Pelican Press

Maylands suburb profile: What are its unique selling points and is it a good place to live? Maylands suburb profile: What are its unique selling points and is it a good place to live? This riverside inner-city suburb is a lively destination where public art, live music and laneway festivals complement the trendy cafes and quirky vintage boutiques. Source link #Maylands #suburb #profile #unique #selling #points #good #place #live Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pope Francis is in critical condition after a long respiratory crisis, requiring oxygen at high flow – The Associated Press Pope Francis is in critical condition after a long respiratory crisis, requiring oxygen at high flow – The Associated Press Pope Francis is in critical condition after a long respiratory crisis, requiring oxygen at high flow The Associated PressPope is in critical condition after suffering ‘asthmatic respiratory crisis,’ ******** says CNNPope Francis remains in critical condition after respiratory crisis CBS NewsPope at Gemelli hospital: Respiratory crisis on Saturday morning vaticannews.vaVatican says the pope has a ‘polymicrobial respiratory tract infection.’ What is that? The Associated Press Source link #Pope #Francis #critical #condition #long #respiratory #crisis #requiring #oxygen #high #flow #Press Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ben Harvey: ******* leaders whining about treatment of anti-Semitic nurses need to read the room Ben Harvey: ******* leaders whining about treatment of anti-Semitic nurses need to read the room This column serves as a memo to the more than 50 leaders of *********** Muslims who signed an open letter of complaint about the treatment of the two NSW nurses who bragged about wanting to kill Jews. Source link #Ben #Harvey #******* #leaders #whining #treatment #antiSemitic #nurses #read #room Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pope Francis is in critical condition after a long respiratory crisis, requiring oxygen at high flow – POLITICO Pope Francis is in critical condition after a long respiratory crisis, requiring oxygen at high flow – POLITICO Pope Francis is in critical condition after a long respiratory crisis, requiring oxygen at high flow POLITICOPope is in critical condition after suffering ‘asthmatic respiratory crisis,’ ******** says CNNPope Francis in critical condition, Boston parishioners gather to pray CBS BostonPope at Gemelli hospital: Respiratory crisis on Saturday morning vaticannews.vaVatican says the pope has a ‘polymicrobial respiratory tract infection.’ What is that? The Associated Press Source link #Pope #Francis #critical #condition #long #respiratory #crisis #requiring #oxygen #high #flow #POLITICO Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Caitlin Bassett Training Diary: Learning curve grows steep once you enter the centre sqaure Caitlin Bassett Training Diary: Learning curve grows steep once you enter the centre sqaure The concept seemed simple, rucks are tall and they use their height to jump up high and tap the ball down to their midfielders but the truth is much more complex writes Caitlin Bassett. Source link #Caitlin #Bassett #Training #Diary #Learning #curve #grows #steep #enter #centre #sqaure Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

SpaceX launches 22 Starlink internet satellites from California – Space.com SpaceX launches 22 Starlink internet satellites from California – Space.com SpaceX launches 22 Starlink internet satellites from California Space.comLive coverage: SpaceX to launch 21 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Spaceflight NowWhat to know: SpaceX rocket launch from Cape Canaveral Sunday to fly new Falcon 9 first-stage Florida TodayThe Bahamas Makes Giant Leap Into Space, Welcoming First International SpaceX Landing YahooWATCH: SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base KSBY News Source link #SpaceX #launches #Starlink #internet #satellites #California #Space.com Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Northern Ireland weather weather warning issued for Sunday Northern Ireland weather weather warning issued for Sunday Cecilia Daly BBC News NI weather presenter Desmond Kelly This stormy picture was taken at Magilligan Point, County Londonderry More unsettled weather is headed for Northern Ireland over the weekend, with a wind warning due to come into force on Sunday. After Friday’s wet and windy weather, another area of low pressure is waiting in the Atlantic to bring a further spell of strong winds to the island of Ireland. The yellow alert for strong winds, which may lead to some disruption, covers all of Northern Ireland and comes into effect at 03:00 GMT on Sunday until 15:00. The Met Office issued the warning on Thursday. Large waves may come onshore and rain will accompany the strong winds, which will make for very poor weather conditions, especially on roads. Delays and disruption to transport can be expected again, with possible damage to trees and some infrastructure. Ian – Ballymena Weather Watcher There was some localised flooding in Ballymena on Friday Southerly winds are expected to increase through Sunday morning, peaking late morning to early afternoon with gusts of 50-60mph (80-95 kmh), and perhaps as much as 70mph (112kmh) on the exposed Irish Sea coastline and some other areas of high ground. For comparison southerly winds gusted to over 60mph (95 kmh) on Friday. 63mph Ballypatrick Forest (County Antrim)62mph Orlock Head (County Down)60mph Magilligan (County Londonderry) Winds are expected to ease slowly through the afternoon. Getty Images Last month’s Storm Éowyn brought down trees across Northern Ireland In the Republic of Ireland Met Éireann has issued wind and rain yellow alerts for Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow, Munster, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo from 02:00 local time (02:00 GMT) on Sunday to 15:00. A separate wind warning for Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo is in place from 15:00 on Sunday to midnight. Allow Twitter content?This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read and before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. Accept and continue This disturbed weather pattern coincides with the change to milder air, with temperatures continuing to be above average this weekend. Colder weather is expected to return next week. Warnings may be updated. Source link #Northern #Ireland #weather #weather #warning #issued #Sunday Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

WA State Election 2025: Greens warn Cook of demands for Upper House support for legislation WA State Election 2025: Greens warn Cook of demands for Upper House support for legislation The Greens are talking tough ahead of next month’s State election as the easybeats of WA politics expect to become a potent force thanks to reforms to the Upper House voting system. Source link #State #Election #Greens #warn #Cook #demands #Upper #House #support #legislation Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Former LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley issues statement after removal Former LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley issues statement after removal The Brief Kristin Crowley has issued a statement on her removal as Chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass fired Crowley as Chief Friday effective immediately. Bass said the decision came because of Crowley’s actions regarding the January wildfires Crowley called her time as chief, “an absolute honor.” LOS ANGELES – One day after she was fired as Chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department, Kristin Crowley, spoke out on Saturday, saying in part that it was “an absolute honor” to serve as the city’s fire chief. Bass made the announcement on Friday, citing specific instances related to Crowley’s response to the Palisades and Eaton fires. PREVIOUS: Mayor Bass removes Kristin Crowley as LAFD Chief Karen Bass Fires LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley What we know Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced on Friday that she had removed LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley, effective immediately. During a press conference on Friday, Bass said she and Crowley met briefly on Friday ahead of the announcement. Bass said Crowley’s removal from the position was because of her response to the recent Palisades and Eaton Fires. Specifically, Bass called out Crowley sending home 1,000 firefighters the day the fires broke out, and Crowley’s alleged refusal to do an after-action report, which Bass said was “a necessary step to the investigation” of the fires. What we don’t know It’s unclear why Crowley refused to do an after-action report on the fire. Karen Bass’ full statement What they’re saying The mayor’s office released a full statement on Friday, saying: “Acting in the best interests of Los Angeles’ public safety, and for the operations of the Los Angeles Fire Department, I have removed Kristin Crowley as Fire Chief. We know that 1,000 firefighters that could have been on duty on the morning the fires broke out were instead sent home on Chief Crowley’s watch. Furthermore, a necessary step to an investigation was the President of the Fire Commission telling Chief Crowley to do an after-action report on the fires. The Chief refused. These require her removal. The heroism of our firefighters – during the Palisades fire and every single day – is without question. Bringing new leadership to the Fire Department is what our city needs.” Kristin Crowley’s response Crowley issued a statement on Saturday, for the first time since her removal, calling her time as Chief, “an absolute honor.” The full statement read: “As a humble public servant for over the past 30 years, 25 of those with the LAFD, it has been an absolute honor to represent and lead the men and women of one of the greatest fire departments in the world. As the Fire Chief, I based my actions and decisions on taking care of our firefighters so that they could take care of our communities. Serving others before self, having the courage and integrity to do what is right, and leading with compassion, love and respect have guided me throughout my career. I am extremely proud of the work, sacrifice and dedication of our LAFD members, both sworn and civilian.” Officials criticize firing Several officials have come out against Bass’ decision, most notably the fire union, City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, and businessman Rick Caruso. UFLAC president Fred Escobar said the union was “outraged at the termination of Fire Chief Crowley,” saying that Crowley was “being made a scapegoat and she is being terminated for telling the truth” Escobar blamed Bass’ budget cuts for a lack of engines and fire trucks to respond to the fires. SUGGESTED: ‘LA has outgrown its fire department’: LAFD’s 4K personnel struggle to serve population of 4M Rodriguez also spoke out against the decision, calling Crowley “the most qualified member of the LA City Fire Department,” and encouraging Crowley to appeal the decision. Caruso, who lost to Bass in the 2022 mayoral election, said he was “disappointed by the decision,” calling it “victim blaming.” The other side Several LA City Councilmembers have voiced their support for Bass’ decision, including Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Councilmember Hugo Soto Martínez, and Councilmember Adrin Nazarian. Karen Bass and Kristin Crowley’s strained relationship The backstory For some, Friday’s announcement was not a surprise. Bass and Crowley have had a publicly strained relationship ever since the fires broke out on Jan. 7. In a Jan. 10 interview with FOX 11’s Gigi Graciette, Crowley spoke out against her department’s funding and staffing. Crowley admitted that recent budget cuts to the department had negatively affected the LAFD’s ability to fight the fires, and added that while call volume for the LAFD had doubled since 2010, the department actually has fewer firefighters now. When asked if the City of Los Angeles had failed the LAFD, Crowley said, simply, “yes.” Bass says she was never warned about fires PREVIOUS: Karen Bass criticized for cutting LAFD budget by $17.6M amid 3 LA County fires Karen Bass has faced intense criticism as well for her handling of the situation, particularly the fact that she was thousands of miles away in Ghana the day the fires broke out. In her first sit-down interview since the fires, she told FOX 11’s Elex Michaelson that Crowley did not call her to warn her of how dangerous the weather forecast was, and said that Crowley hadn’t completed the “normal preparations” for the severe weather the region was expecting. “That type of preparation didn’t happen,” Bass said. “If that had. I wouldn’t have even gone to San Diego, let alone leave the country.” Bass said it’s not clear why she never got any advance notice. Who will replace Kristin Crowley? What’s next On Friday, Bass announced that Ronnie Villanueva, a 41-year LAFD veteran, would serve as interim chief, while her office looks for Crowley’s replacement. What’s next for Kristin Crowley? According to Mayor Bass’ office, Crowley exercised her civil service right to remain with the agency at a lower rank. Villanueva will be responsible for assigning her duties. The Source Information in this story is from a statement by former LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley, a Jan. 10 interview with Crowley, public statements from city officials and public leaders, an interview with Mayor Karen Bass, her Feb. 21 press conference, and previous FOX 11 reports. Source link #LAFD #Chief #Kristin #Crowley #issues #statement #removal Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Song Fight Results – ESPN UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Song Fight Results – ESPN UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Song Fight Results ESPN’Weirdest night ever’: Fighters react to Song Yadong’s victory over Henry Cejudo at UFC Fight Night 252 MMA JunkieExpert picks, best bets: How Cejudo can beat Song at UFC Fight Night ESPNUFC Fight Night prediction — Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong: Fight card, start time, odds, live stream CBS SportsCrammed Climate Pledge welcomes UFC back for first time in dozen years The Seattle Times Source link #UFC #Fight #Night #Cejudo #Song #Fight #Results #ESPN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Sinkhole investigation delayed due to safety concerns Sinkhole investigation delayed due to safety concerns Hsin-Yi Lo & Patrick Barlow BBC News, South East Reuters The sinkhole swallowed up a large part of a Surrey road Investigations into a sinkhole which swallowed a large part of a Surrey road have been delayed due to safety concerns, a council has said. Residents from 30 properties in High Street, Godstone, were told to evacuate in the early hours on Tuesday. Godstone Parish Council said investigations would continue next week to determine the cause of the sinkhole and to establish the full extent of the damage. It said the earliest expected date for stabilisation work to begin was 26 February and once the area was stabilised, a repair and reconstruction plan would be developed. Families had previously said they had been left “homeless” by the sinkhole and had “no idea” when they would be allowed home. Six families were allowed to return to their homes on Friday. CCTV cameras have been installed at the empty properties and an overnight security guard has been provided by Tandridge District Council (TDC). Adrian Harms/BBC Tandridge District Council said updates would be shared as “soon as they become available” A spokesperson for Riverdale Developments, which built the new flats in William Way, said: “While we are not the current freeholder, we have contacted the managing agent to offer our support in reassuring residents. “Extensive ground investigations were carried out prior to commencement, and the development is on piled foundations to suit the ground conditions and was overseen by approved contractors in accordance with NHBC [National House Building Council] standards.” TDC said it would offer tax relief to affected residents and businesses. It said some insurance companies had “refused” to provide accommodation and urged anyone having issues finding somewhere to stay to call the council. Council leader Catherine Sayer said providing support was a “priority”, adding: “We are committed to helping the community during this challenging time.” An information centre will open on St Nicholas Youth Centre from 14:00 to 16:00 GMT on Monday and Thursday. A public meeting is due to take place on Tuesday at 18:30 GMT at St Nicholas Youth Centre, Godstone. Source link #Sinkhole #investigation #delayed #due #safety #concerns Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Dean Jones Trophy: Western Australia’s hold over one-day tournament ends with a fighting win over Queensland Dean Jones Trophy: Western Australia’s hold over one-day tournament ends with a fighting win over Queensland Brody Couch’s stunning first season in ****** and gold has crossed formats, with the former Victorian quick spearheading an upset one-day victory over Queensland. Source link #Dean #Jones #Trophy #Western #Australias #hold #oneday #tournament #ends #fighting #win #Queensland Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Quick hits: No. 3 Duke demolishes Illini 110-67 at MSG for worst loss in UI program history – 247Sports Quick hits: No. 3 Duke demolishes Illini 110-67 at MSG for worst loss in UI program history – 247Sports Quick hits: No. 3 Duke demolishes Illini 110-67 at MSG for worst loss in UI program history 247SportsDuke 110-67 Illinois (Feb 22, 2025) Game Recap ESPNDuke’s March Tune-Up Should Frighten NCAA Tournament Field Sports IllustratedCAMERON NORTH: No. 3 Duke men’s basketball dominates Illinois 110-67 for 8th straight win in Madison Square Garden Duke ChronicleElite, fearless, generational: Cooper Flagg ready to shine at Madison Square Garden FOX Sports Source link #Quick #hits #Duke #demolishes #Illini #MSG #worst #loss #program #history #247Sports Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

WA election 2025: Cheers and insults as Labor unveils Made in WA election plan with Mark McGowan in attendance WA election 2025: Cheers and insults as Labor unveils Made in WA election plan with Mark McGowan in attendance Mark McGowan has lavished praise on the man who replaced him, watching Roger Cook’s speech from the front row of Labor’s State election campaign launch — and declaring that he could not have done a better job. Source link #election #Cheers #insults #Labor #unveils #election #plan #Mark #McGowan #attendance Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Lakers get first big performance from Luka Dončić in win over Nuggets – Yahoo Sports Lakers get first big performance from Luka Dončić in win over Nuggets – Yahoo Sports Lakers get first big performance from Luka Dončić in win over Nuggets Yahoo SportsLakers 123-100 Nuggets (Feb 22, 2025) Game Recap ESPNLeBron James, Luka Doncic Duo Dubbed ‘Cheat Code’ By NBA Fans as Lakers Beat Nuggets Bleacher ReportHow many points did Luka Doncic score tonight? Lakers vs. Nuggets stats USA TODAYLuka Dončić responds to JJ Redick’s ‘killer’ challenge in delivering first signature win as a Laker CBS Sports Source link #Lakers #big #performance #Luka #Dončić #win #Nuggets #Yahoo #Sports Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Bulls miss one-day final after crushing loss to WA Bulls miss one-day final after crushing loss to WA Wooden spooners WA have played the role of party poopers, defeating Queensland by six wickets to end the Bulls’ One-Day Cup finals hopes. Source link #Bulls #oneday #final #crushing #loss Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Rihanna gives rare insight into parenting kids RZA, Riot – The News International Rihanna gives rare insight into parenting kids RZA, Riot – The News International Rihanna gives rare insight into parenting kids RZA, Riot The News InternationalRihanna Says the ‘Greatest Thing’ About A$AP Rocky Is ‘Seeing Him Be a Dad’ — but It Also Leaves Her ‘Annoyed’ PEOPLERihanna Gushes About Her Sons’ Wildly Different Personalities Harper’s BAZAARRihanna reveals Pharrell Williams named her son ‘thinking it was going to be a girl’ Entertainment Weekly NewsRihanna Reveals the Celeb Who Inspired Name of Her and A$AP Rocky’s Son Riot – E! Online E! NEWS Source link #Rihanna #rare #insight #parenting #kids #RZA #Riot #News #International Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

West Coast defender Reuben Ginbey to sweat on AFL’s MRO after incident with Richmond’s Sam Lalor West Coast defender Reuben Ginbey to sweat on AFL’s MRO after incident with Richmond’s Sam Lalor Reuben Ginbey’s round one hopes lie in the hands of the AFL’s MRO as the hulking West Coast defender awaits to find out his fate from an incident that left No.1 draftee Sam Lalor with a broken jaw. Source link #West #Coast #defender #Reuben #Ginbey #sweat #AFLs #MRO #incident #Richmonds #Sam #Lalor Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Isabel Padilla Isabel Padilla, age 96, passed away on Isabel Padilla Isabel Padilla, age 96, passed away on Feb. 22—Isabel Padilla Isabel Padilla, age 96, passed away on Wednesday, February 12, 2025. Isabel was preceded in death by her husband of fifty six years, Santiago (Jimmy); and two great-grandsons, Kayden and Jakob Montoya. She is survived by her five children: Gloria Padilla-Carlson, Priscilla Padilla-Griego (Ernie), Roger Padilla, Angelina Padilla (Anna), and Rita Lucero (Frank). Isabel had nine grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren. She is also survived by a nephew, Alejandro Encinias; a niece, Isabel Garcia, and dear friends too numerous to mention. Isabel was born Saturday, June 16, 1928, in La Liendre, New Mexico. Isabel worked at APS for many years and formed friendships that lasted to her death. Her joy in being with family and friends was unmatched. Until the very end, Isabel looked forward to every social gathering and she never met a stranger who didn’t become a friend. On Monday, February 24, 2025, visitation will be at 5:00 pm at FRENCH-Lomas, followed by a Rosary at 6:00 PM. Hermanos de La Fraternidad Piadosa de Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno, of which Jimmy Padilla was a member, will lead the Rosary. On Tuesday, February 25, 2025, at 10:00 am, a ******** Mass will be held at St. Bernadette Catholic Church, 11401 Indian School Rd NE, followed by a reception at the St. Bernadette Parish Hall. On Friday, February 28, 2025, an interment ceremony will be held at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 7999 Wyoming Blvd NE, at 1:00 pm. Please visit our online guestbook for Isabel at www.FrenchFunerals.com. Source link #Isabel #Padilla #Isabel #Padilla #age #passed Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Germans Are Voting. Here’s What to Watch For. Germans Are Voting. Here’s What to Watch For. Germans vote on Sunday in a rare snap election that has taken on outsized importance as the new Trump administration threatens European countries with tariffs, cuts them out of negotiations over Ukraine, and embraces an authoritarian Russia. The election for Parliament was called after Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s unpopular and long-troubled three-party government collapsed in November. Seven months earlier than scheduled, the voting now falls in the midst of Europe’s struggle for strong leadership and as it recalibrates its relationship with the United States. Despite the effort by politicians and countless volunteers to bring excitement to the race during the short, dark winter campaign, polls never much shifted. Friedrich Merz and his conservative Christian Democratic Union have a comfortable lead. The hard-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, is expected to place second, riding on voter dissatisfaction with mainstream parties and fears of migration. Polls show it is likely to have its best showing ever. Chancellor Scholz’s Social Democrats, which eked out a victory in 2021, are expected to come in third, just ahead of the Greens. The Social Democratic party, the oldest party in Germany, may be poised for its worst showing since it was banned by the Nazis. But uncertainties abound. Here are some things to watch for: Two’s Company, Three’s a Crowd No party is expected to get enough votes to govern alone and outright. The most important question will then be how many parties are needed to form a government. Together Mr. Merz’s center-right Christian Democrats and the far-right AfD are likely to have the broadest majority. But because the AfD is tainted by neo-Nazi associations, Mr. Merz and all mainstream party leaders say they will not form a government with it. Instead they will join together in what’s called the “firewall,” aimed at keeping extremists out of power. That leaves the Social Democrats, though they are on the center-left, as Mr. Metz’s most likely partner. If the two of them don’t have enough support to form a majority, a third party will be needed. The experience of the incumbent government showed just how difficult and unstable a three-party group can be. It’s an outcome that many analyst say would leave Germany almost back to when the last three-party government collapsed. Little Kingmakers It will be critically important, then, how well smaller parties will do and whether they get at least the five percent support needed to enter Parliament. If polling is correct, the tiny Die Linke party, on the far left, seems likely to make it. Polls show it poised for a turnaround from last year when it appeared to be on its way to extinction after one of its most popular members, Sahra Wagenknecht, broke from it to form her own party. The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, or BSW, as the new party is called, is running for the first time at a national level. Its prospects are uncertain. Another party hovering near the threshold is the pro-business Free Democratic Party. Its leader, Christian Lindner, is the man who goaded Chancellor Scholz into kicking him out of the government, precipitating Sunday’s election. For him, the vote will be a test of whether that gambit to save his party pays off. For all these parties, clearing the barrier to entering Parliament is an existential question; without seats in Parliament, they are much less visible and have access to much less funding. But if they all make it into the Parliament, that is likely to complicate life for the ******* parties, reducing their number of seats and denying them the chance for a two-party coalition. Will the ‘Firewall’ Hold? If the AfD has an even stronger than expected showing — somewhere above 20 percent — and provokes an unwieldy effort to work around it, questions of how long the “firewall” by the mainstream can hold are likely to intensify. Even among nationalist, anti-immigrant parties in Europe, the AfD is considered one of the more extreme. Parts of the AfD are closely monitored by ******* domestic intelligence agencies, which have labeled them extremist and potential threats to the Constitution. Party members have toyed with reviving Nazi slogans, downplayed the horror wrought by the Holocaust and have been linked to plots to overthrow the government. Yet the party has been embraced by Trump administration officials. During the Munich Security Conference this month, Vice President JD Vance called on Germans to stop marginalizing far-right parties, saying, “there is no room for firewalls,” and he met with Alice Weidel, the AfD candidate for chancellor. Elon Musk, the billionaire Trump adviser, interviewed Ms. Weidel on his social media platform X and endorsed her by video link before AfD supporters assembled at a rally, telling them that Germans had “too much of a focus on past guilt.” The strength of the AfD’s showing, then, could prove a bellwether not only for ******* politics but also for political trends across Europe since Mr. Trump’s election to a second term. And it may be judged as a gauge of whether those endorsements from Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk helped legitimize the party and gave it broader appeal, or potentially backfired, given the Trump administration’s newly antagonistic relationship with Germany and Europe. When Will We Know? First projections will come in once the polls close at 6 p.m. Sunday in Germany (noon E.S.T. in the United States). Because they are based on extensive exit polling, those numbers tend to be very accurate. During the last election, the exit polls were within 1 percent of the final vote that was posted hours later, once all ballots were counted. But this year, exit polling could be less predictive. An unusual number of voters have told pollsters they had not yet made up their minds and an increasing number of voters use mail-in ballots and so they do not figure in exit polls. Most Germans will be glued to their televisions at the close of polling. Expect pictures from various party headquarters, with everyone huddled around lead candidates — champagne flutes or beer steins in hand, depending on the party — waiting for those first results. Source link #Germans #Voting #Heres #Watch Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

CBC News Simulcast of Canada as the 51st State Proposal – C-SPAN CBC News Simulcast of Canada as the 51st State Proposal – C-SPAN CBC News Simulcast of Canada as the 51st State Proposal C-SPAN New FBI leader Kash Patel tapped to run ATF as acting director Fox NewsFBI managers are told 1,500 staff, agents will be moved from headquarters The Washington PostNew FBI Director Kash Patel plans to move up to 1,500 workers out of Washington, AP source says The Associated Press Source link #CBC #News #Simulcast #Canada #51st #State #Proposal #CSPAN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Labor health pledge points to key election battleground Labor health pledge points to key election battleground Anthony Albanese’s decision to make a cornerstone election promise in Tasmania points to the state’s importance to Labor’s hopes for re-election. Source link #Labor #health #pledge #points #key #election #battleground Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Agencies seek guidance on latest Musk OPM email, with some urging employees to hold off responding Agencies seek guidance on latest Musk OPM email, with some urging employees to hold off responding Multiple federal agencies appeared to be caught off guard by the Elon Musk-directed email from the Office of Personnel Management on Saturday that demanded employees detail their weekly accomplishments. Management across multiple agencies have begun informing their staff that they are waiting on further guidance and, in some cases, telling them to hold off replying, according to multiple sources. Those agencies include the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Internal Revenue Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Department of Energy. PHOTO: Elon Musk speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, Feb. 20, 2025. (Will Oliver/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock) MORE: Trump 2nd term live updates: Federal workers asked to detail accomplishments or risk termination The Pentagon has also instructed civilian employees to wait for legal guidance before responding. Some law enforcement agencies — including the FBI — have also instructed employees to “pause” any responses to the OPM email. In an email to all NOAA staff obtained by ABC News, Rear Adm. Chad Cary stated that the message “came as a surprise to all departments, and NOAA leadership is seeking guidance.” Cary also recommended not submitting anything until late Monday in case additional guidance is provided. Sources told ABC News that employees at FEMA had also been directed to hold off responding. At the IRS, the acting commissioner informed staff that the officials there are awaiting guidance from the Treasury regarding the email — but did not specifically advise staff on whether or not to respond. MORE: Judge ‘dissolves’ order preventing Trump administration from overhauling USAID “We are aware that employees have begun receiving the email below from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). We have reached out to the Department of Treasury for guidance and will share additional information on Monday,” according to the email obtained by ABC News. Some CDC employees told ABC News that their teams are still waiting for guidance from agency leadership on how to proceed. One employee said their manager advised waiting until Monday — in hopes of receiving more details about the process. Employees at the Department of Energy also received an email from their direct management telling them they are still waiting for more details. The OPM email, with the subject line “What did you do last week,” instructs employees to provide a brief list of approximately five accomplishments in the past week with a deadline of 11:59 p.m. on Monday. MORE: Here are all the federal agencies where workers are being fired The email came after Musk posted on X that failure on the part of federal employees to respond to the email would be taken as a resignation. Late last month, an email sent to nearly the entire federal workforce with the subject line “Fork in the Road,” offered employees the option of a “deferred resignation,” in which they could leave their jobs but continue to collect a paycheck through September. About 75,000 federal employees accepted the buyout offer. Agencies seek guidance on latest Musk OPM email, with some urging employees to hold off responding originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Source link #Agencies #seek #guidance #latest #Musk #OPM #email #urging #employees #hold #responding Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Austria, a Longtime Buyer of Russian Gas, Tries to Break the Habit Austria, a Longtime Buyer of Russian Gas, Tries to Break the Habit Just a few minutes’ walk from a metro station in the northeast corner of Vienna, you might think that you were in Texas: A drilling rig more than 130 feet high looms over open land. Instead of oil, though, the wells will pump close to 1.7 million gallons a day of hot water from deep underground. The water’s heat will be used initially to warm 20,000 households in the Austrian capital. It will then be pumped back below the surface. This geothermal energy will reduce the city’s consumption of natural gas — an important consideration in Europe, and not just because it will cut carbon dioxide emissions. OMV, the Vienna-based company supervising the project, is trying to break a longstanding dependency on Russia for gas by pushing to secure new energy sources. “For us it’s a new chapter,” said OMV’s chief executive, Alfred Stern. For the first time in six decades, “we no longer have Russian gas in our portfolio.” “The dependency from Austria on Russia gas was extremely high,” at times touching 90 percent, said Anne-Sophie Corbeau, global research scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. The efforts to decouple from Russian gas and fortify Austria’s energy supply come as American and Russian officials met this week to try to end the war in Ukraine. During the talks, Kirill Dmitriev, who heads Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, said Russia was seeking to rebuild business ties with Western companies, including oil producers. Austria was among the first European countries to begin importing Russian gas in 1968. Extensive business and personal ties have grown between Russia and Austria in the years since. Generations of European and Russian executives “told themselves the story about how reliable and good this all is and how mutually beneficial,” said Georg Zachmann, a senior fellow at Bruegel, a Brussels-based research institution. Until recently, OMV, whose predecessor was managed by the Soviets after World War II, argued that it had no choice but to honor a large gas import contract that it made in 2006 with Gazprom, the Russian gas monopoly. But in December, Mr. Stern terminated the agreement, which was to run until 2040. In a statement, OMV cited Gazprom for “multiple breaches of contractual obligations.” OMV also said in November that it had won a 230-million-euro (about $242 million) arbitration judgment against Gazprom, which it is applying to past invoices for gas. “This is kind of a turning point where we are headed for new horizons,” Mr. Stern said. Austria as a whole appears to have largely stopped buying Russian gas. The pipeline that fed Austria through Ukraine and Slovakia stopped flowing at the beginning of this year. OMV says it has prepared for this moment for more than two years. It is helped by being a sizable company with 24,000 employees and a large gas sales and trading business that accounts for about a third of the Austrian commercial market. For 2024, OMV reported adjusted earnings of €5.1 million (about $5.3 million) on €34 billion (roughly $36 billion) in sales. While war raged in Ukraine, OMV’s gas managers have been shifting supply lines, mainly through Germany. Mr. Stern said OMV was now bringing gas piped from Norway, where OMV has production facilities. The company also has secured capacity for liquefied natural gas shipments at a large natural gas terminal in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, called the Gate, and it has signed multiyear contracts with BP and Cheniere Energy, a large American provider. Lining up these alternatives to Russian gas has been costly, OMV says, even though the Austrian government, which owns 31 percent of OMV, contributed a portion of the expense. The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company also owns 25 percent of OMV. The changed energy picture in Europe has made the petroleum production skills embedded in a company like OMV more valuable. Austria has a long-established oil and gas industry, mostly run by OMV. Some 1,000 wells range over about 1,500 square miles of mostly flat land an easy drive from Vienna. Along the roads in this region, blue and green pump jacks nod like mechanical farm animals in the fields. In the rural town of Gänserndorf, an Innovation and Technology Center with a stylish ****** exhibit tower houses experts in specialties like drilling a well laterally or squeezing more oil from wells using polymers. Near a town called Wittau, OMV is preparing to develop what it says is the largest gas find in Austria in 40 years. Henrik Mosser, OMV’s general manager for Austria exploration and production, said the discovery could increase OMV’s modest gas production in Austria about 50 percent — or more if nearby exploration panned out. OMV experts are also taking their understanding of geology to the geothermal experiment near Vienna, where the rig is boring a hole nearly two miles deep into porous rock, steeped in hot water that piled up in an ancient riverbed 16 million years ago, said Niki Knezevic, a geologist. Although the project pumps hot water for heating operations run by the utility Wien Energie, the required expertise is similar to what is needed for extracting petroleum. “Drilling is drilling,” said Bernhard Novotny, the project director. The largest payoff may come in Romania, where OMV Petrom, a subsidiary, is preparing to develop a major gas discovery in the ****** Sea called Neptun Deep. If successful, it should cement Romania’s position as the largest gas producer in the European Union and enable exports to Europe’s “gas hungry” industrial heartland, including Austria, said Ross McGavin, an analyst at Wood Mackenzie, a consulting firm. Romania may be the future, but what’s keeping Austria from freezing this winter are the country’s vast stocks of stored gas. OMV maintains a large portion of these reserves — about a quarter of Austria’s annual consumption — pumped underground into porous rocks. Overall, Austria can store more than a year’s worth of gas. In an interview in the control center of one of these facilities near Schönkirchen, Werner Schildknecht, a department manager for OMV, said that on cold days its compressors gear up to “provide gas to Vienna in the mornings.” On warm days, the flows reverse, adding to stocks. This winter has been colder than the previous two, jacking up pressure on the gas markets. Like much of Europe, Austria has responded by burning up stored gas. In January, storage was Austria’s main source of gas, said Natasha Fielding, head of European gas pricing at Argus Media, a research firm. Europe and Austria are paying a stiff price for the curtailment of Russian gas. Although European prices may not have reached the astronomical levels of 2022, they recently hit two-year highs. Austria pays even more, reflecting the cost of bringing gas across borders, mainly through Germany. Mr. Stern, the OMV chief, said the cold weather was good for the Austrian economy, referring to better conditions for skiing, a top draw for tourists. He added that the surge in prices in 2022 had been tough on customers and probably had led to “permanent reduction” in demand for gas. Mr. Stern said the way to lower prices was for Europe to acquire more sources of energy both at home and abroad. President Trump’s efforts to settle the Ukraine conflict offer another potential route to added supplies. The energy industry is beginning to discuss the possibility of a resumption of Russian gas flows to Europe if a cease-fire is reached. Even modest amounts of Russian gas would “take significant pressure out of the European gas market,” Henning Gloystein, an energy analyst at Eurasia Group, a political risk firm, wrote in a newsletter. Mr. Stern sounded skeptical about resuming business with Russia. “There is no law against Russia gas,” he said, but “the unreliability of supply through Gazprom was no longer acceptable.” Source link #Austria #Longtime #Buyer #Russian #Gas #Break #Habit Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Battle of Iwo Jima: A Photo History The Battle of Iwo Jima: A Photo History Iwo Jima has always been beautiful, a volcanic chunk of rock surrounded by cobalt sea. But a World War II battle 80 years ago this month turned the Japanese island into a byword for desperate, deadly combat — and for American triumph. On Feb. 23, 1945, a contingent of American Marines climbed to the top of Mount Suribachi, the highest point of Iwo Jima. Atop the rubble of war and volcanic eruption, they pitched forward and raised an American flag. A photographer for The Associated Press, Joe Rosenthal, snapped an image, indelible and iconic. My father, Keyes Beech, was also there, on that lonely island flung in the Pacific Ocean. He was a technical sergeant attached to the U.S. Marine Corps Fifth Division, a division that is no longer active in this more peaceful era. His job as a combat correspondent meant that he was to write about American valor and, hopefully, victory. But the conquest of Iwo Jima, despite the famous flag-raising four days into the battle, did not come for another month. On the day the Stars and Stripes were unfurled on Mount Suribachi — twice, for good measure — my father told me he was jammed in a foxhole, trying not to get killed by the Japanese, something that would eventually happen to one of his friends, and then another, and then another. Confined to an island then less than eight square miles, about the size of a busy international airport today, the Americans and Japanese were reduced to a kind of caged combat. Iwo Jima means “sulfur island” in Japanese, and the Japanese Imperial army had fortified its caves with tunnels and other defenses. The charred island smoldered. Its bluffs and beaches became a vast cemetery, volcanic ash and ****** sand burying the dead. Roughly 70,000 American soldiers fought to take Iwo Jima. More than 6,500 were killed. Of the 20,000 or so Japanese defending the island, about 19,000 were killed in combat. Some died in a final banzai charge; others ended their own lives rather than surrender to the Americans. Two hid in the warren of caves until 1949, emerging to a changed world nearly four years after the war had ended. On March 26, 1945, Iwo Jima became the first chunk of Japanese land to be formally captured by the Americans. Less than five months later, the Japanese emperor surrendered, ending an imperial march across Asia that cut short millions of lives. American bombs, both atomic and incendiary, had devastated Japan as well. After the war was over, the United States built a military base on Iwo Jima. In 1968, the island was given back to Japan. The Japanese villagers who were evacuated in 1944, as the island geared up for the coming battle, never returned. In 2007, the island was officially renamed Iwo To, as it was known before the battle, using a different pronunciation of the word “island.” My father, like many veterans of that generation, did not talk much of World War II. He didn’t hold a grudge. He lived in Japan for about 30 years and married a Japanese woman, my mother. He covered other battles in the Pacific, including ones Americans did not win. But Iwo, as he called it, pierced him. With American soldiers still fighting in the Pacific theater, my father joined a war bond tour, lurching around the United States with some of the flag-raising soldiers to drum up financial support for what turned out to be the waning days of World War II. They drank far too much. It was the way back then. The term “post-traumatic stress disorder” didn’t exist. When I was in middle school, we would drive in the Washington area, in our Nissan or our Plymouth — we had one car for each country — and we would sometimes pass the Marine Corps War Memorial, Mr. Rosenthal’s photo cast as a bronze statue. My father would go quiet. One hand stayed on the steering wheel. With his other, he would grip my hand. I knew to squeeze back. Source link #Battle #Iwo #Jima #Photo #History Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]