Author: rb809rb

  • AI Powered PlayStation Crack Could Let You Play GTA 6 on PC at Launch

    AI Powered PlayStation Crack Could Let You Play GTA 6 on PC at Launch

    In brief

    • AnyPS5 is an open-source, AI-powered project on GitHub that converts PS5 game executables into programs that run natively on PC.
    • Speculators believe that the tool will allow users to get higher performance out of PS5 games by using high-powered PCs.
    • Some gamers hope that the project will be able to run GTA VI on PC at launch, although Discord members warn there’s likely to be roadblocks.

    Vibe coders are porting PlayStation 5 applications to Windows and Linux, leaving some users optimistic that the project will unlock better performance for PS5 games, and could even work for GTA 6 at launch.

    AnyPS5 is an open-source, AI-powered project on GitHub that converts PS5 game executables into programs that run natively on PC, swapping Sony’s system libraries for its own version rather than emulating the console. A community-run tracker lists more than 180 PS5 titles that have been tried with the tool, but only a handful have been verified as playable.

    An important distinction to make is that this is not an emulator and that games will be running natively on PC. As a result, some speculators believe that users will be able to get better performance from PS5 games by playing them on a high-powered PC.

    “GTA 6 most likely will be able to run on your PC at launch, and [with] significantly higher frames than it would on your PS5,” pseudonymous gaming content creator Schlayerr said on TikTok. “We live in a crazy time.”

    “Technically, this is feasible given the similarities between console and PC architectures, and AI can dramatically accelerate the reverse engineering work,” Theodore Agranat, Director of Web3 at Gunzilla Games, the game studio behind battle royale Off the Grid, told Decrypt. However, he remained skeptical over whether they “can deliver the quality, performance, and fidelity players expect from AAA games at scale.”

    The latest project update claims that 100% of the PS5 GPU shaders have been ported while 88% of the system libraries have been ported. Discord community members believe the final 12% for system libraries is likely to take a long time, especially as new system libraries are continuously being discovered.

    In the Discord showcase channel, some users have shown off rudimentary demos of PS5 games on PC. One community developer reported running GTA 5 at 27 frames per second, or FPS, in the performance graphics mode. Others have reported getting 4 FPS on Epic Mickey, 25 FPS on Phasmophobia, and 60 FPS on Vampire Survivors. It’s still a work in progress.

    Still, in all of these examples, the games aren’t fully playable due to the incomplete system library port as well as game-specific bugs being encountered.

    A potential roadblock in playing GTA 6 on PC at launch is a mandatory firmware update, Discord members say. This is because the AnyPS5 project would need to overhaul its converted files to the latest update in order to get GTA 6 running. As such, there is likely to be a delay before the game is available on PC via AnyPS5.

    “Firmware updates could create hurdles, particularly around DRM, but likely wouldn’t invalidate the entire approach,” Agranat said.

    A response to Sony’s disc ban?

    AnyPS5 bans any form of piracy in its Discord server, meaning using the tool requires purchasing the game on the PlayStation Store. That said, there is nothing stopping an individual using AnyPS5 with a pirated copy of a video game.

    Some PlayStation users have speculated that the movement is a response to Sony’s plan to discontinue physical game discs.

    “The reason this all happened is because Sony discontinued discs,” pseudonymous gaming content creator The 1st Gamer said on TikTok. “They wanted to go digital, and they did, but just not on PS5.”

    Sony announced in July that it plans to stop producing physical discs at the start of 2028. The decision was met with major community backlash, including a petition called “Don’t Kill the Disc” gaining over 385,000 signatures. Shawn Layden, a former PlayStation executive, called the move a “heavily spreadsheeted decision” and said it has damaged the company’s reputation.

    In August, Sony argued in a California court that purchasing a digital game in the PlayStation Store does not equate to ownership of it. Sony claimed its Terms of Service and the Software Product License Agreement explain this and that users should understand it as a fact.

    “Even without Sony stopping physical discs, this was bound to happen with AI accelerating dev,” Agrant said. “My hope is that projects like this push platform holders to offer the same flexibility themselves, but at a much higher standard,” he told Decrypt, hoping for a future where Sony rolls out games on PC as well as console. “That would be a genuine win-win.”

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  • Tiger attack victim’s former school pays tribute to ‘performer’ in emotional statement

    Tiger attack victim’s former school pays tribute to ‘performer’ in emotional statement

    The former school of a man who died after entering the tiger enclosure at a zoo in Yorkshire has paid tribute to him.

    William Chapman got into the enclosure at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, where he was attacked by a tiger living in the enclosure, with footage of the horrifying attack circulating widely on social media.

    Tragically, Mr Chapman died of his injuries, and an investigation is now underway around the incident.

    Since then, Mr Chapman’s former school, the Jackie Palmer Stage School & Agency, has released a statement on its Instagram page paying tribute to him.

    “We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our former student, William Chapman,” said the statement.

    “Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with William’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult time.”

    The statement added: “We loved watching William grow, both as a person and as a performer, during his time with us.

    “It was a privilege to be part of his journey, and he will be remembered with great fondness by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him.

    Altai the Amur tiger lives at Yorkshire Wildlife Park  (SWNS)

    Altai the Amur tiger lives at Yorkshire Wildlife Park (SWNS)

    “William will be truly missed, and he will always hold a special place in our hearts.

    “Rest in peace, William.”

    Mr Chapman’s family have also released a statement paying tribute to him, and saying that he had ‘suffered significant mental illness’ over several years.

    “The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened,” the state, released on Tuesday, said.

    The statement added: “The family are hopeful that the relevant authorities will do their upmost to get to the bottom of why our amazing son did what he did.”

    Paying tribute to Mr Chapman, the statement added: “William was a bright, warm and engaging young man whom his family dearly loved – and William loved them back.”

    The family also called out the sharing of ‘deeply offensive media content’ on social media in the aftermath of the incident.

    “The publication and circulation of deeply offensive media content is causing them severe distress at an exceptionally vulnerable time. We ask people to stop doing this,” the statement said.

    South Yorkshire Police have also asked that people stop sharing footage of the tragedy on social media.

    Police at the scene of the tragedy (SWNS)

    Police at the scene of the tragedy (SWNS)

    In a statement released on 10 October, South Yorkshire Police said: “At 1.35pm today (Saturday 10 October) we received reports of a man entering a tiger enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park. The tiger subsequently attacked the man, resulting in serious injury.”

    The statement added: “Following the incident, Yorkshire Wildlife Park was evacuated and officers remain on scene carrying out enquiries. We are aware of videos circulating online and we would encourage people not to share this footage.”

    Mr Chapman had been a child actor, and appeared on programmes on the BBC and ITV as a child.

    Yorkshire Wildlife Park has since confirmed that the tiger involved in the tragedy will not be euthanised as a result.

    “We would like to thank everyone who has expressed their concern following yesterday’s tragic incident,” said the statement.

    “Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies remain with the family and loved ones of the man who sadly lost his life.

    “The park will be closed today while the staff team who were deeply affected by events receive specialist support.”

  • Woman who spent five days in complete darkness reveals disturbing effects she experienced

    Woman who spent five days in complete darkness reveals disturbing effects she experienced

    Dr Kiana Aran has found a new appreciation for life after spending five days in complete darkness.

    In November 2024, the bioengineering professor at the University of California was left alone in a dark, silent cave in Poland to investigate how sensory deprivation affects the human body and mind.

    Her plan, initially, was to see whether removing light, sound and everyday distractions could calm her constantly racing thoughts.

    “As a faculty, my mind has been always racing. I have tried yoga, meditation to just calm my brain down, because I’m constantly thinking of, ‘Okay, what’s next, what’s next, what’s next.’ I cannot sit still, and sometimes it gets too much,” she told The Scientist.

    While having sensors on throughout the experiment to track changes in her body, she had a bed, bathroom and shower, but no light, entertainment or contact with other people.

    Dr Aran conducted the experiment in Poland in 2024 (YouTube/Within The Ultimate Darkness Retreat)

    Dr Aran conducted the experiment in Poland in 2024 (YouTube/Within The Ultimate Darkness Retreat)

    Food was delivered once a day at unpredictable times, making it difficult to tell whether it was day or night.

    During the experiment, she experienced several disturbing psychological and physical effects:

    Vivid hallucinations

    Dr Aran saw her mother, cousin and grandmother, who had died years earlier, sitting together watching an iPad.

    She couldn’t tell whether she was dreaming or hallucinating.

    Psychological distress

    Dr Aran 'couldn't wait to come out' (YouTube/Within The Ultimate Darkness Retreat)

    Dr Aran ‘couldn’t wait to come out’ (YouTube/Within The Ultimate Darkness Retreat)

    By the second day, Dr Aran found the isolation particularly difficult, becoming increasingly restless and desperate to leave.

    “How am I going to stay another three days here? Because I was doing nothing,” she said.

    Dr Aran called it ‘a torture, sort of’, adding: “I just couldn’t wait to come out.”

    Heightened taste and seeing ‘objects’

    Food flavours and textures became unusually intense, as tests later revealed increased levels of taste receptors in her saliva.

    And despite being in complete darkness, she began perceiving outlines of objects.

    Researchers also detected alterations in her immune response, gut microbiome and internal body clock.

    Lasting emotional changes

    Dr Aran felt 'alive' (YouTube/Within The Ultimate Darkness Retreat)

    Dr Aran felt ‘alive’ (YouTube/Within The Ultimate Darkness Retreat)

    After leaving, she reported feeling more grateful, patient and compassionate.

    “I still carry [that feeling] with me,” she admitted.

    “I appreciate everything I have right now all around me.”

    Writing in Nature, Dr Aran added: “When I finally emerged from the cave on the fifth day, I embraced those waiting anxiously for me; the colleagues, the friends, the ones who had made this opportunity possible. In that moment, wanting to feel everything at once, I ran to the frozen lake nearby and dove in. The icy water bit into my skin, but after five days of darkness, it was the most vivid reminder that I was alive.”

  • Fed’s Williams sees AI supply squeeze lasting beyond 2 years

    Fed’s Williams sees AI supply squeeze lasting beyond 2 years

    William’s comments came as he reaffirmed his view that the US Federal Reserve may need to raise interest rates once more this year as it seeks to lower inflation.

    “I haven’t changed my view that it may be appropriate to have one more rate hike.”

    However, Williams said “we’ll have to see” about 2027, saying “I don’t think at this time I have any reason to believe that we would need to do more.”

    Meanwhile, Williams said he expects AI investment to stay strong even with higher rates.

    “I think investors there are relatively price insensitive,” he said. “They feel that this is a huge, going to lead to huge productivity gains, huge transformative changes in our economy, and I think that happens not completely invariant to interest rates, but I don’t expect monetary policy to be really having a deep effect on that.”

    Related: Anthropic strikes $9B compute deal with Bitcoin miner Riot: Report

    An AI equipment supply shortage could have an impact on Bitcoin miners expanding into the sector, as they compete for chips and power equipment.

    IREN signed $2.8 billion in new AI cloud contracts in July, while Cointelegraph reported on Monday that miners pursuing AI projects already face substantial financing requirements and increasingly selective lenders.

    Magazine: Capital starting to rotate back to crypto from AI: Raoul Pal

  • Banijay Kids & Family Sells ’Little Princess’ to Sky U.K. (EXCLUSIVE)

    Banijay Kids & Family Sells ’Little Princess’ to Sky U.K. (EXCLUSIVE)

    “Little Princess,” the British pre-school animation classic, is heading to Sky UK, in a deal struck with Banijay Kids & Family which sees the pay TV buying its complete catalog.

    Further new distribution deals on “Little Princess,” a four-time BAFTA nominee, have been struck with Nordisk Film, RTV Slovenia and Italy’s TIM.

    Based on the best-selling children’s books by award-winning author and illustrator Tony Ross, “Little Princess” launched on the U.K.’s Channel 4 “Milkshake” children’s TV block in 2006 and ran through four seasons of a total 135 episodes, the last ending in 2020.

    First time round, when on linear TV, “Little Princess” was released in 140 territories. The deal announced by Banijay Kids & Family on Wednesday at Mipcom o underscore that what the market is looking for is evergreen brands, not necessarily brand new linear TV shows.

    “Little Princess” has, however, cultivated from 2008 to a fandom base on YouTube and other platforms, underscoring its resilient appeal.

    Sky U.K. has acquired all series and specials. Nordisk Film has acquired Seasons 1-3 and the series’ specials for SVOD across the Nordics; RTV Slovenia has Seasons 1-2, and Telecom Italia’s TIM for its Italian streaming platform aggregator, TIMVision.

    “Little Princess” is produced by The Illuminated Film Company, also behind Eric Carle’s “The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Other Stories” and the RTS Award winning “The Rubbish World of Dave Spud.”

    Set in a comfy world of gentle blocked colors, an ever blue sky, lovely grass low hills stretching to the horizon, and a purple-bricked castle, “Little Princess” turns on the antics of the bubbly, ever inquisitive and endearing titular character.

    Sporting a permanent yellow crown teeth and craggy mild teeth who confronts every day problems – such as getting a scratch after a very minor accident on “I Need a Plaster. Coddled by her parents and the cast service, she learns, however, that she might be a princess but won’t always get her own way. Each episode, as Banijay Friends & Family notes, is told with a warm blend of humor and surprise.

    “Across the industry, we’re seeing continued demand for trusted, established IP that can cut through in an increasingly crowded landscape. With a new U.K. home on Sky and partners across Europe, ‘Little Princess’ demonstrates the enduring value of distinctive characters and storytelling that audiences know and love,” said Julia Rowlands, SVP Sales, Co-Productions and Acquisitions, Banijay Kids & Family.Led by CEO Benoît Di Sabatino, Banijay Kids & Family brings together leading production companies – Monello Productions, Movimenti Production, Procidis, Tiger Aspect Kids & Family, Zodiak Kids & Family France, and Zodiak Productions UK – spanning France, Italy, and the U.K.

    It is behind preeminent kids’ brands including “Totally Spies!,” “Mr Bean,” “Once Upon a Time…, LoliRock,” “Super Happy Magic Forest,” “Street Football” and “MiniHeroes of the Forest.”

  • Trezor Cuts Its Resellers After Ledger Finds Spy Implant in Crypto Wallets

    Trezor Cuts Its Resellers After Ledger Finds Spy Implant in Crypto Wallets

    In brief

    • Trezor told partners their reseller authorization ends January 1, 2027, and that it will ship them no new stock, saying there is no evidence its devices were compromised.
    • Ledger’s Donjon team says wallets sold by Southeast Asian reseller CryptoBilis held an implant that captures recovery phrases from the screen and sends them over LTE.
    • Onchain investigator Specter traced more than $86 million in suspected thefts, a figure Ledger says it has not verified.

    Trezor is cutting its network of authorized resellers, telling partners their authorization ends on January 1, 2027, days after rival hardware wallet manufacturer Ledger started an investigation that eventually confirmed a hidden spy implant in crypto wallets sold through a third-party store.

    The company announced the move on X on Tuesday, saying “there is not a single piece of evidence” that Trezor devices have been compromised. It described the cut as a preventive step taken out of caution.

    Myriad: How low will Bitcoin go? Click to make your prediction.
    Myriad: How low will Bitcoin go? Click to make your prediction.

    “Following recent supply-chain incidents, we decided to reduce the number of resellers so we can more effectively check those we work with,” Trezor wrote.

    A hardware wallet is a small device that keeps the secret keys to your crypto offline, away from hackers. Setting one up produces a 24-word recovery phrase that works as a master password: whoever has those words can empty the wallet from anywhere in the world.

    Ledger’s Donjon security team says wallets sold by CryptoBilis, a reseller in Southeast Asia, contained an unauthorized component that reads the screen and decodes the recovery phrase when it appears. The spy implant then sends the words out over LTE, the same mobile data network your phone uses, through an eSIM, a SIM card built into the hardware. Ledger says the implant does not alter the chip that stores the keys or the device’s operating system, so a tampered wallet looks and works normally.

    Trezor CCO Danny Sanders shared the letter that the company sent to those providers that Trezor is ditching. “If you are receiving this letter, your authorization ends on 1 January 2027. On that date we will remove you from our list of authorized Trezor resellers,” the letter reads. “I am sorry. This decision says nothing about your effort or the way you represented us.”

    BitcoinBTC · USD

    $83,133−0.73%

    Oct 7Oct 9Oct 10Oct 12Oct 14

    $84.2k$83.1k$81.9k$80.7k

    24h HighHigh$84,025

    24h LowLow$82,919

    VolVol$1.1B

    Market projectionsOdds by Myriad

    →

    This is a precautionary measure to protect our supply chain and our customers,” he wrote. “If things change in the future we will review it.”

    Affected resellers will get no new stock, but they can keep selling what they have through Black Friday and the holiday season. Sanders said the decision just reflects how many partners Trezor can vet closely itself.

    Neither the post nor the letter says how many resellers are affected. Trezor says it reviewed each country on its own, weighing revenue and distribution against its own presence there, and that resellers who stay will face an updated legal framework and tighter rules on how devices are sourced, stored, and handled.

    Trezor said on X earlier this week that CryptoBilis was already off its seller list and that it had received no reports of tampered Trezors from the retailer.

    In May 2022, Trezor warned that counterfeit Model T wallets were being sold on a Russian marketplace by a seller that was not an authorized reseller. The devices had been opened, resealed, and fitted with replaced internal components, and Trezor said the recovery phrases they generated were predictable or predefined, meaning someone else could already know the words.

    Trezor’s advice then was to buy only from its official shop or an authorized reseller. The second option is the network it is now shrinking.

    In August, shipping partner ShipMonk exposed Trezor customer data after unauthorized access, and Trezor’s September update put the total at 80,689 customers. Trezor says its systems, devices, private keys, and wallet backups were not affected.

    Ledger told anyone who bought from CryptoBilis in the past 90 days not to set up their device, and told those who already did to move their funds to a new seed phrase on a device bought from Ledger. Ledger and Trezor have each warned buyers against unauthorized sellers.

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  • Man who bought house for £395,000 discovers he owns school next door worth millions

    Man who bought house for £395,000 discovers he owns school next door worth millions

    A business owner ended up getting more than he bargained for when he bought a house after a legal mixup meant that he ended up also owning the primary school next door.

    Sukhjit Bains had bought the three bedroom house from Birmingham City Council at auction for £395,000, but when he was finalising the purchase his solicitor mistakenly sent him the incorrect kind of contract, which also included the school in the purchase.

    This initial error was then also not noticed by the conveyancers at the council, who approved the purchase, making Mr Bains the legal owner of the three bedroom house, and George Dixon Primary School.

    It would take an astonishing 10 years for the error to be noticed, when the school applied for status as an academy, the Daily Star reports.

    Mr Bains reportedly only discovered he had been the unwitting owner of the school the whole time when the council had to make the awkward call to him to request that he give it back.

    As technically speaking Mr Bains is the legal owner of the school, if he wanted to he could potentially do things like demand rent to use the property or even attempt to evict the school and demolish it.

    He technically owns the school (Getty Stock)

    He technically owns the school (Getty Stock)

    Mr Bains runs a care provider called NH Care Ltd, and bought the property at auction back in 2013. The house itself was originally built as a cottage for the school caretaker, and it’s this link that created the circumstances which made the extraordinary mistake possible.

    Due to their connection, both the school and the house are registered under the same number on the land registry.

    When the contracts were being drawn up the form used was one called a TR1, which transfers all the property which is registered under a single number with the land registry.

    That meant that no legal distinction was made between the former caretaker’s cottage that Mr Bains was purchasing, and the entire school which was registered under the same number.

    When he found out about the bizarre situation Mr Bains initially agreed to return the school to the council.

    However, since then he has stopped replying to the council, and has also declined to sign paperwork which has been sent over to him.

    It is believed that the parents of the more than 300 pupils at the school were not aware of the situation.

    The caretakers cottage (Google Street View)

    The caretakers cottage (Google Street View)

    Birmingham City Council has confirmed that it has now started legal proceedings in a bid to get the school returned to them after the colossal mistake, claiming that he has not answer letters, and phone calls, and that they have also been unable to reach him at his office in person as well after sending council officers to speak with him.

    The city council, which went bankrupt in 2023, has launched a legal case against Mr Bains, as well as against Lloyds Bank who are his lender, with the case being pursued in the High Court in London.

    In their case, the council sets out its formal demand that the school be returned to them, as well as saying that both the school and the playing fields attached cannot be sold without the permission of the Secretary of State.

    A spokesperson for Birmingham City Council said: “The council is pursuing the appropriate legal process to rectify the position.

    “As the matter is currently the subject of ongoing legal proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment further.”

  • Will Bitmine outperform expected crypto bull market after acquiring another 12,532 ETH?

    Will Bitmine outperform expected crypto bull market after acquiring another 12,532 ETH?

    Bitmine’s Ethereum obsession

    Besides accumulating, the company is also aggressively staking Ethereum to earn passive income. As per its latest update, Bitmine has staked approximately 5.07 million $ETH, worth $12.9 billion, through its own validator network, MAVAN, and staking partners.

    At a reported annualized yield of 2.61%, Bitmine estimates that fully staking its holdings could generate around $400 million annually. However, concerns remain as staking returns can fluctuate, and staked $ETH may face liquidity constraints.

    Beyond this, Bitmine has also issued preferred stock, BMNP, offering a stated 9.5% annual dividend rate. This is another funding mechanism.

    Is Bitmine’s roadmap rocky or smooth?

    As Bitmine touched multiple milestones, Chairman Tom Lee noted,

    We believe Bitmine is positioned to outperform the crypto bull market that we expect to be coming, as the company has strengthened its competitive position over the past year in the midst of a crypto winter (bear market).

    This statement came within days of Lee predicting that $ETH could hit $5,000 by year-end.

    However, with BMNR trading at $23.83 following a drop of 0.83% at press time, there may still be cause for caution.

    Ethereum’s on-chain metrics raise red flags

    At the time of writing, $ETH was trading at $2,500.71 after falling by 1.5% in 24 hours.

    On the contrary, CryptoQuant’s data suggested that its network activity and development have remained resilient lately. Despite significant price volatility.

    For example, $ETH fell from above $4,500 to nearly $1,500, before recovering to around $2,500. And yet, daily active addresses have generally maintained a baseline of roughly 330,000–500,000.

    Source: CryptoQuant

    Meanwhile, the number of smart contracts has increased from approximately 60 million in January 2026 to over 72 million by October 2026.

    Source: CryptoQuant

    Still, if the price action continues to give in to the sellers, it would be difficult for on-chain metrics to pull up the bullish narrative for Ethereum.


    Final Summary

    • The largest Ethereum DAT has accumulated about 4.9% of Ethereum’s total circulating supply.
    • Bitmine has so far staked approximately 5.07 million $ETH, worth $12.9 billion.
  • Russell Brand Was ‘Ruthless and Calculated’ With a ‘Voracious’ Desire for ‘Sexual Contact,’ Prosecution Alleges in Rape Trial Opening Statement

    Russell Brand Was ‘Ruthless and Calculated’ With a ‘Voracious’ Desire for ‘Sexual Contact,’ Prosecution Alleges in Rape Trial Opening Statement

    Russell Brand was “ruthless and calculated” with an “indiscriminate and voracious” desire for sexual contact, the prosecution alleged in its opening statement at the actor and comedian’s rape trial in London.

    Brand has been charged with three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault. He has pleaded not guilty and denied all charges.

    The jury was selected on Tuesday, consisting of eight men and four women. The case involves six female plaintiffs, all of whom are given automatic lifelong anonymity according to U.K. law, and relates to alleged offenses that occurred between 1999 and 2009.

    Arriving to Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday morning, Brand sported a black suit, pinstriped shirt, loose white tie and sunglasses. He was accompanied by his wife, Laura Gallacher, whose hand he clasped. According to BBC News, Brand told reporters on his way inside: “I feel blessed. I feel of course concerned, but hopeful that this process will lead to good outcomes for everybody — that is my prayer,” he said. Inside the courtroom, Brand appeared to be rubbing what looked like a rock or pebble in his hand.

    Riel Karmy-Jones KC is leading the prosecution and set out the case against Brand. As the BBC reports, the six alleged victims “did not know each other, have never met each other” and “came forward independently of each other,” Karmy-Jones noted.

    Brand was “ruthless and calculated” and “sometimes might tell women what they wanted to hear” to satisfy his sexual appetite, Karmy-Jones alleged. “The circumstances of the offending were as wide and as varied as the defendant’s career,” she said. “His strong desire for some form of sexual contact was indiscriminate and voracious.”

    Karmy-Jones called Brand “a flirt with a huge sexual appetite — childlike in his expectation that his every desire should be met.” He would “appear indifferent” after an alleged assault, she claimed. “Sometimes he would leave promptly after the incident, sometimes making an excuse to get away or sometimes simply continuing as though nothing wrong had happened,” she said, according to BBC News.

    The prosecution brought in testimony from a former friend of Brand’s, who claimed that the comedian bragged to him that he wanted to sleep with “5,000 women” in his lifetime and had laid out “rules” to achieve this, including telling them “what they want to hear.”

    Turning to the first alleged victim, who was in her 20s at the time of the incident in 1999, the prosecution said when she first met Brand she assumed he was gay. Later at her home, she invited him to make himself a cup of tea while she used the bathroom. When she emerged, she was shocked to find him “partially undressed.”

    “Perhaps some of her confusion can be explained by how the defendant was behaving, because as she came out of the bathroom he was prancing around the room — a bit like an ostrich, doing silly walks like Basil Fawlty,” Karmy-Jones said, as reported by BBC News. “She was taken aback, she was shocked and didn’t really know what to do — and in her words she froze a bit.”

    The prosecution then alleged that Brand raped her. She “described drifting out of her head, knowing there was nothing she could do, as he pulled her trousers and underwear down, penetrated her vagina with his penis — raping her,” Karmy-Jones said.

    The complainant claims she didn’t report the alleged incident at the time because of Brand’s “celebrity status,” which she “now greatly regrets.” When she did eventually file a police report and Brand was questioned about the incident, the prosecution claimed he did not remember her name or the incident, but insisted that he “had never engaged in non-consensual activity.”

    The second incident occurred in 2001, the prosecution claimed, and involved a woman in her 30s at the time who was working at MTV. The prosecution alleged that Brand “lurched forward and grabbed her breasts,” and then “squeezed them with both his hands,” as BBC News reports.

    In the mid-2000s, Brand was best known as a comedian and actor, presenting shows such as “Big Brother’s Big Mouth” and starring in films such as “Get Him to the Greek” and “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” He has since pivoted to podcasting and influencing online.

    The trial is expected to run for six weeks.

  • Bitcoin Shakes Off Spooky Season Jitters: Can Bulls Keep It Going?

    Bitcoin Shakes Off Spooky Season Jitters: Can Bulls Keep It Going?

    In brief

    • Bitcoin is up 2.24% at $83,591.79 after dipping to $80,953.41, a higher low than the $80,365.12 swing that started its latest bounce.
    • The Crypto Fear and Greed Index sits at a neutral 55, down from an “extreme greed” peak of 82 in August.
    • Myriad traders give 54% odds that Bitcoin touches $80,000 in October and 45% odds it reaches $87,500.

    Bitcoin is bouncing today following a week that had traders swapping “Uptober” memes for “spooky szn” ones after BTC cut its September gains in half.

    The price of Bitcoin today slid to $80,953.41 early Tuesday, extending a Monday sell-off, then reversed to $83,591.79, up 2.24% on the day.

    Myriad: How high will Bitcoin go? Click to make your prediction.
    Myriad: How high will Bitcoin go? Click to make your prediction.

    The Crypto Fear and Greed Index, a 0-to-100 sentiment gauge built from momentum, volatility, options positioning and social data, fell to 53 from an “extreme greed” reading of 82 on Aug. 26. It reads 56 today, a neutral score. What it boils down to is this: The August euphoria is gone, but traders aren’t panicking either.

    Bitcoin ETFs are down a net $386.3 million in October, and outflows force funds to sell actual Bitcoin. Wednesday’s Consumer Price Index report, expected to show annual inflation rising to 3.6% from 3.4%, is the next test: a hotter print would boost rate-hike bets and likely pressure Bitcoin. The Federal Reserve meets Oct. 27-28.

    Traders on Myriad, a prediction market developed by Decrypt‘s parent company Dastan, give 54% odds that Bitcoin falls to $80,000 this month, down from 56% on Monday. The BTC highs in October market holds at 45% for $87,500. So, overall, sentiment has improved today, even if slightly.

    Bitcoin price: Bulls defend the golden zone

    Today’s low stopped about $588 above $80,365.12, the swing low where the bounce began. That higher low is what traders want in an uptrend. Bitcoin also reclaimed the Fibonacci “golden zone” between $81,847.57 and $82,305.50, an area where pullbacks within uptrends often draw buyers.

    Bitcoin price data. Image: Tradingview
    Bitcoin price data. Image: Tradingview

    The Average Directional Index, or ADX, measures trend strength, and readings above 25 confirm a trend. It reads 29.9 with buyers in control, but it was 42.8 on Oct. 7, so the uptrend is coasting rather than accelerating. The 50-day exponential moving average stayed above the 200-day, a golden cross traders read as an intact long-term uptrend.

    The Relative Strength Index, a 0-to-100 momentum gauge, sits at 53.4, just above the 50 line that separates bullish from bearish momentum. The Squeeze Momentum Indicator has been on for seven sessions, meaning volatility is compressed like a coiled spring, and its -0.52 reading leans slightly bearish.

    BitcoinBTC · USD

    $83,131−0.74%

    Oct 7Oct 9Oct 10Oct 12Oct 14

    $84.2k$83.1k$81.9k$80.7k

    24h HighHigh$84,025

    24h LowLow$82,919

    VolVol$1.1B

    Market projectionsOdds by Myriad

    →

    A daily close above $84,245.88 would open $86,644.19, then the $87,422.70 high, about $77 shy of Myriad’s $87,500 line. Losing $81,603.02 would bring the daily trend band’s upper edge into play just above $80,000. A close below it would expose $77,500.

    Until Wednesday’s CPI print, the active squeeze points to a market that is winding up rather than picking a direction. Oil and Iran headlines, Treasury yields, and daily ETF flows remain the short-term catalysts to track.

    Disclaimer

    The views and opinions expressed by the author are for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial, investment, or other advice.

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