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Sony said it will raise prices starting Monday for some PlayStation 5 video game consoles in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, citing global economic turmoil.The company unveiled the price hikes of at least 10%, saying it was a “tough decision” amid the “backdrop of a challenging economic environment, including high inflation and fluctuating exchange rates.”The recommended retail price for a PS5 Digital Edition will go up to 499 euros ($570) in Europe, according to a post Sunday on the official PlayStation blog. That’s up from 449 euros in a previously announced pricing update in 2022.In the United Kingdom, the new price will be 430 pounds ($565), up from 389 pounds previously while in Australia the price will increase to 749 Australian dollars ($474) from $649. The price in New Zealand will rise to 859 New Zealand dollars ($504).The PS5 Digital Edition is a slimmed-down version of the console that comes without a disc drive.Sony said the price in Europe and the U.K. for the standard PlayStation 5, which was released in 2020 and comes with a Blu-ray Disc drive, will remain unchanged, as will the price for the PS5 Pro version, which was released last year.U.S. President Donald Trump’s move earlier this month to impose tariffs on nations around the world has roiled global manufacturing supply chains. News on the weekend that imports of electronics like smartphones and laptops are getting a temporary reprieve until the administration figures out a new tariff approach specific to the semiconductor industry has added to the confusion for exporters. Associated Press
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E-Commerce
Mauritania isnt typically a major tourist destination. But its only railway has recently become the subject of a viral TikTok travel trend: riding the Iron Ore Train. This 437-mile journey through the Sahara desert offers dramatic selfie backdropsand no shortage of controversy. @marissameizz Replying to @Atticus White STORYTIME: RIDING THE IRON ORE TRAIN IN MAURITANIA.. original sound – MARISSA MEIZZ The History of the Iron Ore Train The Mauritania Railway, or Iron Ore Train, is the countrys only rail line. Since the 1960s, it has transported iron ore from the mining hub of Zouérat to the port city of Nouadhibou. Operated by the state-owned Société Nationale Industrielle et Minire (SNIM), the train is a crucial economic lifeline for Mauritaniahauling up to 16,800 metric tons of iron ore per trip across remote desert terrain in open-air cars stretching up to two miles long. Iron ore makes up nearly 50% of the small nations exports. Why Tourists Are Drawn to the Mauritania Railway Although the Iron Ore Train includes a designated passenger car, the social media trend focuses on riding atop the loaded iron ore carspromoted online as a daring travel adventure. TikTok videos showcase sweeping desert vistas described by commenters as post-apocalyptic. The now-ubiquitous selfies show tourists in what one blogger called the uniform of ski goggles and a seche tied tightly around the head, posing amid clouds of iron dust to survive the elements. @isaacexploress A once in a lifetime experience Thank you Mauritania #ironoretrain #extremetravel #shock #richinmemories Ordinary – Alex Warren The Risks and Challenges of Riding the Iron Ore Cars Many posts highlight the journeys harsh conditionsconstant iron dust coating travelers skin and lungs, freezing nights, scorching days, and no access to food, water, or restrooms for an average of 20 hours. But instead of serving as a warning, these challenges are often framed as selling points, promoting the trip as a bucket list item or once-in-a-lifetime experience. The train offers no safety measures for those riding atop the ore cars. If a rider falls off, operators likely wouldnt knowleaving injured tourists stranded in the middle of the Sahara Desert. The Legal and Ethical Controversy As the trend has grownand as videos show increasingly unsafe behavior, including backflips on moving carsSNIM has officially banned tourists from riding on the iron ore cars. Still, that hasnt stopped social media. Influencers now share tips for evading security, bribing officials, and sneaking onto the train. Some, like Isaac Elam, even sell guides for riding illegally. Social media can be a valuable tool for discovering unique experiencesbut its important to question whos sharing this inside info. Before chasing the latest viral trend, consider the safety, legal, and ethical risks to yourself and the communities you visit. The livelihood of Mauritanias people depends on this railway. If reckless tourist behavior causes delays or shutdowns, the consequences could be far more serious than a missed photo op.
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E-Commerce
The Federal Aviation Administration said Sunday that the helicopter tour company whose sightseeing chopper broke apart in flight and crashed in New York, killing the pilot and a family of five visitors from Spain, is shutting down operations immediately.The FAA, in a statement posted on X, also said it would launch an immediate review of New York Helicopter Tours’ operating license and safety record.The move came hours after New York Sen. Chuck Schumer had called on federal authorities to revoke the operating permits of New York Helicopter Tours.The company’s sightseeing helicopter broke apart in midair and plunged into the Hudson River Thursday, killing the tourists from Spain and the pilot, a Navy SEAL veteran.At a news conference Sunday, before the announcement by the FAA, Schumer said the company should be required to halt all flights as the National Transportation Safety Board investigates the deadly crash.The Senate Democrat minority leader also called on the Federal Aviation Administration to ramp up safety inspections for other helicopter tour companies, accusing them of “cutting corners and putting profits over people.”The victims included passengers Agustin Escobar, 49, his wife, Merc Camprubí Montal, 39, and their three children, Victor, 4, Mercedes, 8, and Agustin, 10. The pilot was Seankese Johnson, 36, a U.S. Navy veteran who received his commercial pilot’s license in 2023.“One of the things we can do to honor those lives and try to save others is to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Schumer said. “We know there is one thing for sure about New York City’s helicopter tour companies: They have a deadly track record.”Thursday’s crash has renewed safety concerns about New York’s sightseeing excursions, a popular tourist draw that whisks passengers high above the city, offering soaring views of the Statue of Liberty, the World Trade Center, and other landmarks.In the last two decades, five helicopters on commercial sightseeing flights have fallen into the Hudson and East rivers as a result of mechanical failures, pilot errors, or collisions, killing 20 people.The president of New York Helicopter Tours, Michael Roth, did not respond to phone and email inquiries. The company said in a statement published on its website that it was cooperating with authorities in the investigation.In response to Schumer’s calls for more oversight, an industry group, Eastern Region Helicopter Council, said Manhattan’s sightseeing choppers “already operate under the most stringent of regulations.”“We stand ready to work with leaders on finding ways to ensure the safety and preservation of our businesses and aviation community,” the group said.Critics of the industry have long sought to limit or entirely ban nonessential helicopter flights from taking off above the city, though they have had limited success. After New York City capped the number of flights that could take off from Manhattan heliports at 30,000 annually in 2016, many companies moved operations to New Jersey.Two years later, in 2018, five people died when a helicopter offering “open door” flights crashed in the East River after a passenger’s restraint tether snagged on a fuel switch, stopping the engine.The cause of Thursday’s crash is not yet determined. According to Schumer, rescue divers were continuing to search for the helicopter’s main rotor and assembly gear box, which would give clues about what happened. Jake Offenhartz, Associated Press
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E-Commerce
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