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Analysis-Australia’s pension funds start questioning US strategies Analysis-Australia’s pension funds start questioning US strategies By Tom Westbrook and Stella Qiu SINGAPORE/SYDNEY (Reuters) -Funds in Australia’s A$4.2 trillion ($2.7 trillion) pension sector are rethinking some of their long-held strategies of buying U.S. assets and the dollar, as confidence in American growth wanes. Volatility around Sino-U.S. trade tensions this year has forced investors to reassess their U.S. exposure and the role of the dollar, which has lately failed to behave as a safe haven currency amid heightened uncertainty around Washington’s economic policy. While there have not yet been any major shifts in strategy, currency dealing desks in Australia have noticed modest changes in hedging demand from some pension funds. Those hedging tweaks are under the spotlight globally and Australia’s pension funds, known locally as superannuation funds, have long kept low FX hedging ratios on large and growing foreign stock portfolios. When U.S. equities fell, funds allowed hedging ratios to rise by not keeping their currency positions exactly in step with asset prices, said Troy Fraser, head of foreign exchange sales for Australia and New Zealand at Citi in Sydney. “You would expect the funds to be selling Aussie and buying U.S. to adjust or to rebalance their hedge ratio,” he said. “We’ve seen a little bit of that, but not a lot. I think funds are generally happy to be longer Aussie.” Fraser said funds were weighing their asset mix, hedging costs and the outright level of the Aussie. Were it to extend it could move the currency, and in separate research Citi in February estimated that a 5% shift in hedging now could push the *********** dollar as much as 11% higher against the greenback. At about $0.64, it’s been falling on the dollar for nearly 15 years since touching $1.10 in 2011. Along with a tendency to drop reliably whenever global stocks fell, cushioning losses in Aussie dollar terms, the Aussie’s behaviour encouraged a low hedging ratio. Industry-wide hedging on foreign equities was roughly 22% in the December quarter, according to the most recent regulatory data. “Unhedged has worked,” said Ben McCaw, a senior portfolio manager at MLC Asset Management. “It was lowering the volatility of the portfolio (and) providing a positive return to the portfolio … so that was almost the ultimate asset,” he said. Now, however, long- and short-term factors are starting to shift how the *********** currency trades. He has been reducing U.S. dollar currency exposure for about three years. Others are keeping a watching brief. CBUS, which manages more than A$100 billion, has kept currency exposure steady but the U.S. dollar, which fell through market turbulence in April, caught the attention of fund CIO Leigh Gavin. Story Continues “The USD is probably one of the few asset classes that hasn’t rebounded from the early April lows, and we think that’s interesting,” he said. “It’s certainly something we’re monitoring, but it’s still pretty early days.” ‘QUESTIONING OUR EXPOSURE’ Some fund chiefs say U.S. allocations are under review. *********** super funds run a high allocation to equities, by global standards, at nearly 60%, according to regulatory data, with roughly half that abroad, as of December 2024. According to Westpac, some A$555 billion is invested in U.S. stocks by *********** domiciled investors. “That’s been a very good place to be investing over the last couple of years,” said John Pearce, chief investment officer of A$139 billion fund UniSuper on the fund’s podcast in April. “Like every other fund, we are questioning our exposure to the U.S. It would be fair to say that we’ve hit peak exposure and will be reducing over time,” he said. To be sure, no increase in the fund’s hedging ratio, which typically swings between 30-40%, is being considered, a UniSuper spokesperson said in emailed remarks to Reuters. And there are very big funds that are not budging in their strategies. “We have no view of changing our hedge position or any of our positions based on that event,” said Michael Clavin, head of income and markets at Aware Super, referring to last month’s tariff-driven drawdown and market volatility. The chief investment officer of AustralianSuper, the largest super fund with more than A$365 billion under management, also told the Financial Times last month it would continue investing more than half its offshore flows into the U.S. Still, the Aussie’s 3% rise against the U.S. dollar this year has meant the year-to-date 0.6% drop in the S&P 500 translates to a near 3.5% fall in *********** dollar terms, which if it persists or extends could start to drive a response. “Being underweight the Aussie dollar has been something which has typically rewarded *********** investors,” said Cameron Systermans, head of multi-asset in the Asia-Pacific at fund manager and adviser Mercer. “So if there were to be a durable uptrend in the Aussie dollar, that would be a bit of a pain trade, I think, for a lot of the asset owners in Australia. And it might force them to really reassess whether that still makes sense.” ($1 = 1.5625 *********** dollars) (Reporting by Tom Westbrook; Editing by Sam Holmes) Source link #AnalysisAustralias #pension #funds #start #questioning #strategies Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Fintechs that made profits from high interest rates now face key test Fintechs that made profits from high interest rates now face key test The app icons for Revolut and Monzo displayed on a smartphone. Betty Laura Zapata | Bloomberg via Getty Images Financial technology firms were initially the biggest losers of interest rate hikes by global central banks in 2022, which led to tumbling valuations. With time though, this change in the interest rate environment steadily boosted profits for fintechs. This is because higher rates boost what’s called net interest income — or the difference between the rates charged for loans and the interest paid out to savers. In 2024, several fintechs — including Robinhood, Revolut and Monzo — saw a boost to their bottom lines as a result. Robinhood reported $1.4 billion in annual profit, boosted by a 19% jump in net interest income year-over-year, to $1.1 billion. Revolut also saw a 58% jump in net interest income last year, which helped lift profits to £1.1 billion ($1.45 billion). Monzo, meanwhile, reported its first annual profit in the year ending March 31, 2024, buoyed by a 167% increase in net interest income. Now, fintechs — and especially digital banks — face a key test as a broad decline in interest rates raises doubts about the sustainability of relying on this heightened income over the long term. “An environment of falling interest rates may pose challenges for some fintech players with business models anchored to net interest income,” Lindsey Naylor, partner and head of U.K. financial services at Bain & Company, told CNBC via email. Falling benchmark interest rates could be “a test of the resilience of fintech firms’ business models,” Naylor added. “Lower rates may expose vulnerabilities in some fintechs — but they may also highlight the adaptability and durability of others with broader income strategies.” It’s unclear how significant an impact falling interest rates will have on the sector overall. In the first quarter of 2025, Robinhood reported $290 million of net interest revenues, up 14% year-over-year. However, in the U.K., results from payments infrastructure startup ClearBank hinted at the impact of lower rates. ClearBank swung to a pre-tax loss of £4.4 million last year on the back of a shift from interest income toward fee-based income, as well as expenditure related to its expansion in the European Union. “Our interest income will always be an important part of our income, but our strategic focus is on growing the fee income line,” Mark Fairless, CEO of ClearBank, told CNBC in an interview last month. “We factor in the declining rates in our planning and so we’re expecting those rates to come down.” Income diversification It comes as some fintechs take steps to try to diversify their revenue streams and reduce their reliance on income from card fees and interest. For example, Revolut offers crypto and share trading on top of its payment and foreign exchange services, and recently announced plans to add mobile plans to its app in the U.K. and Germany. Naylor said that “those with a more diversified mix of revenue streams or strong monetization of their customer base through non-interest services” are “better positioned to weather changes in the economy, including a lower rates environment.” Dutch neobank Bunq, which targets mainly “digital nomads” who prefer not to work from one location, isn’t fazed by the prospect of interest rates coming down. Bunq saw a 65% jump in annual profit in 2024. “We’ve always had a healthy, diverse income,” Ali Niknam, Bunq’s CEO, told CNBC last month. Bunq makes money from subscriptions as well as card-based fees and interest. He added that things are “different in continental Europe to the U.K.” given the region “had negative interest rates for long” — so, in effect, the firm had to pay for deposits. “Neobanks with a well-developed and diversified top line are structurally better positioned to manage the transition to a lower-rate environment,” Barun Singh, fintech research analyst at U.K. investment bank Peel Hunt, told CNBC. “Those that remain heavily reliant on interest earned from customer deposits — without sufficient traction in alternative revenue streams — will face a more meaningful reset in income expectations.” Source link #Fintechs #profits #high #interest #rates #face #key #test Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Fintechs that made profits from high interest rates now face key test Fintechs that made profits from high interest rates now face key test The app icons for Revolut and Monzo displayed on a smartphone. Betty Laura Zapata | Bloomberg via Getty Images Financial technology firms were initially the biggest losers of interest rate hikes by global central banks in 2022, which led to tumbling valuations. With time though, this change in the interest rate environment steadily boosted profits for fintechs. This is because higher rates boost what’s called net interest income — or the difference between the rates charged for loans and the interest paid out to savers. In 2024, several fintechs — including Robinhood, Revolut and Monzo — saw a boost to their bottom lines as a result. Robinhood reported $1.4 billion in annual profit, boosted by a 19% jump in net interest income year-over-year, to $1.1 billion. Revolut also saw a 58% jump in net interest income last year, which helped lift profits to £1.1 billion ($1.45 billion). Monzo, meanwhile, reported its first annual profit in the year ending March 31, 2024, buoyed by a 167% increase in net interest income. Now, fintechs — and especially digital banks — face a key test as a broad decline in interest rates raises doubts about the sustainability of relying on this heightened income over the long term. “An environment of falling interest rates may pose challenges for some fintech players with business models anchored to net interest income,” Lindsey Naylor, partner and head of U.K. financial services at Bain & Company, told CNBC via email. Falling benchmark interest rates could be “a test of the resilience of fintech firms’ business models,” Naylor added. “Lower rates may expose vulnerabilities in some fintechs — but they may also highlight the adaptability and durability of others with broader income strategies.” It’s unclear how significant an impact falling interest rates will have on the sector overall. In the first quarter of 2025, Robinhood reported $290 million of net interest revenues, up 14% year-over-year. However, in the U.K., results from payments infrastructure startup ClearBank hinted at the impact of lower rates. ClearBank swung to a pre-tax loss of £4.4 million last year on the back of a shift from interest income toward fee-based income, as well as expenditure related to its expansion in the European Union. “Our interest income will always be an important part of our income, but our strategic focus is on growing the fee income line,” Mark Fairless, CEO of ClearBank, told CNBC in an interview last month. “We factor in the declining rates in our planning and so we’re expecting those rates to come down.” Income diversification It comes as some fintechs take steps to try to diversify their revenue streams and reduce their reliance on income from card fees and interest. For example, Revolut offers crypto and share trading on top of its payment and foreign exchange services, and recently announced plans to add mobile plans to its app in the U.K. and Germany. Naylor said that “those with a more diversified mix of revenue streams or strong monetization of their customer base through non-interest services” are “better positioned to weather changes in the economy, including a lower rates environment.” Dutch neobank Bunq, which targets mainly “digital nomads” who prefer not to work from one location, isn’t fazed by the prospect of interest rates coming down. Bunq saw a 65% jump in annual profit in 2024. “We’ve always had a healthy, diverse income,” Ali Niknam, Bunq’s CEO, told CNBC last month. Bunq makes money from subscriptions as well as card-based fees and interest. He added that things are “different in continental Europe to the U.K.” given the region “had negative interest rates for long” — so, in effect, the firm had to pay for deposits. “Neobanks with a well-developed and diversified top line are structurally better positioned to manage the transition to a lower-rate environment,” Barun Singh, fintech research analyst at U.K. investment bank Peel Hunt, told CNBC. “Those that remain heavily reliant on interest earned from customer deposits — without sufficient traction in alternative revenue streams — will face a more meaningful reset in income expectations.” Source link #Fintechs #profits #high #interest #rates #face #key #test Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Sean Combs Prosecutors Led with ‘Shock and Awe,’ Legal Experts Say – Rolling Stone Sean Combs Prosecutors Led with ‘Shock and Awe,’ Legal Experts Say – Rolling Stone Sean Combs Prosecutors Led with ‘Shock and Awe,’ Legal Experts Say Rolling Stone9 takeaways from Day 1 of testimony in the Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial CNNR&B singer Cassie set to testify in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sex trafficking trial The Boston GlobeSecurity Guard Who Pinned Diddy After Cassie Assault Says Rapper Gave Him Cash — and Said 3 Chilling Words YahooSean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ 3 Daughters Left Courtroom During Sex Worker’s Graphic Testimony People.com Source link #Sean #Combs #Prosecutors #Led #Shock #Awe #Legal #Experts #Rolling #Stone Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Denying food to Gaza is ‘weapon of war’ says Unrwa chief Denying food to Gaza is ‘weapon of war’ says Unrwa chief Jeremy Bowen International editor, BBC News Watch: Jeremy Bowen questions Unrwa commissioner on food aid in Gaza How do you measure misery? For journalists the usual way is to see it, to feel it, to smell it. Beleaguered ************ colleagues in Gaza are doing that, still doing invaluable reporting at great risk to themselves. More than 200 have been killed doing their jobs. Israel does not allow international journalists into Gaza. Denied the chance of eyewitness reporting – one of the best tools of the job – we can study, from a distance, the assessments of aid organisations operating in Gaza. Pascal Hundt, deputy director of operations at the International Committee of the Red Cross said last week that civilians in Gaza faced “an overwhelming daily struggle to survive the dangers of hostilities, cope with relentless displacement, and endure the consequences of being deprived of urgent humanitarian assistance.” He added: “This situation must not—and cannot—be allowed to escalate further.” But it might, if Israel continues the plunge deeper into war that resumed on 18 March when it broke a two-month ceasefire with a massive series of air strikes. Israel had already sealed the gates of Gaza. Since the beginning of March, it has blocked all shipments of humanitarian aid, including food and medical supplies. The return to war ended any chance of moving on to the ceasefire’s proposed second phase, which Israel and ****** had agreed would end with the release of all the remaining hostages in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. That was unacceptable to the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the ultra-nationalist religious extremists who keep him in power. They want Gaza’s Palestinians to be replaced by Jewish settlers. They threatened to topple Netanyahu’s government if he did not go back to war, and the end of Netanyahu’s political career would bring the day of reckoning for his part in Israel’s failure to prevent the deadly ****** attacks on 7 October 2023. It might also force a conclusion in his long trial on corruption charges. Prime Minister Netanyahu is now promising a new “intense” offensive into Gaza in the days after President Donald Trump finishes his swing through the wealthy Arab oil monarchies in the Gulf later this week. The offensive includes a plan to displace massive numbers of ************ civilians on top of waves of artillery, air strikes and death. “To displace” is a cold verb. It means families having only handfuls of minutes to flee for their lives, from an area that might be hit immediately to one that might be hit later. Hundreds of thousands have done so repeatedly since the war began. EPA Gaza was one of the most overcrowded places on earth before the war. Israel’s plan is to force as many Gazans as possible into a tiny area in the south, near the ruins of the town of Rafah, which has been almost entirely destroyed. Before that happens, the UN humanitarian office estimates that 70% of Gaza is already effectively off limits to Palestinians. Israel’s plan is to leave them in an even smaller area. The UN and leading aid groups reject Israeli claims that ****** steals and controls food that comes into Gaza. They have refused to cooperate with a scheme dreamt up by Israel and the US that would use private security firms, protected by Israeli troops, to distribute basic rations. Far from Gaza, in London, I talked to Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of Unrwa, the UN agency that supports ************ refugees. He told me that he was running out of words “to describe the misery and the tragedy affecting the people in Gaza. They have been now more than two months without any aid”. “Starvation is spreading, people are exhausted, people are hungry… we can expect that in the coming weeks if no aid is coming in, that people will not die because of the bombardment, but they will die because of the lack of food. This is the weaponisation of humanitarian aid.” If words are not enough, look at the most authoritative data-driven assessment of famine and food emergencies in the regular reports issued by Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC. It is a joint venture by UN agencies, aid groups and governments that measures whether a famine is happening. The latest IPC update says Gaza is close to famine. But it says that the entire population, more than two million people, almost half of whom are children, is experiencing acute food insecurity. In plain English, that means they are being starved by Israel’s blockade. The IPC says that 470,000 Gazans, 22% of the population, are in a classification it calls “Phase 5 – catastrophe.” The IPC defines it as a condition in which “at least one in five households experience an extreme lack of food and face starvation resulting in destitution, extremely critical levels of acute malnutrition and death.” In practical terms, the phase five classification, the most acute used by the IPC, estimates that “71,000 children and more than 17,000 mothers will need urgent treatment for acute malnutrition.” Thousands of tons of the food, medical aid and humanitarian supplies that they need are sitting only a few miles away, on the other side of the border in Egypt. “People have been constant pinballs within Gaza,” Mr Lazzarini said. In London I asked Mr Lazzarini whether he agreed with those who have accused Israel of denying food and humanitarian aid to civilians as a weapon of war. “I have absolutely no doubt,” he said, “that this is what we have witnessed during this last 19 months, especially during this last two months. That’s a war crime. The quantification will come from the ICJ [International Court of Justice] not from me, but what I can say, what we see, what we observe, food and humanitarian assistance is indeed being used to meet the political or military objective in the context of Gaza.” I asked Mr Lazzarini whether the blockade, on top of a year and half of war and destruction, might amount to genocide. That is the accusation against Israel levelled by South Africa and other states at the ICJ in The Hague. “Listen, by any account, the destruction is massive. The number of people who have been killed is huge and certainly underestimated. We have seen the systematic destruction also of a school, of a health centre. People have been constant pinballs within Gaza, moving all the time. So there is absolutely no doubt that we are talking about massive atrocities. Genocide? It could end up to genocide. There are many elements which could go in this direction.” Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz has made no secret of Israel’s tactics. Last month Katz said that the blockade was a “main pressure lever” to secure victory over ****** and to get the all the hostages out. The National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir agreed. He wrote that: “The cessation of humanitarian aid is one of the main levers of pressure on ******. The return of aid to Gaza before ****** gets on its knees and releases all of our hostages would be a historic mistake.” Netanyahu’s plans for another offensive, and the remarks made by Katz, Ben-Gvir and others, horrified Israeli families with hostages still inside Gaza. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum which represents many of them, said minister Katz was pushing an “illusion… Israel is choosing to seize territory before the hostages.” Dissident Israeli military reservists also protested, saying that they were being forced to fight again not for Israeli security but for the political survival of the Israeli government. In the air force reserve, 1,200 pilots signed an open letter saying that prolonging the war served mainly “political and personal interests and not security ones”. Netanyahu blamed a small group of “bad apples” for the open letter. The BBC’s international editor Jeremy Bowen sat down with the commissioner-general of UNWRA Philippe Lazzarini. For many months Netanyahu and his government have also accused Mr Lazzarini of lying. One official report posted online in January of this year was headed “Dismantling Unrwa Chief Lazzarini’s Falsehoods”. It claimed that he had “consistently made false statements which have profoundly misinformed the public debate on this issue.” Unrwa, Israel says, has been infiltrated and exploited by ****** to an unprecedented degree. It says some Unrwa employees took part in the attacks of 7 October. Mr Lazzarini denies the personal accusations directed at him by Israel and the broader ones aimed at Unrwa. He says Unrwa investigated 19 staff named by Israel and concluded nine of them may have a case to answer. All 19 were suspended. Mr Lazzarini said that since then Unrwa had received “hundreds of allegations from the State of Israel. Each time, as a rule-based organisation, we keep asking for substantiated information.” He said they had never received it. All wars are political, and none more than the ones between Israel and the Palestinians. The war engages and enrages the outside world as well the belligerents. Israel argues that self-defence justifies its actions since 7 October 2023 when ******, Islamic ****** and others attacked Israel, killed around 1,200 people, mostly Israeli civilians, and took 251 others hostage. Any other government, it says, would have done the same. Palestinians and an increasingly concerned and outraged chorus of states, including some of Israel’s key European allies, say that does not justify the continuation of the most devastating assault on Palestinians since the war of 1948, when Israel gained its independence, which Palestinians call “the catastrophe”. Even President Trump shows signs of distancing himself from Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that the people of Gaza must be fed. The allegation that the total denial of food to Gazan civilians is more evidence of an Israeli genocide against Palestinians has outraged Benjamin Netanyahu, his government and many Israeli citizens. It produced rare political unity in Israel. The leader of the opposition Yair Lapid, normally a stern critic of Netanyahu, condemned “a moral collapse and a moral disaster” at the ICJ. Genocide is defined as the destruction, in whole or in part, of a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. The International Criminal Court, a separate body, has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defence minister on war crimes charges, which they reject. The three ****** leaders who were also the subject of ICC warrants have all been killed by Israel. It is not too soon to think about the longer-term impact of this devastating war, even though its end is not in sight. Mr Lazzarini told me that “in the coming years we will realise how wrong we have been… on the wrong side of the history. We have under our watch let a massive atrocity unfold.” It started, he said, with the ****** attacks on Israel on the 7 October: “The largest killing of Israeli and Jewish in the region since World War II” had been followed by a “massive” military response by Israel. It was, he said, “disproportionate, basically almost leading to the annihilation of an entire population in their homeland… I think there is a collective responsibility from the international community, the level, the passivity, the indifference being shown until now, the lack of political, diplomatic, economic action. I mean, it’s absolutely monstrous, especially in our countries where we have said ‘never again’.” Ahead may be an attempt to realise Donald Trump’s dangerous fantasy of Gaza as the Dubai of the Mediterranean, rebuilt and owned by America and without Palestinians. It has given shape to cherished dreams of Israeli extremists who threaten of the removal of Palestinians from the land between the river Jordan and the Mediterranean. Whatever lies ahead, it will not be peace. Source link #Denying #food #Gaza #weapon #war #Unrwa #chief Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘I was drugged and ****** by my husband for years’ ‘I was drugged and ****** by my husband for years’ Jane Deith and Emma Forde BBC File on 4 Investigates Getty Images When Kate and her husband sat down one evening to have a chat, she could never have prepared for what he was about to tell her. “I have been raping you. I’ve been sedating you and taking photographs of you for years.” Kate (not her real name) was speechless. She sat there frozen. She couldn’t comprehend what he was saying. “He just told me as if it was, you know: ‘We’re going to have spaghetti bolognese tomorrow for dinner, is it all right if you pick up the bread?'” Warning: This story contains descriptions of ******* violence For years, behind closed doors, her husband had been controlling and abusive. He was violent and misused prescription pills. There had also been occasions over the years where Kate had woken up to find him having sex with her, something she couldn’t consent to, because she was asleep. This was *****. He would be remorseful afterwards, convincing her he had been asleep and didn’t know what he was doing. He was ill and there must be something wrong with him, he had told her. Kate supported him in getting help from medical professionals. But she had no idea at the time that he had been spiking her tea at night with sleeping medication, so he could ***** her as she slept. After his confession, he told her that if she went to the police his life would be over. So she didn’t. This was her children’s father. She didn’t want to believe that someone she had shared her life with could be capable of wanting to hurt her so badly. However, over the next few months the horror of what he said he had been doing to her started to have a physical effect. Kate says she became very ill, her weight plummeted, and she began having panic attacks. Nearly a year after the confession, during a particularly bad panic attack, Kate told her sister everything. Her sister called their mother – who called the police. Kate’s husband was arrested and questioned. Four days later, however, Kate contacted Devon and Cornwall Police saying she didn’t want to progress with the case. “I just wasn’t ready,” she says. “There was a grief. Not just for me, but for the children. Their dad would never be who he was.” Nevertheless, Kate didn’t want her husband in the house any more, and he moved out. After this, she began to think more clearly about what had happened. Six months later, Kate went back to the police. An investigation began, led by Det **** Mike Smith. Kate says the detective helped her understand she was the survivor of a serious crime: “He helped give me my power back. I didn’t consciously realise that I’d had it taken away. He explained that it was *****.” Getty Images Kate sees similarities between her case and that of Gisèle Pelicot (pictured), whose case was covered internationally Her (now ex-) husband’s medical records provided a crucial piece of evidence. After his confession to Kate, he had paid privately to see a psychiatrist. During the session he described “drugging his wife in order to have sex with her while she was asleep”. The admission was recorded in the psychiatrist’s notes. Kate says her husband also confessed to some people at Narcotics Anonymous, as well as friends at the church they both attended. Police files on the case were eventually presented to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) but it decided not to press charges. Kate couldn’t understand why. “I thought, if you have not got enough evidence in my case to convict, with confessions from the perpetrator, then how does anybody else stand a chance?” she says. Devastated, she applied for a formal review of the CPS’s decisions. Six months later, the CPS said that her ex-husband would now be charged. It also admitted that “the original decision taken by our charging prosecutor was flawed”. “While we get the vast majority of our charging decisions right the first time, this was not the case here and we apologise to the victim for the distress this will have caused,” a CPS spokesperson told File on 4 Investigates. University of Bristol School for Policy Studies Prof Hester warns the use of medication as a weapon is “probably quite widespread” in domestic abuse cases The case went to court in 2022, five years after Kate’s ex-husband had made his confession to her. During the trial, he claimed Kate had a ******* fantasy of being tied up in her sleep and woken up in that position to have consensual sex. He admitted drugging her, but said it was so he could tie her up without waking her. He denied it was so he could ***** her, but the jury didn’t believe him. “I saw it as being absolutely preposterous,” says Det **** Smith. “This is the most traumatic thing in her life and they were very much painting her as a fully engaged party for some sort of ******* kink.” After a week-long trial, the ex-husband was found guilty of *****, ******* assault by penetration and administering a substance with intent. In sentencing, he was described by the judge as “a self-obsessed person, endlessly prioritising his own perceived needs”, who had shown “no real personal remorse”. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison and given a lifelong restraining order. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, information and support can be found at the BBC’s Action Line. Three years on, Kate is trying to rebuild life with her children. She has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a neurological disorder, caused by the trauma she went through. Kate sees similarities between her case and that of Gisèle Pelicot, the French woman whose ex-husband drugged and ****** her, and also recruited dozens of men to abuse her. “I remember at the time just hoping and praying that she gets the support and the validation that she needs,” Kate says. “Chemical control” is the term now being used for domestic abusers who use medication as a weapon. “It’s probably quite widespread,” warns Prof Marianne Hester from the University of Bristol’s Centre for Gender and Violence Research. “I always think of it in terms of the abuser’s toolkit,” she says. “If there are prescription drugs in the house, is the perpetrator actually using them as part of the abuse in some way?” PA Media Spiking is “a vile crime that violates victims’ confidence and sense of safety” – Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips Offences such as spiking are being under-recorded in part because of changes to how police record crimes, says Dame Nicole Jacobs, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales. “If ministers want to ensure that the measures they put in place to halve violence against women and girls over the next decade are reducing harm, then we must accurately measure all domestic abuse related crimes reported to the police,” she says. “This is critical to not only ensuring perpetrators are held to account, but so that victims get the necessary help they need to rebuild after abuse.” The Home Office told us that it is developing police software which will be able to identify spiking incidents which occur as part of another crime. Under the Crime and Policing Bill currently going through Parliament, the government is creating what is described as a new, “modern” offence of “administering a harmful substance, including by spiking” – to encourage victims to report to police. Spiking is already a crime throughout the ***, covered by other pieces of legislation – including the 1861 Offences against the Person Act. Under the new law – to apply in England and Wales – perpetrators will face up to 10 years in jail. The Ministry of Justice says the creation of a specific offence will help police to keep track of spiking, “and will encourage more victims… to come forward and report these crimes”. Jess Phillips – the minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls – called spiking “a vile crime that violates victims’ confidence and sense of safety”, in a statement to File on 4 Investigates. Discussions are under way to extend the law to Northern Ireland. The Scottish government says it has no current plans to create a specific offence but is keeping the situation under review. Kate eventually received justice. But her ex-husband wouldn’t be in prison if she hadn’t taken on the CPS when it didn’t believe the case showed a realistic chance of conviction. “I want other people to understand that abuse happens a lot more quietly than you think,” says Kate. “I’m still learning properly what happened to me and how that’s affected me.” Source link #drugged #****** #husband #years Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Dateline cashes in Fiji copper to fast-track US gold-REE project Dateline cashes in Fiji copper to fast-track US gold-REE project Dateline Resources is dialling up its US focus after offloading a non-core asset in Fiji in a deal worth up to $4.35 million. The decision to sell the company’s Udu copper project will free up management time and pump cash into a fast-tracked drill program at its flagship Colosseum rare earths and gold project in California. The strategic divestment hands full ownership of the Udu asset to Viva Metals – a private *********** outfit building a dominant position in Fiji’s emerging mining sector. Under the terms of the agreement, Dateline will receive $350,000 in cash within the next 45 days. It will also pick up $1 million worth of shares in Viva Metals, triggered when the buyer lands an ASX listing. Adding to the initial payments, Dateline is in the running for several milestone payments and royalties worth upwards of $3M that keeps it in the game if Udu strikes it big. These payments include $750,000 on proving up a 150,000oz gold-equivalent JORC resource, $750,000 on the start of commercial production and a 1 per cent net smelter royalty, capped at $1.5M. Management says the deal has ticked two major Udu-related boxes by monetising a non-core asset while also ensuring the project stays in the hands of a party committed to Fiji’s long-term development. Notably the ***** injects immediate capital into Dateline’s Colosseum project in the United States. The revitalised gold mine is now also tipped to host rare earths similar to those at the globally significant Mountain Pass operation just 10 kilometres away. Freshly armed with funds, Dateline can now accelerate its bankable feasibility study on the gold resource and press the button on a rare earth exploration blitz to be designed and managed by globally renowned consultants Dr Anthony Mariano and Tony Mariano. Colosseum already hosts a JORC-compliant resource of 27.1 million tonnes at 1.26 grams per tonne (g/t) for 1.1 million ounces of gold with more than two-thirds of it in the measured and indicated categories. The real kicker however, is the prospect of rare earth element (REE) mineralisation that may lurk beneath Colosseum’s golden layer and which is and now the focus of serious US government interest. To match its American ambitions, Dateline is also preparing to uplist from the OTC Pink market to the more visible and liquid OTCQB Venture Market in the third quarter of this year. The move is expected to widen its US investor base and aligns with a growing wave of interest in domestic rare earths development. Interest in Dateline’s REE potential surged in late-April following a Truth Social post from US President Donald Trump, who hailed Colosseum as “America’s second rare earths mine” and trumpeted its long-awaited permitting green light. With political tailwinds, fresh cash in hand, and drill rigs preparing to bite into critical mineral-rich ground, Dateline looks to be zeroing in on a rare combo of gold and REEs just as the global demand for both metals surges. Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: *****@*****.tld Source link #Dateline #cashes #Fiji #copper #fasttrack #goldREE #project Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Budget airline begins deportation flights for ICE with start of Arizona operations Budget airline begins deportation flights for ICE with start of Arizona operations PHOENIX (AP) — A budget airline that serves mostly small U.S. cities began federal deportation flights Monday out of Arizona, a move that’s inspired an online boycott petition and sharp criticism from the union representing the carrier’s flight attendants. Avelo Airlines announced in April it had signed an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to make charter deportation flights from Mesa Gateway Airport outside Phoenix. It said it will use three Boeing 737-800 planes for the flights. The Houston-based airline is among a host of companies seeking to cash in on President Donald Trump’s campaign for mass deportations. Congressional deliberations began last month on a tax bill with a goal of funding, in part, the removal of 1 million immigrants annually and housing 100,000 people in U.S. detention centers. The GOP plan calls for hiring 10,000 more U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and investigators. Details of Avelo agreement with ICE not disclosed Avelo was launched in 2021 as COVID-19 still raged and billions of taxpayer dollars were propping up big airlines. It saves money mainly by flying older Boeing 737 jets that can be bought at relatively low prices. And it operates out of less-crowded and less-costly secondary airports, flying routes that are ignored by the big airlines. It said it had its first profitable quarter in late 2023. Andrew Levy, Avelo’s founder and chief executive, said in announcing the agreement last month that the airline’s work for ICE would help the company expand and protect jobs. “We realize this is a sensitive and complicated topic,” said Levy, an airline industry veteran with previous stints as a senior executive at United and Allegiant airlines. Avelo did not grant an interview request from The Associated Press. Financial and other details of the Avelo agreement — including destinations of the deportation flights — haven’t publicly surfaced. The AP asked Avelo and ICE for a copy of the agreement, but neither provided the document. The airline said it wasn’t authorized to release the contract. Several consumer brands have shunned being associated with deportations, a highly volatile issue that could drive away customers. During Trump’s first term, authorities housed migrant children in hotels, prompting some hotel chains to say that they wouldn’t participate. Union cites safety concerns Many companies in the deportation business, such as detention center providers The Geo Group and Core Civic, rely little on consumer branding. Not Avelo, whose move inspired the boycott petition on change.org and drew criticism from the carrier’s flight attendants union, which cited the difficulty of evacuating deportees from an aircraft in an emergency within the federal standard of 90 seconds or less. “Having an entire flight of people handcuffed and shackled would hinder any evacuation and risk injury or death,” the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA said in a statement. “It also impedes our ability to respond to a medical emergency, fire on board, decompression, etc. We cannot do our jobs in these conditions.” In New Haven, Connecticut, where Avelo flies out of Tweed New Haven Airport, Democratic Mayor Justin Elicker urged Avelo’s CEO to reconsider. “For a company that champions themselves as ‘New Haven’s hometown airline,’ this business decision is antithetical to New Haven’s values,” Elicker said in a statement. Protests were held outside airports in Arizona and Connecticut on Monday. In Mesa, over 30 protesters gathered on a road leading up to the airport, holding signs that denounced Trump’s deportation efforts. In Connecticut, about 150 people assembled outside Tweed New Haven Airport, calling on travelers to boycott Avelo. John Jairo Lugo, co-founder and community organizing director of Unidad Latina en Acción in New Haven, said protesters hope to create a financial incentive for Avelo to back out of its work for the federal government. “We need to cause some economical damage to the company to really convince them that they should be on the side with the people and not with the government,” Lugo said. Mesa is one of five hubs for ICE airline deportation operations Mesa, a Phoenix suburb with about 500,000 people, is one of five hubs for ICE Air, the immigration agency’s air transport operation for deportations. ICE Air operated nearly 8,000 flights in a 12-month ******* through April, according to the advocacy group Witness at the Border. ICE contracts with an air broker, CSI Aviation, that hires two charter carriers — GlobalX and Eastern Air Express — to do most of the flights, said Tom Cartwright, who tracks flight data for Witness at the Border. Cartwright said it was unusual in recent years for commercial passenger carriers to carry out deportation flights. “It’s always been with an air broker who then hires the carriers, and the carriers have not been regular commercial carriers, or what I call retail carriers, who are selling their own tickets,” Cartwright said. “At least since I have been involved (in tracking ICE flights), they’ve all been charter companies.” Avelo will be a sub-carrier under a contract held by New Mexico-based CSI Aviation, which didn’t respond to questions about how much money Avelo would make under the agreement. Avelo provides passenger service to more than 50 cities in the U.S., as well as locations in Jamaica, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Avelo does not operate regular commercial passenger service out of Mesa Gateway Airport, said airport spokesman Ryan Smith. In February 2024, Avelo said it had its first profitable quarter, though it didn’t provide details. In an interview two months later with the AP, Levy declined to provide numbers, saying the airline was a private company and had no need to provide that information publicly. ___ Associated Press writer Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report. Source link #Budget #airline #begins #deportation #flights #ICE #start #Arizona #operations Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Tariff cuts can get China-made goods to the U.S. in time for Christmas Tariff cuts can get China-made goods to the U.S. in time for Christmas A worker finishes red Santa Claus hats for export at a factory on April 28, 2025, near Yiwu, Zhejiang province, China. Kevin Frayer | Getty Images News | Getty Images BEIJING — The U.S.-China tariff cuts, even if temporary, address a major pain point: Christmas presents. Nearly a fifth of U.S. retail sales last year came from the Christmas holiday season, according to CNBC calculations based on data from the National Retail Federation. The ******* saw a 4% year-on-year sales increase to a record $994.1 billion. “With the speed of ******** factories, this 90-day window can resolve most of the product shortages for the U.S. Christmas season,” Ryan Zhao, director at export-focused company Jiangsu Green Willow Textile said Monday in ********, translated by CNBC. His company had paused production for U.S. clients last month. He expects orders to resume but not necessarily to the same levels as before the new tariffs kicked in since U.S. buyers have found alternatives to China-based suppliers in the last few weeks. U.S. retailers typically place orders months in advance, giving factories in China enough lead time to manufacture the products and ship them to reach the U.S. ahead of major holidays. The two global superpowers’ sudden doubling of tariffs in early April forced some businesses to halt production, raising questions about whether supply chains would be able to resume work in time to get products on the shelves for Christmas. “The 90-day window staves off a potential Christmas disaster for retailers,” Cameron Johnson, Shanghai-based senior partner at consulting firm Tidalwave Solutions, said Monday. “It does not help Father’s Day [sales] and there will still be impact on back-to-school sales, as well as added costs for tariffs and logistics so prices will be going up overall,” he said. But U.S. duties on ******** goods aren’t completely gone. The Trump administration added 20% in tariffs on ******** goods earlier this year in two phases, citing the country’s alleged role in the U.S. fentanyl crisis. The addictive drug, precursors to which are mostly produced in China and Mexico, has led to tens of thousands of overdose deaths each year in the U.S. The subsequent ****-for-tat trade spat saw duties skyrocketing over 100% on exports from both countries. While most of those tariffs have been paused for 90 days under the U.S.-China’s new deal announced Monday, the previously-imposed tariffs will remain in place. UBS estimates that the total weighted average U.S. tariff rate on ******** products now stands around 43.5%, including pre-existing duties imposed in past years. For running shoes produced in China, the total tariff is now 47%, still well above the 17% level in January, said Tony Post, CEO and founder of Massachusetts-based Topo Athletic. He said his company received some cost reductions from its China factories and suppliers, but still had to raise prices slightly to offset the tariff impact. “While this is good news, we’re still hopeful the two countries can reach an acceptable permanent agreement,” he said. “We remain committed to our ******** suppliers and are relieved, at least for now, that we can continue to work together.” Weekly analysis and insights from Asia’s largest economy in your inbox Subscribe now U.S. retail giant Walmart declined to confirm the impact of the reduced tariffs on its orders from China. “We are encouraged by the progress made over the weekend and will have more to say during our earnings call later this week,” the company said in a statement to CNBC. The U.S. retail giant is set to report quarterly results Thursday. China’s exports to the U.S. fell by more than 20% in April from a year ago, but overall ******** exports to the world rose by 8.1% during that time, official data showed last week. Goldman Sachs estimated around 16 million ******** jobs are tied to producing products for the U.S. Source link #Tariff #cuts #Chinamade #goods #U.S #time #Christmas Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

MediaTek Helio G200 Chipset With Up to 40 Percent Improved CPU Performance Launched MediaTek Helio G200 Chipset With Up to 40 Percent Improved CPU Performance Launched MediaTek Helio G200 was launched by the chipmaker on Monday as the latest midrange chipset for mobile devices. The Taiwan-based firm says its new processor is aimed at powerful gaming smartphones, with a particular emphasis on social and messaging apps enhancement. It is claimed to deliver more than a 40 percent improvement against competitor alternative platforms when it comes to single-core performance. Despite the change in name, the chip’s specifications remain largely unchanged from the Helio G100 or even its predecessor, the Helio G99, except for higher GPU clock speed, better HDR video quality, and other minor changes. According to MediaTek, the Helio G200 chipset features a 6nm octa-core architecture with heterogeneous multi-processing. The SoC comprises two Arm Cortex-A76 cores operating at 2.2GHz and six Arm Cortex-A55 cores with a 2.0GHz clock speed. It is complemented by LPDDR4X RAM with a 4266Mbps maximum frequency and UFS 2.2 storage. Although the chipset has the same Arm Mali-G57 MC2 GPU as its processor, it comes with a higher 1.1GHz clock speed. MediaTek claims that the Helio G200 delivers up to 40 percent better single-core performance and up to 20 percent multi-core performance. It is said to also have 35 percent faster performance on AnTuTu benchmarks. The GPU’s higher clock speed allows it to perform 75 percent faster compared to competitor alternative platforms, while the chip is up to 30 percent more power efficient when gaming. The processor has been equipped with MediaTek HyperEngine which manages the CPU, GPU, and memory based on power, thermal conditions, and gameplay demands to deliver a smooth gameplay while maintaining power efficiency. The company says it ensures stable framerate and fast network performance by switching between wireless antennas for the best signal. The chip leverages connection concurrency to keep the game online even when a call is received. Smartphones equipped with the MediaTek Helio G200 chip will be able to support up to 200-megapixel camera sensors, leveraging the built-in triple-core Image Signal Processor (ISP). It supports video capture in up to 2K resolution at 30 frames per second (fps). Its new 12-bit DCG supports higher-quality video HDR capture, while there are also features like hardware dual-camera support and lossless in-sensor zoom, and combined with portrait lenses. MediaTek says it has worked with camera app developers to reduce power consumption by up to 20 percent. The chip supports on-device displays with a maximum Full HD+ resolution with up to 120Hz refresh rate without requiring additional DSC hardware. Its Display Sync technology is said to boost power efficiency by dynamically adjusting the refresh rate based on usage, resulting in up to 20 percent gains. For connectivity, the Helio G200 SoC brings a Cat-13 DL modem with support for dual 4G VoLTE, 4X4 MIMO, 256QAM, Bluetooth 5.2, and Wi-Fi 5. It supports satellite systems such as QZSS, Galileo, Beidou, GLONASS, NavIC, and GPS. Source link #MediaTek #Helio #G200 #Chipset #Percent #Improved #CPU #Performance #Launched Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Baltimore City Fire on the scene of major multi-story warehouse fire in West Baltimore – WMAR 2 News Baltimore Baltimore City Fire on the scene of major multi-story warehouse fire in West Baltimore – WMAR 2 News Baltimore Baltimore City Fire on the scene of major multi-story warehouse fire in West Baltimore WMAR 2 News BaltimoreOfficial: Crews battle 7-alarm fire at warehouse in West Baltimore WBAL-TVTrain service disrupted in Baltimore due to large warehouse fire CNNMassive fire raging in West Baltimore as firefighters battle blaze WBFFFire burns out of control at vacant mattress warehouse in Baltimore NBC News Source link #Baltimore #City #Fire #scene #major #multistory #warehouse #fire #West #Baltimore #WMAR #News #Baltimore Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Trending downwards’: Shock as school attendance drops below pre-Covid levels ‘Trending downwards’: Shock as school attendance drops below pre-Covid levels School attendance levels have dipped for another year, with the number of students attending classes falling below pre-Covid-19 levels. Across Australia, the attendance rate for students in primary schools and high schools was 88.3 per cent, a slight dip from the same ******* the year before. However, attendance levels – the percentage of students with attendance at or above 90 per cent – show a different story. Camera IconSchool attendance levels have dipped for another year. NewsWire / Sarah Marshall Credit: News Corp Australia According to the *********** Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), the 2024 attendance levels of students attending at least 90 per cent of their classes across government, Catholic and independent schools were 59.8 per cent – a sharp decline from the 74.9 per cent attendance levels in 2019. School attendance levels vary in each state, though attendance rates are generally higher in big cities compared with regional areas. There’s also a significant gap with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students attending school compared with non-Indigenous students, though these figures have narrowed slightly by 0.7 percentage points. Camera IconThe pandemic played a role in these figures, but it’s not entirely to blame. NewsWire / Nikki Short Credit: News Corp Australia A Department of Education spokesman said the increase in students wagging classes was concerning, and “every day of school missed is a day of learning lost”. “Regular school attendance is critical to successful student outcomes and engagement,” they told NewsWire. While the pandemic had a role to play in this figure, they said the “national school attendance rates have trended downwards over the past decade”. “The Covid-19 pandemic further exacerbated this trend,” they said, adding “while national student attendance rates have improved from the lows of the pandemic, they are yet to return to pre-Covid levels”. “They are not at an all time low,” they said. Camera IconStudents have not been attending as many classes over the last decade. NewsWire / Sarah Marshall Credit: News Corp Australia There were several reasons for the sudden decline in attendance levels, including “anxiety and worry”, *********** Primary Principals Association president Angela Falkenberg told NewsWire. “Schools look at each student and their family to understand the reasons for non-attendance,” she said, explaining schools will complete “conversations” with kids and parents to explain their absences. While she said it was “vital” for schools to work with parents and families to ensure children were in class, Ms Falkenberg admitted that this “may not always be a reality”. “Some (truancy) can be due to anxiety and worry which can result in poor sleep,” she said. Another reason why students may not be able to attend school comes down to issues at home, including “family discord, poor mental health, food and housing insecurity and even transport to school”. “Some might be due to children’s friendship struggles,” they said. “Schools can work with the child on managing conflict (or) joining in a game.” Camera IconAnxiety, stress and family issues may contribute to children skipping school. NewsWire / Sarah Marshall Credit: News Corp Australia In April 2024, the Senate Education and Employment References Committee issued an inquiry into the national trend of school refusal and related matters. Following the inquiry, the Department of Education spokesman said the education ministers “agreed that wellbeing for learning and engagement is one of the priority areas of the agreements, and reforms include initiatives which support student engagement in learning, for example through greater student participation, attendance, inclusion and/or enhanced school-family engagement”. Source link #Trending #Shock #school #attendance #drops #preCovid #levels Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

iOS 18.5 Update Rolls Out With Updates to Mail App, Pride Harmony Wallpaper iOS 18.5 Update Rolls Out With Updates to Mail App, Pride Harmony Wallpaper Apple on Monday released the iOS 18.5 update for eligible iPhone models. Building upon the developer and public beta updates rolled out in recent weeks, it brings subtle changes to the Mail app, including an option to display Contact Photos via a quick shortcut. Guardians or parents will receive a notification when the passcode for the Screen Time is used on a child’s Apple device. iOS 18.5 introduces a new Pride Harmony wallpaper, as well as support for carrier-provided satellite features across the entire iPhone 13 range. iOS 18.5 Update for iPhone: What’s New Apple’s release notes say iPhone users can toggle Contact Photos directly from the Mail app’s interface by tapping the three-dot option in the top-right corner of the screen, following the iOS 18.5 update. It also allows for turning off the Group by Sender setting in the app. Accessing the All Mail view has also been made easier with a slight change to the app categorisation. It is now listed alongside the existing Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions options. With iOS 18.5, the iPhone gets a new Pride Harmony wallpaper with colours that have the ability to change position if the device is moved, locked, or unlocked. It matches the new Pride Harmony face for Apple Watch, which has also been added with the latest watchOS 10.5 update. The update improves upon children supervision capabilities by sending a notification to the guardian or parent when the Screen Time passcode is used on a device handled by a child. Additionally, a new Buy with iPhone option has been made available when purchasing content within the Apple TV app on a third party device. Another notable change is the addition of carrier-provided satellite features, which are now available across the entire iPhone 13 range. Apple says it helps you stay connected via your iPhone in areas where there is no cellular or Wi-Fi coverage. Several carriers forged partnerships with satellite providers like Starlink to bolster their cellular network. When this feature is active, a SAT icon is displayed in the iPhone’s status bar. In addition to new features, iOS 18.5 also brings fixes for several bugs and security vulnerabilities. On the iPhone 16e, there’s a fix for a Baseband issue in Apple’s proprietary C1 modem, which may have caused an attacker in a privileged network position to intercept network traffic. It was fixed through improved state management. The company also improved handling of floats, checks, memory handling, input validation, and state handling to rectify a security vulnerability which caused a malicious website to exfiltrate data cross-origin and unexpected Safari crashes due to processing of maliciously crafted content. The update also fixes issues related to Call History, CoreBluetooth, CoreAudio, FaceTime, iCloud Document Sharing, Kernel, Mail Addressing, Notes, and Security. With WWDC 2025 on the horizon, the Cupertino-based tech giant is likely to shift its focus from the current iOS 18 cycle to the upcoming iOS 19 and its tidbits. Source link #iOS #Update #Rolls #Updates #Mail #App #Pride #Harmony #Wallpaper Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What to know about California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s move to ban encampments What to know about California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s move to ban encampments SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California’s governor called upon the state’s cities and counties to ban homeless encampments this week, even providing blueprint legislation for dismantling the tents lining streets, parks and waterways throughout much of the state. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, made homelessness a priority of his administration when he took office in 2019. It had previously been an issue primarily for mayors and other local officials, but Newsom pumped money into converting old motels into housing and launched other initiatives to tackle the issue. Still, he has repeatedly called out cities and counties to do their part, and on Monday, he unveiled draft language that can be adopted by local governments to remove encampments. Here is what to know: What does the model ordinance say? Newsom’s model ordinance includes prohibitions on “persistent camping” in one location and encampments blocking sidewalks and other public spaces. It asks cities and counties to provide notice and make every reasonable effort to identify and offer shelter before clearing an encampment. What do local governments say? Organizations representing California’s cities and counties balked at the suggestion that they are to blame for street conditions. They say they need dedicated, sustained funding over multiple years for permanent projects instead of sporadic, one-time funding. Carolyn Coleman, executive director and CEO of the League of California Cities, said that eight in 10 cities have policies to address encampments but they need money to address the root causes of homelessness, such as more housing. The California State Association of Counties said the state has not provided as much money to address homelessness as it says it has and that half of the money has gone to housing developers. What do homeless advocates say? Studies have shown that encampment bans and other punitive measures make it even harder for people to find stable housing and work, said Alex Visotzky with the National Alliance to End Homelessness. People may lose critical documents or lose contact with a trusted case manager, forcing them to start all over again. In Los Angeles, Jay Joshua watches over a small encampment in which he also lives. He says encampments can be a safe space for those living there. What are California cities doing about encampments? Major cities with Democratic mayors have already started cracking down on encampments, saying they present a public health and safety hazard. In San Francisco, new mayor Daniel Lurie vowed to clean up city sidewalks. In San Jose, Mayor Matt Mahan has proposed arrests if a person refuses shelter three times. Do cities and counties have to adopt it? Newsom can’t make cities and counties adopt an encampment ban. But the proposed encampment legislation was paired with an announcement of $3.3 billion in grant money for facilities to treat mental health and substance abuse disorders, suggesting that he could condition state funding on compliance. In 2022, he paused $1 billion in state money for local government, saying that their plans to reduce homelessness fell short of the acceptable. Source link #California #Gov #Gavin #Newsoms #move #ban #encampments Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Massive fire raging in West Baltimore as firefighters battle blaze – WBFF Massive fire raging in West Baltimore as firefighters battle blaze – WBFF Massive fire raging in West Baltimore as firefighters battle blaze WBFFOfficial: Crews battle 7-alarm fire at warehouse in West Baltimore WBAL-TVTrain service disrupted in Baltimore due to large warehouse fire CNNBaltimore City Fire on the scene of major multi-story warehouse fire in West Baltimore WMAR 2 News BaltimoreFire burns out of control at vacant mattress warehouse in Baltimore NBC News Source link #Massive #fire #raging #West #Baltimore #firefighters #battle #blaze #WBFF Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Law and order measures top Northern Territory budget Law and order measures top Northern Territory budget KEY NORTHERN TERRITORY BUDGET MEASURES: * $1.5 billion law and order package – more police, more corrections beds, and resources for courts and victim support. * Record ongoing funding of $36 million a year to tackle domestic, family and ******* violence. * $290 million in cost-of-living relief, including capped power prices, free licences, and Back to School vouchers. * Record $2.5 billion health investment, including $135 million for mental health and $60 million for alcohol and drug services. * $1.6 billion for education and training, including free TAFE and training bonuses for apprentices. Source link #Law #order #measures #top #Northern #Territory #budget Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Oregon housing bill ‘strips away the rights of poor families’ Oregon housing bill ‘strips away the rights of poor families’ SALEM, Ore. (KOIN) — It’s long been a goal of Oregon’s elected leaders to increase home construction as a way to mitigate the homeless problem and get others into affordable home ownership. The current Oregon legislature is debating House Bill 3746, which would shorten the window to sue developers for construction defects from 10 years to 7 years. Supporters of HB 3746 include developers, insurers, realtors and Habitat for Humanity, claiming it would help boost affordable housing. Critics, though warn it could leave vulnerable homeowners paying the price. On Monday, lawmakers in Salem heard testimony on the bill from supporters like Morgan Greenfield of the Central Oregon Builders Association and opponents such as attorney Michael Vial and Habitat for Humanity homeowner Lacey Sutton. “By reducing litigation risk and providing certainty for builders and developers,” Greenwood testified, “this bill will increase opportunities for condo development.” Sutton recently bought a Habitat for Humanity home at Cherry Blossom Townhomes in Southeast Portland. A KOIN 6 News investigation exposed multiple fire code issues at the complex, potentially putting lives at risk in an emergency. “I thought you might be interested to know what a developer does when they’re shielded from accountability,” Sutton told the lawmakers. “Habitat builds homes exclusively for low-income families like ours, mostly BIPOC, immigrants and refugees. It’s a noble mission, but it guarantees that the people they hurt are the least likely to be able to do anything about it. People so desperate for a house, we signed contracts agreeing not to sue them for anything, even fraud.” Habitat for Humanity homeowner Lacey Sutton testifies against HB 3746 to the Oregon legislature, May 12, 2025 (KOIN) Vial, a Lake Oswego attorney, told the lawmakers similar laws in states like Colorado and Nevada have not increased construction and have made housing even less affordable. He said many home defects, like water intrusion, aren’t detectable through standard inspections and can take years to surface, especially in Oregon’s climate. “The sponsors of this bill are trying to strip away the rights of our most vulnerable home buyers in Oregon,” Vial said. “And this committee needs to see that and they need to stop it.” Oregon isn’t unusual. Vial said 28 states, including Oregon, agree that developers and their insurers should have some liability exposure for damages caused by shoddy construction for at least 10 years. Lake Oswego attorney Mike Vial, May 12, 2025 (KOIN) “There’s no evidence showing any connection between state-level construction defect laws and housing production,” he said. He thinks that we need this kind of consumer protection in Oregon. “We either need to have a 10 year ******* to discover hidden defects, or we needed to require developers to do more work during construction to avoid those defects,” Vial said. “If we’re not going to do either, we’re putting consumers in a terrible position.” Others like Jeremy Hershman of Northwest Bank also stand in strong opposition to this bill. He said his experience as a banker working with homeowners associations has given him firsthand experience into how detrimental these construction defect cases can be to Oregonian’s finances. “Oftentimes when these construction defects are found, even if litigation is pursued, the recovery for the homeowners association not does not cover the full cost of the repair to actually get the building back into code, back up to snuff, back into a livable condition,” Hershman said. In a statement to KOIN 6 News, the Oregon Realtors group said they strongly support the bill: “Far fewer condominiums are produced in Oregon compared to the rest of the U.S. One reason is Oregon’s lengthy statute of repose for construction defect claims, which increases the cost and risk of building condominiums. Condominiums are a critical form of affordable homeownership, especially for first time homebuyers.” Officials with Habitat for Humanity did not respond to a KOIN 6 News request for comment on this story. Neither did State Sen. Khanh Pham, who is leading the committee on this issue. HB 3746, attorney Vial said, puts low-income families at risk of having to pay tens of thousands of dollars to fix developer defects. And that is something first-time buyers—like Lacey Sutton—can’t possibly afford. “Habitat for Humanity is a powerful multi-billion dollar organization with a spotless public image,” Sutton said. “They have been brazenly trying to convince you that a bill that literally strips away the rights of poor families of color is a good thing. “Please don’t take away what little power we have.” Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. Source link #Oregon #housing #bill #strips #rights #poor #families Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Feds order ground stop at Newark as meltdown continues at NJ airport – Gothamist Feds order ground stop at Newark as meltdown continues at NJ airport – Gothamist Feds order ground stop at Newark as meltdown continues at NJ airport GothamistNewark Airport Air Traffic Staffing Shortage Forces Delays The New York TimesIs it safe to fly to Newark Liberty International Airport in the wake of recent outages? Officials say it is CNNNewark Liberty Airport suffers third system outage in less than 2 weeks, impacting hundreds of flights CBS NewsFAA launches emergency task force to ensure safety flying in and out of Newark ABC News Source link #Feds #order #ground #stop #Newark #meltdown #continues #airport #Gothamist Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Adam Lusk: Dad who drugged, ****** women appeals conviction and 28-year jail term Adam Lusk: Dad who drugged, ****** women appeals conviction and 28-year jail term Adam Lusk, the former soldier who filmed himself raping multiple women after drugging them, is appealing his conviction and colossal 28-year jail sentence. Source link #Adam #Lusk #Dad #drugged #****** #women #appeals #conviction #28year #jail #term Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Rush of diplomatic calls follow Trump’s offer to join potential Russia-Ukraine talks Rush of diplomatic calls follow Trump’s offer to join potential Russia-Ukraine talks (Reuters) -U.S. and European diplomats went on a flurry of calls in the hours after U.S. President Donald Trump offered on Monday to join prospective Ukraine-Russia talks later this week, trying to find a path that would bring an end to the war in Ukraine. Trump’s surprise offer to join the talks on Thursday in Istanbul came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in a fresh twist to the stop-start peace talks process, said he would travel Turkey and wait to meet President Vladimir Putin there. After Trump’s announcement, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the “way forward for a ceasefire” in Ukraine with European counterparts, including the foreign ministers of Britain and France, and the EU’s foreign policy chief, the State Department said on Monday. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and his ******* and Polish counterparts were also on the call, according to the readout. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held talks late on Monday with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan to discuss Moscow’s direct talks with Kyiv – a proposal that came from Putin at the weekend, the Russian foreign ministry said. It remained unclear who would travel from Moscow to Istanbul to take part in the direct talks, which would be the first between the two sides since the early days of the war that Russia launched with its invasion on Ukraine in February 2022. There has been no response from the Kremlin to Zelenskiy’s offer to meet Putin in Istanbul and Moscow was yet to comment on Trump’s offer to join the talks. If Zelenskiy and Putin, who make no secret of their contempt for each other, were to meet on Thursday it would be their first face-to-face meeting since December 2019. “Don’t underestimate Thursday in Turkey,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday. Trump’s current schedule has him visiting Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar this week. Ukraine and its European allies have been seeking to put pressure on Moscow to accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire from Monday, with the leaders of four major European powers travelling to Kyiv on Saturday to show unity with Zelenskiy. Earlier on Monday, the ******* government said Europe would start preparing new sanctions against Russia unless the Kremlin by the end of the day started abiding by the ceasefire. Ukraine’s military said on Monday that fighting along parts of the frontline in the country’s east was at the same intensity it would be if there were no ceasefire. Putin called the Western European and Ukrainian demands for a ceasefire “ultimatums” that the Kremlin said on Monday are for Russia an unacceptable language. 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 they did in the 2022. “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 even further than we did,” Izvestia cited Kosachev as saying. (Reporting by Costas Pitas, Steve Holland, Tom Balmforth, Yuliia Dysa and Lidia Kelly;Writing by Costas Pitas and Lidia Kelly; Editing by Michael Perry) Source link #Rush #diplomatic #calls #follow #Trumps #offer #join #potential #RussiaUkraine #talks Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Bindi Irwin Shares Update From Hospital After Multiple Procedures – Yahoo Bindi Irwin Shares Update From Hospital After Multiple Procedures – Yahoo Bindi Irwin Shares Update From Hospital After Multiple Procedures YahooBindi Irwin Gives Health Update After Missing Steve Irwin Gala Due to Unexpected Medical Emergency People.comBindi Irwin misses Steve Irwin Gala due to medical emergency ABC NewsBindi Irwin was rushed to hospital for appendix surgery. But what is appendicitis? The ConversationBindi Irwin underwent emergency surgery 2 years after longtime health issue USA Today Source link #Bindi #Irwin #Shares #Update #Hospital #Multiple #Procedures #Yahoo Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Date set for Malaysian legal appeal against Lynas Rare Earths waste dump Date set for Malaysian legal appeal against Lynas Rare Earths waste dump A legal clash over Lynas Rare Earths’ Malaysian refinery is afoot after the Perth-based miner failed to stamp out an activist’s appeal request. Source link #Date #set #Malaysian #legal #appeal #Lynas #Rare #Earths #waste #dump Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Analysis-Australia’s pension funds start questioning US strategies Analysis-Australia’s pension funds start questioning US strategies By Tom Westbrook and Stella Qiu SINGAPORE/SYDNEY (Reuters) -Funds in Australia’s A$4.2 trillion ($2.7 trillion) pension sector are rethinking some of their long-held strategies of buying U.S. assets and the dollar, as confidence in American growth wanes. Volatility around Sino-U.S. trade tensions this year has forced investors to reassess their U.S. exposure and the role of the dollar, which has lately failed to behave as a safe haven currency amid heightened uncertainty around Washington’s economic policy. While there have not yet been any major shifts in strategy, currency dealing desks in Australia have noticed modest changes in hedging demand from some pension funds. Those hedging tweaks are under the spotlight globally and Australia’s pension funds, known locally as superannuation funds, have long kept low FX hedging ratios on large and growing foreign stock portfolios. When U.S. equities fell, funds allowed hedging ratios to rise by not keeping their currency positions exactly in step with asset prices, said Troy Fraser, head of foreign exchange sales for Australia and New Zealand at Citi in Sydney. “You would expect the funds to be selling Aussie and buying U.S. to adjust or to rebalance their hedge ratio,” he said. “We’ve seen a little bit of that, but not a lot. I think funds are generally happy to be longer Aussie.” Fraser said funds were weighing their asset mix, hedging costs and the outright level of the Aussie. Were it to extend it could move the currency, and in separate research Citi in February estimated that a 5% shift in hedging now could push the *********** dollar as much as 11% higher against the greenback. At about $0.64, it’s been falling on the dollar for nearly 15 years since touching $1.10 in 2011. Along with a tendency to drop reliably whenever global stocks fell, cushioning losses in Aussie dollar terms, the Aussie’s behaviour encouraged a low hedging ratio. Industry-wide hedging on foreign equities was roughly 22% in the December quarter, according to the most recent regulatory data. “Unhedged has worked,” said Ben McCaw, a senior portfolio manager at MLC Asset Management. “It was lowering the volatility of the portfolio (and) providing a positive return to the portfolio … so that was almost the ultimate asset,” he said. Now, however, long- and short-term factors are starting to shift how the *********** currency trades. He has been reducing U.S. dollar currency exposure for about three years. Others are keeping a watching brief. CBUS, which manages more than A$100 billion, has kept currency exposure steady but the U.S. dollar, which fell through market turbulence in April, caught the attention of fund CIO Leigh Gavin. Story Continues “The USD is probably one of the few asset classes that hasn’t rebounded from the early April lows, and we think that’s interesting,” he said. “It’s certainly something we’re monitoring, but it’s still pretty early days.” ‘QUESTIONING OUR EXPOSURE’ Some fund chiefs say U.S. allocations are under review. *********** super funds run a high allocation to equities, by global standards, at nearly 60%, according to regulatory data, with roughly half that abroad, as of December 2024. According to Westpac, some A$555 billion is invested in U.S. stocks by *********** domiciled investors. “That’s been a very good place to be investing over the last couple of years,” said John Pearce, chief investment officer of A$139 billion fund UniSuper on the fund’s podcast in April. “Like every other fund, we are questioning our exposure to the U.S. It would be fair to say that we’ve hit peak exposure and will be reducing over time,” he said. To be sure, no increase in the fund’s hedging ratio, which typically swings between 30-40%, is being considered, a UniSuper spokesperson said in emailed remarks to Reuters. And there are very big funds that are not budging in their strategies. “We have no view of changing our hedge position or any of our positions based on that event,” said Michael Clavin, head of income and markets at Aware Super, referring to last month’s tariff-driven drawdown and market volatility. The chief investment officer of AustralianSuper, the largest super fund with more than A$365 billion under management, also told the Financial Times last month it would continue investing more than half its offshore flows into the U.S. Still, the Aussie’s 3% rise against the U.S. dollar this year has meant the year-to-date 0.6% drop in the S&P 500 translates to a near 3.5% fall in *********** dollar terms, which if it persists or extends could start to drive a response. “Being underweight the Aussie dollar has been something which has typically rewarded *********** investors,” said Cameron Systermans, head of multi-asset in the Asia-Pacific at fund manager and adviser Mercer. “So if there were to be a durable uptrend in the Aussie dollar, that would be a bit of a pain trade, I think, for a lot of the asset owners in Australia. And it might force them to really reassess whether that still makes sense.” ($1 = 1.5625 *********** dollars) (Reporting by Tom Westbrook; Editing by Sam Holmes) Source link #AnalysisAustralias #pension #funds #start #questioning #strategies Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Trump’s gifted Qatari 747 would be a security problem, officials say – The Washington Post Trump’s gifted Qatari 747 would be a security problem, officials say – The Washington Post Trump’s gifted Qatari 747 would be a security problem, officials say The Washington PostTrump’s Plan to Accept Luxury Jet From Qatar Strains Bounds of Propriety The New York TimesSome GOP senators express misgivings over Trump plan to accept Qatari jet CNNTrump administration poised to accept ‘palace in the sky’ as a gift for Trump from Qatar: Sources ABC NewsTrump says it would be ‘stupid’ not to accept Qatari plane – as jet already in the US Sky News Source link #Trumps #gifted #Qatari #security #problem #officials #Washington #Post Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris armed robbery trial Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris armed robbery trial Reality star and entrepreneur Kim Kardashian is due to testify in a Paris court about an alleged assault against her and theft of jewellery worth millions by several men posing as police. Court officials said they expected a throng of media to gather for the 44-year-old celebrity’s arrival at the Palace of Justice on Tuesday, after she flew from the United States for the hearing. Kardashian, who had come to attend fashion shows in Paris nine years ago, was allegedly attacked overnight on October 2-3 in 2016, in an exclusive hotel in the French capital’s chic 8th district. Five robbers disguised as police officers allegedly appeared outside the building, before two of them overpowered the doorman and stormed into Kardashian’s room wearing masks and holding a gun. She allegedly was threatened with the weapon, gagged and bound with adhesive tape before the assailants made off with an estimated $US10 million ($A16 million) in jewellery. Kardashian was physically unharmed and able to untie herself and raise the alarm. Since the end of April, nine men and one woman have been on trial in Paris for the attack. The defendants, whose average age is around 60, have been described by the French press as the “grandpa gang”. They are said to have received details of Kardashian’s stay in Paris from the co-defendant brother of a chauffeur who worked for the US star during her visits to the city. The stolen valuables were not retrieved, having likely been sold for cash in Antwerp, according to investigators. The trial began at the end of April and is due to run until May 23. Kardashian, 44, rose to fame through the long-running TV show Keeping Up with the Kardashians and has since built a global brand spanning fashion, beauty and social media. Source link #Kim #Kardashian #testify #Paris #armed #robbery #trial Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]