Latest news with #Latam
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Former PlayStation exec says "$70 or $80" games are a "steal": "As long as people choose carefully how they spend their money, I don't think they should be complaining"
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. It feels to me like the closer we get to the Nintendo Switch 2's June launch and the, apparently, $80 games associated with it, the more people are fighting with themselves over what is and isn't worth it. But at least Sony veteran and previous head of PlayStation Indies Shuhei Yoshida is free from inner turmoil – he thinks relatively expensive, high quality video games are unequivocally necessary. Speaking to Critical Hits Games in a video interview during the recent Gamescom Latam, Yoshida says "when you look at life in general, other products in price have increased, you know, way more than the game price. So I think it was almost too late for the video game companies to start looking at the pricing structure." "I don't believe that every game has to be priced the same," Yoshida continues. "Each game has different value it provides, or the size of budget. I totally believe it's up to the publisher – or developers self-publishing – decision to price their product to the value that they believe they are bringing in." Nintendo openly shares this mindset, as current Nintendo of America product experience VP Bill Trinen told IGN in April: "We just look at each individual game and we look at the content and the value of that game, and then we say, 'what is the right price for the value of this entertainment?'" The developer elected to price its strange Switch 2 tutorial, Welcome Tour, at $10 – instead of making it free like PlayStation's comparable Astro's Playroom. Yoshida continues to say that, "In terms of actual price of $70 or $80, for really great games, I think it will still be a steal in terms of the amount of entertainment that the top games, top quality games bring to people compared to other form of entertainment." "As long as people choose carefully how they spend their money," he continues, "I don't think they should be complaining." "I don't know" how much Borderlands 4 will cost, Gearbox boss says, but it had "more than twice the development budget for Borderlands 3" and "it might be" $80 like some Nintendo and Xbox games.
Economic Times
09-05-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
FTA rolls out red carpet for Indian students as UK study benefits expand
The India-UK Free Trade Agreement is poised to make the UK a more attractive destination for Indian students. The deal promises streamlined visa procedures, enhanced post-study job opportunities in sectors like IT and finance, and mutual recognition of qualifications. Experts anticipate increased collaboration, potential scholarships, and a boost in career prospects for Indian graduates in the UK. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads New Delhi: Indian students considering higher studies abroad may find the UK more attractive now, as the new bilateral trade deal promises smoother visas, better job prospects, and lower financial hurdles. The India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signals a new era of opportunity for over 150,000 Indians already studying there and thousands more preparing to join them-with a bevy of indirect but substantial include exemptions from social security contributions for temporary workers for three years; enhanced post-study job opportunities in services sectors like IT, educational, financial and professional services; mutual recognition of qualifications; and easier intra-company transfers, experts FTA commits to reducing paperwork and streamlining visa procedures , and will also help in mutual recognition of qualifications-especially in fields like law, architecture, and accounting, said Akshay Chaturvedi, founder and CEO of study abroad platform Leverage Edu."Expanded quotas and faster visa processing for Indian professionals could help students move into full-time roles more smoothly after graduation," he will help those in sectors like IT, finance, healthcare, and engineering, said presence of Indian companies in the UK, too, will help."Post the FTA, we are receiving strong interest from Indian companies exploring the possibility of expanding or setting up operations in the UK, creating a wave of new career opportunities for Indian students," said Falguni Y Parekh, solicitor and founder of The SmartMove2UK, an UK-focused immigration law companies often prefer Indian graduates from the UK as they bring a unique blend of market understanding and cultural alignment, making them ideal champions of cross-border collaboration, she positive for Indian students is that India is "not part of a list" of countries whose students are identified to be misusing the asylum route to seek permanent citizenship in the UK, said a study abroad expert who requested not to be FTA paves the way for a more student- and professional-friendly ecosystem, said study abroad experts such as Piyush Kumar, regional director - South Asia, Canada and Latin America (Latam) at IDP also encourages deeper academic collaboration and may lead to more scholarship opportunities, institutional partnerships and joint degree programmes, and flexible online or hybrid learning models in the the trade deal will not directly reduce tuition fees, it may indirectly benefit students through expanded education and service sector collaboration, experts said."While tuition fees may remain high, the FTA could lower indirect costs and make UK education more affordable over time," said Mary Gogoi, head of admissions at eduVelocity Khandelwal, cofounder of Collegify, said: "Even marginal financial relief, enhanced scholarships, or easier work rights post study can significantly change affordability and access."The tuition fees in the UK range anywhere from £10,000 to £38,000 annually, he Kapoor, global chief business officer of fintech platform Prodigy Finance, said any direct impact on tuition fees will depend on future policy the FTA, the UK may now offer Indian students not just world-class education, but a launchpad for a global career as well.
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
FTA Rolls Out Red Carpet for Students in UK
Live Events Indian students considering higher studies abroad may find the UK more attractive now, as the new bilateral trade deal promises smoother visas, better job prospects, and lower financial hurdles. The India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signals a new era of opportunity for over 150,000 Indians already studying there and thousands more preparing to join them—with a bevy of indirect but substantial include exemptions from social security contributions for temporary workers for three years; enhanced post-study job opportunities in services sectors like IT, educational, financial and professional services; mutual recognition of qualifications; and easier intra-company transfers, experts FTA commits to reducing paperwork and streamlining visa procedures , and will also help in mutual recognition of qualifications—especially in fields like law, architecture, and accounting, said Akshay Chaturvedi, founder and CEO of study abroad platform Leverage Edu.'Expanded quotas and faster visa processing for Indian professionals could help students move into full-time roles more smoothly after graduation,' he will help those in sectors like IT, finance, healthcare, and engineering, said presence of Indian companies in the UK, too, will help.'Post the FTA, we are receiving strong interest from Indian companies exploring the possibility of expanding or setting up operations in the UK, creating a wave of new career opportunities for Indian students,' said Falguni Y Parekh, solicitor and founder of The SmartMove2UK, an UK-focused immigration law companies often prefer Indian graduates from the UK as they bring a unique blend of market understanding and cultural alignment, making them ideal champions of cross-border collaboration, she positive for Indian students is that India is 'not part of a list' of countries whose students are identified to be misusing the asylum route to seek permanent citizenship in the UK, said a study abroad expert who requested not to be FTA paves the way for a more student- and professional-friendly ecosystem, said study abroad experts such as Piyush Kumar, regional director - South Asia, Canada and Latin America (Latam) at IDP also encourages deeper academic collaboration and may lead to more scholarship opportunities , institutional partnerships and joint degree programmes, and flexible online or hybrid learning models in the the trade deal will not directly reduce tuition fees, it may indirectly benefit students through expanded education and service sector collaboration, experts said.'While tuition fees may remain high, the FTA could lower indirect costs and make UK education more affordable over time,' said Mary Gogoi, head of admissions at eduVelocity Khandelwal, cofounder of Collegify, said: 'Even marginal financial relief, enhanced scholarships, or easier work rights post study can significantly change affordability and access.'The tuition fees in the UK range anywhere from £10,000 to £38,000 annually, he Kapoor, global chief business officer of fintech platform Prodigy Finance, said any direct impact on tuition fees will depend on future policy the FTA, the UK may now offer Indian students not just world-class education, but a launchpad for a global career as well.
Times
30-04-2025
- Times
Our luggage was lost on holiday — but insurance won't cover it
✉ We travelled to Brazil in August and from there went on to visit the Atacama desert in Chile in early September, staying nearby in San Pedro de Atacama for four nights. We booked flights for the latter trip with Latam Airlines from Sao Paulo to Calama in Chile, with a stop in Santiago, the capital. When we arrived in Calama our suitcase wasn't on our flight from Santiago so we registered a lost baggage claim. Given the climatic conditions in the Atacama region — high temperatures during the day and very low temperatures at night — once the luggage had not turned up the day after our arrival (and with no information about when it would arrive), we bought some necessities and appropriate clothing, which cost about £300. The next day the case was finally delivered to our hotel. On our return to the UK we registered a claim for the cost of the items with Latam but this was rejected. We then turned to our AllClear Gold Plus insurance policy but the claim was rejected on the basis that the delayed baggage didn't occur on our initial outward journey from the UK but on a flight we took some days after this. It seems that even a top policy doesn't provide full cover while on holiday. Can you help?Peter Allen You'd assume that if you lost luggage at any point during a multi-leg outbound journey it would be covered, so your experience was worrying, but it seems your claim was rejected due to human error. A spokesperson for Zurich Insurance, AllClear's underwriter, said: 'We are pleased to confirm that Mr Allen's claim was fully settled this week. Following a full investigation, we identified that the claim was originally declined as it was incorrectly logged as a direct connection flight on their return to the UK and not a stop-off in Chile. While we strive to offer the highest standards of customer service, on this occasion it didn't happen. We apologise for the stress caused to Mr Allen as a result of this and will be in contact to offer a £100 gesture of goodwill payment for any inconvenience caused.' • Lost, delayed or damaged luggage? Your compensation rights explained ✉ My friend and I would like to spend a week travelling the Romantic Road in Germany from Würzburg to Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria but I'm uncertain as to the best way to do this. Can you recommend any travel companies that have an organised tour or suggest the best towns to stay in along the route? Also, is it easy to travel by train or better to hire a car?Marian Garland Germany's Romantic Road is one of Europe's finest road trips and is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year with events and festivals in the 29 towns en route. For maximum flexibility it's better to drive and the route is best done from north to south (Würzburg to Füssen) so that the Bavarian Alps are the grand finale. Don't be in too much of a hurry to leave Würzburg, however, because it's the Franconian wine capital. If you travel in June you could time your visit to coincide with one of its wine festivals. The medieval Rothenburg ob der Tauber, said to have been the inspiration for the village in Disney's Pinocchio, is the most-visited town along the route and the traditional, half-timbered Hotel Reichs-Küchenmeister is a good base (B&B doubles from £113; Dinkelsbühl, with its baroque castle, and Nördlingen, home to Germany's only completely preserved town wall on which you can walk around, are also must-dos; you'll find the lowdown on all 29 on the route's official website ( • 10 of the best cities to visit in Germany If you'd rather do an organised tour, Great Rail Journeys has an all-inclusive seven-night Bavaria's Romantic Road trip from London St Pancras, based in Landenau, which includes excursions to Neuschwanstein Castle and the medieval island town of Lindau on Lake Constance. It starts at £999pp ( ✉ My husband and I are travelling to France in the middle of September for a month. We have the first half sorted, with stays in Amiens, Normandy and Poitiers before going south to Carcassonne for a few days. All of that is self-catering but we thought in the ten days left before returning from Dunkirk we'd like a short cruise of between five and seven days somewhere in eastern France. While there seem to be many river cruises, I'm struggling to find one of that length. Any ideas?Carol Bridgeman CroisiEurope is the go-to for shorter French cruises and one that ticks your boxes in early October is a barge trip from Strasbourg to Lagarde on the Marne-Rhine Canal. There are visits to the Villa Meteor, the oldest French brewery in operation, as well as to the Château du Haut-Barr and the Chagall trail in Sarrebourg. The six-night trip starts at £2,564pp. If that busts your budget, an alternative is a five-night voyage that ticks off all the must-see sites on the Rhône between Lyons, Provence and the Camargue, plus a splendid dinner at Paul Bocuse's Abbaye de Collonges restaurant. The October 4 departure starts at £1,614pp ( Just be aware that while all announcements and tours will be in French and English, you may well be the only English-speaking guests on board. ✉ It's my husband's 80th birthday on November 1 and I'm looking for a luxury family hotel for a weekend, which wouldn't be too far from Gatwick, Heathrow or Wimbledon, avoiding long taxi rides and our small granddaughters getting car sick. Any suggestions?Chantal Bull If you're prepared to splurge, Beaverbrook in the Surrey Hills sits nicely in that triangle and while it's hugely glamorous, it's also family-friendly: there are interconnecting rooms, a Sharky & George kids' club, indoor and outdoor pools plus a cinema, as well as 470 acres to roam. For adults, there's fabulous Japanese or modern European food, a swanky spa and excellent cocktails in Sir Frank's Bar. B&B doubles start at £699 in November ( Another possibility is the swish Coworth Park, a Georgian country house near Ascot in Berkshire, which has Michelin dining for the celebratory dinner (as well as casual dining in the Barn) and plenty of entertainment for children, including treasure hunts in the kids' club and riding in the equestrian centre. B&B Stable Superior rooms sleeping up to three start at £512 in November ( • Beaverbrook hotel review: a historic country manor house and spa in Surrey ✉ As a result of being involuntarily denied boarding by Ryanair, my partner and I arrived at Milan Bergamo eight hours later than originally planned. Our prebooked car hire had been cancelled due to our late arrival and so we had to arrange alternative car hire. We tried to claim a refund from Ryanair but it has refused. Is this correct?David Bainbridge Infuriating though it is to have your journey so significantly delayed, you can't claim for the new car you had to book because airlines are not responsible for consequential loss. The good news is that the denied boarding compensation you're entitled to for this trip — £220 each — should cover the extra cost. Have you got a holiday dilemma? Email traveldoctor@
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Latin American activists warn of pushback on reproductive rights
By Sarah Morland and Natalia Siniawski MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Latin American rights activists on Thursday warned of growing political threats to reproductive rights across the region, as the United States rolls back access to abortion. "What we are seeing is a lot of backlash of progress after many years of human rights struggles," Paula Avila-Guillen, executive director of the Women's Equality Center told a conference. "What happens in one country has repercussions." See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Latin America has a patchwork of policies on reproductive rights. El Salvador has one of the world's strictest abortion laws, imposing homicide sentences for what rights activists say are miscarriages, while a top Colombian court ruled in 2022 that abortion is for up to 24 weeks from conception. Many countries in the region limit access to women or girls who can prove their pregnancy carries life-threatening risks or resulted from rape - often causing long delays past gestational week limits. In Argentina, where abortion is legal, activists pointed to funding cuts by the government of libertarian President Javier Milei, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, that have effectively cut off access to abortion and restricted supplies of contraceptives. "For us not having contraception is taking us back to the 1960s. It's a really, really, really significant rollback," said Amnesty International Argentina's executive director Mariela Belski. Belski said state cuts had left a national helpline for gender violence nearly completely unmanned. Provinces were already reporting shortages of misoprostol and mifepristone, essential drugs for safe abortion, after the government froze funding for new purchases. Milei argues that abortion and feminism are part of a "nefarious ideology" and that the state should not spend money on related services. Argentina is one of a handful of Latam countries that allow abortion for up to 14 weeks of pregnancy, without needing to prove rape or serious medical conditions. Milei's party last year presented a bill to criminalize abortion, less than four years after a previous government legalized it, but the measure failed to gather the necessary support. The World Health Organisation has estimated that 5% to 13% of maternal deaths worldwide are due to unsafe abortions, and that three in every four abortions in Latin America are unsafe. In the Dominican Republic, where abortion is banned entirely, Natalia Marmol, a Women's Equality Center program lead, said grassroots movements are looking to ease criminal penalties in a country with some of the region's highest maternal mortality and teenage pregnancy rates. "We're going to have setbacks," Marmol said. "We need to remember this is just a moment and we need to continue to fight so it does not gather more strength."
