Pelican Press

Trump’s Return: Which Sectors Will Benefit Most? Trump’s Return: Which Sectors Will Benefit Most? Trump’s pro-business policies are expected to boost multiple sectors, but some may face headwinds. Increased market volatility is anticipated due to potential policy changes, trade disputes, and geopolitical events under the Trump administration. Investors should adopt a cautious, data-driven approach, carefully assessing sector-specific risks and opportunities to navigate the changing investment terrain. Donald Trump’s return to the presidency has sent ripples through the stock market, triggering a surge of activity as investors recalibrate their portfolios in anticipation of a new era of economic policy. The rallied 2.5% on the news, its best day in nearly two years, with the surging 3.6% and the jumping 3%. These dramatic market shifts underscore the need for a clear-eyed assessment of the potential winners and losers in this changing market terrain. Bullish on Trump: Sectors Poised for Growth Several sectors appear poised to benefit from Trump’s pro-business policies. The energy sector, a traditional beneficiary of *********** administrations, is expected to see renewed growth. Trump’s “drill, baby, drill” approach, coupled with potential deregulation, could boost domestic oil and gas production. The Energy Select Sector SPDR® Fund (NYSE:) is up over 6% following the election, reflecting investor optimism. Companies like ExxonMobil (NYSE:) and Chevron (NYSE:), with their significant domestic operations, are particularly well-positioned to capitalize on this trend. Further bolstering the sector’s prospects are potential sanctions on oil-exporting nations, which could tighten global supply and drive up prices. The financial sector is another likely winner. Deregulation, a hallmark of previous Trump administrations, coupled with potential corporate tax cuts, could significantly enhance bank profitability. Financial giants like JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:), which saw an 11.5% surge post-election, are expected to benefit from increased lending activity in a potentially stronger economy. The Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:) hit new all-time highs, reflecting broader sector strength. Moreover, a steeper yield curve, a common outcome of *********** economic policies, could further widen banks’ net interest margins. Industrials are also expected to experience a boost from Trump’s focus on infrastructure spending. While concrete details remain scarce, increased government investment in construction and manufacturing could provide a tailwind for the sector. The Industrial Select Sector SPDR ETF (NYSE:) rose 5.6%, indicating initial positive sentiment. Small-cap stocks, often more domestically focused, are also anticipated to benefit from protectionist trade policies and deregulation. The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE:), a key small-cap barometer, jumped 8% post-election, exceeding the gains of large-cap indices. Defense contractors are likely to see increased business due to Trump’s emphasis on military spending. While the exact scale of spending increases ******** uncertain, the prospect of new contracts and modernization efforts could drive growth in the sector. Meanwhile, the cryptocurrency market has reacted enthusiastically to Trump’s vocal support for digital assets. hit a record high above $76,000 following the election, and the iShares Bitcoin Trust (NASDAQ:) rose 12.6%. The airline industry anticipates a more relaxed regulatory environment under Trump, potentially leading to increased consolidation and reduced scrutiny of mergers. Major airlines saw immediate stock gains after the election, reflecting this optimism. However, this could also translate to a potential rollback of consumer protections introduced during the previous administration, which may be a tradeoff consumers will have to weigh. Headwinds Ahead: Sectors Facing Potential Turbulence While some sectors are poised for growth, others may face headwinds under a Trump administration. Renewable energy companies are particularly vulnerable, given Trump’s focus on traditional fossil fuels. The Invesco Solar ETF (NYSE:) fell 10.9% following the election, reflecting investor concern over potential cuts to subsidies and incentives. The electric vehicle sector may also experience a slowdown due to potential cuts to federal support and changes to emissions regulations. Tesla (NASDAQ:), despite its CEO’s alignment with Trump, could face increased competition from traditional automakers as the regulatory playing field shifts. Consumer staples and utilities, typically defensive sectors, might underperform compared to more cyclical sectors. Rising interest rates, a potential consequence of Trump’s fiscal policies, could put pressure on these dividend-oriented investments. Navigating Volatility and Global Impacts Trump’s policies have historically been associated with market volatility. Investors should be prepared for potential fluctuations stemming from policy changes, trade disputes, and geopolitical events. Risk management strategies, including diversification and hedging, become crucial in such an environment. The global impact of Trump’s policies cannot be overlooked. Potential trade wars with China and other countries could disrupt international markets. Other major economies may respond with their own protectionist measures, creating a complex web of interconnected risks and opportunities. Global brokerage perspectives offer a mixed outlook, with some anticipating increased volatility and others seeing opportunities for growth in specific regions. Charting a Course for Investors The stock market’s response to Trump’s victory underscores the importance of sector-specific analysis. While some sectors are likely to flourish under his policies, others may face significant challenges. Investors should carefully assess their portfolios, considering the potential risks and rewards within each sector. A data-driven approach, coupled with an awareness of potential market volatility and global impacts, will be crucial for navigating this new investment landscape. Continuous monitoring of evolving conditions and adaptation to changing policies will be essential for success in the years ahead. Original Post Source link #Trumps #Return #Sectors #Benefit Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

SoftBank earnings Q2 2024 SoftBank earnings Q2 2024 The SoftBank Corp. logo displayed on a glass door of the company’s store in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. SoftBank Group Corp. is scheduled to announce its earnings figures on May 13. Photographer: Toru Hanai/Bloomberg via Getty Images Toru Hanai | Bloomberg | Getty Images ********* giant SoftBank logged a 608.5 billion yen ($3.96 billion) gain on its Vision Fund tech investment arm in its fiscal second quarter ended Sept. 30, lodging a steep quarterly increase after swinging back to ****** in the three months to June. The company attributed the lion’s share of the increase to valuation gains recorded at the SoftBank Vision Fund 1, noting higher share prices for e-commerce firm Coupang and ******** ride-hailing giant Didi Global, as well as the value increase of its investments in ******** tech company Bytedance. The Vision Fund has been cashing in on the success of the September 2023 listing of smartphone chip designer Arm Holdings, in which it owns a sweeping majority stake of around 90%. Masayoshi Son’s tech conglomerate, has seen its share of controversial high-value investments in recent years in companies that have either collapsed or sharply marked down their valuations. It is now repositioning itself at the epicenter of the artificial intelligence *****, where players like Nvidia are reaping in the rewards of meteoric demand for chips and data center GPUs. An early investor in Yahoo! and Alibaba, Son now calls Nvidia, the $3.57 trillion U.S. titan, “undervalued” and forecasts the advent of AI that is 10,000 times smarter than humans within 10 years — amid late-September media reports that SoftBank will be investing $500 million into key artificial intelligence player OpenAI’s latest funding round. Tokyo-listed shares of SoftBank are up roughly 51% in the year to date. The company faces pressure from activist investor Elliott Management, which built a roughly $2 billion stake in SoftBank and pushed for a $15 billion share buyback, CNBC reported in June. The group announced in August that it would repurchase 6.8% of shares available in the company, amounting to 500 billion yen ($3.25 billion). ********* companies contended with high fluctuations over the summer quarter, amid a rapid strengthening of the yen and a dramatic sell-off of risk assets in August. Domestic markets have calmed relative to the summer turmoil, as Japan navigates its transition away from its ultra-low-rate policy — but analysts at Barclays note that the country’s economic horizon is not yet stable. “Crucially, this volatility is likely to continue. Wage growth, particularly in the service sector, is progressing in line with the BOJ’s expectations, leading many to anticipate another interest rate hike in December 2024 or January 2025,” they wrote on Nov. 8. Source link #SoftBank #earnings Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Don’t Abandon International Equity – Despite Post-Election Rally in US Don’t Abandon International Equity – Despite Post-Election Rally in US The point of the title of this blog post is meant to persuade readers not to abandon international equity investing, despite the 4.5% rally this past week in the and the sharp rally in the . (This blog’s dollar proxy is the , which was up just +0.68% last week, but has risen +2.5% in the last 30 days.) The above spreadsheet is the annual returns from a handful of mutual funds, and ETF’s across international and emerging markets. Those are surprisingly good 1-year returns for an asset class that’s all but been ignored for the last 15 – 18 years. Now look at the above international 3-year returns. The above chart is US indices and their rolling annual returns. The real value in international (in my opinion) is the notable discrepancy between the 10-year and 15-year US indices annual returns, and the same 10-year and 15-year annual returns for international equity indices, mutual funds and ETF’s. JPMorgan’s international portfolio manager for their (International Enhanced Equity ETF) held a lunch in Chicago last week, and I asked the team if they had ever seen 10 and 15-year international equity returns this low, and the immediate answer was “no”, but then the discussion quickly moved in another direction. To give readers some perspective, when the large-cap growth and tech market topped in March, 2000, it resulted in an immediate rotation into asset classes that had remained dormant in the late 1990’s, i.e. value investing, small and mid-caps, and notably, international equities. The rally in international lasted for 7 years, as the S&P 500 and the fell 50% and 80% respectively between March, 2000 and early 2003. I had friends and acquaintances in the investment management business in the late 1990’s when clients would call up screaming at them about why more technology wasn’t owned (in the late 1990’s it was the Microsoft (NASDAQ:) / Intel (NASDAQ:) / Cisco (NASDAQ:) triumvirate, (and GE too) that was driving the S&P 500 higher). Hate this blog to use too many cliches, but as the old saying goes, “history doesn’t repeat itself precisely, but it often rhymes”. Conclusion: The remarkable aspect to the JP Morgan lunch is that there is so little interest in the asset class, I thought it was remarkable for a notable bank to showcase that asset class, particularly after the Wednesday, November 6th rally, and the prospects for even higher S&P 500 returns in 2024. My guess is that the capital flows that would drive relative outperformance in the international asset class, are probably still pretty subdued given the relative performance in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indices. In other words, the “hot” capital is likely still flowing to the mega-caps and the market-cap weighted indices. Part of writing this for readers is to force the analysis to remain disciplined as a portfolio manager, and reinforce the reasons to keep a position in an underperforming asset class. Client’s largest international equity position is the (JFEAX), which replaced the (OAKIX) in late summer ’24. However David Herro’s Oakmark International will be owned again, probably after January 1 ’25, to diversify the international space, and really in response to and the ongoing secular bull market in US equities. Remember, the business school/investing maxim isn’t just about about “risk vs reward” but also about “correlation”. You don’t want to learn that lesson the hard way. Disclaimer: None of the above is a recommendation or advice, but only an opinion. Past performance is no guarantee or even suggestion of future results. Investing can and does involve the loss of principal, even for short periods of time. None of the above information may be updated, and even if it is updated, may not be done so in a timely fashion. Readers should gauge their own comfort with their own portfolio volatility and adjust accordingly. Thanks for reading. Source link #Dont #Abandon #International #Equity #PostElection #Rally Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

England A v Australia A:’ Generational’ young talent ready to shine England A v Australia A:’ Generational’ young talent ready to shine England have a “generational” crop of young talent that has more potential than the squad which reached the 2019 World Cup final under Eddie Jones, says Rugby Football Union director of performance Conor O’Shea. In July, England won World Rugby’s Under-20 Championship for the first time since 2016, to add to the team’s Six Nations triumph in March. O’Shea is excited by the “very special” talent not only in the under-20s set-up, but also the players already in the England senior squad aged 25 or under. “I believe that the group of players that are coming together – I am not just talking about last year’s under-20s, you’re talking from Ollie Chessum (24), George Martin (23), Tommy Freeman (23) down – that age group is really, really special,” O’Shea told BBC Sport. “It is generational. “You also have to consider the age profile of the likes of Marcus Smith (25) and Ben Earl (26). When you marry all that together and put experience and years into them, there is a very, very special group. “It is really exciting not just from a pathway point of view but from an England and club point of view. These aren’t just normal players, these are special players.” In 2011, Elliot Daly, Owen Farrell, George Ford and Mako Vunipola all started in England’s under-20 team that lost to the Baby ******* of New Zealand in the Junior World Championship final. They all went on to play a key role in England reaching the 2019 World Cup final under Jones. Four years later, Steve Borthwick’s side narrowly missed out on another World Cup final, with a large portion of that age group again contributing. “The time that Farrell and Ford were coming through I was in the system,” said O’Shea, who was director of rugby at Harlequins from 2010-2016. “I would say I am more excited about this cohort and what they can achieve. They have unbelievable potential if they are in the right system.” Former Ireland full-back O’Shea, who is in overall charge of the development of young players, joined the RFU in 2020 following a three-year spell in charge of Italy’s national team. In December 2023, O’Shea said England’s rugby structure had “******* miserably” to give young talent an opportunity. He says the way Premiership clubs and the national team are now aligned through the new eight-year Professional Game Partnership (PGP), external, which was set up in September after 18 months of collaboration, will bring improvements. Another change has been picking players a year young at England Under-18 level for their summer tour of South *******, giving players more time in the set-up before stepping up to the under-20s. Borthwick and his senior coaching staff have also become more involved, with 2003 World Cup winner Richard Hill influential in the promotion of flanker Chandler Cunningham-South to the senior team. “We [Borthwick and I] talk more than regularly. I would say four or five times a week, if not more,” O’Shea added. “I would swap texts with Steve through matches, we will have pathway meetings that Steve will start coming to. “The dialogue is getting stronger every week.” Source link #England #Australia #Generational #young #talent #ready #shine Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Oppenheimer 4K Steelbook Preorders Restocked At Walmart, Releases Next Week Oppenheimer 4K Steelbook Preorders Restocked At Walmart, Releases Next Week Director Christopher Nolan’s 2024 Best Picture winner, Oppenheimer, has been available on 4K Blu-ray for almost a year–but if you missed out the steelbook case at Best Buy last year, you have another opportunity to get a similar one at Walmart. A new Oppenheimer 4K Steelbook Edition releases November 19 exclusively at Walmart. The first batch of preorders sold out a few weeks ago, but you have another chance to preorder it now for $34.50. The main selling point of this edition of Oppenheimer is its collectible steelbook case, making for a great-looking addition to your physical media shelf. This edition includes the movie in 4K Ultra HD, as well as a standard Blu-ray version, and a code for a digital copy, as well. Oppenheimer 4K Blu-ray Walmart-Exclusive Steelbook Edition The price is what makes Oppenheimer most alluring, though. You can preorder this edition for $34.50, which is pretty decent–some steelbook editions cost a great deal more. Walmart also guarantees that if the price drops before release, you’ll get the lowest price offered after placing your order. Oppenheimer releases on November 19, but if you intend to grab it, you might want to do so quickly, as steelbook editions often sell out. Walmart offers a whole lot of other exclusive steelbook editions of movies, including some notable upcoming releases. Christopher Nolan’s 2014 space epic Interstellar is getting a Walmart-exclusive 4K Steelbook release on December 10, and you can preorder the three-disc set for $31. This is different from the 10th Anniversary Collector’s Edition launching the same day, which is sold out at the moment. Also releasing on November 19 for $34 is Dune: Part Two’s Limited-Edition Steelbook; the film’s initial steelbook version sold out at launch earlier this year. Source link #Oppenheimer #Steelbook #Preorders #Restocked #Walmart #Releases #Week Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Volvo keeping sedans alive with new EV… even in Australia Volvo keeping sedans alive with new EV… even in Australia Volvo will reveal its first electric sedan early next year, and it’s set to come to Australia. “[The] ES90 will make its global debut in March, 2025 in Stockholm, Sweden and is expected to hit *********** shores in late 2025,” the company says on its *********** website. The BMW i5-rivalling sedan is understood to be a key model for the brand in China, but will be offered in various global markets. That includes Australia, despite its remaining sedan here – the S60 – selling in tiny volumes. To the end of October, Volvo has sold just 131 examples of the S60 in Australia – less than half the Audi A4’s tally, and around 1/16th the BMW 3 Series’ figure. 100s of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert Previously leaked documentation in China revealed the ES90 will measure 4990mm long, 1945mm wide and 1547mm tall on a 3102mm wheelbase. That makes it 27mm longer and 66mm wider on a 161mm longer wheelbase than the flagship S90 that was last sold here in 2019, though the S90 is also available in a long-wheelbase version. The ES90 will reportedly be offered in either single-motor rear-wheel drive or dual-motor all-wheel drive configurations. It’s expected to ride on the SPA2 architecture of the upcoming flagship EX90 SUV and share its 111kWh battery. Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert The ES90 will join a growing lineup of electric Volvos, which currently comprises the EX30, EX40 (née XC40 Recharge) and C40 (soon to become the EC40). The EX90 flagship SUV is due here in 2025, while the EM90 people mover is offered in China. Volvo’s EV lineup will expand to include the EX60, expected in 2026, which will debut a new platform called SPA3. It’ll serve as an electric counterpart to the XC60, Volvo’s best-selling vehicle globally. Camera IconEX30 Credit: CarExpertCamera IconEX40 Credit: CarExpert Volvo confirmed in September it was softening its EV goals. Instead of committing to only selling EVs by 2030, it now says it’s targeting 90 to 100 per cent electrified vehicle sales by that point – a figure that includes plug-in hybrids. The company has left a buffer of up to 10 per cent for its 48-volt mild-hybrid models. “There has been a slower than expected rollout of charging infrastructure, withdrawal of government incentives in some markets and additional uncertainties created by recent tariffs on EVs in various markets,” the carmaker said in a media statement in September. Camera IconEX90 Credit: CarExpertCamera IconEM90 Credit: CarExpert “With this in mind, Volvo Cars continues to see the need for stronger and more stable government policies to support the transition to electrification. “The strategic adjustments to its electrification ambitions ensure that Volvo Cars has a flexible plan that meets customer preferences and enables value creation as a business.” Volvo Car Australia had announced in 2022 it would move to an EV-only lineup even sooner than the brand globally, discontinuing vehicles with a combustion engine in 2026. It has subsequently said this ambition is “still very much a focus” but “since the global transition to electrification will not be linear, [and] as customers and markets move at different speeds of adoption, we need to be pragmatic and flexible”. MORE: Volvo is the latest brand to walk back ambitious EV goals Source link #Volvo #keeping #sedans #alive #EV.. #Australia Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

U.S. serviceman finally ***** to rest, more than 50 years after being ******* in Vietnam U.S. serviceman finally ***** to rest, more than 50 years after being ******* in Vietnam A U.S. serviceman who was ******* in the Vietnam war was finally ******* at Arlington National *********, more than half a century after his plane was shot down and he was lost. He was recently identified, bringing closure to his family. NBC News’ Courtney Kube reports. Source link #U.S #serviceman #finally #***** #rest #years #******* #Vietnam Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Arrowhead’s Long Game With Helldivers 2 Democracy Space Station Was Unnecessary Had They Listened to a Fan Request Arrowhead’s Long Game With Helldivers 2 Democracy Space Station Was Unnecessary Had They Listened to a Fan Request It’s been two months since Super Earth announced in Helldivers 2 that it is planning to build a Democratic Space Station (DSS), a strategic tool that will allow Super Earth and Helldivers to have an edge over Automatons and Terminids. Finally, the DSS has entered the final phase and is all set to be activated soon, but the community believes that Arrowhead Game Studios slowed down the game’s pace by milking the DSS. The Democratic Space Station in Helldivers 2 is almost ready (Image via Arrowhead Game Studios) The DSS is indeed a very useful tool but it took two months, countless battles, and significant causalities to complete this project. Arrowhead has improved the game but it still needs some new content, a new ****** faction in particular. Before this DSS project, Helldivers attempted to slow down the Terminid faction by destroying Meridia, creating a ****** ***** in its place. The community was sure that this was a setup to add a new ****** faction, the Illuminate, to the game, however, Arrowhead completely ignored it and moved on to the DSS. Arrowhead Game Studios Didn’t Have To Drag The Construction Of DSS In Helldivers 2 For So Long The DSS still needs E-710 to get activated (Image via Arrowhead Game Studios) Super Earth is determined to build a Democratic Space Station that will reshape the Galactic Map. About two months ago, Super Earth made it clear that the journey to build the DSS is a long one, however, no one expected it to go on for two months. After Gaellivare was selected as a safe construction site, Helldivers fought on the frontlines to prevent Automatons from jeopardizing the project. Over the past few weeks, the community has been completing various major orders that directly assisted the construction of the DSS, and with the project finally reaching its last stage, players, particularly on the r/Helldivers2 subreddit, are wondering if it was necessary to drag and milk this project for so long. Comment byu/seeeyog from discussion inhelldivers2 Comment byu/seeeyog from discussion inhelldivers2 Comment byu/seeeyog from discussion inhelldivers2 Comment byu/seeeyog from discussion inhelldivers2 Comment byu/seeeyog from discussion inhelldivers2 The community is tired of waiting as these “phases” are just not ending. Players on social media are joking about its construction as Super Earth has hit the community with another Major Order despite the project wrapping up. Players must ***** 500 million Terminids in order to procure enough E-710 to activate the DSS. Arrowhead Game Studios Could’ve Introduced The Illuminate Instead Of DSS Storyline Helldivers 2 still needs some new content to maintain a steady active player count (Image via Arrowhead Game Studios) An in-game message has confirmed that Helldivers will vote to move the station once it is activated. Players will also be able to activate DSS’s Tactical Actions by donating resources. The DSS will certainly allow Super Earth to devise better strategies to take down Terminids and Automatons. Arrowhead should’ve stopped milking the DSS’s construction about a month ago and explored the Illuminate storyline instead. Players have been eagerly waiting for a new ****** faction. Arrowhead teased their invasion with the Meridia ****** *****, setting up the perfect comeback for Helldivers 2, however, it made a poor decision and left it there. The game is making a steady comeback but an ****** faction would certainly boost the active players count. Do you think Arrowhead should move to the Illuminate after the DSS storyline? Share your views in the comments! Source link #Arrowheads #Long #Game #Helldivers #Democracy #Space #Station #Unnecessary #Listened #Fan #Request Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Why prime minsters have ******* to keep their promise to cut immigration Why prime minsters have ******* to keep their promise to cut immigration BBC “No more gimmicks. No more gesture politics. No more irresponsible, undeliverable promises.” These were the words of Sir Keir Starmer at last week’s Interpol conference on the subject of immigration. He was building on the position he had ***** out at the Labour party conference, in which he said: “It is the policy of this government to reduce both net migration and our economic dependency upon it.” Sir Keir is not the first prime minister to make what appears to be a straightforward promise on immigration. The problem he faces is that pretty much all of his predecessors broke theirs. What makes him think he will be any different? Promises on immigration have been the stock in trade for the last 15 years of *** politics. A pledge to get net migration – the number of people entering the *** for more than 12 months, ****** the number leaving – down to the ‘tens of thousands’ was first offered by Cameron in the 2010 ************* manifesto and remained there for the next two elections. Yet, far from being fulfilled, migration almost consistently remained above 200,000 and reached more than 300,000 in 2016 – right in the middle of the Brexit referendum campaign. Getty Images David Cameron pledged to get net migration down to the ‘tens of thousands’ “Once those numbers came out [Cameron] was finished” says Alan Johnson, Labour’s Remain campaign chief. Brexit victor Boris Johnson was widely expected to make good on his referendum statement that voting Leave in the Brexit referendum was “the only way to take back control of immigration”. He dropped the tens of thousands target as part of his plans for an “*********** points based system” but in the run-up to the 2019 election as he sought a parliamentary majority to vote through his Brexit deal he insisted “numbers will come down because we’ll be able to control the system.” Instead, by the time his premiership ended in the early autumn of 2022, it had reached 607,000. That figure would eventually rise above 700,000. Rishi Sunak, once prime minister, in the face of these ballooning figures continued to promise to bring down legal migration, even promising to introduce a cap if he won the 2024 general election. So many promises, so many failures. But why? Cameron has his own take on that. Speaking in a new BBC documentary about the issue, he puts it down, in part, to the economic and employment crisis that began in 2012 and saw young people from Europe head to the *** for work. “The eurozone crisis was a real setback and that wasn’t something I had predicted,” Cameron says. Others we spoke to – among them Home Secretaries and Immigration Ministers including Suella Braverman, Robert Jenrick and Damian Green, as well as senior civil servants and key government insiders – had their own explanations. Some forces, they say, were unforeseeable – such as the issuance of hundreds of thousands of visas to those fleeing Hong Kong in the early 2020s, and Ukraine in 2022. But a far more common suggestion is that it results from inbuilt political dysfunction. A “fundamental dishonesty” from government Former ministers described to us the competing goals of major government departments, for example a Home Office attempting to keep numbers down, in opposition to a Treasury that wants tax revenue from more workers, a Health ministry that’s reliant on overseas workers to keep the NHS functioning and a Business department that wants to attract entrepreneurs. “There has been a fundamental dishonesty about immigration policy,” says Anand Menon, Professor of ********* Politics at King’s College London. “Many of the economic departments in government want more immigrants whilst the Home Office’s line tends to be, we want to stop immigration. Governments have been perfectly content to let those two narratives just sit side by side without explaining any of the trade-offs to the public.” The most hardline migration-sceptics argue that the deception goes even deeper – they claim that it is the result of a fundamental presumption baked into the political system in favour of large-scale migration. Figures show a spike in net migration between 1991 and the end of 2023 Speaking about this subject, Braverman, who was home secretary under Rishi Sunak between 2022 and 2023, told us: “The broader objection that I would get from the prime minister and from the chancellor of the exchequer and other ministers, was that if we were going to cut immigration, then we would be actually cutting revenue”. She told us of “one conversation I had along the lines of, ‘Well, Suella, if you want to halve net migration to 300,000, you realise that’s going to cost us £3 billion. That’s the same as a cut to income tax.’” Former Immigration Minister Jenrick described a discussion he once had with Prime Minister Sunak: “He put forward the argument that mass migration was a good thing because undercutting British workers’ wages was helping to bring down inflation. I was shocked.” Sunak did not wish to comment on Jenrick’s recollection of their conversation but former Home Secretary James Cleverly argues against any suggestion that Sunak didn’t want to deliver on cutting legal migration: “The figures that came out in August of this year showed that year on year, every single metric that I was responsible for – ******** migration, net migration, asylum application numbers, growth rates, deportation rates – every single one of those accountability lines was trending in the right direction.” But given the difficulties predicting the ebbs and flows of migration, how did numbers become so fundamental to the whole immigration debate? It was politicians who made that call, in part responding to public pressure. But it was also made possible, in part, by the emergence of a research and campaign group named Migration Watch. The question of how to calculate targets The group was founded in 2001 by a former *** ambassador, Lord Green, and an Oxford demography professor, David Coleman. They were worried too many people were arriving in the ***. Green told us: “We wanted to see strict limits on immigration confined to people we really needed, and at a scale that was not going to disturb the nature of our very historic and peaceful country.” Green was keen to avoid charges of bigotry or racism. “We were still living with the memory of Enoch Powell and the things that he had said,” he explained. “Some of the things he said were right. “Of course, immigration was much too high and would have implications etcetera. But he overshot very seriously… so we had to be particularly careful not to appear to be part of any such movement.” Migration Watch’s solution was to move the ***’s ‘immigration debate’ away from race, onto the territory it occupies today – that of numbers. Some say Green’s insight changed everything. Lord Green founded Migration Watch in 2001 “Migration Watch were very, very important,” says David Yelland, a former editor of The Sun, “because they put numbers on the problem and once you have numbers, you have an irresistible force in the newsroom.” In 2003, on the BBC’s Newsnight, Jeremy Paxman used Migration Watch talking points to repeatedly press the Home Secretary, David Blunkett, asking him to state a maximum size for the *** population. Blunkett famously replied that he saw ‘no obvious upper limit’. The resulting controversy was ‘gold dust’ for Migration Watch, says Green. Numbers were now at the heart of the immigration debate. Tory leader Michael Howard also found value in Migration Watch’s arguments. He agreed with their belief that the number of people entering Britain should be capped, promising an annual limit at the 2005 election. When David Cameron became Leader of the Opposition later that year, he initially resisted the temptation to impose a cap, but he too became convinced that a number was deliverable. Once the pledge was made, the presence of numbers in the immigration debate was fixed for good or ill. It certainly didn’t help Cameron. The pledge would become, in the words of former No.10 Communications chief Craig Oliver, “a stick to beat him with” during the referendum campaign which ended his premiership. From Switzerland to the US: global caps So, focusing on numbers – great in theory, problematic in practice. Yet others are flirting with it: Switzerland currently faces a referendum – not expected to take place before 2026 – on whether its population should be capped at 10 million, after a successful campaign by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party. And in the ******* States, Vice President-elect JD Vance has put a figure on the number of people in the country illegally that the incoming second Trump administration will seek to deport. It should “start with 1 million”, he has said. But in the ***, some question whether the figures are calculated in an effective way. For example, one former universities minister described their frustration that overseas students are included in immigration statistics, given the temporary nature of their time in the country. Others believe net migration makes little sense as an abstract figure. Statements of the *** population growing annually by a total equal to the population of a city such Oxford or Nottingham – as popularised by Migration Watch and employed by politicians including Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage – don’t give a true impression of the dispersal of those arrivals, nor of how successfully or poorly they are absorbed into existing demand for public services. Former Labour Home Secretary Charles Clarke is one of those who believes that the discussion about numbers is “entirely shallow”. “There’s a ‘Britain is full’ approach to things,” he says, “and I thought it in a pernicious way actually sought to poison public debate.” Getty Images Keir Starmer has been careful to put no figure to his promises around net migration As for Sir Keir, he has been careful to put no figure to his newly-issued promises to reduce both net migration and irregular migration. But it seems likely that even without any action from his government, net migration will fall due to the Sunak government’s tightening of the Johnson-era visa regime, and the slowing of those from Hong Kong and Ukraine seeking entry. The prime minister also appears to be striving to frame ******** boat crossings as a law-and-order issue rather than an immigration issue. Yet, like leaders before him, Sir Keir will no doubt face further pressures during his leadership – whether further global conflicts, climate crises, or economic shocks – that displace people toward Britain. The question that ******** is, when that happens, will he be able to keep numbers from rising again – and tackle the challenges that have defeated so many prime ministers before him? Top picture credit: Getty Images BBC InDepth is the new home on the website and app for the best analysis and expertise from our top journalists. Under a distinctive new brand, we’ll bring you fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions, and deep reporting on the biggest issues to help you make sense of a complex world. And we’ll be showcasing thought-provoking content from across BBC Sounds and iPlayer too. We’re starting small but thinking big, and we want to know what you think – you can send us your feedback by clicking on the button below. Source link #prime #minsters #******* #promise #cut #immigration Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

ASX slides down on second consecutive day ASX slides down on second consecutive day It was two paced day on the ASX, with shares facing China mostly falling, while consumer discretionary and US facing stocks traded higher. The underwhelming stimulus package from Beijing announced on Friday continued to hamper the resource and energy sector, which dragged the ASX as a whole lower. The benchmark ASX 200 index fell by 10.60 points, or 0.13 per cent, to finish the session at 8255.60 points. The broader All Ordinaries traded slightly down, falling 3.70 points 0.04 per cent, to close at 8515.20 points. The *********** dollar fell by 0.35 per cent to 65.53 US cents. Camera IconASX falls overall despite 7 of the 11 sectors trading positively. NewsWire / Jeremy Piper Credit: News Corp Australia On Wall Street, Dow Jones closed above 44,000 points for the first time while the S & P 500 and the tech heavy Nasdaq indexes closed flat. During Tuesday’s trading on the ASX, seven of the 11 sectors ended higher despite the decline in the S & P/ASX 200 Index. Afterpay owner Block was the top performer across the ASX 200 climbing 10.7 per cent to $126.40 following a bullish analyst note by Piper Sandler’s senior research analyst Arvind Ramnani. Commenting on market results released by the dual-listed company on Friday, Mr Rammani lifted the target price for Block following “a robust track record” of innovation. “We believe that Block should benefit from a continued secular shift to electronic payments, as well as being on the forefront of innovation, organised around its two business segments, which are centred around merchants/sellers (Square) and consumers (Cash App),” the analysts said. The price of Block shares were also well supported by the bitcoin rally, which is up 16 per cent over the last five days to over $US88,400, thanks to President-elect Donald Trump’s stance on cryptocurrencies. As of September 2024 the company owned 8,211 BTC. Shares in rival buy now pay later company Zip were also one of the better performing stocks, up 4.5 per cent to $3.50 “Zip earns a good chunk of its money in the US. It has had a great run and is earning good money in the US which is jugging along nicely, which will only get better if Donald Trump can get through the tax cuts, it’s going to be a good story for Zip,” IG market analyst Tony Sycamore said. Mr Sycamore said there were good signs for business and consumer confidence, both continuing to climb, albeit from lower levels, which helped drive consumer discretionary shares. Consumer facing stocks surged led by Cettire which skyrocketed 7.46 per cent to $1.60, Temple and Webster gained 4.43 per cent to $11.55, and Adairs climbed 3.92 per cent to $2.65. Camera IconBlock, Zip and consumer discretionary shares are among the strongest during Tuesday’s trading. NewsWire / Jeremy Piper Credit: News Corp Australia On the other side, resource and energy shares were among the biggest fallers due to an underwhelming ******** stimulus package. BHP retreated 1.75 per cent to $40.90, Rio Tinto dropped 1.62 per cent to $117.54 and South32 fell 2.43 per cent to $3.64. The weakest performing shares were in the Uranium sector, following a market update by Paladin Energy. “It was a very poor day from the uranium sector following a production update from Paladin Energy which has underwhelmed the market,” Mr Sycamore said. “I find it interesting that after Paladin Energy came out saying its production won’t be as high, if we think the market is tight and there is demand coming that should actually be supportive for the other miners, but they have been caught up in the wash up.” Source link #ASX #slides #consecutive #day Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Haboob event in Fresno area catches weather forecasters by surprise. Then the rain came Haboob event in Fresno area catches weather forecasters by surprise. Then the rain came A rare Haboob event blanketed the Fresno area that even caught weather forecasters in Hanford by surprise. The dust storm kicked up at 2:30 p.m., meteorologist Felix Castro said. The dust storm caused driving problems for motorists especially on the highways. “It was kind of unexpected,” Castro said. “It’s a very rare event. We noticed it on time when it happened and we were able to see it on radar in satellite image. The warning was in effect until 3 p.m. for Highways 180, 43, 41 and 99. Castro said they issued three warnings since the dust storm was moving southeast into Bakersfield. He said winds kicked up to 45 mph at Fresno Yosemite Airport. Heavy winds caused some power lines to topple, as well as trees, including one at Dakota and Marks where a tree fell on the carport at an apartment that likely damaged vehicles. Thousands remain without power as of 7:30 p.m. After the heavy winds, Fresno received .25 inch of rain. But the Haboob is what was being talked about by forecasters in Hanford. “We were like ‘Oh my ****’ wow,” Castro said. “When it started developing, we saw it move southeast and it got worse. Then there was a big line of strong showers with the strong winds behind it.” Source link #Haboob #event #Fresno #area #catches #weather #forecasters #surprise #rain Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

London train passenger fined £450 for not showing railcard London train passenger fined £450 for not showing railcard Molly McGregor Molly has been fined £450 and does not know if she has a ********* record “I couldn’t believe, just by clicking the wrong button… that it counted as ********* activity. I was really shocked.” Molly McGregor has not had a fun time travelling on the railways recently. In June, the 29-year-old commuter was threatened with prosecution for selecting a 16-25 discounted train ticket instead of a 26-30 one from London Bridge to her home in St Albans. They both give the same discount. That case has now been dropped after her MP intervened. But it was only when challenging it that Molly discovered she had also been prosecuted for a separate incident the month before. Molly McGregor has been threatened with prosecution for using the wrong railcard She ******* to turn up to court as the papers had been sent to a wrong address and she now fears she could have a ********* record. Molly was prosecuted and fined £450 in her absence at court for not showing a railcard for her journey in May from St Albans to Luton Airport Parkway. She claimed she had not uploaded her railcard to the app, but did prove she had bought one by showing the ticket inspector her receipt. The rail company, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), had sent the court letters to the wrong address and she never received them. She says: “They got the wrong house number. It went to court without me present and I was found guilty.” Molly now owes £450 and does not know if she has a ********* record. She called the court but they said they could not tell her over the phone as that would count as legal advice and she would need to carry out a Disclosure and Barring Service check on herself to find out. GTR says it gives passengers the opportunity to send in their valid railcards to stop action, adding it had provided details to Molly on how to resolve the court judgement. PA Media Passenger watchdog Transport Focus has pleaded for train companies to treat passengers more fairly when they make mistakes It is the not the first time passengers have been confused and threatened with prosecutions for wrongly using railcards. Engineering graduate Sam Williamson was told he could face ********* prosecution by a train company for incorrectly using a ticket which cost him £1.90 less than it should have done. Passenger watchdog Transport Focus has pleaded for train companies to treat passengers more fairly when they make mistakes. “We know from talking to passengers how confusing the current system is – no one thinks you should have to spend ages checking detailed rules and restrictions before getting on a train,” Alex Robertson, chief executive of Transport Focus recently said. The Department for Transport has promised “the biggest overhaul of our railways in a generation, including simplifying fares”. Among the options they are considering are pay as you go and digital season tickets that can be used across the rail network. Molly says the rail companies are being “heavy-handed” about genuine mistakes. “It’s alarming that it can lead to this and there’s potentially hundreds or thousands of people now landing ********* records for such a minor offence,” she added. Molly has put through an appeal, as she says she did select the correct railcard for her May ticket, but needs to wait six months to find out the court’s decision. She says: “Rules and regulations around railcards need to be examined and clearer processes put in place.” A GTR spokesperson said if passengers used a railcard for discounted travel then they needed to be able to show it to ticket inspectors on their journey. “Ms McGregor was stopped on two occasions and advised both times she should have been travelling with a railcard,” they said. “To fix this, we have rescinded any action for the second (June) journey and provided details to Ms McGregor on how to resolve the court judgement for the first. “We are genuinely sorry that her address was recorded incorrectly for the first journey.” Source link #London #train #passenger #fined #showing #railcard Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Cowboys sign Jaxson Paulo, 2025 roster spots still open Cowboys sign Jaxson Paulo, 2025 roster spots still open North Queensland have signed outside back Jaxson Paulo on a two-year deal and still have two spots available in their top 30 for next season. The 25-year-old was given a release by Manly to join the Cowboys. He has scored 63 tries in 63 NRL games for the Roosters, South Sydney and the Sea Eagles. Paulo’s acquisition means the Cowboys now have 28 spots filled in their top squad for 2025. Veteran prop Jordan McLean is one of them. While not listed on the official NRL contract list, AAP has confirmed the 33-year-old 2017 premiership winner will be back in 2025 for the Cowboys. North Queensland also remain confident of re-signing NSW ******* Reece Robson beyond 2025, with discussions to ramp up when he returns from holidays. Former Cowboys centre Valentine Holmes has joined St George Illawarra, while winger and 2015 grand final hero Kyle Feldt signed with St Helens, opening up a vacancy for Paulo to complement two of the club’s rising stars. “We are really lucky that we think we have a couple of great young players in the outside backs in Zac Laybutt and Rob Derby, but we needed to put some support around them with good NRL players,” Cowboys football general manager Micheal Luck told AAP. “Jaxson came across our radar and Manly were willing to release him, so we jumped in pretty quick and signed him. “Rob is a big winger and Zac is tall and rangy for a centre, so Jaxson is a point of difference there. He is a super-skilful player and very quick and we are looking forward to seeing how he develops further in our system.” The Cowboys have also given Papua New Guinea fullback Morea Morea a chance this pre-season after he impressed in the Pacific Championships. Morea is on the Cowboys’ list with what is termed a “train and replacement contract”, where a player gets paid $1200 per week to train for as long as they are on the list. He will provide competition and depth in the outside backs, and could secure an NRL deal if he can impress. “We learned some lessons several years ago when we went in with a settled list thinking we had all the ingredients, so we have taken a different tack the last couple of years and kept a few roster spots open to see how the pre-season and early season unfolded,” Luck said. “We made signings this year with Harrison Edwards and Braidon Burns to bolster positions that we needed depth in. That worked really well for us, so we are going to take the same attitude and strategy into next year.” The Cowboys are not concerned that NSW rake Robson is not yet secured long-term beyond 2025. The 26-year-old has been away with the Kangaroos squad and is now on a break. “We want to keep him and he wants to stay, so hopefully it is not a hard conversation,” Luck said. Source link #Cowboys #sign #Jaxson #Paulo #roster #spots #open Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Get A Sony 4K Blu-Ray Player For Only $158 At Amazon And Walmart Get A Sony 4K Blu-Ray Player For Only $158 At Amazon And Walmart If you don’t have a PS5 or Xbox Series X with a disc drive, or you want a more affordable secondary media player for another room, Walmart and Amazon have several notable deals on 4K Blu-ray players ahead of ****** Friday 2024. One of the standout offers is the Sony UBP-X700 for $158 at Amazon, a savings of $92 from its $250 list price. Amazon launched this deal to match Walmart’s $159 price, which is part of the retailer’s early ****** Friday *****. Walmart also has the UBP-X700M for $158, which is the same model, except it comes with an HDMI cord. The X700M is exclusive to Walmart. You can also save on Panasonic 4K Blu-ray players, including the UB154P-K, a well-reviewed budget option that released last year. 4K Streaming Blu-ray Player Deals Sony UBP-X700 Streaming 4K Blu-ray Player Sony Blu-ray players have a solid reputation, and the X700 model on ***** offers a number of features found in some of Sony’s high-end line of Blu-ray players. While it is an older model, it’s still a versatile option in 2024. It includes two HDMI ports, a USB connection, and a coaxial digital port. If you have a DVD collection, you can also use an optional upscaling tool to make them look sharper, although they can look a bit rough around the jagged edges depending on the film (and your TV). Blu-ray players are certainly niche tech products these days, but they can be worth the investment. If your favorite movie or TV show is available on 4K Blu-ray, there’s a good chance this version offers the best experience from both a visual and audio perspective, even if it’s also available to stream in 4K. This is because 4K discs can offer higher bitrates, while streaming services aim for smaller file sizes, which ultimately impacts video and audio quality. That said, everyone uses streaming services these days, and the UBP-X700 is a smart Blu-ray player with access to all of the popular streaming apps. The nice thing about this if you’re looking to have a dedicated Blu-ray player in the house, this is a much more affordable option when compared to something like a PS5 Slim or Xbox Series X, as those game consoles regularly cost $500. It’s worth noting the Xbox Series X is discounted to $448 in Walmart’s early ****** Friday *****, which runs until November 17. If you’re looking to grab some Blu-rays as well, you’re in luck as there are quite a few specials on right now. Fans of classic ’90s action can lock in a preorder for a brand-new 4K remaster of Demolition Man that comes loaded with extra content, and for a library of films right out of the box, Criterion is releasing a 40-film box set dubbed CC40 on November 19. The collection is one of many Criterion Collection films on ***** for 50% off at Amazon right now. On the animated side, you can also grab the first season of Arcane, a critically acclaimed show set in the League of Legends universe. Source link #Sony #BluRay #Player #Amazon #Walmart Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

China’s big air show opened with a glitzy aerial display of its fighters, but crowds couldn’t see much in the smog China’s big air show opened with a glitzy aerial display of its fighters, but crowds couldn’t see much in the smog China’s hyped air show kicked off with performances from its aerobatics team on Tuesday. But the grand display was dampened by smog filling the skies over Zhuhai, Guangdong. The hazy opening comes as China tries to shed the reputation of its cities being heavily polluted. China’s biggest air exhibition opened on Tuesday to smoggy skies obscuring an intricate aerobatics performance meant to display the country’s aircraft to the world. The Bayi aerobatics team, a People’s Liberation Army Air Force team that flies J-10 fighters, took off just after 10 a.m. local time in Zhuhai, Guangdong, where the China Airshow 2024 is being held. But as crowds gathered on the tarmac to watch, low visibility made it difficult to make out the fighters and their ******** smoke trails. At times, the J-10s’ shapes could barely be seen as they tore through the murky skies. According to Accuweather, air quality in Zhuhai that morning was “poor” — which indicates a high level of pollution — as the city experienced higher levels of nitrogen dioxide. Poor weather continued to conceal aircraft flypasts an hour after the event opened, muddying displays from China’s 150-foot-long YY-20 jet refueler and its Red Falcon team, which flies the Hongdu JL-8 fighter. In contrast, footage of rehearsals shows that the skies were far clearer in the days before the airshow proper, which runs from November 12 to 17. Attendees may get another chance to watch the aerobatics display under better conditions, with the flying teams scheduled to perform on each day of the conference. The national air show, the only one in the country supported by the central government, is meant to be a grand showcase of its latest aircraft, including the J-35A. The medium-sized stealth aircraft is a land-based version of the J-35, a fifth-generation fighter launched from aircraft carriers, and is largely seen as a rival to Lockheed Martin’s F-35. In its first official public appearance, the J-35A flew briefly at the opening in Zhuhai, climbing into the hazy sky. Commercial craft like China’s domestically produced COMAC C919 airliner are also featured in the show. COMAC revealed at the event that it’s rebranding its regional jet, the ARJ21, to the C909 in a marketing move to increase name recognition among Western competitors like the Boeing 737. The smoggy opening also comes as China has sought to shed the reputation of its cities as being wracked by air pollution. Over the last decade, China has pushed hard to curb coal burning in favor of green energy. Its “war on pollution” has reduced smog levels by 41% from 2013 to 2022, but the country still has far to go, said researchers from the University of Chicago in a report published in August. “Despite tremendous progress over the past few years, 99.9% of China’s 1.4 billion people still continue to live in areas where the annual average particulate pollution level exceeds the WHO guideline,” the report said. The University of Chicago researchers estimated that in Guangdong, where the air show is being held, residents would gain 1.4 years in life expectancy if pollution levels there were aligned with WHO standards. Read the original article on Business Insider Source link #Chinas #big #air #show #opened #glitzy #aerial #display #fighters #crowds #couldnt #smog Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

iPhone 17 Air Might Not Be as Thick as Apple Planned Due to Technical Challenges, Tipster Claims iPhone 17 Air Might Not Be as Thick as Apple Planned Due to Technical Challenges, Tipster Claims Apple is reportedly planning to release a new iPhone 17 Air model in 2025, which is expected replace the ‘Plus’ model in the company’s lineup. Instead of a larger version of the standard iPhone 17 model, Apple is said to be working on a slimmer ‘Air’ model, with a slimmer form factor. While the iPhone 17 Air was previously rumoured to be Apple’s slimmest iPhone to date, a new rumour from South Korea suggests that the company is facing issues with reducing the thickness of the device. Apple Faces Challenges in Reducing Thickness of iPhone 17 Air According to details shared in a post on Naver (in Korean) by user @yeux1122, Apple is facing technical difficulties with reducing the thickness of the purported handset. The company was reportedly developing a new battery technology that would rely on a thinner internal substrate, but had to make technical compromises due to multiple reasons. Apple has faced challenges with the cost of the new components for the slimmer battery, as well as ensuring consistency during manufacturing, according to the tipster. As a result, the company is reportedly relying on its existing battery technology used on the iPhone 16, which means the battery on next year’s model could be at least 6mm thick. If the latest rumour is true, then Apple’s replacement for the iPhone 16 Plus is unlikely to arrive as the thinnest phone from the company, Currently, the slimmest phone released by the company was the iPhone 6 (6.9mm), while the thinnest tablet from Apple is the iPad Pro (2024), which is 5.1mm. However, it’s worth noting that there are several months until Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17 series, which means that the company might have some time to find a solution for the battery thickness. The company could also push the release of the ‘Air’ until it figures out how to reduce the battery size. We can expect to learn more about Apple’s plans in the coming months. Source link #iPhone #Air #Thick #Apple #Planned #Due #Technical #Challenges #Tipster #Claims Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NFL: How Sam Koch changed punting with ‘mis-kicks’ NFL: How Sam Koch changed punting with ‘mis-kicks’ To understand what Koch did, you need to know what punting was supposed to look like. In ********* football, kicking and punting are different. Kicking refers to field goals and kick-offs, when the ball is kicked from the ground to score points or to begin the game. Punting, meanwhile, refers to the act where a team give back possession when a player kicks the ball from his hands as far into the opponents’ half as possible. Traditionally, punters kicked ‘turnover’ ****** which spiralled through the air – the benefit being they travel further. The negative, however, is that the flight path is predictable and easier for the receiving player to catch. “The philosophy of punting is – and always has been – to punt the ball as high as you can, to allow your team to get down there and force the punt returner to have a fair catch,” says ****** Brown, kicking coach with the Baltimore Ravens. A fair catch is when the player receiving the ball is entitled to take the catch without interference, but, once it is caught, the ball is ***** and they cannot attempt to gain any yards. Koch’s Ravens were facing the Pittsburgh Steelers and one of their main attractions, Antonio Brown, was the best punt returner in the league. The Ravens needed to try something bold, so they decided Koch would deliberately mis-kick ******. Directing his hips one way, Koch would shape to kick it left or right but cut across the ball and slice it in the other direction. He would strike ‘knuckleballs’, where rather than the ball spiralling through the air cleanly, it would wobble erratically. And, crucially, he would employ the ‘drop-punt’, a technique predominately used in Aussie Rules football, and until this point only in very specific instances in ********* football, where the ball tended to be punted so that it turned end-over-end. ****** would travel fewer yards but give the receiver less time to react and prepare his return. And it worked. Koch punted six times to Brown in that match, forcing four fair catches, with the other two punts being left alone to roll out of bounds. “We told Sam, ‘put the ball on the ground as quickly as you can’,” says ****** Brown. “Rather than hitting a ball that has a five-second hang time, our goal was to hit one with three and a half. “What we were doing was going totally against the grain.” Koch adds: “They’d look like they were mis-hits and crowds would boo, but we knew what we were executing.” In a game of inches, Koch’s stats improved by yards. Net yardage is the defining statistic for a punter. In 2013 Koch’s net yardage was 38.9, a figure good enough for 22nd in the league. In 2014 it was 43.2, the best in the league. “It was very exciting,” reminisces Koch. “We created something that’s totally against the norm for how many years.” For Brown, it was “a eureka moment”. “If you’re going to introduce something like this on a Sunday night in front of 20 million-plus people, you don’t want your player to be embarrassed and, as a coach, you don’t want to be embarrassed,” he says. “This wasn’t some pre-season game. From a coaching standpoint, it was the confidence in the player to ******** the skill on the big stage.” Source link #NFL #Sam #Koch #changed #punting #miskicks Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Swifts’ Kiwi recruit in low-key Super Netball debut Swifts’ Kiwi recruit in low-key Super Netball debut NSW Swifts fans will have to wait an extra week to see star Kiwi recruit Grace Nweke in action, with the goal shooter to make her Super Netball debut in Perth next season. The Swifts are hoping the towering Silver Ferns ace can restore them to the finals after she turned her back on the New Zealand dress to join the *********** competition. The 22-year-old is expected to be back in the national line-up for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, but NSW fans will look to savour having Nweke on their side after she proved almost unstoppable in New Zealand’s recent stunning Constellation Cup win over the Diamonds. She will make her debut against the West Coast Fever in Perth before playing in front of her new home crowd in Sydney against Melbourne Mavericks in round two. Super Netball boss Stacey West joked it was about “building suspense for the Sydney market”. “Grace is going to have an incredible impact and we’re thrilled that she’s joining the competition in 20225,” West said after the 2025 draw was announced on Tuesday. “I know the Swifts do enjoy that challenge of heading across to the west, but I reckon the Sydney crowd will welcome her home pretty strongly after that. “She brings excitement and I do believe that those sort of marquee players, who really do bring the X-factor, are so significant for this league.” Other features of the draw include a grand final rematch between the Adelaide Thunderbirds and Melbourne Vixens to open the ninth season, while round three is split over the Easter and Anzac Day weekends. The 14-round competition gets under way on Saturday April 5 at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, and the grand final is already locked in for Melbourne, with the date and venue to be confirmed. Almost 20 per cent of Super Netball players are now internationals, including one-third of the Jamaican national team who played at last year’s World Cup. Diamonds coach Stacey Marinkovich says this factor is limiting the progress for young *********** players, particularly in the goal circle, where 10 international goalers have been signed with 16 spots available in the eight Super Netball teams. The New Zealand premiership has a limit of one import player per team, in contrast to the *********** league, which has unlimited imports. Diamonds shooter Donnell Wallam has signed to play in New Zealand with the Mystics after Queensland opted for 201cm Uganda goaler Mary Chulhock. The league trialled the Super Netball Reserves five-week pilot program this season to try to bolster high-performance pathway opportunities. “We’ve had great feedback and we will again endorse a Super Netball Reserves competition in 2025, and we’re working with the teams and member organisations around the format and fixture,” West said. But she said for Super Netball to maintain its status it couldn’t deny the game’s elite players, with fans supporting the league in record crowd and broadcast figures this year. “To be titled the world’s best league means you have the world’s best athletes, and we’re bold at stating that,” West said. “We love what that elite product brings into this country for our league – entertainment, rivalry, competitiveness on the court – it’s what captures our Super Netball environment.” Source link #Swifts #Kiwi #recruit #lowkey #Super #Netball #debut Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

COMAC says Air China is the first customer for C929 widebody jet COMAC says Air China is the first customer for C929 widebody jet ZHUHAI, China (Reuters) -COMAC said on Tuesday that Air China was the first customer for the ******** planemaker’s C929 widebody aircraft under development that is designed to compete with twin-aisle models from Airbus and Boeing. COMAC’s deputy director of marketing, Liu Yan, made the announcement at China’s biggest air show in Zhuhai. Liu did not disclose the number of aircraft that Beijing-based Air China would purchase or planned delivery dates. The aircraft maker also announced that Hainan Airlines had placed a firm order for 60 C919 narrowbody and 40 C909 regional jets. Colorful Guizhou Airlines signed a purchase agreement for 30 C909 planes, it added, 20 of which are firm and the remainder provisional. COMAC has said the C929 will have 280 to 400 seats and a range of 12,000 km (7,500 miles), which is in the same category as Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner. The C929 was renamed in 2023 from the CR929 after Russia left a China-Russia ****** venture developing the aircraft. A report in April from the C929’s fuselage manufacturer said it aimed to deliver the first fuselage section by September 2027. COMAC deputy general manager Tong Yu in May told a group of Hong Kong reporters in Shanghai that a C929 prototype will be seen in the near future and estimated the jet could “soon” take a test flight, according to Hong Kong newspaper **** Kong Pao. (Reporting by Sophie Yu and David Kirton; Writing by Lisa Barrington and Brenda Goh; Editing by Jamie Freed and Gerry Doyle) Source link #COMAC #Air #China #customer #C929 #widebody #jet Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Police rush to incident at Weir Views in Melton, Melbourne Police rush to incident at Weir Views in Melton, Melbourne A large number of police are rushing to an incident near Melton in Melbourne’s west. Source link #Police #rush #incident #Weir #Views #Melton #Melbourne Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Carlyle, Warburg among investment firms hunting talent in Japan as deals ***** Carlyle, Warburg among investment firms hunting talent in Japan as deals ***** By Kane Wu TOKYO (Reuters) – Carlyle, Warburg Pincus and a host of global investment firms plan to beef up headcount in Japan as deals here surge, but the country’s relatively low number of buyouts for much of the past two decades has made it tough to find people with expertise. Carlyle, which has been investing in Japan for more than two decades, raised $2.8 billion for its fifth and largest Japan buyout fund in May. It wants to add 10 more people to its local 25-strong investment team in the next two years, said Takaomi Tomioka, the firm’s co-head of Japan. “We are planning to invest about a hundred billion yen per year across three to four transactions,” he said. “In order to ******** that number of transactions and while at the same time managing portfolio companies, we need to enhance the team.” U.S. buyout firm Advent International has been talking to senior private equity professionals in Japan in recent months, seeking to establish a local office and an investment team in Tokyo, said two people familiar with its plans. Warburg Pincus, which this year hired former Goldman Sachs banker Takashi Murata as head of Japan and co-head of Asia real estate, is also looking to set up a Tokyo office and grow its local team, said two separate people. It has added three people to cover Japan since Murata’s hiring, said one of the two sources. Advent and Warburg declined to comment. The sources were not authorised to speak to media and declined to be identified. The hiring spree underscores the intensity of dealmaking in Japan, which has been a rare bright spot amidst a slowdown in M&A deals globally over the last couple of years. Japan became the largest market for private equity deals in Asia-Pacific last year accounting for 30% of the region’s total deal value, largely driven by take-private deals, according to a report by consultancy Bain & Co. That compares to a much smaller figure of 5% to 10% historically. Potential deals that have grabbed headlines include Alimentation Couche-*****’s takeover offer for Seven & i as well as KKR and Bain Capital’s bidding war for software developer Fuji Soft. ‘ACCELERATED HIRING’ Overall, private equity, real estate and infrastructure funds currently have dozens of Japan vacancies that range from senior management to entry-level positions, dealmakers and recruiters say. A senior dealmaker with a global buyout fund in Tokyo said he has fielded calls from at least three other firms this year who were looking to set up shop in the country. He declined to be identified. Story Continues The number of fund managers with a Japan office and a latest buyout or turnaround fund worth at least 50 billion yen has doubled between 2012 and 2024, with more new investors ready to enter the market, the Bain report said. “The surge in private equity deal activity in Japan has significantly accelerated hiring within the industry over the past few years,” said Gavin Smith, managing director at Tokyo-based Atlas Recruitment which is looking to fill nearly 60 investment roles in Japan. But hiring has become more competitive in the last three years, said Smith, as the pool of available candidates is not deep enough to satisfy soaring demand. Taku Maeda, managing partner of buyout firm Corporate Support Research Institute (CSRI), said that with more and more money coming to Japan, the lack of fund managers is likely to become a bottleneck. CSRI, which raised 25 billion yen in its mid-cap maiden fund this year, plans to add three to four people to its five-member team by April, Maeda said, but added he was “a little bit worried about the gap between the money inflow and people inflow.” ($1 = 153.74 yen) (Reporting by Kane Wu; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee and Edwina Gibbs) Source link #Carlyle #Warburg #among #investment #firms #hunting #talent #Japan #deals #***** Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Sara ***** McCullock: Mum who horrifically ******* baby son was off psychosis meds, judge-alone trial told Sara ***** McCullock: Mum who horrifically ******* baby son was off psychosis meds, judge-alone trial told WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT. A young mother who was gripped by psychosis when she ******* her 14-month-old boy inside their Madora Bay home is fighting a ******* charge on insanity grounds. Source link #Sara #***** #McCullock #Mum #horrifically #******* #baby #son #psychosis #meds #judgealone #trial #told Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Jesse Watters’ Mother Disinvites Him From Thanksgiving Dinner After Trump Win: ‘Apparently There Wasn’t Enough Room’ Jesse Watters’ Mother Disinvites Him From Thanksgiving Dinner After Trump Win: ‘Apparently There Wasn’t Enough Room’ Jesse Watters weighed in on the presidential election’s impact on the upcoming holidays on Monday, saying that while MSNBC has been crowing about how Democrats would be right to distance themselves from the *********** Trump voters in their lives, his own mother had done just that. “Yup, people are taking some space in the Watters household. I’ll have you know that I was not invited to my mother’s house for Thanksgiving. Apparently there wasn’t enough room,” Watters said. “She said it was a scheduling situation, and then at the last second, invited me to come over on ****** Friday. I told her, ‘No thanks, I’ll be at Best Buy,’” he added. Watch that “Jesse Watters **********” clip below: Watters: I was not invited to my mother’s house for Thanksgiving. Apparently there wasn’t enough room. She said it was a scheduling situation, and then invited me to come over on ****** Friday. I told her no thanks, I’ll be at Best Buy pic.twitter.com/J84VNXunlV — Acyn (@Acyn) November 12, 2024 The commentary came on Monday’s “Jesse Watters **********” on Fox News while the prominent ********** anchor and “The Five” co-host showcased how competitor networks like MSNBC are reporting on Trump, Thanksgiving and politically mixed families. “How do we move forward when we know that people in their families who voted for him, they work with people who voted for him, they live next to people who voted for him?” journalist Jonathan Capehart asked in a Sunday segment. “What do you, how do we, how should we deal with those neighbors, coworkers, family members?” In a second MSNBC clip shown by Watters, “The ReidOut” host Joy Reid asked psychologist and pundit Amanda Joy Calhoun, “What do you recommend just from a psychological standpoint being around them? We’ve got the holidays coming up.” “It’s completely fine to not be around those people and to tell them why. You know, to say, ‘I have a problem with the way that you voted because it went against my very livelihood and I’m not going to be around you this holiday. I need to take some space for me.’” Watch that “The ReidOut” clip below: “Since they can’t stop us, we’re not invited to Thanksgiving,” Watters quipped of the apparent resurgence of Trump supporters following the president-elect’s win of the popular vote on Tuesday. Watters has spoken of his mother’s support for Vice President Kamala Harris before. When she first secured the nomination for Democratic Party’s presidential ticket, he bemoaned how she had become “a Kamala fanatic.” “You should see my mom. Suddenly, she’s a Kamala fanatic – keeps talking about joy,” Watters said at the time. “Trump kept one dangerous woman out of the White House, and he can do it again.” It’s also not the first time Watters has hinted that there was trouble in his family home, saying last month that he hadn’t yet been invited home for the holidays. The post Jesse Watters’ Mother Disinvites Him From Thanksgiving Dinner After Trump Win: ‘Apparently There Wasn’t Enough Room’ | Video appeared first on TheWrap. Source link #Jesse #Watters #Mother #Disinvites #Thanksgiving #Dinner #Trump #Win #Apparently #Wasnt #Room Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pickens' amazing catch features in NFL best plays Pickens' amazing catch features in NFL best plays Watch the best plays from week ten in the NFL, featuring an amazing catch by Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens. Source link #Pickens039 #amazing #catch #features #NFL #plays Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

India coach not worried by form of stars Rohit, Kohli India coach not worried by form of stars Rohit, Kohli India coach Gautam Gambhir has staunchly defended Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, ******* back at *********** legend Ricky Ponting for his criticism of the out-of-form stars. After suffering a historic home whitewash against New Zealand, India flew out on Monday to prepare for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar trophy. Sharma was not on the plane, with the Indian skipper expected to miss at least the first Test against Australia in Perth due to personal reasons. Gambhir offered no update on Sharma’s availability but confirmed fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah would captain India should the veteran opener be unavailable. Sharma and Kohli both averaged just 15 across three losing Tests against New Zealand as the ****** Caps became the first touring team to win a red-ball series in India for 12 years. Those performances led to Ponting, a long-time coach in the Indian Premier League, questioning their form. “There wouldn’t be anyone else probably even playing international cricket as a top-order batsman that’s only scored two Test match hundreds in five years,” Ponting said on an ICC podcast. Gambhir was quick to ***** back at those comments when quizzed before the Indian team left Mumbai. “What does Ponting have to do with Indian cricket? I think he should think about *********** cricket,” he said. “More importantly, I have got no concerns whatsoever for Virat and Rohit. “They are incredibly tough men. “They’ve achieved a lot for Indian cricket, and they will continue to achieve a lot in the future as well. “For me, the most important thing is that they still work really hard, and they’re still passionate, they still want to achieve a lot more. “The hunger in that dressing room is incredibly important for me. “I feel there’s a lot of hunger, especially after what has happened in the last series.” Veteran KL Rahul and Abhimanyu Easwaran, who has played more than 100 first-class matches without a Test debut, are in line to take Sharma’s spot should he not play. The pair were out cheaply in both innings against Australia A at the MCG last week. Rahul’s second-innings dismissal, where he tried to leave the ball before getting bowled, would have been concerning for India. Rahul was batting in the middle-order for India before he was dropped for the third Test against New Zealand, but most of his international runs have come when opening the batting. “That is the quality of the man, that he can actually bat at the top of the order, he can bat at No.3 and he can actually bat at No.6 as well,” Gambhir said of Rahul. “You need quite a lot of talent to be doing these kind of jobs. “Imagine how many countries have players like KL who can open the batting and can bat at No.6 as well. “I feel that he can do the job for us, especially if Rohit is not available for the first Test.” Source link #India #coach #worried #form #stars #Rohit #Kohli Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]