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EU looks to ramp up sovereign tech as Trump trade war begins EU looks to ramp up sovereign tech as Trump trade war begins As the European Union (EU) prepares to respond to Trump’s 25% tariff on aluminium and steel, a widely reported paper from Goldman Sachs has suggested that applying pressure on US technology providers is among the levers the EU could use to negotiate with the US. Under the Digital Markets Act, the EU Competitions Authority has numerous ongoing investigations related to US big tech, which some experts believe could be deployed as levers to negotiate a more favourable trade agreement with the US. At the same time, the EU has recognised its shortcomings as regards to heavy reliance on US tech and has ambitions to develop sovereign AI capabilities analogous to Trump’s Project Stargate initiative. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt told the BBC that there should be government oversight on private tech companies developing AI models, but he warned that over-regulation would stifle innovation. Schmidt also saw US export controls of semiconductors as a way to prevent adversaries getting hold of the technology to develop powerful AI systems. Given the US’ ongoing trade war with its allies, policymakers are wary of how far will Trump go and whether the US would impose export controls to curb the *** and Europe’s ambitions to develop sovereign cloud and sovereign AI capabilities. In retaliation, would the EU impose tariffs on US tech? On ING, global head of macro Carsten Brzeski, and senior economist for Germany and global trade Inga Fechner recently co-wrote an article discussing the trade-war, noting that while Europe will try to prepare for an upcoming possible trade war with the US, trade wars are not be won by the trade-surplus country. “It is always the surplus countries that have more to lose. Therefore, Europe might want to consider another route: the strengthening of the domestic economy. “Think of reducing dependency on the US by increasing domestic military industries, including reducing too many technological standards of weapons systems and pooling of defence purchases, and deregulation of the tech sector, including significant investments,” they said. EU ramps up AI investment At the end January, the European Commission presented the Competitiveness Compass, which sets out an industrial strategy for new tech in Europe. The Competitive Compass points to a Europe where future technologies, services and clean products are invented, manufactured and put on the market, while being the first continent to become climate neutral. The Competitive Compass is based on findings from the Draghi report, from Mario Draghi, the former European Central Bank President. To reignite the EU innovation engine, the European Commission said: “We want to create a habitat for young innovative startups, promote industrial leadership in high-growth sectors based on deep technologies, and promote the diffusion of technologies across established companies and SMEs.” The strategy will involve so-called AI gigafactories and will apply AI initiatives to drive development and industrial adoption of AI in key sectors. There is also a dedicated EU startup and scaleup strategy to address the obstacles that are preventing new companies from emerging and scaling up. The EU is proposing a 28th legal regime to simplify applicable rules, including relevant aspects of corporate law, insolvency, labour and tax law, and to reduce the costs of failure. It claims that this will make it possible for innovative companies to benefit from one single set of rules wherever they invest and operate in the Single Market. This week, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen launched InvestAI, an initiative to mobilise €200bn for investment in AI, including a new European fund of €20bn for AI gigafactories. She described the public-private partnership, as akin to “CERN for AI”, which would enable scientists and companies of all sizes to develop advanced very large models needed to make Europe an AI continent. The EU’s InvestAI fund is supporting our future AI gigafactories across the EU. Each will have around 100,000 “last-generation AI chips”. There will inevitably be questions over what exactly is meant by “last-generation AI chips”, but previous generations of AI acceleration hardware are cheaper, and DeepSeek has shown that it is not always necessary to run state-of-the-art technology to achieve comparable results to US AI firms such as OpenAI that do have access to these chips. Source link #ramp #sovereign #tech #Trump #trade #war #begins Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A fire at Buddhist temple in New York killed 2 people, including a monk A fire at Buddhist temple in New York killed 2 people, including a monk A fire at Buddhist temple in New York killed 2 people, including a monk Source link #fire #Buddhist #temple #York #killed #people #including #monk Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Here Are Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater’s PC System Requirements – Minimum & Recommended Specs Here Are Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater’s PC System Requirements – Minimum & Recommended Specs Konami officially confirmed the release date for Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater at PlayStation’s State of Play event yesterday. As you wait for the game, here is a guide on the minimum and recommended system requirements for Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater on PC. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is a remake of the hit 2004 title, featuring the original story, characters, voice acting, gameplay, and music. The rest of the game has been built from the ground up for modern consoles, featuring cutscenes with new life, expansive stages, and new graphics for jungles, forests, and more. Characters also have better details, with even facial wrinkles, pores, and iris movements becoming visible. The developers have also upgraded the MGS 3 remake’s battle system, so players will see wear and tear on Snake’s clothes, bruises and bullet wounds will appear on the body, and serious injuries will remain permanently. To best experience Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eaters’ visual enhancements, the developers have revealed a set minimum and recommended PC system requirements. However, players should note that 16 GB of RAM, 100GB of SSD storage, and DirectX 12 are compulsory for both presets. Check out Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater PC’s minimum and recommended specifications, as listed on the game’s Steam listing. Minimum The minimum requirements for MGS 3: Snake Eater are more demanding than those for recent games. As the bare minimum, players need an Intel i5-8600 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 CPU and RTX 2060 Super (8GB) GPU. These specifications will let players run Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater at 1080p/30fps. Specifications Minimum Requirements CPU Intel i5-8600 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 GPU RTX 2060 Super (8GB) RAM 16 GB RAM Storage 100 GB SSD Storage OS Windows 10/11 (64-bit) DirectX Version 12 Recommended With the recommended specifications, players can run Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater at 1080p/60fps. However, they will need some upgrades, with the CPU increasing to Intel i7-8700K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and the GPU increasing to RTX 3080. Specifications Minimum Requirements CPU Intel i7-8700K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 GPU RTX 3080 RAM 16 GB RAM Storage 100 GB SSD Storage OS Windows 10/11 (64-bit) DirectX Version 12 In other news, it was recently claimed that Metal Gear Solid Delta could also be released on Nintendo Switch 2 this year. Also, check out who the “Big Boss” is in Metal Gear. What are your thoughts on Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater’s PC system requirements? Let us know in the comments or on our new community forum! For more Insider Gaming, check out our official Guides Hub. And don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Metal #Gear #Solid #Snake #Eaters #System #Requirements #Minimum #Recommended #Specs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Avowed review – Annihilation meets Oblivion in a vast, intricate fantasy | Games Avowed review – Annihilation meets Oblivion in a vast, intricate fantasy | Games Every time I have to switch between fantasy realms I feel a little like the workers in Severance. Who am I again? What am I here to do? Who are all these people? It’s been a golden time for fantasy lately and having inhaled Dragon’s Dogma 2, Metaphor: ReFantazio, both seasons of House of the Dragon and all of Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing novels in less than a year, I’m starting to blur the finer details of one kingdom with another. Avowed’s fantasy universe comes ready-made, from developer Obsidian’s other Pillars of Eternity games. The lore is dense, the in-game text plentiful and characters verbose, but thankfully The Lands Between is fascinating to look at and the realm of Eora full of political tension and cool monsters. I remember precious few names or historical details, but I will remember several of my experiences in this game – the view from the rickety path hugging the walls of an underground cavern big enough for a mad priest to have built as gigantic automaton inside, and the skin-crawling secret I discovered in the basement of a companion’s family home. The look is Annihilation-meets-Oblivion, with fungal and floral detail embroidering the structures and peoples you encounter, and and ever-present tension between the organic and the corruptive. The Lands Between is being ravaged by a disturbing plague that sends people mad, before they are consumed by mushroom-like growths. You, an envoy from a distant centre of empire, have been sent to investigate. You are a godlike, touched by the immortals, and you are guided through this strange place by a divine voice in your head and a range of native companions, whose chatter I found genuinely edifying. There’s a lot of choice and self-direction in Avowed, and it’s a game that always respects your intelligence. Characters are interestingly (if densely) written and there are plenty of ways to respond to them. It’s a lot less patronising than the cringeworthily Whedon-esque good guy/bad guy/joker responses that other games force out of you. I expected a brisk 20-hour adventure in the vein of Obsidian’s sci-fi comedy The Outer Worlds, but reader, this is not that. This game is immense. I took my time in the opening area of Dawnshore, having a fine old time probing into spider-webbed caverns (there are lots of those, this is not a game for the arachnophobic) and combing through ornate, abandoned ruins and climbing lighthouses looking for loot. (This was partly because I stalled on the main quest, having forgotten a vital piece of information that popped up once in a text tutorial for about five seconds.) Only after 15 hours in this pleasant coastal land did I meet one of the central antagonists, an impressively frightening warlord in intricate armour and a mask with smouldering eyes. I then found myself in a dense and rotting jungle-swamp full of surprisingly cheerful necromancers, and it was even ******* than Dawnshore. When I arrived at a third new location after around 30 hours I realised that I very much did not have the measure of this world at all. Unfortunately Avowed would be better if it were 20 hours long. I always had fun striking out from town and getting lost, coming across interesting things to do exactly as you would in Skyrim or Fallout. But there are two sticky problems that ***** the fun out of it over time. The first is common to a lot of open-world games: when you arrive in a new place, all the quests and fights are a little too hard. After a few hours’ questing, exploring and upgrading your weapons and armour, it hits a brief sweet spot where everything feels challenging but conquerable. Then you empower yourself to such an extent everything gets too easy, and it starts to feel like a box-ticking exercise. This pattern repeated itself over my time with the game, eroding my patience. The second issue is that Avowed’s combat just isn’t as fun as it thinks it is, and there’s so much of it. There are an impressive number of weapons and techniques available to you – grimoires and wands for spells, giant two-handed axes, bows and pistols, maces and shields. No matter what you choose, though, it feels imprecise and tedious, and your chances of success are determined by invisible numbers rather than skill. Try to take on enemies above your level and it will barely matter how well you dodge out of the path of a greatsword or how cleverly you combine your magic effects to freeze and shatter undead skeletons. What matters is the quality of your gear, which must be continually and laboriously upgraded with a warehouse’s worth of random materials that you find in every chest and lockbox. I got very sick of smashing R2 to fire magic projectiles or hack away at tree-monsters with my sword, chipping away determinedly at their hit points. My companions never felt especially helpful in battles, either. All the variety and texture that can be found in the fiction here is lacking in the combat and the loot. There are unique swords and trinkets at the ends of the most interesting quests, but the fun of exploring is tempered by the realisation that outside of the views and the characters, you’ll rarely find anything that interesting. If you come across a powerful enemy, you may well be underpowered for the fight. If you find a tantalising glowing chest in a cavern, there’s a strong chance it’ll be full of pennies, chunks of iron and a few pelts. Avowed started out as Obsidian’s answer to Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls series, and it did remind me a lot of Oblivion and Skyrim in the exciting moments where I stumbled across something unexpected in the wilds. But it also shares those games’ tendency towards repetition, and the weightless feel of their fighting. My first 15 or so hours in The Lands Between felt rich with potential, but I got fed up with it long before the end. skip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Pushing Buttons Keza MacDonald’s weekly look at the world of gaming Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion Source link #Avowed #review #Annihilation #meets #Oblivion #vast #intricate #fantasy #Games Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Donald Trump opens the door to Vladimir Putin’s grandest ambitions – Financial Times Donald Trump opens the door to Vladimir Putin’s grandest ambitions – Financial Times Donald Trump opens the door to Vladimir Putin’s grandest ambitions Financial TimesLive updates: Russia-Ukraine war at critical moment as Trump and Putin push to end conflict CNNHearing Wrap Up: DOGE Subcommittee’s First Hearing Uncovers Billions Lost to Fraud and Improper Payments, Launches “War on Waste House Committee on Oversight and Reform |Trump’s Call with Putin, and Ozempic’s Effect on Drinking The New York TimesAs Trump throws Ukraine under the bus and sides with Russia, India breathes easy The Times of India Source link #Donald #Trump #opens #door #Vladimir #Putins #grandest #ambitions #Financial #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

While Kiryu and Majima from Yakuza Set Their Sights on Fortnite, Ichiban Gets Ready to Appear in Dave the Diver in a New DLC While Kiryu and Majima from Yakuza Set Their Sights on Fortnite, Ichiban Gets Ready to Appear in Dave the Diver in a New DLC If you ever want to roam around the cityscape of Tokyo and beat up random street punks, then Yakuza is the perfect game series for you. Yakuza, a.k.a Like A Dragon, is an action-adventure video game franchise published by *****. The series is inspired by the Yakuza films from Japan, which is a highly sought-after genre involving crime syndicates and Japanese noir. Like a Dragon series features a Japanese noir crime drama plot | Image Credits: ***** The Like A Dragon franchise is developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios, with their critically acclaimed installment released in 2024, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. After successfully captivating the world with their games, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios have now set sail to collaborate with other games like Fortnite and Dave the Diver. Yakuza expands its universe even more Like A Dragon features the beat em up genre | Image Credits: ***** Although the Yakuza series deals with Japanese gang members and has a fairly dramatic storyline, much of the content in the games is surprisingly funny and light-hearted. This contrast of drama and humor has made the franchise’s success set in stone. The series has sold more than 27 million physical and digital units since its debut in 2005. The popularity of the series has enabled it to collaborate with other forms of media as well. From FPS shooters like Rainbow Six Siege to pop culture sensation Hatsune Miku, Yakuza has been featured in a lot of other media. This time ***** has decided to collaborate with two games, Fortnite as well as Dave the Diver. Leaks have suggested that the protagonist of Like A Dragon, Kazuma Kiriyu would make an appearance in Fortnite soon. Another recurring character in the series, Goro Majima will also be a part of the collaboration between Fortnite and Yakuza. This information was revealed by @Loolo_WRLD who is a reliable source on X (formerly Twitter). YAKUZA X FORTNITE – COMING SOON! First wave should include Kiryu & Majima. (via me & @Wensoing) #Fortnite pic.twitter.com/Slq7d1CAsM — Loolo | Fortnite Leaks (@Loolo_WRLD) February 12, 2025 Another game that is getting a Like A Dragon collaboration is Dave the Diver. Kasuga Ichiban, who is another recurring character in the Yakuza series is set to appear in Dave the Divers’ latest DLC, Ichiban’s Holiday. This was announced on February 13 on PlayStation’s YouTube channel and the DLC is set to release on April of this year. Are the collaborations just a promotion for RGG Studio’s next game? The collaborations are a great way to promote their new installment | Image Credits: ***** Ryu Ga Gotoku’s new game, Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is underway and is set to be released on 25 February. This new installment takes place after the events of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and will follow the story of Goro Majima. These collaborations with other media are an excellent way to introduce the Yakuza franchise to new audiences. Fortnite players have been longing for a Like A Dragon collaboration and the new Ichiban’s Holiday DLC will definitely help Dave the Diver get some well-deserved recognition in the gaming industry. Both collaborations also act as strategic promotions for the upcoming Like A Dragon title. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios is effectively building hype for the franchise and is aiming to expand the fanbase. This strategy will engage veteran Yakuza fans as well as introduce new players to the franchise which will contribute to its popularity. Source link #Kiryu #Majima #Yakuza #Set #Sights #Fortnite #Ichiban #Ready #Dave #Diver #DLC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

BMO says buy U.S. stocks whose large domestic sales are insulated from tariffs BMO says buy U.S. stocks whose large domestic sales are insulated from tariffs Some U.S. stocks are better protected from their peers from the threat of more tariffs, according to BMO Capital Markets. Fresh worries tied to the effect of higher tariffs on corporate profits loomed over investors on Thursday after the White House said that President Donald Trump could announce retaliatory duties on all countries that issue similar levies on U.S. exports. Trump, after commenting himself on social media , said he would make an announcement Thursday afternoon. Added tariffs follow an order from Trump on Monday that imposed duties on all imports of steel and aluminum , regardless of the country of origin. “We have been bullish on America for quite some time and have developed many of our investment strategy opinions around this premise,” BMO Capital chief investment strategist Brian Belski wrote on Wednesday. “We continue to believe that the U.S. will be a main source of relative growth (in terms of both economic and stock market performance) in the coming years.” Tariffs brighten appeal That view is even more important in a tariff-heavy environment, Belski said. He says U.S.-facing stocks could be due for a bump in the future partly due to tariff concern lingering in the minds of investors. “Now that tariff uncertainty has reentered the equation, we believe that more domestic-focused stocks are positioned to reverse this multi-year relative performance slide since in theory they are more shielded from the tariff threat but also considering that global macro data continues to favor the U.S.,” he said. Against this backdrop, BMO found multiple domestic-oriented stocks, all of which are rated outperform at the investment bank and that get most of their revenue from inside the U.S. Those companies could be best insulated from the effect of higher tariffs. The BMO list was assembled using the following criteria: Each stock’s five-year average foreign revenue is less than 50% Full-year price/earnings-to-growth is less than S & P 500 2025 earnings growth is more than 10% Stock’s are rated outperform and BMO’s 12-month price target is above the Street consensus BMO 2025 earnings estimates are above consensus Here are three stocks BMO discovered: AbbVie made the list. Shares of the company behind the Humira treatment for arthritis and psoriasis have advanced about 11% over the past year. The drugmaker recently received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its treatment Emblaveo, which is also developed by Pfizer. Emblaveo is used to treat complicated intra-abdominal infections. ABBV 1Y mountain AbbVie over the past year J.B. Hunt Transport Services also turned up. Shares of the trucking and logistics company have pulled back more than 23% over the past year. Hunt last month launched a solar facility in Arkansas that it says will generate enough electricity to offset the majority used by its three corporate campuses. J.B. Hunt also raised its quarterly dividend by more than 2% in late January. JBHT 1Y mountain J.B. Hunt over the past year Shares of independent power producer Vistra have soared more than 21% so far in 2025, far surpassing the S & P 500’s 3% advance. Investors view the company as a key supplier to meet rising power demand from data centers , which require enormous energy to support artificial intelligence computations. VST 1Y mountain Vistra shares over past 12 months Source link #BMO #buy #U.S #stocks #large #domestic #sales #insulated #tariffs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Johnny Scott sentenced over gates ****** Johnny Scott sentenced over gates ****** Thomas Mackintosh BBC News, London PA Media Scaffolding was put in place after Johnny Scott crashed into the palace gates A man who crashed his car into the Buckingham Palace gates, causing damage put at nearly £25,000, has been told at his sentencing that “you are very lucky that you didn’t get yourself shot” Johnny Scott, 26, from Hornchurch, east London, previously pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage after he drove his VW Polo into the palace’s South Centre Gate on 9 March. At Westminster Magistrates’ Court, District Judge Neeta Minhas also told Scott: “You have caused a very high level of damage to a structure that is of huge cultural importance in the United Kingdom.” She gave Scott a 12-month community order and barred him from entering the area around Buckingham Palace. PA Media A workman prepares to remove the car ‘Deep remorse’ Scott was approached by armed officers who arrested him at the scene immediately after the ******, while the vehicle he was driving was subsequently destroyed, the court heard. In mitigation, Aamina Khalid said her client had had a “psychotic episode” on the day of the ******, suffering a relapse of his bipolar disorder, and was “not able to understand what his actions were” as a result. Scott had not been under the influence of alcohol or drugs, Ms Khalid said. She told the court he expressed “deep remorse” for what happened and that it had been “completely out of character”. Scott was also ordered to undertake 100 hours of unpaid work within the next year, and to pay £5,000 in compensation over a ******* of two years. No members of the Royal Family were in residence when the ****** happened, a palace spokesman said at the time. Source link #Johnny #Scott #sentenced #gates #****** Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Avowed Review (PC) ****** Rock More Like ****** Magic | The Outerhaven Avowed Review (PC) ****** Rock More Like ****** Magic | The Outerhaven The Otuerhaven says: Obsidian has crafted another fantastic RPG with Avowed, and while it does nothing revolutionary, the quality it shows across the board makes it a joy to play. Source link #Avowed #Review #****** #Rock #****** #Magic #Outerhaven Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Dozens injured in Munich, including children, after driver rams car into crowd – National Dozens injured in Munich, including children, after driver rams car into crowd – National ******* police said a driver drove a car into a union demonstration in central Munich on Thursday, injuring at least 28 people, including children. Officials said it was believed to be an attack. Participants were taking part in a demonstration connected to a strike organized by Verdi, the key trade union for Germany’s public sector. Demonstrators were walking along a street at about 10:30 a.m. when the car, a Mini Cooper, overtook a police vehicle following the gathering and accelerated, and the driver plowed into the back of the group, police said. The suspect, who is believed to be a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker, was arrested, according to Munich police director Christian Huber. The incident follows a series of attacks involving immigrants in recent months that have pushed migration to the forefront of the campaign for Germany’s Feb. 23 election. Story continues below advertisement A view of the damaged car after a car plowed into a crowd in the southern ******* city of Munich on Feb. 13, 2025, injuring multiple people, according to local authorities. Behlül Çetinkaya/Anadolu via Getty Images Bavaria’s state interior minister, Joachim Herrmann, said the suspect was known to authorities in connection with theft and drug offences, but didn’t give further details. The state’s justice minister, Georg Eisenreich, said a prosecutors’ department that investigates extremism and terror was looking into the case. “It is suspected to be an attack — a lot points to that,” Bavaria Premier Markus Söeder told reporters. Officers arrested the suspect after firing a shot at the car, according to Huber. He said at least 28 people were believed to be injured, with some sustaining serious injuries. The damaged Mini Cooper was seen at the scene, along with debris including shoes, water bottles and a stroller. A view of the scene after a car plowed into a crowd in the southern ******* city of Munich on Feb. 13, 2025, injuring multiple people, according to local authorities. Behlul Cetinkaya/Anadolu via Getty Images A witness, who said he saw the incident from a window of a neighbouring office building, saw the car had threaded its way between the police vehicles and then accelerated, he said. Another witness, who said she had seen part of the incident from a building, saw the car accelerate and hit several people in the crowd. Story continues below advertisement “It was fast enough to pull 10 to 15 people to the ground,” a witness named Alexa told Reuters. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. She also described hearing one to two gunshots, which she believed came from police. “It is simply terrible,” Bavaria Premier Söder told reporters at the scene. “We feel with the victims, we are praying for the victims — we hope very much that they all make it.” Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter said he was “deeply shocked” by the incident. He said children were among those injured. The suspected attack also came hours before leading international figures, including U.S. Vice-President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, were in the city for the high-profile Munich Security Conference, which starts on Friday. 2:36 ‘There were screams of children’: Magdeburg residents grieve after Christmas market attack Bavaria’s interior minister said he did not suspect there was a connection between the conference and the suspected attack. Trending Now Alberta premier defends her government amid corruption allegations Trump set to impose sweeping reciprocal tariffs within hours: ‘The big one’ Story continues below advertisement ******* Chancellor Olaf Scholz told the media that “this is not something we can tolerate or accept.” He urged the judiciary to “use everything in their power” to bring charges against the suspect. “Anyone who commits a crime in Germany will not only be severely punished and go to jail, but they also must understand they may not be able to continue to reside in Germany,” he said. More on World More videos Scholz said the suspect “must be punished and must leave the country.” The chancellor noted that his government deported convicted criminals to Afghanistan on a flight in August 2024 and is working to do so again — “and not just once, but continually.” Mark Rutte, the secretary general of NATO, expressed “shock and sadness” at what he called an “attack.” The Bavarian capital will see heavy security in the coming days because of the three-day Munich Security Conference, an annual gathering of international foreign and security policy officials. The Munich incident comes three weeks after a two-year-old boy and a man were killed in a knife attack in Aschaffenburg, also in Bavaria. An Afghan whose asylum application was rejected was the suspect in that attack, which propelled migration to the centre of the ******* election campaign. Story continues below advertisement The Aschaffenburg attack followed knife attacks in Mannheim and Solingen last year in which the suspects were immigrants from Afghanistan and Syria, respectively — in the latter case, also a rejected asylum seeker who was supposed to have left the country. 2:38 Germany festival stabbing: Manhunt after 3 dead, 8 injured in knife attack In the December Christmas market car ramming in Magdeburg, the suspect was a Saudi doctor who previously had come to various regional authorities’ attention. Germany’s main opposition conservative bloc, in which Söder is a prominent figure, has demanded a tougher approach to irregular migration, calling for many more people to be turned back at the country’s borders and for an increase in deportations. “This is more evidence that we can’t go from attack to attack and show dismay, thank police for their deployment,” Söder said. “We actually have to change something. This is not the first such act; so, we feel with the people today, but at the same time we are determined that something must change in Germany, and quickly.” Story continues below advertisement — With files from The Associated Press and Reuters &copy 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc. Source link #Dozens #injured #Munich #including #children #driver #rams #car #crowd #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Avowed Review – Too Close To The Sun – Gamespot Avowed Review – Too Close To The Sun – Gamespot Avowed marks a significant step up for Obsidian compared to The Outer Worlds. The game retains the studio’s signature excellent writing and narrative while improving the combat (especially the challenge level) and providing a lot of great content to go through. The visuals and performance are also praiseworthy. There are a few shortcomings, but if you’re a fan of Western RPGs, you don’t want to miss Avowed. It may have started as a spin-off, but it could go on to be the main series in Eora. Source link #Avowed #Review #Close #Sun #Gamespot Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NHS ‘recovery plan’ fails to deliver more dentists for patients NHS ‘recovery plan’ fails to deliver more dentists for patients NHS leaders have acknowledged a recovery plan for dentistry in England, launched by the previous Conservative government a year ago, has comprehensively failed. One aspect of the plan – ‘Golden Hello’ payments to encourage dentists to start working in underserved areas – has seen only 39 dentists appointed out of a target of 240. Another idea – the introduction of mobile dental vans – has completely failed to deliver any extra capacity. At a Parliamentary committee NHS leaders acknowledged the fundamental problem was the contract that dentists are offered to carry out NHS work – and the best thing was to rip it up and start again. The Dental Recovery Plan was first outlined by Conservative health ministers in February 2024, to try and address a crisis in NHS dentistry in England. Many patients struggle to access NHS dental care, with some towns now known as ‘Dental Deserts’, in which there are simply no NHS dentists at all. ***-wide research carried out by BBC News in 2022 found that 9 out of 10 NHS dentists were no longer accepting new adult patients. 8 out of 10 were no longer taking on children as patients, even though they are meant to be entitled to free care. But senior bosses from NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) have now told a committee of MPs that the recovery plan outlined a year ago has failed. Professor Sir Chris Whitty, currently Interim Permanent Secretary at the DHSC – the most senior civil servant – was asked whether the plan was on track to deliver the extra 1.5 million treatments for patients that had been promised by the last Government. “The very short answer is no. “Within the Dental recovery Plan, there were four components, of which I think one didn’t start at all, which was on dental vans. “There were three (additional) elements that were aiming to address recognised problems…but the solutions were unsuccessful.” Sir Chris said that a “patient premium” to incentivise dentists to take on new patients had failed to result in any significant increases in patient numbers. A “Golden Hello” payment scheme has so far only seen an additional 39 dentists contracted to work in underserved areas, against a target of 240. And a reform of the amount of money dentists are paid for individual treatments had failed to bridge the gap with what they earn for private work. Amanda Pritchard, head of NHS England, told the Public Accounts Committee that lessons would be learned from the failure of the plan. “The thing which we are focusing on next, which is a very clear priority for the Government, is the delivery of the additional 700,000 urgent dental appointments. “We are expecting commissioners to plan for that. “And crucially we are leaning the lessons of what hasn’t worked.” There was an acknowledgement from health leaders and MPs that the fundamental problem with dentistry is the contract for NHS work, which many dentists say actually costs them money. Amanda Pritchard of NHS England agreed with one MP who suggested the solution was to rip up the existing contract and start again. “The right answer I think is to consider a much more radical reshaping of dentistry in this country because it feels to us that tweaking around the edges…you can see it has made some difference, but not enough.” Source link #NHS #recovery #plan #fails #deliver #dentists #patients Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NYT Mini Crossword today: puzzle answers for Thursday, February 13 NYT Mini Crossword today: puzzle answers for Thursday, February 13 Love crossword puzzles but don’t have all day to sit and solve a full-sized puzzle in your daily newspaper? That’s what The Mini is for! A bite-sized version of the New York Times’ well-known crossword puzzle, The Mini is a quick and easy way to test your crossword skills daily in a lot less time (the average puzzle takes most players just over a minute to solve). While The Mini is smaller and simpler than a normal crossword, it isn’t always easy. Tripping up on one clue can be the difference between a personal best completion time and an embarrassing solve attempt. Just like our Wordle hints and Connections hints, we’re here to help with The Mini today if you’re stuck and need a little help. Please enable Javascript to view this content Below are the answers for the NYT Mini crossword today. NYT Mini Crossword answers today New York Times Across “___ the gap!” (advice for solving this puzzle) – MIND Love, in French – AMOUR African mammal with armorlike skin – RHINO Major tech company founded in San Fran, as its name suggests – CISCO “Watch your ___!” (advice for solving this puzzle) – STEP Down Painter Chagall and podcaster Maron – MARCS Dramatic cry during a paintball game – IMHIT Distraction while working at the library, maybe – NOISE Sag – DROOP Tar Heels’ school, for short – UNC Source link #NYT #Mini #Crossword #today #puzzle #answers #Thursday #February Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

****** says it will release Israeli hostages as planned ****** says it will release Israeli hostages as planned ************ militant group ****** says it will release the next group of three Israeli hostages as planned, in a reversal of its previous statement and raising the prospect of resolving a major dispute over the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. ****** had threatened to delay the next release of Israeli hostages, accusing Israel of failing to meet its obligations to allow in tents and shelters, among other alleged violations of the truce. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to renew Israel’s offensive if hostages were not freed. There was no immediate comment from Israel on ******’ announcement but if the hostages are freed, that would allow the ceasefire to continue for now although its future remains in doubt. “****** reaffirms its commitment to implementing the agreement as signed, including the exchange of prisoners according to the specified timeline,” ****** said in a statement. ******, whose Gaza Strip chief leader Khalil Al-Hayya is visiting Cairo for talks with Egyptian security officials, also said both Egyptian and Qatari mediators would press on with efforts “to remove obstacles and close gaps”. This week ****** accused Israel of failing to respect stipulations calling for a massive increase in aid deliveries and said it would not hand over three hostages due to be released on Saturday until the issue was resolved. In response, Netanyahu ordered reserves to be called up and threatened to resume combat operations that have been paused for almost a month unless the hostages were returned. Israeli minister Avi Dichter, a member of Netanyahu’s security cabinet, told Israeli public radio on Thursday that he did not believe ****** would be able to get out of the agreement. “There’s a deal, they won’t be able to give anything less than what is in the deal,” he said. “I don’t believe that ****** can behave otherwise.” Egyptian security sources told Reuters they expected heavy construction equipment to enter on Thursday and if that happened then ****** would release hostages on Saturday. The stand-off between Israel and ****** has threatened to reignite their conflict, which has devastated the Gaza Strip and taken the Middle East to the brink of a wider regional war. Egyptian and Qatari officials have been working to avoid a breakdown and a ************ official close to the mediation effort said both sides had agreed to go ahead with the ceasefire and the exchange of hostages for ************ prisoners. The war in the Gaza Strip erupted after a ******-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, that killed at least 1200 people, according to Israeli tallies, and in which more than 250 were taken as hostages. This triggered a relentless Israeli response that has laid waste the coastal enclave and killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. with AP Source link #****** #release #Israeli #hostages #planned Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Apple will use Alibaba’s generative AI for its iPhones in China Apple will use Alibaba’s generative AI for its iPhones in China Apple will use Alibaba’s generative AI to power artificial intelligence features for iPhones meant for ***** in the ******** market. Joe Tsai, Alibaba Group’s Chairman, has confirmed the companies’ partnership at the World Governments Summit in Dubai. He revealed that Apple talked to a number of other companies in China for a potential partnership, but it decided to team up with Alibaba in the end. Apple Intelligence features are not accessible in China at the moment, and even those who purchased their iPhones outside the country will not be able to use those features once they change their region to mainland China. As CNBC explains, the country has strict regulations surrounding AI, including requiring large language models to get approval for commercial use. Companies providing generative AI technologies in the region are also responsible for taking down ******** content. The Information reported about the partnership between Alibaba and Apple before Tsai confirmed it. The publication said that the companies had already submitted the AI features Apple plans to roll out to the country’s regulators for approval. A previous report said that Apple tried to work with Baidu for its AI needs last year, but the models for Apple Intelligence that the ******** company was developing were unable to meet its standards. Apple also reportedly talked to other ******** companies, including Tencent and DeepSeek, but Apple deemed the latter to be lacking in experience and manpower to be able to handle a massive customer base. The DeepSeek AI assistant, if you’ll recall, recently went viral and became the top free iPhone app in the US. If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Source link #Apple #Alibabas #generative #iPhones #China Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Robinhood’s Q4 crypto revenue soars 700% year-over-year Robinhood’s Q4 crypto revenue soars 700% year-over-year Robinhood Markets (HOOD) surges ahead by 15% Thursday morning, continuing gains since the brokerage platform posted its fourth quarter earnings beat on Wednesday. Revenue tied to crypto trading is one factor contributing to this ride higher as Robinhood reported $358 million in crypto revenue, above expectations for $329.7 million, jumping by 700% year-over-year. The Morning Brief’s Brad Smith and Madison Mills highlight this aspect of Robinhood’s latest release. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Morning Brief here. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan. Source link #Robinhoods #crypto #revenue #soars #yearoveryear Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Splitgate 2 Alpha Test Starts Later This Month With New Game Modes And Maps Splitgate 2 Alpha Test Starts Later This Month With New Game Modes And Maps 1047 Games announced that the open alpha test for Splitgate 2 will run from February 27 – March 2 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The alpha test includes a new 24-player multi-team experience where players can split into three groups of eight and fight against each other. In these matches, there will be two modes to play: Domination and Hotzone. In Domination, teams will have to take over and control four zones while keeping other teams out. Hotzone works similarly except there’s one central zone instead of four individual ones. There are two additional new games modes called Splitball and Firecracker. The former combines classic capture the flag mechanics and Halo’s Oddball. Players will need to hop between portals into enemy territory and steal Splitballs while defending their own home base. The latter is Spligate 2’s take on the classic search & destroy mode. There are also three new maps. Glacier accommodates for 8v8v8 battles and is 20 times ******* than any map from the previous game. Bypass is a much more vertical map and Eden is filled to the brim with portal walls. In GameSpot’s Splitgate 2 preview, we said, “New additions like character classes and abilities help further distinguish Splitgate 2 from a field of extremely familiar shooters.” Source link #Splitgate #Alpha #Test #Starts #Month #Game #Modes #Maps Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Robinhood is jumping after earnings. Here’s what analysts had to say Robinhood is jumping after earnings. Here’s what analysts had to say Robinhood shares surged on Thursday after the financial services platform’s latest quarterly results soared past earnings estimates, prompting analysts to grow more bullish on the stock. Shares gained more than 10% on Thursday. Robinhood said it earned $916 million, or $1.01 per share, on revenue of $1.01 billion in the fourth quarter. That’s way above the 42 cents per share in earnings and $945.8 million in revenue that analysts polled by FactSet were anticipating in the *******. HOOD 1D mountain HOOD, 1-day In an earnings call with analysts, CEO Vlad Tenev noted that this was the first time Robinhood’s quarterly revenue topped $1 billion in its history. “That capped off what was a record-breaking year with over $3 billion in revenue for the whole year,” he continued. Robinhood expects 2025 to be another year of “double-digit” revenue growth, CFO Jason Warnick said on the call. The company didn’t provide a specific earnings forecast for the year, but said its combined adjusted operating expenses and share-based compensation is expected to be between $2 billion and $2.1 billion. Many analysts were upbeat on the company following those results, maintaining their buy or outperform-equivalent ratings and raising their price targets for the stock. Below is what those analysts had to say. Morgan Stanley raises price target to $90 from $64 The firm’s new target implies about 61% upside from Wednesday’s close. It also reiterated its overweight and top pick ratings. “We have increased conviction in HOOD’s growth path ahead on the back of 4Q’s significant earnings beat and conference call that provided greater clarity around the 2025 product roadmap and strategic initiatives. Mgmt’s commentary surrounding January volumes and activity is encouraging in the backdrop of conservative 1q25 consensus and MSe transactional revenues and KPIs. As we wrote about in our upgrade note last year and our earlier elevation to top pick, we see a sustainable business model in HOOD that’s expanding into different business lines with many vectors for growth that remain early in its journey and not yet reflected in valuation and the shareholder base. We also see an attractive opportunity for HOOD to participate more aggressively in crypto given scope for deregulation.” Barclays ups its price target to $76 from $54 The bank’s updated forecast reflects about 36% upside potential. It kept its rating at overweight. “Q4 results were well ahead of Street estimates (revenues / adj. EBITDA coming in 8% and 12% with Bloomberg consensus, though a hair below our model), and the momentum appears to have continued into January, with strong transacting activity, margin loan growth, and net deposits. The company is also showing continued momentum with new products (Index options, Futures, Gold credit card, etc.), with much more to come. While there is no doubt the macro backdrop remains constructive for retail trading, Robinhood is clearly continuing to execute well and continues to have a long runway of opportunities ahead.” Bernstein doubles its price target to $105 from $51 Bernstein’s outlook calls for nearly 88% upside ahead. The firm also maintained its outperform rating. “HOOD crushed Q4 earnings with its first $1Bn revenue quarter, led by 487% seq. QoQ growth in crypto revenues (733% YoY). Q4 was the election quarter and the big crypto inflection was expected. The market consensus here (which has scrambled post election to ramp up estimates) is still missing the business model shifts and the exponential revenue pool expansion. HOOD is building a global financial ecosystem across asset-classes – equities, crypto, tokenized securities, stablecoins, prediction markets. And leveraging blockchain rails to drive operating efficiency.” Deutsche Bank raises price target to $73 from $54 The bank’s updated target reflects more than 30% upside from here, and it reiterated its buy rating. “With the strong 4Q results, and favorable mgmt’s commentary on the call regarding growth traction across a variety of new products and outlook for double-digit revenue growth this year (on top of good expense discipline), we are becoming increasingly comfortable on the solid EPS growth outlook, at close to a ~30% annual pace across our forecast horizon. This is driven by continued solid growth in crypto transaction revenue, a ramp up in index options and futures, and several other areas that we conservatively model – such as event contracts expected to be launched later this year.” Goldman Sachs increases price target to $62 from $54 Goldman’s new forecast implies about 11% upside potential. It also has a buy rating on the stock. “We believe management’s plan of continuing to roll out new products/features across platforms, geographic expansion, and adding additional crypto products should support further account and volume growth, and share gains.” Source link #Robinhood #jumping #earnings #Heres #analysts Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump reciprocal tariffs news conference set for 1 p.m. Trump reciprocal tariffs news conference set for 1 p.m. U.S. President Donald Trump reads about tariffs on steel and aluminum, as Howard Lutnick stands in the background, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., Feb. 10, 2025. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters President Donald Trump set an Oval Office news conference on his plan to impose reciprocal tariffs on other countries for Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. Trump’s all-caps post on Truth Social announcing the presser offered no details about the plan, which remains opaque. In another post earlier Thursday, Trump hyped up the forthcoming tariffs, writing, “TODAY IS THE BIG ONE: RECIPROCAL TARIFFS!!!” The new tariffs will follow duties Trump has already slapped on China, Canada and Mexico, as well as on imports of steel and aluminum. Trump’s tariffs on Canada and Mexico were paused for 30 days after both countries pledged to crack down on ******** crossings and drug trafficking at their respective borders with the U.S. The new tariffs were expected to come prior to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit with Trump at the White House on Thursday afternoon. Read more CNBC politics coverage This is developing news. Please check back for updates. Source link #Trump #reciprocal #tariffs #news #conference #set #p.m Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Launch Roster Appears Online Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Launch Roster Appears Online After getting a new trailer during PlayStation State of Play on Wednesday, the launch roster for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds has made its way online. As first spotted by Sonic Stadium, the Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds roster briefly appeared online before it was removed. The game will launch with 23 characters from the series’ history, including: Sonic Knuckles Tails Shadow Amy Eggman/Robotnik Metal Sonic Jet Wave Storm Rouge E-123 Omega Vector Charmy Espio Blaze Silver Cream Zavok Zazz Big Egg Pawn Sage Most, if not all, of the roster can be seen in the trailer that was released. But the 23 racers won’t be the only ones available for players. According to the game’s website—again, it was removed after likely appearing early—Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds will see “a ton more” drivers added to the game from across *****’s different franchises. There will also be 24 “main tracks” with 15 CrossWorlds that require Travel Rings to go to. Players will have 45 “unique original vehicles” to choose from for their races with 23 different power ups available to help you win the race. RELATED: PlayStation State of Play February 2025: Everything Announced A release date for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds hasn’t been announced, but when it releases, the game will be available for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, and PC. A closed network test is currently scheduled for February 21-23. What do you think of the launch roster and details for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds? Let us know down below, and join more discussions in the official Insider Gaming forums. For more Insider Gaming, read what Embracer’s CEO had to say about its games after the success of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and check out the reveal trailer for another new game from *****, Shinobi: Art of Violence. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Sonic #Racing #CrossWorlds #Launch #Roster #Appears #Online Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Arne Slot: What happens after Liverpool manager was shown a red card? Arne Slot: What happens after Liverpool manager was shown a red card? BBC Sport contacted the Football Association, which said it needed to review Oliver’s report before making a decision whether to take further action. The FA has three working days to do that, meaning it still may not come before Sunday’s Premier League match against Wolves at Anfield. Slot served a touchline ban in the Carabao Cup quarter-final with Southampton in December after collecting three yellow cards but those cautions do not immediately impact the 46-year-old. They could, however, be aggravating factors taken into account during any hearing, if Slot is charged and decides to have one. Liverpool are seven points clear at the top of the Premier League with 14 games left to play. Source link #Arne #Slot #Liverpool #manager #shown #red #card Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Best commander promotions in Civilization 7 Best commander promotions in Civilization 7 In older Civilization titles, each unit you had in a military could earn XP and eventually level up. Now, with Civilization 7, things have changed and new tips and tricks are needed in your combat tactics. Commanders are a brand new unit type that are the only ones who can level up and will carry over into new Ages. They work quite differently since they don’t engage in combat directly, but the various skills can greatly increase your army’s potential. Because they are the only unit that earns promotions, they come with multiple skill trees that take a lot of XP to work through. Being such a key part of the game, similar to Influence, we wanted to run you through the best promotions you should unlock with your commanders. Best commander promotions to unlock Commanders don’t directly attack other units in Civilization 7, but have two other very important functions. First is that they can “pack” adjacent units. This will bring four (or more with upgrades) normal units and have them all move as one with the commander. This makes moving armies way more efficient and allows for tactical assaults and retreats. The other function is providing buffs and coordinated moves to nearby units. Just having a commander next to your army grants various buffs (again, based on upgrades), plus the option to command multiple units to attack a single target at the same time. Commanders earn XP just by being next to units that defeat an enemy in combat. These skills best maximize a commander’s utility on the battlefield across all five branches. Steadfast 2K Games The first upgrade in the Bastion tree should be one of the first you unlock. This gives any adjacent land units +2 combat strength when defending. Land units will be all you have access to early on, and being able to deal more damage on defense will make any engagement with your units in close combat lopsided in your favor. Initiative 2K Games Alongside Steadfast, Initiative is another essential skill to get ASAP. Packing is one of the best features of a commander, but unpacking leaves your units unable to act until the next turn. Unless you plan for that, it can lead to you losing the upper hand in a fight. This skll at least lets you reposition all your units after deployment to organize your ranks and stay out of danger. Storm 2K Games The commander has two primary coordinated attack options, one for melee and ranged attacks. Storm buffs ranged attacks, which are the cornerstone of any army since you can hit from range without being in danger of a counter-attack. You should always be leading a turn with ranged attacks, so giving them more power only makes victory easier. Field Medic 2K Games While there are ways to heal your units normally, they take time and leave you immobile. Field Medic isn’t perfect since you don’t heal while in combat itself, but it does let you heal multiple units without spending turns fortifying them. Barrage 2K Games Barrage will be a late unlock no matter what, but one worth going through the Leadership tree to get. It gives a huge +5 combat strength for all units using Focus Fire. This is a commander skill that lets you force an attack from all nearby ranged units onto a single target. With multiple shooters all getting this buff, you will more than likely be able to one-shot any opposing enemy unit each turn at range. Source link #commander #promotions #Civilization Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Some CDC health data and webpages still offline after judge’s order Some CDC health data and webpages still offline after judge’s order Some data and webpages taken down by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other federal health agencies to comply with President Trump’s executive order remained offline Thursday, after a judge ordered health officials to put some back online. Agency officials had scrambled last month to scrub all mentions of “gender” from their websites, taking down anything that could not be easily rewritten. That prompted a lawsuit by the nonprofit Doctors for America, which secured a federal court ruling to temporarily restore the list of webpages that the group had cited in their filings by the end of the day on Tuesday. However, access to federal health resources on several topics not specifically mentioned by the group has not been restored, like the CDC’s recommendations on who should be vaccinated for mpox during the ongoing outbreak, which remains offline. Some CDC webpages, including recommendations for mpox vaccinations, were taken offline. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The ruling this week by Judge John Bates said federal agencies have until Friday to restore access to any other resources that members of the doctors group say they “rely on to provide care” that were removed without notice. Some datasets the group’s members said they needed, like a CDC survey of mental health and chronic disease in high school students, were accessible again by Thursday. But an online tool to navigate results from a similar dataset overseen by the agency about adults, the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, was still offline. Researchers rely on that survey’s results to compare a number of health trends across different states and communities, including rates of ******* screening, obesity rates and women’s health issues. Webpages mentioning “gender” on other health agency websites also remain offline. The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion’s “Healthy People 2030” database of goals tracked by federal health authorities also remains partially offline. Pages about data on transgender people, like goals to reduce bullying of transgender students or increase the national surveys that include data on transgender people, remain inaccessible. The FDA’s posts on how it was easing restrictions for gay men to donate blood also remain offline, after they were taken down last month. The agency’s final guidance to blood banks can still be found by searching the FDA website, but it has been quietly scrubbed of all mentions of gender. “Maintaining a safe and adequate supply of blood and blood products in the U.S. is paramount for the FDA, and this proposal for an individual risk assessment, regardless of gender or ******* orientation, will enable us to continue using the best science to do so,” FDA Commissioner Robert Califf had said in a now-deleted announcement from 2023 about the change. More from CBS News Alexander Tin Alexander Tin is a digital reporter for CBS News based in the Washington, D.C. bureau. He covers federal public health agencies. Source link #CDC #health #data #webpages #offline #judges #order Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Global Lithium Resources director defends China ties, assures Australia first at tense shareholder vote Global Lithium Resources director defends China ties, assures Australia first at tense shareholder vote A director seeking re-election at the fiery annual general meeting of dispute-riddled explorer Global Lithium Resources has made assurances a new board would act in the bests interests of Australia. Source link #Global #Lithium #Resources #director #defends #China #ties #assures #Australia #tense #shareholder #vote Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Formula E will finally debut its fast-charging pit stops this weekend Formula E will finally debut its fast-charging pit stops this weekend After announcing initial plans two years ago, Formula E is finally ready to deploy its fast-charging pit stops in an official race. At the Jeddah E-Prix in Saudi Arabia this weekend, the all-electric series will debut Pit Boost, a mandatory 34-second stop what will add 10 percent additional energy (3.85kWh) via a 30-second charge. No more than two crew members can work on the car during this process, with a third dedicated to stopping and releasing the car with visual cues to the driver. Pit Boost is independent of Attack Mode, an in-race power increase which Formula E has been using in races for years to heighten the strategic aspects of its events. Attack Mode is currently deployed twice during each E-Prix when a driver activates the added energy by driving over a certain area of the track. This area is typically off the main racing line, so drivers usually sacrifice position in favor of Attack Mode. There’s no doubt Pit Boost will give teams yet another major race element to manage. Plus, teams can only bring in one car at a time as the Formula 1-style “double stack” is against the regulations laid out by Formula E and the series’ governing body, the FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile). And not only is there the process of making pit stop to manage, but teams also have to account for the fact that it takes 34 seconds. That’s an eternity in auto racing, especially when you compare with a sub-three-second stops in F1. Formula E says the FIA will determine the Pit Boost window for each event, and that info will be shared with teams 21 days before the race. DS Penske’s Maximilian Gunther walks down the pit lane lined with Pit Boost chargers during practice at the Mexico E-Prix in January. (Joe Portlock/Getty Images) Formula E hasn’t had pit stops in seven years. Back in those days, drivers had to swap cars during races to make it to the end of an E-Prix. EV battery technology advanced to the point that awkward change was no longer needed. In the seasons since, a mid-race pit stop was only done to change a flat tire or fix damage to the body work. It typically doomed any chance of a decent finishing position. This season was the debut of the Gen3 Evo car for the series, an updated racer with more power and all-wheel drive. The new EV has already made for more entertaining E-Prix, including Jaguar’s Mitch Evans winning from the back of the grid in Sao Paulo. As The Race reports, Formula E first started planning energy-boosting pit stops in 2019 during the development of the Gen3 car. When it came time for the Gen3 cars to hit the track in 2023, it was immediately apparent that the quick-charging technology wasn’t even close to being ready for race action. Pit Boost was then pushed to the 2024 season, but even with the delay, Formula E and its suppliers couldn’t remedy every fault in the hardware and its deployment. There’s a two-race double-header in Jeddah this weekend, but Formula E only plans to use Pit Boost in Friday’s E-Prix. If all goes well, the series hopes to do the same at other double-header events this season. Those are scheduled for Monaco, Tokyo, Shanghai, Berlin and London. Source link #Formula #finally #debut #fastcharging #pit #stops #weekend Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]