On paper, Luigi Mangione had it all: wealth, intellect, athleticism, good looks. But the child of a prominent Maryland family may have spurned it all in a spasm of violence, in a killing that has mesmerized Americans. The 26-year-old was arrested Monday and charged with the murder of Brian Thompson, a health insurance chief executive and father of two who was gunned down in Manhattan last week by someone who, evidence suggests, has endured his own debilitating health crises and grew angry with the privatized US medical system. The cold-blooded killing has laid bare the deep frustration many Americans feel toward the country's labyrinthine health care system: while many have condemned the shooting, others have praised Mangione as a hero. It has also prompted considerable interest in how a young engineer with an Ivy League education could have gone off the rails to commit murder. News of his capture at a Pennsylvania McDonald's triggered an explosion of online activity, with Mangione quickly amassing new followers on social media as citizen sleuths and US media tried to understand who he is. As Americans have looked for clues about a political ideology or potential motive, a photo on his X account (formerly Twitter) includes an X-ray of an apparently injured spine. Mangione lived in Hawaii in 2022 and, according to his former roommate R.J. Martin, suffered from back pain, and was hoping to strengthen his back. After a surfing lesson, Mangione was "in bed for about a week" because of the pain, Martin told CNN. Earlier this year, Martin said, Mangione confirmed he'd had back surgery and sent him photos of the X-rays. Police said the suspect carried a hand-written manifesto of grievances in which he slammed America's "most expensive health care system in the world." "He was writing a lot about his disdain for corporate America and in particular the health care industry," New York police chief detective Joseph Kenny told ABC. According to CNN, a document recovered when Mangione was arrested included the phrase "these parasites had it coming." Meanwhile, memes and jokes proliferated, many riffing on his first name and comparing him to the "Mario Bros." video game character Luigi. Many expressed at least partial sympathy, having had their own harrowing experiences with the US health care system. "Godspeed. Please know that we all hear you," wrote one user on Facebook. Mangione hails from the Baltimore area. His wealthy Italian-American family owns local businesses, including the Hayfields Country Club, according to local outlet the Baltimore Banner, and cousin Nino Mangione is a Maryland state delegate. A standout student, Luigi graduated at the top of his high school class in 2016. A former student who knew Mangione at the elite Gilman School told AFP the suspect struck him as "a normal guy, nice kid." "There was nothing about him that was off, at least from my perception," the person said. Mangione attended the prestigious University of Pennsylvania, where he completed both a bachelor's and master's degree in computer science by 2020, according to a university spokesperson. While at Penn, Mangione co-led a group of 60 undergraduates who collaborated on video game projects, as noted in a now-deleted university webpage. On Instagram Mangione shared snapshots of his travels, and shirtless images of himself flaunting a six-pack. X users have scoured Mangione's posts for potential motives. His header photo includes an X-ray of a spine with bolts attached. Finding a political ideology that fits neatly onto the right-left divide has proved elusive, though he had written a review of Ted Kaczynski's manifesto on online site Goodreads, calling it "prescient." Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber, carried out multiple bombings in the United States from 1978 to 1995, in a campaign he said was aimed at halting the advance of modern society and technology. Mangione has also linked approvingly to posts criticizing secularism as a harmful consequence of Christianity's decline, and retweeted posts on the impact mobile phones and social media have on mental health. ia/abo-mlm/nroOn paper, Luigi Mangione had it all: wealth, intellect, athleticism, good looks. But the child of a prominent Maryland family may have spurned it all in a spasm of violence, in a killing that has mesmerized Americans. The 26-year-old was arrested Monday and charged with the murder of Brian Thompson, a health insurance chief executive and father of two who was gunned down in Manhattan last week by someone who, evidence suggests, has endured his own debilitating health crises and grew angry with the privatized US medical system. The cold-blooded killing has laid bare the deep frustration many Americans feel toward the country's labyrinthine health care system: while many have condemned the shooting, others have praised Mangione as a hero. It has also prompted considerable interest in how a young engineer with an Ivy League education could have gone off the rails to commit murder. News of his capture at a Pennsylvania McDonald's triggered an explosion of online activity, with Mangione quickly amassing new followers on social media as citizen sleuths and US media tried to understand who he is. As Americans have looked for clues about a political ideology or potential motive, a photo on his X account (formerly Twitter) includes an X-ray of an apparently injured spine. Mangione lived in Hawaii in 2022 and, according to his former roommate R.J. Martin, suffered from back pain, and was hoping to strengthen his back. After a surfing lesson, Mangione was "in bed for about a week" because of the pain, Martin told CNN. Earlier this year, Martin said, Mangione confirmed he'd had back surgery and sent him photos of the X-rays. Police said the suspect carried a hand-written manifesto of grievances in which he slammed America's "most expensive health care system in the world." "He was writing a lot about his disdain for corporate America and in particular the health care industry," New York police chief detective Joseph Kenny told ABC. According to CNN, a document recovered when Mangione was arrested included the phrase "these parasites had it coming." Meanwhile, memes and jokes proliferated, many riffing on his first name and comparing him to the "Mario Bros." video game character Luigi. Many expressed at least partial sympathy, having had their own harrowing experiences with the US health care system. More from this section "Godspeed. Please know that we all hear you," wrote one user on Facebook. Mangione hails from the Baltimore area. His wealthy Italian-American family owns local businesses, including the Hayfields Country Club, according to local outlet the Baltimore Banner, and cousin Nino Mangione is a Maryland state delegate. A standout student, Luigi graduated at the top of his high school class in 2016. A former student who knew Mangione at the elite Gilman School told AFP the suspect struck him as "a normal guy, nice kid." "There was nothing about him that was off, at least from my perception," the person said. Mangione attended the prestigious University of Pennsylvania, where he completed both a bachelor's and master's degree in computer science by 2020, according to a university spokesperson. While at Penn, Mangione co-led a group of 60 undergraduates who collaborated on video game projects, as noted in a now-deleted university webpage. On Instagram Mangione shared snapshots of his travels, and shirtless images of himself flaunting a six-pack. X users have scoured Mangione's posts for potential motives. His header photo includes an X-ray of a spine with bolts attached. Finding a political ideology that fits neatly onto the right-left divide has proved elusive, though he had written a review of Ted Kaczynski's manifesto on online site Goodreads, calling it "prescient." Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber, carried out multiple bombings in the United States from 1978 to 1995, in a campaign he said was aimed at halting the advance of modern society and technology. Mangione has also linked approvingly to posts criticizing secularism as a harmful consequence of Christianity's decline, and retweeted posts on the impact mobile phones and social media have on mental health. ia/abo-mlm/nroPresident Bola Tinubu on Wednesday assured German businesses of Nigeria’s readiness to fully implement existing pacts to ease investment in renewable energy, youth skill development, and industrial growth. Speaking during the visit of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Tinubu highlighted ongoing reforms aimed at fostering a business-friendly environment and attracting foreign investment. These include import duty waivers for machinery, decentralisation of power generation, and active foreign exchange reforms. “We have an open-door policy: ease of entry, ease of exit,” Tinubu said during the press conference that followed closed-door talks, emphasising the removal of bureaucratic bottlenecks in establishing businesses. He explained, “We have an open-door policy...what do I mean by that? There is no longer bureaucracy in establishing your business. We have tax reforms that are private-sector friendly. “We have import duty waivers for machinery. We have so many other incentives that we will help establish private businesses. That I can assure you. We are removing the bureaucracy. “We have a reform in the foreign exchange market, and it’s very active. We’ve aligned our petroleum industry with the world standard practice of production and consumption.” Both presidents also discussed ways to improve the people-to-people relationships between both countries. Tinubu said, “It was a very good bilateral discussion. I could see from the previous meeting earlier today that our businessmen and policymakers are very anxious to do business with Germany. “Mine is to continue to assure you that our business doors are open and reforms are working very well. “We plan to strengthen the relationship and build a fulfilling and rewarding partnership between the two countries, people-to-people relationships, and government-to-government facilitation of opportunities and prosperity.” He noted Nigeria’s potential as a major gas producer and its abundant renewable energy resources, such as solar power, which can be harnessed through German technology for rural electrification. “While we are equally promoting the possibility of alternative energy sources, we pride ourselves on being one of the largest gas producers. “What we need to do has been discussed, and we need to strengthen the partnership for the utilisation of energy as a source of supply and promotion of additional incremental value in business opportunities for Nigeria and Germany. We’ve discussed that,” Tinubu added. In electricity, the Nigerian leader warned that though Siemens Energy is “working very hard” to fulfil its part of the partnership, Nigerians should not expect a “magical response” as the existing power infrastructure is decades old. Related News Tinubu congratulates Nigerian-born doctor on CMA election Tinubu, others congratulate Mahama as opposition clinches Ghana Presidency Tinubu congratulates Ghana's president-elect, John Mahama Tinubu said, “Nigeria, being a nation in a hurry, wants a magical response. But don’t forget, those transmission lines are about 50 to 60 years old. “The snags are what we are trying to improve and reduce the possibility of problems. We are doing that. I’ve signed a reform that decentralised the power distribution and generation in the country. The states and various subsectors and subnational can generate their power and distribute it; they are working on it all. “We have German businesses who are promoting alternative sources of energy, and they are here. We have the sun; they have the technology. I think we can utilise that for rural electrification; as mentioned earlier on, we can use the various dams that are not effective. We assure you that we will put these dams to use for the benefit of our people.” His comment comes just as the national grid collapsed on Wednesday, the 12 time in 2024. The President also underscored the importance of youth training, solid minerals, and industrial partnerships in advancing Nigeria’s development agenda. “We have a brilliant youth population that is energetic and ready to learn. We have a population that is market-friendly. We have an industrial plan that is anxious to establish assembly plants. “We equally have solid minerals and the best proportion we can harness to attract German businesses and partners for progress. “We can tap all the opportunities for effective legal migration. Germany has been noted for the training of our youth population. We need additional strengthening of youth and skill development programmes that will help energise our populations. And we discussed that extensively, too,” said Tinubu. For his part, the Steinmeier said that while Nigeria remains Germany’s second-largest trading partner in sub-Sahara Africa, both countries can deepen ties. “German businesses are seeing this as an improvement in investment relations, and it is perceived as such, and this is why we’re happy that Nigeria is Germany’s second-largest trading partner in sub-Sahara Africa. “But there is great potential, even greater potential. So, I’m happy and grateful that we took much time to engage with one another. “We promised each other that we both, with our opportunities and the governments on both sides, will do everything in our power to promote political and cultural ties and also promote and intensify People-to-People contacts in our meeting with you and the Cabinet,” said the German leader. He expressed appreciation for the strong ties between Germany and Nigeria, emphasising the importance of Nigerians who study in Germany and return to their home country. These individuals, he noted, carry with them a wealth of knowledge about Germany, becoming vital intermediaries for German companies and cultural institutions operating in Nigeria. Steinmeier also highlighted the mutual interest in fostering a generation of bridge-builders and encouraged Nigerian youth to explore opportunities in Germany.
Prediction: 2 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks That Will Be Worth More Than Palantir by the End of 2025Google on Wednesday announced the launch of Gemini 2.0, its most advanced artificial intelligence model to date, as the world's tech giants race to take the lead in the fast developing technology. CEO Sundar Pichai said the new model would mark what the company calls "a new agentic era" in AI development, with AI models designed to understand and make decisions about the world around you. "Gemini 2.0 is about making information much more useful," Pichai said in the announcement, emphasizing the model's enhanced ability to understand context, think multiple steps ahead and take supervised actions on behalf of users. The developments "bring us closer to our vision of a universal assistant," he added. The release sent shares in Google soaring by more than four percent on Wall Street a day after the stock already gained 3.5 percent after the release of a breakthrough quantum chip. The tech giants are furiously taking steps to release more powerful AI models despite their immense cost and some questions about their immediate usefulness to the broader economy. An AI "agent," the latest Silicon Valley trend, is a digital helper that is supposed to sense surroundings, make decisions, and take actions to achieve specific goals. The tech giants promise that agents will be the next stage of an AI revolution that was sparked by the 2022 launch of ChatGPT, which took the world by storm. Gemini 2.0 is initially being rolled out to developers and trusted testers, with plans for broader integration across Google's products, particularly in Search and the Gemini platform. The technology is powered by Google's sixth-generation TPU (Tensor Processing Unit) hardware, dubbed Trillium, which the company has now made generally available to customers. Google emphasized that Trillium processors were used exclusively for both training and running Gemini 2.0. Most AI training has been monopolized by chip juggernaut Nvidia, which has been catapulted by the AI explosion to become one of the world's most valuable companies. Google said that millions of developers are already building applications with Gemini technology, which has been integrated into seven Google products, each serving more than two billion users. Gemini 2.0's powers are expected to come in early 2025 to Google's search application, still the company's main money-maker. The first release from the 2.0 family of models will be Flash, offering faster performance while handling multiple types of input (text, images, video, audio) and output (including generated images and speech). Gemini users worldwide can already tap into a chat-only version of Flash, the company said, with testers given access to a multimodal version that can interpret images and surroundings. Google also said it was experimenting with a product that can use software apps, websites and other online tools, much like a human user. OpenAI and Anthropic have unveiled similar features. The company also teased a new version of Project Astra, a smartphone digital assistant like Apple's Siri that responds to images as well as verbal commands. arp/desNTD Film ‘Where Are You’ to Premiere on Gan Jing World
CEO killer suspect: golden boy who soured on US health systemAP Trending SummaryBrief at 5:39 p.m. ESTNFL will consider replay assist for facemask penalties and other plays
NoneTUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Aden Holloway made eight 3-pointers and scored 26 points off the bench, and No. 5 Alabama overwhelmed South Dakota State with 19 made 3-pointers in a 105-82 victory on Sunday. Labaron Philon added 21 points, six assists and two steals for Alabama (11-2), while Mark Sears had 20 points and five assists. Grant Nelson scored 17 points. Oscar Cluff scored 21 points and Isaac Lindsey had 11 for South Dakota State (9-6). South Dakota State: Cluff entered Sunday averaging 16.6 points and 10.8 rebounds, but had failed to hit double digits in either category in either of his last two games before returning to form Sunday with 21 points and 15 rebounds. Alabama: Holloway’s 8-for-19 performance was a welcome sight after making four of his 15 attempts in his previous three games. Holloway, in his first season at Alabama after transferring from Auburn, saw his scoring average dip under 9 points per game before 13 points in the previous game and 26 on Sunday. Sears and Holloway hit 3-pointers less than 30 seconds apart just past the midway point of the first half, completing a 17-0 run and putting Alabama up by 23 points. The Jackrabbits never got the deficit lower than 14 after that. Alabama committed six turnovers, after having committed at least 14 in six of its last seven games. Alabama begins Southeastern Conference play at home against Oklahoma on Saturday; South Dakota State beings Summit League play on Thursday at home against Denver. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
Ahmadu Bello Teaching Hospital to begin kidney transplant in 2025
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Santos Limited ( OTCMKTS:SSLZY – Get Free Report ) was the target of a significant growth in short interest during the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 167,200 shares, a growth of 85.6% from the November 30th total of 90,100 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 932,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.2 days. Santos Price Performance SSLZY stock opened at $4.08 on Friday. Santos has a one year low of $3.90 and a one year high of $5.59. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $4.31 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $4.77. Santos Company Profile ( Get Free Report ) Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Santos Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Santos and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .By Pepper Intelligence Unit President Museveni is reportedly not happy about how he was cajoled to hand over Kiteezi landfill to a Ghanaian investor without getting all the information he required. He is now mad at local/Ugandan promoters who religiously pushed to have the deal handed over to Dr. Joseph Sian Agyepong’ firm— Jospong Group of Companies from Ghana. Gen.Museveni was convinced that Jospong had the capacity to address the country’s garbage management by converting waste at Kiteezi landfill into fertilizers and other recyclable materials in the aftermath of a tragedy that killed over 30 and displaced a hundreds including destruction of property. A whistleblower has however revealed that the Ghanaian investor and local promoters may have not told the President the ‘whole truth’ about their capacity to handle the project. Reports emerging indicate that Jespong is desperately hunting for an investor to sub-contract with necessary technology and expertise to do the actual job. We are told several firms in the USA and Dubai have been approached by Jespong agents for this purpose. The whistleblower says this is how Jespong has been getting contracts by hoodwinking unsuspecting government officials around Africa to secure contracts when in actual sense is a mere broker. “Jespong lacks the capacity to execute such a project. They are actually brokers. After securing the President’s approval to take over the Kiteezi landfill they are now running around shopping for firms with capacity,” the whistle blower revealed. We are now told a full report has been given to Gen.Museveni and he is not happy with all the local promoters involved. Insiders say that he (Gen.Museveni) felt betrayed because he expected Frank Rusa who has been KCCA’s Ag ED to tell him all the truth about Jespong which was not the case. Rusa applied for KCCA top job and was initially reportedly telling whoever cared to listen how ‘the thing’ –read KCCA top job- was his—no matter what. In a twist of events, we are told when Gen.Museveni got this not so palatable report about Jespong’s shenanigans, he expressed his disappointment in Rusa and those knowledgeable about the KCCA ED recruitment process knew that was the end for Rusa in pursuit of KCAA top job. “The President was not happy. He could not allow Rusa to take the KCCA top job after the messy handling of the Kiteezi landfill takeover deal,” a source revealed. Some other Jespong Ugandan promoters whom the President is also not happy with—and heads may turn soon— include Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs Ministers Minsa Kabanda and Kabuye Kyofatogabye and one Ssebagala. Others include Obed Lutakome who is KCCA’s former land-fill management officer (who ironically should have warned the government before the Kiteezi disaster struck). But together with other two partners, he now owns a firm housed at Fontis Residences Hotel-Nakasero, Kampala which is partnering with Jespong to take over the Kiteezi landfill privately. “Obed Lutakome was formerly land-fill management officer at KCCA. He should have warned the government about the Kiteezi situation but he didn’t! He should be now in court with the Kisaka’s but he is a free man. He is now coming back to privately takeover Kiteezi with Jespong through a private partnership. Who bewitched Uganda for sure?” The whistleblower expressed concern. We are also told that the Deputy Speaker of Parliament who is also among the local promoters of Jespong in Uganda is not happy about these new developments and is reportedly regretting why he allowed connecting Jespong people to President Museveni for a meeting. The name of Hussein Akandwanaho has also featured prominently among the local promoters of Jespong. This publication could not independently verify if this Akandwanaho is by any chance biologically linked to Gen. Salim Saleh Akandwanaho. But available information indicates that Hussein recently swore an affidavit to adopt ‘Akandwanaho’ name. Bismark Nortei Annoo, the honorary consul for the Republic of Ghana in Kampala, Uganda is also among key promoters of Jespong in Kampala. There are reports that Jespong appreciated all those who were involved in securing the Kiteezi Landfill deal in monetary terms but this is a story for another day. The new developments, if confirmed to be true, corroborate Inspector General of Government (IGG)Beti Kamya’s earlier fears and reservations about Jespong’s capacity to execute this project only to be ‘shut up’ by a presidential directive. In a letter dated October 17, 2024, Kamya ordered the suspension of all activities at Kiteezi landfill involving Jospong Group of Companies due to alleged irregularities in the awarding of their contract. “You are therefore directed to halt all transactions with Jospong Group of Companies who have been engaged to manage the Kiteezi landfill until this office completes investigations or issues further orders on the matter,” the letter stated. The IGG’s letter also indicated that an investigation had been launched to probe the alleged irregularities in the procurement process for the Kiteezi management contract, focusing on how it was awarded to Jospong Group of Companies. The letter revealed that Jospong was allegedly handpicked, bypassing standard government procurement procedures as outlined in the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act. “The investigations will also look into the allegations that other investors had approached the government with interest in investing in the Kiteezi landfill, but these were ignored or frustrated. That Jospong was awarded the tender without going through an open bidding process, which would have allowed other competent entities to express interest in partnering with KCCA,” the letter further stated. The IGG’s letter also highlighted concerns regarding the funding of the project. “Jospong Group of Companies has offered to manage the Kiteezi landfill at no cost to the government. This raises questions since one wonders how the company will recoup returns on their investments,” it read. Other issues to be investigated include the alleged lack of an environmental impact assessment, the absence of a feasibility study for the project, and concerns about whether due diligence was conducted to verify if the company possesses the necessary technology and experience to handle the magnitude of the project. Instead, the local promoters of Jespong rushed to secure a meeting with President Museveni who in turn issued a directive to have the former take over the landfill to the disappointment of the IGG. There have been many scandals and corruption allegations levelled against Jespong.In 2013 an investigation into massive corruption in the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA) led to the cancellation of all contracts under the programme. It also led to reforms which culminated into the passage of the Youth Employment Agency Law. The main companies that were indicted in the GYEEDA scandal were those from the Jospong Group of Companies owned by Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong and the AGAMS Group owned by Roland Agambire. The exposé also revealed and catalogued questionable contracts with various metropolitan and municipal assemblies. The report exposed how a waste bin contract awarded on sole sourcing basis to the JOSPONG Group was inflated by at least GHC130 million.Another report revealed how a GHC98 million contract was awarded to 11 companies under the Jospong group to undertake fumigation exercises across the country when Zoomlion Ghana Limited, the parent company of Jospong had already been paid to undertake the same fumigation. In 2013 the World Bank banned Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Jespong’s waste management services firm and its affiliate companies from bidding for the Bank’s contracts because Zoomlion “paid bribes to facilitate contract execution and processing of invoices” in Liberia. Watch this space! editor
Telecom services provider Vodafone Idea Ltd. informed the exchanges on Wednesday, December 4, that a board meet of the company is scheduled to be held on Monday, December 9, to consider a fund raising proposal. Share Market View All Nifty Gainers View All Company Value Change %Change The company intends to raise funds not exceeding ₹2,000 crore through the issuance of equity shares and / or convertible securities on a preferential basis to one or more entities belonging to the Vodafone Group, one of the promoters of the company. As a result of this, the trading window for dealing in securities of the company will remain closed starting December 5 till December 11, 2024, the Vodafone Idea filing said. Both Vodafone Idea and Indus Towers will remain in focus on Thursday after Vodafone Plc announced on Wednesday that it will sell its remaining 3% equity stake in Indus Towers and use those proceeds to repay $101 million in outstanding borrowings, secured against its Indian assets. The move will also complete Vodafone's planned disinvestment of its stake in Indus Towers, which was to be done in a phased manner. In June this year, it sold stake in Indus Towers worth ₹15,300 crore, bringing its holdings down to 3%, having sold a 7% stake in 2022 as well. Vodafone Plc had mentioned that any unsold shares or unused proceeds will be allocated to guarantee Vodafone Idea's obligations under their Master Services Agreement and further updates will be provided once the board of Vodafone Idea finalises the terms for the proposed equity issuances. Vodafone Idea had earlier this year raised ₹18,000 crore through India's largest Follow-on Public Offer (FPO) on record. However, the stock is down 22% from its FPO price of ₹11 apiece. Vodafone Idea shares saw a sharp spike towards the close of Wednesday's trading session and the stock ended 4.3% higher at ₹8.26. Shares have more than halved from their recent peak of ₹19.
Total War: Empire isn't a new game — Creative Assembly first released it on Windows in 2009, while a macOS and Linux port of the strategy title, set in the 18th century, arrived six years later, courtesy Feral Interactive . Nearly 15 years later, players who missed out on one of the most critically acclaimed strategy games of all time can access the title on their iPhone or Android smartphone, with a redesigned user interface and optimisations that improve the experience of playing a turn-based strategy game on a mobile device. In Total War: Empire , you're tasked with controlling one of several powerful empires in North America, Europe, and even parts of India, while also engaging in land and naval battles that can be extremely challenging when you first play the game. I've spent a few days with Total War: Empire on an iPad, and here are my thoughts on this popular strategy game. Total War: Empire Review: Price, Supported Devices The mobile port of Total War for iOS and iPadOS is available via the App Store , and it is currently priced at Rs. 1,349; the Android version is much cheaper at Rs. 549 through the Play Store . It is designed to work on smartphones and tablets — but after testing the game, I would highly recommend playing it on an iPad or an Android based tablet. The additional screen real estate becomes invaluable to the experience, especially with the minutiae of the heads-up display and the user interface. You'll also need 12GB of free space on your smartphone or tablet, but the installation process requires you to have even more available storage (around 24GB). I played Total War: Empire on an iPad (2021) running on iOS 18.1. You can view the extent of your empire by zooming in and out Feral has provided a handy list of devices that are compatible with Total War: Empire on the listing for the game on the App Store. If you have an iPhone XR or newer model (this includes the second-generation iPhone SE that was launched in 2020), you should be able to run the game. It is also designed to work on the following iPad models, or newer models: iPad Mini (2019), iPad Air (2019), iPad (2019), and iPad Pro (2017). There's a fairly long list of compatible Android devices, which includes the following devices and their successors — the Google Pixel 3, Pixel tablet, Motorola Edge 40, OnePlus 7, Nothing Phone 1, OnePlus Pad, Red Magic 9 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S10, Samsung Galaxy Note 10, Samsung Galaxy Tab S6, Xiaomi 12, Sony Xperia 1 II, Xiaomi Mi 11, Xiaomi Pad 5, and the Poco F3. The publisher also says that users with incompatible devices will be blocked from purchasing the game. So, if you can buy the game, you can run it on your mobile device. Total War: Empire Review: Controls While most strategy games are designed to run on a PC and use traditional mouse and keyboard controls, these aren't practical options for mobile devices. While I was under the impression that a game like Total War: Empire would be better suited for PC controls, the title is fully optimised for touch screen input. Touch controls are well thought-out and intuitive, especially for a game that features an extremely large map with several regions across the globe. If you have a slightly older device, you might notice a bit of stuttering while zooming in and out on the map — this is especially the case when you're in the middle of a hectic campaign. I suspect this is due to hardware limitations. In any case, this is a turn based strategy game, so it won't affect the outcome of each round in any way. Diplomacy can help you gain resources or military aid in a pinch It's worth noting that the game's interface pops up a considerable amount of text in the way of hints, messages from envoys (for foreign relations and treaties), and other messages that take up a considerable amount of space on the screen. Reading these and changing strategies as the situation evolved was easy as I played the game on an iPad, but they might be a little too overwhelming on a smaller display — which means even more zooming in and out on the map to see smaller details. Total War: Empire Review: Gameplay I've never played Total War: Empire on PC, but I've had some experience with other strategy games over the years, like Warcraft 3 and the Age of Empires series. In my experience, Total War is one of the most complex and challenging titles I have played in the genre. You start off with one of several powerful empires that are established in Europe, the Americas, or in India, and then navigate the complex world of statecraft. I played with two factions during my testing — Great Britain and the Maratha Confederacy. The game covers a large portion of the world, with enough areas for land and sea battles — you can move fleets across transition zones that are located at the edges of the maps, but longer trips to far-flung areas will require multiple turns in the game. In addition to these theatres of war, you can also access various trade routes to boost your income considerably. However, you'll need to defend your trade ships from pirates that also frequent these routes, using warships. You'll need to evolve your strategy as soon as new events take place To put it simply, you won't be able to just get by with sheer luck while playing Total War: Empire. When you begin a new campaign, there are several other kingdoms on the map — with a friendly, neutral, or hostile stance. Your strategy will need to be adjusted while dealing with each of these empires. For example, if war breaks out in an allied country, refusal to join means the end of that alliance. After you end your turn, the game's AI will make decisions for the other empires and factions on the map. You can spend a considerable part of the game negotiating with other kingdoms and maintaining peace, or even using assassins against rival empires and missionaries to keep religious unrest in check. The game also allows you to select political leaders for your provinces, and the nature of your government can also change over the years. You will occasionally be drawn into battle on land and at sea, depending on where your military units end up on the map, or when an opponent decides to attack structures in your territory. Battles are the second — and equally important part of the game, and each one has consequences, just like the campaign portion of the game. Land battles are quite straightforward, and the touchscreen controls to move units work seamlessly. With the right strategy, you can even use your commander to recall soldiers that are fleeing the battle, and this can be useful when you're being overwhelmed by a larger force. Ignoring the ‘Balance of Power' bar is an easy way to lose a battle On the other hand, naval battles are much more challenging, as you have to keep rotating your warships to face the enemy in order to perform an attack. This was quite difficult to get used to, as these 18th century ships rely on sails and the direction of the wind (except for galleys and steam ships). You must choose the right time to move your ships to fire cannons and board an enemy ship. When timed correctly, these naval battles are arguably the most exciting part of the game — and the animations showing a sinking enemy ship are quite satisfying to watch. You'll also need to keep an eye on the status of your units (their morale can drop causing them to be 'routed' and flee the battle) and ship status (sail health, hull health, and cannon count) as these factors can quickly turn the tide of a battle. It's also important to keep an eye on the terrain your troops are fighting on, as it can greatly improve your chances of winning — after multiple defeats, I realised that it's also possible to hide behind structures and take advantage of specific capabilities offered by certain infantry and cavalry units that can land the ball in your court at a crucial time. The game also shows you a 'Balance of Power' bar that shows you which side is more likely to win, and you can choose to fight or retreat. It's important to keep an eye on both this bar and your troops' morale bar to decide whether to keep fighting or concede. This is also the case for naval battles, which are challenging enough until you learn how to manoeuvre ships swiftly. Naval battles involve attacking or boarding an enemy vessel While navigating the world of statecraft and foreign affairs, you'll also need to keep an eye on resources in your own domain. You will need to manage spending on new technologies, while raising or lowering taxes to keep enough money coming in to the exchequer. This must be done while protecting Public Order, which can be disrupted when the nobility or the lower classes oppose taxes, occupation (or garrisons), or war. You can spend some resources to manage these using a feature called Town Watch Repression. Sometimes, a well-planned strategy can help you quickly advance through your campaign. For example, you can acquire certain territories from allies, or simply attack and defeat another kingdom to quickly turn their provinces independent. However, you need to keep in mind that you can also face unrest from within your own territories, especially when your own cities are besieged by enemies. Verdict Total War: Empire is easily the most complex strategy game I have ever played, and the game feels very enjoyable — once you learn how to evolve your strategy and pick your battles— over 15 years after it was originally released. It has a steeper learning curve compared to other titles like Microsoft's Age of Empires series, so you'll need to spend a couple of hours trying to figure out how to build your army, maintain foreign relations, and expand trading, while upgrading your empire's technology. I would recommend playing this title on a device with a larger screen, as there's a lot to keep an eye out for in the game, and the animations look much better. If you're someone who enjoys turn-based strategy games and looking for one to play while you're on the go — and don't mind spending enough time to learn how to evolve your strategy as new challenges appear — it's very easy to recommend Total War: Empire, which is available as a one-time purchase on iOS and Android. Empire: Total War 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 .Eldorado Gold Releases Updated Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource Statement; 2024 Gold Mineral Reserves Increased to 11.9 Million Oz with M&I Gold Mineral Resources of 22.0 Million Oz; Inaugural Mineral Reserve Declared at Ormaque; Outline of 2025 Reporting Schedule
Reiterates Commitment to Investing in America to Lower Grocery Prices, Raise Associate Wages, and Support Local Communities Highlights Resilience of Value Creation Model and Strong Momentum to Drive Long-term, Sustainable Growth Board of Directors Authorizes $7.5B Share Repurchase Program including $5B Accelerated Share Repurchase CINCINNATI , Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today terminated its merger agreement with Albertsons after the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon granted the Federal Trade Commission's request for a preliminary injunction to block the proposed merger. After reviewing options, the company determined it is no longer in its best interests to pursue the merger. "Kroger is moving forward from a position of strength. Our go-to-market strategy provides exceptional value and unique omnichannel experiences to our customers which powers our value creation model. We look forward to accelerating our flywheel to grow our alternative profit businesses and generate increased cash flows. The strength of our balance sheet and sustainability of our model allows us to pursue a variety of growth opportunities, including further investment in our store network through new stores and remodels, which will be an important part of our 8 – 11% TSR model over time," said Rodney McMullen , Kroger's Chairman and CEO. America's Grocer is Committed to Lowering Grocery Prices & Investing in Associates "Kroger has an extraordinary track record of investing in America," said McMullen. "We are at our best when we serve others – our customers, associates, and communities – and we take seriously our responsibility to provide great value by consistently lowering prices and offering more choices. When we do this, more customers shop with us and buy more groceries, which allows us to reinvest in even lower prices, a better shopping experience and higher wages. We know this model works because we've been doing it successfully for many years, and this is exactly what we will continue to do." Kroger's ongoing investments in America include: "I appreciate our associates who remained focused on taking care of our customers, communities and each other throughout the merger process," added McMullen. Share Repurchase Program Including Accelerated Share Repurchases Now that Kroger has terminated the merger agreement, the company is ready to deploy its capacity. With its strengthened balance sheet, Kroger will resume share repurchases after a more than two-year pause. Since announcing the merger, Kroger used its strong free cash flow and debt financing to build meaningful balance sheet capacity while maintaining its investment-grade rating. Kroger's Board of Directors approved a new share repurchase program authorizing the repurchase of up to $7.5 billion of common stock. The new repurchase authorization replaces Kroger's existing $1 billion authorization which was approved in September 2022 . Kroger intends to enter an accelerated share repurchase ("ASR") agreement for the repurchase of approximately $5 billion of common stock. "Our strong balance sheet and free cash flows position us to deliver on our commitment to grow the business and return capital to shareholders, maintaining capacity to invest in lower prices and higher associate wages," McMullen said. Kroger expects to continue to generate strong free cash flow and remains committed to its capital allocation priorities including maintaining its current investment grade debt rating, investing in the business to drive long-term sustainable net earnings growth, and returning excess free cash flow to shareholders via share repurchases and a growing dividend over time, subject to board approval. Looking forward, Kroger plans to host an Investor Day event in late spring of 2025 to share an update on its strategic priorities, future growth prospects and long-term financial outlook. Merger Debt Redemption In connection with the termination of the merger agreement, Kroger will begin the process of redeeming the $4.7 billion of its senior notes issued on August 27, 2024 , that include a special mandatory redemption provision in accordance with their terms. The notes will be redeemed at a redemption price equal to 101% of their principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the special mandatory redemption date. Termination of Exchange Offers In connection with the termination of the merger agreement, Kroger has also elected to terminate its previously announced offers to exchange (collectively, the "Exchange Offers") any and all outstanding notes (the "ACI Notes") issued by Albertsons Companies, Inc., New Albertsons, L.P., Safeway Inc., Albertson's LLC, Albertsons Safeway LLC and American Stores Company, LLC (collectively, the "ACI Issuing Entities"), for up to $7,441,608,000 aggregate principal amount of new notes to be issued by Kroger and cash. Kroger has also elected to terminate the related solicitation of consents (the "Consent Solicitation" and, together with the Exchange Offer, the "Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation") on behalf of the ACI Issuing Entities to adopt certain proposed amendments to the indentures governing the ACI Notes (the "ACI Indentures"). As a result of the Exchange Offer being terminated, the total consideration, including any consent fee, will not be paid or become payable to holders of the ACI Notes who have validly tendered and not validly withdrawn their ACI Notes for exchange in the Exchange Offer, and the ACI Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn for exchange pursuant to the Exchange Offer will be promptly returned to the tendering holders. As a result of the Consent Solicitation being terminated, the proposed amendments to the ACI Indentures and the supplemental indentures previously entered into reflecting such proposed amendments will not become operative. About the Exchange Offers Global Bondholder Services Corporation served as exchange agent and information agent for the now terminated Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation. You should direct questions and requests for assistance to Global Bondholder Services Corporation at (855) 654-2015 (toll-free) or (212) 430-3774 (banks and brokers), or by email at contact@gbsc-usa.com . About Kroger At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose: to Feed the Human SpiritTM. We are, across our family of companies nearly 414,000 associates who serve over eleven million customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and retail food stores under a variety of banner names , serving America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains certain statements that constitute "forward-looking statements" about Kroger's financial position and the future performance of the company. These statements are based on management's assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to it. Such statements are indicated by words or phrases such as "achieve," "committed," "confidence," "continue," "deliver," "expect," "future," "guidance," "model," "outlook," "strategy," "target," "trends," "well-positioned," and variations of such words and similar phrases. Various uncertainties and other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. These include the specific risk factors identified in "Risk Factors" in our annual report on Form 10-K for our last fiscal year and any subsequent filings, as well as the following: Kroger's ability to achieve sales, earnings, incremental FIFO operating profit, and adjusted free cash flow goals may be affected by: the termination of the merger agreement and our proposed transaction with Albertsons and related divestiture plan; labor negotiations; potential work stoppages; changes in the unemployment rate; pressures in the labor market; changes in government-funded benefit programs; changes in the types and numbers of businesses that compete with Kroger; pricing and promotional activities of existing and new competitors, and the aggressiveness of that competition; Kroger's response to these actions; the state of the economy, including interest rates, the inflationary, disinflationary and/or deflationary trends and such trends in certain commodities, products and/or operating costs; the geopolitical environment including wars and conflicts; unstable political situations and social unrest; changes in tariffs; the effect that fuel costs have on consumer spending; volatility of fuel margins; manufacturing commodity costs; supply constraints; diesel fuel costs related to Kroger's logistics operations; trends in consumer spending; the extent to which Kroger's customers exercise caution in their purchasing in response to economic conditions; the uncertainty of economic growth or recession; stock repurchases; changes in the regulatory environment in which Kroger operates, along with changes in federal policy and at regulatory agencies; Kroger's ability to retain pharmacy sales from third party payors; consolidation in the healthcare industry, including pharmacy benefit managers; Kroger's ability to negotiate modifications to multi-employer pension plans; natural disasters or adverse weather conditions; the effect of public health crises or other significant catastrophic events; the potential costs and risks associated with potential cyber-attacks or data security breaches; the success of Kroger's future growth plans; the ability to execute our growth strategy and value creation model, including continued cost savings, growth of our alternative profit businesses, and our ability to better serve our customers and to generate customer loyalty and sustainable growth through our strategic pillars of fresh, our brands, personalization, and seamless; the successful integration of merged companies and new strategic collaborations; and the risks relating to or arising from our proposed nationwide opioid litigation settlement, including our ability to finalize and effectuate the settlement, the scope and coverage of the ultimate settlement and the expected financial or other impacts that could result from the settlement. Our ability to achieve these goals may also be affected by our ability to manage the factors identified above. Our ability to execute our financial strategy may be affected by our ability to generate cash flow. Kroger assumes no obligation to update the information contained herein unless required by applicable law. Please refer to Kroger's reports and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a further discussion of these risks and uncertainties. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kroger-reiterates-its-commitment-to-lower-prices-and-initiates-new-7-5b-share-buyback-program-302329493.html SOURCE The Kroger Co.New Omni Theater at Fort Worth Museum of Science and History is ready for next generation