Pelican Press

Trump selects concept for $175 billion ‘Golden Dome’ missile defense system – AP News Trump selects concept for $175 billion ‘Golden Dome’ missile defense system – AP News Trump selects concept for $175 billion ‘Golden Dome’ missile defense system AP NewsTrump details plan to build ‘Golden Dome’ missile shield by end of term CNNTrump says US will put weapons in space as part of ‘Golden Dome’ plan Al JazeeraTrump selects $175 billion Golden Dome defense shield design, appoints leader ReutersTrump, Hegseth announce ‘Golden Dome,’ a ‘game changer’ to protect American homeland Fox News Source link #Trump #selects #concept #billion #Golden #Dome #missile #defense #system #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

S&P 500: The VIX Pinning Effects May Soon Be Behind Us S&P 500: The VIX Pinning Effects May Soon Be Behind Us The finished the day lower, falling by around 40 bps. It looked like the market did its best to keep the from going below 18 yesterday. Today morning will be the VIX opex, and that will be that, and the pin at 18 will be no more. The VIX has been mean-reverting to 18 every day since getting there last Monday. In the meantime, the rose by six bps to 4.97%. The big question is whether we are going to finally crack 5% and really make a meaningful move higher. Technically speaking, I could make a strong argument for a 30-year Treasury between 5.25% and 5.5%. Fundamentally, I could make a strong argument for rates being much higher than that. The 30-year minus the rose to 60 bps yesterday, and if we break through the level of resistance, the 30-year rate could go much higher because there is not much resistance. The question ultimately is how wide this spread gets. If the economy doesn’t head to recession, and the 3-month settles around 3%, the 30-year rate could be much higher over time. Since 1988, the 30-year typically tops out around 4.5% higher than the 3-month rate. You can do the math. It will be interesting to see how and if the BoJ responds to the rapid rise in long-end rates in Japan, with the rising by 12 bps on Monday to 3.09%. Finally, we have the 10-day EMA, the 200-day SMA, technical support at 5,900, the 78.6 retracement level, along with an uptrend in the , all in play here. I’d imagine that if this 5,900 level break were to occur, we could see that gap fill on the ES at 5,685 within a few days. Original Post Source link #VIX #Pinning #Effects Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Police identify victim and gunman in Las Vegas gym shooting Police identify victim and gunman in Las Vegas gym shooting The person killed in a shooting at a Las Vegas fitness center on Friday was 31-year-old Edgar Quinonez, a longtime employee of the Las Vegas Athletic Club who had no known connection to the shooter, police said Monday. The suspected shooter, 34-year-old Daniel Ortega, died of gunshot wounds, after officers fired at him. Source link #Police #identify #victim #gunman #Las #Vegas #gym #shooting Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Artificial intelligence isn’t out of the picture Artificial intelligence isn’t out of the picture A view of a Tesla Cybercab, also known as the Robotaxi, during the Silicon Valley Auto Show at Santa Clara Convention Center in California, U.S., on Feb. 22, 2025. Tayfun Coskun | Anadolu | Getty Images One consequence of the tariff tumult caused by U.S. President Donald Trump over the past month is that investor enthusiasm over artificial intelligence has waned. Only three of the Magnificent Seven stocks — all of which have a finger in the AI pie — are positive this year, with Nvidia eking out a tiny 0.07% gain year to date. The dampened investor mood over AI — relative to the frenzy over the theme in 2024, at least — doesn’t reflect the priorities of companies, which are still spending on AI infrastructure and leveraging the technology to find new revenue streams. Google-parent Alphabet will be adding a new AI subscription service that costs $249.99 a month, while Tesla is banking on AI to power its robotaxi ambitions. Indeed, Josh Brown, co-founder and CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management, wrote on CNBC PRO that AI will still be the main catalyst for markets despite tariffs sucking all the air out of the trading floor since Trump’s “Liberation Day” on April 2. And with the rally in stocks flagging Tuesday, AI could eventually provide more wind to markets’ sails. What you need to know today S&P 500 breaks six-day win streakU.S. markets slipped Tuesday. The S&P 500 lost 0.39%, ending its six-day run in the green. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.27% and the Nasdaq Composite declined 0.38%. Asia-Pacific markets rose Wednesday. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index added roughly 0.5% as shares of ******** battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology jumped around 4.2%, extending gains from Tuesday when it closed more than 16% higher on its trading debut. Musk wants to continue leading TeslaTesla CEO Elon Musk said Tuesday there is “no doubt” about the fact that he’s committed to leading the company for the next five years. He wants to have “sufficient voting control” so he cannot be ousted by activist investors, Musk said, and added that he will devote “a lot less” to political spending in the future because he’s “done enough.” Musk was speaking at Bloomberg’s Qatar Economic Forum in Doha. Tesla will launch robotaxis in JuneIn a separate interview with CNBC’s David Faber on Tuesday at Tesla’s headquarters in Austin, Texas, Musk said he expects Tesla and xAI to continue buying chips from semiconductor giants Nvidia and AMD. Musk also confirmed the company will have robotaxis in Austin by the end of June. Rival robotaxi firm Waymo, owned by Alphabet, told CNBC the same day it has reached 10 million paid trips so far. Growth of Japan exports slowsJapan’s exports grew 2% in April, government data showed Wednesday. Even though that figure is in line with expectations in a Reuters poll, it marks the slowest increase since October last year and the worst showing since September when exports contracted 1.7%. Japan is being charged a 25% levy on its auto, steel and aluminum exports to the U.S., which could be weighing on its export volume. New ‘Google AI Ultra’ subscriptionGoogle is adding a new artificial intelligence subscription service called “Google AI Ultra.” The plan includes the Google’s flagship AI app Gemini with the newly announced Gemini 2.5 Pro “DeepThink” mode, new filmmaking AI tool Flow and note-to-podcast tool Notebook LM, the company announced Tuesday at its annual developer conference Google IO. The service will cost $249.99 per month. [PRO] Artificial intelligence, not tariffsJosh Brown, CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management and CNBC PRO contributor, said Tuesday the most important theme for the stock market right now is not tariffs, but rather artificial intelligence. Find out why he thinks so and the AI stock he bullish on. And finally… Japan’s farm minister Taku Eto responds to questions from media after submitting his resignation to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the prime minister’s office in Tokyo on May 21, 2025. Str | Afp | Getty Images Japan’s farm minister said he has never had to buy rice. That cost him his job Japan’s farm minister Taku Eto stepped down on Wednesday, domestic media reported, following public outrage over his comments on getting free rice. Eto said on Sunday that he has never had to buy rice as he received ample amounts of the grain as gifts from supporters — a comment that struck a nerve with locals struggling with rocketing prices of the beloved staple. Japan has been grappling with soaring rice prices for months as inclement weather and the country’s long-held policy to protect local farmers’ interests crimps supplies. Source link #Artificial #intelligence #isnt #picture Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Supreme Court for now overturns Maine official’s censure on trans sports – The Washington Post Supreme Court for now overturns Maine official’s censure on trans sports – The Washington Post Supreme Court for now overturns Maine official’s censure on trans sports The Washington PostSupreme Court orders Maine legislature to revoke censure of Rep. Laurel Libby over trans athlete post Fox NewsSupreme Court Orders Maine House to Restore Voting Power to Censured Lawmaker, for Now The New York TimesMaine’s Laurel Libby granted Supreme Court emergency relief in trans sports dispute MSNBC NewsSupreme Court backs Republican lawmaker in Maine who was punished for transgender athlete remarks NBC News Source link #Supreme #Court #overturns #Maine #officials #censure #trans #sports #Washington #Post Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Derry’s riverside rats ‘enjoying five star all-inclusive holiday’ Derry’s riverside rats ‘enjoying five star all-inclusive holiday’ Watch: Rats running around the quayside in Derry Huge numbers of rats are enjoying a “five star all-inclusive holiday” on one of Londonderry’s most popular riverfront walkways, a pest control expert has warned. Dozens of rats have been spotted in the last week on Queen’s Quay, an area frequently used by families, walkers and cyclists. A number of measures have now been put in place to interrupt the rats’ “transit routes”, Derry City and Strabane District Council (DCSDC) said. Patricia Page, owner of a pest and rodent control business in the north west, said it appeared a large colony had set up home on the quay, adding it is a real “cause for concern”. Footage of the rats first emerged last week. There have been further daily sightings over recent days. DCSDC said they had acted following an escalation in rodent activity in the area. It has “implemented immediate measures to assist local landowners and businesses to address this issue”. North West Pest and Rodent Control Patricia Page said competition for food is driving rats out into the open Ms Page told BBC Radio Foyle’s North West Today programme there would always be rats on the riverfront. “If you have food and water and harbourage, you have a perfect storm there for rat activity,” she said. “They have all their needs, it’s like a five star all-inclusive holiday for them, they have even got the sunshine. “When you see rats out and about during the day and in those numbers, then I am afraid you have a significant rat infestation.” She urged the Derry public and business to play their part in getting rid of the rats. Experts say there will always be rats near the river but there is a “perfect storm” of conditions “A lot of it is to do with us, people leaving food behind. Remove the food and the harbourage and they won’t be secure, they will go,” she said. “It’s vital people don’t leave any rubbish behind, that businesses’ bins are not overfilled.” The planters on the quay provide shelter for the rats However the scale of the colony means a controlled riddance programme will most likely be required, she added. “They have a right to live, but you do not want to send those rats everywhere. You do not want them to scatter,” she said. J Casey via Facebook People have been sharing footage of the rats on the quay on social media The council said site assessments have been carried out by its environmental health team. That investigation determined the rodents had been using the planters as routes to travel from their nesting area to access food sources. “The council is taking proactive steps to ensure the swift resolution of this situation, including the removal of some of planters in order to disrupt these pathways,” a council spokeswoman added. The council has removed some of the street furniture over recent days Foyle SDLP assembly Mark H Durkan filmed the rats he encountered while out running. “I run the quay regularly and have done for years. I have seen the odd little four-legged friend – that is to be expected on the riverfront – but never anything like this,” he said. “You can’t have a rat population like this in an area used so much by the public. I would ask everyone to be careful about what they do with their litter.” ‘Rat numbers are exploding’ David Greer is a certified field biologist who runs his own pest control business in County Antrim. He told BBC News NI the situation on the riverfront in Derry was playing out in other areas. “As a business we can’t keep up with demand for our services,” he said. “Rat numbers are exploding, their numbers are greater than we have seen for some time. Once it gets out of control, it is very hard to get it back.” Source link #Derrys #riverside #rats #enjoying #star #allinclusive #holiday Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Changes as Maroons fight to avoid women’s Origin sweep Changes as Maroons fight to avoid women’s Origin sweep Injury-hit Queensland have named two debutants and moved out-of-sorts Ali Brigginshaw from the halves as they fight to avoid a State of Origin series whitewash. Brisbane’s Hayley Maddick will replace injured talisman Tamika Upton (hip) at fullback for the third game of the women’s series, while Cronulla playmaker Georgia Hannaway is named on the bench. Neither has previously featured at Origin level, but both enjoyed strong 2024 NRLW campaigns. Brigginshaw has shifted to lock to replace Keilee Joseph, set to miss next Thursday’s Origin III in Newcastle for medical reasons. Veteran Brigginshaw has been unable to spark the Queenslanders in two hefty losses this series and reverts to the position where she has played five of her 12 Origin games. That pushes utility Lauren Brown into the halves to partner Tarryn Aiken in Newcastle, with Destiny Brill returning to the starting side in Brown’s hooker spot. Queensland will hope Brown can repeat her heroics from last year’s trip to Newcastle, where she iced the Maroons’ game-two victory with a field goal. The Maroons’ middle forward rotation remains unchanged despite being completely dominated by their NSW counterparts in the first two matches. NSW have named an unchanged team from the one that posted a 26-6 win over Queensland in last week’s second match. A neck injury meant Jess Sergis could not finish that game, but she has been named in the centres opposite NSW captain and Sydney Roosters teammate Isabelle Kelly. Olivia Higgins usurps Shaylee Bent as replacement player for NSW. QUEENSLAND: Hayley Maddick, Julia Robinson, Shenae Ciesiolka, Rory Owen, Jasmine Peters, Tarryn Aiken, Lauren Brown, Makenzie Weale, Destiny Brill, Jessika Elliston, Sienna Lofipo, Romy Teitzel, Ali Brigginshaw, Georgia Hannaway, Sophie Holyman, Chelsea Lenarduzzi, Tavarna Papalii, Jada Ferguson (replacement player) NEW SOUTH WALES: Abbi Church, Jaime Chapman, Jess Sergis, Isabelle Kelly, Jayme Fressard, Tiana Penitani Gray, Jesse Southwell, Simaima Taufa, Keeley Davis, Ellie Johnston, Kezie Apps, Yasmin Clydsdale, Olivia Kernick, Kennedy Cherrington, Sarah Togatuki, Emma Verran, Olivia Higgins (replacement player) Source link #Maroons #fight #avoid #womens #Origin #sweep Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Judge finds police acted reasonably in shooting New Mexico man while at wrong address Judge finds police acted reasonably in shooting New Mexico man while at wrong address SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed part of a lawsuit that accused police of violating constitutional protections when they fatally shot a man after showing up at the wrong address in response to a domestic violence call. The shooting of Robert Dotson, 52, in the northwestern New Mexico city of Farmington prompted a civil lawsuit by his family members, though public prosecutors found there was no basis to pursue criminal charges against officers after a review of events. The suit alleged that the family was deprived of its civil rights and officers acted unreasonably. Hearing a knock at the door late on April 5, 2023, Dotson put on a robe, went downstairs and grabbed a handgun before answering. Police outside shined a flashlight as Dotson appeared and raised the firearm before three police officers opened fire, killing him. Dotson did not shoot. “Ultimately, given the significant threat Dotson posed when he pointed his firearm at officers … the immediacy of that threat, the proximity between Dotson and the defendant officers, and considering that the events unfolded in only a few seconds, the court finds that the defendant officers reasonably applied deadly force,” U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Garcia said in a written court opinion. The judge also said the officers were entitled under the circumstances to qualified immunity — special legal protections that prevent people from suing over claims that police or government workers violated their constitutional rights. The opinion was published May 15 — the same day the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously in a separate case that courts should weigh the totality of circumstances and not just a “moment of threat” when judging challenges to police shootings under the Fourth Amendment. Tom Clark, one of the Dotson family’s attorneys, said the lawsuit against Farmington police will move forward on other claims under tort law and provisions of the New Mexico Civil Rights Act, which limits immunity for police and other government agencies. Defense attorneys said in court filings that the officers acted reasonably under “the totality of circumstances,” noting that they repeatedly knocked and announced that police had arrived and saying Dotson “posed an imminent threat of death or great bodily harm to police.” Philip Stinson, a professor of criminal justice at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, said Tuesday that court evaluations of police immunity in shootings “sometimes lead to results that end up leaving you scratching your head.” “Here the court is saying the police made a mistake — but in that moment they were confronted with a decision to use deadly force,” he said. “I don’t think this is the last word in this case.” Lawyers for Dotson’s family emphasized that police were at the wrong address and that he was likely blinded by the flashlight with little inkling that police were there. They said officers did not give him sufficient time to comply with commands as an officer shouted, “Hey, hands up.” According to the lawsuit, Dotson’s wife, wearing only a robe, came downstairs after hearing the shots and found her husband lying in the doorway. She fired outside, not knowing who was out there. Police fired 19 rounds but missed her. Source link #Judge #finds #police #acted #shooting #Mexico #man #wrong #address Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Google Unveils New Workspace Features at I/O for Meet, Docs, Vids; Gmail Gets Personalised Smart Replies Google Unveils New Workspace Features at I/O for Meet, Docs, Vids; Gmail Gets Personalised Smart Replies Google announced significant upgrades to Gmail, Google Workspace, Google Docs, and even Google Vids during the annual Google I/O Developers Conference on Tuesday. One of the biggest highlights was the rollout of new Gemini features for Gmail. Google has added new personalised replies in Gmail with help from Gemini, allowing users to draft their emails through AI suggestions that match their specific context and tone. Google’s email client also gets a new appointment scheduling feature. Further, Google Meet added support for language translation functionality, while Vids can now turn existing Google Slides into engaging videos. The tech giant announced a slew of new AI-based features for Gmail, Meet, Vids, and Docs at the Google I/O event on Tuesday. As mentioned, a key highlight was the introduction of several new Gemini-powered features for Gmail. Gmail Gets Personalised Reply Suggestions Google has added a Personalised Smart Replies feature in Gmail that will assist users in drafting emails that match their specific context and tone. This feature pulls from past emails and the user’s Google Drive contents to give response suggestions with specific details. Google claims that the replies adapt to the tone of the user. Further, Google has added an Inbox Cleanup feature to Gmail. With this functionality, users can tell Gemini to declutter their inbox with a single click with commands like “delete all of my unread emails” from any specific user. Additionally, Fast Appointment Scheduling is now integrated into Gmail. This allows users to book meetings without ever leaving their inbox. Google has introduced real-time Speech Translation in Google Meet in multiple languages for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in beta. This functionality is available in English and Spanish for now. More languages are confirmed to be added in the coming weeks. Google is developing this capability for businesses, and it is promised to be available for Workspace customers later this year. Google Vids Can Turn Slides Into Videos Google Vids now lets users turn existing Google Slides into engaging videos. Gemini will assist in generating scripts, voiceovers, and animations. Additionally, it gets a Transcript Trim functionality that identifies and removes filler words and awkward pauses with one click. Google Vids leverages AI to bring a Balance Sound feature to fix uneven audio quality with just a click. The latest update also adds AI Avatars to videos. The new Vids feature will be available for users next quarter, while the Balance Sound feature will be available next month. The Transcript Trim tool will be released in Labs next quarter, and AI Avatars will come to Labs next month. All these features will be accessible to Google AI Pro or Ultra plan subscribers. Finally, Google’s Imagen 4 image generation model is confirmed to be available for Slides, Vids, Docs, and more starting today. Additionally, Google Docs now supports source-grounded writing help by linking relevant files, and Gemini will use only those sources for focused, reliable suggestions. Source link #Google #Unveils #Workspace #Features #Meet #Docs #Vids #Gmail #Personalised #Smart #Replies Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

European markets open to close, earnings, data and news European markets open to close, earnings, data and news Sterling jumps after *** inflation print The British pound jumped by around 0.4% against the U.S. dollar immediately after the U.K.’s annual inflation print for April was published, with the figure coming in at a hotter-than-expected 3.5%. Sterling was 0.5% higher against the greenback by 7:27 a.m. in London, trading at around $1.346. *** inflation jumps to 3.5% in April Shoppers walk past a Gap Inc. clothing store in London, U.K., on Thursday, May 25, 2017. Simon Dawson | Bloomberg | Getty Images The U.K.’s annual inflation rate hit 3.5% in April, coming in above analyst expectations, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics on Wednesday. Economists polled by Reuters had anticipated the consumer price index would reach 3.3% in the twelve months to April. The latest data release comes against a recent trend of cooling inflation, with the rate of price rises slowing to 2.8% in February and 2.6% in March. Core inflation, which excludes more volatile energy, food, alcohol and tobacco prices, rose by 3.8% in the year to April, up from 3.4% in the twelve months to March. — Holly Ellyatt European markets head for a flat to lower open London at dawn. Dukas | Universal Images Group | Getty Images Good morning from London and welcome to CNBC’s live blog covering the latest action in European markets as well as business news, analysis, earnings and data. Here are the opening calls on Wednesday: European bourses are expected to open around the flatline, with London’s FTSE seen opening 5 points higher at 8,781, Germany’s DAX 1 point higher at 24,012, the French CAC 40 down 5 points at 7,933 and Italy’s FTSE MIB down 27 points at 40,548, according to data from IG. — Holly Ellyatt What to keep an eye out for today British supermarket Marks & Spencer boosted pay for its frontline workers, such as shop assistants, by 15% from April 5 to May 31. Chris Ratcliffe | Bloomberg via Getty Images Here are a few things for investors to look out for on Wednesday. Earnings reports are set to come from M&S, SSE, Currys and JD Sports. On the data front, U.K. inflation figures for April will be published at 7 a.m. London time. We’ll bring you the numbers and quick analysis on the data then. — Holly Ellyatt Overnight action in Asia-Pacific and U.S. markets Asia-Pacific markets traded mostly higher overnight, although Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 0.23% after the country reported that exports slowed for a second straight month as the country reels under U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs. South Korea’s Kospi climbed 0.58%, while the small-cap Kosdaq traded 0.95% higher. Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 climbed 0.43%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index rose 0.45% at the open, while mainland China’s CSI 300 traded flat. Meanwhile, in the U.S., S&P 500 futures wavered Tuesday night after a losing session on Wall Street that snapped a winning streak. Source link #European #markets #open #close #earnings #data #news Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

FDA tightens requirements for COVID vaccine, adding trials for healthy adults – Reuters FDA tightens requirements for COVID vaccine, adding trials for healthy adults – Reuters FDA tightens requirements for COVID vaccine, adding trials for healthy adults ReutersFDA may limit future Covid-19 shots to older people and those at risk of serious infection CNNF.D.A. Poised to Restrict Access to Covid Vaccines The New York TimesNew Trump vaccine policy limits access to COVID shots AP NewsA stricter FDA policy for COVID vaccines could limit future access NPR Source link #FDA #tightens #requirements #COVID #vaccine #adding #trials #healthy #adults #Reuters Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Evidence lost after six killed in Harlow fire Evidence lost after six killed in Harlow fire Gabby Colenso BBC News, Essex Family Handout Dr Sabah Usmani and her five children died in the fire at their home in October 2012 Key evidence was unwittingly destroyed at the start of an investigation into the deaths of six family members in a house fire in 2012, according to an investigator who worked on the case. Dr Sabah Usmani, 44, and her five children – Hira, 12; Sohaib, 11; Muneeb, nine; Rayyan, six; and Maheen, three – died following the fire at their home in Harlow, Essex. Her husband, Dr Abdul Shakoor, survived the blaze. A fire investigation officer has told a BBC podcast that a forensics contractor allowed crucial evidence to be put in a skip, while another investigator claimed samples were packaged incorrectly. Essex Police said it could not comment on the claims as the investigation was still live. Qays Najm/BBC David Hadjicostas says the front door was removed from its frame and put in a skip before his team examined it David Hadjicostas, then a fire investigation officer for Essex Fire and Rescue Service, said the forensic science adviser from Key Forensic Services failed to test the external lock on the family’s front door, which Dr Shakoor and his neighbour reported was open. Dr Shakoor told officers there was a problem with the door’s lock, which prompted the police to consider an opportunist burglar. Mr Hadjicostas said he saw the adviser try the lock on the inside of the door, but not the outside. “I always thought that was particularly odd because he was adamant that the door was lockable and he only tried 50% of the lock,” he said. The door was removed from its frame and put in a skip before the fire team had examined it, he added. David Hadjicostas The fire at the home of the Shakoors started in the early hours of 15 October 2012 In the early hours of 15 October 2012, the family, originally from Pakistan and who moved to the house in Barn Mead in 2011, awoke to a loud sound and thick smoke. After trying to raise the alarm from a bedroom window, Dr Shakoor jumped out to seek help. Firefighters later had to restrain him from going back into the property. A neighbour’s car had been set on fire at the same time. Police at first suspected arson, but 11 days after the fire, a laptop bag containing photos belonging to the Shakoor family was found dumped at a nearby estate. Officers then launched a ******* investigation, believing someone had burgled the family home and stolen the laptop before setting the house on fire. Crime Next Door Podcast Trailer – Who Killed the Shakoors? After receiving complaints about work undertaken by Key Forensic Services, Essex Police appointed Iain *****, a specialist fire investigator from Prometheus Forensic Services, to review it. Mr ***** said he was disappointed by the way samples of a large piece of laminate flooring in the lounge, where it was believed the fire started, had been taken. “Whoever was doing the packaging had stuck a nylon bag over one end, another nylon bag over another end, and then used Sellotape to kind of make some sort of Christmas cracker.” The samples were rejected as they needed to be airtight so they could retain vapour from any potential accelerant used, he added. Mr ***** said the neighbour’s car, a silver Ford Focus, which had been set alight the night of the fire, had not been fully excavated and appropriate samples had not been taken within 24 hours. Prometheus Forensic Services complained to the Forensic Science Regulator at the Home Office at the time about Key Forensic Services’ work. However, the regulator said although a code of practice and conduct was published in 2011, it did not cover fire scene investigation. The government-owned Forensic Science Service (FSS) was closed down in early 2012 by the Home Office, with much of its work taken on by private companies which had to bid for contracts with police forces in England and Wales. In 2011 Andrew White, then chief executive of Hertfordshire Police Authority, warned in The Guardian the decision to close FSS was so rushed that forces would have to turn to private suppliers without doing due diligence. Mr Hadjicostas believes the loss of the FSS affected the investigation. “The impact of that is when we’re trying our best to try to find the cause and the origin of a fire in very, very difficult circumstances, you want your best people there,” he added. Gabby Colenso/BBC Dr Shakoor remains frustrated that no-one has been brought to justice for the deaths of his family Essex Police discovered there were three other burglaries within the hour of the fire at Barn Mead and seven people have been arrested during the investigation. One person arrested in May 2013 was found to have a glass fragment on their clothing that matched the neighbour’s torched car, but not all the fragments were tested. Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray recorded an open verdict at an inquest into the deaths at Chelmsford Coroner’s Court in 2014, adding: “Not all of the pieces of the jigsaw are there yet.” Dr Shakoor said he remained frustrated that no-one had been brought to justice and that he was “losing hope.” “I’m really shocked because I never thought they wouldn’t have done it properly. We put our trust in the relevant departments,” he said. “We need some sort of a conclusion and some closure.” Key Forensic Services said it was still working with Essex Police and therefore unable to comment. It was unable to put the BBC in touch with the forensic scientist it used for the case, and we have been unable to trace them. Essex Police said it remained committed to doing all it could to give Dr Shakoor justice for the loss of his family. It added the investigation remained live and so there were elements raised by the BBC that it could not speak about. The Home Office said forensic investigations were conducted independently of the government and that it could not comment on specific aspects of the case as it remained an ongoing investigation. A spokesperson added the Home Office would be appointing a national forensic science lead who would “transform our approach to forensics, ensuring these vital services deliver justice for victims”. You can listen to BBC podcast series Crime Next Door – Who Killed the Shakoors? on BBC Sounds Source link #Evidence #lost #killed #Harlow #fire Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nationals and Liberals team up to try and revoke firearm act reform Nationals and Liberals team up to try and revoke firearm act reform Liberal and National MPs in State Parliament are set to fail in their bid to dump Labor’s new firearm rules, as the Government accused the Opposition of risking community safety. The disallowance motion against the Government’s tough gun laws, moved by Nationals leader Shane Love on Wednesday, resulted in the Liberals joining calls for the regulations to be rewritten. Mr Love pledged at the election to roll back the regulations made in in 2024’s Firearm Act, which limits the number of guns owners can have. It came after the issue led to tensions between the Nationals and Liberals when Mr Love said he would not form government with the Liberals if they did not support disallowing the firearm reforms. “People in regional Western Australia, especially, have a deep understanding of the need for firearms in their community,” he said on Wednesday. “Not only for the control of pest species on their land but also as one of their recreational pursuits and a way of ensuring that the community’s health, their mental health, is taken care of because for many people that activity of firearm use is their recreation. “Taking that away from them is making people feel really under threat and has been very, very poorly executed by this Government and is fundamentally politically based, not based on the needs of public safety.” Premier Roger Cook warned that the move could risk community safety. “WA is safer today because of our gun law reforms, Western Australians live in a safer community because of our gun law reforms, so it’s very disturbing to see that the Nationals are going forward with their disallowance motion, which will put these laws into disarray,” he said. “That’s incredibly concerning, it’s a choice about whether you own a gun but it’s a right to know that you are safe living in Western Australia and that’s what these gun laws are in there to do.” Mr Love refuted the suggestion. “I’d say that’s bumpkin, we’re not trying to jeopardise community safety but what we’re not about is imposing on the community a whole range of unworkable regulations and laws which are actually unjustifiably making people feel that they’ve been victimised by their own,” he said. Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas conceded that Labor’s commanding majority meant the motion was doomed to fail. “We all know the numbers in this place, this is not going to pass but this is an opportunity for the opposition parties to make the point on behalf of police and doctors that large elements of these regulations are unworkable,” he said. “What I’m doing is exactly what I just said, we’re using the parliamentary procedures available to us to support police and to support doctors who have said large elements of these regulations are unworkable. “We always said, and everybody knows this, we always said this legislation did not get the proper scrutiny. It was rushed through.” Source link #Nationals #Liberals #team #revoke #firearm #act #reform Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Scientists Found a Massive Copper Deposit That Could Change the Future of Energy Scientists Found a Massive Copper Deposit That Could Change the Future of Energy Here’s what you’ll learn in this story: An initial mineral resource estimate, exploring deeper mineralization of the Filo del Sol copper deposit in northwest Argentina, found that the area likely contained five times more metals that previously believed, making it one of the largest deposits in the world. Although a boon for many industries in need of copper, gold, and silver, mining in the high Andes is far from easy due to high altitudes, harsh climates, and environmental concerns. Environmentalists worry that some mines in the region may violate the country’s Glacier Law—designed to protect Argentina’s largest source of a freshwater—and use a lot of groundwater during the mining process. Located along the border of Chile and Argentina, the Filo del Sol copper deposit has been under investigation for years for potentially being one of the largest copper deposits in the world. And that makes sense, considering this deposit is nestled along the Atacama Desert—long known for its immense copper reserves due to its location in the Andes and its placement within the eastern portion of the Ring of Fire. However, a new initial mineral resource estimate completed earlier this month suggests that the companies in charge of mining this area—the U.S.-based Lundin Mining and BHP—may have stumbled upon five times more metal than they bargained for. According to a statement from Lundin Mining, the new assessment estimates the presence of up to 13 million tonnes of copper, 907,000 kilograms (32 million ounces) of gold, and 18.6 million kilograms (659 million ounces) of silver. This new update, gathered from data collected from 400 additional exploration holes, came from the discovery that deeper mineralization of copper far exceeded the estimates that were closer to the surface. According to AFP, Filo del Sol could prove to be richer still, as experts dig deeper and explore the resource’s northern and southern boundaries. “Filo del Sol has been one of the most significant greenfield discoveries in the last 30 years and an amazing journey for all those that have been involved,” Jack Lundin, CEO of Lundin Mining, said in a press statement. “The initial Mineral Resource has highlighted the potential for one of the highest grade undeveloped open pit copper projects in the world and one of the largest gold and silver resources globally.” This mine is particularly lucrative, as many of the metals found there will be vital to both the green energy revolution and other industries (such as aerospace and telecommunications) that need precious metals like gold. Of course, discovering the existence of these resources is one thing, and extracting them is something else entirely—especially due to this open pit mine’s particular location. Located at roughly 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) above sea level, the mine and its high elevation (not to mention the overall punishing environment) can take a toll on workers and even induce altitude sickness, according to AFP. As with mining any hard-to-reach location, the logistics of moving equipment up to those altitudes will also be difficult. Extracting the metals from this portion of the Andes—an initial mineralization that occurred during the Late Cretaceous—will also cause lasting damage to an already fragile ecosystem. Mining operations on both sides of the border have tried to clean up their act, and mines in other areas of Chile’s Atacama Desert are working toward transitioning to mining powered by renewable energy, according to Mining Technology. In December of 2024, Argentina’s largest private electricity generator Central Puerto began a feasibility study to figure out the best way to build transmission lines capable of ferrying renewable energy to mining sites in the northwest. Lundin also announced in 2022 that they’d be building high-voltage power lines to bring renewable energy to the area and keep diesel consumption to a minimum. However, concerns remain. In a report from Dialogue Earth, the environmental NGO Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (FARN) has accused Lundin Group of flouting the country’s Glacier Law, which prohibits the establishment of mining pits within the periglacier area (the country’s current president is actively seeking to undermine that law). Some 70 percent of the country’s drinking water comes from glaciers. It also doesn’t help that mining itself requires lots of water. For example, one of the country’s biggest mining sites—La Alumbrera—uses 25 billion liters of water every year, which is equal to 34 percent of the water consumed by the region’s nearly half a million inhabitants in a year, according to FARN. It’s no secret that humanity needs minerals hiding within the Earth if it has any hope of transitioning away from fossil fuels. But in the quest for those minerals, it’s best not to kill the patient to cure the disease. You Might Also Like Source link #Scientists #Massive #Copper #Deposit #Change #Future #Energy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Fortnite back on US Apple app store after ban lifted – BBC Fortnite back on US Apple app store after ban lifted – BBC Fortnite back on US Apple app store after ban lifted BBCFortnite approved by Apple, returns to U.S. App Store 5 years after removal CNBCFortnite says it’s offline on Apple’s iOS around the world AP NewsEpic Games’ Fortnite returns to Apple App Store in US after nearly 5 years ReutersFederal Court to Hear Case on Trump’s Firing of FTC Democrats PYMNTS.com Source link #Fortnite #Apple #app #store #ban #lifted #BBC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

M&S online services to face disruption until July M&S online services to face disruption until July Marks & Spencer has said its online services will continue to be disrupted until July due to last month’s cyber attack. Customers have been unable to order online for the past three weeks. “We expect online disruption to continue throughout June and into July as we restart, then ramp up operations,” the firm said. M&S estimates that the cyber-attack will reduce profits for the current year by around £300m. The firm said there was more work to be done restoring systems, operations and services over the next few months, but it hoped to come out of the process “a much stronger business”. Source link #online #services #face #disruption #July Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Common fabric could save lives from most deadly disease Common fabric could save lives from most deadly disease Turning silk like fairy floss into artificial blood vessels will provide a lifeline for cardiovascular patients, scientists say. Cardiovascular disease is Australia’s top killer, contributing to one in four deaths. But after almost a decade of developing silk artificial blood vessels, researchers are confident they have found a solution to lower the numbers. In a world-first test, Australians scientists were able to successfully put a silk blood vessel into a sheep in December. Now they are turning their focus to using one of nature’s strongest materials in humans. “We’re the first to bring this natural biomaterial this far along the translational pathway,” University of Sydney cardiovascular bioengineering professor Steven Wise told AAP on Wednesday. “Now we’re at a place where we’re in sheep and pigs, which are quite like a human.” The vessel starts as a silk cocoon plucked from a farm where it is cut, dried and washed to form a liquid. It is then spat through a minuscule tube onto a cylindrical roll, where it forms a fluff similar to fairy floss. Once the fairy-floss solution solidifies, it can be used in bypass surgery as a long-term artery or vein. The technology will replace current artificial blood vessels, which are made from Gore-Tex, the same material as rain jackets. “(The plastic is) really bad for you,” Professor Wise said. “They cause blood to clot, so our strategy is to build with a natural material that does belong in your body.” The scientific discovery comes as shovels dig into the ground at the University of Sydney to build a new biomedical centre. Planned to be completed by 2028, the $780 million Sydney Biomedical Accelerator aims to find solutions to complicated health issues such as ******* and deadly diseases. NSW is now in the box seat to advance medical technology, according to state Health Minister Ryan Park. “It’s been said for a long time that Victoria is the heart of medical research in this country,” he said. “This puts us back in front of centre in this race. “This is putting money in our mouth of where we need to go … (so) our communities can live the most healthy lives possible.” The research hub will play a key role in reducing cardiovascular disease worldwide, Sydney Local Health District chief executive Deb Willcox said. The disease kills almost 18 million people per year globally, the World Health Organisation says. “It’s an enormous burden across the globe,” Ms Willcox said. “The work that this building bring us will bring treatments forward, provide new medication and procedures, and reduce the burden on people’s lives.” The Sydney Biomedical Accelerator is expected to house more than 1200 researchers and clinician scientists once opened. Source link #Common #fabric #save #lives #deadly #disease Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

iQOO Pad 5 Pro With MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ SoC Launched Alongside iQOO Pad 5 iQOO Pad 5 Pro With MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ SoC Launched Alongside iQOO Pad 5 iQOO Pad 5 series was launched in China alongside the iQOO Neo 10 Pro+ on Tuesday. The new lineup of tablets includes a base and a Pro variant. They run on OriginOS 5 based on Android 15 out-of-the-box and support up to 512GB of UFS 4.1 storage. The base iQOO Pad 5 comes with a MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ SoC, while a MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ chipset powers the Pad 5 Pro. The two tablets are backed by a 10,000mAh battery and a 12,050mAh cell, respectively. iQOO Pad 5, iQOO Pad 5 Pro Price, Availability iQOO Pad 5 price in China starts at CNY 2,499 (roughly Rs. 29,700) for the 8GB + 128GB option, while the 8GB + 256GB variant costs CNY 2,799 (roughly Rs. 33,200). The 12GB + 256GB and 16GB + 512GB configurations are marked at CNY 3,099 (roughly Rs. 36,800) and CNY 3,499 (roughly Rs. 41,500), respectively. Meanwhile, the price of the iQOO Pad 5 Pro begins at CNY 3,199 (roughly Rs. 38,000) for the 8GB + 256GB option. The 12GB + 256GB, 12GB + 512GB and 16GB + 512GB RAM and storage configurations are priced at CNY 3,499 (roughly Rs. 41,500), CNY 3,799 (roughly Rs. 45,100) and CNY 3,999 (roughly Rs. 47,500), respectively. Both tablets are offered in Isle of Man, Grey Crystal and Silver Wing (translated from ********) shades, and they are currently available for purchase in China via the official e-store and select online retail sites. iQOO Pad 5, iQOO Pad 5 Pro Features, Specifications The iQOO Pad 5 sports a 12.1-inch 2.8K (2,800×1,968 pixels) LCD screen with a 144Hz refresh rate, up to 900 nits peak brightness, 16.10 aspect ratio and HDR10 support. Meanwhile, the iQOO Pad 5 Pro comes with a 13-inch 3.1K (3,096×2,064 pixels) LCD panel with up to 1,200 nits peak brightness level. iQOO has equipped the base Pad 5 with a 4nm MediaTek Dimensity 9300+ SoC paired with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512GB of UFS 4.1 onboard storage. The iQOO Pad 5 Pro, on the other hand, is powered by a 3nm MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ chipset. It has similar RAM and storage support as the vanilla variant, and both models ship with Android 15-based OriginOS 5. For optics, the iQOO Pad 5 carries an 8-megapixel rear and a 5-megapixel front camera, while the Pad 5 Pro has 13-megapixel back and 8-megapixel front sensors. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 and a USB Type-C 3.2 Gen1 port. The tablets support features like iQOO’s Game Superframe frame insertion technology and Game Super-resolution. The base and Pro variants are equipped with six and eight speakers, respectively. The standard iQOO Pad 5 tablet packs a 10,000mAh battery with 44W fast charging support. It measures 266.43×192×6.62mm in size and weighs 590g. Meanwhile, the iQOO Pad 5 Pro is backed by a 12,050mAh battery with support for 66W fast charging. This tablet measures 289.56×198.32×6.07mm in size and weighs 635g. Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details. Source link #iQOO #Pad #Pro #MediaTek #Dimensity #SoC #Launched #iQOO #Pad Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

My college-aged daughter snuck her boyfriend into the house My college-aged daughter snuck her boyfriend into the house DEAR ABBY: We asked our 19-year-old college daughter, “Lulu,” to dog-sit and housesit sit several months ago. She knew our rule of no visitors allowed in our home while we were out of town. Because of this, we didn’t feel we needed to prepare the house by filing mail and documents away prior to our short trip. Lulu had her new boyfriend of a few weeks stay over for the weekend. She not only allowed this stranger into our home but also deceived us for months. It’s difficult to let go of our disappointment in her poor judgment by allowing a stranger into our home with unsecured documents out in the open. Her ******* activities and consequences are her “adult” choices, but I’m not sure when I’ll be able to trust our daughter again. She had an opportunity to start building our trust shortly after we found out about “the weekend,” but didn’t take our consequences and rules seriously enough during her school break and lost access to some privileges. Yes, she did start counseling sessions this past semester. Where do we go from here? — NO TRUST IN NEW MEXICO DEAR NO TRUST: Since we now know Lulu has poor judgment and lacks respect for your rules, take away your house key (if you haven’t already), practice keeping your financial documents under lock and key when you’re not in the house and hire a dog sitter. Then, cross your fingers and hope the counseling your daughter is receiving helps her become more mature and make better choices. DEAR ABBY: I lost my daughter to ******* five years ago. She was only 36. She left behind a husband and three children, ages 3, 5 and 7. While my daughter and her husband worked, I was their “nanny granny” five days a week. I would also take them overnight on weekends. More often than not, I had more waking hours with my grands than their parents did. We were extremely close and bonded. After my daughter passed, my son-in-law asked me to move in to help. I was in a position to do so, and it went OK the first year. Then some cracks began to show, and we ended up having a huge fight over money (though it wasn’t really about money). After I said some horrible things about him on Facebook, he took the grands away from me. It has been two years, and I have begged his forgiveness to no avail. What can I do? — MISSING THEM IN MARYLAND DEAR MISSING THEM: You wrote that “cracks began to show.” I wish you had mentioned what that huge fight was “really” about because I might have been able to answer your question about how to patch things up more fully. As it stands, all I can suggest is to continue apologizing to your former son-in-law and continue sending gifts to your grandchildren on their birthdays and at Christmas so they will know they have a grandmother who exists and cares about them. Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069. Source link #collegeaged #daughter #snuck #boyfriend #house Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Japanese farm minister resigns following gaffe over rice – Reuters Japanese farm minister resigns following gaffe over rice – Reuters Japanese farm minister resigns following gaffe over rice ReutersJapanese minister resigns after saying he doesn’t buy rice because he gets it free The GuardianJapan’s farm minister said he has never had to buy rice. That cost him his job CNBCRice scandal topples Japan’s agriculture minister PoliticoJapan’s Farm Minister Quits Over Rice Gaffe in Hit to Ishiba Bloomberg Source link #Japanese #farm #minister #resigns #gaffe #rice #Reuters Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Leaked memo reveals Rayner called for tax rises Leaked memo reveals Rayner called for tax rises Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner’s department called for Chancellor Rachel Reeves to increase taxes prior to this year’s Spring Statement. A memo – seen by the Daily Telegraph – appeared to urge Reeves to raise taxes by £3bn to £4bn a year through various measures, which the chancellor did not implement. She has repeatedly pushed against raising taxes and instead announced £5bn of ******** cuts in March. Government insiders said it was not unusual for discussion papers to be informally exchanged between departments without sign-off by ministers. While the Spring Statement has been and gone, arguments in the Labour party persist ahead of departmental spending plans being set out in June. Those on the left of the party in particular have been arguing that cuts to some departments could be averted if Reeves introduced a wealth tax or relaxed her rules on borrowing and debt. She has pledged not to borrow to fund day-to-day spending. The Conservatives, meanwhile, urged the Chancellor to rule out tax increases in the Autumn budget. Inside the memo were a series of proposals that included alternative measures such as increasing the rate of corporation tax on banks. It suggested extending the freeze on the threshold at which the 45% tax rate is paid to include more people in the higher bracket and scrapping the tax-free allowance on dividends. It also called for the lifetime pensions allowance to be reinstated, which puts a cap on how much savers could put into their pension before higher tax is applied. This allowance was scrapped under the Conservative government and while Labour had made plans to reinstate it before last year’s general election, they reversed the decision before publishing the party’s manifesto. Speaking to The Telegraph, Conservative Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride said that the note “confirms that we are still living with the Labour Party of Jeremy Corbyn”. “At the very highest level, Labour ministers are debating which taxes to increase next,” he added. “The Chancellor has repeatedly refused to rule out another tax raid in the autumn, and now we know why – Labour’s top brass, including the Deputy Prime Minister, want to come back for more.” A government spokesperson told PA Media “we don’t comment on leaks”. Source link #Leaked #memo #reveals #Rayner #called #tax #rises Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Every person that clashed with him has left’: the rise, fall and spectacular comeback of Sam Altman | Technology ‘Every person that clashed with him has left’: the rise, fall and spectacular comeback of Sam Altman | Technology The short-lived firing of Sam Altman, the CEO of possibly the world’s most important AI company, was sensational. When he was sacked by OpenAI’s board members, some of them believed the stakes could not have been higher – the future of humanity – if the organisation continued under Altman. Imagine Succession, with added apocalypse vibes. In early November 2023, after three weeks of secret calls and varying degrees of paranoia, the OpenAI board agreed: Altman had to go. The drama didn’t stop there. After his removal, Altman’s most loyal staff resigned, and others signed an open letter calling for his reinstatement. Investors, including its biggest, Microsoft, got spooked. Without talent or funding, OpenAI – which developed ChatGPT and was worth billions – wouldn’t even exist. Some who had been involved in the decision to fire Altman switched sides and within days, he was reinstated. Is he now untouchable? “Certainly he has entrenched his power,” says Karen Hao, the tech journalist whose new book, Empire of AI, details this saga in a tense and absorbing history of OpenAI. The current board is “much more allied with his interests,” she says. Hao’s book is a gripping read (subtitle: “Inside the Reckless Race for Total Domination”), featuring the unimaginably rich, as well as people in developing countries who are paid a pittance to root out the horrific ******* and violent content in the internet data that AI is trained on. The cast of characters that make up OpenAI have brilliant minds, and often eccentric behaviour. Elon Musk, after all, is one of its founders. Another founder and its chief scientist, Ilya Sutskever – who would be part of the failed attempt to remove Altman – dramatically illustrated his fears about the “unaligned” AI they had created by burning a wooden effigy constructed to represent it in 2023 while his senior colleagues stood around a firepit at a luxury resort, wearing bathrobes. ‘Every person that has clashed with Altman about his vision of AI has left’ … Journalist and author Karen Hao in Hong Kong. Photograph: Billy H C Kwok/The Guardian At the centre of it all is Altman, OpenAI’s charismatic co-founder and CEO who is, depending how you view him, the villain who has put humanity on the path to mass extinction, or the visionary utopian who will bring us cures for diseases and a revolution in how we work. In the less than two years it has taken Hao to write her book, Altman, 40, appears to have outmanoeuvred his dissenters and has announced plans to raise $7tn. Hao describes Altman as a “once-in-a-generation fundraising talent” and claims OpenAI’s chances of winning the AI arms race depend on raising vast sums. “He persuades people into ceding power to him, he doesn’t seize it. The reason he’s able to do this is because he’s incredibly good at understanding what people want and what motivates them. I came to understand that … when he is talking to someone, what comes out of his mouth is not necessarily correlated as much with his own beliefs as it is with what he thinks the other person needs to hear.” It’s why, she says, he was able to recruit so many talented people and get so much investment (and also what made some on his original board, and senior employees, nervous). “It’s also why he was able to pull off something that most people would not be able to do, which is to get the public to buy into this premise that he’s doing something profoundly good for society, just long enough to get away with it.” Within OpenAI, Hao points out, “every single person that has ever clashed with him about his vision of AI development has left – Musk has left, Dario Amodei has left, Sutskever has left [the three were early leaders in OpenAI] and a whole host of other people. Ultimately, they had a different idea of how AI should be developed. They challenged Altman, and Altman won.” ‘A perfect case study’ … Annie, Sam Altman’s sister. Photograph: The Annie Altman Show/Facebook In 2021, Altman’s sister Annie made the shocking allegation on what was then Twitter that he had ********* abused her as a child (he is nine years older). In January this year, she filed a lawsuit against him. In a statement released by Altman, his mother and his two brothers, they described the allegations as “utterly untrue” (his father died in 2018). Hao had several conversations with Annie, piecing together how her life unravelled. A bright child who planned to go to medical school, she suffered with poor mental health, and then developed a series of chronic physical health issues as a young adult. After her father’s death, her health declined even further and, as her family started cutting off financial help, she became estranged from them. Annie, says Hao, “is such a perfect case study of why we need to be sceptical of what Sam Altman says about the benefits of AI”. Altman claims AI is going to solve poverty and improve healthcare, but Annie – who lives in poverty and has health issues – hasn’t seen any of the benefits, says Hao. “She’s representative of more people, and how they live in the world, than he is, and it just so happens that this perfect case study is also his sister.” Despite agreeing to speak to Hao for her book, OpenAI pulled out when they found out she was in touch with Annie. “This should be a family thing,” says Hao. “Why is a company representative now making this their top issue? That illustrated to me how important Sam, the man, is to the company.” It highlighted to her, she says, that Silicon Valley companies, particularly when faced with criticism, “can bring their full power to bear to quash that dissent.” Hao studied mechanical engineering at university and moved to San Francisco after graduation to work for a startup. “I thought that was going to be my career, to be in Silicon Valley and do that whole journey,” she says, when we speak over Zoom. “I pretty much realised within the first year that the incentives within Silicon Valley for technology development were not aligned with the public interest.” Tech companies ‘want their tools to feel like magic’ … Sam Altman at the Microsoft Build event in Seattle, Washington, in 2024. Photograph: Chona Kasinger/Bloomberg/Getty Images So she moved into journalism and, writing for the magazine MIT Technology Review, became fascinated by AI. “I was primarily spending all my time talking with researchers within companies that were operating in academic-like environments, where they didn’t really have any commercial objectives. There was so much diversity of research happening.” There were also healthy debates. This was in 2016, around the time Donald Trump won his first election, and there had been a lot of criticism of the tech industry. “There was emerging research on AI and its impact on society. What are the harms? What are the biases embedded in models that lead to potential widespread discrimination and civil rights issues? That’s kind of where the AI world and discourse was before it got derailed by ChatGPT.” Within days of the release of ChatGPT in late 2022, it had one million users. Within a couple of months, it had 100 million users and had become the fastest growing consumer app in history. Hao felt its dazzling success had overshadowed those kind of debates, at least in the mainstream. “People were just buying what OpenAI and other companies were spoon-feeding in terms of narratives, like: this is going to cure *******, this is going to solve the climate crisis, all these utopic things that you can’t even dream of.” She started working on what would become her book, looking at the history of OpenAI and its competitors. “Only when you have that context can you begin to understand that what these companies say should not be taken at face value.” Before Hao started following OpenAI more closely, she says she had a “pretty positive impression. I was curious about them; they were not a company, they were a non-profit, and they talked about how they were going to be transparent, open their research, and were focused on benefiting society”. Then, in 2019, things started to change; OpenAI developed a “capped-profit” structure (investors would have their returns capped at a very generous 100 times), Altman became CEO, they signed a billion-dollar deal with Microsoft, and started to withhold their research. “It seemed like quite a significant shift,” says Hao. “That is one of the reasons why OpenAI has had so much drama, but it’s also emblematic of AI development – it’s so much driven by ideology,” she says. “There’s this clash of egos and ideologies that’s happening, to try to seize the direction.” Within OpenAI, whether boomer (those who want to scale as fast as possible) or doomer (those who believe AI is a threat to humanity), the finish line was the same: to develop, and therefore control, AI first. ‘What’s going to cause catastrophe is people, not rogue AI’ … OVHcloud datacentre in Roubaix, France. Photograph: Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP/Getty Images Does Hao think AI poses an existential threat? “The biggest and most pressing threat is that AI is going to completely erode democracy and, if you understand that, the conclusion is then we should just stop developing this technology in the way that these companies are developing it.” The funnelling of resources “is a completely different scale than previous tech companies … They’re trying to justify raising the largest private investment rounds again and again – OpenAI having just raised $40bn in the latest round”. That kind of concentration of wealth, she says, “is in and of itself a threat. We are already seeing that play out with the US government, with the takeover by unelected tech billionaires.” The apocalyptic visions of a superintelligent AI turning against humanity have been a distraction, she thinks. “Ultimately, what’s going to cause catastrophe is people, not rogue AI, and we need to watch what the people are doing.” However, she has met people who genuinely believe AI will destroy humanity. “I spoke to people whose voices were literally quivering in fear, that is the degree to which they believe, and if you truly believe that, that’s terrifying.” Then there are those who use the idea of how AI could become so powerful as “a rhetorical tool to continue saying: ‘That’s why we good people need to continue controlling the technology and not have it be in the hands of bad people.’” But as far as Hao can see, “we’ve not gotten more democratic technologies, but more authoritarian ones.” Neither does Hao have much sympathy for the argument that the development of AI requires huge investment. “I don’t think it needs the level of investment these companies say it needs,” she says. “They have already spent hundreds of billions of dollars on developing a technology that has yet to achieve what they said it’s going to achieve,” says Hao. “And now you expect us to spend trillions? At what point do we decide that actually they’ve just failed? “When I was covering AI pre-ChatGPT and the wide range of research that was happening, there were such exciting ideas … ChatGPT erased people’s imaginations for what else could be possible.” Generative AI has taken over – not just OpenAI, but at other tech companies including Google’s DeepMind – and this, says Hao, “has distorted the landscape of research, because talent goes where the money goes.” The money doesn’t flow equally, though. Hao interviews people working for outsourced companies in Kenya, Colombia and Chile, who annotate the data that generative AI is trained on, sifting out harmful content for low pay and without much thought for their mental health. The AI, meanwhile, is powered by vast datacentres, buildings packed with computers, that require a huge amount of energy to run, and whose cooling systems require a huge amount of water. In the near future there will be even ******* datacentres known as “mega-campuses”. Just one of these could use more energy than three cities the size of San Francisco. The premise of her book is that the AI giants are running an empire. But history shows us that empires can and do fall. Hao sees each step of the supply chain as a potential site of resistance. Artists and writers, for instance, are pushing back against their work being used to train generative AI (the Guardian has a deal with OpenAI for the use of its content). Enforcing data privacy laws, “are also ways to contain the empire”, as is forcing companies to be transparent about their environmental impact, from their energy consumption to where and how the minerals needed for hardware are extracted. Tech companies, says Hao, “want their tools to feel like magic” but she would like more public education to make people realise that each AI prompt uses resources and energy. Hitting these pressure points and more means, she says, “we can slowly shift back to a more democratic model of governing AI”. Compelling though he is, this isn’t just about Altman, the reigning emperor of AI. “It will take a far more concerted effort now to remove him,” she says, but adds, “we fixate a bit too much on the individual”. If, or when, Altman chooses to step down or is successfully ousted, will his successor be any different? “OpenAI is ultimately a product of Silicon Valley.” And anybody who may one day replace Altman, says Hao with foreboding, is going to pursue the same objective: “To build and fortify the empire.” Empire of AI: Inside the Reckless Race for Total Domination by Karen Hao is published by Allen Lane, Penguin (£25). To support the Guardian and the Observer, order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Source link #person #clashed #left #rise #fall #spectacular #comeback #Sam #Altman #Technology Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Death cap mushroom site found on Patterson's computer Death cap mushroom site found on Patterson's computer One year before it’s alleged she deliberately served up a poisonous beef Wellington, a death cap mushroom website was accessed on Erin Patterson’s computer. Source link #Death #cap #mushroom #site #Patterson039s #computer Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Severe storms moving through metro Atlanta Severe storms moving through metro Atlanta The Brief A potent line of storms is moving through late Tuesday night, with risks of damaging winds, brief tornadoes, and intense lightning. A Tornado Watch has been issued for several counties in northwest Georgia until 2 a.m., with a Level 3 severe weather risk expanded into the metro area. Conditions are expected to improve by early Wednesday morning, with decreasing clouds and warmer temperatures, though spotty thunderstorms may occur over the weekend. ATLANTA – A potent line of storms is moving through North Georgia this evening, bringing damaging winds, brief tornadoes, and intense lightning, according to FOX 5 Storm Team Chief Meteorologist David Chandley. A Tornado Watch has been issued for extreme North Georgia. Timeline Below is the full forecast, but here is the latest information: 1:36 a.m. – Severe Thunderstorm Warning for southern Carroll County until 2:15 a.m. At 1:36 a.m., a severe thunderstorm was located over Bowdon, or 10 miles west of Carrollton, moving east at 30 mph. Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. 1:26 a.m. – A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southern Paulding, eastern Haralson, northeastern Carroll, southern Cobb, Douglas and south central Fulton Counties through 2 a.m. At 1:26 a.m., a strong thunderstorm was over Draketown, or near Buchanan, moving east at 50 mph. Hazards include 40 to 50 mph wind and heavy rain. 1:25 a.m. – Severe Thunderstorm Warning for south central Rabun County and central Oconee County in South Carolina until 2 a.m. At 1:25 a.m., a severe thunderstorm was located 10 miles southeast of Clayton, or 5 miles northeast of Tallulah Gorge State Park, moving east at 45 mph. Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts. 1:24 a.m. – A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northeastern Talladega, south central Calhoun, southwestern Cleburne and northeastern Clay Counties through 1:15 a.m. CDT At 12:24 a.m. CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over Grant Town, or near Oxford, moving east at 35 mph. Hazards include wind gusts up to 50 mph. 1:19 a.m. – Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of DeKalb, northeastern Fayette, east central Douglas, southern Gwinnett, southwestern Clarke, central Newton, Rockdale, Oconee, Barrow, northwestern Morgan, northern Henry, Walton, Clayton and southwestern Fulton Counties through 1:45 a.m. At 1:18 a.m., a line of strong thunderstorms was along a line extending from Carl to Grant Park-Zoo Atlanta to near Chapel Hill, and moving southeast at 35 mph. Hazards include up to 40 mph wind, frequent cloud to ground lightning and heavy rain. 1:12 a.m. – According to Georgia Power and the Georgia EMCs, there have been a total of 19,727 power outages across the state. 1:10 a.m. – Severe Thunderstorm Warning for southern Haralson County and northwestern Carroll County until 2 a.m. At 1:10 a.m., severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from Tallapoosa to I 20 Welcome Center to Chalafinnee, moving east at 25 mph. Hazards of 60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. 1:08 a.m. – Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of north central Rockdale, Barrow, central DeKalb, Gwinnett, northwestern Walton, south central Hall, central Jackson and central Fulton Counties through 1:45 a.m. At 1:08 a.m., a line of strong thunderstorms was along a line extending from near Thompsons Mill to Chastain Memorial Park, and moving east at 40 mph. Hazards of up to 40 mph wind, frequent cloud to ground lightning and heavy rain. 1:05 a.m. – Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of southeastern Paulding, northwestern DeKalb, southern Cobb, northeastern Douglas, southwestern Gwinnett and central Fulton Counties through 1:30 a.m. At 1:05 a.m., a line of strong thunderstorms was along a line extending from Chastain Memorial Park to Lithia Springs to near New Georgia, and moving east at 55 mph. Hazards include up to 40 mph wind, frequent cloud to ground lightning and heavy rain. 1 a.m. – Severe Thunderstorm Warning for southern Paulding County, northeastern Haralson County, northeastern Carroll County, and northwestern Douglas County until 1:45 a.m. At 1 a.m., a severe thunderstorm was located near Draketown, or near Buchanan, moving east at 30 mph. Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts and quarter-sized hail. 12:53 a.m. – Severe Thunderstorm Warning for southeastern Cleburne County in Alabama until 12:45 a.m. CDT. At 1153 p.m. CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near FortMcClellan, moving east at 35 mph. Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts. 12:50 a.m. – Severe Thunderstorm Warning for northwestern Barrow County, northwestern DeKalb County, central Forsyth County, central Cobb County, Gwinnett County, southwestern Banks County, southern Hall County, northwestern Jackson County, and northeastern Fulton County until 1:30 a.m. At 12:50 a.m., severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near Oscarville to near Roswell to near Hiram, moving east at 45 mph. Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts and penny-size hail. 12:34 a.m. – Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Haralson County until 1:15 a.m. At 12:34 a.m., a severe thunderstorm was located over Mars Hills, or 11 miles west of Buchanan, moving east at 30 mph. Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts and quarter-sized hail. 12:30 p.m. – According to Georgia Power and the Georgia EMCs, there have been a total of 16,643 power outages across the state. 12:25 a.m. – Flash Flood Warning for southern Floyd County until 3:30 a.m. At 12:25 a.m., emergency management reported thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1.5 and 2 inches of rain have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 0.5 to 1 inch are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly. 12:19 a.m. – Severe Thunderstorm Warning for central Paulding County, Cherokee County, northwestern DeKalb County, Forsyth County, Cobb County, northern Gwinnett County, southern Dawson County, Hall County, northeastern Fulton County, and southeastern Pickens County until 1 a.m. At 12:19 a.m., severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near Marblehill to Lebanon to near Braswell, moving east at 50 mph. Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts and quarter-sized hail. 12:16 a.m. – The Tornado Watch for Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Murray, Walker, and Whitfield counties has been canceled. 12:12 a.m. – A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of Towns and eastern Union Counties through 12:45 p.m. At 12:12 a.m., a strong thunderstorm was over Macedonia, or over Hiawassee, moving east at 45 mph. Hazards include 40 to 50 mph wind, pea-sized hail and frequent cloud to ground lightning. Midnight – According to Georgia Power and the Georgia EMCs, there have been a total of 11,260 power outages across the state. 11:58 p.m. – Strong thunderstorms will impact northern Habersham, Rabun, southern Macon, and southeastern Jackson counties through 12:45 p.m. At 11:57 p.m., Doppler radar was tracking a cluster of strong thunderstorms along a line extending from 12 miles southeast of Andrews to 3 miles northeast of Blairsville. Movement was east at 40 mph. Hazards include wind gusts up to 40 mph. 11:54 p.m. – Tornado Warning for northern Cherokee County, southeastern Gordon County, southern Pickens County, and northeastern Bartow County until 12:30 a.m. At 11:53 p.m., a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Funkhouser, or 14 miles west of Jasper, moving east at 50 mph. 11:49 p.m. – Severe Thunderstorm Warning for northern Paulding County, Cherokee County, northwestern Cobb County, southeastern Floyd County, southeastern Gordon County, Polk County, Pickens County and Bartow County until 12:30 a.m. At 11:48 p.m., severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near Roundtop to Kingston to near Etna, moving east at 40 mph. Hazards include 60 wind gusts. 11:40 p.m. – Strong winds, possibly from a tornado, were seen live during FOX 5 Storm Team coverage. The camera, provided by the Georgia Department of Transportation, is located at the exit for Buc-ee’s in Gordon County along Interstate 75. 11:39 p.m. – Tornado Warning for southeastern Gordon County until 12:15 a.m. At 11:39 p.m., a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Calhoun, moving east at 35 mph. 11:30 p.m. – According to Georgia Power and the Georgia EMCs, there have been a total of 3,547 power outages across the state. 11:15 p.m. – Tornado Warning for northeastern Floyd County, central Gordon County, and northeastern Chattooga County until midnight. At 11:15 p.m., a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Subligna, or 9 miles east of Summerville, moving east at 30 mph. 11:13 p.m. – Severe Thunderstorm Warning for southwestern Murray County, Floyd County, Gordon County, central Chattooga County, and central Bartow County until midnight. At 11:12 p.m., severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near Sugar Valley to near Slackland, moving east at 35 mph. Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts. 11:07 p.m. – A strong thunderstorm is impacting central Cherokee and Clay counties in North Carolina until midnight. At 11:07 p.m., FOX 5 Live VIPIR was tracking strong thunderstorms along a line extending from 11 miles southwest of town of Santeetlah to 9 miles north of Morganton. The movement was east at 40 mph. Hazards include wind gusts up to 50 mph and pea-size hail. 11:04 p.m. – Tornado Warning for southwestern Floyd County and southwestern Chattooga County until 11:45 p.m. At 11:04 p.m., a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Chesnut Bay Resort, or near Cedar Bluff, moving east at 30 mph. 11 p.m. – According to Georgia Power and the Georgia EMCs, there have been a total of 1,283 power outages across the state. 10:57 p.m. – A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northwestern Union and northern Fannin counties through 11:45 p.m. At 10:56 p.m., a strong thunderstorm was near Ducktown, moving east at 30 mph. Hazards include 40 to 50 mph wind, up to penny-sized hail, frequent cloud-to-ground lightning and heavy rain. Expect minor damage to tree limbs and blowing around of light, unsecured objects. Heavy rain may cause temporary street flooding, especially in poor drainage areas. 10:50 p.m. – Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Gilmer County and central Murray County until 11:30 p.m. At 10:49 p.m., a severe thunderstorm was located over Fort Mountain State Park, or over Chatsworth, moving east at 30 mph. Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts and penny-size hail. The FOX 5 Storm Team says the previous rotation in this storm has died down, canceling the Tornado Warning. 10:40 p.m. – Tornado Warning for southwestern Walker County and northern Chattooga County until 11:30 p.m. At 10:39 p.m., a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Cloudland, or 10 miles northwest of Summerville, moving east at 30 mph. 10:37 p.m. – Tornado Warning for northeastern Floyd County, south central Whitfield County, southeastern Walker County, northwestern Gordon County, and northeastern Chattooga County until 11:15 p.m. At 1036 p.m., a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Center Post, or 7 miles north of Summerville, moving east at 35 mph. 10:31 p.m. – Tornado Warning for northwestern Gilmer County, Murray County, and southeastern Whitfield County until 11:15 p.m. FOX 5 Live VIPIR indicated rotation in the storm at around 10:30 p.m. The severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Dalton, moving east at 30 mph. Quarter-size hail is also possible. 10:30 p.m. – The Pickens Emergency Management Homeland Security Agency is opening a tornado shelter in the basement of the Pickens County Administration Building, located at 1266 East Church Street, Jasper. The entrance for the shelter is located in the back parking lot at the rock wall. 10:13 p.m. – Haralson, Paulding, and Polk counties have been added to the Tornado Watch until 2 a.m. 10:06 p.m. – Tornado Warning for southwestern Walker County, south central Dade County, and northwestern Chattooga County until 10:45 p.m. At 10:05 p.m., a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Hammondville, or 11 miles north of Fort Payne, moving east at 30 mph. Additional hazards include quarter-sized hail. 9:57 p.m. – Tornado Warning for southwestern Catoosa County, southwestern Murray County, Whitfield County, and southeastern Walker County until 10:45 p.m. FOX 5 Live VIPIR indicated a a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Linwood, or over Lafayette, moving east at 25 mph. In addition to tornadic activity, quarter-size hail is possible. 9:30 p.m. – Severe Thunderstorm Warning for southwestern Catoosa County, southwestern Whitfield County, Walker County, and southwestern Dade County until 10:15 p.m. At 9:30 p.m., a severe thunderstorm was located over Rising Fawn, or 7 miles south of Trenton, moving east at 25 mph. Hazards include 60 mph wind gusts and quarter-sized hail. 9:13 p.m. – A Tornado Warning for southwestern Walker County, southwestern Dade County until 10 p.m. At 9:13 p.m., a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Ider, or 12 miles southwest of Trenton, moving east at 25 mph. In addition to tornadic activity, half-dollar-sized hail is possible. 8:47 p.m. – Severe Thunderstorm Warning for northwestern Catoosa County, central Walker County, and Dade County until 9:30 p.m. At 8:46 p.m., severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from Orme to near Fabius to near Fackler to near Martintown, moving east at 45 mph. The storm is capable of 60 mph wind gusts and half-dollar-sized hail. Atlanta weather forecast What they’re saying “Pretty potent line coming our way, capable of damaging winds,” Chandley said Tuesday. “Perhaps a quick spin-up tornado, so make sure you can get weather warnings.” The system is also expected to bring brief heavy rain and frequent cloud-to-ground lightning. The strongest activity is forecast to occur around midnight, with temperatures dropping from the 70s into the 60s as the storms pass. “I do think by early Wednesday morning it’s all over with,” Chandley said. “Then we see decreasing clouds, kind of breezy, and getting warmer again with a high in the low to mid-80s.” Tornado Watch in Georgia What we know A Tornado Watch has been issued for Haralson, Paulding, Polk, Cherokee, Dawson, Fannin, Forsyth, Gilmer, Lumpkin, Pickens, Union, Bartow, Floyd, Gordon, and Murray counties until 2 a.m. Temperatures are expected to climb toward 90 degrees, with muggy conditions continuing throughout the day. While Tuesday afternoon should remain storm-free, FOX 5 Atlanta meteorologists are urging residents not to let their guard down. Click here for latest weather information. A newly issued Level 3 out of 5 severe weather risk has been expanded further into the metro area, highlighting the threat of multiple strong thunderstorms and possible tornadoes. Areas shaded in orange on the latest risk map indicate heightened concern for dangerous conditions overnight. Forecasters say damaging wind gusts remain the most likely threat, but hail and even tornadoes cannot be ruled out. The storm system responsible for the threat has already triggered numerous warnings in other states earlier today. KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST BY DOWNLOADING THE FREE FOX 5 STORM TEAM APP AND THE FREE FOX LOCAL APP FOR MOBILE OR CTV. What’s next Chandley added that after the overnight threat, conditions should improve heading into the weekend. However, spotty thunderstorms could still pop up on Memorial Day. “Certainly not out of the question and not unusual,” he said. Source link #Severe #storms #moving #metro #Atlanta Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

*** inflation surges to hotter-than-expected 3.5% in April *** inflation surges to hotter-than-expected 3.5% in April A customer looks at goods on a shelf in a supermarket on January 15, 2025 in London, England. Dan Kitwood | Getty Images News | Getty Images The U.K.’s annual inflation rate hit 3.5% in April, coming in above analyst expectations, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Wednesday. Economists polled by Reuters had anticipated the consumer price index would reach 3.3% in the twelve months to April. The latest data release comes against a recent trend of cooling inflation, with the rate of price rises slowing to 2.8% in February and 2.6% in March. Core inflation, which excludes more volatile energy, food, alcohol and tobacco prices, rose by 3.8% in the year to April, up from 3.4% in the twelve months to March. This is a breaking news story, please check for further updates Source link #inflation #surges #hotterthanexpected #April Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]