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What is PyTorch? | TechRadar What is PyTorch? | TechRadar PyTorch is an open-source machine learning library. While it can be used for a wide range of tasks, it is particularly helpful for the training and inference of deep learning tasks, like computer vision and natural language processing. One of the main reasons for the popularity of PyTorch is that it helps Artificial Intelligence (AI) developers rapidly prototype and debug machine learning models. PyTorch gets its name from the Torch library, which is another open-source deep learning framework written in the Lua programming language. The name PyTorch emphasizes the library’s Python-friendly nature and its roots in the Torch project. PyTorch was originally created by the Facebook AI Research (FAIR) team in 2017. In 2022, the administration of the PyTorch project was handed over to the neutral PyTorch Foundation. As part of the Linux Foundation, the PyTorch Foundation helps coordinate the future development of the library and its ecosystem. PyTorch benefits PyTorch offers multiple benefits that have made it one of the favorite frameworks for AI programmers. Some of the most notable aspects of the library that make it suitable for all kinds of machine learning use cases include: 1. Python integration PyTorch is built on Python, a widely used and beginner-friendly programming language. This makes it straightforward and simple to master, even for new AI developers with no prior experience in deep learning. PyTorch is also designed to work smoothly within the Python ecosystem and integrates well with popular and powerful Python libraries like NumPy, SciPy, and others. Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! 2. Easy to debug PyTorch supports dynamic computation graphs, which allows developers to build and modify them on the fly. Furthermore, it also benefits from Python’s debugging tools. These features help make debugging PyTorch models more manageable and efficient, which is particularly useful when prototyping and experimenting with different AI models. 3. GPU acceleration PyTorch supports GPU acceleration through CUDA, which is Nvidia’s parallel computing platform. This support helps accelerate the training of machine learning models and is particularly essential for deep learning tasks that often require substantial computational power. 4. Distributed training PyTorch supports distributed training, which allows for efficient training and inference on different hardware, such as CPUs, and GPUs. By distributing the workload across multiple processors, or machines, PyTorch maximizes resource utilization and significantly reduces the model training time. 5. Pre-trained models PyTorch provides a wide range of pre-trained models, such as VGG, ResNet, MobileNet, and others. Developers can easily use and integrate these pre-trained models into their existing PyTorch projects. Moreover, these models are pre-trained on large datasets, which can significantly reduce the amount of data and training time required for a model to achieve good performance. By fine-tuning a pre-trained model, developers can also achieve better performance as compared to training a model from scratch, especially when their dataset is limited. 6. Extensive ecosystem Thanks to its being open source, PyTorch has amassed a massive global community of users and contributors. It boasts a rich ecosystem of libraries tailored for specific tasks, such as torchvision for computer vision tasks, torchaudio for audio-related tasks, torchtext for natural language processing (NLP), and more. Key elements of PyTorch PyTorch has three essential components that help in the fast and efficient development of complex neural network models: 1. Tensors Tensors are the fundamental building blocks in PyTorch, which are often thought of as being similar to multidimensional arrays. These tensors essentially help represent any type of data, including images, audio, and video in the form of numerical. Tensors are a core PyTorch data type that stores and manipulates the inputs and outputs of a model, as well as the model’s parameters. They are better at leveraging GPU capabilities for faster calculations. 2. Modules Thanks to PyTorch’s plethora of modules, developers can quickly build deep learning models with just a few lines of code, without laboring to construct them manually. Modules such as nn and optim provide a structured way to define the architecture of neural networks, as well as various optimization algorithms that come in handy while training models. There’s also the autograd module that greatly simplifies the training of neural networks through the process of backpropagation. 3. Dynamic Computation Graphs Deep learning models are represented in PyTorch as Dynamic Computation Graphs (DCGs). Unlike with pre-constructed static graphs, the structure of the neural network is built and modified on the fly as you run your code in DCGs. This is particularly useful for implementing complex models and for those that need to adapt their architecture based on input. DCGs also simplify debugging as they allow developers to inspect the model during execution. PyTorch use cases Its many benefits that help speed up model development and training, make PyTorch a popular deep learning framework with AI developers for a wide variety of tasks. “PyTorch and TensorFlow are two of the most popular deep learning frameworks, both widely used for building and training machine learning models,” says Jad Khalife, Director of Sales Engineering, Middle East & Turkey at Dataiku. “While they share many similarities, they differ significantly in design philosophy, usability, and ecosystem.” Khalife thinks PyTorch is preferred in the academic community due to its simplicity and flexibility. He also believes its dynamic graph makes it easier to prototype and experiment with models. NLP is one of the fields where PyTorch is widely used. The library is often used to develop models for machine translation, sentiment analysis, and voice recognition and synthesis. In fact, many AI developers look at PyTorch as the preferred tool for many NLP tasks, especially those that require training complex neural network models on large amounts of textual data. Then there is its GPU acceleration advantage that has helped PyTorch position itself as a leading choice for complex computer vision applications. Developers popularly use the library to process and classify images, and videos, detect objects in real time, and much more. It is also often used for reinforcement learning tasks to help build models that can learn from interaction with the environment, and make decisions based on rewards and penalties. This makes PyTorch useful for applications like robotics, and autonomous driving where the model can learn to react to its environment. Source link #PyTorch #TechRadar Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Losing people’: Survivors of child ******* abuse urgently call for more specialised services as demand surges ‘Losing people’: Survivors of child ******* abuse urgently call for more specialised services as demand surges WARNING: Distressing content Male survivors of child ******* abuse are taking their own lives before they are ever able to receive proper care, with a shortage of services creating waitlists of up to year for those seeking help. Jarad Grice, who was ********* abused by a neighbour when he was just eight years old, spent 18 years searching for support after the ordeal led to his own suicide attempt at 17. Mr Grice recalled going to the home of his neighbour — about ten years his senior — out of fear of what might happen if he didn’t. He’s still unable to recall much of the experience, not knowing when the abuse began, or how many times it happened. “I distanced myself from both my parents as soon as it happened,” Mr Grice told NewsWire. “They had once said ‘What do you do over there?’, but I just had a whole list of excuses to give them.” Camera IconJarad Grice was ********* abused by a neighbour when he was about eight years old. Supplied. Credit: SuppliedCamera IconJarad Grice said the older boy used things like games and toys to lure him back. NewsWire / Nikki Short Credit: News Corp Australia Mr Grice said the older boy used things like games and toys to “keep him comfy” and lure him back. “But in lying to my parents to protect myself I put up a barrier at eight years old between me and my parents that took a long time to pull down,” he said. The abuse ended after the neighbour tried to abuse him out in the street near where Jarad had been playing with his friends, with the shift to a public setting giving the young boy the courage to refuse. By age 12, Jarad knew he had been abused, but stayed silent until his suicide attempt when he was 17. At the age of 35, Mr Grice found the Survivors and Mates Support Network (SAMSN), the country’s only specialist support organisation dedicated to male survivors of childhood ******* abuse, their families and supporters. He said the organisation’s eight-week peer support program “cemented” his recovery. “What was amazing was all these fears and insecurities that I’d thought were exclusively mine — they all had the same problems, same concerns, and it just was really empowering that I wasn’t alone,” Mr Grice said. Camera IconJarad Grice found SAMSN at 35 years old. NewsWire / Nikki Short Credit: News Corp Australia SAMSN was launched in 2011, with co-founder and chief executive officer Craig Hughes-Cashmore a survivor himself. Mr Hughes-Cashmore attempted suicide three times, which landed him in hospital on locked wards, when he was 21, 30, and 35 years old. There were many other attempts over that time. He only realised he’d been abused after reading the story of another male survivor of child ******* abuse years later, when he was 38 years old. Mr Hughes-Cashmore was ********* abused by his father’s work colleague as a child, and when he tried to report it to a teacher, they, along with another teacher, became his second and third abusers. “I did not have a good experience of disclosure, and so I just went into denial,” he said. He moved from Adelaide to Melbourne at 17 where he said he found “dope, drugs and disco”. “I wanted to forget it ever happened, but of course, you can’t completely bury these things,” he said. “It was a very confusing couple of decades where I was just struggling to survive. “My life was derailed from the moment I was first ******, and the trauma that had gone with that.” ‘Losing people’: Warning as waitlists for support balloon Mr Hughes-Cashmore said organisations like SAMSN were buckling under demand. A SAMSN colleague recently called a man on the waitlist for the organisation’s peer support group program only to learn he’d died by suicide, highlighting the urgency for more services and funding. “(It) breaks my heart,” Mr Hughes-Cashmore said. “The same day we had another guy who was in hospital after trying to take his own life. “This is real. We’re losing people – men and women.” Mr Hughes-Cashmore said general ******* assault services often had long waitlists between six and 12 months, and there weren’t enough services specialising in male survivors of child ******* abuse. Camera IconCraig Hughes-Cashmore was ********* abused as a child. Supplied/Fiona + Bobby Photography, Sydney Corporate Commercial Photography. Credit: Supplied The 2017 Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child ******* Abuse recommended state and territory governments fund dedicated community support services for those who experienced childhood ******* abuse in institutional contexts. The government launched the National Redress Scheme in 2018 to help survivors access counselling and redress payments, with 45 Redress Support Services (including SAMSN) receiving funding from the Commonwealth to support survivors. Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth said $142m was provided in the 2023-24 budget to support the National Redress Scheme over five years. “This included $81.2 million in support for essential Redress Support Services who assist survivors in applying to the Scheme, which expands on existing specialised supports provided for survivors through Redress Support Services. As a Government we will continue to listen to survivors and make changes to the Scheme in a measured and survivor focused way,” Ms Rishworth said. However Mr Hughes-Cashmore said SAMSN, which is largely only able to cater to survivors in NSW at the moment, have asked for additional funding from the Commonwealth government in a pre-budget submission in order to reach all male survivors, including those not ********* abused in institutions. Camera IconJarad Grice said SAMSN’s peer support program ‘cemented’ his recovery. NewsWire/Nikki Short. Credit: News Corp Australia He acknowledged the critical and ongoing support from the government, but noted there was a “real urgency” for more specialist services. Speaking of the long waitlists for services, Mr Hughes-Cashmore said it was critical for survivors to receive immediate help when reaching out because it could often feel as though they were “talking about something that feels like it happened yesterday”, and not 30 years ago. “That’s where we can lose people, because they can feel so overwhelmed,” Mr Hughes-Cashmore said. He said survivors could often feel “isolated”, “complicit” and “responsible”, while stigmas around masculinity were also a barrier for many survivors. “Men are meant to be strong and resilient. ‘Why didn’t I stop it?’” he said. “I see 40-year-old men saying, ‘I should have done something’. It’s like, dude, you were a child … the complex dynamics of grooming are really hard to make sense of for children and for adult survivors to understand on their own. “There’s a real urgency for governments to fund specialist community-based services for survivors. We need to give these people space to talk with peers and professionals, so they feel seen and understood. “We need to give them some hope.” Don’t go it alone. Please reach out for help. Lifeline: 13 11 14 or lifeline.org.au SAMSN: 1800 472 676 or samsn.org.au Blue Knot Foundation: 1300 657 380 or blueknot.org.au 13YARN: Speak to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander crisis supporter on 13 92 76 or visit 13yarn.org.au National Redress Scheme: 1800 737 377 Source link #Losing #people #Survivors #child #******* #abuse #urgently #call #specialised #services #demand #surges Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Cockroaches on food cans, foul odor, water problems at Wichita KS restaurants, hotels Cockroaches on food cans, foul odor, water problems at Wichita KS restaurants, hotels Cockroaches on top of food cans, garbage smells around a motel, problems with water pressure and temperature, filthy kitchen conditions, mouse nests, dirty equipment and mishandled foods are among violations Kansas Department of Agriculture inspectors discovered during recent food safety and lodging inspections in the Wichita area. Each week, The Eagle adds to its searchable database of failed inspections from Sedgwick County. Eight Wichita-area restaurants, hotels and other businesses were non-compliant from Jan 19-25. Inspectors found few or no violations at more than 30 other businesses deemed compliant with food safety and lodging rules. Inspections are meant to protect the public from foodborne illnesses and other health risks. Violations are common. Businesses can fail an inspection if they have too many problems, certain types of violations or issues that can’t be fixed right away. Most of the time, they correct issues in front of an inspector. Examples of things that can be addressed immediately are serving food that’s more than a week old, employees mishandling food and dirty kitchens. But sometimes issues take longer to correct, like pest infestations, power outages and plumbing problems. It’s rare, but a business may temporarily shut down over violations. Places that fail are usually reinspected within 10 days. The list in this story was compiled on Jan. 31 using information available from the state on that date. The list only contains places in Sedgwick County. You can search food and lodging inspection results elsewhere in Kansas at [Hidden Content]. File Out-of-compliance inspections Bella Vita Bistro, 120 N. West St., Suite 2 in Wichita — One violation on Jan. 23 during a follow-up inspection. Fresh mouse droppings around baseboards in utility room and in employee bathroom as well as in the server station area and in dining area bar. Next inspection: Feb. 2. Blue Way Inn & Suites Wichita East, 7321 E. Kellogg Drive in Wichita — Four violations on Jan. 22 during a modified complaint inspection. Old equipment and furniture on outside walkways, fire extinguisher missing from second-floor hallway, trash and debris throughout hallways and stairwells, loose trash and couch around outdoor trash can. Next inspection: Feb. 1. Dragon City ******** Restaurant, 3008 W. Central in Wichita — Six violations on Jan. 22 during a complaint inspection. Dead cockroaches in basement, cooked beef strips weren’t held at a safe temperature, cockroaches on equipment and pans, cockroaches on top of food cans, clutter and food debris including spilled flour around basement and kitchen, raw chicken stored above ready-to-eat cabbage and carrots, dirty kitchen conditions including “heavy accumulation of sweet and sour sauce” on the outside of a crock pot and grease and food debris on fryers and wok stations. Next inspection: Feb. 1. Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, 10096 E. 13th St. in Wichita — Two violations on Jan. 25 during a modified complaint inspection. The restaurant had no hot water since Jan. 24 and was operating anyway, the restaurant didn’t cease operating and tell the Kansas Department of Agriculture that it had “the imminent health hazard of no hot water.” The restaurant was in compliance during a special investigation inspection on Jan. 26 and in compliance during a complaint inspection on Jan. 30. Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, 306 N. Rock Road, Suite 80 in Wichita — Three violations on Jan. 24 during a routine inspection. Water pressure in the men’s bathroom “was not adequate for proper hand washing,” water in the men’s bathroom wasn’t hot enough, diced potatoes weren’t kept hot enough. Next inspection: Feb. 4. Kababs, 3101 N. Rock Road, Suite 110 in Wichita — Four violations on Jan. 3 during an inspection that was a follow-up to an administrative order. Meats and cooked eggplant weren’t kept warm enough, dirty pans, restaurant didn’t label certain foods with the time they were removed from refrigeration or heat, employee didn’t sanitize a pan properly. Next inspection: March 22. Mark 8 Inn, 1130 N. Broadway in Wichita — Twelve violations on Jan. 24 during a follow-up inspection. Evacuation routes weren’t posted in some rooms, no sign announcing that pets are allowed in motel, no employee emergency plan available, burn holes in duvet, glue traps in rooms “were full of dead roaches,” dozens of rodent droppings and “chewed material,” build up on floors in rooms “including dead roaches” and “chewed mouse nesting and droppings,” exit signs don’t work, dirty hallways including debris and dead roaches, “strong garbage odor” in buildings, peeling carpet in hallways, leaky ceiling in front walk way is “causing a fall hazard,” mold in refrigerator in at least one room, rented rooms aren’t cleaned and serviced every five days as required. Next inspection: March 24. Teppanyaki Grill & Sushi Buffet, 6710 W. Kellogg Drive in Wichita — Five violations on Jan. 21 during a follow-up inspection. Dead cockroach on floor behind sushi counter, restaurant doesn’t have a parasite destruction letter that shows when fish was frozen and at what temperature, employee touched cellphone while making sushi, cooked shrimp tempura and cooked crawfish were sitting out at room temperature, old sushi rice. Next inspection: March 21. See a problem? Here’s where to complain If you see problems at a food or lodging establishment, you can file a complaint. To notify the state about unsavory or questionable conditions anywhere that serves or sells food to the public, email [email protected] or call 785-564-6767. You can also file a complaint at www.foodsafetykansas.org. To report an illness you think was caused by a restaurant, food or event where food was served, contact the Kansas Department of Health and Environment at 877-427-7317 or www.foodsafetykansas.org. Complaints about conditions at hotels and motels can be submitted at www.agriculture.ks.gov/public-resources/comments-complaints/lodging-complaint. For more information about foodborne illnesses, visit www.foodsafety.gov. Note: Sometimes addresses listed — especially for mobile vendors and food trucks — are not where food is actually served to the public. Contact those establishments directly for specific service locations. Mouse poop on pans, old meat, cockroaches, no soap at Wichita KS restaurants, hotels Cockroach in flour bin, expired milk, putrid smells at Wichita KS restaurants, hotels Seafood & chicken at unsafe temps, no hot water, old butter at Wichita KS restaurants Source link #Cockroaches #food #cans #foul #odor #water #problems #Wichita #restaurants #hotels Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Gravitational Waves Reveal ****** Hole Ancestry Through Spin Analysis Gravitational Waves Reveal ****** Hole Ancestry Through Spin Analysis Ripples in spacetime, known as gravitational waves, are being used to determine the ancestry of ****** holes. These waves, first theorised by Albert Einstein, are offering insights into how ****** holes form and evolve. Scientists have uncovered that the spin of a ****** hole can indicate whether it originated from repeated mergers in densely packed star clusters. This finding has the potential to transform our understanding of ****** hole formation and growth. Study Links ****** Hole Spin to Ancestry According to a study published in Physical Review Letters, a team of researchers led by Fabio Antonini from Cardiff University’s School of Physics and Astronomy examined 69 gravitational wave events. The findings suggest that when a ****** hole reaches a certain mass, its spin undergoes a shift. This change aligns with models that propose ****** holes grow through sequential mergers in star clusters. As reported by Live Science, Isobel Romero-Shaw, a researcher at the University of Cambridge, stated that the study provides a data-driven method to identify a ****** hole’s origin. The spin of high-mass ****** holes was found to be a strong indicator of their formation in regions where smaller ****** holes frequently collide and merge. Gravitational Waves as Cosmic Identifiers Gravitational waves are generated when massive objects, such as ****** holes, accelerate through space. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and Virgo Observatory have detected multiple signals from ****** hole mergers since 2015, confirming Einstein’s predictions. The study highlights that gravitational waves can be read like a cosmic birth certificate, revealing the formation history of ****** holes. Thomas Callister, a researcher at the University of Chicago, mentioned that the results will aid in refining computer simulations of ****** hole formation. With upcoming observatories such as the Einstein Telescope and the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), further discoveries are anticipated in the field of ****** hole research. Source link #Gravitational #Waves #Reveal #****** #Hole #Ancestry #Spin #Analysis Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Reports: De'Aaron Fox headed to Spurs, Zach LaVine to Kings in 3-team trade – NBA.Com Reports: De'Aaron Fox headed to Spurs, Zach LaVine to Kings in 3-team trade – NBA.Com Reports: De’Aaron Fox headed to Spurs, Zach LaVine to Kings in 3-team trade NBA.ComGrading the 3-team De’Aaron Fox trade: How did the Spurs do in getting Victor Wembanyama some help? Yahoo Sports2 NBA stars on the move in latest blockbuster deal: report Fox NewsDe’Aaron Fox trade grades: Spurs fleece Kings and Bulls again as Victor Wembanyama gets new sidekick CBS SportsDe’Aaron Fox, Zach LaVine trade: Winners and losers ESPN Source link #Reports #De039Aaron #Fox #headed #Spurs #Zach #LaVine #Kings #3team #trade #NBA.Com Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

******** fashion giant re-enters India five years after ban ******** fashion giant re-enters India five years after ban Nikita Yadav BBC News, Delhi BBC Shein has been relaunched in India by Reliance Retail ******** fast fashion app Shein has relaunched in India five years after it was banned by Delhi, under a deal with Indian firm Reliance Retail. An official from Reliance Retail, who did not wish to be named, told the BBC the firm has entered a long-term licensing deal with the parent company to sell products manufactured and sourced in India on the platform. The group has not yet made an official announcement. Shein’s re-entry to the Indian market comes with strict terms, which include saving all data within the country, India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said in December. In 2020 India banned Shein and dozens of other ******** apps including TikTok. It said this was in response to data security concerns and it followed a spike in tensions with China after clashes between the two countries’ armies in a disputed Himalayan border area. The app was launched in India on Saturday and has so far been downloaded by more than 10,000 people. It is offering fashionwear for as little as 199 rupees ($2.30; £1.90). Shein is currently only delivering to consumers only in the cities of Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, but will soon offer services across India, according to a notification on the app. Over the last decade, Shein has gone from a little-known brand among older shoppers to one of the biggest fast fashion retailers globally. Today, it ships to customers in 150 countries across the world. Before the ban it became a big hit in India as it gave people a variety of options to buy trendy designs at an affordable price. The ban initially left a vacuum in the Indian market which was later filled by many local players. Experts say that with Shein India, Reliance Retail – owned by Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani – is diversifying from its existing strategy of selling international brands through its flagship Ajio online retailer. The revival comes with strict conditions that give Reliance Retail full control over its operations and data while Shein will be a technological partner, Goyal told the Indian parliament in December. All customer and application data will be stored in India and Shein will not have any access rights, he said. Goyal also clarified that the app was banned in India, not the “***** of Shein-branded products”. Shein will use India as a “supply source for its global operations” and will help Reliance Retail in “building the network” and training Indian garment manufacturers, as it aims to promote export of textile and garments from India, the official said. Shein’s comeback under the deal with Reliance Retail is a rare exception to India’s ban on more than 200 ******** apps over the last five years. At the time, Indian officials said the ban followed many complaints against the apps for “stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorised manner”. ByteDance’s TikTok and popular combat and survival game PlayerUnknown’s Battleground (PUBG) were also banned. However PubG was later rebranded and launched for the Indian market under the name Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), which is held by Krafton India. Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. Source link #******** #fashion #giant #reenters #India #years #ban Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

What has changed one year on from devolution’s return? What has changed one year on from devolution’s return? Jayne McCormack BBC News NI political correspondent BBC Stormont has been back up and running for a year but is the public feeling the benefits? What’s changed since Stormont returned 12 months ago? Ask most politicians and they’ll say, plenty: a Westminster election, three changes of party leaders and, in between all of that, rows over public finances and policy. But ask someone who isn’t a politician and the answer, in many cases, is very little feels different. Remember the promise from the Stormont Executive to prioritise making childcare more affordable? Mum-of-one Jessica Brown does. She runs Toddler Sense North East, and feels many working families haven’t benefitted at all from Stormont’s return. She said she left full-time work when she had her son because it would have cost more than her mortgage to put him into childcare and remain in her job. “This gives me more flexibility for my little boy – I have lots of mums who come here working part-time because they can’t even get their child into full care facilities and when they do they’re paying £400 to £600 a month for one child,” she said. “I don’t feel the politicians have made a difference for my family or the mums who come here.” Toddler Sense North East’s Jessica Brown (centre), pictured alongside Alex McNeill (left) and Fiona O’Connor (right) Education Minister Paul Givan has taken steps to improve access to childcare, with a subsidy scheme of £25m being set up last year allowing some families to make savings, which is set to be extended into the new financial year. He also warned, just weeks into his job, that it would cost £400m to overhaul the childcare system properly in Northern Ireland. Childcare groups are also still pressing the executive to deliver a full strategy for early learning and childcare. Pauline Walmsley, chief executive of the Early Years Organisation, welcomed the commitment to build on the childcare subsidy scheme, but added: “We all recognise, however, that this is only the start and that we need the minister’s request for a £450m multi-annual budget to be agreed.” But childcare is far from the only issue requiring extra financial firepower. Just a glance at departmental in-trays shows the backlog of problems our politicians faced when they went back to work 12 months ago. On health, waiting lists continue to grow longer with the latest figures showing more than half a million people in Northern Ireland now on lists for a first consultation with a hospital consultant. The tug-of-war between the health minister and the rest of the executive over money will continue in 2025, as ministers from other parties argue that every department needs a fair share of finite funding. It’s not just more money that Stormont needs, but new laws too. Sign language law ‘will improve struggles’ Andy Reay says he worries about his son Jude’s future Despite promising to bring some 19 bills to the assembly in its first year so far the executive has managed to introduce fewer than half of that – a figure heavily criticised by the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), Stormont’s official opposition. But there is set to be movement on a major piece of legislation within weeks. After a decade of delay, a bill officially recognising sign language in Northern Ireland is coming to the assembly this month. For those in the deaf community, like Andy Reay who also has a deaf son, it’s a crucial step forward. He moved to Northern Ireland from England 10 years ago and feels that Northern Ireland lags behind other parts of the *** when it comes to support. “I do worry about the future of my son, I want him to be able to go through life at ease and not to face the same struggles I did,” he added. Julie Graham said the bill is a move in the “right direction” Julie Graham of Action Deaf Youth, which works with young deaf people and runs sign language classes, said she was “very excited” for the new law. “This was first announced in 2015… then the assembly fell in 2016, then we had Covid, then another collapse, finally now in 2025 it is the time,” she added. “It is not going to be a magic cure but it is definitely going in the right direction, it’s about raising more awareness too so that young deaf people can feel proud of their culture and language.” No language commissioners As for other language-related issues at Stormont, progress seems non-existent. Irish and Ulster-British commissioners, promised as far back as 2021, have yet to be appointed by the first and deputy first ministers. We’re also still waiting on a new victims commissioner and a climate change commissioner. The fact none of them are in place a year on is a reminder of how slow the Stormont system can be. Pacemaker Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and First Minister Michelle O’Neill launched the Ending Violence against Women and Girls strategic framework last year One area that has seen cross-party agreement is tackling violence against women and girls – a campaign that the first and deputy first ministers have been keen to front. Some £3m worth of investment aimed at grassroots organisations and campaign groups was announced last year, alongside a dedicated strategic framework – in other words laying out an action plan with the PSNI, Department of Justice and other groups to try to promote awareness and education. But there’s an acknowledgement from ministers that the money is merely a drop in the ocean when it comes to confronting what is also a societal issue. The executive also has commitments to survivors of historical institutional abuse and mother and baby homes in Northern Ireland. On the latter, a new bill that would legislate for compensation has yet to be published. And some victims and survivors of HIA, who have had a redress scheme in place since 2020, are sceptical about Stormont’s track record. Victims’ campaigner Margaret McGuckin said “we are still having to lobby” political leaders Margaret McGuckin, from Survivors and Victims of Institutional Abuse (SAVIA), said “nothing has changed” since power sharing returned. “We are still having to do the running, we are still having to lobby them. It’s as if nobody is there, they’re invisible and then when you do request to meet them they come out of the woodwork. “The community out there need people to lead them.” This new Sinn Féin-DUP partnership has reached its first birthday with not even a crisis moment: when most anniversaries related to Stormont are negative that alone is worth marking. But will it have managed any real delivery in another 12 months, and more importantly, will people feel the benefits? Source link #changed #year #devolutions #return Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

CyberPowerPC Game Master 715 Review: A Master Indeed CyberPowerPC Game Master 715 Review: A Master Indeed Assembled PCs are widely favoured by users, primarily due to their affordability. Purchasing individual components and building a PC often proves more cost-effective than buying a pre-built or branded PC. However, not everyone possesses the technical skills or the inclination to undertake this process. Building a PC can also be highly time-consuming, and complications may arise, leaving you without adequate support. This is where brands such as CyberPowerPC come in, offering users powerful pre-built machines that strike a balance between fully custom-built and branded PCs. However, is it better to buy a pre-built PC, especially from CyberPowerPC? To answer this question, we got our hands on the CyberPowerPC Game Master 715 to see how it stacks up. CyberPowerPC Game Master 715 Components and Price Before I talk about build quality, design, upgradeability, ease of repair, and performance, let me list down the components available on this particular pre-built system. The Game Master 715 will set you back by Rs. 1,79,472 and is currently available to buy on CyberPowerPCs India website. The Game Master 715 gets an impressive list of hardware Below are the components used for this build. CyberPowerPC Game Master 715 Case CyberPowerPC Prism 360V Mid with Tempered Glass Case Fans 3 x ARGB 120MM Fans Cooling CyberPowerPC 240mm ARGB Liquid CPU Cooler Motherboard MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk WiFi, ATX Processor AMD Ryzen 7 7700X Graphics Card MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Super Gaming X Slim 12GB RAM 2 x Kingston 16GB DDR5 Fury Beast ****** XMP Storage 1TB Kingston SSD PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 Power Supply (PSU) Cooler Master GX III Gold 850W OS Windows 11 Home CyberPowerPC will also send you the Elite M1 131 wired RGB gaming mouse with 9 buttons along with your purchase. And of course, these pre-built PCs don’t come with a monitor, keyboard, and a backup UPS. With a good monitor and keyboard included, this build should touch the Rs. 2 lakh mark. CyberPowerPC Game Master 715 Design: Functional and cool Gaming PCs go all out when it comes to design, but I’m someone who likes a minimalist look. The Game Master 715 has a minimal design until you turn it on. The RGB lights are controlled via MSI Center The PC uses a CyberPower PRISM 360V mid-tower cabinet that gets tempered glass panels on the front and the side. You’ll find mesh intakes on the top, the bottom, and the side where the motherboard sits. The top houses the Power and Restart buttons alongside dual USB Type-A ports, a USB Type-C port, and dual 3.5mm ports for headphones and microphones. There are two LED indicators as well. There’s a USB Type-C port at the top The tempered glass swing door on the side can be easily opened to access all the main components of the PC, except the power supply unit, which is hidden away in the covered section underneath. The front glass can also be removed for cleaning. Talking about cleaning, do keep a microfiber cloth handy as the tempered glass is a fingerprint magnet. The case is well built and I did not see any damage, which is also partly due to the secured packaging that the company ships its PCs in. However, I did find the legs of the PC to be a bit flimsy, and I’d recommend being somewhat careful when moving the PC around. There are plenty of ports available on the motherboard You’ll find all the I/O ports at the back, and the MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk Wi-Fi motherboard has plenty to offer. There are dual USB Type-A 2.0 ports, four USB Type-A 5Gbps ports, three USB Type-A 10Gbps ports, and a USB Type-C 20Gbps port. You also get an HDMI 2.1 port, a DisplayPort 1.4, a LAN port, and 7.1 channel audio with S/PDIF output. The power cables go at the bottom rear as that’s where the PSU is located. Since almost half of the cabinet is glass, when you turn on the PC, it’s nothing short of a party. You get dual side-mounted 120mm ARGB fans on the right panel, one at the back, and an RGB strip on the front. The liquid cooler also features dual 120mm RGB fans. Even the Kingston Fury Beast ****** XMP RAM sticks are adorned with RGB strips. All of the lights are controllable and you get a lot of options via the MSI Center app on the PC. There’s plenty of exhaust and intake vents The cabinet design is also quite functional, as the side fans pull in cool air and expel it out via the rear-mounted single fan. The fans on the liquid cooler pull in hot air from inside the PC and push it out through the mesh at the top. CyberPowerPC Game Master 715 Performance: Blistering In terms of performance, the Game Master 715 comes with an excellent set of hardware for mid-to-high-end gaming, video editing, and other tasks that require a lot of firepower. The PC runs Windows 11 Home out of the box. You also get an RGB strip on the front It comes with the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X AM5 CPU, the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Super Gaming X Slim 12GB GPU, dual Kingston 16GB DDR5 Fury Beast ****** XMP1 RAM, and 1TB Kingston PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD. As for the power supply, you get an 850W Cooler Master GX III Gold PSU that’s plenty powerful for the rig. The MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk motherboard offers two additional slots for RAM expansion and a total of three M.2 slots. For the GPU, the board features dual PCI-E x16 slots, and you also get a PCI-E X1 slot for supported peripherals. For wireless connectivity, there’s Wi-Fi 6E with a pre-installed module and Bluetooth 5.3. The wiring is neatly tucked away behind the motherboard Now, although the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU on the system could be overshadowed by the recently launched GeForce RTX 5070 GPU, it’s still an excellent choice for this build. I played several AAA games at max settings in QHD resolution and got high-frame rates with no lag. I also ran a couple of benchmarks on the machine and the Game Master 715 delivered impressive results. Game Resolution Graphics Setting FPS Call of Duty: ****** Ops 6 QHD Highest, Nvidia DLSS 150 – 170 Alan Wake 2 QHD High/Ultra, Nvidia DLSS 70/110 Hellblade Senua’s Saga QHD High, Nvidia DLSS 90 – 120 Hogwarts Legacy QHD Ultra, Nvidia DLSS, Ray Tracing 100 – 115 As you can see, the gaming PC delivered excellent FPS across some really demanding games. I also didn’t notice any lag or tearing and everything was super smooth across all titles. Alan Wake 2 on the Game Master 715 runs smoothly at QHD resolution Meanwhile, on Geekbench 6.3, the PC scored 2,895 in Single core and 14,478 in multi-core tests. On PCMark 10, the rig scored 8,847 points, and 1,969 on CrossMark. I also ran a couple of 3DMark gaming benchmarks where the PC scored 4,732 points in Steel Nomad and 5,030 in Speedway. The PSU sits at the bottom Overall, the PC performed really well during both gaming and benchmark tests. It also did quite well in managing the heat, which is mainly thanks to the well-designed case with multiple exhaust vents. The gaming rig is also great for video and photo editing. On Cinebench r23, the Game Master 715 setup scored 1,956 in single-core tests and 19,274 in multi-core. CyberPowerPC Game Master 715 Verdict At Rs. 1,79,472 (as on the CyberPowerPC India website), is the Game Master 715 a good buy? Well, it is possible to get a similar spec’d PC setup for a cheaper price outside, but you will not get the peace of mind that CyberPowerPC claims to provide. The price difference is also not that big and you get 1 year of free service support that includes labour and lifetime technical support. I also believe that now that the Nvidia GeForce RTX 50 series is out, we could see price drops on currently available pre-built PCs. To answer the question ‘Is it better to buy a pre-built PC from CyberPowerPC’, I’d say it definitely is. The Game Master 715 is well-equipped and you get a good-looking, well-built cabinet that will surely make your non-gaming friends jealous. The machine is also powerful enough to play all kinds of AAA games, for years to come. Pros Good build quality Functional case with good airflow Powerful components Easy to upgrade/repair Cons Tempered glass is a fingerprint magnet Slightly on the expensive side Ratings (Out of 10) Design – 8 Build quality – 8 Components – 8 Performance – 9 Value for money – 8 Source link #CyberPowerPC #Game #Master #Review #Master Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Aussies In The NBA: Dante Exum, Patty Mills and Joe Ingles part of comebacks, trades and feeling the love Aussies In The NBA: Dante Exum, Patty Mills and Joe Ingles part of comebacks, trades and feeling the love After a season where Australia’s young players have been prominent in the NBA, it was a week where the experienced names took centre stage for unique reasons. Source link #Aussies #NBA #Dante #Exum #Patty #Mills #Joe #Ingles #part #comebacks #trades #feeling #love Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Simu Liu Wants to Revive Sleeping Dogs But the Movie Holds the Key Simu Liu Wants to Revive Sleeping Dogs But the Movie Holds the Key Marvel star Simu Liu is making many of our dreams come true with his recent announcement that he’s working on making a Sleeping Dogs movie. This will be one of many video game adaptations in recent history but Sleeping Dogs has had a special place in many people’s hearts. The game is iconic and a movie project is a big deal. | Image Credit: United Front Games Liu also shared that his ultimate goal and dream is to have a sequel to the game after the movie. The road ahead won’t be easy, especially considering there has already been an attempt at this same project before. Will the Shang Chi star succeed in bringing a cult favorite to the big screen? Simu Liu is about to save Sleeping Dogs The Marvel star has really shown his passion. | Image Credit: Marvel Studios In a recent post on X/Twitter Simu Liu confirmed he is working with the rights holders to get the film off the ground. Liu is determined to see this project through and not let it remain a concept. “So few film projects make it from pitch phase to greenlight. Pitching execs who don’t understand the game has been tiring,” he says. So few film projects make it from pitch phase to greenlight. Pitching execs who don’t understand the game has been tiring. Everyone’s overwhelming love of Sleeping Dogs here has really given us life! First a movie, then a sequel game for everyone… that’s always been the dream. pic.twitter.com/g84r9Lf0SI — Simu Liu (@SimuLiu) January 31, 2025 There are very few details about the project but Liu has a clear vision: “First a movie, then a sequel game for everyone… that’s always been the dream.” An early report from IGN suggests Liu will not only star as Wei Shen but also serve as a producer, much like what Donnie Yen’s own Sleeping Dogs project was. The Marvel star’s involvement is already attracting major industry players. IGN also reported that Story Kitchen is leading the project. Story Kitchen has worked on the Sonic the Hedgehog movies and Netflix’s Tomb Raider series, and is also developing adaptations of Streets of Rage and It Takes Two. Will this second time be the charm? Donnie Yen has already paved the way for this. | Image Credit: United Front Games This isn’t the first attempt to adapt Sleeping Dogs into a film. In case you didn’t know, legendary action star Donnie Yen had a similar project going on in 2017. He was set to star as Wei Shen and even invested his own time and money into the project. However, the film never moved forward. If we actually pull this off, my first call will be to Donnie. Second call would be Will Yun Lee, the original voice of Wei. Third, to DoorDash to find me the nearest restaurant that serves pork bun — Simu Liu (@SimuLiu) January 31, 2025 Liu has also made it clear that if the movie happens, his first call will be to Donnie Yen. In a way, his words acknowledge the importance of all the effort Donnie Yen has already put in. It also shows how much love and demand there is from fans for Will Yun Lee to return in some capacity. If the Sleeping Dogs film moves forward, it will likely benefit from the recent success of video game adaptations. Hollywood’s track record with video game adaptations is mixed, but we have reason to be cautiously optimistic. We’ve seen the recent success of The Last of Us, Arcane, and the Sonic movies. These projects have proven that with the right creative vision. But without a confirmed director or release date, the project is still in its early stages. What do you think? Will Simu Liu pull it off? Will we finally get a sequel? Let us know in the comments! Source link #Simu #Liu #Revive #Sleeping #Dogs #Movie #Holds #Key Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Jury selection to begin for alleged ringleader of $250M pandemic fraud scheme in Minnesota Jury selection to begin for alleged ringleader of $250M pandemic fraud scheme in Minnesota MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jury selection begins Monday in the trial of the alleged ringleader of a scheme to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic that federal prosecutors say stole $250 million from a program meant to feed children, the latest chapter in a broader case that has also included an attempt to bribe a juror and political repercussions against Gov. Tim Walz. But the attorney for Aimee Bock, the founder of Feeding our Future — the group that prosecutors say was at the heart of the plot — insists that she’s innocent. Bock and a co-defendant will be the second group to stand trial in what prosecutors call one of the country’s largest COVID-19-related fraud cases anywhere. The first trial resulted in the conviction of five people last year and received widespread attention after some defendants and people linked with them allegedly tried — unsuccessfully — to bribe a juror with a bag of $120,000 in cash. The juror went straight to police instead. Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. Bock is one of 70 defendants charged in the overall case. They’re being tried in batches. Thirty of them have already pleaded guilty to various charges, including some who had been scheduled to go on trial with Bock this week. One defendant from the first trial was sentenced this month to 17 1/2 years, the longest prison term handed down in the case so far. Here’s a look at a trial that’s expected to last around six weeks: The big picture Federal prosecutors allege that the conspiracy revolved around two groups — Feeding Our Future and Partners in Nutrition — that were both small nonprofits that were approved as sponsors of the Federal Child Nutrition Program before the pandemic. But the two groups dramatically increased the number of meal sites that they claimed to be sponsoring during the pandemic. Feeding Our Future went from receiving and disbursing $3.4 million in federal funds in 2019 to nearly $200 million in 2021. Sites sponsored by Feeding Our Future falsely claimed to be serving thousands of children daily, prosecutors allege. “In all, Feeding Our Future fraudulently obtained and disbursed more than $240 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program funds during the Covid-19 pandemic,” prosecutors wrote in a preview of their case this month. The total included administrative fees to which Feeding Our Future was not entitled, they said. “Bock and other Feeding Our Future employees also solicited and received bribes and kickbacks from individuals and companies sponsored by Feeding Our Future,” prosecutors continued. “Feeding Our Future operated a pay-to-play scheme, where individuals seeking to operate fraudulent sites under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future had to kick back a portion of their fraudulent proceeds to Feeding Our Future employees.” The defense Bock’s attorney, Kenneth Udoibok, said they’ll argue at trial that she’s not guilty of the federal fraud, conspiracy and bribery charges against her. “She’s innocent and she’s going to express that belief, that truth, until the day she dies,” Udoibok said in an interview last week. “This woman was hoodwinked, played by people she trusted. She trusted that these people that have pled guilty, she trusted them to have delivered food to needy children, needy people, deserving folks. And they played her.” Udoibok said the large number of guilty pleas, and the fact that they’re now down to just Bock and a co-defendant for this trial, doesn’t change the defense strategy. He said the jury will be able to see the difference between her and the rest of the defendants despite the complexities of the overall case. “She accepted no bribes or kickbacks from anybody. She did not know that the invoices were fraudulent. She was focused on providing as much access to needy people as possible, that is, feeding adults and children during COVID and during the George Floyd protests,” Udoibok said. An attorney for Bock’s co-defendant, Salim Ahmed Said, did not return a call seeking comment on the case. The bribe Five people were charged with bribery because of the attempt in the first trial, including three who were on trial at the time. Two of the five have already pleaded guilty, while one more is scheduled to change his plea to guilty in the bribery case in March. U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger described the elaborate scheme as “something out of a mob movie.” U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel, who is overseeing Bock’s trial, has ordered extra steps to shield the jurors’ identities and prevent any further bribe attempts. The political repercussions The federal money flowed through the state Department of Education, and the loss of 250 million taxpayer dollars became a major political problem for Democratic Gov. Tim Walz. His administration largely blamed federal authorities, saying the FBI asked them not to cut off the flow of funds to protect its investigation. Walz’s critics insist he should have done more. While Walz comfortably won reelection in 2022, the issue resurfaced after presidential candidate Kamala Harris picked him as her running mate. This year, Republicans in the closely divided Minnesota Legislature have made fighting fraud in government programs one of their top issues, and not just because of Feeding our Future. Walz himself has proposed his own anti-fraud package. But the 2025 legislative session is off to a contentious start and it’s not clear yet if the sides can reach the bipartisan consensus that will be needed to pass anything. Source link #Jury #selection #alleged #ringleader #250M #pandemic #fraud #scheme #Minnesota Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

stocks, news, data and earnings stocks, news, data and earnings European markets are expected to open sharply lower Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed trade tariffs on several countries and threatened to do the same with the European Union and U.K. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 index is expected to open 116 points lower at 8,563, Germany’s DAX down 498 points at 21,217, France’s CAC down 166 points at 7,772 and Italy’s FTSE MIB down 901 points at 35,708, according to data from IG. European markets are set to react negatively to President Trump’s decision at the weekend to slap 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada and a 10% levy on goods from China. The tariffs are set to come into effect Tuesday. The U.S. does about $1.6 trillion in business with the three countries. Canada has retaliated with its own sanctions on U.S. imports and Mexico has threatened to do the same. When asked on Sunday about the prospect of tariffs on goods from the U.K. and European Union, Trump told the BBC that both were “out of line” but that the EU was worse. He said a deal could be “worked out” with the U.K., a country with whom the U.S. has a more balanced trade relationship. Trump described the U.S. trade deficit with the EU as an “atrocity,” repeating his previous comments that the bloc had “really taken advantage” of the United States. Officials from the EU signaled previously that the bloc could respond to any future U.S. tariffs “in a proportionate way.” Asia-Pacific markets traded lower overnight after Trump’s tariff move, while U.S. stock futures tumbled Sunday night as investors weighed new U.S. tariffs and their potential impact on the economy and corporate profits. Earnings in Europe come from Julius Baer on Monday, while data releases include the latest euro zone inflation data. Source link #stocks #news #data #earnings Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Dollar surges as Donald Trump’s tariffs shake markets – Financial Times Dollar surges as Donald Trump’s tariffs shake markets – Financial Times Dollar surges as Donald Trump’s tariffs shake markets Financial TimesAsian markets tumble as Trump’s tariff war escalates BBC.comAsia-Pacific markets slide after Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on several countries CNBCTrump’s trade war salvo rocks markets ReutersThe fallout of Trump’s tariffs hits financial markets as ASX dives. Here’s what it means for Australia ABC News Source link #Dollar #surges #Donald #Trumps #tariffs #shake #markets #Financial #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Liberal leader Libby Mettam makes health pledge, insists she can be premier and health minister at same time Liberal leader Libby Mettam makes health pledge, insists she can be premier and health minister at same time Another child health pledge by Libby Mettam has been derailed by questions over the Liberal leader’ plan to be both premier and health minister if she wins the March 8 State election. Source link #Liberal #leader #Libby #Mettam #health #pledge #insists #premier #health #minister #time Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

GOP election denial hits North Carolina voters GOP election denial hits North Carolina voters About three weeks after last November’s election, Spring Dawson-McClure received an unassuming postcard from the North Carolina GOP informing her that her ballot “may be affected” by the party’s litigation. The notice, blank on one side, featured a QR code that directed her to the state Republican Party’s website, where she found her name on a list of voters declared ineligible because their voter registration applications did not have required identification information. She was annoyed, the 48-year-old Hillsborough resident told Salon, first by having to take time to verify with the Orange County board of elections that her voter registration was, in fact, complete and then with the idea her vote had been challenged at all. The North Carolina native said she has voted in 19 of the state’s elections since 2012 and never had any problems before this election cycle. The challenge came after Appellate Judge Jefferson Griffin, a Republican, sought to challenge his electoral defeat, twice confirmed with recounts, to incumbent Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs in the state’s Supreme Court race. Griffin trails Riggs, a Democrat, by just 734 votes out of some 5.5 million cast. He sued the North Carolina Board of Elections in the state Supreme Court in December after it rejected his election protests, asking the court to force the board to toss out tens of thousands of ballots he alleges are invalid under state law. Post card from the North Carolina Republican Party As Dawson-McClure learned more about Griffin’s escalating election protests and their movement through state and federal court, she said she grew angry — then scared. “Once I understood that women and people of color are disproportionately represented on the list, as it bounced back and forth from one court to the next, [I got] angry. I’m frustrated. I’m in disbelief that this is actually happening these days,” she recalled in a phone interview. Dawson-McClure is one of more than 65,000 North Carolina voters who have had their votes swept up and called into question in the legal contention over the state’s hot-button Supreme Court race. As Griffin’s challenge drags on in court, North Carolina voters told Salon they fear their votes will be thrown out — and what that means for democracy in a state where it’s already eroded. “I just feel incredibly heavy about the state of our democracy, and it feels like a very real possibility that we will no longer have free and fair elections in North Carolina,” said Dawson-McClure, who matched her registration with her Social Security number earlier this month. An Orange County election board staff member told her they suspected that process initially failed because her last name is now hyphenated. The broad scope of Griffin’s protest means that a number of North Carolinians have had their votes contested — or at least know someone who has — Riggs’ parents included. While military service members stationed overseas have had their votes directly challenged by Griffin’s protest of absentee ballots, the Raleigh News & Observer reported that women and people of color are also disproportionately represented on the list of alleged ineligible voters. In his complaint, Griffin accused the North Carolina Board of Elections of erroneously counting more than 65,000 votes that he claims are invalid for three different reasons. Some 60,000 of those votes, he claims, came from voters who did not provide driver’s license information or the last four digits of their Social Security numbers on their voter registration applications; in some cases voters were not asked to provide that information. Around 5,500 contested votes are absentee ballots from voters overseas registered to vote in four Democrat-leaning counties, who Griffin alleged failed to include photo identification with their absentee ballots. In a brief filed Wednesday, Griffin identified a crop of just over 500 votes he says came from voters who never physically resided in the state, which includes children of military service members stationed overseas who were last eligible to vote in North Carolina. The part of the state law that covers those voters’ right to cast a ballot in North Carolina elections, he argues, violates the state constitution. In a brief filed Wednesday, Griffin argued that throwing out the overseas votes alone would win hand him the race. But such a move, Riggs and other critics have previously argued, would unfairly disenfranchise uniformed service members. “The petition is really eye-opening, and basically says that winning a partisan election is apparently so important that the candidate who was behind after all the votes were counted would be willing to deny the fundamental right to vote of our nation’s finest — men and women in uniform serving overseas who are prepared to die to defend our country and their immediate family members — in order to make up his deficit in the vote count,” said Louis Caldera, former U.S. secretary of the army during the Clinton administration. Organizations representing military voters have told Caldera that their clients are “deeply frustrated” their votes have been retroactively contested when they lawfully cast ballots under North Carolina’s election rules, which the North Carolina Rules Review Commission unanimously approved last March. Part of that frustration, he added, stems from the fact they can’t be present themselves to “fight for their votes to be counted” precisely because they’re serving the country overseas. “It’s just fundamentally unfair to try to change the voting rules after the fact. These voters followed the rules that they were told they had to comply with to have their votes counted,” Caldera said in a statement. “It’s particularly egregious to target the votes of many overseas military voters, but only in four of the state’s 100 counties, for clearly partisan reasons. That kind of gamesmanship is what breeds cynicism about our electoral process.” The state Elections Board rejected Griffin’s claims in December, which prompted him to file suit in the North Carolina Supreme Court. The state Supreme Court dismissed his petition last week in a surprise ruling but maintained the pause it put on election certification earlier this month. It sent the case back to the Wake County Superior Court, which will begin hearing the case on Feb. 7. Still, the North Carolina Supreme Court’s dismissal didn’t deal Griffin much of a blow. Three of the five GOP justices on the bench appeared to signal an embrace of his arguments against counting thousands of votes in concurring opinions, offering a glimpse into their possible approaches if and when the challenge returns to the state’s highest court. Neither the Griffin campaign nor a spokesperson for the North Carolina GOP responded to a request for comment. Griffin has previously said that he can’t comment on his legal challenge, citing judicial ethics. Copland Rudolph, an Asheville resident who’s voted in 14 elections since 2012, told Salon that she first learned of her inclusion on a North Carolina GOP list of allegedly ineligible voters just 10 days after voting early in October. A friend who works with the nonpartisan watchdog Protect Democracy saw her name on the list and alerted her. The challenge to her vote came while she and her community worked to recover from the devastating hurricane that struck the state in September, adding another layer of difficulty to an already tumultuous time. “I thought, ‘This is western North Carolina recovering from a hurricane. Clearly, they’re not going to try to throw away thousands of votes in Buncombe County. I mean, we voted in record numbers despite all that we were dealing with here,'” the 57-year-old recalled thinking after the election. She soon became furious that a politician would be “so tone deaf” as to challenge their votes instead of helping the community recover, she said. Griffin’s electoral challenge followed the Republican National Committee and North Carolina GOP trying in August — and later failing — to have 225,000 North Carolinians purged from the voter rolls over incomplete registrations in state court. A federal court dismissed the claim in October. Rudolph said her vote was included in that cohort of alleged ineligible voters the RNC identified, despite learning later that her voter registration application included her Social Security number. She suspects that the database the GOP used to generate the list flagged her application as incomplete because she goes by her middle name rather than her first name, Susan. “What is exhausting and infuriating is that someone who wants to show up as a public servant, allegedly, could then, in his own actions, create such unnecessary chaos for his own self-needs,” she said. “I mean, it’s even more reasons why the majority of North Carolinians didn’t vote for him.” Rudolph joined Dawson-McClure, four other North Carolina women and the League of Women Voters of North Carolina earlier this month in filing an amicus brief to the district court that considered the North Carolina Board of Election’s request to move the case to federal court, opposing Griffin’s election protests and request for a pause on election certification. The district court ultimately ruled to remand the case back to the state Supreme Court. Following an appeal of that decision, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals is now deciding whether to bring it back to federal court. While Dawson-McClure said she’s hopeful the courts will decide to count North Carolinians’ votes — she also worries about the state Supreme Court making a decision about its own membership should Griffin’s petition return to the court. “I would not have said this a couple of months ago, but I don’t have confidence in our judges, based on what I’m hearing in North Carolina,” she said, adding: “It just feels clear at this point that they’re not impartial, that they’re not holding the state and federal Constitution at the heart of their decision making. It seems incredibly political.” Rudolph felt similarly. She argued that Griffin’s election challenge is part of a “coordinated, concentrated effort to strip people of their voting rights,” ultimately designed to “escalate” and “unfold” in other parts of the country. “When these kinds of things happen, it reinforces some people’s belief [that] ‘my vote doesn’t matter,’ and we know that it matters,” she added. “This contest was decided by less than 800 people. Votes matter. It really, really matters, and it’s worth fighting for.” Source link #GOP #election #denial #hits #North #Carolina #voters Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Asian currencies weaken as U.S. dollar strengthens after Trump levies tariffs Asian currencies weaken as U.S. dollar strengthens after Trump levies tariffs Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images Asian currencies weakened sharply Monday as the U.S. Dollar rallied after U.S. President Donald Trump slapped tariffs on several countries over the weekend. The dollar index — which measures the value of the greenback against several major global currencies — spiked 1.11% to 109.58. The ******** offshore yuan dropped 0.36% to 7.347 against the greenback, following Trump’s imposition of a 10% duty on ******** exports to the U.S. Major investment banks have forecast the yuan to weaken to an average 7.51 per dollar by the end of this year due to Trump tariffs. Trump also imposed 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, two of the its top trading partners. Canada and Mexico immediately vowed retaliatory measures, while China is looking to challenge the duties at the World Trade Organization. ******** markets are on a seven-day break until Tuesday for the Lunar New Year holiday. India, which on Saturday announced its aim to cut its fiscal deficit to 4.4% of the GDP in its budget, saw the rupee fall to a record low of 87.101 against the dollar, weakening 0.66%. Calls for a rate cut have been growing as the country’s growth has been slowing. Lower rates tend to weaken currencies. The South Korean won depreciated 0.83% to 1,467.65. The Japanese yen weakened 0.19% to 155.47 against the dollar. It’s declines was capped by the Bank of Japan’s interest rate stance. BOJ Deputy Governor Ryozo Himino reportedly said last Thursday that the central bank would continue to raise interest rates if the “economy and prices move in line with the bank’s forecasts.” Japan’s central bank had hiked interest rates by 25 basis points to 0.5% in its January meeting, bringing them to their highest level since 2008. The *********** dollar defied the broader weakness in Asian currencies, appreciating 1.51% to 0.6117 against the greenback. “We’re still wrapped with uncertainty, but what we do know is that, when Trump says he’s going to do something, we should take him at his word. And I think that’s why markets are reacting the way that they are this morning,” Ray Attrill, global head of foreign exchange at the National Australia Bank said. Speaking to CNBC’s “Street Signs Asia” on Monday, Attrill noted that “we’re going to see the ******** currency moving up,” which would in turn imply “material downside for a lot of the EM (emerging market) currencies.” “[Growth] downgrades haven’t come through yet, but believe me, they are coming, and that is then going to be the enemy for these sort of pro cyclical, pro growth currencies,” he added. Source link #Asian #currencies #weaken #U.S #dollar #strengthens #Trump #levies #tariffs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Donald Trump threatens 'out of line' EU with tariffs – BBC.com Donald Trump threatens 'out of line' EU with tariffs – BBC.com Donald Trump threatens ‘out of line’ EU with tariffs BBC.comView Full Coverage on Google News Source link #Donald #Trump #threatens #039out #line039 #tariffs #BBC.com Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Chamber’s Most Controversial Ability Likely to Make a Comeback in Valorant Chamber’s Most Controversial Ability Likely to Make a Comeback in Valorant The most exciting aspect of Valorant is its diverse agent roster. Right now, the game features a total of 26 agents scattered among four different categories. Now, maintaining a balance among these characters is the most challenging task for Riot Games. Any baseless nerf or buff can literally dismantle the whole gameplay. Valorant was released in 2020. | Credit: Epic Games. That is why some agents had to go through severe series of nerfs to keep them down on the level of other agents, for example: Viper, Jett, Raze, and many more. However, no other agent had to go through the harsh fate that the French weapon designer had to go through. But it seems his glory days are coming. Chamber might be getting its universal TP back in Valorant Good days are coming for Chamber mains. | Credit: Riot Games. In a recent tweet, the live balance designer of Valorant, Ryan Cousart revealed that Deadlock is going to have some changes. He stated that these changes might be a bit different than the one he initially thought them to be. Deadlock changes are coming but it might be a different look than we had imagined it when we started looking. We want to keep sound sensor as is, for now, but will be looking to empower players that are mastering her reactive, yet aggressive, stall potential — Ryan Cousart (@rycoux) January 30, 2025 However, her Sonic Sensor is going to be unchanged. Another fan inquired whether Riot is bringing back the global TP and traps of the Chamber in this tweet, appearing more worried for the French weapon designer than Deadlock. In reply, Cousart didn’t give any concrete confirmation, but his words felt a lot more promising. He said there is no plan to bring those two highly awaited features of Chamber but he also said “not saying never.” This small phrase was enough to enlighten hope in the fans. Hm, I personally like that they protect him from other angles as he holds others instead of giving him global info on another site that he doesn’t have kill potential on. Not saying never but maybe not right now? — Ryan Cousart (@rycoux) January 31, 2025 However, Cousart himself likes the fact that the other teammates of Chamber protect him from other angles as he holds others. He thinks it is a lot better than giving global info to his team on another site where he doesn’t have any kill potential. The Chamber saga in Valorant Chamber used to have no range restrictions in his TP ability. | Credit: Riot Games. When Chamber was launched in Episode 3 Act 3 in 2021, he absolutely wreaked havoc in Valorant, and the main reason for this was his signature ability, Rendezvous. At the time of his launch, this ability was universal, which means Chamber didn’t have any area restrictions like today, as he used to teleport from one site to another without any hassle; just putting the anchors in the right place was the key. Also, his trademark was not area-restricted as well, which made him a true Sentinel of the game. But after the 5.12 update in December 2022, everything changed for Chamber main. Not only was his trademark made effective only when Chamber was in its range, but his rendezvous was made range-restricted as well. This actually killed the Sentinel in Chamber, and players started using him as a Duelist. Players now use his TP like the Dash of Jett. Actually, with the initial TP ability, Chamber mains went absolutely berserk, moving from one site to another. And like every OP agent in the game, he had to face that harsh nerf. However, if Riot wants to make Chamber a true Sentinel in the game, then it needs to bring back its universe TP, obviously with some restrictions. Source link #Chambers #Controversial #Ability #Comeback #Valorant Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Antipa nails 90.7g/t in long series of gold intercepts at WA project Antipa nails 90.7g/t in long series of gold intercepts at WA project Bulls N’ Bears Big Hits this week examines some notable drill intercepts revealed on the ASX, including at Antipa Minerals’ Minyari Dome project in Western Australia, where it cored three key gold-copper intercepts in a single hole that jagged peak assays of 0.55 metres at 90.7 grams per tonne (g/t) gold, 16.9 per cent copper and 43.9g/t silver. Battery Age Minerals had interesting hits at its Falcon Lake lithium project in Ontario, Canada, where it jagged thick high-grade lithium intercepts in diamond drilling, and Centaurus Metals intercepted high-grade copper at its Nelore prospect in northern Brazil. Antipa Minerals Minyari Dome, Paterson province, WA. Copper-gold project Antipa Minerals cored three prime intercepts in a single diamond hole at its Minyari Dome project in WA’s remarkable Paterson province, bringing to light 86m at 1.7g/t gold from 121m, 5.3m at 5.4g/t gold from 296m and 51m at 2.7g/t gold from 396m. The hole hit a peak assay of 0.55m at 90.7g/t gold and 16.9pc copper in the last deep run. The three most successful broad runs tell only part of the story and don’t do the hole justice. Its first 86m prime intercept also includes a sub-intercept of 28m at 4g/t gold, 1pc copper, 3g/t silver and 0.1pc cobalt from 121m. Dial up the focus and the 28m intercept includes 1m at 10.1g/t gold, 4.1pc copper, 11.2g/t silver and 0.17pc cobalt from 124m and 2m at 6.1g/t gold, 1.9pc copper, 5.1g/t silver and 0.16pc cobalt from 132m. The 28m run also includes a further 1m hit at 60.8 g/t gold, 3.6pc copper, 20.7g/t silver and 0.14pc cobalt from 147m and a second 1m interval going 6.1g/t gold, 4.3pc copper and 10.4g/t silver from 147m. The primary 86m run also includes a separate 1m at 13.1g/t gold, 0.37pc copper and 2.7g/t silver from 164m. The second prime intercept comprises 5.3m at 5.4g/t gold and 0.51pc copper from 296m and includes 1m at 21.3g/t gold, 2.1pc copper and 2.9g/t silver from 298m. A more significant third prime intercept cored 51m at 2.7g/t gold, 0.39pc copper and 1g/t silver from 396m, including 1m at 8.3g/t gold from 396m and a separate 22m at 4.9g/t gold, 0.75pc copper and 2.1g/t silver from 418m. In turn, that 22m includes 1m at 14.4g/t gold, 0.31pc copper, 0.8g/t silver and 0.31pc cobalt from 418m, 1m at 2.6g/t gold, 2.1pc copper and 3.2g/t silver from 428m and a final 0.55m at 90.7g/t gold, 16.9pc copper and 43.9g/t silver and 0.24pc cobalt from 437.35m. The assays are among the recently returned results from a third batch of 36 holes in Antipa’s phase two diamond drilling program progressed last year at five of the multiple zones in the Minyari Dome project. The headline hole is one of three diamond drillholes put into the main Minyari deposit for resource definition and metallurgical sample collection to support a planned pre-feasibility study. All three holes reveal multiple thick, high-grade gold-copper intercepts. The 36 holes consist of 31 reverse circulation (RC) holes for 4680m and five diamond core holes for a further 988m at Minyari Dome, which is surrounded by other world-class deposits in WA’s highly prospective Paterson province. These include Greatland’s Havieron 7 million ounces gold, 275 kilotonne (Kt) copper deposit and its 600,000 ounces gold and 25Kt copper Telfer operation, south of the Minyari Dome project. North of Minyari Some, this remarkably productive region also includes Antipa’s Calibre 2.5m ounces gold, 115Kt copper and 1.6m ounce silver deposit and the company’s Magnum 339,000 ounces gold, 58Kt copper and 511,000 ounce silver deposit. Antipa’s Minyari Dome project itself is no recluse in this august arena, with its combined resource of 47.6m tonnes for 2.3m ounces of gold, 84Kt copper, 661,000 ounces of silver and 13Kt of cobalt. The drilling results from the overall program confirm the discovery of additional new zones of near-surface, high-grade gold and copper at Minaryi Dome’s GEO-01 main zone and at the nearby Fiama target, while also revealing significant gold-copper-silver-cobalt intersections in its main deposit. Antipa plans to deliver an updated resource estimate for the Minyari Dome project, which includes last year’s phase two drilling results, in the first quarter of the year. Battery Age Minerals Falcon Lake lithium project, Ontario, Canada Hit: 54.1m at a grade of 1.74pc lithium oxide from 100.85m Battery Age Minerals jagged thick high-grade lithium intercepts from diamond drilling at its Falcon Lake lithium project, including a best result of 54.1m at 1.74pc lithium oxide from 100.85m. A second hole off the same drill pad reported 55.95m assaying 1.47pc lithium oxide from 222.2m. The results were well-supported by the third and fourth best intercepts, which delivered 43m going 1.62pc lithium oxide from 62.2m and 22.55m at 1.74pc lithium oxide from 39.3m down-hole. The four holes were drilled as pairs off two pads, with the first and second pairs splayed at about 40 degrees and 34 degrees respectively, in plan. The best two holes were also inclined in section at about 40 degrees and 58 degrees to intercept the thicker, eastern part of the two branches of the Little Lake pegmatite at about 80m and 200m vertically below surface. The numbers are the company’s best lithium drilling results to date and the mineralisation remains open along strike and at depth. With respectable grades, good thicknesses and long persistent strikes of both arms of the Little Lake pegmatite for at least 500m – which are open at depth and along strike to the south – the Falcon Lake lithium project appears to hold significant exploration upside. Fifteen holes were put into the Little Lake pegmatite last year, with significant mineralisation being identified in 14 of them. Only five of the company’s 30 high-priority targets defined from fieldwork have been tested by drilling, leaving significant and mostly virgin potential for further discoveries across the project area. With its initial drilling already proving the existence of lithium-rich spodumene-bearing pegmatites and with other targets identified by geophysical and geochemical surface sampling, Battery Age sees strong potential to increase the number of lithium-hosting targets. The third best hole with its 43m intercept is the most southerly hole drilled to date and with the Little Lake target being open to the south and to depth, it will stay on the company’s list of strong prospects to be revisited in a later campaign. Battery Age’s chief executive officer Nigel Broomham said the project’s significant southern extensions, combined with its thick, high-grade intercepts at depth, underscore the project’s enormous growth potential. With only a fraction of the known targets tested so far, management is confident its systematic exploration and future drilling will uncover more possibilities. Camera IconCentaurus Metals diamond drilling intercepted 5.5 metres at 8.38 per cent copper and 0.18g/t gold from 147.0m at its Nelore prospect in the Boi Novo project in Brazil. Credit: File Centaurus Metals Boi Novo, Nelore prospect, Carajás Mineral province, northern Brazil Hit: 5.5m at 8.38 per cent copper and 0.18ppm gold from 147m, including 2m at 22.03pc copper and 0.50ppm gold from 150.5m. Centaurus Metals jagged a big hit this week from the last of the diamond holes put into its Nelore prospect at the end of last year. The drilling campaign intercepted chalcopyrite-rich semi-massive sulphidic zones, confirming the down-plunge continuity of the shallow high-grade breccia zone identified previously at the prospect. The company’s top result in the headline hole – 5.5m at 8.38pc copper and 0.18 parts per million (ppm) gold from 147m – was cored 300m along strike to the east of the project’s previous best intercept of 24.2m at 0.76pc copper. The headline hole included 22.03pc copper and 0.5ppm gold from 150.5m. The 22.03pc copper hit is notable given a 34.5pc copper grade is the maximum possible chalcopyrite, given its molecular structure. The company has now received all outstanding assay results for the 27 drill holes it completed in 2024. The holes continue to show strong results and have intersected more zones of thick disseminated mineralisation, further extending the shallow breccia-hosted high-grade copper mineralisation. The breccia zone at Nelore includes an intercept in one hole targeting a downhole electromagnetic conductor plate 50m down-dip from the headline hole. It intersected a 35.5m thick zone of pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite breccia mineralisation grading 0.66pc copper and 0.01ppm gold from 167.5m. This included a 5.9m hit going 1.93pc copper and 0.03ppm gold from 167.5m and 3.3m at 1.37pc copper and 0.02ppm gold from 199.7m. A downhole electromagnetic survey of the hole also generated other new untested conductor plates extending about 100m below current drilling. A third hole jagged 13m at 0.60pc copper from 50.5m, including 5.3m at 1.01pc copper from 55.7m, while a fourth hole gave up 11.9m at 0.86pc copper from 57.2m. The strike of the breccia pipe in the Nelore prospect is currently 300m. It remains open along strike and down-dip and features multiple, yet-to-be-tested down hole structurally controlled targets, identified via electromagnetic and, fixed loop electro-magnetic surveys. Centaurus’ drilling program is also intercepting broad zones of disseminated copper-gold mineralisation throughout the prospect, with 38.5m at 0.26pc copper and 0.05ppm gold from 209.5m in a fifth hole, including 7.0m running 0.41pc copper and 0.08ppm gold from 241.0m. A sixth hole intercepted 29.9m at 0.21pc copper and 0.05ppm gold from 157.1m. The pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite breccia zones identified at Nelore lie next to an outcropping late-stage medium-coarse grained granitic *****. The 100m-thick ***** is perpendicular to the dominant east-west Parauapebas mafic volcanic and Carajás iron formation sequence hosting the broadly disseminated sulphide zones. The granite and sulphide breccia mineralisation plunges to the east-southeast and the breccia mineralisation is interpreted to be structurally-controlled remobilisation of iron (pyrrhotite) and copper (chalcopyrite) sulphides along a secondary structure as a result of structural reactivation via the granitic ***** emplacement. Boi Novo is strategically located about 30 kilometres from Parauapebas, which is Carajás’ regional centre. It is also about 35km from copper giant Vale’s copper-gold concentrate load-out facility at Parauapebas and less than 20km from BHP’s Antas Norte copper flotation plant. The Nelore prospect sits in the centre of Centaurus’ Boi Novo project on the northern limits of the Estrela Granite belt and is in contact with the banded iron formation and meta-mafic rocks of the Grão Pará Group. The 3.5km-long Nelore magnetic anomaly coincides with a discontinuous more than 500ppm soil copper anomaly, with discrete zones up to 500m of strike running at least a continuous 1000ppm copper. Preliminary drill targets at Nelore include IP chargeability anomalies near or coincident with magnetic anomalies and soil copper anomalies, as well as a set of east/northeast trending regional structures that cross-cut the sequence and could be possible mineralisation conduits or foci. The disseminated mineralisation found at Nelore is chalcopyrite-dominant and appears to have a favourable copper-gold relationship similar to those seen in iron oxide-copper gold deposits in the Carajás region. Centaurus’ Metals managing director Darren Gordon said the high-grade results delivered from drilling late last year had further upgraded the Boi Novo project’s potential as a significant emerging copper-gold discovery. Although the pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite content is variable across the prospect, Gordon said the company is excited to see zones of exceptionally high-grade mineralisation that reinforces the significant potential of the under-explored project. Additional drilling is planned to test the strike extension of disseminated mineralisation at the Nelore prospect, which remains open along strike and at depth. Centaurus remains well-funded to complete the extended drill program in parallel with its ongoing engineering, pre-development and financing activities for its flagship Jaguar nickel sulphide project. The 138.2 million-tonne Jaguar project, with its 0.87pc nickel grade, is also in the Carajás mineral province in the Brazilian state of Pará, about 150km west of Boi Novo. Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: *****@*****.tld Source link #Antipa #nails #90.7gt #long #series #gold #intercepts #project Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

France’s Premier Risks Turmoil in Budget Showdown: What to Watch France’s Premier Risks Turmoil in Budget Showdown: What to Watch (Bloomberg) — French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou faces a make—or-break test Monday when he plans to get a new budget approved without a parliamentary vote, a risky process that could end up toppling France’s third government in less than a year. Most Read from Bloomberg Bayrou said over the weekend that he would use a constitutional provision — called Article 49.3 — that allows him to skip a vote in the National Assembly and force legislation through. Use of this mechanism allows members of parliament to call a no-confidence vote, and far-left lawmakers have already said they would table such a motion. A no-confidence vote will likely happen on Wednesday, and if a majority in the lower house support it, then President Emmanuel Macron may again be forced to find a new prime minister. “A country like ours can’t remain without a budget,” Bayrou said in an interview with La Tribune Dimanche published Sunday. “If everything goes well, in 10 days, France will have the budgets that are crucial for the life of the nation.” Here’s what to watch: Government in Turmoil France has been hit by months of political uncertainty after a snap election last summer delivered a fractured National Assembly split between three irreconcilable blocs and left Macron’s center without a clear path to a majority. The prime minister at the time, Gabriel Attal, resigned in the aftermath. Michel Barnier, the European Union’s former Brexit negotiator, took over from Attal in September but had to contend with the same fractured political landscape. His government collapsed in December following a no-confidence vote after he tried to push a budget through using Article 49.3. He had the shortest tenure of a premier in modern French history. To avoid the same fate as Barnier, Bayrou and his ********* government must convince more lawmakers to not support a no-confidence motion. Split Parliament Last summer’s snap election split the National Assembly into three roughly equal factions: a left-wing alliance including the Socialists, Greens, Communists and the far-left France Unbowed; Macron’s centrist group and its allies; and Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally, which became the largest single party in the lower house. Because the center became so small, the leftist alliance and the far right have enough votes between them to pass a no-confidence motion, which is how Barnier lost his job. Story Continues Bayrou is walking a tightrope and if both the Socialists and the National Rally turn on him, then his government will likely fall. Budget for 2025 France is currently without a full annual budget and reliant on emergency legislation to avoid a state shutdown. The previous 2025 fiscal plan was rejected with the collapse of Barnier’s government when he tried to push €60 billion ($61.8 billion) in tax increases and spending cuts through parliament to bring the deficit down to 5% of economic output from around 6.1% in 2024. The final shape of the 2025 budget proposal was agreed upon on Friday, when a parliamentary conference committee reached a deal on the bill. Bayrou’s administration is targeting a slightly smaller adjustment based on €50 billion of savings to get a deficit of 5.4% in 2025. Investors will be closely assessing Bayrou’s choices after months of dumping French assets on concerns over widening deficits and political instability. Market Reaction Bond buyers have taken a positive outlook on the budget moves recently and view that they’re now getting paid appropriately for the risks of the political gridlock, Bloomberg reported last week. But French assets have faced a rocky ride through the political turmoil. In 2024, French government debt delivered a loss of 0.5%, making France the only country in the region with a negative return for its sovereign debt, according to a Bloomberg index. Stocks underperformed as well, with the CAC 40 returning less than 1% versus almost 10% for the Stoxx Europe 600 Index. French debt rallied on Friday after news of the budget deal in the conference committee, with the 10-year yield falling seven basis points to 3.20%. That tightened the premium over Germany — a closely watched gauge of risk — by two basis points to 73 basis points. The spread has been narrowing since a recent peak of 86 basis points on Jan. 13. Power Politics Bayrou needs the support of the Socialists to survive, but pleasing the center-left party could come at the cost of support from a small group of center-right lawmakers who have refused tax increases or the suspension of the application of Macron’s pension overhaul. Bayrou must also consider demands from right-wing politicians — including from Le Pen and his own interior minister Bruno Retailleau — for stricter rules to curb immigration. In the Friday conference committee, Socialist lawmakers voted against the latest version of the budget but claimed they won a series of concessions including preserving spending for health, education and pensions. If Bayrou loses the tacit support of the Socialists, he may yet need to court Le Pen’s abstention in the no-confidence vote, something his predecessor Barnier tried and failed to achieve. What’s Next If Bayrou survives the no-confidence vote later this week, he is then expected to face a repeat of that sequence when he uses Article 49.3 to adopt bills in the social security chapter of the 2025 budget later in February. If the government falls, Macron will have to pick a new prime minister. Once named, that person would have to propose a cabinet to be appointed by the president. The new government would either resume talks for the current budget to pass or would negotiate a fresh bill. Until France can adopt a full budget for this year, it will be reliant on emergency stopgap legislation to avoid a shutdown. –With assistance from Ania Nussbaum and William Horobin. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Source link #Frances #Premier #Risks #Turmoil #Budget #Showdown #Watch Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

See who won at the 2025 Grammy Awards – CNN See who won at the 2025 Grammy Awards – CNN See who won at the 2025 Grammy Awards CNNGrammys 2025: Complete List of Winners (Live Updates) – E! Online E! NEWSGrammys 2025: Winners and losers Fox NewsLive updates: The 2025 Grammy Awards CNNGrammy Awards 2025: A list of the winners The Associated Press Source link #won #Grammy #Awards #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Meet Meat and Livestock Australia’s new chair John Lloyd Meet Meat and Livestock Australia’s new chair John Lloyd There’s a new leader at the helm of Meat and Livestock Australia, with John Lloyd taking the role of chair late last year after five years as a director of the levy-funded organisation. Source link #Meet #Meat #Livestock #Australias #chair #John #Lloyd Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Magnetic Field Necessary For Life May Have Been Discovered On Alien World For First Time Magnetic Field Necessary For Life May Have Been Discovered On Alien World For First Time A study using the Very Large Array radio telescope may have discovered a magnetic field on exoplanet YZ Ceti b. Magnetic fields protect planets from energetic particles that can strip away atmospheres. YZ Ceti b is too close to its star to be able to host life but finding a magnetic field outside of our solar system could be a game changer in the search for life. Credit: Space.com | animations courtesy: Exoplanets NASA | edited by Steve Spaleta Source link #Magnetic #Field #Life #Discovered #Alien #World #Time Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Dollar Advances, Stocks Tumble on Trump Tariffs: Markets Wrap – Yahoo Finance Dollar Advances, Stocks Tumble on Trump Tariffs: Markets Wrap – Yahoo Finance Dollar Advances, Stocks Tumble on Trump Tariffs: Markets Wrap Yahoo FinanceAsian markets tumble as Trump’s tariff war escalates BBC.comTrump tariffs live: stock markets roiled by global trade war fears as Canada, Mexico and China retaliate The GuardianAsia-Pacific markets slide after Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on several countries CNBCTrump’s trade war salvo rocks markets Reuters Source link #Dollar #Advances #Stocks #Tumble #Trump #Tariffs #Markets #Wrap #Yahoo #Finance Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

*** unprepared for climate change impacts *** unprepared for climate change impacts The *** is not prepared to tackle the impacts of climate change, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has warned, as it called on the government to take “urgent action” to ensure the country is protected. It said fire and rescue teams “play a crucial role” in responding to increasingly common extreme weather events such as wildfires and flooding, “often over prolonged periods of time”, causing a strain on their “business as usual” services. Fire chiefs also warned that limited resources and access to longer-term forecasting data created challenges in how the sector prepared for extreme weather. The Met Office said 2024 was the fourth warmest on record, and has previously predicted climate change would cause summers to be up to 60% drier and winters to be warmer and wetter. “It is impossible not to be concerned about the very real and immediate threat climate change poses to our planet and what that will mean for our communities,” NFCC chairman Mark Hardingham said. Global average temperatures for 2024 were around 1.6C above those of the pre-industrial ******* – the time before humans started burning large amounts of fossil fuels – according to data from the Copernicus climate service. In the past year, parts of the *** have been hit by bouts of severe weather, most recently Storm Éowyn which brought rare red Met Office weather warnings and widespread disruption in the worst impacted areas. Storm Darragh also brought similar red warnings in December. The ***’s summer was the coolest since 2015, driven by a south-shifted jet stream that brought northerly winds carrying Arctic air, though many areas still saw spells of temperatures up to 34C. Mr Hardingham said: “Watching the devastation caused by the wildfires in Los Angeles and the number of recent flooding incidents we have seen in the ***, it is impossible not to be concerned about the very real and immediate threat climate change poses to our planet and what that will mean for our communities in the future.” He added that fire crews were “on the frontline” in responding to extreme weather and “repeatedly” went “above and beyond to protect their communities”. The *** recorded temperatures of over 40C (104F) for the first time in 2022 – a heatwave that leading scientists said would have been “almost impossible” without human-induced climate change. It saw several fire services tackle wildfires on parched parts of land including in South Yorkshire, Norfolk, Surrey, Kent and London. Some services declared major incidents. Rail services were also cancelled in some areas after tracks overheated or buckled. The NFCC is seeing the “risks around extreme weather increasing”, Mr Hardingham said, adding that without “adequate investment” and government action, its “capacity to keep communities safe and protect infrastructure is at risk”. The NFCC urged the government to review the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, which details how the government prepares and plans for emergencies, and also to ensure there are data analysis mechanisms in place that provide an assessment of the risk and impact of incidents linked to climate change. The *** has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, meaning it takes as much of the gases out of the atmosphere as it puts in. It has made a series of pledges to reach this target, including achieving so-called ‘clean’ electricity by 2030 through rapidly increasing wind and solar generation, and investing in technology to capture and store carbon dioxide. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced in November 2024 that the country would aim for an 81% cut in its emissions by 2035. Source link #unprepared #climate #change #impacts Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]