Pelican Press

Will you get those days off? Will you get those days off? President Donald Trump proclaimed in a post on his social media site Monday, May 5, that there will be two new holidays, each commemorating the end of WWI and WWII. “All over the World, the Allies are celebrating the Victory we had in World War II. The only Country that doesn’t celebrate is the United States of America, and the Victory was only accomplished because of us,” Trump said in the post, referring to Victory in Europe Day on May 8, which is celebrated throughout Europe. “I am hereby declaring a National Holiday in celebration of the Victories of World War I, where the Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, and World War II, where the Victory date was May 8, 1945,” he said. Trump has said previously that he wants to call May 8 “Victory Day for World War II,” and Nov. 11 as “Victory Day for World War I,” with the latter coinciding with the federally-recognized Veterans Day holiday. But a post on Truth Social does not make a federal holiday, nor does a new holiday translate into an automatic day off. Here’s what to know. Veteran’s Day no longer? Trump says he wants to change the holiday’s name Is May 8 now a national holiday? Do you have to work on May 8? Trump promised in his post that documentation to officially designate the two new “Victory” holidays is coming, but warned outright Americans will not be excused from work. “We will not be closing the Country for these two very important Holidays, November 11 and May 8, World War I and World War II, because we already have too many Holidays in America,” he wrote. “There are not enough days left in the year. We were Workers then, and we are Workers now!” May 8 is not a federal holiday in the United States, though it is recognized as Victory in Europe Day in several European countries. It marks the ******* during WWII when Germany surrendered to allied forces − a defeat significantly aided by the involvement of the United States and its military. Trump said in a post on Truth Social on May 5, days before the proposed holiday, that the United States should also celebrate what Europe calls “VE” Day. A child riding piggyback holds a U.S. flag during the annual Veteran’s Day Parade in New York City, U.S., November 11, 2024. Trump’s fixation on national holidays, new and old Trump’s post this week is not the first time he has announced a new holiday or a change to an existing, federally recognized one. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Feb. 9 declaring that date the inaugural “Gulf of America Day.” A map with the Gulf of America written on it is displayed as President Donald Trump holds a pen on the day he signs an executive order related to the U.S. live entertainment ticketing industry in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., March 31, 2025. In an April 27 post on Truth Social, Trump said he’s “bringing Columbus Day back from the ashes,” referring to the recent step away from celebrating the controversial explorer in order to focus on Indigenous People’s Day. Former President Joe Biden was the first president to recognized Indigenous Peoples Day in a 2021 proclamation. It falls on the second Monday in October. What are the 12 federally-recognized holidays? Federal holidays − including their names − are created through the legislative process in Congress. Technically, federal holidays are applicable only to federal employees and the District of Columbia, meaning states individually determine their legal holidays, according to the Congressional Research Service. Veterans Day is one of 12 federal holidays in 2025, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Here is the full list of days most federal workers, and many Americans working in the private sector, have off: Jan. 20: Martin Luther King Jr. Day July 4: Independence Day or July Fourth Nov. 27: Thanksgiving Day Contributing: Melina Khan, Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY. Kathryn Palmer is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at *****@*****.tld and on X @KathrynPlmr. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump announces new holidays on May 8 and Nov. 11, but don’t skip work Source link #days Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s New Patch Nerfs The Strongest Party Member Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s New Patch Nerfs The Strongest Party Member Sandfall Interactive and Kepler Interactive have released Patch 1.2.3 for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and it nerfs Maelle, a party member who can deal absolutely massive amounts of damage with the right character build. Expedition 33 is a turn-based RPG, and each party member acquired over the course of the game has a set of abilities that offer up a distinct playstyle. Maelle’s abilities center around switching between Offensive, Defensive, and Virtuose stances to maximize defense or damage. But a powerful late-game ability called Stendahl was a little too powerful, and with the right Pictos equipped, players can deal several million in damage using this ability. On May 8, the developers admitted that they made Stendahl a little too powerful and would nerf it in the next patch. Now that the patch notes are here, Stendahl damage has been reduced by a whopping 40%. While that’s a pretty massive nerf, Maelle’s Medalum weapon now doubles all damage in Virtuose stance. This patch also brings improved widescreen support with it, and gets rid of a lot of areas where players could get stuck while exploring the world map. Don’t expect this to be the final balance pass for Expedition 33 either, as the patch notes tease that more is on the way. “This is the first in a series of patches we are looking to do over the coming months,” Sandfall Interactive says. “We are still investigating many feature requests and issues for future updates.” You can read the Patch 1.2.3 notes below: Steam Deck Fixed backgrounds of various menus not displaying properly on the Steam Deck Xbox Game Pass PC GAMEPASS: PS5 controllers are now compatible Various Ultrawide Fixes Gameplay no longer becomes zoomed after a cutscene occurs in ultrawide resolutions The Options menu image will no longer be stretched in ultrawide resolutions Combat UI now adapts correctly to ultrawide resolutions Game will no longer minimize upon changing settings in ultrawide resolution Cutscenes won’t letterbox in 32:9 aspect ratio Title screen now displays fullscreen when the game is launched in ultrawide resolution Mouse and Keyboard UI button prompts in Expedition Menu are now visible and fully able to be triggered with Keyboard Mouse buttons do not become unresponsive after first use With mouse cursor on screen, using ‘WSAD’ or directional arrows to navigate in UI or trigger any other functionality will no longer hide the cursor instead of doing the intended action Left Mouse-button click will no longer block the player from using Keyboard to navigate menus Mouse input is not lost after the first Jump counter attack if it is pressed only once Each year, the number decreases, erasing more lives. Soon, she will mark “33.” When she does, we will embark on our final mission—to destroy the Paintress and end her deadly cycle for good. Fixed areas of the world map where you can get stuck: Between lanterns scattered on the ground near Stone Wave Cliff portal While walking on the ship wreck near the Forgotten Battlefield level entrance Between lanterns on the ground near Bourgeon encounter next to Stone Wave Cliffs level Between two small rocks located between Spring Meadows and Abbest Cave Between vases and corals when jumping from rooftopps Between various rocks In ruins behind Flying Manor level entrance Near the bridge between Flying Waters and Spring Meadows In the rocks on the World Map, near Flying Waters Next to hardened land, close to the Flying Waters location exit Fixed situations where Esquie specifically would get stuck (poor guy): When taking off from paint bridges, making him fall through the bridge and restrict movement When flying into bottom parts of levitating structures near Visages Near the Flying Waters entrance level Near a giant hammer when traversing close to Blades’ Graveyard level Weapon and skill fixes and tuning: Fixed Lithelim attribute scaling not working at high level. Reduced initial Vitality scaling from A to C (will still end at S at max level). Added Luck scaling starting at D. Fixed Blizzon attribute scaling not working at high level. Reduced initial Luck scaling from B to C (will still end at S at max level). Added Defense scaling starting at D. Fixed Medalum third Lumina doubling all damage in Virtuose Stance instead of doubling only Burn damage. Stendhal: Reduced damage by 40%. Other fixes Boss encounter in Stone Wave Cliffs can now be finished on NG+ You will no longer be blocked by the Journal UI window after opening the first Journal in the Spring Meadows Fixed being unable to shoot in Free aim while exploring levels due to worn triggers Lune and Monoco no longer spawn in same place during end of theirs Level 6 relationship quests if they are completed without going to camp If at camp you pick “remember the objective”, then quickly choose to “go to sleep” and immediately after press “leave”, the screen no longer goes ****** You can no longer trigger the “Discovering the truth” cutscene in Old Lumière a second time in a row, splitting the party forever with only Verso and Maelle in it. Update to rolling credits Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is available for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. You can try it out through Xbox Game Pass if you aren’t already one of the 2 million people who have bought the game. Source link #Clair #Obscur #Expedition #33s #Patch #Nerfs #Strongest #Party #Member Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Here’s how China agreed to come to the table on Trump’s tariffs – National Here’s how China agreed to come to the table on Trump’s tariffs – National Since U.S. President Donald Trump imposed steep tariffs on China last month, Beijing has responded in kind. On state and social media, it posted images of Mao Zedong, lambasted “imperialists,” and sent a message: capitulation to bullies is dangerous, and it wouldn’t back down. But behind closed doors, ******** officials have grown increasingly alarmed about tariffs’ impact on the economy and the risk of isolation as China’s trading partners have started negotiating deals with Washington, according to three officials familiar with Beijing’s thinking. These factors, along with outreach by the U.S. and an easing of Trump’s rhetoric, persuaded Beijing to send its economic tsar He Lifeng for meetings with U.S. counterparts in Switzerland this weekend, the officials told Reuters. Re-engagement was complicated by the fractious nature of U.S.-China diplomacy. In particular, Beijing considered a letter the U.S. side sent to ******** ministries in late April about fentanyl “arrogant,” two officials said. Efforts to arrange talks were further impaired by disagreements over which officials should be involved, said one of these people and another official. Story continues below advertisement China’s reasons for deciding to negotiate, Washington’s letter on fentanyl, U.S. diplomatic challenges in Beijing, and the early outreach between the two sides are reported by Reuters for the first time, based on interviews with nearly a dozen government officials and experts on both sides. Most of the people were granted anonymity to discuss non-public information. China’s foreign ministry said in a statement to Reuters that it reiterated that “China’s firm opposition to the U.S. abuse of tariffs is consistent and clear, and there is no change.” “The U.S. has ignored China’s goodwill and unreasonably imposed tariffs on China under the pretext of fentanyl. This is a typical act of bullying, which seriously undermines dialog and cooperation between the two sides in the field of drug control.” More on Money More videos China’s State Council and ministry of commerce didn’t immediately respond to faxed requests for comment. The White House and State Department also didn’t respond to Reuters questions about the lead-up to the Geneva talks. China’s Vice Foreign Minister Hua Chunying said on Friday that China has full confidence in its ability to manage U.S. trade issues, adding that the Trump administration’s approach cannot be sustained. The trade war between the world’s two largest economies, combined with Trump’s decision last month to impose duties on dozens of other countries, has disrupted supply chains, unsettled financial markets and stoked fears of a sharp downturn in global growth. ******** export restrictions, meanwhile, have squeezed the supply of critical minerals the U.S. needs for weapons, electronics and consumer goods. Trump’s approval ratings are falling due to his handling of tariffs and the economy. Story continues below advertisement The volatile run-up to the Geneva talks underscores the deep mistrust and divergent negotiating styles between the Trump team and China, which could make for protracted and fraught discussions. “Both sides I think are balancing trying to look tough with not wanting to be responsible for sinking the global economy,” said Scott Kennedy, an expert in ******** business affairs at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. “The ******** set a high bar for these talks, but it became increasingly clear that the Trump administration wanted to talk, and they couldn’t say no forever. So, they’ve accepted what are probably best seen as pre-negotiations in Geneva.” 2:16 ********* businesses talk stability as U.S.-China trade war triggers economic implosion After Trump’s tariff salvo last month, China took a hard line in its public messaging. Beijing posted footage on its official social media feeds of a ******** MiG-15 fighter shooting down a U.S. jet in the Korean War, with commentary: “China won’t kneel down, because we know standing up for ourselves keeps the possibility of cooperation alive, while compromise snuffs it out.” Story continues below advertisement The tone began to shift on April 30, when a state media-affiliated blog said the U.S. had “proactively reached out to China through multiple channels, hoping to discuss tariffs.” Get daily National news Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. CSIS’s Kennedy said contacts between ******** agencies, Beijing’s embassy in Washington and the Trump administration had been increasing in frequency in recent weeks. Some in-person interactions took place at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings in late April, including with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, which paved the way for the Swiss meeting, said Kennedy. After Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, ******** Commerce Minister Wang Wentao quietly reached out to his U.S. counterpart, Howard Lutnick, but was rebuffed as not senior enough, according to one official familiar with the exchanges. Trump has been pushing for direct talks with ******** President Xi Jinping. But China has rejected that idea as not in keeping with its traditional approach of working out the details first before the leaders sign any deal, according to public statements by both sides. Another significant factor for China was Trump’s public berating of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in February, said one of the sources, adding that any unscripted hostile interaction between the U.S. and ******** leaders would represent an unacceptable loss of face for Xi. As messaging on both sides grew more conciliatory, China decided to put forward its vice premier and Xi confidant He Lifeng, whose direct predecessor struck the “Phase One” trade deal with the U.S. in 2019. Story continues below advertisement The move satisfied Washington’s demands for substantive talks with a senior official with direct access to Xi, but avoided exposing the ******** leader to potential embarrassment, said one of the sources. As for the choice of venue, the Swiss foreign ministry said that “during its recent contacts in Washington and Beijing, Switzerland expressed to the U.S. and ******** authorities its willingness to organize a meeting between the two parties in Geneva.” 2:23 Trump maintains 145% China tariffs, says potential reductions depend on Beijing’s actions Among the main drivers of Beijing’s climb-down were internal signals that ******** companies were struggling to avoid bankruptcies and to replace the U.S. market, three people familiar with the ******** government’s thinking said. Story continues below advertisement Some areas feeling immediate impact were furniture and toy makers, as well as textiles, said one of the officials. U.S. diplomats in China have also been closely monitoring factory closures, strikes, and job losses in the industrial heartland in southern China. Many analysts have downgraded their 2025 economic growth forecasts for China, and investment bank Nomura has warned the trade war could cost it up to 16 million jobs. China’s central bank this week announced fresh monetary stimulus. Trending Now Tempers flare as Trump taps doctor-turned-influencer for surgeon general Junior hockey player’s sex assault sentence a ‘wake up call’ to young men, advocate says One of the officials said ******** companies were struggling to replace the U.S. market because developing nations cannot buy as many items, and that for many firms this was an existential threat that needed to be resolved in days or weeks. In addition, Beijing was worried it was left without a place at the negotiating table while its major trading partners, such as Vietnam, India and Japan, began talks with Washington, said two officials familiar with Beijing’s thinking. In a warning to the countries negotiating with the U.S., China’s commerce ministry said in a statement this week that “appeasement cannot bring peace, compromise cannot be respected, and adhering to principled positions and upholding fairness and justice is the right way to safeguard one’s own interests.” As part of the push to counter the U.S., China is sending its Premier Li Qiang to Malaysia in late May for a summit with a newly established group of Southeast Asian and Arab nations, two sources told Reuters. Story continues below advertisement A regional diplomat based in Beijing told Reuters China’s message to Southeast Asia was “We will buy stuff from you.” In Geneva, Beijing appears to have modest expectations. Internally, China has downgraded the talks from a higher level to merely a meeting, reflecting its view that the discussions will be mostly about finding out Washington’s demands and red lines after weeks of contradictory messages by Trump and other senior U.S. officials, according to a person familiar with the matter. Still, one official said China could draw on its extensive toolbox and follow Asian neighbors in offering to buy more American liquefied natural gas. On the table may also be purchases of agricultural goods, similar to the 2019 “Phase One” deal during Trump’s first term. At the time, Beijing said it would increase purchases of U.S. agricultural products by US$32 billion over two years. While other matters like the U.S.’s axing of the “de minimis” exemption for packages under US$800 from China and the ***** of TikTok are also likely to play a part in the broader talks, ******** officials said they do not expect them to play a central role this weekend. 1:58 Threat of China reason for ‘year-round presence in the Arctic’, Carney says Even before triggering the broader trade war, Trump imposed a 20 per cent tariff on ******** goods, saying Beijing wasn’t doing enough to counter the flow of chemicals used to produce the deadly drug fentanyl. Story continues below advertisement One of the moves that complicated the rapprochement, according to two officials, was a letter sent by the U.S. to China in late April that outlined the steps Trump wanted Beijing to take on fentanyl. The document, reviewed by Reuters, caused friction with Beijing because it referenced a congressional report that asserted China, through value-added tax rebates for exporters, directly subsidizes production of fentanyl precursors for ***** abroad. China denies it does so. The letter, sent to the ministries of foreign affairs, commerce, and public security, called on Beijing to publicize the crackdown on fentanyl precursors on the front page of the ********** Party mouthpiece People’s Daily; send a similar message through “internal party channels” to party members; tighten regulation of some specified chemicals; and deepen law-enforcement cooperation. Two officials familiar with China’s reaction said it found especially the first two points “arrogant” because Beijing saw it as the U.S. dictating what China should do within its ruling apparatus. One said fentanyl would feature in the Geneva talks and that the U.S. government’s opening position would be to present the four points to China. A U.S. official familiar with the letter said the Trump administration simply wanted China to curb the flow of fentanyl precursors to drug cartels. Complicating the negotiations, Trump’s Washington team has frozen out many U.S. embassy officials responsible for earlier contacts with ******** counterparts, two people familiar with the matter said. Story continues below advertisement Trump’s new ambassador to China, David Perdue, is slated to arrive in Beijing next week, but Deputy Chief of Mission Sarah Beran, who served as a senior official on China in the Biden administration’s National Security Council, was removed from her post this week, the two officials said. The turmoil has resulted in lack of internal consultations on demands put forward by the American side, the officials said. An official familiar with ******** thinking said there had been minimal contact with the U.S. embassy ahead of the Geneva talks. Source link #Heres #China #agreed #table #Trumps #tariffs #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

‘He’s still got a game to get through’: Ezra Mam no certainty to return next week as Broncos deal with Ben Hunt injury ‘He’s still got a game to get through’: Ezra Mam no certainty to return next week as Broncos deal with Ben Hunt injury Broncos coach Michael Maguire has refused to guarantee Ezra Mam a spot in the halves next week after veteran five-eighth Ben Hunt limped off with a hamstring injury to put his State of Origin campaign in doubt. Brisbane’s second-half capitulation against the Rabbitohs infuriated their coach who now has a major call on his hands next week when he picks his side to take on the Dragons. Hunt left the field late in the second half as he chased through an Adam Reynolds kick, with Mam the logical option to replace him in the halves as long as he gets through Sunday’s Queensland Cup game for Souths Logan. That will be his first game back after serving a nine-match suspension for crashing his car while driving without a licence with drugs in his system, with the incident injuring the driver and the two passengers in the other vehicle. The plan had been to move Hunt to hooker and have Mam in the halves, but Maguire must reassess that after the latest injury setback. Camera IconEzra Mam is expected to return at five-eighth for the Broncos next week. John Gass Credit: News Corp Australia “I’ll go through this game before we get to that,” he replied when asked if Mam would come straight in. “I’ll go through the game and decide which way we go.” Broncos skipper Adam Reynolds also refused to confirm whether Mam would be rushed back into the side after just one game in reserve grade, with the Broncos desperately needing the spark and speed he provides in attack. “Like Madge said, we’ll review this game,” he said. “He’s been training well but he’s still got a game to get through.” Maguire hadn’t spoken with the team doctor about Hunt’s injury, with the veteran playmaker racing the clock to be fit for the Origin opener on May 28. “I don’t know the extent of the injury yet,” Reynolds said. “We want our best players out there, and Ben’s one of those. Hopefully it’s not too bad.” While the halves conundrum will dominate team list Tuesday, Maguire’s biggest concern right now is his side’s form after they squandered a 14-0 half-time lead against the Rabbitohs. “We didn’t do what we did in the first half in the second half,” he said. “We’ve got to learn how to do it for longer periods of time. It’s as simple as that. We were disappointing in the second half. “We have to learn how to do that or we’ll keep bumbling like we did tonight. It’s not good enough. “It’s the want to do it over the 80 minutes. We’ve seen signs, but we’ve also seen the other. As a group, we’ve got to make sure they take ownership and then we take ownership of what needs to happen. “It was there for us. It’s very disappointing and not good enough.” Source link #Hes #game #Ezra #Mam #certainty #return #week #Broncos #deal #Ben #Hunt #injury Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

‘Whole of Russia’ supports Ukraine invasion, Putin tells Victory Day parade ‘Whole of Russia’ supports Ukraine invasion, Putin tells Victory Day parade Vladimir Putin said the “whole of Russia” supported his invasion of Ukraine as he hosted world leaders at the annual Victory Day parade in Moscow. Sitting alongside China’s Xi Jinping, the Russian leader watched thousands of troops – as well as drones, ballistic missiles and tanks – parade across Red Square to mark 80 years since the defeat of the Nazis. On the sidelines, Putin made a point of embracing a North Korean general whose troops were instrumental in pushing back Ukrainian forces in Kursk. Putin vowed that Moscow would be victorious in Ukraine just as the Soviet Union was in the Second World War. “Russia has been and will remain an unbreakable barrier to Nazism, Russophobia, and anti-Semitism,” Putin declared. Vladimir Putin said the ‘entire country’ supports those fighting in what he described as the special military operation in Ukraine – Tatiana Meel/REUTERS He added that “truth and justice” are on Russia’s side and that the “entire country” supports those fighting in what he described as the special military operation. “We are proud of their courage and determination, of the strength of spirit that has always led us to victory,” he said. Russia has outlawed criticism of its military campaign, prompting thousands of citizens to flee the country. For the first time, Russia featured attack drones in its Victory Day parade – including models used in Ukraine – alongside dozens of military vehicles. It marked a shift from recent years, when few tanks were displayed due to their deployment on the front lines. Around 1,500 troops who had fought in Ukraine were among 11,000 marching on Red Square, according to state media. For the first time, Russia featured dozens of military vehicles in its Victory Day parade – MAXIM SHIPENKOV/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Some 20 other world leaders, including Robert Fico, the Slovakian prime minister, who defied Brussels to become the only EU member to attend, stood alongside Putin. Mr Fico placed flowers on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which serves as a tribute to unidentified soldiers who died defending the Soviet Union and is one of the most revered sites in Russia. In a notable gesture, Putin paid special attention to the North Korean delegation when greeting military leaders, embracing one of the generals after shaking his hand – a level of familiarity not extended to others. Pyongyang recently sent thousands of troops to Russia to help Moscow oust Ukrainian troops from its Kursk region. “All the best to you and all your troops,” Putin was heard saying. Sitting alongside China’s Xi Jinping, the Russian leader watched thousands of troops – Sergei Bobylyov via REUTERS In his opening speech, Putin went on to say that the Soviet Union “determined the outcome” of the Second World War. He stated the USSR “took upon itself the strongest attacks of our enemies, and our citizens picked up arms and defended the front lines”. His comments came a week after US president Donald Trump claimed it was the United States that was most important for the defeat of Nazism in the Second World War. “We won both Wars, nobody was close to us in terms of strength, bravery, or military brilliance,” Mr Trump said. The comments were unlikely to be well received in Moscow, as the Soviet Union is thought to have lost 27 million people including civilians and military in the conflict – although some scholars put the figure as high as 42 million. America suffered roughly 420,000 dead. In his opening speech, Vladimir Putin said that the Soviet Union “determined the outcome” of the Second World War – Maxim Bogovid/Photo host agency RIA Novosti Late on Thursday, Mr Trump urged a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine. The US president threatened further sanctions if both parties do not respect a ceasefire, adding that he will be available at “a moment’s notice” for negotiations. A three-day ceasefire in honour of the celebrations began on Thursday, but Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of violating it. The country’s military said that Russian forces had mounted multiple attacks on Ukrainian front line positions in the past 24 hours, with rockets, air-dropped bombs and raids. European foreign ministers met in Ukraine on Friday, where they approved a special tribunal to try Russian leaders for the crime of “aggression against Ukraine”. The move was a symbolic show of support on the day of Putin’s parade, as it is unlikely he could be tried while in office due to immunity laws. ‘Putler – war criminal’ Russian authorities in Ivangorod, a border town in the north-west of the country, broadcast Putin’s parade across the Narva river to neighbouring Estonia, an EU and Nato member. A giant screen was installed facing the town of Narva – which has a majority ethnic Russian population – complete with powerful loudspeakers aimed at the border. Only the 162-meter Friendship Bridge separates Narva from Ivangorod, with the river forming the actual border. According to Estonian media, the local museum responded by mounting a banner showing Putin side-by-side with Hitler, bearing the caption “Putler – war criminal”. Ivangorod’s authorities have blasted Victory Day celebrations over the river on May 9 since 2023, and the Estonian museum has displayed similar posters in return. 02:46 PM BSTThat’s all for today We will be back soon with more updates and analysis from Russia and its war in Ukraine. 02:46 PM BSTAnalysis: Xi’s presence at Moscow parade is the true victory for Putin You do not need to be a veteran Kremlinologist to read the symbolism of the Victory Day parade in Moscow. There in the front row of dignitaries, at the right hand of Vladimir Putin, stood Xi Jinping, the president of China. Not only were the two leaders shoulder-to-shoulder, but Mr Xi was also wearing the orange and ****** ribbon of St George, a symbol of Russian military glory. The message was unmistakable: for as long as Mr Xi and Putin are side-by-side, representing by far the strongest military powers in Eurasia, all of the West’s efforts to isolate Russia will be doomed to fail. So far so good from Putin’s perspective, but the truth is that Mr Xi was always going to attend the parade. 02:44 PM BSTPictured: Putin greets commanders and watches 11,000 of his troops Vladimir Putin greets military commanders after the Victory Day military parade – AFP More than 11,000 Russian troops marched in Moscow’s Red Square – Anadolu 02:35 PM BSTRussia ‘will not react’ to EU tribunal to prosecute Putin The Kremlin said it does not intend to react to an EU plan to set up a tribunal to try to prosecute Vladimir Putin and other senior Russian officials. In a show of unity, EU leaders on Friday threw its support behind a special tribunal to prosecute Russian leaders for their alleged war crimes in Ukraine on a day when Moscow marks the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. “We are not reacting to this,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. 02:19 PM BST‘Coalition of the willing’ to meet in Ukraine tomorrow Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine will host a meeting of the “coalition of the willing” tomorrow. “We need this coalition, and it should be strong enough to guarantee security in line with our common vision,” the Ukrainian president said in a video address. The coalition, led by Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron, has been pushing for European peacekeeping troops in Ukraine to secure a future ceasefire. 02:06 PM BSTPictured: Putin and Xi exchange words Vladimir Putin and his ******** counterpart Xi Jinping talk through an interpreter as they watch the Victory Day parade – REUTERS/Sergei Bobylyov 01:58 PM BSTPutin and Trump exchanged VE Day greetings, says Kremlin Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump congratulated each other on the 80th anniversary of the Soviet and Allied victory in World War Two over Nazi Germany, the Kremlin said. ‘Through their aides, the Russian president and President Trump exchanged congratulations on the occasion of our common celebration,” Yuri Ushakov, a foreign policy adviser to Putin, told state TV’s Channel One. “These were warm words, mutual congratulations on our common great celebration,” Mr Ushakov added. 01:52 PM BST​Pictured: Russian women in Soviet uniforms carry veteran’s portraits Young women wearing Soviet army uniforms and carrying portraits of war veterans walk along a street during Victory Day celebrations – AFP 01:27 PM BSTMerz says ball ‘in Moscow’s court’ to agree to 30-day ceasefire Friedrich Merz, the new ******* chancellor, said that the “the ball is exclusively in Moscow’s court” to agree to a US-backed plan for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine. “The next step that needs to be taken now is a ceasefire for 30 days, starting this weekend,” Merz told journalists on a visit to Nato headquarters. 01:08 PM BSTWatch: Ukrainian drone hits Belgorod government building A Ukrainian drone attacked a regional government building in the Russian city of Belgorod, the local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Friday. There were no casualties due to the attack, he added. Russia’s western Belgorod region borders Ukraine and is subject to near-daily Ukrainian drone attacks and a cross-border incursion by Kyiv’s forces in March, which Moscow claimed to have rebuffed. Russia’s defence ministry said on Friday that Ukrainian troops have made further attempts to breach the border, despite the three-day ceasefire that Russia declared. Kyiv has accused Russia of breaching its own truce hundreds of times. 12:44 PM BSTPictured: Vietnamese troops take part in Moscow’s Victory Day parade Vietnamese servicemen attend the Victory Day military parade in Moscow 12:43 PM BSTKyiv’s EU allies approve tribunal to try Russian leaders Kyiv’s EU allies on Friday approved a tribunal to try Russian leaders for “the crime of aggression against Ukraine”, as they gathered in Lviv on the same day Russia commemorates the end of World War 2. “We welcome the completion of the technical work on the draft legal instruments necessary to establish within the framework of the Council of Europe a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine,” said a joint statement published by Ukraine’s foreign ministry. 12:31 PM BSTPictured: Iranian-designed drones on display during the parade Russian drones Geran-2 take part in the Victory Day military parade – Shutterstock 12:27 PM BSTUkraine: Putin has ‘no right to monopolise’ WW2 victory Vladimir Putin has “no right” to monopolise victory in World War Two, Ukraine’s foreign minister said, hours after the Kremlin leader rallied support for his invasion of Ukraine at a military parade in Moscow. “We are jointly celebrating the Day of Europe, while a parade is taking place in the Kremlin. And Putin – he may consider himself the so-called victor, but he has no right to monopolise victory,” Andrii Sybiha said. 11:55 AM BSTPictured: Ballistic missiles in Red Square Russian RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile launchers were spotted in today’s parade. Russian Yars intercontinental ballistic missile launchers – MAXIM SHIPENKOV/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock 11:45 AM BSTRussia Beams Victory Day Parade Into Nato’s Backyard Russian authorities in Ivangorod, a border town in the northwest of the country, broadcasted Moscow’s Victory Day parade across the Narva River to neighbouring Estonia – an EU and Nato member, reports Peter Ostropolsky in Moscow. A giant screen was installed facing the Estonian town of Narva, complete with powerful loudspeakers aimed at the border. “We’re broadcasting the Red Square parade from Russian Ivangorod for the people of Narva. Later, they’ll also get to see the Victory Day concert,” said a host on the state-run Rossiya 1 channel. Only the 162-meter Friendship bridge separates Narva from Ivangorod, with the river forming the actual border. But Narva wasn’t silent: According to Estonian media, the local museum responded by mounting a banner showing Putin side-by-side with Hitler, bearing the caption “Putler – war criminal”. Since 2023, the museum has displayed similar posters each May 9. The banner is positioned so that residents of Ivangorod can see it clearly from across the river. 11:11 AM BSTUkraine keeps attempting to breach border, Russia claims Ukrainian troops have made further attempts to breach the Russian border in the Kursk and Belgorod regions, Interfax news agency reported this morning, citing the Russian Defence Ministry. It said the attacks occurred during a three-day ceasefire that Russia has unilaterally declared to mark Victory Day. Ukraine says Russia has repeatedly violated the ceasefire, which Moscow denies. Kyiv did not agree to the truce but has proposed instead that the two countries should adopt a ceasefire lasting at least 30 days. 10:49 AM BSTEU to approve tribunal to try Russian leaders EU foreign ministers were in the Ukrainian city of Lviv today, where they are expected to endorse the creation of a special tribunal to try Russia’s top leadership over the invasion. The gathering was a symbolic show of support on the same day Russia commemorates the end the Second World War, where President Vladimir Putin evoked Soviet victory over Nazi Germany to rally the country round his three-year offensive. Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmygal welcomed delegations from 35 countries and the Council of Europe, including the European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas. “There will be no impunity, there will be accountability for the crimes committed,” Ms Kallas said Thursday after a meeting of EU ministers in Warsaw. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Putin and four top commanders over war crimes, but it lacks the authority to prosecute Russia for launching the invasion. A new tribunal is being considered, though it likely cannot try Putin while he is in office due to immunity laws. Talks on its legal framework began over two years ago but have been slow due to ongoing disagreements. 10:28 AM BSTUkraine ‘top of the agenda’ at Norway summit Sir Keir Starmer said Ukraine would be top of the agenda as he arrived for the Joint Expeditionary Force summit in Norway. Speaking to media after being greeted by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store at Oslo City Hall, the Prime Minister said: “I think events of the last few months show that we’re living in an evermore unstable world and to have allies like this coming together, an agile group of colleagues, to discuss issues of defence co-operation, co-ordination at this vital time is hugely important. He added: “Of course, Ukraine will be on the agenda first thing this morning so I look forward to working with our colleagues here. It’s an excellent group.” 10:11 AM BSTWatch full parade with Telegraph commentary09:58 AM BSTDrones take centre stage as symbol of modern warfare Drones have never before been included in Moscow’s Victory Day parade. The Shahed’s presence this year reflects the critical, perhaps unmatched importance of unmanned systems in shaping the battlefield in Ukraine. Kyiv is widely lauded for its drone programme. In 2024, Ukrainian factories churned out some 2 million unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVS), ratcheting up production at back-breaking speeds. Its target for 2025 is 4.5 million. The drones Ukraine produces are reputed to be better than their Russian counterparts: hardier, more lethal and better able to resist radio jamming. But Moscow, at least in brute force terms, is catching up. Last September Vladimir Putin said Russia would produce 1.2 million drones over the course of the year. According to the New York Times, the goal this year is between 3 and 4 million. Credit: Reuters Russia’s domestically-produced variants of the Iranian Shahed suicide drone are dubbed ‘Gerans.’ The latest version, the Geran-3, is purported to use a turbojet engine able to power it to speeds of around 550km/h with a range of 2,500km. That is a significant step-up on previous iterations – but little has been seen of them on the ground. What Moscow certainly has done is improve the cheaper, slower ‘Geran-2’, adding cameras able to seek targets through thermal and electrical signals. They may not look like much compared to the gigantic, nuclear RS-24 Yars. But drones have been the terrible star of Europe’s biggest war since 1945. 09:49 AM BSTParade concludes The World War II Victory Day parade has finished. We will continue bringing you analysis and updates throughout the day. 09:43 AM BSTPutin embraces leading North Korean general Earlier in the parade, Putin greeted the North Korean general whose troops helped Russia liberate the Ukraine-held Kursk region. In a notable gesture, Putin paid special attention to the North Korean delegation when greeting military leaders, embracing one of the generals after shaking his hand – a level of familiarity not extended to others. Credit: Reuters Unlike military contingents from China, Egypt, and other nations, the North Korean troops did not march in the parade. Instead, the North Korean generals were seated in the front row of the official viewing stand. Experts believe this arrangement reflects Russia’s attempt to avoid embarrassing foreign guests, given that North Korea remains under United Nations Security Council sanctions. 09:38 AM BSTFico lays flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico joined world leaders in laying flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, despite warnings from Brussels against his attendance. Fico is the only European Union leader participating in the event. 09:37 AM BSTPictured: Military vehicles roll through Red Square A general view shows Red Square during the military parade – Maxim Bogodvid Russian T-80 BVM tanks roll in Red square – Ilya Pitalev/Photo host agency RIA Novosti via AP 09:33 AM BSTWorld leaders gather at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier World leaders are being handed bouquets of red roses to lay at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a traditional part of the celebrations. The Tomb, located at the Alexander Garden near the Kremlin, serves as a tribute to the unidentified soldiers who died defending the Soviet Union and is one of the most revered sites in Russia. Heads of foreign delegations, led by Russian President Vladimir Putin, attend a flower-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier – REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina 09:31 AM BSTRussia displays more military power than previous years Russia appears to be showcasing significantly greater military strength compared to previous years. “They’ve really gone to town here, because this is many more tanks than they’ve had in the last few years,” said Dominic Nicholls, commenting on the footage of the parade for The Telegraph. “Obviously there was the humiliation of a couple of years ago when they barely had any. They’ve clearly made it a priority over the last year, to build up.” There is particular importance to this year’s event, with ******** President Xi Jinping in attendance. “We’re not the only ones being subjected to Russian propaganda. President Xi is getting it by the spoonful,” Dominic added. 09:27 AM BSTKim Jong Un visits Russian embassy in Pyongyang to mark Victory Day North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a rare visit to the Russian embassy in Pyongyang with his daughter today to celebrate Russia’s Victory Day, according to state media. Kim said North Korea will “consolidate and develop the long tradition of the DPRK-Russia relations, the noble ideological foundation and the invincible alliance”, KCNA reported. 09:23 AM BSTPutin greets North Korean military officials Putin moved through the crowds at the parade to greet North Korean military leaders. North Korea has supported Russia’s war in Ukraine by supplying weapons and ammunition, and more recently, by reportedly sending troops to the Kursk region to assist with logistical and support roles. About 600 North Korean troops have been killed fighting for Russia against Ukraine out of a total deployment of 15,000, according to the South Korean intelligence. In return, Pyongyang appears to have received technical assistance on satellites, as well as drones and anti-aircraft missiles, South Korea has said. 09:19 AM BSTShahed 136 drone on display Shahed-136 drones were put on display during the parade. The Iranian-made loitering munition, often referred to as a “kamikaze” drone, is designed to ****** into and destroy its target with an explosive payload. It has been used extensively by Russia in its war against Ukraine, often under the name Geran-2, to strike infrastructure and civilian targets. Although its affordability and simplicity have made it an effective tool in swarm attacks, it is vulnerable to electronic warfare and air defences. 09:15 AM BSTRussia cuts mobile internet amid security concerns Russian authorities have begun disabling mobile internet access in the capital and several other major cities across the country, reports our correspondent Peter Ostropolsky in Moscow. In the capital, mobile internet services were cut off an hour before the start of the May 9 Victory Day parade, according to reports from the independent outlet Mediazona. Pro-Kremlin outlet Ostorozhno media reported that only Wi-Fi remains available on Red Square. Connectivity disruptions have also been reported in other cities hosting May 9 commemorations, affecting mobile networks, navigation services, and contactless payments. The outages have impacted at least Khabarovsk in the Russian Far East, Yekaterinburg in the Urals, Kamensk-Uralsky, and several cities in the Volga region, including Nizhny Novgorod and Saratov, as well as Ufa, Kostroma, and Voronezh in southern Russia. 09:10 AM BSTAmerican director Oliver Stone spotted American director Oliver Stone has been spotted smiling widely as he watches the parade in Moscow. Mr Stone has a well-documented sympathy for Russia, having described Putin as a “great leader” and blamed Washington for escalating the war in Ukraine. US director Oliver Stone smiles – Ilya Pitalev/Photo host agency RIA Novosti via AP Mr Stone, known for his political documentaries and critique of American foreign policy, has frequently echoed Kremlin narratives, particularly regarding Ukraine and Nato. His 2017 documentary series, The Putin Interviews, offered a rare glimpse into Putin’s worldview. Mr Stone also produced pro-Russian documentaries such as Ukraine on Fire (2016) and Revealing Ukraine (2019), which claim that the US and Western allies orchestrated the 2014 Maidan Revolution in Ukraine. 09:00 AM BSTTaiwan hits out at Putin’s pro-China comments Taiwan’s government has criticised Russia and China for distorting Second World War history, saying ******** ********** forces made “no substantial contribution” to fighting Japan and instead took the opportunity to expand their own forces. Responding to comments by Putin to Xi Jinping that the war was won under the leadership of China’s ********** party, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said it was the Republic of China government and people who fought and ultimately won. “The ******** communists only took the opportunity to expand and consolidate ********** forces, and made no substantial contribution to the war of resistance, let alone ‘leading’ the war of resistance,” it said. 08:58 AM BSTTanks begin crossing Red Square Russian tanks have begun crossing Red Square alongside other military vehicles. Last year, no tanks were included in the parade. The boxes seen attached around the tanks are explosive armour, which seeks to push an incoming arm away. 08:58 AM BSTParade in pictures Russia’s troops have marched across Red Square. They are now being followed by military vehicles. Russian servicemen – ALEXANDER VILF/HOST PHOTO AGENCY RIA NOVOSTI/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Russian servicemen – PELAGIA TIKHONOVA/HOST PHOTO AGENCY RIA NOVOSTI/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Russian servicemen – Pelagia Tikhonova/Photo host agency RIA Novosti via AP 08:56 AM BSTSteven Seagal spotted in the crowd American actor and Hollywood veteran Steven Seagal has been spotted in Red Square watching the parade. Mr Seagal has publicly supported Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, stating he would be willing to join the Russian army and take part in the war. In 2016, Mr Seagal was granted Russian citizenship by a decree from President Vladimir Putin. Two years later, in 2018, he was appointed as a special representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry for humanitarian cooperation between Russia and the United States. 08:52 AM BSTRussia urged pro-Kremlin Ukrainians and Moldovans: ‘Don’t Give Up’ Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, made an emotional appeal to pro-Kremlin citizens of Ukraine and Moldova celebrating Victory Day in secrecy, urging them “not to give up”. “Don’t give up. Your generation is behind you,” Ms Zakharova said, visibly holding back tears in an interview with TASS. “Don’t give up – because if you do, history will repeat itself. Once again, people will be sorted into those allowed to live freely and breathe fully, and those condemned to ghettos.” Ms Zakharova called on sympathisers abroad to remain strong in defending what she described as “the truth,” and to find the strength and energy to stand their ground. 08:50 AM BSTDrones from Ukraine war expected to go on display Russia is expected to showcase drones used in its war against Ukraine during the Victory Day parade in central Moscow, reportedly for the first time. According to state broadcaster Channel One, the Lancet and Geran-2 drones will be featured in the display. The ZALA Lancet is a loitering munition designed for both reconnaissance and precision strikes, and has reportedly been used to destroy Ukrainian tanks and even a military aircraft. The Geran-2, a Russian-made kamikaze drone based on Iranian designs, is intended for one-way missions targeting enemy infrastructure or equipment. 08:48 AM BSTPictured: Russia’s Defence Minister Russia’s Defence Minister Andrei Belousov rode into the parade on an Aurus cabriolet to kick off the celebrations. Russia’s Defence Minister Andrei Belousov – Sergei Bobylyov 08:39 AM BSTPutin draws parallels between Ukraine and Second World War Putin used his speech to draw parallels between the current war in Ukraine and the Soviet fight against Nazi Germany. “Russia has been and will remain an unbreakable barrier to Nazism, Russophobia, and anti-Semitism,” Putin declared on Red Square. “Truth and justice are on our side. The entire country –our society, our people – supports the participants of the special military operation. We are proud of their courage and determination, of the strength of spirit that has always led us to victory.” 08:38 AM BSTPutin honours Second World War veterans Putin said that Russia will always hold in its heart the veterans who defended the nation during the Second World War. “We will look upon our veterans who displayed true love for the motherland, who decided to defend their home,” he said. “We will always have this in our heart. “And we will keep it for our future generations and we will display our unity in military and civil affairs in achieving goals for Russia and for the ******** of Russia. “Glory to the people who won the war.” 08:36 AM BSTPictured: Putin sits alongside Xi Jinping Photographs show Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and ******** President Xi Jinping, centre, sitting alongside each other as they watch the parade. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and ******** President Xi Jinping, centre – Mikhail Korytov/Photo host agency RIA Novosti via AP Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and ******** President Xi Jinpin – Mikhail Korytov/Photo host agency RIA Novosti via AP 08:33 AM BSTSoviets determined WW2, Putin says in rebuff of Trump A week ago, Donald Trump claimed it was the United States that was most important in the defeat of Nazism in the Second World War. “We won both Wars, nobody was close to us in terms of strength, bravery, or military brilliance,” the president said. That was never likely to go down well in Moscow, which lost nine million troops compared to around 420,000 Americans. Whether a subtle response to Mr Trump’s comments or not, Putin stated that the “Soviet Union determined the outcome” of the war. The USSR “took upon itself the strongest attacks of our enemies and our citizens picked up arms and defended the front lines,” the Russian president said. 08:28 AM BSTWhole of Russia backs Ukraine war, Putin claims Putin said that the “whole of Russia” backs what he described as the Ukrainian Offensive. “The whole country, society and people support the participants of the special military operation,” Putin said, adding: “We are proud of their bravery and determination, of the fortitude that has always brought us only victory.” 08:27 AM BSTPutin honours allies During his opening speech, Putin told the crowd gathered in Red Square that he honours and remembers every country that fought alongside Russia to defeat the Nazis. Russia highly appreciates the contribution to the victory of resistance fighters, Allied armies and the ‘courageous people of China,’ Putin said. “The complete defeat of the Nazis and Japan was achieved by the common efforts of those fighting,” he added. “We will always remember how the opening of the second front brought victory closer.” 08:23 AM BSTRussia must ‘bow down’ to fallen comrades Putin has announced a minute of silence to remember Russia’s fallen soldiers. He added that Russia must “bow down” to its fallen comrades. 08:17 AM BSTPutin speaks Putin is now speaking at the parade. He began by saying Russia’s duty is to defend the dignity of its soldiers. 08:16 AM BSTPictured: Red Square from above Red Square during the military parade – Ivan Sekretarev 08:11 AM BSTWhat is Victory Day in Russia? Victory Day commemorates the end of the Second World War, when the Allies accepted Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender. In the ***, the US, and France, it is marked on 8 May as Victory in Europe (VE) Day, since the surrender officially took effect at 11.01 pm on May 8 1945. However, due to the time difference, it was already May 9 in Moscow, which became the official date of Victory Day in the Soviet Union, celebrating what Russians refer to as the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945. Because of this time zone discrepancy, the occasion is observed on different days in Russia and the West. For many Russians, May 9 remains the most revered date of the year. President Vladimir Putin has often invoked the memory of the war to rally national unity. The Soviet Union suffered immense losses during the conflict, an estimated 27 million people, including millions of Ukrainians. But it ultimately drove Nazi forces back to Berlin, famously raised over the Reichstag in May 1945. 08:04 AM BSTNorth Korean troops barred from marching today North Korean troops, despite being allies of Vladimir Putin, were barred from marching through Red Square during Russia’s Victory Day parade on May 9 – reportedly to avoid embarrassing foreign guests, reports Peter Ostropolsky in Moscow. While military contingents from countries such as China, Egypt, Vietnam, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan were cleared to take part in the procession, North Korea’s soldiers won’t participate, Yury Ushakov, Putin’s aid said. Instead, according to Russia’s state-run RIA Novosti, the North Korean delegation was seated prominently in the front row of the parade’s viewing stands. “A format was found for the North Korean military that wouldn’t make the other foreign participants uncomfortable,” wrote Russian foreign policy analyst Georgy Bovt. “After all, North Korea remains under UN Security Council sanctions – sanctions that Russia itself once supported.” 08:01 AM BSTParade begins Today’s Victory Day parade has begun with a series of bell chimes ringing out across Moscow. 07:59 AM BSTEuropean leaders in attendance Despite warnings from Brussels, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is at the parade, making him the only European Union leader participating in the event. His decision has drawn criticism from France, with Europe Minister Benjamin Haddad saying: “It’s not the place of a European leader to be in Moscow today.” Also attending is Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, whose country maintains historically close ties with Moscow. 07:57 AM BSTPutin arrives for parade President Vladimir Putin has taken his seat alongside ******** President Xi Jinping and other world leaders. The parade shall begin shortly. You can watch our live coverage via the video at the top of this page. 07:55 AM BSTTrump urges 30-day ceasefire Donald Trump has urged a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine as Russia gears up for its opulent World War II Victory Day parade today. The US president threatened further sanctions if both parties do not respect a ceasefire, adding that he will be available at “a moment’s notice” for negotiations. “This ceasefire must ultimately build toward a Peace Agreement,” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social. “It can all be done very quickly, and I will be available on a moment’s notice if my services are needed.” 07:54 AM BSTRussia’s television begins live coverage Final preparations are underway in Moscow for the Victory Day parade, reports our correspondent Peter Ostropolsky in Moscow. Russian state television has begun live coverage from the Kremlin and Red Square, where military units are lined up in formation. The parade is set to begin shortly. Foreign guests have started arriving at the Kremlin for the ceremony. The first to walk the red carpet was Badr Gunba, leader of the Georgian breakaway region of Abkhazia. He was followed by Milorad Dodik, president of Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, president of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro. “There’s a political message in the presence of these countries’ leaders – none of them hesitated to come despite external pressure,” said the anchor on Rossiya 1. According to Russian media, military convoys have already begun moving into central Moscow, where the display of force is expected to include tanks, missile systems, and aircraft. 07:48 AM BSTPictured: Moscow gears up for parade Russian service members prepare – REUTERS/Tatiana Meel MSTA-S self-propelled howitzers move along a road before the parade – REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov 07:46 AM BSTChina’s video game exports to Russia surge amid suspicions of military drone use China’s export of video game consoles, controllers and other attachments to Russia grew to more than $95 million last year, more than seven times as much as in 2022 when Moscow launched its invasion into Ukraine, according to a new report from Japanese broadcaster NHK, citing ******** customs authorities. The quantity has continued to increase from January to March this year, rising to more than three times as much as in 2022. Olena Bilousova, a strategic consultant at Kyiv School of Economics Institute, told NHK that there is a high chance that the video game equipment is being repurposed in Russia to control military drones. By importing these items from China, Russia doesn’t have to deal with sanctions, Bilousova added. The production of unmanned military aircraft has drastically increased in Russia since the war in Ukraine, with President Vladimir Putin revealing that 1.5 million drones were produced last year, more than 10 times the number two years ago. Given the potential to repurpose video game consoles and related equipment for military use, the European Union, the United Kingdom and Japan have banned the export of such devices to Russia. In response, a ******** foreign ministry spokesperson told NHK that Beijing has “never provided lethal weapons to any party to the conflict”, but did not specifically comment on the video game exports. 07:45 AM BSTFears grow of Ukrainian attack on Moscow In the build-up to today, fears have circulated about a potential Ukrainian attack on the parade. In the days running up to this year’s parade on Red Square, a series of drone strikes triggered airspace closures at all four of Moscow’s airports, fuelling widespread unease. Meanwhile, in Russian-annexed Crimea, local Victory Day parades have already been cancelled due to serious security threats. Despite these concerns, the Kremlin has deemed the main event in Moscow too symbolically significant to call off. It is proceeding as planned, albeit under tight security. Tens of thousands of patriotic Russians are expected to gather along the streets to watch the parade. 07:33 AM BSTRussia is attacking despite ceasefire, claims Ukraine Ukraine’s armed forces said today that Russian forces had mounted multiple attacks on Ukrainian front line positions in the past 24 hours, with rockets, air-dropped bombs and raids, breaking a ceasefire. Russia declared a three-day ceasefire, which began on Thursday morning, in honour of today’s parade. Both sides have accused the other of continuing to fight. The governor of the Zaporizhzhia region said on the Telegram messaging platform that Russia hit eight Ukrainian settlements near the frontline 220 times during the ceasefire. The villages in Zaporizhzhia were hit by 150 drones and 70 artillery rounds in the past 24 hours, he said. 07:29 AM BSTChina’s participation signifies a deepening alliance ******** President Xi Jinping is set to attend today’s parade as part of a visit signifying the deepening strategic alliance between China and Russia. His visit underscores Beijing’s alignment with Moscow amid growing tensions with the West, reinforcing what has been described as a “no limits” partnership. As part of the diplomatic agenda, Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a joint statement denouncing Nato expansion and condemning Western sanctions. The statement also affirmed China’s territorial claim over Taiwan, with Russia expressing support. For the first time since 2015, a ******** honour guard is participating in the parade, marching alongside Russian troops. Xi’s presence in the Russian capital comes at a time of heightened security concerns, following recent Ukrainian drone strikes on Moscow. 07:20 AM BSTGood morning Hello and welcome to The Telegraph’s coverage of Russia’s World War II Victory Day parade. The lavish display is due to kick off at 8 am BST this morning in Moscow. We will be bringing you live updates on this page, including analysis from our team of experts. You can watch the parade live and catch commentary from Associate Editor and host of Ukraine: The Latest, Dom Nicholls, on YouTube. 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 #Russia #supports #Ukraine #invasion #Putin #tells #Victory #Day #parade Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Trump backs tax hike on rich, says GOP maybe shouldn’t Trump backs tax hike on rich, says GOP maybe shouldn’t U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a swearing-in ceremony of Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 6, 2025. Kent Nishimura | Reuters President Donald Trump on Friday tepidly backed the idea of raising taxes on the richest Americans, while openly wrestling with the politics of such a move and suggesting that his fellow Republicans should “probably” oppose it. Trump’s public deliberation on social media came after he reached out to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., about adding a tax hike on the highest earners to the major tax and spending bill that the GOP aims to pass this year. It’s the latest signal that Trump — whose agenda leans heavily on what he calls the “one, big, beautiful bill” passing through a divided Congress — is willing to buck the traditional Republican orthodoxy on taxing the rich. Trump in the Truth Social post Friday morning said he “and all others” would “graciously” accept “even a ‘TINY’ tax increase for the RICH” for the benefit of “lower and middle income workers.” “The problem with even a “TINY” tax increase for the RICH, which I and all others would graciously accept in order to help the lower and middle income workers, is that the Radical Left Democrat Lunatics would go around screaming,”Read my lips,” the fabled Quote by George Bush the Elder that is said to have cost him the Election. NO, Ross Perot cost him the Election! In any event, Republicans should probably not do it, but I’m OK if they do!!!” — Donald Trump, Truth Social post But “the problem” with that idea, he wrote, “is that the Radical Left Democrat Lunatics would go around screaming, ‘Read my lips,’ the fabled Quote by George Bush the Elder that is said to have cost him the Election.” Trump was referring to then-candidate George H.W. Bush’s 1988 campaign promise that he would not raise taxes as president. Bush’s eventual failure to keep that promise created a major target for his political opponents, and was seen as a factor in his loss in the 1992 election. Trump’s post disputed that history. “NO, Ross Perot cost him the Election!” he wrote. Read more CNBC politics coverage “In any event, Republicans should probably not do it,” Trump added. But then, apparently reversing himself, he wrote, “I’m OK if they do!!!” This is developing news. Please check back for updates. Source link #Trump #backs #tax #hike #rich #GOP #shouldnt Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump backs tax hike on rich, says GOP maybe shouldn’t Trump backs tax hike on rich, says GOP maybe shouldn’t U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a swearing-in ceremony of Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 6, 2025. Kent Nishimura | Reuters President Donald Trump on Friday tepidly backed the idea of raising taxes on the richest Americans, while openly wrestling with the politics of such a move and suggesting that his fellow Republicans should “probably” oppose it. Trump’s public deliberation on social media came after he reached out to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., about adding a tax hike on the highest earners to the major tax and spending bill that the GOP aims to pass this year. It’s the latest signal that Trump — whose agenda leans heavily on what he calls the “one, big, beautiful bill” passing through a divided Congress — is willing to buck the traditional Republican orthodoxy on taxing the rich. Trump in the Truth Social post Friday morning said he “and all others” would “graciously” accept “even a ‘TINY’ tax increase for the RICH” for the benefit of “lower and middle income workers.” “The problem with even a “TINY” tax increase for the RICH, which I and all others would graciously accept in order to help the lower and middle income workers, is that the Radical Left Democrat Lunatics would go around screaming,”Read my lips,” the fabled Quote by George Bush the Elder that is said to have cost him the Election. NO, Ross Perot cost him the Election! In any event, Republicans should probably not do it, but I’m OK if they do!!!” — Donald Trump, Truth Social post But “the problem” with that idea, he wrote, “is that the Radical Left Democrat Lunatics would go around screaming, ‘Read my lips,’ the fabled Quote by George Bush the Elder that is said to have cost him the Election.” Trump was referring to then-candidate George H.W. Bush’s 1988 campaign promise that he would not raise taxes as president. Bush’s eventual failure to keep that promise created a major target for his political opponents, and was seen as a factor in his loss in the 1992 election. Trump’s post disputed that history. “NO, Ross Perot cost him the Election!” he wrote. Read more CNBC politics coverage “In any event, Republicans should probably not do it,” Trump added. But then, apparently reversing himself, he wrote, “I’m OK if they do!!!” This is developing news. Please check back for updates. Source link #Trump #backs #tax #hike #rich #GOP #shouldnt Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A half-ton Soviet spacecraft is about to ****** into Earth, but don't panic – NBC News A half-ton Soviet spacecraft is about to ****** into Earth, but don't panic – NBC News A half-ton Soviet spacecraft is about to ****** into Earth, but don’t panic NBC NewsA failed Soviet Venus probe is expected to fall to Earth today, but when and where? Here’s what we know SpaceWhat to Know About Kosmos-482, a Soviet Spacecraft Returning to Earth After 53 Years The New York TimesA Soviet probe orbiting Earth since 1972 will soon reenter the planet’s atmosphere NPRA Venus probe will fall to Earth this week — here’s how Aerospace is tracking it The Aerospace Corporation Source link #halfton #Soviet #spacecraft #****** #Earth #don039t #panic #NBC #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Lenovo Legion Y700 Gen 4 Tablet With Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, 7,600mAh Battery Launched Lenovo Legion Y700 Gen 4 Tablet With Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, 7,600mAh Battery Launched Lenovo Legion Y700 Gen 4 was launched in China on Thursday. It is powered by Qualcomm’s octa-core flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, paired with up to 16GB of RAM. The tablet, like its Legion series predecessors, is a gaming-focused device with an 8.8-inch 165Hz display. It comes with a large 12,000 sq mm vapour chamber cooling system for heat management. The latest Legion tablet packs a 7,600mAh battery, which is considerably larger than the 6,550mAh cell that the preceding Legion Y700 (2025) carries. Lenovo Legion Y700 Gen 4 Price, Availability Lenovo Legion Y700 Gen 4 price in China starts at CNY 3,299 (roughly Rs. 39,000) for the 12GB+256GB option, while the 16GB+512GB variant costs CNY 3,799 (roughly Rs. 44,900). It is offered in ****** and white colourways and is available for purchase in the country via the Lenovo China e-store. Lenovo Legion Y700 Gen 4 Features, Specifications The Lenovo Legion Y700 Gen 4 sports an 8.8-inch screen with a 3,040×1,904 pixels resolution, a 165Hz refresh rate, a 360Hz touch sampling rate, 600 nits brightness level, 12-bit colour depth and high DCI-P3 colour coverage. The display comes with TÜV Rheinland certifications for low flicker, low blue light and eye-protection. Lenovo’s latest Legion Y700 Gen 4 gaming tablet is powered by an octa core Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC paired with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 512GB of UFS 4.1 onboard storage. It is equipped with a 12,000 sq mm vapour chamber cooling system for heat dissipation. The company claims the tablet uses Centre Cooling Architecture 2.0, which helps maintain low device temperature during heavy usage. The Lenovo Legion Y700 Gen 4 tablet packs a 7,600mAh battery with 68W wired fast charging support. The tablet supports bypass charging technology as well, and it is expected to be a useful feature for gamers. It is 6.99mm thick and weighs 340g. For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Vivo V50 Elite Edition India Launch Date Leaked; Design Said to Differ From Vivo V50 Model Source link #Lenovo #Legion #Y700 #Gen #Tablet #Snapdragon #Elite #SoC #7600mAh #Battery #Launched Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Xi shows he wants to be close to Putin Xi shows he wants to be close to Putin Laura Bicker China Correspondent Reuters ******** President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin make it look like they’re the best of friends. Xi took his place at the right-hand side of Putin, the position of a steadfast ally, as their troops marched together on Red Square as part of Moscow’s Victory Day parade. Hours earlier, Xi described the bond between the two countries as “unbreakable” and added that Russia and China should be “friends of steel”. This is Xi’s 11th visit to Russia since becoming president in 2013 and the two leaders have met on more than 40 occasions. Putin has already announced plans to visit China in the autumn and the two leaders have even, in the past, shared a rare public hug. But there is more to this relationship than meets the eye. “We see a lot of exchanges between the two men and patriotic displays of togetherness,” said Mathieu Boulegue, from the Center for European Policy Analysis. “They can be friends on one end or co-operating on one end and then ripping each other apart on others, and actually be competitors in certain aspects of their relationship. “We get wowed by the symbolism. There’s a lot of performance around this relationship. But it’s interesting to look at the real substance.” In truth, President Xi is walking a very fine line. Russia is an important partner for China but Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has made him an international pariah in much of the world. Beijing needs to be careful that its friendship with Moscow doesn’t isolate other prospective partners, especially as it is fighting an economic war with the United States. China has been courting Europe for several months and stepped up its campaign after Donald Trump became US president. Beijing has been keen to portray itself as a stable alternative global partner in contrast to an unpredictable White House in Washington. There were some signs earlier this week that these diplomatic overtures were working. Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, and António Costa, the president of the European Council, exchanged messages on Tuesday with President Xi and ******** Premier Li Qiang to celebrate the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations. Reuters China’s Xi Jinping sat beside Putin in Moscow – an indication of his significance in Friday’s parade The stumbling block of any prospective partnership has been Beijing’s close-knit relationship with Moscow and its economic support for Russia. China has not condemned its “old friend” for the invasion and instead calls for an end to the “crisis”. If President Xi appears to stand too close to Putin, it could cause friction with Europe at a time when it is looking for friendship. Message to Trump But the ******** leader has another key message to send. Trump’s initial attempts to end the war in Ukraine had him touting his close personal relationship with Putin. It prompted analysts to ask if Washington was trying to drive a wedge between Moscow and Beijing. Xi will want to make it clear to Trump this is not possible. “Together, we must foil all schemes to disrupt or undermine our bonds of amity and trust,” Xi wrote in a signed article for Russian media. The Russian and ******** leaders also described Trump’s plans for a “Golden Dome” missile defence shield over the US as “deeply destabilising”, and argued that it would weaponise space. Both leaders are keen to present their vision of an alternative world order in the face of what they believe is US hegemony. But Xi will be aware that while China is a superpower – Russia’s power is now limited. This is no longer a partnership of equals. EPA-EFE/Shutterstock President Xi and President Putin were joined by other world leaders as they observed the military parade The war in Ukraine has weakened Russia’s economy and depleted its arsenal and army. Western sanctions have also left Moscow far more reliant on Beijing for economic survival. They have severely weakened the Kremlin on the world stage. “Russia needs China much more than the opposite is true,” Boulegue said. Moscow will need to “***** it up”, he added. Putin may lean into his friend as they watch the tanks roll through Red Square and they can team up when they need each other. But behind the bold statements, the smiles, handshakes and the occasional hug, there are potential sources of discord and disharmony which could surface in the years to come. Source link #shows #close #Putin Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

OpenAI Said to Be Working on Weekly and Lifetime ChatGPT Subscription Plans OpenAI Said to Be Working on Weekly and Lifetime ChatGPT Subscription Plans OpenAI might be working on introducing more duration-based subscription plans. A tipster shared strings of code from the ChatGPT app and found mentions of weekly and lifetime subscriptions for the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot. These tiers could be part of the ChatGPT Plus plan. Notably, the pricing details of the tiers are currently unclear. The San Francisco-based AI firm has not officially revealed any details about any new subscription plans. Notably, in December 2024, the company introduced the Pro subscription tier, which is priced at $200 (roughly Rs. 17,000) a month. OpenAI Could Be Planning ChatGPT’s New Subscription Tiers In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), AI tipster M1 (M1Astra) shared strings of code from the latest build of the ChatGPT app. The code revealed details about possible subscription plans the company might be considering. Gadgets 360 staff members were not able to verify the information shared in the leak. Based on a screenshot shared by the tipster, the strings appear to represent the ChatGPT Plus subscription onboarding page. This is the page users see when they tap on the “Get Plus” option on the mobile and desktop app. This page currently allows users to purchase a monthly subscription for $20 (roughly Rs. 1,700) a month, or opt for an annual plan. However, in the strings of code, there are mentions of weekly and lifetime plans. There is no other detail mentioned, and the pricing remains unknown at this time. Additionally, there is no confirmation from the AI firm about any new upcoming subscription plans. There is a possibility that these plans are merely fillers and are not intended to be shown on the front-end. But the possibility that the company is considering these options cannot be ruled out. A weekly plan is more realistic since it offers more flexibility to users who want access to the premium feature for a temporary *******. The target demographic for this would include students and professionals just starting their careers, or hobbyists interested in trying out new features. A lifetime subscription, on the other hand, is unusual. Not only is fixing the price for a growing platform and technology difficult, considering the exponentially increasing processing power with each generation of GPT models further complicates the matter. Additionally, even if the company could figure out a way to evaluate a lifetime subscription, finding sizeable users willing to pay the sum might be difficult. It needs to be said that these are mere speculations, and OpenAI could have different plans. For that, we will have to wait for an official statement from the AI firm. Source link #OpenAI #Working #Weekly #Lifetime #ChatGPT #Subscription #Plans Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How to profit from a Boeing comeback as it emerges as a trade war winner How to profit from a Boeing comeback as it emerges as a trade war winner Boeing stock rallied Thursday after President Donald Trump’s trade deal plan with the U.K. emerged. The major aerospace and defense firm surged higher as the U.K. will now be buying $10 billion worth of planes from Boeing, according to President Trump. I want to use options to own Boeing as the outcome of this first trade deal with the *** is bullish for the American aircraft manufacturer. BA mountain 2015-12-31 Boeing since 2016 While the *** deal is good news for BA, this essential company was already recovering with a current $435 billion backlog of commercial aerospace orders (10-year production run). Still, the stock has remained far off its pre-Covid highs in the $300s. The $10 billion order from the *** for Boeing (first of many new orders hopefully) was detailed this morning as British Airways unveiled plans to buy 32 Boeing 787-10 long-haul aircraft from Boeing. Long-delayed next Air Force One jets from Boeing might now be delivered by 2027, in time for President Trump to use them, according to a top Air Force official. Still years behind the original delivery date of 2022, but President Trump is smiling as it’s one to two years earlier than Boeing had most recently predicted. Boeing is an Essential 40 ETF (symbol :ESN) portfolio holding as it is a company I believe to be critical and vital to the U.S. economy. Think Peter ****** 2.0: ‘buy what you need’ which is a step further than the legendary investor’s ‘buy what you know’ theme. BA is above both its 50- and 200-day moving averages and technically can run back to its late 2023 price up above $250 The Trade (Risk Reversal) Sold the 6/20/2025 $185 puts for $4.75 Bought the 6/20/2025 $200 calls for $5.75 This spread will cost an investor $1.00 or $100 per one spread BA was roughly trading at $193 when this was established An investor has to be willing to own BA at $185 in the event those puts get assigned. Therefore, the downside risk is unlimited if put to a long position when owning Boeing. The upside maximum is unlimited above $201 ($200 is the strike price of the call option plus the $1 it cost to put on the spread) DISCLOSURES: Long BA, own this spread too All opinions expressed by the CNBC Pro contributors are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of CNBC, NBC UNIVERSAL, their parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, internet or another medium. THE ABOVE CONTENT IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY . THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSITUTE FINANCIAL, INVESTMENT, TAX OR LEGAL ADVICE OR A RECOMMENDATION TO BUY ANY SECURITY OR OTHER FINANCIAL ASSET. THE CONTENT IS GENERAL IN NATURE AND DOES NOT REFLECT ANY INDIVIDUAL’S UNIQUE PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THE ABOVE CONTENT MIGHT NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES. BEFORE MAKING ANY FINANCIAL DECISIONS, YOU SHOULD STRONGLY CONSIDER SEEKING ADVICE FROM YOUR OWN FINANCIAL OR INVESTMENT ADVISOR. Click here for the full disclaimer. Source link #profit #Boeing #comeback #emerges #trade #war #winner Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Erling Haaland ‘ready and fit’ to return from injury, Pep Guardiola confirms Erling Haaland ‘ready and fit’ to return from injury, Pep Guardiola confirms In an interview with ESPN, external this week, Haaland said City’s disappointing season after a run of four consecutive league titles was due to a loss of “hunger” in the squad. “You can find excuses, injuries, many injuries at bad times, but in the end we haven’t been performing well enough,” Haaland said. “We haven’t had fully the hunger inside us. I haven’t been good enough. I haven’t helped the team enough. In the end, we haven’t been good enough.” Asked about those quotes, Guardiola said: “If it’s a feeling for Erling, the players should talk to each other and ask themselves why.” Haaland has 21 goals in 28 Premier League appearances this season – the only City player to reach double figures in the competition this term. He has 30 goals in 40 games in all competitions in 2024-25, also contributing four assists. Having won the Premier League’s Golden Boot award in each of the past two seasons since his move to England, he is seven goals behind Liverpool’s top scorer Mohamed Salah with only three games remaining. Source link #Erling #Haaland #ready #fit #return #injury #Pep #Guardiola #confirms Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The New Pope Plays Wordle And Words With Friends, And He Just Watched Conclave The New Pope Plays Wordle And Words With Friends, And He Just Watched Conclave Robert Francis Prevost, who just became Pope Leo XIV, is just like you and me: He plays video games. His brother, John Prevost, told NBC Chicago that he and Robert recently played games like Wordle and Words with Friends to help take his mind off the decision about whether or not he would be elected the new pope. He didn’t have to wait long, though, as Prevost was named the new pope on the second day of the conclave. John also revealed that his brother just recently watched the 2024 movie Conclave, which tells the story of the appointment of a new pope. “I wanted to take his mind off of it–laugh about something–because this is now an awesome responsibility,” John said of his brother becoming the new pope. Robert Prevost didn’t play any video games during conclave, however, as all cardinals had to surrender their phones before voting at the Sistine Chapel earlier this week for who would become the new pope. Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday this year at the age of 88. He had been pope since 2013. Francis was known to own at least one video game, a copy of Undertale given to him by a streamer. It’s also been confirmed that a copy of Baldur’s Gate 3 was sold in ******** City, though we don’t know who bought it. Leo XIV is the first American pope and the 257th pope overall. He was born in Chicago and is a White Sox fan, even attending the World Series in 2005. Source link #Pope #Plays #Wordle #Words #Friends #Watched #Conclave Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Blueprints review: Marcus du Sautoy’s new book is good on maths, less so on the arts Blueprints review: Marcus du Sautoy’s new book is good on maths, less so on the arts Le Corbusier used Fibonacci sequences in his building designs, like this one in Marseille, France Chris Hellier/Alamy Blueprints Marcus du Sautoy (Fourth Estate (***, out now); Basic Books (US, 16 September)) Marcus Du Sautoy wants us to see mathematics and art as inextricably connected. “Both are creating ways to interpret, understand, and navigate our place in the universe,” he begins his new book, Blueprints: How mathematics shapes creativity. I’m not sure who still doubts this, nearly a century after Albert Einstein and his violin; this book feels a little redundant in a time of ample high-profile collaborations between du Sautoy’s “two cultures” of emotions and… Source link #Blueprints #review #Marcus #Sautoys #book #good #maths #arts Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Mercedes-AMG reveals more of its electric sports sedan Mercedes-AMG reveals more of its electric sports sedan We can’t see many of the details of the upcoming electric sedan from Mercedes-AMG, but it promises to be fast and dramatic. Source link #MercedesAMG #reveals #electric #sports #sedan Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Alien: Rogue Incursion Is Escaping VR With New Enhanced Edition Alien: Rogue Incursion Is Escaping VR With New Enhanced Edition Last year, the Alien franchise returned to video games with Alien: Rogue Incursion, a VR-only title that was available on PS5, Meta Quest 3, and PC. Now, Rogue Incursion is set to get a new, non-VR enhanced edition that’s just a few months away. Survios–the developer and publisher behind the game–has announced that Alien: Rogue Incursion – Part One: Evolved Edition will hit PC and PS5 on September 30. The new version will include “even deadlier xenomorphs and enhanced visuals.” A xenomorph appears in Alien: Rogue Incursion – Part One: Evolved Edition. The game features a story that is set between Alien and Aliens, which puts players in control of former Colonial Marine Zula Hendricks. After surviving a previous encounter with the xenomorphs, Zula is dedicated to eradicating them and preventing the weaponization of the xenomorphs. The game follows Zula on a human colony, LV-354, after it has been overrun by the xenomorphs and facehuggers. Alien: Rogue Incursion also had a cliffhanger ending that seemed to set up a sequel. The official site for the game confirms that the story is a two-part tale, but it stopped short of formally announcing Alien: Rogue Incursion – Part Two. Last year, a sequel to Alien: Isolation was also announced, with the original creative director Al Hope returning for Alien: Isolation 2. Additionally, the Alien TV series, Alien: Earth, will premiere on FX and Hulu later this year. Source link #Alien #Rogue #Incursion #Escaping #Enhanced #Edition Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

These photos reveal the unique agricultural system of the Maya people These photos reveal the unique agricultural system of the Maya people The “milpa” system Matilde Gattoni For millennia, the Maya people of Guatemala have been practising a unique agricultural system that fuses sustainability, climate resilience and environmental preservation. Based on the interconnections between plants and the surrounding elements, the “milpa” system combines nature with various managed crops such as corn, squash and beans (pictured above). Rather than extracting everything from the land, the milpa approach focuses on the long-term benefits of sustainable land management. The United Nations recently included it in a report on eight Indigenous food systems that can help the world stem the worst effects of climate change and achieve the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Traditional basket-weaving Matilde Gattoni This renewed recognition of ancient agricultural techniques is part of a broader movement by the Indigenous Maya people to reclaim their past and find their place in modern Guatemala. This revival also includes the promotion of traditional arts, such as basket-weaving, seen here carried out by 61-year-old Valeriano López Méndez from the Suchiquer community (pictured above), traditional Mayan clothing (shown below) and spiritual practices and languages. Traditional Mayan clothing Matilde Gattoni One of the bedrocks of the ancient Maya civilisation, Lake Atitlán (pictured below), has become a central fixture of this new trend. In these lakeside communities, the past and the present blend into a way of life that preserves and promotes all aspects of their civilisation. Lake Atitlán Matilde Gattoni Topics: Source link #photos #reveal #unique #agricultural #system #Maya #people Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Social Security payments arrive a little later this May. Here’s why. Social Security payments arrive a little later this May. Here’s why. Some Social Security recipients could see three checks hit their bank account this month, although some checks may come a little later in the month than usual. Those retirees who get Supplemental Security Income checks are getting two checks in the month of May – one for May and another for June – due to quirks in the Social Security Administration’s calendar. Another unique part about May’s payment schedule: the distribution dates for Social Security benefits are later than any other month on the 2025 payment schedule. About 7.4 million Americans who may be disabled or have limited resources get monthly SSI benefit payments. About one-third of those SSI recipients also get a benefit from Social Security. Those folks will wind up with three benefits payments hitting their account during the calendar month of May. Here’s a look at May’s social security schedule and why it looks a little different this month. Traditional Social Security payments – for those who are older or retired – are issued on Wednesdays throughout the month for most recipients. If your birthdate falls between the first and 10th of the month, that means you are paid on the second Wednesday of the month, which this month is May 14; between the 11th and 20th, you’re paid on the third Wednesday (May 21), and if you were born after the 20th of the month, you get paid on the fourth Wednesday of the month (May 28), according to the SSA calendar. With the second Wednesday of May falling on the 14th, that means May’s payments will be the latest out of all the months in 2025. Social Security recipients who began getting benefits before May 1997 are paid on the 3rd of the month – if they also get SSI, that benefit comes on the 1st. SSI recipients will end up with two checks in the month of May. The May SSI payment was issued on May 1, according to the SSA calendar, and the June SSI payment is scheduled for May 30. The June payment is issued early because June 1 falls on a weekend. Supplemental Security Income checks will be sent out on the following dates in 2025, according to the SSA calendar. Thursday, May 1, 2025 (Check for May 2025) Friday, May 30, 2025 (Check for June 2025) Tuesday, July 1, 2025 (Check for July 2025) Friday, Aug. 1, 2025 (Check for August 2025) Friday, Aug. 29, 2025 (Check for September 2025) Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025 (Check for October 2025) Friday, Oct. 31, 2025 (Check for November 2025) Monday, Dec. 1, 2025 (Check for December 2025) Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025 (Check for January 2026) Story Continues Supplemental Security Income is a benefit payment for those with limited income or resources aged 65 or older, who are blind or have a qualifying disability. Children with a qualifying disability can also get SSI, according to the SSA’s website. Adults who earn more than $2,019 from work monthly, typically do not qualify for SSI. Mike Snider is a reporter on USA TODAY’s Trending team. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him atmikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & *****@*****.tld Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at *****@*****.tld. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Social Security payments arrive a little later in May: See schedule Source link #Social #Security #payments #arrive #Heres Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Europe increasingly vulnerable to hailstones the size of golfballs Europe increasingly vulnerable to hailstones the size of golfballs Large hailstones can be very damaging imageBROKER.com/Alamy Hailstones the size of golfballs are increasingly raining down on Europe as the climate warms, causing expensive damage to cars and buildings. Very large hail, classified as hailstones that measure 5 centimetres or more in diameter, is one of the most costly forms of extreme weather, capable of smashing windows, denting cars and blowing holes through the roof of a building. “Some of the largest loss events, in excess of $1 billion, have been associated with hailstorms that have this type of very large hail,” says Brian ***** at the University of… Source link #Europe #increasingly #vulnerable #hailstones #size #golfballs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Lyft CEO says no signs of worry in the consumer Lyft CEO says no signs of worry in the consumer Lyft CEO David Risher poses for a portrait in New York City, U.S., April 16, 2025. Kylie Cooper | Reuters Lyft shares climbed 20% Friday after the ride-sharing company upped its share buyback plan and posted better-than-expected gross bookings. During an interview with CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” CEO David Risher said that Lyft isn’t seeing “anything to worry about” despite widespread concerns of a slowing consumer amid ongoing economic uncertainty. “Our team is stronger than it’s ever been, and the consumer demand is absolutely there,” he said. Gross bookings grew 13% from a year ago to $4.16 billion, slightly beating a $4.15 billion estimate from StreetAccount. The company said the quarter was its 16th straight ******* of gross bookings growth. Rides increased 16% to 218.4 million, topping a FactSet estimate of 215.1 million. Lyft’s revenues grew 14% during the first quarter from a year ago to $1.45 billion, but fell short of a $1.47 billion estimate from LSEG. The company reported net income of $2.57 million, or 1 cent per share. That’s up from a net loss of $31.54 million, or 8 cents per share, a year ago. The board also authorized boosting Lyft’s share repurchase plan to $750 million. The company said it aims to use $500 million over the next year. Stock Chart IconStock chart icon Lyft 5-day stock chart Source link #Lyft #CEO #signs #worry #consumer Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

David Souter, retired Supreme Court justice, dies at 85 David Souter, retired Supreme Court justice, dies at 85 Portrait de David Hackett Souter. Jeffrey Markowitz | Sygma | Getty Images Retired Supreme Court Justice David Souter died Thursday at his home in New Hampshire, the court said in a statement. He was 85 years old. Souter, who was appointed to the high court in 1990 by his fellow Republican, President George H.W. Bush, and retired in 2009. Souter, while serving on the court, often vexed Bush and other Republicans by aligning himself with liberal justices in decisions on cases. And his retirement at a relatively young age allowed a new, Democratic president, Barack Obama, to appoint a liberal justice to replace him: Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Federal Appeals Court Judge David Souter of New Hampshire speaks to reporters at the White House 7/23. Souter was nominated by President Bush to replace Justice William Brennan on the Supreme Court. Bettmann | Bettmann | Getty Images After he retired, the bookish bachelor for more than a decade regularly sat as a judge on the U.S Circuit Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, which handles cases arising out of federal district courts in New Hampshire, as well as Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Puerto Rico. Souter had served for just three months as a regular judge on the First Circuit before Bush nominated him to the Supreme Court. “Justice David Souter served our Court with great distinction for nearly twenty years. He brought uncommon wisdom and kindness to a lifetime of public service,” Chief Justice John Roberts said in a statement on Friday. “After retiring to his beloved New Hampshire in 2009, he continued to render significant service to our branch by sitting regularly on the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit for more than a decade,” Roberts said. “He will be greatly missed.” U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice David Souter (L) leaves after addressing the Sandra Day O’Connor Project on The State of The Judiciary’s forum “Striking the Balance: Fair and Independent Courts in a New Era” at Georgetown University Law Center May 20, 2009 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images News | Getty Images Souter, who was born in Massachusetts, graduated from Harvard, and afterwards was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University in England. He later graduated from Harvard Law School, and after a brief stint in private practice became an assistant attorney general in New Hampshire, and eventually attorney general of that state. Souter later served as a judge on New Hampshire Superior court and as a justice on the state Supreme Court. This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates. Source link #David #Souter #retired #Supreme #Court #justice #dies Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

LegoGPT creates Lego designs using AI and text inputs — tool now available for free to the public LegoGPT creates Lego designs using AI and text inputs — tool now available for free to the public A research team from Carnegie Mellon University built an AI model called LegoGPT that outputs valid LEGO designs from text input. According to the team’s research paper on GitHub, they trained “an autoregressive large language model to predict the next brick to add via next-token prediction.” They also added a validity check and physics-aware rollback during autoregressive inference, ensuring that the final output will always be valid (i.e., no overlapping bricks) and stable (i.e., no floating bricks). Furthermore, LegoGPT’s final output can be built by both humans and robots. This is how the team created the dataset — StableText2Lego — used to train LegoGPT: a text prompt input is first converted into a ShapeNetCore mesh. This is then plugged into a 20 x 20 x 20 voxel grid from which the initial LEGO brick layout is determined. This layout is then varied while still keeping the overall shape, and then unstable designs are filtered out from the final output. Those left are then rendered in 24 different viewpoints, and then GPT-4o is used to generate descriptions for the final output. (Image credit: Pun, Deng, Liu, Ramanan, Liu, Zhu / Carnegie Mellon University) The dataset has more than 47,000 LEGO structures that build over 28,000 unique 3D objects, including bookshelves, tables, chairs, cars, ships, guitars, and more. This was then used to train the AI model, allowing it to create unique and original designs solely from text inputs. This is how it creates a new design through text: LegoGPT converts the text into a LEGO design, which is then converted into text tokens ordered from bottom to top. Instructions are then created to pair the structured LEGO bricks with annotations explaining the design, so that the AI will understand the relationships between the text prompt and the physical bricks. From there, LegoGPT predicts the next brick needed to build the design using an autoregressive model. That means it will verify a brick’s validity at each step, checking if it is well-formatted, exists in the library, and does not overlap with existing bricks. This will continue until the design is completed, after which its stability is tested. Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. If the AI determines that the output is unstable, it will roll back to the last stable state and continue generating from that point. Once it gets a stable final output, then the design is complete. (Image credit: Pun, Deng, Liu, Ramanan, Liu, Zhu / Carnegie Mellon University) If you want to play with the AI yourself, the team released its dataset, code, and models, making it easier for anyone to fork the team’s work. One development we can see is if someone converts this into a downloadable AI app with a customizable brick library. You can then pair this with a computer vision model or image processing AI. For example, you can take a photo of your available LEGO bricks and let the AI give you a multitude of unique options for building with what you have. Follow Tom’s Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button. Source link #LegoGPT #creates #Lego #designs #text #inputs #tool #free #public Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

ASML: The Hidden AI Winner of 2025? ASML: The Hidden AI Winner of 2025? Did you know that the entire chip industry relies on one single company? And the real kicker? It’s not ******** or American. The most important semiconductor manufacturer is from the Netherlands, and it’s called ASML (AS:). Right now, it’s trading at levels last seen in the 2022 bear market. In this article, we’ll dive into why this monopolistic giant could be the real AI winner of 2025. With one of the strongest MOATs in the world, ASML is a key enabler of the AI revolution. AI is becoming a matter of national security, necessitating domestic chip manufacturing and driving demand for ASML. The AI revolution is reshaping how we interact with the greatest invention before it — the computer. Three years ago, AI felt like a risky bet. Today, the greater risk lies in overlooking it. And that applies beyond investing. Although market sentiment around the AI revolution has cooled down in recent weeks, data shows that the AI industry has only gotten hotter. Private investments are on track, governments are pouring tens of billions into sovereign chip and AI infrastructure, and AI models are increasingly more intelligent and useful. But making AI chips, which are made of transistors 30,000 times smaller than a human hair, is the most advanced manufacturing process on earth. That is why only one company in the world can produce the incredible machines that do it. ASML has built a monopoly thanks to its massive technological advantage. Their flagship EUV lithography machines use a super-precise laser to draw circuits onto a chip so tiny, it’s like sketching an entire city on a grain of rice. The process involves mirrors so smooth that if scaled to the size of the moon, their imperfections would be smaller than a blade of grass. That’s because a normal mirror would absorb the laser’s miniature lightwaves, which must hit a droplet of tin – half the width of a human hair, moving at 200 meters per second – dead center, 50,000 times a second. But we’re getting too technical here. If you want more details on ASML’s machines, I recommend reading their annual report here. But why would ASML be the AI winner of 2025? AI is no longer just chatbots and image generators. With increasing capabilities in military and cybersecurity applications, AI is becoming a matter of national interest. It’s clearly visible in the semiconductor trade between the US and China. The US has recently blocked Nvidia (NASDAQ:) from selling the H20 – its “dumbed-down” version of its Hopper chip – to China, citing security risks. Meanwhile, China has put the weight of its government behind sovereign AI. Because the development of AI is so rapid, nobody knows what capabilities might be discovered. It is increasingly clear that we are in an AI arms race, and everyone is trying to get ahead. Because many leading AI models are open source, governments are trying to target the step before that, the manufacturing process. If your rival has worse technology, they can’t get the best AI model. At least in theory. But semiconductor supply chains are among the most complex in the world. A chip might be designed in the U.S., manufactured in Taiwan, packaged in Vietnam, tested in China, and finally shipped back to the U.S. That is why developing domestic chip manufacturing capabilities is becoming a strategic objective for the world’s leading economies, which are realising that their interconnection is becoming a vulnerability. And what’s the first step to build domestic leading-edge chip foundries? That’s right, buying lithography machines from ASML. No other company in the world is competing in this field. It’s just too complex and expensive. Let’s take a look at ASML’s business model to see how it can leverage this situation. ASML’s Business Breakdown and SWOT Analysis Due to the nature of ASML’s business, investors must have a deep understanding of its machines. ASML actually manufactures machines ranging from the cutting-edge high-NA EUV to simpler technologies where ASML competes with Nikon (OTC:) and Canon. The two main categories, EUV and DUV, in which ASML holds a monopoly, made up 86% of 2024 revenue. That’s why we are giving them special attention in this analysis. These are also its main growth drivers. EUV: The Future Of Chipmaking Anything below 13.5 nm requires an EUV machine to manufacture. These include chips like the Snapdragon 8, Apple (NASDAQ:) M3, Tesla (NASDAQ:) Dojo D1 or Nvidia H100. A typical semiconductor manufacturing plant, or “fab”, contains between 10 – 30 of these machines. So with every planned fab, you can expect that amount of orders for ASML. These are not regular machines either. 150 ASML specialists are needed to assemble the modular design, which is then shipped to customers, where final assembly can take up to six months, 120 engineers, and over 20 trucks and three cargo planes. So It’s not like you can pick these up and move them to another facility. But once you have them, they can work for up to 30 years. These machines cost between 200 – 250 million dollars a pop, with cutting-edge models costing up to $ 400 million. Their maintenance costs also run into the tens of millions yearly. So if you imagine a new fab in Arizona for example, with lets say 10 EUV machines, that’s over 2,5 billion dollars of revenue for ASML. For a company that did nearly 30 billion $ in revenue in 2024, that’s a pretty big ticket. Because of the high costs, only a handful of companies can afford them. TSMC, Samsung (KS:) and Intel (NASDAQ:) currently make up the majority of ASML’s demand. This makes it easier to project future demand by tracking expansion plans of these three companies. TSMC is expanding its manufacturing capabilities with three fabs in Arizona, one in Kumamoto, Japan, one in Taiwan, and one in Dresden, Germany. Intel is expanding its US fab footprint too, with two leading-edge fabs under construction in Arizona, two in Ohio and two in Magdeburg, Germany. Samsung is building two fabs in Texas and expanding capacity in South Korea. As we can see, demand for EUV is likely to stay elevated in the coming years, with computing requirements prompting fabs to pursue smaller, 2nm technology using high-NA EUV, ASML’s latest innovation. Intel was the first in line to order these machines. It’s important to note that ASML is not shipping EUV to China. Here, we are once again coming back to politics, because ASML is facing export restrictions. The US has been pressing ASML to not sell to China since 2018, further proving the sensitive nature of this technology. However, ASML does business with China in their less advanced DUV segment. Let’s take a look at that. DUV: Old But Not Obsolete (get the Terminator pun?) DUV lithography is less advanced, but still critical and widely used in both older nodes, ranging from 28 – 90nm, and less critical layers of leading edge nodes, serving as a supplement to EUV. DUV is used for automotive chips, integrated circuits, RF chips, display chips, and others. Here, the list of customers is much longer, as they are used in a wide range of devices. The largest ones include TSMC, Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron (NASDAQ:), Intel, and many ******** firms. Key growth drivers for these machines include AI, self-driving, IoT & smart devices, and HBM and other memory. It’s important to note that every EUV chip requires DUV as well. Fabs contain around double the amount of DUV machines compared to EUV. DUV are simpler to manufacture and assemble as well, “only” taking 3-5 months to assemble. The costs of DUV tools range from 10 million dollars for the simplest ones used for ICs to 80 million for advanced tools used to supplement EUV in leading-edge chip production. Maintenance costs reach 4-6 million $ per tool. Now that we know what they do, let’s look at the SWOT analysis. Strengths: competitive advantage (monopoly in >80% of revenue), massive up-front costs for competitors, necessary supplier (chip fabs have to use ASML machines), strategic technology (countries are increasingly trying to develop domestic chip manufacturing capabilities, boosting demand), massive order backlog (ASML has enough orders for more than a year ahead) Weaknesses: complicated supply chain (often with a single supplier in the world), exposure to tariffs (EU company shipping to USA), volatile demand (ASML’s machines are a big, one time investment, so demand can waiver) Opportunities: AI (leading-edge AI chips rely on EUV technology, and demand is rising), Automotive (Ongoing electrification and FSD requires many advanced chips for cars), government support (governments are subsidizing domestic chip manufacturers) Threats: AI model advancements (more efficient models could potentially reduce demand for more powerful chips), trade war (tariffs could hurt ASML’s supply chain and US might pressure it to stop DUV business with China) ASML’s Latest Quarterly Call Supports Growth Thesis In ASML’s latest quarterly call, management said some very enticing things supporting my growth thesis. First, tariffs have not affected AI chip demand, and are likely not going to affect ASML’s trade with the US, as its technology is key to the administration’s objective of expanding the US’s semiconductor manufacturing capabilities. Specifically, CEO Christophe Fouquet noted that: “the announcement of tariffs have not changed the business conversation we have with our customers” and CFO Roger Dassen added that ASML expects that: “the lion’s share of the tariff burden should be borne by the next element in the value chain,” hinting at how semiconductor fabs will probably bear the most tariff impact as ASML has significant bargaining power thanks to its unique position. However, the irreplaceability of its machines gives manufacturers a strong argument to lobby against tariffs on ASML’s machines. ASML recognized this on the earnings call, saying that it “might be the reason why semiconductors are now exempt from tariffs,” adding that this issue “is being recognized by the U.S. administration.” AI is still driving strong demand across the whole supply chain. In summary, management said that major investments are already committed by companies determined to compete in the AI race. Based on customer conversations, ASML sees 2025 and 2026 as solid growth years fueled by this momentum, with significant chip production investments already locked in and future commitments looking very solid. Another very important topic is China, because it is expected to make up 25% of 2025 sales. ASML said that ******** demand is very strong, particularly thanks to the expansion of the electric car industry, but also AI and mainstream chips. In fact, ******** demand is better than anticipated a few months ago. ASML also confirmed that the expansion of sovereign chip manufacturing is expected to drive demand for its machines, saying this trend will drive up demand across the entire value chain. Is ASML Stock Undervalued? Here comes the juicy part. Despite all of these positive factors mentioned above, ASML has become a casualty of investor pessimism. Its shares are trading at seriously depressed levels. Looking at relative metrics, it’s clear that ASML is trading far below its mean over the past ten years, suggesting a potential 20% upside. The undervaluation becomes even clearer when looking at the valuation metrics since ChatGPT was launched, which started a massive wave of investments into chip technology. Another chart I like to look at is the price at max, median, and max multiples. As you can see, the shares are now trading at an alarmingly low price, possibly creating a massive opportunity. Is ASML Stock A Buy? The market is mostly efficient most of the time. There are two ways a stock becomes undervalued. Either the market prices in too little upside potential, or it prices in too much downside risk. In ASML’s case, it’s the latter. Tariffs, AI model improvements, and overall souring sentiment have all weighed on ASML’s shares. However, I believe that the market is seriously mispricing the effect of this situation on ASML. The company has multiple tailwinds going for it, making it unreasonably priced at the current levels. Let’s look at three possible outcomes: Bull case: Trump’s tariff deal spares ASML’s machines, recognizing their critical importance in the semiconductor industry. AI demand remains on track, allowing ASML to execute on its growth strategy. Fabs continue to expand in the US due to government incentives and demand signals. In this case, we could see at least a 30% upside in the medium term. Base case: Trump’s tariffs hit ASML, which is able to pass down the costs to customers thanks to its significant bargaining power. Higher prices stifle fab expansion in the US, potentially making 2025 another transition year for ASML until the dust settles. In this case, ASML still has 10% upside potential due to already planned expansion deals. Bear case: Tariffs plunge the US into a deep recession, slowing AI demand and hurting ASML’s customers. ASML is not able to maneuver out of this, and growth gets hurt. Even then, the stock has limited downside at this price, as the company is expecting to double by 2030. Source link #ASML #Hidden #Winner Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Clues About the First American Pope’s Beliefs: ‘You Have Called Me to Carry the Cross’ Clues About the First American Pope’s Beliefs: ‘You Have Called Me to Carry the Cross’ Pope Leo the Fourteenth has begun his official duties as the new head of the Catholic Church. And he has already made history as the first American ever elected pope. Addressing Catholic cardinals, the new pontiff said, “You have called me to carry the cross and to be blessed.” The 69-year-old was greeted with a rousing cheer from St. Peter’s Square Thursday, after cardinals broke tradition and selected Robert Prevost—born in Chicago and once a missionary to Peru. In an interview with CBN’s Faith Nation, Father Thomas Reese, senior analyst with Religion News Service, said Prevost’s long ministry in Latin America helped shape his path to the papacy. “Prevost was not the person we thought was going to be coming out on the balcony—so it was a big surprise,” Reese said. “The Latin American cardinals seemed to like him very much, so they look down on him as one of their own and not a gringo. Their decision was very much decisive in electing him as pope,” he explained. In 2023, Prevost was appointed to lead the ********’s powerful office that cross-checks bishops worldwide. Now, as Pope Leo XIV, his priorities closely mirror those of Pope Francis, blending social concern with theological tradition. “He will be totally in line with Pope Francis’s concern about justice, peace, and protecting the environment,” Reese said. “He’s going to be very much concerned about the plight of migrants, of refugees, calling on people to pay attention to all the starving people in the world. And he’s going to be very strong in speaking out for peace.” The new pope is also known for his strong pro-life stance. While serving as bishop in Peru, he opposed teaching gender ideology in schools, saying it “seeks to create genders that don’t exist.” The historic election sparked reactions across the globe, including strong support from American Catholics. “We’re leaning towards someone with a perspective from other parts of the world,” said Jen Fulwiler of Austin, Texas. “America certainly has a lot of power, and I thought they might not want that concentration of power. But from everything I’ve heard, they’ve chosen a good man who loves God and wants to do the right thing.” “To see the news was unexpected,” added TJ Strazzeri, a New York resident. “I thought it was going to be a European or maybe someone else, but this is great news. He’s young, he’s 69, so hopefully he gives us some length and has a great run.” On Friday, Pope Leo celebrated his first public Mass inside the Sistine Chapel. A media address is scheduled for Monday. His first possible foreign trip could come later this month to Turkey marking the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, a pivotal moment in early church history. Source link #Clues #American #Popes #Beliefs #Called #Carry #Cross Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]