Pelican Press

Is the S&P 500 Due for a Cooldown? Key Technical Levels Could Signal a Pullback Is the S&P 500 Due for a Cooldown? Key Technical Levels Could Signal a Pullback S&P 500’s post-election rally faces resistance as overbought conditions mount. PPI data and Powell’s speech could be pivotal in shaping market direction today. Watch key support zones around 5990 and 595.00 for potential pullbacks in SPY. Get ready for massive savings on InvestingPro this ****** Friday! Access premium market data and supercharge your research at a discount. Don’t miss out – click here to save 55%! Following last week’s Trump victory in the US presidential election, the has rallied and stayed up, while the rest of the global indices have been quite volatile due to worries about tariffs and the potential for US monetary policy to remain quite restrictive in 2025 than would have otherwise been the case. Index futures were flattish ahead of the release of PPI inflation data, even if APAC stocks had another bearish session overnight, following the indecisive lead from Wall Street and the drop in ********* markets the day before. Right now, there is a lack of fresh major catalysts, with investors having factored potentially most of the Trump-related impact on stocks. So far, US stock investors have ignored the weakness in global markets outside of the US as well as the drop in major commodity and bond prices. With the US yield approaching 4.5% amid the hawkish repricing of US rates in 2025, this is something that may ultimately hold the markets back, especially as the major US indices are now at technically overbought levels. What to watch out for today Today’s numbers could be a key driver for bond yields, as they closely relate to the , the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge. Analysts are expecting a slight uptick in headline from 0.0% to 0.2% month-over-month, while the core measure is forecast to stay steady at 0.2%. Adding to the day’s significance, Fed Chair Jerome Powell is set to speak in Dallas, with a focus on the economic outlook. During the Q&A, Powell will likely face questions about the latest inflation trends and the potential effects of protectionist policies under Trump, on monetary policy. For the stock market, downside risks remain given high positioning levels. However, if Powell avoids directly linking potential policy shifts to the Fed’s decisions, this could dampen stock sell-offs and potentially lower US rate expectations. Currently, the market is cautiously pricing in just 50 basis points of easing by mid-2025. S&P 5000 futures: Technical analysis and trade ideas The S&P 500 has managed to maintain most of its post-election gains, reflecting US investors’ trust in Trump delivering his promised tax cuts and spending plans, which should be good news for Corporate America. The 2024 bullish trend thus still ******** quite strong. Every dip, little or big, has been bought so far. Until the time we see the markets make lower lows and lower highs, there is little point in fighting the trend. That said, at current levels, even the most bullish traders would be looking for a dip to buy, as the market is looking quite overbought. I haven’t included the Relative Strength Index (RSI) indicator on this chart, but you don’t need that to tell you how overbought the SPX is right now – just look at price action from the left to the right. The RSI is at or near 70.00 on all major long-term charts, such as the daily, weekly and monthly. These overbought conditions will need to be worked off at some point, either through a sell-off or consolidation, before the bulls look for fresh buy-the-dip trades. Therefore, we could see a pullback in the days ahead, although we are still awaiting a clear reversal sign on the S&P for the trigger. For me, a potential break below 5990 on the S&P futures would be the trigger to look for short-term bearish trades until those RSI overbought conditions are worked off. A decisive break below this level would put into focus the area between 5893 to 5927 as the next potential support area to look for a bounce. This zone was resistance for much of October, before the index surged through it last week. Within this zone, we also have the 21-day exponential moving average coming into play, making it a key support area. Below this area, the next potential support zone to watch would be around 5805, where the bullish trend line going back to August comes into play. This trend would need to hold, else it could pave the way for a long-overdue correction. So, there are lots of support levels that would need to break down before the bears regain any sort of control. I am merely expecting to see some short-term weakness from these overbought levels, but for a full-on sell-off to take place, the bears will need to break several support levels. Until that happens, I am only expecting a modest pullback as things. Key levels to watch on SPY One of the ways to gain access to the S&P 500 is through the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust or more commonly known as SPY. This is an exchange-traded fund that trades on the NYSE Arca, and it is designed to track the S&P 500 index by holding a portfolio comprising all 500 companies on the index. Transferring the abovementioned levels onto SPY, the trigger for a short-term pullback to watch is the potential breakdown of near-term support at 595.00. If this happens, then the SPY may drop to the next support levels such as 586.12 (October higher) and 576.74 (the pre-election breakout area). I would look for a bounce around these two latter levels, if we get there. *** Disclaimer: This article is written for informational purposes only; it does not constitute a solicitation, offer, advice, counsel or recommendation to invest as such it is not intended to incentivize the purchase of assets in any way. I would like to remind you that any type of asset, is evaluated from multiple perspectives and is highly risky and therefore, any investment decision and the associated risk ******** with the investor. Read my articles at City Index Source link #Due #Cooldown #Key #Technical #Levels #Signal #Pullback Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

COP29: MEPs want all countries to contribute financially to climate action | News COP29: MEPs want all countries to contribute financially to climate action | News The resolution, prepared by the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, and approved on Thursday with 429 votes in favour, 183 against and 24 abstentions, calls on all countries to agree on a post-2025 new collective goal on climate finance that is socially fair, aligned with the polluter-pays principle, and based on a variety of public, private and innovative sources of finance. MEPs want all major and emerging economies with high emissions and high GDP to contribute financially to global climate action. They call on the EU to step up its green diplomacy to help create an international level playing field, avoid carbon leakage, and increase public support for climate action. The EU should encourage and support other countries to introduce or improve carbon pricing mechanisms, such as its emissions trading system and carbon border adjustment mechanism. COP29 must send an “unambiguous signal” as a follow-up to the COP28 commitment to transition away from fossil fuels, MEPs add, including the phase-out of all direct and indirect fossil fuels subsidies as soon as possible and the reallocation of these resources towards climate action. Background COP29 takes place from 11 to 22 November 2024 in Baku (Azerbaijan). A Parliament delegation will attend the gathering between 18 and 22 November. COP29 aims to provide an overview of current progress on the implementation of the Paris Agreement and reach an agreement on new financial resources to support global climate action. Source link #COP29 #MEPs #countries #contribute #financially #climate #action #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Fremantle Dockers CEO Simon Garlick praises ‘better balance’ in 2025 AFL fixture Fremantle Dockers CEO Simon Garlick praises ‘better balance’ in 2025 AFL fixture Fremantle will embrace a 2025 fixture that gives it three blocks of travel respite it has been lobbying the AFL for in recent seasons, according to chief executive Simon Garlick. Source link #Fremantle #Dockers #CEO #Simon #Garlick #praises #balance #AFL #fixture Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Zelda designer’s new ‘coziest open-world game’ has a release date Zelda designer’s new ‘coziest open-world game’ has a release date Infinity Nikki, the self-proclaimed ‘coziest open-world game’ helmed by a former Legend of Zelda designer, has announced a release date of December 5 on PC, iOS, Android, and PlayStation 5. Developed by Singapore-based Infold Games, Infinity Nikki sees players explore an Unreal Engine 5-powered world, performing activities such as fishing, **** grooming and fashion contests. Over 30 million players have pre-registered for the game, according to its developer. The game is being helmed by Kentaro Tominaga, who was previously sub-director for Zelda games The Wind Waker, A Link Between Worlds, and Twilight Princess. The designer most recently worked on Switch titles Breath of the World and Tears of the Kingdom. In a new trailer published on Thursday, fans can hear the full Infinity Nikki theme song Together Till Infinity for the first time, performed by pop star Jessie J. Infold said: “After the wildly successful Closed Beta last month, players worldwide will soon be able to float, glide and plunge their way around the world again, tackling cleverly designed puzzles while exploring the possibilities offered by the coziest open-world imaginable, with soaring paper cranes, speeding wine cellar minecarts, mysterious ghost trains, many other hidden secrets to be discovered in an ever-expanding and evolving world.” Source link #Zelda #designers #coziest #openworld #game #release #date Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Latest Meta Quest 3 YouTube app update finally adds an essential VR social feature Latest Meta Quest 3 YouTube app update finally adds an essential VR social feature Watch parties are now available in YouTube VR You’ll all need to own paid content to watch it together You can’t watch 360 video together yet VR gaming, like gaming in general, is always more fun with friends. Hopping into Just Dance VR is fine, but taking it on in a multiplayer session – either online or for couch co-op – is a much more enjoyable experience. The same is true for Walkabout Mini Golf and Beat Saber – and now you can also enjoy shared experiences when watching movies or other content in the YouTube VR app. Whether it’s watching a 4K movie or your favorite YouTube Short, it’s now possible to host a YouTube watch party with up to seven other guests at the push of a button – no matter where you all happen to be (though it will need to be somewhere with an internet connection). You’ll want to boot up the free YouTube app on your Meta Quest 3 or Quest 3S (after installing it if you haven’t already), then look above the screen to see the co-watch icon (it looks like a person-shaped outline flanked by two silhouettes), and click it to start your watch party. YouTube Co-Watching | Watch Your Favorite YouTube Content Together in VR – YouTube Watch On From there you can invite people from your followers list – provided you follow each other – by sending them a notification. Once they accept they’ll join your virtual group, and then you can decide what you all want to watch. There are a few restrictions to note, however. As mentioned you’ll have to be following each other, and it’s important to note that you want to watch paid-for YouTube content everyone in the party will have to pay for it separately – so you can’t get away with splitting a single rental fee. Additionally, full-360-degree immersive video is not yet supported, which is a shame as these 3D experiences are among my favorite ways to use the YouTube VR app. You might also like Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable ****** Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content. Source link #Latest #Meta #Quest #YouTube #app #update #finally #adds #essential #social #feature Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What the Trump Election Win Means for Our CEFs (Including This 11%-Payer) What the Trump Election Win Means for Our CEFs (Including This 11%-Payer) Immediately after President-Elect Donald Trump won his second term last week, the surged, while US Treasuries fell: Election Sends Dollar Up, Treasuries Down in Early Trading Both moves are opposite sides of the same coin: Investors believe Trump’s policies will be inflationary. The theory suggests this would happen for a couple of reasons: The US government will spend more, and interest rates will rise higher than rates elsewhere in the world in response. That will attract foreign capital to America while making it less attractive for capital to leave the US. All of that extra capital in America will boost economic activity and demand for the dollar. But it will also boost consumer prices. Now let me explain why both of these theories are incorrect. (And let me be clear we always take a non-political, data-driven approach here at Contrarian Outlook). Further on, we’ll look at a group of high-income closed-end funds (CEFs) that are set to profit, including a specific one to put on your buy list: It yields a rich 11% today. The best way to ***** in here is to look at how the trend of foreign investment in America affected bond rates and the dollar long before Trump became president the first time. America Is a Capital Magnet Whether the red or blue party is in power, America attracts a lot of money from abroad for a simple reason: It’s a great place to do business. As the head of Norway’s $1.6-trillion sovereign wealth fund recently said, “Americans just work *******” and have a higher “general level of ambition,” which is why a lot of Europeans love investing in America. This has been going on for a long time, which is why foreign direct investment in the US has risen strongly since 2000, when the divergence between ********* and ********* growth grew especially wide. America ******** a Magnet for Investment More investment in the US has helped America’s stock markets grow to become 60% of the planet’s stocks by market cap—even as the US accounts for just 20% of global economic activity. This, of course, is a big reason why our CEF Insider portfolio is heavily skewed toward ********* companies. But all economic success comes with a price, of course. In the case of the US, that price has been an inequality in wealth distribution. This trend grew quickly in the 1980s and early 1990s, and things have leveled off a bit since, as you can tell by looking at the GINI index (a metric of how wealth is distributed in a country). Here’s where the data tells us something else surprising: That inequality has actually helped lower inflation. You can see this seemingly odd correlation by plotting the rate of consumer price inflation (CPI), in red below, from the 1980s to today alongside the GINI index (in blue). This makes sense if you stop to think about it; if a lot of wealth is equally dispersed, more people will bid for the same goods and services, boosting prices. If wealth isn’t equally dispersed, fewer people can bid on many goods and services, and more people struggle to make ends meet. To be sure, this isn’t a recipe for a happy society, but it does point to one with lower inflation. And for the most part, that’s what America has seen in the last 50 or so years. Let’s be honest, no president from either party is going to change this, at least in any rapid way. As a result, we’re probably going to see less inflation than the market expects in the next four years. After all, if we compare inflation in Trump’s first term to Obama’s two terms, we see that they’re almost identical: Trump’s ******* saw 1.9% annualized inflation on average, while Obama saw 1.8% annualized. In other words, Trump’s presidency likely won’t see inflation soar because income inequality isn’t likely to change anytime soon. So in my view, the market is overpricing the odds of a sharp inflation increase. How to Position Your Stocks and Bonds This overpricing is an opportunity for us clear-eyed contrarians, who always set politics aside and look at things like this from a clear, investment-focused perspective. The obvious play is to buy US bonds, which have been oversold after the Trump victory, and sell US dollars, although selling USD is a bit complex for Americans living in the US. That leads us to stocks. But of course, stocks have surged since Election Day. Fortunately, we can easily get into oversold bonds and invest in high-quality US companies that are now well set up to attract foreign capital. The key is to buy oversold corporate bonds issued by US firms. The bond market is a bit complicated, so I wouldn’t suggest buying bonds individually, especially since the best bonds typically aren’t issued on the open market for anyone to buy, like a stock. However, we can “partner” with talented bond-fund managers who are already playing this longer-term trend of America attracting capital. Take, for instance, a CEF called the PIMCO Corporate & Income Opportunity (NYSE:), which is closing in on a 1,000% return over its 20-year history. Smartly Run PTY Has Delivered Big Gains (and Dividends) However, PTY currently trades at a pretty pricey 25.6% premium to net asset value (NAV, or the value of its underlying portfolio). Which is why I recommend PTY’s “sister” fund, the PIMCO Access Income Fund (NYSE:). PAXS, a holding of my CEF Insider service that we’ve reviewed in a couple of recent Contrarian Outlook articles (including our Monday piece), has just a 5% premium to NAV. That’s smaller than the typical markups on PAXS’s siblings in the PIMCO family. PIMCO funds tend to trade at high premiums for good reason: They deliver strong returns (see the chart above) and have great assets. (PAXS, like PTY, holds a range of US corporate bonds and bond derivatives that now yield more due to higher interest rates and America’s strong economic growth). Hence PAXS’s big returns so far in 2024. PAXS Jumps on US Economic Strength Here’s the best part of all this: PAXS yields 11% today. And it has actually increased its distributions in its short history: 11%-Yielding PAXS Boosts Its Dividends, Drops Special Divs, Too Source: Income Calendar This isn’t too surprising: Most of PIMCO’s bond funds raise their payouts over time, in addition to kicking out big current yields. Plus I see more special dividends as likely here. So if you buy PAXS now, you probably won’t get an 11% yield on your initial investment over time. You’ll likely get more. My Top 5 Monthly Dividend Funds Are Perfect Plays on the “Trump Trade” Bond funds are, of course, not our only play here. Other sectors, like real estate investment trusts (REITs) and even a select few tech stocks, are primed to soar as the whole “Trump will cause inflation” narrative gets a serious rethink. The best way to get in? CEFs, of course! PAXS, which we just discussed, is a great fund, and you can build on it with my 5-CEF “Monthly Dividend Portfolio.” These 5 CEFs hold REITs, bonds, blue chips, techs and more, and they’re all perfectly positioned to profit from the current moment. And as I said, they pay 10.5% annually and, yes, they pay dividends monthly, too. I can’t wait to share them with you, so you can kickstart your own monthly income stream (at a 10.5% annualized yield) NOW. And at a bargain price, too. Disclosure: Brett Owens and Michael Foster are contrarian income investors who look for undervalued stocks/funds across the U.S. markets. Click here to learn how to profit from their strategies in the latest report, “7 Great Dividend Growth Stocks for a Secure Retirement.” Source link #Trump #Election #Win #Means #CEFs #Including #11Payer Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Miami Valley residents voice opinions after Ohio lawmakers pass transgender bathroom bill Miami Valley residents voice opinions after Ohio lawmakers pass transgender bathroom bill Ohio lawmakers have put a bill on the governor’s desk that would ban transgender students from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] As reported on News Center 7 at 11:00, the Ohio Senate voted 24-7 in favor of the bill. TRENDING STORIES: Governor Mike DeWine has 10 days to decide if Senate Bill 104 will become law. If DeWine signs off on the bill, students at public schools and universities will be required to use the restroom that aligns with their **** at birth. The ********* Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Ohio believes the bill will harm the rights and privacy of LGBTQ+ students and condemns its passage. “We are incredibly disheartened by the Ohio General Assembly’s continuous attacks against transgender and gender non-conforming individuals across Ohio. Senate Bill 104 is a cruel invasion of students’ rights to privacy, which will result in unwarranted governmental disclosures of private, personal information. If allowed to go into effect, SB 104 will create unsafe environments for trans and gender non-confirming individuals of all ages. This bill ignores the material reality that transgender people endure higher rates of ******* ********* and assaults, particularly while using public restrooms, than people who are not transgender. All Ohioans deserve to access the facilities they need, in alignment with their gender identity, without ***** of harassment or bullying. The ACLU of Ohio ******** steadfast in our commitment to standing with trans Ohioans and is closely considering next steps.” ACLU Ohio Policy director Jocelyn Rosnick said in a statement Sen. Niraj Antani (R-Miamisburg) released a statement on why he voted for the bill. “Today, I voted to protect our school children across Ohio by ensuring biological males do not use the same restroom with ******. This is common sense policy that will ensure the safety and security of our school children. No young girl should be forced to go into the same restroom with a biological male. I was proud to support this legislation.” Antani said in a statement If the legislation passes, it will not apply to school employees, emergencies, or people helping young children or those with disabilities. Schools will still be able to provide single-use and family bathrooms. News Center 7 talked to people in the Miami Valley about the bill on Wednesday. “I would feel a little something about it, but I mean, if he wanted to be a girl then he’s a girl. If it’s real, then it’s real. If he makes a move then we’ll go that route, but gotta let everyone live,” Riverside resident Joshua said. “As long as they’re not harming anyone, mind your own business. They’re not doing anything to people. I don’t know, people don’t mind their own business. At this point, do what you’re gonna do, just don’t harm anyone,” Kettering resident Dulaney Sargent said. If the bill passes, it will go into effect 90 days later. News Center 7 will continue to follow this story. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Source link #Miami #Valley #residents #voice #opinions #Ohio #lawmakers #pass #transgender #bathroom #bill Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Piper Sandler upgrades Campbell Soup to buy, highlights sauces brand Rao’s Piper Sandler upgrades Campbell Soup to buy, highlights sauces brand Rao’s Campbell Soup has a promising long-term growth outlook thanks to Rao’s, its popular sauces brand, according to Piper Sandler. Analyst Michael Lavery upgraded shares to overweight from neutral. He also raised his price target to $56 from $47, indicating 26.6% upside potential from Wednesday’s close. The company completed its acquisition of Rao’s parent company Sovos Brands earlier this year for approximately $2.7 billion. Although Rao’s retail sales growth slowed slightly to 18.7% in the fiscal first quarter from 23.9% in the prior quarter, Lavery said further gains lie ahead as the brand enters new markets and expands its white sauce offerings. The stock is also down more than 10% over the past three months, indicating a good entry point for investors, the analyst added. “We consider CPB one of the better-positioned large cap food names,” Lavery wrote in a Tuesday note. “Continued strong growth [is] expected” for the Rao’s brand, he added. To be sure, Lavery added that potential steel tariffs under President-elect Donald Trump’s second administration could present headwinds to Campbell Soup, which uses steel for its soup cans. Steel accounts for around 4% of the company’s costs of goods and services, per Lavery. However, the company has already secured its 2025 annual steel contract and steel prices remain depressed. “Further, roughly 75% of steel used in the US is produced in the US, which obviously would have no tariffs applied to it, helping mitigate any potential tariff risk from steel,” said Lavery. “While Rao’s tomato sauces are imported from Italy, we continue to expect tariff risk on food to be low,” the analyst continued. Analyst sentiment is mixed, with 12 of 21 covering the stock rating it as a hold, LSEG data shows. The average analyst price target signals a gain of 16%. Source link #Piper #Sandler #upgrades #Campbell #Soup #buy #highlights #sauces #brand #Raos Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Humza Yousaf accuses Elon Musk of ‘scouring’ private messages Humza Yousaf accuses Elon Musk of ‘scouring’ private messages Scotland’s former first minister, Humza Yousaf, has accused tech entrepreneur Elon Musk of accessing his private messages as part of a bid to “besmirch” his reputation. The ex-SNP leader claimed in a Tortoise Media podcast that the X owner “scours” the communications of people he views as a “threat”. He said he was “certain” the billionaire had access to his private communications on the platform. The podcast said it understood Musk had denied ever accessing private messages on X. That escalated over the summer during far-right riots in England and Northern Ireland. The former first minister described Musk as a “race baiter” and “one of the most dangerous men on the planet”. The X owner replied by calling Yousaf a ******* “scumbag”, posting: “I dare that scumbag to sue me.” He added: “Legal discovery will show that however big a ******* he’s been in public communications, he is vastly worse in private communications.” Speaking to the Elon’s Spies podcast, Yousaf described the comment as an attempt to “threaten and intimidate” him. “I’m certain he has a whole team of people who are now looking at any information they can gather on me and try to use it to besmirch my reputation,” he said. “And they’ll use any nefarious tactics in order to do that.” The former first minister said he interpreted Musk’s post as a “pointed accusation”, noting that people commented underneath urging the X owner to “release” private messages. Yousaf told the podcast: “I’m thinking, I’ve been on Twitter for a long time, have I made an off-colour joke? Have I said something in a private communication? “So, I thought I better do the belt and braces thing, and as I say there was nothing there, and unsurprisingly so. “But here is somebody who is basically saying to me by the way ‘you better watch out; I’m going to release stuff on you and it’s going to make your life *****’.” Yousaf repeated claims that the Trump-supporting tech entrepreneur was a *******, with “far-right, white supremacist tendencies”. He added: “Elon Musk could have trillions let alone billions and he wouldn’t have enough to shut me up.” Source link #Humza #Yousaf #accuses #Elon #Musk #scouring #private #messages Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Microsoft ramps up small language model effort Microsoft ramps up small language model effort In a bid to make artificial intelligence (AI) more applicable, Microsoft has worked with a number of industry platforms to deliver small language models (SLM) to its Azure AI catalogue. The industry-specific models, built on Microsoft’s Phi family of SLMs, represents an expansion of the company’s industry-tuned AI capabilities, which it said targets the specific needs and challenges in sectors ranging from healthcare to finance and manufacturing. In a blog post discussing the new models, Satish Thomas, corporate vice-president of business and industry solutions at Microsoft, said: “By integrating the Microsoft Cloud with our industry-specific capabilities and a robust ecosystem of partners, we provide a secure approach to advancing innovation across industries. “This collaboration allows us to create extensive scenarios for customers globally, with embedded AI capabilities – from industry data solutions in Microsoft Fabric to AI agents in Microsoft Copilot Studio to AI models in Azure AI Studio – that enable industries to realise their full potential.” He said the models will be available either through the Azure AI model catalogue, which offers a range of AI models to build custom AI applications in Azure AI Studio, or directly from Microsoft partners, adding that those available in the Azure AI model catalogue can also be used to configure agents in Copilot Studio, Microsoft’s platform for creating and deploying customised AI-powered agents. These include ELY Crop Protection from healthcare and agriculture life sciences firm Bayer. According to Bayer, this specialised SLM is designed to enhance crop protection, sustainable use, application, compliance and knowledge in the agriculture sector. Other big names include Siemens Digital Industries Software, which has developed a new copilot for its NX X software. Siemens said this uses an adapted AI model that enables users to ask natural language questions, access detailed technical insights, and streamline complex design tasks for faster and smarter product development. The copilot aims to provide CAD designers with AI-driven recommendations and best practices to optimise the design process within the NX X experience. In the financial sector, regulatory compliance tech firm Safir, backed by Fidelity Investments’ innovation incubator, Fidelity Labs, is planning to introduce four new models in the Azure AI model catalogue. Aimed at financial institutes, Safir said the retail marketing compliance model is focused on compliance in text, while the image detection model looks at compliance in images. There is also a risk interpretation model, which tries to explain why something was flagged, and a language suggestion model, which suggests alternative language that might be more compliant. Rockwell Automation is offering the FT Optix Food & Beverage model, which it claims brings the benefits of industry-specific capabilities to frontline workers in manufacturing, supporting asset troubleshooting in the food and beverage domain. Rockwell Automation said the model provides recommendations, explanations and knowledge about specific manufacturing processes, machines and inputs to factory floor workers and engineers. Other models include fine-tuned SLMs from in-car software developer Cerence, which run within a vehicle’s hardware and Factory Namespace Manager from SightManager, which analyses existing factory data, learns the patterns and rules behind the naming conventions and then automatically translates these data field names into a standardised corporate format. Source link #Microsoft #ramps #small #language #model #effort Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Iran will talk about nuclear, but not under pressure Iran will talk about nuclear, but not under pressure Iran is willing to resolve disputes with the ******* Nations nuclear agency over its compliance with safeguards on its atomic program but will not do so under pressure, Iran’s foreign minister says after meeting the IAEA head. ********* powers were pushing for a new resolution against Iran by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board next week to pressure Tehran over what they view as its poor co-operation, diplomats told Reuters on Wednesday. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi has for months sought progress with Iran on issues including a push for more monitoring co-operation at its nuclear sites and an explanation of uranium traces found at undeclared sites. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, writing on X after talks with Grossi in Tehran, said: “The ball is in the EU/E3 court. Willing to negotiate based on our national interest and inalienable rights, but not ready to negotiate under pressure and intimidation.” He was referring to the three main ********* powers, France, Germany, and Britain. The talks took place with Donald Trump due to take office again as US president in January. During his previous tenure, the ******* States pulled out of the 2015 accord between Iran and several world powers aimed at curbing its suspected nuclear missile program. Araqchi said the talks with Grossi were “important and straightforward”, while the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation Mohammad Eslami said they were “constructive”. “As a committed member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, we continue our full co-operation with the IAEA. Differences can be resolved through cooperation and dialogue,” Araqchi said. Source link #Iran #talk #nuclear #pressure Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Vivo S20 Pro Specifications Leaked; Said to Get Dimensity 9300+ SoC, 50-Megapixel Front Camera Vivo S20 Pro Specifications Leaked; Said to Get Dimensity 9300+ SoC, 50-Megapixel Front Camera Vivo is expected to launch the mid-range S20 series in China soon. The upcoming lineup is thought to include base Vivo S20 and Vivo S20 Pro models, as a follow-up to the Vivo S19 and Vivo S19 Pro, respectively. A new ***** has now surfaced online suggesting key details about the Vivo S20 Pro. It could come with a MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ SoC under the hood. The Pro model in the Vivo S19 series is equipped with the MediaTek Dimensity 9200+ SoC. The Vivo S20 Pro is likely to feature three 50-megapixel cameras at the rear. Vivo S20 Pro Specifications (Leaked) Popular tipster Digital Chat Station has shared the alleged specifications of the Vivo S20 Pro on Weibo. As per the *****, the upcoming phone will feature a 6.67-inch display with a 1.5K (1,260×2,800 pixels) resolution. It is tipped to run on a MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ SoC. The Vivo S20 Pro could boast a 50-megapixel selfie camera and a triple rear camera unit, which is said to include a 50-megapixel Sony IMX921 main camera, a 50-megapixel ultra-wide angle sensor, and a 50-megapixel Sony IMX882 periscope telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom. Vivo is expected to pack a 5,500mAh battery on the device with 90W charging support. It is said to sport an optical fingerprint scanner as well. Vivo S20 series is speculated to launch in China at the end of this month. Vivo usually rebrands its S series smartphones as the V series for the global market. Therefore we can expect the Vivo S20 and S20 Pro to launch as the Vivo V50 and V50 Pro in markets outside China. The Vivo S19 Pro was launched in China in May with an initial price tag of CNY 3,299 (roughly Rs. 38,000) for the 8GB RAM + 256GB storage option. It sports a 6.78-inch 1.5K OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and has a triple rear camera setup led by a 50-megapixel 1/1.56-inch Sony IMX921 primary sensor. It carries a 50-megapixel front camera and has a 5,500mAh battery that supports 80W fast charging. Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details. For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Spotify for Podcasters Evolves Into a New Platform for Creators With Monetisation, Analytics and More YouTube Said to Be Testing New Vertical Scroll Gestures for Mobile App, Leaving Users Disgruntled Source link #Vivo #S20 #Pro #Specifications #Leaked #Dimensity #SoC #50Megapixel #Front #Camera Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

******* says 15 trucks carrying aid have been allowed into northern Gaza ******* says 15 trucks carrying aid have been allowed into northern Gaza ******* says 15 trucks carrying aid have been allowed into northern Gaza, where aid groups have warned that a monthlong ******** offensive could cause a famine. The trucks entered Gaza on Wednesday with aid from the ******* ***** Emirates, said the military body handling aid deliveries into the territory, COGAT. It said the aid consisted of food and water as well as hygiene, shelter and medical supplies. U.N. agencies did not immediately confirm the delivery of the aid. ******** forces have encircled the Gaza Strip’s northernmost areas for the past month, saying ****** militants have regrouped there. Experts say the ******** military campaign has caused a new wave of displaced civilians and warn that famine is imminent or may already be happening there. Human Rights Watch said in a report released Thursday that ******* has committed war ******* and ******* against humanity in the Gaza Strip, including massive forced displacements that amount to ******* cleansing. It said people have been ******* while evacuating under ******** orders and in ********-designated humanitarian zones, where hundreds of thousands are crammed into squalid tent camps. ******* has also been striking deeper inside Lebanon since September as it escalates the war against Hezbollah. *******’s war against ****** in Gaza has ******* more than 43,000 people, more than half of them women and children, ************ health officials say. The officials do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The *******-****** war began after ************ militants stormed into ******* on Oct. 7, 2023, ******** some 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducting 250 others. Lebanon’s Hezbollah group began ******* into ******* on Oct. 8, 2023, in solidarity with ****** in Gaza. Since then, more than 3,200 people have been ******* in Lebanon and more than 14,200 wounded, the country’s Health Ministry reported. In *******, 76 people have been *******, including 31 soldiers. ___ Here’s the latest: Syrian state media report explosions near Damascus and Homs DAMASCUS, Syria — Syrian state media are reporting explosions near the capital, Damascus, and the central city of Homs in what appeared to be ******** airstrikes. State news agency SANA said the country’s air defenses were activated against a “hostile target” south of Homs on Thursday. It gave no further details. The agency later reported an ********** near Damascus, adding that the cause of the blasts was not immediately clear. ******* has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in Syria targeting members of Lebanon’s Hezbollah and officials from Iranian-backed groups. ******* says it has allowed 15 trucks carrying aid into northern Gaza JERUSALEM — ******* says 15 trucks loaded with aid have been allowed into northern Gaza, where aid groups have warned that a monthlong offensive could cause a famine. The military body handling aid deliveries into the territory, COGAT, said the 15 trucks entered Gaza on Wednesday with aid shipped in by sea by the ******* ***** Emirates. It said the aid consists of food and water, as well as hygiene, shelter and medical supplies. U.N. agencies did not immediately confirm that the aid was delivered to its destination inside northern Gaza. Over the past week, the U.N. says aid trucks have entered the north but have not reached their final destinations due to ******** movement restrictions and hungry crowds taking items from the trucks. ******* has scrambled to ramp up aid to Gaza after a monthlong stretch during which aid plunged to its lowest levels this year. The U.S. Biden administration warned ******* to increase the aid last month, saying a ******** to do so could lead to a reduction in military support. The White House backed down this week, citing some improvements and ruling out any reduction in arms supplies, even after international aid groups said ******* had fallen far short of the ********* demands. Human Rights Watch accuses ******* of war *******, ******* against humanity in the Gaza Strip JERUSALEM — Human Rights Watch says ******* has committed war ******* and ******* against humanity in the Gaza Strip, including massive forced displacements that amount to ******* cleansing. A report released by the New York-based rights group on Thursday says ******** evacuation orders have often caused “grave harm” to civilians. People have been ******* while evacuating and in ********-designated humanitarian zones, where hundreds of thousands are crammed into squalid tent camps. “The ******** government cannot claim to be keeping Palestinians safe when it ****** them along escape routes, ****** so-called safe zones, and cuts off food, water, and sanitation,” said Nadia Hardman, ******** and migrant rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. The report said the widespread, deliberate demolition of homes and civilian infrastructure in Gaza -– some of them to carve a new road bisecting the territory and establish a buffer zone along *******’s border -– was likely to “permanently displace” many Palestinians. “Such actions of the ******** authorities amount to ******* cleansing,” Human Rights Watch said. The ******** military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report. Human Rights Watch called on governments to stop supplying weapons to ******* and to comply with a July opinion by the International Court of Justice saying *******’s presence in the ************ territories is unlawful and must end. The group says its researchers interviewed 39 displaced Palestinians in Gaza, reviewed evacuation orders ******* has released throughout the war and analyzed satellite imagery and video of attacks along evacuation routes and in “safe zones.” *******’s blistering campaign in Gaza has ******* over 43,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to local health officials who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Around 90% of the territory’s population has fled their homes, with many displaced multiple times. The ******** offensive has also damaged or destroyed around two-thirds of homes and other buildings in Gaza, according to U.N. assessments. ******* says it does not deliberately target civilians and blames ****** for their deaths, saying the militants hide among civilians and operate in residential areas. US military says it conducted strikes against Houthi rebels DUBAI, ******* ***** Emirates — The U.S. military says it has conducted several days of strikes targeting Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The strikes included U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy aircraft, including the Navy’s F-35C stealth fighter jet, it said Thursday. The military also released video showing a strike by an MQ-9 Reaper drone on a mobile missile launcher placed on the back of what appeared to be a truck. A person standing next to the launcher is seen running away after the strike. “This targeted operation was conducted in response to the Houthi’s repeated and unlawful attacks on international commercial shipping, as well as U.S., coalition and merchant vessels in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden,” the U.S. military’s Central Command said. “It also aimed to degrade the Houthi’s ability to threaten regional partners.” The strikes happened Saturday and Sunday. The Houthis launched an ******* this week targeted two U.S. Navy destroyers entering the Red Sea. The Americans said they “engaged and defeated” eight *****-carrying drones, five anti-ship ballistic missiles and four cruise missiles that the Houthis used to target the vessels. ___ For more Middle East news: Source link #******* #trucks #carrying #aid #allowed #northern #Gaza Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Saudi Arabia’s Neom replaces its CEO amid reports of delays, cutbacks Saudi Arabia’s Neom replaces its CEO amid reports of delays, cutbacks Digital render of NEOM’s The Line project in Saudi Arabia The Line, NEOM Saudi Arabia’s massive Neom megaproject, a multi-trillion dollar plan to develop a swathe of land the size of Massachusetts, has replaced its CEO in a significant reshuffling as the kingdom faces questions over the economic viability of its ambitions. Neom’s board of directors announced Tuesday the appointment of Aiman Al-Mudaifer as acting CEO of the company following the unexpected departure of Nadhmi Al-Nasr, who was put in charge of the project in 2018. “As NEOM enters a new phase of delivery, this new leadership will ensure operational continuity, agility and efficiency to match the overall vision and objectives of the project,” a Neom statement said. It did not disclose the reason for the departure of Al-Nasr. The region, as envisioned by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is set to host hyper-futuristic cityscapes and structures including The Line — two parallel skyscrapers measuring at more than 100 miles long — and Trojena, a mountain ski resort capable of hosting the 2029 ****** Winter Games. The projects have faced skepticism and criticism from environmentalists and engineers in other parts of the world. Neom’s leadership reshuffle comes at a ******* of changing financial pressures on the kingdom, as oil prices and demand forecasts remain subdued, and Saudi Arabia’s budget deficit widens. Budgets are facing cutbacks and projects are seeing delays, three people with knowledge of the matter told CNBC, speaking anonymously due to lack of authorization to speak to the press. NEOM map of the 500 billion dollar megacity project in Saudi Arabia along the Red Sea coast. Peterhermesfurian | Istock | Getty Images The Line, for instance, has been reportedly scaled back from an initial planned length of 106 miles to just 1.5 miles — which would still make it the world’s longest building. Neom executives have vocally denied these reports, calling them “false” and saying that work was continuing as planned. “NEOM is a fundamental pillar of Saudi Vision 2030 and progress continues on all operations as planned, as we deliver the next phase of our vast portfolio of projects including THE LINE, Oxagon, Trojena, Magna and The Islands of NEOM,” the Tuesday statement from the organization said. Saudi real GDP is expected to grow 0.8% this year, in a dramatic drop from a previous estimate of 4.4%, according to an October pre-budget report published by the Ministry of Finance. Saudi authorities also expect that the budget will remain in deficit for the next several years, as the kingdom prioritizes spending to achieve the targets of the Vision 2030 economic diversification program. Additionally, Saudi Arabia’s fiscal breakeven oil price — what it needs a barrel of crude to cost in order to balance its government budget — was estimated by the International Monetary Fund to be $96.20 for 2024; a roughly 19% increase on the year before. It’s also 33% higher than the current price of a barrel of Brent crude, which was trading at around $72 as of Wednesday afternoon. Source link #Saudi #Arabias #Neom #replaces #CEO #reports #delays #cutbacks Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

GenAI apps boost interest in differentiated 5G connectivity GenAI apps boost interest in differentiated 5G connectivity One of the key advantages of standalone 5G networks (5G SA) is the potential to offer dedicated spectrum and connectivity services to select users, and in a further development, Ericsson ConsumerLab research has found that global 5G smartphone users are willing to pay extra for high-end differentiated connectivity services, typically driven by artificial intelligence (AI). For its Elevating 5G with differentiated connectivity report, Ericsson surveyed 23,000 smartphone users between the ages of 15 and 69, more than 17,000 of whom were 5G smartphone users from 16 key markets with a global spread, namely Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mainland China, France, Hong Kong, India, KSA, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, UAE, the *** and the US. Ericsson researchers assured that the sample was representative of 1.1 billion people, including 750 million 5G smartphone users. Ericsson noted that the number of smartphone owners who use generative AI (GenAI) apps on at least a weekly basis is expected to increase 2.5-fold in the next five years. A key finding of the study was that GenAI applications are driving interest in differentiated connectivity to guarantee uninterrupted high-end connectivity when users need it most. The rapidly growing category joins existing differentiated connectivity use cases such as video calling, streaming and online payments, which smartphone users say they are willing to pay a premium for. Specifically, almost one in four GenAI users say they are willing to pay up to 35% more for guaranteed fast and secure connectivity for such high-capacity applications. The research also showed that 35% of 5G smartphone users would be interested in paying for differentiated connectivity for essential applications. In what is said to contradict received wisdom that users will not pay extra for connectivity, the survey found 20% of users, known as “assurance seekers”, were actively seeking elevated connectivity for critical applications and were willing to pay for it. “As AI-powered applications become more prevalent, users’ expectations for enhanced connectivity are rising. This reflects consumers’ expectations for AI apps’ future capabilities – perhaps relating to image, audio or video generation – and their willingness to pay for those capabilities to perform in a speedy and high-quality way,” said Jasmeet Sethi, head of ConsumerLab at Ericsson. “This signals an opportunity for communications services providers (CSPs) globally to meet this demand through tailored connectivity experiences.” Differentiated connectivity revenue generation potential for CSPs could increase as they transition to performance-based business models, offering tailored subscriptions and plans with assured performance for different consumer segments in the market. “This shift could drive a 5% to 12% uplift in 5G ARPU [average revenue per user] as users seek guaranteed reliable performance for specific applications,” Sethi added. “Additionally, there is an opportunity to unlock new revenue pools from the significant demand among 5G users for high-performance apps, with one in three 5G smartphone users willing to reallocate 10% of their current mobile app spend to purchase apps with in-built elevated connectivity. By exposing quality on-demand network APIs [application programming interfaces] to developers, CSPs can tap into this demand, enabling developers to offer premium, high-performance experiences, and unlocking new revenue streams in the process.” Source link #GenAI #apps #boost #interest #differentiated #connectivity Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Investors to monitor economic data, Fed speeches Investors to monitor economic data, Fed speeches Treasury yields rose on Thursday as investors monitored a fresh batch of economic data and a flurry of speeches from Federal Reserve policymakers. The 10-year Treasury yield traded nearly 2 basis points higher at 4.469%, while the yield on the 2-year Treasury rose around 2 basis points to 4.301%. Yields and prices move in opposite directions. One basis point equals 0.01%. It comes as investors await the release of the latest weekly initial jobless claims and the producer price index for October. The PPI figure, which measures what producers get for goods and services, is expected to show a 0.2% increase from the month prior, according to a Dow Jones consensus estimate. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is scheduled to discuss the U.S. economic outlook in Dallas, Texas on Thursday. Fed Governor Adriana Kugler, Richmond Fed President Tom Barkin and New York Fed President John Williams are also expected to deliver remarks later in the day. The speeches come as investors and economists scrutinize what President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House could mean for U.S. interest rates. The U.S. central bank delivered its second consecutive interest rate cut earlier in the month, in line with expectations, and traders see a decent chance of another trim in December. — CNBC’s Sarah Min contributed to this report. Source link #Investors #monitor #economic #data #Fed #speeches Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Indian Scientists Create Genetically Modified Bacteria Capable of Mathematical Computation Indian Scientists Create Genetically Modified Bacteria Capable of Mathematical Computation Genetic engineering efforts at the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics (SINP) in Kolkata have recently produced a type of bacteria that can perform mathematical operations. This breakthrough demonstrates that bacterial cells, when modified, can conduct addition, subtraction and even identify prime numbers between 0 and 9. The work by Indian researchers suggests a possible foundation for creating biocomputers—devices that utilise living cells for computation. This research could drive forward the integration of biological systems within computational science. Biocomputing’s Evolution and Emerging Capabilities The study was published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology. The use of living cells for computing has seen two decades of incremental progress. Initially, synthetic biology allowed scientists to develop cellular logic gates for fundamental operations like “AND,” “OR,” and “NOT,” mimicking the functions of silicon processors but on a much simpler level. By adjusting genetic networks in organisms like E. coli and yeast, researchers were able to prompt cells to perform addition and subtraction. However, the operations achieved in these early studies remained basic in scope, not yet matching the complexity of modern digital processors. Advances in Bacterial Computation through Neural Network Principles In their current work, SINP scientists applied artificial neural network models to the genetic framework of E. coli bacteria, integrating 14 unique genetic circuits to form distinct bacterial types. These bacteria were placed in controlled liquid environments, where they could ******** computations including determining whether numbers are prime. For example, when subjected to specific chemical stimuli, the bacteria signalled their responses by secreting proteins that indicated “yes” in green and “no” in red. This application of bacteria to solve more abstract problems, such as identifying prime numbers, marks a first in biological computing. Implications for Future Research According to Mohit Kumar Jolly, an assistant professor at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, the study could provide insights into the decision-making abilities of cells, a process that yet to be fully understood. The findings open up new avenues in the study of biological information processing and reveal untapped potential for living cells in computational applications. This work by SINP researchers may well redefine the scope of computation, revealing bacteria’s potential as a biological computing medium. For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Apple Reportedly Working on ‘AI Wall Tablet’ With Smart Home Controls and Apple Intelligence BSNL Direct-to-Device Satellite Connectivity Launch Announced by DoT Source link #Indian #Scientists #Create #Genetically #Modified #Bacteria #Capable #Mathematical #Computation Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Maori haka in NZ parliament to protest at bill to reinterpret founding treaty Maori haka in NZ parliament to protest at bill to reinterpret founding treaty Watch: Moment MP leads haka to disrupt New Zealand parliament New Zealand’s parliament was brought to a temporary halt by MPs performing a haka, amid anger over a controversial bill seeking to reinterpret the country’s founding treaty with Māori people. Opposition party MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke began the traditional ceremonial group dance after being asked whether her party supported the bill, which faced its first vote on Thursday. At the same time, a hīkoi – or peaceful protest march – organised by a Māori rights group is continuing to make its way towards the capital, Wellington. Thousands have already joined the 10-day march against the bill, which reached Auckland on Wednesday, having begun at the top of New Zealand on Monday. The country is often considered a leader in indigenous rights, but opponents of the bill ***** those same rights are being put at risk by this bill. Act, the political party that introduced the bill, argues there is a need to legally define the principles of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, which has been fundamental to race relations in New Zealand. The core values of the treaty have, over time, been woven into New Zealand’s laws in an effort to redress the wrong done to Māori during colonisation. Danielle Moreau The protest march against the bill made its way through Auckland on Wednesday But Act – a minor party in the ruling centre-right coalition – say this has resulted in the country being divided by race, and the bill will allow the treaty to be interpreted more fairly through parliament, rather than the courts. The party’s leader, David Seymour, has dismissed opponents as wanting to “stir up” ***** and division. Critics, however, say the legislation will divide the country and lead to the unravelling of much-needed support for many Māori. The first reading passed on Thursday after a 30-minute break, backed by all parties from the ruling coalition. Maipi-Clarke was suspended from the house. It is unlikely to pass a second reading, as Act’s coalition partners have indicated they will not support it. But this has not placated those worried about the bill, and its impact, with the hikoi still making progress along its 1,000km (621-mile) route. Danielle Moreau Danielle Moreau (centre) took part in the march as it passed through Auckland with her sons Bobby and Teddy In Auckland, it took an estimated 5,000 marchers two hours to cross the harbour bridge. Officials had closed two lanes, the New Zealand Herald reported, to allow them to continue along the route. Danielle Moreau, who is Māori, walked over the Harbour Bridge with her two sons, Bobby and Teddy, and told the BBC she “was hoping it [the hīkoi] would be big but it was much more epic than I expected”. “I marched to make the point that Te Tiriti [the Treaty of Waitangi] is very important to our national identity,” said Winston Pond, who also took part in the march on Wednesday. “We are a multi-cultural society built on a bicultural base – something that cannot be altered.” Juliet Tainui-Hernandez Juliet Tainui-Hernandez (left), with her partner Javier Hernández (right) and daughter Paloma (centre) Juliet Tainui-Hernández, from the Māori tribe Ngāi Tahu, and her Puerto Rican partner Javier Hernández, brought their daughter Paloma to the hīkoi. Ms Tainui-Hernández said those who turned out in support did so “for the respectful and inclusive nation we want Aotearoa [New Zealand] to be for our tamariki mokopuna – our children and grandchildren”. Kiriana O’Connell, who is also Māori, said that the current treaty principles were already a compromise for her people, and she would not support a “rewrite”. Under the proposed legislation, the treaty principles that would be defined in law are: that the government has a right to govern and that parliament has the full right to make lawsthat the rights of Māori are respected by the Crown that everyone is equal before the law and is entitled to equal protection under it. Act leader Seymour – who is also New Zealand’s associate justice minister – argues that because the principles have never been properly defined legally, the courts “have been able to develop principles that have been used to justify actions that are contrary to the principle of equal rights”. He says these include “******* quotas in public institutions” that go against the spirit of fairness for all New Zealanders. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, however, has called the bill “divisive” – despite being part of the same coalition. EPA Act Party leader David Seymour will become deputy prime minister next year under a role-sharing agreement Meanwhile, the Waitangi Tribunal, which was set up in 1975 to investigate alleged breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi, notes the bill “purposefully excluded any consultation with Māori, breaching the principle of partnership, the Crown’s good-****** obligations, and the Crown’s duty to actively protect Māori rights and interests”. It also said that the principles of the bill misinterpreted the Treaty of Waitangi and that this “caused significant prejudice to Māori”. The tabling of the Treaty Principles Bill comes following a series of measures introduced by the government that have affected Māori. They include the closure of the Māori Health Authority, which was set up under Jacinda Ardern’s Labour government to help create health equity, and reprioritising English over Māori when it comes to the official naming of government organisations, for example. While roughly 18% of New Zealand’s population consider themselves to be Māori, according to the most recent census, many remain disadvantaged compared with the general population when assessed through markers such as health outcomes, household income, education levels and incarceration and mortality rates. There ******** a seven-year gap in life expectancy. The Treaty of Waitangi is an agreement between the British and many, but not all, Māori tribes, which was signed in 1840. It is contentious as it was written in both English and Māori – which had only been a spoken language until colonisation – and the two versions contain fundamental differences when it comes to issues such as land ownership. While the treaty itself is not enshrined in law, its principles have been adopted over time into various pieces of legislation. The bill will now be sent to a select committee for a six-month public hearing process. Source link #Maori #haka #parliament #protest #bill #reinterpret #founding #treaty Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Man seen rescuing trapped children in Valencia floods Man seen rescuing trapped children in Valencia floods A man is now being dubbed a “local hero” after a video of him smashing a door to take four children to safety went viral on social media. Daniel Burguet was trapped inside the Whitby English language school in Paiporta, Valencia with the children, one of whom was his 11-year-old daughter, unable to reach a higher floor as the road became engulfed in water. He eventually managed to break the door of the building next door and pulled the children to safety. Local media have hailed him as the “Hero of Pairporta”. Source link #Man #rescuing #trapped #children #Valencia #floods Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Moanco agrees extension to host Formula 1 until at least 2031 Moanco agrees extension to host Formula 1 until at least 2031 Monaco will continue to host Formula 1 races until at least 2031 after a new six-year deal was agreed. One of the sport’s most iconic and prestigious races, the Monaco Grand Prix has been an ever-present in the F1 calendar since 1955. There have been doubts about its future, however, because of questions regarding the suitability of the principality’s narrow streets for racing modern F1 cars, plus concerns over finances and other issues. As part of the new deal, the race will move to the first full weekend in June from 2026. “I’m delighted that Formula 1 will continue to race in Monaco until 2031,” said Formula 1 president and chief executive Stefano Domenicali. “The streets of Monte Carlo are unique and a famous part of Formula 1, and the Monaco Grand Prix ******** a race that all drivers dream of winning.” Source link #Moanco #agrees #extension #host #Formula Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Royal family wishes King Charles a happy 76th birthday Royal family wishes King Charles a happy 76th birthday The Prince and Princess of Wales have led the royal birthday wishes for King Charles by posting sunnies-clad picture of the monarch as he turns 76. Source link #Royal #family #wishes #King #Charles #happy #76th #birthday Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nikke’s Partnership With Netflix is Not Happening- Even After Raising $320 Million and Stellar Blade’s Success, Shift Up isn’t Coming to Los Angeles Nikke’s Partnership With Netflix is Not Happening- Even After Raising $320 Million and Stellar Blade’s Success, Shift Up isn’t Coming to Los Angeles Nikke is not going to partner with Netflix anytime soon, as was earlier believed to be. The game was earlier anticipated to be turned into a Netflix original anime, but the plans of doing so seem to have come to a halt. Stellar Blade’s success paved the way for Shift Up to rise the ranks. Image Credit: Shift Up Even after Stellar Blade’s success, Shift Up, which was supposed to open a new office in Los Angeles, will no longer be doing so. Shift Up has no plans to establish a new studio in Los Angeles. Even After Shift Up’s Recent Success, The Studio Refuses To Turn Completely Commercial Nikke is one of the most successful games by Shift Up. Image Credit: Shift Up Shift Up is a South Korean game development company that is known for making visually striking games like Nikke: Goddess of Victory and Stellar Blade, which have proved to be immensely successful. Shift Up has managed to gain popularity due to its unique approach to game design and art. Shift Up recently raised $320 million following the successful run of games like Nikke and Stellar Blade by highlighting their potential. This massive influx of funds positioned the studio high up amongst some of the other studios in the global gaming industry. This recent investment will also pave the way for more ambitious projects and collaborations. One such collaboration was supposed to happen with Netflix, but it did not materialize. It was rumored that the studio is in talks to adapt the game into an anime. However, it could not materialize, and it has recently been confirmed that there is no partnership happening at this moment in time. Shift Up and Level Infinite confirmed that reports in an article by Eurogamer about “NIKKE becoming an anime for Netflix” and “SHIFT UP’s new Los Angeles studio” are both incorrect! “The official response is as follows. 1) At present, SHIFT UP has no plans to establish a new… pic.twitter.com/hczplVKdFw — Genki (@Genki_JPN) November 14, 2024 Despite the recent success, Shift Up is adamant about sticking to its roots in South Korea and not expanding to Los Angeles, which is a hub of video game studios. There could be various reasons attached with the studio’s decision to stay in South Korea itself. The studio might want to maintain creative control, get away from the high production cost in the USA, or just simply contribute to the growing gaming industry in South Korea. The $320 Million Funding Might Be Used To Build Upon Existing IPs After raising $320 million Shift Up wants to be left alone. Image Credit: Shift Up The decision to not collaborate with Netflix or even expand its office to Los Angeles stems from the ******* to maintain creative control and focus on building its own IPs further following their successful run. The studio wants to focus on localized content and digital distribution of its games globally instead of physically expanding and losing touch with its roots. This strategy might prove quite beneficial in the future. Fans do have mixed reactions to the news of the studio not collaborating with Netflix since people really wanted to see its games being adapted for screen. What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments below. Source link #Nikkes #Partnership #Netflix #Happening #Raising #Million #Stellar #Blades #Success #Shift #isnt #Coming #Los #Angeles Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

YouTube Said to Be Testing New Vertical Scroll Gestures for Mobile App, Leaving Users Disgruntled YouTube Said to Be Testing New Vertical Scroll Gestures for Mobile App, Leaving Users Disgruntled YouTube is testing new vertical scroll gestures for its mobile app that might change the way how users navigate through and consume content on the platform, according to claims on social media. The video-streaming platform is said to be testing a change in the outcome of the swipe-up and swipe-down gestures when the fullscreen mode is toggled on the YouTube app. Notably, this development comes after YouTube for Android and iOS was speculated to roll out the ability to control the playback speed of videos more intricately. At present, swiping up on any video on YouTube’s mobile app toggles the fullscreen mode, while swiping down brings it back to the default view. Additionally, it also allows users to see videos from the suggested, for you, or related tabs by swiping up when the fullscreen view is enabled. The functionality of these gestures are now tipped to be changed. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), user Tushar Mehta (@thetymonbay) highlighted new vertical swipe gestures that are currently being tested by YouTube. If the proposed changes come to fruition, swiping up on any video will automatically send the user to the next video, instead of minimising to the default view. This is said to work along the same lines as the scroll gestures on YouTube Shorts. Furthermore, swiping up when the playback controls overlay is on the screen will bring up a scroll window, enabling the user to scroll through the video frame-by-frame. However, this change is said to be in testing and has not been implemented on the current version of the YouTube mobile app. Despite this change not being official, users on X appeared to not be fond of it. “this is so frustrating. Frustrating enough to drive me to twitter to see if I’m the only one who’s annoyed”, commented one user. For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Spotify for Podcasters Evolves Into a New Platform for Creators With Monetisation, Analytics and More Source link #YouTube #Testing #Vertical #Scroll #Gestures #Mobile #App #Leaving #Users #Disgruntled Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Russia’s economy is heading toward a fate worse than recession, pro-Kremlin economists say Russia’s economy is heading toward a fate worse than recession, pro-Kremlin economists say MIKHAIL METZEL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Russia is facing the mounting risk of stagflation, a think tank tied to the Kremlin said. The nation’s high interest rates will trigger an economic a downturn while inflation ******** high, TsMAKP said. Tight monetary policy is costing Russian business profitability and risks spurring bankruptcies. Moscow’s ******* attempt to stamp out inflation is driving the country towards its worst-case economic scenario, according to a Russian think tank tied to the government. On Wednesday, TsMAKP condemned Russia’s tight monetary policy, warning that high interest rates will trigger an economic downturn. With inflation still running hot, that could create a nightmare outcome for Kremlin officials: stagflation. “As a result of the central bank’s actions, the Russian economy is effectively facing the threat of stagflation — simultaneous stagnation or even recession and high inflation,” the government advising think tank said, as translated by Reuters. Latest national and global stories This scenario, where growth is low and inflation high, is most feared by any central bank. Stagflation is ******* to escape than a recession. When an economy typically slows down, central banks can loosen interest rates to revive activity. But that option disappears if inflation keeps rising: interest rates must stay high to cool price growth. Put simply, the Kremlin’s hands appear to be tied. Russia’s central bank has already sensed the looming risk of stagflation, citing that price growth remained stubbornly high in the first half of 2024 despite cooling domestic demand. To that end, the bank elected to raise Russia’s key interest rate to a record high of 21% last month, and indicated more to come. So far, however, high interest rates have shown limited impact on Russia’s inflation rate, which hit 8.63% in September. Though annual inflation slowed to 8.54% in October, food prices continue to soar. That includes Russian staples such as the potato, which is up 64% this year, as of November 5th. Russian prices may seem largely indifferent to tight monetary policy, but the country’s business leaders are not. Sergei Chemezov, the CEO of the country’s defense conglomerate Rostec, warned that record interest rates were costing businesses profitability, and would trigger nationwide bankruptcies. “The current high level of the key interest rate and the indicated prospects for further increases have created a risk of economic downturn and a collapse in investments in the near future,” TsMAKP said. With the central bank now operating in the shadow of stagflation, the worst may still be ahead. Data released on Wednesday showed that Russia’s economy slumped 3.1% year-over-year in the last quarter. Story Continues “We think that year-on-year GDP growth will probably slow further over the coming quarters as war-related constraints on the economy continue to act as a limit on activity, and monetary tightening weighs more heavily on domestic demand,” Capital Economics wrote on Wednesday But with inflation likely to remain elevated, the central bank will probably tighten monetary policy further.” The research firm expects Russia’s central bank to hike the key interest rate to 22% next month. Read the original article on Business Insider Source link #Russias #economy #heading #fate #worse #recession #proKremlin #economists Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Here’s the inflation breakdown for October 2024 — in one chart Here’s the inflation breakdown for October 2024 — in one chart A customer walks by a display of fresh eggs at a grocery store on Sept. 25, 2024 in San Anselmo, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images Progress in the ****** to tame pandemic-era inflation appears to have stalled out in October, despite lower prices at the gasoline pump and a moderation in other consumer staples such as groceries. Meanwhile, economists think policies such as import tariffs floated by President-elect Donald Trump would likely — if enacted — exacerbate the inflation rate, which hasn’t yet declined to policymakers’ long-term target. The consumer price index, a key inflation gauge, was up 2.6% in October versus a year ago — an increase from 2.4% in September, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. The reading was in line with economists’ expectations. While that October uptick may seem like a setback, consumers can take solace that broad price pressures are continuing to ease, economists and policymakers said. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Thursday said economic data points to inflation “continuing to come down on a bumpy path.” “One or two really good data months or bad data months aren’t going to really change the pattern at this point,” Powell said during a press conference. Stephen Brown, deputy chief North ********* economist at Capital Economics, echoed that sentiment: “The overall [inflation] trend is positive,” he said. In fact, the pickup in the annual inflation rate is at least partly due to a statistical quirk: The monthly inflation rate in October 2023 was unusually low, making the October 2024 reading look relatively high by comparison, economists said. ‘Lagged impacts’ create trouble spots Inflation has pulled back significantly from its pandemic-era peak of 9.1% in June 2022. However, there are still some trouble spots. Auto insurance prices, for example, are up 14% since October 2023, according to CPI data. More from Personal Finance:Credit card debt among retirees jumpsWhat the Trump presidency could mean for housingThe best ways to save money this holiday season Vehicle insurance premiums face “upward pressure” largely due to a lag effect from earlier inflationary dynamics, Brown said. For example, new and used vehicle prices began to surge in 2021 amid a shortage of semiconductor chips used to manufacture cars; because of that sticker shock, insurers’ cost to replace vehicles after a car accident is much higher, Brown said. Insurers also typically need approval from regulators to raise consumer premiums, a process that takes time, he said. “Lagged impacts” are affecting other categories, too, making for overall slow progress on reining in inflation, Brown said. Housing is the ‘major impediment’ Homes in Discovery Bay, California. David Paul Morri | Bloomberg | Getty Images Housing, the largest CPI category, is a key example of that lag. Shelter inflation has throttled back painfully slowly, even as inflation in the national rental market has declined considerably, economists said. “Market rents, newly signed leases, are experiencing very low inflation,” Powell said during the press conference. Shelter inflation has taken a long time to adjust to that housing backdrop due to how federal statisticians compile the CPI index. In short, its slow adjustment up or down is by design. “So that’s just a catch-up problem,” Powell said. “It’s not really reflecting current inflationary pressures.” CPI shelter inflation heated up on a monthly basis in October, rising to 0.4% from 0.2% in September. Its annual inflation rate has declined to less than 5% from a peak of more than 8% in early 2023. Shelter is “the continued major impediment to getting inflation all the way back,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s. The Federal Reserve has a long-term annual inflation target of around 2%. Where consumers saw some relief in October Brandon Bell | Getty Images News | Getty Images Consumers saw some relief at the grocery store and at the gas pump in October. Inflation for groceries cooled on a monthly basis, to 0.1% from September to October, down from 0.4% the prior month. Grocery prices are up about 1% since October 2023. They’re “very, very tame,” Zandi said. That’s despite various supply-and-demand idiosyncrasies that are raising prices for certain food items, he said. For example, avian flu, which is lethal for chickens and other birds, has negatively affected egg supply and led prices to swell 30% in the past year; similarly, a poor orange crop has pushed up orange prices 7% annually. The price for a gallon of gasoline fell 1% during the month, according to CPI data. Prices are down more than 12% in the past year. “Gasoline prices are way down,” Zandi said. Average prices could fall further, to below $3 a gallon, he said. They were at $3.05 a gallon, on average, as of Nov. 11, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. “We could get more relief there because global oil prices are soft,” Zandi said. That weakness may be in anticipation of President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed policies around China, said Zandi. Those may include tariffs of at least 60% on goods imported from China, which has a huge appetite for oil. If Trump’s policies were to negatively affect the ******** economy, they’d also likely dampen China’s oil demand. Trump policies thought to be inflationary Trump has proposed broader tariffs, of perhaps 10% or 20% on all goods imported to the U.S. Additionally, he has announced plans to deport millions of undocumented immigrants and enact a package of tax cuts. If put in place, such policies would likely stoke U.S. inflation, economists said. “While we believe that inflation ******** on a disinflationary trajectory, we now see the risks as clearly tilted to the upside,” Bank of America economists wrote in a note Monday. “These risks stem from potential policy changes rather than economic fundamentals.” Placing an import tax on goods would likely lead U.S. companies to raise prices for those goods, for example, economists said. Fewer immigrants in the labor pool may push businesses to raise wages to attract applicants and retain workers, while tax cuts could put more money in consumers’ pockets and boost their spending. “Indeed, we see pro-growth fiscal policy, tariffs, and tighter immigration as potential sources of upside inflation risk over the coming years if they are implemented,” Bank of America economists wrote. The annual inflation would likely be around 2.1% by the end of 2025 absent Trump’s policies, said Brown of Capital Economics. If enacted, that figure would likely be around 3%, he said, as a “ballpark estimate.” “The return of inflation to the 2% target may prove short-lived,” Brown wrote in a research note Wednesday. However, much depends on how, when and if those policies are enacted, economists said. Source link #Heres #inflation #breakdown #October #chart Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]