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Kate Middleton Presents 2025 Queen Elizabeth II Award for Design Kate Middleton Presents 2025 Queen Elizabeth II Award for Design The fashion crowd in London is generally known for keeping cool. But on Tuesday, the editors and designers at a ceremony for one of the industry’s most prestigious local awards became palpably excited when Catherine, Princess of Wales, emerged to present this year’s Queen Elizabeth II Award for Design to Patrick McDowell, 29, a Liverpool-born designer. Dressed in an olive Victoria Beckham suit and a white silk ******-bow blouse, Catherine walked with Mr. McDowell among mannequins and models wearing the designer’s looks inside 180 the Strand, the Central London building where the event took place. It was the second time the princess had presented the award, which was created by the British Fashion Council and the British royal family in 2018 to recognize the role London’s fashion industry “plays in society and diplomacy.” The princess did not give public comments at the ceremony, but Mr. McDowell said that their private conversation touched on topics including a shared appreciation for craftsmanship and the designer’s efforts to make collections in Britain and offer customers the option to repair or rework old garments. Mr. McDowell added that, as Catherine toured the clothes on display, she took interest in a tailored sleeveless jacket called “the Wales jacket.” “She said, ‘Why would you call it that?’ with a big smile,” Mr. McDowell said. “What a moment, to be sharing jokes with our future queen.” Catherine’s appearance at the event came as she has been stepping up the pace and profile of her public engagements after her ******* diagnosis and treatment last year. In January, she said her ******* was in remission; about a month later, the Sunday Times of London published an article that suggested that Kensington Palace would no longer be disclosing any details of her outfits to the news media. During the awards ceremony, the princess also met with other young designers who were on hand to showcase their wares, including Conner Ives, an American working in London whose “Protect the Dolls’ T-shirt have spread widely on social media in recent weeks. On Tuesday, Mr. Ives was announced as the 2025 winner of the British Fashion Council/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund award, which came with a grant and an industry mentorship. In past years, the Queen Elizabeth II Award for Design went to designers including Richard Quinn, S.S. Daley and Priya Ahluwalia. It has been presented in the past by other senior royals, including Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III and Princess Anne. Mr. McDowell, whose namesake brand was introduced in 2018, is known for offering made-to-order evening and occasion wear designed in London using recycled textiles and new sustainable materials like sequins made of cellulose. Lady Gaga, Sarah Jessica Parker and Keira Knightley are among the label’s notable fans. Winning the Queen Elizabeth II Award was “a wonderful pat on the back that provides a game-changing stamp of approval,” Mr. McDowell said, as well as an “acknowledgment that working in a circular way is a way forward.” “I’d love to make a piece for her,” Mr. McDowell added, referring to Catherine. “It would be a dream come true.” Source link #Kate #Middleton #Presents #Queen #Elizabeth #Award #Design Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

In Harvard’s archives, British scholars find a lost Magna Carta – The Washington Post In Harvard’s archives, British scholars find a lost Magna Carta – The Washington Post In Harvard’s archives, British scholars find a lost Magna Carta The Washington PostHarvard cut-price Magna Carta ‘copy’ now believed genuine BBCHarvard’s ‘cheap’ copy of the Magna Carta turned out be from 1300 NBC NewsHarvard Law Paid $27 for a Copy of Magna Carta. Surprise! It’s an Original. The New York TimesHarvard’s unofficial copy of Magna Carta is actually an original, experts say The Guardian Source link #Harvards #archives #British #scholars #find #lost #Magna #Carta #Washington #Post Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

BBC joins injured Gazan children as they arrive in Jordan BBC joins injured Gazan children as they arrive in Jordan Fergal Keane Special correspondent Watch: BBC joins Gazans airlifted abroad for treatment after 19 months of war We were flying through the warm light of the setting sun. There were villages and small towns where the lights were coming on. It was a peaceful landscape where people walked and drove without constantly looking to the sky. We were over the suburbs of Amman when Safa’a Salha held up her mobile phone so that I could read a message she’d written. “Oh my God,” this Gaza mother wrote, “Jordan is so beautiful.” The evacuees had come to the Jordanian border by road. I joined them there for the final part of the journey by helicopter to Amman. Safa’a spoke very little English, and in any case the noise of the helicopter made it impossible to converse. She showed me another message. “We used to see this [helicopter] every day and it was coming to bomb and kill. But today the feeling is totally different.” Next to her sat her 16-year-old son Youssef who showed me the scar on his head from his last surgery. He smiled and wanted to speak, not of Gaza but ordinary things. How he was excited by the helicopter, how he liked football. Youssef said he was very happy and gave me a fist bump. Beside him was nine-year-old Sama Awad, frail and scared-looking, holding the hand of her mother, Isra. Sama has a brain tumour and will have surgery in Amman. “I hope she can get the best treatment here,” said Isra, when we were on the ground and the noise of the engines faded. I asked a question which had been answered for me many times by looking at images, but not face to face by someone who had just left. What is Gaza like now? “It is horrible. It is impossible to describe. Horrible on so many levels. But people are just trying to get on with living,” Isra replied. Thirty-three children have been evacuated in total to Jordan from Gaza to receive medical treatment Four sick children were evacuated to Jordan along with twelve parents and guardians. They left Gaza by ambulance this morning and travelled through Israel without stopping until they reached the border crossing. The plan to evacuate children was first unveiled during a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Jordan’s King Hussein in February. Jordan’s stated aim is to bring 2,000 sick children to the kingdom for treatment. So far only 33 have been evacuated to Jordan, each travelling with a parent or guardian. Jordanian sources say Israel has delayed and imposed restrictions and this – along with the resumption of the war – has impeded the evacuation process. Sick Gazans have also been evacuated to other countries via Israel. We put the Jordanian concerns to the Israeli government organisation responsible – Cogat (Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories) – who told us that since “the beginning of the year, and especially in recent weeks, there has been a significant increase in the number of Gazans evacuated through Israel for medical care abroad.” Cogat said thousands of patients and escorts had gone to countries, including Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, the US and others. The statement said that “the ongoing hostilities in the Gaza Strip pose a challenge to the implementation of these evacuation operations.” Israel broke the last ceasefire in March launching a wave of attacks on what it said were ****** positions. Gaza remains a claustrophobic zone of hunger and death for its residents. Those who get out for medical treatment are the exception. According to the UN the population of 2.1 million is facing the risk of famine. The organisation’s head of humanitarian affairs, Tom Fletcher, has appealed to the UN Security Council to act to “prevent genocide” in Gaza. These are strong words for a man trained in the sober traditions of the British Foreign Office and who has served as an ambassador and senior government advisor. The Israeli blockade is preventing essential aid supplies from reaching the population. That along with the continued bombing explain Isra Abu Jame’s description of a place horrible beyond words. The children who arrived in Jordan on Wednesday from Gaza will join a small community of other wounded and sick youngsters in different Amman hospitals. Since January we have been following the case of Habiba Al-Askari, who came with her mother Rana in the hope doctors might be able to save three gangrene infected limbs – two arms, and a leg. But the infection – caused by a rare skin condition – had gone too far. Habiba underwent a triple amputation. Habiba Al-Askari’s mother hopes she will return to Gaza one day. When I met Habiba and Rana again this week, the little girl was using the toes of her remaining foot to scroll, and play children’s games on her mum’s phone. She blew kisses with the stump of her arm. This was a very different child to the frightened girl I met on the helicopter evacuation five months ago. “She’s a strong person,” Rana said. Habiba will be fitted with prosthetic limbs. Already she is determined to walk, asking her mother to hold under her armpits while she hops. Some day, Rana hopes, she will take Habiba back to Gaza. Mother and child are safe and well cared for in Amman, but their entire world, their family and neighbours are back in the ruins. Concerns about Habiba’s health make Rana reluctant to contemplate going back soon. “We have no house. If we want go back where will we go? We would be going back to a tent full of sand…[but] I truly want to return. Gaza is beautiful, despite everything that has happened. To me Gaza will always be the most precious spot on this entire earth.” They will return. But to war or peace? Nobody knows. With additional reporting by Alice Doyard, Suha Kawar, Nik Millard and Malaak Khassouneh. Source link #BBC #joins #injured #Gazan #children #arrive #Jordan Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Fees have risen more than government predicted, private schools say Fees have risen more than government predicted, private schools say Vanessa Clarke and Kate McGough BBC News Phil Leake Data journalist Getty Images The average cost of a place at a private school has increased by 22.6% in the last year – more than government estimates – after the introduction of VAT on fees, the body representing most *** independent schools says. The Independent Schools Council (ISC) says it expects a reduction in pupils applying for private school as a result but that it is too soon to know the full effects of the policy, which was introduced mid-year. The average termly fee for a day school in January was £7,382, which includes 20% VAT, according to the ISC. In January last year the average was £6,021. But an HM Treasury spokesperson says the increase in fees are not only down to VAT and the data “misrepresents reality”. VAT on private school fees was introduced on 1 January across the ***. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the money raised would help “provide the highest quality of support and teaching” in the state sector. At the time, the government predicted fees would increase by about 10% as a result of the changes, saying some schools would be able to absorb part of the cost. The ISC says that many schools were able to reduce their fees, excluding VAT, in January to “cushion the impact” on parents. But the ISC chief executive Julie Robinson says the sector has been hit a “triple whammy” of national insurance changes, an end to charitable business rates relief and “the blow of 20% VAT on fees”. “It seems clear to us that the government has underestimated the effect,” she said. “We know parents have already left the sector because of the threat of VAT coming in so we do expect the reality of this to lead to further decreases but the full effects will only become apparent over the next few years,” Ms Robinson added. The 22.6% increase in average fees compares with an 8.4% rise in 2024 and a 6.4% rise in 2023. The figures were provided to the BBC by the ISC, which represents about 1,400 private schools across the ***. Its annual census, which looks at fees and pupil numbers, is conducted in January and is due to be released next week. Kath decided to remove her 12-year-old son from his private school in October after she was made aware the fees would be increasing in January. “We worked it out and it was unaffordable. Within two terms the cost was going up by 26% to almost £8,000 a term, ” she says. Her son has special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and she originally choose the private sector due to the small class sizes and support offered. “We are a typical middle class family, we are not rolling in it, we have one second hand car and few holidays, we watch our money. At the very least I believe they should have brought it in at the start of the academic year.” “Moving him mid-year was a traumatic experience but we only had 15 days to take a place once we were offered one”, she explains. Kath has now started the process of applying for an education, health and care plan to help her son get the support he needs in his new school. “The state system is stretched and underfunded. He is a happy and resilient boy and now we have to fight for his needs to be met.” Martyn Poynor Headmaster at King’s School in Gloucester, David Morton, says the increase in fees has been very hard on some parents. David Morton, headmaster of The King’s School in Gloucester, which charges pupils between £3,725 and £9,050 a term, says the policy is “misjudged”. “The government is trying to tax the more affluent areas of society in order to support the least affluent, but the wealthiest people have been affected the least.” “It’s low to middle income families and those children on bursaries where the impact of VAT is being felt most,” Mr Morton adds. Given overall student numbers are set to fall by 700,000 in England by 2030, the government is confident that schools in the state sector will be able to accommodate any additional pupils moving from private schools. It estimates about 35,000 will move to the state sector in the long term and the impact will be “very small”. Research by the think tank, the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS), says it would be possible for the state sector to easily accommodate extra pupils as the number leaving is ******* than the total number of children attending private schools. The ISC says some of its members reported a 4.6% fall in Year 7 pupils in September 2024, but experts say the declining birth rate and cost of living could be having an impact. A judicial review of the policy has been brought by three separate groups, including parents of children with SEND and low-paying faith schools. A decision is expected soon. The court heard how the government decided to bring the policy in mid-year to maximise the amount of money it raised. It estimates that the policy will raise an extra £460m this year, rising to £1.8bn by 2029/30. As part of their election campaign, Labour promised this would be used to recruit 6,500 specialist teachers in England over their parliamentary term. The state sector is struggling with recruitment and retention and unfilled vacancies are at a record high. The government says average fees in private schools have risen over the past 25 years and pupil numbers have remained steady. Average fees have risen by 55% in real terms since 2003, even without VAT, according to the IFS. “Ending tax breaks for private schools will raise £1.8 billion a year by 2029-30 to help deliver 6,500 new teachers and raise school standards, supporting the 94% of children in state schools to achieve and thrive”, an HM Treasury spokesperson said. Source link #Fees #risen #government #predicted #private #schools Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Waalitj Marawar (West Coast) training notes: Oscar Allen looks ready as Matt Flynn briefly grounded Waalitj Marawar (West Coast) training notes: Oscar Allen looks ready as Matt Flynn briefly grounded Waalitj Marawar (West Coast) are preparing for a Ross Lyon led Euro-Yroke (St Kilda) at Optus Stadium on Sunday as they look to get their first win of 2025. Here’s what we saw at training on Thursday… Source link #Waalitj #Marawar #West #Coast #training #notes #Oscar #Allen #ready #Matt #Flynn #briefly #grounded Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Delta crew pays tribute to LDS missionary during his ‘final flight’ home Delta crew pays tribute to LDS missionary during his ‘final flight’ home SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Delta Airlines brought Elder Langi home to Utah with a special tribute after he died while serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in North Carolina. A video of a Delta Airlines captain honoring Elder Aleki Langi, 18, while flying him and his family members into Salt Lake City has gone viral on social media, with hundreds of people sharing their love for the family in the comments. PREVIOUS STORY: Utah missionary dies in ‘tragic accident’ while serving in North Carolina “We would like to just take a moment to acknowledge one of our fellow Delta family members,” the captain announces in the video. “They’re on board today in row 34 and they’re accompanying one of their family members on their final flight here to Salt Lake City.” The captain asked the other passengers to stay seated so Elder Langi’s family could be the first to deboard. Crew members lined up on the runway and waved to the family as the plane touched down. “You have our deepest respect and sympathy,” the captain said. The family posted the video calling it the “most bittersweet landing” and thanking the airline for taking care of them and Elder Langi. Earlier this month, Elder Langi was struck by a vehicle that drove onto a sidewalk where he and his two companions were walking. North Carolina officers initially described the incident as a hit-and-run with two of the three missionaries injured. Elder Langi died from his injuries at the scene. Elder Langi’s memorial services will take place on Wednesday afternoon, May 14. “I loved our trip home with our boy but love our Delta family and companions even more,” a family member commented. “They have no idea how much they helped lifted [sic] this load with us.” 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 ABC4 Utah. Source link #Delta #crew #pays #tribute #LDS #missionary #final #flight #home Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Trump’s pharma tariffs threat won’t slow Denmark down Trump’s pharma tariffs threat won’t slow Denmark down Vials move along a conveyor at the Novo Nordisk A/S production facilities in Hillerod, Denmark, on Monday, June 12, 2023. The success of Novo’s bestsellers Ozempic and Wegovy, drugs that help people lose significant amounts of weight, has created something of a gold rush in the pharma industry with about 40 companies developing products that will intensify competition. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Denmark’s economic growth, which economists say is due to an “exceptional surge” in pharmaceutical exports, is expected to weaken this year — but the looming threat of U.S. tariffs on the pharma industry won’t be much of a contributing factor, according to the International Monetary Fund. The IMF on Tuesday said in its latest report on the Nordic country that it expects Denmark, whose economy grew 3.7% in 2024, to see its output moderate to 2.9% this year and to 1.8% in 2026. The declines are set to take place amid anticipated weakness in export growth, including that of pharmaceutical goods. The fund nevertheless noted that Denmark will be protected from potential U.S. tariffs on pharmaceutical imports, as most Danish drug products are neither produced in the country, nor cross its borders. Danish drugmakers have become increasingly reliant on a “merchanting and processing” system in which most of the value of the medicines is attributable to the intellectual property embedded in them, with drugs companies contracting manufacturers in other countries to produce and ship the products. “The U.S. is a key trading partner; however, exports produced in Denmark passing through customs account for only 3 percent of total exports, limiting the direct impact of U.S. tariffs on the Danish economy,” the IMF said, adding that “direct impacts from U.S. tariffs are expected to be limited, but heightened trade tensions and trade policy uncertainty pose risks to the outlook.” Beyond 2026, the fund said, medium-term growth is projected at around 1.5%, “reflecting a maturing pharmaceutical sector and a declining working-age population.” Last fall, IMF economists remarked that Denmark’s growth had been driven by an “exceptional surge” in its pharma industry while the rest of the economy had remained “relatively subdued.” The fund singled out Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk’s massive increase in foreign demand for its diabetes and weight loss medications, Wegovy and Ozempic, as a driver of growth, noting that the company’s sales as a share of Denmark’s GDP increased from 1% in the early 1990s to 8.3% in 2023. Looming threat posed by Trump A ******* headwind for the wider European pharmaceutical industry is U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on drug imports. Pharmaceuticals were exempted from Trump’s initial “reciprocal” tariffs regime announced in April, but the president has since set his sights on the global industry, threatening to place separate levies on pharmaceuticals exported to the States and demanding that U.S. drug prices come down. Signaling his intent on the matter, Trump on Monday signed an executive order directing drugmakers to lower their drug prices to align with the significantly lower prices that are paid abroad. The president did not refer to specific nations, but signaled that he would target other developed countries because “there are some countries that need some additional help, and that’s fine.” “Basically, what we’re doing is equalizing,” Trump said during a press event on Monday. “We are going to pay the lowest price there is in the world. We will get whoever is paying the lowest price, that’s the price that we’re going to get.” White House officials did not disclose which medications the order will apply to, but said that it will impact the commercial market as well as Medicare and Medicaid. In 2022, U.S. prices across all drugs (brands and generics) were nearly three times as high as prices in 33 OECD comparison countries, according to data released in 2024 by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. U.S. President Donald Trump gestures on the day he signs an executive order on prescription drug pricing during a press conference in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 12, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard Nathan Howard | Reuters The threat of tariffs on pharmaceutical imports has been described as a “sword of Damocles” hanging over Europe’s pharma industry, with CEOs warning that there could be an exodus of major continental players to the U.S. in a bid to avoid levies. The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), which represents major European pharmaceutical companies — including Novo Nordisk, Bayer, AstraZeneca, GSK, Roche and Sanofi — warned European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in April that “unless Europe delivers rapid, radical policy change then pharmaceutical research, development and manufacturing is increasingly likely to be directed towards the U.S.” It said that a survey of its members showed that around 100 billion euros ($112 billion) worth of capital expenditure and research and development investments were at risk as a result. “The U.S. now leads Europe on every investor metric from availability of capital, intellectual property, speed of approval to rewards for innovation. In addition to the uncertainty created by the threat of tariffs, there is little incentive to invest in the EU and significant drivers to relocate to the U.S.,” the EFPIA said. — CNBC’s Annika Kim Constantino and Karen Gilchrist contributed reporting to this story Source link #Trumps #pharma #tariffs #threat #wont #slow #Denmark Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Who Is ***** Alexander, the American Hostage Held by ****** in Gaza? Who Is ***** Alexander, the American Hostage Held by ****** in Gaza? ***** Alexander, 21, who was believed to be the last living American citizen held hostage by ****** in Gaza, was released on Monday. The militant group handed over Mr. Alexander as part of a deal negotiated directly with the United States, with minimal Israeli involvement. President Trump had focused on his release since a cease-fire between Israel and ****** collapsed in March. On Monday, Mr. Trump said Mr. Alexander was being released and congratulated “his wonderful parents, family, and friends!” The release comes as Mr. Trump is set to travel to the Middle East. Who is ***** Alexander? Mr. Alexander is an American Israeli dual citizen who grew up in Tenafly, N.J. In 2022, during his senior year of high school, he joined Garin Tzabar, which prepares young people from around the world to join the Israel Defense Forces. He moved to Israel to serve in the military after he graduated and was assigned to the infantry. Mr. Alexander was stationed near the border with Gaza in September 2023. How was he taken hostage? Mr. Alexander was abducted during the Oct. 7, 2023, ******-led attack on Israel that ignited the war in Gaza. He was taken from a tiny military outpost near the border with Gaza. Last year, ****** released a video of him. An American Israeli friend of Mr. Alexander, Omer Neutra, who was serving in the same post, was also taken by ******. In December, the White House announced that Mr. Neutra was killed on Oct. 7 and that ****** had been holding his remains since the attack. He was 21. How has Mr. Alexander’s family responded? His parents, Adi and Yael Alexander, were born in Israel, and they have two other children. They have advocated relentlessly for Mr. Alexander’s freedom, meeting with officials and speaking at rallies. “We live in agony each day that passes without our son,” his parents wrote in a guest essay for The New York Times in September after the discovery of the body of another hostage, the Israeli American Hersh Goldberg-Polin. On Sunday, the Alexanders traveled to Israel with Trump administration officials. In a statement, the family called his coming return “the greatest gift imaginable” and urged Israel’s government to negotiate the release of the remaining captives, saying, “No hostage should be left behind.” What is his condition? The military said in a statement after the handover that he was on his way to Israel and would undergo an initial medical assessment and meet with his family. In images and video shared by the Israeli authorities on Monday, Mr. Alexander looked pale but appeared to be walking normally and was smiling. He enthusiastically reunited with relatives. Source link #***** #Alexander #American #Hostage #Held #****** #Gaza Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Tariffs Push Honda to Move Production From Canada to U.S. Tariffs Push Honda to Move Production From Canada to U.S. In the face of U.S. tariffs, Honda said on Monday that it would shift production of one of its popular vehicles from Ontario to a U.S. factory and postpone an $11 billion plan to make electric vehicles and batteries in Canada. The announcement came less than a month after Honda denied a report in the Japanese media that President Trump’s tariffs would force it to pull back in Canada. It also poses a major challenge for Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada, who won a stunning victory in last month’s election after portraying himself as the leader best suited for dealing with President Trump and the trade war between the two countries. The United States has imposed a 25 percent tariff on many ********* autos and auto parts. Honda’s chief executive, Toshiro Mibe, said in a news conference in Japan that the decision to move the manufacturing of the CR-V sport utility vehicle to the United States was part of the company’s plans to “optimize” production to reduce the effects of tariffs. He blamed sluggish growth of the electric vehicle market for the decision to hold off on an $11 billion expansion of the Ontario factory complex, which would have added battery and electric vehicle production. The expansion, which was backed by substantial financial incentives from the governments of Canada and Ontario, was characterized last year by Justin Trudeau, the prime minister at the time, as the largest investment by an automaker in ********* history. It was projected to employ 1,000 people and was the signature piece of a series of government-backed moves to shift Canada’s auto industry toward electric vehicles. The majority of the CR-Vs made in Canada are shipped to the United States. Ken Chiu, a spokesman for Honda Canada, said that wherever the production of specific models is moved, the company does not plan to cut “production volume or employment” at its ********* factory. Honda currently employs about 4,200 people at its plant in Alliston, Ontario, which also builds Civic sedans as well as engines. Mr. Carney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Honda’s decisions. He is set to swear in his new cabinet Tuesday. The announcement by Honda is the latest in a series of moves by the auto industry to pull back plans for expansion in Canada after the imposition of tariffs by the United States. Stellantis suspended the conversion of a factory in a Toronto suburb to make electric and gasoline powered Jeeps. It has shut down its plant in Windsor, Ontario, which makes minivans and Dodge muscle cars, for a total of three weeks and is also reducing its production schedule during the coming weeks. General Motors’ ********* subsidiary suspended production of an electric commercial van in Ontario. Ford’s lone ********* assembly plant, in Oakville, Ontario, has been idle for nearly a year after the company abandoned plans to make electric vehicles there. Instead, the plant will eventually start making gasoline-powered pickup trucks. Source link #Tariffs #Push #Honda #Move #Production #Canada #U.S Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Webb Spots Mysterious Lightshow on Jupiter That Baffles Scientists – SciTechDaily Webb Spots Mysterious Lightshow on Jupiter That Baffles Scientists – SciTechDaily Webb Spots Mysterious Lightshow on Jupiter That Baffles Scientists SciTechDailyJames Webb Telescope captures auroras on Jupiter: See stunning images, video USA TodayNASA’s Webb Reveals New Details, Mysteries in Jupiter’s Aurora NASA Science (.gov)Webb telescope captures images of Jupiter’s auroras in stunning new detail CBS NewsJames Webb telescope reveals ‘impossible’ auroras on Jupiter that have astronomers scratching their heads Live Science Source link #Webb #Spots #Mysterious #Lightshow #Jupiter #Baffles #Scientists #SciTechDaily Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Erling Haaland: Manchester City striker targets FA Cup final win in ‘horrific’ season Erling Haaland: Manchester City striker targets FA Cup final win in ‘horrific’ season The cup final against Palace will be one last Wembley appearance with City for midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, with the 33-year-old Belgium international leaving the club on a free transfer in the summer when his contract expires. De Bruyne has won six Premier League titles, the Champions League, two FA Cups and the League Cup on five occasions while at City. He is second in the list of most assists in the Premier League era, with 119 assists, behind only former Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs on 162. “We would love for Kevin to finish with a trophy,” said Haaland. “He has had an incredible time at Manchester City, it is ridiculous how many trophies he has won. Hopefully he will get one more trophy. “He ranks right up there for me. To get the ****** from him is a dream. It has been really special playing with him. Such a joy, and I am going to do everything I can to have this joy in the last few games. “The future will be different with different players. When Kevin leaves we will need someone to replace him, although Kevin is irreplaceable in so many ways.” Haaland helped City win the 2023 FA Cup final and the Community Shield in August, although they were not his first trips to Wembley. Back in 2014, when he was only 13, he visited the national stadium to watch City beat Sunderland 3-1 in the League Cup final, with his father Alf Inge, a former City midfielder, sitting next to him. “It is just as special to go to Wembley,” said the striker. “I have seen City win in the stands, have won as a player, and hopefully we can win there again.” Source link #Erling #Haaland #Manchester #City #striker #targets #Cup #final #win #horrific #season Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Eagles brush away mothball talk for struggling skipper Eagles brush away mothball talk for struggling skipper West Coast coach Andrew McQualter has shut down the prospect of mothballing Oscar Allen for the rest of the AFL season and the Eagles skipper couldn’t agree more. Allen was a late withdrawal from last week’s two-point loss to Richmond with a knee injury and there are calls for the Eagles to put him on ice to protect his value. If the restricted free agent leaves at the end of the season and the Eagles finish last as expected, West Coast would likely receive pick No.2 from the AFL as compensation. Hawthorn and Brisbane are among the clubs heavily chasing Allen. The 26-year-old, who is set to return for Saturday’s clash with St Kilda at Optus Stadium, couldn’t be more emphatic when addressing his immediate playing future on Thursday. “That (not playing the rest of the year) is clearly not going to happen. I’m going to play this week and I’ll play the rest of the year,” Allen told Perth radio station 96FM. “It’s my job and I’m getting paid to do it. “How entitled am I if I did think that way to think, ‘Oh, I’ll just pack it in then’. “That’s not the way I see things. Maybe some people would, but I think that’s an embarrassing viewpoint to have if you were someone in my position.” McQualter said the club was keen to play Allen every time he is available. “It (mothballing him) is just not even a thought we’ve entertained,” McQualter said. “He’s our captain. He helps us win games of football and we’re going to roll him out, and he’ll help us every week.” Allen, who copped a barrage of criticism for meeting Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell earlier this year, kicked just four goals across the opening five games before being switched to defence. The second-year captain missed the loss to Essendon a few weeks ago so he could focus on his mental health and McQualter praised the way Allen has been able to lead despite his struggles on and off the field. “He’s been terrific,” McQualter said. “He was really strong in our meetings this week and can’t wait for the rest of the year with him.” West Coast, who sit last on the ladder with a 0-9 record and a percentage of 61, will be without star defender Jeremy McGovern (concussion) for a second straight week. McQualter played 72 of his 94 AFL games under current Saints coach Ross Lyon and he’s looking forward to taking on his former mentor this Saturday. “I actually coached against him when I was interim coach at Richmond (in 2023) and he got the chocolates that day, so we’re pretty keen to rectify that,” McQualter said with a smile. Source link #Eagles #brush #mothball #talk #struggling #skipper Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

‘I will not yield to disrespectful men’ ‘I will not yield to disrespectful men’ Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) got into a heated exchange with her GOP colleagues over Medicaid during the House Energy and Commerce panel markup on Wednesday morning. The House committee is considering reforms to Medicaid requirements through a package that would allow patients who are pregnant or experiencing postpartum care to forgo work requirements while still receiving program services. However, the legislation does not clearly state if mothers who have a miscarriage would also be exempt from employment requirements. The New York lawmaker attempted to ask a question about whether miscarriages qualify for Medicaid coverage under Republicans’ proposed work requirements before she was interrupted by GOP colleagues, who accused her of engaging with the hearing’s camera instead of fellow representatives. “I just want to make the point that we’d like for you to address the Republicans and let’s have a dialogue this way and not to a camera. Mr. Chairman, I yield back,” Rep. ****** Weber (R-Texas) said before the exchange. Ocasio-Cortez tried to finish her question and was loudly reprimanded by panel chair Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.). “The gentleman yields, the gentleman yields back.” “But I’m asking the … what about a miscarriage?” Ocasio-Cortez continued. “The gentleman yields back,” Carter insisted. “The lady is out of order. The gentleman yields back.” Shortly afterward, Ocasio-Cortez spoke again and defended her gaze, which she said was directed toward the American public. “There are 13.7 million Americans on the other side of that screen there. Hello, hello. I’m talking to you because I work for you. They deserve to see what is happening here because there are plenty of districts, including Republican ones, where 25 percent of your constituents are on Medicaid, 40 percent of your constituents are on Medicaid,” Ocasio-Cortez said, smiling at the camera briefly. “Will the gentlelady yield?” she was asked. “I will not yield because it was a terribly disrespectful comment, and I will not yield to disrespectful men,” she added. However, Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) argued that representatives could not control an individual’s eye movement. “When the gentlelady from New York looks at the screen — if she wants to check her hair, she wants to say anything she wants to to that screen — she has the right to do so,” Clarke said. “There’s not a member on this panel that can tell another member where to look, who to look at and where they want to look.” Tensions between Democrats and Republicans have run high in recent weeks over proposed legislation, such as Medicaid cuts. 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 The Hill. Source link #yield #disrespectful #men Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Nintendo Switch 2 Confirmed Specs: CPU, GPU, Memory, System Reservation + More Nintendo Switch 2 Confirmed Specs: CPU, GPU, Memory, System Reservation + More Digital Foundry: We’ve been mulling over Nintendo Switch 2 leaks since June 2021 (!) and now, finally, we’re able to confirm them – and to add a lot more background detail. Source link #Nintendo #Switch #Confirmed #Specs #CPU #GPU #Memory #System #Reservation Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump’s critical minerals drive paves the way for a deep-sea gold rush Trump’s critical minerals drive paves the way for a deep-sea gold rush Critical minerals such as cobalt, nickel, copper and manganese can be found in potato-sized nodules at the bottom of the seafloor. Pallava Bagla | Corbis News | Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump’s critical minerals drive looks set to pave the way for a gold rush on the ocean floor. Seeking to counter China’s mineral dominance, the Trump administration in April signed a sweeping executive order to fast-track deep-sea mining within U.S. and international waters. The move is designed to help private companies access billions of tons of potato-sized rocks known as polymetallic nodules, which are rich in strategically important minerals. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a government agency, appeared to welcome Trump’s announcement, saying the executive order heralds “the next gold rush” and lays the ground for “a thriving domestic manufacturing industry.” Washington’s unilateral backing for deep-sea mining is seen as highly controversial, however, with critics flagging legal and environmental concerns. China’s foreign ministry condemned Trump’s executive order, saying it “violates” international law and “harms the collective interests” of the international community. Reflecting on the industry’s current state of play, The Metals Company (TMC) CEO Gerard Barron said, “It’s getting lively.” I think this order will shake up the geopolitical boardgame. Maria Jose (Majo) Valverde Biodiversity and sustainability analyst at Eurasia Group TMC swiftly followed Trump’s executive order by applying for a commercial license to mine the ocean floor. If approved, the Nasdaq-listed company could become the first seabed mining firm to obtain a license to exploit minerals in international waters. “The one thing that this administration offers is some certainty in direction, and I think that the one problem we have always faced is regulatory certainty — and that’s not available at the ISA. But its abundantly available in the USA,” Barron told CNBC by video call. In response to TMC’s application for a license to mine under U.S. domestic law, the International Seabed Authority (ISA), a little-known U.N. regulator that oversees deep-sea mining, said that it remains the only legal authority to regulate seabed mining activities in international waters. And while companies are “free to express their views,” the ISA warned that any attempt to bypass this process “would constitute a violation of international law.” Gerard Barron, chairman and CEO of The Metals Company, hopes that his company will be able to mine the seafloor for nickel, cobalt, manganese in the Pacific Ocean. Carolyn Cole | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images ISA negotiators have long sought to devise a rulebook to regulate the exploitation and extraction of polymetallic nodules and other deposits on the ocean floor — before mining activity begins. ISA Secretary-General Leticia Carvalho told CNBC last year that it was feasible for member states to agree on some form of regulation by the end of 2025. ‘Phenomenal’ investor interest TMC’s Barron disputed the ISA’s timeline for a mining code, saying there is no chance of an international agreement this year. He described investor interest following Trump’s executive order as “like night and day” for the company, with TMC currently ramping up efforts to get production ready. “We’re believers. We were confident that we would eventually resolve this one way or another. But the investor interest since the executive order … has been phenomenal,” Barron said. The practice of deep-sea mining involves using machinery to remove minerals and metals — such as cobalt, nickel, copper and manganese — from the seabed. The end-use of these minerals is wide-ranging and includes applications for the defense and green technology sectors. The pilot nodule collector vehicle designed by Allseas for use by The Metals Company. Photo provided by The Metals Company. Photo courtesy The Metals Company Indeed, alongside shoring up supply chain security and manufacturing, advocates say, seabed mining could help to reduce the reliance of large mining operations on land. Scientists, meanwhile, have warned that the full environmental impacts of seabed mining are hard to predict, while environmental campaign groups say the practice cannot be done sustainably. TMC’s Barron, who recently testified at a U.S. congressional hearing, said the company intends to submit an environmental impact statement to the regulator, noting that it “conclusively points to the fact that we can do this safely and we can minimize impact.” “The thing that people have missed is that there is zero chance that this will not happen,” Barron said. He added that the company is confident it will receive a permit to commercially mine the seabed before the end of the year. Geopolitical consequences Maria Jose (Majo) Valverde, biodiversity and sustainability analyst at Eurasia Group, a political risk consultancy, said U.S. support for deep-sea mining could have profound geopolitical repercussions. “I think this order will shake up the geopolitical boardgame. The U.S. has already done that in the climate space by exiting the Paris Agreement and I think that this is now merging into wider environmental processes,” Valverde said. Notably, Trump’s executive order could incentivize ISA member states to finally reach a deal to formalize a mining code, Valverde said, particularly given that the U.N. has now effectively been put on notice to avoid a race to the bottom of the ocean. “If you have the U.S. pursue this ‘go at it alone’ strategy, other countries may coordinate, for example, to either avoid the purchase of U.S. extracted minerals or negotiate more favorable deals among themselves — especially China, because they are really active in the ISA negotiations,” Valverde said. Trump’s executive order “has expanded the panorama of options that countries could pursue, especially now that multilateralism is eroding and that we’re in a G-zero environment where countries only look to their own backyard — and they get more creative on what they are willing to consider,” she added. Legal and environmental concerns Danielle Fugere, president and chief counsel at As You Sow, a shareholder advocacy group, said the U.S. non-profit is “deeply concerned” by Trump’s executive order. “Whatever the U.S. does, there needs to be regulatory review. For Trump to issue an executive order that demands that we go forward with this immediately — that’s problematic,” Fugere told CNBC by video call. “I think this creates a storm. China is saying this is ******** and the law of the sea should govern deep-sea resources that should benefit all mankind, and that in fact is what the law of the sea requires. Yet, here is the U.S. saying it is entitled to plunder the deep-sea resources,” she added. Environmental activists calling for an international moratorium on deep-sea mining. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images To be sure, the U.S. is one of few countries not to have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. As You Sow, which supports a deep-sea mining moratorium, said Trump’s order means ISA member states are now under intense pressure to come up with a regulatory framework for how — and if — deep-sea mining should go forward. “We are very concerned about this executive order and the impact it’s likely to have on these organisms, on these resources and fishing nations who depend on the oceans for their livelihoods,” Fugere said. Source link #Trumps #critical #minerals #drive #paves #deepsea #gold #rush Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

************ Authority Lifting Ban on Al Jazeera in West Bank ************ Authority Lifting Ban on Al Jazeera in West Bank The ************ Authority said late Monday that it would lift a ban on the broadcaster Al Jazeera in the West Bank that it put into effect after accusing the outlet of “inciting sedition” and “interfering in internal ************ affairs.” The ban, which the ************ Authority’s attorney general, Akram Khatib, instituted on Jan. 1, had been indefinite. ************ officials said that it would last until Al Jazeera, which is funded by Qatar, “corrected its legal status,” though they did not detail the accusations against the broadcaster. Mr. Khatib told The New York Times on Monday that the authority had decided to lift the ban and that a court would issue an order to that effect on Tuesday. He declined to provide details about what, if anything, had changed since the ban began. The authority, which administers some areas in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including major ************ cities, has long been at odds with the media company. The authority is dominated by the secularist ****** party, whose officials have sometimes accused the channel of supporting ******, a rival group that ejected ****** from Gaza in 2007. The ban on Al Jazeera came as the authority was conducting a rare operation in the northern West Bank city of Jenin to crack down on militants, some of whom are affiliated with ****** and Islamic ******. Some Palestinians activists and human rights groups have accused the ************ Authority and its president, Mahmoud Abbas, of an authoritarian stifling of dissent and intimidation of critics. Responding to the ban at the time, Al Jazeera said in a statement that ************ officials were “attempting to hide the truth of events in the occupied territories.” The ban on Al Jazeera followed similar actions by the Israeli authorities. Last May, Israel ordered it to shut down in the country. Several months later, the Israeli military stormed the broadcaster’s offices in Ramallah, in the West Bank. Tensions between Israel and the influential broadcaster rose during the war between Israel and ****** in Gaza. While other major media outlets have been blocked from entering the enclave by Israel and Egypt, Al Jazeera has had numerous reporters on the ground. They have provided a steady stream of stories about the violence and harrowing conditions for civilians in Gaza. The broadcaster has accused Israel of trying to conceal the brutality of the war. Israel says that the outlet supports ****** and that some of its journalists are themselves militants, an allegation the broadcaster has strongly rejected. Walid al-Omari, Al Jazeera’s bureau chief in Ramallah, said the broadcaster’s offices there would not be immediately reopened because they had also been shut by Israeli military order. Its journalists, however, will now be able to continue working in the West Bank without concern of prosecution from the ************ Authority, he noted. Source link #************ #Authority #Lifting #Ban #Jazeera #West #Bank Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump Cites $600 Billion in Saudi Deals, but Real Figure Appears Lower Trump Cites $600 Billion in Saudi Deals, but Real Figure Appears Lower The White House on Tuesday said that President Trump, while in Saudi Arabia, had secured $600 billion in deals with the Saudi government and firms. But the details the White House provided were vague and totaled less than half that number. And a closer look at the projects the administration provided shows several were already in the works before Mr. Trump took office. The announcement was made just before Mr. Trump spoke to a gathering of business leaders at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum in Riyadh, where he said the only country hotter than the United States was Saudi Arabia. “We are rocking,” he said. “The United States is the hottest country, with the exception of your country.” Before turning toward serious foreign policy matters, including news that he was lifting sanctions on Syria, Mr. Trump meandered through his favorite talking points, bashing his predecessor, former President Joseph R. Biden Jr., and boasting of carrying swing states in the election. “The Arabian Peninsula — beautiful place, by the way,” he said. “Beautiful place.” The biggest deal announced was what the administration called “the largest defense sales agreement in history.” The nearly $142 billion agreement will provide the kingdom with state-of-the-art warfighting equipment and services from over a dozen American defense industry companies. The White House also included a commitment from the Saudi company DataVolt to move forward with plans to invest $20 billion in artificial intelligence data centers and energy infrastructure in the United States. It also touted more than $2 billion in work American firms were performing on Saudi infrastructure projects, among them King Salman International Airport, King Salman Park and Qiddiya City, a massive entertainment complex. The construction company Jacobs announced its involvement in the new Saudi airport project last August. AECOM, likewise, had already won a contract to provide design and project management services for the Qiddiya City project. The deals announced by the White House totaled around $283 billion — less than half the $600 billion promised by the Saudi crown prince — but the administration said those were “just a few of the many transformative deals secured in Saudi Arabia.” White House officials said more such deals would be forthcoming. (Organizers of the investment forum said that 145 deals were signed, totaling more than $300 billion.) The White House said the package also included extensive training and support to build the capacity of the Saudi armed forces. In his remarks at the conference, Mr. Trump hailed the kingdom’s rapid development and claimed the Biden administration had done little for the region. He also went after Iran, calling it “the biggest and most destructive” force threatening the stability and prosperity of the Middle East, and vowing it would never have a nuclear weapon. At the same time, he said he was offering Iran “a new path and a much better path toward a far better and more hopeful future.” “I have never believed in having permanent enemies,” Mr. Trump said. The American president drew sustained applause when he announced that the United States would lift sanctions against Syria, giving the new government there a chance to rebuild a country devastated by its long civil war. But there was silence in the crowd after he said it was his “fervent wish” that Saudi Arabia join the Abraham Accords, the 2020 deal in which two of its neighbors established diplomatic relations with Israel. The normalization of relations with the Israeli government is deeply unpopular among Saudis, polling shows, and Saudi officials say that recognizing Israel would hinge on the creation of a ************ state. Mr. Trump also spoke of the war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and ******. “The people of Gaza deserve a much better future,” he said. “But that will or cannot occur as long as their leaders choose to kidnap, torture and target innocent men, women and children for political ends.” The White House announcement about the deals came hours after Mr. Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed a series of agreements between the United States and Saudi Arabia. They included a letter of intent on future defense capabilities; a memorandum of understanding with the Justice Department; cooperation on space and infectious diseases; and memorandums of understanding on energy and mineral resources. They also included an agreement between NASA and the Saudi Space Agency for a Saudi CubeSat to fly on NASA’s Artemis II test flight. The CubeSat will measure aspects of space weather at a range of distances from Earth. The United States and Saudi Arabia also signed an agreement between the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and the Royal Commission for AlUla to support the conservation of the endangered Arabian leopard through the creation of a dedicated exhibit in Washington. Before signing the agreements, Mr. Trump again encouraged Saudi Arabia to increase its investment in the United States beyond $600 billion over four years. Mr. Trump asked that number to be raised to $1 trillion, though economists say the kingdom does not have such financial resources available. “We have the biggest business leaders in the world here,” Mr. Trump said. “They’re going to walk away with a lot of checks.” Mr. Trump spoke to those gathered at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum, which served as a meeting place for the world’s rich and powerful. He has stocked his White House with billionaires, including Elon Musk, the world’s richest man; Scott Bessent, the treasury secretary; and David O. Sacks, his A.I. and crypto adviser. All spoke at the event. “How do we win the A.I. race?” Mr. Sacks told those gathered. “The answer is that we have to build the biggest partner ecosystem. We need our friends like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other strategic partners and allies to want to build on our tech.” The gathering at times felt like a Make America Great Again rally, if one attended by the chief executives of IBM, BlackRock and Citigroup. Many of them already have Saudi ties. One Saudi host joked that guests were “making aviation great again.” Mohammad Bahareth, 40, a Saudi self-help influencer who runs a private space firm, showed up at the forum wearing a “Trump 2028” hat paired with a red tie. “President Trump always comes as a businessman,” he said. “This is the business mind-set.” “We want technology,” Mr. Bahareth said. “We want enablement. We want to train our youth. We want the skills to be a superpower in this region.” Leaders from Amazon, the defense giants Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, and Halliburton were in attendance. So were Jensen Huang, the chief executive of Nvidia, the world’s largest semiconductor company; Alex Karp, the chief executive of the software company Palantir Technologies; and Patrick Soon-Shiong, the businessman who owns The Los Angeles Times. The president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, also spoke at the event. Saudi Arabia plans to host the World Cup in 2034. The kingdom has been attempting to transform itself from a country wholly reliant on oil production into a more diverse economy. Saudi officials say that oil used to represent as much as 90 percent of government revenues; that figure is now closer to 60 percent, although economic activity remains highly dependent on oil, petrochemicals and oil-driven government spending. Larry Fink, chief executive of BlackRock, the American investment firm, said Saudi Arabia had made “a statement to the world that we’re going to do it ourselves, that we’re going to build our economy, and we’re going to build our economy in a way that we are taking control.” Mr. Trump told his advisers he wanted to score pledges of more than $1 trillion during his overseas trip, which will include stops in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, two of the world’s wealthiest countries per capita. Mr. Trump has claimed that, during a visit to Saudi Arabia during his first term in 2017, he secured $450 billion of investments in the United States. But an analysis by Tim Callen, an economist and former International Monetary Fund mission chief to Saudi Arabia, found that this amount did not fully materialize. The export of American goods and services to Saudi Arabia while Mr. Trump was in office from 2017 to 2020 totaled $92 billion, Mr. Callen found, less than the total during President Barack Obama’s second term. The two other countries on Mr. Trump’s trip are expected to deliver major deals, as well. Source link #Trump #Cites #Billion #Saudi #Deals #Real #Figure #Appears Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

******** influencer Valeria Marquez killed on TikTok livestream – BBC ******** influencer Valeria Marquez killed on TikTok livestream – BBC ******** influencer Valeria Marquez killed on TikTok livestream BBCTikTok beauty influencer shot dead during live stream in Mexico CNNMoments Before ******** Influencer Was Shot Dead During TikTok Livestream NDTV’They’re coming’: ******** beauty influencer Valeria Márquez shot dead on TikTok live; what we know so far Times of IndiaValeria Márquez, TikTok Influencer, Shot Dead During Live Stream in Mexico The New York Times Source link #******** #influencer #Valeria #Marquez #killed #TikTok #livestream #BBC Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Police going door-to-door in hunt for parents of abandoned siblings Police going door-to-door in hunt for parents of abandoned siblings PA Siblings Harry (left), Roman (right) and Elsa were all abandoned as newborns Police searching for the parents of three newborn babies, all abandoned in east London minutes after their birth, say they are now focusing on about 400 nearby houses. Baby Elsa was left in a Boots carrier bag near a footpath in Newham on 18 January 2024, before being discovered by a dog walker. Subsequent DNA tests established she was the sibling of two other babies, a boy and a girl, each found in very similar circumstances in 2017 and 2019. Despite police appeals, the parents of the three babies have still not been identified. Over the last five weeks, detectives searching for the parents have given BBC News access to part of their operation. They allowed us to follow officers going door-to-door asking residents to provide DNA samples to see if they are connected to the babies. They are also contacting people they have found using the national DNA database who may share familial DNA with the children’s mother. Officers who recently met Elsa told the BBC the toddler is a bright girl who is curious and engaging. PA Media Baby Elsa was found inside a carrier bag near the Greenway footpath, on January 18, 2024 It was on 17 September 2017, when the first baby, Harry, was found, over a mile to the west of the spot Elsa was left – just north of the Greenway, a four-mile long footpath and cycleway in Newham. He’d been left in a bush in Plaistow Park, wrapped in a towel. Sixteen months later, his sister Roman was discovered on a bench by a dog walker in the small children’s play park, in Roman Road. She was found on a freezing evening, at about 22:15. Roman was wrapped in a towel, inside a Sainsbury’s shopping bag. The babies’ names were given to them by emergency staff who helped them – they have all since been changed. DNA tests revealed that Harry and Roman were full siblings, however, that information wasn’t initially made public. It was only when Elsa was found five years later, and the case came before the family court, that we were able to report all three babies had the same parents. Det Insp Jamie Humm, who became the case’s senior investigating officer after Elsa was found, says “it wasn’t a huge shock” when DNA confirmed she was the sister of the other two babies. Elsa had been abandoned just a few minutes’ walk from where Roman was found. For the first 12 months after taking on the investigation, Det Insp Humm assumed the babies’ mother was able to contact police, but had been reluctant to do so. His team scoured the area, knocking on doors, talking to local people, but no-one had seen or heard anything. In January this year, the charity Crimestoppers offered a £20,000 reward for information, which also proved fruitless. “Now my strong feeling is that [the mother is] not able to come forward,” says Det Insp Humm. He believes the babies’ mother may be restrained in some way – or she may have mental or physical health problems. Police have been working closely with experts from the National Crime Agency (NCA), as well as psychological and geographical profilers. They assume the mother left the babies herself. Paediatric experts advised that in war zones, for example, mothers have given birth then “got up and walked” immediately. Police also believe the mother knows the local area well. She avoided CCTV cameras and witnesses, yet placed all the babies in locations where they were likely to be found quickly. Analysis of CCTV footage led officers to rule out the mother using a car to get to the sites – instead they believe she walked along the Greenway. There is now CCTV where Elsa was found, however, there was none in January 2024, when she was abandoned. Police are door-knocking in an area near the Greenway, an open space where Elsa was found Det Supt Lewis Basford, who has taken on strategic oversight of the investigation, acknowledged that conventional techniques have failed to identify the parents so far. Now, he says the Met is putting a lot of emphasis on the investigation to open up new lines of enquiry. To do that, they’re using DNA testing, often used in homicides, in a novel way. First, they have searched the national database to find partial matches. That throws up many thousands of names. They’ve used other information to focus on people who might be related to the parents. Det Insp Humm and his team are focusing on about 300 names, and are planning to see them all in person. Working with the NCA, they have also identified about 400 homes close to the eastern section of the Greenway, from where the mother could have walked with a baby and avoided CCTV. They’re cross-referencing those addresses with information from the electoral roll and other agencies to find the most likely locations, for someone who may be connected with the parents. In teams of two, officers knock on doors to request DNA samples. Det Sgt Laurence Dight says they generally receive a warm response. People have heard about the babies and want to help. He says people are often happy to take the test. Some have refused, which is within their rights. Once they have collected samples, they analyse them, and decide on the next steps. In the local community, many are mystified. The congregation of East Ham ******** Church brings together people from all over the world. They regularly hold prayers for the mother and babies. Pastor George Tikum, originally from Cameroon, said it is possible that the parents are here illegally, and left the babies because they’d have a more secure life if adopted. He says the mystery has turned many locals into amateur detectives. “I still think the answer lies with one person coming forward and just giving those answers to Elsa and her siblings as to what happened to them and why it happened,” says Det Insp Humm. His concern is for the babies’ mother – and any future children. Officers describe the survival of the three newborns as “miraculous” and worry a fourth child might not be so fortunate. PA Baby Elsa was found inside a Boots bag on the Greenway, in Newham, east London Elsa is now just over one year old and is toddling and bright. Det Insp Humm says he met her a couple of months ago, with police colleagues. She was “very curious” he says. “Very engaging. No fear.” Hospital staff called her Elsa – found, only an hour old, on the coldest night of the year – after the character in the Disney film Frozen. Now in foster care, Elsa has made what family court judge Carol Atkinson calls “astonishing progress”. Det Insp Humm says when officers recently met her “everyone was struggling to keep their emotions in check”. “The one who wasn’t was Elsa, she was just the happiest, coolest,” he said. “I think she’s going to make everyone proud – she’ll make her mum proud as well.” Source link #Police #doortodoor #hunt #parents #abandoned #siblings Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Greens elect Larissa Waters new leader after May 3 election disaster Greens elect Larissa Waters new leader after May 3 election disaster The Greens have picked their new leader after Adam Bandt’s shock unseating at the May 3 federal election. Source link #Greens #elect #Larissa #Waters #leader #election #disaster Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Mourners from all corners of Uruguay bid farewell to iconic former President José Mujica Mourners from all corners of Uruguay bid farewell to iconic former President José Mujica Crowds poured into the streets of Uruguay’s capital on Wednesday to bid a poignant farewell to former President José Mujica. Mujica, who died Tuesday, was a former guerrilla who became a pioneering leader and icon of the Latin American left, remembered most for his humility, simple lifestyle and ideological earnestness. (AP video by Diego Casal) Source link #Mourners #corners #Uruguay #bid #farewell #iconic #President #José #Mujica Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Trump’s China Deal Frees Up Shipping. Will Goods Pour Into the U.S.? Trump’s China Deal Frees Up Shipping. Will Goods Pour Into the U.S.? For weeks, Jay Foreman, a toy company executive, froze all shipments from China, leaving Care Bears and Tonka trucks piled up at ******** factories, to avoid paying President Trump’s crippling 145 percent tariff. But as soon as his phone lit up at 4 a.m. on Monday alerting him that Mr. Trump was lowering tariffs on ******** imports for 90 days, Mr. Foreman, the chief executive of Basic Fun, which is based in Florida, jumped out of bed and called his suppliers, instructing them to start shipping merchandise immediately. “We’re starting to move everything,” Mr. Foreman said. “We have to call trucking companies in China to schedule pickups at the factories. And we have to book space on these container ships now.” If other executives follow Mr. Foreman’s lead, a torrent of goods could soon pour into the United States. While logistics experts say global shipping lines and American ports appear capable of handling high volumes over the next three months, they caution that whiplash tariff policies are piling stress onto the companies that transport goods around the world. “This keeps supply chain partners in limbo about what’s next, and leads to ongoing disruption,” said Rico Luman, senior economist for transport, logistics and automotive at ING Research. After talks this weekend in Geneva, the Trump administration lowered tariffs on many ******** imports to 30 percent from 145 percent. China cut its tariffs on American goods to 10 percent from 125 percent. If a deal is not reach in 90 days, the tariffs could go back up, though Mr. Trump said on Monday that they would not rise to 145 percent. Some importers may hold off on ordering from China, hoping for even lower tariffs later. Importers weighing whether to rush goods in over the next 90 days must also determine if suppliers in China can fill those orders and get them onto vessels by the end of July. Voyages from ******** ports to the West Coast of the United States can take two to three weeks. Because the timing is tight, Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, does not expect a huge surge of imports in the coming weeks. “Ninety days is not a long runway for people in our business,” he said. Mr. Seroka added that big retailers might have sufficient products at least for a while because they had brought in large volumes of goods before Mr. Trump’s tariffs took effect in April. The 30 percent tariff is still high by historical standards, so importers may decide to pay it only for goods they really need. But others may rush in shipments across the board. Mr. Foreman of Basic Fun said that while the 30 percent tax would pose a challenge to a medium-size company like his, it was manageable. He said he could discuss splitting the higher cost with his suppliers and the retailers that sold his products. At this tariff level, consumers can expect a roughly 15 percent increase in the price on some toys, he added. The tariffs are one of many shocks to supply chains in recent years. Spending during the coronavirus pandemic led to a deluge in imports that overwhelmed ports and shipping companies. And freight costs surged. Separately, low rainfall reduced the amount of water available to the Panama Canal, allowing fewer vessels to pass through. Then, in 2023, the Houthi militia in Yemen started attacking ships in the Red Sea, forcing most shipping lines to take a long detour around the southern tip of Africa. A dockworkers’ strike last year at ports on the East Coast of the United States caused more disruption. Overall, supply chains functioned quite well after the upheavals of the pandemic. Using the huge profits they earned during the pandemic, shipping lines bought scores of new vessels. As a result, they had the spare capacity to handle surges in volume and big disruptions like the detour around Africa. The impact of Mr. Trump’s tariffs has been easy to spot in trade data. In the last five weeks, bookings to ship containers from China to the United States were 45 percent below the level in the same ******* last year, according to data from Vizion, a logistics technology company, and Dun & Bradstreet. The Port of Los Angeles received 31 percent fewer containers last week than during the same week in 2024, while the number of vessels visiting the port was down 20 percent, Mr. Seroka said. Now, shipping lines may have to reorganize their networks again, straining capacity. As a result, shipping rates could rise as much as 20 percent in the short term, said Peter Sand, chief analyst at Xeneta, a shipping market analytics company. Lazaro Gamio contributed reporting. Source link #Trumps #China #Deal #Frees #Shipping #Goods #Pour #U.S Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Israel Bombards Gaza Seeking to Kill Muhammad Sinwar, a Top ****** Leader, Officials Say Israel Bombards Gaza Seeking to Kill Muhammad Sinwar, a Top ****** Leader, Officials Say Israeli fighter jets bombed the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis on Tuesday evening in an attempt to kill Muhammad Sinwar, one of ******’s remaining top leaders in the enclave, according to three Israeli officials. All three officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Around the same time, the Israeli military said its forces had struck a ****** command center underneath the European Hospital near Khan Younis. An Israeli military spokeswoman declined to say whether Mr. Sinwar had been targeted in that strike. The health ministry in Gaza said that at least six people had been killed in the strike on the hospital, with at least 40 others wounded. Pillars of smoke billowed around the hospital after the bombardment, according to videos from the scene that were verified by The New York Times. It was unclear whether hospital buildings had been damaged in the strike. Saleh al-Hams, a doctor at the European Hospital, said the bombing had shaken the compound, terrifying the doctors and patients within. “All of our appeals to the world were for nothing,” he said in a phone call. Israeli officials have accused ****** of operating from inside Gaza’s hospitals — claims corroborated by some Palestinians in Gaza, as well as some former Israeli hostages who have said they were held there. ******, as well as hospital officials, has denied the allegations. Israel has threatened another major military offensive in the Gaza Strip unless ****** lays down its weapons and turns over the 20 living hostages it still holds, along with the remains of around 40 others. ****** leaders have refused to disarm, adding that they will not release the captives unless Israel ends the war. Mr. Sinwar is believed to be one of the most senior ****** military commanders left in Gaza after more than a year and a half of devastating war with Israel. He is the younger brother of Yahya Sinwar, the ****** leader killed by Israeli forces last year and who had masterminded the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks that set off the war. Throughout the war, Israel has repeatedly sought to methodically eliminate ******’s hierarchy, picking off not only Yahya Sinwar, but also Muhammad Deif, the head of its military wing; Ismail Haniyeh, the group’s political chief; and numerous others. The repeated assassinations have yet to compel ****** to accept Israel’s terms for a cease-fire, however. Two of the Israeli officials said that by eliminating the younger, hard-line Mr. Sinwar, they hoped to remove a particularly intransigent negotiator. Mr. Sinwar was serving as the head of operations in ******’s military wing when the militant group launched the 2023 attack on Israel. Since his brother’s death, he has assumed a more prominent role in ******, particularly in southern Gaza. If the younger Mr. Sinwar has been killed, past experiences suggest that ****** may be less willing to compromise in the short term while potentially be more malleable in the longer term. After Israel killed Yahya Sinwar in October, for example, ****** announced that its resolve had been strengthened. Three months later, the group agreed to a truce. But it could be some time before there is clarity about Muhammad Sinwar’s fate. Throughout this war, the Israeli military has often taken weeks to confirm a target’s death, while ****** has sometimes taken months to do so. Israel announced the death of Mr. Deif last August — more than two weeks after killing him in a strike in July. ****** did not acknowledge his fate until January. Mr. Sinwar has opposed compromises with Israel in cease-fire negotiations, according to the two Israeli officials and a Middle Eastern intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. He adamantly opposed compromising with Israel’s demand that ****** put down its weapons, even as some members of the group’s leadership outside Gaza urged a middle road, the Middle Eastern official added. Mr. Sinwar also rejected Israeli offers of exile from Gaza as part of a truce, the official said. Like other ****** commanders, Mr. Sinwar is believed to have spent much of the war underground in an effort to evade Israeli airstrikes. But in recent months, Mr. Sinwar had been seen aboveground in Khan Younis at least three times, including at Nasser Hospital and an apartment complex known as Hamad City, said the Middle Eastern intelligence official. Aric Toler and Johnatan Reiss contributed reporting. Source link #Israel #Bombards #Gaza #Seeking #Kill #Muhammad #Sinwar #Top #****** #Leader #Officials Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

In Private, Some Israeli Officers Admit That Gaza Is on the Brink of Starvation In Private, Some Israeli Officers Admit That Gaza Is on the Brink of Starvation Some Israeli military officials have privately concluded that Palestinians in Gaza face widespread starvation unless aid deliveries are restored within weeks, according to three Israeli defense officials familiar with conditions in the enclave. For months, Israel has maintained that its blockade on food and fuel to Gaza did not pose a major threat to civilian life in the territory, even as the United Nations and other aid agencies have said a famine was looming. But Israeli military officers who monitor humanitarian conditions in Gaza have warned their commanders in recent days that unless the blockade is lifted quickly, many areas of the enclave will likely run out of enough food to meet minimum daily nutritional needs, according to the defense officials. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to share sensitive details. Because it takes time to scale up humanitarian deliveries, the officers said that immediate steps were needed to ensure that the system to supply aid could be reinstated fast enough to prevent starvation. The growing acknowledgment within part of the Israeli security establishment of a hunger crisis in Gaza comes as Israel has vowed to dramatically expand the war in Gaza to destroy ****** and bring back the remaining hostages — twin aims that more than 19 months of war have yet to achieve. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was defiant, and said the military would resume fighting in the coming days “in full force to finish the job” and “eliminate ******.” Mr. Netanyahu’s statement came on the same day that President Trump landed in Saudi Arabia, as part of his first major foreign trip since his re-election. Mr. Trump, however, is not visiting Israel, underscoring a growing divide between two leaders who increasingly disagree on some of the most critical security issues facing Israel. The military officials’ analysis has exposed a gulf between Israel’s public stance on the aid blockade and its private deliberations. It reveals that parts of the Israeli security establishment have reached the same conclusions as leading aid groups. They have warned for months of the dangers posed by the blockade. The analysis also highlights the urgency of the humanitarian situation in Gaza: Most bakeries have shut, charity kitchens are closing and the United Nations’ World Food Program, which distributes aid and coordinates shipments, says it has run out of food stocks. On Monday, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, a U.N.-backed initiative that monitors malnutrition, warned that famine was imminent in Gaza. If Israel proceeds with a planned military escalation in Gaza, the initiative said in a summary report, “The vast majority of people in the Gaza Strip would not have access to food, water, shelter, and medicine.” The Israeli military and the Israeli ministry of defense declined to comment on the Israeli officers’ predictions that Gaza is nearing a food crisis. Oren Marmorstein, a spokesman for Israel’s foreign ministry, said he was unable to share details from internal discussions but that the ministry was in contact with “all the relevant agencies on an ongoing daily basis” and closely monitors the situation in Gaza. Israeli restrictions on aid to Gaza have been one of the most contentious issues of the war. Israel cut off supplies to Gaza in March, shortly before breaking a cease-fire with ******, which remains entrenched in Gaza despite losing thousands of fighters and control over much of the territory during the war. Israel said the aim of the blockade was to reduce the ************ armed group’s ability to access and profit from food and fuel meant for civilians. In the process, a senior Israeli defense official said, ****** would be more likely to collapse or at least release more of the hostages that the group captured during its attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 that ignited the war. The blockade was discussed at an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, called by Britain, France and other European nations. Tom Fletcher, the U.N.’s humanitarian chief, told the council that Israel was “deliberately and unashamedly” imposing inhumane conditions on civilians in Gaza and the West Bank. “What more evidence do you need now?” Mr. Fletcher asked. “Will you act — decisively — to prevent genocide and to ensure respect for international humanitarian law? Or will you say instead that ‘we did all we could?’” All of the council’s 15 members except the United States, which has staunchly supported Israel throughout the war, called on Israel to immediately let aid into Gaza. The Israeli government has repeatedly said that the blockade had caused “no shortage” of support for civilians, partly because so much aid had entered the territory during the truncated cease-fire. But aid groups swiftly warned that civilians would be the main victims, adding that the restrictions were ******** under international law. Those warnings increased as civilians said they were eating as little as one meal a day as food prices spiraled. Palestinians interviewed by The New York Times said the cost of flour has risen 60-fold since late February, leading to a rise in looting. “All I ate today was a little bit of ***** beans from an expired can,” said Khalil el-Halabi, a 71-year-old retired U.N. official from Gaza City. He said on Monday that he was too dizzy and weak to walk, adding that his weight had dropped to roughly 130 pounds from about 210 pounds before the war. Mr. el-Halabi said his daughter, who recently gave birth, was unable to breastfeed because she has not been eating enough. No baby formula is available, he said. Specialist officers in COGAT, the Israeli government agency that oversees policy in Gaza and the West Bank, have reached the same conclusion as the aid agencies. The officers continuously assess the humanitarian situation in Gaza by speaking with Palestinians there, scrutinizing updates from aid organizations about their warehouse stockpiles, and analyzing the volume and contents of aid trucks that entered Gaza before the blockade. The officers then privately briefed senior commanders on the worsening situation, warning with increasing urgency that many in the territory were just a few weeks away from starvation. An Israeli general briefed the cabinet on the humanitarian situation in Gaza last week, saying that supplies in the territory would run out within a few weeks, according to an Israeli defense official and a senior government official. The cabinet briefing was first reported by Israel’s Channel 13. According to three of the defense officials, the military leadership has acknowledged the severity of the situation and is exploring ways to restart aid deliveries while circumventing ******. Last week, the Trump administration said it was working with Israel on such a plan. Israeli officials and aid groups said it would involve private organizations distributing food from a handful of sites in Gaza, which would each serve several hundred thousand civilians. The Israeli military would be posted at the sites’ perimeters, while private security firms would patrol inside them. The plan was dismissed by aid agencies, including the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which said it would not join the initiative because it would place civilians at greater risk. The agency said the proposal would force vulnerable people to walk longer distances to get to the few distribution hubs, making it harder to get food to those who need it most. Under the current system, the U.N. said, there are 400 distribution points. The new one, it said, “drastically reduces this operational reach.” The U.N. also warned that the plan would force civilians to regularly pass through Israeli military lines, putting them at greater risk of detention and interrogation. It added that the plan would accelerate the displacement of civilians from northern Gaza, since the distribution centers were expected to be located far away in the south of the territory. Israeli officials confirmed that the plan, if enacted, would help the military to intercept ****** militants and help to move civilians from northern to southern Gaza. But they said the aim was not to increase civilian hardship but to separate civilians from fighters. Experts on the laws of international conflict say it is ******** for a country to limit aid deliveries if it knows that doing so will cause starvation. “Enforcing a military blockade with the knowledge that it will starve the civilian population is a violation of international law,” said Janina Dill, co-director of the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict at the University of Oxford. Ms. Dill said that even if there is some debate over Israel’s obligations toward Gazans, “when Israeli decision makers state that the purpose is to extract political and military concessions, it clearly constitutes a war crime.” Adam Rasgon contributed reporting from Jerusalem and Farnaz Fassihi from New York. Source link #Private #Israeli #Officers #Admit #Gaza #Brink #Starvation Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Wisconsin judge argues she is entitled to judicial immunity – Politico Wisconsin judge argues she is entitled to judicial immunity – Politico Wisconsin judge argues she is entitled to judicial immunity PoliticoJudge arrested by Trump administration cites presidential immunity ruling in defense MSNBC NewsA Wisconsin judge accused of helping a man evade immigration agents is set to enter a plea ABC NewsHannah Dugan: US judge charged for allegedly helping ******** man evade Ice BBCWisconsin Judge Indicted on Charges That She Helped Immigrant Evade Agents The New York Times Source link #Wisconsin #judge #argues #entitled #judicial #immunity #Politico Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]