Marco Rubio’s irrelevance in Trump world
Marco Rubio’s irrelevance in Trump world
While in the Senate, Marco Rubio was a vocal supporter of Ukraine and an even louder critic against Putin, but he’s been largely sidelined after becoming Secretary of State. He hasn’t only been scarce when it comes to Ukraine and Russia, but the Middle East as well, as he is overshadowed by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. MSNBC’s Ayman Mohyeldin discusses Rubio’s shrinking role with Teen Vogue Editor-in-Chief Versha Sharma, MSNBC Daily writer and editor Hayes Brown and host and creator of Under the Desk News, V Spehar.
Source link
#Marco #Rubios #irrelevance #Trump #world
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Nationals’ win a change in mindset for Geraldton says Shane Love, but Kirrilee Warr yet to declare victory
Nationals’ win a change in mindset for Geraldton says Shane Love, but Kirrilee Warr yet to declare victory
Nationals leader Shane Love says the result in Geraldton shows a shift in mindset for the community, but the local candidate says she’s holding off on declaring victory despite a current 25 per cent swing.
Source link
#Nationals #win #change #mindset #Geraldton #Shane #Love #Kirrilee #Warr #declare #victory
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
‘I was just blinded by my naivety’
‘I was just blinded by my naivety’
Eliazar Rodriguez was running errands in Roscoe Village when he was stopped by two men with a laminated flyer outside a Starbucks. They said they were raising money for their little brother who was killed in a drive-by shooting and told Rodriguez that they were struggling to gather ******** funds.
“I said, ‘I know what it’s like to struggle, so I’m more than happy to help with what I have,’” Rodriguez said.
He gave the men $15 through Apple Pay and wrote his name down on a sheet pledging his donation. One of the guys took Rodriguez’s phone to make the transaction, showed him the screen to confirm that Rodriguez donated $15 and the two men went on their way.
Next thing Rodriguez knew, he got an instant notification from his bank telling him he had a $3,000 charge for a carpet purchase.
“I was just blinded by my naivety and my wanting to do good and be kind to others, only to be kind of slapped in the face,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez is not alone — he is one of dozens who have recently lost thousands of dollars to a scam going around Chicago where **** artists will use a sad story to lure victims into paying them thousands of dollars when the victim thinks they are only paying a small amount of money.
The Tribune spoke with multiple people victimized by this scam, and while some say that the **** is nothing new, the rise in popularity of Apple Pay, PayPal and tap-to-pay credit card transactions has allowed scammers to take off with thousands of dollars from people on the street.
“Funnily enough, that same week, I saw the same two guys at a different part of Roscoe Village,” said Rodriguez, who was scammed in November. “But instead of saying that they were trying to raise funds for their little brother shot in the drive by, they were now trying to raise funds for autism awareness.”
Since June 2024, the Illinois attorney general’s office said it has received “approximately 10 complaints” from consumers who were approached by individuals requesting charitable donations on the street. In these cases, consumers allege that after making what they thought was a small donation to a charitable organization, donors later discovered they were charged hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Credit card charity-based scams are common, according to John Breyault, a fraud expert with the National Consumers League. In 2023, credit cards were the most common payment method used in fraud reports, according to the Federal Trade Commission. There were over 114,000 cases of fraud involving credit card payments, followed by over 83,000 fraud cases involving debit cards and 65,000 cases involving a payment app or service.
“What’s a little unusual to me, to be honest with you, is that they are actually approaching people on the street in real life,” Breyault said. “That part is much less common.”
Chicago has seen thousands of fraud cases involving a credit card, but it is unclear how many of those cases were related to this specific scam. According to Chicago police data analyzed by the Tribune, there were 2,537 reported cases of credit card fraud in 2024. Only 17 of those cases resulted in an arrest.
“Unfortunately, that is also not unusual,” Breyault said. “One of the reasons that fraud is such a widespread crime is that it is relatively low risk for the criminals who perpetrate it.”
And dealing with the banks and credit card companies can be a headache, according to victims who spoke to the Tribune. Generally speaking, if a person willingly hands over their card to a merchant but gets billed the wrong amount, then it will not be considered credit card fraud but rather credit card dispute, according to the Capital One.
“I felt like they didn’t really know how to handle the situation, because ultimately, at least in the beginning, they said that it was my fault since I willingly gave my phone,” Rodriguez said.
Fortunately, Rodriguez was able to get his money back two weeks later, thanks in part to Starbucks employees who could corroborate his claim and photos he had taken of the flyer and the location where he got scammed.
But for some people, getting that money back can take months. That’s what happened to Abigail Grady, who got scammed in late December in Lakeview East and did not get the issue fully resolved until February.
When she was approached, two men ran across the street to tell her about how they were raising money for someone’s younger brother who was hit by a car. She was initially going to give the men cash, but they said they could not accept cash.
“I think at some point I was like, ‘OK, I’ll donate like, $10’ and the guy took out a card reader and he kept tapping my card, and the other guy is talking to me, chatting me up, saying how appreciative they are,” Grady said.
Grady later realized that she had four separate charges of $3,000 on her card, meaning that she lost a total of $12,000. She contacted her bank, but without a receipt to back up her claim, the process was much longer and more strenuous than Grady would have liked.
“And so essentially the (credit) card company was like, ‘We can’t do anything to help you. You have to talk to the claims team specifically,’” Grady said. “So luckily I got connected with somebody really quickly that same day. And he essentially was like … ‘Well, did you try and dispute it with them? And I was like, ‘Well, I looked to see if they existed or who the LLC that was charged on my card was.’”
The claims team then argued to the credit card company that Grady had tried to dispute the charge with the men who approached her, but was unsuccessful in her interaction. That argument was enough to convince the company, and Grady finally got the issue resolved.
Some victims have been less successful. Claire DesHotels was approached by two men with a clipboard near her home in Roscoe Village in late October. The men told her they were going door-to-door to ask for ******** funds for a young boy who was killed and even showed DesHotels a newspaper clipping of the boy.
Like other victims, DesHotels wrote down that she was giving the men $20 on a clipboard and completed a tap-to-pay transaction while the men asked her how her day was going.
But minutes after the interaction, DesHotels realized she was out $2,400. She immediately contacted her credit card company, Barclays. The company initially canceled the transaction and put the alert under fraud review, but about two months later determined that the transaction was not fraud because DesHotels agreed to making the transaction and did not have a receipt to back up her claim.
When the Tribune initially spoke with DesHotels, she was still figuring out how to get her money back. She was talking to her friend who is a lawyer for advice and even filed a police report in hopes that it would help her case.
“I’m getting married in September and my fiance and I are trying really hard to save for the wedding and it’s like I don’t have $2,400. I’m just living within my means myself,” DesHotels said.
A spokesperson for Barclays initially said that the company is unable to disclose cardmember account details, but a day after the Tribune reached out, Barclays told DesHotels that they were going to fully credit her account for the $2,400.
Keeping yourself safe
The first step someone should take after being scammed is contact their bank immediately.
“Most of what can be done to help people recover from these scams can only be done if you report it properly,” Breyault said. “Don’t wait a couple days or a week until you get in touch with your bank about this. Get in touch with them right away. And what I would say is, when you call, just explain the situation.”
While it may seem that filing a police report does not often result in an arrest for credit card fraud, Breyault still recommends any scam victims to file a police report as soon as possible. The more reports police have, the more likely they will be able to spot trends and target areas where the **** artists are working. That report can also serve as an important paper trail for people when talking to their banks about the transaction.
Breyault also recommended people file a complaint to their state’s attorney general. “Typically, companies like PayPal and Venmo and others have to get a money transmitter license to operate in a particular state, and so that is usually regulated by the state, and the attorney general can help point you in the right direction on that,” Breyault said.
The Illinois attorney general’s office said they recommend anyone impacted by this scam to contact their local police department and to check online if a charitable organization is registered with the attorney general’s office.
Victims can also reach out to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, although the bureau may not be able to address claims right away due to the Trump administration’s orders to halt operations at the agency.
As far as precautions, Breyault said that if someone approaches you on the street asking for money for a charitable cause, it is better to not give money right away but rather to wait, ask for more information and then decide whether to donate. If a person is also asking you to donate specifically through Venmo, Apple Pay or a similar app, then Breyault said that is another red flag.
“By handing over a credit card or Apple Pay or paying through Venmo, it’s really equivalent to handing someone cash,” Breyault said.
For victims, Breyault said, there is often guilt. That was true for Rodriguez. “I spent a lot of time just blaming myself and feeling a little stupid or very stupid and gullible for (ignoring) obvious red flags,” Rodriguez said.
But Breyault emphasized that no one should blame themself for falling for a scam.
“One of the things that is vexing for many people like me who work in that space is that there’s a lot of stigma attached to it. The people who are victims often feel like they fell for it, and the scammers bank on that,” Breyault said. “This happens to lots of people. There’s no sort of one profile that’s immune to these types of scams. … And so one of my priorities is to make sure that everybody understands that everyone has a fraud story.”
Source link
#blinded #naivety
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
E-scooter rider badly hurt after ****** on Wanneroo Road in Wanneroo
E-scooter rider badly hurt after ****** on Wanneroo Road in Wanneroo
An e-scooter rider has been rushed to hospital with serious injuries after a ****** in Wanneroo.
Police and St John WA were called to the incident on Wanneroo Road, near Ariti Avenue, about 10.30am on Sunday.
The e-scooter rider — of unknown age — was badly hurt and was treated by paramedics at the scene.
The rider has been taken to Royal Perth Hospital. Their condition is not known.
No other vehicles were involved in the incident.
Wanneroo Road southbound near Celestine Street, which was partially closed by emergency services, was reopened about 12.20pm.
Source link
#Escooter #rider #badly #hurt #****** #Wanneroo #Road #Wanneroo
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
‘My best friend went to work
‘My best friend went to work
Fighting back the tears, 22-year-old rubbish collector Okuku Prince recalls the moment his best friend’s lifeless body was found at a massive rubbish dump in Uganda’s capital, Kampala.
The landslide at the Kiteezi dump last August killed 30 people, including his friend Sanya Kezia.
“I think some people are still underneath the garbage,” he tells the BBC.
Many of them eked out a living by washing and selling whatever discarded items they found that still had value – anything from fishing nets to plastic bottles, glass jars and the components of old electronic devices.
A blame-game erupted after the fatal collapse, with Kampala’s city council and central government accusing each other of negligence, while some of the dead still languished under tonnes of rubbish without the dignity of a burial.
When government tractors did eventually dig up Kezia’s body, there were injuries to the 21-year-old’s face.
It was horrifying for his friend to see him enveloped by stinking, rotting waste.
“We’re not safe here. Unless they [repair] it, maybe level it. Otherwise, people are not safe,” says Mr Prince, who before becoming a rubbish-picker had been studying law at the Islamic University of Uganda.
The collapse at the dump site followed weeks of torrential rain [AFP]
Unable to afford tuition fees after his family became financially unstable, his daily routine is now a far cry from libraries and lecture halls.
Youth unemployment is at crisis levels in Uganda, and there are many like Mr Prince who often risk their health and abandon their dreams just to make a living.
“I come here to the dump in the morning, collect polythene bags, take them for washing and sell them,” says Mr Prince. “I make 10,000 shillings [equivalent to $2.70 or £2.10] a day.”
The collapse has left him in further financial distress as he used to live by the side of the dump – but has had to move because of safety concerns.
The houses of others were also destroyed during rescue operations.
Compensation money has been paid to the families of those who died, but not to around 200 people who lost their homes, local authorities have admitted to the BBC.
Officials are “waiting for the valuation and budget allocation”, says Dr Sarah Karen Zalwango, the new head of public health and the environment at the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA).
Some argue that the Kiteezi collapse was inevitable because basic common sense was ignored.
“You can’t take four million people, get all that waste, mingled – degradable and non-degradable – and take it to one dumping site. No, that’s not how we [ought to] do it. But we’ve been doing it for over 20 years,” Frank Muramuzi, a Kampala-based urban planner, tells the BBC.
The Kiteezi landfill was built in 1996, with financing from the World Bank, to provide a single, major depository for solid waste generated by Kampala.
As Kampala has grown, so too has its biggest rubbish dump.
On the northern edge of the city, it now covers 15 hectares (37 acres) – an area the size of more than 22 football pitches – with its stench spreading further still.
Birds of prey can be seen flying overhead.
The vast Kiteezi waste site is almost 30 years old [BBC]
The city’s residents and businesses generate an estimated 2,500 tonnes of waste every day, half of which ends up in dumping sites across the city – the biggest being Kiteezi.
But the problem is that Kiteezi lacks the on-site recycling, sorting and incineration facilities that landfills are supposed to have.
“With each layer of trash piled up, the bottom layers become weaker, especially as the decay and decomposition of organic waste increases the temperature,” Mr Muramuzi explains.
“Without vents, methane and other gases remain trapped at the bottom, further multiplying the fragility of the loosely held structure.”
Yet this can easily be fixed, he adds, so long as the government commits to periodic monitoring and audits which factor in environmental, social and economic needs.
Had that already been in place, “the havoc that happened in Kiteezi would have been avoided”, he says.
So, if the solution is this simple, why is it not already happening?
The answer seems to be a combination of power struggles and financial mismanagement.
Ultimate responsibility for keeping Kampala “clean, habitable, and sustainable environment” lies with the KCCA, but Mayor Erias Lukwago, from the opposition Forum for Democratic Change party, says his office lacks the necessary power to enact the changes.
The KCCA says it has repeatedly proposed plans to decommission Kiteezi but says the funds needed to do so – $9.7m – exceed the city’s budget and have not been made available by central government.
“All the support we have been getting is courtesy of development partners and donors like Bill and Melinda Gates, GIZ, and WaterAid… but their capacity is very limited,” the Kampala mayor said recently.
“If we were getting adequate funding from the central government, we would be very far right now.”
There is no word from the government on whether it will allocate funds for Kampala’s biggest dump.
It did pay $1,350 to each of the families of the deceased, saying any further money would only be forthcoming if government agencies were “found to be responsible”.
A month later, a report furnished by the country’s police and crime investigation department led to President Yoweri Museveni – a noted political opponent of Kampala’s mayor – sacking three senior KCCA officials, including the authority’s executive and public health directors.
Around 200 people lost their homes as a result of the collapse in August [AFP]
James Bond Kunobere, Kampala’s solid waste management officer, admits that last year’s deadly collapse was a much-needed wake-up call.
At present, the authorities in the Ugandan capital are drafting plans to turn organic waste into compost and reduce “unnecessary waste” coming into the city.
But they want the public to take some responsibility too. At the moment people pay one of the seven private waste firms operating in Kampala to collect their rubbish, which is all bundled together with little thought given to recycling.
“We haven’t changed the mindset of residents to sort waste,” Mr Kunobere tells the BBC.
“If you sort, waste has different destinations. If you mix, it all goes to one – the landfill.”
Experts say such initiatives are important but do not address the ******* structural inadequacies at Kiteezi.
And for people whose lives have been shattered by recent events there, it is too little too late.
“They promised us compensation, but I haven’t received anything – almost everyone is complaining too,” Mr Prince tells the BBC.
“We lost our friend. All that transpired in the process was sorrow.”
Additional reporting by Natasha Booty.
You may also be interested in:
[Getty Images/BBC]
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
BBC Africa podcasts
Source link
#friend #work
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Defence to continue disaster response support: Marles
Defence to continue disaster response support: Marles
Australia’s military will continue to provide people and equipment to help disaster response, as the alarm is sounded on the impact on the defence force.
Source link
#Defence #continue #disaster #response #support #Marles
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
See All the Stars Arriving on the Red Carpet at the 2025 Oscars – AOL
See All the Stars Arriving on the Red Carpet at the 2025 Oscars – AOL
See All the Stars Arriving on the Red Carpet at the 2025 Oscars AOL21 Unforgettable Looks at the Oscars The New York TimesIn pictures: The 2025 Academy Awards CNNBill Maher Says ‘Emilia Pérez’ Lost to ‘Anora’ at the Oscars Because of ‘Cancel Culture’: ‘It Was the Front Runner’ VarietyAs the 2025 Oscars Red Carpet Heats Up, See Every Look Vanity Fair
Source link
#Stars #Arriving #Red #Carpet #Oscars #AOL
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
The 7 Best Canned Foods for Cognitive Health, Recommended by Dietitians – AOL
The 7 Best Canned Foods for Cognitive Health, Recommended by Dietitians – AOL
The 7 Best Canned Foods for Cognitive Health, Recommended by Dietitians AOLView Full Coverage on Google News
Source link
#Canned #Foods #Cognitive #Health #Recommended #Dietitians #AOL
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
China’s foreign minister criticizes US tariffs and accuses the country of ‘meeting good with evil’ – The Associated Press
China’s foreign minister criticizes US tariffs and accuses the country of ‘meeting good with evil’ – The Associated Press
China’s foreign minister criticizes US tariffs and accuses the country of ‘meeting good with evil’ The Associated PressChina Blasts Trump’s ‘Two-Faced Acts’, Calls US Tariffs ‘Evil’ Bloomberg’Major powers should not bully the weak’, China foreign minister says Reuters
Source link
#Chinas #foreign #minister #criticizes #tariffs #accuses #country #meeting #good #evil #Press
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites are falling back to Earth: Is ozone layer at risk? – The Indian Express
Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites are falling back to Earth: Is ozone layer at risk? – The Indian Express
Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites are falling back to Earth: Is ozone layer at risk? The Indian ExpressSatellites are polluting the stratosphere The EconomistFederal Grant Program Opens Door to Elon Musk’s Starlink The New York Times‘Starlink killing atmosphere?’: The environmental threat to Earth Elon Musk isn’t talking about Business Today
Source link
#Elon #Musks #Starlink #satellites #falling #Earth #ozone #layer #risk #Indian #Express
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
More hazardous, more rain: cyclones in a warming world
More hazardous, more rain: cyclones in a warming world
Wetter, more destructive but not necessarily more frequent – a warmer planet is changing tropical cyclones.
Alfred was downgraded to a tropical low before it made landfall between Brisbane and Maroochydore on Saturday evening, bringing with it torrential rain and flooding but lower wind speeds than feared earlier when it was hovering off the coast for days as a category two system.
It’s not yet clear the exact role climate change played in the extreme weather event, with in-depth attribution studies needed to tease out global heating factors from natural variability in the climate system.
Yet unusually warm waters off the east coast helped the windstorm maintain power, experts say, with global warming a contributor to record-breaking ocean temperatures.
A study from ClimaMeter, a rapid experimental framework for putting weather extremes in a climate perspective, concluded Alfred was exhibiting higher rainfall but slower wind speeds than would have otherwise been the case without human-induced warming.
Central Queensland University adjunct professor of environmental geography Steve Turton said Alfred’s unusually slow-moving, southerly track had been driven by a series of atypical conditions not necessarily attributable to climate change
But he said there were clear links between a warming planet and changing tropical cyclone behaviour in general.
Cyclones, like hurricanes and typhoons as they are known elsewhere in the world, begin life in the tropical climate zone expanding north and south either side of the equator.
As the planet warms, cyclone habitat has been drifting south at somewhere between 50km and 115km a decade, Prof Turton explained.
The expanding tropics bring with them warmer oceans necessary to keep tropical cyclones alive. Surface temperatures of 26.5C or more are needed to sustain them.
Warmer seas intensify cyclones, providing more energy to be drawn into the storm to eventually be released in the form of wind and torrential rain.
“It’s a well-known law in physics for every degree of warming, you can hold an extra seven per cent water vapour,” Prof Turton told AAP.
Wetter and gustier tropical cyclones were expected in a warmer world, though research suggests they are actually becoming less frequent.
Fewer but more hazardous, Prof Turton said, capable of shifting to higher-category storms from lower wind-speed versions very quickly.
Returning to Alfred, he said Coral Sea tropical cyclones could wander comparably far south but were typically ushered east or south by upper troughs in the atmosphere – cold air masses – that steer them into the “cyclone graveyard” in the Tasman Sea.
In Alfred’s instance, there was no upper trough to send the windstorm to its usual resting place and steering winds pushed it west, Prof Turton explained.
Warmer-than-normal ocean temperatures had further allowed the cyclone to maintain intensity.
Climate change-driven sea level rise is also linked to more destructive cyclones.
Tom Mortlock, head of APAC climate analytics at Aon, said sea levels had gained 20cm since 1900, with local variation.
The interaction between sea level rise and storms was a much ******* problem than the “gentle incremental lapping” that people often imagine, said Dr Mortlock, also an adjunct fellow at UNSW’s Climate Change Research Centre.
For every ten centimetres of sea level rise, coastal engineers estimate a tripling in coastal flooding frequency.
“If we’ve had 20cm of sea level rise, irrespective of any changes to storms over that ******* of time, what was a one-in-50-year event today would be a one-in-five, one-in-six year event,” he told AAP.
Another rule of thumb dictates with every centimetre of sea level rise, one metre of coastline retreat can generally be expected.
“These two rules of thumb together, do show how small incremental changes in the sea level can have out-sized impacts on both coastal erosion risk and coastal flooding.”
A cyclone approaching land brings with it onshore winds that push ocean water ahead of it, contributing to storm surges that can spill out and flood streets in low lying areas.
Alfred’s downgrade to an ex-tropical cyclone spared communities from the worst-case scenario on landfall but massive waves have battered beaches and caused widespread erosion from the Sunshine Coast down to the mid-north NSW coast.
Climate Council chief executive officer Amanda McKenzie said climate change had fuelled back-to-back disasters in northern NSW and southeast Queensland communities.
“It is critical that we understand that such disasters are no longer simply ‘natural’,” Ms McKenzie said
“It is vital that communities, emergency services, media and governments understand this to ensure that we can both tackle the root cause – pollution from coal, oil and gas – as well as prepare for more destructive disasters into the future.”
Source link
#hazardous #rain #cyclones #warming #world
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
WA election 2025: Roger Cook slams WA Electoral Commission’s for long queues, running out of ballot papers
WA election 2025: Roger Cook slams WA Electoral Commission’s for long queues, running out of ballot papers
Premier Roger Cook has lashed the WA Electoral Commission’s running of the State election, saying it was ‘unacceptable’ voters were forced to wait in long queues and polling booths ran out of ballot papers.
Source link
#election #Roger #Cook #slams #Electoral #Commissions #long #queues #running #ballot #papers
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Blues lose Barrett, struggle to keep up as scores soar
Blues lose Barrett, struggle to keep up as scores soar
The Blues lost All ******* flyhalf Beauden Barrett to an apparent long-term injury on the way to a 21-20 loss to the Brumbies, which continued a gloomy start to the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season for the defending champions.
After four rounds, the Auckland-based Blues are 1-3 and in ninth place in the 11-team tournament, which now has a more cut-throat six-team playoffs series.
The Blues’ first loss to the Brumbies in Auckland in 12 years on Friday night was part of a round in which underdogs prevailed.
The Fijian Drua beat the first-placed Chiefs 28-24 for their seventh straight win in Lautoka, and Moana Pasifika beat the Hurricanes 40-31 for only their second win over New Zealand opponents.
Barrett’s injury is a concern to the Blues and the All *******, and it is not yet clear when he might return.
“The injury requires ongoing assessment before determining details of treatment or time required for recovery,” the Blues said in a statement.
The Blues already had 13 players out of action with injuries before Barrett left the field at halftime on Friday.
“These are tough times, but we just have to go forward,” Blues coach Vern Cotter said.
It was not just the fact of the Blues’ loss Friday but the nature of it that made it stand out among a glut of high-scoring matches this season.
The first three rounds of the season saw 1011 points scored in 15 matches at an average of 67.4 points per game, an unprecedented figure in the southern hemisphere tournament.
The average score of losing teams across the tournament has been almost 30 points per match. The average winning score is 37, and the average winning margin is six points.
Extraordinary scores such as the Western Force’s 45-44 win over Moana Pasifika in round one or the Force’s 45-42 win over the Brumbies in round two are becoming more commonplace.
There have been 171 tries scored this season at a rate of 11 per match. In comparison, 633 tries were scored in all of the 2024 season – when there were 12 teams – at an average of 7.3 per match, and 731 in the 2023 season at eight per match.
The Blues have stood against that trend and have featured in two of the lowest-scoring matches this season – a 25-14 loss to the Chiefs in round one, and Friday’s narrow loss to the Brumbies.
While Moana top the try-scoring tally with 22 tries, the Blues are in eighth place with 13 and the Crusaders last with eight.
Source link
#Blues #lose #Barrett #struggle #scores #soar
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Pope Francis showing improvement, ******** says
Pope Francis showing improvement, ******** says
Faithfuls light candles for Pope Francis at Piramide de Mayo monument during a Torchlight March in support of the health of Pope Francis on March 7, 2025 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Tobias Skarlovnik | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Pope Francis is showing a “good response” to his treatment in hospital for double pneumonia and his overall condition is gradually improving, the ******** said on Saturday.
Francis, 88, has been in Rome’s Gemelli hospital for more than three weeks with a severe respiratory infection that has required continuously evolving treatment.
“The clinical condition of the Holy Father in recent days has remained stable and, consequently, indicates a good response to the treatment,” the latest detailed medical update said.
The pope, it said, has continued to have no fever and his blood tests have remained stable.
Although the doctors said they had seen “a gradual, slight improvement” in the pope’s overall condition, they maintained a guarded prognosis “in order to ensure these initial improvements continue in the coming days”.
The pope is continuing to receive oxygen to help with his breathing, the ******** press office said. During the day, he uses a small oxygen hose under his nose. At night, he has been using non-invasive mechanical ventilation as he sleeps.
Francis has experienced several bouts of ill health over the last two years and is prone to lung infections because he had pleurisy as a young adult and had part of one lung removed.
Double pneumonia is a serious infection in both lungs that can inflame and scar them, making it difficult to breathe.
Francis has not been seen in public since entering hospital, his longest such absence since his papacy started nearly 12 years ago.
The pope’s doctors have not said how long the treatment might last. He will miss a weekly prayer with pilgrims for the fourth week in a row on Sunday, the ******** said.
Doctors not involved in Francis’ care have said the pope is likely to face a long, fraught road to recovery, given his age and other long-standing medical conditions.
Well-wishers leave candles, flowers for pope
The tone of the updates from the ******** has been cautiously upbeat in recent days, after the pope suffered what was described as two episodes of “acute respiratory insufficiency” on March 3.
Groups gathered outside Gemelli hospital throughout the day on Saturday to pray for Francis. They placed candles, prayer beads and other items at the base of a statue of the late Pope John Paul II, who was treated at the facility many times over his 1978-2005 papacy.
Pope Francis photograph is seen at Piramide de Mayo monument during a Torchlight March in support of the health of Pope Francis on March 7, 2025 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Tobias Skarlovnik | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Maria Neve, from Naples, Italy, left a small bouquet of yellow flowers. “He is an incredible person who gives so much to others, and we, in turn, must give back to him,” she said.
Francis, who is known to work himself to exhaustion, has continued to work from hospital. On Saturday, the ******** announced the appointments of four bishops that would have required his approval.
Francis on Saturday also sent a message to an anti-abortion group in Italy which was undertaking a pilgrimage to the ********.
The message, read aloud to the group by Cardinal Pietro Parolin in St. Peter’s Basilica, was signed by Francis with a note to say it was sent “from Gemelli hospital”.
Source link
#Pope #Francis #showing #improvement #********
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
West Coast Eagles forward Jake Waterman confident Oscar Allen will stay at the club as free agency call looms
West Coast Eagles forward Jake Waterman confident Oscar Allen will stay at the club as free agency call looms
West Coast star Jake Waterman is confident fellow spearhead Oscar Allen will join him in re-committing to the Eagles, despite the co-captain yet to make a decision on his future.
Source link
#West #Coast #Eagles #Jake #Waterman #confident #Oscar #Allen #stay #club #free #agency #call #looms
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
‘My friend died in Kiteezi rubbish dump’
‘My friend died in Kiteezi rubbish dump’
Hasham Cheema
BBC News, Kampala
BBC
Fighting back the tears, 22-year-old rubbish collector Okuku Prince recalls the moment his best friend’s lifeless body was found at a massive rubbish dump in Uganda’s capital, Kampala.
The landslide at the Kiteezi dump last August killed 30 people, including his friend Sanya Kezia.
“I think some people are still underneath the garbage,” he tells the BBC.
Many of them eked out a living by washing and selling whatever discarded items they found that still had value – anything from fishing nets to plastic bottles, glass jars and the components of old electronic devices.
A blame-game erupted after the fatal collapse, with Kampala’s city council and central government accusing each other of negligence, while some of the dead still languished under tonnes of rubbish without the dignity of a burial.
When government tractors did eventually dig up Kezia’s body, there were injuries to the 21-year-old’s face.
It was horrifying for his friend to see him enveloped by stinking, rotting waste.
“We’re not safe here. Unless they [repair] it, maybe level it. Otherwise, people are not safe,” says Mr Prince, who before becoming a rubbish-picker had been studying law at the Islamic University of Uganda.
AFP
The collapse at the dump site followed weeks of torrential rain
Unable to afford tuition fees after his family became financially unstable, his daily routine is now a far cry from libraries and lecture halls.
Youth unemployment is at crisis levels in Uganda, and there are many like Mr Prince who often risk their health and abandon their dreams just to make a living.
“I come here to the dump in the morning, collect polythene bags, take them for washing and sell them,” says Mr Prince. “I make 10,000 shillings [equivalent to $2.70 or £2.10] a day.”
The collapse has left him in further financial distress as he used to live by the side of the dump – but has had to move because of safety concerns.
The houses of others were also destroyed during rescue operations.
Compensation money has been paid to the families of those who died, but not to around 200 people who lost their homes, local authorities have admitted to the BBC.
Officials are “waiting for the valuation and budget allocation”, says Dr Sarah Karen Zalwango, the new head of public health and the environment at the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA).
Some argue that the Kiteezi collapse was inevitable because basic common sense was ignored.
“You can’t take four million people, get all that waste, mingled – degradable and non-degradable – and take it to one dumping site. No, that’s not how we [ought to] do it. But we’ve been doing it for over 20 years,” Frank Muramuzi, a Kampala-based urban planner, tells the BBC.
The Kiteezi landfill was built in 1996, with financing from the World Bank, to provide a single, major depository for solid waste generated by Kampala.
As Kampala has grown, so too has its biggest rubbish dump.
On the northern edge of the city, it now covers 15 hectares (37 acres) – an area the size of more than 22 football pitches – with its stench spreading further still.
Birds of prey can be seen flying overhead.
The vast Kiteezi waste site is almost 30 years old
The city’s residents and businesses generate an estimated 2,500 tonnes of waste every day, half of which ends up in dumping sites across the city – the biggest being Kiteezi.
But the problem is that Kiteezi lacks the on-site recycling, sorting and incineration facilities that landfills are supposed to have.
“With each layer of trash piled up, the bottom layers become weaker, especially as the decay and decomposition of organic waste increases the temperature,” Mr Muramuzi explains.
“Without vents, methane and other gases remain trapped at the bottom, further multiplying the fragility of the loosely held structure.”
Yet this can easily be fixed, he adds, so long as the government commits to periodic monitoring and audits which factor in environmental, social and economic needs.
Had that already been in place, “the havoc that happened in Kiteezi would have been avoided”, he says.
So, if the solution is this simple, why is it not already happening?
The answer seems to be a combination of power struggles and financial mismanagement.
Ultimate responsibility for keeping Kampala “clean, habitable, and sustainable environment” lies with the KCCA, but Mayor Erias Lukwago, from the opposition Forum for Democratic Change party, says his office lacks the necessary power to enact the changes.
The KCCA says it has repeatedly proposed plans to decommission Kiteezi but says the funds needed to do so – $9.7m – exceed the city’s budget and have not been made available by central government.
“All the support we have been getting is courtesy of development partners and donors like Bill and Melinda Gates, GIZ, and WaterAid… but their capacity is very limited,” the Kampala mayor said recently.
“If we were getting adequate funding from the central government, we would be very far right now.”
There is no word from the government on whether it will allocate funds for Kampala’s biggest dump.
It did pay $1,350 to each of the families of the deceased, saying any further money would only be forthcoming if government agencies were “found to be responsible”.
A month later, a report furnished by the country’s police and crime investigation department led to President Yoweri Museveni – a noted political opponent of Kampala’s mayor – sacking three senior KCCA officials, including the authority’s executive and public health directors.
AFP
Around 200 people lost their homes as a result of the collapse in August
James Bond Kunobere, Kampala’s solid waste management officer, admits that last year’s deadly collapse was a much-needed wake-up call.
At present, the authorities in the Ugandan capital are drafting plans to turn organic waste into compost and reduce “unnecessary waste” coming into the city.
But they want the public to take some responsibility too. At the moment people pay one of the seven private waste firms operating in Kampala to collect their rubbish, which is all bundled together with little thought given to recycling.
“We haven’t changed the mindset of residents to sort waste,” Mr Kunobere tells the BBC.
“If you sort, waste has different destinations. If you mix, it all goes to one – the landfill.”
Experts say such initiatives are important but do not address the ******* structural inadequacies at Kiteezi.
And for people whose lives have been shattered by recent events there, it is too little too late.
“They promised us compensation, but I haven’t received anything – almost everyone is complaining too,” Mr Prince tells the BBC.
“We lost our friend. All that transpired in the process was sorrow.”
Additional reporting by Natasha Booty.
You may also be interested in:Getty Images/BBC
Source link
#friend #died #Kiteezi #rubbish #dump
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Michigan State commits 23 turnovers in Big Ten Tournament loss – MLive.com
Michigan State commits 23 turnovers in Big Ten Tournament loss – MLive.com
Michigan State commits 23 turnovers in Big Ten Tournament loss MLive.comMichigan St. clinches Big Ten regular-season title ESPN2025 Big Ten men’s basketball tournament bracket and schedule The Washington PostWomen’s Big Ten tournament games today: Time, TV schedule to watch semifinals The Columbus DispatchMichigan State basketball unleashes monster comeback to lock up outright Big Ten title Detroit Free Press
Source link
#Michigan #State #commits #turnovers #Big #Ten #Tournament #loss #MLive.com
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Veteran entrepreneurs say VA cuts have gutted their businesses – Task & Purpose
Veteran entrepreneurs say VA cuts have gutted their businesses – Task & Purpose
Veteran entrepreneurs say VA cuts have gutted their businesses Task & PurposeVA exempts Veterans Crisis Line employees from return-to-office requirements Federal News NetworkVA plans to lay off as many as 83,000 employees this year Government Executive
Source link
#Veteran #entrepreneurs #cuts #gutted #businesses #Task #amp #Purpose
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Daylight Saving Time: Clocks Spring One Hour Forward Tonight—As Trump Suggests He Won’t Change It – Forbes
Daylight Saving Time: Clocks Spring One Hour Forward Tonight—As Trump Suggests He Won’t Change It – Forbes
Daylight Saving Time: Clocks Spring One Hour Forward Tonight—As Trump Suggests He Won’t Change It ForbesThe time change for daylight saving 2025 hits tonight. Here’s what to know when we spring forward. CBS NewsDoes Trump want to end daylight saving time? What to know about the political debate USA TODAYDaylight Saving 2025 time change: Get free food when clocks spring forward Sunday Clarion Ledger
Source link
#Daylight #Saving #Time #Clocks #Spring #Hour #TonightAs #Trump #Suggests #Wont #Change #Forbes
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Thinking About Menopause Hormone Therapy? Start Here. – The New York Times
Thinking About Menopause Hormone Therapy? Start Here. – The New York Times
Thinking About Menopause Hormone Therapy? Start Here. The New York TimesYour OB-GYN might be feeding you outdated menopause information AxiosComprehensive Care for Women During Menopause: Addressing Bone Health and Cardiovascular Risk Pharmacy TimesPreparing your body for hormone replacement therapy WFLAWhy menopause care is still a challenge in California Axios
Source link
#Thinking #Menopause #Hormone #Therapy #Start #York #Times
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Western Australia Under 19s captain Simon Budge ready to push towards cricket, Big Bash dream
Western Australia Under 19s captain Simon Budge ready to push towards cricket, Big Bash dream
State Under 19s captain Simon Budge says now that he’s had a taste of WA’s success and the “fear” it instils in the rest of the nation’s cricket programs, he’s all in on pushing for his cricket dreams.
Budge and his national championship teammates were given a lap of honour at Optus Stadium on January 3, ahead of Perth Scorchers’ wild clash with Sydney Thunder.
And the youngster said it capped off a remarkable start to his summer that reaffirmed his desire to represent his state at senior level and pull on the famed Scorchers orange with the “big dogs”.
“I wish (the lap) was a bit longer, it was really nice and a bit nerve-wracking,” he told The West ***********.
“It sort of throws it back to when I was 13th man with the Test team and to walk out on the field again and realise how big it is.
“It puts it into perspective. If I play for these high-level teams, all these people are here to see you play, and it’s a token of how far you’ve come.
“Walking past a few of the guys like Bryce Jackson, AJ Tye, Cooper Connolly, while walking around the boundary – and I play with Bryce at Melville – and to see people I play with and am quite good friends with playing for the Scorchers, I know I’m not there yet, but the close relationships with players who have moved up shows if I can put in the work, I can be that next person stepping up.
“It’s quite jarring but also quite inspiring and gives me that motivation.
“It bridges the gap. You think that your heroes are these big dogs playing BBL in front of thousands of people, but in reality, I’m good friends with a few of them.”
However, Budge’s sights are not getting ahead of themselves, the wicketkeeper-batter focusing on a strong finish to the Premier Cricket season with Melville and then earning selection for next year’s Under 19 World Cup title defence.
And he knows it will be a stiff selection battle, even if he just focuses on his state rivals who lost just one game at the national championships.
“The talent is definitely deeper than the team we won the champs with; we have a bit of a fast-bowling factory at the minute,” he said.
“(The state’s success) put in other teams’ minds we’re a successful senior team, so what’s the junior team like?”
“Like, if that’s their senior team, then jeez, this team’s going to be good, and we sort of rode off that fear in a way. But we also didn’t let it get a hold of us.
“We seem to be churning out the talented players that every state has into developed cricketers and then pushing them into those pathways.
“And the way (WA Cricket) do it is very selfless. A lot of people put countless hours in.
“Their early mornings and late nights go into us, and I can see that cascading up into the ranks. Even as you go from pathways to BBL to Australia, you can see the amount of effort WA Cricket put into those players and the pathway.
“So, it’s just great to see that, and being on that pathway, I’m grateful.”
Source link
#Western #Australia #19s #captain #Simon #Budge #ready #push #cricket #Big #Bash #dream
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
I spent $4K on my Mac Studio 3 years ago – should I upgrade to the 2025 model? – ZDNet
I spent $4K on my Mac Studio 3 years ago – should I upgrade to the 2025 model? – ZDNet
I spent $4K on my Mac Studio 3 years ago – should I upgrade to the 2025 model? ZDNetApple reveals M3 Ultra, taking Apple silicon to a new extreme Apple NewsroomApple unveils most powerful Mac ever: The $3,999 Mac Studio Yahoo FinanceM3 Ultra’s Top-End Configuration With A 32-Core CPU Gets Spotted In First Benchmark Run; 29 Percent Faster Than M2 Ultra, But Registers Just Single-Digit Improvement Over M4 Max WccftechApple announces M3 Ultra—and says not every generation will see an “Ultra” chip Ars Technica
Source link
#spent #Mac #Studio #years #upgrade #model #ZDNet
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
US unemployment rate rises to 4.1% as economy added 151,000 new jobs in February – as it happened – The Guardian
US unemployment rate rises to 4.1% as economy added 151,000 new jobs in February – as it happened – The Guardian
US unemployment rate rises to 4.1% as economy added 151,000 new jobs in February – as it happened The GuardianFebruary jobs report: US labor market adds 151,000 jobs, unemployment rate ticks up to 4.1% Yahoo FinanceUS hiring falls short of expectations in 1st full month of Trump term ABC NewsMorning Bid: Payrolls and Powell provide focal point ReutersThe job market may be tougher than it looks on paper Marketplace
Source link
#unemployment #rate #rises #economy #added #jobs #February #happened #Guardian
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Cyclone Alfred: Lismore evacuation alert lifted but experts warn next 24 hours could be worst of weather
Cyclone Alfred: Lismore evacuation alert lifted but experts warn next 24 hours could be worst of weather
As residents in the Northern Rivers feel some solace after NSW Premier Chris Minns announced the CBD of Lismore no longer sits under a previous evacuation alert, experts warn the next 24-36 hours may be the worst ******* of the Cyclone Alfred nightmare.
Mr Minns held a press conference on Sunday afternoon to inform locals that advice he had been given is the levee maximum height would more than likely not be breached, and that the CBD of Lismore is safe for residents to return under a strong caution.
“Can I speak particularly about the situation in the Northern Rivers,” Mr Minns said.
“There is some encouraging news in relation to the Wilson River with the latest information that we can expect moderate flooding.
“We are watching the situation incredibly closely and I’m happy to report that the evacuation warning that went out yesterday has been lifted for the Lismore CBD.
“The advice now is to return with caution for the Lismore CBD.”
But experts are warning that the reprieve in flood water levels in northern NSW is nothing compared to what is to come for parts of Queensland in the next 24-36 hours.
Weather patterns in the aftermath of Cyclone Alfred continue to produce unprecedented rainfall and winds as weather watchers warn the worst is yet to come.
Camera IconFlooded scenes in Lismore in northern NSW. Credit: AAP
7NEWS meteorologist Tony Auden said Sunday night will bring another torrent of rainfall.
“After another delay, we’re now into the most dangerous 24 hours of this whole Cyclone Alfred event … the rain,” Auden said.
“We’ve seen moderate to heavy rain falling across the southeast overnight after the ex-cyclone gave up and finally went inland.
“Widespread falls of 1-200mm across the southeast in the past day has catchments primed and flowing.
“We could still pick up rapid fire totals of 300-400mm (possibly even over 500mm) in just a short ******* over the next 24 hours.”
Camera IconMillions of people are bunkering down as ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred batters the coast. Credit: AAP
The Premier of Queensland, David Crisafulli, has issued a warning for residents of the Fraser Coast to seek shelter and move away from rising flood waters.
Persistant heavy rain is causing flash flooding in the region as more roadways are inundated and the situation deteriorates.
Mr Crisafulli has pleaded with residents to avoid driving through flood waters in any circumstances.
Premier Minns reminded people that the situation is far from over and areas north of Lismore are still very much on high alert.
“This is a fluid situation, the rain is falling unevenly across the catchment and as a result, the advice is different for different communities.”
“It’s important to note that essential energy has done an incredible job restoring power as soon as possible.
“Earlier yesterday, we had 45,000 houses all thereabouts who had their power knocked out as a result of Alfred. As it currently stands, essential has been able to return all but about 14,000 households in the Northern Rivers, primarily in the Tweed area, doing everything they can to expedite returning power to these communities.”
Source link
#Cyclone #Alfred #Lismore #evacuation #alert #lifted #experts #warn #hours #worst #weather
Pelican News
View the full article at [Hidden Content]
Privacy Notice: We utilize cookies to optimize your browsing experience and analyze website traffic. By consenting, you acknowledge and agree to our Cookie Policy, ensuring your privacy preferences are respected.
