Pelican Press

Katanning locals start GoFundMe for family of Moni Karakaua lost to sea at Salmon Holes in Albany on Anzac Day Katanning locals start GoFundMe for family of Moni Karakaua lost to sea at Salmon Holes in Albany on Anzac Day A Fijian family has been left heartbroken seven months into starting their new life in the Great Southern after losing their much-loved husband and father to the sea on Anzac Day. Source link #Katanning #locals #start #GoFundMe #family #Moni #Karakaua #lost #sea #Salmon #Holes #Albany #Anzac #Day Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump Jr. says “maybe one day” he’ll run for president Trump Jr. says “maybe one day” he’ll run for president President Trump’s oldest son, Don Jr., said Wednesday he could run for president “maybe one day,” after previously denying he was considering a White House bid. Asked during an economic forum in Doha, the capital of Qatar, if he would consider entering a presidential race to succeed his father, Don Jr. first chuckled before suggesting it was possible. Donald Trump Jr. speaking during a session of the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha on May 21, 2025. KARIM JAAFAR / AFP via Getty Images “It’s an honor to be asked and an honor to see that some people are OK with it,” he said during a panel discussion at Bloomberg’s Qatar Economic Forum as some in the audience applauded. “You never know,” he added. Donald Trump Jr, 47, is an executive vice president at The Trump Organization, his family’s luxury real estate conglomerate, and a vocal proponent of his father’s right-wing MAGA political agenda. In March, left-leaning website Mediate reported that Don Jr. was “seriously considering a run for president in 2028,” which he denied at the time. But on Wednesday, Don Jr. didn’t rule out a White House run. “I don’t know, maybe one day, you know — that calling is there,” he told the forum. “I think my father has truly changed the Republican Party. I think it’s the America First party now, the MAGA party, however you want to look at it,” he added. “For the first time ever, the Republican Party actually has a bench of America First fighters,” he continued, according to the Reuters news agency. The Trump Organization has been run by the president’s two eldest sons, Don Jr. and Eric, since his 2016 election win. While the president no longer holds an executive title, he’s retained his stake in the family business via a trust. Source link #Trump #day #hell #run #president Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Target Corporation Reports First Quarter Earnings – Target Corporation Target Corporation Reports First Quarter Earnings – Target Corporation Target Corporation Reports First Quarter Earnings Target CorporationTarget cuts sales outlook as retailer blames tariff uncertainty and backlash to DEI rollback CNBCTarget sales fall sharply in 1st quarter and retailer warns they will slip for all of 2025 AP NewsTarget badly misses on earnings, slashes guidance as it battles DEI backlash and reinvigorated Walmart Yahoo FinanceTarget Cuts Full-Year Sales Forecast After Mixed Q1 Results Investopedia Source link #Target #Corporation #Reports #Quarter #Earnings #Target #Corporation Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

British soldiers make history with new method British soldiers make history with new method Navin Singh Khadka Environment correspondent, BBC World Service Sandro Gromen The four British former soldiers aim to be back in London within the week Four British former special forces soldiers have set a record by climbing Mount Everest in under five days without acclimatising on the mountain, as part of a high-speed expedition controversially aided by xenon gas. The team, which included a *** government minister, summited the world’s highest peak early on Wednesday. Xenon was used to help them pre-acclimatise to low oxygen at high altitudes. Climbers usually spend between six to eight weeks on Everest before summiting. Organisers said the use of xenon had made such a fast ascent possible. But the science around using the gas remains disputed and many in the mountaineering industry have criticised it. Although this expedition is a record Everest ascent without acclimatising in the Himalayas, it’s not the fastest Everest time. That record still belongs to Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa, who climbed from base camp to the summit in 10 hours and 56 minutes in 2003 – but he did this after acclimatising on the mountain. The xenon-aided team, accompanied by five Sherpa guides and a cameraman, reached the 8,849-metre (29,032-foot) summit early on Wednesday, and began their descent soon afterwards. “They started on the afternoon of 16th May and summited on the morning of the 21st, taking four days and approximately 18 hours,” expedition organiser Lukas Furtenbach told the BBC. Reuters Traditionally climbers have spent weeks between base camp and higher camps before summiting Everest The four former soldiers, who include veterans minister Alastair Carns, slept for six weeks in special tents before travelling to Nepal to help them acclimatise to decreased levels of oxygen at high altitude. They then flew to Everest base camp from Kathmandu and started climbing straight away, Mr Furtenbach said. They used supplemental oxygen, like other climbers, during the expedition. Climbers usually spend weeks going up and down between base camp and higher camps before making the final push for the summit. They need to do that to get used to thinner oxygen levels at high mountain altitudes. Above 8,000m, known as the death zone, available oxygen is only a third of that present at sea level. But the four British men in the team did none of that. “The team made a three-month acclimatisation programme in simulated altitude before coming to Nepal,” Mr Furtenbach said. The simulated altitude was created in what is known as hypoxic tents from which oxygen is sucked out using a generator, bringing it to levels present at high mountain altitudes. Then the climbers inhaled xenon gas at a clinic in Germany two weeks before the expedition, said Mr Furtenbach. “It helps to protect the body from altitude sickness,” he said. Some researchers say xenon increases production of a protein called erythropoietin that fights hypoxia, a condition that occurs when the body can’t get enough oxygen. They say it does that by increasing the number of red blood cells that contain haemoglobin, which transports oxygen around the body, but this remains a disputed subject and many say further studies are required. Lukas Furtenbach The simulated altitude was created in hypoxic tents from which oxygen is sucked out using a generator Some in the mountaineering industry have cautioned against the use of xenon gas. “According to current literature, there is no evidence that breathing in xenon improves performance in the mountains, and inappropriate use can be dangerous,” the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation said in a statement in January. “Acclimatisation to altitude is a complex process that affects the various organs/systems such as the brain, lungs, heart, kidneys and blood to different degrees, and is not fully understood. “From a physiological point of view, a single, one-off drug cannot be the key to improved acclimatisation or increased performance.” Adrian Ballinger, who heads another expedition team climbing Everest from the ******** side to the north, also makes his clients undergo pre-acclimatisation training like using hypoxic tents to shorten time on the mountains. But he opposes using xenon gas. “If you’re promoting xenon as a performance enhancer, but you’re not also willing to examine what that means for fairness and integrity in the mountains, it’s a problem,” he told the BBC. “People are grasping at shortcuts instead of doing the real work of acclimatisation and training.” But now that the British team have made their groundbreaking Everest ascent, expedition operators think, and some worry, that this method may be used by other climbers too. “If that happens then it will certainly have a direct, negative impact on the tourism industry as the length of time mountaineers stay will come down significantly,” said Damber Parajuli, president of the Expedition Operators Association of Nepal. “Also, acclimatising on the mountains is the basic rule of mountaineering. If that is not done then authorities should not be giving them certificates certifying that they climbed the mountain.” Nepal’s tourism department officials said they were not aware the British team had reached the summit without acclimatisation on Everest. “Now that we know about it, we will be discussing the issue and decide on our future course of action,” Narayan Regmi, director general at Nepal’s department of tourism told the BBC. But why climb the highest peak at such speed? “A shorter expedition has a lower carbon footprint and less ecological impact,” said Mr Furtenbach. “And it is safer for climbers because they can climb the mountain in good health and they are exposed to high altitude risks and mountain hazards for shorter time compared to when they are acclimatising on the mountain.” Source link #British #soldiers #history #method Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Bond Funds Likely to Reverse April Outflows as Monthly Returns Attract Investors Bond Funds Likely to Reverse April Outflows as Monthly Returns Attract Investors Fund Market Overall Total assets under management in the global responsible investments fund market grew $30.8 billion (+1.1%) for April and stood at $2,959.8 billion at the end of the month. Estimated net outflows accounted for $1.2 billion, while $32.0 billion was added because of the positively performing markets. On a year-to-date basis, assets increased $51.5 billion (+1.8%). Included in the overall year-to-date asset change figure were $1.3 billion of estimated net outflows. Compared to a year ago, assets increased considerably $250.6 billion (+9.3%). Included in the overall one-year asset change figure were $36.8 billion of estimated net inflows. The average overall return in US dollar terms was a positive 3.1% at the end of the reporting month, outperforming the 12-month moving average return by 2.4 percentage points and outperforming the 36-month moving average return by 2.7 percentage points. Fund Market by Asset Type, April Most of the net new money for April was attracted by money market funds, accounting for $5.4 billion, followed by mixed assets funds and alternatives funds, at $5.1 billion and $0.1 billion of net inflows, respectively. Bond funds, at negative $6.4 billion, were at the bottom of the table for April, bettered by equity funds and other funds, at $5.4 billion and $0.1 billion of net outflows, respectively. All asset types posted positive returns for the month, with bond funds at 4.2%, followed by real estate funds and money market funds, at 4.1% and 3.7% returns, respectively, on average. The best performing funds for the month were bond funds at 4.2%, followed by real estate funds and money market funds, at 4.1% and 3.7% returns, respectively, on average. Commodity funds, at positive 1.7%, outperformed, followed by other funds and equity funds, at positive 2.1% and positive 2.5%, respectively. Fund Market by Asset Type, Year to Date For the year to date, most of the net new money was attracted by money market funds, accounting for $11.1 billion, followed by mixed assets funds and bond funds, at $3.6 billion and $1.1 billion of net inflows, respectively. Equity funds, at negative $17.8 billion, were at the bottom of the table for the year to date, bettered by other funds and real estate funds, at $0.1 billion and $0.0 billion of net outflows, respectively. All asset types posted positive returns for the year to date, with commodity funds at 16.3%, followed by bond funds and real estate funds, at 7.9% and 7.7% returns, respectively, on average. The best performing funds for the year to date were commodity funds at 16.3%, followed by bond funds and real estate funds, at 7.9% and 7.7% returns, respectively, on average. Equity funds, at positive 2.3%, outperformed, followed by mixed assets funds and alternatives funds, at positive 4.6% and positive 5.1%, respectively. Fund Market by Asset Type, Last Year Most of the net new money for the one-year ******* was attracted by bond funds, accounting for $37.6 billion, followed by equity funds and commodity funds, at $5.6 billion and $0.4 billion of net inflows, respectively. Mixed Assets funds, at negative $4.8 billion, were at the bottom of the table for the one-year *******, bettered by money market funds and other funds, at $2.0 billion and $0.4 billion of net outflows, respectively. All asset types posted positive returns for the one-year *******, with commodity funds at 22.9%, followed by bond funds and mixed assets funds, at 10.9% and 8.6% returns, respectively, on average. The best performing funds for the one-year ******* were commodity funds at 22.9%, followed by bond funds and mixed assets funds, at 10.9% and 8.6% returns, respectively, on average. Alternatives funds, at positive 3.7%, outperformed, followed by equity funds and real estate funds, at positive 6.4% and positive 6.7%, respectively. Lipper Global Classifications, April Looking at Lipper’s fund classifications for April, most of the net new money flows went into Money Market EUR (+$6.0 billion), followed by Mixed Asset EUR Bal – Global and Bond EMU Government (+$5.0 billion and +$0.8 billion). The largest net outflows took place for Equity US, at negative $2.2 billion, bettered by Equity Europe and Equity Sector Real Est Global, at negative $1.8 billion and negative $1.2 billion of net outflows, respectively. The best performing funds for the month were Alternative Currency Strategies, at plus 11.7%, followed by Equity Brazil and Equity Sector Real Est Europe, at plus 10.5% and plus 10.4% returns, respectively, on average. Equity Vietnam, at minus 9.4%, was the worst performer, bettered by Commodity Industrial Metals and Equity Pakistan funds, at minus 9.0% and minus 8.6%, respectively. Lipper Global Classifications, Year to Date For the year to date, most of the net new money flows went into Money Market EUR (+$10.1 billion), followed by Mixed Asset EUR Bal – Global and Equity Taiwan (+$5.3 billion and +$2.3 billion). The largest net outflows took place for Equity Global, at negative $4.6 billion, bettered by Equity US and Equity Theme – Alternative Energy, at negative $4.3 billion and negative $3.4 billion of net outflows, respectively. The best performing funds for the year to date were Equity Sector Gold&Prec Metals, at plus 31.5%, followed by Equity Emerging Mkts Europe and Equity Brazil, at plus 28.3% and plus 27.0% returns, respectively, on average. Mixed Asset TRY Flexible, at minus 19.0%, was the worst performer, bettered by Commodity Energy and Equity Turkey funds, at minus 15.1% and minus 15.0%, respectively. Lipper Global Classifications, Last Year For the one-year *******, most of the net new money flows went into Equity Global (+$13.9 billion), followed by Equity Taiwan and Equity Switzerland (+$6.4 billion and +$5.3 billion). The largest net outflows took place for Equity Theme – Alternative Energy, at negative $12.1 billion, bettered by Equity Europe and Money Market EUR, at negative $6.7 billion and negative $6.3 billion of net outflows, respectively. The best performing funds for the one-year ******* were Equity Pakistan, at plus 44.8%, followed by Equity Sector Gold&Prec Metals and Equity Sector , at plus 43.4% and plus 37.2% returns, respectively, on average. Equity Taiwan Sm & Mid Cap, at minus 17.6%, was the worst performer, bettered by Equity Turkey and Commodity Energy funds, at minus 16.5% and minus 15.4%, respectively. Note This report is narrowing its focus from broad ESG/RI funds–those which indicate some form of ESG/RI strategy in their fund documentation–to a smaller focus of sustainable funds, defined as all SFDR Article 9 funds plus all Lipper Responsible Investment Attribute funds reduced to those containing indicative sustainable keywords in the fund name. US and ********* funds will align to Lipper’s Responsible Investment Attributes with no further screening. Source link #Bond #Funds #Reverse #April #Outflows #Monthly #Returns #Attract #Investors Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pope Leo makes ‘heartfelt appeal’ for aid to reach Gaza – National Pope Leo makes ‘heartfelt appeal’ for aid to reach Gaza – National Pope Leo XIV called Wednesday for humanitarian aid to reach the Gaza Strip and for an end to the “heartbreaking” toll on its people, as he presided over his first general audience in St. Peter’s Square. The ******** said that around 40,000 people were on hand for the audience, which came just days after an estimated 200,000 people attended the inaugural Mass on Sunday for history’s first American pope. Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago, began the audience with a tour through the piazza in the popemobile and stopped to bless several babies. In addressing specific greetings to different groups of pilgrims, Leo spoke in his native English, his fluent Spanish as well as the traditional Italian of the papacy. “I renew my heartfelt appeal to allow the entrance of dignified humanitarian aid to Gaza and to put an end to the hostilities whose heartbreaking price is being paid by children, the elderly and sick people,” he said. Story continues below advertisement The general audience on Wednesdays is a weekly appointment that popes have kept for decades to allow ordinary faithful to have a face-to-face encounter with the pontiff. It features the pope delivering a brief reflection on a theme or Scripture passage, with summaries provided by others in different languages and the pope directing specific messages to particular faith groups. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. The encounter, which lasts more than an hour, usually ends with a brief topical appeal by the pope about a current issue or upcoming event. Leo began it with his now-frequent mantra “Peace be with you.” 4:15 Pope Leo XIV holds inaugural mass, vows to protect Church doctrine but face modernity Trending Now Documents seem to show how Alberta inmate was wrongly released from jail Trump’s tariffs creating ‘tensions’ among G7 ahead of summit: Champagne To that end, Leo on Tuesday reaffirmed the ********’s willingness to host the next round of ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine during a phone call with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, the Italian leader’s office said. Meloni made the call after speaking with U.S. President Donald Trump and other European leaders, who asked her to verify the Holy See’s offer. Story continues below advertisement “Finding in the Holy Father the confirmation of the willingness to welcome the next talks between the parties, the premier expressed profound gratitude for Pope Leo XIV’s willingness and his incessant commitment in favor of peace,” Meloni’s office said in a statement late Tuesday. Trump had referred to the ********’s longstanding offer to host talks in reporting on his phone call Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin. While low-level talks could take place in Rome, Italy would be hard-pressed to allow Putin to fly into Rome for any higher-level negotiation. Putin is subject to an international arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, of which Italy is a founding member and therefore obliged to execute its warrants. More on World More videos &copy 2025 The ********* Press Source link #Pope #Leo #heartfelt #appeal #aid #reach #Gaza #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Lotto: Two ticketholders scoop $1 million each in Wednesday’s Millionaire Medley Lotto: Two ticketholders scoop $1 million each in Wednesday’s Millionaire Medley Two ticketholders are instant millionaires after taking out Millionaire Medley’s top prize on Wednesday. Each Aussie will walk away with $1m after matching the six numbers needed to secure the division one jackpot. Wednesday’s division one wins will see $1 million make its way to the two Aussies bank accounts. Luck continued in division two, with seven players from across the nation pocketing more than $7,900. Division three delivered significant hauls of $567.45 to 151 players. The winning numbers for draw #4549 are 5, 17, 23, 29, 6 and 36. The supplementary numbers are 14 and 2. Good fortune comes after two WA players — hailing from opposite ends of Perth — scored $1m each in Monday’s Millionaire Medley game. The winning tickets were purchased from Lakers News in Lakelands and Clarkson Lucky Lottery. Punters will next get a chance to win big in Thursday’s $20m Powerball draw, with tickets available until 6pm in-store and online. Source link #Lotto #ticketholders #scoop #million #Wednesdays #Millionaire #Medley Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Multiple citations issued to drivers after car show in Wisconsin, many clocked at 25 miles per hour over speed limit Multiple citations issued to drivers after car show in Wisconsin, many clocked at 25 miles per hour over speed limit (WFRV) – The Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office said that it issued multiple citations to drivers over the weekend, many of which were extreme speeding offenses. In a Facebook post, a car is seen pulled over after being clocked at over 120 miles per hour on the road. Cellcom CEO addresses outage: “We experienced a cyber incident” The number of citations issued, according to the post, was possibly due to a car show that occurred in the Wisconsin Dells over the weekend. “We will continue to enforce traffic laws of all kinds to do our best to keep our community safe,” the post said. “Our goal, as always, is compliance and accident reduction.” No additional details were provided. 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 WFRV Local 5 – Green Bay, Appleton. Source link #Multiple #citations #issued #drivers #car #show #Wisconsin #clocked #miles #hour #speed #limit Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Real estate agent commissions too high? Flat-fee brokers offer an alternative – NPR Real estate agent commissions too high? Flat-fee brokers offer an alternative – NPR Real estate agent commissions too high? Flat-fee brokers offer an alternative NPRReal Estate Agent Commissions Haven’t Changed Much Since the NAR Settlement Took Effect RedfinWhy broker fees have barely changed since the big settlement AxiosFed: Requiring buyer agreements has no effect on commissions InmanOp-Ed: The New York Times Gets It Wrong National Association of REALTORS® Source link #Real #estate #agent #commissions #high #Flatfee #brokers #offer #alternative #NPR Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Gary Lineker’s podcast The Rest is Football dropped by BBC after row Gary Lineker’s podcast The Rest is Football dropped by BBC after row New episodes of Gary Lineker’s podcast The Rest is Football will no longer appear on the BBC’s audio streaming service after the presenter leaves the corporation in the wake of an antisemitism row. The show, which is produced by Lineker’s company Goalhanger Productions, will continue to be available elsewhere, but will have its last episode on BBC Sounds this week. He had already been due to leave Match of the Day of Sunday, but will not stay to front the BBC’s FA Cup and World Cup coverage next year as planned after being critcised for sharing a post about Zionism bearing the image of a rat. He has apologised, saying on Monday he did not see the image and that he “would never consciously repost anything antisemitic”. He said: “However, I recognise the error and upset that I caused, and reiterate how sorry I am. Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action.” In November, the 64-year-old announced that this season would be his last as host of Match of the Day. He had been expected to continue fronting the BBC’s coverage of the men’s FA Cup and next summer’s World Cup, but will now cut ties with the corporation completely after the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday. The Rest Is Football sees Lineker discuss football’s biggest stories in a light-hearted manner with his Match of the Day sidekicks Alan Shearer and Micah Richards. The original Goalhanger agreement, announced last November, was for a “one-year deal with the opportunity to extend, with episodes remaining available on BBC Sounds for three years”. The Rest is History, another popular Goalhanger production, hosted by Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook, will continue to be available on the platform. Other titles in the Goalhanger stable include The Rest is Politics and The Rest is Entertainment. Source link #Gary #Linekers #podcast #Rest #Football #dropped #BBC #row Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9000 Series Processors Launched Alongside Radeon RX 9060 XT, Radeon AI PRO R9700 GPUs AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9000 Series Processors Launched Alongside Radeon RX 9060 XT, Radeon AI PRO R9700 GPUs AMD on Tuesday unveiled the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9000 series as its latest high-performance processors at Computex 2025. The top of the line processor, the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX, is equipped with 96 cores and 5.4GHz a peak clock speed. AMD also launched the Radeon RX 9060 XT and Radeon AI PRO R9700 GPUs with up to 16GB and 32GB of video memory, respectively. The Radeon RX 9060 XT GPU is claimed to offer double the ray tracing throughput compared to its predecessor. AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9000 Series, Radeon RX 9060 XT and Radeon AI PRO R9700 Pricing and Availability Pricing for the new AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9000 WX-Series processors is yet to be announced, and AMD says that they will be available to purchase in the coming months, from OEMs like Dell, HP and Lenovo, and Supermicro. Meanwhile, the Ryzen Threadripper 9000 Series processors will be available via retailers in July. The AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT GPU is available in 8GB and 16GB configurations that are priced at $299 (roughly Rs. 25,600) and $349 (roughly Rs. 29,900), respectively. It will be available to purchase later this year, via GPU makers like Acer, ASRock, ASUS, Gigabyte, PowerColor, Sapphire, Vastarmor, XFX and Yeston. The chipmaker has yet to announce pricing for the AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 GPU, which will be available from GPU manufacturers in July. AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9000 Series Specifications AMD has introduced six models in the new Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9000 WX series, with up to 96 cores, up to 192 threads, up to 5.4GHz peak clock speed, and up to 350W TDP. The company has also introduced three new Ryzen Threadripper 9000 series processors with up to 64 cores, up to 5.4GHz peak clock speed, and up to 350W TDP. AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT Photo Credit: AMD The company says that the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9000 WX series (led by the 9995WX model) is aimed at visual effects, simulation, and AI model development. These chips are equipped with up to 384MB L3 cache, and support PCIe 5.0 connectivity (128 lanes). On the other hand, the Ryzen Threadripper 9000 series is designed for content creators and developers working on local AI training. AMD says that these processors can be used for AI training without relying on the cloud, but did not offer details about specific AI models. AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT, AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 Specifications AMD’s new Radeon RX 9060 XT GPU is equipped with up to 16GB of GDDR6 video memory, up to 32 RDNA 4 compute units, and up to 3.13GHz boost clock speed. It is claimed to offer double the ray tracing throughput delivered by the chipmaker’s previous generation. The GPU supports features like FSR 4 for higher frame rates and improved image quality, and it enables AI features with support for FP8 data types. Meanwhile, the AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700 also features its second generation AI accelerators and is equipped with 32GB of GDDR6 memory, 64 RDNA compute units, up to 2.92GHz boost clock speed. It can also be used in multi-GPU setups. Support for the ROCm software stack is currently available on Linux, and AMD says Windows will also be supported in the future. Source link #AMD #Ryzen #Threadripper #Series #Processors #Launched #Radeon #Radeon #PRO #R9700 #GPUs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Japanese farm minister quits following gaffe over rice Japanese farm minister quits following gaffe over rice Japan’s agriculture minister has resigned over the fallout from his comment that he “never had to buy rice” because he got it from supporters as gifts. Source link #Japanese #farm #minister #quits #gaffe #rice Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

CyberPowerPC India Announces ‘Play Guarantee’ for a Transparent Buying Experience CyberPowerPC India Announces ‘Play Guarantee’ for a Transparent Buying Experience CyberPowerPC India has announced a new campaign which aims to make the PC buying experience in India a more transparent one. With ‘Play Guarantee’, the Indian arm of the US-based retailer provides assurance to buyers that their purchased custom PCs will be built using brand-new, genuine parts sourced from authorised manufacturers. As part of this initiative, the company also promises one year of on-site support with certified technicians assigned for repairs or replacements. CyberPowerPC India’s Play Guarantee Campaign CyberPowerPC India says it aims to reinforce buyers’ confidence in the performance and reliability of their systems. These high-investment purchases are often made without getting hands-on experience and thus, increasing uncertainty about their performance, at least until they bring it home and run games. Calling it a “first-of-its-kind” offer in the country’s custom PC market, the company introduces a 30-day satisfaction assurance on its Play Ready systems. If gamers are not satisfied with their systems, they can return it within the 30-day return window. This initiative has been announced amidst a NeoGrowth study which highlighted that 54 percent of consumers in India prefer online shopping due to uncertainty over authenticity and product quality. The company promises that the custom PCs will be built using 100 percent brand-new parts which are sourced from authorised manufacturers. It will not involve refurbished parts or components imported from gray markets. Further, it will carry out a pre-dispatch performance testing which covers CPU, GPU, memory, and thermal components to ensure quality control. As per CyberPowerPC India, each system will come with pre-installed Microsoft Windows installed at the BIOS level. This is claimed to eliminate post-purchase license issues or any hidden software costs. Custom PC purchases will also bundle one year of on-site support. If users encounter any problems with their systems, they will be provided with certified technicians that will visit their locations for repairs or replacements, depending on the severity of the issue. CyberPowerPC India says it is also investing in India’s PC market and working behind the scenes to make high-performance accessible to a wider range of gamers at more affordable price points. For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Alcatel V3 Pro 5G, V3 Classic 5G Teased Ahead of May 27 India Launch Source link #CyberPowerPC #India #Announces #Play #Guarantee #Transparent #Buying #Experience Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Millions spent on Fulton County Diversion Center, but it’s barely used Millions spent on Fulton County Diversion Center, but it’s barely used The Fulton County Center for Diversion & Services was built with the goal of bringing people who only committed a minor offense there to get help, instead of hauling them to jail. But after costing taxpayers $5 million, Fulton County Commission Chair Robb Pitts feels the center isn’t getting enough use. “It’s a beautiful facility,” Pitts told Channel 2’s Sophia Choi. Pitts voted to use taxpayer money for the diversion center, which opened in January. “Simple reason, because it will (alleviate) some of the pressure on Rice Street,” Pitts said. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] He said the diversion center can help people with minor offenses avoid a permanent record. But after touring the facility, Pitts is disappointed by the lack of use. “(I’m) seeing only two or three people per day. And that’s not going to get it,” Pitts said. Both Fulton County and Atlanta contributed $2.5 million to build the center with 20 beds, most of which stay empty, and they’re still spending tax dollars on it. Grady Memorial Hospital runs it, but any police department within the county limits can use it. “So it’s the 15 police departments that’s within Fulton County, the cities. Plus MARTA, plus Georgia State, and others around there,” Pitts said. Atlanta police say they’ve taken plenty of people to the center since it opened. The problem is, they can’t make people stay. TRENDING STORIES: Pitts hopes to convince officers to start using the diversion program on a regular basis. He plans to meet with police chiefs next week. “We’re going to have to get the officers, and more importantly, the chiefs, to say to their people, we have to take advantage of this. Otherwise, I mean, it’s a waste of time and money if we’re not utilizing it,” Pitts said. Pitts said he’s looking at some options when it comes to the building. He said the county and city will likely give the program some more time before considering closing it. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Source link #Millions #spent #Fulton #County #Diversion #Center #barely Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Hands on: I tried Google’s Android XR prototype and they can’t do much but Meta should still be terrified Hands on: I tried Google’s Android XR prototype and they can’t do much but Meta should still be terrified Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test. The Google Android XR can’t do very much… yet. At Google I/O 2025, I got to wear the new glasses and try some key features – three features exactly – and then my time was up. These Android XR glasses aren’t the future, but I can certainly see the future through them, and my Meta Ray Ban smart glasses can’t match anything I saw. The Android XR glasses I tried had a single display, and it did not fill the entire lens. The glasses projected onto a small frame in front of my vision that was invisible unless filled with content. To start, a tiny digital clock showed me the time and local temperature, information drawn from my phone. It was small and unobtrusive enough that I could imagine letting it stay active at the periphery. You may like Google Gemini is very responsive on this Android XR prototype (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future) The first feature I tried was Google Gemini, which is making its way onto every device Google touches. Gemini on the Android XR prototype glasses is already more advanced than what you might have tried on your smartphone. I approached a painting on the wall and asked Gemini to tell me about it. It described the pointillist artwork and the artist. I said I wanted to look at the art very closely and I asked for suggestions on interesting aspects to consider. It gave me suggestions about pointillism and the artist’s use of color. The conversation was very natural. Google’s latest voice models for Gemini sound like a real human. The glasses also did a nice job pausing Gemini when somebody else was speaking to me. There wasn’t a long delay or any frustration. When I asked Gemini to resume, it said ‘no problem’ and started up quickly. That’s a big deal! The responsiveness of smart glasses is a metric I haven’t considered before, but it matters. My Meta Ray Ban Smart Glasses have an AI agent that can look through the camera, but it works very slowly. It responds slowly at first, and then it takes a long time to answer the question. Google’s Gemini on Android XR was much faster and that made it feel more natural. Google Maps on Android XR wasn’t like any Google Maps I’ve seen Celebrities Giannis Antetokounmpo and Dieter Bohn wear Android XR glasses and shake hands with the crowd (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future) Then I tried Google Maps on the Android XR prototype. I did not get a big map dominating my view. Instead, I got a simple direction sign with an arrow telling me to turn right in a half mile. The coolest part of the whole XR demo was when the sign changed as I moved my head. If I looked straight down at the ground, I could see a circular map from Google with an arrow showing me where I am and where I should be heading. The map moved smoothly as I turned around in circles to get my bearings. It wasn’t a very large map – about the size of a big cookie (or biscuit for *** friends) in my field of view. As I lifted my head, the cookie-map moved upward. The Android XR glasses don’t just stick a map in front of my face. The map is an object in space. It is a circle that seems to remain parallel with the floor. If I look straight down, I can see the whole map. As I move my head upward, the map moves up and I see it from a diagonal angle as it lifts higher and higher with my field of view. By the time I am looking straight ahead, the map has entirely disappeared and has been replaced by the directions and arrow. It’s a very natural way to get an update on my route. Instead of opening and turning on my phone, I just look towards my feet and Android XR shows me where they should be pointing. Showing off the colorful display with a photograph (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future) The final demo I saw was a simple photograph using the camera on the Android XR glasses. After I took the shot, I got a small preview on the display in front of me. It was about 80% transparent, so I could see details clearly, but it didn’t entirely block my view. Sadly that was all the time Google gave me with the glasses today, and the experience was underwhelming. In fact, my first thought was to wonder if the Google Glass I had in 2014 had the exact same features as today’s Android XR prototype glasses. It was pretty close. My old Google Glass could take photos and video, but it did not offer a preview on its tiny, head-mounted display. It had Google Maps with turn directions, but it did not have the animation or head-tracking that Android XR offers. There was obviously no conversational AI like Gemini on Google Glass, and it could not look at what you see and offer information or suggestions. What makes the two similar? They both lack apps and features. Which comes first, the Android XR software or the smart glasses to run it? (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future) Should developers code for a device that doesn’t exist? Or should Google sell smart glasses even though there are no developers yet? Neither. The problem with AR glasses isn’t just a chicken and egg problem of what comes first, the software or the device. That’s because AR hardware isn’t ready to lay eggs. We don’t have a chicken or eggs, so it’s no use debating what comes first. Google’s Android XR prototype glasses are not the chicken, but they are a fine looking bird. The glasses are incredibly lightweight, considering the display and all the tech inside. They are relatively stylish for now, and Google has great partners lined up in Warby Parker and Gentle Monster. The display itself is the best smart glasses display I’ve seen, by far. It isn’t huge, but it has a better field of view than the rest; it’s positioned nicely just off-center from your right eye’s field of vision; and the images are bright, colorful (if translucent), and flicker-free. The author in Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses looking dumbfounded (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne) When I first saw the time and weather, it was a small bit of text and it didn’t block my view. I could imagine keeping a tiny heads-up display on my glasses all the time, just to give me a quick flash of info. This is just the start, but it’s a very good start. Other smart glasses haven’t felt like they belonged at the starting line, let alone on retail shelves. Eventually, the display will get *******, and there will be more software. Or any software, because the feature set felt incredibly limited. Still, with just Gemini’s impressive new multi-modal capabilities and the intuitive (and very fun) Google Maps on XR, I wouldn’t mind being an early adopter if the price isn’t terrible. My Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses are mostly just sunglasses now (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne) Of course, Meta Ray Ban Smart Glasses lack a display, so they can’t do most of this. The Meta Smart Glasses have a camera, but the images are beamed to your phone. From there, your phone can save them to your gallery, or even use the Smart Glasses to broadcast live directly to Facebook. Just Facebook – this is Meta, after all. With its Android provenance, I’m hoping whatever Android XR smart glasses we get will be much more open than Meta’s gear. It must be. Android XR runs apps, while Meta’s Smart Glasses are run by an app. Google intends Android XR to be a platform. Meta wants to gather information from cameras and microphones you wear on your head. I’ve had a lot of fun with the Meta Ray Ban Smart Glasses, but I honestly haven’t turned them on and used the features in months. I was already a Ray Ban Wayfarer fan, so I wear them as my sunglasses, but I never had much luck getting the voice recognition to wake up and respond on command. I liked using them as open ear headphones, but not when I’m in New York City and the street noise overpowers them. I can’t imagine that I will stick with my Meta glasses once there is a full platform with apps and extensibility – the promise of Android XR. I’m not saying that I saw the future in Google’s smart glasses prototype, but I have a much better view of what I want that smart glasses future to look like. You might also like… Source link #Hands #Googles #Android #prototype #Meta #terrified Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Roethlisberger Predicts Steelers’ Record With (And Without) Rodgers – Steelers Depot Roethlisberger Predicts Steelers’ Record With (And Without) Rodgers – Steelers Depot Roethlisberger Predicts Steelers’ Record With (And Without) Rodgers Steelers DepotNFL sked makers had no inside info on Rodgers ESPNBen Roethlisberger makes bold prediction about Steelers season Yahoo SportsAaron Rodgers could ultimately land in ‘perfect place’ with Steelers, author says Fox News‘I Think They’re Lying:’ Roethlisberger Doesn’t Buy NFL’s Steelers-Packers Explanation Steelers Depot Source link #Roethlisberger #Predicts #Steelers #Record #Rodgers #Steelers #Depot Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nokia trials 5G during Norway military exercise, gains award for private wireless Nokia trials 5G during Norway military exercise, gains award for private wireless Nokia has announced it has trialled 5G technology in a defence scenario during Joint Viking 2025, a Norwegian military exercise, while it has been recognised by global analyst and advisory firm Omdia as sole Champion, Market Momentum Leader in its 2025 Private 5G market radar report. The biennial Joint Viking event is a Norwegian winter exercise, and this time around 10,000 Norwegian and allied soldiers took part. It gathered participants from nine nations – Norway, Canada, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the *** and the US – to enhance allied interoperability, train on protecting Nato’s northern flank and test Norway’s ability to receive allied reinforcements. Throughout the trial, Nokia’s 5G technology enabled field personnel from multiple nations with advanced defence applications, enhancing situational awareness, facilitating seamless cooperation across military units and providing real-time information to field personnel. Nokia’s products in the trial included 5G AirScale radio products and 5G Standalone Core technology tuned for defence applications, to enhance tactical communication and information systems among participating nations. Nokia’s 5G communications platform gave military personnel access to real-time battlefield intelligence, said to facilitate faster decision-making. The Joint Viking command and control leadership used this data to improve situational awareness, streamline operations, and enhance both safety and efficiency throughout the exercise. “The scalable, secure and reliable connectivity that 5G provides has an important role in strengthening the tactical communication capabilities of defence forces,” said Giuseppe Targia, head of space and defence at Nokia. “The successful trial of 5G in the field … highlights Norwegian Armed Forces’ position as a leader in deploying advanced communication technologies for tactical operations.” The Norwegian Material Defence Agency, an agency directly subordinate to the Norwegian Ministry of Defence, already collaborates with Norway’s mobile operators as key service partners. Recently, the Norwegian energy and telecom group Lyse and Nokia entered into a strategic agreement to enhance tactical communication offerings for Norway, using their expertise and strength in critical communications. Outlining the role of tech in the trial, Kennet Nomeland, radio architect and Norway’s Ministry of Defense liaison for 5G Compad, said: “We collaborate with the industry to develop innovative defence solutions based on commercial technologies. A prime example is advanced software functionality, which enables Nokia’s 5G systems to operate in GNSS-denied environments, along with their next-generation radio equipment, engineered for reduced size, weight and power. Nokia’s 5G technology was instrumental in the success of the Joint Viking exercise.” Meanwhile, the Omdia report highlighted Nokia’s 5G Private Wireless vision, product portfolio and investment in mission-critical connectivity services tailored for industrial enterprises in multiple verticals, including manufacturing, mining, ports, airports, utilities, public safety and railways. The partner ecosystem was recognised for accelerating Industry 4.0 transformation. Omdia also cited Nokia for evolving its private wireless products beyond connectivity to an edge compute and AI platform for industries, verticalised services built on research, testing and validation through segment blueprints, as well as an ecosystem of applications and partners such as Kyndryl, Telefonica Tech and Verizon. “Nokia’s continued leadership in the private 5G market is underpinned by its comprehensive and forward-looking approach to industrial connectivity,” said Pablo Tomasi, principal analyst of private networks and enterprise 5G at Omdia. “By offering an integrated platform that benefits an array of industries, Nokia is setting the pace for Industry 4.0 transformation.” Source link #Nokia #trials #Norway #military #exercise #gains #award #private #wireless Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Starmer announces U-turn on winter fuel payment cuts Starmer announces U-turn on winter fuel payment cuts BBC Sir Keir Starmer has announced the government will U-turn on last year’s controversial cuts to winter fuel payments. More than nine million pensioners lost out on payments worth up to £300 after Chancellor Rachel Reeves restricted eligibility for the pension top-up last year. Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir said ministers would ensure “more pensioners” can get the payments by looking again at the eligibilty threshold. He did not provide further details, adding that the changes would be made at a future “fiscal event”, or Budget. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts. Source link #Starmer #announces #Uturn #winter #fuel #payment #cuts Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Alcatel V3 Pro 5G, V3 Classic 5G Teased Ahead of May 27 India Launch Alcatel V3 Pro 5G, V3 Classic 5G Teased Ahead of May 27 India Launch Alcatel V3 5G series is set to launch in India on May 27. The Alcatel V3 Ultra 5G model was already confirmed to arrive as part of the lineup. Now, the French mobile brand, operated by TCL Communication, has officially teased the Alcatel V3 Pro 5G and V3 Classic 5G variants. The design, colour options and key features of the upcoming smartphones have been revealed ahead of their launch. All three variants will be available for purchase in the country exclusively via Flipkart. Alcatel V3 Pro 5G, V3 Classic 5G Teased The Alcatel V3 Pro 5G is teased to come in ****** and green colourways, the company revealed in a live microsite on the Flipkart app. The handset will sport a 6.7-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate and TCL’s proprietary NXTPAPER technology. It will support Regular, Ink Paper, Max Ink, and Colour Paper modes. Alcatel confirmed that the V3 Pro 5G’s display will support eye care features like low blue light and anti-glare features. It will also come with adaptive colour temperature and brightness, as well as a night light mode. Meanwhile, the Alcatel V3 Classic 5G is teased to come in a white shade. The handset will boast a NXTPAPER display with a 120Hz refresh rate and support for “vivid colours and sharper contrast.” The handset will be backed by a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 SoC and a 5,200mAh battery with 18W charging. For optics, it will get a 50-megapixel primary rear camera and an 8-megapixel selfie shooter. Both phones will ship with a charger and a protective cover in the box. Alcatel V3 Ultra 5G Colour Options, Features The Alcatel V3 Ultra 5G is confirmed to come in Champagne Gold, Hyper Blue, and Ocean Grey colour options. Like the Pro and Classic variants, the Ultra version will come with a NXTPAPER display as well. It will have a 6.8-inch full-HD+ screen, and in the Max Ink mode, the phone is claimed to last for up to seven days on a single charge. In the camera department, the Alcatel V3 Ultra 5G has a 108-megapixel primary rear sensor alongside an 8-megapixel and a 2-megapixel sensor. The phone will support 8GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. It will pack a 5,010mAh battery with 33W fast charging support. The phone is confirmed to have dual speakers with DTS X Sound and support for eSIM alongside a physical SIM. Besides a charger and a protective cover, the Ultra variant will ship with a Stylus as well. The Alcatel V3 5G series will launch in India on May 27 at 12pm IST and will be available for purchase in the country exclusively via Flipkart. Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details. Source link #Alcatel #Pro #Classic #Teased #Ahead #India #Launch Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Target (TGT) Q1 2025 earnings Target (TGT) Q1 2025 earnings People shop at a Target store on April 02, 2025 in the Flatbush neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough in New York City. Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images Target on Wednesday cut its full-year sales outlook, as executives said weaker discretionary spending, consumer uncertainty about tariffs and backlash to the company’s rollback of key diversity, equity and inclusion efforts hurt its business. First-quarter sales missed Wall Street’s expectations and fell nearly 3% compared to the year-ago *******. Transactions across Target’s stores and website dipped by 2.4%. And the average amount customers spent during their online and in-store visits decreased by 1.4%. Target’s weak performance in the quarter reflected the company’s broader struggles to return to growth and recapture the cheap chic reputation and fan following that gave it the name ”Tarzhay.” The company is trying to win back the loyalty and trust of shoppers and investors as its sales slump continues and after its shares plunged more than 37% in the last year, as of Tuesday’s close. On a call with reporters, CEO Brian Cornell pinned many of the retailer’s problems on the economy. Yet he said Target is committed to doing better. He referred to a statistic that Target shared on the call: Of the 35 merchandise categories that the company tracks internally, the company gained or held market share in only 15 – a reflection of sales that it is losing to retail competitors. “We’re not happy with that,” Cornell said. “We’ve got to be growing [market] share in 60, 70, 80% of those categories. That’s our focus over the balance of the year, and we’re going to do that by making sure we provide a great shopping environment.” Target said it now expects a low-single digit decline in sales this fiscal year, compared to a previous forecast of net sales growth of about 1%. It said it expects adjusted earnings per share, excluding gains from litigation settlements, to be about $7 to $9, compared to the range of $8.80 to $9.80 that it had previously anticipated. Target also announced some leadership shakeups and the creation of a new office intended to turn around its results. Chief Operating Officer Michael Fiddelke will oversee the new effort, called the Enterprise Acceleration Office, which will look for methods to simplify company operations, use technology in new ways and speed up Target’s growth. Target said in a news release that Amy Tu, chief legal and compliance officer, and Christina Henningon, chief strategy and growth officer, were leaving the company. Hennington, who was a key presenter on some of the company’s earnings calls, had been widely considered in industry circles to be a candidate to succeed Cornell as CEO. Here’s what the Minneapolis-based retailer reported for the fiscal first quarter compared with Wall Street’s estimates, according to a survey of analysts by LSEG: Earnings per share: $1.30 adjusted, it’s unclear if the figure compares to the $1.61 analysts expectedRevenue: $23.85 billion vs. $24.27 billion expected In the three-month ******* that ended May 3, Target’s net income rose to $1.04 billion or $2.27 per share, from $942 million, or $2.03 per share, in the year-ago *******. Comparable sales declined by 3.8% in the quarter compared to the year-ago *******, as comparable store sales fell 5.7% and digital sales grew 4.7%. Target shares dropped more than 3% in premarket trading Wednesday. Tariffs have only added to a challenging set of problems for Target. The discounter’s annual revenue has been roughly flat for four years in a row. Sales have been weaker in many of the discretionary categories that the retailer is known for, such as home decor, as consumers are selective and cautious about spending. And the company has faced backlash from shoppers — and pressure from activists including the Rev. Al Sharpton — for rolling back major parts of its diversity, equity and inclusion program. Cornell told reporters that Target fell short of where it hoped to be in the fiscal first quarter. Yet he pointed to some bright spots, including a 36% jump in same-day deliveries through its membership program, Target Circle 360, and the popularity of a limited-time clothing and accessories collection with Tapestry-owned brand Kate Spade. During the first quarter, Target gained market share in some categories, Chief Commercial Officer Rick Gomez told reporters on a call. Those included beverages, floral and produce. It also saw stronger sales of women’s swimsuits and toddler clothing and surges of traffic around seasonal events, including Valentine’s Day and Easter. Pricing plans Target’s earnings follow updates from other retailers, including Walmart and Home Depot. Both of the big-box retailers reaffirmed their full-year outlooks when they reported quarterly earnings. Yet the two companies diverged with how they will manage higher costs from tariffs. Walmart warned that it will have to raise prices for customers as soon as later this month because of the duties. Home Depot, on the other hand, said it doesn’t plan to hike prices. Target will increase prices on some items to help cover tariff-related costs, Gomez said. He said the company is also trying to minimize the impact of the duties by negotiating with vendors, reevaluating the merchandise it sells, changing the country that produces items and adjusting the timing of orders. Despite being repeatedly pressed by reporters, Cornell did not provide specifics about the company’s plans for tariff-related price increases or answer whether the retailer had raised prices since early March because of the duties. “We’re constantly adjusting pricing,” he said. “Some are going up, some will be reduced, but that’s an ongoing effort that takes place each and every day.” In an interview in early March, Cornell had said that he expected customers to see higher prices for strawberries, avocados and bananas in the coming days because of an expected 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada. Since then, the U.S. has exempted many of those countries’ goods from levies, but imports from China – a major production hub for Target – now have a 30% duty. About half of what Target currently sells is from the U.S., Gomez said. Over the past few years, he said the retailer has tried to move production of its private label brands to different countries outside of China. With private label brands, Target has gone from about 60% coming from China in 2017 to about 30% today, and the company plans to bring that down to 25% by the end of next year, he said. Cost pressures will continue in the second quarter, but Target expects greater relief in the back half of the year, Chief Financial Officer Jim Lee said on a call with reporters. He said Target had some higher first-quarter costs related to reducing inventory, such as through markdowns, because of slower demand. Despite tariff costs, offering lower-priced items has remained a priority for Target, Gomez said. In the front of the company’s stores, it has an area where it sells inexpensive seasonal items for $1, $3 and $5. Gomez said Target is committed to keeping the same prices in that part of the store and plans to add mini beauty products and trendy food and beverage items. Source link #Target #TGT #earnings Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Mortgage demand drops after interest rates jump to the highest level since February Mortgage demand drops after interest rates jump to the highest level since February A “For *****” sign stands at a house in Miami, Florida, U.S. April 16, 2025. Marco Bello | Reuters After shifting in a narrow range for several weeks, mortgage rates moved decidedly higher last week. That caused a 5.1% drop in mortgage applications compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances, $806,500 or less, increased to 6.92% from 6.86%, with points rising to 0.69 from 0.68, including the origination fee, for loans with a 20% down payment. That rate was just 9 basis points lower the same week one year ago. “Mortgage rates jumped to their highest level since February last week, with investors concerned about rising inflation and the impact of increasing deficits and debt,” said Mike Fratantoni, senior vice president and chief economist at the MBA. Applications for a mortgage to buy a home, which had been rising for a few weeks, dropped 5% for the week and were 13% higher than the same week one year ago. Homebuyers are seeing much more listings on the market than they did even a few months ago, but higher interest rates, as well as increasing concern over the state of the economy and inflation, have chilled the usually busy spring season. Applications to refinance a home loan also fell 5% for the week and were 27% higher than the same week one year ago. With rates now nearly the same as they were a year ago and even two years ago, there are fewer and fewer borrowers who can benefit from a refinance. Don’t miss these insights from CNBC PRO Source link #Mortgage #demand #drops #interest #rates #jump #highest #level #February Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

UN says no aid yet distributed in Gaza as international pressure on Israel mounts – BBC UN says no aid yet distributed in Gaza as international pressure on Israel mounts – BBC UN says no aid yet distributed in Gaza as international pressure on Israel mounts BBC’Things are getting harder every day’: Gazans face starvation as UN says aid yet to reach civilians BBCIsrael-Gaza war live: one-week-old baby amongst 45 people killed in Gaza strikes as UN warns aid still being blocked The GuardianHungry Gazans Left Waiting Despite Ease on Israeli Blockade The New York TimesDoctor details Gaza famine: ‘We’re not asking for miracles. We’re asking for food’ ABC News Source link #aid #distributed #Gaza #international #pressure #Israel #mounts #BBC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Most AI chatbots easily tricked into giving dangerous responses, study finds | Artificial intelligence (AI) Most AI chatbots easily tricked into giving dangerous responses, study finds | Artificial intelligence (AI) Hacked AI-powered chatbots threaten to make dangerous knowledge readily available by churning out illicit information the programs absorb during training, researchers say. The warning comes amid a disturbing trend for chatbots that have been “jailbroken” to circumvent their built-in safety controls. The restrictions are supposed to prevent the programs from providing harmful, biased or inappropriate responses to users’ questions. The engines that power chatbots such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude – large language models (LLMs) – are fed vast amounts of material from the internet. Despite efforts to strip harmful text from the training data, LLMs can still absorb information about ******** activities such as hacking, money laundering, insider trading and bomb-making. The security controls are designed to stop them using that information in their responses. In a report on the threat, the researchers conclude that it is easy to trick most AI-driven chatbots into generating harmful and ******** information, showing that the risk is “immediate, tangible and deeply concerning”. “What was once restricted to state actors or organised crime groups may soon be in the hands of anyone with a laptop or even a mobile phone,” the authors warn. The research, led by Prof Lior Rokach and Dr Michael Fire at Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, identified a growing threat from “dark LLMs”, AI models that are either deliberately designed without safety controls or modified through jailbreaks. Some are openly advertised online as having “no ethical guardrails” and being willing to assist with ******** activities such as cybercrime and fraud. Jailbreaking tends to use carefully crafted prompts to trick chatbots into generating responses that are normally prohibited. They work by exploiting the tension between the program’s primary goal to follow the user’s instructions, and its secondary goal to avoid generating harmful, biased, unethical or ******** answers. The prompts tend to create scenarios in which the program prioritises helpfulness over its safety constraints. To demonstrate the problem, the researchers developed a universal jailbreak that compromised multiple leading chatbots, enabling them to answer questions that should normally be refused. Once compromised, the LLMs consistently generated responses to almost any query, the report states. “It was shocking to see what this system of knowledge consists of,” Fire said. Examples included how to hack computer networks or make drugs, and step-by-step instructions for other criminal activities. “What sets this threat apart from previous technological risks is its unprecedented combination of accessibility, scalability and adaptability,” Rokach added. The researchers contacted leading providers of LLMs to alert them to the universal jailbreak but said the response was “underwhelming”. Several companies failed to respond, while others said jailbreak attacks fell outside the scope of bounty programs, which reward ethical hackers for flagging software vulnerabilities. The report says tech firms should screen training data more carefully, add robust firewalls to block risky queries and responses and develop “machine unlearning” techniques, so chatbots can “forget” any illicit information they absorb. Dark LLMs should be seen as “serious security risks”, comparable to unlicensed weapons and explosives, with providers being held accountable, it adds. Dr Ihsen Alouani, who works on AI security at Queen’s University Belfast, said jailbreak attacks on LLMs could pose real risks, from providing detailed instructions on weapon-making to convincing disinformation or social engineering and automated scams “with alarming sophistication”. “A key part of the solution is for companies to invest more seriously in red teaming and model-level robustness techniques, rather than relying solely on front-end safeguards. We also need clearer standards and independent oversight to keep pace with the evolving threat landscape,” he said. Prof Peter Garraghan, an AI security expert at Lancaster University, said: “Organisations must treat LLMs like any other critical software component – one that requires rigorous security testing, continuous red teaming and contextual threat modelling. “Yes, jailbreaks are a concern, but without understanding the full AI stack, accountability will remain superficial. Real security demands not just responsible disclosure, but responsible design and deployment practices,” he added. OpenAI, the firm that built ChatGPT, said its latest o1 model can reason about the firm’s safety policies, which improves its resilience to jailbreaks. The company added that it was always investigating ways to make the programs more robust. Meta, Google, Microsoft and Anthropic, have been approached for comment. Microsoft responded with a link to a blog on its work to safeguard against jailbreaks. Source link #chatbots #easily #tricked #giving #dangerous #responses #study #finds #Artificial #intelligence Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Diddy Kong’s redesign gets a new Nintendo render, is praised by Donkey Kong Country artist Diddy Kong’s redesign gets a new Nintendo render, is praised by Donkey Kong Country artist A new render on the Nintendo website gives users a better look at Diddy Kong’s redesign. The render, which can be seen on the Characters page of the Store section of the US Nintendo website, shows Donkey Kong running and Diddy holding onto his shoulder. It’s been known for some time that Donkey Kong has been given a redesign, but all we’ve seen of the new Diddy until now is a separate low-resolution render which was added to the Nintendo site last week. This new render gives a better look at the new Diddy Kong. When the low-res render was released, Kevin Bayliss – who came up with the original design for Diddy Kong when he worked at Rare – gave his blessing, saying on X: “Thank you Nintendo for improving your Diddy Kong character, and being sympathetic towards my original design. They both now look better than ever. I can now rest in peace.” Other aspects remain unknown, however. Last week’s low-res render appeared to show that Diddy’s cap now has a round badge on the side with his own logo on it, rather than the Nintendo logo emblazoned on the front of the cap (as was also the case in his cameo appearance in The Super Mario Bros Movie). Neither that render or this new one give a proper look at the cap in full, however. Diddy Kong got a new render, as seen on the Switch’s news section.It may be different from his Super Mario Bros Movie appearance, but it seems to confirm that he’s at least keeping his little pin badge on his hat – could this be replacing the usual Nintendo logo? — Chris Scullion (@scully1888.bsky.social) 2025-05-15T18:50:02.527Z Donkey Kong’s redesign was first seen back in January, when Nintendo first announced the Switch 2. Its short teaser video included footage of what would later be confirmed to be Mario Kart World, including a brief glimpse of the redesigned Donkey Kong. Nintendo then officially announced Donkey Kong Bananza in April, along with the official reveal of Donkey Kong’s new design, which appears to be a cross between the version seen in the Super Mario Bros Movie, and that seen in pre-Donkey Kong Country artwork in games such as the Game Boy version of Donkey Kong. As with any redesign, some players have welcomed the new look while others disapprove, but Bayliss, who was also responsible for redesigning Donkey Kong during his time at Rare, gave his approval when the new Donkey Kong was revealed in April. Bayliss, who was in charge of the 3D computer-generated look first used for the characters in Donkey Kong Country, took to X to say he saw no reason why anyone should be angry with the character’s latest makeover. “I don’t understand why there’s any debate to be had,” Bayliss wrote. “It’s still DK, only better looking. People need to embrace change more! All good things get better with age (I would say that though, since I’ve been doing this for almost 40 years now). Everyone give a big warm welcome for the new DK!” Source link #Diddy #Kongs #redesign #Nintendo #render #praised #Donkey #Kong #Country #artist Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ukrainian ex-top official shot dead outside Madrid school Ukrainian ex-top official shot dead outside Madrid school A former leading Ukrainian official has been shot dead outside an American school in the Spanish capital Madrid, reports say. The 51-year-old man, named by Ukrainian and Spanish sources as Andriy Portnov, had just dropped his children off at the school in the Pozuelo de Alarcón area of the city, reports say. An unidentified attacker fired several shots at the victim before fleeing into a wooded area in a nearby public park, Spanish reports said. Portnov had been an MP and deputy head in the administration of Viktor Yanukovych, the pro-Russian president ousted in 2014 after months of protests. He left Ukraine after the revolution, and in 2021 he was sanctioned by the US Treasury, which said he had been “widely known as a court fixer” who had taken steps to control the judiciary and undermine reform efforts. It was not clear who was behind the shooting that took place at about 09:15 local time (07:15 GMT) on Wednesday, reportedly as children were still entering the school. A similar gun attack took place in 2018 outside a British Council school a few kilometres away. Source link #Ukrainian #extop #official #shot #dead #Madrid #school Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]