Pelican Press

A Trump admin effort to deport immigrants to Libya would ‘clearly violate’ court order, judge says – Politico A Trump admin effort to deport immigrants to Libya would ‘clearly violate’ court order, judge says – Politico A Trump admin effort to deport immigrants to Libya would ‘clearly violate’ court order, judge says PoliticoSwiftly deporting migrants to Libya would violate court order, US judge rules ReutersFederal judge temporarily blocks deportations to Libya AxiosTrump Live Updates: Deportation News, Russia-Ukraine Talks and More The New York TimesTrump administration plans to deport migrants to Libya NPR Source link #Trump #admin #effort #deport #immigrants #Libya #violate #court #order #judge #Politico Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

AVZ Minerals strikes Manono ***** agreement with US firm backed by billionaires Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates AVZ Minerals strikes Manono ***** agreement with US firm backed by billionaires Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates Stranded shareholders of AVZ Minerals have been thrown a lifeline after the delisted West Perth outfit inked a ***** deal for its Congolese lithium project before ******** interests could seize control. Source link #AVZ #Minerals #strikes #Manono #***** #agreement #firm #backed #billionaires #Jeff #Bezos #Bill #Gates Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Northern India’s elusive snow leopards get their close up Northern India’s elusive snow leopards get their close up Adapted to live in some of our planet’s most inhospitable mountainous regions, snow leopards (Panthera uncia) are the ultimate mountain climbers and an iconic big cat. A recent camera trapping study found that India is home to the most dense population of the ****** and white carnivores on Earth and most live in a remote northern region of the subcontinent. Here, they also appear to co-exist alongside rural communities, where they are respected by local human populations. The findings are detailed in a study published May 7 in the open-access journal PLOS One. Snow leopards are found in mountainous regions across 12 Asian countries: Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Their signature fur acts as natural camouflage against the snowy mountains, where they prey on a variety of sheep, ibex, hares, marmots, and pika. A snow leopard (R) eyes a dog along a mountainside at Thiksey village on the outskirts of Leh in India’s Ladakh region on February 13, 2024. CREDIT: MOHD ARHAAN ARCHER/AFP via Getty Images. MOHD ARHAAN ARCHER In order to effectively conserve this vulnerable species, researchers need solid data on their population size and where they are living. However, the remote and rugged terrain that they call home and their notoriously shy nature makes this difficult. In this new study, a team from the Department of Wildlife Protection in northern India’s Ladakh Union Territory assessed the snow leopard population across almost 23,000 square miles of landscape. The team started by looking for the tell-tale signs of snow leopards–footprints, *****, and scratch marks. They also surveyed for large carnivores like brown bears and lynx and wild herbivores and livestock. Next, they set up 956 camera traps along about 3,300 square miles occupied by the snow leopards. These non-invasive cameras are used to help scientists estimate animal populations across territories. “To photograph snow leopards’ foreheads, we had to make them pose in front of our cameras,” the team wrote in a statement. “This was done by spraying a small amount of perfume just below the cameras that were deployed near their favored scent marking rocks on the high ridge tops. The curious leopards lower their heads to smell the novel smell and we have our prized photos!” Camera trapping image during the study. CREDIT: Department of Wildlife Protection, UT Ladakh. Finally, they used artificial intelligence to analyze the photos and identify individual snow leopards by their distinct patterns of markings on their foreheads. This method called “fingerprinting” uses a special pattern recognition software to look at the spot patterns and store them in a database. This way, scientists can compare it with other snow leopard photos and come up with matches. “This reduced our work many fold and improved the accuracy of correct individual identification that is crucial for population estimation using statistical models,” the team says. With this data, the team estimates that Ladakh is home to 477 snow leopards, or 68 percent of India’s total population. The density varied between one to three snow leopards per 38 square miles. According to these results, Hemis National Park has the highest density of snow leopards recorded anywhere on Earth. Additionally, 61 percent of snow leopards in Ladakh co-exist right alongside human populations. The resource-rich grasslands with a moderate climate and complex terrain tended to have a higher number of snow leopards, likely due to more prey and less human disturbance. [ Related: Mountain lions in Los Angeles become night owls to avoid humans. ] According to the team, this method of tracking and monitoring snow leopards could be used to regularly monitor these elusive big cats around the globe. They also generated a national photo library of snow leopards, which can help conservationists who monitor animal poaching and trafficking. The team believes that multiple factors play into this wide distribution and high population density of snow leopards in Ladakh. Here, the animals have abundant prey, rugged and remote landscapes to live on, low human population density, and a culture of deep respect for wildlife among local communities. “The deep-rooted reverence for wildlife among Ladakh’s communities, combined with the economic benefits from snow leopard tourism and conflict management strategies, helps sustain some of the world’s highest snow leopard densities—a model that could be adapted and upscaled across the species’ range,” the team concludes. Source link #Northern #Indias #elusive #snow #leopards #close Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Why Nvidia investors are cheering Trump’s likely dismantling of Biden’s AI chip rules – MarketWatch Why Nvidia investors are cheering Trump’s likely dismantling of Biden’s AI chip rules – MarketWatch Why Nvidia investors are cheering Trump’s likely dismantling of Biden’s AI chip rules MarketWatchNvidia shares climb as Trump administration prepares to end chip export restrictions CNBCTrump to Rescind Chip Curbs After Debate Over AI Rules Bloomberg.comDow Jones Futures: Stocks Rise After Trump Chip Move, Fed’s Powell; MercadoLibre, AppLovin Soar Late Investor’s Business DailyTrump to scrap Biden’s “AI diffusion rule” Thursday in win for chipmakers Axios Source link #Nvidia #investors #cheering #Trumps #dismantling #Bidens #chip #rules #MarketWatch Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NBA Playoffs: Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry diagnosed with grade one hamstring injury NBA Playoffs: Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry diagnosed with grade one hamstring injury The Golden State Warriors will likely need to force at least a game six to see the return of superstar Stephen Curry against Minnesota. Premier NBA sharpshooter Curry injured his hamstring during the Warriors’ game one triumph over the Timberwolves on Wednesday (AEST), souring a sensational 99-88 start to their Western Conference semifinal series. The 11-time All-Star will be counting his blessings after an MRI on Thursday revealed a simple grade one strain of his left hamstring. However, it is still likely to see him benched for up to 10 days, meaning he is almost certain to miss games two, three, four and potentially five of the series against rising star Anthony Edwards and his Wolves teammates. A series sweep could see Curry available at the start of the Conference final. The 37-year-old exited the clash in Minneapolis with 8:19 remaining in the second quarter, having clutched at the injury in discomfort multiple times. He had 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting, including 3-for-6 on three-pointers at the time of leaving the game. The Warriors survived a scare during their first-round series against No.2 seed Houston after fellow star Jimmy Butler fell hard and left the court with a hip complaint, only to be cleared of serious injury. Camera IconStephen Curry (30) heads back to the bench in the first half as the Golden State Warriors played the Minnesota Timberwolves. Credit: Carlos Avila Gonzalez/AP But now the Warriors will be a superstar short, adding strain to a squad that has already been playing every second day for the best part of a week, with their series triumph over the Rockets taking seven games. Conversely, the six-seed Wolves took down LeBron James and the LA Lakers in their first round with two matches to spare, entering the semifinal stage in raring form. Curry averaged 24.5 points, 6.0 assists, 4.6 rebounds per game and 39.7 per cent three-point shooting in his 16th NBA season and has gelled well with Butler since the guard moved across from Miami Heat. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Curry was “crushed” by the injury. “He’s obviously crushed, but the guys picked him up and played a great game,” he said post-match. “Obviously, we’re all concerned about Steph, but it’s part of the game. Guys get hurt, you move on.” Source link #NBA #Playoffs #Golden #State #Warriors #superstar #Stephen #Curry #diagnosed #grade #hamstring #injury Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

India strikes alleged headquarters of militant groups in Pakistan’s heartland India strikes alleged headquarters of militant groups in Pakistan’s heartland By Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam and Mubasher Bukhari MURIDKE, Pakistan (Reuters) – Video footage from the early hours of Wednesday shows a bright flash from the residential Islamic seminary outside Bahawalpur in central Pakistan as India attacked its neighbour in response to the killing of Indian tourists in Kashmir. The seminary was emptied of its students in recent days as speculation grew that would be targeted by India, but the family of Masood Azhar, founder of the Jaish-e-Mohammed Islamist militant group, was still there, according to the group. Ten of Azhar’s relatives were among 13 people killed in the strike, including women and children, the Pakistani military said. Thousands of people turned out for their funerals at a sports stadium later in the day, shouting “****** Akbar”, or God is Great, and other religious chants. “(Indian Prime Minister Narendra) Modi’s brutality has broken all norms,” the group said in a statement. “The grief and shock are indescribable”. It said that five of those killed were children and the others included Azhar’s sister and her husband. It did not respond to a request for comment on why the family was still at the site. Azhar, who has not been seen for years, and his brother, Abdul Rauf Asghar, deputy head of the group, did not appear to have attended the ******** prayers. The road to the site was cordoned off after the strike. Further north, around half an hour after midnight, four Indian missiles hit a sprawling complex in Muridke over six minutes, a local government official said. The attack demolished a mosque and adjacent administration building and buried three people in the rubble. A sign outside describes the site as a government health and educational complex, but India says it is associated with militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Delhi and Washington blame LeT for the 2008 attack on the Indian city of Mumbai that killed more than 160 people. LeT, which has has denied responsibility for that attack, is banned. The attack left other buildings in the complex untouched. A local official said that normally there were up to 3,500 staff and students at the site, but almost everyone had been evacuated in recent days as they feared it would become a target. Hafiz Saeed, leader of LeT and its successor organizations, is in a Pakistani jail since being convicted in 2020, on terror financing charges. He says his network, which spans 300 seminaries and schools, hospitals, a publishing house and ambulance services, has no ties to militant groups. Delhi said it had conducted pinpoint strikes on the two headquarters of its militant adversaries, part of what it said were nine “terrorist camps” targeted. “Over the last three decades Pakistan has systematically built terror infrastructure,” it said in a briefing on the attacks. Pakistan said India had hit six sites, killing 26 people and wounding 46, all “innocent civilians”. Officials and experts said India’s attack on its neighbour, its most significant in decades, fulfilled a long-cherished goal, but Islamabad warned that it would hit back. The conflict between India and Pakistan has been confined in recent decades mostly to the disputed mountainous region of Kashmir. But the air strikes in the towns of Bahawalpur and Muridke were seen in Islamabad as a major escalation. India said seven of its targets were used by Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, both Islamist groups designated “terrorist” organisations by the U.N. Security Council. India launched the attacks in response to the killing of 26 people, mostly tourists in Indian Kashmir last month. Jaish says that it carries out educational and charity work in Pakistan and its militant activities are only in India. Delhi says that it runs training camps in Pakistan, as well as indoctrination schools, and that it launches militants into India. For decades Hindu-majority India has accused Pakistan of supporting Islamist militants in attacks on Indian interests, especially in Kashmir. Pakistan denies such support and in turn accuses India of supporting separatist rebels in Pakistan, which New Delhi denies. (Writing by Saeed Shah; editing by Philippa Fletcher) Source link #India #strikes #alleged #headquarters #militant #groups #Pakistans #heartland Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

NASA scrambles to cut ISS activity due to budget issues – Ars Technica NASA scrambles to cut ISS activity due to budget issues – Ars Technica NASA scrambles to cut ISS activity due to budget issues Ars TechnicaElon Musk Set to Win Big With Trump’s Trillion-Dollar Pentagon Budget The InterceptNASA, in surprise shift, may launch rockets to Mars next year PoliticoWhat Trump’s NASA Budget Cuts Mean for the Space Agency Time MagazineNASA backs Trump budget blueprint with $6B cut to agency Fox News Source link #NASA #scrambles #cut #ISS #activity #due #budget #issues #Ars #Technica Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Why Trump is considering deporting migrants to Libya Why Trump is considering deporting migrants to Libya Why Trump is considering deporting migrants to Libya – CBS News Watch CBS News Trump administration officials have told CBS News the U.S. could start deporting migrants to Libya. Camilo Montoya-Galvez has more. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On Source link #Trump #deporting #migrants #Libya Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Cagey Blues coach Voss declares Curnow right for Saints Cagey Blues coach Voss declares Curnow right for Saints Carlton expect Charlie Curnow to face St Kilda despite the star forward being involved in a heavy collision at training. Source link #Cagey #Blues #coach #Voss #declares #Curnow #Saints Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Reporter’s Notebook: Who pays for tariffs? Reporter’s Notebook: Who pays for tariffs? Reporter’s Notebook: Who pays for tariffs? – CBS News Watch CBS News As officials debate who pays for tariffs, small business owners say the answer is on their import bill. “CBS Evening News” co-anchor John Dickerson explains. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On Source link #Reporters #Notebook #pays #tariffs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

UnitedHealth sued by shareholders over its reaction to backlash from executive’s killing UnitedHealth sued by shareholders over its reaction to backlash from executive’s killing By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) -UnitedHealth Group was sued on Wednesday for allegedly concealing how backlash from the killing of a top executive was damaging its business, causing its stock to nosedive after the insurer lowered its 2025 outlook. In a proposed class action filed in Manhattan federal court, shareholders said the insurer defrauded them after the December 4 shooting of UnitedHealthcare Chief Executive Brian Thompson by shifting away from strategies that led to higher-than-average claims denials, without revealing the impact on profitability. UnitedHealth shares fell 22.4% on April 17, wiping out about $119 billion of market value, after the insurer cut its 2025 forecast for adjusted profit per share to between $26 and $26.50 from between $29.50 and $30. The insurer cited higher costs in its Medicare business. It had issued the old forecast one day before Thompson’s death. Shareholders said UnitedHealth had previously inflated its stock price by recklessly sticking with its old forecast, even as mounting public anger and an October 17 U.S. Senate report on claims denials caused it to become more patient-friendly. UnitedHealth had no immediate comment. The insurer has offices in Eden Prairie, Minnesota and Washington, D.C. Wednesday’s lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for UnitedHealth shareholders from between December 3, 2024 and April 16, 2025. Chief Executive Andrew Witty and Chief Financial Officer John Rex are also defendants. Luigi Mangione has pleaded not guilty to murdering Thompson in midtown Manhattan, and could face the death penalty. Mangione has become a hero to some Americans who are unhappy with for-profit health insurers that deny coverage for treatments. The case is Faller v UnitedHealth Group Inc et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 25-03799. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) Source link #UnitedHealth #sued #shareholders #reaction #backlash #executives #killing Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Samsung finally has a launch date for the Galaxy S25 Edge – The Verge Samsung finally has a launch date for the Galaxy S25 Edge – The Verge Samsung finally has a launch date for the Galaxy S25 Edge The VergeSamsung Galaxy S25 Edge Rumors: The Battery, Camera and Price May Have Leaked CNETGalaxy S25 Edge officially launching May 12, reservations open now with $50 credit 9to5GoogleBeyond Slim: Discover Unprecedented Innovation With Galaxy S25 Edge Samsung NewsroomHere’s When Samsung Will Reveal Everything About Its Ultra-Thin Galaxy S25 Edge Phone Gizmodo Source link #Samsung #finally #launch #date #Galaxy #S25 #Edge #Verge Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Hawthorn great Luke Hodge labels Fremantle Dockers “flat-track bullies” Hawthorn great Luke Hodge labels Fremantle Dockers “flat-track bullies” Hawthorn great Luke Hodge has labelled Fremantle “flat-track bullies” and says they need to find more steel in their attitude. The whack comes just hours before the Dockers’ vital Thursday night clash with second-place Collingwood at Optus Stadium, where the men in purple will hope to respond after a dire performance against St Kilda. Fremantle produced their third-worst first half of footy ever last Friday night, restricted to just seven points at halftime at Marvel Stadium on their way to a substantial 61-point loss. It was the second time the Dockers were exposed away from home in a fortnight, having been stunned by the previously winless Demons at the MCG. The results prompted a scathing assessment from Hodge on Thursday morning. “To be honest, they’re flat-track bullies. That’s what it looks like at the moment, and they need to be looking internally to see how we can change this around,” he told SEN. “I’d hate to ask the Fremantle supporters over there about what their frustration is, because you see them at home, and they’re up and about. “You talk about ‘they’ve got a good midfield’, and they do, but then when you go interstate… you hear all the good teams talk about anywhere, anytime, anyplace. “If you want to be a top-four, top-eight team, you need to win away from home. “That comes from a mindset. As soon as you jump on that plane, you need to have the mindset of ‘I’m going away, we’re coming back with the four points’. “That whole trip has to be about what can I, and what can we do as a group to make sure we beat this opportunity. “It feels like Freo got there. They ran out on the ground, and it’s like, ‘Oh, we’re playing footy again. ‘You need to build up, playing away is always a tough part of football, but you need to have a steely mindset, a resolve to go and be successful at it, look forward to it and enjoy it.” Skipper Alex Pearce was one of his side’s best last week, but Hodge has called on more of Fremantle’s leaders to stand up and be counted, especially in their star-studded midfield. “They have got good leaders, because I’ve seen them do it when things are going their way,” he said. “The thing about it is you need to do it when things aren’t going your way. Who looks internal, who looks external, who’s going to go and talk or help someone rather than go and try and find a cheap kick when you want to get the ball because your stats aren’t to the same standard as where you want it to be. “If you ask a lot of teams who go up against Fremantle, if you get (the game) on your terms, they won’t give a yelp. “It’s a massive month for Freo. If they lose the next 4, their season’s done. Simple as that.” Source link #Hawthorn #great #Luke #Hodge #labels #Fremantle #Dockers #flattrack #bullies Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What’s likely to move the market What’s likely to move the market Stocks @ Night is a daily newsletter delivered after hours, giving you a first look at tomorrow and last look at today. Sign up for free to receive it directly in your inbox. Here’s what CNBC TV’s producers were watching as stocks closed higher in volatile trading following the Federal Reserve’s policy announcement, and what’s on the radar for the next session. Citadel’s Ken Griffin and the markets Big headlines from one of the world’s most successful investors, Ken Griffin, in an interview with CNBC TV’s Sara Eisen late this afternoon. Thank you to supervising producer Michael Newberg of “Closing Bell: Overtime.” There is a “risk of stagflation.” Griffin is “worried about inflation.” On trade, it is best to be “thoughtful” in negotiating deals. Tariffs will “hit the pocketbook of hard-working Americans the hardest.” ”Tariffs are a painfully regressive tax .” ”All Americans are going to pay with respect to this trade war.” ”Clearly there’s been a pullback by foreign investors from U.S. equities, U.S. debt securities and the U.S. dollar.” Since the election, the Dow Transports are down nearly 17%. Since the election the Russell 2000 is down about 12%. Since the election the Nasdaq Composite is down 3.8%, while the Nasdaq 100 is off 1.8%. The S & P 500 is down 2.6% since the November election, same as the Dow Industrials . The New York Stock Exchange Composite is down 1% since President Donald Trump won the election. .SPX 6M mountain The S & P 500 in the past six months DoubleLine’s Jeffrey Gundlach CNBC TV’s Scott Wapner spoke with one of the world’s biggest names in bond investing after the Fed decision and Fed Chairman Jerome Powell’s news conference . He said, ”The word of the day in the press conference is inflation.” Gundlach also said, ”We don’t know what the tariffs are going to do to inflation.” He thinks ”long-term interest rate could very well be going up.” Gundlach also thinks that ”gold is headed to $4,000 .” Gold futures are now up 28% so far this year. The June contract fell 0.9% Wednesday and settled at $3,391.90. The Great American Consumer Lots of big quarterly reports on Thursday will shed light on where the consumer stands. The following are slated to report in the morning: Crocs , Hanesbrands , Krispy Kreme , Molson Coors , Papa John’s , Peloton , Planet Fitness , Restaurant Brands , Shopify , Six Flags and Tapestry all report. It’s unlikely the reports will be 100% consistent, but it is possible tariffs are a concern for these companies in one way or the other. Crocs is up nearly 8% in three months. Shares are off 39% from the June high. Hanesbrands is down 35% over the past three months. The stock is down 46% from the November high. Krispy Kreme is down about 50% in three months. It’s off 67% from last year’s high. Molson is up about 5% in three months. Shares are down 12% from the March high. Papa John’s is down 12.5% over the past three months. It’s 45% from the November high. Planet Fitness is down nearly 6% in three months. Shares are off 7.5% from the January high. Peloton is down 16% in three months. It’s off 36% from the December high. Restaurant Brands is up 5.9% over the past three months. The stock is 9% from last year’s high. Shopify is down 19.5% in three months. It’s 28% from the February high. Six Flags is down 18% over three months. Shares are off 38.5% from the July high. Tapestry is down 7% in three months. It’s down 18% from the February high. In the afternoon, Affirm , Expedia , Texas Roadhouse and Toast report. Affirm is down 31.5% in three months. Shares are down 37.5% from the February high. Expedia is down 18% since last reporting. The stock is off 20% from the February high. Texas Roadhouse is down 2.6% since last reporting. The stock is down 17% from the November high. DNUT 3M mountain Krispy Kreme in the past three months DraftKings The internet gambling giant reports after the bell. The stock is down 18% in three months. DraftKings is off 35% from the February high. Nvidia’s fight to stay in China CNBC TV’s Kristina Partsinevelos will focus in on Nvidia ‘s battle. The stock up 7.5% in the past week. It is down 23.5% from the January high. NVDA YTD mountain Nvidia in 2025 The Trump administration and chip sales The White House is preparing to end a set of chip export restrictions that was teed up under President Joe Biden. Bloomberg first reported the news. A lot of the chip stocks popped on the news before the bell rang. The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) was up 2% Wednesday. It is still off 22% from the July high. Qualcomm was the biggest chip winner, up 3.15% in the session. It is 37% from the June 2024 high. Health Care The sector advanced 0.81% during the session. This is after several big news stories hit the sector in the last day or so, all reported by CNBC TV’s Angelica Peebles . This includes details on the “most favored nation status,” which was a proposal during the first Trump administration that stands to lower drug prices in the U.S. by comparing them to what people in other countries pay. Other recent developments include budget cuts that could hurt the industry and news that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has a chief of vaccines that’s likely to be hard on pharmaceutical companies. Health care is the worst performing S & P sector in the past week. The Pharma, Biotech and Life Sciences S & P industry is down 6.55% in a week, the worst performing of 27 industries. Moderna and Vertex are down around 13% in three days. Regeneron is down 7.4% in three days. Lilly and Pfizer are down about 6% in three days. Sarepta is down 42% in three days. The stock is now down 80% from the June high. Source link #Whats #move #market Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

People Are Losing It After Trump Seemed To Prove He Knows Nothing About Canada During His Meeting With Mark Carney People Are Losing It After Trump Seemed To Prove He Knows Nothing About Canada During His Meeting With Mark Carney President Trump’s relations with Canada have been making plenty of headlines lately. Yesterday, he met with our northern neighbor’s new Prime Minister, Mark Carney. The Washington Post / The Washington Post via Getty Images You might have caught wind of one or two of the not-so-shocking moments from the meeting, but there were honestly too many to keep track of. So, without further ado, here are a few moments in which Trump seemed to have absolutely zero clue about Canada: 1.Starting off strong with when he had no idea how much trade the US does with Canada: “We are the largest client of the United States in the totality of all the goods,” Carney says. This is true. According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (an executive office of the President, BTW), in 2024, “Canada was the top destination for US exports and the third-largest source of US imports. Canada exported over three-quarters of its goods to the United States and imported almost half of its goods from the United States.” You can watch that clip here. CBS / @implausibleblog / X / Via Twitter: @implausibleblog Related: “My Generation Will Never Forgive You”: 25 Of The Very Best And Very True Political Tweets From The Last Week 2.When Trump didn’t know the meaning of the word “concession”: MSNBC / @mmpadellan / X / Via x.com A reporter asked Trump what the top concession he was seeking from Canada was. His response: “friendship.” She told him that wasn’t a concession, to which he just said “oh” and started rambling. Mama, let’s research… Merriam-Webster defines “concession” as the act of giving something up. The dictionary also includes a sub-definition that mentions the grant of land or property, so it seems like a more accurate answer by Trump might’ve been “the entire country” (ala the “51st state” thing he just won’t give up). Related: Senator Lindsey Graham’s Bizarre Trump Pope Comments Are Going Viral You can watch that clip here: Via Twitter: @mmpadellan 3.When he thought the record-breaking, Russian-born NHL player Alex Ovechkin was *********: Ovechkin, who does indeed play for the Washington, D.C. professional hockey team, the Washington Capitals, was born in Moscow. He broke ********* former hockey pro Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record for most career goals with number 895 early last month. I tried to figure out how Trump might’ve confused his nationality, and all I found was a couple of world championships he won in Canada… Bruce Bennett / Getty Images You can watch that clip here. The Bulwark / X / Via Twitter: @BulwarkOnline 4.And finally, when Trump shamelessly responded to the assertion that “Canada is not for *****” with the words “never say never“: Again, Trump refuses to let go of the US annexing Canada. Carney tells him that in meeting with “the owners of Canada” — his constituents — throughout his campaign, he knows Canada “is not for *****” and never will be. He discusses the power of the partnership between the countries and mentions national security. Trump responds that Canada has “stepped up” their military… and to “never say never.” Carney, of course, denies this to the crowd. You can watch that clip here, and the full recording of the meeting here. Fox News / @CalltoActivism / X / Via Twitter: @CalltoActivism Canadians, Americans, or really anyone, what do you make of all of this? Let me know in the comments. Also in In the News: “I Immediately Hit The Floor And Turned Off The Light”: People Are Sharing The Most Disturbing Text Messages They’ve Ever Received Also in In the News: Donald Trump Just Shared A Very Ominous Post, And People Are Calling It “One Of The Worst Statements Ever Made By A Sitting US President” Also in In the News: People’s Jaws Dropped When AOC Shared Her Very Blunt Reason For Not Attending Donald Trump’s Inauguration Source link #People #Losing #Trump #Prove #Canada #Meeting #Mark #Carney Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Coal miners lose free ****** lung screenings after Trump’s NIOSH cuts Coal miners lose free ****** lung screenings after Trump’s NIOSH cuts Coal miners lose free ****** lung screenings after Trump’s NIOSH cuts – CBS News Watch CBS News The Trump administration’s cuts to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health have gutted crucial programs affecting millions of workers across the U.S. Jericka Duncan reports on how they’re affecting coal miners in West Virginia. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On Source link #Coal #miners #lose #free #****** #lung #screenings #Trumps #NIOSH #cuts Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pro-************ protesters take over room in Columbia University library – NBC News Pro-************ protesters take over room in Columbia University library – NBC News Pro-************ protesters take over room in Columbia University library NBC NewsAnti-Israel agitators take over part of Columbia University library during finals, call it ‘liberation zone’ Fox NewsPro-************ demonstrators clash with security guards at Columbia University The Globe and MailColumbia protests live updates: University calls in New York police after library takeover NBC NewsNYPD arrests protesters after Shipman authorizes police to enter Butler Library Columbia Daily Spectator Source link #ProPalestinian #protesters #room #Columbia #University #library #NBC #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How Peter Dutton lost his heartland How Peter Dutton lost his heartland Tiffanie Turnbull BBC News, Sydney Getty Images Peter Dutton’s own electorate helped hand his rivals the election For the past three years, when peers of Australia’s former Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton were grilled over his divisive persona, they’d often profess his celebrity status in the north. “Peter is one of us… He’s very popular in Queensland,” said the leader of the Nationals, the Liberal’s coalition partner, earlier this year. But on election night, it was Dutton’s home state that delivered Labor its election win, with the red landslide ousting the veteran MP from his own seat of Dickson. While votes are still being counted, Labor could pick up as many electorates in Queensland as it did across every other state and territory combined. And that’s thanks, in no small part, to a new bloc of young voters and women who are disillusioned with the Coalition, and attribute the party’s emphatic loss to the “Dutton effect”. As 65-year-old coalition voter Sue, who didn’t share her last name, bluntly puts it: “This is where [Dutton’s] from… People know him and they don’t like him.” Losing the heartland The Moreton Bay region, about an hour north of Brisbane, is supposed to be Dutton heartland. Before Australia’s federal election on 3 May, all three seats here were Liberal-held – though only by small leads, with Dutton’s electorate of Dickson having the narrowest in the state. Dutton’s family have deep roots here, with his dairy farming great-grandparents having settled in the area in the 1860s. When he first entered parliament 24 years ago, the region was made up of urban pockets and industrial estates surrounded by swathes of semi-rural land. Not quite metropolitan or rural, is how the former police officer described it in his maiden speech as MP. Now Brisbane is one of the fastest growing cities in Australia, and these outer northern suburbs are one of the main places it is squeezing people in. Residential development has exploded, and more families, priced out of locations closer to the city, have moved in to Moreton Bay. Full of the “quiet Australians” Dutton said would deliver him the election, outer-suburban neighbourhoods like these were at the heart of the Coalition’s strategy. The average household in Moreton Bay earns less than both the state and national average, with many of them relying on the health, trade and hospitality sectors for work. The Coalition hoped promises to cut fuel expenses, improve housing affordability and back small businesses would woo voters concerned about the cost of living. Kenneth King says Dutton is a great local member Many Moreton Bay residents, like campaign volunteer Kenneth King, also felt Dutton’s links to the area would give them a boost. “I’ve known Peter Dutton for a lot of years,” the Dickson local told the BBC on polling day. “He’s always been someone of high character, serious about effective policies and a lot of empathy for ordinary Australians.” “He’s very well respected in the community… People know him.” But there’s a difference between being well known and well liked, says Aleysha, a swing voter in the neighbouring electorate of Petrie, who declined to give her surname. “I don’t know whether he appeals to the everyday person,” the 26-year-old nurse says. “He doesn’t put himself in the people’s shoes.” Her vote over the years has gone to a range of parties from right across the political spectrum – except the Greens, she adds with a quick laugh. “I don’t sit with any party. Being a Christian, it’s whatever party aligns closest to my values,” she says, adding that the future of her two young children is the other major consideration. Getty Images Luke Howarth held the seat of Petrie for 12 years This election, that meant her vote went to Coalition incumbent Luke Howarth, who she knows personally from her church. But while she’s praying for a miracle, with the final votes still being counted, she’s not surprised to find Howarth may be on his way out. She says Labor ran very visible campaigns in the area, but tells the BBC that it was driving past the image of Howarth and his leader on billboards which stuck in her mind. “Unfortunately I think that’s what did it,” she says. “Peter Dutton’s face behind him was a huge turnoff – for me personally too.” Sue, who lives in the same electorate and is generally a conservative voter, says this election she was torn at the ballot box. “I had a huge hesitation over it,” she says. “I don’t like Albanese; I think he’s like, weak. “[But] Dutton’s an unattractive personality… He thinks he’s presenting himself as strong, but he presents himself as a bit of a bully.” Getty Images The Redcliffe Peninsula forms part of the Petrie electorate Ultimately Sue also voted for Howarth – and she’s similarly convinced Dutton lost him the seat. “I spoke to a few friends… some did change their votes because of Peter Dutton,” she says. “People, rightly or wrongly, aligned Dutton with Trump. And that’s very negative for just about any sane person.” Many of the constituents the BBC spoke to stressed they did not want American style politics here. Drew Cutler grew up in the seat of Longman, which shares borders with both Dickson and Petrie – and though he no longer lives in the area, the 28-year-old was so invested in the outcome he came back to campaign for Labor. Won by Coalition MP Terry Young on a margin of 3% last election, it is now too close to call. Mr Cutler, a former Labor party staffer, believes Labor ran very strong local campaigns. But he also thinks Dutton’s policy flip-flopping and the aura of instability that projected was potent. That included announcing, and then walking back, public service job cuts and plans to end work-from-home arrangements, as well as a fluctuating stance on electric vehicle taxes. Such optics were especially damaging, Mr Cutler argues, when contrasted with the image of strong, decisive leadership Dutton tries to convey. “I almost think the *********** people would have respected him more if he stuck to it… and said, ‘This is what I’m putting forward – if you don’t like it, don’t vote for it’,” Mr Cutler tells the BBC. Back in Dickson, Rick – a retiree and fresh Liberal Party member – said on election night that he also felt confusion played a role in the party’s defeat, particularly among young people. “I think people couldn’t understand Dutton’s policies,” he said. But 30-year-old April, who didn’t provide her last name, says it is Dutton who didn’t understand. She can’t remember a time when he wasn’t in power in Dickson, and feels that over time he has lost touch with his own constituents and the country more broadly. For her, the last straw was his instrumental role in the defeat of the Voice to Parliament referendum, which sought to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the constitution and simultaneously establish a parliamentary advisory body for them. “I think he has caused a lot of harm to a lot of ********* groups across the scale,” she says. For others in the electorate though, the last straw was watching Dutton fly to a fundraiser in Sydney as the area in and around Dickson was hit by Cyclone Alfred in February. Supplied April (bottom right) decided to campaign for a third option April didn’t feel like Labor Party’s offering was strong either, especially on climate action, so she decided to campaign for Ellie Smith, the so-called ‘teal’ independent running in the seat. Disappointment – borderline embarrassment – that Dutton was from her local area had crystallised into determination: “I felt like it was a duty in a way… our responsibility to get him out.” Ultimately, the Coalition lost at least six seats to Labor in Queensland – all bar one in Brisbane. And while they are a few votes ahead in Longman as the count continues, they could still lose that too. Wildcard Queensland Queensland has long been a bit of a political wildcard, and often finds itself in the “spotlight” at federal elections, says Frank Mols. The University of Queensland politics lecturer points out the state helped deliver Kevin Rudd’s historic election win in 2007 and Scott Morrison’s “miracle” victory in 2019. Last election, as a record number of people across the nation voted for candidates outside the two major parties, Queensland surprised the nation by giving the Greens three seats – up from none. There are a couple of factors that make the state more “volatile” and likely to deliver upsets, Dr Mols says. Firstly, it is the only state or territory, except for the island of Tasmania, where more than half of the population live outside the capital city of Brisbane. “We talk about Queensland always being two elections, one in the south-east corner, and then the rest – and they often get very different patterns.” Getty Images Labor also picked up the far-north Queensland seat of Leichhardt, which takes in Cairns There’s also more political fragmentation in the state, Dr Mols says, which combined with Australia’s preferential voting system can make political equations here tighter, and trends harder to predict. But he – like many of the voters the BBC spoke to – largely puts last weekend’s surprise for the Coalition down to Dutton and his broadly-criticised campaign performance. While there’s a tendency to attribute success or failure to policy issues, more often its really about voters’ emotional response to candidates and leaders, Dr Mols says. “If you do the barbecue test, is Dutton a person you would walk up to? Is he somebody you would warm to or gravitate towards? “You can wonder: was Peter Dutton, in hindsight, the Labor Party’s best asset?” Getty Images Labor’s Ali France is the first person to unseat an opposition leader at an election But Dutton may have had the opposite effect for the Greens Party, which has lost at least two of the three seats it gained in Brisbane in 2022. Their party leader, Adam Bandt, also appears to have been defeated in Melbourne, an electorate he’d held for 15 years. “Perhaps in desperation, [Dutton] was gravitating towards culture war issues, sort of echoing Trumpian themes, if you like, and that has been punished,” Dr Mols says. “But also the Greens… who were perhaps seen as being at the other end of that shouting match, have not done well.” Dr Mols also believes that desperation to keep Dutton out may have seen some former Greens voters prioritise Labor this time – though he points out more centrist Teal independents appear to have bucked that trend. In any case, he doesn’t see the result in Queensland as a groundswell of love for Labor. The state was still the only jurisdiction in Australia where there were more first preference votes for the Coalition than Labor. “There has to be enough of a swing towards a party, but it’s often that preferencing that actually tilts it over the line,” he says. “This is more of a Liberal loss.” For many Coalition voters, that loss is deeply felt. Rick describes it as a “real rout”. But among others, like Aleysha, there is an inexplicable element of mirth. “I think it’s quite funny, that he slipped as much as he did,” she says. “And I can’t tell you why.” Additional reporting by Kelly Ng. Source link #Peter #Dutton #lost #heartland Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Is Ivory Coast’s red card politics an own goal for democracy after Tidjane Thiam’s ban Is Ivory Coast’s red card politics an own goal for democracy after Tidjane Thiam’s ban Paul Melly West Africa analyst Reuters Even a stellar international business career cannot prepare you for the hard realities of politics in Ivory Coast, where some are questioning the democratic credentials of the West African nation most famous for being the producer of much of the world’s cocoa and some of its finest footballers. That is the painful lesson Tidjane Thiam is learning as he waits to see whether deal-making in the corridors of power and popular pressure from the street can rescue his bid to become president of Ivory Coast. Seemingly relentless progress towards the election set for this October came to a juddering halt on 22 April when a judge ruled that the 62-year-old had lost his Ivorian citizenship by taking French nationality decades previously and not revoking it until too late to qualify for this year’s vote. Moving back to Ivory Coast in 2022 after more than two decades in global finance, Thiam had immediately been seen as a potential contender to succeed current head of state Alassane Ouattara who, at 83, is now in the final year of his third term of office. A scion of a traditional noble family and a great nephew of the country’s revered founding President, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, he had impressed as a top government official and minister in the 1990s, overseeing infrastructure development and radical economic reforms. A military coup then pushed Thiam to seek a fresh career abroad, which culminated in high-profile stints as chief executive of *** insurance giant Prudential and then the banking group Credit Suisse. But returning home at last, three years ago, he embarked on a steady advance towards the next Ivorian presidential election. After the death in 2023 of former President Henri Konan Bédié, long-serving leader of the opposition Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI), Thiam was perfectly positioned to take his place and then on 17 April this year he was chosen as the party’s candidate for the upcoming presidential race. That was no guarantee of victory, and especially if – as seems quite plausible Ouattara opts to run for a fourth term, backed by all the assets and advantages of incumbency and a track record of four successive years of annual economic growth above 6%. However, Thiam stood out as the prime alternative. AFP President Ouattara congratulates French-Ivorian Sébastien Haller after he scored the goal that clinched the Africa Cup of Nations title for Ivory Coast last year As an opponent of the ruling Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP), he offered Ivorian voters the chance to change their government. Yet with his centrist politics and solid technocratic credentials, his candidacy offered reassuring competence and the prospect of continuing the impressive economic progress that Ouattara has piloted since 2011. Now that potential trajectory is blocked. If the court decision stands – and Ivorian law offers no option of appeal for this particular issue – Thiam will be out of October’s contest. It is a race from which past court convictions have already excluded three other prominent opposition figures – former President Laurent Gbagbo, former Prime Minister Guillaume Soro and a former minister, Charles Blé Goudé – all central actors in the political crises and civil conflicts that brutally paralysed the progress of Ivory Coast between 1999 and 2011. The prospect now is that Ouattara or any chosen RHDP successor candidate will approach the election without facing any heavyweight political challenge. That can only deepen Ivorians’ already widespread popular disillusionment with the country’s political establishment. This is against the wider context of a West Africa where the radical anti-politics rhetoric of the soldiers who have seized power in Mali, Burkina Faso and ****** already finds a sympathetic audience among many disenchanted young people. That really matters in societies where, typically, three-quarters of the population is under 35. AFP The economy of Ivory Coast, regarded as the regional powerhouse, is growing and has recovered well under Ouattara from the devastation of recent civil wars Amidst this crisis for West African democracy, there have been some moments of encouragement. In Liberia in 2023 and in Senegal and Ghana last year, incumbent governments were voted out, in free and fair elections whose results were accepted by all contestants without argument. The Senegalese result, in particular, owed much to the massive enthusiastic mobilisation of young people. Many hoped that Ivory Coast could offer a further positive example of democratic choice and the offer of change, and an example that might be all the more influential because the country is a prosperous regional powerhouse. It is the economic engine of the CFA franc single currency bloc and besides the cocoa industry, it is also a key hub for business services and finance and a leading political voice in the regional grouping, the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas). What happens in Ivory Coast really matters and is widely noticed, across West Africa and indeed, also right across francophone Africa more generally. Ouattara is one of the continent’s most prominent statesmen, commanding broad respect internationally too. And yet now the run-up to the country’s crucial next presidential election has become ensnared in a return version of the identity politics that so soured the bitter disputes and instability of the 1990s and 2000s. Back then, the governments of first Bédié and then Gbagbo used the contentious “ivoirité”, meaning “Ivorian-ness” law to shut Ouattara out of standing for the presidency on the grounds that his family allegedly had foreign origins. It was only in 2007 that the government scrapped the ban on his candidacy and only in 2016 – when he was already in office – that a new constitution at last ended the requirement that the stated parents of presidential candidates be native-born Ivorians. AFP President Ouattara (L) has reconciled with Laurent Gbagbo since the 2011 post-poll unrest, but his predecessor is barred from seeking office again The poisonous mobilisation of identity issues had been a major contributing factor to the civil wars, street violence and northern separatist partition that brutally scarred Ivory Coast for more than a decade, up to 2011, at a cost of thousands of lives. Today the country feels far from such large-scale conflict. There is no popular appetite for a return to confrontation and politicians are staying well away from the incendiary rhetoric of the past. But the Thiam saga shows how identity issues, even in a more legalistic form and in this hopefully more peaceful era, can still weigh heavily. Ivory Coast only permits dual nationality under certain limited conditions. So in its 22 April ruling, an Abidjan court declared that, under the terms of a little-used post-independence law, Thiam had automatically lost his Ivorian citizenship almost four decades ago when he acquired French nationality – after several years’ study in Paris. Although he officially surrendered that this February, and thus automatically recovered his original citizenship, this was too late for inclusion on this year’s register of eligible voters or candidates. Tidjane Thiam told the BBC: “The bottom line is, I was born an Ivorian” In vain, his lawyers had argued that, through his father, Thiam had French nationality from birth – which, if accepted, would exempt him from the dual nationality ban. Seeking to highlight the absurdity and inconsistencies of the situation, he argued that, logically, the country should now hand back its prized 2024 Africa Cup of Nations football title because many of the players also have French nationality. “If we apply the law the way [that] they just applied it to me, we have to give the cup back to Nigeria – because half of the team was not Ivorian,” he told the BBC. And Thursday could bring yet another setback in a scheduled court hearing where a judge may now rule that Thiam cannot, as a non-national, lead the PDCI. The past two weeks have seen continuing political and legal debate over this whole saga, with the Thiam camp hoping that a combination of popular pressure and discreet political negotiation will lead to a compromise that lets him back into the presidential race, perhaps along with the other excluded contenders. And Ouattara, should he chose not to run, might want to safeguard his impressive track record and secure his international reputation by intervening with some kind of deal that allows Thiam to run. With months to go before the polls, there is still time for that. But no-one is counting on it. Paul Melly is a consulting fellow with the Africa Programme at Chatham House in London. You may also be interested in:Getty Images/BBC Source link #Ivory #Coasts #red #card #politics #goal #democracy #Tidjane #Thiams #ban Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

North Korea fires ballistic missile towards sea: South North Korea fires ballistic missile towards sea: South North Korea has fired at least one ballistic missile toward its eastern waters, South Korea’s military says, adding to a run of weapons tests that have raised animosity in the region. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff didn’t immediately say how far the weapons flew on Thursday. It was the North’s first known ballistic activity since March 10, when it fired several ballistic missiles hours after US and South Korean troops began an annual combined military exercise, and the country’s sixth launch event of the year. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have escalated in recent months as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un continues to accelerate the development of his nuclear and missile program and supply weapons and troops to support Russia’s war against Ukraine. Thursday’s launch came a day after North Korean state media said Kim urged munition workers to boost the production of artillery shells amid his deepening alignment with Moscow. Source link #North #Korea #fires #ballistic #missile #sea #South Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Scientists Say That Something Very Weird Is Going on With the Universe Scientists Say That Something Very Weird Is Going on With the Universe Astronomers have made an intriguing discovery that could upend everything we know about the structure of the universe and its expansion. Scientists recently found that dark energy, the mysterious form driving the accelerating expansion of the universe, could be weakening over time. The findings could undermine the existing standard cosmological model of the universe called the lambda-cold dark matter (LCDM) model, which takes dark energy, ordinary matter, and cold dark matter — a hypothetical form of dark matter that moves slowly compared to the speed of light — into consideration. The symbol lambda in the model refers to Albert Einstein’s cosmological constant, which assumes that the universe is accelerating at a fixed rate. Yet, last year, scientists concluded that dark energy isn’t a constant after all, analyzing observations by the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) in Arizona, as New Scientist reports. They found that the mysterious force could be evolving and weakening over time. In March, scientists released a follow-up, strengthening the unusual findings. “This is exciting – it might actually be putting the standard model of cosmology in danger,” Autonomous University of Madrid assistant research professor Yashar Akrami told New Scientist. Instead of making changes to the LCDM itself, Akrami and his colleagues suggested redefining dark energy as a “quintessence field,” which has been used to explain observations of an accelerating rate of expansion of the universe. That could allow scientists to harmonize more advanced string theory with the standard cosmological model. “If you prove that quintessence is dark energy, it’s very good for [string theorists],” Akrami told New Scientist. “That’s why the string theory community is really excited now.” An altered take on the quintessence model of dark energy suggests the mysterious force could be interacting with gravity itself. “We’ve always grown up thinking about the universe as having the gravitational force, and gravity fuels everything,” University of Oxford astrophysicist Pedro Ferreira told the publication. “But now there’s going to be an additional fifth force, which is due to the dark energy, which also fuels everything.” But before we can add this fifth force, we’d have to reconcile the fact that we simply haven’t seen any evidence for it, at least not when we’re making precise measurements of our neighborhood of the universe. “Physics ends up being even more complicated than we thought it could have been, and that kind of makes you wonder, why do you want to go down that route?” Ferreira added. The researcher believes it’s most likely that scientists will debate different models of dark energy and “never resolve it.” Yet, there’s still a chance researchers could observe gravity being influenced by dark energy in upcoming observations by the European Space Agency’s Euclid satellite and DESI. More on dark energy: Scientists Say They’ve Built a “****** Hole Bomb” Source link #Scientists #Weird #Universe Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Columbia University safety officers confront pro-************ demonstrators at campus library – CNN Columbia University safety officers confront pro-************ demonstrators at campus library – CNN Columbia University safety officers confront pro-************ demonstrators at campus library CNNAnti-Israel agitators take over part of Columbia University library during finals, call it ‘liberation zone’ Fox NewsPro-************ Protesters Take Over Columbia Library WSJColumbia protests live updates: University calls in New York police after library takeover NBC NewsNYPD arrests protesters after Shipman authorizes police to enter Butler Library Columbia Daily Spectator Source link #Columbia #University #safety #officers #confront #proPalestinian #demonstrators #campus #library #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How US and China will approach tariffs negotiations How US and China will approach tariffs negotiations US and ******** officials are set to start trade negotiations in Switzerland this weekend. The binational talks come after US President Donald Trump imposed a 145% tariff on China in April, and China hit back with a 125% tariff. Trade between the two countries has declined significantly. So, who will blink first on tariffs? The BBC’s North America and Asia Senior Journalists, Bernd Debusmann and Tessa Wong, analyse US and China’s moves ahead of the negotiation. Video by Meiying Wu Source link #China #approach #tariffs #negotiations Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pope Francis backed him when he took on a president. Now he’s voting in the conclave Pope Francis backed him when he took on a president. Now he’s voting in the conclave Jonathan Head South East Asia correspondent BBC/ Natalie Thomas Cardinal David, one of three ********* cardinals taking part in the conclave, was appointed by Pope Francis “Not even in my wildest imagination did I think this would happen,” said Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, describing the day he found out that he had been appointed a cardinal. He was speaking to the BBC at his cathedral in Caloocan, on the outskirts of the Philippine capital Manila. He was leaving the next day for Rome to join the conclave, one of three cardinals from the country who will take part in choosing the next pope. “Normally you would expect archbishops to become cardinals, but I am only a humble bishop of a little diocese where the majority of the people are slum dwellers, urban poor, you know. “But I thought just maybe, for Pope Francis, it mattered that we had more cardinals who are really grounded there.” Cardinal David has only been in the job for five months, after his surprise elevation last December. But in some ways he personifies the late pontiff’s legacy in his country. Pope Francis had set himself the goal of bringing a Catholic church he believed had lost its common touch, back closer to the people. “Apu Ambo”, as Cardinal David is affectionately called by his congregation, fits that mission well, having spent his life campaigning for the poor and marginalised. The Philippines has the largest Roman Catholic population in Asia, nearly 80% of its 100 million people, and the third-largest in the world. It’s one reason why ********* Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle is believed to be a papabile, or frontrunner to replace Pope Francis – Tagle was also talked of as a contender in the last papal conclave 12 years ago. The country is considered a bright spot for the Roman Catholic church, where faith is strong, its rituals woven into the fabric of society. Yet the church is facing headwinds there. Its doctrines on divorce and family planning are being challenged by politicians, and newer charismatic churches are winning converts. Getty Images Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle is seen as a frontrunner to replace Pope Francis Pope Francis helped restore morale in the Philippines church, though he did not offer answers to these challenges beyond being more welcoming of diversity and urging the clergy to be more responsive to the needs of the poor. But those on the activist wing of the church did feel encouraged by his support. For Cardinal David that support was critical when he faced his greatest test, during the war on drugs declared by former President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016. He took me to see a plaque he had erected in front of his cathedral in memory of Kian Delos Santos, a 17 year-old boy from his diocese who was gunned down by police in August 2017. Kian was just one of many thousands who died in Duterte’s campaign – estimates range from 6,300 to 30,000. What made his case different from most was that the usual police justification, that he was armed and had resisted arrest, was contradicted by eyewitnesses and security camera videos. The police officers had murdered him as he pleaded for his life. Three officers were eventually convicted of the *******, a rare instance of accountability in the drug war. The cardinal is still visibly affected by the hundreds of killings that happened in his diocese – a cluster of low-income neighbourhoods typical of the areas targeted by the police in their notorious tokhang, or “knock and plead” raids, against alleged drug dealers and users. BBC/Jonathan Head Cardinal David had a plaque put up in memory of Kian “It was just too much seeing dead bodies left and right,” Cardinal David says. “And you know, when I would ask people what they thought, you know, why these people were targeted. They said they’re drug users. I said, so what? So what? Who told you that just because people use drugs, they deserve to die?” He began offering sanctuary to those who feared they were on police hit lists, and then drug-rehabilitation programmes, in the hope this might protect them. He also did something the church as a whole did not do for several months: he openly criticised the drug war as ******** and immoral. As a result, he received many death threats. President Duterte accused him of taking drugs, and talked about decapitating him. The government also filed sedition charges against him, though these were eventually dropped. In those difficult years Cardinal David found he had a powerful backer, in Rome. On a visit to the city in 2019 Pope Francis had taken him aside to give him a special blessing, saying he knew what was happening in his diocese and urging him to stay safe. When they met again in 2023, and he reminded the Pope that he was still alive, he says the pontiff laughed and told him: “You have not been called to martyrdom yet!” Getty Images A photo of Kian held up at a protest in Manila in 2018, the year after he was killed The role of the Roman Catholic church in the Philippines has changed over its 500-year history in the archipelago. It was closely associated with the Spanish conquest, Spanish friars acting as de facto colonial administrators and the church becoming a big landowner. When the US replaced Spain as the colonial ruler in 1898, enforcing a separation of church and state, the political influence of the Catholic clergy waned. But the church retained the allegiance of most of the population; even today, after inroads made by charismatic protestant churches, nearly 80% of Filipinos identify as Roman Catholic. Since independence in 1946 the church has had an uneasy relationship with power. Its deep roots and establishment status have made it an influential player, wooed by political factions but also needing their support to protect its interests. Attitudes began changing in the 1970s and 80s, the time when a young Pablo David and many other senior church figures today were studying to enter the priesthood. This was the era of “liberation theology”, which came out of Latin America and argued that it was the duty of the clergy to fight against the pervasive poverty and injustice all around them. When then-President Marcos, father of the current president of the Philippines, declared martial law in 1972 and began jailing and killing his critics, some priests even went underground to join the armed resistance. But the church hierarchy continued what it called “critical collaboration” with the Marcos dictatorship. That changed dramatically in February 1986, when the then-Archbishop of Manila, Cardinal Jaime Sin, called on people to come out on the streets and oppose Marcos, sparking the famous “people power” uprising which deposed the president. Getty Images Cardinal Jaime Sin at his office in the Archbishop’s palace in February 1986 Cardinal Sin would reprise that role in 2001 when he helped overthrow another beleaguered president, Joseph Estrada. After that, though, church leaders were accused of cosying up to Estrada’s successor, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, partly to gain her support in opposing growing political and social pressure to expand access to family planning and legalise divorce. And they were reluctant to condemn President Duterte’s drug war because, despite the appalling human cost, it remained popular with the ********* public, at least away from the poorer areas where the killings took place. Nearly 40 years after its pivotal role in overthrowing the Marcos regime, the church’s influence once again seems to be waning, as it did a century ago. For instance, the Church’s fervent opposition could not prevent the Philippines Congress from passing the Reproductive Health Law of 2012 that made family planning easily accessible. This is despite the fact that many ********* Catholics remain conservative on issues like gender and divorce, says Jayeel Cornelio, a sociologist who has written extensively on Catholicism in the Philippines. The church’s defeat over family planning, he says, is indicative of its diminished sway over national politics. “The Catholic church was practically sidelined during the Duterte presidency. When Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos ran for president in 2022, many Catholic leaders and institutions expressed their dissent and even endorsed the opposition. But Marcos still won.” BBC/Jonathan Head As visible as the Catholic faith is in the Philippines, the power of the Church has declined Many Filipinos welcome this, including, it seems, Cardinal David. “It is not the business of the church to govern, neither is it the business of government to run a church”, he said. “But we can complement one another – I cannot say we will be apolitical. So long as we stick to our role as a moral and spiritual leader, we can give guidance, even about political and economic matters.” Even that more limited view of the church’s proper role, though, has run into opposition. Thirteen years after overcoming ecclesiastical objections to the Reproductive Health Bill, the Philippines Congress is now trying to get a bill passed which would legalise divorce, something else the church disagrees with. “I do not expect them to change their official doctrine, but in my job as a lawmaker, I try to address the problems that Filipinos face, and I don’t want them to meddle in my work. It is against our constitution to legislate in favour of any religion,” says Geraldine Roman, the first transgender member of Congress in the Philippines. A practicing Catholic, she credits Pope Francis with creating a more welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ people with his “who am I to judge” statement. “Nobody misgenders me in my church now,” she says. But she objects to the Catholic church lobbying against the divorce bill, which she argues will free thousands of ********* women trapped in abusive marriages. “The church is free to try to indoctrinate Catholics into sticking it out in their marriages. But in the end, it is the decision of the couple, and not even the church can meddle in that decision.” BBC/Jonathan Head Geraldine Roman is the first ********* transgender member of Congress Other challenges include a congregation which is increasingly disengaged. While the number of Roman Catholics has fallen only slightly in the past three decades, the number attending mass at least once a week has dropped by half, to just over one third of those surveyed recently. Then there are the various scandals associated with the Catholic church, especially the ******* abuse of minors, which critics say Pope Francis, while he did tackle the issue, did not do enough to address. Cardinal David recalled how President Duterte “loved to wave” a book called “Altar of Secrets”, an expose of alleged scandals in the ********* church, and how he would say, “oh, those hypocrites. Don’t listen to them. They don’t practice what they what they preach. They are abusers. I must say some people swallowed it hook, line and sinker. So I am not surprised that our moral credibility has been challenged.” But, he adds, defensiveness is not the way the Church can win back its credibility. “It should be humility. As Pope Francis advised, dare to be vulnerable. Dare to be criticised. Try not to remain on that pedestal where people cannot reach you, show your humanity. More on Duterte and the drug war Source link #Pope #Francis #backed #president #hes #voting #conclave Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Samantha Murphy’s alleged killer Patrick Stephenson taken to bushland for second time Samantha Murphy’s alleged killer Patrick Stephenson taken to bushland for second time The man accused of murdering missing mum Samantha Murphy has reportedly been taken to remote bushland for a second time. Source link #Samantha #Murphys #alleged #killer #Patrick #Stephenson #bushland #time Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]