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Billionaire lifestyle trailblazer lights up festival Billionaire lifestyle trailblazer lights up festival America’s first self-made female billionaire – often hailed as the original global influencer – Martha Stewart has hit the stage at Sydney’s Vivid festival. The home-making icon has had an extremely full life, including publishing more than 100 books, hosting Emmy award-winning television shows and running a successful e-commerce business. In the early 2000s she faced a five-month stint behind bars after being convicted of conspiracy, obstruction and lying to federal investigators, although she maintains her innocence. At 83 years old, Stewart is showing no signs of slowing down. Appearing as part of Vivid’s Global Storyteller series in conversation with Benjamin Law, she reflected on her extraordinary career, personal brand and love for home-making and design. Stewart spoke about some of her most memorable moments in popular culture and how she has stayed relevant for more than 40 years. She last visited Australia for a family holiday in 2019, but said she was looking forward to exploring Sydney. “I have made some wonderful memories travelling to Australia over the years, so I am thrilled to return for Vivid Sydney,” she said. “I’m always looking for inspiration when I travel so I’m excited to see what Sydney has to offer.” Vivid Sydney was excited to welcome one of the most revered and fascinating minds to its stage, festival director Gill Minervini said. “We could not think of a better figure that encapsulates this year’s theme of Dream more than Martha Stewart,” she said. Source link #Billionaire #lifestyle #trailblazer #lights #festival Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Exclusive-China flexes military muscle with East Asian naval activity, sources say Exclusive-China flexes military muscle with East Asian naval activity, sources say By Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard (Reuters) -China has flexed its muscles this month by sending an unusually large number of naval and coast guard vessels through a swathe of East Asian waters, according to security documents and officials, in moves that have unnerved regional capitals. Since early May, China deployed fleets larger than usual, including navy, coast guard and other ships near Taiwan, the southern Japanese islands and the East and South China Seas, according to three regional security officials and documents of regional military activities reviewed by Reuters. On May 21 and May 27, for instance, China deployed nearly 60 and more than 70 ships, respectively, around three-quarters of them naval, the documents show. These included guided-missile frigates, destroyers and coast guard boats. Beijing also dispatched two aircraft carrier groups, with the Shandong now in the busy waterway of the South China Sea and the Liaoning off the southeastern coast of Taiwan, the documents show. “They are exerting pressure on the whole of the first island chain amid global geopolitical uncertainties,” said one security official. The reference is to waters stretching from Japan through Taiwan, the Philippines and on to Borneo, enclosing the seas around China’s coast. “They are trying to reinforce their dominance,” the source said, adding that drills this month by the Liaoning, the oldest of China’s three aircraft carriers, simulated attacks on foreign ships and aircraft around the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea. There was an “obvious” stepped-up ******** naval presence this month, added a second source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, as did the first, citing the sensitivity of the intelligence assessment. “China clearly wants to show these are its home waters and it can operate when and where it wants,” the source said. China’s defence ministry did not respond to a request for comment. LIVE FIRE DRILLS Over the past two weeks China declared several live-fire drill areas off its coast, including last week one directly facing southwestern Taiwan. Last Wednesday, ******** state television showed images of amphibious drills in the southern province of Fujian, across the strait from Taiwan, but did not give an exact location. This week, Japan has been tracking the Liaoning and its accompanying warships through the southern Japanese islands and into the Western Pacific. China seems to be trying to improve its capacity to operate far from the ******** coast, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said. “The Japanese government intends to keep a close eye on relevant movement and do its utmost in carrying out monitoring and surveillance activities,” he told reporters on Wednesday. Speaking in Beijing, ******** foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the ships’ activities were in line with international law and practice and Japan should “look at them objectively and rationally”. China has kept up its stand-off with the Philippines in the South China Sea, where its foreign ministry on Friday urged the Philippines to immediately stop “infringement and provocation”. The Philippine Navy’s spokesperson on South China Sea issues, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, told Reuters that China’s “******** presence” in the maritime zones of Southeast Asian states “has been disturbing the peace in the region and is contrary to pronouncements of its ‘peaceful rise’.” The spike in ******** military activity has also come as Taiwan President Lai Ching-te marked the anniversary this month of a year in office. China has staged three major rounds of war games since the inauguration of Lai, whom it calls a “separatist”. On Wednesday, Taiwan’s defence ministry said the Liaoning was off the island’s southeast coast, adding that Taiwan would raise its combat preparedness in line with the threat level. (Reporting by Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Joe Cash in Beijing, Karen Lema in Manila and Kiyoshi Takenaka in Tokyo) Source link #ExclusiveChina #flexes #military #muscle #East #Asian #naval #activity #sources Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

CMF Phone 2 Pro Review: A Perfect Blend of Style and Speed CMF Phone 2 Pro Review: A Perfect Blend of Style and Speed CMF by Nothing’s first phone, the CMF Phone 1, caught everyone’s attention by bringing innovations to the sub-Rs. 20,000 price segment and a new modular concept. The phone was praised for its quirky design, stable performance, minimal software experience, and ability to use different rear panels, bringing fresh air to this segment. Now, the company is back with an upgraded CMF Phone 2 Pro. The latest smartphone from the brand comes equipped with several segment-leading features, a new set of accessories, and more. The handset comes with a price tag of Rs. 18,999 for the base variant with 8GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage, while the top-end option with 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage comes with a price tag of Rs. 20,999. That said, does it really make sense to go for the CMF Phone 2 Pro in 2025? Let’s try to figure it out. CMF Phone 2 Pro Design: Slim, Lightweight, and No-so-Modular Dimensions – 164 x 78 x 7.8mm Weight – 185g Colours – White, ******, Orange, and Light Green The CMF Phone 2 Pro follows the legacy of Nothing when it comes to design. The brand has made sure that the handset offers similar distinctive characteristics to those it did with the CMF Phone 1. However, this time, it has refined it further to make it slimmer and more premium compared to its predecessor. Although the phone is still made of plastic, the brand has made sure to bring different materials to the rear panel to add an oomph factor. The CMF Phone 2 Pro is available in four colour options: White, ******, Light Green, and Orange. The device is available in four colour options: White, ******, Orange, and Light Green. The White and Orange come with a dual-tone finish, while the Light Green and ****** come with a single-tone finish. Furthermore, the Orange comes with a combination of glossy and metallic finishes, while the White comes with a matte and sandstone-like finish. The Light Green colour option, which I got for the review, comes with a glossy finish and by far, it is the most subtle option among the four colourways. The company has done a good job of bringing a solid phone, which is lightweight and sleek, despite offering a plastic build. With just 185 grams in weight and 7.8mm in thickness, the phone is quite comfortable to hold in your hand. Plus, there is little to no flex or hollowness, which is a good thing. You also get an IP54 rating, which is an improvement over the IP52 available on the CMF Phone 1, but it still feels a bit behind compared to the rest of the competition that delivers an IP69 rating in this price segment. The company has introduced a new range of accessories for the CMF Phone 2 Pro. You still get the exposed screws and Accessory Point screws that were part of the original CMF device. CMF Phone 1 brought back the concept of changing the back panel, which was much appreciated by the tech community. However, with the CMF Phone 2 Pro, the brand has parted away from this and instead added the concept of a new Universal Cover to attach the accessories. This also makes sense as it introduced a new range of accessories, including new fisheye and macro lenses and a MagSafe wallet. The lanyard accessory is still there. So, now, to use these accessories, you need to install the Universal Cover. The DIY project is still enjoyable, but I miss changing rear panels. Coming to the accessories, the MagSafe wallet attaches swiftly to the cover and acts as a stand. The fisheye and macro lens extensions can be attached to the camera units with the help of the Universal Cover. You can also remove the Accessory Point to add the lanyard, which I still think is unnecessary, to be honest. I cannot fathom the idea of wearing a phone with a bright orange lanyard and pulling the whole thing like a ‘Pro’. CMF Phone 2 Pro Display: Vibrant and Colourful Display – 6.77-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display Refresh Rate – 120Hz adaptive screen refresh rate Other Features – 480Hz touch sampling rate, Panda Glass protection, HDR10+, 3,000nits peak brightness Nothing has made some changes on the display front. You get a slightly larger screen than its predecessor, though the difference is tiny. However, there are two key differences between the two phones. The new CMF Phone 2 Pro now comes with a 10-bit colour, an upgrade over the 8-bit one in Phone 1. Secondly, you get up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness, while the older model maxed out at 2,000 nits. The handset comes equipped with a 6.77-inch flexible AMOLED display that offers good brightness in outdoor conditions. The display is one of the finest in this price segment. The display is flat and offers rich colours. You can also change the colour profiles using Alive and Normal mode in the display settings. The Alive version produces vivid colours and is active by default. Interestingly, the handset also comes with HDR10+ certification, meaning you can easily watch HDR content on Netflix and YouTube. Moving on, the 120Hz screen refresh rate can now be forced to run all the time, which is a good addition. With this, the scrolls and swipes feel much more responsive than the previous generation. Brightness is also an improvement here, and you will face no problem using it in direct sunlight. The device also features an in-display fingerprint sensor, which is fast and reliable. That said, the only thing that kind of spoils the experience is the mono speaker setup, which it carried from last year. This is disappointing in 2025 when other devices offered in the same price bracket produce better sound output. The down-firing speaker delivers decent output but is not as punchy as expected. CMF Phone 2 Pro Software: Minimalistic and Bloat-free Software – Nothing OS 3.2 Version – Android 15 Updates Promised – 3 Years of OS updates and 6 years of security patches The CMF Phone 2 Pro has the latest Nothing OS 3.2, based on the Android 15 operating system. NothingOS is all about offering a minimalist (almost monochromatic) aesthetic. So, you do get the option to choose between the ******-and-white icons on the home screen with the dot matrix font and design language. Users have access to 24 custom widgets, which basically cover all the day-to-day essentials like clocks, calendars, weather, albums, contacts, and more. The NothingOS is one of my favourite operating systems out there as it delivers the one thing I always crave: a bloat-free experience. You get minimal applications in the CMF Phone 2 Pro, which is in line with Nothing’s ethos. The handset is loaded with NothingOS 3.2, which offer a minimal and bloat-free experience. The biggest addition here is the inclusion of Essential Space, which the brand introduced with the Nothing Phone 3a series. You get a dedicated Essential Space button below the power button to access this feature. Simply put, Essential Space is a mix of on-device and cloud-based AI to help you organise your notes, screenshots, and voice notes in one place. In order to function, you need to press the Essential Key to take a screenshot, press and hold to record a voice note, and double-press to go straight into the application. The whole idea is very thoughtful, and the brand has also made some additions to this feature. It now also recognises images and gives them generative descriptions. However, I am not just a screenshot type of user, so for me, the Essential Space doesn’t really doest not resonate well. I am sure there are users out there who might find this feature quite interesting, but it is not just for me. CMF Phone 2 Pro Performance: Not a Powerhouse, But Still Gets the Job Done Processor – MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro Memory – 8GB LPDDR4X Storage – Up to 256GB UFS 2.2 CMF Phone 2 Pro is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro processor. You also get 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage, which can be expanded using a microSD card slot. More importantly, at least on paper, you get a slightly better processor than the CMF Phone 1’s Dimensity 7300. Benchmark CMF Phone 2 Pro Samsung Galaxy A26 Vivo T4 AnTuTu v10 6,91,275 6,08,318 7,80,665 PCMark Work 3.0 12102 14,250 11,328 Geekbench 6 Single Core 1013 1,013 1,120 Geekbench 6 Multi Core 2928 2,932 3,043 3DM Slingshot Extreme OpenGL NA 4,688 5,307 3DM Slingshot NA 5,820 6,767 3DM Wild Life 3148 2,805 3,924 3DM Wild Life Unlimited 3148 2,733 4,090 GFXBench T-Rex 60 98 109 GFXBench Manhattan 3.1 51 47 51 GFXBench Car Chase 29 26 28 You will not feel much difference between the two phones in terms of daily usage. However, it does feel slightly better when you game or perform tasks that challenge the chipset. Let’s be frank: the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro is not a top performer, but it is no slouch, either. The device feels smooth throughout the day, thanks to the optimisation of the brand and minimalist NothingOS 3.2 operation. So, if you are mindlessly scrolling through Instagram reels or listening to music while reading something on the internet, you will not feel a lag or stutter. Moreover, you can even play most of the casual and latest games on the device without any hiccups. The CMF Phone 2 Pro is loaded with a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro chipset, which is a slight upgrade over the CMF Phone 1. The chipset can also run heavy titles like BGMI and Call of Duty: Mobile with ease; however, you need to keep the settings low to enjoy a lag-free experience. That said, the thermal management is good on this one, and throughout the gaming session, the device didn’t heat up to alarming levels. CMF Phone 2 Pro Cameras: Dependable Rear – 50-megapixel primary sensor with f/1.8 aperture + 50-megapixel telephoto sensor + 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens Front – 16-megapixel sensor with f/2.0 aperture The CMF Phone 2 Pro has a triple-camera setup on the rear panel, which is an improvement over its predecessor. Moreover, this is also one of the first smartphones in the price segment to get a dedicated 50-megapixel telephoto lens. Apart from this, the phone also comes with a 50-megapixel primary sensor and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens. And like most of the recent Nothing Phones, this one also gets the True Lens Engine 3, which improves the overall picture quality. CMF Phone 2 Pro daylight camera samples from primary sensor. Now, coming to the results. The CMF Phone 2 Pro’s primary sensor captures social-media-ready photos. During the day, the images came out to be good, and the colours were accurate. The dynamic range and contrasts were good as well; however, what I noticed that the details were a bit heavily processed, which was improved with a recent update. The portraits taken from the primary sensor also delivered decent results. The skin textures and tones look decent, and the edge detection was on point. CMF Phone 2 Pro daylight camera samples using telephoto lens. Moving on to the star of the show, the 50-megapixel telephoto sensor is one of the biggest highlights of CMF Phone 2 Pro. And it surely does a slightly better job than the primary camera, as the colours look more natural and the contrast and dynamic range are balanced. The telephoto lens does a good job while taking portraits, and I liked the end result in the daylight with better edge detection, while the separation between the foreground and background is more consistent on this sensor. CMF Phone 2 Pro daylight camera samples with wide-angle lens. Lastly, the wide-angle lens is the weakest of the lot. The photos taken from this sensor were under-detailed, while the colours were slightly muted compared to the other two sensors. The details were also quite average, to be honest. CMF Phone 2 Pro low-light camera samples using primary sensor. The low-light camera capabilities of the CMF Phone 2 Pro is also decent for the price range. The primary sensor captures decent details in low light. The colours look good, and the dynamic range is plenty. However, I did notice that the camera was changing the colour of the sky in some photos due to heavy processing. CMF Phone 2 Pro low-light camera samples using telephoto lens. The telephoto does a much better job of capturing details in the low-light conditions. The photos taken with the telephoto lens came out well-detailed and looked much more natural compared to the primary sensor. The contrast is high, while the dynamic range is wide. CMF Phone 2 Pro low-light camera samples using wide-angle lens. On the other hand, the wide-angle lens struggles badly in low-light conditions. The photos often came out soft and blurry. Moving on, the phone comes with EIS support, which you will miss during low-light conditions. I do have to keep the camera more steady as compared to the OIS-supported device to capture photos. The selfie camera is solid. The photos taken in daylight came out with a good level of detail. The skin tone looks natural. Clicking selfies with portrait mode gives you good edge detection and a natural-looking bokeh. You can also change the types of bokeh effect, which is a thoughtful addition. The video capabilities are also at par with the competition. The phone can capture up to 4K video at 30fps. However, the ultra-wide-angle lens can only capture 1080p. Coming to the quality, the video offers plenty of details, natural-looking colours, and a wide dynamic range. However, the lack of OIS support can be witnessed in the videos. CMF Phone 2 Pro Battery: Good output Battery Capacity – 5,000mAh Wired Charging – 33W SuperVOOC Charger – 33W (Included in Box) The CMF Phone 2 Pro 5G comes with a 5,000mAh battery, which is the same as the CMF Phone 1. You get the best battery output, all thanks to the optimisations from the brand. During the review *******, the phone easily lasted a full day with moderate usage, with an average of six hours of screen-on time. The CMF Phone 2 Pro packs a 5,000mAh battery and offers 33W fast charging support. The phone lasted 20 hours and 15 minutes in the HD battery loop test. The charging speeds could have been better. The phone supports 33W fast charging support; this time, the company has included a 33W charger in the box. This is a good addition, provided that most of the brands nowadays are skipping the charger brick. As I said, the charging speeds are not the greatest, but they are doable in this price range. The phone was able to charge from 0 percent to 24 percent in 15 minutes, 47 percent in 30 minutes, and 100 percent in 1 hour and 20 minutes. CMF Phone 2 Pro Verdict To conclude, the CMF Phone 2 Pro offers some improvement over its predecessor, the CMF Phone 1. You get fresh design aesthetics and a new range of accessories to play around. However, while doing this, the brand has moved away from its original concept of providing swappable rear panels. The display is crisp and offers vibrant colours to make the whole streaming experience delightful. The performance is decent for daily usage, and it is meant for heavy gaming enthusiasts, to be honest. The cameras are sure to be the star of the show. The daylight performance is decent from both the primary and telephoto lenses. The battery backup is decent, as well. The CMF Phone 2 Pro seems to bring a breath of fresh air with its unique design and clean software experience. On the flip side, there are some shortcomings as well. The ingress protection has improved, but there is still a long way to go compared to the competition. The mono speaker is unimpressive, and the wide-angle lens could have been better. You might have to consider the slow charging speed, as brands like Realme, Poco, and more are providing far better fast charging speeds. As far as competition is concerned, the CMF Phone 2 Pro will have competition with the likes of the Oppo K13, Poco X7, Realme Narzo 80 Pro, and more. Source link #CMF #Phone #Pro #Review #Perfect #Blend #Style #Speed Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Opera’s new AI browser promises to write code while you sleep – The Verge Opera’s new AI browser promises to write code while you sleep – The Verge Opera’s new AI browser promises to write code while you sleep The VergeOpera’s new browser can code websites and games for you TechCrunchOpera rethinks the role of the browser with Neon, the first AI agentic web browser that will do tasks for you TechRadarGen Digital (NasdaqGS:GEN) Unveils AI-Driven Browser Norton Neo for Safer, Smarter Web Experience Yahoo FinanceMeet Norton Neo: The First Safe AI-Native Browser Now in Early Access WV News Source link #Operas #browser #promises #write #code #sleep #Verge Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

GSFLW 2025: Clubs discuss women and men’s season alignment as reigning premiers indicate possible withdrawal GSFLW 2025: Clubs discuss women and men’s season alignment as reigning premiers indicate possible withdrawal A push to move the playing dates of the women’s season to align with the men’s competition is being considered by the Great Southern Football League. Source link #GSFLW #Clubs #discuss #women #mens #season #alignment #reigning #premiers #withdrawal Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Community raises concerns on possible Geisinger ******* Treatment Center Community raises concerns on possible Geisinger ******* Treatment Center EAST BUFFALO TOWNSHIP, UNION COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A Geisinger ******* Treatment Center is coming to Union County, but not everyone is happy about it. The land, which was once going to be a Giant distribution center, is now planned to become a treatment center. Borough officials say the current plan includes one building bringing in around 300 cars per day. Residents say they’re worried about how the new project could bring a lot of traffic to Route 15. “Because of where it is located and because of how fast the speed is on that hill, it’s going to be nothing but a death trap,” East Buffalo Township resident Tina Prowant said. Wilkes-Barre now better prepared for floods “I think the main concern is traffic safety because it’s on Route 15. Giant had proposed building a supermarket on this site back in the 2000s. This is very different, it’s not going to be anywhere near the traffic volume that the supermarket would create,” East Buffalo Township Chair of Board Supervisors James Knight explained. The borough believes land development has already been approved, and the project is considered an appropriate use for the site. The final step now is for Geisinger to apply for zoning and building permits. Once those are in place, construction can begin. The land is currently being cleared and graded. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com. Source link #Community #raises #concerns #Geisinger #******* #Treatment #Center Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The Order 1886 sequel would have offered ******* fights and multiplayer The Order 1886 sequel would have offered ******* fights and multiplayer A sequel to The Order: 1886 was in development at PlayStation and would have featured larger battles and multiplayer elements. Released in 2015, The Order: 1886 was a steampunk third-person shooter set in an alternative history version of London. The game was developed by Ready at Dawn, which had previously worked on the PSP entries in the God of War franchise. When the game was released, The Order: 1886 was praised for its graphical quality, but the overall critical reception for the game was mixed. Speaking with Julien Chieze, Ru Weerasuriya, the creative director of The Order: 1886, discussed his plans for the game’s sequel, which was in the early stages of development before being cancelled. Weerasuriya describes writing a 10-page pitch for the game, which would have included far ******* fights, as well as multiplayer. Multiplayer was in development for the first game, before being shelved for the sequel. Two sequels were planned for the franchise, The Order 1891 and The Order 1899. While the third game was never in development, Weerasuriya says he had planned where the story of the franchise was planned to go, if he had been able to develop the full trilogy. Weerasuriya also said that he had written stories for The Order franchise that took place in the 20th century. According to Weerasuriya, the mixed critical reception to the first game contributed to the series being cancelled. Andrea Pessino, one of the co-founders of Ready at Dawn, has previously discussed the cancellation of the sequel. Ready at Dawn previously worked on the PSP games Daxter, God of War: Chains of Olympus and God of War: Ghost of Sparta, plus God of War: Origins Collection for PS3, which garnered scores on review aggregation site Metacritic ranging from 84-91. The studio, which also developed the Wii version of Okami and the multiplayer brawler Deformers, later shifted its focus to creating VR games, including Lone Echo and Echo Arena, before being acquired by Meta in 2020. The studio was closed by the Oculus maker last year. Source link #Order #sequel #offered #******* #fights #multiplayer Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Musk says he’s disappointed in ‘big, beautiful bill,’ saying it ‘undermines’ DOGE’s work – The Hill Musk says he’s disappointed in ‘big, beautiful bill,’ saying it ‘undermines’ DOGE’s work – The Hill Musk says he’s disappointed in ‘big, beautiful bill,’ saying it ‘undermines’ DOGE’s work The HillElon Musk says Trump’s spending bill ‘undermines’ the work of DOGE Yahoo FinanceMusk bashes the megabill PoliticoElon Musk ‘disappointed’ by Trump’s spending bill, says it undermines what DOGE is doing Fox NewsElon Musk criticises Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful’ tax bill Financial Times Source link #Musk #hes #disappointed #big #beautiful #bill #undermines #DOGEs #work #Hill Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Landsdale shooting: Witness Anthony Prior claims accused ********* Peter Nguyen-Ha threatened to kill him Landsdale shooting: Witness Anthony Prior claims accused ********* Peter Nguyen-Ha threatened to kill him The man at the centre of the ‘meth-fuelled revenge crusade of retribution’ that led to the death of WA father in a case of mistaken identity claims the alleged killer threatened to kill him weeks beforehand. Source link #Landsdale #shooting #Witness #Anthony #Prior #claims #accused #********* #Peter #NguyenHa #threatened #kill Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

survivors describe Israeli settler violence in West Bank survivors describe Israeli settler violence in West Bank Survivors of an attack by violent Israeli settlers have described being “hunted” across a West Bank valley by men armed with pistols, rifles and batons, who beat them so badly that all 10 had to be taken to hospital for their injuries. They included a 14-year-old ************ boy, eight other Palestinians and an Israeli activist, who had three cameras, his phone, car keys and wallet stolen. Moments before the attackers reached the activist, Avishay Mohar, he managed to remove and hide memory cards with photos documenting the early stages of the attack. The assailants, some of them masked, descended on Palestinians dismantling the last homes in the village of Mughayyir al-Deir, east of Ramallah. Its residents had all been forced out by Israeli settlers in an aggressive campaign that lasted less than a week. A group, including two men on *** sanctions list had before established an ******** outpost, consisting of just a basic shelter and a sheep pen, barely 100 metres from a ************ home. Although settlers have long used ******** outposts to harass and displace Palestinians from their land, setting one up effectively inside a village was unprecedented. Rights groups warned it was a sign of both settler impunity and official tolerance for increasingly open and violent land grabs. Images of the latest violence were later recovered by Mohar, a photographer who works for B’Tselem, one of Israel’s most influential human rights groups. “I went to document the residents fleeing the village,” he told the Guardian. “Throughout the day, settlers that now live in an outpost located dozens of metres from the village started wandering around provoking the residents.” Related: Israeli settlers force about 150 Palestinians to leave their West Bank village When the attack began on Saturday, the group of activists called in the police and the army. Within minutes, a military truck arrived, and soldiers moved in to disperse the settlers, eventually persuading them to retreat to their outpost. But once the soldiers had left, the settlers resumed their assault on the Palestinians. They climbed on to the roof of a livestock shed the villagers had been dismantling and began trying to push Palestinians off the structure. “At that point, the Palestinians tried to defend themselves and the settlers started hitting them, Mohar says. They started throwing stones on both sides. Meanwhile, the settlers started making phone calls. I heard them calling other settlers, telling them that the stones were being thrown at them and to come there quickly.” Moments later, dozens more settlers, some masked, descended on the village aboard trucks and ATVs. Many were carrying batons; others had firearms and rifles. “Things escalated at that point,” he said. “One of the Palestinians got hit by a rock in his face and started bleeding. Then I saw a settler that also was hit by something. I didn’t know what it was, but he fell on the ground. He had a gun on his belt. Another settler immediately took the gun off his belt and started shooting. It was a pistol.” Palestinians fled alongside the activists, scrambling toward a nearby valley while settlers continued to fire shots and hurl stones. “My son Omar, who is just 14 years old, was taking videos to document the attack of the settlers,” said Mlehat, 47, one of the ************ men. “The settler used a drone to chase us. They beat my son Omar on the head, he was left more than half an hour bleeding on the scene.” “They did not shoot in the air,” Mohar said. “One had a pistol and two were shooting with M16s or other long rifles. Some of us were hit on the way. I was hit by a rock. On the way, two settlers caught me and hit me and stole everything from me. I had three cameras, one video camera. They stole everything and also my backpack. They searched my pants and took my wallet and car keys.” Mohar began to run as settlers kept shooting in his direction. When they reached the main road, Palestinians and activists realised they had been surrounded. Related: Violent Israeli settlers under *** sanctions join ******** West Bank outpost “We had nowhere to go,” Mohar says. “Those settlers kept shooting at us and telling us to come over to them. We understood that we had nothing to do other than to walk towards them. “When we got there, the settlers immediately took all of our phones and all the things we had in our pockets and smashed it with rocks. Then they made us all sit on the ground. Both masked and unmasked settlers started hitting us with batons and with rocks. They kicked us while we lay on the ground. I got hit by batons on my head, on my eyes, on my back.” “I was sure that they were going to kill me because they kept hitting me with batons and kicking me. But then I heard one of the settlers telling his friends – because I’m Jewish and not ************ – ‘don’t kill him, hit him in the ******’. Then they tried to spread my legs and hit me, but I managed to flip on my belly.” The settlers left the injured where they lay and departed before the ambulance arrived. Ten Palestinians were wounded, some with multiple fractures. “This is all part of a project of ethnic cleansing in the West Bank,” said Mohar. “It’s not done by crazy settlers. It’s a state project. The state is informed of everything. If there was a will to stop those attacks, it would have happened in a minute.” Two violent Israeli settlers, Neria Ben Pazi and Zohar Sabah, who had joined the campaign to drive Palestinians from their homes in Mughayyir al-Deir, had sanctions imposed on them last week by the ***. According to witnesses, they did not take part in the attack. “We lost 25 houses,” said Mlehat, father of the injured 14-year-old boy. “The whole community were displaced. Those settlers are terrorists. They pursue ethnic cleansing against us. They don’t care if you are a child or a grown-up, they do not discriminate between a man or a woman. All of us are a legitimate target for them. What can we do?” For many of the families forced out, it was a second displacement at the hands of Israelis, as their parents and grandparents had been forced from land near the Israeli city of Be’er Sheva when the state was formed in 1948. Source link #survivors #describe #Israeli #settler #violence #West #Bank Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Brazilian prosecutors sue China’s BYD over allegations of slave-like labor conditions – AP News Brazilian prosecutors sue China’s BYD over allegations of slave-like labor conditions – AP News Brazilian prosecutors sue China’s BYD over allegations of slave-like labor conditions AP NewsBrazil sues China carmaker BYD over ‘slave-like’ conditions BBCBrazil prosecutors sue ******** carmaker BYD for violating labor rights ReutersBrazil Sues EV Giant BYD Over ‘Slavery’ Conditions at Plant BloombergBrazilian prosecutors sue ******** carmaker BYD over labour conditions Al Jazeera Source link #Brazilian #prosecutors #sue #Chinas #BYD #allegations #slavelike #labor #conditions #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 Chipset Tipped; Could Be First Samsung Foldable to Adopt Dual-Chip Strategy Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 Chipset Tipped; Could Be First Samsung Foldable to Adopt Dual-Chip Strategy Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy Z Flip 7 in July this year, maintaining its typical release schedule for foldable devices. While it is yet to confirm the existence of the Galaxy Z Flip 7, there have been several rumours about the chipset of the next clamshell foldable phone. A new report coming out of Korea states that Samsung will follow a dual-chip strategy for its foldable smartphone. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 could be the first Samsung foldable to use the company’s own Exynos chipset. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 Could Use Snapdragon 8 Elite in the US As reported by Korean media outlet Hankung, Samsung will use Exynos 2500 in the domestic variant (Korean) of the Galaxy Z Flip 7. Meanwhile, in other regions, including North America, the phone will reportedly run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. Notably, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is said to use the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset in all markets. If Samsung sticks to this rumoured plan, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 may become Samsung’s first foldable to adopt a dual-chip strategy. The South Korean smartphone manufacturer had used Qualcomm chips along with its own Exynos chipsets to power its Galaxy S series in previous years. It used the Snapdragon processor in its flagship phones in select markets like the US, whereas the Exynos was used for devices in other markets, including India. There has been a lot of disagreement on the Web over which chipset the Galaxy Z Flip 7 would use. While some rumours pointed to the Exynos 2500 chipset, others suggested a Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC. If Samsung decides to go with the Exynos 2500 chipset, it would represent a departure from the company’s previous reliance on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors for its foldable lineup. Last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 are equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform for Galaxy. Samsung’s Exynos 2500 is believed to be manufactured using advanced 3nm process. Using an in-house chipset might help the brand to offer more competitive pricing for the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and a better software and hardware synergy. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 is likely to be unveiled in July alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 7. It is rumoured to have a 3.6-inch cover display and a 6.8-inch inner screen. The phone could pack a dual camera unit comprising a 50-megapixel primary sensor and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide sensor. It could pack a 4,300mAh battery with 25W wired charging support. Source link #Samsung #Galaxy #Flip #Chipset #Tipped #Samsung #Foldable #Adopt #DualChip #Strategy Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Albany State Emergency Service volunteer Ben Whittle takes out Great Southern Volunteer of the Year Award Albany State Emergency Service volunteer Ben Whittle takes out Great Southern Volunteer of the Year Award Albany SES volunteer Ben Whittle has won the top award at the Great Southern’s Volunteer of the Year Awards with a range of community organisations and individuals recognised on the night. The annual awards recognise the work of volunteers across the region in a myriad of capacities, from the Albany Returned Services League to the ******* Council, and from the emergency services to arts and radio. Mr Whittle, who accepted his Great Southern volunteer of the year award at a ceremony at Albany Entertainment Centre last Thursday, said he was proud to serve his community as an emergency services volunteer. “It was good to get the acknowledgement more than anything, we’re definitely kept busy and we do a hard job sometimes, so it’s nice to be nominated and to be recognised by the community,” he said. “There’s always a new challenge and a new adventure with the SES, and I love a challenge, so I’ve loved my time volunteering with them and I’m planning on sticking around for a fair while yet. “Volunteering is always an incredibly rewarding way to give back to the community, and there’s a role out there for everyone, whether that’s with us, we’re always after even caterers and communications operators and that sort of thing, or elsewhere, there’s so many different volunteer associations out there that there’ll be something for everyone to do.” Camera IconAlbany SES volunteer Ben Whittle receives his Great Southern volunteer of the year award from Moss Conveyancing’s Davynka Moss. Credit: Jacki Elezovich Mr Whittle won the coveted award out of a field of more than 10 nominees, including two other finalists: ******* Council’s Debby Davies and Albany RSL’s Stephen Edmonds. The second major award of the night was the volunteer organisation of the year, which was awarded to Albany Historic Whaling Station. Managers Jen Bane and Alice Ackley received the award on the organisation’s behalf with Ms Ackley acknowledging all the hard working volunteers in the room on the night and thanking all the organisation’s supporters and volunteers. “We’re very honoured to be accepting this award tonight,” she said. “We have some of our fabulous volunteers here who, each and every day, helped bring the story of our site. “We offer such a wealth of experience to visitors of all backgrounds, and it’s through our volunteers that this experience is just brought to a whole new level. “Working 365 days a year, we’ve got a fabulous team that undertake our maintenance, greeting guests, welcoming people to site, looking after our plans and our wildlife, we’re just so proud and honoured to have them as part of our team, and just delighted to be here tonight.” The four other nominees were Soroptimist International of Albany, Great Southern FM radio, RSLWA Albany branch and the Albany Over 50s Recreation Association. Camera IconAlbany Historic Whaling Station’s Jen Bane and Alice Ackley receive the Great Southern volunteering organisation of the year award. Credit: Jacki Elezovich Source link #Albany #State #Emergency #Service #volunteer #Ben #Whittle #takes #Great #Southern #Volunteer #Year #Award Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Google Play Integrity API Updates to Impact Advanced Users With Rooted Devices, Custom ROMs: Report Google Play Integrity API Updates to Impact Advanced Users With Rooted Devices, Custom ROMs: Report Google’s recent updates to its Play Integrity API are set to make it difficult for advanced users with smartphones that are rooted or running custom ROMs to user certain applications. According to a report, the Google Play Integrity API, which is used by developers to ensure that their apps are running on a secure device, now uses hardware-backed security signals to provide integrity verdicts. This will make it much harder for users with a non-certified version of Android to bypass Google’s checks, and limit their access to various apps or services. Google Play Integrity API Now Uses Hardware-Backed Security Signals The company’s Play Integrity API offers three integrity verdicts for developers: basic, device, and strong. Android Authority reports that the latest update to the API now uses hardware-backed signals when providing the “device” verdict, which are based on information gathered from a user’s device. Google first unveiled these changes in December 2024 Google’s Play Integrity API Photo Credit: Google This means that power users who have a rooted smartphone or a handset with a custom ROM (both of which require the bootloader to be unlocked) will no longer be able to bypass Google’s checks. These users will not be able to access banking, gaming, payment and other applications that require devices to pass the Play Integrity API’s “device” level check. When the company announced these changes to the Play Integrity API, it said it would reduce the number of signals collected from a user’s device, while making it harder for attackers to bypass these protections. The company said all uses of the API would switch to the stronger verdict by this month, and the changes are now rolling out, according to the publication. Similarly, developers who request the “strong” verdict for their apps will be able to determine if the user’s device has received a security patch within the past 12 months. This means that any smartphone running on Android 13 or newer (and not just third-party custom ROMs) might be affected if the manufacturer hasn’t rolled out security updates in the past year. The Play Integrity API is designed to help developers prevent their apps or services from being accessed on devices that are capable of modifying the way they were designed, but it could also prevent users with outdated security patches from accessing their applications. Meanwhile, users with rooted phones, or devices with custom ROMs will have to choose between running mods or switching back to the version of Android their phone shipped with, in order to continue accessing these applications. 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. Meta’s Future Lies With Judge as FTC Antitrust Trial Ends Source link #Google #Play #Integrity #API #Updates #Impact #Advanced #Users #Rooted #Devices #Custom #ROMs #Report Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nissan plans $7 billion funding, including loan backed by *** government, Bloomberg News says Nissan plans $7 billion funding, including loan backed by *** government, Bloomberg News says TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan’s struggling Nissan is considering raising more than 1 trillion yen ($7 billion) from debt and asset sales which would include a syndicated loan guaranteed by the *** government, Bloomberg News said on Wednesday. The country’s third-biggest automaker plans to issue as much as 630 billion yen worth of convertible securities and bonds, including high-yielding U.S. dollar and euro notes, Bloomberg News said, citing documents it had seen. Nissan is also considering taking out a 1 billion pound ($1.35 billion) syndicated loan guaranteed by *** Export Finance, the report said. The report said Nissan is also looking at selling part of the stakes it holds in French automaker and long-standing alliance partner Renault and in battery maker AESC Group, as well as plants in South Africa and Mexico. A representative for Nissan said the company does not comment on speculation, while *** Export Finance did not respond to a request for comment. Bloomberg News cited sources as saying that Nissan’s board did not appear to have approved the funding proposal yet, leaving it unclear whether it would happen. The proposal was also slated to include the rollover of some debt, the report said. Earlier this month, the company presented a sweeping cost-cutting plan under which it plans to reduce its workforce by around 15% and cut car plants to 10 from 17 globally. Sources told Reuters this month that Nissan is considering plans to shut two car assembly plants in Japan and overseas factories, including in Mexico, and stop production in South Africa as part of its cost-cutting plan. Nissan’s shares rose more than 4% following the report but they gave up most of those gains and were last trading up 0.5%. ($1 = 144.5700 yen) ($1 = 0.7421 pounds) (Reporting by Tokyo Newsroom; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Edwina Gibbs) Source link #Nissan #plans #billion #funding #including #loan #backed #government #Bloomberg #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Google Play Integrity API Updates to Impact Advanced Users With Rooted Devices, Custom ROMs: Report Google Play Integrity API Updates to Impact Advanced Users With Rooted Devices, Custom ROMs: Report Google’s recent updates to its Play Integrity API are set to make it difficult for advanced users with smartphones that are rooted or running custom ROMs to user certain applications. According to a report, the Google Play Integrity API, which is used by developers to ensure that their apps are running on a secure device, now uses hardware-backed security signals to provide integrity verdicts. This will make it much harder for users with a non-certified version of Android to bypass Google’s checks, and limit their access to various apps or services. Google Play Integrity API Now Uses Hardware-Backed Security Signals The company’s Play Integrity API offers three integrity verdicts for developers: basic, device, and strong. Android Authority reports that the latest update to the API now uses hardware-backed signals when providing the “device” verdict, which are based on information gathered from a user’s device. Google first unveiled these changes in December 2024 Google’s Play Integrity API Photo Credit: Google This means that power users who have a rooted smartphone or a handset with a custom ROM (both of which require the bootloader to be unlocked) will no longer be able to bypass Google’s checks. These users will not be able to access banking, gaming, payment and other applications that require devices to pass the Play Integrity API’s “device” level check. When the company announced these changes to the Play Integrity API, it said it would reduce the number of signals collected from a user’s device, while making it harder for attackers to bypass these protections. The company said all uses of the API would switch to the stronger verdict by this month, and the changes are now rolling out, according to the publication. Similarly, developers who request the “strong” verdict for their apps will be able to determine if the user’s device has received a security patch within the past 12 months. This means that any smartphone running on Android 13 or newer (and not just third-party custom ROMs) might be affected if the manufacturer hasn’t rolled out security updates in the past year. The Play Integrity API is designed to help developers prevent their apps or services from being accessed on devices that are capable of modifying the way they were designed, but it could also prevent users with outdated security patches from accessing their applications. Meanwhile, users with rooted phones, or devices with custom ROMs will have to choose between running mods or switching back to the version of Android their phone shipped with, in order to continue accessing these applications. 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. Meta’s Future Lies With Judge as FTC Antitrust Trial Ends Source link #Google #Play #Integrity #API #Updates #Impact #Advanced #Users #Rooted #Devices #Custom #ROMs #Report Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Horoscope for Wednesday, 5/28/25 by Christopher Renstrom – SFGATE Horoscope for Wednesday, 5/28/25 by Christopher Renstrom – SFGATE Horoscope for Wednesday, 5/28/25 by Christopher Renstrom SFGATEHoroscopes Today, May 28, 2025 USA TodayYour Free Daily Horoscope for May 28, 2025 Longmont Times-CallToday, this one zodiac sign will likely receive accolades and recognition at work based on an expert’s prediction Hindustan TimesYour Daily Work Horoscope for May 28, 2025 Yahoo Source link #Horoscope #Wednesday #Christopher #Renstrom #SFGATE Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Indian teacher gets life sentence for deadly ‘wedding bomb’ murders Indian teacher gets life sentence for deadly ‘wedding bomb’ murders A former college principal in the eastern Indian state of Odisha has been sentenced to life in prison for sending a parcel bomb that killed a newlywed man and his great aunt in 2018. A court found Punjilal Meher, 56, guilty of *******, attempted *******, and use of explosives in what became known as the “wedding bomb” case that stunned India. The bomb, disguised as a wedding gift, was delivered to the home of Soumya Sekhar Sahu, a 26-year-old software engineer, just days after his wedding. When the couple opened the package, it exploded – killing Sahu and his great aunt, and leaving his wife, Reema, who opened the package, critically wounded. While acknowledging the prosecution’s argument that it was a “heinous” crime, the court declined to classify it as a “rarest of the rare” case deserving the death penalty. The BBC covered the incident in a detailed two-part investigative series. The February 2018 explosion took place in Patnagarh, a quiet town in Odisha’s Bolangir district. The victims had been married just five days and were preparing lunch when a parcel arrived at their home. It was addressed to Soumya and appeared to be a wedding gift, allegedly sent from Raipur in Chattisgarh state, over 230km (142 miles) away. As Soumya pulled a thread on the parcel to open it, a powerful blast tore through the kitchen, killing him and his 85-year-old great-aunt Jemamani Sahu. Reema, then 22, survived with serious burns, a punctured eardrum, and trauma. After a prolonged investigation, police arrested Meher, then 49, a teacher and former principal of a local college where Soumya’s mother worked. Investigators had told me then that Meher harboured a grudge over professional rivalry and meticulously planned the attack. He used a false name and address to mail the bomb from Raipur, choosing a courier service without CCTV or parcel scanning. The bomb travelled over 650km (40 miles) by bus, passing through multiple hands before being delivered. Investigators said it was a crude but deadly device wrapped in jute thread, rigged to detonate on opening. The parcel carrying the explosive bore a fake name – SK Sharma from Raipur. Weeks passed with no clear suspects. Investigators scoured thousands of phone records and interrogated over 100 people, including one man who had made a threatening call after Reema’s engagement – but nothing stuck. Then, in April, an anonymous letter reached the local police chief. It claimed the bomb had been sent under the name “SK Sinha,” not Sharma, and cryptically mentioned motives of “betrayal” and money. The letter claimed three men had “undertaken the project” and were now “beyond police reach”. It cited the groom’s “betrayal” and money – hinting at a scorned lover or property dispute – as motives. It also asked police to stop harassing innocents. The letter turned the investigation. Arun Bothra, a police officer who then headed Odisha’s crime branch, noticed that the handwriting on the parcel’s receipt had been misread: it did resemble “Sinha” more than “Sharma.” Crucially, the letter writer seemed to know this – something only the sender could have known. The police now believed the suspect had sent the letter himself. “It was clear that the sender knew more about the crime than we did. By writing that it was being sent by a messenger, he wanted to tell us that the crime was not the work of a local man. He wanted to tell us that the plot was executed by three people. He wanted to be taken seriously, so he was kind of blowing his fake cover by pointing out a mistake we had made,” Mr Bothra told me in 2018. The victim’s mother, a college teacher, recognised the letter’s writing style and phraseology as that of a colleague, Meher, a former principal she had replaced. Police had previously dismissed Meher’s workplace rivalry as routine academic politics. Now he became the prime suspect. Under questioning, Meher initially offered an implausible story about being forced to deliver the letter under threat. Police allege he later confessed: he had hoarded firecrackers during Diwali, extracted gunpowder, built the bomb, and mailed it from Raipur using a courier. He allegedly left his phone at home to create an alibi and avoided CCTV by not buying a train ticket. Meher had even attended both the victim’s wedding and ********. Additional reporting by Sandeep Sahu in Bhubaneshwar Source link #Indian #teacher #life #sentence #deadly #wedding #bomb #murders Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Abortions stopped in Missouri again in wake of State Supreme Court ruling Abortions stopped in Missouri again in wake of State Supreme Court ruling Jefferson City, Mo. — Planned Parenthood halted abortions in Missouri on Tuesday after the state’s top court ordered new rulings in the tumultuous legal saga over a ban that voters struck down last November. The state’s top court ruled that a district judge applied the wrong standard in rulings in December and February that allowed abortions to resume in the state. Nearly all abortions were halted under a ban that took effect after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. In Tuesday’s two-page ruling, the court ordered Judge Jerri Zhang to vacate her earlier orders and reevaluate the case using the standards the court laid out. Zhang ruled that she was allowing abortions to resume largely because advocates were likely to prevail in the case eventually. The Supreme Court said it should first consider whether there would be harms from allowing abortions to resume. The state emphasized in its petition filed to the state Supreme Court in March that Planned Parenthood didn’t sufficiently prove women were harmed in the absence of the temporary blocks on the broad swath of laws and regulations on abortion services and providers. On the contrary, the state said Zhang’s decisions left abortion facilities “functionally unregulated” and women with “no guarantee of health and safety.” Among the regulations that had been placed on hold were ones setting cleanliness standards for abortion facilities and requiring physicians who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at certain types of hospitals located within 30 miles or 15 minutes of where an abortion is provided. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said in a statement that “today’s decision from the Missouri Supreme Court is a win for women and children and sends a clear message – abortion providers must comply with state law regarding basic safety and sanitation requirements.” Planned Parenthood maintains that those restrictions were specifically targeted to make it harder to access abortion. Still, the organization – which has the state’s only abortion clinics – immediately started calling patients to cancel abortion appointments at clinics in Columbia and Kansas City, according to Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains. Wales said it’s a familiar but disappointing position for the organization. “We have had to call patients in Missouri previously and say you were scheduled for care, your appointment is now canceled because of political interference, new restrictions, licensure overreach by the state,” she said. “To be in that position again, after the people of Missouri voted to ensure abortion access, is frustrating.” Wales said Planned Parenthood hopes to be back in court soon. Sam Lee, director of Campaign Life Missouri, said he was “extremely excited” by the Supreme Court order. “This means that our pro-life laws, which include many health and safety protections for women, will remain in place,” Lee said. “How long they will remain we will have to see.” Missouri is the only state where voters have used a ballot measure to overturn a ban on abortion at all stages of pregnancy. The Republican-controlled state government pushed back in court against allowing abortions to resume – something that didn’t happen until more than three months after the amendment was adopted. Earlier this month, lawmakers approved another ballot measure for an amendment that would reimpose a ban – but with exceptions for pregnancies caused by ***** or *******. It could be on the ballot in 2026 or sooner. Republican senators used a series of rare procedural moves to cut off discussion by opposing Democrats before passing the proposed abortion-rights revision by a 21-11 vote. The measure passed the Republican-led House last month. Immediately after vote, protesters erupted with chants of “Stop the ban!” and were ushered out of the Senate chamber. The newly proposed constitutional amendment would go back to voters in November 2026, or sooner, if Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe calls a special election before then. Before Tuesday’s ruling, 12 states were enforcing bans on abortion at all stages of pregnancy and four more had bans that kicked in at around six weeks – often before women know they’re pregnant. The Battle Over Abortion More Source link #Abortions #stopped #Missouri #wake #State #Supreme #Court #ruling Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

West Coast Eagles select VFL Tom McCarthy with No.1 pick in AFL mid-season rookie draft West Coast Eagles select VFL Tom McCarthy with No.1 pick in AFL mid-season rookie draft West Coast have swooped on VFL star Tom McCarthy with the first pick in this year’s AFL mid-season rookie draft on Wednesday. As expected, the Eagles grabbed the dashing defender after first expressing interest about a month ago. The 24-year-old has bolted into the top level after playing second division football in Victoria less than two years ago, before joining Richmond’s VFL team. FOLLOW ALL THE ACTION FROM THE AFL’S MID-SEASON DRAFT IN OUR LIVE BLOG McCarthy has averaged 23 disposals, six contested, six ground ball gets, three tackles and four score involvements since moving from the midfield to half-back for the Tigers. “I feel so privileged that I’ll get to live my dream and play for West Coast, a very proud, historical club,” McCarthy told the club website. “I’m super pumped to get started I just really want to get over there already and kick the footy around with the boys. “I’ve watched a little bit of West Coast this season and I’m really enjoying the young kids are getting a crack at it and it looks like they’re building something. “They’re playing an exciting brand of footy which I can see myself playing as well, which is good.” He becomes the Eagles’ third No.1 mid-season pick in the past four seasons, joining forward-turned defender Ryan Maric and toughnut Jai Culley — who is now at Melbourne — while they took Jack Hutchinson out of Collingwood’s VFL program with pick No.3 last year. The Eagles had a spot on their list open up because of a season-ending knee injury to premiership hero Dom Sheed in February. West Coast also have a second pick — at No.9 — after they put star forward Jake Waterman on the inactive list this week. The club confirmed on Tuesday the All-*********** will have a shoulder reconstruction after sustaining the injury on Sunday, in the 66-point defeat to the Crows at Adelaide Oval. More to come. Source link #West #Coast #Eagles #select #VFL #Tom #McCarthy #No.1 #pick #AFL #midseason #rookie #draft Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

A retiring chief strains to keep the Capitol Police above the partisan fray A retiring chief strains to keep the Capitol Police above the partisan fray Thomas Manger inherited a force in crisis when he became chief of the U.S. Capitol Police four years ago. He’s now leaving a force under a microscope. The 70-year-old law enforcement veteran came out of retirement just months after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol — tasked with stabilizing a department whose officers had been physically and emotionally battered and whose protective mission had suddenly grown immensely more complicated. But that was only the beginning of challenge for Manger, who soon found himself holding one of the most politicized jobs in all of policing. Within months, an alternative narrative about Jan. 6 took hold on the right, and with many of its proponents now in power in Washington — including President Donald Trump — he has had to strike a careful balance between standing up for his officers and heeding the lawmakers who oversee and fund his department. “I don’t think it’s wise or necessary or useful to try and convince members of Congress what to think,” Manger said. “I think you make the compelling argument about what the Capitol Police need, about what the Capitol Police require to do their jobs and allow them to make a decision.” That’s not to say Manger has been silent. He has spoken out at key junctures, criticizing Trump’s blanket pardons of Jan. 6 offenders and, just last week, the Justice Department’s decision to move toward a $5 million settlement with the family of Ashli Babbit — the Jan. 6 rioter who was shot and killed by a Capitol Police officer while trying to storm a room off the House floor. But in a wide-ranging interview Tuesday — amid his last week on the job before retiring for good — Manger said it wasn’t productive for the embattled force’s chief to be snarled in political fights on the Hill, or in the larger war over the memory of the Capitol insurrection. While Manger has felt compelled to speak up about situations that directly affect his officers, he has taken pains to stay out of other battles. He again called the pardons “an absolute slap in the face to police officers, frankly, all over this country” Tuesday, for instance, but refused to weigh in on the fate of a bronze plaque commemorating the officers who responded to the riot. Congress ordered the fabrication of the memorial and its installation “at a permanent location on the western front of the United States Capitol” in March 2022. The plaque was cast, inscribed with “THEIR HEROISM WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN,” but after Republicans won the House majority the following November, it was put into storage in the Capitol basement. Calling it a “very political issue,” Manger said he has not spoken to Republican congressional leaders about the plaque and declined to call for it to be installed. He said he had not seen the actual memorial, just a photograph. “I hope they will find some middle ground,” he said. “There’s not a lot of memorials that are attached to the Capitol building, but there are certainly a lot of informational pedestals where you have little historical briefings around the campus.” The tap dance reflects the enormous challenges of managing a department that is ultimately responsible to a web of overlapping overseers. There’s the three-member Capitol Police Board, four oversight committees and senior congressional leaders themselves — all of whom have influence over the department and how it operates. Manger — who previously led the departments in Montgomery County, Maryland, and Fairfax County, Virginia — said dealing with the menagerie of Capitol Hill power centers was “very different” from reporting to a single elected executive and “very, very challenging.” That, he said, has required a focus on the future of the Capitol Police and securing what the department needs to keep lawmakers, tourists and staff safe. It’s also a situation that will hang over whoever replaces Manger as chief. “If they pick someone from the inside, they’re going to know what our mission is,” Manger said. “They’ll have that — that’s good. If they pick somebody from the outside, they’re going to have to learn about our mission, the uniqueness of it, but the structure of oversight as well, and there is a learning curve there.” An even ******* challenge for the force, however, has been keeping up with a rising tide of threats against lawmakers. The department reported more than 9,400 in 2024, and a good number of those threats were deemed credible enough to require temporary protective details for rank-and-file lawmakers who otherwise would not be entitled to them. That has stretched resources thin, Manger said: “We’re always robbing Peter to pay Paul to put that together. We should have the staffing to do those kinds of details.” Manger recently made his final budget requests to Congress, asking lawmakers for $967.8 million for fiscal 2026, a 22 percent boost over the current funding level which was set in fiscal 2024. He acknowledged in hearings with appropriators that for his department’s size — about 2,300 sworn officers and civilians — a budget approaching a billion dollars is enormous. He stressed the sweeping intelligence, security and nationwide coordination mandate of the Capitol Police. Both the Trump administration and Republicans on Capitol Hill are trying to rein in federal spending, and lawmakers tasked with spending are expected to begin writing their bills in the coming weeks. The outgoing chief warned against continuing to keep funding flat for the department he’s set to exit long before any spending deal is reached. “It would impact our ability to address the growing number of threats against a member of Congress,” Manger said. “We’d just be crossing our fingers and saying, ‘Well, hope nothing happens,’ because there’s more that we think we can do if we had the resources.” The job of choosing Manger’s replacement will fall to the Capitol Police Board, comprised of House Sergeant-at-Arms William McFarland, Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Jennifer Hemingway and Architect of the Capitol Thomas Austin. Top congressional leaders choose those officials and are expected to have some influence in the pick. Manger said that anyone coming in after him has to know that the job has a much different mandate and set of responsibilities than a municipal police department. He said he would be available as a sounding board but was looking forward to retirement — some consulting work, maybe, and finally fixing the fence in his yard. “One of the things that I really, truly want to get away from is the aggravations of being a police chief,” he said. “So whatever I do, it’s going to be something I want to do.” Source link #retiring #chief #strains #Capitol #Police #partisan #fray Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Your Daily Work Horoscope for May 28, 2025 Your Daily Work Horoscope for May 28, 2025 Your Daily Work Horoscope for May 28, 2025. Discover your Daily Work Horoscope for each zodiac sign here. Aries If that goal seems impossible to reach, put your doubts aside and redouble your efforts. Your hard work will start paying off soon, especially if you’re in a position of leadership. Taurus You can usually read people pretty well, but right now you’re so accurate it’s almost unreal. Your intuition will help you choose the right time to say the right words to the right people. Gemini Early morning meetings are collegial and fruitful if not exactly focused. By the end of the day tomorrow, you’ll have discovered a small financial crisis that needs quick attention. ******* The early hours are well spent making people feel welcome and needed. Toward the end of the day, you can expect a problem to manifest that might take a day or two to solve. Leo You’ll need to build bridges first thing. Those alliances will come in handy later. Don’t hesitate to roll with the punches if they start landing. Your colleagues have your back. Are you meant to be? Find out with our Love Compatibility Report! Virgo Someone in a supervisory capacity is operating on faulty assumptions. You need to find a polite way to question those assumptions without seeming to challenge their authority. Libra Some low-key action that you think will have minimal impact might get someone riled up later today. It shouldn’t be too hard to clear up this misunderstanding, but it will take finesse. Scorpio That deal that came your way is really too good to be true, so stall for time while you come up with a killer rationalization for saying no. Try to see things from the other person’s POV. Sagittarius Be wary of confusion among your peers. Communication will be trickiest with those closest to you. The situation won’t last long, but the consequences might if it gets really bad. Capricorn A conference with a foreign or distant party chould yield interesting results. But expect a small-scale conflict with those you report to in the coming days. The tension should ease up after that. Aquarius You’re able to get mountains of work done today, so dive in and don’t look up until the afternoon. Later, you’ll need to wait on some crucial information before proceeding. Pisces You’re instrumental in dealing with a small crisis that threatens to disrupt office morale. Later, you’ll be able to see that the episode can help you meet your personal ambitions. Need guidance? Your Numerology Reading is a mystic cheat-sheet to living your full potential. Source link #Daily #Work #Horoscope Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Ex-police chief sentenced for ***** and ******* escaped prison disguised as prison guard – NPR Ex-police chief sentenced for ***** and ******* escaped prison disguised as prison guard – NPR Ex-police chief sentenced for ***** and ******* escaped prison disguised as prison guard NPRFormer police chief, serving ******* and ***** sentences, escapes from Arkansas prison AP News’He is just an evil man’: A sister’s grief and trauma reopened after Grant Hardin’s escape KHBSArkansas residents on edge after escape of ex-police chief ‘****** in the Ozarks’ The GuardianHow a controversial type of warrant helped convict a former Arkansas police chief of a decades-old ***** CNN Source link #Expolice #chief #sentenced #***** #******* #escaped #prison #disguised #prison #guard #NPR Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Another one bites the dust: Port Hedland councillor resigns Another one bites the dust: Port Hedland councillor resigns Port Hedland councillor Ambika Rebello became the latest person to resign from the troubled council on Wednesday, following a string of departures earlier this year that sparked concern from Premier Roger Cook. Mr Cook said in February he was “very concerned about the town”, warning people with “extreme views” were contributing to dysfunction within the council. His comments came after multiple resignations, including that of Tim Turner, who described the council environment as “malignant” and “unsafe” following councillor Adrian McRae’s appearance on Russian State television expressing support for President Vladimir Putin. Ms Rebello, elected in 2023, said ongoing challenges made it impossible to continue in good conscience. “It has been an honour and privilege to serve the Hedland community,” she said. “I have approached this role with integrity and a commitment to placing the interests of our residents at the forefront of every decision.” Mayor Peter Carter acknowledged her service and said the council remained committed to improving its internal dynamics. “The council is continuing to address some of its challenges, having acknowledged the need to improve and work better as a team,” Mr Carter said. Despite the latest resignation, the Town of Port Hedland Council retains the minimum number of members required to hold a quorum, with the Wednesday, May 28 ordinary council meeting going ahead as planned. The council has faced ongoing instability in recent years, including a temporary suspension in 2019 and ongoing tensions among elected members. Local Government elections in Port Hedland will be held in October. Source link #bites #dust #Port #Hedland #councillor #resigns Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Asus ROG G700, TUF Gaming T500 Gaming Desktops Launched in India Alongside V400 AIO PCs Asus ROG G700, TUF Gaming T500 Gaming Desktops Launched in India Alongside V400 AIO PCs Asus on Monday launched several gaming desktops and all-in-one (AIO) PCs in India. The Asus TUF Gaming T500 and ROG G700 desktops cater to gamers, equipped with up to Intel Core Ultra 9 processors and up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 Prime GPUs. Meanwhile, the new Asus V440VA and V470VA AIO PCs, part of the V400 AIO PC lineup, offer 27-inch screens and up to Intel Core i7 chipsets. Asus says its AIO PCs are aimed at home users, professionals, retailers, and enterprise use cases, enhanced by their space-saving design. Asus ROG G700, TUF Gaming T500, V440VA and V470VA Price in India Asus ROG G700 price in India is set at Rs. 3,59,990 and the TUF Gaming T500 gaming desktop costs Rs. 84,900. Meanwhile, the Asus V440VA and V470VA AIO PCs are priced at Rs. 49,990 and Rs. 51,990, respectively. As per the company, the Asus ROG 700 will be available via AES, ROG Stores, ASUS Eshop, and Amazon. Meanwhile, the other desktops and AIO PCs will also be made available for purchase at authorised retail partners. Asus ROG G700, TUF Gaming T500 Specifications The Asus ROG G700 is the company’s premium gaming desktop offering. It is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor with Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 Prime 16GB GDDR7 GPU, 32GB of DDR5 SODIMM RAM, and 2TB of PCIe Gen4 SSD storage. The gaming desktop has a B860 motherboard and an 850W Gold PSU. On the front, it gets a 3.5mm headphone jack, a mic-in port, an USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C port, and two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports. It also features an RJ45 gigabit Ethernet port, one DisplayPort 1.4, three 3.5mm headphone jacks, four USB 2.0 Type-A ports, and one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port. The gaming desktop comes with dual-band Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4. The company claims Asus ROG G700’s chassis has a compact form factor and is equipped with RGB lighting. Meanwhile, the Asus TUF T500 is equipped with an Intel Core i5-13420H processor with Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 6GB GDDR6 GPU, 1TB of NVMe PCIe Gen4 SSD storage, and 16GB of DDR5 RAM. The gaming desktop has the same I/O ports on the front as the Asus ROG G700. On the back, it features an RJ45 gigabit Ethernet port, one HDMI 1.4 port, one DisplayPort 1.4, one 7.1 channel audio port, a Kensington Lock, and four USB 2.0 Type-A ports. It is also equipped with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4 capabilities. Asus V440VA, V470VA Specifications The Asus V440VA and V470VA are part of the new V400 AIO lineup. The AIO PCs sport a 27-inch full HD (1,920 x 1,080) LED backlit anti-glare screen with 300 nits brightness and a 16:9 aspect ratio. As per the company, the lineup offers 100 percent sRGB coverage and a 93 percent screen-to-body ratio. Asus V400 AIO PCs are powered by up to a 10-core Intel Core i7-13620H processor clocked at 2.4GHz. It has a 24MB cache, a 4.9GHz burst clock speed, and 16 Threads. The chipset is complemented by Intel UHD Graphics, up to 1TB of PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD storage, and 16GB of DDR5 RAM. The AIO PCs come with a DC-in port for power, one RJ45 gigabit Ethernet port, one HDMI in 1.4 port, one HDMI out 1.4 port, one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C port, and three USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports on the rear. On the front, there’s a Kensington lock, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and one USB 2.0 Type-A port. Source link #Asus #ROG #G700 #TUF #Gaming #T500 #Gaming #Desktops #Launched #India #V400 #AIO #PCs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]