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Tomb Raider Reloaded, on paper, sounds like every mobile gaming detractor's worst nightmare. A successful IP coming to mobile via a simple gameplay loop, coupled with a currency-laden enhancement system, should be the formula for another example of the worst of what mobile offers. Why then, after hours of fighting through dungeons and avoiding traps with Lara and her crew, am I so interested in coming back for more? Tomb Raider Reloaded sounds like it should be the next mobile disappointment, but instead it offers plenty of dungeon-delving fun. Tomb Raider Reloaded follows longtime series lead Lara Croft as she plunders for hidden treasure all across South America. Each location on the world map offers multiple stages--from 10 to upwards of 50--where players must help Lara dodge traps and/or fight enemies in order to get from the bottom of the stage to the door at the top. Swiping on the screen will have Lara move through the stage in the direction of the swipe, and whenever she stops moving, she'll open fire on the nearest enemies to her. After every stage is complete, multiple rewards are given to the player, who can use them to upgrade Lara and purchase supplies before moving onto the next location. It's a simple structure, but that simplicity belies a devilish challenge as Lara runs through each stage. Health carries over between stages, which means Lara can't heal unless she finds a healing item. Sometimes the randomly generated room will be a "safe room" where Lara's companion Anaya will offer a quick heal, but this is a temporary oasis. There's also no way to predict when a crewmate might show up, as each stage is procedurally generated, which means no two visits to one location will ever be the same. What's more, as mentioned before, Lara only attacks when she's standing still, so situations where enemies get too close for comfort are common occurrences. All of these factors, when applied in tandem, makes it feel like I'm actually exploring a hidden dungeon. There's a prevailing sense of curiosity, with every completed challenge leading to the next chance to discover something new. I'm reminded, in a sense, of the first time I played The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past, where every door I walked through came with an equal sense of wonder and dread. Now, these dungeons are not nearly as complex as those in Link To The Past, and I do not want to give the impression that this is Tomb Raider's version of it. Rather, while playing through a set of stages in Tomb Raider Reloaded, I was reminded of that classic title and what feeling it evoked. Link To The Past isn't the only game I was reminded of while playing Tomb Raider Reloaded, however. Completing individual stages grants experience and when leveling up, I'm able to choose a power-up from a selection of three, with some being stackable throughout the run. If this sounds like something out of last year's smash hit Vampire Survivors, that's because it's very similar. Mixing and matching these power-ups through the different stages is incredibly fun. Watching Lara turn from a slow-shooting, limited damage-dealing explorer to an unstoppable killing machine thanks to my choices always gave me a real joy, especially when a power-up I didn't think I would like ended up being the strongest in my arsenal. Where Tomb Raider Reloaded starts to become less enjoyable is in its currency system, as it applies some of the worst elements of the stereotypical "mobile game." There are currencies that can be earned in-game and those that can be purchased, with repeated "offers" on "deals" sprinkled throughout. Some rewards are free after agreeing to watch an ad, which usually takes up the entire screen and can only be skipped by tapping a symbol the size of a pinhead. Perhaps the worst of the bunch are the "tickets," which look like plane tickets but are actually the dreaded energy mechanic from other mobile titles. Tickets are a finite resource, and when they've run out no progress can be made until they regenerate or I purchase them with Gems, which of course are the game's premium currency. It's all icky, predatory mobile shenanigans, but admittedly what's seen here is tame compared to other examples I've seen. Tickets always seemed to last as long as I wanted to play each session, and I never felt like I had to pay real money in order to progress in a meaningful way. These currencies can be used to buy other currencies or to unlock and upgrade different pieces of gear, including new outfits for Lara, helmets that enable ultimate attacks, and amulets that offer stat boosts. Weapons can also be purchased and upgraded, which gives Lara options like double pistols, a shotgun, double SMGs, etc. There's a lot being offered, and a lot of different ways to pay for it, and while it is disheartening, it's at least not debilitating. While ads are annoying and pop-ups after completed missions can be frustrating, while I'm navigating through the game's monsters and traps, the built-in microtransaction system feels more ancillary than essential. I haven't spent a cent in the app as of this writing, and yet I've completed missions, earned a ton of gold and other rewards, and have been able to upgrade Lara and change her arsenal to my liking. Other games with more intrusive systems will scream and shout at me to check out ads or buy more supplies, but here, when those ads pop up, they don't interrupt active gameplay, nor do they linger when I skip them. Apropos of the franchise it portrays, when I dig below the currency-ridden surface of Tomb Raider Reloaded and see what's really on offer, there's fun to be had. Dungeon crawling with an increasingly powerful Lara Croft is a blast, while watching her continue to grow more powerful with each level up allows for experimentation with combat in a manner that few other mobile titles do. It's not perfect--microtransactions continue to be an annoying sticking point in the mobile realm--but Tomb Raider Reloaded does a good job of taking the undesirable parts and making room for what this game does incredibly well. Despite a few pitfalls, Tomb Raider Reloaded is worthy of the moniker it holds, with fun mix-and-match gameplay and an ever-changing challenge waiting to be excavated. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/tomb-raider-reloaded-review-plenty-of-firepower/1900-6418026/

New Final Fantasy XVI footage was shared today, providing a new look at some of the game's features and mechanics, such as world and characters, Eikon battles, and more. The new footage, which was shown during the game's panel at PAX East in Boston today, provides a new look at what producer Naoki Yoshida defined as the game's four pillars - narrative, characters, visuals, and battle system. Shown during the panel were some of the areas of Valisthea that players will be able to explore in the game, battles against the massive Eikons, main character Clive and more. Currently, Square Enix has focused on showcasing Final Fantasy XVI's action gameplay mechanics, but it seems like the next entry in the series will also have plenty of RPG mechanics. According to Naoki Yoshida, more information on them will be coming next month. Square Enix has been showing more of Final Fantasy XVI this week with a few short gameplay clips focused on Torgal, Clive's loyal wolf companion. The wolf will help his master not only in combat but also during exploration thanks to the Animal Instinct ability that will help players keep track of the location of their next main objective. Final Fantasy XVI launches on PlayStation 5 on June 22nd, 2023. The game will be a PS5 exclusive for six months, and a PC version will eventually be released down the line, only not right after the exclusivity period ends. https://wccftech.com/final-fantasy-xvi-new-footage-showcases-world-and-characters-eikon-battles-and-more/

They were designed to help first-time buyers, but lifetime Isas are so restrictive they risk turning into a financial trap for many young people. Of all the counter-productive, demand-stimulating measures successive governments have introduced to try to palliate the effects of endlessly climbing house prices, the lifetime Isa may have the dubious honour of being the most perverse. Announced by George Osborne, although introduced under Philip Hammond’s chancellorship, it was designed as a vehicle to encourage long-term saving. To sweeten the pot, the government pays in £1 for every £4 saved a year, up to a maximum bonus of £1,000. For young people struggling to save, that guaranteed boost, in an environment of miserly interest rates and uncertain performance from stocks and shares, was very tempting; it’s estimated that about 1 million people have paid into a lifetime Isa since they were launched in 2017. But there’s a sting in the tail. Unlike the pension freedoms introduced for older people, lifetime Isas are extremely restrictive. Account holders may only withdraw their funds for two reasons: a pension at age 60, or buying their first home. If they try to take their money out for any other reason, the cost is punitive. The government claws back 25% of whatever they take out, directly plundering people’s savings. Squint at this and you can just about see the logic of it. Lifetime Isas are supposed to encourage saving for long-term goals, so it makes sense to build fences around that pot. But in fact, another stroke of Treasury brilliance makes it completely indefensible: that the maximum value of the first home you can buy using lifetime Isa funds is arbitrarily capped at £450,000 – and that limit is not index-linked. What that means is that the actual purchasing power of the lifetime Isa has been decaying ever since it was introduced. According to the Office for National Statistics, between December 2016 and December 2021 the average house price in England rose by 24%. The average spent by first-time buyers remains, in much of the country, low enough that the cap is not a problem, at least not yet – although if we project house price trends along the “lifetime” of the lifetime Isa it will bite everywhere eventually. But in London, where the housing and cost of living crises for younger people are most acute, the lifetime Isa risks turning into a toxic financial trap right now. According to Rightmove, the average cost of a first-time home is already north of £500,000. Worse still, there is no provision for people buying together to pool their allowances. Getting a mortgage on a property worth more than £450,000 might be a stretch for many, but it is much less so for two people – for example, a couple of young professionals looking for somewhere to settle down, perhaps with room for a family. All of this puts people who have paid into lifetime Isas in a very difficult position. Every year, unless there is a sustained pause or fall in house prices, the range of properties they can buy with their savings will narrow, even as the cash value of those savings accrues. The best explanation I’ve had for this is that the Treasury wanted to avoid being seen to be helping the better off; one government source cited research from the Resolution Foundation, which suggested that lifetime Isa wealth is disproportionately held by individuals in the top income quintile. But this is harebrained logic. Any policy that compounds savings is going to benefit those who can save more, and one aimed at helping first-time buyers getting over the line must necessarily support those who are almost there, rather than people nowhere near purchasing a home. Unless action is taken, for the sake of these optics, hundreds of thousands of people may end up having to hand the government a quarter of their savings if they want to buy a decent home. Yet there is no sign of any action. According to government sources , the Treasury’s upcoming internal mortgage market review will not look at the lifetime Isa. If so, the Conservatives risk missing an easy housing policy win when there are few on the ground. Index-linking the cap (if they won’t abolish it) and allowing qualifying co-buyers to pool their allowances wouldn’t cost much, except perhaps by encouraging people to actually open lifetime Isas. But it would be a real boon to hundreds of thousands of savers – and an overdue quid pro quo for younger people as the government relaxes taxes on pensions. After all, in that case the chancellor managed to overcome any concerns about disproportionately aiding the better off. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/mar/23/lifetime-isa-home-buying-scheme-treasury-first-time

Westfield produces kit and fully built sports cars A sports car manufacturer has gone into administration, its owners say. Westfield, based in Kingswinford, Dudley, manufactures built and kit versions of open-top sports cars. MB Insolvency has been appointed administrator of Westfield Sports Cars Limited and Westfield Autonomous Vehicles Limited. The firm, said it had had "encouraging" levels of interest from parties interested in the company's business and remaining assets. Mark Bowen, from MB Insolvency, said it had been appointed on 9 June and was working on letting creditors, including people who had ordered vehicles and parts, what the current position was. Westfield has also been approached for further comment. Westfield was based in Kingswinford, Dudley On its website, Westfield says it has sold more than 13,000 cars worldwide since 1983 and produces more than 400 cars a year. Prof David Bailey, a motoring expert and professor of business economics at the University of Birmingham, said Westfield had been a leader of the British kit-car industry. "They were widely liked and well known in the UK and across Europe," he said. "I think basically what they offered was a throwback to cars which were all about handling and speed. "Whereas today they are all high-tech, refined - they were really raw, fantastically handling, speedy cars, which you could race on a track or drive on the road." He said Westfield had taken over the company Chesil in 2019 and had been working in the autonomous car sector, developing shuttle pods used at Heathrow Airport and working on an autonomous road sweeper. The automotive industry is continuing to face a number of pressures, he added, due to rising energy costs and supply chain problems related to the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit. "I really hope something good can still come out of this," Prof Bailey said. "They are well known for their kit-car side, but were a very innovative company when it comes to the autonomous industry." https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-61810918

There is a "strong association" between the early outbreak and the sale of live animals in a market, scientists say We now have "the best evidence" we are ever likely to find of how the virus that causes Covid-19 was first transmitted to a human, a team of scientists has claimed. It is the latest scientific twist in the troubled, highly politicised search for the cause of the worst pandemic in a century, one which has produced several competing theories which have neither been proved or disproved conclusively. The most recent analysis points to a particular species as the likely animal origin of the virus. That analysis is based on evidence that was gathered three years ago from the Huanan Wildlife Market in Wuhan, which has always been a focal point of the initial outbreak. During the early days of 2020, when Covid was still a mystery disease, the Chinese Centers for Disease Control (CDC) took samples from the market. The genetic information contained in those samples has only recently been made, briefly, public, and that enabled a team of researchers to decode them and point to racoon dogs as a possible "intermediate host" from which the disease spilled over into people. The crux of this analysis is that DNA from racoon dogs, wild mammals that were being sold live in the market for meat, was found in the same locations as swabs from the market that tested positive for SARS CoV-2, according to an analysis that was published online on 20 March. Analysis of three-year-old data from the wildlife market at the centre of the outbreak points to racoon dogs as a possible 'intermediate host' But in the messy search for the outbreak's origin, where the market has long since closed and any animals on sale killed, we still do not have definitive proof. And the three-year delay in releasing this critical data has been described by some scientists as "scandalous". The findings are published amid signals that the lab leak theory is gaining ground among authorities in the US. The Chinese government has strenuously denied suggestions that the virus originated in a scientific facility, but the FBI now believe that scenario is the "most likely", as does the US Department of Energy. Various US departments and agencies have investigated the mystery and produced differing conclusions, but on 1 March the bureau's director accused Beijing of "doing its best to try to thwart and obfuscate", and disclosed the FBI had been convinced of the lab leak theory "for quite some time now". The bureau has not made their findings public, which has frustrated some scientists. The BBC has spoken to some of the scientists involved in the three-year mission to investigate Covid's origin. They believe this new analysis might be the closest we will get to understanding how the outbreak started, and that the divisions between China and the West are hampering the scientific effort to solve that mystery. What does the new research show? The full genetic sequences from these crucial swabs from the market were spotted by Dr Florence Debarre, a senior researcher at the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences in Paris. She told the BBC World Service's Science in Action programme that she had been "obsessed" with finding this data since she first found out it existed. Having found and downloaded the codes on a genetic database called GISAID, where scientists share this kind of information, she and her colleagues set out to find out which species matched the samples that were found in the same locations as the virus. "We saw the results appear on our screens, and it was: racoon dog, racoon dog, racoon dog, racoon dog," she recalled. "So we found animals and virus [together]," explained Dr Debarre. "That does not prove that the animals were infected, but that is the most plausible interpretation of what we've seen." light of day," said Prof Holmes. The information had actually been posted on to the GISAID genetic database back in January. But it was left there unnoticed. It's assumed that this was done to provide supporting evidence for a research paper based on the data that was being prepared by Chinese researchers from the CDC. (Sharing such background data is considered a requirement for scientific publication). But shortly after the Chinese researchers learned that others had seen the information, it became hidden again. In a press conference on 17 March, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said that "every piece of data" was important in moving us closer to that answer. "And every piece of data relating to studying the origins of Covid-19 needs to be shared with the international community immediately." "We have to get beyond the politics and back to the pure science," said Prof Holmes. He added: "Humans get viruses from wildlife - it's been true throughout our entire evolutionary history. The best thing we can do is separate ourselves from this wildlife and have better surveillance. "Because this will happen again." https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-65067264

The chair of a controversial roads review panel has defended its work in a letter to Senedd members. The results of the exercise saw the Welsh government scrap all major road building projects. Dr Lynn Sloman said there had been "considerable engagement" during the review, despite claims otherwise. She defended not consulting the public - one former transport minister had accused her review of ignoring the wishes of citizens. Ms Sloman's letter to Senedd members directly contradicts part of the text of a motion that Labour MSs backed last week, which a source had said followed a threat of a rebellion from the backbenches. BBC Wales was told the chair's letter reflected unhappiness with how the work of the panel had been portrayed. Ken Skates, Labour MS for Clwyd South, said after the review that it had stopped most investment in roads without putting in place plans for improving public transport. Defending the review on Tuesday, First Minister Mark Drakeford said engagement had been "extensive". Roads review ignored citizens, ex-minister says All major road building projects in Wales scrapped The Conservative motion, amended by Plaid Cymru, said there was "lack of engagement by the Roads Review Panel with the public, elected representatives, local authorities, businesses and the third sector and others". Referring directly to the vote, Dr Sloman wrote "there was in fact considerable engagement during the roads review". She said there were "over 30 meetings with key stakeholder groups". "Through workshops and other meetings, we engaged with 14 local authorities and 25 organisations representing business, tourism, freight and logistics sectors; the third sector; professional institutions and young people." "It has been suggested that the panel should have consulted the public," she said. "However the roads review was a technical exercise, reviewing whether schemes were consistent with government policy that had been agreed after the schemes were initiated." She said the government policies themselves "had already been the subject of thorough consultation by the Welsh government". Dr Sloman added the panel took account of findings from previous road scheme consultations. Mark Drakeford was speaking during his weekly first minister's questions 'Further opportunities' In the Senedd, Mark Drakeford said the engagement had been "extensive". "There will be further opportunities for public consultation and engagement when particular schemes come forward for their implementation," he told Welsh Conservative Senedd leader Andrew RT Davies. Earlier he said: "We have to reduce our carbon emissions. Transport makes up 15 per cent of our total emissions in Wales and it has been the most stubborn sector in reducing those emissions. "That's why we have to face up to that fact and take the action that will leave those future generations in a better place than they would be." Andrew RT Davies said of the motion: "There was no ambiguity in what you were voting on. "Yet you clearly believe that there has been a lack of engagement in formulating this important policy that the government has brought forward." Plaid Cymru's transport spokeswoman Delyth Jewell said: "Securing desire for change is just as important as making the changes to the infrastructure, and part of that is to ensure that the public are in a place where they are on board with the proposed changes. "We are not yet at that stage, and there is an onus on the Welsh Government to ensure that they outline a route to that new future. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-64954511

China's President Xi Jinping has built strong ties with many African leaders. China's President Xi Jinping says the killers of nine Chinese goldmine workers in the Central African Republic (CAR) must be "severely" punished. Two Chinese workers were also wounded when gunmen stormed a mining site near the central town of Bambari on Sunday. The local mayor blamed a rebel group for the killings. But the rebels said Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group were behind the attack. The Wagner group has not yet commented on the claim. Its fighters are widely reported to have been deployed to mineral-rich CAR to help government forces defeat the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC), an alliance of rebel groups. Both China and Russia have been investing heavily in Africa to tap into its mineral resources, as well as to rival the influence of Western powers. In a statement, China's foreign ministry called on its nationals to "leave high-risk areas as quickly as possible". "The entire Central African Republic, with the exception of its capital Bangui, is rated red in terms of security risks,"it added. The statement quoted President Xi as saying that every effort should be made to save the lives of the wounded, and to ensure the perpetrators were arrested and "punished severely" under the law. Bambari's mayor, Abel Matchipata, said the attack took place at a mining site that had opened less than a week ago. "It was the CPC rebels who attacked the Chinese who had come to exploit the mine. They looted the Chinese machines and their homes," Mr Matchipata said. However, the rebels blamed the Wagner Group for what they called a "cowardly and barbaric" attack. Unnamed sources told French broadcaster RFI that police, security officers and Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group went to the scene of the attack, before the bodies were transferred to a hospital. There is no independent confirmation of the report. Several attacks have taken place on Chinese nationals in CAR. In the most recent case, three of them were abducted on 13 March near a village in the west of the country. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-65012606

King Charles drove an electric Mini off the production line during a visit to Plant Oxford in June 2021 An MP has said she is encouraged by reports carmaker BMW may invest up to £600m in its Mini plant near Oxford. The BBC understands the money is expected to be used to prepare the Cowley plant for a future building electric models. The first generation of electric Minis was launched there in 2019. Anneliese Dodds, MP for Oxford East, said: "Let's hope that we see those jobs and that future for the plant confirmed soon." Last year, the company announced production of most of its electric cars would move to China, with one model, the Countryman, to be built at Leipzig, Germany. Iconic brand' At the time, BMW suggested building both conventionally fuelled and electric cars in the same factory was inefficient. Ms Dodds said: "Currently the Cowley plant - incidentally one of the most productive in all of the BMW group - has been able to produce electric cars as well as internal combustion engine ones on the same assembly line. It's a pretty incredible achievement. "But as we look towards the phase out of petrol and diesel cars in 2030 it's more efficient to have just the one line, so I would have thought that will be the area there's a lot of focus on." She added: "BMW is Cowley, Cowley is BMW. Particularly the Mini is so important for us. It's an iconic British brand and we need to see it being built in its electric form in Cowley." Ms Dodds claimed Oxford was particularly well-placed to host the electric Mini due to its infrastructure, and an "excellent workforce that we've had here for such a long time". She also cited the recent research collaboration between Oxford University students and the BMW Group as another reason why Oxford was an "exciting" place for Mini to be based. The government has offered support worth £75m to BMW from its Automotive Transformation Fund. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-64914596

There’s banana bread, then there’s this sweeter, lighter loaf studded with passion fruit and topped with creamy icing I’m pretty sure we’ve all got at least one solid banana bread recipe up our sleeve. My go-to is dense, barely sweet and at its best when toasted and smothered in salted butter. But the version I’m sharing today is for when I need something that’s more cake than bread: a bit sweeter, fluffier and topped with a creamy icing studded with lots of passion fruit to brighten it up. I still make it in a loaf tin, but it also works in a 20cm square tin. Banana and passion fruit loaf Prep 20 min Cook 50 min Serves 8 3 eggs 130g caster sugar 100g unsalted butter, melted 20ml oil 1 tsp vanilla bean paste 2 very ripe bananas (about 200-230g), peeled and mashed 190g plain flour 2 tsp baking powder A pinch of salt For the icing 80g softened unsalted butter 140g icing sugar 120g cream cheese 3 ripe passion fruit, pulp and seeds scooped out Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4, and grease and line a 2lb (900g) loaf tin. Put the eggs and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk for one to two minutes, until thickened and pale. Mix in the melted butter, oil, vanilla and mashed banana. Stir in the dry ingredients, mix gently to combine, then pour the batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 50-55 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean, then remove and leave to cool completely while you make the topping. Beat the butter for a minute or two, until creamy. Add the icing sugar and beat again until smooth and pale. Mix in the cream cheese, beating until it’s fully incorporated, then stir in half the passion fruit pulp and seeds. Spoon the icing on top of the cooled cake, swirl in the remaining passion fruit pulp, then slice and serve. https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/mar/24/banana-passion-fruit-loaf-recipe-benjamina-ebuehi

Ramdan Mubaruk

Buna the cat resisted several attempts over two days to retrieve her - then came out of her own accord A cat stuck behind an oil tank for three days triggered a rescue mission... before walking free herself. Buna the cat's owner had been searching for days when she heard meows from a neighbour's garden in Huntingdon. RSPCA animal rescue officer, Naomi Sadoff, said attempts to reach Buna were not easy as she had "certainly got herself into a bit of a tight spot". After many attempts to reach the cat, she sauntered out of her own accord, to the amazement of her rescuers. Efforts to rescue the black and white moggy included digging around the tank. Her owners also considered removing wall plaster from the home and calling in the fire service. Ms Sadoff tried to rescue the pet using a pole and net but "spooked" her further under the tank. They decided to leave food out overnight in the hope the Buna would be tempted - but she was not - so the next day they began digging. 'Messing with us' "I spent some time digging to create space for Buna, but she was having none of it - she firmly stayed put and continued to meow hopelessly at us. "We were a bit up against the clock because Buna's owners were about to go on holiday and they didn't want to leave her like that. "They thought they were going to have to cancel their trip to stay with her." Just then, when they were running out of options, Buna took matters into her own paws. Pimlico cat rescued Cat stuck up tree for four days avoids rescue Cat stuck in wheel arch for five days Ms Sadoff continued: "After trying literally everything we could think of, we took a step back to rethink - and then Buna came sauntering out of her own accord, exactly the same way she had gone in to start with. "I think she was just messing with us. Myself and her owner just looked on in disbelief." The RSPCA said putting down smelly treats or fish could often entice a cat out of a tight spot. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-65057210

The Bus Emergency Scheme has supported bus firms during the pandemic Cuts to bus services could be "devastating" for groups that rely on public transport, a letter signed by two Labour council leaders has said. Writing on behalf of the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), Andrew Morgan and Rob Stewart set out a long list of complaints over Welsh government transport policy. News that Covid bus grants will end sparked fears of large scale cuts. The Welsh government declined to comment on "leaked documents". The letter to First Minister Mark Drakeford raised concern about the recent roads review that scrapped all major road building projects, plans for the 20mph default speed limit in urban areas and pavement parking fines. Leaked to BBC Wales, the document also criticised the "tone" adopted in meetings by the man in charge of the policies, Deputy Climate Change Minister Lee Waters. Plaid Cymru local government spokesman Llyr Gruffydd said: "At the centre of any plan to ensure a greener future for all of Wales must be a public transport system that is improved and equally available to all. "Any plan to ensure this must take everyone in Wales along with it." Mr Morgan and Mr Stewart are respectively leader and deputy leader of the cross-party WLGA, which represents all of Wales' 22 local authorities. Mr Morgan is Labour leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf council, while Mr Stewart is Labour leader of Swansea council. The letter said Wales' 22 council leaders want an "urgent" meeting with Mark Drakeford, and argued bus services are a "life-line" for older people, young people, people with disabilities and low income households. "Loss of bus services is potentially devastating for these groups, impacting on their well-being by restricting access to educational, economic, health and leisure services and to family and social contacts," it said. They accused the Welsh government of "cart-before-horse planning" for public transport, and called for ways to be found to make Covid bus emergency cash permanent to protect services. "Whilst passenger numbers have not recovered post-Covid, they never will if services start to be cut across Wales," the WLGA leaders wrote. Andrew Morgan is leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf council Rural council leaders are worried there could be more areas with no public transport services. "Attempts to attract businesses to rural areas to create local sources of employment and reduce the need to travel are felt to be at risk if vital highway improvements and access routes are effectively ruled out and public transport options are not available," the letter said. Despite the pandemic easing, bus firms are reliant on Covid aid because passenger numbers have not fully recovered. Earlier this year it was extended, but only for three months to June. On Wednesday Mr Waters told the Senedd the government was trying to find a way to bridge the gap between the end of the scheme and plans to reform bus regulation. "The money simply isn't there to keep all the current services running," he said. He said "in the face of the continued austerity budget that we have" from the UK government "we simply do not have the resources available to continue funding the emergency subsidy at the rate that we have". All stick and no carrot' The WLGA letter also appeared to contradict claims by the roads review chairwoman Lynn Sloman that the exercise conducted "considerable engagement". The leaders said there had been "very limited contact" with council leaders and only after the review had reached its conclusions. "Local communities that will be affected by the decisions were given no opportunity to input from their lived experiences," the pair wrote. Meanwhile councils were said to be struggling with the "sheer volume of transport-related issues", the WLGA leaders wrote, with lots of projects being taken forward at the same time, including pavement parking. The 20mph default speed limit, due to be introduced in September, "will lengthen some home to school journey times" and add to school transport operator costs, the WLGA argued. "Taken together, one leader described the situation as a 'perfect storm' for communities," the letter said. "Another referred to the current approach as 'all stick and no carrot'." Referring to Mr Waters, it added: "Whilst we have been grateful to the deputy minister for his readiness to engage with leaders and transport cabinet members on these issues, members have been concerned about the nature of the debate and tone of the meetings. "Leaders stressed the importance of mutual respect in our discussions," it added. The letter said the current set of highways and transport policies "are all well-intentioned and laudable in their own right, but we feel there is a better way to approach them". "Leaders' general feeling was that they are being handed down to councils rather than being developed with us." https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-politics-65054549

Footage shared on social media showed an explosion lighting up the night sky By James Landale in Kyiv & Marita Moloney in London BBC News An explosion in the north of annexed Crimea has destroyed Russian missiles being transported by rail, Ukraine's defence ministry has said. The Russian-installed head of the city of Dzhankoi said the area had been attacked by drones. Ukraine announced the explosions but, as is normal, did not explicitly say it was behind the attack. If confirmed, it would be a rare foray by Ukraine's military into Crimea, which has been annexed since 2014. Russia has suffered attacks in Crimea before, but in most cases, responsibility has either been unacknowledged by Ukraine or blamed on some kind of partisan sabotage.This strike, if confirmed, suggests that the capacity of the Ukrainian air force to deploy drones has increased. Until now, Crimea has largely seemed out of the range of Ukrainian missiles. But this attack indicates that a drone at least can reach deeper behind Russian lines than previously thought. The "mysterious" explosions destroyed Russian Kalibr-NK cruise missiles, intended for use by Russia's Black Sea Fleet, Ukrainian defence intelligence said. Kailbr missiles have been widely used in attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure in recent months. One unconfirmed report from a resident cited on Ukrainian TV spoke of "booms" that went on for 30 minutes, leaving part of Dzhankoi with no electricity. The blasts "continue the process of Russia's demilitarisation and prepares the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea for de-occupation", the defence ministry said. Dzhankoi has been used by Russian forces as a rail hub between Crimea and other areas of occupied Ukraine. Russian TV reports said that Tuesday's strike had not caused any damage to rail infrastructure. Russia's investigative authority said a residential building and a shop were damaged, according to initial findings. All the targets were civilian, it claimed. Ihor Ivin, the Russian-installed administrator, said a 33-year-old man was taken to hospital for treatment for a shrapnel injury from a downed drone. He made no mention of any military targets being damaged. Several buildings caught fire and the power grid was damaged, Mr Ivin was quoted as saying by local media. Another Russian-appointed official said a drone had been hit over a technical school, between an instruction area and a student residence. Russia's top official in occupied Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, said air defences near Dzhankoi had been activated and the situation was under control. He urged residents not to pay attention to "fakes disseminated by Ukrainian propaganda". Last August, an ammunition depot was targeted near Dzhankoi. Weeks later, Russia blamed Ukraine for carrying out a drone attack on the Black Sea Fleet in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol in which a warship was damaged. This latest attack suggests Kyiv is determined to continue harrying the supply chains of Russian forces, targeting in particular its stock of missiles, as well as the routes along which they may be transported into southern occupied Ukraine via Crimea. Speaking on Ukrainian TV, military spokeswoman Natalia Humeniuk reminded viewers that Dzhankoi was a hub station for the occupying force and that, from the start of the Russians' full-scale invasion, it had been made clear that defeating their logistics would play a big part in the future status of Crimea. Kyiv has a political incentive to keep Crimea in the news, too: a reminder that its current objective is not just to force Russian forces out of those areas captured since February last year, but also from the Black Sea peninsula annexed illegally in 2014. In a separate development, authorities in southern Russia accused Ukrainian forces of using a drone to target a pumping station on an oil pipeline north of the Ukrainian border. The governor of Bryansk region said there were no casualties. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65021987

By Austin Transport correspondent Car makers have expressed dismay over plans to make electric cars subject to vehicle excise duty, in line with petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles. The tax will apply from April 2025, the chancellor said in his Autumn Statement. Nissan, which makes several electric models, said it was concerned about the potential impact on sales of the new tax. Tim Slatter, the UK chairman of Ford, described the move as "short-sighted". "We are still many years from the 'tipping point' when electric vehicles will reach cost parity with petrol and diesel vehicles. Until then, we should be incentivising customers to make the greener choice," he said. Electric vehicles registered from April 2025 will pay the lowest rate of vehicle excise duty (VED) in the first year, then move to the standard VED rate, currently £165. Those registered from April 2017 will also pay the standard rate. In his Autumn statement, the chancellor said half of all new vehicles would be electric by 2025 and the decision was designed "to make our motoring tax system fairer". Electric car drivers must pay tax from 2025 A spokesperson from Nissan told the BBC: "We're concerned about the effect that withdrawing this customer incentive could have on the electric car market, just as it is accelerating." The firm said it would continue to work with the government to tackle "the main barriers to the electric vehicle transition, including public charging and measures to continue to support the purchase of EVs". This year so far, 195,547 battery electric vehicles have been registered in the UK, but they still made up less than 15% of all registrations - according to the SMMT, the UK car manufacturers' trade body. Sales are expected to continue to rise. From 2030 the sale of new purely petrol and diesel cars will be banned in the UK. Kia said electric vehicles had made up more than 16% of its total UK sales so far this year. The firm's spokesperson said the government decision to extend the tax to electric vehicles, while pushing for their accelerated rollout, was "at odds with the country's net-zero ambitions". In the Autumn Statement the chancellor also announced that electric cars would no longer be exempt from the expensive car supplement. The supplement of £355 is charged every year from the second to sixth year of registration for vehicles priced at more than £40,000. The SMMT described this as the "sting in the tail", warning it would unduly penalise new, more expensive vehicle technologies. SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes called for a "framework that encourages consumers and businesses to buy electric vehicles". Edmund King, AA president, said his organisation understood electric cars would need to be taxed, but said the measures in the Autumn Statement would "slow the road to electrification" and "dim the incentive to switch". The RAC disagreed, saying it was "probably fair the government gets owners of electric vehicles to start contributing to the upkeep of major roads from 2025". The RAC doesn't expect the move to dampen demand, given the "many other cost benefits" of running electric vehicles. In June the government announced it was closing the plug-in grant scheme, which subsidised electric vehicle sales, to new orders, saying it had already helped boost uptake. In February a group of MPs urged the government to consider a "pay-per-mile" scheme to replace current motoring taxes, as the country moves away from petrol and diesel vehicles. Fuel duty brings in roughly £26bn per year, but the transition to electric vehicles will reduce that. Currently vehicle excise duty brings in about £7bn per year. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-63671302

In everything from family life to careers, it doesn’t pay to constantly seek the next exciting thing. 197 Upon a box containing some fancy collagen supplement stuff, it said: “Life is too short for hard-to-swallow pills and boring powders.” Ain’t that the truth? How many times have I contemplated swallowing a paracetamol tablet, or wearily stirred some Andrews liver salts into water, and wailed in desperation that life is just too damn short for such chores? Never, obviously. In a similar vein, do you have an electric vehicle charger at home? Are you, you know, a bit bored with it? I mean, why wouldn’t you be? Worry not. Help is at hand. A company specialising in more exciting chargers – colour and finish combinations to choose from!” – invites you to “say goodbye to boring chargers”. Picture the scene: the whole family, dog and all, gathered together on the drive to bid farewell to the old charger. It charged very nicely but was just too darned boring. The man from Fancy Chargers Ltd has just fitted an exciting new one and he’s taking the boring old one away. You wave it off on its final journey, to landfill probably. Emotional. Most of me despairs at the sheer fatuousness. On the other hand, you’ve got to grudgingly admire the ingenuity or shameless cheek of taking a commoditised product and trying to sell it as an object of desire. Hunter Boots (originally the North British Rubber Company) had been going for well over a century before its wellies suddenly became fashion essentials. Joseph Joseph has pulled off something similar with kitchenware. Respect, I suppose. No harm done. But in other ways, the abhorrence of the boring is at the root of a whole lot of bad stuff. From before the South Sea bubble of the early 18th century, the catnip of big investment returns has driven us wild with desire and into many a financial crisis. If only we stuck to boring investments in boring companies promising boringly modest but steady returns. But no – just too boring. I was talking to a former banker about the 2008 financial crisis. “Hands up,” he said. “It was us driving the car when it crashed, but there were plenty of people in the back seat egging us on to go faster and faster.” The older I get, the more I think the secret of happiness is the ability to embrace the boring, lay claim to the mundane and rejoice in repetition. In affairs of the heart and the wallet, in relationships and family life, and the workplace too, we’d enjoy more lasting success if we stopped being bored by the boring, stopped seeking what we tell ourselves is the next exciting thing. After all, everything gets boring in the end if you let it. I once went to a mass on a Monday night in a massive church on the Bury New Road in Manchester. There were but six of us in attendance, plus the priest who gave a short but brilliant sermon. Afterwards, modestly fielding my compliments, he told me he had been ordained almost exactly 40 years to the day. “I treat every mass as if it is my first or my last,” he said. Yes, I thought, that’s the secret. On the bus home, for some reason Mick Jagger came to mind. I’m not a massive Stones fan but I thought of how many thousand times he’d performed Satisfaction or Sympathy for the Devil. And each time, he does it as though it’s the first or last time. I thought of all the radio and television programmes I’ve grumped my way through, having dared to have got a bit bored with it all. And how many times I’ve lamented the drudgery of changing nappies, combing out nits, watching the Tweenies over and again, driving the kids around and so on. I so wish that I’d been more Mick, or more priest, and treated everything like it was the first or the last time I was doing it. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/mar/22/secret-of-happiness-embrace-boring-mundane-repetition

Bert was born in 2010 and died at what Northumberland Zoo said was the "incredibly good age of 13" The team at Northumberland Zoo has said goodbye to Bert the racoon - one of its first ever residents - who has died at the age of 13. Described by those who knew him best as "super, super sweet", Bert moved to the zoo in 2010. He spent the first nine months of his life as a domestic pet, before his owners realised "that was the worst idea" and handed him to the zoo. The zoo said Bert had "touched the hearts of so many over the years". In a Facebook tribute, Northumberland Zoo said raccoons "may appear cute" but are "incredibly destructive, possessive and can be very aggressive". Bert was "an amazing ambassador for his species", zoo bosses said Staff said they had noticed Bert was "slowing down quite significantly" so took him to the vets. It was discovered his heart was failing and his lung capacity was at 10%. It was decided to put him to sleep under anaesthetic. Curator Maxine Bradley said raccoons lived for about two years in the wild - so 13 was "an incredibly good age". She described Bert as "an amazing ambassador for the species". Northumberland Zoo is still home to nine raccoons, with what it said was "one of the largest enclosures in Europe". Fans of the late raccoon paid tribute to him on Facebook, describing him as "a special little guy". https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-64933551

“They’d like to rewrite the rules of the game globally,” John Kirby said. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the Biden administration would be closely watching this week's Russia-China summit. | Evan Vucci/AP Photo. Russia and China are attempting to shake up the international order, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Sunday. China and Russia, Kirby said on “Fox News Sunday,” “are two countries that are chafing against this international rules-based order that the United States and so many of our allies and partners have built up, since the end of World War II.” Kirby said the United States would be watching carefully to see what emerges from the much-heralded meetings between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin this week in Russia. “They have been increasing their cooperation and their relationship, certainly of late,” Kirby said of the two superpowers. China recently floated a 12-point plan designed to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Kirby told host Mike Emanuel that the Biden administration remains dubious of China’s intentions when it comes to this war. “What we have said before,” Kirby said, “and we’ll say it again today, that if coming out of this meeting, there’s some sort of call for a ceasefire, well, that’s just going to be unacceptable because all that’s going to do, Mike, is ratify Russian’s conquest to date.” Kirby said he hoped China’s president would keep open “lines of communication” with President Joe Biden and also seek out the Ukrainian side of the story through discussions with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “We hope, and we’ve said this before, that President Xi will call and talk to President Zelenskyy because we believe that the Chinese need to get the Ukrainian perspective here,” Kirby said. Speaking Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” former Trump National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster noted that Xi’s friendship with Putin seems to be getting stronger despite all the issues surrounding the Russia-Ukraine war. “Remember, it’s really 10 years ago,” McMaster said, “almost to the day that Xi Jinping made his first visit to Moscow and they declared their special friendship. Since then they’ve just continued to double down on this relationship. https://www.politico.com/news/2023/03/19/john-kirby-russia-china-global-00087760

An illuminated view of the Aram Bagh Mosque in Karachi on October 6, 2022. — APP Announcement made by Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad. Testimonies received from Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, etc. Pakistanis will observe Roza on the same day after several years. The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee has announced that the Ramadan moon was sighted and the first of the holy month will fall on Thursday (tomorrow). The announcement was made by Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee chairman Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad at a press conference in Peshawar on Wednesday evening. The announcement was made hours after the session began at 5pm in Peshawar, while the moon wasn’t cited in Peshawar due to cloudy weather it was seen in several other areas of the country. Addressing the press conference, Maulana Azad said that the committee received moon sighting testimonies from a number of places in the country, including Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Swabi, Qila Saifullah and Mardan. Saudi Arabia and most other Gulf states will also start the fasting month on Thursday (tomorrow). However, the Ramadan moon was not sighted in India and Bangladesh. It is pertinent to mention here, the people across Pakistan will observe Roza on the same day after several years as previously people in Peshawar used to keep fast a day before rest of the people did. Earlier, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said that there were chances of the crescent moon being sighted today, but the weather is cloudy. The moon can be sighted at around 7:28pm today in Karachi, the PMD officials had said during the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee's Zonal meeting in Karachi. Earlier, an official of the Ministry of Religious Affairs told The News along with holding meetings of the committee in all provinces in rotation, the purpose for holding the meeting this time in Peshawar was also to create consensus on the sighting of the crescent of Ramadan on the same day. He said that along with receiving calls for evidence, the committee would also invite people from the private Ruet committees to record their statements. The committee would also cross-question people recording their evidence to ascertain the same. https://www.geo.tv/latest/477914-first-fast-in-pakistan-on-thursday-as-ramadan-moon-sighted