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Happy Eid. TO all Muslim's Eid Mubaruk. may Allah forgive us and accept our prayers/Fast/Good deeds. It's The End Of Ramdan . ONCE AGAIN Eid Mubarak

Donald Trump's historic court appearance in 77 seconds By Robin Levinson-King & Kayla Epstein BBC News The judge overseeing Donald Trump's hush-money case knows the drama the former president brings to court. The two have crossed paths before, legally speaking. In 2022, Justice Juan Manuel Merchan presided over the tax-fraud trial that led to the conviction of the Trump Organization's chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg. He has more than 16 years on the bench, but this will be by far the most high-profile case to cross his courtroom. The New York County Supreme Court judge is also presiding over a criminal case against the former president's close ally, Steve Bannon, who has been charged with fraud and money laundering in connection with a charity that was supposed to help build a wall along the US-Mexico border. District Attorney's Office, before becoming deputy assistant attorney general in Nassau County in 1999. He then went on to serve as an assistant attorney general in both Nassau and Suffolk counties. He was appointed as a family court judge in Bronx County in 2006 by then-New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg. Justice Merchan has served at the New York County Supreme Court, presiding over criminal matters, since 2009. Justice Juan Manuel Merchan has already overseen Trump-related cases "He's a serious jurist, smart and even-tempered," Manhattan defence attorney Ron Kuby told NBC News. "He's not one of those judges who yells at lawyers, and is characterised as a no-nonsense judge. But he's always in control of the courtroom." Last year, in the case against the Trump Organization, Justice Merchan was adamant that the charges were absolutely not politically motivated. The organization's lawyer had tried to argue Mr Weisselberg was being targeted because of his association with the former president. Justice Merchan said that argument had no legal merit. "I will not allow you in any way to bring up a selective prosecution claim, or claim this is some sort of novel prosecution," Justice Merchan said, according to the BBC's news partner CBS. What has Donald Trump said about Justice Merchan? Mr Trump, his family members, and his supporters have attacked Justice Merchan and his family members directly in social media posts and in speeches. They have also attacked the Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, who brought the case. During the former president's arraignment trial, prosecutors asked Justice Merchan to bear in mind the former president's rhetoric about the people involved in his case. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65182727

The footage of CJ7 feeding the chick was described as a "magical moment" An osprey chick has hatched in a nest on the south coast of England for the first time in more than two centuries. A reintroduction programme began in Poole Harbour in 2017 with the aim of establishing a breeding po[CENSORED]tion. The Birds of Poole Harbour charity captured footage of a female osprey, known as CJ7, feeding the chick, and described it as a "magical moment". Paul Morton, from the charity, said: "Words don't even begin to describe what this means to us." He added: "The prospect of actually having wild hatched chicks in a nest always felt so far away.4 But here we are, with an official birthday... and we now have the first wild osprey chick for southern Britain in 200 years, right here in Poole Harbour." The hatching was first confirmed when CJ7 was seen moving a half-egg shell around the nest. Previously she and her mate were described as "fidgety" and repeatedly "pacing around". Project manager Brittany Maxted tweeted: "A very proud moment! So many years of hard work. So many dedicated colleagues. So many highs and lows. "And finally... the first osprey chick to hatch in Southern England since 1847!" CJ7 (left) and 022 first met last summer The pair first met last summer, although the male was too young to breed. When news of an egg in the nest emerged, TV naturalist Chris Packham said it was a "sensational" development. The fish-eating birds of prey historically bred across the British Isles but po[CENSORED]tions drastically declined in the Middle Ages. In 2017, Birds of Poole Harbour and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation began transferring six-week-old chicks from sustainable po[CENSORED]tions in Scotland. In a statement Birds of Poole Harbour said: "If humans hadn't got rid of ospreys in the first place, we wouldn't have even needed to do a reintroduction. "Now these birds are back, and successfully breeding, we hope that they can continue to build in strength as a po[CENSORED]tion here on the south coast and be enjoyed by generations to come." https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-dorset-61681579

By Damien McGuinness BBC News, Berlin While Europe's car industry is revving up, Volkswagen can't get into first gear. Spluttering along after the "dieselgate" scandal, Europe's largest carmaker faces a bumpy road ahead. Low fuel costs and cheap money have given car sales a surge in Europe. Year-on-year sales were up 6.2% in January. And some car brands are posting double-digit sales increases. But not VW. After cheating emissions, the Volkswagen brand is the only leading name to be hit by a fall in sales in January, posting a drop in Europe of almost 4%.Five months since the emissions scandal broke, it's becoming clear that VW is being hit hard. Now there are allegations in German media that ex-VW boss Martin Winterkorn knew about the emissions rigging as early as May 2014, not in September 2015, as he claimed when the scandal became public and he was forced to step down.But there is also a wider issue which is worrying environmentalists and consumer protection groups: that in Europe the car industry is just too powerful and too close to regulators. 'Kiss of death' for US ambitions The company admitted in September to using illegal so-called defeat devices in up to 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide. The software was installed specifically to cheat emissions tests by enabling cars to appear cleaner in testing than they really are when driven. As a result some models could be pumping out up to 40 times the legal limit of the pollutant nitrogen oxide - despite in some cases being marketed as more environmentally friendly.German transport minister Alexander Dobrindt (L) and Volkswagen brand chief Herbert Diess visit a VW repair shop in Berlin Customers felt conned. Billions of euros were wiped off the company's share value. And it was the kiss of death for VW's American ambitions, and indeed possibly diesel as a whole on the American market. Before Christmas it started to look like the worst was over. VW had a new leadership team. The fixes for the 8.5 million cars affected in Europe turned out to be cheaper and easier than expected, with either a simple software update or a nine euro ($10) filter. And by the end of 2015 the company's share value was starting to recover, rebounding 50% from October's low. But the news in January that the US government would sue VW for tens of billions of dollars showed that in some ways the company's problems are just beginning. The company has set aside 6.7 billion euros ($7.4 bn) to pay for the costs of the scandal. But, according to some estimates, the cost of legal claims, fixes and regulatory fines could exceed 30 billion euros.precise on-road testing for dangerous nitrogen oxide emissions, rather than the present inaccurate system of lab tests. But after pressure from national car industries, European lawmakers backed a watered-down version of the plan which gives carmakers more leeway to exceed official emissions limits. These new testing laws have been condemned by Green MEPs and campaigners as so lenient as to be useless. The next challenge for VW is the announcement of its full year results, which was originally scheduled for 10 March. This has been delayed due to "open questions and the resulting valuation calculations relating to the diesel emissions issue", according to a statement by VW. The company's annual shareholder meeting, which was to be held on 21 April, is also being postponed. The aim, said Volkswagen, is to find the most "reliable" and most "transparent" outcome. Given that rigged emissions tests have undermined VW's reputation for reliability, and the handling of the scandal has been condemned as far from transparent, this is an ironic choice of wording. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-35605089

Beyond the blarney of the Kerry tourist trail, the Reeks District is pitching itself as the country’s adventure playground, with five outdoor activities on offerHalfway through cycling the Ring of the Reeks in Kerry, I realise I am going to make it. Not just the circuit’s full 90km but also the tourist board’s Big Five Challenge, which was launched this month. I started my mission three days earlier with a seven-hour trek to the top of Ireland’s highest peak, 1,039-metre Carrauntoohil in MacGillycuddy’s Reeks, the range of mountains I’m now encircling by bike. The following day’s action included surfing on Inch Beach, kayaking for 6km across Caragh Lake, and night-time paddleboarding on Cloon Lough in Kerry’s Dark Sky Reserve. Today’s ride includes 1,350 metres of climbing over three of Ireland’s highest mountain passes.Moll’s Gap is the second thigh-burning climb of the day and I end up walking the final stretch. It’s my bike’s fault: it has run out of gears. At the top I have a sandwich and a rest while taking in the astounding view of rock and water under ever-changing clouds. Having earned (almost) every metre of height through pedal power, I feel on top of the world.Kieran Meeke cycling the Ring of the Reeks in Kerry. Photograph: Tadhg Hayes Back in the saddle, it’s an easy spin down a twisting mountain road before another tough climb/walk to the top of the Gap of Dunloe. A break for some chocolate, then one more downhill and the final grind back into the market town of Killorglin where I started more than seven hours earlier. Snave Pier, Ballylickey, Bantry, Co. Cork, Ireland. Hot tubs, saunas and seaweed soaks on Ireland’s west coast Read more Legs tired, bum sore, but triumphant (it’s a decade since I was on a bike), I know I’ve completed something rather special. Like anyone else who completes the Big Five Challenge in five days, I also have a certificate to prove it and my name on a board at the Reeks District tourist office.This part of south-west Ireland is encircled by the Ring of Kerry, a scenic route now part of the highly promoted Wild Atlantic Way stretching from Donegal in the north down to the Cork coast. An endless stream of sightseeing coaches and hire cars drive between Cork and Kilkenny, boosting the touristy Ireland of musical pubs and shops crammed with tweed, tea towels and other blarney. The Reeks District itself is a haven inside the Ring, a quiet refuge for families who have lived there for generations as well as newcomers who also love its remoteness, beauty and clear air. One of these is Jens Bachem, a German-Irish marketing consultant who worked in London for 20 years before moving to Kerry with his wife and son in 2017. After setting up a holiday let on Caragh Lake, just outside Killorglin, he joined a group of similar small businesses interested in carefully promoting the region.Still recovering from my Big Five adventure, I take a leisurely evening drive around the Ring of Kerry. The narrow road twists through villages and around cliffs, seldom losing sight of the sea. With dusk falling, the tourist buses have left, and everyone else has gone to their own sanctuaries. At a remote lookout point, there is one parked car. Two women stand beside it offering smartphones stiff-armed to the reddening sun in the west. The silence after I turn off my engine is filled with birdsong, then a cow mooing. A dog barks in response, and a solitary cockerel crows. I laugh at the cliche. The women drive off, leaving me alone with the view. Below me is a bucolic scene of stonewalled fields and cottages with picture windows facing the ocean. But my eyes are drawn back inland, where the high Reeks behind still catch the light, calling me to a new adventure tomorrow. For information on the Big Five, see reeksdistrict.com. A four-night package including B&B and all five activities starts at €529pp (based on four participants). Guided ascents of Carrauntoohil start at €55pp; a day’s kayaking from €65pp; two-hour surfing lessons from €35pp; a day cycling the Ring of the Reeks from €100pp (including bike/helmet hire and sandwiches); night-time paddleboarding on Cloon Lough from €65pp. Accommodation was provided by Kingstons (doubles from €110 room-only). Looking for a holiday with a difference? Browse Guardian Holidays to see a range of fantastic trips https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2019/jun/18/ireland-county-kerry-reeks-district-big-five-adventure-challenge

By Julien Hajj and Lorna Hankin BBC World Service Patients in Sudan are trapped in hospitals without electricity and water, the BBC has been told, while others needing medical care are being evacuated, as fighting continues for a third day. "I thought we were going to die on the street," exclaims Faheem after being evacuated from a hospital with his 14-year-old daughter, Amal. "Amal had to undergo a critical operation for a tumour in her head, following complications from previous surgeries. But we had to keep moving rooms because of the shelling. We eventually reached the ground floor. But then we were told to leave and search for a safe area." Almost 100 people have died since the violence broke out on Saturday. It follows a rift between two men, vying for control: the head of the army and in effect the country's president and his deputy, the leader of the formidable paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). What is going on in Sudan? A simple guide The two generals fighting over Sudan's future "I carried Amal as buildings around us were being bombarded. She was feeling very unwell and was being sick," Faheem explains. The father and daughter managed to safely flee the area. Faheem told the BBC that she is doing well and they hope to return to see a doctor in a couple of weeks for a follow up visit, if possible. While some people are being evacuated, others have been trapped in hospitals around the country for days on end.A satellite image from 16 April reveal fires burning near a hospital in Khartoum, Sudan Workers and volunteers have told the BBC they have endured days living under "immense psychological strain due to shortages of food and drink", as well as dealing with the fear of the ongoing indiscriminate shelling in the surrounding areas. "We heard the sounds of bombardments and gunshots," Ashraf, who is accompanying his injured relative to a Sudanese hospital tells the BBC. "The hospital is facing a critical issue, with no water and electricity, which puts the patients' lives at risk," Ashraf warns. A doctor we spoke to, who has been stuck at the same hospital for three days, confirmed the worsening conditions. "The hospital is confronted with a pressing challenge: the disruption of water and electricity supply, which is putting the remaining patients in a precarious position." He says even though the hospital has received food aid he is worried about what will happen if the building is hit. "They are trying to evacuate the hospital at the moment, in coordination with the concerned authorities but there is an absence of a proper evacuation plan, which is causing further concerns, as the hospital is situated in a high-risk area, vulnerable to potential attacks," he told the BBC. Many hospitals in close proximity to the army headquarters in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, have been the hardest hit. Bombings have resulted in severe damage to some places such as the Al-Shaab Hospital, where an ambulance driver and three others were injured. Four other hospitals were also affected, with some being rendered completely out of service, while one police hospital has been entirely emptied out and reportedly taken over by the RSF. Across social media, videos verified by the BBC show people evacuating one hospital, as gunshots ring out in the background. At another, a health worker can be seen trying to reassure patients about oxygen supplies running low, as a woman can be heard shouting for assistance in the background. In another video sent directly to the BBC women can be seen sheltering in the basement of a hospital in darkness, while they prepare the evening meal to break the fast. The Sudan doctors' union issued an urgent statement calling for the protection of health facilities as well as allowing safe passage for ambulances. It described bombings as a clear violation of international humanitarian law and called on the international community to help. *The names of the interviewees have been changed to protect their safety. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-65302465

Deploy close menu GADGETS How to factory restore Apple AirPods correctly and without risk Pixabay How to factory restore Apple AirPods correctly and without risk You can make Apple headphones like new without danger IVAN MARTIN BARBERO Share on WhatsappShare on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinSend by e-mailgo to comments 19 APR 2023 - 16:51 CEST If you're experiencing connectivity, charging, or audio issues with your Apple AirPods or AirPods Pro, a solution that might correct the problem is to factory reset them . It is true that this type of problem, as well as the fact that it is only heard through one earphone, does not usually occur much in the product of the Cupertino company. But, luckily, the firm has thought about it and allows the action that we have discussed to be executed quite effectively . We are going to show you the option that we believe offers greater security among all the rooms that exist to restore Apple AirPods to the factory , and in this way it will not expose them to any problem (which would be a disaster, since you would not be able to hear your music with quality anywhere until you buy others). Also, as you will see, the process is not particularly long, so having the headphones in top shape will not take you long. Steps to reset Apple AirPods There are a few things that are important to keep in mind before you begin. For one thing, any settings they have will be gone , so you'll have to do the tuning all over again – as good and bad as that is. But this does not happen with the assigned Apple ID , so you will have to delete it manually in case the objective is for someone else to use them (this is done easily and will not be a problem). Once this is clear to you, we show you the instructions to safely leave Apple AirPods as new: To start the reset process, place the AirPods in their charging case and close the lid, wait 30 seconds. Then, open the lid of the charging case for your Apple AirPods . Now, on your iPhone or iOS device, go to Settings, and there, select Bluetooth. Find the AirPods in the list you see on the screen. Then select More information. Now use the blue circle with an "i" next to your AirPods. Apple AirPods on a table Pixabay From the available options, select Forget this device and confirm your decision when prompted. With the lid of your charging case open, press and hold the setup button on the back of the case for 15 seconds until the status light flashes amber, then white. Once you're in AirPods status mode, sync your AirPods back to your iOS device as normal, then close the lid of your charging case and move it close to your iPhone to start the syncing process. You should now see a pop-up window on your iPhone or iOS device screen that will allow you to reconnect the headphones https://cincodias.elpais.com/cincodias/2023/04/19/gadgets/1681915708_495033.html

Apple's new mixed reality viewer , which the company is expected to present next June at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), will have 'software' dedicated to gaming and fitness, and will also be compatible with applications for iPad. Apple will celebrate this annual event for developers at its headquarters in Apple Park, in the United States , from June 5 to 9 of this year . Within this framework, their latest works will be unveiled, such as this device, which is called Reality Pro, the brand's first to combine virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies. The presentation of this device has been extended several times, since it would initially be released in January of this year. Analysts such as Ming Chi-Kuo, on the other hand, anticipated that it would have been postponed due to "software-related difficulties."Now, Mark Gurman, also an analyst, has announced that this device will have a series of tools focused on gaming and 'fitness', as well as existing features on the iPad, as sources close to Apple have pointed out to Bloomberg.The analyst considers that "getting application creators to participate" in these services "is key" for Apple, which would justify the presentation of this viewer within the framework of WWDC. https://www.europapress.es/portaltic/software/noticia-visor-apple-dispondra-software-dedicado-juegos-fitness-aplicaciones-ya-existentes-ipad-20230419160637.html

As part of a fresh wave of April 2023 update in State of Survival, three in-game heroes, Jeb Nelson, Trisha, and Wolfe, have gotten unique variation forms that have given them new subtle skills and a more exciting appearance! Players may now participate in a new style of gameplay in the survival game that is available on PC and mobile devices thanks to the release of their new power-ups. By applying “Limitless Capsules” on their original forms, these heroes have grown and developed. The players can use these capsules, which are distributed to them as part of bundle packages, special gaming events, and more, to turn their purchased heroes into infinite ones!April 2023 update brings three new in-game heroes to State of Survival Players who initially unlock these characters once they reach a certain level will have access to the newly developed versions of those characters. Here’s a deeper look into each hero:He enjoyed the little things in life, like a cool beer, warm bread, and late-night movies. Jeb’s greatest longing was for the routine life he used to lead in the past. He was seen by the residents of the Settlement as a simpleton from the countryside. They had no idea that Jeb was an expert weapon maker who could produce works of art.It was a terrible virus. Even a split second of hesitation when treating an infected patient could have devastating results. Although amputation was a drastic and debatable solution, for Trish it was the only option.Before they were killed by Wolfe during the experiment, Wolfe’s courageous brethren in arms could only experience mortal horror. Wolfe is currently engulfed in a burning hatred for GigaCorp. Most of the time, Wolfe lacks mental clarity. When he is, he can’t help but become fixated on his altered arm. “What am I?” is a question he keeps asking himself. States 1 to 333, where all new hero completion updates are currently accessible, will obtain them later when their State age increases. Players can find out more about upcoming content and the most recent information on the new hero upgrades by visiting the official State of Survival Twitter and YouTube. https://gamingonphone.com/news/state-of-survival-april-2023-update-brings-three-new-heroes-to-the-game/

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is still one of the best games ever made.In The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the sacred is always at war with the profane, and beauty is always at war with blood. The series has always contrasted its world's physical glamor with its intrinsic violence, but never has that contrast been this uneasy, this convulsive. That The Witcher 3 depicts the immediate brutality of battle in great detail is not a surprise; many games fill the screen with decapitated heads and gory entrails. It's the way this incredible adventure portrays the personal tragedies and underhanded opportunities that such battles provide that makes it so extraordinary. It is more than its thematic turbulence that makes The Witcher 3 extraordinary, actually. Excellence abounds at every turn in this open-world role-playing game: excellent exploration, excellent creature design, excellent combat mechanics, excellent character progression. But the moments that linger are those that reveal the deep ache in the world's inhabitants. In one quest, you reunite two lovers, one of which is now a rotting hag, its tongue lasciviously lolling from its mouth. In another, a corpulent spouse-abuser must find a way to love two different lost souls, each of which test the limits of his affection. Don't worry that these vague descriptions spoil important events: they are simple examples of the obstacles every resident faces. On the isles of Skellige and in the city of Novigrad, there is no joy without parallel sorrow. Every triumph demands a sacrifice.As returning protagonist Geralt of Rivia, you, too, face the anguish of mere existence, sometimes in unexpected, unscripted ways. The central story, which sees you seeking your ward and daughter figure Ciri, as well as contending with the otherworldly force known as the wild hunt, often forces this anguish upon you. But it was my natural exploration of the game's vast expanses that proved most affecting. At one point, I witnessed a woman sentenced to death, doomed to starve after being chained to a rock. It's a chilling sentence, of course, but it was only later, when I accidentally sailed past the tiny island where her corpse still rested, that the horror of her punishment sunk into my heart. The Witcher 3's story did not script this moment; it was merely a passing detail that might have been lost in the waves or overlooked in favor of the harpies circling overhead. Yet there she was, a reminder that my actions--actions that felt righteous and reasonable as I made them--allowed this woman to rot in this faraway place.The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings touched on similar repercussions, but The Witcher 3 makes them personal. Political tensions run as hot as they always have in this series, and your decisions still divert the paths of barons and kings in intriguing ways. But where The Witcher 2's focus on plot came at the expense of characterization, the sequel gives the wartime struggle great heft by giving Geralt intimate connections to every major player. The connection between Ciri and Geralt proves to be the story's strongest driving force, but Ciri is not a damsel to be rescued, though it may seem so at first, especially in this particular world. This is a place where women struggle to find respect as political candidates, as armorsmithing masters, and even as proper members of a functioning culture. Roasting a crowd of witch hunters is not only satisfying on its own terms, but has a sweet justice to it: the first steps you make in the city of Novigrad lead you to a witch-burning in progress. Women, as it happens, are also this story's strongest force. If you have played a Witcher game before, you know many of them already. The most powerful of them are former members of the Lodge of Sorceresses, few of them outright likable, and each of them defiant in the face of death. In certain circumstances, you take control of Ciri herself, and she wields swords just as capably as a witcher does. (Her phantom dashes also bring a zippiness to her sections that Geralt lacks.) The occasional dose of gratuitous toplessness sometimes proves to be a needle scratch, particularly in a sauna scene that seems to have been constructed specifically to get you up close and personal with a woman's anatomy. In other moments, however, the nudity is a natural element of a scene's sensuality, such as the tutorial scene that features Yennefer and Geralt sharing a relaxed intimacy that surpasses the obvious physical connection. The Witcher 3 is enormous in scope, though "big" is just a descriptor, a statement of neither good nor bad. It is fortunate, then, that The Witcher 3 does not subscribe to the "make a big world and fill it with copy-paste content" design philosophy. Instead, it finds a nigh-perfect sense of balance between giving you things to do and allowing its spaces to breathe. You follow a path not just because there's a question mark on your map, but also because it must lead somewhere new and interesting. The intrigue builds naturally: Every quest is a story of sadness or triumph waiting to absorb you, asking you to make decisions that change the landscape in various ways. You won't always know what the consequences are; some decisions have noticeable, game-altering repercussions, while others barely draw your gaze. But the consequences are there, and you often notice them, even though the game doesn't go out of its way to call attention to them.Of course, story quests, side quests, and monster-killing contracts typically involve the same set of activities: killing, talking, and activating your witcher senses, which reveal footprints and scent trails and turn Geralt into a particularly violent private investigator. It is the details that keep every task as inviting as the one that came before. It might be a change of scenery that turns an otherwise typical contract into a clash for the ages: you pull out your crossbow and shoot a screaming wyvern out of the sky with a well-placed bolt, then plunge your silver sword into its heart, all while a fire rages in the outpost beyond and lightning bolts tear across the dark sky. It might be fear that disrupts your state of mind: you search for spirits as you trudge through a murky swamp, lighting the mist with the green light that emanates from your magical lantern. The Witcher 3 makes grand gestures and small ones, too; you may battle werewolves and match wits with kings and barons, but hearing an angel-voiced trobairitz sing a plaintive ballad is a stunning show-stopper. The writing can be best described as "lusty." Many of the land's inhabitants serve a god, but their gods have no apparent problem with them making murderous accusations and shouting obscenities. It's fitting that these people would turn to the gods yet curse them in turn, given fields ravaged by battle and littered with bloated corpses. There are a few moments that reveal the screenplay's seams: some of Geralt's lines may not make sense if you choose them in a particular order, for instance, and Geralt is concerned only with money and prefers to stay out of politics, except for when he's not like that at all, because the plot demands as much. But at least the witcher's signature dry growl remains intact, and the rambunctious Irish and Scottish accents that pervade particular regions may inspire you to head to the pub and grab a pint.As cutting as some characters' wit may be (Sigismund Dijkstra's sarcastic barbs make him one of the game's foul-mouthed delights), you do most of your cutting with the blades sheathed on your back. The Witcher 2's combat was overly demanding at the outset, but The Witcher 3 is substantially easier; I recommend, in fact, that you choose a difficulty level one notch higher than the one you would typically choose, presuming you don't default to the most stringent one straight away. Even when things get easy, however, the combat is always satisfying, due to the crunchiness of landing blows, the howls of human foes scorched by your Igni sign, and the fearsome behavior of necrophages, wandering ghosts, and beasts of the indescribable sort. It's easy to get sidetracked and outlevel story quests, but even lesser beasts require a bit of finesse; drowners attack in numbers, for instance, knocking you about and making it difficult to swing, while winged beasts swoop in for a smackdown and require you to blast them down with a flash of fire, a shockwave, or a crossbow bolt.The familiar magical signs return in The Witcher 3. Geralt is no mage, but he still calls on the powers of magic to assist him in combat. Character advancement is substantially improved over the previous games, providing not just passive improvements to your magical trap and your force-push technique, but also altering their very behavior. Casting Igni, for instance, initially produces a brief flash of flames. Certain upgrades, however, allow you to spray a stream of flames for as long as your energy supply supports it. Roasting a crowd of witch hunters in this way is not only satisfying on its own terms, but has a sweet justice to it: the first steps you make in the city of Novigrad lead you to a witch-burning in progress. How appropriate that you turn this punishment on the same factions that would rid the world of sorceresses and their cohorts.The Witcher 3 finds a nigh-perfect sense of balance between giving you things to do and allowing its spaces to breathe. Loot has a huge role to play in the game, thanks to the high degree of armor and weapon customization. Different armor sets in particular are a joy to uncover, making Geralt look more and more hardened as you progress. In many role-playing games, hunting for treasure is more of a chore to be marked off of the to-do list than a pressing adventure of its own. In The Witcher 3, discovering a diagram of new and improved chest armor is a cause for celebration. Geralt can get a shave and a haircut (and delightfully, his beard grows back over time), but otherwise, you cannot customize his physical appearance; new armor means a new look, and with it, a new visual attitude. Geralt's look evolves from that of a battered soldier, to robed battle wizard, to wisened commander, all on the basis of the game's exquisite armor designs.The Witcher 3 also benefits from its hugely expanded potions system, which allows you to quaff potions during combat--though as always, witcher potions are dangerous, and Geralt can only have so many in effect due to their rising toxicity. Between gear diagrams and potion ingredients, I became a digital hoarder, a trap I typically avoid in role-playing games. Again, it comes down to balance: your inventory fills rapidly, but for the most part, this is not just "stuff" for the sake of "stuff." I knew that the ingredients I collected would allow me to create a potion that in turn let me dive for treasure without being annoyed by pesky sea-dwelling drowners. I knew that I could break down those horse hides I collected into armor components the local smith needed to make me look even mightier.From one hour to the next, the compulsion to examine the landscape grows. Some of the joys that arise in the wilds are quiet ones: you mount your horse Roach and trot over the hill in time to see a rich sunset, always a treat in The Witcher 3, whose saturated reds and oranges make the sky look as beautiful and as blood-sodden as the meadows beneath them. You discover a boat and embark on an impromptu voyage through the islands of Skellige, taking note of the ship wreckage that mars the beaches and cliffs. The music swells, and a soprano intones a euphoric melody that accentuates the peacefulness. The peacefulness is always broken, however--perhaps by a journey into a dark dungeon where your torch lights the pockmarked walls and a snarling fiend waits to devour you, or by the shout of a boy crying out for your assistance. When it comes to platform differences, the surprises are few, and divergences are a matter of degrees, not orders of magnitude. The original review copy was for the PlayStation 4 release, which sports a higher resolution than the Xbox One’s version, though without a side-by-side comparison, Xbox One owners should have no reason to bemoan the way the game looks: it’s beautiful on all of its platforms.When it comes to platform differences, the surprises are few, and divergences are a matter of degrees, not orders of magnitude. The original review copy was for the PlayStation 4 release, which sports a higher resolution than the Xbox One’s version, though without a side-by-side comparison, Xbox One owners should have no reason to bemoan the way the game looks: it’s beautiful on all of its platforms. As for the PC version, with rising concern regarding how the game looked at early showings versus how it looks at release, it’s vital to note that The Witcher 3 on PC looks absolutely wonderful, particularly if you have a reasonably powerful machine and can see the game in motion at its highest settings. Software stability is another concern now that The Witcher 3 has hit wide release. I’ve not encountered anything serious in my many hours of play, though the cliched phrase “your mileage may vary” is always an apt one. My time on the PC has been mostly problem-free, and the frame rate there has remained more consistent than on PlayStation 4 and on Xbox One, both of which reveal occasional stutters. All things considered, however, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a fantastic role-playing game on all three of its platforms, and a treat for those that enjoy losing themselves in lush virtual worlds. - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is undoubtedly beautiful regardless of platform, though prone to occasional bugs and visual glitches. Solving a quest's subtasks in a particular order caused the game to stick at a perpetual loading screen. Roach decided to stop galloping and lurch ahead in a weird way for minutes on end until I quick-traveled away and returned. Geralt's hair blew in the wind, even when he was indoors. It's jarring should you enter an area after quick-traveling and the citizens have yet to pop in, including quest-givers. Along with occasional console frame rate jitters, these elements may prove distracting to you should they arise, depending on your level of tolerance; even so, Geralt's newest adventure is such an achievement that I was rarely disturbed by the glitches I encountered. Oddly enough, the improved visuals, the new photo mode, and alternate camera angles have changed the way I play The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. I’ve always appreciated the beauty of that world, but I am moving at a slower more deliberate pace. I am less concerned with the question marks on the map and more interested in exploring the world in front of me, stumbling on side-quests and points of interest naturally. It’s far more satisfying to happen upon a rare set of armor tucked away in a cave than it is to plot a direct path to a cave via the map. This playstyle is further supported thanks to new map filters and HUD settings. If you’d like, you can remove all the exclamation points and question marks off the map and let your curiosity guide you. You can even set it so the mini-map only appears when you activate your Witcher senses. Which, paired with the closer camera angles, gives exploration a cleaner, more cinematic feel. The next-gen update also adds a new side-quest that feels right at home in The Witcher 3. It introduces a couple of characters, and takes place in an under-utilized landmark in Velen. There are a few more surprises, which I won’t spoil, but upon completion you gain access to the Netflix-inspired gear. When CD Projekt Red revealed that they’d be bringing Netflix-inspired gear to The Witcher 3 I was trepidacious. The world of The Witcher 3 is such a well-thought-out and focused experience. The Netflix series, by comparison, is not. I was concerned that this quest and equipment might water down the experience. Fortunately, that isn’t the case. While I still don’t plan on using Cavill’s Witcher gear, the quest itself is a welcome inclusion that gives context to the new gear and how it ended up in CD Projekt Red’s interpretation of this world. Even if you don’t plan on replaying The Witcher 3 from start to finish, I recommend loading up an old save just to check this out. At the very least, it’s worth it to hear Doug Cockle reprise his role to deliver some new lines as the White Wolf. The only major change to the gameplay is quick sign casting. If you have it turned on, you can hold down R2 or right trigger and press one of the face buttons or L2 to quickly cast a sign. It took some getting used to, but it’s now my preferred way of sign casting. It’s nice being able to throw up a Quen right before battle by holding down R2 and pressing circle, and then immediately setting my foes on fire with Igni holding R2 and pressing L2. While it may take some time to build up the muscle memory, this small change does streamline combat quite a bit, especially on harder fights that might have you swapping signs often. Overall, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s next-gen update is an impressive collection of new features, tweaks, and enhancements that make one of the best RPGs in the last decade, even better. If you’ve never played The Witcher 3, consider this a sign to finally give it a shot. If you’ve already played The Witcher 3, there’s still enough here for the experience to feel fresh. -- Jake Dekker https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt-next-gen-update-review-winds-howlin/1900-6416135/

An Intel Corporation lab in Hillsboro, Oregon, holds 24 powered-on Intel Xeon-based servers in a tank filled with synthetic non-electrically conductive oil. Immersion cooling is a method of managing heat from processors more effectively than by traditional air cooling. Intel is working with industry partners to develop solutions for today's data centers and those in the future. (Credit: Intel CorporationAs energy demand grows in the data center segment, Intel is looking into new & innovative ways to cool next-gen chips with tech such as a 3D Vapor Chamber with up to 2000W of cooling potential. Intel's 3D Vapor-Chamber Coolers For Next-Gen Chips Can Deliver Up To 2000W Cooling While Saving Lots of Electricity & Money Press Release: Extending Moore’s Law means putting more transistors on an integrated circuit and, increasingly, adding more cores. Doing so improves performance but requires more energy.Over the past decade, Intel estimates it has saved 1,000 terawatt hours of electricity through the improvements its engineers have made to processors. These advances are complemented by cooling technologies – fans, in-door coolers, direct-to-chip cooling – that further manage heat, conserve energy and reduce carbon emissions.Sandra Rivera, Intel executive vice president and general manager of the Data Center and AI Group, displays a 5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processor (code-named Emerald Rapids). Intel announced 5th Gen Xeon as the company's next Performance-core (P-core) product during an investor webinar on March 29, 2023. (Credit: Intel Corporation) These cooling features require up to 40% of a data center’s energy consumption. As Intel looks to increase performance in the future, improvements need to be accomplished in an energy-efficient way, and air cooling may not be the solution. Fortunately, Intel is working with the liquid cooling industry – from tank vendors to fluid providers to its own labs – to create innovative solutions where computing components are in direct contact with a heat-conducting fluid. Some of the solutions seem squarely in the realm of science fiction, like 3D vapor chambers embedded in coral-shaped heat sinks. Or tiny jets, adjusted by artificial intelligence, that shoot cool water over hot spots in the chip to remove heat. All are being explored in thermal labs at Intel. Disruption in the Data Center According to a 2022 International Energy Agency study, global data center electricity use in 2021 was 220 to 320 terawatt hours or around 0.9% to 1.3% of global electricity demand. Increases in energy use by data centers and the world’s top supercomputers have brought liquid cooling from fantasy to fringe technology to on-the-verge-of-mainstream. Intel has been supporting immersion cooling for over a decade, and for good reason: The path to sustainable data centers and exascale supercomputers requires a revolution in cooling to accommodate more powerful processors. Sustainability Drives Design Immersion cooling is part of Intel’s net-zero commitments. As much as 99% of the heat generated by IT equipment can be captured in the form of water or another liquid coolant. Instead of requiring fans, the heat passes into the fluid, which is then circulated to dissipate the energy, much like an air conditioning system. That heat can even be harnessed and reused as needed.Disruptive solutions need to be innovative, but also market-ready, executable, and testable. Intel will partner with startups and academic leaders on these technologies, with the goal of developing open solutions over the next five years that Intel – and the world – can use to reduce the energy footprint of data centers. New Materials and Structures for Cooling Intel researchers are developing novel solutions to support the power and thermal management needs of next-generation architectures, including devices up to 2 kilowatts. Among the solutions they are looking at are 3D vapor chambers (sealed, flat metal pockets filled with fluid) to spread the boiling capacity using minimal space and improved boiling enhancement coatings, which reduce thermal resistance by promoting high nucleation site density (where bubbles of steam form on a metal surface).Boiling is one of the most effective methods to cool high-power electronic devices and maintain a uniform temperature distribution. Boiling enhancement coatings made of advanced materials can facilitate effective nucleate boiling. Today, these are applied on a flat surface, but research shows a coral-like heat sink design with internal groove-like features has the highest potential for external heat transfer coefficients with two-phase immersion cooling. Intel envisions these ultra-low thermal resistance 3D vapor chamber cavities integrated within coral-shaped immersion cooling heat sinks created using additive manufacturing. Another approach Intel researchers are pursuing uses arrays of fluid jets to cool the highest-power devices. Unlike typical heat sinks or traditional cold plates that pass fluid over a surface, the cooling jets route fluid directly to the surface. The thermal lid that contains the jets can be attached directly to the top of a standard lidded package, eliminating thermal interface material and reducing thermal resistance. With multi-chip modules becoming increasingly difficult to cool, this technology can be customized for each construction and can target hot spots effectively, enabling the processor to run at a lower temperature with a 5% to 7% increase in performance for the same power. From its processor designs to the data center system level, Intel remains focused on extending Moore’s Law while increasing energy efficiency. https://wccftech.com/intel-talks-future-cooling-solution-for-data-centers-3d-vapor-chambers-to-cool-up-to-2000w-next-gen-chips/

Keeping track of all the latest video games coming out is an increasingly complex task, what with multiple PC storefronts, Xbox One, PS4, Switch, mobile, and more to keep track of, but don’t worry, I’m here to help. Every month I'll be running down the games you need to be keeping an eye on, from the big triple-A headliners, to the intriguing indies you might overlook. Following on the heels an unusually packed February, March isn’t quite as busy, but there are still some big games to look forward to, including the much-anticipated Resident Evil 4 remake, and Team Ninja’s latest Soulslike, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. On the indie front, players can look forward to the visually-impressive open-world Soulslike Bleak Faith: Forsaken, charming narrative puzzler Storyteller, and more.Note: While I may have played demos or got early access to some of the games recommended in this article, in most cases I’m simply choosing games that look promising, and can’t vouch for the end product. Do wait for reviews before buying! That said, here are the games you should be looking out for in March… The HeadlinersWo Long: Fallen Dynasty (PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4 & PS5, March 3) Were you a fan of Team Ninja’s Nioh games? Looking for more punishment? Well, it doesn’t seem like a new Nioh is coming any time soon, but Team Ninja’s Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is the next best thing. Another hardcore Soulslike packed with packed demonic enemies, Wo Long relocates the action from Japan to feudal China and introduces some new elements, like character creation and a greater focus on environmental traversal. This one doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel, but I’m sure there are plenty of Nioh fans that will be perfectly alright with that. Here's everything you need to know about the game. You can pre-order Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty here.Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon (Switch, March 17) PlatinumGames always zigs when you expect them to zag. Following on the heels of the excellent Bayonetta 3, the new isometric action-adventure Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon weaves a downright wholesome storybook tale while focusing more on unique mechanics, exploration, and puzzle solving than the franchise’s usual high-intensity action. I’m not exactly sure what audience Bayonetta Origins is being made for, but I’ve had the opportunity to tackle the game’s early hours, and it shows promise. You can pre-order Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon here. https://wccftech.com/video-games-coming-out-march-2023/

Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to falsifying business records to hide damaging information ahead of the 2016 election. The former president was charged with 34 felony counts in a Manhattan court on Tuesday. The charges stem from a hush money payment to a porn star, Stormy Daniels, who says they had an adulterous affair. Mr Trump, 76, denies criminal wrongdoing. He is the first US president in history to face a criminal trial. The charges stem from a hush money payment to a porn star, Stormy Daniels, who says they had an adulterous affair. The one thing Trump's day in court tells us Paying hush money is not illegal. But the prosecution says Mr Trump falsified business records and broke election laws as he tried to cover up the payments. Each of the charges carries a maximum of four years in prison, though a judge could sentence Mr Trump to probation if he is convicted. The former president sat stony-faced and silent for the nearly hour-long proceedings before Judge Juan Merchan, speaking out loud only in response to the judge's questions and to enter his not-guilty plea. Watch: Trump's historic journey in 60 seconds While making their arguments, prosecutors told the judge Mr Trump had made threatening posts on social media. Lawyers for Mr Trump responded that their client was frustrated by the case, which he believed to be a "great injustice". Mr Trump's trial could begin as early as January 2024, Judge Merchan said, meaning the Republican - who is running for the US presidency again in 2024 - may be back in court just as primaries begin to select the party's nominee. Mr Trump said nothing to reporters as he left court. He returned immediately to his Florida home, Mar-a-Lago, on Tuesday evening, where he delivered brief remarks in the ballroom of the Palm Beach resort. "The only crime I have committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it," he told the crowd. Watch: Three takeaways from Trump's day in court The case hinges on a hush money payment of $130,000 (£104,000) made before the 2016 presidential election. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said this was arranged by Mr Trump to buy porn star Stormy Daniels' silence about an alleged affair back in 2006. Mr Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen - who turned against his former boss - has said he made the payment at Mr Trump's direction. Prosecutors also pointed to other payments they say were made via an intermediary on behalf of Mr Trump to suppress potentially politically damaging stories. They allege $30,000 was paid to buy the silence of a doorman at Trump Tower who claimed Mr Trump had a lovechild. And $150,000 was paid to Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who said she had a sexual relationship with Mr Trump. Prosecutors said both payments were made by the National Enquirer, a US tabloid whose publisher is a long-time ally of Mr Trump. In pictures: Donald Trump is arrested What Trump indictment means - a simple guide Americast: Trump indicted "Everyone stands equal under the law," Mr Bragg said after the arraignment. "No matter who you are, we will not normalise serious criminal conduct." The odds of a conviction are so far unclear but the charges against Mr Trump have pulled the country into uncharted political territory. While a criminal conviction would not prevent Mr Trump from either running for president or from re-claiming the Oval Office, the prolonged legal fight could prove a major distraction for the Republican front-runner, and may add a new layer of turmoil to his party's primary. Hundreds of Mr Trump's supporters congregated at a park across from the court on Tuesday morning. They were joined by congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a right-wing Republican from Georgia who derided the Democratic party as "communists" and "failures". "Every single American should be concerned," Ms Greene said of Mr Trump's indictment. Ms Greene, 48, has repeatedly promoted the false claim that Mr Trump won the 2020 presidential election. Counter-protesters shouted and jeered, at times drowning her speech out entirely. "Go back to Georgia!" one woman said. Mr Trump is the focus of three other investigations, related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, and over his handling of classified documents after leaving the White House. With additional reporting from Kayla Epstein in New York https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65182264

The body of Hesgyn, here on the right with his sister Berthyn, has been found A police investigation is underway following the discovery of a dead osprey on a beach in north Wales. The body of three-year-old Hesgyn was found on Criccieth beach on the Llyn Peninsula in Gwynedd this week. The rural crime unit at North Wales Police has been notified and a forensic examination will take place to determine the cause of death. Janine Panett, of the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust, said it was unusual for an osprey of that age to die. She added: "People are naturally upset when it's a bird they have followed growing up." Hesgyn was one of a three-chick brood at Dyfi osprey project. He was the youngest chick born to parents Telyn and Monty in 2019, with his brother Peris and sister Berthyn. He migrated to west Africa and returned to where he was hatched last year. Only the nest will do after chainsaw attack 'Human swan' to track migration route of ospreys Osprey lays 50th egg Ms Pannett said: "It is sad and unfortunate that a bird of that age has died. "He had done well to get to this age. Generally when you pass the first couple of years, the mortality figure decreases." According to the trust, Hesgyn's return to the Cors Dyfi nature reserve was the only time two birds from the same nest brood were reported back in the UK after his sister Berthyn was spotted in Scotland last year. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-62319599

Drivers of Volkswagen cars - watching the emissions scandal engulfing the company - will naturally want to know whether they have bought a car with the performance they expect. Add to that worries about the original cost of the car, and its value should they come to resell it, and the effect of this scandal becomes clearer in terms of pounds and pence. And yet, absolute financial clarity remains a distant prospect. Experts are divided as to whether the price of second-hand VWs will be affected. Despite lawyers circling, there are not enough details to conclude whether drivers will, or won't, have a claim for compensation.The German car giant - which has lost its crown as the biggest global carmaker in terms of sales since the scandal broke - has admitted using software in the US to provide false emission results for nitrogen oxide and dioxide (NOx) tests. The firm's US boss said it "totally screwed up". Some 500,000 vehicles in the US have been affected.This is a fraction of the 11 million VW Group cars - including Audi, Seat, Skoda and VW Commercial vehicles - around the world that have the same equipment. The company has been outlining the breakdown of this total around the world. For example, 1.2 million of its vehicles sold in the UK are fitted with the software involved. Until this week, the scandal only involved diesel cars, but the latest revelations about "irregularities" in carbon dioxide emissions could also affect petrol engine cars. VW has said the problem lies in the way certain car types with "smaller engines" were certified to meet CO2 emissions standards. Volkswagen scandal 11 million Vehicles affected worldwide €6.5bn Set aside by VW $18bn Potential fines No. 1 Global carmaker in sales line Will this scandal affect the resale price of the car? That is very much a matter of debate. Jim Holder, editorial director at Haymarket Automotive, which publishes WhatCar and AutoCar, told the BBC: "In the short-term, there will be an impact on the value of these cars and their desirability." The longer-term picture might be better news for owners. Dylan Setterfield, senior editor at CAP Black Book - a manual referred to by professional used-car dealers, says: "We do not expect there to be any significant impact on used values in the UK as a direct result of the US emissions scandal. "The last global recall was the Toyota/Lexus issue, and despite the fact that this had serious safety implications, there was no discernible impact on used values." He says there are reasons - other than emissions - that make diesel cars po[CENSORED]r such as the pulling power of these engines. "The overriding view is that diesel vehicles are more economical than their petrol equivalents - even if this is not always the case - and the torque characteristics of diesel engines are generally po[CENSORED]r with drivers," he says. line Is compensation a possibility? Again, it really is too early to say, but lawyers in the UK believe there is a chance. "If UK cars are found to contain defeat devices, this would give rise to a claim by car owners and car dealerships who bought VW vehicles on the basis of false information and whose asset has now devalued," says Jacqueline Young, head of group litigation at law firm Slater and Gordon. Lawyers in the US are already considering bringing cases. The UK government has announced a testing programme on a range of diesel cars to check whether the emissions dupe is more widespread. This could develop into a test for other types of emissions, rather than just the NOx readings which were covered up in the US. Emissions quoted by the manufacturer are key to the level of tax levied on these vehicles when bought and thereafter. They are also key to the tax paid by employers and employees who have diesel vehicles as company cars. Chas Roy-Chowdhury, of the ACCA accountancy body, says similar tax rules apply across Europe. Should it be proved that tax has been underpaid owing to emissions readings being cheated, then governments may seek to recoup that money from the car company involved. If the car company can prove that its in-lab testing met the European regulator's requirements, then such a move would be difficult to win legally. The government has said it will ensure no drivers will end up paying higher tax costs as a result of this scandal. Drivers may see changes to the levels of tax levied in the future, although the rules are set to change anyway. line Will my VW pass the UK's MOT emissions test? It won't fail as a result of nitrogen oxide emissions. The UK Department of Transport's (DoT) MOT emissions test for diesel cars measures the density of the particulates in the exhaust fumes, not the nature of the gasses produced. A DoT spokesperson said: "This is a smoke opacity test. It is not comparable to the laboratory or road emissions tests." The test is carried out using a calibrated smoke meter which measures the soot content in the exhaust. VW has also stressed that vehicles will not fail MOTs owing to the cheating software. line Will this happen again? There are plenty of questions as to whether this scandal will expose further emission testing failures and, in turn, whether this affects prices. The RAC Foundation says that new diesels are performing as they are expected to. More robust testing of car emissions across Europe is likely to be brought in sooner to bolster confidence. These proposed tests reveal emissions of pollutants in real driving conditions, rather than in the lab, and had been expected to start in 2017. How VW rebounds from this crisis will be important not only for drivers, but also for investors in the company who have watched the value of their shares tumble. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-34348694

Paddling is the best way to enjoy the sawtooth peaks, white coral beaches, rosy red fishers’ cabins and extraordinary light in Norway’s Lofoten IslandsWe arrive by night, the wind and rain battering Svolvaer harbour, the last stop on a 3½-hour ferry journey from mainland Bodø through the ink-black Arctic waters of northernmost Norway to the Lofoten Islands. My girlfriend and I have come here to kayak in some of the world’s most dramatic and remote scenery – an ancient land of sawtooth peaks, ghost-white coral beaches, and a remote beauty unlike anywhere else on the planet.We awake to lashing rain the next morning: the elements, with a violence akin to Thor’s hammer, are continuing to stamp their authority on the islandIn misty daylight, Svolvaer, the main settlement and transport hub, reveals a jaw-dropping natural drama of vertiginous mountains towering over a blend of low red rorbuer (timber fishers’ huts) cheek by jowl with modernist Lego hotels. It should be architecturally discordant, but the little town, with its confection of galleries, gift shops and cafes has a lo-fi charm that quickly grows on us.‘Rorbuer’ fishers’ cottages at Nusfjord” Photograph: Richard Waters It’s not only humans like us who are attracted by these waters: for some of the largest carnivores in the ocean, among them sperm whale and orca, the Lofoten archipelago is a regular fixture in their migratory diaries. And let’s not forget the reason there is a rosy red fishing cabin at every turn: cod fishing is what built Norway, and right here is where it started. Every winter for centuries, giant skrei (cod) have migrated from the Barents Sea to the Lofoten Islands to spawn. In the absence of salt to preserve it, the canny Vikings dried the gutted cod on hjell, wooden triangular racks built on the shore, and let the cold air and wind turn it into stockfish. The dried fish is packed with nutrition, and its keeping qualities allowed the Vikings to sail vast distances; it is one of the primary reasons, aside from their seafaring brilliance, that they “discovered” America 500 years before Christopher Columbus.We get our first go at kayaking here with a loquacious guide who introduces himself as Odd. “You’re pulling my leg,” I say. “No, really,” he smiles. Odd’s a true islander, a waterman who knows every skerry and lump of rock here. After running us through how to capsize gracefully, he says: “Lofoten means ‘lynx foot’ in Norse – that’s what the Vikings called it. And don’t worry about the weather: there’s a microclimate here, so while here we have fog and rain today, it can be clear further north. Come on, we have a small window to cheat the weather.” As we paddle round an islet, a jet-coloured seal pup surfaces to say hello and is shortly joined by an otter Half an hour’s drive later – and with the cunning of Loki (god of mischief) – Odd has taken us from omnipresent mist to clear skies. He even conjures a low-flying sea eagle into the mix. We pull up beside a coral beach overlooked by serrated mountains and climb into neoprene dry suits. Soon we’re kayaking across a watery landscape lifted from the pages of an Icelandic saga, the 3million-year-old mountains swathed in ice, the clear sky turning into a low canopy of glowering clouds. As we paddle round the corner of an islet to another white ground-coral beach, a jet-coloured seal pup surfaces to say hello, and is shortly joined by an otter. The mercurial light is extraordinary, with golden shafts streaming biblically through clouds, alighting on sandy shallows and firing them a rich verdigris; no wonder artists from all over the world are drawn here to paint.A white ground-coral beach north of Svolvaer That evening we seek shelter from the rain in the excellent Lofoten War Memorial Museum, with its military uniforms, weaponry and snapshots of the second world war. For a brief time, a brave Norwegian resistance operated against the Nazis in the Lofoten archipelago and parts of the nearby mainland.Arms aching from yesterday’s paddling, we jump in a hire car and set off for the far south of the archipelago. Passing a black fjord on the island of Vestvågøya, I imagine a fleet of dragon-prowed skeið (warships) setting off for distant shores. Right on cue, an enormous upturned ship looms into view on a hill. It is in fact a former chieftain’s home, excavated in 1983. Now fully restored, it is the largest longhouse in the known Viking world. Lofotr Viking Museum, which sits beside it, presents these infamous people in an altogether different light: Vikings filed their teeth, produced fine filigree jewellery, celebrated the woman as a warrior and even ironed their clothes with hot stones. Yes, they took hallucinogens and raped and pillaged on raiding missions, but they were also skilled navigators and sailors, farmers and, for the time (ninth to 11th centuries), pretty hygienic: bathing weekly and taking fastidious care of their glossy plaits. https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2023/apr/17/arctic-adventure-kayaking-lofoten-islands-norway

Watch: Sheltering from fighter jets and gunfire around Khartoum airport By Mohamed Osman & Natasha Booty BBC News, in Khartoum & London Hospitals have been shelled in Sudan as fighting between rival armed factions continues for a third day, doctors say. Patients in the capital, Khartoum, have appealed for safe passage as gun battles rage in the city. Violence between the army and a paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has left around 100 people dead, a doctors' union said. Both sides claimed to control key sites in Khartoum, where residents sheltered from explosions. 'I thought we'd die' - Sudan patients cry for help The Sudan Doctors' Trade Union says there has been severe damage to al-Shab Teaching Hospital in Khartoum, along with two other hospitals, caused by clashes and "mutual shelling".because the military wants to make sure their version of events and their propaganda narrative out, suggests BBC Sudan analyst James Copnall. But electricity is down in many places and water supplies to homes have been cut, leaving terrified residents no choice but to venture onto Khartoum's streets in search of drinking water. One group of students trapped inside the headquarters of an oil company in Khartoum by heavy fighting told the BBC that they has not had food or water in three days. Speaking on Monday, one student said the group were trapped "in the middle of a heavy firefight", while another said air force jets were constantly bombing the area and "flying strikes from above". Sudan is a majority-Muslim country and the fighting has brought an abrupt end to the kind of outdoor socialising that usually happens during Ramadan after the day-time fast is broken. On Sunday and early Monday, the RSF claimed to occupy sites in Khartoum such as the presidential palace. But some accounts indicated that the army had regained control of the airport, with the military saying they were dealing with "small pockets of rebels". The army previously denied that the RSF had seized key sites in the capital, and witnesses in the country told Reuters news agency that the army appeared to be making gains after blasting RSF bases with air strikes. Residents of Khartoum have spoken of fear and panic, and reported gunfire and explosionsWatch: What's happened in Sudan since Saturday? "We live on a rooftop on the third floor and the airplanes fly really close to the roofs and its terrifying," Duaa Tariq told the BBC. She said she was running out of food and water. Another Khartoum resident, Kholood Khair, said residents could not be sure of safety anywhere. "All civilians have been urged to stay at home, but that has not kept everyone safe." The major sticking points between the army and RSF are over the plans to incorporate the 100,000-strong RSF into the army, and over who would then lead the new force. A chorus of international voices has called for a permanent end to the violence. Leading Arab states and the US have also urged a resumption of talks aimed at restoring a civilian government, while the African Union has announced that it is sending its top diplomat, Moussa Faki Mahamat, to try to negotiate a ceasefire. Egypt and South Sudan also offered to mediate between the warring factions, according to a statement by the Egyptian presidency.Thick black smoke was seen over Khartoum (satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies) Death toll estimates have varied. The Central Committee of Sudan Doctors reported 97 civilians killed and dozens among security forces dead, as well as 942 people injured. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization says more than 83 people have been killed and more than 1,100 people injured across the country since Thursday, when the RSF began mobilising its forces. It does not specify how many civilians have died in the fighting. Among the dead are three staff members of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), which has suspended its operations in the country. In a statement, the WFP said it was "horrified" by the news of the deaths, adding that one of its aircraft had been damaged at Khartoum airport during an exchange of gunfire on Saturday, which it says impacted its ability to provide aid. . https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-65293538

Samsung 's wearable lines , which include devices such as the Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Fit, offer excellent performance when it comes to monitoring physical activity. However, the South Korean company is developing another flashier product line that is said to offer even more accurate health tracking. It is a smart ring that everything indicates that it will be called Galaxy Ring .Quite precise information has appeared indicating that Samsung has developed activity and health monitoring technologies for the aforementioned Galaxy Ring. Apparently, it has a PPG sensor -the usual one that exists in most wearables- and another ECG (electrocardiogram) to monitor heart activity and health. It is even reported that the accuracy of the Galaxy Ring is even higher and more detailed than the existing Galaxy Watch. The reasons for the improvement in the Samsung Galaxy Ring The main one is that the sensors in the ring cover the finger from all angles , which allows for much more efficient work in all types of conditions. In addition, you would not have problems with sweat, something that does affect the pressure of some smart bracelets and watches. Therefore, we are talking about an ideal accessory to know the physical condition and the activity that one has on a day-to-day basis.But not everything is positive, since, if this is confirmed, the Galaxy Ring could cannibalize the sales of the Galaxy Watch , especially for those who use it focused on recognizing physical activity (although, it is true that watches Smart phones have many other features that the ring can't possibly offer, which could be a reason why Samsung is late in launching the new product we're talking about. A development that takes time in the making In February 2023, Samsung filed a trademark application for the name Galaxy Ring with the KIPRIS (Korea Intellectual Property Information Search), meaning the company could release the smart device in the future. However, there is no specific timeline for the launch yet, as the company has not released anything official about it at the moment. Apple , unlike in foldable screen phones , aims to be a challenger in this segment of the market. Since smart rings do not have screens and are not bulky -because they are small-, these accessories may have a good future as accessories that can even reach the fashion sector, but, well, this will be seen once the Samsung Galaxy Ring a reality in the market. https://cincodias.elpais.com/cincodias/2023/04/17/gadgets/1681731896_857851.html

The new version of Android 14 already has a feature that allows users to block and hide full-screen pop-up notifications offered by some apps.A few days ago, Google launched the first public beta of this new version of its operating system, an update that adds new application customization options and a smarter interface, among other innovations. Some of them include an improvement in the tactile navigation experience, since an arrow is presented on the left side of the screen that serves to go back during use; as well as dynamic language customization for each application, that is, individually for each service that users have installed on their devices. This Android update now includes a novelty related to the application notification system, which can currently be controlled in different ways, as explained by Gogole in its Android Help section.As the analyst Mishaal Rahman has been able to verify , it is now possible to control the alerts that some applications introduce in full screen. For example, the telephone alarm, which can interrupt the activity of the users by occupying the entire panel with the scheduled time. This can also happen with other features, such as incoming calls. To prevent these from appearing, within the Settings menu, in the 'Applications' section, the company has introduced the option 'Manage full screen attempts' in the ' Special access to applications'. It should be remembered that this is not the only novelty related to the applications, since Rahman has advanced on previous occasions that he will report on the use made by the applications installed on the 'smartphones' with the user data and if these are going to be shared with third parties.Likewise, it has introduced certain functionalities for third-party application stores, with which it will make the updates of these services efficient and do not interrupt the user's activity during the installation. https://www.europapress.es/portaltic/software/noticia-android-14-permitira-controlar-notificaciones-aplicaciones-pantalla-completa-20230417170006.html

Subway Surfers Blast, the new sequel to one of the most iconic series, Subway Surfers in the mobile gaming industry, officially opens the pre-registration on Android and iOS. Developed by SYBO Games, the game will be available for download soon, which is not announced yet. Subway Surfers Blast aims to deliver new challenges from a different perspective Subway Surfers Blast goes by the puzzle genre on the official app stores, and rightly so, in contrast to the classic Subway Surfers game which was an endless runner, this one will offer puzzle-solving gameplay. Players can expect gameplay similar to that of the classic game Candy Crush, another hit title in this Industry. This genre has a substantial following and it will be interesting how the game would perform.The game will offer cameos from known characters in the series too. Players would be able to team up with Jake, Yutani, Fresh, or Tricky and blast their way through challenging puzzles. Match and blast tiles to solve puzzles, progress through levels, and ultimately unlock unique items for your hangout makeover. The game promises to offer a variety of puzzles and levels for the fans to enjoy and keep them engaged. The game sure offers the opportunity to compete against friends too via the scoreboard and guilds. Help your crew become the best. Team up with your friends, send and receive lives, and complete levels to climb the ranks. Participate in team tournaments to unlock a lot of cool rewards. The in-game powers and level-ups are also similar to the ones available in the original game. Crush the levels with legendary Subway Surfers Charged Powers like the Super Sneakers, Pogo Stick, Hoverboard, and Jetpack. All in all, despite having a new genre, Subway Surfers Blast would still deliver the feels of the Subway Surfers for the OG fans to connect well with the game. https://gamingonphone.com/news/subway-surfers-blast-is-now-open-for-pre-registration-for-android-and-ios/

When The Dark Pictures Anthology was revealed, its promise was immediately obvious: Take the team that gave us the excellent Until Dawn and have it tackle new horror subgenres at a clip of about once per year. Results have been mixed across the four released games, but on a steady upward trajectory that does not falter with the latest effort. The Devil in Me is Supermassive's latest slasher, and it outshines its predecessors--with a more cohesive plot, best-in-series characters, and a bit of clever gamification injected into the cinematic experience. The Devil in Me takes us to Chicago, first at the turn of the 1900s to introduce--or, for horror fanatics, more likely remind us of--H.H. Holmes, sometimes dubbed "America's first serial killer." Holmes' "murder castle" was in fact a hotel that he had outfitted to operate as more of a maze of horrific contraptions that could make Jigsaw's works look like Mouse Trap. After a short flashback, the game jumps to the present day and follows an indie film crew making a documentary about Holmes. To their excitement, they're invited to a scale replica of the killer's ghastly hotel that doubles as something of a museum where they're promised footage and exclusive background information. As it turns out, the curator of the grounds is less than well-hinged himself--who could've guessed?--and what unfolds from there is roughly five or so hours of quality slasher material.Who will survive and what will be left of them? Each game in the series has put a familiar face in its small cast, and for The Devil in Me, it's Jessie Buckley, fresh off the polarizing Alex Garland body-horror film, Men. While that could be called "elevated horror" by those who like the term, The Devil in Me is--like all of The Dark Pictures--a more traditional blood harvest, and it works because Supermassive understands that. The Devil in Me solves for many issues its predecessors struggled with to varying degrees. Its characters are likeable, which hasn't always been the case, and more important than that, they're given time to breathe early on in the story. By the time their lives are threatened, I found myself caring for them for reasons that went beyond just wanting to pass the game's many quick-time events. The game's demanding decision points carry more weight as a result. It's one thing to unlock a Trophy for keeping everyone alive. It's more interesting and rewarding to persevere because you genuinely wish them well. The Devil in Me also expects you to keep in mind what you've learned about each character in ways that bring you closer to them. One character's asthma is used to great effect several times and in different ways, always demanding that I reminded myself of her ailment and understood how that might uniquely change any given life-or-death situation for her. There are some really clever kill scenes in this game, and Supermassive continues to make them feel fair. A good horror story probably doesn't see everyone surviving, so when I did lose characters, I was glad to feel as though they were my mistakes, not the result of murky win scenarios. Another improvement comes in how The Devil in Me unexpectedly takes a step back from the series' normally stringent movie-like qualities. It's still a highly cinematic game where the bulk of the gameplay comes in making choices with little time to think things through and succeeding at blink-and-you'll-miss-it QTEs where failure often means death. However, there are a few puzzles mixed into this one that give it more traditional gameplay, and there's variety in how you solve problems, like scavenging for items that might save lives at some point in the unknown future. Each character even has one or more unique items, like the audio technician being able to use a portable boom mic and headphones to hear things better, or the camera guy who can photograph crime scenes to--ideally--turn into the cops when he survives.The scenes that use Erin's unique boom mic features are especially unnerving. The series took a half-step away from its movie-like origins with last year's House of Ashes when it moved to a typical over-the-shoulder camera, so this year's installment in the creepy series feels like the other half of that step, embracing more video game-like qualities without losing its filmic intentions. However, it's starting to show its age. Given the visual feat that is The Quarry, Supermassive's 2K-published horror game from earlier this year, The Devil in Me is certainly less stunning to look at, so it's hard to go back to The Dark Pictures' less-detailed world. That's not to say it looks bad, but playing on PS5, only the option of a higher framerate gave me the impression that the game is current-gen. For its second season, The Dark Pictures would benefit from a technical upgrade.This is true not just in how it looks, but how it plays. Simple actions like opening a drawer using a lockpicking minigame newly seen in this latest sequel are almost comically slow in how they break down actions into a series of smaller movements. Opening a drawer, for example, involves grabbing the drawer's handle, then pulling on it to find that it's locked, then slowly equipping the unlocking device, using it, then returning to a free hand, then pulling on the drawer again. It makes me feel like a laundry-folding robot carrying out blatantly segmented directions. Sometimes hesitating is necessary, like when your best method to survive is actually inaction, but these sluggish interactions are all too common. Supermassive wants to make its characters feel weighty, and I think that's the right call because with it comes vulnerability, but there's a middle ground that can salvage that necessary vulnerability while still making the game feel better to control overall. While this sequel doesn't fix those long-standing issues, it does tell a better overall story than those that came before it. I've enjoyed each of these games so far, but the Devil in Me certainly has the best lore of the series. As usual, you can miss a lot of that if you don't tread down peripheral pathways before mainlining it to the next killing stage, but players who do find themselves picking up every frantic note, police report, or cryptic recorder they can find will come away with an added layer to the story that elevates it beyond a simple slasher. As a big horror fan, I love that. A very unfortunate playthrough could see every character die. With so many branching pathways, I've found that some games like this, even within this series, can feel disjointed by the end, like the game's modular parts aren't always sufficiently versatile, and your ending can feel like it comes out of nowhere as a result. While I haven't gone down every path, I was happy to find that this wasn't at all the case in my time with the game. A few lingering threads I left behind feel more like lore I overlooked, whereas in past games, it was entire character arcs or motivations that often had me scratching my head. The Devil in Me is the best game in the series. Supermassive delivered a great script this time out, and while it's more straightforward than some others that tend to lean on a mid-game twist, it's not without surprises. I strongly feel the second season of The Dark Pictures both needs and deserves a technical overhaul, and I think if that can align with another story as fun as this one, The Dark Pictures will have finally achieved its full potential. For now, it's still climbing toward that peak, but it's going in the right direction. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-dark-pictures-anthology-the-devil-in-me-review-holmes-sweet-holmes/1900-6418002/

AMD has uploaded additional AMDGPU and AMDKFD kernel driver updates to fix some previous issues with the DRM-next (the upcoming AMD Direct Rendering Manager) features and add more updates to the driver for GPUs such as RDNA 3 and more. These updates are to see the Linux 6.4 merge window, which should open next week. AMD adds AMDGPU & AMDKFD kernel driver updates to assist with power management in RDNA 3 GPUs & Others In the updated code sent in on Friday, the company has issued new power management features for Valve's Steam Deck handheld, initial implements for the GFX943 Instinct accelerator so that the code can begin to target the new SKU and minor updates to other code, S4 fixes for AMD's APUs, and more additional improvements to GFX11 and RDNA 3 GPUs, reports the Linux Hardware website Phoronix. Other minor work added to the Linux 6.4 kernel is DisplayPort, RAS patchwork, and additional minor fixes. The code will be added to the Linux 6.4 kernel once the merge window opens.Michael Larabel of the website Phoronix notes limited information on FAMS and FPO functionality but finds that it is expected to assist with power consumption in the newest GPUs that are part of AMD's RDNA 3 family. The newest Linux 6.4 is expected to launch later this year and will have several integrations prepared by AMD and its competitors for better optimization and operation within the open-source communities. AMD's work is on a case-by-case basis, whereas the other two companies tend to do larger batches of code to integrate their products. https://wccftech.com/amd-amdgpu-amdkfd-drivers-for-linux-6-4-receive-power-management-updates-for-rdna-3-more/

Shortly after launch, Sony and Sony Santa Monica promised that God of War Ragnarok would be getting an in-depth New Game+ mode, and today they delivered. New Game+ will allow you to carry over all your equipment, weapons, and skills, with the exception of the Sonic and Hex arrows, and introduces a variety of new features and content. There will be a new level cap on equipment, with player being able to convert level 9 items into “Plus” versions, more Enchantments, including new “Burdens” that will make the game harder if so choose, additional upgrades for Skill Mods, premium tier Labors, and more. Of course, there are also new challenges, with some minibosses like the Hateful and the Ormstunga, and endgame bosses like Berserker Souls and the Valkyrie Queen Gná, being revamped. In fact, if you play on the hardest difficulties all NG+ bosses will have Runic Armor.But what about the new goodies? A variety of new equipment has also been added, including the Armor of the Black Bear (boosts Strength and Defense), Spartan Armor (no perks or stat boosts and a locked power level of 1), Ares Armor (drops health with lucky hits), Zeus Armor (increases melee and Runic damage while making you more vulnerable) and the Spartan Aspis shield (parries are harder to pull off but do more damage). You can check out screenshots of some of the new gear, as well as details on how to unlock it when playing NG+, below.Armor of the Black Bear - Your NG+ run will begin with the Armor of the Black Bear already equipped. Spartan Armor - The Spartan Armor can be acquired for Hacksilver at Huldra Brothers’ Shop. Ares Armor - The Ares Armor can be purchased for Hacksilver at Huldra Brothers’ Shop. Zeus Armor - The Zeus Armor can be acquired by defeating Gná the Valkyrie Queen and completing certain Remnants of Asgard on a NG+ save. Spartan Aspis – New Shield - The Spartan Aspis can be purchased at Huldra Brothers’ Shop with Hacksilver. God of War Rangarok can be played on PS4 and PS5. New Game+ mode is available now. What do you think? Inspired to give the game another playthrough? https://wccftech.com/god-of-war-ragnarok-new-game-plus-out-now-details/

While Donald Trump is the first former US president to be charged with a criminal offence, elsewhere many other ex-leaders have found themselves in the dock. And as some of these cases show, prosecution for alleged crimes has not proved to be a barrier to getting back into power. So who are the highest-profile former leaders to face charges and what happened to them? Italy - Silvio Berlusconi The four-times PM has been embroiled in numerous criminal trials, and once claimed he was "the most persecuted man in the entire history of the world".In 2013, Berlusconi was convicted of sex with an underage prostitute in what became known as the "bunga bunga" case. He was cleared on appeal in 2015. Prosecutors in that case claimed witnesses were bought off, for which he was again acquitted in February this year. Other cases saw him serve a year of community service for tax fraud in 2012 and receive a year's jail sentence for breaching confidentiality after he arranged for a police wiretap of one of his political rivals to be leaked and published in a newspaper. He did not actually serve time in jail due to his age. Berlusconi said he was being targeted by left-wing Milan prosecutors who were pursuing a vendetta against him. On Wednesday, he was being treated in intensive care in a cardiac unit in Milan. The many trials of Silvio Berlusconi explained Brazil - Lula Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (Lula) served two terms as president but was then found guilty of receiving a bribe from a Brazilian construction firm in return for contracts with Brazil's state oil company Petrobras. The former metal worker spent 580 days in jail and was banned from contesting the 2018 election before his conviction was annulled and he returned to the political fray. "They tried to bury me alive and here I am," he said after beating far-right rival Jair Bolsonaro last year, capping a stunning political comeback. A moment in history for Brazil as Lula returns South Korea - Park Geun-hye Park was serving a 22-year prison sentence before being pardoned Park was South Korea's first female president and its first democratically-elected leader to be forced from office. She was impeached in 2017 and subsequently convicted of abuse of power and coercion for colluding with a close friend, Choi Tae-min, a pseudo-Christian cult leader dubbed "the Korean Rasputin". Choi was found to have used her connection to Park to pressure conglomerates for millions of dollars in donations. However in late 2021 Park was pardoned by then president Moon Jae-in and released from prison. Nicolas Sarkozy has not yet spent any time behind bars Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy became the first leader to be sentenced to jail in 2021 when he received a three year sentence for trying to bribe a judge. Two of the years in prison were suspended, but Mr Sarkozy is yet to actually serve time after he appealed the sentence. His appeal hearing will take years. Former French President Jacques Chirac was also found guilty of corruption in 2011. He received a two-year suspended jail sentence. South Africa - Jacob Zuma The former president was sentenced to 15 months in prison after he failed to attend an inquiry into corruption during his presidency. He handed himself into police, but not before a public standoff that led to violent protests leading to the deaths of more than 300 people. Zuma faced other charges of corruption and fraud. He was jailed in his late 70s over crimes that took place while he served as president from 2009 to 2018. Jacob Zuma - the survivor whose nine lives ran out Malaysia - Najib Razak The former prime minister was jailed for 12 years in the first of several multi-million dollar corruption trials. The 1MDB scandal around a state-owned wealth fund in Malaysia uncovered a global web of fraud and corruption. Najib denies all wrongdoing and says he was misled by financial advisers - in particular fugitive financier Jho Low. He pleaded not guilty to criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of power and after he was sentenced, appealed the conviction. But a court rejected his appeal and in August he started his jail sentence. The verdict that sent an untouchable ex-PM to prison Israel - Ehud Olmert The country's former prime minister Ehud Olmert was sentenced to two years and three months in prison for fraud. He was released early in 2017. Olmert has since retired from politics, but was found guilty of defamation in November last year over comments he made about current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Mr Netanyahu is currently on trial on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Yingluck Shinawatra fled the country before she could be jailed Thailand - Yingluck Shinawatra The former prime minister was charged with negligence for failing to prevent excessive losses and corruption in a rice subsidy scheme under her administration. Yingluck's government was toppled by the military in 2014, and she was impeached over her role in the rice scheme a year later. She said the trial was politically motivated. She secretly left the country in August 2017 just as she was due to appear for a verdict and was sentenced in absentia to five years in jail. Yingluck is the sister of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by the military in 2006. Thai ex-PM Yingluck found guilty Bolivia - Jeanine Áñez She is serving a sentence of 10 years in prison over what prosecutors say was a coup to oust her predecessor Evo Morales. Mr Morales quit and fled Bolivia after the chief of the army urged him to step down amid protests over allegations of vote rigging after the 2019 election. Áñez took over as interim president. But Mr Morales' Mas party won fresh elections the following year, paving the way for him to return to Bolivia from Argentina and take over the party leadership. His colleague Luis Arce was elected president. Áñez has repeatedly said she is the victim of a political vendetta. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65181338