chip just a few months later. Continue reading. Source link #follow #Amazons #hardware #event #tomorrow Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Samsung Galaxy G Fold Said to Be in Development, Could Debut Alongside Galaxy Z Fold 7 Samsung Galaxy G Fold Said to Be in Development, Could Debut Alongside Galaxy Z Fold 7 Samsung is reportedly working on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Galaxy Z Flip 7, which are expected to arrive in mid-July as the company’s next generation of foldable phones. A new report from a South Korean publication suggests that Samsung is also developing a new ‘Galaxy G Fold’ smartphone that will arrive in a novel form factor that was previously teased by the company. This handset could compete with tri-fold smartphones like the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Edition. Samsung Galaxy G Fold Could Feature Separate External Display Citing industry sources, ETNews reports (in Korean) that Samsung is working on a new “double-folding” foldable phone. Dubbed the ‘Samsung Galaxy G Fold’, this handset is said to be in development alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7. The company will reportedly acquire parts for the new handset in April, and it could be launched with the company’s upcoming book-style and clamshell-style foldable phones. Samsung won’t be the first company to introduce a double-folding handset with an inner display that comprises three panels — the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Edition was launched last year as the first commercially available tri-fold smartphone. However, Samsung might not use the same S-style folding design for the rumoured handset. Instead of designing a foldable display that bends in the shape of an S, like Huawei’s smartphone, Samsung could adopt a G-style foldable design, according to the report. If this claim is accurate, then all the three panels comprising the 9.96-inch inner screen would be hidden when the device is folded. As a result, the phone would require a separate outward facing screen, for the cover display. This is said to be the same outer screen that Samsung plans to use for the Galaxy Z Fold 7, measuring 6.49 inches. Samsung has already shown off tri-fold displays, but has yet to launch a commercial version based on these prototypes. While the report suggests that Samsung is finally gearing up to launch a competitor to the Mate XT Ultimate Edition from Huawei, readers might want to temper their expectations. The company previously launched the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold SE in South Korea and China, and the upcoming Galaxy G Fold might also be available in limited regions. The report states that Samsung will only produce around 2 lakh units to gauge how consumers respond to the product before considering a wider release. Source link #Samsung #Galaxy #Fold #Development #Debut #Galaxy #Fold Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pope Francis, in Critical Condition, Is ‘Resting’ in Hospital, ******** Says Pope Francis, in Critical Condition, Is ‘Resting’ in Hospital, ******** Says Pope Francis showed slight improvement on Monday, the ******** said, adding that the pontiff’s condition remained critical. On Monday afternoon the pope, 88, did some light work at the Rome’s hospital where he has spent the past 10 days with pneumonia, a complex infection and mild kidney insufficiency, that together had left him in critical condition, the ******** said in a statement. The ******** said that Francis’ mild kidney insufficiency was not a cause for concern, that oxygen therapy continued, although with slightly reduced flow, and that some laboratory tests have improved. There had been no repeat of the “asthmatic respiratory crisis” that the pope experienced on Saturday, they said. However, given the “complexity of the clinical picture,” the pope’s doctors were guarding his prognosis, meaning they were not issuing predictions about the likely outcome of the pope’s illness. On Monday night, the ******** summoned all the cardinals residing in Rome to St. Peter’s square to recite a rosary for the pontiff at 9 p.m. The ********’s secretary of state, Pietro Parolin, was scheduled to preside on the ceremony. The ******** said in a statement on Monday morning that for Francis, the night had gone well. The pope was “alert and well oriented” and tests showed that his anemia had improved thanks to blood transfusions, the ******** said, adding that Francis had called the parish priest of the parish of Gaza to express his closeness, after receiving a video from the parish. Francis, who as a young man had part of a lung removed, has suffered a series of health conditions in recent years, but this is his longest hospitalization for a lung infection. Sergio Alfieri, a surgeon who is on the pope’s medical team, said on Friday that the pope had told him that he was aware of his own fragility and that “both doors are open.” An older person hospitalized for pneumonia is in a risky situation from the start. The American Thoracic Society reports that pneumonia poses a greater risk of death in older patients than any other reason for hospitalization. And kidney failure is a common and especially ominous sign in older people hospitalized with pneumonia, said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at the University of California, San Francisco. He added that an older patient hospitalized with pneumonia could develop kidney failure because of the pneumonia infection, which causes inflammation as the body tries to fight the disease, low blood pressure or low levels of oxygen in his blood. Some antibiotics can also affect kidney function. But whatever the cause, the prognosis is poor. A recent study found that more than a third of hospitalized geriatric patients with pneumonia developed kidney failure, and that more than half of them died, as compared to similar patients whose kidneys did not fail. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, in his homily on Sunday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, said that Francis was “in very, very fragile health and probably close to death,” as he urged the faithful to pray for the ailing pope. Many around the world have gathered to pray for Francis, who is the spiritual leader of almost 1.4 billion Roman Catholics. From near the Policlinico Agostino Gemelli hospital in Rome, where the pope is being treated in a dedicated apartment for popes, to South Korea, to his native Argentina, the faithful have held vigils and prayers for the pontiff. Source link #Pope #Francis #Critical #Condition #Resting #Hospital #******** Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Thing That Transformed Gaming Most Was PlayStation 1, Says Ex-Activision CEO The Thing That Transformed Gaming Most Was PlayStation 1, Says Ex-Activision CEO There’s been a raging debate about the meaning of first-party, second-party, and so on among gaming enthusiasts for eons. For the longest time, it was assumed first-party games were those published by the platform holder and made by internally owned studios, while second-party titles were those titles still published by the platform holder but made by non-owned studios. Source link #Transformed #Gaming #PlayStation #ExActivision #CEO Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Windows 11 is still my favorite OS, ads and all Windows 11 is still my favorite OS, ads and all It’s a funny thing, your desktop PC, isn’t it? For those of us who have been around the block somewhat, each system and its components almost have a kind of personality to them. Whether that’s tied to the point in time we used it and the surrounding circumstances, or something greater than that, each experience hits differently, and each OS is almost like a landmark in our own history. You can remember Windows XP not just because of what it did, or how it looked, but also because it was on your school computer, and you used to play flash games on it with a USB stick that your buddies would pass around class. In my case, I remember Windows 98, and using that, how that felt. How buggy and laggy it was. Constantly crashing, with its odd wallpapers and brutalist UI. I remember my friends having Windows 2000 and how clunkily it ran on their systems that weren’t really designed for it. I remember that it felt exactly the same to me, but slower. Recognise this image? If you do, you’ve got good taste in operating systems. (Image credit: TechRadar) I remember how XP came along, an almost god-tier OS, and the games I played on that; Battlezone II, the mods, the communities, the friends I made online for the first time—the real blossoming of the internet. Vista, my teenage years, World of Warcraft, Wrath of the Lich King, and onwards. Windows 8, 8.1 (which still makes me shudder), and of course the prodigal son: Windows 10, which debuted near the start of my professional career in tech journalism. It’s still touted by many today as one of the best operating systems Microsoft has ever launched (bar XP, of course). Like the Star Trek movie timeline though, in the world of custom PCs, the quality and caliber of Microsoft’s OS seemingly follows an upwards and downwards tick. One’s good, one’s bad; one’s good, one’s bad ad infinitum. And yet still, I genuinely do believe Windows 11 bucks that trend, despite some of its more glaring changes and controversial flaws. Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes Take the taskbar, for example. The biggest change and arguably the biggest upset came with the introduction of that “Apple-esque” centered design. For a generation of users who’d had nothing but a left-aligned bar, it was a cardinal sin, unthinkable that Microsoft would change it. Yet unlike many other operating systems (yes, I am talking about macOS), you can still go in and revert it back. You can shift the alignment, remove the taskview modes, hide the search bar, get rid of the ridiculous widgets, and yeet any mention of Microsoft’s Copilot AI out of the door entirely. The same goes for the Start Menu, cluttered with ads, and Skype, and other crud you’d never use, but again, delete all that, shuck a load of your own equally rarely-used programs in, and wham: a highly versatile, highly usable solution, that’s arguably far better than the Start Menu found in its predecessors. The honest truth is that Windows 11 is effectively a more refined version of Windows 10. It is to 10 what 8.1 was to 8, and that’s why it’s better – of course, it helps that Windows 10 was a hell of a lot better than Windows 8 to begin with. Yes, there have been some pretty dramatic decisions made to encourage folk to shift over (DirectStorage being limited to 11 being one of them), but it just feels smoother and easier to use, certainly on modern hardware. The settings menus have been radically expanded; there’s so much more that’s just straight-up accessible than before, features that are better thought out. The challenges faced by Windows 11 No, it’s not perfect. It hasn’t entirely avoided the enshittification effect. The fact that an OS that still costs you around $139 for a license will feed you ads for OneDrive, Office365, and more is admittedly a little grim. I’ve already paid you a small fortune, Microsoft, particularly in an aggressively overpriced inflationary climate – do you really need to bombard me with notifications on the joys of Outlook 2.0? Probably not. And then there’s the TPM problem. The fact that you need TPM 2.0 just to get the thing installed practically eliminated a lot of older systems from the equation. That’s just diabolical, really, particularly as Windows 10 is approaching end-of-life now, and Microsoft has committed to no longer providing system security updates for it. It means that rigs that run perfectly fine, that operate normally – optimally, even – for the tasks their users have to hand, are now going to be vulnerable. The silicon, hardware, and resources inside need to be scrapped in order to meet Microsoft’s new security standards or otherwise become vulnerable to malicious malefactors across the planet. Not exactly environmentally or economically friendly. Yes, that affects us as individuals, but what about the government agencies, or nations with smaller asset pools that can’t exactly just re-tool their entire systems? Healthcare, security, financial, and education could all be affected. We’ve already seen what can happen when these systems are compromised, and yet still, Microsoft is pushing ahead with this almost pseudo-Y2K disaster. On an individual level, you can of course bypass that. Our computing editor, Christian Guyton, wrote a fantastic guide on how you can upgrade to Windows 11 without a TPM right here, but that’s not exactly a solution for government agencies now, is it? Kiss, marry, push off a cliff Here’s the thing though: just look around at the modern OS ecosystem that we have available to us. We have ChromeOS, which, let’s face it, is fairly limited in scope and hardware – mostly used for cheap laptops and light office work. MacOS, which follows in Apple’s design ethos, namely that it’s incredibly well built but incredibly rigid and locked down in how you can use it, and boy oh boy, you better not try and game on it. And then there’s Linux, which, well, is Linux… fantastic in every way, and just as complicated to get into. Out of all of those, and even comparing Windows 11 to its predecessors, for me, it’s still the go-to operating system of choice. With one exception, of course: Windows on Arm. Yes, I know it’s apparently a lot better these days. I’m still not touching it. You might also like… Source link #Windows #favorite #ads Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Mind the gaps: Europe’s to-do list for defense without the US – Defense News Mind the gaps: Europe’s to-do list for defense without the US – Defense News Mind the gaps: Europe’s to-do list for defense without the US Defense NewsHow Europe is trying to shield Ukraine from Trump Al Jazeera EnglishWhat Europeans think of Trump’s approach to Ukraine (and what they might do next) Atlantic CouncilEurope Prepares to Face Russia as Trump’s America Steps Back The New York Times Source link #Mind #gaps #Europes #todo #list #defense #Defense #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Sucker Punch Says Ghost Of Yotei Will Push Innovation On Both Creative & Technical Fronts Sucker Punch Says Ghost Of Yotei Will Push Innovation On Both Creative & Technical Fronts LucasRuinedChildhood21d ago (Edited 21d ago ) It’s worth pointing out that they were also writers for much better written games like Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3, Bioshock Infinite, Dragon Age Inquisition, etc. And Ghost Of Yotei has the same director as Ghost Of Tsushima (Nate Fox) so the vision from the top would still be the same. If you look at the writers on the first game, they worked on a lot of mediocre stories (e.g. Halo 5 , Thief 2015, Ice Age Village, Watch Dogs Legion, Just Cause 3, Far Cry Primal, etc) where there talent clearly wasn’t being used properly. Dragon Age: The Veilguard was at one point an online game like Anthem and was changed mid-development which is a part of why it’s so bland and lacks meaningful choices. When EA wasn’t interfering with these projects, the writing was much better. I don’t think it would be a problem under Sucker Punch. Source link #Sucker #Punch #Ghost #Yotei #Push #Innovation #Creative #Technical #Fronts Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

BMO’s first-quarter profit jumps as Scotiabank reports drop – National BMO’s first-quarter profit jumps as Scotiabank reports drop – National Descrease article font size Increase article font size ********* lender Bank of Montreal BMO.TO on Tuesday reported a jump in first-quarter profit driven by strength in its capital markets business. Adjusted earnings from BMO’s capital markets business jumped 45% to C$591 million ($414.39 million) in the quarter. A revival in dealmaking activity has boosted the fees at banks that earn from underwriting stock and bonds sales as well from advising on deals. Meanwhile, BMO’s provision for credit losses jumped to C$1.01 billion in the quarter from C$627 million a year earlier. Rival lender Scotiabank BNS.TO on Tuesday also set aside ******* loan loss provisions. BMO’s adjusted net income rose to C$2.29 billion ($1.60 billion), or C$3.04 per share, in the three months ended January 31, compared with C$1.89 billion, or C$2.56 per share, a year earlier. 2:07 TD Bank speeds up CEO replacement, slashes 41 executive salaries Scotiabank’s first-quarter profit drops Trending Now Tax season 2025: What Canadians need to know before filing Trump says tariffs on Canada, Mexico ‘on time’ for March 4 deadline ********* lender Bank of Nova Scotia BNS.TO reported a fall in first-quarter profit on Tuesday, hit by an impairment loss stemming from its deal to hand over its Latin American operations to Colombian bank Davivienda. Story continues below advertisement Scotiabank said last month that it will transfer its operations in Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama to Davivienda, in exchange for a 20% stake in the Colombian bank. Get weekly money news Get expert insights, Q&A on markets, housing, inflation, and personal finance information delivered to you every Saturday. It had said that it would log an impairment loss of around C$1.4 billion in the first quarter on the deal, with another C$300 million hit on closing due to foreign-exchange effects. It reported a profit of C$993 million ($696.01 million), or 66 ********* cents apiece, for the quarter ended January 31, compared with C$2.2 billion, or C$1.68 per share, in the year-ago *******. Reporting by Arasu Kannagi Basil in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid Reporting by Jaiveer Singh Shekhawat in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber More on Money More videos Source link #BMOs #firstquarter #profit #jumps #Scotiabank #reports #drop #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

BBC sorry for ‘missed opportunities’ over DJ Tim Westwood’s ‘bullying behaviour’ BBC sorry for ‘missed opportunities’ over DJ Tim Westwood’s ‘bullying behaviour’ The BBC board has apologised over “missed opportunities” to tackle “bullying and misogynistic behaviour” by former BBC Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood. An independent report commissioned in 2022 by the BBC into what the corporation knew about Mr Westwood’s conduct was published on Tuesday, highlighting a series of incidents and allegations that it said amounts to a “considerable body of evidence” that it failed to investigate properly. The BBC executive admitted it did not “take adequate action”, saying: “It is clear that in the past, the BBC has not only been too siloed but too deferential to high-profile individuals.” The BBC had previously acknowledged six complaints about bullying and ******* misconduct. In a video that appeared on social media last year, the DJ said: “It’s all false allegations.” Source link #BBC #missed #opportunities #Tim #Westwoods #bullying #behaviour Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Rogue Waters Review | TheXboxHub Rogue Waters Review | TheXboxHub Review – The action is gripping, and even if the pirates are so stereotypical it makes you wince, the gameplay makes Rogue Waters a success. Source link #Rogue #Waters #Review #TheXboxHub Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Intel Xeon 6700, 6500 Series Processors With Performance Cores Announced Intel Xeon 6700, 6500 Series Processors With Performance Cores Announced Intel unveiled two new processor series in the Xeon 6 family on Monday. Dubbed Intel Xeon 6700 and Xeon 6500 series, the new processors offer improved performance and power efficiency compared to the previous generation. It is based on the x86 computer architecture and comes with up to 86 cores. The chipmaker claimed that the newly launched chipsets also feature dedicated Performance cores (P-cores) and are aimed at complex artificial intelligence (AI) tasks, traditional enterprise apps, and high-performance computing (HPC) solutions. Intel Xeon 6700/6500 Series Processors Introduced In a newsroom post, the chipmaker detailed the new processors in the Intel Xeon 6 family. Alongside the 6700 and 6500 series, the company also unveiled Xeon 6 for network and edge, a system-on-chip (SoC) designed for high performance and power efficiency. Notably, these are not retail-focused processors, and are instead aimed at data centres. According to the company, the Intel Xeon 6700 and 6500 series processors with P-cores offer 1.4X higher performance compared to the fifth generation of Intel Xeon processors, and can also handle a more diverse set of workloads, with a focus on enterprise tasks. The company said that it is also designed to work with AI systems and can handle complex tasks. Intel Xeon 6700 and 6500 series specifications Photo Credit: Intel Compared to the fifth-generation AMD EPYC processors, the Xeon 6700 and 6500 series chipsets are claimed to offer up to 1.5X better performance in AI inference while using only two-thirds of the cores. Intel also claimed that the chipsets offer improved performance-per-watt efficiency allowing for 5:1 consolidation of a five-year-old server on average. Coming to technical specifications, the new chipsets feature up to 86 cores with a Thermal Design Power (TDP) of between 150 to 300W. It comes with up to eight channels of DDR5 MRDIMM (multiplex ranked DIMM) memory, up to 88 lanes for PCIe 5.0 which goes up to 136 lanes for single socket design, as well as 64 lanes CXL 2.0. On the other hand, the Intel Xeon 6 for network and edge uses in-built accelerators for virtualised radio access networks (vRAN), media, AI, and network security. The company said the processor is designed to address the growing demand for network and edge solutions in the AI-driven world. These SoCs also deliver a 70 percent improvement in performance-per-watt with 2.4X the RAN capacity compared to the previous generation. The Xeon 6 for network and edge also features the Intel Media Transcode Accelerator, an in-built media accelerator that further improves power optimisation. For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Realme GT 7 India Variant Key Specifications, Colour Options Surface Online Samsung Set to Refresh Its Galaxy A Series Lineup With Improved Camera Features Source link #Intel #Xeon #Series #Processors #Performance #Cores #Announced Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How TikTok Helped Germany’s Left to a Surprise Election Showing How TikTok Helped Germany’s Left to a Surprise Election Showing Her fans call her Heidi. She is 36 years old. She talks a mile a minute. She has a tattoo of the Polish-******* revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg on her left arm and a million followers across TikTok and Instagram. She was relatively unknown in ******* politics until January, but as of Sunday, she’s a political force. Heidi Reichinnek is the woman who led the surprise story of Germany’s parliamentary elections on Sunday: an almost overnight resurgence of Die Linke, which translates as “The Left.” A month ago, Die Linke looked likely to miss the 5 percent voting cutoff needed for parties to earn seats in Germany’s Parliament, the Bundestag. On Sunday, it won nearly 9 percent of the vote and 64 seats in the Bundestag. It was one of only five parties to win multiple seats in the new Parliament, joining the Christian Democrats, the Social Democrats, the hard-right Alternative for Germany and the Green Party. It was a remarkable comeback, powered by young voters, high prices, a backlash against conservative politicians, and a social-media-forward message that mixed celebration and defiance. At a time when ******* politicians are moving to the right on issues like immigration, and when the Alternative for Germany, or AfD, doubled its vote share from four years ago, Ms. Reichinnek, the party’s co-leader in the Bundestag, and Die Linke succeeded by channeling outrage from liberal, young voters. They pitched themselves as an aggressive check on a more conservative government, which will almost certainly be led by Friedrich Merz, a businessman who has led the Christian Democrats to take a harsher line on border security and migrants. Mr. Merz’s ascent, and his decisions in the middle of a campaign that his party led from the start, appear to have helped Ms. Reichinnek. In January, after a deadly knife attack by an immigrant in Bavaria, Mr. Merz pushed the Parliament to vote on a set of migration restrictions that could only pass with votes from the AfD — breaking decades of prohibition in ******* politics against partnering with parties deemed extreme. Many analysts trace Die Linke’s surge to Ms. Reichinnek’s furious — for the ******* Parliament, anyway — speech denouncing Mr. Merz and his measures. “You just said that no one from your party is reaching out to the AfD!” she shouted, in a speech that has since racked up nearly seven million views on TikTok. “That’s right! They’ve been happily embracing each other for a long time already!” In the month that followed, she called the AfD a fascist party and demanded that the Christian Democrats fire Mr. Merz. She proposed strengthening immigrants’ rights, increasing pensions and imposing stricter rent controls to help people struggling with postpandemic price increases across Germany. She also called Die Linke the country’s last great firewall against the far right. Die Linke coupled those calls with an aggressive social media outreach and party-like atmospheres at its rallies. It added more than 30,000 new members in the last month of the campaign, said Götz Lange, the party’s press officer. In the campaign’s final week, Ms. Reichinnek traveled to the Berlin suburb of Treptow-Köpenick to talk to Ole Liebl, a ****** influencer, about “techno and TikTok.” Afterward there was a party, with a DJ set, including a techno mix with the voice of a famed left leader in Germany, Gregor Gysi. The venue, an old brewery, was bursting at the seams: Instead of the allowed 400 guests, around 1.200 people showed up. Most of them were techno lovers in ****** hoodies, people with multicolored hair and T-shirts with “antifa” slogans written on them. They mostly appeared to be in their early 20s. There wasn’t enough space inside for everyone, so around 800 guests followed the event outside and downstairs, on a livestream. Wearing a rust red-colored sweater and jeans, Ms. Reichinnek appeared after a 30-minute delay, smiling and waving to the crowd. “Thank you for being here,” she said. “It’s crazy, I don’t even want to know what it looks like down there. If you need help, try ******** on the ceiling really loudly, we’ll know.” The crowd roared. On Election Day, Die Linke surprised analysts and appeared to snatch votes from the Greens and the Social Democrats, the party of the incumbent chancellor, Olaf Scholz, and got new voters to turn out. In Berlin’s central Mitte neighborhood, it won areas previously dominated by the Greens. Founded in 2007 and descended from the former ruling party of East Germany, Die Linke had recently been better known for its failures than any success. Its most well-known leader, Sahra Wagenknecht, quit the party to start her own — which blended some traditional left economic positions with a hard line on migration and an affinity for Russia. That may have been a blessing, said Sven Leunig, a political scientist at the University of Jena, a public research university in Germany. Ms. Wagenknecht’s positions had split the party. “They were torn,” Mr. Leunig said, and voters did not like it. The departure also allowed Die Linke to enlist new candidates and leaders. Other mainstream parties continued to push familiar faces and may have paid the price. Daria Batalov, a 23-year-old nursing student from the central town of Hanau, said she was won over by Ms. Reichinnek’s TikTok videos. “They really spoke to me,” she said, adding, “And it was clear to me after a few videos that, OK, my vote is going to Die Linke.” Analysts said Ms. Reichinnek and her party also benefited from a backlash to Mr. Merz’s migration measures, and from fears about the rise of the far right. “She had good luck,” said Uwe Jun, a political scientist at the University of Trier. Her supporters called it something else: the rebirth of a movement. At Die Linke’s election-viewing party in Berlin, the crowd erupted into cheers when early exit polls flashed across the screen. Jan van Aken, a party leader, was greeted onstage with confetti. “The Left lives,” he said. Adam Sella contributed from Berlin and Sam Gurwitt from Hanau. Source link #TikTok #Helped #Germanys #Left #Surprise #Election #Showing Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Monster Hunter Wilds review – Eurogamer Monster Hunter Wilds review – Eurogamer PSU: “Endlessly ambitious and full of detail, Monster Hunter: Wilds manages to deliver on everything that it sets out to do and then some. I have complete faith in Capcom to keep building off of this launch as one of their strongest foundations yet. Putting the game down genuinely seems like an impossibility with just how much there is to do. The wait has been long and tense, but Capcom haven’t missed the mark with their latest and arguably, greatest.” Source link #Monster #Hunter #Wilds #review #Eurogamer Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Eli Lilly offering more cheaper vials of Zepbound weight loss drug Eli Lilly offering more cheaper vials of Zepbound weight loss drug An injection pen of Zepbound, Eli Lilly’s weight loss drug, is displayed in New York City on Dec. 11, 2023. Brendan McDermid | Reuters Eli Lilly on Tuesday released higher doses of its weight loss drug Zepbound in single-dose vials at as much as half its usual monthly list price to reach more patients without insurance coverage for the blockbuster injection, such as those with Medicare. It expands the company’s effort to boost the U.S. supply of Zepbound as demand soars, and to ensure eligible patients are safely accessing the real treatment instead of cheaper compounded versions. Eli Lilly is now offering higher doses of Zepbound in single-dose vials through a “self-pay pharmacy” section on its direct-to-consumer website, LillyDirect, which began offering lower doses of the drug in vials in August. Eligible patients diagnosed by a health-care provider with obesity alone or along with obstructive sleep apnea — Zepbound’s newly approved use — can pay for those vials themselves on the site. The company is selling 7.5 milligram and 10 milligram vials of Zepbound for $499 per month when patients fill their first prescription, and any time they refill within 45 days of their previous delivery. Otherwise, those two doses will cost $599 and $699, respectively. Also on Tuesday, Eli Lilly said it is lowering the price of both of the lower-dose vials of Zepbound by $50. The 2.5 milligram vial will now cost $349, and the 5 milligram vial will now be priced at $499, according to a release. Patients must use a syringe and needle to draw up the medicine from a single-dose vial and inject themselves. That differs from single-dose autoinjector pens, the currently available form of all Zepbound doses, which patients can directly inject under their skin with the click of a button. Eli Lilly has said those vials will make more of the medication available because they are easier to manufacture than autoinjector pens, which cost roughly $1,000 per month before insurance. Patients typically start treatment with a 2.5 milligram dose for four weeks, then gradually increase the amount per week and later take so-called maintenance doses to keep the weight off. Eli Lilly does not currently offer the highest doses of Zepbound — 12.5 milligrams and 15 milligrams — in single-dose vials. The lower price points for each of the single-dose vials will benefit patients who are willing to pay for Zepbound themselves and are enrolled in Medicare or employer-sponsored health plans that do not cover obesity treatments. “We are, in the absence of full coverage for people suffering from obesity like other chronic diseases, we are just trying to fill that room and provide a more affordable solution, particularly for the Medicare population because none of our affordability solutions can be applied to them,” said Patrik Jonsson, president of Eli Lilly diabetes and obesity, in an interview. Medicare beneficiaries are also not eligible for Eli Lilly’s savings card programs for Zepbound. Jonsson said “in an ideal world,” the Trump administration will enact a proposed rule from the Biden administration to have Medicare cover obesity medications. Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been skeptical of weight loss drugs. Some people turned to compounding pharmacies that make even cheaper copies of Zepbound because the branded treatment has been too costly and was in shortage until recent months. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has since declared the Zepbound shortage over, however, which will soon bar many compounding pharmacies from making those versions of the drug. Jonsson said Eli Lilly is “not price competing with the compounders,” adding that the company does not believe “there is still a market for the mass compounding anymore.” He said Tuesday’s announcement helps to ensure that patients “don’t rely on knockoffs that are not approved by the FDA for safety, efficacy and quality.” Progress of Zepbound vial launch Eli Lilly declined to say how many patients are ordering vials from LillyDirect so far, but Jonsson said “the uptake has been really good.” He said Zepbound prescriptions filled through LillyDirect’s self-pay pharmacy, which offers the single-dose vials, likely account for a low- to mid-single-digit percentage of the broader obesity market. Around 10% of new patients in the obesity market who start a treatment are using Zepbound through LillyDirect’s self-pay pharmacy, Jonsson added. He said launching vials of the 7.5 milligram and 10 milligram doses will add to that number. LillyDirect, which launched in January 2024, connects people with an independent telehealth company that can prescribe certain drugs if the patients are eligible. The site also offers a home-delivery option if the prescribed treatment is Eli Lilly’s, tapping a third-party online pharmacy to fill prescriptions and send them directly to patients. In December, direct-to-consumer health-care startup Ro said its platform will also offer single-dose vials of Zepbound through a new partnership with Eli Lilly. Don’t miss these insights from CNBC PRO Source link #Eli #Lilly #offering #cheaper #vials #Zepbound #weight #loss #drug Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Elden Ring Nightreign Preview – Where Are We Landing? – MonsterVine Elden Ring Nightreign Preview – Where Are We Landing? – MonsterVine Console Creatures writes, Our anticipation for Elden Ring Nightreign has skyrocketed in just a few hours. FromSoftware has found a way to keep players invested with this unique spin on the Souls formula and delivers an exceptional sampler of what’s to come.” Source link #Elden #Ring #Nightreign #Preview #Landing #MonsterVine Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Eli Lilly offering more cheaper vials of Zepbound weight loss drug Eli Lilly offering more cheaper vials of Zepbound weight loss drug An injection pen of Zepbound, Eli Lilly’s weight loss drug, is displayed in New York City on Dec. 11, 2023. Brendan McDermid | Reuters Eli Lilly on Tuesday released higher doses of its weight loss drug Zepbound in single-dose vials at as much as half its usual monthly list price to reach more patients without insurance coverage for the blockbuster injection, such as those with Medicare. It expands the company’s effort to boost the U.S. supply of Zepbound as demand soars, and to ensure eligible patients are safely accessing the real treatment instead of cheaper compounded versions. Eli Lilly is now offering higher doses of Zepbound in single-dose vials through a “self-pay pharmacy” section on its direct-to-consumer website, LillyDirect, which began offering lower doses of the drug in vials in August. Eligible patients diagnosed by a health-care provider with obesity alone or along with obstructive sleep apnea — Zepbound’s newly approved use — can pay for those vials themselves on the site. The company is selling 7.5 milligram and 10 milligram vials of Zepbound for $499 per month when patients fill their first prescription, and any time they refill within 45 days of their previous delivery. Otherwise, those two doses will cost $599 and $699, respectively. Also on Tuesday, Eli Lilly said it is lowering the price of both of the lower-dose vials of Zepbound by $50. The 2.5 milligram vial will now cost $349, and the 5 milligram vial will now be priced at $499, according to a release. Patients must use a syringe and needle to draw up the medicine from a single-dose vial and inject themselves. That differs from single-dose autoinjector pens, the currently available form of all Zepbound doses, which patients can directly inject under their skin with the click of a button. Eli Lilly has said those vials will make more of the medication available because they are easier to manufacture than autoinjector pens, which cost roughly $1,000 per month before insurance. Patients typically start treatment with a 2.5 milligram dose for four weeks, then gradually increase the amount per week and later take so-called maintenance doses to keep the weight off. Eli Lilly does not currently offer the highest doses of Zepbound — 12.5 milligrams and 15 milligrams — in single-dose vials. The lower price points for each of the single-dose vials will benefit patients who are willing to pay for Zepbound themselves and are enrolled in Medicare or employer-sponsored health plans that do not cover obesity treatments. “We are, in the absence of full coverage for people suffering from obesity like other chronic diseases, we are just trying to fill that room and provide a more affordable solution, particularly for the Medicare population because none of our affordability solutions can be applied to them,” said Patrik Jonsson, president of Eli Lilly diabetes and obesity, in an interview. Medicare beneficiaries are also not eligible for Eli Lilly’s savings card programs for Zepbound. Jonsson said “in an ideal world,” the Trump administration will enact a proposed rule from the Biden administration to have Medicare cover obesity medications. Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been skeptical of weight loss drugs. Some people turned to compounding pharmacies that make even cheaper copies of Zepbound because the branded treatment has been too costly and was in shortage until recent months. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has since declared the Zepbound shortage over, however, which will soon bar many compounding pharmacies from making those versions of the drug. Jonsson said Eli Lilly is “not price competing with the compounders,” adding that the company does not believe “there is still a market for the mass compounding anymore.” He said Tuesday’s announcement helps to ensure that patients “don’t rely on knockoffs that are not approved by the FDA for safety, efficacy and quality.” Progress of Zepbound vial launch Eli Lilly declined to say how many patients are ordering vials from LillyDirect so far, but Jonsson said “the uptake has been really good.” He said Zepbound prescriptions filled through LillyDirect’s self-pay pharmacy, which offers the single-dose vials, likely account for a low- to mid-single-digit percentage of the broader obesity market. Around 10% of new patients in the obesity market who start a treatment are using Zepbound through LillyDirect’s self-pay pharmacy, Jonsson added. He said launching vials of the 7.5 milligram and 10 milligram doses will add to that number. LillyDirect, which launched in January 2024, connects people with an independent telehealth company that can prescribe certain drugs if the patients are eligible. The site also offers a home-delivery option if the prescribed treatment is Eli Lilly’s, tapping a third-party online pharmacy to fill prescriptions and send them directly to patients. In December, direct-to-consumer health-care startup Ro said its platform will also offer single-dose vials of Zepbound through a new partnership with Eli Lilly. Don’t miss these insights from CNBC PRO Source link #Eli #Lilly #offering #cheaper #vials #Zepbound #weight #loss #drug Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

North Koreans on ******** Tuna Boats Boost Revenue for Kim Jong-un North Koreans on ******** Tuna Boats Boost Revenue for Kim Jong-un They spent up to 10 years at sea, toiling in some of the harshest conditions distant-water fishing crews ​can face. Many never set foot on land because their ******** captains did not want them to be seen by the port authorities. Most of their salaries went directly to their government, and some of their catch has likely ended up on dining tables in Europe and Asia. These were North Koreans assigned by their government to work on board ******** tuna longliners operating in the Indian Ocean, according to a report ​published on Monday by the London-based Environmental Justice Foundation. Through them, North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, established a new source of revenue ​for his cash-strapped regime. The United Nations bans member states from hiring North Korean workers because its Security Council says Mr. Kim’s government uses them to raise funds for its nuclear weapons program. But Mr. Kim sends tens of thousands of his people abroad to earn cash and other benefits for his regime. They have worked in factories and restaurants in China, logging camps and construction sites in Russia and farms and shipyards in Eastern Europe​. They have sweated on construction sites in the Middle East and built monuments for dictators in Africa. An estimated 11,000 North Koreans were sent to fight for Russia in its war against Ukraine. Until now, the fate of North Korean fishermen has drawn little global attention because they were in vast oceans, cut off from the rest of the world and even their own families for years at a time. The conditions they faced “would constitute forced labor of a magnitude that surpasses much of that witnessed in a global fishing industry already replete with abuse,” the foundation said in its report, shared with The New York Times ahead of its publication. Regulatory and other data available suggested that the products from these ships may be entering the European, British and Asian markets, the foundation said. The group discovered at least 12 ********-flagged tuna longliners using North Korean labor between 2019 and last year, and four of them were authorized to export fish to Europe and the United Kingdom, it said. Carrier ships suspected of collecting fish from these ******** vessels at sea have visited markets in Asia, including Japan, Taiwan and South Korea, it said. “If it was your husband, brother, father, son who’s being held on a vessel for months or years at sea with no option to get off, I think you can understand what it means and how this product is being produced and why we shouldn’t be eating it,” said Steve Trent, the foundation’s CEO. “These laborers are not free to choose how and when they work. They’re being coerced onto these vessels and kept there.” The foundation, which campaigns on environmental and human rights issues, based its findings on evidence that included interviews with 19 Indonesian and ********* shipmates who said they had worked with North Koreans. Its investigators also obtained video clips that mentioned North Koreans being on board and showed shipmates speaking in Korean. Three of the Indonesian seamen also spoke separately to The New York Times. The Times is not revealing their identities because they could work again on ******** fishing vessels. Crew members said they communicated with the North Koreans using body language and bits of Mandarin and each other’s languages that they picked up while working together. They told how North Korean crews were usually transferred to sister vessels at sea before their ships docked, and moved back again later. Crewmen who landed could use their mobile phones to call families, but the North Koreans ​did not even have mobile phones. If their presence was discovered by foreign port authorities, it could create legal trouble for their ******** captain: In December 2022, news media in Mauritius reported the arrest of six North Korean workers and the captain of a ******** fishing vessel. “I docked in Somalia, Mauritius, Australia, Madagascar and Somalia again, and the North Koreans were always transferred,” said a former Indonesian fisherman who said he worked with six North Koreans from late 2022 to last June. “One of them told me that he has a wife whom he never contacted during the seven years he’s been gone.” On these ******** ships, most crew members had their passports taken so they could not abscond. They caught only five to six hours of sleep a day, but the North Koreans were often the most skilled workers on board because of the time they had spent at sea. The second former Indonesian fisherman remembered how the North Koreans on his ship urged others to work faster, shouting the North Korean phrase for “hurry up”: ppallihara. The pandemic extended the time at sea for some North Koreans as their country kept its borders closed until late 2023. They worked through the pandemic, some transferring to other ******** ships midocean after their three- or four-year-contract ended. “Their families don’t have any idea whether they are still alive or not,” said the third Indonesian fisherman, who said he had worked with three North Koreans. “They never said how they felt. But I can’t imagine how you didn’t set foot on land for eight years.” The Indonesian crewmen earned about $330 per month but did not know how much the North Koreans made. The North Koreans told them that their ​salaries went straight to their government. One Indonesian crewman said the North Koreans lived only on bonuses they earned. Another said they were allowed to keep $50 of their salary. “They really save up all the money,” one of the Indonesian fisherman said. “They showed me all the cents they collected.” The ******** distant-water fleet is by far the world’s largest.​ The foundation​ said it could not estimate how many North Koreans were working on ******** fishing vessels around the world​ until a more extensive study was done. Asked about the report on Monday, China’s foreign ministry said that China always requires its offshore fishing activities to abide by local and relevant international laws. “Cooperation between China and North Korea is carried out in accordance within the framework of international law,” said Lin Jian, a foreign ministry spokesman. For more than three decades, North Korea has sent workers abroad, earning up to billions of dollars a year, according to South Korean estimates. In 2017, the U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution ​requiring U.N. member countries to expel North Korean workers by the end of 2019. But more than 100,000 North Koreans were still working in 40 countries, a U.N. panel of experts reported last year.​ North Korean workers are ​required to spy on each other when they go abroad and to maintain a life of indoctrination. The North Koreans’ former shipmates remembered them showing videos of military parades and their leader, Mr. Kim, giving speeches. They often put on their ​best clothes, hung their flag and sang, while standing straight. ​ But their former shipmates could tell how homesick the North Koreans were. One of the Indonesian shipmates recalled a time when a North Korean colleague was finally allowed to go home. “He was so excited and anxious that when we told him to get some rest, go to sleep, he refused,” he said. “He just sat there out on the deck watching other crews working.” Source link #North #Koreans #******** #Tuna #Boats #Boost #Revenue #Kim #Jongun Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]