Pelican Press

Trump administration approves nearly $3 billion arms ***** to Israel Trump administration approves nearly $3 billion arms ***** to Israel Washington, D.C. — The Trump administration has approved a major nearly $3 billion arms ***** to Israel, bypassing a normal congressional review to provide the country with more of the 2,000-pound bombs that it has used in its war against ****** in Gaza. In a series of notifications sent to Congress late Friday, the State Department said it had signed off on the ***** of more than 35,500 MK 84 and BLU-117 bombs and 4,000 Predator warheads worth $2.04 billion. The State Department approved Israel’s purchase of Caterpillar D9 Bulldozers and related equipment for an estimated cost of $295 million. Deliveries by the Irving, Texas-based company are expected to begin in 2027. The Defense Security Cooperation released a statement confirming a munitions ***** to Israel for an estimated cost of $675.7 million. Repkon USA, located in Tampa, Florida, and The Boeing Company, located in St. Charles, Missouri, will manufacture the equipment, which is estimated to be delivered to Israel beginning in 2028. The arms ***** comes as the first phase of the ceasefire, which paused 15 months of war, freed Israeli hostages and ************ prisoners, and enabled more humanitarian aid to reach Gaza, is set to expire on Saturday. The two sides seem willing to maintain their truce while negotiators from the U.S., Egypt and Qatar guide talks aimed at getting to the next phase. The parties were supposed to have begun ironing out the details of phase two weeks ago. But talks were delayed as the first six weeks of the ceasefire were marred by disputes between Israel and ****** over alleged violations of the deal. Under the terms of the truce that began in Jan. 19, the second phase would compel ****** to release all the remaining living hostages from its Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack that triggered the war, in exchange for more ************ prisoners in Israel, a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Over the past six weeks, ****** has freed 33 living and dead hostages in exchange for more than 1,700 ************ prisoners. The militant group still holds 59 captives, 32 of whom are believed to be dead. Israel is reportedly seeking an extension of the first phase to secure the freedom of more captives. Crisis in the Middle East More More Source link #Trump #administration #approves #billion #arms #***** #Israel Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Poplar trees, the Pope and paddling Poplar trees, the Pope and paddling A selection of news photographs from around the world. Justin Tallis/PA Media Queen Camilla meets Gladiators Nitro aka Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Fire aka Montell Douglas, at a reception to celebrate the final of BBC’s creative writing competition 500 Words, at Buckingham Palace, London. Andre Coelho/EPA-EFE People paddle in the sea at Copacabana Beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Dylan Martinez/Reuters Nuns pray in front of the statue of late Pope John Paul II outside Gemelli Hospital, where Pope Francis continues his treatment for pneumonia, in Rome, Italy. Adam Vaughan/EPA-EFE Poplar trees next to Sefton Park Allotments in Liverpool cast long shadows in the evening sun. Mike Blake/Reuters Academy Awards host Conan O’Brien pushes the rolled red carpet during its rollout for the 97th Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California. Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP A leatherback sea turtle hatchling swims away after its release at Lhoknga beach in Indonesia’s Aceh province. Ida Marie Odgaard/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP Michelangelo’s David is moved into the National Gallery of Denmark in Copenhagen for an exhibition about the sculptor’s life. Carl Court/Pool/Reuters During a visit to the White House, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer presents US President Donald Trump with an invitation from King Charles III for a second state visit to the ***. Lisa Leutner/Reuters Couples dance during the opening ceremony of the traditional Opera Ball in Vienna, Austria. Ina Fassbender/AFP Carnival goers cheer in front of Cologne Cathedral during the launch of carnival season. Source link #Poplar #trees #Pope #paddling Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Diablo IVs March of the Goblins Event Begins 5 March Diablo IVs March of the Goblins Event Begins 5 March The underbelly of Sanctuary teems with mischief and greed as the March of the Goblins event comes alive in Diablo IV. Source link #Diablo #IVs #March #Goblins #Event #Begins #March Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Severe tropical cyclone Alfred to bring high tides, damaging surf along Queensland coast Severe tropical cyclone Alfred to bring high tides, damaging surf along Queensland coast Cyclone Alfred has been downgraded to category three cyclone as new information is revealed about the possibility of it making landfall with Australia’s coast. Source link #Severe #tropical #cyclone #Alfred #bring #high #tides #damaging #surf #Queensland #coast Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

In full view of the world, Trump and Vance told Zelensky he can’t win the war. He told them they’re naive for believing Putin In full view of the world, Trump and Vance told Zelensky he can’t win the war. He told them they’re naive for believing Putin During an extremely tense White House meeting, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance pushed Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky to accept their efforts at diplomacy to end the war. Zelensky told them that diplomacy with Russian President Vladimir Putin was not possible. President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky engaged in heated international diplomacy of the highest level in front of the television cameras on Friday during an extraordinary Oval Office meeting. The three leaders had what can only be described as an argument in full view of the press, giving the public a glimpse of the sort of conversations that ordinarily happen behind closed doors. For a brief stretch Trump raised his voice to the point of shouting, accusing Zelensky of lacking the leverage to negotiate a peace treaty with Russia that would satisfy Ukrainians. “You don’t have the cards right now,” Trump said, gesticulating as his voice rose. Zelensky replied: “I’m not playing cards.” The meeting would also lead to a breakdown of the U.S. and Ukraine’s relationship. In a statement released after the meeting, Trump said Zelensky was “not ready for peace if America is involved because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations.” The president deemed that an unacceptable proposition. “I don’t want advantage, I want peace,” Trump wrote in a social media post. The meeting between Trump, Vance, and Zelensky came as the Ukrainian president visited Washington, D.C., to sign a mineral rights deal the two countries spent the week negotiating. However, once the conversation turned to the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, differing perspectives came into full view. On one side Trump and Vance expressed their frustration at Zelensky for what they perceived as his lack of willingness to negotiate a ceasefire and subsequent peace deal. In response, Zelensky pressed the two American officials, Vance in particular, for being, in his view, too credulous about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intentions should an end to the war be negotiated. The tensions began when the discussion turned to the question of whether the U.S. had become overly aligned with Russia during the early peace talks over the past several weeks. After Trump claimed working closely with Russia was a necessity for a deal to happen, Vance interjected. The vice president criticized former President Joe Biden for offering chest thumping press conferences that yielded few results in the peace process, while praising Trump for engaging in diplomacy. Zelensky then listed a litany of grievances against Russia, including its violation of a 2019 ceasefire overseen by France and Germany, and occupation of Crimea in 2014, as evidence that Putin would not respond to diplomacy. “What kind of diplomacy you are speaking about JD,” Zelensky asked. “What you mean?” At this point the meeting entered another register, with Trump becoming particularly animated. With his tone sharpening and his voice deepening, Trump accused Zelensky of risking a broader global conflict if the war were to continue. “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people,” Trump said. “You’re gambling with world war three.” Both Trump and Vance, who was especially pointed in this regard, labeled Zelensky as ungrateful for American efforts to supply Ukraine with aid during the war and the role it was currently playing in the peace process. For Trump, Ukraine’s main leverage in negotiations was its allyship with the U.S., without which it would have been overwhelmed by Russia. “You’re not winning this,” Trump told Zelensky. “You have a damned good chance of coming out OK because of us.” Trump and Zelensky already had a tense relationship. The president has regularly criticized Zelensky for continuing the war, which he sees as a hopeless endeavor. As Trump pushes for an end to the war, that relationship has only worsened to the point that it burst into public view on Friday. Earlier this month the U.S. and Russia held preliminary talks about possibly ending the war during a summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Those talks didn’t include any representatives from Ukraine or elsewhere in Europe. The U.S. then turned its attention to discussions with Ukraine. Those conversations reportedly included a proposal that would give the U.S. $500 billion from Ukraine’s mineral mines and a demand that American aid be repaid at a 100% interest rate. Zelesnky turned down that proposal on the grounds that it would amount to “selling” his country. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com Source link #full #view #world #Trump #Vance #told #Zelensky #win #war #told #theyre #naive #believing #Putin Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Luis Gil To Undergo Shoulder MRI; JT Brubaker Suffers Rib Fractures – MLB Trade Rumors Luis Gil To Undergo Shoulder MRI; JT Brubaker Suffers Rib Fractures – MLB Trade Rumors Luis Gil To Undergo Shoulder MRI; JT Brubaker Suffers Rib Fractures MLB Trade RumorsGil to have MRI for shoulder discomfort, dealing Yanks early rotation question MLB.comYanks send AL ROY Gil for MRI on tight shoulder ESPNYankees pitcher Luis Gil to undergo MRI for tightness near right shoulder Yahoo SportsYankees left holding their breath in Luis Gil injury scare New York Post Source link #Luis #Gil #Undergo #Shoulder #MRI #Brubaker #Suffers #Rib #Fractures #MLB #Trade #Rumors Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Australia backs Ukraine following Oval Office spat Australia backs Ukraine following Oval Office spat Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has joined other world leaders voicing support for the Ukrainian president, following a tetchy meeting with US President Trump. Source link #Australia #backs #Ukraine #Oval #Office #spat Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Stunned by angry Trump exchange, Ukrainians rally round Zelenskiy Stunned by angry Trump exchange, Ukrainians rally round Zelenskiy By Anna Dabrowska and Max Hunder KYIV (Reuters) – Ukrainians on the streets of Kyiv rallied around President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday after his angry exchange with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. Zelenskiy openly challenged Trump over his approach toward Russian President Vladimir Putin at the meeting, urging him to “make no compromises with a killer.” Trump accused Zelenskiy of risking World War Three and of being ungrateful to Washington for the military aid provided to Ukraine. 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. “Trump finally understood that Zelenskiy is a president that will not just give up,” said Mila, an HR manager who did not give a second name, speaking on a chilly night in central Kyiv. “It is not Ukraine that is gambling with World War Three – more likely we are being used in this game as a bargaining chip,” said Oksana, a business consultant. On social media, Ukrainian officials and other prominent individuals were also supportive of Zelenskiy, calling for unity in a country exhausted by three years of gruelling battle. “President Zelenskiy has the bravery and strength to stand up for what is right,” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who was at the meeting with Trump, wrote on social media. While most Kyivans Reuters spoke to said Ukraine would be able to keep going whatever lay ahead, some were concerned by the breakdown in relations between the two leaders. “Without the arms supplied by the United States we will not win this war and I do not know what’s going to happen,” said Andriy, a 59-year-old university lecturer. The meeting in Washington was intended to smooth choppy personal relations between Trump and Zelenskiy, with the two men due to sign an agreement that would have shared profits from Ukraine’s critical raw material deposits with the U.S. Instead, it quickly turned into a vicious spat in front of the cameras as Trump visibly irritated Zelenskiy by refusing to condemn Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago and occupied parts of it since 2014. “The agreement and the participation of the U.S. in the mineral deal would have stabilised relations. Now it is very scary,” said Petro, a 20-year-old student. “I think it could have been approached in a more diplomatic way, but from the individual point of view I can understand Zelenskiy because the tone of the dialogue with Trump and Vance indicated it would end like this.” (Reporting by Anna Dabrowska, writing by Max Hunder, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien) Source link #Stunned #angry #Trump #exchange #Ukrainians #rally #Zelenskiy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Rose Girone, believed to be oldest living Holocaust survivor, dies aged 113 – The Guardian Rose Girone, believed to be oldest living Holocaust survivor, dies aged 113 – The Guardian Rose Girone, believed to be oldest living Holocaust survivor, dies aged 113 The GuardianRose Girone, Oldest Holocaust Survivor, Dies at 113 The New York TimesRose Girone, the oldest known Holocaust survivor, has died at age 113 CNNKnitting legend Rose Girone, world’s oldest Holocaust survivor, dies at 113 JTA News – Jewish Telegraphic AgencyOldest known Holocaust survivor dies aged 113 DW (English) Source link #Rose #Girone #believed #oldest #living #Holocaust #survivor #dies #aged #Guardian Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Standing up to a bully’: Australia reaffirms Ukraine support ‘Standing up to a bully’: Australia reaffirms Ukraine support Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has reaffirmed his support for Ukraine while dodging any questions about the tense relationship between the US and Ukraine. Source link #Standing #bully #Australia #reaffirms #Ukraine #support Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Intel is back—stop talking about breaking it up: Craig Barrett Intel is back—stop talking about breaking it up: Craig Barrett Four former Intel board members have written two opinion pieces for Fortune arguing that the only solution to Intel’s problems is to break the company into two pieces; a design company and a wafer fabrication (foundry) company. I do agree with their position that Intel should not sell its foundry business to TSMC but strongly disagree with their argument that Intel should be broken up. The board members are well meaning but off target. They are two academics and two former government bureaucrats, just the type of folks you want dictating strategy in the ruggedly competitive semiconductor industry. Pat Gelsinger, who ran Intel the last three-plus years (he was abruptly fired two months ago) did a great job resuscitating the technology development team, and today the company’s leading technology is on par with TSMC’s 2nm technology. Additionally, Intel has a lead in the newest imaging technology (high NA EUV lithography, where they are currently processing 10,000s wafers) and in backside power delivery to complex chips. Both these accomplishments are key for future generations of silicon technology. Intel is back—from a technology point of view. They are still struggling to attract independent chip designers, but they have the technology and manufacturing know-how to compete with the likes of TSMC. So, if Intel is back from a technology standpoint, what is the advantage of splitting up a company with 100,000-plus employees spread over several continents? The former board members think that because Intel also makes and sells chips, no other chip designers will want to trust Intel to make their products. This thought process ignores the fact that the best technology wins in the semiconductor industry. All the independent designers currently use TSMC because TSMC has the best technology, so they don’t have any process technology advantage over each other. They are all using the same manufacturing technology to compete with each other and to compete with Intel chips. If Intel has equivalent or better technology than TSMC, then the game changes. Intel failed in its previous efforts in the foundry business for the simple reason it did not have a competitive technology. The best technology wins, as you are at a disadvantage if you use an older version. Of course, Intel has to provide good customer service, fair pricing, guaranteed capacity, and a clear separation of chip designers from their foundry customers, but there is no disputing that the best technology wins. Intel used to lead in technology and chip design. They still struggle in chip design with the move to AI applications, but they are certainly back in manufacturing technology. Story Continues So, let’s stop talking about breaking up Intel as the only solution. Instead let’s talk about Intel eating into TSMC’s current high-end foundry business on the basis of Intel’s technology resurgence. Sure, the government can help by pushing U.S. firms to use a U.S. foundry. The government can also make an investment in Intel like they have done with other struggling institutions critical to the US economy and national security. And the current administration can move much faster than the previous one with support like tariffs. The Biden administration slow-walked the Chip Acts support over a two-year ******* while the Trump administration has demonstrated instantaneous decision-making and movement. But, please, stop talking about breaking up a company and dealing with all the complications and distractions therein. The company has gone through several CEOs and boards that did the wrong things. I ran Intel with 100,000-plus employees, and I think I know the challenges if Intel were to be split up. If we want semiconductor manufacturing leadership in the U.S., then build on the current resurgence of Intel, don’t tear it apart. The conversation should be who the next CEO should be to build on Pat Gelsinger’s accomplishments over the last few years. Currently the company is being run by a CFO and a product manager. The challenge for Intel is to get someone who understands the business of making chips, not someone who spends their time splitting the company into two pieces. Along the way, you might also worry about the Intel board. They bear ultimate responsibility for what has happened to Intel over the last decade. Yes, I have an emotional attachment to intel, but I know what the team can do if properly led. It disappoints me that they lost their leadership position. However, it disappoints me more to see people who ignore the intricacies of the semiconductor industry and proclaim simplistic solutions. It takes years to develop a new semiconductor manufacturing technology and ramp it into volume production. Intel is about to regain its leadership in this area, and the dumbest idea around is to stall that from happening by slicing the company into pieces. The moment you announce you are splitting up Intel you’ll lose the momentum and resources you need to succeed. In my opinion, a far better move might be to fire the Intel board and rehire Pat Gelsinger to finish the job he has aptly handled over the past few years. The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Fortune. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com Source link #Intel #backstop #talking #breaking #Craig #Barrett Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Bowen: Trump-Zelensky row signals major crisis looming for Nato – BBC.com Bowen: Trump-Zelensky row signals major crisis looming for Nato – BBC.com Bowen: Trump-Zelensky row signals major crisis looming for Nato BBC.comOpinion | This Never Happened With an American President Before The New York TimesIt Was an Ambush The AtlanticZelensky won’t apologize for Oval Office spat, says it was bad for both sides The Hill Source link #Bowen #TrumpZelensky #row #signals #major #crisis #looming #Nato #BBC.com Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Police minister's brother charged with drug offences Police minister's brother charged with drug offences A state police minister has decried the impact of illicit drug use and addiction on families after her estranged brother was charged with drug offences. Source link #Police #minister039s #brother #charged #drug #offences Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Laura Lee Willsey vanished in July. Police say DNA tests may have led them to her killer. Laura Lee Willsey vanished in July. Police say DNA tests may have led them to her killer. WEST PALM BEACH — Police in West Palm Beach have arrested a 56-year-old man on a ******* charge in connection to the disappearance of a woman who was reported missing in July. Todd Arthur Reichert is facing a first-degree ******* charge after DNA analysis of blood found in his vehicle was confirmed to be a match to Laura Lee Willsey, also 56, according to a statement police released Friday. Willsey’s daughter reported her missing on July 30 after she failed to return to a home where she had been renting a room along the 5200 block of Garden Avenue, half a mile east of Dreher Park. Her disappearance touched off a monthslong missing-persons investigation and public appeals from her family for information on her whereabouts. PBSO deputy’s death: Grand jury indicts man accused of killing jail deputy on first-degree ******* charge Laura Willsey was reported missing in July after she failed to return to her home in West Palm Beach. A man has been arrested in connection to her disappearance and faces a ******* charge. Police have not found her remains, and the last information regarding Willsey’s location came from a witness shortly after she disappeared, a department spokesperson said Friday. During a search of Willsey’s residence, West Palm Beach detectives discovered blood spatter and droplets both inside and outside the home. Video camera recorded woman arguing with man in custody day before disappearance According to statement released Friday, detectives reviewed surveillance-camera video footage recorded the day before Willsey was reported missing. They saw and heard evidence of an argument between Willsey, Reichert and another man. A witness came forward and told detectives that Reichert could be heard hitting Willsey in her bedroom. The witness also described hearing the sound of crumpling trash bags in the bedroom and the living room. Reichert reportedly uttered that he was driving to Belle Glade and leaving his cellphone behind to avoid being tracked. He then left in his 2010 Volkswagen and returned two and one-half hours later. Reichert has been in custody since August on unrelated burglary and grand theft charges. He is scheduled to appear before a judge on the ******* charge Saturday morning. Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at *****@*****.tld and follow him on Twitter at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Man facing ******* charge after woman disappeared from West Palm in July Source link #Laura #Lee #Willsey #vanished #July #Police #DNA #tests #led #killer Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Metroid Dread Dev New Game "Blades of Fire" Announced; Story, Features and Screenshots Revealed Metroid Dread Dev New Game "Blades of Fire" Announced; Story, Features and Screenshots Revealed MercurySteam, the studio behind Metroid Dread and Lords of Shadows, has a new single-player action game called “Blades of Fire.” Source link #Metroid #Dread #Dev #Game #quotBlades #Firequot #Announced #Story #Features #Screenshots #Revealed Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Hear what Zelensky said following tense Oval Office meeting – CNN Hear what Zelensky said following tense Oval Office meeting – CNN Hear what Zelensky said following tense Oval Office meeting CNNIt Was an Ambush The AtlanticNo suit, no lunch, no respect: Zelenskyy-Trump feud started with a fashion dig USA TODAYBowen: Trump-Zelensky row signals major crisis looming for Nato BBC.com Source link #Hear #Zelensky #tense #Oval #Office #meeting #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Chaos and unproven theories surround Tates’ release from Romania Chaos and unproven theories surround Tates’ release from Romania EPA Andrew Tate is accused of human trafficking and ********* exploiting women alongside his brother Tristan These were already turbulent times in Romania. But as people here navigate the late winter ice and slush on Bucharest’s elegant streets, the abrupt departure of the Tate brothers by private jet has left a fresh trail of confusion and unanswered questions in its wake. A country grappling with a cancelled presidential election, its future in Europe, its support for neighbouring Ukraine, widespread corruption, and collapsing faith in public institutions, is now left pondering why two controversial foreigners, facing a raft of complex but serious criminal charges, have been treated with such apparent lenience; their confiscated assets and their passports suddenly returned to them. Was a secret deal done between Romania’s government and the Trump administration? If so, in these increasingly transactional times, what does Romania get in return? Or was this more like a pre-emptive gesture of good will towards the American president, a gift to lay at Donald Trump’s imperious feet? Or are we searching for conspiracies when the truth is probably far more chaotic? As foreign leaders – from Volodymyr Zelensky to Sir Keir Starmer – travel to Washington DC bearing deals and other apparent peace offerings, one might ask who could blame Romania, a staunch NATO ally navigating a host of internal and external challenges, for trying to keep an increasingly unpredictable US administration on side? “It’s a matter of life (or death) for Romania,” said security analyst George Scutaru, describing his country’s need to shore up Western support in the face of growing pressure from the Kremlin. Declining to comment on the Tate issue specifically, Scutaru said it was clear Moscow was seeking to undermine Romania’s democracy and that the government had good reason to seek ways to remind the Trump administration of the many advantages – commercial, diplomatic, and military – of continuing to back it. But if the Tate brothers are part of that equation, it is already clear that many Romanians are not impressed. This is a country already facing a strong populist backlash against an elite ruling class that is widely seen as corrupt and out of touch with the struggles of ordinary people who feel treated as second-class citizens – a mere source of cheap labour – within the European Union. So, the sight of the Tates appearing to receive special treatment plays into the notion that Romania’s institutions are hollow and cater only to those with money. Getty Images The brothers were released from house arrest by a Romanian court in January “For me, what has happened is unacceptable. We cannot allow Romania’s image to be tarnished by impunity and defiance,” fumed Elena Lasconi, a prominent presidential candidate here, expressing deep concern that Romanian prosecutors’ sudden decision to relax the Tates’ travel restrictions was the result of “external influence.” “It’s my personal perception that probably there is… pressure on the Romanian political system, as logically the prosecutor would have applied very strict rules to control (the Tates) and probably the United States would haven’t been a place where they would be allowed to travel (due to concerns they would not be extradited if they failed to return),” said international human rights lawyer, Silvia Tabusca. It is beyond doubt that Andrew Tate’s lucrative brand of assertive masculinity has earned him allies in President Trump’s administration. One of his former lawyers, Paul Ingrassia, now works in the White House. Many in the so-called “manosphere” see Tate as a persecuted hero who has just been rescued from Romania’s corrupt clutches. There is also a more nebulous far-right alignment between some pro-Trump and pro-Tate figures in the US, far-right and allegedly pro-Russian forces in Romania, and the Kremlin itself, which stands accused of plotting to weaken Bucharest’s pro-western stance. But the picture is not clear cut. EPA Trump denies being involved in the case President Trump distanced himself from the brothers’ case on Thursday and there are signs of a broader push-back in the US, with the governor of Florida Ron DeSantis making it clear the Tates are “not welcome” in his state, amid plans to open a “preliminary inquiry” into allegations against them of human trafficking and violence against women. Meanwhile in Bucharest, the theory that Romania’s government cut a deal with the US to release the brothers is treated with caution by some analysts. “I think the chances (of such a deal) are fifty-fifty,” said Sorin Ionita, a political commentator, questioning the ability of Romania’s various institutions and ministries to arrange a “coherent” policy concerning the Tates. “I’m not sure they coordinate. Did they manage to demand something in exchange (from the US)? I’m not sure,” said Ionita, bemoaning a situation almost designed to persuade Romania’s public to lose faith in state institutions, and speculating that lower level “satellite” figures in an equally chaotic Trump administration were probably behind any deal in order “to extract money from the Tate brothers.” The BBC has seen no evidence of this. “It’s very depressing to see,” he added. As for the question of whether the Tates will return to Romania, as their lawyer has promised, to continue their legal battles, a degree of uncertainty endures. Watch: Andrew Tate and brother, Tristan, arrive in US The fact that most of their assets have been unfrozen could be seen as weakening the Romanian authorities’ ability to compel them to come back. The Tates themselves have also questioned whether they can receive a fair trial in Romania, complaining of a “conspiracy” against them. And while Andrew Tate pointed out on Thursday that he and his brother currently face “no active indictment” in Romania, a more accurate way of describing their situation might be to say there is currently a lull in a long and complex legal process. An initial case has been returned to prosecutors for amendments, while a second and more substantial prosecution case against them is now pending. “In the second case, we have 34 victims that cooperate and have been identified as victims. Among them are two minors, one a 17-year-old girl that has been recruited in order to be exploited by the criminal group. And the second girl is 15-years-old, and there is a crime for ******* acts with a minor in which they are also involved,” said the lawyer, Silvia Tabusca, outlining the allegations in the second case. The brothers also face arrest on separate and unrelated criminal charges in the ***. The Tates deny any wrongdoing in all these cases. In the coming months, Romania faces far more pressing challenges than the fate of two foreign celebrities. Presidential elections have been rescheduled for May and a leading candidate – often accused of being a Kremlin puppet – has just been detained and is facing six criminal charges including fascism and undermining the constitutional order. With their self-declared misogyny, extreme views, and online personas, Andrew and Tristan Tate do chime with some of the themes preoccupying and dividing society in America and far beyond. Clearly, they remain influential figures, particularly among boys and young men. But the brothers face years of legal battles which may well push them, and their still lucrative brand, further to the periphery of the far larger dramas now reshaping our world. Source link #Chaos #unproven #theories #surround #Tates #release #Romania Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Why Cleary opted for Cole ahead of star recruit Talagi Why Cleary opted for Cole ahead of star recruit Talagi Ivan Cleary is open to playing Blaize Talagi and Jack Cole in the same starting side as he urges patience with Penrith’s star recruit. The Panthers’ most hotly anticipated external signing in five years as NRL heavyweights, the 19-year-old Talagi had been expected to start the season replacing Wests Tigers signing Jarome Luai at five-eighth. Instead, coach Cleary has opted not to risk Talagi starting against Cronulla in Las Vegas on Sunday (AEDT), as the former Eel bounces back from off-season shoulder surgery. An understudy to Luai and star halfback Nathan Cleary last season, Cole starts at five-eighth for his 11th NRL game following an impressive summer. “Jack’s been a man in waiting for a few years. He filled in well last year for the games he played,” said coach Cleary. “We see him as the best chance for us to win tomorrow.” Talagi is in Vegas with the Panthers as a reserve. He is still adapting to their four-time premiership-winning systems following a pre-season interrupted by injury and Samoa’s Test tour of England. If his new five-eighth impresses to begin the season, Cleary can “totally” see a world where his prized recruit and Cole play in the same team later this season. Talagi started in every backline position bar halfback across 20 games in his rookie 2024 season at Parramatta, and also featured from the bench. “Blaize’s time will come. He’s only a young man,” Cleary said. “He’s got to work out our system a bit and he’s just coming off a shoulder reco. His time will come.” The Panthers have become accustomed to losing key talent in each year of their premiership dominance, but are up against their greatest challenge yet in 2025. Luai, star prop James Fisher-Harris and winger Sunia Turuva will all be missing from the four-time reigning premiers’ line-up at Allegiant Stadium. The Panthers’ personnel changes have left most pundits to tip Melbourne as premiership favourites this season, and that suits Cleary just fine. “All you can really do each year is look at a team’s roster and that’s how you make your predictions. I’m quite happy not to be favourites,” he said. Source link #Cleary #opted #Cole #ahead #star #recruit #Talagi Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Drake settles legal action against iHeartMedia in dispute over ‘Not Like Us’ Drake settles legal action against iHeartMedia in dispute over ‘Not Like Us’ HOUSTON (AP) — Drake has reached a settlement with Texas-based iHeartMedia in his ongoing legal dispute over Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us,” according to court records. In November, Drake filed a legal petition in Bexar County, Texas, where San Antonio is located, alleging that iHeartMedia had received ******** payments from Universal Music Group to boost radio airplay for “Not Like Us.” UMG is the parent record label for both Drake and Lamar. The petition, a precursor to a potential lawsuit, had sought depositions from corporate representatives of both companies. 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. In a court document filed Thursday, attorneys for Drake said the rapper and iHeartMedia had “reached an amicable resolution of the dispute” but did not offer any other information. “We are pleased that the parties were able to reach a settlement satisfactory to both sides, and have no further comment on this matter,” Drake’s legal team said in a statement. In an email Friday, iHeartMedia declined to comment on the settlement. The claims against UMG remain active, and a hearing on a motion by UMG’s lawyers to dismiss the petition was scheduled to be held Wednesday in a San Antonio courtroom. Drake has alleged UMG engaged in “irregular and inappropriate business practices” to get radio airplay for “Not Like Us.” The petition also alleges that UMG knew “the song itself, as well as its accompanying album art and music video, attacked the character of another one of UMG’s most prominent artists, Drake, by falsely accusing him of being a sex offender, engaging in pedophilic acts, harboring sex offenders, and committing other criminal ******* acts.” An email to a UMG representative seeking comment was not immediately answered. In January, Drake filed a defamation lawsuit in federal court in New York City against UMG over what he alleges are false allegations of pedophilia made in “Not Like Us.” Lamar is not named in the lawsuit. The feud between Drake, a 38-year-old ********* rapper and singer and five-time Grammy winner, and Lamar, a 37-year-old Pulitzer Prize winner who headlined the Super Bowl halftime show on Feb. 9, is among the biggest in hip-hop in recent years. The Federal Communications Commission sent a letter Monday to iHeartMedia’s CEO and chairman, Robert Pittman, saying the commission is looking into whether the audio company is forcing musicians to perform at its May country music festival in Austin for reduced pay in exchange for favorable airplay of their songs on iHeart radio stations. “We look forward to demonstrating to the Commission how performing at the iHeartCountry Festival – or declining to do so – has no bearing on our stations’ airplay,” iHeart Media said in a statement. “We do not make any overt or covert agreements about airplay with artists performing at our events.” ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano: Source link #Drake #settles #legal #action #iHeartMedia #dispute Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Social Security Administration aims to cut about 7,000 jobs, prompting fears of customer service impact – CNN Social Security Administration aims to cut about 7,000 jobs, prompting fears of customer service impact – CNN Social Security Administration aims to cut about 7,000 jobs, prompting fears of customer service impact CNNSocial Security Administration to Cut Roughly 7,000 Workers The New York TimesTrump officials start dismantling civil rights offices, as part of DOGE’s secret plan The Washington PostSocial Security Announces Workforce and Organization Plans Social Security Matters Source link #Social #Security #Administration #aims #cut #jobs #prompting #fears #customer #service #impact #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Meet the sex workers of Anora now eyeing Academy Awards success Meet the sex workers of Anora now eyeing Academy Awards success Universal Mikey Madison stars in Anora, a film about a New York stripper When Luna Sofia Miranda approached Sean Baker in a strip club in New York in 2022, she tried her best to charm him. But he “very clearly did not want to buy a lap dance,” she says. Miranda, who was 23 at the time, started asking why he and his wife were there. “I’m very nosy,” she says. “So I kept asking them questions and I finally got it out of them. They were making a film about strippers.” She told them she had studied acting, and – after a successful audition – got a call on her 24th birthday, to offer her a part in the film. That film, Anora, is now seen as one of the frontrunners heading into the Oscars on Sunday. It’s directed by Baker, and stars Mikey Madison, who is up for best actress for her role as a New York stripper. Madison, 25, relied on real-life strippers to help her perfect the part. When she won a Bafta film award last month, she dedicated it to the sex worker community. “I have been able to meet some of that community through my research of the film, and that’s been one of the most incredible parts of making the film,” she told us backstage. They “deserve respect and don’t often get it. And so I had to say something,” she added. We’ve been speaking to the actresses, strippers and dancers in the film about their experiences of working on it – and their thoughts on the finished product. Some praised the film as realistic, particularly in its portrayal of the rejection and exhaustion that sex workers often feel. But others said the film was “limited”. ‘I debated not showing up’Zina Louhaichy Edie Turquet, 21, from London, was a background dancer in Anora Edie Turquet was initially unsure whether to take part in the film. The 21-year-old, who is British and appeared in Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts as a child, now lives in New York where she’s a student and a stripper. She got cast as a background dancer in Anora after a casting agent spotted her in the club where she was working. But Turquet says the night before filming, she debated not showing up. “I didn’t want to be part of a bad stripper film, or anything doing a disservice to our industry, so I was apprehensive,” she told me. “Most films about strippers are super over-aestheticised, or bad and exploitative.” Universal/Augusta Quirk Edie points to 2020 film Zola, about a waitress who goes to Florida for a weekend of stripping for quick cash. “I found it hyperbolic, totally overglamourising the work, and it felt like it was talking down to women,” she said. “And don’t get me started on Pretty Woman, which is infuriating, especially the idea of a street worker played by Julia Roberts. Come on.” But when Turquet realised Anora was a Sean Baker film, she changed her mind. “His films are based on realism, he has a fly-on-the-wall style of filmmaking, which I love,” she said. “So I was down.” Baker’s filmmaking skills were also what attracted Lindsey Normington to the film. The actress and stripper stars as Diamond, Anora’s workplace enemy. She says she saw him at afterparty for a film premiere, and went up to him to tell him she was a fan. They connected on Instagram, and months later, he contacted her to tell her he might have a role for her in a new film. “I fell to my knees in my house,” Normington said. ‘I taught Mikey stripper slang’Miguel Herrera Photo Luna Sofia Miranda plays Lulu, Anora’s best friend In the film, Anora is offered a chance at a fairytale escape when she meets and falls for the son of a wealthy Russian. Miranda, an actress and stripper who plays Lulu, Anora’s best friend, says she was tasked with helping Madison sound like a real sex worker from New York. “I shared a PDF of language and slang terms that only strippers from New York will understand,” she said. One of those words was “whale”, which, Miranda explains, “is a customer who is like a bottomless pit of money. He will make your night. And he won’t make you work very hard for it at all.” Naima Noguera Kennady Schneider taught Mikey Madison how to dance Also involved in the film was Kennady Schneider, a Los Angeles-based stripper and choreographer who trained Madison to dance. She says Madison installed a pole at her house in LA, and the pair began working on her “sexy routine”. “She put in so much work,” Schneider, 28, said. “She was so determined.” Rejection, heartbreak, and Tupperware boxes This section contains spoilers for Anora Miranda said a lot of the film’s themes, on heartbreak and rejection, were relatable for her. “Sometimes I feel like this shiny toy, that people want to play with. They go, ‘wow like you’re a stripper. You’re so cool.’ And then they just cast you aside and abandon you,” she said. “I think about the ending a lot because I feel like Anora a lot.” Turquet agrees, calling the ending “very relatable and poignant”, adding that it accurately depicts the “exhaustion and fatigue” strippers often feel. “The sex industry has trauma built into it. It felt so real. It’s an incredible vulnerable industry,” she said. “You’re putting yourself in danger every time you go to work. It’s a complex and exhausting job.” But overall, she said has mixed feelings about the film. Universal Mikey Madison and Mark Eydelshteyn star in Anora “What a lot of stripper films miss – and what Anora starts but doesn’t go far enough on – is the moral question around men who buy sex,” she said. “It’s the question of consent. Most of these films shy away from answering it, or looking into it.” She said it also frustrates her that these characters “never exist outside their profession”. “[Anora] is a pretty limited character,” she said. “We never learn anything about her. The film takes the perspective of [male leads] Igor and Vanya, in defining who she is.” “It’s better than any film I’ve seen about it, but ultimately it’s limited as it’s not told by a sex worker,” she added. “I can’t wait till we’re telling our own stories and hopefully this opens the door to that.” Joelle Grace Taylor Lindsey Normington plays Diamond, Anora’s workplace enemy For Normington, the film reflected “the insecurity and competition and jealousy” that she has personally experienced in clubs. “I appreciate that it’s not attempting to be a quintessential stripper movie.” For Schneider, meanwhile, it was the film’s portrayal of the mundane nature of the job that struck a chord. In the film’s early scenes, we see Anora at work, talking to clients in the club. We also see her and the other strippers on a lunch break, eating from Tupperware boxes in a back room. “It felt really accurate,” Schneider said. “A lot of the time in [stripper] films, you have glamorisation, with money falling from the ceiling. Those moments do happen but they’re few and far between,” she said. “It’s much more of a quiet hustle.” Oscar hopesUniversal When Anora came out, special screenings were held for sex workers in New York and LA. Footage circulated on social media shows the strippers ******** their high-heeled platform pleaser shoes together over their heads, to show their appreciation at the end of the screenings. “That is the most beautiful applause I’ve ever received, I don’t know if that will ever happen again,” Madison told us. Now, all eyes are on the Oscars. Miranda and Normington will both be attending. “It’s kind of silly to think that I’m going to the Oscars, but [at the same time] I’m at the club arguing with a stupid man over $20,” said Miranda. “I feel like I’m living two lives.” She said that Madison is “spot on” to say the sex worker community doesn’t get the respect it deserves, and said she hopes that Anora’s success will change that. “My hope is that if this film wins an Oscar, it marks the beginning of a shift in Hollywood, where sex workers are respected, as workers in their own fields, but also as entertainers,” she said. “If this film wins an Oscar, I want to see that.” Source link #Meet #sex #workers #Anora #eyeing #Academy #Awards #success Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Australians charged in AI-made child abuse image probe Australians charged in AI-made child abuse image probe Dozens of people, including two Australians, have been arrested as part of an international operation into artificial intelligence-generated child abuse images. Source link #Australians #charged #AImade #child #abuse #image #probe Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Tim Scott highlights opportunity agenda as ****** History Month draws to a close Tim Scott highlights opportunity agenda as ****** History Month draws to a close For Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, opportunity didn’t come without a struggle. “To anyone who believes that opportunity ought not come with headwinds, I don’t know where you live, but it ain’t reality,” the 59-year-old mused to a crowd on a recent afternoon overlooking the U.S. Capitol. Raised by a single mother in North Charleston, Scott described being plagued by low self-esteem after failing several courses in high school, including civics. He credits his faith for a reversal in political fortune. Scott is the longest-serving ****** senator in U.S. history, and the first ****** chair of a standing Senate committee in his role atop the powerful Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. “If we are to overcome the obstacles in our way, it won’t be red or blue. It won’t be ****** or white. It will be green,” the South Carolina Republican declared to rousing applause. During ****** History Month, Scott hosted an Opportunity Summit event where he announced his goal of making $1 trillion in investments accessible in underserved communities over the next decade. He was joined by Walter Davis, a founding member of the holding company, Peachtree Providence Partners. “It is incredibly important for us to figure out how to unlock capital for disadvantaged communities,” Scott explained. “My goal is to set the kind of parameters that allows for $1 trillion of capital to be set free in disadvantaged communities in the next 10 years. I believe we can get to $2 trillion!” Scott pointed to his own experience as a small business owner when he ran an insurance firm prior to entering politics. “That’s called the American way, or at least it’s supposed to be the American way,” Scott said. “And I aim to make sure that, from a banking perspective, we have the flexibility of regulators so that small business owners with a good plan, with decent credit, have access to the capital to start hiring people from their own communities.” Scott has made economic development a core pillar of his policy agenda, which includes affordable housing, education, low tax rates and financial literacy and inclusion. He cited proposed legislation, such as the Road to Housing Act that seeks to expand housing supply, and the Empowering Main Street in America Act, meant to streamline access to capital access for more entrepreneurs. “Those two things, housing and small businesses, transform ********* communities and disadvantaged communities all across America,” Scott said. The Republican lawmaker also continues to champion the expansion of his Opportunity Zones initiative, bipartisan legislation passed as part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act he spearheaded to provide federal tax incentives to economically distressed areas. The initiative has generated more than $85 billion in investment, according to Scott. “He’s the father of Opportunity Zones,” President Trump touted this month during a White House ****** History Month reception. “He came into the White House, the Oval Office, with this idea, and it’s probably the number one economic development project ever in our country.” In an op-ed Friday for Fox News, Scott said he wants to unlock opportunities for others just as his family sacrificed for him. Scott told the story of his grandfather, who was born in 1921 and dropped out of school when he was 8 years old. He said he never learned to read or write, but had a photographic memory and once advised him that “I could be a victim or I could be victorious, but I couldn’t be both” “A man who had no access, lived long enough to watch me beat Strom Thurmond’s son for Congress in the place where the Civil War started,” Scott reflected. “Our relatives have paid too high a price for us not to see discomfort as a motivating factor for our success.” Nikole Killion Nikole Killion is a CBS News congressional correspondent based in Washington D.C. As a correspondent, Killion played a key role in the Network’s 2020 political and election coverage, reporting from around the country during the final stretch of the campaign and throughout the Biden transition. Source link #Tim #Scott #highlights #opportunity #agenda #****** #History #Month #draws #close Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Alabama governor commutes death row inmate Rocky Myers’ sentence to life in prison Alabama governor commutes death row inmate Rocky Myers’ sentence to life in prison MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday commuted the death sentence of Robin “Rocky” Myers to life in prison, saying there were enough questions about his guilt that she couldn’t move forward with his execution. Ivey said Myers, 63, will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole instead of being executed later this year. She noted that was the sentence jurors at his 1994 trial had recommended. The Republican governor said she is a staunch supporter of the death penalty but “I have enough questions about Mr. Myers’ guilt that I cannot move forward with executing him.” “In short, I am not convinced that Mr. Myers is innocent, but I am not so convinced of his guilt as to approve of his execution. I therefore must respect both the jury’s decision to convict him and its recommendation that he be sentenced to life without parole,” Ivey said in a statement. 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. Myers was convicted of capital ******* in the 1991 stabbing of Ludie Mae Tucker, 69, at her Decatur home. Myers, who lived across the street from Tucker, had long maintained he was innocent. A juror at his 1994 trial supported the push for clemency. Last week, the Alabama Supreme Court granted the state attorney general’s request to authorize an execution date for Myers using nitrogen gas. The next step was for Ivey to set that date. It was the first execution Ivey has stopped since she first took office in 2017. Ivey, who has presided over more than 20 executions, called it “one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make as governor.” “But I pray that the Tucker family may, in some way, find closure and peace knowing this case is closed, and Mr. Myers will spend the rest of his life in prison,” Ivey said. There were multiple questions surrounding Myers’ case, his attorney had argued. No physical evidence at the scene connected him to the crime. Tucker identified her assailant as a short, stocky ****** man but did not name Myers or a neighbor as the attacker even though they had met several times, according to Myers’ son. Jurors voted 9-3 that he serve life in prison. However, the judge sentenced Myers to death under Alabama’s now-abolished system that let judges decide death sentences. Ivey said there was “circumstantial evidence” against Myers, but it is “riddled with conflicting evidence from seemingly everyone involved.” Much of the state’s case involved a VCR taken from Tucker’s home and whether Myers was the person who brought it to a drug house to sell, according to court records. “God is answering prayers,” juror Mae Puckett, who now believes Myers is innocent and had urged Ivey to intervene. “Governor Ivey put it back into the jury’s hands,” Puckett wrote. Kacey Keeton, a lawyer for Myers, had said that there were multiple failures in Myers case, including how an earlier attorney abandoned his case, causing him to miss a deadline to raise issues in federal court. Myers, who is a ******, was convicted by a nearly all-white jury. “I’m not sure there are words enough to convey my joy, relief, and gratitude at learning of Gov. Ivey’s decision to commute Mr. Myers’s sentence,” Keeton wrote in an email. “I have represented Mr. Myers since 2007. As evidence accumulated of his innocence and the many injustices he experienced over the course of his case, I held out hope that he would someday see some measure of justice, of mercy, of humanity.” The last time an Alabama governor commuted a death sentence was in 1999. Source link #Alabama #governor #commutes #death #row #inmate #Rocky #Myers #sentence #life #prison Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Israeli PM Netanyahu to hold security meeting after delegation returns from Cairo – Reuters Israeli PM Netanyahu to hold security meeting after delegation returns from Cairo – Reuters Israeli PM Netanyahu to hold security meeting after delegation returns from Cairo ReutersSigns of Life From Underground: 24 Living Hostages Remain in Gaza. These Are Their Stories HaaretzWho Are the Deceased Hostages ****** Said It Handed Over to Israel? The New York TimesBrother of freed Israeli hostage says ****** captors ate full meals and laughed as he was starved CNN Source link #Israeli #Netanyahu #hold #security #meeting #delegation #returns #Cairo #Reuters Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]