Pelican Press

Xbox is finally letting you cloud stream games you own Xbox is finally letting you cloud stream games you own CD Projekt Red Years after Xbox promised that users could stream games they own through the cloud, the company is finally launching that functionality, albeit with some restrictions. Starting Wednesday, Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will be able to use Xbox Cloud Gaming to stream games they already own, even if they’re not in the Game Pass catalog. However, they can only stream from a list of 50 supported games right now. You can view the full list on Xbox’s website, but it’s a good mix of titles, ranging from AAA releases like Cyberpunk 2077, Star Wars Outlaws, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 to recent indies like Animal Well, ***** the Spotlight, and Dredge. This applies to any version of the game you own, like if you have Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition. Recent reports claimed Xbox would be launching a test to Xbox Insiders first, but it seems that the plan is being skipped in favor of a smaller public launch. The program is now available in the 28 countries that support Xbox Cloud Gaming. It’ll also work on just about any smart device with an internet connection. You can start streaming games on your smart TV, Meta Quest headset, mobile device, or PC through a supported browser (Edge, Chrome, or Safari). If you’ve used Cloud Gaming before, the process for streaming games you own is similar. Just head over to Xbox’s website or sign into an Xbox app on your device, make sure you’re signed in, and look for the “Stream your own game” feature. You might notice that you can’t stream games through an Xbox console or the Xbox app on PC just yet. The company says that functionality will be available sometime next year. Xbox has been promising that players can stream games already in their libraries for years, basically since it started going public with its Game Pass and Cloud Streaming plans (back when it was called Project xCloud). Originally, the plan was to launch this capability in 2020. Xbox executive Ashley McKissick later said it would be coming to players in 2022 as long as the games are “cloud enabled.” The company’s priority in regard to Game Pass has been to add more games to the platform and to expand the list of devices that can support it. It added it to Amazon ***** TVs earlier this year, for example. Hopefully, that means one day, even your T-shirt can use Xbox Game Pass. Source link #Xbox #finally #letting #cloud #stream #games Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Judge 'mystified' as Gobbo closes case against police Judge 'mystified' as Gobbo closes case against police Lawyers for barrister-turned-informer Nicola Gobbo have put their final case forward as her trial against the state of Victoria wraps up. Source link #Judge #039mystified039 #Gobbo #closes #case #police Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Save on sets from LG, Samsung, Sony and more Save on sets from LG, Samsung, Sony and more We’re still a week out from ****** Friday, but several of the better TV sales we expect to see during the big day are already available. If you’re looking to upgrade your living room over the holidays, we’ve dug through reviews and checked price histories to find the ****** Friday TV deals that are actually worth checking out. Right now, those include high-end OLEDs and budget LEDs alike from Samsung, LG, Sony, Hisense and TCL. As in recent years, a few of those manufacturers kicked off their ****** Friday sales toward the start of November, but most of the discounts below represent all-time lows either way. We’ll update this list as prices change and new discounts pop up over the next week. Hisense U6N QLED TV (55”) for $348 at Amazon ($200 off MSRP): Reviews around the web have praised the U6N as one of the year’s best budget-level TVs. It’s one of the few options in its price range with mini-LED backlighting, quantum dots and full-array local dimming, all of which help it deliver better contrast and richer colors than most of its direct rivals. Its picture will wash out if you don’t view it straight-on, and its 60Hz refresh rate isn’t the best for gaming, but it’s a good bargain all the same. While this deal has been live for most of November, it’s still an all-time low. Also at Best Buy. Other sizes are similarly discounted. Hisense U7N QLED TV (65”) for $698 at Amazon ($300 off): The U7N is a standout LED TV for those who don’t want to pay for a high-end set but can still go above the budget tier. It delivers higher brightness levels and better contrast than the cheaper Hisense U6N, plus it can play at 144Hz in 4K, so it can get more out of a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. Its viewing angles still aren’t ideal, though, and it’s limited to two gaming-friendly HDMI 2.1 ports. This is another deal we’ve seen for the last few weeks, but it’s the lowest price to date for the 65-inch version. Also at Best Buy. Hisense U8N QLED TV (65”) for $898 at Amazon ($602 off): The U8N is another well-reviewed 2024 TV from Hisense. Like the lower-cost Hisense U7N, it offers mini-LED backlighting, quantum-dot ****** and 4K/144Hz support, plus it runs on the handy Google TV platform. The extra cash nets you a punchier image, with superb contrast for a non-OLED TV and higher brightness across the board. This deal ties an all-time low. Also at Best Buy. Other sizes are discounted as well, but note that the 55-inch version isn’t as bright as the larger variants, while the 75-inch set has slightly worse contrast. Viewing angles aren’t super wide either way. LG B4 OLED TV (55”) for $997 at Amazon ($200 off): The B4 is LG’s entry-level OLED TV for 2024. It gets you the essential perks of any good OLED set — excellent contrast with deep ****** tones, wide viewing angles, fast motion, etc. — but it’s not as bright as higher-tier models, so it’s best kept in a darker room. We’ve seen this discount in the past, but it still marks an all-time low. Also at Target, B&H, Best Buy and others. The Samsung Frame TV. (Amy Skorheim) Samsung S90D QD-OLED TV (65”) for $1,398 at Amazon ($800 off): The Samsung S90D is a premium set that’s notable for its QD-OLED panel, which mixes the benefits of a good OLED display with a layer of quantum dots. This helps it put out a wider gamut of more vibrant colors, so images tend to “pop” more than they would on more traditional OLED TVs like the LG B4 or C4. It also has four HDMI 2.1 ports. Like all Samsung TVs, though, it doesn’t support the popular Dolby Vision HDR format. This discount matches the best price we’ve seen for the 65-inch model outside of special in-store and one-off coupon deals. The set has typically cost $200 more over the past month. Other sizes are similarly discounted, but be aware that only the 55-, 65- and 75-inch versions use the superior QD-OLED tech. Also at Samsung, B&H and Best Buy. Samsung S95D QD-OLED TV (55”) for $1,898 at Amazon ($500 off): The S95D is Samsung’s flagship set for 2024. Its QD-OLED panel is excellent but mainly stands out for having a matte finish, which makes it noticeably more effective at fending off glare than most OLED TVs. That said, there’s no Dolby Vision, and the matte coating can make ****** tones look closer to gray under direct light. In general, it’s more TV than most people need. But if you’ve got cash to *****, this deal is another all-time low. Also at Samsung and Best Buy, with other sizes on *****. Samsung QN90D QLED TV (43”) for $898 at Amazon ($400 off): The Samsung QN90D is another high-end LED TV for those willing to trade the deep contrast and wide viewing angles of a good OLED set for higher brightness. There’s still no Dolby Vision, and most reviewers we trust suggest that the Hisense U8N is a better value. This set comes with two more HDMI 2.1 ports, though, plus it comes in a wider range of sizes, all of which offer similar performance. This is the lowest price we’ve seen for the 43-inch model, though again, the deal has been available for a few weeks. Other sizes are also discounted. Also at Samsung, B&H and others. Samsung The Frame TV (2024) QLED TV (55”) for $878 at Woot ($620 off): The Frame TV lags behind other sets in its price range in terms of picture quality, as it lacks local dimming to boost contrast. Instead, you’d buy it for its style, since it’s built to resemble a framed piece of wall art and you can use it to display actual artwork on-screen. Beyond that, this is one of the few TVs with a matte finish, which helps it ward off glare in bright rooms. This deal at Amazon subsidiary Woot is a new low. Other sizes are on *****, but note that the 43- and 50-inch models have a lower 60Hz refresh rate (instead of 120Hz) and lack variable refresh rate tech. Also available for $20 more at Amazon, Best Buy and Samsung. The Sony Bravia 7. (Sony) TCL Q550F QLED TV (55”) for $250 at Best Buy ($200 off): The TCL Q5 is a relatively basic LED TV with no local dimming or HDMI 2.1 ports and a 60Hz refresh rate. This model also uses Amazon’s ***** OS software, which isn’t quite as clean as other platforms. Most people should get the better-looking Hisense U6N instead. But if you really want to save an extra $100 or just need a cheap TV for a back room, it should do the job. This discount for the 55-inch model is the best we’ve tracked. TCL Q68 QLED TV (55”) for $300 at Woot ($200 off): The Q68 is another cheapo LED TV that broadly falls short of the Hisense U6N’s picture quality, though it should offer better contrast than the TCL Q5 thanks to its local dimming feature. Like the Q5 and U6N, it can also play at a 120Hz refresh rate if you drop the resolution to 1080p or 1440p, which is nice for gaming. If you don’t want to spend any more than $300 for a 55-inch set, this is the lowest price we’ve found for this particular model. TCL QM8 QLED TV (65”) for $1,000 at Amazon ($500 off): If the Hisense U8N becomes unavailable, the TCL QM8 looks to be a decent alternative. It can get even brighter, according to reviewers we trust, but it has slightly worse contrast. We’ve seen this discount a few times in recent months, but it ties the all-time low for the 65-inch variant. Also at Best Buy. Sony Bravia 7 QLED TV (55”) for $1,298 at Amazon ($402 off): The Bravia 7 is a relatively premium set with mini-LED backlighting to improve contrast and quantum dots to boost colors. Reviews suggest that it provides accurate colors out of the box and does well to preserve details in lower-resolution content, so it’s worth considering over the Hisense U8N if those are chief concerns. It only has two HDMI 2.1 ports, however, and it’s another LED TV with mediocre viewing angles. Most people will be happier with an OLED TV at this price, though this deal is an all-time low. Also at Walmart and B&H, with other sizes similarly discounted. The Amazon ***** TV Stick 4K Max is on ***** for ****** Friday. (Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget) Amazon ***** TV Stick 4K Max for $33 at Amazon ($27 off): This is a new low for Amazon’s top-end streaming stick, which runs fast and supports all the major streaming apps and HDR formats. We’ve found it to be surprisingly flexible as a gaming device, too, though you’ll have to put up with an ad-heavy interface that promotes Prime Video and other Amazon services above everything else. Also at Target, Best Buy and others. Amazon ***** TV Stick 4K for $22 at Amazon ($28 off): The standard ***** TV Stick 4K offers the same core experience as the pricier 4K Max — for better or worse — but comes with a slightly slower processor, half as much storage (8GB) and Wi-Fi 6 instead of the technically-faster Wi-Fi 6E. Still, this is a decent value if you just want a competent 4K streamer for as little as possible. This deal is another all-time low. Also at Target, Best Buy and others. Roku Ultra (2024) for $80 at Amazon ($20 off): The Roku Ultra is overkill for most people, but it might be worthwhile if you like Roku’s simpler UI and need a full-on set-top box with built-in Ethernet and USB ports. Unlike the Roku Streaming Stick 4K, it comes bundled with a rechargeable remote that supports voice controls, a lost remote finder tool and backlit buttons. (You can buy that separately, though.) This latest model also has a faster processor and Wi-Fi 6 support. This discount ties the lowest price we’ve tracked. Also at Roku, B&H and others. Check out all of the latest ****** Friday and Cyber Monday deals here. Source link #Save #sets #Samsung #Sony Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Zelenskiy says Crimea can only be restored to Ukraine through diplomacy Zelenskiy says Crimea can only be restored to Ukraine through diplomacy (Reuters) – Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy acknowledged the Crimea peninsula, seized by Russia in 2014, would have to be restored to Ukrainian sovereignty through diplomacy. Zelenskiy, interviewed by Fox News on a train in Ukraine and broadcast on Wednesday, said his country could not afford to lose the number of lives that would be required to retake Crimea through military means. He again rejected any notion of ceding any territory already occupied by Moscow’s forces, saying Ukraine “cannot legally acknowledge any occupied territory of Ukraine as Russian.” “I was already mentioning that we are ready to bring Crimea back diplomatically,” Zelenskiy told Fox News through an interpreter. “We cannot spend dozens of thousands of our people so that they perish for the sake of Crimea coming back … and still it’s not a fact that we can bring it back with the arms in our hands. We understand that Crimea can be brought back diplomatically.” Russia seized and annexed Crimea in 2014 after a popular uprising prompted a Russia-friendly president to flee the country and Russian proxies seized swathes of territory in Ukraine’s east. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, its troops have captured about one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory and proclaimed the annexation of four provinces, though Moscow does not fully control any of them. Zelenskiy has proposed a peace formula and a “victory plan” underpinned by the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine. But his recent calls have stressed security guarantees for his country and an invitation to join NATO, a notion rejected out of hand by Moscow. (Reporting by Ron Popeski in Winnipeg; Editing by Lincoln Feast.) Source link #Zelenskiy #Crimea #restored #Ukraine #diplomacy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

MS Flight Sim 24 Dev On Why The Game Needed To Use Machine Learning And AI MS Flight Sim 24 Dev On Why The Game Needed To Use Machine Learning And AI Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is out now, and a senior developer on the project has said the game needed to embrace machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies to come to market. Jorg Neumann said in an interview that it would not have been possible to create the game’s map data “by hand.” “We would have spent our entire lives and then some just marking up terrain, which is not really the core of the thing. So it’s just a tool that helps us,” he told Rock Paper Shotgun of machine learning and AI. One major ***** is that advancements to machine learning and AI will lead to job losses, but for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, this was not the case. “The only thing we’ve done is grow,” Neumann said. A team of 100 people made 2020’s Microsoft Flight Simulator. For this new release, 200 people at Asobo worked on Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, with another 600 people at support studios for a total of 800 people working on the game. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 uses machine learning to generate terrain detail. The team marked up around 28,000 “tiles” that were representative of Earth–these included textures meant to replicate the forests, deserts, rivers, and so on. This data was then fed into a machine learning platform that creates a potential asset, which is then reviewed by a human, and then the system is re-trained. “You basically say: ‘Oh, OK, got this wrong.’ And then you retrain it. We did that in four different stages,” Neumann said. Before this, EA Sports management said it wouldn’t have been possible to release EA Sports College Football 25 on time and up to quality without the use of machine learning and AI to generate all manner of assets. EA CEO Andrew Wilson has said advancements to AI will lead to job losses in the short term but he believes the game development labor market will grow due to newly created jobs. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 launched on November 19 and was quickly beset by server issues and other problems due in part to how the developer “completely underestimated” demand for the game. The game is available to buy now on Xbox and PC, and it’s also part of the Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass libraries. Source link #Flight #Sim #Dev #Game #Needed #Machine #Learning Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Bitcoin climbs, reaching a new all-time high above $97,000 Bitcoin climbs, reaching a new all-time high above $97,000 Bitcoin breached the $95,000 level for the first time Wednesday evening as investors continued pricing in a second Donald Trump presidency. The price of the flagship cryptocurrency was last higher by more than 3% at $97,646.68, according to Coin Metrics. Earlier, it rose as high as $97,788.00. Shares of MicroStrategy, a bitcoin proxy, gained 3% in extended trading. Mining stocks rose as well, with Mara Holdings up 4%. Stock Chart IconStock chart icon Bitcoin continues its march toward $100,000 Bitcoin has been regularly hitting fresh records this month on hopes that Trump will usher in a golden age of crypto, which would include more supportive regulation for the industry and a potential national strategic bitcoin reserve or stockpile. It is widely expected to reach $100,000 this year and double by the end of 2025. “Bitcoin’s price continues to be driven by a number of factors including improved liquidity conditions, increased institutional adoption, and a regulatory environment that has flipped from a headwind to a tailwind,” said Sam Callahan, an analyst at Swan Bitcoin. Another Trump term also implies larger budget deficits, potentially more inflation and changes to the international role of the dollar – all things that would have a positive impact on the price of bitcoin. Bitcoin has gained more than 127% in 2024. Don’t miss these cryptocurrency insights from CNBC PRO: Source link #Bitcoin #climbs #reaching #alltime #high Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Bitcoin climbs, reaching a new all-time high above $97,000 Bitcoin climbs, reaching a new all-time high above $97,000 Bitcoin breached the $95,000 level for the first time Wednesday evening as investors continued pricing in a second Donald Trump presidency. The price of the flagship cryptocurrency was last higher by more than 3% at $97,646.68, according to Coin Metrics. Earlier, it rose as high as $97,788.00. Shares of MicroStrategy, a bitcoin proxy, gained 3% in extended trading. Mining stocks rose as well, with Mara Holdings up 4%. Stock Chart IconStock chart icon Bitcoin continues its march toward $100,000 Bitcoin has been regularly hitting fresh records this month on hopes that Trump will usher in a golden age of crypto, which would include more supportive regulation for the industry and a potential national strategic bitcoin reserve or stockpile. It is widely expected to reach $100,000 this year and double by the end of 2025. “Bitcoin’s price continues to be driven by a number of factors including improved liquidity conditions, increased institutional adoption, and a regulatory environment that has flipped from a headwind to a tailwind,” said Sam Callahan, an analyst at Swan Bitcoin. Another Trump term also implies larger budget deficits, potentially more inflation and changes to the international role of the dollar – all things that would have a positive impact on the price of bitcoin. Bitcoin has gained more than 127% in 2024. Don’t miss these cryptocurrency insights from CNBC PRO: Source link #Bitcoin #climbs #reaching #alltime #high Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

On PocketGamer.fun this week: Playing the villain and Children of Morta On PocketGamer.fun this week: Playing the villain and Children of Morta Regular readers of Pocket Gamer will be aware that we released a brand new website called PocketGamer.fun. It’s a site we’ve made in collaboration with domain specialists Radix, intending to help you find your next favourite game quickly. So, if you’re looking for distilled recommendations, head over to the site, be greeted with dozens of great games and download any that take your fancy. Alternatively, if you’re happy with a little more reading, we’ll regularly post articles like this one to update you on what we’ve posted on the site in the last week or so. Joining the dark side Most games see you becoming the hero, with the ultimate goal of saving the world from some kind of all-powerful evil. That’s great and all, but have you ever wondered what it might be like on the other side of that equation? To be the villain who’s trying to hatch an evil scheme? Well, it turns out there are actually a few options available if you want to live out those dark fantasies. Just keep it to the virtual world and not real life, alright? I won’t be held responsible for anyone inspired to take up villainy full-time. Game of the Week Children of Morta When it was released on PC, Children of Morta went down well with critics and the gaming public, netting itself a healthy 82 on Metacritic. So, it was pretty exciting to hear it was coming to mobile, giving a new audience a chance to get their hands on its roguelike goodness. And you know what? It turned out pretty good, as Will noted in his Children of Morta review. Check out PocketGamer.fun If you haven’t visited our new site, please do! And while you’re there, bookmark it, pin it, or however you prefer to track your favourite websites. We update it weekly, so check back often for more recommendations of must-play games. Source link #PocketGamer.fun #week #Playing #villain #Children #Morta Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Adani Group investor GQG Partners’ shares ****** 25% — on pace for record loss Adani Group investor GQG Partners’ shares ****** 25% — on pace for record loss Rajiv Jain, founder and chief investment officer of GQG Partners, during an interview in New York, US, on Tuesday, April 4, 2023. Christopher Goodney | Bloomberg | Getty Images Shares of Australia-listed GQG Partners plunged as much as 25% on Thursday and were set to post their worst day on record, after Adani Group Chair Gautam Adani was charged with ****** in New York. If losses hold, it will be the investment firm’s steepest one-day fall since its listing on Oct. 2021. Stock Chart IconStock chart icon Shares of Adani Group companies also nosedived, as Indian stock markets opened for trade. The Nifty 50 index was down 0.75%, while the BSE Sensex was 0.73% lower. GQG is Adani Enterprises’ fourth-largest shareholder, owning about 3.94% of the firm, according to LSEG data. In a statement sent to CNBC, GQG said that it was are monitoring the charges, adding that “our team is reviewing the emerging details and determining what, if any, actions for our portfolios are appropriate.” The investment firm also pointed out that its portfolios have “diversified investments,” saying that over 90% of clients assets are invested in issuers unrelated to the Adani Group. GQG has reaped rich rewards investing in Adani whose shares tumbled after a short-seller report in January 2023 by New York’s Hindenburg Research accused the company of ******. Rajiv Jain, chairman and chief investment officer at GQG Partners, told CNBC in January this year that his profits on Adani stood at about $4 billion, but he was likely done investing in the group. Hindenburg had charged Adani Group of “brazen stock manipulation and accounting ****** scheme over the course of decades,” sending shares plunging by more than 54% in the first quarter of 2023. Source link #Adani #Group #investor #GQG #Partners #shares #****** #pace #record #loss Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How to increase carrying capacity in Stalker 2 How to increase carrying capacity in Stalker 2 Every decision you make in Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl has weight to it, including what you fill your backpack with. Not only are you limited based on how big your inventory is but every item you put in it has an associated weight that adds to your total. Try to carry too much and you will become encumbered and have a difficult time moving. The last thing you want is to find a valuable stash with a great new **** or piece of gear and not be able to carry it all back to a town. There are no skill trees or levels in Stalker 2, so you might think that the weight limit you start with is what you’re stuck with for the whole game, but we can show you how to increase your carrying capacity. If you’re exploring the Zone, check out our other Stalker 2 tips and tricks. How to increase carrying capacity GSC Game World There are a few ways to upgrade your carrying capacity, and both revolve around upgrading your body armor. At any upgrade vendor, select your armor from the list of upgrades and select the top upgrade slot. Here, you can find the Swen-on Pockets upgrade at the end of the upgrade list. This will increase your capacity by 10%, which isn’t much, but the most we’ve found you can get. Unlocking this upgrade will require you to first get the previous upgrades, so start investing in this tree early. GSC Game World While it won’t directly increase how much you can carry, the Fastening System upgrade on armor reduces its weight by 2, thus freeing up that weight for other things. Again, it is small, but Stalker 2 isn’t going to make things easy on you, so we have to take whatever minor edges we can get. Source link #increase #carrying #capacity #Stalker Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Uncertainty after Australia foreign students bill hits opposition Uncertainty after Australia foreign students bill hits opposition Australia’s debate over capping foreign student numbers is “not over” despite a controversial bill unexpectedly losing support, a top industry body says. The bill, part of efforts to slash overall migration to Australia, had been opposed by most universities who say it would damage the higher education sector and its global reputation. The government argued the legislation was needed to make the industry more sustainable and ease pressure on housing, and it was expected to easily pass with opposition support this week. However in a surprise eleventh-hour move, Australia’s opposition leader said his coalition would vote against the bill as it didn’t go far enough. Though some universities have expressed support at the bill’s apparent demise, they also say it extends the uncertainty surrounding the industry – which is worth about A$50bn (£25.7bn, $32.7bn) to the economy. Luke Sheehy, head of Universities Australia, told the BBC the news brought “no sense of relief” for him. “I just knew that we would be looking at international students [used] as cannon fodder in a phoney war on migration right through to the election now,” said Mr Sheehy, whose organisation advocates for 39 universities. The cap proposed limiting new enrolments at 270,000 for 2025 – a significant cut on the number in 2024. It had been due to come into effect in just six weeks. Some universities have made job cuts and rejected student applications in anticipation of the new laws, and the BBC was told foreign students were already choosing to study elsewhere as a result of the reduced confidence in the sector. The legislation, currently before the Senate, has not been formally withdrawn by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Labor government but it cannot pass without the support of the main opposition ********-National coalition or the Greens, who also oppose it. Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton called the bill “a dog’s breakfast” and vowed to introduce “deeper cuts” if he wins the upcoming election, due by May. The Greens, on the other hand, described the bill “dog whistling that shamefully scapegoated international students for the housing crisis they did not cause”. The government has accused Mr Dutton of hypocrisy, arguing he has often talked “tough” on cutting immigration to the country, which has reached record levels in recent years. The expected ******** of the bill would mean an existing visa policy, which has been widely accused of exacerbating problems by funnelling most international students to a select few city-based universities, will remain in place. The Group of Eight (Go8) – a body which represents Australia’s top ranked universities – said the bill would have hurt students and staff and that common sense had prevailed. But the industry has been left scrambling again, with only a few months left until the 2025 academic year begins. Observers say some universities could now receive a spike in students when they had a expected a cut, and others – predominantly in regional locations – will no longer expect as many, putting them under greater financial pressure. “The most devastating part of this discussion is that we still don’t have a resolution,” Mr Sheehy said. “We’re nowhere closer to providing the certainty, stability and growth the government promised us all those many months ago when they proposed caps.” Source link #Uncertainty #Australia #foreign #students #bill #hits #opposition Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

This ****** Friday deal brings the DJI Osmo Mobile 6 gimbal down to an all-time-low price This ****** Friday deal brings the DJI Osmo Mobile 6 gimbal down to an all-time-low price The DJI Osmo Mobile 6 gimbal is on ***** via Amazon for just $89, as part of an early ****** Friday deal. This knocks 36 percent off the price and represents a record low for the camera-stabilizing device. For the uninitiated, this product keeps a steady lock on smartphones so as to provide smooth camera and video footage. The Osmo Mobile 6 is a step up from its predecessors in nearly every way. It features a newly-designed handle that’s more comfortable to hold and a larger clamp to accommodate all of those modern giant phones. The clamp can also wrap itself around smaller phones in bulky cases. DJI This model boasts a built-in extension rod, so it doubles as a selfie stick. It also features the company’s ActiveTrack software. This allows for increased stability over longer distances and will actually track subjects as they turn, spin or move. Another new feature is Quick Launch for iPhone models. This automatically forces the phone into the camera view when the gimbal is unfolded. There’s a built-in status panel to check battery levels, a timelapse feature, gestural controls and a whole lot more. It’s a nifty little gadget. On the downside, this is a lot of money for a smartphone clamp, even at $89. This is for people who prioritize top-tier footage. Check out all of the latest ****** Friday and Cyber Monday deals here. Source link #****** #Friday #deal #brings #DJI #Osmo #Mobile #gimbal #alltimelow #price Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

****** gifts Pyongyang zoo with lion, brown bears ****** gifts Pyongyang zoo with lion, brown bears Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment ****** has gifted North Korea with over 70 zoo animals Russian President Vladimir ****** has gifted North Korea’s main zoo more than 70 animals, including a lion and two brown bears, in yet another display of burgeoning relations between Moscow and Pyongyang. ******’s environment minister, Alexander Kozlov, brought the animals to the North Korean capital on board a cargo plane, Kozlov’s office said on its official Telegram channel on Wednesday. The shipment of animals from Moscow also included two yaks, five cockatoos and dozens of pheasants as well as mandarin ducks, Kozlov’s office said. The gift comes weeks after the US and South Korea revealed that North Korea had sent thousands of troops to ****** alongside Russia in Ukraine. Watch: ****** gifts North Korea zoo animals While in Pyongyang the Russian environment minister also paid a courtesy visit to Kim. This isn’t the first time in recent memory that Russia has sent animals to North Korea. Earlier this year, ****** gifted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un 24 pure-bred horses, reportedly as thanks for artillery shells provided by North Korea. ****** and Kim have strengthened their alliance in recent months as both countries face sanctions from the West. Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment The shipment of animals from Moscow also included two yaks, five cockatoos and dozens of pheasants of different species and mandarin ducks Source link #****** #gifts #Pyongyang #zoo #lion #brown #bears Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Dragon Age Voice Actor Got The Job By Sending In Beat Poetry Dragon Age Voice Actor Got The Job By Sending In Beat Poetry The world of Dragon Age is host to a slew of fantastical characters, voiced by a who’s who of big names in the world of voice acting–with some sci-fi and fantasy celebrities sprinkled in. From Freddie Prinze Jr. voicing the mighty Iron Bull to Kate Mulgrew as the mysterious Flemeth, one cast member landed the job with a very unconventional audition tape. Claudia ******, who made her mark in sci-fi as Aeryn Sun in Farscape, auditioned for the part of Morrigan in Dragon Age: Origins by sending in a recording of her doing a beat poetry version of Sir Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back.” Dragon Age creator David Gaider said that the character went through several concepts, but couldn’t deny ****** the opportunity and listened. “I lost my ******** mind,” Gaider said on his Bluesky account. “Yes, I still have the recording. No, you cannot have it.” Gaider continued with bringing ****** on board and adjusting the character to fit her voice. “Naturally, we jumped on that immediately. As I recall, this was met with resistance from higher up–they had this image of Morrigan as young, like 18 years old (no idea where this came from), and complained that Claudia sounded ‘too old.’ [Voice director] Caroline [Livingstone} and I were determined, so we pushed ahead. We had to agree to get Claudia to sound ‘younger,’ which I was dubious about. The first two sessions we asked her to pitch her voice up and it was awful.” When both Livingstone and Gaider were working with ****** to get her to focus on “sounding right,” they told her to use her natural voice. It worked. “We loved her performance so much we had the feeling that the team would love it too and forget their nonsense,” Gaider added. “They did.” The character of Morrigan was a touchstone for Gaider and opened up the door for ****** to continue her video game voice work in big game franchises like Uncharted and Destiny. She reprises the role once again in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. “[Morrigan] is the heart of [Dragon Age: Origin]. Way beyond her initial inspirations. Some said ‘she’s just an ice queen’ like some I’d written (Viconia, Bastila, etc.) but such categories are very reductive, I find. She had a voice I could instantly slip into, every time, without fail.” Source link #Dragon #Age #Voice #Actor #Job #Sending #Beat #Poetry Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Moment world’s tallest woman and shortest woman meet Moment world’s tallest woman and shortest woman meet The world’s tallest woman and shortest woman enjoyed afternoon tea together in London, meeting in celebration at The Guinness World Record Day 2024. Footage shows Rumeysa Geligo, a researcher from Turkey, towering over Jyoti Amge, an actor from India, who stand at 2 metres and 15.16cm (7ft 0.7), and 62.8cm (24.7in), respectively. Source link #Moment #worlds #tallest #woman #shortest #woman #meet Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Mister Antonio is Bart Bonte’s newest minimalist puzzler, out now on Android and iOS Mister Antonio is Bart Bonte’s newest minimalist puzzler, out now on Android and iOS Mister Antonio is Bart Bonte’s newest release, out now on iOS and Android The indie developer is best known for his series of puzzlers named after colours But this new game is focused squarely on feline wish fulfilment If you’ve been a longtime reader of the site you’ve probably read some of our previous articles about the enigmatic solo developer Bart Bonte. His series of minimalist puzzlers, all named after colours, have frequently popped up in our coverage. But today’s subject is a little different as Bonte delves into the world of feline wish fulfilment with Mister Antonio. Out now on iOS and Android, Mister Antonio sees you fulfilling the demands of your cat, whether that be yarn ****** or a certain sequence of them. Navigating between microplanets you’ll need to carefully plan out your route to grab the necessary items in the right sequence, all while obstacles help or hinder you, depending on your movements. If you’ve ever been put off by the more minimalist nature of Bonte’s other releases, Mister Antonio may be the puzzler that you’ve been waiting for. But don’t expect the cutesy subject matter to mean that Mister Antonio will go easy on you, as it promises plenty of challenge. Purrfectly done Given the subject matter and the slightly more approachable gameplay, I wouldn’t be surprised if Mister Antonio turns out to be a fairly big success for Bart Bonte. After all, if there’s one thing you can say about his previous releases, it’s not that they have snappy names. In terms of challenge, from what I’ve seen so far it looks like Mister Antonio will deliver a very accessible but no less engaging series of puzzles for aficionados and newbies alike. Of course, if Mister Antonio still isn’t enough to scratch your puzzling ***** once you’re done with it, there’s no need to stop there. Why not dig into some of the picks we’ve selected for our ranking of the top 25 best puzzle games for iOS and Android? Source link #Mister #Antonio #Bart #Bontes #newest #minimalist #puzzler #Android #iOS Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

*********** teenager the fourth tourist to **** *********** teenager the fourth tourist to **** *********** teen Bianca Jones has become the fourth tourist to have ***** in a suspected mass poisoning in Laos. The 19-year-old’s family confirmed her ****** to the media on Thursday. Hours earlier, the US State Department told the media that an ********* man ***** in the tourist town of Vang Vieng. Two Danish women, aged 19 and 20, also ***** last week in Laos, authorities confirmed, while Jones’ friend Holly Bowles and a British woman are reportedly on life support in hospital. The deaths remain under police investigation, but news reports and testimonies from fellow tourists suggest they may have consumed drinks laced with methanol, a deadly substance often found in bootleg alcohol. *********** Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Department of Foreign Affairs had confirmed Ms Jones’s ******. “Our first thoughts in this moment are with her family and friends who are grieving a terrible and cruel loss,” Albanese said on Thursday afternoon. “This is every parent’s very worst ***** and a nightmare that no one should have to endure.” The US State Department said it was “closely monitoring” the situation with regards to the ********* victim, adding that it was up to local authorities to determine the cause of ******. Source link #*********** #teenager #fourth #tourist #**** Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

All rare gadgets in Lego Horizon Adventures and what they do All rare gadgets in Lego Horizon Adventures and what they do Reliving Aloy’s first adventure in Lego Horizon Adventures is a streamlined but faithful retelling of the first game. However, instead of the massive open-world experiences that made the Horizon series some of the best PS5 games, this entry changes the formula to fall more in line with the best Lego games. It is a much smaller game compared to those, with way fewer collectibles. This makes it much easier to play in co-op, but it isn’t without a few things you can gather up. Rare gadgets are pieces of equipment you can wear to enhance or add new abilities. Here are all the rare gadgets in the game and what cool effects they have. Every rare gadget in Lego Horizon Adventures Sony Interactive Entertainment Lego Horizon Adventures only has 10 rare gadgets in total that you will unlock as you progress through the story. They each serve a unique purpose and are worth experimenting with as you attempt to clean up any remaining Trophies. Blast Boots — Blast ***** from your feet when you double jump. Hot Dog Cart — Summon a hot dog cart to randomly toss explosives. Brick Separator — A high-damage ******* that knocks enemies back. Frost Wave — Sends out a wave that freezes enemies. Rush Boots — Rush around enemies with lightning speed. Gravity ***** — Toss a ***** that sucks enemies in before exploding. Shell-Walker Shield — Raise a shield that blocks projectiles and charge attacks. Tripcaster — Set up an electrified tripwire. Hunter’s Decoy — Summon a decoy to distract enemies. Elemental Drone — Create a drone that attacks with a random elemental effect. Source link #rare #gadgets #Lego #Horizon #Adventures Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

DOJ pushes for Google to break off Chrome browser after antitrust case DOJ pushes for Google to break off Chrome browser after antitrust case U.S. Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter speaks about the antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment during a press conference as Attorney General Merrick Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco look on during a press conference at the Department of Justice in Washington, U.S., May 23, 2024. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno Ken Cedeno | Reuters The Department of Justice is calling for Google to divest its Chrome browser, following a ruling in August that the company holds a monopoly in the search market. Chrome, which Google launched in 2008, provides the search giant with data it then uses for targeting ads. The DOJ said in a filing on Wednesday that forcing the company to get rid of Chrome would create a more equal playing field for search competitors. “To remedy these harms, the [Initial Proposed Final Judgment] requires Google to divest Chrome, which will permanently stop Google’s control of this critical search access point and allow rival search engines the ability to access the browser that for many users is a gateway to the internet,” the 23-page filing reads. Search advertising accounted for $49.4 billion in revenue in parent company Alphabet’s third quarter, representing three-quarters of total ad sales in the *******. The DOJ’s request represents the agency’s most aggressive attempt to break up a tech company since its antitrust case against Microsoft, which reached a settlement in 2001. In August, a federal judge ruled that Google holds a monopoly in the search market. The ruling came after the government in 2020 filed its landmark case, alleging that Google controlled the general search market by creating strong barriers to entry and a feedback loop that sustained its dominance. The court found that Google violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act, which outlaws monopolies. Last month, the DOJ indicated it was considering a breakup of Google businesses, including potentially breaking up its Chrome, Play or Android divisions. Additionally, the DOJ suggested limiting or prohibiting default agreements and “other revenue-sharing arrangements related to search and search-related products.” That would include Google’s search arrangements with Apple on the iPhone and Samsung on its mobiles devices, deals that cost the company billions of dollars a year in payouts. Google has said it will appeal the monopoly ruling, which would draw out any final remedy decisions. However, the most likely outcome, according to some legal experts, is that the court will ask Google to do away with certain exclusive agreements, like its deal with Apple. While a breakup is an unlikely outcome, the experts said, the court may ask Google to make it easier for users to access other search engines. WATCH: What DOJ’s focus on Google means for the tech company Source link #DOJ #pushes #Google #break #Chrome #browser #antitrust #case Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nelly Korda takes top honours in LPGA Awards Nelly Korda takes top honours in LPGA Awards Nelly Korda has capped her best season by capturing the top two honours at the LPGA Awards in Naples. The 26-year-old Florida native received the Player of the Year Award and the Annika Major Award, which goes to the major winner who had the best overall results in the season’s big five events. Korda won seven events in 2024, including the Chevron Championship, her second career major title. “It’s been crazy, it’s been such a fun year, full of ups and downs, but I am so, so grateful for my team sitting right here,” Korda said. “It’s been an amazing year and I’m so grateful to be doing what I love.” Korda entered the year with six career LPGA tournament wins but she added victories at the LPGA Drive On Championship, the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship, the Ford Championship, the T-Mobile Match Play, the Mizuho Americas Open and The Annika in addition to the Chevron Championship. She missed the cut at both the US Women’s Open and the Women’s PGA Championship before tying for 26th at the Evian Championship and tying for second at the Women’s British Open. With Lilia Vu having won Player of the Year in 2023, US golfers have captured the honour in consecutive years for the first time since Betsy King and Beth Daniel did so in 1993 and 1994, respectively. New Zealand’s Lydia Ko was awarded the Heather Farr Perseverance Award, given for “hard work, dedication and love of the game of golf.” Ko, 27, earned the gold medal at the Paris Olympics to become the youngest player to earn Hall of Fame status since the current format went into place. Ko’s three official victories this year included a major, the Women’s British Open. “2024 has felt like a fairytale, one word, fairytale,” Ko said. “I can’t believe it, even now while looking at some of the highlights. I still get goosebumps.” Source link #Nelly #Korda #takes #top #honours #LPGA #Awards Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Visions Volume 3 is coming in 2025 Visions Volume 3 is coming in 2025 Yesterday, at the Disney APAC Content Showcase in Singapore, the company revealed Volume 3 of . This anthology of nine short animations from nine separate anime studios is set to release next year. In keeping with tradition from prior volumes, each studio is allowed considerable creative freedom and will likely produce shorts with distinctive art styles that fans will recognize instantly. Based on the Star Wars website’s , we can immediately see four returning studios: Kamikaze Douga, Kinema citrus Co., Production I.G and TRIGGER. These studios are responsible for anime adaptations of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Made in Abyss, Haikyu!! and ***** la *****, respectively. To improve the diversity of styles, Disney invited five new studios to create the remaining shorts. They are ANIMA (collaborating with Kamikaze Douga), David Production, Polygon Pictures, Project Studio Q and WIT Studio. ANIMA is an animation studio specializing in 3D CG movies, and you may know it as the studio behind cutscenes from Xenoblade 3, certain ***** Emblem Heroes movies and Pokemon Unite. David Production animated ***** Force and Undead Unluck, among many other anime. Some Star Wars: The Clone Wars episodes and Tron: Uprising were Polygon Pictures’ work. Project Studio Q is a less-known name, but it’s responsible for some 3D animation in DARLING in the FRANXX episodes. As for WIT Studio, it’s of Spy x Family and ******* on Titan (the first three seasons) fame. With such a stacked roster of studios, Disney is sparing no expense on this anthology. The wait might be long, but Volumes 1 and 2 are still available on Disney+. Source link #Visions #Volume #coming Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra ****** Units Surface, Showcasing Design Tweaks With Rounded Corners Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra ****** Units Surface, Showcasing Design Tweaks With Rounded Corners Samsung Galaxy S25 series is expected to launch in January, this time comprising four models rather than the usual three: the base Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra, and a new Galaxy S25 Slim variant that may debut later. The top-of-the-line Galaxy S25 Ultra model may feature certain tweaks to its iconic boxy design, and recently surfaced ****** units of the purported handset corroborate this change. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is likely to get a more rounded appearance this time around. The ***** suggests a design strategy shift compared to the existing Galaxy S24 Ultra. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra ****** Units ***** In a post on X (formerly Twitter), tipster @Jukanlosreve shared a couple of images of the ****** units of the purported Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. The ***** suggests that the South Korean technology conglomerate’s flagship non-foldable smartphone will undergo design changes, favouring rounded edges over flat ones. Two of the four colourways of the smartphone, including a ****** shade, are also showcased with the ****** units. ****** Units of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Photo Credit: X/Jukanlosreve This marks the second time that ****** units of the Galaxy S25 Ultra have surfaced, showcasing its tweaked design. With its purported smartphone, the company is speculated to move away from the boxy design that has become synonymous with Samsung’s Ultra models in recent years. However, it may still have similar design elements carried over from the current models, including the placement of power and volume buttons on the right spine and an identical rear camera layout. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Specifications (Expected) Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is expected to be equipped with a 6.86-inch AMOLED screen with thinner bezels than its predecessor, as per reports. The purported handset may sport a 200-megapixel primary camera, a 10-megapixel 3x telephoto camera, a 50-megapixel 5x telephoto camera, and an upgraded 50-megapixel ultrawide camera. It is expected to be powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, with support for up to 16GB of RAM. The phone could pack a 5,000mAh battery with support for 45W charging. A recent report indicates that the handset’s bill of materials (BoM) is at least $110 roughly Rs. 9,300) higher than its predecessor, hinting towards a price hike in select markets. Source link #Samsung #Galaxy #S25 #Ultra #****** #Units #Surface #Showcasing #Design #Tweaks #Rounded #Corners Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Bees help tackle elephant-human conflict in Kenya Bees help tackle elephant-human conflict in Kenya “We used to hate elephants a lot,” Kenyan farmer Charity Mwangome says, pausing from her work under the shade of a baobab tree. The bees humming in the background are part of the reason why her hatred has dimmed. The diminutive 58-year-old said rapacious elephants would often ******** months of work in her farmland that sits between two parts of Kenya’s world-renowned Tsavo National Park. Beloved by tourists — who contribute around 10 percent of Kenya’s GDP — the animals are loathed by most local farmers, who form the backbone of the nation’s economy. Elephant conservation has been a roaring success: numbers in Tsavo rose from around 6,000 in the mid-1990s to almost 15,000 elephants in 2021, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). But the human population also expanded, encroaching on grazing and migration routes for the herds. Resulting clashes are becoming the number one cause of elephant deaths, says KWS. Refused compensation when she lost her crops, Mwangome admits she was **** with the conservationists. But a long-running project by conservation organisation Save the Elephants offered her an unlikely solution — deterring some of nature’s biggest animals with some of its smallest: ******** honeybees. Cheery yellow beehive fences now protect several local plots, including Mwangome’s. A nine-year study published last month found that elephants avoided farms with the ferocious bees 86 percent of the time during peak crop season. “The beehive fences came to our rescue,” said Mwangome. – Hacking nature – The deep humming of 70,000 bees is enough to make many flee, including a six-tonne elephant, but Loise Kawira calmly removes a tray in her apiary to demonstrate the intricate combs of wax and honey. Kawira, who joined Save the Elephants in 2021 as their consultant beekeeper, trains and monitors farmers in the delicate art. The project supports 49 farmers, whose plots are surrounded by 15 connected hives. Each is strung on greased wire a few metres off the ground, which protects them from badgers and insects, but also means they shake when ********** by a hungry elephant. “Once the elephants hear the sound of the bees and the smell, they run away,” Kawira told AFP. “It hacks the interaction between elephants and bees,” added Ewan Brennan, local project coordinator. It has been effective, but recent droughts, exacerbated by climate change, have raised challenges. “(In) the total heat, the dryness, bees have absconded,” said Kawira. It is also expensive — about 150,000 Kenyan shillings ($1,100) to install hives — well beyond the means of subsistence farmers, though the project organisers say it is still cheaper than electric fences. – ‘I was going to ****’ – Just moments after AFP arrived at Mwanajuma Kibula’s farm, which abuts one of the Tsavo parks, her beehive fence had seen off an elephant. The five-tonne animal, its skin caked in red mud, rumbled into the area and then did an abrupt about-face. “I know my crops are protected,” Kibula said with palpable relief. Kibula, 48, also harvests honey twice a year from her hives, making 450 shillings per jar — enough to pay school fees for her children. She is fortunate to have protection from the biggest land mammals on Earth. “An elephant ripped off my roof, I had to hide under the bed because I knew I was going to ****,” said a less-fortunate neighbour, Hendrita Mwalada, 67. For those who can’t afford bees, Save the Elephants offers other solutions, such as metal-sheet fences that clatter when shaken by approaching elephants, and diesel- or chilli-soaked rags that deter them. It is not always enough. “I have tried planting but every time the crops are ready, the elephants come and ******** the crops,” Mwalada told AFP. “That has been the story of my life, a life full of too much struggling.” ra-rbu/er/kjm Source link #Bees #tackle #elephanthuman #conflict #Kenya Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Western Digital PS5 SSDs On ***** For Great Prices At Amazon For ****** Friday Western Digital PS5 SSDs On ***** For Great Prices At Amazon For ****** Friday The WD ****** SN850X can hit speeds of up to 7,300MB/s, significantly faster than the required 5,500MB/s sequential read speed for full support on PS5. The 1TB model that’s on ***** includes a preinstalled heatsink, which is needed for installation in the PS5’s open M.2 slot. At face value, a 1TB SSD sounds like doubling your PlayStation’s storage space, but it’s actually an even more meaningful increase. The original PS5 has roughly 667GB of usable storage, while the PS5 Slim has about 850GB. If you want an even ******* upgrade, Amazon has the 2TB SN850X on ***** for $130. The only downside with this deal is that it doesn’t. come with a heatsink, so you will need to buy one separately and install it yourself. Thankfully, it only takes a few minutes, and heatsinks are cheap, including this $9 model. Anything above 2TB is probably overdoing it for most PS5 users, but the SN850X is also one of the best SSDs for PC, a platform where storage gets consumed by more than just games. Amazon has the 4TB SN850X with a heatsink on ***** for over $100 off. For a slightly cheaper 1TB option, check out Corsair’s MP600 for $80. This one also comes with a heatsink, and while it’s not as popular as the SN850X, it’s still plenty fast enough for PS5 users, with speeds up to 7,100MB/s. Source link #Western #Digital #PS5 #SSDs #***** #Great #Prices #Amazon #****** #Friday Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

MPs raise questions about Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ CV MPs raise questions about Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ CV PA Media Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s CV came under the spotlight at Prime Minister’s Questions, following claims she had embellished some of her past achievements. Reeves has previously said she worked as an economist at Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) before entering politics. However, her profile on the networking site LinkedIn has been changed to say the role at HBOS was in retail banking. Reeves worked as an economist for the Bank of England before joining HBOS and in a 2011 interview with the Independent she is described as working for HBOS’s retail division. In the same year, the biography on her Labour web page said: “Rachel spent her professional career as an economist working for the Bank of England, the British Embassy in Washington and at Halifax Bank of Scotland.” Tory MPs Graham Stuart and Alex Burghart – who was standing in for opposition leader Kemi Badenoch at the weekly Commons session – and Reform ***’s Lee Anderson all made reference to the row when putting questions to Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner. Rayner was standing in for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who is in Brazil for a G20 summit meeting of the world’s richest countries. Burghart raised a laugh on the Tory benches with a jibe about “real economists”, as he accused the government of “stoking” inflation. “This morning we had City economists, real economists, saying that next year inflation would hit 3%,” he told MPs. Later in the session, Anderson, asking about changes to inheritance tax for farmers, said: “Does the deputy prime minister agree with me that this decision should be thrown in the trash can along with Rachel from accounts’ CV?” Rayner deflected the question with a joke about Anderson’s own career. “He talks about CVs, it’s good to see [Anderson] doing well on his – once a Labour councillor then a Tory MP and now Reform chief whip,” she said. “Every time he switches party, he gets a promotion.” A few minutes later, ************* Graham Stuart said all MPs “recognise the authenticity” of Rayner’s back story including her time working as a carer. Stuart then referenced recent cases where people had got into trouble for lying about their experience and achievements. In June, Nick Adderly, the chief constable of Northamptonshire Police was sacked for exaggerating his naval rank and length of service. And last month, a woman was jailed for five years after lying about her experience and qualifications to get a job as a senior nurse in a unit for ***** and ********** *******. Stuart asked if Rayner agreed that “serious consequences are right and just in such cases”. “I know where he is trying to go with this,” replied Rayner before going on to defend Reeves. “Our chancellor in the last four months has shown more competence than the last four chancellors he had,” she said. *** Parliament/ PA The questions continued after PMQs, as reporters sought to put the prime minister’s official spokeswoman on the spot. Asked if Sir Keir expected ministers to tell the truth on their CVs, she said the row “relates to the chancellor’s time before she was the chancellor”. But she added: “The prime minister is very clear that what is most important is having a chancellor who is able to balance the books and who is able to be straight with the public and restore the public finances.” And that was what Reeves had done, she told reporters. Asked if the PM was committed to Reeves remaining chancellor for the rest of the Parliament, she said: “It’s never for me in my position to speak to cabinet appointments, but the chancellor very much ******** the chancellor.” Reeves has often sought to underline her economic credentials by pointing to the roles she held before becoming an MP. However, the chancellor is facing claims that her role at Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) had more to do with administration and IT than economics. Reeves studied philosophy, politics and economics Oxford University and did a master’s degree in economics at the London School of Economics. Source link #MPs #raise #questions #Chancellor #Rachel #Reeves Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]