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Trump says U.S. will own and develop Gaza Strip Trump says U.S. will own and develop Gaza Strip U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the East Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., Feb. 4, 2025. Leah Millis | Reuters President Donald Trump on Tuesday evening said the United States “will take over the Gaza Strip,” and “we’ll own it.” Trump said that all Palestinians currently living in Gaza, nearly 2 million people, should leave the territory and be placed in other countries in the Middle East. “Gaza is a hellhole,” Trump said at the White House during a joint news conference with Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates. Source link #Trump #U.S #develop #Gaza #Strip Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Officials identify 66 of 67 US plane ****** victims Officials identify 66 of 67 US plane ****** victims Washington officials have positively identified 66 of the 67 people killed in Wednesday’s mid-air collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and a military helicopter over the Potomac River. A joint statement from agencies said all 67 bodies have been recovered. Work continues by the US Army Corps of Engineers to remove the airplane wreckage from the Potomac River near Washington’s Reagan National Airport. Officials plan to begin removing the helicopter wreckage on Wednesday. In the aftermath of the ******, the Federal Aviation Administration has imposed significant restrictions on helicopter flights around Reagan National until at least late February and two of the lesser-used runways remain closed. Investigators from the NTSB have said they had determined the CRJ-700 plane that had departed from Wichita, Kansas, was flying at an altitude of 99m at the time of impact. The NTSB said on Tuesday updated data shows the ****** Hawk was flying at 91.5m on the air traffic control display at the time of the collision. The data indicates the Army ****** Hawk helicopter was flying above 61m, the maximum altitude for the route it was using. American Airlines CEO Robert Isom spoke to President Donald Trump on Monday, according to an email sent to employees on Tuesday, adding the president offered condolences for crew members, passengers and their loved ones. “President Trump also made clear that aviation safety is a priority for his administration,” Isom added in his note. Isom praised the FAA for “limiting helicopter traffic near” Reagan. The National Transportation Safety Board has completed interviews with air traffic controllers and obtained training and flight logs for both flight crews and maintenance records for both aircraft. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy told Reuters the NTSB plans to look at prior near-miss incidents between helicopters and airplanes around Washington Reagan and could expand the investigation “to other areas where there’s military helicopter and air traffic.” Data confirmed previously that the air traffic controller alerted the helicopter to the presence of the CRJ-700 about two minutes before the collision. Source link #Officials #identify #plane #****** #victims Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

3 High-Yield Dividend Stocks Yielding Up To 9.9% 3 High-Yield Dividend Stocks Yielding Up To 9.9% As global markets navigate a landscape marked by fluctuating corporate earnings and geopolitical tensions, many investors are turning their attention to dividend stocks as a potential source of steady income. In the current environment, characterized by volatile tech sectors and shifting interest rate policies, high-yield dividend stocks can offer an attractive option for those seeking stability and regular returns amidst market uncertainties. Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating Guaranty Trust Holding (NGSE:GTCO) 5.97% ★★★★★★ Peoples Bancorp (NasdaqGS:PEBO) 4.98% ★★★★★★ Daito Trust ConstructionLtd (TSE:1878) 4.01% ★★★★★★ Citizens & Northern (NasdaqCM:CZNC) 5.33% ★★★★★★ Southside Bancshares (NYSE:SBSI) 4.66% ★★★★★★ GakkyushaLtd (TSE:9769) 4.46% ★★★★★★ Guangxi LiuYao Group (SHSE:603368) 3.41% ★★★★★★ HUAYU Automotive Systems (SHSE:600741) 4.46% ★★★★★★ Nihon Parkerizing (TSE:4095) 3.95% ★★★★★★ Premier Financial (NasdaqGS:PFC) 4.56% ★★★★★★ Click here to see the full list of 1972 stocks from our Top Dividend Stocks screener. Here’s a peek at a few of the choices from the screener. Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: ★★★★★☆ Overview: Atresmedia Corporación de Medios de Comunicación, S.A. is an audiovisual company involved in television, radio, digital and multimedia development, cinema, and events organization in Spain and internationally, with a market cap of approximately €994.16 million. Operations: Atresmedia Corporación de Medios de Comunicación generates revenue from its Radio segment (€79.53 million) and Audiovisual segment (€950.52 million). Dividend Yield: 10% Atresmedia Corporación de Medios de Comunicación offers a high dividend yield, ranking in the top 25% of Spanish dividend payers. Despite this, its dividends have been volatile and unreliable over the past decade. The company’s payout ratios indicate dividends are well-covered by earnings and cash flows, suggesting sustainability despite historical volatility. Recent board discussions included distributing profits as dividends, further emphasizing commitment to shareholder returns amidst forecasted earnings decline. BME:A3M Dividend History as at Feb 2025 Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: ★★★★★☆ Overview: Tower Limited offers general insurance products in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, with a market capitalization of NZ$493.33 million. Story Continues Operations: Tower Limited’s revenue primarily comes from its operations in New Zealand, contributing NZ$535.53 million, and the Pacific Islands, adding NZ$43.33 million. Dividend Yield: 10% Tower Limited’s dividend yield ranks in the top 25% of New Zealand payers, with a payout ratio of 50.9%, indicating dividends are well-covered by earnings and cash flows. Despite this coverage, its dividend history has been volatile and unreliable over the past decade. The recent earnings surge to NZ$74.29 million from a loss last year supports current payouts, but executive changes could impact future stability as Tower navigates leadership transitions. NZSE:TWR Dividend History as at Feb 2025 Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: ★★★★☆☆ Overview: China Unicom (Hong Kong) Limited is an investment holding company that offers telecommunications and related value-added services in the People’s Republic of China, with a market capitalization of HK$223.06 billion. Operations: The company generates revenue from its Wireless Communications Services segment, amounting to CN¥381.03 billion. Dividend Yield: 5.5% China Unicom’s dividend payments are covered by earnings and cash flows, with payout ratios of 56.9% and 75.9%, respectively. However, the dividends have been unreliable and volatile over the past decade despite recent growth in earnings by 11.9%. The stock trades at a significant discount to its estimated fair value but offers a lower yield (5.54%) compared to top-tier Hong Kong dividend payers (8.03%). Recent operational metrics highlight robust subscriber growth across various services. SEHK:762 Dividend History as at Feb 2025 Explore the 1972 names from our Top Dividend Stocks screener here. Already own these companies? Bring clarity to your investment decisions by linking up your portfolio with Simply Wall St, where you can monitor all the vital signs of your stocks effortlessly. Simply Wall St is your key to unlocking global market trends, a free user-friendly app for forward-thinking investors. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Companies discussed in this article include BME:A3M NZSE:TWR and SEHK:762. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email *****@*****.tld Source link #HighYield #Dividend #Stocks #Yielding Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Aga Khan IV, Wealthy Leader of the Ismaili Muslims, Dies at 88 – The New York Times The Aga Khan IV, Wealthy Leader of the Ismaili Muslims, Dies at 88 – The New York Times The Aga Khan IV, Wealthy Leader of the Ismaili Muslims, Dies at 88 The New York TimesView Full Coverage on Google News Source link #Aga #Khan #Wealthy #Leader #Ismaili #Muslims #Dies #York #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ghana wants more for its cashews, but it’s a tough nut to crack Ghana wants more for its cashews, but it’s a tough nut to crack Ed Butler Business reporter, BBC News Reporting fromAccra, GhanaGetty Images Cashew nuts, which grow from beneath cashew fruits, are a big export crop for Ghana The Accra street vendor looks at me, bemused. I’m trying to establish how the rather flimsy 30g bag of roasted cashew nuts she’s selling, beside a sweltering highway in Ghana’s capital, costs me the equivalent of about 75 cents (60p). That’s obviously not a lot of money for me, a visitor from the ***, but I’m amazed at the mark up. The price is at least 4,000% higher than the cost of buying the same weight of raw, unshelled cashews from a Ghanian farmer. “It’s incredible,” I protest. Yet she doesn’t understand my English, or my reasoning. The price of the nuts was, after all, printed on the packet. And explaining why I thought it was beyond the pale was never going to be easy. Ghana is the world’s third-biggest exporter of unprocessed cashew nuts, behind Ivory Coast in first place, and Cambodia in second. To produce the crop, around 300,000 Ghanaians make at least part of their living growing cashews. Nashiru Seydou, whose family have a farm in the country’s north-east, some 500 miles (800km) from Accra, is one of them. He says the work is hard, and unreliable supply chains and volatile wholesale prices make survival difficult. “We are struggling. We can use the sunlight, the fertile land, to create more jobs,” he says. “I’d be happy if the government comes to our aid and helps support our industry.” He tells me that he currently gets around $50 for a large 100kg sack of unshelled cashews. Ghanaian cashew nut farmer Nashiru Seydou says it is a tough way to make a living “It’s amazing,” says Bright Simons, an entrepreneur and economic commentator in Accra, who has studied the numbers. “Roasters and retailers buy the nuts from farmers for $500 a tonne, and sell to customers [both at home and abroad] for amounts between $20,000 and $40,000 a tonne.” As a whole, Ghana grows about 180,000 tonnes of cashews annually. More than 80% is exported, and in raw, unshelled form. This generates some $300m in export revenues, but means that Ghana misses out on the significantly higher returns you get from roasted, ready-to-eat cashews. Mildred Akotia is one person trying to increase the amount of cashews that are shelled and roasted in Ghana. She is the founder and CEO of Akwaaba Fine Foods, which currently processes just 25 tonnes a year. Ms Akotia denies any suggestion that she and others like her are price-gouging. The packaging and roasting machinery a western business would automatically use in this industry, she says, is out of reach for her because of the high cost of credit in Ghana. “If you go to a local bank, it will cost you 30% interest to get a loan,” she complains. “As a manufacturer you tell me how large your margins are that you can afford that kind of interest? We’ve had to rely on what we can get: soft loans from relatives and grants from donor agencies.” She says that this situation is why less than 20% of Ghana’s cashews are processed locally. The bulk are scooped up and exported to big factories in countries like India, Thailand and Vietnam. Remarkably, some of those packaged nuts are then exported back to Ghana, where they are sold for the same price as domestically roasted cashews. This is despite the 20,000-mile sea freight round trip, and import costs. It is a similar picture for rice, which is exported to Ghana from Asia and sold at low prices, despite Ghana also growing the crop itself. Domestically processed and roasted cashew nuts are available in Ghana, but imported brands are the same price Back in 2016 the Ghanaian government experimented with an export ban on raw cashews in order to encourage homegrown processing. However the policy had to be abandoned within a couple of weeks after uproar from farmers and traders. Without available cheap loans, it wasn’t possible for sufficient new Ghanaian roasters to enter the market. So the price of raw nuts crashed, and many started rotting for want of a buyer. More recently there has been talk of increased tariffs on raw cashew exports and bans on exporters purchasing cashews directly from farms. But all these policy interventions miss a key point, according to Mr Simons. A big challenge for local producers, he says, is to work harder on the basics of doing business, and growing their companies. “In order to be efficient at this, you need scale,” he says, adding that firms need to promote eating cashews to make it more widespread in the country. “You need a lot of a Ghanaians consuming the nuts, not just a small middle class”. Prof Daron Acemoglu, a Turkish-American economist, agrees that building a strong local market is important for Ghana’s cashew industry. He was one of last year’s winners of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, for his work on the struggles facing low-income economies, and in particular their home-grown businesses. Yet he says that the first priority should be improving access to international markets for processed Ghanaian cashews. “These firms are dealing with workforces that aren’t properly skilled, they have infrastructures that aren’t working, they are constantly in fear of corrupt officials, or rule changes, and also it’s very difficult to reach foreign markets, he says. “They need the foreign market because the domestic market is small, and their own government has very little capacity [to boost it].” He also wants to see the Ghanaian government improve the network of roads and railways to ease the cost of transportation. Mildred Akotia has big ambitions for her cashew nut business But Mr Simons reckons the onus should now be on Ghanaian businesses themselves, to do the basics to enhance the branding and marketing of cashews. As it is, he says, many of the country’s most enterprising business people are just leaving Ghana for better paid opportunities abroad because of the red tape and cronyism in Ghana are so prohibitive. “There’s a massive brain drain,” he says. “My theory of why Africa’s economic development has been slow is because we focus too much on the supply side, but the real beauty is in demand, creating a consuming class of cashew-eating enthusiasts, and you don’t have an entrepreneurial class that can create demand transformation.” He says the same argument applies to Ghana’s other ******* exports, like gold and chocolate, neither of which gets much value-addition within Ghana before getting exported to the West. Mildred Akotia hopes she might be one of those entrepreneurs to buck the trend. She now wants to build her own logistics arm, to be able to process the cashews direct from the farm gate. “I have a lot of calls from the UAE, from Canada and America. Currently we can’t meet demand. We can’t get enough kernels to roast. “There’s a ready market both locally and internationally. My branding is good, my marketing is good. My dream is to give a facelift to Ghanaian processed foods.” Read more global business stories Source link #Ghana #cashews #tough #nut #crack Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Reform of character references in ******* crime cases needed, say campaigners Reform of character references in ******* crime cases needed, say campaigners Dean McLaughlin and Eve Rosato BBC News NI BBC Haileigh Ashton Lamont believes those convicted of ******* crimes should not have the option of a character reference. The use of character references in ******* crime cases should be reformed urgently, campaigners have told BBC News NI. Haileigh Ashton Lamont, a victim of ******* abuse who now works with survivors, said those convicted of these crimes should not have the option of a character reference. She was speaking after a former SDLP councillor apologised for providing a reference for a man convicted of *****. The Department of Justice (DoJ) said it was “actively seeking to address the use of good character references, which will require legislation”. “In the meantime, the department would urge everyone to exercise personal responsibility when it comes to providing character references for use by a court,” it added. When are character references used? There are two common ways in which character references are used in criminal courts in Northern Ireland. The first is during the course of a trial, where the defendant has no previous convictions or relevant police connections and they can call character witnesses to give evidence. They can also be used during sentencing, where a person has either been convicted or pleaded guilty. Written references about the individual’s character can be submitted to the court on their behalf. The use of character references in ***** and ******* assault cases has been debated in Northern Ireland for some time. The DoJ said the judiciary must “determine what is relevant to the sentencing process”. It added that the purpose of character references were to provide the court with “insight into any factors that could mitigate the defendant’s sentence”. However, campaigners say that they can be re-traumatising for victims and perpetuate ***** myths. What do survivors say? Last month, SDLP councillor Brian Tierney was suspended from the SDLP after he provided a character reference for Kielan Mooney, from Bloomfield Park in Derry. Mooney was jailed in Dublin for eight-and-a-half years for raping a woman, who was a fellow member of the Irish Defence Forces. Mooney’s family later said BrianTierney had been “misled” into providing the reference, as he was not aware of the “seriousness” of the charges. He later withdrew the reference and said sorry to Mooney’s victim. The woman told BBC Radio Foyle’s North West Today she accepted Tierney’s apology. “He was massively misled on the seriousness of the case. I take his apology but its important I speak out for me and other women now. “I like to refer to myself as a survivor. It did take a toll on my social life and work life but I got the right help by speaking out,” she added. ‘Detrimental’ Ms Ashton Lamont said one victim told her this week that finding out about character references stopped them from coming forward. “I think that sums up the impact they have and how detrimental they are,” she said. She added that any time she brought up the subject of reform of the criminal justice system she was told “these things take time”. Getty Images One survivor told BBC News NI said was surprised at the number of references included in her case Another woman, we’re calling Jessica, who was seriously ********* assaulted by a man she met on Tinder, was surprised at the number of references included in her case. The man pleaded guilty to ******* and physical assault. The judge in the case said he had “committed a gross ******* and violent offence”. “I think the number of references given in my case was completely unfair and taking advantage of the system,” she said. “I could only provide my word, and my mum’s, through victim impact statements. That’s not comparable to the 14 character references he submitted.” Jessica said the perpetrator should be able to demonstrate their character but there should be a limit. Nexus CEO Joanne Barnes in ******* crimes character references shouldn’t have any real influence in courts Nexus, a charity which supports victims of ******* crimes, has been lobbying the government to make changes. CEO Joanne Barnes said a perpetrator or an accused offender should have an honest and fair representation in court but this also must be relevant. She added that in ******* crimes character references shouldn’t have any real influence in courts. Nexus says they look to Australia and New Zealand, where character references are not permissible in ******* offence cases. In the Republic of Ireland, from September 2024 those submitting references must appear in person and give evidence after swearing an oath or the references can be made in an affidavit. This means character witnesses could be open to charges of perjury if they give false evidence. In April 2018, the Gillen Review was commissioned by the DoJ to improve criminal justice outcomes and the experiences of victims. It set out 253 recommendations. The DoJ said the review highlighted “potential inequalities between complainants and defendants in serious ******* offence cases”. “The complainant’s testimony is often treated with disbelief and the defendant, who can call good character evidence, may seek to undermine their character or actions whereas the complainant is not accorded the right to call character evidence or witnesses on their behalf,” it added. If you’ve been affected by any of the issues raised in this piece, details of help and support is available on BBC Action Line. Source link #Reform #character #references #******* #crime #cases #needed #campaigners Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Capcom shares new Onimusha details and confirms a PS2 remaster is coming Capcom shares new Onimusha details and confirms a PS2 remaster is coming Capcom has revealed new details on Onimusha: Way of the Sword and confirmed that a remastered version of the PS2 title Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny will be released this year. Speaking during a live stream on Tuesday, Way of the Sword’s producer said the 2026 title would focus on three core concepts; compelling characters including a new protagonist, the setting of Kyoto, and “the ultimate sword fighting action”. “To add some detail to what we’ve shown in the video, in this game we are taking Onimusha’s signature sword fighting action and dark fantasy elements and using Capcom‘s latest technology to make this new game as captivating as possible,” said producer Akihito Kadowaki. “We’re focusing on three core aspects: Compelling characters, including a new protagonist and enemies that are interesting more than just visually, The setting of Kyoto, a location brimming with historic spots with mysterious and unsettling backstories, And lastly, the ultimate sword fighting action.” The game’s director, Satoru Nihei, shared some details on the plot of the game, and revealed that players will explore historic locations around Kyoto, such as Kiyomizu-dera temple, “in a heroic tale of a soul samurai fighting against hordes of twisted creatures known as Genma”. “The protagonist, due to a twist of fate, finds himself wielding an Oni gauntlet,” he explained. “Now, in Onimusha, he sets about mowing down the monstrosities roaming the world of the living and feeding their souls to the gauntlet. Through gritty, bloody-soaked brawls, he searches for his reason to fight. “Adding our own touches to real-life historical figures, you will meet a cast of unique characters. And in addition to sword battles, drama will unfold in a beautifully eerie depiction of Kyoto.” Nihei said that the new game will put emphasis on “the satisfaction of slicing through enemies” and “soul-sucking action with the Oni gauntlet”. He said: “By absorbing souls, you can restore your health as well as use special moves. Deciding how to absorb the souls of your enemy in the heat of an intense battle will be the key to victory. “We’re not trying to make an impossibly difficult game. Instead, we want to make a game where fans of action can experience thrilling sword fights and take satisfaction from slaying their enemies. We sincerely hope you look forward to what we are creating.” Source link #Capcom #shares #Onimusha #details #confirms #PS2 #remaster #coming Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Perennial French powerhouse moves on in French Cup Perennial French powerhouse moves on in French Cup Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain have reached the French Cup quarter-finals with Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola scoring in each half to earn a 2-0 win at third-tier Le Mans. Second-tier Dunkerque also reached the last eight by beating top-flight Lille on penalties after a 1-1 draw, while Brest eliminated Ligue 2 side Troyes with a 2-1 win. At the Stade Marie-Marvingt, Le Mans sat back in an effort to frustrate the Ligue 1 leaders, who are unbeaten in all competitions since November, and it took 17 minutes for PSG to have their first shot, which Lee Kang-in put well over the bar from outside the box. The hosts’ attempts to hold off PSG on Tuesday were undone by a defensive mistake in the 25th minute, when Alexandre Lauray’s pass was blocked by Goncalo Ramos on the edge of the box. The ball reached Doue, who buried it into the bottom left corner. Substitute Barcola doubled the lead in the 71st minute as he got hold of a lofted ball from Nuno Mendes, sprinted into the Le Mans box and finished at the near post. “It was a typical Coupe de France match. Dangerous, unpredictable. There are a lot of things you can’t control. But I think we did a good job,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said. “We are in the quarter-finals and we were able to give the players some minutes and a rest, so we have to be happy.” PSG kept their hopes of a 16th Coupe de France title alive having suffered back-to-back exits at this stage of the competition in 2021-22 and 2022-23. They host third-placed Monaco in a league clash on Friday. Source link #Perennial #French #powerhouse #moves #French #Cup Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Capcom’s next Fighting Collection is officially releasing in May Capcom’s next Fighting Collection is officially releasing in May Capcom has announced that Capcom Fighting Collection 2 will be released on May 16 for Switch, Xbox One, PS4, and PC. The eight-game collection includes Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 Pro, Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001, Project Justice, Capcom Fighting Evolution, Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper, Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein, Power Stone, and Power Stone 2. All eight games will feature online play with rollback netcode, as well as a training mode. A museum mode will also include official art, concept art, design documents, music and “more never-before-seen content”. Source link #Capcoms #Fighting #Collection #officially #releasing Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Lumumba files 3 campaign finance reports after having not done so since 2021 Lumumba files 3 campaign finance reports after having not done so since 2021 Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba has filed three campaign finance reports after failing to do so for the last three years. His last report was filed in 2021, though state law requires them to be filed annually. Lumumba’s campaign finance reports are at the center of his federal indictment, which accuses him of accepting $50,000 in bribes from undercover FBI agents posing as out-of-town real estate developers. The agents faked an interest in building a long sought-after downtown convention center hotel, submitting a bid for the city’s statement of qualifications, or SOQ, released on Jan. 31 for the project. Lumumba allegedly accepted the bribes, disguised as five $10,000 “campaign contribution” checks, while aboard a yacht during a trip to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He took the trip between April 2 and April 4 with Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens, Sherik Marve’ Smith, a local insurance specialist also caught up in the scandal, and the undercover agents, according to court records. The indictment shows Lumumba deposited those checks on April 4 and withdrew some of the funds on April 5 and April 8. Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba speaks during a press conference in Jackson on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. According to the mayor’s 2024 campaign finance report, Lumumba accepted five 10,000 contributions dated between March 28 and April 1, 2024. The five $10,000 contributions and the donors are below: $10,000 from Downtown Cigar Company LLC, which is owned by Owens, dated April 1. $10,000 from Perinatal Services PLLC dated April 1. According to the Mississippi Secretary of State’s business search, Perinatal Services lists Owens and his wife, Michele Owens, as the registered officers. The address listed is 100 Inez Owens Drive. $10,000 from Kevin J. May dated April 1. It’s unclear how May is associated with the mayor. An address listed shows a South Jackson residence located at 225 Pearlie Owens Drive, which is near the street Owens listed as his address. $10,000 from Smith dated April 1. $10,000 from Karry L. Young dated March 28. It’s also unclear how Young is associated with Lumumba. No address is listed on the report. Jackson Spokesperson Melissa Payne said Lumumba is not giving any comments about the campaign finance reports nor will he confirm that the five contributions between March 28 and April 1 are the payments he received while in Florida. In return for the $50,000, Lumumba allegedly called a city employee — while aboard the yacht with Owens and the undercover agents — and directed the employee to shorten a deadline for the convention center hotel’s SOQ to benefit the agents. Unbeknownst to Lumumba and Owens, the yacht was rigged with recording equipment and the following exchange between the two was captured, according to court documents: Owens: “We want to be very mindful of out-of-state money.” Owens: “So what this team did was give us the money, being me, and we just filtered it through several accounts in a way we (are) comfortable doing.” Owens: “So we did five $10,000 checks to make it very simple, and then we get past the process, to our second phase, maybe in Jackson, somewhere else… we’ll do something similar to make sure there’s no worries about you financially in this thing cause you’re as big (a) part of this thing as anybody.” Below are the rest of the mayor’s 2024 contributions, according to his campaign finance report: Brian Johnson — $1,000 dated Jan. 1. DMG Company LLC — $2,000 dated Jan. 25. JWAR Properties LLC — $30,000 dated Feb. 16. Terry Lovelace — $20,000 dated Feb. 31. Metropolitan Bar and Grille — $5,000 dated April 10. James Covington — $500 dated April 29. Friends of Nicholas Smith — $1,000 dated June 18. Mohammad Kasim Reed — $1,500, no date given. Citizens for Danny K. Davis — $300 dated, no date given. Larry Perry — $1,000 dated Aug. 18. The Clarion Ledger obtained Lumumba’s three campaign finance reports from Municipal Clerk Angela Harris on Tuesday morning. Read the indictment: Jackson Bribery scandal: Mayor Lumumba, DA Owens, Councilman Banks plead not guilty In total, the mayor collected $112,300 in 2024, while spending $42,276.90. That leaves Lumumba with $70,023.10 to spend. Lumumba pleaded not guilty to five federal charges stemming from the bribery scandal. Owens, as well as Ward 6 Councilman Aaron Banks, were also indicted and face bribery charges along with the mayor; they both pleaded not guilty to federal charges as well. Smith, on the other hand, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery in October. His guilty plea follows former councilwoman Angelique Lee, who resigned from her position on the Jackson City Council then pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery in August. A trial was set for Jan. 6, but has since been continued. Most recently, U.S. attorneys and defense lawyers have disagreed on new trial dates, with a potential of not having one until 2026. Lumumba filed the 2024, 2023 and 2022 reports on Jan. 31, which was the deadline to file the campaign finance reports for candidates running in Jackson’s 2025 municipal elections. The mayor qualified to run for a third term and is facing 22 other candidates who have qualified. See the 2025 mayoral candidates: City Hall drama at the 11th hour: Lumumba announces his decision on running for mayor The 2023 report Lumumba received a total of $27,000 in contributions in 2023, while spending $13,550.66, according to the report. A total of six contributions were made to Lumumba’s campaign in 2023: Samuel Agnew — $10,000 dated Feb. 15, 2023. Utility Constructors — $14,400. This contribution was made in four payments dated between March and November 2023. Brian K. Johnson — $2,100 dated between April and August 2023. Metropolitan Bar and Grille — $2,500 dated June 21, 2023. Terry Lovelace — $5,000 dated June 29, 2023. MCAS LLC — $3,000 dated Sept. 17, 2023. The 2022 report In total, Lumumba received $22,000 in campaign contributions in 2022. He spent $17,198. See Lumumba’s 2022 contributors below: Terry Lovelace — $10,000. Lovelace gave Lumumba two payments of $5,000 each. The first being on May 9, 2022; the second on Sept. 30, 2022. Metropolitan Bar and Grille — $4,500. The restaurant gave Lumumba two payments. The first for $2,500 on May 9, 2022 and the second for $2,000 on Aug. 22, 2022. A3 Consulting — $2,500 dated May 9, 2022. Brian Johnson — $2,000. Johnson contributed in two payments. Each for $1,000 on June 1, 2022 and Aug. 30, 2022, respectively. Utility Constructors — $3,000 dated Aug. 22, 2022. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson, Miss., Mayor Lumumba files three campaign finance reports Source link #Lumumba #files #campaign #finance #reports Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Electronic Arts CEO says EA Sports FC and Madden ‘could find real energy’ on Switch 2 Electronic Arts CEO says EA Sports FC and Madden ‘could find real energy’ on Switch 2 Electronic Arts has spoken about its potential support for Nintendo Switch 2, and namechecked franchises like Madden and EA Sports FC. Nintendo finally announced its new console last month. So far, no first or third-party games have been announced for Switch 2, with a full reveal scheduled for early April. However, EA was asked about its potential Switch 2 support during an earnings call on Tuesday and dropped hints at which franchises it could bring to the platform. “Any time a new console comes into the marketplace, that’s of a benefit to us,” said CEO Andrew Wilson, when asked about Switch 2. “It gives us the ability to access and acquire new players. Typically, we’ve had franchises perform very well on Nintendo platforms. He added: “Certainly, our expectation is that products like FC and Madden and others might find real energy on the platform, as they have done in the past. “When you think about something like The Sims and the My Sims Cozy Bundle, which performed well ahead of our expectations – 50% of all players were new to EA – that represents a great opportunity for us. “So again, [there is] nothing in our models at this juncture. But our expectation is that any time a great new console comes into the marketplace that gives us access to new players and new communities, that we have the IP that will benefit from that.” After a slow start, EA eventually brought many titles to Switch during its lifespan, with ports of games like Apex Legend, EA Sports FC, and It Takes Two. However, it’s yet to release a Madden game for the platform. Previously, Andrew Wilson said he believed its players preferred to play its franchises on other consoles or PC. Source link #Electronic #Arts #CEO #Sports #Madden #find #real #energy #Switch Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Asia markets set to rise Asia markets set to rise Classic ******** courtyard featuring a stage and red lanterns hanging Jackyenjoyphotography | Moment | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets were set to mostly climb Wednesday, as Wall Street rose overnight, shrugging off Trump tariffs and China’s retaliation to measures. All eyes will be on China, which will resume trading after the Lunar New Year holidays. The ******** government on Tuesday announced tariffs on U.S. imports in retaliation to duties on its exports. China is slated to release its Caixin Services PMI figures for January later in the day. The metric captures the country’s services activity. Futures for Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index stood at 20,971 pointing to a stronger open, compared to the HSI’s close of 20,789.96. Japan benchmark Nikkei 225 was set to open higher, with the futures contract in Chicago at 39,000 while its counterpart in Osaka last traded at 38,950, against the index’s last close of 38,798.37. Overnight in the U.S., the three indexes moved higher following the developments around global trade. Software player Palantir popped about 24% on fourth-quarter results. AI major Nvidia advancing 1.7% during the session. The tech-heavy index Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.35% to 19,654.02, while the S&P 500 rose 0.72% to 6,037.88. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 134.13 points, or 0.3%, to 44,556.04. — CNBC’s Sean Conlon and Pia Singh contributed to this report. Source link #Asia #markets #set #rise Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

EA seemingly changes its mind on Apex Legends 2: ‘We need a more meaningful update’ EA seemingly changes its mind on Apex Legends 2: ‘We need a more meaningful update’ Electronic Arts has said it’s now planning a “*******, more meaningful update” for Apex Legends, or “an Apex 2.0”, several months after playing down the idea of a sequel. Speaking in October, EA CEO Andrew Wilson said Apex Legends‘ latest season had fallen short of expectations, but that it was trying to improve the existing game experience through updates, rather than planning a full Version 2, which he said in the context of live service games, “has almost never been as successful as the Version 1 thing”. However, speaking during EA’s earnings call on Tuesday, Wilson appeared to have softened his stance. As engagement continues to decline for Apex, the exec admitted that “a more meaningful update” was needed, and that Apex’s development team is at work planning one. However, Wilson said that any significant Apex Legends release would not arrive until after the next Battlefield game, which is planned to launch sometime before April 2026. “Apex is probably one of the great new launches in our industry over the last decade and has been loved by that core cohort,” Wilson said. “We’ve had over 200 million people play the game. However, the trajectory of the business of that franchise has not been headed in the direction that we have wanted for some time. “We have been trying, tuning and testing many things in the context of the ongoing support of the community. As we think about Apex today, I really think about the development happening across three core vectors. “The first is how do we continue to support this incredible community that plays the game day in and day out, which numbers tens of millions of people. And that’s both quality of life, anti-cheat, and all of the things that make the core experience great, as well as the creation of new content for that community.” He continued: “The second phase, and I think I’ve talked about this before, is we do believe there will be a time where we need to do a more meaningful update of Apex as a broad game experience, and the team is diligently working on that. You should imagine we probably wouldn’t drop that on top of a Battlefield launch. So from a timing standpoint, our thinking right now is that that would exist post-Battlefield.” Wilson said that EA had demonstrated its ability to build franchises that remain popular for multiple decades, and that “our expectation is that Apex will be also one of those franchises”. He added: “Sometime on a longer-term time horizon, there will be an even *******, more meaningful update to that broader game experience. An Apex 2.0, if you will. This will not be the final incarnation of Apex. “The team remains incredibly committed. We continue to invest behind the core community, which continues to play in the tens of millions of players. But we do believe that there should be a more major update. That will probably happen after the Battlefield launch, just in terms of timing. And the team is diligently working through what that would be. “And then longer-term, our expectation is that we’ll continue to expand what this franchise is and how we support a core community of highly competitive players and new communities that want to come and experience all the greatness that Apex has to offer.” Source link #seemingly #mind #Apex #Legends #meaningful #update Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

DSIT issues guidance to support public sector hosting of cloud workloads in overseas datacentres DSIT issues guidance to support public sector hosting of cloud workloads in overseas datacentres The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has issued guidance to support public sector bodies that want to host their applications and workloads in overseas datacentres. The government department’s overseas data guidance features a recommendation for public sector organisations to adopt a “multi-region approach” for workload resilience reasons, while acknowledging that this might mean making use of cloud services hosted outside of the ***. “We recommend that organisations adopt a multi-region approach in which they make controlled, considered use of regions in a way which is compatible with *** law,” the guidance document, seen by Computer Weekly, stated. “This guidance reinforces existing legislation and policy: this is not a change of policy.” Where the latter point is concerned, the guidance reiterated that government data that is classified at ‘official’ level can be stored and processed in overseas datacentres and cloud regions “when satisfactory legal, data protection and security practices are in place”. It continued: “There is no universal requirement for government data classified as ‘official’ to be physically located in the ***.” The guidance document stated that “many public sector organisations are already taking advantage of SaaS [software-as-a-service] products which are not exclusively *** hosted, operated and supported”, and DSIT said the guidance is intended to support more of them in doing that. Limiting themselves to using ***-only hosted services means public sector organisations might be missing out on better priced and more technologically advanced services that are only available in certain geographies, the guidance stated. “It can be prohibitive for smaller vendors to provide an entire capability within every geography worldwide because of the level of expense and complexity,” it said. “[Furthermore] your disaster response requirements may mean the current distribution of public cloud regions in the *** is not sufficient to meet your recovery objectives and so you may consider using an overseas region to meet your resilience requirements in certain scenarios.” In a statement, announcing the guidance’s release, DSIT said encouraging more of the public sector to entrust their data to overseas entities will boost competition and the resilience of their offerings, without compromising the ***’s strict data and security protections. On this point, the guidance has been created collaboratively with input from DSIT, The Central Digital and Data Office, the National Cyber Security Centre, the Government Security Group and the Department for Business and Trade. “This aims to boost competition, so the public sector can negotiate lower prices for their use of cloud tech,” said the DSIT statement. “It will also make digital systems more resilient by spreading IT infrastructure used by critical services such as the NHS and emergency response across different regions.” According to artificial intelligence and digital government minister Feryal Clark, the guidance is intended to reverse the problem of “crucial public services” being held back by “poor technology and outdated guidance” that has left the public sector trailing the private sector in innovation terms. “By embracing global innovation, we are making sure our public services have access to more tools to drive innovation and improve their services, while also building resilience and lowering costs as we look to put technology to work in the public sector,” she said. “This guidance will help to ensure that security and compliance are not afterthoughts, but core elements of our digital transformation journey.” Source link #DSIT #issues #guidance #support #public #sector #hosting #cloud #workloads #overseas #datacentres Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Aga Khan, spiritual leader whose riches enabled horse racing glory, dies at 88 – Reuters The Aga Khan, spiritual leader whose riches enabled horse racing glory, dies at 88 – Reuters The Aga Khan, spiritual leader whose riches enabled horse racing glory, dies at 88 ReutersThe Aga Khan IV, Wealthy Leader of the Ismaili Muslims, Dies at 88 The New York TimesThe Aga Khan, philanthropist and spiritual leader, dies aged 88 The GuardianThe Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the world’s Ismaili Muslims, has died at age 88 The Associated PressThe Aga Khan Prince Karim Al-Hussaini, spiritual leader and friend of the late Queen, dies aged 88 Sky News Source link #Aga #Khan #spiritual #leader #riches #enabled #horse #racing #glory #dies #Reuters Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Wallaroos lose star lock to serious knee injury Wallaroos lose star lock to serious knee injury Star Wallaroos and NSW Waratahs lock Atasi Lafai has suffered another serious injury which will rule her out of this year’s Rugby World Cup in England. Source link #Wallaroos #lose #star #lock #knee #injury Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Azerbaijan jet that crashed was riddled with holes, report says Azerbaijan jet that crashed was riddled with holes, report says A Russia-bound Azerbaijani jet that crashed in Kazakhstan in December had probably been damaged by “external objects” before it hit the ground, according to a report released Tuesday. The 53-page preliminary report published by Kazakhstan’s transport ministry included photographs of the plane riddled with holes, but it did not identify the reason why the plane went off course and crashed in its western city of Aktau. The ****** killed 38 of the 67 people on board. According to its probe, the crew had reported to air traffic control in Russia’s city of Grozny about losing a GPS signal, and shortly later, lost control of the plane. The report said that the plane had “various shapes and size of damage in the tail section” and “similar damage was found on the left engine and left wing of the aircraft.” Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly said that Russian air defense unintentionally shot down Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243. Russian officials had initially attributed the ****** to a possible bird strike or the explosion of some sort of gas cylinder. Russian President Vladimir Putin then issued a rare public apology for what the Kremlin called in a statement a “tragic accident,” saying that Russia’s air defense system was working to repel a Ukrainian drone attack on the day the plane crashed. But Moscow stopped short of claiming responsibility for the ******. A U.S. official previously told CBS News there were early indications a Russian anti-aircraft system may have struck the plane in a region where Ukrainian and Russian forces have traded drone and rocket fire for months. The Kremlin statement noted that it had launched a criminal probe into the incident. Kazakhstan is heading the investigation as the ****** happened on its territory. But the country, one of Russia’s closest allies, has not directly blamed Moscow. USAID to merge into State Department with major budget cuts Details on ******** retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products set to take effect next week What is the unitary executive theory and how might Trump be using it to transform government? Source link #Azerbaijan #jet #crashed #riddled #holes #report Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Seymour enrages Maori as NZ leaders descend on Waitangi Seymour enrages Maori as NZ leaders descend on Waitangi The row over the role of the Treaty of Waitangi in modern-day New Zealand shows no sign of abating, with protests on the eve of the country’s national day. Source link #Seymour #enrages #Maori #leaders #descend #Waitangi Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Hawaii volcano produces tall lava fountaining in latest episode of Kilauea eruption Hawaii volcano produces tall lava fountaining in latest episode of Kilauea eruption HONOLULU (AP) — A fountain of lava was spewing from a Hawaii volcano Tuesday in the latest episode of an eruption that has paused and resumed. Fountains from a vent of the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island grew to more than 250 feet (76.2 meters) high Monday night, according to the latest status report from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. On Tuesday morning, a webcam showed vigorous streams of red lava. 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 eruption began Dec. 23 in a crater at the summit of Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes. This marks the eruption’s eighth episode. Small, sporadic spatter fountains began Sunday, which grew more intense, the observatory said. The fountains grew from 50 feet (15.24 meters) high to 250 feet (76.2 meters) high in an hour on Monday night. The eruption is happening within a closed area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park without posing a threat to homes or infrastructure. Source link #Hawaii #volcano #produces #tall #lava #fountaining #latest #episode #Kilauea #eruption Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

South Florida consumers react to the price of eggs – CBS News South Florida consumers react to the price of eggs – CBS News South Florida consumers react to the price of eggs CBS NewsEgg prices, shortages from bird flu lead restaurants to add egg surcharge AxiosLocal restaurants look for alternatives to raising prices as egg prices soar Yahoo! Voices Source link #South #Florida #consumers #react #price #eggs #CBS #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Destiny 2: Episode Heresy – Best Builds For Hunter, Warlock, And Titan Destiny 2: Episode Heresy – Best Builds For Hunter, Warlock, And Titan The latest Destiny 2 episode, Heresy, has arrived and with it plenty of big changes to classes. Tons of tweaks to the Arc subclass along with updates across the board have introduced some brand-new build possibilities. Here are three excellent builds for–one each for Titan, Warlock, and Hunter–that use some of the new features along with some different builds utilizing artifact perks. These include suggestions on which Exotic weapons, Fragments, Aspects, and Supers to combine for an effective and fun class setup. Arc Warlock An Arc Warlock build for Destiny 2 Episode Heresy The adjustments to the Arc subclass introduce a new mechanic known as Bolt Charge, which is a stacking elemental damage perk that unleashes a chain lightning burst when the stacks are full. Multiple sources of damage, including class abilities, will build up stacks of Bolt Charge. This build for Warlocks utilizes tons of Arc damage sources from both weapons and abilities to make the best use of it. For armor, one of the best choices of Exotic is the Geomag Stabilizers. Extending the duration of your Chaos Reach Super will build up Bolt Charge stacks, and spreading Arc Damage around is crucial for making the most out of the new mechanic– these boots will help do just that. The patch released alongside the launch of Heresy changed Geomag Stabilizers to leverage Bolt Charge stacks: Sprinting while near maximum stacks will fill up the charges to unleash the attack from Bolt Charge. The best weapon to pair with this build is the exotic Fusion Rifle Delicate Tomb. With its ability to generate Ionic Traces for Super energy and additionally adding more stacks of Bolt Charge. Delicate Tomb was also buffed for Episode Heresy with better chances to generate Ionic Traces, increased damage in PvE, and now the Tempest Cascade buff will last until the weapon is fired. The subclass to use for this build is Stormcaller with the Chaos Reach Super, the Ball Lightning melee attack, and Flashbang Grenade. For the Aspects choose Electrostatic Mind for increased creation of Ionic Traces when defeating Blinded or Jolted targets, and Ionic Sentry for the new autonomous turret. Defeating targets with Arc abilities or weapons will build up charges for an Ionic Sentry, which is then deployed by using a Grenade attack. Class Fragments for this build should be Spark of Resistance for increased damage resistance while surrounded, Spark of Discharge which spawns extra Ionic Traces on Arc weapon final blows, Spark of Beacons for blinding explosions on Heavy weapon final blows or special final blows, and Spark of Shock which debuffs targets hit by grenade attacks with Jolt. Glaive Titan A Void Titan build for Destiny 2 Episode Heresy This setup is for melee-loving Titan players. Utilizing the recent buffs to Destabilizing Rounds, which detonates enemies hit by Void weapons after dealing damage with Void abilities, this build centers around lots of close-quarters fighting. The main Exotic armor for Titans using this build should be Synthoceps. When a player is surrounded by enemies, they gain buffs to melee and Super damage as well as faster weapon reload speed and weapon handling. While using a Glaive, the melee buff is further applied using the weapon’s close-range attack. An excellent Exotic weapon to combine with this build is the class-exclusive Glaive Edge of Action from The Witch Queen expansion. Glaives combine both ranged and melee attacks and because of the emphasis on being Surrounded, further buffs from Synthoceps will make this weapon even stronger. As the Glaive builds up energy from hits with the ranged component, the special ability, Remote Shield, is triggered on full stacks. The next shot fired will put down a small dome shield wherever it is aimed at the ground. Hop inside the shield for extra defense and any enemy that comes inside the shield bubble is blinded and slowed. For the subclass, Titans will need to be using Sentinel with the Twilight Arsenal Super. The Super can be exchanged for any other, as this build is not fully dependent on it, but Twilight Arsenal is the best all-rounder for the way this build functions. For class Aspects, the main one to choose is Controlled Demolition, which debuffs a target with Volatile when they’re hit by a Void ability or another Volatile explosion. Bastion is an excellent second choice for the Void overshield on use of the Void Super. The Class Fragments for this build are Echo of Exchange, which grants grenade energy after a melee kill; Echo of Undermining, which weakens targets hit by grenade attacks; Echo of Persistence, which enhances Void-based buffs such as Overshield; and Echo of Leeching, which starts healing players and nearby allies upon a melee kill. Prismatic Hunter A Prismatic Hunter build for Destiny 2 Episode Heresy This build leverages an underutilized and largely unknown synergy between two Exotic items for large area-of-effect damage combined with the new Bolt Charge mechanics. When used correctly, players can expect to clear rooms in a hurry and deal lots of damage to more hearty targets quickly. For the Exotics to use in this build, the two main choices are the Mothkeeper’s Wraps gauntlets and the weapon Ex Diris. Mothkeeper’s Wraps transforms the grenade ability into a bomb that releases two moths, one that applies a small Void overshield to you and a second that seeks a nearby target and explodes, causing the enemy to be blinded. Ex Diris is a special grenade launcher that shoots a large Arc projectile that detonates on impact. After a kill or rapid direct hits with it, its special perk spawns an additional moth that will seek nearby targets and explode, causing a blinding effect. Additionally, Ex Diris can shoot faster when dealing damage rapidly or the player takes sustained damage over time and survives. The subclass Hunters will want to use for this one is Prismatic. For the grenade slot, any grenade can apply here, but the best option is Strand Grapple. The melee attack for this build works best with Snare Bomb, which lets players throw a small smoke bomb at a target that deals damage over time and disorients them. Aspects for this build use Stylish Executioner and Threaded Specter. Stylish Executioner will turn players invisible upon a kill with either a grenade or a melee ability, and the next melee attack while invisible will weaken a target. Threaded Specter spawns a Strand clone of the player when they use the Hunter’s dodge ability that attracts enemies to it that detonates after a few seconds. Facet of Protection will boost damage resistance while surrounded and the effect is even stronger while using the Transcendence special ability. Facet of Dawn will grant players Radiance upon a powered melee kill, which increases weapon damage from Solar element sources and causes a heal over time. Facet of Purpose will grant an elemental shield based on the chosen Super’s element. Facet of Dominance causes Arc grenades to Jolt targets, which is applied via Ex Diris and the Mothkeeper’s Wraps special bombs. Source link #Destiny #Episode #Heresy #Builds #Hunter #Warlock #Titan Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Mauritius PM says *** faces paying more Mauritius PM says *** faces paying more The *** faces paying more to Mauritius under a renegotiated deal over the future of the Chagos Islands, the prime minister of the African island nation has suggested. Last October, the *** announced it would hand over sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius, but maintain a 99-year lease over the ***-US military airbase on the largest island, Diego Garcia. However, shortly after the deal was struck, Mauritius elected a new prime minister, Navin Ramgoolam, who wanted to reopen negotiations. He told his MPs on Tuesday his government has negotiated new conditions meaning the ***’s lease payments would be linked to inflation and frontloaded. Downing Street has declined to comment on his remarks. “Once an agreement is reached, further details of the treaty will be put before both Houses for scrutiny and treaty ratification in the usual way,” a Number 10 spokesman said. He said the *** would “only agree a deal that is in our national interests and protects our national security”. The Mauritian PM said he was “confident” the new deal would be approved, saying *** Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had said he intends to “push ahead” with the renegotiated deal. Speaking to Mauritian MPs on Tuesday, Ramgoolam railed against the former agreement, which he said was a “sell-out” for Mauritius. “We have to be inflation-proof. What’s the point of getting money and then having half of it by the end? This is what would happen, we have made the calculations,” he said. However, he did not reveal the exact amount the *** would pay, saying “I’m not in a position to give details but let me say something, that package was very badly negotiated”. He said the old package had also been tweaked so the *** would pay more in “front-loading” at the beginning of the deal. “That also is being approved I think,” the Mauritian leader said. Ramgoolam also said the *** would no longer be able to unilaterally act on a clause in the deal where the lease could be extended for 40 years. Progress on the deal had been paused while the *** consulted new US President Donald Trump on the deal. There had been efforts to get the treaty signed before Trump’s inauguration on 20 January. However, the *** changed course, saying it was “perfectly reasonable for the US administration to consider the detail” of any agreement. On Tuesday, Downing Street reiterated it was “absolutely right” for the US to consider the deal. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously raised concerns, saying the deal posed a threat to US security, given China’s influence in the region. Mauritius has an economic relationship with China. Ramgoolam’s words were also noted by the *** government’s political opponents on Tuesday, Dame Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, said Starmer “has the audacity to tell the British people they will foot the bill and pay for the indignity of his surrender of the Chagos Islands, as he isolates the new US administration by bending the knee to Mauritius and emboldening our enemies with his disastrous surrender deal”. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said the prime minister should “come to Parliament and be honest with MPs” about what she called a “foolish deal”. Reform *** leader Nigel Farage also voiced opposition to the deal, saying if the *** ceded sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, “our value to America” would become “considerably reduced”. The *** took control of the Chagos Islands, or British Indian Ocean Territory, from its then colony, Mauritius, in 1965 and went on to evict its population of more than 1,000 people to make way for the Diego Garcia base. Mauritius, which won independence from the *** in 1968, has maintained the islands are its own, and the UN’s highest court has ruled, in an advisory opinion, that the ***’s administration of the territory is “unlawful”. The Chagos islanders – some in Mauritius and the Seychelles, but others living in the *** – do not speak with one voice on the fate of their homeland. Some have criticised the deal, saying they were not consulted in the negotiations. Source link #Mauritius #faces #paying Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

The Sims 2 Cheats: All Codes For Legacy Edition The Sims 2 Cheats: All Codes For Legacy Edition EA is partying like it’s 2004–and that’s because the publisher is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its juggernaut franchise The Sims with brand-new re-releases of The Sims and The Sims 2 that include all their DLC and work on modern systems. Since it’s been quite a while since most of us have messed with The Sims 2–EA stopped supporting the title when it released The Sims 3 back in 2009, after all–we could use a bit of a helping hand as we revisit this old classic. Fortunately, we’ve still got plenty of The Sims 2 cheat codes to work with. Fortunately, The Sims 2 has a lot more cheats than The Sims 1 did. Like a lot of first sequels, The Sims 2 is where the series really established most of its norms–meaning that the way you can cheat in The Sims 2 is pretty similar to how you can cheat in The Sims 4. Because of that, in general, The Sims 2 is a lot easier to go back to now than The Sims 1 is. But there is one thing that has stayed the same from the start: You press ctrl+shft+C to open the console where you can type in your cheat codes. No need to mess with any game files or anything like that–the console works by default. Once you’ve opened it up, just type in one of the codes below and have fun. Just keep in mind that The Sims 2 doesn’t tell you if you typed it correctly, and it can be case-sensitive about some of the codes, so be sure to enter them exactly as written below. There are two kinds of cheats in The Sims 2, the first being the kind you type into the console, and the second being interface-based. We’ll start with the codes. Cheat code Effect kaching adds 1,000 simoleons motherlode adds 50,000 simoleons familyFunds [last name] [number] sets the given family’s funds to the stated amount maxMotives fills all needs for all sims on the current lot motiveDecay [on/off] toggles need decay for all sims on the current lot aging [on/off] toggles aging for all sims on current lot disablePuppyKittenAging [on/off] toggles aging for pets aspirationLevel [0-5] sets the selected sim’s aspiration meter aspiration points [number] adds aspiration points to the current sim unlockCareerRewards unlocks items you’d normally have to level your career to earn setHour [0-23] set the time of day according to a 24-hour clock slowMotion [1-8] slows down the game–the higher the number, the slower it goes stretchSkeletion [multiplier] makes the selected sim taller or shorter–1.5 makes you 1.5x taller. moveObjects on allows you to pick up or delete any object–this is different from MoveObjects in The Sims 4 setQuarterTilePlacement [on/off] allows much more granular placement of items in build mode boolProp testingcheatsenabled true enables cheats that you activate by shift+clicking on things As was the case with The Sims 1, the moveObjects cheat here is not the same moveObjects in The Sims 4, which lets you place build objects closer together than the game’s grid normally allows. In The Sims 2, this cheat is instead for literally moving or deleting any object in the world. Interface cheats in The Sims 2 That last cheat is of particular interest to us here. On top of the cheats listed above, there are a lot of other cheats in The Sims 2 that you can activate by holding shift when you click on a sim or object in the game–doing so opens a new, cheat-focused pie menu that will allow you to change all sorts. In order to access this other group of cheats, you’ll need to enter boolProp testingcheatsenabled true in the console, and that will activate the ability to use these UI cheats. For the most part, you’ll be using cheats that you find by shift+clicking on a sim or a sim’s mailbox. There are two additional console commands that unlock some extra options. There’s addNeighborToFamilyCheat [on/off], which will add an option to add a sim to a household when you shift+click them; and there’s ageSimsCheat [on/off], which will let you set a sim’s age. Scroll on for a list of stuff you can do with this other type of cheat. What to click Option Effect Any sim Set age choose the sim’s current life stage Any sim Set birthday makes today the day the sim ages up Any sim Set aspiration change the sim’s lifetime goal Any sim Add to family adds the selected sim to your household Any sim Change suit change the sim’s outfit Any sim Kill kills the sim Any sim Make vampire/Cure vampire turns the sim into a vampire or back into a human Non-household sim Make sim my contact adds the selected sim to your relationships list Non-household sim Make furious with this sim makes your sim really mad at whoever you clicked Non-household sim Add to family adds selected sim to your household Any plumbing object Set state of cleanliness makes your toilets, sinks and bathtubs dirty or clean Mailbox House > Make all happy fills needs for everyone in your household Mailbox House > Make all needs static freezes needs for entire household Mailbox House > Make all needs dynamic turns needs back on Mailbox Neighborhood > Make me know everyone adds everyone in the world to your relationship list Mailbox Neighborhood > Make friends for me makes everyone on your relationship list your best friend Mailbox Neighborhood > Invite all neighbors every sim in the neighborhood shows up at the current lot Mailbox Make NPC spawns an NPC of the specified type Mailbox Make **** spawns a **** of the specified type And with that, you’ve got everything you need to get your Sims 2 dynasty up and running. If you need them, we also have a list of all The Sims 1 cheats. Source link #Sims #Cheats #Codes #Legacy #Edition Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Labor brings forward childcare subsidy changes Labor brings forward childcare subsidy changes Laws guaranteeing parents access to three days of subsidised childcare have been brought forward in parliament with an election due in the coming months. Source link #Labor #brings #childcare #subsidy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Sims 1 Cheats: All Codes For Legacy Edition The Sims 1 Cheats: All Codes For Legacy Edition It’s been 25 years since Maxis first introduced us to The Sims and began wasting so, so much of our time. EA, not too surprisingly, has taken advantage of this major anniversary to re-release both The Sims and The Sims 2, with all DLC included and the games updated for modern computers. And as you take this dose of nostalgia, you may find yourself looking for some cheats to help you reacquaint yourself with the original classic. We’ve got you covered. Since this re-release of The Sims 1 is just that–an updated version of the existing game, rather than a remake or remaster–not much has changed about how cheating works in the original Sims title. You don’t have to mess with game files or command lines or anything like that. You simply fire up the game, and once you’re in it, press ctrl+shft+C to pull up the console where you can enter codes–and then enter a code. These days, in The Sims 4, we’ve got a metric ton of cheats of all kinds, but The Sims 1 was simpler. While the original game has a pretty massive pile of codes that will do under-the-hood technical stuff, there are only a relatively small number of useful cheats. And at least one of them does something completely different than you’d probably expect. Let’s dive in. Cheat code Effect rosebud 1,000 simoleons set_hour [1-24] Set time of day, using a 24-hour clock. So, 5 for 5am, and 17 for 5pm. autonomy [1-100] Set sim autonomy–the higher the number, the more they’ll do what they want sim_speed [1-1000] Set the speed of Live Mode–800 is default interests Shows what the selected sim is into freeall All build items are free visitor_control Allows you to command other sims on the current lot move_objects on Allows you to pick up and move any item on the current lot There are three things worth noting about this list. First: While the rosebud cheat isn’t worth much, you can add to it by adding “;!” on the end–each instance of “;!” you add on the end repeats the cheat. So if you add nine of them, like “rosebud;!;!;!;!;!;!;!;!;!,” you’ll receive 10,000 simoleons instead of 1,000. Second: As you might have guessed from the description, the “move_objects” cheat in The Sims 1 is not the same “ignore collisions in build mode” command that it is in The Sims 4. Here, this command only allows you to pick up any item and move it or delete it–it’s a totally different concept. And, lastly: The Sims 1 doesn’t have any cheat code that will instantly fill your sim’s needs. So don’t bother scouring the list over and over looking for it. There simply isn’t a code for that in the first game. With that, you should be set to dive headfirst into The Sims 1, whether you’re coming back to an old fave or trying it out for the first time. If you have use for them, we also have our list of all The Sims 2 cheats. Source link #Sims #Cheats #Codes #Legacy #Edition Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]