Pelican Press

Lionesses become TfL station announcers for ‘historic’ weekend Lionesses become TfL station announcers for ‘historic’ weekend Football fans will hear some of their favourite Lionesses make special station announcements as they travel across London for a “historic weekend” in the women’s game. The announcements will come from England Women’s footballers Alex Greenwood, Bethany England, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Lucy Bronze. They will be played at Fulham Broadway, Seven Sisters and White Hart Lane stations to mark the first time all games in the Barclays Women’s Super League and Barclays Women’s Championship will be played in main stadiums. Deputy Mayor for Transport, Seb Dance, said: “I hope fans enjoy this special weekend and reflect on how women’s football continues to thrive, inspire and unite communities.” Dance added that he was “thrilled” Transport for London (TfL) had partnered with Barclays Women’s Super League “to celebrate this historic weekend for women’s football”. On Saturday, Tottenham Hotspur will take on local rivals Arsenal at White Hart Lane while Chelsea host Manchester City at Stamford Bridge stadiums. Whiteboard messages on the TfL network will also highlight the games and the upcoming launch of the London Overground Lioness line, which runs between Watford Junction and Euston. The line runs through Wembley and pays homage to the most successful senior England football team since 1966. The Lionesses were crowned Euro 2022 champions and reached the Women’s World Cup final in Australia last year. Source link #Lionesses #TfL #station #announcers #historic #weekend Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Major police operation underway at popular Sydney spot Major police operation underway at popular Sydney spot A major police operation and search is underway after a man jumped into the Nepean river south of Penrith and ******* to resurface. Emergency services were called to Nortons Basin at Mulgoa on Saturday morning after a man, who had been fishing, told his partner that he was going for a swim, NSW Police said. After diving in he ******* to resurface, prompting the woman to raise the alarm. Camera IconA major police operation and search is underway after a man jumped into the Nepean river south of Penrith and ******* to resurface. 7News Credit: Supplied The man is believed to be in his 60s. “A search operation is now underway involving officers from Nepean Police Area Command, specialist members of State Emergency Services’ swift-water rescue team, ***** and Rescue NSW and NSW Ambulance,” NSW Police said in a statement. A police helicopter is also en route to help with the search. More to come. Source link #Major #police #operation #underway #popular #Sydney #spot Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Celebrate The Grooviest Batman Era With This Full-Sized Replica Cowl Celebrate The Grooviest Batman Era With This Full-Sized Replica Cowl Batman is a pretty fashionable crimefighter, and if you’re looking to celebrate his grooviest era, you can now make space for a cowl straight out of the 1966 TV series that starred Adam West as the Caped Crusader. McFarlane Toys has announced a new Batman 1:1-scale collectible cowl as part of its DC Direct line, and this one is affordably priced at $100 ahead of its release next year on February 20, 2025. $100 While the cowl looks strikingly similar to the one worn by Adam West in the 1966 Batman TV series, there are some key differences, the most notable one being the choice of material used. In the ’66 Batman TV series, West wore a cowl fashioned from satin materials on top of a fiberglass shell, whereas this replica is made of rubber. Nevertheless, it looks just like the original and maintains the unique details of that mask, like the painted eyebrows, broad ears, and a ****** face shell. There’s even a texture on the cowl to make it look more like the screen-used material, and it comes with a display stand so that you can proudly show it off in your secret lair. At just $100, this is a pretty good price for a display piece, as the MattyCollector version released several years back goes for hundreds of dollars on the reseller market. Preorders are available at Amazon and Entertainment Earth. $100 If you’d prefer a grittier cowl, McFarlane Toys also makes one based on the one worn by Michael Keaton in the 1989 Batman movie. Like that mask, this one is almost completely ******, has much longer ears, and the Batman emblem is part of its design. If you’re looking to add a few classic Batmen to your collection, McFarlane Toys also makes several retro-themed action figures based on the classic 1966 TV series. You can pick up Batman, his trusty sidekick Robin, and faithful butler Alfred Pennyworth. You can round out the collection with a few of Batman’s nefarious villains like the Joker, Penguin, and more. Check out more classic Batman figures in the list below. McFarlane Toys also announced a bunch of other awesome Batman figures recently, and you can check out the full lineup in our roundup of all the new Batman McFarlane collectibles coming soon. McFarlane Toys Batman 1966 Figures Source link #Celebrate #Grooviest #Batman #Era #FullSized #Replica #Cowl Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Iranian woman arrested after posting harassment video Iranian woman arrested after posting harassment video Iranian woman arrested after posting harassment video Source link #Iranian #woman #arrested #posting #harassment #video Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Disney Epic Mickey Graphic Novels Are Returning With A New Hardcover Collection The Disney Epic Mickey Graphic Novels Are Returning With A New Hardcover Collection When Epic Mickey was first released back in 2010, prequel comics published by Marvel were released alongside it. These have long been out of print, but following the release of Epic Mickey: Rebrushed earlier this year, they’re getting a second chance at life in a new deluxe hardcover release. Disney’s Epic Mickey: The Comics Collection will be released next year on May 13, and you can preorder it right now for just $30. $30 | Releases May 13, 2025 The collection includes both graphic novel adaptations of the game and its sequel, Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two. You’ll also find the prequel series Disney’s Epic Mickey: Tales of the Wasteland, which focuses on Mickey Mouse’s half-brother, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, who lives in the Wasteland of Forgotten Cartoons. The books were written by comics legend Peter David and feature art by veteran Disney illustrators Claudio Sciarrone, Paolo Mottura, and Fabrizio Petrossi. A few more comic book deals are also available right now, and if you’re looking for something more violent in comparison to Mickey Mouse’s adventures, you can pick up the BRZRKR Deluxe Limited Edition hardcover that collects the first 12 issues of the series. This series was co-created by John Wick actor Keanu Reeves along with Matt Kindt and Ron Garney, and it follows a weary immortal warrior who carries out ****** ops missions for the US government. If you don’t mind reading ebooks, you can also check out this incredible collection of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics currently available through Humble Bundle. For just $30, you can claim hundreds of classic and modern TMNT comic books, ranging from the original Eastman and Laird comics produced at Mirage Studios to the excellent stories released by IDW Publishing. Source link #Disney #Epic #Mickey #Graphic #Novels #Returning #Hardcover #Collection Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

******* by loyalty but Trump’s new team have competing agendas ******* by loyalty but Trump’s new team have competing agendas Reuters Trump with Gabbard on the campaign trail If personnel really does amount to policy, then we’ve learned a lot this week about how Donald Trump intends to govern in his second term. Over a dozen major appointments, some of which will require Senate approval, offer a clearer picture of the team entrusted to drive his agenda as he returns to the White House. On the outside they appear ******* by one thing – loyalty to the top man. But beneath the surface, there are competing agendas. Here are four factions that reveal both Trump’s ambition and the tricky tests ahead for his leadership. Deep State disruptors By Mike Wendling, BBC News, Chicago Who: Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard, RFK Jr Their agenda: They’ve been among the most vocal politicians actively opposing US policies, particularly under President Biden. Choosing Gaetz as his attorney general nominee is possibly Trump’s most controversial pick. Gaetz has represented Florida’s first congressional district since 2017. A graduate of William and Mary Law School, he led the removal of California congressman Kevin McCarthy as the sitting Speaker of the House in October 2023. He has come under investigation by a House ethics committee for allegedly paying for **** with an underage girl, using ******** drugs and misusing campaign funds. He denies wrongdoing and no ********* charges have been filed. Tulsi Gabbard, picked to be Trump’s director of national intelligence, is a military veteran who served with a medical unit in Iraq. She is a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii who switched parties to support Trump. Gabbard has routinely opposed ********* foreign policy, blaming Nato for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and meeting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad – then casting doubt on US intelligence assessments blaming Assad for using chemical weapons. Robert F Kennedy Jr, Trump’s nominee to oversee health, is a longtime lawyer and environmentalist. He also spread fringe theories – about vaccines and the effects of 5G phone signals. What this tells us: Like Trump, Gaetz, Gabbard and Kennedy are aggressive challengers of the status quo, who frequently tip over into ***********. They may be among the most determined supporters of Trump’s plan to dismantle the bureaucratic “deep state”. The president-elect has picked particular fights in each of the areas they would oversee – law enforcement, intelligence and health. But *****-throwers can also make unruly subordinates. Kennedy wants stricter regulation across food and farming industries, which may collide with Trump’s government-slashing agenda. Gaetz’s views on some issues – he favours legalisation of ********** – are outside the *********** mainstream. And Gabbard, a fierce critic of ********* power, will be working for a president who is not afraid to use it – for instance, against Iran. Border hardliners By Bernd Debusmann, BBC News, Washington Who: Tom Homan, Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem Their agenda: The three hardliners tasked with carrying out Trump’s border and immigration policies have vowed to strengthen security and clamp down on undocumented immigrants crossing the US-Mexico border. Domestically, they – and the wider incoming Trump administration – have called for a drastic uptick in deportations, beginning with those considered national security or public safety threats, and a return to workplace “enforcement operations” that were paused by the Biden administration. What it tells us: Aside from the economy, polls repeatedly showed that immigration and the US-Mexico border were primary concerns for many voters. The possibility of increased deportations and workplace raids, however, could put him on a collision course with Democratic-leaning states and jurisdictions that may decide to push back or not co-operate. Some *********** states – whose economies rely, in part, on immigrant labour – may also object. Tech libertarians By Natalie Sherman, BBC business reporter, New York Who: Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy Their agenda: Trump has named the world’s richest person, Elon Musk, to lead a cost-cutting effort dubbed the “Department of Government Efficiency”. He will share the role with 39-year-old investor-turned-politician Vivek Ramaswamy, who became an ardent Trump backer after bowing out as a candidate in the *********** primary. The two men are among the loudest and flashiest tech bros, a group that swung towards Trump this year, seeking a champion to disavow “woke” political correctness and embrace a libertarian vision of small government, low taxes and light regulation. Musk has floated a possible $2tn in spending cuts, vowing to send “shockwaves” through the government. Ramaswamy, who has backed eliminating the tax-collecting agency, the IRS, and the Department of Education, among others, wrote after the announcement: “Shut it down.” What it tells us: The appointments are an acknowledgment of the help Trump got on the campaign trail from Ramaswamy and Musk, the latter of whom personally ploughed more than $100m into the campaign. But time will tell what power this faction goes on to have. Despite its name, the department is not an official agency. The commission will stand outside the government to advise on spending, which is partly controlled by Congress. Trump, who ran up budget deficits during his first term, has shown little commitment to cutting spending. He has promised to leave Social Security and Medicare – two of the biggest areas of government spending – untouched, which could make cost-cutting difficult. China hawks By Tom Bateman, BBC state department correspondent Who: Marco Rubio, Mike Waltz, John Ratcliffe. Their agenda: These men will run Trump’s “America First” foreign policy. They are all hawks on China. Rubio, nominee for secretary of state, is among Beijing’s harshest critics, having argued for travel bans on some ******** officials and for the closure of Hong Kong’s US trade offices. The three are likely to push through Trump’s pledge for much higher tariffs on ******** imports. They see Beijing as the top economic and security threat to the US. Waltz – picked for national security adviser – has said the US is in a “Cold War” with the ruling ********** party. Ratcliffe, Trump’s nominee for CIA director who served as an intelligence chief in his first term, has likened countering China’s rise to the defeat of fascism or bringing down the Iron Curtain. What it tells us: While Trump often signals his own hawkish economic views on China, he has also vacillated – which could spark tensions with his top foreign policy team. In his first term, Trump triggered a trade war with Beijing (attempts to de-escalate this ******* amid the pandemic) and relations slumped further when he labelled Covid the “******** Virus”. But he also heaped praise on President Xi Jinping as a “brilliant” leader ruling with an “iron fist”. This unpredictability could make managing America’s most consequential strategic relationship even *******. Rubio might also clash with Gabbard, Trump’s pick for director of intelligence, who previously criticised Rubio on foreign policy. Source link #******* #loyalty #Trumps #team #competing #agendas Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Xbox, PlayStation, And Nintendo Console Market “Isn’t Growing,” Phil Spencer Says Xbox, PlayStation, And Nintendo Console Market “Isn’t Growing,” Phil Spencer Says The video game console market “isn’t growing,” Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said in a new interview, and that’s part of the reason why you don’t need an Xbox to play Xbox these days. “The console space all up isn’t growing, across all of them [Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo]. We love those customers, but in terms of continuing to expand and grow Xbox, it’s about PC, it’s about cloud, and it’s about making our games more available in more places,” Spencer told Rolling Stone. Just because the console market isn’t growing, that doesn’t mean Microsoft is abandoning consoles. Spencer said Microsoft will “definitely do more consoles in the future,” as well as “other devices.” None of this is a surprise, as Microsoft has already confirmed a next-gen Xbox that promises the “largest technical leap” in Xbox history. As for the “other devices,” Spencer may be referring to the Xbox handheld device that is a “few years out.” Also in the interview, Spencer reiterated that Microsoft is probably not planning a mid-gen Xbox refresh, like Sony did with the PS5 Pro. He said, “We don’t need to do incremental hardware for our own benefit. Does a new device really give you a unique experience on screen in some way?” Years ago, the leap between the original Xbox and Xbox 360 was significant in terms of graphics and performance, Spencer said, but these days “it’s ******* to show the benefits” of more powerful hardware alone. A new “This Is An Xbox” ad campaign reminds people that Xbox is no longer limited to being a piece of plastic under your TV. Your phone is an Xbox, as is your TV, and any number of other devices, because Xbox games–and Game Pass–are available in those places. Spencer said he understands some part of the Xbox audience enjoys the “simplicity of a single box, single platform, single game.” But the reality is that, “Today’s largest games are ******* than any of the individual platforms.” He said the Xbox platform should be about games, characters, and worlds, as opposed to any one dedicated device. “That’s how we think about Xbox today,” he said. Source link #Xbox #PlayStation #Nintendo #Console #Market #Isnt #Growing #Phil #Spencer Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A look at Trump’s cabinet picks… in 64 seconds A look at Trump’s cabinet picks… in 64 seconds Ahead of his White House return in 2025, Donald Trump has made several contentious hires in his new administration. Among his picks for Cabinet positions are Congressman Matt Gaetz, Florida Senator Marco Rubio and former presidential rival and vaccine sceptic Robert F Kennedy Jr, who will all require approval from the Senate. Here’s a quick look at some of the president-elect’s most controversial new hires. Source link #Trumps #cabinet #picks.. #seconds Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

SteamWorld Creators Announce Incoming Layoffs And Focus On Third-Party Games SteamWorld Creators Announce Incoming Layoffs And Focus On Third-Party Games Thunderful Games, the developer of the SteamWorld series, has announced 80-100 layoffs at the company and a reshifting focus for third-party games. In a press release, the company said the layoffs were part of a “restructuring.” Along with the layoffs, an unspecified number of game projects were officially canceled. CEO of Thunderful Martin Walfisz said that the decision came with regret, but this isn’t the first time the company has seen layoffs this year. Back in January, Thunderful saw 20% of the company’s staff ***** off in a similar “restructuring,” something that Walfisz acknowledges and saw as unavoidable. “It is regrettable to announce a second restructuring of Thunderful in less than a year, but we unfortunately see no other alternatives in order to ensure the Group’s long-term sustainability and resilience,” Walfisz said. “The strategic move towards publishing games from external partners allows us to reduce fixed costs, increase flexibility, and better control our cash flow. We have many talented and dedicated employees, and it is with great regret that we are forced to part ways.” According to the press release, the projections for money saved from these reductions will gain 80-90 MSEK (approximately $7.3-8.2 million), but it doesn’t expect the majority of these savings to take effect until the first quarter of 2025. The restructuring program will be implemented immediately. As for refocusing on external games, the company said that it hopes it will help reduce fixed costs and allow for a higher turnout rate, but still retain some internal development capacity, which includes games like the SteamWorld series and Lost in Random. Thunderful’s recent release, SteamWorld Heist 2, was released back in August and earned rather good reviews, including at GameSpot where it received a 9/10. Source link #SteamWorld #Creators #Announce #Incoming #Layoffs #Focus #ThirdParty #Games Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Celeb lookalike contests are more than good looks and big egos Celeb lookalike contests are more than good looks and big egos Getty Images Oscar thinks he has the looks and charm of former One Direction band member, Harry Styles There is something quite bold about telling people you look like someone famous – especially if your supposed doppelganger is one of the world’s biggest heartthrobs. But that hasn’t put off the hundreds of men in the *** and US who have taken part in a recent craze for lookalike competitions. It all started with the Timothée Chalamet competition in New York three weeks ago, which even attracted the real actor himself. Since then, similar contests have attracted crowds of young people hoping to get a glimpse of someone who vaguely resembles Harry Styles, Dev Patel or Paul Mescal. With eternal bragging rights, five minutes of fame and (paltry) cash prizes up for grabs, the winners and organisers explain why these events have taken off. ‘It was a free event, why wouldn’t I go?’Miles Mitchell/Getty Images Miles Mitchell says winning the competition has boosted his girlfriend’s ego Our fascination with celebrity lookalikes is nothing particularly new – Stars in Their Eyes, a show in which ******** lookalikes impersonate singers, ran on ITV for 16 years. The format was revived as Starstruck in 2022. But the latest competitions all have one thing in common: the celebrities are all young, attractive and male. Avani Johnson, who was at the Timothée Chalamet contest, says she believes the latest trend has taken off because “women are relishing the opportunity to objectify men in a complete switch in power dynamics”. She adds that it also gives us a chance “to laugh at the absurdity of pageantry”. Miles Mitchell, a 20-year-old student, picked up the prize for the best Timothée Chalamet lookalike last month at the competition that set this trend alight. Miles was first told he looked like Chalamet when studying in South Korea. “I was there at the time Dune was released, so people kept asking me in shops and restaurants if I was Timothée on a press tour.” He says he was drawn to the competition because, as a university student in New York, “socialising can be really expensive so my friends and I loved the fact this was a free and fun event”. “It was also just something a bit different and wacky that I wanted to be part of.” Watch: Timothée Chalamet crashes own lookalike contest The event took social media by storm, with one person commenting on X it was “a historic pop culture moment”, while another said the competition “shows that the people yearn for weird town events”. Although the real Timothée turned up and took pictures with some of the lookalikes, Miles didn’t get a chance to meet the ********* actor. “He arrived at the same time the police did to shut down the event so I had already moved to the secondary location for the event. I’m gutted I didn’t get to meet him.” ‘I entered the contest for publicity’Getty Images Oscar hoped entering the Harry Styles competition would garner some publicity for his music Oscar Journeaux, a 22-year-old musician, recently won a Harry Styles lookalike competition in central London and admits he entered “for publicity”. “I thought I could get a bit of fame and promo for my music and the industry is so hard to break into, you really have to get yourself out there.” Oscar, who says he once missed his train because an insistent fan made him sign an autograph, adds: “People want to think there’s a deeper meaning to these events, but really we’re all just bored millennials and Gen Z looking for something to do.” Keenan Gregor, who entered as a blond Harry, says he went along because he “wanted to be part of something that could go viral”. Getty Images You will need to squint to see the resemblance between Harry Styles and the seven ambitious men who entered the competition on Saturday Journalist Katrina Mirpuri says she organised the lookalike contest because “people need to have some fun after all the dreary news we’re having”. Despite worrying that “no-one would turn up”, she says half of Soho Square was packed with lookalikes and fans. Even though most of the contestants didn’t quite look like Harry, “the ****** were screaming for each man as they got up to twirl, so they were doing something right”. Allow Twitter content?This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read and before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. Accept and continue “Really it wasn’t about who looked most like Harry,” Katrina explains. “It was a way for people to just be positive and celebratory about each other, which is what we need when everyone is so ****** and negative on social media.” She has now got her eye on hosting another competition but this time “for someone older, like Hugh Grant”. ‘I made new friends at the contest’Jaipreet Hundal / Getty Jaipreet Hundal says people came to the event because they crave human interactions Jaipreet Hundal had a pretty good weekend when he was crowned the most convincing Dev Patel lookalike in San Francisco. “The best bit was that when I turned up, some people thought I was the real Dev Patel and they were so excited that he had come to the event,” he tells the BBC. The 25-year-old says looking like the Slumdog Millionaire actor has “given him a glimpse of what it’s like to be a celebrity”. He explains that the trend is popular now because “it’s a great way to get people together to have a wholesome time”. Sudev Namboodiri, who drove hours to enter the competition and gets told he looks like Dev on an almost daily basis, says it “wasn’t about winning”. “It’s nice to meet new people and it was cool that hundreds of young people decided to turn up and hang out.” After the recent all-consuming election in the US, “people really need to disconnect from everything and have a bit of fun”, he adds. ‘I don’t get called my real name any more’Bex/Getty Images Julyus Odreman once pretended to be Zayn Malik to not upset a friend’s child Julyus Odreman has spent a decade being mistaken for Zayn Malik, but cannot see it himself because he says he is “nowhere near as handsome”. Julyus, from Venezuela, says his friends think he looks so much like Zayn that “people don’t even call me by my real name any more”. The resemblance to the former One Direction star means he often gets “stopped by groups of ****** on the subway or the street”. He also once had to pretend to be the British singer when he met his friend’s four-year-old son, who was “so insistent that I was really him”. “I didn’t want to burst his bubble because he was so excited to meet a celebrity, so I just went with it.” He’ll be channelling Zayn on Saturday at a lookalike competition in New York, organised by Jaz Arnold, who was inspired by the Timothée Chalamet contest. “Zayn is super hot and it’s hard to imagine we can find someone as beautiful as him,” she says. She adds that it’s “hilarious and brave” that lots of people think they look as good as Zayn and she can’t wait to see who shows up. For Jaz, the competition is also about bringing people together. “In big cities, it’s hard to feel part of a community so I wanted to do something fun that is welcoming and accepting.” She also says young people “are so tired of social media and the state of the world” that a silly event like this “is pure escapism, even if it is just for an hour or two”. Source link #Celeb #lookalike #contests #good #big #egos Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Speaking Hypothetically, GTA Trilogy Dev Says “It’s A D**k Move” To Remove Crediting Speaking Hypothetically, GTA Trilogy Dev Says “It’s A D**k Move” To Remove Crediting Not everyone is happy about a recent update for Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – Definitive Edition. The CEO and co-founder for the developer behind the remake compilation seems particularly frustrated by the removal of his team’s logo–Grove Street Games–from the game’s splash screen. In fact, speaking in hypotheticals, Thomas Williamson said, “It’s a ***** move… “ Spotted by VGC, Williamson also insinuated on X that Grove Street Games provided the fixes to Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy’s long-overdue console patch a while ago. “Speaking entire[ly] hypothetically: It’s a ***** move to remove primary developers from credits in an update, especially when an update includes hundreds of fixes that were provided by those developers that stayed out of players’ hands for years,” wrote Williamson. Speaking entire hypothetically: It’s a ***** move to remove primary developers from credits in an update, especially when an update includes hundreds of fixes that were provided by those developers that stayed out of players’ hands for years. — Thomas Williamson (@TSWilliamson) November 14, 2024 For clarity, Grove Street Games and its employees can still be found in the ending credits for Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy after the recent patch. Rockstar Games released pretty vague notes for the update, stating there are “numerous fixes and improvements” alongside the addition of classic lighting. When Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy launched in 2021, the game was criticized for its visual-upgrade choices and game-breaking bugs. Interestingly enough, earlier this week, Williamson reposted on X a thread about all of the positive changes to Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy. In addition to working on this game, Grove Street has assisted in developing Ark: Ultimate Survivor Edition on Switch and Ark: Survival Ascended on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. This isn’t the first big update for Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy. In February 2022, a patch offered fixes for more than 100 bugs. Looking ahead for the franchise, Grant Theft Auto VI is still on track for a Fall 2025 launch. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick isn’t “really worried” about the game running on Xbox Series S, while Digital Foundry previously reported that Grand Theft Auto VI might not benefit from PS5 Pro like people may think. Source link #Speaking #Hypothetically #GTA #Trilogy #Dev #Move #Remove #Crediting Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The brutal journey of Afghan migrants escaping the Taliban to reach the *** The brutal journey of Afghan migrants escaping the Taliban to reach the *** Supplied Afghans wait to attempt to cross into Turkey, in a still from a video sent to the BBC by a people smuggler The first time Azaan made the jump across the wall, he broke his arm. Braving the 20ft (6m) drop into a wide trench below is, for many Afghans, the only way to cross into Turkey from Iran – and yet hundreds risk it each day. “I was in severe pain,” the former Afghan army officer told the BBC. “Several others had broken limbs. The smuggler left us here and told us to run in the direction of the lights of Van city. Many of us were fading out of hunger. I fainted.” The wall – which stretches for nearly 300km (185 miles) – was built to prevent ******** crossings, and is patrolled constantly by Turkish border forces. Jumping off it is among the first of a series of extraordinary risks Afghan migrants take as they cross continents, countries and seas to reach the *** and other countries in Europe. Over the past year, fleeing their country has become more perilous than ever before for Afghans, because Pakistan, Iran and Turkey have intensified their crackdown on ******** migration from Afghanistan along their borders, and have also carried out mass deportations. Azaan couldn’t continue. He was in pain, and had barely eaten in days. The migrants were given just one boiled egg every morning and a cup of rice in the evening by smugglers who’d charged them nearly $4,000 (£3,150) for the journey to Europe. “I had two friends – we had made a promise to not leave each other,” he says. His friends tied scarves around him, hoisted him up the wall, back into Iran. Iranian police deported him to Afghanistan. It was Azaan’s second ******* attempt. The first time he returned from the Afghanistan-Iran border because he’d taken his wife and young children along, and he realised they wouldn’t be able to endure the journey. Azaan didn’t give up. Roughly a year later, once his arm had healed, he made a third attempt. “I had sold my house earlier. This time I sold my wife’s jewellery,” he says. BBC/Imogen Anderson Azaan has tried to leave Afghanistan three times since the Taliban seized power In exchange for the money, migrants like Azaan are promised a route to Europe, handed over from one people smuggler to another along the way. Back at the wall, the smuggler placed a ladder on the Iranian side, and cut the razor wire at the top to create a path for migrants. “There were 60 to 70 of us,” Azaan recalls. “We climbed to the top and then the smuggler told us to jump.” For the law and politics graduate, who served his country and led a dignified, comfortable life until August 2021 when the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, it is a humiliating situation to be in. In its three years in power, the Taliban government has imposed increasing, brutal restrictions on women. According to the UN, a third of the country’s people don’t know where their next meal will come from. And those who worked for the former military ***** reprisal. “The people I fought against for 20 years are now in power,” he explains. “Our lives are in danger. My daughter won’t be able to study once she turns 13. And I have no work. I’ll continue to try to leave even if it costs me my life. “Here we are dying every moment. It’s better to **** once, for good.” Handout In this still from a video sent to the BBC by the people smuggler, wire at the top of the wall is cut through Azaan is now back in Kabul with his family. The third attempt to flee ended with a beating and deportation. “They beat me with the ***** of a ****. One boy was hit on his genitals. He was in a terrible state. An old man’s leg was broken. There was a corpse in the trenches in Turkey. This is what I saw. But Iran is also treating us badly. I know Afghans have been severely beaten in Iran too,” he says. After weeks of digging through people smuggling networks, the BBC established contact with an Afghan smuggler in Iran, aiming to get an insight into the increased dangers Afghans are facing. “Iranian police are ********* a lot at the border with Afghanistan. One of my friends was ******* recently,” the smuggler says, speaking to us over the phone from Iran. In October, Iran was accused of ******* indiscriminately at Afghans crossing over into Iran’s Sistan province from Balochistan in Pakistan. The UN has raised concerns and called for an investigation. The BBC has seen and verified videos of the ***** and injured. Sistan-Balochistan is one of the major routes taken by Afghan migrants to enter Iran, but given the increased risks as well as Pakistan’s mass deportation of Afghans, many are now opting for other routes, in particular, Islam Qala in Afghanistan’s Herat province. Once in Iran, migrants move to Tehran before going towards the Macu or Khoy counties, to attempt the crossing into Turkey, handed over from one smuggler to another. The Afghan smuggler says he hides migrants near the border wall, and then they wait until there’s less patrolling of a portion of the border wall to take a shot at the “game”. He carries a ladder, and a wire cutter to cut the razor wire at the top of the wall and make a path for migrants. He says crossings have become extremely challenging in recent months. “The Turkish police catch 100 to 150 migrants every night. They have no mercy on them. They break their arms and legs,” he says. The BBC has put the allegations to the governments of Turkey and Iran but has not yet received a response. We asked the smuggler how he can justify his ******** business which endangers the lives of Afghans, while charging them thousands of dollars. “We don’t force people to take these risks. We tell them that whether they get to their destination is 99% in ****’s hands, and they could get ******* or imprisoned. I don’t believe I’m guilty. What are we supposed to do when people tell us their family is going hungry in Afghanistan?” the smuggler says. Those who make it past Turkish security forces move from Van towards Kayseri city and then to the Izmir, Canakkale or Bodrum coasts – the next point of peril on the migrant trail. In Kabul, an elderly father took us to the grave of his son. In his twenties, Javid was a former soldier. Fearing for his life in Taliban controlled Afghanistan, he fled the country in an attempt to make it to the ***. In March this year, he was among 22 people ******* after the rubber dinghy they were in sank in the Aegean sea near Canakkale in Turkey, as they attempted to get to Greece. His pregnant wife was also among the 46 people squeezed on to the boat. They both managed to swim to the shore, but he ***** of hypothermia. “From Istanbul, smugglers took us to Esenyurt. From there we were packed into cars like animals. We were dropped off in a forested area. We walked through it for four hours and then we reached the coast from where we were put on the boat,” Javid’s wife says, speaking to us over the phone from Turkey where she’s still living. BBC/Imogen Anderson Javid’s father feels betrayed and abandoned by the countries which fought in Afghanistan In Kabul, Javid’s father broke down inconsolably as he showed us photos of the young man with short ****** hair wearing track pants and a sweatshirt, posing on a park bench. “Even now when I remember him the grief is such that it’s only with ****’s blessing that I survive the torment,” he says. He believes that foreign countries which fought in Afghanistan bear responsibility for what is happening to Afghans like his son. “We fought alongside them in the war against terrorism. If we had known we would be betrayed and abandoned, no one would have agreed to join hands with foreign forces.” According to the UN, Afghans are among the top asylum seekers in the world, and in the *** they are the second largest group arriving in the country in small boats, another journey fraught with peril. The *** has two resettlement schemes for Afghans. One is for Afghans who worked directly for the British military and British government, and under the second scheme – the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) – those who assisted the *** efforts in Afghanistan, stood up for values of democracy, women’s freedoms and people at risk can be eligible for relocation. But after the first phase of evacuation in 2021-22, progress has been extremely slow. BBC/Imogen Anderson Shahida made it to the *** and has applied for asylum This means women like Shahida, who worked in the former parliament of Afghanistan and participated in street protests against the Taliban after they seized power, could not find timely legal routes out of the country. Shahida feared the threat of detention and ******** by the Taliban government in Afghanistan every day. She arrived in the *** in a small boat in May this year, having begun the journey out of Afghanistan more than two years ago. Now in Liverpool, she has applied for asylum. “I come from a well-known and well-respected family. I’ve never done anything ******** in my life. When authorities would apprehend us during the journey, I would look down out of shame,” she says. Shahida describes how she crossed the English Channel on an inflatable dinghy, packed in with 64 people. This year has been the deadliest year for migrant crossings across the Channel. More than 50 people have *****. “There was water up to my waist. And because our guide lost the way we floated for hours. I thought this was going to be the end of my life. I’m diabetic so I had to ******** sitting there. And because I was thirsty I had to drink the water I had urinated in. Can you imagine? In Kabul I had everything. My whole life has been taken away from me because the Taliban took over,” she says. Back in Kabul, Azaan, the former military officer, now wants to sell a small patch of land, the only asset he has left, to gather money to make another attempt. “This is the only purpose of my life now, to get myself to a safer place.” All names have been changed. Additional reporting by Imogen Anderson and Sanjay Ganguly. Source link #brutal #journey #Afghan #migrants #escaping #Taliban #reach Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Multiplayer games are entering their nostalgia era Multiplayer games are entering their nostalgia era Live service video games are starting to get nostalgic about their humble beginnings. The groundwork for this trend started years ago with World of Warcraft: Classic, which brought the MMO back to its original form. As more live service games have gotten older, we’re seeing more of them embrace “Classic” or “OG” modes that reset the look, feel, and balance of the game back to its earliest days. We’re currently in the midst of a Fortnite season that brings the battle royale back to how it was in Chapter 2, and in December, Fortnite OG is coming back as a dedicated mode. Meanwhile, Overwatch: Classic is running as a limited-time mode to remind people of the good old days of Blizzard’s hero shooter. A game embracing self-reflexive nostalgia might seem paradoxical, but it’s not that surprising. Just as single-player games and series evolve with each new entry, live service games like Fortnite and Overwatch grow with every new season, update, or balance change. Players yearn for gaming experiences they are nostalgic for, and we’re seven to eight years removed from the beginnings of Fortnite and Overwatch at this point. As more live service games stick around for long and longer, expect this practice to become increasingly common. Creating nostalgia When it was released in 2016, Overwatch took the world by storm. It perfected the hero shooter formula and gave Blizzard its first grand new franchise since StarCraft. Overwatch also hopped on the live service trend as it gained momentum and became the golden goose every AAA gaming company attempted to chase. The game evolved over time with new heroes, maps, modes, and mechanics, but there was something truly magical about the early days of Overwatch. Meanwhile, Fortnite capitalized on PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds‘ popularity in 2017 with an experimental battle royale mode. While this was initially a side mode with low expectations, Fortnite: Battle Royale revolutionized the game industry and became a trendsetter in the live service space with its seasonal and battle pass structures. Both Overwatch and Fortnite have drastically evolved since their humble beginnings. Blizzard Entertainment We saw support for Overwatch slow to a crawl, the establishment and collapse of the Overwatch League, and its underwhelming transition into Overwatch 2. We’ve seen multiple Fortnite Chapters with unique maps, modes, mechanics, and outfits, plus the expansion of Fortnite as a hub for other games. While you may have had the same game client installed on your PC for years, there’s no denying that the version of Overwatch or Fortnite that you’re booting up today is much different than the one you’d boot up in 2017. That creates a feeling of nostalgia for the early days of these titles that can be mined for content. Part of the appeal of live service games is their ever-evolving nature. Players have reasons to return to the game day after day and may find drastic changes or additions of content when they log on. That keeps things balanced and fresh and creates distinct eras for games that people fondly remember. Those memories foster nostalgia, and catering to that nostalgia is a smart avenue for a developer looking for ways to earn back goodwill or bring players back. For a game like Overwatch 2 with plenty of controversial changes, something like Overwatch: Classic is a safe bet with a proven track record of success. For Epic Games, Fortnite OG is a calculated way to highlight how Fortnite can serve as a hub for several different versions of the same game and potentially bring back people who have not picked the game up since 2017. Epic Games For live service games that constantly need to find new ways to bring lapsed players back and keep current ones consistently engaged, dipping back into older content isn’t a bad idea. There’s already a proven track record of returning content resonating with fans. Reintroducing that content might be a more meaningful announcement to older players than a brand new season, and these Limited Time Modes or shorter seasons can give developers a stopgap as they work on new content. Players show up for these throwback releases, too. The initial release of Fortnite OG led to the biggest daily player count in the game’s history, so it makes sense that Epic Games would revisit the concept, and that those behind games like Overwatch 2 would take note and respond accordingly. While these live service games might not feel old because they’re still relevant, they have a lot of history. I only expect throwback seasons and events to get more common the longer these games are in operation. Source link #Multiplayer #games #entering #nostalgia #era Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Argentina orders arrests of alleged Brazil rioters Argentina orders arrests of alleged Brazil rioters Argentina’s courts have ordered the arrest of 61 Brazilians facing jail sentences for their involvement in the Brasilia riots last year. In January 2023, supporters of Brazil’s former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro stormed Congress in an attempted overthrow of the new left-wing government led by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, commonly known as Lula. Hundreds of the rioters were arrested, charged and released on bail. Some were convicted and sentenced. But others fled to Argentina to escape their sentences – particularly after far-right politician Javier Milei was elected president in December 2023. Judge Daniel Rafecas said the warrants would apply to those who had “convictions with definite prison sentences,” Brazilian news outlet Globo reported. In June this year, Brazilian authorities issued an extradition request to Argentina seeking help in extraditing more than 140 prosecuted rioters. But many in Brazil questioned whether the Milei government would agree. The Argentine president is a friend of Bolsanaro’s and has been a staunch critic of Lula. However, in October, Argentina cancelled political asylum for people who have been convicted of ******* in their home country. And on Friday, an Argentinian Federal Court judge ruled that the arrest warrants should be issued, noting the request of Brazil’s supreme court. Local media also reported that local police on Friday had arrested one fugitive in La Plata city, about 60km (37 miles) from the Argentine capital Buenos Aires. It is unclear if the whereabouts of the other rioters are known. The Brazilian government believes the January 2023 riots were part of a coup attempt orchestrated by Bolsonaro following his defeat in a tightly contested presidential election the previous October. He denies any involvement. But in the weeks following the election, he made repeated claims on social media questioning the results of the vote and the integrity of Brazil’s electronic voting system. Less than a week after Lula was inaugurated in January 2023, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed the Congress building, the Supreme Court and Presidential Palace in Brasília. The arrest warrants come just two days after another ******* in Brasilia’s Three Powers Plaza, where a former political candidate committed a ******** ***** ******* outside the Supreme Court. Police have named the man as Francisco Wanderley Luiz, who stood unsuccessfully in council elections for Bolsonaro’s ******** Party. Source link #Argentina #orders #arrests #alleged #Brazil #rioters Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Beasley helps Pistons escape Toronto with win Beasley helps Pistons escape Toronto with win Descrease article font size Increase article font size TORONTO – Malik Beasley had 20 points, including seven in the fourth quarter, as the Detroit Pistons held off the Toronto Raptors 99-95 on Friday in an NBA Cup game. Cade Cunningham and Tobias Harris had double-doubles for the Pistons (6-8), who are 2-0 in the group stage of the in-season tournament. Jakob Poeltl had a double-double with 25 points and matched a career-high with 19 rebounds as Toronto (2-11) lost its sixth straight game. RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., scored 22 points and had seven assists and six boards. Gradey ***** had 16 points and five rebounds as the Raptors’ record in the in-season tournament dropped to 0-2. Takeaways Related Videos 1:32 Toronto Raptors players surprise students in Kahnawake Previous Video Next Video Story continues below advertisement Detroit: Cunningham, Beasley and fellow guard Jaden Ivey are typically the engine that drives the Pistons’ offence but Toronto’s defence is geared toward stifling perimeter play and those three were harassed into underperforming. Cunningham entered the contest leading Detroit with 23.8 points per game but was held to 15, going 6-for-21 on field goals including 2-for-9 on three-point attempts. Get daily National news Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Toronto: Poeltl has been a consistent presence for the Raptors all season and Friday was no different. He carried Toronto for long stretches of the game, including nine points in the third quarter. His 19 rebounds matched his career best set on Oct. 28 in a 127-125 overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets. Key moment More on Sports More videos Toronto scored six consecutive points — generating two turnovers along the way — in the final two minutes of play to make it a one-possession game with 15.3 seconds left. Ochai Agbaji fouled Ivey, who made one of two free throws for a three-point Pistons lead. ***** missed a three-pointer after a Toronto timeout and centre Jalen Duren made one of two free throws to finish the game. Trending Now Ford government inks $100M deal with Elon Musk’s Starlink system Kraft Heinz faces class action lawsuit alleging mac-and-cheese ****** Key stat Both teams played tight defence on the ball carrier, tangling each other up at half-court. Toronto had 15 turnovers and Detroit had 14. Up next The Raptors visit the Atlantic Division-leading Boston Celtics on Saturday night. Toronto head coach Darko Rajakovic joked pre-game that if his team was going to get to Boston on time, they had to avoid overtime against the Pistons to beat the rush hour caused by Taylor Swift’s concert letting out from nearby Rogers Centre. Story continues below advertisement Detroit travels to Washington, D.C., to take on the Wizards on Sunday. This report by The ********* Press was first published Nov. 15, 2024. &copy 2024 The ********* Press Source link #Beasley #helps #Pistons #escape #Toronto #win Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Blizzard Hiring For An Open-World Shooter Game Blizzard Hiring For An Open-World Shooter Game Blizzard is hiring for an unannounced upcoming open-world shooter game. A job ad posted on November 13 revealed this, though the requisition doesn’t have too many details about what the game is. The job ad for the Associate Design Director, Innovation says this person will be the “vision holder and owner of key strategic innovations” for the upcoming unannounced “open-world shooter game.” The job calls for someone to help implement strategies that have “shown potential but have not yet permeated the AAA space.” The successful candidate will work with Blizzard’s engineering, art, and audio teams to help guide the project from concept to release. This wording specifically suggests whatever this game is, it might be early in development. According to the job listing (via VGC), a successful candidate can expect to earn a minimum annual salary of $124,400, with the potential of reaching $230,300. This job ad was only posted this week, but journalist Jason Schreier’s new book, Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment, contained a passage mentioning that a StarCraft shooter is, or was, in development at Blizzard. Whether or not this newly posted job ad is connected to that is unknown. The rumored StarCraft shooter was said to be led by Dan Hay, the former Ubisoft and Far Cry veteran who joined Blizzard as vice president and general manager in 2022. As part of the iterative nature of game development, Blizzard cancels about 50% of the games it works on, so whatever new Blizzard shooter is in development, it’s not guaranteed to release. In January this year, Microsoft announced that Blizzard had canceled its survival game, codenamed Odyssey, with some staffers moving over to an incubation project that was said to be a StarCraft shooter. Source link #Blizzard #Hiring #OpenWorld #Shooter #Game Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

England’s Morris dancers drive inclusive revival of tradition England’s Morris dancers drive inclusive revival of tradition Rachel Beckwith In 2023, more women participated in Morris than men for the first time in the *** When you think of the English tradition of Morris dancing, you might not picture a group of young, gender non-conforming, drag kings who dress like “chimney sweeps” – but that will be because you’ve not seen Molly No-Mates. The Bristol team – or side – represents the changing face of Morris, a tradition in which men no longer make up the majority of participants for the first time in *** history. For co-founder Scarlett Hutchin, it was a counter protest outside a drag queen story time in Bristol that sparked the idea of a ******-friendly Morris side. The events see a drag queen reading a book to children with the goal of promoting reading and diversity, but some have seen backlash from the public. “I was texting with my friend from my Morris team and I was just like, ‘what would really improve the situation? Morris dancing’,” says Scarlett. “One of the traditions of Molly [a type of Morris], is to dance to just singing and that’s what we do. And we can have these dances that we can take to the protests that don’t require instruments and don’t require things that are offensive weapons. “It gives us scope to make our values and our point of view very visible, because when you have songs, you have words. “Pretty much all of our songs are in some way feminist or ****** or leftist.” Morris dancing is a form of traditional English folk dance that takes a variety of styles depending on where the group has come from. For example, Border Morris, originating in the Welsh border counties of Shropshire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire, features performers who wear tatter coats and often paint their faces or use other forms of disguise. By contrast, Clog Step is a dance style with percussive footwork and fine timing. Scarlett feels Molly No-Mates is part of the “cultural moment” Morris is experiencing, and points to last year’s Brit Awards where Stroud-based group Boss Morris danced on stage with Wet Leg, who won Best New Artist and Group of the Year. “One of the things that’s bringing a lot of people kind of back to folk… is people want to have some kind of culture,” Scarlett says. “And there’s this idea that England doesn’t have any culture which is just not true. It’s just that it’s really neglected.” Jack Witek Molly No-Mates’ dancers are around “80% non binary or other”, co-founder Scarlett says According to the 2023 Morris Census, the proportion of female members in Morris in the *** had risen from 46% in 2014 to 50.6% in 2023. In 2020, its questions were tweaked to include the number of “non-binary/other” members. An estimated 0.8% of *** sides’ members were reported in this category in 2023, up from 0.5% in 2020. Molly No-Mates, which formed in May 2023 in north Bristol, had just two members when it started – hence the “no-mates”. Now they number ten and are around “80% non binary or other”. “It feels like we’re kind of bringing visible queerness into spaces that don’t always have it that much,” Scarlett says. She describes their outfits as looking like “19th century chimney sweeps”, donning ****** shorts or trousers, a white top, braces, and a flat cap. EPA Stroud-based team Boss Morris danced on stage with Wet Leg at last year’s Brit Awards Colin Andrews is an administrator at the Morris Dances & Teams Database and started teaching Morris dancing in 1990. The site, which started in early 2018, provides an easily searchable database of all Morris teams worldwide. “From about the mid 20s right the way through to the early 70s, Morris was regarded as being exclusively male,” he says. “The [incoming] Squire Elect [leader] for the Morris Ring is a woman… it’s moving away from being gender specific. “I would say probably over the past five years many of the male-only Cotswold Morris sides have gone mixed, and that basically was it’s either a case of going mixed or folding… [they] just weren’t getting enough new new members in.” Morris is an “evolving tradition”, Colin says, and he thinks it’s interesting to see teams develop their own interpretations of the dance. “I think the question is whether these innovations will continue or whether they will just last as long as that particular team lasts,” he says. “But I think it’s a good thing that people try experimenting with different things.” Soft Butch/Sophia Stefellé One of the most distinct elements of Molly dancing is the use of cross-dressing, according to the English Folk Dance and Song Society Since Molly No-Mates started, Scarlett says the side has received a “really positive response” from a lot of traditional teams. “In August we were dancing at Northgate Folk Festival in Chester… and there was a lovely traditional old, white men’s team and they said they’d arrived several hours early to see us.” One of the most distinct elements of traditional Molly dancing is the use of cross-dressing, according to the English Folk Dance and Song Society. At least one – but sometimes several – of the team members dress in women’s clothing. They say 19th Century Molly groups took pride in the appearance of their crossdressing “Moll”, competing amongst themselves to see who could produce the best dressed – and this is probably where the name Molly comes from. In the past the term molly was an offensive word aimed at gay men, or men who carried out tasks considered to be women’s work, such as cooking or clothes washing. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, molly houses were locations where “mollies”, or ****** men, met for companionship and ****. They could be in pubs, taverns, inns or coffee houses. Akhilesh Mistry To take part in Morris you need to enjoy “moving around and looking a bit funny”, says Squire Sam Murphy Sam Murphy, who identifies as gender fluid, is Squire of Bristol-based Border Morris team, Kittiwake. They took up Morris dancing despite having no family background in it. “The key things that you’d need to enjoy are moving around a lot and looking a bit funny,” Sam advises aspiring beginners. “The people I’ve met from it have been just the most lovely people. “There’s no gatekeeping, [there’s no] ‘You’re not committed enough, so you can’t do this’. It’s very supportive. “And certainly in the circles that I’ve been in… there is more acceptance and openness, and people are more comfortable expressing themselves in things outside the gender binary.” Rachel Beckwith Kittiwake performed at Sidmouth Folk Festival this year for the first time The three main organisations in the *** that support Morris and traditional dance teams are The Morris Federation, The Morris Ring, and Open Morris. They come together as the “****** Morris Organisations” to discuss issues that affect all of their members. Nigel Strudwick, current Squire of the Morris Ring, says that the Morris world is changing and that the Morris Ring is “delighted” to see the traditions move forward. “We welcome everyone who would like to try out Morris dancing regardless of background, and it’s good to see new teams being formed to cater for those who might otherwise have felt there is nothing in the Morris for them. “Long may this continue.” Source link #Englands #Morris #dancers #drive #inclusive #revival #tradition Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NYT Connections: hints and answers for Friday, November 15 NYT Connections: hints and answers for Friday, November 15 Sam Hill / Digital Trends Connections is one of the best puzzle games from the New York Times. The game tasks you with categorizing a pool of 16 words into four secret (for now) groups by figuring out how the words relate to each other. The puzzle resets every night at midnight and each new puzzle has a varying degree of difficulty. Just like Wordle, you can keep track of your winning streak and compare your scores with friends. Some days are trickier than others — just like other NYT Games favorites The Mini and Strands. If you’re having a little trouble solving today’s puzzle, check out our Connections tips and tricks guide for some good strategies or check out the hints for today’s Connections puzzle below. And if you still can’t get it, we’ll tell you today’s answers at the very end. How to play Connections Connections is a daily game about finding common threads between words. Players must select four groups of four words without making more than three mistakes. Play now. pic.twitter.com/CqObVOqeUs — The New York Times (@nytimes) November 3, 2024 You can play Connections on the New York Times website or with the NYT Games app on iOS or Android. In Connections, you’ll be shown a grid containing 16 words — your objective is to organize these words into four sets of four by identifying the connections that link them. These sets could encompass concepts like titles of video game franchises, book series sequels, shades of red, names of chain restaurants, etc. There are generally words that seem like they could fit multiple themes, but there’s only one 100% correct answer. You’re able to shuffle the grid of words and rearrange them to help better see the potential connections. Each group is ******-coded. The yellow group is the easiest to figure out, followed by the green, blue, and purple groups. Pick four words and hit Submit. If you’re correct, the four words will be removed from the grid and the theme connecting them will be revealed. Guess incorrectly and it’ll count as a mistake. You only have four mistakes available until the game ends. Hints for today’s Connections We can help you solve today’s Connection by telling you the four themes. If you need more assistance, we’ll also give you one word from each group below. Today’s themes FISSURE ELEMENTS OF WRITING INSTRUMENTS YOU ***** INTO ___ OF TIME One-answer reveals FISSURE – ****** ELEMENTS OF WRITING – LETTER INSTRUMENTS YOU ***** INTO – JUG ___ OF TIME – NICK New York Times Today’s Connections answers Still no luck? That’s OK. This puzzle is designed to be difficult. If you just want to see today’s Connections answer, we’ve got you covered below: FISSURE – ******, *****, *****, PUNCTURE ELEMENTS OF WRITING – LETTER, PHRASE, SENTENCE, WORD INSTRUMENTS YOU ***** INTO – JUG, PIPE, RECORDER, WHISTLE ___ OF TIME – NICK, PASSAGE, SANDS, WASTE Connections grids vary widely and change every day. If you couldn’t solve today’s puzzle, be sure to check back in tomorrow. NYT Connection FAQs What time does the Connections puzzle change? The puzzle changes daily at midnight local time. Who edits the NYT Connections game? Wyna Liu, who has been editing puzzles at The New York Times since 2020, edits Connections daily. “A few months ago, a new assignment crossed my desk: Create the game boards for Connections, a category matching game that had recently been greenlighted and was in search of an editor,” wrote Liu in an article explaining her process in June 2024. Most of my puzzle experience has been working with crosswords, and I was excited at the chance to try something different. I’ve enjoyed learning how puzzle editing plays out once a game is greenlighted, and seeing how our team fits into a larger ecosystem.” On the one-year anniversary of Connections launching earlier this year, Liu posted this TikTok about her favorite puzzles so far: Source link #NYT #Connections #hints #answers #Friday #November Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The **** who just loved trains The **** who just loved trains While other kids were kicking a footy around at recess at North Fremantle Primary School, Kevin Pearce had just one thing on his mind in the 1950s — trains. Kevin’s school was located alongside the Perth to Fremantle line and the youngster would stand up against the fence, entranced by the new diesel trains. The Mt Pleasant rail enthusiast parlayed that early love of trains from a hobby into an enduring career, but Kevin’s affinity with travel goes back even further than his primary school days. “We lived in West Perth and my mother told me that whenever I was restless, she used to wheel the pram down to the railway line,” he says. “As soon as I saw and heard the trains, not a whimper. So that’s how it started!” Camera IconKevin Pearce celebrates the reopening of the Perth-Fremantle line in 1983. Credit: WA Newspapers When Kevin was old enough to get a bike, he was able to explore further afield, such as at the busy North Wharf where trains shunted goods to and from the ships. He also chased trains along the long-gone Rocky Bay line which ran to the sugar refinery in Mosman Park. In the 1960s Kevin discovered kindred spirits at the Railway Historical Society and soon after joining, became active on their tours committee organising rail trips. Kevin, turning 81 in December 2024, has spent 40 years professionally organising rail tours, although he was organising hobby and charity rail tours some 20 years before that. While working at Watsonia in export shipping, Kevin organised the company’s annual picnic train, a two-car diesel with 124 seats. Camera IconKevin Pearce organised the Sunday Times Watsonia special. Credit: Supplied “But this small train wasn’t enough, I wanted a big train hauled by a locomotive, so I asked our banker’s social club (ANZ) if they would like to join us,” he explains. “The answer was yes, and we ended up with a 12-car train with 600 passengers for a day trip to Dwellingup. “The success led me to ask the Sunday Times if they would like to sponsor a trip and raise money for their blanket appeal charity. The small editorial they gave produced a huge response and we set off to Toodyay with 16 carriages and 800 passengers in 1981.” Kevin then started a long association with WA Newspapers, and The Daily News Watsonia Flyer ran excursions to country towns including Wyalkatchem, Quairading, Donnybrook and Busselton. “These tours continued through the 80s under The West *********** banner raising money for charity,” Kevin said. “By 1984 I was so busy with the train charters I left Watsonia to work fulltime organising rail tours.” Kevin ran popular chartered Prospector trips to Esperance from 1984 for about 20 years until it was no longer available for charter. “I then decided I wanted to organise some longer trips and in 1985 did my first overseas trip which was the Great Java Rail Tour, that is my baby.” The Java tour was inspired by a trip to Bali with a friend in the 1970s, well before direct flights, which necessitated first travelling from Jakarta by train. Kevin was hooked. The 14-night Great Java Rail Tour departs annually in July, with accommodation in four- and five-star hotels, a mix of Indonesian, Western and ******** meals, and daytime-only train journeys in a private sitting car with use of an exclusive lounge car. Along the way, guests experience the sights, sounds and culture of Java at stops including Jakarta, Surabaya and Yogyakarta. One of the hotels used is the colonial Majapahit Hotel, built in 1910 by Lucas Martin Sarkies, part of the famous family whose collection of grand hotels included the Raffles in Singapore. Including it on the tour was the idea of Kevin’s life and business partner Rory Oktaviono, who he met in Java 20 years ago. Camera IconThe Great Java Rail Tour. Credit: Supplied “I am very fortunate he has a terrific way with the mature aged people, he gets on so well with them and that also helps,” Kevins says of Rory, who wears many hats including tour photographer. “If he wasn’t here, I wouldn’t be able to do it on my own, from the IT side to the porterage. I don’t think there is any tour company that carries the luggage from the bus to the room, we do it all.” Pricing for the next Great Java Rail Tour is due out in December 2024 but it is often half-booked out in advance by repeat customers. “Who else is doing Java, who is selling Java, nobody,” Kevin said. “When people go on this tour, they discover they love it so much. They didn’t expect it to be so good. “All we think about here (in WA) is Bali, so the Java tour sells itself.” fact file + The next Great Java Rail Tour is scheduled to depart on July 27, 2025. Bookings via Tour de Force Travel, Carine: tourdeforce.com.au or call 9246 2177. + More on Kevin Pearce Tours at kevinpearcetours.com.au Camera IconKevin Pearce organised the Sunday Times Watsonia special. Credit: SuppliedCamera IconKevin Pearce Tours chartered the Prospector to Esperance. Credit: SuppliedCamera IconKevin Pearce organised the Sunday Times Watsonia special. Credit: Supplied Source link #**** #loved #trains Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

****** Ops 6 Easter Egg Breathes New Life Into Nuketown (In The Creepiest Way Possible) ****** Ops 6 Easter Egg Breathes New Life Into Nuketown (In The Creepiest Way Possible) Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 Season 1 is now live, and includes loads of new features–one of which is a long-awaited mannequin Easter egg that players can unearth in the game’s iconic Nuketown map. Those who have played Nuketown before already know the drill: The map’s layout features a suburban neighborhood with model homes, winding picket fences, and freshly-cut lawns, all packed into a nuclear testing zone that gives off major Fallout vibes. Inhabited solely by mannequins, Nuketown has always been a place where secrets lurk, but Treyarch has kicked things up a notch this time around. Warning: Spoilers ahead! Proceed with caution if you wish to experience the new Nuketown Easter egg without assistance. To experience the Easter egg, players must ****** the head off of each mannequin. Some of them can be a little bit tricky to find, but once they’ve all been hunted down, a ******-and-white “please stand by” message appears on screen for a moment. Once the message disappears, players will find themselves back in Nuketown… and no longer alone. In the middle of the map, a group of mannequins can be seen peacefully sitting together, completely motionless, as if watching a television broadcast. Players who begin ******* weapons at them, however, will soon face their wrath, as gunfire seemingly brings the mannequins to life. Members of the crowd will respond by throwing flashbangs at the player, but the real risk is located in the town itself. Once the Easter egg is activated, zombie-like mannequins will begin to spawn and chase players around the map. (Amusingly, the crowd of mannequins will also boo and cheer in response to players’ actions.) The mannequins that aren’t sitting in the stands move and groan like zombies, and if that isn’t creepy enough, all the headless mannequins also remain on the map, frozen in place as the player fights off their non-beheaded counterparts. ****** Ops 6 players are having a great time with Nuketown’s latest mannequin-based secret, with some posting footage of their creepy nuclear test site adventures, and others sharing suggestions for future Easter eggs. Source link #****** #Ops #Easter #Egg #Breathes #Life #Nuketown #Creepiest Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Bills’ new stadium costs balloon to $2.1 billion, $560 million over initial estimate, team tells AP Bills’ new stadium costs balloon to $2.1 billion, $560 million over initial estimate, team tells AP ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The projected cost of the Buffalo Bills’ new stadium has ballooned to what team officials on Friday told The Associated Press is “north of $2.1 billion,” with owners Terry and Kim Pegula responsible for picking up the more than $560 million in overruns. Bills president Pete Guelli said he was not surprised by the amount, given how the numbers have been tracking up since construction began 16 months ago. And he said the projected total represents the commitment the Pegulas have to the community because they are sticking to their vision for the facility without cutting corners to reduce costs. “To sum that up, the Pegulas will not deviate from building a best-in-class stadium in Buffalo,” Guelli said. “It’s going to be an exceptional fan experience, and incredible place to play. I think we’re very proud that we can build a facility like this in Buffalo and have it available to our fans,” he added. “We need this project to be a success for the team on and off the field, and it will be.” Guelli said the increased costs will not impact the timetable for completion. The stadium is being built across the street from the Bills’ current home and is on track to open by June 2026. Taxpayers are committing a combined $850 million to the project — $600 million from the state and $250 million from the county. At the time of the deal reached two years ago, that represented more than half the cost of construction, but now, taxpayers will be responsible for about 40%. The Bills are responsible for any overruns beyond $1.54 billion. “I’m very pleased knowing that when all is said and done — and it still isn’t done, so it could go up even more — that the county is going to probably have contributed no more than 12% of the total cost, which is a pretty good deal,” Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz told The AP. The Pegulas are now on the ***** for $1.25 billion in construction costs, plus $144 million more as part of a community benefits package to be spread out over the 30-year lease. The Bills are funding their share through an NFL loan program as well as raising money through a first-time seat licensing fee for season-ticket holders. Preliminary plans are also in the works to establish an entertainment zone, featuring restaurants, bars and shops, to be built once the existing stadium is razed. Pegula is also raising money by seeking to sell off a ********* share — no more than 25% — of the franchise, though Guelli said the reasons behind the move are not connected to increased construction costs. The Bills met with several interested groups over the summer and into September, with Pegula expected to identify a new partner by the end of the year. Story Continues The Pegulas bought the Bills for $1.4 billion from the estate of late Hall of Fame owner Ralph Wilson in 2014. Forbes most recently valued the Bills at $4.2 billion. The new building will seat about 60,000, down from about 72,000 from the team’s existing stadium that opened in 1973 and is considered technologically outdated and experiencing cracks in its structure. Though the new stadium doesn’t include a roof, it will feature curved sides to cover a majority of seats. And unlike the current facility, which faces east-west, the new building is positioned facing north-south to better protect fans from the winds that ***** in off nearby Lake Erie. John Polka, vice president of stadium development, said inflation played a significant role in the price jump by pushing up material construction costs. Two more contributing factors, he said, were increasing labor costs and design features that were added after the Bills completed their agreement with the state and county. “We could have stopped at some point and said, let’s cut back. And that was not the case at all. In some cases, we’ve actually gone back in recent months and said, ‘Hey, we’ve got an idea or something that we think will enhance the fan experience or give us a better competitive advantage,’” Polka said. “And that’s really a testament to the Pegulas saying: ‘This is what we want to build. We designed it. This was our intent. There were reasons behind it, and we’re going to move forward with that.’” New York’s Empire State Development, which will oversee the operation of the new stadium, noted that aside from having the state’s share reduced to about 29%, the negotiated deal also resulted in $462 million in contracts awarded to ********* and women-owned businesses. Guelli, who took over as president of the Bills and the Pegula-owned NHL Sabres in March, noted the significance of what the new stadium represents by recalling Bills fans’ fears of the franchise relocating when he previously worked for the team in the 2000s. “People were talking about the Bills potentially leaving and now there’s a $2 billion stadium going up across the street to keep the team in Buffalo long term,” Guelli said. “It’s pretty gratifying for everybody to be a part of it, especially with the Pegula family.” ___ AP NFL: Source link #Bills #stadium #costs #balloon #billion #million #initial #estimate #team #tells Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NYT Strands today: hints, spangram and answers for Friday, November 15 NYT Strands today: hints, spangram and answers for Friday, November 15 Strands is a brand new daily puzzle from the New York Times. A trickier take on the classic word search, you’ll need a keen eye to solve this puzzle. Like Wordle, Connections, and the Mini Crossword, Strands can be a bit difficult to solve some days. There’s no shame in needing a little help from time to time. If you’re stuck and need to know the answers to today’s Strands puzzle, check out the solved puzzle below. How to play Strands You start every Strands puzzle with the goal of finding the “theme words” hidden in the grid of letters. Manipulate letters by dragging or tapping to craft words; double-tap the final letter to confirm. If you find the correct word, the letters will be highlighted blue and will no longer be selectable. If you find a word that isn’t a theme word, it still helps! For every three non-theme words you find that are at least four letters long, you’ll get a hint — the letters of one of the theme words will be revealed and you’ll just have to unscramble it. Every single letter on the grid is used to spell out the theme words and there is no overlap. Every letter will be used once, and only once. Each puzzle contains one “spangram,” a special theme word (or words) that describe the puzzle’s theme and touches two opposite sides of the board. When you find the spangram, it will be highlighted yellow. The goal should be to complete the puzzle quickly without using too many hints. Hint for today’s Strands puzzle Today’s theme is “Dress for lunch” Here’s a hint that might help you: components of a leafy meal. Today’s Strand answers NYT Today’s spanagram We’ll start by giving you the spangram, which might help you figure out the theme and solve the rest of the puzzle on your own: Today’s Strands answers KALE ICEBERG ROMAINE RADICCHIO WATERCRESS Source link #NYT #Strands #today #hints #spangram #answers #Friday #November Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Scarlet tanager brings ‘more visitors in two days than 30 years’ Scarlet tanager brings ‘more visitors in two days than 30 years’ BBC Birdwatchers from the *** descended on the quiet cull-de-sac in Shelf keen to catch a glimpse of the scarlet tanager When news a rare ********* songbird had been spotted in a sleepy West Yorkshire ****-de-sac eager ornithologists converged on the quiet street faster than a falcon in free fall. But for the long term residents of Shelf – previously only known as the home of Blue Peter presenter John Noakes and interior designer Linda Barker – the arrival of a scarlet tanager brought a spotlight on the village and a “crazy” influx of visitors. While some complained about the parking and disruption to the bin round, others said they were excited to see the village put on the map. Peter Flesher, who lives on Bridle Dene, is yet to see the winged visitor “There’s been more strange people on this road in two days than in the whole of the 30 years, Peter Flesher tells me. The 82-year-old, who has lived on Bridle Dene for three decades, said most of the visitors had been respectful, though he described the excitement as “a pain in the whatsit”. “To be fair, they’ve been nice people and they’ve not caused us any trouble,” he said. “We have two granddaughters who live over there and they were a bit perturbed by having 200 people staring at their house. But no, they were very good.” News of the arrival of the scarlet tanager – more usually found in the forests of North America – broke last weekend, sending birdwatchers into a state of excitement. According to some reports the sighting in West Yorkshire is the first in the *** in 10 years and only the eighth recorded in this country. Mr Flesher said he had been out to speak to some of the bird watchers and had met people from as far away as Glasgow. “I can’t believe these people. They have come up from Kent, Cornwall and one chap said he had come from Cambridge. “The whole road was full.” Residents created homemade signs to direct visiting birdwatchers Another long-term resident, Tony Gregson, 90, has lived on the road for 40 years. He said he first spotted the bird in his garden way back in September. “It’s been here weeks,” he says. “It was on the bird feeder and I said to my sister ‘what’s that bird?’ – it must have been five or six weeks since and everybody turned up.” Mr Gregson says he had had people knocking on his door and asking to try to catch a glimpse from his garden, but felt that was a step too far. “They wanted to come into the back garden and I said ‘no’ because you don’t know what they’re doing. But they’ve been alright. “They were very friendly really. Very nice people.” Stewart Short came to Shelf from Cambridgeshire twice to see the bird Among those to make the pilgrimage to West Yorkshire was Stewart Short from Cambridgeshire. He said his visit to Shelf on Thursday was his second trip up and a second attempt to see one of his bucket-list birds. “I heard about it last weekend,” he said “I was here on Tuesday but I’ve not seen the bird, that’s why I’m back.” But great adventures come with their own challenges – where does a twitcher go to the ******* for instance? “Going to the ******* is sometimes difficult,” said Mr Short. “It’s a question of finding the right tree.” Pauline, a birdwatcher from Gargrave, said it was more difficult for women. “I watch out for places before we get anywhere – Tesco is good,” she told me. Despite only travelling 25 miles for today’s outing, Pauline has been as far as Devon for her birdwatching trips. “We were looking for a Merlin. We didn’t see it though,” she said. Julie King has lived in Shelf for 19 years, her daughter lives near where the bird was first spotted Julie King, 78, who has lived in Shelf for 19 years, said the village had been “hectic” with traffic and parking the main problems. “I’ve heard more car horns going – there might be more of that,” she said But, she thinks the visitors will be off again soon. And the road is much quieter than it was on Monday when between 200-300 people flocked to the scene. “I thought it had gone,” she said. “I can’t see it flying all the way back to America though.” Matthew and his wife have lived in Shelf for two years. They pass through Bridle Dene while walking their two dogs. Despite saying he is “not a twitcher by any means”, he has brought along his binoculars and did catch a glimpse of the scarlet tanager earlier in the week. The couple live on the other side of the village, so the crowds of people have not bothered them too much, but Matthew said he had heard rumblings of discontent from other residents. “The car park has been full every day. Certainly the last few days it’s been crazy, much busier than normal. “It’s a sleepy little village and not much goes on really. “There’s obviously been some people who are excited that this bird’s been in town, and it’s great to see all these people, whereas other people have not really enjoyed the disruption. “It’s been interesting for a sleepy little village like Shelf. To see Shelf on the national news is crazy.” Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here. Source link #Scarlet #tanager #brings #visitors #days #years Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

GM’s Cruise will pay a $500,000 fine for submitting a false accident report GM’s Cruise will pay a $500,000 fine for submitting a false accident report GM’s robotaxi unit Cruise has agreed to pay a $500,000 for submitting a false accident report as part of a deferred prosecution agreement. The US Justice Department (DoJ) said that Cruise ******* to disclose vital details about a serious October 2023 accident in which one of its vehicles struck a pedestrian and dragged her 20 feet after she was hit by another vehicle. “Federal laws and regulations are in place to protect public safety on our roads. Companies with self-driving cars that seek to share our roads and crosswalks must be fully truthful in their reports to their regulators,” said Martha Boersch, Chief of the Office of the U.S. Attorney’s ********* Division. Uber has yet to comment on the matter. Under the terms of the three-year settlement, Cruise must cooperate with the government, put a safety compliance program into place and provide annual reports to the US Attorney’s office. The company could still be prosecuted if it fails to comply with those conditions. Cruise was previously fined $1.5 million by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and reportedly reached a settlement with the victim worth at least $8 million. According to the US Attorney’s office, a Cruise driverless vehicle operating in San Francisco ran over a pedestrian who had been thrown into its path after being struck by a separate, human-operated vehicle. The Cruise vehicle initially stopped after running over the pedestrian, but its systems ******* to detect that she was still under the vehicle. It then tried to pull over to the side, dragging the woman over 20 feet. In Cruise’s report to the NHTSA, it said nothing about dragging the victim after it struck her. (Cruise also omitted this information in statements to the press at the time of the accident.) Cruise was subsequently stripped of its license to operate self-driving vehicles in California. The company stopped all operations of both its driverless cars and its manned robotaxi service in order to engage in a comprehensive safety review. CEO Kyle Vogt resigned in November and GM announced plans to slash Cruise’s funding and to restructure leadership based on external safety reviews. Nearly a quarter of the company’s workforce was cut that in December. Cruise vehicles stayed off roads for several more months but returned to Arizona in April and to Houston in June under the supervision of human drivers. In September this year, Cruise recommenced operations in California, again with human drivers at the wheel. In August, the company said its self-driving vehicles would come to Uber starting next year. Source link #GMs #Cruise #pay #fine #submitting #false #accident #report Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Looking back to the golden age of rail in WA Looking back to the golden age of rail in WA Kevin Pearce looks back fondly on the 1980s as the golden age of train travel in Western Australia Interested in trains since childhood, Kevin, who turns 81 in December 2024, started organising charity rail tours 60 years ago before going on to establish Kevin Pearce Tours as a business 40 years ago. “The heyday of Sunday excursion trains was the 1980s,” Kevin said. “I was carrying something like 10,000 passengers a year, as was Hotham Valley and the Railway Historical Society. “That all finished in the late 80s because of the lack of rolling stock, the carriages were all disbanded and that sort of thing.” While the days of charter rail tours to Esperance, Albany and Geraldton are long gone, Kevin keeps the spirit of intrastate rail travel alive through his Wheatlands Escape Rail Tour and Goldfields-Esperance Rail and Coach Tour. He plans to resume tours to the South West when the new Australind is back on the tracks next year. Kevin, with business partner and husband Rory Oktaviano, also runs an annual Christmas Rail Tour using the MerredinLink train to Cunderdin and Northam. The tour offers three nights at the historic Rec Hotel in Northam and includes side tours to York and Beverley. The Northam trip has a hint of nostalgia to it — that’s the first place Kevin travelled as a five-year old, to visit relatives with his mother. Most of Kevin’s customers are retirees in their 60s and 70s and from Perth but his oldest passenger was 99. Many are repeat customers. A few even attended his wedding in 2020. Camera IconKevin Pearce and Rory Oktaviano. Credit: Sue Yeap/The West *********** “Because we have mature age people, every tour I do now we have an entertainment night and they just love it,” Kevin said. “Even with the Great Java Rail Tour (Kevin’s only annual international tour), the welcoming night we have a six-piece band and guests love that. “With the Wheatlands tour we use opera singer Jay Weston and you can hear a pin drop when he performs.” Kevin says it is rewarding to see people enjoying themselves and it is all part of his tour style to include entertainment, porterage and meals so the passengers don’t have to organise any of it. “Everything we do locally fills, there is a demand for rail travel which is very limited in this State,” he said. “If you look at our three-day Wheatlands tour, we have people coming from Busselton and Bunbury, making their way up to Perth just for this train experience to Cunderdin and Northam, now that says something doesn’t it!” In his dream future, Kevin would like to see passenger train services reintroduced to Albany and Geraldton. “There is the potential for tourism, the lines are already operating lines and all they need is a train.” Having travelled the world extensively by rail, the bucket list trip for Kevin would be the Orient Express. “The high-speed bullet trains, I don’t have the same interest in those, I am more of a nostalgic train traveller, seeing the countryside, enjoying a ***** while you’re travelling along that’s what I like. “They’re doing away with dining cars and that is part of the romance of train travel.” The highlight of Kevin’s train life was operating the first passenger train on the Perth to Fremantle line in February 1983, which had been controversially closed to passenger trains by the ******** government in September 1979. “On a Sunday in February I had organised one of my regular Serpentine BBQ trips with the train travelling via Armadale,” he reflects. “The week before there was the State election with Labor promising to reopen the line — and Labor won. “I immediately rang Westrail on the Monday morning and asked if my Serpentine charter train could run via the Fremantle line. The answer was an immediate yes!” Onboard were 400 people who had paid $10 each to join. The West *********** reported that “seven rail carriages from The Australind service, looking slightly worse for wear, were pulled by a modern A-class diesel locomotive over the route”. “The day was amazing,” Kevin said. “We gave passengers streamers to trail out the windows and as we travelled down to Freo there were literally thousands of people lining the tracks waving to the train. “It got into the news, and we had to add an extra suburban car carriage to our eight-car train due to so many wanting to travel.” fact file + This year’s Christmas tour is sold out. The next Goldfields-Esperance Rail and Coach Tour is in May 2025. Bookings via Tour de Force Travel, Carine: tourdeforce.com.au + kevinpearcetours.com.au Camera IconProspector Kalgoorlie to Esperance charter passengers at the billy tea and damper stop near the salt lakes. Credit: SuppliedCamera IconA private lounge car on the Great Java Rail Tour. Credit: SuppliedCamera IconA view on the Great Java Rail Tour. Credit: SuppliedCamera IconIn Jogjakarta on the Great Java Rail Tour. Credit: SuppliedCamera IconTravellers on the Great Java Rail Tour. Credit: SuppliedCamera IconA view on the Great Java Rail Tour. Credit: Supplied Source link #golden #age #rail Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]