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How to Beat Dark Souls 2 Boss ‘The Duke’s Dear Freja’ in Elden Ring Nightreign How to Beat Dark Souls 2 Boss ‘The Duke’s Dear Freja’ in Elden Ring Nightreign Have you ever wanted to play a multiplayer game with your friends that features the OG Soulsborne experience, and it also has a roguelike element to it? Then look no further because Elden Ring Nightreign delivers that exact experience to you on a silver platter. Elden Ring Nightreign has been the talk of the town for a while now, and with the release date inching closer every day, people are wondering what new horrors FromSoftware will add this time. To our surprise, an old Dark Souls 2 boss is making a comeback in FromSoftware’s upcoming game, and she has given a lot of archanophobes a hard time. Of course, we are talking about Duke’s Dear Freja, and here’s a guide on how to beat her in the Elden Ring spinoff. Nightreign is acknowledging FromSoft’s previous bosses Elden Ring Nightreign was announced back during the Game Awards of 2024, and after waiting for more than half a year, the game will finally be out on the 30th of this month. Recently, IGN revealed on their Instagram page that Duke’s Dear Freja, a boss originally from Dark Souls 2, is making a grand return with the same design and attack pattern. Duke’s Dear Freja from Dark Souls 2 is a massive spider that has two heads and is found within the Brightstone Cove Tseldora, guarding the Writhing Ruin so that players won’t be able to enter. Along with two heads, the spider also has a formidable shell that boasts high resistance, rendering her two heads the only vulnerable place that leads us to victory. Duke’s Dear Frerja uses a plethora of moves and combos in Dark Souls 2, and in Nightreign, the boss will probably use her old moveset, which includes Leg Stomps: Where she stomps her legs 2-4 times. Soul Bolt: Shoots out a beam of light that can’t be blocked and deals a huge amount of damage. Web/Acid *****: Where the boss will either shoot webs that slow the player or acid that deals damage to the player. Body Slam: She will jump into the air and attempt to crush the player upon landing. Spiderlings: The boss also summons little spiders that deal damage and spawn every few minutes. The best way to fight the spider in Nightreign is to first assign one of the teammates to handle the spiderlings, where they will distract or take care of the spiderlings themselves and will not let them touch the other players. The other teammate can take aggro on the spider while you go hit the spider’s vulnerable areas, which are both its heads. What you should be wary of when fighting her in Nightreign Duke’s Dear Freja was one of the hardest bosses in Dark Souls 2 | Image Credits: FromSoftware You can use this strategy, alternating among your teammates to make it fun and possible for the whole team to beat the huge two-headed spider. The moves you wanna look out for are the Soul Bolt, which will definitely kill you instantly, and the Web and Acid *****, which will either slow you down or deal a lot of damage. When she uses her Leg Stomps move, staying right up on her legs will give you a better chance to attack the head immediately. Whether you’re a veteran Soulsborne player or diving into the genre for the first time, Duke’s Dear Freja’s appearance is a nod to the franchise’s legacy and a reminder that no horror is ever truly gone; instead, it just evolves. So prepare accordingly, rally your allies, and most of all, don’t give up, no matter how many times you have to try again. Source link #Beat #Dark #Souls #Boss #Dukes #Dear #Freja #Elden #Ring #Nightreign Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

PSG warm up for Champions League final with Cup title PSG warm up for Champions League final with Cup title Holders Paris Saint-Germain have cruised to a 3-0 win over Stade de Reims in the French Cup final, sealing a domestic treble for the second successive season, and preparing for next week’s Champions League final in perfect style. Luis Enrique’s side had little trouble seeing off relegation battling Reims on Saturday, strolling to a 3-0 first half lead with Bradley Barcola netting twice in three minutes and Achraf Hakimi scoring two minutes before the break. Reims were again pinned back in their own half after the interval by a dominant PSG, and while they couldn’t find any further goals, a record-extending 16th French Cup win was never in any doubt at the Stade de France. PSG, already Ligue 1 champions and French Super Cup winners, now aim to win the club their first Champions League trophy when they take on Inter Milan in Munich next Saturday to cap off what would be their greatest ever season. Source link #PSG #warm #Champions #League #final #Cup #title Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

These Heavily Armored Helicopters Were Pitched To The Army During The Cold War These Heavily Armored Helicopters Were Pitched To The Army During The Cold War After their large-scale introduction to the battlefield in the 1950s and 1960s, helicopters greatly impacted how wars were fought. At the same time, it was clear that they were inherently vulnerable, and means were developed to make them more survivable. Since then, new tactics, high speed, a wide variety of countermeasures, and even stealth technology, have been adopted in different applications and to varying degrees. However, a U.S. effort to create a protected helicopter that was essentially a flying armored fighting vehicle was less successful. This is its story. In 1967, the U.S. military was mired in the Vietnam War, and helicopters were playing a hugely important role. Of the around 12,000 helicopters used by the U.S. armed forces in Vietnam, more than 5,600 were lost, according to figures from the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association. Meanwhile, manufacturers in the United States were looking at ways of creating helicopters that would have a better chance of surviving both in Southeast Asia and on even more highly contested battlefields. Soldiers of the U.S. Army 9th Infantry Division 3 Battalion waiting to board UH-1 helicopters in the Plain of Reeds during an operation in Tan An, South Vietnam, January 1970. Photo by Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Bettmann In the same year, Sikorsky was developing a new type of aircraft armor that would provide protection to helicopters against ballistic threats. In Vietnam, helicopters were repeatedly subjected to gunfire when they were operating in and out of ‘hot’ landing zones. On the ground they were the targets of mortar or rocket attacks. Sikorsky’s new dual-hardness steel armor was both robust and light enough that it could be used as the basis for building the helicopter’s primary structure, rather than adding it on later. At the same time that it was working on this innovative armor, Sikorsky was developing its Advancing Blade Concept (ABC), which promised helicopters that would be much faster than using traditional rotors. A model of the Aerial Armored Reconnaissance Vehicle (AARV) that combined the Advancing Blade Concept (ABC) with a heavily armored fuselage cell. Public Domain ABC was just one of many efforts at this time to dramatically enhance the performance of rotorcraft, with others notably including compound helicopters, which combined the familiar rotors with a wing and some kind of auxiliary propulsion to generate higher speeds. Sikorsky’s ABC was an alternative to the compound helicopter and involved a contrarotating main rotor allied with auxiliary propulsion to propel the aircraft in forward flight. Using this rotor arrangement removed the problem of blade stall, which otherwise limits the speed of conventional helicopters, and obviated the need for a tail rotor. For a heavily armored helicopter, ABC promised several advantages. It was more robust and simpler than a conventional helicopter configuration, making it better able to withstand damage, especially since the very vulnerable tail rotor and its transmission were omitted. High speed was less of an issue, since the armored helicopter was intended to survive ballistic attacks, at least to a certain level, rather than evade them. But the ABC arrangement was also notably agile, which would be useful for maneuvering in combat. Sikorsky began to look at two armored helicopter options. The first of these was the Aerial Armored Reconnaissance Vehicle (AARV), which was a two-seat scout. It was envisaged as a successor to the U.S. Army’s Hughes OH-6 Cayuse and Bell OH-58 Kiowa. These had been procured under the Light Observation Helicopter (LOH) program and saw extensive use in Vietnam. Soldiers of the U.S. Army work on an OH-6 helicopter shot down in Tay Ninh province in December 1967, during the Vietnam War. Photo by BOB WILDAU/AFP via Getty Images BOB WILDAU The AARV program was funded by Sikorsky and the Army over a ******* of two and a half years. Playing a significant role was the Army Materials and Mechanics Research Center, which helped develop the half-inch-thick dual-hardness armor needed for the helicopter’s airframe. From its total weight of 6,800 pounds, the dual-hardness armor accounted for around 1,800 pounds. Since this was very much breaking new technological ground, much effort was put into working out how best to cut, join, form, and finish the helicopter using this material. After this evaluation, a fuselage mock-up was constructed and then subjected to ballistics testing. A diagram of the heavily armored fuselage cell for the Aerial Armored Reconnaissance Vehicle (AARV). U.S. Army In overall configuration, and apart from its ABC rotor arrangement, the AARV was fairly conventional and simple. The fuselage was notably angular, with a prominent chine line and a faceted appearance. While this kind of design would reappear on stealthy helicopter concepts, here it was utilized for better protection against ballistic fire. While the main fuselage was built from dual-hardness armor, the empennage was made from aluminum. The tail featured an inverted-V configuration. With a length of 25.4 feet and a fuselage height of 4.5 feet, the AARV was even more compact than the diminutive OH-6, which was 30.3 feet long and 8.1 feet high to the top of the rotor mast. A cutaway drawing of the AARV. Public Domain Unlike in other of the company’s ABC proposals, the AARV didn’t have auxiliary propulsion, being powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 turboshaft. Rated at 1,175 horsepower, this would have given the helicopter a top speed of 150 knots. In trials, the helicopter’s airframe was able to withstand 7.62mm caliber gunfire at point-blank range; at longer ranges, 50-caliber projectiles also failed to penetrate it. As well as the airframe armor, advanced ballistic glass ‘transparent armor’ was used for the cockpit transparencies. A mock-up of the AARV. Public Domain The AARV would also have had provision for its own weapons, with options to install a 7.62mm Minigun on a telescopic mounting below the fuselage, while pods of unguided rockets could be pylon-mounted on the side of the fuselage. Armament options for the AARV. U.S. Army Although a full-scale ABC rotor system was successfully tested in the NASA Ames wind tunnel in 1970, the AARV project didn’t progress any further, with the Army instead concluding that this technology would be better used in a high-speed platform. Sikorsky completed a high-speed ABC demonstrator, the S-69, but this also failed to lead to any production aircraft. The Sikorsky S-69 demonstrator during Army trials, as the XH-59, in 1981. U.S. Army In the meantime, the same ‘armored helicopter’ thinking that led to the AARV was also used as the basis for another Sikorsky project, the Aerial Armored Personnel Carrier (AAPC). Various different Sikorsky studies for heavily armored assault helicopters. Sikorsky Essentially a scaled-up version of the AARV, the AAPC was built around a box-like armored cabin with accommodation for 12 soldiers. The rotor diameter was increased to 40 feet, compared to 35.4 feet for the AARV. At least two different empennage arrangements were studied, one being an inverted-V in which the tails were attached to the rear of the landing skids, and the other being a more conventional horizontal tailplane with vertical endplates. A mock-up of the Aerial Armored Personnel Carrier (AAPC) fuselage. Public Domain A three-view drawing of the Aerial Armored Personnel Carrier (AAPC) fuselage. Sikorsky The AAPC progressed as far as a full-scale mockup, but the Army wasn’t interested in pursuing it further. As it is, the AAPC makes a very interesting comparison with the Mi-24 Hind, which was the Soviet response to the similar kind of requirement, although it stressed speed and firepower over protection. The AARV and AAPC might have faded into obscurity, but the Advancing Blade Concept made a powerful comeback, many years later. Sikorsky returned to the concept with its X2 demonstrator, first flown in 2008, and intended to prove the technology, again. Once more, ABC was seen as a way of unlocking speed and maneuverability and increasing helicopter survivability under battle conditions. The X2 led to the S-97 Raider, which was a more production-representative aircraft, which took to the air in 2015. The S-97, in turn, paved the way for the promising RaiderX, which was widely seen as being a potential frontrunner for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program, which aimed to supply the Army with a high-speed new-generation scout and attack helicopter. FARA was cancelled early last year. The first RaiderX competitive prototype in a hangar at Sikorsky’s West Palm Beach, Florida, facility. Sikorsky Meanwhile, the RaiderX fed into the enlarged SB>1 Defiant, which lost the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) tender to a design based on Bell’s V-280 Valor next-generation tiltrotor. It was a very high-stakes competition, our analysis of the results of which you can read here. While APC technology might have to wait a while longer to find its way into a production helicopter for the Army, there is by no little doubt about its potential. Years of testing have demonstrated impressive speed, agility, and hot and high performance, with the ability to pack this all into a relatively small footprint. Ultimately, the AARV and its troop-carrying counterpart were destined to be footnotes in the colorful history of Cold War U.S. helicopter designs. However, they played a highly instructional role during a time of rapid development in rotorcraft technology, and one that points to continued concerns about how best to ensure survivability once thrown into battle. Contact the author: *****@*****.tld Source link #Heavily #Armored #Helicopters #Pitched #Army #Cold #War Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

The Not-So-Secret Society Whose Members Run State – Politico The Not-So-Secret Society Whose Members Run State – Politico The Not-So-Secret Society Whose Members Run State Politico Source link #NotSoSecret #Society #Members #Run #State #Politico Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Unfinished housing sites may be taken off developers under new rules Unfinished housing sites may be taken off developers under new rules Developers who leave housing sites unfinished for years could see their land handed over to local councils under new rules aimed at getting new homes built faster. Under government plans, housebuilders will have to commit to delivery time frames before they get planning permission, and will also have to submit annual reports to councils showing their progress. The new rules form part of the government’s plan to address the housing crisis, with 1.5 million new homes in England by 2029. The Conservative Party said it supported measures to speed up housebuilding, but accused the government of “adding so many burdens on builders” that its housing targets “already seem like a distant memory”. As well as losing their land, the government said housebuilders who repeatedly fail to hit their targets could also be denied future permissions. They may also face penalties worth thousands of pounds per unbuilt home, paid directly to local planning authorities. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said the government was continuing to back “the builders not the blockers”, adding it was “time for developers to roll up their sleeves and play their part”. Rayner, who also serves as housing secretary, said: “We’re going even further to get the homes we need. No more sites with planning permission gathering dust for decades while a generation struggle to get on the housing ladder.” A Planning Reform Working Paper setting out the proposals will be published on Sunday. Housing charity Shelter welcomed the plans. Alicia Walker, the charity’s assistant director of advocacy and activism, said developers “drag their heels” when housebuilding “to keep prices high and make ******* profits”. She accused them of “often dodging their responsibility to build social housing altogether”. “Meanwhile, thousands of families who are bearing the brunt of the housing emergency, homeless in temporary accommodation or crushed by skyrocketing rents, cannot afford to wait.” Ms Walker also said that while building housing faster was important, “the only way to end the housing emergency for good is to get councils and housing associations building social housing as well”. The government says that 1.3 million families are on social housing waiting lists, while a record number – including 160,000 children – are in temporary accommodation. Millions of people also cannot afford to buy their first home. The government’s aim is for 370,000 new homes to be built in England every year to hit its promise of 1.5 million by 2029. To aid this, local authorities are being told to give developers permission to build. Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) figures released in March suggested housebuilding would fall short of the 1.5 million target, even with planning reforms previously outlined in the Spring Statement. The government argued that further reforms not reflected in the OBR forecast would help it reach the number. Separate OBR figures previously showed housebuilding was set to hit a 40-year high and boost the economy by £6.8bn by 2029. The government said large housing developments, producing more than 2,000 homes, can take at least 14 years to build, but those with more affordable homes can be built twice as fast. It said it would therefore test a new requirement for large developments to be mixed tenure – meaning a range of housing options – by default in an effort to build homes, including more affordable homes, quicker. Shadow housing secretary Kevin Hollinrake claimed that “many hardworking Brits will be shut out of the housing market forever” as “Labour’s open door border policy” meant “many of these houses will end up going to migrants”. He added: “In the same week that Angela Rayner has been caught red-handed plotting to raise everyone’s taxes, it’s clear she doesn’t have the interests of working people at heart.” Source link #Unfinished #housing #sites #developers #rules Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Stuttgart too good for minnows in ******* Cup final Stuttgart too good for minnows in ******* Cup final Stuttgart has ruthlessly capitalized on errors in Arminia Bielefeld’s defense to win the ******* Cup with a 4-2 victory in the final in Berlin Source link #Stuttgart #good #minnows #******* #Cup #final Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

First class graduates from American University of Baghdad, once Saddam’s palace First class graduates from American University of Baghdad, once Saddam’s palace BAGHDAD (AP) — The American University of Baghdad celebrated the graduation of its first cohort of students Saturday at a campus that was once a palace built by Saddam Hussein. Officials said they hope the graduation will mark the beginning of a new era in higher education in Iraq rooted in modernity, openness and international academic standards. The university was inaugurated in 2021 on the site of the al-Faw Palace, built on an island in the middle of an artificial lake by Saddam in the 1990s to mark the retaking of the peninsula of the same name during the war. After the U.S.-led invasion that unseated Saddam in 2003, it was used as a U.S. coalition military headquarters called Camp Victory. It was later developed into an American-style university with a core liberal arts program through funding by influential Iraqi business owner Saadi Saihood. A total of 38 students — 20 male and 18 female — graduated Saturday with degrees in business administration, sciences and humanities at a ceremony attended by political dignitaries as well as families and faculty members. Speaking to the attendees, university President Dr. Michael Mulnix reflected on the university’s rocky beginnings. “When I first arrived at the American University of Baghdad in 2018, the campus looked nothing like it does today,” he said. “Years of war and neglect had left the infrastructure in ruins, with many buildings damaged or destroyed. Today, we stand before an exceptional, nonprofit academic institution that ranks among the finest research universities.” Today AUB has a growing network of international partnerships with top universities, he said, including Vanderbilt University, Colorado School of Mines, Lawrence Technological University, Temple University, the University of Exeter, and Sapienza University of Rome. University founder and owner Saihood called the graduation “a symbolic moment that affirms this institution was built to last and to make a real difference.” He acknowledged the economic challenges facing graduates, especially the scarcity of government employment, but emphasized that the university has equipped its students with the adaptability and initiative needed to thrive in the private sector or through entrepreneurship. Although Iraq’s security situation has improved in recent years after decades of conflict, the country still suffers from brain drain as young people seek opportunities and stability abroad. “The future in Iraq is not easy. All of us graduates have concerns,” said Mohammed Baqir from Najaf province, who graduated Saturday with a bachelor’s degree in business. “But what sets us apart from other universities is that we’ve already received job offers through AUB, especially in the private sector. Although my education cost around ten million Iraqi dinars, it was a truly valuable investment.” Ten million Iraqi dinars equals about $7,600. Source link #class #graduates #American #University #Baghdad #Saddams #palace Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Arsenal stun Barcelona to win the Women’s Champions League – Al Jazeera Arsenal stun Barcelona to win the Women’s Champions League – Al Jazeera Arsenal stun Barcelona to win the Women’s Champions League Al JazeeraArsenal 1-0 Barcelona (May 24, 2025) Game Analysis ESPNArsenal win Women’s Champions League in final glory and dethrone Barcelona The GuardianArsenal vs. Barcelona: Five UEFA Women’s Champions League Records to Know Sports IllustratedArsenal captain Kim Little reveals emotional significance of Champions League triumph Yahoo Sports Source link #Arsenal #stun #Barcelona #win #Womens #Champions #League #Jazeera Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

White House National Security Council slashes staff in dramatic restructuring Reuters White House National Security Council slashes staff in dramatic restructuring Reuters President Donald Trump is ordering a major overhaul of the National Security Council that will shrink its size, lead to the ouster of some political appointees and return many career government employees back to their home agencies, according to two U.S. officials and one person familiar with the reorganization. The number of staff at the NSC is expected to be significantly reduced, according to the officials, who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive personnel matter. The shake-up is just the latest shoe to drop at the NSC, which is being dramatically made over after the ouster early this month of Trump’s national security adviser Mike Waltz, who in many ways had hewed to traditional Republican foreign policy. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been serving as national security adviser since the ouster of Waltz, who was nominated to serve as Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations. The move is expected to elevate the importance of the State Department and Pentagon in advising Trump on important foreign policy moves. But, ultimately, Trump relies on his own instincts above all else when making decisions. The NSC, created during the Truman administration, is an arm of the White House tasked with advising and assisting the president on national security and foreign policy and coordinating among various government agencies. Trump was frustrated in his first term by political appointees and advisers who he felt gummed up his “America First” agenda. There were roughly 395 people working at the NSC, including about 180 support staff, according to one official. About 90 to 95 of those being ousted are policy or subject-matter experts seconded from other government agencies. They will be given an opportunity to return to their home agencies if they want. Many of the political appointees will also be given positions elsewhere in the administration, the official said. The NSC has been in a continual state of tumult during the early going of Trump’s second go-around in the White House. Waltz was ousted weeks after Trump fired several NSC officials, just a day after the influential far-right activist Laura Loomer raised concerns directly to him about staff loyalty. Loomer has in the past spread 9/11 conspiracy theories and promoted QAnon, an apocalyptic and convoluted conspiracy theory centered on the belief that Trump is fighting the “deep state,” and took credit for the ouster of the NSC officials that she argued were disloyal. And the White House, days into the administration, sidelined about 160 NSC aides, sending them home while the administration reviewed staffing and tried to align it with Trump’s agenda. The aides were career government employees, commonly referred to as detailees. This latest shake-up amounts to a “liquidation” of NSC staffing, with both career government detailees on assignment to the NSC being sent back to their home agencies and several political appointees being pushed out of their positions, according to the person familiar with the decision. A White House official who spoke on the condition of anonymity confirmed that the overhaul, first reported by Axios, was underway. Andy Baker, the national security adviser to Vice President JD Vance, and Robert Gabriel, an assistant to the president for policy, will serve as deputy national security advisers, according to the White House official. Waltz, during his short tenure heading the NSC, came under searing criticism in March after revelations that he added journalist Jeffrey Goldberg to a private text chain on an encrypted messaging app that was used to discuss planning for a sensitive military operation against Houthi militants in Yemen. Waltz has taken responsibility for building the text chain but has said he does not know how Goldberg ended up being included. Loomer had encouraged Trump to purge aides who she believes are insufficiently loyal to the “Make America Great Again” agenda. She also complained to sympathetic administration officials that Waltz was too reliant on “neocons” — shorthand for the more hawkish neoconservatives within the Republican Party — as well as what she perceived as “not-MAGA-enough” types, the person said. It wasn’t just Loomer who viewed Waltz suspiciously. He was viewed with a measure of skepticism by some in the MAGA world who saw the former Army Green Beret and three-term congressman as too tied to Washington’s foreign policy establishment. On Russia, Waltz shared Trump’s concerns about the high price tag of extensive U.S. military aid to Ukraine. But Waltz also advocated for further diplomatically isolating President Vladimir Putin — a position that was out of step with Trump, who has viewed the Russian leader, at moments, with admiration for his cunning in dealings with Trump’s predecessors. His more hawkish rhetoric on Iran and China, including U.S. policy toward Taiwan, seemed increasingly out of step with Trump, who — setting aside belligerent rhetoric about taking over Greenland from Denmark — has tilted more toward military restraint and diplomacy in facing some of the United States’ most challenging issues with adversaries. Source link #White #House #National #Security #Council #slashes #staff #dramatic #restructuring #Reuters Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

2026 BMW M2 CS revealed with even more brutal looks 2026 BMW M2 CS revealed with even more brutal looks If you find the regular BMW M2 is a little too slow, too refined and too subdued, maybe the upcoming M2 CS is for you, ducktail and all. Source link #BMW #revealed #brutal Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pentagon Press Association calls Defense Secretary Hegseth’s access restrictions ‘a direct attack’ Pentagon Press Association calls Defense Secretary Hegseth’s access restrictions ‘a direct attack’ Journalists who cover the US military say they are extremely concerned by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s constraints on press access at the Pentagon. They say the newest restrictions, outlined Friday night, appear to be “a direct attack on the freedom of the press and America’s right to know what its military is doing.” The sharp words from the Pentagon Press Association came after Hegseth announced “additional credentialing procedures for press at the Pentagon in the interest of national security.” The changes make key parts of the Pentagon building off-limits to journalists unless they have an official *******. Further restrictions are likely in the coming weeks, according to a Pentagon memo that alluded to a forthcoming pledge to protect military secrets and tougher scrutiny of press credentialing. Friday night’s announcement is part of a pattern. Since January, Hegseth and his Trump administration allies have taken numerous steps to stifle independent media. Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has set the tone by assailing his former colleague Jennifer Griffin (Fox’s national security correspondent) and other journalists. Almost as soon as Hegseth took charge, some of the country’s biggest news outlets were booted from their dedicated Pentagon workspaces. In what the Defense Department called a “media rotation program,” smaller and explicitly pro-Trump media outlets were offered workspaces. A few weeks later, the Pentagon said the press briefing room would be closed “when not in use for public briefings.” Top Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, a close friend of Hegseth’s, has only held one press briefing to date. On Friday, Parnell said on X that the access restrictions are “pragmatic changes to protect operational security.” The memo outlining the restrictions said that “while the department remains committed to transparency, the department is equally obligated to protect (classified intelligence) and sensitive information, the unauthorized disclosure of which could put the lives of U.S. service members in danger.” Hegseth himself stood accused of mishandling sensitive information in March when he sent detailed plans about a military operation in Yemen to a Signal group that included The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg. The changes announced on Friday will make it more difficult for journalists to reach Hegseth. It will also eliminate “the media’s freedom to freely access press officers for the military services who are specifically hired to respond to press queries,” the Pentagon Press Association pointed out. The association represents scores of journalists who regularly cover the military. In a statement, the association said it has been trying to reach out to Hegseth and his aides “to keep in place a professional working relationship that has persisted for decades,” but to no avail. The association said it is “puzzled” about why the Defense Department “is devoting such attention to restricting Pentagon media instead of engaging with it as senior leaders have long done.” Hegseth’s public comments indicate that he views the media as the opposition. He has denounced what he called the “hoax press” and promoted himself by appearing on Fox opinion shows hosted by his friends. He also enlisted right-wing content creators to increase the Defense Department’s promotional efforts on social media. Podcaster Graham Allen, who helped Hegseth full-time for several months and said Friday that he was moving into a part-time role, dismissed a CBS journalist’s objections to the new restrictions by saying, “you can cry harder.” But Mike Balsamo, the president of the National Press Club, said independent coverage of the military is in everyone’s interest. “It keeps voters informed, strengthens democratic oversight, and sends a clear message to the world that America stands for openness and accountability,” Balsamo said. “Restricting access doesn’t protect national security. It undermines public trust.” For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Source link #Pentagon #Press #Association #calls #Defense #Secretary #Hegseths #access #restrictions #direct #attack Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump Gives Commencement Address at West Point, Stressing a New Era – The New York Times Trump Gives Commencement Address at West Point, Stressing a New Era – The New York Times Trump Gives Commencement Address at West Point, Stressing a New Era The New York TimesTrump Administration Live Updates: Latest News on Immigration, Tariffs and Syria The New York TimesThe latest on Trump’s tariffs, legal battles and West Point address CNNProtesters outside West Point as President Trump is keynote speaker at graduation ceremony LohudTrump celebrates West Point athletes in commencement address to military academy Fox News Source link #Trump #Commencement #Address #West #Point #Stressing #Era #York #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Joe Spagnolo: Nationals must heed debacle in WA Joe Spagnolo: Nationals must heed debacle in WA David Littleproud need only to look across the Nullarbor to see just how not to do it. Source link #Joe #Spagnolo #Nationals #heed #debacle Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Earth’s Rotation Is Slowing Down, And It Might Explain Why We Have Oxygen Earth’s Rotation Is Slowing Down, And It Might Explain Why We Have Oxygen Earth’s rotation is slowing down, and it could be why we have oxygen for life Ever since its formation around 4.5 billion years ago, Earth’s rotation has been gradually slowing down, and its days have gotten progressively longer as a result. While Earth’s slowdown is not noticeable on human timescales, it’s enough to work significant changes over eons. One of those changes is perhaps the most significant of all, at least to us: lengthening days are linked to the oxygenation of Earth’s atmosphere, according to a study from 2021. Specifically, the blue-green algae (or cyanobacteria) that emerged and proliferated about 2.4 billion years ago would have been able to produce more oxygen as a metabolic by-product because Earth’s days grew longer. Check out the video below for a summary on the research. “An enduring question in Earth sciences has been how did Earth’s atmosphere get its oxygen, and what factors controlled when this oxygenation took place,” microbiologist Gregory ***** of the University of Michigan explained in 2021. “Our research suggests that the rate at which Earth is spinning – in other words, its day length – may have had an important effect on the pattern and timing of Earth’s oxygenation.” There are two major components to this story that, at first glance, don’t seem to have a lot to do with each other. The first is that Earth’s spin is slowing down. The reason Earth’s spin is slowing down is because the Moon exerts a gravitational pull on the planet, which causes a rotational deceleration since the Moon is gradually pulling away. Microbiologist Gregory ***** from the University of Michigan. (University of Michigan) We know, based on the fossil record, that days were just 18 hours long 1.4 billion years ago, and half an hour shorter than they are today 70 million years ago. Evidence suggests that we’re gaining 1.8 milliseconds a century. The second component is something known as the Great Oxidation Event – when cyanobacteria emerged in such great quantities that Earth’s atmosphere experienced a sharp, significant rise in oxygen. Without this oxidation, scientists think life as we know it could not have emerged; so, although cyanobacteria may cop a bit of side-eye today, we probably wouldn’t be here without them. There’s still a lot we don’t know about this event, including such burning questions as why it happened when it did and not sometime earlier in Earth’s history. It took scientists working with cyanobacterial microbes to connect the dots. In the Middle Island Sinkhole in Lake Huron, microbial mats can be found that are thought to be an analog of the cyanobacteria responsible for the Great Oxidation Event. Purple cyanobacteria that produce oxygen via photosynthesis and white microbes that metabolize sulfur, compete in a microbial mat on the lakebed. At night, the white microbes rise to the top of the microbial mat and do their sulfur-munching thing. When day breaks, and the Sun rises high enough in the sky, the white microbes retreat and the purple cyanobacteria rise to the top. “Now they can start to photosynthesize and produce oxygen,” said geomicrobiologist Judith Klatt of the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Germany. “However, it takes a few hours before they really get going, there is a long lag in the morning. The cyanobacteria are rather late risers than morning persons, it seems.” This means the window of daytime in which the cyanobacteria can pump out oxygen is very limited – and it was this fact that caught the attention of oceanographer Brian Arbic of the University of Michigan. He wondered if changing day length over Earth’s history had had an impact on photosynthesis. “It’s possible that a similar type of competition between microbes contributed to the delay in oxygen production on the early Earth,” Klatt explained. To demonstrate this hypothesis, the team performed experiments and measurements on the microbes, both in their natural environment and a laboratory setting. They also performed detailed modelling studies based on their results to link sunlight to microbial oxygen production, and microbial oxygen production to Earth’s history. “Intuition suggests that two 12-hour days should be similar to one 24-hour day. The sunlight rises and falls twice as fast, and the oxygen production follows in lockstep,” explained marine scientist Arjun Chennu of the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research in Germany. “But the release of oxygen from bacterial mats does not, because it is limited by the speed of molecular diffusion. This subtle uncoupling of oxygen release from sunlight is at the heart of the mechanism.” These results were incorporated into global models of oxygen levels, and the team found that lengthening days were linked to the increase in Earth’s oxygen – not just the Great Oxidation Event, but another, second atmospheric oxygenation called the Neoproterozoic Oxygenation Event around 550 to 800 million years ago. “We tie together laws of physics operating at vastly different scales, from molecular diffusion to planetary mechanics. We show that there is a fundamental link between day length and how much oxygen can be released by ground-dwelling microbes,” Chennu said. “It’s pretty exciting. This way we link the dance of the molecules in the microbial mat to the dance of our planet and its Moon.” The research has been published in Nature Geoscience. An earlier version of this article was published in August 2021. Related News Source link #Earths #Rotation #Slowing #Explain #Oxygen Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What killing penny coins means for you and how it will change shopping – Axios What killing penny coins means for you and how it will change shopping – Axios What killing penny coins means for you and how it will change shopping AxiosTreasury Sounds Death Knell for Penny Production WSJStop making cents: US Mint moves forward with plans to kill the penny AP NewsTreasury to End Penny Production in the U.S. The New York TimesThe penny costs nearly 4 cents to make. Here’s how much the U.S. spends on minting its other coins The Detroit News Source link #killing #penny #coins #means #change #shopping #Axios Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

AC Milan end Serie season amid widespread protests AC Milan end Serie season amid widespread protests AC Milan have beaten last-placed Monza 2-0 in their final match of the Serie A season amid widespread protests. Matteo Gabbia scored with a second-half header at the San Siro then Joao Felix converted a free kick as Milan moved up to seventh place on Saturday. Earlier, thousands of fans protested outside the club headquarters over Milan failing to qualify for Europe and losing to Bologna in the Italian Cup final. There were more protests inside the San Siro. Fans on the upper level at one end positioned themselves to form the words, “Go home.” Then they walked out during the early stages of the first half. There were also chants aimed at Milan’s American owner Gerry Cardinale. “Cardinale, you have to sell. Get out,” the fans said. Milan began the season as potential title contenders but ended up 19 points behind champions Napoli. The seven-time European champions were eliminated by Feyenoord in the Champions League playoffs in February. Meanwhile, city rivals Inter Milan will play Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final next Saturday. Genoa won at Bologna 3-1 with two goals from 18-year-old Lorenzo Venturino. The defeat still didn’t prevent Bologna fans from celebrating another strong season, which included an Italian Cup trophy and a Europa League berth. Bologna were left in ninth place while Genoa was 13th. Vitinha put Genoa ahead early and Venturino made the most of his first start with two first-half goals, the first of which included some fancy dribbling past several defenders. Riccardo Orsolini pulled one back for Bologna in the second half. Source link #Milan #Serie #season #widespread #protests Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

At least 10 suspects robbed, pepper sprayed couple on train, police say At least 10 suspects robbed, pepper sprayed couple on train, police say Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key Takeaways The Brief Chicago police are seeking about a dozen suspects in connection with a violent robbery on a CTA Red Line train earlier this month. The suspects allegedly beat a couple and used pepper spray on them to take their property. CPD released images of what appeared to be 14 people tied to the crime, but provided few specifics on each person’s involvement. CHICAGO – Police are looking for at least 10 suspects who were allegedly involved in a robbery of a couple on a CTA Red Line train, and were even accused of using pepper spray on them, earlier this month. What we know The robbery and battery on the Red Line took place near 608 South State Street on May 7, around 11:23 p.m. in Printer’s Row, according to the Chicago Police Department. Police said the suspects are at least African American males and females between the ages of about 15 and 25. Police are looking for at least 10 suspects who allegedly robbed a couple on a CTA Red Line train, and are even accused of using pepper spray on them, earlier this month. Police provided 14 photos of the alleged suspects, but did not give specific descriptions of them, nor what each was accused of doing in connection with the robbery. What you can do Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to contact the Public Transportation Detectives at 312-745-4447 or submit anonymous tips at CPDTIP.com and use reference #JJ246554. Source link #suspects #robbed #pepper #sprayed #couple #train #police Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Red Sox To Promote Marcelo Mayer – MLB Trade Rumors Red Sox To Promote Marcelo Mayer – MLB Trade Rumors Red Sox To Promote Marcelo Mayer MLB Trade RumorsSources: Red Sox call up heralded prospect Mayer ESPNRed Sox calling up top prospect Marcelo Mayer after Alex Bregman’s injury: Report Yahoo SportsBoston Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer called up from Worcester CBS NewsRed Sox to call up top INF prospect Marcelo Mayer (report) MLB.com Source link #Red #Sox #Promote #Marcelo #Mayer #MLB #Trade #Rumors Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Which electrified pick-up would you buy? Which electrified pick-up would you buy? Utes and pick-up trucks form one of the most popular new vehicle segments in Australia, and it’s also one of the busiest in terms of new models and technology development. We’ve seen numerous new utes out of China in particular, and a lot of them are pushing the boundaries in terms of cabin refinement and tech. Plenty of hybrid and EV utes have already started arriving too, and more are on the horizon. With that in mind, we’ve asked the CarExpert team which electrified ute they would buy if they were in the market. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Camera IconLDV (Maxus) eTerron 9 Credit: CarExpertCamera IconJAC Hunter PHEV Credit: CarExpertCamera IconLDV eT60 Credit: CarExpertCamera IconToyota Tundra Credit: CarExpert To make things interesting, we’ve thrown it open to all utes with any form of electric assistance, which makes everything from mild-hybrids to fully electric utes eligible for selection. Some of these aren’t yet on ***** in Australia, so the team was also invited to speculate on models they think will be winners. Options include: BYD Shark 6Ford Ranger PHEVGWM Cannon Alpha HybridGWM Cannon Alpha PHEVJAC Hunter PHEVLDV eT60LDV eTerron 9Toyota HiLux 48VToyota TundraMarton Pettendy: Ford Ranger PHEV Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) utes make a lot of sense in a country like Australia because they offer EV-dwarfing range to haul people and their cargo over long distances between fuel stops, and diesel-beating torque that makes them ideal for towing, off-roading and general driving duties of all types. Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert The Ranger PHEV may have a higher price, a smaller battery and therefore a shorter electric-only range than the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV, but it also has the biggest engine with the most torque, the highest payload, and a 3500kg towing capacity to match its diesel siblings and the GWM. Available in four variants to suit a wider range of buyers, it will also have the backing of 180 dealers nationwide, the engineering expertise of a 122-year-old automaker, and the unrivalled combination of design, technology, refinement, performance and capability that attracted more Aussies than any other new vehicle last year. Interested in buying a Ford Ranger? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here MORE: Everything Ford Ranger William Stopford: Undecided The electric ute segment is essentially non-existent in Australia right now, with just the lame LDV eT60. I’m excited to drive the new LDV eTerron 9, however. Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert Then there are the hybrids. The Tundra looks great, but it’s not exactly a Prius when it comes to efficiency and I wouldn’t pick one over the other American pickups for the price Toyota is asking. The much cheaper GWM Cannon Alpha has a plush interior, but its ride quality is average at best. The real centre of activity is the plug-in hybrid ute segment, and of the three either here now or coming within the next few months, I’ve driven just one: the BYD Shark 6. Its interior puts most utes to shame, with slick tech, an attractive design and nice materials. The powertrain is also smooth and refined, with seamless shifts between petrol and electric power. But it still rides like a ute – a decent one, but a ute nonetheless – so don’t expect it to feel quite like an SUV as some have. If you’re buying a ute, though, don’t you want maximum capability? For example, the 3500kg braked towing capacity and off-road capability of the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV and Ford Ranger PHEV? Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert But I come back to that point about unladen ride quality – no matter how much you use your ute, I doubt you always have something in the tray. These are often used as family vehicles, and they need to be comfy. The regular Cannon Alpha isn’t exactly smooth, so I wonder how it fares with a big, heavy battery. The regular Ranger is the ride quality benchmark in its segment, but we haven’t driven one yet and these ******** rivals significantly undercut it on price. One of these three would likely be my pick, but I’ll need to drive them all to make up my mind. James Wong: GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV Having not yet driven the Ford, the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV – based on our drive of a pre-production prototype – is the best example yet of how to maintain a dual-cab’s desired capability with an electrified drivetrain. Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert With a huge battery offering heaps of EV range, the Alpha PHEV can realistically be driven as an EV for over 100 kilometres for regular commuting, while also offering 3.5t towing and a proper mechanical 4WD system to do typical ‘ute stuff’. Even better, the GWM’s cabin is luxe and its PHEV system puts out plenty of power and torque to get this 2.8-tonne beast moving with surprising gusto. It’ll be interesting to see if my mind changes as more options arrive in Australia over the coming months. Interested in buying a GWM Cannon Alpha? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here MORE: Everything GWM Cannon Alpha Damion Smy: Ford Ranger PHEV This isn’t a tough decision at all for me. Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert Which of these has a stellar reputation – the kind of image and success greater than the brand it’s from, even enough to hold up that entire company for some years now? Which has off-road credentials, safety tech, predictable servicing costs and a proper dealer network? And which is a handsome, rugged yet practical ute – the PHEV seeing it lead its segment rival and the only other vehicle on this list I’d seriously consider, the Toyota HiLux. Like the Toyota, it’s also less of a risk when it comes time to move it on, too, given it promises best-in-class dynamics with the 3500kg holy grail towing rating. Plug me into a Ford Ranger PHEV. Interested in buying a Ford Ranger? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here MORE: Everything Ford Ranger Josh Nevett: GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV I’ve been a staunch advocate for the BYD Shark 6 since it arrived in Australia, but over time it’s become abundantly clear that the lifestyle-oriented marine predator doesn’t do ute things as well as rivals. Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert And it’s not only old-school internal combustion engine (ICE) utes that have the wood over the Shark 6, as the new GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV represents a compelling alternative in the electrified space. With a ******* battery, more torque, better towing capacity and superior EV range, the Cannon Alpha Plug-in Hybrid brings more capability on-road and offers a proper four-wheel drive system with front, rear and centre locking differentials for when the tarmac disappears. The Cannon Alpha PHEV effectively blends traditional workhorse traits with the flexibility of plug-in hybrid power, and it’s not even that expensive – pricing starts from as little as $61,490 drive-away for the base Lux, while the flagship Ultra comes in at $67,990 drive-away. Buy either for a modern, well-rounded ute experience. Interested in buying a GWM Cannon Alpha? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here MORE: Everything GWM Cannon Alpha Max Davies: Undecided I’m aware that saying I haven’t decided seems like a cop-out, but there’s actually a lot I want to consider before choosing one of these cars. Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert To get it out of the way, I wouldn’t go for a fully electric ute, because I don’t think it makes a lot of sense in Australia. The mild-hybrid and hybrid Toyotas are old and expensive respectively, so they’re off the cards for the time being too. I was a little underwhelmed by the JAC T9 diesel and therefore maintain a conservative mindset regarding the incoming Hunter PHEV. That leaves the BYD Shark 6, GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV, and Ford Ranger PHEV. After having driven the Shark for a week earlier this year (review coming soon), I was impressed by its on-road composure and general upmarket presentation. It also presents well and has a mostly competent suite of driver assist tech, but its off-road shortcomings make it difficult to pin to the top of my wishlist. By default, that gives the Cannon Alpha an edge with its standard inclusion of low-range gearing and locking differentials. It may still suffer from similar driver assist inconsistencies seen on other GWM products, which is why I’m cautiously confident about its success. Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert Then there’s the Ford Ranger PHEV, which has a lot to live up to. The Ranger is still the segment benchmark with diesel power, so Ford at least has a strong foundation to build upon when implementing PHEV tech. It starts to look less appealing when you consider the price, and then the fact that its claimed EV-only range is half that of the BYD and GWM. Still, good interior tech and otherwise solid construction could make up for that. At the end of the day, it’s really between the Cannon Alpha and the Ranger in my eyes. There should be a fair indication of what ute buyers prefer by the end of the year, once owners have had time to mull their vehicles over and after they’ve both been on ***** for a few months. We’re also due to drive the Ranger PHEV for the first time very soon, so time will tell. Let us know which you’d pick in the comments below! Source link #electrified #pickup #buy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Crypto billionaire Justin Sun says he received a $100K Trump-branded watch at the president’s meme coin dinner Crypto billionaire Justin Sun says he received a $100K Trump-branded watch at the president’s meme coin dinner The crypto billionaire Justin Sun was listed as the top holder of President Donald Trump’s meme coin.Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images President Donald Trump feted the top holders of his $Trump token on Thursday night. Justin Sun, the top holder of the coin, said he was presented with a $100,000 Trump-branded watch. A billionaire, Sun has run into legal troubles related to his other holdings. The crypto billionaire Justin Sun said he received a $100,000 Trump-branded watch at President Donald Trump’s meme coin dinner on Thursday, held at the Trump National Golf Club outside Washington, DC. The top 220 holders of the token were invited to the event. In photos and videos of the event, Sun posed with other attendees and signed a printout of a leaderboard showing he was No. 1 among the top 220 Trump coin holders. Sun said he was gifted a Trump Tourbillon watch, which retails for $100,000. The top 25 holders were treated to a more intimate reception with Trump. “I really appreciate, like, everything the Trump administration has done to our industry,” Sun said in a video that he reposted on X. “As the president said right before, so like, basically, like, 100 days ago, like, they go after crypto people like everywhere. That’s impossible for us to have such beautiful events in DC.” In a separate post, Sun shared a video showing him walking into the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where top White House officials work. The White House did not respond to a question about whom Sun met with. In 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged Sun with fraud, accusing him of manipulating the market for Tronix or TRX crypto. In February, after Trump took office, the SEC paused its investigation. Sun, who Forbes estimates is worth $8.5 billion, has other ties to Trumpworld. Before buying the meme coin, he invested $75 million in World Liberty Financial, a crypto project connected to the president and his sons. Story Continues The White House previously said that it had nothing to do with the event. The dinner was held at Trump’s private golf club outside Washington, where he spoke from behind a presidential podium. Trump stands to make millions off the meme coin. The $Trump coin website says the Trump Organization and affiliated entities control 80% of the meme coin. First lady Melania Trump also has her own coin. Sun has spent millions to participate in other headline-grabbing events. He shelled out $4.6 million to have lunch with Warren Buffett, $6.2 million to eat a duct-taped banana, and a staggering $28 million to fly on Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin (though Sun has yet to blast off). Representatives for the Trump Organization and Sun did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. Read the original article on Business Insider Source link #Crypto #billionaire #Justin #Sun #received #100K #Trumpbranded #watch #presidents #meme #coin #dinner Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Hidden city built 140,000 years ago discovered at bottom of ocean – Daily Mail Hidden city built 140,000 years ago discovered at bottom of ocean – Daily Mail Hidden city built 140,000 years ago discovered at bottom of ocean Daily MailNews – 140,000-Year-Old Bones Reveal Clues About Behavior of Extinct Human Species Archaeology MagazineScientists Found Evidence of Our Ancient Human Ancestors Underwater, Suggesting a Sunken World YahooA Human Civilization Vanished Beneath The Ocean — Scientists Just Got Closer to the Truth The Daily Galaxy140,000 year old bones of our ancient ancestors found on sea floor, revealing secrets of extinct human species Live Science Source link #Hidden #city #built #years #discovered #bottom #ocean #Daily #Mail Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Every Feature Confirmed for the Upcoming Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Every Feature Confirmed for the Upcoming Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Many exciting announcements were made during the Warhammer Skulls 2025 video game showcase, but fans are particularly excited about Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine’s Master Crafted Edition, which is a remaster of the original 2011 game. The game was announced by *****, which has the rights to the Relic Entertainment-developed original third-person shooter. THQ published the game, but the rights were sold to ***** in the early 2010s. Developed by SneakyBox, the Master Crafted Edition has tons of new features that completely overhaul the original game. The aim here isn’t only to give users a visual overhaul, but a thoughtful restoration of the classic game. A lot of new Warhammer franchise-related announcements were made during the showcase event, enough to leave the fans full of anticipation. ***** has announced Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Master Crafted Edition ***** has officially announced the Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Master Crafted Edition, which is a remaster of the original 2011 game. THQ was originally the publisher of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, but the video game rights to the Warhammer 40,000 series and Relic Entertainment were sold to ***** in 2013. ***** plans to return the original game in a brand new avatar. The game is all set to release on June 10th on PC and Xbox Series X/S, plus it will hit the Xbox Game Pass on day one. Unfortunately, PlayStation players will have to sit this one out as ***** has no plans to release the game on PlayStation 5. ***** has worked with SneakyBox to give players a proper restoration of the original game. Producer Vaidas Mikelskas from SneakyBox explained that the game isn’t just a technical upgrade, “it’s a thoughtful restoration.” The gaming experience will be modernized but retain the true elements that made Space Marine so special. What’s new in the Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Master Crafted Edition? Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Master Crafted Edition takes the core elements of the original game and takes things to the next level (Image via *****) Like many other remastered games, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Master Crafted Edition also has a lot of visual upgrades that will make the game feel like a brand new experience. The game’s official page on Steam has shared that the game will feature an improved combat system, higher fidelity, improved textures, 4K resolution, enhanced character models, modernised control scheme, interface overhaul, and remastered audio. The game will also feature 8v8 PvP multiplayer, which supports cross-play. Players will be able to gain experience and unlock new weapons and armor to customize the devastator, assault, and tactical marine classes. The Master Crafted Edition will include the original Space Marine game and all DLCs. The game’s price tag is yet to be revealed, but given how expensive video games are nowadays, expect it to be priced on the higher side. The best way to experience the game is to acquire an Xbox Game Pass. Source link #Feature #Confirmed #Upcoming #Warhammer #Space #Marine Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘This is really scary’: farmers battle historic drought ‘This is really scary’: farmers battle historic drought Farmer Paul Manwaring has been living in the shadow of rain. The cattle breeder has watched for months as promising forecasts disappear, while the occasional shower creates patches of growth on the parched plains around Cootamundra, in southwestern NSW. “It’s all green where a storm went through, but 200 metres down the road it’s desolate,” Mr Manwaring told AAP. The region is in the grips of disaster, according to the NSW drought indicator, part of a large area lit up in orange on the map. Surrounding regions are also drying out, expected to slip into drought by mid-winter. “(The rain) keeps either going north or south of us and we just keep being in that shadow,” Mr Manwaring said. After a hot summer, the mild and wet autumn break that farmers typically expect did not come. Scattered rain across parts of the district in recent days arrived too late as producers had already made tough decisions. Mr Manwaring, who runs a small livestock operation, sold his sheep in spring in anticipation of the dry, figuring that a run of good seasons would turn. Others have had to pull up their crops, change their planting regimes or sell stock in a busy market, necessary moves that will affect farm incomes for years. “Even when it does rain, it’s going to take a while to grow feed for all the livestock,” Mr Manwaring said. Much of southern Australia is in drought at the same time as the NSW Hunter and mid-north coast regions face a major flood emergency, with five months’ rain falling there in two days. April rainfall has been well below average across much of Victoria, Tasmania, southern NSW, eastern SA, and the west coast and interior of WA, according to the Bureau of Meteorology’s drought statement. Tasmania recorded its driest April in a decade, with falls 50 per cent below the 40-year average. South Australia has also been hit particularly hard, with $2 billion wiped from the state’s economy after the worst harvest in 15 years. Cassie Oster, whose family runs a grazing and cropping operation at Jabuk, about 150km southeast of Adelaide, says producers on the marginal country are always prepared for dry conditions. But this drought is particularly brutal. “We are at a point where we’re like … this is really scary,” Ms Oster said. “The decisions we’re having to make are things that we’ve never been faced with before.” The family has sold off more than 1000 sheep and abandoned several crops. Those kinds of decisions make it harder for farmers to buy back into the market after the drought breaks, when they are also likely to face higher costs of inputs, machinery and fuel. Drought conditions have been slowly creeping in since early 2023, mostly in regions with western-facing coastlines. Dry periods have been historically linked to the El Nino climate pattern, but *********** scientists have identified more nuance in what triggers low rainfall. Droughts develop when weather systems that lift and carry moisture from the ocean disappear, a recent scientific review found. That has been the case for months across the south, with slow-moving high pressure systems dominating and bringing warm and dry conditions with them. There has been a long-term shift towards drier conditions in southern Australia, according to the weather bureau’s 2024 climate change report. As the dry takes hold and forecasts fail to offer any certainty, farming groups have been calling for greater drought awareness and support. Ms Oster is one of many farmers backing a petition for a formal drought declaration to unlock emergency funds, something the SA government says it cannot do under a federal agreement. She said the national drought plan, which aims to make farmers financially self-reliant, is all very well in a typical scenario. Most farmers spend the good years preparing for the bad, but the last few seasons have made that nearly impossible. “It’s like no other drought we’ve ever seen,” Ms Oster said. The Victorian Farmers Federation has urged politicians to spend more time in the regions. “Mental health is a huge concern: when farmers feel isolated, unsupported and forgotten, the consequences can be devastating for individuals and entire communities,” president Brett Hosking said. Eileen Jorgensen, who has spent a lifetime farming in Victoria, has noticed growers becoming more open about the mental toll of drought. But distressed farmers talking to each other could only help for so long, she said. “That is probably the darker side of the drought,” Ms Jorgensen told AAP while looking out the window at her drying paddocks in the Wimmera region, in the state’s west. The Jorgensens, who grow grain and raise sheep and Clydesdale horses, are able to keep their stock watered by the Wimmera Mallee pipeline that was built after successive droughts in the early 2000s. But others further south are having to cart water and source increasingly expensive stock feed. Ms Jorgensen remains pragmatic, having grown up working in her father’s market garden watching bad seasons come and go. “You just know it’s going to rain eventually,” she said. “It may not be tomorrow, it may not be next month, but it will rain.” Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 Source link #scary #farmers #battle #historic #drought Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How many more useless deaths before we admit Trump was always right on Ukraine? How many more useless deaths before we admit Trump was always right on Ukraine? Two serious and literally life or death questions: Since when did trying to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of people — including countless children — become something to be criticized? Conversely, when did sending hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers into the teeth of the Russian war machine with absolutely no plausible plan to win become the untouchable go-to policy of certain neoconservatives, many on the left and a fair number of editorial writers? I thought of these questions while reading two recent columns. The first is by Rich Lowry from the New York Post, titled “Trump is getting the Ukraine-Russia war all wrong — and he’s making it even harder on himself.” The other is by former diplomat Bridget Brink in the Detroit Free Press, titled “I was U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. I resigned because of Trump’s foreign policy.” There is much Lowry has written over the years that I believe to be spot on. That said, I have disagreed with much he has written about Ukraine since the start of the war — his latest column included. Some believe Lowry to be a megaphone for the neocon class, which always seems to be advocating for the U.S. military to engage in “forever wars.” Lowry was also the former editor of National Review, a magazine that in March 2016 ran an editorial titled “Never Trump” and that seemed to become the epicenter of the “Never Trump” movement for certain neocons and entrenched, elitist Republicans. The constant theme for those criticizing Trump’s consistent stance against the Ukraine war and a much-needed ceasefire is that Putin is evil and must be defeated at all costs. Fine. If using the people of Ukraine as cheap disposable pawns to fight a proxy war against Russia and Putin has been the end game from the start, simply admit it. Don’t pretend you are trying to save the people of Ukraine or that nation’s infrastructure. In the lead up to the Iraq War more than 20 years ago, there were a steady stream of neocons, pundits and “experts” advocating for that invasion to overthrow the “evil” Saddam Hussein, who were coldly and impassionedly viewing the process as some sort of board game or sporting event, with human pawns to be played with at will. “Experts” eagerly pushed for war who had no skin in the game. Meaning they were not in the military, they would not be walking point in the coming combat, nor would any of their relatives or friends. How wise or “courageous” is it to call for a war from luxurious offices thousands of miles from the pending horror? And what was the end result of that “justified” war? Approximately 4,500 American soldiers killed; 32,000 wounded; between 100,000 and 400,000 Iraqi deaths, depending upon the study; and a Middle East that is still destabilized, spawning endless pockets of terrorism. Next, we have the column from Bridget Brink, a former professional diplomat who, to some, seems to be virtue signaling her disgust of Trump to the far-left echo chamber of Trump haters. That is most certainly her right. In her column, she describes what Putin and Russia have done in Ukraine as “pure evil.” She further states that: “Peace at any price is not peace at all — it is appeasement.” Okay. And just what is her plan for Ukraine to “win” the war against the “evil” Putin and Russia? As Trump has asked from day one, how many more lives must be sacrificed before enough is enough? The Pentagon and CIA have estimated that well over 1 million people have been killed or wounded in the war, with much of Ukraine’s infrastructure turned into rubble. Since day one, President Trump has been calling for an end to this war. He has done so for two incredibly important reasons. First, to stop the senseless slaughter of Ukrainian and Russian soldiers as well as Ukrainian civilians. Next, to warn of the many tripwires littering the battlefield, which could be stepped on and trigger World War III — leading to the deaths of millions. Last week on Truth Social, the president posted in all caps, “I WILL BE SPEAKING, BY TELEPHONE, TO PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN OF RUSSIA ON MONDAY, AT 10:00 A.M. THE SUBJECTS OF THE CALL WILL BE, STOPPING THE ‘BLOODBATH’ THAT IS KILLING, ON AVERAGE, MORE THAN 5000 RUSSIAN AND UKRAINIAN SOLDIERS A WEEK…I WILL THEN BE SPEAKING TO PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY OF UKRAINE AND THEN, WITH…VARIOUS MEMBERS OF NATO. HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE A PRODUCTIVE DAY, A CEASEFIRE WILL TAKE PLACE, AND THIS VERY VIOLENT WAR, A WAR THAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED, WILL END. GOD BLESS US ALL!!!” Speaking of a ceasefire, last December I wrote a piece for this site titled, “Were 750,000 additional lives wasted in Ukraine for less than nothing?” That number was extrapolated from a ceasefire reportedly offered to Putin now over 36 months ago, which was also reportedly “scuttled” and “sabotaged” by forces within the administrations of President Joe Biden and U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Now, three years later, to Trump’s point, “more than 5,000 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers” are being killed per week. For what? How many dead or wounded before those advocating that Ukraine fight to the last Ukrainian admit that an immediate ceasefire is the right and humane solution — and has always been? Haters are going to hate, but if Trump had been listened to three years ago, 1 million people would not have been killed or wounded. What is the worth of those lost and maimed lives? Douglas MacKinnon is a former White House and Pentagon official. Copyright 2025 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 The Hill. Source link #useless #deaths #admit #Trump #Ukraine Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

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