Pelican Press

Bitcoin Price Continues to Climb Uncontrollably With $90,000 in Sight Bitcoin Price Continues to Climb Uncontrollably With $90,000 in Sight ‘s (BTC-USD) price broke the $89,000 mark for the first time on Tuesday night, showing a 10% daily growth and stabilizing at $88,600 as the ****** market opened. The crypto market capitalization grew overnight to $3 trillion, of which $1.75 trillion is Bitcoin. Since the beginning of 2024, Bitcoin has doubled in price, adding 30% in the past week alone. Optimism Driven by Donald Trump’s Win Traders and investors are expressing optimism that Trump will loosen regulations in the cryptocurrency sector, given his ongoing support for the industry. This prospect is fueling expectations for further increases in Bitcoin’s value. Republicans, beyond the success of their presidential candidate, are also close to securing full control of Congress. Although the final results for the House of Representatives have not yet been confirmed, the Republicans are on the verge of a majority. According to analysts at Standard Chartered (OTC:), this majority could allow the new administration to swiftly implement policies favorable to digital assets. “We anticipate positive changes early in the administration, potentially including reforms to the Securities and Exchange Commission that could result in more relaxed regulations for digital assets,” said Jeff Kendrick, director of digital asset research at Standard Chartered. According to Pauline Shangett, the CMO of cryptocurrency exchange ChangeNOW, “Bitcoin, as one of the riskiest assets, is currently seeing heightened interest. We’re witnessing regulatory barriers being lifted, financial conditions becoming more favorable, and an optimistic macroeconomic outlook for the U.S. This trend is reflected in as well, the second most popular cryptocurrency, which has gained nearly 20% in the past month and 52% over the past year.” Investors Anticipate Continued Growth On the derivatives exchange Deribit, one of the few cryptocurrency platforms offering futures trading, over $2.8 billion has been bet that Bitcoin will surpass $90,000 and set a new all-time high, CNBC reports. Bitcoin has already reached a record high of around $81,000, a clear indication that investors are confident in further gains following the U.S. election, which saw a pro-crypto candidate prevail. “The market is heavily biased toward continued gains,” noted Vetle Lunde, head of research at K33 Research, speaking to CNBC. Bitcoin could potentially reach $100,000 before the inauguration if Donald Trump follows through on his crypto campaign promises. Source link #Bitcoin #Price #Continues #Climb #Uncontrollably #Sight Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump mulls national security adviser and Rubio for secretary of state role Trump mulls national security adviser and Rubio for secretary of state role Getty Images President-elect Donald Trump is expected to name Rep Michael Waltz, a Florida ***********, to serve as national security adviser, two sources familiar with the matter told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner. A veteran of the war in Afghanistan and a long-time Trump supporter, Waltz was re-elected to Congress last week – though he will have to vacate his office to serve in the White House. In this role, Waltz would serve as a key White House adviser on national security and foreign policy matters. It is a prominent role that does not require confirmation. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida is in talks to be Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, though the pick is not a done deal, two sources told CBS. Waltz and Rubio’s offices did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment. Waltz: a soldier and congressman A decorated Green Beret and Army veteran, Waltz served multiple tours in Afghanistan, the Middle East and *******. He drew on his experiences serving in the Pentagon during the George W Bush administration and in combat in his book Warrior Diplomat: A Green Beret’s Battles from Washington to Afghanistan. Waltz’s military experience led to key national security committee assignments when he was elected to Congress in 2018, serving on the Armed Services, Foreign Affairs and Intelligence Committees. The Florida congressman’s expressed views in Congress have hewed closely to Republicans’ political views on national security and foreign policy since Trump’s election in 2016 – but they also acknowledge the US’s key role in global affairs. Waltz has suggested NATO allies increase their defence spending, though he has not gone as far as Trump and said the US should leave the alliance altogether. “Look we can be allies and friends and have tough conversations,” Waltz said last month. He has said the US should maintain its support for Ukraine, but in recent weeks he’s advocated for a reassessment of the US funds sent to aid the country. Waltz has also taken a tough line on China while in Congress, and – as chair of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness – argued that the US needs to do more to prepare for conflict in the Pacific. Since the US’s 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, Waltz has frequently criticised President Joe Biden and the White House for its decision to leave the country. Waltz would be the second member of Congress to be tapped to serve in the next Trump administration, which will require him to resign his office in the House of Representatives and potentially slim Republicans’ controlling majority. He would be the fifth national security adviser to serve under Trump, who appointed four different men to serve in the position during his first term. He fired three of them. Michael Flynn, a retired general and Trump loyalist lasted for only 24 days before he was fired. Trump then appointed and later dismissed HR McMaster, another retired general who would later criticise the president-elect and his allies in a memoir that he published earlier this year. John Bolton, who served in the post for 17 months and was Trump’s longest-serving national security adviser before also being fired, became highly critical of his former boss and has advocated against the president-elect’s efforts to return to the White House. Robert O’Brien, a lawyer who served in the Bush administration, finished out Trump’s first term as national security adviser. Rubio: the foreign policy hawk It is not yet certain that Rubio will be nominated to serve as secretary of state, but the Florida ***********’s career has set him up to be America’s next top diplomat. Several US media outlets have reported that Rubio is in talks with the Trump transition team over the senior position, but it has not been finalised. It appears the president-elect could still change his mind. Rubio has built out his resume in the Senate, however. He serves as the vice-chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and sits on the Foreign Relations Committee. Rubio is considered a foreign policy hawk, particularly toward China and Iran. While supportive of Ukraine, he previously said the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine needs to “be brought to a conclusion”. Trump and Rubio now have a cordial relationship, but it hasn’t always been that way. Both men ran for president in 2016, and the two developed a bitter rivalry. They clashed on a variety of issues – particularly immigration – and the conflict led to various insults: Trump referred to the senator as “Little Marco” and Rubio mocked Trump’s “small hands”. The Florida senator, 53, went on to back his rival and the two patched up their relationship during Trump’s first term. Rubio was an early supporter of Trump in this election’s primary. The son of working-class Cuban immigrants, Rubio was first elected to the Senate in 2010. He has since become a stalwart of *********** politics, and was once floated as a potential running mate to 2012 *********** nominee Mitt Romney and to Trump in 2024. Source link #Trump #mulls #national #security #adviser #Rubio #secretary #state #role Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Vivo Y18t With 5,000mAh Battery, Unisoc T612 Chipset Launched in India: Price, Specifications Vivo Y18t With 5,000mAh Battery, Unisoc T612 Chipset Launched in India: Price, Specifications Vivo Y18t was silently launched in India as the latest entrant in the company’s Y series. The new Vivo handset arrives in two colourways with an IP54-rated build. The Vivo Y18t sports a dual rear camera unit led by a 50-megapixel primary sensor. It runs on a Unisoc T612 chipset with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage. The budget smartphone carries a 5,000mAh battery with 15W fast charging support. Vivo Y18t Price in India The Vivo Y18t has been announced at a price of Rs. 9,499 in India for the single 4GB RAM + 128GB storage model. It is available in Gem Green and Space ****** colour options and is currently up for ***** through the Vivo India e-store and Flipkart. Vivo Y18t Specifications The dual-SIM (Nano) Vivo Y18t runs on Funtouch OS 14 based on Android 14 and features a 6.56-inch HD+ (720×1,612 pixels) LCD display with up to 90Hz refresh rate, 269ppi pixel density, and a peak brightness level of 840nits. It has a plastic back and runs on Unisoc T612 chipset along with 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM and eMMC 5.1. The handset supports an extended RAM feature for virtually expanding the onboard memory up to 8GB, while the storage can be extended via microSD card. For optics, the Vivo Y18t has a dual rear camera setup with rear flash comprising a 50-megapixel primary sensor and a 0.08-megapixel secondary shooter. It carries an 8-megapixel front camera for selfies and video calls. Connectivity options on the Vivo Y18t include Bluetooth 5.2, FM Radio, GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, OTG, Wi-Fi, and a USB Type-C port. It also features an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, e-compass, motor gyroscope and a proximity sensor. It boasts a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for biometric authentication. It comes with an IP54 rating for dust and water resistance. The Vivo Y18t packs a 5,000mAh battery with 15W fast charging support. The battery is claimed to deliver up to 62.53 hours of music playback time and up to 6.8 hours of PUBG playback time on a single charge. It measures 163×75.58×8.3mm and weighs around 185 grams. Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details. For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Apple Announces Share Item Location Feature on iOS; to Be Available With iOS 18.2 Source link #Vivo #Y18t #5000mAh #Battery #Unisoc #T612 #Chipset #Launched #India #Price #Specifications Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

EP TODAY | News | ********* Parliament EP TODAY | News | ********* Parliament From 9.00, MEPs will evaluate whether the candidates for the posts of Vice-Presidents of the ********* Commission are qualified both to be members of the College and to carry out the particular duties to which they have been assigned. Find more detailed information about the hearings process and how to follow them. All hearings are public and can be followed live on Parliament’s webstreaming and Ebs/Ebs+. Find additional information also on Parliament’s dedicated website on the hearings. Find also press releases on the hearings. Today’s hearings schedule is as follows: 9.00 – 12.00, room ANTALL 2Q2 Raffaele Fitto Portfolio: Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms Responsible committees Committee on Regional Development Contacts Janne OJAMO (+32) 470 89 21 92 EP_Regional Federico DE GIROLAMO (+32) 498 98 35 91 Watch the hearing live. Press point Adrian-Dragoş BENEA (S&D, Romania), Chair of the Regional Development Committee, will hold a press point after the meeting. You can follow it live on Parliament’s webstreaming and on EbS. 9.00 – 12.00, room ANTALL 4Q2 Kaja Kallas Portfolio: High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the ********* Commission Responsible committee Committee on Foreign Affairs Contacts Viktor ALMQVIST (+32) 470 88 29 42 EP_ForeignAff Snjezana KOBESCAK SMODIS (+32) 470 96 08 19 EP_ForeignAff Maris KURME (+32) 477 99 06 65 Watch the hearing live. Press point David McAllister (EPP, Germany), Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, will hold a press point after the meeting outside the meeting room. You can follow it live on Parliament’s webstreaming and on EbS. 14.30 – 17.30, room ANTALL 2Q2 Roxana Mînzatu Portfolio: Executive Vice-President for People, Skills and Preparedness Responsible committee Committee on Employment and Social Affairs Committee on Culture and Education Contacts Lieven COSIJN (+32) 473 864 141 EP SocialAffairs Raquel LOPES (+32) 477 99 14 95 EPCulture Dana POPP (+32) 470 95 17 07 Watch the hearing live. Press point Li ANDERSSON (The Left, Finland), Chair of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, and Nela RIEHL (Greens/EFA, Germany), Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education will hold a press point after the hearing outside the meeting room. You can follow it live on Parliament’s webstreaming and on EbS. 14.30 – 17.30, room ANTALL 4Q2 Stéphane Séjourné Portfolio: Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy Responsible committee Committee on Industry, Research and Energy Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs Contacts Baptiste CHATAIN (+32) 498 98 13 37 EP_Industry Maris KURME (+32) 477 99 06 65 EP_SingleMarket Isabelle ZERROUK (+32) 470 88 02 62 Watch the hearing live. Press point Anna CAVAZZINI (Greens/EFA, Germany), Chair of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, Antonio DECARO (S&D, Italy), Chair of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, and Aurore Lalucq (S&D, France), Chair of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, will hold a press point after the hearing. You can follow it live on Parliament’s webstreaming and on EbS. 18.30 – 21.30, room ANTALL 2Q2 Teresa Ribera Rodríguez Portfolio: Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition Responsible committee Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee on Industry, Research and Energy Contacts: Thomas HAAHR (+32) 470 88 09 87 EP_Environment John SCHRANZ (+32) 498 98 14 02 EP_Economics Estefanía NARRILLOS (+32) 498 98 39 85 Watch the hearing live. Press point Antonio DECARO (S&D, Italy), Chair of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, and Aurore LALUCQ (S&D, France), Chair of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, will hold a press point after the hearing outside the meeting room. Ms Ribera will also address the press after the hearing. You can follow their statements live on Parliament’s webstreaming and on EbS. 18.30 – 21.30, room ANTALL 4Q2 Henna Virkkunen Portfolio: Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Responsible committee Committee on Industry, Research and Energy Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection Contacts: Yasmina YAKIMOVA (+32) 470 88 10 60 EP_SingleMarket Baptiste CHATAIN (+32) 498 98 13 37 EP_Industry Janne OJAMO (+32) 470 89 21 92 Watch the hearing live. Source link #TODAY #News #********* #Parliament Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Australia pledges closer defence ties with Philippines Australia pledges closer defence ties with Philippines Defence ministers for Australia and the Philippines have agreed to expand security partnerships in the Indo-Pacific between the two countries, amid growing regional tensions. Richard Marles held talks in Canberra with Philippine National Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr on Tuesday, the first meeting between the two on *********** soil. The pair agreed to bolster a defence agreement between the countries, which will see a memorandum of understanding updated in 2025. Australia will also send defence engineers to the Philippines in early 2025 to help with infrastructure. The meeting between the ministers comes days after China opposed moves by the Philippines to assert maritime borders in disputed areas in the South China Sea. Mr Marles said Australia was looking at ways it could work more closely with the Philippines. “We are working increasingly more closely with countries which share values and share a commitment to the global rules based order,” he told reporters in Canberra. “As two countries, we have, over the last two years, been working increasingly closely, more closely together, on strategic affairs.” Despite concern over what the re-election of US President Donald Trump would mean for the Indo-Pacific, Mr Teodoro said the alliance in the region would endure. “We have an interest, both the ******* States and the Philippines, in ensuring that our partnership continue because … of shared threats, and that is undoubtedly the overreach and the aggressive and ******** activities of China,” he said. “Our ties go back several year, and there may be some nuances in the relationship, but in general, policy ******** the same.” Mr Marles said Australia would continue to work closely with the US to lower regional tensions in the Pacific. He indicated Australia’s partnership with the Philippines would benefit both countries. “We will continue to try and look at more opportunities for us to be working more closely together,” he said. “At the end of the day, building the most interoperable defence forces between Australia and the Philippines is very much in the national interest of Australia, it’s in the interests of the Philippines.” Source link #Australia #pledges #closer #defence #ties #Philippines Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Spirit Airlines jet hit by gunfire over Haiti lands safely Spirit Airlines jet hit by gunfire over Haiti lands safely STORY: A Spirit Airlines flight to Port-au-Prince, Haiti was hit by gunfire on Monday. It was diverted and landed safely in the neighboring Dominican Republic. The airline said the plane was damaged and taken out of service upon landing. Photographs showed it punctured with bullet holes. No passengers were injured, but there are reports that an attendant was grazed by a bullet. Spirit said the passengers on Monday’s flight will be taken back to Fort Lauderdale on another plane. It will also suspend all flights to Port-au-Prince. The U.S. embassy said all flights in and out of the city’s airport are now stopped due to gang-led efforts to block travel, including ********* and disruptions to roads and airports. Airlines including JetBlue say they will cancel all services there running through Thursday, and will watch to see if more cancellations are needed. Armed gangs in Haiti’s capital have shot at planes recently as security worsens. Last month, a U.N. helicopter was hit by gunfire over Port-au-Prince. Source link #Spirit #Airlines #jet #hit #gunfire #Haiti #lands #safely Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Unemployment rises as pay growth slows again Unemployment rises as pay growth slows again The ***’s unemployment rate has risen, official figures suggest, while pay growth continues to slow. The rate of unemployment stood at 4.3% in the three months to September, up from 4% the previous quarter. However, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) urged caution over giving too much weight to its latest jobs figures due to issues with how it gathers the data. While wage growth has eased, pay is still rising faster than inflation, which measures the rate of price increases. Source link #Unemployment #rises #pay #growth #slows Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ubisoft is Facing a Class-Action Lawsuit for Shutting Down The Crew Ubisoft is Facing a Class-Action Lawsuit for Shutting Down The Crew Ubisoft shut down the servers for The Crew in March 2024, and this decision has not been well received by the community. While fans understood the removal of the multiplayer aspect of the game, they were frustrated that the single-player mode was also made inaccessible. Now, fans have filed a lawsuit against the publishers for failing to provide an offline mode. As reported by Polygon, the court document reveals that plaintiffs Matthew Cassel and Alan Liu have brought this class action against Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. and Ubisoft, Inc. on behalf of themselves and “all others similarly situated” for shutting down The Crew. The plaintiffs have accused Ubisoft of duping them in several ways. Firstly, they stated that Ubisoft “misled consumers by telling them they were buying a game, when in fact, all they were renting was a limited license to access a game.” The plaintiffs have also alleged that Ubisoft “omitted material facts from the packaging and marketing” of The Crew. It was stated that Ubisoft didn’t mention that The Crew’s servers could be shut down at any point “without providing, at a minimum, an offline mode for consumers to continue to access the game they paid for”. Moreover, they bought physical discs, believing “The Crew itself was encoded onto physical disks consumers could buy or the digital files consumers could pay to download.” Instead, the game was on a remote server, and the physical disc acted as a key to access this server. The plaintiffs stated that when they purchased The Crew’s physical discs, they believed the game would be playable indefinitely without the risk of it being disabled. They also gave examples stating that Ubisoft had shut down online servers for games like *********’s Creed 2, *********’s Creed 3, and more in the past, but it patched an offline mode later. However, in the case of The Crew, even after the community backlash, Ubisoft responded, stating that offline features of other games from the Crew franchise (The Crew 2 and The Crew Motorfest) would be preserved. But the original The Crew was left out of the list. The plaintiffs have demanded a trial by jury and “the aggregate claims of all members of the proposed class are in excess of $5,000,000.00, exclusive of interest and cost” as this is a class-action lawsuit. In other news, a group of modders have announced their commitment to resurrect The Crew. Also, Rainbow Six Siege made more money than any other Ubisoft franchise. What are your thoughts on the class-action lawsuit against Ubisoft for shutting down The Crew? Let us know in the comments or our new community forum! For more from Insider Gaming, read about Nadeshot leaking monthly Twitch revenue on Steam. 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 #Ubisoft #Facing #ClassAction #Lawsuit #Shutting #Crew Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Scarlet tanager Yorkshire sighting brings out crowds to Halifax Scarlet tanager Yorkshire sighting brings out crowds to Halifax BBC / Elizabeth Baines Hundreds of people have headed to the residential street for a glimpse of the rarely seen creature Crowds of bird watchers flocked to a quiet ****-de-sac after a rare sighting of a species, usually at home in the US, perched on a Yorkshire garden washing line. The report of the scarlet tanager in Shelf, near Halifax, is believed to be the first time one of the creatures has been sighted in the county. The stocky songbird normally travels between the eastern ******* States and lowland South ********* forests twice a year. One twitcher who made an early morning journey from London described catching a glimpse of the creature as “exhilarating”. Dozens of bird watchers assembled along the street after initial reports that the bird had been sighted were shared online and on social media. Matt O’Sullivan Keen birdwatchers travelled miles for a glimpse of the scarlet tanager Geoffrey King, who has been birdwatching for 15 years, made the 220-mile (354km) trip north from Weybridge in Surrey to West Yorkshire in the early hours of Monday. He arrived on scene at 09:30 GMT but it was a further five hours before a hushed murmur rippled through the crowd, signalling the bird had become visible. “It was very exhilarating,” he said. Mr King, 67, had been packing up his tripod and was ready to book a hotel when he saw the bird. “I had basically given up. Somebody called and there it was at the top of the tree! It was a great relief to see it,” he enthused. The scarlet tanager was Mr King’s 478th species spotted in the ***, he added. BBC / Elizabeth Baines A delighted Geoffrey King made the scarlet tanager his 478th species spotted Another avian aficionado, who gave his details simply as Paul from London, said it had been an early start to get to the site in good time. “I got up at five o’clock this morning and was on the road for 05:30,” the 61-year-old said. “The older I get, the more it blows my mind that something the size of a sparrow can fly across the ocean, 3,000 miles (4,828km), to get here. It’s extraordinary.” He said it had been his first sighting of the species in nearly five decades of birdwatching. BBC / Elizabeth Baines Telescopes, lenses and binoculars were used to catch a glimpse of the bird, which weighs around 10oz (28g) According to the ********* Bird Conservancy, the scarlet tanager’s song is often described as “like a robin with a cold”. Also hoping to hear it among the assembled twitchers was Luke Nash, who made the trip from Durham. “I saw it online last night and headed straight down,” the 22-year-old said. “This is absolutely unprecedented. The last sighting was something like 10 years ago. “I was a bit suspicious when I heard it was here. I was dawdling and playing with my camera, looking at my phone and then someone shouted it was coming in and then the camera came out of the bag and the binoculars were up.” The scarlet tanager is Mr Nash’s 435th species spotted in Britain. Website Bird Guides said on X that the sighting was believed to be the first in Yorkshire. “Never before seen in Yorkshire, the first-winter male scarlet tanager is just the eighth British record and the first since 2014,” it said. According to Cornell University’s All about Birds website, the male breeding birds have a bright red body and ****** wings and tails, while females and juvenile birds have a yellowish-green body. It is usually the duller yellowish birds which are spotted in the ***, having been swept off course by storms as they migrate south in the autumn, the website said. One man among the throng had travelled a little less far than other enthusiasts – he had journeyed from a few hundred metres away in the village. The temporary twitcher had been walking his dog when he spotted the crowds and decided to join them, declaring that he would be “chuffed to bits” to see the ********* visitor. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here. Source link #Scarlet #tanager #Yorkshire #sighting #brings #crowds #Halifax 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 broader Vision Fund segment as a whole, which also factors in non-investment performance such as administrative expenses and gains and losses attributable to third-party investors, reported a gain of 373.1 billion yen. It had declared a loss of 204.3 billion yen in the company’s first fiscal quarter. 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]

3 Under-the-Radar Healthcare Companies to Watch 3 Under-the-Radar Healthcare Companies to Watch The healthcare sector is massive and includes everything from major mega cap stocks to tiny firms that carry significant investment risks. Natera, Tenet, and Travere are three healthcare companies that are between these two extremes for the sector. These firms provide a variety of access points for investors, including diagnostics, hospital and facilities management, and therapeutics. The healthcare sector is vast and includes everything from massive legacy companies including UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:) and McKesson Corp (NYSE:) to tiny upstart pharmaceutical firms. Investors looking to explore this sector thus have a choice about whether to focus on established companies with steadier business operations but, perhaps, less of a possibility of future growth, or on smaller firms that offer a higher-risk, higher-reward prospect. Fortunately, there are companies that fall somewhere in between as well. And while the broader healthcare sector, as represented by the Health Care Select Sector SPDR® Fund (NYSE:), has underperformed the with a return of 16% this year, there are plenty of these firms that have significantly outperformed also. Three in particular worth a second look by investors include Natera (NASDAQ:), Tenet Healthcare (NYSE:), and Travere Therapeutics (NASDAQ:). 1. Natera: Expanding Operations, Major Top-Line Growth Natera is a genetic testing company that has recently expanded its operations to include oncology and organ health in addition to its legacy women’s health business. The shift has had profoundly positive results—in the second quarter, the firm reported revenues of over $413 million, 58% above levels one year earlier, while also dramatically improving its ****** margin and achieving positive cash flow of $3.3 million. ****** profit more than doubled to $243 million while losses from operations narrowed significantly to just under $44 million. Natera’s oncology business is growing quickly, as evidenced by the fact that the company processed 50% more oncology tests in the second quarter than it did a year prior. This expansion has helped to establish Natera as one of the leading genetic testing firms both in the U.S. and internationally, where its footprint also continues to grow. Analysts view Natera with optimism, with Bernstein recently raising its price target by $10 to $135. This is the case even after the company’s stock has nearly tripled in the last year and as it trades just below its 1-year high. 2. Tenet Healthcare: Also Branching Out, Bolstering Free Cash Flow Tenet manages hospitals, outpatient locations, and surgery centers and, like Natera, has recently expanded its operations to build out its ambulatory care services, among other offerings. The firm is also reaping benefits from these changes—net income available to common shareholders nearly quintupled year-over-year for the latest quarter, while revenue climbed by about 1%. Tenet’s move toward ambulatory and other services helps to support its core hospital business, which posted increased adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin for the latest quarter, even as it also noted a 3.4% year-over-year decline in revenues in this segment. Across its various business lines, Tenet is able to generate consistent and expanding free cash flow. In the first three quarters of 2024, the firm reported nearly $1.8 billion in free cash flow, considerably higher than the $1.0 billion in free cash flow it generated during the same ******* in 2023. 3. Travere Therapeutics: Key Kidney ******** ***** Launch Travere is a developer of therapies for rare kidney and metabolic conditions. In the latest quarter, the company received full approval for FILSPARI, a therapy for use in patients with the kidney ******** IgA nephropathy. Thanks to the successful launch of this product, Traver reported 30% improvement in net sales for FILSPARI quarter-over-quarter. This success also contributed to a 70% year-over-year increase in total revenue. FILSPARI has additional room to grow as a key component of Travere’s portfolio of therapeutics. The company has launched this product in Europe, beginning with Germany and Austria, and is expected to continue to expand distribution further afield in the coming quarters. On the other hand, Travere may startle investors because of its recent shift to net losses of $54.8 million for the third quarter, compared to net income of $150.7 million in the prior-year quarter. However, though this shift to the negative is undesirable, it is largely due to the ***** of older components of the company’s portfolio in 2023. Different Parts of the Healthcare Sector Each of the firms on this list occupies a unique space in the healthcare sector—from a diagnostics firm to a hospital manager to a ***** manufacturer. As such, each also has a unique combination of risks and potential benefits. Nonetheless, each company’s share price has roughly tripled or better in the last year, and analysts remain broadly hopeful for continued growth going forward. Original Post Source link #UndertheRadar #Healthcare #Companies #Watch Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Roger Cook says plan to change WA election date is just precaution to be ‘ready for any particular scenario’ Roger Cook says plan to change WA election date is just precaution to be ‘ready for any particular scenario’ Premier Roger Cook talks with State Opposition about moving the WA election date as a possible Federal poll looms on the same day. Source link #Roger #Cook #plan #change #election #date #precaution #ready #scenario Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

You Can Bet on DraftKings to Rebound in 2025 You Can Bet on DraftKings to Rebound in 2025 DraftKings tepid results are good news for investors, showing sustained user and engagement growth. The guidance for 2025 is solid, and the headwinds in 2024 are unlikely to repeat next year. Analysts are raising their DKNG targets and forecasting a double-digit upside and multi-year highs. DraftKings (NASDAQ:) share price struggles to advance in 2024, but the signs are clear — there is support for this stock. The technical action shows sustained support in the low end of a trading range, a strengthening base of support that will help propel the stock higher over the next year. The reason is leverage. The company experienced headwinds in Q3 related to favorable consumer outcomes that won’t persist over the long term. The odds are in favor of DraftKings; the house always wins. Guidance for the 2024 fiscal year is weighing on the stock price action. The company trimmed its guidance because of the Q3 headwind, reducing the outlook for revenue to a range with the high end below the analyst consensus. However, the company maintained its forecast for 2025, introducing a revenue range that sustains the low-to-mid 30% pace set in 2024. Growth will slow to 31% from this year’s 32% to 35%, still robust and leading toward sustained profitability. DraftKings’ Tepid Quarter Looks Better at Second Glance DraftKings results and guidance are lackluster at first glance. However, a second look reveals a company with a solid 39% top-line growth that only missed the consensus estimate by a slim 90 basis points margin. The growth was driven by customer acquisition and engagement, aided by new offerings, expanding territory, and improvement in the core hold rate. The revenue per monthly active user fell by 10% but is offset by the cause and the 55% increase in user count. Revenue per user is down because of the acquisition of Jackpocket, an opportunity for the company to improve segment hold while incorporating Jackpocket into the ecosystem. Adjusted user hold is much better and up 8%. Margin news is mixed. The company reported a net loss due to increased investment and SG&A expenses intended to support the growth trajectory, but it aligned with the prior year and was less than expected. The adjusted loss of $0.17 is more than nickel above the consensus and tracking in the right direction. The company is expected to sustain profitability in 2025. DraftKings Builds Value; Equity Rises by Double-Digits DraftKings’ balance sheet shows the impact of acquisitions, with cash down and liabilities rising, but the net results are favorable for investors. The company is building its asset base and improving shareholder equity by 28%. The risk is that much of the asset gain is in intangibles and goodwill, although the brands behind them are strong and gaining popularity. Regardless, the balance sheet ******** healthy, with a long-term liability of only 1.5x equity and ample liquidity. The analysts show a high conviction in DraftKings’ long-term outlook, with 27 rating it a consensus of Moderate Buy and 89% or 24 of the ratings a Buy or better equivalent. The price target is rising in 2024, with revisions leading to the high-end range. The consensus of $50 implies a 30% upside for the market, and the high-end range is closer to 50% from the critical support target. DraftKings Is an Updraft: Could Double in Price in 2025 DraftKings’ share price action over the last few years is a textbook worth of recognizable movements indicating bottoming and the blossoming of a stock price reversal still underway. The most recent action shows a healthy Head & Shoulders pattern, confirming support at the low end of the 2024 trading range with a high probability of continuing higher. There is some resistance to higher prices at the mid-point range, but it is likely insufficient to cap the market. If the market can move above that level, it will likely reach the top of the range, nearly $50 and the analysts’ consensus target, or higher. If not, DKNG stock could remain range-bound below $40.50. Original Post Source link #Bet #DraftKings #Rebound Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Oaklynn Alexander, 7, found safe after abduction in Ohio Oaklynn Alexander, 7, found safe after abduction in Ohio EMPIRE, Ohio (WJW) — A 7-year-old girl reportedly abducted in Southeast Ohio on Monday, Nov. 11, has been found safe, the FOX 8 I-Team has learned. The statewide Amber Alert has been canceled. Oaklynn Alexander, 7, was reportedly abducted in Empire, Jefferson County, according to the Ohio Amber Alert website. On Monday evening, sources told the I-Team that state troopers and Medina police pursued the suspect’s stolen vehicle in Medina. Hudson considering ***** department staffing changes Charles Alexander (Ohio Amber Alert) (Ohio Amber Alert) The suspect, Charles Alexander, 43, reportedly left a family member’s house after an altercation, taking the girl with him, despite not having custody of the child, according to the alert. Officers on Monday said they feared for the child’s safety. North Ridgeville schools employee arrested, on leave The suspect vehicle was initially reported as a gray 2018 Ford F-150. The truck was reported to have heavy damage to its rear. Authorities later Monday found the vehicle unoccupied. Authorities then began searching for a 26-foot U-Haul truck, which had been reported as stolen. The alert was issued just before 7 p.m. on Monday and canceled just before 9:30 p.m. that night. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. Source link #Oaklynn #Alexander #safe #abduction #Ohio Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered Review – The Hunt For Greatness I The Koalition Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered Review – The Hunt For Greatness I The Koalition Gary Green said: 2017’s photorealistic narrative masterpiece, Horizon Zero Dawn, is a game I’ve wanted to talk about for quite some time, and as we get into the details, my reasons for doing so should be rather self-explanatory. The problem is, we’re rather late to the party with this one. 2017 was a while back and the vast majority of PlayStation gamers have already had ample chance to pick-up, try, and love the game. Source link #Horizon #Dawn #Remastered #Review #Hunt #Greatness #Koalition Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

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]