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Broome traditional owners team up with AI software developer in large-scale habitat survey Broome traditional owners team up with AI software developer in large-scale habitat survey A WA-based artificial intelligence software developer has teamed up with a Broome traditional owner group to conduct a large-scale habitat survey across hundreds of square kilometres. Source link #Broome #traditional #owners #team #software #developer #largescale #habitat #survey Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Indonesia deforestation rises for third year running: NGO Indonesia deforestation rises for third year running: NGO Deforestation in Indonesia rose in 2024 for a third year running, a local environmental NGO said Friday based on satellite image analysis and fieldwork. Indonesia has one of the world’s highest rates of deforestation, with key drivers including timber plantations, palm oil cultivation and, increasingly, the mining of critical minerals. Its rainforests are some of the world’s most biodiverse and provide critical habitats for threatened and endangered species, and are key carbon sinks. The report from NGO Auriga Nusantara said 261,575 hectares (646,366 acres) of primary and secondary forests across Indonesia were lost in 2024, over four thousand more than the previous year. The group said the vast majority of the losses took place in areas opened for development by the government. “It is worrying, as it shows the increase of legal deforestation,” said Auriga Nusantara’s chair Timer Manurung. He called for “urgent” protection of forest in Kalimantan, where the highest losses were recorded as the country’s new capital is built, and in Sulawesi. The report comes as Indonesian environmentalists raise alarm over government plans to convert millions of hectares of forests for food and energy use. President Prabowo Subianto, who assumed office in October, has pledged to boost food and energy self-sufficiency, including by expanding bio-based fuels to lower fuel imports. Environmental groups warn the plans would spell disaster for the country’s forests. “We ask President Prabowo to issue a presidential regulation to protect all remaining natural forest,” Timer told AFP. The report is based on satellite imagery, which was analysed to confirm deforestation, and followed up with field visits to areas representing tens of thousands of hectares of forest loss, Auriga Nusantara said. – Coral region under threat – While deforestation occurred in all of Indonesia’s provinces except the region around Jakarta, the biggest losses were seen in Kalimantan. One driver in the region has been the designation of an area for the new capital, the report said. Two regional governments in the area have proposed opening up hundreds of thousands of hectares of forest to potential development, the group warned. Most deforestation however was driven by commodities, including timber, mining and palm oil. Officials at Indonesia’s Environment and Forestry Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The government has previously disputed deforestation claims made by environmentalists, and said estimates overstate forest loss by miscounting changes in plantations as deforestation. Auriga Nusantara said its count excluded loss in timber plantations and plantation forest, but does cover both primary forests and regenerated “secondary” forest. The report also sounds the alarm on deforestation for biomass production, which has seen forest levelled to plant quick-growing species that will provide wood biomass. Indonesia is keen to boost domestic use of biomass energy and export, particularly to Japan and South Korea. And it highlighted deforestation on islands in ***** Ampat, an area known for its teeming coral reefs, as nickel mining advances. “This area of such national and international acclaim has been unable to withstand the onslaught,” the report said. Nearly 200 hectares across four islands in the region have been deforested, the group said, with new nickel mining licences already issued for several more islands. Auriga Nusantara said forest loss was also happening in conservation areas, despite legal protections. The group said about 42 million hectares of Indonesia’s natural forests are unprotected by law, including millions of hectares already inside concessions. While the amount of forest loss has risen in recent years, it is still down sharply from a peak around 2016. bur-sah/lb Source link #Indonesia #deforestation #rises #year #running #NGO Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A groom-to-be pilot, daughter of Indian immigrants and figure skating champions are among DC air collision victims – CNN A groom-to-be pilot, daughter of Indian immigrants and figure skating champions are among DC air collision victims – CNN A groom-to-be pilot, daughter of Indian immigrants and figure skating champions are among DC air collision victims CNND.C. Plane ****** Live Updates: ****** Boxes Found As More Details Emerge About Air Traffic Control Tower Staffing ForbesWashington DC plane ****** latest: ‘****** box’ cockpit voice and flight recordings recovered from wreckage The IndependentJanuary 30, 2025 – DC plane collision news CNNRetired Brigadier General talks D.C. plane ****** investigation CBS News Source link #groomtobe #pilot #daughter #Indian #immigrants #figure #skating #champions #among #air #collision #victims #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Herd on the Terrace: Tony Seabrook’s teams at PGA expose holes in WA rules as Sandy Hayter fills some gaps Herd on the Terrace: Tony Seabrook’s teams at PGA expose holes in WA rules as Sandy Hayter fills some gaps The Pastoral and Graziers Association’s $2 million mulesing exposes cracks in WA’s not-for-profit sector. Source link #Herd #Terrace #Tony #Seabrooks #teams #PGA #expose #holes #rules #Sandy #Hayter #fills #gaps Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Expert shares how to view rare planetary parade Expert shares how to view rare planetary parade Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key Takeaways Stargazers hoping to view a rare celestial phenomenon that is lighting up the night sky have one month left. Six of the planets in our solar system are currently lining up in an event known as a planetary parade. Four of the planets – Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Venus – will be visible to the naked eye. Somerset astrophotographer Josh Dury captured the spectacle, which will not be repeated for 400 years, from a spot high on the Mendip Hills. He said: “Now is a really exciting time to look up at the night sky.” Mr Dury has shared images which show people where the different planets will be appearing [Josh Dury] To help people view the parade, Mr Dury has shared photographs detailing where the planets are appearing in the sky. “The bright planets will certainly be visible like Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars. “For the dimmer planets, Uranus and Neptune, you may want to use a pair of binoculars or a small telescope to see those,” he said. Planetary alignment is an astronomical term used to describe when planets gather closely on one side of the Sun at the same time. The rare parade should be visible until the end of February [Josh Dury] He continued: “I was very lucky to photograph the planetary parade from one of my favourite spots on the Mendips.” The rare parade should be visible until about the end of February, according to The Planetary Society. Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. More on this storyRelated Internet Links Source link #Expert #shares #view #rare #planetary #parade Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Viral Figure Skater Sets Record Straight on Missed Flight Viral Figure Skater Sets Record Straight on Missed Flight A figure skater said to have a ticket on Wednesday’s doomed American Airlines flight was actually bound for another city entirely, he tells the Daily Beast, contrary to a viral report online. Jon Maravilla said his dog’s size was the reason a gate agent denied him boarding for a flight on Delta Air Lines to Atlanta—not to the nation’s capital. That contradicts what Russian media wrote about the tragedy. RIA Novosti reported Maravilla was informed his dog could not be carried on a flight from Wichita to Washington because of size restrictions. Unable to board the plane, the outlet reported that he departed by car. Maravilla is a native of Virginia, he told the Daily Beast, but now lives in the midwest. He said he was catching a flight to Atlanta before connecting on a second flight to Detroit. He said he did not know where the false reports about boarding a flight to Washington came from, but said he was devastated by the fate of his friends. “I still can’t believe it,” he said. “I was just with them watching them have lots of fun and just enjoying their time.” The D.C.-bound flight, carrying 64 people, collided with a U.S. Army ****** Hawk helicopter with three soldiers on board and crashed in the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport around 8:45 p.m. Wednesday. Maravilla documented his rejection from boarding his Detroit flight in his Instagram stories. He posted an image from inside Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport with the caption: “Not allowed past gate to board flight. Get me out of Kansas, please.” A figure skating account posts screenshots of Jon Maravilla’s story recounting how he was denied boarding on a flight leaving Kansas. / FS.Delight/Instagram He posted a second image once he began driving later, stating he had a 14 hour ride ahead of him. RIA Novosti also reported that Maravilla said there were at least 14 figure skaters on board the plane, in addition to coaches and parents. He told the Daily Beast that many of the east coast’s most prominent up-and-coming skaters were on the flight. “I don’t want to name names,” he said, calling the event “such a tragedy.” Maravilla told the Daily Beast he was in a parking lot when he pieced together that many of his friends were likely dead. He first heard rumors about a ****** from people who had contacted him in fear he might be on board. He started researching the flight and discovered the rumored ****** lined up with when the Wichita flight would be near the D.C. airport. After calls to people on board weren’t going through, he said he called one skater’s sister around 9:20 p.m.—about 40 minutes after the collision. She was already in tears, he said, and that’s the moment he knew her brother, mom, and dad were on the doomed flight. Maravilla said his 17-year-old brother, who’s also a skater, had taken the tragedy especially hard. He had just spent the week training and performing with many of the victims, and had even swapped jackets with Spencer Lane, who’s confirmed as one of the dead, before they parted ways in Wichita. Russian news outlet TASS reported that among those on board were Russian coaches Vadim Naumov and Yevgenia Shishkova, former world champions in pairs figure skating and Inna Volyanskaya, a former pair skater who competed for the Soviet Union. A large contingent of figure skaters were in the Wichita area after participating in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, held last week at the city’s Intrust Bank Arena. U.S. Figure Skating, the sport’s national governing body, confirmed Thursday morning that “several members of our skating community” were on the flight. Emergency response units assess airplane wreckage in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington Airpor. / Andrew Harnik/Getty Images “These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas,” the organization said, in a statement. “We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available.” Officials have confirmed there were fatalities resulting from the ******, but have not released any figures. NBC Washington reported Thursday that more than 30 bodies had been recovered from the Potomac River. Editor’s note: A previous version of this story said that Maravilla was reportedly due to fly on American Airlines Flight 5342. Source link #Viral #Figure #Skater #Sets #Record #Straight #Missed #Flight Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Unusual betting patterns surrounding play of Terry Rozier in 2023 game with Charlotte investigated – The Associated Press Unusual betting patterns surrounding play of Terry Rozier in 2023 game with Charlotte investigated – The Associated Press Unusual betting patterns surrounding play of Terry Rozier in 2023 game with Charlotte investigated The Associated PressFeds investigate game-fixing in pro and college basketball NBC SportsNBAer Terry Rozier under federal investigation for ******** gambling scheme, manipulating performance – The Athletic The New York Times Source link #Unusual #betting #patterns #surrounding #play #Terry #Rozier #game #Charlotte #investigated #Press Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Perth residents turn to unique methods to keep food cool during extended power outage Perth residents turn to unique methods to keep food cool during extended power outage Perth residents have resorted to some unique ways of dealing with power outages this week. Source link #Perth #residents #turn #unique #methods #food #cool #extended #power #outage Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

I’m 65, single and just inherited $420,000 from my mom who recently passed away. How do I make sure this money lasts? I’m 65, single and just inherited $420,000 from my mom who recently passed away. How do I make sure this money lasts? I’m 65, single and just inherited $420,000 from my mom who recently passed away. How do I make sure this money lasts? Preparing for retirement isn’t always about stashing a portion of your paychecks for your golden years. For some, it’s about accepting a windfall late in life and trying to make the money stretch. Let’s say, for example, that you’re 65, single and you’ve just inherited $420,000 from your late mother. Considering that the median 401(k) balance among Americans 65 and over is just $88,488 — and the average balance is just $272,588 — your inheritance sets you up quite well, as that $420K is worth more than what many of your peers have saved for retirement. You’re in a good spot, but you’re worried about wasting the money, or burning through it too quickly. And your worries are valid; research from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth found that a third of people who receive an inheritance either don’t see a change in their wealth or end up worse financially. Meanwhile, another study from Williams Wealth Group found 70% of wealthy families lose their money by the second generation. That’s the potential bad news. But the good news is, with a few wise money moves, you can make sure your inheritance provides you with long-lasting security. One of the best things you can do to make sure you don’t squander your inheritance is to invest it and withdraw small portions at a time. This will allow you to earn returns, protect the principal balance and keep your money working for you. There once was a traditional rule of thumb that said you should withdraw 4% from your retirement savings in the first year of retirement and make annual inflation-based adjustments from there. Experts believed this would allow your money to stretch for 30 years or more. However, research from Morningstar suggests withdrawing 3.7% to ensure your financial situation remains stable. The proposed reduction in the safe withdrawal rate is because people are living longer, and experts don’t think investments are going to keep producing returns at the same rate as in the past. A 3.7% withdrawal rate from a $420,000 inheritance would provide you with $15,540 in annual income, which is a reasonable sum that you could potentially combine with Social Security and other savings to help fund your retirement. Story Continues Since you are single and only have yourself to support, that $15,540 could help ensure that you can afford the necessities like healthcare and housing, while perhaps leaving you a little extra to enjoy in your golden years. Read more: Are you rich enough to join the top 1%? Here’s the net worth you need to rank among America’s wealthiest — plus 2 ways to build that first-class portfolio If you decide to invest your inheritance and make 3.7% withdrawals annually, you’re going to need to decide where to put the money. And that will depend on your current asset allocation, as well as how your retirement savings are structured. One rule of thumb is to subtract your age from 110 and put that percentage of assets in equities, while investing the rest in safer investments like bonds or CDs. Some retirees also use the “bucket” approach, which involves stashing money in three separate asset accounts: Keep a few years of expenses (1 to 5) in liquid assets like cash and short-term CDs. Keep money that you’ll use in 4-10 years or so in medium-risk investments that provide better returns, like bonds and income-focused equities. Put the remaining money that you won’t use for around 8 to 10 years in growth equities. You have options, but before you decide what strategy you want to use for allocating your assets, take a look at where your money currently sits. If you already have a lot of money in equities, for example, you may decide to buy bonds or add to your high-yield savings account with the money that your mom left for you. As you make your decision, remember that there’s always a tradeoff between risk and reward: CDs are FDIC-insured and there’s no risk of loss, unless you sell so quickly that you don’t cover early withdrawal fees. However, the returns aren’t as high as with some other investments. Bonds are debt instruments and can be safe or risky plays, depending on whose debt you’re investing in. Safe debt, like government debt, essentially comes with no risk of loss but lower returns than other bonds not guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Stocks allow you to buy an ownership share in companies. There’s more risk since your investment performance depends on the company, but you can use ETFs or mutual funds to buy shares in many different stocks at once to limit your potential losses. For example, an S&P fund allows you to gain exposure to around 500 large U.S. companies. When deciding where to put your $420,000 inheritance, think about how much you already have in equities, bonds and CDs. For example, if you are already heavily invested in the stock market in your retirement funds, you may want to use some of the inheritance to increase your liquid savings, or buy CDs so you have money to live on without having to sell stocks in case of a downturn. By investing your money, making sure you have a good mix of assets and taking out the funds at a safe withdrawal rate, your inheritance can go a long way toward setting you up for financial security in retirement. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Source link #single #inherited #mom #passed #money #lasts Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

FireAid benefit concerts rock out in support of LA with help from Green Day, No Doubt and more – CNN FireAid benefit concerts rock out in support of LA with help from Green Day, No Doubt and more – CNN FireAid benefit concerts rock out in support of LA with help from Green Day, No Doubt and more CNNNirvana Reunites With St. Vincent, Kim Gordon, Joan Jett & Violet Grohl on Vocals Yahoo EntertainmentFireAid: Los Angeles benefit concert to feature Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo BBC.comWatch Live: Los Angeles FireAid benefit concert supporting fire victims CBS News Source link #FireAid #benefit #concerts #rock #support #Green #Day #Doubt #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ex-soldier Adam Charles Lusk handed one of state’s harshest prison terms for raping multiple women and girls Ex-soldier Adam Charles Lusk handed one of state’s harshest prison terms for raping multiple women and girls An ex-soldier has received one of the state’s harshest sentences for raping multiple women and girls with a “high level of depravity.” Source link #Exsoldier #Adam #Charles #Lusk #handed #states #harshest #prison #terms #raping #multiple #women #girls Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Scientists Say If We’re Extremely Lucky, This Asteroid May Put Us Out of Our Misery Scientists Say If We’re Extremely Lucky, This Asteroid May Put Us Out of Our Misery Christmas Surprise Astronomers have spotted a space rock, an estimated 200 feet in length, that they say just may be headed for Earth. As the New York Times reports, the rock, dubbed 2024 YR4, has a 1.3 percent chance of putting us all out of our misery on December 22, 2032 — a fate we just might deserve, considering our incredibly careless stewardship of the planet. “Odds have slightly increased to 1 in 83,” University of Arizona researcher David Rankin wrote in a post on Bluesky. “This is one of the highest probabilities of an impact from a significantly sized rock ever.” “Most likely outcome is still a near miss,” he added. “We continue to track it!” On a serious note, that potential collision course probably shouldn’t keep us up at night, Rankin assured the NYT. If it were to collide with our planet, it wouldn’t threaten the entire thing, but it could wipe out an entire city. An asteroid roughly similar in size impacted a remote region of Siberia in 1908, obliterating 800 square miles of forest. Dat Asteriod 2024 YT4 comes in at a three on the Torino Impact Hazard scale, which measures the probability of an asteroid striking the Earth. A three, according to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, means that it’s an “encounter, meriting attention by astronomers,” plus attention “by public and by public officials is merited if the encounter is less than a decade away.” It’s the second-highest rating astronomers have ever given an asteroid, following 1300-feet-across space rock Apophis, which previously reached a record of four in December 2004, but has since been demoted to level one. Rankin has also argued that 2024 YR4 could similarly be ruled out in future observations. Some experts celebrated the most recent finding, arguing it highlights our improving ability to predict an incoming threat. “The international systems we’re putting in place to find, track and characterize — and, if it comes to it, mitigate the impacts of — hazardous asteroids and comets are working as intended,” Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory planetary defense researcher Andy Rivkin told the NYT. More on near-Earth asteroids: Mysterious “Fifth Force” of Physics Could Be Influencing Asteroids Near Earth Source link #Scientists #Extremely #Lucky #Asteroid #Put #Misery Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Apple reports sagging iPhone sales in China as first-quarter earnings barely beat Wall Street’s expectations | Technology Apple reports sagging iPhone sales in China as first-quarter earnings barely beat Wall Street’s expectations | Technology Apple slightly beat analysts’ expectations in its first-quarter earnings for fiscal year 2025 on Thursday. The iPhone-maker’s revenue rose by 4%, coming in at $124.30bn, barely above estimates of $124.12bn. Earnings per share were $2.40, just ahead of analysts’ expectations of $2.35. Shares rose more than 8% in extended trading after CEO Tim Cook indicated in an earnings call on Thursday that Apple is on the trajectory for revenue growth next quarter. Investors have been concerned about decreasing iPhone sales in China, the world’s biggest smartphone market, as domestic rivals like Huawei have grown. On Thursday, their fears materialized: Apple reported that iPhone sales fell by 11.1% in China in the first quarter and missed Wall Street’s expectations for iPhone revenue. On the earnings call, Cook said Apple has a base of 2.35bn active devices, which was up from 2.2bn a year ago. Despite the lackluster report, Cook called it “our best quarter ever”, citing the 4% rise in revenue. He touted the company’s foray into generative AI with its Apple Intelligence feature, which debuted for English-speaking iPhone users at the end of October. Cook said it was “unlocking new possibilities for our users” and that the company had seen strong sales where Apple Intelligence is available and weakening numbers where it is not, including in China. Investors have been paying close attention to Apple Intelligence, which has progressed at a slower pace than its competitors and received mixed reviews. The AI-powered product, the company’s first using generative AI, was highly anticipated, but the tech has been riddled by inaccuracies and hallucinations. During the earnings call, Cook assured analysts that the AI tech “will go mainstream”. Apple Intelligence is only available on new devices and in a handful of countries, which accounts for the slower adoption, Cook said. “Once you start using the features, you can’t imagine not using them anymore.” The company’s earnings come during a bleak week for US tech stocks. After the ******** AI company DeepSeek saw its app hit the top spot in Apple’s App Store on Monday, stock prices tumbled for many tech companies – wiping more than $1tn from the leading US tech index. The chipmaker Nvidia broke record lows, seeing the biggest ever fall in US stock market history, losing nearly $600bn off its market value in a single day, though it recovered some value the following day. More broadly, the tech sector regained its footing after Microsoft and Meta beat Wall Street analysts’ expectations with their earnings reports on Wednesday. skip past newsletter promotion A weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our lives Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion DeepSeek created its AI assistant for a fraction of the cost that US AI companies are spending to build their chatbots. This comes even as China is under strict chip export controls. Apple appeared to be insulated from the ******, with its stock even notching up earlier this week. Analysts say that because Apple is focused on integrating its AI as a product into devices, it can keep costs lower than if it were building expensive cutting-edge models. Despite that, Apple has experienced a rough start to 2025 with its stock prices falling roughly 8% through the first three weeks of the year, largely due to concerns around declining phone sales in China. Apple Intelligence has also come with glitches and a knack for inaccurately summarizing facts in push notifications. The BBC filed a complaint with Apple in December saying the tech company’s AI feature was generating fake news attributed to the broadcaster. In one notification summary, Apple’s AI wrote: “Brazilian tennis player, Rafael Nadal, comes out as gay.” Nadal is from Spain and is married to María Francisca Perelló. In another, Apple falsely said that Luigi Mangione, who is accused of killing the UnitedHealthcare CEO, had shot himself, which is also untrue. Apple suspended the news summary feature earlier this month. In its latest iOS update, which rolled out this week, Apple started putting all other AI notifications in italics to indicate they were created by artificial intelligence. Source link #Apple #reports #sagging #iPhone #sales #China #firstquarter #earnings #barely #beat #Wall #Streets #expectations #Technology Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump’s Cabinet nominees face sharpest bipartisan grilling to date and other takeaways from Thursday’s confirmation hearings – CNN Trump’s Cabinet nominees face sharpest bipartisan grilling to date and other takeaways from Thursday’s confirmation hearings – CNN Trump’s Cabinet nominees face sharpest bipartisan grilling to date and other takeaways from Thursday’s confirmation hearings CNNFive Takeaways from Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel hearings BBC.comThe senators who’ll make Trump sweat over RFK Jr. and Gabbard votes AxiosConspiracies, espionage, an enemies list: Takeaways from a wild day of confirmation hearings The Associated Press Source link #Trumps #Cabinet #nominees #face #sharpest #bipartisan #grilling #date #takeaways #Thursdays #confirmation #hearings #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘A neural fossil’: human ears try to move when listening, scientists say | Biology ‘A neural fossil’: human ears try to move when listening, scientists say | Biology Wiggling your ears might be more of a pub party piece than a survival skill, but humans still try to prick up their ears when listening hard, researchers have found. Ear movement is crucial in many animals, not least in helping them focus their attention on particular noises and work out which direction they are coming from. But while the human ear is far more static, traces of our ancestors’ ear-orienting system remain in what has been called a “neural fossil”. “It is believed that our ancestors lost their ability to move their ears about 25m years ago. Why, exactly, is difficult to say,” said Andreas Schröer, the lead author of the research from Saarland University in Germany. “However, we have been able to demonstrate that the neural circuits still seem to be present in some state, [that is] our brain retained some of the structures to move the ears, even though they apparently are not useful any more.” The team previously found the movement of these muscles in humans is related to the direction of the sounds they are paying attention to. Now, they have found that some of these muscles become activated when humans listen hard to a sound. Writing in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience, the team reported how they asked 20 adults without hearing problems to listen to an audiobook played through a speaker at the same time as a podcast was played from the same location. The team created three different scenarios: in the “easiest” scenario the podcast was quieter than the audiobook, with a large difference in pitch between the voices. In the “hardest” scenario, two podcasts were played which, taken together, were louder than the audiobook, with one of the podcasts spoken at a similar pitch to the audiobook. “We were interested in finding out if the auriculomotor system in humans is sensitive to effortful listening. Think about trying to understand what someone is saying in an almost empty restaurant, and the trying to understand someone in a very busy restaurant,” said Schröer. Each participant experienced the three different scenarios twice. This was then repeated with the speaker in a different position in the room. Each participant wore a set of electrodes, allowing the researchers to record the electrical activity produced by the muscles involved in wiggling the ears. After each trial, participants were asked to rate how much effort they spent listening to the audiobook. The results revealed that the participants’ perceived listening effort, and how often they lost focus on the audiobook, increased as the scenario moved from easiest to hardest. The team found activity in the superior auricular muscles, which lift the ear upwards and outwards, was larger during the most difficult listening conditions than during the easy and medium conditions. They also found the posterior auricular muscles, which pull the ear backward, were more active when the sounds came from behind the participant than in front of them. “Almost nobody [in the study] had the ability to voluntarily move their ears, so our results are not related to a person’s ability to do this,” said Schröer, although he noted other research has shown people can learn to move their ears. While the study is small, and needs to be repeated in a larger and more diverse group, the team said the findings provided insights. “The ear movements that could be generated by the signals we have recorded are so minuscule– or even absent– that there is probably no perceivable benefit,” said Schröer. “So we think that this vestigial auriculumotor system is ‘trying its best’, but probably doesn’t achieve much.” Source link #neural #fossil #human #ears #move #listening #scientists #Biology Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Sutherland hits maiden Test ton as Australia dominate England Sutherland hits maiden Test ton as Australia dominate England Annabel Sutherland scores her maiden Test century as Australia dominate England in the one off Women’s Ashes Test at the MCG. Source link #Sutherland #hits #maiden #Test #ton #Australia #dominate #England Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

New technology could make fridges cheaper and more eco-friendly | Technology New technology could make fridges cheaper and more eco-friendly | Technology A novel use of technology could make refrigerators cheaper and more environmentally friendly, according to a report. Domestic refrigerators and freezers consumed close to 4% of global electricity in 2019, according to one estimate, so an innovation that significantly reduces their power usage would not be insignificant. Research conducted by Huazhong University of Science and Technology has shown that thermogalvanic technology has promising potential as a cooling mechanism and could be a sustainable alternative to the vapour compression technology now used in most fridges. “Thermogalvanic cooling with a potential low carbon footprint is an environment-friendly technology, which will promote carbon neutrality if their usage became widespread,” said the study’s senior author Jiangjiang Duan. The study also found that the technology could be expanded across various applications, from wearable cooling devices to industrial-grade scenarios. “Thermogalvanic technology is on its way to our lives, either in the form of clean electricity or low-power cooling, and both research and commercial communities should be paying attention,” said Duan. Thermogalvanic cells use the heat produced by reversible chemical reactions to create electrical power. Researchers have found that thermogalvanic hydrogel, for example, could be used to keep a mobile phone battery cool while turning the waste heat into electricity. In theory reversing this process enables the generation of cooling power, but previous studies have shown this effect to have limited potential. By optimising the chemicals used in the process, researchers found that they were able to improve the hydrogalvanic cell’s cooling power by 70%. Electricity used to power refrigerators combined with gas leakages from fridges and freezers into the atmosphere make them a significant source of greenhouse emissions. Fifty per cent of *** food refrigeration emissions are from electrical power, with 37% of *** food refrigeration electrical emissions from domestic refrigerators, according to a study published by the International Journal of Refrigeration. Future research conducted by this team will include optimising the system’s design and investigating other potential commercial use. skip past newsletter promotion A weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our lives Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion “Though our advanced electrolyte is commercially viable, further efforts in the system-level design, scalability, and stability are required to promote the practical application of this technology,” said Duan. “In the future, we aim to continuously improve the thermogalvanic cooling performance by exploring novel mechanisms and advanced materials. We are also attempting to develop diverse refrigerator prototypes towards potential application scenarios and are seeking to collaborate with companies to promote commercialisation of thermogalvanic technologies.” Source link #technology #fridges #cheaper #ecofriendly #Technology Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

New Triple M Breakfast host Katie Lamb is more than just a viral social media star New Triple M Breakfast host Katie Lamb is more than just a viral social media star Many would recognise her as the social media star who takes the mickey out of the mundane, but Triple M’s new breakfast host Katie Lamb has been toiling away on radio for more than a decade. Raking in millions of views on TikTok and amassing an Instagram following in excess of 50,000, Lamb is part of a new generation of talented creators building their audience online. And she hopes it’ll help her attract more fans on-air. Studying a Diploma in Broadcasting at WAAPA in 2011, the 34-year-old began her radio career at Hit 92.9 (Now Triple M) where she would eventually return. Working the graveyard shift for several months, she then landed at Nova in 2012 presenting on weekends while carting — a form of radio editing and production — during the week. “Carting no longer exists, so that just shows how long I’ve been in radio,” she told PerthNow. Becoming a jack of all trades after a decade at the commercial station, Lamb was adept at presenting in the afternoons, became a panel operator for Nathan, Nat & Shaun’s long-running show, and was eventually entrusted as the station’s operations manager. Camera IconKatie Lamb and Xavier Ellis co-host Triple M Breakfast. Credit: Katie Lamb/Instagram But her career pivoted following an out-of-the-blue message from a retired West Coast Eagles star. “I had a message from Andrew Emily in my DMs on Instagram, and I was like, ‘What the hell could Andrew Emily want from me?’” she joked. “And he said, ‘Oh, hey, Katie, give me a buzz when you’ve got a chance’. And so I just called him on my way home from work, and I actually know his wife, so it wasn’t too weird. “He just basically said that they were looking for a new co-host on the Rush Hour at Triple M.” After two years of going toe-to-toe with the premiership player, she was offered a role with another one. And a much earlier start to her work day. “It was only at the end of last year where I got the call to say, ‘We want to move you to breakfast with Xav Ellis,” she said. “So I was really lucky to make that move.” Lamb said the pair quickly hit it off after previously filling in for each other’s shows during the previous two years. Camera IconKatie and Xav celebrate Christmas at Triple M. Credit: Triple M Perth She believes their “immediate chemistry on air” boils down to being friends off it, with the pair known for their light-hearted take on current affairs and uniquely Perth experiences. Lamb believes that WA listeners expect to hear locals talking about local things. “I think that’s really important for breakfast radio,” she said. Enjoying the perks of her new role, the presenter is already accustomed to trading barbs with celebrities and has given one iconic British comic the mantle of her favourite guest to date. “We actually spoke to Stephen Fry recently. He was on the show ****** Adder which is a really old show, but I love looking at all his YouTube clips,” she said. “He was hilarious. He was really, really cool.” Taking a leaf out of Fry’s book — of which he’s written many — Lamb has become very popular on screen, albeit one that typically spans 6.1 inches. Camera IconStephen Fry. Credit: BANG – Entertainment News When she’s not chewing the **** on-air, she’s flexing her acting chops in satirical social media clips that have struck a chord with viewers across the globe. Often collaborating with local talent, including the popular Kick it Forward crew, Lamb has unlocked the key to resonating with audiences through her hot takes on the shared human experience. As well as capitalising on the cultural zeitgeist. A 2024 clip which takes viewers behind the scenes of a hypothetical Married At First Sight match-making panel has accumulated 3.5 million views on TikTok. And another targeting “obsessed” parallel parkers has attracted a whopping 5.7 million. Lamb sees her online following as only a benefit to her radio career, admitting her hilarious clips are what first caught the eye of Triple M bosses. “My social media platform really helps bring in an audience to radio and vice versa,” she said. If you’d like to view this content, please adjust your Cookie Settings. To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. “If you listen to me only on the radio you might search me on social media, and then you might see that I’ve got some funny videos that you can jump on board too. It’s really helped both ways.” The joy Lamb brings her audience is the reason she continues to put herself out there. And she believes the skills required to succeed in radio are easily applied to other mediums. “Most of my videos you watch, you’re like ‘Oh, yeah, that’s happened to me’, or ‘that happened to somebody I know’,” she said. “And then just taking the p*** out of a very light-hearted situation, and I feel like that’s very radio — we’re just talking about relatable things that people listen to and can relate to.” With footy-based chat such a hit with WA listeners, and having worked with Eagles and Dockers stars, Lamb might be destined for a life of footy banter after her recent engagement to AFLW West Coast Eagles assistant coach Martene Pearman. And she’s finally been swayed on which club to support. “Now by default, I’m a huge fan of the Eagles,” she joked. Camera IconPerth Triple M radio host Katie Lamb (left) and AFL West Coast Eagles backline coach Martene Pearman are engaged. Credit: News Corp Australia Lamb’s legion of fans include nostalgic singer Anastacia, who is her go-to choice for karaoke, and Tones and I, who she says DM’s “every now and then”. But one A-lister who the presenter has drawn inspiration from — and would consider a dream radio guest — is controversial comic Ricky Gervais. She says his work has pushed her to consider what might come after radio. “I would love to do stand up one day. It’s something that I think I will do in time, eventually,” she said. “But at the moment, being on a breakfast show, I’m sort of just eating my way into this new gig at the moment, so I’m focusing on that.” Source link #Triple #Breakfast #host #Katie #Lamb #viral #social #media #star Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

White House Press Secretary’s Puzzling Remark About ****** History Month Spurs Questions White House Press Secretary’s Puzzling Remark About ****** History Month Spurs Questions White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to a question about ****** History Month during her first press briefing on Tuesday — and many found her answer quite unsettling. At the briefing, White House correspondent April Ryan asked Leavitt whether President Donald Trump’s administration has plans to celebrate ****** History Month this year, given the president’s ongoing crusade against programs and initiatives that focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI. “As we’re dealing with anti-DEI and anti-woke efforts, we understand this administration … is thinking about celebrating ****** History Month. Have you got any word on that, anything that you can offer to us?” Ryan asked. “As far as I know, this White House certainly still intends to celebrate — and we will continue to celebrate American history and the contributions that all Americans, regardless of race, religion or creed, have made to our great country,” Leavitt said. “And America is back.” It’s unclear how the White House plans to commemorate this year’s ****** History Month, which begins on Saturday, Feb. 1. While the press secretary said the White House “still intends to celebrate,” she immediately followed that statement with a remark about celebrating everyone — regardless of their race. Leavitt’s apparent attempt to minimize the focus on ****** history has since spurred a lot of questions on social media. While some people took her response as confirmation that the White House plans to honor ****** History Month, others interpreted the press secretary’s pivot to talking about “all Americans regardless of race” to mean that the White House doesn’t intend to recognize ****** History Month in a significant way. “That means NO,” one person wrote on X, formerly callled Twitter. Another pointed out that Leavitt didn’t say the words “****** history” in her reply. “Tells you everything you need to know,” they wrote. A representative for the White House did not immediately return a request for comment. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt photographed during her debut press briefing at the White House in Washington on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025. via Associated Press Erica Foldy, associate professor of public and nonprofit management at the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University, thought that Leavitt’s response resembled Trump’s recent talking points at his inaugural address promoting the widely criticized idea of racial “colorblindness” — meaning a person’s race can and should be ignored. Critics say that the idea falsely suggests that racism and racial disparities no longer exist. “This is a classic colorblind response,” Foldy told HuffPost, adding that Leavitt’s response suggests that “we should treat people from different groups the same as opposed to recognizing that some groups have faced and have continued to face discrimination and racism.” The “Trump administration is anything but colorblind, since it seeks to protect and advance white people to the detriment of people of other races,” she added. Trump had hosted ****** History Month events during his first term as president, but his recent executive actions have sparked many questions about how his new administration — and other federal agencies — will recognize ****** History Month this year. The president has signed an executive order to put an end to federal DEI programs, and he also directed all federal DEI staff to be put on leave and eventually laid off. And on Wednesday, Trump ordered U.S. schools that receive federal funding to stop teaching what he views as “critical race theory,” among other topics, such as teachings related to gender identity. Federal agencies are already changing their ****** History Month plans as a result of Trump’s executive actions. The Defense Department’s intelligence agency has paused observances and annual cultural and historical events, including ****** History Month, according to The Associated Press, which obtained the agency’s memo. This should concern everyone. ****** History Month, which has been officially recognized in the U.S. for nearly five decades, honors the “powerful story of how enslaved Africans and their descendants built America and continue to make enduring contributions to the very fabric of this nation,” said Marcus Anthony Hunter, author and professor of sociology and African American studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. “It is important for us to remember, acknowledge and celebrate this powerful history of the perseverance of the human spirit in the face of legal and systemic racism and inequity,” Hunter told HuffPost. “For centuries, ****** history was erased,” Foldy said, speaking about the importance of having a ****** History Month. “Students might have learned very superficially about slavery and possibly the Civil Rights Movement, but overall these topics were downplayed.” “****** History Month raised the visibility of ****** history — about slavery and Jim Crow but also about the essential role of ****** people in creating the U.S. we know today,” she continued. “It is essential that these topics remain squarely on the agenda — otherwise, they will go back to being erased.” As for what Leavitt’s response might signal about what’s to come from the Trump administration, Foldy said, “It continues the pattern of white supremacy ideology and behaviors that we have seen from Trump for decades.” And if you’re wondering about ways you can personally respond to someone attempting to dismiss the importance of celebrating ****** history, Hunter suggested pointing out that “there would be no United States of America without the labor and love of ****** people.” “If you do not have a grasp of this fact, then you have not been fully empowered and equipped with the truth,” he said. And Foldy added that you should remind them that “****** history is American history.” Related… Source link #White #House #Press #Secretarys #Puzzling #Remark #****** #History #Month #Spurs #Questions Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Trump says 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada may not include oil Trump says 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada may not include oil President Donald Trump speaks to members of the press in the Oval Office of the White House on Jan. 30, 2025. Kent Nishimura for The Washington Post | Getty Images Donald Trump has confirmed he will impose 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada from February, following through on threats issued weeks earlier. The blanket tariffs on the countries’ products will come into effect on Saturday, Feb. 1. However, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday evening, Trump told reporters his administration was yet to determine whether oil imports would be included in the policy, noting that the decision was pinned on whether the two nations “treat us properly” and “if the oil is properly priced.” “Oil is going to have nothing to do with it as far as I’m concerned,” he said. “We’re going to make that determination probably tonight on oil. Because they send us oil, we’ll see – it depends on what their price is.” March contracts for Brent crude — the global benchmark for oil prices — were marginally higher at 8:06 a.m. London time, trading around $76.92 a barrel. Trump told reporters the looming duties were being leveraged “for a number of reasons” and “may or may not rise with time.” “Number one is the people that have poured into our country so horribly and so much,” he said. “Number two is the drugs fentanyl and everything else that have come into the country, and number three are the massive subsidies that we’re giving to Canada and Mexico in the form of deficits.” “I’ll be putting the tariff of 25% on Canada and separately 25% on Mexico, and we’ll really have to do that because we have very big deficits with those countries,” he added. This news story is being updated. Source link #Trump #tariffs #Mexico #Canada #include #oil Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NBA Names East and West Reserves for 2025 All-Star Game – Sports Illustrated NBA Names East and West Reserves for 2025 All-Star Game – Sports Illustrated NBA Names East and West Reserves for 2025 All-Star Game Sports IllustratedVictor Wembanyama, Jaylen Brown highlight 2025 All-Star Game reserves NBA.ComThe 2025 NBA All-Snub team AndscapeNBA All-Star snubs: Trae Young, Domantas Sabonis, LaMelo Ball miss the cut for 2025 Yahoo SportsBontemps’ NBA All-Star ballot: Locks, star battles and where LeBron and KD check in ESPN Source link #NBA #Names #East #West #Reserves #AllStar #Game #Sports #Illustrated Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Overwatch 2 Cracks Down on Smurfing as ‘Unranked to Grandmaster’ Streams Alongside Hackers Overwatch 2 Cracks Down on Smurfing as ‘Unranked to Grandmaster’ Streams Alongside Hackers Smurfing has been an issue in almost every single competitive online game ever made and Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch 2 hasn’t escaped it. But it seems like the developers are making new efforts to battle it. Blizzard recently announced that it is working on a new new technology to quickly detect and place smurf accounts at their proper skill level. Overwatch is in a rough spot. | Image Credit: Blizzard Entertainment This is similar to what Riot Games has done for its games like Valorant. In addition, Blizzard also continues its aggressive stance against cheaters and announced that over 800,000 accounts have been banned since launch. These are small big impactful changes that Overwatch needs if it is to survive the competition from Marvel Rivals. Overwatch 2 is tackling the smurfing problem Blizzard is making a huge effort to curb the issue. | Image Credit: Blizzard Entertainment In case you don’t know what smurfing is, it’s when a player creates a new account to play in lower ranks. The reasons for this can vary from wanting to play with lower rank friends, or just wanting to feel good because they can’t win in their own ranks. Basically, it’s a lame move from players to ruin actual low-rank players’ games. Idk if it’s the rank I’m in or if the game is just too old but every single comp match tonight on Overwatch had at least one smurf and I just… I’m gonna go watch anime instead lmao pic.twitter.com/ehPRphTP7u — Gibi (@GibiOfficial) January 12, 2019 Blizzard is on our side and knows that smurfing creates an unfair environment, particularly for new players. To tackle this, the developers recently announced via a Defense Matrix post that Overwatch 2 will now use advanced matchmaking technology to identify seasoned players on fresh accounts and quickly adjust their matchmaking rating (MMR). So if you’re a new player, expect better matches soon. These changes will hopefully make it so smurf accounts do not linger in lower ranks. In addition to this, newly created accounts will have their first five matches against AI-controlled bots to help real newcomers have an easier time learning the game. Let’s hope these changes work for the better because the game has been going downhill lately and we desperately need a pick-me-up. Groundbreaking PvP gameplay changes coming… Watch Overwatch 2 Spotlight on February 12 pic.twitter.com/vHdvI7wj1z — Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) January 29, 2025 Blizzard also notes that this will likely affect the popular “Unranked to Grandmaster” challenge streams. The challenge is very popular among pros and content creators who attempt to climb the competitive ladder from scratch. Since smurf accounts will now be placed in their appropriate skill bracket faster, these challenge runs will be much shorter, Blizzard says. Blizzard is also catching cheaters and making big changes With competition from other games, can Overwatch make it? | Image Credit: Blizzard Entertainment Aside from the smurfs, cheaters are also a big problem, and Blizzard has reiterated their aggressive stance against cheaters. Since the launch of Overwatch 2, over 800,000 accounts have been banned for using hacks such as aimbots and wallhacks. If we compare this to smurfs, cheaters affect not just individual matches but also compromise the integrity of the game. The developers are also aware that addressing smurfing and cheating alone won’t be enough to bring back life to the game. That is why Blizzard has promised “groundbreaking changes” to the game’s PvP experience, set to be revealed during the Overwatch 2 Spotlight event on February 12. What do you think will be announced and will it be enough? There is no room for error from Blizzard. The game has faced a significant drop in its player base since the release of Marvel Rivals in December 2024. A lot of Overwatch players have jumped ship to the new hero shooter and we’re gonna have to see nothing short of a miracle for it to be saved. Source link #Overwatch #Cracks #Smurfing #Unranked #Grandmaster #Streams #Hackers Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NSW Police confirm patrols for Jewish school after graffiti attacks, Caravan plot NSW Police confirm patrols for Jewish school after graffiti attacks, Caravan plot NSW Police will begin patrolling Jewish schools across the state in a bid to protect students and teachers from further potential anti-Semitic attacks. The security move is a stark new development in Australia’s escalating social cohesion crisis and just a day after a sweep of brutal anti-Semitic messages were scrawled at three locations across Sydney, including the Mount Sinai primary school in Maroubra. Graffiti reading “f**k the Jews” was painted onto a house next to the school and anti-Semitic messages were also scrawled at the Westfield Eastgardens shopping centre in Sydney’s east. On Friday morning, police officers stood outside the gates of Mount Sinai as children walked into class. “This morning, the President of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, David Ossip, NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb and the Secretary of the Premier’s Department, Simon Draper, met to discuss security issues related to Jewish schools and preschools,” The Department of NSW Premier Chris Minns said in a statement. “The meeting was very productive and a number of measures were agreed. Camera IconPolice will begin patrolling the Mount Sinai College in Maroubra following an upsurge in anti-Semitic attacks across Sydney. NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp AustraliaCamera IconAnti-Jewish graffiti was discovered at the Eastgardens Westfield shopping centre on Thursday. NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia “These include restoring high visibility policing at key times outside schools, in particular at drop off and pick up times. “This is a return to the high-visibility policing measures introduced following the October 7 attacks in 2023.” The statement continued by saying the NSW Government had also committed to putting additional enhanced security arrangements for key Jewish worship sites. That detail is being worked through with the Jewish Board of Deputies. “In addition, NSW Police Engagement Officers will commence a package of specialised school visits to give school communities ongoing confidence and assurance that police are standing with them,” the department said. Thursday’s graffiti attacks follow the firebombing of a daycare centre located close to the Maroubra Synagogue and Mount Sinai school and the revelation the police had foiled a potential mass casualty attack possibly directed at Jewish Australians. Camera IconPolice and forensics officers at the Mount Sinai College in Maroubra on Thursday. NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp AustraliaCamera IconMembers of the Jewish community in Maroubra arrive with their children at the childcare centre that was firebombed. NewsWire/ Julian Andrews Credit: News Corp Australia A member of the public alerted the police to a caravan at Dural, a rural suburb in outer Sydney, which was found to contain explosives and a list of Jewish targets. The explosives could have produced a 40m blast zone, the police said. Ofir Birenbaum, a consultant for a software company, lives 10 minutes away from Maroubra. “I see today kids walking up from that school, asking their teacher, ‘why do they hate Jews’,” he told NewsWire on Thursday. “The teacher just tried to as quickly as possible get them away from the graffiti.” Executive Council of *********** Jewry Peter Wertheim, speaking on Thursday, warned traditional *********** values were “slipping away” in the onslaught of anti-Semitic attacks. “The feeling in the Jewish community are, not only one of understandable concern and anxiety, because of the repeated nature of these attacks, but increasingly one of anger,” he said. “I think it’s an anger that is shared more widely by a very large number of Australians, who have had a gutful of these events. “They bring shame on our country. They demean us as a nation. “Not only in the eyes of people overseas, but more importantly in our own eyes, because they do not represent our national values and who we are as a people. “And we are angry because we are seeing the Australia that we have been fortunate enough to live in ourselves, a land of freedom, fair mindedness, civilised norms of behaviour, and the rule of law, is starting to slip away from us, and from our children and from future generations.” Source link #NSW #Police #confirm #patrols #Jewish #school #graffiti #attacks #Caravan #plot Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Friends are as friends do’ ‘Friends are as friends do’ Elon Musk declined to have dinner with the head of Norway’s $1.7 trillion oil fund, texts show. Nicolai Tangen’s fund voted against Musk’s Tesla pay package, now worth about $100 billion. Musk said it would be “very difficult and expensive” to come and lectured Tangen about friendship. Elon Musk turned down a dinner invitation from the head of Norway’s $1.7 trillion sovereign wealth fund — and lectured him on how to be a better friend — after his firm voted against the Tesla CEO’s huge pay package. Norges Bank Investment Management, one of Tesla’s 10 largest shareholders, with a roughly 1% stake, rejected a compensation deal for Musk in June that was worth $56 billion at the time and is now valued at about $100 billion. Nicolai Tangen, the CEO of NBIM, later invited Musk — along with the bosses of Ferrari, Nestlé, Adidas, DoorDash, and Novo Nordisk — to dinner at his Oslo, Norway, home ahead of the oil fund’s annual investment conference this coming April. “This would be very difficult and expensive for me to attend,” Musk replied in October, according to text messages that NBIM provided to Business Insider. The messages, shown below, were first published by the Norwegian newspaper E24 after NBIM released them under freedom-of-information laws. Texts exchanged between Musk and Nicolai Tangen in October.Norges Bank Investment Management “When I ask you for a favor, which I very rarely do, and you decline, then you should not ask me for one until you’ve done something above nothing to make amends,” Musk added. “Friends are as friends do.” Tangen replied that he understood, wished Musk luck, and was cheering him on as a major Tesla shareholder. A few days later, Musk forwarded messages to Tangen from an unnamed correspondent accusing the Norwegian of giving his text messages to the media and telling them Musk wouldn’t be attending the dinner — as well as suggesting Tangen had “political ambitions” and was using NBIM to “promote himself.” Musk asked Tangen whether he had sent his text messages to the press. Tangen said his communications were public information, he didn’t make the decision to release them, and Musk’s personal comments that weren’t related to the conference hadn’t been released. “The country is obsessed about you, but this is not reflecting badly on you,” Tangen added. “Still, sorry for any inconvenience.” Musk’s blockbuster pay deal was blocked by a Delaware judge early last year, and again by the same judge in December. NBIM voted against the package at Tesla’s annual meeting, saying it was “concerned about the total size of the award, the structure given performance triggers, dilution, and lack of mitigation of key person risk.” Story Continues The Tesla and SpaceX CEO is the world’s richest person with an estimated $428 billion net worth, per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. His fortune swelled by more than $200 billion last year as Tesla stock soared 63% and SpaceX’s valuation nearly doubled from $180 billion at the end of 2023 to $350 billion in December. Musk didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from ***. Read the original article on Business Insider Source link #Friends #friends Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

From jewelry to food waste, companies focus on the circular economy From jewelry to food waste, companies focus on the circular economy Rapeepong Puttakumwong | Moment | Getty Images From jewelry and clothes to food waste, a growing number of sectors are focusing on operating as part of a “circular economy,” aiming to waste less — and reap the financial benefits in the process. The rising cost of raw materials and a move to reduce carbon emissions could mean working in this way becomes “critical,” according to Goldman Sachs, which said the global economy could benefit to the tune of up to $4.5 trillion by 2030. What is the circular economy? In simple terms, the circular economy refers to the process of reusing, repairing or recycling products while keeping waste to a minimum. It represents a move away from the linear model of “take-make-waste,” according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a charity that researches and promotes the circular economy. “The circular economy is not about making small, incremental changes to our current system — it’s about completely transforming the way the entire system works,” said the foundation’s Executive Lead Reniera O’Donnell, in an email to CNBC. “A circular economy follows three principles all driven by design — eliminate waste and pollution; circulate products and materials at their highest value, and regenerate nature,” she added. For example, ******** company Deartree buys and refurbishes used office furniture and then sells or rents it to companies such as Microsoft, Tencent and Starbucks. Dutch company De Clique, meanwhile, collects food waste such as coffee grounds and sells them to companies who make them into new products. Even cities are aiming to become “fully circular,” with Glasgow pledging to do so by 2045 and Amsterdam by 2050. Working in this way can mean a shift in mindset. U.S. jewelry company Sonalore says it is “shaking up” the industry by operating an unusual business model: it will buy its pieces back from customers when they no longer want them, guaranteeing to pay the market price for gold minus a 15% fee. Gold jewelry company Sonalore says it sells “fine jewelry you can sell back anytime.” Sonalore For Nidhi Singhvi, the company’s co-founder and CEO, this kind of model works best for high-value products — think luxury watches or cars. “Successful business models in a circular economy depend on three components: valuable underlying assets, transparent pricing or [a] fair price set by demand and supply forces, and efficient mechanisms for resale,” she told CNBC by email. Singhvi, who lives in California, said young people there “care deeply about sustainability.” “They dig deeper and ask questions about sourcing and supply chain, and weigh the environmental impact of what they buy,” she said. Added to this, millennials are less wealthy than their parents and therefore think “more like investors” when shopping, considering the resale value of clothes and accessories, Singhvi said. Indeed, the market for secondhand apparel is set to reach $350 billion globally by 2028, up from $264 billion this year and growing three times faster than the clothing market overall, according to a report by fashion resale website ThredUp. Investing in the circular economy Finding companies to invest in that are operating in this new way can be tricky because of a lack of disclosures related to the circular economy, according to Goldman Sachs. The bank published an expanded list of “Adopters and Enables of Circular Economy solutions” in 2024, adding around 150 global companies to the list which now totals 875, due to a “notable increase” in such disclosures. Its “Top Circular Enablers” — companies that align circular business models with revenue — outperformed the wider MSCI ACWI Index of large and mid-sized companies between 2021 and July 2024, the bank said. Singapore-based manufacturer SMC Corporation, which makes industrial equipment and focuses on products that reduce emissions and raw materials, is on Goldman’s list of buy-rated “High Quality” circular economy companies. Also on the list is ******** firm Lenovo, while its “Top Scoring overall Circular Enablers” included U.S. firm Waste Management and French company Veolia. “A Circular Economy is critical to solving for a Low Carbon economy and Biodiversity loss, which is increasingly being recognised by investors, corporates, and politicians,” Goldman’s analysts stated. Indeed, several European Union regulations mandate that circularity is included in product design and the EU has action plans targeting things like plastics, textiles and food waste. Tackling food waste Food waste is a “market failure” and an “environmental failure,” according to the U.N. Environment Programme’s 2024 Food Waste Index Report, with 1 billion meals wasted globally each day. Meanwhile, more than 700 million people were impacted by hunger every day, according to the U.N.’s report. Imgorthand | E+ | Getty Images The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Big Food Redesign Challenge aims to tackle this issue. The group is set to announce details of food products that have been made in line with circular economy principles, taking things like biodiversity and water usage into account in their production. “Currently, the way our food is designed means we bend nature to produce food but we can make different design decisions so that food can be designed for nature to thrive,” O’Donnell said. It’s a topic that has been close to food security specialist Matthew Tan’s heart for more than two decades. “If you’ve seen what the poor earth has undergone, okay, over the last 100 years, you will agree with me that if we don’t start looking into that circularity of economy and the way we do the farming, it’s not going to look really, really bright,” Tan told CNBC by video call. Tan is involved in several Singapore-based agriculture technology companies aiming to produce food sustainably, including KosmodeHealth, which extracts protein from spent barley grains to make noodles. In Singapore, the government is expanding its requirements for sustainability disclosures, with the Singapore Stock Exchange mandating that the financial, agriculture and energy industries report on their climate policies and targets from 2024. This year, the construction and transportation sectors are also included. Tan said investors are asking more questions about climate disclosures, adding that he expects a “shift” in the money market towards sustainability. “The value of bonds, especially those relating to sustainability, they’re going to take front stage. It’s going to become more and more important,” Tan said. For jewelry entrepreneur Singhvi, circular models can be applied to multiple industries. “Here is what excites me as a founder: we already know these models work. The real challenge and opportunity is bringing this thinking to traditionally opaque industries through technology and transparency,” she said. Source link #jewelry #food #waste #companies #focus #circular #economy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]