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Trump admin's threat to suspend core U.S. legal right sparks outcry and alarm – NBC News Trump admin's threat to suspend core U.S. legal right sparks outcry and alarm – NBC News Trump admin’s threat to suspend core U.S. legal right sparks outcry and alarm NBC NewsWhat is habeas corpus, the legal procedure Trump is considering suspending? CNNSen. John Barrasso dodges when asked whether he would support suspending habeas corpus NBC NewsJohn Cleese Suggests ‘Suspending’ Trump Chief of Staff Stephen Miller – ‘Preferably by the Neck’ YahooKlobuchar dismisses Trump’s habeas corpus threat as distraction from ‘what’s really in front of them’ The Hill Source link #Trump #admin039s #threat #suspend #core #U.S #legal #sparks #outcry #alarm #NBC #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Armadale house fire: Young family loses everything as flames engulf Townley Street home Armadale house fire: Young family loses everything as flames engulf Townley Street home A family with young children has lost everything after a fire completely engulfed their home in Perth’s east. Source link #Armadale #house #fire #Young #family #loses #flames #engulf #Townley #Street #home Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

HOA’s level of insurance can block owners from refinancing. This man’s did. HOA’s level of insurance can block owners from refinancing. This man’s did. Anticipating a refinancing offer that could save him $647 a month, Dave Mayers of Jupiter instead got a jolt of reality: The deal was nixed after lenders saw the level of insurance his condominium association was carrying. Inadequate insurance is the most oft-cited reason that more condominium associations are on federal mortgage guarantor Fannie Mae’s blacklist, a number that’s more than tripled over the past two years. This kind of listing makes it more difficult for condo buyers to get loans, for condo associations to borrow for repairs and, for residents like Mayers, to refinance an existing mortgage. “I’ve never been rejected for a loan in my life,” said the 74-year-old retired Pennsylvania furniture store owner. New condo regs weaker than what some banks require The Legislature this session passed a bill that made new rules for condo associations to take out loans and get lines of credit to finance needed repairs — seen as helping condo dwellers cope with new state regulations designed to avert a deadly disaster like the one that felled a 40-year-old Miami-area condo tower. The new legislation clarifies three options for acceptable levels of condo insurance. Still, following the guidelines set out in the bill awaiting Gov. Ron DeSantis’s signature might not get associations a clean bill of health from financial institutions, which are looking for condos to be insured at full replacement value. Talking about the legislation’s insurance tweak, the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Jennifer Bradley, R-Fleming Island, said: “There are associations in Florida that I think are being asked to carry coverage levels at an exorbitant cost and insurance levels they will never touch. So … in consultation with their insurance specialist, they (condo associations) will be able to land on the proper level that is adequate from a protection standpoint.” How much is enough insurance? The bill allows for condos’ common property to be insured at “insurable value.” Fannie Mae, however, requires what may be a higher bar: that the common property is insured for the full replacement cost — a guidance that many banks follow in deciding who gets a loan. Andy Kasten, president of Fort Lauderdale-based Creative Financial Property and Casualty, said insuring for anything less than full replacement value could mean of a repeat of the Surfside debacle, where the association was unable to rebuild because of underinsurance. In that tragedy, 98 people were killed when the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside collapsed in the early hours of June 21, 2021. “If in fact they are allowing condos to insure at less than full replacement, where is the additional money going to come from to rebuild the structure in the event of a catastrophe?” Kasten asked. “It runs counter to what these laws that changed after the Surfside collapse were supposed to do. You can never assume that you are not going to have a 100% loss.” Rep. Vicki Lopez, R-Miami, who sponsored the legislation about to become law, acknowledges that the clarified options in her bill don’t line up with Fannie Mae’s. She argues that it’s financial institutions that need to adjust their requirements. What they consider acceptable levels of insurance when it comes to backing mortgages are holding condos hostage, she said. “If you are ensuring to the full replacement value, it could be said that you are over-insured, because never in a disaster has one of our condo buildings been leveled,” Lopez said. “They may have roof issues, air conditioning issues, window issues, but the whole building doesn’t go down. “… My next step is to try to connect with either U.S. Sen. (Ashley) Moody or Sen. (Rick) Scott or one of our congressional delegation members to say, look, we have to have a meeting with [federal home loan company] Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae so they are aware of the financial impact they are having on condo owners in terms of insurance when they insist on having full replacement value,” she said. The partially collapsed Champlain Towers South condo in Surfside, as seen in late June of 2021. Roof too old for insurance, too young for replacement His condo’s status has Mayers — and many more who may not know it — in a catch-22 he’s been emailing lawmakers and state agencies about to no avail, he said. The condo can’t get the required insurance because the roof is too old, but it’s not old enough that it needs replacing, he said. “They’ve been getting prices on replacing the roof, but they don’t want to do it yet — it’s not an emergency,” Mayers said. “We have to fund other things the state is mandating.” As the state’s scrutiny of the condition of condominium buildings increased following the Surfside disaster, the insurance market for condominiums worsened. Only two or three companies would insure garden-style, low-rise condos and coverage for high-rises were simply unaffordable compared to years past, according to Tyler Spaedt, vice president at Valley Insurance Services, which specializes in condo communities. “The last three years were the toughest markets that there’s ever been in Florida,” Spaedt said. In the last five to eight months, though, things have started looking better. “People are starting to save and more (kinds of) coverages are becoming available,” Spaedt said. Still, he says, about one of the 10 of associations he’s covering can’t manage to buy the insurance that would pay for the full replacement value of a condo association’s common property. “It’s not always about what they’re going to save, even though that’s a big part of it. … Some of it (the associations getting insured for less than the replacement value) is that it’s not available to them, based on the condition of the building,” Spaedt said. The blacklist stems from answers to lender questionnaires There are 1,438 “blacklisted” Florida condos deemed ineligible for Fannie Mae-backed loans, and potentially other banks. The blacklisting, mostly confidential, is the result of answers given to lender questionnaires that involve everything from deferred maintenance to delinquent special assessments. One condo can be on the list for multiple problems, but insurance problems are cited the most often among these condos, according to attorney Jake Marcus, whose practice, Allcock Marcus, has offices in Miami and Massachusetts. Florida’s condo crisis: Is it bad enough to call a special legislative session? There’s some comfort, though. “What’s happening in Florida is eventually going to make its way to other jurisdictions,” Marcus predicted. Michael J. Gelfand, a West Palm Beach attorney who specializes in condo association law, said he urges associations to get the full replacement value if they can. “Insuring a roof for its actual cash value doesn’t work,” Gelfand said. “When it’s depreciated, it’s pennies on the dollar for the cost of replacement.” Florida’s condo crisis: In 3 Palm Beach County communities, big issues = high assessments Mayers said he was hoping the expected drop in his interest rate was going to help him pay for the new assessments triggered when his condo underwent its state-required structural integrity reserve study, trying to comply with the first set of state regulations that were passed, post-Surfside, in 2022. “I was really counting on the savings I was going to receive from a refinance to help with all the added expenses of the increased reserves,” Mayers said. “If condos in Florida can’t acquire mortgages or refinancing because of Fannie (Mae’s) … new mandates and pile that on top of the (structural integrity reserve study) mandates, what happens to seniors, like myself, and to the property values in Florida? This is just crazy.” Palm Beach Post reporter Kimberly Miller contributed to this report. Anne Geggis is the insurance reporter at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at *****@*****.tld.Help support our journalism. Subscribe today This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: New condo scrutiny gets associations blacklisted for insurance status Source link #HOAs #level #insurance #block #owners #refinancing #mans Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

University will ‘pull the plug’ to test Nutanix disaster recovery University will ‘pull the plug’ to test Nutanix disaster recovery The University of Reading’s IT team plans to “pull the plug” on its Nutanix-based infrastructure to test disaster recovery readiness after a move to the supplier’s NC2 cloud services. That’s according to head of operations Kevin Mortimer, who spoke to Computer Weekly at Nutanix’s .Next 2025 event in the US last week. The University of Reading has been a Nutanix customer since 2017. It has more than 50 research centres in areas that include agricultural, biological and physical sciences, as well as meteorology. The university has around 5,000 faculty members and 20,000 students. It runs Nutanix Enterprise Cloud Software on Dell EMC XC Series hyper-converged systems, with the Nutanix AHV hypervisor. The plan now is to use Nutanix’s NC2 cloud provision as failover for on-site activity. When it’s up and running, Mortimer plans to pull a plug to test it – literally. The university already uses Rubrik for backup, but it wanted a way to fail over in a disaster recovery (DR) scenario. The question for Mortimer was: “If we lost our main datacentre on campus, then what do we do? We have a few IaaS [infrastructure as a service] workloads in Azure, and things like domain controllers that are really critical.” But to put all those into Azure was going to cost up to five or six times more than it would if it was on-premise, according to Mortimer. “So if on-premise was £100,000, public cloud would be £1m,” he said. “But NC2 is kind of in the middle of that, so you’re getting the benefit of some cloud and it does cost you more, because cloud is generally more expensive.” Nutanix Cloud Clusters (NC2) is a hybrid cloud platform that provides a consistent user interface to all environments. “It’s a step up from colo, but you get the benefit of public cloud networking and the management piece,” said Mortimer. Disaster recovery test Mortimer’s team is still working through the details of NC2 deployment, but one benefit he’s looking forward to is to be able to do a full DR test. “That’s something that is always quite scary to an organisation, but it’s something I’m really keen to do,” he said. “We can turn it off. We know the processes. We’ll let it run from the cloud for a week beforehand so it’s not all last-minute, and we can fail it back. “I’ve threatened my team,” said Mortimer. “I said … ‘I’m going to walk into the datacentre, and get a cable and pull it’. Because in a real-life scenario, that’s what could happen. If it doesn’t work, at least you can know it isn’t working.” That’s likely to happen this summer or next Christmas, to avoid periods of heavy user activity. According to Mortimer, it will involve about 60TB of data that will be closely synchronised in terms of RPO. Key steps What are the key steps for Mortimer in the run up to that kind of test? “Once the platform’s all stood up and connected, we need to make sure we can move workloads between the two clusters,” he said. “That’s validating the networking, which is going to be the trickiest part. It’s things like making sure DNS is available, and tier-zero services like Active Directory. “But once we’re confident that networking works for those test cases, and if everything’s been rebuilt out from scratch against those principles, then it should be just a case of pull the plug and fail over,” said Mortimer. The university migrated from VMware to AHV when it moved to Nutanix, and later deployed Enterprise Cloud to build a self-service portal to allow academics to provision their own resources where they can manage virtual machines (VMs) and storage directly, similarly to a public cloud platform. In total, it now has around 600 VMs that run across eight nodes in its datacentre, and something like 60 applications. It also uses Nutanix Files, manages things with the Nutanix Prism user interface, and has added Self-Service portal and the Nutanix Calm management framework for hybrid clouds. Source link #University #pull #plug #test #Nutanix #disaster #recovery Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

U.S. and China agree to slash reciprocal tariffs in major step toward easing trade war – NBC News U.S. and China agree to slash reciprocal tariffs in major step toward easing trade war – NBC News U.S. and China agree to slash reciprocal tariffs in major step toward easing trade war NBC NewsLive updates: US-China tariffs agreement following trade talks | CNN Politics CNNStock Market Today: U.S., China Agree to Substantial Tariff Cuts WSJU.S. and China Agree to Temporarily Slash Tariffs in Bid to Defuse Trade War The New York TimesWhite House says it has a deal with China while ******** call it ‘consensus’ ABC News Source link #U.S #China #agree #slash #reciprocal #tariffs #major #step #easing #trade #war #NBC #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Carla Zampatti runway launches new look Fashion Week Carla Zampatti runway launches new look Fashion Week A collection from the Carla Zampatti label marks the start of *********** Fashion Week. Source link #Carla #Zampatti #runway #launches #Fashion #Week Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

First white South Africans fly to US under Trump refugee plan First white South Africans fly to US under Trump refugee plan By Tim Cocks JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – The first 49 white South Africans deemed victims of racial discrimination and granted refugee status under an offer by U.S. President Donald Trump were flying to the U.S. on Monday in a move deepening frictions between the two nations. The U.S. government has blocked mostly non-white refugee admissions from the rest of the world but is prioritising Afrikaners, the descendants of mostly Dutch settlers. Giving refugee status to white South Africans has been met with a mixture of alarm and ridicule by South African authorities, who say the Trump administration has waded into a domestic political issue it does not understand. It comes at a time of heightened racial tensions in South Africa over land and jobs that has divided the ruling coalition. The charter plane carrying the 49 from Johannesburg was expected to arrive at Washington Dulles airport on Monday morning. “The government unequivocally states that these are not refugees,” South African foreign ministry spokesperson Chrispin Phiri told local broadcaster Newzroom Afrika. “But we are not going to stand in their way.” WEALTH INEQUITIES Since Nelson Mandela brought democracy into South Africa in the 1994, the once-ruling white ********* has retained most of the wealth amassed under colonialism and apartheid. Whites still own three-quarters of private land and have about 20 times the wealth of the ****** majority, according to international academic journal the Review of Political Economy. Less than 10% of white South Africans are out of work, compared with more than a third of their ****** counterparts. Yet the claim that ********* white South Africans face discrimination from the ****** majority has become an established trope in right-wing online chatrooms, and has been echoed by Trump’s white South African-born ally Elon Musk. Since his return to the White House in January, Trump has cut all U.S. financial assistance to South Africa last month, citing disapproval of its land policy and of its genocide case at the International Court of Justice against Washington’s ally, Israel. (Reporting by Tim Cocks; Additional reporting by Sfundo Parakozov; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne) Source link #white #South #Africans #fly #Trump #refugee #plan Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

After days of heavy firefights, calm reported along Indian and Pakistan borders – AP News After days of heavy firefights, calm reported along Indian and Pakistan borders – AP News After days of heavy firefights, calm reported along Indian and Pakistan borders AP NewsIndia-Pakistan ceasefire raises hopes that the worst fighting in decades is over. Here’s what to know CNNIndia’s diplomatic ambitions tested as Trump pushes for deal on Kashmir ReutersIndia tried to project strength but ended up showing weakness Al JazeeraIndia-Pakistan top military officials to speak as ceasefire holds BBC Source link #days #heavy #firefights #calm #reported #Indian #Pakistan #borders #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

New Woolworths CEO Amanda Bardwell puts pressure on Coles with aggressive discounting move New Woolworths CEO Amanda Bardwell puts pressure on Coles with aggressive discounting move Yoghurt, rice and berries are among 400 items Woolworths promises will be cheaper from this week in an aggressive discounting campaign by new CEO Amanda Bardwell in the face of consumer and political scrutiny. Source link #Woolworths #CEO #Amanda #Bardwell #puts #pressure #Coles #aggressive #discounting #move Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Are you exercising ‘in the zone’? All about Zone 2 cardio. Are you exercising ‘in the zone’? All about Zone 2 cardio. Fitness programs can be built around just about anything. CrossFit is based on the philosophy that constantly varied movements performed with moderate intensity improve physical competence. Yoga is built around Eastern principles of connecting oneself with universal consciousness. And HIIT is based on the idea that alternating short bursts of highly intensive exercise with brief periods of recovery will increase stamina and ability. Zone 2 cardio is the latest exercise trend, and it’s based on the longstanding notion that keeping your heart rate within a specific range can help you get more out of a workout. Here’s how Zone 2 cardio works and whether there are any real benefits of getting … in the zone … with this fitness trend. What is Zone 2 training? In the world of exercise science, there are five heart rate zones. They are meant to help individuals measure progress, achieve specific fitness goals and get the most out of their workout. Zone 1 is the mildest and easiest target zone to maintain and Zone 5 is the most intense. Zone 2 cardio training is somewhere in between and is “aerobic exercise that is considered light to moderate in terms of intensity,” says Dr. Carrie Jaworski, a sports and exercise medicine physician at Intermountain Health in Salt Lake City. It’s a type of exercise that aims to get your heart rate up, which is important for strengthening your heart muscle and overall cardiovascular health while also getting more oxygen to your organs and muscles. At the same time, “this type of exercise is meant to be something that you can sustain for a longer ******* of time,” says Jaworski. To make sure you’re “in the zone,” Zone 2 cardio participants aim to “keep their heart rate at 60% to 70% of their maximum heart rate,” says Dr. Michael Fredericson, director of the physical medicine and rehabilitation division of Stanford University. While brisk walking is the most popular activity that people engage in when practicing Zone 2 cardio, you can also be in this zone doing many other activities such as “rowing, jogging, swimming and cycling,” says Jaworski. Is walking good for you? Experts say these are all the benefits of this simple exercise Is Zone 2 cardio best for **** loss? One of the top reasons people choose to work out this way is because Zone 2 cardio is known as the **** burning zone since it reaches a heart rate at which cells start burning ****. At the same time, a heart rate in this range “won’t target body **** loss specifically,” says Jaworski. “While the fuel your body uses in Zone 2 includes fatty acids, that doesn’t equate to decreased body **** percentages,” she says. “Instead, Zone 2 training helps the body become more efficient at using fats for fuel.” Zone 2 cardio is also a type of exercise that “has been shown to improve lipid levels and insulin sensitivity as well as decrease the risk of cardiovascular events in those who already have cardiovascular disease,” says Jaworski. She adds that frequently exercising in this zone is also good for improving aerobic capacity and building endurance without punishing your body as much as some higher intensity workouts. “Zone 2 training is easier on the body so you can do it more regularly, recover more quickly and are less likely to get burnt out or overtrain,” she says. Fredericson adds that the level of intensity Zone 2 cardio requires is also good for improving muscle contraction and function. And its cardiovascular benefits “include a lower resting heart rate, reduced blood pressure and improved vascular tone regulation,” he adds, the latter improving blood clotting and immune function. Such advantages are among the reasons the American College of Sports Medicine recommends “that moderate-intensity exercise, such as Zone 2, should be performed for at least 150 minutes per week to achieve significant health benefits,” says Fredericson. What is a healthy resting heart rate? Experts explain why it matters. How do I find my Zone 2? To keep your heart rate at 60% to 70% of your maximum heart rate, you’ll have to first determine what your maximum heart rate is. To do that, Fredericson explains, just subtract your age from the number 220; “60% to 70% of that number is the intensity level you should aim for during a Zone 2 cardio workout,” he says. Once you know this target range, “you can use a fitness tracker or heart rate monitor to stay within that zone during exercise,” he says. And if you don’t want to wear a monitor or calculate your heart rate, an alternative way to make sure you’re staying within this target zone is to use the “talk test,” says Jaworski. This test is “where continual talking is becoming challenging, but still possible,” she explains. One way you know you’re adhering to this method is if you need to take a breath about every three to five words you’re speaking while exercising, notes Mayo Clinic. Regardless of how you choose to get there, once you have mastered being able to exercise in this target heart rate range, Jaworski says, “you can start challenging your body in different ways as Zone 2 cardio prepares you for harder workouts.” This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is Zone 2 cardio? Source link #exercising #zone #Zone #cardio Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Marvel Rivals Dev Details What They Do to Not Insult Marvel’s Legacy and It Sounds Like a Lot of Work Marvel Rivals Dev Details What They Do to Not Insult Marvel’s Legacy and It Sounds Like a Lot of Work When a game studio decides to tackle an IP with 85 years of history and millions of die-hard fans, they’re essentially walking into a minefield blindfolded. One wrong step and *****, the internet explodes with rage. NetEase Games seems fully aware of this danger with Marvel Rivals, and they’re not keen on taking any shortcuts. The team’s approach to character development isn’t just thorough—it’s borderline obsessive. And honestly, when you’re dealing with characters that people have emotional connections to spanning decades, anything less would be asking for trouble. Capturing the essence of Marvel’s iconic heroes (and villains) Creating authentic Marvel characters for a competitive shooter isn’t just about slapping Iron Man’s armor on a generic character model and calling it a day. According to Ruan Weikang, Lead Technical Designer for Marvel Rivals, it’s a meticulous process that begins with diving deep into the source material. As Weikang explained to Unreal Engine in an interview: Throughout Marvel Rivals’ development, delivering an authentic Super Hero experience has been our paramount design principle. For each character, we conduct exhaustive research across all source material, particularly comics, to distill their fundamental essence. This research-heavy approach explains why characters like Hulk feel genuinely Hulk-like rather than just “big green guy who hits things.” The gamma radiation that powers him isn’t just backstory—it’s baked into his gameplay mechanics and visual design. This might manifest as the source of their powers (such as Hulk’s gamma radiation) or defining personality traits (like Loki’s characteristic cunning as the God of Mischief). These core elements inform our gameplay design, ensuring each hero’s most distinctive qualities are faithfully translated into interactive mechanics. What’s particularly impressive is how the team transforms iconic comic moments into playable experiences. Doctor Strange’s portal isn’t just a flashy effect—it’s a functional gameplay mechanic that truly captures the essence of the Sorcerer Supreme. It’s like they’re asking, “What would it actually feel like to BE Strange?” rather than “What would it look like if Strange was in our game?” The collaborative process behind Marvel authenticity When your AI villain needs to please the OG comic nerds first. | Image Credit: NetEase Games The development process for Marvel Rivals isn’t happening in isolation. NetEase has established a rigorous review system with Marvel’s team, ensuring every character passes muster with the people who know these heroes best. This isn’t just a courtesy check; it’s multiple weekly discussions per character: Our development process maintains continuous collaboration with Marvel’s veteran team. Each character undergoes thorough review through multiple weekly discussions, ensuring designs honor Marvel’s legacy while introducing innovative gameplay elements. Imagine having your work scrutinized weekly by the keepers of Marvel’s flame. That’s enough pressure to turn coal into diamonds, which might explain why the character designs in Marvel Rivals feel so polished. The current roster of 38 playable heroes showcases this attention to detail, from Emma Frost’s recent Hellfire Gala debut to the upcoming Ultron, who’ll ****** the party on May 30th with his army of drones. Marvel’s team, leveraging their deep understanding of the IP and professional insight, provides invaluable guidance in exploring and amplifying each hero’s unique appeal. This collaborative approach has brought both classic and contemporary Marvel lore to life. The Krakoa map that arrived with Emma Frost feels ripped straight from the comics, while still functioning brilliantly as a competitive battleground. And with Ultron set to push the roster to an apocalyptic 39 characters, fans are eager to see how NetEase will balance the villain’s megalomaniacal charm with fair gameplay mechanics. What’s your take on NetEase’s approach to Marvel characters? Do you think all this research and collaboration show in the final product? Drop your thoughts in the comments below! Source link #Marvel #Rivals #Dev #Details #Insult #Marvels #Legacy #Sounds #Lot #Work Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

***’s Virgin Media O2 and Daisy Group combine in business telecoms ***’s Virgin Media O2 and Daisy Group combine in business telecoms Virgin Media O2 is a joint venture between telecoms giants Liberty Global and Telefonica. Tolga Akmen | AFP via Getty Images Britain’s Virgin Media O2 said it was combining its enterprise unit with business-to-business telecoms provider Daisy Group to create a new communications and IT offer for companies. The new company will be 70% owned by Virgin Media O2, a joint venture between Liberty Global and Telefonica, and 30% owned by Daisy Group, the two said on Monday. The entity will have pro-forma revenue of about 1.4 billion pounds ($1.85 billion) and adjusted core earnings of about 150 million pounds, based on the groups’ 2024 performance, they said. Source link #UKs #Virgin #Media #Daisy #Group #combine #business #telecoms Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Universe expected to decay in 10⁷⁸ years, much sooner than previously thought – Phys.org Universe expected to decay in 10⁷⁸ years, much sooner than previously thought – Phys.org Universe expected to decay in 10⁷⁸ years, much sooner than previously thought Phys.org Source link #Universe #expected #decay #10⁷⁸ #years #sooner #previously #thought #Phys.org Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Tech Now Tech Now How one of the world’s fastest supercomputers is shaping climate research. Source link #Tech Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Father tried to save son before both drowned near Great Barrier Reef Father tried to save son before both drowned near Great Barrier Reef A father tried in vain to save his teenage son before both drowned off the coast of Australia, an inquest has heard. Robin Reed and his son Owen, of Blackwood, Caerphilly county, were swept out to sea while on holiday at a popular tourist beach in Queensland on 13 April. Opening the inquests into their deaths in Newport, coroner Rose Farmer said Mr Reed, 46, had been in the sea “no deeper than waist height” at Round Hill Head, Seventeen Seventy, at the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef. His 17 year-old son Owen was close by when he was pulled out to sea by an “unexpected wave”. “Mr Reed dived into the water, trying to save Owen and he has then also been swept into the sea,” she added. Search and rescue teams pulled the father and son from the sea but were declared dead at the scene. A cause of death for both was given as consistent with drowning. The court heard inquiries were ongoing and the inquest was adjourned until a full hearing on 12 November. Mr Reed was described as a “good friend to many” in a community that was in shock among tributes have been paid by his local football club and Pengam Boys and Girls Club where he volunteered. Source link #Father #save #son #drowned #Great #Barrier #Reef Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Treacy backs Dockers' tall set-up as Darcy presses case Treacy backs Dockers' tall set-up as Darcy presses case Josh Treacy hopes Sean Darcy can overcome his latest knee injury in time to be part of Fremantle’s tall ruck and forward structure against GWS. Source link #Treacy #backs #Dockers039 #tall #setup #Darcy #presses #case Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What is Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs charged with and how will his trial unfold? What is Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs charged with and how will his trial unfold? The jury in the trial of American music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, who is accused of running a sprawling sex trafficking operation, will be sworn in on Monday before opening statements are delivered by lawyers for both sides. The 55-year-old was arrested last September and faces charges including racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He could face life in prison if convicted. Mr Combs has pleaded not guilty and denied all allegations against him. Dozens of prospective jurors were screened before being whittled down to 12 – and six alternates – ahead of Monday. Mr Combs also faces dozens of civil lawsuits from individuals who accuse him of using his power to drug, assault, *****, intimidate and silence people. He has said the individual lawsuits are attempts “for a quick payday”. The first week of testimony will include two witnesses who are expected to speak briefly, prosecutors said, followed by a third witness who will see more time on the stand. How can I follow the trial? The court is expected to be open to the public, but proceedings will not be televised or streamed online. Cameras, phones and electronic devices are normally not allowed in US federal courtrooms. The BBC will bring you live updates as the jury is seated and opening statements begin on Monday straight from the court. The trial proceedings began with jury selection on Monday 5 May in front of US District Judge Arun Subramanian, at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan courthouse in lower Manhattan. The judge told jurors the trial itself could last around eight weeks. How were jurors selected? Dozens of potential jurors were vetted by the court. The process included potential jurors looking through a long list of places and people that could be mentioned during trial, with names like Kanye West and Kid Cudi. The “People and Places” list was so long that Judge Subramanian said she “felt like I was reading an appendix for Lord of the Rings”. Potential jurors also had to fill out questionnaires that asked whether they had “views about hip hop artists” or “feelings concerning violence, ******* assault”. The judge reminded the court several times of the importance of choosing a fair and impartial jury. Nearly all the potential jurors had read news reports of the allegations in the case and many had seen footage of Mr Combs kicking his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a hotel hallway. What are the charges and allegations against Diddy? In the federal criminal case being heard in New York, Mr Combs is charged with racketeering conspiracy, two charges of sex trafficking and two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution. Many of the most severe allegations relate to the racketeering conspiracy charge. This includes accusations of kidnapping, drugging, and coercing women into ******* activities, sometimes using firearms or threats of violence. In a raid on his Los Angeles mansion, police found supplies that they said were intended for use in ******* known as “freak offs”, including drugs and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil. Separately, Mr Combs faces a number of lawsuits accusing him of ***** and assault. Tony Buzbee, a Texas lawyer handling some of these cases, said that more than 100 women and men from across the US had either filed lawsuits against the rap mogul or intended to do so. In December 2023, a woman known in court papers as Jane Doe alleged that she was “gang ******” by Mr Combs and others in 2003, when she was 17. She said she was given “copious amounts of drugs and alcohol” before the attack. Mr Combs’ legal team dismissed the flurry of lawsuits as “clear attempts to garner publicity.” Sean Combs and Cassie Ventura were in an on-and-off relationship for more than a decade [EPA] Mr Combs’ current legal issues began in late 2023 when he was sued by Ms Ventura, also known as Cassie, for violent abuse and *****. That lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount a day after it was filed, with Mr Combs maintaining his innocence. Since then, dozens of other people have filed lawsuits accusing Mr Combs of ******* assault, with accusations dating back to 1991. He denies all the claims. His controversial history with Ms Ventura resurfaced in 2024, when CNN leaked CCTV footage from 2016 showing Mr Combs kicking his ex-girlfriend as she lay on a hotel hallway floor. He apologised for his behaviour, saying: “I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now.” What has Diddy said about the charges against him? In a statement to the BBC about the federal criminal charges, Mr Combs’ lawyer said: “Mr Combs and his legal team have full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process. “In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr Combs never ********* assaulted or trafficked anyone – man or woman, adult or minor.” Diddy’s lawyers later filed a motion to dismiss one part of the federal indictment in which he is accused of transportation to engage in prostitution. His team argued he was being unfairly targeted due to his race. In a hearing in New York a week before the trial officially began, his attorneys told the court that the rapper led the “lifestyle” of a “swinger” and was not a criminal. They said he thought it was “appropriate” to have multiple sex partners, including sex workers. At the same hearing, prosecutors revealed that Mr Combs had rejected a plea deal. Mr Combs’ lawyers have consistently denied the allegations made against him in the civil lawsuits, describing them as “sickening” and suggesting they were made by “individuals looking for a quick payday”. How long could Diddy spend in jail if he is found guilty? Several US judges have criticised the dangerous conditions which inmates face at the Metropolitan Detention Center. [Getty Images] If convicted on the racketeering charge, Mr Combs faces up to life in prison. He faces another statutory minimum sentence of 15 years if he is found guilty of sex trafficking. Transportation for purposes of prostitution carries a maximum sentence of 10 years. Mr Combs has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, since his arrest on 16 September 2024. Critics describe the prison as overcrowded and understaffed, with a culture of violence. His lawyers argued for his release, citing the jail’s “horrific” conditions, but a New York federal judge denied the bail request, describing Mr Combs as a “serious flight risk”. Prosecutors previously alleged that Mr Combs had broken prison rules by contacting potential witnesses. They accused him of “relentless efforts” to “corruptly influence witness testimony”. A judge granted Mr Combs permission to wear non-prison clothing during his trial rather than the jumpsuits he wears in jail. When he appeared in court for jury selection, the rapper wore a blue sweater and white shirt with glasses on his head. How did ‘Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs become successful? Mr Combs – who has also gone by the names Puffy, Puff Daddy, P Diddy, Love, and Brother Love – emerged in the hip-hop scene in the 1990s. His early music career success included helping launch the careers of Mary J Blige and Christopher Wallace – aka Biggie Smalls, or The Notorious B.I.G. His music label Bad Boy Records became one of the most important labels in rap and expanded to include Faith Evans, Ma$e, 112, Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez. Mr Combs also had a prolific business career outside of music, including a deal with British drinks company Diageo to promote the French vodka brand Cîroc. In 2023, he released his fifth record The Love Album: Off The Grid and earned his first solo nomination at the Grammy awards. He also was named a Global Icon at the MTV Awards. [BBC] Get all the latest trial updates on the BBC Sounds ‘Diddy on Trial‘ podcast available wherever you get your BBC podcasts. Source link #Sean #Diddy #Combs #charged #trial #unfold Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Reactions to US-China tariff cuts – Reuters Reactions to US-China tariff cuts – Reuters Reactions to US-China tariff cuts ReutersThe latest on Trump’s presidency as US and China agree to roll back tariffs CNNStock Market Today: U.S., China Agree to Substantial Tariff Cuts WSJWhite House says it has a deal with China while ******** call it ‘consensus’ ABC NewsUS Trade Representative Greer says US and China to roll back most tariffs AP News Source link #Reactions #USChina #tariff #cuts #Reuters Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

S&P 500: Sideways Action Masks Rare Bullish Thrust with Strong Historical Returns S&P 500: Sideways Action Masks Rare Bullish Thrust with Strong Historical Returns The major stock market indices basically did a lot of nothing last week. Sure, there was some tariff news to deal with, some big earnings reports, the usual spate of economic data, and even a Fed meeting. But in the end, the S&P 500 finished within 1% of where it was the week prior. Given the fact that stocks had put up a nine-day winning streak and recovered more than 60% of the recent decline, investors couldn’t be blamed for taking a break from the buy button. After all, the market had become overbought from a short-term perspective, and both the and the had begun flirting with their respective 200-day moving averages. Frankly, I’ve never put too much emphasis on the 200-day. However, a great many managers, as well as the popular financial press, see the indicator as a line in the sand between bull and bear markets. While it is true that most of the market’s gains occur when the market is above its 200-day, in this environment, such a line can become a form of resistance and/or a logical point for the bears to reload. We shall see. The Big News Although the action has been relatively subdued for a change, there was a big event under the surface to report on. You see, one of my favorite indicators flashed a buy signal last week. An indicator that has a very long history of signaling better days ahead. Some might even call it an “all clear” signal. It’s called a “Breadth Thrust.” And the bottom line is that when these signals occur, the stock market tends to perform much better than average over the ensuing 2 weeks as well as the next 1-, 2-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month periods. To review, market “breadth” is generally a measure of how many stocks are advancing versus declining, or the volume of stocks rising compared to those falling. Common breadth indicators include the ratio of advancing vs declining issues over different periods of time, up volume vs down volume, new highs vs new lows, and the percentage of stocks above their moving averages. In simplistic terms (my favorite kind!), a “Breadth Thrust” occurs when buying overwhelms selling over a ******* of time – think a week or two. Historical Research Shows… One of my favorites is the ratio of cumulative advancing stocks versus declining stocks over a 10-day *******. According to the computers at Ned Davis Research (NDR), when the cumulative ratio of advances versus declines over 10 days moves above 1.4%, good things tend to happen. Since 1947, NDR has told us 56 of these signals have been used. Two weeks after the signal, the S&P 500 was higher by 64% of the time. And while the average return for the venerable blue-chip index is 0.35% for all two-week periods, the mean return 10 days after the Cumulative 10-Day Advance/Decline signal has been 1.38%. One month after the signal, the S&P 500 was higher 75% of the time, with an average return of 2.44%, which is more than 3X the mean for all periods. Two months out, stocks have been higher 80% of the time with an average return of 4.05% vs 1.45% for all 2-month periods. Similar outperformance has occurred for three and four months after the signal. Six months out, the S&P 500 was higher 86% of the time with returns of 10.10% vs. the average of 4.45. And finally, one year after the signal, the market has been higher 55 out of 56 occurrences, with an average gain of 16.85% versus 9.16%. Not too bad, right? Trust The Thrust So, when this particular indicator flashes a fresh “thrust” signal, I definitely tend to sit up and take notice. However, when several thrust signals occur within a short ******* of time, history teaches us that this is a time to give the bulls the benefit of the doubt. According to NDR, there are an even dozen breadth thrust indicators. And history shows that since 10/1/1980 (the date all the indicators are available), after 5 of the 12 Breadth Thrust buy signals have occurred, the S&P 500 has been higher one year later, wait for it… every… single… time. And the mean return for this “weight of evidence” thrust signal has been 21.52% after one year, which is more than double the average of 10.35% for all one-year periods since 10/1/1980. Over the last 10 years, the results have also been strong. Since 5/5/2015, 5 or more of the 12 signals have occurred 8 times. Stocks were higher two weeks later all 8 times. Two months later: 7 out of 8 times. Same for six months later. And one year later, the record was a perfect 8 for 8, with an average return of 25.9% versus 10.35%. The good news is that both of the signals we’ve reviewed here gave buy signals on Monday, May 5, 2025. As such, history suggests that while markets never move in a straight line, there are reasons to believe that stocks should be higher in the coming months. Could this be the first “miss” for the Breadth Thrust signals? Sure. Anything can happen in Ms. Market’s game. And since we are in a news-driven environment, almost anything is possible for the foreseeable future. But with consensus EPS still expected to grow by more than +11% this year (and another +14% next year) and the breadth thrust indicators on buy signals, there are reasons to shut out all the doom and gloom forecasts and look on the bright side. Thought for the Day The more we allow expectations to drive us, the further we push our potential away. -Yehuda Berg Wishing you green screens and all the best for a great day, Source link #Sideways #Action #Masks #Rare #Bullish #Thrust #Strong #Historical #Returns Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Meet the Leopards of YouTube on WildEarth’s Livestreamed Safaris Meet the Leopards of YouTube on WildEarth’s Livestreamed Safaris It was just after sunrise, and we were racing to meet a local celebrity we had been doggedly tracking all morning. She’d been spotted grabbing a drink nearby, so we made a beeline to the nearest watering hole, arriving just in time to watch her gracefully slink away and disappear — delighting, then deflating, her thousands of fans expectantly watching via livestream. We had found Tlalamba, the Queen of Djuma, a female leopard whose physical territory amounts to a patch of bushveld near South Africa’s Kruger National Park but whose digital dominion spans the globe. That’s thanks to WildEarth, a TV channel that for 17 years has broadcast live safari drives from Djuma Game Reserve and other wilderness areas across South Africa. Those virtual safaris have turned Tlalamba and the leopards of Djuma into internet royalty, with five-figure Facebook follower counts and millions of views on YouTube, and fans increasingly willing to fly thousands of miles (and spend as many dollars) for the chance to have an audience with them. During each safari livestream, a command center continuously filters and relays viewers’ questions to the presenters to answer in real time, creating an interactive experience. Among WildEarth fans, Djuma’s resident lion coalitions and hyena clans also have scores of devoted followers. But the leopard — solitary, mysterious and mesmerizing — is inevitably the star of the show. Wild leopards are typically skittish, and in many of Africa’s national parks and reserves, a leopard sighting is an extraordinary event. But Djuma, WildEarth’s longtime home base, sits in the Sabi Sand Nature Reserve, an association of privately owned game reserves renowned for its excellent leopard viewing — and for its exclusive, high-end safari lodges. Rates at Mala Mala and Londolozi, which pioneered the practice of tracking, identifying and naming the area’s leopards half a century ago, start at around $1,300 per person per night. When WildEarth livestreamed its first virtual game drive in 2007, expanding on the original concept of the Djuma Dam Cam (a live waterhole camera that’s been running since 1998), it opened up this expensive corner of African wilderness to anyone with an internet connection. WildEarth began offering its own safari trips to Djuma guided by the program’s presenters in 2019, and the response was immediate. The first trip’s eight available spots, each priced at around $12,600, sold out in three minutes. The pandemic shut down WildEarth’s real-life safari business almost overnight. But its effect on the virtual safaris was equally profound. In a week, WildEarth’s YouTube audience numbers increased tenfold, from about 1,000 viewers at a time up to 10,000. Today, the channel counts seven million monthly viewers. WildEarth’s most devoted fans know Djuma’s big cat dynamics and leopard lineages as intimately as the channel’s presenters, and there’s a near-constant stream of communication on social media about which cats have mated with each other and who is having whose cubs. Territorial standoffs, cats sizing each other up and even fights over breakfast are all caught on camera. For avid viewers, it can be agonizing to miss even a moment of livestreamed leopard interaction. “There’s a huge case of FOMO when you’re not in touch,” said Lisa Antell, 63, of Greenwich, Conn., who tries to keep close tabs on the reserve’s leopards both online and on the ground. (As of her most recent safari last September, she has seen more than 100 different leopards in the wild.) For Dawn Borden, 58, who started watching WildEarth with her young son “instead of ‘Blue’s Clues’” at home in Jackson, N.J., Tingana the leopard quickly became a favorite, and the pair followed him for years. In 2019, when WildEarth ran a sweepstakes offering a spot on its first safari to Djuma, Ms. Borden entered and won, sending her to Africa for the first time. She saw Tingana in her first hour of being at Djuma. “Tears immediately came to my eyes,” she said. (WildEarth’s last sighting of Tingana was in 2021.) Djuma Game Reserve’s owners have since closed their commercial safari camps to reduce their ecological footprint, a move that forced WildEarth to relocate its Sabi Sands home base to a neighboring property earlier this year. But these changes haven’t stopped fans from visiting nearby lodges whose vehicles are allowed onto Djuma, in the hopes of encountering their favorite WildEarth characters (both feline and human) while out on safari. Last year, WildEarth launched a dedicated safari company called WildEarth Travel, which sold out its full 2024 run of trips — including an eight-night Grand Tour designed to be the ultimate fan experience, guided by five veteran WildEarth presenters, including viewer favorite James Hendry. Ms. Borden booked her spot on the Grand Tour hoping she’d see Tlalamba, Tingana’s daughter, who now has a cub of her own. The Queen of Djuma graciously granted her fans an audience. One morning, spotting a leopard’s tail dangling out of a distant tree, the group approached to see who it belonged to. Ms. Borden recognized Tlalamba before Mr. Hendry had said a word. Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2025. Source link #Meet #Leopards #YouTube #WildEarths #Livestreamed #Safaris Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

In ‘Operation Mincemeat,’ the Crack Timing Required to Put on a Show In ‘Operation Mincemeat,’ the Crack Timing Required to Put on a Show “Operation Mincemeat,” a Tony Award nominee for best musical, tells the absurdly improbable true story of how a tiny group of misfits in British intelligence diverted the ******* army in World War II. It’s a comic tale of a plan always on the verge of falling apart, and that’s how it is represented theatrically. “The show works at the knife edge of what we’re capable of,” said David ********, a member of SpitLip, the British theater collective that performs — and wrote and composed — the musical. “It’s the energy of ‘They’re barely pulling this off,’ and to be honest, we barely are.” Just as the story is hard to believe — a corpse planted with plans for a fictitious Allied invasion of Sardinia threw the Germans off the actual attack on Sicily? — so is the idea that a mere cast of five can tell it, shuffling through a total of 82 characters often across gender and mostly at the speed of farce. Like the military operation it portrays, the theatrical one requires elaborate planning. For this reason, “Operation Mincemeat,” which was a hit on the West End before opening on Broadway in March, is one of the most tightly choreographed shows imaginable. The performers are in nearly constant motion onstage — acting, singing, dancing, changing costumes and characters, tossing and catching props and rolling pieces of the set around, all in exact coordination with one another, the lighting and the music. The choreography behind the scenes is equally involved and precise, as I learned when I visited backstage at the Golden Theater during a recent matinee. There was no safe place to stand and watch. My attentive chaperone — Beau Lettieri, the assistant stage manager — had to keep me moving to stay out of the way. The backstage area is cramped and densely populated. Along with three stage managers, there are four dressers, three prop handlers, two carpenters, two electricians and at times a hair supervisor. Every inch of wall space seems to be lined with set pieces on wheels, each accessorized with hidden props. The wings are festooned with yet more easy-to-grab hats, umbrellas, newspapers. The place looks like an overstuffed curio shop. “If someone is ever in a slightly different position, you’re thrown off,” said Natasha Hodgson, a writer-performer whose main character is the entitled aristocrat Ewen Montagu. But apart from the stage manager who calls the technical cues, no one has a fixed position. Neither do the set pieces, costumes or props. It’s not just that everything must be in the right place; everything must be in exactly the right place at exactly the right time. “It’s constantly a new puzzle,” Lettieri said. So for me, an open spot was open only for a moment. I had to stay out of the path of the performers, who were whooshing past, undoing the Velcro and magnets of one costume, stepping into a new one and hurrying back onstage, often while contributing vocal harmony to the song in progress. But I also had to avoid the stagehands, who were sliding into position at the exact moment to catch a prop thrown by an onstage actor, and the dressers, who were carefully laying out the next costume and perching hats on their own heads (or hats) for easy access. At its most intricate, this process was like an assembly line, as when three actors circling through had framed portraits hung on their necks so that they might momentarily play admirals. They barely stopped moving before they were back out on the battlefield. This backstage action is strictly coordinated with what’s happening onstage, even as preparations are underway for what will happen later. The stagehands move the largest (and noisiest) set pieces only on the loudest bars of music or right after the jokes that reliably get the biggest laughs. During the quietest, most somber moments of the show — it has a few — all is still and silent. “Everyone knows the flow,” Lettieri said. Which is why in spite of all the motion, the mood was calm. Cast members knew when they had time to catch their breath and down some water. Crew members knew when to check email or play a game on their phones. As in most Broadway shows, “Operation Mincemeat” has backstage rituals, like the second act striptease that Jak Malone (who plays the secretary Hester Leggatt and has been nominated for best actor in a featured role) performs for the dressers and stagehands, unbuttoning and peeling off a lab coat in time with the music then tossing it onto a hanger. Being allowed backstage was like being shown a magician’s secrets. When an actor holding a closed umbrella onstage suddenly had an open one, I could see how the swap was managed. But the essence of “Operation Mincemeat” is visible to all. Audiences can see it, for example, in the closing number of the first act, when the cast alternates between being one set of characters in a nightclub and another in a submarine. The change is effected by nothing more than sailor’s watch caps and flashlights (or, in British parlance, torches). This scene was part of the show from its very beginning, when SpitLip (soon joined by Malone and Claire-Marie Hall, who plays the ambitious clerk Jean Leslie) debuted the first versions of “Mincemeat” at a series of tiny theaters in London. “I remember swapping with the hat and torch the first time and thinking this is impossible,” said Zoë Roberts, who plays John Bevan, the colonel in charge of the operation, as well Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond. “But then you get dexterous at that, and you go, ‘Well, what could we do to push this?’ And you start adding in.” Hodgson said, “That number is still the most dangerous area.” “I think every single one of us has dropped torches,” she added. “But we all have torch sonar now. If one falls, we immediately know whose it is and who has to pick it up and pass it to someone else to get it to the right person in time.” “If something goes wrong,” ******** said, “there’s suddenly a second show happening between the five of us working out how to fix things.” “There’s actually two versions of that,” Malone added. “One is when something goes wrong, and we as a hive mind have solved it and the audience will never know. The other is when something has gone wrong, and we decide, ‘Let’s be silly.’” These actors have been playing these roles long enough that they can respond to mishaps — like phone cords getting tangled — and improvise in character. “In those moments, the characters expand a little,” Roberts said. Not that there is much room for expansion or contraction. In rehearsals, if someone came up with an idea for a tiny change, the group would have to talk through what the domino effect would be on the show’s next 10 or 20 minutes. If the director, Robert Hastie, thought a scene was dragging and wanted to speed it up, the actors might have practical objections. “I was like, ‘Rob, I’m changing an entire character in four seconds. Please don’t make it two,’” Roberts said. There is also danger, though, in the operation getting too smooth. During the initial West End run — it’s still playing there with different performers — the cast became too adept at one of the more complicated sequences, during which they manically switch between two different locales. Hastie made them do it faster. “We sometimes have to chuck spanners into the works,” Hastie said. “Because if the audience feels like you’re coasting, then they’ll stop enjoying the perfect synchronicity of form and content. It’s also a basic of comedy that it’s funnier to watch people barely succeeding than to watch them gliding.” Compared to the intricacy of the staging, the choreography in the narrow sense is, except for one K-pop-inspired number, simple: music-hall box steps, grapevines. “They’re not dancers,” said Jenny Arnold, the show’s choreographer. “You go with what they’re comfortable with, and then you can gradually build from that, and they end up doing things they never thought they would.” And yet the whole show, ******** said, is “a five-person dance.” The actors approach their roles physically. “There are so many damn character changes that you don’t have time to say, ‘What is my back story?’ You think, ‘What is the shape of this body?’ And you can’t be lost in your own little character’s world because you always have to be aware of what everyone else is doing.” This collective performance distinguishes “Mincemeat” from the recent spate of shows, like “The Picture of Dorian Gray” and “Vanya,” in which one actor plays many roles. “It’s a show where you’re always thinking about the other people onstage,” Hodgson said. “Everyone is both lead and chorus, and you really can’t have an ego because it requires five minds to work as one.” This is another sense in which form and content mesh. As the lyrics of a sea-shanty-like song in the show say, “If it’s down, it’s down together / If it’s up, it’s up as one.” “Sometimes people truly don’t believe that there are only five of us,” ******** said. “Except that there aren’t only five now,” Hodgson added, referring to the crew. And to sustain “Operation Mincemeat” over a Broadway run of eight shows a week, understudies are also needed. Since each actor plays so many roles, what Hodgson or ******** does in the show is called a “track.” An actor learning a track must memorize all the details of the choreography, onstage and off, down to the optimal order in which to stuff props into a pocket. And each of the five understudies must learn multiple tracks. On May 1, the same day that the Tony nominations were announced, Jessi Kirtley made her Broadway debut in the “Jean” track. The news that she would be going on came to her a few hours before curtain, as she was in a harness rehearsing the “Montagu” track (which involves being hoisted in the air). “It was wild,” Kirtley said. “The other actors told me, ‘We can cover anything.’” During the club-submarine number, Kirtley’s cap fell out of her pocket. Hodgson “slyly picked it up and threw it behind her back to Jak, who threw it behind his back to me, and I caught it just when I needed it,” she said. Source link #Operation #Mincemeat #Crack #Timing #Required #Put #Show Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Global chip and tech stocks rally as U.S. and China agree tariff cut Global chip and tech stocks rally as U.S. and China agree tariff cut HANGZHOU, CHINA – JUNE 3, 2024 – The NVIDIA logo and the Apple logo are pictured in Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province, China, June 6, 2024. On June 5, Eastern time, Nvidia’s stock market value exceeded $3 trillion, officially surpassing Apple’s market value and becoming the world’s second largest technology giant by market value. It is worth noting that in just over 3 months, Nvidia’s market value soared from $2 trillion to $3 trillion. (Photo credit should read CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images) Cfoto | Future Publishing | Getty Images Global technology and chip stocks rallied on Monday after the U.S. and China agreed to pause most tariffs on each other’s goods. Technology stocks — such as semiconductor firms and smartphone makers — have been hit hard as trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies threatened to disrupt supply chains and hurt some of the biggest U.S. businesses. But investors breathed a sigh of relief after talks between the U.S. and China over the weekend yielded a temporary pause in “reciprocal” tariffs. In the U.S., Nvidia, which still faces a number of restrictions on the chips it is allowed to ship to China, was around 4% higher in premarket trade, while AMD was up 5%. Broadcom was also around 5% higher, along with Qualcomm. Other companies in the semiconductor supply chain also jumped. Marvell, which last week postponed a previously scheduled investor day due to macroeconomic uncertainty, surged 7.5% in premarket trade. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world’s largest chipmaker, saw its U.S.-listed shares jump around 4% in the premarket. TSMC’s Taiwan-listed stock closed before the tariff announcement. In Europe, ASML, a supplier of critical machinery required to manufacture the most advanced chips, rallied 4.5% in early trade. Infineon was also sharply higher. Semiconductors and some electronics received an exemption from President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs last month, but the U.S. signaled the reprieve was temporary and that these products could still be in line for special duties. Investors have been concerned about the impact on major tech stocks, especially those with exposure to China such as Apple and Amazon, whose shares have been under pressure this year. Apple, which still makes 90% of its iPhones in China, said during its earnings report this month that it expects tariffs will add $900 million to its costs for the current quarter. Amazon was up more than 6% in premarket trade Monday. Many sellers on Amazon rely on ******** products. U.S.-listed ******** tech stocks also surged. ******** e-commerce giants Alibaba and JD.com were higher, alongside internet firm Baidu. “With US/China clearly on an accelerated path for a broader deal we believe new highs for the market and tech stocks are now on the table in 2025 as investors will likely focus on the next steps in these trade discussions which will happen over the coming months,” Daniel Ives, global head of technology research at Wedbush Securities, said in a note on Monday. “This morning is a huge win for the bulls and a best case scenario post this weekend in our view.” Source link #Global #chip #tech #stocks #rally #U.S #China #agree #tariff #cut Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

India admits it suffered losses during Pakistan clashes India admits it suffered losses during Pakistan clashes India has admitted for the first time that it suffered losses during recent clashes with Pakistan. Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi on Sunday, an Indian Air Force marshal said the losses were a normal consequence of military operations but did not clarify whether he was referring to aircraft, equipment, or personnel. The two countries agreed to a full ceasefire on Saturday, four days after India launched air strikes on nine suspected terror locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Days of cross-border military strikes preceded the ceasefire – which Donald Trump, the US president, claimed he brokered – marking the most significant military confrontation between the two rivals in decades. “We are in a combat scenario, there will be losses,” Air Marshal AK Bharti said on Sunday. “The question you must ask is whether we achieved our objective of dismantling terrorist infrastructure. The answer is a thumping yes.” Pakistani officials claimed that its air force shot down multiple Indian fighter jets, including three Rafale aircraft, an Su-30, and a MiG-29. India has refused to confirm or deny those claims. A French intelligence source confirmed to CNN that at least one Rafale had been lost. Two US officials also told Reuters that a top ********-made Pakistani fighter plane shot down at least two Indian military aircraft on May 7, marking a major milestone for Beijing’s advanced fighter jet. If confirmed, the downing of Rafale aircraft would be embarrassing for India, given that the jets were purchased as part of a high-profile defence deal and are viewed as a cornerstone of its strategic air capabilities. Mr Bharti on Sunday continued to insist that damage by Pakistan was “minimal”, which involved Islamabad launching a series of drone strikes. “These came in waves over our civilian areas and military installations. All of them were successfully intercepted. While a few did manage to land, the damage they caused was minimal,” he said on Sunday. Mr Bharti also said that India had sent a clear message that aggression would not be tolerated, adding: “All our pilots are back home.” India launched air strikes in response to a deadly terrorist attack on April 22 that killed 26 tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on Islamabad-backed militants. After four days of military exchanges, both sides agreed to halt hostilities on Saturday, which the White House took credit for brokering. Mr Trump later praised both countries and offered to mediate talks between New Delhi and Islamabad, which has caused anger in India. Students at a school in Mumbai hold portraits of Modi and Trump as they celebrate the ceasefire – Rajanish Kakade/AP The US president also said he wanted to increase trade with India and Pakistan, adding: “Additionally, I will work with you both to see if … a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir.” His remarks provoked unease in India, where supporters of Narendra Modi’s government and opposition leaders have long rejected third-party intervention. Pakistan has sought to internationalise the long-running dispute over the contested territory, but India has always insisted the issue can only be resolved through direct talks. Following Mr Trump’s remarks, Priyanka Chaturvedi, the Indian opposition MP, said: “We don’t need US intervention or that of any other country to find a solution on Kashmir. Destiny has given us that responsibility and India must rise up to that challenge.” Rahul Gandhi, the opposition Congress leader, called for a joint session of parliament to “discuss today’s ceasefire first announced by the US”. New Delhi officials carefully avoided acknowledging Mr Trump’s claim of securing the ceasefire. The exact details of Washington’s role were not immediately clear, with an Indian government source telling AFP that the ceasefire had been worked out bilaterally. “The stoppage of firing and military action between India and Pakistan was worked out directly between the two countries,” they said. The fragile ceasefire continued to hold on Sunday, despite early signs that it had been broken by artillery fire at various positions along the Line of Control, the militarised border dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Source link #India #admits #suffered #losses #Pakistan #clashes Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Ozempic Comes for the Group Dinner Ozempic Comes for the Group Dinner Michael Foote was at dinner with three friends at Soothr, a Thai restaurant in the East Village of Manhattan, when he looked up and noticed he was the only one eating. “We had all ordered all this food, and we were all sharing everything,” he said, “but I was chowing down, and my friends were all taking these little baby bites.” All of his dining companions were on GLP-1s, a class of drugs that are increasingly used for weight loss. Most people who take them report feeling hungry less often, and when they do eat, they can feel extremely full after a few bites. Mr. Foote, a lawyer, said that the majority of his friends are on these medications, creating a new dynamic when they go out to eat. They usually order appetizers and entrees to share; his friends will take a few bites, and he will finish the rest. “I am a 6-foot-4, 210-pound guy, and I get quite hungry,” said Mr. Foote, 36, with a laugh. They still dine out often, “even though it’s a complete charade for them.” As long as they still split the bill — which they usually do — he is fine with the arrangement. “I think if I were a more self-conscious person, I would care that I was the only person being a little Miss Piggy over here,” he said. “But I love food. Some people eat to live. I love to eat.” Morgan Stanley Research analysts estimate that 24 million people, or seven percent of Americans, will be taking a GLP-1 by 2035. As weight-loss drugs soar in popularity, diners on and off them are wrestling with a number of restaurant etiquette quandaries, and in some cases changing their dining habits as a result. Diners on GLP-1s are figuring out which types of restaurants they feel comfortable visiting; how to leave food on their plates without insulting the chef or their dining companions; and how to get the most value out of the experience. Those not on the drugs are contending with the pros and cons of going out with people who don’t do much eating. “There is a social component to this,” said David Wiss, a nutritionist in Los Angeles with a Ph.D. in public health. “We are in a ******* of flux and change, and people are learning how to navigate this.” Nine months ago, Will Farmer, a talent agent in London, started taking the diabetes drug Mounjaro, a GLP-1 that many have used off-label to lose weight. Shorty after, he went to a 10-course tasting meal for a work event and could only eat a little of each course. “I was eating a quarter of a Scotch egg,” he said. The restaurant emailed the event’s host to ask if everything was OK. “They were worried I found the food disgusting,” said Mr. Farmer, 34. Now he eats only at restaurants that serve family-style dishes or small plates so it isn’t as obvious when he doesn’t finish his food. “If you go to a steak restaurant, it’s weird if you leave most of it,” he said. “But when we are all sharing, the food disappears and it’s not this individual shame of leaving food behind.” As a self-described foodie and a wine and spirits publicist in New York City, Lauren Wire loves to go out to eat and order a lot of dishes. “I want to try everything,” she said. But as soon as she sits down, she warns everyone from the server to her dining companions that she is on a GLP-1. “The chef might come out to say hi, or I might be on a date, and I will joke that I need a box because I am on Ozempic,” said Ms. Wire, 36. “I don’t want them to think I don’t like the food, and also I want to normalize this.” It’s all worth the leftovers: She likes that she can save money and enjoy the same amount of food over a longer stretch of time. Ms. Wire thinks those who dine with her and are not on the drugs only benefit. “I still over order, and then they get to eat more of my food,” she said, laughing. Non-dinner meetings have been the hardest for Joseph Suchodolski, a fashion consultant in New York City who has taken Mounjaro for more than two years to treat his diabetes. He tends to snack during the day, and will often insist on having just a coffee at a breakfast meeting. But during a recent morning meeting in Los Angeles, he learned his companion was also on a GLP-1. “We both ordered breakfast, and we were just moving it around the plate,” said Mr. Suchodolski, 38. When they finally shared why, they started laughing and opening up. Dr. Wiss said it’s important for patients who are new to GLP-1s to consider how they might handle social situations that can arise from eating less in public. “When people stop drinking alcohol, for example, it’s helpful for them to think through how they will respond when people offer them a drink or a waiter is disappointed they don’t order wine,” he said. “We are seeing that recreated with food.” Some people say GLP-1s have improved the experience of eating at restaurants, though. After struggling with childhood obesity, Jackson Lemay, a content creator in Atlanta, used to feel anxious that he was eating too fast or too much while dining out. He would obsess over the menu before he got to the restaurant and shame himself if he ordered something unhealthy or too large. After taking a GLP-1 for a year and a half, that “food noise” is gone “It has made me feel more confident in eating in public,” said Mr. Lemay, 27. He has never enjoyed restaurants as much as he does now. There are some people not on the drugs who refuse to dine out with people on them, though they were hesitant to say so on the record. They say they’re embarrassed by full plates sent back to the kitchen, or insecure about eating more than the person across the table. But Nathaly del Carmen loves being around people with smaller appetites. Her mother, sister and many of her friends are on GLP-1s, and she estimates that at least one person at her table is on them whenever she dines out. Ms. del Carmen, a marketing manager in New York, said she finds herself mirroring the behavior of those on the drugs, which means she eats less and doesn’t feel pressure to finish her meal if she isn’t hungry. “It helps me with impulse control,” she said. Emerging research shows GLP-1s may also curb one’s appetite for alcohol. Ms. del Carmen, 31, said some of her friends on the drugs cannot have more than one or two drinks without getting violently ill, which helps her drink less. “They are the opposite of the one friend who eggs you on to drink more or have one more martini.” Follow New York Times Cooking on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Pinterest. Get regular updates from New York Times Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice. Source link #Ozempic #Group #Dinner Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump Heads to the Middle East With a Single Goal: Deals, Deals, Deals Trump Heads to the Middle East With a Single Goal: Deals, Deals, Deals When American presidents visit the Middle East, they usually arrive with a strategic vision for the region, even if it seems a far reach. Jimmy Carter pushed Egypt and Israel to a historic peace accord. Bill Clinton tried and failed with Yasir Arafat, the ************ leader. George W. Bush imagined his war on terrorism would ultimately lead to democratization in the region. Barack Obama went to Cairo “to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world.” President Trump will tour the Gulf this week in search of one thing above all else: business deals. Planes. Nuclear power. Artificial intelligence investments. Arms. Anything that puts a signature on the bottom of a page. While planning the first major overseas trip of his second term, a four-day swing through Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Mr. Trump told his advisers that he wanted to announce deals that would be worth more than $1 trillion. As a branding exercise it makes perfect sense. Surrounded by resource-rich royals and American business executives, Mr. Trump, who likes to brag about his deal-making skills, will scrawl his Sharpie over term sheets, and lots of them. He will visit palaces, walk on red carpets and be treated like a king in a region that is increasingly vital to the Trump family’s financial interests. Yet as a strategic exercise, the trip’s purpose remains foggy. During his 2017 journey to the region, Mr. Trump made waves by rallying dozens of leaders from majority-******* countries to confront and denounce extremism. It is unclear what foreign policy goals, if any, will be advanced on this visit. During the Biden administration, negotiations over selling Saudi Arabia billions of dollars in civilian nuclear equipment — and the ability to enrich their own uranium — were tied to a diplomatic objective: persuading Riyadh to recognize Israel, envisioned by the Americans as an extension of the Abraham Accords, which Mr. Trump has described as the biggest diplomatic achievement of his first term. Now, the negotiation appears to be moving forward, slowly, as a stand-alone business deal. Mr. Trump’s aides insist he still wants to broker a normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel. But with the war in Gaza still raging, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia has no interest in publicly embracing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. And Mr. Trump’s current interest in tying himself to Mr. Netanyahu is not much greater than the crown prince’s. So a stop in Israel did not make it onto his itinerary. There will be no meeting in Riyadh between Mr. Trump and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, as Mr. Trump had once hoped. And the Trump team has been cagey about the status of its nuclear diplomacy with Iran, not wanting to upset negotiations that have been happening behind closed doors in Oman, a country Mr. Trump is not visiting on this trip. “Going to the Middle East right now is more about economics, not strategy,” said Dennis B. Ross, a longtime Middle East peace negotiator now at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “He clearly likes these kinds of trips that have announcements of big deals, because this is his preoccupation. His focus, his priority, is much more on the economic, financial side of things.” In place of grand strategy will be a series of financial transactions that Mr. Trump will promote as producing jobs for American workers. The agenda conveniently aligns with Mr. Trump’s expanding business plans. His family has six pending deals with a majority Saudi-owned real estate firm, a cryptocurrency deal with an affiliate of the government of the United Arab Emirates and a new golf and luxury villa project backed by the government of Qatar. The Qataris are going to great lengths to court Mr. Trump. The Trump administration is poised to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 plane as a donation from the Qatari royal family that will be upgraded to serve as Air Force One, in possibly the biggest foreign gift ever received by the U.S. government, several American officials with knowledge of the matter said. The plan under discussion raises substantial ethical issues, especially given that Mr. Trump could use the $400 million plane after he leaves office, receiving it as a donation to his presidential library. (The White House press secretary said Sunday that any deal would comply with the law, and Qatari officials said it was still under review.) Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar manage trillions of dollars in assets around the world, and have increasingly become diplomatic and financial forces to reckon with. But their foreign policies have diverged from America’s in recent years. The three countries have forged close ties with China, Russia and Iran in addition to the United States, which remains their indispensable defense ally and operates military bases in their territories. For Prince Mohammed, the president’s decision to make the kingdom one of the destinations of his first major trip abroad — for a second time — lends validation to his belief that Saudi Arabia is a rising global power, with a gravitational pull that powerful leaders cannot ignore. As Mr. Trump visits these authoritarian states, he can feel assured he will not be subject to the sort of protests and hostility he would expect if he visited some of America’s allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, like Canada or Germany, where he is deeply unpopular. The royal families of the Gulf know better than anybody how to speak Mr. Trump’s language. He raved for years about his gilded reception in Saudi Arabia in 2017, in his first foreign trip as president. They projected a multistory image of Mr. Trump’s face onto the facade of Riyadh’s Ritz-Carlton hotel, where Prince Mohammed later imprisoned opponents. American flags lined the highways, the country singer Toby Keith performed for a full house of Saudi fans and Mr. Trump joined in a traditional sword dance. During a visit to a center for countering extremism, the president placed his hands on a glowing orb alongside King Salman of Saudi Arabia and President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt. Yet Mr. Trump left office in 2021 believing that the crown prince owed him. He had come to Prince Mohammed’s defense at a time when Western elites were shunning him after the ******* of the Washington Post columnist and Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi. While Prince Mohammed denied knowing about the killing in 2018, the C.I.A. assessed that he was likely to have approved the mission by Saudi assassins, and there was a bipartisan outcry in Washington. But Mr. Trump, after declaring that he would follow the evidence and take action against Mr. Khashoggi’s killers, stood by Prince Mohammed and took credit for rescuing him. “I saved his ****,” Mr. Trump told the journalist Bob Woodward in early 2020. “I was able to get Congress to leave him alone. I was able to get them to stop.” The crown prince has returned the favor. No part of the world has been more important to the rising financial well-being of the Trump family than the Middle East, particularly since 2021, in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, after which Mr. Trump and his relatives were treated as pariahs by much of America’s corporate community. It was in that climate that Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law and his former senior White House adviser, started his own investment fund. His biggest financier became Prince Mohammed. Six months after Mr. Kushner left the White House, the crown prince overrode concerns from his investment advisers and ensured that the Saudi sovereign wealth fund invested $2 billion with Mr. Kushner’s company, making the Saudis by far its largest investor. Mr. Trump had his own problems at the time. He was furious when the P.G.A. of America voted, after the Capitol riot, to strip his New Jersey golf course of the P.G.A. Championship. This was far more than a financial blow; it was personally painful for Mr. Trump. Golf is central to the Trump brand, and there was no ******* stamp of approval than hosting the P.G.A. Championship event at Trump National in Bedminster, N.J. Fortuitously, in 2021, the same sovereign wealth fund that had invested $2 billion with Mr. Kushner — the Public Investment Fund — started the breakaway LIV Golf. The Saudis spent millions poaching top P.G.A. golfers, and the new circuit posed a significant threat to the PGA Tour before the two sides signed a preliminary partnership deal in 2023. The timing was perfect for Mr. Trump, and he saw an opportunity to put his golf courses back on the world map. LIV Golf has held tournaments at Mr. Trump’s courses for four consecutive years, raising the international profile of Mr. Trump’s golf resorts and driving revenue to his hotels and restaurants. Mr. Trump’s family also has signed deals with a majority Saudi-owned real estate company to build projects in Jeddah, in Dubai and in Muscat, Oman, among other locations. On Tuesday, when Mr. Trump is scheduled to arrive, the Saudi government is planning to host an investment forum with the White House crypto czar David Sacks and other American business leaders, including the chief executives of IBM, BlackRock, Citigroup, Palantir and Qualcomm, a semiconductor company. Prince Mohammed has pledged to invest $600 billion in the United States over the next four years — a number that economists say is highly unlikely to materialize as the kingdom grapples with a cash crunch. The Emiratis have pledged $1.4 trillion in U.S. investment over 10 years. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the ruler of the United Arab Emirates, has increasingly struck out on his own path. The country’s growing links with both American rivals like China and expanding economies like India are in preparation for a world that may someday be no longer dominated by the United States. But the Gulf leaders appreciate Mr. Trump’s transactional nature. The American president, they have found, does not lecture them about human rights. Eric Lipton and Maggie Haberman contributed reporting from Washington. Source link #Trump #Heads #Middle #East #Single #Goal #Deals #Deals #Deals Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]