ALERT: New Dangerous Covid Variant Spreading in Asia, Now in US – Daily Kos
ALERT: New Dangerous Covid Variant Spreading in Asia, Now in US – Daily Kos
ALERT: New Dangerous Covid Variant Spreading in Asia, Now in US Daily KosNew COVID variant NB.1.8.1 behind surge in China, now detected in U.S. CBS NewsNew COVID-19 variant found among international travelers to New York, other states NewsdayDoctors issue warning over dangerous new Covid strain imported from CHINA that’s now in multiple US states Daily MailUS detects cases of new COVID-19 variant NB.1.8.1 Anadolu Ajansı
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South Korea’s history of overseas adoptions in the spotlight
South Korea’s history of overseas adoptions in the spotlight
Juna Moon and Tessa Wong
BBC News
Reporting fromSeoul and SingaporeBBC Korean
Han Tae-soon had spent decades looking for her daughter Kyung-ha
The last memory Han Tae-soon has of her daughter as a child is in May 1975, at their home in Seoul.
“I was going to the market and asked Kyung-ha, ‘Aren’t you coming?’ But she told me, ‘No, I’m going to play with my friends’,” recalled Ms Han.
“When I came back, she was gone.”
Ms Han would not see her daughter again for more than four decades. When they reunited, Kyung-ha was almost unrecognisable as a middle-aged American woman named Laurie Bender.
Kyung-ha had been kidnapped near her home, brought to an orphanage, then sent illegally to the US to be raised by another family, alleges Ms Han, who is now suing the South Korean government for failing to prevent her daughter’s adoption.
She is among the hundreds of people who have come forward in recent years with damning allegations of fraud, ******** adoptions, kidnapping and human trafficking in South Korea’s controversial overseas adoption programme.
No other country has sent as many children abroad for adoption, and for so long, as South Korea. Since the programme began in the 1950s, about 170,000 to 200,000 children have been adopted overseas – most of them in the West.
In March, a landmark inquiry found that successive governments had committed human rights violations with their lack of oversight, allowing private agencies to “mass export” children for profit on an industrial scale.
Experts say the findings could open the door to more lawsuits against the government. Ms Han’s is set to go to court next month.
It is one of two landmark cases. Ms Han is the first biological parent of an overseas adoptee seeking damages from the government, while in 2019, a man who was adopted in the US was the first adoptee to sue.
A government spokesman told the BBC that it “deeply sympathises with the emotional pain of individuals and families who could not find each other for a long time”.
It added that it considered Ms Han’s case with “deep regret” and that it would take “necessary actions” based on the outcome of the trial.
Ms Han, 71, told the BBC she is determined the government takes responsibility.
“I spent 44 years ruining my body and mind searching for [my daughter]. But in all that time, has anyone ever apologised to me? No one. Not once.”
For decades, she and her husband visited police stations and orphanages, put up flyers, and went on television appealing for information. Ms Han said she spent all day pounding the streets looking for her daughter “till all 10 of my toenails fell out”.
Over the years she thought she came close. In 1990, after one of her TV appeals, Ms Han met a woman who she believed could be Kyung-ha, and even took her in to live with her family for a while. But the woman eventually confessed she was not her daughter.
A breakthrough finally happened in 2019 when Ms Han signed up with 325 Kamra, a group that connects overseas Korean adoptees with their birth parents by matching their DNA.
They soon reported a match – Laurie Bender, a nurse in California. After several phone calls, she flew over to Seoul to meet Ms Han, where the two had a tearful reunion at the airport.
News1
Ms Han met her daughter again at Seoul’s airport in 2019
News1
Ms Han ran her hands through her daughter’s hair at their first reunion
As they embraced, Ms Han ran her fingers through Kyung-ha’s hair. “I’ve been a hairdresser for 30 years. I can quickly tell if it’s my daughter just by feeling her hair. I had mistakenly thought I found her before, so I had to touch and feel the hair to confirm it,” she said.
The first thing she told her daughter was “I’m so sorry”.
“I felt guilty because she couldn’t find her way home when she was a child. I kept thinking about how much she must have searched for her mother… Meeting her after all those years made me realise how much she must have longed for her mother, and it broke my heart.”
“It’s like a hole in your heart has been healed, you finally feel like a complete person,” Kyung-ha said about their reunion in an earlier interview with the Associated Press. She did not respond to the BBC’s requests for an interview.
The pair eventually pieced together what happened on that day in May 1975.
Kyung-ha, who was six years old at the time, was playing near her home when she was approached by a strange woman claiming to know her mother. Kyung-ha was told her mother “didn’t need” her any more and was taken to a train station.
After taking a train ride with the woman, Kyung-ha was abandoned at the final stop, where she was eventually picked up by police officers and placed in an orphanage. Soon, she was flown to the US to be adopted by a couple in Virginia.
Years later, checks revealed she was given false papers stating she was an abandoned orphan whose parents were unknown.
“It’s like you’ve been living a fake life and everything you know is not true,” Kyung-ha said previously.
Her case was far from an isolated one.
A ‘trade in children’ from Asia to the West
South Korea’s overseas adoption programme began in the ashes of the 1950-53 Korean War, when it was a deeply impoverished country with an estimated 100,000 orphaned and displaced children.
At that time, few families were willing to adopt non-biological children, and the government began an overseas adoption programme, billed as a humanitarian effort.
The programme was handled entirely by private adoption agencies. While they were under government oversight, over time these agencies gained significant autonomy through laws.
As their power grew, so did the number of children being sent abroad, rising in the 1970s and peaking in the 1980s. In 1985 alone, more than 8,800 children were sent overseas.
There was a massive demand from the West – with declining birth rates and fewer babies to adopt at home, families began seeking children elsewhere.
Photos from that era show planes heading to Western countries filled with Korean children, with swaddled babies strapped to seats – what the truth and reconciliation commission’s inquiry called the “mass transportation of children like cargo”.
The report alleges little care was taken of these children during these long flights. In one case it cited from 1974, a lactose-intolerant child was fed milk in transit and subsequently died upon arrival in Denmark.
Critics of the programme have long questioned why so many children needed to be sent overseas at a time when South Korea was already experiencing rapid economic growth.
A 1976 BBC Panorama documentary, which featured South Korea as one of several Asian countries sending children to the West, quoted an observer describing the situation as “out of control” and “almost like a trade in children… flowing from Asia into Europe and North America”.
According to the truth and reconciliation report, foreign adoption agencies set quotas for children, which Korean agencies willingly fulfilled.
It was a profitable business – the lack of government regulation allowed the Korean agencies to charge large amounts and demand hidden fees termed as “donations”.
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
The commission’s report included this photo of babies strapped into plane seats obtained from a Danish adoption centre’s 1984 annual report
Some of these children may have been obtained by unscrupulous means, with parents like Ms Han alleging their children were kidnapped. In the 1970s and 1980s, thousands of homeless or unattended children were rounded up and put in orphanages or ******** centres as part of a national campaign to “clean up the streets” of South Korea.
Other parents were told their babies had fallen sick and died, when they were actually alive and taken to adoption agencies. Agencies also did not obtain proper consent from birth mothers to take their children for adoption, according to the truth and reconciliation report.
The report also stated that adoption agencies deliberately falsified information in adoption records to cut corners and quickly meet the demand for children.
Lost children who were found without any identity documents would be made to appear, in paperwork, as if they had been abandoned and put up for adoption.
If a child intended for adoption had died or was reclaimed by their birth parents, another child would be swapped in and assigned the original child’s identity. This allowed agencies to avoid refunding adoption fees and expedite the adoption process.
Decades on, this has created immense difficulties for many overseas adoptees trying to track down their biological parents.
Some have wrong or missing information in their adoption records, while others have discovered they were given entirely false identities.
“We are victims of state violence but there is no trace of this – literally. This lack of documents must not make us victims for the second time,” said Han Boon-young, co-founder of an overseas adoptee rights group campaigning for greater access to birth information.
“This is a human rights issue. There were kidnappings, falsified documents – all of which were examples of violations committed during the inter-country adoption process.
“It is really necessary to move towards reconciliation, that we recognise these experiences, and that the people who committed these violations be held responsible.”
But some of the key players continue to stay silent or deny wrongdoing.
The BBC contacted Bu Chung-ha, who in the 1970s served as chairman of Holt International, South Korea’s largest adoption agency.
Holt is at the centre of numerous allegations of fraud and ******** adoptions, and the subject of two lawsuits so far, including Ms Han’s.
In a brief reply, Mr Bu denied that the agency had sent abroad any children wrongly identified as orphans during his tenure. Any parents alleging their children were kidnapped “did not lose their children, they abandoned them”, he said.
The current management of Holt International has yet to respond to the BBC’s request for comment.
‘The government was the captain, the agencies rowed the boat’
Experts say the responsibility lay not only with the private agencies but also with the state.
“Adoption agencies exploited the system, and the government turned a blind eye – allowing ******** practices to take root,” said Dr Lee Kyung-eun, an international law scholar at Seoul National University.
“The government was the captain, and the agencies rowed the boat,” said Shin Pil-sik, a researcher on transnational adoption at Seokyeong University, who added that this structure enabled both sides to deflect accountability.
Dr Shin said the state was not a passive observer- it actively shaped adoption policy, setting annual quotas for overseas placements and even on occasion halted some adoptions.
An Associated Press news investigation last year found successive Korean governments had rewritten laws to remove minimal safeguards and judicial oversight, fit their laws to match American ones to make children adoptable, and allowed foreign families to adopt Korean children quickly without ever visiting the country.
While the government billed the programme as a humanitarian effort, observers say it also served to strengthen ties with Western countries.
A 1984 government document obtained by the BBC stated that the official goals of the adoption policy included not only the ******** of children but also “the promotion of future national strength and people-to-people diplomacy”.
When asked about the state’s role in past adoption practices, South Korea’s health and ******** ministry said they were “continuing efforts to strengthen state responsibility” in the system and that it plans to promote adoptions that comply with international standards.
In 2012, the government revised adoption laws to tighten screening of potential adoptive parents, and to track birthparent data and birth information better.
It has also enacted reforms to the adoption system ensuring that overseas adoptions are minimised and that all adoptions would be handled by the government instead of private agencies. The changes will take effect in July.
Meanwhile, overseas adoptions have declined. In the late 1980s, overseas adoptions dropped sharply, before stabilising in the 1990s and dropping again in the 2010s. Only 79 children were adopted abroad in 2023, according to the latest available data.
But as South Korea begins to address this dark chapter in its past, adoptees and birth parents like Ms Han continue to struggle with their trauma.
BBC Korean
Ms Han spends hours every day practising her English so she can better communicate with her daughter
BBC Korean
Ms Han has been practising the phrases “I’m so sorry” and “confused”
After their initial reunion, Ms Han and Kyung-ha have struggled to maintain a close connection.
Not only do they live on opposite sides of the world, her daughter has forgotten most of her Korean while Ms Han knows little English.
They keep in touch over texts occasionally, and Ms Han spends two hours every day practising her English by writing phrases in an exercise book.
But it isn’t enough for Ms Han.
“Even though I have found my daughter, it doesn’t feel like I’ve truly found her. All I know is where she is, but what good is that, if we can’t even communicate?
“My entire life has been ruined… no amount of money will ever make up for what I’ve lost.”
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Amazon’s Zoox issues software recall again after San Francisco ******
Amazon’s Zoox issues software recall again after San Francisco ******
A Zoox autonomous robotaxi in San Francisco, California, US, on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Amazon‘s Zoox robotaxi unit issued a voluntary recall of its software for the second time in a month following a recent ****** in San Francisco.
On May 8, an unoccupied Zoox robotaxi was turning at low speed when it was struck by an electric scooter rider after braking to yield at an intersection. The person on the scooter declined medical attention after sustaining minor injuries as a result of the collision, Zoox said.
“The Zoox vehicle was stopped at the time of contact,” the company said in a blog post. “The e-scooterist fell to the ground directly next to the vehicle. The robotaxi then began to move and stopped after completing the turn, but did not make further contact with the e-scooterist.”
Zoox said it submitted a voluntary software recall report to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Thursday.
A Zoox spokesperson said the notice should be published on the NHTSA website early next week. The recall affected 270 vehicles, the spokesperson said.
Representatives from NHTSA didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
If an autonomous vehicle continues to move after contact with any nearby vulnerable road user, it risks causing harm or further harm. In the AV industry, General Motors-backed Cruise exited the robotaxi business after a collision in which one of its vehicles injured a pedestrian who had been struck by a human-driven car and was then rolled over by the Cruise AV.
Zoox’s May incident comes roughly two weeks after the company announced a separate voluntary software recall following a recent Las Vegas ******. In that incident, an unoccupied Zoox robotaxi collided with a passenger vehicle, resulting in minor damage to both vehicles.
The company issued a software recall for 270 of its robotaxis in order to address a defect with its automated driving system that could cause it to inaccurately predict the movement of another car, increasing the “risk of a ******.”
Amazon acquired Zoox in 2020 for more than $1 billion, announcing at the time that the deal would help bring the self-driving technology company’s “vision for autonomous ride-hailing to reality.”
While Zoox is in a testing and development stage with its AVs on public roads in the U.S., Alphabet’s Waymo is already operating commercial, driverless ride-hailing services in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Austin, Texas, and is ramping up in Atlanta.
Tesla is promising it will launch its long-delayed robotaxis in Austin next month, and, if all goes well, plans to expand after that to San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Antonio, Texas.
— CNBC’s Lora Kolodny contributed to this report.
WATCH: Tesla’s decade-long journey to robotaxis
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TikTok star Imogen Nunn’s death linked to mental health service failures and interpreter shortages, inquest
TikTok star Imogen Nunn’s death linked to mental health service failures and interpreter shortages, inquest
A coroner has found a “failure by mental health services” to manage the risk to deaf TikTok creator Imogen Nunn, who died after ingesting a poisonous substance she ordered online.
Imogen Nunn, 25, passed away in Brighton, East Sussex in the *** on New Year’s Day 2023, following long-term struggles with her mental health since she was 13.
Born deaf, Ms Nunn used her social media platforms to raise awareness about hearing and mental health issues, amassing more than 780,000 followers.
At the inquest at West Sussex Coroner’s Court in Horsham on Friday, it was heard that safeguarding measures were not put in place after Ms Nunn told a nurse she had bought chemicals to use in suicide.
Senior coroner Penelope Schofield said: “There was a failure by the mental health services to manage her risk by failing to review her care plan following a suicide attempt in October 2022,” she said.
“Failing to put in place safeguarding measures following being advised that Immy had accessed the pro-suicide website and disclosed that she had purchased chemicals to use in suicide, and failing to have a face-to-face appointment with Immy on December 30 2022 to assess her risk.”
The coroner also highlighted “systemic challenges” with the shortage of British Sign Language interpreters across *** industries and said she would be writing to several government departments.
The coroner said: “This is on a background of systemic, longstanding and well-documented challenges in the provision of mental health for deaf patients, with particular emphasis on the national shortage of BSL interpreters and the difficulty this presents for patients to be able to communicate their distress when their mental health is deteriorating or they are in crisis.”
An expert from the National Register of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind People (NRCPD) told the inquest that failing to provide proper translation for deaf people could amount to a breach of human rights.
Ms Schofield found an “arguable breach” of Article Two and has ordered a second “prevention of future deaths” report.
“Immy’s death underscores these systemic challenges,” she added.
The court heard Ms Nunn ordered a lethal chemical online on November 14, delivered to her home on November 21.
She contacted her support worker at the deaf adult community team on November 23 and said she had “bought something online that she planned to take to end her life”.
Police visited Ms Nunn’s address, but the inquest heard no long-term changes were made to her care plan.
Three days before her death, on December 29, Ms Nunn received a check-in visit from care professionals after texting that she had increased suicidal thoughts.
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She also messaged her therapist, saying, “I want to be admitted to hospital I can’t keep myself safe,” that same day.
No BSL interpreter was present at the meeting as there was not enough time to arrange one.
The inquest also had to be adjourned for two months because there were no BSL interpreters available for two deaf witnesses in March.
The coroner also noted “discrepancies” in the note keeping from Ms Nunn’s care co-ordinator Ray McCullagh.
Ms Schofield said: “There were issues around the lack of record keeping from nurse McCullagh.
“I am not going to address each of the occasions where it appears there has been a discrepancy.”
The discrepancies showed a failure in care, but did not undermine the therapeutic relationship in Ms Nunn’s case, the inquest heard.
Ms Schofield has said she will write to the cabinet office, Department for Education, Department for Work and Pensions, and Department of Health and Social Care about the “systemic” issues raised by the inquest.
The coroner thanked Ms Nunn’s family for the “dignity” they showed throughout the process.
“Hopefully some good will come out of this and people will listen and changes can be put into place,” she said.
Remembering her daughter, Louise Nunn said: “Immy was our rainbow – she would make you feel so special whenever she was around and her heart was filled only with love.”
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KTLA 5 crew encounters man armed with guns outside Pasadena Apple store
KTLA 5 crew encounters man armed with guns outside Pasadena Apple store
A frightening moment played out in front of a KTLA news crew along a popular shopping corridor in Pasadena Friday morning.
While setting up a live shot outside an Apple Store on Colorado Boulevard, KTLA reporter Kimberly Cheng and photojournalist Andre Cox encountered an agitated man carrying several cases.
The man appeared to be rambling on the phone about a custody dispute, and Kimberly reported she could hear a dispatcher’s voice on the other line.
The man set the cases on the ground outside the doors to the Apple Store and when he opened them, the KTLA employees spotted several long guns. Kimberly and Andre quickly backed away from the scene and called for police.
Pasadena police apprehended an agitated man who had several gun cases on the ground outside a business on Colorado Avenue on May 23, 2025. (KTLA)
In video captured by the KTLA camera, the man could be seen counting the guns, saying he had six. He even asked two passersby if they wanted to see his guns.
When Pasadena police arrived, one officer tried to to take the man into custody, but the man resisted, leading to a brief scuffle. Another officer jumped in to help and both officers were able to handcuff the man on the ground.
Police say the man had an outstanding warrant. The guns were later determined to be unloaded.
Two witnesses described their confusion seeing the armed man and the KTLA camera, both telling Kimberly they initially believed it was some type of film shoot.
A spokesperson with the city of Pasadena tells KTLA that the investigation is ongoing and there is no threat to the public. A possible motive has yet to be determined.
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 KTLA.
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At least 12 people injured in Hamburg train station stabbing, suspect in custody: Authorities – ABC News
At least 12 people injured in Hamburg train station stabbing, suspect in custody: Authorities – ABC News
At least 12 people injured in Hamburg train station stabbing, suspect in custody: Authorities ABC NewsGerman woman arrested after 17 injured in Hamburg knife attack, authorities say CNNSuspect arrested after knife attack at ******* train station YahooKnife Attack at Train Station in Hamburg, Germany, Wounds at Least 17 The New York TimesHamburg stabbing: Several injured in knife attack at railway station BBC
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Iran, US see hope for progress after US nuclear talks
Iran, US see hope for progress after US nuclear talks
Iranian and US delegations have wrapped up a fifth round of talks in Rome and signs of some limited progress emerged in the negotiations aimed at resolving a decades-long dispute over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
Despite both Washington and Tehran taking a tough stance in public ahead of the talks on Iran’s uranium enrichment, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said there was potential for progress after Oman made several proposals during the talks.
“We have just completed one of the most professional rounds of talks … We firmly stated Iran’s position … The fact that we are now on a reasonable path, in my view, is itself a sign of progress,” Araqchi told state TV.
“The proposals and solutions will be reviewed in respective capitals … and the next round of talks will be scheduled accordingly.”
A senior US official said the talks lasted more than two hours and were both direct and indirect with Omani mediators.
“The talks continue to be constructive – we made further progress, but there is still work to be done. Both sides agreed to meet again in the near future. We are grateful to our Omani partners for their continued facilitation,” the official said.
The stakes are high for both sides. President Donald Trump wants to curtail Tehran’s potential to produce a nuclear weapon that could trigger a regional nuclear arms race and perhaps threaten Israel. The Islamic Republic, for its part, wants to be rid of devastating sanctions on its oil-based economy.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said on X the talks between Araqchi and Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff had ended “with some but not conclusive progress”.
Ahead of the talks, Araqchi wrote on X: “Zero nuclear weapons = we Do have a deal. Zero enrichment = we do NOT have a deal. Time to decide.”
Among remaining stumbling blocks are Tehran’s refusal to ship abroad its entire stockpile of highly enriched uranium – possible raw material for nuclear bombs – or engage in discussions over its ballistic missile programme.
Diplomats have said reaching a concrete deal before the summer would technically be impossible given the complexities of an accord. In the meantime, a senior Iranian official involved in nuclear talks with the US said “if Washington drops its ‘zero enrichment’ demand, a political agreement is feasible.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that Washington was working to reach an accord that would allow Iran to have a civil nuclear energy program but not enrich uranium, while acknowledging that this “will not be easy”.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the last say on matters of state, rejected demands to stop refining uranium as “excessive and outrageous”, warning that such talks were unlikely to yield results.
Iran says it is ready to accept some limits on enrichment, but needs watertight guarantees that Washington would not renege on a future nuclear accord.
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Oblivion Remake Changes Nothing, Hype for Our Mod Still “Absolutely Unreal”
Oblivion Remake Changes Nothing, Hype for Our Mod Still “Absolutely Unreal”
It’s been a month since the release of Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, and players still can’t get enough of it. Bethesda and Virtuos Studios have served players an upgraded and enhanced version of the beloved 2006 RPG, and it’s fantastic. It’s really a nostalgic trip down memory lane, reminding us of the golden days of Bethesda.
When Oblivion Remastered dropped, concerns were raised over fan-made projects such as Skyblivion. Many speculated that Bethesda would do its best to prevent the launch of the mod. However, that wasn’t the case, as the Skyblivion team received keys for Oblivion Remastered. Some of its members were even invited to visit Bethesda’s headquarters and meet Todd Howard, the man himself.
Oblivion Remastered doesn’t mean the end of Skyblivion
For those who’re unaware, Skyblivion is a project that kicked off all the way back in 2012 with the intent of porting classic Oblivion into the Skyrim engine. As the years went by, the mod turned into a full-blown remake of the 2006 RPG, and the project is all set to release at some point in 2025.
As we’ve stated before, there were concerns if the project would even hit the shelves as Bethesda dropped its own Oblivion Remastered. However, it seems like Howard and his team are keen on the fan project. Rebelzize, the lead developer of Skyblivion, has taken to Twitter/X and revealed photos of both teams together.
Massive thanks to @BethesdaStudios for inviting us to the office and showing us around. Seeing the excitement from the Bethesda team for @TESRSkyblivion is absolutely unreal. Thank you pic.twitter.com/37S2F5KMlq
— K Rebel (@Rebelzize) May 16, 2025
Bethesda welcomed the mod’s development team to its headquarters for a behind-the-scenes look at where all the magic begins. Rebelzize thanked Howard and his team for showing the Skyblivion developers around the office. For the developer, seeing the hype from Bethesda’s team for Skyblivion was “absolutely unreal”
The Skyblivion project is right around the corner. (Image via Skyblivion)
Even Bethesda responded warmly to Rebelzize’s post and stated that it was a pleasure for the studio to host the Skyblivion team. Longtime fans of the Elder Scrolls franchise who are also hyped up for the Skyblivion project are happy to see such a positive vibe between both development teams.
Let’s hope Howard and his team can show a similar level of appreciation for other modding teams that have completely overhauled the Elder Scrolls games.
Oblivion Remastered has surpassed the OG game
The Oblivion Remastered is setting new highs for the franchise. (Image via Bethesda Game Studios)
Everyone knew that the rumored Oblivion Remastered would be a smash hit right upon its release, and that indeed proved to be the case.
Within two weeks of release, the game became the third-best-selling title of 2025, right behind Monster Hunter Wilds and Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Its sales figures have only grown, and now they have even exceeded those of the 2006 title.
Reputable industry analyst Mat Piscatella has taken to BlueSky and stated that Oblivion Remastered shipped more copies in April 2025 than the original Oblivion ever managed to do in its initial 15-month window. The remaster also generated more revenue in April alone than the original game did in 14 months.
It’s going to be interesting to see if Bethesda will be able to carry forward this momentum with The Elder Scrolls 6.
With that said, are you excited about the Skyblivion project? Let us know in the comments below.
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3 Debunked Claims Trump Made During Meeting With South Africa’s President – The New York Times
3 Debunked Claims Trump Made During Meeting With South Africa’s President – The New York Times
3 Debunked Claims Trump Made During Meeting With South Africa’s President The New York TimesTrump-Ramaphosa meeting: The South African road incorrectly identified as a ‘burial site’ by US president BBCHow Trump misrepresented images to support claims of “White genocide” in South Africa, including Congo video CBS NewsWhite House shuts down reporter’s ‘ridiculous’ challenge of White South African farmer deaths Fox NewsOpinion | Inventing the H-bomb is nothing. Trump invented a South Africa crisis. The Washington Post
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Tom Grennan lights up Liverpool on Friday
Tom Grennan lights up Liverpool on Friday
Friday headline act Tom Grennan entertained the Radio 1 Big Weekend crowd in Liverpool with a power-packed performance which included surprise guests.
Fans were on their feet, jumping around in the rain, after being treated to appearances by Ella Henderson, YouTuber KSI, Merseyside’s own Mel C, and The Zutons.
Grennan followed The Wombats, Natasha Bedingfield, James Hype and Biffy Clyro who also performed on the Main Stage at Sefton Park.
Speaking to BBC Newsbeat ahead of his set, the Higher singer described “headlining the biggest weekend of the summer” as “pretty crazy”.
“It’s been such a mad journey.”
And on the collaboration with Mel C, he described her as “a superstar”.
“I’ve been friends with Mel for a while now.
“And I just felt like we should do something special – thank God she said yes!”
For the second year running, Natasha Bedingfield made an appearance at Big Weekend during a day which started with sunshine over Sefton Park.
Unlike last year when she was a guest during Ella Henderson’s performance, this year she had her own Main Stage slot which included crowd-pleasing tunes such as Unwritten and These Words.
After her performance, she told Newsbeat it “felt amazing”.
“I just felt really relaxed up there. Like it’s nice to be home.
“There’s so much joy happening with my songs, it’s ridiculous.
“I can’t even handle how much people are loving [it], I don’t even know what to do with it.”
James Hype, known for hits such as Ferrari, Drums, More Than Friends, told Newsbeat before his set that it was “a really special day” because his mum and sister were in attendance.
The DJ and record producer also debuted a new project, Sync, at Big Weekend, which he called: “A visual experience where all the screens and lights are controlled by the decks in real time.”
Hometown heroes The Wombats, who were the first artists on the Main Stage on Friday received some of the biggest cheers of the day.
“Music is in people’s blood here,” they told Newsbeat after their performance.
“Everyone’s up for a good time, up for the music. This is where it all began for us, so it’s a really special moment.”
There were performances across the different stages on offer, including the New Music Stage, from the likes of Barry Can’t Swim, Jazzy, Prospa, Katy B and Nia Archives.
More than 100,000 fans are expected to attend Big Weekend in Liverpool, which will have about 100 acts performing across four stages.
The rest of the weekend will see Sam Fender headline on Saturday and Mumford & Sons on Sunday.
Tom Odell, Sugababes, Myles Smith and Wolf Alice will be playing the Main Stage on Saturday.
Tate McRae, Lola Young, Jorja Smith, Wet Leg and HAIM will also hit the Main Stage on the final day of the festival.
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The new skills giving violence survivors fresh hope
The new skills giving violence survivors fresh hope
After a lifetime of feeling worthless, a digital and social media marketing agency has given Juanita Cheetham the confidence to stand on her own two feet.
Growing up in a home marred by family violence and later fleeing her own violent relationship, Ms Cheetham found herself unemployable after being out of the workforce for nearly 15 years.
She was unable to pay her rent and stressed about how she’d afford Christmas parents for her children.
But she said that all changed when she applied to Humans of Purpose, a social enterprise that aims to solve Australia’s tech skills shortage by retraining victims of domestic violence.
In the past 12 months, Ms Cheetham has been trained in digital tech and says it’s given her financial independence and a new-found confidence across most facets of her life.
“I can actually look at myself in the mirror and not feel disgust,” she told AAP.
“This journey has been so healing and I’m just so grateful.”
Humans of Purpose founder Melanie Greblo came up with the idea after noticing significant skills shortages in tech sectors like digital marketing, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and data analytics.
She believes the solution lies in upskilling an untapped workforce of female survivors, many of whom rely on government benefits.
“They’ve been out of the workforce for some time,” Ms Greblo said.
“The work they do with us means they are taking home about $600 more a fortnight than they would if they are not working.
“Which is amazing given the cost of living, but even more important than that is the fact they have stepped onto a career path that they love and can move forward to get paid really well.”
The not-for-profit Humans of Purpose Academy has trained 250 family violence survivors, equipping them with the skills to earn an average 30 per cent more in their new careers, it says.
One recent report, from RMIT Online and Deloitte Access Economics, found reskilling women into tech-based roles could represent a $6.5 billion opportunity for *********** businesses and significant salary increases for employees.
Humans of Purpose’s model was designed through the eyes of women who had experienced violence at home and who understood that life as survivors could be “pretty intense and chaotic” for years after they escaped abuse, Ms Greblo said.
Many would be juggling court proceedings, counselling sessions for themselves and their children, as well as the possible impacts of low self-esteem and feelings of hopelessness on top of being unskilled for work.
Ms Greblo said Ms Cheetham, who now has her eyes set on a career in cybersecurity, was a shining example of what women could achieve.
“You just could never have imagined that when she escaped she would be where she is today … it’s truly phenomenal,” she said.
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‘Government Is Wasting About $100 Million Per Year On Unused Phone Lines’
‘Government Is Wasting About $100 Million Per Year On Unused Phone Lines’
Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) Elon Musk amplified a cost-cutting move by President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on Wednesday, stating that the U.S. government may be wasting $100 million a year on inactive phone lines.
What Happened: In a post on X, formerly Twitter, DOGE’s official handle revealed that an internal audit found 198 out of 1,048 phone lines at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) were either unused or duplicated — roughly 19% of the total.
Don’t Miss:
DOGE said canceling the lines took one hour and would save around $100,000 annually.
“Since OPM is ~0.1% of the federal government, this suggests that ~$100M/yr is wasted on unused lines,” the agency wrote.
Musk, who helped lead DOGE’s early initiatives but announced plans to reduce his involvement during Tesla’s first-quarter earnings call, reposted the update and added:
“Government is wasting about $100 million per year on unused phone lines!”
This latest move by DOGE could impact leading telecom providers that deliver services to both residential and business customers.
Only 2% of U.S. adults use landlines exclusively, according to a 2023 report by The Washington Post. In 2019, the Federal Communications Commission scrapped requirements that made it compulsory to run copper wires to each home. The report noted that Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) is the dominant landline player in the Northeast of the country.
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This article Elon Musk Wants The US Government To Hang Up The Phone: ‘Government Is Wasting About $100 Million Per Year On Unused Phone Lines’ originally appeared on Benzinga.com
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Trump threatens Apple, Samsung and others with a 25 percent iPhone tariff – The Verge
Trump threatens Apple, Samsung and others with a 25 percent iPhone tariff – The Verge
Trump threatens Apple, Samsung and others with a 25 percent iPhone tariff The VergeTrump threatens 25% tariff on Apple and says Samsung and other tech companies could be next CNNTrump wants iPhones made in the U.S. Here are the facts CBCWhy Making an iPhone in the U.S. Would Be So Difficult The New York Times’Little, little screws’ one of many hurdles to US-made iPhones Reuters
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Is It Available on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC with Cross-Progression?
Is It Available on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC with Cross-Progression?
Rainbow Six Siege X is set to release on June 10, 2025, and Ubisoft is ready to make the experience available for all. For a long time, the shooter game has been available only to those who own it. Furthermore, the original was also available on PS Plus and Xbox Game Pass, allowing more players to enjoy it without purchasing it.
However, all of that is about to change as Rainbow Six Siege X will follow a freemium model. Going free will allow a lot more players to join without having to purchase the game. But can they play cross-platform? Simply said, yes, it is, and we’ll explain all about it.
Will Rainbow Six Siege X have crossplay and cross-progression?
You’ll be able to enjoy the game with your friends! | Image Credit: Ubisoft
Now that Ubisoft is transitioning to a freemium model, they’ve made sure all the existing features are carried over to Rainbow Six Siege X. This includes every skin players own, all their stats, and the crossplay/cross-progression feature.
This means the feature will be available to all platforms (PC, PlayStation, and Xbox). Fret not; older-gen consoles like Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will also get access to the game. Ubisoft has officially stated this, which is a huge dub.
All players have to do is use the same Ubisoft Connect account on their platform of choice. The game will automatically sync player progression with having anything to do manually.
However, the progression system will see some major overhauls with the release of Rainbow Six Siege X. So, some adjustments may be made once the game releases. However, these are good changes as they allow new players to progress the game better.
For instance, the Clearance Level Progression has been adjusted. Players will be able to progress their clearance levels faster and gain a lot of rewards by doing so. Additionally, being a low-level player will allow new joiners to enter the Enlisted Playlist. This playlist includes smaller map pools and limited operators to ease the steep learning curve.
However, there are some issues; free players won’t be able to play ranked. It is a premium-only feature, so they’ll have to purchase the game “in some ways” to enjoy the ranked experience and the rewards it brings.
Rainbow Six Siege X crossplay explained
It is not that complicated to understand how it works. | Image Credit: Ubisoft
The crossplay feature was first added to the shooter at the end of Year 7, which only allowed for cross-console matchmaking. This feature initially excluded PC players; however, two years later, it was released fully with Operation Collision Point and allowed PC players to join the matchmaking. However, there are a few caveats that need to be noted.
For PC players, the crossplay feature is turned on by default. But that doesn’t mean they can invade console players with their mouse and keyboard. However, they can join a match if they have a console player in their matchmaking lobby. But what about console players who do not wish to play against PC players?
The crossplay feature has multiple options on the console to allow players to adjust their experience. They can turn the feature off to play with players specific to their console. Alternatively, they can choose the Consoles Preferred option to play with players on a different console(e.g., PlayStation). The last option is PC & Consoles, which lets them join PC lobbies alongside other consoles.
However, the options can change if they don’t have players according to their preferred settings. For instance, if a PlayStation player invites an Xbox player to their lobby, the Consoles Preferred option will be enabled automatically. Similarly, if a PC player is involved, the setting will be toggled to PC & Consoles.
Pros and cons of crossplay and cross-progression in Rainbow Six Siege X
The crossplay and cross-progression seem like a good thing for Rainbow Six Siege X. However, there are certain problems with it. Starting with the uneven matchmaking between PC and Console. Both PC players can console players can belong to the same ranks, but it doesn’t mean they are equally skilled.
To be fair, PC players have a huge advantage over console players due to their peripherals. Console players are limited to using controllers, and adjusting their aim is tougher. While for PC, it’s just a flick of the mouse. If console players use keyboard and mouse, it will be considered cheating, as consoles, by default, don’t have that option.
Thankfully, that’s a problem that arises if PC players are brought into the lobby. By default, PC players cannot join the console matchmaking. So there is no fear of facing a PC player in their lobbies. Moreover, console players have the option to select their crossplay preferences, which is a good thing.
Console players don’t necessarily have blatant cheats that use hacks such as aimbot and wall-hack. If they add PC players to the mix, the chances of finding those folks are higher. However, Ubisoft has promised and showcased that their new anti-cheat is better than before, so it might not be as big of a problem. The chances are less, but they are never zero.
Don’t get demotivated; it’s not that bad. Not everyone does crossplay with a PC player. If you’re playing on console, you can set your presence to console only so that you matchmake with other console players, increasing the lobby pool by a huge margin. So you can wage your console war and show who’s the best around.
Additionally, with cross-progression, you can switch your platform anytime and don’t have to worry about losing any of your items or operators. Moreover, Rainbow Six Siege X will be free, so you don’t have to care much about buying the game for each platform. That’s probably one of the best things Ubisoft has done recently, and it is welcomed.
But again, do keep in mind that console and PC ranked progress are separate. So if you have Platinum rank unlocked on PC, it doesn’t mean you’ll get the same if you switch platform. While it may seem like a bad thing, it isn’t as skills vary from platform to platform.
Not everyone is a jack of all trades, and Ubisoft realises that. However, your rank on your PlayStation or Xbox device will share the same rank. Hope this article clears all the doubts you have regarding cross in Rainbow Six Siege X.
Will you be using the crossplay feature in Rainbow Six Siege X? Do you think all players should be allowed to participate in ranked matchmaking? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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Kia K4 will gain practical wagon body
Kia K4 will gain practical wagon body
A wagon version of the Kia K4 has been spied undergoing testing in Europe, which will be its main target market.
Unlike the rest of the world that’s largely gone cold on the body style, Europeans still buy wagons in sufficient numbers for both luxury and mainstream manufacturers to continue engineering them.
Judging from these photos, the K4 wagon will be about the same length — 4.7 metres — as the sedan that went on ***** locally at the beginning of the year.
If we’re right, the K4 wagon will be around 100mm longer than the Ceed, which it will likely replace in the European market.
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Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert
Although the K4 wagon prototype spotted by our spy photography agency is clad in a ****** shroud, there seem to be no changes to the car’s face that has its oddly-shaped *********** positioned at the extreme corners of the vehicle, framing a wide and thin take on the brand’s “tiger nose” grille.
The K4 wagon also retains the flat and relatively unadorned body sides of the hatch and sedan, as well as the hidden rear door handle.
What’s largely hidden out of sight is the rear quarter window, which, if it continues the theme used on the sedan and hatch, will end abruptly to expose a thick D-pillar.
At the rear, the wagon will have the K4 clan’s tail-light signature that’s reminiscent of a handlebar moustache.
Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert
It’s unknown if there any plans to bring the K4 wagon to Australia.
Currently all K4 models, including those sold in Australia, are built in Mexico. It’s unclear whether the K4 wagon will be built there too given wagons are pretty much an extinct breed in North America.
Kia may put the K4 into production, at least in hatch and wagon forms, in Slovakia, where the company currently produces the Ceed hatch and wagon. The current generation Ceed entered production in 2018, meaning it is about due for retirement.
Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpertCamera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert
For ***** on the Continent, the K4 will likely be equipped with a hybrid drivetrain in order to help Kia meet the EU’s fleet-wide CO2 emissions restrictions.
Currently the K4’s engine choices, both locally and globally, are restricted to two petrol engines: a 112kW/192Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder, and a 142kW/265Nm 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder.
The closely related Hyundai i30 Sedan, however, is available with a 104kW/265Nm 1.6-litre four-cylinder hybrid setup.
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Analysis-United Airlines has few viable alternatives to congested Newark Airport
Analysis-United Airlines has few viable alternatives to congested Newark Airport
By Rajesh Kumar Singh
CHICAGO (Reuters) -Newark Liberty International Airport is one of the largest hubs of United Airlines, and the congested airport is also the Chicago-based carrier’s biggest operational challenge.
The company told 1.5 million customers in a note on Thursday that congestion at Newark has eased since it reduced flights there. United also backed the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to limit flights there, calling it “good news” for its customers.
But reduced flights are expected to hurt the company’s revenue and drive up operating costs.
United CEO Scott Kirby has acknowledged the disruptions at Newark will hurt, even though the carrier has been using ******* jets to minimize the revenue hit.
The airline has few viable alternative airports in the Northeastern U.S., according to analysts and company officials, so there is pressure to find a way to make Newark work, and United has some ideas.
It is also considering options such as increasing seats on flights at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport. But LaGuardia is slot-controlled, making it difficult to add flights there. Company executives say they plan to deploy Boeing 737-800s at LaGuardia in place of Airbus A320s to fly more passengers, but swapping aircraft will require changes to crew schedules which cannot happen until July.
Also, United has been seeking a way to return to New York’s JFK airport. Analysts say this can relieve some traffic in and out of Newark, particularly flights to Los Angeles and San Francisco.
But capacity at JFK is constrained, so United needs to acquire takeoff and landing slots at the airport, where the carrier stopped service in 2022 after failing to acquire sufficient slots to effectively compete.
Delta Air Lines, JetBlue and American Airlines are the top three U.S. carriers at JFK, according to aviation analytics company Cirium. To regain a foothold, United must negotiate with the FAA or acquire slots from one of those three.
United is negotiating a partnership with JetBlue, Reuters reported last month. This could ease United’s return to JFK.
Still, JFK would serve as a secondary airport for United, said Henry Harteveldt, founder of travel consultancy Atmosphere Research Group.
“Newark would remain United’s primary New York metro market hub,” he said.
The New Jersey airport feeds traffic to United’s domestic and international flights. The company has an option to build its hub at Washington Dulles for domestic and international connections, easing its strain at Newark.
Story Continues
But the Dulles market lacks Newark’s revenue potential, said Robert Mann, a former airline executive who runs a consulting firm. Network realignment is also risky, as a misstep can have an outsize impact on revenue, he added.
“Newark is a much better location for a hub from a demand perspective, from a revenue perspective.” Mann said. “I would figure out how to make Newark work.”
Company officials say Newark is “critical” in the airline’s network as United not only uses it to serve international destinations, but also to transport a lot of international cargo.
FLIGHT CUTS
United responded to a Reuters request for comment by saying the FAA’s decision to limit the number of flights at Newark would help it “safely and reliably operate the flights that remain on the schedule.”
On Thursday, the airline told customers it had canceled less than 1% of its flights out of Newark on eight of the past 11 days. “We’ll operate fewer daily flights this summer compared to last year,” wrote Jon Gooda, vice president for United’s Newark hub.
Analysts at Seaport Research Partners estimate Newark accounts for 16.5% of United’s departures and 22% of its total capacity. The brokerage firm has cut its 2025 earnings forecast for the company by 10% due to the flight reductions.
This is not the first time a disruption at Newark has dented United’s earnings. In the second quarter of 2023, flight delays and cancellations shaved 1 percentage point from margins.
At that time, CEO Kirby was widely criticized for taking a private jet out of the New York area while thousands of United passengers were stranded.
CAMPAIGN FOR SLOT-CONTROLS
United has been campaigning to return Newark to a slot-controlled airport, similar to LaGuardia and JFK. That would require airlines to acquire slots to add flights.
The FAA lifted slot controls at the airport in 2016 to promote competition. United opposed the change as the restriction allowed it to maintain its dominance at Newark.
United says Newark’s performance has worsened since slot control ended.
“It was a mistake to de-slot the airport in 2016 — every single data point says so,” Kirby said this month.
(Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh; Additional reporting by Doyinsola Oladipo in New York; Editing by David Gregorio)
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Nuclear stocks surge after Trump signs orders to boost industry – Reuters
Nuclear stocks surge after Trump signs orders to boost industry – Reuters
Nuclear stocks surge after Trump signs orders to boost industry ReutersTrump signs order to cut down nuclear power rules and fast-track licenses for new reactors and plants – US politics live The GuardianORDERING THE REFORM OF THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION The White House (.gov)Trump signs executive orders bolstering nuclear industry, domestic uranium mining Fox NewsNuclear stocks rally as Trump signs executive orders to support industry CNBC
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Thomas Tuchel tells Trent Alexander-Arnold to improve defending
Thomas Tuchel tells Trent Alexander-Arnold to improve defending
Manager Thomas Tuchel has told Trent Alexander-Arnold he needs to improve his “defensive discipline” if he is to help England to win a major tournament.
The 26-year-old has been named in the Three Lions squad for upcoming games against Andorra and Senegal, having been injured for the March camp.
The outgoing Liverpool right-back is admired for his offensive ability and is expected to complete a switch to Real Madrid this summer.
However, the ******* says the vulnerability he shows when defending needs to be addressed.
“I can see that sometimes he relies heavily on his offensive contributions, and gives not so much emphasis on the defensive discipline and effort,” Tuchel said.
“This major impact that he had for Liverpool over so many years, if he wants to have this impact in the English national team, then he has to take the defensive part very, very seriously.
“Because when we are talking, especially, about qualifying football and then tournament football, the one defensive error, the one moment where you are not 100% awake, can be decisive, can be the moment where you pack your suitcases and go home.”
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Conte’s favourite players secure Napoli Serie A title
Conte’s favourite players secure Napoli Serie A title
The two players who Antonio Conte wanted more than any other have secured Napoli their second Serie A title in three years.
Scott McTominay scored with an acrobatic bicycle kick before half-time and Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead with a solo goal after the break in the decisive 2-0 home win over Cagliari on Friday.
Conte became the first coach to win the Italian championship with three different teams.
Napoli needed only to do the same or better than defending champion Inter Milan in the final round of matches, so Inter’s 2-0 win at 10-man Como wasn’t enough for the Nerazzurri.
The results meant Napoli finished Serie A one point ahead of Inter.
The southern squad’s fourth Serie A title overall capped an impressive turnaround after the Partenopei finished 10th during a dismal title defence last season.
Maradona led Napoli to their first two titles in 1987 and 1990. The 2023 team led by Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia clinched with five rounds to spare.
Inter were heading toward the title until McTominay went airborne to redirect a cross from Matteo Politano in the 42nd minute for his 12th goal this season after transferring from Manchester United.
Lukaku, who was signed from Chelsea in August, controlled a long vertical pass and dribbled past two defenders before scoring in the 51st. It was his 14th goal to go with his league-leading 10 assists.
Meanwhile for Inter, defender Stefan de Vrij scored 20 minutes in by redirecting a corner kick with a bouncing header.
Como were reduced to 10 men when goalkeeper Pepe Reina was sent off at the end of the first half for a foul on Mehdi Taremi. It was Reina’s final game before retiring.
Joaquín Correa added another for Inter after the break in almost the same exact moment that Lukaku scored for Napoli.
Inter, who are also preparing for the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in eight days, rested most of their usual starting lineup, including top strikers Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram.
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‘I probably would have done what Joel did’
‘I probably would have done what Joel did’
The ending of The Last of Us (2013) divided the fan base. Many believe that Joel did the right thing by saving Ellie, while some believe that he should’ve saved humanity. Unfortunately, players didn’t get to choose, and Joel decided to save Ellie, but it’s interesting to imagine how that storyline would’ve played out. The viewers of The Last of Us show have also been engaging in debates over Joel’s decision, but what do showrunners think of it?
Craig Mazin created the show alongside Neil Druckmann, the creator of the video game franchise. Recently, Mazin and Druckmann were asked to share their views on Joel’s decision, and it seems like they both support what Joel had to do at that particular moment.
Craig Mazin supports Joel’s decision to save Ellie instead of humanity
Joel’s decision to save Ellie at the end of 2013’s The Last of Us didn’t sit well with many gamers all over the world, and now, some The Last of Us show fans feel the same. Joel’s decision to save Ellie, even at the cost of potentially dooming humanity, stems from his deep, almost paternal love for her. It may seem like saving humanity over Ellie was the right decision, but anyone in Joel’s place would’ve done the same, even showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann.
In March, Mazin and Druckmann had a little chat with IGN, and during the conversation, the two were asked to share their views on the game’s ending. Mazin said,
That’s so interesting, because I think that if I were in Joel’s position, I probably would have done what he did – But I’d like to think that I wouldn’t. That’s the interesting push and pull of the morality of it. And that’s why the ending of the first game is so provocative and so wonderful. It just doesn’t let you off the hook as a player.
Druckmann, however, wasn’t hesitant to claim that Joel was right in that situation. The ending of the game was deliberately set up in such a way that it gets the community talking, because no one can really conclude whether Joel did the right thing.
Will The Last of Us fans get another game?
There is a small possibility that players woudl get The Last of Us Part III (Image via Naughty Dog)
On May 25, The Last of Us TV show will wrap up its second season with the seventh episode. The season largely covered the events of The Last of Us Part II. However, it has been confirmed that a third season is in development. At the moment, it is unclear what the third season will cover, but that opens up the possibility of Naughty Dog creating another game.
During the same interview, Druckmann was asked if he would be interested in creating another The Last of Us game, and his answer created a lot of anticipation among the fans.
It’s important for me that everything is of high quality. I don’t just want to make a lot of it – I just want to be very thoughtful of everything we make… If we were ever to come back to it, I want to make sure it’s a story worthy of The Last of Us. I love that world, I love these characters. With the right opportunity, with the right idea, I would totally jump in.
At the moment, Naughty Dog is focused on the new sci-fi game Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet and another secret project. Druckmann will be occupied by these projects, so it’s safe to say that fans will have to wait for a while until they see the next Last of Us game.
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Trump approves FEMA disaster relief for 8 states
Trump approves FEMA disaster relief for 8 states
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — President Donald Trump green-lit disaster relief for eight states on Friday, assistance that some of the communities rocked by natural disasters have been waiting on for months.
The major disaster declaration approvals allow Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas access to financial support through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Several states requested the aid in response to damage from a massive storm system in mid-March.
“This support will go a long way in helping Mississippi to rebuild and recover. Our entire state is grateful for his approval,” said Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, whose state experienced 18 tornados between March 14 and 15.
Mississippi residents in the hard-hit Walthall County expressed frustration earlier this month over how long they had been waiting for federal help. The county’s emergency manager said debris removal operations stalled in early May when the county ran out of money while awaiting federal assistance.
Earlier this week Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem vowed to expedite Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe’s request for disaster assistance, after being pressed on the issue by U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican.
“That is one of the failures that FEMA has had in the past is that people who incur this kind of damage and lose everything sit there for months and sometimes years and never get the promised critical response that they think or that they believe they should be getting from the federal government,” Noem said.
Trump has pointed to wait times as one reason he’s looking to make major changes to the agency. FEMA’s newly-appointed acting chief has said he plans to push more responsibility for disaster response and recovery onto states.
FEMA did not immediately respond to questions about what prompted the flurry of approvals.
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Blades of Fire Review – Arduous Adventure
Blades of Fire Review – Arduous Adventure
Blades of Fire developer MercurySteam has a fascinating trajectory. Amidst excellent releases in the Castlevania and Metroid franchises, MercurySteam interrupted its strong run with a few disappointing releases. All of that is to say, its output has been inconsistent. Blades of Fire, sadly, falls on the lower end of the spectrum of its games, but it is not completely without merit. Excellent art direction, technical proficiency, impressive animation, and a unique combat system are all in its favor, but so many design decisions and ideas drove me absolutely crazy over the course of the game that I lived in a perpetual state of frustration while playing. A positive first impression and desire to get to know its protagonists eventually fell aside for an experience that is entirely too long, full of unearned twists, and needlessly challenging.
Blades of Fire developer MercurySteam has a fascinating trajectory. Amidst excellent releases in the Castlevania and Metroid franchises, MercurySteam interrupted its strong run with a few disappointing releases. All of that is to say, its output has been inconsistent. Blades of Fire, sadly, falls on the lower end of the spectrum of its games, but it is not completely without merit. Excellent art direction, technical proficiency, impressive animation, and a unique combat system are all in its favor, but so many design decisions and ideas drove me absolutely crazy over the course of the game that I lived in a perpetual state of frustration while playing. A positive first impression and desire to get to know its protagonists eventually fell aside for an experience that is entirely too long, full of unearned twists, and needlessly challenging.
Among the positives, Blades of Fire’s world and setup invite exploration. Protagonist Aran is a soft-spoken, but imposing hermit who works with steel and seems to only want to do good. He saves a young monk named Adso and is given one of the seven hammers used to create the world. It means he (and the player) can create his own weapons, and he decides to use this new power to say flatly, “I am going to kill the queen,” inviting his new ward Adso to join him. I liked that opening moment and wanted to see why he was so resolute in his quest, but the resulting revelations mostly fall flat. It’s also a narrative that frequently puts you inches from the queen, only to inexplicably introduce a new supervillain that takes hours and hours to defeat. I constantly felt like I was gearing up for the final confrontation, only to be pushed further away.
Combat is different than most sword action games and takes some getting used to. The four face buttons dictate which direction Aran swings his weapon. Enemies display their weak points, meaning encounters are often a matter of figuring out which direction to attack. For example, if their head is the weak point, you attack from above. It never gets much deeper than that, though, and by the end of the game, the weapon I was using was a stronger factor than how I was attacking enemies. But the way weapons and progress work, there is little incentive to engage in combat.
Aran makes his weapons, which involves collecting materials and playing a smithing minigame. If you are enamored with a particular blade and successfully built it once before, you can thankfully skip the minigame. I quickly found the process of creating or rebuilding weapons annoying, especially early on, when I would go through myriad weapons when stuck on bosses. Since the only incentive to kill enemies is more materials to make more gear, and engaging enemies only brings your weapons closer to destruction, I often ran from objective to objective without fighting in order to save my favorite swords.
The running between objectives is where the game most frustrated me. Navigating nearly every location in the game is a nightmare. There is a map and a menu option to show your next objective, but it helps only about half the time. I spent the other half running around avoiding enemies, just trying to find a door I missed, or a secret entrance – anything. And to make matters worse, extended sections hamper you even further. One area involves carrying a small skeletal child who can fall off and be kidnapped if you get attacked. I spent hours trying to ensure the child stayed on my back while searching for the exit and dodging enemies. In another area, a slow-witted ghost follows you, and in order to progress, you have to wait for them to remember where a switch used to be, or something comparable. I found these sections baffling, but the other, more straightforward locations were equally confusing. I rarely felt the reward of figuring something out. More often, I just angrily shouted at the TV, “How was I supposed to find that?” after stumbling across a climbing rope or an elevator hidden behind a statue.
Finally figuring out where to go or what to do is the bad kind of surprise Blades of Fire is so adept at delivering, but there are good surprises, too. The larger narrative didn’t grab me, but I like the dynamic of Aran and Adso. I also like that it is very easy to send Adso away if he gets annoying, which is a smart way to mirror the narrative nature of their relationship through gameplay. Blades of Fire also delivers big, epic moments that showcase its dense fantasy world and character and creature design well. Giant monsters and impressive vistas live up to the high standard MercurySteam has set for itself with its past games. I liked looking at Blades of Fire, even if playing it was arduous.
I consider myself a MercurySteam fan, and even after gleefully closing the game when I saw credits (and deciding the lengthy, extended final quest for the true ending was not for me), I remain a fan. Blades of Fire feels a bit like the developer’s attempt at bringing something new to what has now become the overpopulated Souls-inspired genre. It was unsuccessful in this instance, but some of its ideas around combat and the world it created are exciting. They just couldn’t overcome the parts that made me want to give up on the game.
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Pelican News
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At Trump’s $148 million meme coin dinner, ‘the food sucked’
At Trump’s $148 million meme coin dinner, ‘the food sucked’
Crypto investor and $TRUMP token holder, Nicholas Pinto, attends gala dinner for contest winners.
Nicholas Pinto
The price of President Donald Trump’s meme coin plunged 16% as of Friday morning, just hours after he hosted a ******-tie gala at his Virginia golf club for its biggest buyers — an elite crowd that spent a combined $148 million on the token for the chance to be there.
It was billed as “the most exclusive invitation in the world.”
Among the 220 attendees were crypto influencers, industry executives like Sandy Carter of Unstoppable Domains, and former NBA star Lamar Odom, who used the occasion to praise Trump as “the greatest president” and promote his own token, $ODOM.
The top 25 wallets were promised a private reception and guided tour. Others, like 25-year-old Nicholas Pinto — whose dad drove him to the event in his Lamborghini — left underwhelmed and still hungry.
“The food sucked,” Pinto said. “Wasn’t given any drinks other than water or Trump’s wine. I don’t drink, so I had water. My glass was only filled once.”
Trump made only a brief appearance. “He didn’t talk to any of the 220 guests — maybe the top 25,” Pinto said.
All in, the president was there for 23 minutes, Pinto said. Trump delivered a brief address re-hashing old crypto talking points, then he left on a helicopter before taking any questions or pictures with his meme coin contest winners.
Phones weren’t locked in RFID pouches, and security was lax, according to Pinto.
“Once Trump left, they didn’t really worry about anything else,” Pinto added.
The opulence was on full display.
“Richard Mille watches weren’t even rare,” Pinto said. “I saw at least 16 people wearing them. I never see that unless I’m at a high-end restaurant in Miami or Dubai.”
But the vibe was more muted than expected, he said: “Lots of people didn’t even hold the coin anymore. They were checking their phones during dinner to see if the price moved.”
Protests
For lawmakers and regulators, the dinner set off alarm bells.
The #1 token holder was ********-born crypto mogul Justin Sun who is currently facing Securities and Exchange Commission fraud charges that were recently paused, with the agency citing “the public interest.”
Sun holds over $22 million in the $TRUMP token and another $75 million in World Liberty Financial’s native token.
“As the top holder of $TRUMP and proud supporter of President Trump, it was an honor to attend the Trump Gala Dinner,” Sun posted on Friday. “Thank you @POTUS for your unwavering support of our industry!”
Outside the gates of Trump National Golf Club in Potomac Falls, Va., about a hundred protesters gathered, according to NBC News. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., joined them, backing a new End Crypto Corruption Act with Senate ********* Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Signs read “Crypto Corruption” and “Trump is a traitor.”
President Donald Trump speaks at dinner for meme coin contest winners at his golf club in Virginia.
Nicholas Pinto
Crypto on Capitol Hill
“The Trump family activity in the memecoin space makes my work in Congress more complicated,” Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., told CNBC Friday.
Hill, who’s leading negotiations on a bipartisan stablecoin bill known as the GENIUS Act, called the gala “a distraction from the good work we need to do.”
Now, the GENIUS Act, a bill to regulate stablecoins, is at risk.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., recently added a controversial rider to the bill that would cap credit card late fees — what’s seen as a poison pill that could alienate banking allies and stall final approval.
On Thursday night as the meme coin contest dinner was underway, a bloc of Senate Democrats announced they’d be pushing for a new provision that would ban presidents and senior officials from profiting off crypto ventures while in office — a direct challenge to the Trump-linked stablecoin USD1 that launched this spring.
in Washington, there’s growing concern that political infighting over Trump’s crypto ventures could derail the stablecoin bill altogether. That poses an even ******* risk.
According to the Wall Street Journal, JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citi, and other major banks are in early talks to issue a unified digital dollar to compete with Tether, the foreign-controlled stablecoin that now commands over 60% of global market share.
Those plans hinge on legal clarity.
If the GENIUS Act stalls, the U.S. could lose its window to regain ground in the global race for digital payments.
The White House has tried to draw a line between Trump the president and Trump the private businessman.
“The president is attending it in his personal time. It is not a White House dinner,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters when pressed on attendee transparency.
The administration declined to release a guest list. But blockchain data — and a patchwork of guest photos — tell part of the story.
A Bloomberg News analysis found that all but six of the top 25 wallets used foreign exchanges, ostensibly off-limits to U.S. users. More than half of the top 220 wallets were linked to similar offshore platforms.
One Nasdaq-listed penny stock, Freight Technologies, disclosed in an SEC filing that it spent $2 million on Trump’s token to push U.S.-Mexico trade policy. It didn’t make the cut for the dinner — finishing 250th.
Since its January debut, the $TRUMP coin has generated more than $324 million in trading fees. Roughly 80% of the $TRUMP token supply is controlled by the Trump Organization and affiliates, according to the project’s website.
WLFI, the Trump’s parallel token, has sold $550 million in two token sales.
Still, White House AI & crypto czar David Sacks remained bullish on “significant bipartisan support” for stablecoin legislation.
“We already have over $200 billion in stablecoins — it’s just unregulated,” Sacks told CNBC’s “Closing Bell Overtime” on Wednesday. “If we provide the legal clarity and legal framework for this, I think we could create trillions of dollars of demand for our Treasuries practically overnight, very quickly.”
“We have every expectation now that it’s going to pass,” added Sacks, though he didn’t answer a question about concerns from Democrats that there aren’t sufficient safeguards in place to keep the president and his family from profiting from legislation.
While Sacks sold $200 million in crypto-related holdings before taking his White House job, according to a disclosure filing, Trump and his family have been leaning into building a crypto empire.
The Trumps are financial backers of World Liberty Financial, which is behind the UDS1 stablecoin that is backed by Treasuries and dollar deposits.
Abu Dhabi’s MGX investment fund recently pledged $2 billion in USD1 to Binance, the world’s largest digital assets exchange. It’s the company’s largest-ever investment made in crypto.
Read more about tech and crypto from CNBC Pro
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Pelican News
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