Pelican Press

Australia cuts policy rate to 2-year low as inflation concerns recede Australia cuts policy rate to 2-year low as inflation concerns recede Michele Bullock, governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), speaks during a news conference at the bank’s head office in Sydney, Australia, on Tuesday, Apr. 1, 2025. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Australia’s central bank cut its policy rate by 25 basis points to the lowest in two years as inflation concerns in the country continue to recede, giving room for the bank to ease monetary policy. The Reserve Bank of Australia cut the benchmark rate to 3.85%, its lowest level since May 2023, in line with expectations from economists polled by Reuters. Australia’s inflation has been on a downtrend, with the most recent headline inflation figure coming in at a four-year low of 2.4% in the first quarter of 2025. The RBA said in its previous monetary policy statement that returning inflation sustainably to its target of between 2% and 3% “within a reasonable timeframe” is its highest priority, although it also acknowledged that the outlook was uncertain. The *********** economy has also seen somewhat of a turnaround, with the most recent GDP reading showing a 1.3% year-on-year expansion in the fourth quarter and marking its first expansion since September 2023. However, analysts, ahead of the RBA meeting, have highlighted downside risks for the *********** economy due to global trade tensions and uncertainty around the domestic economy. In a May 16 note, HSBC analysts noted that “the global economy and financial markets have had tumultuous times” since the RBA’s last meeting on April 1, including the imposition — and subsequent suspension — of U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs. The analysts forecasted a “modest negative growth impact” on the country, and said that the market shocks are likely slightly disinflationary for Australia. This is due to weaker expected global growth and trade diversion of manufactured goods from China into non-U.S. markets, including Australia. Carl Ang, Fixed Income Research Analyst at MFS Investment Management, also noted in a May 15 note that downside risks and uncertainty around Australia’s economic outlook have increased substantially, due to “Liberation Day” and global trade policies. This will likely prompt a “tangibly dovish pivot from the RBA,” he said, forecasting that the central bank will reach a terminal rate of 3.1% in early 2026. This is breaking news, please check back for updates. Source link #Australia #cuts #policy #rate #2year #inflation #concerns #recede Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Rep. LaMonica McIver charged by DOJ over incident with ICE agents – ABC News Rep. LaMonica McIver charged by DOJ over incident with ICE agents – ABC News Rep. LaMonica McIver charged by DOJ over incident with ICE agents ABC NewsFederal charges filed against Dem congresswoman following confrontation at ICE facility Fox NewsRep. McIver Charged With Assault Over Clash Outside Newark ICE Center The New York TimesHouse Democrats vow to “respond vigorously” to DOJ charges against Rep. McIver AxiosU.S. attorney drops case against Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, charges Rep. LaMonica McIver for ICE protest CBS News Source link #Rep #LaMonica #McIver #charged #DOJ #incident #ICE #agents #ABC #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Immaterial’: Why BRS appeal over war crime findings failed ‘Immaterial’: Why BRS appeal over war crime findings failed The judge who presided over the Ben Roberts-Smith blockbuster defamation trial made two errors however they were “immaterial” and did not mean his findings should be overturned, the Full Court of the Federal Court has found. Roberts-Smith was last week struck a massive blow when he failed in his bid to overturn his loss to Nine Newspapers over a series of stories making war crime allegations relating to his deployment in Afghanistan. In a landmark judgment, Federal Court justice Anthony Besanko in June 2023 dismissed Roberts-Smith’s multimillion-dollar lawsuit against The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Canberra Times and found that he was involved in the ******* of four unarmed men. His appeal to the Full Court of the Federal Court was on Friday dismissed by justices Nye Perram, Anna Katzmann and Geoffrey Kennett. The court’s full reasons were published on Tuesday. Camera IconBen Roberts-Smith failed to overturn his defamation suit loss. Christian Gilles/NewsWire Credit: NewsWire The court found that while Justice Besanko made two errors in his judgment, they were described as “immaterial”. “They do not affect His Honour’s conclusions on any of the critical questions,” the Full Court of the Federal Court found. “ … In a long, careful and clear judgment, the primary judge correctly identified and applied the relevant legal principles and paid close attention to the serious nature of the allegations and the standard of proof. “His Honour repeatedly reminded himself that the respondents bore the onus of proving the substantial truth of the imputations and of the cogency of the evidence necessary to discharge it.” Roberts-Smith has already vowed to take his fight to the High Court of Australia. Among the findings that Roberts-Smith was seeking to overturn was the allegation that he took part in the ******* of a handcuffed shepherd, Ali Jan, at Darwan in September 2012. Roberts-Smith also disputed findings that he was involved in the killings of two prisoners at a compound called “******** 108” in 2009. According to the allegations, Roberts-Smith shot one man in the back and directed a “rookie” soldier to shoot another prisoner. He was also found, during an operation at Chinartu, to have directed members of the Afghan partner forces to shoot a man following the discovery of a cache of weapons. Roberts-Smith continues to deny the allegations and in a statement on Friday said: “Sunlight is said to be the best disinfectant, and I believe one day soon the truth will prevail.” Camera IconRoberts-Smith says he will appeal to the High Court. NewsWire/Max Mason-Hubers. Credit: News Corp Australia Roberts-Smith’s lawyers had argued that Justice Besanko had failed to take into consideration the “Briginshaw principle”, which dictates that serious allegations should be treated cautiously when a court makes findings. “We reject this argument,” the Full Court of the Federal Court found. “The primary judge discussed the relevant principles at length in the early part of his reasons and repeatedly reminded himself of them.” It found that Justice Besanko repeatedly mentioned in his judgment the important legal principles of the presumption of innocence and the seriousness of the findings that he had to make. More to come Source link #Immaterial #BRS #appeal #war #crime #findings #failed Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump is heading to Capitol Hill to persuade divided GOP to unify around his ‘big, beautiful’ bill Trump is heading to Capitol Hill to persuade divided GOP to unify around his ‘big, beautiful’ bill WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is heading to Capitol Hill early Tuesday to seal the deal on his “big, beautiful bill,” using the power of political persuasion to unify divided House Republicans on the multitrillion-dollar package that is at risk of collapsing ahead of planned votes this week. Trump has implored GOP holdouts to “STOP TALKING, AND GET IT DONE.” But negotiations are slogging along and it’s not at all clear the package, with its sweeping tax breaks and cuts to Medicaid, food stamps and green energy programs, has the support needed from the House’s slim Republican majority, who are also being asked to add some $350 billion to Trump’s border security, deportation and defense agenda. Conservatives are insisting on quicker, steeper cuts to federal programs to offset the costs of the trillions of dollars in lost tax revenue. At the same time, a core group of lawmakers from New York and other high-tax states want ******* tax breaks for their voters back home. Worries about piling onto the nation’s $36 trillion debt are stark. “I think it’s pretty obvious that they’re going to need more time,” said Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus. “These are complicated issues with trillions of dollars,” he said. “We’ve got to do this thing right.” Trump’s visit to address House Republicans at their weekly conference meeting comes at a pivotal moment, testing the president’s deal-making powers. House Speaker Mike Johnson is determined to push the bill forward and needs Trump to provide the momentum, either by encouragement or political warnings or a combination of both. With House Democrats lined up against the package, GOP leaders have almost no votes to spare. A key committee hearing is set for the middle of the night Tuesday in hopes of a House floor vote by Wednesday afternoon. Democrats argue the package is little more than a giveaway to the wealthy at the expense of health care and food programs Americans rely on. “They literally are trying to take health care away from millions of Americans at this very moment in the dead of night,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York. “If this legislation is designed to make life better for the American people, can someone explain to me why they would hold a hearing to advance the bill at 1 a.m. in the morning?” Trump has been pushing hard for Republicans to unite behind the bill, which has been uniquely shaped in his image as the president’s signature domestic policy initiative in Congress. The sprawling 1,116-page package carries Trump’s title, the “ One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” as well as his campaign promises to extend the tax breaks approved during his first term while adding new ones, including no taxes on tips, automobile loan interest and Social Security. Yet, the price tag is rising and lawmakers are wary of the votes ahead, particularly as the economy teeters with uncertainty. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan fiscal watchdog group, estimates that the House bill is shaping up to add roughly $3.3 trillion to the debt over the next decade. Republicans criticizing the measure argued that the bill’s new spending and tax cuts are front-loaded, while the measures to offset the cost are back-loaded. In particular, the conservative Republicans are looking to speed up the new work requirements that Republicans want to enact for able-bodied participants in Medicaid. They had been proposed to start Jan. 1, 2029, but GOP Majority Leader Steve Scalise said on CNBC that work requirements for some Medicaid beneficiaries would begin in early 2027. At least 7.6 million fewer people are expected to have health insurance under the initial Medicaid changes, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said last week. Republican holdouts are also looking to more quickly halt green energy tax breaks, which had been approved as part of the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act, and are now being used for renewable energy projects across the nation. But for every change Johnson considers to appease the hard-right conservatives, he risks losing support from more traditional and centrist Republicans. Many have signed on to letters protesting deep cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs and the rolling back of clean energy tax credits. At its core, the sprawling legislative package permanently extends the existing income tax cuts and bolsters the standard deduction, increasing it to $32,000 for joint filers, and the child tax credit to $2,500. The New Yorkers are fighting for a larger state and local tax deduction beyond the bill’s proposal. As it stands, the bill would triple what’s currently a $10,000 cap on the state and local tax deduction, increasing it to $30,000 for joint filers with incomes up to $400,000 a year. They have proposed a deduction of $62,000 for single filers and $124,000 for joint filers. If the bill passes the House this week, it would then move to the Senate, where Republicans are also eyeing changes. ___ Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report. Source link #Trump #heading #Capitol #Hill #persuade #divided #GOP #unify #big #beautiful #bill Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Fourth escaped inmate captured in New Orleans after jail break – WWLTV.com Fourth escaped inmate captured in New Orleans after jail break – WWLTV.com Fourth escaped inmate captured in New Orleans after jail break WWLTV.comManhunt continues Monday for 7 Orleans jail escapees as state launches investigation fox8live.comNew Orleans jail escape: What are the odds that all fugitives will be caught? USA TodayFour inmates captured, 6 still on the run WDSULouisiana Seeks Escaped Inmates, and Answers About Their Brazen Escape The New York Times Source link #Fourth #escaped #inmate #captured #Orleans #jail #break #WWLTV.com Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Qantas apology for sackings ‘wholly hollow’ Qantas apology for sackings ‘wholly hollow’ An apology by Qantas for sacking 1820 ground crew rings “wholly hollow” and it has failed to make changes that ensure such actions never happen again, a judge has been told. In the Federal Court in Sydney on Tuesday, Justice Michael Lee continued hearing submissions on the penalty to be imposed on Qantas for the biggest case of ******** sackings in *********** history. Last October, Justice Lee ordered Qantas to pay $120 million to the ground staff as compensation for their economic loss, pain and suffering since their jobs were outsourced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Transport Workers Union is seeking that he impose the maximum penalty of $121 million and order that the money be paid to the union. Noel Hutley SC, for the union, told Justice Lee that he should reject Qantas’ submission that after four-and-a-half years of litigation, it was now contrite. “Your Honour will not brush aside, as Qantas urges in its submissions, its vehement and regular denials of wrongdoing (and) its rejection of Your Honour’s findings, which persisted all the way to the High Court,” he said. “These reveal an attitude of adamantine self-righteousness.” Since the High Court ruled against Qantas’ appeal no senior executive of the airline had publicly accepted it broke the law or Justice Lee’s conclusions until Monday, Mr Hutley said. “The contrition rings wholly hollow.” There had been “a profound failure” within Qantas “to come to terms with what needs to occur to avoid these things happening again”, he said. The court should order that the penalty be paid to the TWU, which had taken on enormous risks and burdens to fight the sackings, Mr Hutley said. “If the penalty is paid to my client, my client is an organisation charged with advancing the interests of its members … and the money would be applied to the proper purposes of the organisation.” On Monday, Qantas chief people officer Catherine Walsh told Justice Lee that “hopefully you’ll see from the size of the compensation payment that, in fact, we are very sorry”. “We do wish for the workforce that was impacted to be properly remediated and the compensation that has been agreed could go some way to deal with that,” she said. Outside court, former Qantas worker Damien Pollard said union members were looking forward to the conclusion of the case “to allow us to get on with our lives”. “It’s been a long fight, it’s been very stressful for a lot of employees, so we are looking forward to the end,” he said. Source link #Qantas #apology #sackings #wholly #hollow Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

El Salvador’s Bitcoin Holdings Show $357 Million In Unrealized Profit As Bitcoin Closes At Record Highs El Salvador’s Bitcoin Holdings Show $357 Million In Unrealized Profit As Bitcoin Closes At Record Highs Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. El Salvador’s bold foray into Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) has entered a new chapter of profitability. As of May 19, the country’s BTC portfolio stands at approximately $644.4 million, with an unrealized profit of $357.2 million, reflecting a gain of 124.39% on its initial investment of $287.2 million. President Nayib Bukele shared an image of the country’s portfolio dashboard on social media on Sunday, noting the position has appreciated by over $69 million year-to-date and underscoring the resilience of El Salvador’s crypto treasury strategy even amid market volatility. Don’t Miss: The public disclosure comes as institutional interest in Bitcoin continues to deepen. Tokyo-listed investment company Metaplanet Inc (OTCQX:MTPLF) announced this week that it had purchased 1,004 BTC for roughly $104.3 million, bringing its total holdings to 7,800 BTC. The company disclosed that its average acquisition cost across all purchases is $91,300 per BTC, with the current market value of its Bitcoin now exceeding $806 million. Metaplanet’s aggressive accumulation mirrors El Salvador’s early adoption stance. The Japanese firm began accumulating Bitcoin in April 2024, taking inspiration from treasury allocation strategies used by Strategy. Its latest tranche was acquired at an average price of $103,873 per BTC, with the firm publicly stating its target of reaching 10,000 BTC by the end of 2025. To support these acquisitions, Metaplanet has completed a series of bond issuances, 15 in total, raising capital directly for its Bitcoin strategy. Its most recent bond ***** raised $15 million, as Bitcoin trades just shy of its all-time high near $103,343. El Salvador became the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender in 2021, a controversial move that has since turned into a highly profitable one, at least on paper. The government’s decision to maintain its position without liquidating any of its holdings means the realized profit remains zero, though the country’s financial position has significantly improved on paper. Read Next: Source link #Salvadors #Bitcoin #Holdings #Show #Million #Unrealized #Profit #Bitcoin #Closes #Record #Highs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Microsoft Introduces Edit, an Open-Source Command Line Text Editor for Windows at Build 2025 Microsoft Introduces Edit, an Open-Source Command Line Text Editor for Windows at Build 2025 Microsoft made several key announcements at its annual Build developer conference on Monday. While the emphasis was on improving and adding new features to agentic functions and artificial intelligence (AI) agents and models, the company also released a new open-source command line text editor for Windows. Dubbed Edit, it arrives as a modeless editor with a Text User Interface (TUI), enabling developers to edit files within the command line. Microsoft Edit and Its Features As per Microsoft, Edit is an open source text editor, which means you can build its code yourself or install its latest version from GitHub. It is said to pay homage to the classic MS-DOS Editor but has a more modern interface and offers controls similar to VS Code. Thus, the company says it is more accessible and can be used by editors who are unfamiliar with terminals. With Edit, the Redmond-based tech giant aims to address the infamous “How do I exit vim?” meme which referenced the difficulty in exiting the Vim text editor, explains Christopher Nguyen, Product Manager II, Windows Terminal at Microsoft. Further, the company also wanted to build a dedicated CLI editor for the 64-bit versions of Windows. While the 32-bit versions ship with MS-DOS Edit, there’s no command line text editor in the 64-bit versions. To install Edit: Download the latest release from Microsoft’s releases page on GitHub Extract the archive Copy the edit binary to a directory in the system path Delete any other files in the archive if they are not required To build instructions: Install RUST programming language Install the nightly toolchain: rustup install nightly or set the environment variable to RUSTC_BOOTSTRAP=1 Clone the repository 4, Run cargo build --config .cargo/release.toml --release for a release build Microsoft says the command line (CLI) text editor is modeless, which eliminates the need for users to remember and recall different modes of operation. The menu options in Edit have keybindings which allows for quick action via keyboard instead of navigating through the user interface (UI) with the mouse. Microsoft says it has a small footprint in the Windows 11 image with a size less than 250kB. Users can open multiple files in Edits and switch between them by clicking the file list on the lower-right of the screen. It also enables them to find and replace text and toggle word wrapping via the TUI. The company says Edit will be rolling out to the registered Windows Insider Program developers in the coming months. It will start shipping soon on all Windows 11 devices. 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. Apple Rolls Out iPadOS 17.7.8 Update for iPad With Fixes for Critical Security Flaws Source link #Microsoft #Introduces #Edit #OpenSource #Command #Line #Text #Editor #Windows #Build Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

******** Ship in Fatal ****** Accelerated Before Hitting Brooklyn Bridge – The New York Times ******** Ship in Fatal ****** Accelerated Before Hitting Brooklyn Bridge – The New York Times ******** Ship in Fatal ****** Accelerated Before Hitting Brooklyn Bridge The New York TimesSchumer ripped for placing blame on Trump, DOGE for deadly ******** Navy ****** in NYC: ‘He is an ******’ Fox NewsMinutes after departure, a deadly collision: Feds investigate Brooklyn Bridge ****** GothamistSource tells CNN what may have caused ******** naval ship’s ****** into Brooklyn Bridge CNNNTSB begins ‘long process’ of assessing why ******** ship crashed into Brooklyn Bridge USA Today Source link #******** #Ship #Fatal #****** #Accelerated #Hitting #Brooklyn #Bridge #York #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Microsoft Introduces Edit, an Open-Source Command Line Text Editor for Windows at Build 2025 Microsoft Introduces Edit, an Open-Source Command Line Text Editor for Windows at Build 2025 Microsoft made several key announcements at its annual Build developer conference on Monday. While the emphasis was on improving and adding new features to agentic functions and artificial intelligence (AI) agents and models, the company also released a new open-source command line text editor for Windows. Dubbed Edit, it arrives as a modeless editor with a Text User Interface (TUI), enabling developers to edit files within the command line. Microsoft Edit and Its Features As per Microsoft, Edit is an open source text editor, which means you can build its code yourself or install its latest version from GitHub. It is said to pay homage to the classic MS-DOS Editor but has a more modern interface and offers controls similar to VS Code. Thus, the company says it is more accessible and can be used by editors who are unfamiliar with terminals. With Edit, the Redmond-based tech giant aims to address the infamous “How do I exit vim?” meme which referenced the difficulty in exiting the Vim text editor, explains Christopher Nguyen, Product Manager II, Windows Terminal at Microsoft. Further, the company also wanted to build a dedicated CLI editor for the 64-bit versions of Windows. While the 32-bit versions ship with MS-DOS Edit, there’s no command line text editor in the 64-bit versions. To install Edit: Download the latest release from Microsoft’s releases page on GitHub Extract the archive Copy the edit binary to a directory in the system path Delete any other files in the archive if they are not required To build instructions: Install RUST programming language Install the nightly toolchain: rustup install nightly or set the environment variable to RUSTC_BOOTSTRAP=1 Clone the repository 4, Run cargo build --config .cargo/release.toml --release for a release build Microsoft says the command line (CLI) text editor is modeless, which eliminates the need for users to remember and recall different modes of operation. The menu options in Edit have keybindings which allows for quick action via keyboard instead of navigating through the user interface (UI) with the mouse. Microsoft says it has a small footprint in the Windows 11 image with a size less than 250kB. Users can open multiple files in Edits and switch between them by clicking the file list on the lower-right of the screen. It also enables them to find and replace text and toggle word wrapping via the TUI. The company says Edit will be rolling out to the registered Windows Insider Program developers in the coming months. It will start shipping soon on all Windows 11 devices. 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. Apple Rolls Out iPadOS 17.7.8 Update for iPad With Fixes for Critical Security Flaws Source link #Microsoft #Introduces #Edit #OpenSource #Command #Line #Text #Editor #Windows #Build Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Peter Stevens Motorcycles enters voluntary administration, KordaMentha called in Peter Stevens Motorcycles enters voluntary administration, KordaMentha called in A popular motorcycle retailer with a 55-year history has gone bust, putting some 400 jobs at risk. Peter Stevens Motorcycles, which boasts a network of wholesale and retail outlets nationwide, entered voluntary administration on Monday. The company’s dealerships sell beloved brands including Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Vespa scooters. Its four major dealerships are located in Ringwood, Dandenong, Geelong and Adelaide. It also runs service centres, a finance division and an online store. Administrators Craig Shepard, Andrew Knight and Michael Korda from KordaMentha have now taken control of the company, which was founded in 1970 by brothers Vince, Steve and Peter Chiodo. “The administrators intend to continue to operate the companies on a business-as-usual basis while they seek immediate expressions of interest for the ***** or recapitalisation of the businesses,” KordaMentha said in a statement. Camera IconPeter Stevens Motorcycles was founded in 1970. Supplied Credit: Supplied Mr Shepard said there was a “genuine turnaround opportunity” for the business. “With more than 50 years of brand recognition, an established dealer footprint across the country and a significant share of the local motorcycle market, there is a genuine turnaround opportunity here,” he said. “These are strong foundations for a new owner to set the business up for future success.” Motorcycle retailers have been battling through subdued economic conditions in recent months. The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries revealed a 3.5 per cent decline in motorcycle sales between January and March this year compared with the same ******* in 2024. “Motorcycles are often a discretionary purchase, and in the current environment of high living costs and interest rates, many Australians are understandably more cautious with their spending,” FCAI chief executive Tony Weber said. “While there is a slight softening across all categories in the wake of current economic conditions, we expect to see enthusiasm among *********** riders to return as conditions stabilise and maybe ease.” Retailers sold 8073 road motorcycles, a 1.8 per cent fall, over the *******. Off-road motorcycles slumped 5 per cent to 6897 units. Peter Stevens’ tumble into administration also follows some big-name collapses in Australia’s retail sector. ASX-listed Mosaic Brands entered administration in October last year and failed to find a buyer, throwing some 2500 workers out of a job. Source link #Peter #Stevens #Motorcycles #enters #voluntary #administration #KordaMentha #called Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Nvidia boss Jensen Huang gets rock star welcome in Taiwan Nvidia boss Jensen Huang gets rock star welcome in Taiwan STORY: ::WARNING: FLASHING IMAGES He’s the boss of a company that makes computer chips… not a rock star. But when Nvidia chief Jensen Huang touches down in Taiwan, you’d be forgiven for wondering. The tech exec gets a frenzied welcome from fans who clamor for autographs and a moment with their hero. Local media call it “Jensanity”. Huang was born in Taiwan, but emigrated to the U.S. aged nine. On his native island he’s come to be seen as a symbol of success, and a role model for young people. This fan says she waited for him all day at the airport. She says young people can learn from his spirit and dedication. Huang was back to speak at this week’s Computex tech event, and he seemed happy to enjoy the attention: “I love coming to Taiwan and I love seeing everybody here, and I appreciate, I appreciate their support, and everybody is very very kind.” After being mobbed by fans outside this restaurant, Huang was rushed off to be the guest of honor at an Olympics-adjacent event, onstage next to Taiwanese gold medallists. ::World Masters Games 2025 Organizing Committee All the frenzy puzzles some company colleagues with the exec often little noticed at events in the U.S. Though that too is changing, with Nvidia emerging as an American tech champion. Its stock market value has soared to over $3 trillion on investor bets it will dominate the market for AI chips. In Taipei, the Jensanity seems to know no bounds. Taiwan’s vice president was forced to deny she rushed to attend one event in a bid to “freeload” on Huang’s star power. Source link #Nvidia #boss #Jensen #Huang #rock #star #Taiwan Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Jennifer Lawrence is getting a megaton of Oscar buzz at Cannes for ‘Die, My Love’ – The Washington Post Jennifer Lawrence is getting a megaton of Oscar buzz at Cannes for ‘Die, My Love’ – The Washington Post Jennifer Lawrence is getting a megaton of Oscar buzz at Cannes for ‘Die, My Love’ The Washington PostJennifer Lawrence & Robert Pattinson Share Secret to Their Sex Scenes YahooPattinson, Lawrence drew on real-life parenthood for postpartum Cannes drama ReutersJennifer Lawrence’s Sculptural Dior Dress at Cannes Is Inspired by a 1940s Design VogueJennifer Lawrence Gets Her First Cannes Premiere. (It’s a Risky One.) The New York Times Source link #Jennifer #Lawrence #megaton #Oscar #buzz #Cannes #Die #Love #Washington #Post Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pedophile Bhuwani Prasad Khadka sentenced to prison for Telegram, WhatsApp child abuse groups Pedophile Bhuwani Prasad Khadka sentenced to prison for Telegram, WhatsApp child abuse groups A pedophile who set up social media groups to exchange vile child abuse material could walk free from prison in less than four years, despite confronting a maximum punishment of 20 years in jail. Bhuwani Prasad Khadka was sentenced to prison at South *********** District Court on Tuesday for a seven-month ******* of sick offending during which he set up groups on Telegram, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp to exchange child abuse videos. One of his WhatsApp groups counted 56 other participants, while a Telegram group he created counted 106 other participants. The videos depicted adult men ********* assaulting infants and pre-pubescent children. Judge Carmen Matteo, in her sentencing remarks, called the material the “very worst and most depraved types of child abuse of children”. “The possession and distribution of child abuse material harms children because it sustains and encourages a market which is met by the abuse and vile degradation of children,” she said. “Innocent children who are made subject of child abuse material are physically and emotionally harmed at the time the abuse is perpetrated and recorded and further degraded each time the image or video of the abuse is accessed.” The US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children notified the *********** Federal Police in September 2022 that a Facebook Messenger user might be distributing child abuse material. Camera IconBhuwani Prasad Khadka was jailed on Tuesday for child abuse offences. NewsWire / Brenton Edwards Credit: News Corp Australia The IP address linked to Khadka and South Australia’s elite JACET child protection unit raided his Adelaide home, finding two mobile phones and a laptop. A search of the devices uncovered 519 child abuse files, including 482 videos. Khadka, 28, has pleaded guilty to possessing child abuse material through a carriage service, creating and controlling an electronic service for child abuse offences and transmitting child abuse material via a carriage service between July 2022 and February 2023. Khadka appeared at court on Tuesday via videolink from prison. The Nepalese-born man immigrated to Australia in 2017 when he was 19 years old. The court heard he was born in a refugee camp and grew up in poverty. Judge Matteo said Khadka had told a forensic psychologist child exploitation material was widely circulated at the camp and he was first exposed to the material at the age of 10. The psychologist’s report tendered to the court said Khadka was guarded about admitting to his guilt, initially claiming he was unwittingly drawn to the social media groups, was not aware of the material and felt pressured to distribute child abuse material. In a second interview, Khadka acknowledged he had wanted to remain a member of the group and accepted his conduct was “wrong a little bit”. The psychologist said Khadka met the diagnostic criteria of a pedophile disorder. Khadka is married to a woman who lives in Nepal, the court heard, though he accepted the marriage would now likely collapse. He has no prior criminal history. Judge Matteo said Khadka’s guilty plea and eventual admissions to the psychologist indicated a “modest level of contrition.” She said he was also a good candidate for participating in rehabilitation programs, though he has not undertaken any formal therapy to date. Khadka faced maximum penalties of 20 years in prison for the offence of creating the social media groups, 15 years for the offence of possession and 15 years for the transmission offence. A mandated minimum penalty of five years in jail is set for the offence of creating and controlling an electronic service for child abuse material. Judge Matteo delivered an aggregate sentence for all offences of five years and two months, with a non-parole ******* of three years and eight months. The sentence was backdated to May 22, 2024. Source link #Pedophile #Bhuwani #Prasad #Khadka #sentenced #prison #Telegram #WhatsApp #child #abuse #groups Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Apple Rolls Out iPadOS 17.7.8 Update for iPad With Fixes for Critical Security Flaws Apple Rolls Out iPadOS 17.7.8 Update for iPad With Fixes for Critical Security Flaws Apple on Monday released the iPadOS 17.7.8 update for the iPad. It arrives as a follow up to the iPadOS 17.7.7 firmware which was introduced a few days ago but was soon pulled due to various reported issues, including being unable to login to the iPad with Touch ID authentication. As per the Cupertino-based tech giant, its latest update carries fixes for several security flaws reported in previous versions which may result in unexpected system termination, disclosure of memory contents or user information, and denial-of-service. iPadOS 17.7.8 Update: What’s New According to Apple, the iPadOS 17.7.8 update is rolled out with the build number 21H440. It is compatible with three iPad models — iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2017), iPad Pro 10.5-inch, and iPad (2018). The update replaces iOS 17.7.7 firmware which was released last week but reportedly caused some apps to revert to their initial initialisation screens and prevented users from logging in via Touch ID biometric authentication. The release notes state that it carries a fix for a security flaw in AirDrop which may have caused an app to read arbitrary file metadata. It was patched by adding additional restrictions in permissions. The company has also fixed a double free issue in the Audio component by improving the checks which caused unexpected system termination. The iPhone maker says a flaw in iCloud Document Sharing was also discovered which may have resulted in an attacker being able to turn on sharing of an iCloud folder without authentication. It was addressed with additional entitlement checks. Meanwhile, an attacker with physical access to the device could have been able to access Notes directly from the lock screen, a flaw which was rectified by improving the authentication. Several issues were also reported in the Kernel which caused an app to leak sensitive kernel state, result in unexpected system termination or corrupt kernel memory, or cause an unexpected app termination. As per Apple, it removed the vulnerable code, improved the memory handling, and improved the memory management to address the issues. Other issues were also reported in Mail Addressing, Parental Controls, Security, StoreKit, Weather, and WebKit. These have now been patched with the latest iPadOS 17.7.8 update for the iPad. Source link #Apple #Rolls #iPadOS #17.7.8 #Update #iPad #Fixes #Critical #Security #Flaws Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Whole Cucumbers: What to Know Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Whole Cucumbers: What to Know The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a warning concerning an investigation in several states related to an outbreak of Salmonella linked to whole cucumbers. According to the agency, there have been 26 reported cases in 15 states that have resulted in nine hospitalizations. There have been no deaths linked to the outbreak. SIGN UP to get delicious recipes, handy kitchen hacks & fun food news in our daily Pop Kitchen newsletter The whole cucumbers affected were grown by Bedner Growers Inc. and distributed by Fresh Start Produce Inc. between April 29 and May 19, 2025. The states affected are California, Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Florida and Tennessee. However, the CDC warns “this outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses, and the true number of sick people is likely much higher than the number reported. This is because many people recover without seeking medical care and are not tested for Salmonella.” Related: Sandwiches and Snacks Sold in Four States Recalled Due to Listeria Threat The first reported illness from this outbreak was reported on April 2 with reports running through April 28. “Recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes three to four weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak,” the CDC adds. The CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are collecting data to investigate the outbreak, the CDC announced on its website. Seven of those sick from the outbreak reported taking a cruise during the seven days prior to becoming sick, all departing from locations in Florida, the CDC reports. Sick people were aboard five different cruise ships that departed from the U.S. between March 30 and April 12, it added. Source link #Salmonella #Outbreak #Linked #Cucumbers Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump administration agrees to pay nearly $5M to settle suit over Ashli Babbitt shooting in Capitol – AP News Trump administration agrees to pay nearly $5M to settle suit over Ashli Babbitt shooting in Capitol – AP News Trump administration agrees to pay nearly $5M to settle suit over Ashli Babbitt shooting in Capitol AP NewsU.S. to pay nearly $5 million to family of Jan. 6 rioter Ashli Babbitt The Washington PostWhy is Trump admin settling $5 million lawsuit over Capitol rioter Ashli Babbitt’s death? Times of IndiaUS to pay $5m to family of 6 January rioter Ashli Babbitt BBCAshli Babbitt’s family to receive $5 million in settlement with Trump administration: Sources Yahoo Source link #Trump #administration #agrees #pay #settle #suit #Ashli #Babbitt #shooting #Capitol #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What does the new EU deal mean for Scotland? What does the new EU deal mean for Scotland? Katy Scott BBC Scotland News PA Media Exporters have praised the deal however the fishing industry has criticised it The new EU deal has been described in Scotland as both a “betrayal” and “breakthrough”, and will affect businesses in different ways. The harshest criticism has come from the commercial sea fishing industry which has reacted angrily to a 12-year extension of the initial post-Brexit fishing agreement. But the clearing away of red tape could also benefit exports for others in the sector. So what does the new deal mean for Scotland? Reuters European Council President Antonio Costa and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer confirmed the deal in London Fishing The previous post-Brexit deal saw the *** regain 25% of fishing rights from the EU, but it also gave European boats continued access to *** waters. It was due to expire at the end of June 2026 but the new agreement will see that extended until the summer of 2038. Elspeth Macdonald, who represents more than 400 fishing boats as chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, told BBC Scotland it was a “total capitulation to the EU”. By agreeing to a multi-year deal, she argues, the *** has thrown away an important bargaining chip for future negotiations. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes described it as a “great betrayal” of Scotland’s fishing fleet. But the *** government claims the deal provides more certainty and stability going forward, and there will be no increase in the EU quota. Reduced bureaucracy could benefit west coast creel fisherman who sell directly into Europe and benefit from measures to reduce hold-ups for goods that perish quickly. Shellfish from some *** waters, currently banned in the EU, can be exported again under the deal. In an effort to address concerns from the fishing sector, the *** government has also announced a £360m fishing and coastal growth fund to invest in new technology, equipment and support for coastal communities. Agriculture A new SPS agreement will make food and drink imports and exports between the *** and the EU easier. SPS stands for sanitary and phytosanitary, which refers to rules about animals and food. The deal will align *** food safety and animal health standards with those of the EU, meaning most routine checks on animal and plant products will be removed completely. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it would reduce “red tape” for businesses and help cut lorry queues at the border. The *** government said this could lead to lower food prices and more choice on supermarket shelves. The deal also means that British farms will be able to sell sausages and burgers to the EU for the first time in five years. It would also return Scottish seed potatoes, once an important export, to the EU market after they were banned in 2021 in the wake of Brexit. PA Media It’s hoped the new deal could cut lorry queues at the border President of the National Farmers Union (NFU) in Scotland Andrew Connon told BBC Scotland’s Lunchtime Live programme he was “cautiously optimistic”. He said it would help the livestock sector, specifically beef and lamb producers, as well as the seed potato industry which had suffered in recent years. “Since Brexit, there has been more restriction and more friction at borders with regards to exports,” he said. “The likes of the seed potato industry has been massively impacted. So anything that can reduce that friction has to be welcomed.” But Mr Connon also said it was important that standards were not relaxed and the border was kept safe so not to undermine British markets. Tavish Scott welcomed the deal on exports and imports between the *** and EU Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland, said the deal was “very good news” for fish farming. He said the EU was the “most important market” for Scottish salmon, with France alone taking about £240m of it every year. Mr Scott said the sector had faced “considerable” costs for administration to export salmon and delivery time had increased due to physical checks on products. He added: “These measures could reduce the bureaucratic cost of the administration we currently face, at about £3m a year. “It will also improve our delivery times to our customers all over Europe, which is very welcome given we’re exporting a time-sensitive product directly from Scotland into the EU.” Hospitality *** Hospitality has praised the deal as “positive news” for the sector. Chief executive Kate Nicholls said it would help to “further increase access to high-quality, affordable food and drink for business and consumers alike”. Getty Images The deal will impact hospitality businesses that use fresh produce She also welcomed the *** government’s commitment to working on a youth mobility deal. It’s thought a new agreement on youth movement could increase the *** hospitality workforce after significant staff shortages in the wake of the Covid pandemic and Brexit. The Scottish Hospitality Group also welcomed the deal as importing products from the EU was a “big cost” for the sector. Director Stephen Montgomery said the industry body would wait to read the whole document, however “what we do know is that this will not go far enough to the help already struggling hospitality businesses”. He said businesses were still struggling with growing costs due to increased national insurance contributions and the “out of date” non-domestic rates policy. Defence The ***-EU deal also includes the announcement of a new security and defence partnership. The prime minister said this would “pave the way for the *** defence industry to participate in the EU’s proposed new £150bn Security Action for Europe (SAFE) defence fund”. PA Media Scotland is home to naval shipyards including the Babcock yard in Rosyth That will be welcomed by *** defence firms such as BAE Systems and Babcock which have a significant presence in Scotland, particularly in naval shipbuilding. The *** government also said the deal would benefit British steel as it would be protected from new EU rules and restrictive tariffs through a bespoke agreement. Travel Scottish holidaymakers will soon be able to use more eGates in Europe, which the government says “will end the dreaded queues” at border control. Since Brexit, British travellers arriving at EU airports have mostly had to ****** for manned desks to get their passports stamped, instead of using the automated gates. As part of the deal, “**** passports” will also be introduced for cats and dogs, so there will no longer be a need for animal health certificates on every trip. The *** and EU have also agreed to work together on a “youth experience scheme”. This could mean young people, aged 18-30, might be able to travel and work freely within the European Union again. But the government said the youth scheme would be “capped and time-limited” and would be similar to ones the *** already has with countries like Australia and New Zealand. The *** has also agreed to work towards re-joining the Erasmus+ scheme, which would make it easier and more affordable for students to study abroad in the EU. Source link #deal #Scotland Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Save 20% On This Cool Wireless Controller With A Built-In Screen At Amazon Save 20% On This Cool Wireless Controller With A Built-In Screen At Amazon One of the most popular Nintendo Switch and PC controllers sold by Amazon is on ***** for a great price. The ManbaOne Wireless Controller, which released in March 2024, is up for grabs for $56 (was $70). This matches the lowest price yet for this pro-style controller with a built-in miniature display. Yes, the ManbaOne has a terrible name, but it’s a pretty awesome controller that impressed us when we tested it last year. The white model shown below is eligible for the 20% discount, while the ****** version is slightly more expensive at $60. $56 (was $70) for white | $60 for ****** Works with Switch, PC, Mobile 2.4GHz Wireless dongle Four remappable back buttons Built-in 2-inch display Hall Effect analog sticks (swappable) Customizable RGB lights Six-axis gyroscope Adjustable trigger locks Comes with charging dock Two color options: white or ****** The ManbaOne Wireless Controller has some nice features at this price point. Naturally, the main attraction is a built-in two-inch display, which lets you quickly change settings without the need for an app or additional software. Beyond that standout feature, the ManbaOne has many of the same customizable features found in other pro-style controllers. That means you’ll find four remappable back buttons, premium Hall Effect analog sticks to prevent drift, trigger locks for faster actuation, and a fully customizable RGB lightbar on its side. Toss in a turbo setting and six-axis gyro support, and you’ve got a controller that’s fairly well-equipped for less than $60. As a bonus, the ManbaOne comes with a matching charging dock and a set of interchangeable thumbsticks. The white model has a bit more of a mechanical appearance, as it shows off various components underneath the faceplate, while the ****** model is closer to what you’d expect a traditional controller to look like. If you’re wondering whether the ManbaOne will work with Nintendo Switch 2, it’s not clear at this point. Although many Nintendo Switch controllers are expected to work just fine on Nintendo’s new console, the safe bets are controllers designed for Bluetooth wireless connections. Though the ManbaOne technically has Bluetooth for PC and mobile, the manufacturer recommends using the USB receiver for the best experience. Whether or the dongle will work with Switch 2 remains to be seen. If you’re looking for pro-style controller in this price range that is expected to work with Switch 2, the recently released 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Bluetooth is a great choice. It doesn’t have a built-in screen, but it does have four remappable buttons, TMR electromagnetic analog sticks, trigger locks, superb customization software, RGB lighting rings, and excellent ergonomics. It comes with a matching charging dock and supports both Bluetooth and 2.4GHz Wireless with the included USB-C dongle on Switch and PC. The white model is on ***** for $63 (was $70), but the ****** model is full price at the moment. 8BitDo also makes the Ultimate 2 without Switch support, in case you are in the market for a controller specifically for PC. You can save 10% on purple, ******, and white models at Amazon. Here’s a quick look at the best 8BitDo controller deals at Amazon right now. 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Bluetooth Controller (Switch, PC) 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Controller (PC, Android) 8BitDo Ultimate 3-Mode Controller (Xbox, PC, mobile) 8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller (Switch, PC, mobile) — $48 ($60) 8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller + Carrying Case — $55 ($70) 8BitDo Ultimate 2C Controller – ****** Myth: Wukong — $33.25 ($35) 8BitDo Ultimate 2.4GHz Controller – Genshin Impact — $50 ($60) 8BitDo SN30 Pro Bluetooth Controller (Switch, PC, mobile) — $40.49 ($45) 8BitDo Pro 2 Bluetooth Controller (Switch, PC, mobile) — $42.49 ($50) 8BitDo Pro 2 Bluetooth Wireless Controller + Travel Case (PC, Mobile) — $45 ($60) PC players can also save $40 on the Xbox Elite Series 2 Wireless Controller. Microsoft recently raised the price of its premium Xbox, PC, and mobile controller to $200, but Amazon has it for $159. Source link #Save #Cool #Wireless #Controller #BuiltIn #Screen #Amazon Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Why Cleary and Moses can park ‘egos’ to spark NSW magic Why Cleary and Moses can park ‘egos’ to spark NSW magic Mitchell Moses is downplaying concerns over his ability to take a ********* to Nathan Cleary as NSW roll out an unproven and ball-dominant halves pairing for the State of Origin series opener. Despite being the two leading eligible Blues playmakers over the last five NRL seasons, Moses and Cleary will play Origin together for the first time on May 28 at Suncorp Stadium. It’s a partnership that has NSW dreaming of a second-straight series victory, given Moses’ exploits in rescuing the Blues last year and Cleary’s dominance on the way to a fourth-straight premiership with Penrith. But the major concern will be how the pair balance their playmaking responsibilities when both are the leading men for their respective clubs and halfbacks who touch the ball so frequently. “At the end of the day you want to put your best foot forward for the team, egos won’t get in the way of that,” Cleary said. The Panthers star was named halfback by NSW coach Laurie Daley in a sign he will be the star-studded Blues’ organiser in chief, while Moses will don the No.6 jersey for the first time since he was playing for Wests Tigers in 2017. “He is the No.7 – that excites me a fair bit,” Moses said. “I’ve never been able to play that (five-eighth) role, well I actually have at the Tigers when I was playing five-eighth in my early days. “But I haven’t been able to in a while, that excites me for him to be the dominant halfback and I can pick my opportunities. “Any time you can play with a player of his calibre it’s massive.” Where the balance of power lies will be particularly noticeable when NSW end their sets. As Daley noted, the duo’s kicking game will be able to rescue a bad set. Cleary lags just behind Moses, who leads the competition for average kick metres in the NRL this season. The pair also have a variety of floaters, grubbers and crossfield kicks that could cause plenty of problems for the Maroons. “It’s crucial (to have two great kickers) and it’s a hard thing to stop,” Moses said. “But we have to work out what is best for us and what works best for us. We’ll go to work with that and get it sorted.” Moses’ presence should ease the pressure on Cleary, who despite Penrith’s struggles this season has been a shining light as the Panthers look to fight their way back into finals contention. Only Mitchell Pearce and Andrew Johns have worn the Blues No.7 jersey more times than the Penrith co-captain, but the knock on Cleary remains that he has yet to dominate an Origin series. “I’m looking forward to the partnership … it’s about us working out how we want to get the ball and in which situations, and obviously the kicking game helps on both sides of the ruck,” Cleary said. “It’s about complementing each other’s game and making sure we bring the best out of each other.” Source link #Cleary #Moses #park #egos #spark #NSW #magic Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Every Hidetaka Miyazaki Game, Ranked Every Hidetaka Miyazaki Game, Ranked If anyone is single-handedly saving the entire video game industry with breathtaking titles and peak storytelling, then it has to be Hidetaka Miyazaki from FromSoftware. Miyazaki’s knack for making his games extra difficult and presenting important narratives using flavour texts or environmental cues makes him one of the greatest video game creators of all time. Hidetaka Miyazaki in the Game Awards | Image Credits: The Game Awards Miyazaki has been in the industry for more than a decade now, and he has worked on several projects that he has taken inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft, European architecture, and old tabletop games like RuneQuest. All the games that he has directed or produced over the years are now considered masterpieces, and we have a ranked list of those games just for you. The ranking includes all 11 titles from Hidetaka Miyazaki, from his first game, Armored Core: Last Raven, to his latest entry, Elden Ring. The rankings will be based on gameplay, visuals, and story, so please have a look at this list that we have prepared for you. 11 Déraciné Miyazaki wanted to do something different with Déraciné | Image Credits: Sony Interactive Entertainment Déraciné is a virtual reality adventure game that was released back in 2018. The game is developed by FromSoftware with three directors, where Hidetaka Miyazaki is one of them, and the game is sort of weird, to say the least. The game was also developed with assistance from Japan Studio, and it was published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PS4 with the PlayStation VR peripheral. In the game, the player takes the role of a fairy who is very conveniently called the Faerie, and your objective is to understand your own origin in the game. The whole narrative takes place in an orphanage where you help children and gain their trust; however, the game takes a dark turn when you learn about the orphanage’s twisted history. Miyazaki’s goal for this game was to recreate the first-person adventure genre in VR, and in classic Miyazaki style, he wanted to explore the themes of “existence versus non-existence,” which he felt would only be possible via VR. Although VR was kind of popular during 2018 and the gameplay concept was new, the title did not really take off. The game debuted at number thirteen in the Japanese charts during the first week of launch, but it did not last for long, and Déraciné also received mixed reviews. 9 Armored Core 4 Armored Core 4 is the fourth entry in the Armored Core series | Image Credits: FromSoftware Armored Core 4 is a 2006 mech-based action game developed by FromSoftware, and it is also notoriously famous for being the first standalone game that was directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki himself. It is the fourth main entry in the Armored Core series, and the title serves as a reboot for the entire franchise. Like all its predecessors, Armored Core 4 also retains that complicated customization and high difficulty missions that you need to complete in order to earn credits to customize more. The things that have changed in this installment are that the gameplay has been sped up more, and the controls have been more streamlined. This is also the first entry outside of Japan to introduce a multiplayer mode, where players can play deathmatches with an additional seven players. The game also introduced Armored Core achievements when it was released for the Xbox. While the game did introduce some new features that made it sort of easier to play than its predecessors, the mechanics remained the same, even after the game was released almost four years after its previous installment. Some people were also mad because of how repetitive the missions felt in the title. Even the multiplayer mode offered very little to be excited about. 9 Armored Core: Last Raven Armored Core: Last Raven is the hardest game in the franchise | Image Credits: FromSoftware Armored Core: Last Raven is considered the hardest Armored Core game that was created in the entire franchise. Although the gameplay was largely unchanged from the title’s predecessors, Last Raven still turned out to be the one-way street for a lot of gamer rage. The game was released in 2005 for the PlayStation 2 and the PlayStation Portable consoles, and the game is also notable for being the debut project of Hidetaka Miyazaki. Armored Core: Last Raven is everything that is keeping you from steamrolling the entire franchise in one day. It is literally the swan song of the original gameplay style and is meant to be the ultimate challenge, where you have to figure out which Armored Cores to customize, what to use, and when, to even have a chance at beating the levels. It is literally the Soulsborne formula of learning and retrying. This was the first game that Miyazaki was involved in, and he joined the team as a planner mid-way through the game’s development, which might explain the sudden shift in the difficulty from the game’s predecessors. While some AC fans hate Last Raven for its difficulty, some still consider it one of the greatest entries, considering the whole appeal of the game is just being hard. 8 Armored Core: For Answers Armored Core: For Answers was much more accessible to the players | Image Credits: FromSoftware Where Armored Core 4 laid the foundation, Armored Core: For Answer erected a skyscraper so towering it completely eclipses the original. The game was released back in 2008, two years after AC 4 came out, and it’s like Miyazaki just sat down and thought of everything that was lacking in the previous game and just made the game better. The title features major gameplay changes like the Armored Core customization page featuring a new interface, an auxiliary high-speed booster used for better traversal, and a new cooperative mode that allows players to complete missions together. But what really blew people away was the improvement to the story. Armored Core: For Answers has a plot that has actually stuck with the players who have played it. While Armored Core 4 was just an out-of-proportion rivalry between big corporations and forcefields, equal to *******, For Answers‘ story literally makes you shut the game down and cry yourself to sleep. From the intense gameplay to the jaw-dropping story, Armored Core: For Answers is just an improvement in every way possible. While Armored Core 4 features a tad bit better level design than its sequel, Armored Core: For Answers easily takes the lead for having a well-established structure that makes it easier for any new player. Overall, For Answers is just a better experience than Armored Core 4 and Armored Core: Last Raven. 7 Dark Souls 2 Dark Souls 2 had a different gameplay style than Dark Souls 1 | Image Credits: FromSoftware Dark Souls 2 is the second installment in the Dark Souls series, and the game was released back in March 2014. While the game might feel like the direct sequel to Dark Souls, that is not the case, considering DS 2 has a completely different setting, character, presentation, and even gameplay. There are also some lore connections that are directly connected to the game’s predecessor. Although the game is part of one of the finest video game franchises, it is unanimously hated in the Soulsborne community for a lot of reasons. The first and foremost being that the game is not directed by Miyazaki himself. While he was there to supervise the entire project, his not actually directing or designing the game made the gameplay feel clunky and not up to the standards we received in Dark Souls 1. It’s not like Dark Souls 2 is not respected or seen as the sequel to its predecessors; it was just something we did not expect. Many thought that Dark Souls 2 would be like Dark Souls 1, except with more QoL (Quality of Life) changes and a few engine fixes, but from the combat to the level designs, it just straight up felt lazy. 6 ****** Souls ****** Souls was inspired by the King’s Field series | Image Credits: FromSoftware ****** Souls is an action RPG that was developed by FromSoftware and it was released back in February of 2009. While the game was first proposed and supported by another video game developer called Japan Studio, it was Hidetaka Miyazaki who brought the dying game back to life and relevancy. ****** Souls is the first action RPG soulslike game that was directed by Miyazaki, and he made the game insanely hard. Although the initial concept for ****** Souls came from the King’s Field series, the game was seen as a lost cause in the entire studio because of the team not having a coherent vision. That’s when Miyazaki stepped up and decided to take over the project, and since it’s a failing project, he could take it in any direction he wanted. Miyzaki wanted to take gaming back to its basics and create a challenging gameplay-based experience, which was kind of dying out during that era. While the game was initially not received well in Japan because of its challenging nature, upon its release in the Western market, the game received critical acclaim with many reviewers finding the difficulty a positive aspect. 5 Dark Souls 1 Dark Souls became a critical success when it launched | Image Credits: FromSoftware Dark Souls 1 is the inspiration for all the Soulsborne games that you see today. The game was created by Hidetaka Miyazaki back in 2011, and it is now considered one of the greatest video games of all time. While the game takes place in a completely different setting, it is still cited as the spiritual successor to ****** Souls because of the similarity in difficulty. Dark Souls 1 is everything that a Soulsborne ever wanted from a video game. From intricate level designs to epic boss battles, the game is a masterpiece on its own. This is also the first game where Miyazaki used flavour text as a method to communicate the lore to his audience. The game takes direct inspiration from earlier works of dark fantasy like the Berserk manga series, and the levels are also inspired by real-world locations like the Milan Cathedral and the Château de Chambord. By April 2013, the game had sold more than two million copies, and its success led to the development of two more sequels. 4 Dark Souls 3 Dark Souls 3 took the world by storm when it was first released | Image Credits: FromSoftware Dark Souls 3 is the third and final entry in the Dark Souls series, which is by many cited as the most fitting and worthy conclusion to the series. The game was released back in March of 2012, and within its first two months, the title sold more than ten million units worldwide. The game’s development was carefully handled by Hidetaka Miyazaki, who at the time was also supervising for Dark Souls 2 as well as being in the initial stages of developing Bloodborne. Although Miyazaki thought that the entire Dark Souls series would not have this many installments, he later added that this game would not be the last in the series and in turn will serve as a turning point. While Dark Souls 3 is the successor of Dark Souls 2, the difference between them is immensely noticeable, it is literally what we thought we would get from Dark Souls 2. From new combat features, weapons, skills, magic, and better tactical options, to some of the best level designs in the entire series, Dark Souls 3 takes the lead by a long shot. 3 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is an action-adventure game that was released back in 2019 with Hidetaka Miyazaki as its lead director. While the game might seem similar to Soulslike games without some of the RPG elements, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is actually much more similar to a Samurai-themed Rhythm Heaven Fever. In the game, the players control Wolf, a shinobi who is on his quest to save his lord, and becomes much more involved in saving his fictional region known as Ashina. While the gameplay is quite focused on stealth and exploration, Miyazaki takes a step back from the traditional combat and makes Wolf a deflecting god. Where, instead of attacking constantly and chipping away at health, players can deflect and chip away at posture, leading to an opening that allows the player to deliver a fatal blow. Miyazaki started working on Sekiro right after he was done with Bloodborne DLC: The Old Hunters, and wanted to deliver something different that marked the departure from the Dark Souls series. 2 Bloodborne Bloodborne still has no PC port | Image Credits: Sony Interactive Entertainment Bloodborne is the dark, gothic game that took the world over when it was released back in 2015. The game is literally considered the magnum opus of Hidetaka Miyazaki’s life, and although the game is quite similar to the Dark Souls series in terms of combat and gameplay aspects, Bloodborne eclipses the others with its interconnected level design and Lovecraftian themes. Bloodborne follows the story of a Hunter (the player) who arrives in the Victorian city of Yharnam in search of a mysterious condition known as “Paleblood”. The Hunter gets guided by cryptic messengers and terrifying monsters, and later discovers the dark secrets of the city and the cosmic influence that manipulates the nightmarish landscapes. While the title is literally flawless in terms of storytelling, music design, gameplay, combat, and eerie atmospheres, the fact that there is still no remastered 60 FPS, 4K version or even a PC port of the game just makes it a huge disappointment. 1 Elden Ring Elden Ring won the Game of the Year award | Image Credits: FromSoftware Elden Ring is an action-adventure RPG that was released back in 2022. While the game was directed by Miyazaki himself, the worldbuilding was handled by the renowned writer George R. R. Martin, who created the epic fantasy novel A Song of Ice and Fire, which was later adapted into the Award-Winning TV show Game of Thrones. Miyazaki admired Martin’s previous works and wanted to create a more accessible narrative than his earlier games, and hence, Martin was given unrestricted freedom to design the backstory, while Miyazaki was lead-writing the in-game narrative. This game also followed the flavor text style of storytelling, except this time, the scale was huge. This was Miyazaki’s first Soulsborne game that featured a full-fledged open-world map that players could roam freely and go anywhere they wished. Although his other games followed a more linear path, Elden Ring gave players a grander scale of freedom and depth to exploration. The game received critical acclaim after its release and then went on to receive multiple awards, including the Game of the Year award in 2022. Source link #Hidetaka #Miyazaki #Game #Ranked Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

These Viral Videos Of Glitchy AI Job Interviews Gone Wrong Are Taking Over TikTok, But There’s More To Them Than Meets The Eye These Viral Videos Of Glitchy AI Job Interviews Gone Wrong Are Taking Over TikTok, But There’s More To Them Than Meets The Eye There are so many things I worry about when I have a job interview (Am I prepared to answer that question? Will I be overdressed or underdressed? What if my interviewer hates redheads???), that it kinda seems unfair to add a new fear to the list: What if my interviewer is a malfunctioning AI chatbot? Witthaya Prasongsin / Getty Images Recently, TikTok videos of alleged AI interviewers glitching out while screening hopeful job seekers have been going viral. One clip that’s been viewed over 8 million times appears to show a bot repeating a loop of (possibly *******?) gibberish while a confused man tries to figure out what to do: One commenter wrote, “I refuse to participate in AI interviews. If you can’t take the time to speak with me, I can only imagine the work environment.” Another video that’s been viewed more than 2 million times seems to show two chatbots taking turns saying, “Monday.” The top comment says, “This is like the 4th AI interview I’ve seen & they’ve all gone bad lol.” Seems pretty dystopian, right? Well, you should know that both of those videos were posted by the same creator whose bio reads, “Live, laugh, lobotomy. All satire.” So those particular clips don’t seem to represent real job interviews, and there are likely more fakes in circulation on TikTok and other social media platforms. However, there have been some actual instances of AI problems during real job interviews, like in the case of 25-year-old Leo Humphries. Leo posted a video to TikTok of himself during an interview for his “dream job.” In the clip, the AI interviewer gets stuck in a loop, asking him, “Let’s circle back. Tell me about a time when when when when. Let’s let’s let’s…” and so on. One commenter responded, “I hate AI interviews. I didn’t spend 1.5 hrs remaking my résumé and making a cover letter to talk to a damn robot.” Leo has talked about his “disappointing” experience in this interview with Newsweek and posted follow-up videos answering questions people had about his weird AI interview. He insists that his story is 100% real, and explained that he was filming his interview to get feedback on his performance later from a friend who’d helped with his application. He also shared that people keep asking him if his video was really guerrilla marketing for Netflix’s latest season of ****** Mirror. “I have not been paid by Netflix,” he said. “That was not a promotion for anything… The video was not fake.” So, how worried should we be about AI glitching out at our next job interview? To learn more, I reached out to Mike Peditto. He’s a Chicago-based recruiter with more than a decade of experience at companies ranging from startups to corporations. He’s also active on TikTok, with a couple of funny AI interview parody clips of his own. Mike told BuzzFeed that though it’s not yet the norm, he is seeing more companies use these kinds of AI video calls in the hiring process. “These are mostly being used in high-volume hiring situations, and almost exclusively as a first-round screen call. Candidates are still meeting with real people and having a chance to interview more traditionally after these calls.” Skynesher / Getty Images So it’s possible that instead of having a first call with a recruiter for a new role, you might end up hearing from an AI chatbot instead. And he says that other types of AI tools are already fairly widely used. “I would say the most common uses of AI in hiring are companies using it to search through profiles and find people who match specifics they are looking for, outreach to candidates, and now these first-round screens.” “Just about all hiring decisions and pass/fail decisions are being made by people, though I do think this will change over time.” He also shared one big misconception that people have about AI and hiring. “I think most job seekers are aware that there are AI tools involved in hiring, but the ******* misconception is that they are not as prevalent or important in decision making (yet!) as people think.” Andriy Onufriyenko / Getty Images “There is a ton of bad data out there about a percentage of résumés that never see human eyes because AI rejects it — this has always been incorrect — but as someone who has been going to a lot of HR tech conferences, I will say that I am seeing more and more tools hitting the market that are taking a ******* share of the recruiting work off of people.” And finally, he shared a big tip for job seekers in 2025. Basically, Mike thinks AI is here to stay, and it would be a mistake not to use it to your advantage. “Take the time to learn it beyond simple chatbot features or asking it to write a résumé. Play around, experiment, learn to use tools, build a tool yourself.” “The idea that people are just using it to write emails and be lazy is a misconception; some people are doing that, but that means it is easy to stand out above those people. Refusing to use it will put you behind them, even if they are using it poorly.” Now I’m curious, have you run into AI interviewers or other tools while applying for a job? Tell me all about it in the comments! Source link #Viral #Videos #Glitchy #Job #Interviews #Wrong #TikTok #Meets #Eye Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump DOJ charges Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver over clash with ICE officers – Axios Trump DOJ charges Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver over clash with ICE officers – Axios Trump DOJ charges Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver over clash with ICE officers AxiosFederal charges filed against Dem congresswoman following confrontation at ICE facility Fox NewsRep. McIver Charged With Assault Over Clash Outside Newark ICE Center The New York TimesU.S. attorney drops case against Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, charges Rep. LaMonica McIver for ICE protest CBS NewsDOJ says it has charged N.J. congresswoman with assaulting law enforcement at ICE facility NBC News Source link #Trump #DOJ #charges #Democratic #Rep #LaMonica #McIver #clash #ICE #officers #Axios Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

***-EU deal long overdue, says garden centre owner ***-EU deal long overdue, says garden centre owner John Campbell and Andrew McNair BBC News NI BBC Robin Mercer has had difficulty sourcing roses Robin Mercer, from Hillmount Garden Centre in County Down, said the deal was “long overdue” as the current arrangements had driven up costs. “In the past before Brexit we were bringing in trolley loads of roses every week, now we’re having to source them from different places and there isn’t the same selection,” he said. “There’s a lot of suppliers in England that won’t work with us now because it’s too much hassle, too much paperwork.” Getty Images A horticulture industry body says lifting trade barriers should “boost our range of plants and products and how quickly we can get them” The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) said the deal would help the industry across the ***, which has seen trade with European suppliers disrupted. Neil Grant, chair of the HTA’s retailer committee, said: “Garden centres and their customers have seen prices rise and choice reduced as a direct result the trade barriers we now have with European suppliers. “We know of many retailers who report that inspection delays have led to damaged, unsalable stock, as well as staffing issues around ever-shifting delivery times, all of which add costs to garden centres across the ***. “Lifting trade barriers should boost our range of plants and products and how quickly we can get them.” The deal should also mean GB retailers resume online sales of plants and seeds to Northern Ireland. Customs declarations However the changes will not be implemented anytime soon and for NI businesses and consumers will not remove all the barriers which went up in 2021. Monday’s deal is described as a “political declaration” which now has to be converted to a legally binding text. That will take months to negotiate and it is unlikely it will move to implementation before next year. In the meantime some requirements which the last government signed up to in 2023 Windsor Framework deal will continue to be implemented. For example a new phase of “Not for EU” labelling on GB food products being sold in NI will go ahead in July. That is despite the fact that labelling with ultimately be phased out as a result of the new deal. Most commercial goods being sold from GB to NI will also continue to require customs declarations, even the products which as covered by Monday’s deal. Stuart Anderson, from Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, said it was “hugely positive news on the face of it” Stuart Anderson, director of public affairs at Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, said he remained concerned about the customs burden for movement between GB and NI. “The customs issues have been in play since the original deal was introduced,” he said. “There has been some movement on that though the Windsor Framework – some of it creating perhaps more challenges too with the introduction of parcel arrangements from May.” However he said the new deal was “hugely positive news” on the face of it. He added that businesses in Northern Ireland had “carried a significant amount of the burden in getting us to today”. What’s in the new ***/EU deal?Getty Images If a full agri-food deal follows, potentially later this year, that will reduce the need for checks and controls on products being sent from GB to Northern Ireland Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced the wide-ranging agreement affecting food, fishing and security after hosting EU leaders at a summit in London. It includes a new SPS agreement – which stands for sanitary and phytosanitary and refers to rules about animals and food. The government said this would reduce red tape for businesses, simplify food exports and imports, and help cut lorry queues at borders. The deal also includes a new security and defence partnership between the *** and EU, and new arrangements for passport checks. British holidaymakers will soon be able to use more eGates in Europe, which the government said would “end the dreaded queues” at border control. Sir Keir said the deal would be “good for jobs, good for bills and good for our borders”. However, critics accused the Labour government of betraying Brexit voters as the *** will have to follow EU agri-food rules without having a say in how those rules are made. There are also concerns about a 12-year fishing deal granting the EU access to *** waters, which is included as part of the overall agreement. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said the *** was “becoming a rule-taker from Brussels once again”. But the Labour government said it was time to “reset” relations with the EU which is the ***’s biggest market. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the ***’s agricultural food exports were down by a fifth, and the new deal would reduce trade friction and costs. Source link #UKEU #deal #long #overdue #garden #centre #owner Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

WA grain growers encouraged to participate in GrainGrowers remuneration pilot survey WA grain growers encouraged to participate in GrainGrowers remuneration pilot survey GrainGrowers Limited has launched a new survey asking farmers in WA and New South Wales to share how much they are paying their workers in cash and non-cash benefits. The farm advocacy group this month launched a 10-minute workplace survey calling for information on how key employees working on farms across the two states were paid. GrainGrowers chief executive Shona Gawel said the group launched the probe after successive annual policy surveys revealed grain farmers were having trouble finding workers. She said the survey results would be analysed in a bid to help farmers in NSW and WA to “benchmark their staff’s renumeration” and help them become “employers of choice”. Farmers will be asked to reveal how staff members such as farm workers, truck drivers, and farm managers, are compensated – in wages and other benefits including non-cash payments. “This survey is an important part of this process, and I would urge growers in New South Wales and Western Australia to set aside time to participate,” Ms Gawel said. “We appreciate how busy they are but by taking part, we will have useful information to share with growers.” Narembeen grain grower Renee ******, a GrainGrowers’ National Policy Group member, said participation in the survey went beyond numbers. “This is about ensuring we have the information to create an environment where workers feel valued and motivate to grow with us,” she said. “By participating in this survey, we can gain insights into remuneration levels, helping us attract and retain skilled workers who are vital for the future of our industry.” The survey is available online at [Hidden Content], and concludes on June 9. Source link #grain #growers #encouraged #participate #GrainGrowers #remuneration #pilot #survey Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]