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Meta is reportedly scrambling ‘war rooms’ of engineers to figure out how DeepSeek’s AI is beating everyone else at a fraction of the price Meta is reportedly scrambling ‘war rooms’ of engineers to figure out how DeepSeek’s AI is beating everyone else at a fraction of the price Meta assembled four “war rooms” of engineers to respond to potential breakthrough AI developments spearheaded by ******** AI startup DeepSeek. Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta assembled four war rooms of engineers to determine how a ******** hedge fund managed to release an AI game-changer that may already rival its own technology, The Information reported. DeepSeek, an AI startup backed by hedge fund High-Flyer Capital Management, this month released a version of its AI chatbot, R1, that it says can perform just as well as competing models such as ChatGPT at a fraction of the cost. The potentially groundbreaking, open-source tech has called into question the gargantuan AI investments made by American companies and has put Meta’s AI-dedicated team on high alert. Meta AI infrastructure director Mathew Oldham has reportedly told colleagues that DeepSeek’s newest model could outperform even the next version of Meta’s Llama AI, which Zuckerberg said could be released in “early 2025,” The Information reported Sunday. The report cited two employees with direct knowledge of Meta’s efforts to catch up. Of the four war rooms Meta has created to respond to DeepSeek’s potential breakthrough, two teams will try to decipher how High-Flyer lowered the cost of training and running DeepSeek with the goal of using those tactics for Llama, the outlet reported, citing one anonymous Meta employee. Among the remaining two teams, one will try to find out which data DeepSeek used to train its model, and the other will consider how Llama can restructure its models based on attributes of the DeepSeek models, The Information reported. Meta did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment. “We regularly evaluate all competitive models in our development process and have done so since [the company’s] Gen Al [group] was formed,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement to The Information. “Llama has been foundational in establishing the ecosystem for open-source AI models and we couldn’t be more excited to extend this leadership with the upcoming release of Llama 4.” On Friday, Meta CEO Zuckerberg announced that the company would spend as much as $65 billion on projects related to AI in the coming year, including construction of a large data center and more AI hires. The announcement came just days after OpenAI, in partnership with SoftBank, Oracle, and others, announced a $500 billion White House–backed AI infrastructure project called Stargate that will build dozens of new data centers across the U.S. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com Source link #Meta #reportedly #scrambling #war #rooms #engineers #figure #DeepSeeks #beating #fraction #price Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Heavy rains cause mudslides around fire-ravaged Los Angeles – Yahoo! Voices Heavy rains cause mudslides around fire-ravaged Los Angeles – Yahoo! Voices Heavy rains cause mudslides around fire-ravaged Los Angeles Yahoo! VoicesSee weekend rain totals in Los Angeles County NBC Los AngelesRain is only a break from LA wildfire danger: ‘Keep things down for a week’ USA TODAY Source link #Heavy #rains #mudslides #fireravaged #Los #Angeles #Yahoo #Voices Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

'Long overdue': gambling ads banned on trains, buses 'Long overdue': gambling ads banned on trains, buses The nation’s most populous state will ban gambling ads on public transport as the federal government drags its heels on calls for blanket prohibition. Source link #039Long #overdue039 #gambling #ads #banned #trains #buses Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nvidia says DeepSeek advances prove need for more of its chips Nvidia says DeepSeek advances prove need for more of its chips By Stephen Nellis and Karen Freifeld SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Nvidia on Monday said ******** AI firm DeepSeek’s advances show the usefulness of its chips for the ******** market and that more of its chips will be needed in the future to meet demand for DeepSeek’s services. Nvidia issued a statement on Monday after its shares tumbled 17% to $118.58 on investor concerns that DeepSeek had matched rivals such as OpenAI using far fewer Nvidia chips than U.S. firms. Nvidia rival Advanced Micro Devices’ shares also slid more than 6% to $115.01. “DeepSeek’s work illustrates how new models can be created using that technique, leveraging widely-available models and compute that is fully export control compliant,” Nvidia said in its statement. One of DeepSeek’s research papers showed that it had used about 2,000 of Nvidia’s H800 chips, which were designed to comply with U.S. export controls released in 2022, rules that experts told Reuters would barely slow China’s AI progress. The U.S. microchip export controls were designed to freeze China’s development of supercomputers used to develop nuclear weapons and artificial intelligence systems. Jimmy Goodrich, a senior adviser to the RAND Corp for technology analysis, said there are at least a dozen major supercomputers in China with significant numbers of Nvidia chips that were legal for purchase at the time that DeepSeek used them to learn how to become more efficient. Computing efficiency has also been a major focus of U.S. AI firms. “DeepSeek didn’t come out of nowhere – they’ve been at model-building for years,” Goodrich said. “It’s been long known that DeepSeek has a really good team, and if they had access to even more compute, God knows how capable they would be.” DeepSeek was struggling on Monday to accommodate an influx of new users. Servicing new users is a process that AI firms call “inference,” which Nvidia said demonstrated that its chips will remain in demand. “Inference requires significant numbers of Nvidia GPUs and high-performance networking,” Nvidia said in its statement. Nvidia is currently selling a chip called the H20 that is designed to meet the most recent export control regulations. While the restrictions limit the chip’s usefulness for AI training, Goodrich said it is “probably the best chip in the world for inference.” “How long will Washington allow the best inference chip in the world to be sold to China?” he added. (Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco and Karen Freifeld in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler) Source link #Nvidia #DeepSeek #advances #prove #chips Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump Administration Fires Prosecutors Who Aided Jack Smith Investigations: Live Updates – The New York Times Trump Administration Fires Prosecutors Who Aided Jack Smith Investigations: Live Updates – The New York Times Trump Administration Fires Prosecutors Who Aided Jack Smith Investigations: Live Updates The New York TimesTrump administration fires justice department lawyers who investigated him BBC.com Source link #Trump #Administration #Fires #Prosecutors #Aided #Jack #Smith #Investigations #Live #Updates #York #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Fits that bill’: Dragons sign Emre Guler for the next two seasons as mystery surrounds Francis Molo’s future ‘Fits that bill’: Dragons sign Emre Guler for the next two seasons as mystery surrounds Francis Molo’s future The Dragons have moved swiftly to bolster their front-row stocks with Emre Guler signing on for the next two seasons as the club continues to deal with uncertainty over the future of experienced prop Francis Molo. Guler spent seven seasons with the Raiders and came off the bench for them in the 2019 Grand Final, with the Junior Kangaroos representative set to get more opportunities at the Red V. The 27-year-old was at a Canberra team that boasts one of the most stacked forward packs in the NRL, with Guler likely to come straight into the 17 at the Dragons. His decision to sign comes on the back of news that Molo has stopped training and is reportedly agitating for an immediate release from his contract. Guler is the latest established player to join the Dragons who have also signed Clint Gutherson, Damien Cook, Valentine Holmes and Lachlan Ilias for 2025. “I’ve said consistently we need to bring another experienced middle into our roster for 2025,” coach Shane Flanagan said. “Emre certainly fits that bill. With his size and experience he will add plenty of value to our roster as well as help to mentor our emerging crop of middle forwards.” Source link #Fits #bill #Dragons #sign #Emre #Guler #seasons #mystery #surrounds #Francis #Molos #future Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

City cancels Something in the Water City cancels Something in the Water VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — After Something in the Water missed deadlines to announce performers and ticket sales for what was supposed to be an April festival, the city of Virginia Beach has canceled it and will try to find another event to take its place. In a statement from the city of Virginia Beach, it said that, because festival organizers didn’t meet the deadlines, it would send out an official termination notice and come up with another plan for the festival weekend. “While the City values the positive impact and visibility the Something in the Water festival has had on Virginia Beach in years’ past, regretfully organizers did not meet the cure notice requirements in terms of next steps, [and the] SITW team will receive an official termination notice from the City. “As a result, City staff will begin alternative plans for the weekend of April 26-27. We remain optimistic about future opportunities to work with the SITW team.” SITW organizers ask VB for extension after missing Dec. 31 deadline Festival organizers had asked the city for an extension of a Dec. 31 deadline to announce the festival’s lineup and ticket sales as part of several conditions for the city to financially support the festival, after it had been abruptly postponed from this past October until April, just hours after tickets had gone on *****. City officials had said they were blindsided when the festival announced the postponement of the festival less than a month before it was to take place in October. Virginia Beach leaders ‘blindsided’ by ‘costly’ Something in the Water postponement The city said then that they would need more solid assurances ahead of any future festivals, include when the event would be held, a list of performers and other information. The city imposed conditions for its future financial support of the festival. They included: Increased communication with liaisons and staff about key decision points Announcement of line up and ticket sales prior to Dec. 31, 2024 Inclusion of progress payments and/or liquidated damages to provide the City with additional assurances of meeting expectations Termination rights for the City in case expectations or deadlines are not met VB City Council imposes conditions for city’s future financial support for SITW Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com. Source link #City #cancels #Water Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

OpenAI is making ChatGPT’s Canvas feature smarter and sleeker OpenAI is making ChatGPT’s Canvas feature smarter and sleeker ChatGPT has upgraded Canvas to be smarter and more accessible. Canvas now works with the OpenAI o1 model and can visualize code directly. It’s now available to macOS desktop users. OpenAI has enhanced ChatGPT’s collaborative editing feature, Canvas, with some major upgrades. The updates make Canvas even more flexible in helping you compose and edit content and code. The brainpower boost also comes with better visuals and some love for macOS desktop users. The most significant upgrade is that Canvas will now work with OpenAI’s new o1 model. The more deliberative o1 model is already better than previous iterations at complex reasoning and problem-solving. With o1, Canvas is better at collaborating and explaining its logic. Imagine it more like a human partner and less like a hyper-efficient autocorrect. You can enable the o1 model in Canvas by selecting it from the model picker or typing the command “/canvas.” Free users are out of luck for now, though, as only Pro, Plus, and Team users can access the o1 model in Canvas. But it’s not just brains; Canvas has also received a visual boost – it also now supports rendering React and HTML code. That means you can actually see your projects come to life right in the workspace. You don’t have to imagine how the code would perform in a browser or run a separate testing system. Better yet, free ChatGPT users can play with this new ability right now. Regardless of subscription level, Mac users keen to use ChatGPT more are also getting more access to the AI chatbot feature. There’s now full Canvas support on the macOS ChatGPT desktop app, allowing you to do anything Canvas can provide without leaving it. Canvas companion The o1 model’s more deliberate thinking aims to address criticisms that AI often feels rushed or too eager to please. With the added ability to visualize React and HTML code, OpenAI has made it clear that it wants Canvas to be a playground for developers, not just a chatroom with a few extra bells and whistles. That fits with OpenAI’s and other AI developers’ keenness to make AI chatbots and tools more dynamic. Editing directly within the Canvas interface and being able to comment on and prompt changes to just part of an AI answer is a subtle but powerful improvement over the standard back-and-forth. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Just being able to drop text into Canvas and assigning the AI to advise or help edit is no small thing. Sometimes, you just want criticism without it being redone. That goes double if you share complex code or a very long text. Ultimatley, Making ChatGPT more proactive and adaptable when it comes to carrying out very specific requests is likely to be a big part of how AI is employed in the future. You might also like Source link #OpenAI #making #ChatGPTs #Canvas #feature #smarter #sleeker Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Man Pardoned in Jan. 6 Riot Is Fatally Shot by Sheriff’s Deputy During Traffic Stop – The New York Times Man Pardoned in Jan. 6 Riot Is Fatally Shot by Sheriff’s Deputy During Traffic Stop – The New York Times Man Pardoned in Jan. 6 Riot Is Fatally Shot by Sheriff’s Deputy During Traffic Stop The New York TimesPardoned Jan. 6 rioter shot, killed by police in Indiana The Washington PostMan Pardoned by Trump for Role in Jan. 6 Riot Is Fatally Shot During Altercation with Police After Traffic Stop PEOPLEDeadly police shooting under investigation in Jasper County FOX 59 Indianapolis Source link #Man #Pardoned #Jan #Riot #Fatally #Shot #Sheriffs #Deputy #Traffic #Stop #York #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Man’s body pulled from Murrumbidgee River in three-day search for missing swimmer Man’s body pulled from Murrumbidgee River in three-day search for missing swimmer A man has been missing since he fell into one of the country’s longest rivers at the weekend, sparking a days-long search. Source link #Mans #body #pulled #Murrumbidgee #River #threeday #search #missing #swimmer Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

DeepSeek’s AI should be a ‘wakeup call’ to US industry DeepSeek’s AI should be a ‘wakeup call’ to US industry MIAMI (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that ******** startup DeepSeek’s technology should act as spur for American companies and said it was good that companies in China have come up with a cheaper, faster method of artificial intelligence. “The release of DeepSeek, AI from a ******** company should be a wakeup call for our industries that we need to be laser-focused on competing to win,” Trump said in Florida. Investors sold technology stocks across the globe on Monday over concerns the emergence of a low-cost ******** artificial intelligence model would threaten the dominance of the current U.S.-based AI leaders. “I’ve been reading about China and some of the companies in China, one in particular coming up with a faster method of AI and much less expensive method, and that’s good because you don’t have to spend as much money. I view that as a positive, as an asset,” Trump said. “I view that as a positive because you’ll be doing that too, so you won’t be spending as much, and you’ll get the same result, hopefully,” he said. Trump said ******** leaders had told him the United States had the most brilliant scientists in the world, and he indicated that if ******** industry could come up with cheaper AI technology, U.S. companies would follow. “We always have the ideas. We’re always first. So I would say that’s a positive that could be very much a positive development. So instead of spending billions and billions, you’ll spend less, and you’ll come up with, hopefully, the same solution,” Trump said. (Reporting by Nandita Bose; additional reporting by Jeff Mason and Ryan Jones; editing by Chris Reese and Leslie Adler) Source link #DeepSeeks #wakeup #call #industry Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

DeepSeek Panic Live Updates: Trump Calls AI Development ‘Positive’ Despite Tech Stock Plunge – Forbes DeepSeek Panic Live Updates: Trump Calls AI Development ‘Positive’ Despite Tech Stock Plunge – Forbes DeepSeek Panic Live Updates: Trump Calls AI Development ‘Positive’ Despite Tech Stock Plunge ForbesDonald Trump pledges sweeping tariffs on steel, semiconductors and other imports USA TODAYDonald Trump warns ******** AI app DeepSeek a ‘wake-up call’ for US tech firms BBC Source link #DeepSeek #Panic #Live #Updates #Trump #Calls #Development #Positive #Tech #Stock #Plunge #Forbes Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Aussies in a different Sri Lanka from the one they left Aussies in a different Sri Lanka from the one they left The *********** cricket team is preparing for a different Sri Lanka from the one it left almost three years ago. Yes, the host nation is a chance to roll out a new XI for the first of two Test matches beginning on Wednesday, with batter Lahiru Udara and spin-bowling allrounder Sonal Dinusha both chances for Test debuts, and Dhananjaya de Silva now captain. But starker differences will be observed away from the pitch in Galle. Some *********** players had raised ethical concerns with touring Sri Lanka ahead of the last visit in 2022, when the country was in the grips of the most severe economic crisis in its history. Protests erupted, eventually leading to the resignation of president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, as the country struggled to afford essential imports of fuel, food and medicine. Power cuts and petrol and gas shortages were daily realities for the roughly 22 million residents of the island nation by the time the *********** team arrived in Galle for its two-match series in June 2022. Sri Lanka’s fuel rationing scheme would last more than a year after the Aussies had left. Trains between Galle and Colombo went offline to stop protesters from travelling to the capital roughly 125km away, so Sri Lankans held their own demonstrations on the streets around the stadium on match days. For fear they would unfurl political banners, punters were banned from scaling the northern extremities of the Galle Fort to watch the cricket, but nevertheless overtook it during the second Test. The small Galle stadium was not full, with prices prohibitive for most locals given the economic circumstances. This time around, the major source of commotion on the streets of Galle is from tuktuks ferrying visitors into and out of the historic fort precinct. Tourism has begun to pick up again. A couple of hundred Australians are expected to join locals in lining the hills and pavilions of the seaside ground for the first ball. The pandemic and the country’s tense geopolitical state meant the *********** team was largely confined to its hotel in Galle on the last visit. But players are welcome to roam freely this time. In the nights before the first Test, a handful have travelled from the team’s beachside resort to explore the colonial fort abuzz with chic bars and restaurants. “It was very different the last time we were here,” *********** quick Mitch Starc said. “There were a few question marks around COVID, there was a fair bit going on in the country. “One thing that didn’t change was their (Sri Lankans’) love of cricket.” Source link #Aussies #Sri #Lanka #left Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

First Social Security payments of 2025 coming soon; what to know in NJ First Social Security payments of 2025 coming soon; what to know in NJ Over 162,000 New Jerseyans who are low-income, blind or disabled and rely on payments from the Social Security Administration will see their first paychecks for 2025 this week — and they will include a slight increase in funds. The first round of paychecks for those who quality under the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program will include a 2.5% increase due to the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA), and while it’s the smallest increase since 2021, CNBC reported, it’ll still add a few extra bucks to the wallet. Here’s what to know about when your payments will arrive and what to expect. When are Supplemental Security Income benefits coming? Payments for the roughly 163,000 New Jersey residents who receive Supplemental Security Income will get their payments a day earlier than usual, on Jan. 31. Since Feb. 1 falls on a weekend, benefits are always paid out earlier rather than after the date expected. How much more money can I expect in my Supplemental Security Income benefit check? It will vary based off your income, type of disability and how many people live in our household. On average, a person getting $1,920 in monthly benefits this year can expect to see a roughly $48 increase, according to Mary Johnson, an independent analyst of the nation’s Social Security and Medicare programs. The maximum monthly SSI benefit is $967 for an individual and $1,450 for a couple, compared to $943 and $1,415, respectively, in 2024. On average, expect roughly an extra $50 more in your pocket. What if I don’t receive my SSI payment by Jan. 31? If you haven’t received your payment, the Social Security Administration recommends waiting three working days before contacting the government agency. Remember, weekends are not considered working days. How do I find out more about my benefits? To find out more about your benefits under social security, make sure to create a my Social Security account through the Social Security Administration’s website. More information can also be found on the Social Security fact sheet, which explains all the changes made in 2025. Lori Comstock is a New Jersey-based journalist with the Mid-Atlantic Connect Team. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Social Security checks expected this week; what to know in NJ Source link #Social #Security #payments #coming Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump says China’s DeepSeek AI ‘should be a wake-up call’ for American tech companies Trump says China’s DeepSeek AI ‘should be a wake-up call’ for American tech companies President Donald Trump said Monday that the sudden rise of ******** AI app DeepSeek “should be a wake-up call” for America’s tech companies, as the runaway popularity of yet another ******** app presented new questions for the administration and congressional leaders. Trump said that he still expected U.S. tech companies to dominate artificial intelligence, but he acknowledged the challenge posed by DeepSeek, a low-cost AI assistant that rose to No. 1 on the Apple app store over the weekend. “The release of DeepSeek AI from a ******** company should be a wake-up call for our industries that we need to be laser focused on competing,” he said while traveling in Florida. DeepSeek is causing a panic within U.S. tech companies and in the stock market because it has performed well in tests compared to competing AI models from Meta and OpenAI, while it was developed at a much lower cost, according to the little-known ******** startup behind DeepSeek. Trump said he considered the low-cost model to be “very much a positive development” for AI overall because “instead of spending billions and billions, you’ll spend less, and you’ll come up with, hopefully, the same solution.” DeepSeek is the latest in a series of ******** apps to surge in popularity in the U.S. in recent weeks. Americans embraced ******** apps RedNote and Lemon8 as alternatives to TikTok, when TikTok was on the verge of being banned temporarily in the U.S. for its own links to China. TikTok went dark for less then a day and came back online for existing users after Trump delayed enforcement of a bipartisan law requiring either a new non-******** owner or a ban. TikTok, though, remains unavailable for new downloads from the Apple and Google app stores. Security experts have expressed concern about TikTok and other apps with links to China, including from a privacy standpoint. Last week, Trump signed an executive order undoing certain Biden administration rules about AI development that Trump said had held the industry back. It wasn’t immediately clear, though, what new AI policies, if any, the Trump administration or Congress might pursue in response to DeepSeek’s rise. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., the chair of the House Select Committee on China, said Monday he wanted to see the U.S. act to slow down DeepSeek, going further than Trump did in his remarks. “DeepSeek — a new AI model controlled by the ******** ********** Party — openly erases the CCP’s history of atrocities and oppression,” he said, referring to reports that DeepSeek censors topics such as Tiananmen Square. “The U.S. cannot allow CCP models such as DeepSeek to risk our national security and leverage our technology to advance their AI ambitions. We must work to swiftly place stronger export controls on technologies critical to DeepSeek’s AI infrastructure,” he said. DeepSeek’s developers say they created the app despite existing U.S. controls on the export of high-performing semiconductors, leading to a vigorous online debate Monday about how effective those controls have been and what their future should be. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., defended existing export controls related to advanced chip technology and said that more regulation might be needed. “While I think there’s more to learn about DeepSeek’s development activities, what’s in the public record reveals that the PRC continues [to] prioritize advancement in AI and that export control alone will not stymie their efforts,” he said. “Claims that export controls have proved ineffectual, however, are misplaced: DeepSeek’s efforts still depended on advanced chips, and PRC hyperscalers’ efforts to build out worldwide cloud infrastructure for deployment of these models is still heavily impacted by U.S. controls,” he said. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., called DeepSeek “a serious threat” and said China had been a “terrible trading partner.” “They abuse the system. They steal our intellectual property. They’re now trying to get a leg up on us on AI, as you’ve seen the last day or so,” he said. “It’s a serious threat to us and to our economy and our security in every way. So the president takes that seriously, and I think that he will deal with that [in an] appropriate manner.” David Sacks, Trump’s White House AI and cryptocurrency czar, said in a post on X that DeepSeek’s success “shows that the AI race will be very competitive.” He also said that former President Joe Biden had “hamstrung” American AI companies with a previous executive order on the subject. “I’m confident in the U.S. but we can’t be complacent,” he wrote. Kevin Breuninger, CNBC and Katherine Doyle contributed. Source link #Trump #Chinas #DeepSeek #wakeup #call #American #tech #companies Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

‘You’re Dr. Phil.’ TV personality says he joined immigration raids in Chicago for ‘transparency.’ – Chicago Tribune ‘You’re Dr. Phil.’ TV personality says he joined immigration raids in Chicago for ‘transparency.’ – Chicago Tribune ‘You’re Dr. Phil.’ TV personality says he joined immigration raids in Chicago for ‘transparency.’ Chicago Tribune’Ridiculous’: Illinois attorney general reacts to Dr. Phil questioning detained migrant CNNWhat can local governments do about the ICE raids? Yahoo! VoicesICE Chicago raids today: Immigration enforcement agents make arrests with Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan in town ABC7 Chicago Source link #Youre #Phil #personality #joined #immigration #raids #Chicago #transparency #Chicago #Tribune Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Australia’s 2024 road toll the deadliest in over a decade Australia’s 2024 road toll the deadliest in over a decade More road users were killed in Australia in 2024 than in any other year for over a decade, but that may change if a new federal government-funded initiative can provide crucial insights into the causes of road deaths. Australia’s road toll reached 1300 deaths in 2024, making it the deadliest year since 2012 and the fourth straight year in which fatalities increased. An identical number of road users were killed in 2012, and though the figure declined in subsequent years, the toll has risen every year since 2021. The 1300 road deaths in 2024 represented an increase of 3.3 per cent on the year prior, and a dramatic uptick from the recent low of 1097 fatalities in 2020, when most Australians were locked down due to COVID-related restrictions. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert The tragic result capped off a year in which another horrific road toll figure was recorded, with 1310 people dying on *********** roads in the 12-month ******* ending June 30, 2024, making it the deadliest year-long ******* since the end of November 2012. Four out of the eight *********** states and territories – Queensland, Western Australia, Northern Territory and *********** Capital Territory – recorded an increase in road fatalities in 2024, while New South Wales remained static. The greatest percentage increase occurred in the ACT, where 11 fatalities in the nation’s capital represented a 175 per cent increase on the four road deaths recorded in 2023. South Australia saw the largest year-on-year decrease of 22 per cent, with 26 fewer deaths. Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert While new vehicles are becoming increasingly safer, a new *********** Government-funded road safety initiative is set to provide crucial insights that could finally help to reduce the road toll. In November, the *********** Government announced it had reached a funding agreement with every state and territory to share critical traffic collision data, which the commonwealth will put towards influencing transport policies and funding through the Road Safety Program. The Road Safety Data Hub website has already gone live, and is available not only to those at government level but also the wider public, providing transparency around the trauma on *********** roads. The Road Safety Data Hub was announced in May 2024, prior to the 2024-25 Federal Budget, as a part of the National Partnership Agreement on Land Transport Infrastructure Projects, and is the recipient of a $21.2 million investment. Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert Michael Bradley, managing director of the *********** Automobile Association – the peak body for the nation’s motoring clubs – said the tragic road toll was proof that the existing approach to road safety wasn’t enough, echoing previous support for the upcoming Road Safety Program. “It is clear current road safety approaches are inadequate and that more action is required to save lives,” Mr Bradley said. “We must use data and evidence about crashes, the state of our roads and the effectiveness of police traffic enforcement to establish what is going wrong on our roads and create more effective interventions. “This critical data must be embedded into the road funding allocation process so investment can be prioritised to our most dangerous roads. “Australia’s rising road toll underscores the importance of using road condition data to direct road funding, and to prevent the politicisation of scarce public funds.” Australia’s federal, state and territory governments agreed to the 10‑year National Road Safety Strategy in 2021, which has five main targets to reach by 2030: Reducing road deaths by 50 per cent from a 2018–2020 baselineReducing serious injuries by 30 per cent from a 2018–2020 baselineZero road deaths of children aged seven years and underZero road deaths in city CBD areasZero road deaths on all national highways and on high-speed roads covering 80 per cent of travel across the network Australia is currently not on track to meet any of these targets. Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert A further breakdown of the 2024 road toll is available below, based on the *********** Road Deaths Database. Deaths by age group Deaths by posted speed limit Deaths by road user type MORE: The real causes of *********** road trauma to be revealed nationally for the first time Source link #Australias #road #toll #deadliest #decade Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

People Cannot Believe The Price Of Eggs In Canada Compared To The US People Cannot Believe The Price Of Eggs In Canada Compared To The US In case you haven’t been grocery shopping lately, then you probably aren’t aware of the really, really ridiculously high egg prices. It’s due to a particularly “aggressive” form of the Avian flu. ABC7NY/x.com / ABC7NY/status/1883515419660546282 In some places in the US, it’s over $13 a dozen!!! Well, the price of eggs isn’t so high everywhere. Kate_sept2004 / Getty Images Canadians are sharing the prices of their eggs, and they’re dramatically cheaper: As this person on Reddit explained, that’s about $2.75 USD a dozen. FWIW, that checks out on the Walmart Canada website, where the price is the same. Across social media, Canadians are sharing pics of their eggs. This person from Montreal shared some eggs that are $2.62 a dozen. Another person shared some eggs that are about $2.75 a dozen. A 2023 article from Global News explained that Canada hasn’t been hit as hard by egg price spikes because of its supply management system, which regulates production, imports, and prices to ensure stability. Karrastock / Getty Images ********* farms are smaller and more geographically spread out, which can reduce the risk of widespread issues like bird flu. D3sign / Getty Images According to Global News, “The average egg farm in Canada has about 25,000 laying hens. In contrast, the average farm in the U.S. has about two million birds.” Ezra Bailey / Getty Images Ultimately, I’m not gonna lie, I was genuinely surprised by the prices in my grocery store the other day. As this person joked, “Americans soon gotta start driving to Canada for eggs.” Source link #People #Price #Eggs #Canada #Compared Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump administration fires justice department lawyers who investigated him – BBC.com Trump administration fires justice department lawyers who investigated him – BBC.com Trump administration fires justice department lawyers who investigated him BBC.comTrump Administration Fires Prosecutors Who Aided Jack Smith Investigations: Live Updates The New York TimesDonald Trump fires employees involved in probe against him: ‘Could not be trusted’ Hindustan Times Source link #Trump #administration #fires #justice #department #lawyers #investigated #BBC.com Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

An urban explorer’s grisly discovery that led to a ******* conviction An urban explorer’s grisly discovery that led to a ******* conviction Catherine Lyst BBC Scotland News Coutts family Ean Coutts was identified more than a year after he was last seen on 2 September 2019 While exploring a derelict warehouse, James Fenton was totally unprepared for the gruesome discovery he was about to make. Inside the dilapidated building, the urban explorer stumbled across the skeleton of a man who, it later turned out, had gone missing a year earlier. Initially, the remains could not be identified and it wasn’t until a facial reconstruction was circulated by the media that they were later confirmed as those of 60-year-old Ean Coutts. Despite there being established cause of death, painter and decorator David Barnes was to go on trial accused of the army veteran’s *******. Barnes had assumed Ean’s identity on 91 occasions to obtain thousands of pounds worth of cash and goods but did he kill him? ******* Trial: Body in the Warehouse follows the family’s quest for justice and goes behind-the-scenes of Barnes’ trial. Urban explorer James Fenton stumbled across the remains of a missing man while looking around derelict buildings. James Fenton’s hobby was to go urban exploring – where people go into abandoned and derelict buildings to see what they can find. On 27 September 2020, along with his brother and their girlfriends, he went to the Whitehill Industrial in Glenrothes, Fife, where the group were “just messing about”. In one of the units, James spotted something out of the corner of his eye. He thought it was animal bones at first but then realised it was something more sinister. “I just saw white, dull, bony kind of material,” he told BBC Scotland. “I kicked one of the boxes off and that’s when I saw the skull, the ribcage and the foot coming up the side of the wall. “At first I couldn’t get myself round believing what it actually was until I saw mummified skin at the back of the neck and on the back of the foot.” Firecrest Films/BBC Ean’s remains were found in a derelict warehouse in Glenrothes, five minutes drive from his home There had been an attempt to set fire to the body. James called the police and after confirmation the remains were human, he felt sick to the stomach. “It’s the last thing you would think anyone would discover,” he said. “It’s scary to think how long he’d been lying there – nobody noticed for so long. I’m glad he’s finally been found and put to rest.” However, before that could happen, the remains had to be identified. Police searched missing people databases and checked on homeless people who were known to sleep rough, but drew a blank. Liverpool John Moore’s University/Police Scotland A council worker contacted police to say a facial reconstruction resembled Ean Coutts Police Scotland crime scene manager Det Sgt Scott Roxburgh, said the warehouse was in an area that had been badly neglected for many years and had become a dumping ground for fly tippers – the area contained old sofas, fridges and car parts. “This individual had been callously dumped,” he said. “It was a pretty sad scene – certainly not where you’d want your loved one’s final resting place to be.” It wasn’t until a facial reconstruction was created that someone came forward. A council officer thought the reconstruction resembled Ean Coutts whose council home in Kinglassie, Fife, had been abandoned. It was just five minutes’ drive from where the skeleton was found. Ean had last been seen on 2 September 2019. “Nobody had a bad word to say about Ean,” Det Sgt Roxburgh said. “He was generally known for being a cheery, jovial chap about the village. “He was a man of routine – went to the same shops at the same time, on the same day of the week. “He spent his money in the same pattern for a number of years – it was quite clear to police that after September 2019 there was a complete change in that pattern of spending.” Firecrest Films/BBC David Barnes had been carrying out work at Ean Coutts property when he went missing David Barnes went on trial for Ean’s *******. He was a painter and decorator who had been doing work on Ean’s house. Kevin O’Donoghue told the High Court in Edinburgh that around the time his neighbour went missing, the workman told him Ean wasn’t coming back as he had gone to live with his sister in England. Ean’s sister Audrey told the trial that neither she, nor their other sister, lived in England. Mr O’Donoghue said he saw the workman putting his wheelie bin in the back of his silver VW Golf on 3 September 2019 and said it appeared to be heavier than an empty bin. He sent a text message to Ean asking why the workman had taken his bin. Part of a letter sent to Mr O’Donoghue was later found in the grey bin at the Whitehill industrial estate where Ean’s remains were discovered. However, in court Mr O’Donoghue was unable to identify the person he saw putting the wheelie bin in the car. Firecrest Films/BBC Plant material of the same species found outside the industrial units in Glenrothes was found in the car’s carpet from the front footwell But a woman who had been in a relationship with David Barnes identified him from an image of a man sitting in a car outside Ean’s house. She also confirmed that she had spent a long time trying to get hold of Barnes on 3 Sept 2019 – and that he seemed to have more money after that date. It was later agreed in evidence in court that Barnes had assumed Mr Coutts identity on 91 occasions to obtain thousands of pounds worth of cash and goods. Forensic soil scientist Prof Lorna Dawson discovered that plant material of the same species found outside the industrial units in Glenrothes was found in the carpet from the front footwell of the car. Ean’s cause of death could not be determined but a forensic pathologist told the court there were areas of charring to soft tissue and bone. The defence argued that there was no evidence that Barnes had killed Ean. Barnes did not take to the stand and there were no defence witnesses. He was found guilty by a majority verdict and was sentenced to life in prison, to serve a minimum of 23 years. Coutts family Ean Coutts as a child with one of his sisters Coutts family Ean Coutts, right, was described by his sister as a” cheekie chappie” Ean’s sister Audrey Reid had lost touch with her brother, who was 10 years older than her. “I remember seeing on the news that remains had been found in Glenrothes, never for one minute thinking it would be my brother,” she told BBC Scotland. As she flicks through family photos of Ean as a young boy with a bowl haircut; messing about with family at home; and of his time in the Army, she said Ean was “a bit of a cheeky chappie, always in a wee bit of bother”. He had joined the Army at 16. “Looking back I think he struggled when he came out of the Army – getting used to civilian life,” Audrey said. “But you grow apart and lead different lives. But we’re still brother and sister and still loved each other. “He was just a nice, simple man that wouldn’t do anybody any harm whatsoever – he lived in a nice, wee, peaceful area. “In my head, there was nothing to gain from doing that to Ean, nothing. He was just a simple man living a simple life. And that got taken away from him. “From the time I walked into that court I never took my eyes of him [Barnes] – just to say you’re not winning. I see you. “And I wanted him to see that me and his daughters were there because Ean had a family and I want him to see that – he had people that loved him.” Coutts family Ean lost touch with his family after his relationship with his wife broke down when his daughters were very young Firecrest Films/BBC Ean’s daughters Emma and Louise attended Barnes’ trial Ean was married for more than 10 years before his relationship broke down. He had three children. His daughters Emma and Louise Coutts moved to Colchester in Essex with their mother when they were very young and didn’t see him again until they were adults. “We tried to form a bond again but it was quite difficult,” Emma told BBC Scotland. Louise added: “We hadn’t seen him for 10 or 11 years until we got this phone call. Emma said: “He was still our dad and he died in an undignified way. You feel a sense of guilt in a way because we were estranged but he was still our dad and there’s still a lot of feelings there. “We could have had that chance to get back in contact with him but the fact that someone’s taken that chance away – for us to ever be able to reconnect with him I think that was quite gut-wrenching.” Louise added: “There will never be full closure because we dont know what happened to our dad – only he [Barnes] will ever know that.” Sentencing Barnes, the judge Lord Mulholland told him: “What you did was callous. The ******* of a man who did you no harm – to the contrary he gave you work. “You have displayed no remorse or taken responsibility for the crimes you have committed. What you did was despicable and evil.” ******* Trial: Body in the Warehouse will be available on the BBC iPlayer from 28 January, on the BBC Scotland channel at 21:00 on Tuesday 11 February and on BBC Two at 21:00 on Wednesday 12 February. Source link #urban #explorers #grisly #discovery #led #******* #conviction Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How big a deal is China's DeepSeek AI model? How big a deal is China's DeepSeek AI model? The new AI model from China’s DeepSeek performs on a level with leading US models without requiring as much computing power – but despite a huge drop in their stock, it’s not game over for US tech companies Source link #big #deal #China039s #DeepSeek #model Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Jim Chalmers urges “confidence, not complacency” ahead of new inflation data Jim Chalmers urges “confidence, not complacency” ahead of new inflation data The Treasurer has urged “confidence, not complacency” ahead of Wednesday’s new inflation data, which could lead the RBA into its first rate cut since 2020. Source link #Jim #Chalmers #urges #confidence #complacency #ahead #inflation #data Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Airbus posts higher helicopter deliveries, orders in 2024 Airbus posts higher helicopter deliveries, orders in 2024 PARIS (Reuters) – Airbus Helicopters posted 4% higher deliveries last year, with 361 aircraft released to customers in the strongest industrial performance since 2017 as the world’s largest commercial supplier continued a gradual recovery from the pandemic. The rotary wing division of planemaker Airbus said in a business update that it had won 455 gross orders, or a net total of 450 after cancellations, up 15% from the previous year and marking the highest net order haul since 2012. Airbus said it had won a 57% share of the civil and parapublic market, which includes emergency services, in 2024. New business included 58 orders for the large Super Puma. Airbus will release its full results, including profit figures for the helicopter division, on Feb. 20. (Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Jamie Freed) Source link #Airbus #posts #higher #helicopter #deliveries #orders Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Donald Trump fires employees involved in probe against him: ‘Could not be trusted’ – Hindustan Times Donald Trump fires employees involved in probe against him: ‘Could not be trusted’ – Hindustan Times Donald Trump fires employees involved in probe against him: ‘Could not be trusted’ Hindustan TimesTrump Administration Fires Prosecutors Who Aided Jack Smith Investigations: Live Updates The New York TimesJustice Department fires more than a dozen key officials on former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team Fox News Source link #Donald #Trump #fires #employees #involved #probe #trusted #Hindustan #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump administration fires justice department lawyers who investigated him Trump administration fires justice department lawyers who investigated him US President Donald Trump’s administration has fired more than a dozen justice department lawyers who worked on two criminal cases against him. They were fired after Acting Attorney General James McHenry concluded they could not “be trusted to faithfully implement the president’s agenda because of their significant role in prosecuting the president”, a department official told the BBC’s US partner CBS News. The lawyers were part of former special counsel Jack Smith’s team which investigated Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents and his alleged attempt to overturn his 2020 election defeat. The firings on Monday are effective immediately. Mr Smith was appointed as special counsel in 2022 to oversee the two justice department cases into Trump. The president had vowed to fire him “within two seconds” of taking office, but he quit before his inauguration. Both cases resulted in criminal charges against Trump, who pleaded not guilty. But the cases were closed following his November election win. Prosecutors wrote that justice department regulations do not allow the prosecution of a sitting president. It was not immediately clear which members of Mr Smith’s team were fired. Many of those who worked on Mr Smith’s teams were career corruption and national security prosecutors who had worked across various administrations and were appointed to the cases. They reportedly received a letter on Monday which said their role in investigating and prosecuting the president made them unsuitable to work in the department. “Firing prosecutors because of cases they were assigned to work on is just unacceptable,” former US Attorney Joyce Vance told NBC News. “It’s anti-rule of law; it’s anti-democracy.” The firings follow a major reassignment of some of the justice department’s top officials with expertise in a wide range of fields including national security and public corruption. On Monday, one of them, the chief of the public integrity section, reportedly resigned. Trump and his team have accused the justice department of pursuing politically motivated cases against him, his associates and Republicans. Trump vowed an immediate overhaul of the department, which he says has been “weaponised” against him, while campaigning for re-election. His nominee to lead the justice department, Pam Bondi, has echoed Trump’s view that federal prosecutions against him were political persecution, saying the department “had been weaponised for years and years and years”. Mr Smith has publicly defended his work. In a letter accompanying the final draft of his report into Trump’s actions after the 2020 election, he wrote: “The claim from [Trump] that my decisions as a prosecutor were influenced or directed by the Biden administration or other political actors is, in a word, laughable.” Also on Monday, Washington DC’s top federal prosecutor announced the launch of an internal review into the charging decisions behind hundreds of Capitol riot cases, according to CBS. Acting US Attorney Edward Martin, a Trump appointee, ordered prosecutors in his office to turn in documents, emails and other information related to the previous administration’s decision to bring an obstruction charge against more than 200 Capitol attack defendants. Source link #Trump #administration #fires #justice #department #lawyers #investigated Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]