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Friday’s big stock stories: What’s likely to move the market in the next trading session Friday’s big stock stories: What’s likely to move the market in the next trading session The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite notched their third straight winning session Thursday. Here’s what’s on CNBC’s radar going into Friday. Source link #Fridays #big #stock #stories #Whats #move #market #trading #session Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

FBI agent involved in Jan. 6 probes says Trump review is ‘demoralizing’ FBI agent involved in Jan. 6 probes says Trump review is ‘demoralizing’ FBI agent involved in Jan. 6 probes says Trump review is ‘demoralizing’ – CBS News Watch CBS News Another federal judge has blocked the Justice Department from releasing a list of FBI agents involved in investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Scott MacFarlane spoke to one of those agents, who says many at the bureau are feeling defeated and demoralized in the wake of the Trump administration’s inquiry. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On Source link #FBI #agent #involved #Jan #probes #Trump #review #demoralizing Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Land we paid for is being sold for millions ‘Land we paid for is being sold for millions Stephanie Miskin BBC Yorkshire Investigations BBC Former mining communities say they are missing out on millions of pounds of investment from the ***** of social ******** sites that miners helped pay for. A BBC Investigation found most of the £12.2m raised by selling 27 sites over the past 14 years had gone to the only national mining charity, but ex-miners and their families say the money has not been reinvested locally. The aim of the Coal Industry Social ******** Organisation (CISWO) is to improve the lives of former miners and their families in England, Scotland and Wales – but many of their services have been cut in recent years and local campaign groups say they don’t see enough investment. CISWO says many of the buildings sold had been closed for years beforehand, and that it “cannot ring-fence funds for specific use in only one area”. Among the sites to have been sold is Maltby Miners ******** Institute, which sits in the midst of a housing estate in South Yorkshire. Once home to a popular bar, known fondly as the Stute, it is now a plot of wasteland. Terry Gormley remembers his first job collecting glasses in the bar in the 1980s, when it was the heart of the then-thriving mining town. “It was a community asset which people have loved for decades,” he said. Miners welfares date back more than 100 years to when social ******** pots – funded by payments out of miners’ earnings – paved the way for the creation of facilities including pit head showers, recreational grounds and clubs. The money was “raised by men on their hands and knees with a pick and shovel”, as one former miner put it. Mr Gormley worked at Maltby Main Colliery throughout the 1980s, with thousands of others. The Stute remained an important place for them to spend time, even as the industry slid into decline in the following decades. It began to struggle financially and closed down in November 2018. Terry Gormley The bell for last orders rang for the final time at Maltby Miners ******** – known as the Stute – in November 2018, before it was demolished to make way for housing Mr Gormley set up a Facebook campaign group to save the building, which more than 2,000 people joined. The campaigners came up with a pitch to turn the Stute into a new social and skills hub, but CISWO “just didn’t believe in it”, Mr Gormley said. CISWO said it decided to sell the building after it fell into a “dangerous” state of disrepair that would have needed “major rebuilding and investment”. It said no acceptable bids were put forward to keep the Stute. It was sold to the highest bidder, a local developer, for £246,000 in 2020 – a move that Mr Gormley feels was “against the will of the people” – with money from the ***** going to CISWO. Six months after the building was sold, it was gutted by a fire and demolished. “This place was financially viable and it was needed,” Mr Gormley says. “Now it’s gone forever.” Eight homes will be built on the site, according to a notice tied to the fence in front of the empty patch of land. Mr Gormley is among those unhappy that funds from former ******** sites are not reinvested locally. He believes CISWO has a moral duty to help. “Not just here but all over the country, it’s the same… the money doesn’t come to the local people as it should.” Then-Rother Valley MP Alexander Stafford tried to get a response from CISWO by raising the issue in the Commons. Mr Stafford said he believed money raised must “benefit the people who live in the area that made the coalfields and the pits possible”. A group of Labour MPs is backing the calls that residual funds from ******** schemes should be retained locally. In a letter sent to CISWO in January and seen by the BBC it said “we do not accept that this would not be feasible”. CISWO said it invests the money it gets from sales to generate income to be spent in former mining communities across the ***, and has spent £58.8m over the past 14 years. But CISWO says it cannot limit investments to one geographical area. It adds that it does not keep all of the money from a *****, as it has to pay costs such as debts owed by sites’ trustees. It also said it had invested “considerably” to support a recreational ground in Maltby, leasing the ground to the town council for 25 years. Every week about 250 young players at Maltby Main Juniors use the pitches there. Some parents struggle to afford the £3 subs, but chairman Mick Mills says they raise “just enough” to get by. Mr Mills, who had been part of the ‘Save the Stute’ campaign, said: “There’s nowt [else] for kids. I want them to be able to go somewhere and enjoy it.” The club hopes CISWO will use funds from selling the Stute towards the cost of a new clubhouse and pavilion. CISWO confirmed discussions about possible future investments were taking place. “There could be a bit of light at the end of the tunnel,” said Mr Mills. Based in Rotherham, CISWO was created under the Miners’ ******** Act 1952 to support miners, their families and coalfield areas. Following the privatisation of the coal industry in 1995, CISWO became a charitable trust, presiding over a network of 400 miners welfares, grounds, centres and convalescent homes. Some MPs at the time voiced concerns about the future of sites that had, as former miner and Labour MP Dennis Skinner said, “come out of the ribs of the miners and off the shovel”. He sought assurances that “none of the land would be sold off for development”, however no guarantee was given. Mick Mills (left) chairs Maltby Main Juniors, which has several teams including the under 9s girls (pictured) In 2023, a group of cross-party MPs published a report on levelling up former coalfield communities, which criticised CISWO and recommended it should outline its strategic direction to clarify its aims and objective, to allow for better scrutiny. CISWO’s chief executive, Nicola Didlock, said at the time she was “profoundly disappointed” by the findings and in January 2025 told the BBC the report was “riddled with” inaccuracies. A survey commissioned by the BBC last year, 40 years on from the 1984 miners’ strike, suggested 73% of people living in former mining towns and villages felt they had seen little or no progress on levelling up. Former miner David Smith, from Dinnington, who was part of a local group which tried to stop the ***** of a playing field, says he sees a “pattern” of CISWO “taking money out” of mining areas. CISWO sold Dinnington’s “hallowed” old miners’ clubhouse and land to housing developers, for £875,000, in 2020. It said the recreation ground had been empty since 2008. It said it had spent a “considerable”, confidential, amount of funds on ongoing support for people in the area, and had also invested almost £100,000 towards a nearby 3G football pitch. However, it costs money to use the pitch and players must have bespoke astroturf trainers, making it “financially inaccessible for Dinnington people”, Mr Smith says. Park House hosted a wealth of sporting activities for the Dinnington community before the land was sold to become a housing estate The BBC found more than 70% of the mining land sold in the past 14 years has been bought by major developers, with evidence of only one site – in Nottingham – being bought by a council for social housing. Across the country more than one million families and individuals are on social housing waiting lists, with many living in unsuitable accommodation. The government has pledged to build 1.5 million new homes in England over five years to ease the shortage. A recent report suggested that more than half of mining neighbourhoods in South Yorkshire are in the top 30% most deprived areas in England. Chris Kitchen, general secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers, said old miners’ ******** sites are being built on by major developers instead of being used for affordable housing. He said the new houses were “out of reach and unaffordable” to locals. ‘Like coming home’ Miners’ social ******** payments also funded convalescent homes for injured miners. These have evolved over the years and now offer affordable holidays to former miners and their families. CISWO funded thousands of places across the country – now only a handful of those sites remain. Lynwood House in Scarborough is run by the Yorkshire Miners ******** Convalescent Trust. The trust is one of a number of mining charities to tell the BBC that when it approached CISWO for financial and administrative help, it received no support. Some have since closed, saying they feel “let down”. Lynwood, which marks its 40th year in 2025, is facing £200,000 yearly running costs, and funds are depleting despite still having hundreds of clients. Joan Pickering lost her husband, who was a former miner, 10 years ago and says her trips to Lynwood still feel “like coming home”. Joan Pickering, pictured outside Lynwood Miners Convalescent Home, is one of hundreds of people with fond memories of holidays there “We would be lost if we hadn’t got this place to come to, there was quite a few different places you could go to with miners and they’ve all gone,” she added. Ian Gaskell, who works for the trust, is “disappointed” by what he says was a lack of willingness from CISWO to help. “We’ve appealed to CISWO financially… in every case they’ve said no,” the chairman said. CISWO said financial support for Lynwood “would not be sustainable, given the deficits”, adding that any potential benefits for Lynwood guests would be “clearly outweighed by other competing funding opportunities”. Getty Images Dennis Skinner, pictured at a miners’ strike rally with trade unionist Arthur Scargill, asked in the 90s for assurances that miners’ ******** land wouldn’t be sold off – but no guarantee was given CISWO used to be funded by payments from the coal industry and grants from other organisations. But privatisation of the coal industry meant it had to become self-sufficient, and has been entirely reliant on income from its own investments since 2013. For the past six years, its average annual income from its £30m long-term investment funds was around £1.1m. CISWO has also received millions of pounds from the transfer of assets, such as property and land, following the dissolution of other mining charities. CISWO’s personal ******** payments supported 2,439 people in 2023, compared to almost 10,000 in 2016 – a 75% decline, according to its annual public accounts. In the past eight years, it has also cut the number of its services and spend through its grants scheme, with around 70% fewer miners and families receiving charity grants. Education grants scheme provided by CISWO have also reduced by 30%. The charity said it had seen costs rise and fewer people seeking support. It said it had “broadened” support for mining communities, which “changes and evolves as individuals age and needs grow”. It said it “carries out enormous good works” and had supported more than 130,000 miners or family members over the past 14 years, with more than £8m in grants. Back in Maltby, Terry Gormley still hopes the miners’ legacy can live on through better support in the future. “If you ask anyone in this community or any other community, they’ll say they don’t see any of the investment… and where it is really needed is in communities like this.” Additional data reporting by Antonio Jarne and Jonathan Fagg. Source link #Land #paid #sold #millions Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Yakitori Washokudo review: More than meets the eye at Japanese skewer joint, part of Ginza Nana Alley Yakitori Washokudo review: More than meets the eye at Japanese skewer joint, part of Ginza Nana Alley Part of genius Ginza Nana Alley off Murray Street, Yakitori Washokudo delivers authentic charcoal-grilled skewers packed with flavour Source link #Yakitori #Washokudo #review #meets #eye #Japanese #skewer #joint #part #Ginza #Nana #Alley Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Food companies that expect to win from the big game Food companies that expect to win from the big game As Super Bowl Sunday approaches Feb. 9 between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, chicken wings and pizza are expected to dominate food orders. Yahoo Finance Senior Reporter Brooke DiPalma joins Asking for a Trend host Josh Lipton to discuss how strong demand for these foods — including 1.47 billion wings expected to be consumed — is driving up prices. Domino’s (DPZ) and Wingstop (WING) are key food chains to watch, with both benefiting from delivery models and innovative offerings. For drinks, Molson Coors (TAP), Bud (BUD), Mondelez (MDLZ), and Coca-Cola (KO) are well-positioned. Additional popular items set to dominate the Super Bowl include Oreos and an array of sodas. Watch the video above to hear more about how the Super Bowl’s food trends are shaping up, with insights from DiPalma on what to expect. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Asking for a Trend here. This post was written by Josh ******. Source link #Food #companies #expect #win #big #game Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Russ Vought confirmed as White House budget chief Russ Vought confirmed as White House budget chief The Senate has confirmed President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the White House budget office despite Democrats delivering a marathon of speeches condemning the administration’s vision for slashing the federal government. Lawmakers voted 53-47 Thursday evening to return Russ Vought for a second tour as director of the Office of Management and Budget. Republicans were in lockstep behind the man who could dramatically alter how federal dollars get spent, in part by taking the “power of the purse” away from members of Congress. Democrats all voted against Vought, but it wasn’t enough. It had been clear for days that the GOP majority was united behind Trump’s pick for OMB director, even as the agency rocked Congress last week with an attempt to freeze congressionally approved funds. But even with Vought’s path to confirmation clear, Democrats were under pressure from their party base to push back against Trump and his nominees in any way they could. While they couldn’t prevent the inevitable, they at least could slow it down by refusing to yield back 30 hours in procedural time that would have otherwise allowed for a more expedient vote. They ultimately slow-walked proceedings up until the very end. As each Democratic senator cast their vote, they stood by their desk in the chamber and named a program or project in their state that may be impacted by OMB’s attempted freeze of federal funds. It was the culmination of their first such protest of the second Trump administration. The previous afternoon, Democrats launched what became an all-nighter, providing programming on the Senate floor into the early hours of Thursday morning and throughout the day. “Why doesn’t government run like a business?” asked Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) in one floor speech. “Let me tell you why: because if you ran government like a business, you would shut down every rural hospital.” Schatz, who was referring to a mantra of conservative budget hawks and the tech billionaire Elon Musk who has gained massive influence over executive branch decision-making, took multiple shifts on the floor over a 30-hour ******* — sometimes solo, sometimes in a buddy-act with Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). Senate ********* Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) was also a frequent presence. This was not a real talking filibuster, where one lawmaker must hold the floor for hours without rest in order to grind proceedings to a total halt. This 30-hour time clock would have expired whether or not anyone gave speeches. But Democrats’ commitment to filling the time with anti-Vought rhetoric — not reading children’s books or other off-topic bloviating — was their attempt to amplify a message they have sustained since last year’s campaigns: that the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 blueprint for Trump’s second term is a dangerous threat to democracy. Vought authored a chapter on the “Executive Office of the President” in the Project 2025 document. “Russell Vought and Donald Trump think they may be above the law,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said Wednesday during his speaking turn. Even before their speech-a-thon, Democrats made two attempts at the committee level to show how serious they were about their disapproval of Vought. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Democrats voted against him in committee on Inauguration Day. Senate Budget Committee Democrats later boycotted their panel’s vote on the nomination. Senate Democrats also held multiple news conferences to call out the high stakes of Vought’s confirmation. “I wish they had the strength, damn it, to vote him down. And I know the Senate was up all night,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said of Republicans in an interview on Thursday. “Russ Vought does not belong in public service. He really should be thrown out. He is a dangerous person to our government.” Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said Wednesday she would be “concerned if the Trump administration is clawing back money that has been specifically appropriated for a particular purpose.” But she, too, voted Thursday to confirm Vought. So did Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), the chair of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee who is deeply sensitive to perceptions of executive branch meddling in congressional business, including spending. Overwhelmingly, Republicans on both sides of the Capitol have been enthusiastic about Vought’s rise to power, believing he’ll bring a heavy hand to spending cuts across the federal government. “There’s no better mind for rooting out all of the nonsense,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) said in an interview this week. “And he’ll be working side by side with the DOGE guys and figuring out what we need to do to actually deliver.” Vought’s installation follows two weeks of turbulence spurred by OMB’s move — under an acting director — to freeze congressionally approved spending, followed by a U-turn rescinding a key memo ordering the freeze. Among his most controversial ideas is that the Impoundment Control Act, enacted more than 50 years ago to insulate the congressional appropriations process from intervention from the executive branch, is unconstitutional and the president should have more unilateral powers to cut spending. The Senate’s confirmation of Vought could embolden the White House as the administration seeks to shirk that law, which requires the president to ask Congress to rescind or hold spending it has already approved. Vought also has a history of holding back federal dollars approved by Congress, including the freezing of Ukraine aid during Trump’s first presidency — an episode that fueled Trump’s first impeachment in 2019. “The president ran on the notion that the Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional,” Vought told lawmakers in his confirmation hearing last month before the Budget Committee. “I agree with that.” Jennifer Scholtes and Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report. Source link #Russ #Vought #confirmed #White #House #budget #chief Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Alphabet’s Verily to sell insurance business to Elevance Health Alphabet’s Verily to sell insurance business to Elevance Health Verily headquarters in San Bruno, California. Courtesy: Verily Verily is selling its stop-loss insurance subsidiary, Granular Insurance Company, to the insurance provider Elevance Health, the Alphabet health tech company confirmed to CNBC on Thursday. Verily is one of Google’s sister companies and operates within Alphabet’s “Other Bets” category. The Granular ***** is the latest in a series of sweeping changes at the precision health company, which has slashed its workforce, restructured its business and overhauled its executive leadership in recent years. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Verily launched Granular, initially called Coefficient Insurance Company, in 2020 with financial backing from the commercial insurance unit of the Swiss Re Group. The business offered self-funded employers and captives medical stop-loss, fronting reinsurance and fronting solutions that used “proprietary technology,” Verily said. Alphabet’s health company has raised more than $1 billion, and it has attracted big-name talent. Apple’s former head of health strategic initiatives, Myoung Cha, joined Verily as chief product officer last year, and Andrew Trister, Verily’s chief medical and scientific officer, was a founding member of Apple’s health team. Amy Abernethy, who served as principal deputy commissioner at the U.S. Food and Drug administration, joined the company in 2021 before departing in late 2023. But Verily has struggled to find and stick to a winning niche in health care. The company started as a moonshot in 2015 within Alphabet’s innovation lab X, formerly Google X, where it developed hardware like continuous glucose monitors. Verily pivoted to pandemic response when Covid-19 broke out in 2020, and it switched directions again to focus on precision medicine in 2022. Verily introduced a new artificial intelligence-powered chronic care solution in June called Lightpath. The first offering is metabolic health focused, and it will support patients taking the blockbuster weight loss medications called GLP-1s, using continuous glucose monitors or other interventions, according to a release. And now, the company is getting out of the insurance business. Elevance Health did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment. The deal was first reported by Business Insider. Watch: Alphabet shares sink after mixed Q4 results Source link #Alphabets #Verily #sell #insurance #business #Elevance #Health Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Amazon hit by strengthening dollar, underscoring risks in tech to overseas reliance Amazon hit by strengthening dollar, underscoring risks in tech to overseas reliance CEO of Meta and Facebook Mark Zuckerberg, Lauren Sanchez, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk attend the inauguration ceremony before Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th US President in the US Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC, on Jan. 20, 2025. Saul Loeb | Via Reuters The strengthening dollar is posing challenges for the biggest U.S. tech companies, which have become increasingly reliant on overseas revenue. With other currencies weakening, money made elsewhere is worth less when converted into dollars. Amazon should suffer less than its megacap peers as the e-commerce giant generates a higher percentage of sales in the U.S. However, in its fourth-quarter earnings report on Thursday, Amazon said foreign exchange rates are to blame for the company’s weaker-than-expected first-quarter forecast and the possibility of its slowest revenue growth on record. Revenue in the current quarter will land between $151 billion and $155.5 billion, suggesting annual growth of just 5% to 9%. Amazon’s slowest quarter for growth came in mid-2022, when revenue increased by 7.2%. “This guidance anticipates an unusually large, unfavorable impact of approximately $2.1 billion, or 150 basis points, from foreign exchange rates,” Amazon said in the earnings release. On its earnings call that followed, Amazon said it saw $700 million “more of foreign exchange headwind than we anticipated” in the fourth quarter. During the *******, international revenue totaled $43.4 billion, or 23% of overall sales. At Apple, roughly 58% of revenue came from overseas in the latest *******. For Meta, it was 55%, Alphabet reported about 52%, Microsoft slightly under 50% and Tesla just over 50% for all of 2024. The U.S. dollar index — which measures the greenback against a basket of rivals — hit its highest level in more than two years last month, ahead of President Donald Trump’s inauguration. The dollar climbed steadily from late November through mid-January and has since fallen slightly. The dollar may be particularly volatile in the coming weeks and months due to uncertainties surrounding Trump’s tariff policies and the threat of a trade war, most notably China, along with a lack of clarity about U.S. foreign policy, given comments Trump has made about potentially trying to take over Greenland and Gaza. Here’s what other companies had to say on the topic of foreign exchange in issuing their financial results. Microsoft CFO Amy Hood said foreign exchange did “not have a significant impact on our results and was roughly in line with expectation,” though for the current quarter it would bring down revenue growth by “more than 1 point.” Susan Li, Meta’s finance chief, said the company expects “a three-point headwind in Q1” after foreign exchange “approximately neutral to revenue in Q4, just with the dollar strengthening, in particular against the euro.” Alphabet CFO Anat Ashkenazi said investors can “expect a larger headwind to our revenues from the strengthening of the U.S. dollar relative to key currencies in Q1 versus Q4 2024.” Apple finance chief Kevan Parekh warned last week that, “As the dollar strengthens significantly, we expect foreign exchange to be a headwind and to have a negative impact on revenue of about 2.5 percentage points on a year-over-year basis.” The rise of the dollar will lead investors to pay close attention to job numbers out on Friday. When the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its nonfarm payrolls count for January, it’s projected to show growth of 169,000, down from 256,000 in December, but nearly in line with the past three-month average. The unemployment rate is projected to stay at 4.1%, according to the Dow Jones consensus for the report. After that, the the tech industry will wait to see what Nvidia has to say about foreign exchange when the chipmaker reports earnings later in February. In the ******* ending in October, Nvidia generated about 58% of its revenue from outside the U.S. — CNBC’s Deirdre Bosa contributed to this report WATCH: Why a stronger dollar could spell trouble for Big Tech Source link #Amazon #hit #strengthening #dollar #underscoring #risks #tech #overseas #reliance Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Summoners War: Chronicles has just released a new update featuring a collaboration with the anime Ah! My Goddess Summoners War: Chronicles has just released a new update featuring a collaboration with the anime Ah! My Goddess The collaboration with the anime Ah! My Goddess is now live Belldandy, Urd, Skuld, and Peorth join the game as monsters A second-anniversary event will take place in March Com2uS has just announced that Summoners War: Chronicles is teaming up with the classic anime Ah! My Goddess for a limited-time collaboration. Starting February 6th, you’ll be able to summon Belldandy, Urd, Skuld, and Peorth, each reimagined as Monsters. The collaboration kicks off with Belldandy and Urd, followed by Skuld and Peorth on February 20th. Each Goddess has distinct elements and roles, with Fire, Water, and Wind versions keeping their original outfits while Light and Dark versions wear daily attire. If you’re looking to guarantee a summon, the Fire, Water, and Wind versions can be obtained after 200 summons (or 100 with Goddess Scrolls), while Light and Dark versions require 500 summons (250 with Goddess Scrolls). Wind Belldandy is also available through a special event. Alongside the new Monsters, several events will help you collect rewards, including a check-in event and Goddess Missions. If you’re taking part in the collaboration, make sure to claim your collab-exclusive Scrolls and special souvenirs before the event ends. A Valentine’s Day event is also planned for the third week of February. Keep in mind that the White Night Summon won’t be available due to the collaboration. Later in February, Water/Light Skuld and Wind/Dark Peorth will be introduced, followed by a Beast Rider exclusive Artifact and a Rate UP Summon in the final week. This will be followed by several events to celebrate the Global Server’s second anniversary in March, bringing even more content and rewards to the fray. Even the Indomitable Rune Set changes, which were originally planned for a later update, will be released in March. Before you go on, check out this list of Summoners War Chronicles codes! Furthermore, the two-tower reward system is also getting a revamp, making it easier to unlock Power of Ascensions without extra investment. If you’ve already progressed, your unlocks will be updated automatically, and you’ll receive compensation based on your pre-update status. Enjoy all the new festivities by downloading Summoners War: Chronicles now for free. Visit the official website for more information. Source link #Summoners #War #Chronicles #released #update #featuring #collaboration #anime #Goddess Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Amazon shares drop as cloud growth, sales forecast lag – Reuters Amazon shares drop as cloud growth, sales forecast lag – Reuters Amazon shares drop as cloud growth, sales forecast lag ReutersAmazon stock falls after first quarter sales outlook disappoints Yahoo FinanceAmazon hit by strengthening dollar, underscoring risks in tech to overseas reliance CNBCAmazon Projects Profit Missing Estimates on Rising AI Spending Bloomberg Source link #Amazon #shares #drop #cloud #growth #sales #forecast #lag #Reuters Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Bank of England boss urges US support for IMF and World Bank Bank of England boss urges US support for IMF and World Bank The Governor of the Bank of England has urged continued US support for two major global economic institutions. Andrew Bailey told the BBC he was “following extremely closely” whether the Trump administration will change its support for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Sources in Washington said the two institutions were caught by a White House executive order for a review of United Nations (UN) and other international organisations. Mr Bailey said it is “very important that we don’t have a fragmentation of the world economy”. He said “a big part of that is that we have support and engagement in the multilateral institutions, institutions like the IMF, the World Bank, that support the operation of the world economy. That’s really important.” There is growing concern in finance ministries and central banks around the world about US disengagement from the institutions, with radical changes to the global financial system now being floated in Washington DC. The “Project 2025” suggested blueprint for Trump’s presidency, which was authored by figures who are now key White House staff, recommended withdrawal from both institutions and termination of financial contributions. It said the institutions “espouse economic theories and policies that are inimical to American principles of free market and limited government principles.” Following a White House executive order, all international intergovernmental organisations of which the US is a member will be reviewed to determine if they are “contrary to the interests of the US” and “can be reformed”. The six month review may then provide recommendations for withdrawal to President Trump. Sources in the G20, or Group of Twenty – a club of countries that meets to discuss global economic and political issues – said that during his first term, Trump’s team suggested abolishing the IMF at the 2018 Buenos Aires Summit. The IMF and World Bank are specialised agencies of the UN. The US is the largest shareholder in both the Fund and the Bank, institutions which were created by the post-war Bretton Woods Conference 80 years ago. The IMF provides last resort lending for nations in financial trouble, and surveys economic problems. The World Bank gives money and cheap loans to developing countries for poverty alleviation and development. The Trump administration is yet to appoint staff to this area, but USAID’s development spending is currently the focus of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency cuts. Some members of the administration are believed to be particularly focused on the World Bank’s loans to China. Asked about the possibility of the US leaving the Fund, the IMF said yesterday it had a “long history” of “working with successive US administrations”. Source link #Bank #England #boss #urges #support #IMF #World #Bank Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nintendo Patent Application Seems To Confirm Switch 2 Joy-**** Feature Nintendo Patent Application Seems To Confirm Switch 2 Joy-**** Feature Earlier this year, Nintendo debuted a brief first look at the Switch 2 which didn’t offer many details about the new console. However, there was a moment in the teaser video where the next generation of Joy-Cons appeared to move over a flat surface like a mouse. Now, a Japanese patent application filed in August 2023 appears to confirm that the Joy-Cons will have mouse capabilities. The application was publicly revealed on February 6, and it includes an early schematic for the new Joy-****, which it describes as the “input device.” The patent also states that it has “a sensor for mouse operation,” which functions in a similar way that normal mice work with computers. Adding the mouse capabilities open up some intriguing possibilities for gameplay on Switch 2. Will shooter fans have the option to use the mouse instead of the conventional controller? This could potentially work very well with PC games that were designed to be played with mouse. It’s also possible that Nintendo is working on some new titles that can take advantage of these mouse functions in ways we haven’t thought of yet. What we know for sure is that more details about Switch 2 will be revealed during the Nintendo Direct on April 2. Thus far, Nintendo has only teased a new Mario Kart game, but there are plenty of titles rumored to be heading to Switch 2. EA recently hinted that the Madden NFL and EA Sports FC franchises could appear on Switch 2. As for the previous console generation, Switch 2 will be backward compatible with Switch games, but it isn’t clear how many titles will be playable on both systems. Regardless, fans will be able to test out the new system for themselves at Switch 2 experience events around the world. Source link #Nintendo #Patent #Application #Confirm #Switch #JoyCon #Feature Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Billions risked on ‘unproven’ green tech, MPs warn Billions risked on ‘unproven’ green tech, MPs warn The government is committing billions of pounds to an “unproven” green technology for reducing planet-warming gases without considering the impact on consumers’ bills, MPs have warned. Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) facilities prevent carbon dioxide, produced by industry, being released into the atmosphere by capturing and storing it underground. In October, the government pledged nearly £22bn for CCUS facilities and three quarters of the money will be raised from consumer bills. But on Friday, the House of Commons’ Public Accounts Committee raised serious concerns that the government had not properly assessed the financial impact on households and businesses. “It is an unproven technology, certainly in this country. And we are concerned this policy is going to have a very significant effect on consumers’ and industry’s electricity bills,” said Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chair of the Public Accounts Committee, a cross-party group of MPs which scrutinises public spending. The government said that it would formally respond to the committee, but that CCUS was a “necessity not an option” for reaching its climate goals. It said in a statement that this type of technology would make Britain’s energy system secure, something that would lower electricity costs and bills. The *** has a target to reach “net zero” – meaning no longer adding to the total amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, by 2050. As the country switches to renewable energy and away from fossil fuels for heating homes and running cars, greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide, also known as CO2, will fall. But a small amount of gas will still need to be used to maintain electricity supply and there are some industries such as cement where there are few green alternatives. Carbon capture could prevent the CO2 produced by these processes from entering the atmosphere – and the government has bet achieving its climate goals on it. Both the ***’s independent climate watchdog and the UN’s climate science body, the IPCC, agree that CCUS will be needed if countries want to reach net zero and avoid the worst impacts of climate change. By 2050, the government wants carbon capture and storage to prevent the emitting of 50 million tonnes of CO2 – more than 10% of what the country currently releases – and has committed £21.7bn to achieving this goal. The funding, announced in October, will go towards clusters of carbon capture projects in Merseyside and Teesside, which it said would create thousands of jobs and attract private investment. Dr Stuart Jenkins, research fellow at the University of Oxford, pushed back on the committee’s assessment of the technology. “I really don’t like the phrase “unproven” technology, it is not representative of the status of the technology as an engineering problem,” he said. Although there are no commercial CCUS sites in the ***, there are 45 commercial facilities already operating globally capturing around 50 million tonnes of CO2, and there are more than 700 being proposed or developed, according to the International Energy Agency. But Dr Jenkins did agree with the Public Accounts Committee that there were questions about whether the government’s current funding model was sustainable. The committee have recommended that the full financial impact of the programme on consumers be properly assessed, taking account of cost-of-living pressures. The committee did recognise the importance of early government support for novel technologies like CCUS to give confidence to the industry. But it added it “was surprised” to discover that the government had signed two contracts with CCUS developers last year and not guaranteed that if the projects were successful that the government – and the public – would receive profits or benefits such as lower energy bills. “If you were a venture capitalist investing this sort of sum of money, which is effectively what the taxpayers are doing here, you would expect to have a big equity stake in this whole thing,” said Sir Clifton-Brown. His committee recommended that any future contracts be changed to include profit-sharing mechanisms. The government said that it expected the £21.7bn funding for CCUS to unlock £8bn in private sector investment over the next 25 years. Mirte Boot, co-founder of Carbon Balance Initiative and research associate at University of Oxford, said her team’s research suggests a better long-term model for financing could be introducing a carbon storage mandate – placing a legal obligation on fossil fuel producers to store a share of the CO2 they produce, or face a financial penalty. “We argue that carbon storage mandates on fossil fuel producers are fair whilst also providing the kind of investment certainty that companies need,” she said. Source link #Billions #risked #unproven #green #tech #MPs #warn Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Alphabet’s Verily to sell insurance business to Elevance Health Alphabet’s Verily to sell insurance business to Elevance Health Verily headquarters in San Bruno, California. Courtesy: Verily Verily is selling its stop-loss insurance subsidiary, Granular Insurance Company, to the insurance provider Elevance Health, the Alphabet health tech company confirmed to CNBC on Thursday. Verily is one of Google’s sister companies and operates within Alphabet’s “Other Bets” category. The Granular ***** is the latest in a series of sweeping changes at the precision health company, which has slashed its workforce, restructured its business and overhauled its executive leadership in recent years. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Verily launched Granular, initially called Coefficient Insurance Company, in 2020 with financial backing from the commercial insurance unit of the Swiss Re Group. The business offered self-funded employers and captives medical stop-loss, fronting reinsurance and fronting solutions that used “proprietary technology,” Verily said. Alphabet’s health company has raised more than $1 billion, and it has attracted big-name talent. Apple’s former head of health strategic initiatives, Myoung Cha, joined Verily as chief product officer last year, and Andrew Trister, Verily’s chief medical and scientific officer, was a founding member of Apple’s health team. Amy Abernethy, who served as principal deputy commissioner at the U.S. Food and Drug administration, joined the company in 2021 before departing in late 2023. But Verily has struggled to find and stick to a winning niche in health care. The company started as a moonshot in 2015 within Alphabet’s innovation lab X, formerly Google X, where it developed hardware like continuous glucose monitors. Verily pivoted to pandemic response when Covid-19 broke out in 2020, and it switched directions again to focus on precision medicine in 2022. Verily introduced a new artificial intelligence-powered chronic care solution in June called Lightpath. The first offering is metabolic health focused, and it will support patients taking the blockbuster weight loss medications called GLP-1s, using continuous glucose monitors or other interventions, according to a release. And now, the company is getting out of the insurance business. Elevance Health did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment. The deal was first reported by Business Insider. Watch: Alphabet shares sink after mixed Q4 results Source link #Alphabets #Verily #sell #insurance #business #Elevance #Health Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

2025 BYD Atto 2 review: Quick drive 2025 BYD Atto 2 review: Quick drive BYD’s new small electric SUV takes on the Hyundai Kona Electric. Can it convince reluctant EV switchers? Source link #BYD #Atto #review #Quick #drive Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Massive ****** Bear Found Underneath Evacuated LA Home Lured to Safety in the Funniest Way Massive ****** Bear Found Underneath Evacuated LA Home Lured to Safety in the Funniest Way Homeowners across Los Angeles are still reeling from the aftermath of the deadly fires that started in early January, but, fortunately, many stories to come out of Southern California are full of hope, luck, and even a little laughter. We learned about the canine heroes who serached for survivors among the ashes and rubble, and we’ve seen the joyful reunions between pets and their families who became separated during the chaos. Most recently, one Altadena homeowner and several local ulitity workers were treated to the surprise of a lifetime when they discovered what—or in this case, who—was preventing them from getting back into the evacuated home. It was a bear! The 525-pound ****** bear made himself comfy in the crawlspace of the home during or after the fire, and he proved to be quite stubborn when it came time to relocate him. Fortunately, wildlife officials knew just the trick! ****—imagine discovering this just beneath your home! I wish the homeowner had shared more about their experience and how close they unknowingly came to the bear. Fortunately, it was the ulility company that discovered the wild animal in the crawl space while attempting to turn the home’s power back on, and no one was harmed during the surprise encounter. Still, it’s safe to say that everyone was surprised! Related: Lake Tahoe’s Famous ****** Bear ‘Hank the Tank’ Heads to New Home in Colorado As the California Department of Fish and Wildlife explains in a Facebook post, it is always recommended to call the Department in the case of a bear inside any human dwelling. This way, professionals can determine the best way to move the animal without harming them, the space they’re in, or anyone nearby. Although it took a while to figure out the best way to get him out of the crawlspace, it didn’t take long for wildlife officials to recognize the massive culprit. He is a local troublemaker named ‘Barry’ who is often seen in the same Altadena neighborhood where he took shelter from the fire. Feeding ‘Barry’ and Bears Although the massive bear was too large to tranquilize and move manually, officials believed that a bear trap and bait would do the trick. But what bait lured the bear to safety almost an entire day after he was discovered? It was chicken, of course! It took mere minutes for the hungry bear to follow the scent of chicken into the trap, which gives any dog parent a seirous case of deja-vu. Plain cooked chicken, and even rottisserie chicken can be wonderful for cats and dogs, especially when they’re feeling under the weather. Many carnivorous and omnivorous animals love the smell and taste of poultry, so it’s no surprise that Barry enjoyed his chicken dinner, too. It helped officials transport himsafely to the Angeles National Forest, where he was fitted with a GPS collar and released, so it’s safe to call this grocery run a win-win. Now that the bear is living safely in the forest, the Altadena homeowner has made the proper adjustments to bear-proof the crawlspace of their home. Consider this a lesson learned for anyone living in bear country: you’re sharing wild animals’ homes, and they may share yours, too! Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable **** by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest **** updates and tips. Source link #Massive #****** #Bear #Evacuated #Home #Lured #Safety #Funniest Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Amazon expects to spend $100 billion on capital expenditures in 2025 Amazon expects to spend $100 billion on capital expenditures in 2025 Amazon CEO Andy Jassy speaks during a keynote address at AWS re:Invent 2024, a conference hosted by Amazon Web Services, at The Venetian Las Vegas on December 3, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Noah Berger | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images Amazon said Thursday it plans to boost its capital expenditures to $100 billion in 2025, as it continues its investments in artificial intelligence. The capex figure exceeds last year’s spending of roughly $83 billion. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy had predicted in October that the company’s 2025 capex would surpass last year’s figure, primarily driven by growth in generative AI. “We spent $26.3 billion in capex in Q4, and I think that is reasonably representative of what you expect an annualized capex rate in 2025,” Jassy said on call with investors after the company released its fourth-quarter earnings report. “The vast majority of that capex spend is on AI for AWS.” Amazon has been rushing to invest in data centers, networking gear and hardware to meet vast demand for generative AI, which has exploded in popularity since OpenAI released its ChatGPT assistant in late 2022. Amazon has introduced a flurry of AI products, including its own set of Nova models, Trainium chips, a shopping chatbot, and a marketplace for third-party models called Bedrock. Other tech companies are also spending big on AI. Google parent Alphabet said Tuesday it expects to invest about $75 billion in capital expenditures this year. Last month, Microsoft said it planned to spend $80 billion in fiscal 2025 on the buildout of data centers to support AI workloads. Meta said it will spend as much as $65 billion on capital expenditures as it works to construct more data center and computing infrastructure. Amazon gave an update on its spending plans after reporting mixed results for the fourth quarter. The company projected weaker-than-expected sales for the current *******, which overshadowed a beat on the top and bottom lines in the fourth quarter. Shares fell more than 4% in extended trading. Jassy tried to reassure investors on the call that the jump in spending will be worthwhile, calling it a “once-in-a-lifetime type of business opportunity.” “I think that both our business, our customers and shareholders will be happy, medium to long-term, that we’re pursuing the capital opportunity and the business opportunity in AI,” Jassy said. “We also have capex that we’re spending this year in our stores business, really with an aim towards trying to continue to improve the delivery speed and our cost to serve.” Tech companies are facing fresh skepticism of their AI spending plans after the early success of ******** AI startup DeepSeek. The lab claims it only took two months and less than $6 million to develop its R1 model, which it says rivals OpenAI’s o1. Markets were roiled by the launch last week, with chipmakers Nvidia and Broadcom losing a combined $800 billion in market cap. WATCH: Multiple drivers for Amazon long-term Source link #Amazon #expects #spend #billion #capital #expenditures Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump makes misleading claims about government payments to Politico. Here’s a fact check. Trump makes misleading claims about government payments to Politico. Here’s a fact check. President Trump on Thursday repeated an unfounded claim on Truth Social that billions of dollars had “been stolen at USAID, and other agencies” and given “to the fake news media” to write favorable stories about Democrats. He said Politico had received $8 million. Trump’s claim mischaracterizes the federal government’s spending on subscriptions. Data from USAspending.gov, a government website that tracks federal spending, shows government agencies collectively spent more than $8 million combined in payments for Politico subscriptions and products in 2024. This includes $24,000 spent by the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, on subscriptions. The subscriptions, which include Politico Pro or E&E News by Politico, offer paywalled content including policy tracking and exclusive reporting. Data show federal agencies also paid for subscriptions to other news outlets in 2024, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. On Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency was working to cancel all government subscriptions to Politico. Leavitt specifically criticized spending by USAID, the humanitarian aid agency that President Trump and Musk have targeted for funding cuts. “I was made aware of the funding from USAID to media outlets, including Politico who has a seat in the room. I can confirm the more than $8 million taxpayer dollars have gone to essentially subsidizing subscriptions to Politico on the taxpayer’s dime will no longer be happening,” Leavitt said. Data from USAspending.gov shows of the $8 million spent on payments for Politico products in 2024, the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Interior and Department of Energy each paid over $1 million in 2024. USAID paid $24,000 for Politico subscriptions in the 2024 fiscal year, up from $20,000 the previous year. In a letter to staff on Wednesday, Politico’s editor-in-chief John Harris said, “POLITICO has never been a beneficiary of government programs or subsidies — not one cent, ever, in 18 years.” Harris also wrote that “the overwhelming majority” of Politico Pro subscriptions come from the private sector. Additionally, congressional records show both Republicans and Democrats and the committees they lead paid for Politico subscriptions in the last year. The office of Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert, who accused Politico of “grift” on social media Wednesday, paid more than $7,000 to Politico LLC for “publications and reference material” according to the House Statement of Disbursement for the first quarter of 2024. The same records show the Office of the Speaker of the House paid over $9,000 and the Republican-led House Committee on Energy and Finance paid over $58,000 to Politico LLC that quarter. CBS News has reached out to Rep. Boebert and Speaker Johnson’s office for comment. The New York Times also responded to what it called “inaccurate information about ‘federal funding'” of the paper Thursday, noting that “various parts of the federal government” have purchased subscriptions under both Democratic and Republican administrations, including the first Trump administration. The company said federal subscriptions make up “less than 1/1000th” of its revenue. Musk and the White House have criticized spending by USAID as wasteful as the administration works to merge the agency into the State Department with cuts to its funding and workforce, halting aid it supported around the world. In fiscal year 2023, USAID managed more than $40 billion in appropriations, or less than 1% of the federal budget, according to the Congressional Research Service. Much of that funding went to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion, as well as disaster relief, humanitarian and health programs across the globe. Former agency officials have criticized the Trump administration for jeopardizing humanitarian work done by the agency in over 100 countries worldwide. Laura Doan Laura Doan is a fact checker for CBS News Confirmed. She covers misinformation, AI and social media. Source link #Trump #misleading #claims #government #payments #Politico #Heres #fact #check Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Judge temporarily blocks Trump's federal government employee buyout – ABC News Judge temporarily blocks Trump's federal government employee buyout – ABC News Judge temporarily blocks Trump’s federal government employee buyout ABC NewsTrump And Musk’s Federal Buyout Offer Extended—Over 40,000 Workers Accept: What To Know ForbesMore questions than answers about possible RIFs, deferred resignation program Federal News NetworkJudge halts Trump’s government worker buyout plan BBC.com Source link #Judge #temporarily #blocks #Trump039s #federal #government #employee #buyout #ABC #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Super Tiny Football goes free-to-play with the major new Super Tiny Bowl Update Super Tiny Football goes free-to-play with the major new Super Tiny Bowl Update Super Tiny Football removes the hard paywall and is now free-to-play New Franchise Credits and Gems introduced as well Offline play now available for everyone Super Tiny Football is getting its biggest update yet with the Super Tiny Bowl Update, making it easier than ever to hit the field and build your dream team. The update removes the hard paywall, introduces new rewards, and expands customisation options, all just in time for the Big Game. One of the biggest changes is that Super Tiny Football is now free to play. You can jump into the action with ads or go Premium to skip them. If you’ve already purchased the Premium version, your benefits remain intact, and you’ll get a 100-gem bonus as a thank-you too. The update also introduces Franchise Credits (FCs) and Gems as in-game currencies. FCs help you sign new players, improve your facilities, and strengthen your team. Gems, on the other hand, let you unlock uniforms, stadiums, and customisation options. You can also use them to enjoy offline play without ads. Daily logins now come with bonuses, including free gems and a First-Game-of-the-Day reward to help boost progress. And if you’re looking to refresh your team’s look, new uniforms and stadiums are now available. Premium players can take this further by renaming teams and their members, making each match-up feel more personal. If that wasn’t enough, offline play is also available to everyone now, though with some limitations. Free-to-play users can use their daily-awarded gems to access it, while Premium players continue to enjoy unlimited, ad-free offline matches. Here’s a list of the best football games to play on iOS right now! And to top it off, the Super Tiny Bowl Update also fine-tunes tackling mechanics and difficulty settings, making the action feel smoother and more balanced. If you keep winning, you’ll be prompted to step up to a higher difficulty, so be prepared for a challenge. Take the field once more by downloading Super Tiny Football now for free on your preferred link below. Visit the official website for more information. Source link #Super #Tiny #Football #freetoplay #major #Super #Tiny #Bowl #Update Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How to shift from lorry driver to space engineer How to shift from lorry driver to space engineer Michael Dempsey Technology Reporter David Boutflour David Boutflour – from lorry driver to space systems engineer David Boutflour’s background is as far from the glamour of space launches as it’s possible to imagine. The 31-year-old worked in hospitality for nine years, becoming the general manager for a gastro-pub in Cheshire. But it wasn’t the real career for him. “I felt I could do more,” he says. Mr Boutflour had been interested in space and aviation from a young age, mentioning Concorde as an early inspiration. A course at Portsmouth University caught his imagination – the ***’s first Space Systems Degree Apprenticeship launched in conjunction with BAE Systems. To build up funds to help pay for the course, he switched to lorry driving – a move which did not prepare his social circle for his change of direction. “Everybody thought I was lying when I said I’d been accepted on this course. They thought I was pulling their leg, going from truck driver to space engineer!” The four-and-a-half year course involves on-the-job learning at sites where BAE Systems designs and assembles satellites. Back at Portsmouth they’ll be studying space systems engineering. The academic side of the course consists of four modules, in thermodynamics, programming, digital systems and maths, all split between lectures and laboratory time. BAE Systems Alice Overend had worked on satellites before joining the course Mr Boutflour is joined by four others on the apprenticeship. One of those is Alice Overend. Aged 21, she had already worked on satellite assembly and testing when she applied for the Portsmouth course. This work involved the ill-fated Prometheus 2 satellites that were lost during a failed attempt to launch a satellite into space by Virgin Orbit in 2023. This incident made a deep impression on her. “It was quite surreal, we were all watching the launch in the office and when the coverage ended we just went home.” Unsuccessful satellite launches are part of life in the space business. But the Virgin Orbit loss stuck in the mind of other Portsmouth students. It stands for the risk element in space work. Ms Overend’s background in satellite testing has given her a head-start in terms of understanding how a sprawling *** space industry fits together. “The whole space sector is going in a good direction.” She explains the true meaning of “space systems” in her world. “Systems is about making sure everything is where it should be, such as the satellite weight being precisely right.” BAE Systems George Smith hopes the course could help him become an astronaut George Smith is the youngest of the group at 18, and joined the course straight from A levels in physics, maths and engineering. In his home town of York he and some friends took apart an old lawn mower to build a go-kart out of the parts. How did the go-kart perform? “It only wanted to turn to the right, but we learnt a lot about why it wasn’t working.” Not everything in space exploration goes to plan either, but practical work like this is an integral part of the course. “The apprenticeship appealed to me. I find studying and applying the lesson in practice means I learn better. So I was looking at degree apprenticeships and this course was a checklist of everything I wanted to do.” Space is an expanding sector and he harbours a desire to get beyond earth’s atmosphere one day “if I can tick all the right boxes to become an astronaut”. Right now the course is meeting his expectations. “To say it’s a dream come true is cheesy, but I’ve got in the door.” Getty Images The failure of Virgin Orbit ended the ***’s domestic satellite launch initiative Elizabeth Seward is the head of space strategy at BAE Systems. Despite her own background as a physicist, Ms Seward thinks people are put off this sector by a perception that it’s exclusively for rocket scientists. “Space tends to get put on a pedestal. But the truth is we need more people from other backgrounds. A career here is for anyone interested in space, such as project managers or lawyers.” The appeal of space is evident at Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University, where Dr Stephanie Docherty teaches orbital mechanics, how a satellite gets on the right path, as part of the aerospace course. She agrees that specialisation is less important than aptitude in the space sector. “Employers want a problem solving mind-set. And I have noticed a real appetite from students for more space content in their course.” Proposals to build rocket-launching sites in remote locations such as the Shetland Islands mean more positions should open up in the *** space industry in the very near future. After the grounding of the Space Shuttle in 2011 Mr Boutfleur felt space exploration “took a step backwards.” Now he says the success of Elon Musk’s SpaceX reusable launchers is enormously significant. “Musk has very much re-ignited the space race”. All three students agree that the hands-on side of the course is inspiring. And outside of the space syllabus what do they get up to? “Most of us play video games,” says Mr Smith, with Ms Overend nodding in agreement. Scuba diving is another popular pastime. “We all like gaming,” says Mr Boutflour, “and scuba diving is good training for working in space.” More Technology of Business Source link #shift #lorry #driver #space #engineer Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

****** Border 2 update adds new Wanted characters, overhauls bribes and more ****** Border 2 update adds new Wanted characters, overhauls bribes and more ****** Border 2 is set to receive a brand-new update It includes new Wanted characters, various tweaks and more ****** Border 2 has already sold over 20,000 copies ****** Border 2 was probably one of the most intriguing releases I’d seen last year. Whereas the original ****** Border was a pretty cut-and-dry take on something like Papers, Please, ****** Border 2 provided its own distinct style and take on the customs and passport genre (or whatever we might call it). Now, a new update adds a whole host of features and tweaks to ****** Border 2, enhancing it even further. For example, you’ll no longer be offered bribes off the cuff, but only if you refuse requests. This means if you’re playing a corrupt official (surely you aren’t?), there are no easy kickbacks anymore. Meanwhile, the headlining arrival is that of the Wanted. These distinct characters may try and make it across the border, so you’ll have to be vigilant and ensure that they don’t evade your clutches. Audio and visual effects have also had an overhaul, while base rewards are now available instantly once construction is finished. Borderline It’s impressive to see another sizeable update so soon after ****** Border 2’s New Dawn release. And while these aren’t exactly massive additions, they do show that there’s significant attention being paid to Bitzooma’s latest release even a while after launch. Not to lay the praise on too thick, but I think that ****** Border 2 is a perfect example of a studio on mobile initially producing a pastiche of another product before taking it in an original direction for a follow-up. It’s not quite the dour portrayal of tyranny and bureaucracy that Papers, Please was, but then ****** Border 2 isn’t trying to be. It’s taking you on a tour of the fun side (such as it is) of being a corrupt official. In any case, if you’re looking for something a little less on the barbed wire and sniper side of things, why not check out our latest entry in the top five new mobile games to try this week for some other suggestions? Source link #****** #Border #update #adds #Wanted #characters #overhauls #bribes Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Would you use Google Gemini if it fills with ads? Would you use Google Gemini if it fills with ads? Google CEO Sundar Pichai is teasing that Gemini could one day feature advertisements. It tracks as Google is pretty crafty at inserting ads into most of its offerings You can already see hints of ads in AI overviews in Google Search Google’s Gemini AI might not have ads today, but let’s be real: the idea that Google is looking to bring advertising to AI assistants is hardly surprising. Google has spent decades fine-tuning the art of turning eyeballs into revenue, and Gemini may be next in line, according to CEO Sundar Pichai. During Alphabet’s latest investor call, Pichai gave a not-so-subtle hint that while you can use Gemini for free or pay for a subscription to extra features, advertising will likely come along to boost the company’s bottom line in some way. Google Gemini doesn’t have banner ads popping up mid-conversation at the moment, but it doesn’t take much imagination to picture a time when ads will support the free version of Gemini, and the premium subscription will count its lack of advertisements as one of its perks. It makes sense. AI isn’t cheap to run, and Google has already announced plans to spend $75 billion this year to keep up in the AI race. That kind of money doesn’t grow on trees; it grows on ad revenue. “On the monetization side, obviously, for now, we are focused on a free tier and subscriptions. But obviously, as you’ve seen in Google over time, we always want to lead with user experience. And we do have very good ideas for native ad concepts, but you’ll see us lead with the user experience,” Pichai said during the call. “But I do think we’re always committed to making the products work and reach billions of users at scale. And advertising has been a great aspect of that strategy. And so, just like you’ve seen with YouTube, we’ll give people options over time.” Ads AI If you want a preview of how ads might sneak into Gemini, just look at Google’s AI Overviews. These AI-generated search summaries are already discreetly inserting sponsored results. Search for “best ways to remove grass stains,” and in the AI-generated blurb, you might see a nice little link to buy a specific detergent. It’s not exactly subtle. Google has spent years mastering the art of blending ads into everyday searches, and there’s no reason to believe it won’t do the same with its AI chatbot. Ads through AI are not a unique Google idea, of course. Microsoft has been playing with ads in its Copilot AI chatbot, as has Perplexity with its sponsored follow-up questions. Amazon has pursued something similar, albeit in reverse, by making its Rufus AI chatbot also offer sponsored suggestions for purchases. If Gemini starts recommending products based on your conversations, will you still want to converse with the AI? Mid-chat sponsored messages might annoy anyone into opting out, but maybe you’ll be okay with an ad at the bottom of your chat window. The only thing more inevitable than ads from Google in Gemini is that the company will claim the ads will “enhance the user experience.” You might also like Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Source link #Google #Gemini #fills #ads Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Liverpool reach Carabao Cup final: Arne Slot says ‘only special if you win’ Liverpool reach Carabao Cup final: Arne Slot says ‘only special if you win’ Liverpool manager Arne Slot was delighted to book his first place in an English final – but warned Reds “it’s only special if you can win things”. The Reds demolished Tottenham 4-0 in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg to turn around a 1-0 first-leg deficit. Liverpool, who won the cup last season under Jurgen Klopp, will face Newcastle in the Wembley final on Sunday, 16 March. This is 46-year-old Dutchman Slot’s first season in English football, having moved from Feyenoord in the summer, and the first time he will have been to Wembley. Citing the 1992 European Cup final, where Barcelona beat Sampdoria 1-0 at Wembley, he told BBC Radio 5 Live: “We all know as Dutch people how important Wembley was for Ronald Koeman and Barcelona and Johan Cruyff. “It is special to go there as I know how iconic that stadium is.” But he added: “It’s only special if you can win things. We know how difficult that’s going to be as Newcastle are an impressive team.” Slot won the Dutch Cup with Feyenoord last season, beating NEC 1-0 in the final. “It’s always nice to play a final,” he said. “We come in every day, we try to improve the team. The players try so hard to improve themselves, but in the end it’s about reaching finals and winning things.” And he added that it was probably his best night as Liverpool manager so far – in an impressive campaign to date in which he has won 29 of his 37 games in charge and only lost three. “I think we had some big nights here already but to reach a final should also be special, and that is what it is,” he said. “So in that perspective it has been the most special evening.” Source link #Liverpool #reach #Carabao #Cup #final #Arne #Slot #special #win Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Gathering lands deal for film and TV adaptions with Legendary Entertainment The Gathering lands deal for film and TV adaptions with Legendary Entertainment Hasbro Entertainment and Legendary Entertainment have joined forces to bring Magic: The Gathering to the big and small screens. The pair have signed a licensing deal to create “a live-action feature film and television universe” inspired by the card game. First up will be a movie, with other media to follow, but that’s all that’s been revealed so far. Longtime MTG fans might feel skeptical about this announcement, because this isn’t the first time the intellectual property has been promised some kind of film or television adaptation. The card game’s Fandom lists many of the proposed movie projects over the years. First up was a plan for multiple movies with Universal all the way back in 2008, which never yielded anything. Then Hasbro made an at a movie with Twentieth Century Fox in 2014, but that was also never heard from again. Netflix has also been attached to two different rumored Magic projects, but it seems like the streamer’s animated TV series might really come to pass, with a post on Tudum from September 2024 that it’s really happening and in production. Legendary Entertainment has had several projects drawing on geek culture, usually bringing a big budget and a dark edge to their work. Most recently the studio worked on Dune and Dune: Part Two, and it also was involved in Christopher Nolan’s take on Batman in The Dark Knight movies as well as the Warcraft movie. MTG has a lot of lore to draw on, so there’s plenty of fodder for a cinematic universe. Here’s hoping the producers and talent have the understanding to turn all that potential into a good movie. Source link #Gathering #lands #deal #film #adaptions #Legendary #Entertainment Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]