Pelican Press

Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 8 Accidentally Released Early, And You Probably Shouldn’t Use It Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 8 Accidentally Released Early, And You Probably Shouldn’t Use It Earlier this month, Larian Studios announced that Baldur’s Gate 3 will be receiving one last major update in Patch 8. And while select Baldur’s Gate 3 players will be invited to a stress test for Patch 8, the update has been mistakenly released for some PlayStation 5 players ahead of the scheduled time. Larian confirmed the mistake in a post on social media. No, the Patch 8 stress test hasn’t yet begun. Yes, PS5 players do currently have access to Patch 8. While we work with our partners to understand what’s going on, please note that any new saves made while on Patch 8 will not be compatible with Patch 7. How’s your Monday going? — Larian Studios (@larianstudios) January 27, 2025 Larian subsequently shared a longer update about the situation, which acknowledged that Patch 8 was mistakenly available for a few hours to PlayStation 5 players in Europe and Asia. The studio also warned that Patch 8 is not compatible with Patch 7, and urged players to uninstall and reinstall the game to return to the previous patch. Players who don’t revert to Patch 7 may risk losing their saves. Additionally, Larian indicated that receiving the Patch 8 by itself was not intended as an invitation to the stress test. Players who were selected to take part in that should receive a separate email–if they haven’t gotten one already–and the Patch 8 stress test will go on as scheduled later this week. Patch 8 will introduce cross-play between all consoles, PC, as well as a Photo Mode, in-game bug fixes, and mod improvements. Larian is currently developing a new project, which is codenamed Excalibur. Any potential sequel to Baldur’s Gate 3 will be developed by other studios. Source link #Baldurs #Gate #Patch #Accidentally #Released #Early #Shouldnt Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Closure of SAS investigation was premature, inquiry told Closure of SAS investigation was premature, inquiry told The closure of a military police investigation into suspected war crimes by the SAS was “inappropriate and premature”, a former Kent Police chief constable told a public inquiry on Monday. Alan Pughsley, an experienced major crimes investigator, said the Royal Military Police (RMP) had missed its “one chance” to interview key witnesses and capture vital digital evidence. Mr Pughsley was tasked by the Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan with reviewing earlier probes by the RMP into ******* allegations against the SAS. He told the inquiry the investigations had been hampered by “indecision and apathy” from senior officers, as well as a lack of cooperation from *** Special Forces command. The inquiry is examining whether there is credible evidence that the SAS murdered scores of unarmed people and civilians on night raids during the Afghan conflict. It was established following reporting by BBC Panorama that linked one SAS squadron to 54 suspicious deaths on just one six month tour of Afghanistan. Mr Pughsley reviewed two Royal Military Police investigations – Operation Cestro, which focused on a single night raid, and Operation Northmoor, a much larger investigation that included 11 separate special forces raids which had drawn ******* allegations. He told the inquiry Operation Northmoor was a “complicated, serious, and difficult” investigation, adding: “It was a ******* investigation, as serious as you can get.” Operation Northmoor, which began in 2014 and eventually cost £10m, was shut down in 2019 with no charges being brought. It has faced criticism in the years since over an apparent failure to interview key witnesses or secure evidence relating to the allegations of extra-judicial killings. Mr Pughsley told the court on Monday that the experience level of the Northmoor investigators and the resources at their disposal were “very poor and not in line with the national requirements”. He said he would not have closed the investigation given that there were still major lines of inquiry outstanding, including a “large number of potential witnesses and forensic evidence”. Operation Northmoor investigators have previously told the BBC they were blocked by senior military figures from interviewing special forces officers and accessing forensic evidence. Documents shown in court on Monday showed Captain Jason Wright, the lead investigator in the early years of Northmoor, repeatedly expressed frustration at decisions by his superiors – including Provost Marshal (Army) Brigadier David Neal and Gold Commander John Harvey – not to pursue *** Special Forces for witness interviews or to seize evidence. There was particular frustration around *** Special Forces obstructing attempts by the RMP to obtain a server which held all of the SAS’s operational paperwork. The RMP investigators later discovered that while they were attempting to obtain the server, a *** Special Forces contractor permanently deleted files from it. Mr Pughsley said that Capt Wright, who had completed his Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) training just a month before he was assigned to Operation Northmoor, did not have enough experience to lead such a complex ******* inquiry, adding that the sprawling investigation would have been a “big ask” for even a vastly experienced police SIO. Capt Wright however made significant and prudent efforts to obtain evidence and progress the investigation – efforts that appeared to have been repeatedly stymied by more senior officers, Mr Pughsley said. The former chief constable particularly criticised the actions of Brig Neal, who led the closure of Operation Northmoor, stating his surprise that he appeared not to have kept a policy file or logbook explaining his decisions, or resourced the investigation properly. Mr Pughsley also queried an order from Brig Neal which instructed the team not to use a £7.58m data handling system purchased by the RMP at the request of Capt Wright – the rationale for which was not explained by Brig Neal, he said. Tessa Gregory, a partner at Leigh Day, the law firm representing the bereaved Afghan families, said My Pughsley’s testimony “raised potential failings at almost every stage of the investigation”. A statement continued: “Perhaps most concerningly, he considers that the investigation was closed prematurely and inappropriately with major lines of enquiry still outstanding. “Plainly the inquiry now needs to take further evidence from those who were involved with both running and overseeing Operation Northmoor to find out how this complex, multi-********* military police investigation went so badly wrong.” Source link #Closure #SAS #investigation #premature #inquiry #told Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Dauntless Developer Phoenix Labs Lays Off 50+ More Employees, With Studio Likely to Close Dauntless Developer Phoenix Labs Lays Off 50+ More Employees, With Studio Likely to Close The remainder of Phoenix Labs developers have been laid off, with the studios game ‘Dauntless’ and it’s studio likely to close. Speaking with now past-employee’s at the studio, it’s understood that around 50 employees have been made redundant today. Several of those employee’s now believe that the Dauntless game is now dead, and that Phoenix Labs is likely to shut down, although Parent company Forte has yet to make such an announcement. According to those familiar with the situation, no one at Phoenix Labs still has a job with one person saying it was “surprising” that it was announced as round of layoffs instead of a studio closure. Forte, a blockchain company, acquired Phoenix Labs around summer 2023 and in May 2024 made more than 100 of its staff redundant. Forte was asked to comment, but did not supply one in time ahead of publication. Following the internal announcement, Phoenix Labs staff took to their Dauntless Discord server to make the announcement of redundancies, where it was said that “Earlier today, the majority of our development team was impacted by significant reductions at Phoenix Labs. This has been a heartbreaking decision for us, and we are deeply saddened for the talented individuals who are affected.” The statement continued, “We know you may have questions about what this means for Dauntless and its future. While we don’t have all the answers at this time, we are committed to keeping you informed and will share updates as soon as we can.” “Your support means the world to us, and we are truly grateful for this incredible community. Thank you for standing with us during this challenging time,” it concluded. Phoenix Labs was founded in April 2014 and is best known for Fae Farm and Dauntless, with the company also having had multiple games in development before being cancelled by Forte after the studios acquisition. The latest rounds of layoffs put 2025’s count well over 500 known jobs lost, with estimates having it over 700. Let us know down below, and join more discussions in the official Insider Gaming forums. For more Insider Gaming, read our official review of Sniper Elite: Resistance and check out what Xbox head Phil Spencer had to say about the future of Starfield. 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 #Dauntless #Developer #Phoenix #Labs #Lays #Employees #Studio #Close Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Outage hits DeepSeek as users flock to China AI startup Outage hits DeepSeek as users flock to China AI startup ******** startup DeepSeek says it will temporarily limit registrations due to a cyber attack after the company’s artificial intelligence assistant amassed sudden popularity. The startup earlier on Monday was also hit by outages on its website after its AI assistant became the top-rated free application available on Apple’s App Store in the United States. The company resolved issues relating to its application programming interface and users’ inability to log in to the website, according to its status page. The outages on Monday were the company’s longest in about 90 days and coincides with its sky-rocketing popularity. DeepSeek last week launched a free assistant it says uses less data at a fraction of the cost of incumbent players’ models, possibly marking a turning point in the level of investment needed for AI. Powered by the DeepSeek-V3 model, which its creators say “tops the leaderboard among open-source models and rivals the most advanced closed-source models globally,” the AI application has surged in popularity among US users since it was released on January 10, according to app data research firm Sensor Tower. The milestone highlights how DeepSeek has left a deep impression on Silicon Valley, upending widely held views about US primacy in AI and the effectiveness of US export controls targeting China’s advanced chip and AI capabilities. US technology stocks were hammered on Monday, sending the shares of Nvidia and Oracle plummeting. AI models from ChatGPT to DeepSeek require advanced chips to power their training. The US administration of president Joe Biden has since 2021 widened the scope of bans designed to stop these chips from being exported to China and used to train ******** firms’ AI models. However, DeepSeek researchers wrote in a paper last month that the DeepSeek-V3 used Nvidia’s H800 chips for training, spending less than $US6 million ($A9.5 million). Although this detail has since been disputed, the claim that the chips used were less powerful than the most advanced Nvidia products the US has sought to keep out of China, as well as the relatively cheap training costs, has prompted US tech executives to question the effectiveness of tech export controls. Little is known about the company behind DeepSeek, a small Hangzhou-based startup founded in 2023, when search engine giant Baidu released the first ******** AI large-language model. Since then, dozens of ******** tech companies large and small have released their own AI models but DeepSeek is the first to be praised by the US tech industry as matching or even surpassing the performance of cutting-edge US models. Source link #Outage #hits #DeepSeek #users #flock #China #startup Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Power stocks plunge as AI energy needs questioned due to new China AI lab Power stocks plunge as AI energy needs questioned due to new China AI lab The cooling towers of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024. Danielle DeVries | CNBC Power companies that are most exposed to the tech sector’s data center ***** plunged early Monday, as the debut of China’s DeepSeek open-source AI laboratory led investors to question how much energy artificial intelligence applications will actually consume. Vistra tumbled nearly 30% while Constellation Energy, Talen Energy and GE Vernova were all down more than 20%. Constellation, Vistra and GE Vernova have led the S&P 500 this year as investors speculated that AI data centers will boost demand for enormous amounts of electricity. All three suffered as the market was pulled lower Monday by investor worries about AI competition from China. DeepSeek released an AI model on Christmas Day that Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang described in an interview with CNBC last week as “earth shattering.” Scale AI provides training data for AI applications. DeepSeek followed up last week with the release of a reasoning model named DeepSeek-R1 that competes with OpenAI’s o1 model. DeepSeek has since risen to the top of mobile app stores. Wang said DeepSeek has essentially caught up with OpenAI. “Their model is actually the top performing, or roughly on par with the best American models,” Wang told CNBC’s Andrew Sorkin in a Jan. 23 interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has described DeepSeek as “super-compute efficient.” Bank of America analysts said in a Monday note that DeepSeek is “challenging the notion of U.S. leadership in AI and raising doubts about the high expectations for cloud capex, chip growth and power requirements.” The tech companies have anticipated needing so much electricity to supply data centers that they have increasingly looked to nuclear power as a source of reliable, carbon-free energy. Constellation, for example, has signed a power agreement with Microsoft to restart the Three Mile Island nuclear plant outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Talen is powering an Amazon data center with electricity from the nearby Susquehanna nuclear plant. Vistra has not signed a data center deal yet, though investors see promise in its nuclear and natural gas assets. GE Vernova has soared this year as the market believes its gas and electric grid businesses will benefit from AI demand. The Bank of America analysts said grid investment in the U.S. and Europe is still required. “Electrical grids in Europe and the U.S. remain under-invested and one of the critical bottlenecks in terms of meeting load growth requirements,” the analysts said. Don’t miss these insights from CNBC PRO Source link #Power #stocks #plunge #energy #questioned #due #China #lab Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

35 years after launch, point-and-click horror Last Half of Darkness is given new life 35 years after launch, point-and-click horror Last Half of Darkness is given new life Last Half of Darkness is a point-and-click horror adventure game first released in 1989, and now has been faithfully recreated with new graphics, an improved story, and modern mechanics by the same solo developer that first made it. Bill Fisher of SoftLab Laboratories — and later William R. Fisher III Studios — first released Last Half of Darkness in 1989 on the DOS platform to somewhat middling reviews, but the series established a fan base and Fisher went on to create several more games in the franchise. Given the graphical quality of 1989, the original title isn’t quite as scary as it might once have been. The new version takes full advantage of all of the tools available to game developers now to create a much more atmospheric and unsettling experience. Strange monsters appear and disappear in puffs of smoke. Gargoyles line the tops of statues, their stony gaze perpetually watching. Eerie noises echo through the ruins in the shadows. Last Half of Darkness is the definition of a labor of love. At the same time, it appeals to fans of puzzlers and horror alike. There are numerous Myst-like puzzles throughout. You’ll need to search for specific items, explore the building to find alternative paths, and solve intricate puzzles to move forward. Fisher doesn’t say much about the story, with the game’s blurb only giving a few sentences: “Your aunt sure was a strange one. She was some sort of witch or something. A good witch though, practicing only good spells and magic. In fact, she was working on a potion just before she was killed. Now the secret will go to the grave with her… unless you can find the missing ingredients.” Last Half of Darkness is scheduled to release on Steam on February 7. If you want to play the original titles, those can still be downloaded for free from Fisher’s website. Source link #years #launch #pointandclick #horror #Darkness #life Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What’s Next in the Gaza Cease-Fire Negotiations? What’s Next in the Gaza Cease-Fire Negotiations? Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians trekked for hours toward their homes in northern Gaza on Monday, nearly 16 months after Israel launched an offensive there in response to ******’s Oct. 7 attacks. The returnees confronted wastelands of rubble after the Israeli military destroyed entire neighborhoods and ****** booby-trapped buildings. Adam Rasgon, a New York Times correspondent, explains why the road to permanent peace remains complicated and elusive despite significant progress in the temporary cease-fire. Source link #Whats #Gaza #CeaseFire #Negotiations Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

The Next Gears Of War Brings Back The Developer Of Judgment The Next Gears Of War Brings Back The Developer Of Judgment Gears of War Judgment and Outriders developer People Can Fly has revealed that it is co-developing Gears of War: E-Day with Microsoft’s studio The Coalition. People Can Fly previously led the development of the spin-off Gears of War Judgment back in 2013. “Returning to collaborate on the next chapter of this legendary saga is both a privilege and an exciting opportunity to build upon the intense, visceral action and rich storytelling that fans have come to love,” said People Can Fly CEO Sebastian Wojciechowski in a statement. “We are deeply grateful for our partners’ trust and support on this journey.” Back in 2023, People Can Fly announced it was working on Project Maverick, which was at the time an unannounced AAA game with Microsoft. While unconfirmed, it’s likely that Gears of War: E-Day is Project Maverick. People Can Fly also recently let go of 120 employees, as well as scaled down Project Bifrost and suspended Project Victoria. Gear of War: E-Day is a prequel set 14 years prior to the events of first game. It follows original protagonists Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago as they come home to find the Locust horde ravaging everywhere. The game will bring back their original voice actors. Gears of War: E-Day was revealed at Summer Game Fest 2024 and will launch on PC and Xbox Series X|S. It’s also reportedly set for a 2025 release. Source link #Gears #War #Brings #Developer #Judgment Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

DeepSeek ******** AI chatbot sparks market turmoil for rivals – BBC.com DeepSeek ******** AI chatbot sparks market turmoil for rivals – BBC.com DeepSeek ******** AI chatbot sparks market turmoil for rivals BBC.comWhat is DeepSeek, and why is it causing Nvidia and other stocks to slump? CBS NewsWhat is DeepSeek, the ******** AI company upending the stock market? Yahoo FinanceMeet the hedge fund manager who founded DeepSeek, the ******** AI startup that began as a hobby and is now laying waste to US stocks FortuneHow ******** A.I. Start-Up DeepSeek Is Competing With Silicon Valley Giants The New York Times Source link #DeepSeek #******** #chatbot #sparks #market #turmoil #rivals #BBC.com Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Supports and DPS Are Worshipped Too Much in Marvel Rivals, It’s Time We Start Celebrating a Post-game Stat for Tanks Supports and DPS Are Worshipped Too Much in Marvel Rivals, It’s Time We Start Celebrating a Post-game Stat for Tanks It’s been more than a month since the release of Marvel Rivals, and the NetEase Games title has already established itself as the top dog of the hero-shooter genre, beating giants such as Overwatch 2. The game features over thirty-five playable characters right now, multiple game modes, and incredible skins. Marvel Rivals is making waves in the gaming industry. (Image via NetEase Games) While Marvel Rivals features tons of exciting heroes to play with, a large section of the community believes that importance is only given to DPS and Support roles and that playing Tanks is nothing but a waste of time. However, all of that can be changed if we, as players, start celebrating the damage-blocked stat. Marvel Rivals players must start appreciating tanks It’s a known fact that in any hero shooter, you can’t achieve success without the help of a good tank, and that’s the case for Marvel Rivals as well. In a team of six, it’s crucial to have a character that can take a number of hits. The tanks or Vanguards in Rivals come in all sizes and shapes and can soak everything thrown at them. Vanguards in Marvel Rivals are more than just soaking damage, as they allow teams to deal good damage and do crowd control. However, on the game’s official subreddit, few feel that playing tanks in Rivals is a complete waste of time, considering how no one appreciates their efforts. There’s no denying the fact that the contributions of tanks in any hero-shooter go unnoticed. This is all despite the fact that they’re the ones taking damage and creating space. If the team’s DPS and healers don’t capitalize on the hard work of tank players, they get absolutely slated. However, gamers can change their perceptions of the role of tanks in Marvel Rivals by celebrating the damage-blocked stat. Just like highlighting KD/s and healing stats, giving importance to damage blocked will finally give tanks the recognition they deserve. All they’re seeking is rewards for their contribution, and such a simple stat can go a long way towards achieving a more fun gameplay for everyone. Marvel Rivals is punishing cheaters in a new way Marvel Rivals won’t let cheaters get away. (Image via NetEase Games) With every update for Marvel Rivals, NetEase proves that it’s not like the competition, which doesn’t care about its games and only sees it as a money-printing machine. The developer has taken a brand-new approach to deal with the plague of cheaters. Over on the Marvel Rivals‘ subreddit, one gamer has shared a screenshot of what happens if any cheater is caught during a game. Once a cheater is detected, the match is canceled, and nothing that happened during the match will be counted on the career page. Gamers are enthusiastic about this approach to dealing with cheaters and are relieved to hear that their matches won’t be negatively affected by the acts of a few. It’s not the first time we’ve seen NetEase acting out hard against cheaters, as the developer shared the names of all cheaters banned during the beta ******* of the hero-shooter. With that said, do you feel tanks need to be rewarded more in Marvel Rivals? Let us know in the comments below. Source link #Supports #DPS #Worshipped #Marvel #Rivals #Time #Start #Celebrating #Postgame #Stat #Tanks Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

What is DeepSeek and why has it shaken the AI sector? What is DeepSeek and why has it shaken the AI sector? Getty Images An AI-powered chatbot by the ******** company DeepSeek has quickly become the most downloaded free app on Apple’s store, following its January release in the US. The app’s sudden popularity, as well as DeepSeek’s reportedly low costs compared to those of US-based AI companies, have thrown financial markets into a spin. Silicon Valley venture capitalist Marc Andreessen has hailed DeepSeek as “one of the most amazing and impressive breakthroughs” in AI. The company says its latest AI models are on par with industry-leading models in the US – like ChatGPT – at a fraction of the cost. Researchers behind the app have said it only took $6m (£4.8m) to build it, much less than the billions spent by AI companies in the US. What is DeepSeek? DeepSeek is a ******** artificial intelligence company founded in Hangzhou, a city in southeastern China. The company was launched in July 2023 by Liang Wenfeng and funded by the ******** entrepreneur’s hedge fund. It was released in the US on 10 January, according to Sensor Tower. Wenfeng reportedly built up a store of Nvidia A100 chips – which some estimates put at 50,000 – which are now banned from export to China. Experts believe this collection enabled him to launch DeepSeek, by pairing the powerful chips with cheaper, lower-end ones that are still available to import. Watch: What is DeepSeek? The BBC’s AI correspondent explains Who is using it? The company’s AI app is available for download in Apple’s App Store and online at its website. The service, which is free, has quickly become the top downloaded app on Apple’s store, although there have been some reports of people having trouble signing up. It has also become the top-rated free application in the US on Apple’s app store. What does the app do? DeepSeek has become popular for its powerful AI assistant which operates similarly to ChatGPT. According to its description on the App Store, it is designed “to answer your questions and enhance your life efficiently”. Comments left by users rating the app say “it gives the writing more personality”. DeepSeek’s low cost creates concern for America’s AI future DeepSeek was reportedly developed for a fraction of the cost of its rivals, raising questions about the future of America’s AI dominance and the scale of investments US firms are planning. The company behind ChatGPT – OpenAI – has been a global leader in the burgeoning field and Nvidia has become one of the highest valued companies in the world, when measured by market capitalization. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman joined financial and other firms at a White House event last week, where they pledged to invest $500bn (£400bn) in building AI infrastructure in the US. There are no firm reports on how much it cost to build ChatGPT, but based on reporting from The Information, many people believe it took $540mn, nearly 100 times the cost of DeepSeek. DeepSeek’s possibly lower costs roiled financial markets on 27 January, leading the tech-heavy Nasdaq to fall more than 3%. Nvidia was down more than 12% on the morning of 27 January. Microsoft lost roughly 4% percent, and Oracle dipped more than 7%. Source link #DeepSeek #shaken #sector Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ninja Gaiden ****** Was The Original Dark Souls Ninja Gaiden ****** Was The Original Dark Souls This week Lauren(@iamlaurenp) from Nerds of Prey/(@nerdsofpreycast) joins Tiny(@Tiny415), Mike(@AssaultSuit) and Aaron(@Ind1fference) to talk about: roadtrip, Nailed it, The Office, Nerds of Prey, 30 Rock, Parks and Rec, The Shape of Water, Big Little Lies, The Modern Mercenary: Private Armies and What They Mean for World Order, Del Toro, Bioshock, Pacific Rim, Godzilla, Daredevil, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, Hellcat, Avengers Infinity War, Extra Life United, Sonic Mania, The Reckoners, Taken, Goldeneye, A Wrinkle in Time, Ava Duvernay, Lumines, Mark of the Ninja Remastered, Banner Saga, Coco, South Park, Bayonetta, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Vermintide 2, Yakuza 6, Spider-man Shattered Dimensions, Ion Maiden, Into the Breach, FTL, Sea of Thieves, EA Access, Burnout Paradise, Ninja Gaiden ******, ******, Super Lucky’s Tale, Bombslinger, Slayaway Camp: Butcher’s Cut, Beast Quest, Deep Rock Galactic, Ion Maiden, Siege Saga, Neonwall, Octahedron, PUBG mobile, Knockout League, Toys R US, Bain Capital, Wiiware and more. Source link #Ninja #Gaiden #****** #Original #Dark #Souls Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘No easy routes’ to growth, Rachel Reeves tells Labour MPs ‘No easy routes’ to growth, Rachel Reeves tells Labour MPs Kate Whannel and Sam Francis Political reporters Tom Symonds Political correspondent Reuters The chancellor has told Labour MPs there are “no easy routes” to economic growth, after hinting the government will back a third runway at Heathrow Airport. Rachel Reeves said ministers must start saying “yes” to new projects and go “further and faster” to boost the economy. Her comments come after days of speculation she will confirm government support for expanding Heathrow in a major speech on Wednesday – risking a rift with some Labour MPs who oppose the idea. On Sunday, Reeves told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that “sustainable aviation and economic growth go hand in hand” but said plans would be set out in due course. Speaking at a weekly meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party, Reeves said: “Kick starting economic growth is this Labour government’s number one mission because I do not believe low growth is our destiny. “Will that growth come easy? No. There are no easy routes out. “Over the past six months as chancellor, my experience is that government has become used to saying ‘no’. “That must change. We must start saying ‘yes.’ “Yes, to new jobs. Yes, to higher living standards. Yes, to investment. And yes, to growth.” The chancellor did not make the case for Heathrow expansion directly in her speech. However, Labour MP for Brentford and Isleworth Ruth Cadbury, whose constituency would be affected by a third runway, raised concerns about the issue, according to a Reeves aide. The chancellor was welcomed with applause and table-******** and the chancellor’s aide said there was “overwhelming support” for her within the parliamentary party. Senior Labour figures, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, have opposed Heathrow expansion plans in the past, while the aviation industry and business chiefs have consistently been in favour. Environmental groups and many local residents are also opposed. Asked last week if he would quit if a third Heathrow runway got the go-ahead given his previous opposition, Miliband said: “Don’t be ridiculous, no.” However, Labour mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan, who won a third term in 2024 on a platform of opposing airport expansion in the capital, has said his views “haven’t changed” and suggested any plans would need mitigations for noise pollution and carbon emissions. On Monday, Miliband told MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee any future airport expansions “will only be able to go ahead if it is consistent with our carbon budgets”. “That is a legally binding framework,” he added. Former shadow climate change secretary Barry Gardiner has signalled his objection to a third runway at Heathrow, warning it would undermine the government’s progress toward net zero carbon emissions. He told the BBC: “I think Rachel is wrong to pit decarbonising the economy against economic growth. “Decarbonisation is the growth of the future.” Gardiner, who sits on Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee, argued there was a limit to what technological advances could achieve. He said climate experts had concluded there was no way to reach net zero without limiting the aviation sector. During a speech on Wednesday, Reeves is expected to set out her plans to boost the economy, as the government seeks to focus its message on growth. Over the weekend, the government announced plans to fast-track permission for housing and commercial developments near train stations and changes to planning rules, running alongside the rolling back of environmental impact assessments. There is currently no application for a third runway at Heathrow and in December the airport’s boss said the company needed a “clear steer” from the government by the end of 2025 for plans to be taken forward. Proposals for expansion were initially put forward for consultation in 2007 and a third runway at Heathrow was first approved by the Labour government in 2009. The plan was scrapped in 2010 by the Conservative-Lib Dem led coalition. Six years later, a third runway was once again given the green light by Theresa May’s government. In 2020, the Court of Appeal ruled the decision to allow the expansion was unlawful because it did not take account of climate commitments; however this was later overturned by the Supreme Court. Source link #easy #routes #growth #Rachel #Reeves #tells #Labour #MPs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NYT Crossword: answers for Monday, January 27 NYT Crossword: answers for Monday, January 27 The New York Times crossword puzzle can be tough, even if it isn’t the Sunday issue! If you’re stuck, we’re here to help you out with today’s clues and answers. Source link #NYT #Crossword #answers #Monday #January Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Maxsun RTX 5060 Ti EEC filings show 8GB, 16GB models — 2016 wants its VRAM capacity back Maxsun RTX 5060 Ti EEC filings show 8GB, 16GB models — 2016 wants its VRAM capacity back New filings at the EEC (Eurasian Economic Commission) suggest that Nvidia might be preparing the RTX 5060 Ti in 8GB and 16GB flavors. Thanks to Olrak at X, it appears Maxsun has registered a handful of new GPUs, including the RTX 5060 Ti iCraft and TR series, with the regulatory body. As always, take this leak with a grain of salt since we could be months away from seeing budget Blackwell GPUs on desktop. Nvidia’s use of GDDR7 with Blackwell sparked numerous questions, especially regarding higher VRAM capacities. For reference, the RTX 5090 laptop with a 256-bit interface has been outfitted with 24GB memory using denser 24Gb (3GB) memory ICs. On the contrary, the desktop RTX 5080, despite using a similar 256-bit interface, only offers 16GB, similar to its predecessor. The mid-range RTX 5070 sticks with 12GB, and it seems the budget 5060 Ti series may be split into 8GB and 16GB versions, as was the case last generation. Highlighted in the image below are entries matching the string “5060Ti” across Maxsun’s iCraft and TR (likely Terminator) series. A handful of variants are factory overclocked, though the most important distinction is the “8G” and “16G” identifiers. With the RTX 4060 Ti series, Nvidia employed the VRAM in clamshell mode to achieve 16GB of memory. We expect a similar approach with the RTX 5060 Ti 8GB and 16GB. Hopefully the price delta won’t be as large as before, where Nvidia charged a $100 premium for the extra memory. (Image credit: EEC) We can only speculate about other specifications at this point. Still, the RTX 5060 Ti might adopt the GB206 die, rumored, to offer 36 SMs (4,608 CUDA cores) and a 128-bit memory interface. Alternatively, the RTX 5070 uses a slightly cut-down GB205 GPU (which allegedly has 50 SMs) allowing Nvidia to repurpose binned chips for the RTX 5060 Ti. It seems likely the primary differentiating factor between the RTX 5060 Ti 8GB and 16GB will be the VRAM. Nvidia asserts that through “Neural Materials”, games could reduce memory requirements by around one-third, but that’s a future prospect. As it stands, memory limitations will be the Achilles’ Heel of these 8GB GPUs as games continue to necessitate higher VRAM capacities. Once again, approach these filings with skepticism as they could be placeholders. We may hear more from Nvidia regarding budget Blackwell GPUs at Computex, but that’s still almost four months away. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Source link #Maxsun #RTX #EEC #filings #show #8GB #16GB #models #VRAM #capacity Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Could ocean worlds support life? Could ocean worlds support life? An artist’s concept of K2-18b, a candidate Hycean world. It’s also super-Earth exoplanet that could support life. Credit: STScI There might be a type of exoplanet without dry land. They’re called “Hycean” worlds, a portmanteau of “hydrogen” and “ocean.” They’re mostly or entirely covered in oceans and have thick hydrogen atmospheres. They’re intriguing because their atmospheres keep them warm enough to have liquid water outside of the traditional habitable zones. If they do exist, scientists think they’re good candidates to support microbial life. Hycean worlds are hypothetical, but there is some evidence that they exist. The Kepler mission detected many candidates and provided foundational evidence for their existence. However, it didn’t detect any with certainty. More recently, JWST observations also supported the idea. The space telescope detected carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere of a candidate Hycean world called K2-18b. Both of those molecules can be biosignatures of microbial life under similar conditions as Earth’s oceans. New research published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society examines the potential Hycean worlds hold for the evolution of life and how life might depend on these worlds’ thermodynamic conditions. It’s titled “Prospects for Biological Evolution on Hycean Worlds.” The authors are Emily G Mitchell and Nikku Madhusudhan, both from the University of Cambridge. “The search for extraterrestrial life is one of the most fundamental quests in human history,” the authors write. “An important recent development in this direction is the possibility of Hycean worlds, which increase both the numbers of potentially habitable planets and the ability to detect biosignatures in their atmospheres.” Research shows that Hycean Worlds can provide both the chemical and the thermodynamic conditions necessary for microbial life to persist in their oceans. In this research, the authors used the metabolic theory of ecology (MTE) to explore how simple life might evolve in Hycean Worlds under different temperature conditions. In simple terms, MTE says that an organism’s metabolic rate is fundamental to its ability to persist and thrive. It applies to individual processes and community and population processes. A key idea behind MTE is that temperature strongly influences metabolic rates. Previous studies show that when temperatures in a habitable environment increase, biological activity increases up to a point. In this research, Mitchell and Madhusudhan investigate how ocean surface temperatures affect Earth-like single-celled life and how long it takes them to originate on Hycean Worlds. They also explore how different temperatures affect the detectability of biosignatures. “This work, in turn, has observable consequences for prominent biosignatures on such planets, considering that unicellular phytoplankton are a major source of key biomarkers in the Earth’s atmosphere, such as dimethyl sulfide, which may be observable in Hycean atmospheres,” the researchers write in their paper. Dimethyl sulfide is strongly linked to phytoplankton and has a unique spectral signature that the JWST can detect in exoplanet atmospheres. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matter—daily or weekly. The researchers focused on several key phytoplankton groups that are abundant on Earth and produce biosignature gases in its atmosphere. Among them are Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), Methanococccea (a methanogen), and diatoms, which generate as much as 50% of Earth’s oxygen each year. They paid special attention to Aquificota. Aquificota is a phylum of bacteria named after an early genus in the group Aquifix. Its members are found in fresh water and oceans and can produce water by oxidizing hydrogen. “In order to illustrate how evolutionary rates change with temperature over planetary timescales, we have calculated the evolutionary rates for an example organism (Aquifix) over the last 4.3 billion years,” the paper states. They used Aquifix because it’s a strong analog for some of Earth’s first life. The chemicals the JWST detected in the atmosphere of K2-18b. In addition to the carbon-bearing molecules methane and carbon dioxide, it detected the potential biosignature dimethyl sulphide. Credit: JWST/STScI The researchers showed that even marginal changes in Earth’s ocean surface temperature compared to the surface temperature over evolutionary timescales significantly change the origination time and evolutionary rates of important species of simple life. “For example, a 10 K increase relative to Earth leads to evolutionary rates which are over twice as fast, while a decrease of 10 K halves them,” the authors explain. They found that warmer oceans can accelerate the rate of evolution, allowing key unicellular groups like archaea and bacteria to appear as early as 1.3 billion years after the origin of life. This indicates that higher temperatures drive a faster progression to complex life. “This increased rate has a significant impact on the origination times of unicellular groups such that for an increase of 10K of surface temperature, all of the major groups will have originated by 1.19 Gyr post-Origin of Life (OlL) and all the key phytoplankton groups by 1.28 Gyr,” the authors write. The reverse is also true. The researchers found that cooler temperatures delay the appearance of key lifeforms by up to several billion years. That could mean that complex life takes longer to appear. “In contrast, a decrease of 10K of median surface temperature severely limits the origination rates, such that by 4 Gyr post-OoL, only Bacteria and Archaea will have evolved but not oxygenic photosynthesis or Eukaryotes,” the authors write. In that case, it would also affect the appearance of observable biosignatures, and their intensity and ease of detection. One of their central findings is that only a marginal range of environmental conditions allows for a large range of evolutionary rates and origination times. “First, given the wide range of possible atmospheric conditions in Hycean worlds, an equally wide diversity in microbial life could be expected,” they write. “In particular, the origination of new clades in warm Hycean worlds can happen significantly faster than on Earth.” If Hycean worlds exist, this research suggests that they could be “rippling with life,” as Carl Sagan put it, on shorter timescales than Earth. The candidate Hycean worlds we know of are thought to have warmer oceans than Earth. So, by extension, the candidate Hycean World K2-18 b, which is only 2.4 billion years old, could have the conditions necessary for originating and sustaining key unicellular groups. That means that it, and others like it, are good targets in the search for biosignatures. The authors offer a couple of caveats to their results. They considered only a fairly narrow range of temperature and physical conditions based on Earth. In reality, habitable extraterrestrial planets could exhibit a much wider range. “Future work in this direction could explore a range of other conditions, including the effect of gravity, pressure, larger temperature variations and other environmental factors,” the researchers write in their conclusion. We don’t know if Hycean Worlds are real. Some scientists think that their hydrogen-rich atmospheres might be unstable. There are also concerns about radiation exposure inhibiting life and atmospheric chemistry working against biochemical processes. The formation pathways for these worlds are also unclear, as are the mechanisms for generating and sustaining their atmospheres. However, if they do exist, this study makes one thing clear: For different surface temperatures, a warm planet could have a more complex biosphere at a relatively young age, and a cooler one could have a simpler biosphere at a later age. In the end, we aren’t traveling to any of these worlds, so detecting biosignatures is the name of the game. “Such biospheres with varied levels of complexity can impact the detectability of life on them, such that warmer planets have the potential to show strong atmospheric biosignatures,” the researchers conclude. More information: Emily G Mitchell et al, Prospects for biological evolution on Hycean worlds, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2025). DOI: 10.1093/mnras/staf094 Provided by Universe Today Citation: Could ocean worlds support life? (2025, January 27) retrieved 27 January 2025 from This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Source link #ocean #worlds #support #life Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

EU, ***, Australia, Canada, NZ condemn Belarus election EU, ***, Australia, Canada, NZ condemn Belarus election The United Kingdom has imposed sanctions targeting Belarusian officials and defence companies after joining the European Union and several English-speaking governments in condemning what they called “sham” presidential elections in the country. The measures come after Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko was declared winner of a presidential election in the country, allowing him to extend his 31-year rule. European politicians have said the vote was neither free nor fair because independent media are banned in the former Soviet republic and all leading opposition figures have either been jailed or forced to flee abroad. Lukashenko and the allied Russian government have both dismissed foreign criticism of the election. A joint statement issued by Australia, Canada, the European Union, New Zealand and the *** on Monday said they were united in condemnation of Sunday’s “sham” election and what they called human rights violations perpetrated by Lukashenko’s government. The statement was published on the *** government website. “Recently announced sanctions represent a co-ordinated, multilateral effort to hold the Lukashenko regime to account,” the statement added. The *** said it was sanctioning six electoral and security officials, including the chairman of the Belarusian Central Election Commission, in co-ordination with Canada. Those sanctioned also include three companies that produce ammunition, drones and radar and weapon control systems. “The world has become well-accustomed to Lukashenko’s cynical pretence of democracy in Belarus, while in reality he brutally represses civil society and opposition voices to strengthen his grip on power,” *** Foreign Secretary David Lammy said. State media reported 70-year-old Lukashenko garnered 86.8 per cent of the vote, according to preliminary results announced by the electoral commission. With opposition politicians either in exile or imprisoned, and the four alternative candidates seen as state-approved extras, it was seen as inevitable that Lukashenko would obtain another five-year term in the presidency. About 6.9 million people were eligible to vote in the country and voter turnout was reported at 85.7 per cent according to the preliminary results. with DPA Source link #Australia #Canada #condemn #Belarus #election Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Red Dead Redemption 2 Has More Players Than Ever On Steam Thanks To Its Biggest Discount Yet Red Dead Redemption 2 Has More Players Than Ever On Steam Thanks To Its Biggest Discount Yet Red Dead Redemption 2 is breaking its Steam concurrent player record five years after its release on Valve’s platform, all thanks to a huge Rockstar Games publisher ***** that sees the western epic at its lowest price yet. A number of Rockstar’s games are currently steeply discounted on Steam, but it’s the 70% off Red Dead Redemption 2 that is helping Rockstar’s most recent title achieve its highest Steam concurrent player numbers ever. According to data from SteamDB, Red Dead Redemption 2’s player numbers have been steadily climbing since the start of the ***** on January 24, when the game became discounted to just $15. The game’s concurrent players peaked at 86,717 on January 26, a bump of more than 10,000 players compared to the same time in 2023 and 2024. You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos. Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA VI) Trailer Breakdown Size:640 × 360480 × 270 Want us to remember this setting for all your devices? Sign up or Sign in now! Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos. This video has an invalid file format. Sorry, but you can’t access this content! Please enter your date of birth to view this video JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031Year202520242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975197419731972197119701969196819671966196519641963196219611960195919581957195619551954195319521951195019491948194719461945194419431942194119401939193819371936193519341933193219311930192919281927192619251924192319221921192019191918191719161915191419131912191119101909190819071906190519041903190219011900 By clicking ‘enter’, you agree to GameSpot’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy enter It’s an impressive resurgence for what is still one of the most critically-acclaimed games of all time. Red Dead Redemption 2 currently sports a 98 on review aggregator Metacritic, and in GameSpot’s Red Dead Redemption 2 review, we called Rockstar’s return to the Wild West “a thought-provoking” prequel with a rich, detailed world we didn’t want to leave. We even awarded it as GameSpot’s GameSpot’s Game Of The Year 2018. It was released on PC a year later, and though its launch on the platform was rough at start, subsequent updates solved many of the game’s outstanding technical issues. That led us to call it a worthy PC port and still one of the generation’s best games. According to Valve, Red Dead Redemption 2 was one of the top 100 most-played games on the Steam Deck from March 2023-2024. Other Rockstar Games currently heavily discounted on Steam include the more recent PC release of the original Red Dead Redemption, as well as Grand Theft Auto V, The Grand Theft Auto Trilogy, and Bully: Scholarship Edition. Taking a stroll through memory lane with Rockstar’s older titles might not be a bad way to wait for more information about Grand Theft Auto 6, which analysts say could sell more than 40 million copies in its first year. According to Take-Two, GTA 6 is still on track for a Fall 2025 release. For more about the ambitious sequel, here’s everything we currently know about GTA 6. Source link #Red #Dead #Redemption #Players #Steam #Biggest #Discount Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Study shows vacations are good for employee well-being, and the effects are long lasting Study shows vacations are good for employee well-being, and the effects are long lasting Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain If you’re like many Americans, you probably didn’t take all your vacation time this past year. Even if you did, it’s highly likely you didn’t fully unplug while off the clock. But you might want to change that if you want to improve your health and well-being, according to a new review article from the University of Georgia. The meta-analysis of 32 studies from nine countries suggests that not only are vacations more beneficial for boosting employee well-being than previously thought, but the positive effects of annual leave also last much longer than the ride home from the airport. The research is published in the Journal of Applied Psychology. “The theme of the paper is that vacations create longer-lasting benefits than previously thought,” said Ryan Grant, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in psychology in UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. “Job demands and job stress are on the rise. But people think that they can’t take time off because they don’t want to look bad or lose out on an opportunity for promotion. “We think working more is better, but we actually perform better by taking care of ourselves. We need to break up these intense periods of work with intense periods of rest and recuperation.” Disengage from work on vacation for maximum well-being benefits How you vacation makes a difference in how restorative your time off is, though. The researchers found that employees who psychologically disengaged from work on their vacations saw the most improvement in their well-being. “If you’re not at work but you’re thinking about work on vacation, you might as well be at the office,” Grant said. “Vacations are one of the few opportunities we get to fully just disconnect from work.” Ideally, that means not answering emails, taking work calls or even thinking about the office. Work up a sweat on your trip The analysis also found that people who engaged in physical activities while on vacation experienced higher levels of well-being and restoration. But that doesn’t have to mean going for a marathon hike or sweat session on holiday. “Basically anything that gets your heart rate up is a good option,” Grant said. “Plus, a lot of physical activities you’re doing on vacation, like snorkeling for example, are physical. So they’re giving you the physiological and mental health benefits. But they’re also unique opportunities for these really positive experiences that you probably don’t get in your everyday life.” Plan time before and after vacation to decompress The review also suggests that longer vacations offer larger benefits for employees once they head back to work. Although longer vacation stretches appear to be more beneficial, those getting back from extended trips can also experience a steeper decline in their well-being once they’re back to reality. That’s why the periods right before and immediately after vacation are key. Giving yourself time to pack and plan your trip ahead of time reduces stress and can help maximize well-being benefits. And incorporating a day or two off to reacclimate when you get home can ease the transition back into work mode, the researchers said. More information: Ryan S. Grant et al, I need a vacation: A meta-analysis of vacation and employee well-being, Journal of Applied Psychology (2025). DOI: 10.1037/apl0001262 Provided by University of Georgia Citation: Study shows vacations are good for employee well-being, and the effects are long lasting (2025, January 27) retrieved 27 January 2025 from This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Source link #Study #shows #vacations #good #employee #wellbeing #effects #long #lasting Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Judge reverses course, grants Oath Keepers access to Capitol after Trump grants clemency Judge reverses course, grants Oath Keepers access to Capitol after Trump grants clemency The federal judge who presided over the seditious conspiracy trial of far-right Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes rescinded an order that barred Rhodes and his co-defendants from traveling to Washington, D.C. The Justice Department had called on him to modify the sentences of the group members, who were serving years-long sentences after their convictions on crimes related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol. U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta said Monday, “t would be improper for the court post-commutation to modify the original sentences,” but because President Trump’s clemency “can reasonably be read to extinguish enforcement of Defendants’ terms of supervised release,” the judge vacated his order. Mehta on Friday had ordered the Oath Keeper members Rhodes, Kelly Meggs, Kenneth Harrelson, Jessica Watkins, Roberto Minuta, Edward Vallejo, David Moerchel, and Joseph Hacket to be barred from entering Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Capitol building “without first obtaining the permission from the Court.” The decision prompted staunch opposition from Washington, D.C. Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Martin, who wrote that the defendants, including Rhodes, were “no longer subject to the terms of supervised release and probation.” Mehta, in reversing his decision, said he ultimately found Martin’s interpretation of President Trump’s unconditional commutation to be “reasonable.” Last week, as part of the mass clemency Mr. Trump extended to those tied to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, he pardoned over 1,500 defendants, but opted to commute the sentences of Rhodes, his co-defendants and certain members of the Proud Boys group who were also charged with seditious conspiracy. Not all of those who received commutations were ultimately convicted of the seditious conspiracy charge. Days after receiving commutation, Rhodes and other Jan. 6 defendants appeared on Capitol Hill. The judge wrote that while the parties initially operated “as if the commutations addressed only the custodial portions of Defendants’ sentences but not their terms of supervised release,” upon further review and in response to objections from the defendants, he found that once a commutation is issued for a defendant, they are “required to take no further action to receive its benefit.” “It is not for this court to divine why President Trump commuted Defendants’ sentences, or to assess whether it was sensible to do so,” Mehta added. Assault On The U.S. Capitol More More Robert Legare Robert Legare is a CBS News multiplatform reporter and producer covering the Justice Department, federal courts and investigations. He was previously an associate producer for the “CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell.” Source link #Judge #reverses #grants #Oath #Keepers #access #Capitol #Trump #grants #clemency Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

‘I Have No Problem Throwing Elon Under the Bus, but I’ll Save It for When It’s Truly Deserved’ ‘I Have No Problem Throwing Elon Under the Bus, but I’ll Save It for When It’s Truly Deserved’ Cuban on Musk: ‘I Have No Problem Throwing Elon Under the Bus, but I’ll Save It for When It’s Truly Deserved’ Last year in the wake of a Secret Service probe into Elon Musk‘s online remarks, entrepreneur Mark Cuban came forward to defend Musk’s online antics, despite acknowledging them as “kind of insane.” What Happened: In an interview in 2024, Cuban discussed Musk’s online conduct, which he described as “kind of insane” but not out of character for the Tesla chief. The conversation took place in the wake of Musk’s jest about pop icon Taylor Swift‘s endorsement of then-Vice President Kamala Harris during the election. Don’t Miss: Cuban, who has had interactions with Musk in the past, defended the Tesla CEO’s humorous style and said “that’s just the kind of banter you’d expect from him.” He shared an instance of a text exchange with Musk, where he congratulated Musk on the birth of his child. “We just texted back and forth a few times and he had just had a child, and I said: ‘Congrats on your 90th child. And his response was — ‘Mars needs people.’ Right, so that’s just Elon’s sense of humor, right? I have no problem throwing Elon under the bus, but I’ll save it for when it’s truly deserved,” he said. Trending: This 12,000 RPM Spinning Battery With Over $100 Million In LOIs Could Be The Missing Link For Green Energy — Here’s Why Early Investors Are Flocking To Invest Before Funding Closes Why It Matters: Musk’s online behavior has previously led to serious consequences, including a $40 million settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission following a tweet about taking Tesla private. More recently, a tweet speculating about a potential assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump triggered a Secret Service investigation. Cuban’s defense of Musk’s online conduct highlights the ongoing debate about the role and impact of social media in the corporate world, especially when used by high-profile executives. Read Next: Story Continues Source link #Problem #Throwing #Elon #Bus #Ill #Save #Deserved Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What’s Included in Each of the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Editions? – Pre-Order Guide What’s Included in Each of the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Editions? – Pre-Order Guide · · January 27, 2025 Like its name, the upcoming Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is somewhat obscure. It’s a story-rich role-playing game with turn-based and real-time mechanics set in a world inspired by the Belle Epoque France. From what we’ve seen, it looks phenomenal, but only time will tell. For now, let’s explore the various Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 editions and pre-order information! Every Included in the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Editions There are four versions of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to pre-order, from the basic standard edition, which includes the game itself, to the collector’s edition, which features physical items, like a hardcover artbook and music box. Standard Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Base Game) Digital Deluxe Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Base Game) The Flowers Collection Two Clair Obscur Outfits Lumiere Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Base Game) The Flowers Collection Two Clair Obscur Outfits Collectible Steelbook 48-Page Hardcover Artbook Collector’s Edition Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Base Game) The Flowers Collection Two Clair Obscur Outfits Collectible Steelbook 48-Page Hardcover Artbook Hand-Painted Monolith Music Box The Flowers Collection appears slightly obscure (Ha!), but it’s a set of eight alternative outfits for the core cast of characters—all purely cosmetic from what we gather. Related: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Release Date Announced What Platforms is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Coming To? Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will launch on the following systems on day one: PC PlayStation 5 Xbox Series X|S Oh, and you’re in luck if you have Xbox Game Pass because it’s a day-one playable title on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate! What is it about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 that caught your attention? Let us know in the comments, or visit the Insider Gaming community forum to discuss upcoming video game releases! Did you know we have an official podcast now?! You can check out the Insider Gaming Weekly Podcast right here on the site! SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Whats #Included #Clair #Obscur #Expedition #Editions #PreOrder #Guide Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Urban food gardens produce more than vegetables, they create bonds for young Capetonians Urban food gardens produce more than vegetables, they create bonds for young Capetonians Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Urban agriculture takes many forms, among them community, school or rooftop gardens, commercial urban farms, and hydroponic or aquaponic systems. These activities have been shown to promote sustainable cities in a number of ways. They enhance local food security and foster economic opportunities through small-scale farming initiatives. They also strengthen social cohesion by creating shared spaces for collaboration and learning. However, evidence from some African countries (and other parts of the world) shows that very few young people are getting involved in agriculture, whether in urban, peri-urban or rural areas. Studies from Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Nigeria show that people aged between 15 and 34 have very little interest in agriculture, whether as an educational pathway or career. They perceive farming as physically demanding, low-paying and lacking in prestige. Systemic barriers like limited access to land, capital and skills also hold young people back. South Africa has a higher rate of young people engaging in farming (24%) than elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa. However, this number could be higher if young people better understood the benefits of a career in farming and if they had more support. In a recent study I explored youth-driven urban agriculture in Khayelitsha, a large urban area outside Cape Town whose residents are mostly ******, low-income earners. The young urban farmers I interviewed are using community gardens to grow more than vegetables. They’re also nurturing social connections, creating economic and business opportunities, and promoting environmental conservation. My findings highlight the transformative potential of youth-driven urban agriculture and how it can be a multifaceted response to urban challenges. It’s crucial that policy makers recognize the value of youth-led urban agriculture and support those doing the work. The research Khayelitsha is vibrant and bustling. But its approximately 400,000 residents have limited resources and often struggle to make a living. I interviewed members of two youth-led gardens. One has just two members; the other has six. All my interviewees were aged between 22 and 27. The relatively low number of interviewees is typical of qualitative research, where the emphasis is placed on depth rather than breadth. This approach allows researchers to obtain detailed, context-rich data from a small, focused group of participants. The first garden was founded in January 2020, just a few months before the pandemic struck. The founders wanted to tackle unemployment and food insecurity in their community. They hoped to create jobs for themselves and others, and to provide nutritional support, particularly for vulnerable groups like children with special needs. The second garden was established in 2014 by three childhood friends. They were inspired by one founder’s grandmother, who loved gardening. They also wanted to promote organic farming, teach people healthy eating habits, and create a self-reliant community. All of my interviewees were activists for food justice. This refers to efforts aimed at addressing systemic inequities in food production, distribution, and access, particularly for marginalized communities. It advocates for equitable access to nutritious, culturally appropriate food. One of the gardens, for instance, operates about 30 beds. It cultivates a variety of produce: beetroot, carrots, spinach, pumpkins, potatoes, radishes, peas, lettuce and herbs. 30% of its produce is donated to local community centers each month (they were unable to say how many people benefited from this arrangement). The rest is sold to support the garden financially. Its paying clients include local restaurants and chefs, and members of the community. The garden also partners with schools, hospitals and other organizations to promote healthy eating and sustainable practices. The second garden, which is on land belonging to a local early childhood development center, also focuses on feeding the community, as well as engaging in food justice activism. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matter—daily or weekly. Skills, resilience and connections The gardens also help members to develop skills. Members gain practical knowledge about sustainable agriculture, marketing and entrepreneurship, all while managing operations and planning for growth. This hands-on experience instills a sense of responsibility and gives participants valuable skills they can apply in future careers or ventures. The founder of the first garden told me his skills empowered him to seek help from his own community rather than waiting for government intervention. He approached the management of an early childhood development center in the community to request space on their land, and this was granted. Social connections have been essential to the gardens’ success. Bonding capital (close ties within their networks) and bridging capital (connections beyond their immediate community) has allowed them to strengthen relationships between themselves and civil society organizations. They’ve also been able to mobilize resources, as in the case of the first garden accessing community land. Additionally, the gardens foster community resilience. Members host workshops and events to educate residents about healthy eating, sustainable farming and environmental stewardship. By donating produce to local early childhood centers, they provide direct benefits to those most in need. These efforts have transformed the gardens into safe spaces for the community. Broader collaboration has also been key to the gardens’ success. For instance, the second garden has worked with global organizations and networks, like the Slow Food Youth Network, to share and gain knowledge about sustainable farming practices. Room for growth My findings highlight the need for targeted support for youth-driven urban agriculture initiatives. Policy and financial backing can enable these young gardeners to expand their efforts. This in turn will allow them to provide more food to their communities, create additional jobs, and empower more young people. At a policy level, the government could prioritize land access for urban agriculture projects, especially in under-served communities. Cities can foster an environment for youth initiatives to thrive by allocating spaces within their planning for urban farming. There’s also a need for educational programs that emphasize the value of sustainable urban agriculture, and workshops and training on entrepreneurship and sustainable farming techniques. Community organizing could further empower young farmers. Finally, continued collaboration with national and international food networks would help strengthen such initiatives. Provided by The Conversation This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Citation: Urban food gardens produce more than vegetables, they create bonds for young Capetonians (2025, January 27) retrieved 27 January 2025 from This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Source link #Urban #food #gardens #produce #vegetables #create #bonds #young #Capetonians Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

These stocks are expected to move the most during big earnings week These stocks are expected to move the most during big earnings week Stocks such as Tesla , Wolfspeed and Starbucks could make the biggest moves after reporting earnings this week. The upcoming days are key for quarterly results from megacap technology and semiconductor stocks, which are taking a sizable breather on Monday amid the DeepSeek-fueled tech meltdown . Many nontech players across retail, pharmaceuticals and materials are also set to report. CNBC Pro used FactSet data to search for companies reporting earnings this week that are expected to move the most on their results, according to options market activity. The data below includes numbers as of Friday’s close for companies that have options expiring on Jan. 31. Electric vehicle maker Tesla and Facebook parent Meta Platforms are the two “Magnificent Seven” members that could see significant action, potentially moving 8% and 6%, respectively. Tesla shares have gained roughly 115% over the past year, but Wall Street analysts remain mixed on the stock. Of the 52 analysts covering Tesla, only seven rate it a strong buy, while 15 have a buy rating on shares and 17 have a hold rating, according to LSEG. Goldman Sachs is one firm that remains neutral on Tesla ahead of its earnings due Wednesday. “We believe a key debate in the market will be whether Tesla can grow more meaningfully in 2025/2026, driven by a refreshed Model Y and a new lower cost model or models,” the firm said in a Sunday note. A slew of semiconductor companies could also see dramatic swings after reporting results, according to the data. The options market is anticipating shares of semiconductor company Wolfspeed to make the biggest move from the list, expecting shares to trade up or down by about 21%. Wolfspeed shares have had a tough run even amid the artificial intelligence race, losing roughly 82% over the past year. The company in October had announced direct funding from the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act and an additional investment from Apollo in an effort to increase its silicon carbide manufacturing. Its two projects were estimated to create 2,000 manufacturing jobs as part of Wolfspeed’s expansion plan. WOLF 1Y mountain Wolfspeed stock performance. Intel-owned driver assistance tech maker Mobileye has an implied move of 13% in either direction, according to the screener. The company is considered a beneficiary of the software architecture component of the burgeoning “physical AI” trend , which involves robotics and self-driving vehicles. Shares of Mobileye are off more than 43% over the past 12 months. Intel , another chipmaker that has struggled to keep up with the AI race, as well as semiconductor names IBM and ASML , could also make waves amid the release of quarterly results. Coffee chain Starbucks is expected to move up or down 6% after reporting on Tuesday. The stock is up more than 7% over the past year, as the company attempts to make a turnaround after struggling with increased competition and weakening demand. Source link #stocks #expected #move #big #earnings #week Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Coca-cola recalls drinks in Europe over safety concerns Coca-cola recalls drinks in Europe over safety concerns Coca-Cola has recalled drinks across Europe because they contain “higher levels” of a chemical called chlorate. The firm said the recall was focused on Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. It added that just five product lines had been shipped to Britain and had already been sold. Chlorates can be produced when chlorine-based disinfectants are used in water treatment and food processing. “Independent expert analysis concludes that any associated risk for consumers is very low,” a spokesperson told the BBC. Source link #Cocacola #recalls #drinks #Europe #safety #concerns Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]