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Tigers charge more for seat at trial than Origin ticket Tigers charge more for seat at trial than Origin ticket Wests Tigers will charge fans more for the cheapest seat at the wooden-spooners’ pre-season trial than the NRL does for entry into this year’s State of Origin decider. In a startling comparison that highlights the exorbitant prices, the Tigers on Wednesday refused to comment on ticket prices for the pre-season challenge. The three-time wooden-spooners have set the adult general admission price at $42.60 for Friday night’s double-header, which features Penrith, Manly, the Tigers and Parramatta. For an actual seat not on the grass hill, tickets are set at $62.60 for an adult or $170.80 for a family of four. All prices are before an additional $6 handling fee per transaction from ticket provider Ticketek. By comparison, the cheapest seat for State of Origin III at Accor Stadium this year is set at $49 for an adult and $139 for a family, albeit in level six of the venue. Ticket prices for all regular-season NRL matches pre-season challenge games are set by the host club. Asked on Wednesday about seats being on the same level as State of Origin tickets, Tigers CEO Shane Richardson responded to AAP with: “No comment.” Sources have told AAP the prices were initially set at that level because Friday’s fixture is a double-header. But in reality one of the four clubs, Penrith, were never going to field anything more than a NSW Cup or Jersey Flegg side, with their top team in Las Vegas. In turn the Sea Eagles have opted against unleashing their big guns in the Penrith clash, resting Tom Trbojevic, Daly Cherry-Evans, Jake Trbojevic and Haumole Olakau’atu. Even the Tigers are not running out their biggest recruit in more than a decade, with Jarome Luai kept on ice for the match. Parramatta have also rested several players for the match. Tickets for the Leichhardt Oval double-header are remarkably more expensive than for the Tigers’ first home game at Campbelltown against Newcastle in round one. They are also drastically more expensive than all other games this weekend. The Redcliffe sold-out double-header’s cheapest adult seats were set at $30, with the same price for games on the Central Coast and in Melbourne. The Mudgee Charity Shield also had adult tickets on the hill available for $28, and grandstand seats from $40. CHEAPEST ADULT TICKETS IN WEEK TWO OF PRE-SEASON TRIALS: Leichhardt: Hill, $42.60; Seat, $62.60 Mudgee: Hill, $28; Seat, $40 Redcliffe: Seat, $30 Central Coast: Seat, $30 Melbourne: All tickets, $30 State of Origin III at Accor Stadium (comparison): $49 Source link #Tigers #charge #seat #trial #Origin #ticket Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Columbine survivor Anne Marie Hochhalter, who forgave gunman’s mother, dies at 43 Columbine survivor Anne Marie Hochhalter, who forgave gunman’s mother, dies at 43 DENVER (AP) — Anne Marie Hochhalter, who was partially paralyzed in the Columbine High School shooting but found strength to forgive and to heal her soul after bonding with another family devastated by the tragedy, has died. She was 43. Hochhalter was found in her home in suburban Denver on Sunday. Her family suspects she died of natural causes stemming from her injuries in the 1999 shooting in which 12 students and a teacher were killed. The investigation into how she died has been transferred to the office that conducted the autopsies of those killed at Columbine, the coroner’s office for Adams and Broomfield counties said. 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. Hochhalter in 2016 wrote a letter to one of the gunmen’s mother saying, “Bitterness is like swallowing a poison pill,” and offering her forgiveness. Attending a vigil on the tragedy’s 25th anniversary last year — after skipping a similar event five years earlier — she said she was flooded with happy memories from her childhood and wanted those killed remembered for how they lived, not how they died. Hochhalter struggled with intense pain from her gunshot wounds over the past 25 years. Yet her brother said she was tireless in her drive to help others — from people with disabilities to rescue dogs and members of her family. “She was helpful to a great many people. She was really a good human being and sister,” her brother, Nathan Hochhalter, said Tuesday. Her own tragedy was compounded six months after the shooting, when her mother, Carla Hochhalter, went into a pawnshop, and asked to look at a gun before using it on herself. In the wake of her mother’s death, Anne Marie Hochhalter was embraced by another family who lost a daughter at Columbine. Sue Townsend, whose stepdaughter, Lauren Townsend, was killed, reached out to help Hochhalter as a means of easing ease her own pain. At first, Townsend took Hochhalter to doctor’s appointments and physical therapy, but their bond soon deepened as they got lunch and went shopping together and eventually began sharing family dinners and vacations. Townsend and her husband, Rick, called Hochhalter their “acquired daughter.” On a trip to Hawaii together, Hochhalter, who used a wheelchair, was able to float in a lagoon pain-free, she said. “This relationship would never had happened if it hadn’t been for Columbine. So I tried to focus on the gift that Columbine gave us in Anne Marie instead of what it took away,” Townsend said. In 2016, the mother of one of the Columbine gunmen, Sue Klebold, released a memoir exploring the causes of her son’s violence and ways to prevent future attacks through mental health awareness. Hochhalter said at the time she was grateful that Klebold was donating the book proceeds to help those with mental illness. Hochhalter said her mother suffered from depression and did not believe the shootings were directly to blame for her death. She said she was sure Klebold had agonized over what she could have done differently just as she had thought of ways she could have prevented the death of the mother she loved. “A good friend once told me, ‘Bitterness is like swallowing a poison pill and expecting the other person to die.’ It only harms yourself. I have forgiven you and only wish you the best,” Hochhalter said in a message she posted on Facebook. She also included a photo of a card Sue and Tom Klebold sent to her as she recovered in the hospital after the shooting. Hochhalter attended the 25th anniversary vigil in April with her brother, who was trapped in a classroom during the shooting. She had not attended the 20th anniversary event because of post-traumatic stress disorder, she said in a social media post last year. “I’ve truly been able to heal my soul since that awful day in 1999,” she wrote. Source link #Columbine #survivor #Anne #Marie #Hochhalter #forgave #gunmans #mother #dies Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Momodora: Moonlit Farewell Review – Thumb Culture Momodora: Moonlit Farewell Review – Thumb Culture WTMG’s Kyle Nicol: “Momodora: Moonlit Farewell kicks off the year with a great metroidvania title. The fantastic level design and art style make it easy to recommend to fans of the genre, despite some shortcomings. It provides a fantastic entry point for franchise newcomers, and what I’m confident in saying is a great sendoff for long time fans. Anyone looking for a solid metroidvania will have a good time here.” Source link #Momodora #Moonlit #Farewell #Review #Thumb #Culture Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

New Zealand slashes rates for a fourth straight time in bid to boost a slowing economy New Zealand slashes rates for a fourth straight time in bid to boost a slowing economy The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) building in Wellington, New Zealand, on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023. Mark Coote | Bloomberg | Getty Images New Zealand’s central bank on Wednesday slashed benchmark rates by 50 basis points to 3.75%, marking its fourth straight cut, as easing inflation offers the central bank room to boost a sputtering economy. The move was in line with expectations from economists polled by Reuters, and marks the lowest the policy rate since November 2022. In its monetary policy statement, the central bank said inflation remained near the mid-point of its target band of 1%-3%. New Zealand reported headline inflation rate of 2.2% in the quarter ended December 2024, with price growth falling for seven of the last eight quarters, according to LSEG data. The rate cut also comes at a time when the country’s growth has been declining on a year-on-year basis for five straight quarters to September 2024, according to government data. The New Zealand dollar strengthened by 0.4% to trade at 0.568 against the greenback. This is breaking news, please check back for more updates. Source link #Zealand #slashes #rates #fourth #straight #time #bid #boost #slowing #economy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Blood Bar Tycoon Review – Thumb Culture Blood Bar Tycoon Review – Thumb Culture “Popping up out of the darkness is Blood Bar Tycoon. A management game developed by Clever Trickster Studios. We’ll watch as we spruce up run-down buildings and turn them into well-established bars. All while making sure our earthly patrons don’t become wise to the real clientele.” Kyle @ Thumb Culture Source link #Blood #Bar #Tycoon #Review #Thumb #Culture Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Brazil Charges Bolsonaro With Attempting a Coup After He Lost the 2022 Election – The New York Times Brazil Charges Bolsonaro With Attempting a Coup After He Lost the 2022 Election – The New York Times Brazil Charges Bolsonaro With Attempting a Coup After He Lost the 2022 Election The New York TimesFormer Brazilian president Bolsonaro charged in connection with alleged coup plot CNNBrazil’s prosecutor-general files charges against ex-President Bolsonaro over alleged coup plan Fox NewsBolsonaro Charged With Plotting Coup After Election Loss to Lula BloombergBrazil’s former President Bolsonaro charged in alleged coup plot Reuters.com Source link #Brazil #Charges #Bolsonaro #Attempting #Coup #Lost #Election #York #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pokémon Go will bring back Totodile for Community Day Classic in March 2025 Pokémon Go will bring back Totodile for Community Day Classic in March 2025 Totodile Community Day classic will take place on March 22nd Evolve it into Feraligatr so that it knows the move Hydro Cannon Purchase the Community Day Classic Special Research to earn more rewards Pokémon Go’s March Community Day Classic is bringing Totodile back into the wild, giving you another chance to catch the Big Jaw Pokémon in large numbers. On March 22nd, from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm local time, Totodile will appear more frequently, and if luck is on your side, you might find a Shiny Totodile as well. If you evolve Croconaw during the event or anytime before March 29th at 10:00 pm local time, you’ll get a Feraligatr that knows the Charged Attack Hydro Cannon. This move packs 80 power in Trainer Battles and 90 power in Gyms and raids, making it a solid choice if you’re looking to strengthen your Water-type lineup. To make the most of this event, a Community Day Classic Special Research will be available for $2 (or local equivalent). Completing it unlocks rewards like a Premium Battle Pass, Rare Candy XL, and multiple Totodile encounters, including some with a Seasonal Special Background. If you log in during Community Day Classic, you’ll also get Timed Research that runs for a full week, offering another chance to encounter Totodile and evolve Feraligatr with Hydro Cannon before the deadline. And you can stock up on some goodies by redeeming these Pokémon Go codes too! Furthermore, several bonuses will be active throughout the event to help you get the most out of your time. Eggs placed in Incubators will hatch with 1/4 the usual distance, while Lure Modules and Incense will last for three hours. Taking snapshots during the event might also lead to a small surprise. Finally, you’ll find Community Day-themed Field Research rewarding Stardust, Great ******, and extra Totodile encounters. Keep an eye on PokéStop Showcases as well, where you can compete against others using Pokémon caught during the event. And to top it off, two event bundles featuring loads of rewards will be available in the in-game shop. You can even check out the Pokémon Go Web Store for more. Download Pokémon Go now for free. Source link #Pokémon #bring #Totodile #Community #Day #Classic #March Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Senate confirms Howard Lutnick as commerce secretary Senate confirms Howard Lutnick as commerce secretary The Senate confirmed wealthy financier Howard Lutnick as commerce secretary Tuesday, putting in place a staunch supporter of President Trump’s hardline trade policies. At the Commerce Department, Lutnick, who was CEO at the investment firm Cantor Fitzgerald, will oversee 50,000 employees who do everything from collecting economic statistics to running the census to issuing weather reports. But he’s likely to spend a lot of time — along with Jamieson Greer, Mr. Trump’s nominee to be the top U.S. trade negotiator — managing the president’s aggressive plans to impose import taxes on U.S. trading partners, including allies and adversaries alike. The Senate vote to confirm Lutnick was 51-45. Mr. Trump views the tariffs as a versatile economic tool. They can raise money to finance his tax cuts elsewhere, protect U.S. industries and pressure other countries into making concessions on such issues as their own trade barriers, immigration and drug trafficking. Mainstream economists mostly view tariffs as counterproductive: They are paid by import companies in the United States, which try to pass along the higher costs to consumers and can thereby add to inflationary pressures throughout the economy. At his confirmation hearing last month, Lutnick dismissed as “nonsense” the idea that tariffs contribute to inflation. He expressed support for deploying across-the-board tariffs “country by country” to strong-arm other countries into lowering barriers to American exports. Mr. Trump last week announced plans for “reciprocal” tariffs — raising U.S. import tax rates to match the higher taxes that other countries impose on goods from the U.S. The move would shatter the rules that have governed world trade for decades. Since the 1960s, tariff rates have mostly emerged from negotiations between dozens of countries. Mr. Trump is commandeering the process. The president has also imposed 10% tariffs on ******** imports and effectively raised U.S. taxes on foreign steel and aluminum. He has threatened — and delayed until March 4 — 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico. Lutnick was CEO at Cantor Fitzgerald when its offices were hit in the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center. The firm lost two-thirds of its employees — 658 people — that day, including Lutnick’s brother. Howard Lutnick led the firm’s recovery and is a member of the Board of Directors of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Lutnick has promised to sell off his business holdings. They’re complicated. His financial disclosure statement showed that he had positions in more than 800 businesses and other private organizations. Source link #Senate #confirms #Howard #Lutnick #commerce #secretary Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘This Says It All,’ Says Mark Cuban As DOGE Website Was Still Blank Despite Musk’s Claim That All Department Actions Were Posted There ‘This Says It All,’ Says Mark Cuban As DOGE Website Was Still Blank Despite Musk’s Claim That All Department Actions Were Posted There ‘This Says It All,’ Says Mark Cuban As DOGE Website Was Still Blank Despite Musk’s Claim That All Department Actions Were Posted There The Department of Government Efficiency, the White House agency led by Elon Musk, has been making headlines every day, but not always for the right reasons. When Musk claimed that all DOGE actions were posted to the official DOGE website, many were surprised to find the site completely blank. Musk defended DOGE’s transparency efforts during a recent press conference in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump. However, the DOGE website, which Musk claimed served as a central location for all departmental updates, was empty for weeks, as critics soon noted. Instead of showing work or updates, it only had a simple page with a note about big changes coming. Don’t Miss: This contradiction didn’t go unnoticed. Mark Cuban, who has long supported reducing government size and improving efficiency, called out Musk on social media, saying, “This says it all.” A couple of days before that, Cuban suggested that inviting Democrats to work alongside DOGE could enhance transparency, adding, “If you have nothing to hide, hide nothing.” Following mounting criticism, the DOGE website was finally updated on Feb. 12. It now features sections on government workforce data, and regulations, along with DOGE’s posts from X. Notably, it was still missing the Savings section which reads, “Receipts coming over the weekend!” and many blog posts were backdated, raising questions about when they were actually published. Trending: If there was a new fund backed by Jeff Bezos offering a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends would you invest in it? The website faced further issues after its rushed launch. At least two pages were defaced by hackers who appeared to have accessed an open database used by the site. Two messages appeared on separate pages, reading, “this is a joke of a .gov site” and “THESE ‘EXPERTS’ LEFT THEIR DATABASE OPEN -roro.” DOGE highlights recent contract cancellations, such as ending DEI programs and cutting media subscriptions, claiming to have saved taxpayers over $150 million. However, concerns remain about the accuracy and transparency of these figures. The site even acknowledges potential data errors, promising to improve over time. As a note under the Meet the U.S. Government section points out, “This is DOGE’s effort to create a comprehensive, government-wide org chart. This is an enormous effort, and there are likely some errors or omissions. We will continue to strive for maximum accuracy over time.” Story Continues Source link #Mark #Cuban #DOGE #Website #Blank #Musks #Claim #Department #Actions #Posted Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Console Tycoon lets you see if you really can do better than the big manufacturers, coming soon Console Tycoon lets you see if you really can do better than the big manufacturers, coming soon Console Tycoon sees you taking on the task of designing and selling your own console Progress from the 80s all the way to the modern day as you build your console-making empire Pre-registration is now open on iOS and Android! Who wouldn’t want to own their own gaming console business? Sure, nowadays the overheads are massive and you’d need to take on the likes of Sony and Microsoft but er- you couldn’t do worse than something like the Ouya I suppose? If you’d rather have a test run before you remortgage your house, however, why not try Roastery Games’ upcoming Console Tycoon? As the name suggests, Console Tycoon sees you starting up your own gaming console business. From the design stage all the way to sales, you’ll start out in the early days of the console business all the way back in the 80s. You’ll create, design and sell consoles, as well as peripherals and more as you progress through the years and increase your technology and development level. With Console Tycoon expected in only a few days (February 28th), and pre-registration open now for iOS and Android, you won’t need to wait long to find out if Roastery Games’ latest tycoon project lives up to the hype! Railroaded Tycoon Roastery Games are definitely a group which seems laser-focused on the tycoon genre, as their previous releases attest to. However, one of the issues that many bring up is the repetitiveness of the gameplay, and the fact that with a little bit of work, you can easily create a world-beating device without much effort. At the same time, it seems they do have plenty of fans, and given the popularity of the sub-genre, I can see Console Tycoon bringing in fans who dream of creating their own PlayBox 420 or something of that nature. In the meantime, if you’re hungry for other top business simulators, don’t let yourself get caught out! Instead, be sure to check out our lists of the best tycoon games on iOS and Android that you can play right now! Source link #Console #Tycoon #lets #big #manufacturers #coming Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

China’s DeepSeek took AI world by storm. How this startup came into being? China’s DeepSeek took AI world by storm. How this startup came into being? DeepSeek offices in Beijing on Jan. 28, 2025. Peter Catterall | Afp | Getty Images Artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek has rocketed into global prominence, shaking up the AI world, but the team behind it is relatively unknown outside China. DeepSeek’s founder, Liang Wenfeng, has been dubbed by some in Western media as China’s Sam Altman. But unlike his Silicon Valley counterpart, Liang has maintained a low public profile. Liang’s team, comprising young graduates from some of the country’s leading universities, is also little known. The team consists of fewer than 140 people, according to ******** state media, though a research paper on its latest R1 reasoning model lists about 200 contributors. CNBC has been unable to confirm the official size of the team. Outside of its core technology developers, DeepSeek has mostly shared the senior management team, operation staff, human resources and financial accountants of its mothership High-Flyer, according to sources familiar with the company. Here’s an overview of the people behind the AI sensation and how the startup came into being. Liang Wenfeng Liang has received the lion’s share of media attention in recent weeks as DeepSeek’s chatbot ascended to the top of global app charts. Last month, he reportedly received a hero’s welcome in his hometown of China and was spotted at a roundtable hosted by ******** Premier Li Qiang, and most recently at a closed-door symposium chaired by President Xi Jinping earlier this week. The 40-year-old founder of DeepSeek has been quite media-shy, apart from two rare interviews with ******** media outlet 36Kr in July last year and in 2023. The interviews paint a picture of an idealistic leader set on achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI) — a type of AI that mimics human capabilities — and transforming China into a technology innovator. Born in 1985, Liang grew up in Zhanjiang, a port city and trade center in southern China. He was a straight-A student who was particularly gifted in mathematics, according to local media reports. Liang Wenfeng, founder of startup DeepSeek, delivers the keynote speech during the 10th China Private Equity Golden Bull Awards on Aug. 30, 2019, in Shanghai. Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images High-flying fund manager In 2015, Liang and college friend Jin Xu founded High-Flyer Asset Management, a quantitative hedge fund that uses complex mathematical algorithms to predict market trends and make investment decisions. Xu was a graduate from Zhejiang University’s Chu Kochen Honors College, which selects top students at the elite university. There, Xu focused his PhD studies on robot autonomous navigation and machine learning — similar to Liang’s focus of postdoctoral research — and was a key member of the visual navigation research project for China’s lunar exploration program. Xu, who once worked at Huawei Technologies’ software development in the early 2010s, now leads High-Flyer’s technology development and crafts trading strategies, his profile page on private equity database PaiPaiWang showed. Zhengzhe Lu, the chief executive officer of High-Flyer, graduated from the same university as Liang and Xu, before earning a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and Politics. Prior to High-Flyer, Lu worked at the state-backed China Merchants Bank, where he was engaged with macro research and overseas derivative investment. In an interview with ******** state media in 2023, Lu said: “We have set up a new team independent of investment, what is equivalent to a second start-up” — which later grew to become DeepSeek. “We want to do things with greater value and things that go beyond investment industry.” The pair manage some of the best performing funds under the company’s portfolios, with averaged returns over 20% in 2024, according to PaiPaiWang. That was above gains of about 15% in the CSI 300 index last year, a 5% rise in the small-cap CSI 500. The quant fund’s profits were partially channeled to fund the rise of DeepSeek, Liang told 36 Kr in 2023. Brains behind DeepSeek In 2023, High-Flyer spun off DeepSeek as an independent enterprise, expanding its remit beyond investment and focusing on pursuing AGI. The team consists mostly of local engineering, computer science and AI graduates from top universities in China — such as Tsinghua University and Peking University — many of whom have published recent papers on subjects such as language models and machine learning. A number of team members are also graduates from top American universities with experience at Nvidia and Microsoft who decided to return to China’s growing AI industry, according to their LinkedIn profiles. A key attribute that sets the team apart is age, as DeepSeek favors graduates with less work experience. Instead, “they emphasize academic degrees, awards at international programming competitions, research papers published at top industry journals,” a headhunter for DeepSeek told CNBC. In the interview in 2023, Liang said experience is less important in the long run and “foundational abilities, creativity, and passion are more crucial.” In 2024, he said that while the top 50 talent in AI may not have been in China, DeepSeek was aiming to cultivate its own. Top graduates also appear to be attracted to the firm because of its reportedly higher salaries and greater degree of bottom-up management than might be found at a larger tech firm. Zihan Wang, a former DeepSeek employee who spoke to the MIT Technology Review in January, said he was given abundant computing resources and freedom to experiment at DeepSeek. Source link #Chinas #DeepSeek #world #storm #startup Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Donald Trump signals that Ukraine should hold elections as part of Russia peace deal – Financial Times Donald Trump signals that Ukraine should hold elections as part of Russia peace deal – Financial Times Donald Trump signals that Ukraine should hold elections as part of Russia peace deal Financial TimesAfter talks with Russia, Trump criticizes Zelensky AxiosTrump 2nd term live updates: Trump falsely claims Ukraine started war with Russia ABC NewsTrump falsely claims Ukraine started war with Russia CNN Source link #Donald #Trump #signals #Ukraine #hold #elections #part #Russia #peace #deal #Financial #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Champions League: ‘I was loving every minute, another 30 would have been amazing’, says Celtic’s Schmeichel Champions League: ‘I was loving every minute, another 30 would have been amazing’, says Celtic’s Schmeichel Just over four months ago, the talk around Celtic in European football was very different. They were dismantled by Borussia Dortmund, beaten 7-1 on a wretched night, seemingly out of their depth at the top table. And yet, they regrouped and came up with answers. Wins against RB Leipzig and Young Boys followed, along with respectable draws against Atalanta, Club Brugge and Dinamo Zagreb, which all set up a showpiece tie against Bayern. Bayern, who sit 26 points and 10 places above Dortmund in the Bundesliga. Bayern, who Celtic deservedly led in Munich until the dying stages. Despite the heartbreak, it was telling evidence of how far Celtic have progressed in four months. “There’s so much disappointment but when we take a step back and analyse the fact we’re away to Bayern and are disappointed in drawing, I think that says a lot when you think of where we started,” Schmeichel said. Former Scotland forward James McFadden echoed those thoughts: “Celtic suffered out there and they proved people wrong,” he said on Sportsound. “People watching that will go ‘Celtic are a really good side’. Everyone involved will be gutted at the minute because they will feel they could have won this tie. “That tells you how far they have come.” Moving forward, Rodgers sees the foundations that will allow Celtic to compete with Europe’s top teams once again next season. Only Aston Villa beat them in the league phase after the drubbing in Dortmund and the Celtic boss insists his players will be better for their continental experiences. “We learned some valuable lessons along the way, played some amazing football,” he said. “It allows us to build. We’ve made the progress that made me want to come back and now we have to finish the season off strong. “My unswerving plan is to make it a seasoned club at this level, where we can go and really hurt big opponents like Bayern Munich.” Source link #Champions #League #loving #minute #amazing #Celtics #Schmeichel Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Murray, Mitchell injured in Rabbitohs double blow Murray, Mitchell injured in Rabbitohs double blow South Sydney captain Cameron Murray’s NRL season is in tatters with a suspected ruptured achilles, while Latrell Mitchell has suffered a hamstring injury. Source link #Murray #Mitchell #injured #Rabbitohs #double #blow Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump says he has instructed DOJ to terminate all remaining Biden-era US attorneys Trump says he has instructed DOJ to terminate all remaining Biden-era US attorneys By Jasper Ward WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he has instructed the Justice Department to terminate all remaining Biden-era U.S. attorneys, asserting that the department had been “politicized like never before.” “We must ‘clean house’ IMMEDIATELY, and restore confidence. America’s Golden Age must have a fair Justice System – THAT BEGINS TODAY,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. 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. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Last week, the White House sent termination notices to several U.S. Attorneys around the country who had been appointed by Democratic former President Joe Biden. On Monday, several U.S. attorneys appointed by Biden announced they were stepping down. Others left the government last week. While it is customary for U.S. Attorneys to step down after a change in the presidential administration, usually the incoming administration asks for their resignations and does not issue tersely worded termination letters, current and former Justice Department lawyers say. The termination of the U.S. attorneys, who serve as the top federal law enforcement officers in their districts, is the latest in shake-ups at the Justice Department since Trump took office last month. Career Justice Department officials normally remain in office from one administration to the next. Yet dozens in cities including Washington and New York have been fired or quit since Trump took office. Trump campaigned on a vow to end the “weaponization” at the Justice Department that he says was used against him during his years out of power. (Reporting by Jasper Ward, additional reporting by Nate Raymong, editing by Michelle Nichols and David Gregorio) Source link #Trump #instructed #DOJ #terminate #remaining #Bidenera #attorneys Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Pope Francis Has Bilateral Pneumonia Pope Francis Has Bilateral Pneumonia Pope Francis, who remains hospitalized, has bilateral pneumonia, the ******** said on Tuesday. The term simply means pneumonia in both lungs, said Dr. James Musser, director of the center for infectious diseases at the Houston Methodist Research Institute. He added that, without examining a patient, he could not say anything specific about his condition. In general, pneumonia is an infection of the small airways of the lungs. As the body mounts an inflammatory response, small pockets in the lungs fill with immune cells; symptoms can include fever, cough and shaking chills. To diagnose the illness, a doctor typically asks the patient to say a long “e,” as if the person were singing. Through a stethoscope, the “e” of a pneumonia patient sounds like an “a,” said Dr. Paul Pottinger, a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Washington. Most people with pneumonia recover well at home and do not need to be hospitalized. But for older people, pneumonia can be “a deadly situation,” infectious disease experts said. Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, professor of medicine and infectious diseases at the University of California, San Francisco, added that “the mortality rate goes up after age 85.” The pope is 88. The most likely cause of pneumonia is an infection caused by a bacterium, Streptococcus pneumoniae, according to Dr. Chin-Hong. “The No. 1, 2 and 3 cause of pneumonia is strep pneumonia,” he said. The illness can respond to antibiotics, but bacteria can sometimes spill out of the lungs and into the rest of the body, resulting in sepsis, a dangerous situation. A vaccine can help mitigate this sepsis risk but does not prevent the condition, Dr. Chin-Hong said. Dr. Pottinger noted that, although strep pneumonia can involve both lungs, it usually is confined to one lobe of one lung. Most bilateral pneumonia, he said, is caused by viruses, including influenza, or other bacteria. Other causes include respiratory syncytial virus, or R.S.V., Legionella, mycoplasma and chlamydia, Dr. Pottinger said. He agreed with Dr. Chin-Hong about the likely gravity of the pope’s condition. “It is a very scary situation,” Dr. Pottinger said. Source link #Pope #Francis #Bilateral #Pneumonia Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Victim of Jan. 6 defendant’s past crime fears for her safety after pardons Victim of Jan. 6 defendant’s past crime fears for her safety after pardons When President Trump issued sweeping pardons to some 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants on his first day in office, his action did not distinguish between those who peacefully wandered the Capitol grounds four years earlier and those who engaged in violence against police. Now, critics of the move are raising concerns about the dangers posed by some of those convicted of violent felonies who have been released with no plan, and none of the monitoring or restrictions that typically accompany a more traditional parole process. “I’m just afraid that I’m going to come home from work one night and he’s going to be right there. He’s going to be right there sitting on my porch,” said Shantelle Holeton, a 43-year-old factory worker who says she voted for Trump three times. Holeton, who spoke with CBS exclusively, said she was abused by Jan. 6 defendant Peter Schwartz in 2019. He was charged and convicted for threatening her. Then in 2023, a federal judge handed Schwartz one of the longest sentences of any Capitol riot defendant — more than 14 years in prison on charges that included four counts of assaulting police officers. Body camera footage from Capitol Hill police during the riot show Schwartz spraying officers with pepper spray and wielding a baton. In court filings, the Department of Justice said he threw the first chair at officers, creating an opening that enabled hundreds of rioters to push back police lines. Peter Schwartz wielding a baton at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. He was sentenced to more than 14 years in prison on charges that included four counts of assaulting police officers, before being pardoned by President Trump. U.S. Department of Justice Federal prosecutors described Schwartz as “one of the most violent and aggressive participants in the January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol,” and as someone who “has a long history of assaulting police officers and women.” Prior to the events of Jan. 6, 2021, Schwartz had amassed a lengthy criminal record that included previous clashes with police. CBS News reviewed dozens of Schwartz’ convictions in more than four states for crimes including domestic violence, threatening his girlfriend, and assaulting security officers. CBS News made repeated efforts to contact Schwartz through his defense lawyer, known associates and family members. He did not respond to requests for comment. He has appeared in public proclaiming his innocence from the charges that led to his Jan. 6 conviction. “A lot of us that were Jan. Sixers were actually innocent,” Schwartz claimed in an interview with right-wing influencer Christopher Key, days after being released from prison. Speaking about the mass pardons of Jan 6 rioters during a press conference on Air Force One last week, President Trump said, “what I did was a great thing for humanity. They were treated very, very unfairly.” The White House would not say whether anyone had reviewed Schwartz’s case before issuing him a pardon. “President Trump campaigned on pardoning January 6th protestors, won the election with an overwhelming mandate, and delivered on his promise,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt in a statement to CBS News. Dozens of defendants with criminal histories Since Trump’s mass pardon on Jan. 20, several defendants have had incidents with law enforcement or other legal troubles. Matthew Huttle, who was sentenced to six months in prison for his actions at the Capitol, was killed by a police officer while resisting arrest during a traffic stop in Indiana last month. Elizabeth Hernandez, sentenced to 30 days in federal prison for her role in Jan. 6, was recently handed a 10-year prison sentence for a fatal DUI in Missouri in 2022. There are no reports that Schwartz has re-offended in the weeks since his release. Shortly before Schwartz was pardoned, an appeals court reversed only one of the 11 charges against him, and none of the assault charges. Schwartz has been citing the appeals court decision as proof of his innocence while appearing on right-wing media shows. Schwartz is not the only Jan. 6 defendant with an extensive criminal history. A CBS News analysis of hundreds of sentencing documents found that at least 159 of pardoned Jan. 6 defendants had criminal records prior to that day. That includes at least 41 people who had been convicted of at least one violent crime prior to their actions on Jan. 6. “There were a lot of folks who had no criminal history,” said Jason Manning, a former federal prosecutor involved in more than 50 Jan. 6-related cases. “There were a lot of other defendants, however, who had extensive histories of domestic abuse, histories of assaulting police officers for whom assaulting the police on January 6th was not the first time they had assaulted police.” Allegations of domestic violence, threats Holeton says she met Schwartz on Facebook in 2019 and moved in with him in Owensboro, Kentucky, after several months of dating long distance. She says it was perfect for two weeks, and then things changed. Shantelle Holeton and Peter Schwartz in 2019. Shantelle Holeton “I made a comment about how tall the corn had gotten in a week. We lived right across from a cornfield, and that comment started the argument that got me beat up,” Holeton said. Holeton alleges Schwartz beat her. She says the violence persisted until she called the police in July 2019 when she alleged Schwartz was threatening to kill her and her son. Photos taken by the Kentucky State Police, and reviewed by CBS News, show numerous firearms belonging to Schwartz found on the property. Schwartz was eventually charged and convicted for “terroristic threatening” and possessing a handgun. Even when Schwartz was in prison, Holeton said she was afraid. “I walked around the house with a big butcher knife, because I was afraid that they were just gonna let him out and he was just gonna show up,” she said. Photo of Shantelle Holeton from 2019, following an incident where she says Schwartz was violent. Shantelle Holeton According to a 2015 incident report, Schwartz also threatened police, reportedly telling an officer in Owensboro, “I am going to shoot you right in the head.” In another police report from 2020, Schwartz’s then girlfriend, Shelly Stallings, alleged Schwartz bit her forehead and then continued to punch her in the head. In police bodycam footage, reviewed by CBS News, Stallings can be heard saying, “I locked him out because I couldn’t control him, I don’t want to be beat up. … He just gets violent.” Schwartz was later convicted of domestic violence. Holeton was not surprised when she heard Schwartz had been at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. “He found an opportunity to go and be violent,” she said. “That man thrives on violence. He thrives on people fearing him.” Two years later, when Holeton heard that Schwartz would be in prison for more than a decade, she said she felt a huge weight had been lifted. She took to TikTok and Facebook to share an old photo of her battered face and a screenshot of Schwartz’s sentencing, with the caption, “whether you agree with the J6 prisoners or not, myself and all the other women he beat on finally got some justice.” “I was like, oh, well, at least I don’t have to worry about him just showing up at my house for the next 14 years,” said Holeton, who did not want to share her specific location out of concern for her safety. “He is not a hero” Holeton, a registered Democrat, said she has voted for President Trump in the past three elections. She said she decided to vote for him in 2024 because she thought he would improve the economy, and she believed his administration would only pardon Jan. 6 defendants on a case-by-case basis. In an interview on Fox News in early January, Vice President-elect JD Vance said those who protested peacefully should be pardoned, but he made an exception for rioters who engaged in violence. “If you committed violence that day, obviously you shouldn’t be pardoned,” he said. But Vance later told CBS News he supported the president’s action, saying it “rectified a wrong.” Holeton believes, “Most of those people should have been allowed to go home, but not people like Pete.” “The idea of pardoning people who had criminal histories, violent histories, it’s a really poor choice if you’re thinking about public safety going forward,” said Manning. An online fundraiser for Schwartz has raised nearly $90,000 from supporters in the past two years. “Pete is not the person that everybody thinks he is,” said Holeton. “Everyone is hailing him as a hero and he is not a hero. He is a violent, violent man.” Assault On The U.S. Capitol More More Jim Axelrod Jim Axelrod is the chief correspondent and executive editor for CBS News’ “Eye on America” franchise, part of the “CBS Evening News.” He also reports for “CBS Mornings,” “CBS News Sunday Morning,” and CBS News 24/7. Source link #Victim #Jan #defendants #crime #fears #safety #pardons Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Brazil Charges Bolsonaro With Attempting a Coup Brazil Charges Bolsonaro With Attempting a Coup Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s former president, was charged Tuesday with overseeing a vast scheme to try to undermine his nation’s trust in the 2022 elections and then overturn that vote when his allies could not find evidence of fraud. Brazil’s attorney general, Paulo Gonet Branco, indicted Mr. Bolsonaro and 33 other people for a series of crimes against Brazil’s democracy. The charges essentially accepted recommendations from Brazil’s federal police in November. The case will now go before Brazil’s Supreme Court, which will analyze the charges and decide whether to arrest Mr. Bolsonaro and have him face trial. A lawyer who represents Mr. Bolsonaro had no immediate comment. This is a developing story and will be updated. Source link #Brazil #Charges #Bolsonaro #Attempting #Coup Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Native Activist Leonard Peltier Is Going Home. His Imprisonment Was a Familiar Story – KQED Native Activist Leonard Peltier Is Going Home. His Imprisonment Was a Familiar Story – KQED Native Activist Leonard Peltier Is Going Home. His Imprisonment Was a Familiar Story KQEDFar-left activist Leonard Peltier, serving life in murders of 2 FBI agents, leaves prison under Biden clemency Fox NewsNative American Activist Leonard Peltier Released From Prison The New York Times Source link #Native #Activist #Leonard #Peltier #Home #Imprisonment #Familiar #Story #KQED Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump’s Pivot Toward Putin’s Russia Upends Generations of U.S. Policy Trump’s Pivot Toward Putin’s Russia Upends Generations of U.S. Policy For more than a decade, the West has faced off against the East again in what was widely called a new cold war. But with President Trump back in office, America is giving the impression that it could be switching sides. Even as American and Russian negotiators sat down together on Tuesday for the first time since Moscow’s full-fledged invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago, Mr. Trump has signaled that he is willing to abandon America’s allies to make common cause with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. As far as Mr. Trump is concerned, Russia is not responsible for the war that has devastated its neighbor. Instead, he suggests that Ukraine is to blame for Russia’s invasion of it. To listen to Mr. Trump talk with reporters on Tuesday about the conflict was to hear a version of reality that would be unrecognizable on the ground in Ukraine and certainly would never have been heard from any other American president of either party. In Mr. Trump’s telling, Ukrainian leaders were at fault for the war for not agreeing to surrender territory and therefore, he suggested, they do not deserve a seat at the table for the peace talks that he has just initiated with Mr. Putin. “You should have never started it,” Mr. Trump said, referring to Ukrainian leaders who, in fact, did not start it. “You could have made a deal.” Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, he went on: “You have a leadership now that’s allowed a war to go on that should have never even happened.” By contrast, Mr. Trump uttered not one word of reproach for Mr. Putin or for Russia, which first invaded Ukraine in 2014, waged a low-intensity war against it through all four years of Mr. Trump’s first term and then invaded it in 2022 aiming to take over the whole country. Mr. Trump is in the middle of executing one of the most jaw-dropping pivots in American foreign policy in generations, a 180-degree turn that will force friends and foes to recalibrate in fundamental ways. Ever since the end of World War II, a long parade of American presidents saw first the Soviet Union and then, after a brief and illusory interregnum, its successor Russia as a force to be wary of, at the very least. Mr. Trump gives every appearance of viewing it as a collaborator in future joint ventures. He makes clear that the United States is done isolating Mr. Putin for his unprovoked aggression against a weaker neighbor and the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of people. Instead, Mr. Trump, who has always had a perplexing fondness for Mr. Putin, wants to readmit Russia to the international club and make it one of America’s top friends. “It’s a disgraceful reversal of 80 years of American foreign policy,” said Kori Schake, who is the director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute and was a national security aide to President George W. Bush. “Throughout the Cold War, the U.S. refused to legitimate Soviet conquest of the Baltic States, and it gave heart to people fighting for their freedom,” she continued. “Now we’re legitimating aggression to create spheres of influence. Every American president of the last 80 years would oppose President Trump’s statement.” In Mr. Trump’s circle, the pivot is a necessary corrective to years of misguided policy. He and his allies see the cost of defending Europe as too high, given other needs. Coming to some kind of accommodation with Moscow, in this view, would allow the United States to bring home more troops or shift national security resources toward China, which they see as “the biggest threat,” as Secretary of State Marco Rubio put it last month. The U.S. reversal has certainly been pronounced over the past week. Just days after Vice President JD Vance excoriated European allies, saying “the threat from within” was more worrisome than Russia, Mr. Rubio met with Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, and talked up “the incredible opportunities that exist to partner with the Russians” if they could simply dispose of the Ukraine war. No Ukrainian leaders were in the room for the meeting, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, much less other Europeans, although Mr. Rubio called several foreign ministers afterward to brief them. Instead, by all appearances, this was a meeting of two big powers dividing up areas of dominance, a modern-day Congress of Vienna or Yalta Conference. Mr. Trump has long seen Mr. Putin as a compatriot, a strong and “very savvy” player whose effort to bully Ukraine into making territorial concessions was nothing short of “genius.” Mr. Putin, in his eyes, is someone worthy of admiration and respect, unlike the leaders of traditional U.S. allies like Germany, Canada or France, for whom he exhibits scorn. Indeed, Mr. Trump has spent the first month of his second term stiffing the allies, not only leaving them out of the emerging Ukraine talks but threatening tariffs against them, demanding they increase their military spending and asserting claims over some of their territory. His billionaire patron Elon Musk has publicly backed the far-right Alternative for Germany party. “For now, the Europeans see this as Trump normalizing Russia relations while treating his allies, the Europeans, as untrusted,” said Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group, an international consulting firm. “Supporting the AfD, who the ******* leaders consider a neo-Nazi party, makes Trump look like an adversary to Europe’s largest economy. It’s an extraordinary change.” Mr. Trump vowed during the campaign that he could end the Ukraine war in 24 hours, which he has failed to do, and in fact said he would bring peace to Ukraine even before his inauguration, which he also failed to do. After a nearly 90-minute phone call with Mr. Putin last week, Mr. Trump assigned Mr. Rubio and two other advisers, Michael Waltz and Steve Witkoff, to pursue negotiations. The concessions that Mr. Trump and his team have floated sound like a Kremlin wish list: Russia gets to keep all of the Ukrainian territory it illegally seized by force. The United States will not provide Ukraine with security guarantees, much less allow it into NATO. Sanctions will be lifted. The president has even suggested that Russia be readmitted to the Group of 7 major powers after it was expelled for its original 2014 incursion into Ukraine. What would Mr. Putin have to give up for a deal? He would have to stop killing Ukrainians while he pockets his victory. Mr. Trump has not highlighted other concessions he would insist on. Nor has he said how Mr. Putin could be trusted to keep an agreement given that he violated a 1994 pact guaranteeing Ukrainian sovereignty and two cease-fire deals negotiated in Minsk, Belarus, in 2014 and 2015. Mr. Trump’s evident faith in his ability to seal a deal with Mr. Putin mystifies veteran national security officials who have dealt with Russia over the years. “We should be talking to them in the same way that we talked to Soviet leaders throughout the Cold War,” said Celeste A. Wallander, who dealt with Russia and Ukraine issues as assistant secretary of defense under President Joseph R. Biden Jr. “Which is you don’t trust them.” “When you do negotiations,” she continued, “you do them with the presumption that they will violate them. You try to find overlapping interests, but recognize that our interests are fundamentally in conflict and we’re trying to manage a dangerous adversary, not become best friends.” Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Mr. Trump made it sound as if he did consider Russia to be a friend — but not Ukraine. “Russia wants to do something,” he said. “They want to stop the savage barbarianism.” Mr. Trump expressed dismay about the killing and destruction wrought by what he called a “senseless war,” comparing scenes from the front to the Battle of Gettysburg with “body parts all over the field.” Ukraine, he said, was “being wiped out” and the war had to end. But he did not say who was wiping out Ukraine, leaving it clear he faulted its own leaders and dismissing their insistence to be part of any negotiations. “I hear that they’re upset about not having a seat,” Mr. Trump said. “Well, they’ve had a seat for three years. And a long time before that. This could have been settled very easily. Just a half-baked negotiator could have settled this years ago without, I think, without the loss of much land, very little land. Without the loss of any lives. And without the loss of cities that are just laying on their sides.” He repeated his claim that the invasion would not have happened had he been president, ignoring the fact that Russian-sponsored forces had waged war inside Ukraine all four years of his first term. “I could have made a deal for Ukraine that would have given them almost all of the land,” he said without explaining why he did not try to negotiate peace when he was in office. As he often does, Mr. Trump flavored his comments with multiple false claims. Among them, he said that the United States has contributed three times as much aid to Ukraine since the war started as Europe has. In fact, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, Europe has allocated $138 billion compared with $119 billion from the United States. He also denigrated President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, saying more than once that “he’s down at 4 percent in approval rating.” In fact, Mr. Zelensky’s approval rating has fallen from its once-stratospheric heights, but only to around 50 percent — not that different from Mr. Trump’s own. Mr. Trump also agreed with a Russian talking point that Ukraine should have new elections to play a part in negotiations. “Yeah, I would say that when they want a seat at the table, you could say the people have to — wouldn’t the people of Ukraine have to say, like, you know, it’s been a long time since we had an election?” he said. “That’s not a Russia thing. That’s something coming from me and coming from many other countries also.” What other countries he did not say. Nor did he say anything about the need for elections in Russia, where any voting is controlled by the Kremlin and its allies. Mr. Trump’s remarks were not scripted and came in response to questions by reporters. But they reflected how he sees the situation and foreshadowed the next few months. They also sent fresh shock waves through Europe, which is coming to grips with the fact that its chief ally in the new cold war no longer sees itself that way. “Some of the most shameful comments uttered by a president in my lifetime,” Ian Bond, deputy director of the Center for European Reform in London, wrote online. “Trump is siding with the aggressor, blaming the victim. In the Kremlin they must be jumping for joy.” Source link #Trumps #Pivot #Putins #Russia #Upends #Generations #U.S #Policy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

As DeepSeek and ChatGPT surge, is Delhi falling behind? As DeepSeek and ChatGPT surge, is Delhi falling behind? Getty Images India has still not developed its own foundational language model like DeepSeek that’s used to power things like chatbots Two years after ChatGPT took the world by storm, China’s DeepSeek has sent ripples through the tech industry by collapsing the cost for developing generative artificial intelligence applications. But as the global race for AI supremacy heats up, India appears to have fallen behind, especially in creating its own foundational language model that’s used to power things like chatbots. The government claims a homegrown equivalent to DeepSeek isn’t far away. It is supplying startups, universities and researchers with thousands of high-end chips needed to develop it in under 10 months. A flurry of global AI leaders have also been talking up India’s capabilities recently. After being initially dismissive, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman this month said India should be playing a leading role in the AI revolution. The country is now OpenAI’s second largest market by users. Others like Microsoft have put serious money on the table – committing $3bn (£2.4bn) for cloud and AI infrastructure. Nvidia’s Jensen Huang also spoke of India’s “unmatched” technical talent as a key to unlocking its future potential. With 200 startups working on generative AI, there’s enough entrepreneurial activity under way too. But despite having key ingredients for success in place, India risks lagging behind without basic structural fixes to education, research and state policy, experts say. China and the US already have a “four to five year head-start”, having invested heavily in research and academia and developed AI for military applications, law enforcement and now large language models, technology analyst Prasanto Roy told the BBC. Though in the top five globally on Stanford’s AI Vibrancy Index – which ranks countries on metrics such as patents, funding, policy and research – India is still far behind the two superpowers in many key areas. China and the US were granted 60% and 20% of the world’s total AI patents between 2010 and 2022 respectively. India got less than half a percent. India’s AI startups also received a fraction of the private investment that US and ******** companies got in 2023. India’s state-funded AI mission, meanwhile, is worth a trifling $1bn compared with the staggering $500bn the US has earmarked for Stargate – a plan to build massive AI infrastructure in the US – or China’s reported $137bn initiative to become an AI hub by 2030. Getty Images Modi at the AI Action Summit in Paris – 15% of the world’s AI talent is Indian, but most migrate out of the country While DeepSeek’s success has demonstrated that AI models can be built on older, less expensive chips – something India can take solace from – lack of “patient” or long-term capital from either industry or government is a major problem, says Jaspreet Bindra, founder of a consultancy that builds AI literacy in organisations. “Despite what has been heard about DeepSeek developing a model with $5.6m, there was much more capital behind it.” Lack of high-quality India-specific datasets required for training AI models in regional languages such as Hindi, Marathi or Tamil is another problem, especially given India’s language diversity. But for all its issues, India punches far above its weight on talent – with 15% of the world’s AI workers coming from the country. The issue though, as Stanford’s AI talent migration research shows, is that more and more of them are choosing to leave the country. This is partly because “foundational AI innovations typically come from deep R&D in universities and corporate research labs”, Mr Bindra says. And India lacks a supporting research environment, with few deep-tech breakthroughs emerging from its academic and corporate sectors. The enormous success of India’s payments revolution was due to strong government-industry-academia collaboration – a similar model, he says, needs to be replicated for the AI push. The Unified Payment Interface (UPI), a digital payment system developed by a government organisation, has revolutionised digital payments in India, allowing millions to transact at the click of a button or by scanning a QR code. Getty Images India’s payments revolution was a result of strong government-industry-academia collaboration Bengaluru’s $200bn outsourcing industry, home to millions of coders, should have ideally been at the forefront of India’s AI ambitions. But the IT companies have never really shifted their focus from cheap service-based work to developing foundational consumer AI technologies. “It’s a huge gap which they left to the startups to fill,” says Mr Roy. He’s unsure though whether startups and government missions can do this heavy lifting quickly enough, adding that the 10-month timeline set by the minster was a knee-jerk reaction to DeepSeek’s sudden emergence. “I don’t think India will be able to produce anything like DeepSeek at least for the next few years,” he adds. It is a view many others share. India can, however, continue to build and tweak applications upon existing open source platforms like DeepSeek “to leapfrog our own AI progress”, Bhavish Agarwal, founder of one of India’s earliest AI startups Krutrim, recently wrote on X. In the longer run though, developing a foundational model will be critical to have strategic autonomy in the sector and reduce import dependencies and threats of sanctions, say experts. India will also need to increase its computational power or hardware infrastructure to run such models, which means manufacturing semiconductors – something that’s not taken off yet. Much of this will need to fall in place before the gap with the US and China is narrowed meaningfully. Source link #DeepSeek #ChatGPT #surge #Delhi #falling Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Bangladesh girls forced to cancel football amid Islamist threats Bangladesh girls forced to cancel football amid Islamist threats Anbarasan Ethirajan BBC News Supplied Asha Roy was due to take part in a football tournament that Islamists protested against recently Asha Roy, 17, was excited to take part in a women’s football tournament, but her hopes were dashed as Islamists forced the organisers to cancel the match in northern Bangladesh. Shortly before the game began earlier this month, the Islami Andolan Bangladesh group announced a protest rally against the event in Rangpur region, saying it was un-Islamic. Fearing trouble, local police stepped in and the women’s team members were asked to return to their home for their safety. “I was frustrated and frightened. We had never faced such a situation before. It was disappointing that we came back without playing,” Ms Roy told the BBC. Bangladesh, a *******-majority nation, is currently undergoing a political transition after widespread protests ousted its authoritarian government last year. An interim administration is currently in charge but there are concerns that Islamist groups, which had been pushed to the fringes, have become emboldened again. The women’s football match was the third to be cancelled in northern Bangladesh in less than two weeks due to the objections of religious hardliners. In the Dinajpur area, roughly 70km (43 miles) west of Rangpur, Islamists protesting against a game clashed with locals who supported it, leaving four people injured. For girls such as Asha Roy, who come from rural areas, football and other sports are a source of female empowerment and a way out of poverty. Those who shine can be selected to play for sponsored teams and some go on to represent Bangladesh internationally. Many girls have been inspired to take up football thanks to the success of the national women’s team, who are considered heroes after winning two consecutive South Asia Football Championships in recent years. Ms Roy’s teammate, Musammat Tara Moni, said she would not stop playing despite the threats. “It’s my dream to represent our national team. My family supports me, so I am not losing hope,” the 16-year-old said. For their coach Nurul Islam, the objections came as a surprise. “I have taken the team to many tournaments for the past seven years, but it’s the first time we have faced a situation like this,” he said. Tomal Rahman Football is a source of female empowerment for young Bangladeshi women The Islamists insist that the match they stopped was against their religious values and say that they are determined to prevent any future football games. “If women want to play football, they should cover their entire body, and they can play only in front of female spectators. Men cannot watch them play,” Maulana Ashraf Ali, the leader of the Islami Andolan Bangladesh in the Taraganj area of Rangpur, told the BBC. Mr Ali also insisted that the group “definitely” want hard-line Islamic Sharia law in Bangladesh. The cancellation of the women’s football matches caused an uproar on social media, leading the authorities to reorganise one of them. They have also launched an investigation into the incidents but say the fear of radicalism is exaggerated. “There is no truth in the allegations that the government is pandering to Islamists,” Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to interim leader Muhammad Yunus, told the BBC. Mr Alam pointed out that hundreds of women’s sports matches were held as part of a national youth festival in January, and that they were played across the country without any trouble. Some people are not reassured. Samina Luthfa, assistant professor of sociology in the University of Dhaka, told the BBC the cancellation of the women’s football matches was “definitely alarming”. “The women of Bangladesh will not stop playing football and will not stop from going to work or doing their things,” she said, adding that “everyone will fight” efforts to remove women from public spaces. Sohel Rana In Dinajpur Islamist protests against women’s football met with resistance in some areas Other decisions made by the interim government since it assumed power in August in relation to Islamist extremism have also raised concerns. They include revoking a ban on the country’s largest Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami, which was introduced in the last days of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s government. Jashimuddin Rahmani, the leader of banned Islamist militant group Ansarullah Bangladesh (ABT) – now known as Ansar al Islam – was released in August after a court granted him bail. He was sentenced to five years in prison in connection with the killing of a secular blogger in 2013, but had been kept behind bars because of other pending cases. According to local media reports, several other people accused of having links with extremist groups have also been given bail in the past few months. “Though security forces say they will monitor those released, it will be difficult for them to put everybody under surveillance given the limitations,” says Dr Tawohidul Haque, a crime analyst from the University of Dhaka. While most Bangladeshis practise moderate Islam and secular values dominate society, Islamic extremism is not a new phenomenon in the country. A decade ago, religious zealots targeted secular bloggers, atheists, minorities, foreigners and others in a spate of attacks – killing dozens and sending others fleeing abroad. In one such incident, a group of Islamist gunmen stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka in 2016, killing 20 people. Supplied Actor Pori Moni says she was recently stopped from opening a store due to religious objections It is not just women’s football games that have been targeted recently either. Last week, dozens of Islamist students vandalised a book stall at Dhaka’s famous Ekushey Book Fair. The protesters were angry over the display a book by the exiled feminist author Taslima Nasrin, who has in the past received death threats from Islamist groups for what they say are her blasphemous writings. Muhammad Yunus condemned the incident saying the attack “shows contempt for both the rights of Bangladeshi citizens and for the laws of our country.” The police are investigating. Meanwhile, one of the country’s best-known actors, Pori Moni said she was stopped from inaugurating a department store in the northern town of Tangail after reported objections from religious groups. “Now I’m really feeling helpless, as well as insecure. It’s part of my job to take part in opening a showroom or a similar event. No one has stopped me all these years,” Ms Moni told the BBC Bengali service. Similar events involving two other actors, Apu Biswas and Mehazabien Chowdhury, have also been cancelled following threats by Islamists. ********* groups like the Sufi Muslims say they are also witnessing increasing attacks on their places of worship. Islamist extremists view Sufism as heretical. “About a hundred of our shrines [mazars] and centres have been attacked in the past six months,” Anisur Rahman Jafri, Secretary General of the Sufism Universal Foundation, told the BBC. “We have not seen this kind of sudden extremist attack on us since the country’s independence in 1971,” he added, warning that the country was at risk of “Talibanisation” if the situation continued. Police said only 40 shrines were damaged and that they had stepped up security around religious sites. The authorities have also been struggling to maintain law and order in the wake of Sheikh Hasina’s departure. Earlier this month, thousands of protesters vandalised homes and buildings connected to Hasina and senior leaders of her Awami League party. People from other groups and parties, including Islamists, joined in other demonstrations in the capital, Dhaka, and across the country. The authorities have defended the security forces for not intervening, saying doing so would have cost lives. Rights groups have expressed concern over the security situation. “If the government fails to act, then Islamists are going to feel emboldened. There will be more self-censorship for women and girls, they will be more intimidated participating in public events,” Shireen Huq, a prominent women’s rights activist, told the BBC. “I am still optimistic that this phenomenon will not sustain,” she added. Additional reporting from the BBC Bengali service in Dhaka Source link #Bangladesh #girls #forced #cancel #football #Islamist #threats Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Even in his final seconds of life, first gay imam pushed boundaries Even in his final seconds of life, first gay imam pushed boundaries Khanyi Ngcobo BBC News, Johannesburg AFP The execution-style killing of an openly gay imam, Muhsin Hendricks, in South Africa has left people in the LGBTQ+ community fearful for their safety – but also determined to forge ahead with the campaign to end their marginalisation in religious circles. Reverend Toni Kruger-Ayebazibwe, an openly gay Christian cleric, told the BBC that Hendricks was a “gentle spirit” who brought light into any room he occupied. “The gap Muhsin leaves is massive,” she told the BBC, adding that she knew for a fact that there there were “a large number of ****** Muslims around the world who are grief stricken”. The 57-year-old was shot dead in what appeared to be a hit on Saturday in the small coastal city of Gqeberha. Initial reports that Cape Town-based Hendricks had been in Gqeberha to perform the wedding ceremony of a gay couple have been dismissed as untrue by his Al-Gurbaah Foundation. “He was visiting Gqeberha to officiate the marriages of two interfaith heterosexual couples when he was tragically shot and killed,” it said in a statement. It is unclear why the couples had asked Hendricks to oversee their ceremonies, but it suggests that he was pushing the boundaries, even in the last seconds of his life. Traditional imams in South Africa rarely, if ever, perform the marriage of a ******* to a non-******* – something that Hendricks clearly had no issue with. He had, according to a faith leader that the BBC spoke to, conducted one such marriage ceremony and was on his way to conduct the next one when he was gunned down in his vehicle. AFP South Africa has a thriving LGBTQ+ community and in 2006 became the first country in Africa to legalise same-sex marriage Two leading bodies that represent imams – the ******* Judicial Council (MJC) and the United Ulama Council of South Africa (UUCSA) – condemned Hendricks’ killing. “As members of a democratic, pluralistic society, the MJC remains steadfast in advocating for peaceful coexistence and mutual respect, even amidst divergent views,” the MJC said, while the UUCSA said it condemned “all forms of extra-judicial killings”. However, Hendricks – who did his Islamic studies in Pakistan – was a pariah in their circles, as they hold the view that Islam prohibits same-sex relations. They pointedly referred to him as “Mr Hendricks”, rather than by religious titles like imam or sheikh. In contrast, Hendricks’ supporters hailed him as the world’s first openly gay imam who made it possible for them to reconcile their sexuality with their Islamic faith. That he was a trail-blazer is not surprising – South Africa’s constitution, adopted in 1996 after the end of white-********* rule, was the first in the world to protect people from discrimination because of their ******* orientation. Then in 2006, South Africa became the first country in Africa to legalise same-sex marriage. Once in a heterosexual marriage with children, Hendricks came out as gay in 1996 – and, according to The Conversation, he later broke another taboo by marrying a Hindu man. He then spearheaded the formation of The Inner Circle as “an underground social and support group” for ****** Muslims. It started out at his home in Cape Town, and has “proven to be very successful in helping Muslims who are ****** to reconcile Islam with their sexuality”, The Inner Circle’s website says. Despite South Africa having a thriving LGBTQ+ scene, members of the community still face some stigmatisation and violence. AFP Most religious groups in South Africa have shied away from recognising same-sex unions Only a few of the country’s religious groups have adopted policies that are more favourable towards the community, among them the Dutch Reformed Church and the Methodist Church of Southern Africa. The Dutch Reformed Church was in 2019 forced by the courts to reinstate a policy it had introduced four years earlier, but then scrapped, allowing same-sex marriages and for gay and lesbian pastors to be in romantic relationships. The following year, the Methodist Church said that while it was “not yet ready to apply for its ministers to officiate at same-sex marriages”, no congregant residing in a member country that recognised civil unions would be “prevented from entering into such a union which can be as same-sex or opposite sex couples”. Reverend Ecclesia de Lange, the director at Inclusive and Affirming Ministries (IAM), told the BBC that even in instances where faith groups had adopted inclusive policies there were still “pockets of very strong conservatism”. “The traditional interpretations of sacred texts continue to exclude LGBTQ+ people, so the struggle for acceptance within faith communities remains ongoing,” she said. Senior lecturer in Islamic Studies at South Africa’s University of the Western Cape, Dr Fatima Essop, reflected on the “distressing” vitriolic content circulating on social media in the wake of Hendricks’ killing. “I just find that completely shocking and so far removed from our… Islamic tradition, which is all about compassion and mercy and preservation of human life,” she told the BBC. Dr Essop added that while she understood some of the strong feelings against Hendricks’ work, there was “absolutely no justification, Islamic or otherwise, for this kind of violence”. And while the motive is unclear, Hendrick’s killing – and the negative comments that followed – was likely to make people fearful to “speak about their sexuality or ******* orientation”, Dr Essop said. Reverend Kruger-Ayebazibwe said that while Hendricks’ shooting would make LGBTQ+ leaders rethink their security, it would not deter them from campaigning for change “because the work matters too much”. Hendricks has already been buried at a private ceremony, though his Al-Gurbaah Foundation has pledged to organise a memorial in the near future to “honour his immense contributions”. For Teboho Klaas, the religion programme officer at The Other Foundation, which champions LGBTQ+ rights in southern Africa, his killers may have cut his life short “but not his legacy because he has multiplied himself”. You may be interested in:Getty Images/BBC Source link #final #seconds #life #gay #imam #pushed #boundaries Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Retailers selling knives online face stricter laws Retailers selling knives online face stricter laws Ruth Green and Rowan Bridge BBC News Family Handout Pooja Kanda, pictured with her son Ronan, a knife crime ******* victim in 2022, describes the stricter rules as a “much-needed beginning” Stricter rules for retailers selling knives online – and tougher penalties for those who break them – are to be introduced in the spring. Retailers across the *** will be required to report any bulk or suspicious knife purchases to police – and the jail term for selling weapons to under-18s will increase from six months to two years. A new policing unit backed with £1m of funding to monitor for weapons being sold illegally on social media will also be created. The new measures announced by the government will collectively be known as Ronan’s Law – after 16-year-old Ronan Kanda who was murdered close to his Wolverhampton home three years ago. Introduced as part of the government’s Crime and Policing Bill in the spring, the rules are in response to a review by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) into the online ***** of knives. The changes will also see: The increased prison sentence for selling weapons to under-18s apply to either individuals who have processed a ***** or a company CEORetailers being required to bring in stronger photo identity checks for buyers – both at points of ***** and deliveryA new offence of “possession with violent intent”, which will come with a prison sentence of up to four years. This means that even if the weapon is legal, if there is intent to cause violence, it will be a crimeA consultation on a registration/licencing scheme for online knife sellers The Home Office says the new measures will significantly tighten the law, which until now has been less stringent than the legislation covering the ***** of alcohol, tobacco, fireworks or even scratch cards. “It is horrifying how easy it is for young people to get hold of knives online,” said Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. “Even though children’s lives are being lost, and families and communities are left devastated as a result.” She added that “not enough has been done to tackle the online market over recent years which is why we made it an urgent priority”. Cooper stressed that “everyone has to take responsibility” for reducing knife crime. Ronan Kanda was killed in a case of mistaken identity by fellow school pupil Prabjeet Veadhesa, who was also 16 at the time. He used a 22-inch sword he had ordered online using his mother’s ID to pass security checks. It was one of nearly 30 knives and machetes he had bought using the same method over several months. Family handout Pooja Kanda and her son Ronan: Since his death she has campaigned for tougher knife crime laws Since her son’s death, Ronan’s mother, Pooja Kanda, has campaigned for fundamental changes to the law to make it harder for people to sell and buy knives. “The online ***** of bladed articles played a crucial role in this tragedy. A 16-year-old managed to get these weapons online and sold these weapons to other people. I knew we could not go on like this.” Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Ms Kanda said she “absolutely” believed her son would not have died if the new legislation had been in place at the time of his death in 2022. “The murderers would not have been able to get the weapons they were able to get so easily. Nobody was able to stop them, and they were just 16,” she said. Ms Kanda said of the new law: “Out of tragedy comes a light. The light we all need”. However, she stressed “there’s so much more we can do” when tackling the root causes of knife crime. The NPCC review into online knife sales was led by Commander Stephen Clayman. “Bizarrely it is harder to buy paracetamol in some respects than it is to buy a knife – that can’t be right,” he said. “We want to make retailers more responsible for what they are selling. Who owns the company should be responsible. And law enforcement should be in a position to understand who is buying up knives.” The new recommendations also require social media companies to be more accountable for the “thousands of knives” that Cdr Clayman says are being sold on platforms. “They are being quite clever about it in the way they don’t overtly sell. But they show all the knives and encourage people to move to a different [online] platform to make the transaction. “If they are selling knives and we can prove it, we will take legal action and ask for the content to be removed. Cdr Clayman says police will be asking tech companies to remove selling content “within 48 hours”. Cdr Stephen Clayman led a review into online knife sales The measures are aimed at stopping sellers like Stefan Petrescu from Southampton. He used Instagram to sell hundreds of knives. Police found receipts which revealed that Petrescu had bulk-bought more than £3,000-worth of knives, which he had then sold online. Messages from Petrescu’s seized phone showed the use of social media platforms to market the knives, with buyers saying they wanted to “shank” (stab) or harm others. In one video, he wears a ****** balaclava-style mask and gloves while handling knives, advertising his stock of serrated machetes, knuckle dusters and other blades while drill music plays in the background – including the song “Ready for War”. Police handout Stefan Petrescu demonstrated how sharp his knives and swords were by filming himself cutting bottles and tin cans Police handout A screengrab from Petrescu’s social media page when he offered a range of knives for ***** including serrated machetes In October 2024, Petrescu was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to knife-related offences. The home secretary has said the government is on a “mission” to halve knife crime over the next 10 years. There were 262 murders involving a knife or sharp instrument in the year to March 2024, according to the Ben Kinsella Trust. Fifty-seven of those killed were under 25. Source link #Retailers #selling #knives #online #face #stricter #laws Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Brazil’s top prosecutor charges Bolsonaro for alleged 2022 coup attempt – National Brazil’s top prosecutor charges Bolsonaro for alleged 2022 coup attempt – National By Eléonore Hughes And Mauricio Savarese The Associated Press Posted February 18, 2025 7:16 pm 1 min read Descrease article font size Increase article font size Brazil’s prosecutor-general on Tuesday filed charges against former President Jair Bolsonaro for attempting a coup to stay in office after his 2022 election defeat. Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet alleges that Bolsonaro and 33 others participated in a plan to remain in power despite losing to current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Last November, Federal Police filed a 884-page report with Gonet detailing the scheme. They allege it involved systematically sowing distrust of the electoral system among the populace, drafting a decree to give the plot a veneer of legality, pressuring top military brass to go along with the plan, and inciting a riot in the capital. Get daily National news Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. The Supreme Court will analyze the charges and, if accepted, Bolsonaro will stand trial. The far-right leader denies wrongdoing. “I have no concerns about the accusations, zero,” Bolsonaro told journalists earlier on Tuesday during a visit to the Senate in Brasilia. Story continues below advertisement “Have you seen the coup decree, by any chance? You haven’t. Neither have I,” he added. Trending Now Trump admin fires hundreds of U.S. air traffic control staff U.S., Russia restore embassy staffing amid Ukraine war negotiations A lawyer for Bolsonaro did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 1:02 Bolsonaro barred from running for office until 2030 by Brazilian court &copy 2025 The ********* Press Source link #Brazils #top #prosecutor #charges #Bolsonaro #alleged #coup #attempt #National Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]