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Exec saloon gets more electrified choices, and a Touring estate is coming in 2024 Back in May, BMW launched the eighth generation of its 5 Series saloon, starting with the all-electric i5. It’s now opened the order books for the hybrid versions, but it’s not all rainbows and cupcakes because everything’s a wee bit dearer than promised. Probably reflecting the cost of keeping the lights on in 2023, pricing for the 5 Series starts at £51,000, up from £49,850 initially mooted. That’s for the mild hybrid 520i, which pairs a four-cylinder petrol engine to a 48V electric motor to improve fuel economy. The four-pot 530e plug-in hybrid – giving 56 miles of pure electric range – will cost £59,455, while the straight six 550e (and its 62 miles of range) will set you back £76,550 from the get-go. The 5 Series – in all guises – features copious amounts of fake cow interior, flashy futuristic displays and its veritable suite of driver assist tech. It’s only available in three trims, namely the standard M Sport or upgraded M Sport Pro, plus the range-topping i5 M60 xDrive which will cost you £97,745. Y'know, before the options list carries it over into six figures. Compare and contrast to the entry-level i5 (the car that you may have noticed is pictured above, in lieu of any ICE or PHEV snaps) which is priced from £74,105, nearly a full grand more than when we reviewed it three short weeks ago... There’s plenty for BMW to try and justify such wallet-draining amounts. From a panoramic glass roof, towing capability and choice of premium audio systems, to larger alloys, in-car gaming and smartphone integration with remote updates. BMW tells us it plans to extend electrification smarts to the Touring variant from spring next year. Perhaps wisely, there's no early word on prices for that just yet... Link

Bobi, who broke the Guinness World Record for being the oldest known dog, passed away Friday in Portugal. Bobi in February. Bobi, the world's oldest known dog ever, passed away last week at an animal hospital in Portugal, Guinness World Records announced Monday. "Bobi lived to be 31 years 165 days old and spent his entire life with his loving owner Leonel Costa and his family in the Portuguese village of Conqueiros," the record-keeping company said in a news release. Bobi was recognized as the oldest dog ever known in February, just two weeks after a 23-year-old Chihuahua named Spike tried to claim the title. His death leaves Ohio-born Spike as the oldest known living dog. In dog years, Bobi was roughly 86 years old. He was a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, a Portuguese breed of farm and guardian dog with a life expectancy of 12 to 14 years. His age was confirmed by his 1992 registration with a veterinary medical service in Leiria, Portugal, and with a Portuguese government-owned pet database, Guinness said. Bobi was born in a litter of four puppies; the three others were put down by owner Leonel Costa's parents because the farm already had too many animals. "At that time it was considered normal by older people ... to bury the animals in a hole so that they would not survive,” Leonel said in an interview with Guinness. Costa said he hid Bobi from his parents after he discovered that the dog had escaped his siblings' fate by hiding in a stack of wood. When Costa's parents found out, it was too late to put Bobi down. Costa said Bobi was never tied up or leashed, drank plenty of water and ate human food exclusively. Costa attributed Bobi's old age to his "calm, peaceful" life. On Bobi's 31st birthday, in May, his owner threw him a traditional Portuguese birthday party, attended by more than 100 guests, Guinness said. Link

Gibson, who is running for the Virginia House of Delegates, has become mired in a scandal over her alleged performance of sex acts on a pornographic website. WASHINGTON — Two weeks before Virginia's Nov. 7 election, Virginia's Republican Party has sent voters flyers containing explicit content about Democrat Susanna Gibson, who is mired in a sex scandal while running for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates, an NBC affiliate in Virginia reported Tuesday. Gibson allegedly live-streamed sex acts with her husband on a public pornographic website before becoming a candidate. The flyers, which warned on the envelope that "explicit material" was enclosed, included alleged screenshots and quotes from Gibson about sex as well as excerpted text from news stories on the scandal, according to local affiliate WWBT in Richmond. The mailer envelope says the flyer was paid for by the Republican Party of Virginia, according to the affiliate. It also contained the warning in red lettering, “Do not open if you are under the age of 18.” Susanna Gibson. The bottom of one of the flyer pages reads, "Virginia deserves better." NBC News has reached out to Gibson's campaign for comment. Her campaign released a statement saying the mailer was an attempt by her Republican opponent, David Owen, and the state GOP of "trying to distract voters from their extreme agenda to ban abortion, defund schools, and allow violent criminals to access weapons of war." "Voters are tired of these desperate attacks, and they will not be fooled by them," the campaign statement continued. "From day one, Susanna has been focused on protecting reproductive freedom, fully funding our schools, and keeping our communities safe. Nothing will ever deter her commitment to our community.” The state GOP’s chair, Rich Anderson, said in a statement that the mailer countered what he said were Gibson’s false claims that Virginia Republican Party leaked her publicly accessible videos, the NBC affiliate reported. “The mail piece corrects her false statements using already-published mainstream media news accounts and Gibson’s own public words as documented via her videos,” he said. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, told the affiliate that he had not seen the flyer. "This candidate's personal life is something that that candidate needs to explain to people, and the Democratic Party needs to have an opinion on this," he said. NBC News has reached out to the state GOP, Youngkin and Owen's campaign for comment. In a statement, the communications director for the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, Abhi Rahman, bashed “Republican smear tactics.” “Desperate Republicans know they’re losing so they’ll do anything — even this disgusting invasion of privacy — to turn it around,” Rahman said. “One thing is clear: the party of ‘family values’ is no more.” Gibson, a nurse practitioner, has listed protecting reproductive rights, improving the public education system and preventing gun violence among her priorities on her campaign for the state’s competitive 57th district seat. Owen has listed lowering inflation and crime as well as improving the education system as some of his priorities on his website. The Virginia House of Delegates is closely split between Democrats and Republicans. Republicans hold 48 seats, Democrats hold 46 seats, and six seats are vacant. Link

Li Shangfu had only been in the job since March China has officially sacked its defence minister Li Shangfu, two months after he disappeared from public life. No explanation has been given for his removal, nor has a replacement been announced for his job. His sacking follows recent axings of several top military officials, including Qin Gang - who was removed as foreign minister in July. Mr Qin and Mr Li were also removed from their positions on the State Council, the country's ministry, on Tuesday. China's top legislators, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, approved the removal of both men, state broadcaster CCTV reported. His dismissal leaves China without a defence minister as it prepares to host foreign defence officials in Beijing this week. Reuters reported last month that he was under investigation for suspected corruption related to equipment procurement and development. He was last seen in public on 29 August, at a Beijing security forum with African nations. He had only been in the post since March. An aerospace engineer who began his career at a satellite and rocket launch centre, Gen Li has had a smooth ascent through the ranks of the military and Chinese political elite. In 2018, when he headed the equipment development arm of the military, he was sanctioned by the US government over China's purchases of Russian combat aircraft and arms. The sanctions were thought to be a sticking point for Gen Li, who refused to meet his US counterpart Lloyd Austin at a Singapore defence summit earlier this year. Qin Gang was officially removed in July He was said to be a favourite of President Xi Jinping, just like Mr Qin, who has now been stripped of his last government title. In July, Mr Qin was removed as China's foreign minister just seven months into the job. No reason was given for Mr Qin's removal either but the Wall Street Journal cited sources saying he had an extramarital affair while in his post as ambassador to the United States. Soon after, two leaders of an elite unit managing its nuclear arsenal were replaced, triggering speculation of a purge. General Li Yuchao who headed the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Rocket Force unit and his deputy had "disappeared" for months before their dismissals were announced. Link

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Nick movie: Iron Man 3 Time: April 14, 2013 Netflix / Amazon / HBO: N/A Duration of the movie: 131 M Trailer:

Initial necropsy results showed preexisting changes in Rani’s heart, but further tests are being conducted, and zoo pathologists don’t know whether those changes played a role in her death. Rani at the St. Louis Zoo in 2017. ST. LOUIS — A female Asian elephant at the St. Louis Zoo died shortly after her herd became agitated from a small dog running loose, zoo officials said. Rani died Friday at age 27. The zoo announced her death on Tuesday. “We are absolutely devastated. We ask for the community’s thoughts and support during this difficult time,” zoo Director Michael Macek said in a news release. “Our team of professional animal care experts did everything possible, but we couldn’t save Rani.” A small, unleashed and lost dog was seen running in a non-public area near the Elephant Barn Friday afternoon. Elephant care workers were trying to contain the dog, but an elephant outside the barn became agitated and was moved inside, the zoo said. Rani was already inside the barn, eating, and didn’t see the dog. But members of the elephant care team “observed Rani become agitated in reaction to the vocalizations from the herd. They saw Rani circle and vocalize, all within a very brief period, before collapsing,” the zoo release said. Attempts to revive the elephant were unsuccessful. The rest of the herd calmed down quickly, the zoo said. Initial necropsy results showed some preexisting changes in Rani’s heart, but further tests are being conducted and zoo pathologists don’t yet know if those changes played a role in her death. It wasn’t clear how the dog got into the zoo, which sits in the middle of sprawling Forest Park. The zoo allows service animals with certain restrictions, but not pets, a spokeswoman said. The dog was handed over to a shelter, the zoo said. Rani and her mother, Ellie, came to the St. Louis Zoo from another zoo in July 2001. The St. Louis Zoo said the move was recommended by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ Asian Elephant Species Survival Plan. The program seeks to manage the Asian elephant po[CENSORED]tion in North America and maximize their health and genetic diversity. Ellie is still alive at age 52 and living at the zoo. Rani was the mother of another elephant at the zoo, 16-year-old Jade. Rani enjoyed playing with her two sisters and was known for her unique squeaking noise when socializing with family — a noise that Jade mimics, said Katie Pilgram-Kloppe, manager of the River’s Edge area of the zoo, where the elephants live. The World Wildlife Fund says Asian elephants are endangered, with fewer than 50,000 in the wild. Habitat loss and poaching are blamed for their plight. It is the largest land mammal on the Asian continent. Link

*By which we mean ‘the lights are similar’. Meanwhile the e-208 is now a £32k car… Prices for the updated Peugeot 208 and electric e-208 supermini have been announced in tandem with order books opening: a smidge over £20k gets you into a car styled to look ever so slightly like the 9X8 hypercar. The links to the Le Mans racer are tenuous bordering on laughable, of course. But if OEMs stopped believing that kind of marketing was worthwhile they’d cease racing tomorrow, so let’s all just play along with it. There are six powertrains to choose from: two petrol, two hybrid and two electric. The entry-level 208 gets the 1.2-litre PureTech engine in 74bhp (with a five-speed manual) and 99bhp (plus six-speed manual) as before, so no change there. Then for the first time on the 208 there are two hybrid options, each mated to a six-speed auto but producing either 99bhp or 134bhp. Peugeot claims more torque at lower revs and 15 per cent better (than what?) fuel economy, as well as up to 50/50 ICE/EV running on slower urban roads. Finally there’s a pair of e-208s, either in 134bhp form and coupled with a 50kWh battery for 225 miles of range, or with a 154bhp motor and 51kWh (yup, a whole one kilowatt-hour extra) for 248 miles between charges. The e-208 will take up to 7kW AC as standard or 11kW optionally (get the latter if your home charging point is suitably fast). A 20-80 per cent top-up takes less than half an hour at 100kW DC. Meanwhile there are four trim levels: Active, Allure, GT and - for a short time only - E-Style, which is your only route into the lesser-powered e-208 for now. That costs £32,400, by the way. Link

Two sources told NBC News Trump is eyeing counterprogramming during the next debate. One said that it would be near the Miami debate venue; another stressed plans are still fluid. Former President Donald Trump will, once again, skip the GOP presidential primary debate. Former President Donald Trump's campaign is planning another counterprogramming event around the third GOP debate in Miami on Nov. 8 at a nearby venue, according to a source familiar with the Trump campaign's plans. A second source, an adviser to Trump, cautioned that while plans are in the works, they are fluid and the former president’s Nov. 8 schedule has not yet been finalized. Trump has skipped the first two Republican primary debates and used each as an opportunity to spotlight himself at a different event. A recorded Trump interview with Tucker Carlson aired on the social media platform X during the first GOP debate, and Trump hosted a campaign event at an auto parts company in Michigan during the second debate. Now, the former president is planning a campaign rally just a few minutes down the road from the Miami debate at a venue in Hialeah, Florida, according to the source familiar with the Trump campaign's plans. A separate Trump adviser stressed that things are still up in the air. “We will do something for sure, but not sure set on what or where as of yet," the person said. The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment on its plans around the third debate, which NBC News is hosting. The former president ruled out attending the GOP debate last month in California, pointing to his commanding lead in the polls. The Trump campaign has called on the Republican National Committee to halt all future debates, saying the party is "wasting time and money" and should coalesce around Trump in order to defeat President Joe Biden. Link

After Hamas attacked Israel, Israel has launched a series of attacks on the Gaza Strip The Middle East is on the "edge of an abyss" as a result of the war between Israel and Hamas, UN agency chief Philippe Lazzarini has told the BBC. The commissioner-general of UN relief agency UNRWA said violence could spill over across the region. And he warned about the dire situation for civilians inside Gaza, calling again for humanitarian aid corridors into the territory. Mr Lazzarini said he fears "the world is now losing its humanity". In an exclusive interview with the BBC, Mr Lazzarini reiterated calls for humanitarian aid corridors, saying help "needs to be uninterrupted... predictable [and] meaningful" to help the people of Gaza. Speaking in Jerusalem, the head of UNRWA condemned Hamas's attack on Israel, calling it a "horrific and barbaric massacre" that had created a "national trauma, a collective trauma in Israel". "But this event still does not justify that the war is conducted without any restraint," he said. "And I do not believe that killing even more civilians is in the interest of the future security and peace here in the region." Asked if Israelis were respecting international humanitarian law, Mr Lazzarini said: "Listen, we are now in a situation where there is a total siege being imposed in the Gaza Strip. "We are in a situation where more than a million people have been asked to be displaced. So this amounts to collective punishment, and collective punishment is a violation of international humanitarian law." He added: "We call to the Israelis and to anyone relevant in this conflict to respect international humanitarian law. There is no exception for anyone." Speaking about the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Mr Lazzarini said 2.2 million Palestinians, half of whom have been displaced, are "basically lacking everything". "There is no water. You have four toilets for 4,000 people. They are living on the floor," he said. "We are on the brink." "If there is no water anymore in the Gaza Strip, things will accelerate. And the disaster which is already unfolding under our eyes, will become even worse," Mr Lazzarini said. The UN has warned of a "humanitarian catastrophe" in Gaza The UN has previously warned of a "humanitarian catastrophe" unless aid can get into Gaza. Mr Lazzarini said that before Hamas's attack on 7 October, around 500 trucks a day would carry aid, fuel and other goods into the Strip. Now, he said, it is unclear how much aid they need to send or what they will even be allowed to take in - but estimated the agency would need "at least 100 trucks a day" for Gazans. On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that his country would "not thwart" supplies going from Egypt to the civilian po[CENSORED]tion in southern Gaza. However, no aid has yet has crossed into the territory via the Rafah crossing from Egypt. World Health Organization director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters on Thursday: "Our trucks are loaded and ready to go." He said supplies would be delivered as soon as the Rafah crossing opened - "hopefully tomorrow", he added. Mr Lazzarini ended by saying that Palestinians are now feeling "a deep sense and feeling of abandonment from the international community" amid the ongoing violence. "They feel completely empty. They all have families member who have been killed on a daily basis. They hear about the relatives. And at the same time, they have to care of their own survival." "But the feeling of abandonment should not be underestimated." Link

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