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Hillview Bondi proves too strong on final lap to claim spoils in Albany Cup at Harold Reid Paceway Hillview Bondi proves too strong on final lap to claim spoils in Albany Cup at Harold Reid Paceway Veteran pacer Hillview Bondi claimed an impressive win in the $20,000 Wellington & Reeves Albany Cup (2690m) on January 18 at Harold Reid Paceway. The feature race attracted a field of nine runners and the Ryan Bell-trained Hillview Bondi started from the second row and was three-wide early before driver Liam Elliott went forward. Hillview Bondi ($2.60) was outside the leader on the bell lap and then proved too strong in the final circuit, to win cup honours by 2.5 metres on the line. Camera IconHillview Bondi wins the 2025 Wellington and Reeves Albany Cup (2690m). Credit: Daryl Hallows/Paceway Photos Highly fancied $1.95 favourite Illawong Mustang led for much of the race for trainer Michael Young and driver Emily Suvaljko but had to settle for second place while the Hayden Reeves prepared Thomson Bay finished well to grab third place. The result was a 19th career win for Hillview Bondi and it was a 90th start for the evergreen seven-year-old. Elliott finished with a winning double on the seven-race card after earlier saluting aboard Capture The Moment in the W&R Residential Sales Pace (2265m). Capture The Moment jumped a $16 chance and sprinted hard in the concluding stages to win by 4.7m for trainer Bianca Ashcroft. Suvaljko finished with three winners to her name on cup night, the first being raging $1.30 favourite Welease Woddewick for the Young stable. Camera IconCapture The Moment wins the W&R Residential Sales Pace driven by Liam Elliott and trained by Bianca Ashcroft. Credit: Daryl Hallows/Paceway Photos Welease Woddewick was a dominant 11.3m winner in the opening race and Suvaljko then drove $2 favourite Machlani to victory in race four over 2265m again for Young. In the W&R Rural Sales Pace (2265m), Suvaljko was too strong in the seat on Marledie for trainer Lang Inwood, as they saluted by 2.2m over Shoal Bay. Trainer Terry Dymock won the W&R Commercial Management Pace (2265m) with Kolisi who was expertly driven by Corey Peterson to narrowly beat Let’s Rock Tonight. Reeves and driver Trent Wheeler combined to win the last race on the program with Sun and Sand ($6.50). Albany Harness Racing Club’s next meeting is on Friday, January 31 and it will be highlighted by the $11,000 O’Driscoll Chaff Westbred F&M Mile (1832m). Source link #Hillview #Bondi #proves #strong #final #lap #claim #spoils #Albany #Cup #Harold #Reid #Paceway Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Data protection and consumer trust are the key to unlocking AI Data protection and consumer trust are the key to unlocking AI Research published to coincide with Data Privacy Day unequivocally sends a message to programmers and policymakers alike. With 93% of *** consumers apprehensive about how their data is used and the advent of AI causing many to now also be concerned about the use of their data to train AI models, the message is clear: trust has to be gained before it can be retained. Almost 7 years on from the implementation of comprehensive data privacy laws in the *** (in the form of the General Data Protection Regulation) and 3 years on from the *** government hinting that it might think outside the box in terms of data privacy regulation, the research uncovered a significant proportion (56%) of consumers who want to see stricter regulation of personal data. This could be interesting food for thought for policymakers and slightly at odds with both the latest data protection reform bill currently going through Parliament (the Data Use and Access Bill) and the Government’s recently published AI Action Plan, which seeks to adopt a pro-innovation light touch approach to AI regulation, in contrast to other more heavily regulated regimes such as seen in the EU. Need for transparency What is clear from the research is that there is work to do at all levels of the data ecosystem to build trust and alleviate fears. The Government’s focus in its Action Plan is firmly on unlocking data sets as a key to AI innovation, so it stands to reason that success is predicated on consumers being confident that their data will be protected when it is shared with third parties in both the public and private sectors. The research showed that consumers still don’t understand what is happening to their data, particularly in the context of AI, and it is likely that this is driving consumer fears about data sharing. Although transparency principles lie at the heart of data protection laws in the ***, an overwhelming majority (93%) of respondents still want more to be done to better inform people about how their data is being used. For business, these trust issues can be viewed as both a threat and an opportunity. With 78% of consumers saying that they are likely to stop using a service or company if they discover it has experienced a data breach, it likely follows that data privacy standards and compliance present an opportunity for businesses to differentiate, with those that are trusted being more likely to succeed in the race to harness the power of data in the evolving AI world. As for consumers, they must also share the burden of responsibility for data protection. Whilst the majority (67%) of respondents confirmed that they have heeded years of advice to use strong passwords to protect their data, more sophisticated techniques such as VPNs and other privacy enhancing technologies are much less likely to be employed. So, whilst policy makers and regulators can mold the metaphorical bricks that house our data and software developers install the windows, that is still not enough to deliver robust security. Or, put another way, in the same way people are unlikely to leave their home without first locking the front door, the onus must be on consumers to take some responsibility for the protection of their data. Miriam Everett, partner and global head of data and privacy at Herbert Smith Freehills Source link #Data #protection #consumer #trust #key #unlocking Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Every Space-Time Smackdown A2 Set Card in Pokémon TCG Pocket—All Cards Revealed Every Space-Time Smackdown A2 Set Card in Pokémon TCG Pocket—All Cards Revealed The entire Space-Time Smackdown Card Set for Pokémon TCG Pocket is out in the wild. It’s extensive, and exciting, and introduces hundreds of new cards into the ever-growing Pokémon TCG Pocket collection. Check out everything you need to know about the fabulous A2 Set. Space-Time Smackdown is a hard-hitting name that reminds me of the WWE. It’s larger-than-life personalities clashing in an arena, and Pokémon TCG Pocket’s A2 set delivers more heavyweight encounters. Let’s take you through every Space-Time Smackdown card and their rarities. How Many Cards in Space-Time Smackdown Set in Pokémon TCG Pocket? Need it. Want it. Credit to The Pokémon Company There is a whopping 207 Cards in Pokémon TCG Pocket’s Space-Time Smackdown A2 Set! For comparison, the Genetic Apex A1 set has 286 Cards, and the Mythical Island A1a mini-set has 86. This puts the Space-Time Smackdown expansion somewhere in the middle. Genetic Apex needed to launch with a ton of cards as it was the first set and debut content. There’s a good chance every subsequent set never hits the heights of 286 new cards. With so many cards to stay on top of and further expansions planned, adding nearly 300 cards could cause players to fall behind. All Space-Time Smackdown Set A2 Cards in Pokémon TCG Pocket Here’s every card in the Space-Time Smackdown A2 Set, with card numbers, names, types, and rarities included. A big thanks to Pokémon Zone for discovering the full nature of Set A2. Card Name Set Number Type Rarity Oddish 1/155 Grass One-Diamond Gloom 2/155 Grass One-Diamond Bellossom 3/155 Grass Two-Diamond Tangela 4/155 Grass One-Diamond Tangrowth 5/155 Grass Two-Diamond Yanma 6/155 Grass One-Diamond Yanmega ex 7/155 Grass Four-Diamond Roselia 8/155 Grass One-Diamond Roserade 9/155 Grass Two-Diamond Turtwig 10/155 Grass One-Diamond Grotle 11/155 Grass Two-Diamond Torterra 12/155 Grass Three-Diamond Kricketot 13/155 Grass One-Diamond Kricketune 14/155 Grass One-Diamond Burmy 15/155 Grass One-Diamond Wormadam 16/155 Grass One-Diamond Combee 17/155 Grass One-Diamond Vespiquen 18/155 Grass Two-Diamond Carnivine 19/155 Grass Two-Diamond Leafeon 20/155 Grass Three-Diamond Mow Rotom 21/155 Grass One-Diamond Shaymin 22/155 Grass Three-Diamond Magmar 23/155 Fire One-Diamond Magmortar 24/155 Fire Three-Diamond Slugma 25/155 Fire One-Diamond Magcargo 26/155 Fire Two-Diamond Chimchar 27/155 Fire One-Diamond Monferno 28/155 Fire Two-Diamond Infernape ex 29/155 Fire Four-Diamond Heat Rotom 30/155 Fire One-Diamond Swinub 31/155 Water One-Diamond Piloswine 32/155 Water Two-Diamond Mamoswine 33/155 Water Three-Diamond Regice 34/155 Water Two-Diamond Piplup 35/155 Water One-Diamond Prinplup 36/155 Water Two-Diamond Empoleon 37/155 Water Three-Diamond Buizel 38/155 Water One-Diamond Floatzel 39/155 Water Two-Diamond Shellos 40/155 Water One-Diamond Gastrodon 41/155 Water Two-Diamond Finneon 42/155 Water One-Diamond Lumineon 43/155 Water Two-Diamond Snover 44/155 Water One-Diamond Abomasnow 45/155 Water Two-Diamond Glaceon 46/155 Water Three-Diamond Wash Rotom 47/155 Water One-Diamond Frost Rotom 48/155 Water One-Diamond Palkia ex 49/155 Water Four-Diamond Manaphy 50/155 Water Two-Diamond Magnemite 51/155 Electric One-Diamond Magneton 52/155 Electric Two-Diamond Magnezone 53/155 Electric Three-Diamond Voltorb 54/155 Electric One-Diamond Electrode 55/155 Electric Two-Diamond Electabuzz 56/155 Electric One-Diamond Electivire 57/155 Electric Two-Diamond Shinx 58/155 Electric One-Diamond Luxio 59/155 Electric Two-Diamond Luxray 60/155 Electric Three-Diamond Pachirisu ex 61/155 Electric Four-Diamond Rotom 62/155 Electric One-Diamond Togepi 63/155 Psychic One-Diamond Togetic 64/155 Psychic Two-Diamond Togekiss 65/155 Psychic Three-Diamond Misdreavus 66/155 Psychic One-Diamond Mismagius ex 67/155 Psychic Four-Diamond Ralts 68/155 Psychic One-Diamond Kirlia 69/155 Psychic One-Diamond Duskull 70/155 Psychic One-Diamond Dusclops 71/155 Psychic Two-Diamond Dusknoir 72/155 Psychic Three-Diamond Drifloon 73/155 Psychic One-Diamond Drifblim 74/155 Psychic Two-Diamond Uxie 75/155 Psychic Two-Diamond Mesprit 76/155 Psychic Three-Diamond Azelf 77/155 Psychic ◊◊ Giratina 78/155 Psychic Three-Diamond Cresselia 79/155 Psychic Three-Diamond Rhyhorn 80/155 Fighting One-Diamond Rhydon 81/155 Fighting Two-Diamond Rhyperior 82/155 Fighting Three-Diamond Gligar 83/155 Fighting One-Diamond Gliscor 84/155 Fighting Two-Diamond Hitmontop 85/155 Fighting One-Diamond Nosepass 86/155 Fighting One-Diamond Regirock 87/155 Fighting Two-Diamond Cranidos 88/155 Fighting Two-Diamond Rampardos 89/155 Fighting Three-Diamond Wormadam 90/155 Fighting One-Diamond Riolu 91/155 Fighting One-Diamond Lucario 92/155 Fighting Three-Diamond Hippopotas 93/155 Fighting One-Diamond Hippowdon 94/155 Fighting Two-Diamond Gallade ex 95/155 Fighting Four-Diamond Murkrow 96/155 Darkness One-Diamond Honchkrow 97/155 Darkness Two-Diamond Sneasel 98/155 Darkness One-Diamond Weavile ex 99/155 Darkness Four-Diamond Poochyena 100/155 Darkness One-Diamond Mightyena 101/155 Darkness Two-Diamond Stunky 102/155 Darkness One-Diamond Skuntank 103/155 Darkness Two-Diamond Spiritomb 104/155 Darkness Two-Diamond Skorupi 105/155 Darkness One-Diamond Drapion 106/155 Darkness Two-Diamond Craogunk 107/155 Darkness One-Diamond Toxicroack 108/155 Darkness Two-Diamond Darkrai 109/155 Darkness Three-Diamond Darkrai ex 110/155 Darkness Four-Diamond Skarmory 111/155 Metal One-Diamond Registeel 112/155 Metal Two-Diamond Shieldon 113/155 Metal Two-Diamond Bastiodon 114/155 Metal Three-Diamond Wormadam 115/155 Metal One-Diamond Bronzor 116/155 Metal One-Diamond Bronzong 117/155 Metal Two-Diamond Probopass 118/155 Metal Two-Diamond Dialga ex 119/155 Metal Four-Diamond Heatran 120/155 Metal Three-Diamond Gible 121/155 Dragon One-Diamond Gabite 122/155 Dragon Two-Diamond Garchomp 123/155 Dragon Three-Diamond Lickitung 124/155 Colorless One-Diamond Lickilicky ex 125/155 Colorless Four-Diamond Eevee 126/155 Colorless One-Diamond Porygon 127/155 Colorless One-Diamond Porygon2 128/155 Colorless Two-Diamond Porygon-Z 129/155 Colorless Three-Diamond Aipom 130/155 Colorless One-Diamond Ambipom 131/155 Colorless One-Diamond Starly 132/155 Colorless One-Diamond Staravia 133/155 Colorless One-Diamond Staraptop 134/155 Colorless Two-Diamond Bidoof 135/155 Colorless One-Diamond Bibarel 136/155 Colorless One-Diamond Buneary 137/155 Colorless One-Diamond Lopunny 138/155 Colorless One-Diamond Glameow 139/155 Colorless One-Diamond Purugly 140/155 Colorless Two-Diamond Chatot 141/155 Colorless One-Diamond Fan Rotom 142/155 Colorless One-Diamond Regigigas 143/155 Colorless Three-Diamond Skull Fossil 144/155 Trainer One-Diamond Armor Fossil 145/155 Trainer One-Diamond Pokemon Communication 146/155 Trainer Two-Diamond Giant Cape 147/155 Pokemon Tool Two-Diamond Rocky Helmet 148/155 Pokemon Tool Two-Diamond Lum Berry 149/155 Pokemon Tool Two-Diamond Cyrus 150/155 Supporter Two-Diamond Team Galactic Grunt 151/155 Supporter Two-Diamond Cynthia 152/155 Supporter Two-Diamond Volkner 153/155 Supporter Two-Diamond Dawn 154/155 Supporter Two-Diamond Mars 155/155 Supporter Two-Diamond Tangrowth 156/155 Grass One-Star Combee 157/155 Grass One-Star Carnivine 158/155 Grass One-Star Shaymin 159/155 Grass One-Star Mamoswine 160/155 Water One-Star Gastrodon 161/155 Water One-Star Manaphy 162/155 Water One-Star Shinx 163/155 Electric One-Star Rotom 164/155 Electric One-Star Drifloon 165/155 Psychic One-Star Mesprit 166/155 Psychic One-Star Giratina 167/155 Psychic One-Star Cresselia 168/155 Psychic One-Star Rhyperior 169/155 Fighting One-Star Lucario 170/155 Fighting One-Star Hippopotas 171/155 Fighting One-Star Spiritomb 172/155 Darkness One-Star Croagunk 173/155 Darkness One-Star Heatran 174/155 Metal One-Star Garchomp 175/155 Dragon One-Star Staraptor 176/155 Colorless One-Star Bidoof 177/155 Colorless One-Star Glameow 178/155 Colorless One-Star Regigias 179/155 Colorless One-Star Yanmega ex 180/155 Grass Two-Star Infernape ex 181/155 Fire Two-Star Palkia ex 182/155 Water Two-Star Pachirisu ex 183/155 Electric Two-Star Mismagius ex 184/155 Psychic Two-Star Gallade ex 185/155 Fighting Two-Star Weavile ex 186/155 Darkness Two-Star Darkrai ex 187/155 Darkness Two-Star Dialga ex 188/155 Metal Two-Star Lickilicky ex 189/155 Colorless Two-Star Cyrus 190/155 Supporter Two-Star Team Galactic Grunt 191/155 Supporter Two-Star Cynthia 192/155 Supporter Two-Star Volkner 193/155 Supporter Two-Star Dawn 194/155 Supporter Two-Star Mars 195/155 Supporter Two-Star Yanmega ex 196/155 Grass Two-Star Infernape ex 197/155 Fire Two-Star Pachirisu ex 198/155 Electric Two-Star Mismagius ex 199/155 Psychic Two-Star Gallade ex 200/155 Fighting Two-Star Weavile ex 201/155 Darkness Two-Star Darkrai ex 202/155 Darkness Two-Star Lickilicky ex 203/155 Colorless Two-Star Palkia ex 204/155 Water Three-Star Dialga ex 205/155 Metal Three-Star Palkia ex 206/155 Water Gold Crown Dialga ex 207/155 Metal Gold Crown Which Generation is Space-Time Smackdown Based On? Pokémon TCG Pocket’s Space-Time Smackdown set focuses on the fourth generation of Pokémon. This means a ton of fan-favorite icons like Dialga, Palkia, Garchomp, and Lucario—Kricketot, and Kricketune are low-key legends in my eyes too. Which Pokémon are you most excited to try and pull in the Space-Time Smackdown expansion? Which generation should Pocket target next? Learn how to trade in Pokémon TCG Pocket, how to get Trade Tokens quickly, and our best Celebi ex Deck. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #SpaceTime #Smackdown #Set #Card #Pokémon #TCG #PocketAll #Cards #Revealed Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

M23 rebels advance southward towards Bukavu in DR Congo M23 rebels advance southward towards Bukavu in DR Congo Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo are moving south towards Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, apparently bidding to expand their area of control in the country’s east after capturing the city of Goma. M23 forces were advancing south from the town of Minova, along the western side of Lake Kivu, according to five diplomatic and security sources, one of whom was in direct contact with the rebels. Any successful push south by M23 would result in them controlling territory that previous rebellions have not held since the end of DR Congo’s major war 20 years ago. To reach Bukavu, they would have to seize Kavumu, where the city’s airport is located, and overcome Burundian troops who have been deployed to beef up DR Congo’s defences. The advance on Bukavu comes as M23 strengthened its grip on Goma, capital of North Kivu and a hub for displaced people, aid workers, United Nations peacekeepers and DR Congolese forces. Both North Kivu and South Kivu provinces have numerous mineral mines, and the struggle for control of DR Congo’s abundant resources is one of the drivers of conflict in the east of the giant country. These include coltan, which is used in smartphones. Despite a flurry of diplomatic activity, including the United States telling Rwanda it was “deeply troubled” by Goma’s fall to M23 fighters, there were growing signs the rebels were taking over the running of the city. Isolated gunfire sounded through some outlying districts of the lakeside city of two million where Monday’s rebel storming left bodies lying in the streets, hospitals overwhelmed and UN peacekeepers sheltering in bases. DR Congo government forces were nowhere to be seen in the city centre on Wednesday and a Reuters reporter saw M23 fighters patrolling the border with Rwanda and cutting chains and padlocks that had barred the way for pedestrians and vehicles. “It feels like we are in a dual nation. We are in Congo and at the same time in Rwanda,” a resident of an upscale part of Goma said. At a border crossing between Goma and its Rwandan twin city of Gisenyi, Reuters reporters saw dozens of muscular white men, some in fatigues, coming over to the Rwandan side and lining up to have their luggage examined by police sniffer dogs. They submitted to being body-searched by Rwandan officers. UN sources and Rwandan officials said they were mercenaries hired by the DR Congo government. Several held Romanian passports. One told Reuters he was Romanian and had been in Goma about two years. After being searched, the mercenaries boarded coaches and were driven away. As the Rwandan-backed rebels gained ground in the last two years, DR Congo turned to private military companies to try to shore up their defences but the mercenaries appeared to offer little resistance when M23 marched into Goma on Monday. M23 is the latest ethnic Tutsi-led, Rwandan-backed insurgency to roil DR Congo since the aftermath of the genocide in Rwanda 30 years ago, when extremist Hutus killed Tutsis and moderate Hutus and then were toppled by the Tutsi-led forces led by now Rwanda President Paul Kagame . Rwanda says some of the ousted perpetrators have sheltered in DR Congo since the genocide, posing a threat to DR Congolese Tutsis and Rwanda itself. DR Congo rejects Rwanda’s complaints and says Rwanda has used its proxy militias to loot lucrative minerals. Source link #M23 #rebels #advance #southward #Bukavu #Congo Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

****** Ops 6 Season 2 Battle Pass Skin Looks Just Like a Fortnite Skin Because Activision Knows That’s What Sells ****** Ops 6 Season 2 Battle Pass Skin Looks Just Like a Fortnite Skin Because Activision Knows That’s What Sells Season 2 of Call of Duty ****** Ops 6 is just around the corner, and it brings with it many updates and changes to the base version of the game. As is routine with modern Call of Duty releases, this Season’s Battle Pass brings with it multiple Operator skins, which offer a cosmetic upgrade of sorts for players who have purchased the same. Of these, the Nocturne skin stands out in being one of the ‘instant’ unlocks available – but upon closer inspection, the skin appears to draw some heavy inspiration from Fortnite’s Raven cosmetic equip. ****** Ops 6 Season 2 battle pass features a Raven look-alike skin The Nocturne skin pack for ****** Ops 6 | Image Credit: Activision The official patch notes for Call of Duty ****** Ops 6 Season 2 bring with it several new additions to its battle pass, available starting January 28, 2025. Perhaps the most exciting addition would be the new Operator skins – Crimson One (Vortex) and Nocturne. Nocturne in particular can be instantly unlocked as soon as players purchase the Season 2 premium battle pass, and bring with it the following additional items: Nocturne Operator and Nocturne Operator BlackCell skin 10% Battle Pass EXP boost A ‘Skill Issue’ emote ‘Profit Sharing’ GobbleGum (2 units) A Legendary Weapon Blueprint for the XM4 Assault Rifle (Shared Fate) ‘Scarred’ Legendary Weapon Sticker This Nocturne Operator also bears an uncanny resemblance to the most popular skins to be ever released in Fortnite – the Raven skin. If you are unaware, the Raven is a Legendary outfit in Fortnite that can be purchased against a set amount of V-Bucks from the Item Shop (2000 or 3000, depending on whether you purchased the bundle). Both outfits feature a dark, leather-clad outfit with a purple motif – and the general ‘mysterious assassin’ vibe. The outfit does appear to make just the right number of modifications to not appear as a complete carbon copy, thankfully. Skins sell, and Activision isn’t shy to bank on Fortnite’s popularity, even if the latter has better skins Skins print money | Image Credit: Activision It is no secret that skins sell. They are one of the most popular cosmetic options available in any game – be it your traditional FPS or an anime-styled JRPG – of the free-to-play variety. This, coupled with Fortnite’s ridiculous popularity is a surefire recipe for success, and it makes a whole lot of sense for Activision to ‘copy’ Fortnite in this regard. After all, it’s a great way to grab any potential Fortnite players who are invested in the Call of Duty franchise as well, in addition to drawing in a newer audience. It should be noted here that Call of Duty isn’t exactly a small franchise by any definition either. Either way, competition breeds innovation, and it should be interesting to see how both companies keep each other on their toes. Fortnite’s Raven skin is miles better | Image Credit: Epic Games When comparing the two side by side, it is no contest – Fortnite possesses a much superior skin when compared to Call of Duty. The overall design and stylized, cartoony look of the skin is of much higher quality, exhibiting a finer attention to detail. In sharp contrast, the Nocturne Operator’s skin appears to be quite bland, perhaps leaning into the whole military look a bit too much. Call of Duty does have its fair share of ridiculous skins though, and the lack of this particular flair to the Nocturne skin is kind of unfortunate, given its generic look that does not seem worth purchasing the premium battle pass for. Additionally, the Raven skin also has a few interesting variants available – such as the LEGO and Bean styles which add an additional layer of variety for the player base to immerse themselves in. Are you getting the new Raven skin in BO6 or is it not for you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! Source link #****** #Ops #Season #Battle #Pass #Skin #Fortnite #Skin #Activision #Sells Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Microbes Uncovered in Amazon Peatlands Could Alter Global Carbon Dynamics Microbes Uncovered in Amazon Peatlands Could Alter Global Carbon Dynamics Microscopic organisms, discovered in the tropical peatlands of Peru’s northwestern Amazon, have been identified as playing a significant role in influencing Earth’s climate. Researchers, in collaboration with local institutions, have revealed how these microbes contribute to the carbon cycle in ways that could either mitigate or intensify climate change. Found in waterlogged and oxygen-deprived conditions, these microbes exhibit unique metabolic behaviours, which allow them to store or release carbon as greenhouse gases, depending on environmental changes. Microbial Contributions to the Carbon Cycle According to the study published in Microbiology Spectrum, the microbes belong to the Bathyarchaeia group and are essential for the carbon regulation in Amazonian peatlands. This region stores approximately 3.1 billion tons of carbon in its saturated soils. By slowing decomposition, peatlands act as a critical carbon sink. These microbes perform carbon cycling functions, such as consuming carbon monoxide, reducing environmental toxicity, and releasing hydrogen and CO2 for methane production. Their metabolic flexibility enables survival in fluctuating oxygen conditions. Potential Risks from Environmental Changes Experts have warned that environmental disturbances, such as deforestation, mining, and climate-induced changes in rainfall and temperature, threaten the balance of these ecosystems. If disrupted, these peatlands could release significant amounts of carbon dioxide and methane, intensifying global warming. Hinsby Cadillo-Quiroz, the study’s corresponding author and a researcher at Arizona State University, has emphasised in his statement to phys.org, that the need for sustainable management of tropical peatlands to preserve their carbon-storing capacity. Call for Preservation and Future Research The study highlights the importance of protecting these ecosystems to stabilise global carbon storage. Local partnerships in the Amazon have facilitated research into these hidden microbial communities. Researchers have also advocated for reducing human activities that disturb peatlands. Continued monitoring of microbial behaviour and environmental factors will be essential to predicting future impacts. This research, supported by the National Science Foundation, marks a step forward in understanding the role of microbial life in global carbon regulation. Future work aims to utilise these findings to restore and manage tropical peatlands effectively. Source link #Microbes #Uncovered #Amazon #Peatlands #Alter #Global #Carbon #Dynamics Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump reverses decades of civil rights progress with the stroke of a pen Trump reverses decades of civil rights progress with the stroke of a pen The U.S. president’s executive orders banishing from federal government diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and practices are disappointing and disheartening. However, they are not surprising. As the great writer Maya Angelou said, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” Donald J. Trump told us he was against DEI long before he was sworn in for a second term in the White House. In January of 2024, Trump said, “We will terminate every diversity, equity and inclusion program across the entire federal government.” He also said he would defund colleges and universities that continued DEI policies. So, it is not unexpected that among the slew of executive orders he signed on Jan. 20, his first day in office, were several tearing down and rolling back 1960s-era civil rights measures. He purged DEI from the federal government and the military. His orders abolished decades – more than half a century – of government standards on diversity and equality, while he continues to pressure corporations, colleges and government contractors to do the same. Trump undoes 60 years of equal rights protections In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed an order that gave the secretary of labor authority to ensure equal opportunity for people of color and women in federal contractors’ recruitment, hiring, training and other employment practices. Trump signing executive orders Johnson signed the order when ****** Americans were confronted with violence and cruel “Jim Crow” laws that prohibited ****** people from voting and limited them to segregated neighborhoods. While attempting to correct these injustices, the federal government forbade contractors to discriminate and pushed to ensure equal opportunity “based on race, color, religion, and national origin.” That now appears to be all gone. Erased. Eliminated. Killed. Deleted. Trump immediately placed on leave federal diversity, equity and inclusion employees. Agency heads were ordered to submit written plans for “executing a reduction-in-force action” (layoff plans) of DEI employees. Making this effort even more troubling is that government employees were urged to act as informers to root out hidden programs. Yes, they were encouraged to rat out their fellow employees, even though they were losing their own jobs. Opinion: In 2025, agree to make changes to improve your mental and physical health As part of his effort to “erase ****** history,” the U.S. Air Force was ordered to cease showing a video on the Tuskegee Airmen during training sessions. After a backlash, the Air Force reinstated the video on the heroic and legendary ****** airmen. How DEI actually created equal opportunity for all In recent months, Trump and fellow conservatives have baselessly blamed DEI policies for the spread of the California wildfires and the Secret Service’s action on his assassination attempt. They also push that DEI discriminates against white men, but that also is not true. Trump himself has called DEI programs “radical and wasteful,” “******** and immoral discrimination” and “anti-white racism.” These terms distort and confuse the truth. No president in the past 70 years has been as hostile to civil right progress as Trump. DEI policies are designed to help correct injustices and institutional racism that permeate every fiber of our society, including employment, education, housing and entrepreneurial opportunities. The purpose of DEI is not to take jobs away from white men or any other group of people. Rather, DEI programs were established to create equal opportunities for everyone, including minorities (*******, Asians, Hispanics and other cultures), women, disabled people, and those in the LGBT community. Bishop William Barber speaks during the “Stop the Attack on HBCUs” news conference at the Tennessee Capitol on Monday, April 1, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. Back in the 1960s, minorities did not have equal opportunities, regardless of their education and qualifications. And that still holds true today. This Trump move was anticipated by the civil rights community. Even before the executive orders were signed on Jan. 20, the Rev. William Barber, president of Repairers of the Breach and co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, said that President Johnson’s executive order was needed to fight discrimination of that era and is still needed today. Americans want to see corporations reflect their communities Just days after the new DEI orders were issued, the National Urban League hosted a “Demand Diversity Roundtable” that was attended by 19 national civil rights leaders. “There is a pressing need to safeguard DEI principles, confront regressive measures, and chart actionable strategies for advancing equal opportunity for all,” said Marc Morial, the Urban League president. Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley, president of the National Council of ****** Women, visited the National Slavery Museum Dec. 3, 2024 as part of an delegation invited by the White House to join President Joe Biden on his first trip to Angola. The president/CEO of the National Council of ****** Women, the Rev. Shavon Arline-Bradley, said Trump’s actions were “********, immoral and discriminatory,” and would significantly erode a civil rights enforcement tool that has been essential, “in particular for women’s progress.” The Roundtable discussed a recent Harris Poll (of liberals and conservatives) that showed that about 81% of Americans agree that corporate America should reflect the diversity of the American population and 78% of Americans support businesses taking active steps to make that happen. The poll was conducted on behalf of the ****** Economic Alliance Foundation, which noted that companies that value diversity are more effective than companies that don’t, and DEI programs benefit all Americans. Corporations that have been reported standing by their DEI programs include Cisco (whose CEO has defended the value of DEI at his company), Costco, Apple, Pinterest, Microsoft, J.P. Morgan, Marriott, Proctor and Gamble, and several airlines. Among those companies reported to have scrapped or scaled back their DEI programs are Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), McDonald’s, Walmart, Target, Amazon, Ford, Toyota and Lowe’s. Morial of the Urban League says he has spoken with the heads of several corporations who say their companies will stand by their commitments to DEI. He adds that corporate executives have emphasized to him that DEI is “good for business,” that they are offended by efforts to tell them how to run their businesses and concerned they are being intimidated by conservatives to drop DEI programs. Trump’s orders are not the first obstacles on the road to equal rights. Even Dr. Martin Luther King wrote of civil rights progress, “… There will be agonizing setbacks along with creative advances.” ****** leaders today are determined to march forward on this issue. Elected officials must use their voices to support DEI. Corporate leaders must speak up and reject the pressure to acquiesce. Some leaders have mentioned leveraging the $1.8 trillion buying power of the ****** community. Lynn Norment We cannot be silent and complacent as our civil rights are rolled back. We all can and must fight back, regardless of the color of our skin. As Marc Morial says: “It’s a long battle, a long fight. But it’s a fight for what is best for our country.” Lynn Norment, a columnist for The Commercial Appeal, is a former editor for Ebony Magazine. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: DEI is not the enemy, but equality is at risk under Trump | Opinion Source link #Trump #reverses #decades #civil #rights #progress #stroke #pen Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition DLC Cancelled Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition DLC Cancelled · · January 29, 2025 The planned DLC for Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition has been cancelled, developer World’s Edge has announced. In a message posted on the game’s website, the studio says it was a decision that “was not made lightly.” They said that when the announcement of the DLC was made, it was done so “prematurely”. “While considering the inclusions for last year’s show, we wanted to ensure that Age III: DE players felt part of the franchise celebration as we know you have huge passion and love for the game,” they said. “However, pushing to ensure that the game was included meant we announced content before it had been built… “We know that this is a huge disappointment, and many of you were excited for more content. We were able to put out a patch for the game towards the end of last year but understand that it was not the size and scope you were hoping for.” PODCAST: Xbox Developers Direct Us: Insider Gaming Weekly Podcast Despite the DLC no longer happening, World’s Edge says that it will continue to maintain the game’s servers as well as rotate available civilizations in the game’s free trial. Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition first launched in 2020 on PC. The game is available via Steam and on Xbox’s PC Game Pass. What do you think of World’s Edge cancelling the announced Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition DLC? Let us know down below, and join more discussions in the official Insider Gaming forums. For more Insider Gaming, read about why the new story DLC for The Division 2 was delayed and check out the details for the latest major update to No Man’s Sky. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Age #Empires #Definitive #Edition #DLC #Cancelled Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The key figures Wall Street is watching for in META, MSFT and TSLA earnings The key figures Wall Street is watching for in META, MSFT and TSLA earnings All eyes are on earnings from major tech heavyweights due this week, particularly as this week’s DeepSeek-fueled tech sell-off has led to further scrutiny on the high valuations and artificial intelligence ambitions of U.S. technology stocks. With Meta Platforms , Tesla and Microsoft each set to report quarterly results after Wednesday’s market close, CNBC Pro combed through several analyst reports to find the most important figures Wall Street will key on from these companies. Eyes on Meta’s AI capex spending of around $60 billion Citi analyst Ronald Josey is one of the many analysts who expects a significant AI capital expenditures ramp up from Meta this year. He forecasts roughly $58 billion in capex spending ahead. Other firms have similar expectations — Goldman called for total capex of $60.2 billion, and JPMorgan projected $64 billion. These investments also make Meta a long-term AI play, analysts say, particularly as optimism on the company’s advertising growth, Instagram Reels potential and capex spending investments remains high. Josey recently named Meta his top Internet pick. He expects the company to beat expectations in its upcoming report and show improving engagement and monetization gains amid a healthy online advertising market. “******* picture, we believe Meta’s product super-cycle can deliver multiple vectors of growth as its investments in CapEx further deepens its product moat,” Josey said in a Jan. 20 note. He added that Meta’s products — such as Meta AI, search, Llama, AI agent tools for creators and small businesses, and Reels advertisements — all present growth opportunities for the company. Goldman and JPMorgan are also bullish on Meta’s revenue growth being driven by several AI-related advertising growth opportunities in areas such as in Reels, Meta AI, Llama AI models, click-to-message advertising and improved content recommendations. Goldman analyst Eric Sheridan has a particularly strong outlook on Meta’s revenue, forecasting potential compounded annual revenue growth in the mid-teens through 2025. He has a buy rating on the stock. “We continue to view META as well-positioned against several long-term secular growth themes and are encouraged by the positive momentum across key product initiatives incl. Reels, click-to-messaging Ads and AI,” Sheridan said in a Jan. 13 note to clients. Wells Fargo remains overweight on Meta shares, but is one name that’s more cautious on the stock in the near term given the potential for a slowdown in ad spending after a strong holiday season. Still, the firm has a $685 price target and views the stock as an earnings compounder and “accelerating growth story.” Watching Tesla’s year-over-year delivery growth target Analysts are looking to see if Tesla can achieve its goal to increase deliveries by up to 30% this year, especially as the company has struggled with competition from ******** EV makers and saw its first decline in annual vehicle sales last year. Tesla released an updated version of its Model Y crossover SUV earlier this week, ahead of its expected launch in the first half of this year of a more affordable Model Y car that the carmaker hopes could boost sales. Goldman Sachs analyst Mark Delaney is modeling 12% year-over-year growth in deliveries, significantly below Tesla’s 20% to 30% target. “We believe that how quickly production of the new Model Y ramps, and when Tesla launches new model(s) will be key variables in terms of how fast Tesla grows,” he said in a Jan. 15 note. Delaney does expect Tesla to be well-positioned in the long run, but sees several potential risk factors ahead, expecting the ramp in FSD technology to take longer than Tesla is currently forecasting and 2025 delivery numbers to be lower than the company’s outlook. The analyst has a neutral rating on the stock. Analysts in general are split on Tesla. LSEG data shows that 23 of 52 who cover the EV maker rate it a buy or strong buy. However, another 25 have a hold or underperform rating, while four recommend selling it outright. Tesla shares have slipped about 2% in early 2025. That said, they are up more than 100% over the past year. Microsoft’s Azure revenue Analysts are watching for Microsoft to prove accelerating growth in its Azure cloud-computing business, particularly as the company has steadily underperformed the Nasdaq Composite and all of its megacap tech peers over the past year. Azure growth has now slowed for two straight quarters. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in October that the Microsoft’s AI business is on track to surpass an annual revenue run rate of $10 billion by fiscal second quarter, making it “the fastest business in our history to reach this milestone.” The question now, according to Bernstein analyst Mark Moerdler, is how much greater than $10 billion in revenue the company will see — and whether the report indicates AI revenue for the fourth quarter. Moerdler has one of the more bullish price targets among Wall Street analysts, giving the stock an outperform rating and $516 target, which indicates 15.4% potential upside. “We believe expectations are relatively muted for Azure setting the stock up well,” he said in a Monday note. “Azure has become a critical factor in driving growth for Microsoft and how Azure does through the end of FY could be quite impactful on the stock.” Analysts polled by FactSet expect Microsoft’s earnings to come out at $3.16 per share on overall revenue of $68.87 billion. Microsoft’s shares are up about 6.1% this year and 11.5% over the past year. Microsoft’s cheaper valuation against its peers and bets on its Azure growth are also behind Goldman Sachs’ and Piper Sandler’s expectations on its strong quarterly performance. Piper Sandler said it’s optimistic on Microsoft exceeding its $10 billion revenue goal driven by greater Azure workloads. That would reinforce the company’s “value of a first-mover advantage in AI,” the firm wrote in a Monday note, noting that Azure is looking to beat a $100 billion run rate annually by March 2026, driven by increasing customer demand for its AI services. “This milestone elevates MSFT into one of the few technology platforms not only showing real-world monetization but also an impressive growth trajectory driven by broad enterprise adoption,” analyst Brent Bracelin said in the note. “There are few AI business models operating at $10B+ scale yet still growing triple-digits.” Source link #key #figures #Wall #Street #watching #META #MSFT #TSLA #earnings Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

RFK Jr confirmation hearing live: Donald Trump's health secretary pick faces Senate grilling – BBC.com RFK Jr confirmation hearing live: Donald Trump's health secretary pick faces Senate grilling – BBC.com RFK Jr confirmation hearing live: Donald Trump’s health secretary pick faces Senate grilling BBC.comHHS Sec. Nominee RFK Jr. Testifies at Confirmation Hearing C-SPAN From anti-vaccine advocacy to raw milk, many of RFK Jr.’s views fall outside the mainstream The Associated PressKey GOP senators want public commitments from RFK Jr. on abortion and vaccines during confirmation hearings CNN Source link #RFK #confirmation #hearing #live #Donald #Trump039s #health #secretary #pick #faces #Senate #grilling #BBC.com Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What to know about retirement funds if your employer merges or is acquired What to know about retirement funds if your employer merges or is acquired Momo Productions | Digitalvision | Getty Images Mergers and acquisitions happen all the time between companies of varying size and notoriety. These can be a great opportunity for businesses and owners to achieve their strategic or long-term goals, but often leave employees feeling uneasy and confused about what the deal means for them — especially when it comes to retirement plans. Here are a few things you should know if your company is being impacted by an M&A transaction: How M&As negotiate retirement plans Though it may not be obvious on the surface, the treatment of retirement plans is a critical part of the M&A process. Before the M&A transaction is finalized, leadership from both companies will typically meet to discuss and compare their respective retirement plan offerings. This includes important items such as contribution limits, applicable fees, investment options, and vesting schedules. More from Your Money: Here’s a look at more stories on how to manage, grow and protect your money for the years ahead. Regardless of the size of your company, there are federal laws that protect many aspects of employee benefits. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or ERISA, for example, ensures that vested employee benefits aren’t adversely impacted because of an M&A transaction. As such, the primary purpose of ERISA is to ensure plans are properly integrated while maintaining employees’ vested rights. What retirement plan changes to expect Employees may be understandably concerned over potential changes to their retirement benefits during an M&A transaction, but there are often new retirement options that are an even better fit than their existing plan. Here’s what an M&A deal can mean for defined-contribution plans such as 401(k) plans: New investment options: Depending on the situation, employees may gain access to entirely new investment options which could improve their overall retirement outlook. However, employees may have to become comfortable with a new user interface on a different investment platform. Adjusted contribution levels and matching policies: Changes to contribution limits and employer match policies may be more generous than in an employee’s previous plan. It may also be less competitive in some cases. Amended vesting schedules: Adjustments to the vesting schedule – how long an employee has to work in order to access the entirety of their benefits – may also occur. This could mean earlier access to retirement benefits, or added restrictions. Transition to a new plan: If an employer decides to completely replace an existing plan, employees will need to educate themselves on the changes to their benefits and pros and cons of each new plan option. While pensions are less common today, there are still many people who rely on them or are planning to utilize pension benefits in their retirement. These pension funds can undergo dramatic changes during an M&A transaction, so employees should remain vigilant to any proposed changes to the pension program. Here’s what an M&A transaction can mean for pension plans: Continuation under new ownership: The new company may choose to continue the pension program with as few changes as possible. This is typically the most employee-friendly decision. Freezing pensions: If the new or larger organization decides to freeze pensions, existing benefits will still be provided, but new employees will not be afforded access. Termination of pensions: In some cases, employers may decide to cut pensions entirely. In these cases, employees may receive a lump sum as compensation for the elimination of the pension program. Existing balances are secure Thanks to protections from ERISA and other legal guidelines, employees are safeguarded and can’t “lose” existing money. Companies are prohibited from moving or removing funds that are already contributed by employees, and all vested benefits are secured. That said, there are some important long-term implications to keep in mind: Market performance and individual goals: When you change your investment options or contribution amounts and schedules, your projected retirement savings are also likely to change in some way. This is important to monitor, especially if you have retirement milestones that you are expecting to reach. Stage of life: Employees who are closer to retirement age are naturally going to feel that any changes may impact their future more acutely. The primary takeaway being existing balances are always secure, but unvested contributions or benefits an employee is expecting to gain in the future may not always carry over to a new plan. Employees should always review all documentation associated with a new retirement plan to fully understand how the changes will impact their short and long-term financial goals. Employees also have certain legal protections under ERISA that ensure they receive advance notice of any material plan changes, and companies are generally obliged to provide training, documentation and access to additional resources to all employees. The changes brought on by an M&A transaction can be challenging for even the most seasoned and well-informed employees. Therefore, it is important that employees always utilize the tools at their disposal to protect their financial outlook, especially when retirement is approaching. Stay informed, ask questions and ensure your financial goals remain on track. —By Rick Calabrese, Esq., a certified public accountant and co-founder of advisory firm Commonwealth M&A. Source link #retirement #funds #employer #merges #acquired Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Charity stops using Captain Sir Tom Moore’s name Charity stops using Captain Sir Tom Moore’s name A charity set up to further the legacy of Captain Sir Tom Moore will no longer use his name. The Captain Tom Foundation was set up in honour of the fundraiser from Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire. His daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore and her husband Colin Ingram-Moore later become directors. The pair were both disqualified from being charity trustees by the Charity Commission in July after a report found they benefited from and mismanaged the foundation. The commission confirmed the charity has applied to change its name on the Register of Charities after documents submitted to Companies House showed it has been renamed as The 1189808 Foundation. Capt Sir Tom became a household name during the first Covid-19 lockdown after he walked up and down his driveway to raise £38.9m for NHS Charities Together. The Captain Tom Foundation was registered as a grant-making charity two months after his walk began. The World War Two veteran died aged 100 in February 2021, with coronavirus. Mr and Mrs Ingram-Moore became directors the day before he died. The couple’s roles came into question in June 2022, when the commission launched a statutory inquiry to determine if they had benefited privately at the charity’s expense. David Holdsworth, the chief executive of the Charity Commission, said there were repeated instances of a “blurring of boundaries between private and charitable interests” and that Hannah and Colin Ingram-Moore benefited significantly. Capt Sir Tom’s family said they had been treated “unfairly and unjustly”. Source link #Charity #stops #Captain #Sir #Tom #Moores Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

*********** neo-nazis arrested in Adelaide Australia Day march claim they did nothing wrong *********** neo-nazis arrested in Adelaide Australia Day march claim they did nothing wrong A gang of neo-Nazis arrested over a racist Australia Day rally has vowed to hire far right-wing lawyers to fight their charges as a Perth man charged over the march claimed the group simply believed in “*********** patriotism”. James Allan Holliday touched down at Perth Airport on Wednesday morning after facing Adelaide Magistrates Court over claims he joined other members of the National Socialist Network to march through Adelaide at the weekend. Police have charged Mr Holliday, 25, of Marangaroo, with carrying an offensive weapon or article of disguise, using a nazi symbol, and giving a nazi salute. Camera IconSpeaking to 7NEWS, Mr Holliday, denied displaying a Nazi symbol and when asked what he was doing at the march, replied: “Celebrating Australia Day.” Credit: 7NEWS/supplied Speaking to 7NEWS, Mr Holliday, denied displaying a nazi symbol and when asked what he was doing at the march, replied: “Celebrating Australia Day.” Asked to respond to comments by Police Commissioner Col Blanch this week, who said “doors will be coming off their hinges” in response to revelations the group was looking to expand in WA, Mr Holliday said, “For what? For celebrating Australia Day?” When asked, “Don’t you think it’s pretty clear this behaviour is not welcome here in Australia?” Mr Holliday repeated he was “Celebrating Australia Day in Australia”. And pressed on whether he was proud of his alleged behaviour, Mr Holliday said, “Of course I am. You sing Waltzing Matilda and say Happy Australia Day. There is nothing to be more proud of on Australia Day.” Mr Holliday said the National Socialist Network believed “in *********** patriotism, my friend” before refusing to answer further questions. Two other WA men were charged over the march, including Mason James Robbins, 30, who is facing claims he was carrying an offensive weapon or article of disguise and using a nazi symbol. Camera IconMr Holliday said the National Socialist Network believed “in *********** patriotism, my friend” before refusing to answer further questions. Credit: 7NEWS/supplied The court was told the charge of displaying a nazi symbol was linked to the wearing of the insignia of the NSN. One-time Busselton council candidate Stephen Wells, 55, of Broadwater, is charged with loitering. He did not apply for bail after he said he did not accept the “jurisdiction of this court”. The group made headlines across the country after protesting in Adelaide’s city centre dressed in ****** and allegedly chanting “white man fight back” and singing Waltzing Matilda. Earlier this week, The West *********** reported the NSN was actively recruiting young men via social media, posting photographs of themselves with the group’s flag. Mr Blanch said police knew the identities of those purporting to be white supremacists and they were being tracked. “We know who they are, we know where they live, and we know their presence online,” he said. Mr Blanch added police would be speaking to the trio charged over the Adelaide march after their return to WA. He encouraged people to call out extremist behaviour in the community. Premier Roger Cook on Wednesday said, “I absolutely endorse the words of the police commissioner when he says he will kick down doors to arrest people who undermine the Western *********** way of life.” Source link #*********** #neonazis #arrested #Adelaide #Australia #Day #march #claim #wrong Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Rachel Reeves backs Heathrow expansion to boost *** growth Rachel Reeves backs Heathrow expansion to boost *** growth Brian Wheeler Political reporter Rachel Reeves: Low growth is not our destiny Chancellor Rachel Reeves has backed a third runway at London’s Heathrow Airport as part of a fresh plan to get the ***’s sluggish economy growing. She said Heathrow expansion, which has been delayed for decades over environmental concerns, would “make Britain the world’s best connected place to do business”. In a wide-ranging speech to business leaders, she also backed expansions at Luton and Gatwick airports, as well as a “growth corridor” between Oxford and Cambridge, which she claimed could be “Europe’s Silicon Valley”. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the plans had mostly been stolen from her party but claimed that Labour’s new employment laws would destroy any prospect of growth. In her speech, Reeves sought to inject optimism and confidence into the economy, which has taken a battering in recent months as growth has flatlined. She hit back at Conservative claims that her “job destroying” Budget was to blame, insisting she had “no alternative” but to increase employers’ National Insurance to restore stability. She did not explicitly rule out further tax increases in the spring – but insisted the government had “begun to turn things round” and was determined to go “further and faster” to boost growth. She described the *** as a country of “huge potential” which had been “held back” for “too long” because politicians lacked the “courage” to challenge the status quo. “Low growth is not our destiny, but growth will not come without a fight, without a government willing to take the right decisions now to change our country’s future for the better,” she added. The government has made growth its top priority because so many of its other plans – to improve public services and living standards, as well as its chances of winning the next election – depend on it. Other projects announced today include a major redevelopment of Old Trafford, the area around a new stadium for Manchester United, and a plan to bring Doncaster/Sheffield airport back into use and boost industry at East Midlands airport. The government also promised better rail and road links to cut the journey time between Oxford and Cambridge, as well as new reservoirs to address water shortages in the area and investment in high tech industries. Reeves claimed the new “growth corridor” would add up to £78bn to the *** economy by 2035. Many of the projects are unlikely to be completed before the next general election. Reeves acknowledged that today’s announcements were the start of a long process. But Labour is hoping they will send a signal to business and consumers that the government is serious about growth – and that voters will notice signs work is under way. New powers in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill would cut years off the length periods it has taken to get major infrastructure projects off the ground, according to Reeves. She said she has been “genuinely shocked” at how slow planning system is – adding developers should be able to stop worrying about “the bats and the newts”. And Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to get rid of a “thicket of red tape” that he claimed was deterring foreign investment, in an article for The Times. The government is also relaxing restrictions on big pension funds to encourage them to invest more in *** businesses. PMQs: Badenoch accuses the government of “destroying” growth The government will also review the so-called Green Book rules – guidance issued by the Treasury on how to appraise policies, programmes and projects – which it said have in the past biased infrastructure spending to already fast growing areas, mainly in the south. The third runway at Heathrow has yet to receive planning permission and is likely to face fierce opposition from environmental campaigners, as well as some senior Labour figures such as London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan. But Reeves said she wanted to see a full proposal for expanding the airport by the summer and was determined to see it built. Sir Sadiq said he would study the proposals but added: “I’m simply not convinced that you can have hundreds of thousands of additional flights at Heathrow every year without a hugely damaging impact on our environment.” Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye described the chancellor’s speech as “the bold, responsible vision the *** needs to thrive in the 21st century”. Downing Street said a new runway at Heathrow was already part of the government’s “carbon budget assumptions”. The PM’s official spokesman told reporters the aviation industry had made “great strides” to boost its green credentials including the use of sustainable fuel. At prime minister’s questions, Kemi Badenoch took aim at the government’s Employment Rights Bill, which aims to strengthen workers’ rights. The Conservatives claimed it would “hammer” businesses and destroy growth, and urged the PM to scrap the parts that will extend entitlement to statutory sick pay. “Government itself, his government itself, estimates that these changes will increase business costs from £600m to £1bn in sick pay,” she told Sir Keir. “That will mean higher prices, fewer jobs, less growth.” The prime minister insisted the new laws would be “good for workers and good for growth” and accused the Tories of being “a coalition of blockers”. Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey called on Sir Keir to drop his objections to a ***-EU customs union and other “growth damaging trade barriers” on an upcoming trip to Brussels. Source link #Rachel #Reeves #backs #Heathrow #expansion #boost #growth Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

AI research team claims to reproduce DeepSeek core technologies for $30 — relatively small R1-Zero model has remarkable problem-solving abilities AI research team claims to reproduce DeepSeek core technologies for $30 — relatively small R1-Zero model has remarkable problem-solving abilities An AI research team from the University of California, Berkeley, led by Ph.D. candidate Jiayi Pan, claims to have reproduced DeepSeek R1-Zero’s core technologies for just $30, showing how advanced models could be implemented affordably. According to Jiayi Pan on Nitter, their team reproduced DeepSeek R1-Zero in the Countdown game, and the small language model, with its 3 billion parameters, developed self-verification and search abilities through reinforcement learning. Pan says they started with a base language model, prompt, and a ground-truth reward. From there, the team ran reinforcement learning based on the Countdown game. This game is based on a British game show of the same name, where, in one segment, players are tasked to find a random target number from a group of other numbers assigned to them using basic arithmetic. The team said their model started with ****** outputs but eventually developed tactics like revision and search to find the correct answer. One example showed the model proposing an answer, verifying whether it was right, and revising it through several iterations until it found the correct solution. Aside from Countdown, Pan also tried multiplication on their model, and it used a different technique to solve the equation. It broke down the problem using the distributive property of multiplication (much in the same way as some of us would do when multiplying large numbers mentally) and then solved it step-by-step. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Jiayi Pan / nitter) (Image credit: Jiayi Pan / nitter) The Berkeley team experimented with different bases with their model based on the DeepSeek R1-Zero—they started with one that only had 500 million parameters, where the model would only guess a possible solution and then stop, no matter if it found the correct answer or not. However, they started getting results where the models learned different techniques to achieve higher scores when they used a base with 1.5 billion parameters. Higher parameters (3 to 7 billion) led to the model finding the correct answer in fewer steps. But what’s more impressive is that the Berkeley team claims it only cost around $30 to accomplish this. Currently, OpenAI’s o1 APIs cost $15 per million input tokens—more than 27 times pricier than DeepSeek-R1’s $0.55 per million input tokens. Pan says this project aims to make emerging reinforcement learning scaling research more accessible, especially with its low costs. However, machine learning expert Nathan Lambert is disputing DeepSeek’s actual cost, saying that its reported $5 million cost for training its 671 billion LLM does not show the full picture. Other costs like research personnel, infrastructure, and electricity aren’t seemingly included in the computation, with Lambert estimating DeepSeek AI’s annual operating costs to be between $500 million and more than $1 billion. Nevertheless, this is still an achievement, especially as competing American AI models are spending $10 billion annually on their AI efforts. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #research #team #claims #reproduce #DeepSeek #core #technologies #small #R1Zero #model #remarkable #problemsolving #abilities Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Princess Beatrice gives birth to second baby girl Princess Beatrice gives birth to second baby girl Princess Beatrice, King Charles’ niece, has given birth to a baby girl, her second daughter and child with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Buckingham Palace says. The baby, Athena Elizabeth Rose Mapelli Mozzi, was born several weeks prematurely at London’s Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on January 22. She weighed 1.95kg. “She is tiny and absolutely perfect,” Mapelli Mozzi said in a post on his personal Instagram page. “We are all (including Wolfie and Sienna) already completely besotted with her.” The princess and her husband released a photograph of their daughter, showing Athena with dark hair, wearing a white long-sleeved garment and wrapped in a pink blanket with her face hidden by her arm. Beatrice, 36, married property developer Mapelli Mozzi in July 2020. The couple already have one daughter, Sienna, who was born in September 2021. Mapelli Mozzi also has a son called Wolfie, eight, from a previous relationship. Beatrice is the ninth-in-line to the throne and the eldest daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York. “Their majesties the King and Queen and other members of the royal family have all been informed and are delighted with the news,” the statement said. with PA Source link #Princess #Beatrice #birth #baby #girl Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The population exodus from antiabortion states is underway and may be picking up steam The population exodus from antiabortion states is underway and may be picking up steam It wasn’t a stretch to predict that the strict abortion bans in states such as Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas would have demographic effects — driving residents out of those states and reducing migration from abortion-protective states. New research has validated that prediction and put meat on its bones. Most notably, economists at Georgia Tech reported in a paper published this month that by mid-2023, the 13 states with total bans had suffered a combined net loss of an estimated 36,000 residents per quarter, or more than 144,000 per year. Over two years, that amounts to a net loss of more than one-third of a percent of the combined population of about 80 million in the 13 states with abortion bans. State abortion policies alter the relative attractiveness of locations and the geographic distribution of human capital. Dench et al Over time, the trend could result in a population 1% lower than it would have been if the abortion bans weren’t in place. That should be enough to catch the attention of lawmakers in those states because of its potential to negate programs aimed at luring workers and families. “It should concern them in terms of the population that will be available to work in their states over time,” Georgia Tech economist Daniel L. Dench, a co-author of the paper, told me. The magnitude of the population loss, the paper estimated, is equivalent to the outflow that would be caused by a 10% increase in local crime rates. The effect was more pronounced among single-person households than families, the researchers found. That suggests “an outsized influence of reproductive rights on younger, more mobile populations,” they wrote — possibly because the logistics of moving a family are more burdensome than for single persons, and also that single people may be more likely to be women of childbearing age. “State abortion policies alter the relative attractiveness of locations and the geographic distribution of human capital,” the paper concludes. Read more: Column: A reminder that the GOP used to be the pro-abortion party, and Democrats the anti party The new study contributes valuable grist for the continuing debate over the social and economic impacts of abortion restrictions. A few months after the Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned the guarantee of abortion rights, the conservative legal scholar Ilya Somin of George Mason University conjectured that any brain drain would be “relatively small.” He based his guess on the fact that abortions were concentrated among low-income women. “Most highly educated women are unlikely to ever get an abortion,” he wrote, “and many of those who might need one can potentially avail themselves of various substitutes for getting one in-state.” This was a blinkered view of reproductive healthcare rights, however. It has since become evident that strict antiabortion laws don’t only affect women seeking elective abortions, but those experiencing pregnancy-related emergencies who are denied the full panoply of medical treatments, turning even routine complications into life-threatening conditions. In Texas, which imposed its abortion ban in September 2021, even before the Dobbs ruling, the maternal death rate rose to 28.5 per 100,000 live births in 2022, well above the national average of 22.3. The rate rose by 56% from 2019 through 2022. The Georgia Tech findings resemble those of more specialized surveys tracking the effect of abortion bans and restrictions imposed by many states after the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade. For example, applications from medical students for residency positions in obstetrics and gynecology in abortion-banning states fell 11.7% in 2023 from the previous year, and by another 6.7% in 2024, according to the Assn. of American Medical Colleges. The reasons aren’t hard to fathom. For one thing, OB/GYN residency programs can’t be accredited unless they provide clinical experience in abortion care. That might be impossible in abortion-ban states, though programs can arrange for that training to be delivered in other states. Read more: Column: As 10 states prepare to vote on abortion rights, Texas shows that abortion bans kill women Living and working in a state where routine medical treatments might expose them to criminal prosecution, stiff prison terms, fines, the loss of medical licenses and lawsuits, moreover, can’t be appealing to physicians considering where to apply for training and open their practices. In emergency medicine — a specialty in which doctors may have to make split-second decisions on treating pregnant women with urgent conditions — the drop was even greater, down 23.7% in 2023 and a further 7.1% in 2024. Fall-offs were seen in residency applications in other specialties that might be affected by abortion bans, such as pediatrics and family medicine. Business owners also have complained that abortion bans raise their costs, because they have to offer better healthcare benefits to recruits to counteract the reduction in reproductive health benefits and have to commit themselves to paying for out-of-state travel for affected workers and their family members. A number of states (crosshatched) have imposed total bans on abortions, and others (gray) have enacted bans after six weeks of gestation — often before women know they are pregnant. (Guttmacher Institute) A coalition of 39 Texas businesses made that point in a friend-of-the-court brief to the Texas Supreme Court in 2023, while the court pondered the state’s abortion ban. (The court upheld the ban.) The ban and related restrictions on medical care were not only increasing businesses’ costs but “driving away top talent, risking potential future business coming to the State, and threatening a diverse workforce,” the plaintiffs stated. “This is not hyperbole.” The plaintiffs cited numerous anecdotes of professional workers who moved to jobs out of state, refused relocations to Texas, or declined job offers. “These stories are not anomalies,” the brief warned, citing a survey finding that one-third of job-seekers will apply for positions only in states with unrestricted access to reproductive healthcare and that more than a fourth of workers already living in restrictive states will apply for jobs only in states where abortion is currently legal and likely to remain so. It’s true that factors other than the availability of healthcare influence decisions on where to live and work — taxes, weather and climate and the cost of living, among other things. Read more: Column: As professionals flee antiabortion policies, red states face a brain drain California’s salubrious climate, vigorous, entrepreneurial economy and guarantee of reproductive healthcare rights didn’t avert a population decline earlier in this decade. Because the population of other states grew faster than California’s prior to the 2020 census, California lost a House seat for the first time in its history. Its House delegation of 52 remains nearly half-again as large as that of second-place Texas, with 38. In any event, California’s population grew strongly in the two years ended June 30, 2024, thanks in part to higher legal immigration, increased inflows from other states and reduced outflows, and an increase in net natural gains (births minus deaths). The Georgia Tech economists neutralized non-abortion-related influences by comparing the 13 states with abortion bans to a sample of 25 states that are similar except for the lack of a ban (the researchers labeled these “abortion-protecting states”). They used postal service change-of-address records to track population outflows; the records were only available through the second quarter of 2023, limiting their ability to extend their study beyond that point. They found that net population outflows increased sharply after the Dobbs ruling in states that immediately imposed abortion bans, and have largely continued to increase over time especially in single-person households. The abortion-banning states examined in the study are Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The Wisconsin ban was overturned in state court in September 2023 and the Missouri ban was blocked in late 2024. The researchers didn’t produce hard data on population changes in 13 states that have restricted, but not banned, abortions, typically by banning abortions after a certain gestational age. The researchers labeled these “hostile states,” and found no reason to believe that they wouldn’t also experience population losses. “The effect in hostile states looks like it’s in the same direction and of a similar magnitude,” Dench says. The implications for state policymakers should be plain — if they don’t allow antiabortion ideology to outweigh social and economic realities. Among other factors, well-educated and socially aware people are likely to be more attentive to reproductive healthcare rights. “Who is being deterred from living in states with restricted abortion access?” the authors ask. “The fact that highly educated individuals tend to be more mobile and more supportive of abortion access,” they write, has “important implications for state economies.” Get the latest from Michael HiltzikCommentary on economics and more from a Pulitzer Prize winner.Sign me up. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Source link #population #exodus #antiabortion #states #underway #picking #steam Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Huawei adds DeepSeek-optimized inference support for its Ascend AI GPUs Huawei adds DeepSeek-optimized inference support for its Ascend AI GPUs On January 27, the same day Nvidia’s stock price plummeted after the market fully appreciated what the ******** LLM meant for the industry, China-based Huawei posted an article announcing that the distilled R1 AI model was then available for free via its ModelArts Studio platform. The tech company explicitly said this version is “Ascend-adapted,” as in Huawei’s Ascend data center GPUs. Huawei doesn’t detail exactly what kinds of Ascend GPUs it uses for ModelArts Studio, particularly regarding the R1, but AI industry figures like Yuchen Jin believe that it may be the latest Ascend 910C. This new GPU was said to be sampled to customers in September, so it’s possible the 910C has already been added to Huawei’s cloud servers. Although R1 was reportedly trained on over two thousand H800 GPUs from Nvidia, it’s significant for Huawei that the company’s GPUs have explicit support for actually running the LLM. This could cut out yet another part of the process where AI firms in China had to rely on Western companies, in this case, Nvidia and AMD, whose GPUs are sought out for both training and inference thanks to their high performance. However, Huawei may be catching up. “Inference performance on Huawei 910C achieves 60% of the H100’s performance from developers [sic] experience,” Jin said on X. “With hand-written ***** kernels and optimizations, the performance is higher.” Jin also noted that the 910C could also be used for training, but the R1 was officially trained using H800 chips, though that doesn’t mean DeepSeek will continue to use those H800s forever. Performance is a significant problem for Nvidia in China, as Biden-era sanctions issued by the US government prevent companies from selling processors that are deemed too fast. Many of Nvidia’s best data center GPUs, like its H200 and B200, can’t be legally exported to China, forcing Nvidia to develop new models specifically for China that just barely meet the performance limit. In fact, the H800, which DeepSeek claimed to use to train the R1 LLM, was launched after the Biden administration’s initial round of GPU export restrictions on China, in order to offer an alternative to the banned H100. However, the H800 and other Nvidia GPUs for the ******** market were banned after the next round of sanctions, which lowered the performance cap of chips that could be legally sold in China. Because of the US government’s export restrictions, Nvidia is forced to compete in China with weaker hardware; the chip company’s flagship for China, the H20, has much less memory, memory bandwidth, and TFLOPs than the H200, the top-end Hopper-based card. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. This has apparently had a very real impact on Nvidia’s fortunes in China, and in May 2024, it was selling the H20 for less than Huawei’s Ascend 910B. However, H20 sales were apparently much better in the second half of last year, with its revenue growing by 50% in Q4 compared to Q3, after back-to-back quarters of healthy growth. Either way, Nvidia would certainly be in a better position against its ******** competitors if it could sell its most powerful GPUs to China. It’s not just about Nvidia being able to compete in China, though. Being able to run a ******** LLM with cutting-edge performance on ******** processors could be a major milestone for the country’s path to technological autarky. If the Ascend 910C or another ******** GPU proves sufficient for training and inference, there will probably be even less need for processors like the H20. Of course, China isn’t quite ready to completely ditch Western chips until it progresses in chip manufacturing, but companies like Huawei are working on it. Source link #Huawei #adds #DeepSeekoptimized #inference #support #Ascend #GPUs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

3 coup-hit West African nations formally leave ECOWAS regional bloc 3 coup-hit West African nations formally leave ECOWAS regional bloc ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The junta-led West African nations of ******, Mali and Burkina Faso have formally withdrawn from the regional bloc known as ECOWAS, the body said Wednesday, the culmination of a yearlong process during which the group tried to avert an unprecedented disintegration. The withdrawal of the three countries, first announced a year ago, “has become effective today,” ECOWAS said in a statement. The bloc, however, said that it has also decided to “keep ECOWAS’ doors open,” requesting member nations to continue to accord the trio of nations membership privileges, including free movement within the region with an ECOWAS passport. Widely seen as West Africa’s top political and regional authority, the 15-nation ECOWAS was formed in 1975 to “promote economic integration” in member states. It has struggled in recent years to reverse rampant coups in the region where citizens have complained of not benefitting from rich natural resources. The bloc has since grown to become the region’s top political authority, often collaborating with states to solve domestic challenges on various fronts from politics to economics and security. Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwards In parts of West Africa, however, ECOWAS has lost its effectiveness and support among citizens, who see it as representing only the interests of the leaders and not that of the masses, said Oge Onubogu, director of the Africa Program at the Washington-based Wilson Center think tank. After coming into power, the juntas in ******, Mali and Burkina Faso announced that they were leaving ECOWAS, and they created their own security partnership, the Alliance of Sahel States, in September. It’s the first time in the bloc’s half-century of existence that its members have withdrawn in such a manner. Analysts say it’s an unprecedented blow to the group that could threaten efforts to return democracy and help stabilize the increasingly fragile region. ECOWAS said that its members were also required to treat goods and services coming from the three countries in according with ECOWAS regulations and provide full support and cooperation to ECOWAS officials from the countries during their assignments. Source link #couphit #West #African #nations #formally #leave #ECOWAS #regional #bloc Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What is a Neural Network? What is a Neural Network? As the name suggests, neural networks are inspired by the brain. A neural network is designed to mimic how our brains work to recognize complex patterns and improve over time. Neural networks train themselves to handle large datasets, recognize patterns in that data, and then predict the output for a new set of similar data. Neural networks can be tuned to adapt to new data and situations, which essentially allows them to learn from experience and improve over time. Neural networks have revolutionized the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning by providing a flexible, and scalable, means to solve complex, and traditionally computationally intensive problems. “Neural networks are unique because they can learn from data and identify patterns that traditional systems often miss,” says Sukh Sohal, Senior Consultant at Affinity Reply. “Instead of following fixed rules, they adapt based on the information they process, making them well-suited for solving complex, variable problems.” According to Sohal, neural networks are especially useful in areas like fraud detection, predictive maintenance, and personalization, where patterns aren’t always obvious or consistent. Uses for Neural Networks A major reason for the popularity of neural networks is that they can solve real-world problems and make intelligent decisions with little to no human intervention. They can also tolerate noisy or incomplete data, which makes them better suited to work with the usually imperfect real-world data. “For businesses, neural networks are valuable because they bring flexibility and efficiency to tasks that used to require significant human input,” says Sohal. “They’re also becoming more accessible, with tools and platforms simplifying implementation, even for companies with limited technical expertise.” Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Their abilities make neural networks an essential tool for many industries. In medicine, they help in diagnosing diseases, and medical imaging. In the financial sector, predicting stock prices, accessing and managing risks, and optimizing investment portfolios are increasingly being tasked to neural networks. (Image credit: Pexels) Similarly, marketing professionals look to neural networks for everything from forecasting demand to targeted advertisements. They also help both physical and digital security thanks to their prowess with facial recognition, biometric authentication, and intrusion detection. Neural networks have also become an essential tool in autonomous vehicles. They help power the computer vision that allows such vehicles to navigate their surroundings and correctly identify everything from road signs to people. Core concepts of Neural Networks A neural network operates through a layered structure of interconnected nodes, much like the neural structures in the human brain. These nodes, also called neurons, are the basic units that process information. Interconnected like a web, these neurons work together to do the computations in the neural network. You can think of these nodes as tiny decision-makers or computational units that help the network do the grunt work, analyzing the data fed to them, and making predictions. Each neuron receives some input, does a little math, and then passes the output further down the network. Neurons in a neural network are grouped into layers, which can be broadly classified into the following three types: Input Layer: This layer consists of input nodes that receive the raw data. Each node in this layer represents a specific feature of the data. For instance, if the neural network is being used to classify images of kids and adults, an input node represents an individual pixel in an image. Output Layer: The final layer in a neural network is the output layer that’s responsible for producing the network’s prediction or classification. In our kids/adults classification task, the out layer will have one node for each, and the node with the highest value will be the network’s output. Hidden Layers: Nestled between the input and the output layers are a series of intermediate layers. These layers are not directly observable from the system’s input or output, which is why they are called hidden. Each node in a hidden layer takes inputs from the previous layer, processes them, and passes the result to the next layer. It is these layers that help the network identify complex patterns by unraveling the data step by step. The number of hidden layers in a network depends on the complexity of the task. How do Neural Networks work? Every node in the neural network goes through a lot of steps. First, it gets data from the input layer or the previous hidden layer. One node is assigned to one feature or attribute of the data. Next, each input is multiplied by a weight. These weights are values that help determine the importance of the input. In simple terms, the higher the value of the weight, the more influence it has on the decision of the node. To begin with, these weights are assigned randomly. However, they are then subsequently readjusted during the training phase of the network in order to improve the network’s predictions. Together with the weights, all inputs also get a bias value. Think of this as an additional tunable parameter that helps make the network more efficient and accurate. Once the two values, weights, and bias, are added, the result is fed to an activation function. It is this function that decides whether a node should activate or fire, and send its output on to the next layer. This process continues until all the hidden layers have been traversed. Then the final output is passed to the output layer, which the network uses to announce the final result. Types of Neural Networks Neural networks come in all shapes and sizes. Broadly speaking they all follow the same process described above, but cater to different kinds of use cases. Neural networks can be classified on various factors such as their depth, the number of hidden layers, as well as the number crunching prowess of each node. Feed-forward Neural Networks: These are the simplest of the lot. In them, data passes in one direction, from the input node through the various intermediary nodes before it reaches the output node. These networks don’t employ any feedback loops or cycles, and the data is processed sequentially without any iteration. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN): Designed primarily for analyzing visual data, such as images, and videos, CNNs include a special type of layer known as the convolutional layer that helps extract features from input data. This layer applies filters to the input and scans the data in order to identify patterns. Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN): A special type of neural network, RNN is a complex network that uses the output of a node and feeds it back into the network. These networks are useful in situations where context is essential to predicting an outcome. RNNs are commonly used in speech recognition and natural language processing. Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN): Another complex network, a GAN trains two neural networks that compete against each other. They include a generator model and a discriminator model that together help generate new synthetic data. Source link #Neural #Network Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Watch RFK Jr. Senate confirmation hearing for HHS secretary Watch RFK Jr. Senate confirmation hearing for HHS secretary [The stream is slated to start at 10 a.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] Robert F. Kennedy, President Donald Trump’s controversial pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, is slated to testify on Wednesday before a Senate panel that is crucial to advance his nomination. Kennedy will appear first at the Senate Committee on Finance, which will ultimately vote on whether his nomination as HHS Secretary advances to the full chamber. In the Republican-controlled Senate, Kennedy can only lose three GOP votes if all Democrats oppose him. He will also appear before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, or HELP, for a courtesy hearing on Thursday. If confirmed, Kennedy will take the reins of a $1.7 trillion agency that oversees vaccines and other medicines, scientific research, public health infrastructure, pandemic preparedness, food and tobacco products and government-funded health care for millions of Americans. The heads of the Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, among other federal health agencies, all report to the HHS secretary. Kennedy, 71, is one of Trump’s more controversial Cabinet nominees, facing criticism from both sides of the aisle. He is a prominent vaccine skeptic, making false claims that they are linked to autism despite decades of studies that debunk that association. Some critics have even argued that his work advocating against vaccine use has cost lives, and could deter more Americans from getting recommended shots at a time when vaccination rates are declining. Kennedy is also the founder of the nonprofit Children’s Health Defense, the most well-funded anti-vaccine organization in the U.S. In a government ethics agreement last week, Kennedy said he stopped serving as chairman or chief legal counsel for the organization as of December. In a likely preview of the Senate Finance Committee hearing, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., last week issued a letter pressing Kennedy to answer 175 questions on topics such as vaccines, the Affordable Care Act, drug pricing, his changing views on reproductive rights and his suggestion to fire FDA and NIH workers, among others. This week’s hearings will also provide a glimpse of how Kennedy plans to pursue his broad, so-called Make America Healthy Again platform if confirmed as the nation’s top health official. The platform argues that a corrupt alliance of drug and food companies and the federal health agencies that regulate them are making Americans less healthy. Kennedy has long contended that the agencies that HHS oversees need reform or a sweeping overhaul. Kennedy’s supporters say some of his stances around food, such as highlighting the risks of food additives and ultra-processed products, have hit on broad appeal among Republicans and some Democrats. Still, Caroline Kennedy, RFK Jr.’s cousin and daughter of former President Kennedy, wrote a letter to senators on Tuesday that referred to her cousin as a “predator” and urged them not to confirm him. Source link #Watch #RFK #Senate #confirmation #hearing #HHS #secretary Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Comcast unveils ultra-low lag Internet connection Comcast unveils ultra-low lag Internet connection Comcast has announced new technology for ultra-low lag Internet on its Xfinity service. According to the company’s release, users of select products and software from its partners will experience less delay in situations with ***-directional traffic. The first wave of supported applications include select games from Valve’s Steam platform, from NVIDIA, select apps on mixed reality headsets from Meta, and FaceTime on Apple hardware. The reduction in latency comes from the Internet Engineering Task Force’s L4S open standard. The tech is complex — here’s a whitepaper on L4S if you’re interested — but broadly if a packet traveling between your device and the server experiences congestion, it will report that on arrival, which can improve future packets’ journeys. A rep from Comcast told Engadget that the products from Apple, Meta, NVIDIA and Valve are the first to support the tech because they were initial partners for testing this low-latency connectivity. Other developers can choose to take advantage of the open standard technology once Comcast has fully rolled out the low lag option and it will be available to all Xfinity customers then. Atlanta, Chicago, Colorado Springs, Philadelphia, Rockville (Maryland) and San Francisco are among the first cities to receive the low latency tech. Comcast said in its release that it plans to deploy to additional locations in the coming months. Source link #Comcast #unveils #ultralow #lag #Internet #connection Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Wall Street believes software stocks could be the big winner from the DeepSeek revelation Wall Street believes software stocks could be the big winner from the DeepSeek revelation Software companies may emerge as beneficiaries of Monday’s global tech shake-up following the DeepSeek, Wall Street analysts say. Several software stocks were able to avoid the big declines seen elsewhere in tech on Monday as ******** startup DeepSeek raised alarm over U.S. spending and leadership within artificial intelligence. In the wake of these realizations, investors have scrambled to piece together how each segment of stocks will fare. But it seems like there’s no need to fret about at least some software names. Analysts at BMO Capital Markets and Canaccord Genuity said in separate notes to clients that the DeepSeek news may end up being positive for this group. Canaccord Genuity’s Kingsley Crane went so far as to call Monday a “watershed moment” for software. “Until now, AI has been defined more by largesse than finesse,” Crane wrote to clients. “The fact that a viable strategic alternative to building the largest cluster physically possible has emerged is, in our view, profoundly bullish for software.” In short, Crane said greater diversity and competition within the model space is a “recipe” for lower costs and improved technology. That should, he said, help accelerate momentum for software creation. Given this backdrop, BMO analyst Keith Bachman said the DeepSeek developments should be a “likely positive” for software names Salesforce , ServiceNow and HubSpot . HubSpot has led this group higher this week, surging more than 6% since Monday. The stock is now up about 12% in 2025, building on last year’s 20% gain. HUBS YTD mountain HubSpot in January But Wall Street sees a pullback ahead, with the average price target of analysts polled by LSEG implying shares can slide 3%. Still, the majority of analysts have buy ratings. Salesforce followed with a pop of nearly 6% so far this week. That’s brought its year-to-date advance to above 5%, which adds to 2024’s rally of just over 27%. Most analysts surveyed by LSEG also have a buy rating on the stock. But unlike HubSpot, they see more upside ahead, with an average price target suggesting shares can rise more than 12%. ServiceNow has added around 3% this week, bringing its 2025 increase to almost 9%. That extends 2024’s surge of slightly more than 50%. While the majority of analysts hold buy ratings, they foresee a minor retreat ahead, according to LSEG. The average price target of surveyed analysts shows shares can slip around 2%. To be sure, analysts are not arguing that every software name is expected to benefit in the same way. In fact, Bachman called the impact to hyperscalers like Microsoft and Oracle “less clear.” Source link #Wall #Street #believes #software #stocks #big #winner #DeepSeek #revelation Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What is Kumbh Mela and why is this Hindu festival important? What is Kumbh Mela and why is this Hindu festival important? Lucy Clarke-Billings BBC News REX/Shutterstock Authorities say that at least 30 people have died and a further 60 were injured in a crowd crush at the massive Kumbh Mela festival in India. The world’s biggest religious festival and humanity’s largest gathering, the event attracts millions of Hindu pilgrims to sacred riverbanks in India. What is Kumbh Mela? Kumbh Mela is a religious gathering that draws tens of millions of Hindu pilgrims and spiritual seekers from India and across the globe. The event is deeply rooted in Hindu mythology and centres on the belief in the purifying power of sacred rivers. Pilgrims bathe in these rivers, believing the ritual cleanses their sins and brings them closer to spiritual liberation. The festival rotates between four key locations in India: Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad), Haridwar, Nashik and Ujjain. Each site is tied to a sacred river – the Ganges, Godavari or Shipra. A full Kumbh Mela is held every 12 years in the four cities. A half (“Ard”) Kumbh is held mid-way between two full Kumbhs. Officials say the 2025 festival is a Maha (Great) Kumbh Mela, which occurs only every 144 years, making it an even more significant event. What does Kumbh Mela mean? The name “Kumbh Mela” translates to “Festival of the Pitcher” in Sanskrit. “Kumbh” refers to the pitcher or pot that contained the nectar of immortality in Hindu mythology, while “Mela” means a fair or gathering. Hindu scriptures recount the legend of the Samudra Manthan – the churning of the ocean of milk by gods and demons in search of the nectar of immortality. According to mythology, four drops of this nectar fell on the locations where Kumbh Mela is now celebrated, making them sacred. Why do people go to Kumbh Mela? Kumbh Mela attracts people from all walks of life, from sadhus (Hindu holy men) to ordinary citizens, including families and international visitors. While most attendees are Hindus, the event also draws interest from people of other faiths who are curious about its cultural and spiritual significance. The festival is ultimately an opportunity for attendees to seek spiritual renewal and salvation. Bathing in the holy rivers during the festival is believed to absolve sins, liberate participants from the cycle of rebirth and bring them closer to moksha (spiritual liberation). For many, the pilgrimage to Kumbh Mela is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, offering a chance to reaffirm their faith, connect with others and immerse themselves in the traditions of Hindu spirituality. Reuters How long does Kumbh Mela last? The festival is typically around 45 days long – with the 2025 Kumbh Mela taking place from 13 January to 26 February. The event concludes after the final designated bathing day, known as the last shahi snan (royal bath). The timing and duration of each Kumbh Mela are determined by astrologers and religious authorities. What happens during Kumbh Mela? The festival is a blend of religious rituals and cultural activities. Its central feature is the shahi snan (royal baths).These ceremonial baths are led by groups of sadhus, including naga sadhus, who are known for covering themselves in ash and symbolising renunciation. As well as bathing rituals, Kumbh Mela also features spiritual discussion, religious processions, prayers and cultural performances. Religious organisations set up a number of temporary camps, providing food, shelter and opportunities for spiritual learning. How many people attend Kumbh Mela? Kumbh Mela’s scale is unparalleled. Attendance varies but the 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj stands out for its sheer scale. About 400 million people are expected to attend throughout the 45-day *******, authorities say. Attendees spread out across the banks of the rivers, spanning some 12km. Officials use a variety of sources to collate the number of pilgrims but they admit there is a possibility of some duplication. For instance, the one million long-term pilgrims, known as Kalpwasis, are counted daily. CCTV cameras are used to monitor crowd density in real time, while manual headcounts at entry and exit points also validate numbers. Drone surveillance provides aerial views of densely populated areas, especially during peak events like holy bathing days. Analysis of mobile phone data, which uses the number of active mobile devices in the area, also helps to estimate crowd sizes. How is Kumbh Mela managed? Organising Kumbh Mela is a monumental task. Authorities establish temporary cities with infrastructure to accommodate the millions of people who attend. Facilities provided include makeshift hospitals, sanitation systems and transportation networks. The 2025 festival is expected to cover 4,000 hectares (40 sq km). This will include: 160,000 tents40,000 police and security officials15,000 sanitation workers99 parking lots for over half a million vehicles30 floating pontoon bridges over the river67,000 street lights150,000 toilets25,000 bins Source link #Kumbh #Mela #Hindu #festival #important Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Star Citizen Alpha 4.01 Released With New Salvage Ship & Events; Free to Play ******* Also Coming Star Citizen Alpha 4.01 Released With New Salvage Ship & Events; Free to Play ******* Also Coming Star Citizen, a heavily crowdfunded space simulation game, has reportedly seen the departure of Carl Jones as per the official website management section. Jones had previously stated that both Star Citizen and its single-player campaign, Squadron 42, were on track for release by 2026. Source link #Star #Citizen #Alpha #Released #Salvage #Ship #Events #Free #Play #******* #Coming Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]