Pelican Press

Oil prices climb $1 as US court blocks Trump tariffs – Reuters Oil prices climb $1 as US court blocks Trump tariffs – Reuters Oil prices climb $1 as US court blocks Trump tariffs ReutersFederal court blocks Trump from imposing sweeping tariffs under emergency powers law AP NewsTrump tariff ruling threatens to pile chaos on top of chaos AxiosUS court blocks most Trump tariffs, says president exceeded his authority ReutersTariffs, and Trump’s entire economic agenda, were just thrown into chaos CNN Source link #Oil #prices #climb #court #blocks #Trump #tariffs #Reuters Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Shining a light on trailblazers in Indigenous medicine Shining a light on trailblazers in Indigenous medicine Tatum Bond is one of those “lucky people” who truly loves her job. The Ngadjonji woman works in the emergency department at Cairns Base Hospital, and for the Royal Flying Doctors Service in Queensland. “I love the pace,” Dr Bond told AAP. “One day I’m dealing with patients who have broken bones and cuts – things that aren’t too serious – and then the next day being able to save someone’s life or make their final days on Earth comfortable.” Growing up, Dr Bond was always intrigued by the human body, and knew she wanted to be a doctor from a young age. “My mum tells this story of when I was about three years old … I was supposed to be asleep in bed and instead I was watching a TV show through the wall about a baby that had been born with its organs on the outside,” she said “Apparently I poked my head through and said, ‘I want to be a doctor when I grow up’.” Dr Bond was the first Indigenous emergency department specialist in Queensland, and is one of just 10 across the country. Bringing her knowledge of culture and her passion for caring for her people to the job means Dr Bond can break down barriers for patients, sometimes in the most difficult moments of their lives, she said. “The thing I can do when I go to community is I can talk to the spokesperson of the family, I can create that relationship between myself and whoever I’m treating,” she said. Dr Bond is one of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical professionals featured in the documentary series Our Medicine. The series shines a spotlight on Indigenous frontline workers across hospitals, ambulance services, traditional healing and other medical services who are working to improve health outcomes in their communities. Dr Bond said, while she was initially nervous to be part of the six-part series, she hopes she can show others they can also achieve their dreams. “The main reason I said yes is because this whole thing is empowering younger generations to come and do these jobs,” she said. While the series follows a number of Indigenous medical professionals, producer and co-director of Our Medicine, Karla Hart said there are many more who are doing great things in health. “We went in with the glass half full and focusing on Blak excellence and the brilliant work of a lot of people across the country,” the Noongar woman said. “There’s so many more people that are out there doing incredible things, and I just feel immensely proud of that.” The first episode of Our Medicine premieres on NITV on Thursday night. Source link #Shining #light #trailblazers #Indigenous #medicine Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

******** students anxious and angry after Rubio vows to revoke visas ******** students anxious and angry after Rubio vows to revoke visas HONG KONG (AP) — ******** students studying in the U.S. are scrambling to figure out their futures after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday that some students would have their visas revoked. The U.S. will begin revoking the visas of some ******** students, including those studying in “critical fields”, and “those with connections to the ******** ********** Party,” according to the announcement. China is the second-largest country of origin for international students in the United States, behind only India. In the 2023-2024 school year, more than 270,000 international students were from China, making up roughly a quarter of all foreign students in the U.S. This is a “new version of ******** Exclusion Act,” said Linqin, a ******** student at Johns Hopkins University, who asked to be identified only by his first name out of fear of retaliation. He was referring to a 19th-century law that prohibited ******** from immigrating to the U.S. and banned ******** people already in the U.S. from getting citizenship. He said Wednesday was the first time he thought about leaving the U.S. after spending one third of his life here. ******** international students are point of tension between U.S. and China China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, called the U.S. decision unreasonable. “Such a politicized and discriminatory action lays bare the U.S. lie that it upholds the so-called freedom and openness,” she said Thursday, adding that China has lodged a protest with the U.S. The issue of ******** students studying overseas has long been a point of tension in the bilateral relationship. During Trump’s first term, in 2019, China’s Ministry of Education warned students about visa issues in the U.S., with rising rejection rates and shortening of visas. Last year, the ******** Foreign Ministry protested that a number of ******** students have been unfairly interrogated and sent home upon arrival at U.S. airports. ******** state media has long hyped gun violence in the U.S. and violent protests during the pandemic, and portrayed the U.S. as a dangerous place that wasn’t safe for its citizens. The tense bilateral relationship has also meant that some ******** students are opting to study in the U.K. or other countries over the U.S. after the pandemic. Zou Renge, a 27-year-old public policy master’s student at the University of Chicago, said she had planned to take some time off and work in humanitarian aid programs abroad after graduating at the end of this year. But now, she will refrain from leaving the U.S. and will look for jobs in the meantime. “In a very uncertain environment, I’ll try my best to find myself a solution,” she said. Hong Kong seeks to draw in talent amid uncertainty Some were eager to capitalize on the uncertainty facing international students in the U.S. Hong Kong’s leader John Lee told lawmakers on Thursday that the city would welcome any students who have been discriminated against by American policies to study in the city. “The students who face unfair treatment can come from different countries beyond the U.S. I think this is an opportunity for Hong Kong,” he said. “We will work with our universities to provide the best support and assistance.” That followed a widely shared post by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology inviting Harvard students to “continue their academic pursuits” there after Trump said he would revoke the university’s ability to accept international students. Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to China in 1997, is a popular destination for mainland ******** students to pursue their university degrees because of its international image and relative freedoms. The city launched a new visa scheme in 2022 to counter the exodus of expatriates and local professionals that occurred after Beijing imposed a national security law to quell dissent and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kitty Wu, director of education consultancy Litz USA Student Service in Hong Kong, said some students who planned to apply to American universities in the future are now also considering the University of Hong Kong, the city’s top university and an option because of its high ranking — something that had not happened before. “Things are different every day now, we don’t know how things will change in the future, so we don’t know the impact for next year,” she said. Will Kwong, managing director at Hong Kong’s AAS Education Consultancy, said his company was helping students with offers from American universities to apply to other institutions, predominantly in Britain and Australia. U.S. was known for diversity and this will hurt it, students say “Having fewer international exchanges is definitely not good for America’s development,” said Zhang Qi, a postdoctoral fellow in Beijing. “This could be a positive change for China’s development. More talented individuals may choose to stay at Tsinghua or Peking University, or with the ******** Academy of Sciences and other top institutions in China, which would benefit the development of domestic science and technology.” For many, there is little they can do as they now wait for the fallout from the move. Chen, an incoming ******** student at Purdue University who only gave his last name out of concern for retaliation by the Trump administration, has been waiting anxiously for his visa approval. But he was also angry. Currently in China, he said this was the exact opposite of what he thought the U.S. stood for. “I was expecting freedom and tolerance. The U.S. was known for its diversity which allows international students to fit in, but it is a pity to see such kind of change,” he said. —- Fu Ting reported from Washington, Wu from Bangkok. Associated Press researcher Shihuan Chen and video producer Olivia Zhang contributed to this report from Beijing. Source link #******** #students #anxious #angry #Rubio #vows #revoke #visas Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

California avocado growers say ******** imports have helped their sales – AP News California avocado growers say ******** imports have helped their sales – AP News California avocado growers say ******** imports have helped their sales AP NewsView Full Coverage on Google News Source link #California #avocado #growers #******** #imports #helped #sales #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Glen Quartermain: Will Sean Darcy reward coach’s show of faith with recall against Gold Coast? Glen Quartermain: Will Sean Darcy reward coach’s show of faith with recall against Gold Coast? Unapologetic in his advocacy of Sean Darcy and Luke Jackson flourishing in the same team, Dockers coach Justin Longmuir has stared down critics of the union with this week’s selection, writes Glen Quartermain. Source link #Glen #Quartermain #Sean #Darcy #reward #coachs #show #faith #recall #Gold #Coast Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

First Flight For Quarterhorse Prototype That Aims To Lead To A Reusable Hypersonic Jet First Flight For Quarterhorse Prototype That Aims To Lead To A Reusable Hypersonic Jet Aviation startup Hermeus has completed the first flight of its uncrewed Quarterhorse Mk 1, as part of its hypersonic test aircraft project. Hermeus aims to eventually build an uncrewed flight vehicle capable of beating the SR-71’s absolute speed record for an air-breathing crewed aircraft — 2,193.2 miles per hour, achieved in 1976 — and then to explore the hypersonic realm, which is defined as anything over Mach 5. These objectives are still a long way off, however, and it appears that Quarterhorse Mk 1 won’t explore supersonic flight. Quarterhorse Mk 1 taxies at Edwards AFB. Hermeus Hermeus Announced today, the Quarterhorse Mk 1 first took to the air last week at Edwards Air Force Base, California, when it “achieved stable flight and landed smoothly,” according to the company. A video released by Hermeus appears to show a takeoff and then a brief ******* in the air, followed by it setting down shortly after on the Edwards lakebed. “Mk 1’s flight validated our rapid, iterative approach to airplane development and advanced our mission to radically accelerate aviation,” Hermeus added. Among the byproducts of this approach is the relatively ‘rough’ external finish of the Mk 1 aircraft. Quarterhorse Mk 1 on the lakebed at Edwards AFB. Hermeus James Reeder A first flight for the Mk 1 flying prototype had been planned for some time toward the end of 2024. It’s unclear why this timeline slipped. The Mk 1 was preceded by a ‘dynamic iron bird’ test rig, also known as Quarterhorse Mk 0, which you can read more about here. This non-flying prototype was used to validate major aircraft subsystems, including in taxi runs at the Air Force’s Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) in Tullahoma, Tennessee. A video showing the Quarterhorse Mk 0 test rig: Throughout the project, Hermeus has stressed rapid, iterative development and prototyping. The non-flying Quarterhorse Mk 0 was built in just six months, and all its test objectives were completed in 37 days of testing. Now, with the Mk 1, Hermeus says it went “from clean sheet to flight-ready” in a little over a year. As part of this effort, the company is building four Quarterhorse aircraft of successively greater complexity and scope. The Mk 1 aircraft flown last week was built to verify takeoff and landing of an uncrewed aircraft in this configuration, and is not apparently planned to trial high-speed flight. It is powered by a General Electric J85 turbojet, as used in the Air Force’s T-38 Talon jet trainer, for example. Quarterhorse Mk 1 is towed out at Edwards AFB. Hermeus Other aspects of the flight-test program for the Quarterhorse Mk 1 are examining aerodynamics, stability, and control. Testing of the Mk 1 is also intended to validate various subsystems, including propulsion, fuel systems, hydraulics, power, thermal management, avionics, flight software, telemetry, flight termination, and command and control. The Mk 1 will be followed by the Quarterhorse Mk 2, intended to reach supersonic speeds below Mach 3. Currently, the Mk 2, which will be around the same size as an F-16, is in production at Hermeus’ headquarters in Atlanta. The company says it should fly before the end of this year. This will be powered by a Pratt & Whitney F100 turbofan engine, also used in the F-16. Quarterhorse Mk 2 build in progress at Hermeus’ Atlanta HQ. Hermeus Rendering of the Quarterhorse Mk 2. Hermeus Finally, Quarterhorse Mk 3 will hit speeds beyond Mach 3 and, as Hermeus states, “demonstrate turbojet-to-ramjet mode transition in flight and break the all-time airspeed record held by the SR-71.” Notably, the Mk 1 that is now embarking on the flight-test program is not the same vehicle as the “prototype” that Hermeus rolled out in November 2021, as The War Zone reported at the time. This vehicle lacked any obvious flight control surfaces or landing gear, but did feature a functioning engine with afterburner, as seen in the video embedded here. The Hermeus Quarterhorse ‘prototype’ lights its afterburner during the rollout in November 2021. Hermeus At the heart of the Quarterhorse series will be a so-called turbine-based combined cycle (TBCC) engine. This combines a ramjet or scramjet — optimized for very high speeds — with a more traditional jet turbine, which can be used for takeoff, landing, and other lower-speed portions of flight. You can read more about the specific advantages of a TBCC powerplant in this previous story. As with any high-speed aircraft program, especially one that aims to eventually explore the hypersonic realm, the challenges are great and the potential for failure is high. However, if all goes to plan, Hermeus’ Quarterhorse series could feed into the Air Force’s broader effort to explore potential future hypersonic and supersonic executive transport aircraft concepts. A concept for a future hypersonic transport aircraft from Hermeus. Hermeus Beyond that, some of the various technologies that Hermeus is working on could be used in other applications by the U.S. military. In particular, Hermeus has pointed to the potential for its technologies to be used for missions including the transport of time-critical cargo and reconnaissance. For these applications, the company proposes what it describes as a “mid-size autonomous aircraft.” In the past, the U.S. military has repeatedly shown interest in finding ways to rapidly deliver military cargo around the globe, and there have been persistent references made to a potential future hypersonic and strike reconnaissance aircraft. More modest proposals could see Hermeus providing a testbed for hypersonic technologies or even building surrogate hypersonic targets. Air Force interest in Hermeus’ work has already been formalized. Hermeus received $60 million in funding from the Air Force and venture capital firms to support the Quarterhorse flight test program, the company announced in 2021. Hermeus has claimed that its Quarterhorse program is primarily aimed at commercial markets, with the potential of fielding “the fastest reusable aircraft in the world.” While the idea of resurrecting supersonic passenger travel has long been tempting, it’s so far failed to yield any practical hardware and has seen other startups fold. Whether the Quarterhorse series eventually leads to some kind of ‘son of Concorde’ is highly questionable, but there’s no doubt that the military has expressed interest in at least exploring the potential of very high-speed uncrewed aerial vehicles. As well as the promise of performance, Hermeus’ approach also reflects Air Force interests in the rapid development of iterative designs, an idea that has been around for a while, but which is now widely seen as critical to ensuring capabilities and combat mass, especially when it comes to crewed aircraft, drones, and munitions. A rendering of an operational Quarterhorse flying through the air at high speed. Hermeus Hermeus uses the term “hardware richness” to describe building multiple prototypes in quick succession, which should allow multiple aircraft to complete their full development cycles in a very short time *******. If the company is able to master this, it could provide a way of churning out new (uncrewed) aircraft designs at a “pace not seen in the U.S. since the 1950s.” The ‘iterative design and development roadmap’ proposed by Hermeus for the Quarterhorse program. Hermeus Clearly, there are very many challenges that lie ahead if Hermeus is to succeed in bringing a reusable hypersonic aircraft to the hardware stage, and doing it quickly. In the meantime, we can now look forward to the first flight of the faster and more capable Quarterhorse Mk 2, planned for later this year. Contact the author: *****@*****.tld Source link #Flight #Quarterhorse #Prototype #Aims #Lead #Reusable #Hypersonic #Jet Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Uyghur Workers Are Moved to Factories Across China to Supply Global Brands Uyghur Workers Are Moved to Factories Across China to Supply Global Brands By David Pierson, Vivian Wang and Daniel MurphyGraphics by Pablo Robles. Produced by Nico Chilla and Rumsey Taylor May 29, 2025 China’s mass detention and surveillance of ethnic Uyghurs turned its far western region of Xinjiang into a global symbol of forced labor and human rights abuses, prompting Congress to ban imports from the area in 2021. But the ******** government has found a way around the ban — by moving more Uyghurs to jobs in factories outside Xinjiang. A joint investigation by The New York Times, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and Der Spiegel found that state-led programs to ship Uyghur workers out of Xinjiang are much more extensive than previously known. China has placed Uyghurs in factories across the country that make a wide range of goods used in brand-name products around the world, the investigation found. And it has done so with little to no visibility for supply-chain auditors or border and customs officials charged with spotting labor abuses and blocking the import of tainted goods. Both the United States and the European Union have adopted laws aimed at preventing consumers and businesses from funding the persecution of Uyghurs in China. These state-run labor transfer programs pose a significant challenge. It may be possible to target imports from Xinjiang, but tracking the relocation and treatment of workers from Xinjiang to factories across China is a much more difficult endeavor. By the best available estimates, tens of thousands of Uyghurs now toil in these programs. The workers are paid, but the conditions they face are unclear. And U.N. labor experts, scholars and activists say the programs fit well-documented patterns of forced labor. China makes no secret of these labor transfer programs. It says that participation is voluntary and argues that moving Uyghurs into jobs across the country gives them economic opportunities and helps address chronic poverty in Xinjiang. But experts and activists say Uyghurs usually have no choice but to accept the job assignments, and that the programs are part of Beijing’s efforts to exert control over a ********* population that has historically resisted ******** rule. As many as 12 million Uyghurs, a Central Asian, ******* people, reside in Xinjiang, located on the border with Kazakhstan. In the United States, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act bars imports from Xinjiang, unless the importer can prove that they were not made with forced labor. Forced labor has been reported in different forms in Xinjiang, in prisons, mass internment camps and large-scale relocation programs within the region, and, the U.S. government says, in the production of cotton, textiles, critical minerals and solar panels. The U.S. law also bars imports from companies outside Xinjiang that work with the government to receive workers from Xinjiang who are Uyghur or members of other persecuted groups. But that provision is difficult to enforce, leaving a blind spot for those trying to root out forced labor from supply chains. The transfer of Uyghur workers from Xinjiang is a potential flashpoint in the trade war between China and the Trump administration, which has accused Beijing of “ripping off” the United States and producing goods at artificially low costs, including through exploitative labor conditions. Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, was one of the 2021 law’s lead authors when he was a Florida senator. Our findings are based on an examination of publicly available government and corporate announcements, state media reports, social media posts and research papers. Among them are local government notices describing the number of Uyghurs transferred to factory sites, and state media reports on meetings in which officials discuss how to manage Uyghur workers. Some show photos of workers in neat rows at train stations before departing Xinjiang. A sendoff ceremony for a group of migrant workers from the city of Hotan in Xinjiang in 2020. Source: gov.cn The scale of the labor transfers is evident on ******** social media, where Uyghurs have posted videos of themselves leaving home, working on factory lines and posing outside dormitories. We determined where the videos were shot by comparing the features of buildings and streets with satellite imagery, street-view maps and publicly available photographs of factories. Some videos show other Central Asian minorities from Xinjiang, including Kazakhs and Kyrgyz people, who also face persecution and are covered by the U.S. law. Reporters from The Times and Der Spiegel visited the areas around two dozen factories linked to Uyghur labor in eight cities in the central province of Hubei and the eastern province of Jiangsu, and spoke to more than three dozen workers as well as the owners of restaurants and other businesses frequented by them. We did not ask interviewees for their names to minimize the risk of retaliation by the authorities, who consider the treatment of Uyghurs to be a national security issue. (We are also not disclosing the names of the people whose social media videos we found and we have blurred their faces to avoid exposing them.) Several workers suggested, with some hesitation, that they labored under close supervision. They said their jobs had been arranged for them and that they sometimes needed permission to leave factory grounds, usually upon arrival. Security guards at some factories also confirmed they had been sent Uyghur workers by government agencies. Other workers said that they had taken the jobs willingly and were staying in them on their own accord. One worker in Hubei Province told The Times that he and about 300 other Uyghurs lived in a dormitory separated from staff identified as from the majority Han ******** population. He said they were assigned minders from their home counties in Xinjiang, were allowed to leave the factory premises and could return to Xinjiang if they gave a month’s notice. He said he worked up to 14 hours a day, and earned a monthly salary of up to 6,000 yuan, or $827, about the national average for a factory worker in China. The interview ended abruptly when several men surrounded the worker and demanded to know who he was and why he was not at work. Human rights advocates argue that Uyghurs have little choice but to accept such job assignments outside Xinjiang. If they refuse, they risk being labeled a “troublemaker,” a serious charge in a region where people have been subjected to lengthy detentions for even the faintest signs of dissent or religious expression, like owning a Quran. At the same time, the jobs offer the promise of a higher wage, in contrast to the limited opportunities and tight surveillance that Uyghurs face in Xinjiang. The vast majority of Xinjiang’s labor transfers take place inside the region. The government said there were 3.2 million transfers in 2023, a figure that includes workers being transferred more than once, and the tens of thousands sent to other provinces. The International Labor Organization, a U.N. agency, said in a February report that the labor transfer programs appeared to use measures “severely restricting the free choice of employment.” The reach of these programs, and China’s dominant role in the global economy, mean a wide range of multinational companies rely on suppliers that have received Uyghur workers. Some of these suppliers produce goods for the ******** market, including those we found processing chicken for McDonald’s and KFC restaurants in China. Others make products for export, such as washing machines for LG Electronics and footwear for Crocs. The risk of ******** suppliers using Uyghur workers is sensitive for ******* automakers, including Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, which have tried to address their history of using forced labor in the Nazi era by apologizing and compensating victims. Our investigation identified more than 100 companies that appeared to receive Uyghur workers or parts or goods produced by them. Most did not respond to multiple requests for comment, including LG, Tesla, Midea and KFC. Others such as McDonald’s declined to comment, or provided statements that only emphasized corporate policies prohibiting forced labor in their supply chains. A handful of companies, including Crocs, denied their suppliers used forced labor, but did not address the question of whether their suppliers had hired ethnic ********* workers who had been transferred by the government from Xinjiang. “Based on recent audits, we do not have reason to believe that any of our suppliers are in violation of our policies,” the Broomfield, Colo.-based footwear company said. Companies risk having their imported goods seized by customs officials in the United States if their suppliers are found to have been using forced labor. The European Union enacted legislation similar to the American law last year, but will not begin enforcing it until 2027 to give member nations time to prepare. China detained more than 1 million Uyghurs in internment camps from 2017 to 2019 in the name of fighting extremism. After the camps closed, an estimated half a million Uyghurs were sentenced to prison, rights groups say. State-directed labor transfer programs have been part of Beijing’s efforts to assimilate Uyghurs since the early 2000s, with China’s ********** Party promoting the notion that labor is honorable. Sources: Xinjiang Airport Group; gov.cn; China Daily; Yangtse Evening Post But the programs grew significantly around the time internment camps were introduced in 2017, said Adrian Zenz, an anthropologist and a leading expert on Uyghur forced labor. Since the U.S. ban on imports from Xinjiang came into force in 2022, the number of Uyghurs transferred out of the region has grown. Speaking at a press briefing in 2022, Chen Lei, an inspector from Xinjiang’s Rural Revitalization Bureau, indicated that the authorities aimed to increase the number of workers moved to other parts of China by a third in 2023 to more than 38,000, according to a government report posted online. Labor transfer “is the only measure I see that has become more intense,” said Mr. Zenz, the director of China Studies for the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in Washington. “And the reason for that is that this is a long term mechanism of social control and indoctrination.” In 2023, Xi Jinping, China’s top leader, told officials during a visit to Xinjiang that they should be vigilant against threats to stability and “encourage and guide Xinjiang people to go to the ******** interior to find employment.” Uyghur activists accuse Beijing of relocating Uyghurs in an attempt to change the demographic composition of Xinjiang and erase expressions of Uyghur and ******* identity. “This is not about poverty alleviation. This is about dispersing Uyghurs as a group and breaking their roots,” Rayhan Asat, a human rights lawyer at the Atlantic Council whose brother has been imprisoned in Xinjiang since 2016. If multinational brands cannot guarantee that their suppliers are free of forced labor, then they should find other suppliers that they can guarantee are, or pull out of China altogether, Ms. Asat said. In a written response, the ******** Embassy in Washington denied that forced labor is used in Xinjiang, saying that such allegations were “nothing but vicious lies concocted by anti-China forces.” It said that China rejected the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, calling it an interference in China’s internal affairs. The statement also asserted that all residents in Xinjiang “enjoy happy and fulfilling lives” and that the government’s policies are focused on making the region safer. “Xinjiang-related issues are not human rights issues at all, but in essence about countering violent terrorism and separatism,” it said. Jobs as Social Control Little is known about the lives of the Uyghurs sent to work in factories across China. Censors frequently scrub the internet of anything deemed critical or unflattering of the government. Still, social media provides a window. Some videos show workers raising their right fists and pledging allegiance before a ******** flag, evidence of the ideological training that experts say is often mandatory for Uyghur workers on such job programs. A poultry processing plant in Dalian, Liaoning A poultry processing plant in Suizhou, Hubei The activity is about “showing loyalty to the ********** Party,” said Yalkun Uluyol, the China researcher at Human Rights Watch. Some videos posted by workers hint at feelings of homesickness, at times using Uyghur poetry. Thwarting a Law Aimed at Protecting Uyghurs From outside, the sprawling white and blue factory complex in the central ******** city of Jingmen looks like a giant sheet cake. Behind its walls, workers make automotive and aerospace equipment, specializing in lightweight aluminum chassis parts and brake systems. The Hubei Hangte Equipment Manufacturing Company’s website displays the logos of customers such as Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Mazda and Hyundai. But it says nothing about the pipeline of Uyghur workers from Xinjiang that the company relies on. News releases posted elsewhere say government officials visited the factory to check on workers sent from Xinjiang as recently as April last year. And a video posted by a state-owned human resources company that helps facilitate labor transfers, Xinjiang Zhengcheng Minli Modern Enterprise Services, indicates that the firm recruited workers for the factory in August 2023. The previous year, Hubei Hangte hosted a meeting with ********** Party officials and educators from Xinjiang and described measures it had taken to better manage workers from the region. That included ensuring that their activities were “controllable” and that they refrained from “laxity,” “drinking” and, curiously, “swimming in groups.” “We will strive to make Hangte a model unit for employment of Xinjiang people in Jingmen City,” Chen Yun, the company’s deputy general manager, said in a statement posted online at the time. Xinjiang Zhengcheng Minli Modern Enterprise Services and Hubei Hangte did not respond to requests for comment. BMW acknowledged that Hubei Hangte may provide parts to one of its direct suppliers. It said it has asked that supplier to investigate. Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and Chrysler’s parent company, Stellantis, also said they had opened investigations. Mazda said it had no “direct” relationship with Hubei Hangte, and General Motors, Ford and Hyundai said they prohibited forced labor in their supply chains but declined to answer questions about Hubei Hangte. It is not uncommon for global brands to have several layers of suppliers, explaining why companies may not have a direct relationship with a factory. Shipment records provided by a trade data firm show that, since May 2021, Hubei Hangtei’s parts have been shipped to India, Indonesia, Mexico, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Canada, as well as the United States, where shipments would be subject to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. One U.S. customer of the ******** company is a subsidiary of the ******* auto parts manufacturer Mahle Industrial Thermal Systems, which said in a statement that it prohibits the use of forced labor by its suppliers. Mahle did not answer questions about Hubei Hangte. Another transaction that may violate the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act occurred last July, when a ******** manufacturer of computer equipment known as Transimage sent at least two shipments to a San Diego address for Samsung America Electronics, according to trade data. Transimage, also known as Jiangsu Chuanyi Technology Company Ltd., received help recruiting workers from a labor dispatch center in Akqi County in Xinjiang in 2023, according to a post on a local government social media account. Social media posts by workers show employees at the factory who appear to be Kyrgyz wearing teal jackets embroidered with the company’s name. Transimage did not respond to requests for comment. Samsung said in a statement that it found no evidence of forced labor at Jiangsu Chuanyi Technology, adding that it “prohibits its suppliers from using all forms of forced labor.” This article was produced with support from the Pulitzer Center. Source link #Uyghur #Workers #Moved #Factories #China #Supply #Global #Brands Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Mud and rock buries evacuated Swiss village after glacier collapse, one person missing – CNN Mud and rock buries evacuated Swiss village after glacier collapse, one person missing – CNN Mud and rock buries evacuated Swiss village after glacier collapse, one person missing CNNGlacier collapse buries most of Swiss village BBCGlacier collapse causes landslide that buries Swiss village in ice, mud and rock CBS NewsAlpine village largely destroyed after Swiss glacier collapse causes ‘major catastrophe’ ABC NewsAlpine village is largely destroyed when a Swiss glacier collapses AP News Source link #Mud #rock #buries #evacuated #Swiss #village #glacier #collapse #person #missing #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Microsoft’s Copilot for Gaming AI Chatbot Now in Public Testing on Xbox Mobile Apps Microsoft’s Copilot for Gaming AI Chatbot Now in Public Testing on Xbox Mobile Apps Microsoft began public testing of its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot for Xbox gamers, Copilot for Gaming, on Wednesday. It is currently available in the beta version of the Xbox app for mobile on iOS and Android devices. The Redmond-based tech giant said that the AI chatbot can answer queries about games, provide tips to beat a level in a game, and even recommend games to play based on the other games a user has played. The company has also asked beta testers to provide feedback about the new experience. Copilot for Gaming Arrives as A Second-Screen Companion for Gamers In a newsroom post, Microsoft’s Xbox division announced the rollout of the chatbot to select individuals. In this early test, Copilot for Gaming will be available to those using the beta version of the Xbox app on iOS and Android. The early preview is available in the English language for players aged 18 or older. Copilot for Gaming is currently being tested in a large number of regions, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, and the US. Currently, the AI chatbot is not available in the European Union nations and in the ***. Microsoft said these regions will be added at a later date. Copilot for Gaming Photo Credit: Xbox The chatbot is currently available on a second screen, so that it does not distract gamers from their core gameplay experience. Copilot for Gaming can access the user’s Xbox activity, including account data, play history, and achievements, and contextualise its responses based on that information. Additionally, it can also source information from the web to assist users. With this version of Copilot for Gaming, users can ask questions about any game. For instance, they can ask the chatbot about the materials needed in Minecraft to craft a sword or how to beat the boss of the first trial in Hogwarts Legacy. Users can also ask the chatbot for gaming recommendations. They can either describe the kind of game they’d like to play, or the AI can suggest new games to play based on users’ gaming history. Additionally, users can also ask questions about their play history or accounts. These questions can be around their Xbox achievements or subscription details. Source link #Microsofts #Copilot #Gaming #Chatbot #Public #Testing #Xbox #Mobile #Apps Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Taekwondo instructor admits to shocking triple ******* Taekwondo instructor admits to shocking triple ******* A taekwondo instructor has admitted to a shocking triple ******* in Sydney’s west in which he killed a couple and a seven-year-old child. Kwang Kyung Yoo on Thursday pleaded guilty to three counts of ******* when he appeared in the Parramatta Local Court. He admitted to murdering Min Cho, 41, and a seven-year-old child at a North Parramatta taekwondo studio, as well as Ms Cho’s husband, Steven Cho, 39, at a Baulkham Hills home on February 19 last year. The North Kellyville man has been in custody since he was arrested in hospital and will now face sentencing proceedings in the NSW Supreme Court. Ms Cho and the child were killed inside the taekwondo studio where the boy was a student. Camera IconKwang Kyung Yoo pleaded guilty to three counts of *******. Credit: SuppliedCamera IconMurder victims Steven Cho and Min Cho. Supplied. Credit: Supplied Yoo, who was known to his students as Master Lion, left the bodies inside the studio before driving Ms Cho’s white BMW to her Baulkham Hills home, where Mr Cho was stabbed several times. NSW Police found Mr Cho’s body at the Watkins Rd, Baulkham Hills address before the bodies of his wife and the child were discovered by police two hours later. Yoo drove to Westmead Hospital with stab wounds to his chest, arms and stomach and claimed he was randomly attacked in a Woolworths carpark. However he sustained the injuries while stabbing Mr Cho to death. He will now appear in the Supreme Court in August before he is sentenced at a later date. Source link #Taekwondo #instructor #admits #shocking #triple #******* Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Google Photos 10 Year Anniversary Updates Bring Redesigned Editor, QR Code for Easy Album Sharing Google Photos 10 Year Anniversary Updates Bring Redesigned Editor, QR Code for Easy Album Sharing Google introduced Photos as a media manager for Android devices 10 years ago. To commemorate its 10th anniversary, two new features for Photos have been announced. Google has redesigned the app’s Magic Editor and it now features details about the photo such as date, time, and location at the top of the image. Editing controls for aspect ratio, flip, and other tools have also been relocated. The company is also expanding select tools, powered by artificial intelligence (AI), to more devices. Google Photos 10th Anniversary Updates In a blog post, Google detailed all of the changes coming to Google Photos as part of the 10th anniversary celebrations. The company notes that since its launch, the app has become home to over nine trillion photos and videos and has more than 1.5 billion monthly users. Each month, users edit almost 210 million photos and it is redesigning the editor to make this process easier. Photo Credit: Google As part of the redesign, the Google Photos app will now show details about the image, including its date, time, and location at the top of each image when the full screen view is toggled. It also moves editing tools such as aspect ratio, flip, and rotate to the top as well, when the image editor is engaged. Further, users can also leverage AI-powered suggestions with a feature dubbed AI Enhance. It is said to combine multiple effects for quick edits. They can also tap on specific parts of the image to get suggested tools. Changes are also coming to Reimagine and Auto frame, two features that were first introduced in Pixel 9’s Magic Editor. The former leverages generative AI to change the appearance of elements in the image, such as grass, skies, trees, and more. Meanwhile, the latter is claimed to generate a better frame for a picture that has already been captured. Google says these will be expanding to Android devices globally next month, with iOS availability later this year. Another addition is the ability to share albums with QR codes. Using this feature, you can generate a QR code that can be shared with other people in the vicinity, or be printed for group events. Google says anyone can scan the code to view or add photos to albums created in the app. Source link #Google #Photos #Year #Anniversary #Updates #Bring #Redesigned #Editor #Code #Easy #Album #Sharing Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

China thought it had a truce with the US. Then Trump dropped two bombshells China thought it had a truce with the US. Then Trump dropped two bombshells A one-two punch from the United States risks shattering the already fragile trade war truce between Washington and Beijing, with ******** tech companies and students both dealt shock blows by the Trump administration Wednesday night. Viewed from within China, things had been looking up after the world’s two largest economies agreed to dramatically roll back steep tariffs – a conciliatory step in a trade war that had threatened the entire global trading system. Factories began whirring again. Long-delayed shipping containers began leaving ******** ports, destined for the US. ******** media celebrated the agreement as a national victory, while top officials adopted an upbeat tone in describing cooperation between the two superpower rivals. But the two jabs from Washington on Wednesday will have far-reaching effects across China, angering families and authorities alike. They also throw into question the future of US-China trade talks; the temporary truce only lasts 90 days, and the clock is ticking to reach a longer-term agreement. The first hit came in a Financial Times report on Wednesday that said moves by US President Donald Trump had effectively cut off some American companies from selling software used to design semiconductors to China. These small chips – which power our smartphones, computers, automobiles and home appliances – have been at the ***** of the US-China tech battle in recent years. The Biden administration had blocked China from accessing US-made semiconductors, and earlier this month, Washington warned companies against using AI chips made by ******** tech giant Huawei. A semiconductor silicon wafer fabricated with several microchip microprocessors, seen at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Henrietta, New York, on April 14, 2025. – Ted Shaffrey/AP/File The obstacles were infuriating for Beijing, especially since it has poured tens of billions of dollars into its semiconductor industry, aiming to boost production at home and become less reliant on the US and other countries. Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the ******** Embassy in the US, declined to comment on the reported chip software move but accused the US of “overstretching the concept of national security, abusing export controls, and maliciously blocking and suppressing China” in a statement to CNN. But it was the second blow from the White House that landed right in the living rooms of ******** families, with US State Secretary Marco Rubio saying the US will “aggressively revoke visas for ******** students” – especially those in critical fields or with connections to the ******** ********** Party. It’s hard to overstate the impact. There were more than 270,000 ******** students in the US in 2024, and even more before the pandemic. While some hail from China’s political and business elites, many also come from middle-class families. The path to the US is attractive, but arduous. ******** families save for years and spend exorbitant amounts of money to send their kids abroad, with students attending cram schools or hiring tutors to polish their applications. Rubio’s announcement jeopardizes all of that – with students now facing potential deportation in the middle of their hard-won education. Given China is a one-party state that reaches deep into nearly every aspect of society, it can be difficult or impossible for many students to disprove any claims that they’re connected to the ********** Party – especially if the State Department defines that term loosely. A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said on Thursday it “strongly opposes” the move, accusing the US of “unjustly” revoking visas “under the pretext of ideology and national security.” Candy, a statistics student at the University of Michigan, who did not want to give her full name, said she feared her visa would be canceled before she graduates. “Ending up with only a high school diploma is something I dread,” she said from China, where she’s visiting family. “I pray to make it through my undergraduate study safely and smoothly.” “When I first heard the news, I wanted to curse Trump.” While the visa threat comes as a shock, some argue the targeting of students may in fact be a boon to China in the end. The number of ******** students in the US had been declining in recent years, partly because of significant shifts in both policy and public perception. Experts say many ******** students and families now worry about safety, racism and discrimination, and immigration difficulties in the US – especially as more competitive higher education options open in other countries, including in China itself. Trump’s crackdown could see more ******** scholars, including some of the brightest minds in their fields, return to their home country – or choose to stay in the first place, rejecting a US education for a ******** degree instead. And these researchers – including key leaders in technological fields – could be the key to China catching up with, or surpassing the US – the very thing many Trump officials are trying to prevent. Wednesday did bring one bit of good news for China; a federal court blocked Trump from imposing most of his global tariffs, including the current 30% tariffs on China. But the administration immediately appealed the decision, leaving the status of those tariffs – and the trade war – up in the air. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Source link #China #thought #truce #Trump #dropped #bombshells Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Nvidia takes $4.5bn hit due to export restrictions Nvidia takes $4.5bn hit due to export restrictions During the earnings call for its latest financial results, Nvidia revealed it has taken “a multibillion-dollar write-off” due to US advanced semiconductor export restrictions. The artificial intelligence (AI) chipmaker previously downgraded its Hopper AI accelerator for the ******** market to comply with US export restrictions. While president Donald Trump recently revoked the Framework for Artificial Intelligence Diffusion from the US Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), which came into force in April, the export regulation controls on advanced semiconductors materially affected Nvidia’s exports of its H20 AI accelerator to China. Nvidia said it incurred a $4.5bn charge in the first quarter of fiscal 2026 associated with H20 excess inventory and purchase obligations as the demand for H20 diminished. It said sales of H20 products were $4.6bn for the first quarter of fiscal 2026 prior to the new export licensing requirements. It said it was unable to ship an additional $2.5bn of H20 revenue in the first quarter. According to a transcript of the earnings call posted on Seeking Alpha, denying access to the AI market in China would have a material impact on Nvidia’s business. CFO Collette Kress noted that had the export controls not occurred, Nvidia would have had orders of about $8bn for the H20 AI accelerator hardware. “Losing access to the China AI accelerator market, which we believe will grow to nearly $50bn, would have a material adverse impact on our business going forward and benefit our foreign competitors in China and worldwide,” she added. In her prepared statement, one of Kress’ remarks appears to have been aimed squarely at the US administration. She noted that the export restrictions simply spurred China on to innovate and scale its AI capabilities, adding: “The question is whether one of the world’s largest AI markets will run on American platforms.” For its first quarter of 2026, Nvidia posted datacentre revenue of $39bn, 73% more than the same quarter last year. Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of Nvidia said the company was experiencing “incredibly strong” demand for its AI acceleration hardware. “AI inference token generation has surged tenfold in just one year, and as AI agents become mainstream, the demand for AI computing will accelerate,” he said. Comparing the importance of AI chips to a nation’s electricity supply, he added: “Countries around the world are recognising AI as essential infrastructure – just like electricity and the internet – and Nvidia stands at the centre of this profound transformation.” But US tariffs may curb demand, according to Forrester’s senior analyst Alvin Nguyen: “If trade negotiations are not resolved soon, expect to see tariffs impact demand for AI infrastructure – this may not impact Nvidia immediately, but could slow overall AI demand if uncertainty about product costs linger.” Given that AI chips are already expensive products, which are set to get more expensive as tariffs take effect, Nguyen added: “The longer it takes to negotiate stable trade agreements, the more it could impact purchasing decisions from AI infrastructure to AI factories due to the potential cost implications.” Source link #Nvidia #takes #4.5bn #hit #due #export #restrictions Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How Uyghurs in China are Coerced to Work in Factories How Uyghurs in China are Coerced to Work in Factories The ******** government is finding a way around the U.S. ban on imports from Xinjiang — by moving Uyghurs to jobs in factories outside the region. David Pierson, a foreign correspondent for The New York Times, investigated — alongside the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and Der Spiegel — how workers are being moved to factories producing goods for major global brands. Source link #Uyghurs #China #Coerced #Work #Factories Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Microsoft’s Copilot for Gaming AI Chatbot Now in Public Testing on Xbox Mobile Apps Microsoft’s Copilot for Gaming AI Chatbot Now in Public Testing on Xbox Mobile Apps Microsoft began public testing of its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot for Xbox gamers, Copilot for Gaming, on Wednesday. It is currently available in the beta version of the Xbox app for mobile on iOS and Android devices. The Redmond-based tech giant said that the AI chatbot can answer queries about games, provide tips to beat a level in a game, and even recommend games to play based on the other games a user has played. The company has also asked beta testers to provide feedback about the new experience. Copilot for Gaming Arrives as A Second-Screen Companion for Gamers In a newsroom post, Microsoft’s Xbox division announced the rollout of the chatbot to select individuals. In this early test, Copilot for Gaming will be available to those using the beta version of the Xbox app on iOS and Android. The early preview is available in the English language for players aged 18 or older. Copilot for Gaming is currently being tested in a large number of regions, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, and the US. Currently, the AI chatbot is not available in the European Union nations and in the ***. Microsoft said these regions will be added at a later date. Copilot for Gaming Photo Credit: Xbox The chatbot is currently available on a second screen, so that it does not distract gamers from their core gameplay experience. Copilot for Gaming can access the user’s Xbox activity, including account data, play history, and achievements, and contextualise its responses based on that information. Additionally, it can also source information from the web to assist users. With this version of Copilot for Gaming, users can ask questions about any game. For instance, they can ask the chatbot about the materials needed in Minecraft to craft a sword or how to beat the boss of the first trial in Hogwarts Legacy. Users can also ask the chatbot for gaming recommendations. They can either describe the kind of game they’d like to play, or the AI can suggest new games to play based on users’ gaming history. Additionally, users can also ask questions about their play history or accounts. These questions can be around their Xbox achievements or subscription details. Source link #Microsofts #Copilot #Gaming #Chatbot #Public #Testing #Xbox #Mobile #Apps Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nvidia jumps 5% in premarket trading as results spark global chip rally Nvidia jumps 5% in premarket trading as results spark global chip rally Jensen Huang, co-founder and CEO of Nvidia, during the Computex conference in Taipei, Taiwan, on May 20, 2025. Annabelle Chih | Bloomberg | Getty Images Nvidia shares jumped in premarket trading on Thursday after posting a positive set of earnings, sparking a rally in global semiconductor stocks. Shares of Nvidia were 5.22% higher at 05:06 a.m. ET after the company posted better-than-expected earnings and revenue on Wednesday, even as it took a hit from U.S. semiconductor export restrictions to China. Nvidia has been seen by investors as a bellwether for the broader semiconductor industry and artificial intelligence-related stocks, with its latest strong numbers sparking a rally among global semiconductor names. In Japan, Tokyo Electron closed more than 4% higher, while SK Hynix, which is a supplier of high bandwidth memory to Nvidia, was nearly 2% up at the close of markets in South Korea. In Europe, ASM International, BE Semiconductor Industries and ASML were all in positive territory. This is a developing story. Please check back for more. Source link #Nvidia #jumps #premarket #trading #results #spark #global #chip #rally Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

WhatsApp Working on Logout Option for Primary Phones on Latest Beta Release: Report WhatsApp Working on Logout Option for Primary Phones on Latest Beta Release: Report WhatsApp is working on a new feature that could give users more flexibility while using the messaging platform, according to a report. A teardown of the latest WhatsApp beta release for Android smartphones reveals that the messaging service could soon allow users to log out of their account, even on their primary device. This will reportedly allow users to stop using WhatsApp for a while or switch to another account, without deleting the app’s data from their smartphone. WhatsApp to Let Users Retain or Delete Data While Logging Out A new Logout option was spotted by Android Authority and AssembleDebug, during a teardown of WhatsApp beta for Android 2.25.17.37. The feature appears to be in development, or the company could also be testing it internally. It is said to be found under Settings > Account, according to the publication. WhatsApp’s upcoming logout option Photo Credit: Android Authority/ AssembleDebug The new logout option presents users with three options: Erase all Data & preferences, Keep all Data & preferences, and Cancel. Choosing the first option will delete all the chats from a user’s device, while the second option keeps them around in case the user logs in again. If users select the Keep all Data & preferences option, WhatsApp will log them out of their account, but keep their chats, files, and other media on the phone. Users can quickly access all of your content as soon as you log in again, This feature sounds quite handy for users who want to take a break from using WhatsApp, instead of deleting their account. Many modern messaging apps like WhatsApp don’t allow users to “log out”, which means users have no choice but to uninstall the app from their smartphone if they don’t want to use the app for a while. There’s no word on when the new logout button will be rolled out to users on WhatsApp, but it is first expected to be available to beta testers, before it is available to all users on the stable release channel. Source link #WhatsApp #Working #Logout #Option #Primary #Phones #Latest #Beta #Release #Report Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Timberwolves-Thunder: 5 takeaways as Oklahoma City advances to the Finals – NBA Timberwolves-Thunder: 5 takeaways as Oklahoma City advances to the Finals – NBA Timberwolves-Thunder: 5 takeaways as Oklahoma City advances to the Finals NBAThunder vs. Timberwolves: OKC overwhelms outmatched Minnesota in Game 5 win, secures spot in NBA Finals Yahoo SportsOklahoma City Thunder down Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5, advance to first NBA Finals since 2012 CNNOKC’s big three, ‘Thunderstruck’ and more trends from the Thunder’s last WCF title ESPNJalen Williams Is Becoming Exactly What the Thunder Needed The Ringer Source link #TimberwolvesThunder #takeaways #Oklahoma #City #advances #Finals #NBA Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nvidia jumps 5% in premarket trading as results spark global chip rally Nvidia jumps 5% in premarket trading as results spark global chip rally Jensen Huang, co-founder and CEO of Nvidia, during the Computex conference in Taipei, Taiwan, on May 20, 2025. Annabelle Chih | Bloomberg | Getty Images Nvidia shares jumped in premarket trading on Thursday after posting a positive set of earnings, sparking a rally in global semiconductor stocks. Shares of Nvidia were 5.22% higher at 05:06 a.m. ET after the company posted better-than-expected earnings and revenue on Wednesday, even as it took a hit from U.S. semiconductor export restrictions to China. Nvidia has been seen by investors as a bellwether for the broader semiconductor industry and artificial intelligence-related stocks, with its latest strong numbers sparking a rally among global semiconductor names. In Japan, Tokyo Electron closed more than 4% higher, while SK Hynix, which is a supplier of high bandwidth memory to Nvidia, was nearly 2% up at the close of markets in South Korea. In Europe, ASM International, BE Semiconductor Industries and ASML were all in positive territory. This is a developing story. Please check back for more. Source link #Nvidia #jumps #premarket #trading #results #spark #global #chip #rally Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Social housing complaints soar and housing watchdog warns of ‘simmering anger’ Social housing complaints soar and housing watchdog warns of ‘simmering anger’ Kathryn Armstrong BBC News Getty Images Complaints about substandard living conditions in social housing are now more than five times higher than they were five years ago, a new report says Complaints about substandard living conditions in social housing in England are more than five times higher than five years ago, according to the housing watchdog. Housing Ombudsman Richard Blakeway told the BBC an “imbalance of power” in the tenant-landlord relationship was leading to “simmering anger” among those living in social housing. He warned without change England risked the “managed decline” of social housing. Asbestos, electrical and fire safety issues, pest control and leaks, damp and mould are among the complaints, the watchdog receives . In its latest report, the Housing Ombudsman, which deals with disputes between residents and social housing landlords in England, said that the general condition of social housing – combined with the length of time it takes for repairs to be done – is leading to a breakdown in trust. “You’ve got ageing homes and social housing, you’ve got rising costs around materials, for example, and you’ve got skills shortages,” said Mr Blakeway, who spoke to the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “You put all that together and you end up with a perfect storm and that’s what’s presenting in our case work. That is not sustainable.” He said tenants have “little say in the services they receive, however poor they are” and that this is leading to “growing frustration”. While he acknowledged that social landlords are putting in “record amounts” for repairs and maintenance – £9bn between 2023 and 2024 – there had been historic underfunding in social housing. He also said that while landlords have faced “funding uncertainties”, they needed to address their communication with tenants that sometimes “lacks dignity and respect”. The BBC recently visited a social housing flat in London where one wall was so damp the paint came off when you touched it According to the ombudsman’s report, there were 6,380 complaints investigated in the year to March 2025 – up from 1,111 in the year to March 2020. It also found that an estimated 1.5 million children in England live in a non-decent home in 2023, and 19% of those live in social housing. It is calling for a “transformative overhaul” of the current system, including an independent review of funding practices and the establishment of a “national tenant body” to “strengthen tenant voice and landlord accountability”. That would be separate to the ombudsman, which has the power to order a landlord to apologise, carry out works or pay financial compensation. “The human cost of poor living conditions is evident, with long-term impacts on community cohesion, educational attainment, public health, and economic productivity,” said Mr Blakeway. “Without change we effectively risk the managed decline of one of the largest provisions of social housing in Europe, especially in areas of lowest affordability. “It also risks the simmering anger at poor housing conditions becoming social disquiet.” Rochdale Coroner’s Office Awaab Ishak, 2, died because of mould at his Rochdale home in 2020 Housing campaigner Kwajo Tweneboa told the BBC that he was “shocked but not surprised” by the ombudsman’s report. He pointed out that for complaints to reach the ombudsman, tenants will have to formally raised the issue with the landlord. Mr Tweneboa said social housing residents he has spoken to say they feel they are not listened to and that the culture within housing organisations “just isn’t right”. “They feel they are just a rental figure at the end of each month.” “In some cases, residents are left to suffer for years,” Mr Tweneboa says, adding that he knows of instances in which families with children have to “********* in bin bags, ******** in bottles because they’ve been without a toilet for months”. In a statement, a Ministry of Housing spokesperson said: “Everyone deserves to live in a safe, secure home and despite the situation we have inherited, we are taking decisive action to make this a reality.” “We will clamp down on damp, mould and other hazards in social homes by bringing in Awaab’s Law for the social rented sector from October, while we will also introduce a competence and conduct standard for the social rented sector to ensure staff have the right skills, knowledge and experience to do their jobs effectively.” Source link #Social #housing #complaints #soar #housing #watchdog #warns #simmering #anger Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

IoT Basics: A Guide for Beginners IoT Basics: A Guide for Beginners IoT stands for the internet of things. Most simply, it refers to physical objects linked through wired and wireless networks. More specifically, it refers to the collection of internet-connected devices that can communicate autonomously over the internet, without needing a person to initiate communication. You might be asking, how is this different from the internet, as most people commonly understand the term? Well, it really isn’t that different — it’s just a way of talking about the internet with a specific focus on things instead of people. Let’s delve into the basics of IoT, why it is important and applications of the internet of things in business and the consumer space. What does IoT stand for and what does it mean? Consultancy McKinsey & Company offered this basic description of IoT: “Sensors and actuators embedded in physical objects are linked through wired and wireless networks, often using the same Internet Protocol (IP) that connects the internet.” Kevin Ashton, who coined the term internet of things, preferred the term internet for things. While not widely used, this term provides a helpful way to understand the concept behind IoT. Think of the “normal” internet you access from your PC or smartphone as the internet for people and IoT as an internet of interrelated computing devices, mechanical and digital machines, objects, etc. The internet of things is everywhere. It is used in a range of industries and has both corporate and consumer uses. Today, for example, automobiles often have dozens of sensors that collect and transfer data for safety, maintenance, entertainment, fleet management and other purposes. These internet-connected cars are considered part of the internet of things because they communicate with other devices over the internet based on input from the environment, not just from direct human manipulation. How does IoT work? IoT works through a combination of wireless networking technology, physical devices, advanced data analytics and cloud computing. The basic process of how IoT works is as follows: A group of physical devices is wired or wirelessly linked to each other and/or a central area. The devices collect data from the external world using some kind of sensor. That data is then stored somewhere, whether it be in the cloud, an intermediary network location or on the device itself. The data is then processed, often by machine learning and artificial intelligence. The processed data is used by the physical device to perform some action. For example, this process applied to a smart thermostat would go like this: The thermostat has a sensor that reads the temperature in the room. The thermostat stores and processes that data. If the temperature exceeds a certain value, the thermostat automatically regulates the temperature to some predefined value. The thermostat transmits periodic temperature readings to the energy provider’s external database over a wireless network. A data analytics application derives insights from the data over time to improve energy efficiency by adjusting the thermostat’s temperature settings. Learn how smart hospital rooms work and some of their key IoT elements. This diagram illustrates how an IoT system works: from data collection to collating and transferring data to analyzing that data and taking action. Basic IoT concepts and terms There are four pillars of IoT: Data. IoT technologies provide myriad ways to collect data about the physical world. Data is the fuel of IoT. Device. The actual, physical components or things in the internet of things that collect this data. Analytics. The process of making collected data useful by turning raw data into actionable insights. Connectivity. This makes sharing data and insights possible, increasing the value of that data. This is the internet in internet of things. Closely related terms anyone getting acquainted with the concept of IoT should be aware of include the following: Specific types of IoT and its applications include: Industrial internet of things. IIoT refers to the use of IoT in industrial applications. Internet of medical things. IoMT refers to the use of IoT in medicine. Internet of battlefield things. IoBT, also known as the internet of military things and internet of military defense things (IoMDT), refers to IoT in military contexts. Benefits of IoT technology The internet of things’ most immediate business benefit is helping enterprise organizations learn more about — and thereby improve — their own internal processes and structure to ultimately provide better products and/or more effective services. IoT increases the number and types of places enterprises can autonomously retrieve data from, providing much more information to work with. It also enables internal systems to become more responsive. The main benefit of IoT for consumers is convenience and ease of use, which is not trivial in the case of a healthcare device, for instance. As IoT continues to grow and infiltrate the public sphere, more tangible and social benefits might be realized, such as the following: Smarter environmental choices as a result of more accurate insights into our effect on the environment, pollution etc. Smart cities that revolutionize the way urban environments function. Changes in culture and politics as a result of these things. The massive amount of data that IoT networks and smart cities could create has the potential to give people new insights into areas previously limited by the amount of real-time data available. Whether in business or for consumers, some benefits of IoT technology include the following: Operational efficiency. Predictive maintenance. Customer experience. Data-driven decision-making. New business models. Learn more about the growing optimism surrounding IoT and AI integration. Challenges of IoT technology Despite its potential, IoT faces several challenges. IoT security Oftentimes, IoT devices are meant to automate processes. Humans might neglect to properly configure, maintain or secure these devices because they are designed for automation — to leave the human out. For example, an administrator of an IoT device such as a smart camera is more likely to neglect to change the default password set by the manufacturer. The result is an external-facing IoT device with a simple default password to crack. Data privacy There are also concerns about data privacy and governance as IoT becomes more prevalent. With more networked devices sharing data autonomously, being accountable for all that data becomes more complicated. For example, smart lightbulbs might require login credentials and a connection to a local network. Smart cars often collect a diverse array of data, including location, driving behavior and biometric data. Connected medical devices collect a trove of sensitive patient data. How this data is collected, stored, communicated and used is an issue organizations must be aware of. Safety IoT devices — especially those used in industrial, medical, transportation and infrastructural applications — are often tasked with jobs that, if performed incorrectly, could put lives at risk. If a smart car’s warning system malfunctions, it could cause the driver to neglect an obstacle or a pedestrian. A malfunctioning sensor at an industrial plant can be catastrophic if a key warning sign is missed. Interoperability Many IoT devices have unique protocols, data formats or proprietary services that they run on, making standardization across devices and providers difficult. This can make data sharing and compatibility between different devices from different vendors a challenge. Environmental impact Heavy metals used in many IoT devices make them difficult to manufacture, dispose of and recycle without substantial environmental and human costs. Some IoT vendors might also intentionally brick — or render useless — their products by disabling proprietary services that their devices need to run. On the flipside, learn how IoT monitoring and detection can play a significant role in achieving environmental, social and governance goals. IoT examples in business and across industries IoT technology can be applied across a diverse array of industries. Medical IoT devices can perform medical data collection, monitoring and analysis. Sometimes referred to as smart healthcare, IoMT aims to create a digitized healthcare system that connects medical resources and healthcare services. Some example IoT applications in this field include the following: Heart rate monitors and pacemakers that monitor a patient’s vital functions and can send alerts through an emergency notification system. Advanced hearing aids that adjust their level of sensitivity to suit the user. Fitbits or smartwatches that measure biometrics. Smart beds that sense when a patient is moving to alert a healthcare professional or automatically adjust settings to improve comfort. End-to-end health monitoring applications that help patients — with chronic illnesses, in particular — monitor their vitals and medication requirements. Discover more about IoT and healthcare with this in-depth guide. Military The military uses smart technology and IoT to prepare for warfare and to conduct surveillance and reconnaissance. Examples include smart drones and the DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) Ocean of Things project, which aims to establish a network of passive sensors at sea to record the presence and activity of military and commercial vessels. Manufacturing IoT in the industrial and manufacturing sector aids in various sensing, identification and communication processes in the factory and elsewhere. For example, digital control systems can automate these processes and help optimize plant safety, security and efficiency. Explore ways IoT is transforming manufacturing. Retail Retailers and distributors use smart packaging with a QR code or NFC tag that contains a unique identifier and digital information about products to enable digital interactions. Similar technology has been used during the COVID-19 pandemic to enable contactless interaction with publicly used objects, such as restaurant menus or smart water fountains. Infrastructure IoT devices can be used in public infrastructure. Some examples include the following: Transportation. Smart traffic control systems, smart parking systems, electronic toll collection systems and vehicle road assistance aim to make transportation more efficient. Home and building automation. Smart energy management systems monitor and control various components of a building’s infrastructure. Infrastructure monitoring. IoT devices can monitor infrastructure such as bridges or railway tracks to detect significant structural changes, improving emergency management and incident response processes. Urban development. Smart cities outfitted with IoT sensors provide citizens with services such as environmental monitoring data and parking applications for smartphones by way of smart meters. Agriculture. IoT is used in farming to monitor and collect agricultural data, such as rainfall level, temperature, wind speed, pest infestation and soil content. Farmers can use the insights from IoT devices in their fields to improve the quality of their product and minimize waste. Learn how AI and IoT are reshaping agriculture. IoT devices come in all different shapes and sizes. Possible IoT uses for consumers Smart homes and wearable devices are two common examples of IoT in the consumer market. Smart homes often include smart devices and appliances, such as thermostats, lighting fixtures, cameras, security systems and toothbrushes. They are linked via a home network and might link out to other external networks. A smart electronic toothbrush can transmit data about a user’s brushing habits to their dentist to help provide more appropriate care, for example. Users might control some of these devices and systems through smart speakers such as Amazon Echo and Google Nest or a smartphone app. For instance, a user can use their smartphone to change the color of a smart lightbulb. Through voice assistants, smart home devices can also assist those with mobility and sight limitations to control smart appliances that would otherwise be difficult to access and manage. Wearable IoT devices such as Apple Watches and Fitbits use sensors to collect biometric data about a user for insights to improve physical health. Ben Lutkevich is site editor for Informa TechTarget Software Quality. Previously, he wrote definitions and features for Whatis.com. Source link #IoT #Basics #Guide #Beginners Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Denmark screening of Just A Farmer film opens conversation about mental health in rural communities Denmark screening of Just A Farmer film opens conversation about mental health in rural communities Denmark restaurant The Dam screened new film Just A Farmer on Monday night, with the evening presented by ****** Dog Ride and aiming to open conversations about mental health and suicide in rural Australia. An *********** farmer takes their own life every 10 days. This was the eye-opening statistic presented to the gathered audience at the end of the film, as the room full of more than 100 people sat in sombre silence after watching the deeply moving film. Just A Farmer follows main character Allison and her young farming family in rural Victoria and their journey of grief and healing after she loses her husband Alec to suicide. Leila McDougall wrote, produced, and starred in the film, with she and her husband mortgaging their cattle farm in Victoria to finish the $2 million production. She attended the screening at The Dam and said growing up and living in farming communities opened her eyes to the devastating and growing impacts of the mental health crisis in rural Australia. “It is still quite taboo in a farming community, but it’s time we started having those conversations,” she said. “Making a movie was my a way of subconsciously getting people to see what’s going on in farming communities, and I honestly don’t regret a single minute or dollar we spent doing it.” Camera IconJust A Farmer writer, producer and star Leila McDougall answers audience questions following the screening at The Dam on May 26. Credit: Jacki Elezovich Raintree property owner Stephen Birkbeck gave the evening’s opening address, and shone a light on the hardships WA farmers have faced in the past five years and beyond, how important it was to come together to support farmers and have conversations around mental health. “Experts will give you insights into farmers’ suicide, what worries me is that the rates have always been high but they have increased by 50 per cent in the last 10 years. “I have never seen anything like the stress our farming community face today,” he said. “We need an SOS to go out, farmers need help if you want us to keep growing your food. “We need help and we need to be listened to. “I conclude by asking for society to put a higher value on our farming community and its vulnerable souls.” Camera IconBlack Dog Ride’s Bev Seeney, Raintree owner Stephen Birkbeck, and Just A Farmer producer and star Leila McDougall. Credit: Jacki Elezovich ****** Dog Ride director Bev Seeney said the film was a perfect opportunity to bring WA communities together to talk about mental health. “I believe telling our stories gives us a sense of empowerment with our stories,” she said. “If we keep quiet about our own experiences, nobody else knows that there is a way through. “So many people come up and just start sharing, and for many of them it’s the first time they have, and then we can encourage them to go and get support, it’s a very powerful thing.” Camera IconBlack Dog Ride’s Roger Seeney, Bev Seeney, Shari Bolitho and Murray Bolitho. Credit: Jacki ElezovichCamera IconBlack Dog Ride co-hosted the evening. Credit: Jacki ElezovichCamera IconThe film raised awareness of the mental health crisis affecting *********** farmers and the importance of speaking up. Credit: Jacki ElezovichCamera IconJust A Farmer writer, producer and star Leila McDougall answers audience questions. Credit: Jacki ElezovichCamera IconThe Dam hosted a full house for the screening. Credit: Jacki Elezovich Lifeline: 13 11 14. Source link #Denmark #screening #Farmer #film #opens #conversation #mental #health #rural #communities Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Sweden claims world’s first 6G, edge-connected vehicle test facility Sweden claims world’s first 6G, edge-connected vehicle test facility Road safety testing facility AstaZero has launched a system claimed to enable communication reliability between vehicles to reach 99.999%, hastening a new era in vehicle connectivity. Owned by Research Institutes of Sweden (Rise), AstaZero provides end-to-end vehicle and infrastructure testing, offering the world’s first full-scale independent test environment for the automated transport system of the future and associated mobility connectivity. This includes component reliability tests in electromagnetic chambers to repeatable functionality tests at the proving ground, where the full system can be tested. Explaining its programme of work ahead, the company noted that virtually every new car, truck and bus sold today is equipped with a host of sensors needed to support drivers in actions such as emergency braking and lane keeping, with technology allowing drivers to receive information about, for example, road conditions or traffic. AstaZero states that the primary reason for testing new vehicles and traffic technology is to increase safety and reliability, adding that as vehicle manufacturers innovate to reduce accidents, the need to test new technology to its absolute limits is key if they are to become commercially viable. It stressed that a safer vehicle and pedestrian ecosystem will be a significant outcome of the technology tested at AstaZero. Reacting to studies showing that accidents across European cities are on the rise – particularly involving commercial vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists – the test facility will directly address this by improving the communications while looking to decrease the latency between vehicles and the infrastructure ecosystem that underpins it. Going forward, AstaZero expects that as international 3G networks are decommissioned, advanced artificial intelligence (AI)-powered comms systems will face the world’s most demanding tests to be their replacement in the global race for connected vehicle supremacy. Specifically, it believes the next generation of critical communication (V2X) scenarios will unlock the full potential of this ecosystem and allow vehicles – both AI-enabled and non-AI-enabled – to interact in Edge networks. Yet AstaZero warns that these systems will need to reach a reliability of 99.999%, which requires not only tests on the individual sensor level, but also on integrated and collaborative systems, a task which has been impossible until now. This suggests a step forward in the journey towards autonomous vehicles, industrial automation and connected societies, as it allows virtual objects and situations to be tested in scenarios limited solely by the engineer’s imagination and vehicle technology. In a future where highly automated traffic systems not only enhance safety, but also enable vehicles and infrastructure to communicate seamlessly, AstaZero is confident its intelligent test network will help to optimise traffic flows, reduce congestion, minimise emissions and transform urban mobility into a smoother, more efficient experience. In live tests of complex traffic scenarios, the system uses orchestration tools to manage and communicate critical data including exact positioning and control signalling to and between different objects during tests, including self-driving vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians, motorbikes and physical infrastructure, including traffic signals. It also sees the increased adoption of drone technology, particularly in urban settings, and will also benefit from the ability and reliability to test a multitude of scenarios hitherto impossible. “In the future, communication might not always originate from the sensors on the vehicle itself, but instead from sensors mounted on connected infrastructure or from the sensors of another vehicle,” said Peter Janevik, CEO of Rise AstaZero. “In these types of systems, three key factors are crucial: reliability, ultra-fast communication and intelligent decision-making,” he added. “However, the bitter truth is that without a global, harmonious and integrated testing approach, there is no guarantee that vehicles and infrastructure will have the capabilities to enable the highest level of safety with complete confidence within this connected ecosystem.” Source link #Sweden #claims #worlds #edgeconnected #vehicle #test #facility Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Man remains missing after a Swiss glacier collapsed and destroyed 90% of an Alpine village Man remains missing after a Swiss glacier collapsed and destroyed 90% of an Alpine village GENEVA (AP) — A 64-year-old man remained missing Thursday after a huge mass of rock and ice from a glacier crashed down a Swiss mountainside the day before. The landslide sent plumes of dust skyward and coated with mud nearly all of an Alpine village that authorities had evacuated earlier this month as a precaution. State Councilor Stéphane Ganzer told Radio Télévision Suisse that 90% of the village was destroyed. The Cantonal Police of Valais said that a search and rescue operation was underway for the man, whose name wasn’t made public, and it involved a drone with a thermal camera. The regional government said in a statement that a large chunk of the Birch Glacier above the village had broken off, causing the landslide, which also buried the nearby Lonza River bed, raising the possibility of dammed water flows. Video on social media and Swiss television showed that the mudslide near Blatten, in the southern Lötschental valley, partially submerged homes and other buildings under a mass of brownish sludge. In recent days, authorities had ordered the evacuation of about 300 people, as well as all livestock, from the village amid fears that the 1.5 million-cubic meter (52 million-cubic foot) glacier was at risk of collapse. Swiss glaciologists have repeatedly expressed concerns about a thaw in recent years — attributed in large part to global warming — that has accelerated the retreat of glaciers in Switzerland. The landlocked Alpine country has the most glaciers of any country in Europe, and saw 4% of its total glacier volume disappear in 2023. That was the second-biggest decline in a single year after a 6% drop in 2022. Source link #Man #remains #missing #Swiss #glacier #collapsed #destroyed #Alpine #village Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘End of an era’ in Premiership after retirements ‘End of an era’ in Premiership after retirements On this note, Cole admitted in his retirement announcement he didn’t want to be “the old guy, sitting around and hanging on,” as financially-challenged Premiership clubs put their faith in youth. But they have all done remarkably well to get this far. Brown, who will turn 40 in September, has put his longevity down to a love of the game, self-drive, and a desire to make family proud. In 2007 Youngs became Leicester’s youngest ever player, aged just 17, and is still trucking almost two decades later. He points to improvements in sports science, a lower training load, and a healthy slice of luck, while he believes time away from the international game can also help with recovery. “We used to do two double training days a week, and we wouldn’t dream of doing that now,” Youngs says. “There is greater emphasis on recovery and looking after the body. So that has all changed. “International rugby also takes its toll but because some of us have stepped away later in our careers, it has allowed us to freshen up for a couple more seasons.” What position you play is also a factor – Youngs and Care are scrum-halves and Goode and Brown full-backs – with warhorse prop Cole something of an outlier. “I play a different sport to the big lads. I’m not getting the collisions all the time – it is more the stress on the joints,” says Care. “What position you play definitely has an effect, and allows you to have longevity. But I would say we are all pretty stubborn too!” Youngs adds. “That also helps, because you have to be willing to keep doing it for as long as you do.” Care agrees: “Love for the game and playing for a really cool team has also made me go for longer.” But while Care has already played his last game for his beloved Quins, Goode could still bow out winning a record-equalling seventh title, although Saracens need results to go their way on the final day of the regular season on Saturday. For the Leicester trio of Youngs, Cole, and Brown it could also end in fairytale fashion, with the Tigers guaranteed a place in the top four, likely a home semi-final, and a shot at next month’s showpiece. But whoever ends up celebrating on the Twickenham turf on 14 June, the Premiership will feel a very different place next season. Source link #era #Premiership #retirements Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]