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Scripps National Spelling Bee guide: How to watch, who the notable spellers are, rules and prizes

Scripps National Spelling Bee guide: How to watch, who the notable spellers are, rules and prizes
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NSW nurse who triaged Pippa White before septic shock death tells inquest girl ‘didn’t meet criteria’ for rapid response

Two-year-old died after doctors assumed she had an acute viral illness, rather than bacterial infection that resulted in her death, a coronial inquest has heard

The nurse who triaged a two-year-old girl who died of septic shock in regional New South Wales has told an inquest she doesn’t think she would have activated a rapid paediatric sepsis pathway for her if even if she had access to the document at the time.

Pippa Mae White died on 13 June 2022, two months before her third birthday, after doctors at the hospitals in Cowra and Orange assumed she had an acute viral illness, rather than the bacterial infection that resulted in her death.

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Where is Pope Francis?

Where is Pope Francis?  The Catholic Thing
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EU officials accuse bloc of taking ‘little to no meaningful action’ on Gaza

EU Staff for Peace letter accuses institution bosses of failing to exert influence to help Palestinians

A group of EU officials has written to the leaders of the European institutions criticising the bloc for “little or no meaningful action” in response to the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The group EU Staff for Peace said that more than 2,000 officials working for the European Commission, European parliament and EU agencies had signed a letter drafted in May 2024 which accused the EU of apathy to the plight of Palestinians.

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About £1bn in car loan compensation at risk because data deleted, lawyers warn

Lenders’ routine purging after six years means details of some car buyers due compensation may have been lost

Consumers are at risk of losing £1bn of compensation over inflated car loans because high street banks and specialist lenders deleted their data, claims lawyers have warned.

Borrowers, banks and the government are anxiously awaiting a ruling from the supreme court that could spark one of the biggest redress schemes since the £50bn payment protection insurance (PPI) saga.

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Taxpayers set for £10bn loss on NatWest as disgraced ex-boss takes £600k-a-year pension

Government expected to sell last shares in banking group this week, drawing a line under 2008 financial crisis bailout

Fred “the Shred??? Goodwin, the disgraced ex-boss of Royal Bank of Scotland, is estimated to be receiving an annual pension worth nearly £600,000, as the government prepares to declare a £10bn loss after selling its final stake in the bank as early as this week.

The banking group, now known as NatWest, is expected to return to full private ownership within days, drawing a line under a £45bn state bailout that saved the bank from the brink of collapse at the height of the 2008 financial crisis.

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Estonia eschews phone bans in schools and takes leap into AI

Country at top of education charts aims to equip students and teachers with ‘world-class artificial intelligence skills’

While many schools in England have banned smartphones, in Estonia – regarded as the new European education powerhouse – students are regularly asked to use their devices in class, and from September they will be given their own AI accounts.

The small Baltic country – population 1.4 million – has quietly become Europe’s top performer in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s programme for international student assessment (Pisa), overtaking its near neighbour Finland.

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Israeli strikes across Gaza kill 24, medics and officials say

A school sheltering displaced families in central Gaza was among those hit, according to medics and civil defence officials.
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Tom Thibodeau’s rotation flexibility sparked Knicks’ critical comeback

Tom Thibodeau is normally so resistant to changes in his starting lineup and rotations.
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Family and Fans Pay Tribute to Phil Robertson, Outspoken Christian and Conservative Star of Duck Dynasty, After Death at 79

Reality TV personality Phil Robertson is introduced during pre-race ceremonies for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Duck Commander 500 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 6, 2014.

“Don’t cry.” That’s how Phil Robertson, who found fame and fortune through his hunting-business empire and some controversy but also popularity for his outspoken religious and political beliefs, requested people respond to his death. “Dance, sing, but don’t cry when I die,” he said on a podcast with his son Jase in 2023 after undergoing back surgery.

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The Duck Dynasty patriarch died at age 79 on Sunday after being diagnosed in 2024 with Alzheimer’s disease, his family announced in statements on social media. 

Jase Robertson posted on X: “My dad has gone to be with the Lord today! He will be missed but we know he is in good hands, and our family is good because God is very good! We will see him again!”

Phil Robertson’s daughter-in-law Korie, who is married to another of Robertson’s four sons, Willie, said in a Facebook post: “We celebrate today that our father, husband, and grandfather, Phil Robertson, is now with the Lord.” She quoted the Bible, writing of Phil Robertson: “He reminded us often of the words of Paul, ‘you do not grieve like those who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.’”

“We know so many of you love him and have been impacted by his life,” Korie Robertson’s post added. “We’re having a private service for now, but we’ll share details soon about a public celebration of his life.”

Phil Robertson’s granddaughter Sadie Robertson, daughter of Willie and Korie, took to Instagram to pay tribute. “One of the last things he said to me was ‘full strength ahead!’ Amen!”

Jase first publicly spoke about his father’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, which he said was in its “early stages,” in a December episode of their podcast Unashamed With the Robertson Family. “According to the doctors, they’re sure that he has some sort of blood disease that’s causing all kinds of problems,” Jase said. “He’s just not doing well. He’s really struggling.” In an April 2 episode, Jase gave an update, saying that his father’s status was “not good” and that he has since needed “some professional care.”

Phil Robertson of A&E's Duck Dynasty addresses the 42nd annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort Hotel and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., on on Feb. 27, 2015. Conservative activists attended the annual political conference to discuss their agenda.

Robertson, a Louisiana-based college football player turned professional hunting entrepreneur, invented the Duck Commander duck call instrument in 1972 that went on to be the namesake product of a multimillion-dollar hunting gear company led by Robertson and his family.

Beginning in 1987, the family business extended into media with the direct-to-video series Duckmen. In 2012, A&E began airing what would become one of its most-famous programs, Duck Dynasty, which followed the Robertson family and their business. The reality-television series has spawned a number of spinoffs, including Duck Dynasty: The Revival, which is set to center on Willie and Korie and their children and is expected to premiere this summer.

Robertson has also gained popularity for being outspoken about his Christian faith and conservative views. In 2013, Robertson was briefly suspended by A&E after telling GQ when he was asked to describe sin: “Start with homosexual behaviour and just morph out from there.” Robertson has also been outspoken about abortion, which he opposes, and has endorsed Republican candidates for local and national political office, including first backing Ted Cruz in 2016 before announcing his support for Donald Trump in 2016 and again in 2020.

“Phil Robertson was a living example of what God can do in all of our lives if we follow Him,” Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas, who previously served as White House press secretary during Trump’s first term, posted on X. “He was a bright light for the world to see. Bryan and I are praying for the whole Robertson crew tonight.”