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Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says he’d be ready to give up presidency if it brought peace and NATO membership Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says he’d be ready to give up presidency if it brought peace and NATO membership Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the World Economic Forum in 2024. Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday he would be ready to give up the presidency if doing so would achieve a lasting peace for his country under the security umbrella of the NATO military alliance. Speaking at a forum of government officials in Kyiv marking the three-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Zelenskyy said, “If to achieve peace, you really need me to give up my post, I’m ready.” Responding to a journalist’s question on whether he’d trade his office for peace, Zelenskyy said, “I can trade it for NATO.” His comment appeared to be aimed at recent suggestions by U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that elections should be held in Ukraine despite Ukrainian legislation prohibiting them during martial law. Earlier on Sunday, Zelenskyy said Russia launched 267 strike drones into Ukraine overnight on Saturday, more than in any other single attack of the war. Ukraine’s air force said 138 drones had been shot down over 13 Ukrainian regions, with 119 more lost en route to their targets. Three ballistic missiles had also been fired, the air force said. One person was killed in the city of Kryvyi Rih, according to the city military administration. The attack came as leaders in Kyiv and across Europe are seeking to navigate rapid changes in U.S. foreign policy under Trump, who in a matter of days has upended years of firm support for Ukraine, leading to fears that he would join with Moscow to force a settlement to the war without involving Ukraine and its European backers. Ukraine fears Trump’s policy shift toward Putin Trump’s engagement with Russian officials and his agreement to reopen diplomatic ties and economic cooperation with Moscow marked a dramatic about-face in U.S. policy. Zelenskyy has expressed fears that Trump pushing a quick resolution would result in lost territory for Ukraine and vulnerability to future Russian aggression, though U.S. officials have asserted that the Ukrainian leader would be involved if and when peace talks actually start. Trump, however, prompted alarm and anger in Ukraine when this week he suggested that Kyiv had started the war, and that Zelenskyy was acting as a “dictator” by not holding elections, despite Ukrainian legislation prohibiting them during martial law. Russia’s deputy foreign minister on Saturday said preparations were underway for a Trump-Putin meeting, a further sign that the Russian leader’s isolation, at least for the Trump administration, was beginning to thaw. Reacting to the latest Russian attacks, however, Andrii Sybiha‎, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that the overnight attack “demonstrates that avoiding calling Russia an aggressor does not change the fact that it is one.” “No one should trust Putin’s words. Look at his actions instead,” Sybiha‎ said in a statement on social media. Ukraine continuing dialogue with U.S. over mineral deal Ukrainian officials on Sunday discussed a deal that would allow the U.S. to access Ukrainian rare earth minerals, a proposal Trump’s administration is pushing for but that Zelenskyy earlier declined to accept because it lacked specific security guarantees. At the forum in Kyiv where Zelenskyy made the offer to give up his presidency in return for peace and NATO membership, his chief of staff Andrii Yermak said the government was considering investment opportunities both with the U.S and European countries “which includes minerals, their development and extraction.” Yermak left the forum early along with Economic Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko for what he said were talks with U.S. representatives on a potential deal. He said Ukraine’s mineral resources represent “a very important element that can work in the general structure of security guarantees — military guarantees and others.” Yermak pushed back on the notion that Ukraine had rejected U.S. proposals but said any agreement “must meet the national interests of Ukraine, and undoubtedly, must be interesting to our partners.” Before leaving the forum, Svyrydenko said there are $350 billion worth of minerals on Ukrainian territories currently occupied by Russia. This calculation, however, is partly based on geological maps dating back to 1940s and 1960s, she said, adding: “We have to conduct geological exploration and confirm the deposits we have on paper.” Meanwhile, Putin in a special televised message Sunday praised Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine for defending “their native land, the national interests and the future of Russia.” Putin used his speech, on Russia’s Defender of the Fatherland Day, to pledge greater social support for military personnel and new weapons and equipment for Russian forces. “Today, as the world is changing impetuously, our strategic course for strengthening and developing the Armed Forces remains unchanged,” he said, adding that Russia would continue to develop its armed forces “as the essential part of Russia’s security that guarantees its sovereign present and future.” European leaders prepare for talks with Trump The U.K. on Sunday said it would announce new sanctions on Russia Monday, its biggest package since the early days of the war. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the measures would be aimed at “eroding (Russia’s) military machine and reducing revenues fueling the fires of destruction in Ukraine.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron will make tag-team visits to Washington this week as Europe attempts to persuade Trump not to abandon Ukraine in pursuit of a peace deal. Starmer told a Labour Party gathering in Scotland on Sunday: “There can be no discussion about Ukraine without Ukraine, and the people of Ukraine must have a long-term secure future.” Source link #Ukraines #Zelenskyy #hed #ready #give #presidency #brought #peace #NATO #membership Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

The SEC and Big Ten want to saturate the Playoff. But history suggests it won’t really help them The SEC and Big Ten want to saturate the Playoff. But history suggests it won’t really help them As you have read, the Big Ten and SEC are plotting to transform the College Football Playoff into the Tony Petitti/Greg Sankey Invitational. They want their conferences to be guaranteed four automatic berths each in an expanded 14-team field, versus two for the peons in the ACC and Big 12. Currently, in the 12-team CFP, only the champions of those conferences qualify for an automatic berth, leaving seven at-large spots. In the proposed Petitti/Sankey Invitational, the first- through fourth-place teams in their conferences are automatically in, regardless of where they’re ranked by the committee. GO DEEPER Mandel: Big Ten, SEC leaders set to light college football aflame I went back and looked at the final College Football Playoff rankings from 2014-24 to see just how dramatically this brilliant plan would have benefitted them had it been in place all along. The answer is: Not at all. GO DEEPER Big Ten, SEC to push for CFP to be seeded entirely by final rankings Their total number of berths over that ******* would be barely different. And in some cases, it would have backfired. Like in 2019, when, under the current rules, the SEC would have qualified five teams and the ACC just one. But under the SEC’s own proposal, No. 24 Virginia (9-4), the ACC’s second-place team, would be in, while No. 13 Alabama (10-2), which would have earned the last at-large berth, would be out. Had there been a 14-team Playoff all along, but with only the five highest-ranked conference champions getting auto-berths, the yearly averages largely mirror what’s being proposed (using current conference membership). The Big Ten and SEC each averaged 4.2 entrants per season and the ACC and Big 12 averaged 2.1. The Group of 5 (1.0) and Notre Dame (0.4) accounted for the rest. GO DEEPER Would more CFP auto-bids mean less selection committee? Big Ten, SEC seem to hope so But no one is going to be tracking 11-year averages on selection Sunday. All that matters is who should or should not have gotten in that particular season. And not once over those 11 seasons did the split among the Power 4 naturally land on 4-4-2-2. Some years, the ACC or Big 12 would have earned more than two bids, some years fewer. The Big 12 had as many as five in 2021, two more than either the Big Ten or SEC that season. Some years the Big Ten or SEC earned more than four bids, like in 2023, when the SEC would have had six and the Big Ten five. But some years — brace yourself — they would have had fewer than four teams. It happened to the Big Ten three times, and four for the SEC. This occurred most recently in 2022 when the SEC’s fourth-highest team was No. 17 LSU (9-4). Under the Power 2’s plan, the Tigers would have made the 14-team field automatically, at the expense of No. 12 Washington (10-2). That’s hardly the most extreme case of bracket manipulation working in the SEC’s favor. In 2015, No. 19 Florida would have been in as the SEC’s fourth team, along with No. 16 Oklahoma State, the Big 12’s second team. Together they would have bumped not one but two top-10 ACC teams, No. 9 Florida State and No. 10 North Carolina. In other seasons, however, the SEC would have found itself on the wrong end of someone else’s automatic berth. Like the aforementioned 2019 Virginia example. Or the year before that, when No. 20 Syracuse (9-3) would have displaced No. 14 Kentucky (9-3). In 2023 neither the ACC nor Big 12 had a second team, in which case No. 15 Louisville (10-3) and No. 20 Oklahoma State (9-4) would have bounced No. 11 Ole Miss (10-2) and No. 12 Oklahoma (10-2). In 2020, in a Big Ten-on-SEC crime, No. 15 Iowa (6-2) would have replaced No. 9 Georgia (7-2). Call it revenge for 2016, when the SEC would have had just two teams qualify under the current parameters. Instead, No. 14 Auburn (8-4) and No. 17 Florida (8-4) would have replaced No. 9 USC (9-3) and No. 13 Louisville (9-3). Are you noticing a recurring theme yet? This. Is. Dumb! This clearly well-thought-out Petitti/Sankey Invitational must have some sort of long-term payoff for the Big Ten and SEC, right? Surely if they’re going to strong-arm eight other conferences, it must mean they’re pocketing a whole bunch of extra berths. Nope. Applying their model to the past 11 seasons, the Big Ten goes from 46 CFP teams to 47, while the SEC drops from 46 to 45. The biggest winner is actually the Big 12, which picked up two berths to go from 23 to 25. (The poor ACC fell from 23 to 21.) There would be next to no long-term benefit to those leagues by manipulating the Playoff field. But it would have at least one long-term consequence: Destroying the credibility of the entire event. Here’s a better plan: Hold a Playoff consisting solely of the best teams in the country that season. Number of College Football Playoff teams per conference in a 14-team Playoff, 2014-24, using current membership ACC Big 12 Big Ten SEC G5* Notre Dame 2014 2 4 3 4 1 2015 4 1 4 3 1 1 2016 3 2 6 2 1 2017 3 1 5 4 1 2018 1 1 4 6 1 1 2019 1 2 4 6 1 2020 2 2 3 5 1 1 2021 1 5 3 3 1 1 2022 2 3 5 3 1 2023 1 1 5 6 1 2024 3 1 4 4 1 1 * G5 includes two appearances by Washington State (Photo: David J. Griffin / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Source link #SEC #Big #Ten #saturate #Playoff #history #suggests #wont Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Kylie Jenner and JLo’s Celebrity Hair Stylist Jesus Guerrero Dies ‘Suddenly and Unexpectedly’ – AOL Kylie Jenner and JLo’s Celebrity Hair Stylist Jesus Guerrero Dies ‘Suddenly and Unexpectedly’ – AOL Kylie Jenner and JLo’s Celebrity Hair Stylist Jesus Guerrero Dies ‘Suddenly and Unexpectedly’ AOLView Full Coverage on Google News Source link #Kylie #Jenner #JLos #Celebrity #Hair #Stylist #Jesus #Guerrero #Dies #Suddenly #Unexpectedly #AOL Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Anthony Rizzo remains without a team after battling injuries: ‘I want to play’ Anthony Rizzo remains without a team after battling injuries: ‘I want to play’ Anthony Rizzo is only 35. But with spring training games underway, he continues to linger on the free-agent market. Rizzo wants to play. He’s healthy enough to play. Yet he knows the end of his career might be near. “I’ve definitely thought about it. I think I have a lot to give to the game still,” the three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner at first base said Friday in a telephone interview. “But at the same time, if teams are not going to want to pay a few million dollars for veterans, I’ve seen it the last 10 years of my career. It’s what happens to the older guys. They kind of get squeezed. You’ve seen it happen more and more. I’m not naive to it. It could be it.” Rizzo, a 14-year veteran, became a free agent when the New York Yankees declined his $17 million option, giving him a $6 million buyout that increased his career earnings to $127.6 million. The Yankees replaced him by awarding a one-year, $12.5 million free-agent contract to an even older first baseman, Paul Goldschmidt, 37. Goldschmidt declined offensively in each of the past two seasons after winning the National League MVP award in 2022, but in both years appeared in 154 games. Rizzo, after two injury-marred seasons, understands why his market is less than robust. But he said he would not sign a deal that damages the future earning potential of players behind him. “Two years ago, I had kind of a weird year with the concussion,” Rizzo said. “Then last year, I was hurt twice. My power numbers dropped. I’m surprised, but not like crazy surprised just because I’m a realist in the game and you’re getting older. The fact that teams want you to play for basically league minimum ($760,000), I’m like, you guys are crazy. You’re almost trying to ruin the market for the next guy.” Rizzo’s injuries over the past two seasons resulted from incidents largely out of his control. He suffered a concussion stemming from a collision at first base, a fractured right forearm resulting from another collision while running out a ball and two broken knuckles in his right hand after he was hit by a pitch. The last of those injuries occurred Sept. 28. Rizzo missed the Division Series but returned from the ALCS. He said he received multiple numbing injections in multiple areas of his hand before and during postseason games. But the hand returned to full strength after the season ended, and Rizzo went through his normal offseason training regimen. Even with his hand issues, Rizzo performed respectably in the playoffs, batting .267 with a .721 OPS. The treatment he received was so extensive, he said he would not take his first swings until about 35 minutes before a game. Few outside the Yankees’ orbit knew what he was experiencing. “I’d be flushing it in the hyperbaric chamber, doing every treatment possible just to get that swelling out to be able to inject it again,” Rizzo said. “It was crazy. Obviously, during the regular season, you’re not doing anything like that. But you do anything, World Series or playoff time, to play. It was worth it.” His Yankees teammates appreciated him. And they miss him. “Oh, man. Rizz is such a great guy,” infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. said. “Such a down-to-earth guy. Sometimes you forget he plays baseball, that he was a World Series champion and what a great player he was, with just how down to earth he is as a guy, man. He really helps everybody’s spirits.” Added infielder Oswaldo Cabrera, “He’s a leader, man. I’m excited for all the players we have now. We have so many good, new people, who I love. But Rizzo, when I came into the big leagues, Rizzo was one of the guys who guided me in the right way to be a Yankee. Without him here as a teammate, obviously, we want Rizzo here. But we can’t control any of that. We love Rizzo.” Rizzo, of course, was part of the play that helped turn Game 5 of the World Series, when the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Mookie Betts hit a slow bouncer to first with the bases loaded, two outs and the Yankees leading 5-0. Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole failed to cover first, Betts beat Rizzo to the bag and the Dodgers rallied to tie the score and ultimately prevail 7-6. In the aftermath, Cole said he took a bad angle to the ball after failing to read it properly. Rizzo said the spin on the ball forced him to stay back and make sure he fielded the grounder cleanly. Does the play still cross Rizzo’s mind? “It does,” Rizzo said. “A hundred out of a hundred times I would do the exact same thing. I don’t want to cry, ‘Woe is me,’ with my hand. But the guys on the inside know how bad my hand was. “A hundred out of a hundred times I would do the exact same thing,” Anthony Rizzo said of the pivotal Game 5 play. (Robert Deutsch / Imagn Images) “There’s so much extra that goes into that play. First off, you don’t want to (botch it). You have to catch that ball and secure it. It’s just one of those things where Gerrit was probably gassed. “I always want the pitchers to go, and if I call ’em off, I call ’em off. But it was just a messed-up play. I don’t think I could have really charged it more because of the way the spin was. It was pretty funky spin. And you had Mookie busting out of the box because he’s a professional. That’s what he does. The play just wasn’t made.” For Rizzo, Game 5 is in the past, though the memory might never fade. His immediate concern is where he will land, if anywhere, for the 2025 season. His wife, Emily, is due to give birth to their first child, a boy, June 15. For that reason, Rizzo said if the money isn’t right, signing with a non-contender and potentially getting traded in July is particularly unappealing. He is not the only veteran without a job. Alex Verdugo, Mark Canha and Jose Iglesias are among the position players who remain free agents; Jose Quintana, Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn are among the starting pitchers; Craig Kimbrel, David Robertson and Phil Maton are among the relievers. Rizzo believes the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement after the 2026 season might be influencing club behavior toward veteran players. After a new CBA is signed, he said, “You have one or two years of monster spending and then there are a couple of years of squeezing players, posturing for the upcoming CBA. It’s kind of the part of the cycle every five years.” So for now, he waits. “It’s very weird. It kind of feels like 2020 all over again,” Rizzo said, referring to the season that was delayed by COVID-19 and did not begin until late July. “You go, do your thing, work out. I’m going to train until the season starts and even well into the season and see what happens. “I want to play. I want to win. And I love talking the game with pitchers, with hitters. There’s so much to dive into. Everything that goes into it, on the field, off the field, I’ll still be talking about it with guys. We’ll just see if I continue playing.” (Top photo: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images) Source link #Anthony #Rizzo #remains #team #battling #injuries #play Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Kohli smashes four to reach century and secure India win over Pakistan Kohli smashes four to reach century and secure India win over Pakistan Virat Kohli “hammers” in a four to reach a century and secure India’s win against Pakistan in their ICC Champions Trophy match in Dubai. Source link #Kohli #smashes #reach #century #secure #India #win #Pakistan Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Volcanic eruption that cooled the Earth and turned the Sun green – Earth.com Volcanic eruption that cooled the Earth and turned the Sun green – Earth.com Volcanic eruption that cooled the Earth and turned the Sun green Earth.com Source link #Volcanic #eruption #cooled #Earth #turned #Sun #green #Earth.com Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Elder Scrolls 6: Everything We Know So Far The Elder Scrolls 6: Everything We Know So Far -Foxtrot127d ago It’s funny because this guy has leant way into the extreme here. No one is saying we want old school character sheets and the like, we just don’t want the game to be so streamlined and casual. As they got on with Skyrim and Fallout 4, the perks and levelling up become so easy, I’d rather have a refined perk system that we saw in Fallout 3 than what we got in Fallout 4. If you were smart and tactical then sure, you could become powerful but that was part of the appeal as it showed you experimented a lot In Oblivion I went through the sewer tutorial like 6 times just to get my character right, in Skyrim I did it once because I knew I could master everything anyway. Source link #Elder #Scrolls Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

India vs Pakistan: Virat Kohli’s unbeaten century secures emphatic six-wicket victory in Champions Trophy India vs Pakistan: Virat Kohli’s unbeaten century secures emphatic six-wicket victory in Champions Trophy Virat Kohli hit a composed unbeaten century as India beat Pakistan by five wickets which put them on the cusp of reaching the Champions Trophy semi-finals and left their opponents on the brink of elimination. Pakistan mustered a rather unthreatening total of 241 after they won the toss and batted first, lacking power, intent and belief against a disciplined India attack. Saud Shakeel and Muhammad Rizwan top scored with 62 and 46 respectively, but they fashioned them off a rather ponderous 76 and 77 ****** each. Khushdil Shah boosted the total with a late cameo – whacking 38 off 39 ****** – but Pakistan’s total felt light at a ground where the average first-innings winning score in one-day internationals is 258. Spinner Kuldeep Yadav finished the pick of India’s bowlers with 3-40 while Hardik Pandya’s economical eight overs brought him 2-31. Pakistan’s hopes flickered when a brutal yorker from left-arm quick Shaheen Afridi swung into India captain Rohit Sharma’s middle stump in the fifth over. However, from that point it was a relative cakewalk for India as Kohli guided them to the target with his usual elan. Abrar Ahmed produced a fizzing leg-break to dismiss Shubman Gill for 46 with a beauty although it only staved off the inevitable. Shreyas Iyer made an enterprising 56 but the day belonged to Kohli as his hundred off 111 ******, featuring seven fours, guided India home with 45 ****** to spare. Ever the showman, Kohli gave the crowd at the Dubai International Stadium a signature moment as he reached three figures in the process of wrapping up the win. With two runs left for victory, and Kohli on 98, the 36-year-old thrashed a powerful drive off Khushdil Shah through extra cover for four to send the India fans wild. India have two victories from their opening two group matches and sit top of Group A while Pakistan have lost both and are at the foot of the table. Should New Zealand beat Bangladesh on Monday then India’s place in the knockout phase will be assured along with the Kiwis, and Pakistan will be out. Source link #India #Pakistan #Virat #Kohlis #unbeaten #century #secures #emphatic #sixwicket #victory #Champions #Trophy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Please Be Happy Review | TheXboxHub Please Be Happy Review | TheXboxHub Review – Please Be Happy is the kind of visual novel that youll think about after finishing, encouraging you to look introspectively at your own life. Source link #Happy #Review #TheXboxHub Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Storm star ready to tackle round one after hip surgery Storm star ready to tackle round one after hip surgery Cameron Munster says he’s built confidence after his showing in Melbourne’s final pre-season match, his first hit-out following hip surgery. Source link #Storm #star #ready #tackle #hip #surgery Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Unbroken: PC Gameplay Unbroken: PC Gameplay Here is a look at the pending FPS-style game. Source link #Unbroken #Gameplay Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

BP faces ‘existential crisis’ after ruinous attempt to go green BP faces ‘existential crisis’ after ruinous attempt to go green It was meant to be the moment when one of Britain’s most powerful companies broke decisively with its fossil fuel past. Addressing journalists and executives at the Royal Lancaster Hotel overlooking Hyde Park, Bernard Looney, BP’s new chief executive, urged them to “reimagine” his company as a champion of green power. By 2030, BP would have cut oil and gas production by 40pc, he pledged, with the lost fossil fuel income replaced by wind farms, solar parks and biofuels made from plants. He said: “BP has been an international oil company for over a century … Now we are pivoting to become an integrated energy company. “We believe our new strategy provides a comprehensive and coherent approach to turn our net zero ambition into action. This coming decade is critical for the world in the fight against climate change.” Five years on from that speech in February 2020, the company is beleaguered by a ruthless activist investor, under pressure to boost its flatlining share price and considering a return to the oil and gas exploration that made it so successful to begin with. The abrupt turn follows decades of crisis at one of Britain’s most venerable institutions. Today, its future is more uncertain than ever. The net zero plans unveiled by Looney have hammered profits and generated intense speculation about a takeover, break up or even a merger with arch-rival Shell. This month the fears became real with revelations that Elliott, a Florida-based hedge fund and corporate raider, has built a £3.8bn stake in BP – and is laying siege to the company. On Wednesday, BP will face the ultimate test at its capital markets day when Murray Auchincloss, the company’s current chief executive, will seek to persuade sceptical investors that he can deliver a “fundamental reset”. To win round doubters, he is expected to announce a major break with the last five years – shifting away from net zero and back towards its oil and gas heritage. But many in the City are asking how a company of BP’s size and stature has found itself in this position in the first place. “Elliott has forced BP on to the back foot and into a statement about how they ‘must do better’. It’s crazy. The company has been made to look totally reactive,” a City source said. With rivals circling, some believe that BP’s very independence is at stake. One dealmaker warns that the company has never looked more vulnerable: “It’s a changed world: money’s relatively cheap. There’s a lot of dry powder out there, and you’ve got an American president who is encouraging everyone to ‘drill baby drill’. “The [US Federal Trade Commission] has had a change of leadership, the CMA [the Competition and Markets Authority] is being overhauled, so it’s probably as positive an environment for consolidation as you’re going to get in a generation.” “For BP, this crisis is existential,” a former adviser said. BP’s net zero pledges were backed by precise numbers. Looney promised that by 2030 BP would boost investment in renewables tenfold from $500m (£395m) to $5bn and build windfarms and solar parks with a capacity of 50 gigawatts – roughly enough to supply the whole *** on a windy and sunny day. Over the same ******* it would slash oil and gas production from the equivalent of 2.6m barrels of oil a day to 1.5m. Refining throughput would drop from 1.7m barrels a day to just 1.2m. Looney’s vision was supported by his board of directors and chairman Helge Lund, who said: “Energy markets are fundamentally changing, shifting towards low carbon … We are confident that the decisions we have taken and the strategy we are setting out today are right for BP, for our shareholders and for wider society.” Auchincloss, then BP’s chief finance officer, backed the idea too, as did BP’s shareholders who voted 88pc in favour of oil and gas production cuts and a shift to renewables. “The problems really started when Bernard Looney set it on the path to becoming a renewables company,” says Ashley Kelty, research director at Panmure Liberum. “He was aided and abetted by Helge Lund who also shares the same green vision.” It did not take long for problems to start emerging. After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, oil and gas prices spiked. The surge rained cash down on fossil fuel producers, including BP. However, it raised questions as to why the company was pulling back from such a profitable market. In February 2023, after a blockbuster $28bn profits for 2022 linked to the global energy crisis, Looney was forced to slash his pledge to cut production by 40pc by the end of the decade to a more modest 25pc. BP’s shareholders had realised that the green spending they supported in 2020 had halved their dividends. Total shareholder returns had underperformed Shell by 15pc, France’s TotalEnergies by 30pc, Chevron by 60pc and ExxonMobil by 100pc. Just a few months later Looney was gone, ousted in autumn 2023 for entirely separate reasons – he had misled the BP board over his personal relationships with other BP executives. But his legacy lived on. Today, BP is still saddled with Looney’s commitment to slash oil and gas production by a quarter by 2030. Under that plan, it must cut oil and gas output from last year’s 2.4m barrels a day to just 2m within five years. There is little sign of that happening – and there is no longer any plan to replace such a loss of production with other forms of energy. Few of Looney’s 2020 promised renewable energy projects have materialised. Earlier this month BP used its 2024 results day to announce that those that have been built – such as its 10 US windfarms – are to be sold. Its other wind assets (mostly planning approvals, including around the ***), are to be shunted into an independent joint venture. BP Lightsource, BP’s solar subsidiary, is still building solar farms – but these are then sold on, meaning no long-term investment or income. Pushed by analysts, Auchincloss, Looney’s replacement, confirmed a halt to all investment in wind and solar. “We have completely decapitalised renewables,” he said. The same results showed BP made $8.9bn in underlying profit compared with $13.8bn in 2023 – its worst annual result since 2020, the year of the pandemic. In response, Auchincloss promised a wave of new oil and gas production, including BP’s sixth hub in the Gulf of Mexico. The Kaskida development will soon be producing 80,000 barrels of crude oil a day, with other developments planned in Iraq, India, Brazil, Egypt and the ***’s North Sea. Overall, he has suggested BP’s oil production will rise by 2-3pc a year until 2030. All that, say analysts, completely contradicts the “zombie” net zero strategy bequeathed by Looney – as well as offering a strong clue as to what Auchincloss’s “fundamental reset” will include – a full-blooded return to oil and gas. Looney is a figurehead of the net zero crisis BP finds itself in, but some say the company’s problems date back to a Palladian villa on the outskirts of Venice where, in 1997 BP’s then chief executive John Browne was holidaying with his mother. Senior executives were summoned to a meeting that would change its identity, brand and culture forever. “We wanted our image to reflect what we believed BP now stood for,” the now ennobled Lord Browne recalled in his memoir, Beyond Business. “It was to be a competitively profitable force for good.” At the time BP was riding high. Takeovers of US energy giants Amoco and Arco along with Burmah Castrol had turned BP into the industry’s second-largest company, behind only Exxon Mobil, with soaring profits, **** dividends and a share price to match. BP’s shift away from fossil fuels started under Lord Browne’s leadership in the 1990s – Marina Imperi The British Petroleum title was ditched and the company became just BP – with all fossil fuels removed from the name, and the traditional shield logo replaced with a green and yellow “Helios” design based on a sunflower. But it was Browne’s marketing meme “Beyond Petroleum” that caused the greatest controversy – one which has echoed down the years, to the eras of Looney and Auchincloss. It suggested that BP’s future involved more than oil and gas. Browne’s mergers also inadvertently led to some real disasters – all of which have fed into the company’s current problems. In 2005, an explosion ripped through its Texas City refinery killing 15 people. An inquiry found that BP managers lacked a proper safety culture. Months later, in the Gulf of Mexico BP’s new flagship Thunder Horse oil platform tipped on its side during installation. The image went round the world, further undermining BP’s reputation, along with its oil output and profits. And in 2006, BP’s name took another hit when a corroded pipeline in Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay leaked 800,000 litres of crude oil into a wildlife reserve. BP’s humiliations were followed by Lord Browne’s departure in 2007 under a cloud. He stepped down after misleading a court about his relationship with another man during legal efforts to prevent the Mail on Sunday publishing details of his private life. Despite the tumultuous circumstances, Browne had prepared carefully for his succession. He created and mentored an elite cadre of young executives known internally as “turtles” – a reference to the cartoon superheroes in TV series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and intended to signify their swashbuckling potential. They included his immediate successor, Tony Hayward and Looney – both chosen partly because they bought into his vision of a greener BP. Hayward, however, was soon grappling with the 2010 explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig that killed 11 workers and caused the worst oil spill in US history. His thoughtless remark to journalists that “I want my life back” destroyed his BP career. For the company, the real damage was the billions of pounds in compensation it has had to pay from its profits in the years since then. Those payouts so far total about $67bn – directly contributing to BP’s continuing financial weakness. Browne was ahead of his time when he envisioned a future beyond oil and gas in the late 1990s. However, this idea had become mainstream by the time Looney ascended to the BP’s top job in 2020. (He succeeded Bob Dudley, an American who joined the company through the Amoco merger and helped steer the company through the Deepwater Horizon crisis.) With the world in lockdown and the public reassessing attitudes to everything from race to the planet, Looney’s progressive plan seem to some as a reflection of the changing times. However, to other observers, this in itself was a problem. Looney’s decision was the product of a culture that has long been too obsessed with image rather than results, according to one former BP executive. “BP is more like a quasi-state oil company, where it is almost focused more on its role in the world than making money,” they say. “It just doesn’t have the visceral commercial hunger of Exxon or Total.” BP’s share price has hardly changed since the year 2000, still hovering just below £5. Shell’s shares, by contrast, are worth about five times more. A BP shareholder says the pivot to net zero was also based on muddled thinking: “It was a strategic error. All the green stocks were trading on 20-30 times earnings, and BP was on something like six so the idea was, if you switch across you can get the same high rating. “But the catch was, you didn’t make anything like the same money in wind farms – it just wasn’t there.” The return on capital invested by BP has declined and Dan Slater, director of research at Zeus Capital investors, says there is a direct link with its venture into renewables. “BP has gone harder into renewables than its peers in recent years, and that has ended up denting returns. This has been most clearly highlighted in the company’s share price underperformance, particularly compared with Exxon and Chevron, which are more focused on oil and gas.” Auchincloss is now trying to close that gap. But BP’s investors are unlikely to be satisfied with just a pledge to find more oil and gas. They will want blood too – almost certainly that of Lund, the chairman, and some of the other non-executive directors. As one senior fund manager said: “Lund is probably under the most pressure. His name keeps coming up. He came in, pivoted as the zeitgeist went towards renewables and away from oil and now he is having to pivot back. So he might be the wrong guy to do that.” If Auchincloss gets his reset wrong, he too will be at risk. “Auchincloss isn’t dead in the water, but I think he will only be allowed one shot,” the fund manager says. While Elliott’s presence on BP’s share register may be seen as raising the stakes, an argument can be made that it actually gives Auchincloss a boost. As one former oil executive puts it: “I think Elliott’s presence gives Auchincloss cover to blow the doors off. In fact, he has to, doesn’t he?” BP chief Murray Auchincloss risks becoming a target for investors’ ire if he botches the company’s reset – Callaghan O’Hare/REUTERS Geopolitics could offer a route to recovery. Three years ago BP cut ties with the Kremlin-controlled energy giant Rosneft, in which it held a 20pc stake, following Russia’s attack on Ukraine. BP took an immediate hit of $24bn, simultaneously reducing its reported oil and gas reserves by more than 50pc, oil and gas production by a third, and earnings by $2bn a year. It has not, however, sold its shares – and this week JP Morgan suggested that could mean a windfall lay ahead if the current peace talks led to a settlement. “Rosneft optionality makes BP a prime ceasefire beneficiary,” the bank said. Ditching Looney’s legacy policies could pay off in the US too, especially with Donald Trump in charge. Trump’s energy secretary, Chris Wright, last week denounced net zero policies to a London conference as “sinister” while the US president has infamously denounced climate change as “a hoax”. With its US assets producing 700,000 barrels of oil and gas a day – nearly a third of the company’s output – it would be brave of BP to cling to its net zero pretensions. A presentation accompanying BP’s most recent financial results hinted at the company’s enthusiasm to realign itself. BP has already edited its maps to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America as Trump has demanded. Whatever Auchincloss tells investors this week, it will do little to lift the threats from the likes of Elliott. The company remains fundamentally weaker than competitors and vulnerable as a result. “Trading at levels that don’t justify the sum of its parts is as bad as it gets for a public company,” says Greg Newman, the chief executive of oil markets trader Onyx Capital, which traded 24bn barrels of oil last year. “It’s no wonder an asset-stripper type strategy looks appealing and is gaining attention.” Along with all other *** offshore operators, BP is effectively banned from seeking out new oil and gas under the ***’s surrounding seas by energy secretary Ed Miliband’s net zero ban on exploration. Instead, the company is looking ever further afield. BP’s latest and riskiest venture, for example, is in the Gulf of Mexico where it is drilling more than 35,000ft into the seabed, in 6,000ft of ocean, to exploit the Kaskida field. The oil is so hot, at 120C, and under such great pressures – 500 times greater than a lorry tyre – that no one has dared touch it until now. Yet even formalising the move back to oil and gas has its perils. Elliott may be keen on the idea but other shareholders are fiercely resistant. Last week a group of 48 institutional investors wrote to Lund demanding BP give shareholders a vote on any plan to invest more in fossil fuel production. The group, including Rathbones Investment Management, Phoenix Group, Robeco and Royal London Asset Management, wrote: “Whilst we can understand the short term business case for this, in the medium term it increases investors’ potential exposure to stranded or value destructive assets as the energy transition progresses.” This group, however, are comparatively small stakeholders in BP. Although it is headquartered in London, about 45pc of its shares are owned by American institutions or investors – compared with just 30pc held in the ***. New York-based BlackRock alone holds nearly 10pc while the Vanguard Group, based in Malvern, Pennsylvania, has another 5pc. Norges Bank – the Bank of Norway – has another 5pc. All refused to comment, as did Elliott. If Auchincloss is going to protect BP, then those big investors are the ones he must keep onside. Asked for comment on its strategic pivot, BP pointed to comments made by Auchincloss earlier this month. He said: “Building on the actions taken in the last 12 months, we now plan to fundamentally reset our strategy and drive further improvements in performance, all in service of growing cash flow and returns. It will be a new direction for BP.” Will it be enough? Some observers still see a takeover or break-up as the most likely outcome for BP. According to another industry figure, BP needs “putting out of its misery”. Additional reporting by Louis Goss Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Source link #faces #existential #crisis #ruinous #attempt #green Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Why Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga still holds up as one of the best Mario RPGs Why Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga still holds up as one of the best Mario RPGs NE: “Today, we’re looking at Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga on Nintendo Switch Online and how it holds up against future entries in the series.” Source link #Mario #amp #Luigi #Superstar #Saga #holds #Mario #RPGs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The impact of Trump firing the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff The impact of Trump firing the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff The impact of Trump firing the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – CBS News Watch CBS News President Trump announced on Friday that he will replace Gen. Charles Q. Brown as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Other senior Defense Department officials were also ousted. CBS News senior national security correspondent Charlie D’Agata examines the impact of the firings. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On Source link #impact #Trump #firing #chairman #Joint #Chiefs #Staff Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Proud’ Kanye West and Bianca Censori step out in full-body cover attire for film premiere – Hindustan Times ‘Proud’ Kanye West and Bianca Censori step out in full-body cover attire for film premiere – Hindustan Times ‘Proud’ Kanye West and Bianca Censori step out in full-body cover attire for film premiere Hindustan TimesKanye West and Bianca Censori Attend Premiere of Their Film Amid Looming Divorce TMZ Source link #Proud #Kanye #West #Bianca #Censori #step #fullbody #cover #attire #film #premiere #Hindustan #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Formula 1: Carlos Sainz becomes a director of Grand Prix Drivers’ Association Formula 1: Carlos Sainz becomes a director of Grand Prix Drivers’ Association The GPDA was formed back in the early 1960s and has predominantly focused on safety matters. For example, the GPDA and Wurz were instrumental in the adoption of the ‘halo’ head protection device in F1 for the 2018 season. It has since saved a number of lives in serious accidents. But in recent years the drivers have found themselves increasingly at loggerheads with Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the president of governing body the FIA, who was elected in 2021. Ben Sulayem’s actions have led to concerns among many stakeholders in F1, and the drivers are weighing up how to respond to his decision in January to codify a process by which drivers can end up facing a race ban if they swear. The FIA has not clarified how these rules will be applied. World rally driver Adrien Fourmaux this month became the first driver to fall foul of the regulation and was a fined €10,000 for swearing in a TV interview at Rally Sweden. Sainz has said this month that it is wrong to threaten F1 drivers with bans for swearing, although he agreed drivers should avoid bad language in news conferences and television interviews. In November, the GPDA wrote an open letter to the FIA asking the governing body to treat them like adults, saying it felt fines were “not appropriate” forms of punishment and asking for transparency as to how they were spent. They have received no response from the FIA on the matter. The letter was a reaction to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen being ordered to “accomplish some work of public interest” after swearing in an official news conference at the Singapore Grand Prix in September. This follows other interventions by Ben Sulayem, such as a ban on jewellery, which have also irritated the drivers. Source link #Formula #Carlos #Sainz #director #Grand #Prix #Drivers #Association Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A Huge Catalog of Xbox Games Will Use Muse AI Generative Model Soon, Says Microsoft CEO A Huge Catalog of Xbox Games Will Use Muse AI Generative Model Soon, Says Microsoft CEO There’s been a raging debate about the meaning of first-party, second-party, and so on among gaming enthusiasts for eons. For the longest time, it was assumed first-party games were those published by the platform holder and made by internally owned studios, while second-party titles were those titles still published by the platform holder but made by non-owned studios. Source link #Huge #Catalog #Xbox #Games #Muse #Generative #Model #Microsoft #CEO Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Open: This is “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Feb. 23, 2025 Open: This is “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Feb. 23, 2025 Open: This is “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Feb. 23, 2025 – CBS News Watch CBS News This week on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” the president’s mission to shrink the federal workforce intensifies, and his foreign policy dealmaking reaches a critical juncture. We’ll speak with President Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York and more. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On Source link #Open #Face #Nation #Margaret #Brennan #Feb Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

French authorities detain 4 after stabbing linked to Islamic extremism – National French authorities detain 4 after stabbing linked to Islamic extremism – National By Staff The Associated Press Posted February 23, 2025 7:54 am Updated February 23, 2025 11:33 am 1 min read Descrease article font size Increase article font size Four people were in custody Sunday after a deadly stabbing in eastern France that authorities linked to Islamic extremism, according to the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office. A Portuguese man was killed in the Saturday attack in the city of Mulhouse, near the border with Germany. Seven police officers were wounded, including a parking control agent hospitalized with grave injuries, the prosecutor’s office said. Those detained include the suspected assailant, a 37-year-old Algerian man identified by prosecutors as Brahim A. The interior minister described him as an Islamic extremist with a schizophrenic profile. Two of the suspect’s family members and a person who lodged him were also detained, the prosecutor’s office said. 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. French President Emmanuel Macron said the government has “complete determination” to respond to the attack, which he blamed on ’’Islamist terrorism.″ France has been on high alert for extremist threats. The suspect repeatedly said ’’Allahu akbar″ — “God is great” in Arabic — during the attack, the prosecutor said. He was armed with a knife and a screwdriver. Story continues below advertisement The suspect arrived in France without papers in 2014 and was arrested and convicted of glorifying terrorism in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, ****** attack on Israel, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau told reporters Saturday night. Police experts had ″detected a schizophrenic profile″ in the suspect, he added. Trending Now Pope Francis now in critical condition, ******** says Police officer, gunman dead after hostages taken at Pennsylvania hospital After several months in prison for that conviction, the suspect was confined to house arrest as authorities sought to expel him to Algeria. Retailleau criticized Algeria for resisting the return of criminals France is seeking to deport. The French government will convene a special meeting Wednesday about immigration in the wake of the attack, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Sunday. They will notably study 19 countries “where we have the most difficulty in returning people without papers,″ Barrot said on Europe-1 radio. More on World More videos &copy 2025 The ********* Press Source link #French #authorities #detain #stabbing #linked #Islamic #extremism #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The First Descendant is Going to Need More than Jiggle Physics to Bounce Back The First Descendant is Going to Need More than Jiggle Physics to Bounce Back TNS: The First Descendant has seen much better days and its bikinis, racy skins, and the promise of jiggle physics aren’t paying off anymore. Source link #Descendant #Jiggle #Physics #Bounce Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Matildas to swing changes for United States clash Matildas to swing changes for United States clash Matildas interim coach Tom Sermanni has promised changes to his starting line-up as he eyes a response against the United States. But he won’t respond to a 4-0 thrashing from Japan in the SheBelieves Cup by throwing youngsters to the wolves against the Olympic champions in Arizona on Monday. “Coaches often talk about wholesale changes, but when you look at it, nobody actually makes wholesale changes,” Sermanni said. “But we’re making a few changes. We’re definitely changing the line-up and bringing a few different players in.” Sermanni indicated some substitutes against Japan had earned starts. That could include the likes of Wini Heatley, Holly McNamara and Charli Grant – but fresh faces will be counterbalanced by experienced heads. “The key thing for us in this tournament is it to try and give exposure for players that are not regulars in the team. And that’s what we tend to do during the tournament,” Sermanni said. “How much we can do that depends on a whole lot of factors, but it’s certainly our intent to get some of those younger players out there and playing in the team – whether they come off the bench, or whether they start in the team. “At the same time, you have to look at putting out a balanced team. “If you look back two or three years ago, when Australia put out a very inexperienced team against Spain (losing 7-0), I don’t think that was a really valuable exercise at the time. “Getting the right mix is what’s really important. Because you don’t just want to throw young players in if that mix isn’t right, because you’re kind of exposing them and you’re potentially doing them some damage at the same time.” US coach Emma Hayes fielded some younger players in a 2-0 win against Colombia. But Sermanni was acutely aware of the Americans’ depth. “We’ve got to get lots of things right. The first thing is we need to be ready to go out there and compete and deal with their intensity and their quality of play,” Sermanni said. “The thing that the US has done now is they built up not just a starting team, but a real quality squad, where even if they have five or six key players missing, they still get an outstanding team. “They’re a very formidable team at the moment. So the first thing in the first and foremost thing, is that we need to go and compete – that’s that’s basically what we need to do. “Then if we do that, we need to then have the confidence to play the kind of football that we’re capable of.” Source link #Matildas #swing #United #States #clash Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Sword of the Necromancer: Resurrection Review | TheXboxHub Sword of the Necromancer: Resurrection Review | TheXboxHub “The Barcelona-based (Spain) indie games developer Grimorio of Games are today very happy and proud to announce that “Sword of the Necromancer: Resurrection” (the 3D remake of the original “Sword of the Necromancer”), is coming to PC (via Steam) and consoles (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch) on on January 23rd, 2025.” – Jonas Ek, TGG. Source link #Sword #Necromancer #Resurrection #Review #TheXboxHub Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Tens of thousands fill Beirut stadium for funerals for Hezbollah leaders Tens of thousands fill Beirut stadium for funerals for Hezbollah leaders Tens of thousands fill Beirut stadium for funerals for Hezbollah leaders Source link #Tens #thousands #fill #Beirut #stadium #funerals #Hezbollah #leaders Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Voters Took Note of U.S. Meddling in Campaign Voters Took Note of U.S. Meddling in Campaign Interference by Trump administration officials in the ******* campaign put off some left-leaning voters but was welcomed by others supporting the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, according to a smattering of interviews at polling stations. Several voters in the eastern city of Dresden took note of a speech by Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference this month, when he told European leaders to stop shunning parties deemed “extreme.” Chris Buschmann, who said he is left-leaning but declined to say how he voted, said hearing Mr. Vance made him “anxious.” Mr. Buschmann, 27, said he is worried about the rise of right-wing populism both in Germany and around the world. He worries, he said, about “history repeating itself,” referring to Germany’s Nazi past. Tim Adams, an engineer who split his ticket between the Green Party and Die Linke, the ******* left party, criticized billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk’s attempts to influence the ******* election. Mr. Musk has endorsed the AfD and praised the party’s co-chair, Alice Weidel. Last month, he spoke at an AfD rally, telling the audience that Germany has “too much of a focus on past guilt.” Those interventions have been “very bad for our politics,” Mr. Adams said. Others voiced support for President Trump and his administration. Andreas Mühlbach and Anja Zeumer, both of whom voted for the AfD, said they welcomed the new American president. In Aschaffenburg, retired painter Peter Kraus said he voted for the AfD “with great joy” — and on the recommendation of Mr. Vance and Mr. Musk. “When the American vice president says it, and Elon Musk, yeah, they have exactly my opinion,” Mr. Kraus said. “And I’m not as well-educated as those two.” Source link #Voters #Note #U.S #Meddling #Campaign Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

******* election live: Turnout high in early voting – Financial Times ******* election live: Turnout high in early voting – Financial Times ******* election live: Turnout high in early voting Financial TimesLive ******* election results and maps Reuters.comGermany Election 2025: What to Watch For The New York TimesFrom Ukraine to immigration, hear what ******* voters are saying concerns them most CNNDiscontented Germany votes in an election with economy, migration and far-right strength in focus The Associated Press Source link #******* #election #live #Turnout #high #early #voting #Financial #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]