Pelican Press

Warcraft 1 & 2 Remasters Shadow-Dropped With Improved Graphics, QoL Improvements & Other Features Warcraft 1 & 2 Remasters Shadow-Dropped With Improved Graphics, QoL Improvements & Other Features IGN : It’s the 30th anniversary of Warcraft, and to celebrate, Blizzard is bringing back a couple of bonafide classics. Today, Blizzard announced it’s releasing remasters of both the original Warcraft and Warcraft 2, and they’re both out today. Source link #Warcraft #Remasters #ShadowDropped #Improved #Graphics #QoL #Improvements #Features Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Serial tells the true tale of Free ******’s titular whale | Podcasts Serial tells the true tale of Free ******’s titular whale | Podcasts It’s 90s week in podcast land! Or at least you’d think so, judging by the nostalgic homages to kids’ entertainment from decades gone by. There’s an entire series devoted to fictional purple dinosaur Barney, plus investigative news heavyweights Serial Productions offer up a literal deep ***** into a vital subject: what happened to the whale from Free ******? In slightly more extreme retro nostalgia, there’s also Audible’s starry new Agatha Christie adaptation, with Game of Thrones’s Peter Dinklage playing Poirot in Christie’s first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. He’s joined by Himesh Patel, as Hastings, and Harriet Walter. Does the fact that they’ve started at the very beginning of Christie’s canon mean they’re planning to do every single book? We certainly wouldn’t object. But if that thought strikes ******* into your time-pressed mind, don’t worry: we’ve got a roundup of the best listens for those of you who want to dip into long-running shows without having to plough through the entire back catalogue. Although you could also take inspiration from the proliferation of 1990s podcasts: wait 30 years for a retro nostalgia pod about it, then listen to the highlights. Alexi Duggins Deputy TV editor Picks of the week Peter Dinklage in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Photograph: Murray Close/Lionsgate The Mysterious Affair at Styles Audible, all episodes available now Peter Dinklage is Hercule Poirot in this stunningly cast take on Agatha Christie’s debut novel. Rob Delaney, Harriet Walter, Jessica Gunning and Himesh Patel join him in a high-budget, immersive production. Dinklage’s Poirot ranges from gravelly force of nature to wise, twinkly soul in the tale of a matriarch’s ******* on the country estate where the Belgian detective’s friend Captain Hastings is recuperating from the first world war. Alexi Duggins The Good Whale Widely available, episodes weekly For an iconic investigative franchise such as Serial, the whale in 90s movie Free ****** isn’t an obvious topic. But this fascinating series is a deep ***** into the story of what happened to the creature, from its unhealthy time in captivity to becoming a Hollywood star, to the PR-driven campaign to actually free him and, sadly, how extremely difficult that proved to be. AD The Quilt Widely available, episodes weekly ****** Britain is the ***’s first LGBTQ+ museum and it partners with the producers of podcast The Log Books to create this moving new series. Hosts Tash Walker and Adam Zmith travel the *** to collect stories, starting in Norfolk where a trans woman in her 70s makes them cry with an old photograph. Hollie Richardson Generation Barney Widely available, episodes weekly Can a giant purple dinosaur give a generation the comfort they need in turbulent times? He certainly revolutionised the children’s TV landscape of the 1990s, giving younger viewers their first superstar. Host Sabrina Herrera is full of joy as she retells the story of the dino who, like any good kids’ television character, provoked hate in exasperated parents. Hannah Verdier Lady ****** Widely available, episodes weekly Sara King earned her reputation as “the female Bernie Madoff” by allegedly loan-sharking her way to a fortune, then spending it on jewellery, cars and a long-term stay at Las Vegas’s Wynn Resort. Now, Michelle McPhee lets the lawyer tell her side of the story – and why she doesn’t see herself as a **** artist. HV There’s a podcast for that Alex Cooper interviews presidential candidate Kamala Harris on Call Her Daddy. Photograph: Call Her Daddy/Reuters This week, Rachel Aroesti chooses five of the best podcasts you can dip in and out of, from a Radio 4 classic to Alex Cooper’s $60m show Call Her Daddy Most podcasts, no matter how popular, feel like cult concerns; their intimate in-jokes and freewheeling vibe give the impression that they exist outside the mainstream cultural conversation. Even Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy – the second-most listened-to pod on the planet – has the air of an exclusive club. Occasionally, however, Cooper performs feats of headline-grabbing cut-through. In the past few months, the show – which is beloved for its ****-positive take on womanhood – has made the news with interviews with Katy Perry (on her disastrous comeback) and Kamala Harris (on her family life and her campaign); episodes that become required listening for anyone attempting to stay on top of the zeitgeist. skip past newsletter promotion Podcast recommendations for unexpected audio pleasures. Our reviewers and audio producers pick the week’s top shows Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion Nymphet Alumni If you’ve ever found yourself stumped by endlessly rebooting TikTok aesthetics or baffled by the latest (as in, 10 minutes ago) trends, Nymphet Alumni is here to help. Hosting trio Biz Sherbert, Sam Cummins and Alexi Alario tackle bleeding-edge fashion and extremely online phenomena – from “mogging” to ******* style – in a manner that is unabashedly literate but never inaccessible. Sometimes, they even name trends themselves (see: blokette, in which football shirts and Sambas meet girly-girl attire), as well as looking back on the 20th-century fashion roots of various revivals. Dip in to feel like you understand the modern world, even if it’s just for an hour. Off Menu Some podcasts are successful regardless – or sometimes even in spite of – their guests, while others depend more on the energy of the celebrity involved. At this point, Ed Gamble and James Acaster are consummate professionals when it comes to extracting dream-meal-based banter from their interviewees, but the episodes of Off Menu really worth hearing involve guests with staunchly eccentric tastes and the resulting hysterical spiral of callbacks. Highlights include Victoria Coren-Mitchell’s dinner party sandwiches, Ivo Graham and his Yeo Valley yoghurt, Nicola Coughlan’s Robbie Williams wrap and the peerless madness of The Inbetweeners star Joe Thomas, “Soft Touch” and the ******* lamb. Desert Island Discs Very few podcasts have decades-long archives to ***** back into, let alone one that goes back to the 1940s. But that’s what you get when you convert the ***’s longest-running radio show into a podcast. There are now 2,482 episodes of Desert Island Discs – whose taste-based premise has proven an influential template for the contemporary podcast (see the aforementioned Off Menu and many more) – available to dip into. The back catalogue alone is a fascinating cultural chronicle, featuring hugely famous guests, along with many, many others who have faded into obscurity. Good One That old adage about analysis destroying comedy has been comprehensively debunked by a critical establishment now far more inclined to take standup seriously. And Good Ones, “a podcast about jokes” from Vulture’s Jesse David Fox, takes comedy very seriously indeed. With guests including John Early, Alex Edelman, Jack Whitehall and Joel Kim Booster, Fox goes extremely deep into the craft and context behind routines and sketches: we’re talking two-hour-plus postmortems on standup shows. It’s a bit too intense for a binge listen – in moderation, however, it’s a thrilling and insightful peek behind the curtain. Why not try … Best Medicine with Kiri Pritchard-McLean returns for a second series, with comedians, doctors, scientists and historians celebrating marvellous medical breakthroughs. The Good **** Project, in which Melody Thomas goes on a quest to understand how to do it right. Journalist and documentary-maker Lucy Sherriff’s investigation into the sudden disappearance of a wealthy widow, Where’s Dia? Source link #Serial #tells #true #tale #Free #Willys #titular #whale #Podcasts Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Women adopt behaviours to avoid leaks and discomfort during their ******* Women adopt behaviours to avoid leaks and discomfort during their ******* Women admit avoiding light-********* clothing, subtly checking seats for leaks after getting up and factoring in regular ******* breaks to check their pad when on their *******. A poll of 1,000 women who menstruate found 81 per cent feel anxious about leaking during their ******* and 65 per cent experience some level of pad discomfort. As a result, 86 per cent admit to taking significant steps to avoid such ******* mishaps. Monthly behaviours include avoiding wearing light clothing (61 per cent), subtly checking seats for ******* leaks once getting up (45 per cent) and adjusting daily routines to factor in regular ******* breaks to check their pad (39 per cent). The research was commissioned by Always to celebrate their FlexProtect range made with SmartFoam technology that absorbs and adapts to a woman’s every move. A spokesperson for the ******* protection brand, said, “It is evident women are having to adapt their daily routines when on their ******* just to avoid leaks and pad discomfort and are accepting it as the norm every month.” Source link #Women #adopt #behaviours #avoid #leaks #discomfort #******* Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Human: Fall Flat VR Review – Duuro Plays Human: Fall Flat VR Review – Duuro Plays Duuro says: “At $12.99, Human: Fall Flat VR offers excellent value, especially if you enjoy physics-based gameplay or have friends to play with. While my interest in the flat version waned quickly, the VR version’s physical interaction and immersive nature keep drawing me back. Whether it’s trying to perfect a tricky jump or just messing around with the physics engine, the game finally realizes its full potential as a playground for experimentation and fun.” Source link #Human #Fall #Flat #Review #Duuro #Plays Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Apple hit by Which? with £3bn legal claim that iCloud service charges are ‘anti-competitive’ Apple hit by Which? with £3bn legal claim that iCloud service charges are ‘anti-competitive’ Consumer rights advocate Which? is pursuing a £3bn legal action against Apple on behalf of millions of *** consumers it claims are locked into the technology giant’s iCloud storage platform. Which? has instructed law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher (***) LLP to oversee the legal proceedings, in the hope of securing a share of the £3bn for 40 million *** iCloud users it claims have been unfairly locked into using Apple’s cloud storage service by its “rip-off” pricing since 1 October 2015. Specifically, it is claimed that Apple has breached competition law by “favouring its own cloud storage services” on iOS devices, and by failing to resolve technical restrictions that lock users into the iCloud platform, while making it difficult for users to seek out alternative providers. For the case to proceed, Which? needs to obtain permission from the Competition Appeal Tribunal so it can act as class representative, and pursue the claim on behalf of the millions of *** consumers it claims are affected. “Which? believes taking this action is essential to changing the behaviour of huge companies like Apple that use their market dominance to engage in anti-competitive practices that reduce choice and drive up prices for consumers,” said the company, in a statement. “iOS has a monopoly and is in control of Apple’s operating systems, and it is incumbent on Apple not to use that dominance to gain an unfair advantage in related markets, like the cloud storage market. But that is exactly what has happened.” One way it is alleged that Apple does this is by prohibiting iCloud users from backing up their phone’s data with a third-party provider, and making them pay to store any additional data that goes over the free 5GB limit it offers users. Consumers overcharged This situation has, according to Which?, resulted in consumers being overcharged, on the basis that Apple has increased the price of using iCloud by between 20% and 29% across its storage tiers in 2023. According to the organisation’s calculations, each affected iCloud user could be due compensation in the region of £70, with Which? urging Apple to resolve the claim without litigation by simply refunding users this money. Anabel Hoult, chief executive of Which?, said the legal action is about much more than trying to recoup the monies it claims iCloud users have overpaid to Apple over the years. “By bringing this claim, Which? is showing big corporations like Apple that they cannot rip off *** consumers without facing repercussions,” she said. “Taking this legal action means we can help consumers to get the redress that they are owed, deter similar behaviour in the future, and create a better, more competitive market.” In a statement to Computer Weekly, an Apple spokesperson responded to the claim by denying that Apple users are forced to use iCloud. “Apple believes in providing our customers with choices,” the spokesperson said. “Our users are not required to use iCloud, and many rely on a wide range of third-party alternatives for data storage. In addition, we work hard to make data transfer as easy as possible – whether it’s to iCloud or another service. We ******* any suggestion that our iCloud practices are anti-competitive and will vigorously defend against any legal claim otherwise.” News of the claim comes at a time when the anti-competitive behaviour of other cloud-touting technology giants, namely Microsoft and Amazon Web Services, is under scrutiny from competition watchdogs in various countries. That includes in the ***, where the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is known to be preparing to release the preliminary findings from its ongoing investigation into the *** cloud infrastructure services market in the coming weeks. Katherine Kirrage, digital markets and competition partner at law firm Osborne Clarke, said the timing of this legal action against Apple is interesting, as the CMA is set to gain even stronger regulatory power over the ***’s digital markets, under the terms of the Digital Markets Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA). “As the CMA awaits its DMCCA powers early next year, this action by Which? is an example of the multiple ways in which companies are bringing competition law complaints,” she said. “These range from lobbying for regulation of players such as Apple, to bringing standalone litigation aimed, not only at winning damages, but also changing future conduct. Litigation is likely to become an increasingly important part of the regulatory landscape, particularly in digital markets.” Source link #Apple #hit #3bn #legal #claim #iCloud #service #charges #anticompetitive Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump victory drives gold to near 2-month lows as investors pile into equities, cryptocurrencies Trump victory drives gold to near 2-month lows as investors pile into equities, cryptocurrencies An employee handles one kilogram gold bullions at the YLG Bullion International Co. headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023. Chalinee Thirasupa | Bloomberg | Getty Images Gold prices extended their decline to a near two-month low Thursday amid risk-on sentiment and as the dollar continues to strengthen following Donald Trump’s election victory last week. Spot prices of the yellow metal have dropped nearly 7% since the election results last week to $2,559.2 per ounce. Gold futures on the New York Mercantile exchange were trading at $2,567.3. The recent slide — gold has declined in six of the seven sessions since Trump’s victory — follows a series of record-breaking milestones for bullion over the past year. “There’s a pause in the bull market in gold and silver, and that may continue for the next couple of weeks or so,” said Citi’s global head of commodities research Maximilian Layton. He elaborated that gold prices are likely to trade lower as U.S. equities rally on prospects of lower tax and regulations. Trump’s return to the White House had sent U.S. stocks to record highs though the rally has taken a breather. The postelection risk-on sentiment has also lifted cryptocurrencies, with bitcoin briefly trading above $93,000 for the first time on Wednesday on hopes that Trump will make good on a slew of promises to the industry. “Trump looking like he’s going to have a red sweep and higher deregulation, lower tax environment has led money into equities, money into bitcoin, and money out of gold,” Layton told CNBC. The dollar index has also climbed to a one-year high, making greenback-priced gold expensive for holders of other currencies. “The rise in the U.S. dollar reflects how markets have priced in Trump’s inflationary policy agenda, which primarily includes tax cuts and tariffs,” Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s Vivek Dhar wrote in a note dated Wednesday. Equities are in “euphoria territory” right now as they price in market-friendly outcomes of the elections, said Nicky Shiels, head of metals strategy at treading services firm MKS Pamp. “Until this Trump trade honeymoon phase runs its course, gold and silver are amidst repricing to a less bullish trajectory,” she said. In spite of the slide in gold prices, market watchers are still optimistic on the fundamentals of the bullion. The underlying drivers of the gold market are still in place, Layton said. After Trump’s election victory, there has been increasing speculation about his tariff proposals and their potential impact on the global economy. “As that happens, people will be buying gold and silver to hedge those downside risks,” said Layton. Additionally, central bank demand for gold is expected to remain strong, if not grow, due to the U.S. fiscal outlook and increasing geopolitical tensions, according to financial services firm Canaccord Genuity. Central banks purchased record amount of gold in the first half of 2024. “If President-elect Trump’s second term is anything like his first, with a confrontational approach to friends and foes alike, we believe strong international demand for gold as a reserve asset is likely to continue relative to demand for treasuries,” the bank’s analysts wrote in a report. A mix of rising debt, geopolitical tensions and central bank demand are expected to support higher gold prices, said Canaccord Genuity. Source link #Trump #victory #drives #gold #2month #lows #investors #pile #equities #cryptocurrencies Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Marvel Snap Patch Notes Include the Return of Deadpool's Diner Marvel Snap Patch Notes Include the Return of Deadpool's Diner Marvel Snap has introduced the latest patch notes, which bring back Deadpool’s Diner and introduce a number of bug fixes. Source link #Marvel #Snap #Patch #Notes #Include #Return #Deadpool039s #Diner Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

China’s Zhurong Rover Helps Find Evidence of Potential Ancient Shoreline on Mars China’s Zhurong Rover Helps Find Evidence of Potential Ancient Shoreline on Mars Evidence of an ancient ocean on Mars has been potentially uncovered by China’s Zhurong rover, scientists report. Data gathered by the now-defunct rover indicates a possible ancient shoreline in Mars’ northern hemisphere. Researchers at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, including lead scientist Bo Wu, believe these findings support long-standing theories of a large Martian ocean that existed billions of years ago. The Zhurong rover, which travelled approximately 2 kilometres within the Utopia Planitia basin, relayed this data through observations from its onboard cameras and ground-penetrating radar. The study describing the findings was published in the journal Scientific Reports. Through Zhurong’s exploration, researchers identified features possibly related to water activity, including pitted cones, channels, and formations resembling mud volcanoes. Such structures, the scientists suggest, could represent a coastal landscape shaped by the once-existing ocean. Further analysis of the surface deposits indicates that the ocean may have existed around 3.68 billion years ago, potentially containing silt-laden water that left distinct geological layers on the Martian landscape. Complex History of Water on Mars The research team posits that Mars’ ancient ocean may have experienced phases of freezing and thawing, contributing to the formation of the observed coastline. Sergey Krasilnikov of Hong Kong Polytechnic University noted that the ocean may have frozen over for about 10,000 to 100,000 years before completely drying up, roughly 260 million years later. Wu acknowledged the difficulty in conclusively determining the shoreline due to erosion over millennia but proposed that asteroid impacts could have preserved certain regions of the coastline. Future Prospects for Verifying Mars’ Water History Despite Zhurong’s findings, scientists acknowledge that definitive evidence of Mars’ ancient water history will require analysis of Martian samples on Earth. China’s Tianwen 3 mission, set to launch in 2028, aims to return surface samples by 2031. In comparison, NASA’s Mars Sample Return mission is projected to return samples in the 2030s. Source link #Chinas #Zhurong #Rover #Helps #Find #Evidence #Potential #Ancient #Shoreline #Mars Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Meta Will Face Antitrust Trial Over Instagram, WhatsApp Acquisitions Meta Will Face Antitrust Trial Over Instagram, WhatsApp Acquisitions Facebook owner Meta Platforms must face trial in a US Federal Trade Commission lawsuit seeking its break-up over claims that it bought Instagram and WhatsApp to crush emerging competition in social media, a judge in Washington ruled on Wednesday. Judge James Boasberg largely denied Meta’s motion to end the case filed against Facebook in 2020, during the Trump administration, alleging that the company acted illegally to maintain its social network monopoly. Meta, then known as Facebook, overpaid for Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 to eliminate nascent threats instead of competing on its own in the mobile ecosystem, the FTC claims. Boasberg let that claim stand, but dismissed the FTC’s allegation that Facebook bolstered its dominance by restricting third-party app developers’ access to the platform unless they agreed not to compete with its core services. “We are confident that the evidence at trial will show that the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp have been good for competition and consumers,” a Meta spokesperson said on Wednesday. FTC spokesperson Douglas Farrar said that the case filed during the Trump administration and refined under Biden “represents a bipartisan effort to curtail Meta’s monopoly power and restore competition to ensure freedom and innovation in the social media ecosystem.” At trial, Meta will not be allowed to argue the WhatsApp acquisition boosted competition by strengthening its position against Apple and Google, Boasberg ruled. The judge said he would release a detailed order later on Wednesday after the FTC and Meta have had a chance to redact any sensitive commercial information. A trial date in the case has not been set. Meta had urged the judge to dismiss the entire case, saying it depended on an overly narrow view of social media markets, and did not take into account competition from ByteDance’s TikTok, Google’s YouTube, X, and Microsoft’s LinkedIn. The case is one of five blockbuster lawsuits where antitrust regulators at the FTC and US Department of Justice are going after Big Tech. Amazon.com Inc and Apple are both being sued, and Alphabet’s Google is facing two lawsuits, including one where a judge recently found it unlawfully thwarted competition among online search engines. © Thomson Reuters 2024 (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source link #Meta #Face #Antitrust #Trial #Instagram #WhatsApp #Acquisitions Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Special counsel Jack Smith and his team to resign before Trump takes office Special counsel Jack Smith and his team to resign before Trump takes office Special counsel Jack Smith speaks to members of the media at the US Department of Justice building in Washington, DC, on August 1, 2023. Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images WASHINGTON — Special counsel Jack Smith and his team plan to resign before President-elect Donald Trump takes office, a source familiar with the matter said. Smith’s office has been evaluating the best path for winding down its work on the two outstanding federal ********* cases against Trump, as the Justice Department’s longstanding position is that it cannot charge a sitting president with a ******. The New York Times first reported Smith will step down. The looming question in the weeks ahead is whether Smith’s final report, detailing his charging decisions, will be made public before Inauguration Day. The special counsel’s office is required under Justice Department regulations to provide a confidential report to Attorney General Merrick Garland, who can choose to make it public. Follow live updates about the 2024 election aftermath In late October, Trump said in a radio interview that he would immediately ***** Smith as special counsel if re-elected. “It’s so easy — I would ***** him within two seconds,” Trump said, adding that he got “immunity at the Supreme Court.” The next attorney general could decide not to release Smith’s final report as well. Before Trump’s re-election last week, Smith and his team had continued moving forward in their election interference case against Trump. After Trump’s victory, however, a federal judge overseeing the case agreed to give the special counsel’s office until Dec. 2 to decide how to proceed. The Justice Department indicted Trump last year for his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. But Smith’s case was hampered early on by appeals from Trump’s legal team and then in July of this year by the Supreme Court’s ruling that he has immunity for some acts he took as president. In August, Smith’s team re-tooled the indictment — stripping it of certain evidence the high court said was off limits and a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment in the case. The Justice Department had also charged Trump in Florida with allegedly hoarding classified documents after he left office and then refusing to give them back. But a federal judge dismissed the case in July, saying Smith’s appointment was ********. That case ******** on appeal. When the former president was first indicted, Smith said he would move quickly to trial, but Trump’s legal team successfully sought to delay in both cases while then-candidate Trump routinely lambasted Smith at his rallies and online. The election-interference case in Washington was narrowly focused on Trump, but an open question ******** as to whether any unnamed co-conspirators referenced in the indictments face future legal jeopardy. There’s no Justice Department norm for alleged ********* conspirators to avoid being prosecuted because they are connected to an incoming president, or because that future president is likely to pardon them. Source link #Special #counsel #Jack #Smith #team #resign #Trump #takes #office Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

PUBG Mobile Update 3.5 Patch Notes Include Icemire Frontier PUBG Mobile Update 3.5 Patch Notes Include Icemire Frontier The PUBG Mobile update 3.5 patch notes include the Frostheim map and Icemire Frontier mode, along with a new Metro Royale season. Source link #PUBG #Mobile #Update #Patch #Notes #Include #Icemire #Frontier Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pharmacies vote to reduce services in first protest action Pharmacies vote to reduce services in first protest action MARK MARLOW/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock This is the first time pharmacists have voted to take action in their history Pharmacy owners in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have voted in favour of cutting opening hours and stopping home deliveries for the first time, in a protest over government funding. The National Pharmacy Association (NPA), which ran the ballot, is calling for an annual £1.7bn funding increase to plug the “financial *****”. The NPA represents 6,500 of the ***’s community pharmacies – that’s around half of them. It says 99% of those that responded to the vote said they were willing to limit their services unless funding was improved. The Department of Health in England says it wants all pharmacists to work with it to achieve a service fit for the future. Some 3,339 independent community pharmacies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland took part in the unprecedented ballot, which is a turnout of 64%. The vote comes after the Budget saw increases in National Insurance contributions and the National Living Wage. The government has not committed to supporting pharmacies to cover these costs, the NPA says, unlike other parts of the NHS. The pharmacies’ body, which isn’t a trade union, says 700 pharmacies have shut in England in the last two years alone – the equivalent of seven a week – because of workloads and budget cuts. It adds that core government pharmacy funding in England has fallen by 40% since 2015-16, after adjusting for inflation. The NPA says it will be left with no choice but to recommend pharmacies withdraw services from as early as the new year, if funding isn’t increased. Pharmacy owner and member of the NPA, Ashely Cohen, told BBC Breakfast that 90% of pharmacy funding was “static” – decided by a contract with government to supply the NHS. “We are unable to put our prices up like traditional businesses,” he said, yet other costs to cover staffing and rents had gone up. He said: “I’m in the business to help and support patients, and that’s why we’ve had to do this ballot.” What could change? Pharmacies could decide: not to open beyond 40 hours a week, into evenings and at weekendsto stop providing free home deliveries of medicines which are not fundednot to offer emergency contraception, substance misuse and smoking support servicesto refuse to co-operate with certain data requeststo stop supplying free monitored dose systems (medicine packs), other than those covered by the Disability Discrimination Act ‘Something has got to give’ NPA chairman Nick Kaye said the ballot result “overwhelmingly shows the sheer anger and frustration of pharmacy owners at a decade of cuts that is forcing dedicated health professionals to shut their doors for good”. He said he cared deeply about his patients – like other pharmacy teams – but he has never experienced a situation as desperate as this. “Pharmacy owners are not a ******** bunch. We have never proposed action like this before, but after a decade of underfunding and record closures, something simply has got to give,” Kaye said. PA This action could affect services available under the Pharmacy First scheme. The Pharmacy First service, launched in January in England, extended the range of services chemists can provide, including treatment of sinusitis, earache and shingles. Members are not being asked to pull out of the scheme, the NPA said, but a reduction in opening hours and the stopping of locally commissioned services would affect it. The NPA says urgent funding talks with the government are needed to guarantee patient safety and services for vulnerable people. Pharmacy funding is set by devolved governments but the medicine funding arrangements – known as the ***** tariff – are decided by Westminster for pharmacies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scottish pharmacies have a separate system, and are not involved in the current ballot. Dr Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Independent Pharmacies Association, said: “The community pharmacy sector is in an escalating crisis with a £1.7 billion shortfall in its funding. This has got worse by the hike in the employers’ National Insurance, resulting in £12,000 extra costs annually for our members. “As healthcare professionals, we believe that patients must not be caused suffering by any withdrawals of our members’ valuable and vital professional services. “The government must urgently raise pharmacy funding to prevent further closures of community pharmacies.” A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Community pharmacy has a vital role to play as we move the focus of care from hospital to the community under the fundamental reforms in our 10 Year Health Plan. “Unfortunately, we inherited a system that has been neglected for too long and is no longer supporting the pharmacists we need to deliver for patients at a local level.” Source link #Pharmacies #vote #reduce #services #protest #action Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nexon States That There Are No Immediate Plans to Nerf Freyna in The First Descendant Nexon States That There Are No Immediate Plans to Nerf Freyna in The First Descendant In one of the older trailers, the one from July 2024, there is a part where Ajax is charging at a shield-carrying Volgus, wielding a huge hammer. It is a known fact that a lot of stuff from those older trailers is not included in the final, official release of the game, but it begs the question: why were melee weapons left out? Source link #Nexon #States #Plans #Nerf #Freyna #Descendant Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

AFL Draft 2024: Every West ***********-based player who has nominated ahead of November 20-21 AFL Draft 2024: Every West ***********-based player who has nominated ahead of November 20-21 Over 100 hopefuls from Western Australia have nominated for the 2024 draft, including dozens of young prospects and former AFL players. SEE THE FULL LIST. Source link #AFL #Draft #West #Australianbased #player #nominated #ahead #November Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Early ****** Friday gaming keyboard deals 2024: Logitech, Asus, more Early ****** Friday gaming keyboard deals 2024: Logitech, Asus, more If you’ve been checking out the best early Alienware ****** Friday deals for a sweet new gaming rig, you also need to make sure your accessories are up to the task too. That’s why we’ve picked out the best early ****** Friday gaming keyboard deals so you can enjoy a better experience while you game. These are just some of the early ****** Friday deals happening right now, with many more guaranteed to help kit you out for superior gaming. We also have some early ****** Friday 4K monitor deals, which are perfect if you have a high-end gaming rig and want to get the best visual experience from it. Besides picking out the best early ****** Friday gaming keyboard deals, we also have some key buying advice so that you know what to consider before buying one. Read on while we take you through everything. SteelSeries Apex 3 TKL Gaming Keyboard — $35 $45 22% off SteelSeries SteelSeries makes some great gaming keyboards, with the SteelSeries Apex 3 TKL Gaming Keyboard the more affordable option. It’s a tenkeyless design with whisper quiet switches and anti-ghosting technology, so it’s accurate and feels great to use. It also has dedicated multimedia buttons for any downtime away from games. HyperX Alloy Origins 65 — $50 $100 50% off HyperX The HyperX Alloy Origins 65 is teeny and cute and kind of perfect for hooking up to a games console rather than PC. It uses mechanical key switches to ensure better responsiveness and a longer lifespan. It’s wired, so it’s easy to swap between devices. Plus, its RGB lighting looks cool. Logitech G915 TKL Wireless Keyboard — $150 $230 35% off Logitech As sleek as a laptop keyboard, the Logitech G915 TKL Wireless Keyboard has low profile mechanical switches that are smooth to use and super accurate. The keyboard is gorgeous, boasting good lighting, 40 hours of battery life, and dedicated media controls. It works well across multiple devices too. ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96 $157 $180 13% off ASUS Topping our look at the best gaming keyboards, the ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96 has hot-swappable switches with the pre-lubed NX Snow linear switches and ROG NX Storm clicky switches for the most satisfying experience. It means better stability and less friction, while there’s sound-dampening foam for quietening down the experience. It’s easy to connect to multiple devices wirelessly too. Asus ROG Azoth 75% Gaming Keyboard — $198 $250 21% off Asus If you want to be able to customize your keyboard as and when needed, check out the Asus ROG Azoth 75% Gaming Keyboard. It comes with a DIY Switch lube kit for swapping out the switches with pre-lubed switches for smoother clicks and less bounce, while there are ROG-tuned force curves for greater keystroke feel. It also has a unique gasket mount design with three layers of dampening foam. How to choose a gaming keyboard on ****** Friday While you can just head straight to our roundup of the best gaming keyboards and go from there, it’s useful to know exactly what you’re looking for. One key thing is how committed you are to having the best gaming hardware. Are you looking for esports or pro streaming level of tech? In that case, budget to spend in the $100-$150 mark and possibly more than that. However, if you’re more casual and an occasional gamer, this will be overkill. Aim to spend under $100 with $50 being the sweet spot during sales. Look for if you need a full-size keyboard or if a smaller build without the numeric keypad (like many laptops) will suffice. Two different types of switch are also available: mechanical and linear. Mechanical keys are louder and more expensive, but feel great and are highly responsive. Linear may suit your budget better or your situation if you need something quiet. Finally, check for an ergonomic design that works best for your joints and how your desk is ***** out. How we chose these gaming keyboard ****** Friday deals When it comes to seeking out gaming keyboard deals, we don’t just do so during sales events like ****** Friday. We do this all year around which helps us spot the very best deals on gaming keyboards during times like these. We get that the cheapest gaming keyboard isn’t necessarily the one you want. Instead, you need the keyboard to be a good price but also something that’s worth owning. That’s why we use our expert knowledge on gaming keyboards to ensure we only feature the accessories that are actually worth using and owning. Few gaming keyboards are genuinely cheap so you want to invest in something which is built to last. That way, you get the best value. Alongside that, we tend to steer away from incremental discounts and focus on the genuinely big discounts around so that you reap the biggest savings. We also focus on the best brands so you pick up something which is built to last. Source link #Early #****** #Friday #gaming #keyboard #deals #Logitech #Asus Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Boeing delivers layoff notices to 17,000 workers amid financial struggles Boeing delivers layoff notices to 17,000 workers amid financial struggles Boeing started issuing layoff notices this week to 17,000 employees, or 10% of its workforce, in an effort to cut costs amid financial struggles. The aerospace giant also announced it will delay delivery of its 777X to 2026. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI Nov. 13 (UPI) — Boeing started issuing layoff notices Wednesday to 17,000 employees to cut 10% of its workforce in an effort to shore up the aerospace giant’s shaky finances. The layoff notifications, which will be handed out through Friday, are being issued the same week 33,000 Boeing machinists in the Seattle area returned to work following their seven-week strike. “Our business is in a difficult position, and it is hard to overstate the challenges we face together,” Boeing chief executive officer Kelly Ortberg told staff in a memo last month as he announced the cuts. “Restoring our company requires tough decisions, and we will have to make structural changes to ensure we can stay competitive and deliver for our customers over the long term,” Ortberg added. The layoffs will impact executives, managers and employees, but workers who build the aircraft are not expected to be cut. Those who receive notifications are expected to leave the company by Jan. 17. “We must reset our workforce levels to align with our financial reality and to a more focused set of priorities,” Ortberg said, adding that Boeing will “maintain our steadfast focus on safety, quality and delivering for our customers.” In addition to the layoffs, Boeing will delay its first delivery of the 777X to 2026 and conclude production of its 767 Freighters in 2027. Production of the KC-46A Tanker will continue. The cuts at Boeing follow billions of lost revenue over the past five years and a number of crises, including two 737 Max 8 crashes over a six-month ******* with the first occurring in October 2018, which was the last year Boeing turned a profit. This year, a door panel blew off a 737 Max jet mid-flight, as regulators investigated Boeing’s safety protocols and Max production stalled with the machinists’ strike. “We need to be clear-eyed about the work we face and realistic about the time it will take to achieve key milestones on the path to recovery,” Ortberg said. “We also need to focus our resources on performing and innovating in the areas that are core to who we are, rather than spreading ourselves across too many efforts that can often result in underperformance and underinvestment.” Source link #Boeing #delivers #layoff #notices #workers #financial #struggles Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

*****, Friendship and the Channel Tunnel *****, Friendship and the Channel Tunnel At 8.23am on the morning of 14 November 1994, crowds cheered as the first Eurostar train carrying fare-paying passengers under the English Channel left London’s Waterloo Station. Its journey was punctuated by cheers from those on board as the train entered the tunnel at Folkestone, more cheers when it emerged 18 minutes later near Calais and by spontaneous applause when it arrived into Paris two minutes ahead of schedule at 11.21am. Passengers would later describe the ‘party atmosphere’ in every carriage, although the day’s newspapers also reported the ‘******* awful’ coffee and lack of champagne in the buffet. Many of those who travelled on Eurostar’s maiden voyage had booked their tickets years in advance, and among them were those celebrating birthdays and anniversaries, a 90-year-old ********* former railway worker who had crossed the Atlantic to travel on the first train, author Jeffrey Archer, television presenter Jeremy Beadle and two great-grandsons of the engineer William Low, who had proposed his own Channel tunnel scheme in the 1860s. The celebrations were underpinned by a sense of history; the train was travelling through the longest undersea tunnel on Earth, which that year had been elected by the ********* Society of Civil Engineers as one of the seven wonders of the modern world. References to the historic importance of the journey were rooted not simply in technological achievement, however: they also pointed to the political symbolism of forging a connection between Britain and the rest of Europe. Britain was, according to a headline in the Guardian earlier that year, ‘no longer an island’. This end to insularity was welcomed in some quarters, as adverts for Eurostar promised the possibility of jumping on a train to enjoy dinner or a shopping trip in Paris. Elsewhere, newspaper headlines exposed underlying fears, whether of rabies, as ‘Rabid foxes replace the ghost of Napoleon’ (the Scotsman) or of terrorism, as the Guardian revealed that ‘Travellers ***** Chunnel ******* *******’. A survey in November 1993 found that ‘75 per cent of Britons would not use the Channel Tunnel’, and the following year, The Times described the entire venture as ‘Dogged by *****’. Such different interpretations of what the tunnel would mean for Britain reflected a long history of proposals, rejections and false starts. As Low’s great-grandson John remarked in 1994, the train was brilliant – but more than 100 years late. Digging in wartime The first scheme for a tunnel under the Channel was proposed by the French mining engineer Albert Mathieu-Favier to Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802 during a pause in the Revolutionary Wars. Mathieu’s tunnel would be lit by oil lamps and wide enough for a horse and carriage. Napoleon liked the idea and discussed it with the British ******** Charles James Fox while the latter visited Paris during the Peace of Amiens. The two agreed that it represented a ‘great thing that we can do together’ – but Mathieu’s scheme was hastily abandoned when war broke out again the following year. Nonetheless, its very proposal represented an important moment as the first of more than 100 schemes for a fixed link that would follow in the centuries ahead. Engineering progress meant that developments moved swiftly. The construction of tunnels under the Thames in 1843 and through the Alps at Mont Cenis in 1871 demonstrated the potential of tunnelling technology to dig quickly through different types of rock, as well as underwater. Meanwhile, a series of dives conducted by the French engineer Aimé Thomé de Gamond in 1855 revealed that the same type of chalk made up the seabed across the Strait of Dover. De Gamond’s own tunnel schemes fell by the wayside with the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, but after Franco-British relations stabilised the two governments agreed on a protocol for a tunnel and granted permission for private companies to start digging. Work began separately on both coasts in 1880 with two companies digging in Britain and one in France. In 1881 Sir Edward Watkin, the director of the South Eastern Railway, which led the more successful British dig, announced that if work continued at its current pace the pilot tunnel would be completed within five years. ‘England’s nightmare. The Great Britain Gulliver overpowered and made helpless by French pygmies while asleep’, by Friedrich Graetz, for Puck magazine, 15 March 1882. Library of Congress. Public Domain. In France the news was met with enthusiasm but the response in Britain was mixed. While politicians including the prime minister William Gladstone, military leaders such as Sir John Adye of the Ordnance Board and manufacturers including Wedgwood argued in favour of the economic and political benefits that a tunnel would bring, others, notably the adjutant general Sir Garnet Wolseley, raised concerns over the invasion risk it represented. In an effort to drum up publicity for the scheme, Watkin hosted tours of the tunnel for invited dignitaries including Gladstone, the prince of Wales and the archbishop of Canterbury. Visitors donned overalls to descend into the shaft at Dover where they observed the boring machine and toasted the venture with champagne, before attending celebratory banquets in a dining room decked out in tricolour and Union flags. But, in 1882, inspectors from the Board of Trade visited the dig site in Kent and ordered an immediate stop to works as they had determined that the tunnel shaft extended further than permitted. The following year a parliamentary Commission created to discuss the tunnel question expressed the view that no further digs should be permitted, and a tunnel bill was withdrawn from Parliament in July 1883, primarily due to fears that a tunnel might facilitate an invasion. Making peace Talk of a tunnel continued as Britain and France fought as allies during the First World War. At the end of the conflict, Supreme Allied Commander Maréchal Ferdinand Foch remarked that, had the tunnel been completed before the war, it would have shortened the length of the conflict by two years. In 1919 British prime minister David Lloyd George proposed a tunnel during the discussions at the Versailles Peace Conference and it was discussed during the 1920s by the League of Nations. Engineers from across the globe proposed different types of schemes. The ********* engineer Allan C. Rush suggested a bridge, which was to be constructed from melted down war materiel as a ‘beacon of peace’. In France, stable peace was understood to rely upon the maintenance of the wartime Franco-British alliance. In 1919, when the prospect of the tunnel was posed as a question in the final exam for French students sitting the brevet qualification, one candidate wrote that a tunnel might spell the end of tariffs and checks between Britain and France, while for another ‘in getting to know each other better we would get to like one another better’. When war broke out again in 1939, rumours swirled that the ******* army was making use of the shaft at Calais abandoned in the 1880s to tunnel under the Channel and invade Britain. In response, the RAF flew reconnaissance missions in search of signs of digging or of soil discharge in the water and, in 1941, a group of Royal Engineers took listening equipment into the deserted 1880s shaft in Dover. There, they attempted to detect sounds of digging, but neither they, nor the RAF, found anything unusual. In the aftermath of the war, plans began again for a tunnel and by this stage the connection was envisaged in international terms and planned to accommodate the growth of the automobile industry – one suggestion was for a six-lane motorway bridge across the Channel. Impetus increased with Britain’s entry into the Common Market in 1973, but after its election victory in 1974, Harold Wilson’s government cancelled the scheme due to escalating costs in January 1975. When Margaret Thatcher became prime minister in 1979 the discussions were renewed. Thatcher’s preference was for a road tunnel for motorists, but the Treaty of Canterbury, signed in February 1986, paved the way for a rail tunnel to be constructed by private companies that would carry passengers between London, Paris and Brussels, and cars between Dover and Calais. Only connect By the time the first passengers travelled in November 1994, commentators were already expressing hopes that the tunnel would spell the end of British insularity; in the words of a 1993 Eurotunnel advert: ‘The island race is no more.’ The first trains coincided with the arrival of low-cost air travel and the idea of the ‘city break’; it was suggested that night trains should run from Scotland, Wales and the north of England to destinations across Europe, as well as for short trips between Kent and the Pas-de-Calais that would allow commuting between Britain and France for work. None of these hopes materialised, as the need to recoup the high costs of construction meant that long distance night trains would be unable to compete with low-cost flights. It was only in 2013 that passenger numbers finally reached the target figure of ten million per year. As we arrive at the 30th anniversary of the first passengers travelling between London and Paris on Eurostar, the experience has recently changed again. New Brexit rules mean longer wait times for passport checks, while some routes have been cut; trains no longer stop at Calais or Ashford. The tunnel did not live up to the expectations of 1994, yet the strong opinions it has provoked throughout its history remind us that even ******* attempts brought Britain and France closer together. Alison Carrol is Reader in ********* History at Brunel, University of London and the author of The Return of Alsace to France, 1918-1939 (Oxford University Press, 2018). Source link #***** #Friendship #Channel #Tunnel Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Helldivers 2 Players Have to ****** Both Bugs and Bots to Secure E-710 for DSS in Latest Major Order Helldivers 2 Players Have to ****** Both Bugs and Bots to Secure E-710 for DSS in Latest Major Order In the final efforts to finish the DSS, Helldivers 2 players will have to complete one more Major Order. Will you join them? Source link #Helldivers #Players #****** #Bugs #Bots #Secure #E710 #DSS #Latest #Major #Order Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Fewer rate cuts on the horizon? Fewer rate cuts on the horizon? View of the Federal Reserve building in Washington on Oct. 3, 2024. Valerie Plesch | Picture Alliance | Getty Images This report is from today’s CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Like what you see? You can subscribe here. What you need to know today U.S. inflation picks upThe headline inflation rate in the U.S. came in at 2.6% for October, in line with market expectations. Core inflation — which strips out prices of food and energy — held steady at 3.3%. The headline reading is higher than the Federal Reserve’s target, which might complicate the Fed’s easing path. Markets mixed after inflation dataU.S. markets were mostly rangebound after the October inflation reading, with the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising just 0.02% and 0.11%, respectively. The Nasdaq Composite ended the day with a 0.26% decline. In Asia, markets traded mixed, with Hong Kong shares dropping more than 1%. ******** AI startup takes aim at OpenAI Beijing-based Shengshu Technology said its text-to-video tool Vidu will now be able to generate videos by combining images, expanding on its existing functionality of creating 8-second clips based on written prompts. While OpenAI — the maker of ChatGPT — said in February that its AI model Sora could generate one-minute videos from text, it has yet to release the product publicly. AMD announces layoffsChipmaker AMD will lay off 4% of its staff, or about 1,000 workers, as it tries to strengthen its position in the artificial intelligence chip space currently dominated by Nvidia. The firm had 26,000 employees at the end of last year, according to a U.S. SEC filing. AMD is the second-biggest producer of graphics processing units, or GPUs, behind Nvidia. [PRO] Wells Fargo urges caution on Trump trade Wall Street has been pumping money into the so called “Trump trade,” investing into companies and stocks tied to Trump’s campaign promises, but that doesn’t mean those bets will pay off, according to the Wells Fargo Investment Institute. The bottom line Shakespeare famously said: “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts.” With October’s inflation reading coming in line with expectations, the stage seems set for a final rate cut in December, bringing the Fed Funds rate to the central bank’s target of 4.25%- 4.5% that it had set in its so called “dot plot” released in September. It is important to note that the October reading is the first-time headline inflation has risen since March, and the 2.6% figure is higher compared to the Fed’s target of 2%. As such, the path now is less clear for 2025. U.S. President Joe Biden will make his exit from the Oval Office on Jan. 20, and President-elect Donald Trump will make his entrance, with all his promises of tariffs and tax cuts. The one man then, that has to play many parts will be Fed President Jerome Powell. Going back to the “dot plot,” the Fed in September had expected that rates will be cut by another 100 basis points by the end of 2025, and another 50 bps by the end of 2026. However, as economists have said, Trump’s policies — if followed through — are likely to be inflationary, and with a projected *********** trifecta — control of presidency, Senate and House — the possibility that he will be able to enact what he promised is increasingly possible. What this means then, is that the Fed may be forced to slow or halt its easing path, if inflation ticks up again in a second Trump term. In short, the term “higher for longer” may rear its head, once again. Source link #rate #cuts #horizon Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

This white Steam Deck OLED is testing our self-control This white Steam Deck OLED is testing our self-control Valve It’s not a Steam Deck 2, but Valve announced that you can soon buy a new Steam Deck. The company is releasing a limited-edition white Steam Deck OLED just ahead of the holidays. Valve revealed the new $679 handheld Monday night. Sure, it’s a bit pricey, but it only costs $30 more than the equivalent Steam Deck OLED 1TB model. Valve says it’ll have all the same specs as the top-tier 1TB version, with up to a 90Hz refresh rate, an HDR OLED display, and a 50 watt-hour battery. The only difference is that it comes in a new ******. It even comes with its own white carrying case and white microfiber cloth. The Steam Deck OLED: Limited Edition White will go on ***** at 3 p.m. PT on November 18 in all regions where the Steam Deck currently ships. The only restrictions will be that you can only buy one per account and you need to have made a Steam purchase with your account before November. Valve will only be manufacturing limited quantities, so this buying ******* will be the only chance to get the Steam Deck OLED in white. If it sells out, it’s gone forever. Valve told Eurogamer, however, that depending on feedback, this experiment might “inform future decisions about any potential new ****** variants down the line.” This marks the second time that Valve has strayed beyond the Steam Deck’s original design. It’s good for what it is — large, but surprisingly practical with a decently sized screen — but the ****** ****** is bland. There are skins out there and even a couple cases you can use to change things up, but in the end, you’re just playing PC games with a clunky ****** box. The white is just nice too. It has this gray tint that keeps things subtle, but also evokes a more nostalgic console design, like the recent PlayStation 5 Pro. Valve also released a limited-edition translucent 1TB Steam Deck OLED last year (almost exactly a year ago, actually) that also sells for $679. Source link #white #Steam #Deck #OLED #testing #selfcontrol Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

India’s central bank chief warns over growing global inflation risks India’s central bank chief warns over growing global inflation risks Shaktikanta Das, governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), during an event at the Peterson Institute of Economics (PIIE) during the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Central banks have managed to engineer a soft landing through a ******* of “continual and unprecedented shocks,” but there is still a risk of global inflation returning and of economic growth slowing down, according to India’s central bank chief. Speaking Thursday in Mumbai, India, at CNBC-TV18’s Global Leadership Summit, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das said monetary policy from global central banks had largely “performed well” in recent years despite conflicts, geopolitical tensions and higher volatility. “A soft landing has been ensured but risks of inflation — as I speak to you here today — risks of inflation coming back and growth slowing down do remain,” Das said. “The headwinds from the geopolitical conflicts, geoeconomic fragmentation, commodity price volatility and climate change continue to grow.” Das pointed to several contradictions in global markets to underline his view, including the appreciation of the U.S. dollar, even as the Federal Reserve is cutting interest rates. The U.S. dollar index, which measures the currency against six top counterparts including the euro and yen, added 0.2% to 106.71 as of 8:45 a.m. London time on Thursday, briefly notching its highest level since November last year. Stock Chart IconStock chart icon U.S. dollar index over the last 12 months. It comes as investors and economists scrutinize what President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House could mean for U.S. interest rates. The prospect of higher trade tariffs and tighter immigration policy under a second Trump presidential term is expected to fuel inflation, which could in turn put the brakes on the Fed’s rate-cutting cycle over the longer term. The Fed 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. Divergent themes in global markets “Government bond yields are rising even as many advanced economies have embarked upon an easing path through rate cuts, underscoring the fact that Treasury markets are influenced by a host of global and domestic factors that are much beyond mere policy adjustments,” Das said. “Second, undeterred by the strong U.S. dollar and high bond yields, prices of gold and oil, the two commodities that typically move in tandem, are showing sharp divergence,” he continued. “Third, an interesting contrast is also emerging between rising geopolitical risks and financial market volatility, while geopolitical tensions have escalated steadily in recent years, financial markets have shown considerable resilience in the face of mounting uncertainties.” Das noted that global trade is projected to remain higher this year compared to 2023, notwithstanding the challenges posed by tariffs, sanctions, import duties, cross-border restrictions and supply chain disruptions. Turning to India’s economy, Das said the country’s growth rate ******** resilient and predicted that inflation would moderate “despite periodic humps.” He added, “The Indian economy has sailed very well through the prolonged ******* of turbulence, and it exhibits resilience in the face of constantly emerging new challenges.” A laborer loads consumer goods onto a supply cart at a wholesale market in Kolkata, India, on November 11, 2024. Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images Speaking during a separate session at CNBC-TV18’s Global Leadership Summit, Piyush Goyal, India’s Union Minister of Commerce called on the country’s central bank to ease monetary policy to boost economic growth. Asked whether the RBI should trim interest rates next month, Goyal replied, “I certainly believe they should cut interest rates. Growth needs a further impetus. We are the fastest growing economy in the world [but] we can do even better.” The RBI held the key interest rate steady at 6.5% in October, while changing its policy stance to “neutral”, bolstering hopes the central bank may soon be prepared to lower borrowing costs. RBI’s Das said he would refrain from any comments on a December rate move. Source link #Indias #central #bank #chief #warns #growing #global #inflation #risks Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Sony is Using the Same Trick for Ghost of Tsushima That Todd Howard Used for a Massive Spike in Fallout Player Count Sony is Using the Same Trick for Ghost of Tsushima That Todd Howard Used for a Massive Spike in Fallout Player Count Sony is all set to use the same tricks to reignite Ghost of Tsushima’s relevance in the market that Todd Howard masterfully used for Fallout. Howard managed to generate a massive spike in plyer count after the release of Fallout’s TV series on Amazon. A movie based on this game will have to extremely beautiful in order to do justice to it. Image Credit: ******* Punch Sony is all set to do the same for Ghost of Tsushima following the successful run of the game. A spiritual sequel to the game has already been announced, which is all set to debut on PlayStation 5 next year. Sony Will Do Everything To Juice Out Ghost of Tsushima’s Potential Sony still wants to juice out all it can from Ghost of Tsushima. Image Credit: ******* Punch Ghost of Tsushima is an extremely cinematic game that is inspired by movies from master director Akira Kurosawa. The game even has a dedicated Kurosawa mode that enables players to experience what the game would feel like inside Kurosawa’s imagination. The game was extremely well received and managed to grab a lot of fame and attention. However, Sony is still not done juicing out its potential, as it feels there is still more that can be done with it. Similarly, Fallout is a long-running franchise with some amazing fans, but a TV adaptation managed to help it secure a special place in the global space by expanding its world to people beyond the gaming world. Hermen Hulst, the chief executive of Sony’s studio business group, is of the opinion that expanding IPs across entertainment platforms helps reignite the original game’s relevance. He said: From a business perspective it makes a lot of sense, When a television series or movie comes out, people are inspired to play again or make friends to play. This is exactly what Sony plans to do with Ghost of Tsushima. It believes that a film or TV adaptation of the game will help reignite its relevance in the market and even attract a lot more people to the game, including some old players who will feel compelled to try their hand at the game again. Movies have the potential to do that. A Movie Based On Ghost of Tsushima Will Be A Great Watch People are eagerly waiting to see a movie based on it. Image Credit: ******* Punch Given that the game itself is inspired by the films of Kurosawa, a movie based on the game will follow in the footsteps of the master director. A movie based on the game is speculated to be in the works with John Wick’s director Chad Stahelski, but nothing more about it has been revealed yet. Ghost of Tsushima deserves a film that does justice to the cinematic brilliance of it and brings to life the journey of Jin Sakai as he begins his quest to restore order to his island while battling with the concept of honor that makes him a part of the world he is trying to restore. The game has the emotional depth that can be reflected in the film if that is ever to materialize. It will not only do the game good but will also expand its appeal to many more people. What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments below. Source link #Sony #Trick #Ghost #Tsushima #Todd #Howard #Massive #Spike #Fallout #Player #Count Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Even the Doomed Defense Missions Contribute to the Major Order Helldivers 2 Community Issues a PSA Even the Doomed Defense Missions Contribute to the Major Order Helldivers 2 Community Issues a PSA Helldivers 2 players mustn’t give up on the defense missions during this Major Order. Players explain why you have to give your best. Source link #Doomed #Defense #Missions #Contribute #Major #Order #Helldivers #Community #Issues #PSA Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Fortnite ***** shows unique map change coming with Chapter 6 Fortnite ***** shows unique map change coming with Chapter 6 Fortnite writes: “Our next update v32.10 will now release on Wednesday November 13th. This includes new features and cosmetics previously announced to launch on Nov 12 like Reload Map Rotation and Kicks. We’ll announce exact downtimes early next week!” Source link #Fortnite #***** #shows #unique #map #change #coming #Chapter Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Spotify for Podcasters Evolves Into a New Platform for Creators With Monetisation, Analytics and More Spotify for Podcasters Evolves Into a New Platform for Creators With Monetisation, Analytics and More Spotify for Podcasters – the all-in-one podcasting platform – introduced one of its biggest updates ever at its Now Playing event on Wednesday. It brings a new partner program which lets users monetise video podcasts, rolls out more tools for growing the audience, and offers improved analytics. Furthermore, the app has been renamed and revamped and is now called Spotify for Creators. This development comes after the company conducted a fan survey which revealed an 88 percent growth in the number of users who consumed video podcasts in the previous year. Spotify for Creators In a blog post, Spotify announced that its Spotify for Podcasters app has evolved into Spotify for Creators, in line with its mission of providing more tools to both audio and video creators. On this platform, creators can upload their content in audio, video, or both formats, interact with their audience, and access improved analytics. It has introduced a new Partner Program in Australia, Canada, the *** and the US which lets creators earn a revenue share on ads played on or off Spotify. Meanwhile, they will also earn revenue based on the duration of their video content streamed by Premium subscribers and actual engagement. To drive audiences across social media platforms, it brings new custom video thumbnails and podcast clips features. Following its rollout, creators will be able to upload short-form content directly on Spotify. These clips will be surfaced across the app, enabling viewers to migrate their audiences from short-form content to full-length episodes. There’s also a new Following Feed which lets viewers find their preferred content more easily. Furthermore, Spotify Premium users will be able to stream video podcasts without ads. Improved analytics with more access to data have also been introduced on Spotify, with options to get a combined overview of the consumed hours, growth in followers, and total streams, in addition to the same metrics for individual episodes. The rollout of these features is aimed at improving audience engagement and retention, along with the monetisation revenue. Source link #Spotify #Podcasters #Evolves #Platform #Creators #Monetisation #Analytics Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]