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Shein, Temu find temporary reprieve as U.S. relaxes tariffs Shein, Temu find temporary reprieve as U.S. relaxes tariffs U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff pause gives Temu and Shein a temporary window of opportunity to restock U.S.-based warehouses and re-evaluate their supply chain management, experts and insiders say. On Monday, the U.S. and China agreed to lower tariffs on most ******** imports to 30% for 90 days. The agreement included a so-called “de minimis” rule relaxation, effective May 14, which will see low-value packages shipped to the U.S. from China now be taxed at a tariff rate of 54%, down from 120% prior. Previous tariff rates had driven price hikes for U.S. consumers on Shein’s platforms. Meanwhile, Temu halted shipments directly from China altogether, leading to some disruptions in fulfilling its U.S. orders. But the recent tariff cut has given them a chance to ramp up shipments from China and restock their warehouses and fulfill existing orders, supply chain experts say. “In the short term, [Temu and Shein] are definitely going to increase their shipment volume to the U.S.,” said Anand Kumar, associate director of research at Coresight Research, adding that it will also help the companies reassess their long-term strategy. According to Jason Wong, who works in product logistics for Temu in Hong Kong, his company stalled shipments from China after the end of the “de minimis” exemption and relied on U.S. stockpiles to fulfil orders. Under the latest tariff policy, Wong anticipates that bulk shipments subject to the 30% tariff rate will resume to the U.S., replenishing these stockpiles. “[The] 30% is still high, but compared to 125%, 30% is basically nothing,” he added. Small values, higher levies The tariffs situation nevertheless remains more complicated for small-value packages under “de minimis.” The latest policy update retains a $100 flat fee per postal item, while scrapping a previously planned hike to $200 starting June, according to an executive order released by the White House on Monday. According to Wong, for Temu to resume its small value shipments from China to the U.S., the tariffs still need to be relaxed further — something he expects will happen eventually. Shein has not said that it is ending direct shipments from China. However, it says on its platform that “tariffs are included in the price you pay.” The reduction on tariffs of low-value packages shipped to the U.S. from China could therefore result in the easing of some prices, said Coresight’s Kumar. In anticipation of changes to the “de minimis” exemption, Shein has also expanded its supply chains, building manufacturing operations in countries such as Turkey, Mexico and Brazil. It also reportedly plans to shift production to Vietnam. Shein and Temu did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comments. On May 2, Trump ended the “de minimis” exemption policy, which analysts had criticized as hurting local businesses and disguising illicit fentanyl trade. The small-package tariff exemption had helped Temu and Shein’s maintain budget prices on the merchandise they shipped directly from China. The U.S. government had briefly suspended the exemption in February before reinstating the provision days later, as customs officials struggled to process and collect tariffs on a spate of low-value packages. U.S. rivals like Amazon, on whose platform many third-party sellers offload products sourced or assembled by ******** manufacturers, are also expected to ramp up shipments during the 90-day window, trade experts said. “All the companies are just going to scramble to get everything they can into the country as quickly as they can,” said Cameron Johnson, Shanghai-based senior partner at consultancy firm Tidalwave Solution. “Everybody’s in the same boat.” Source link #Shein #Temu #find #temporary #reprieve #U.S #relaxes #tariffs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nvidia and Mediatek’s AI CPU may not see mass rollout until late 2026 — Asus, Dell, and Lenovo reportedly developing N1X desktops and laptops Nvidia and Mediatek’s AI CPU may not see mass rollout until late 2026 — Asus, Dell, and Lenovo reportedly developing N1X desktops and laptops Nvidia and MediaTek’s hotly anticipated AI PC chips may not see meaningful shipment volumes to the mass market until the second half of 2026, according to a new report. As reported by Digitimes, Nvidia and MediaTek are expected to jointly unveil their new ‘N1’ Arm chips for Windows PCs at Computex. According to Digitimes, the joint chip will “likely debut under the Nvidia brand,” with both N1X and N1 models planned, echoing previous reports. Digitimes says that both companies are well into production ramp-up, however, states “insiders believe meaningful shipment volumes won’t emerge until the second half of 2026.” The chips, which we expect to be unveiled at Computex next week, will mark the second offspring of Nvidia and MediaTek’s newly-minted partnership, inaugurated by the GB10 chip unveiled earlier this year. You may like As the report notes, early N1X benchmarks hint at performance that lags behind some Arm-based PC chips, noting “the results have raised industry concerns.” Perhaps more worryingly, Digitimes reiterates reports that there are “unresolved integration issues with endpoint devices.” These manufacturing headaches have previously been reported elsewhere, and could explain the hefty lead time of 2H26 on these chips. (Image credit: Nvidia) In a separate report, Digitimes claims that the Nvidia and MediaTek roadmap includes commercial N1X AI notebooks targeted at both high-end consumers and commercial markets with 180-200 AI TOPS compute performance. Digitimes also reports that consumer AI notebooks will adopt the N1C processor platform, now delayed until 2026 because of tariffs and inflation. The report claims Dell, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Lenovo, and Asus are all in the pipeline to launch desktop and notebook models, with MSI and Compal also entering the supply chain. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Also in the pipeline is Nvidia’s DFX Station featuring the GB300 Grace Blackwell Ultra ‘superchip’. According to the report, it will feature 748GB of memory and be capable of 20K TOPS AI computing power, which will work with both Windows and macOS. Follow Tom’s Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button. Source link #Nvidia #Mediateks #CPU #mass #rollout #late #Asus #Dell #Lenovo #reportedly #developing #N1X #desktops #laptops Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

LA wildfires cost ******* reinsurers $1.9 billion in first quarter LA wildfires cost ******* reinsurers $1.9 billion in first quarter An aerial view of homes destroyed in the Palisades Fire on January 27, 2025 in Pacific Palisades, California. Mario Tama | Getty Images Germany’s biggest reinsurers took a $1.9 billion profit hit in the first quarter from claims related to the recent Los Angeles wildfires. Munich Re, the world’s largest reinsurance company, said Tuesday that it anticipated all claims attributable to the wildfires will total around 1.1 billion euros. Meanwhile, Hannover Re, the world’s third largest reinsurer, said its largest net individual loss amounted to 631.4 million euros on the back of the wildfires. Combined, the two companies’ wildfire costs amounted to around 1.73 billion euros, or $1.9 billion. Reinsurance firms offer policies to primary insurance providers, who typically deal directly with customers on the ground. Reinsurance policies usually only kick in after about 400 million euros ($444.4 million) worth of losses are absorbed by the primary insurance provider. Around 80% of Munich Re’s claims arose in the company’s property-casualty segment, while around 20% hit the firm’s Global Specialty Insurance division. In both divisions of the business, the LA wildfires were the largest single claims event in the three months to March. The influx of wildfire claims saw overall claims expenditure in Munich Re’s property-casualty segment more than double, pulling quarterly net profit in the division 72% lower year-on-year to 343 million euros. In the company’s Global Specialty Insurance division, net profit nosedived 95% to 8 million euros. Despite the hit, the group reported an overall net profit of 1.1 billion euros, down 48% from the previous year. CFO Christoph Jurecka acknowledged that Munich Re “did not emerge unscathed from the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles,” but argued that the group’s earnings demonstrated resilience and “prudent management” of the firm’s business portfolio. “We’re sticking with our profit guidance of €6bn for the 2025 financial year – thanks in no small part to ongoing favourable market conditions and the high quality of our portfolio,” he said in a statement alongside the company’s first-quarter report. Frankfurt-listed shares of Munich Re and Hannover Re’s stock were both trading around 4% lower Tuesday afternoon, making them the worst performing companies on the European Stoxx 600 index. Hannover Re also posted a drop in net profit for the quarter, with the metric falling 14% to 480.5 million years compared to the previous year. “Payments for large losses reached EUR 764.7 million in the first quarter — driven above all by the California wildfires — and thus came in significantly higher than the envisaged large loss budget of EUR 435 million,” Hannover said in its quarterly statement. Mixed results In a Tuesday morning note, analysts at RBC Europe said their sentiment on Munich Re was negative, although they noted that the company’s total losses arising from the wildfires was “lower than the €1.2bn previously indicated due to currency effects and a positive effect from retrocession.” Giving the company’s target price of 559 euros — little changed from current prices — RBC’s analysts said Munich Re had posted mixed first quarter results, with its net income coming in 2% below market consensus. Analysts at J.P. Morgan, meanwhile, said they had a neutral stance on Munich Re, with a price target of 530 euros. “Despite the small miss to expectations, we only see limited potential for downgrades given the limited scale of the miss to consensus,” they said. On Hannover Re, Deutsche Bank analysts said the company’s strong investment performance had helped it notch a quarterly net income that was 7% above consensus. The lender has a buy rating on Hannover Re stock, with a price target of 279 euros — a premium of around 4% on current prices. Source link #wildfires #cost #******* #reinsurers #billion #quarter Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Trump strikes a blow for AI – by firing the US copyright supremo | Technology Trump strikes a blow for AI – by firing the US copyright supremo | Technology Hello, and welcome to TechScape. Sometimes it helps me to write by thinking about how a radio broadcaster or television presenter would deliver the information, so I’m your host, Blake Montgomery. Today in tech news: questions hover over the automation of labor in the worker-strapped US healthcare system; and drones proliferate in a new conflict: India v Pakistan, both armed with nuclear weapons. But first, how fights over AI and copyright take very different shapes in the *** and US. ‘A brazen, unprecedented power grab’ The United Kingdom is in the throes of a debate over whether to compensate artists’ for the use of their copyrighted work in the creation of generative artificial intelligence technology. The fracas came to head on Monday with a vote in the House of Lords that saw parliament’s upper house demand tech companies make clear whether they have used copyright-protected content. My colleagues Dan Milmo and Raphael Boyd report: The *** government has suffered another setback in the House of Lords over its plans to let artificial intelligence firms use copyright-protected work without permission. An amendment to the data bill requiring AI companies to reveal which copyrighted material is used in their models was backed by peers, despite government opposition. The government’s copyright proposals are the subject of a consultation due to report back this year, but opponents of the plans have used the data bill as a vehicle for registering their disapproval. The main government proposal is to let AI firms use copyright-protected work to build their models without permission, unless the copyright holders signal they do not want their work to be used in that process – a solution that critics say is impractical and unworkable. Read the full story about Monday’s vote here. Meanwhile, in contrast to a thoughtful and robust conversation, the US is taking the opposite tack. Over the weekend, Donald Trump fired the head of the US copyright office, CBS News reported. Register of Copyrights, Shira Perlmutter, was sacked after she issued a report questioning AI companies’ growing need for more data and casting doubt on their expressed need to circumvent current copyright laws. In a statement, New York Democratic representative Joe Morelle pointed specifically to Trump’s booster-in-chief Elon Musk as a motivator for Perlmutter’s firing: “Donald Trump’s termination of register of copyrights, Shira Perlmutter, is a brazen, unprecedented power grab with no legal basis. It is surely no coincidence he acted less than a day after she refused to rubber-stamp Elon Musk’s efforts to mine troves of copyrighted works to train AI models.” Trump’s abrupt severing of the copyright chief from her job reminds me of the Gordian knot. Legend has it that Alexander the Great was presented with a knot in a rope tying a cart to a stake. So complex were its twistings that no man had been able to untie it of the hundreds who had tried. Alexander silently drew his sword and sliced the knot in two. The story is one of a great man demonstrating the ingenuity that would lead him to conquer the world. Alexander did solve the riddle. He also defeated its purpose. The cart is left with no anchor. Perhaps the riddle had taken on more significance than the original problem of keeping the cart in place, but that is a question for another day. Trump may have cut through any thorny legal questions the copyright office had raised, but the vacuum at the head of the US’s copyright authority means that richer and better-connected players will run roughshod over copyright law in the course of their business. That may be what the president wants. The more powerful players in lawsuits over AI and copyright are undoubtedly the well capitalized AI companies, as much as I want artists to be paid in abundance for their creativity. These tech companies have cozied up to Trump in an effort to ensure a friendlier regulatory environment, which seems to be working if the firing of the copyright chief is any evidence. Lawsuits over how much AI companies owe artists and publishers for their surreptitious use of copyrighted material with an avowed lack of permission still abound, and both plaintiffs and defendants will be taking their cues from the US copyright office. Trump sells access on the blockchain Donald Trump at the White House in Washington DC, Monday. Photograph: Nathan Howard/Reuters My colleague Nick Robins-Early reports on a sweepstakes put on by Trump promising face-time with the president to holders of his cryptocurrency: On Monday, the top 220 buyers of a Donald Trump-sponsored cryptocurrency won access to an exclusive dinner with the president as a reward for pouring money into the coin. It was the culmination of Trump’s weekslong promotion of the contest, which has drawn allegations that he is using his position to enrich his family business while opening himself up to foreign influence. The cryptocurrency, called $TRUMP, was created in mid-January and boasts a market capitalization of over $2bn after months of investors buying into the heavily promoted coin. A Trump family-linked company and another firm own a majority of the coins, according to Reuters. “Congratulations, if you’re in the top 220 on the leaderboard we will be contacting you in the next 24 hours. Check your inbox (and spam folder) and expect a phone call for the Trump Official Dinner invitation and details,” the $TRUMP website announced mid-day Monday. “President Trump will see YOU on May 22 at the Gala Dinner in Washington D.C.” Trump’s crypto enterprise has drawn criticism from Democrats, ethics watchdogs and the Securities and Exchange Commission over conflicts of interest and allegations of corruption. The contest to dine with the president has intensified those concerns as it creates what is essentially a bidding war for direct access to the president. Drones proliferate along the border between India and Pakistan Residents inspect their damaged houses in Neelum Valley of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, on Monday. Photograph: Muzammil Ahmed/AFP/Getty Images Though India and Pakistan have reached a tenuous ceasefire, the four days of open conflict between the two hostile neighbors offered yet another instance of a phenomenon that has accelerated in recent years: drones now play a central part in modern warfare. skip past newsletter promotion A weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our lives Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion The New York Times reports that India accused Pakistan of using drones made by Turkey for its attacks; Pakistan alleged India mobilized Israeli drones, though neither could be verified. Indian military officials claimed that Pakistan had sent between 300 to 400 drones on the offensive at 36 locations on the night of 8 May. Pakistan said it had shot down some 70 drones flown from India. “Drones” refers to two things that are related but very different: small quadcopters operated by remote control and much larger semi-autonomous aerial vehicles operated from military command centers. It is an unfortunate quirk of English, in my opinion. In India and Pakistan, as well as in Ukraine and Myanmar, the smaller unmanned aircraft have become a mainstay weapon. The war between Ukraine and Russia has demonstrated how widely drones have proliferated. Explosive quadcopters, equipped with first-person view and functioning as aerial improvised explosive devices, have carried out some of the most dramatic attacks of the conflict, including a bombing of the Kremlin itself in May 2023. One expert summarized the development to the Guardian earlier this year by describing drones as evolving from “a novelty in 2022, to one of the weapons of choice in 2023, to roaming the entire tactical space”. Can the US automate its way out of a shortage of healthcare workers? A nurse uses a new automated dose assembly machine in Columbus, Ohio. Photograph: Doral Chenoweth/The Columbus Dispatch via USA Today Network One of the great fears of our age is that machines will replace our jobs en masse, leaving the human workforce in the lurch. The Guardian published a story over the weekend about Zing, a robot that dispenses methadone, a drug used in treatment for the opioid addiction that has spread through the veins of the US in recent decades. Beneath the story of innovation runs an undercurrent: where do we draw the line between automation that offers genuine help to workers and profiteering preference for robot labor over humans? Read the full story about drug-dealing robots here. The story published one day before Walgreens announced it would expand the services of its “micro-fulfillment centers” – hubs where prescription-dispensing robots count and package medications for chronic health conditions for the company’s pharmacies, CNBC reports. Already, these automated centers handle about 16m prescriptions each month, 40% of prescriptions served by Walgreens, according to the company. The company plans to up the number of stores that rely on these centers from 4,800 in February to 5,000 by the end of the year. Walgreens says the shift to automated labor, begun in 2021, is already producing financial results, some $500m in cost savings over the past four years. Pharmacy techs suffer from similar issues as methadone-dispensing nurses – low pay, intense pressure, and high turnover rates – but at a much wider scale. Walgreens is a massive conglomerate of some 12,500 stores across the US, Europe and Latin America worth about $9.7bn; it employs 312,000 people, per its website. In 2023, Walgreens’ pharmacy workers staged walkouts across the US to protest their working conditions. Chief among their concerns: chronic understaffing and burnout among the workers who chose to stay. They called the protests “Pharmageddon”. Walgreens may hire fewer pharmacy workers because it has automated their labor and outsourced it to a micro-fulfilment center. But it seems equally possible based on what pharmacy workers say that those jobs were going unfilled to begin with, leading to unsafe working conditions. Automated labor may fill the gap left by the labor shortage. The same dynamic may play out at methadone clinics across the United States. Already, Walgreens corporate says its automated labor is helping alleviate the problems workers face and allowing staff to spend more time interacting with patients in person. Among the stats: a 40% increase in vaccine dispensations, which are performed person-to-person, at pharmacies served by its automated prescription system. Read more about the automation of labor in a different arena: Amazon warehouses here. The wider TechScape Source link #Trump #strikes #blow #firing #copyright #supremo #Technology Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Universe will die "much sooner than expected," new research says – CBS News Universe will die "much sooner than expected," new research says – CBS News Universe will die “much sooner than expected,” new research says CBS NewsUniverse expected to decay in 10⁷⁸ years, much sooner than previously thought Phys.orgThe universe is dying much more quickly than we thought, scientists say The IndependentHow Long Will It Take Before the Universe Disappears Completely? Discover MagazineResearchers say universe may end sooner than anticipated Semafor Source link #Universe #die #quotmuch #sooner #expectedquot #research #CBS #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Spin Hero is all about the spin of the wheel to help you save the world Spin Hero is all about the spin of the wheel to help you save the world Spin Hero is a newly released RNG-focused roguelike deckbuilder Put yourself in the hands of fate, as your inventory is randomly chosen Accrue as many items as possible to help in battles against monsters The role of RNG in RPGs is a contentious one. Who hasn’t faced a TPK in Dungeons & Dragons due to a bad dice roll? Or opened a chest in Skyrim only to find a Bracelet of Minor Alteration (perfect for your barbarian)? Well, in Spin Hero, it’s all about putting yourself in the hands of the RNG Gods. Spin Hero is a roguelike deckbuilder, but before you go assuming that you know what it’s about by virtue of how saturated the genre is, it’s worth exploring further. That’s because Spin Hero digs deeper into the world of RNG, with a slot machine-like minigame during battles. Spin Hero isn’t entirely random, as you gradually amass an inventory of items to use during battles. But no matter how much you accrue, you’ll still be reliant on the roll of the, erm, slots, to see what you get and whether you succeed. In the hands of fate I can envision Spin Hero being a divisive release. If you prefer to have your gaming experience managed purely by your own actions, then the idea of the central mechanic being all about giving up and putting yourself in the hands of fate won’t be particularly compelling. But for those willing to give it a chance, Spin Hero offers a refreshing take on the roguelike deckbuilder genre. And with its crunchy pixel visuals and variety of battles with a bestiary’s worth of monsters to be had, you’d be forgiven for diving in and giving it a chance. But if you want to expand your RPG experience and try out some of the other varieties on offer, there’s plenty to pick from. Why not check out our list of the top 25 best RPGs on iOS and Android to experience everything from gritty grimdark to flighty fantasy? Source link #Spin #Hero #spin #wheel #save #world Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Italian Open: Jack Draper beats Corentin Moutet to set up Carlos Alcaraz quarter-final in Rome Italian Open: Jack Draper beats Corentin Moutet to set up Carlos Alcaraz quarter-final in Rome It has been a superb season so far for Draper, claiming a maiden Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells, improving his fitness and finding another level of power behind his shots. But he was the weaker player in the first set, capable of out-hitting Moutet but too often dragged out of position. He hit 15 unforced errors to four from Moutet, who sealed the opening set with an emphatic ace. Draper jogged to his chair at the end of the set to try and find some energy, often shouting “Jack, come on!” after an error and berating himself. He steadied himself well after the video review, requested by Moutet at 4-3 in the second set. The video showed Draper had got his racquet head to the ball, with the frame causing the ball to bobble awkwardly and draw the error out of Moutet’s forehand in response. Moutet briefly argued with the umpire and, perhaps distracted, played a poor next service game to be broken and allow Draper to serve for the set. The Frenchman looked to have recovered when he broke Draper back to love, but Draper kept up the pressure and forced a deciding set on a long lob, with the Briton cupping his hand to his ear, urging more support. Both served well in the third set but fatigue again played a part, with Moutet forced to take a medical timeout at 4-3 down after struggling with his thigh. Draper promptly broke in the next game and then served out the match, closing it out with a well-timed serve and volley. “I had a word with myself after the first set – I needed to really knuckle down and focus and I knew his level wasn’t really going to drop,” Draper added. “I came out in the second set and fought for every point and found a way in the end to pick up my level.” Source link #Italian #Open #Jack #Draper #beats #Corentin #Moutet #set #Carlos #Alcaraz #quarterfinal #Rome Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Australia Cup: Perth Glory recover from two goals down to beat Central Coast Mariners 3-2 in play-off Australia Cup: Perth Glory recover from two goals down to beat Central Coast Mariners 3-2 in play-off A ********** campaign ended on a high for Perth Glory as they recovered a 2-0 deficit in the shadows of half-time to prevail 3-2 in extra time over Central Coast Mariners in their Australia Cup play-off. Source link #Australia #Cup #Perth #Glory #recover #goals #beat #Central #Coast #Mariners #playoff Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

UN chief pleads with countries to pay their share for peacekeeping, points to financial problems UN chief pleads with countries to pay their share for peacekeeping, points to financial problems BERLIN (AP) — U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres told countries that the world body’s peacekeeping operation is “only as strong as member states’ commitment to it” as he pleaded with them Tuesday to pay their share. The United Nations’ peackeeping department currently leads 11 operations, in countries including Congo, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Lebanon, Cyprus and Kosovo. The budget for nine of those operations during the fiscal year that ends on June 30 totals $5.6 billion, 8.2% lower than a year earlier. Each of the U.N.’s 193 member countries is legally obliged to pay its share toward peacekeeping. Guterres argued that, with a budget “representing a tiny fraction of global military spending — around one half of one per cent — U.N. Peacekeeping remains one of the most effective and cost-effective tools to build international peace and security.” “But it’s only as strong as member states’ commitment to it,” he added at the opening of a two-day, *******-hosted conference of ministers to discuss the future of peacekeeping. “Unfortunately, peacekeeping operations have been facing serious liquidity problems. It is absolutely essential that all member states respect their financial obligations, paying their contributions in full and on time.” Guterres didn’t offer details of the problems, but acknowledged that “these are tough times for the financing of our work across the board.” More broadly, the U.N. has been scrambling to respond to funding cuts for aid operations from its biggest donor, the United States, under President Donald Trump’s administration. ******* Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said that his country, like many others, “is prepared to pledge additional resources” for peacekeeping. But he said there should also be an effort to make missions “more efficient and more focused” through clearer mandates, cutting back on bureaucracy and avoiding duplication. ___ This version corrects the figure in the second paragraph to billion instead of million. Source link #chief #pleads #countries #pay #share #peacekeeping #points #financial #problems Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Linus Torvalds returns to clackety-clack Cherry MX Blues — the low-profile quiet keyboard lifestyle wasn’t for him Linus Torvalds returns to clackety-clack Cherry MX Blues — the low-profile quiet keyboard lifestyle wasn’t for him Firebrand Linux creator and kernel maintainer Linus Torvalds has returned to using a mechanical keyboard packing his preferred Cherry MX Blue (clicky, tactile) keyswitches. In a post about the latest Linux 6.15-rc6 on LKML.org (h/t The Register), the developer admitted he had been “using a quieter low-profile keyboard” for the last six months. However, the unnamed ‘board has now been consigned to the spare parts bin in favor of an input peripheral boasting a “noisy clackety-clack” character. Perhaps Torvalds just isn’t old enough yet for the keyboard warriors’ equivalent of a quiet life with pipe and slippers. Torvalds can’t actually remember why he switched to a quieter, low profile keyboard. He isn’t based in a shared office space, where a noisy mech keyboard would potentially disturb others, he muses. Nevertheless, he’d decided to give the switch half a year to stick, but has now judged the endeavor to be a failure. Too many typos The main reason for his return to the noisy side, other than some emotional preference, appears to be based upon a perceived increase in the amount of typos his prose was afflicted with. “It seems I need the audible (or perhaps tactile) feedback to avoid the typing mistakes that I just kept doing,” pondered the Linux creator. Humorously, Torvalds says that he has for the last six months been able to blame the switch of keyboard for his typos. “Anyway, going forward, I will now conveniently blame autocorrect since I can’t blame the keyboard,” was the punch line. You may like The choice of keyboard is certainly an individual one, and beyond the basic mass market devices you will find in non-specialist stores there are now significant businesses devoted to custom, esoteric, and even artisan input devices and accessories. Even if you have got to the stage where you have found your favorite keyswitch from the host of linear, tactile, clicky alternatives and based on different technologies, there remains the question of your favorite keyboard layout and size. That’s not to mention all the kinds of extras that now get added to a humble keyboard, such as OLED displays, touchscreens, knobs, wheels, selectors, sliders, and so on. (Image credit: Cherry) I recently tried a silent HyperMagnetic switch keyboard from SteelSeries in my preferred TKL form factor. However, like Mr Torvalds, I have fallen back to a keyboard (this very affordable Cooler Master CK720) which I modified with Cherry MX Blues across its alphabetic section. If you are not entirely happy with your current keyboard, it might be worth a look at our expert-guided roundups, such as the Best Gaming Keyboards 2025: Full-size, TKL, Mini, and More guide. We also have a dedicated article for those who might prefer to pick from the Best Wireless Keyboards 2025. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Follow Tom’s Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button. Source link #Linus #Torvalds #returns #clacketyclack #Cherry #Blues #lowprofile #quiet #keyboard #lifestyle #wasnt Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

EU prepares new sanctions targeting Russia’s shadow fleet despite proposed Zelenskyy-Putin talks EU prepares new sanctions targeting Russia’s shadow fleet despite proposed Zelenskyy-Putin talks European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Feb. 1, 2023 Yves Herman | Reuters LONDON — European countries are preparing new sanctions on Russia despite a potential direct meeting for peace talks between Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday, three sources told CNBC. Ambassadors from the 27 EU member states are due to meet Wednesday to discuss what is likely to become the 17th package of measures against the Russian economy since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the sources said. The package includes sanctions on a wider list of vessels that make up Russia’s shadow fleet transporting Moscow’s oil barrels — historically the backbone of Russia’s revenues — as well as on individuals and companies that are deemed to be supporting the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine. The measures could still be altered over the coming days. European foreign affairs ministers are expected to greenlight the new sanctions next week, the sources noted. One EU official, who did not want to be named due to the sensitivity of discussions, told CNBC that, as of Monday, four member states still had “study reserves” on the list of measures — meaning they are still discussing the sanctions with their respective domestic administrations. The same EU official said: “Though Hungary is always a wildcard, it seems pretty much a done deal.” CNBC has reached out to the Kremlin for comment. Speaking to CNBC on Tuesday, Hungary’s spokesperson Zoltán Kovács reiterated the general view in Budapest that “sanctions do not work.” However, he signaled that, as long as the 17th package of sanctions does not include measures that would impact Hungary’s energy sources, Budapest would likely have no issue approving it. “We have always been sticking together with European colleagues,” he said. Hungary has often criticized EU measures against Russia, but has so far approved all of the sanctions. EU sanctions must be endorsed unanimously, according to the bloc’s policies. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban has close ties with Moscow, in contrast to the majority of EU heads of state. Separately, the Financial Times on Tuesday reported that the EU is preparing ways to overcome a potential veto, now or later, from Hungary on new measures toward Russia. One of the potential steps would be to move large portions of the sanctions, including 200 billion euros ($222 billion) in frozen Russian state assets, to a different legal basis. The European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, told CNBC on Tuesday that it would not comment on this report. The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, who leads conversations within the EU on new sanctions on Russia, reportedly told reporters last week that the bloc has alternatives if Hungary decides to use its veto power, according to the Kyiv Independent. A second EU official, who also did not want to be named due to the sensitivity of the topic, confirmed to CNBC on Tuesday that discussions have taken place among member states “for a while” on how to protect the frozen Russian assets as part of the broader measures against Moscow. The EU has been using the proceeds from these assets to support Ukraine financially. A third source, who also chose to remain anonymous, told CNBC that the European Commission has been considering how to overcome potential vetoes from Hungary. The same official said it seems unlikely that Hungary would oppose the 17th package of sanctions. Zelenskyy-Putin meeting The first EU official quoted above confirmed to CNBC that the work on the 17th package of sanctions takes place regardless of potential talks between Putin and Zelenskyy later this week. The Ukrainian president challenged his Russian counterpart to meet in person in Istanbul on Thursday, with White House leader Donald Trump, who has been attempting to broker peace between the warring nations, on Monday saying he might also attend. Paula Pinho, spokesperson for the European Commission, said at a briefing Tuesday that the EU is looking into further possible sanctions beyond the latest package in case Russia does not agree and hold a ceasefire. Source link #prepares #sanctions #targeting #Russias #shadow #fleet #proposed #ZelenskyyPutin #talks Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Man jailed for 1986 ******* acquitted after 38 years Man jailed for 1986 ******* acquitted after 38 years A man who has served 38 years in prison for the ******* of a woman has had his conviction quashed by the Court of Appeal after new DNA evidence emerged. Peter Sullivan was jailed over the 1986 killing of 21-year-old barmaid Diane Sindall, who was subjected to a frenzied ******* attack in Birkenhead, Merseyside, as she walked home from a shift. The Criminal Cases Review Commission – the statutory body set up to investigate potential miscarriages of justice – had referred Mr Sullivan’s case back to the appeal court last year after fresh testing found a DNA profile pointing to an unknown attacker in ****** samples preserved from the crime scene. Mr Sullivan, now 68, is believed to be the victim of the longest miscarriage of justice involving a living prisoner in British legal history. Mr Sullivan, appearing on video-link from HMP Wakefield, sobbed and held his hand over his mouth as he was told he would be released. Duncan Atkinson KC, representing the Crown Prosecution Service, had said his client agreed the DNA evidence undermined Mr Sullivan’s conviction and there would be no application to seek a retrial. Source link #Man #jailed #******* #acquitted #years Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Using molecular oxygen and a functional catalyst Using molecular oxygen and a functional catalyst Researchers from Japan develop an efficient catalyst, SrMn₁₋ₓRuₓO₃ using oxygen defect engineering for sustainable synthesis of sulfone. Credit: Professor Keigo Kamata / Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan Sulfones, a class of sulfur-containing compounds, are chemically derived from the selective oxidation of sulfides. While these compounds form the core of the pharmaceuticals, solvents and polymer industries, their chemical synthesis is often hindered by high reaction temperatures and extreme reaction conditions. Additionally, these also require costly additives and harsh solvents for production. Against this backdrop, a team of researchers from Japan introduced a new catalyst design, capable of overcoming the limitations of conventional synthesis, offering higher selectivity and a better yield for sulfones. The research team, led by Professor Keigo Kamata from the Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan, utilized advanced catalyst synthesis techniques to explore how variations in elemental composition and crystal structure contribute to catalytic performance for sulfide oxidation at a lower temperature. Their findings were published in Advanced Functional Materials. “Sulfide oxidation using molecular oxygen as the oxidant is one of the most challenging reactions in organic chemistry, and the development of new solid catalysts that can facilitate this type of reaction has gained considerable attention in recent years,” notes Kamata. Addressing this demand, the researchers focused on perovskite oxide, a material widely used for catalysis. To enhance the reactivity of a specific metal-oxygen species (face-shared oxygen) in a hexagonal perovskite based on strontium (Sr), manganese (Mn) and oxygen (O) called SrMnO3, they introduced ruthenium (Ru) atoms in place of some of the Mn atoms. This subtle modification created oxygen vacancies inside the crystal, which significantly improved the catalyst’s ability to transfer oxygen atoms—an essential step in sulfide oxidation. The result was an efficient catalyst known as SrMn1-xRuxO3, which was capable of converting sulfides to sulfones with an unprecedented selectivity of 99% at a reaction temperature as low as 30°C. This was a dramatic shift from that of conventional systems, which typically require 80–150°C for the same reaction. Conventional reaction systems rely on large amounts of precious metals for selectivity. While the researchers did utilize Ru, they achieved greater selectivity at just 1% Ru doping, which significantly cuts down the use of precious metals. Using mechanistic studies, the researchers further uncovered the mechanism behind the remarkable catalytic performance. “The catalysis follows a Mars–van Krevelen mechanism, in which the oxygen atoms on the crystal surface transfer to the sulfides, leaving behind oxygen vacancies. These vacancies are then filled by molecular oxygen in the atmosphere, and the cycle continues,” explains Kamata. Another striking advantage of the developed catalyst was its durability. The team confirmed that the catalyst could be reused at least five times without any significant loss of performance. Moreover, the system was applicable to a wide range of sulfide substrates, which included aromatic and aliphatic, making it highly versatile for industries. While the present study focused only on sulfide oxidation, the implications of this work could extend to a wide range of oxidation reactions, transforming environmental cleanup and energy conversion. The team hopes that their findings will inspire new catalyst designs that offer greater sustainability and cost-efficiency. The research also underscores the synergistic effect of multiple elements in creating sustainable materials, paving the way for greener and smarter industrial chemistry. More information: Keiju Wachi et al, Oxygen Defect Engineering of Hexagonal Perovskite Oxides to Boost Catalytic Performance for Aerobic Oxidation of Sulfides to Sulfones, Advanced Functional Materials (2025). DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202425452 Provided by Institute of Science Tokyo Citation: A smarter way to make sulfones: Using molecular oxygen and a functional catalyst (2025, May 9) retrieved 13 May 2025 from This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Source link #molecular #oxygen #functional #catalyst Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

NRL star’s brother allegedly involved in bloody home invasion NRL star’s brother allegedly involved in bloody home invasion The brother of an NRL star has been freed on bail after a court heard it was alleged he was involved in a violent home invasion in which the victim was struck in the head, told to hand over money before being left zip-tied in a pool of blood with life-threatening injuries. Troy Anthony Xerri, 33, the brother of Canterbury Bulldogs centre Bronson Xerri, appeared in the Supreme Court in Sydney on Tuesday in an effort to be freed on bail following his arrest in July last year. Police allege he was one of four men who were involved in an attempted robbery of a man at Wattle Crescent, Pyrmont in May last year, which left the victim fighting for his life. Bronson Xerri is not accused of any wrongdoing. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE in 4K with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Troy Xerri’s barrister Gabrielle Bashir asked that he be released on bail because several family members were in ill health and he was needed at home to help out his wife. Ms Bashir also attacked the prosecution case, which the court heard included CCTV, arguing he was not identifiable on the footage. According to the Crown case, it’s alleged Mr Xerri and his three co-accused went to the victim’s building on May 21 last year where two of the men went to his apartment to say they needed to inspect a bathroom because a toilet was leaking upstairs. Camera IconTroy Xerri (left) with his brother Bronson. Instagram. Credit: Supplied Later that day, it is alleged, they asked the man to tell his babysitter to go for a walk so they could “spray chemicals”, the court was told on Tuesday. The man told police that when he was facing away, he was struck by one of the men on the back of the head and demands were made for money as he was kicked. The man blacked out and was discovered by a building security guard after the babysitter could not get back into the building. “The complainant was found on the floor bleeding with his hands in cable ties, the apartment had been ransacked,” Justice Stephen Rothman told the court on Tuesday. When police searched the apartment, they found gloves, zip ties, drug paraphernalia, methamphetamine and over $184,000 in a toolbox. “The complainant was taken to hospital and treated for life-threatening skull fractures and brain haemorrhages with an acute risk of raised intracranial pressure,” Justice Rothman said. Camera IconTroy Xerri was charged over the alleged home invasion. Supplied. Credit: Supplied The man also underwent surgery for facial injuries and forearm lacerations, the court was told. In July 2024, Mr Xerri went to a police station where he was arrested and charged. He has been charged with breaking and entering a dwelling inflicting grievous bodily harm, assault, take and detain in company with intent to get advantage and causing grievous bodily harm to a person with intent. No pleas have been entered and the court heard on Tuesday it was estimated that if the matter does go to trial, it will not be until the second half of next year. “In essence these are very serious offences which involve assault causing damage and kidnapping,” Justice Rothman told the court on Tuesday. Justice Rothman agreed to release Mr Xerri on bail on conditions including that he live with his wife, abide by home detention, wear an electronic ankle monitoring bracelet and come up with a $500,000 surety. He is also required to report to police daily, surrender his passport and not go within 500m of a point of international departure. Mr Xerri will return to court next month. Source link #NRL #stars #brother #allegedly #involved #bloody #home #invasion Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Meteorites and marsquakes hint at an underground ocean of liquid water on the red planet Meteorites and marsquakes hint at an underground ocean of liquid water on the red planet Credit: UAESA / MBRSC / Hope Mars Mission / EXI / Andrea Luck, CC BY Evidence is mounting that a secret lies beneath the dusty red plains of Mars, one that could redefine our view of the red planet: a vast reservoir of liquid water, locked deep in the crust. Mars is covered in traces of ancient bodies of water. But the puzzle of exactly where it all went when the planet turned cold and dry has long intrigued scientists. Our new study published in the National Science Review may offer an answer. Using seismic data from NASA’s InSight mission, we uncovered evidence that the seismic waves slow down in a layer between 5.4 and 8 kilometers below the surface, which could be because of the presence of liquid water at these depths. The mystery of the missing water Mars wasn’t always the barren desert we see today. Billions of years ago, during the Noachian and Hesperian periods (4.1 billion to 3 billion years ago), rivers carved valleys and lakes shimmered. As Mars’ magnetic field faded and its atmosphere thinned, most surface water vanished. Some escaped to space, some froze in polar caps, and some was trapped in minerals, where it remains today. But evaporation, freezing and rocks can’t quite account for all the water that must have covered Mars in the distant past. Calculations suggest the “missing” water is enough to cover the planet in an ocean at least 700 meters deep, and perhaps up to 900 meters deep. One hypothesis has been that the missing water seeped into the crust. Mars was heavily bombarded by meteorites during the Noachian *******, which may have formed fractures that channeled water underground. Deep beneath the surface, warmer temperatures would keep the water in a liquid state—unlike the frozen layers nearer the surface. Four billion years ago (top left), Mars may have hosted a huge ocean. But the surface water has slowly disappeared, leaving only frozen remnants near the poles today. Credit: NASA A seismic snapshot of Mars’ crust In 2018, NASA’s InSight lander touched down on Mars to listen to the planet’s interior with a super-sensitive seismometer. By studying a particular kind of vibration called “shear waves,” we found a significant underground anomaly: a layer between 5.4 and 8 kilometers down where these vibrations move more slowly. This “low-velocity layer” is most likely highly porous rock filled with liquid water, like a saturated sponge. Something like Earth’s aquifers, where groundwater seeps into rock pores. We calculated the “aquifer layer” on Mars could hold enough water to cover the planet in a global ocean 520–780m deep—several times as much water as is held in Antarctica’s ice sheet. This volume is compatible with estimates of Mars’ “missing” water (710–920m), after accounting for losses to space, water bound in minerals, and modern ice caps. Meteorites and marsquakes We made our discovery thanks to two meteorite impacts in 2021 (named S1000a and S1094b) and a marsquake in 2022 (dubbed S1222a). These events sent seismic waves rippling through the crust, like dropping a stone into a pond and watching the waves spread. InSight’s seismometer captured these vibrations. We used the high-frequency signals from the events—think of tuning into a crisp, high-definition radio station—to map the crust’s hidden layers. We calculated “receiver functions,” which are signatures of these waves as they bounce and reverberate between layers in the crust, like echoes mapping a cave. These signatures let us pinpoint boundaries where rock changes, revealing the water-soaked layer 5.4 to 8 kilometers deep. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matter—daily or weekly. Why it matters Liquid water is essential for life as we know it. On Earth, microbes thrive in deep, water-filled rock. Could similar life, perhaps relics of ancient Martian ecosystems, persist in these reservoirs? There’s only one way to find out. The water may be a lifeline for more complex organisms, too—such as future human explorers. Purified, it could provide drinking water, oxygen, or fuel for rockets. Of course, drilling kilometers deep on a distant planet is a daunting challenge. However, our data, collected near Mars’ equator, also hints at the possibility of other water-rich zones—such as the icy mud reservoir of Utopia Planitia. What’s next for Mars exploration? Our seismic data covers only a slice of Mars. New missions with seismometers are needed to map potential water layers across the rest of the planet. Future rovers or drills may one day tap these reservoirs, analyzing their chemistry for traces of life. These water zones also require protection from Earthly microbes, as they could harbor native Martian biology. For now, the water invites us to keep listening to Mars’ seismic heartbeat, decoding the secrets of a world perhaps more like Earth than we thought. More information: Weijia Sun et al, Seismic evidence of liquid water at the base of Mars’ upper crust, National Science Review (2025). DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwaf166 Provided by The Conversation This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Citation: Meteorites and marsquakes hint at an underground ocean of liquid water on the red planet (2025, May 12) retrieved 13 May 2025 from This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Source link #Meteorites #marsquakes #hint #underground #ocean #liquid #water #red #planet Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Live Updates: Cassie Plans to Testify at Sean Combs’s Sex-Trafficking Trial Live Updates: Cassie Plans to Testify at Sean Combs’s Sex-Trafficking Trial At trial, Sean Combs will be represented by a large and varied defense team — one that has grown even larger and more varied in recent days. Since early in the government’s investigation, Mr. Combs has retained Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos of the firm Agnifilo Intrater. Mr. Agnifilo is a longtime criminal defense attorney who has represented high-profile figures like the former pharma executive Martin Shkreli; Keith Raniere, the leader of the Nxivm sex cult; and Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former managing director of the International Monetary Fund, who in 2011 was accused of ********* assaulting a hotel maid in New York. (The case against Mr. Strauss-Kahn was dismissed before a trial.) Along with Karen Friedman Agnifilo, his wife, Mr. Agnifilo is also part of the defense team for Luigi Mangione, who has been charged with ******* in the killing of a health care executive. In and out of the courtroom, Mr. Agnifilo has been perhaps the strongest voice in Mr. Combs’s defense. At a hearing last month, he reiterated the defense’s argument that Mr. Combs’s “freak-offs” — ******* encounters that the government contends were coerced — were consensual, with Mr. Combs’s ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura a willing participant. “Call it ‘swingers,’ call it whatever you will,” Mr. Agnifilo said. In media interviews, he has called the case an “unjust prosecution” and said that Mr. Combs is “an imperfect person but is not a criminal.” Mr. Agnifilo was a longtime lawyer at the firm Brafman & Associates but left last year to help start Agnifilo Intrater. With him, he brought Ms. Geragos, whose father is Mark Geragos, the celebrity lawyer who has represented Mr. Combs in the past. Ms. Geragos has also spoken publicly about the case, including in a series of TikTok videos that she posted before Mr. Combs was arrested in September. The team also includes Alexandra Shapiro, a prominent appellate court lawyer at the firm Shapiro Arato Bach who was once a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, which is prosecuting the Combs case. She graduated from Columbia Law School and was one of the first clerks for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the Supreme Court. She also wrote a novel, “Presumed Guilty.” Ms. Shapiro is widely recognized for her success rate at trial and on appeals. “If you want to maximize your chances of either prevailing at trial or on appeal against the S.D.N.Y., then you should call Alexandra Shapiro (if you can afford her),” the legal newsletter Original Jurisdiction wrote last year. Given her specialty, Ms. Shapiro may be keeping a close eye during the trial on any issues that might be useful if the defense appeals a verdict. Mr. Combs’s defense also includes Jason Driscoll of Shapiro Arato Bach and Anna Estevao of Harris Trzaskoma. In the last few weeks, Mr. Combs has added several other lawyers. Most prominent is Brian Steel, who defended the rapper Young Thug in a long-running racketeering trial in Georgia. Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, pleaded guilty to participating in criminal street gang activity, and was released with time served. But Mr. Steel — who was recently profiled in The New Yorker — drew wide notice, in legal circles and beyond, for a courtroom showdown where he accused a judge of improperly meeting with a witness. He was held in contempt but later vindicated when the judge was ordered to recuse himself from the case. Mr. Combs’s team has also recently added Xavier Donaldson, a New York lawyer whose LinkedIn profile describes him as “litigator, professor, speaker, crisis manager,” and Nicole Westmoreland, who represented one of Young Thug’s co-defendants in his trial. In April, Mr. Combs’s legal team asked for a two-month delay of the trial to consider what it said was newly produced evidence by the government. The judge denied the request, noting that Mr. Combs had four law firms working for him, giving him ample resources to prepare. Since then, Mr. Combs has added two more. Source link #Live #Updates #Cassie #Plans #Testify #Sean #Combss #SexTrafficking #Trial Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Houston man claims illiterate stepfather with memory loss issues was scammed into $98K solar panel debt Houston man claims illiterate stepfather with memory loss issues was scammed into $98K solar panel debt Isable Aguirre, a 72-year-old Houston resident, can’t read or write and speaks only Spanish. The senior also struggles with memory loss. Don’t miss His stepson thinks these factors made Aguirre the perfect target for unscrupulous solar panel salespeople who left him in massive debt, according to a report from KPRC 2. The senior said he doesn’t remember signing consenting or signing to buy solar panels that have been installed on his house since 2023. But his stepson, Oscar Garcia, believes that’s exactly how the trouble started. “Even if you come to his house and tell him, ‘Hey, sign this and sign that,’ he will sign it,” Garcia told KPRC 2. “And then next time he’s like, ‘What did I sign?’” Aguirre recalled, “I clearly told them I didn’t want that, and they ran away.” But now, he has solar panels sitting on his roof, locked and inactive. No payments have been made on them, but he is staring down nearly $98,000 in debt. Garcia said a lien has been placed on his stepfather’s home. Solar panel complaints up over 800% in 5 years Aguirre has lived in his Northside Village home for more than 15 years, and relies solely on Social Security for income. According to Garcia, the sales team pitched a too-good-to-be-true story: “They were telling him something about that, I think Medicaid was going to pay for them or his Social Security was going to pay for them.” Garcia wasn’t present when the deal went down, but a contract he shared with KPRC 2 names Texas Energy Resources Innovation as the contractor, and GoodLeap as the loan company now charging Aguirre. Texas Energy Resources Innovation is not Better Business Bureau accredited and has an F rating for failure to respond to 15 complaints filed against it. GoodLeap is BBB accredited and holds an A rating, but it’s also racked up over 1,000 consumer complaints in the last three years. The company was also named in a 2023 lawsuit by the Minnesota Attorney General, accusing it and three others of “making misrepresentations and engaging in other deceptive conduct while marketing their loans to prospective customers.” According to a report from non-profit Texas Appleseed, solar-related consumer complaints to the Texas Attorney General’s Office jumped a massive 818% from 2018 to 2023. Read more: BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has an important message for the next wave of American retirees — here’s how he says you can best weather the US retirement crisis “Many of the harmful practices targeted older Texans and people who are not native English speakers,” it said. “These practices included misleading statements that residents would no longer receive electric bills after panels were installed, false promises of government tax credits, and forgeries of signatures or other deceptive practices used to execute financing contracts.” Common complaints included defective or damaged goods, problems with sales practices, failure to provide repairs, and unsatisfactory workmanship. In about 8% of cases, customers said they were billed for equipment or services that they never received. Forty-two percent of the complaints involved solar loans, and another 11% mentioned leases, which are the two most common ways people pay for residential solar. GoodLeap and Solar Mosaic were the lenders most commonly cited in the complaints. Lawmakers are paying attention. House Bill 1640 would require the Public Utility Commission of Texas to create a consumer guide for going solar. Meanwhile, Senate Bill 1036 aims to create a regulatory framework to protect consumers. How to protect yourself Thinking about going solar? The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns that solar scams can begin with a phone call, a message on social media, or a simple knock at the door. Here are some things to keep in mind when dealing with solar salespeople: There’s no such thing as free solar panels, even if someone claims the government will cover the cost under a special program. Salespeople may exaggerate or lie about rebates, tax credits, or utility incentives that you can receive. Make sure to do the research and verify these facts yourself. Don’t get pressured into signing on the spot or paying upfront or immediately. Promotional rates or short periods of relatively low payments are often used to mask the true cost. Solar can save money, but only if the deal is real and right for you. With the solar industry growing fast, it’s more important than ever to read the fine print, check company credentials, and never rush into a deal, no matter how sunny it sounds. Vist the the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Consumer Solar Awareness website for more useful information and guidance to avoid scams. What to read next This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Source link #Houston #man #claims #illiterate #stepfather #memory #loss #issues #scammed #98K #solar #panel #debt Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Live Updates: Cassie Plans to Testify at Sean Combs’s Sex-Trafficking Trial Live Updates: Cassie Plans to Testify at Sean Combs’s Sex-Trafficking Trial At trial, Sean Combs will be represented by a large and varied defense team — one that has grown even larger and more varied in recent days. Since early in the government’s investigation, Mr. Combs has retained Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos of the firm Agnifilo Intrater. Mr. Agnifilo is a longtime criminal defense attorney who has represented high-profile figures like the former pharma executive Martin Shkreli; Keith Raniere, the leader of the Nxivm sex cult; and Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former managing director of the International Monetary Fund, who in 2011 was accused of ********* assaulting a hotel maid in New York. (The case against Mr. Strauss-Kahn was dismissed before a trial.) Along with Karen Friedman Agnifilo, his wife, Mr. Agnifilo is also part of the defense team for Luigi Mangione, who has been charged with ******* in the killing of a health care executive. In and out of the courtroom, Mr. Agnifilo has been perhaps the strongest voice in Mr. Combs’s defense. At a hearing last month, he reiterated the defense’s argument that Mr. Combs’s “freak-offs” — ******* encounters that the government contends were coerced — were consensual, with Mr. Combs’s ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura a willing participant. “Call it ‘swingers,’ call it whatever you will,” Mr. Agnifilo said. In media interviews, he has called the case an “unjust prosecution” and said that Mr. Combs is “an imperfect person but is not a criminal.” Mr. Agnifilo was a longtime lawyer at the firm Brafman & Associates but left last year to help start Agnifilo Intrater. With him, he brought Ms. Geragos, whose father is Mark Geragos, the celebrity lawyer who has represented Mr. Combs in the past. Ms. Geragos has also spoken publicly about the case, including in a series of TikTok videos that she posted before Mr. Combs was arrested in September. The team also includes Alexandra Shapiro, a prominent appellate court lawyer at the firm Shapiro Arato Bach who was once a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, which is prosecuting the Combs case. She graduated from Columbia Law School and was one of the first clerks for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the Supreme Court. She also wrote a novel, “Presumed Guilty.” Ms. Shapiro is widely recognized for her success rate at trial and on appeals. “If you want to maximize your chances of either prevailing at trial or on appeal against the S.D.N.Y., then you should call Alexandra Shapiro (if you can afford her),” the legal newsletter Original Jurisdiction wrote last year. Given her specialty, Ms. Shapiro may be keeping a close eye during the trial on any issues that might be useful if the defense appeals a verdict. Mr. Combs’s defense also includes Jason Driscoll of Shapiro Arato Bach and Anna Estevao of Harris Trzaskoma. In the last few weeks, Mr. Combs has added several other lawyers. Most prominent is Brian Steel, who defended the rapper Young Thug in a long-running racketeering trial in Georgia. Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, pleaded guilty to participating in criminal street gang activity, and was released with time served. But Mr. Steel — who was recently profiled in The New Yorker — drew wide notice, in legal circles and beyond, for a courtroom showdown where he accused a judge of improperly meeting with a witness. He was held in contempt but later vindicated when the judge was ordered to recuse himself from the case. Mr. Combs’s team has also recently added Xavier Donaldson, a New York lawyer whose LinkedIn profile describes him as “litigator, professor, speaker, crisis manager,” and Nicole Westmoreland, who represented one of Young Thug’s co-defendants in his trial. In April, Mr. Combs’s legal team asked for a two-month delay of the trial to consider what it said was newly produced evidence by the government. The judge denied the request, noting that Mr. Combs had four law firms working for him, giving him ample resources to prepare. Since then, Mr. Combs has added two more. Source link #Live #Updates #Cassie #Plans #Testify #Sean #Combss #SexTrafficking #Trial Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Bismuth-based hybrid materials enable highly sensitive, eco-friendly X-ray detectors Bismuth-based hybrid materials enable highly sensitive, eco-friendly X-ray detectors The polycrystalline powder was pressed into a dense pellet with a diameter of 10 mm. Credit: HZB X-ray imaging is indispensable in medical diagnostics and material characterization. To generate an image, a detector converts X-rays that pass through the object into electrical signals. Higher detector sensitivity enables lower radiation doses, which is particularly important in medical applications. Currently used X-ray detectors consist of inorganic compounds of elements with medium to high atomic numbers. In recent years, inorganic perovskite compounds have also been tested as X-ray detectors with very good results. Inspired by perovskite materials Now, a team led by X-ray detector expert Prof. Olena Maslyanchuk at HZB has demonstrated that two new bismuth-based organic-inorganic hybrid materials can be used for highly efficient X-ray detection. The two bismuth-based materials explored in this work, [(CH3CH2)3S]6***8I30 and [(CH3CH2)3S]AgBiI5, were inspired by the emergence of halide perovskites in opto-electronic devices and were first explored by Dr. Allan Starkholm during his Ph.D. thesis work at the Royal Institute of Technology Stockholm, Sweden. “The high atomic numbers, suitable band gaps and unique structural features make them ideal for X-ray detection,” says Starkholm. “They contain stable sulfonium cations instead of the traditionally used hygroscopic ammonium cations that are promising for long term stability.” The powder is finely ground with marbles and then pressed into a compact pellet that can be used as a detector. Credit: BAM/HZB Environmentally friendly manufacturing process In collaboration with BAM expert Franziska Emmerling, a particularly environmentally friendly manufacturing process was used: ball milling. This produces polycrystalline powders that are then pressed into dense pellets. These procedures are also established in industry. In collaboration with the team of Dr. Felix Lang at Potsdam University the novel materials were evaluated for their use in X-ray detectors. “The results show that they perform better than current commercial detectors, even over long periods of time,” says Starkholm. “In fact, they demonstrate sensitivities up to two orders of magnitude higher than commercial materials like amorphous selenium or CdZnTe—and can detect X-ray doses nearly 50 times lower.” In addition to extensive analysis in the laboratory, the team also studied the samples at the KMC-3 XPP beamline at BESSY II. The detectors maintained a stable response during pulsed X-ray irradiation under high-intensity photon flux, with no measurable degradation in performance observed post-exposure, highlighting the robustness of the detector materials. Outlook to technology transfer “We have shown that these entirely new bismuth-based materials are excellent candidates for X-ray detection. Our results highlight exciting opportunities to expand hybrid materials research at HZB beyond photovoltaics, both within and beyond the perovskite field. More sensitive X-ray detectors would allow to significantly reduce radiation exposure during X-ray imaging,” says Maslyanchuk. Technology transfer is the next step. “There are so many exciting companies in Adlershof that we could work together with to optimize the development of such X-ray detectors,” says Starkholm. More information: Allan Starkholm et al, Green Fabrication of Sulfonium‐Containing Bismuth Materials for High‐Sensitivity X‐Ray Detection, Advanced Materials (2025). DOI: 10.1002/adma.202418626 Provided by Helmholtz Association of ******* Research Centres Citation: Bismuth-based hybrid materials enable highly sensitive, eco-friendly X-ray detectors (2025, May 9) retrieved 13 May 2025 from This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Source link #Bismuthbased #hybrid #materials #enable #highly #sensitive #ecofriendly #Xray #detectors Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Jayson Tatum injury: Celtics star hurt in loss to Knicks – NBC News Jayson Tatum injury: Celtics star hurt in loss to Knicks – NBC News Jayson Tatum injury: Celtics star hurt in loss to Knicks NBC NewsBrunson reminds Knicks 3-1 ‘nothing to celebrate’ ESPNJayson Tatum’s injury leaves the Celtics shell-shocked against the Knicks The Washington PostThe defending champion Celtics will fight on, but it’s impossible to ignore that everything’s changed The Boston GlobeMr. Clutch comes through again for Knicks. Celtics’ hopes hinge on Jayson Tatum’s health. USA Today Source link #Jayson #Tatum #injury #Celtics #star #hurt #loss #Knicks #NBC #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Space weather can dramatically alter a planet’s fate Space weather can dramatically alter a planet’s fate This artist’s illustration shows TRAPPIST-1e, a well-known rocky exoplanet in the habitable zone of a red dwarf star. New research examines how stellar flaring could alter the evolution of atmospheres of these types of planets and affect their potential habitability. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech—Cropped from: PIA22093: TRAPPIST-1 Planet Lineup—Updated Feb. 2018, Public Domain, We tend to think of habitability in terms of individual planets and their potential to host life. But barring outliers like rogue planets with internal heating or icy moons with subsurface oceans created by tidal heating, it’s exoplanet/star relationships that generate habitability, not individual planets. New research emphasizes that fact. Red dwarfs are known for their powerful stellar flaring, which could render nearby planets uninhabitable. However, even relatively quiescent stars like our sun create space weather. Solar flares, stellar wind, and coronal mass ejections have different effects on different types of planets. Earth is largely protected from these effects by its magnetosphere. However, over long periods, space weather can have powerful effects on how an exoplanet’s atmosphere develops. New research to be published by the American Astronomical Society outlines these effects on the climates of tidally locked exoplanets. It’s titled “Effects of transient stellar emissions on planetary climates of tidally-locked exo-Earths,” and the lead author is Howard Chen from the Department of Aerospace, Physics, and Space Sciences at the Florida Institute of Technology. It is currently available on the arXiv preprint server. “Space weather events in planetary environments sourced from transient host star emissions, including stellar flares, coronal mass ejections, and stellar proton events, can substantially influence an exoplanet’s climate and atmospheric evolution history,” the authors write. “These time-dependent events may also affect our ability to measure and interpret its properties by modulating reservoirs of key chemical compounds and changing the atmosphere’s brightness temperature.” The photochemistry of exoplanet atmospheres is a well-researched topic, but this work stands apart from most previous research. It utilizes 3D general circulation models, while most prior work relies on single-column models. Single-column models focus on verticality and how moisture, energy, and momentum in columns affect an atmosphere in a single location. 3D models do a better job of simulating an entire atmosphere and include both vertical and horizontal effects. They incorporate large-scale effects like jet streams that single-column models don’t. This work focuses on stellar flares and the energetic particles they shower exoplanets with. The authors explain, “We examine their effects on synchronously rotating TRAPPIST-1e-like planets on a range of spatiotemporal scales.” TRAPPIST-1e is a well-known and often studied rocky exoplanet in the habitable zone of TRAPPIST-1, an ultracool red dwarf star. TRAPPIST-1 is a well-known and often-studied red dwarf star that hosts multiple rocky exoplanets, three of which are in the potentially habitable zone. Credit: NASA Data from NASA’s Kepler mission shows that stellar flare energy and amplitude don’t vary much between F, G, and K-type stars. However, the frequency of flaring events and their spectral distribution vary a lot depending on the type of star. Flares with the same energy can have different spectral distributions, meaning that some can emit relatively harmless optical light while others can emit X-rays and UV. Spectral distribution is related to underlying processes in the star, like activity in the magnetosphere and chromosphere. Stars like TRAPPIST-1 are known to have high levels of magnetosphere and chromosphere for billions of years, which can generate superflares. “This can affect atmospheric environments of close-in exoplanets on long timescales, inducing water loss via photolysis and hydrogen escape,” the authors write. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matter—daily or weekly. Flares generate energetic particles that can cause sudden cooling in an exoplanet’s thermosphere through the radiative cooling of nitric oxide (NO) and carbon dioxide. These molecules are excited by energetic particles from stellar flares and release that energy in the infrared, which has a net cooling effect. In the middle and lower atmosphere, molecules like water and nitrous oxide (N20) absorb infrared energy and have a warming effect. Intense stellar flares can have a powerful warming effect in the middle atmosphere, generating 40 meters per second (144 km/h) winds on the star’s surface near the terminator line. This figure shows how flaring can affect wind speed in four cases of stellar flaring: ****** is for a quiescent star, blue is for a moderately flaring star, red is for an actively flaring star, and yellow is for an extreme actively flaring star. Credit: arXiv (2025). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2505.03723 The research shows that not only do stellar flares change the photochemistry of atmospheres, but they can also change the circulation patterns. This can spread molecular species and heat around the planet in ways that aren’t possible without flaring. “Our 3D modeling and analysis techniques reveal new insights on how planets around active and flaring stars could experience enhanced climate anomalies,” the authors write in their conclusion. “Our results suggest that, in addition to initiating key photochemical reaction pathways and inducing photochemical disequilibrium, large stellar events could affect atmospheric dynamics and even alter the planets’ circulation regime in the most extreme scenarios.” While much research shows that X-ray and EUV radiation from stars can have dramatic photochemical effects, not all exoplanets are exposed to them. For exoplanets that aren’t, this research shows that “… transient stellar emissions may be the dominant channel through which the dynamics of substellar atmospheres are driven.” The study shows that the most susceptible exoplanets are those orbiting younger stars with repeated stellar flares. “Our results suggest that successive, more energetic eruptive events from younger stars may be a pivotal factor in determining the atmosphere dynamics of their planets,” the researchers explain in their paper. “Thus, planet atmospheres around stars with sporadic, rather than consecutive, eruptive events (which permits more time between each event for chemical species such as ozone to recover photochemically) would likely experience the greatest degrees of variability. These candidates will likely be situated around moderately active stars,” the authors conclude. The effects outlined in the paper could have profound consequences for terrestrial planets over the long term by altering the thermal evolution of their atmospheres. The authors explain that their results have implications for upcoming missions that will directly image exoplanets because these missions may be able to probe the “astrophysically-influenced weather systems on habitable zone planets.” These missions include the proposed Habitable Worlds Observatory and the Large Interferometer For Exoplanets. More information: Howard Chen et al, Effects of transient stellar emissions on planetary climates of tidally-locked exo-earths, arXiv (2025). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2505.03723 Journal information: arXiv Provided by Universe Today Citation: Space weather can dramatically alter a planet’s fate (2025, May 12) retrieved 13 May 2025 from This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Source link #Space #weather #dramatically #alter #planets #fate Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

The story of one of the worst disasters in football history The story of one of the worst disasters in football history In 1985, a fire ripped through the wooden stands at Bradford City’s Stadium Source link #story #worst #disasters #football #history Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Name diversity sheds light on social patterns in ancient Hebrew kingdoms Name diversity sheds light on social patterns in ancient Hebrew kingdoms A collection of inscriptions, seals, and seal impressions (bullae) bearing names and dated to the Biblical Kingdoms of Judah and Israel of the Iron Age. Credit: Seals and seal impressions (bullae), Benjamin Sass, Michael Magen, Ouria Tadmor, Eliyahu Yanai, Michael Cordonsky, Semitic Museum, Harvard University, Barak Sober A new study has uncovered hidden social patterns in ancient Hebrew kingdoms by analyzing personal names from archaeological findings. Applying diversity statistics typically used in ecological studies, the researchers found that the Kingdom of Israel had a far more diverse onomastic (naming) landscape than Judah—indicating a more open, cosmopolitan society. Over time, name diversity in Judah declined, likely reflecting increasing religious centralization and sociopolitical control. This interdisciplinary approach opens new possibilities for studying ancient cultures using statistical methods usually reserved for the natural sciences. Personal names etched into clay and stone over 2,500 years ago are revealing new truths about ancient societies in the Southern Levant. In a novel interdisciplinary study, published in PNAS, researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv University and University of Haifa, applied advanced diversity statistics—borrowed from ecology—to ancient onomastic (name) data, uncovering striking differences between the biblical kingdoms of Israel and Judah during the Iron Age II ******* (950–586 BCE). The study, led by Ariel Vishne and Dr. Barak Sober from the Hebrew University’s Department of Statistics & Data Science and the Center for Digital Humanities, finds that the Kingdom of Israel displayed significantly greater diversity in personal names than the Kingdom of Judah. This suggests that Israelite society was more open, cosmopolitan, and exposed to cultural exchange, while Judah increasingly narrowed its naming conventions over time—likely due to growing religious centralization and sociopolitical consolidation. “Names are more than just labels; they are cultural artifacts,” said Dr. Barak Sober. “By analyzing naming diversity the way ecologists measure species diversity, we can detect patterns of identity, openness, and change that might otherwise be invisible in the archaeological record.” Dr. Mitka R. Golub, of the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University, who compiled the comprehensive onomastic database used in the study, added, “The preserved personal names are windows into the past, revealing not just linguistic trends but also religious practices and social hierarchies of these ancient societies.” Drawing from over 1,000 personal names preserved on archaeological artifacts—such as seals, ostraca, and inscribed storage jars—the researchers applied sophisticated statistical methods originally developed to measure biodiversity in natural ecosystems. This allowed them to quantify not just how many different names were used, but how evenly they were distributed across the population. A collection of seals and seal impressions (bullae) bearing names and dated to the Biblical Kingdoms of Judah and Israel of the Iron Age. Credit: Seals and seal impressions (bullae), Benjamin Sass, Michael Magen, Ouria Tadmor, Eliyahu Yanai, Barak Sober. Their findings show that: Israelite names were more diverse, even though fewer Israelite inscriptions survive, indicating a broader variety of cultural or linguistic influences. Judah’s name diversity declined over time, comparing the end of the 8th century BCE to the later 7th-early 6th centuries BCE, suggesting shifts in social and religious structures during the kingdom’s final century. Geographic patterns also emerged: While Israel’s capital Samaria showed lower diversity than its peripheral regions—suggesting a more geographically dispersed elite population throughout the kingdom—Judah displayed the opposite, with Jerusalem exhibiting higher name diversity than the rest of the kingdom, indicating a more concentrated elite in the capital, possibly due to refugee inflows following Assyrian campaigns. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matter—daily or weekly. Professor Israel Finkelstein, a leading archaeologist from Haifa University and one of the authors, commented, “These findings align with archaeological evidence suggesting that the Kingdom of Israel was more cosmopolitan than Judah, with its strategic location along key trade routes fostering diverse cultural influences.” The research establishes name diversity as a powerful indicator of broader social dynamics. “Our findings suggest that societies with higher name diversity tend to be more cosmopolitan and open to external influences,” explained Eli Piasetzky, a physics Professor from Tel Aviv University, also involved in the study. “Conversely, lower name diversity often corresponds to more traditional societies with stronger cultural conformity.” To validate this principle and to test the reliability of their findings, the team applied their methodology to modern naming datasets from countries including Israel, France, the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. The analysis revealed fascinating patterns: female names typically show greater diversity than male names in the same population; name diversity has generally increased since the 1960s across all countries studied; and societies with more traditional characteristics tend to have lower name diversity. Furthermore, these experiments showed that the statistical analysis performed is robust to the small sample sizes, a feat of many historical investigations. “This is the first time that onomastic data has been studied using ecological diversity statistics,” said Vishne, the study’s lead author. “It allows us to view ancient societies through a more nuanced statistical lens and raises exciting possibilities for studying cultural change across time and place.” The researchers emphasize that the surviving names mostly represent elite males, given the limitations of the archaeological record. Still, they argue that comparing elites across kingdoms can yield valuable insights into broader societal dynamics, especially in the absence of large-scale written sources from the *******. This study not only sheds new light on the Hebrew kingdoms during the First Temple ******* but also opens doors for applying statistical tools to other historical and archaeological corpora—proving that even in the ancient world, there’s a lot in a name. More information: Vishne, Ariel, Diversity statistics of onomastic data reveal social patterns in Hebrew Kingdoms of the Iron Age, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2025). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2503850122. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2503850122 Provided by Hebrew University of Jerusalem Citation: Name diversity sheds light on social patterns in ancient Hebrew kingdoms (2025, May 12) retrieved 13 May 2025 from This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. Source link #diversity #sheds #light #social #patterns #ancient #Hebrew #kingdoms Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Computex Coverage | TechRadar Computex Coverage | TechRadar MSI introduces high-refresh monitor for professionals at Computex 2024 By John Loeffler published 6 June 24 Computex 2024 MSI’s PRO MP275QPDG monitor, featuring USB Type-C, KVM switch, and FHD webcam, caters to office productivity for $399.99. Source link #Computex #Coverage #TechRadar Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy wants face-to-face with Putin at proposed talks – National Ukraine’s Zelenskyy wants face-to-face with Putin at proposed talks – National President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will only attend talks on Ukraine if Russia’s Vladimir Putin is also there, the Ukrainian leader’s top aide said on Tuesday, challenging the Kremlin to show it is genuine about seeking peace. U.S. President Donald Trump has offered to attend Thursday’s proposed meeting in Istanbul, which has become the focus of his attempts to end the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War Two. Putin has yet to say if he will take part. Both Russia and Ukraine have sought to show they are working towards peace after Trump prioritized ending the war, but they have yet to agree any clear path. Putin on Sunday proposed direct talks with Ukraine after ignoring a Ukrainian proposal for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. Trump then publicly told Zelenskiy to accept. “President Zelenskyy will not meet with any other Russian representative in Istanbul, except Putin,” Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak told Reuters. Story continues below advertisement 2:04 Putin calls for direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul, Zelenskyy agrees His chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said Zelenskyy’s trip to Turkey showed Kyiv was ready for talks but repeated Ukraine’s stance that any negotiations must come after a ceasefire. “Our position is very principled and very strong,” Yermak said during a visit to Copenhagen. Moscow has not said if Putin will travel to Turkey. “We are committed to a serious search for ways of a long-term peaceful settlement,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday but would not comment further on the talks. Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, unleashing a war that has killed hundreds of thousands of soldiers on both sides. Most of Europe has rallied around Kyiv providing arms and financial aid, while Russia has turned to Iran and North Korea for support. Story continues below advertisement Trump has demanded the two nations end the war, threatening to walk away from efforts to broker a peace deal unless there are clear signs of progress soon. If Zelenskyy and Putin, who make no secret of their mutual contempt, were to meet on Thursday it would be their first face-to-face meeting since December 2019. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Trump, who is due to visit Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar this week, unexpectedly offered on Monday to travel to Istanbul, which straddles the divide between Europe and Asia. “I was thinking about actually flying over there. There’s a possibility of it, I guess, if I think things can happen, but we’ve got to get it done,” Trump said before leaving for his second foreign trip since returning to the White House in January. Story continues below advertisement “Don’t underestimate Thursday in Turkey,” he added. Following the offer, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the “way forward for a ceasefire” in Ukraine with his Ukrainian, British, French, Polish, ******* and EU counterparts.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, meanwhile, held talks with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan. Trending Now Taliban adds chess to ever-growing list of things banned in Afghanistan Foreign student asylum claims hit record high in 2024, set to grow in 2025 Reuters reported last year that Putin was open to discussing a ceasefire with Trump, but that Moscow ruled out making any major territorial concessions and insists Kyiv abandon ambitions to join NATO. Ukraine has said it is ready for talks but a ceasefire is needed first, a position supported by its European allies. Kyiv wants robust security guarantees as part of any peace deal and rejects a Russian proposal for restrictions on the size of its military. Territorial issues could be discussed once a ceasefire is in place, it says. Story continues below advertisement Putin has repeatedly referred to a 2022 deal which Russia and Ukraine negotiated shortly after the Russian invasion but never finalized. 1:46 ‘No more war’: Pope Leo XIV calls for peace in Ukraine, Gaza in first Sunday address Under the draft agreement, a copy of which Reuters has reviewed, Ukraine should agree to permanent neutrality in return for international security guarantees from the five permanent U.N. Security Council members: Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. Ukraine and its European allies have told Russia that it would have to accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire from Monday or face new sanctions. The Kremlin replied, saying it would not respond to ultimatums. France said on Monday European leaders, who met in Ukraine over the weekend, had asked the European Commission to put together new “massive” sanctions targeting Russia’s oil and financial sector if Russia failed to agree a ceasefire. Story continues below advertisement Russia’s forces control just under a fifth of Ukraine, including all of Crimea, almost all of Luhansk, and more than 70% of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, according to Russian estimates. It also controls a sliver of Kharkiv region. Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the international affairs committee of the Federation Council, the upper house of Russia’s parliament, told the Izvestia media outlet in remarks published on Tuesday that the talks between Moscow and Kyiv can move further than the 2022 negotiations. “If the Ukrainian delegation shows up at these talks with a mandate to abandon any ultimatums and look for common ground, I am sure that we could move forward,” he said. –Reporting by Costas Pitas, Steve Holland, reporters in Moscow and Kyiv, and Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Writing by Elizabeth Piper, Costas Pitas and Lidia Kelly; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge, Michael Perry and Joe Bavier More on World More videos Source link #Ukraines #Zelenskyy #facetoface #Putin #proposed #talks #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]