Pelican Press

The Singles’ Day shopping festival loses its shine under China’s lagging economy The Singles’ Day shopping festival loses its shine under China’s lagging economy HONG KONG (AP) — Merchants and consumers alike found the Singles’ Day shopping festival Monday less shiny than in years past as e-commerce firms look abroad for growth. The annual event named by the numeric form of its Nov. 11 date was started by e-commerce platform Alibaba, which offered attractive discounts to entice shoppers to spend big. The extravaganza has since expanded to other platforms like JD.com and Pinduoduo in China as well as abroad. While Singles’ Day was previously a one-day event, shopping platforms in China now kickstart the festival weeks ahead to drum up sales volume. The festival has also traditionally been regarded as a barometer of consumer sentiment. But amid China’s lagging domestic economy, dragged down by a real estate crisis and deflationary pressures, consumers no longer go all out on purchases during the shopping extravaganza. “I only spent a few hundred yuan on daily necessities,” said Wang Haihua, who owns a fitness center in Beijing. Wang said that the prices offered on e-commerce platforms during Singles’ Day are not necessarily cheaper than usual. “They’re all tricks and we’ve seen through it over the years,” she said. Zhang Jiewei, a 34-year-old who runs a barber shop in Xi’an city, echoed Wang’s sentiments, saying that he no longer trust Singles’ Day promotions as some merchant tend to raise the usual price of a product before offering a discount, giving consumers the illusion they are getting a deal. “I used to buy a lot two or three years ago and I even purchased a mobile phone (during Singles’ Day),” he said. “I stopped doing that following the pandemic because of less income. I am not going to buy anything this year,” Zhang added. Some experts say that Beijing’s recent stimulus measures have had little impact to boost consumer confidence. “People are not interested in spending and are cutting back on big-ticket items,” said Shaun Rein, founder and managing director of China Market Research Group in Shanghai. “Since October 2022, the weak economy means that everything has been on discount year-round, 11.11 is not going to bring in more discounts that the month before.” Rein said he expects low growth for the Singles’ Day shopping festival as consumers tighten their spending in anticipation of difficult economic times ahead. Categories such as sportswear and fitness, however, have been doing well as customers “trade down a Gucci bag for Lululemon sportswear,” he said. Platforms like JD.com and Alibaba, which operates e-commerce platforms Taobao and Tmall, previously used to publish the value of transactions made during the festival, but have since stopped revealing the total figure. While yearly growth used to be in the double digits, estimates of recent figures have dwindled to low single-digit growth. Story Continues Syntun, a data provider, estimated that last year’s ****** merchandising volume sales across major e-commerce platforms grew just 2% to 1.14 trillion yuan ($156.40 billion), a far cry from double-digit growth before COVID-19. Merchants who typically take part in the Singles’ Day shopping festivals say the costs of participation no longer pay off, amid high advertising fees and unsatisfactory sales. Zhao Gao, who owns a garment factory in eastern Zhejiang province, said that after paying advertising costs to e-commerce platforms he would only break even after sales. “The platforms have so many rules for promotions and customers have become more skeptical,” he said. “As a merchant, I no longer participate in the Singles’ Day promotions.” Another merchant, Du Baonian who runs a food company processing mutton in Inner Mongolia, said that overall sales in the past year have fallen 15% as consumers downgraded and reduced consumption. Du said that while he still takes part in the Singles’ Day promotions, the higher expenses do not typically generate returns because of sluggish sales. “We are seeing shrinking revenue, but advertisement on the platform can help us to maintain our leading sales position,” he said, adding that he was considering advertising on more e-commerce platforms to target more consumers. Meanwhile, e-commerce platforms grappling with a slowing domestic market have also turned to overseas markets to seek new growth, offering promotions like global free shipping and allowing merchants to sell globally with ease. Alibaba, for example, said in a blog post on its Alizila site that some 70,000 merchants saw sales double with global free shipping. In markets like Singapore and Hong Kong, new customers also doubled, Alibaba said. ___ Associated Press researcher Yu Bing in Beijing contributed to this report. Source link #Singles #Day #shopping #festival #loses #shine #Chinas #lagging #economy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Strike Energy: Shire of Three Springs backs $100m gas power station plan Strike Energy: Shire of Three Springs backs $100m gas power station plan Strike Energy’s $100 million plan to build a gas power station in the Mid West looks set for development approval after backing from the local government. Source link #Strike #Energy #Shire #Springs #backs #100m #gas #power #station #plan Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Satellite images and documents indicate China working on nuclear propulsion for new aircraft carrier Satellite images and documents indicate China working on nuclear propulsion for new aircraft carrier BANGKOK (AP) — China has built a land-based prototype nuclear reactor for a large surface warship, in the clearest sign yet Beijing is advancing toward producing its first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, according to a new analysis of satellite imagery and ******** government documents provided to The Associated Press. China’s navy is already the world’s largest numerically, and it has been rapidly modernizing. Adding nuclear-powered carriers to its fleet would be a major step in realizing its ambitions for a true “blue-water” force capable of operating in seas far from China in a growing global challenge to the ******* States. “Nuclear-powered carriers would place China in the exclusive ranks of first-class naval powers, a group currently limited to the ******* States and France,” said Tong Zhao, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C. “For China’s leadership, such a development would symbolize national prestige, fueling domestic nationalism and elevating the country’s global image as a leading power.” Researchers at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in California said they made the finding while investigating a mountain site outside the city of Leshan in the southwest ******** province of Sichuan, where they suspected China was building a reactor to produce plutonium or tritium for weapons. Instead they concluded that China was building a prototype reactor for a large warship. The project at Leshan is dubbed the Longwei, or Dragon Might, Project and is also referred to as the Nuclear Power Development Project in documents. Neither China’s Defense Ministry nor Foreign Affairs Ministry responded to requests for comment. Satellite images and public documents helped identify likely carrier project There have long been rumors that China is planning to build a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, but the research by the Middlebury team is the first to confirm that China is working on a nuclear-powered propulsion system for a carrier-sized surface warship. “The reactor prototype at Leshan is the first solid evidence that China is, in fact, developing a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier,” said Jeffrey Lewis, a professor at Middlebury and one of the researchers on the project. “Operating a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is an exclusive club, one that China looks set to join.” Drawing on satellite images and public documents including project tenders, personnel files, environmental impact studies — and even a citizen’s complaint about noisy construction and excessive dust — they concluded a prototype reactor for naval propulsion was being built in the mountains of Mucheng township, some 70 miles (112 kilometers) southwest of Sichuan’s provincial capital Chengdu. The reactor, which procurement documents indicate will soon be operational, is housed in a new facility built at the site known as Base 909, which houses six other reactors that are operational, decommissioned or under construction, according to the analysis. The site is under the control of the Nuclear Power Institute of China, a subsidiary of the China National Nuclear Corporation, which is tasked with reactor engineering research and testing. Documents indicating that China’s 701 Institute, formally known as China Ship Research and Design Center, which is responsible for aircraft carrier development, procured reactor equipment “intended for installation on a large surface warship” under the Nuclear Power Development Project as well as the project’s “national defense designation” helped lead to the conclusion the sizable reactor is a prototype for a next-generation aircraft carrier. Satellite mages from 2020 to 2023 have shown the demolition of homes and the construction of water intake infrastructure connected to the reactor site. Contracts for steam generators and turbine pumps indicate the project involves a pressurized water reactor with a secondary circuit — a profile that is consistent with naval propulsion reactors, the researchers say. An environmental impact report calls the Longwei Project a “national defense-related construction project” that is classified “secret.” “Unless China is developing nuclear-powered cruisers, which were pursued only by the ******* States and the ******* Union during the Cold War, then the Nuclear Power Development Project most certainly refers to a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier development effort,” researchers wrote in a detailed 19-page report on their findings shared exclusively with the AP. Jamie Withorne, an analyst at the Oslo Nuclear Project who was not involved in the research and reviewed the findings, said Middlebury’s team made a “convincing argument.” “From the identifying reports, co-location with other naval reactor facilities, and correlating construction activity, I think it can be said that it is likely the Longwei Project is housed at Base 909, and it could potentially be located at the identified building,” she said. The research does not, however, provide clues as to when a ******** nuclear-powered carrier could be built and become operational, she said. Sarah Laderman, a senior analyst with Open Nuclear Network, a program of the U.S.-based NGO PAX sapiens foundation, said the findings were “carefully conducted and thoroughly researched.” “Given the evidence presented here, I see a compelling case made that China seems to be working towards building a nuclear propulsion system for its naval surface ships (likely aircraft carriers) at this location,” said Laderman, who is based in Vienna and was not involved in Middlebury’s research. Pursuit of a nuclear-powered carrier China’s first carrier, commissioned in 2012, was a repurposed ******* ship, and its second was built in China but based upon the ******* design. Both ships — named the Liaoning and the Shandong — employ a so-called “ski-jump” type launch method, with a ramp at the end of a short runway to help planes take off. The Type 003 Fujian, launched in 2022, was the country’s third carrier and its first to be indigenously designed and built. It employs an electromagnetic-type launch system like those developed and used by the U.S. Navy. All three carriers are conventionally powered. Sea trials hadn’t even started for the Fujian in March when Yuan Huazhi, political commissar for China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy, confirmed the construction of a fourth carrier. Asked if it would be nuclear-powered, he said at the time that would “soon be announced,” but so far it has not been. There has been speculation that China may begin producing two new carriers at once — one Type 003 like the Fujian and one nuclear-powered Type 004 — something that it has not attempted before but that its shipyards have the capacity to do. Matthew Funaiole, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ China Power Project, said he doubts China’s next carrier will be nuclear-powered. Instead, he said, he would expect the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s fourth carrier to focus on optimizing the existing design of the Fujian carrier with “incremental improvements.” Nick Childs, senior fellow for naval forces and maritime security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the ******** “have taken an incremental approach to their carrier development with a number of ambitions that will evolve over time.” “For now, their deployments have been relatively cautious, remaining largely within range of shore support, but projecting influence and to some extent coercion within their near waters.” Eventually, however, “larger carriers more akin to their U.S. counterparts will give them more options to project power,” Childs said. It takes several years to build a carrier and bring it into operation, but developing nuclear propulsion for its next generation of warships would eventually give China more power to run advanced systems, such as electromagnetic launchers, radars and new technology weapons, Childs said. “As well as obviating the need for the ship to refuel regularly and therefore giving it much greater range, nuclear power means that without the need to carry fuel oil for the ship there will be room aboard for fuel and weapons for its aircraft, extending their capabilities,” Childs said. “Much will depend on what overall size the next carrier is, but the addition of nuclear power will represent a significant step further in China’s carrier development with a vessel more comparable to the U.S. Navy’s carriers.” Zhao, of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said nuclear-powered carriers would provide the ******** military “with greater flexibility and endurance to operate around strategic hotspots, especially along the First Island Chain, where most territories disputed by China are located,” said Zhao. The First Island Chain includes the self-governed island of Taiwan, which China claims as its own and vows to annex it by force if necessary. The U.S. is obligated by a domestic law to supply Taiwan with sufficient weapons to deter invasion, and it could provide assistance to the island from its bases in the Pacific in the event of an invasion or blockade. Tensions also have risen in the South China Sea between China and neighboring nations over territorial disputes and maritime claims. “These carriers could also extend ******** operations deeper into the Western Pacific, further challenging the U.S. military’s ability to ‘intervene’ in regional matters that China views as best resolved by countries from the region only,” Zhao said. U.S.-China rivalry ******** President Xi Jinping has tasked defense officials with building a “first-class” navy and becoming a maritime power as part of his blueprint for the country’s rejuvenation. The country’s most recent white paper on national defense, dated 2019, said the ******** navy was adjusting to strategic requirements by “speeding up the transition of its tasks from defense on the near seas to protection missions on the far seas.” The People’s Liberation Army Navy is already the world’s largest navy with more than 370 ships and submarines. The country also boasts powerful shipbuilding capabilities: China’s shipyards are building many hundreds of vessels each year, whereas the U.S. is building five or fewer, according to a U.S. congressional report late last year. However, the ******** navy lags behind the U.S. Navy in many respects. Among other advantages, the U.S. currently has 11 carriers, all nuclear powered, allowing it to keep multiple strike groups deployed around the world at all times, including in the Indo-Pacific. But the Pentagon is growingly increasingly concerned about China’s rapid modernization of its fleet, including the design and construction of new carriers. That aligns with China’s “growing emphasis on the maritime domain and increasing demands” for its navy “to operate at greater distances from mainland China,” the Defense Department said in its most recent report to Congress on China’s military. And China’s “growing force of aircraft carriers extend air defense coverage of deployed task groups beyond the range of land-based defenses, enabling operations farther from China’s shore,” the report said. ___ ***** reported from Washington D.C. Source link #Satellite #images #documents #China #working #nuclear #propulsion #aircraft #carrier Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Albany Sharks leading the way in Football West Kick Off The Conversation mental health initiative Albany Sharks leading the way in Football West Kick Off The Conversation mental health initiative Albany Sharks Soccer Club may be one of Australia’s youngest sporting clubs, but the second-year club is leading the sport in mental health awareness. The Sharks were named equal winners of Football West’s 2024 Kick Off The Conversation program after establishing effective mental health and wellbeing strategies for members. Sixty clubs participated in the program, which aimed to spread the Think Mental Health message through a variety of initiatives, allowing them to earn points towards a final leaderboard total. With 165 points, the Sharks tied with Bunbury ******* Soccer Club, Mandurah City Football Club and Northam Springfield Football Club for the top gong, each pocketing $5000. Albany Sharks Soccer Club co-ordinator Deborah Guest said it was vital for all sporting clubs to provide a welcoming environment for their players, volunteers and members while also having open and honest discussions about mental health. “Being involved in sports will always provide opportunities for people to extend their friendship circle and their support network,” she said. “The health benefits that come from being part of a sporting club are not just physical, they are also mental. “So getting out there, getting amongst it, making new friends and being with like-minded people gives you an opportunity to really enjoy other people’s company, and also have somebody to talk to.” The Sharks championed club members Lawrence T’Hart and Samara Luyten, who they said exemplified the club’s vision in their mental health awareness promotion. “In preseason we put together a group of people that would implement some sweeping changes to improve the mental health of our players and their supporters,” Guest said. “We basically put together a calendar of events and ways that we would do that, and introduced that to our members over the year. “We made sure that we put several of our accessible members throughout the club through mental health training, ******** prevention training, and anything we could get our hands on. But one of the really major things we did . . . was that we introduced a special award this season, based on people who had the most positive impact on our players for the season “At the end of every game, our players would vote on the person that they felt made a positive impact on their game that night or that week. “It gave people the ability to actually acknowledge within themselves by writing it down who it was within the club or within their own personal support network that was making a positive difference to them each week.” The club has not decided how the $5000 prize money will be spent, but Guest insisted it would go a long way in helping the young club maintain its State-leading mental health programs and provide a healthy future for players. Source link #Albany #Sharks #leading #Football #West #Kick #Conversation #mental #health #initiative Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

High Growth Tech Stocks To Explore In November 2024 High Growth Tech Stocks To Explore In November 2024 As global markets react to the recent U.S. election results, expectations of faster earnings growth and deregulation have driven major indices like the S&P 500 and Russell 2000 to significant gains, with small-cap stocks showing particular promise despite not reaching record highs. In this environment, investors might consider exploring high-growth tech stocks that could benefit from these market dynamics, focusing on companies with strong fundamentals and innovative capabilities that align well with current economic trends. Name Revenue Growth Earnings Growth Growth Rating Material Group 20.45% 24.01% ★★★★★★ Scandion Oncology 40.71% 75.34% ★★★★★★ TG Therapeutics 34.66% 56.48% ★★★★★★ Pharma Mar 26.94% 56.39% ★★★★★★ Sarepta Therapeutics 23.89% 42.61% ★★★★★★ Alkami Technology 21.89% 98.60% ★★★★★★ Alnylam Pharmaceuticals 22.41% 70.53% ★★★★★★ Adveritas 57.98% 144.21% ★★★★★★ Travere Therapeutics 31.20% 72.26% ★★★★★★ UTI 114.97% 134.60% ★★★★★★ Click here to see the full list of 1283 stocks from our High Growth Tech and AI Stocks screener. Here we highlight a subset of our preferred stocks from the screener. Simply Wall St Growth Rating: ★★★★★☆ Overview: Shenzhen Yanmade Technology Inc. focuses on the research, design, production, and ***** of automated and intelligent test equipment mainly in China, with a market cap of CN¥4.88 billion. Operations: Yanmade Technology specializes in automated and intelligent test equipment, emphasizing innovation in its product offerings. The company’s operations are centered on the ******** market, reflecting a strategic focus on local demand. Shenzhen Yanmade Technology has demonstrated robust growth, with a 73% surge in revenue to CNY 360.44 million and a 52% increase in net income to CNY 68.83 million for the nine months ending September 2024. This performance is underpinned by significant investment in R&D, crucial for maintaining its competitive edge in the fast-evolving tech sector. The company’s earnings are projected to grow by an impressive 34.7% annually, outpacing the broader ******** market’s growth rate of 26.2%. Despite challenges like highly volatile share prices and lower forecasted return on equity at 11.1%, Yanmade’s aggressive focus on innovation and market expansion positions it well within the high-growth tech landscape, signaling promising prospects if current trends persist. SHSE:688312 Earnings and Revenue Growth as at Nov 2024 Simply Wall St Growth Rating: ★★★★★☆ Story Continues Overview: Nanjing Sciyon Wisdom Technology Group Co., Ltd. operates in the technology sector and has a market capitalization of CN¥4.87 billion. Operations: The company focuses on technology solutions and generates revenue primarily through its software and hardware products. It operates with a market capitalization of CN¥4.87 billion, reflecting its presence in the tech industry. Nanjing Sciyon Wisdom Technology Group has marked a significant uptick in performance, with revenues climbing to CNY 1.16 billion, up from CNY 1 billion last year, and net income nearly doubling to CNY 158.6 million. This surge is backed by a robust commitment to R&D, which not only fuels innovation but also aligns with the company’s growth trajectory—revenue and earnings are expected to grow annually by 30.2% and 31.9%, respectively, outpacing the broader ******** market forecasts of 13.9% and 26.2%. Such strategic investments in technology development underscore Sciyon’s potential to adapt and thrive in the dynamic tech landscape, despite facing challenges like lower projected return on equity at 15.4% over the next three years. SZSE:002380 Revenue and Expenses Breakdown as at Nov 2024 Simply Wall St Growth Rating: ★★★★☆☆ Overview: Beijing Beetech Inc. is engaged in the production and ***** of smart sensors and optoelectronic instrument products, with a market cap of CN¥4.21 billion. Operations: The company focuses on producing and selling smart sensors and optoelectronic instruments. Its revenue model is centered around these core product lines, contributing to its market presence. Despite a challenging year with a net loss reported in the latest quarter, Beijing Beetech continues to invest heavily in R&D, dedicating 19.3% of its revenue towards innovation—a strategy that not only underscores its commitment to growth but also positions it well within the competitive tech landscape. This focus on development is further evidenced by an anticipated earnings surge of 55.3% annually, highlighting a robust recovery trajectory that could outpace broader market trends significantly. These strategic investments have poised Beijing Beetech to capitalize on emerging technological opportunities, ensuring its relevance in a swiftly evolving sector. SZSE:300667 Earnings and Revenue Growth as at Nov 2024 Explore the 1283 names from our High Growth Tech and AI Stocks screener here. Hold shares in these firms? Setup your portfolio in Simply Wall St to seamlessly track your investments and receive personalized updates on your portfolio’s performance. Unlock the power of informed investing with Simply Wall St, your free guide to navigating stock markets worldwide. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Companies discussed in this article include SHSE:688312 SZSE:002380 and SZSE:300667. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email *****@*****.tld Source link #High #Growth #Tech #Stocks #Explore #November Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump returns 'border tsar'; Musk weighs in on Senate Trump returns 'border tsar'; Musk weighs in on Senate Elon Musk has put forward his preference for a key US Senate role as president-elect Donald Trump said he was bringing back his former “border tsar”. Source link #Trump #returns #039border #tsar039 #Musk #weighs #Senate Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

An object struck a satellite in Earth’s orbit, leaving a ***** An object struck a satellite in Earth’s orbit, leaving a ***** An unknown small object, traveling thousands of miles per hour, punctured a satellite in Earth‘s orbit. The satellite company NanoAvionics released images online showing the damage to its MP42 satellite, launched in 2022 and designed to host several instruments for different customers. The source of the ***** from a chickpea-sized object is uncertain, but the event underscores the growing risk to spacecraft in orbit around our planet. “Whether this impact was from a micrometeoroid or a piece of space debris, the collision highlights the need for responsible space operations in orbit and makes us reflect on satellite resilience against these types of events,” the company posted online. SEE ALSO: NASA scientist viewed first Voyager images. What he saw gave him chills. Though natural impacts from small meteoroids — which are fragments of an asteroid — are inevitable in our solar system (a place teeming with asteroids), both space agencies and companies alike don’t want human-created space debris to increase. That would, of course, endanger everyone’s interests, and may eventually spawn a domino effect of continually increasing space collisions called the Kessler effect. (Mashable previously spoke with Don Kessler, a former senior scientist for orbital debris research at NASA, about this debris risk.) The impact of the MP42 satellite thankfully didn’t contribute to a debris problem, but as shown below, left a ***** in a solar panel. On bottom left, a zoomed-in view shows the six millimeter (quarter-inch) ***** left by the recent collision. On bottom left, a zoomed-in view shows the six millimeter (quarter-inch) ***** left by the recent collision. Credit: Kongsberg NanoAvionics NanoAvionics noted that it has joined the ********* Space Agency’s Zero Debris Charter, which aim to significantly reduce the creation of new space debris by 2030. Just a small object packs a big punch. “A collision with a 1cm particle travelling 10 km/s (of which there are about a million in orbit) releases the same energy as a small car crashing at 40 km/h,” the agency said. “By joining this initiative, we’re helping to ensure that NanoAvionics’ satellites and those from our customers operate responsibly and contribute to a safer future in space,” NanoAvionics wrote. Operating responsibly means that defunct spacecraft self-dispose themselves into Earth’s atmosphere, where they’ll largely ***** up. It also means designing craft that don’t intentionally release space debris (like lens caps or rocket parts), vigilantly monitoring for potential collisions (the International Space Station, for example, has to at times move to avoid a heightened impact threat), and of course discouraging the irresponsible destruction of spacecraft. Today, unregulated orbital trash now permeates a region of space around Earth called low Earth orbit, or LEO. “LEO is an orbital space junk yard,” NASA explained. “There are millions of pieces of space junk flying in LEO. Most orbital debris comprises human-generated objects, such as pieces of spacecraft, tiny flecks of paint from a spacecraft, parts of rockets, satellites that are no longer working, or explosions of objects in orbit flying around in space at high speeds.” Source link #object #struck #satellite #Earths #orbit #leaving #***** Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Remembrance Day: Premier Roger Cook says we ‘must never forget’ at poignant Kings Park ceremony Remembrance Day: Premier Roger Cook says we ‘must never forget’ at poignant Kings Park ceremony Premier Roger Cook has told West Australians we “must never forget” the sacrifices of Australians who have served in armed conflicts as hundreds gathered at Kings Park to commemorate Remembrance Day. Mr Cook was joined by dignitaries including RSL WA chief executive Stephen Barton, WA Governor Chris Dawson, Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas and deputy veteran affairs commissioner Peter King at to mark 106 years since the Armistice was signed to end World War I. “At 5am on 11 November 1918, in a railway carriage in France, representatives of France, Britain and Germany all signed a document that would put an end to four years of conflict, and six hours later at 11am, those signatures would bring into effect the armistice that ended World War I,” Mr Cook said in a speech. “At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, as the guns fell silent on the Western Front, the horrors of war were replaced with rejoicing and the ringing of bells across the world. “The war to end all wars was over, and the nation stopped to remember the 60,000 Australians who made the ultimate sacrifice and the more than 170,000 injured, taken prisoner or missing on the battlefields of Europe.” Mr Cook said local services like Soldier On, Legacy and Mates For Mates were “invaluable” in supporting the 60,000 veterans living in WA. “The State of Western Australia supports current veterans through the Anzac Day Trust, which to date, has dispensed over $11 million for the betterment of veterans,” he said. Camera IconA Prayer of Remembrance was followed by a wreath laying ceremony, Last Post and minute silence. Credit: Riley Churchman/The West *********** “Western Australia is also actively working with the Commonwealth and other States and Territories in actioning the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran ******** on this Remembrance Day. “As we pause to reflect and remember the tremendous courage and sacrifice of those who left those shores and never returned. “We should also remember those members who have served and continue to serve in our Army, Navy and Air Force. “We must never forget to reflect on those who gave all and ensured that their commitment (and) their sacrifice ******** remembered always.” Camera IconThe Remembrance Day ceremony at Kings Park. Credit: Riley Churchman/The West *********** RAAF WA president Clive Robartson said it was important to educate young Australians on past wars. Camera IconRemembrance Day bugler David Scott on Barrack Street at 10.59 am. Credit: Iain Gillespie/The West *********** “In the Air Force there were some huge battles (where) a lot of people were lost. . . it’s so important that we continue this tradition and that our young people, as they grow up, understand why we come together on Remembrance Day.” A Prayer of Remembrance was followed by a wreath laying ceremony, Last Post and minute silence. “Jack”, a custodian set of bagpipes which were used by *********** soldier William Scott at the 1916 Battle of the Somme were played to mark the end of the ceremony. “Piper William Scott (was) a soldier in the second Tyneside Scottish who piped his battalion into the ******* on the first day of the Battle of the Somme,” Mr Barton said. “Piper Scott fell in the ******* trench where the pipes were recovered.” At 10.59am, buglers played the Last Post at eight locations across the city. Source link #Remembrance #Day #Premier #Roger #Cook #forget #poignant #Kings #Park #ceremony Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Psychologists Are Begging People To Pay Attention to These 11 Early Signs of Loneliness Psychologists Are Begging People To Pay Attention to These 11 Early Signs of Loneliness The ironic thing about feeling lonely is that you’re not alone. Loneliness is so pervasive that U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called it an “epidemic” in a 2023 advisory. The World Health Organization is also sounding the alarm about loneliness on a global scale, saying it’s a public health and policy issue for all age groups, especially older adults. “Humans are very social beings,” says Dr. Gayle MacBride, Ph.D., LP of Veritas Psychology Partners. “Loneliness leads to poorer health outcomes. I come back to this singular fact again and again when I talk with my clients.” However, societal pressures to ignore signs of loneliness are real (and harmful). “We are taught to be tough and laud the person who made it on their own or pulled themselves up by their bootstraps,” Dr. MacBride says. “The danger is being isolated and lacking in true belonging, then we see more negative outcomes across the various aspects of our health.” Understanding the early signs of loneliness can help you help yourself or lend a necessary hand and ear to a loved one. Dr. MacBride and other psychologists share symptoms of loneliness and isolation and how to cope. Related: This Is the Exact Age When We Tend to Feel the Most Lonely—and What to Do About It 11 Early Signs of Loneliness, According to Psychologists1. Decreasing social interactions Dr. MacBride says reducing social interactions can start small—eating lunch in your career instead of with a pal four times weekly instead of twice—and gradually lead to isolationism. “If someone starts spending less time with friends and family, it shows us they are pulling away from others,” Dr. MacBride says. However, Dr. MacBride emphasizes that support is essential, and reducing social interactions can make getting help *******. 2. Difficulty finding social events School offers built-in opportunities to socialize at lunch and on the playgrounds. There are also often tons of in-school parties around holidays, plus activities like team sports and volunteer clubs. Spouses and partners can also provide a go-to person to hang out with. When these things go away because of graduations, breakups or even ******, Dr. MacBride says it can be jarring and isolating. If you feel like there’s no way to get involved or find a connection, it may be an early sign and risk factor that you’re lonely. Related: People Who Felt Lonely as Children Usually Develop These 13 Traits as Adults, Psychologists Say 3. Social anxiety Sometimes, people may avoid social interactions altogether because of social anxiety. “Social anxiety happens because as we get out of practice in being in social situations, the idea of being around other people can begin to feel intimidating,” says Dr. Patrice Le ****, PhD, LMFT, a psychologist and the host of the podcast “Like-Minded with Dr. Patrice.” 4. Feeling like something is missing You may simply feel off or like you’re missing out on something. “This may look like seeing a friend or relative’s pictures on social media with others and feeling sadness or yearning,” says Dr. Larissa Redziniak, Psy.D with Thriveworks. 5. Low self-esteem or self-worth This one can also sneak up on you, going ignored until it begins causing more harm. “Over time, you may begin to believe there is something wrong with you or that you are not worth getting to know or spending time with,” Dr. Redziniak says. Dr. Le **** agrees. “We may talk ourselves out of reaching out to people and might feel like, ‘Well, they won’t want to talk to me anyway,’ even when that may not be the case,” Dr. Le **** says. Related: This One Common Habit Is Actually Holding You Back, According to a Psychologist—Here’s Why 6. Hopelessness Hopelessness can be a sign of “late-stage” loneliness, but it may also be an early flag and something that prevents you from seeking connection. “We may also feel hopeless and have a hard time believing that we can be happy or have genuine connections with other people,” Dr. Le **** says. 7. Unmet basic needs Basic needs like eating nourishing meals and getting seven to eight hours of sleep per night help us survive and thrive. However, people starting to feel lonely may neglect these building block habits. “When we are connected with others, especially when we have enough physical connection, we tend to sleep better,” says Dr. Hannah Yang, Psy.D., the visionary of Balanced Awakening. “Sometimes, we may not realize that we’re not getting enough connection with others, and it shows up as problems with sleep or extra fatigue.” Ditto for not a change in eating rhythms. “If we lose our appetites…that could be due to concerns about loneliness,” Dr. Le **** says. 8. Spike in social media use It’s natural to head to social media when you feel disconnected. “Sometimes, when we crave connection, we subconsciously attempt to get it by spending time browsing social media,” Dr. Yang says. “That can be a way of feeling included and connected on some level, but it may be an attempt to fill a ******* need than what this more removed way of connecting can provide.” 9. Binge-watching TV Another screen-related sign of loneliness? Binging Netflix (or other streamers or old-fashioned cable). “You might be binge-watching a show to get engrossed in a story where other people are connecting,” Dr. Yang says. “Watching hours of a show where other people are playing out relationships can make us feel like we’re involved in the relationships on the screen, too.” The ending isn’t always happy (for us), though. “When the show is over, or the TV is turned off, this type of relationship stops reciprocating,” Dr. Yang says. 10. Increased irritability When Dr. MacBride speaks with lonely clients about their support systems, she says they often only have one or two people they can rely on for help. In both cases, one of those people is the client themselves. “That’s a pretty small support system,” Dr. MacBride says. It can lead to increased irritability and shorter fuses. “Often, this is directly related to their disappointment that they perceive that others are not there for them,” Dr. MacBride says. “Lots of times, they tell me it’s because they don’t have anyone they can trust.” Unfortunately, irritability can worsen isolation. “It’s hard to want to get close to someone who snaps at you, and again, can create a self-fulfilling cycle,” Dr. MacBride says. 11. Physical symptoms Here’s a reminder that physical and mental health can go hand in hand. “Isolation and loneliness are an increased stress response,” Dr. MacBride says. “In our bodies, a stress response can show up as inflammation. This inflammation can result in physical problems, such as feeling fatigued, headaches and even digestive problems.” It sets off another vicious cycle. “These physical symptoms can result in someone deciding to stay home instead of seeing friends or going to an event, thus further intensifying loneliness,” Dr. MacBride says. Related: 11 Phrases That Signal a Person’s Lonely, According to Psychologists How To Cope With Loneliness1. Reconnect with yourself Internal work can help you find external connections, especially during transitions where relationships phase out and new ones form. Think graduations, new parenthood and retirement. Dr. Yang recommends journaling and tuning into your real desires. “When you have some freedom from social obligations, it’s an easier time to ask yourself, ‘What do I want to do today?'” she says. “Then, try to honor what your inner self comes up with as much as you can. Doing this can help you more intentionally make connections with people in the future, in turn buffering yourself from loneliness. 2. Initiate contact Taking the first step in establishing or re-establishing a relationship, such as with a colleague who seems cool or an old friend you miss, can be the most challenging. “Sometimes, people stop themselves from doing this because they are afraid of rejection, but making or re-establishing these important connections can be worth the risk,” Dr. Le **** says. 3. Get active Dr. Le **** says that pursuing a hobby, volunteering or signing up for group fitness can help you meet new people and find community. Just remember: Slow and steady. “I don’t advise rushing into a million activities to avoid the uncomfortable feeling of being alone,” Dr. Le **** says. “It can be really valuable to learn to enjoy your own company.” 4. Adopt a **** Aw, really? You bet. “Pets can help us to feel less lonely and comfort us during hard times,” Dr. Redziniak says. “It can also have other benefits, such as getting exercise when walking your dog and meeting other dog owners.” Dr. Redziniak cautions that a **** is a long-term commitment, so it’s important to consider your schedule, lifestyle and finances first. 5. Cognitive therapy You don’t have to dig out of lonely feelings alone. Sometimes, an objective third party can help you develop skills you can use to establish connections. “When your brain is telling you, ‘They don’t want me anyway, so I won’t go,’ consider cognitive behavioral therapy techniques to help you challenge that little voice,” Dr. MacBride says. Up Next: Related: 135 Deep Shadow Work Prompts To Help With Self-Awareness, Self-Compassion and Authenticity Sources: Source link #Psychologists #Begging #People #Pay #Attention #Early #Signs #Loneliness Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Jason Allen Heelan: Man banned from owning animals for five years after shocking ****** case against puppy Jason Allen Heelan: Man banned from owning animals for five years after shocking ****** case against puppy A man has been banned from owning a **** and fined thousands after he ******* to take his four-month-old injured puppy to the vet after it was hit by a car. Source link #Jason #Allen #Heelan #Man #banned #owning #animals #years #shocking #****** #case #puppy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Remembrance Day 2024: Hundreds remember the fallen at RSL Albany service Remembrance Day 2024: Hundreds remember the fallen at RSL Albany service Hundreds of people stopped on York Street on Monday to remember those who have served or ***** in armed conflicts as Albany marked its central place in the Anzac story on Remembrance Day. Source link #Remembrance #Day #Hundreds #remember #fallen #RSL #Albany #service Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

US launches ****** Dagger Zombie missile to test defense sensor system US launches ****** Dagger Zombie missile to test defense sensor system In a bid to bolster the country’s missile defense, the US Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) launched a ****** Dagger Zombie missile target from Fort Wingate to White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico on November 2. The ****** Dagger Zombie missile target is designed to fly a ballistic path and test defense protection capabilities of the US Army. The mission played a crucial role in validating Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) radar performance, bringing the program closer to field deployment. Justin Novak, target test director for the mission, stated that the system under test required a high-performance, threat-representative strategic missile target. He added that the launch confirmed the system’s ability to perform as designed against a strategic missile threat. “The target launched within the required time-frame and presented a representative strategic missile threat environment to the system under test. Launching targets is a team effort, and we are fortunate to have a proficient and dedicated team that consistently delivers healthy targets to the systems under test,” Novak explained. He also added that testing missile defense systems against strategic threats reinforces confidence in their effectiveness, helping to safeguard the US and its allies. Maiden mission from Fixed Target Launcher Olivia Miller, pad chief for the LTZ-2 mission, adjusted the launcher to its proper launch angle and elevation, making necessary modifications for changing winds. The mission was successful, with a nominal trajectory flown and the system under test successfully tracking, identifying, and intercepting the target. “This was the first ****** Dagger to be launched from Fort Wingate since 2022, so everyone worked exceptionally hard to ensure we had a successful return to flight,” Miller stated, adding that launching one of these targets requires seamless collaboration between many different entities. This mission also marked the first launch from the Fixed Target Launcher, which was installed and certified through 2023. “Every launch I participate in, I learn a little bit more about everyone’s roles before and during countdown. I’m continually blown away by the talent and experience we have in this program, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn from my teammates,” Miller stressed. Low-cost target solutions for training Stephanie Chrisley, mission assistant test director, acknowledged the dedicated team at Fort Wingate, which ensures that SMDC’s team has everything they need. She expressed appreciation for the collaboration between Fort Wingate and White Sands Missile Range teams, who worked together to make the mission possible. Chrisley also highlighted that the Zombie program offers low-cost target solutions to support all training requirements for the warfighter. “These missions allow us to exercise our equipment and train our people in a variety of conditions. Missions such as these allow us to reinforce our ever-ready stance. The targets team has been working toward this launch for a long time and demonstrated great teamwork to make this a success.” she added. Source link #launches #****** #Dagger #Zombie #missile #test #defense #sensor #system Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Floods ‘spreading oil pollution’ in South Sudan Floods ‘spreading oil pollution’ in South Sudan Getty Images Herders scooping murky water from a small pond in grasslands in South Sudan are well aware of the dangers they face if they drink it. “The water is ****** because this place has oil – it has chemicals in it,” says their chief, Chilhok Puot. Nyatabah, a woman from this community raising cows in the heart of oil fields in Unity State, adds: “If you drink it, it makes you pant and cough. “We know it’s bad water, but we don’t have anywhere else, we’re dying of thirst.” A former oil engineer, David Bojo Leju, has told the BBC that flooding in the area is washing pollution into water sources. Large swathes of the state have been under water for several years after unprecedented flooding, which scientists say has been worsened by climate change. Mr Bojo Leju says the floods are a “disaster” and that pollution from mismanaged oil facilities is a “silent *******” spreading across the state. South Sudan is the world’s youngest country and one of its poorest, with a government hugely dependent on oil revenue. Unity State, a major oil-producing state, has always experienced seasonal flooding. But in 2019, extreme rains brought a deluge that engulfed villages, grasslands and forests. Year after year of intense rainfall followed. The water built up, trapped on the clay soil. At the worst point in 2022, two-thirds of Unity State were submerged, according to the UN World Food Programme (WFP) – even now, it says about 40% is still under water. Mr Bojo Leju worked for eight years for the oil consortium Greater Pioneer Operating Company (GPOC), a ****** venture between Malaysian, Indian and ******** oil companies – with South Sudan’s government owning 5%. After a major pipeline rupture five years ago, he started photographing and filming pools of oily water and heaps of blackened soil in locations in Unity State, including sites near Roriak, where the herders live. He says spills from oil wells and pipelines were “a recurring situation”, and that he was involved in transporting contaminated soil away from roads, so it would not be seen. He tried to raise his concerns with company managers, but he says little was done and “there was no treatment plan for soil”. Mr Bojo Leju also says “produced water” – water released from the ground when oil is extracted and often containing hydrocarbons and other pollutants – was not properly treated. David Bojo Leju Former GPOC oil engineer David Bojo Leju filmed several sites after oil spills and other contamination in the Roriak area There were reports of high oil content, above international standards, in the produced water “every day in our morning meeting”, he says, “and this water is injected back into the environment”. “The question is where does water flow?” he says. “Up to the river, up to the water source where people drink, up to ponds where people catch fish.” Mr Bojo Leju explains that “some of the oil chemicals seeped down” into the groundwater, where they will flow into boreholes. “The water table is contaminated,” he says. When intense rains began in 2019, earth dykes were put around some spilled oil “but it was not enough to withstand the volume of water”, he adds. In Roriak, there is no data available about the quality of the water the herders drink, but they ***** pollution is making their cattle *****. They say calves have been born without heads or without limbs. Unity State’s agriculture minister blames the deaths of more than 100,000 cattle in the last two years on the floods combined with oil pollution. Earth dykes keep floodwater out of a camp that houses about 140,000 displaced people In a forest close to Roriak, a group of men and women chop down trees to make charcoal. They have walked for eight hours along dirt roads flanked by flood water to reach the forest. They say the only water they can find here is polluted. Even boiled “it causes diarrhoea and abdominal pain”, says one woman, Nyakal. Another, Nyeda, wipes away tears, saying she needs the charcoal to sell, but is worried about her seven children, left with her mother for a week. “She has nothing either,” she says. Nyeda lives near the state capital, Bentiu, in a reed hut squeezed into a camp housing 140,000 people who have fled conflict or the floods. It is completely surrounded by flood water and protected only by earth dykes. There is some food aid, but many in the area survive by foraging for water lily roots and fish to supplement their rations. Safe water is scarce. Nyeda uses water from a borehole for washing and cooking, but needs money to buy drinking water. People harvest water lily roots to eat, from flood water that David Bojo Leju says could be polluted Health professionals and politicians in the area have told the BBC they ***** pollution and the lack of clean water are taking a toll on human health. In a hospital in Bentiu, a mother has just given birth. Her new-born baby’s nose and mouth are joined. “They have no access to clean water,” says Dr Samuel Puot, one of the doctors caring for the baby. “They just drink from the river where water and oil are mixed. That might be the problem.” He says there are “many” cases of children born with abnormalities, such as no limbs or a small head, in Bentiu and also Ruweng, an oil-producing area north of Unity State. They often **** within days or months, he adds. Genetic testing can give clues about the causes of congenital abnormalities, but the hospital does not have the facilities, and results are often not conclusive. Dr Puot wants the government to keep a register of cases. As the data is not recorded systematically, it is not clear whether these anecdotal reports indicate an unusually high prevalence of congenital abnormalities. The family of this baby born in a Bentiu hospital live in an area where the water is polluted with oil, a doctor tells the BBC “It is plausible that oil-related pollution could contribute to an increased risk of birth defects,” says Dr Nicole Deziel, an environmental health specialist at Yale University. Environmental pollution is a risk factor for congenital abnormalities, alongside genetics, maternal age, infection and nutrition, she says. Some compounds released during the production of oil can affect foetal development, Dr Deziel adds. “Anecdotal reports can serve as important indicators of environmental health problems,” she says, but stresses that without systematic data collection, establishing evidence of a causal relationship is difficult. In 2014 and 2017, the *******-based non-governmental organisation Sign of Hope carried out peer-reviewed studies close to other oil fields in Unity State. They found increased salinity and high concentrations of heavy metals in water nearer oil wells, as well as high concentrations of lead and barium in human hair samples. The researchers concluded these were indicators of pollution from oil production. Life at 50C Water Crisis: Poisoned Floods – extreme flooding has affected hundreds of thousands in South Sudan. Now with added fears of oil pollution. Find it on iPlayer (*** only) or on the BBC ******* YouTube channel (outside the ***) The government has commissioned an environmental audit of the impact of the oil industry, but the results are yet to be made public more than a year later than expected. Mary Ayen Majok, a senior politician from the ruling party, has been raising concerns about oil pollution for more than a decade. She is a member of the government and deputy speaker in the upper house of the South Sudanese parliament, and is from Ruweng. She says one of her own relatives has had a child “born with deformities” and believes many such cases are not reported because of ***** of stigma or lack of access to medical facilities. Ms Majok says South Sudan “inherited an industry that was based on bad practices” when the country was formed in 2011 after it gained independence from Sudan. A five-year civil war broke out in 2013. For a nation facing conflict and heavily dependent on oil revenues, improving environmental responsibility has been “at the tail of our priorities”, she says. Laws and institutions have been established but “accountability is not that strong”, she says. Women making charcoal in the Roriak area say they boil the water before drinking it but it still makes them feel unwell “Talking about oil is like touching the heart of the government,” says Mr Bojo Leju. He spoke to the BBC in Sweden, where he has been granted asylum. In 2020 he was approached by South Sudanese lawyers who wanted to sue the government over oil pollution. He agreed to testify as a witness. But he says security personnel detained him, hit him on the head with a ******* and forced him to sign a document recanting his evidence. He fled the country soon afterwards. The lawyers did not pursue their case. The BBC asked the oil consortium GPOC and the South Sudanese president’s office to comment on the allegations in this report, but they did not respond. David Bojo Leju has been granted asylum in Sweden after coming under pressure in South Sudan Scientists are not sure whether the floods in Unity State will ever recede. Dr Chris Funk, director of the Climate Hazards Center at University of Carolina, Santa Barbara, says 2019 saw record sea surface temperatures in the west Indian Ocean, which “would have been impossible in a world without climate change”. Warmer air can hold more moisture, and he says there was a “strong link” between these sea temperatures and the 2019 extreme rains over East *******. Dr Funk says higher rainfall has continued since then over the Lake Victoria basin that feeds into South Sudan, but it is not clear whether this is a permanent new pattern. Temperatures in South Sudan have risen and are expected to rise further, he adds. This means extreme precipitation “will be more extreme” and, under some global warming scenarios, heat and humidity could mean some parts of the country “would not be liveable”, he says. However, despite the floods and pollution fears, many here hope to return to a life of raising animals and living off the land. In Roriak, children fashion a miniature village out of the clay on the ground, complete with model huts and cows. And near Bentiu, an elderly woman grinds water lily roots next to the flood water. She says she would like to a have a cow again, one day. “When the water goes down, I’ll grow grain, even if it’s years,” she adds. Life at 50C Water Crisis: Poisoned Floods – blood, pollution and oil in South Sudan. BBC Eye investigates the legacy of oil and asks who is responsible? Find it on BBC Sounds if you’re in the ***, or if you’re outside the *** click here. You may also be interested in:Getty Images/BBC Source link #Floods #spreading #oil #pollution #South #Sudan Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Sydney dog trainer sentenced over ******* ******* on neighbour Sydney dog trainer sentenced over ******* ******* on neighbour A respected dog trainer who filmed herself admitting to stabbing her neighbour with a ****** has told a court why she did it. Source link #Sydney #dog #trainer #sentenced #******* #******* #neighbour Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Collection Gets Big Discount At Amazon Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Collection Gets Big Discount At Amazon Final Fantasy I-VI Collection Anniversary Edition is discounted to only $55 at Amazon and Walmart. The $20 discount is available for the PS4 version, which includes all six games on a disc that’s fully compatible with PS5. The Anniversary Edition comes with a sticker sheet of Final Fantasy character sprites. It released in October on PS4 and Nintendo Switch with a $75 list price. The collection includes the Pixel Remaster editions of the first six mainline Final Fantasy games. Square Enix released a physical edition last year, but the small print run sold out extremely fast. Last month’s re-release brought the collection to major retailers for the first time as the Anniversary Edition. It’s worth emphasizing that this is a true physical release, as all of the games are on the Switch cart or PS4 disc. $55 (was $75) Final Fantasy I-VI Collection Anniversary Edition includes the Pixel Remasters of the following games: Final Fantasy I (NES, 1987) Final Fantasy II (NES, 1988) Final Fantasy III (Famicom, 1990) Final Fantasy IV (SNES, 1991) Final Fantasy V (SNES, 1992) Final Fantasy VI (SNES, 1994) All six games received comprehensive graphical and audio overhauls for the Pixel Remaster series. Square Enix remodeled the sprites using the original pixel art as a foundation. Series composer Nobuo Uematsu supervised the creation of the rearranged soundtracks. You can also play the games with the original soundtracks, but the rearranged versions are great. Numerous quality-of-life features were added, including quick save, customizable text fonts, experience multipliers, auto-battling, the ability to turn off random encounters, and more. You can also browse the in-game bestiary and illustration gallery as well as listen to classic tunes with a music player. $71.49 (was $75) Unfortunately, the Nintendo Switch version hasn’t received nearly as substantial of a discount, but you can grab it for $71.49 at Amazon. Alternatively, you can get the original edition for $69.49. You won’t get the sticker sheet, but the cover art has a cleaner look without the big ESRB box and Anniversary Edition text. Square Enix’s Pixel Remasters project debuted on PC and mobile in Summer 2021 with the three 8-bit Final Fantasy games and came to a close with Final Fantasy VI in February 2022. The collection was ported to PlayStation and Switch last year and to Xbox Series X|S in September. The proper Final Fantasy III was exclusive to Japan until the release of the 3D remake for Nintendo DS. Long-time fans in North America may remember Final Fantasy VI, arguably the best game in the franchise, as Final Fantasy III. The games can be played in any order, but it’s really cool to see how the series evolved from the 8-bit era on the Nintendo Entertainment System to the 16-bit era of the Super Nintendo. $20.71 (was $25) If you love classic Final Fantasy games, you should also check out FF Dot: The Pixel Art of Final Fantasy. This lovely 280-page hardcover book offers an in-depth look at the gorgeous artwork that, considering the existence of the Pixel Remasters, has proven to be timeless. We’ve included a list of other Final Fantasy art, lore, and reference books that are worth checking out below, including Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Material Ultimania Plus, which releases November 19. Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive Volume 1, which coincidentally focuses on the first six Final Fantasy games, has 336 pages of concept art and commentary from game designers and artists who worked on the games that are now bundled together in one collection. Ultimania Archive Volume 1 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Material Ultimania are eligible for Amazon’s buy one, get one free book ***** that’s running until November 16. Source link #Final #Fantasy #Pixel #Remaster #Collection #Big #Discount #Amazon Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Man accused of buying $2,000 in gift cards at Dublin store using stolen credit cards Man accused of buying $2,000 in gift cards at Dublin store using stolen credit cards DUBLIN, Ohio (WCMH) – Police are searching for a man believed to purchased $2,000 worth of gift cards, allegedly with stolen credit cards, nearly two weeks ago. According to Central Ohio ****** Stoppers, a vehicle was reportedly broken into on Oct. 29 at a Lifetime Fitness gym on Hard Road in Dublin. The victim told police that her purse, which contained four credit cards, was stolen out of her car parked outside of the gym. The suspect then allegedly used the credit cards at a Walmart on Sawmill Road to fraudulently purchase four gift cards, worth $500 each. Police are searching for a suspect believed to have used stolen credit cards at a Walmart in Dublin, Ohio, Oct. 29, 2024. (Courtesy/Central Ohio ****** Stoppers) Police are searching for a suspect believed to have used stolen credit cards at a Walmart in Dublin, Ohio, Oct. 29, 2024. (Courtesy/Central Ohio ****** Stoppers) Police are searching for a suspect believed to have used stolen credit cards at a Walmart in Dublin, Ohio, Oct. 29, 2024. (Courtesy/Central Ohio ****** Stoppers) Police are searching for a suspect believed to have used stolen credit cards at a Walmart in Dublin, Ohio, Oct. 29, 2024. (Courtesy/Central Ohio ****** Stoppers) Police are searching for a suspect believed to have used stolen credit cards at a Walmart in Dublin, Ohio, Oct. 29, 2024. (Courtesy/Central Ohio ****** Stoppers) The suspect, who was captured on surveillance video at the store, drove away from Walmart in a white Ford Explorer. Photos from the security video revealed the suspect had distinctive tattoos on the top of his right hand. ****** Stoppers is offering a cash reward for any information leading to the arrest and/or indictment of the person(s) responsible for this ******. Anyone with information is asked to call 614-461-TIPS (8477) or visit www.stopcrime.org and submit your tip. Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. Source link #Man #accused #buying #gift #cards #Dublin #store #stolen #credit #cards Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

11/10: CBS Weekend News – CBS News 11/10: CBS Weekend News – CBS News 11/10: CBS Weekend News – CBS News Watch CBS News Crews getting control of Mountain ***** in California; Judith Jamison, famed dancer, ***** at age 81 Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On Source link #CBS #Weekend #News #CBS #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Day one of inquest into Lynn Cannon’s ****** to focus on WA Police’s role in responding to her ******* Day one of inquest into Lynn Cannon’s ****** to focus on WA Police’s role in responding to her ******* Whether WA Police could have helped save the life of murdered mother Lynn Cannon – and the confused response to her family’s attempts to get her help – will be the key questions at this week’s inquest into her horrific ******. Ms Cannon was one day on from her 51st birthday when she was stabbed to ****** by her ex-husband Paul in December 2022. She had left their abusive marriage after 25 years and had moved on with another partner. Camera IconLynn Cannon Credit: WA Police/WA Police He was still obsessed, ****** and upset – sending threatening and abusive messages and paying her unwanted visits. On the morning of December 5, he brought a ****** with him. Despite that, she still tried to placate him and intended to give him a car. But after going to his house later the same day, his anger did not subside – and arguments could be heard for hours. At 7.30pm that evening, Lynn’s sister Christine Holmes rang police with her concerns – telling them she was at her ex’s house, she was not replying, and he had been seen with a ******. Just over an hour later, she was *****. And it is what police did in that time which coroner Sarah Linton will investigate this week. “The circumstances of Lynn’s ******, which involved brutal acts of family and domestic *********, were harrowing and shocking. Lynn’s ****** is an example of the insidious and destructive impact family and domestic ********* has on our community,” counsel assisting Sarah Tyler said. “The central question to be considered in this inquest is: “Was there a missed opportunity on the part of the WA Police to save Lynn’s life?” “That is, could there have been a more efficient or effective response to calls regarding concerns for Lynn’s ********, and in that context, did any action or inaction on the part of a member of the Police Force contribute to Lynn’s ******?” In her opening, Ms Tyler detailed how the initial call from Ms Holmes prompted a priority 2 task to be assigned to the call – which means an attempted attendance by police in 12 minutes. But it was then downgraded to a Priority 3 job, meaning a 60-minute response. Moments later, police recorded “no assets available.” Meaning all nine cars in the Joondalup policing district were occupied. The inquest was told 230 000 calls were received there that evening, in contrast to a forecast of 89. Ms Tyler also revealed that after Ms Holmes had given a slightly wrong address in her initial call, she later rang again to correct it – information that was never passed on. As a result, another officer changed Ms Cannon’s job address to her home address in Butler — rather than where her family knew she was, in Landsdale. Camera IconShe had left their abusive marriage after 25 years and had moved on with another partner. Credit: Lynn Cannon/Facebook By the time a police car was dispatched at 8.25pm – to the Butler address – Ms Cannon had already been fatally injured. And even reports from neighbours about screaming – and an eye-witness account from Mr Cannon’s landlord who had actually witnessed the stabbing – did not receive an immediate police response. One car was eventually dispatched to Landsdale, then diverted to another job, and then diverted back again. And an ambulance officer tasked to go to the ******* scene tried – and ******* – five times to contact police on a dedicated line before ringing 000 himself. “The paramedic made a quick safety assessment and then bravely decided to enter the house alone. He was worried there was a chance Lynn was still alive and that she was in urgent need of medical treatment, so he chose not to wait for police,” Ms Tyler said. “The first police vehicle arrived one hour and 14 minutes after Ms Holmes first raised concerns about her sister’s ******** with police — and around half an hour after Lynn had been stabbed and the neighbours and housemate called the police.” Witnesses to be called will include police involved in the call-outs, including the officer who ******* to pass on the change of address. An internal affairs investigation led to his censure. Senior officers will also give evidence of changes in WA Police policy since Ms Cannon’s ******, which continues to devastate her close family – who watched on Monday dressed in red. Their sister’s “power colour”. “On that night that my sister was murdered, decisions made by certain individuals took away any chance of my sister surviving,” her sister Jacqui Darley said. “What we are hoping for today is that those individuals have the humility to be able to admit their failures and that Lynn can become the face of change because changes need to be made. “Sometimes it’s the attitudes that need changing, complacency. She could have been with us had people just listened and acted on those calls that were made.” Source link #Day #inquest #Lynn #Cannons #****** #focus #Polices #role #responding #******* Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Why AMD’s new gaming CPU spells disaster for Intel’s Arrow Lake Why AMD’s new gaming CPU spells disaster for Intel’s Arrow Lake When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Tom’s Hardware AMD’s latest gaming processor, the Ryzen 9000 “Granite Ridge” series has seen an unexpected ***** in sales. In fact, there’s a shortage of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D chips in Europe right now. While the Ryzen 9000 series has plenty of gaming power, one of the driving forces for the rush on “Granite Ridge” has nothing to do with AMD and everything to do with recent troubles over at Intel. Since most folks aren’t deep in the processor trenches, we’ve put together this rundown primer on the state of gaming CPUs for you. So, let’s break it down. A stellar launch for AMD’s Ryzen 9000 series amd ryzen x3d series teaser AMD’s Ryzen 9000 series is codenamed “Granite Ridge” and is built off the AMD Zen 5 architecture, like the Ryzen AI 300 series of “Strix Point” laptop chips. Based on early information and leaks, the 9000X3D chipsets promised “next-gen” gaming performance with a 18-28% performance increase over the Ryzen 7000 series processors. Reviews of the Ryzen 9000 series called the processors “devestating” and “a gaming legend.” And based on the data we have, those claims are absolutely well founded. Following those rave reviews, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is flying off the shelves. But behind AMD’s powerful new processor launch, ***** Intel’s latest chip troubles. Early Intel Core Ultra 200K and 200S disappointments and Raptor Lake scandal Intel Core Ultra 200K Just a few weeks prior to AMD’s CPU launch we had the Intel Core Ultra 200K “Arrow Lake” chips hit the shelves. Based on Intel’s Core Ultra 100 “Meteor Lake” architecture, the chips focused more on gaming performance with a small NPU, but early reviews of the 200K series were underwhelmed. The Intel Core Ultra 200S “Arrow Lake” launch was similarly disappointed. Intel’s promises of high gaming performance were unfounded as reviewers noticed the chips performed similarly to last year’s Intel Core 14th Gen “Raptor Lake Refresh” chips in gaming. While the Intel Core Ultra 200K and 200S chips saw boosts to general productivity and power efficiency, that wasn’t quite how Intel pitched the processors in the leadup to the lauch. Intel has also been dealing with a CPU ****** scandal involving the 13th Gen “Raptor Lake” and 14th Gen “Raptor Lake Refresh” chips. The issues with the “Raptor Lake” chipsets have led to a class action lawsuit against Intel. So its no surprise AMD’s gaming CPUs are taking over the market share from Intel in the largest gaming shakeup we’ve seen in recent years. Outlook AMD Ryzen chipset Intel still has more chipsets coming this year. The Intel Core Ultra 200H and 200HX “high performance” chipsets are expected to launch early next year for both desktop and mobile. AMD is still rolling out more iterations of the Ryzen 9000 series desktop processors and Ryzen AI 300 series mobile chips. Intel is also expected to launch Core Ultra 200U series processors this generation as well, and the company is working on multiple different architectures for upcoming chips including “Nova Lake” and “Panther Lake” variants. So its a bit early to say that Intel is ***** in the water, but 2025 may the year to opt for an AMD-powered gaming laptop or PC. It’ll all depend on the Core Ultra 200H and 200HX launch. More from Laptop Mag Source link #AMDs #gaming #CPU #spells #disaster #Intels #Arrow #Lake Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Call for DNA to help identify ***** Anzac soldiers Call for DNA to help identify ***** Anzac soldiers The descendants of fallen soldiers who ***** in trenches on a French battlefield more than a century ago have been urged to donate DNA to help identify them. More than 700 *********** Army infantrymen from the 32nd Battalion were wounded or ***** in the Battle of Fromelles in 1916 during World War I. About 70 remain missing and the Fromelles Association of Australia believes they could be among the bodies found in a mass grave in a military ********* at Fromelles. It wants help identifying the soldiers, many of who hailed from Western Australia. Director of Soldier Stories Marg O’Leary said the men deserved to have their names restored to them. “It helps families honour their soldiers and it also gives them closure,” she told AAP on Monday. The association has a list of soldiers from 32nd Battalion who are unaccounted for including Private Ian Alistair Cameron from Claremont and Private Charles Frances Shephard from Cottesloe. It wants families who recognise the names with roots in Perth and its surrounding suburbs, including Subiaco, Claremont, Cottesloe and Victoria Park, to provide DNA samples. The samples could be the missing link that enables these men to reconnect with their families and ensure their sacrifices are honoured. Other soldiers’ names include Private Alfred Hugh Fraser of Perth, Private Victor Robert Ingram of Perth and Private Clifford Nicholls Oates of Victoria Park. Ms O’Leary said the 32nd was part of a 12-battalion force that faced off against the much better-prepared ******* army. “It was a very uneven battle and it’s still considered the worst loss by Australia in a day,” she said. “The Germans were all over them – they had machine guns that crossed from one side of the battlefield to the other.” After 24 hours of fighting, about 1350 soldiers were unaccounted for and although many bodies have been identified since, hundreds remain missing. Ms O’Leary said the brave men of the 32nd sustained some of the heaviest losses because they made it into the ******* trenches. The mass grave containing 250 fallen soldiers was uncovered at Pheasant Wood ********* in Fromelles in 2008. Since then, 180 soldiers have been identified through DNA, including 41 soldiers from the 32nd Battalion, but more than 70 remain unnamed. Source link #Call #DNA #identify #***** #Anzac #soldiers Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Apple’s M4 iMac is already on ***** in an early ****** Friday deal Apple’s M4 iMac is already on ***** in an early ****** Friday deal If you weren’t able to buy Apple’s latest iMac in time to get it on its release day on November 8, here’s your chance to get a discount on the all-in-one computer. The company is already selling it for $85 off at Amazon before the ****** Friday frenzy even begins. Apple’s refreshed computer has a list price of $1,299, but you can now get its silver version for just $1,214. Meanwhile, the blue and the green versions will set you back $1,249. Nothing huge, but it’s always nice to get a brand new device for almost $100 off its original price. Apple The 2024 iMac model is powered by the company’s M4 chip, its latest silicon that enables the computer to run up to 1.7 times faster for daily tasks and up to 2.1 faster for more demanding activities, such as gaming, than the M1-powered model. It has 16GB of RAM, compared to its predecessor’s 8GB, and you can choose to upgrade it to 24GB or 32GB. When it comes to storage, you have quite a few options. You can get the base model with a 256GB SSD or any of the upgraded ones with 512GB, 1TB and 2TB storage. It’s the base unit that’s currently on *****, with 16GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU. The computer has an aluminum unibody design with a 24-inch 4.5K Retina display and a 12MP Center Stage camera. You’ll also have access to two Thunderbolt USB-C ports on the base model, and you’ll get a Magic Keyboard with Lock Key, as well as a Magic Mouse, with the iMac itself. Check out all of the latest ****** Friday and Cyber Monday deals here. Source link #Apples #iMac #***** #early #****** #Friday #deal Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Hot coffee deal: De’Longhi’s most popular espresso machines are both 30% off right now Hot coffee deal: De’Longhi’s most popular espresso machines are both 30% off right now Coffee machines are always popular buys, letting you get your caffeine fix from home with a brew that tastes as good as your local cafe – and costing way less in the long run. Finding a machine that hits the Goldilocks zone between ease of use, versatility and taste, though, can be tough. That’s where automatic machines come in, providing the control and customisability of a manual machine, without the required time and effort. And for the end-of-year ***** season, De’Longhi is offering 30% off some of its best selling machines in Australia. Starting as an electric heater manufacturer, De’Longhi has steadily worked its way to becoming one of the biggest names in home appliances – and particularly coffee machines – since its first coffee maker in 1990. And we’ve had overwhelmingly positive experiences with its coffee machines – but its proficiency at making them is only half the reason this deal is so tasty. The crazy end-of-year ******* filled with Click Frenzy, ****** Friday and Christmas sales has begun, but this deal lets those looking for a new coffee machine avoid the mania by getting in early. De’Longhi has a huge range of discounted machines to choose from, so there’s something for all kinds of households. That includes the top-selling Magnifica Evo and Dinamica – both of which we’ve reviewed here at TechRadar, so we can testify that they provide tasty cups of joe with minimal effort – no barista course needed. De’Longhi Australia is a TechRadar preferred partner (What does this mean?) Source link #Hot #coffee #deal #DeLonghis #popular #espresso #machines Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Clarke claims Aussies ‘didn’t care’ about Pakistan ODIs Clarke claims Aussies ‘didn’t care’ about Pakistan ODIs Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has lashed the resting of Test stars for the shock ODI series defeat to Pakistan, saying the reigning world champions “didn’t care about losing”. After the Aussies narrowly won the first match, Pakistan then recorded two commanding victories to seal their first series win in Australia since 2002. Friday’s nine-wicket capitulation in Adelaide was Australia’s heaviest loss by wickets in an ODI at home since 1992. Pakistan proved it was no fluke in Perth on Sunday, again destroying the Aussies missing captain Pat Cummins, as well as fellow rested Test stars Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, by eight wickets. Allan Border Medal winner Mitch Marsh and World Cup hero Travis Head are on paternity leave and missed the entire series. Clarke, who captained Australia to the 2015 ODI World Cup triumph, could not believe how this series had been treated. Australia have prioritised trying to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time since 2017 as they prepare to play India in a five-Test series this summer. “I’m just a bit confused, so 11 days between now and the first Test (in Perth), why can’t the Aussie boys who are part of this Test series play in the one-dayer?” he said on his Big Sports Breakfast radio show on Monday. “If Australia had won the first two games, then you can understand why they rest their big fish, but it was series on the line. “You can’t expect the fans to want to come and watch one-day cricket. “We are bagging one-day cricket, no one is turning up, hasn’t got the interest. “I feel like we obviously don’t care about losing that series. “If you’re not going to care, we’re not going to care.” After playing in the first two ODIs, Cummins flew home to Sydney for rest, and went to a Coldplay concert on Sunday night with wife Becky. International white-ball matches outside of world cups has been in steady decline due to the sheer amount of cricket in the calendar. Australia’s form either side of last year’s World Cup in India has been shaky, but they still managed to perform when it mattered by triumphing in the final. Source link #Clarke #claims #Aussies #didnt #care #Pakistan #ODIs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Rare glimpse of ‘ghostly’ neutrino fog detected by dark matter experiments in a first Rare glimpse of ‘ghostly’ neutrino fog detected by dark matter experiments in a first Do you know which are the most abundant particles in the universe? It is neutrinos — small, chargeless, and nearly massless subatomic particles that either don’t interact with matter at all or interact very weakly. They are so lightweight that even an electron is six million times heavier than a neutrino. Also, since they barely interact with matter, they have the uncanny ability to pass through any object without being detected. This is why they’re also called ghost particles. However, for the first time, two dark matter experiments have detected a neutrino fog, a dense cloud of neutrinos. This discovery is reported by researchers from XENON and PandaX — two scientific experiments that aim to detect dark matter, operating independently in Italy and China respectively. “This is the first measurement of astrophysical neutrinos with a dark matter experiment,” Fei Gao, a scientist involved in the Xenon experiment, said. Spotting a cloud of neutrinos Neutrinos are typically detected through coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CEvNS), a process in which neutrinos interact with the entire nucleus rather than just a proton or electron. This wholesome interaction distributes the neutrino’s energy evenly across the nucleus, causing it to recoil. Scientists then measure the energy from the CEvNS process to detect the presence of neutrinos. Generally, CEvNS detection involves the use of particle accelerators. However, a much weaker CEνNS signal from solar neutrinos, rather than those produced by accelerators, is observed by both the PandaX and XENON experiments. Both these dark matter experiments use liquid xenon detectors to look for dark matter particles or neutrinos by studying how these particles interact with xenon atoms within the liquid. This allows them to potentially detect even faint signals from these elusive particles. During their study, the researchers went through two years of data from the experiments. Their analysis revealed CEvNS signals from the radioactive beta decay of Boron-8 in the Sun’s core. While the XENON team reported 11 CEvNS signals, PandaX identified 75 signals. However, the statistical confidence (reliability of the results) for both experiments was almost similar i.e. 2.64 sigma (for PandaX) and 2.73 sigma (for XENON). “I think that most people, including myself, are pretty confident that both collaborations have measured the neutrino fog,” Kate Scholberg, a professor of physics at Duke University, said. This makes the search for dark matter more challenging While neutrino fog detection via dark matter experiments is fascinating, the presence of dense neutrino clouds around the dark matter makes our quest for the mysterious and elusive dark matter more difficult. This is because neutrinos are themselves hardly detectable. Their abundant presence in the universe can create background noise that can derail the attempts to detect dark matter. For instance, in experiments designed to find dark matter, such as those looking for rare interactions with nuclei, the neutrinos in the fog can produce signals that resemble those from dark matter interactions, making it ******* to distinguish between the two. However, “The perceived ‘existential threat’ posed by the neutrino fog is likely overstated. There is still a lot to be done before this background prevents us from making further progress,” Elisabetta Barberio, who wasn’t involved in any of the experiments but is an expert in dark matter particle physics at the University of Melbourne, said. The PandaX and XENON studies are published in the journal Physical Review Letters. Source link #Rare #glimpse #ghostly #neutrino #fog #detected #dark #matter #experiments Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

iPhone 16 Plus Survives Durability Test, Shows Better Scratch Resistance Compared to Other Phones iPhone 16 Plus Survives Durability Test, Shows Better Scratch Resistance Compared to Other Phones iPhone 16 series was launched in September comprising four models: iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The Cupertino-based tech giant’s Plus model packages all of the same features as the base model but in a *******, 6.7-inch form factor. Nearly two months after its debut, YouTube users have been testing the smartphone’s durability through various “scratch” tests and the handset appears to survive better compared to other devices in the market. iPhone 16 Plus Durability Test YouTuber Zack Nelson, popularly known by his channel name JerryRigEverything, has now tested the new iPhone 16 Plus for its durability in a recent YouTube video. The smartphone was tested for seven years worth of damage. As per his claims, the Plus model outperforms other smartphones, especially on the Mohs hardness scale. During the scratch test, the iPhone 16 Plus appears to show very faint scratches at level six when scratched with a razor blade. Only at level seven do the deeper groves appear distinctly. This is in stark contrast to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra which showed very prominent lines even at level six which could not be rubbed off. The YouTuber says Apple’s latest generation Ceramic Shield “still feels very smooth”. However, that is not the case for the rest of the smartphone as its 85 percent recycled aluminium frame easily gets scratched. The side panels, including the power and volume buttons on the iPhone 16 Plus visibly get some damage with blade scratches. When put to ***** test, the smartphone’s display did not get a permanent ***** mark and its Super Retina XDR display still appeared to work. The iPhone 16 Plus also survived the bend test, showing good structural strength without any visible cracks or fractures on its chassis. However, it should be noted that these tests are not a definitive indicator of the ability of these handsets to survive real-world damage and are just meant for reference purposes. The YouTuber suggests that it might be even easier to repair than the Pro models courtesy of the new electrically de-bonding adherent at the back which loses its abilities when a current is passed through it. Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 Pro models still feature the traditional adhesive glue pull tabs. Source link #iPhone #Survives #Durability #Test #Shows #Scratch #Resistance #Compared #Phones Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]