Pelican Press

Planet Coaster 2: tips and tricks for beginners Planet Coaster 2: tips and tricks for beginners Frontier Development is back with a sequel to the beloved Planet Coaster game, and this time, we have the chance to create water parks. Planet Coaster 2 has a slew of other improvements compared to its original release in 2016, but now, eight years later and with a PS5 Pro enhancement, there’s a chance for beginners to try out this theme-park manager. With any simulator game comes a wave of tutorials, options, and buttons to press that can get overwhelming. Even if you’ve played the original game before, knowing the best tips and tricks for Planet Coaster 2 will help you create a successful amusement park and learn more about the ins and outs of this sequel. Always start with tutorials Frontier Anyone who plays Planet Coaster 2 for the first time will probably want to hop right into Sandbox mode, even if they had experience with the first game before. No matter if you’re a beginner or veteran, play through the starting tutorials first. The tutorial section is essentially through Career mode, so as soon as you download Planet Coaster 2 and start it, at least finish the Prologue section in Career mode. This will teach you the essentials of both a basic theme park and the water park. You’ll also learn how the new utility mechanic works, as you’ll need to properly power your park. Don’t be afraid of blueprints Frontier Blueprints are a park builder’s best friend, so don’t ignore them. Blueprints give you pre-built roller coasters, buildings, and scenery right from the game’s catalog. Not only that but there’s an online Workshop that allows you to upload your own Blueprints and download creations from other players online. There are an array of Blueprints available from the get go, but when you start to run out, download some creations from the Workshop. Although you can jump right into creating every detail of your park from scratch without Blueprints, they make it easier to learn how to manage the park versus building it all yourself. Happy guests, happy park Frontier The key to a successful park is to keep your guests happy, and even with a starter park, you can easily make this happen. Guests have a myriad of needs that you must meet to keep them in your park and earn you more money. The easiest way to do this is by having enough food and drink stalls around your park to keep them full and quenched. On top of that, keep enough bathrooms around, as well as benches so their energy doesn’t decrease too much. If you have too many rides that induce nausea, they won’t be too happy about it, and safety is key, so always have a lifeguard on duty for every pool. Gift shops are also a nice touch to keep guests believing your park is luxurious. Add scenery to improve rides Frontier Building a simple roller coaster isn’t the only factor when it comes to having a good amusement park. You’ll want to have high Prestige, which you can make happen by creating an attraction that catches the attention of your guests. Do this by adding scenery and decorating the ride, as well as the queues leading up to the ride itself. If you’re unsure where to start, getting a Blueprint is not a bad idea, as they offer pre-decorated rides and attractions. Otherwise, experiment with anything under the scenery tab and make your rides stand out. Watch your EFN rating Frontier Speaking of Prestige, another great way to gain Prestige is by having a good EFN rating. This stands for Excitement, *****, and Nausea, which all get scored on a ride. You want high Excitement, a little bit of *****, but not too much Nausea. Having a balance of some rides that peak in ***** and Nausea is fine, but having too many roller coasters that cause your guests to ****** and run in ***** won’t do you any good. You also don’t want all your rides to be boring and low on Excitement, so test your rides and see how your guests like them, which can help guide your EFN rating. Account for weather changes Frontier A new mechanic with Planet Coaster 2 is dynamic weather. Some days it’ll be cloudy and rainy, but other times it’ll be scorching hot. If you’re not prepared to protect your guests from extreme weather conditions, they’ll leave your park unhappy. On sunny days, your guests will want to put on sunscreen and will look for shade, so make sure to place enough Guest Services booths so they can purchase sunscreen and umbrellas. Those same umbrellas are also good when it’s raining so guests can stay dry. Make extra money with Priority Passes Frontier One of the best ways you can make some extra money in Planet Coaster 2 is by selling Priority Passes. In Park Management, you can price your Priority Passes so guests can pay a bit of extra money to skip the long lines. This also means you’ll need some extra space for Priority Pass entrances and queues to rides. If you sell Priority Passes at a reasonable price, enough guests will start buying them for easier ride access, giving you more money in the process. There are many different ways to boost sales, but this is one of the easier methods. Source link #Planet #Coaster #tips #tricks #beginners Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Pressure mounts on Welby’ and Lineker to leave MOTD ‘Pressure mounts on Welby’ and Lineker to leave MOTD Many of the papers lead with the growing pressure on Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby over a damning report into a prolific child abuser associated with the ******* of England. The Daily Mail says the report found that Mr Welby’s ******** to act when details of the case were presented to him in 2013 meant John Smyth QC, who is believed to have abused more than 100 boys and young men, was never bought to justice. Mr Welby acknowledged last week that the review made clear he had “personally *******” to “energetically investigate”, and said he had considered resigning, but decided to stay in his role. The Bishop of Newcastle, Helen-Ann Hartley, has become the most senior ******* leader to call for the archbishop’s resignation, the Metro reports. “Time to go Archbishop” is its headline. The paper says a petition started by three members of the *******’s governing body, the General Synod, calling for Mr Welby to step down has attracted more than 6,500 signatures. Speaking to the Times, one of the men abused by Smyth says the archbishop’s handling of the allegations was a “dereliction of duty” and that he has “no shadow of a doubt” Mr Welby should step down. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has “declined to offer his public support” to Mr Welby, the Daily Telegraph reports. The paper quotes Sir Keir saying the archbishop’s future is a “matter really for the ******* rather than for me” and describes the situation as “unprecedented”. Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP bringing a bill to legalise assisted dying in the ***, has pledged the new laws would contain the “strictest protections and safeguards of any legislation anywhere in the world”, the Guardian reports. The paper says that, to be eligible, patients will have to be expected to **** within six months, have the mental capacity to make their own choice, and see their bid to end their life approved by a high court judge. It adds that critics are concerned about the potential for undue pressure on patients and the risk that the scope of the bill will widen under legal challenges. Water minister Emma Hardy has said water bills will have to rise in order to repair the country’s crumbling infrastructure and stop ******** sewage spills, the i reports. The paper says the government is also looking at conducting year-round sewage testing at wild swimming spots and expanding the number of spots at which testing is carried out. The Financial Times says that, following Donald Trump’s win in the US presidential election, the ********* Union is planning to redirect potentially tens of billions of euros to defence and security. The paper says the change will involve loosening the rules governing how EU funds intended to reduce inequality between member states can be spent, and that in future the money could be used to boost arms manufacturing or reinforce roads and bridges to allow for the passage of tanks. Gary Lineker is to step down from hosting Match of the Day at the end of the season and leave the BBC altogether after the 2026 World Cup, the Sun reports. A source tells the paper Lineker “wants to leave on a high” and that “if England were to win, it doesn’t get much higher”. And the Daily Mirror describes the move as a “shock” and says it will bring to an end a 25-year career as the host of the show. One insider tells the paper it comes after a deal “agreed by both sides” and that “everyone is happy”. Source link #Pressure #mounts #Welby #Lineker #leave #MOTD Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Unknown 9: Awakening review: a surprisingly intricate gaming gem Unknown 9: Awakening review: a surprisingly intricate gaming gem Unknown 9: Awakening MSRP $50.00 “Unknown 9: Awakening is a promising start for a new series once you learn to love its combat.” ***** Fun, intuitive combat Authentically-written South ****** hero Worthwhile collectibles After spending nearly 20 hours with Haroona, I truly wish I could spend more time with her. That’s a testament to Reflector Entertainment’s first video game endeavor, Unknown 9: Awakening. The action-adventure game intertwines engaging gameplay with unique player strategy through Haroona’s powers, stealth, and environmental objects that can be exploited to crush enemies. It brings me back to the era of early 2010s games like Tomb Raider (2013), Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, and even Prince of Persia: Warrior Within — in all of the best ways. Unknown 9: Awakening – Cinematic Launch Trailer Despite some solvable technical issues, Reflector Entertainment has successfully crafted an intricate gem with Unknown 9: Awakening. Its experimental combat makes lots of room for player agency, and its hero, Haroona, is the South ****** AAA action-adventure lead I have wanted to see for decades. Her debut makes me crave the boundless globe-trotting adventures and secrets that await her in the future. Stepping up The story starts off with Haroona, Unknown 9’s heroine, stowed away in a vehicle driven by her mentor. Both are Quaestors and are able to push and pull objects and people, similar to how the Force works in the Star Wars franchise (though Haroona unlocks more abilities that set her apart from the Jedi very quickly). What begins as a simple revenge story of Haroona trying to ***** the head of the Ascendents, Vincent Lichter, quickly becomes an entire *********** theory. Haroona discovers clues around the world and finds secret societies trying to break the cycles of determinism and destruction of a malevolent evil that was sealed away long ago by a group called the Unknown 9. As a Quaestor, Haroona has a variety of combat skills, powers, and abilities usable throughout the course of her journey to aid in taking her revenge on Vincent. Haroona is a skilled fighter who can use light and heavy attacks close up, dodge ****** melee attacks, and reposition by hiding in tall grass to get the jump on enemies. Where she shines the most is her use of her Quaestor abilities, which can be used depending on her Am gauge. Am is life-force energy that will replenish gradually over time and allows Haroona to push and pull enemies, lob projectiles that lure foes, and shroud herself by turning invisible. Am can even be used to heal when fights become a bit chaotic; that happens fairly quickly and gives the adventure a steady stream of satisfying challenges. Bandai Namco Entertainment Unknown 9 does a fantastic job of introducing its core gameplay loops in a *****-sized manner early on. It was easy for me to get a feel for what Haroona can do and the choices I had to hone my play style: sneaking past enemies by using tall grass, destroying electric generators to zap enemies, or even breaking lamps that will leave ***** in its place to then push enemies to watch them ***** alive. The star of the show, though, is Stepping. As long as you have Stepping Tokens available, this skill allows Haroona to possess an ******. A time limit ticks down when moving into a new body, but time stops when possessing an ******. I can do whatever I want in that time window. There’s some strategic depth to that system. For instance, I can take control of an ******, walk toward another ******, ***** my ****, possess another ******, and use my melee shockwave on the first body I possessed. After my Stepping Tokens are used up, the whole thing plays out, and I sit back and watch as my foes ******* one another. In those moments, I appreciate how intricate the core combat feels and how easily it becomes second nature. Even when I ***** during a long combat encounter and had to start it all over again, that just meant I had a new opportunity to experiment with my powers. There is no one way to “win” these combat encounters; the decision-making and scheming are up to you. Hidden upgrades and puzzles Throughout Unknown 9, you will find Anomalies, which are collectible pocket spheres used to upgrade skills. You have three skill trees available: Umbric Abilities, Stealth, and Combat. Through these paths, you can upgrade your core abilities to replenish Am through Stepping, become invisible for longer, deflect bullets, and more. Anomalies are the only way to unlock or upgrade these skill trees, which I find refreshing compared to your average action-RPG level-up approach. I could naturally hunt for them on hidden pathways while I searched for other collectibles like documents, blueprints, and dossiers that built out the world further. I always felt free to experiment since I didn’t have to worry about perfecting a ****** to get skill points. Bandai Namco Entertainment As for other fine details, each ****** has a Faze gauge. When maxed out, this allows Haroona to deal a rapid burst *******, dealing massive damage and leaving her invulnerable for a few seconds. Faze attacks feel weighty, especially when I use them on multiple enemies around me and then move toward each to inflict a burst *******. This especially comes in handy with the few boss battles the game throws out, since burst attacks are the ideal way to dish out damage. There are a lot of terms the game throws at you in immediate succession, but the handy Journal written from Haroona’s point of view explains everything in excruciating detail. I appreciate that the UI is not cluttered with objectives or constant text like other action-adventure games, too. This helped me better take in the scenery, like large canyons, bustling street markets, or rushing waterfalls. At certain points, Haroona can enter the Fold, a spiritual plane with prints of history and glances at alternate histories. There, Haroona has an out-of-body experience and solves environmental puzzles by redirecting light sources and channeling Am through different tablet sources to open doors. These visually awe-inspiring segments reminded me of Tomb Raider’s puzzles, but they come with some technical woes — Unknown 9’s Achilles’ heel overall. Bugs like one where I’d channel my Am correctly with no result can lead to frustrating moments that had me resetting to clear up problems. Bandai Namco Entertainment Another technical issue I had was when a friendly NPC got stuck crawling inside a wall. Again, loading the last checkpoint fixed this easily and actually pushed me farther with the NPC appearing right next to me, so I had no qualms. When Stepping into enemies, sometimes their model does not shift properly to correspond with their line of sight, but when you do use the ******* where you want, the ****** will use it correctly. This one is more of a visual bug that had zero bearing on the combat at all, but the large puzzle room and the NPC getting stuck on time crawling inside a wall set me back a bit even though the fixes were ********* easily on my end. Players will have to ***** into the Fold for extended periods, and those segments make for some of the best spiritual, dimension-shifting, time-dissociative experiences you’ll find in a game this year. These could have been brief puzzle sections in any other game, but they’re grand escapades here that had me questioning what was happening, what would happen, and what could happen. Haroona and friends What really draws me to Unknown 9 is its characters. Early on, Haroona crosses paths with a secret society that she must work with to get her revenge. The Morning Star, an airship hub area, allows me to speak to each of these society members about their goals, their lifestyles, and where they are from. Each of these characters comes from a completely different life. I found myself eager to speak to each and every one of them anytime I returned to The Morning Star. I sincerely wanted to know more about Buchra’s extensive knowledge of books, Luther’s sharpshooting cowboy ********* antics, or Fortunato’s passion for music. Bandai Namco Entertainment These moments leave a real impression on Haroona. I can sense her tone shifting depending on who she speaks to, which is a realistic touch that gives her character depth. That cultural attention to detail is on display throughout the adventure. Hearing background characters speak Bengali (that I could understand as I know Hindi) made me feel represented in a way few AAA titles have. And it accomplishes that while adding more realism to this bustling world. As for Haroona herself, I love her character. Plain and simple. She feels like a hero I would have seen beside Lara Croft and Nathan Drake if this game had been released around the 2010s. Actress Anya Chalotra, known as Yennefer from Netflix’s The Witcher, is extraordinary in the role. There is a lot of depth in Haroona and her portrayal; you can feel a lot boiling inside Haroona. It’s not just her revenge for Reika that defines her. You can feel her change when she discovers a place or a group of people she belongs with. When Reika is taken away from her, Haroona very much pushes people away and only lets those near her that can aid her to hunt down Reika’s *******. Moments where she called out colonialism endeared me to her. She is affectionate and true to herself as best she can be. The titular Awakening is not just about her powers; it’s about opening her heart to new people to let them inside. Gaming enthusiasts tend to talk a lot about how they want all-new games rather than playing the same tired franchises. Even with some technical hiccups holding it back in a few places, Unknown 9: Awakening delivers a fresh new world filled with memorable characters and an inventive combat system that pushed me to experiment with my powers. It may have gotten lost in 2024’s busy holiday season, but I hope more players return to it once the flood of new games slows. It’s the kind of hidden gem that deserves to be discovered. Unknown 9: Awakening was tested on PlayStation 5 with a code provided by the publisher. Source link #Unknown #Awakening #review #surprisingly #intricate #gaming #gem Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson calls out Red One on set controversy, admits to peeing in bottles Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson calls out Red One on set controversy, admits to peeing in bottles How do you relieve yourself as a time-poor Hollywood heavyweight? Take a leaf from Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s acting 101 book. Earlier this year, online publication The Wrap published a story alleging the actor was regularly late to the set of action/comedy Red One, frustrating the cast and crew, and inflating the cost of the $250 million production by $50 million. It also mentioned how the 52-year-old pro wrestler would **** in bottles to save time during his busy filming schedule. “Yeah. That happens,” he told GQ in a feature that hashed out the claims. Johnson also admitted his lateness was true but added the controversy overall was “bullsh*t”. “Yeah, that happens too,” Johnson said. “But not that amount, by the way. That was a bananas amount. That’s crazy. Ridiculous,” he told GQ. Film director Jake Kasdan said Johnson “never missed a day of work ever”. Camera IconChris Evans, Lucy Liu, Dwayne Johnson and J. K. Simmons attend the Red One photocall in London. Credit: Jeff Spicer/Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for War “He has a lot going on. He can be late sometimes, but such is Hollywood — that’s the case with everybody. Honestly, I’ve made three big movies with him. I’ve never seen him be anything but great to every single person on the set.” Co-star Chris Evans said while Johnson was indeed late, his team knew when he would be showing up. “It’s not like he’s late unexpectedly, and I wouldn’t even call it late. He comes in slightly later on certain mornings, but it’s part of the plan. It’s worked into the schedules and everyone knows it, so he shows up when he’s scheduled to show up,” Evans told GQ. “In terms of the guy that I saw, compared to some of the things I’ve seen in other movies with other actors who are not only not conscious of other people’s time and efforts, but they’re unpredictable? I found Dwayne to be — we all know exactly what he’s going to do when he’s going to do it.” Red One is in cinemas now. Johnson will also reprise his role in Disney’s Moana 2 out on November 28. Source link #Dwayne #Rock #Johnson #calls #Red #set #controversy #admits #peeing #bottles Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How to complete Giant Stump Raccoon quests in Stardew Valley How to complete Giant Stump Raccoon quests in Stardew Valley ConcernedApe Stardew Valley has a myriad of quests to complete as you’re simultaneously tending to your growing farm, catching fish, and exploring the mines. Some quests give you access to exclusive content, and the Giant Stump quests are no different. Both beginners and veterans of this farming simulator may completely miss the Giant Stump and Raccoon quests, but completing these tasks is worth it, as you become privy to a special shop with unique wares. They were introduced alongside the 1.6 update,. Here’s how to unlock and complete the Giant Stump Raccoon quests in Stardew Valley. How to start the Giant Stump quests Step 1: Unlock the greenhouse from completing the Pantry bundle at the Community Center. At the start of your game, the tree stump will be a full-grown tree in Cindersnap Forest and will require you to first have the greenhouse unlocked before this next random event can occur. ConcernedApe Step 2: Wait for a random night when you get the message that a huge windstorm hit Pelican Town. Step 3: Head south to Marnie’s Ranch in Cindersnap Forest and walk left until you see a large tree stump with a question mark above it. ConcernedApe Step 4: You will now have to donate 100 Hardwood to repair the Giant Stump. Hardwood is available from Mahogany Trees and is easy to farm in the Secret Woods west of Cindersnap Forest. ConcernedApe How to complete the Raccoon Family quests It’ll only take one day for the Giant Stump to be fixed up, and once that happens, you’ll see a Raccoon near the stump. You will now have to complete eight different requests for this Raccoon to unlock the exclusive shop. Step 1: Request one: Five of either of these Crab **** fish (Mussel, Clam, Periwinkle, Cockle, Crayfish, Snail, Oyster) and one random Smoked Fish (dependent on season). Your reward is 25 Carrot, Summer Squash, Broccoli, or Powdermelon seeds (dependent on season). ConcernedApe Step 2: Request two: One random Dried Fruit (dependent on season) and one random Jelly (dependent on season). Your reward is the Raccoon Journal. Reading this gives weeds a better chance to yield mixed seeds when harvested with a Scythe. Step 3: Request three: One random Dried Mushroom (dependent on season), and five ***** Carrots, White Algae, or any eggs. Your reward is a Raccoon Hat. Step 4: Request four: One random Pickle (dependent on season) and one random Juice (dependent on season). Your reward is five ****** Dusts, which you can use on any equipment (furnaces, kegs etc.) to instantly get their creation. Step 5: Request five: Two of any of these items chosen at random: 20 Bat Wings, 20 Bug Meat, four Coral, one Diamond, five Frozen Geodes, eight Geodes, three Ghostfish, three Magma Geodes, 10 Moss, one Rusty Spoon, two Sea Urchin, 99 ******, three Topaz, or five Trash. Your reward is a Jungle Tank, a piece of furniture item for your home. Step 6: Requests six, seven, and eight will repeat any of the first five requests at random. Your rewards for these requests will either be seven ****** Dusts, one Book of Stars (gains you experience in all skills), or one Stardrop Tea. Step 7: Once you’ve finally completed all eight requests for the Raccoons, you can now revisit the Giant Stump at any point to use the Raccoon wife’s shop. Instead of purchasing items with gold, you’ll have to trade items instead. ConcernedApe All items in Raccoon Wife’s shop Raccoon Journal (costs 999 Fiber) Mahogany Seed (costs 20 Coal) Raccoon Hat (costs 10 Mixed Seeds) Carrot Seeds (costs one Maple Seed) Summer Squad Seeds (costs 15 Sap) Broccoli Seeds (costs five Moss) Powdermelon Seeds (costs two Pine Cones) Mixed Seeds (costs one ***** Carrot) ****** Dust (costs one Mystic Syurp) Jungle Tank (costs five Broken Glasses) Golden Mystery Box (costs three Mystery Boxes) Magic Rock Candy (costs 20 Golden Mystery Boxes) Source link #complete #Giant #Stump #Raccoon #quests #Stardew #Valley Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Disney cruise ship comes to rescue of sinking catamaran, saves 4 people in North Atlantic Disney cruise ship comes to rescue of sinking catamaran, saves 4 people in North Atlantic A brand-new Disney cruise ship rushed to the aid of a catamaran taking on water in the Atlantic on Sunday and plucked four people to safety, authorities said. The 50-foot Serenity was 265 miles away from Bermuda when it called for help at 8:30 a.m., prompting the Coast Guard out of Elizabeth City, North Carolina, to alert nearby vessels, according to an agency statement. The Disney Treasure responded, saying it was 80 miles from Serenity, before heading to the catamaran and arriving between 1 p.m. and 1:45 p.m., according to the Coast Guard. A life boat from the cruise ship Treasure heads toward a disabled Catamaran. Once Treasure got close enough, it launched a lifeboat and got all four Serenity passengers safely off the disabled craft, officials said. “We are pleased that the Disney Treasure was able to provide aid to the boat passengers in peril,” said the Treasure’s captain, Marco Nogara, said in a statement released on Monday by Disney. “Our crew members worked together on the rescue, skillfully demonstrating their training and commitment to safety,” Nogara said. A bilge pump on Serenity was working and helped stem the flow of water but that was only a temporary solution. “The vessel was able to control parts of the flooding they were experiencing, but they couldn’t keep up with it,” Petty Officer 3rd Class Christine Bills told NBC News. It appeared Disney Treasure was only recently constructed and headed from Eemshaven, Netherlands, to its future home in Port Canaveral, Florida, when she was unexpectedly called to duty. The Disney Treasure was on a journey “across the Atlantic Ocean … in preparation for its inaugural season this December,“ according to a Disney blog posting on Friday. Treasure is schedule to make its first planned passenger journey on Dec. 21, casting off for seven nights with stops in Tortola in the British ******* Islands, St. Thomas in the U.S. ******* Islands and Castaway Cay in the Bahamas. The $1.1 billion Treasure has 1,250 passenger cabins, according to her ******* builder Meyer Werft. This article was originally published on TODAY.com Source link #Disney #cruise #ship #rescue #sinking #catamaran #saves #people #North #Atlantic Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nintendo Switch 2 will have to overcome one major challenge Nintendo Switch 2 will have to overcome one major challenge The latest news on the Nintendo Switch’s successor, colloquially referred to as the Nintendo Switch 2, excites me. Unfortunately, it also demonstrates a major hurdle that Nintendo Switch 2 will have to overcome. While Nintendo has yet to go all out in terms ofexplaining what the Switch 2 is yet (or if that’s even its name), we did learn in the company’s latest financial results that the console will be backward compatible with Nintendo Switch titles. That’s a win for not just Switch 2, but game preservation and the Nintendo Account system. Although backward compatibility is a net win for Nintendo’s next system, as it was for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, it reminds me that Nintendo must succeed where PlayStation and Xbox have struggled this generation. Namely, Switch 2 needs to feel like a neccaessary upgrade from the Nintendo Switch. PS4 to PS5 adoption has been slower than expected, likely because people haven’t felt the need to upgrade in order to enjoy the games they are playing the most. While backward compatibility is a net good for the Switch 2, I just hope that doesn’t also mean that Nintendo is relying on people mostly playing Switch 1 games on the new system. Nintendo Earlier this year, PlayStation boasted that it had 118 million monthly active users, but revealed that around half of those were still on PS4. We’re nearly four years into this new console generation, and it still seems like a lot of people haven’t found it necessary to make the upgrade yet. That makes sense, as the most popular games like Fortnite and each new Call of Duty are still on last-gen consoles. New PS5-only exclusives like Returnal, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and Astro **** have been great, but slow to trickle out. Even several years in to the current generation of console gaming, it feels like the last generation never ended. That sentiment is only slowly starting to change, now that more and more big third-party games, like EA Sports College Football 25 and Grand Theft Auto VI, are dropping last-gen consoles. Overall, I think that has hurt Xbox and PlayStation, and I’m worried the same thing is going to happen to Nintendo. Nintendo has sold over 146 million Nintendo Switch consoles and 1.3 billion units worth of software on that platform. People have massive Switch libraries of games they adore and have sunk dozens, if not hundreds, of hours into. As such, it make sense that Nintendo doesn’t want its players to completely leave all of that behind. Even if people only buy a game or two for Switch 2 at release, they’ll have a giant back catalog of titles to enjoy on it. Nintendo Music’s’ key art shows just how many popular franchises have a presence on Nitnendo Switch. Image used with permission by copyright holder The thing is, there needs to be more than only a game or two exclusive to the new system to buy. Nintendo can’t control third-party developers, but I’m worried the Switch 2 will lack an identity out of the gate if most of its launch exclusives and games released throughout its first year are cross-gen titles also available on Switch. The Switch 2 needs an identity of its own, especially if it is truly a Switch 2 and not some sort of wildly different idea. If Nintendo isn’t careful, it could potentially make the same mistakes PlayStation and Xbox made during their last console transitions. If people are going to drop one system for another, there needs to be an ample, worthwhile reason to upgrade. Nintendo, thankfully, has the benefit of its first-party games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate being as popular as third-party live service games are on other platforms. If Switch 2 can deliver exclusive follow-ups to those games, or multiple titles with similar potential for being massive hits, within the first year of the console’s life cycle, people will feel the need to upgrade. And if they do, Nintendo can have a smoother transition from one console to another than both Sony and Microsoft did with their latest gaming platforms. As we continue to learn more and more about whatever the Switch 2 ends up being, this will remain one of the biggest challenges for Nintendo to overcome. Source link #Nintendo #Switch #overcome #major #challenge Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Some Arizona Latinos Find New Home Within *********** Party Some Arizona Latinos Find New Home Within *********** Party “When I was a Democrat the wall signified white supremacy. Now it signifies security. This is the first year I switched completely and became a registered ***********. After the Trump ************** attempt, I decided to drop all my classes, my fall semester classes, and focus completely for this campaign because I knew that the *********** Party had a home for me. I am a proud Latino, both ********* and ******** citizen. The Democratic Party has a problem with young men, specifically men of ******. After the elections, they forget us. It does not understand men’s pain, the loneliness in men. It cares about everyone but men. In 2016, I registered to vote to contribute to the Bernie Sanders campaign as a Democrat. I was a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. I was a Bernie Victory Captain. When he lost, I did vote for Donald Trump. I did the same thing in 2020. I’d say that I felt pushed out. In this election, there wasn’t even a single primary. We didn’t get our voice heard. They chose a candidate for us and they told us, ‘If you don’t vote for her, you’re a sexist.’ I felt like it had no place for a young Latino like me.” “We, as older Republicans, we welcome them.” “This ******** ********* woman gave me a little pamphlet for a prayer group. Blanca, she’s the wife of Gerry Navarro, who ran as a *********** in Santa Cruz. And she just was very nice treating me like a human being. And I saw this kindness.” “The younger Latino males want values that represent them, No. 1.” “I started to realize that Republicans aren’t anti-immigration. They’re anti-******** immigration. And the Democratic Party, they just kept telling me, ‘You are *******.’” “No. 2, they’re looking at the economy. They want to have a house. They want to be able to afford things.” “I just want to have a family. How can I do that when the Democratic Party is not focusing on the economy and making sure I have the ability to take care of my family?” “The Democrats are seeing Latinos as: You follow me because I’m telling you to. And they’re not going to fall for that anymore. There’s a definite bridge that we have started, and we hope to continue that bridge.” Source link #Arizona #Latinos #Find #Home #*********** #Party Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct: How to watch and what to expect Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct: How to watch and what to expect Blizzard Entertainment has had an eventful year. Following Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the studio has seen the successful releases of World of Warcraft: The War Within and Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred but also had to deal with mass layoffs and the release of Jason Schreier’s revealing book Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment. To cap off this hectic year, and in lieu of its traditional BlizzCon event, Blizzard Entertainment is holding a Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct livestream this week. Warcraft: Orcs & Humans is the game that put Blizzard on the map, and it was first released on November 15, 1994. Thirty years later, the franchise has expanded with games like World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, and Warcraft Rumble. Now, Blizzard is going to celebrate them all during a single livestream. It’s something that Warcraft fans will certainly want to tune into. For those interested, I’ve rounded up everything you need to know about how to watch the Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct and what you should expect from it. When is the Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct? The Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct will begin at 10 a.m. PT on November 13. Blizzard has not said how long the Direct will last, but has confirmed that a World of Warcraft: 20 Years of Music concert will air right after the show concludes. How to watch the Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct The first showcase of its kind, the Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct will air on World of Warcraft’s YouTube channel and the Warcraft Twitch and TikTok channels. As soon as the YouTube premiere for the event goes live, I’ll embed it above so you can watch the Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct on this page. On Twitch, Blizzard also plans to give away in-game rewards for World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, and Warcraft Rumble to viewers. This is the official 30th Anniversary artwork for the Warcraft franchise. Blizzard Entertainment What to expect from the Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct “It’s a big year for the Warcraft universe and whether you’re a Hearthstone fan, you’ve joined the chaos in Warcraft Rumble, ventured into the world of Azeroth for the first time in Warcraft: Orcs and Humans, or you’re a World of Warcraft player, there’s something for everyone in our Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct stream,” the official description of the event states. It seems like a safe bet to assume that we’ll learn more about upcoming updates for games like World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, and Warcraft Rumble here. The biggest question marks surrounding the Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct are what surprises Blizzard has in store. One appears to have leaked with Warcraft II Remastered, which seems to be an enhanced version of 1995’s Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness. It definitely seems like the Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct stream is worth tuning into if you want to learn more about that and other upcoming Warcraft projects. Source link #Warcraft #30th #Anniversary #Direct #watch #expect Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Bitcoin is closing in on $90,000 for the first time ever Bitcoin is closing in on $90,000 for the first time ever Bitcoin was trading just shy of $90,000 Monday night after breaching $80,000 just a day earlier. The flagship cryptocurrency was last higher by 12% at $89,100, according to Coin Metrics. Earlier Monday, it rose as high as $89,623.00. Its price is expected by many investors to continue making fresh records on its way up to $100,000 later this year. “Bitcoin is now in price discovery mode after breaking through all-time highs early last Wednesday morning when it was officially declared that Trump won the election,” said Mike Colonnese, an analyst at H.C. Wainwright. “Strong positive sentiment is likely to persist through the balance of 2024 and [we] see bitcoin prices potentially reaching the six-figure mark by the end of this year.” Stock Chart IconStock chart icon Bitcoin is closing in on the $90,000 for the first time ever Crypto investors have been cheering President-elect Donald Trump’s promises to make the regulatory environment more supportive and even friendly toward crypto businesses, which have long struggled with a lack of clarity of the rules of the road. While bitcoin has long been deemed a safe asset in Washington – that is, not subject to securities laws – the long tail of cryptocurrencies and crypto-related startups have been operating in a risky grey area. “That’s just shifted 180 degrees,” Matt Hougan, chief investment officer of Bitwise Asset Management, told CNBC. “We’re now in a positive regulatory environment, we now have tailwinds from that, and that comes in the case of a market that was already in a bull market … that’s going to push us higher.” Ether was trading higher by 5.8% Monday evening. Payments token XRP rose nearly 4% and the token linked to decentralized finance project Polygon gained more than 4%. Dogecoin has been one of the biggest winners – likely due to its connection with Elon Musk, who helped get Trump elected. It’s up 38%. In the stock market, Coinbase and MicroStrategy gained about 3% and 5%, respectively, in extended trading. In the regular session on Monday, Coinbase surged 19% to trade above $300 for the first time since 2021. It’s now about 6% from its high from that year. Traders and analysts agree this rally is just only beginning. “It does seem like there’s an air gap between the previous [bitcoin] all-time highs around $72,000 and $100,000,” Hougan said. “It’s hard exactly to see what would force sellers to come into this market and halt the momentum before we get to that level. Of course, there are no guarantees. You could see pullbacks, but we’re in a new crypto market cycle. … I do think that we are right to be bullish and the bias is still on the upside.” Don’t miss these cryptocurrency insights from CNBC PRO: Source link #Bitcoin #closing #time Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NYT Connections: hints and answers for Monday, November 11 NYT Connections: hints and answers for Monday, November 11 Sam Hill / Digital Trends Connections is one of the best puzzle games from the New York Times. The game tasks you with categorizing a pool of 16 words into four secret (for now) groups by figuring out how the words relate to each other. The puzzle resets every night at midnight and each new puzzle has a varying degree of difficulty. Just like Wordle, you can keep track of your winning streak and compare your scores with friends. Some days are trickier than others — just like other NYT Games favorites The Mini and Strands. If you’re having a little trouble solving today’s puzzle, check out our Connections tips and tricks guide for some good strategies or check out the hints for today’s Connections puzzle below. And if you still can’t get it, we’ll tell you today’s answers at the very end. How to play Connections Connections is a daily game about finding common threads between words. Players must select four groups of four words without making more than three mistakes. Play now. pic.twitter.com/CqObVOqeUs — The New York Times (@nytimes) November 3, 2024 You can play Connections on the New York Times website or with the NYT Games app on iOS or Android. In Connections, you’ll be shown a grid containing 16 words — your objective is to organize these words into four sets of four by identifying the connections that link them. These sets could encompass concepts like titles of video game franchises, book series sequels, shades of red, names of chain restaurants, etc. There are generally words that seem like they could fit multiple themes, but there’s only one 100% correct answer. You’re able to shuffle the grid of words and rearrange them to help better see the potential connections. Each group is ******-coded. The yellow group is the easiest to figure out, followed by the green, blue, and purple groups. Pick four words and hit Submit. If you’re correct, the four words will be removed from the grid and the theme connecting them will be revealed. Guess incorrectly and it’ll count as a mistake. You only have four mistakes available until the game ends. Hints for today’s Connections We can help you solve today’s Connection by telling you the four themes. If you need more assistance, we’ll also give you one word from each group below. Today’s themes CHOCOLATE BARS GIST KINDS OF BRAS ___ BIRD One-answer reveals CHOCOLATE BARS – CRUNCH GIST – CORE KINDS OF BRAS – DEMI ___ BIRD – BIG New York Times Today’s Connections answers Still no luck? That’s OK. This puzzle is designed to be difficult. If you just want to see today’s Connections answer, we’ve got you covered below: CHOCOLATE BARS – CRUNCH, DOVE, MARS, PAYDAY GIST – CORE, MEAT, SUBSTANCE, THRUST KINDS OF BRAS – DEMI, PUSH-UP, SPORTS, WIRELESS ___ BIRD – BIG, EARLY, LADY, SUE Connections grids vary widely and change every day. If you couldn’t solve today’s puzzle, be sure to check back in tomorrow. NYT Connection FAQs What time does the Connections puzzle change? The puzzle changes daily at midnight local time. Who edits the NYT Connections game? Wyna Liu, who has been editing puzzles at The New York Times since 2020, edits Connections daily. “A few months ago, a new assignment crossed my desk: Create the game boards for Connections, a category matching game that had recently been greenlighted and was in search of an editor,” wrote Liu in an article explaining her process in June 2024. Most of my puzzle experience has been working with crosswords, and I was excited at the chance to try something different. I’ve enjoyed learning how puzzle editing plays out once a game is greenlighted, and seeing how our team fits into a larger ecosystem.” On the one-year anniversary of Connections launching earlier this year, Liu posted this TikTok about her favorite puzzles so far: Source link #NYT #Connections #hints #answers #Monday #November Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Wessex Water fined £500,000 over sewage leaks that ******* fish Wessex Water fined £500,000 over sewage leaks that ******* fish Wessex Water has been fined £500,000 for polluting two rivers and ******** thousands of fish. The company admitted a series of failures which led to untreated sewage being discharged into the rivers in Wiltshire and North Somerset in 2018. Janine Maclean, from the Environment Agency, said: “These cases are further examples of a water company breaking the law and causing serious pollution.” It is the second-highest fine in the company’s history. A Wessex Water spokesperson apologised and said the incidents “shouldn’t have happened”. Clackers Brook is a small river in Wiltshire. It rises near Bromham and runs just five miles into Melksham, where it joins the River Avon. But in that first five miles, it passes the Wessex Water sewage pumping station at Bowerhill Lodge. In April 2018 the company allowed storm water with untreated sewage to flow into the river for 54 hours. Later the same year, there was a mechanical and electrical ******** which led to more sewage flowing into Clackers Brook. The Environment Agency found that 2,100 fish *****, including eels and lampreys both endangered and protected species. Investigators reported that all fish within 1km of the spill were *******. Senior officer Janine Maclean said it was “very sad the pollutions had such serious impacts – ******** fish and other aquatic life”. The agency took Wessex Water to court for breaching their licence, and the company admitted the offences. Meanwhile in North Somerset, near Weston-super-Mare, another sewage pipe burst in August 2018. Again, untreated effluent polluted the rivers and the local marsh rhyne drainage system. This led to more fish dying, including spined stickleback and eels. The sewage pipe in question was a so-called “rising main”, a pipe through which sewage is pumped under pressure. The rising main had already been identified by Wessex Water prior to the incident, as a critical one that needed to be monitored, but the monitoring was not put in place until after the incident. District Judge Joanna Dickens, sitting at Swindon Magistrates Court, ruled the company was negligent, because “of the ******** to install monitoring equipment at an earlier time”. The Environment Agency said that Wessex Water’s rising mains are “ageing” and account for many of the company’s pollution incidents. Janine Maclean, of the Environment Agency, said: “We recognise the company is increasing its monitoring of rising mains, but monitoring is still reliant on ********, and we would like to see the company significantly increase the level of investment it makes to proactively replace rising mains before they fail.” A Wessex Water spokesperson apologised for the incidents, and said the company had done what it could as soon it realised what had happened. They continued: “Since these incidents took place, we have invested in AI technology to detect where potential issues on our network might occur to further protect the environment.” Source link #Wessex #Water #fined #sewage #leaks #******* #fish Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Overwatch: Classic Is Bringing Back 6v6 In Overwatch 2 For A Limited-Time Overwatch: Classic Is Bringing Back 6v6 In Overwatch 2 For A Limited-Time Overwatch 2 is returning to the original Overwatch’s 6v6 format (and all of its original character abilities and maps) for a limited-time in an upcoming event mode Blizzard is calling Overwatch: Classic. It is basically as the name implies; from November 12 to December 2, Overwatch 1 will essentially be playable inside Overwatch 2. That means the mode will only feature the game’s original roster of 21 heroes and their original abilities, on modes and maps from Overwatch 1. It also means that, at least for the first few days of the event, “there will be no hero limits and no role limits,” as was the case when Overwatch first launched. After those first few days, a single hero rule per team will be enforced for the remainder of Overwatch: Classic, according to Blizzard’s announcement blog. As Blizzard describes it, the event brings back the “chaotic” gameplay from Overwatch 1, complete with some of the roster’s completely match-altering abilities, like Mercy’s team-reviving Resurrect ultimate or Symmetra’s powerful, map-spanning teleporters. It also means a return to friendly-*****, as D.VA and Junkrat will once again be able to harm themselves with their abilities. There will, however, be a few differences between Overwatch 1 and Overwatch: Classic. For starters, loot boxes and the original Overwatch’s UI aren’t coming back, nor are the original, non-reworked versions of Overwatch’s maps. Instead, it will use the reworked Overwatch 2 versions of the original Overwatch’s 12 launch maps. Players also won’t be able to use skins or cosmetics, even if they are from the original game, when playing Overwatch: Classic. Heroes will instead be restricted to their default appearance in Overwatch 1 for the event. Blizzard had previously announced it would be testing a return to 6v6 for Overwatch 2, but Blizzard insists that Overwatch: Classic is not that. Additionally, Blizzard says it’s not planning for Overwatch: Classic to be a one-and-done event and that it could return, even if it doesn’t have much more to say at this time. “While we’re not planning for this to be a single event, we will be measuring player response to inform our future plans,” Blizzard writes. Blizzard’s announcement of Overwatch: Classic further contributes to a trend of popular shooters, like Fortnite and Apex: Legends, banking on the nostalgia players have for the launch versions of their favorite games. Fortnite is reportedly bringing back its Fortnite OG game mode (feauring the game’s original map and weapons) permanently in December. Meanwhile, Apex: Legends’ Season 23 introduced Launch Royale, a limited-time mode that brings back the game’s original map, characters, weapons, and abilities much like Overwatch: Classic will. Overwatch 2 recently launched Season 13, which brought a new PvP Halloween event alongside major balance changes to heroes like Sombra and some of the game’s most popular tanks. As for when players can expect more 6v6 action, Blizzard says it will be conducting 6v6 tests during Season 14, which begins on December 10. The first test will require a hero in each role, while a second test slated for later in the season will test out the “classic 2-2-2″ role composition,” with some tweaks. Source link #Overwatch #Classic #Bringing #6v6 #Overwatch #LimitedTime Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How will the ‘border tsar’ approach immigration? How will the ‘border tsar’ approach immigration? Watch: New ‘border tsar’ Tom Homan discusses his approach Veteran immigration official Tom Homan will be in charge of the country’s borders following Trump’s inauguration in January. With a decades-long career in law enforcement and at the border, all eyes will be on how he plans to cut down on ******** immigration into the US – a flagship policy of Trump’s election campaign. So how will he approach the task? Homan – an ex-policeman and former acting US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) director – has described immigration at the US border as “the biggest national security vulnerability this nation has seen since 9/11 and we have to fix it.” Addressing ******** immigrants in the US during the *********** National Convention in the summer, he said: “You better start packing now.” But it is not yet clear how his role as “border tsar” will take shape, as managing immigration involves coordination among several government agencies. He has however, provided some ideas on how he would approach the border. Reversing Biden policies In an interview with CBS News’s 60 Minutes in October, prior to Trump’s election, Homan indicated he would seek to target non-********* immigrants who are in the country illegally, after first prioritising “public safety threats” and “national security threats”. Such an approach would reverse Biden administration policies that direct Ice to focus on deporting serious **********, national security threats and recent border crossers. The current Biden policy helps protect undocumented immigrants who have been living in the US and have not committed *******. Targeted arrests to facilitate deportations Homan has said he would use a targeted approach would be used when carrying out arrests and deportations. Asked in the same October interview how deportations would be carried out, Homan said: “It’s not gonna be a mass sweep of neighbourhoods. It’s not gonna be building concentration camps. I’ve read it all. It’s ridiculous.” “They’ll be targeted arrests. We’ll know who we’re going to arrest, where we’re most likely to find ’em based on numerous… investigative processes,” he added. Deporting families together Homan played a role in Trump’s controversial “zero tolerance” policy, which separated thousands of migrant children from their parents. The policy sparked backlash when children were sent to shelters while their parents were prosecuted with no plans to reunite them. Homan has said he didn’t write the policy memo that led to the separations, but he was one of three officials who signed it. He said he signed it “hoping to save lives”. Homan indicated that he would not seek to re-instate that policy. Rather, he has said families could be “deported together”, when asked whether deportations could be carried out without separating families. Workplace mass immigration arrests Homan also has pointed to reviving mass immigration arrests at workplaces – what he refers to as work-site enforcement operations, which Biden discontinued in 2021. “As far as the people going to push back on deporting, what is the option?,” he said on Fox News’s Fox & Friends on Monday. “You have the right to claim asylum. You have a right to see a judge. We make that happen. But at the end of that due process if the judge says you must go home, then we have to take them home.” Homan’s roots as police officer, border patrol agentGetty Images Homan, 62, started his career as a police officer in New York state before serving as a border patrol agent – a role he often references. “I was a border patrol agent. I wore the uniform,” he told Fox & Friends on Monday. “I’m proud that I wore the uniform… I was the first Ice director to come up through the ranks.” Former President Barack Obama appointed him to head Ice’s deportation branch in 2013. It marked a time when the agency conducted a record number of deportations. Homan’s work won him the Presidential Rank Award, the highest civil service recognition. Trump appointed Homan as acting director of Ice during his second week in office in 2017, a role he continued in until 2018. Trump later nominated him to become the agency’s permanent director, but the Senate never moved on the nomination. Homan, who currently serves as a Fox News contributor, joined the ************* Heritage Foundation as a visiting fellow and is a contributor to Project 2025, an ultra-************* policy proposal. It mentions increased funding for a wall on the US-Mexico border, creating a more powerful border policing operation and increasing fees on immigrants. Trump has distanced himself from the agenda while on the campaign trail. Source link #border #tsar #approach #immigration Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NYT Strands today: hints, spangram and answers for Monday, November 11 NYT Strands today: hints, spangram and answers for Monday, November 11 Strands is a brand new daily puzzle from the New York Times. A trickier take on the classic word search, you’ll need a keen eye to solve this puzzle. Like Wordle, Connections, and the Mini Crossword, Strands can be a bit difficult to solve some days. There’s no shame in needing a little help from time to time. If you’re stuck and need to know the answers to today’s Strands puzzle, check out the solved puzzle below. How to play Strands You start every Strands puzzle with the goal of finding the “theme words” hidden in the grid of letters. Manipulate letters by dragging or tapping to craft words; double-tap the final letter to confirm. If you find the correct word, the letters will be highlighted blue and will no longer be selectable. If you find a word that isn’t a theme word, it still helps! For every three non-theme words you find that are at least four letters long, you’ll get a hint — the letters of one of the theme words will be revealed and you’ll just have to unscramble it. Every single letter on the grid is used to spell out the theme words and there is no overlap. Every letter will be used once, and only once. Each puzzle contains one “spangram,” a special theme word (or words) that describe the puzzle’s theme and touches two opposite sides of the board. When you find the spangram, it will be highlighted yellow. The goal should be to complete the puzzle quickly without using too many hints. Hint for today’s Strands puzzle Today’s theme is “To your health!” Here’s a hint that might help you: professions related to health. Today’s Strand answers NYT Today’s spanagram We’ll start by giving you the spangram, which might help you figure out the theme and solve the rest of the puzzle on your own: Today’s Strands answers NURSE DOCTOR SURGEON DENTIST PHARMACIST Source link #NYT #Strands #today #hints #spangram #answers #Monday #November Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump picks Florida Rep. Mike Waltz as national security adviser Trump picks Florida Rep. Mike Waltz as national security adviser Washington — President-elect Donald Trump is expected to name Rep. Michael Waltz, a Florida ***********, as his national security adviser, two sources familiar with the plans confirmed to CBS News. The national security adviser is a top aide to the president who plays a major role in foreign and national security policy decision-making. The role does not require Senate confirmation. Waltz, a Green Beret veteran who served multiple combat tours in Afghanistan, the Middle East and *******, was elected to Congress in 2018, replacing Ron DeSantis who had been elected Florida’s governor. The Wall Street Journal was first to report that Trump had selected Waltz. Waltz, a China hawk, serves on the House China Task Force that seeks to develop solutions to address the ******** ********** Party’s influence. He has also been skeptical of giving more aid to Ukraine as it fights Russia’s invasion. He has said that the U.S. has “leverage” over both Ukraine and Russia to get them to the table to negotiate an end to the war. Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., at a hearing on Sept. 26, 2024. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images “We have leverage, like taking the handcuffs off of the long-range weapons we provided Ukraine as well. And then, of course, I think we have plenty of leverage with Zelenskyy to get them to the table,” he told NPR earlier this month. He served nearly three decades in the U.S. Army and National Guard, retiring from the military during his second term in Congress. He was awarded four Bronze Stars, including two for valor. Before his election to Congress, Waltz served in various roles at the Pentagon and White House, including as defense policy director for Secretaries of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates. Waltz’s wife, Julia Nesheiwat, served as Trump’s Homeland Security adviser in the last year of his first term. She has also served in various roles in the Bush and Obama administrations. Trump had three national security advisers in his first administration. Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster (now a CBS News contributor) was the first, and Trump fired him after 13 months. John Bolton replaced McMaster, and he lasted 17 months in the job before he was also ousted from the administration. Trump’s final national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, remained in the post until the end of Trump’s first term. Ed O’Keefe Ed O’Keefe is CBS News senior White House and political correspondent. He previously worked for The Washington Post covering presidential campaigns, Congress and federal agencies. His primary focus is on President Biden, Vice President Harris and political issues across the country. Source link #Trump #picks #Florida #Rep #Mike #Waltz #national #security #adviser Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Was India’s top judge an icon or a pushover? Was India’s top judge an icon or a pushover? Getty Images Justice Chandrachud retired as India’s 50th chief justice on Sunday How will history judge my tenure? That’s a question Dhananjay Yashwant Chandrachud, who retired as India’s 50th chief justice on Sunday, asked just weeks before he finished his term. Justice Chandrachud said his mind was “heavily preoccupied with fears and anxieties about the future and the past”. “I find myself pondering: Did I achieve everything I set out to do? How will history judge my tenure? Could I have done things differently? What legacy will I leave for future generations of judges and legal professionals?” he said. The soul searching came at a time when many in India are also debating what legacy he leaves behind. Justice Chandrachud served more than eight years as a top court judge and as chief justice for the past two years. He presided over one of the most powerful Supreme Courts in the world with jurisdiction over India’s 1.4 billion citizens. The top court is the final court of appeal, the final interpreter of the constitution and its judgements, which are binding on all other courts in India, routinely make news – although judges seldom do. But Justice Chandrachud, sometimes described as India’s “first celebrity judge” and a “rockstar judge”, has routinely hit the headlines. PTI A viral video recently showed Justice Chandrachud praying at home with PM Modi during a Hindu religious festival According to Arghya Sengupta of the Vidhi Centre For Legal Policy, the jurist was India’s most prolific chief justice who wrote 93 judgements – more than his last four predecessors put together – including some on matters of seminal importance. He also made huge strides in terms of digitisation and livestreaming of court hearings – making them more accessible to citizens. But some of the recent coverage has also been unflattering, with critics saying he wasn’t assertive enough and his tenure has been disappointing. The Harvard-educated judge has many firsts to his name – he was the youngest to head a high court and his two-year-term was the longest for a chief justice in more than a decade. He’s also the only chief justice whose father also served in the role. During his years in the Supreme Court, he developed a reputation for being a progressive, ******** judge known for his nuanced and thoughtful judgements related to matters of liberty, freedom of speech and gender and LGBT rights. He was part of landmark rulings that decriminalised homosexuality and allowed menstruating women into Kerala’s Sabarimala shrine. His utterances on the right to privacy and right to dissent were extensively praised. So, his elevation to be India’s top judge in November 2022 was welcomed by senior lawyers, activists and citizens with many expressing a “strong hope that under his leadership the court will rise to greater heights”. It was a time when India’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government was getting ready to secure a third term in the 2024 general election. Opposition parties, activists and sections of the press were accusing the government of targeting them, with global rights organisations saying Indian democracy was under threat. Although the government denied any wrongdoing, many of India’s top academics, rights activists and popular opposition leaders found themselves in jail and the country kept sliding on the global press freedom index. (The government has always rejected such ratings, saying they are biased against India.) Getty Images Critics say the former chief justice – seen here with Home Minister Amit Shah – wasn’t assertive enough with the government Senior lawyer Kamini Jaiswal says Justice Chandrachud’s appointment had come at “a crucial juncture as some of the last chief justices had left under a cloud of dark spots and the position had been denigrated with serious allegations”. “So, we thought Justice Chandrachud would use his erudition and brilliant mind to do a lot of good for the citizens. But he has been disappointing,” she said. Senior Supreme Court lawyer Chander Uday Singh says his record is “a mixed bag”. “In his judgments, he would lay down the law brilliantly which could be used as a precedent for future cases. But whenever the state was heavily invested in any issue, he ******* to hold power to account, so the state got away with what they had set out of achieve.” For instance, he points out that the court struck down a government scheme that allowed people to make anonymous donations to political parties, calling it unconstitutional and ********. “But then he did not hold anyone accountable for the illegality.” Similarly, when it came to a political crisis in the western state of Maharashtra or Delhi’s power struggle with the federal government, his judgments tended to favour the government, he adds. “There was hope that through his judgments, he would set things right in a country that is under a strong majoritarian government. But he fell short.” EPA A ******** judge, Justice Chandrachud is known for his nuanced and thoughtful judgements on gender and LGBT rights Several top lawyers have also criticised Justice Chandrachud for what he did as the “master of the roster” by failing to effectively prevent the prolonged incarceration of political prisoners – leading to the ****** of some of them without ever getting bail. This happened despite Justice Chandrachud saying that bail should be the norm and not the exception. And as he neared his retirement, Justice Chandrachud also made headlines for what he did not in the court, but outside. In September, there was uproar over a viral video that showed him praying at home with PM Modi during a Hindu religious festival. Ms Jaiswal said by publicising the photo, “a message was being sent that the chief justice is close to the PM”. Lawyers, former judges, opposition politicians and many citizens also criticised him saying “the presence of a politician at a private event erodes the perception of impartiality of the judiciary”. Another burst of criticism greeted Justice Chandrachud’s comment last month when he said he had asked **** for a solution to the vexed Babri Mosque-Ram temple dispute. “I sat before the deity and told him he needed to find a solution and he gave it to me,” he said. The comment led to a firestorm of criticism, not entirely unexpected as the mosque-temple dispute has been one of the most contentious and religiously polarising issues in modern India. The mosque was demolished by Hindu mobs in 1992. A five-judge bench, which included Justice Chandrachud, ruled in 2019 that the demolition was ********, but still gave the disputed land to Hindus and a separate site for the mosque to be built. Earlier this year, PM Modi inaugurated a grand new temple at the site, fulfilling a longstanding promise by his party. So, no surprise then that Justice Chandrachud’s comment, seen by many as religious, was extensively criticised. Retired high court judge Anjana Prakash told HW news that his comment was “dramatic, filmy and laughable and it had brought down the level of judiciary”. “A judge has to decide cases on principles of law. Where does **** come into a judgement? Besides, people have different gods. And if a justice from another ****** had said this, would the reaction be the same?” she asked. Justice Prakash and other critics wondered if he was cosying up to the government for a post-retirement assignment. In the days preceding his retirement, Justice Chandrachud addressed some of the criticism in interactions with the media. “The separation of powers doesn’t mean antagonistic relations between the executive and the judiciary, it doesn’t mean that they cannot meet,” he said at an event by the Indian Express newspaper, adding that such meetings were not used “to cut deals”. “The ultimate proof of our good behaviour ***** in the written word – in our judgements. Is it consistent with the constitution or not?” Justice Chandrachud said his comment on seeking divine guidance was because “I am a person of ******” and “to impute motives to judges is not right”. He added that courts were facing pressure “from lobbies and pressure groups” and they would praise a decision critical of the government, but if he ruled in favour of the government, they questioned his independence. At his farewell on Friday, the outgoing chief justice said he was perhaps India’s most trolled judge, but his “shoulders are broad enough to accept all criticism”. And at the weekend, he told Times of India that he believed he had “left the system better than I found it”. “I’m retiring with a sense of satisfaction,” he said. Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. Source link #Indias #top #judge #icon #pushover Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Veteran mental health highlighted this Remembrance Day Veteran mental health highlighted this Remembrance Day Active-duty soldiers and veterans struggling to live up to the “hero” persona are coming forward to urge others to seek the help they need. One soldier stepping forward is Adam Moore. He began his service as a teenager, not even old enough to drink. “I started my career as a reservist, hurt my left knee while I was a reservist. Didn’t get any help, but I was still a minor,” Moore said. He would, after six years in the reserves, join the Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) armoured unit. He says this was not a move that benefited his mental health. “A sergeant major once told me he doesn’t believe in mental health.” During his service, his injuries held him back and he struggled with the perception of being a hero, when he felt others were more deserving of the title. Story continues below advertisement “I didn’t do anything really special in my career. I did fires, floods, just typical stuff,” Moore said. “So, it felt like maybe I knew I needed help, but there were guys that did more things that also needed help and aren’t getting help. “So I feel like I’m taking resources away that are already extremely limited.” Eventually, Moore left the military, but his mental struggles persisted. “I got out of the army; I was so fed up. I didn’t really have a plan. I got some free training to run equipment and then COVID hit, so I was kind of just grasping at straws to keep everything afloat, which led to me getting a divorce and everything just kept snowballing from there.” The battle facing soldiers and veterans is often silent and one that is fought alone. “It’s hard to say, ‘I’m not OK’ and admit that to yourself,” Moore said. For Kevin Roth, a master sailor on the ship HMCS Vancouver and a veteran of the Afghanistan war, the demons that tortured him propelled him to some dark places. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. “There have been times, personally, through my journey that I have contemplated ********.” Story continues below advertisement He says he knows not everyone is able to survive this ******. “Not everyone is successful and they lose their ****** with ******** and mental illness. I was definitely down that road as well,” Roth said. He says the war on mental health begins long before a person can even admit to themselves that they are fighting it. “The hardest part of that whole journey is just admitting it to yourself. It’s a struggle, it’s long,” Roth said. “Definitely seek help, because the hardest step is saying, ‘I’m hurting and I need help.’” 2:43 How a ********* veteran honours fallen by living his life to the fullest For some soldiers, the struggle comes only after they hang up the uniform. Jason Trenholm, like Moore, served with the Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians). When he was 21 years old, Trenholm accomplished his dream of enlisting — but when he left the Forces, he was lost as it was the only life he knew as an ******. Story continues below advertisement “I was really struggling with, ‘I’m no longer a soldier, who am I now?” He says he found employment, but it just wasn’t enough. “I ended up with a great job, it just felt like I wasn’t being of service,” Trenholm said. He now works with OSI-CAN, helping veterans and first responders connect to share life-like experiences as a means of healing. This peer-to-peer support is what helped Moore remain standing. “It’s exhausting, it’s very hard to want to keep pushing. If my buddies that weren’t already kind of ahead of me in getting help weren’t there to push me, like, ‘Hey man, it’ll be worth it,’ I don’t think I would have followed through,” Moore said. 5:25 Royal ********* Legion on the importance of reflection on Remembrance Day However, Trenholm admits there is a stigma that keeps many from reaching out. Story continues below advertisement “They know they’re struggling, although they’re putting a good face on. A lot of times, they feel that people have labelled the firefighter, the police officer, the veterans as heroes. Yet, here they are, not able to sustain that perception of what the public or everybody else has of them,” Trenholm said. For Roth, he hopes to be a beacon of hope for any soldier who is afraid of this stigma. “I don’t really look at, for me personally, the heroism of the public of not stepping up. I try to be that example of ‘this is something that we should do for our members,’” Roth said. Despite the hardships, pain and suffering, Trenholm and the others have a strong message for any soldier, veteran or civilian struggling to see the light. “Have ****** and be grateful. With that gratitude comes a lot of understanding of what our actual blessings are and they are there. Even though you’re struggling, there is hope and it will get better,” Trenholm said. If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call 911 for immediate help. For immediate mental health support, call 988. For a directory of support services in your area, visit the ********* Association for ******** Prevention at suicideprevention.ca. Learn more about preventing ******** with these warning signs and tips on how to help. &copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc. Source link #Veteran #mental #health #highlighted #Remembrance #Day Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Steam Deck White OLED Edition Revealed; Price And On-***** Date Announced Steam Deck White OLED Edition Revealed; Price And On-***** Date Announced Valve has announced the next limited-edition Steam Deck, and it’s going on ***** very soon. The Steam Deck OLED: Limited Edition White will be available to order in limited quantities on November 18. It’s the same specs as the existing 1 TB OLED model, but with a new white-and-grey ******. It also includes a white carrying case that’s exclusive to this new version of the device. An included microfiber cloth is also white. Orders open through Steam on November 18, beginning at 3 PM PT / 6 PM ET. The device costs $680 USD. The new Steam Deck Gallery Valve clarified that, because it’s a limited edition, once stock sells through, that’s it. “Once we’re out, we’re out,” a spokesperson said. Valve also confirmed that it has set aside stock “proportionally” across each region where the system will be available. To be able to buy one of the new Steam Decks, users have to have made a purchase on Steam before November 2024 and be in “good standing” with the company. Valve is limiting orders to one unit per account. The new Steam Deck OLED: Limited Edition White will be available in the US, Canada, ***, Europe, and Australia, as well as Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea. Around this time last year, Valve launched a translucent Steam Deck OLED as an “experiment” of sorts to see if people would be interested in different colors. Valve said the answer was a resounding yes, and that’s why the white version is now on the way. For the translucent OLED model in 2023, it only shipped in select regions (the US and Canada). But the new white edition will ship everywhere Steam Deck does. “We’re curious to see what the response is, and will use what we learn to inform future decisions about any potential new ****** variants down the line,” Valve said. You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos. 25 Best Steam Deck Games To Play Right Now Size:640 × 360480 × 270 Want us to remember this setting for all your devices? Sign up or Sign in now! Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos. This video has an invalid file format. Sorry, but you can’t access this content! Please enter your date of birth to view this video JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031Year20242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975197419731972197119701969196819671966196519641963196219611960195919581957195619551954195319521951195019491948194719461945194419431942194119401939193819371936193519341933193219311930192919281927192619251924192319221921192019191918191719161915191419131912191119101909190819071906190519041903190219011900 By clicking ‘enter’, you agree to GameSpot’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy enter The first Steam Deck launched in 2022 and has proven to be a big success. It aspires to be a portable gaming PC of sorts designed for a “console-like” user experience. It wasn’t the first handheld PC gaming device on the market and it may not be the last, as Microsoft is said to be cooking up a handheld Xbox device of its own. Source link #Steam #Deck #White #OLED #Edition #Revealed #Price #OnSale #Date #Announced Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Bitcoin is closing in on $90,000 for the first time ever Bitcoin is closing in on $90,000 for the first time ever Bitcoin was trading just shy of $90,000 Monday night after breaching $80,000 just a day earlier. The flagship cryptocurrency was last higher by 12% at $89,100, according to Coin Metrics. Earlier Monday, it rose as high as $89,623.00. Its price is expected by many investors to continue making fresh records on its way up to $100,000 later this year. “Bitcoin is now in price discovery mode after breaking through all-time highs early last Wednesday morning when it was officially declared that Trump won the election,” said Mike Colonnese, an analyst at H.C. Wainwright. “Strong positive sentiment is likely to persist through the balance of 2024 and [we] see bitcoin prices potentially reaching the six-figure mark by the end of this year.” Stock Chart IconStock chart icon Bitcoin is closing in on the $90,000 for the first time ever Crypto investors have been cheering President-elect Donald Trump’s promises to make the regulatory environment more supportive and even friendly toward crypto businesses, which have long struggled with a lack of clarity of the rules of the road. While bitcoin has long been deemed a safe asset in Washington – that is, not subject to securities laws – the long tail of cryptocurrencies and crypto-related startups have been operating in a risky grey area. “That’s just shifted 180 degrees,” Matt Hougan, chief investment officer of Bitwise Asset Management, told CNBC. “We’re now in a positive regulatory environment, we now have tailwinds from that, and that comes in the case of a market that was already in a bull market … that’s going to push us higher.” Ether was trading higher by 5.8% Monday evening. Payments token XRP rose nearly 4% and the token linked to decentralized finance project Polygon gained more than 4%. Dogecoin has been one of the biggest winners – likely due to its connection with Elon Musk, who helped get Trump elected. It’s up 38%. In the stock market, Coinbase and MicroStrategy gained about 3% and 5%, respectively, in extended trading. In the regular session on Monday, Coinbase surged 19% to trade above $300 for the first time since 2021. It’s now about 6% from its high from that year. Traders and analysts agree this rally is just only beginning. “It does seem like there’s an air gap between the previous [bitcoin] all-time highs around $72,000 and $100,000,” Hougan said. “It’s hard exactly to see what would force sellers to come into this market and halt the momentum before we get to that level. Of course, there are no guarantees. You could see pullbacks, but we’re in a new crypto market cycle. … I do think that we are right to be bullish and the bias is still on the upside.” Don’t miss these cryptocurrency insights from CNBC PRO: Source link #Bitcoin #closing #time Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Who are the candidates and what’s at stake? Who are the candidates and what’s at stake? AFP Ghana is due to get a new president after December’s election. The current vice-president, Mahamudu Bawumia, and a former head of state, John Mahama, are the two leading candidates in contention to win the poll. ***** Akufo-Addo, first elected in 2016, is coming to the end of his second and final four-year term. When is the general election? On Saturday 7 December, the nearly 18.8 million Ghanaians registered to vote will be able to take part in the country’s ninth general election since multiparty politics was reintroduced in the early 1990s. In the last 30 years, the country has had a series of closely fought but peaceful polls. Ghana has a reputation for the orderly transfer of power between administrations. What are Ghanaians voting for? On polling day, two elections will be taking place simultaneously: Presidential – there are 12 candidatesParliamentary – voters in 275 constituencies across the country will be choosing their MP. Who will be Ghana’s next president?AFP Mahamudu Bawumia (L) and John Mahama (R) are the two leading candidates to replace ***** Akufo-Addo as president Although 12 hopefuls are vying for the presidency, only two have a realistic chance of winning. Since the return of multiparty politics in 1992 only candidates from either the National Democratic Congress (NDC) or the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have won. The two front-runners are: Mahamudu Bawumia (NPP) – Having served as Akufo-Addo’s vice-president for eight years, the 61-year-old Oxford-educated economist could make history as the country’s first ******* president. The former deputy governor of the central bank gained a reputation for his financial know-how. But that could also be his undoing as he has faced heavy criticism after Ghana plummeted into its most severe economic crisis in years under his watch.John Mahama (NDC) – Winning this ballot would represent a comeback for the 65-year-old as he already served as president for four-and-a-half years from 2012 but then lost the 2016 election. In office, he was nicknamed “Mr Dumsor”, which is a reference to the power cuts that plagued his time in office. Amid the current tough economy, Mahama has pledged an “urgent reset” for the country that needs an experienced leader at the helm. Among other candidates garnering attention are: ***** Kwame Bediako – The businessman, also known as “Cheddar”, does not have a political background but has made a lot of impact on social media and attracted young supporters.Alan Kyerematen – The former minister, nicknamed “Alan Cash”, left the NPP last year after complaining that the presidential primaries were biased against him. He could draw some NPP support in the party’s heartland in the Ashanti region. What are the big issues? Economic questions have topped people’s concerns in the build-up to the election, especially the rising cost of living. At the end of 2022, the annual inflation rate hit 54%. It has come down since then but prices are still rising steeply. The World Bank said as many as 850,000 Ghanaians may have been pushed into ******** in 2022 because of the rising prices of goods and services. These “new poor” joined the six million who were already living in ********. By the end of 2022, government finances had been depleted with little left to support the country’s budget, forcing Ghana to go to the International Monetary Fund for help. Unemployment among young people and an exodus of Ghanaians looking for better opportunities elsewhere has also been a feature of recent years. The NDC has decried this as an “abysmal performance” and has demanded a reset. The governing NPP says it has built a resilient economy that is on the “cusp of… transformation” so it is not the time to change. Concerns over the environmental impact of ******** gold mining – known in the country as “galamsey” – have become another major talking-point. A series of demonstrations over the practice, which has led to the pollution of several major rivers with dangerous chemicals, have been held in the build-up to the vote. Both major parties agree that the issue needs to be addressed, but while the NPP says it is important for the economy to allow some small-scale miners to continue their work, the NDC is calling for much tougher regulation and the restriction of new licences. How does the election work?AFP The last election in 2020 took place under covid restrictions To win the presidential election in the first round, a candidate must get more than half of the votes cast. If no-one passes that threshold then a second round run-off featuring the two candidates with the largest number of votes will take place by the end of December. The parliamentary election is run on a first-past-the-post basis with the winner being the candidate in each constituency with the largest share of votes, even if that is less than 50%. On election day, each voter can turn up to their assigned polling station with their voter’s ID card, where they will have their fingerprints electronically checked and are then issued with the two ballot papers. Each person who has cast their ballot then has their little finger marked with indelible ink to prevent voting a second time. What has happened in previous elections? Since 1992, Ghana has had several tight presidential elections. In 2008, less than half a percentage point separated the two candidates in the second round. In the election four years later, the winner, Mahama, crept over the 50% threshold in the first round by less than 80,000 votes. That result triggered a legal complaint from the NPP, which argued that tally sheets at certain polling stations had been tampered with. The challenge was unsuccessful, but it did lead the electoral commission to introduce new measures to ensure greater transparency. Election observers have frequently praised the way the vote has been run. When will we know the result? Going by previous elections, the electoral commission is likely to announce the result by 10 December. Additional reporting by Favour Nunoo and Komla Adom in Accra More BBC stories on Ghana:Getty Images/BBC Source link #candidates #whats #stake Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

F1 24 receives further visual improvements in update 1.14 F1 24 receives further visual improvements in update 1.14 F1 24 has received a surprise graphics update on all platforms following last week’s PS5 Pro update. Source link #receives #visual #improvements #update Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Mohamed Al Fayed would be enraged if he could see us now’ ‘Mohamed Al Fayed would be enraged if he could see us now’ BBC/Graham Hodson Minutes before Jen is about to appear, composed and resolute, on live TV to an audience of millions, she is vomiting in the studio’s toilets. She and four other women are due to speak for half an hour about how they were ********* assaulted by Mohamed Al Fayed. “I couldn’t eat that morning, and I was ***** about 15 minutes before we went on air,” Jen says of the interview with BBC Breakfast at the end of September. “I wasn’t very well practiced at that point at telling my story and finding words. So I had a very physical reaction.” About a week earlier, a BBC documentary, Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods, had aired. It uncovered decades of ****** perpetrated by the billionaire and former Harrods owner, who ***** last year at the age of 94. Jen had worked as his personal assistant for five years from 1986 to 1991. Her story was told anonymously under the pseudonym “Alice” in the documentary, and her voice was also distorted to protect her identity. This interview with BBC Breakfast was the first time she’d agreed to waive her anonymity – meaning it was the first time she’d spoken publicly, as herself, about what she had been through almost four decades ago. Jen waived her anonymity for the first time on BBC Breakfast in September “One of the things [my counsellor] said to me before I fully decided to tell my story face-to-camera was that when you do that, you lose control of your story – because all of a sudden it’s not yours anymore,” she says. “It’s out in the world, you can’t really control who knows it, what they think, what their reactions are. “I was terrified of that, because I felt so ashamed of what happened.” But Jen didn’t realise then that the four other women sitting next to her on the red sofa – all survivors of Al Fayed’s ****** – would become friends. All five women – Jen, Lindsay, Nicole, Katherine and Gemma – had worked for Al Fayed. Some aspects of their experiences differ, others are disturbingly similar. As they took turns recalling their ****** on the programme, they felt vulnerable. Seven weeks on, laughing together on a mild autumn day in London’s Battersea Park, they are unrecognisable. BBC Breakfast is meeting them again to hear about how they’ve been supporting each other. Victims of Mohamed Al Fayed tell BBC of alleged ***** and trafficking “The camaraderie that we’ve built between us now has really given us a lot of empowerment,” Lindsay says. “I just don’t think that we would be this far along in our recovery had we not got each other.” Lindsay worked as Al Fayed’s personal assistant for five months between 1989 and 1990. She says he ********* harassed her, assaulted her on a daily basis, and then trafficked her to Paris, where he attempted to ***** her. She says that after the documentary aired in September, the women set up a group chat on the messaging app Signal, named “Stronger Together”. “We draw strength from that [group],” Lindsay says. “If we’ve got any worries, we put it on there and everyone’s got your back. I’m feeling much stronger because we’re part of a whole collective of fabulous, strong women.” But this is more than a new friendship. Though many of the women only met two months ago, their shared trauma means their bond has deep roots – ones that Jen says will last “probably for the rest of our lives”. “No one in this world can understand what we’ve been through and the impact it’s had, other than these women and the other women in the group,” says Gemma, who worked for Al Fayed as one of his personal assistants between 2007 and 2009. She says she became increasingly frightened of Al Fayed during work trips abroad, and was ****** by him in Paris. “It’s almost like the unsaid – you don’t have to say. You just know what each other’s thinking.” This means that while they have to describe their ****** for the public, there’s no need to “keep reliving the past” with each other. “There are certain stories that I could never tell my school friends or my family – they just wouldn’t believe me,” Gemma says. BBC/Graham Hodson Gemma says she and the other women “just know what each other’s thinking” Many of the women hadn’t told their families about the ****** before they agreed to take part in the film. Jen told her family shortly before going on BBC Breakfast. But it wasn’t just their families they felt they had to keep it from. Survivors have described female staff at Harrods being deliberately isolated from each other. Jen explains that she and Lindsay worked in the same office at the same time, but “barely spoke to one another, because that’s how things were in the office”. “We weren’t really allowed to be friends with one another, and we certainly weren’t allowed to confide in one another,” she said. These years of isolation have made the women’s new-found connection particularly special. Nicole says the idea of them speaking regularly, forming close friendships and supporting each other would make Al Fayed “absolutely incandescent with rage” if he were alive to see it. Nicole worked as Al Fayed’s executive assistant between 2005 and 2007, when she was in her 30s. She experienced daily ******* harassment and ******** from him. “We weren’t allowed to talk to each other. We weren’t allowed to share things. We weren’t allowed to share experiences. We weren’t allowed to become friends,” she adds. “He created that environment purposely so that he could get away with doing what he wanted. “So yeah, he’d be enraged. And I think that’s fantastic.” BBC/Graham Hodson Two months on from her appearance on BBC Breakfast, Jen says she feels like a different person Katherine, who was ********* harassed while working as a senior personal assistant for Harrods in 2005, says many women were, understandably, “too scared to come forward” while the documentary was being made. But this group of women are trailblazers. Since they first spoke out about their experiences, more than 70 women have contacted the BBC with accounts of ****** by Al Fayed, including ******* harassment, ******* ******** and *****. For Jen, waiving her anonymity on BBC Breakfast two months ago was excruciating in the moment. But the weeks since have felt like a renewal. “When I’m talking about my life at Harrods, I feel kind of like that happened to somebody else, because it’s something that I’d put in a box and hadn’t talked about with anybody for 35 years,” she says. “Taking the lid off that box and really examining the contents again made me feel very close to that person, like I was that 16-year-old girl all over again. “But when I think about how I felt sitting on the sofa six weeks ago, I feel completely different now. I feel stronger, I feel more confident. I feel like I don’t need to feel ashamed.” Additional reporting by Ellie Price If you have information about this story that you would like to share please get in touch. Email [email protected].***. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. Source link #Mohamed #Fayed #enraged Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NYT Mini Crossword today: puzzle answers for Monday, November 11 NYT Mini Crossword today: puzzle answers for Monday, November 11 The New York Times has introduced the next title coming to its Games catalog following Wordle’s continued success — and it’s all about math. Digits has players adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing numbers. You can play its beta for free online right now. In Digits, players are presented with a target number that they need to match. Players are given six numbers and have the ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide them to get as close to the target as they can. Not every number needs to be used, though, so this game should put your math skills to the test as you combine numbers and try to make the right equations to get as close to the target number as possible. Players will get a five-star rating if they match the target number exactly, a three-star rating if they get within 10 of the target, and a one-star rating if they can get within 25 of the target number. Currently, players are also able to access five different puzzles with increasingly larger numbers as well. I solved today’s puzzle and found it to be an enjoyable number-based game that should appeal to inquisitive minds that like puzzle games such as Threes or other The New York Times titles like Wordle and Spelling Bee. In an article unveiling Digits and detailing The New York Time Games team’s process to game development, The Times says the team will use this free beta to fix bugs and assess if it’s worth moving into a more active development phase “where the game is coded and the designs are finalized.” So play Digits while you can, as The New York Times may move on from the project if it doesn’t get the response it is hoping for. Digits’ beta is available to play for free now on The New York Times Games’ website Source link #NYT #Mini #Crossword #today #puzzle #answers #Monday #November Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Danielle Lee Birchall: Daughter-in-law found guilty of murdering Kon Kritikos in ‘vicious’ ******* Danielle Lee Birchall: Daughter-in-law found guilty of murdering Kon Kritikos in ‘vicious’ ******* A woman left her elderly father-in-law lying alone in his home with fatal injuries for more than five hours after a brutal *******, a jury has found. Source link #Danielle #Lee #Birchall #Daughterinlaw #guilty #murdering #Kon #Kritikos #vicious #******* Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]