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Pelican Press

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Everything posted by Pelican Press

  1. ‘Unknown disease’ that can kill within days leaves 53 dead in Congo – The Washington Post ‘Unknown disease’ that can kill within days leaves 53 dead in Congo – The Washington Post ‘Unknown disease’ that can kill within days leaves 53 dead in Congo The Washington PostTests rule out Ebola, Marburg in DR Congo unexplained illness clusters University of Minnesota Twin CitiesMystery illness worries doctors after 50 people die in Congo within hours of symptoms The IndependentMystery illness kills more than 50 people in Democratic Republic of Congo Sky NewsMystery illness kills 53 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Euronews Source link #Unknown #disease #kill #days #leaves #dead #Congo #Washington #Post Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  2. MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk MAX Wifi Motherboard Review: a little extra on a budget MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk MAX Wifi Motherboard Review: a little extra on a budget Why you can trust Tom’s Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test. The latest board on our budget AMD review tour is the MSI’s B850 Tomahawk MAX Wifi. Priced at $229.99, it’s designed for gamers and looks on paper to be a stable, durable, and DIY-friendly foundation for PC builds. For the money, you get fast networking (Wi-Fi and wired), ample USB ports including three Type-C ports, supplemental PCIe power, some DIY-friendly features, capable power delivery, and a neutral design that will fit most build themes. Hardware-wise, you get integrated Wi-Fi 7 and a 5GbE, which are both fast options in this price range. Although you won’t see USB 4 (40 Gbps), the Tomahawk does offer three Type-C ports on the rear IO, each running at 3.2 Gen2 (10 Gbps) speeds (20 Gbps Type-C on the front, via a header). You also get ample storage options, including four M.2 sockets (one PCIe 4.0 x4) and four SATA ports. The onboard Realtek ALC4080 audio chip is a pleasant surprise for the budget-class board. Couple that with its rugged looks and DIY-Friendly features and you have a board that’s well rounded on the specification side. On the performance front, we used the latest non-beta BIOS available, which updates to AGESA 1.2.0.3a, the latest and greatest from AMD. With this BIOS and factory settings (outside of enabling EXPO on the memory), the Tomahawk MAX performed well throughout our testing suite, often leading the pack. It did well in gaming and most productivity apps, but delivered middle-of-the-pack results across the Procyon/MS Office tests. All the results are close, and you wouldn’t notice a difference without a frame counter or timer on-screen. Below, we’ll examine the board’s details and determine whether it deserves a spot on our Best Motherboards list. But before we share the test results and discuss details, below are the specifications from MSI. Specifications of the MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk Wifi Swipe to scroll horizontally Socket AM5 (LGA 1718) Chipset B850 Form Factor ATX Voltage Regulator 17 Phase (14x 80A SPS MOSFETs for Vcore) Video Ports (1) HDMI (v2.1) SB Ports (3) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) Type-C Row 6 – Cell 0 (2) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) Row 7 – Cell 0 (1) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) Row 8 – Cell 0 (4) USB 2.0 (480 Mbps) Network Jacks (1) 5 GbE Audio Jacks (2) Analog + SPDIF Legacy Ports/Jacks ✗ Other Ports/Jack ✗ PCIe x16 (1) v5.0 (x16) Row 14 – Cell 0 (1) v4.0 (x4) Row 15 – Cell 0 (1) v3.0 (x1) PCIe x8 ✗ PCIe x4 ✗ PCIe x1 ✗ CrossFire/SLI ?? DIMM Slots (4) DDR5-8400(OC), 256GB Capacity Row 21 – Cell 0 • 1DPC 1R Max speed up to 8400+ MT/s Row 22 – Cell 0 • 1DPC 2R Max speed up to 6400+ MT/s Row 23 – Cell 0 • 2DPC 1R Max speed up to 6400+ MT/s Row 24 – Cell 0 • 2DPC 2R Max speed up to 4800+ MT/s M.2 Sockets (2) PCIe 5.0 x4 (128 Gbps) / PCIe (up to 110/80mm) Row 26 – Cell 0 (1) PCIe 4.0 x2 (32 Gbps) / PCIe (up to 80mm) Row 27 – Cell 0 (2) PCIe 4.0 x4 (64 Gbps) / PCIe (up to 80mm) Row 28 – Cell 0 Supports RAID 0/1/10 SATA Ports (4) SATA3 6 Gbps (Supports RAID 0/1/10) USB Headers (1) USB v3.2 Gen 2×2 (20 Gbps) Type-C Row 31 – Cell 0 (1) USB v3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) Type-C Row 32 – Cell 0 (2) USB v3.2 Gen 2 (5 Gbps) Row 33 – Cell 0 (2) USB v2.0 (480 Mbps) Fan/Pump Headers (8) 4-Pin (Accepts PWM and DC) RGB Headers (3) aRGB (3-pin) Row 36 – Cell 0 (1) RGB (4-pin) Diagnostics Panel (1) Post Status Checker (4 LEDs) Row 38 – Cell 0 (1) 2-character Debug LED Internal Button/Switch EZ Debug LED (4) Row 40 – Cell 0 EZ Memory Detection LED SATA Controllers ✗ Ethernet Controller(s) (1) Realtek 8126VB (5 GbE) Wi-Fi / Bluetooth Wi-Fi 7 – 320 MHz, 6 GHz, 5.8 Gbps, BT 5.4 USB Controllers Genesys Logic GL850G HD Audio Codec Realtek ALC4080 DDL/DTS ✗ / ✗ Warranty 3 Years Inside the Box of the MSI B850 Tomahawk MAX Wifi Inside the retail packaging are a few accessories to help you get started. While it isn’t much, they offer a single SATA cable, EZ M.2 Clips II and a tool for removal, EZ Front Panel, 1 to 3 EZ Conn-Cable, and the EZ Wi-Fi antenna. Last, there is the Quick Installation Guide and the cable stickers. Design of the Tomahawk MAX Wifi Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: MSI) (Image credit: MSI) The Tomahawk MAX Wifi sits on a ****** 8-layer server-grade PCB with large heatsinks covering the VRM and plate-style heatsinks tasked to cool the M.2 sockets and chipset. Breaking up the all-****** look are bright yellow-green highlights with the MAG symbol and the Tomahawk/Arsenal Gaming branding on the rest of the heatsinks. RGB lovers must add their own to the headers, as none are built-in. Overall, it’s a good-looking budget motherboard that should blend in with most build themes. (Image credit: MSI) In the upper left corner, we see the two 8-pin EPS connectors (one required) that power the processor. Surrounding them are the Frozr Design VRM heatsinks, which sport a matte-****** finish and some branding. There’s plenty of surface area and mass to keep the capable power delivery below running within spec, even with a flagship-class (higher-wattage) processor. After passing the socket area, we encounter the four DRAM slots with locking mechanisms on both sides. MSI supports up to 256GB of RAM with speeds listed to DDR5-8400+, which is plenty fast for the platform. We could boot with our DDR5-8000 kit, but it was only stable (out of the box) using the DDR5-7200 kit. Above the RAM slots are the first three (of seven) 4-pin fan headers. In this case, CPU_Fan1, PUMP_Sys1, and SYS_Fan1. Each header supports PWM and DC-controlled devices. Output varies depending on the header with the system fans headers at 1A/12W, the CPU fan at 2A/24W, and the pump with the most able to output 3A/36W. Fan Control is handled through MSI Center sofware and the User Scenario applet. Looking at the right edge and moving down, we run into another 4-pin fan header and the first 3-pin ARGB header (the other ARGB/RGB headers are on the bottom edge) with control over the RGBs handled through the Mystic Light portion of MSI Center. Below are the four EZ Debug LEDs that light up during the POST process. If there’s a problem in one of the areas (Boot, DRAM, VGA, CPU), the colored LED for the trouble spot remains lit, giving some insight into where the problem is. Next is the 24-pin ATX power connector for the board, and finally, the convenient EZ COnn-Header V2 that allows you to connect ARGB strips, fans, USB 2.0 devices, and even their MPG EZ120 ARGB fans. (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware) Power delivery on the Tomahawk MAX consists of 17 phases, 14 of which are dedicated to Vcore. Power comes from the 8-pin EPS connector(s) onto a Monolithic Power Systems(MPS) MPS2412 controller. From there, it moves to the 80A MPS MPS2433 SPS MOSFETs. The 1,120A is plenty for even the flagship Ryzen 9 7950X or 9950X. While they aren’t the most robust we’ve seen, they do not hold you back, even if you decide to overclock. (Image credit: MSI) On the bottom side of the board, on the left, is a fully exposed audio solution with the Realtek ALC4080 chip for all to see. It also uses a few dedicated audio capacitors and isolates the audio signal from the rest of the board (the familiar line that runs vertically). It’s a good audio solution that users should be pleased with, especially on a less expensive chipset. In the middle are three full-length PCIe slots and four M.2 sockets. Starting with the PCIe slots, the top slot, PCI_E1, uses MSI’s PCIe Armor and EZ PCIe Release, offering additional support and easy access for removal. It connects through the CPU and is your primary graphics slot at PCIe 5.0 x16. The bottom two full-length slots (PCI_E2/3) connect through the chipset. The middle slot is the slowest, running at PCIe 3.0 x1, while the bottom is PCIe 4.0 x4. Note that when a device is installed in M2_3, PCI_E3, it drops to x2. You can force that slot to x4, but it disables the same M2 socket. Speaking of M.2 sockets, the first M. 2 socket, M2_1, is just above the top PCIe slot. It runs at PCIe 5.0 x4 (128 Gbps). The heatsink isn’t the biggest we’ve seen, so if you plan to run extended transfers with a hot running 5.0-based drive, keep an eye on temperatures. Surprisingly, M.2_2 also runs at PCIe 5.0 x4, so you have two ultra-fast M.2s. M.2_4 supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4, while the M.2_3, which borrows lanes from the bottom PCIe slot, runs up to PCIe 4.0 x2. Shifting focus past the chipset to the right edge, there are a few connectors. Starting at the top are the front panel USB-C 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20 Gbps) connectors, four SATA ports, and two 19-pin front panel USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) connectors. If you need USB4/40 Gbps ports, you’ll have to buy an add-in card or an X870/E solution where it’s mandatory. Across the bottom are several useful headers. From left to right: Front Panel audio 4-pin RGB, 3-pin ARGB 2-pin Chassis Intrusion 4-pin System Fan header 8-pin Supplemental PCIe power (2) USB 2.0 headers (2) 4-pin System Fan headers 3-pin ARGB header 2-pin Clear CMOS jumper 4-pin System Fan header Front Panel (Image credit: MSI) The rear IO has most of what you need. About the only thing missing is a 40 Gbps port. Starting on the left are two tiny buttons for Clearing the CMOS and the other for BIOS Flashback. Next to that is the HDMI port to use with integrated graphics. There are three USB Type-C ports, all of which run up to 10 Gbps, and two Type-A ports (red). The blue Type-A port in the middle runs up to 5 Gbps, while the ****** USB 2.0 ports reach 480 Mbps. You should have enough ports, but some may miss the speed of USB4. Next are the two Wi-Fi 7 connections and the audio stack with two 3.5mm (mic in/line out) and SPDIF—standard fare for the price point. MORE: Best Motherboards MORE: How To Choose A Motherboard MORE: All Motherboard Content Source link #MSI #MAG #B850 #Tomahawk #MAX #Wifi #Motherboard #Review #extra #budget Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  3. Ontario council votes unanimously to remove U.S. flags from town buildings Ontario council votes unanimously to remove U.S. flags from town buildings An Ontario township has decided to remove all permanently affixed American flags from its buildings amid growing tensions with the United States. West Lincoln council voted unanimously Monday night to take down the flags after it was recommended by the town’s corporate services committee last week. Council also approved all unrelated recommendations the committee made in its vote, without debate. During the committee meeting, Coun. William Reilly questioned why the U.S. flag remains up year-round at the West Lincoln community centre, while Ontario’s provincial flag is absent. “We have an American flag that seems to be fixed in our community centre and we don’t even have an Ontario provincial flag that’s up even one day a year,” Reilly said. “I feel disrespected by our American neighbours. It kind of strikes a nerve that here we are in our country, in our facility, proudly displaying their flag.” Story continues below advertisement While all members of the township, located less than an hour’s drive from the U.S. border, agreed that they do not want to ban the flag, the majority agreed it should only be displayed when an American team is visiting. 2:06 Trump’s tariffs an ‘existential threat’ to Canada, Joly says Coun. Jason Trombetta, who supported the motion, cited concerns about vandalism at the other buildings as another factor in the removal of the flag. “If this [the flag] is going to possibly cause a disruption or a safety issue — because we’ve had damage at the community centre — then for the time being, I will support that,” he said. Story continues below advertisement Reilly, however, stood by his position that the issue is about respect. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. “I have no problem with their flag being raised when their team is playing here, but outside of that, the flag should be pulled down and stored away. I don’t think it has earned the right to remain in our facility 365 days a year,” he said. Monday’s vote comes as cross-border tensions continue with U.S. President Donald Trump, who said Monday that his plan to impose sweeping 25 per cent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico on March 4 is still happening. “We’re on time with the tariffs, and that’s moving along very rapidly,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday. “We’re being mistreated by many countries, not just Canada and Mexico.” –with files from Sean Previl &copy 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc. Source link #Ontario #council #votes #unanimously #remove #U.S #flags #town #buildings Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  4. 2025 Mazda CX-3 review | The West *********** 2025 Mazda CX-3 review | The West *********** It’s getting on in years, but the Mazda CX-3 is still one of the Japanese brand’s strongest offerings. Camera Icon2024 model shown throughout Credit: CarExpert Note: This is an updated version of a review first published in August. There have been minor pricing and specification changes for 2025 model year. We have updated key details such as pricing and specifications with the most up-to-date information available. Read the original version of this review here. You can also read the most recent price and specs article here. WATCH: Paul’s video review on the 2024 Mazda CX-3 G20 Evolve It landed here in 2015 and received a facelift in 2018, while it’s continued to receive minor updates here and there as Mazda works to keep it on par with the competition. The updates seem to be working too, because it outsold rivals like the Kia Stonic and Toyota Yaris Cross by a considerable margin last year. That places it firmly at the top of its segment in a league of its own. Mazda had the small SUV market figured out when this car launched, but a lot has changed since then. Even if it is a segment leader, there’s still a bit of modernising to be done on the CX-3. Tech is getting dated, and while it still works as it all should, it does leave a bit to be desired when you consider the latest generation of touchscreen infotainment you can get in other Mazdas. Camera Icon2025 Mazda CX-3 Credit: CarExpert You do still get wireless Apple CarPlay and some extra goodies, which helps to keep it in the running. It would still benefit from a major tech overhaul, but it’s just about hanging on with what it has at the moment. On test here is the Mazda CX-3 G20 Evolve, which sits bang in the middle of the lineup. Aesthetically it does the job in a low-key way, and the interior is well presented with unique white and tan upholstery. Does that mean it can still duke it out with its rivals, or is it beginning to fall behind? How much does the Mazda CX-3 cost? For 2025, pricing for the CX-3 G20 Evolve went up $900. It also picked up additional safety and assistance technologies, as well as front fog lights and keyless entry. Camera Icon2025 Mazda CX-3 Credit: CarExpert To see how the Mazda CX-3 stacks up against the competition, check out our comparison tool What is the Mazda CX-3 like on the inside? Mazda seems to be going for a borderline luxury look in the CX-3, and for the most part it seems to work. Camera IconMY24 interior shown Credit: CarExpert The elephant in the room is the fact this is a carbon copy of the Mazda 2’s interior, which isn’t surprising given the common platform shared by the two models. Some elements have been spruced up for the CX-3 though, most notably in the materials used. The lower section of the dashboard has been fitted with soft-touch suede to match the door cards, while some gloss ****** trim has been added around the gear selector. Fake carbon fibre features on the door armrests, while the instrument housing has been draped in ****** leather-look trim in a brief excursion from the hard-touch plastic we’re used to seeing here. There’s also some softer leather-look surfaces on the sides of the centre console for your knees, so it’s so far quite a consistent approach with a couple of accents to break it up. Camera Icon2025 Mazda CX-3 Credit: CarExpertCamera Icon2025 Mazda CX-3 Credit: CarExpert For 2025 the White Maztex/Tan Grand Luxe Synthetic Suede you see on this 2024 example has been swapped out for ****** leatherette upholstery, which is likely more appealing to *********** buyers and family-friendly. Ahead of the driver is the same steering wheel seen in the Mazda 2, which works just fine. Unlike the rest of the interior it isn’t flashy at all, with just a small selection of buttons for infotainment and cruise control. Its stripped-back nature means it’s quite sturdy, which gives you the assurance all the buttons will always work as you expect them to. The simple layout also means nothing is left to guesses, and everything is where you’d expect it to be if you’re hopping into this car for the first time. Behind the wheel is a traditional analogue gauge for a speedometer, flanked by a couple of LCD screens. This setup is again carried over from the Mazda 2, but for those who prefer a more old-school driving interface it’s a perfect fit. Camera Icon2025 Mazda CX-3 Credit: CarExpertCamera Icon2025 Mazda CX-3 Credit: CarExpert It’s hard to argue with the simplicity offered to the driver, and in a time where cars are increasingly tech-dependent it’s sometimes refreshing to drive a car that still has some hints of the recent past – even if it’s all starting to get a bit dated. At least you do get a head-up display, which incorporates a clear piece of plastic that folds up with an endearing electric whirr when the car starts up. You need to have your seat adjusted right to see it properly though, but that means it can be a decent guide to getting yourself in the right spot. Speaking of dated, my biggest gripe is with the infotainment system. It’s not too dissimilar to what you’ll find in some of Mazda’s other cars, but this small screen is where something like the CX-3 really begins to show its age. It’s again toggled by rotary controls on the centre console, and while I understand why that setup isn’t for everyone, I still find it fun to interact with. Sure, it’s clumsy and finicky to navigate something like Apple CarPlay, but it works well enough on the car’s native infotainment software. Unlike the Mazda 2, the CX-3 has a central armrest where you can rest your elbow while operating the central dials. When you’re cruising along the highway, it feels like it takes much less effort to keep your arm relaxed to adjust the volume rather than reaching for a dial elsewhere. Camera Icon2025 Mazda CX-3 Credit: CarExpertCamera Icon2025 Mazda CX-3 Credit: CarExpert A significant downside is the lack of touchscreen functionality when you’re on the move, which unlike in newer Mazdas can’t be changed. It means if there’s something you just can’t figure out with the dials, or if a passenger wants to make an adjustment, it’s needlessly awkward and cumbersome. On top of that, its graphics are much too early 2010s and it can be slow to respond, especially when the car has just started up. Given its small hatch roots, storage in the CX-3 is limited. There is storage in the centre console, though it’s not the typical lidded-box you’ll find in most other cars. Instead, it’s more of a folding armrest with some small shelves underneath. You do still get some storage here, but it’s compromised. There’s also a small cubby ahead of the gear selector for your phone, but it’s awkwardly sized – my standard iPhone 12 is too tall to fit comfortably lengthways, and there’s no way it’d work sideways. A symptom of the past, perhaps. Aside from that, there’s a normal glovebox ahead of the passenger and some bottle holders in the doors, but that’s about it. At least there are still some interesting design choices scattered around, like the soft-touch leather upholstery that continues down the sides of the centre console. Camera Icon2025 Mazda CX-3 Credit: CarExpert The classic tri-dial climate control again makes an appearance here, which works just fine. Unfortunately there is still some gloss ****** trim creeping in around the gear selector, but aside from the drive mode switch there’s no real reason to be touching the area too much. The rear seats are really a case of what you see is what you get. There are no extra amenities back here at all, which means no chargers for your phone and no rear ventilation. At least you get a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders and bottle holders in the doors. The seats themselves are comfortable too, but don’t expect to have a lot of headroom if you’re on the taller side. Additionally, the door opening isn’t the largest, which means it might be a bit of a squeeze to fit a child seat or load any extra cargo. Otherwise, it understandably feels fairly small, though there’s still more space back here than what you get in a Mazda 2. Camera Icon2025 Mazda CX-3 Credit: CarExpertCamera Icon2025 Mazda CX-3 Credit: CarExpert As with other smaller cars, room for legs and toes is dependent on how the front seats are adjusted, though most people and children should have no problems at all. Boot space in the CX-3 isn’t amazing, though it’s still plenty for what most would use it for. Again it’s larger than a Mazda 2, though the key difference here is the load floor is higher and extends further towards the front of the car. It’s a square area too, which means it’s ideal for boxes or suitcases. Removing the cargo cover reveals much-needed room for taller objects, and while the rear seats don’t fold flat you still get that bit of added space if you need it. If that’s still not enough, the standard load floor can be lifted to reveal another shallow space underneath for smaller items. For a smaller SUV, it’s a fair arrangement if you have a young family – I’d just be wary about going for one with white upholstery. To see how the Mazda CX-3 stacks up against the competition, check out our comparison tool What’s under the bonnet? The entire CX-3 range is powered by a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine, which is good for 110kW of power and 195Nm of torque. Camera Icon2025 Mazda CX-3 Credit: CarExpert To see how the Mazda CX-3 stacks up against the competition, check out our comparison tool How does the Mazda CX-3 drive? While the general driving experience is solid, it’s clear the CX-3 is better suited to driving around the city. Camera Icon2025 Mazda CX-3 Credit: CarExpert In and around town it’s a nimble little car, with enough power to scoot away from the lights and direct steering to get around tight corners. The steering isn’t terribly light, which in this case is fine because it brings a more authentic feel. It starts up with the push of a button, and shifts into gear with a traditional selector on the centre console. There’s even a manual mode if you like, but it expectedly can only be used via the shifter itself because there aren’t any paddles behind the wheel. That engine is peppier than I expected too, at least compared to a Mazda 3 with the same displacement. Because it’s a light car, the engine feels like it doesn’t have to work as hard when accelerating to the speed limit. If you need to get away from a stop in a hurry, there’s even a Sport switch that you can flick in a heartbeat. It doesn’t add any extra power, but it does hold gears longer to utilise most of what the engine has to offer. Camera Icon2025 Mazda CX-3 Credit: CarExpert Just take care, because if you’re a little heavy footed it will easily spin up the front wheels if the roads are damp. It’s easily avoided, but worth taking an extra second if you need to pull out onto a busy main road in the rain. The drawbacks start to surface when you hit the freeway. At speeds up to 80km/h, there are no problems at all as it cruises along happily with relatively low revs and a smooth ride. As you climb further though, it begins to feel less confident. On the freeway at 110km/h, it feels like it’s especially susceptible to bumps and gusts of wind. I’d hazard a guess to say it’s mostly because it really is just a jacked up Mazda 2, which means the centre of mass is higher than it would’ve been thanks to its lifted suspension. The Evolve grade also gets large 18-inch wheels, which means it’s a bit harsher over bumps. Even so, there’s a weird feel in the suspension over softer, larger bumps on the freeway. The front end seems to float for a second after bumps before settling again, which isn’t the end of the world but it’s worth noting so it doesn’t catch you off guard. Camera Icon2025 Mazda CX-3 Credit: CarExpert Otherwise, everything is more or less as you’d expect. For 2025, the Pure and Evolve trim levels picked up adaptive cruise control. This means it’s now standard across the range. The Evolve trim still misses out on a surround-view camera, however, which would make it that little bit easier to park in the city. At least it’s a physically small car, which means it’s not too hard to park with the help of the reversing camera – even if it is fairly low-resolution. Fundamentally, the CX-3 is a very easy car to drive. Its proportions mean people coming from smaller cars aren’t going to feel intimidated behind the wheel, while the engine and transmission combo makes for easy driving in the city and on more open suburban roads. That transmission in particular is solid, because it doesn’t hold revs, short shift, or hold gears at any point when it shouldn’t. It will even try to sit in higher gears where it can to maximise fuel economy. You do get a bit of control either in manual mode or with Sport mode engaged, which is just about as much as you can ask for in a cheaper modern automatic. Camera IconMY24 G20 Touring SP shown Credit: CarExpert Generally it’s a solid driving experience which doesn’t give anything more or less than what you’d expect for this segment. It’s still a small SUV, and if you’re going to be driving around in mostly urban areas it’ll be perfect. A fair bit of road noise can creep in on more coarse roads and the in-cabin experience can be somewhat unrefined, but it’s nothing that should get under your skin if you’re spending a lot of time with the car. It even has good quality LED ***********, which makes night driving especially easy. It’s all exactly as you’d expect – nothing more, nothing less. To see how the Mazda CX-3 stacks up against the competition, check out our comparison tool What do you get? There are four trim levels in the 2025 CX-3 range. Camera Icon2025 Mazda CX-3 Credit: CarExpertCamera Icon2025 Mazda CX-3 Credit: CarExpertCamera Icon2025 Mazda CX-3 Credit: CarExpertCamera Icon2025 Mazda CX-3 Credit: CarExpert Mazda CX-3 G20 Pure highlights: 18-inch alloy wheels (NEW)Rain-sensing wipersAutomatic LED headlightsAutomatic high-beamLED daytime running lightsLED tail lightsPower-folding exterior mirrorsHead-up display8.0-inch infotainment screenWired Android AutoWireless and wired Apple CarPlaySatellite navigationLeather-wrapped steering wheelClimate control air-conditioningAuto-dimming rear-view mirrorSix-speaker sound systemDAB+ digital radioTilt and telescopic steering column adjustmentCloth upholsteryElectric parking brake with auto holdKeyless startCamera Icon2025 Mazda CX-3 Credit: CarExpert G20 Evolve adds: 18-inch ****** machined alloy wheels (NEW)LED front fog lights (NEW)Keyless entry (NEW)****** leatherette upholstery, including on centre console and door trims (NEW) To see how the Mazda CX-3 stacks up against the competition, check out our comparison tool Is the Mazda CX-3 safe? The Mazda CX-3 is currently unrated by ANCAP, as its five-star rating from 2015 has now expired. Camera Icon2025 Mazda CX-3 Credit: CarExpert Standard safety equipment includes: Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)Adaptive cruise controlBlind-spot monitoringRear cross-traffic alertDriver attention alertLane departure warningFront, front-side and curtain airbagsReversing cameraRear parking sensors For 2025, the Pure and Evolve now get the more sophisticated AEB system and adaptive cruise control previously limited to up-spec models. Evolve and above gain front parking sensors, while GT SP and up receive traffic sign recognition. To see how the Mazda CX-3 stacks up against the competition, check out our comparison tool How much does the Mazda CX-3 cost to run? The Mazda CX-3 is backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. Camera Icon2025 Mazda CX-3 Credit: CarExpert To see how the Mazda CX-3 stacks up against the competition, check out our comparison tool CarExpert’s Take on the Mazda CX-3 If you’re in the market for a small SUV, it’s hard to look past the CX-3. Camera Icon2025 Mazda CX-3 Credit: CarExpert It’s an easy car to live with thanks to its compact proportions, while its drivetrain is smooth and refined. It’s comfortable at urban speeds, and if you don’t have to spend much time on the highway it’ll be perfect. Lower-speed highways are certainly workable, though it can be a bit unsettling if you’re driving at speed in especially rough weather. Smaller wheels would make it more compliant, but it’s not a reason to avoid the CX-3 altogether. It’s unassuming all around and leaves nothing to guesses, which means anyone will be able to hop in and quickly feel comfortable. Its older-style tech will be easy for people coming from older cars to figure out what everything does. Camera Icon2025 Mazda CX-3 Credit: CarExpert There’s no question it’s feeling dated, but it’s not the end of the world just yet. There isn’t a huge model range, but there is something in there to cater to most needs. I’d suggest the Evolve strikes a good balance between tech, features, and cost; though the now-base Pure is almost identical and cheaper. Despite this the entire CX-3 range is now beyond the $30,000 asking price threshold, which I guess is just a sign of the times. Camera Icon2025 Mazda CX-3 Credit: CarExpert Interested in buying a Mazda CX-3? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here MORE: Everything Mazda CX-3 ProsSuper easy to driveSturdy build qualityAdaptive cruise now standardConsTech is showing its ageHigh-speed handling isn’t idealThirstier than expectedTop Line SpecsPower: 110kWFuel Type: Unleaded PetrolEconomy: 6.3L/100kmCO2 Emissions: 143g/kmANCAP Safety Rating: Untested Source link #Mazda #CX3 #review #West #*********** Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
  5. Monster Hunter Wilds Review – Game Rant Monster Hunter Wilds Review – Game Rant PSU: “Endlessly ambitious and full of detail, Monster Hunter: Wilds manages to deliver on everything that it sets out to do and then some. I have complete faith in Capcom to keep building off of this launch as one of their strongest foundations yet. Putting the game down genuinely seems like an impossibility with just how much there is to do. The wait has been long and tense, but Capcom haven’t missed the mark with their latest and arguably, greatest.” Source link #Monster #Hunter #Wilds #Review #Game #Rant Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  6. The stock of the day is a ******** EV play up 12% after revealing pictures of a new SUV The stock of the day is a ******** EV play up 12% after revealing pictures of a new SUV The latest news on Li Auto’s first-ever electric sports utility vehicle is helping its stock soar. Shares of the ******** electric vehicle company are about 12% higher on Tuesday after the firm released photos of its i8 SUV . The company specializes in extended-range EVs. With this move, Li’s stock is up about 22% in 2025. Morgan Stanley analyst Tim Hsiao said in a Tuesday note that he expects the i8 to make its debut around April for the Shanghai Auto Show and delivery to start in the summer, but the company is yet to release all the details. Separately, Hsiao said seasonal factors should help its fourth-quarter results but investors will want to see Li’s forecast for full-year volume and gain more insight into its pipeline of new models. Both factors will be potential catalysts for stock. Hsiao’s overweight rating and $32 per share price means he sees about 21% upside from Monday’s $26.36 close. LI 1D mountain Li Auto stock. To be sure, the analyst noted that the move higher in Li Auto stock could partly be a short squeeze. Investors have been betting against the automaker as the industry is facing challenges in 2025. Often, this means investors will borrow shares of stock, hoping to profit when it drops by buying it at a lower price. However, a sudden rise in the stock’s price will increase demand as these investors rush in to limit their losses. “We think today’s movement is largely driven by short covering and, to a lesser extent, intra-sector fund flows, chasing laggards as new catalysts kick in,” Hsiao said. He added that investors had expected Li to first give details on its i6 and i7 model before the i8, and will be looking for how the i8 differentiates itself on pricing. Outside of Li’s automotive business, UBS analyst Paul Gong said earlier this month that the company is also an artificial intelligence play, given it uses AI for both autonomous driving and in its manufacturing process. Gong’s buy rating and $40 price target implies nearly 52% upside. Source link #stock #day #******** #play #revealing #pictures #SUV Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  7. Leadership shake-up and backlash follow L.A.'s fire response failures Leadership shake-up and backlash follow L.A.'s fire response failures Leadership shake-up and backlash follow L.A.’s fire response failures Source link #Leadership #shakeup #backlash #follow #L.A.039s #fire #response #failures Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  8. Monster Hunter Wilds Trophy List – All Achievements and Trophies Monster Hunter Wilds Trophy List – All Achievements and Trophies Monster Hunter Wilds is all set to release on February 28, 2025, and just 3 days before its launch, the game’s trophy list has surfaced online. With a game like this, players will already be scouring around for all the loot they can find, and between that chaos, you can miss out on some of the trophies the title offers. This guide has collated every Monster Hunter Wilds Trophy, featuring its rarity, description, and title on PlayStation 5. Monster Hunter Wilds is the latest instalment of Capcom’s popular series, taking players to an unexplored region called the Forbidden Lands. Here, players will hunt to their heart’s content and defeat strong monsters to acquire better armour and weapons while uncovering the many secrets of this mysterious land and finding the connection between the people of this region and the locales they inhabit. How Many Monster Hunter Wilds Trophies and Achievements Are There? There are 50 PlayStation Trophies that players can unlock for Monster Hunter Wilds, according to the PSNProfiles. Out of these are 1 Platinum Trophy, 2 Gold Trophies, 11 Silver Trophies and 36 Bronze Trophies. Every Monster Hunter Wilds Trophy and Achievement With a massive list of 50 trophies, players will surely take their time to acquire all of them in Monster Hunter Wilds. Some can be grabbed by completing missions, whereas others need players to perform specific tasks, visit certain locations, forge new weapons, hunt new monsters, and much more. Without further ado, let’s get into the Monster Hunter Wilds trophy list: Trophy & Achievement Name Description Trophy Rarity Eastward Winds Obtained all other trophies. Platinum Windward Lands Completed mission: The Desert Trotters. Bronze Shadow in the Downpour Completed mission: Beyond the Deluge. Bronze Guardians of the Forge Completed mission: Long-forgotten Flame. Bronze Bringer of Harmony Completed mission: Monster Hunter. Silver New Ecosystems Completed mission: New Ecosystems. Bronze A Bitter Environment Completed mission: Wyvern Sparks and Rose Thorns. Bronze Beyond the ****** Wings Completed mission: A World Turned Upside Down. Bronze One Corner of the World Completed mission: What Lies Ahead. Silver A True Hunter Is Never Satisfied Completed 50 quests. Bronze Let the Investigations Begin! Completed your first investigation. Bronze The Hunt Is On! Completed your first Field Survey. Bronze A Step Toward Mutual Understanding Completed your first side mission. Bronze East to West, A Hunter Never Rests Completed 30 different side missions. Silver Angling for a Bite Successfully fished for the first time. Bronze Mmm, So Tasty! Successfully cooked a well-done steak for the first time. Bronze Was It a Meal to Remember? Cooked over the BBQ Grill for the first time. Bronze The ******* They Are… Successfully mounted a monster for the first time. Bronze Hunter-Assassin Performed your first successful Sneak Attack. Bronze Hit ‘Em Where It Hurts! Landed 50 successful attacks on weak points or wounds in Focus Mode. Bronze A Price Held High Caught a creature that bears an ancient wyvern coin. Silver I Caught a Shooting Star Caught a creature in the desert that shines like a shooting star. Silver Monster (Squid) Hunter Caught a giant squid while fishing. Bronze A-fish-ionado Reeled in 30 whoppers while fishing. Bronze Campmaster Established Pop-up Camps in 10 places. Bronze Glamper Customized a Pop-up Camp for the first time. Bronze A Keen-eyed Observation Used the binoculars to spot a gold-crown large monster. Bronze Ride-or-die Companion Customized your Seikret or changed its decorations for the first time. Bronze Established Hunter Reached Hunter Rank 100. Bronze Impregnable Defense Forged five different pieces of armor with Rarity 7 or higher. Bronze Power is Everything Forged five different weapons with Rarity 7 or higher. Bronze Someone Worth Following Completed 100 quests with your Palico deployed. Bronze A Legacy Restored Obtained an Artian Weapon of Rarity 8. Silver Bourgeois Hunter Possessed 1,000,000 zenny. Bronze Explorer of the Eastlands Obtained 10 different special items of Rarity 6. Bronze Monster Ph.D. Hunted many different large monsters. Silver Seasoned Hunter Hunted 50 tempered monsters. Silver Miniature Crown Obtained your first miniature crown in the Hunting Log. Bronze Miniature Crown Collector Obtained a miniature crown for 10 or more monsters in the Hunting Log. Silver Miniature Crown Master Obtained a miniature crown for many monsters in the Hunting Log. Gold Giant Crown Obtained your first silver crown or higher in the Hunting Log. Bronze Giant Crown Collector Obtained a gold crown for 10 or more monsters in the Hunting Log. Silver Giant Crown Master Obtained a gold crown for many monsters in the Hunting Log. Gold Capture Pro Captured 50 monsters. Silver Monster Slayer Hunted 100 large monsters. Bronze Top Of the Food Chain Hunted 50 apex predators. Bronze Hunters United Completed a quest via multiplayer. Bronze Hunters United Forever Completed 100 quests via multiplayer. Bronze Gossip Hunter Viewed 30 different Hunter Profiles. Bronze Newly Forged Bonds Followed someone for the first time. Bronze Those were all the trophies for Monster Hunter Wilds. Which one do you think is the most challenging, and will you try to grab the Platinum? Let us know in the comments or on our community forum! Stay updated with more Monster Hunter Wilds news and content, such as its DLC and Roadmap, the system requirements, and pre-load and file size details. For more Insider Gaming, check out our official Guides Hub. And don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam. Source link #Monster #Hunter #Wilds #Trophy #List #Achievements #Trophies Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  9. This 13% Divvie Should Be on Your List as RFK Takes Over Health and Human Services This 13% Divvie Should Be on Your List as RFK Takes Over Health and Human Services In the last few weeks, we’ve talked a lot about “hated” dividends set to soar as mainstream investors get it wrong on Trump 2.0. Last week, we covered utility stocks, “bond proxies” that look great here, and a 7.6%-yielding utility fund to buy now. This week we’re shifting to another despised corner of the market, again thanks to the new administration—healthcare. But our play isn’t some middling payer, like 3%-yielding Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:). A 13% Dividend That Grows Instead, we’re going to drop a “1” in front of that “3” and buy a 13%-yielding healthcare closed-end fund (CEF). It’s the perfect play on concerns around RFK Jr.’s confirmation as HHS secretary and Trump’s threatened 25% tariffs on pharma imports. That would be the BlackRock Health Sciences Trust II (NYSE:), the CEF behind that 13% divvie (and a holding of my Contrarian Income Report service). Not only is its payout in the double digits, but the fund pays monthly and has a history of raising its dividend, too: Grabbing BMEZ’s “Dividend Momentum” Source: Income Calendar BMEZ launched in 2020, as the pandemic boosted pharma. Management hiked the payout (and dropped a special dividend, to boot) in 2021. The fund did lower its payout after the 2022 mess, leaving itself room to buy bargains. But look at the right side of the chart above: BMEZ has since boosted the payout to new highs—up north of 75% from its inception just five years ago. Not bad for a 13% payer! The fund bolsters its income stream by selling covered-call options on its portfolio (currently about 24% of its holdings). Under this strategy, BMEZ sells investors the option to buy its holdings at a fixed price and date in the future. If the stock hits that price, it’s sold or “called away.” If not, nothing happens. Either way, BMEZ keeps the fee it charges for the option. It’s a canny way to generate extra cash, especially when markets turn choppy. BMEZ Can Outmuscle RFK … The growing 13% dividend is the start of our buy case here. Let’s move on to two other factors—RFK and tariffs—to see how these are giving us an opportunity to buy BMEZ at a discount to net asset value (NAV), currently around 3.1%. On the campaign trail, Trump said he was going to let former candidate turned supporter RFK Jr. “go wild on health.” A big “uh-oh” for healthcare stocks? Wall Street didn’t wait around to find out. It dumped healthcare after the election and especially after RFK was nominated to run the Department of Health and Human Services. Pharma stocks have recovered a bit, but they’re still behind the since November 5, as of this writing. There’s a scenario, however, in which this is bullish for the biotech and medical-device makers that are the vast majority of BMEZ’s holdings. Check out how BMEZ’s top-five holdings performed during Trump 1.0: Trump 1.0 Was a Boon to Top BMEZ Holdings These are companies that benefit from lower regulation. They returned 226%, 179%, 141%, 54% and over 1,000% during the first four years under Trump! Of course, Trump 2.0 isn’t the same as Trump 1.0, but that could also work in our favor, with the trend toward less regulation likely to run even faster now than it did then. BMEZ is a neat way for us income investors to bet on a “rhyme” of Trump 1.0 for the stock-price gains that power this payout. … And Turn the Tables on Tariffs, Too Now let’s talk tariffs, which could be a drag here, but there’s more under the hood. Trump has proposed 25% tariffs on pharma imports. But as we all know, he has a history of using tariffs as bargaining chips, as opposed to actual policy. He also said he’d allow some time for these companies to move production to the US, something we haven’t heard often with his other threats. Moreover, tariffs continue to be a moving target: Believe it or not, the only new levy in place today is a 10% tax on all imports from China. This took effect February 4. Announced tariffs on Canada and Mexico are currently suspended. We don’t know what will happen here, but bear in mind that unlike, say, cars, pharma companies’ products must be bought on a regular basis to keep the healthcare system running. That could work against the idea of a prolonged tariff, especially given Americans’ sensitivity to high healthcare costs. Buybacks Help Wipe Out BMEZ’s Discount We’re also following the lead of BlackRock (NYSE:) itself here. Under an agreement with activist investor Saba Capital Management, BlackRock recently announced a tender offer approving the repurchase of up to 40% of BMEZ’s outstanding shares. The intent here is to close the CEF’s “discount window,” bolstering the fund’s market price in the process. And the pane has indeed been shutting: We’re already up 5.3% on our BMEZ position (a 25% annualized gain, as of this writing) thanks to a discount window that has narrowed from 11% when we bought it in the December Contrarian Income Report to 3.1% today: The fund should keep grinding higher thanks to the buyback and 13% yield. It’s trading just above $16 as I write this, and I’m recommending that CIR members pick it up on dips below that level. Any ******* drops on pharma-related news (RFK- or tariff-related) would of course be a signal to buy even more of this “buyback-powered” 13% payer. Disclosure: Brett Owens and Michael Foster are contrarian income investors who look for undervalued stocks/funds across the U.S. markets. Click here to learn how to profit from their strategies in the latest report, “7 Great Dividend Growth Stocks for a Secure Retirement.” Source link #Divvie #List #RFK #Takes #Health #Human #Services Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  10. Alarmed by Trump’s Gaza Plan, Arab Leaders Brainstorm on Their Own Alarmed by Trump’s Gaza Plan, Arab Leaders Brainstorm on Their Own After President Trump shocked the Arab world last month by suggesting the entire population of Gaza be expelled from the territory, his aides reframed the idea as an invitation to the leaders of the Middle East: Come up with a better plan, or do it our way. “All these countries say how much they care about the Palestinians,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week. “If the Arab countries have a better plan, then that’s great,” Mr. Rubio added. Now, the governments of several Arab states are attempting to do exactly that. Representatives of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are quietly coordinating to form an alternative vision for Gaza in which Arab countries would help fund and oversee the reconstruction of Gaza, while keeping its residents in place and preserving the possibility of a ************ state, according to diplomats and officials briefed on the endeavor. Envoys from all five countries are set to flesh out the details on Friday in Saudi Arabia, and then again at a ******* summit on March 4 in Cairo. At those meetings, Egypt will probably propose forming a committee of ************ technocrats and community leaders, all unaffiliated with ******, who could run Gaza after the war, according to two Arab diplomats, a senior Western official and Senator Chris Van Hollen, Democrat of Maryland. Mr. Van Hollen said he spoke over the last week with the Egyptian, Saudi and Jordanian foreign ministers about the evolving proposal. “A lot of the focus will be to demonstrate to Trump and others that, ‘Yes, there is a viable plan to rebuild, we will invest the resources there,’” Mr. Van Hollen said. “Their view is that Trump’s a real estate guy, he talked about redeveloping Gaza, they want to put together a viable plan that shows Trump that you can rebuild Gaza and provide a future for two million Palestinians” without forcing them to leave the territory, Mr. Van Hollen added. While the ideas might be presented as a fresh alternative, they are hardly new. For months, Egypt has promoted the idea of a technocratic committee and has hosted ************ leaders in Cairo to discuss the idea. For decades, Arab leaders have called for the establishment of a ************ state that includes Gaza. Even the Israeli government has privately signaled for more than a year that it is open to Arab leaders playing an oversight role in postwar Gaza. The challenge is that the obstacles to these ideas are as old as the ideas themselves. Israeli leaders oppose postwar plans that would pave the way to ************ sovereignty. But Arab leaders will only support a framework that at least nominally forges a path toward ************ statehood. They also want the blessing of the ************ Authority, the internationally recognized body that administered Gaza until ****** wrested control of the territory nearly two decades ago. But the authority’s president, Mahmoud Abbas, has appeared wary of a postwar governance structure that does not unequivocally give him full control of the territory — a position that puts him at odds with a technocratic committee. ****** officials have said they would be willing to cede control over civil affairs to such a body. But they have refused to disband their military wing, an unacceptable position for both Israel and Mr. Trump, who seek ******’s complete disarmament. “The biggest challenge that the Arab leaders face is to present a realistic plan that can be imposed on the ************ factions as well as also being acceptable to both the U.S. and Israel,” said Ibrahim Dalalsha, director of the Horizon Center, a political research group in Ramallah, West Bank. “It’s going to be a very complicated process.” Among the uncertainties is whom the Arab leaders would entrust to secure Gaza and prevent ****** from attacking Israel. Israeli officials also want the Israeli military to have operational freedom in Gaza for the long term, but that arrangement would be hard for the Arab leadership to publicly support. Some hope that Egypt and the Persian Gulf countries would provide their own troops. Last month, Egypt allowed a private Egyptian security firm to help staff a checkpoint inside Gaza — an arrangement that some diplomats and analysts viewed as a prototype for a broader operation. But it is unclear whether Arab leaders would be prepared to send a larger force to secure a wider territory. And it is unlikely that ****** would accept that intervention. “Whoever wants to take Israel’s place will be treated just like Israel,” ****** Hamdan, a senior ****** official, said during a conference in Qatar last weekend. The firmest element of the Egyptian plan centers on rebuilding Gaza while keeping Palestinians inside the enclave instead of forcing them out to Egypt and Jordan, as Mr. Trump has suggested. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt outlined the proposal in broad strokes in meetings on Sunday with Ronald Lauder, the president of the World Jewish Congress, and Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan. Mr. el-Sisi discussed with the Jordanian prince “the necessity of immediately starting the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, without displacing the Palestinians from their land,” according to a statement from Egypt’s presidency. But the details of the plan remain unclear. Samir Farag, a retired Egyptian military general, said in an interview that Egypt would call on an array of companies, both domestic and international, to reconstruct Gaza over the next three to five years. A first phase of increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza and clearing rubble would be followed by building hospitals, schools and other infrastructure, said Mr. Farag, who is close to Egyptian officials. The question of who will pay for it remains unanswered. Egypt will call on other Arab countries to contribute reconstruction funds at an upcoming conference, Mr. Farag said. But even the timing of such summits has been the subject of confusion. Egypt originally invited Arab leaders to an “emergency” summit on Feb. 27. Then it was delayed by a week. Rania Khaled contributed reporting from Cairo, and Ismaeel Naar from Riyadh. Source link #Alarmed #Trumps #Gaza #Plan #Arab #Leaders #Brainstorm Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  11. 3 Explosive Tech Stocks Breaking Out Right Now 3 Explosive Tech Stocks Breaking Out Right Now The entire stock market seems to be centered around the technology sector today, going after the ever-increasing valuations and growth projections seen in the artificial intelligence space and its support areas, such as semiconductors and chip makers. However, there is another area that hasn’t gotten too much attention lately. This is where today’s opportunity comes from, but only for investors willing to look outside of the shiny box of artificial intelligence. Through what could be called “Vertical” plays, some could say that it won’t be stocks that “make” artificial intelligence, but rather those that use it to keep scaling their business in ever more efficient ways that will soar. That is why names like Oracle (NYSE:), Uber Technologies (NYSE:), and even Paycom (NYSE:) are worth watching outside of this race for the best and fastest artificial intelligence models. With fundamental tailwinds on their backs, these stocks have earned Wall Street’s attention recently. The question is whether investors should follow. 1. Behind the Recent Boosts at Oracle Stock Despite Oracle’s shares already trading at 90% of their 52-week highs, there are a lot more reasons to think that the ceiling could be much higher than that. As a matter of fact, some Wall Street analysts were comfortable enough to boost this company’s valuation recently, calling for an additional double-digit rally. Such as those from Cantor Fitzgerald, which recently decided to initiate its coverage on Oracle stock at an Overweight rating, placing a valuation of up to $214 per share on it as well. This view calls for a new 52-week high in the stock but also a net upside of as much as 22% from where it trades today. With this much upside, investors could assume that Wall Street is already aware of how vital Oracle’s cloud business model is to providing the infrastructure under which these artificial intelligence models are trained and developed. It’s as if all other companies had tons of land but no tools to develop it and build upon it, which is where Oracle’s importance and upside potential come into play. 2. Uber Will Be a Top Pick After delivering a year-to-date performance of up to 35% already, Uber shares seem to have more than just the fact that artificial intelligence is behind them to help the business run. They also seem to have the business itself as just the sort of model that markets might be after in the coming quarters. Investors like Warren Buffett have already started selling out some of the growth names in the market, as the relative performance to value stocks has gotten to the widest level in the current cycle. What this means for investors is potential volatility and rotations to companies with stronger free cash flow. Uber will be able to handle this, as its low-cost business model allows it to retain enough capital from each service delivered to reinvest back into further growth. Investors can see this in the company’s financials, as Uber delivered a gross profit margin of up to 33.2% over the past 12 months. On a free cash flow basis (operating cash flow minus capital expenditures), Uber’s latest quarterly presentation shows a net $1.7 billion in free cash flow, more than double the same quarter last year. Strong and sustained free cash flow allows for stability in the stock price, especially as Uber is synonymous with ridesharing, speaking to its market share. Its exposure to artificial intelligence for its networks and matching system seemed to have gotten Wall Street analysts excited as well, particularly those from Evercore. They’ve reiterated an Outperform rating as of February 2025, this time placing a valuation of up to $115 per share on Uber to call for as much as 41.2% upside from today’s price. 3. Institutions Picked Paycom Stock This Quarter Considering that this company is now implementing more artificial intelligence into its services and systems, it seems that a few institutional buyers found that to be enough reason to boost their holdings in its last quarter, especially those from Sylebra Capital. As of February 2025, these buyers boosted their holdings in Paycom stock by as much as 63.8%, bringing their net position to a high of $659 million today, or 5.6% ownership in the company. Maybe it’s the institutional buying or the fact that Paycom stock trades at 88% of its 52-week high, but bears have stepped off the . Over the past quarter, Paycom’s short interest declined by as much as 5.3%, a sign of bearish capitulation. This gives bullish traders and investors another window of opportunity to consider in the coming months. Ultimately, buyers will want to look into the company’s financials. With a gross profit margin of over 80%, Paycom retains enough capital to be invested and managed wisely by management. This is why it has generated a return on invested capital (ROIC) rate of 29.4% over the past 12 months, making it a clear target for investors looking to compound their capital securely. Original Post Source link #Explosive #Tech #Stocks #Breaking Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  12. Why the Far-Right AfD Is Unlikely to Join Germany’s Next Government Why the Far-Right AfD Is Unlikely to Join Germany’s Next Government Germany’s next government will almost certainly be a coalition of multiple political parties, to form a majority in Parliament. But one party will almost certainly be excluded from that coalition, no matter how well it ultimately performs: the hard-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD. While early exit polls on Sunday showed the AfD in second place, largely on the strength of its opposition to mass migration and its pledge to deport some migrants, every other mainstream ******* party refuses to invite it into government. That blockade is known in Germany as the “firewall,” and it is a direct result of the country’s post-World War II efforts to suppress parties and voices labeled extreme. Rival parties cite a wide array of evidence for calling the AfD extreme and for keeping it behind the firewall. Some parts of the AfD have been classified as extremist by ******* intelligence. Some of its members have been convicted of violating ******* law against the use of Nazi slogans, and others have been arrested for trying to overthrow the federal government. Recently, an AfD volunteer greeted fellow election canvassers, in front of a New York Times reporter, with a Nazi salute. To date, Germany has been the most successful major European power at shutting its hard-right party out of power, along with France, where a group of rival parties engaged in strategic voting last summer to deny the hard-right National Rally a parliamentary majority. Other such firewalls in Europe have fallen or come under pressure in recent years, including in the Netherlands, Hungary and Italy. Earlier this month, U.S. Vice President JD Vance urged all Europeans — including Germans — to work with hard-right parties that he cast as legitimate avatars of public anxiety over immigration. “There is no room for firewalls,” Mr. Vance said in Munich. Germany’s political parties have promised to maintain the AfD firewall after the election — a pledge reiterated on Sunday night by Friedrich Merz, who is poised to become the next chancellor, after exit polls showed his party in the lead. But if the AfD has an even stronger than expected showing — well above 20 percent — it could be harder for parties to work around it and may raise new questions about how long the blockade can last. Source link #FarRight #AfD #Join #Germanys #Government Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  13. CCTV shows £4.8m gold toilet raid at Blenheim Palace CCTV shows £4.8m gold toilet raid at Blenheim Palace CCTV footage showing the moment thieves stole a solid gold toilet worth £4.8m has been shown in court. The work of art, called America, was taken from Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire in the early hours of Saturday, 14 September 2019. Michael Jones, 39, from Oxford, denies one count of burglary. Fred Doe, 36, from Windsor and 41-year-old Bora Guccuk, from west London, both deny conspiring to transfer criminal property. The footage played at their trial at Oxford Crown Court showed two vehicles driving across the Great Courtyard, before hooded individuals armed with sledgehammers and a large crowbar broke into the palace. Source link #CCTV #shows #4.8m #gold #toilet #raid #Blenheim #Palace Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  14. Missing sisters who vanished in Scotland found, cause of death revealed – National Missing sisters who vanished in Scotland found, cause of death revealed – National The official cause of death of the two sisters who went missing in Scotland in January has been revealed after they were found in a river in Aberdeen. The cause of death of the 32-year-old sisters, Henrietta and Eliza Huszti, has been ruled as drowning, according to the pair’s death certificates, as reported by BBC Scotland News. Henrietta and Eliza, who were part of a set of triplets originally from Hungary, disappeared on Jan. 7. Their bodies were found in the River Dee on Jan. 31, where they were last seen alive on CCTV footage. The police, who confirmed their identities, said the deaths of the sisters — who had moved to Scotland about 10 years ago — were not being treated as suspicious. The news comes after more than a month of searching for the sisters, who were last seen crossing the Victoria Bridge in Aberdeen’s city centre at night on Jan. 7. Story continues below advertisement On Jan. 21, police issued an updated appeal after they confirmed that a text message was sent from Henrietta’s cellphone to their landlord at 2:12 a.m. on Jan. 7, the day they went missing. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. The text message, sent from the area of Victoria Bridge, indicated that they would not be returning to the apartment they were renting. The cellphone was then disconnected from the network and had not been active since. The next day, the siblings’ personal belongings were found inside the apartment and their landlord reported her concerns to police. Eliza Huszti (L) and Henrietta Huszti (R.). Handout / Police Scotland A relative previously told the BBC that Eliza and Henrietta last spoke to their mother on Jan. 4 and that nothing in their 40-minute conversation seemed out of the ordinary. Trending Now Google Maps users say Canada’s provincial parks are being labelled as ‘state parks’ OAS and CPP payments to roll out Wednesday. How much will seniors get? On Jan. 9, Insp. Darren Bruce said that “extensive inquiries” were ongoing to trace the sisters and “searches are being carried out in and around the area where they were last seen.” Story continues below advertisement Bruce had asked residents and businesses in the area to review their CCTV and dashcam logs. He added that police were “continuing to speak to people who know Eliza and Henrietta,” and urged anyone with information to contact police. Police dogs and marine search units were also being used in the search for the sisters. On Jan. 31, the body of one of the sisters was found in the River Dee, according to police in Scotland. Later that day, the police announced they had discovered the remains of the second sister. “The two bodies recovered from the River Dee on Friday, 31 January, have now been formally identified as Henrietta and Eliza Huszti. Inquiries remain ongoing to establish the exact cause of death however there are no apparent suspicious circumstances,” Supt. David Howieson, of Police Scotland, said in a statement. Their brother, Jozsef Huszti, told BBC News that their family could not comprehend the events and that they had many unanswered questions surrounding the deaths. —With files from Global News’ Michelle Butterfield More on World More videos &copy 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc. Source link #Missing #sisters #vanished #Scotland #death #revealed #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  15. 4 ways to avoid misinformation on social media and retain control of your newsfeed 4 ways to avoid misinformation on social media and retain control of your newsfeed It’s a new world for news – “breaking news” is no longer just a 10 PM television broadcast. Anyone can contribute to the news cycle through social media. While it’s done wonders for the speed and convenience of accessing what’s happening worldwide, it’s also a double-edged sword. Misinformation is rife on the internet – whether it’s a devious spin on existing news, a misunderstanding of the facts, or an outright lie. So, to tackle this, we’ve taken a look at the problem, and given you the easiest solutions possible to circumvent the issue. The misinformation problem Misinformation isn’t just wrong information. It’s all about sincerity. When someone shares information they believe is true but isn’t, that’s misinformation. It’s not a crime to be wrong – there isn’t a single person out there who knows all the facts. However, misinformation is everywhere in vast amounts. Accessing trustworthy, accurate information online is a nightmare when you don’t have the right sources. Did you know? (Image credit: Shutterstock / FARBAI / Africa Studio / Samsung) Reuters research suggests attitudes are shifting away from receiving news directly from news platforms, with people preferring social media. Despite this, social media still hasn’t gained the trust of the masses. While news items distributed through traditional media usually pass several layers of fact-checking and verification before publication, there’s a far lower bar to submitting information to social media. All that’s necessary for someone’s post to be hot news is to be widely shared. You can’t fact-check every post you come across, even if you can start telling between what’s being posted sincerely and what’s been cooked up by an AI or signal-boosted by a bot. There’s a difference between misinformation, which is false but sincere, and disinformation, which is both knowingly false and written by the author to achieve a certain effect via social media. This could be anything from deliberately misleading recipes designed to cause harm, to nation-state interference. With that in mind, let’s check out some of the ways you can avoid falling foul of misinformation: Don’t react Much of social media is predicated on emotional reactions. It can be simplified to “you see something you like, you click the “like” button, and the algorithm serves you with more things you like”. However, this feedback loop works on us in a variety of ways. With misinformation, our natural reflexes are being hijacked to engage in a way that furthers the dissemination of that misinformation. Even if someone disagrees with a post, there’s a chance that they’ll still interact with it to argue against it. The more likely a post is to generate negative reactions, the more likely it is to spread. Benign misinformation tends not to travel very far because it doesn’t create engagement. If you post a cake recipe that’s wrong in an innocuous way, people are likely to simply point out you’re not using enough flour or ignore it. Either way, everyone goes on with their day. However, when you post a controversial news story about a popular celebrity, you get a perfect storm of emotions from both sides. This is the environment in which misinformation thrives, and whenever you see particularly engaged users arguing over a story it’s probably time to do some digging and investigate the facts. This moves us on to… Check your facts Truly understanding any news story requires an open mind and time set aside to go fact-hunting. If you’re thinking about sharing something you’re unsure about, take a second to hit up a search engine and get some personal fact-checking done. Read into the sources, see where the social media claims originate, and pay attention to who’s providing the claims. Social Media means everyone can be a journalist, but not everyone can be a good one. This is a holistic approach. You can’t just look at the author and call it a day. You have to look at their record, who they work for, who they’re citing, and who’s funding their employers. For news sites, heading straight to their “About Us” page gives you a great place to work from. If it’s missing and you can’t find any working contact details, you’re probably dealing with a less-than-trustworthy website. It’s not for the faint of heart, but by performing some fact checking you’re already doing more real “news” going through this process than anyone who mindlessly shares a social media post. Maybe that’s the point. Social Media means everyone can be a journalist, but not everyone can be a good one. Identify the agenda The news isn’t free. Every news site has to make money somehow – many follow the old newspaper method of selling advertising space to third parties. Others have sponsors that contribute towards their finances. Either way, a news site is incentivized to push as many people toward its site as possible, which can manifest in a few behaviors that encourage misinformation. For a start, there’s how a story is told. A news site might portray an event in a certain way because it’ll perform well amongst its target demographics, even if it’s a bad-faith interpretation. They might even specifically look for misinformation that infuriates that demographic because it’ll drive more clicks. Social media isn’t immune to this effect, either. A user on X could post something deliberately inflammatory because they know it’ll mean more engagement, and therefore a ******* cash payment from Twitter. Wherever you get your news from, thinking about the economic angle usually helps clear up the motive. Go to Google Once you’ve gone through all the other steps, it’s time to start pulling on other threads through a search site like Google. Are other websites reporting on the story you’ve read? If they aren’t, why not? For the sites that are, go through the same process and come to your own conclusions. You might notice that all the sites have similar features – including political affiliation, funding, or unclear verification policies. Source link #ways #avoid #misinformation #social #media #retain #control #newsfeed Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
  16. Ukraine MPs OK resolution backing Zelenskiy after all Ukraine MPs OK resolution backing Zelenskiy after all The Ukrainian parliament has passed a resolution reaffirming President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s legitimacy following a failed attempt the previous day. A clear majority of 268 members of parliament voted in favour of the draft on Tuesday. A total of 226 votes in favour were needed for the draft to be adopted. The resolution received only 218 votes on Monday during a special session of the Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, held in the presence of international guests to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion. On Monday, 54 MPs present in the meeting room unexpectedly did not take part in the vote, including 38 representatives from Zelenskiy’s Servant of the People party. They did not publicly disclose their reasons. The resolution states, in the same wording as the previous day: “The Verkhovna Rada once again recalls that the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy was elected in free, transparent, democratic elections. His mandate is not called into question by the Ukrainian people or the Verkhovna Rada.” The document also states that Zelenskiy would remain in office until a newly elected president can take over, in accordance with the Ukrainian constitution. Zelenskiy’s regular term in office ended in May, however no elections can be scheduled due to the martial law that has been in place for three years. Russia has nevertheless questioned Zelenskiy’s legitimacy. The United States is also increasingly pushing for Ukraine to hold elections immediately after a ceasefire, which is currently under discussion. Source link #Ukraine #MPs #resolution #backing #Zelenskiy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  17. METRO unveils new initiative to tackle crime METRO unveils new initiative to tackle crime HOUSTON (KIAH) — According to the office of Mayor Whitmire, METRO leaders are unveiling a plan to tackle crime. The initiative, called METRONow, is coming at a time when Houston leaders say the public’s confidence in the city’s public transportation system is low. Source link #METRO #unveils #initiative #tackle #crime Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  18. What to Know About the Saudi Crown Prince’s Role in Global Diplomacy What to Know About the Saudi Crown Prince’s Role in Global Diplomacy Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has long angled to play a leading role on the world stage, was at the diplomatic center this week of two of the globe’s most pressing crises. On Monday, Prince Mohammed met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, to discuss both the future of Gaza and the Ukraine war. The following day in Riyadh, there were friendly talks between Russia and the United States. And on Friday, the kingdom is expected to host Arab officials to plan for the reconstruction of Gaza. That Saudi Arabia is the setting for talks with such monumental stakes stands as further evidence that the crown prince — known by his initials M.B.S. — is well on his way to achieving his goal of becoming a global power player. The meetings represent a remarkable turnabout for Prince Mohammed, the oil-rich Gulf kingdom’s de facto leader who was shunned for a time in diplomatic circles. He was accused of severe human rights abuses that he has denied, including approving the killing in 2018 of the Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident. Here is what to know about the crown prince’s past actions and his plans for Saudi Arabia. A new vision for the kingdom In 2016, about a year after his father, King Salman, ascended the throne, Prince Mohammed, then a deputy crown prince, introduced Vision 2030. The bold plan aimed to diversify the kingdom’s economy and make it less reliant on oil. It included increasing the number of Saudis in private employment, including women; soliciting foreign investment; and selling shares of Saudi Aramco, the state oil monopoly, to raise capital to invest in other sectors, like tourism. That blueprint helped M.B.S. clinch his role as crown prince and heir apparent to the throne. As part of that pitch, the prince spoke of a “moderate, balanced Islam that is open to the world and to all religions and all traditions and peoples.” Roundup of rivals That initial 2017 investment conference was at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh, a venue to which some attendees soon returned under very different circumstances. Hundreds of Saudi Arabia’s wealthiest and most powerful men, including a number of M.B.S.’s royal relatives, were rounded up and held at the hotel. The government said it was cracking down on corruption. M.B.S. was named to head the committee leading the investigations. Critics said he had orchestrated the detentions to consolidate his power. To secure their release, many detainees surrendered huge sums of money and gave the government control of their companies. The crown prince called it “ludicrous” at the time to suggest the campaign was a power grab, saying it was essential to rooting out corruption and bolstering foreign investors’ trust. Foreign fights It is not only within the kingdom’s borders that the prince has used coercion and force. His attempts to minimize Iran’s regional influence by confronting its armed proxy groups, including the Houthi militia in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon, have at times backfired. In 2015, when the prince was defense minister, Saudi Arabia led a coalition in a war against Houthi forces in Yemen. The effort did not root out the Houthis, many Yemeni civilians died, and by 2018, Saudi Arabia was bogged down in a bloody stalemate and accused internationally of “starving” Yemen. In a bizarre incident in 2017, Saudi Arabia tried to quell the influence of Hezbollah in Lebanon by orchestrating the resignation of Lebanon’s prime minister at the time, Saad Hariri, and having him publicly blame Iran. The move was designed to turn the Lebanese against Hezbollah and Iranian meddling. Mr. Hariri, a Saudi ally and Hezbollah opponent, was summoned to the kingdom, where, after intense pressure and rough treatment, he resigned as instructed, reading a speech on Saudi TV. Mr. Hariri was allowed to returned home weeks later to retake his office. Rather than tamping down Hezbollah’s influence, the militant group’s power only grew in the wake of what became an international scandal. A high-profile killing American intelligence sources have concluded that Prince Mohammed approved the assassination in 2018 of Mr. Khashoggi, the Saudi dissident and Washington Post journalist, at the Saudi Embassy in Istanbul. M.B.S. was reviled in much of the world over the killing, but President Trump remained his close ally during his first administration. Campaigning in 2020, Joseph R. Biden Jr. vowed to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah” over the killing. In 2021, his administration released a report concluding that elite operatives executed the killing at M.B.S.’s behest. The Saudi government blasted the report and said it had “clearly denounced this heinous crime.” For a time, Mr. Biden shunned the crown prince. But in 2022, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine affecting oil prices and Iran believed to be expanding its nuclear capabilities, Mr. Biden smoothed over relations. The two met in Riyadh, and the meeting gave M.B.S. a measure of the international rehabilitation he sought. Alliance of deal makers Mr. Trump in 2018 praised the crown prince as a “truly spectacular ally,” even after the C.I.A. concluded that the royal had ordered Mr. Khashoggi’s assassination. The president singled out Prince Mohammed as his preferred partner in the Middle East, and he became central to the administration’s regional strategy. Saudi Arabia has also been a prolific buyer of American weapons. Mr. Trump’s ties to Saudi Arabia extend beyond official government business to a range of family business ventures, mostly real estate branding deals that bring in fees for use of the Trump name. Regional goals Mr. Trump has touted the 2020 Abraham Accords, establishing official ties between Israel and four Arab states (the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan), as one of the crowning foreign policy achievements of his first term, and one he intends to build upon during this term. Getting Saudi Arabia to sign on would be a major achievement. But Mr. Trump this month antagonized Arab nations by proposing that the Gaza Strip could be taken over by the United States to build a “Riviera,” while Palestinians would be displaced to live in Egypt, Jordan and other nations. Saudi Arabia immediately dismissed the notion and said it still insists that a ************ state be established before it normalizes relations with Israel. In Riyadh on Friday, representatives of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates will work on a plan for Gaza’s reconstruction, partly funded by Arab countries, that preserves the possibility of a ************ state. Global mediator Saudi Arabia has increasingly played the role of mediator in the Russia-Ukraine war, maintaining that it does not seek to take sides. The kingdom has sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine while cultivating close ties with Russia. By hosting Russian and American officials for talks about the war this week, the kingdom upset Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, who postponed a planned visit to Riyadh this week. But the meeting positioned the crown prince as a key intermediary able to bring powerful nations to the table and solidified his status as a leader influential beyond the Middle East. Source link #Saudi #Crown #Princes #Role #Global #Diplomacy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]
  19. Cities: Skylines 2 Gets USA Southwest Region Pack With Plenty of Free Content; Northeast Also Coming Cities: Skylines 2 Gets USA Southwest Region Pack With Plenty of Free Content; Northeast Also Coming If you want to give your creation in Cities: Skylines 2 a Californian look, the free region pack dedicated to the Southwest USA is for you. Source link #Cities #Skylines #USA #Southwest #Region #Pack #Plenty #Free #Content #Northeast #Coming Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  20. These are the most crowded trades by hedge funds, according to Morgan Stanley These are the most crowded trades by hedge funds, according to Morgan Stanley A follow-the-herd mentality might come back to bite investors who buy into overcrowded trades that are popular among hedge funds, according to Morgan Stanley. In a Monday note, the bank examined the largest 70 hedge funds based on assets under management. The firm then identified stocks in the Russell 1000 with the highest percentage of public float owned by these funds, based on their most recent 13F filings. While popular trades during a bull market may may benefit from hedge funds crowding into the stocks, they could also suffer the most if these pros close or cut their positions. “Crowded trades come with the risk of overvaluation and increased volatility as it may be more difficult to attract the marginal investor, while avoiding overcrowded stocks can provide investors with an opportunity to capture unrecognized value when paired with strong fundamentals,” Morgan Stanley strategists wrote in the note. Morgan Stanley found that last quarter, hedge funds increased their investments among the information technology, consumer discretionary and industrials sectors. On the other hand, they were most bearish on financials, health care, utilities and consumer staples stocks. Avis Budget Group was the most popular stock, with hedge funds owning more than half of the car rental agency’s shares outstanding. Aerospace and defense stock Loar Holdings and real estate owner Howard Hughes Holdings were also two crowded stocks last quarter. Howard Hughes has recently made news due to activist investor Bill Ackman’s bids to acquire the developer. Ackman originally proposed forming a new subsidiary of Pershing Square to merge with Howard Hughes , offering $85 a share. Last week, Ackman hiked his takeover offer to $90 a share . Source link #crowded #trades #hedge #funds #Morgan #Stanley Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  21. Supreme Court orders new trial for Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Glossip Supreme Court orders new trial for Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Glossip Washington — The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a new trial for Richard Glossip, an Oklahoma death row inmate who was joined in his bid to have his conviction thrown out by the state’s Republican attorney general. The high court ruled 5-3 in favor of Glossip and reversed a decision of the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals that upheld his conviction and death sentence. Justice Sonia Sotomayor delivered the opinion for the court and was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Justice Neil Gorsuch did not take part in the court’s consideration of the case. Glossip was convicted in the 1997 ******* of the owner of the Oklahoma City motel where he worked and was sentenced to death more than two decades ago. Since then, he has seen nine execution dates come and go, and eaten his “last meal” three times. Glossip had also been before the Supreme Court once before, in 2015, when he unsuccessfully challenged Oklahoma’s method of execution on Eighth Amendment grounds, and has had his execution stopped several times. In the latest case involving Glossip, his bid to toss out his conviction and grant him a new trial was backed by Oklahoma’s Republican attorney general, Gentner Drummond, because of errors committed during his earlier trial. A central issue in the court fight involved the testimony of Glossip’s co-defendant, Jason Sneed, who claimed Glossip paid him $10,000 to kill Barry Van Treese, the motel owner. Sneed admitted to robbing and bludgeoning Van Treese and is serving a sentence of life in prison. Glossip, meanwhile, has said he was not involved in the ******* and repeatedly maintained his innocence over his roughly 25 years on death row. Glossip’s first conviction was overturned because of ineffective assistance of counsel. During his second trial, Sneed told prosecutors that he had never seen a psychiatrist, but was given lithium after he was arrested. But in 2022, the state found prosecutors’ handwritten notes in a banker’s box, which Drummond said called into question Sneed’s credibility as a witness. Lawyers for Glossip and Drummond argued the notes showed that Sneed told prosecutors he was given lithium after seeing a jailhouse psychiatrist and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. But neither his diagnosis nor his treatment by the psychiatrist were disclosed to Glossip’s defense team, which Drummond said indicated prosecutors elicited false testimony on the matter. Following the revelations, Oklahoma’s attorney general disclosed the box’s materials to Glossip and had an independent counsel review the case. That examination, conducted by former district attorney Rex Duncan, ended in April 2023 and concluded that Glossip was deprived of a fair trial. The state asked the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals to toss out Glossip’s conviction and sentence, arguing that the errors committed during the trial rendered both flaws. But the court denied relief and ordered the state to move forward with executing Glossip. A request for clemency to the Oklahoma Parole and Pardon Board, which Drummond supported, was also unsuccessful after it deadlocked 2-2. Glossip and Drummond then urged the Supreme Court to step in. The court in May 2023 agreed to pause his execution and months later agreed to hear his case. Gorsuch did not participate in the proceedings, likely because of earlier involvement when he was a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, which covers Oklahoma. Arguments in the case took place in early October at the start of the Supreme Court’s new term. Many of the questions focused on the interpretation of prosecutors’ notes, as well as how the jury’s view of the case would have been impacted had they known Sneed was prescribed lithium by a psychiatrist after his arrest. The U.S. Supreme Court More More Melissa Quinn Melissa Quinn is a politics reporter for CBSNews.com. She has written for outlets including the Washington Examiner, Daily Signal and Alexandria Times. Melissa covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts. Source link #Supreme #Court #orders #trial #Oklahoma #death #row #inmate #Richard #Glossip Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  22. Monday Briefing Monday Briefing Results from Germany’s election. Source link #Monday #Briefing Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  23. Multiple Bus Explosions in Israel Put Country on Terrorism Alert Multiple Bus Explosions in Israel Put Country on Terrorism Alert Three buses exploded in Tel Aviv area parking lots on Thursday night, raising suspicions of an attempted, coordinated terrorist attack and prompting the Israeli authorities to halt all buses and trains nationwide. There were no injuries reported. After the explosions, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that he had instructed the military to carry out “a massive operation” in the West Bank targeting militant hubs and had ordered the police and intelligence forces to step up preventive measures in Israeli cities to thwart any subsequent attempted attacks. The three buses were parked at different depots in Bat Yam, a city south of Tel Aviv, Tzvika Brot, the city’s mayor, said in a statement. Unexploded bombs were also found in parking lots in the nearby city of Holon, the mayor noted. Mr. Brot said he had ordered additional security patrols throughout Bat Yam. “The city will remain on high alert throughout the weekend,” he added. “However, the city’s routine continues as usual. There is no change to school tomorrow or any other activities.” Ofir Karni, director of the Dan bus company, told Israeli news media that the last passenger on one of the buses that exploded had noticed a suspicious bag on a back seat and had alerted the driver. They drove into the depot, got off the bus and it exploded after they exited, he added. The series of explosions in central Israel came on what was already a difficult day for Israelis and for the country’s tenuous truce with ******. Four coffins said to contain the remains of hostages, including two children, who were captured from a community near the Gaza border in the Oct. 7, 2023, ******-led attack, were released and repatriated for burial on Thursday. But the Israeli military said in a statement early on Friday that only three of the bodies belonged to the hostages slated to be handed over. One of the bodies it received could not be identified, it said, adding it did not belong to Shiri Bibas — the mother of the two children handed over — and did not match the identity of any other hostage. The military called the issue a “violation of utmost severity” of the cease-fire terms. The attempted bus attacks around Tel Aviv, which no one has yet claimed direct responsibility for, could also undermine mediators’ efforts to get Israel and the militant group to negotiate the next phase of the cease-fire. Since late January, the Israeli military has been conducting intense raids in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, saying it is trying to root out ****** and other militant groups. The operation across several West Bank cities has displaced roughly 40,000 Palestinians from their homes, making it the biggest displacement of civilians in the territory since the Arab-Israeli war of 1967, according to historians and researchers. The military has destroyed houses and ripped up roads in what it has said is an effort to uncover improvised explosive devices. The operations have killed dozens of Palestinians, according to both the Israeli and ************ authorities. Defense Minister Israel Katz directed the military to intensify those operations in refugee camps in the West Bank in response to the attempted attacks on Thursday. “We will chase after the terrorists and destroy the terror infrastructure — whoever provides cover for terror will pay a heavy price,” he said in a statement. A West Bank arm of ******’s military wing, the Qassam Brigades, issued a statement that appeared to praise the explosions but did not explicitly claim responsibility for them. The Israeli military said in a statement late on Thursday that it was working with intelligence authorities and the police to investigate the incident in Bat Yam. It said that “intensified antiterror activity” in the West Bank was continuing, and that it had blocked entry to certain parts of the territory “accordingly.” Bus and train service in Israel will remain paused until the police and intelligence authorities give directives that it can resume, according to a statement from the transportation ministry. Johnatan Reiss, Fatima AbdulKarim, Isabel Kershner and Aaron Boxerman contributed reporting. Source link #Multiple #Bus #Explosions #Israel #Put #Country #Terrorism #Alert Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  24. Yu-Gi-Oh Early Days Collection Review – It's Time to Duel | MP1st Yu-Gi-Oh Early Days Collection Review – It's Time to Duel | MP1st Yu-Gi-Oh Early Days Collection Review – It’s a journey to the past with 14 classic games from the original Yu-Gi-Oh series in one collection. Source link #YuGiOh #Early #Days #Collection #Review #It039s #Time #Duel #MP1st Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]
  25. Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2025) With 13.4-Inch 2.5K Display, Up to Ryzen AI Max+ 395 CPU Launched Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2025) With 13.4-Inch 2.5K Display, Up to Ryzen AI Max+ 395 CPU Launched Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2025) was launched in global markets on Tuesday, and the 2-in-1 convertible gaming tablet is now available to purchase in China and the UAE, a month after it was unveiled at CES 2025. It is powered by up to AMD Ryzen AI Max 395 CPUs, paired with up to 128GB of RAM. Asus has also equipped the gaming tablet with a 2.5K LCD screen with a 180Hz refresh rate, and a 70Wh battery that is claimed to offer over 10 hours of battery life on a single charge. Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2025) Price, Availability Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2025) is priced at AED 8,999 (roughly Rs. 2,13,600) for the GZ302EA-XS96 model with a Ryzen AI Max+ 395 CPU and 32GB of RAM. The company has yet to announce pricing for other variants in the region. In the US and China, the ROG Flow Z13 (2025) is available at $2,099 (roughly Rs. 1,83,000) and CNY 14,999 (roughly Rs. 1,80,400) for the base model with a Ryzen AI Max 390 CPU and 32GB of RAM. Two other Ryzen AI Max+ 395 variants with 32GB and 128GB of RAM are listed at $2,299/ CNY 15,999 (roughly Rs. 2,00,400/ Rs. 1,92,500) and $2,799/ CNY 17,999 (roughly Rs. 2,44,000/ Rs. 2,16,500), respectively. Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2025) Specifications The Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2025) sports a 13.4-inch 2.5K (2,560×1,600 pixels) IPS LCE screen with a 180Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision HDR, and 100 percent coverage of the DCI:P3 colour gamut. The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and it is claimed to deliver 500nits peak brightness. It is powered by up to 16-core AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 CPUs with built-in Radeon 8060S graphics and an AMD XDNA NPU with up to 50 TOPS. There’s a new vapour chamber that’s built using copper and stainless steel, along with dual second-generation Arc Flow Fans for improved cooling. Asus has equipped the ROG Flow Z13 (2025) with up to 128GB of LPDDR5x RAM. You get 1TB of NVMe M.2 SSD storage on the ROG Flow Z13 (2025). There’s a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel IR camera on the front. Connectivity options on the gaming tablet include Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, two USB 4 Type-C ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, a 3.5mm combo audio jack (Hi-Res certified), and a MicroSD card reader. The company has equipped the Asus ROG Flow Z13 (2025) with two 2W speakers with Dolby Atmos. There’s a 4-cell 70Wh battery on the gaming tablet, and it can be charged using a 200W charger. It measures 300x204x14.9mm and weighs 1.2kg. Source link #Asus #ROG #Flow #Z13 #13.4Inch #2.5K #Display #Ryzen #Max #CPU #Launched Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

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