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US Coast Guard cutter denied entry into Solomon Islands port sparking concerns of China’s growing influence

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A United States Coast Guard cutter conducting patrols on an international mission in the Pacific Ocean was denied entry to a port in the Solomon Islands raising concerns about China’s growing influence in the area.

The cutter Oliver Henry was taking part in Operation Island Chief monitoring fishing activities in the Pacific, which ended Friday, when it sought to make a scheduled stop at Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, to refuel and re-provision, the Coast Guard office in Honolulu said.

There was no response from the Solomon Islands’ government for diplomatic clearance for the vessel to stop there, however, so the Oliver Henry diverted to Papua New Guinea, the Coast Guard said.

Additionally, it was reported that a British vessel was also denied entry but the British Royal Navy has not commented directly on those reports.

COMMUNIST CHINA SURVIVOR ISSUES WARNING TO AMERICANS: SOCIALISM IS ONLY THE FIRST STAGE

United States Coast Guard crew members work on a Cutter at the Coast Guard Sector Miami base on January 26, 2022 in Miami, Florida. 
( (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images))

During Operation Island Chief, the U.S., Australia, Britain and New Zealand provided support through aerial and surface surveillance for Pacific island nations participating in the operation, including the Solomon Islands.

China has been assertively trying to expand its presence and influence in the Pacific, and Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare alarmed some neighbors, the U.S. and others after he signed a new security pact with China.

US RESPONDS IN KIND FOR CHINA-BOUND FLIGHTS AFTER BEIJING SUSPENDS 26 FLIGHTS TO AMERICA

The pact has raised fears of a Chinese naval base being established within 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) of Australia’s northeast coast. A Chinese military presence in the Solomon Islands would put it not only on the doorstep of Australia and New Zealand but also in close proximity to Guam, the U.S. territory that hosts major military bases.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission
(Ju Peng/Xinhua via Getty Images)

“China is gaining ground in its efforts to gain dominance in the Pacific,” Former United States Department of Veterans Affairs Assistant Secretary James Hutton tweeted in response to the news. 

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“China is now running the Solomon Islands,” Gordon G. Chang, author of The Coming Collapse of China, posted on Twitter.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Solomon Islands’ Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in Beijing, Oct. 9, 2019.
(Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Associated Press contributed to this report.

Andrew Mark Miller is a writer at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to AndrewMark.Miller@Fox.com.

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World

Venice reveals details of its €10 tourist entry fee

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Editor’s Note — Sign up to CNN Travel’s Unlocking Italy newsletter for insider intel on Italy’s best loved destinations and lesser-known regions to plan your ultimate trip. Plus, we’ll get you in the mood before you go with movie suggestions, reading lists and recipes from Stanley Tucci.

(CNN) — The countdown has begun. From January 16, 2023, visitors to Venice — that jewel in Italy’s tourism crown — will have to pay for the privilege.

It’s set to become the first city in the world to require an entrance fee. The launch date was announced by Venice’s councilor for tourism, Simone Venturini, at a press conference on Friday.

Venturini called the new measure a “great revolution,” and a solution for the overtourism problem that the lagoon city has been struggling with for decades.

The cost of the ticket will range from a three-euro minimum right up to 10 euros. The price will not be fixed, but will vary according to the number of visitors: The more requests for entry, the higher the cost.

The goal, explained Venturini, is not to “close the city,” but to get people to book their presence to reduce the “tourist peaks.” He said, “Venice is a living city and it has to stay that way.”

Exceptions

The complex ticket booking system and its online platform will be unveiled this fall. There are many exceptions to the entrance ticket mandate, explained Michele Zuin, councilor for the budget.

Residents and children aged under six will be exempt, as will disabled people, homeowners, those who come to the city for health reasons or to visit relatives, and those coming to attend a sporting or cultural event.

Overnight hotel guests will also avoid paying the entrance fee because they’ll already be paying a tourist tax through their hotel.

“It is not a system to make cash but to manage tourist flows,” Zuin emphasized. The proceeds from the entrance fee will go to lowering the taxes of Venetians, which are already very high due to the large volume of tourists that need to be accommodated.

The entrance fee will apply to the Venice historic center and the following islands:

Lido di Venezia, Pellestrina, Murano, Burano, Torcello, Sant’Erasmo, Mazzorbo, Mazzorbetto, Vignole, S. Andrea, La Certosa, S. Servolo, S. Clemente and Poveglia.

The fines for ticket violations will range from 50 euros up to 300 euros.

Post-pandemic mentality

“Covid made us realize that what was an everyday occurrence before Covid isn’t acceptable anymore — the mentality has changed, as has the sensitivity [towards crowds],” he said.

He explained that the booking system would “give us the chance to know how many people are predicted for that day, and to calibrate services according to the number.”

Venturini also said in April that the portal would flag people that they might want to change their mind.

“We can say, ‘Dear visitor, we don’t advise coming on this date because it’s Ferragosto [August public holiday] or Easter — there’ll be a lot of people so it will hinder you from having a peaceful visit, and if you make it a week later you can enjoy your visit more,” he said.

Venturini also predicted that Venice won’t be the last to introduce a charge.

“I think many other European cites who live with significant numbers of daytrippers are watching us to understand in what way they can introduce [a similar scheme],” he said.

Venice may be the first city to introduce a fee, but already one village in Italy has introduced a charge for daytrippers. Civita di Bagnoregio introduced a “symbolic” fee of €1.50 ($1.67) in 2013. Mayor Francesco Bigiotti planned it as a marketing stunt to attract tourists to his village on a crumbling cliff, known as the “dying town.”

The fee intrigued visitors to such an extent that visitors grew from 40,000 in 2009 to 1 million in 2018.

Main image: Pre-pandemic crowds in Venice’s St. Mark’s Square. (MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP/Getty Images)

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Technology

Final Fantasy 16 Is An Ambitious, More Mature Entry In The Series, Says Producer

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The Final Fantasy franchise is fighting fit in a way it hasn’t been for quite some time. Final Fantasy XIV underwent a huge revitalization that took it from a floundering MMO to one of the most critically acclaimed and beloved games in the genre. Final Fantasy VII Remake, meanwhile, defied expectations and delivered an incredibly strong, modernized version of the iconic Japanese role-playing classic.

Now, Square Enix looks to be making some smart moves to ensure Final Fantasy continues to shine while in the spotlight. The recently revealed Crisis Core Reunion is set to take the much-loved but oft-forgotten PSP spin-off of Final Fantasy 7 and bring it to modern platforms for a new generation to experience. And a trailer for Rebirth, the second part in the Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy, looks to be continuing the bold reimagining of the original’s story.

Perhaps most exciting is Final Fantasy XVI, the next installment in the mainline Final Fantasy series. Little is known about the game and, instead, much of the excitement around it is tied to its creative team. Director Hiroshi Takai has worked on a number of Saga titles, as well as The Last Remnant. Writer Kazutoyo Maehiro, meanwhile, has previously been involved with Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy XII, and Vagrant Story.

Much of the attention, however, has been focused on Final Fantasy XVI’s producer Naoki Yoshida, who is credited for the successful salvaging of Final Fantasy XIV. The positive response to his involvement is unsurprising considering there is resounding agreement that Final Fantasy XIV’s narrative and characterization are incredible. Naturally, expectations are high for what this creative team can do for Final Fantasy XVI and, following the debut of the game’s latest trailer, we talked to Yoshida-san about what players can expect in terms of gameplay, narrative themes, and more.

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Final Fantasy XVI Gameplay Trailer | Sony State of Play June 2022

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How much of a gameplay factor are the big Titan battles we saw in the recent trailer? What’s the ratio to those versus more recognizable FF15-like human combat?

Naoki Yoshida: So what you saw in the trailer with that Titan battle, the Eikon versus Eikon battles, is only actually a tiny sample of the battles that we have in store in the game. In the trailer, you had the one scene where Shiva and Titan are battling. Actually, this is not a playable part of the game; this is a cutscene, but while that’s happening Clive will be in that same area, kind of experiencing the battle from a different perspective.

However, later in the trailer, you saw a different type of battle with Titan involved. That part of the battle is actually fully playable. But again, what you’ve seen there is only a very, very small part of that battle. So the battles with Titan, for example, it’s only about maybe a 20th of what you actually get to experience.

So in that [trailer], the battle was tightened. The battle itself goes through many different stages, many different phases, and all of these change in real time. And the player ends up experiencing something that is large-scale, action-packed, and high-octane. And hopefully, a lot of players will see that and [think], “I can’t believe you created something that’s so crazy.” And again, that’s just the battle with Titan. There are several other summon versus summon battles and they are all unique from a game design perspective.

For example, while one of these battles is reminiscent of a 3D shooting game, another feels like a pro wrestling match, while another, like the one with Titan, incorporates an entire area as the battlefield.

And again, what we saw in the trailer, that’s a good example of those battles. The [user interface] that you saw on there, again, it’s showing that this is all in real time. However, that UI, we’ve had to actually remove parts of the UI from the trailer because they would be spoilers for the story. But we did want to show that these battles exist, and that, again, Clive will be able to control one of the summons and have these summons versus some in battle.

We’ve talked a lot about the Eikon versus Eikon battles, but there are different type of battles, as well. A lot of the battles that Clive will face just while journeying around the realm will be smaller-scale. You have Clive versus smaller-size enemies, or maybe waves of these enemies. And then, of course, as he progresses through that, he’ll encounter elite enemies or what you could call mini-bosses. And then he will encounter, finally, bosses or these giant creatures. [There are] even times where Clive will encounter, [in] human size, the full size Eikons himself.

You also have a lot of pressure from the [development] team itself because the dev team has expectations in what they want from the game. And so, to tell you the truth, no one should ever tackle two Final Fantasy games at once like I did

Which previous Final Fantasy games would you liken this game to and how has FFXIV served as a source of inspiration?

As the game will be focusing heavily on action featuring these real-time battles, sometimes on a massive scale–things that the series hasn’t fully explored yet–Final Fantasy XVI will end up feeling like a truly new experience for many fans–unlike any of the past FFs. So it will still have that look and feel of a Final Fantasy game, but still feel different. One thing that did kind of serve as a source of inspiration, at least for the summons, was in Final Fantasy XIV. The story there and game design there also put a lot of emphasis on how we portrayed the summons known as the Primals in Final Fantasy XIV. And so, players will see some of those influences in Final Fantasy XVI, and in how they’re portrayed and how they appear in the game.

FF15 was very consciously about male friendships and masculinity, what overall themes is this game trying to express?

One of the main themes explored in Final Fantasy XVI’s narrative deals with the inevitable clash of values and ideals when you get multiple different people with different ideals in the same room; what is truly right and what is truly wrong? Again, because we focus so much on their Dominants, and they have such a large part in this story, you’re going to see how they think the world should be and what they think is right for the world. You’re going to focus on those motivations and those struggles, and then, you’re going to delve even deeper and into darker themes when it comes to how people should live; should people live the life that was chosen for them or fight to break free from that kind of destiny?

Are there plans to support the world with tertiary lore material, or is it more self-contained?

Currently, there are no plans to create anything, for example, like a lore book like we had in Final Fantasy XIV. So, the development team is currently working really hard to make the final release of the game a complete experience so that no other tertiary content will be required to enjoy or understand it. And so, how the story and the narrative progresses is that we follow the life of Clive Rossville through three different stages: his teens, his 20s, and his 30s.

And because we’re covering such a large amount of time with those jumps, it’s safe to say that a lot will be happening in the background with regards to the state of the realm. And while we have a few side quests available in the game that will touch upon what’s going on in the world in the background in addition to that main scenario, we also will have these in-game compendiums, and a lot of stuff to read in-game that will hopefully help provide a lot of the lore to those people who wish to delve deeper into the game world.

There was implied nudity in the recent trailer. Is this a more adult, M-rated Final Fantasy?

So this is something you can say, not just with the Final Fantasy series, but in general, compared to the past, video game ratings have become more and more restrictive recently regarding what can or cannot be shown. That said, I do believe that ratings are very important to ensure that younger players, younger children, are shielded from extreme material.

But on the other hand, when trying to tell a story with difficult adult themes, these ratings can end up becoming somewhat of a hindrance. And you find yourself changing things that you wanted to do in the game based on that rating. You wanted to show something, but because you have this certain rating that you need to go to, you need to move the camera away. And that ends up making the entire experience feel a little bit cheaper. And so, this time, to make sure that we could tell the story that we wanted in the way that we wanted to, we decided to pursue a mature rating in most of the regions that will be releasing the game. But again, this is not because we simply wanted to make the game more violent or the game more explicit, this is because we felt it was necessary to allow us to explore those more mature themes that the game tackles.

What is it like to go from revitalizing an MMO to now being in charge of the next main entry in the franchise. Is that something of a graduation or do you just feel like, hey, this is just another Final Fantasy game. I’m going to do my best.

To tell the truth, to be in charge of the next mainline Final Fantasy, it’s a lot of pressure. And so, you have the pressure from the fans who want a lot of different things and have a lot of different ideas about the direction that the series should go in. You have that pressure of the history of Final Fantasy. It being a 35-year-old franchise, and having all of that history there, the weight of that history. You also have a lot of pressure from the [development] team itself because the dev team has expectations in what they want from the game. And so, to tell you the truth, no one should ever tackle two Final Fantasy games at once like I did.

The one thing, though, that is very different from XIV, is that on XIV, I am producer and director, but luckily, on Final Fantasy XVI, I’m only the producer. So that whole amount of pressure that comes with being a director is not on my shoulders. It’s on the director’s shoulders. So in that sense, there’s a little bit less pressure on me. I know that when the company came to me and asked the development team to tackle the next Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy XVI, I told them that we would do it as long as I didn’t have to be director as well, because there was no way I could direct two projects of this scale at once.

That said, being asked by the company to create the newest mainline Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy XVI, was an honor. And it was an honor that was only made possible by what we were able to achieve on Final Fantasy XIV and the amount of feedback that we’ve gotten from the fans and the amount of support that we’ve had from fans and players and the media around the world. You guys supporting us, gave us this opportunity to take on the next Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy XVI. And for that, we’re very appreciative.

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Technology

Final Fantasy 16 Is An Ambitious, More Mature Entry In The Series, Says Producer

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The Final Fantasy franchise is fighting fit in a way it hasn’t been for quite some time. Final Fantasy XIV underwent a huge revitalization that took it from a floundering MMO to one of the most critically acclaimed and beloved games in the genre. Final Fantasy VII Remake, meanwhile, defied expectations and delivered an incredibly strong, modernized version of the iconic Japanese role-playing classic.

Now, Square Enix looks to be making some smart moves to ensure Final Fantasy continues to shine while in the spotlight. The recently revealed Crisis Core Reunion is set to take the much-loved but oft-forgotten PSP spin-off of Final Fantasy 7 and bring it to modern platforms for a new generation to experience. And a trailer for Rebirth, the second part in the Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy, looks to be continuing the bold reimagining of the original’s story.

Perhaps most exciting is Final Fantasy XVI, the next installment in the mainline Final Fantasy series. Little is known about the game and, instead, much of the excitement around it is tied to its creative team. Director Hiroshi Takai has worked on a number of Saga titles, as well as The Last Remnant. Writer Kazutoyo Maehiro, meanwhile, has previously been involved with Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy XII, and Vagrant Story.

Much of the attention, however, has been focused on Final Fantasy XVI’s producer Naoki Yoshida, who is credited for the successful salvaging of Final Fantasy XIV. The positive response to his involvement is unsurprising considering there is resounding agreement that Final Fantasy XIV’s narrative and characterization are incredible. Naturally, expectations are high for what this creative team can do for Final Fantasy XVI and, following the debut of the game’s latest trailer, we talked to Yoshida-san about what players can expect in terms of gameplay, narrative themes, and more.

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Final Fantasy XVI Gameplay Trailer | Sony State of Play June 2022

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How much of a gameplay factor are the big Titan battles we saw in the recent trailer? What’s the ratio to those versus more recognizable FF15-like human combat?

Naoki Yoshida: So what you saw in the trailer with that Titan battle, the Eikon versus Eikon battles, is only actually a tiny sample of the battles that we have in store in the game. In the trailer, you had the one scene where Shiva and Titan are battling. Actually, this is not a playable part of the game; this is a cutscene, but while that’s happening Clive will be in that same area, kind of experiencing the battle from a different perspective.

However, later in the trailer, you saw a different type of battle with Titan involved. That part of the battle is actually fully playable. But again, what you’ve seen there is only a very, very small part of that battle. So the battles with Titan, for example, it’s only about maybe a 20th of what you actually get to experience.

So in that [trailer], the battle was tightened. The battle itself goes through many different stages, many different phases, and all of these change in real time. And the player ends up experiencing something that is large-scale, action-packed, and high-octane. And hopefully, a lot of players will see that and [think], “I can’t believe you created something that’s so crazy.” And again, that’s just the battle with Titan. There are several other summon versus summon battles and they are all unique from a game design perspective.

For example, while one of these battles is reminiscent of a 3D shooting game, another feels like a pro wrestling match, while another, like the one with Titan, incorporates an entire area as the battlefield.

And again, what we saw in the trailer, that’s a good example of those battles. The [user interface] that you saw on there, again, it’s showing that this is all in real time. However, that UI, we’ve had to actually remove parts of the UI from the trailer because they would be spoilers for the story. But we did want to show that these battles exist, and that, again, Clive will be able to control one of the summons and have these summons versus some in battle.

We’ve talked a lot about the Eikon versus Eikon battles, but there are different type of battles, as well. A lot of the battles that Clive will face just while journeying around the realm will be smaller-scale. You have Clive versus smaller-size enemies, or maybe waves of these enemies. And then, of course, as he progresses through that, he’ll encounter elite enemies or what you could call mini-bosses. And then he will encounter, finally, bosses or these giant creatures. [There are] even times where Clive will encounter, [in] human size, the full size Eikons himself.

You also have a lot of pressure from the [development] team itself because the dev team has expectations in what they want from the game. And so, to tell you the truth, no one should ever tackle two Final Fantasy games at once like I did

Which previous Final Fantasy games would you liken this game to and how has FFXIV served as a source of inspiration?

As the game will be focusing heavily on action featuring these real-time battles, sometimes on a massive scale–things that the series hasn’t fully explored yet–Final Fantasy XVI will end up feeling like a truly new experience for many fans–unlike any of the past FFs. So it will still have that look and feel of a Final Fantasy game, but still feel different. One thing that did kind of serve as a source of inspiration, at least for the summons, was in Final Fantasy XIV. The story there and game design there also put a lot of emphasis on how we portrayed the summons known as the Primals in Final Fantasy XIV. And so, players will see some of those influences in Final Fantasy XVI, and in how they’re portrayed and how they appear in the game.

FF15 was very consciously about male friendships and masculinity, what overall themes is this game trying to express?

One of the main themes explored in Final Fantasy XVI’s narrative deals with the inevitable clash of values and ideals when you get multiple different people with different ideals in the same room; what is truly right and what is truly wrong? Again, because we focus so much on their Dominants, and they have such a large part in this story, you’re going to see how they think the world should be and what they think is right for the world. You’re going to focus on those motivations and those struggles, and then, you’re going to delve even deeper and into darker themes when it comes to how people should live; should people live the life that was chosen for them or fight to break free from that kind of destiny?

Are there plans to support the world with tertiary lore material, or is it more self-contained?

Currently, there are no plans to create anything, for example, like a lore book like we had in Final Fantasy XIV. So, the development team is currently working really hard to make the final release of the game a complete experience so that no other tertiary content will be required to enjoy or understand it. And so, how the story and the narrative progresses is that we follow the life of Clive Rossville through three different stages: his teens, his 20s, and his 30s.

And because we’re covering such a large amount of time with those jumps, it’s safe to say that a lot will be happening in the background with regards to the state of the realm. And while we have a few side quests available in the game that will touch upon what’s going on in the world in the background in addition to that main scenario, we also will have these in-game compendiums, and a lot of stuff to read in-game that will hopefully help provide a lot of the lore to those people who wish to delve deeper into the game world.

There was implied nudity in the recent trailer. Is this a more adult, M-rated Final Fantasy?

So this is something you can say, not just with the Final Fantasy series, but in general, compared to the past, video game ratings have become more and more restrictive recently regarding what can or cannot be shown. That said, I do believe that ratings are very important to ensure that younger players, younger children, are shielded from extreme material.

But on the other hand, when trying to tell a story with difficult adult themes, these ratings can end up becoming somewhat of a hindrance. And you find yourself changing things that you wanted to do in the game based on that rating. You wanted to show something, but because you have this certain rating that you need to go to, you need to move the camera away. And that ends up making the entire experience feel a little bit cheaper. And so, this time, to make sure that we could tell the story that we wanted in the way that we wanted to, we decided to pursue a mature rating in most of the regions that will be releasing the game. But again, this is not because we simply wanted to make the game more violent or the game more explicit, this is because we felt it was necessary to allow us to explore those more mature themes that the game tackles.

What is it like to go from revitalizing an MMO to now being in charge of the next main entry in the franchise. Is that something of a graduation or do you just feel like, hey, this is just another Final Fantasy game. I’m going to do my best.

To tell the truth, to be in charge of the next mainline Final Fantasy, it’s a lot of pressure. And so, you have the pressure from the fans who want a lot of different things and have a lot of different ideas about the direction that the series should go in. You have that pressure of the history of Final Fantasy. It being a 35-year-old franchise, and having all of that history there, the weight of that history. You also have a lot of pressure from the [development] team itself because the dev team has expectations in what they want from the game. And so, to tell you the truth, no one should ever tackle two Final Fantasy games at once like I did.

The one thing, though, that is very different from XIV, is that on XIV, I am producer and director, but luckily, on Final Fantasy XVI, I’m only the producer. So that whole amount of pressure that comes with being a director is not on my shoulders. It’s on the director’s shoulders. So in that sense, there’s a little bit less pressure on me. I know that when the company came to me and asked the development team to tackle the next Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy XVI, I told them that we would do it as long as I didn’t have to be director as well, because there was no way I could direct two projects of this scale at once.

That said, being asked by the company to create the newest mainline Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy XVI, was an honor. And it was an honor that was only made possible by what we were able to achieve on Final Fantasy XIV and the amount of feedback that we’ve gotten from the fans and the amount of support that we’ve had from fans and players and the media around the world. You guys supporting us, gave us this opportunity to take on the next Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy XVI. And for that, we’re very appreciative.

The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors.
GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.

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Technology

Dragon Quest Creator Yuji Horii Shares Brief Update On Next Mainline Entry

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Image: Square Enix

Dragon Quest Day was held earlier this week – celebrating 36 years of the beloved JRPG series, and as part of this, series creator Yuji Horii shared a special message with fans.

Apart from a new teaser for Dragon Quest Treasures, the creator also shared an update about the highly anticipated next entry in the mainline series, Dragon Quest XII: The Flames Of Fate.

Apparently, the team is still “working hard” on building the new game. Fortunately, there’ll be plenty of other Dragon Quest games before then, which will hopefully make the wait slightly less painful. Here’s exactly what he had to say (via Gematsu):

“We’re working hard on building Dragon Quest XII, but there’ll be plenty more Dragon Quest to tide you over until it’s finished…Thank you all for supporting the Dragon Quest series for 36 years, from me, Yuji Horii.”

No release date or platforms have been revealed for DQXII just yet, but we do know the game will run on Unreal Engine 5.

Japanese studio HexaDrive (known for its involvement with The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD) and fellow Japanese company Orca (previously known for games like Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition) will also be assisting Square Enix with development.

To fill the gap in between, Yuji Horii mentioned in his latest message how Square Enix would be releasing “a lot of new Dragon Quest titles” this year. This includes Dragon Quest X Offline, and obviously Dragon Quest Treasures. A mobile version of Dragon Quest Builders is also on the way.

Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate was officially announced in May last year, and based on this latest update – its release could potentially be a long way away. Are you looking forward to learning more about this new mainline entry in the future? Comment down below.



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Technology

Metroid 64 Imagines the 64-Bit Entry That Never Happened

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While the Nintendo 64 never got a Metroid game, two fans are working on showing the world what a Metroid 64 could have looked like.

As reported by Nintendo Life, Luto Akino took to Twitter to share his Unity 3D project that aims to create what Metroid 64 could have been.

Instead of opting for a first-person camera a la Metroid Prime, this version features a third-person perspective and shows Samus running around a purple cave area, using her arm canon, and even using her Morph Ball form and bombs.

There are currently no enemies besides static blocks, but it gives a good glimpse into Akino’s vision and what a Metroid game on the N64 would play and look like. Akino is working on this project with a friend and has revealed no plans as to when they would make this available to the public.

You can check back through Akino’s Twitter to see even more updates on this Metroid 64 project.

Super Metroid was released for the SNES in 1994 and it took eight years for fans to get a new entry. While Samus did show up in the original Super Smash Bros., she never had a proper entry on the N64.

The wait may have been tough, but fans were treated to two new adventures – GBA’s Metroid Fusion and GameCube’s Metroid Prime – just days apart in 2002.

Nintendo tried to make Metroid happen on N64, but it revealed it “couldn’t come up with any concrete ideas or vehicle at that time.” Metroid co-creator Yoshio Sakamoto also said he couldn’t imagine how the N64 controller could be used to control Samus.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.



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World

‘Entry only. No exit:’ Beijing sees more COVID closures as anger grows in Shanghai

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  • Beijing closes more gyms, malls, cinemas to contain outbreak
  • Delivery companies work overtime to supply residents
  • “The virus is what’s hurting the economy” – health official

BEIJING/SHANGHAI, April 29 (Reuters) – China’s capital Beijing closed more businesses and residential compounds on Friday, with authorities ramping up contact tracing to contain a COVID-19 outbreak, while resentment at the month-long lockdown in Shanghai grew.

In the finance hub, fenced-in people have been protesting against the lockdown and difficulties in obtaining provisions by banging on pots and pans in the evenings, according to a Reuters witness and residents.

A video shared on social media, whose authenticity could not be immediately verified, showed a woman warning people via a loud-hailer not to do so, saying such gestures were being encouraged by “outsiders.”

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The Shanghai government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In Beijing, authorities were in a race against time to detect COVID cases and isolate those who have been around them.

A sign placed outside a residential complex read “Entry only. No exit.”

Polish resident Joanna Szklarska, 51, was sent to a quarantine hotel as a close contact, but she refused to share the room, which had only one bed, with her neighbour.

She was sent back home, where authorities installed a front door alarm. Then she was called back to the hotel, where she now has her own room.

“Nothing makes sense here,” the English-language consultant said by phone.

At a regular press conference on Friday, Chinese health officials did not respond to questions on whether Beijing will go under lockdown or what circumstances might prompt such measures.

The Chaoyang district, the first to undergo mass testing this week, started the last of three rounds of screening on Friday among its 3.5 million residents. Most other districts are due for their third round of tests on Saturday.

More apartment blocks were sealed, preventing residents from leaving, and certain spas, KTV lounges, gyms, cinemas and libraries and at least two shopping malls closed on Friday.

Chaoyang, which has the biggest share of cases in Beijing, declared more neighbourhoods to be at risk.

People who had recently visited venues in such areas have received text messages telling them to stay put until they get their test results.

“Hello citizens! You have recently visited the beef noodles & braised chicken shop in Guanghui Li community,” one such text read. “Please report to your compound or hotel immediately, stay put and wait for the notification of nucleic acid testing.”

“If you violate the above requirements and cause the epidemic to spread, you will bear legal responsibility.”

Companies such as JD.com, an e-commerce platform, have been striving to keep residents well supplied.

The head of one of its logistics centres on the outskirts of Beijing, 32-year-old Ming Tang, said delivery volumes have increased by 65% since the first cases emerged on April 22, and 80% of the parcels are food-related.

“The effort of delivering parcels on time and long working hours put a lot of pressure on our couriers,” he said.

Beijing reported 49 cases on April 28, versus 50 the previous day, a far cry from Shanghai’s numbers.

The April 30-May 4 Labour Day break is one of China’s busiest tourist seasons, and the travel industry is taking losses. read more

Companies reopening factories in Shanghai are booking hotel rooms to house workers and turning vacant workshops into on-site isolation facilities as authorities urge them to resume work under COVID curbs.

Once inside a factory’s “closed loop” system, it is unclear when workers will be able to come back out. read more

Many foreigners want to flee mainland China’s most cosmopolitan city. read more

In response to COVID and other headwinds, China will step up policy support for the economy, a top decision-making body of the ruling Communist Party said on Friday, lifting stocks (.CSI300), (.SSEC) from recent two-year lows. read more

Chinese authorities say being COVID-free is vital to save as many lives as possible.

“We must realize that the virus is what’s hurting the economy,” said Liang Wannian, head of the National Health Commission’s COVID response panel.

“The battle against the COVID epidemic is a war, a war of resistance, a people’s war,” Liang said.

In Shanghai, authorities said more people have been gradually allowed in principle to leave their homes recently. More than 12 million, nearly half the population, are now in that category. read more

Still, many cannot leave their compounds, while those who can have few places to go to as shops and other venues are closed. Often one of the 52,000 police mobilised for the lockdown asks them to return home.

Many residents have grumbled at the inflexible policing, which sometimes does not take into account health emergencies or other individual circumstances.

“There are still many shortcomings in our work,” Shu Qing, head of the Municipal Public Security Bureau, told reporters.

“Some individual policemen do not pay attention to styles or methods when enforcing the law, or they are emotional or mechanical.”

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Reporting by Martin Quin Pollard, Eduardo Baptista, David Stanway, Brenda Goh, Tony Munroe, Roxanne Liu, Albee Zhang, Wang Yifan, and the Beijing and Shanghai bureaus; Writing by Marius Zaharia; Editing by Lincoln Feast.

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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US

Russian forces to close entry and exit to Mariupol and introduce pass system, mayor’s adviser says

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While Russian forces are still in complete control of the Borivs’kyi district in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, Moscow’s troops are “gradually withdrawing” from the area in the direction of Donetsk region, the Borova village council said in a statement on Telegram on Sunday.   

“There is no mobile connection and no Internet, which are impossible to restore as the territory is occupied by the Russians,” it said, adding that “some places are left without electricity and gas.”  

According to the statement, Russian troops are housed in the buildings of the village council, the Palace of Culture, hospitals, in the homes of some civilians. “Occupying authorities” in the area have been appointed from among local collaborators, who are now going to coordinate administrative activities in the community. 

The council said some parts of the community suffered significant damage and that it hasn’t been able to get in touch with the psychoneurological boarding school in the area, which housed about 200 patients. 

Due to the lack of communication, the council has not been able to identify the people who were taken to the hospital from the bus that came under attack by Russian forces on Friday. 

The issue of delivery of medicines to a hospital in Borova village, including anesthesia, and humanitarian aid to the population in the form of food, hygiene products and basic necessities is acute, the council said.  

Appeals have been sent to the Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk, who is also Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine, and the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, Oleh Synegubov, to organize humanitarian corridors for evacuation and delivery of aid in the area, according to the statement.  

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Business

Dow Jones Futures: Market Rally Ailing, But These Stocks Are Healthy; Tesla Forges New Entry

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Dow Jones futures will open on Sunday evening, along with S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures. The major indexes and leading stocks had a negative week as a hawkish Federal Reserve and surging Treasury yields took their toll. The stock market rally is “under pressure.”




X



Tesla stock had an outside, negative reversal week. But it now has a handle on a weekly chart after running up sharply. Meanwhile, Apple (AAPL) drifted lower, providing a little more heft to its handle while still trading tightly. While Tesla (TSLA) and Apple stock are doing relatively well, most growth stocks are not.

In healthier parts of the market, Callon Petroleum (CPE) is trading tightly on a weekly chart despite its “porcupine” reputation. General Dynamics (GD) also is trading tightly as it forges a new flat base. Molina Health (MOH) has been trading tightly in a buy zone, while also finding key support this past week.

Investors should be cautious about making new buys in the current market week.

Tesla stock is on IBD Leaderboard. Tesla and CPE stock are on the IBD 50.

The video embedded in this article discussed the mixed market action and analyzed Callon Petroleum, General Dynamics and MOH stock.

Dow Jones Futures Today

Dow Jones futures open at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, along with S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures.

Remember that overnight action in Dow futures and elsewhere doesn’t necessarily translate into actual trading in the next regular stock market session.

Join IBD experts as they analyze actionable stocks in the stock market rally on IBD Live

Stock Market Rally

The stock market rally retreated last week as the Nasdaq and small-cap Russell 2000 fell below their 50-day moving averages.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 0.3% in last week’s stock market trading, despite modest gains late in the week. The S&P 500 index fell 1.3%. The Nasdaq composite tumbled 3.9%. The Russell 2000 tumbled 4.6%.

The 10-year Treasury yield vaulted 34 basis points last week to 2.71%, hitting a three-year high, as the Federal Reserve signaled it will soon begin cutting its massive balance sheet in addition to sharp rate hikes. The Treasury yield curve is no longer inverted, as the two-year rose slightly to 2.52%.

U.S. crude oil futures fell 1.2% last week to $98.26 a barrel.

ETFs

Among the best ETFs, the Innovator IBD 50 ETF (FFTY) tumbled 6.15% last week, while the Innovator IBD Breakout Opportunities ETF (BOUT) gave up nearly 2%.  The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF (IGV) retreated 4.3%. The VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF (SMH) plunged 7%.

Reflecting more-speculative story stocks, ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) dived 10.1% last week and ARK Genomics ETF (ARKG) 9%. Tesla stock is the No. 1 holding across Ark Invest’s ETFs.

SPDR S&P Metals & Mining ETF (XME) 1.7% last week. The Global X U.S. Infrastructure Development ETF (PAVE) retreated 3.8%. U.S. Global Jets ETF (JETS) descended 7.3%. SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF (XHB) fell 3.5%, extending a losing streak. The Energy Select SPDR ETF (XLE) rose 3.2% and the Financial Select SPDR ETF (XLF) dipped 0.9%. The Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) popped 3.7%.

Five Best Chinese Stocks To Watch Now

Apple Stock

Apple stock fell 2.5% to 169.98 last week, closing just below its 21-day line and slightly above its 50-day and 10-week averages. That provides a little more depth to its handle buy point of 179.71. The relative strength line fell slightly, but is still close to record highs. Reports of weaker consumer electronics demand has taken a toll on chipmakers, including iPhone suppliers, but Apple stock itself has fared better. App Store and other service revenue helps insulated the tech titan from hardware demand shifts.

Tesla Stock

Tesla stock jumped Monday on record Q1 deliveries and hit a three-month high of 1,152.87 on Tuesday, essentially hitting resistance at a trendline entry. TSLA stock then reversed lower Tuesday and ended up falling 5.4% to 1,025.82 for the week, with the high and low far exceeding the prior week’s range low. Outside negative reversals are bearish action, but could be positive for the Tesla stock chart, by offering a real pullback following a huge run in just a few weeks. On a weekly chart, Tesla stock now has a cup-with-handle buy point of 1,152.97, according to MarketSmith analysis. That handle needs one more day to appear on a daily chart.

Arguably, Tesla stock could use a slightly deeper, longer handle. Getting below the 21-day moving average and 1,000 level might shake out a few more weak holders. More time would also let the 10-week line catch up somewhat to TSLA stock.

Keep in mind that Tesla stock is an outlier. Very few stocks with a triple-digit price-to-earnings ratios are holding up well. Can Tesla continue to buck the trend, or was last week’s reversal the start of a larger sell-off? When you consider that latter scenario as a possibility, you can see how a sub-1,000 move might shake a number of investors out.

On the news front, Tesla Austin held a “Cyber Rodeo” Thursday night as Model Y deliveries got underway. Tesla Berlin began limited deliveries in March. The factories should eventually give a huge boost to Tesla production capacity, but output will likely scale up slowly.

Meanwhile, the Tesla Shanghai factory has been closed since March 28, due to the city’s lockdown amid soaring Covid cases there. It’s unclear when the plant could reopen. Even if the site is allowed to reopen, the Covid outbreak and restrictions could affect suppliers.

On Monday, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers will release industry data for March EV and overall auto sales. That’ll include Tesla wholesale sales. That will show little impact from the Shanghai lockdown.

Tesla Vs. BYD: Which Booming EV Giant Is The Better Buy?

Callon Stock

The CPE stock chart has a well-deserved reputation as a “porcupine,” with lots of morning spikes that fade or turn negative. Callon stock also hasn’t had a big run like many other energy plays. But there are some positive signals. Shares have moved from finding support at their 200-day line to their 50-day line and now their 21-day line.

Meanwhile, despite big intraday swings, CPE stock dipped 0.8% last week to 61.94. It has now formed a three-weeks-tight, offering a 66.48 entry. That tight pattern is almost entirely within a five-month consolidation, so investors could still use 65.55 as the operative buy point.

A slew of other energy stocks is setting up or in buy zones, including integrated giants Exxon Mobil (XOM) and Shell (SHEL).

General Dynamics Stock

General Dynamics stock has been consolidating again after breaking out with other defense contractors as Russia’s Ukraine invasion began in late February. Shares now have a flat base on a weekly chart with a 255.09 buy point. GD stock also has forged a three-weeks-tight within that flat base. Investors could use that tight entry of 246.23, just above Friday’s high, as an early buy point above the bulk of General Dynamics stock’s recent trading.

Raytheon Technologies (RTX) also has a flat base, while Lockheed Martin (LMT) and Northrop Grumman (NOC) are consolidating bullishly.

Molina Health Stock

Molina stock tested its 10-week line last week, then rebounded to close down 0.6% to 337.82. MOH stock now a four-weeks-tight, offering a 347.72 buy point. That tight pattern has formed almost entirely within the buy zone of a prior cup-with-handle base. Investors could use the tight entry as an add-on buy or to start a new position.

Health insurance giants UnitedHealth (UNH) and Anthem (ANTM) are extended from buy zones, With UnitedHealth earnings due this coming week.

Market Rally Analysis

The stock market rally took a generally negative turn this past week, with growth, small caps and midcaps selling off. The uptrend has been “under pressure” since Wednesday.

The Dow Jones fell slightly for the week, holding support at its 50-day line, just below its 200-day line. The S&P 500 index fell just below its 200-day line but held above its 50-day. The Nasdaq composite fell sharply, closing the week below its 50-day line, joining the Russell 2000 and S&P MidCap 400.

Just two weeks ago, the market rally was looking broad-based, with strength across many sectors and with advancers easily beating declines. But the rally is starting to look narrow and bifurcated, returning to 2021’s difficult environment.

Energy and other commodity stocks continue to lead, along with medicals, discounters and defense firms, while REITs and insurers are holding up well. But growth, retail, housing, travel and traditional banks are struggling.

That’s not surprising, with rising rates weighing on growth stocks and housing plays, while hot inflation is starting to weigh on discretionary spending.

This coming week, the Labor Department will release the consumer price index and producer price index. Inflation is going to run hot, but markets could cheer any signs that price gains are leveling off. The latest retail sales report will indicate if shoppers are pinching their pennies amid high inflation.

Late next week, China will release first-quarter GDP data and March reports on retail sales and industrial production. But that won’t give much insight into the impact of Shanghai’s sweeping Covid lockdown, which began on March 28.

Earnings season will begin to pick up steam, with UnitedHealth due April 14 and Tesla on April 20. That could be a catalyst for individual stocks or sectors or the broad market, up or down.

So while the market rally is at an inflection point, it may not break decisively higher or lower for some time.

Time The Market With IBD’s ETF Market Strategy

What To Do Now

Split rallies are tricky. Even if you only play the strong sectors, the market can quickly rotate away from them quickly, or weakness becomes broad-based. So avoid getting too concentrated in a particular sector, while keeping your overall exposure modest.

With market conditions shaky and the outlook in flux, investors should stay engaged and ready to act. Resist the temptation to make a bunch of new buys. Focus on building up your watchlists to spot the leaders in the next sustained market uptrend.

Read The Big Picture every day to stay in sync with the market direction and leading stocks and sectors.

Please follow Ed Carson on Twitter at @IBD_ECarson for stock market updates and more.

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US

MoMA Patron, Denied Entry, Stabs Two Employees

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A man who was denied entry to the Museum of Modern Art because his membership had been revoked jumped over the reception desk and stabbed two employees on Saturday afternoon, the police said.

The police were still searching for the 60-year-old suspect hours after the incident, which began at about 4:15 p.m. The victims, who were stabbed in the neck and back areas, were in stable condition at Bellevue Hospital.

The letter revoking the suspect’s membership had gone out on Friday, but he appeared at the museum on Saturday, seeking to watch a film, said John Miller, the deputy commissioner for the Police Department’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Bureaus.

His membership had “expired as a result of two incidents involving disorderly conduct here at the museum on two separate dates in recent days,” Mr. Miller said at a news conference outside the museum.

When the suspect was denied entry, he became “upset,” and then “proceeded to attack and stab two employees of the museum multiple times,” Mr. Miller said.

He added that the suspect was recorded on video leaving the museum after the attack. He was described as a white man wearing a colorful patterned shirt under a black jacket, and a blue surgical mask.

Mr. Miller said that the suspect was “known to the department” because of two earlier incidents in the same area, and had been a regular at MoMA. But he did not have “an extensive record or any arrest records that we are aware of,” Mr. Miller said.

The museum said on Twitter that it would be closed on Sunday.

Alessandro Pugliese, 24, who works in communications, said he had arrived at MoMA for a 4:30 p.m. showing of the 1938 film “Bringing Up Baby” when three attendants at the desk near the museum’s film entrance started screaming.

After turning around, he said he witnessed the attacker stab one person in the back and another in the neck. The security guard near the entrance proceeded to pick up what appeared to be a large binder and throw it at the attacker to distract him.

The attacker was still holding his knife when he asked where the security guard’s gun was. Then he ran outside the museum.

“I was absolutely shocked and just sort of froze,” Mr. Pugliese said.

Many visitors said shouts about gunshots stoked panic. The police said there was no indication that shots had been fired.

Julia Garcia Valles, 24, a tourist from Spain, was waiting in line on West 53rd Street to enter MoMA when people shouting, “Shooting!” began to rush out the doors in a panic. Some fell to the floor in the confusion, she said.

“We were really scared,” she added.

Fabien Levy, a spokesman for Mayor Eric Adams, said the mayor had been briefed on the attack, which appeared to be “an isolated, criminal incident.”

Alyssa Katz, deputy editor for the local news site The City, was on her way to meet up with friends at the museum when she saw people running out. Ms. Katz, 53, said she spoke to two frightened French tourists who said they had seen someone stabbed in the underarm area.

Her friend Mike Rubin, 55, a writer who contributes to The New York Times and other publications, was waiting for Ms. Katz in the lobby when a security guard told his group to leave the building immediately. “It was like a game of telephone,” among people who had to rush out, he said. “No one knew what was happening.”

Christian Desrosiers, 34, an entrepreneur, said he was getting his ticket scanned when the commotion began.

He added that he was one of the first people to run out, after he saw three women in front of him bolt for the exit.

“They turned around on a dime and started sprinting out, so I figured that I would join them,” he said.

He added, “People were clearly hustling to get out, but nobody was screaming, at least at the time I was in there.”

Wendy Keffer, 42, was visiting the city from Austin, Texas with her husband and two children. She was walking in for a 4 p.m. slot when they were told to evacuate.

“We were entering the museum and as we were about to walk inside we saw hundreds of people running out and everybody was yelling shooter, shooter,” she said. “It was very scary.”

Jo Walker, 24, a graduate student at Yale University who uses the pronouns they and them, was in a second-floor cafe when the incident occurred. They left through an emergency exit because the escalator was so crowded.

“We had no idea what was going on,” they said.

Gina Heeb contributed reporting.



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