Pelican Press

These ****-Friendly Hotels Offer Dog Amenities Like Robes and Fresh Meals These ****-Friendly Hotels Offer Dog Amenities Like Robes and Fresh Meals The first time Benji, a 5-year-old Maltese mix, checked into the NH Collection New York Madison Avenue with her owner, something seemed a bit off: The metal food and water bowls just would not do. So the staff scrambled, offering the little dog 10 different options until she found a porcelain one she liked. And now that she’s a frequent guest, they store that bowl for her next visit. Gone are the days when hotel guests traveling with their dogs had to sneak them into their rooms or pack their own chew toys. The welcome mat is out, and many hotels are going all out to please four-legged guests. Some provide custom bedding, toys and fresh-cooked food. Many offer maps of nearby off-leash areas and ****-friendly restaurants. Others go further with dog-sitting, walks and even wilderness hikes. More vacationers than ever are bringing along their family pets. According to American **** Products Association 2024 surveys, about nine out of 10 owners say they’ve traveled with their **** in the last year, compared with about eight out of 10 in the 2021-2022 study. Whenever Benji and her owner, a Florida businessman, stay at the NH Collection New York Madison Avenue, the staff always tries to book her “favorite room,” said Fredrick Jones, the rooms division and guest relations director at the hotel. Once, when there was construction near that room, employees showed Benji five other rooms, but the dog did not seem comfortable in any of them. Finally, they changed course, reopening the usual room. “Benji ran from corner to corner. She knew she was home,” Mr. Jones said. Walks (and hikes) that get tails wagging For some travelers, **** care is becoming just as important as a pool or a spa in choosing a hotel. Some properties have staff dedicated to pets. Others tap outside professionals. Kimpton Hotels in the United States has teamed up with the dog care company Wag! for walks and day care. Guests at the Pan Pacific Hotel in London can ask the **** concierge to make arrangements for walks with Paws Galore **** Sitters or a canine massage at Shoreditch Dog House. Other hotels provide lists of approved vendors for guests seeking **** care. At NUMU, a boutique hotel in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, Gustavo Vasquez, a food and beverage manager, also walks the hotel’s one or two canine guests each week at the nearby park. Like most hotel dog walkers, Mr. Vasquez sends a report card and photos to the owner after their outings. A one-hour walk is $30, with sitting services at $20 per hour for longer periods. If a visiting dog seems lonely in the room, Mr. Vasquez may take it (with the owner’s permission) to the rooftop bar to mingle or to hang out with him in his office. Some hotels cater to dogs with a more adventurous spirit. On Sunday mornings, at the Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa in Whitefield, N.H., a “trail tail guide” will take up to four canine guests on a complimentary 30-minute hike while their owners can track them using a GPS device on their collar connected to a phone app. At the Omni Interlocken Hotel in Broomfield, Colo., a wilderness guide and a photographer from Colorado Wilderness Rides and Guides will take guests’ dogs on a three-to-four-hour hike tailored to their size and energy level through the forest and, weather permitting, to a nearby lake for a swim. The dogs are outfitted with protective shoes and an “adventure gear backpack” containing treats, a collapsible water bowl and a tennis ball. Guests pay $350 and receive photos of the dog’s adventure. They can also track their ****’s location and heart rate with a GPS-enabled collar. Fluffy robes for fluffy friends Hotels have indoor dogs covered, too. With 24 hours’ notice, the Pan Pacific will provide a linen floor mat embroidered with the ****’s name by an in-house team of tailors, and the **** can take it home. And meals created by a dog nutritionist for the hotel include organic eggs, nitrate-free bacon and lamb sausages, “thinly sliced, cooked ‘sous-vide’ then pan-fried” (18 to 28 British pounds, or $23 to $35). The Plaza Hotel in New York City offers a white Plaza dog bathrobe as part of its Pampered Pup Package. The robes come in five sizes, or for an extra $100 to $175, a custom-size robe can be ordered 30 days in advance. The package also includes a dog bed, dog macarons and Evian water. Costs depend on the room type and date of stay. Dogs can even be part of wedding planning. For $750, couples getting married at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston, can have staff members take their dog for a pre-wedding bath at a **** spa, create a floral collar coordinated with the wedding colors, and take photos of the couple with their best friend. In case the dog isn’t invited to the reception, sitting services are also available for an extra charge. Dogs now have more options to try out their sea legs, too. Though cruises have generally barred pets, in early 2026, Cruise Tails will be offering a one-week voyage for dogs (and owners), departing from Tampa, Fla. The itinerary promises prancing, splashing and costumes, with double-occupancy balcony rooms (that’s two humans and one dog) starting at $6,000. One dog is allowed per cabin and it must weigh under 20 pounds and be less than 18 inches tall. Waste bags are provided for **** relief stations located in public areas and on each cabin’s balcony. And don’t worry about seasickness: There will be a veterinarian on board. Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2025. Source link #PetFriendly #Hotels #Offer #Dog #Amenities #Robes #Fresh #Meals Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Showing Courage in Ukraine With Handfuls of Clay Showing Courage in Ukraine With Handfuls of Clay This article is part of our Design special section about the reverence for handmade objects. In late August 2020, eight humanoid statues appeared in a quiet corner of the Saint-Sophia of Kyiv conservation area, a 12-acre museum complex that is centered on the thousand-year-old Saint-Sophia Cathedral. Called “Shadows,” the clay-and-copper sculptures — each faceless and ghostly, with a torsolike form planted on a cylindrical base — had been made by Yuriy Myrko, a co-founder of GORN Ceramics in Kyiv for the annual Bouquet Kyiv Stage Festival. “The people who keep the cathedral decided they liked the sculptures and proposed to keep them there.” said Bogdan Kryvosheya, 30, who founded GORN with Mr. Myrko, 41, and is the studio’s creative director. “The exhibition was only for a week or so, but the sculptures stayed there for almost three years.” “Shadows” marked a turning point for GORN, which until then had mostly produced utilitarian items like vases and bowls. The figures reflected ideas about human relationships, death and spirituality. Since they appeared, GORN has continued to produce emotional art pieces alongside its more practical offerings. Intensified by the war with Russia and the unpredictability of the future, the studio’s output is a testament to creative freedom and resilience in the face of unimaginable hardship. Mr. Kryvosheya and Mr. Myrko met in 2017, and with a third partner, Sasha Mychak, established GORN the following year to produce ceramic tableware that they and other artists designed. Two years after the company started, the Covid-19 pandemic hit; then, two years after that Russian troops invaded Ukraine. Despite the challenges resulting from the invasion — limited access to resources, an unstable electricity supply, impediments to shipping and travel and the looming risk of conscription — GORN is thriving. This is thanks in part to its low-energy means of production — human hands shaping local clay, which is baked in wood-fired kilns — and in part to an international market. It is also helped by its collective operation. Working with Mr. Kryvosheya and Mr. Myrko (Mr. Mychak is no longer with the studio), three artists make pieces under the GORN label while also practicing independently: Yaroslav Honchar created GORN’s East Wind group — minimal, juglike vessels in olive-green hues. Yuriy Sulikovsky contributed to the Flame vases, which are wood-fired at hyper-scalding temperatures for so many hours that smoke and ash interact with the clay, producing streaks and dapples. Dmytro Yakub works as Mr. Myrko’s apprentice, assisting in daily operations and contributing to several different collections. “Nothing is impossible in ceramics thanks to GORN’s skill and technical capabilities,” said Sana Moreau, an art dealer who sells the studio’s pieces in her Ukrainian-themed design shop in Paris. (Prices range from $45 for a bowl to $12,000 for sculptures.) Ms. Moreau, who emigrated from Ukraine to France in 2021, said she works with more than two dozen Ukrainian designers and studios. GORN, she said, “can implement even the most complex and unusual ideas for modern interiors. One of their strengths is ceramic sculptures that touch on complex philosophical topics.” Like many producers of household goods globally, Mr. Kryvosheya said that the pandemic was a boon to his company. People who were stuck indoors throughout government-mandated lockdowns became eager to improve their homes. Perhaps less predictable was that the months after Russia attacked were also profitable. In addition to Ms. Moreau, GORN was represented by several international galleries and design retailers before the world’s eyes turned sympathetically to Ukraine. “When the full-scale invasion happened, that was one of the triggers for them to get our pieces,” Mr. Kryvosheya said, adding that GORN had a 30 percent increase in sales in the year following the invasion. Nor has the spotlight on Ukrainian design dimmed. Ms. Moreau estimated that Ukrainian design exports have grown at least threefold for most of her clients since February 2022. “Things were not purchased out of pity, but simply because they are more visible,” she said. Designers who refused to let fear impede their lives were pouring their hearts into their art. “For the first time we really had something to offer the European and American markets.” An outgrowth of dire conditions is that GORN is looking beyond its own commercial interests to nurture a local arts community. “Our goals have deepened, moving beyond a general desire to create unique pieces to a broader mission of fostering creative and cultural growth,” Mr. Kryvosheya said. Last year, it opened a school that teaches every aspect of ceramics, including how clay can serve as an expressive medium, or as an escape from daily life in wartime. About 40 students have enrolled in the workshops. Many are “older people” with successful careers in technology and business, Mr. Kryvosheya said. “They finally want to do something for their soul.” He is optimistic about what he described as life challenges. “You have nothing if you just keep sitting at home and crying all the time,” he said. “The chances of us dying are higher than before, but what can we do? Nothing, but just move forward.” Source link #Showing #Courage #Ukraine #Handfuls #Clay Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Supreme Court to Consider Mexico’s Lawsuit Against U.S. Gun Makers Supreme Court to Consider Mexico’s Lawsuit Against U.S. Gun Makers The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on Tuesday morning to determine whether the ******** government can proceed with a $10 billion lawsuit against U.S. gun makers. Mexico sued U.S. gun makers and one distributor in 2021, arguing that the companies fueled violence across the border by sending an “iron river” of military-style weapons to cartels. The unusual lawsuit comes before the justices at a time of heightened tension between the two countries, with tariffs imposed by the Trump administration set to take effect early Tuesday. A majority of the justices may view the case skeptically — the 6-to-3 conservative supermajority has worked to expand gun rights in recent years. But the case has allowed the ******** government an avenue to make its argument that U.S. companies share in the blame for violence by drug cartels. Access to guns is tightly controlled in Mexico, and it is nearly impossible for civilians to legally obtain the kinds of military-style weapons favored by the cartels. In their legal filings, lawyers for Mexico cited statistics showing that a majority of guns from ******** crime scenes — between 70 and 90 percent — come from the United States. They also contend that gun dealers in the states that border Mexico sell twice as many weapons as dealers in other parts of the United States. The argument before the court is focused on a threshold issue: whether a 2005 federal law prevents such a suit by Mexico against the gun makers. The law, the Protection of Lawful Arms in Commerce Act, was passed after a growing number of lawsuits aimed to hold the gun industry liable in mass shootings in the United States. It prohibits many types of lawsuits against gun manufacturers and sellers — but it allows claims to proceed if plaintiffs can show that their injuries were directly caused by knowing violations of firearms laws. A federal trial judge in Boston had dismissed Mexico’s lawsuit, finding that it was barred by the 2005 legislation. The judge, F. Dennis Saylor IV, wrote that the law “bars exactly this type of action from being brought in federal and state courts.” A unanimous three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit disagreed. The appeals court determined that Mexico’s case should be allowed to proceed because its argument that the companies had aided and abetted ******** gun sales in Mexico fit the law’s carve-out for suits. The gun makers then asked the Supreme Court to take the case, Smith & Wesson Brands v. Estados Unidos Mexicanos, No. 23-1141. A trial court judge dismissed Mexico’s case against six of the defendants on other grounds, leaving the Supreme Court’s decision in the case to apply to claims against Smith & Wesson, a gun manufacturer, and Interstate Arms, a wholesaler. Lawyers for Smith & Wesson argued that the legal theory offered by Mexico was a stretch and that the companies could not be sued because they were making and selling firearms legally in the United States. an Lawyers for Mexico argue that the lawsuit should be allowed to proceed, claiming that they have met the basic threshold to show that gun makers have aided and abetted the cartels. They claim that some manufacturers have made firearms that appear to directly target ******** buyers, including a special edition .38 pistol engraved with the face of the ******** revolutionary hero Emiliano Zapata with a quote that has been attributed to him: “It is better to die standing than to live on your knees.” Source link #Supreme #Court #Mexicos #Lawsuit #U.S #Gun #Makers Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

The U.S. is halting military aid to Ukraine, so what happens next? The U.S. is halting military aid to Ukraine, so what happens next? U.S. President Donald Trump meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Feb. 28, 2025. Brian Snyder | Reuters U.S. military aid for Ukraine has been halted following the spectacular falling-out between President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, leaving the country in an extremely precarious situation, defense strategists say. An anonymous White House official and U.S. official told CNBC’s partner network NBC News on Monday that military support had been halted while an assessment of the situation is carried out. “The president has been clear that he is focused on peace. We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well. We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution,” the officials confirmed to NBC News and other media outlets. Neither the White House or Ukraine has publicly commented on the statement. CNBC has contacted both for confirmation of the move and further comment and is awaiting a response. If confirmed, the move would be unprecedented but not surprising given the extraordinary spat between the leaders at the Oval Office on Friday, which ended with President Zelenskyy leaving the White House with haste and a multi-billion dollar critical minerals deal unsigned. Defense strategists say that if the U.S. immediately withdraws all military support for Ukraine, which needs a continuous flow of weaponry and munitions to fight against Russia after already three years of war, the outlook is undoubtedly negative. “This decision is not about economics. It is driven fundamentally by Trump’s view that Russia is willing to do a peace deal, and only Ukraine is the obstacle,” Malcolm Chalmers, deputy director-general at defense think tank RUSI, said Tuesday in reaction to the reported halting in U.S. military aid. “But there is no evidence that Russia would be prepared to accept a deal, and what that would be. Indeed this decision will encourage Putin to ask for more — including Ukrainian demilitarisation and neutrality,” he said in emailed comments. Chalmers noted that the “nightmare scenario” now is that the U.S. and Russia announce a deal soon, and then tell Ukraine and Europe to “take it or leave it.” “What will count most of all is how far the U.K. and Europe are prepared to help Ukraine in defiance of the U.S. Recent estimates suggest that only 20% of total military hardware supplied to Ukrainian forces is now from the U.S., 55% is home-produced in Ukraine and 25% from Europe and the rest of the world, but the 20% is the most lethal and important. Ukraine will not collapse — they already experienced an aid cutoff last year, but the effect will be cumulative,” he said. Donald Trump (L) and Russia’s Vladimir Putin arrive to attend a joint press conference after a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, on July 16, 2018. Yuri Kadobnov | Afp | Getty Images The Kremlin has already reacted to the news on Tuesday, saying it hoped Ukraine would be encouraged to seek a peace deal as a result. “Of course, we still need to learn the details. But if this is true, then this decision could indeed push the Kyiv regime toward the peace process,* Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters Tuesday, according to an NBC News translation. ‘Is Ukraine now doomed?’ Posing the question as to whether the Trump administration can stop the immediate shipment of military aid, defense strategists at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said earlier this week that, “yes, at least in part.” “The bad news is that U.S. funding for military aid to Ukraine is now depleted. The good news is that a steady stream of American equipment will continue to flow to Ukraine from previously announced commitments — if Trump allows it,” Mark F. Cancian and Chris H. Park, said in analysis published Saturday that posed the question, “Is Ukraine now doomed?.” “Drawdown equipment is still being shipped. The Trump administration could direct that shipments cease despite announcements by the previous administration,” they noted. “More difficult would be stopping shipments of newly produced weapons from contracts Ukraine signed with the defense industry, though with funds provided by the United States. Legally, those belong to Ukraine” they noted, with the caveat that Trump’s team “may be able to divert deliveries to U.S. forces” by using protocols that cite “national requirements.” Although that claim would be a stretch, the Trump administration has not hesitated to use emergency authorities “for its political goals,” they noted. People gather at the Independence square in downtown Kyiv to commemorate those killed in Russia – Ukraine war on its 3rd anniversary, in Kyiv, Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2025. Danylo Antoniuk | Anadolu | Getty Images What happens on the battlefield going forward depends heavily on the amount of equipment delivered, they concluded. “The bottom line: Prospects for Ukraine are bleak. In the best case, U.S. and European aid continues, which is enough for Ukraine to stabilize the front lines, blunt Russian attacks, and buy time for a negotiated settlement, perhaps with Russia more willing to make a deal as its casualties pass the 1 million mark.” “In the worst case, the United States cuts off shipments of equipment. What Ukraine receives from the Europeans, other global sources, and its own industry will keep its forces in the field but with declining capabilities. Russian attacks will gain more and more territory; at some point, Ukrainian lines will break. Ukraine will have to accept an unfavorable, even draconian peace.” The status of military aid The status of military aid for Ukraine is opaque, with some funds “committed” or “obligated” but not yet “disbursed.” There can be long delays between the obligation and disbursement stages because equipment takes time to produce, and manufacturers get progress payments over time as equipment is delivered, the CSIS strategists noted. Ukrainian soldiers prepare a vehicle adapted to fire helicopter shells as the Russia-Ukraine war continues in the direction of Toretsk, Ukraine, Aug. 19, 2024. Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images There has been a festering argument between Trump and European allies as to the amount of military aid that has been given to Ukraine, be it military, humanitarian or financial aid, although the picture is murky as to what funds and support has been allocated. The Kiel Institute for the World Economy, widely seen as an accurate and impartial source tracking funding for Ukraine, summarized the aid picture in its latest assessment in February like this: “Europe as a whole has clearly overtaken the U.S. in terms of Ukraine aid. In total, Europe has allocated 70 billion euros [$73.6 billion] in financial and humanitarian aid as well as 62 billion euros in military aid. This compares to 64 billion euros in military aid from the US as well as 50 billion euros in financial and humanitarian allocations.” Can Europe step into the breach? Tensions between Washington and Kyiv had been rising steadily since Trump’s inauguration in January, and further when the U.S. began preliminary talks with Russia, excluding Ukraine, for a path to peace. Trump had already threatened to withdraw U.S. support for the war-torn country if Zelenskyy didn’t sign a coveted critical minerals deal with the U.S., telling him Friday: “You either make a deal, or we are out.” European leaders have already hastily scrambled to discuss what role they could have in Ukraine — and what ongoing support they can give Kyiv — in a postwar scenario that could be thrust onto the country. The bloc appears to be readying itself to fill any defense spending gap by the U.S. with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday announcing plans to increase defense spending that could potentially mobilize as much as 800 billion euros. “Europe is ready to massively boost its defense spending. Both, to respond to the short-term urgency to act and to support Ukraine but also to address the long-term need to take on much more responsibility for our own European security,” she said in a press statement. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and France’s President Emmanuel Macron embrace after holding a meeting during a summit at Lancaster House in central London, Britain March 2, 2025. Justin Tallis | Via Reuters But given Kyiv and Europe’s apparent exclusion from early talks on how to end the war, and with no security guarantees spelled out by the U.S. for Ukraine, the outlook is looking uncertain as to what Europe’s role will be. If the U.S. halts all military aid shipments to Ukraine, the move firmly puts the ball in Europe’s court as to how, to what extent and indeed whether they are willing to step into the breach to help Ukraine. CSIS’ strategists stress that the U.S. is not the only equipment supplier to Ukraine. “As calculated by Germany’s Kiel Institute, European military aid for Ukraine has been comparable to that of the United States, at roughly $1.8 billion per month. European aid was especially critical in late 2023 and early 2024 when the United States ran out of funds while Congress debated the next aid package,” they noted. “The European Union also approved using frozen Russian sovereign assets to support Ukraine’s military needs. The bad news is that the Europeans are already supplying as much as they can, given the deteriorated state of their defense industry. Further, if the United States ceases aid, many European countries will also likely scale back,” they said. Source link #U.S #halting #military #aid #Ukraine Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Dr. Pimple Popper Knows You Can’t Look Away Dr. Pimple Popper Knows You Can’t Look Away Despite her celebrity, Dr. Lee still fields clients (and films her show) at Skin Physicians & Surgeons, the same place where she has practiced for over 20 years. Located east of Los Angeles, in her hometown, Upland, Calif., the office is situated in an unassuming strip mall, just off Route 66. The single story building could be mistaken for any suburban doctor’s office, except for a sign out front that states, in large letters, “Home of Dr. Pimple Popper.” Inside, a neon sign, in glowing blue cursive, demands that “Popaholics unite.” Phrases like “I’ve got 99 problems but a pimple ain’t one” plaster the novelty T-shirts that hang for *****. A cadre of young female medical assistants surround Dr. Lee and review pictures of a patient’s lump. The office is in many ways an extension of Dr. Lee. She has a tendency to emanate an almost childlike exuberance. During a photo shoot that day, she played with her medical tools, squirting lidocaine out of a syringe and shooting liquid nitrogen out of a canister typically used for wart removal. Her descriptions of her success and work can feel almost unsophisticated for such an ambitious medical doctor and entrepreneur. Getting famous, she said, was “cool and fun.” When it comes to being a physician, she doesn’t feel she is “anything special.” She is “so happy that pimples are apolitical.” Nowadays, the business of being Dr. Pimple Popper has mostly shifted to her public-facing work — the show, the skin care line, the pharmaceutical endorsements — which means Dr. Lee sees paying patients only once or twice a week, partly to keep her skills in shape for the show. “I can’t just step in and remove a giant lipoma without having done anything in my life for the last months,” she said. On the days she does practice, patients journey from far and wide to see her. For all her fame, Dr. Lee is by her own admission a rather standard dermatologist. She specializes in skin ******* removal surgery and cosmetic procedures like Botox, not complex and puzzling skin conditions. But as her celebrity has grown, so has the illusion that she can cure the incurable. Source link #Pimple #Popper Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Can You Play Split Fiction Solo? Co-op Multiplayer Explained Can You Play Split Fiction Solo? Co-op Multiplayer Explained Split Fiction is an intertwining narrative from the creative mind of Josef Fares. It requires you to guide two unique characters from start to finish, but we’re here to see if you can only play the game in co-op or if solo play is permitted. It Takes Two is firmly behind us now. Hazelight Studios has a new game called Split Fiction. We’ve been treated to periodic trailers and footage since its reveal at The Game Awards 2024. Anyone familiar with It Takes Two or A Way Out should instantly feel at home with Split Fiction. It has tons of mini-games and tandem gameplay sections, and requires teamwork to succeed. Many co-op games allow you to play with an AI partner, so let’s see if Split Fiction is the same. Can Split Fiction be Played Solo? A co-op ***** is happening. Credit to Hazelight Studios Split Fiction cannot be played solo and is a co-op title requiring a human companion. This is how Josef Fares wants his games to be experienced. It Takes Two was such an emotional gut punch as you felt every story twist alongside a real player. A Way Out was the same, and Split Fiction continues this thematic direction by requiring two real-life players—not AI. If you don’t believe me, check out the official Split Fiction FAQ. Under the “Is it possible to play with an AI?” question, the answer states: “No, this is a co-op-only game uniquely tailored for two friends to play together.“ Will Split Fiction Add Solo Play to Split Fiction? I think the chances of Split Fiction adding a solo option through a patch are slim-to-none. Again, Hazelight Studios’ previous work—A Way Out and It Takes Two—didn’t add this option. Given the official stance on solo play, it feels unlikely to be added in Split Fiction either. If you’re a fan of Fares and Hazelight games and want a solo-driven journey, all is not lost. In an interview, Fares said: “We will not only do co-op, we will definitely do other stuff with a Haze-like twist. We want to do something different like a twist… like what we did with the co-op. But co-op is great and, I mean, you can tell great stories and there’s so much to be explored there.” Who knows where the studio goes once Split Fiction is wrapped up and in the history books. It Takes Two was a bona fide Game of the Year winner. It’s going to take a lot for Split Fiction to replicate its success, but it’s not impossible. Are you picking up Split Fiction as quick as a flash? If you are, check out its full specs and requirements, Xbox Game Pass availability, and whether it has cross-platform or crossplay capabilities. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Play #Split #Fiction #Solo #Coop #Multiplayer #Explained Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Typewriters, stinky carpets and crazy press trips: what it was like working on video game mags in the 1980s | Games Typewriters, stinky carpets and crazy press trips: what it was like working on video game mags in the 1980s | Games In the summer of 1985, I made the long pilgrimage from my home in Cheadle Hulme to London’s glamorous Hammersmith Novotel for the Commodore computer show. As a 14-year-old gamer, this was a chance to play the latest titles and see some cool new joysticks, but I was also desperate to visit one particular exhibitor: the publisher Newsfield, home of the wildly popular games mags ****** and Zzap!64. By the time I arrived there was already a long ****** of kids at the small stand and most of them were waiting to have their show programmes signed by reigning arcade game champion and Zzap reviewer, Julian Rignall. As an ardent subscriber, I can still remember the thrill of standing in that line, the latest copy of the mag clutched in my sweaty hands. I wouldn’t feel this starstruck again until I met Sigourney Weaver a quarter of a century later. It turns out I’m not the only one who remembers that day. In his wonderful new book, The Games of a Lifetime, Rignall himself recalls the shock of being swamped by fans. “We just didn’t expect anything like that,” he writes. “I had no idea readers would be so interested in us. But I loved it.” I’m not sure he should have been so surprised, though. Back in the mid-80s, the ***** era of the C64 and ZX Spectrum home computers, magazines such as ******, Zzap and Computer & Video Games were the only sources of news and opinion about new games. At the time, information about game developers was scarce, so magazine reviewers, with their photos plastered in every issue, were the stars of the industry, the social media influencers of the era. ‘It really was Dickensian’ … Zzap!64 magazine. Photograph: Chris Daw /Bitmap Books For me, what’s most interesting about Rignall’s book, which tracks his career from winning seaside arcade tournaments to editing magazines, working in game development and co-founding mammoth video game site IGN, is the insight it gives into what went on behind the scenes of 80s games mags. As a kid, I imagined lush, hi-tech publishing companies in cool modernist buildings. But Zzap!64 began in a tiny rented office in Yeovil. “We were all in one room, with a couple of C64s in the broom cupboard,” says Rignall. “Video game publishing was always low rent, but in those early days it really was Dickensian.” It turns out things weren’t much better at the major magazine companies. When Rignall got a job on C&VG in 1988, he moved from the relatively small Newsfield to publishing giant Emap, housed in a vast building in Farringdon in London that also accommodated Commodore Format and Sinclair User, each mag on a separate floor. As he recalls, “it was a dusty shithole with typewriters, stinky carpets and shabby interior fittings that hadn’t been updated since the 1970s. Oh, and ashtrays filled with dog ends were everywhere.” Matt Bielby, who would go on to launch legendary games mags SuperPlay and PC Gamer, was a junior writer on C&VG before moving to Dennis Publishing to join Your Sinclair. “Dennis was actually more dingy and smoky than Emap,” he says. “It was in multiple smaller buildings in the roads north of Oxford Street at the Tottenham Court Road end, and [we] initially shared a room with Computer Shopper, with everyone on top of each other, and kit stashed all over in dangerous teetering piles … I initially had to share a desk, so one of us hovered awkwardly around, totally in the way, while the other sat down and did some writing, and every hour or so we swapped.” In the mid-80s, Your Sinclair was one of the key proponents of a new style of irreverent and personality-led games journalism. While early home computer mags featured programming tips and articles about printers and word processing software, these new publications were unselfconsciously games-focused. “My inspiration came from Smash Hits and Just Seventeen,” recalls Your Sinclair’s founding editor Teresa Maughan. “They had a strong tone of voice and made their writers visible – so very deliberately we had cartoons of our reviewers in the mag and everyone could express their personality so readers would feel they had a connection with us.” That connection could sometimes go a little far. “I remember getting all sorts of weird stuff through the mail,” says Maughan. “Someone once sent me their toenails.” Like Smash Hits, Your Sinclair developed its own intricate language and in-jokes, creating daft photo stories in the style of the Jackie and Blue Jeans girls’ mags, and famously cover-mounting a lawn-mowing simulator programmed by the mag’s writer Duncan Macdonald. Readers were active participants and their letters and art became a vital element of the editorial. “By the time I launched Mean Machines in the very early 90s, that mag was absolutely 100% designed around interactivity,” says Rignall. “We had letters pages, Q+A pages, an editorial page that was basically proto-memes before the term was invented, and we encouraged readers to send in crazy pics, photos, drawings, whatever. We were trying to create something that felt like a club run by your mates.” Multi-format forever … Computer & Video Games magazine Photograph: Chris Daw/Bitmap Books Working against them however was an archaic magazine production process. This was the era just before desktop publishing software, so the whole system was analogue. “We’d type our stuff into an Apricot proto-PC, save it to disk and take it down to the typesetters,” says Rignall. “They would print out the galleys (the print-quality text), which would then be cut up with scissors and stuck to layout pages with glue along with pics and all the other design elements.” Taking screenshots was an art in itself. When I started at Edge magazine in 1995 the process was already digital: we had a program that could capture screenshots from a console which we’d connect to a Mac via a purpose built video card. But that wasn’t the case in the 80s. “We’d take screenshots by positioning a film camera in front of a freshly cleaned TV screen and shooting pics directly off that,” says Rignall. “We basically put blackout curtains over the windows in the games room so we could turn out the lights and create a dark room. It was tricky as you had to run the camera at <1/25 of a second to avoid a refresh bar across the screenshot. That slow shutter speed was OK when a game had a pause mode, otherwise you’d get horrible screen blur.” Games mag production was, in short, a time-consuming slog, and with small, young teams producing dozens of reviews a month, chaotic too. “You can understand why mid to late 80s magazines were absolutely rife with errors,” says Rignall. “Typos, wrong information, text in the wrong places, stuff missing, miscoloured items … you name it. The process was absolutely shambolic.” But in some ways, the chaos was part of it. Games mags pushed publishing tech to its limits and when the digital era arrived they were often the publications that made the most innovative use of programs such as PageMaker and Quark Xpress. Maughan recalls launching Zero in 1989: “I wanted to to be more sophisticated than the average games mag. It was more glossy, it was very design – we won European magazine of the year award two years running.” Magazines were there at the furnace of video game culture, providing a glimpse into a burgeoning new world. “It was a very tight industry – everyone new everyone,” says Maughan. “There was a healthy rivalry. We did a lot of telephone calls with developers, or we’d go round to their houses and end up interviewing them in their bedrooms.” ‘100% designed around interactivity’ … Mean Machines magazine. Photograph: Chris Daw/Bitmap Books By the end of the 1980s, however, the focus was shifting from home computers to consoles, and readers wanted info directly from the source: Japan. “The first person to really start writing about Japanese stuff for *** folks (in 1987) was Tony Takoushi, who kicked off the Mean Machines column in CVG that I inherited a year later,” says Rignall. “I discovered a Japanese bookshop near the Emap office in 1988 that sold games mags, and that was massive. I had little idea what they were saying until we found a translator a month or two later, but I could see the screenshots and work out what the games were about.” Rignall’s book is effectively a memoir through the lens of games, looking at how titles from Battlezone to Horizon Forbidden West shaped ideas of what interactive entertainment could be, for both players and journalists. By the time I joined the industry, it felt more stable, more professional. Future Publishing was based in beautiful buildings in Bath – Edge shared Beaufort House, a Georgian building that had once been a pub, with titles such as Super Play and GamesMaster. It was a wild time, with lovely magazines, but we owed our whole ethos, our working methods and our humour to the anarchic mags that came before, which set the tone and forged relationships with readers and game makers. Maughan remembers it fondly. “I once went on a press trip with MicroProse,” she says. “It was for a Tom Clancy flight simulator. They invited 10 journos and we all got taken up in a light aircraft by [MicroProse co-founder and ex fighter pilot] Wild Bill Stealey to do loop-the-loops. We went up one at a time each carrying a sick bag. There were lots of champagne breakfast launches on boats … And, God, there was so much camaraderie on the YS team. We used to play games into the early hours. I’ve never laughed so much. It felt like the beginning of something.” The Games of a Lifetime is out now, published by Bitmap Books Source link #Typewriters #stinky #carpets #crazy #press #trips #working #video #game #mags #1980s #Games Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

At TEFAF Maastricht, Indigenous *********** Art Takes Center Stage At TEFAF Maastricht, Indigenous *********** Art Takes Center Stage In a first for TEFAF Maastricht, visitors to this year’s fair will encounter a booth dedicated entirely to Australia’s First Nations art. The show is set to feature over a dozen artists, working from the 1960s to present day, providing a broad picture of the contemporary Indigenous *********** art movement. The Indigenous people of Australia have had an artistic tradition for thousands of years, with rock art dated to around 30,000 years ago. What will be seen in the booth, though — from eucalyptus bark paintings, collected in the mid-20th century, to the canvases of Emily Kam Kngwarray and Mick Namarari Tjapaltjarri — is adaptation and innovation, as artists began painting for an audience and embracing new mediums. Created against the backdrop of 20th-century colonialism, these artworks assert cultural identity and honor ancestral lands, totems and rituals. The exhibition at TEFAF, March 15-20, is being presented by D’Lan Contemporary, a gallery based in Melbourne, Australia, at a time of surging recognition for Aboriginal *********** art. Last year, the Indigenous *********** artist Archie Moore won the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale with an installation that included a huge family tree. Later this year, the National Gallery of Art in Washington will host a large-scale exhibition of more than 200 Aboriginal artworks, which will then tour across the United States and Canada. “Art has built important bridges between Aboriginal people and the wider world,” said Philip Watkins, a man of Arrernte, Warumungu and Larrakia heritage, and the chief executive of Desart, an organization that represents Aboriginal-owned art centers in Australia, in a phone interview. While not directly involved with the TEFAF exhibition, Watkins said “much is owed” to the artists assembled — all of whom are now deceased. “Contemporary Indigenous art has become the way through which the world is willing to listen to what we have to say,” he said. The Mudjinbardi Barks “Namarnde with Two Wives” (1966), a painting on eucalyptus bark by Diidja, a man from the Mudjinbardi community in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. Credit…Courtesy D’Lan Contemporary With their striking white-on-brown color palette, a collection of eight eucalyptus bark paintings is sure to stand out at the booth. The paintings were made by Baimunungbi (also known as Jacky), Diidja, Lanyirrda (also known as Billy) and Djurrubiga, four men from the Mudjinbardi community in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, east of Darwin. Made with white and yellow ochre, the elongated figures in the works depict Namarnde, beings that have abilities beyond human capacity. In Western Arnhem Land cosmology, these spirits could assume human form and behave unpredictably — sometimes malevolently — toward humans. “It’s time that early bark paintings such as these are recognized as fine works of art, not only in Europe, but around the world,” Luke Scholes, director at D’Lan Contemporary, said in a phone interview from Australia’s Northern Territory. “They are works by highly skilled, profoundly knowledgeable artists,” he added. For much of the 20th century, paintings and sculptures made by Aboriginal artists were seen as so-called ethnographic curiosities, rather than fine art. Scholes noted that this bark collection marked a rare showing in Europe. Mick Namarari Tjapaltjarri Alongside these early bark paintings will hang “Wallaby Sign for Men and Women” (1972), a small but important work by Mick Namarari Tjapaltjarri — one the most significant figures in Indigenous *********** contemporary art. Tjapaltjarri, a Pintupi artist, started painting in 1971 at the Papunya settlement, west of Alice Springs, where he and other artists began transferring their traditional designs and Dreaming stories onto more permanent mediums like board and canvas with acrylics. The Dreaming, or Tjukurpa (in Pintupi), is the time when ancestral beings traveled, shaped the natural landscape and created life. “It’s an absolute privilege to show this artwork,” D’Lan Davidson, the gallery’s founder, said in a phone interview. “It is one of the first paintings where you see this traditional Aboriginal style make a leap to a contemporary medium.” The work was painted at Papunya, framed in Melbourne, and ended up in a private collection in Texas before being consigned to D’Lan Contemporary. Some of the paintings purchased during this ******* were bought by Americans working at Pine Gap, Scholes said, referring to a military base outside Alice Springs run by the Australians and the Americans. While the Papunya community became renowned for its dot paintings — one of the most famous styles of Indigenous *********** art — Tjapaltjarri created “Wallaby Sign for Men and Women” before dotted backgrounds became standard. His piece uses a striking contrast, a ****** background from which bold icons jump out, to depict an ancestral wallaby’s movements and a sacred ceremony. Such rituals would occur in Tjapaltjarri’s birthplace, Marnpi — a place that served as an endless source of inspiration for him. “This is the Red Kangaroo Dreaming place. This is the Hills Kangaroo place. This is the Owlet Nightjar [place],” he reflected on his homeland in a 1984 interview with John Kean. Emily Kam Kngwarray The biggest star in this exhibition is Emily Kam Kngwarray, an Anmatyerr artist from the Utopia region who elevated contemporary Indigenous art to new heights despite only painting on canvas during the final eight years of her life. Her output was extraordinary — she created roughly 3,000 works, or about one painting daily, according to the National Museum of Australia. In “Untitled — Summer Transition” (1991), the canvas shimmers with color and life, as Kngwarray’s layered dots in white, yellow and indigo evoke the desert ground, alive with vegetation — imagining the botanical bounty of her ancestral homeland at the turn of the season. The activities of a wandering emu, sacred to her people, are demarked. Kngwarray was born around 1910 at Alhalkere in the central *********** desert, some 140 miles northeast of Alice Springs. Long before turning to canvas, she expressed her cultural knowledge through other visual mediums. Notably she worked with batik, a method of creating patterns on cloth using wax-resist dyeing. In a 2010 interview with Jennifer Green, a linguistics expert and postdoctoral candidate, Kngwarray explained her transition to canvas in pragmatic terms: “I didn’t want to continue with the hard work batik required — boiling the fabric over and over, lighting fires, and using up all the soap powder. That’s why I gave up batik and changed to canvas — it was easier.” Central to her community were awelye ceremonies, in which women gathered in song and dance, and painted their upper bodies in patterns reflecting Alhalker culture. It is these patterns depicted in “Awelye II” (1995), which abandons dot work in favor of a tangle of serpentine lines. They depict the root system of the pencil yam — a totemic plant central to her people’s belief system and even her own name. According to Green, Emily was the artist’s “whitefeller name,” while to Indigenous people, her name was Kam — an Indigenous term for the yam’s seeds and pods. When she was alive, her name was spelled as Emily Kame Kngwarreye. In 2023, the National Gallery of Australia adopted the new spelling — Emily Kam Kngwarray — after what it described as extensive consultation with the artist’s community and with Green. Other institutions and galleries have followed suit. Kelli Cole, a Warumungu and Luritja woman, is the senior curator of the Emily Kam Kngwarray exhibition at Tate Modern in London, opening July 10 — the first major European showcase of Kngwarray’s work. She noted that Kngwarray was not only a talented artist, but also a businesswoman. “She knew exactly what she was doing when she was painting and winning awards,” Cole said by phone. Though not involved with the TEFAF exhibition, Cole said that to exhibit in Europe would have been a point of pride for the artists featured. “These artists took immense pride in seeing their country on walls,” she said. “That’s not saying just in the local town where they painted either, but in major national and international institutions.” Whether they are viewing a Kngwarray work in London or a Mudjinbardi bark in Maastricht, Cole asked audiences to remember one other thing: “You’re seeing a living culture before you” she said. “Those awelye ceremonies are still taking place.” Source link #TEFAF #Maastricht #Indigenous #*********** #Art #Takes #Center #Stage Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

In One Swing District, Guarded Optimism After Trump’s First Six Weeks In One Swing District, Guarded Optimism After Trump’s First Six Weeks Keith Mann, a self-described independent voter, sat out the 2024 election, dismayed by both candidates for president. He still does not care for President Trump’s character. But more than a month into Mr. Trump’s second term, Mr. Mann, a 41-year-old Phoenix resident, said he was cautiously optimistic about what he had seen so far. “He’s doing what he said he would do,” Mr. Mann said. He was encouraged by reports of fewer migrants crossing the border, in favor of reducing aid to Ukraine and hopeful that Elon Musk would root out excessive government spending and, “like Robin Hood,” deliver the savings to citizens in the form of $5,000 dividend checks. “I’m just waiting to see how it pans out,” Mr. Mann said. “At the end of the day, he’s our president — you can’t just wish him bad.” As Mr. Trump prepares to address a joint session of Congress on Tuesday evening — a stand-in for the State of the Union during a president’s first year in office — voters in battleground districts around the country are trying to make sense of the frenzy of executive orders and other actions that have so far defined Mr. Trump’s second term. In Arizona’s First Congressional District, around the swingy suburbs of Phoenix and Scottsdale — areas that helped flip Arizona blue in 2020 before shifting rightward again last year — reactions to Mr. Trump ranged from elation among Republicans to disgust among Democrats, with a few wary independents wedged in between. The partisan rancor in this competitive district remains high, but, in conversations with several dozen voters across the political spectrum, many seemed willing to give Mr. Trump the runway he needs to execute his “America First” vision of the country. “I feel great,” said Rashad Davis, 33, a Republican who was particularly enthused about the import tariffs Mr. Trump has announced. “He’s sticking to his word — everything he said.” Many voters singled out the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, Mr. Musk’s cost-cutting effort, as a major driver of their open-mindedness toward the Trump administration — at least, to a point. Maureen Wielgus, 69, said that she had voted for Mr. Trump in each of the last two elections and that she was pleased with his performance so far, though she added that he needed “to soften his approach a bit sometimes.” Ms. Wielgus had similarly qualified praise for Mr. Musk’s initiative, which has fired thousands of workers and boasted of tremendous government savings, often only to backtrack and delete its mistakes. “They’re going in like a bulldozer, a little firm,” she said. “But they’re finding the corruption and the fraud.” Around the state, Arizonans seemed to be split on Mr. Trump. Recent polling there has found that roughly half of the state’s residents at least somewhat approve of his handling of the job. Rich Thau, the president of the nonpartisan research firm Engagious, said that, in a recent focus group of a dozen Arizona residents who voted for Joseph R. Biden Jr. in 2020 before switching their support to Mr. Trump last year, all of the people gave Mr. Trump high marks for his performance. “They want somebody who’s a strong leader, who takes command, does what he says, and that’s what they feel like they’re getting when they see Trump in action,” Mr. Thau said. But, he added, “they are very concerned about his getting distracted.” Dan Hylen, 39, an independent who did not vote last November, said he had seen “some good and some bad” from Mr. Trump so far. “Some of the government efficiency stuff I feel like is maybe going in the right direction,” he said. “I like the idea of cutting the ****.” But he disliked Mr. Musk’s “******-nilly, shoot-from-the-hip attitude,” and was not in favor of Mr. Trump’s approach to Ukraine. “I don’t want to be in every single war in the world,” Mr. Hylen said, “but I think we have to help some people out sometimes.” Some voters said Mr. Trump’s combative showdown with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine on Friday, in which he angrily rebuked Mr. Zelensky for not showing sufficient gratitude for the United States’ support of Ukraine in its war against Russia, was a shameful display. “It’s an embarrassment,” said Greg Wise, 53, who votes Democratic. “Throwing away decades of good will with neighbors.” Others saw it as the perfect representation of a foreign policy agenda that prioritizes American interests. “He’s showing that we’re not messing around,” said Tasha K., a Republican from Scottsdale who declined to give her last name out of fear that her husband, who is a federal employee, would face retribution. “He put America first, and that’s what we hired him to do.” The First Congressional District’s ambivalence toward Mr. Trump could be seen recently in moments beyond conversations with voters. On Monday, Democratic groups organized a protest on a busy street corner in the district, accusing Mr. Trump and the district’s Republican representative, David Schweikert, who voted for a budget resolution last month that calls for deep cuts to government spending, of neglecting their interests. Protesters held up signs reading “Fire Musk,” as well as images of a “missing” Mr. Schweikert on a milk carton. Many passing drivers honked in support, while others rolled down their windows to voice their dissent. Still, in a purple district where voters of different political stripes frequently brush up against one another, even some of the president’s steadfast opponents were willing to look for silver linings. Nina Meixner, 71, said she was a conservative who had backed former Vice President Kamala Harris last year because she disliked Mr. Trump’s personality. But she was encouraged by his tough stance on immigration and the tariffs he was putting into effect. Ms. Meixner cringed at the chaos that she said was Mr. Trump’s “business model.” But, she added, “there’s things that I am happy for.” Source link #Swing #District #Guarded #Optimism #Trumps #Weeks Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A Russia-Friendly Region in Bosnia Cheers Trump’s Return A Russia-Friendly Region in Bosnia Cheers Trump’s Return As the United States and Europe condemned Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, Sasa Bozic responded by opening the Putin Café in the Bosnian city of Banja Luka, decorating it with a mannequin of the Russian president — a foot taller than Vladimir V. Putin is in real life. Today, with much of Europe horrified at President Trump’s attack on President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine in the Oval Office, Mr. Bozic has a new project: a motel and restaurant complex called “Trump and Putin’s Place.” He plans to open it this summer. Paying tribute to Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin, Mr. Bozic said, is not political — just “a “marketing trick” that works in Banja Luka. Since the 1989 collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe, many in the mostly ethnic Serb city and surrounding region have looked favorably on Russia and with hostility on an American-led order in Europe that Mr. Trump appears intent on upending. A Biden Café, Mr. Bozic said, would never work, even less an eatery named after President Zelensky, but “everyone here likes Putin and Trump.” Banja Luka is the capital of Republika Srpska, a Serb-controlled region of Bosnia and Herzegovina that was born from the ethnic cleansing of the Balkan wars of the early 1990s. That violence more than three decades ago punctured hopes that the demise of Communism would open a new era of prosperity and harmony. It gave an early foretaste of the appeal and destructive power of ethnonationalism, a force now resurgent around the world. The Serb region has for decades felt out of step with — and victimized by — what it views as a hostile, American-dominated world order committed, at least in principle, to human rights, democracy and territorial integrity. Many ethnic Serbs have regarded Russia, which shares their Orthodox Christian faith, as a protector against the West, which intervened militarily during the 1992-95 war to help Bosnia’s ******* populations and again in 1998 to break Serbia’s grip on Kosovo. Serbs inside Serbia and beyond its borders in Bosnia still harbor bitter memories of NATO bombings in the 1990s. Now many feel that things have changed with the return of President Trump. “Trump’s America is different,” said Mladen Ivanic, a former prime minister of Bosnia’s Serb enclave. While opposed to the region’s ethnonationalist leadership, he hopes the new administration in Washington will be more sympathetic to Serb concerns. But he also sees tumult ahead. “We are now living in a new world where everything is possible, even conflict between America and Europe” Mr. Ivanic said. “I never thought that was possible.” He added that he believed that “Trump has no interest in the Balkans,” but his demolition of longstanding assumptions about what the United States stands for have “changed everything.” The change has dismayed former ********** countries that, thankful for Washington’s hostility to Moscow during the Cold War, count themselves as loyal American allies. Vytautas Landsbergis, a former leader of Lithuania who led his Baltic nation, then still a Soviet republic, to declare independence in 1990, described Mr. Trump’s confrontation with Mr. Zelensky as a crude betrayal. “They invited a guest, beat him up, spat on him, and threw him out the door,” Mr. Landsbergis said. “What happened in Washington is an extremely low level” that “has never been seen before.” Lech Walesa, the former Solidarity trade union leader in Poland and a global symbol of resistance to tyranny, on Monday joined former political prisoners to send a letter to President Trump voicing “horror and disgust” at his hectoring of President Zelensky, saying it reminded them of their encounters with imperious **********-era officials. For those who see the United States as a bully rather than a liberator, the prospect of Washington turning its back on old verities has been met with glee. Milorad Dodik, the Republika Srpska’s embattled leader, has been fishing eagerly in the troubled waters stirred up by President Trump. He praised the Oval Office confrontation with Mr. Zelensky, who had been trying to correct Mr. Trump’s depictions of the origins of the war in Ukraine, as a triumph for “truth” over “fairy tales.” Hoping that Washington will rally to his side against Bosnia’s central government in Sarajevo, Mr. Dodik recently hosted a visit to Banja Luka by Rudolph W. Giuliani, the former New York mayor and Mr. Trump’s former attorney. Mr. Giuliani arrived shortly before a Bosnian court convicted Mr. Dodik of flouting the rulings of an international official overseeing implementation of the 1995 Dayton peace agreement. That agreement, brokered by the Clinton administration, put an end to more than three years of ethnic conflict in Bosnia and has kept the peace since. Mr. Dodik, who has long embraced Russia as his protector, is now looking to Washington for help. In a letter to Mr. Giuliani, he wrote: “You and President Trump understand better than anyone the ruthless nature of the deep state and the lengths they go in attacking political opponents.” The visit did not go entirely as planned. Mr. Giuliani obligingly portrayed Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country from which Mr. Dodik has repeatedly threatened to secede, as a menacing hotbed of Islamic extremism and wore a MAGA-style hat with the words “Make Srpska Great Again.” But he inadvertently insulted his host by calling him a “Bosnian,” a label that Mr. Dodik uses for Muslims. Mr. Dodik was sentenced in absentia last week by the Sarajevo court to a year in prison and barred from holding public office for six years. He says he does not recognize the court’s authority. Mr. Dodik’s outreach to Washington, said Damir Kapidzic, a professor of politics at the University of Sarajevo, has been motivated by his desire to stay out of prison and get U.S. sanctions against him lifted. “He has his back against the wall,” he said, adding: “He hopes the uncertainty that Trump has thrown into the world will help him.” Mr. Kapidzic said this uncertainty bodes ill for a shaky American-backed order in the Balkans whose stability depends on U.S. cooperation with European countries. A return to war, he said, was highly improbable — too many young people of fighting age have moved abroad and there are no large stocks of weapons, as there were when Yugoslavia fell apart. But, Mr. Kapidzic said, Bosnia risks a destabilizing scramble for influence between outside powers, including Russia, China and Turkey, “if the Trump administration decides to completely pull back from supporting the multilateralism that ended the Balkan wars.” Aleksandar Trifunovic, the editor in chief of Buka, a news site in Banja Luka, agreed that a return to the violence of the 1990s was unlikely, though there have been threats against the judge who ruled against Mr. Dodik. More worrying, he said, was an unraveling of the norms that have kept Bosnia together as a state, albeit a highly dysfunctional one. Mr. Dodik last week vowed to purge “traitors” — ethnic Serbs who worked in his region for the police and other institutions under the control of the central government in Sarajevo. “We will hang their names on plaques wherever we can, in the media and everywhere,” he said. “We will not tolerate betrayal.” Mr. Trifunovic said that Mr. Dodik has been emboldened by President Trump’s campaign against the “deep state,” particularly the dismantling of U.S.A.I.D. and Elon Musk’s denunciation of the aid agency — without substantiation — as a “criminal organization.” “It is very dangerous,” Mr. Trifunovic said, adding that he had never received grants from U.S.A.I.D. but had still been accused by Mr. Dodik as being part of a group of “criminals” using American money “to destroy the Republika Srpska and Milorad Dodik.” Drasko Stanivukovic, the opposition mayor of Banja Luka, said he disagreed with Mr. Dodik on many things but shared his hope that President Trump would help ethnic Serbs protect their identity and territory. “We are all cheering for Trump here,” he said. “The world has been ruled by liberal values for too long.” Tanja Topic, a Banja Luka political commentator for a Serbian magazine, said the increasingly aggressive mood reminded her of the 1990s. “There are the same poisonous narratives, the same people but thankfully no guns this time,” she said. Politicians like Mr. Dodik, she added, “don’t like rules and have put a big bet on Trump.” Source link #RussiaFriendly #Region #Bosnia #Cheers #Trumps #Return Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

These ****-Friendly Hotels Offer Dog Amenities Like Robes and Fresh Meals These ****-Friendly Hotels Offer Dog Amenities Like Robes and Fresh Meals The first time Benji, a 5-year-old Maltese mix, checked into the NH Collection New York Madison Avenue with her owner, something seemed a bit off: The metal food and water bowls just would not do. So the staff scrambled, offering the little dog 10 different options until she found a porcelain one she liked. And now that she’s a frequent guest, they store that bowl for her next visit. Gone are the days when hotel guests traveling with their dogs had to sneak them into their rooms or pack their own chew toys. The welcome mat is out, and many hotels are going all out to please four-legged guests. Some provide custom bedding, toys and fresh-cooked food. Many offer maps of nearby off-leash areas and ****-friendly restaurants. Others go further with dog-sitting, walks and even wilderness hikes. More vacationers than ever are bringing along their family pets. According to American **** Products Association 2024 surveys, about nine out of 10 owners say they’ve traveled with their **** in the last year, compared with about eight out of 10 in the 2021-2022 study. Whenever Benji and her owner, a Florida businessman, stay at the NH Collection New York Madison Avenue, the staff always tries to book her “favorite room,” said Fredrick Jones, the rooms division and guest relations director at the hotel. Once, when there was construction near that room, employees showed Benji five other rooms, but the dog did not seem comfortable in any of them. Finally, they changed course, reopening the usual room. “Benji ran from corner to corner. She knew she was home,” Mr. Jones said. Walks (and hikes) that get tails wagging For some travelers, **** care is becoming just as important as a pool or a spa in choosing a hotel. Some properties have staff dedicated to pets. Others tap outside professionals. Kimpton Hotels in the United States has teamed up with the dog care company Wag! for walks and day care. Guests at the Pan Pacific Hotel in London can ask the **** concierge to make arrangements for walks with Paws Galore **** Sitters or a canine massage at Shoreditch Dog House. Other hotels provide lists of approved vendors for guests seeking **** care. At NUMU, a boutique hotel in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, Gustavo Vasquez, a food and beverage manager, also walks the hotel’s one or two canine guests each week at the nearby park. Like most hotel dog walkers, Mr. Vasquez sends a report card and photos to the owner after their outings. A one-hour walk is $30, with sitting services at $20 per hour for longer periods. If a visiting dog seems lonely in the room, Mr. Vasquez may take it (with the owner’s permission) to the rooftop bar to mingle or to hang out with him in his office. Some hotels cater to dogs with a more adventurous spirit. On Sunday mornings, at the Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa in Whitefield, N.H., a “trail tail guide” will take up to four canine guests on a complimentary 30-minute hike while their owners can track them using a GPS device on their collar connected to a phone app. At the Omni Interlocken Hotel in Broomfield, Colo., a wilderness guide and a photographer from Colorado Wilderness Rides and Guides will take guests’ dogs on a three-to-four-hour hike tailored to their size and energy level through the forest and, weather permitting, to a nearby lake for a swim. The dogs are outfitted with protective shoes and an “adventure gear backpack” containing treats, a collapsible water bowl and a tennis ball. Guests pay $350 and receive photos of the dog’s adventure. They can also track their ****’s location and heart rate with a GPS-enabled collar. Fluffy robes for fluffy friends Hotels have indoor dogs covered, too. With 24 hours’ notice, the Pan Pacific will provide a linen floor mat embroidered with the ****’s name by an in-house team of tailors, and the **** can take it home. And meals created by a dog nutritionist for the hotel include organic eggs, nitrate-free bacon and lamb sausages, “thinly sliced, cooked ‘sous-vide’ then pan-fried” (18 to 28 British pounds, or $23 to $35). The Plaza Hotel in New York City offers a white Plaza dog bathrobe as part of its Pampered Pup Package. The robes come in five sizes, or for an extra $100 to $175, a custom-size robe can be ordered 30 days in advance. The package also includes a dog bed, dog macarons and Evian water. Costs depend on the room type and date of stay. Dogs can even be part of wedding planning. For $750, couples getting married at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston, can have staff members take their dog for a pre-wedding bath at a **** spa, create a floral collar coordinated with the wedding colors, and take photos of the couple with their best friend. In case the dog isn’t invited to the reception, sitting services are also available for an extra charge. Dogs now have more options to try out their sea legs, too. Though cruises have generally barred pets, in early 2026, Cruise Tails will be offering a one-week voyage for dogs (and owners), departing from Tampa, Fla. The itinerary promises prancing, splashing and costumes, with double-occupancy balcony rooms (that’s two humans and one dog) starting at $6,000. One dog is allowed per cabin and it must weigh under 20 pounds and be less than 18 inches tall. Waste bags are provided for **** relief stations located in public areas and on each cabin’s balcony. And don’t worry about seasickness: There will be a veterinarian on board. Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2025. Source link #PetFriendly #Hotels #Offer #Dog #Amenities #Robes #Fresh #Meals Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Vikings not expected to use franchise tag on QB Sam Darnold; parties working through options – NFL.com Vikings not expected to use franchise tag on QB Sam Darnold; parties working through options – NFL.com Vikings not expected to use franchise tag on QB Sam Darnold; parties working through options NFL.comSources: Vikes likely won’t franchise-tag Darnold ESPNNFL free agency, franchise tag tracker: Vikings not expected to tag Sam Darnold Yahoo Sports2025 NFL free agency rumors: Vikings’ Sam Darnold most likely to land with one of these two teams CBS SportsRandBall: Vikings fans are keenly aware of the economics with QB Sam Darnold Star Tribune Source link #Vikings #expected #franchise #tag #Sam #Darnold #parties #working #options #NFL.com Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Killjoy Will Finally Be Able to Breathe Easy After Valorant 10.04 Patch Slaps Tejo With Some Deserved Nerfs Killjoy Will Finally Be Able to Breathe Easy After Valorant 10.04 Patch Slaps Tejo With Some Deserved Nerfs The next patch update, 10.04, coming in a couple of days, will be a blessing for all the Killjoy players out there. Ever since Tejo was included in the game, Killjoy has not been having the best of times since all of her abilities, including her ultimate, are being countered by Tejo. Valorant’s upcoming update has a lot of exciting things to offer. Image Credit: Riot Games This is the first big update after Tejo’s entry, and the developers have now been able to spot the imbalances in the game after he came. He will be getting a major nerf in the upcoming patch. Along with nerfing Tejo, Valorant also makes way for Waylay in the upcoming update. Tejo will no longer be able to shut Killjoy down Tejo’s E ability gets a much deserved nerf. Image Credit: Riot Games Valorant Masters Bangkok 2025 has been concluded, and T1 bagged the big prize, beating G2 in a nerve-wracking Grand Finals. Upon its completion, developers are now releasing a patch note with some important and well-deserved nerfs for the recently added Tejo. Tejo, the recently added initiator, was causing a lot of problems for Killjoy players, creating imbalance in the game. Killjoy is currently of no use in the same game as Tejo since all of his abilities can easily target all of Killjoy’s abilities. Tejo’s Guided Slave will now only deal 65 damage, will deal only 50% damage to objects, and will leave Killjoy’s ULT at 5 HP. This was a much-needed nerf since his presence was creating a lot of imbalance in the game. Players are happy with this decision. Comment byu/TheEternalCowboy from discussion inVALORANT Comment byu/TheEternalCowboy from discussion inVALORANT Along with Tejo, a lot of other agents too are going to be getting some adjustments, including Clove, Deadlock, and Iso. The cooldown for Clove’s smokes has been increased from 30s to 40s, her healing duration increased from 8s to 10s, while their bonus movement speed has been reduced from 8s to 3s. Deadlock’s barrier smash will no longer be free and will now cost 400 credits. Gravenet will also be going through some changes. Iso’s Undercut charges have been reduced from 2 to 1 with an increase in price from 200 to 300. After Iso’s shield gets destroyed, he will now receive a high penetration tag instead of wall penetration like before. These nerfs might set up a good stage for Waylay Riot wants you to make way for Waylay. Image Credit: Riot Games Waylay, the upcoming duelist in the next patch might benefit from these nerfs. This Jett x Phoenix hybrid from Thailand can take early entry and exit in sites using her dash and callback abilities. She can get out of compromising positions with ease, which could be a great counter for almost all of Tejo’s abilities. There is bound to be some imbalance in the game after Waylay’s arrival. After a new agent is launched, it takes a while before the imbalances begin to show, and only time will tell how Waylay will impact the game. Do you think Tejo deserved these nerfs, and are you excited to play Waylay? Let us know in the comments below. Source link #Killjoy #Finally #Breathe #Easy #Valorant #Patch #Slaps #Tejo #Deserved #Nerfs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Head dropped in first over of semi-final Head dropped in first over of semi-final India’s Mohammed Shami drops Australia opener Travis Head off his own bowling in the first over of the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final in Dubai. Source link #dropped #semifinal Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

When will the Albanese Government’s live export madness end? When will the Albanese Government’s live export madness end? When will the madness end? That’s what the *********** agriculture industry keeps asking itself after another brazen decision from the Albanese Government. Source link #Albanese #Governments #live #export #madness Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Google Play Store Gets Widgets Page, Search Filter and More Features for Easy Widget Discovery Google Play Store Gets Widgets Page, Search Filter and More Features for Easy Widget Discovery Google on Monday announced updates to the Play Store which introduces new features that aim to make discovering and searching for widgets an easier experience. On Android, users can take advantage of a dedicated new filter for searching apps which offer widgets. Their presence will now also be indicated on the app’s detail page. The company has also created a dedicated page which showcases widgets across different categories, use cases, and preferences. Google detailed the new features related to widget discovery in a developers blog post. As per Mountain View-based technology giant, its new features are aimed at helping developers tackle discoverability and user understanding, two challenges which occur when investing in widget development. The improvements will soon be rolled out to Android smartphones, foldables, and tablets. The company says developers can now focus on driving downloads and engagement with the help of a dedicated widgets search filter. When searching for apps, they can select the filter from the top banner to list all the apps and games which offer widgets. Another key change is being made to the app detail page. It will now show if a widget is available for the particular app on the aforementioned page. As per Google, providing this information beforehand will eliminate the need for users to download the app and manually check the widget’s availability. Following its rollout, Android users will also be able to see an editorial page dedicated to widgets. It will categorise and list apps which offer widgets across different categories. For example, users can check the list of productivity and entertainment apps with widgets. They will also be able to see a recommended editor’s list of widgets. These changes, expected to be rolled out to Android users across different platforms soon, will enhance discoverability of widgets, potentially translating to more users, better app engagement and user retention. It will also offer a deeper interaction with apps, the company explains. For details of the latest launches and news from Samsung, Xiaomi, Realme, OnePlus, Oppo and other companies at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, visit our MWC 2025 hub. Source link #Google #Play #Store #Widgets #Page #Search #Filter #Features #Easy #Widget #Discovery Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

New Zealand lawmakers told to stop complaining about use of the country’s Māori name in Parliament New Zealand lawmakers told to stop complaining about use of the country’s Māori name in Parliament WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The speaker of New Zealand ’s Parliament told lawmakers he would not consider further complaints about the use of the country’s Māori name, Aotearoa, in Parliament, after one lawmaker made a bid to have it banned. “Aotearoa is regularly used as a name of New Zealand,” Speaker Gerry Brownlee said in a ruling on Tuesday at Parliament in Wellington. “It appears on our passports and it appears on our currency.” The conflict over a word increasingly prominent in New Zealand life arose last month when one lawmaker objected to another’s use of the term. It reflects the way enthusiasm for the Indigenous language among New Zealanders of all ethnicities has at times prompted a backlash — including about what the country should be called. It was also the latest salvo in the so-called “culture war”-style friction between two political parties. Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. What happened in parliament? Ricardo Menéndez March, from the left-leaning Green Party, used the name Aotearoa during a question to a government minister. The composite word means “land of the long white cloud” in te reo Māori, the Māori language. Winston Peters — who is deputy prime minister, foreign minister and leader of the populist party New Zealand First — objected in a point of order. “Why is someone who applied to come to this country in 2006 allowed to ask a question of this parliament that changes this country’s name without the referendum and sanction of the New Zealand people?” Peters asked Brownlee. Menéndez March, who was born in Mexico, is a New Zealand citizen, which is a requirement for all lawmakers. Peters asked Brownlee to bar use of the term Aotearoa in Parliament. On Tuesday, Brownlee said lawmakers were already permitted to address Parliament in any of New Zealand’s three official languages — English, te reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language. “That really is the end of the matter,” he said. Brownlee had earlier asked Menéndez March to consider using the phrase “Aotearoa New Zealand” to refer to the country, “to assist anyone who might not understand the term,” but said he would not require it. “If other members do not like certain words, they don’t have to use them,” Brownlee said. “But it’s not a matter of order and I don’t expect to have further points of order raised about it.” Peters told reporters that Brownlee was “wrong” and that he would not answer questions in which New Zealand was referred to as Aotearoa. Menéndez March did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Why was offense taken to the name? Other lawmakers refer to New Zealand by its Māori name. But it’s not the first time Peters and his party have fixed on Menéndez March. In January, the Green Party complained to the Prime Minister and Brownlee after Peters’ deputy, Shane Jones, heckled during a Parliamentary debate with a remark about Mexicans — while Peters told two other Green lawmakers who immigrated to New Zealand that they should “show some gratitude” to the country. Menéndez March denounced the comments as “outwardly racist and xenophobic.” A flamboyant politician who is New Zealand’s longest-serving current lawmaker, Peters favors populist policies and has been decried before for remarks about Asian immigration to New Zealand. Peters, who is Māori, opposes initiatives intended to advance Māori people and language. One former lawmaker, Peter Dunne, wrote in an opinion column in February that the squabble was more about New Zealand First shoring up its populist brand with supporters than it was about the language itself. Is there public backing for a change? The Māori language is growing in popularity, after decades of advocacy by Māori leaders reversed its fortunes. Māori — who make up close to 20% of New Zealanders — were discouraged from speaking the language after British colonization, and by the turn of the 21st century it was expected to die out completely. Individual words, such as Aotearoa, are now part of daily New Zealand conversation for many — including non-Māori. Some endorse an official moniker change for the country, which was named by a Dutch cartographer. Opponents say that, before colonization, Māori did not have a collective term for the whole of New Zealand. Aotearoa was the name used for the country’s North Island. The official name of the country can only be changed by law. Source link #Zealand #lawmakers #told #stop #complaining #countrys #Māori #Parliament Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Europe looks to mobilize $840 billion in defense spending boost, EU Commission head says Europe looks to mobilize $840 billion in defense spending boost, EU Commission head says President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen arrives to give a press conference on the “Defence package” at the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels on March 4, 2025. (Photo by Nicolas TUCAT / AFP) (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP via Getty Images) Nicolas Tucat | Afp | Getty Images New plans from the European Union to increase defense spending could potentially mobilize as much as 800 billion euros ($841 billion), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday. “Europe is ready to massively boost its defence spending. Both, to respond to the short-term urgency to act and to support Ukraine but also to address the long-term need to take on much more responsibility for our own European security,” she said in a press statement. This is a developing story, please check back for updates. Source link #Europe #mobilize #billion #defense #spending #boost #Commission Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Europe looks to mobilize $840 billion in defense spending boost, EU Commission head says Europe looks to mobilize $840 billion in defense spending boost, EU Commission head says President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen arrives to give a press conference on the “Defence package” at the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels on March 4, 2025. (Photo by Nicolas TUCAT / AFP) (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP via Getty Images) Nicolas Tucat | Afp | Getty Images New plans from the European Union to increase defense spending could potentially mobilize as much as 800 billion euros ($841 billion), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday. “Europe is ready to massively boost its defence spending. Both, to respond to the short-term urgency to act and to support Ukraine but also to address the long-term need to take on much more responsibility for our own European security,” she said in a press statement. This is a developing story, please check back for updates. Source link #Europe #mobilize #billion #defense #spending #boost #Commission Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Water might be older than we first thought, forming a key constituent of the first galaxies – Phys.org Water might be older than we first thought, forming a key constituent of the first galaxies – Phys.org Water might be older than we first thought, forming a key constituent of the first galaxies Phys.orgAbundant water from primordial supernovae at cosmic dawn Nature.comWater was Already Present in Primordial Universe 100-200 Million Years after Big Bang Sci.NewsWater May Have Come Into Existence Far Earlier Than We Ever Realized ScienceAlertWater Existed in the Universe Billions of Years Earlier Than Thought, Astronomers Say Gizmodo Source link #Water #older #thought #forming #key #constituent #galaxies #Phys.org Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Tesla: Can AI Ambitions Make $430 Target a Real Possibility? Tesla: Can AI Ambitions Make $430 Target a Real Possibility? Tesla (NASDAQ:) has recently garnered significant attention in the financial markets following a favorable analysis by Morgan Stanley. The company’s stock saw a modest increase of 2% after analyst Adam Jonas projected a potential rise to $430 per share. This optimistic forecast is attributed to Tesla’s strategic shift towards integrating artificial intelligence and robotics into its operations. Despite previous setbacks, including a notable decline in sales and controversies surrounding CEO Elon Musk’s political engagements, the company remains a strong contender in the auto sector. The upcoming release of Tesla’s first-quarter results on April 22 is anticipated to provide further insights into its financial health and strategic direction. Tesla Stock Gains on Analyst’s Bullish Comments Tesla’s stock has experienced fluctuations over recent weeks, reflecting broader market dynamics and investor sentiment. The stock s currently trading at $301.13, up 2.87% over the day. Over the past year, Tesla’s stock has seen a wide range, with a 52-week low of $138.8 and a high of $488.54. Key financial metrics indicate a robust market position for Tesla. With a market capitalization of $962.25 billion and a trailing P/E ratio of 145.93, the company continues to demonstrate significant growth potential. The forward P/E ratio of 92.33 suggests investor confidence in future earnings growth. Additionally, Tesla’s debt to equity ratio of 18.489 and current ratio of 2.025 reflect a stable financial foundation, enabling the company to pursue its ambitious expansion plans. Tesla’s Pivot to a Broader Focus on AI and Robotics While Tesla’s future prospects appear promising, the company faces several challenges that could impact its trajectory. Recent protests and political controversies involving CEO Elon Musk have affected public perception and sales. A Quinnipiac poll highlighted public disapproval of Musk’s involvement in the Trump administration, which could pose reputational risks for the brand. Furthermore, increasing competition in the electric vehicle market presents additional hurdles for Tesla as it seeks to maintain its leadership position. In response to these challenges, Tesla is pivoting towards a broader focus on AI and robotics. This strategic shift aims to diversify the company’s offerings and capitalize on emerging technological trends. By transitioning from a purely automotive focus, Tesla seeks to leverage its expertise in innovation to explore new markets and opportunities. Analyst Adam Jonas’s projection of the high price target reflects confidence in Tesla’s ability to navigate these challenges and achieve long-term growth. *** Neither the author, Tim Fries, nor this website, The Tokenist, provide financial advice. Please consult our website policy prior to making financial decisions. This article was originally published on The Tokenist. Check out The Tokenist’s free newsletter, Five Minute Finance, for weekly analysis of the biggest trends in finance and technology. Source link #Tesla #Ambitions #Target #Real #Possibility Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Russia is beating its military recruitment goals as Putin pumps cash into bonuses and lets men sign up to avoid trials Russia is beating its military recruitment goals as Putin pumps cash into bonuses and lets men sign up to avoid trials A top Ukrainian official said Russia beat its 2024 recruitment goal and is still doing so in 2025. That’s after Moscow already raised its goal to 430,000 troops last year. It comes as Russia has poured cash into sign-up bonuses and passed laws to recruit crime suspects. The deputy chief of Ukraine’s military intelligence said Russia is exceeding its recruitment targets, affirming Moscow’s earlier claim of hiring over 440,000 soldiers in 2024. That recruiting success is set to continue in 2025, Maj. Gen. Vadim Skibitsky said in an interview published by the news agency RBC Ukraine on Monday. “In January, they fulfilled their recruitment plans by 107%,” said Skibitsky. “This issue remains relevant, and the Russian authorities have no problem with staffing their troops and filling losses.” Skibitsky said Russia initially set a hiring target of 380,000 troops in 2024 but raised it to 430,000 recruits. And beat that goal, he added. In December, Dmitry Medvedev, the chairman of Russia’s security council, said Moscow had signed contracts with 440,000 new soldiers in 2024. Skibitsky confirmed that number in his Monday interview and said that Russia officially plans to recruit another 343,000 soldiers in 2025. “But based on the experience of 2024, we know that these plans inevitably change, in the upward direction,” he said. Recruiting at that scale is allowing Russia to continue fighting intensely in Ukraine, Skibitsky said. “It is important to understand that almost 80% of those recruited under contract are used to replace combat losses,” he told RBC Ukraine. These reported figures come as the Kremlin has poured cash into one-time recruitment bonuses for the military — just one of many ways it’s pushing its economy and spending toward defense. In July, Russian leader Vladimir Putin signed a decree that more than doubled the baseline sign-up bonus from 195,000 rubles to 400,000 rubles for the rest of 2024. The 400,000 ruble payout is worth about $4,450 now. But some regions upped their bonuses to nearly 2 million rubles last year, putting them on par with the US military’s sign-on payments. “For the Russian Federation, these are very large sums,” Skibitsky told RBC Ukraine. Federal statistics from the Russian government in December cited the average monthly wage in the country as 86,500 rubles. Ukraine expects Russia to also significantly ramp up the number of soldiers it recruits from prisons or criminal trials. With Russia already actively recruiting from prisons, Putin signed a bill in October allowing those who face criminal charges to avoid their trials or convictions if they enlist in the military. Skibitsky said Russia’s plans for 2025 include 30% of its forces being made up of “special contingents,” which describe units fielding inmates or soldiers who signed up to avoid charges. That’s up from 15% of its forces involving such troops last year, Skibitsky said. “This issue is already arising for the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation — what to do with these people and how to work with them,” he said. Analysts from the Washington-based think tank Institute for the Study of War wrote that Russia likely increased its recruitment target in 2024 because that’s when it stepped up the intensity of its assaults in Ukraine. Moscow has, over the last year, started throwing thousands of men daily at Ukrainian positions in ground assaults, sustaining high casualties but also pressuring Kyiv’s tired forces on the front lines. ISW analysts wrote that Russia will likely have to raise its recruitment quota again this year to maintain that strategy. “Continued Western military aid would help Ukrainian forces inflict additional losses on the Russian military that would likely intensify Russia’s economic and military issues and force Putin into making concessions during meaningful negotiations in 2025,” they wrote. Read the original article on Business Insider Source link #Russia #beating #military #recruitment #goals #Putin #pumps #cash #bonuses #lets #men #sign #avoid #trials Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Senate bid to prevent boys from playing girls' sports gets stuck on filibuster – Fox News Senate bid to prevent boys from playing girls' sports gets stuck on filibuster – Fox News Senate bid to prevent boys from playing girls’ sports gets stuck on filibuster Fox NewsSenate blocks ban on transgender athletes, as Trump pushes forward The Washington PostDemocrats Block Bill to Bar Transgender Girls From Female Sports Teams The New York TimesMinnesota’s bill to ban transgender athletes fails FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul Source link #Senate #bid #prevent #boys #playing #girls039 #sports #stuck #filibuster #Fox #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

YouTube Reportedly Working on Netflix-Like Redesign to Compete With Amazon Prime Video YouTube Reportedly Working on Netflix-Like Redesign to Compete With Amazon Prime Video YouTube is working on a redesigned version of its app for smart TVs that could resemble Netflix, according to a report. The Alphabet-owned video streaming platform will reportedly put paid content from other services on its home page, allowing users to discover them easily. Amazon’s Prime Video lets users see content from third-party services and purchase a subscription inside the app. YouTube already offers access to ad-free video streaming on various platforms, while US customers can also pay to watch TV channels on the platform. YouTube to Spotlight Paid Content From Third Party Streaming Platforms A report from The Information (via The Verge) reveals that YouTube is working on a major redesign of its app for smart TVs. The layout of the new app would appear similar to popular streaming services like Netflix and Disney+, according to the publication. It’s worth noting that Alphabet’s video streaming platform already lets users subscriber to third-party streaming services via the Movies and TV tab on the YouTube app for smart TVs. These ********** Channels include Max, Paramount+, and anime streaming service Cruncyroll, but it has been a while since YouTube has introduced a new third-party service. On the other hand, Prime Video surfaces these external services (including Apple TV+) in various parts of the app, including the home page. Users can subscribe to these platforms from the app, and YouTube is reportedly attempting to replicate the same system. Kurt Wilms, Senior Director of Product Management at YouTube, told The Information that the app will offer a seamless view that shows content from YouTube creators and third party content. “The vision is that when you come to our app and you’re looking for a show, it’ll just blend away whether that show is from a ********** Channel or that show is from a creator,” he told the publication. Users will reportedly see teasers for third party content on the home screen when they open the YouTube app, and these include autoplaying previews. While the company has yet to officially announce plans to launch a redesigned interface for its smart TV app, the report states that it will arrive in the “next few months”. For details of the latest launches and news from Samsung, Xiaomi, Realme, OnePlus, Oppo and other companies at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, visit our MWC 2025 hub. Source link #YouTube #Reportedly #Working #NetflixLike #Redesign #Compete #Amazon #Prime #Video Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

West Coast revert back to classic club song as Eagles members voice overwhelming support West Coast revert back to classic club song as Eagles members voice overwhelming support The fans have spoken and West Coast have listened with the Eagles officially ditching the current club song in what will be music to the ears of their fans. Eagles fans have long called for the club song to return to the original “We’re Flying High” tune after it was updated in 2020 but failed to catch on with many believing the new song was indicative of the club’s decline since. SIGN UP HERE FOR FREE FOOTY TIPPING TO WIN A SHARE OF $85K But with West Coast looking to launch a new era, with a new coach and new CEO Don Pyke keen to reconnect with a beleaguered fan base, a vote was put to members in February over which version they preferred. Voting closed on February 26 and the response was overwhelming in wanting to bring back the classic version. If you’d like to view this content, please adjust your Cookie Settings. To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. Calls for the original version to return were re-ignited clash year, when the club brought it back at Optus Stadium during the AFL’s Retro Round and follows last year’s change to ditch the inflatable Eagle and bring back the banner which was widely supported. The original verse of “We’re the Eagles” was written by musician Kevin Peek and debuted at the club’s 1987 launch. Some verses were added later by Ken Walther, who also composed the Fremantle song. MORE TO COME Source link #West #Coast #revert #classic #club #song #Eagles #members #voice #overwhelming #support Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]