Pelican Press

22-year-old man arrested after allegedly doing burnouts with 11-month-old in car at ****** site of Jady Turner 22-year-old man arrested after allegedly doing burnouts with 11-month-old in car at ****** site of Jady Turner A 22-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly doing burnouts at the site of a fatal ****** with an 11-month-old baby in the car. Source link #22yearold #man #arrested #allegedly #burnouts #11monthold #car #****** #site #Jady #Turner Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Bluesky adds 700,000 new members as users flee X after the US election | Bluesky Bluesky adds 700,000 new members as users flee X after the US election | Bluesky Social media platform Bluesky has picked up more than 700,000 new users in the week since the US election, as users seek to escape misinformation and offensive posts on X. The influx, largely from North America and the ***, has helped Bluesky reach 14.5 million users worldwide, up from 9 million in September, the company said. Social media researcher Axel Bruns said the platform offered an alternative to X, formerly Twitter, including a more effective system for blocking or suspending problematic accounts and policing harmful behaviour. “It’s become a refuge for people who want to have the kind of social media experience that Twitter used to provide, but without all the far-right activism, the misinformation, the hate speech, the bots and everything else,” he said. “The more ******** kind of Twitter community has really now escaped from there and seems to have moved en masse to Bluesky.” Bluesky began as a project inside Twitter but became an independent company in 2022, and is now primarily owned by chief executive Jay Graber. The platform has previously benefited from dissatisfaction with X and its billionaire owner, Elon Musk, who is closely tied to US president-elect Donald Trump’s successful election campaign. Twitter shed millions of users after rebranding to X and usage in the US slumped by more than a fifth in the subsequent seven months. Bluesky reported picking up 3 million new users in the week after X was suspended in Brazil in September and a further 1.2 million in the two days after X announced it would allow users to view posts from people who had blocked them. “We’re excited to welcome all of these new people, ranging from Swifties to wrestlers to city planners,” Bluesky spokesperson Emily Liu said. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a historian and professor at New York University, had 250,000 followers on X but picked up 21,000 followers in her first day on Bluesky this week. “I am still on X but after January, when X could be owned by a de facto member of the Trump administration, its functions as a Trump *********** outlet and far-right radicalization machine could be accelerated,” she said. Bluesky is still second to Threads in the social networking category on Apple’s US App Store, which reported reaching 275 million monthly active users in November, up from 200 million in August. The independent platform has recently added features including direct messaging and video compatibility to more closely resemble X and distinguish itself from its Meta-owned competitor. Ben-Ghiat has found the site’s “starter packs”, or groups of people with similar expertise and interest, a refreshing way in. “[They] promise to give Bluesky some of what I valued on Twitter/X: informed takes on a subject from multiple points of view,” she said. Bruns, a professor at Queensland University of Technology’s Digital Media Research Center, said the ********** in user numbers had created “growing pains” as new users learned to navigate the site but was ultimately adding to the site’s momentum. “It really feels like a throwback to those days of the early excitement about social media in many ways, and that’s what, at the moment, attracts quite a few people,” he said. “It just makes it more vibrant, more active place.” On Monday night, New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez posted that she was “back” on Bluesky, saying “Good **** it’s nice to be in a digital space with other real human beings.” Her post was liked by 27,000 people. Source link #Bluesky #adds #members #users #flee #election #Bluesky Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Assisted dying bill: What it means for patients Assisted dying bill: What it means for patients A new law has been proposed to legalise assisted dying for some terminally ill adults in England and Wales. Mentally competent adults with a life expectancy of six months or less who have a settled wish to **** that has been approved by two doctors and the High Court would be able to do so under the proposed legislation for England and Wales. Ahead of its publication on Tuesday, Labour MP Kim Leadbeater insisted her private member’s bill would offer the “safest choice” for mentally competent adults at the end of their lives. She said the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill would make it ******** for someone to persuade a person through dishonesty, coercion or pressure to declare they wanted to end their life or to induce someone to self-administer drugs to ****. Anyone found guilty of doing so would face a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. Critics argue the controversial legislation, which is likely to run to more than 40 pages, is being “rushed with indecent haste” and that MPs will not have adequate time to scrutinise it before the 29 November debate. Labour MP Kim Leadbeater (centre) previously joining Dignity in Dying campaigners in Parliament Square outside the Houses of Parliament (PA Wire) Here, we take a look at the details of the bill as it is set to be published. What is assisted dying? This, and the language used, varies depending on who you ask. Pro-change campaigners Dignity in Dying say that assisted dying allows a person with a terminal condition the choice to control their ****** if they decide their suffering is unbearable. They argue that, along with good care, dying people who are terminally ill and mentally competent adults deserve the choice to control the timing and manner of their ******. But the campaign group Care Not ******** uses the terms “assisted ********” and “euthanasia”, and argues that the focus should be on “promoting more and better palliative care” rather than any law change. They say legalising assisted dying could “place pressure on vulnerable people to end their lives for ***** of being a financial, emotional or care burden upon others” and argue the disabled, elderly, ***** or depressed could be especially at risk. What is the current law? Assisted ******** is banned in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. In Scotland, it is not a specific ********* offence but assisting the ****** of someone can leave a person open to being charged with ******* or other offences. What is happening at Westminster? Labour MP Kim Leadbeater formally introduced her bill to give choice at the end of life for the terminally ill in October. A debate and first vote are expected to take place on 29 November. If the bill passes the first stage in the Commons, it will go to committee stage where MPs can table amendments, before facing further scrutiny and votes in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, meaning any change in the law would not be agreed until next year at the earliest. Ms Leadbeater’s bill would apply only to England and Wales. Liz Carr is among those opposed to an assisted dying law (PA Wire) What is in the bill? There are several requirements for someone to be eligible under the proposed law. The person must be an ****** – aged 18 or older – and be resident in England and Wales and registered with a GP for at least 12 months. They must have the mental capacity to make a choice about the end of their life and be deemed to have expressed a clear, settled and informed wish – free from coercion or pressure – to end their life. They must be terminally ill and be expected to **** within six months. They must make two separate declarations, witnessed and signed, about their wish to ****. The process must involve two independent doctors being satisfied the person is eligible and the medics can consult a specialist in the person’s condition and get an assessment from an expert in mental capacity if deemed necessary. A High Court judge must hear from at least one of the doctors regarding the application and can also question the dying person as well as anyone else they consider appropriate. There must be at least seven days between the two doctors making their assessments and a further 14 days after the judge has made a ruling, unless the person’s ****** is expected imminently. What safeguards are there? It would be ******** for someone to pressure, coerce or use dishonesty to get someone to make a declaration that they wish to end their life or to induce someone to self-administer an approved substance. If someone is found guilty of either of these actions, they could face a jail sentence of up to 14 years. Would doctors have to take part in the service of assisted dying? No. Doctors would not be under any obligation to take part. Doctors who do would have to be satisfied the person making their declaration to **** has made it voluntarily and not been coerced or pressured by anyone else. They would also be required to ensure the person is making an informed choice, including being made aware of their other treatment options such as palliative and hospice care. Doctors would not have to take part in an assisted dying service in England and Wales (PA Archive) Who would administer the medication? The dying person must take the medication themselves. No doctor or anyone else can give the medication to the terminally ill person. Will there be any scrutiny of how the new law operates? The chief medical officers in England and Wales and the Health Secretary would be required to monitor and report on the operation of the law. The health secretary would also be required to report on the availability, quality and distribution of appropriate health services to people with palliative care needs, including pain and symptom management, psychological support for those people and their families, and information about palliative care and how to access it. Has the issue been voted on at Westminster before? Not for almost a decade. An Assisted Dying Bill, which would have allowed some terminally ill adults to ask for medical help to end their life, went before the Commons in 2015 and was rejected by MPs. There was also a bill proposed in the House of Lords during the 2021/2022 session which reached a second reading in the chamber, while a Westminster Hall debate on assisted dying took place in July 2022. Are MPs guaranteed a vote on the bill next month? No. Bills such as this are known as private members’ bills (PMBs) and are considered during Friday sittings. The time available to consider them is from 9.30am until 2.30pm. If the debate is still ongoing at 2.30pm then it is adjourned and the bill falls to the bottom of the list, which means it is highly unlikely to make any further progress. A closure motion can be moved to curtail the debate and force a vote. It may be moved at any time during proceedings. On Friday sittings, an MP seeking to move such a motion tends to do so at around 1pm. If approved, the House then votes on whether or not to give the bill a second reading. If rejected, the House resumes the debate and the bill is unlikely to progress. Source link #Assisted #dying #bill #means #patients Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Signal Updated With Call Links Feature, Raise Hand Button, Emoji Reactions and More Improvements Signal Updated With Call Links Feature, Raise Hand Button, Emoji Reactions and More Improvements Signal has been updated with support for several new features that are designed to improve the user experience for group calls on the platform. The latest version of Signal or Android, iOS, and the desktop client now support the new Call Links feature that allows users to start a group call with several users, without creating a separate group chat. Other features that are part of the update include a new “raise hand” button, emoji reactions, and a new tab for calls on the Signal app. Signal Updated With Call Links Feature: How it Works After updating to the latest version of Signal on Android, iOS, and Signal Desktop, users will be able to create a call link, which can be shared with any user on Signal. The feature is designed to work seamlessly, like joining a Google Meet or Microsoft Teams call from a URL. Call Links on Signal work on iOS, Android, and the Signal Desktop app Photo Credit: Signal Previously, users had to create a group chat before initiating a call, which involved added each member manually. Now, users can send the Call Link to multiple people in their contact list — Signal currently limits group calls to 50 participants. Once a call link is created, users can keep Signal is widely regarded as one of the most secure messaging platforms, and the non-profit says that the Call Links feature includes a feature to control who can join a call. When the Require Admin Approval option is toggled, the person who created the call will need approve each participant. Signal Adds Raise Hand Button, Emoji Reactions, and Calling Enhancements In addition to the new Call Links feature, Signal has also added a new Raise Hand button that brings the same functionality available on apps like Microsoft Teams and Google Meet to the encrypted messenger. The app will also display a list of participants who have selected the Raise Hand button. Another popular feature with video collaboration apps — emoji reactions — can now be used on Signal for Android, iOS, and the Signal Desktop app. The messaging app has also added a new Calls tab at the bottom of the screen, allowing users to see their call history and manage their call links. In-call UI improvements, such as new call control buttons, are also available with the latest update. Source link #Signal #Updated #Call #Links #Feature #Raise #Hand #Button #Emoji #Reactions #Improvements Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Mineral Resources board ducks and weaves on ASX disclosure grilling Mineral Resources board ducks and weaves on ASX disclosure grilling Mineral Resources claims it had no need to disclose Chris Ellison’s secret dealings through a tax haven company in last month’s annual report — despite the board gaining a full briefing on the scandal in May. In response to stock exchange queries, MinRes has ducked questions about why it ******* to disclose its dealings with Ellison-controlled British ******* Islands company Far East Equipment Holdings in its annual reports from 2006 to 2008. “Excluding the knowledge of Mr Ellison, the present board would be speculating in expressing a view as to the reason disclosure was not made in the annual reports,” MinRes said in answers signed by company secretary Mark Wilson and released after the market closed on Tuesday. Mr Ellison ******** managing director of MinRes despite a damning report about his dealings and confirming he struck a $3.94m settlement with the tax office last year over his Far East dealings. That settlement related to profits on up to $10 million of machinery sales by Far East, including sales in 2003 and 2004 that left MinRes owing the tax haven company $3.79m when it floated in 2006. The MinRes investigation found the Far East loans were ******* in MinRes’ business liabilities and no related party disclosures of the debts and payments were made from 2006 to 2009. But the scandal, revealed in media reports since October 20, has triggered an investigation by the *********** Securities and Investments Commission and a series of questions from stock exchange officials. The ASX queries focused on MinRes not disclosing Mr Ellison’s troubles related to his dealings through Far East despite the company admitting it received information from a whistleblower in June 2022. It also admitted receiving what it described as more detailed allegations in July 2023 and “substantive detail regarding these matters in November 2023”, as well as a board briefing in May on the investigation. Yet there was no mention of the scandal in the MinRes 2023-24 annual report, filed with the stock exchange on October 21. In response to the latest query, Mr Wilson said the Far East dealings should have been disclosed by the company before June 2022 but were not. Mr Wilson said no disclosure was made of the dealings with Mr Ellison and other directors in the 2022, 2023 and 2024 annual reports. Asked why not, the MinRes company secretary said the last payment was made to Far East and its liability discharged in January 2008. The MinRes board did not consider the “historical dealings” between Far East and MinRes to be “materially price sensitive information”. “Accordingly, MinRes does not consider that there was a requirement to make retrospective disclosure in respect of these historical dealings,” said Mr Wilson, defending the non-disclosure in the 2023-24 annual report. Source link #Mineral #Resources #board #ducks #weaves #ASX #disclosure #grilling Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Giant ‘**** of Darkness’ Asteroid May Not Escape Earth Unscathed Giant ‘**** of Darkness’ Asteroid May Not Escape Earth Unscathed An asteroid named for the ancient Egyptian **** of darkness and disorder may not pose a hazard to Earth, but that does not mean Earth is not a hazard to it. When asteroid 99942 Apophis flies closely past Earth in 2029, the gravitational interaction between the two bodies is likely to dramatically alter the asteroid’s surface. That’s the conclusion of an investigation led by planetary scientist Ronald Ballouz of Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, who believes their findings may offer an explanation for why some asteroids have surfaces younger than their time tumbling through space would indicate. 99942 Apophis is a cheeky one. Upon its discovery in 2004, scientists calculated the the 335-meter (1,100-foot) chunk of rock’s trajectory could potentially bring it onto a collision course with Earth on its approach in April 2029. Gave us a jolly good scare! Luckily, a scare was all it was. Scientists have crunched and re-crunched the numbers, then crunched them again for good measure. 99942 Apophis will fly by less than 32,000 kilometers (20,000 miles) from Earth in 2029 – but there’s no chance of it hitting our world in the next century. Apophis is thought to resemble asteroid Itokawa, pictured here, which in turn looks like a Kipfler potato. (ISAS/JAXA) But what of 99942 Apophis? Is it going to escape unscathed? As Ballouz and his team observed, near-Earth asteroids like 99942 Apophis tend to have two properties. Their surfaces are loose and rubbly; and they seem to show less space-weathering than asteroids that don’t experience planetary flybys. This is curious. Most asteroids are thought to be made from material that clumped together during the early days of the Solar System, 4.5 billion years ago. Since then, they ought to have been flying around relatively unchanged. It’s why we send probes to take samples from them; their material is thought to represent a repository of pristine material from which the planets were made. However, even just hanging about in space can wreak changes. The solar wind, solar radiation, and micrometeoroid bombardment conspire to weather surfaces unprotected by an atmosphere; asteroids should be fair game. Ballouz and his team wondered if there might be a connection between the more youthful appearance of near-Earth asteroids and their near-Earth shenanigans. To find out, they conducted modeling of the 2029 99942 Apophis flyby of Earth. We don’t really know what shape the asteroid has, but what data we have obtained suggest that it is ***-lobed, perhaps a pair of joined objects not unlike the potato-shaped 25143 Itokawa. So, they took Itokawa as their base model, and tweaked the composition of their model asteroid to see what happens when they throw it past a model Earth. And they found that Earth’s gravity can, indeed, very plausibly have a detectable effect on 99942 Apophis. The most immediate effect would kick in as the asteroid draws in for its closest approach to Earth. As it whizzes by, the 99942 Apophis would shake in a series of short-term seismic events. These seismic events could be detectable, and produce surface accelerations of magnitudes similar to the asteroid’s gravity. The patterns created by lifting and falling boulders should be immediately detectable using Earth-based instruments. The second effect would be longer-term. As the asteroid nears Earth, the gravitational interaction could change the asteroid’s rotation. Over time, as the asteroid continues to tumble around the Sun with its new spin, the surface could slide around, refreshing itself over tens of thousands of years. According to a 2010 paper, the maximum asteroid-Earth flyby distance for an altered spin state is 16 Earth radii – around 102,000 kilometers. 99942 Apophis’ flyby distance is predicted to be a lot closer than that, so the possibility of surface alteration is high. We may not be able to test whether that alteration takes place, but we may be able to measure changes to the asteroid’s spin. We’re honestly pretty amped for the flyby. The asteroid will be visible to the ****** eye as it skims past Earth, granting us a rare opportunity, not just to wave at a passing asteroid, but study it in greater, closer detail than we are usually able. We just hope the mementos the asteroid carries away are fond ones. We don’t want it coming back like an asteroid pugilist, ready to give us what for. The research, accepted into The Planetary Science Journal, is available on arXiv. Related News Source link #Giant #**** #Darkness #Asteroid #Escape #Earth #Unscathed Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Shell wins landmark climate case against green groups in Dutch appeal Shell wins landmark climate case against green groups in Dutch appeal Oil giant Shell has won a landmark case in the Dutch courts, overturning an earlier ruling requiring it to cuts its carbon emissions by 45%. The Hague court of appeal said it could not establish that Shell had a “social standard of care” to reduce its emissions by 45% or any other amount, even though it agreed the company had an obligation to citizens to limit emissions. Three years ago, a court in The Hague backed a case by Friends of the Earth and 17,000 Dutch citizens requiring Shell to reduce its CO2 emissions significantly, in line with the Paris climate accords. The ruling came as climate talks involving some 200 countries got under way in Azerbaijan. Environmental groups can now take their case against Shell to the Supreme Court – meaning that a final verdict in this far-reaching case may still be years away. At the time, the 2021 ruling marked the first time a court had ordered a private company to align its workings with the Paris climate agreement, meaning that it was not sufficient for a company simply to comply with the law – it had to comply with global climate policy too. Under the terms of the Paris Agreement on climate change, nearly 200 nations agreed to keep global temperatures “well below” 2C above pre-industrial levels. The appeals court judge said that companies such as Shell were obliged to contribute to combating climate change based on the human right to protection against dangerous climate change. However, the court said Shell was already working to reduce its emissions and the court could not establish whether it should make a 45% cut or another percentage, as there was no current accepted agreement in climate science on the required amount. Shell has argued that it is already taking “serious steps to reduce emissions”. It complained the original ruling was unfair as it singled out one company for a global issue, and said it was unrealistic to try to hold Shell accountable for its customers’ choices. Shell said if people considered progress was too slow towards cutting emissions then they should lobby governments rather than Shell to change policies and bring about a green transition. The oil firm says its aim is to reduce the carbon intensity of products it sells by 15-20% by 2030 from a 2016 baseline. Shell also aims to become a “net zero” emissions company by 2050. Part of the historic legal case hinged on the interpretation of an “unwritten duty of care” that exists under Dutch law, which requires companies to prevent hazardous negligence. Friends of the Earth Netherlands argued that there was an international consensus that human rights offered protection against dangerous climate change and that companies had to respect human rights. Shell’s successful appeal could have far-reaching implications for corporate climate responsibility. A number of environmental groups around the world are now trying to force companies and governments to comply with the accords through the courts. Source link #Shell #wins #landmark #climate #case #green #groups #Dutch #appeal Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pay up or face climate disaster, UN chief warns summit Pay up or face climate disaster, UN chief warns summit ******* Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has told world leaders at the COP29 summit to “pay up” to prevent climate-led humanitarian disasters, and says time is running out to limit a destructive rise in global temperatures. Nearly 200 nations have gathered at the annual UN climate summit in Baku, focused this year on raising hundreds of billions of dollars to fund a global transition to cleaner energy sources and limit the climate damage caused by carbon emissions. But on the day of the summit designed to bring together world leaders and generate political momentum for the marathon negotiations, many of the leading players were not present to hear Guterres’ message. After victory for Donald Trump, a climate change denier, in the US presidential election, President Joe Biden will not attend. ******** President Xi Jinping has sent a deputy and ********* Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is not attending because of political developments in Brussels. “On climate finance, the world must pay up, or humanity will pay the price,” Guterres said in a speech on Tuesday. “The sound you hear is the ticking clock. We are in the final countdown to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius and time is not on our side.” This year is set to be the hottest on record. Scientists say evidence shows global warming and its impacts are unfolding faster than expected and the world may already have hit 1.5C of warming above the average pre-industrial temperature – a critical threshold beyond which it is at risk of irreversible and extreme climate change. As COP29 began, unusual east coast US wildfires that triggered air quality warnings for New York continued to grow. In Spain, survivors are coming to terms with the worst floods in the country’s modern history and the Spanish government has announced billions of euros for reconstruction. The summit opened on Monday with a technical deal seen as critical to launching a UN-backed global carbon market that would fund billions of dollars of projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That success was marred by a row over the summit priorities – a procedural tug-of-war that pitched ********* and small island countries against the ***** group of nations on how prominent the future of fossil fuels should be on the agenda. The opening procedures were delayed by at least five hours, ending in an eventual compromise reluctantly accepted by the EU and other aligned nations. At a news conference on Tuesday, COP29 officials sought to refocus attention on the summit’s primary goal – agreeing a deal for up to $US1 trillion ($A1.5 trillion) in annual climate finance for developing countries. “Enabling every country to take strong climate action is 100 per cent in all countries’ interests, even the largest and wealthiest. Why? Because the climate crisis is fast becoming an economy *******,” said Simon Stiell, head of the UNFCCC climate body that facilitates the summit. “Unless all countries can slash emissions deeply, every country and every household will be hammered even ******* than they currently are. We’ll be living in a permanent inflationary nightmare.” Source link #Pay #face #climate #disaster #chief #warns #summit Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

India thermal coal imports fall at fastest pace in 15 months India thermal coal imports fall at fastest pace in 15 months By Sudarshan Varadhan SINGAPORE (Reuters) – India’s imports of thermal coal plunged by about a third on an annual basis in October, according to data analytics firms Bigmint and Kpler, due to slowing power generation and higher clean energy output. Shipments into the world’s second-largest coal importer plunged 31.8% to 13.56 million metric tons, Bigmint data showed. This was the fastest rate of contraction in fifteen months, and the first consecutive decline since July 2023. Traders expect Indian purchases to pick up in the coming weeks, but that will not be enough to lift total annual imports above 2023 levels as shipments are expected to fall in the last two months of 2024 due to high inventories at ports. “Despite low industrial activity, traders have bought a high amount of coal into India,” said Vasudev Pamnani, director at Indian coal trading firm I-energy Natural Resources Ltd, adding that thermal coal imports for the year 2024 are expected to be flat at about 176 million tonnes. Indian shipments of the fuel used mainly for power generation have been tracking the trajectory of growth in shipments by top importer China over the last year, shoring up international prices. The decline in Indian imports in October was the first major divergence between imports by India and China since mid-2023. China’s imports of thermal and metallurgical coal rose 29% in October – mainly due to higher thermal coal imports – putting shipments of the fuel on track to reach another record high in 2024. While price-sensitive Indian buyers have shown a preference for cheaper domestic coal in recent months, analysts say imported coal has a price advantage over the domestic variety in China. Lower hydropower generation in China has also led to a higher dependence on coal in September, while higher hydro and solar power generation have reduced reliance on coal in India, data on Indian and ******** government websites showed. (Reporting by Sudarshan Varadhan; Additional reporting by Colleen Howe; Editing by Nicholas Yong) Source link #India #thermal #coal #imports #fall #fastest #pace #months Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

China’s biggest shopping event of the year exceeds low expectations China’s biggest shopping event of the year exceeds low expectations Staff sort express deliveries at China Post’s Zaozhuang branch in east China’s Shandong province on November 10, 2024 Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images BEIJING — China’s Singles’ Day shopping festival saw consumers spend more than expected in what has otherwise been a tepid retail environment, consulting executives told CNBC. The country’s version of ****** Friday kicked off this year on Oct. 14, more than a week earlier than in 2023, and wrapped up Monday. Major e-commerce companies used to report ****** merchandise value, an industry measure of sales over time, but did not for a third consecutive year amid weak consumer sentiment. “I do think for many brands it probably will have turned out a bit better than they thought, but on a low level. Probably nobody would say we hit it out of the ballpark,” said Chris Reitermann, CEO of Ogilvy APAC and Greater China. He is also president of WPP China. Many multinational corporations that sell consumer products in China are more cautious on the market, if not struggling, Reitermann said. But he pointed out many of the companies are still “very profitable” in the country, even if their growth has slowed to the low single digits, instead of high double digits. For this year’s Singles Day, Alibaba claimed “robust growth” in GMV and a “record number of active buyers,” while JD.com said the number of shoppers on its platform rose by more than 20% year-over-year. The shopping season that celebrates single people, also known as Double 11, came as the ******** government has announced a series of stimulus measures since late September, fueling a stock market rally. “There seems to be an uptick” in consumer sentiment over the last six weeks, said Daniel Zipser, senior partner at McKinsey and leader of its Asia Pacific consumer and retail division. It’s “hard to predict what that means going forward.” Singles Day exceeded expectations for most brands, Zipser said. But rather than sales rising across the board, he pointed out pockets of growth in categories such as outdoors, **** care and “****** box” toys — in which consumers buy uniformly marked boxes for a chance at winning a new collectible. He noted that the ****** box category is one that went from $0 before Covid-19 to an industry more than $2 billion in size, reflecting the potential speed of consumer adoption in China. China’s retail sales for October are expected to have risen by 3.8% from a year ago, according to a Reuters poll. That would be an improvement from 3.2% growth in September. “We saw people spending more this year,” Jacob Cooke, co-founder and CEO of WPIC Marketing + Technologies, told CNBC on Tuesday. The company helps foreign brands — such as Vitamix and IS Clinical — sell online in China and other parts of Asia. He estimated 16% growth in GMV for the shopping festival from last year, in likely the strongest performance in years. Cooke added that brands didn’t have to cut prices as much. Research firm Syntun said Tuesday it estimated 20.1% year-on-year growth in sales over the Singles Day ******* to 1.11 trillion ($150 billion) for Alibaba’s Tmall, JD.com and PDD. Investors could get more details on China consumption later this week. JD.com is scheduled to release quarterly results Thursday, followed by Alibaba on Friday. “We’ve seen consumers who have, if you will, save for a rainy day, and they’ve purchased on this Double 11 shopping festival,” Deborah Weinswig, founder and CEO of Coresight Research, said Tuesday on CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia.” She said the company’s weekly survey has indicated some “differences” in consumer sentiment over the last month. Hopes for a recovery in 2025 China’s consumer spending has come under pressure since the Covid-19 pandemic as households grapple with economic uncertainty. A real estate slump has cut into household wealth, while economic growth has slowed. While premium or mid-tier brands are “disappearing very fast,” higher-end brands such as Lululemon can do well, Reitermann said. He noted generally that local brands are often lower-priced and able to go to market faster. He expects some rebound in consumer confidence in the second half of next year, after additional stimulus is likely announced in the first half. China’s Ministry of Finance last week indicated more fiscal support could come in 2025. While China did not hand out cash to consumers during the pandemic, this year, the country did roll out a trade-in program to subsidize a portion of car and home appliance purchases. — CNBC’s Sonia Heng contributed to this report. Source link #Chinas #biggest #shopping #event #year #exceeds #expectations Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

New Queensland govt given short shrift on Games blowout New Queensland govt given short shrift on Games blowout The door has been slammed shut on more federal funding for Brisbane 2032, with Queensland’s government warned time is running out to build Olympic venues. The Commonwealth has urged Queensland’s ********-National government to scrap its 100-day Olympic infrastructure review and “get on with it” amid complaints of project cost blowouts. The LNP has written to the Commonwealth detailing escalations in Brisbane Games venue costs, blaming the previous Labor government. Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie had indicated there may be room for change to Queensland’s $3.435 billion Brisbane 2032 funding arrangement with the Commonwealth, saying it was up for review in February. Under the current agreement, the federal government will pay about $2.5 billion for the new Brisbane Arena in the city centre set to host Olympic swimming, and up to $935 million for minor venues. Federal Workplace Minister Murray Watt was quick to shut down talk of more 2032 Games funding on Tuesday, instead issuing the LNP a warning. “I think any fair observer would say that (about $3.5 billion) is a pretty fair contribution from a federal government towards an event being staged largely by the state government,” he told the Queensland Media Club. “I am concerned that having yet another review into something that has been reviewed to ****** is only just going to result in more delays and more cost blowouts. “So that’s why we’ve been saying it’s time to get on with it. Time is running out.” An infrastructure co-ordination authority board is set to be appointed by the end of November, with the 100-day review of all Olympic infrastructure projects to follow. Its report is expected to be handed to the LNP government by mid-March, more than 1300 days after Brisbane was named 2032 Olympic host. Mr Bleijie had announced a number of Olympic venue cost blowouts that he claimed the LNP had unearthed since defeating Labor in the October 26 election. The latest was an extra $500 million required for Roma Street train station to provide links to Brisbane Arena, costs the deputy premier claimed Labor had hidden. He also announced $181 million in cost blowouts for Olympic venues planned for Chandler in Brisbane’s south as well as the Sunshine Coast, again blaming Labor. The deputy premier said on Monday he was keen to work with the Commonwealth but was adamant the LNP government would not cough up more funding beyond the existing $7.1 billion budget to deliver the Games. But Mr Watt said any extra funding required for Olympic projects would be covered by the Queensland taxpayer. “They’ve got elected, they’ve got a job to do and I think they should get on with it,” he said of LNP. “We’ve got an agreement in place. It explicitly said that the cost was capped and the state would be responsible for any increases.” Mr Bleijie on Tuesday denied asking the Commonwealth to repurpose its Brisbane Arena funding. Premier David Crisafulli said Brisbane would not deliver a “cut price Games”, promising to deliver “generational infrastructure”. “I am very confident. The only risk to the delivery of a world class Games … would have been more of the same under the former government,” he said. Source link #Queensland #govt #short #shrift #Games #blowout Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Spy satellite images lead archeologists to the site of a historic battle in Iraq Spy satellite images lead archeologists to the site of a historic battle in Iraq BEIRUT (AP) — Declassified 1970s-era U.S. spy satellite imagery has led a British-Iraqi archeological team to what they believe is the site of a seventh-century battle that became decisive in the spread of Islam throughout the region. The Battle of al-Qadisiyah was fought in Mesopotamia — in present-day Iraq — in the A.D. 630s between ***** Muslims and the army of the Sassanid Persian dynasty during a ******* of ******* expansion. The ***** army prevailed and continued on its march into Persia, now Iran. A ****** team of archeologists from the U.K.’s Durham University and the University of Al-Qadisiyah stumbled across the site while undertaking a remote sensing survey to map the Darb Zubaydah, a pilgrimage route from Iraq’s Kufa to Mecca in Saudi Arabia built more than 1,000 years ago. The findings were published Tuesday in the journal Antiquity. While mapping the route, the team noticed that a site some 30 kilometers (20 miles) south of Kufa in Iraq’s southern Najaf province — a desert area with scattered plots of agricultural land — had features that closely matched the description of the al-Qadisiyah battle site described in historic texts. William Deadman, a specialist in archaeological remote sensing at Durham University, said the Cold War era satellite images are a commonly used tools by archeologists working in the Middle East, because the older images often show features that have been destroyed or altered and would not show up on present-day satellite images. “The Middle East has developed so much in the last 50 years, both agricultural expansion and urban expansion,” he said. Some of the distinguishing features at the al-Qadisiyah site, such as a distinctive trench, were “much more pristine and clear” in the 1970s images, he said. A survey on the ground confirmed the findings and convinced the team that they had correctly identified the site. The key features were a deep trench, two fortresses and an ancient river that was reportedly once forded by elephant-mounted Persian troops, said Jaafar Jotheri, a professor of archeology at the University of Al-Qadisiyah who is part of the team that made the discovery. The survey team also found pottery shards consistent with the time ******* when the battle took place. Jotheri said that Iraqis of his generation, who grew up under the rule of Saddam Hussein, were all familiar with the battle in minute detail, down to the names of the generals on both sides. The battle at the time had political connotations — Iraq was engaged in a devastating war with Iran through much of the 1980s. Saddam pointed to the Battle of Qadisiyah as a harbinger of victory for Iraq. Like most children growing up in that era, Jotheri said he had watched a popular movie about the battle multiple times as it was on regular rotation on television. In the post-Saddam era, al-Qadisiyah has become something of a political litmus test. Iraqis’ views of the battle vary depending on their feelings toward Iran, which has expanded its influence in the country since the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq that toppled Saddam. “There is some political and religious context in this battle, because now, of course, we have religious differences, ******* differences, political differences in Iraq and we read or we view everything based on our … differences,” Jotheri said. But he added, ”We all agree that it is a very important battle, a decisive one, and we all know about it.” The team plans to begin excavations at the site in the coming year, Jotheri said. The discovery comes as part of a broader project launched in 2015 to document endangered archaeological sites in the region. It also comes at the time of a resurgence of archeology in Iraq, a country often referred to as the “cradle of civilization,” but where archeological exploration has been stunted by decades of conflict that halted excavations and led to the looting of tens of thousands of artifacts. In recent years, the digs have returned and thousands of stolen artifacts have been repatriated. Source link #Spy #satellite #images #lead #archeologists #site #historic #battle #Iraq Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

stocks, news, data and earnings stocks, news, data and earnings *** unemployment ticks up The U.K.’s unemployment rate rose to 4.3% in the three months to September as wage growth continued to slow, data from the Office for National Statistics showed. Employee pay, excluding bonuses, increased 4.8% over the quarter, the lowest rate in more than two years, though annual growth in total earnings including bonuses ticked up to 4.3%. The reading comes after the Bank of England cut interest rates last month citing progress in cooling the labor market. “Wage growth has been a real sticking point for the Bank of England, and though it ******** well above the Bank’s 2% inflation target and this uptick will be unwelcome as far as the Bank is concerned, it is likely we will see a marked slowdown in the coming months,” Lindsay James, investment strategist at Quilter Investors, said in a note. — Karen Gilchrist AstraZeneca raises forecast after third-quarter earnings beat The Astrazeneca logo is pictured at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference 2021 in Shanghai, China, July 7, 2021. Costfoto | Future Publishing | Getty Images British drugmaker AstraZeneca raised its full-year sales and profit outlook after third-quarter results beat expectations amid demand for its care and rare ******** medicines. Total revenue came in at $13.57 billion for the three month *******, above the $13.1 billion expected by analysts, according to Reuters. “We are highly encouraged by the broad-based underlying momentum we are seeing across our company in 2024, and growth looks set to continue through 2025, providing a solid foundation to deliver on our 2030 ambition,” CEO Pascal Soriot said in a statement. — Karen Gilchrist ******* inflation rate at 2% in October People cross a street in front the headquarters building of the ********* Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on June 5, 2024. Kirill Kudryavtsev | Afp | Getty Images ******* inflation rose 2% year-on-year in October, a slight uptick from the previous month’s 1.6% reading, fresh data from showed Tuesday. Price rises in the country were primarily driven by higher food and services costs, while energy prices shifted lower, the Federal Statistical Office Destatis said. Harmonized inflation came in at 2.4% for the month, confirming preliminary data. — Karen Gilchrist CNBC Pro: What Trump’s election victory means for global investors President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House has sent ripples through global financial markets, with many investors looking to recalibrate their portfolios for a dramatically different policy landscape ahead. The *********** sweep of the presidency and, potentially, both houses of Congress has triggered what analysts call the return of “Trump trades” — but with key differences to 2016 that could reshape the investment outlook. Wall Street banks have digested the potential impact of Trump’s win on U.S. bonds, ****** and ********* stocks, and currencies and what ***** ahead for investors. CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here. — Ganesh Rao CNBC Pro: Want to cash in on China’s stimulus? Here’s what the ***** expect next ******** markets are back in the spotlight after a slew of government stimulus measures over recent weeks. Friday’s news of a five-year 10 trillion ******** yuan ($1.4 trillion) debt swap program disappointed investors, however, falling short of calls for more direct support for the economy. For many market participants — including Pella Funds’ Jordan Cvetanovski — this means taking a longer view when it comes to investing in the ****** powerhouse. “The markets are always impatient. They want to see a big sugar high immediately, and they want to see a big bazooka … However, as we’ve discovered over many years, the ******** government … does things in a more measured fashion,” he said. As investors ponder how to navigate the ******** market, Bernstein named a number of stock opportunities. CNBC Pro subscribers can read more here. — Amala Balakrishner ********* markets: Here are the opening calls ********* markets are expected to open in negative territory Tuesday. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 index is expected to open 18 points lower at 8,054, Germany’s DAX down 93 points at 19,355, France’s CAC down 34 points at 7,392 and Italy’s FTSE MIB down 157 points at 33,659, according to data from IG. On Tuesday, earnings come from Infineon, Bayer, Vodafone and AstraZeneca. Aside from the ******* inflation data, *** unemployment and ********* and ******* ZEW economic sentiment figures are due. — Holly Ellyatt Source link #stocks #news #data #earnings Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Shell wins appeal against landmark Dutch climate ruling Shell wins appeal against landmark Dutch climate ruling A Dutch appeals court has overturned a landmark ruling that ordered energy company Shell to cut its carbon emissions by net 45 per cent by 2030 compared with 2019 levels. The decision was a defeat for the Dutch arm of environmental group Friends of the Earth, which hailed the original 2021 ruling as a victory for the climate. Tuesday’s civil ruling can be appealed to the Dutch Supreme Court. The ruling upholding Shell’s appeal came as a 12-day UN climate conference was entering its second day in Azerbaijan. Presiding Judge Carla Joustra said Shell already had targets for climate-warming carbon emissions that were in line with demands of Friends of the Earth – both for what it directly produced and for emissions produced by energy the company purchased from others. She said an order for Shell to cut emissions by people and businesses who bought its products would be unlikely to have an effect as the products could be sold by another company. “The court’s final judgment is that Friends of the Earth’s claims cannot be granted. The court therefore annuls the district court’s judgment,” Joustra said. “This hurts,” Friends of the Earth director in the Netherlands Donald Pols said. “At the same time, we see that this case has ensured that major polluters are not immune and has further stimulated the debate about their responsibility in combating dangerous climate change. “That is why we continue to tackle major polluters, such as Shell.” Source link #Shell #wins #appeal #landmark #Dutch #climate #ruling Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Philippines says it’s under pressure from China to cede claims in South China Sea Philippines says it’s under pressure from China to cede claims in South China Sea By Peter Hobson and Lewis Jackson CANBERRA (Reuters) – China is putting ever-greater pressure on the Philippines to cede its sovereign rights in the South China Sea, Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro said on Tuesday after a meeting with his *********** counterpart in Canberra. “What we see is an increasing demand by Beijing for us to concede our sovereign rights in the area,” he said, adding that the Philippines was a “victim of ******** aggression”. China and the Philippines have sparred repeatedly this year over disputed areas of the South China Sea, including the Scarborough Shoal, one of Asia’s most contested features. Teodoro’s meeting with his *********** counterpart Richard Marles, their fifth since August 2023, reflects growing security ties between the countries, both of whom have expressed concern about ******** activity in areas of the South China Sea claimed by the Philippines and other Southeast ****** nations. The two nations signed a strategic partnership in September 2023 and held their first ****** sea and air patrols in the South China Sea several months later. The Philippines also joined war games in Australia this year for the first time. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 said China’s claims had no legal basis, a ruling Beijing rejects. Teodoro said China’s claims and behaviour were contrary to international law and defence deals with partners such as Australia were an important way to deter ******** incursions. “Although they (China) claim to act under the aegis of international law, everybody knows that what they’re doing is contrary to the tenets of international law,” he said. “The biggest evidence of this is that nobody has actually supported their actions or activities.” In addition to closer ties with countries including Australia and the ******* States, the Philippines also plans to spend at least $33 billion on new weapons including advanced fighter jets and mid-range missiles. Marles said Australia wanted to work more closely with the Philippine defence industry and would send an engineering assessment team to the country early next year. (Reporting by Peter Hobson, Lewis Jackson and Alasdair Pal; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Lincoln Feast.) Source link #Philippines #pressure #China #cede #claims #South #China #Sea Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Best to stay prudent in the postelection afterglow Best to stay prudent in the postelection afterglow Traders work at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), Friday, November 8, 2024. Source: NYSE 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 Record highsU.S. markets traded higher Monday. The S&P 500 closed above 6,000 for the first time and the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a fresh closing high above 44,000. Asia-Pacific markets fell on Tuesday, breaking ranks with Wall Street. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index slumped around 2.8%, while South Korea’s Kospi sank 1.9%. Frenzy in crypto worldBitcoin broke another record Monday, rising as high as $89,623.00, according to Coin Metrics. It’s so much in demand that the iShares Bitcoin Trust, a bitcoin ETF, has surpassed the iShares Gold Trust, in terms of assets managed. Separately, the estate of crypto exchange FTX sued Binance and its former CEO, Changpeng Zhao, over a “fraudulent” share deal. Musk is not a new KissingerTesla CEO Elon Musk shares a close relationship with Donald Trump. He also has business dealings in China, where Tesla runs a “gigafactory.” Those twin interests have raised hopes in China that Musk can act as a new Henry Kissinger and mend U.S.-China relations. But experts caution that Musk is a businessman, not a diplomat. Can’t quit the addictionState-owned China National Tobacco Corporation has seen sales surge even as tobacco use is declining around the world. Shares of China Tobacco International (HK), a Hong Kong subsidiary of the China National Tobacco Corporation, are up over 376% since its listing in June 2019, according to LSEG data. [PRO] Global markets react to TrumpThe U.S. stock market has experienced a hot rally following Donald Trump’s impending return to the White House. Global markets and economies, however, were varied in their response to Trump’s victory, because his policies could weigh on countries’ industries and currencies. The bottom line The stock market is riding high on Trump’s election victory. The S&P 500 ticked up 0.1% to close at 6,001.35, the first time it’s ended the day above 6,000. Likewise, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, after adding 0.69%, closed at a record of 44,293.69, its first close above 44,000. While Tesla’s rally sees no signs of stopping — shares popped almost 9% yesterday — other tech giants such as Apple and Microsoft have seen shares slip. That caused the Nasdaq Composite to underperform the S&P and Dow. The tech-heavy index eked out a 0.06% gain. The postelection stock rally, however, is likely to stay strong for now. “The Republicans’ decisive win has ignited ‘animal spirits,’ despite already lofty expectations,” wrote Morgan Stanley Wealth Management’s Chief Investment Officer Lisa Shalett in a Monday note. But whether the good vibes are the healthy flood of endorphins after a run, or the alcoholic buzz that will lead to a hangover, is still an open question. Amid such uncertainty, investors “could well benefit from practicing patience and avoiding jumping to conclusions as to how the election outcome will affect the markets,” wrote John Stoltzfus, chief investment strategist at Oppenheimer Asset Management. “We favor broad diversification tuned more to cyclical and secular trends that remain in place for now,” he added. Likewise, Shalett advocates a “balanced stance” for investors, and cautions they avoid jumping to conclusions on whether the surge in stocks is signaling stronger economic growth. So, it ******** to be seen if the rally will fizzle out once the initial election euphoria wears off, or if the market frenzy portends a longer-term phenomenon. It’s hard to go wrong following the age-old rules for investing in the stock market: Be in it for the long term, diversify and look at fundamentals like earnings and valuation. — CNBC’s Brian Evans and Alex Harring contributed to this report. Source link #stay #prudent #postelection #afterglow Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Shell wins appeal against Dutch climate ruling to slash emissions Shell wins appeal against Dutch climate ruling to slash emissions Oil storage silos beyond waterlogged land at the Shell Plc Pernis refinery in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images A Dutch court on Tuesday ruled to dismiss a landmark climate ruling against Shell, after the oil giant was ordered to drastically reduce its global carbon emissions back in 2021. The outcome, which comes during the opening days of the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan, marks the latest twist in a precedent-setting case that could have far-reaching implications for the future of climate litigation. The appeals court in The Hague said that while Shell is required to reduce its carbon emissions, it could not determine the extent of these cuts. The case against Shell, therefore, was dismissed entirely. In May 2021, The Hague district court ruled that Shell must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 45% from 2019 levels by 2030. The verdict, which came when Shell had its headquarters in The Hague, also said the company was responsible for all emissions across its value chain, including those from the products they sell — known as Scope 3 emissions. It was the first time in history that a company was found to have been legally obliged to align its policies with the Paris Agreement, a framework which seeks to avoid the worst of what the climate crisis has in store by limiting the average global temperature increase to between 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius. The ruling was regarded as a watershed moment in the climate battle and sparked a wave of lawsuits against other fossil fuel companies. Shell appealed the 2021 decision and subsequently moved its headquarters to the U.K., a relocation that was criticized for being partly motivated by the courtroom defeat. The Hague district court ruling is only legally binding in the Netherlands. In appeal hearings held earlier this year, the British oil major argued that the case had no legal basis. Shell’s lawyers said demands for companies to curb greenhouse gas emissions could not be made by courts, but only by governments, Reuters reported. The company also said the court ruling would force it to shrink its business without any benefit to the ****** against climate change. The case was brought against Shell in 2019 by Milieudefensie, an environmental campaign group and the Dutch branch of Friends of the Earth, alongside six other bodies and more than 17,000 Dutch citizens. The burning of coal, oil and gas is by far the largest contributor to the climate crisis, accounting for more than three-quarters of global greenhouse gas emissions. This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates. Source link #Shell #wins #appeal #Dutch #climate #ruling #slash #emissions Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Steam Deck OLED: Limited Edition White Releases November 18 Steam Deck OLED: Limited Edition White Releases November 18 Valve has announced a brand new limited edition white Steam Deck OLED. It will be released on November 18, 2024, at 3 PM PST and will be priced at $670 in all shipping regions for the Steam Deck. The list also includes Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong via Komodo, as well as new customers in Australia. The Steam Deck OLED: Limited Edition White features the exact specifications as the 1TB model, the only difference being the handheld console’s new white and grey encasing. The limited edition model will also have an exclusive white carrying case and a white microfibre cloth. Valve has revealed that the Steam Deck OLED: Limited Edition White was manufactured in “limited quantities,” and the stock has been allocated proportionately across the available regions. Hence, the US, CA, ***, EU, AU, and Komodo regions will have individual availability. Moreover, to ensure that more customers can buy this limited edition console, purchases have been restricted to 1 unit per account. Furthermore, to be eligible for the Steam Deck OLED: Limited Edition White, you will need a Steam account that has made a purchase before November 2024. Lastly, this is a limited edition release, and Valve has explicitly stated, “We will not be making more of this particular design. Once we are sold out, we will be sold out.” In other news, Steam’s game recording features are now out of beta. Also, ****** Ops 6 PlayStation and Steam sales were ‘60% higher’ than Modern Warfare 3. What are your thoughts on the Steam Deck OLED: Limited Edition White? Let us know in the comments or our new community forum! For more from Insider Gaming, read about Ubisoft facing a class-action lawsuit for shutting down The Crew. Don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Steam #Deck #OLED #Limited #Edition #White #Releases #November Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Gameplay Deep ***** Details Combat, Exploration and Puzzles Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Gameplay Deep ***** Details Combat, Exploration and Puzzles Indiana Jones and the Great Circle received a gameplay deep ***** Monday that detailed more of the game’s combat, exploration and puzzles. Publisher Bethesda also shed more light on the premise of the story that sees Indy join the chase for a priceless stolen relic. The action-adventure title, that tells an original Indiana Jones story inspired by the films, is set to release on PC, Xbox Series S/X and Game Pass on December 9. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle The nearly 15-minute-long gameplay deep ***** video begins with Indy finding a relic inside a crypt. In typical Indiana Jones fashion, removing the relic from its pedestal triggers a collapse as the crypt begins to ***** in. With the help of his trusted whip, Indiana Jones escapes the crumbling cavern. The game’ story kicks off with a break in that alerts Indy of a stolen relic, Pete Ward, audio director at developer MachineGames, said in the deep ***** video. We’re also introduced to other characters part of the adventure — Gina, an Italian journalist who’s looking for her missing sister, and Indy’s rival Emmerich Voss, who has been relentlessly hunting down mysterious artefacts across the globe. While there’s plenty of action, Indy will have to look for clues and trinkets that guide his way on the adventure. We see the titular archaeologist walking across snowy mountains, exploring ancient crypts and jumping across platforming sections. Solving environmental puzzles will be key to moving forward or finding optional hidden secrets, the developer said. Indy’s Trusted Tools The deep ***** also details the versatile tools that will be at Indy’s disposal, from the multipurpose whip to a torch that aids exploration and lights up new paths. Indiana Jones’ camera can take photos to reveal insights into historical sites and uncover crucial clues. It can also provide puzzle hints. Indy is also aided by his journal, that starts with a blank page and fills up with clues, photographs, maps and notes as you progress through the story. In certain story sections where Indiana Jones must access restricted areas, he can don a disguise and walk around unnoticed — very reminiscent of Hitman games. Aside from smaller environmental puzzles, the game will also feature grander, more elaborate puzzles. Finding clues will be key Photo Credit: Bethesda/ MachineGames Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Combat The gameplay deep ***** also showcases the combat in the game — players can decide on their approach to either outsmart their enemies or overpower them with brute force. Aside from their whip and ****, players will have access to environmental weapons that can help quickly end an encounter before it gets ugly. And if there’s nothing lying around, you can always get into a fistfight. In a close-quarters brawl, Indiana Jones can ******** power combos, block incoming punches and parry attacks to get an opening. Stealth, too, is a big part of combat. Indy can sneak up behind an ******, take them down and hide their body to avoid alerting other guards. Players can also unlock new skills and moves by spending Adventure Points accumulated by completing missions. As expected, the game heavily emphasises exploration. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will come with several open areas, where players can tread off the main path and uncover side quests and mysteries. The game also features an underground ****** club, where players can test their brawling skills. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle comes out December 9 on PC and Xbox Series S/X. It will also be available on Xbox Game Pass at launch. The game will be released on PS5 in Spring 2025. Source link #Indiana #Jones #Great #Circle #Gameplay #Deep #***** #Details #Combat #Exploration #Puzzles Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

S&P 500: Trump Did Not ‘Cause’ the Rally This Past Week S&P 500: Trump Did Not ‘Cause’ the Rally This Past Week Before your head explodes after reading the title of this article, I am going to ask you to maintain an open mind as you read through this article. It may cause you to begin to see the market as it is rather than as you believe it to be. In other words, try not to be “burdened by what has been.” (smile) So, for those that are new to our analysis, I would like to make a point regarding the “cause” of this rally. I know that 99.9% of the market is certain that the cause of this rally was due to the election results. I have seen dozens of articles now outlining that the Trump win was clearly the cause of the rally. However, I would like to test that premise. If you had been following our work of late, you would know that as long as the market held the 5674 region, I had been seeking an initial 5-wave structure that began over that support. As I outlined, if we would see that 5-wave rally structure, it was going to point us to the 6020SPX region next, based upon our Fibonacci Pinball methodology of Elliott Wave analysis. Well, as we now know – and as I outlined to our members of The Market Pinball Wizard, on Tuesday and Wednesday the market provided us with that 5-wave rally. That then set my expectations for the rally to 6020SPX next WELL BEFORE the election results were known. As of Friday, the market rallied to 6012SPX. Moreover, if you look at the action in the overnight market as the election results began rolling in late at night, when Donald Trump was finally announced as the expected winner, approximately 100 points of the 150-point overnight rally had already completed before we knew who the winner was going to be. And, once we saw a spike at the winner announcement, the market then began a corrective pullback for the rest of the night, which bottomed at the EXACT support region we outlined on a chart I presented to the members of The Market Pinball Wizard during the overnight action. So, while many want to claim that the rally was due to Trump winning the election, I would suggest that the election itself (not the winner of the election) was the catalyst of the rally for which the market was set up well before the election results were announced. That means that the actual winner of the election was not likely material. And, as I quote often, Alan Greenspan has noted, “it hardly makes any difference who will be the next president. The world is governed by market forces.” I think the market may have proved this again this past week. Again, my perspective (which is supported by the empirical evidence) is that the election itself seems to have been the catalyst of the rally for which the market was set up before the results were announced. And, the action we saw in the overnight market supports this premise as the rally we expected began even before the market closed on Wednesday as people were still voting, which was WELL BEFORE any evidence of a winner was even seen. This is no different than my views presented back in 2016. Whereas many believed at the time that the market was going to ******, we were pounding the table that we expected a massive rally to 2600SPX+ (as the market was in the 2000 region at the time of the election) “no matter who won the election.” As we now know, the market did surprise most market participants after a Trump win, and rallied to the 2880SPX region before we saw a larger correction, and exactly as we had predicted before the election. Now, I want to caution you if you are going to attempt to still conclude that the market “knew” Trump was going to win, as it began the rally before the market even closed and as people were still voting. If you want to maintain that premise, then you must believe that the market is clairvoyant or omniscient. I do not believe in such preposterous premises. In fact, studies have shown that even if you knew the news ahead of time, you often would get the direction of the market wrong. In a 1988 study conducted by Cutler, Poterba, and Summers entitled “What Moves Stock Prices,” they reviewed stock market price action after major economic or other type of news (including major political events) in order to develop a model through which one would be able to predict market moves RETROSPECTIVELY. Yes, you heard me right. They were not even at the stage yet of developing a prospective prediction model. However, the study concluded that “[m]acroeconomic news. . . explains only about one fifth of the movements in stock market prices.” In fact, they even noted that “many of the largest market movements in recent years have occurred on days when there were no major news events.” They also concluded that “[t]here is surprisingly small effect [from] big news [of] political developments. . . and international events.” They also suggest that: “The relatively small market responses to such news, along with evidence that large market moves often occur on days without any identifiable major news releases casts doubt on the view that stock price movements are fully explicable by news. . . “ In August 1998, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution published an article by Tom Walker, who conducted his own study of 42 years’ worth of “surprise” news events and the stock market’s corresponding reactions. His conclusion, which will be surprising to most, was that it was exceptionally difficult to identify a connection between market trading and dramatic surprise news. Based upon Walker’s study and conclusions, even if you had the news beforehand, you would still not be able to determine the direction of the market only based upon such news. In 2008, another study was conducted, in which they reviewed more than 90,000 news items relevant to hundreds of stocks over a two-year *******. They concluded that large movements in the stocks were NOT linked to any news items: “Most such jumps weren’t directly associated with any news at all, and most news items didn’t cause any jumps.” Rather, the more recent studies have been outlining that market psychology is a much more important determinative factor than news, economics or political developments. In a paper entitled “Large Financial Crashes,” published in 1997 in Physica A., a publication of the ********* Physical Society, the authors, within their conclusions, present a nice summation of the overall herding phenomena within financial markets: “Stock markets are fascinating structures with analogies to what is arguably the most complex dynamical system found in natural sciences, i.e., the human mind. Instead of the usual interpretation of the Efficient Market Hypothesis in which traders extract and incorporate consciously (by their action) all information contained in market prices, we propose that the market as a whole can exhibit an “emergent” behavior not shared by any of its constituents. In other words, we have in mind the process of the emergence of intelligent behavior at a macroscopic scale that individuals at the microscopic scales have no idea of. This process has been discussed in biology for instance in the animal populations such as ant colonies or in connection with the emergence of consciousness.” Now, for those that believe this article was written by someone who voted or supported Harris, you could not be further from the truth. Rather, I try to view the market through a prism of empirical truth no matter my political persuasion. So, my perspective going forward is that we have support in the 5885-5940SPX region. As long as the next pullback holds that support, then we are going to next target the 6153SPX region. Should that support break in a sustained fashion, then we will be looking for confirmation that a major top may have finally been struck. But, make no mistake about it. We are likely approaching what could be a very long-term top once this rally completes. Source link #Trump #Rally #Week Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Siemens Gamesa factory in Hull wins £1bn wind turbine contract Siemens Gamesa factory in Hull wins £1bn wind turbine contract A Hull factory will supply wind turbine blades for Scottish Power in a contract worth more than £1bn. Siemens Gamesa will manufacture the blades for 64 turbines, which will be installed at the East Anglia TWO windfarm off the Suffolk coast. Darren Davidson, *** head of Siemens Energy and Siemens Gamesa, said the deal would allow the firm to plan for the long term in Hull and was a “real positive” for job security. Charlie Jordan, chief executive of Scottish Power Renewables, said the £4bn windfarm would provide enough green energy to power more than a million homes. The Hull factory employs about 1,300 people, having recruited more than 600 over the past 12 months. Engineering apprentices Charlotte Harber, 18, and Dane Glenn, 21, are among young people building careers at the plant. Mr Glenn said it meant “quite a lot” to be part of a team helping to provide clean energy for the country. “It’s providing for the next generation,” he added. Ms Harber said: “It’s important for the future. It’s the biggest thing around.” The factory will manufacture 377ft (115m) blades for the windfarm, which will be built about 20 miles (about 32km) out to sea. Mr Davidson described the deal as a “magnificent order” and said the factory was “acting as a catalyst for economic growth and green jobs across the region”. “We’re really active in trying to get future orders so we can continue to support the growth in offshore wind and making that product here in Hull,” he added. The deal comes after Scottish Power announced plans to double its investment in the ***, from £12bn to £24bn, by 2028. East Anglia TWO is one of three windfarms being developed by the company off the coast of Norfolk and Suffolk. When completed, it is expected they will provide enough green electricity to power the equivalent of more than three million homes. Keith Anderson, chief executive of Scottish Power, said: “Getting more projects like East Anglia TWO off the blocks quicker will turbo-boost the ***’s supply chain, giving companies like Siemens Gamesa the confidence to invest in facilities like this blade factory in Hull.” Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Source link #Siemens #Gamesa #factory #Hull #wins #1bn #wind #turbine #contract Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

DCS World Arctic Thunder Campaign Shows a Battle in the Russian Sky DCS World Arctic Thunder Campaign Shows a Battle in the Russian Sky Today Reflected Simulations released a new trailer of the upcoming Arctic Thunder campaign for DCS World, showing a heated ******* run. Source link #DCS #World #Arctic #Thunder #Campaign #Shows #Battle #Russian #Sky Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

US Futures: Where to After Hitting New All-Time High 4-Days in a Row? US Futures: Where to After Hitting New All-Time High 4-Days in a Row? Emini S&P December Futures shot higher to hit the next targets of 6000/6005 and 6026/29, on the way to 6050/54. A new all-time high and a high for the day exactly at this next target. Above 6060 look for 6090/6095 then 6135/40. I am never going to suggest a counter-trend trade and therefore a short in the Emini S&P is high risk – but we are overbought after huge gains from the Trump win. We are hitting trend line resistance at my exact target of 6050/54, where we have a new all-time high at 6053. There is a good chance we turn lower towards 5985/75. So if you are happy with the counter-trend risk, try a short at 6050/54, stop above 6060, and target 6020., perhaps as far as 5990 Support at 5975/65 and longs need stops below 5955. First support at 6010/6000 and longs need stops below 5990. Second support at 5970/60 and longs need stops below 5950. Nasdaq December Futures The break above 21050 hit my next target of 21250/280 and reached 21340 yesterday. Further gains are expected to target 21540/550 and 21700/750. Eventually, we could reach 21850/890 However, JUST BE AWARE THAT WE Are BECOMING OVERBOUGHT and YESTERDAY’S DOJI COULD SUGGEST WE WILL NOT MAKE FURTHER GAINS AT THIS STAGE. There is definitely no sell signal but we could consolidate sideways to ease those overbought conditions. On the downside, I expect support at 20080/020. Longs need stops below 20970. Emini Dow Jones December Futures next targets are 44600/700 (hit with a new all time high here) and 44850/900 First support at 44300/44200 but below here can target support at 44000/43900. Longs need stops below 43800. Source link #Futures #Hitting #AllTime #High #4Days #Row Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Convulsing cat in Thai TV drama sparks ****** concerns Convulsing cat in Thai TV drama sparks ****** concerns A scene in a television drama showing a ****** cat convulsing on the ground has caused uproar in Thailand. Concerned viewers of Thai drama “The Empress of Ayodhaya” questioned what was done to the animal to make its performance so convincing, with some suggesting potential mistreatment and ******. Despite the show’s producers scrambling to reassure audiences of the cat’s safety, a boycott campaign has gained traction on social media. Authorities said they were investigating allegations of animal ******. In the controversial scene, a woman makes a cat drink her tea to test if it has been spiked. Moments later, the cat lays purring and writhing on the ground until it “*****”. Social media users, including public figures, quickly took to social media to air their anger about potential mistreatment of the cat. Those concerns have now cast a shadow over what was marketed as one of the biggest Thai dramas of the year. “The Empress of Ayodhaya” tells a story about royal tensions in the Ayutthaya *******, inspired by the story of a 16th century Siamese queen. Thai television channel One31 and the show’s director, Sant Srikaenlaw, said the cat had been put under anaesthesia with the supervision of experts. Sant added that the cat had regained consciousness, and promised to take it in for a health check. The show’s producers also posted photos and videos of the cat to prove that it was safe and healthy. This has done little to quell public anger. The Veterinary Council of Thailand, which warned of the dangers of sedating animals, said it would take relevant action on the case. Meanwhile, Thailand’s Livestock Department said it has started investigating allegations of animal cruelty, adding that it had asked to examine the cat to make sure it was not harmed. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) issued a statement on Monday condemning the anesthetising of the cat for entertainment, describing it as “reckless, dangerous, and cruel”. “The public is rightly outraged, especially knowing that today, anything is possible with CGI, AI and animatronics,” the statement said. “If you can’t make a TV show without risking the lives of animals, you’re in the wrong business.” Source link #Convulsing #cat #Thai #drama #sparks #****** #concerns Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Xbox Series X 2TB Expansion Card Gets Big Discount At Amazon And Best Buy Xbox Series X 2TB Expansion Card Gets Big Discount At Amazon And Best Buy Xbox Series X|S owners can expand their storage capacity for less right now thanks to a nice deal at Best Buy and Amazon. Seagate’s 2TB Expansion Card is on ***** for $200 at both retailers. Amazon is matching Best Buy’s deal, which is one of many early ****** Friday gaming and tech deals at Best Buy this week. Seagate’s 2TB model is the largest officially licensed Xbox expansion card. $200 (was $250) Seagate’s 2TB Expansion Card was available for this price during Prime Big Deal Days last month, but that was the first time the 2TB model dropped to this low of a price. In fact, this particular model launched alongside the Series X|S with an eye-watering $400 price tag. Last year, right around the time Western Digital’s C50 Expansion Card released, Seagate dropped the prices of its 1TB and 2TB cards. The 2TB model fell all the way down to $280 and has since received another price cut to its current $250 MSRP. Amazon’s deal lets you get the 2TB card for half the price Xbox owners paid during its first couple of years on the market. Seagate’s 1TB Expansion Card costs $150 and isn’t on ***** at the moment. The WD ****** C50 1TB is $144, which is technically a deal ($6 off), but not a good one. Western Digital also makes the C50 in a 512GB model for $80. You can run out of space on your Xbox Series X|S surprisingly fast. The 1TB Series X has 802GB of usable space, while the base model Series S clocks in at 364GB. Modern AAA games eat up space quickly, and if you subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, deleting games to make room for new ones can become the norm. You can plug regular USB external hard drives into your Xbox Series X|S, but these drives can only serve as storage for Series X|S games. If you want to play those games again, you would need to transfer them back to your Xbox’s SSD. Seagate’s and Western Digital’s Expansion Cards are plug-and-play extensions of your Xbox’s SSD. You can store and boot games just as you would with games installed to internal storage. Thanks to the Xbox Velocity proprietary technology, there’s no loss of data transfer speed either as you’ll still enjoy very fast loading times on your games and the Quick Resume function to switch between them in mere seconds. If you’re in the market for an Xbox this holiday, the 1TB Series X is on ***** for $448 at Walmart. One of the best Xbox deals available now is Amazon’s Xbox Cloud Gaming bundle for $75. It comes with an Xbox Wireless Controller, 4K Amazon ***** Stick, and a one-month Game Pass Ultimate subscription. We’re calling it an Xbox Cloud Gaming bundle, because ***** TV 4K Sticks now support cloud streaming, which is exclusive to Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. But even if you don’t care about cloud streaming, getting a Sky Cipher Special Edition Controller with a 4K ***** Stick for $75 is a stellar deal. The transparent blue controller released in August and sells for $64 (was $70) on its own at Amazon. Xbox released a clear transparent controller called Ghost Cipher last month; while this one isn’t eligible for the bundle deal, it is on ***** for $60 (was $70). Source link #Xbox #Series #2TB #Expansion #Card #Big #Discount #Amazon #Buy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]