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A New Lego Set Celebrating Scientific Breakthroughs Releases March 1 A New Lego Set Celebrating Scientific Breakthroughs Releases March 1 Preorders for the Lego Ideas: Evolution of STEM Set are now open ahead of its March 1 release. The creative set is a celebration of all things science, allowing you to piece together a collectible display featuring some of the most important breakthroughs in biology, chemistry, engineering, and math. Like all new Lego releases, we’re expecting this one to be popular–so if you want to guarantee you have it in your home this March, preordering today is a good choice. $80 | Releases on March 1 This 879-piece set lets you build an abstract scene comprised of various breakthroughs in the science world. The base is designed to look like an open book, out of which springs a DNA strand, a carbon atom, the NASA Voyager Probe, and an early version of the home computer. You’ll also get three minifigures for Marie Curie, Sir Isaac Newton, and George Washington Carver. Once you’ve completed the set, you can turn a dial to make the 3D carbon atom float upwards and rotate the DNA strand. That gives it a bit more interactivity than your typical Lego display, making it an excellent gift for just about any science geek. The display is quite large too, clocking in at over 10.5 inches tall and 9 inches wide. If you preorder before February 7, Lego will give you a free Field Flowers Set with your purchase. Typically priced at $5, the small 77-piece set is a nice bonus and works well as another centerpiece for your home. The Lego Ideas lineup is filled with popular models, many of which have gone out of stock. However, a handful are still available, and you’ll find all our favorites below. This includes The Insect Collection for $80, which lets you snap together three unique creatures–the Hercules Beetle, Blue Morpho Butterfly, and ******** Mantis. The Botanical Garden is another excellent choice, as the build features a staggering 3,792 pieces. You’ll get to create not only a wonderful “glass” panel building, but also fill it with stunning plants that bring the space to life. Be sure to finalize your Evolution of STEM preorder while you can, as there’s a strong possibility it’ll be hard to find like many of the other sets in the Lego Ideas collection. Best Lego Ideas Sets Source link #Lego #Set #Celebrating #Scientific #Breakthroughs #Releases #March Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

California coastal community shifts 4 inches closer to the ocean each week: NASA – ABC News California coastal community shifts 4 inches closer to the ocean each week: NASA – ABC News California coastal community shifts 4 inches closer to the ocean each week: NASA ABC NewsSouthern California coastal community is sliding toward the ocean, NASA data shows KTLA Los AngelesHistoric Landslide Complex Near L.A. Is Moving Faster and Growing GizmodoLA Coast Community Accelerates Towards Pacific Amid Increasing Landslides ScienceAlertA coastal California community is sliding 4 inches a week toward the ocean SFGATE Source link #California #coastal #community #shifts #inches #closer #ocean #week #NASA #ABC #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Underrated ’90s Cyberpunk Movie Virtuosity Is Getting A 4K Blu-Ray Release Underrated ’90s Cyberpunk Movie Virtuosity Is Getting A 4K Blu-Ray Release Virtual reality was all the rage in films from the ’90s, and at long last, one of the wildest dives into that cyberpunk genre is about to be released on 4K Blu-ray. Virtuosity, the 1995 film starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, is getting a new ultra-high-definition release and it’s now available to preorder for $50 ahead of its release on February 25. $50 This version of Virtuosity is a brand-new remaster scanned from the original 35mm film negatives and restored in 4K. The new release also comes with plenty of special features, including commentary tracks from the cast and crew behind the movie, as well as several documentaries detailing how the film was made. Here’s the full list of what you can expect from this release: 4K UHD version of Virtuosity presented in Dolby Vision High-Dynamic-Range Commentary track with Virtuosity director Brett Leonard and Cinematic Void’s Jim Branscome Commentary track with writer and film historian Walter Chaw Democratizing Virtual Reality interview with director Brett Leonard on the making of Virtuosity Ahead of its Time interview with producer Gary Lucchesi on the development and legacy of Virtuosity A Virtual Reunion featurette with Brett Leonard, Kelly Durkin, and Georg Berger God Complex interview with author Eric Bernt on writing Virtuosity Character First featurette on assembling the cast of Virtuosity, Image gallery Reversible sleeve artwork Set in the far future, Virtuosity follows Parker Barnes (Washington), a former cop imprisoned for ******* who volunteers to take part in tests for a high-tech training simulator, where he regularly spars against SID 6.7 (Crowe), a cybernetic collective being comprised of 183 of the most dangerous killers in human history in virtual reality scenarios. SID eventually escapes from his VR prison and takes over an android body, and Barnes is recruited to track him down. Virtuosity was sadly a critical and commercial flop when it was first released, but in the decades since then, the film has developed a cult following, and this new 4K Blu-ray release looks to be a great way to experience it. For more Blu-ray deals, you can check out the very strange Terrifier 3 collector’s edition, get the complete Batman Beyond animated series for just $25, and save big on all 15 seasons of Supernatural. Source link #Underrated #90s #Cyberpunk #Movie #Virtuosity #BluRay #Release Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

‘I’m alive thanks to US foreign aid’ ‘I’m alive thanks to US foreign aid’ UNIAN Dmytro Sherembey credits USAID with saving his life “I’m alive thanks to USAID,” says Dmytro Sherembey. He’s been living with **** for 24 years in Ukraine, and says the agency, which distributes billions of dollars of aid around the world, has helped prevent the virus from spreading there. “Every second ****-positive person in Ukraine was identified thanks to this programme,” Mr Sherembey adds. But the future of USAID (the United States Agency for International Development) is now very uncertain. One of US President Donald Trump’s first actions after returning to office was signing an executive order pausing almost all foreign assistance for 90 days while a review could be carried out. He has said USAID is run by “radical left lunatics” and is getting away with “tremendous fraud” – without giving evidence. Mr Sherembey, who heads 100% Life, the largest patient-led organisation in Ukraine, recalls that when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, warehouses storing **** medication were bombed. It was USAID assistance that made it possible to quickly procure replacement medication and distribute it across the country, he explains. “USAID’s slogan is that this is assistance from the American people. But it turns out that this aid could be stopped by the decision of one person,” he says. Getty Images There have been protests outside the USAID headquarters in Washington DC this week USAID was established in 1961 by President John F Kennedy. It has around 10,000 employees and a budget of nearly $40bn (£32.25bn), out of a total of $68bn in US government foreign aid spending. It has bases in more than 60 countries, and works in dozens of others. However, most of the work on the ground is carried out by other organisations that it contracts and funds. The range of activities it undertakes is vast. Its work includes providing food in countries where people are starving, to operating the world’s gold-standard famine detection system, which uses data analysis to try to predict where food shortages are emerging. Elon Musk – the world’s richest man, who has been tasked by Trump with shrinking the US federal government – has called the agency “a criminal organisation”, without providing evidence, and has said it is “time for it to die”. But in countries such as Afghanistan, the end of USAID could cause huge problems. The agency is one of the biggest donors to the country’s health sector, funding projects that provide life-saving services to mothers and children. A doctor responsible for USAID-funded projects there says more than 60 of his team, including midwives, nurses and doctors, were told to stay at home after funding was paused. “The future appears bleak and the impact on patients is massive,” he says. “If the funding halt continues, mothers will be forced to give birth at home as the facilities are closed and it will increase mortality rates,” one midwife says. Getty Images USAID funds projects that provide life-saving services to mothers and children across Afghanistan USAID’s work also branches out into areas like cybersecurity. One Iranian activist, focusing on anti-censorship, says their organisation operates with USAID funding. “If an opposition figure, a university student, or a women’s rights activist is arrested in Iran, it is NGOs like the one I work for that immediately act so the person’s email and social media accounts are locked and removed,” says the activist, who requested anonymity due to fear of reprisals. This has meant that if Iranian intelligence agents force detainees to reveal their passwords, they cannot access that person’s communications, the activist says. “If an internet company works with the regime to restrict Iranians’ access to the internet, we expose them publicly and get them… sanctioned by the EU and the US,” the activist adds. “All of this work is now about to be stopped because of the funding freeze.” Among its other activities, USAID also grants scholarships – with 1,077 undergraduate students in Egypt alone receiving money. Trump’s pause on international spending and his comments on USAID have thrown the futures of these students into doubt. “I feel like I don’t know my fate. I was once a top student with a bright future, but now my future looks dark, and I fear heading in the wrong direction,” said Mohamed Ashraf, one of the affected students. Getty Images Trump and Musk have heavily criticised USAID, with the latter calling it a “criminal organisation” – without giving evidence Trump is a long-term critic of overseas spending, and has said it does not represent value for money for American taxpayers – singling out USAID, which he has described as wasteful. But whether he can actually shut down the agency is not yet clear. Closing USAID altogether, as Musk wants, would likely require an act of Congress – in which Trump’s Republican Party holds slim majorities in both chambers. The administration reportedly intends to merge the US government’s main overseas aid agency with the Department of State. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he is now the acting head of the agency – which says thousands of its staff around the world will be put on leave at the end of the week. For Mr Sherembey in Ukraine, the stakes couldn’t be higher. “My life is now at risk. If my hospital runs out of this medication, I will have to search for it elsewhere,” he says. “But the tragedy for an ****-positive person in Ukraine is that you cannot simply go to a pharmacy and buy these drugs. You cannot buy them on the ****** market. ****-positive people here have no alternatives,” he adds. “It is barbaric that we have returned to the Stone Age.” Reporting by Diana Kuryshko, BBC Ukrainian; Hafizullah Maroof, BBC Afghan; Maryam Zohdi, BBC Persian; Rehab Ismail, BBC Arabic; George Wright Source link #alive #foreign #aid Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

What is Trump's Gaza Plan? What is Trump's Gaza Plan? Recorded live in the BBC Radio Theatre in London. Source link #Trump039s #Gaza #Plan Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Honda and Nissan’s proposed merger on the rocks – report Honda and Nissan’s proposed merger on the rocks – report The proposed Honda-Nissan merger appears to be close to falling apart, with insiders claiming the two Japanese carmakers can’t agree on terms to become partners. Nikkei Asia reports word from insiders that Nissan is set to step away from merger talks with its rival. These insiders said the company believed the partnership would see it and Honda treated as equals, however Honda has proposed that Nissan should instead be a subsidiary – something that has caused considerable friction. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert For context, Honda has a market value of 7.92 trillion Yen ($82.65 billion), while Nissan’s market value is currently 1.44 trillion Yen ($15.03 billion). Nissan has also been in major financial trouble recently, with industry experts arguing it has less to offer the partnership than Honda. Comments made by sources to Reuters suggested merger talks could potentially restart. The carmakers had previously announced they would develop a framework for the proposed merger by mid-February, before coming to a definitive agreement – laying out the specifics of the deal, including share transfers – by June 2025 and merging in mid-2026. Nissan is currently a part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, founded in 1999 between Renault and Nissan before Mitsubishi joined in 2016. Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert Last month Japanese outlet Kyodo News, citing insider sources, reported Honda wants Nissan to buy out Renault’s 35.7 per cent stake. The stake, reportedly worth about 557 billion yen (A$5.78bn), is reportedly causing Honda concern, as it believes Renault’s stake could be purchased by a third-party during negotiations with Nissan. Renault only recently reduced its stake in Nissan, from 43.4 per cent to the current 35.7 per cent holding. In an additional report, Reuters was told by a spokesperson for Renault that it “would ‘vigorously’ defend the interests of the group and its stakeholders.” While Mitsubishi was due to decide on whether it’s joining the merger by the end of January 2025, a report last month by The Japan News, citing unidentified sources, said the brand is making arrangements to exist outside of the Honda-Nissan merger. Camera IconSupplied Credit: CarExpert This is despite earlier indications that it was strongly considering joining the partnership. Mitsubishi could reportedly still co-operate with Nissan and Honda, however. Nissan is Mitsubishi’s largest shareholder but recently sold off an undisclosed portion of its 34 per cent stake. A merger between Honda and Nissan would make the new Japanese alliance the world’s third-largest carmaker, based on 2024 production volumes, behind market leader Toyota (including Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino) and the Volkswagen Group. In 2024, Honda produced 3,733,602 vehicles (down 11.9 per cent), while 3,144,470 vehicles (down 8.7 per cent) rolled off Nissan production lines, totalling approximately 6.88 million vehicles. Mitsubishi meanwhile produced 944,708 vehicles, 7.7 per cent fewer than the year prior. In Australia, this order is inverted, with Mitsubishi delivering 74,547 vehicles last year, while Nissan and Honda managed 45,284 and 14,092 deliveries, respectively. MORE: Mitsubishi won’t join Nissan-Honda merger – reportMORE: Honda CEO struggles to name benefits of Nissan mergerMORE: Honda to merge with Nissan by middle of 2026MORE: Former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn claims Honda is being pressured into mergerMORE: Nissan has ’12 or 14 months to survive’ as financial situation gets dicey – report Source link #Honda #Nissans #proposed #merger #rocks #report Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

The heist of 100,000 eggs in Pennsylvania becomes a whodunit that police have yet to crack The heist of 100,000 eggs in Pennsylvania becomes a whodunit that police have yet to crack ANTRIM TOWNSHIP, Pa. (AP) — The heist of 100,000 eggs from the back of a trailer in Pennsylvania has become a whodunit that police have yet to crack. Four days after the theft that law enforcement say could be tied to the sky-high cost of eggs, no leads have come in, Trooper First Class Megan Frazer, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania State Police, said Wednesday. “We’re relying on leads from people from the community. So we’re hoping that somebody knows something, and they’ll call us and give us some tips,” she 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. Police are also following up with any possible witnesses and looking into surveillance footage that could help them identify the perpetrator as they race to solve the mystery. “In my career, I’ve never heard of a hundred thousand eggs being stolen. This is definitely unique,” said Frazer, who has a dozen years on the job. Bird flu is forcing farmers to slaughter millions of chickens a month, pushing U.S. egg prices to more than double their cost in the summer of 2023. And it appears there may be no relief in sight with Easter approaching. The average price per dozen eggs nationwide hit $4.15 in December. That is not quite as high as the $4.82 record set two years ago, but the Agriculture Department predicts egg prices are going to soar another 20% this year. The 100,000 eggs were snatched from the back of Pete & Gerry’s Organics’ distribution trailer on Saturday about 8:40 p.m. in Antrim Township, Pennsylvania, according to police. They are worth about $40,000, which means this crime is a felony, Frazer said. Pete & Gerry’s Organics LLC said in a statement that the company is working with law enforcement to investigate the theft. “We take this matter seriously and are committed to resolving it as quickly as possible,” the statement said. Source link #heist #eggs #Pennsylvania #whodunit #police #crack Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Lawyer who backed Trump on Jan. 6 helped push birthright citizenship ban – The Washington Post Lawyer who backed Trump on Jan. 6 helped push birthright citizenship ban – The Washington Post Lawyer who backed Trump on Jan. 6 helped push birthright citizenship ban The Washington PostEighteen “Pro-Life” States Demand the Freedom to Persecute American Babies SlateJudge issues nationwide injunction blocking Trump’s bid to end birthright citizenship ABC News Source link #Lawyer #backed #Trump #Jan #helped #push #birthright #citizenship #ban #Washington #Post Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump ally Musk is remaking government – but will they clash? Trump ally Musk is remaking government – but will they clash? Holly Honderich, Kayla Epstein and Lily Jamali in Washington, DC, New York City and San Francisco EPA After days of speculation over the precise role the world’s richest man would play in Donald Trump’s White House – how much power he would hold, whether he is a government employee at all – he took to the social media platform he owns to clarify. “My preferred title is just ‘Tech Support,'” Elon Musk wrote on X on Tuesday. It was a knowing understatement. As the head of the nascent Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), Musk has emerged as a dominant force in the dizzying start to Trump’s second administration. In just two weeks he has led efforts to seize access to the federal payment system, dismantled an entire agency and offered millions of civil servants an ultimatum – quit or face being fired. But Musk’s increasingly bold attempt to remake the federal government with the same blunt force he used to take control of companies like Twitter have put him on a collision course with the Washington establishment. And while he has secured a place in Trump’s inner circle, observers wonder if a showdown between these two powerful personalities could be looming. Musk’s journey from billionaire entrepreneur to White House power player was not straightforward. By his own accounting, Musk had – for decades – been a reliable vote for the Democrats. But unhappy with Biden’s position on issues from labour laws to transgender rights, Musk began to look to the other side of the aisle in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election. Initially, Musk called for Trump to “hang up his hat & sail into the sunset” and had backed his rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, for the Republican nomination. But he soon became the president’s biggest booster, contributing $288m to Trump and other Republican candidates and becoming a key adviser on the campaign. By the time of Trump’s inauguration, Musk was his right-hand man, seated just behind the president’s left shoulder on the dais – an unmistakable symbol of his influence. “You know I always say we have to be protective of our geniuses because we don’t have too many. But that one is a good one,” Trump said of Musk, after welcoming him on stage at a rally the day before. Musk has been a near constant presence in the nation’s capital ever since. Getty Images Musk was jubilant at the president’s inauguration Almost immediately after his election Trump tapped Musk to run Doge, and this new role has seemingly empowered him in a far-reaching mission to slash and transform the federal government, pushing for massive reforms with stunning speed. Although Trump had said Musk would not be given an office in the West Wing, the tech leader and his team have moved beds into the federal personnel office next door to the White House, according to the New York Times. He has top secret security clearance, a Trump administration official confirmed, potentially giving him access to a broad swathe of highly classified information. His tactics – relentless, sometimes ruthless – are reminiscent of how he ran his previous companies, former employees say. A former programme manager at Tesla, who spoke to the BBC on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, said Musk “did not care” about the human cost of his decisions. “He’s only concerned with the objective at hand. I think he views interpersonal issues and conflicts as ancillary things that are not worth his time,” he said. Occasionally, Musk tended toward the impulsive. The manager recalled seeing Musk fire a fellow Tesla employee on the spot over an overflowing rubbish can. “He interpreted that as a sign that this person didn’t take as much pride in his work as he should,” he said. “That was the nuance to it… but at the end of the day someone got fired because they admitted that their trash can was overflowing.” The approach yielded a committed workforce, the employee said. If you were on board with Musk’s mission, that single-minded focus was motivating, he said, and helped fuel regular 13 plus-hour days on the job. “He can get more out of people than anyone else I have ever seen,” he recalled, although he added that the intensity at Tesla was par for the course in Silicon Valley. But for those in the federal government, the employee added, “it’s gotta be a culture shock.” Elon Musk draws scrutiny over arm gesture at post-inauguration rally Nowhere has Musk’s purported work on behalf of Trump been felt as intensely as USAID. The government agency responsible for international development went from dispensing billions in aid to programmes around the world to an effective dead stop in just over two weeks. Trump already curtailed USAID’s work significantly when he ordered a 90-day pause in US foreign spending, while the administration reviewed the funds in order to make sure they were in line with the president’s policy goals. But in recent days, employees have watched with increasing alarm as Musk set his sights directly on USAID, labelling their agency a “criminal organisation” on X. Musk’s increasingly harsh rhetoric has coincided with equally drastic changes at USAID. On 1 February, the USAID website stopped working; its X account appeared to vanish not long after. That same weekend, two top security officials were placed on administrative leave after a confrontation with Doge representatives over access to a secure facility used for reviewing classified information, the Washington Post and other US outlets reported. On Monday, USAID employees were told to stay at home while hundreds of employees were locked out of their email. CBS, the BBC’s US news partner, reports USAID employees are being pulled out of their respective countries worldwide by Friday. “It’s beyond repair,” Musk said of the agency during his 50-minute conversation on X Spaces early Monday morning. “I went over it with him in detail, and he agreed that we should shut it down,” Musk said of his conversation with Trump. “And I actually checked with him a few times [and] said ‘are you sure?'” Reuters “The comments from Elon Musk have been particularly cutting, calling us a ‘criminal organisation’ that needs to ‘die,”” said a USAID staffer, who asked not to be named because they feared retaliation from Musk and the administration. “Coming from the wealthiest man on the planet, that feels pretty grotesque,” said the staffer, who has since been put on administrative leave along with many other colleagues. “I see foreign service officers that have spent their entire lives serving – a large part of it overseas – and the sacrifices they made,” they said. “To be dragged through the mud like this is disrespectful.” The upheaval at USAID has raised concerns from Democrats and experts about whether Trump and Musk’s actions are legal. On its face, efforts by Trump and Musk to shut down USAID are “not legal because it runs afoul of what Congress has explicitly done previously,” said Jon Rogowski, a political science professor at the University of Chicago who studies the separation of powers in the US government. Congress has established USAID as an independent agency, and the legislative branch appropriates funding. As head of the federal agencies, however, Trump does have broad authority to bring certain USAID functions under the state department’s control, according to George Ingram, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a former USAID deputy assistant administrator. One such move included appointing Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the acting head of USAID, when in the past the agency had functioned independently of the state department, while following its guidance on foreign policy. And influential Republicans in Congress appear ready to work with the administration to allow some degree of change. “I’m supportive of the Trump administration’s efforts to reform and restructure the agency in a way that better serves US national security interests,” said Senator James Risch, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Though Musk does not have the authority to shut down or restructure USAID, the agency likely could not have been dismantled as swiftly and thoroughly without his influence. “I cannot think of any precedent where a presidential administration has essentially handed over the reins to a private citizen, to remake and take control of the executive branch as they see fit,” Mr Rogowski said. In a statement to the BBC, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Musk “is selflessly serving President Trump’s Administration as a special government employee, and he has abided by all applicable federal laws”. Getty Images Prior to Trump’s inauguration, some of Musk’s peers expressed optimism at the prospect of an injection of start-up culture in Washington. “I think we’ve just had a very exciting moment,” Marc Benioff, the billionaire founder and CEO of Salesforce who has been vocal in his support of Trump, told the BBC in December. “It’s a new chapter for America.” “There’s a lot of incredible people like Elon Musk in the tech industry and in the business community. And if you can tap the power of expertise to make the best of America, that’s a great vision,” he said at the time. But two weeks into the Trump administration, some observers say not everyone in Silicon Valley is enthusiastic. Niki Christoff, a former Salesforce executive who now runs a communication firm in DC, told the BBC that many “people in the [tech] industry seem dumbstruck by the events of the past two weeks”. “Most CEOs of publicly traded multinational tech companies want predictability. They want stability. They want a strong dollar,” she added. “They want predictable supply chains, and a lot of the policies and the headlines coming out of Washington are creating anxiety and uncertainty.” Dr Philip Low, a neuroscientist and CEO of neurotechnology company Neurovigil, said Musk’s playbook could wreak havoc on governmental institutions. The two were close for nearly 15 years before their relationship soured, he said. “His pattern is to take companies, invest in them, destabilise them, and then take them over,” said Dr Low, citing Twitter as an example. “In that context, the White House is his biggest investment to date. And he is destabilising the American government now.” According to Dr Low, Musk will not be satisfied being a trusted deputy, which may set him on a collision course with the president, his boss. “Knowing Elon as I do, he doesn’t want to be number two or number three. He will want to take over,” he said. “Whatever he decides, goes,” the former Tesla employee said, echoing Dr Low. “He never takes no for an answer.” After the shake-up at USAID, Trump made it clear that final authority would always rest with him. When asked if he was happy with Musk after the upending of the agency, he said yes – “for the most part”. “Sometimes we won’t agree with it, and we’ll not go where he wants to go. But I think he’s doing a great job,” he said on Monday. “Elon can’t do and won’t do anything without our approval, and we’ll give him the approval where appropriate. Where it’s not appropriate we won’t,” the president said. “He reports in.” Source link #Trump #ally #Musk #remaking #government #clash Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

From South Africa’s crime hub to comeback city From South Africa’s crime hub to comeback city Ed Habershon BBC News, Johannesburg Getty Images Ponte Tower is the tallest residential building in South Africa, and at one point became a hub of criminal activity The view is spectacular from the top of Ponte Tower, one of the most famous buildings in the South African city of Johannesburg. Built in 1975, standing almost 200m (656 ft) tall, it’s a long-established feature of the city skyline, once the tallest residential building in Africa. But like the city, it’s had its ups and downs. In the 1980s it was taken over by criminal gangs, and its hollow core filled with rubbish up to 50m deep. “The building got hijacked. There were no utilities, so most of the people were actually throwing their trash right inside the building, until it reached the 14th floor,” said Delight Sithole, who runs tours of the building. He added: “There were some dead bodies here, ******** firearms, drugs. The smell, I’m sure it was just horrible, just really like, hell on earth. “If you asked anybody what happens in that round building, somebody would have something interesting or scary to say about it,” said Sifiso Zikhali, who works with Mr Sithole in an organisation called Dlala Nje, which means “just play” in Zulu. “People were scared of the neighbourhood,” he said. Johannesburg was seen as being one of the most dangerous cities in the world. But the building turned itself around 15 years ago in the wake of the Fifa World Cup hosted in South Africa, and people started moving back in. After Covid, people returned and the building is now around three-quarters full. There is no escaping the issues that Johannesburg, and South Africa, face. Despite signs of improvement in the most recent statistics, crime is still a major issue. Ed Habershon / BBC Delight Sithole shows people around South Africa’s largest residential tower, Ponte Tower Crippling power cuts that plagued the city for years, known as load-shedding, came to an end almost a year ago, but now a water crisis is looming, leaving many without. A building fire in the Central Business District (CBD) killed almost 80 people in the winter of 2023, and exposed the issue of hijacked buildings, disused housing and apartments blocks that have been taken over by criminal gangs who charge people to live there. This is an area that’s been regenerated by a property company called Ithemba, which is Zulu for “hope”. And it’s a company that is seeing business booming in Johannesburg. A few days later, on a tour of one of Ithemba’s flagship residential developments called Jewel City, senior manager Alan Tait explains the turnaround. “The demand is just phenomenal, and that demand is specifically to live in the CBD,” he said. He said that the company currently leases 7,200 properties and is expected to double that over the next two years. Named after its origins as a diamond dealing district, like the Ponte building the area fell into disrepair, only to see a resurgence. “We launched Jewel City about five years ago, just as Covid was hitting. So the timing was a little bit out. But as soon as Covid lifted, the buildings filled up quite quickly,” he said. Ed Habershon / BBC Jewel City is one of the developments working to bring back hope to Joburg As we near the edge of the development, he points out a long strip of lights under a flyover. They were put up to provide light in an area that had been dark for some time, largely due to the loadshedding affected the city. It was part of an initiative by a group called JoziMyJozi which started in 2023. One of its first projects was to light up the Nelson Mandela bridge, a centrepiece of the city, that meant people once again found it safe to use. “So the whole aim of JoziMyJozi is to bring hope back to the residents of the city,” said Bea Swanepoel, CEO of the organisation, in the courtyard behind her office in Rosebank, north of the city centre. “And by bringing hope back, we need to show some visible improvements and impactful projects so that they can see there’s a way out of where we are currently, and to live in the city of the future, where people can be safe and where they can thrive and where there are jobs.” Ed Habershon / BBC This mural is an aspect of Ithemba’s flagship residential developments called Jewel City The group also launched the gateway project, an effort to clean up the ten main entrances to the city, and they’ve begun to tackle everything from potholes, to homelessness to education. Could Johannesburg one day be spoken about like London, Paris or New York? “Well, that is the intention,” said Ms Swanepoel. “Much of what’s happening in Joburg is due to perceptions. We have a long way to go. I mean, there’s no doubt about that, but it’s not impossible. We need to get up there and be the gold standard for cities in Africa.” The city is due to host the G20 later this year, which will bring new investment and attention to the city. Back on 51st floor of the Ponte tower, Sifiso Zikhali gazes out of the window. Does he think Dlala Nje is succeeding in its mission? “Yes we are, because one of our biggest challenges was to get people coming here. We are now one of the city’s top attractions. This is our city, and whatever we face, we need at the end to find a solution for it,” he said. You may also be interested in:Getty Images/BBC Source link #South #Africas #crime #hub #comeback #city Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Starmer unveils plans to make it easier to build nuclear reactors Starmer unveils plans to make it easier to build nuclear reactors The government has announced plans to make it easier to build mini nuclear power stations in England and Wales, as part of its efforts to boost *** economic growth. It said it will reform the “archaic” planning rules which ministers believe have held Britain back in the global race for clean, secure and affordable energy. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the country had been “let down and left behind” because it had not built a nuclear power station in “decades” – and the plans will create thousands of highly skilled jobs. Unions and business groups welcomed the move, but environmentalists criticised the government, saying it had “swallowed nuclear industry spin whole”. Nuclear power provides around 15% of the ***’s electricity but many of the country’s ageing reactors are due to be decommissioned over the next decade. Mini nuclear power stations – or small modular reactors (SMRs) – are smaller and cheaper than traditional nuclear power plants, and produce much less power. The plans announced on Thursday will mark the first time SMRs will be included in planning rules. A list of the only places a nuclear reactor could be built will also be scrapped. The list was made up of just eight sites. Sir Keir said Britain’s energy security had been “held hostage” by Russian President Vladimir Putin for “too long”, which has resulted in prices “skyrocketing at his whims”. “I’m putting an end to it – changing the rules to back the builders of this nation, and saying no to the blockers who have strangled our chances of cheaper energy, growth and jobs for far too long,” he explained. The process of choosing to loosen rules on where nuclear reactors could be built began under Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government with a consultation in January 2024. Ministers said Britain is considered one of the world’s most expensive countries in which to build nuclear power, and a new Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce will be established to speed up the approval of new reactor designs and stream line how developers engage with regulators. Conservative shadow energy secretary Andrew Bowie said it was “about time” Labour followed his party’s lead in recognising the benefits “of stable, reliable, baseload nuclear power”. But Doug Parr, policy director of Greenpeace ***, claimed the government had not applied “so much as a pinch of critical scrutiny or asking for a sprinkling of evidence”. “The Labour government has swallowed [the] nuclear industry spin whole,” he said, adding: “They present as fact things which are merely optimistic conjecture on small nuclear reactor cost, speed of delivery and safety.” The head of the Nuclear Industry Association, Tom Greatrex, called the reforms the “strongest signal yet” towards growth and clean power. Gary Smith, GMB’s general secretary, said the union has repeatedly said “there can be no net zero without new nuclear”. Referring to Sizewell C, the site on the Suffolk coast on which then prime minister Boris Johnson pledged a new nuclear reactor on in 2022, he added: “[It] stands ready and waiting for the green light to power up our country’s future.” The government has not yet made a final decision on Sizewell C, which is not due to come until the spending review later this year. The final choice on the design of the SMRs will also come at the same time. Currently, progress building nuclear power stations in the *** can be slow – to get from planning to “power on” can take nearly 20 years. Consultations for Sizewell took 10 years alone. On Wednesday, joint managing director of Sizewell C, Julia Pyke, called the project “the next step” in the journey towards growth and energy security. Source link #Starmer #unveils #plans #easier #build #nuclear #reactors Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Business behind Billabong, Quiksilver files for bankruptcy Business behind Billabong, Quiksilver files for bankruptcy The company making and selling ***********-founded surfwear brands Billabong, Quiksilver and Roxy has filed for bankruptcy. Liberated Brands will close 120 stores in the US and Canada, which stocks all three labels. US licensee Authentic Brands said the bankruptcy did not affect the brands’ future, and new partners would be found to make the products. In Australia there are 18 Billabong stores and 13 Quiksilver stores – which also stock the sister brand Roxy. Camera IconThe company making and selling ***********-founded surfwear brands Billabong, Quiksilver and Roxy has filed for bankruptcy. Credit: SuppliedCamera IconIn Australia there are 18 Billabong stores and 13 Quiksilver stores – which also stock the sister brand Roxy. Credit: SuppliedCamera IconBillabong and Quiksilver stores in America and Canada will close. Supplied Credit: Supplied NewsWire has been told by one of the American interested parties that the insolvency focuses on the Liberated US business and should not affect Liberated South Pacific, which will continue to operate business as usual. The court filings point to a big surge in consumer spending immediately after the pandemic before inflation dramatically curbed disposable income. “The average consumer has shifted their spending away from discretionary products such as those offered by Liberated,” Liberated Brands chief executive Todd Hymel says in the court filings, the Daily Mail reports. “Consumers can cheaply, quickly and easily order low-quality clothing garments from fast-fashion powerhouses and have such goods delivered within days.” NewsWire has sought the Delaware court documents. Camera IconIconic *********** brands Quiksilver and Billabong are evidently unattractive prospects for North American consumers. Credit: News Corp Australia In 2023, Authentic announced Liberated would take over operations of the Quiksilver, Billabong, Roxy, RVCA, DC Shoes, Element and VonZipper stores in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and Indonesia. Under the deal, Liberated took over operations of the Boardriders brands in Australia. Boardriders has been approached for comment. Billabong was founded on the Gold Coast in 1973. Quiksilver’s origins are in Torquay, south of Geelong. Alan Green co-founded Quiksilver in Torquay in 1969. Mr Green died of *******, aged 77, in January. Source link #Business #Billabong #Quiksilver #files #bankruptcy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

A luxury house is close to tumbling into Cape Cod Bay. Will anyone stop it? A luxury house is close to tumbling into Cape Cod Bay. Will anyone stop it? WELLFLEET, Mass. (AP) — The waters of Cape Cod Bay are coming for the big brown house perched on the edge of a sandy bluff high above the beach. It’s just a matter of when. Erosion has marched right up to the concrete footings of the multimillion-dollar home where it overlooks the bay. Massive sliding doors that used to open onto a wide deck, complete with hot tub, are now barricaded by thin wooden slats that prevent anyone from stepping through and falling 25 feet to the beach below. The owner knew it. He removed the deck and other parts of the house, including a small tower that held the primary bedroom, before stopping work and falling into a standoff with the town. He’s since sold the place to a salvage company that says it won’t pay for work. Officials in Wellfleet worry the home’s collapse will damage delicate beds in their harbor where farmers grow oysters that are among New England’s most prized. A report commissioned by the town projects if nothing is done, the 5,100-square-foot home will tumble into the bay within three years — and possibly much sooner. Its certain fate is a reminder of the fragility of building along the cape, where thanks to climate change sea level rise has accelerated in recent years. “I mean, the cape has always been moving,” said John Cumbler, a retired environmental history professor who also serves on the Wellfleet Conservation Commission. “The sand is moving.” A home sits atop of a sandy bluff overlooking a beach in Wellfleet, Mass, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Andre Muggiati) A home sits atop of a sandy bluff in Wellfleet, Mass., Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Andre Muggiati) A home sits atop of a sandy bluff overlooking a beach in Wellfleet, Mass., Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Andre Muggiati) A home sits atop of a sandy bluff overlooking a beach in Wellfleet, Mass., Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Andre Muggiati) A sign in front of a home that sits atop a sandy bluff reads A home, center left, sits atop of a sandy bluff overlooking a beach in Wellfleet, Mass., Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Andre Muggiati) A home sits atop of a sandy bluff overlooking a beach in Wellfleet, Mass., Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Andre Muggiati) History of the home The house was built in 2010 on Cape Cod on the bay side of the peninsula. Its original owners, Mark and Barbara Blasch, sought permission from the commission in 2018 to build a 241-foot-wide seawall to stave off erosion. The commission’s seven members — all volunteers — rejected the seawall on the grounds that it might have unintended effects on the beach and the way water carries nutrients in the bay. They also questioned whether it would actually save the house. The property is within Cape Cod National Seashore. The National Seashore Administration supported rejection of the seawall because of the “critical location” within the seashore and Wellfleet Harbor area, including critical habitat and valuable shellfish operations. The Blasches appealed the rejection in state district court and lost. An appeal to the state’s Superior Court is pending. A New York man, attorney John Bonomi, bought the house in 2022 for $5.5 million, even as its future was in doubt. Bonomi’s attorneys declined to comment for this story. Threat to the bay and oyster beds A report prepared for Wellfleet last year by Bryan McCormack, a coastal processes specialist with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Sea Grant, estimates that the bluffs are eroding at a rate of 3.8 to 5.6 feet a year. The report estimated collapse in up to three years, but likely sooner. The report said a collapse could send debris into Wellfleet Harbor, where the town’s namesake oysters, well known to shellfish lovers, take two to three years to reach maturity. “The house has a lot of fiberglass insulation in it. It has toxic material in it,” Cumbler said. “If that toxic material gets into Wellfleet Harbor, which is where the currents will take it, it could endanger the oyster industry in Wellfleet, our major industry outside of tourism.” Standoff over what to do with the house Bonomi “came to us back in October and said, yes, we understand the house is in danger of falling into the sea, and we will give you a plan by January for what we will do with the house,” Cumbler said. “We asked for a plan to remove it from the danger.” That plan was supposed to be presented at the commission’s January meeting. But Bonomi’s attorney, Tom Moore, wrote to the town in December to say Bonomi had sold the house to CQN Salvage, a company incorporated in October, that Moore was also representing. Moore wrote that the town “is on notice to take whatever steps it deems prudent to prevent the collapse of the embankment and the other consequences of further erosion. CQN Salvage is ready to work alongside the town in such efforts but will not fund them.” It’s not clear who owns CQN Salvage. Its incorporation records in New York state don’t list any officials. Moore declined to speak with The Associated Press. At the January meeting, Moore appeared by video and told the commission that the “bare minimum estimate” to remove the house was at least $1 million. “So, you plan to do nothing and allow it to fall into the water?” Lecia McKenna, the town’s conservation agent, asked Moore. “I plan to ask you to not let it fall into the water,” Moore responded. The commission voted to extend to June 1 the deadline to comply with its enforcement order. Wellfleet is left to watch and wait For now, the town is left to simply watch the house. When the AP recently visited the site, 20 mph winds were hitting the bluffs and sand could be seen trickling down. The sea level at nearby Falmouth has risen 11 inches (about 28 centimeters) in the past 90 years, but the pace is accelerating. An AP analysis of data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found the sea level around Cape Cod between 1995 and 2024 was rising at an annual rate of 0.16 inch (about 4 millimeters) faster than the prior 30-year *******. McCormack, the Woods Hole specialist who prepared the report for the town, said it’s difficult to attribute erosion at a single property to climate change and sea level rise. And he said Cape Cod has been eroding “for tens of thousands of years.” But he said the bluffs have receded 54 feet since 2014, and the erosion rate over the last decade “has exceeded long-term rates published by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management.” Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Source link #luxury #house #close #tumbling #Cape #Cod #Bay #stop Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Play Together is celebrating Valentine’s Day 2025 by bringing Billy Bonka’s Chocolate Factory to Kaia Island Play Together is celebrating Valentine’s Day 2025 by bringing Billy Bonka’s Chocolate Factory to Kaia Island Visit Billy Bonka’s Chocolate Factory and catch Flying Bonka Chocolates You can take part in several draws to win rewards Don’t forget to ask the Doompah Doompah for hints Valentine’s Day is about to get a lot sweeter in Play Together with the arrival of the latest update. This year, Kaia Island is hosting a chocolate-filled adventure centred around the world-famous Billy Bonka’s Chocolate Factory. The factory is having some unexpected issues, and it’s up to you to step in and sort things out while earning sweet rewards along the way. At the centre of Play Together’s Valentine’s Day 2025 update is the Flying Bonka Chocolate. Yes, the chocolate can fly now. Grab your Bug Net and start chasing Bonka Chocolates scattered across Kaia Island. Each catch earns you Bonka Coins, which you can trade for Valentine’s-themed items. If you’re looking to stand out, keep an eye on Bonka’s Valentine’s Draw, where your Bonka Coins can unlock outfits like the Dark, White, and Strawberry Choco Ball costumes. Complete enough draws, and you’ll score bonus rewards, perfect for adding a little extra charm to your Valentine’s look. Daily missions return with Sweet Every Day, offering consistent tasks that lead to sweet rewards. Completing all the missions will get you the adorable Choco/Milk Twin Overalls. There’s also an attendance event, where logging in for seven consecutive days earns you the Chocolate Sunglasses and Chocolate Backpack items. Before you go on, check out this list of the best multiplayer games to play on iOS! If treasure hunts are more your style, don’t miss Bonka’s Alphabet Hunt. Collect letters scattered around Kaia Island to complete Bonka’s Golden Ticket, unlocking the classy Golden Chocolate Top Hat. Need a hint? Track down Doompah Doompah on the event page and listen closely to its song as it holds clues to the hidden letters. Furthermore, you can participate in two more themed draws. The Lovey-dovey Love Letter Draw features outfits like Cupid’s Gown and accessories such as Cupid’s Bow, while the Pinky Burst Crew Draw, where you can race across snowy landscapes on the Burst Crew Snowmobile. Both draws offer special rewards based on how many times you participate. Get ready for the event by downloading Play Together now for free. Visit the official Facebook page for more information. Source link #Play #celebrating #Valentines #Day #bringing #Billy #Bonkas #Chocolate #Factory #Kaia #Island Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Temu steers users to 'local' products after Trump shuts tax loophole – CNBC Temu steers users to 'local' products after Trump shuts tax loophole – CNBC Temu steers users to ‘local’ products after Trump shuts tax loophole CNBCNew 10% tariff on ******** imports could impact online shopping habits WPTV News Channel 5 West PalmShein, Temu, Amazon Haul set for price hikes as US shuts trade loophole Reuters Source link #Temu #steers #users #039local039 #products #Trump #shuts #tax #loophole #CNBC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

'Studio sex' and 'hitman threats': Insiders speak out about Diddy's 90s music empire 'Studio sex' and 'hitman threats': Insiders speak out about Diddy's 90s music empire Bad Boy Records staff claim troubling incidents in the rise of the rap mogul, now fighting sex trafficking charges. Source link #039Studio #sex039 #039hitman #threats039 #Insiders #speak #Diddy039s #90s #music #empire Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

DFES sends WA firefighters to Townsville to help with Queensland flood recovery efforts DFES sends WA firefighters to Townsville to help with Queensland flood recovery efforts Firefighters and recovery crews from WA are travelling to northern Queensland to bolster recovery efforts after severe flash-flooding killed two people and continues to displace residents. Source link #DFES #sends #firefighters #Townsville #Queensland #flood #recovery #efforts Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Wondering what to do with $100,000 in savings? Here are 4 smart options. Wondering what to do with $100,000 in savings? Here are 4 smart options. Has your savings balance finally hit $100,000? If so, congratulations on reaching this financial milestone! Chances are, you had to apply a combination of discipline and hard work to get here. Once you’ve taken a beat to celebrate, you may notice a feeling of uncertainty set in, especially when it comes to deciding where to put the money. You may even feel overwhelmed when you think about spending time opening new accounts and moving the funds around. It’s natural to feel unsure about what to do with such a significant sum of money, considering it doesn’t come with an owner’s manual. But with that said, there are tried-and-true strategies for prioritizing where your money goes. This embedded content is not available in your region. If you’ve got high-interest debt — loans or lines of credit with an annual percentage rate (APR) of 6% or higher — do yourself a big favor and pay it off ASAP. For most people, this will include credit cards, which currently have average interest rates above 21%, and personal loans, which average over 12%. Why should paying off debt be your first priority? Because it’s very rare to earn more than a 6% return from any investment, and it’s almost unheard of to earn that much from a bank account. In other words, there’s no investment that will earn you enough to offset the cost of carrying high-interest debt. Read more: What’s more important: Saving money or paying off debt? As the saying goes, “Expect the best, but prepare for the worst.” Putting some of your money into an emergency fund allows you to do just that. You’re bound to encounter an emergency expense every once in a while, such as a major car repair, a medical bill, or other unexpected cost. Having an emergency fund allows you to cover that expense without going into debt or using money earmarked for other financial goals. The best place to keep your emergency fund is in a savings account where you can access the funds at any time without penalties. However, if you want to earn the most money possible on your emergency fund, consider putting it in a high-interest bank account, such as a high-yield savings account (HYSA) or a money market account (MMA). Read more: The 4 best (and worst) places to keep your emergency fund Once you’ve created your emergency fund, the next goal to focus on is creating sinking funds for specific, upcoming purchases. Common expenses you might create a sinking fund for include: Vacation Wedding Childbirth/maternity leave Down payment on a car or home Home renovation College tuition Planned medical procedure Business taxes Since you won’t need the money right away, you can put your sinking funds into a time deposit. These accounts, which include CDs and Treasury bills, require you to leave your money on deposit for a set ******* of time. In exchange for tying up your money, they typically pay higher interest rates than the average savings account. Read more: What is a sinking fund, and why do you need one? After covering your short- and mid-term savings needs, consider boosting your long-term accounts — or, as they’re better known, retirement accounts. The best retirement account to invest in depends on some of your personal circumstances, so it’s wise to seek guidance from a financial advisor. However, for many people, the best move is to contribute up to the annual maximum allowed for a 401(k) or another employer-sponsored retirement plan. If you still have savings left after that, consider putting the rest toward a traditional IRA. With both options, you’ll benefit from a reduction in your taxable income for the tax filing year, and you’ll earn compound interest on your investments. For the 2024 tax year, you can still contribute to your retirement accounts up through April 15, 2025. Here are the maximum contributions allowed: 2024: $23,000 2025: $23,500 2024: $7,000 (under age 50), $8,000 (age 50 or older) 2025: $7,000 (under age 50), $8,000 (age 50 or older) Catch-Up Contributions (for ages 50 and older) 401(k): Additional $7,500 for both 2024 and 2025 IRA: Additional $1,000 for both 2024 and 2025 Read more: Retirement planning: A step-by-step guide Source link #Wondering #savings #smart #options Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Monster Hunter Wilds PS5 Pro Support Detailed; Day One Patch Includes Graphical Modes Monster Hunter Wilds PS5 Pro Support Detailed; Day One Patch Includes Graphical Modes DarkLordMalik|2d ago |News|0| ▼ Info Add Alt Source The ESRB has rated Monster Hunter Wilds, revealing details about its fantasy world, combat, and humorous elements. The game launches February 28, 2025, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Monster Hunter Wilds PC PS5 Xbox Series X twistedvoxel.com Read Full Story >> [Hidden Content] twistedvoxel.com Source link #Monster #Hunter #Wilds #PS5 #Pro #Support #Detailed #Day #Patch #Includes #Graphical #Modes Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Two deadlines threaten Mike Johnson's precious plan for one, big budget bill – Axios Two deadlines threaten Mike Johnson's precious plan for one, big budget bill – Axios Two deadlines threaten Mike Johnson’s precious plan for one, big budget bill AxiosHouse and Senate Republicans colliding over how to move Trump’s agenda CNNTensions flare as GOP stymied in advancing Trump legislative agenda The HillSenate Republicans to move forward on Trump agenda as House stalls on budget reconciliation plan CBS News Source link #deadlines #threaten #Mike #Johnson039s #precious #plan #big #budget #bill #Axios Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Failed by the state’ and ‘Trump’s Gaza takeover plan’ ‘Failed by the state’ and ‘Trump’s Gaza takeover plan’ A report into failings in the care of a man who killed three people in the street in Nottingham features on several front pages. “Failed!” is the Daily Express headline as it says the families of Ian Coates, Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar are demanding those involved in the care of Valdo Calocane are named. The Metro says there were “failures and cover-ups on an epic level” adding “it’s shameful”. Staff who left Calocane free to kill “just didn’t do their jobs”, according to Emma Webber, the mother of Barnaby Webber. “Failed by the state” is the Daily Mirror’s headline, as it carries the pictures of the three Nottingham victims as well as the three girls killed by Axel Rudakubana in Southport. A review found he had been dropped from the terror watchlist “too early”, the paper says. Donald Trump’s comments about the US taking over Gaza have also attracted attention, with the Financial Times going with the headline: “Trump’s takeover proposal for Gaza condemned by US allies across world”. Arabs and Europeans are “outraged”, the paper says, while there are also fears for the future of the West Bank. “Wish you were here?” is the question posed by the Daily Star as it carries a picture of the US president against the backdrop of flattened buildings in Gaza. Trump suggested Gaza could be the “Riviera of the Middle East”. The Guardian says the plan has faced “global condemnation” as it says the head of the UN, António Guterres, has warned it is essential to avoid ethnic cleansing. Despite Saudi Arabia and numerous other countries coming out against the plan, Trump told reporters “everybody loves it”, the paper says. The i says Trump’s “shock plan” puts the *** on a collision course with the US president. The girlfriend of the late One Direction singer Liam Payne has given an exclusive interview to the Sun in which Kate Cassidy has hit back at critics who have accused her of abandoning him before his death, the paper says. “I wasn’t to blame for Liam’s death” is the headline. The Daily Telegraph has the headline “Tories to kick out low-paid migrants” as it says opposition leader Kemi Badenoch has set out her first major policy as the seeks to combat the electoral threat of Reform ***. The paper says the proposal would mean legal migrants with low-paid or no work would only be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain after 10 years – double the current threshold. The Daily Mail paraphrases Badenoch as saying “I’ll ban migrants who claim benefits from becoming *** citizens”. It says the Tory leader will “take the battle to Reform” with the dramatic announcment The Times has a startling warning from the head of British counter-terrorism that the harm caused by social media is like the ******* caused by smoking. Matt Jukes says a ban for under-16s, like in Australia, warrants attention. And there’s a front page picture of a young Ozzy Osborne after it was announced he was reuniting with his band ****** Sabbath. Source link #Failed #state #Trumps #Gaza #takeover #plan Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

FRNSW urges people to not modify their e-scooters after four explosions in Sydney FRNSW urges people to not modify their e-scooters after four explosions in Sydney An explosion involving an e-scooter battery that injured a man has illustrated a “real concern” firefighters have about the motorised devices. Source link #FRNSW #urges #people #modify #escooters #explosions #Sydney Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump’s aid freeze will worsen Sudan famine and cost lives, workers say Trump’s aid freeze will worsen Sudan famine and cost lives, workers say Trump’s aid freeze will worsen Sudan famine and cost lives, workers say – CBS News Watch CBS News Some of the humanitarian aid USAID provided went to the African nation of Sudan. For two years now, its people have been caught in the middle of a civil war between two warlords. Debora Patta got a rare look inside the country. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On Source link #Trumps #aid #freeze #worsen #Sudan #famine #cost #lives #workers Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Major construction project coming soon to Richmond Road in Lexington. Here are the details Major construction project coming soon to Richmond Road in Lexington. Here are the details Major roadwork is coming to the Richmond Road and Athens Boonesboro Road corridor. The project, slated to get underway early this year, will extend from Eagle Creek Drive to the entrance to Brenda Cowan Elementary. “The corridor experiences heavy traffic congestion and has been identified as a priority high ****** corridor,” the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says on a web page explaining the project. “The volume of traffic continues to grow, with more residential neighborhoods, retail stores and restaurants and a new school. Some of the traffic signals are too tightly spaced, which slows traffic flow and the corridor lacks places for people to bike, walk and cross the street safely, despite being adjacent to Lexington’s largest city park.” This project aims to improve that. Several intersections will be reconfigured to require motorists to turn right off side streets onto Richmond Road and Athens Boonesboro. Those who would have turned left will instead have to make a U-turn. The traffic pattern is referred to as an R-CUT, for Restricted Crossing U-Turn, and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says the pattern can improve traffic flow and reduce serious crashes. In other parts of the country, R-CUTs are also referred to as J-turns, and in some states, a series of R-CUTs like the ones planned for Richmond Road are called a superstreet. An R-cut intersection helps decrease traffic accidents by restricting turns through intersections. An R-cut intersection will go live Monday, July 22, 2024, on Athens Boonesboro Road. Athens Boonesboro already has an R-CUT at Competition Drive, the exit from the new soccer stadium onto the main road. Over the next year and a half, R-CUTs will be installed where Richmond Road intersects with Squires Road and Yorkshire Boulevard, Ellerslie Park Boulevard, Hays Boulevard and Aphids Way, as well as at the entrance to Brenda Cowan Elementary. At those intersections, motorists on the side streets will have to turn right onto Richmond Road and won’t have the option to make a left turn or go straight across Richmond Road. Instead, they’ll be able to make a U-turn on Richmond Road from adjacent medians. Drivers on Richmond Road will still be able to go left, right or straight at each intersection. The Richmond Road intersection at Old Richmond Road and the entrance to Jacobson Park will also see a major change. The traffic signal there will be removed, the Old Richmond Road intersection will be closed and traffic will be diverted onto Aphids Way, which has already seen increased traffic in recent years. Aphids Way will be reconstructed to accommodate more traffic with the closing of Old Richmond Road, according to the Transportation Cabinet. While the current Jacobson Park entrance will stay where it is, the median on Richmond Road will be extended, prohibiting outbound Richmond Road traffic from turning left into the park there, and the traffic signal at that location will be removed. A new Jacobson Park entrance will be constructed across from Ellerslie Park Boulevard, and a traffic signal will be added at that intersection. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has proposed a new construction project which would implement restricted crossing U-turns at several intersections in the Richmond Road and Athens Boonesboro corridor. Hays Boulevard is the most congested of the intersections along Richmond Road, the Transportation Cabinet says. To better accommodate traffic turning onto Hays from Richmond Road, dual left turn lanes will be added on Richmond Road, helping reduce delays for drivers. At the Brenda Cowan Elementary entrance, drivers leaving the school will have to turn toward I-75, and then make a U-turn if they want to head in toward town. The Transportation Cabinet says on its website that it does not believe there’s enough traffic volume to warrant a traffic signal at the school’s entrance, but that officials “will continue to monitor traffic volumes and safety trends.” The cabinet is also proposing a shared-use path on the north side of Richmond Road from Yorkshire Boulevard to Hays Boulevard, which will allow biking and walking access to Jacobson Park. The process of obtaining the right-of-way for the project is “complete or nearly complete,” according to the Transportation Cabinet, and utility relocation is expected to start early in 2025. The Transportation Cabinet expects to advertise for bids from contractors early in the year, with a goal of construction beginning in the spring. The work should be finished by summer 2026. The project is expected to cost $12.75 million, with funding coming from the federal Highway Safety Improvement Program, the state’s maintenance and resurfacing program and an allocation from the Lexington Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. Cutting down on crashes “We definitely have an issue with traffic flow in that corridor,” said Joseph Hale, who was recently elected to represent District 7, which includes the Richmond Road area, on the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council. “That’s one of the most dangerous segments of road in all of Kentucky, statistically.” In September 2020, an analysis of collisions along the corridor was completed before the design phase of the project began, said Transportation Cabinet spokeswoman Natasha Lacy. Between 2015 and 2020, she said there were 67 collisions, four of which involved serious injuries, on Richmond Road at the intersection with Yorkshire Boulevard and Squires Road. There were 29 collisions on Richmond Road at Ellerslie Park Boulevard, three of which were either fatal or caused serious injury, and there were 17 collisions on Richmond Road at Shoreside Drive, two of which involved serious injury. The Transportation Cabinet says angle and left-turn collisions are a particular problem on Richmond Road, and those crashes tend to be more severe. R-CUTs can help prevent crashes by reducing the number of locations where vehicles cross paths at an intersection. While there are 32 potential conflict points in a traditional intersection, an R-CUT has just 14, and there are fewer places where a “T-bone” ****** can occur. The Transportation Cabinet says R-CUTS can reduce the overall number of crashes by up to 40% and reduce the number of fatal crashes by 50% or more. R-CUTs near Elizabethtown have reduced injury collisions by more than 80%, according to the cabinet. An analysis of six standalone R-CUTs in Hardin County and R-CUTS opened in 2022 along the U.S. 31W corridor in Elizabethtown showed that injuries dropped from 44 per year to eight per year, the cabinet said in a news release. The overall average number of crashes per year dropped from 267 before the R-CUTs were built to 138 per year afterward, a 48% reduction, according to the cabinet. “The data and analysis helped guide the project team in making the recommendation for the most cost-effective safety countermeasure,” Lacy said in an email. “The reduction of conflict points, along with the successful implementation of RCUT intersections in a similar roadway context, led to the recommendation of the RCUT concept as the optimal solution in an effort to reduce collisions while also making a positive impact on traffic congestion.” The cabinet says R-CUTs are also safer for pedestrians crossing the street. Hale said widening the road would have been much more costly and would not have made the corridor safer. As traffic comes off Interstate 75 onto Athens Boonesboro, he said, drivers are “still in interstate mode.” “We need safer and more efficient,” he said. The Transportation Cabinet says R-CUTS improve efficiency by helping traffic flow more freely. Eliminating left turn lights on side streets means signals can stay green longer on both the main road and side streets, and more vehicles can go at the same time, reducing driver wait time. Hale has been following the project closely and meeting with neighborhood groups to keep them informed. “This is a project that I’m inheriting, so I’m going to be on top of it as much as I can,” he said. Source link #Major #construction #project #coming #Richmond #Road #Lexington #details Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump’s comments on Gaza draw backlash as Palestinians return home after ceasefire Trump’s comments on Gaza draw backlash as Palestinians return home after ceasefire Trump’s comments on Gaza draw backlash as Palestinians return home after ceasefire – CBS News Watch CBS News President Trump drew backlash when he suggested the United States should take control of the Gaza Strip and move Palestinians out during a news conference with the Israeli prime minister at the White House. Chris Livesay reports that Mr. Trump is floating the idea as many Palestinians return home under the ceasefire deal. Be the first to know Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Not Now Turn On Source link #Trumps #comments #Gaza #draw #backlash #Palestinians #return #home #ceasefire Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]