Pelican Press

‘Like a Horror Movie’: Gazans Return Home After Cease-Fire ‘Like a Horror Movie’: Gazans Return Home After Cease-Fire Two young Gazans, Aya Ehab Zaid and Abed Alaziz Hunaif, embarked on a long journey to return to their homes after nearly 16 months of war in Gaza. Source link #Horror #Movie #Gazans #Return #Home #CeaseFire Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Sims Turned Players Into Gods. And Farmers. And Vampires. And Landlords. The Sims Turned Players Into Gods. And Farmers. And Vampires. And Landlords. Will Wright kindly requests that admirers stop describing him as a god. “I don’t think God would concern himself with taking out the trash and cleaning the toilet,” he quipped while chain-smoking cigarettes. Besides, he’s an atheist. But what is better shorthand to describe the man who created The Sims? The influential video game allowed players to act like gods themselves, building virtual neighborhoods populated by virtual families who pay virtual bills and complete virtual chores. Players could improve the lives of their Sims by constructing McMansions filled with plush couches and flat-screen televisions. Or they could become vengeful, directing Sims to light fireworks indoors and paddle to exhaustion in a swimming pool with no exit. Twenty-five years later, players are continuing to push the boundaries. Sure, there are glitzy houses and happy families in The Sims 4. But by modifying the game’s code, players have created a health care system as byzantine as the real American one and taught Sims how to wield pistols and knives. The game’s official expansion packs offer their own weirdness. Sims can become vampires and witches. They can even play The Sims. “I never really thought of The Sims as inherently optimistic,” Wright, 65, said. “I always thought of The Sims as slightly sarcastically nostalgic for a past that never really existed.” The Sims was a sandbox for the American dream when it was released on Feb. 4, 2000, with Wright pulling inspiration from biology, architecture, comics and psychology to dictate the rules of his virtual dollhouse. It was an unusual proposal at a time when most games were goal-oriented and linear, and a predecessor to create-your-own-adventure games like Minecraft that give players a pick axe and carte blanche. Although more than 500 million people have played games in the Sims franchise, which is particularly popular with women, it was originally seen as a risk. Executives at the game studio Maxis had urged Wright to focus instead on the SimCity franchise, his urban-planning simulator from 1989 that had put the company at the forefront of American game design. “Everyone in the room hated the idea of The Sims,” Wright recalled. The outlook initially worsened after Electronic Arts acquired Maxis in 1997. Some managers wanted the game to be less realistic; others wanted to prevent it from being released at all. But other leaders saw promise in Wright’s vision. “We wanted to make SimCity *******,” said Luc Barthelet, who was then an Electronic Arts executive and brought in key resources for The Sims’s development team. “But we also needed to invest in designers like Will who were extremely talented and doing things that were different.” Claire Curtin, who helped invent Simlish, a gibberish language spoken by the game’s characters, said developers refined its social system by imbuing the Sims with needs like hunger, comfort and hygiene. Neglecting those needs could lead to starvation, anxiety attacks and bladder problems. “When I joined there wasn’t really any social game between the Sims,” she said. “There was no love; there certainly was no woohoo,” she said, using an in-game euphemism for sex. The final product included the hierarchy of needs — and a lot of shopping. The Sims was a satirical take on American consumerism. Wright echoed the grandiose claims of postwar advertising in the game’s furniture catalog, which offered Sims toasters and chairs that promised to change their lives. There was often a correlation between the price paid for an item and how much it would improve a Sim’s mood. “You buy all these things,” he explained. “Fridges and TVs. And all these things promise to make you happy. But at some point they all start breaking down. They become hidden time bombs.” The Sims were poorly equipped to handle those catastrophes. When a stove caught fire, the entire family would run into the kitchen to scream in terror. They would often allow themselves to be engulfed in flames instead of reaching for an extinguisher. And once the Grim Reaper arrived to replace their bodies with urns, the game had essentially ended. Each disaster was carefully engineered. “In early versions of the game, the autonomy was too good,” Wright said. “Almost anything the player did was worse than the Sims running on autopilot.” So he infused his simulation with a little chaos to make players feel like anything could happen. Even guinea pigs, introduced as low-maintenance pets, might accidentally bite a character and leave them with a deadly disease. Wright wanted players to feel like they were gods controlling stupid ants when, in reality, they were actually ants pretending to be gods. Even the cheat codes that could change the moods of Sims or instantly increase funds were intentionally included by developers to make players feel like they were breaking the game. Ants are a poignant metaphor for Wright, who pulled The Sims through a grueling seven-year development process after the Oakland-Berkeley firestorm in 1991 destroyed most of his belongings. “When I returned to the ashes of my house, I noticed that the only things still alive were ants,” said Wright, whose insect simulator SimAnt was published that year. “They had burrowed deep into the ground to survive the fire and were living off the dead carcasses of what they could forage.” Ants use pheromones to communicate with one another, leaving their intelligence across the environment to mark areas filled with food or predators. Wright wondered: Could human intelligence be distributed in a similar way? Instead of pheromones, The Sims uses objects as behavioral markers (a hungry Sim might be automatically drawn to the fridge). It was a modular approach that allowed designers to expand the game — and its revenue. “A long time ago, I decided that game design is applied psychology,” Wright said. Even before The Sims was released, developers invited people to create custom content, providing basic programming tools for the invention of in-game furniture. As more players adopted the software, content creators opened websites and offered subscription platforms that provided a steady income. “The people who were really invested in the game weren’t even playing The Sims,” Wright said. “They were maintaining websites for the community.” It was the beginning of a community-driven phenomenon that continued with The Sims Online in 2002. “A noble failure,” Wright said of the Wild West iteration where players could interact with one another. Users developed new personas, fueling a national debate about the limits of free expression online. Some players operated digital bordellos; others formed mafias. “We figured out who the godfather was,” Wright attested as he grabbed his red lighter to fire up another **********. “It was the lead homemaker of the Bellagio in Las Vegas.” A die-hard community of players have learned to create new rules within the game’s code that go far beyond what Wright imagined. They are largely broken into two factions: the realists and the extremists. The realists started with the creation of a financial system that enabled players to apply for debit cards and take bank loans; later modifications included lawn mowing and ******** services. Extremists introduced madcap violence, allowing innocent Sims to be drop-kicked into lightning bolts. Others had their bloody corpses secured behind police tape as journalist Sims described the scene. “As much as we have set out to carve spaces particularly for custom content, players will always find some way around,” said Lyndsay Pearson, who was a quality assurance tester on the pets expansion of the original game and now oversees the franchise’s creative design. Electronic Arts has indicated that there is no plan for The Sims 5 and that The Sims 4, which was released in 2014 and became free to play in 2022, will continue to be supported with the ***** of expansion packs. Recent expansions have allowed Sims to become landlords, horseback riders and cottagecore enthusiasts. “We are committed to reinvent what it means to play with life,” Pearson said. “The world keeps changing but there is always something for the Sims to do.” Wright left The Sims shortly after its sequel started development, envisioning that the game would evolve into a version of “The Truman Show,” where “the boundaries are as far out as we can make them.” One joke among current players is to create a secret basement of “painting goblins” who are locked into small rooms. Their basic needs are met while they create piles of paintings to sell for the Sims who live above them. Wright had since built other universes like Spore, an evolution game where players helped a civilization grow from microbes into galactic emperors, and “Bar Karma,” a television series where viewers pitched the story ideas. His current game project, Proxi, is about transforming personal memories into lifelike characters using artificial intelligence. “I never really liked the idea of working on sequels,” Wright said of The Sims. “But I’m happy to see the franchise survive and grow in different directions.” The Sims 2, released in 2004, leaned further into narrative. Players could engineer detailed stories for their Sims, who were equipped with aspirations, desires and fears. Neighborhoods were customizable and spun with a spider web of social entanglements that echoed the desperate housewives and cheating husbands seen on reality television. One Sim named Don Lothario had a romantic entanglement with multiple women, including Nina and Dina Caliente, two sisters who lived together. Lothario was also planning to marry the daughter of a wealthy family whose matriarch, Bella Goth, had mysteriously disappeared. Players might later discover that Bella was abducted by aliens and deposited in a desert village called Strangetown. Zooming into this desert pit stop, gamers might discover an odd Stonehenge on the neighborhood’s outskirts. There among the rocks is a Mount Rushmore-size dedication to Wright, sculpted with glasses so he can watch over players’ creations. Source link #Sims #Turned #Players #Gods #Farmers #Vampires #Landlords Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Why These Companies in Louisville, Ky., Fear Trump’s Tariffs Why These Companies in Louisville, Ky., Fear Trump’s Tariffs The people running CRG Automation are not openly rooting for global economic chaos, but they concede that they are in a perfect position to profit from it. The more that international trade is challenged by uncertainty — like President Trump’s threatened tariffs, or conflicts and crises that impede shipping — the greater the pressure on companies to move factory production to American shores. But making goods in the United States means confronting higher wages and shortages of skilled workers. Which is where CRG Automation comes in. At its plant in Louisville, Ky., engineers design and build systems that allow robots to take over repetitive tasks from human workers. The company promotes its offerings as crucial elements in the mission to expand American factory production. It expects sales to double this year. “We’re in an industry that is uniquely positioned to capture the benefits of global turmoil,” said James DeSmet, CRG Automation’s chief executive. “We benefit when America wakes up and says, ‘We have to manufacture here.’” Yet even CRG Automation finds itself pressured by the trade war that Mr. Trump is vowing to unleash. Its plant depends on foreign suppliers for about 25 percent of its parts and raw materials: robotics from Japan, electronic controllers from China, basic machinery from Mexico. Threatened tariffs on Mexico and Canada were suspended on Monday, a day before they were to take effect. But duties on China were imposed as scheduled on Tuesday and drew immediate retaliation by China, a worrying sign that trade tensions could escalate further. That leaves CRG Automation facing the likelihood of higher prices. “Our costs would rise substantially for components where we don’t have a good option to either replace it domestically or from a country that’s not being subjected to tariffs,” said Paul Lauritzen, the company’s chief operating officer. Louisville, which has a metropolitan area of 1.3 million, is poised to advance with a renewed focus on domestic industry. But a mixture of opportunities and concerns animating the region’s commercial life highlights the potentially volatile effects of tariffs in an age of global supply chains. Mr. Trump celebrates protective duties on imports as a way to force companies to abandon low-wage centers of manufacturing like China. Yet the consequences of tariffs could threaten jobs that are already here. The Zoeller Pump Company has been in business for 86 years, remaining in Louisville even as competing manufacturers shifted production overseas. Its chief executive, Bill Zoeller, whose great-grandfather founded the company, embraces the “Made in America” label as both an ethos and a marketing advantage. The company’s pumps go into homes, apartment blocks and commercial structures. When its supplier of motors, General Electric, moved to Mexico two decades ago, the company bought a domestic manufacturer to preserve its identity as an American concern. The company’s newest employees start at $24 an hour, Mr. Zoeller said. It manages to pay such relatively high wages by focusing on high-quality products that it can sell for a premium. Zoeller has also invested in automation. On its factory floor, five swing-arm robots oversee work previously handled by a dozen people. They pivot swiftly and lunge toward surrounding machinery, picking up metal parts and inspecting them for imperfections. The robots are not there to replace people, factory managers said, but rather to liberate workers from tedious and grueling tasks, freeing them for jobs that require dexterity and judgment. Over the last six years, Zoeller’s work force has grown to more than 300 from 220. But now Zoeller is also in the cross-hairs of the unfolding trade war. The company relies on its own factory in Canada to make control panels for its largest pump systems. The 25 percent tariffs on imports that Mr. Trump threatened on products from Canada, before a reprieve on Monday, confronted Zoeller with a major operational challenge. “If we’re the bad guys on this,” Mr. Zoeller said, “then everybody’s the bad guys.” Louisville is famous as a leading center of bourbon — ******** made predominantly from corn. Distilleries and tasting houses occupy red brick buildings downtown, exporting their wares around the world. These days, fear intrudes on the festivities: American spirits have traditionally been targeted for retaliatory tariffs. Seven years ago, when the first Trump administration imposed 25 percent tariffs on imported steel, the European Union responded with duties on American ********. The result for local distillers was $600 million in lost sales from 2018 to 2021, according to the Kentucky Distillers Association. The ******** tariffs were suspended in 2022, when the Biden administration forged a deal with the European Union. But they are slated to return at the end of March unless the Trump administration strikes a new deal. Mr. Trump said Friday that he planned to increase tariffs on European imports, including steel. That could intensify the threat to local exporters, said Sarah Davasher-Wisdom, chief executive of Greater Louisville, a regional chamber of commerce. “The goal is to increase domestic production,” Ms. Davasher-Wisdom said. “But this inhibits our global companies’ ability to sell their products abroad.” For CRG Automation, uncertainty about the terms of global trade has propelled its growth. Years of upheaval have compelled companies to move factory production closer to customers in the United States. Business leaders fret about conflicts and environmental crises that have threatened shipping access through the Suez and Panama Canals. They nurse memories of the disruptive forces of the pandemic. Some have shifted production to Mexico from China to avoid American tariffs and volatile shipping costs. But Mr. Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on Mexico have heightened risk, while adding momentum to the movement to bring work back to the United States. Labor strife at railroads and ports has exposed the risks of relying on faraway factories to make parts. “All that has to happen is the longshoremen go on strike and you are freaking hosed,” said Jim Lancaster, chief executive of Lantech, whose family-owned business in Louisville makes equipment that wraps pallets loaded with retail goods with plastic wrap — a means of limiting damage during transit. “When you think of all the points, all the things that have to work in a system to get something from Shanghai to here, it’s risk. And risk has cost.” Lantech has resisted the lure of lower-cost countries, intent on remaining in Kentucky. Yet Mr. Lancaster has struggled to find enough people willing and able to work in his factory. This he blames on inadequate public education, social strife like drug addiction and an increasingly transient mind-set enhanced by the disruptions of the pandemic. He has hired CRG Automation to supplement his plant with robotics. “The advantage of automation is it shows up for work every day,” he said. “Automation doesn’t mind working two shifts.” The CRG Automation factory feels something like a workplace for people who never outgrew their toy trains and erector sets. Robotic arms lie arrayed across the concrete floor, awaiting assembly, alongside custom-shaped slabs of steel and electronic components. “It’s an engineer’s dream,” said Mr. DeSmet, the chief executive. On a recent afternoon, the company was assisting a business in Indiana that makes weights that stop helium balloons from floating away. The customer had an order from a party supply distributor for a million units a month but did not have enough workers on hand. Retaining staff was a perpetual challenge: The work was monotonous and devoid of creativity. So the factory was testing a system that used robots to tie lengths of ribbon to the weights. On another section of the floor, engineers were deploying robots to move heavy steel pipes, work that is now handled by teams of people. The company seeks to simplify its systems so that even temporary workers can be quickly trained to run them. In recent weeks, customers have been grappling with a new source of concern — confusion over the rules governing trade. As Mr. Trump floated proposed terms for tariffs on major trading partners, companies that depend on imported parts and materials worried about the basic economics of their businesses. Worry complicates planning. And that discourages investment. “Tariffs have a lot of political whipsawing associated with them,” said Mr. Lauritzen, CRG Automation’s chief operating officer. “It’s much harder to predict a longer-term strategy.” Source link #Companies #Louisville #Fear #Trumps #Tariffs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Book Review: ‘Gliff,’ by Ali Smith Book Review: ‘Gliff,’ by Ali Smith GLIFF, by Ali Smith A “glyph” is a character — the alphabetical kind. “Gliff,” the title of Ali Smith’s new novel, isn’t just a variant spelling; it’s the name of a horse that plays an important role in the story, so a character in a different sense. The word is also something of a character in its own right. Gliff, a gelding marked for slaughter, is given his name by Rose, the younger of two siblings making their perilous way across a cruel and blighted near-future landscape. Briar, a bit older than Rose and the narrator of this spiky, soulful book, finds other meanings for “gliff” in a dictionary in an abandoned library. One of them is “a substitute word for any word.” “You’ve given him a name that can stand in for, or represent, any other word, any word that exists,” an excited Briar tells Rose. “Or ever existed. Or will. Because of what you called him, he can be everything and anything. And at the same time his name can mean nothing at all. It’s like you’ve both named him and let him be completely meaning-free!” This idea of freedom — the possibility of moving through the world unconfined by a single, determinate category, able to swap identities or shed them altogether — is both Smith’s great theme and a description of her methods. Her books are restless, shape-changing, multifarious enterprises, scrambling conventional definitions of genre. “Polysemous” is another word Briar discovers that offers a clue to Smith’s intentions. The right to be that way — to mean differently, to be numerous in oneself and connected to other people according to intricate, improvised, surprising patterns of solidarity — is a central political principle in Smith’s work, threading through fascinating hybrids like “Artful” and “How to Be Both” and the of-the-moment, already classic novels of the Seasonal Quartet. “Gliff” isn’t quite as ablaze with formal daring as those defiantly unclassifiable books. For all its chronological fracturing and stylistic play, it follows many of the familiar tropes and beats of dystopian Y.A. fiction. A soulless system, empowered by supposedly benevolent technologies of surveillance, data collection and quantification, has captured the population of what seems to be Britain, intensifying old inequalities and inventing new ones. People who fall or wriggle through the cracks are labeled “unverifiable,” hunted down and subjected to re-education, forced labor and worse. Those who give voice to dissenting opinions or inconvenient truths can be “unverified.” A vindictive totalitarian order masquerades as the rule of reason. Briar and Rose, separated from their freethinking mother, adrift and bewildered, are in constant danger of being captured. Even so, some of their childlike qualities — Rose’s pluck and imagination, Briar’s wary curiosity — equip them not only for survival, but for resistance too. The idea that children — especially those in early adolescence or on the verge of it — are natural enemies of authoritarianism is an axiom of much modern speculative fiction. Their ethical instincts incline them to defy unjust rules that their lively minds enable them to outwit. Whether or not this assumption is true, we would have a lot less recent literature without it. No “Uglies,” no “Divergent,” no “Hunger Games.” But Smith, who is officially writing for grown-ups (though also manifestly for precocious explorers of library shelves), folds “Gliff” into a much older tradition. Rose and Briar possess names that conjure a world of ballads and folk tales. (Combine them and you get an alternate title of the Brothers Grimm story better known as “Sleeping Beauty.”) Briar’s narrative of bravery and betrayal is interrupted here and there by fables — one about a woman who gives birth to a baby with a horse’s head, another about a tyrant driven mad by vengeance — that point to lessons and supply a glimmer, a gliff, of magic. Smith’s prose, as ever, is the principal enchantment: profane, playful, perpetually alert to the pleasures and serendipity of words, a spark she bestows on Briar and Rose. When they meet a boy named Colon, Rose asks if he has a little brother called Semi. “Or are you named after an ancestor’s intestines?” “It was always exciting to me the number of things a single word could mean,” Briar notes, even if some of those meanings turn out to be grim. The word that inspires this thought is “render,” which Briar’s mother had used to pose a dire question about her circumstances: “Why are they trying to render us so temporary?” In the world as Briar encounters it, people are used and used up, reduced to laboring bodies and captive minds. Among the definitions Briar finds for “render” are “to extract by melting” and “a return due from a feudal tenant to his lord.” The word can also mean “to cause to be or become” and “to reproduce by artistic or verbal means.” I don’t want to spoil either the details of Smith’s world-building or the turns of her plot, but I can say that she renders an awakening consciousness and the terrible reality in which it is embedded with faultless grace and dexterity. Fairy tales and dystopian visions are vehicles of terror, but even more so of comfort. As long as the story lasts, as long as the young heroes and heroines are in narrative motion, the protective spell cast over the reader will hold and hope will be available. After that, of course, we might feel bereft, abandoned, anxious. Luckily, Smith’s next book is already on the way. It’s called “Glyph.” GLIFF | By Ali Smith | Pantheon | 273 pp. | $28 Source link #Book #Review #Gliff #Ali #Smith Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Some Travelers Capture Their Vacation Memories With Sketching Some Travelers Capture Their Vacation Memories With Sketching Some people prioritize food when they travel, others focus on the local music scene. But for a certain group of visitors, there is nothing more absorbing than settling down in front of a striking scene and putting pen or paintbrush to paper. “I’ve always been fascinated by travel journals and watercolor, but I never thought I’d be able to do it myself,” said Clara B. Martin, a 44-year-old content creator and mother of two. While locked down at home in Madrid during the pandemic, she enrolled in online watercolor classes. Her daughters joined in, and once restrictions were ended, the family started bringing sketchbooks along on their travels. “It’s a fantastic way to remember a place as you focus all your attention on your surroundings,” said Ms. Martin, who with her family has sketched in Amsterdam, Portugal and other spots. “This is a way to really disconnect during an hour or so. We all sit down and concentrate on the sketch.” How can you get started sketching yourself? We asked professional sketchers and dove into sketching blogs to find out. One form of ‘slow travel’ In recent years, many travelers have deliberately slowed down during their trips, tossing out the crammed itineraries to fully immerse themselves in one destination. It’s a practice that some travel experts call slow travel. “Many tourists arrive at the same place, take dozens of photos with their mobile phone and continue running to another point on the map,” said Alicia Aradilla, an illustrator from Spain who has sketched around the world, from Washington to Mount Fuji in Japan. Sketching “is one of the few artistic fields in which we experience our subjects on location firsthand,” he said. “The genuine is in demand.” Ms. Aradilla, Mr. Scheinberger and others offer sketching classes on everything from capturing the light on passing faces to picking the best kind of paintbrush. Mr. Scheinberger said that while he teaches technical aspects of sketching, the thrust of his workshops are on “the art of seeing.” Some classes are offered online, while others are held in person in locations around the world, so that a group learns together as they sketch a scene. Prices vary, but Mr. Scheinberger’s weekend-long workshops in Berlin, for example, cost between 300 and 400 euros ($314 to $419), and participants need only bring a fineliner pen (this popular choice costs $12 for a pack of six) and a sketchbook (some sketchers recommend this $16 Moleskine). One popular way to get started is to join Urban Sketchers, a nonprofit organization based in Washington State, which since 2009 has acted as a grass roots hub for sketchers. Urban Sketchers has local chapters in 499 international cities and counts 1,200 people as members. Membership is free and involves simply joining up with a local chapter; the chapters organize group outings and sketching opportunities and encourage a sense of community. Urban Sketchers maintains the “Global Sketchbook,” a blog that offers tips and inspiration, and features the sketches of members around the world. If you want to start on your own, the first step is getting out there. “In order to reap our own experiences, we have to walk out the door,” Mr. Scheinberger said. “It’s good to take a sketchbook along.” A pencil and paper is all it takes. Most people pack a sketchbook, but even that is not necessary: one urban sketcher, Julio Brenes, uses disposable paper coffee cups as his canvas. “Urban sketching has completely changed the way I travel around the world,” said Ms. Aradilla. “It allows me to travel more slowly and appreciate more clearly what the day-to-day life of a city is like: to perceive its light, its sounds, its routines.” Source link #Travelers #Capture #Vacation #Memories #Sketching Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Some Travelers Capture Their Vacation Memories With Sketching Some Travelers Capture Their Vacation Memories With Sketching Some people prioritize food when they travel, others focus on the local music scene. But for a certain group of visitors, there is nothing more absorbing than settling down in front of a striking scene and putting pen or paintbrush to paper. “I’ve always been fascinated by travel journals and watercolor, but I never thought I’d be able to do it myself,” said Clara B. Martin, a 44-year-old content creator and mother of two. While locked down at home in Madrid during the pandemic, she enrolled in online watercolor classes. Her daughters joined in, and once restrictions were ended, the family started bringing sketchbooks along on their travels. “It’s a fantastic way to remember a place as you focus all your attention on your surroundings,” said Ms. Martin, who with her family has sketched in Amsterdam, Portugal and other spots. “This is a way to really disconnect during an hour or so. We all sit down and concentrate on the sketch.” How can you get started sketching yourself? We asked professional sketchers and dove into sketching blogs to find out. One form of ‘slow travel’ In recent years, many travelers have deliberately slowed down during their trips, tossing out the crammed itineraries to fully immerse themselves in one destination. It’s a practice that some travel experts call slow travel. “Many tourists arrive at the same place, take dozens of photos with their mobile phone and continue running to another point on the map,” said Alicia Aradilla, an illustrator from Spain who has sketched around the world, from Washington to Mount Fuji in Japan. Sketching “is one of the few artistic fields in which we experience our subjects on location firsthand,” he said. “The genuine is in demand.” Ms. Aradilla, Mr. Scheinberger and others offer sketching classes on everything from capturing the light on passing faces to picking the best kind of paintbrush. Mr. Scheinberger said that while he teaches technical aspects of sketching, the thrust of his workshops are on “the art of seeing.” Some classes are offered online, while others are held in person in locations around the world, so that a group learns together as they sketch a scene. Prices vary, but Mr. Scheinberger’s weekend-long workshops in Berlin, for example, cost between 300 and 400 euros ($314 to $419), and participants need only bring a fineliner pen (this popular choice costs $12 for a pack of six) and a sketchbook (some sketchers recommend this $16 Moleskine). One popular way to get started is to join Urban Sketchers, a nonprofit organization based in Washington State, which since 2009 has acted as a grass roots hub for sketchers. Urban Sketchers has local chapters in 499 international cities and counts 1,200 people as members. Membership is free and involves simply joining up with a local chapter; the chapters organize group outings and sketching opportunities and encourage a sense of community. Urban Sketchers maintains the “Global Sketchbook,” a blog that offers tips and inspiration, and features the sketches of members around the world. If you want to start on your own, the first step is getting out there. “In order to reap our own experiences, we have to walk out the door,” Mr. Scheinberger said. “It’s good to take a sketchbook along.” A pencil and paper is all it takes. Most people pack a sketchbook, but even that is not necessary: one urban sketcher, Julio Brenes, uses disposable paper coffee cups as his canvas. “Urban sketching has completely changed the way I travel around the world,” said Ms. Aradilla. “It allows me to travel more slowly and appreciate more clearly what the day-to-day life of a city is like: to perceive its light, its sounds, its routines.” Source link #Travelers #Capture #Vacation #Memories #Sketching Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Martha Stewart’s First Book Finds New Fans Martha Stewart’s First Book Finds New Fans Martha Stewart has published 100 books across her long and eventful career, but perhaps none is more beloved than her first, “Entertaining.” Published in 1982, and long out of print, it has attracted a number of new fans who have lately paid up to $450 for an original hardcover copy. Because of its seemingly undying appeal, it will soon be back in bookstores in all its 1980s glory. Two recent documentaries about Ms. Stewart — “The Many Lives of Martha Stewart,” which aired on CNN, and “Martha,” on Netflix — introduced the 83-year-old entrepreneur and O.G. influencer to a generation too young to have witnessed her rise, but that now admires her entrepreneurial hustle and self-determination. Some of these new fans want their own copies of “Entertaining,” which both films featured prominently. Copies of the hardcover in good condition are listed at $173 and up on Amazon and the e-commerce site AbeBooks. There has also been plenty of action on eBay, where “Entertaining” has sold for as much as $311 and a pristine, shrink-wrapped copy is listed at more than $1,700. Meredith Hayden, the former private chef behind the popular TikTok account Wishbone Kitchen, said in a widely shared video that she had lost four eBay bidding wars before winning her copy. Others have been visiting secondhand stores to score cheap used copies and posting humble brag videos when they do. Speaking by phone, Ms. Stewart, who published her 100th book last fall, did not sound surprised by the surge of interest in “Entertaining,” especially among young people. “They have been avidly watching the documentary and were introduced to a new, cool, badass woman who wrote a book in 1982 that appeals to them,” she said. Published by Clarkson Potter back when Ms. Stewart was a caterer in Westport, Conn., “Entertaining” has sold more than a million copies. The new buzz around the 43-year-old best seller has led the imprint to reissue the book, said Aaron Wehner, the publisher of Clarkson Potter, a division of Crown Publishing Group. That edition is slated to be released in October. Kathleen Gillespey, 27, a Martha fan in Austin, Texas, said she wanted to have her own copy of “Entertaining” but was unwilling to pay the asking prices. Luckily, her aunt, Hailey Gonzalez, 59, had received the book as a present when she got married, in 1992. “When the documentary came out, I thought, ‘I need to go find this book,’” Ms. Gillespey said. “Hailey said, ‘Kathleen, I have it, when you come visit, we’ll go through it.’” Ms. Gonzalez keeps her well-thumbed copy in her butler’s pantry, at her home in Laredo, Texas. Over the years, she has cooked from its many recipes and followed Ms. Stewart’s tips for hosting. “After talking to Kathleen, I pulled it out,” she said. Said Ms. Gillespey: “Julia Child can cook and Ina Garten can cook, but Martha knows how to do presentation. When you look at the book, you’re looking at presentation. That’s why my generation is so into it, because we have social media and we want things to look aesthetically pleasing.” After watching the CNN documentary, Nick Norcia, 29, a content creator in Los Angeles, realized he had the wrong impression of Ms. Stewart, who worked as a model and a stockbroker before starting her lifestyle brand and becoming the first self-made female billionaire in the United States. “I had thought she was a stay-at-home mom that got famous,” Mr. Norcia said. “I had no idea how fierce she is.” While watching the film, Mr. Norcia logged onto eBay and bought a copy of “Entertaining” for around $200. “I don’t use it as much as a recipe book,” he said. “More as a springboard and inspiration. Like a retro Pinterest.” Before the publication of “Entertaining,” Ms. Stewart had been profiled in a few publications, including The New York Times, but was not widely known beyond Manhattan and its upper-crust suburbs. Her break came when she catered a party for the best-selling illustrated book “Gnomes.” Her elaborate tablescapes included gnome-shaped cookies, and she dressed her staff as magical fairies. Alan Mirken, then the president of Crown, was so impressed that he suggested she write a book. Ms. Stewart enlisted a co-writer, Elizabeth Hawes, a contributor to The New Yorker, and set about making a groundbreaking best seller in her hard-working way. The two documentaries from last year present “Entertaining” as the key to understanding Ms. Stewart and her career, as the thing that made Martha Martha. Ms. Stewart agreed with that assessment. “In 1982, I was already 41 and had never written a book before,” she said. “I found my voice with this book.” She recalled insisting that “Entertaining” be printed in all-color, over the objections of her publisher and in contrast to the many text-heavy cookbooks that had come before. She aimed to create a coffee-table book that was “extremely beautiful,” she said, yet useful. The sumptuous imagery starts with the cover, which was photographed by Michael Skott. It shows a dining table set with a crisp white tablecloth, turquoise glassware and red and yellow poppies bursting out of vases. At the head of the table, dressed in a white frilly dress, her golden blonde hair aglow with the natural light pouring in through windows, Ms. Stewart stands smiling as if inviting the reader into a bountiful gathering. The abundance continues inside: The book’s 309 pages are stuffed with recipes, anecdotes and tips. Photos depict Ms. Stewart hoeing in the garden, tending her hives of Italian honeybees and grilling steamer boxes of fresh lobsters. There are dated aspects to the book, especially Ms. Stewart’s love for collecting cookware and other items in this era of minimalist chic. But part of the fun of flipping through the pages is being transported back in time and seeing a pre-fame Martha. Roger ******, a noted graphic designer, was hired by Crown to design “Entertaining.” He recalled Ms. Stewart inviting him to Turkey Hill, her farm and homemaking laboratory in Connecticut, to discuss the project. “It was in full bloom,” Mr. ****** said. “I don’t know what time of year it was, but it was always in full bloom. I had never seen that many copper sauce pans. It wasn’t 10 times what I was used to, but 100 times. Every aspect of the house was perfect.” “Her aspirations were so high,” he continued. “She would ***** every possible idea out of people. She would encourage them to think better and faster.” It’s unusual for a publisher to reissue a lifestyle book from decades ago. Rarer still, Clarkson Potter is not planning to recontextualize or refresh “Entertaining,” other than by printing it on nicer paper. “It’s going to be a straight reissue, which is what I think people want,” Mr. Wehner said. “The expression of the moment, and Martha’s creativity in that moment, we decided, is perfect the way it is.” Until it comes out, fans like Christina Barras, 32, a makeup artist in Los Angeles, will have to seek out vintage copies. Ms. Barras found “Entertaining” at a public library near her house and posted a triumphant video on TikTok about her find. She said she used the book to get ideas and inspiration for her own hosting endeavors. “You learn how resourceful she was,” Ms. Barras said of Ms. Stewart. “She could make really simple things really beautiful, with creativity, time and effort.” Has she tried any of Ms. Stewart’s recipes from the book? “I did attempt the gingerbread mansion,” Ms. Barras said, laughing. “Mine came out more like a gingerbread dilapidated shack.” Source link #Martha #Stewarts #Book #Finds #Fans Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Thailand to cut power to Myanmar areas linked to scams Thailand to cut power to Myanmar areas linked to scams Thailand will cut power to border areas of neighbouring Myanmar where the UN has identified compounds with thousands of people forced to work in scam centres. Source link #Thailand #cut #power #Myanmar #areas #linked #scams Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Alcohol Makes Me Anxious. Is That Normal? Alcohol Makes Me Anxious. Is That Normal? Q: Sometimes I feel really anxious the day after I drink. Can alcohol cause a panic attack? The short answer is yes. Panic attacks — sudden waves of overwhelming fear and apprehension, along with physical symptoms like chest pain and tightness, sweating, a racing heartbeat, nausea, difficulty breathing, feeling faint or numbness in the arms and hands — are intense episodes of anxiety. And alcohol and anxiety are considered “two sides of the same coin,” said Dr. Alëna Balasanova, an associate professor of psychiatry and the director of addiction psychiatry education at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. While drinking is often used as a social lubricant or a way to relax and unwind, scientists have found that alcohol can ramp up feelings of anxiety. These feelings can result when alcohol is metabolized by the body, a process that can take a day or longer to complete. Regular, heavy drinkers may experience higher levels of anxiety, particularly after the alcohol wears off. “I don’t want to scare people to think that if you go out and you have a few glasses of wine, that you’re going to have a panic attack,” Dr. Balasanova said. “But certainly the risk is always there.” And that risk is higher if you already have an anxiety disorder. Ideally, “people who are prone to anxiety should avoid heavy drinking, or drinking at all, even if alcohol seems to alleviate anxiety in the short term,” said Jennifer E. Merrill, an associate professor of behavioral and social sciences at Brown University. The Vicious Cycle of Alcohol and Anxiety Scientists don’t fully understand how alcohol and anxiety are linked, but they do know that people with alcohol use disorder, a pattern of frequent drinking that is difficult to control and persists despite distress or problems functioning, have higher risks of developing anxiety disorders and vice versa. When you drink alcohol, the brain ramps up the release of a chemical called gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA, which helps us feel calm. Alcohol also inhibits the release of a neurotransmitter called glutamate, which is associated with anxiety. These disruptions can make people feel more relaxed. But if you become physically dependent on alcohol — after years of drinking heavily, for example — the constant ramping up of GABA can cause the brain to produce less of it, and glutamate becomes more dominant. The brain then becomes “hyperexcitable,” which can lead to symptoms like panic attacks, said Dr. Kathleen Brady, an addiction expert and professor of psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina. Federal health officials define heavy drinking as consuming five or more drinks per day (or 15 or more per week) for men, and four or more per day (or eight or more per week) for women. But, Dr. Brady added, even those who drink moderately — two or fewer drinks in a day for men and no more than one drink in a day for women — can experience alcohol-induced panic attacks, particularly if they have an anxiety disorder or have had a panic attack in the past. Alcohol can also cause you to become dehydrated or to sleep poorly, which might make someone feel more anxious than usual, Dr. Balasanova said. Using alcohol to self-soothe and cope with anxiety may only create more anxiety in the long run, she added, perpetuating a vicious cycle. How to Handle an Alcohol-Induced Panic Attack There are ways to cope with a panic attack, regardless of whether it’s caused by alcohol or something else. It is counterproductive to try to fight it or distract yourself, said David Carbonell, a psychologist in Chicago who helps patients with anxiety disorders. You can, however, take steps to better understand what’s happening in your body and help yourself feel more comfortable. Dr. Carbonell advises his patients to try the AWARE method. AWARE is an acronym that involves acknowledging and accepting that the panic attack is happening: Recognize that you are afraid but not in danger. Then, wait and observe how you feel. You can try actions like belly breathing, but it is important to acknowledge that it isn’t your responsibility to make the panic attack end. Repeat the steps as needed. Regardless of how you respond, a panic attack will generally end in under 15 minutes. It’s freeing when you realize you don’t have to work to stop the panic, Dr. Carbonell said. “In fact, the harder I try to make it end, the more I’m going to be aggravating myself,” he added. If you’re concerned about your alcohol use or anxiety, Dr. Balasanova said, talking through those worries with a primary care doctor or another health care professional like a therapist is a good place to start. Source link #Alcohol #Anxious #Normal Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Lira’s Real Appreciation to Continue Lira’s Real Appreciation to Continue Turkey’s finance minister, Mehmet Simsek, expects the lira to continue strengthening in inflation-adjusted terms as long as the government and central bank’s new policies deliver. He was speaking to Joumanna Bercetche at a Bloomberg event in Istanbul on Tuesday. Source link #Liras #Real #Appreciation #Continue Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Horoscope for Tuesday, February 4, 2025 – Chicago Sun-Times Horoscope for Tuesday, February 4, 2025 – Chicago Sun-Times Horoscope for Tuesday, February 4, 2025 Chicago Sun-TimesHoroscopes Today, February 4, 2025 USA TODAYYour Daily Couples Horoscope for February 04, 2025 Yahoo LifeTaurus Daily Horoscope Today, Feb 04, 2025 predicts new activities in personal life Hindustan TimesYour Daily Horoscope by Madame Clairevoyant: February 3, 2025 The Cut Source link #Horoscope #Tuesday #February #Chicago #SunTimes Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Russ Cook to run the full length of New Zealand Russ Cook to run the full length of New Zealand Christian Fuller BBC News, South East Getty Images Russ Cook previous ran the entire length of Africa in 352 days A man who ran the entire length of Africa has announced his next challenge – running the full length of New Zealand. Russ Cook, nicknamed Hardest Geezer, completed his previous endurance challenge in April last year after 352 days. The 27-year-old, from Worthing, West Sussex, is to run the 1,864 mile (3,000km) Te Araroa Trail in March, which will see him take on 60 ultramarathons while navigating mountains, forests, coastlines and cities. “After a big challenge, it took some time for the body to get back to reality. But I’m feeling fresh and ready for the next one,” he said. ‘Ready to go again’ Mr Cook added: “Luckily a lovely British diet of sausage rolls and roast dinner really sorted me out. “I put some timber back on and now we’re ready to go again. “It’s going to be a spicy one.” Russ Cook, from Worthing, is to run the 3,000km Te Araroa Trail in New Zealand Mr Cook said: “New Zealand is somewhere I have always wanted to go. It’s the adventure capital of the world.” “It’s going to be an absolute brutal one on the legs, like I’ve never done before,” he said. He says he expects the 300,000-foot (7,620m) elevation – the equivalent to 10 Mount Everests – to be the most challenging part of his journey. During the challenge, he is due to bungee jump off Auckland Harbour Bridge, canyon swing in Queenstown and sky dive in Abel Tasman. GUUS VAN VEEN Russ Cook raised more than £1m for charity during his previous challenge Mr Cook raised more than £1m for charity during his previous challenge in Africa, despite complications with visas, health scares, geopolitical issues and an armed robbery. The extreme challenge began at South Africa’s most southerly point on 22 April 2023, and finished more than 10,190 miles (16,400km) north in Tunisia. He had originally planned to complete the equivalent of 360 marathons in 240 days, but extended the challenge due to the complications. His New Zealand challenge is due to begin in March and is expected to take about 10 weeks to complete. Source link #Russ #Cook #run #full #length #Zealand Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

High US dollar good for WA, as State braces for ******* share of trade pain, Premier says High US dollar good for WA, as State braces for ******* share of trade pain, Premier says Donald Trump’s pivot on tariffs against the US’ neighbours is a hopeful sign for more moderate trade policies going forward, the Premier said on Tuesday. Source link #High #dollar #good #State #braces #******* #share #trade #pain #Premier Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Michigan State Police searching for pedestrian running on I-75 find Ohio man’s body Michigan State Police searching for pedestrian running on I-75 find Ohio man’s body The Brief An Ohio man was hit and killed by a vehicle on I-75 in Detroit on Sunday night. Police received calls about a person walking and then running on the freeway before locating the victim’s body. The driver who hit the man fled the scene. DETROIT (FOX 2) – Police searching a Detroit freeway Sunday night after receiving calls that a person was in the road found the body of an Ohio man who had been struck by a vehicle. Callers first reported a pedestrian walking on northbound I-75 around 7:45 p.m. Another caller then reported that a person was running on the freeway. Michigan State Police troopers responded and began looking for the pedestrian. During their search, they found a 42-year-old Twinsburg, Ohio man dead in the road near W. Grand Boulevard. The man had been hit by a vehicle, but the driver responsible did not stay at the scene. Police are now looking for information about that driver. “Troopers are continuing to investigate this ******,” said F/Lt Mike Shaw. “If you witnessed this ****** or were involved in the ******, contact the Metro South Post at 734-287-5000 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.” The Source Michigan State Police provided information about this fatal pedestrian ******. Source link #Michigan #State #Police #searching #pedestrian #running #I75 #find #Ohio #mans #body Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump 2nd term live updates: China announces retaliatory tariffs ahead of expected Trump-Xi talks – ABC News Trump 2nd term live updates: China announces retaliatory tariffs ahead of expected Trump-Xi talks – ABC News Trump 2nd term live updates: China announces retaliatory tariffs ahead of expected Trump-Xi talks ABC NewsEl Salvador offers to take in US criminals and migrants BBC.comEl Salvador Offers to Jail U.S. Criminals in Notorious Mega Prison The New York TimesEl Salvador Offers to Take US Criminal Deportees of Any Nationality For a Fee Bloomberg Source link #Trump #2nd #term #live #updates #China #announces #retaliatory #tariffs #ahead #expected #TrumpXi #talks #ABC #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Mark John Britt: Alleged driver who hit Sam Kerr’s nan, Coral, escorted from court after erratic appearance Mark John Britt: Alleged driver who hit Sam Kerr’s nan, Coral, escorted from court after erratic appearance There were chaotic scenes in Fremantle Magistrates Court as the man who allegedly hit Sam Kerr’s grandmother with his car told the magistrate he was ‘not guilty’ before being escorted by security. Source link #Mark #John #Britt #Alleged #driver #hit #Sam #Kerrs #nan #Coral #escorted #court #erratic #appearance Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Upcoming expo to shine spotlight on Vanderbilt businesses ‘hidden in plain sight’ Upcoming expo to shine spotlight on Vanderbilt businesses ‘hidden in plain sight’ VANDERBILT — There are 60 businesses operating in the area around Corwith Township and the village of Vanderbilt in Otsego County. According to Lisa McComb, executive director of the Otsego County Economic Alliance, many of them are “hidden in plain sight.” In an effort to bring more attention to the area, McComb, along with business and community leaders, will be presenting a Business Expo from 3-7 pm. on Friday, Feb. 7 and from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Vanderbilt Area School gymnasium at 947 Donovan St. “This is the first time the Vanderbilt area has done anything like this and we want to find a way to let everyone know there are thriving businesses in their own backyard,” said McComb. The Vanderbilt Area School will host a Business Expo from 3-7 pm. on Friday, Feb. 7 and from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8 in the gymnasium. Because many of the businesses are home-based and lack a retail front, some residents may not be aware of the breadth and diversity in the area, according to McComb. For example, sometime next summer the Vanderbilt Vines on Thumb Lake Road will be opening the first winery in Otsego County. Maple Ridge Stables provides boarding for horses and riding lessons. ****** Bear Golf Course is now under new ownership, which has invested heavily into the operation, noted McComb. The Otsego County Economic Alliance did a community survey in the area about 18 months ago. “We also did a traffic analysis and we learned there are about 4,000 vehicles a day coming off I-75 at exit 290 in Vanderbilt. About 3,000 of those vehicles turn east to go into Vanderbilt going through the village and 1,000 go west toward Northwest Michigan. Of the 3,000 traveling through Vanderbilt, approximately 750 vehicles on average per day turn east onto East Main Street traveling to the Pigeon River Country State Forest,” McComb said. This flyer provides information about the upcoming Vanderbilt Business Expo. Subscribe Check out our latest offers and read the local news that matters to you McComb said Vanderbilt’s downtown has been under utilized. “They have some vacant buildings. We hope that people start to realize that there may be an opportunity alongside the existing businesses. Someone may want to come in and put in a sub shop or a bike rental shop. These are businesses that would be attractive to residents, commuters and tourists,” said McComb. Many of the local firms will have tables at the business expo and McComb wants Otsego County and local residents to become aware of existing businesses, like a home-based butcher shop or a well and septic company. — Contact Paul Welitzkin at *****@*****.tld. This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Upcoming business expo to shine spotlight on Vanderbilt businesses ‘hidden in plain sight’ in Otsego County Source link #Upcoming #expo #shine #spotlight #Vanderbilt #businesses #hidden #plain #sight Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Ex-NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg will be Norway’s next finance minister Ex-NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg will be Norway’s next finance minister Former Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg speaks with the media regarding 2024 U.S. presidential election, in Oslo, Norway, November 6, 2024. Thomas Fure | Via Reuters NATO’s former Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will become Norway’s next finance minister, the government announced Tuesday. Stoltenberg headed the Western military alliance for 10 years before stepping down in 2024 and handing the reins over to former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Stoltenberg’s new position in Norway’s finance minister is part of a cabinet reshuffle that was announced by the government on Tuesday morning and follows on the collapse of Norway’s ruling coalition last week amid infighting over EU energy directives. Stoltenberg, a member of the Norwegian Labour Party, is a veteran of Norway and Europe’s political establishment and previously act as Norway’s prime minister twice, from 2000 to 2001 and from 2005 to 2013. Stoltenberg will serve under the country’s current Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre. This breaking news story is being updated. Source link #ExNATO #chief #Jens #Stoltenberg #Norways #finance #minister Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Rubio says El Salvador has made “extraordinary” offer to U.S regarding deportees, including American citizens Rubio says El Salvador has made “extraordinary” offer to U.S regarding deportees, including American citizens San Salvador, El Salvador — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said late Monday that El Salvador’s president has offered to accept deportees from the U.S. of any nationality, including violent American criminals now imprisoned in the United States. President Nayib Bukele “has agreed to the most unprecedented, extraordinary, extraordinary migratory agreement anywhere in the world,” Rubio said after meeting with Bukele at his lakeside country house outside San Salvador for several hours. Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with the President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele on Feb. 3, 2025, during his visit to the country as part of his tour of Central America. El Salvador Presidency / Handout / Anadolu via Getty Images “We can send them and he will put them in his jails,” Rubio said of migrants of all nationalities detained in the United States. “And, he’s also offered to do the same for dangerous criminals currently in custody and serving their sentences in the United States even though they’re U.S. citizens or legal residents.” Rubio was visiting El Salvador to press a friendly government to do more to meet President Trump’s demands for a major crackdown on immigration. Bukele confirmed the offer in a post on X, saying El Salvador has “offered the United States of America the opportunity to outsource part of its prison system.” He said his country would accept only “convicted criminals” and would charge a fee that “would be relatively low for the U.S. but significant for us, making our entire prison system sustainable.” Elon Musk, the billionaire working with Mr. Trump to remake the federal government, responded on his X platform, “Great idea!!” After Rubio spoke, a U.S. official said the Trump administration had no current plans to try to deport American citizens, but said Bukele’s offer was significant. The U.S. government can’t deport American citizens and such a move would be met with significant legal challenges. The State Department describes El Salvador’s overcrowded prisons as “harsh and dangerous.” On its current country information webpage it says, “In many facilities, provisions for sanitation, potable water, ventilation, temperature control and lighting are inadequate or nonexistent.” Rubio arrived in San Salvador shortly after watching a U.S.-funded deportation flight with 43 migrants leave from Panama for Colombia. That came a day after Rubio delivered a warning to Panama that unless the government moved immediately to eliminate China’s presence at the Panama Canal, the U.S. would act to do so. Migration, though, was the main issue of the day, as it will be for the next stops on Rubio’s five-nation Central American tour of Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic after Panama and El Salvador. His tour is taking place at a time of turmoil in Washington over the status of the government’s main foreign development agency. The Trump administration prioritizes stopping people from making the journey to the United States and has worked with regional countries to boost immigration enforcement on their borders as well as to accept deportees from the United States. The agreement Rubio described for El Salvador to accept foreign nationals arrested in the United States for violating U.S. immigration laws is known as a “safe third country” agreement. Officials have suggested this might be an option for Venezuelan gang members convicted of crimes in the United States should Venezuela refuse to accept them, but Rubio said Bukele’s offer was for detainees of any nationality. Rubio said Bukele then went further and said his country was willing to accept and to jail U.S. citizens or legal residents convicted of and imprisoned for violent crimes. Human rights activists have warned that El Salvador lacks a consistent policy for the treatment of asylum seekers and refugees and that such an agreement might not be limited to violent criminals. Manuel Flores, the secretary general of the leftist opposition party Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front, criticized the “safe third country” plan, saying it would signal that the region is Washington’s “backyard to dump the garbage.” After meeting with Bukele, Rubio signed a memorandum of understanding with his Salvadoran counterpart to advance U.S.-El Salvador civil nuclear cooperation. The document could lead to a more formal deal on cooperation in nuclear power and medicine that the U.S. has with numerous countries. The deportation flight Rubio watched being loaded in Panama City was carrying migrants detained by Panamanian authorities after illegally crossing the Darien Gap from Colombia. The State Department says such deportations send a message of deterrence. The U.S. has provided Panama with financial assistance to the tune of almost $2.7 million in flights and tickets since an agreement was signed to fund them. Rubio was on the tarmac for the departure of the flight, which was taking 32 men and 11 women back to Colombia. It’s unusual for a secretary of state to personally witness such a law enforcement operation, especially in front of cameras. “Mass migration is one of the great tragedies in the modern era,” Rubio said, speaking afterward in a nearby building. “It impacts countries throughout the world. We recognize that many of the people who seek mass migration are often victims and victimized along the way, and it’s not good for anyone.” Monday’s deportation flight came as Mr. Trump has been threatening action against nations that will not accept flights of their nationals from the United States, and he briefly hit Colombia with penalties last week for initially refusing to accept two flights. Panama has been more cooperative and has allowed flights of third-country deportees to land and sent migrants back before they reach the United States. His trip comes amid a sweeping freeze in U.S. foreign assistance and stop-work orders that have shut down U.S.-funded programs targeting ******** migration and crime in Central American countries. The State Department said Sunday that Rubio had approved waivers for certain critical programs in countries he is visiting, but details of those were not immediately available. While Rubio was out of the country, staffers of the U.S. Agency for International Development were instructed Monday to stay out of the agency’s Washington headquarters after Musk announced Mr. Trump had agreed with him to shut the agency. Thousands of USAID employees already had been laid off and programs shut down. Rubio told reporters in San Salvador that he was now the acting administrator of USAID but had delegated that authority so he would not be running its day-to-day operations. The change means that USAID is no longer an independent government agency as it had been for decades – although its new status will likely be challenged in court – and will be run out of the State Department by department officials. In his remarks, Rubio stressed that some and perhaps many USAID programs would continue in the new configuration but that the switch was necessary because the agency had become unaccountable to the executive branch and Congress. On his weekend discussion with Panama’s president on the Panama Canal, Rubio said he was hopeful that the Panamanians would heed his and Mr. Trump’s warnings on China. Panamanians have bristled at Mr. Trump’s insistence on retaking control of the American-built canal, which the U.S. turned over in 1999, although they have agreed to pull out of a ******** infrastructure and development initiative. “I understand that it’s a delicate issue in Panama,” Rubio told reporters in San Salvador. “We don’t want to have a hostile and negative relationship with Panama,” he said. “I don’t believe we do. And we had a frank and respectful conversation, and I hope it’ll yield fruits and result in the days to come.” But back in Washington, Mr. Trump was less diplomatic, saying: “China’s involved with the Panama Canal. They won’t be for long and that’s the way it has to be.” “We either want it back, or we’re going to get something very strong, or we’re going to take it back,” he told reporters at the White House. “And China will be dealt with.” More Source link #Rubio #Salvador #extraordinary #offer #U.S #deportees #including #American #citizens Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Hundreds flee Santorini as quakes disrupt life – Reuters Hundreds flee Santorini as quakes disrupt life – Reuters Hundreds flee Santorini as quakes disrupt life ReutersSchools shut as tremors shake Greece’s ‘Instagram island’ Yahoo! VoicesGreece Prepares for Earthquake as Tremors Shake Santorini and Other Islands The New York TimesGreece’s ‘Instagram island’ of Santorini rattled by 200 earthquakes Al Jazeera EnglishIntense seismic activity continues in Cyclades Kathimerini English Edition Source link #Hundreds #flee #Santorini #quakes #disrupt #life #Reuters Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Realme P3 Pro Design Leaked Online; Suggests Dual Rear Cameras Realme P3 Pro Design Leaked Online; Suggests Dual Rear Cameras Realme P3 series will launch soon in India and the lineup will include the standard Realme P3 and Realme P3 Pro. Realme is actively teasing the release of new phones through its social media handles and they are confirmed to be available for purchase through Flipkart. Ahead of the formal reveal, a new leak has unfolded the design of the Pro model. The alleged renders of the phone show a dual-camera setup on the back consisting of a 50-megapixel main sensor. The Realme P3 Pro is likely to arrive with upgrades over last year’s Realme P2 Pro. Realme P3 Pro Rear Design Leaked Tipster Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings) shared alleged renders of Realme P3 Pro on X. The renders show the phone with a protective case, however, they do offer a glimpse at the rear camera design. It appears to have a dual rear camera unit alongside an LED flash arranged in a circular-shaped camera module. Sensors and LED flash are arranged in a triangular format. The handset is shown in a blue shade. The engraved text in the camera island indicates that Realme P3 Pro will have a 50-megapixel main shooter with optical image stabilisation (OIS), an f/1.8 aperture, and a 24mm focal length. Realme had officially started teasing the upcoming Realme P3 series series earlier this week. Flipkart has also created a dedicated microsite for the lineup. The Realme P3 Pro is confirmed to feature AI-powered GT Boost gaming technology for enhanced gaming experience. Recent leaks claimed that the Realme P3 Pro with the model number RMX5032 will launch in India in the third week of February. It is likely to boast 12GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. It is believed to come as a successor to Realme P2 Pro 5G, which was introduced in the country in September last year with a starting price tag of Rs. 21,999. For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Need for Speed Developer Criterion Games Fully Working on Battlefield, but Racing Franchise Will Return Kraken Obtains MiFID Licence to Launch Crypto Derivatives Trading in the EU Source link #Realme #Pro #Design #Leaked #Online #Suggests #Dual #Rear #Cameras Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Two women in critical condition after house fire Two women in critical condition after house fire BBC Two women are in a critical condition following a fire at a house in Dungannon. Two children, aged seven and 10, are in a stable condition after the blaze in Cunninghams Lane on Monday night. A 21-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson after being found on the roof of the house. Source link #women #critical #condition #house #fire Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Revived herself:’ Driver Mark John Britt, 63, who allegedly hit Sam Kerr’s nan with car faces court ‘Revived herself:’ Driver Mark John Britt, 63, who allegedly hit Sam Kerr’s nan with car faces court A driver who allegedly hit Sam Kerr’s nan with a car as she was getting off a bus told a court he “killed the lady, but she revived herself.” Source link #Revived #Driver #Mark #John #Britt #allegedly #hit #Sam #Kerrs #nan #car #faces #court Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

M23 Rebels to Begin Unilateral Ceasefire in Congo M23 Rebels to Begin Unilateral Ceasefire in Congo Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo said they would begin a unilateral ceasefire on Tuesday as the Group of Seven nations demanded that the militia halt an offensive that has shaken the eastern part of the country. M23 said in a statement Monday that it had “no intention” of taking the city of Bukavu, near the border with Rwanda, and would begin a ceasefire “for humanitarian reasons.” Bloomberg’s Ondiro Oganga reports. Source link #M23 #Rebels #Unilateral #Ceasefire #Congo Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Other GMs 'stunned,' call Mavericks' secretive process to trade Luka Doncic to Lakers 'shortsighted' – NBC Sports Other GMs 'stunned,' call Mavericks' secretive process to trade Luka Doncic to Lakers 'shortsighted' – NBC Sports Other GMs ‘stunned,’ call Mavericks’ secretive process to trade Luka Doncic to Lakers ‘shortsighted’ NBC SportsNBA World Comments On Anthony Davis’ Viral Instagram Post After Lakers-Mavs Trade Sports IllustratedAn open letter to Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison Mavs Moneyball Is Luka Doncic 230 or 260 pounds? Magic Johnson says new Laker must take ‘conditioning seriously’ Yahoo Sports‘Strive for greatness’ was LeBron’s message to Doncic in 2018. And as teammates, that won’t change The Seattle Times Source link #GMs #039stunned039 #call #Mavericks039 #secretive #process #trade #Luka #Doncic #Lakers #039shortsighted039 #NBC #Sports Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]