Pelican Press

Shopify Earnings: Impact of Tariff on Merchants Will Lay the Future Price Action Shopify Earnings: Impact of Tariff on Merchants Will Lay the Future Price Action Wall Street is expecting healthy first-quarter results. All eyes are eager for news about the impact of the trade war on the small-to-medium-sized merchants. A factor to watch is the Q2 2025 guidance and management commentary around merchants’ exposure to tariffs. Key Highlights The company has demonstrated remarkable performance with revenues reaching $8.88 billion over the last twelve months, representing a robust 25.78% year-over-year growth. Shopify’s (TSX:) expansion into enterprise and international markets represents a significant growth opportunity, offering potential for larger deal sizes and more stable recurring revenue. Potential strategic price increases could boost revenue and margins without significantly impacting customer acquisition or retention, potentially improving financial performance and justifying valuation multiples. Slowing growth rates could put pressure on Shopify’s high valuation multiples, potentially leading to a correction in the stock price if the company fails to meet or exceed growth expectations. Intensifying competition in the e-commerce space may challenge Shopify’s ability to maintain its market position, particularly as it expands into enterprise and international markets. SHOP Q1 2025 earnings premarket Thursday, May 8, 2025 Analyst Ratings SOURCE BUY HOLD SELL Refinitiv 34 13 2 TipRanks 25 15 0 Earnings Expectation EPS 0.25 USD Revenue 2.26 B USD Financial Health History Financial Health for Shopify is determined by ranking the company on over 100 factors against companies in the Information Technology sector and operating in developed economic markets. Option Statistics Put/Call ratio suggests the following three scenarios: The Put/Call ratio between 1.2943 and 0.7595 for the next four upcoming expiries suggests that the overall option traders’ position is inclined towards Puts. Lower earnings and guidance could trigger a gradual sell-off. Better-than-expected earnings and guidance would trigger a sharp rise. The option market is showing a large net positive Gamma at the 105 strike versus a net negative gamma exposure at the 75 strike over the spectrum of May 2025 to January 2027. Technical Analysis Perspective SHOP is forming a large Cup & Handle formation from January 2022 until date. The Cup was completed from January 2022 to February 2025. Prices are hovering inside a handle formation, trading between two parallel lines. The range of the handle is 102 – 60 this month. A strong sustained break above 102 post earnings would trigger the formation targeting 130, 139 with more room to 155. A rejection of 102 obstacles would suggest a longer-range trade between 102 – 90 with more downside risk to 69. The earnings are a good catalyst for the formation to trigger which is dependent on Q2 2025 guidance. Monthly Candlestick Chart SHOP Seasonality Chart: SHOP closes 10.1 % higher in May 64% of the time since 2015. With major stock earnings on deck and market volatility rising, InvestingPro can help you stay ahead. Whether you’re a novice investor or a seasoned trader, leveraging InvestingPro can unlock a world of investment opportunities while minimizing risks amid the challenging market backdrop. Subscribe now and instantly unlock access to several market-beating features, including: ProPicks AI: AI-selected stock winners with a proven track record. InvestingPro Fair Value: Instantly find out if a stock is underpriced or overvalued. Advanced Stock Screener: Search for the best stocks based on hundreds of selected filters and criteria. Top Ideas: See what stocks billionaire investors such as Warren Buffett, Michael Burry, and George Soros are buying. Ali Merchant is a seasoned financial market professional with expertise in Technical Analysis, Treasury & Capital Markets, Trading, Sales, Research, Training, Fund & Relationship Management, Fintech, and Digitalization. He is a CMT charter holder and an active member of CMT Association, USA, American Association of Professional Technical Analysts, and CMT Association of Canada. He has worked on various roles and organizations in North America and the GCC, such as ABN Amro bank, Thomson Reuters (NYSE:), Refinitiv, MAK Allen & Day Capital Partners, and Bridge Information Systems. He is the founder of TwT Learnings, provides financial market training. Follow us on “X” formerly Twitter “@twtlearning.” Source link #Shopify #Earnings #Impact #Tariff #Merchants #Lay #Future #Price #Action Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Sotheby’s postpones Buddha jewels auction after India threatens legal action Sotheby’s postpones Buddha jewels auction after India threatens legal action The auction house Sotheby’s has postponed its ***** in Hong Kong of hundreds of sacred jewels linked to the Buddha’s remains, after a threat of legal action by the Indian government. The ***** of the collection – described as one of the most astonishing archaeological finds of the modern era – had drawn criticism from Buddhist academics and monastic leaders. India had said it offended the global Buddhist community. Sotheby’s said the suspension would allow for discussions between the parties. A British official named William Claxton Peppé unearthed the relics in northern India nearly 130 years ago, alongside bone fragments identified as belonging to the Buddha himself. The auction of the collection, known as the Piprahwa Gems of the Historical Buddha Mauryan Empire, Ashokan Era, circa 240-200 BCE, was due to take place on 7 May. In a letter to the auction house two days earlier, the Indian government said that the relics constituted “inalienable religious and cultural heritage of India and the global Buddhist community. Their ***** violates Indian and international laws, as well as United Nations conventions”. A high-level Indian government delegation then held discussions with Sotheby’s representatives on Tuesday. In an emailed statement, Sotheby’s said that in light of the matters raised by India’s government “and with the agreement of the consignors, the auction … has been postponed”. It said updates on the discussions would be shared “as appropriate”. Notice of the gems ***** had been removed from its auction house by Wednesday and the website page promoting the auction is no longer available. William Claxton Peppé was an English estate manager who excavated a stupa at Piprahwa, just south of Lumbini, the believed birthplace of Buddha. He uncovered relics inscribed and consecrated nearly 2,000 years ago. The findings included nearly 1,800 gems, including rubies, topaz, sapphires and patterned gold sheets, stored inside a brick chamber. This site is now in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Sotheby’s had said in February that the 1898 discovery ranked “among the most extraordinary archaeological discoveries of all time”. Source link #Sothebys #postpones #Buddha #jewels #auction #India #threatens #legal #action Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Apple Reportedly Considering AI-Powered Search Options for Safari Browser Apple Reportedly Considering AI-Powered Search Options for Safari Browser Apple is reportedly considering bringing artificial intelligence (AI) search options to the Safari browser. According to the report, the information was shared by an Apple executive during a testimony in the ongoing antitrust case against the US Justice Department. The executive highlighted that the Cupertino-based tech giant had held discussions with several AI service providers recently to add their web search capabilities as a non-default option in its browser. Currently, the only holdup is said to be that these AI services are not up to the mark for Apple to reliably make the switch. Apple Reportedly Looking at AI Search Options for Safari According to a Bloomberg report, Eddy Cue, Senior Vice President of Services at Apple, took the stand on Wednesday during Google’s antitrust case. While the ongoing case is about finding a solution to Google’s Search monopoly and unethical practices, the core of the case is the $20 billion (roughly Rs. 1.6 lakh crore) that the search giant pays Apple to remain the default search engine on the Safari browser. In the testimony, Cue reportedly said that Apple is “actively looking” to onboard AI-powered search options to its browser. The executive reportedly said the consideration was being made as the company noticed a dip in search queries on Safari for the first time in April — a trend not seen in the last 22 years. The trend is concerning for the iPhone maker as it directly hits the revenue it makes from Google’s deal. As per the agreement, the Mountain View-based tech giant pays Apple a portion of ad revenue from searches on Safari. Fewer searches mean less ad revenue. Cue reportedly believes the traditional search traffic is moving to AI Search engines and chatbot services. He added that earlier he did not consider them a valid alternative, but with recent developments, “I think today there is much greater potential because there are new entrants attacking the problem in a different way.” Apple has reportedly held discussions with OpenAI, Perplexity, and Anthropic about bringing the AI-led search feature to Safari. But the company is said not to be in a rush, as the quality of the search engine is thought not to be on par with what Apple users are used to. And, even when these are added, they won’t be offered as default, Cue was quoted as saying. Source link #Apple #Reportedly #AIPowered #Search #Options #Safari #Browser Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Souths wouldn't rush Brandon Smith back from injury Souths wouldn't rush Brandon Smith back from injury There’ll be no pressure on Brandon Smith at South Sydney this year as the hooker prepares for an immediate move from the Sydney Roosters. Source link #Souths #wouldn039t #rush #Brandon #Smith #injury Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Spotify Rolls Out New Playlist Management Tools, Snooze for 30 Days and Other Features Spotify Rolls Out New Playlist Management Tools, Snooze for 30 Days and Other Features Spotify on Wednesday announced several updates which aim to improve upon the existing listening and playlist curation experience. The ****** option, which appears at the bottom of the Now Playing view, is said to have received a design upgrade. Further, the redesign also brings easy access to controls like Smart Shuffle, Sleep Timer, and repeat. Spotify says listeners will now find Add, Sort, and other playlist management at the top of all playlists, enabling them to customise their track lists swiftly. New Updates to Spotify Spotify detailed all of the new additions in a newsroom post. Premium subscribers can take advantage of a redesigned ****** feature which now includes Repeat, Sleep Timer, Shuffle, and other controls. Once the queued up list ends, the music-streaming platform will automatically recommend tracks that can be added based on the listening history to ensure the music playback continues. It has also rolled out the ability to turn off Autoplay and Smart Shuffle in the Spotify app’s settings. If listeners do not like a song which is in the playlist, they can tap the updated Hide button which is said to be more intuitive and the track will not be played again as part of that playlist. There’s also a new Snooze button which temporarily removes a track from your recommendations for a ******* of 30 days. This feature is currently being tested for Premium users and will be rolled out for more users soon, as per the company. Following the update, another notable change is the addition of mobile playlist management tools. Users will find Add, Sort, and Edit options at the top of every playlist to build a track list, change its title, create custom cover art, or arrange the sequence in the ******. Spotify says it has also made creating a new playlist easier with a new + at the bottom-right side of its mobile app. It will also enable them to collaborate with friends, join a Blend, access Jam, and take advantage of AI Playlist. However, the latter two remain exclusive to Spotify Premium subscribers. Source link #Spotify #Rolls #Playlist #Management #Tools #Snooze #Days #Features Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Over 100,000 graduates move abroad – leaving taxpayers to pay off £3bn in student loans Over 100,000 graduates move abroad – leaving taxpayers to pay off £3bn in student loans Tens of thousands of university graduates have vanished abroad, leaving £2.8bn in unpaid student debt, The Telegraph can reveal. Figures from the Student Loans Company (SLC) show the body is trying to trace 112,000 “runaway” graduates who live overseas and are not actively repaying their loans. Of those, 73,000 are *** natives who completed a university degree here but have since moved abroad and lost contact with authorities. They have a total outstanding loan balance of £2bn – or £27,000 each. The remaining 39,000 were born abroad but took advantage of the loan system to fund their education at *** institutions. They owe £778m collectively. Any money SLC fails to recoup is ultimately paid for by the taxpayer. Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, said: “This represents a monumental and inexcusable failure to manage taxpayers’ money. “We have become the mugs, dimwits and pea brains of university education worldwide. The SLC is little more than a free access cash machine for spongers.” An SLC spokesman said not all the students are missing and may be between jobs or in the process of letting the authorities know their whereabouts. Graduates who studied at *** universities then moved abroad are still liable to repay their debts so long as they are earning above the repayment threshold. For the 2025-26 tax year, the earning repayment threshold is £26,065 for Plan 1 loans; £28,470 for Plan 2 loans; £32,745 for Plan 4 loans and £25,000 for Plan 5 loans. However , moving abroad makes graduates more difficult to identify as authorities do not have access to their tax records. The SLC is attempting to establish links with EU authorities and governments across the world to track down those not repaying their loans. The figures show that the amount of unpaid loans, where the debtor has gone missing but is believed to be abroad, rose by £1.2bn in the last 24 months – at a rate of £11.5m a week. Bosses at the SLC said not all these former students – who they call “unverified customers” – will be liable to pay back their loans as some may not be working, may be between jobs, may be on benefits or not earning enough. Of these “unverified customers” more than 11,600 are believed to have moved to Australia, 6,100 to the US and almost 4,500 each in Spain and Ireland. There are also almost 4,500 in the UAE, 1,200 in China, 2,700 in Bulgaria and 2,200 in Romania. A spokesman for SLC said: “SLC is committed to continually improving the efficiency of our systems and processes, which has resulted in improvements in the verification of customers in repayment. “In 2023-24, we verified the residency and employment statuses of 91.5pc of customers in repayment, surpassing the annual target of 90pc and at a time when the number of customers entering repaying continues to grow across all repayment categories, including the number of customers living overseas.” Graduates intending to move abroad for three months or more are urged to inform SLC via an overseas income assessment form. 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 #graduates #move #leaving #taxpayers #pay #3bn #student #loans Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nintendo forecasts sales of 15 million units for Switch 2 console Nintendo forecasts sales of 15 million units for Switch 2 console Attendees walk past an advertising board during the Nintendo Switch 2 Experience at the ExCeL London international exhibition and convention centre in London, Britain, April 11, 2025. Isabel Infantes | Reuters Nintendo said Thursday that it expects to sell 15 million units of its new Switch 2 console in the fiscal year ending March 2026. It is the first forecast for sales from the Japanese gaming giant since it announced the successor to its successful Switch device. Earlier this year Nintendo slashed its forecast for sales of the Switch to 11 million units for the year ended Mar. 31. Nintendo on Thursday said it sold 10.8 million units of the Switch in the year, just shy of its own forecast and down 31% year-on-year. Investors are now focused on how the successor to the console, the Switch 2, will perform when it goes on ***** in June. The Switch 2 will start at $449.99 in the U.S. and has improved features compared with its predecessor. Nintendo first launched the original Switch in 2017 and it has become the Japanese gaming giant’s second-best-selling console ever. The firm managed to extend the life of the hardware thanks to hit games involving characters like Super Mario, franchises such as Pokemon and the expansion of its intellectual property into films. Investors are hopeful the company can continue to ride its wave of popularity with shares up 33% this year. However, the Japanese gaming giant in April delayed pre-orders for the Switch 2 in the U.S. after President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs on countries around the world. Nintendo’s consoles are manufactured in Vietnam. This is a breaking news story. Please refresh for updates. Source link #Nintendo #forecasts #sales #million #units #Switch #console Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Fed sounds the alarm on tariff-induced stagflation Fed sounds the alarm on tariff-induced stagflation U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks during a press conference following a two-day meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee on interest rate policy in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 7, 2025. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters When the Federal Open Market Committee met in March, U.S. President Donald Trump had yet to unleash his so-called “reciprocal” tariffs on the world. But Fed policymakers were already bracing for the impact of trade barriers. At the conclusion of that meeting, the FOMC lowered its economic forecast for the U.S. and hiked its inflation projection. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said “a good part” of the downbeat forecast “is coming from tariffs.” On April 2, Trump stunned even the most pessimistic of market watchers when he held aloft the board with a list of higher-than-expected tariffs on many countries. Even though Trump has since paused them, the Fed seems to be operating on the (very uncertain) assumption Trump could reinstate those eye-watering levies at any moment. At the FOMC’s most recent meeting that concluded Wednesday, Powell no longer pulled punches in his post-meeting press conference, as he did in March. This time, he placed the responsibility squarely on Trump’s tariffs, saying they “are likely” to cause hotter inflation, slower economic growth and higher unemployment — recipes for a stagflationary scenario. So far, that’s the clearest warning from a U.S. authority about the damage tariffs could wreak. However, considering that Trump has not only expressed frustrations with Powell, but also said on Wednesday he wouldn’t consider lowering the 145% tariff on China to start trade negotiations with the country, it’s unlikely that Trump would heed the Fed’s caution. What you need to know today The Fed holds rates and warns of downturnThe U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday kept its key interest rate steady in a range between 4.25%-4.5%, where it has been since December. In his press conference after the Fed meeting, Chair Jerome Powell said Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs were “substantially larger than anticipated,” and “are likely to generate a rise in inflation, a slowdown in economic growth, and an increase in unemployment.” Trade deal between Britain and U.S.: New York TimesBritain is set to sign a trade deal with the U.S., according to The New York Times. The report comes after Trump said on Wednesday night stateside that there will be a briefing about a trade deal next day, without revealing any details. If the deal goes through, Britain would be the first country to seal one after Trump imposed tariffs on U.S. imports in April — but it is unclear if the two countries will sign a finalized deal or a framework for an agreement, the NYT said. Stock jumps buoy indexesU.S. stocks rose Wednesday. The S&P 500 added 0.43%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.7%, boosted by a 10.8% jump in Disney shares, and the Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.27% on Nvidia shares rising. Asia-Pacific markets climbed Thursday. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose roughly 0.6% as shares of ******** bubble-tea brand Auntea Jenny shot up as much as 75% on its first day of trading on the city’s stock exchange. White House to simplify chip export rulesNvidia shares jumped 3.1% as the Trump administration prepared to rescind what’s known as the “AI diffusion rule.” The rule, which was proposed by the Biden administration, sorts countries into three different tiers, all of which have different restrictions on whether advanced artificial intelligence chips such as those made by Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices can be shipped to the country without a license. AI could replace search engines: AppleAlphabet shares slumped 7.5% and that of Apple dropped 1.1% after Eddy Cue, Apple’s services chief, said he believes that AI search engines will eventually replace standard ones such as Google, according to Bloomberg. Separately, Apple is asking a court for permission to restart charging a commission on in-app transactions that link out for payment, adding that the prohibition will cost the company “substantial sums.” [PRO] How to play Trump’s ‘very big announcement’On Tuesday, Trump disclosed during an Oval Office meeting with ********* Prime Minister Mark Carney that he plans to make a “very, very big announcement” prior to his trip to the Middle East next week. Here’s what JPMorgan is advising its clients on how they can ride this potential tailwind for the market. And finally… A Minnie Mouse balloon at the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon Inflation on the eve of the parade in New York, Nov. 27, 2024. Timothy A. Clary | Afp | Getty Images Disney announces an Abu Dhabi theme park and resort The Walt Disney Co. announced Wednesday that it has reached an agreement with immersive destination and experiences company Miral to bring a park and resort to Yas Island in the United Arab Emirates. This will be Disney’s seventh theme park resort and it will be fully developed and built by Miral. Disney’s imagineers will lead creative design and operational oversight on the project. The entertainment giant will not be investing capital in the project, but will reap the benefits of royalties. Disney has slowly been entering the UAE in recent years, adding retail locations and touring entertainment shows like Broadway’s “The Lion King” and “Disney on Ice.” Disney noted that around one-third of the world’s population lives within a four-hour flight of the UAE and that the region has an addressable tourism market of around 500 million visitors. Source link #Fed #sounds #alarm #tariffinduced #stagflation Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Don’t Buy GTA 6, Andrew Tate Wants You to Invest Your Money in His Course Instead Don’t Buy GTA 6, Andrew Tate Wants You to Invest Your Money in His Course Instead We recently got the second trailer for GTA 6, and it lit the internet and the gaming community on fire. Any disappointment that most gamers had with the delay to 2026 was immediately extinguished by the new trailer and all the new details. But you know who isn’t excited about it? Andrew Tate. In a recent video, he mocked gamers who might allegedly spend the rumored $100 on the game. Instead, Tate is urging people to invest $50 into his self-help platform, The Real World, claiming it will let them “live GTA 6 for real.” Andrew Tate wants you to live GTA 6 in real life In his latest rant posted on X (formerly Twitter), Tate mocked GTA 6 fans for spending hours in a fictional world. “You could join The Real World for $50 and then learn how to get money,” he says about his online lifestyle course. “Then you can run around in the real world, get a bunch of girls and the best cars, and complete side quests.” Andrew and Tristan Tate drop a BRUTAL ultimatum on every 9-5 brokey hyped for GTA 6… Play the game or LIVE IT FOR REAL? pic.twitter.com/KgLlMDX8Dp — THE REAL WORLD (@jointrw_) May 7, 2025 This isn’t the first time Tate has fired shots at GTA fans or gamers in general. In December 2023, he and his brother mocked the fan reaction to GTA 6’s first trailer. He has also tweeted things like, “Your children and grandchildren won’t care about your video game accomplishments. They will say he failed us.” This has been part of a narrative that we’ve seen him push for years. Obviously, gamers haven’t been silent about all this over these years. On Reddit, fans have made comments like, “Even Andrew Tate knows his own fans are stupid.” Fans also wonder if we’ll see the Tate brothers as a parody in GTA 6 since the franchise is known for its satirical takes. “They’ll probably just change his name and throw it in the game, you can’t out-meme a meme.” Ironically, Tate himself has admitted to playing Grand Theft Auto in his youth. Previously, while speaking to Adin Ross, he revealed he used to enjoy GTA on the original PlayStation. But now he claims his real life is closer to GTA. “My life is GTA. I don’t need to play a game for GTA. If I want a car, I’ll buy it…“ GTA 6 is too big to be affected by something like this The game looks gorgeous. | Image Credit: Rockstar Games None of that matters, though. Nothing is going to stop the hype train that is GTA 6, and it shows no signs of slowing down. After more than a year since the first trailer came out, Rockstar recently announced that the game would be delayed till May 26, 2026. According to Rockstar, the footage was captured entirely on a PlayStation 5 and is a mix of gameplay and cutscenes. And even despite the delay, the hype has been higher than ever. The new trailer gave us new details regarding the protagonists, Jason and Lucia. We see what kind of relationship they have and their adventures in Vice City. So while Andrew Tate tells everyone to “live GTA 6 for real,” most of us probably don’t care. Most of us can probably relate to Channing Tatum’s words as The Gambit, “You know how long I’ve been waiting for this?” For us, the game will be a long-awaited return to one of the most iconic worlds in gaming. And if some players decide to drop $100 to explore Vice City instead of joining a hustle course? That, too, is their freedom—digital or otherwise. Source link #Dont #Buy #GTA #Andrew #Tate #Invest #Money Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump expected to announce framework of *** trade agreement, sources say – The Guardian Trump expected to announce framework of *** trade agreement, sources say – The Guardian Trump expected to announce framework of *** trade agreement, sources say The GuardianTrump to Announce Trade Agreement With Britain WSJUS and *** expected to announce deal to reduce tariffs BBCAsian Stocks Start Cautiously After Fed Holds Rate: Markets Wrap Bloomberg.comTrump wants everyone to stop asking when trade deals are coming NBC News Source link #Trump #expected #announce #framework #trade #agreement #sources #Guardian Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Judge blocks Trump’s dismantling of 3 agencies Judge blocks Trump’s dismantling of 3 agencies A federal judge on Tuesday blocked President Trump’s dismantling of three federal agencies that support libraries, museums, ********* businesses and mediation services. U.S. District Judge John McConnell agreed with 21 Democratic-led states that the shutdowns violate the separation of powers. “It also disregards the fundamental constitutional role of each of the branches of our federal government; specifically, it ignores the unshakable principles that Congress makes the law and appropriates funds, and the Executive implements the law Congress enacted and spends the funds Congress appropriated,” McConnell wrote. The lawsuit stems from Trump’s March 14 executive order that sought to eliminate seven federal agencies, part of his sweeping efforts to slash wide swaths of the federal bureaucracy. The order has quickly led to mass layoffs, grant freezes and other sweeping reductions at the agencies. The Democratic-led states sued over the dismantling of three of those agencies: the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the ********* Business Development Agency (MBDA) and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). In response to a separate lawsuit, another federal judge last week paused plans for layoffs at the IMLS, but McConnell’s order is the first to also block the dismantling of the other two agencies. The coalition is co-led by Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha (D), New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) and Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez, who is a Democrat, though the office is technically nonpartisan. The judge also refused the Trump administration’s threshold arguments it contended prevented the court from considering the lawsuit, including that the states have no legal standing to sue and that the case must be pursued in the Court of Federal Claims. “The States have presented compelling evidence illustrating that the harms stemming from the dismantling of IMLS, MBDA, and FMCS are already unfolding or are certain to occur, in light the significant reduction in personnel available and competent to administer these agencies’ funds and services and the elimination of certain programs that served the States,” McConnell wrote. In a statement, a Justice Department spokesperson said, “This Department has vigorously defended President Trump’s executive actions, including the order to Reduce the Federal Bureaucracy, and will continue to do so,” the Justice Department said in a statement. It isn’t the first time McConnell, an appointee of former President Obama who serves in Rhode Island, has blocked Trump’s efforts to freeze aspects of federal spending. The judge previously blocked the administration from implementing a planned across-the-board freeze on federal grants, a ruling that sparked calls for his impeachment from one House Republican. “Once again, this Court is confronted with a legal challenge by various states, against an Executive Order that attempts to dismantle congressionally sanctioned agencies and ignores congressionally appropriated funds,” McConnell noted in Tuesday’s ruling. This story was updated at 4:24 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Source link #Judge #blocks #Trumps #dismantling #agencies Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Conclave to Elect New Pope Enters Second Day: Latest Updates – The New York Times Conclave to Elect New Pope Enters Second Day: Latest Updates – The New York Times Conclave to Elect New Pope Enters Second Day: Latest Updates The New York TimesWhen does the 2025 conclave resume? Smoke times, full schedule for May 8 USA TodayNorfolk Catholic schoolchildren on their hopes for the next pope BBCCardinals are watching ‘Conclave’ the movie for guidance on the actual conclave politico.euWATCH LIVE: World watches for smoke from Sistine Chapel on Day 2 of papal conclave PBS Source link #Conclave #Elect #Pope #Enters #Day #Latest #Updates #York #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

'Can't win': Clarkson skeptical on Origin timing 'Can't win': Clarkson skeptical on Origin timing North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson is skeptical State of Origin can successfully fit into the busy modern-day AFL schedule. Source link #039Can039t #win039 #Clarkson #skeptical #Origin #timing Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Popular Bank to Close Nearly 40 Branches Soon Popular Bank to Close Nearly 40 Branches Soon Popular TD Bank will be closing 39 of its branches by June 5. “We’ve made the difficult decision to eliminate some roles that are no longer aligned with our business model,” TD Bank said in a statement, adding “…We are committed to supporting impacted colleagues fairly, with respect and providing resources to assist with the transition,” according to The Street. The branches that are closing are located in nearly one dozen states. A full list of closing branches is below. ConnecticutNorth Branford – 1289 Foxon Road, North BranfordTorrington Commons – 215 High St, Torrington District of ColumbiaGeorgetown – 1611 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. Florida Beville Nova – 1590 South Nova Road, Daytona BeachMain Blvd – 160 NW Main Blvd, Lake CitySouth Beach 5th Street – 500 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach MaineFairfield – 112 Main St, FairfieldFort Kent – 62 West Main, Fort KentGorham – 95 Main Street, GorhamHoulton – 6 North St, Houlton MassachusettsBradford – 860 South Main St, BradfordEast Longmeadow – 465 North Main St, East LongmeadowFramingham – 420 Franklin St, FraminghamHolyoke – 50 Holyoke St, HolyokeMethuen – 547 Broadway, MethuenTewksbury – 2345 Main Street, Tewksbury New HampshireBristol – 10 North Main St, BristolContoocook – 884 Main St, ContoocookHampton – 40 High St, HamptonWilton – 905 Elm St, Wilton New JerseyCedar Grove – 85-107 Pompton Avenue, Cedar GroveMarlton – 191 E Route 70, MarltonRingwood – 145 Skyline Drive, RingwoodRaritan Township – One Royal Rd, Raritan TownshipSpring Lake Heights – 555 Warren Avenue, Spring Lake Heights New York42nd and Madison – 125 Park Avenue, New York45th and Lexington – 451 Lexington Avenue, New YorkDolson Avenue – 156A-B Dolson Avenue, MiddletownDowntown – 136 Margaret Street, PlattsburghGreenlawn – 460 Pulaski Road, Greenlawn PennsylvaniaChestnut Hill – 8600 Germantown Pike, PhiladelphiaFrazer – 101 Lancaster Avenue, FrazerMorrisville – West Trenton Ave & Carlisle Ave, Morrisville South CarolinaColumbia Main – 1501 Main Street, ColumbiaThornblade – 6 Elmshorn Drive, Greer VirginiaCentreville – Centreville Drive and Machen Road, CentrevilleReston – 1750 North Hampton Avenue, Reston Back in March, Newsweek reported that the decision to close these branches stems from a “$3 billion settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice over money-laundering violations.” TD Bank has been an established financial institution since 1919 though it didn’t go through rapid growth until the 50s, according to its website. Though its shuttering some of its branch locations, the company itself is still in business and customers will still be able to do their banking through the institution. There are more than 1,100 branch locations across the United States. Source link #Popular #Bank #Close #Branches Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

China defense stocks surge as India-Pakistan tensions escalate China defense stocks surge as India-Pakistan tensions escalate A J-10C fighter jet of the ******** air force’s Ba Yi’s aerobatics team conducting adaptive training. Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images Tensions between India and Pakistan are rising, with ******** defense stocks surging after Pakistan’s apparent use of China-made weapons to down Indian jets. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar claimed on Wednesday that Pakistan deployed ********-made J-10C fighter jets in a clash with India’s air force, according to local state media. AVIC, through its subsidiary AVIC Chengdu Aircraft, manufactures the J-10C fighter jets reportedly used by Pakistan in the recent conflict. Another subsidiary, AVIC Aerospace, which produces military aircraft and helicopters, saw its Hong Kong-listed shares rising over 6%. And Shenzhen-listed stocks of AVIC Chengdu Aircraft surged as much as over 16%. It last traded 8.31% higher at 11.40 a.m. local time. On Wednesday, its stocks rose 17.05%, marking the most significant gain since last October. Shares of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, which builds military and civilian vessels, inched up 0.4%. “Pakistan is the largest buyer of ******** arms, including fighter jets, air defense systems, naval vessels, and UAVs,” said Yang Zi, associate research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. More than 60% of ******** arms exports went to Pakistan between 2020 and 2024, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. “It’s certainly likely that Pakistan used ******** aircraft,” said Seth Jones, president of the defense and security department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Yang told CNBC that “the conflict serves as a positive testament to the quality of ********-made arms, given the performance of Pakistan’s fighter jets and air defense systems against India’s French- and Soviet-made aircraft.” The rise in China defence stocks probably [reflects] the view that if the India-Pakistan war escalates, China will arm Pakistan and replace any losses. David Roche Quantum Strategy He added that although it’s unclear whether those involved air-to-air combat or ground-based surface-to-air missile strikes, it still indicates that Pakistan has “some successful capabilities, with ******** support.” According to Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, five Indian Air Force jets were shot down while approaching Pakistani territory. India, however, denied the reports of its jets being downed, dismissing them as “dis-information.” India announced early Wednesday that its armed forces had carried out strikes in Pakistan and the region it refers to as Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. India’s Ministry of Defense stated that the strikes targeted nine locations believed to be where “terrorist attacks” are planned and directed against India. That follows last month’s militant attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which left 26 people dead. ‘Temporary blip?’ “The rise in China defence stocks probably [reflects] the view that if the India-Pakistan war escalates, China will arm Pakistan and replace any losses,” said David Roche, strategist at Quantum Strategy. Pakistan and China established diplomatic relations in 1951. China has also been Pakistan’s most important defense partner since the end of the Cold War, according to the U.S. Institute of Peace. “China and Pakistan have long standing political ties. They’ve had long standing economic ties, and in particular, over the last several years, they’ve had deepening military ties,” said CSIS’ Jones. Jones noted, however, that the stock rally could just be a “temporary blip.” India and Pakistan would ideally like to de-escalate, but the ball is now in Pakistan’s court, he added. “[It’s up to Pakistan] whether it wants to respond more to the Indian strikes, or whether the potential shooting down of Indian aircraft was a good enough victory,” he added. Source link #China #defense #stocks #surge #IndiaPakistan #tensions #escalate Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

US has plans for sovereign wealth fund but no final decisions made, White House says – Yahoo Finance US has plans for sovereign wealth fund but no final decisions made, White House says – Yahoo Finance US has plans for sovereign wealth fund but no final decisions made, White House says Yahoo FinanceBessent and Lutnick sent plan for U.S. sovereign wealth fund — but White House has pushed back CBS NewsTrump’s sovereign wealth fund idea is born of envy rather than sense Financial TimesOpinion | The governance challenge of a US SWF fDi IntelligenceWhite House rejects parts of Trump advisers’ sovereign wealth fund proposal Crypto Briefing Source link #plans #sovereign #wealth #fund #final #decisions #White #House #Yahoo #Finance Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Club would 'lose millions' without new AFL stadium Club would 'lose millions' without new AFL stadium Modelling has pointed to the financial importance of a new stadium to the Tasmania Devils, who will enter the AFL in 2028. Source link #Club #039lose #millions039 #AFL #stadium Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Did Pakistan really shoot down five Indian fighter jets? Did Pakistan really shoot down five Indian fighter jets? At just after 1am local time on Wednesday morning, Indian fighter jets took off for the launch of Operation Sindoor, a series of strikes targeting alleged terrorist camps inside Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. French-made Rafales and Russian MiGs were in the air for less than half an hour, firing missiles that crashed into nine targets across the border. The question now gripping the region is whether all of them returned. The first site struck was the Abbas camp in the city of Kotli, about 13km across the Line of Control in Kashmir, at 1.04am. Vyomika Singh, a wing commander in the Indian air force (IAF), said that the camp had been used by suicide bombers from Lashkar-E-Taiba (LeT), the group New Delhi blames for killing 26 tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir last month. In grainy, bird’s-eye video posted online by the information wing of India’s armed forces, small clouds of ****** smoke puff up from a scrubby hillside as the missiles explode on impact. Some of the eight other operations targeted sites much deeper inside Pakistan, including the Subhnallah mosque compound in the Punjabi city of Bahawalpur and an LeT training camp in the city of Muridke, a short distance north of Lahore. The sites were targeted “based on credible intelligence inputs and locations that were so selected to avoid damage to civilian infrastructure and loss of civilian lives”, Ms Singh said. Long-range Scalp missiles, the French name for the Storm Shadow jointly produced with Britain, were used in the attack, alongside Hammer precision-guided bombs and advanced loitering munitions. Video taken from the ground in Muridke shows a fire burning close to a concrete wall, inside what was reportedly the training camp for David Headley, the LeT mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks in which 166 people were killed. New Delhi said that the strikes were a “non-escalatory” response to the Kashmir terror attack. Operation Sindoor refers to the vermilion dye worn by married Hindu women, so many of whom were widowed by the assault. “Our intelligence indicated that further attacks against India are impending,” said Vikram Misri, India’s foreign secretary, in a statement on Wednesday morning. “Our actions were measured and non-escalatory, proportionate and responsible,” he added. Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, hailed the operation as a “moment of pride” in a cabinet meeting, according to The Times of India. Ministers thumped their desks in reply. But by then, serious questions were being asked over whether the attack had not come at a far greater cost to the Indian armed forces than the slick, video-led briefings suggest. No ‘official confirmation’ from India According to Pakistan’s defence ministry, five Indian jets were shot down overnight, including three Rafales, and a Russian-made Su-30 and MiG-29. New Delhi has not officially responded to the claims. The Indian embassy in China declared the story “disinformation” in response to a post on social media by the state-owned Global Times. In the early hours after the attack, images of previous Indian fighter jet crashes were circulated on Pakistani social media as “proof” of a successful counter-strike. One, from a 2021 ******, showed the smoking tail of a MiG-29 jet. But reports of jet crashes were soon corroborated from the ground. Local government sources told Reuters that three Indian jets had indeed crashed inside Indian-controlled Kashmir. The reports mirrored a story in The Hindu, but that was swifty deleted by the newspaper under apparent pressure from the Indian government. “There is no such on-record official confirmation from India,” the Hindu said as it apologised for what it called an error. “We regret that it created confusion among our readers.” Residents ‘saw wreckage footage’ Early on Wednesday morning, Dar Yasin, a photojournalist with the Associated Press, raced to the outskirts of Srinagar, the main city in Indian-controlled Kashmir. He managed to slip past Indian authorities and took pictures of what appeared to be a drop tank disposed of from an Indian fighter jet. He was barred from taking pictures closer to the site of more debris. “Locals told me they saw a huge ball of fire emerging from the accident site and the wreckage was burning for…hours,” Mr Yasin told AP from the scene. Several locals also took and shared video of the wreckage on social media, before being ushered away from the scene. Images of a burned aircraft engine appear to be of the M88 engine typically used in Rafale jets, said Andreas Rupprecht, an expert in ******** military aviation. On Wednesday afternoon, a French intelligence source told CNN that a Rafale had indeed been shot down in the overnight exchanges of fire. Some 370 miles further south, villagers in Akhali Kurd in the province of Punjab were jolted awake early in the morning by a loud explosion. Scrambling out of bed, they also found the wreckage of an aircraft, The Indian Express reported. Credit: X/@parteekmahal ‘We shot down jets’ says Pakistani minister Army officials soon arrived to cordon off the area and collect debris, the newspaper said. One villager had been killed by a secondary explosion as he tried to take video. “We shot jets down in Akhoor, Ambala, Barnala and in Jammu,” said Attaullah Tarar, Pakistan’s information minister, at an early morning briefing. Akhali Kurd is about 50 miles from Barnala. “We also shot down quadcopters and a big drone,” Mr Tarar said. Analysts said that the wreckage at Akhali Kurd was more likely to be Indian than Pakistani. Both countries maintain that no aircraft crossed the border on Wednesday morning. “Until evidence comes out to the contrary, I think it’s reasonable to assume this is an IAF jet because Indian authorities have had [roughly] five hours to say otherwise,” said Christopher Clary, a non-resident fellow at the Stimson Centre think tank. “I don’t think they’d be so tight-lipped if a PAF [Pakistan air force] aircraft was on the ground here.” Indian sources briefed the local media that all the pilots who took part in the mission were safe, but left open whether any had been forced to eject. On Wednesday morning, Pakistan’s national security committee said that Islamabad reserved the right to respond at a time and place of its choosing, taking revenge for what it said was the loss of 26 civilian lives. But local media broadly focused on how many Indian fighter jets had already been shot down. The bloodthirsty calls for revenge had dampened somewhat since the initial, apocalyptic fury overnight. Previous flare-ups of fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours have stayed within careful boundaries of **** for tat. As they issued frantic calls for de-escalation, world leaders will hope that Pakistan’s thirst for revenge has already been somewhat slaked. If it has indeed shot down several Indian jets, Operation Sindoor could be cast as much of a victory for Islamabad as its old enemy across the border. 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 #Pakistan #shoot #Indian #fighter #jets Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Shipping giant posts profit beat Shipping giant posts profit beat The Maersk Alfirk, left, and Colorado Express container ships docked at the Port of Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California, US, on Thursday, April 24, 2025. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Danish shipping giant Maersk on Thursday posted stronger-than-expected first-quarter operating profit and maintained its full-year guidance. The company, widely regarded as a barometer of global trade, reported preliminary underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of $2.71 billion for the first three months of the year. That’s up 70% from $1.59 billion over the same ******* a year earlier and above the $2.57 billion expected by analysts in an LSEG poll. Maersk kept its 2025 profit guidance unchanged at between $6 billion and $9 billion but said global container market volume growth had been revised to -1% to 4% “given the increased macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty.” Disruption in the Red Sea, meanwhile, is expected to continue throughout the rest of the year, Maersk said. The results come as the shipping industry continues to navigate a complex tariff landscape sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration. Trump’s current policy includes 145% import duties on products from China, prompting Beijing to hit back with tariffs on U.S. goods. This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates. Source link #Shipping #giant #posts #profit #beat Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

USDA chief says agency is trying to fill key jobs after paying 15,000 to leave – NPR USDA chief says agency is trying to fill key jobs after paying 15,000 to leave – NPR USDA chief says agency is trying to fill key jobs after paying 15,000 to leave NPRUS agriculture secretary defends budget cuts, says won’t close offices that serve farmers ReutersRollins: USDA Reorganization Happening in an Intential & Smart Way Red River Farm NetworkMore than 15,000 USDA employees take Trump’s offer to resign PoliticoMore Than 15,000 Employees Leaving USDA as White House Proposes More Budget Cuts DTN Progressive Farmer Source link #USDA #chief #agency #fill #key #jobs #paying #leave #NPR Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Google shares plunge after Apple executive’s court testimony Google shares plunge after Apple executive’s court testimony US Judge Amit Mehta will determine how Google must address his landmark ruling last year that Google operates an ******** monopoly in online search (NICHOLAS KAMM) Shares in Google parent Alphabet plunged more than eight percent on Wednesday after Apple executive Eddy Cue testified in federal court that Google’s search traffic on Apple devices declined last month for the first time in over two decades. Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services, told the Washington antitrust trial that Google was losing ground to AI alternatives like ChatGPT and Perplexity. His revelation that this decline “has never happened in 22 years” sent shockwaves through Wall Street, wiping more than $170 billion from Google’s market capitalization in a single trading session. The testimony came during a pivotal trial where District Judge Amit Mehta will determine remedies for Google’s previously ruled ******** search monopoly. The case, ongoing since 2020, has exposed Google’s practice of paying Apple tens of billions dollars annually to remain the default search engine on Safari browsers and Apple smartphones. Investors were further unsettled when Cue suggested Apple might soon offer AI alternatives as default search options on its devices, heightening concerns that Google’s advertising revenue could face serious threats from AI competitors. With the three-week trial set to conclude Friday, government attorneys are pushing Judge Mehta to order Google to divest its Chrome browser. They argue that AI technologies will only strengthen Google’s dominance by leveraging its vast data resources across products like Maps, YouTube, and Chrome to stifle competition. However, Cue’s testimony bolstered Google’s defense that AI is already disrupting its search dominance, with chatbots now posing legitimate threats to its business model. – ‘Losing sleep’ – When Judge Mehta issues his ruling in August, he could end Google’s default search agreements with Apple and others — a prospect that Cue told the court he was “losing sleep” over, with potential revenue losses impacting Apple’s product development and operating system investment. Alternatively, Mehta might order Google to share its search data with competitors, which CEO Sundar Pichai warned would effectively amount to a “de facto divestiture of search.” As a counter offer, Google proposes a more limited remedy that would allow it to continue paying for default placement of its search engine, but with an annual renegotiations and greater freedom for smartphone manufacturers to choose which Google apps to install on their devices. The Google case represents just one of five major tech antitrust actions currently pursued by the US government, with Meta facing similar scrutiny in the same courthouse. Source link #Google #shares #plunge #Apple #executives #court #testimony Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Slovakia and Hungary slam EU plan to end all Russian gas imports Slovakia and Hungary slam EU plan to end all Russian gas imports Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban during their joint press conference at the Kremlin on July 5, 2024. Contributor | Getty Images News | Getty Images Russia’s allies in Eastern Europe say Brussels plans to end all Russian gas and energy imports in the coming years are tantamount to “economic suicide” and a threat to the region’s energy security and economy. The European Commission announced plans on Tuesday to phase out Russian gas, nuclear energy and liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports by the end of 2027, saying the move “paves the way to ensure the EU’s full energy independence from Russia.” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 prompted the EU to ban most seaborne imports of Russian oil, coal and refined petroleum products, but reducing gas flows has proved more difficult. In 2024, almost 19% of the EU’s gas and LNG imports still came from Russia, according to data from the European Commission, although that’s down from 2021 when 45% of the region’s gas came from the major oil and gas exporter. The EU’s latest proposals have already prompted a furious response from eastern European nations which have traditionally been more reliant on cheaper energy supplies from Russia, and which repeatedly warn of higher energy prices for consumers as a result of banning such supplies. Slovakia and Hungary, whose governments have maintained warm ties with Moscow despite the war in Ukraine, described the EU’s latest plans as a “serious mistake” that would harm the region. “We recognize the strategic goal of reducing energy dependence on third countries, and Slovakia is ready to work on this together with the European Union but … this is simply economic suicide to agree that neither gas, nor nuclear, nor oil [can be imported from Russia], that everything must end just because some new Iron Curtain is being built between the Western world and perhaps Russia and other countries,” Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico said Wednesday, in comments reported by Slovak news agency TASR and translated by Google. In this pool photograph distributed by Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico prior to their talks in Moscow on Dec. 22, 2024. Gavriil Grigorov | Afp | Getty Images Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said Wednesday that the EU’s proposals were “politically motivated” and a “serious mistake.” “It threatens energy security, drives up prices and violates sovereignty. They want us to bear the cost of their reckless support for Ukraine and its rushed EU accession. We firmly reject this,” the minister commented on X. Both Hungary and Slovakia have pushed back against previous EU initiatives to cut energy ties with Moscow, instead opting to maintain supplies amid fears of mounting energy costs at home. Both have also been vocally critical of giving more military and financial assistance to Ukraine and have previously threatened refused to back the EU’s regular extensions of sanctions against Russia. Both looked to extract concessions from the bloc before approving their renewal, most recently in March. In announcing its latest plans to distance itself from Russia, the EU said Tuesday that its “roadmap” to phasing out all Russian energy imports would first introduce a ban on all imports of Russian gas (both pipeline and LNG) under new contracts and existing spot contracts, which would take effect by the end of 2025, before all remaining imports are phased out by the end of 2027. The Commission’s legislative proposals, to be presented in June, will require approval from the European Parliament and a qualified majority of member states, meaning the plans cannot be vetoed by just a few countries. “We can adopt it without unanimity,” European Commissioner for Energy Dan Jorgensen said in a press conference Tuesday, adding, “I hope that everybody will vote for it, obviously, but if they don’t, that is also ok, that is also part of the European Union that sometimes the majority makes decisions when necessary.” He added that the bloc was currently in an “unacceptable situation” in which it was dependent on a Russian state and leader, President Vladimir Putin, who had “chosen to weaponize energy.” He added that importing Russian gas had indirectly helped to fill the Kremlin’s “war chests” to continue its war against Ukraine. The Commission said in its statement Tuesday that it envisaged a “gradual and well-coordinated” approach across bloc, with member states being asked to prepare national plans by the end of this year “setting out how they will contribute to phasing out imports of Russian gas, nuclear energy and oil.” It’s uncertain whether Slovakia and Hungary will accede to the request. CNBC has asked the Kremlin for a response to the EU’s proposals and is awaiting a reply. Source link #Slovakia #Hungary #slam #plan #Russian #gas #imports Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How Long Will the Conclave Take? How Long Will the Conclave Take? On Wednesday, after leaving their phones at a spare ******** guesthouse where they will reside until the next pope is chosen, they will enter the Sistine Chapel and begin to vote. No one knows how long the conclave will last. There is no formal time limit: until two-thirds of the 133 voting cardinals agree on a new pope, the cardinals must continue to vote. Past papal selections have lasted from just a few hours to nearly three years. In the 13th century, the tradition of sequestering the cardinals during the conclave started after residents in Viterbo, near Rome, where it was being held, grew frustrated with a selection process that dragged on almost three years. Locals locked the squabbling cardinals in the papal palace in Viterbo and had the roof removed, subjecting them to the elements. They also cut down their food rations until they made a selection. Pope Gregory X finally emerged as their choice after 33 months. It’s no wonder that Gregory X scrambled to come up with fixed rules for the conclave, which comes from the Latin “with key.” They included reducing meals to one a day if a pope was not elected after three days, and to only bread and water after five more days. But some papal elections continued to drag on. In the 17th and 18th centuries, European Catholic monarchies used their influence over loyal cardinals to shape the outcome, meaning that votes sometimes dragged on for months. Conclaves have become considerably shorter in the past two centuries, after the end of the pope’s temporal power in 1870. The last two popes, Francis and Benedict, were each elected within two days. Cardinals provided varying estimates of how long this conclave would last. Some said the process may take longer than recent selections because the members of the large and diverse College of Cardinals, many of them appointed by Pope Francis in recent years, don’t know each other well. Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York said he thought the conclave would be longer than the one that elected Pope Francis, which took two days. He has packed 12 packets of peanut butter, and enough to eat three a day. “So you figure that out,” he said on the math. “I think it’ll be longer than last time,” he said. Others predict the cardinals will converge on a well-known name and wrap it up fast. “Everyone says that, but I don’t know how they know,” Cardinal Anders Arborelius of Sweden said in a recent interview. Maybe, he said, “Everyone wants to get home as soon as possible.” Josh Holder and Elizabeth Dias contributed reporting. Source link #Long #Conclave Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ultraprocessed foods linked to early symptoms of Parkinson’s – The Seattle Times Ultraprocessed foods linked to early symptoms of Parkinson’s – The Seattle Times Ultraprocessed foods linked to early symptoms of Parkinson’s The Seattle TimesView Full Coverage on Google News Source link #Ultraprocessed #foods #linked #early #symptoms #Parkinsons #Seattle #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Tax on Bluey’: Rudd rips into Trump’s film tariffs ‘Tax on Bluey’: Rudd rips into Trump’s film tariffs Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on foreign-made movies amounts to a “tax on Bluey”, Australia’s ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd has joked at a high-level economics summit. Speaking in Los Angeles, the former prime minister spoke out against the US president’s 100 per cent tariff on films produced outside the country. Pointing to the popular *********** cartoon, Dr Rudd said, “I don’t think we want to see a tax on Bluey”. “What happens if we all lock down our countries with competitive punitive arrangements against each other’s movies?” he said. “Movies are the way in which we kind of understand each other more.” The White House later clarified the Trump administration has not yet made any final decision, despite the president’s announcement earlier this week. Mr Trump had said the movie industry was dying “a fast death” due to incentives offered by other countries to secure movies. Australia is a popular location for Hollywood film productions due to tax incentives and diverse landscapes. A location offset scheme offers a 30 per cent rebate for big-budget films shot in Australia, with additional post-production rebates. The Albanese government has stood behind the nation’s screen industry since the tariffs were announced, and it remains unclear how they would work. At Australia’s largest screen industry event on the Gold Coast, ********* film producers also spoke against the proposal. Foreign Minister Penny Wong urged governments not to get in the way of the collaboration between American and *********** artists in creative industries. State leaders also weighed in, with NSW Premier Chris Minns declaring the move “short-sighted” and a “bad decision” for movies filmed in either country. Source link #Tax #Bluey #Rudd #rips #Trumps #film #tariffs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]