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European troops, US support are part of an emerging plan for Ukraine. But it faces many hurdles – The Associated Press European troops, US support are part of an emerging plan for Ukraine. But it faces many hurdles – The Associated Press European troops, US support are part of an emerging plan for Ukraine. But it faces many hurdles The Associated PressUK and France Plan Appeal to Trump for US Air Support in Ukraine BloombergEuropeans explore troops for Ukraine ceasefire — and want U.S. support The Washington PostBritain and France working on plans for ‘reassurance force’ to protect Ukraine The GuardianTell us if you think British troops should be deployed in Ukraine The Independent Source link #European #troops #support #part #emerging #plan #Ukraine #faces #hurdles #Press Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

WAFL 2025: The bounce is back after two year absence to help AFL talent pathway WAFL 2025: The bounce is back after two year absence to help AFL talent pathway The West *********** Football League will reintroduce centre-bounces after a two-year absence this season. Source link #WAFL #bounce #year #absence #AFL #talent #pathway Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Kremlin offers Trump support in Zelenskiy spat as Putin ally says US leader is ‘200% right’ Kremlin offers Trump support in Zelenskiy spat as Putin ally says US leader is ‘200% right’ By Dmitry Antonov and Andrew Osborn MOSCOW (Reuters) – The Kremlin offered Donald Trump support in his standoff with Volodymyr Zelenskiy, accusing the Ukrainian president of making “inadmissible” remarks about world leaders as a Russian official said he was stunned by how fast the U.S stance had shifted. Trump’s return to the presidency has begun to warm moribund U.S.-Russia ties, which fell to their lowest point since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis under Joe Biden, Trump’s predecessor, due to Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By contrast, Kyiv’s ties with Washington, crucial to its battlefield defence against Russia, have begun to fracture under Trump with tensions around a potential U.S. deal to exploit Ukraine’s natural resources and over a U.S. decision to hold two-way talks with Russia about Ukraine without Kyiv. Zelenskiy on Wednesday accused Trump of living in a “disinformation bubble” after Trump called him “a dictator” and dismissed as false a claim by Trump that his popularity rating was just 4%. The Kremlin weighed in on Trump’s side on Thursday. “The rhetoric of Zelenskiy and many representatives of the Kyiv regime leaves much to be desired. The fact that Zelenskiy’s rating is falling is an absolutely obvious trend,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Peskov said he didn’t want to get into details on numbers though when it came to discussing Zelenskiy’s popularity, which opinion polls in Ukraine show is above 50%. ‘UNACCEPTABLE’ CRITICISM “Often representatives of the Ukrainian regime, especially in recent months, allow themselves to say absolutely unacceptable things about heads of other states,” said Peskov, without providing examples. “We see that there are certain differences between Washington and Kyiv,” he added, accusing Ukraine of spending foreign taxpayers’ money in an uncontrolled way and balking at attempts to hold it to account for funds spent in the past. That criticism, which Ukraine has repeatedly denied when it has come from U.S. politicians, is part of a pattern which has seen Russian politicians from President Vladimir Putin on down sometimes offering support for Trump administration talking points. Trump’s swift move to repair ties with Moscow, his equally fast falling out with Kyiv and Vice President JD Vance’s sharp criticism of Europe at the Munich Security Conference have left traditional U.S. allies stunned and scrambling to forge a common response. Britain has said it would be willing to send troops to support Ukraine, while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez plans to visit Kyiv on Monday to show his country’s support for Zelenskiy and Ukrainian democracy. Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president and now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said he was stunned at how quickly Trump’s stance on Ukraine had evolved. “‘A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left.’ If you’d told me just three months ago that these were the words of the US president, I would have laughed out loud,” Medvedev wrote on X in English. “Trump is 200 percent right,” said Medvedev. With a possible Putin-Trump meeting on the agenda, U.S.-Russia talks on Ukraine in the pipeline, and a souring of ties between Kyiv and Washington, there are cautious hopes in Moscow that it may be possible to end the war on many of its own terms. Zelenskiy has long been seen by the Russian leadership as a potential obstacle to getting an agreement on ending the war because he has been so vociferous in his opposition to Moscow and is seen as unbending when it comes to his terms for a potential settlement. Putin, and now Trump, have suggested Zelenskiy must hold an election to renew his mandate given that an election due last year was not held because of martial law. Zelenskiy has said that it’s not the right moment to hold an election. Some hardliners in Russia, like Konstantin Malofeyev, a wealthy nationalist businessman, said Zelenskiy needs to hold and lose an election before a peace deal can be struck. “Yes, the duped voters (of Ukraine) will still elect an anti-Russian president. But it won’t be Zelenskiy,” Malofeyev said on Telegram. “The new Ukrainian authorities will be able to do a deal.” (Reporting by Dmitry Antonov in Moscow and Andrew Osborn in London; editing by Sharon Singleton) Source link #Kremlin #offers #Trump #support #Zelenskiy #spat #Putin #ally #leader Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

******** shares lift Asia, gold heads for eighth straight weekly gain – Reuters ******** shares lift Asia, gold heads for eighth straight weekly gain – Reuters ******** shares lift Asia, gold heads for eighth straight weekly gain ReutersView Full Coverage on Google News Source link #******** #shares #lift #Asia #gold #heads #eighth #straight #weekly #gain #Reuters Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

'Deplorable' Nauru visa deal to face court challenge 'Deplorable' Nauru visa deal to face court challenge A legal not-for-profit has launched High Court action to stop an immigration detainee being sent to Nauru in a controversial visa deal with the Pacific nation. Source link #039Deplorable039 #Nauru #visa #deal #face #court #challenge Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Giant brawl breaks out at Gadsden County High School Giant brawl breaks out at Gadsden County High School A violent melee broke out at Gadsden County High School Thursday, with dozens of students brawling in an incident captured on video that left parents worried and the campus reportedly on lockdown. Gadsden County Schools Superintendent Elijah Key Jr. confirmed that the fight occurred, though he said he didn’t have details. He said he was unsure about injuries but that one student was reportedly hurt. There were reports of three ambulances being called to the school. “The only thing I can really say is pretty much all the students that have been involved in that situation will be dealt with according to the code of student conduct,” he said. At 3:30 p.m., the Gadsden County School District acknowledged the brawl in a Facebook post. “The Gadsden County School District is aware of the video showing a brawl at Gadsden County High School,” the post stated. “This behavior will not be tolerated, and disciplinary action will be taken in strict accordance with the Code of Conduct. We fully cooperate with the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office as the investigation progresses. The safety of our students is our highest priority.” Superintendent Key, who was attending the Florida Association of District School Superintendents in Orlando, said he had just watched one of the videos of the brawl on Facebook. The videos showed numerous students involving in a massive fight, prompting numerous comments by concerned parents. “I’m a parent of two kids myself who go out there, so I totally understand their fear,” Key told the Democrat in an interview. “It’s unacceptable in our school community. That type of behavior is just unacceptable.” Capt. Anglie Holmes, spokeswoman for the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office, confirmed that the agency responded to the scene. However, she couldn’t immediately provide any information. Someone posted videos of the fights on Facebook along with a warning for parents: “Check on ya kids at Gadsden high school. One just left by ambulance after a fight and another ambulance pulling up! School on lockdown I couldn’t even get in!” Gadsden County High School in Havana, Florida. The videos showed students screaming and shouting in the cafeteria — with some yelling in fear and others encouraging the brawlers. Students gathered around the fights, some standing on tables, trying to watch and record the violence. At one point, students can be seen pummeling one another in a massive dog pile as someone smashes a wooden stool of the top of them. A few feet over, two girls fought with one pinned to the ground and the other on top of her hitting and kicking her head into the tile floor. Surrounding students pulled her off as what appeared to be an injured girl lay on the ground hardly moving. A sheriff’s deputy is seen later in the video breaking up the crowd with another adult. This is a developing story. Check back for details. Contact Jeff Burlew at *****@*****.tld or 850-599-2180. Elena Barrera can be reached at *****@*****.tld. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Giant brawl breaks out at Gadsden County, Florida, High School Source link #Giant #brawl #breaks #Gadsden #County #High #School Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Victor Wembanyama to miss rest of NBA season with blood clot in shoulder – The Washington Post Victor Wembanyama to miss rest of NBA season with blood clot in shoulder – The Washington Post Victor Wembanyama to miss rest of NBA season with blood clot in shoulder The Washington PostA life-threatening blood clot sidelined NBA All-Star Victor Wembanyama. Here’s what to know CNNWemby out for the rest of the season for San Antonio Spurs Texas Public RadioSuns’ inevitable fate keeps hovering over them in loss to Spurs Arizona SportsWith Victor Wembanyama out, Jaren Jackson Jr. becomes new favorite for NBA Defensive Player of the Year Yahoo Sports Source link #Victor #Wembanyama #rest #NBA #season #blood #clot #shoulder #Washington #Post Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Herd on the Terrace: Chris Ellison shows who’s boss as Mark Wilson put back in his box Herd on the Terrace: Chris Ellison shows who’s boss as Mark Wilson put back in his box Chris Ellison shows no mercy gagging Mark Wilson as lieutenant tries to fill information gap. Source link #Herd #Terrace #Chris #Ellison #shows #whos #boss #Mark #Wilson #put #box Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A New Study Has Identified The 1 Grandparent Who Has The Biggest Impact On Kids, And It Makes A Lot Of Sense A New Study Has Identified The 1 Grandparent Who Has The Biggest Impact On Kids, And It Makes A Lot Of Sense If you’ve ever known the relief of a grandmother’s embrace or the comfort of pulling up in her driveway and knowing that a hot meal was waiting for you, then you probably don’t need any research to tell you that a grandmother’s presence has restorative effects. Three people seated at a dining table with a cake and drinks; a child in a high chair smiles, and two adults sit nearby Though we can’t precisely quantify the effect of a grandmother’s love, a new study offers statistical proof that grandmothers do help children weather life’s hardships. How do grandmothers protect us? A young graduate in cap and gown holds a diploma, smiling with two elderly people, possibly family, celebrating her achievement Researchers at the University of Turku, in Finland, looked at data collected in a 2007 survey completed by 1,566 English and Welsh youth, ages 11 to 16. Youth who lived with their grandparents or who did not have at least one living grandparent were excluded from the study. The survey included a behavioral screening questionnaire to measure the young people’s emotional and behavioral problems. “Our main finding was that investment from maternal grandmothers seemed to be able to protect their grandchild from the negative influence of experiencing multiple adverse early-life experiences,” Samuli Helle, the lead researcher, told HuffPost. “Adverse childhood experiences” is a phrase psychologists and others use to describe “traumatic events or difficult circumstances that happened between the ages of 0 to 17,” Whitney Raglin Bignall, associate clinical director for the Kids Mental Health Foundation, explained to HuffPost. Examples, she said, might include “abuse, neglect, having an incarcerated caregiver, witnessing violence,” living with a caregiver with substance abuse issues or living in poverty or in an under-resourced setting. Though not every person who has an adverse childhood experience will go on to have issues, they are more likely to — and this likelihood increases with every additional trauma. In childhood, Bignall said, these experiences may “change brain development and impact their body’s response to stress,” “negatively impact their ability to develop healthy relationships,” “impact their ability to pay attention, learn and make decisions” and “lead to poor mental health.” In adulthood, a person is also more likely to experience mental health problems as well as substance use issues and chronic physical health concerns, such as diabetes, asthma and *******. So having the ability to prevent adverse childhood experiences, or to blunt their effect somehow, can have a positive influence on a person for many years. This is where the grandmothers come in. Kids who had adverse childhood experiences were less likely to show the negative effects of these experiences as they grew if there was a maternal grandmother in their life who offered support, such as child care or financial assistance. Interestingly, the researchers found this protective, or “buffering,” effect only with maternal grandmothers, not other grandparents. Helle said that this finding was expected and in line with an evolutionary theory known as the grandmother hypothesis, which states that by helping to care for children, grandmothers increase their daughter’s fertility. Helle cautioned, however, that the University of Turku study reveals an average statistical pattern and that in real life there may be numerous examples of grandfathers or paternal grandmothers providing the same care to the same protective effect. Helle also noted that this buffering effect isn’t powerful enough to completely erase the impact of trauma. “Not even the highest level of investment from maternal grandmothers seen in these data was able to fully safeguard grandchildren from the negative effects of adverse early-life experiences,” he said. Because the effect of adverse events in childhood lasts for many years, so may a grandmother’s buffering. “By being able to protect their grandchildren from the ‘full impact’ of adverse life events, maternal grandmothers’ investment in their grandchildren can produce a long-lasting impact on the development and wellbeing of these children,” Helle said. How to support a child facing hardship. An elderly woman and a toddler sit on a bed, looking and pointing at something outside the window. A vintage radio sits in the background One of the best ways to counter the harm of an adverse childhood experience is for the child to have a strong support system, Bignall said. “This includes having an ongoing and trusting relationship with an adult. An involved grandmother who is consistent, loving and available can be an essential buffer for children,” she explained. No matter what role you play in a child’s life, she recommended the following ways to support a child who is facing hardship: Provide consistent routines. Provide a stable environment. Be open, honest, nonjudgmental and warm. Model healthy ways to manage stress. Provide praise and encouragement. Share your family’s culture and traditions to increase a sense of belonging. Provide opportunities to connect with other adults who can help provide supportive relationships. With all of their experience and wisdom, grandparents in particular are able to pass along culture and traditions in addition to offering support and guidance. “There is something that is very special about the love of a grandparent, and when given it is uniquely additive to children,” Bignall said. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Source link #Study #Identified #Grandparent #Biggest #Impact #Kids #Lot #Sense Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Stock market today: Asia shares trade mixed as China benchmarks surge while others slip – The Associated Press Stock market today: Asia shares trade mixed as China benchmarks surge while others slip – The Associated Press Stock market today: Asia shares trade mixed as China benchmarks surge while others slip The Associated PressView Full Coverage on Google News Source link #Stock #market #today #Asia #shares #trade #mixed #China #benchmarks #surge #slip #Press Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

RBA governor Michele Bullock warns high prices are here to stay RBA governor Michele Bullock warns high prices are here to stay They are the five words Australians battling to get by didn’t want to hear, but the Reserve Bank governor has made it clear that prices won’t be coming down. Michele Bullock delivered the bad news on Friday, warning that despite inflation being reined in, the 18 per cent rise in prices seen since the start of the pandemic-induced cycle was here to stay. The comments came days after Australians were given their first interest rate cut since November 2020, with the RBA cutting the cash 0.25 percentage points to 4.1 per cent. Part of the problem is that the RBA and its board didn’t move fast enough to combat inflation when it started surging in mid-2021. It was one of the last central banks to raise rates in response to inflation driven by the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. In an extraordinary admission during a three-hour grilling by politicians in Canberra, Ms Bullock conceded the RBA — when it was still led by her predecessor Philip Lowe — took too long to lift interest rates when prices first took off. This week’s rate cut was to avoid being late again, she said. “Arguably we were late raising interest rates on the way up, we didn’t respond as quickly as we should have to rising inflation,” Ms Bullock told a Senate committee. She pointed to better than expected inflation data in December, and the fact that wages were “well behaved” as giving the Bank enough confidence to act and get in front of the lag effect of rate movements. Core inflation slowed to 3.2 per cent in December — the slowest pace since 2021 — as it edges closer to the RBA’s target range of 2 to 3 per cent. “I think the board has been quite cognisant of the fact that . . . if we’re going to start reducing interest rates, then we need to be thinking of doing it not when we are already back in the (inflation target) band, but as we start to get more confidence that we’re coming back to the band.” But Ms Bullock warned that slowing inflation would not translate to hip pocket relief. “The unfortunate news is that the price level doesn’t go back,” she said. “We can get inflation down to stop it increasing quite so quickly in the future, but the price level isn’t going back to where people remember it being a few years ago,” she said. Wages would have to do the work instead. “I don’t expect it will start feeling better immediately, but I think if we can keep inflation back down in the target band and real wages are rising, I think people will start to feel a bit better over the coming year,” she said. Ms Bullock continued to assert that the Bank would be “data-driven” and “cautious” in the next rate cut, explaining that it was treading a so-called “narrow path” between keeping inflation in check or overly stimulating the economy. Speaking to reporters, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said Ms Bullock had done an “exceptional job” as governor, while underscoring the central bank’s independence. “Everyone’s 20/20 with the benefit of hindsight and no doubt the bank, if they believe that they’ve made mistakes in the past, they’ll learn from that so that they can get it right into the future,” he said. The RBA governor also spoke about the declining use of cash, which she said may only be around for another 10 years. However, she committed to ensuring Australians will be able to access and use cash despite “considerable challenges” faced in its distribution system. “Cash is used as a store of wealth, particularly during periods of economic uncertainty, and can be a useful backup for electronic methods of payment,” she said. “The RBA is committed to supporting the *********** Government’s policy objective to ensure cash remains a viable means of payment for as long as Australians want or need to use cash.” Source link #RBA #governor #Michele #Bullock #warns #high #prices #stay Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max Said to Get AI-Powered Visual Intelligence Features Soon iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max Said to Get AI-Powered Visual Intelligence Features Soon iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max could soon support visual intelligence, a new leak claimed. Visual intelligence in Apple Intelligence refers to tasks that require computer vision. These are currently only available to the iPhone 16 series, despite the iPhone 15 Pro models supporting on-device artificial intelligence (AI) processing. As per the tipster, the decision was taken after Apple found a solution to integrate these AI features in the recently launched iPhone 16e despite the lack of the Camera Control button. iPhone 15 Pro Models Could Get Visual Intelligence Features John Gruber, the co-creator of the Markdown markup language, claimed in a blog post that iPhone 15 Pro models could get visual intelligence features as soon as April. Citing unnamed Apple representatives, the tipster claimed that smartphone owners will be able to bind the feature with the Action Button. This is said to be rolled out with the iOS 18.4 update. Notably, visual intelligence allows iPhone 16 series users to long press the Camera Control button to quickly use the camera’s viewfinder to look up details about a business, translate text, summarise text or read written text aloud as well as identify plants, animals, and more. So far, the feature was exclusive to the latest generation of the iPhone as the only way to access it was with the Camera Control button. However, with the launch of the iPhone 16e, Apple also added visual intelligence in the Control Center and added the ability to bind the feature via the Action Button. Now, it appears the same will be added to the iPhone 15 Pro models. Notably, visual intelligence was the only Apple Intelligence feature that was not rolled out to last year’s Pro models with the iOS 18.2 update. Many speculated that this was being done to create a distinction between the two generations, however, that may not be the case. Gruber speculated that the Cupertino-based tech giant was waiting for the launch of the iPhone 16e before expanding the feature to older devices. Interestingly, Apple has also integrated visual intelligence with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and gives users an option to access the chatbot to ask queries about surrounding objects. Source link #iPhone #Pro #iPhone #Pro #Max #AIPowered #Visual #Intelligence #Features Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Warning signs for Trump in new polling Warning signs for Trump in new polling Donald Trump’s honeymoon may be wearing off. New polls show a majority of Americans say he has overstepped his presidential authority — and hasn’t done enough to address high prices. Two new polls from CNN/SSRS and The Washington Post/Ipsos show the GOP president’s approval rating underwater (47-52 in the CNN poll, 45-53 in the Post), a shift from polling earlier this year that found voters roughly divided on him, with some surveys even showing a positive approval rating. One reason for the erosion of support: a slight majority of respondents in both surveys said Trump has overstepped his presidential power in his attempts to reshape the federal government driven by tech billionaire Elon Musk. Many of Trump’s most controversial early initiatives, including a sweeping spending freeze, have been blocked in court thus far, but the new administration has still made waves with layoffs of federal workers, cuts to federal contracts and a flood of executive orders. Those activities haven’t been popular, the new polling found. In the Post survey, for example, 58 percent of respondents opposed laying off large numbers of federal workers. And Musk, Trump’s most high-profile adviser, is not getting good marks either: Just 34 percent of respondents in the Post poll approved of Musk’s role in the federal government, while 54 percent of respondents in the CNN poll said it was bad for Trump to have given the SpaceX CEO a prominent role in his administration. Americans also remain skeptical of Trump’s handling of an issue the public has long said is among the most important: high prices. In the CNN survey, 62 percent of respondents — including 47 percent of Republicans — said the president has not done enough to try to reduce the prices of everyday goods. And tariffs, perhaps Trump’s signature economic issue so far, aren’t seen as a solution: 69 percent of respondents in the Post poll said tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China would make products in the U.S. more expensive. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the polls Thursday morning. The new polling was not all bad news for Trump. Support for him is still a few points higher than it was at this point in his first presidential term, when he entered office having lost the popular vote. And his approach on immigration has earned higher marks than his handling of the economy or efforts to shrink the federal government. Trump is also not the only one drawing ire: Nearly three-quarters of Democrats and Democratic-leaning adults in the CNN poll said congressional Democrats weren’t doing enough to check the GOP president. The CNN/SSRS poll surveyed 1,206 U.S. adults from Feb. 13-17 and had a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points. The Washington Post/Ipsos poll surveyed 2,601 adults from Feb. 13-18 and had a margin of error of 2.1 points. Source link #Warning #signs #Trump #polling Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Instagram Rolls Out Testimonials Which Lets Creators Get Paid by Writing Endorsements Instagram Rolls Out Testimonials Which Lets Creators Get Paid by Writing Endorsements Instagram on Thursday announced a new avenue for creators to earn money through partnership advertisements called Testimonials. It is a type of content which a brand posts in collaboration with a creator for the promotion of a product or service. Such ads are featured on the creator’s Instagram handle in the form of videos or written-only text. The social media platform says its new ad format follows a text-only medium which can be stacked on top of existing deals with brands. Testimonials on Instagram In a blog post, Meta detailed its new partnership ad format. Testimonials are said to be short, text-only endorsements, which the company says, are a quick avenue to earn money. Creators can write a short message under 125 characters related to the brand’s campaign or product and send it to them, which will then be attached to the relevant ad. They will appear as comments on the particular post with a Sponsored tag, pinned at the top, enabling them to self-identify as paid promoters. The reason behind this move? Meta claims 40 percent of Instagram users consider recommendations by creators when shopping. With partnership ads, creators are said to have the option to charge more money while also expanding their reach on the social media platform. However, the performance metrics will be limited to the brand’s account, meaning creators will have to ask them to share the content performance. As per the platform, this will enable them to optimise their content for future deals. Other New Features Instagram has rolled out several new features lately. This includes new options in DMs which enable users to translate messages in different languages in private chats, schedule messages, and share music previews with others without leaving the chat window. Further, they can now also pin specific chats on the instant messaging platform. The update also makes it easier for users to invite others to group chats. They can create a QR code of a specific group chat and show it to others, who can scan it and join the chat, instead of having to add them individually. Source link #Instagram #Rolls #Testimonials #Lets #Creators #Paid #Writing #Endorsements Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Layoffs begin at the IRS, as DOGE cuts collide with tax season – Axios Layoffs begin at the IRS, as DOGE cuts collide with tax season – Axios Layoffs begin at the IRS, as DOGE cuts collide with tax season AxiosIRS fires 6,000 employees as Trump slashes US government ReutersIRS plans to lay off 7,000 probationary workers beginning Thursday, AP source says The Associated PressFired IRS employee decries irony of being hired to ‘make the IRS ‘more efficient’ ABC NewsHundreds of Philly IRS workers laid off on Thursday, union says NBC Philadelphia Source link #Layoffs #IRS #DOGE #cuts #collide #tax #season #Axios Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Fujitsu’s £600m-plus prize with His Majesty’s ‘cash cow’ in 2025 Fujitsu’s £600m-plus prize with His Majesty’s ‘cash cow’ in 2025 Fujitsu could land over half a billion pounds in contracts from HMRC alone this year as the *** public sector continues to reward the supplier, despite its role in the Post Office scandal. HMRC is the biggest source of Fujitsu’s *** government income, but there are hundreds of millions of pounds more contracts across the public sector, which Fujitsu has or is bidding for. The huge numbers come despite Fujitsu’s self-imposed pause on bidding for government contracts being in place and as it continues to refuse to fully commit its contribution towards repairing some of the damage it caused. Fujitsu supported the Post Office when it blamed and prosecuted subpostmasters for unexplained account shortfalls, which were due to software errors that it was aware of. Peer James Arbuthnot, a long-time campaigner for Post Office scandal victims, called for “expunging Fujitsu from British influence”. “If Fujitsu was not a company but an individual, it would by now be facing years, possibly decades, in prison,” he said. “It did more than stand by as the subpostmasters were maliciously prosecuted – it was an active, knowing and essential participant in the whole ghastly fraud,” he added. “And yet it is a company, and one on which the government has become unacceptably dependent.” According to government figures on spending, which take into account all deals worth over £25,000, HMRC spent more than £240m with Fujitsu last year. This year’s spending could be double that. The figures raise accusations that HMRC has become Fujitsu’s *** “cash cow”. His Majesty’s ‘cash cow’ As revealed by Computer Weekly, despite reports suggesting Fujitsu will be replaced on HMRC’s Traders Support Service, an internal meeting revealed Fujitsu is, in fact, bidding for the new £370m contract and is confident of a renewal of its contract, which was worth £240m when the last contract was signed in 2020. If Fujitsu was not a company but an individual, it would be facing years, possibly decades, in prison Peer James Arbuthnot Computer Weekly also revealed a direct deal between HMRC and Fujitsu for hardware and cloud procurement, worth over £200m and known as North Star, where there is no competitive tender. HMRC is also extending its Computer Environment for Self-Assessment (CESA) contract worth just shy of £60m, where Fujitsu is the incumbent. For the wider public sector, the figure is substantially *******. For example, in December 2024, Fujitsu won a one-year extension to its Horizon contract with the government-owned Post Office, worth £40m. According to a source, there could also be up to a dozen more potential HMRC deals in the pipeline, as well as several Home Office contracts and deals with the Ministry of Defence, to name a few. ‘Hollow’ gesture The contracts come during the Japanese supplier’s self-imposed pause on bidding for new contracts, which was announced in January last year, soon after the broadcast of ITV’s dramatisation of the Post Office scandal put it at the centre of national debate. At the time, the pause was described as “hollow” by former MP, now peer, Kevan Jones. It only included new contracts, when Fujitsu already worked with a huge volume of public sector organisations. Jones, who, like Arbuthnot, has campaigned for subpostmasters for over a decade, reiterated his comments: “These revelations show how hollow Fujitsu’s public statements not to bid for new government contracts are. Having admitted its central role in the Horizon scandal, Fujitsu is hiding behind the outcome of the inquiry to continue making multimillion-pound profits from government contracts Peer Kevan Jones “Having admitted its central role in the Horizon scandal, it is hiding behind the outcome of the inquiry to continue making multimillion-pound profits from government contracts. The victims of the scandal and taxpayers will be rightly angry that Fujitsu has contributed nothing to the billion-pound-plus compensation scheme, while still reaping in profits from its contracts with government.” He said the government should immediately put a stop on all new contracts and extensions of contracts with Fujitsu until the supplier makes a substantial contribution to the compensation of victims. Computer Weekly asked Fujitsu whether the bidding pause was still in place. It said: “We are working with the *** government to ensure we adhere to the voluntary restrictions we put in place regarding bidding for new contracts while the Post Office inquiry is ongoing.” The three-year inquiry is expected to report its findings later this year. The supplier is also playing a waiting game when it comes to contributing to the costs of the Horizon scandal. In response to a Computer Weekly question, Fujitsu said: “Based on the findings of the inquiry, we will work with the *** government on the appropriate actions, including contribution to compensation. We continue to offer our deepest apologies to the subpostmasters and their families.” Heavy reliance Computer Weekly asked the government whether it is fair to taxpayers that Fujitsu is rewarded with lucrative government contracts before it commits to its contribution towards Post Office scandal costs? The government was also asked whether it thinks the awarding of these contracts is fair to victims of the scandal who are still waiting for fair compensation, and if it is too reliant on Fujitsu for public services IT? A government spokesperson said: “We have been clear that those responsible for the Horizon scandal must be held accountable, but before any further action can be taken, we must wait for the Horizon inquiry to conclude. “Fujitsu sets its own boundaries for bidding on public contracts. As with all companies, we are keeping Fujitsu’s conduct and commercial performance under review.” Arbuthnot told Computer Weekly: “The work to start expunging Fujitsu from British influence needs to start now and be completed within months, not years. Anything else sends a message that we don’t mind about unethical behaviour and suggests this will carry on for years. Why would Fujitsu feel any pressure to make a substantial contribution to the cost of the Horizon scandal if it can foresee hundreds of millions of profits flowing in without such a contribution?” He added: “Each year, the government, saying there is no alternative, extends some contract or other with Fujitsu. The government should be asking itself, ‘If this were prisoner Smith in cell block J4, would I really be giving him a contract worth tens of millions of pounds?’” Computer Weekly first exposed the scandal in 2009, revealing the stories of seven subpostmasters and the problems they suffered due to Horizon accounting software, which led to the most widespread miscarriage of justice in British history (see below timeline of Computer Weekly articles about the scandal since 2009). Source link #Fujitsus #600mplus #prize #Majestys #cash #cow Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Nothing Phone 3a, Phone 3a Pro Renders Leaked; Show Transparent Back, Glyph Lights, New Camera Module Design Nothing Phone 3a, Phone 3a Pro Renders Leaked; Show Transparent Back, Glyph Lights, New Camera Module Design Nothing Phone 3a series is scheduled to go official on March 4 and the lineup is expected to include the Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro models. While Nothing has been posting new teasers revealing the specifications of the upcoming lineup, alleged renders of the Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro have now surfaced online showcasing their design. They are shown with Nothing’s signature design language, featuring a transparent back and Glyph lights. Android Authority has acquired alleged renders of unannounced Nothing Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro. The renders show the phones in ****** and white colour options with a hole punch display design. They seem to share a similar design but there are some notable differences in the rear camera design. The Nothing Phone 3a appears to boast a horizontally arranged pill-shaped triple camera unit with the sensors stacked side-by-side. The LED flash module sits next to the sensors. The pill-shaped cutout is encompassed by a circular housing surrounded by Nothing’s signature glyph lights. Meanwhile, the Phone 3a Pro is shown with a different circular-looking rear camera design in the renders. The LED flash and three rear-facing cameras, including a periscope camera are placed randomly inside the module. The periscope telephoto sensor is placed in a corner. The Pro model also has a transparent back design with Glyph lights. Nothing Phone 3a series is confirmed to launch on March 4 in global markets, including India. It will go on ***** in the country via Flipkart. The lineup will get 50-megapixel triple rear cameras including a periscope Sony sensor with OIS. Nothing Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro Specifications (Leaked) Nothing Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro are said to run on Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset. The vanilla model is said to come in 8GB or 12GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage options. The Phone 3a Pro is tipped to pack 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Both phones could pack a 5,000mAh capacity battery, a 6.77-inch 120Hz display, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.4. The Pro model is said to offer 3x optical zoom and 60x digital zoom. In the non-Pro model, the optical zoom could be 2x and the digital zoom set at 30x. The Phone 3a could get a 32-megapixel sensor on the front whereas the Phone 3a Pro has a 50-megapixel sensor on the front. Source link #Phone #Phone #Pro #Renders #Leaked #Show #Transparent #Glyph #Lights #Camera #Module #Design Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Fremantle great Nat Fyfe still a chance for Dockers season opener against Geelong Fremantle great Nat Fyfe still a chance for Dockers season opener against Geelong Nat Fyfe’s hopes of playing in Fremantle’s season opener are still alive as he races the clock to take on Geelong at GMHBA Stadium next month. Source link #Fremantle #great #Nat #Fyfe #chance #Dockers #season #opener #Geelong Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Woman, 74, dies after being hit by vehicle Woman, 74, dies after being hit by vehicle A 74-year-old woman pedestrian has died after being hit by a vehicle at the entrance of an auction mart. It happened on Main Street in High Bentham, North Yorkshire, at about 10:15 GMT on Wednesday, police said. The driver of a red Scania HGV, which was pulling a livestock trailer, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving. Officers said the 48-year-old man, from Ryedale, was released under investigation after questioning. The woman’s family was being supported by police while the investigation continued, a force spokesperson said. The collision scene remained closed with local diversions in place for several hours before being reopened at about 19:00 GMT, they added. Police asked for any witnesses to the incident to get in touch. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here. Related internet links Source link #Woman #dies #hit #vehicle Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Cowboys G Zack Martin Plans To Retire – profootballrumors.com Cowboys G Zack Martin Plans To Retire – profootballrumors.com Cowboys G Zack Martin Plans To Retire profootballrumors.comSources: Cowboys All-Pro guard Martin retiring ESPNCowboys OL Zack Martin to retire after 11 seasons in NFL NFL.comZack Martin expected to announce retirement from NFL, Cowboys DallasCowboys.comCowboys lineman Zack Martin, 7-time All-Pro and likely Hall of Famer, to reportedly retire after 11 seasons Yahoo Sports Source link #Cowboys #Zack #Martin #Plans #Retire #profootballrumors.com Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Booming Spain brings cold comfort for home buyers Booming Spain brings cold comfort for home buyers Sara Huertas still lives with her parents at age 30 because her supply teacher salary doesn’t pay enough for her to rent a home in Madrid with her partner. “We looked south of Madrid, because it’s impossible in the capital, but still we got nothing,” Huertas said at a recent housing protest. “They need to do the right thing: reduce house prices and increase wages.” Huertas is among Spaniards who feel they aren’t reaping the benefits of Europe’s fastest-growing economy. Instead she’s struggling to put a roof over her head. Last year most European economies stagnated, but Spain’s grew by 3.2 per cent, prompting the government to raise the 2025 growth forecast to 2.6 per cent. The primary factors were mass migration and tourists keeping Spain the world’s second most-visited country. The strong growth meant half a million new jobs were added to a record 21.3 million people employed in 2024, 13.5 per cent of them migrants. But anger is building over a toxic mix of housing shortages, high consumer prices and sluggish wage growth. House prices have increased by 44 per cent while rents have almost doubled in 10 years, according to Idealista, a property website. Meanwhile. Salaries meanwhile increased by just 19 per cent between 2012 and 2022, according to the National Institute of Statistics. Spain must close a deficit of 600,000 homes, the Bank of Spain says, and build 225,000 new ones each year just to keep pace with new household creation. Such shortages risk not only driving down an already-low birth rate but also curtailing workers’ mobility and hence their career progression, a recent Caixabank Research study warned. Migration and tourism also increase pressure on low housing stock and face risks from it. The situation illustrates a paradox in the Spanish economy, said Francisco Quintana, ING’s local head of investment strategy: “Low productivity or low intensity growth requires more people to produce more. “(Without immigration), we do not grow, but if it does, it exacerbates the housing problem we already have.” Spain’s Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said lower income households were in reality seeing the fastest improvement in purchasing power in Europe, conceding: “There is still a long way to go – we are still working on it.” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is doubling down on immigration, pledging last year to hand residency to about 300,000 undocumented migrants a year. “(Immigration is) necessary for our economy’s prosperity and ******** state sustainability,” Sanchez told parliament in October. “The key is in managing it well”. Building more homes will require more workers – probably from abroad. The construction sector needs 700,000 more workers, a gap which could in part be resolved by giving immigrants residency, said Pedro Fernandez Alen, the National Construction Confederation president. Scarce housing imperils migration, junior economy minister Arroyo Martinez said: “The risk isn’t that migrants don’t find housing, it’s that they stop coming.” Source link #Booming #Spain #brings #cold #comfort #home #buyers Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Israeli PM Netanyahu says ****** will pay for not returning Shiri Bibas Israeli PM Netanyahu says ****** will pay for not returning Shiri Bibas JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that Israel would make ****** pay for failing to release the body of hostage Shiri Bibas as agreed. “We will act with determination to bring Shiri home along with all our hostages – both living and dead – and ensure ****** pays the full price for this cruel and evil violation of the agreement,” he said in a video statement. The statement came after Israeli specialists said that one of the four bodies handed over by ****** on Thursday was an unidentified woman and not Shiri Bibas, whose two sons, Kfir and Ariel were handed over and identified. Trusted news and daily delights, right in your inbox See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. Netanyahu accused ****** of acting “in an unspeakably cynical manner” by placing the body of a Gaza woman in the coffin instead of Shiri Bibas, who was kidnapped along with her two sons and her husband, Yarden, during the ****** attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. ****** has not issued any public comment so far on the Israeli accusation, which threatens to derail the fragile ceasefire agreement reached with U.S. backing and with the help of Qatari and Egyptian mediators last month. However, it was not immediately clear whether it would delay or prevent the handover of six living hostages due for release on Saturday, or whether it would interrupt the start of negotiations for a second phase of the ceasefire, expected in the coming days. (Reporting by James Mackenzie and Lara AfghaniEditing by Shri Navaratnam and Sharon Singleton) Source link #Israeli #Netanyahu #****** #pay #returning #Shiri #Bibas Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

MLB, ESPN cut cord on broadcast deal after this season – The Washington Post MLB, ESPN cut cord on broadcast deal after this season – The Washington Post MLB, ESPN cut cord on broadcast deal after this season The Washington PostMLB, ESPN opt out of TV deal for 2026-28; MLB cites ‘minimal coverage’ – The Athletic The AthleticESPN, MLB to end broadcast deal after 2025 ESPNESPN and MLB to end their decades-long relationship after 2025 season CNNMLB, ESPN opting out of deal after 2025 season; league cites ‘minimal coverage’ Yahoo Sports Source link #MLB #ESPN #cut #cord #broadcast #deal #season #Washington #Post Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Emma Raducanu: How Dubai incident is a stark reminder of threat faced by female athletes Emma Raducanu: How Dubai incident is a stark reminder of threat faced by female athletes Approximately one in five women experience stalking in their lifetime, according to the ***’s Office of National Statistics. Being a well-known public personality increases exposure and a number of female tennis players have been subjected to predatory behaviour in recent years. Raducanu, 22, has previously been the victim of a stalker, with another man given a five-year restraining order in 2022 after he walked 23 miles to her home. Fellow British player Katie Boulter described to the Guardian last year, external how she had been followed by people in a car and on foot, while American players Danielle Collins, external and Sloane Stephens have also highlighted the harassment which they have faced. Bartoli recalled a similar harrowing experience during a match at the All England Club in 2007. Bartoli described how a man followed her throughout the British grass-court season, turning up at the Birmingham and Eastbourne events before pretending to be a member of the Wimbledon groundstaff to get nearer to her. “He found a way to purchase the same kit and get himself into my courts,” she added. “I recognised him during my first-round match against Flavia Pennetta and I pointed it out straight away. “I said he was not a groundsperson, he was not working there, he was someone who has been stalking me for three weeks.” Stephanie Hilborne, the chief executive of the Women in Sport charity, told BBC Sport that “every single woman has a level of fear”. “That’s not restricted to the more visible women – but the more visible you are, the greater that risk is and feels,” she said. “In sport, we have the situation where your body is very much on show so it makes for extra risk.” Source link #Emma #Raducanu #Dubai #incident #stark #reminder #threat #faced #female #athletes Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Beijing embraces DeepSeek to lead AI adoption as it looks for new growth drivers Beijing embraces DeepSeek to lead AI adoption as it looks for new growth drivers This week’s news that the DeepSeek Chatbot app, developed by China, was downloaded from the Apple app store significantly more times than the US-developed ChatGPT from Open AI, wiped billions off the global tech market. Leon Neal | Getty Images News | Getty Images DeepSeek’s sudden splash in the large language model space has given China a powerful tool to catalyze artificial-intelligence adoption in the country and boost economic growth. While Goldman Sachs pegs a 20-basis-point to 30-basis-point boost to China’s GDP over the long term — by 2030 — its expects the country’s economy to start reflecting the positive impact of AI adoption from next year itself as AI-driven automation improves productivity. “The recent emergence of DeepSeek … suggests faster AI development and adoption in China than we previously anticipated,” economists at the Wall Street bank said. The enthusiasm around DeepSeek is also being reflected in the sharp rally in China stocks, with the MSCI China index soaring over 21% from its January low, according to LSEG data. The startup’s rise is triggering a reassessment of China’s “investability” after an extended ******* of limited attention, Morgan Stanley said in a note this week. “DeepSeek demonstrates that China is at or near the cutting edge of AI development, which boosts the prestige of China’s economy and tech ecosystem, making them more attractive for global investors,” said Gabriel Wildau, managing director at Teneo. The company’s launch of a cheaper and more efficient AI model came as a timely confidence boost as the ******** leadership faces a prolonged economic gloom, partly owed to the slump in its property market, while the specter of a fierce trade war with the U.S. looms large. DeepSeek’s R-1 reasoning model has been lauded as being able to match, or even outperform, leading global AI offerings amid claims of running on cheaper and less sophisticated chips. The open-source model also can be repurposed by developers outside the company to significantly boost efficiency at a lower operating costs. The startup has shaken China’s AI ecosystem as well, with state-owned entities as well as large tech players, including competitors, leveraging its open-sourced architecture. “The scale and speed of [AI] adoption [in China] is amazingly fast right now, and it’s not slowing down,” said Wei Sun, principal analyst of artificial intelligence at Counterpoint Research. Beijing’s stamp of approval In a well-choreographed meeting earlier this week, ******** President Xi Jinping warmly greeted DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng and granted him a coveted front-row seat next to leaders of the country’s biggest private enterprises. That showed Beijing is eager to support the company, said Huiyao Wang, founder and president of Center for China and Globalization, a Beijing-based think tank. “DeepSeek represents exactly what Beijing is keen to see by ‘new-quality productive force’ that will push China forward,” Wang added, referring to a strategy coined by Xi last year that bets on technological breakthroughs to fuel growth and productivity gains across the economy. ******** leadership last year vowed “a leap forward” by spurring new growth drivers based on innovation in advanced sectors, such as AI and semiconductors, as U.S. export controls on advanced equipment and the most advanced semiconductors thwarted its ability to make major tech breakthroughs. With Beijing signaling support for the startup, a growing number of local governments, from Hohhot in northern China to the southern city of Guangzhou and Shenzhen, are launching DeepSeek-powered “public servants” to automate governance, handling requests from administrative paper work to general public services. At least three state-owned telecommunications operators have also adopted the cutting-edge model in recent weeks. Private businesses have tapped the new model to see how it can improve productivity. Automakers, financial services companies, smartphone makers and cloud computing operators including Alibaba, Huawei and Tencent have rushed in recent weeks to integrate with DeepSeek. “With DeepSeek becoming a global household name in a matter of weeks, Beijing is [using it as an opportunity] to showcase China’s tech champions and demonstrate ******** tech resilience and innovation in the face of US-led controls,” said Reva Goujon, director at Rhodium Group. Labor worries Economists, however, warned that the pace of AI adoption should be “managed carefully” in China, which is already facing a weak labor market and high unemployment rate. The “job destruction” effects by AI, while raising labor productivity, could exacerbate deflation and further weaken the economy, Goldman Sachs said. The youth unemployment rate in China has remained above 15%, with over 10 million fresh graduates piling into the job market every year. Job losses have been reported in recent years in the real estate sector, among civil servants, and the financial sector. Compared with the U.S. though, the ******** labor market is less prone to AI automation risks due to a higher share of less-exposed, physically intensive jobs,” Goldman Sachs pointed out. Agriculture, manufacturing and construction make up 50% of all jobs in China, comparing to only 19% of total employment in the U.S. Sectors that are more prone to adopt AI-driven task automation, such as finance, insurance and services, constitute 14% of jobs stateside, but less than 3% in China, according to the bank’s estimates. A Pew study in 2023 found that 19% of U.S. workers are in jobs with high exposure to AI. That study used the term “exposure” as it’s unclear whether AI’s impact will be positive or negative. While AI application may cause the number of displaced workers to rise in the near term, these workers will eventually find jobs in other sectors where labor has a competitive advantage, helping employment to grow again, Goldman said. — CNBC’s Dylan Butts, Evelyn Cheng contributed to this report. Source link #Beijing #embraces #DeepSeek #lead #adoption #growth #drivers Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]