Updated CGI showing the scheme's 21-storey office development, which would be built above the station's concourse roofNew proposed 'landmark' entrance on Liverpool Street1/7show captionNetwork Rail Property has submitted its drastically revised plans to redevelop Liverpool Street station and said it expects the scheme to take eight years to build.A full planning application designed by lead architect Acme has been lodged with the City of London, replacing a previous proposal submitted in 2023 designed by Herzog & de Meuron which was scrapped after a backlash from heritage campaigners.The new 1bn scheme will include a 21-storey office building above the stations main concourse, new retail areas, improvements to circulation and signage and new routes running through the station to Exchange Square.Network Rail has also revealed the first images of proposed landmark entrances on Liverpool Street, Bishopsgate and Exchange Square that are aiming to reflect the stations Victorian architecture.> Also read:We hope to be a good neighbour: how the new Liverpool Street station team is rethinking Londons most controversial projectThe images show a series of gothic-style arches covered in brick cladding which lead into the redesigned main concourse area, a marked difference to the contemporary white-coloured arches proposed by Herzog & de Meuron.The plans confirm Network Rails pledge last year to take a more heritage-led approach to the redevelopment compared to the previous scheme, which had proposed interventions in a strikingly different design to the grade II-listed 19th century station.New proposed landmark entrance on Liverpool StreetThat scheme was abandoned last year with Network Rails development partner Sellar dropped after the application amassed more than 2,000 objections from members of the public and criticism from heritage groups including Historic England.Network Rails property arm, Network Rail Property, is now leading the redevelopment and has sought closer collaboration with heritage groups on the design, although the Victorian Society, which led the campaign against the previous proposals, is still objecting to the new plans and has described plans for an over-station office tower as perverse.The office component is being used to fund improvements to the rest of the station, which is currently the UKs busiest with around 118 million people a year crossing its concourse with annual passenger numbers expected to hit 158 million by 2041.> Also read:Network Rail to submit 1bn plans for Liverpool Street station redevelopment next monthNetwork Rail said the redevelopment, which will significantly enlarge the buildings concourse, will enable the station to serve more than 200 million passengers a year.It also aims to turn the station into a destination in its own right with new retail, leisure and workspace, aligning with the City of Londons Destination City ambition to diversify its economy.The new planning application follows a public consultation which has resulted in several further design changes, including increasing the number of escalators from eight to 10, making staircases wider and making lifts larger for wheelchair users.Network Rail Property chief executive Robin Dobson said: Were proud to be leading the submission of a transformative scheme for the redevelopment of London Liverpool Street station, one that is a truly accessible and inclusive space, can support the forecasted annual passenger rise to over 200 million and deliver vital improvements to the everyday experience of passengers while respecting and celebrating the stations historic character.View inside the proposed main concourseInvesting in transport infrastructure is essential to unlocking future economic growth for London and beyond. This investment will ensure Liverpool Street remains a landmark gateway to the City of London for generations to come.Following extensive consultation and engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, our plans put passengers first whilst respecting and retaining the stations Victorian features, including the iconic trainshed and the Great Eastern Hotel.Acme founding director Friedrich Ludewig added: Liverpool Street is one of Londons great Victorian stations and our proposals will make the station accessible, permeable and celebrate its function as the gateway into the City of London.We have embraced the challenge to design new entrances reflecting its position as the UKs busiest train station, and roof structures that speak to the original 1875 structures and the 1990s extension.Ludewig said the proposals would retain the essential qualities of the existing station while celebrating parts which were previously hidden, turning it into the world-class transport hub that the City of London and all Londoners deserve.The project team includes Aecom on engineering and transport, Certo as project manager, Gerald Eve on planning, Gleeds as cost manager, Donald Insall Associates on heritage and townscape, GIA on daylight and sunlight and SLA as landscape architect.

The two-stage competition organised by the Centre for Central European Architecture (CCEA MOBA) on behalf of the town of Jindichv Hradec will select a design team to create a new mixed-use development featuring housing, commercial uses and public spaces on the fringes of the historic settlement.The Zbuzany project will transform a large former agricultural site located next to Jindichv Hradecs main station. New pedestrian and cycle infrastructure to encourage barrier-free and comfortable movement for all groups of residents is also planned.According to the brief: The competition aims to create a high-quality urban design concept for a new quarter of Jindichv Hradec that sensitively relates to the city's urban structure and offers a sustainable and functional space for living and community life.AdvertisementThe design should reflect the context of the surrounding development, which includes terraced and detached houses and a garden colony, and create a harmonious connection between older and new development.An important aspect is the quality of the public spaces, which should support the residential function and create an attractive space for residents to meet.Jindichv Hradec is a small town of around 21,000 inhabitants located in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. Local landmarks include Jindichv Hradec Castle, Mru Square and the town museum which features the largest mechanical nativity scene in the world.The latest contest comes just months after international competitions were announced for the 244 million upgrade of flood defences in Olomouc and to transform the disused Hotel Stroja in nearby Perov.Key aims of the phased project include delivering a well-thought-out new development which serves as an integrated and functional extension of the settlement. Planned as a walkable, dynamic, and lively neighbourhood Zbuzany will feature a mix of housing types along with high-quality public spaces and active travel options.AdvertisementJudges will include Michal Kozr, mayor of Jindichv Hradec; Susan Kraupp, founder of Austrian practice sk stadtplanung; Pavel Kvintus, founder of A800 architekti in Prague; and Elika Mlkov, co-founder of Studio Taktiky.The contest language is Czech and English. Submissions will be judged on urban design, landscape and sustainability.The overall winner will receive a 17,000 (CZK 500,000) prize while a second prize of 10,200 (CZK 300,000), third prize of 6,800 (CZK 200,000) and a fourth and fifth prize each worth 4,200 (CZK 125,000) will also be awarded.Competition detailsProject title Zbuzany New Quarter of Jindichv HradecClientContract value TbcFirst round deadline 2pm local time, 16 May 2025Restrictions TbcMore information https://cceamoba.cz/en/competitions/zbu

The iPhone will turn 20 in 2027. Bold changes may be ahead.

April 7, 20255 min readNOAA Halts Upkeep of Critical Weather SatellitesThe decision by the Trump administration to defer maintenance of the Joint Polar Satellite System threatens to degrade the accuracy of weather forecastsBy Scott Waldman & E&E News Unlike geostationary satellites, polar-orbiting satellites capture swaths of data throughout the full globe, and observe the entire planet twice each day. This global mosaic, captured by the VIIRS instrument on the NOAA-21 satellite, is a composite image created from these swaths over a period of 24 hours between Dec. 5 and Dec. 6, 2022. NOAA STAR VIIRS SDR teamCLIMATEWIRE | NOAA has begun to limit the work it devotes to maintaining a pair of polar weather satellites putting at risk the accuracy of both weather forecasts and extreme storm predictions, say former agency officials.The move, outlined in a memo obtained exclusively by POLITICOs E&E News, calls on the agency to take a minimum mission operations approach to the two probes. The satellites are part of the Joint Polar Satellite System, which serves as the backbone of three- and seven-day forecasts and early warnings for hurricanes and tornadoes.The order means NOAA wont do much to upkeep the satellites, which orbit the Earths poles 14 times a day. The March 28 memo calls for the deferral of discretionary activities including modernization product maturation, flight software updates, decommissioning planning, ground system sustainment deployment(s), special calibrations, etc.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.The reason for the move is because of anticipated reduced flight engineering support, according to the memo. The decision to defer the satellites maintenance comes as the Trump administration slashes NOAAs contracts with outside vendors and looks to cut its workforce in half.Former NOAA officials warn the move is a short-sighted decision with potential long-term consequences. Deferring software updates and other maintenance work may save some money right now, but the approach increases the risk of failure and could drive up costs in the long-term, said Rick Spinrad, who served as NOAA administrator in the Biden administration.As soon as you start having system glitches and in the satellite world, system glitches are the name of the game they're going to fail to collect the data they need, Spinrad said.The stakes for failure are high.JPSS provides the majority of data that informs numerical weather forecasting in the U.S. and delivers critical observations during severe weather events like hurricanes and blizzards, according to NOAA.This image by the NOAA-21 satellite shows global water vapor.Image processing by NOAA/Center for Satellite Applications and Research. Contributors: Mark Liu, Ninghai Sun, NOAA/NESDIS/STAR; Vince Leslie, MIT-LL, JPSS ATMS SDR TeamIn a worst-case scenario, a failure could blind the country to a severe storm, potentially for days if the system has a significant issue, Spinrad said.Its unclear how much money the move will save. The section of the NOAA memo related to cost savings was left blank, and NOAA officials did not respond to a request for comment.The total cost of the JPSS program was estimated at more than $13 billion, according to NOAA.As it stands, the JPSS program is only partially complete. The oldest polar-orbiting satellite in the JPSS constellation is the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership, which monitors long-term climate trends and biodiversity. That satellite was launched in 2011 and is nearing the end of its lifespan.Two additional JPSS satellites are set to join the three in space right now, with the next one scheduled to launch no earlier than 2027. The federal government, during the Biden administration, signed a roughly $100 million contract for that launch with SpaceX, the rocket company run by billionaire Elon Musk, an ally of President Donald Trump.Since Trump took office, Musk has led an aggressive campaign to slash both government spending and the size of the federal workforce, including at NOAA.A fifth satellite is also in development and scheduled to launch in 2032. No one in the Trump administration has yet raised the possibility of canceling one or both future launches.The new plan means NOAA and NASA will be less prepared to handle major issues that arise in the functioning of the satellites, according to Spinrad. Regular maintenance allows for problems to be addressed before they become serious. If something more serious were to occur, and the other satellites were also experiencing issues, the essential stream of weather monitoring data could be compromised for days, according to Spinrad.Artist's rendering of NOAA's JPSS-2.NOAA/WikipediaSpinrad likened it to driving around in a car that could be disabled at any point while placing confidence on a second backup car parked in a garage with a dead battery or oil leak that no one has checked in years. The likelihood of a series of cascading failures notably increases without regular maintenance, he said.Data from the satellites which are about as big as a pickup truck and powered by solar arrays is shared with other governments, who pass along their data to the United States, Spinrad said. Its part of a collaborative global system of weather monitoring.For example, if a U.S. satellite collects data at one time of day, a European satellite might collect it later in the day. Collectively, they offer a comprehensive overview of global conditions that offer insights on incoming weather.Losing a data stream through the loss of a satellite, for instance can erode the overall accuracy of this collaboration.Thats a real risk, Spinrad said, because satellites need constant maintenance. Their orbits need to be monitored and occasionally repositioned, the sensors need to be checked to ensure they are working properly and data transmission has to be evaluated as well.That long checklist is part of the reason former NOAA officials are arguing against the anti-upkeep order.The cuts to the maintenance of the satellites is similar to last weeks proposed termination of a cloud usage contract for dozens of NOAA websites centered on climate change, extreme weather research and drought monitoring information. That termination would have destroyed a significant amount of research that would have been unrecoverable if the web pages were knocked offline. After news of the contract cuts became public, NOAA political appointees backed off the plan.Andrew Rosenberg, who served as a senior official at NOAA during the Clinton administration, said the latest memo shows the NOAA cuts are being driven by officials who dont understand the cost and consequence of what they are eliminating.Are you really saying that maintenance of high tech, extremely expensive equipment that provides vital information is waste, fraud or abuse? he asked.The move to defer the NOAA satellites upkeep is happening as three NASA satellites that provide essential climate and atmospheric data near the end of their life.These probes could be offline within the year, and there are no plans to replace some of their specialized instruments, which provide information on long-term changes to the Earths ozone layer, planet-warming solar radiation and other key climate information.One instrument for which there is no replacement plan is the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, which tracks forests, clouds, glaciers and oceans.Scientists are hoping the NOAA satellites make up for that loss.Reprinted from E&E News with permission from POLITICO, LLC. Copyright 2025. E&E News provides essential news for energy and environment professionals.

Assassin Creed Shadows' latest patch brings fan-requested features and PS5 Pro improvementsMane event.Image credit: Ubisoft News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on April 7, 2025 Ubisoft has released another patch for Assassin's Creed Shadows, and it's the game's most substantial update yet, introducing a range of fan-requested features alongside the likes of enhancements to improve visual fidelity on PS5 Pro.Ever since Assassin's Creed Shadows' launch at the end of last month, fans have been sharing their wishlist of features, and Ubisoft has clearly been listening. As of today's 1.0.2 update, for instance, the "follow path" option seen in previous Assassin's Creed games has returned, and mounts can now Auto-Follow the road to a marked destination when the pathfinder is enabled. Additionally, horse speeds have now been increased in cities.Elsewhere, players can now reset Mastery Nodes in Naoe and Yasuke's skill trees if they fancy trying out different playstyles, and it's also now possible to sell and dismantle multiple items to save time. That applies both when trading with merchants and when dismantling items at the Hideout's Forge. And here's another time-saving addition: update 1.0.2 now lets players quickly access the Investigation Board by holding down the Option button for a few seconds.Assassin's Creed Shadows review.Watch on YouTubeAs for those aforementioned PlayStation 5 Pro enhancements, patch 1.0.2 introduces PSSR - which will need to be manually enabled if you've already been playing on the console - and adds Raytraced Specular support to Balanced mode. This, says Ubisoft, will bring visual fidelity closer to PS5 Pro's Quality mode than Performance mode.There's actually quite a bit more going on in patch 1.0.2, too, including the removal of the 30fps frame rate cap while in the Hideout when using Performance mode on consoles. That's in addition to boss fight balancing, improved Double Assassinations, and improvements to Naoe's responsiveness "in some instances". All the above arrives alongside a sizeable list of bug fixes, as detailed in Ubisoft's patch notes.Shadows creative director Jonathon Dumont previously discussed Ubisoft's plans to address fan-requested features post-launch, noting the studio was "always listening and monitoring what players are doing" and considering "constructive feedback". Dumont did, for instance, confirm Ubisoft is "actively looking at" introducing a tougher difficulty, although that particular addition sounds like it might be further down the line.Assassin's Creed Shadows has, of course, got off to a strong start, topping over 2m players in its first couple of days - a figure Ubisoft says means it's "now surpassed the launches of AC Origins and Odyssey". Its critical reception has been positive too, with Eurogamer's Tom Phillips calling Shadows "majestic in scope" and "impressive in detail" in his four star review.

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereThe Nintendo Switch 2 has been officially revealed with specs and new games making the console an exciting new device for diehards. With the console reportedly as powerful as a mid-range PC in a tiny form-factor, the console could be another giant success despite the high price of games. (And thats without potential price hikes over the US tariff situation.)Following the recent Direct, PlayStation has sent out a survey to all PS4 and PS5 gamers about Nintendos new handheld. With a new PlayStation handheld reportedly in the works, Sony is asking players about the appealing aspects of the Nintendo Switch 2.PlayStation scouts out Switch 2 thoughtsIn a survey sent to fans, via MP1st, PlayStation queried fans on how interested they are in purchasing the new Nintendo console, whether their opinion in it changed after the recent Direct, what aspects of the device they are interested in and more.One interesting part of the survey relates to the way in which Nintendo is handling pre-orders for its new console. For pre-orders directly from Nintendo, the company is giving priority registration to players who have purchased a Nintendo Switch Online membership with a minimum of 12 months of paid membership and a minimum of 50 total gameplay hours, as of April 2, 2024.While there have been no formal announcements from Sony regarding new hardware, the company has long suffered from scalpers poaching consoles, controllers and other products before actual customers can get their hands on them. After all, part of the console business relies on paying customers who continue to buy games so scalping is bad for everyone but the scalpers.Of course, there is no confirmation that PlayStation has plans to release additional hardware anytime soon. However, it would be nice to see the company adopt some of Nintendos new pre-order policies so we could, you know, actually buy things for RRP.For more Switch 2 coverage, read about the systems GameChat feature which is just like Discord but without weirdos messaging you. Additionally, check out the consoles DLSS and ray-tracing support, which Nintendo is staying extremely quiet about.Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

U.S. News Teslas Plummeting Stock Just Hit a Level That Lutnick Said Would Never HappenA NEW LOWUpdatedApr. 7 202511:03AM EDT/PublishedApr. 7 20259:57AM EDTTeslas stock has plummeted to a new low only three weeks after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick advised Americans to buy it because itll never be this cheap again. Elon Musks companys shares dropped 10 per cent in early trading on Monday, leveling out at $214.80 down from $235.86 when Lutnick made his remarks. Lutnick, speaking in an interview with Fox News on March 19, called Teslas CEO, Elon Musk, probably the best person to bet on Ive ever met.ADVERTISEMENTI think if you want to learn something on this show tonight, its buy Tesla, Lutnick told host Jesse Watters, urging viewers to put their money in the company of a Trump administration employee. Its unbelievable that this guys stock is this cheap.Elon Musk Photo Illustration by Eric Faison/The Daily Beast/Getty Images/Google The car manufacturer has seen its shares plummet over 40 percent since the beginning of the year in reaction to Musks role in the Trump administration and concerns that Tesla is losing ground to competitors in the electric vehicle market.Musks multiple public fumbles havent helped the companys casethe Tesla owner appeared to give multiple fascist salutes on Election Day and is the face of the Trump administrations DOGE task force that has pressured government agencies into firing staff. Lutnick inferred in the interview with Watters last month that the plunge in Teslas stock price was merely a dip and that when people understand the things hes building the value will rocket again. It is highly unusual for a Cabinet secretary to recommend individual stocks, even more so when the company in question is run by a White House advisor.Commentators were quick to ponder whether Lutnick may have committed ethics violations in touting Tesla stock publicly. If this cabinet secretary himself owns any of the stock hes touting on TV, hes probably committed a serious ethics offense, wrote David Frum, a journalist and former staffer in Republican George W. Bushs White House, in a social media post.Tesla stock as seen on Monday, April 7, 2025. Google If he doesnt own the stock himself, then he probably hasnt broken any laws, but is engaged in a shameful breach of trust with the audience watching.It comes after MAGA billionaire Bill Ackman spectacularly turned on Lutnick on Sunday, claiming that the commerce secretary profits when our economy implodes.The hedge fund billionaire excoriated Lutnick for being indifferent to the stock market and economy crashing and the chaos affecting everyday Americans. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.

Some news in the world of video game film adaptations, as the director behind A Quite Place: Day One, Michael Sarnoski, has been brought onto the team working on the film adaptation of Death Stranding. This film is being made in collaboration between Kojima Productions and A24. There's still no word on a release date, but it's early days. Read more

Image: Nintendo LifeAdding friends on Nintendo Switch isn't our favourite thing in the world. Typing in a 12-digit unique code just so we can see what our besties are playing or join them in a quick game of Mario Kart feels a little antiquated, especially compared to PS5, Xbox, and Steam.For Switch 2, Friend Codes aren't going anywhere, but you'll at least be able to add friends in a brand new way. If you have the Nintendo Switch mobile app, anyway.Vice President of Player and Product Experience Bill Trinen spoke to Polygon last week and revealed that you'll now be able to add friends by scanning QR codes via the Nintendo Switch app. Still not quite the revolution we were after, but hey, it's an improvement?This new addition comes as a result of GameChat, the new voice and video chat integrated into the Switch 2 (if you have an NSO membership, anyway). Trinen tells Polygon that improvements to the online friend experience were important because of this feature, which aims to "replicates that face-to-face experience you get in the same room."We're not totally surprised Friend Codes are sticking around, we would've loved to be able to add friends by simply searching for them via username or something else. And not everyone uses the Nintendo Switch app, so it's perhaps not the most intuitive addition.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube805kNintendo probably hopes more people will adopt the app particularly with the addition of Zelda Notes for Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom's Nintendo Switch 2 editions when the Switch 2 launches on 5th June 2025. And look, the Piranha Plant camera might make us fold.Will you be using QR codes to add friends on Switch 2? Let us know down below. Time to chat!Plus, new amiibo are on the way![source polygon.com]See AlsoShare:00 Alana has been with Nintendo Life since 2022, and while RPGs are her first love, Nintendo is a close second. She enjoys nothing more than overthinking battle strategies, characters, and stories. She also wishes she was a Sega air pirate. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesWhere To Pre-Order Nintendo Switch 2Update: Pre-orders are live in Europe, delayed in USNintendo Switch 2 Direct: Time, Where To Watch, What To ExpectIt's time for Switch 2Nintendo Is (Kinda) Returning To Region-Locking With A Cheaper Japanese Switch 2Priced 49,980 yen, which is around $333 USDNintendo's Switch 2 'Game-Key Cards' Somehow Manage To Make Codes-In-A-Box WorseThe worst of both worlds?

Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives slashed his price targets for Apple and Tesla over the weekend as President Trumps tariffs threaten to disrupt both businesses.The tariff economic Armageddon unleashed by Trump is a complete disaster for Apple given its massive China production exposure, Ives said in a warning note over the weekend. In our view, no U.S. tech company is more negatively impacted by these tariffs than Apple with 90% of iPhones produced and assembled in China.Wedbush cut its price target for Apple stock by $75, down to $250 per share. Apples shares are down this afternoon by 4.3% and trading at $180.Ives also cut his price target for Tesla to $315 from $550, which is still well above Teslas current share price of $233.94 as of 2:10 pm ET. Ives said the affect of tariffs isnt the only reason for the price cut. He also cited CEO Elon Musks politics, which has created a brand crisis for the automaker. Musks association with Trump and his tariffs policies are affecting sales in the U.S. and Europe and also threaten Teslas popularity in China, further driv[ing] Chinese consumers to buy domestic such as BYD, said Ives.Tesla has essentially become a political symbol globally, he wrote. It is time for Musk to step up, read the room, and be a leader in this time of uncertainty.Tesla shares were down nearly 10% compared to Fridays closing price, but have rebounded somewhat as of Monday afternoon.