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Cassie Testifies About Frequency of Diddy and Escorts Urinating in Her Mouth at Freak Offs: ‘Often Enough’ Cassie Testifies About Frequency of Diddy and Escorts Urinating in Her Mouth at Freak Offs: ‘Often Enough’ Cassie is continuing to detail the freak offs she was allegedly forced to participate in during her relationship with Sean “Diddy” Combs. After the topic of urination during freak offs made headlines from the courtroom on Monday, May 12, Cassie, 38, was asked whether she wanted to be “urinated on” during the alleged sex acts. “No, I did not want it,” she replied on Tuesday, May 13. “It was disgusting, it was too much. I choked. No one could think I wanted it.” Cassie (real name Casandra Ventura) explained that she was choking because there was “too much ******” in her mouth, claiming that Diddy, 55, and an alleged ******* urinated on her. “I didn’t want anyone to ******** on me,” she said before being asked “how often” it happened. “Often enough,” she replied. Pregnant Cassie Spotted Leaving for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ Trial Ahead of Her Testimony “It was obvious I didn’t want to be on the ground being urinated on by two men,” she continued, claiming that the escorts were initially found on Craigslist. Cassie further alleged that the freak offs were lit with candles, claiming that the wax was poured “a few times” on her body. Before testifying, Cassie, who is pregnant with baby No. 3, was spotted heading to New York City’s Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse on Tuesday with husband Alex Fine. (Cassie and Fine, who have been married since 2019, announced earlier this year that they are expecting their third child.) One day prior, both sides shared in opening statements that allegations made by Cassie and an unnamed Jane Doe would be the primary focus of the proceedings. Fine was present for the first day of testimony on Monday. Diddy Allegedly Had ******* ******** in Cassie’s Mouth and More From Opening Statements in Trial Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson alleged on Monday that Cassie once overdosed at a freak off where a sex worker urinated in her mouth. “She tried the first freak off because she loved the defendant and wanted to make him happy,” the lawyer continued. Meanwhile, Jane Doe allegedly believed that her first freak off was a “one-time wild night.” After Johnson’s opening statement, Diddy’s attorney Teny Geragos said, “Sean Combs is a complicated man, but this is not a complicated case.” Geragos claimed no witness could back up the government’s racketeering charges because there was no racketeering conspiracy but admitted that Diddy has a history of violence. Amanda Edwards/WireImage Diddy was charged in September 2024 with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. He pleaded not guilty to all charges and has denied all of the allegations against him. “We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” Diddy’s attorney Marc Agnifilo said in a statement at the time. “He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal. To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.” Cassie Details Freak Offs in Testimony During Diddy Trial: ‘Eventually It Became a Job for Me’ Diddy has since been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn following his arrest. His four requests for bail were denied by Judge Arun Subramanian. Nearly one year before his arrest, Cassie filed a lawsuit accusing him of ******* and physical abuse throughout their relationship. The mogul denied her claims in a statement shared by his attorney. “Mr. Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations,” Diddy’s lawyer Ben Brafman said at the time. One day after the lawsuit was filed, Diddy and Cassie settled out of court. In May 2024, CNN shared a hotel surveillance video of Diddy kicking and grabbing Cassie in 2016 — which he later apologized for in a video shared via Instagram. If you or someone you know has been ********* assaulted, contact the National ******* Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support. If you or someone you know is a human trafficking victim, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. Source link #Cassie #Testifies #Frequency #Diddy #Escorts #Urinating #Mouth #Freak #Offs Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

India approves Apple-supplier Foxconn’s $433 million chip joint venture India approves Apple-supplier Foxconn’s $433 million chip joint venture In this photo illustration, a Foxconn logo is seen displayed on a smartphone. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer, has received approval from the Indian government to build a semiconductor plant in a joint venture with HCL Group, drawing an investment of 37.06 billion rupees ($433 million). The plant, which will be built in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh, will be operational by 2027, Ashwini Vaishnaw, India’s information minister, said in a cabinet briefing on Wednesday. Vaishnaw said the facility will manufacture Foxconn’s display driver chips, which are used in mobile phones, laptops, automobiles, PCs, and other consumer electronics. According to a presentation by the minister, the plant will be designed to produce up to 20,000 wafers and 36 million display driver chips per month. Wafers are thin, circular slices of semiconductor material, usually silicon, which form the base of chips. The deal comes as Apple suppliers including Foxconn are increasingly turning to India in a shift away from China, amid persistent trade tensions between Beijing and Washington. However, bringing chip production to the country has been a difficult and lengthy process. Taiwan’s Foxconn, officially known as Hon Hai Technology Group, first began producing iPhones in India in 2019 and has ramped up capacity in recent years, especially after experiencing pandemic-related production delays in China in 2022. In 2023, the company pulled out of a joint venture with Indian metals-to-oil conglomerate Vedanta to set up a semiconductor and display production plant in the country as part of a $19.5 billion deal. Apple reportedly has been striving to shift most of its iPhone production to India as its manufacturing in China faces threats from U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on the country. India could account for about 15%-20% of total iPhone production by the end of 2025, according to Bernstein analysts. Evercore ISI estimates that 10% to 15% of iPhones are currently assembled in India. Though most of Apple’s most important products, such as smartphones and computers, received exemptions from Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs” last month, officials had warned that the exemptions could be temporary. The U.S. Commerce Department is conducting a national security investigation into imports of semiconductor technology and related downstream products, which could result in new tariffs. U.S. imports from China during Trump’s current term face 30% additional tariffs, while the rate is 10% for most other countries including on India and Vietnam. Analysts have previously told CNBC, that Trump’s tariff policy was expected to accelerate efforts by Apple to shift manufacturing to India. India has been wooing Foxconn as part of its “Semiconductor Mission” which aims to build a strong chips and display ecosystem in the country. The Foxconn joint venture will be the sixth semiconductor unit to be constructed under the plan. — CNBC’s Arjun Kharpal contributed to this report. Source link #India #approves #Applesupplier #Foxconns #million #chip #joint #venture Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Afrikaner Granted Refugee Status by Trump Is Linked to Antisemitic Posts – The New York Times Afrikaner Granted Refugee Status by Trump Is Linked to Antisemitic Posts – The New York Times Afrikaner Granted Refugee Status by Trump Is Linked to Antisemitic Posts The New York TimesThe Road to Trump’s Embrace of White South Africans The New York TimesTrump’s white South African refugee plan is not going over with the Episcopal Church MSNBC NewsAre white South Africans really refugees? A historian who grew up under apartheid explains. vox.comWhy Trump Talks About a “Genocide” in South Africa The New Yorker Source link #Afrikaner #Granted #Refugee #Status #Trump #Linked #Antisemitic #Posts #York #Times Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘I thought the abuse was normal ‘I thought the abuse was normal Francesca Osborne BBC West Investigations Lucy said her ex-boyfriend isolated her from everybody Lucy, not her real name, was just 13 years old when she met her ex-boyfriend online. The start of their relationship was “like something out of a rom-com or romance novel”. “Within two weeks of first contacting him and adding him on social media, he was telling me he loved me,” she said. “At the time, I didn’t know that’s not necessarily normal for relationships.” She recalled how “in the flick of a switch” his personality had become “very dark”, physically abusive and controlling. “He was just very angry, very possessive,” she said. “He had access to all my social media – all my passwords, all my logins. “If people would message me and I was at school, he would message them back and then delete the chats, so I couldn’t see it.” Lucy says she was not allowed to see family or friends and was “isolated” from everybody she knew and trusted. “I thought it was normal, because he was my first proper boyfriend,” she said. If you are affected by the issues in this story, help can be found at the BBC Action LineThe BBC is also running a live page about online safety today, with exclusive stories and expert speakers. You can view it here. Sarah O’Leary is concerned that abuse and control has been normalised in teenage relationships Currently, the abuser and the victim must both be over 16 to meet the legal definition of domestic abuse. While children living in abusive homes are legally recognised as victims of domestic abuse in their own right, this does not extend to under 16s in abusive relationships. Abusive partners can still be charged with a variety of criminal offences – but it is not classified as domestic abuse. This is something campaigners and some domestic abuse charities want to change. ‘Radicalised’ NextLink, which provides domestic abuse support services in Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset, says it is seeing an increase in young people becoming victims of domestic abuse by boys of the same age. Chief executive Sarah O’Leary is concerned social media and other online content are fuelling abusive behaviour and being used as a “toolbox on how to control women”. “We know there’s been a rise in online misogyny and encouraging young men to act out those misogynistic values,” she said. “Much of the ************ that boys will view is violent towards women and girls. “I do think a lot of the boys are witnessing that online and are being radicalised.” She is concerned this is not being recognised as abuse by the young victims involved and rather seen as part of a “normal relationship”. As part of implementing the Online Safety Act, Ofcom has now finalised a series of child safety rules which will come into force for social media, search and gaming apps and websites on 25 July. It says the rules will prevent young people from encountering the most harmful content, including ************, and are designed to protect children from misogynistic, violent, hateful or abusive material. Lucy’s ex-boyfriend used apps to track her location Lucy said she had seen first hand how that online world could become real life, with her ex-boyfriend watching ************ daily. She said: “I personally think that it made his behaviour and opinion of sex very aggressive and violent.” He also used apps to track her location. “I didn’t realise that that’s not normal,” she said. “He would say things like, ‘I don’t want you to get hurt or get kidnapped’ so you need to have your location on for me so I can see where you are.” She said if she did not answer the phone immediately to him, he would “verbally abuse” and shout at her. The deputy chief constable of Gloucestershire Police says they are regularly seeing cases of violence in teenage relationships Deputy chief constable Katy Barrow-Grint, of Gloucestershire Police, said cases like Lucy’s were not uncommon. “Most weeks there will be cases presented to us where there are teenagers who are boyfriend and girlfriend, where there is physical or ******* violence, which would be classified as domestic abuse if they were over 16,” she said. Ms Barrow-Grint is keen to stress that crimes involving young people will always be investigated, even if an offence is not legally classed as domestic abuse. A survey, carried out by the Youth Endowment Fund in 2024, revealed nearly half of all teenage children who had been in a relationship had experienced violent or controlling behaviours from a partner. The charity, which was given £200m by the Home Office to fund and evaluate anti-violence projects, asked more than 10,000 children aged 13-17 in England and Wales about their experiences. At the time, Jess Phillips, minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, described the survey results as “heartbreaking and deeply concerning“. Family handout Holly Newton was stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend after ending the relationship The issues around the age that domestic abuse victims are recognised by law was raised in the House of Commons in January, following a campaign by the family of murdered 15-year-old Holly Newton. Holly was repeatedly stabbed in an alley in Hexham, Northumberland, by her ex-boyfriend Logan MacPhail after she ended their relationship. MacPhail, then aged 16, had become controlling and was stalking Holly, sending texts and phone calls up to 40 times a day. In a statement provided to the BBC a Home Office spokesperson said that the government “is determined to root out” abuse as part of its mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. “We are considering every option to fundamentally transform the system and address this issue head on, and that includes everything from supporting victims to looking at whether we need to change the law,” they added. Gloucestershire Police is now working with the Home Office on a pilot project looking at potential changes in the law. “What we will do here is flag anything that comes to us that appears to be domestic abuse involving young people,” she said. “We’re going to talk to young people about their experiences. “One of the potential activities that could happen is lowering the age [at which domestic abuse is recognised] – but the evidence base that we are collecting here in Gloucestershire will help with the discussions around that.” Debbie Beadle said it is vital that young people are aware of what a healthy relationship looks like For Ms O’Leary, a change in the law cannot come soon enough, to prevent younger victims “falling through the gaps”. “My fear is that by not having them classed as domestic victims, we’re not understanding the pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour and instead viewing them as single incidents or linked in with bullying, knife crime or serious violence,” she said. As well as reviewing the age at which domestic violence can be recognised, there are also calls for more education around healthy relationships. Debbie Beadle is chief executive of the Wiltshire-based charity FearFree, which supports more than 10,000 adult and child victims every year across the South West. “I don’t think we just should rely on laws,” she said. “I think there’s a danger in criminalising children and ultimately what we should be looking at is early intervention and education around what a healthy relationship is. “It’s about looking at the messaging that our young people are getting on social media, through the games they’re playing, the conversations that they’re having at schools.” ‘I experienced it myself’ Ms Beadle feels professionals and parents need to overcome the fear of having open conversations with children. “I do think sometimes we are still trapped in not wanting to talk about it because they’re children and we shouldn’t be talking about this and that’s not helping,” she said. Lucy agrees that education around abuse in teenage relationships needs to be improved. “I didn’t understand any of it. They don’t talk you through it at school. You just don’t hear about child on child abuse,” she said. “You hear about it between parents or older people. I didn’t really know much about domestic abuse until I experienced it myself.” She said this was partly why she wanted to share her story and help others understand that abuse can happen at any age. Tonight’s Points West on BBC One will be taking an in-depth look at issues around online safety, with exclusive stories and expert studio guests. You can watch it live at 18:30 BST or afterwards on the BBC iPlayer. Source link #thought #abuse #normal Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

India approves Apple-supplier Foxconn’s $433 million chip joint venture India approves Apple-supplier Foxconn’s $433 million chip joint venture In this photo illustration, a Foxconn logo is seen displayed on a smartphone. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer, has received approval from the Indian government to build a semiconductor plant in a joint venture with HCL Group, drawing an investment of 37.06 billion rupees ($433 million). The plant, which will be built in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh, will be operational by 2027, Ashwini Vaishnaw, India’s information minister, said in a cabinet briefing on Wednesday. Vaishnaw said the facility will manufacture Foxconn’s display driver chips, which are used in mobile phones, laptops, automobiles, PCs, and other consumer electronics. According to a presentation by the minister, the plant will be designed to produce up to 20,000 wafers and 36 million display driver chips per month. Wafers are thin, circular slices of semiconductor material, usually silicon, which form the base of chips. The deal comes as Apple suppliers including Foxconn are increasingly turning to India in a shift away from China, amid persistent trade tensions between Beijing and Washington. However, bringing chip production to the country has been a difficult and lengthy process. Taiwan’s Foxconn, officially known as Hon Hai Technology Group, first began producing iPhones in India in 2019 and has ramped up capacity in recent years, especially after experiencing pandemic-related production delays in China in 2022. In 2023, the company pulled out of a joint venture with Indian metals-to-oil conglomerate Vedanta to set up a semiconductor and display production plant in the country as part of a $19.5 billion deal. Apple reportedly has been striving to shift most of its iPhone production to India as its manufacturing in China faces threats from U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on the country. India could account for about 15%-20% of total iPhone production by the end of 2025, according to Bernstein analysts. Evercore ISI estimates that 10% to 15% of iPhones are currently assembled in India. Though most of Apple’s most important products, such as smartphones and computers, received exemptions from Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs” last month, officials had warned that the exemptions could be temporary. The U.S. Commerce Department is conducting a national security investigation into imports of semiconductor technology and related downstream products, which could result in new tariffs. U.S. imports from China during Trump’s current term face 30% additional tariffs, while the rate is 10% for most other countries including on India and Vietnam. Analysts have previously told CNBC, that Trump’s tariff policy was expected to accelerate efforts by Apple to shift manufacturing to India. India has been wooing Foxconn as part of its “Semiconductor Mission” which aims to build a strong chips and display ecosystem in the country. The Foxconn joint venture will be the sixth semiconductor unit to be constructed under the plan. — CNBC’s Arjun Kharpal contributed to this report. Source link #India #approves #Applesupplier #Foxconns #million #chip #joint #venture Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

NAB Bank: Thousands of customers unable to access accounts as app goes down NAB Bank: Thousands of customers unable to access accounts as app goes down Thousands of NAB customers are unable to access their accounts as the bank’s app suffers a huge tech outage. Down Detector reported a spike in people reporting issues about 2pm. A NAB spokesperson said the bank is working to fix the issue. “We’re aware of an issue currently impacting some of our services including the NAB app, internet banking, NAB Connect and branch services,’ the spokesperson told DailyMail Australia. “Our tech team is currently investigating and working to fix this as soon as possible. “We apologise for any inconvenience and will keep you updated.” More to come Source link #NAB #Bank #Thousands #customers #unable #access #accounts #app Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Banks are sitting on $500 billion in unrealized losses, and stagflation could cause another Silicon Valley Bank-like crisis Banks are sitting on $500 billion in unrealized losses, and stagflation could cause another Silicon Valley Bank-like crisis Banks got caught “chasing yield” and took big losses when the Federal Reserve dramatically hiked interest rates to fight inflation. Those losses are still hanging around, and several experts told Fortune many core issues from the 2023 banking crisis pose a continued threat to the system if economic conditions deteriorate. Just over two years after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and First Republic, banks are still taking big losses thanks to high interest rates. That’s cause for major concern, several experts told Fortune, especially if President Donald Trump’s tariffs lead to the dreaded combination of “stagflation,” or rising inflation coupled with slowing growth, putting further pressure on lenders. U.S. banks held $482.4 billion in total unrealized losses on securities investments at the end of 2024, according to Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation data, an increase of $118 billion, or 32.5%, from the previous quarter. That number had risen to $515 billion when SVB fell victim to a bank run in March 2023 and peaked at $684 billion later that year. Data for the first quarter of 2025 is expected later this week, but April’s spike in bond yields means any reprieve in the first three months of the year was likely short-lived. These unrealized losses don’t show up on a bank’s income statement unless the assets are sold, but they represent a looming threat to liquidity if depositors get spooked, said Rebel Cole, a finance professor at Florida Atlantic University who worked for a decade in the Federal Reserve System. “All it takes is one bad news story about any of these banks, and we could have another banking crisis like we had in March of [2023],” Cole, who has served as a special adviser to the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, told Fortune. “I’m amazed we haven’t had one since then.” View this interactive chart on Fortune.com There’s an easy explanation for the chart above: When long-term interest rates spike, the value of assets like similarly long-dated U.S. debt or residential mortgage-backed securities declines. Bank losses essentially have been fluctuating with the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield, Cole said, which has been on a wild ride in 2025 amid the Trump administration’s chaotic tariff rollout. It currently sits above 4.5%, approaching its high in the fourth quarter. At that level, the banking system starts “seeing serious problems,” Amit Seru, a finance professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, said in an email statement to Fortune. “It becomes quite bad at 5%,” added Seru, a senior fellow at the university’s Hoover Institution, a conservative-leaning think tank. Cole said that would equate to roughly $600 billion to $700 billion in unrealized investment losses. As the chart shows, many of those securities are designated as being “held-to-maturity.” Since they are not intended to be sold, changes in their market value are not reflected directly on the banks’ financial statements and are instead disclosed in balance sheet notes. However, if lenders are forced to offload some of those investments, Cole said, then the entire portfolio must be marked to market. That means these technically liquid assets become, for the banks’ purposes, exactly the opposite. “It’s like a rock hanging over the neck of the banks,” Cole said. Meanwhile, losses on securities deemed “available-for-*****” are recorded on the financial statements, but do not hit earnings unless assets are sold. For Cole, the distinction makes little difference. The rapid demise of SVB, he noted, came after the bank announced it would take a $2 billion loss on the ***** of available-for-***** securities. “Three days later, they were closed,” Cole said. The failure of the tech industry’s preeminent lender sent shockwaves through the financial system and symbolized the folly of crudely “chasing yield.” When interest rates went to zero during the COVID-19 pandemic, holding a portion of deposits in short-term U.S. Treasury bills provided little return. In search of a bit more upside, banks looked further down the yield curve, pumping more than $2 trillion into investment securities like long-term U.S. Treasuries (considered “risk-free” assets, if held to full repayment), mortgage-backed securities, and similar assets. In 2022, the Fed first insisted it would only raise interest rates slightly to address what it deemed to be “transitory” inflation. Instead, price growth surged to four-decade highs, and the central bank was forced to dramatically hike the federal funds rate from roughly 0% in March 2022 to more than 4.5% a year later. SVB, which had invested more than 90% of its held-to-maturity portfolio in mortgage-backed securities, municipal bonds, and Treasuries with maturities of more than 10 years, became the second-largest bank to fail in U.S. history. Less than two months later, First Republic would overtake SVB on that list. Despite Fed intervention to make uninsured depositors whole and the acquisitions of both banks, the scars of the crisis and its ripple effects still linger. SVB’s fragility snuck up on regulators. They’ve since become much more attuned to problems related to interest-rate risk and depositor flight, Seru said. But many of the core issues persist, he added, as capital requirements still largely ignore unrealized losses on securities and loans, while hedging strategies remain limited across much of the banking system. “So while we may not see another crisis exactly like SVB’s, the ingredients for stress are still present—especially if macroeconomic conditions deteriorate,” Seru wrote. And as long as interest rates remain high, losses banks accumulated during the crisis are still hanging around. “In a stagflation scenario, the risk is that rates will be higher for longer and credit losses will begin to accumulate, in particular for lenders to tech, growth, and [venture capital], where borrowers are characterized by having no earnings and low coverage ratios,” Torsten Sløk, chief economist at private equity giant Apollo Global Management, wrote in a note Monday. Cole, meanwhile, said he sees additional pressure coming from a looming crisis in commercial real estate, leaving banks increasingly vulnerable if investment losses put them under pressure. He said he’s especially worried about regional and super-regional banks with $10 billion to $200 billion in assets, many of which are public companies with major exposure to depositors with holdings above the FDIC’s $250,000 limit for insurance. “They can’t meet one of those runs if they have any unrealized losses on their securities portfolio,” Cole said. “Then they’ll have to mark that to market, and the regulators will close them.” In short, banks face a “nightmare scenario” and are sitting on a “tinderbox.” “And it’s just going to take one spark,” Cole said. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com Source link #Banks #sitting #billion #unrealized #losses #stagflation #Silicon #Valley #Banklike #crisis Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

NBA playoffs: Timberwolves close out Warriors to reach second straight Western Conference finals – Yahoo Sports NBA playoffs: Timberwolves close out Warriors to reach second straight Western Conference finals – Yahoo Sports NBA playoffs: Timberwolves close out Warriors to reach second straight Western Conference finals Yahoo SportsWolves close out Warriors for 2nd straight WCF ESPNHow the Timberwolves eliminated Warriors in Game 5 in NBA playoffs The New York TimesWarriors’ Stephen Curry (hamstring) remains out for must-win Game 5 NBAWithout Steph Curry, Warriors’ season ends as Timberwolves hold off rally in Game 5 The Mercury News Source link #NBA #playoffs #Timberwolves #close #Warriors #reach #straight #Western #Conference #finals #Yahoo #Sports Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Donald Trump says India willing to charge ‘no tariffs’ on US goods Donald Trump says India willing to charge ‘no tariffs’ on US goods US President Donald Trump has said that India has offered to drop all tariffs on goods imported from his country. The Indian government has “offered us a deal where basically they are willing to literally charge us no tariff,” Trump said at an event in Doha. India and the US are currently in talks to negotiate a trade agreement. Delhi has not commented yet on the remarks. The BBC has reached out to India’s commerce ministry for comment. No further details regarding the purported deal with India have been made public yet. Trump was speaking at an event with business leaders in Doha where he announced a series of deals between the US and Qatar including for Boeing jets. According to Bloomberg, the US president also said he had told Apple CEO Tim Cook not to expand production in India. “I said I don’t want you building in India,” Bloomberg quoted Trump as saying, about a conversation he said he had with Cook. He added that Apple will be “upping their production in the United States”. This is a developing story. Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, X and Facebook. Source link #Donald #Trump #India #charge #tariffs #goods Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

GSFL 2025: Veteran Graham Ross to surpass club legend Brett Hall as North Albany league games record holder GSFL 2025: Veteran Graham Ross to surpass club legend Brett Hall as North Albany league games record holder Decorated footballer Graham Ross will officially become North Albany’s league games record holder on Sunday, surpassing club great Brett Hall with his 277th appearance for the Kangas. Source link #GSFL #Veteran #Graham #Ross #surpass #club #legend #Brett #Hall #North #Albany #league #games #record #holder Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Smuggling Under the Cover of Plague Smuggling Under the Cover of Plague In May 1720 an infected ship from the Levant arrived in Marseilles, bringing with it the last major epidemic of bubonic plague in Western Europe. The disease cut a devastating swathe through Provence, killing an estimated 119,000 people before it died out in late 1722. Reaction in the British Isles was febrile. Fears that here, too, the pestilence might travel as an unwelcome passenger of maritime commerce led to severe quarantine measures. Yet, as the London Journal wrote in December 1720, these measures could all be brought to nothing if smugglers ‘bring us the French Plague with their cursed Trade on the Sea Coast’. Seeking to avoid an outbreak the British government tried to impose a maritime cordon sanitaire. Initially, in August 1720, the privy council ordered customs officers to prevent anyone (or anything) coming ashore from ships arriving from the Mediterranean, but in October 1720 the restrictions were extended to require all ships arriving from the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man to undergo a 40-day quarantine. Why? Because Guernsey and the Isle of Man were notorious smuggling centres. Smuggling was endemic in the 18th-century British Isles. Demand for contraband was buoyed by high taxes on desirable commodities – especially East India goods, tobacco, and foreign spirits – imposed after the Glorious Revolution of 1689 to fund British involvement in European wars. Tea, a staple of smuggling cargoes, was, before the 1784 Commutation Act, taxed at the extraordinary rate of 119 per cent. Guernsey and the Isle of Man, having privileges that exempted them from customs and excise enforcement, were well placed to benefit from this lucrative (albeit ********) commercial opportunity. They quickly became hubs in wide-ranging smuggling networks. In these islands smugglers could import goods – from suppliers in France, Scandinavia, the West Indies, and further overseas – break them down into easily handled packages, and send cargoes of contraband to be run ashore onto the poorly monitored coastlines of the British Isles. As early as 1712 John Sherwood, the Registrar of Certificates in Guernsey, reported that ‘French merch[ants] are here in great numbers, their boats come in and go very frequently’. The so-called ‘running trade’ put money into the pockets of the islands’ political and mercantile elite and bread on the tables of the common people: the trade provided work in a myriad of occupations – from porters to coopers, rope-makers, and seafarers. In 1800 there were no fewer than 15 tobacco-processing factories in Guernsey, employing a workforce of above 1,000. It is no surprise, therefore, that Guernsey and Manx officials fiercely resisted (and even sabotaged) the imposition of any restrictions upon maritime traffic – even when the threat of plague loomed large. Smugglers, by George Morland, 1793. Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection. Public Domain. In 1733, when plague in Tripoli prompted renewed restrictions, for example, the royal court of Guernsey refused to pay for a boat to enforce the quarantine on the grounds that this would be an ‘intolerable burden’ that would infringe upon the ‘ancient privileges of this Island’. In evident exasperation the secretary of state replied: It appears pretty extraordinary, that any Words in a Royal Charter, granted for the benefit and advantage of your Island, should be construed to authorise you to neglect the using of those precautions which His Majesty in His great Wisdom & Care of his people … has judged to be necessary for their preservation, from so dreadfull a Calamity. Manx officials were no less recalcitrant. In November 1747 Peter Sidebotham, the king’s officer in the Isle of Man, complained that they invested far more effort in trying to identify (and intimidate) the person who was informing him about smuggling activities than they did in preventing a Dutch ship suspected of carrying the plague from landing and potentially infecting the island. Smugglers, meanwhile, proved adept at getting around quarantine restrictions. Guernésiais smugglers used their long-standing links with communities on the Breton and Norman coasts to obtain false paperwork. In 1721 the privy council reported that ‘it is a growing practice for Smugling Vessels of the Islands of Jersey and Guernzey to … procure blank Bills of Health which they afterwards fill up themselves and avoid the performing [of] Quarantine by producing them as authentick’. Guernésiais officials were also implicated: in September 1722 the house of Andrew Smith, the lieutenant governor’s clerk, was found to contain a mountain of blank bills of health, signatures, and seals. Some smugglers even sought to use the threat of plague to assist their activities. In 1721 Captain Pitman of the Royal Navy sloop Swift reported encountering French shallops – a type of small boat – off Beachy Head who pretended to be fishermen without bills of health. Pitman was unable to investigate, however, because if he boarded any of these vessels to search for contraband the Swift would have to undergo quarantine. Thus, he wrote, it was ‘probable a smuggling trade may be Carryed on under that pretence’. When, in late 1720, ‘dismal accounts’ began to circulate that plague had reached the Isle of Man some suspected that the smugglers themselves might have fabricated the story. In December Joseph Sewell, a customs officer at Chester, reported that a boat carrying brandy from the Isle of Man was prevented from sneaking up the river andforced to turn back out towards the Irish Sea. Sewell noted, however, that the crew was healthy and stated that it ‘looks as if the Acc[oun]t spread of the Plague being there was intended for the Runners to have great opportunities in not having their Ships and Cargoes seized by Officers going on board’. The threat of plague waned after the crisis of the 1720s, but that of smuggling only waxed. A vicious cycle of increasingly draconian repression and violent reaction created a low-grade fever of conflict. Increasingly large, well-armed Guernésiais and Manx vessels contested the British state’s capacity to enforce control over maritime traffic. While the British government did, eventually, stamp out the smuggling centres in the Isle of Man (in 1765) and Guernsey (in 1807) the problem of preventing ******** trade into the British Isles is one that proves troublesome even today. Dabeoc Stanley is a PhD researcher at Lancaster University. Source link #Smuggling #Cover #Plague Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Ukraine-Russia talks to open in Istanbul without Putin, Kremlin confirms Ukraine-Russia talks to open in Istanbul without Putin, Kremlin confirms LONDON — Ukrainian and Russian representatives will meet in Istanbul, Turkey, on Thursday, for their first meeting since the opening weeks of Moscow’s 3-year-old invasion of its neighbor. Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend Thursday’s talks, despite an invitation from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a face-to-face meeting between the two leaders. The return to Istanbul is symbolic, the historic Turkish city having played host to arguably the most successful bursts of diplomacy in three years of devastating warfare. It was there in March 2022 that Ukrainian and Russian negotiators produced the Istanbul Communiqué — the framework of a possible peace agreement to end Russia’s nascent full-scale invasion. Its tradeoff was essentially one of Ukraine accepting permanent neutrality — meaning forever abandoning any hope of becoming a member of NATO — in exchange for ironclad security guarantees. The subsequent intensification of the war and emerging evidence of alleged Russian war crimes — as well as suspicions of sabotage operations against peace talks participants — fatally undermined those early peace efforts. PHOTO: This combination of pictures created on May 12, 2025 shows Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 12, 2024 and a picture of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore on June 2, 2024. (Gavriil Grigorovnhac Nguyen/POOL/AFP/AFP via Getty Images) Later, Istanbul was also the hub of the ****** Sea Grain Initiative that ran from 2022 to 2023, which with the support of Turkey and the United Nations temporarily allowed for the safe export of grain and other agricultural goods from Ukrainian and Russian ports through the ****** Sea — which had by then become a key theater of the fighting — to the rest of the world. Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky — who led talks in 2022 — will lead the Russian delegation. Medinsky will be joined by Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin and Igor Kostyukov, the head of Russia’s military intelligence agency. Zelenskyy and Putin last met in person in France in 2019 for a session of the Normandy Format, a peace forum convened with France and Germany in a bid to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine. The fighting there was touched off by Russia’s annexation of Crimea and subsequent fomentation of a separatist revolt against Kyiv in the Donbas region. Moscow’s 2022 full-scale invasion was a continuation of that initial cross-border aggression, with Russian columns surging out of occupied Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk to seize more territory. Zelenskyy said at a news conference this week he would not meet any other Russian representative, because “everything in Russia depends” on the president. “I will go to Turkey and I’m ready to meet Putin,” Zelenskyy said. Zelenskyy is expected to be in the Turkish capital Ankara on Thursday to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. PHOTO: A local resident looks at destroyed Russian military vehicles displayed at Saint Michael’s Square in Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 14, 2025. (Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty Images) MORE: Ukraine-Russia peace talks ‘chess’ match pits Zelenskyy against Putin President Donald Trump — who since returning to office has been seeking a ceasefire and eventual peace deal — suggested this week that he hoped for progress at Thursday’s talks. “I think we’re having some pretty good news coming out of there today and maybe tomorrow and maybe Friday,” Trump said upon arrival in Qatar on Wednesday. The president even hinted he might even travel to Istanbul, though did not say whether he expected Putin to do the same. “Well I don’t know if he’s showing up,” Trump said of his Russian counterpart. “He would like me to be there, and that’s a possibility. If we could end the war, I’d be thinking about that,” Trump added. The U.S. delegation to Turkey includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio and senior envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg. Speaking at a gathering of NATO foreign ministers in Istanbul on Thursday, Rubio said of his hopes for the upcoming Ukraine-Russia talks, “We’ll see what happens over the next couple of days.” “I will say this, and I’ll repeat it, that there is no military solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Rubio continued. “This war is going to end not through a military solution, but through a diplomatic one, and the sooner an agreement can be reached on ending this war, the less people, less people will die and the less destruction there will be.” Trump, Rubio said, “is interested in building things, not destroying. He wants economies and countries focused on building things, making things, providing opportunity and prosperity for its people, and he’s against all the things that keep that from happening, like wars, like terrorism and all the instability that comes with that.” Putin proposed the talks last weekend, in response to Ukraine’s demand — backed by the leaders of France, Germany, the U.K. and Poland during a joint visit to Kyiv — for a full 30-day ceasefire during which time peace talks could proceed. Trump agreed to the plan by phone, the European leaders said. PHOTO: In this photo taken from video distributed by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on May 13, 2025, a Russian self-propelled multiple rocket launcher fires towards Ukrainian positions in Ukraine. (AP) But Trump then also backed Putin’s offer to restart the talks that collapsed in 2022. Trump even publicly pressed Zelenskyy to “immediately” agree to the meeting. Despite the significance of renewed direct Ukraine-Russia talks, Oleg Ignatov — the International Crisis Group’s senior Russia analyst — told ABC News he had low expectations of an immediate breakthrough. “The Russians clearly say that they’re interested in keeping military and diplomatic pressure on Ukraine,” he said. “They clearly say that there will be long negotiations and Ukraine should be prepared for this.” While Trump agitates for a deal he can sell as a political win, Kyiv and Moscow are maneuvering to avoid blame for the failure of peace talks — and dodge Trump’s subsequent wrath. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha met with Rubio on Wednesday in Istanbul. “I reaffirmed Ukraine’s strong and consistent commitment to President Trump’s peace efforts and thanked the United States for its involvement,” the former wrote om X. “We are ready to advance our cooperation in a constructive and mutually beneficial manner,” he added. “It is critical that Russia reciprocate Ukraine’s constructive steps. So far, it has not. Moscow must understand that rejecting peace comes at a cost.” Ukraine-Russia talks to open in Istanbul without Putin, Kremlin confirms originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Source link #UkraineRussia #talks #open #Istanbul #Putin #Kremlin #confirms Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

iQOO Neo 10 Display, Camera Details Confirmed Ahead of May 26 India Launch; to Get 50-Megapixel Main Camera iQOO Neo 10 Display, Camera Details Confirmed Ahead of May 26 India Launch; to Get 50-Megapixel Main Camera iQOO Neo 10 is set to arrive in India later this month. Its design and colour options have been revealed by the company previously. The smartphone is confirmed to come with a Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 SoC, a 7,000mAh battery with 120W wired charging support and an 8.09mm thick profile. The company has now confirmed the display and camera specifications of the upcoming handset. The Indian version of the iQOO Neo 10 will differ from its ******** counterpart, which was unveiled in November 2024. iQOO Neo 10 Display, Camera, Other Features The iQOO Neo 10 is confirmed to sport an AMOLED display with a 1.5K resolution, a 144Hz refresh rate, and up to 5,000 nits of peak brightness level, the Amazon microsite for the handset confirmed. The size of the screen has yet to be revealed. For optics, the Indian variant of the iQOO Neo 10 will carry a 50-megapixel Sony IMX882 primary rear sensor with optical image stabilisation (OIS) support and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide shooter. The phone will carry a 32-megapixel front camera sensor. Notably, the ******** version carries a 16-megapixel selfie shooter. iQOO has already revealed that the Neo 10 handset will launch in India with a Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 SoC alongside a dedicated Q1 gaming chipset. It is said to have scored over 2.42 million points on the AnTuTu benchmarking test. The phone is teased to be priced under Rs. 35,000. It is claimed to be the segment’s only phone to support 144fps gaming. The iQOO Neo 10 will launch in India on May 26 and will be offered in Inferno Red and Titanium Chrome colour options. For heat dissipation, it will carry a 7,000mm sq vapour cooling chamber. The handset will support LPDDR5X Ultra RAM and UFS 4.1 onboard storage. It will pack a 7,000mAh battery with 120W wired charging support and measure 8.09mm in thickness. The company claims it will be the segment’s slimmest phone with a 7,000mAh battery. Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details. Source link #iQOO #Neo #Display #Camera #Details #Confirmed #Ahead #India #Launch #50Megapixel #Main #Camera Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Argentina orders immigration crackdown with new decree to ‘make Argentina great again’ – CNN Argentina orders immigration crackdown with new decree to ‘make Argentina great again’ – CNN Argentina orders immigration crackdown with new decree to ‘make Argentina great again’ CNNJavier Milei tightens Argentina’s immigration rules in nod to Donald Trump Financial TimesArgentina orders immigration crackdown with decree to ‘make Argentina great again’ NPRMilei eyes deportations, tightens immigration rules Buenos Aires TimesMilei Clamps Down on Immigration to ‘Make Argentina Great Again’ Bloomberg Source link #Argentina #orders #immigration #crackdown #decree #Argentina #great #CNN Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Taiwan’s Computex to Showcase AI Advances, Nvidia’s Huang to Take Centre Stage Taiwan’s Computex to Showcase AI Advances, Nvidia’s Huang to Take Centre Stage At Taiwan’s annual Computex trade show next week, the spotlight is expected to fall, once again, on Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and the latest in Artificial Intelligence (AI), but also on the potential destablising impact of higher US tariffs. Huang, who last year sparked “Jensanity” from avid fans at the fair, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon and Foxconn Chairman Young Liu will be among top executives attending. Computex, which runs May 20-23 and is expected to have 1,400 exhibitors, marks the first major gathering of computer and chip bosses in Asia since US President Donald Trump threatened sweeping reciprocal tariffs in April, pushing companies to produce more in the United States. “If last year’s headline was AI PCs, this year it’s probably going to be about collaboration, driven by the macroeconomics,” said Ian Cutress, chief analyst at consulting firm More Than Moore. Huang, who is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech on Monday, is expected to announce more Nvidia partnerships with AI server firms in Taiwan, such as Foxconn and Quanta. “Obviously, Nvidia relies a lot on the Taiwanese ecosystem to deliver,” Cutress said. “There may be some sort of nod to the political tariff situation.” Nvidia said in April it would produce AI servers worth $500 billion (roughly Rs. 42,77,939 crore) in the US over four years, working with companies like TSMC, Foxconn and Wistron. Nvidia and AMD also have to contend with tighter export controls on sales of advanced AI graphics processing units to China. Qualcomm said it will provide updates on its AI PC developments while MediaTek plans to outline its vision for edge AI, which involves running AI software on devices near the data source, as well as cloud AI. AMD will discuss its advancements in gaming and AI-powered personal computers. Intel’s new CEO Lip-Bu Tan does not plan to speak publicly at Computex this year but will host a private dinner with Taiwanese partners. Taiwan’s Advantech, the world’s largest maker of industrial computers, will return after a decade-long absence with plans to showcase its AI systems. Its chairman, K.C. Liu, said this month that Huang had done much to help the show evolve from being focused on consumer goods such as laptops to one that highlights technological advances and brings much-needed publicity to products for businesses. “Taiwan has also changed,” Liu said. “The entire industry has shifted toward AI, so it’s no longer enough to focus solely on B2C products.” © Thomson Reuters 2025 (This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source link #Taiwans #Computex #Showcase #Advances #Nvidias #Huang #Centre #Stage Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘Real identity of Diane Sindall killer was known on Birkenhead estates’ ‘Real identity of Diane Sindall killer was known on Birkenhead estates’ Jonny Humphries BBC News, Liverpool Handout Diane Sindall, 21, had been due to get married when she was ambushed by an unknown killer The real identity of the man who brutally murdered Diane Sindall was known by people on the estates in Birkenhead, a charity set up in her memory has claimed. Peter Sullivan, now 68, was acquitted of her ******* at the Court of Appeal on Tuesday thanks to new DNA evidence after spending almost 40 years in prison. RASA Merseyside was set up to help victims of ******* violence after the 21-year-old was beaten to death in August 1986 as she walked home from a shift behind the bar at a Bebington pub. Josephine Wood from the charity told the BBC they had been approached by several local people who told them police had the wrong man, but they would not reveal the identity to detectives. These people did not share the name of the man they suspected was the real killer, and were unwilling to come forward as sources to help the investigation. “I know that we were approached on occasions by people who felt they could come to us and talk to us because we’d been set up almost in memory to Diane and as a tribute to her,” Ms Wood said. “We were told on several occasions that the police had the wrong man. “But we didn’t have evidence, we didn’t have anything to offer, we just knew what we’d been told and the people are adamant that you’ve got the wrong person. “But without any evidence, without names, without people willing to come forward which is a really big deal, seriously what could be done?” Josephine Wood said RASA Merseyside had been told on a number of occasions that Peter Sullivan was the wrong man Ms Wood said some deprived areas around Birkenhead at the time had “tribal” and “tight-knit” communities that made it difficult for people to come forward. “If something had happened in that estate it would be really hard for someone to actually come forward and say ‘we know who this is’, for fear of repercussions, for fear of what might happen,” she said. “I would like to think that maybe 40 years down the line we can actually now go back to those people and say ‘come on tell us what you know’. “Tell us what happened, you must feel safer now, you must feel a way that you can come forward, because if this guy hasn’t done it somebody else has and we need to find out who that was.” After Mr Sullivan’s acquittal, Merseyside Police issued an urgent appeal for anyone who had any suspicions about someone they believed could have committed the crime in 1986 to get in touch. Det Ch Supt Karen Jaundrill said the force was desperate for information Det Ch Supt Karen Jaundrill, head of investigations at the force, told the BBC she wanted the communities of Birkenhead to “try and reflect on any individuals that you weren’t happy with at the time”. “It may be that somebody has passed away and you weren’t happy with their behaviour at the time and you think they were linked,” she said. “My ask would be please contact us, regardless of how insignificant you think the information is, and let us judge where that fits into our investigation.” ‘Cannot admit’ Det Ch Supt Jaundrill said the force had been notified in 2023 that a new DNA profile had been extracted from ****** samples preserved from the crime scene. More than 260 men identified as part of the original investigation had been tested and eliminated as potential suspects. Mr Sullivan’s solicitor, Sarah Myatt, previously told the BBC that Mr Sullivan had “never lost hope” that he would be acquitted. She said he continued to maintain his innocence despite the fact he would have had a much stronger case to be freed on licence if he had told the parole board he accepted what he had done. Ms Myatt added: “He said ‘I cannot admit to something I haven’t done’, even though that meant that the parole board would consider things in that way.” Fresh flowers have been left at a memorial to Diane Sindall Both the Crown Prosecution Service and Merseyside Police said they appreciated the impact of the miscarriage of justice on Mr Sullivan, but said the technology to get a DNA profile from samples like the ones recovered did not exist until very recently. The government runs a compensation scheme for victims of miscarriages of justice, which is capped at a maximum of £1m for those who spent more than 10 years in prison. The Miscarriage of Justice Compensation Scheme is separate to any civil legal action that could be brought against any public authority. Ms Myatt, from law firm Switalskis, said she and her colleagues would support any compensation claim Mr Sullivan wished to bring. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “We acknowledge the grave impact miscarriages of justice have and are committed to supporting individuals in rebuilding their lives. “We are actively considering options to ensure any compensation properly supports people and will set out next steps in due course.” Source link #Real #identity #Diane #Sindall #killer #Birkenhead #estates Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

OnePlus 15 Rear Camera Details Leaked; May Use Same Triple Rear Camera Unit as OnePlus 13 OnePlus 15 Rear Camera Details Leaked; May Use Same Triple Rear Camera Unit as OnePlus 13 OnePlus is not expected to unveil the OnePlus 15 until later this year. Nonetheless, a new leak about the camera specifications of the OnePlus 13 successor has emerged online ahead of its putative launch in Q4 this year. The OnePlus 15 may end up using the same triple rear camera setup as the OnePlus 13. The camera setup is said to include a telephoto periscope lens. The phone is expected to run on a Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chipset. Tipster Digital Chat Station (translated from ********) on Weibo opined that the rear camera unit of the OnePlus 15 has not been finalised yet. Currently, the brand is said to be testing a prototype with a triple rear camera setup comprising a 50-megapixel primary camera, a 50-megapixel secondary sensor, and a 50-megapixel telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom. OnePlus is said to be considering a large sensor and an ultra-large sensor option for the main camera. For a telephoto sensor, the company could be testing both small and medium-sized sensors. All these camera configurations are said to be in A/B testing phase now (translated from ********). For reference, the OnePlus 13 has a Hasselblad-branded triple rear camera setup comprising a 50-megapixel Sony LYT-808 primary sensor with 1/1.4-inch size, a 50-megapixel S5KJN5 ultra-wide camera, and a 50-megapixel Sony LYT-600 periscope telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. For selfies, the phone has a 32-megapixel Sony IMX615 front camera. Earlier this week, the same source suggested that the OnePlus 15 will have a 6.78-inch flat LTPO display with 1.5K resolution. It is said to come with an iPhone-like design with a Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chipset under the hood. It is believed to go official in October or November this year in China. The global launch may take place in January 2026. OnePlus 13 Price, Specifications The OnePlus 13 was unveiled in India in January with a price tag of Rs. 69,999 for the 12GB RAM + 256GB storage variant in India. It ships with Android 15-based OxygenOS 15.0 and has a 6.82-inch Quad-HD+ (1,440×3,168 pixels) LTPO 4.1 ProXDR display with up to 120Hz refresh rate. It runs on a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset alongside up to 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 1TB of UFS 4.0 inbuilt storage. The phone is backed by a 6,000mAh battery with 100W wired SuperVOOC charging and 50W wireless charging support. Source link #OnePlus #Rear #Camera #Details #Leaked #Triple #Rear #Camera #Unit #OnePlus Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Dvir Abramovich: Australia’s social fabric strains as Albo cuts role of Special Envoy for Social Cohesion Dvir Abramovich: Australia’s social fabric strains as Albo cuts role of Special Envoy for Social Cohesion There are decisions governments make that are loud — budget blowouts, ministerial scandals, high-profile reforms — and there are decisions that are quiet. They barely register. They come without press conferences or legacy statements. And yet, they leave a deeper mark than anyone realises at the time. This week, the Albanese Government made one of those quiet decisions: to eliminate the role of Special Envoy for Social Cohesion, previously held by Peter Khalil. There was no policy paper, no formal handover, no replacement. Just an assurance that “the whole Government” would continue to work on cohesion, and a nod to separate envoys on anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. And with that, one of the few symbols of national leadership dedicated to stitching this frayed country back together quietly disappeared. At a time when Australia is more fragmented, distrustful and polarised than it has been in decades, the moment invites reflection. Camera IconThis week, the Albanese Government made the decision to eliminate the role of Special Envoy for Social Cohesion, previously held by Peter Khalil. Credit: AAP We live in an age of spiralling distrust between communities, between citizens and institutions, between the margins and the centre. From cultural flashpoints on university campuses, to fractured debates over identity, race, faith and immigration, the old instinct to give one another the benefit of the doubt has curdled into suspicion. What holds us together is no longer self-sustaining. And in such moments, leadership matters. Not just reactive leadership, but symbolic and moral leadership. The kind that says cohesion is not peripheral. It is central. It is the core business of a democracy to hold. When Peter Khalil was appointed as Australia’s first special envoy for social cohesion, the role wasn’t about headlines. It was about listening. Visiting. Reassuring. Showing up when things felt tense and fragile, and reminding communities that someone in Canberra still cared about the common thread. It was a small role. But it stood for a big idea: that social cohesion does not just happen. It must be nurtured. Social cohesion is not a side issue. It is the atmosphere in which democracy, prosperity and public safety all either survive or suffocate. A society that still sees itself as one people — a “we” rather than a collection of competing “mes” — is a society that can withstand crises, absorb shocks, and recover with dignity. It is the unspoken glue that holds the civic order together: the shared assumptions, the small civic courtesies, the quiet instinct to look out for others. When that trust erodes, the consequences are not always immediate, but they are always profound. We lose the capacity to compromise. Every debate becomes a battleground. And when people stop believing they are part of the same national story, they begin to act accordingly. A brittle society may not collapse all at once, but it splinters — one grievance, one act of rage, one moral fracture at a time. Since October 7, 2023, when the ****** attacks in Israel triggered a global cascade of political fury and polarisation, Australia has not been immune. Anti-Semitism has surged at a pace many of us thought unimaginable. There is a growing unease, an ambient tension, a sense that the unwritten rules of mutual respect have been quietly withdrawn. This is not just about anti-Semitism. It is about the deeper rupture underneath. In recent years, *********** governments have spoken often of cohesion, especially in the aftermath of terrorism, racial violence or pandemic-driven stress. But cohesion is not built in moments of crisis. It is built slowly and deliberately, through the everyday rituals of shared nationhood. It emerges from consistent, long-term engagement, from policy grounded in empathy, and from leadership that speaks to the whole of who we are. Cohesion is not a reflex. It is a discipline. A national muscle that must be exercised before the emergency, not during it. It is encouraging that the Government continues to support other envoy roles and remains engaged on issues of identity and belonging. The broader point, however, is that cohesion — real cohesion — requires more than portfolios and policies. It requires presence. It requires a visible, ongoing commitment to the social fabric of the nation, not only in moments of tragedy or volatility, but in the quieter seasons when it is easier to assume that all is well. Camera IconLabor member for Wills Peter Khalil in 2023. Credit: Mick Tsikas/AAPIMAGE Australia is not immune to the centrifugal forces pulling at so many democracies today. We see the pattern elsewhere. The erosion of civic trust. The rise of ideological extremes. The weaponisation of grievance. The healthiest societies are not the ones without disagreement. They are the ones that retain enough shared moral ground to withstand it. And this is where government has a unique responsibility. Not as the only builder of trust, but as its most visible custodian. Through its tone, its decisions, and its willingness to stand in the breach when things threaten to fracture, it helps shape the national story about who belongs, what matters, and what we owe one another. The idea of a national role focused on social cohesion was not just symbolic. It was wise. It quietly affirmed that the project of holding people together is worthy of its own voice. That it is not incidental to good governance, but essential to it. Australia’s social fabric remains strong. But it is under strain. And we should treat cohesion with the same care and intentionality we devote to our economy or national security — not as a passive setting, but as a living system that requires attention and support. The next chapter of *********** life will be defined not only by how we grow, but by how we hold together. That work is not optional. It is urgent. And it deserves nothing less than our full attention. Dr Dvir Abramovich is chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission Source link #Dvir #Abramovich #Australias #social #fabric #strains #Albo #cuts #role #Special #Envoy #Social #Cohesion Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Venus May Be More Earth-Like Than We Thought – And It’s Still Moving Venus May Be More Earth-Like Than We Thought – And It’s Still Moving A new study of Venus suggests that the deeply inhospitable world may be more like Earth than we thought. A new delve into archival data collected decades ago suggests that the alien planet has ongoing tectonic-like processes that are deforming its surface and recycling its crust. If this is the case, then the large, round features on the Venusian surface called coronae may be the key that unlocks our understanding of the planet’s interior processes. “Coronae are not found on Earth today; however, they may have existed when our planet was young and before plate tectonics had been established,” says planetary scientist Gael Cascioli of the University of Maryland and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. “By combining gravity and topography data, this research has provided a new and important insight into the possible subsurface processes currently shaping the surface of Venus.” Magellan images of coronae on Venus: clockwise from top left: Artemis, Quetzalpetlatl, Bahet, and Fotla. (NASA/JPL-Caltech) Venus doesn’t have tectonic plates, like Earth does. Here on our home world, the fragmented plates into which the crust is divided generate a vibrant, active geology and surface features, allowing heat to escape, and recycling crustal material. Even without tectonic plates, however, the Venusian surface is riddled with evidence of internal activity that pushes up from below and creates deformations. One such feature is the coronae. Coronae look a bit like impact craters, consisting of a raised ring, like a crown, surrounding a sunken middle, with concentric fractures radiating outwards. They can be hundreds of kilometers across. Scientists initially thought these structures were craters, but closer analysis revealed that they’re volcanic in nature. They’re thought to be caused by plumes of hot molten material welling up from the planet’s interior, pushing the surface upward into a dome that then collapses inward when the plume cools. The molten material then leaks out of the sides of the collapsed dome to form the ring. Although Venus doesn’t have tectonic plates, tectonic activity is thought to exist in the form of interactions between mantle plumes and the lithosphere. The researchers thought that these interactions could be occurring under the coronae. They developed models to describe different scenarios for the formation of coronae by way of plumes. Then, they compared these models against gravity and topography observations collected by NASA’s Magellan probe, which spent several years orbiting and studying Venus in the 1990s. They used the topography data to identify 75 coronae, and the gravity data to understand what was going on underneath them. The team found that 52 of the coronae cap hot, buoyant plumes of molten material that are less dense than the surrounding material, likely driving tectonic processes. There are two processes that occur here on Earth that could be taking place under coronae on Venus. The first is subduction. On Earth, that occurs when the edge of one tectonic plate gets slurped underneath the edge of the adjacent plate. On Venus, it would look a bit different. As a plume pushes upwards, it forces the surface material to spread outwards and collide with other surface material, pushing some down into the mantle. Illustrations of different types of tectonic activity that may occur beneath coronae on Venus. (Anna Gülcher, CC BY-NC) The other process is lithospheric dripping. As the underside of the lithosphere, or crust, is heated from below, it can start to melt itself, gradually forming oozy drips that are nevertheless cooler and denser than the molten material below, so they eventually break off and fall down into the planetary interior. We don’t know for sure, of course. Between its searing surface temperatures, crushing atmospheric pressure, and acid rain, Venus presents quite a few barriers to exploration. Nevertheless, coronae should, the scientists say, be a major focus for future investigation, not least because of the potential parallels with our own world. “Coronae are abundant on Venus. They are very large features, and people have proposed different theories over the years as to how they formed,” says planetary scientist Anna Gülcher of the University of Bern in Switzerland. “The most exciting thing for our study is that we can now say there are most likely various and ongoing active processes driving their formation. We believe these same processes may have occurred early in Earth’s history.” The research has been published in Science Advances. Related News Source link #Venus #EarthLike #Thought #Moving Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Warning: today’s Wordle answer is the fifth hardest ever – so be careful out there Warning: today’s Wordle answer is the fifth hardest ever – so be careful out there Wordle is a simple game in theory but sometimes a very difficult game in practice, and today’s puzzle rams that point home with force. According to WordleBot, the game’s helpful (albeit snarky) AI tool, puzzle #1,426 has an average score of 5.5 from the 40,000-plus people who have used it so far today. By that measure it’s the hardest Wordle puzzle since January and the fifth hardest of all time. A quick browse of Twitter/X tells the story of the day, with ‘Wordle 1,426 X’ trending right at the top of the platform already. And that’s before most players in the US have even woken up. You may like So, what’s the problem? To answer that I’ll need to reveal the solution, so don’t read past this point if you haven’t played yet. Maybe get some hints from my NYT Wordle today article if you need them. SPOILERS FOR TODAY’S WORDLE, GAME #1,426, ON THURSDAY, 15 MAY 2025 will follow. Fifth hardest ever **FINAL SPOILER ALERT** Right, last chance to stop reading before I reveal the solution. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Today’s answer is EAGER, so yes it’s an ER word. No surprise, right? It’s pretty easy to get a list of the most difficult Wordles ever, because WordleBot records the average for every game that’s been played. In turn, I’ve kept a list of those averages since the ‘Bot launched in April 2022, meaning I now have a spreadsheet ranking 1,138 games by difficulty. By that measure, EAGER is the equal fifth hardest ever, behind only PARER (game #454, average score 6.3), MUMMY (#491, 5.8), CORER (#1214, 5.7) and ROWER (#1310, 5.6). It’s also level with JAZZY (#712). Three of those six words end in ER, which is probably the most difficult type of game to solve – although personally, I have an even more hated Wordle format. That theme continues as you go down the list; of all games with a 5.0 average or above, of which there have now been 28, a total of 13 have ended ER. That’s almost half of the most difficult games ever (obviously). Swipe to scroll horizontally The hardest Wordle puzzles so far Game Answer Date Average score My score 454 PARER Friday, 16 September 2022 6.3 6 491 MUMMY Sunday, 23 October 2022 5.8 6 1214 CORER Tuesday, 15 October 2024 5.7 5 1310 ROWER Sunday, 19 January 2025 5.6 6 712 JAZZY Thursday, 1 June 2023 5.5 4 1426 EAGER Thursday, 15 May 2025 5.5 4 304 FOYER Tuesday, 19 April 2022 5.4 4 613 RIPER Wednesday, 22 February 2023 5.4 6 675 JOKER Tuesday, 25 April 2023 5.4 5 1037 JOLLY Sunday, 21 April 2024 5.4 5 1273 BOXER Friday, 13 December 2024 5.3 5 555 JUDGE Monday, 26 December 2022 5.2 4 714 NANNY Saturday, 3 June 2023 5.2 5 980 PIPER Saturday, 24 February 2024 5.2 4 730 KAZOO Monday, 19 June 2023 5.1 4 795 VERVE Wednesday, 23 August 2023 5.1 5 990 HUNCH Tuesday, 5 March 2024 5.1 5 1065 HITCH Sunday, 19 May 2024 5.1 3 1350 FUZZY Friday, 28 February 2025 5.1 5 375 GAWKY Wednesday, 29 June 2022 5 5 749 COWER Saturday, 8 July 2023 5 5 878 SASSY Tuesday, 14 November 2023 5 6 1039 ROVER Tuesday, 23 April 2024 5 6 1055 JERKY Thursday, 9 May 2024 5 4 1208 MOMMY Wednesday, 9 October 2024 5 5 1218 FIBER Saturday, 19 October 2024 5 6 1300 WAFER Thursday, 9 January 2025 5 6 1385 KRILL Friday, 4 April 2025 5 4 Why are ER words so tough to solve? The problem with ER words is simply that there are so many of them. My analysis of every Wordle answer shows that 141 of the game’s 2,309 original solutions end in ER, making it by far the most likely ending. You might think this would make it easier to solve, because these words are easy to identify – not least because E and R are both very common letters, and therefore played by lots of people in their start word. However, the sheer number of them can make it really tough to then narrow down the other three letters. And the problem is made worse because almost all letters can appear in those first three slots. Not all ER words are difficult, of course. LASER, for instance, had a super-low average of 3.3 back in April 2024 (game #1038). But that’s because those other three letters were L, A and S – which are all very common in their own right, and which appear in many of the best Wordle start words. By contrast, the other letters in EAGER are a repeated E, A and G. The fact that the E is repeated makes it a lot harder to identify, because people don’t generally play letters twice unless they think there’s a strong likelihood that there will be a repeat. Doing it early always feels like throwing away the chance to gain information. All of that leads to what I call the too-many-answers problem, where the solution only differs by one letter from several other words. Today, PAGER, WAGER and LAGER were all alternative answers, and may have occurred to people before they thought of repeating that E at the start. This leads to the classic Wordle fail pattern, with four or five guesses missing one or two letters in vertical lines: Too many choices.#Wordle1426 Wordle 1,426 X/6*May 15, 2025 #Wordle#Wordle1426Wordle 1.426 X/6Good morning pic.twitter.com/QXze5gtvLyMay 15, 2025 #Wordle#Wordle1426Wordle 1.426 X/6Good morning pic.twitter.com/QXze5gtvLyMay 15, 2025 My tips for how to play these words I’ve played every Wordle ever and only lost once, plus my streak is now technically at 1,228 – although the NYT’s inability to cope with people playing in different time zones mean that officially it stands at 63. And yes, that does make me angry. Anyway, it’s hopefully not too arrogant of me to suggest that I know a thing or two about how to avoid losing at this game. And the key is not to keep guessing blindly. This is impossible if you play on hard mode, of course, because there you’re not allowed to leave out letters that have already been turned green. That means that if you found yourself with that -A-ER pattern early on, you’ll have had only two letters spaces remaining in which to try to narrow down the solution. In contrast, I was able to play MAGIC on my third guess, and rule out some 40 possible answers in one go. That left me with only four options: PAGER, WAGER, EAGER and RAGER, according to WordleBot. I don’t think the last of those is a likely solution in reality, and didn’t think of it myself. In my head I had a choice of three words, and three guesses remaining – so I was now free to guess one of them. I went with EAGER and got lucky to score a four, but if it had been wrong, I might have player another narrowing-down word next to guarantee me a six at worst. Not losing my unofficial streak is more important to me than getting a high score, usually. (Image credit: New York Times) The other important thing that I did today was to identify the ER pattern as early as possible. My start word is chosen at random these days; I used to always begin with STARE, but decided to shake things up by changing it daily instead. This often leads to less-than-perfect opening guesses for me, and today I had 777 options left after my initial DUSTY. But in this scenario I always play an ER word next in order to rule out (or in) that possibility as soon as I can. Today, that strategy really paid off. So there you have it: Wordle has another entry in its most-hated list. If you lost your streak today, I commiserate. But don’t worry – there are still another 900 or so Wordles to play, so there’s plenty of time to build it back up again… You might also like Source link #Warning #todays #Wordle #answer #hardest #careful Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Tencent bets on WeChat empire to get ahead in China AI race Tencent bets on WeChat empire to get ahead in China AI race China has not released specific regulation around non-fungible tokens. But technology platforms like Tencent’s WeChat are taking a cautious approach to prevent speculation with NFTs. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images Tencent’s WeChat app is indispensable for people in China. It has 1.4 billion monthly users and is the main messaging service in the country. But it is more than just a way to chat with friends and family. WeChat is often dubbed a super-app because, within the program, you can access many different features like mobile payments and services, such as gaming, booking flights and even paying utlity bills. Tencent executives think this will give it an edge in China’s intensely competitive field of artificial intelligence, where tech giants are spending billions of dollars to get ahead. During a Wednesday earnings call, the Shenzhen-headquartered firm was asked about “agentic AI” — the current obsession of companies around the world. While various companies have differing takes on the phrase, it is broadly understood to refer to AI designed to carry out tasks on behalf of a user. For example, you can prompt the AI on a smartphone to book you a restaurant, and it will work to complete the task across various apps, such as your browser and maps. It’s something akin to what Google is working on with Gemini on Android devices or other chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Tencent has its own chatbot called Yuanbao, which is based on the company’s foundational model and that of DeepSeek, the startup that caused shockwaves across the world at the start of this year with its high-performing AI. Tencent said this will eventually be advanced enough to become a “general agentic AI.” But it is competing with products from rival giants, including Alibaba’s Quark chatbot and Baidu’s Ernie. And Martin Lau, president of Tencent, admitted during an earnings call on Wednesday that this would be “not much different” to other agentic AI provided by its competitors. The executive nevertheless said there is a second product that will set it apart from its rivals — AI that sits within WeChat, or Weixin, as it’s known in China. “Within the Weixin ecosystem there is the opportunity for us to create a pretty unique agentic AI that connects with the unique components of the Weixin ecosystem,” Lau said. He mentioned various features of WeChat including content creation, messaging and Mini Programs — all apps that sit within WeChat. “[This] actually gets into all kinds of information as well as transactional and operative capabiltiies across many different verticals of applications. That will be extremely unique compared to other more general agentic AIs and that’s sort of a very differentiated product for us,” Lau said. Tencent has already started to launch AI tools in WeChat, including search and content generation. But Lau’s comments speak to Tencent’s longer term vision in China, where competition in AI continues to ramp up. Source link #Tencent #bets #WeChat #empire #ahead #China #race Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Do Afrikaners want to leave South Africa for the US? – BBC Do Afrikaners want to leave South Africa for the US? – BBC Do Afrikaners want to leave South Africa for the US? BBCThe Road to Trump’s Embrace of White South Africans The New York TimesTrump’s white South African refugee plan is not going over with the Episcopal Church MSNBC NewsAre white South Africans really refugees? A historian who grew up under apartheid explains. vox.comWhy Trump Talks About a “Genocide” in South Africa The New Yorker Source link #Afrikaners #leave #South #Africa #BBC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Tencent bets on WeChat empire to get ahead in China AI race Tencent bets on WeChat empire to get ahead in China AI race China has not released specific regulation around non-fungible tokens. But technology platforms like Tencent’s WeChat are taking a cautious approach to prevent speculation with NFTs. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images Tencent‘s WeChat app is indispensable for people in China. It has 1.4 billion monthly users and is the main messaging service in the country. But it is more than just a way to chat with friends and family. WeChat is often dubbed a super-app because, within the program, you can access many different features like mobile payments and services, such as gaming, booking flights and even paying utlity bills. Tencent executives think this will give it an edge in China’s intensely competitive field of artificial intelligence, where tech giants are spending billions of dollars to get ahead. During a Wednesday earnings call, the Shenzhen-headquartered firm was asked about “agentic AI” — the current obsession of companies around the world. While various companies have differing takes on the phrase, it is broadly understood to refer to AI designed to carry out tasks on behalf of a user. For example, you can prompt the AI on a smartphone to book you a restaurant, and it will work to complete the task across various apps, such as your browser and maps. It’s something akin to what Google is working on with Gemini on Android devices or other chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Tencent has its own chatbot called Yuanbao, which is based on the company’s foundational model and that of DeepSeek, the startup that caused shockwaves across the world at the start of this year with its high-performing AI. Tencent said this will eventually be advanced enough to become a “general agentic AI.” But it is competing with products from rival giants, including Alibaba‘s Quark chatbot and Baidu‘s Ernie. And Martin Lau, president of Tencent, admitted during an earnings call on Wednesday that this would be “not much different” to other agentic AI provided by its competitors. The executive nevertheless said there is a second product that will set it apart from its rivals — AI that sits within WeChat, or Weixin, as it’s known in China. “Within the Weixin ecosystem there is the opportunity for us to create a pretty unique agentic AI that connects with the unique components of the Weixin ecosystem,” Lau said. He mentioned various features of WeChat including content creation, messaging and Mini Programs — all apps that sit within WeChat. “[This] actually gets into all kinds of information as well as transactional and operative capabiltiies across many different verticals of applications. That will be extremely unique compared to other more general agentic AIs and that’s sort of a very differentiated product for us,” Lau said. Tencent has already started to launch AI tools in WeChat, including search and content generation. But Lau’s comments speak to Tencent’s longer term vision in China, where competition in AI continues to ramp up. Source link #Tencent #bets #WeChat #empire #ahead #China #race Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

NFL schedule 2025: Key dates & fixtures including Christmas Day, play-offs & Super Bowl 60 NFL schedule 2025: Key dates & fixtures including Christmas Day, play-offs & Super Bowl 60 Football is a big part of the holidays in the US. The Detroit Lions have hosted a Thanksgiving game every year since 1934 and this season they welcome the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, 27 November (18:00 GMT). After hosting their first Thanksgiving game in 1966, only twice have the Dallas Cowboys not played on the holiday, and this year ‘America’s Team’ face the Chiefs (21:30 GMT). The Baltimore Ravens then complete the Thanksgiving triple-header at home to the Cincinnati Bengals (01:20 GMT, 28 November). In 2023, the NFL played its first game on ****** Friday – the day after Thanksgiving – and this year the Eagles host the Chicago Bears in a game which will be broadcast on Amazon Prime (20:00 GMT). After streaming two games on Christmas Day last season, Netflix will again feature two festive fixtures, with the Washington Commanders hosting the Cowboys (18:00 GMT) before the Minnesota Vikings welcome the Lions (21:30 GMT). There is even a third Christmas game this year as Amazon Prime will show Kansas City’s home match with the Denver Broncos (01:15 GMT, 26 December). Source link #NFL #schedule #Key #dates #fixtures #including #Christmas #Day #playoffs #Super #Bowl Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Assault charges against Capricorn Metals CEO Paul Criddle dismissed but he won’t come back as boss Assault charges against Capricorn Metals CEO Paul Criddle dismissed but he won’t come back as boss Paul Criddle is not returning to Capricorn Metals as its chief executive despite aggravated assault charges against him being dismissed. Source link #Assault #charges #Capricorn #Metals #CEO #Paul #Criddle #dismissed #wont #boss Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]