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The interim CEO of Norton has released a statement regarding deposits paid for 961 Commando SINCE being scooped out of the mire by TVS in April this year, Norton, its staff, and its interim CEO, John Russell have had a mountain to climb to win back public favour. The company had been effectively run into the ground by the previous caretakers, with a litany of dodgy decisions and mis-management plaguing one of Britain’s most famous motorcycle manufacturers. But the team at Norton and TVS are determined and working hard to right the wrongs of the previous administration. Today, Norton has confirmed to Visordown that any existing customers that have paid a deposit for a 961 Commando will be able to take delivery of a brand new bike should they so wish. To facilitate this, a limited number of 961 Commandos will be built, for those still wanting to own a modern interpretation of one of Britain’s most important motorcycles. The bikes will be the first to roll off a new production line at a purpose-built manufacturing facility close to the existing Donington Hall site. The bikes will be delivered to the customers once any existing balance has been paid. Norton statement The statement from John Russell reads: “When Norton was acquired by TVS Motor Company, there was a select number of Norton enthusiasts who had placed orders and paid deposits for 961-engined bikes. “Norton is not obliged to fulfil these orders but is fully committed to its customers and value their trust more than anything. Norton will be building a limited quantity of Commando Classic bikes and offering these bikes to those customers who had ordered and paid a deposit for a 961-engined bike. “This very special edition of bikes will be built by Norton’s experts at its new facility and supplied to customers once any outstanding balance has been paid. The team at Norton are respectful custodians of the Norton brand and feel privileged to build such special bikes for such loyal and supportive customers.”

The EU has published contingency plans in case of the possible collapse of Brexit trade talks with the UK. The plans aim to ensure smooth UK-EU air and road travel, as well as allowing the possibility of fishing access to each other's waters. They come after talks between UK PM Boris Johnson and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen aimed at ending a deadlock over the deal ended without agreement. The UK is due to stop following EU trading rules on 31 December. The UK left the EU at the end of January this year, but a transition period of 11 months followed to allow the two sides to try to negotiate a deal. The commission said the application of the proposed measures would, in some cases, depend on the UK reciprocating and accepting certain terms. 'Large gaps' remain after crucial Brexit talks What are the sticking points in Brexit trade talks? The prime minister's spokesman said such a statement from the EU had been expected and it was similar to what had been proposed in September 2019, adding that the government had already set out its own plans in the event a trade deal could not be reached. The main obstacles continue to be access to fishing waters, rules about subsidising businesses and how any new deal would be policed. The EU's contingency plans A statement by the European Commission - the EU executive - published on Thursday said there was currently "significant uncertainty" about whether a deal would be in place by 1 January. "Our responsibility is to be prepared for all eventualities, including not having a deal in place," Ms von der Leyen said. Some sectors would be disproportionately affected, the commission said, adding that it was proposing four contingency measures "to mitigate some of the significant disruptions" if a deal were not in place: To ensure the provision of "certain air services" between the UK and EU for six months, provided the UK does the same To allow aviation safety certificates to be used in EU aircraft without disruption to avoid grounding To ensure basic connectivity for road freight and passenger transport for six months, provided the UK does the same To allow the possibility of reciprocal fishing access for UK and EU vessels in each other's waters for one year, or until an agreement is reached The commission also said its offers on road and air transport would depend on the UK providing "fair and equal opportunities", adding: "A level playing field requires that, even after the end of the transition period, the United Kingdom continues to apply sufficiently high and comparable standards." The idea of level playing field measures is to ensure businesses on one side do not have an unfair advantage over their competitors on the other. The EU wants the UK to stick particularly closely to a number of its rules but the UK argues Brexit means breaking free from following those rules. media captionBBC Reality Check explains why the level playing field matters in Brexit talks Reacting to the plans, Boris Johnson's spokesman said the UK government would look "very closely at the details" and that negotiators were "continuing to work to see if the two sides could bridge the remaining gaps". The spokesman added that the government "had been clear throughout it would not agree to anything that did not respect UK sovereignty". The European Commission has until now resisted calls from EU member states to publish these plans, partly because it did not want to jeopardise further the already perilous trade talks. The thinking was that the UK may view any EU contingency plans as rather palatable and encourage them to pursue a path to no deal. Certainly, the proposal that planes and lorries would keep moving would appear to remove an element of drama from what happens on 1 January. And on fishing - such a totemic issue in the wider talks - the message is that this would protect coastal communities in the face on growing uncertainty. But dig deeper, and the EU olive branch is dependent on the UK accepting key terms, including agreements on the increasingly famous "level playing field" - the very subject which is proving so divisive in the seemingly deadlocked trade talks. The state of play with the talks Negotiations on a trade deal are continuing, but Downing Street said following Wednesday's talks between Mr Johnson and Ms von der Leyen that "very large gaps remain". UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said it was "unlikely" the negotiations would be extended beyond Sunday, while Paymaster General Penny Mordaunt said the UK was "working tirelessly to get a deal" but could not accept an agreement at any cost. Brexit: Seven things that will change on 1 January Ms von der Leyen said the EU was willing to grant the UK access to the single market "but the conditions have to be fair... for our workers and our companies", adding: "This fine balance of fairness has not been achieved so far. We will take a decision on Sunday." EU leaders will be briefed about the talks at a summit in Brussels later on Thursday, although Brexit is not on the official discussion agenda. EU travel ban possible Separately, the European Commission has confirmed reports that a ban on travel to the EU because of Covid-19 levels, currently applying to non-EU countries, could be extended to UK visitors from 1 January. Currently only eight countries with low Covid rates are on the approved list for free travel and there are no plans to add the UK to that list. But EU member states have control over their own border restrictions and could choose to have their own individual travel corridors and allow British visitors in. Meanwhile, France's minister for Europe, Clément Beaune, warned that visas might be required for UK citizens who plan to stay in the EU for more than three months. But, he added, the matter was still being negotiated.

Microsoft Teams flaw appears to have been more serious than first suggested Microsoft has been accused of downplaying the severity of a security issue found in its collaboration platform Teams, which was remedied quietly back in October. According to a report from security engineer Oskars Vegeris, the company failed to warn users of the problem and neither did it seek Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) classification, on the grounds that Teams patches are installed automatically. Roughly one month after disclosure, the cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability was classified by Microsoft as “Important, Spoofing”, which Vegeris describes as “one of the lowest in-scope ratings possible”. We've built a list of the best video conferencing software around Here's our rundown of the best business webcams available Check out our list of the best headsets for conferencing right now However, the scope of potential attacks and the opportunity to access various different areas of the infected network means it demands a much higher threat rating, claims Vegeris. Microsoft Teams vulnerability This particular Microsoft Teams vulnerability, according to the researcher, could open the door to “zero click, wormable, cross-platform remote code execution.” Broken down for the layman, this means the attack does not hinge on a mistake on the part of the victim (such as clicking on a dangerous link), infection can pass between one computer to the next and the exploit allows the hacker to run malicious code on infected machines at will. As Vegeris describes, an attacker could send or edit a message that looks identical to any other. When the relevant chat log is opened, the code is launched on the victim’s machine. “That’s it. There is no further interaction from the victim. Now your company’s internal network, personal documents, O365 documents/mail/notes, secret chats are fully compromised,” wrote Vegeris. “Think about it. One message, one channel, no interaction. Everyone gets exploited.” According to the report, the exploit could also have allowed attackers to steal Office 365 SSO tokens (giving them access to corporate email logs, documents etc.), escalate their administrative privileges and gain access to the cameras and microphones of infected devices. Further, if an organization invited guest entities into their Teams network (often clients or customers), infection could also in theory hop between businesses. “At least now we have a new joke between colleagues - whenever we get a remote code execution bug, we call it ‘Important, Spoofing’. Thanks Microsoft,” joked Vegeris. Microsoft did not immediately respond to our request for comment. Update: A Microsoft spokesperson has since provided the following statement, though offered no further comment on whether the severity of the bug was originally understated: "We mitigated the issue with an update in October, which has automatically deployed and protected customers."

AMD has a change of heart, according to Radeon GM Scott Herkelman. Update: AMD Radeon GM and CVP, Scott Herkelman, has announced on Twitter than AMD will continue to sell RX 6000-series reference graphics cards, such as the RX 6900 XT pictured above, indefinitely. The company had previously said (as recently as today) that the design would no longer be sold from early 2021, yet has since U-turned on its decision and will continue with the design by po[CENSORED]r demand. That's likely a good move for consumers, too, who can now be safe in the knowledge that MSRP reference cards will be available in the future, even if they are so far unavailable to purchase due to low availability at launch. Here's the tweet from Scott Herkelman, and we've reached out to AMD to double-check this represents the company's decision on the matter: Original story: In a not all that surprising move, AMD has confirmed it will cease to produce reference RX 6000-series graphics card designs from early next year. Following rumours saying much of the same, and even a tweet by Scott Herkelman, AMD has confirmed to PC Gamer that it will be ending production of the triple-fan 'Big Navi' cooler from early 2021. This is fairly usual behaviour from team red, as its reference designs are nearly always gone a short while after release. Sometimes a few key partners keep the design going a little longer, but they'd all rather upsell you a shiny new high-end model instead. Perhaps this development is now newsworthy due to the new triple-fan cooler design across the RX 6000-series actually being pretty great, especially at MSRP. It never felt like much of an issue previously since previous blower coolers left a little to be desired in the thermal department, and the dented RX 5700 XT wasn't much of a fan favourite. I will defend it to the grave, however. Love that shroud's look—you just had to see it in person to appreciate it, which granted few did considering it was not often available post-launch. Third-party designs are beginning to be announced for the RX 6000-series, which is made up of the AMD RX 6800, RX 6800 XT, and RX 6900 XT. However, with availability for the entire Radeon RDNA 2 lineup looking slim, we've not had a chance to actually take a look at any for ourselves. ASUS is the first to announce such a design for the RX 6900 XT, which launched only yesterday, and ASRock isn't far behind with its own custom robed GPU. We don't suspect we'll see either of these designs to be available in the wild for some time, however. Yet soon these will be the only designs available to purchase—those from AMD's many partners, I mean. That might make the original shroud something of a rarity considering its limited availability, but I don't think that should be any reason to go out and purchase the reference design above MSRP. Best wait until prices regain some semblance of normality, and we suspect a few third-party designs to stick to the original MSRP throughout the stack, at least.

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PUBG's seasonal updates have now reached double digits. Season 10 is dropping next week, and with it comes more map experiments. Last season, we got Paramo, a dynamic volcano map that was only 3x3km, and this time the battle royale is going even smaller. Haven is PUBG's tiniest map so far, giving would-be survivors a mere 1x1km to play around in. What it lacks in size, however, it apparently makes up for in density. There's a lot going on in this wee industrial island, which also houses an AI faction: Pillar. The rusty American town will see you fighting across steelworks, coal yards, a residential zone and docks, full of rooftop sniper vantage points and blind corners. You'll be pushing through urban streets, apartment buildings, warehouses and factories, switching from long-range shootouts to close-quarters slogs. And it's not just other players you'll need to worry about. Pillar is PUBG's first AI faction, and apparently Haven is their turf, so they'd quite like you to piss off. Since that's not going to happen, they'll be content with filling you with bullets. A scout helicopter will patrol the skies, hunting down players, accompanied by a tactical truck that will try to murder anyone the helicopter spots. Pillar also has guards and commanders protecting various parts of the map. Guards will be decked out in basic gear, but the commanders will sport top-tier equipment. Haven also contains Pillar supply caches, which require keys to unlock. To get a key, you'll need to take out a commander. These replace care packages. You'll also be able to find emergency parachutes, letting you jump from high places without worrying about landing with a splat. They will make you a bit of a target, though, so watch out. A new season means a new survivor pass, a new season of Ranked mode, new rewards and more mastery medals. Haven will only be available during this season, so make the most of it while it lasts. You can check it out now in the test server, and it will launch on live servers on December 16. Fraser is the sole inhabitant of PC Gamer's mythical Scottish office, conveniently located in his flat. As the online editor, he's actually met The Internet in person, and he keeps a small piece of it in a jar.

The new plug-in version of Renault’s second-generation Captur has arrived in UK dealerships, giving us our first opportunity to try it with the steering wheel on the right-hand side. It’s an interesting car in its own right, of course, for reasons we’ll come to later, but doubly remarkable for the fact that it’s entering a relatively uncontested segment: that of the plug-in hybrid compact crossover. Size-wise, the Captur takes on everything from the Ford Puma to the Peugeot 2008 and Nissan Juke, but similarly electrified alternatives are limited, essentially, to just the Kia Niro PHEV and Mini Countryman S E All4. No doubt this niche-busting trio won’t have it so easy for long, given that there’s a new entry to the crossover class every 27 minutes, and that plug-in hybrids continue to play a crucial role in manufacturers’ battle to comply with stringent fleet emissions targets. But for now, the Captur seems on first glance a real no-brainer for urban-dwelling business buyers and eco-conscious families who need a car that’s at once more practical than a supermini but no harder to park. Whether it deserves that custom on the basis of anything but uniqueness alone is what we’ll seek to determine. The powertrain comprises a 1.6-litre naturally aspirated petrol four-cylinder - unavailable as a means of propelling the non-electrified car - with a 66bhp electric motor for a combined output of 158bhp and a 0-62mph time of 10.1sec. We’ve tested it in S Edition trim, which is marked out from lower trims by its 17in diamond-cut alloy wheels, colour-coded mirrors and tinted rear windows. What's it like? Underpinnings aside, the second-generation Captur immediately cuts a rather more dashing figure than its comparatively staid forebear. Slimmer lights at both ends and more overtly muscular body lines bring it into line with its chic Clio and Mégane stablemates, and there’s little of the gratuitous stylistic quirkiness that afflicts some of its rivals - or indeed, siblings (we’re looking at you, Nissan Juke). Nor is there much to tell this electrified version apart from the standard petrol car beyond a subtle badge here and there. Automatic versions such as this get a trick new ‘floating’ centre console with a wireless phone charger underneath, and orange soft-touch trim panels (a £350 option) imbue the cabin with a real sense of quality, both perceived and actual. We would bravely suggest the large vertically aligned infotainment touchscreen felt Tesla-esque, but the retention of most of the physical controls means the cabin feels slightly more cluttered than it ought to, while the counter-intuitive control placement (the volume adjuster is hidden behind the steering wheel, and the drive mode selector next to the heated seat switch) will take some getting used to. Overall, though, it’s bright and airy and certainly brings more visual pizzazz than does a Ford Puma. The E-Tech has three confusingly named driving modes: Pure, Sport and My Sense, which you’ll know better as ‘Electric’, ‘Combustion’ and ‘Hybrid’. In the last of these, the transition between the two power sources is all but seamless, and at low revs, the petrol motor is barely more discernible than its electric team-mate. It starts to make a bit of a din when you get a hustle on, though, and remains in a low gear for some time after kickdown, making overtakes and motorway merges a noisy experience. However, it belies its unforced induction with decent mid-range grunt and sufficient shove off the line. On mixed roads, and with judicious use of the (non-variable) regenerative brakes, it’s possible to top up the traction battery quite quickly, making last-mile EV running a realistic daily proposition, should your commute take you into high-traffic areas. That’s an especially attractive proposition, given the competence of the electric element of this powertrain: pleasingly swift take-up accompanied by a faint background whirring means this doesn’t feel like a functionality that’s been baked in for the sake of compliance, more a welcome injection of future-proofing that will suit - and enhance the ownership experience for - a much wider target market. The silence of the EV motor is a bit of a double-edged sword, though, because tyre roar, wind noise and suspension clunks soon fill the silence. Not unbearably so, but enough to blemish a package that’s otherwise up there with the most refined of them. With its 7.5kWh battery mounted under the rear seat, the Captur is claimed to be capable of 30 miles of EV running, and our test suggests that’s a realistic projection. As with all PHEVs, the combined WLTP consumption figures are less easy to replicate in real life - the Captur’s is claimed at an astounding 188.3mpg - but it’s hardly a thirsty old beast, in any case. Once you’ve worked out how to treat the powertrain to maintain the optimal combination of petrol and electricity, you’ll likely find it an agreeable everyday companion, if not one that’s particularly engaging. In terms of outright dynamic verve - a characteristic that the vast majority of its buyers are unlikely to interrogate - the Captur can’t shade its conventionally fuelled counterparts. Where the Ford Puma brings poise and exploitability on a par with the lower-riding Fiesta, and the diminutive Seat Arona coasts over imperfections with almost unparalleled serenity, the Captur fails to hide the weight penalty brought about by electrification. Speed bumps are met with a harsh jolt if tackled at anything approaching the posted speed limit, and Britain’s notoriously crumbling Tarmac sends an almost persistent judder up through the steering column and through the seat bases. Rougher stretches of road verge on downright uncomfortable. Then there’s cornering performance, which - again, with the caveat that the vast majority of Capturs don’t end up in the hands of keen drivers - will hardly inspire the occasional Sunday blast. Body roll in sharper bends is fairly pronounced, which we’d be inclined to forgive had it translated into a pillowy soft ride over coarse ground, but as it is, the Captur demonstrates a paradoxical blend of what I’m going to term 'wallowy crashiness' for want of a better phrase. It’s a case of learning its quirks and adapting to them. Neither the Captur’s straight-line performance nor its dynamic character is sufficiently poor to warrant overlooking the entire car, but its Mini and Kia rivals offer a better-rounded driving experience, if one that’s more unremarkable than impressive. Should I buy one? Assuming your requirements are specific enough to genuinely narrow prospective purchases down to the Kia, the Mini and the Renault, chances are your heart would be taken by the Captur, even if your head reckons the Niro’s 36-mile EV range or the Countryman's polished dynamics make them the smarter buy. For what it’s worth, the Captur is a refreshingly tasteful take on an increasingly ubiquitous bodystyle, and one that pairs its comfortable, well-appointed interior with cheap running costs and ease of use. Just don’t expect it to deviate wildly from this formula in offering flashes of driver engagement or segment-leading rolling refinement.

The United Arab Emirates is the first country to rate a front-running Chinese vaccine for Covid-19, saying it was 86% effective in a phase-three trial. The vaccine, produced by China National Pharmaceutical Group, or Sinopharm, has been "officially registered", the UAE state news agency reports. The health ministry said "analysis shows no serious safety concerns". However, neither Sinopharm nor the UAE have released detailed data on the trial of 31,000 participants. The announcement did not say how many of those taking part had become ill or give numbers for those given the vaccine or a placebo. There was also no information on side effects. According to what is the first public statement on the effectiveness of the vaccine, the analysis found that it produced antibodies that attack the virus in 99% of people who took it, and nobody who took it developed moderate or severe cases of Covid-19. Experts have expressed concern at the lack of published data and questioned why the announcement had not come from Sinopharm itself. People from 125 nationalities took part in the trial, UAE state news agency Wam said. It began in July and the vaccine was given emergency authorisation for use by UAE front-line workers in September. Senior officials, including UAE Vice-President and Dubai ruler Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, were given doses in November. The Sinopharm vaccine has already been given to one million Chinese citizens under an emergency programme. What do we know about China's Covid-19 vaccines? How do the Covid vaccines compare? What you need to know about vaccine safety Sinopharm's product is one of four Chinese coronavirus inoculations in the final phases of development. These include CoronaVac, made by the Beijing-based biopharmaceutical company Sinovac. Shipments of Sinovac have arrived in Indonesia in preparation for a mass vaccination campaign. The UAE's announcement comes a day after the UK became the first country in the world to start rolling out the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine after approval from the MHRA regulator. The jab is produced by the Pfizer American pharmaceutical giant and a German biotech company. First results in November showed the vaccine is up to 95% effective. The US regulator, the FDA, is expected to give approval when it meets on Thursday. Other vaccines which could soon be approved by regulators are the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab, developed by Oxford University and the UK-Swedish pharmaceutical company, and, in the US, Moderna's vaccine. Moderna says its product protects 94.5% of people. The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is 70% effective, data shows. Data on Russia's Sputnik V vaccine suggest it is 92% effective. The Russian vaccine has also undergone phase-three trials in the UAE. The United Arab Emirates authorities say Covid has claimed 598 lives and there have been a total of 180,150 infections. Abu Dhabi has meanwhile announced that "all economic, tourism, cultural and entertainment activities in the emirate" will fully resume in two weeks due to the success of measures introduced to lower infection rates.

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A UK grandmother has become the first person in the world to be given the Pfizer Covid-19 jab as part of a mass vaccination programme. Margaret Keenan, who turns 91 next week, said the injection she received at 06:31 GMT was the "best early birthday present". It was the first of 800,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine that will be dispensed in the coming weeks. Up to four million more are expected by the end of the month. Hubs in the UK will vaccinate over-80s and some health and care staff - the programme aims to protect the most vulnerable and return life to normal. 'Hopefully next year we'll be living a normal life' 'Mix-and-match' Covid vaccines to be tested 'V-day' as first people have Covid jab Health Secretary Matt Hancock, dubbed Tuesday "V-day", said it was "a tribute to scientific endeavour and human ingenuity and to the hard work of so many people. "Today marks the start of the fightback against our common enemy, the coronavirus," he said. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, on a visit to a London hospital to see some of the first people getting the jab, said getting vaccinated was "good for you and good for the whole country". Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: "Today we should all allow ourselves a smile - but we must not drop our guard." On Tuesday, the UK government reported a further 616 people had died within 28 days of a positive test, taking the total by that measure to 62,033. A further 12,282 people tested positive for the virus. media captionSecond in line for the jab at University Hospital in Coventry was 81-year-old William Shakespeare from Warwickshire. At University Hospital, Coventry, matron May Parsons administered the very first jab to Ms Keenan. "I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against Covid-19," Ms Keenan, who is originally from Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, said. "It's the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the new year after being on my own for most of the year. "My advice to anyone offered the vaccine is to take it. If I can have it at 90, then you can have it too," she added. Scotland's toughest Covid restrictions to be eased Covid deaths 'above worst case scenario' in Wales Further Covid-19 restrictions in NI 'not ruled out' Prof Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, who witnessed the "historic moment", said: "We couldn't hug her but we could clap and everybody did so in the room." The second person vaccinated in Coventry was William Shakespeare, 81, from Warwickshire, who said he was "pleased" to be given the jab and hospital staff had been "wonderful". image captionAn emotional Sister Joanna Sloan said she had been looking forward to the vaccine for so long Throughout the day, patients and health workers at some 50 hospitals around the UK have been getting the jab: Sister Joanna Sloan, who will head up the vaccine rollout in Belfast, received the first vaccine administered in Northern Ireland, just after 08:00 GMT at the Royal Victoria Hospital In Wales, a nervous Craig Atkins, 48, from Ebbw Vale, became the first person to get the jab. It was "scary" but he could smile now, the care home worker said Consultant anaesthetist Dr Katie Stewart was among the first people in Scotland to get the jab, saying there was something to celebrate after "a very long hard year" looking after Covid patients and staying apart to protect each other The UK is the first country in the world to start using the Pfizer vaccine after regulators approved its use last week. On Tuesday, US regulators confirmed the vaccine is 95% effective, paving the way for it to be approved for emergency use. The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine has also been found to be "safe and effective", according to a paper published on Tuesday and assessed by independent scientists. media captionMatt Hancock says he is thrilled but warns that people must still stick to the rules Speaking in the Commons, Health Secretary Matt Hancock stressed people did not need to apply for the vaccine - the NHS would be in touch with those eligible and he urged them to "please step forward for your country". Mr Hancock went on to warn that even while we can see the route out, there was "still a long march ahead", saying there were "worrying signs" of the virus growing in Essex, London and Kent. What are the safety checks for vaccines? Who will get the Covid vaccine first? NHS staff: 'Vaccine is a game changer' More than 60,000 people in the UK have died within 28 days of a Covid-19 test, but there are signs the UK could be at the peak of the pandemic's second wave. New data released by national statisticians for the week ending 27 November showed that of the 14,106 deaths registered, nearly 3,400 involved Covid. This is 20% higher than the five-year average but is similar to the percentages seen in the past two weeks. On a visit to London's Guy's Hospital, Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to 81-year-old Lyn Wheeler, who was the first to receive the vaccine there. "It is really very moving to hear her say she is doing it for Britain, which is exactly right - she is protecting herself but also helping to protect the entire country," Mr Johnson said. Earlier, the prime minister thanked the NHS and "all of the scientists who worked so hard to develop this vaccine", the volunteers and "everyone who has been following the rules to protect others". Labour's shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth said it was "absolutely fabulous" to see people getting the vaccine and thanked everyone involved in making it happen. Some 800,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine have been secured by the government to be administered in the coming weeks - although vaccination is not compulsory. Orders have been placed for 40 million in total - enough for 20 million people, as two courses are needed. However, most of that is not expected to become available until next year, although government sources said another four million doses should arrive in the country by the end of this month. Mr Hancock said he expected it to take "several weeks" to get the first group of health workers, care staff and over-80s vaccinated. Patients over 80 attending hospital as an outpatient, or being discharged home after a hospital stay, will be among the first to receive the jab. Care home providers have been asked to book staff in for vaccinations, and GPs are expected to begin vaccinating care home residents shortly. This is a momentous day, but make no mistake the NHS faces a huge task in rolling out this vaccine. First there needs to be a smooth supply - and already there are reports of manufacturing problems which means the UK is expecting less than half of the 10 million doses of the Pfizer jab it was planning for by the end of the year. The fact it needs to be kept in ultra-cold storage and in batches of 975 units is an added complication that has meant it cannot yet be taken into care homes to vaccinate residents, who are the very highest priority group, or sent out to GPs to run vaccination clinics in the community. NHS bosses hope to receive guidance from the regulator next week on how to get around this. But these factors illustrate why the UK is still pinning its hopes on a second vaccine developed by Oxford University. That one can be kept in fridges and so is easier to distribute, is British made and - what is more - there is an ever-growing stockpile ready to use. If that vaccine gets the green light from regulators, there will be a genuine hope the first few months of 2021 will see rapid progress in offering the most vulnerable jabs so the UK can return to something closer to normality.

Research looking into the most pirated software in the UK has found that creative solutions are the most likely to be downloaded illegally. However, even relatively cheap tools, like WinRAR, have still proved po[CENSORED]r among pirates. IT disposal firm Computer Disposal Limited (CDL) analyzed Google search data by matching hundreds of software names to the terms “torrent” and “download free” in order to discover which applications are most commonly being pirated. CDL found that Adobe software made up the majority of the top 20 most downloaded solutions in the UK, with only two creative platforms in the top 20 not developed by Adobe. This isn’t all that surprising given that Adobe software can be expensive. Here's our list of the best file compression software The best creative software on the market Also, here's our roundup of the best laptops for photo editing A pirate's life for me What is a little unexpected is that when CDL repeated their investigation by looking at worldwide search data, WinRAR came out on top. That’s right, the humble data compression tool that comes with a 40-day free trial that seems to continue indefinitely is apparently the most pirated piece of software in the world. WinRAR taking the top spot was not the only unusual finding to come out of CDL’s research. Free tools, including Malwarebytes and Kaspersky Security Cloud, also scored highly when paired with piracy-related terms. The other irony is that many pirated versions of legitimate software may come packaged with malware, so instead of protecting your device, that illegal download may be leaving you vulnerable to future cyberattacks. Looking at the list of pirated software, it’s clear that price is often a factor. However, even cheap or free tools can’t escape the piracy treatment. Perhaps, some individuals have simply gotten used to taking the illegitimate route to acquire their favorite software, regardless of the security risk involved.

SK Hynix claims its 176-layer 4D NAND flash offers a 33 percent uptick in data transfer speeds. SK Hynix has developed what it is calling the "industry's most multi-layered" 176-layer 4D NAND flash memory, currently offered in 512 gigabit (64GB), triple-level cell (TLC) form. The move to a 176-layer design promises more capacious storage products, including SSDs, with faster speeds to boot. The numbers kind of jump around all over the place, but SK Hynix says the shift to 176-layer NAND increases bit productivity by 35 percent compared to the previous generation (96-layer), while pushing 20 percent faster read speeds of individual cells, and 33 percent faster data transfer speeds. How all that translates to the performance of actual shipping products remains to be seen. To that end, however, SK Hynix alludes to mobile products being the first recipients for 176-layer NAND, with 70 percent faster maximum read speeds and 35 percent faster writes. Those will arrive by the middle of next year, followed by both consumer and enterprise SSD products. Today's NAND flash memory products already utilize a stacked design, hence the 3D designation. But memory makers have taken things about as far as they can go, utilizing floating gates and traditional cell structures. In contrast, 176-layer designs make use of a technology called charge trap flash (CTF). "Unlike floating gate, which stores electric charges in conductors, CTF stores electric charges in insulators, which eliminates interference between cells, improving read and write performance while reducing cell area per unit compared to floating gate technology. Most 3D NAND companies are adopting CTF," SK Hynix explains. The other piece of the puzzle is the location of the control circuitry. In conventional memory designs, this layer sits next to the memory cell structure, but in 3D and what SK Hynix is calling 4D designs, it sits underneath the cell structure. Calling its design "4D" is really a marketing play. "SK hynix has named ‘4D NAND Flash’ to highlight the differentiation that achieves both performance and productivity at the same time by combining CTF cell structure and PUC technology from 96-layer NAND Flash in 2018," SK Hynix says. Incidentally, Micron beat SK Hynix to the punch with a 176-layer design, having announced last month that it had begun shipping the world's first 176-layer NAND, based on a similar overall design to that which SK Hynix is employing. Micron is still calling it 3D NAND, though. Beyond all the marketing and technobabble, the big takeaway is that bigger and faster SSDs are coming, and this is the technology that is behind them.

Preloads for Cyberpunk 2077 are now live on GOG.com, with Steam and the Epic Games Store to follow at 8 am PT/11 am ET/5pm CET today. The release date is December 10 in CD Projekt's home of Poland but, because it's a simultaneous worldwide release on PC and Stadia, some will technically get it a little early. Also, the game is nine whole pence cheaper on GOG than Steam and Epic if you're in the UK. Depending on your timezone, Cyberpunk 2077 will unlock at: 4 pm PT on December 9 / 7 pm ET on December 9 / 12 am GMT on December 10 / 8 am CST on December 10. CD Projekt has pushed Cyberpunk 2077 hard on GOG, for the blindingly simple reason that it owns store and therefore keeps 100 percent of the sale price. Regardless of what platform players purchase the game on, even linking it to GOG nets some in-game rewards. The download comes with an executable file, which got people excited that perhaps CD Projekt Red had somehow screwed-up and released the most-hyped game of recent years early. Trying to play the game this way results in the following screen, as noticed by redditor JMendo02. OK, that's pretty funny. The sense of anticipation is real, and if you want an idea of what to expect here's what we thought after 15 hours in the game. With just a few days to go, time to start preparing.

The new Audi A3 45 TFSIe has gone on sale in Germany as the most powerful plug-in hybrid version of the premium hatchback. Priced from €41,440 (£37,830), the new addition offers a power and performance hike over the existing 40 TFSIe for a premium that will translate to around £3500 when the model arrives in the UK early next year. The plug-in hybrid powertrain, as in the lower-powered A3, marries a turbocharged 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine to a 107bhp electric motor in the gearbox for combined system outputs of 242bhp and 295lb ft. This is the same as in the A3 45 TFSIe's Cupra Leon e-Hybrid sibling. Boosts of 41bhp and 37lb ft enable the top-rung A3 hybrid to accelerate from 0-62mph in 6.8sec - a 0.8sec improvement over the 40 TFSIe - and achieve a top speed of 144mph. Electric-only range is a WLTP-certified 39.1 miles, but full consumption and emissions figures are yet to be released. Aside from the performance-enhancing software tweaks, the more powerful A3 hybrid is mechanically identical to its sibling. Power is still sent to the front wheels through a six-speed automatic gearbox and the 13.0kWh battery under the rear seats still accepts a maximum charging speed of 2.9kW. A full charge can be achieved from a 230V outlet in around five hours. Drive is split automatically between the electric and combustion motors in Auto Hybrid mode, while Battery Hold and Battery Charge prioritise the engine to preserve the energy in the battery. Full EV mode can be selected when the battery has adequate charge. Inside, save for the integration of EV-specific displays for the MMI touchscreen, the 45 TFSIe is unchanged from the standard A3. From outside, it's marked out by is black grille and trim elements, 17in brake discs with red callipers and standard-fit privacy glass.

A satellite-controlled machine-gun with "artificial intelligence" was used to kill Iran's top nuclear scientist, a Revolutionary Guards commander says. Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was shot dead in a convoy outside Tehran on 27 November. Brig-Gen Ali Fadavi told local media that the weapon, mounted in a pick-up truck, was able to fire at Fakhrizadeh without hitting his wife beside him. The claim could not be verified. Iran has blamed Israel and an exiled opposition group for the attack. How will Iran respond to nuclear scientist's killing? What were the motives behind the killing? After Trump, what will Biden do about Iran? Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility. How was Fakhrizadeh killed? The Iranian authorities have put out conflicting accounts of how the scientist was gunned down as he travelled in a car through the town of Absard. On the day of the attack, the defence ministry said there was a gunfight between Fakhrizadeh's bodyguards and several gunmen. One Iranian report quoted witnesses as saying that "three to four individuals, who are said to have been terrorists, were killed". A Nissan pick-up was also said to have exploded at the scene. In a speech at Fakhrizadeh's funeral, the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council said it was actually a remote attack, using "special methods" and "electronic equipment". But he provided no further details. Gen Fadavi, the deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guards, told a ceremony in Tehran on Sunday that a machine-gun mounted on the Nissan pick-up was "equipped with an intelligent satellite system which zoomed in on martyr Fakhrizadeh" and "was using artificial intelligence". image captionA remote-controlled machine-gun fired 13 bullets at Mohsen Fakhrizadeh's car, according to Brig-Gen Ali Fadavi The machine-gun "focused only on martyr Fakhrizadeh's face in a way that his wife, despite being only 25cm [10 inches] away, was not shot", he said. The general reiterated that no human assailants had been present at the scene, saying that "in total 13 bullets were fired and all of them were shot from the [weapon] in the Nissan". Four bullets struck Fakhrizadeh's head of security "as he threw himself" on the scientist, he added. Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has vowed to avenge the assassination, demanding the "definitive punishment" of those behind it. media captionMohsen Fakhrizadeh was buried in Tehran following his assassination on Friday On Friday, Israeli public radio reported that Israeli security officials had warned some former nuclear scientists to be cautious. The experts used to work at the reactor in Dimona, a top secret nuclear site deep in the Negev desert. The Israeli government did not comment on the report, which came a day after the Israeli foreign ministry told Israeli citizens travelling in the Middle East and Africa to be vigilant in light of what it called threats from "Iranian elements". The claims made about the attack being carried out using such a sophisticated high-tech weapon are as alarming as they are dystopian. It's worth stressing that they have not been verified by anybody. The use of AI in conflict is a concept that has worried many scientists for some time. In 2015, the late Professor Stephen Hawking was one of 1,000 scientists who signed an open letter calling for a ban on the development of artificial intelligence for military use. However, on this occasion, Iran's claims have been greeted with scepticism. Analyst Tom Withington, who specialises in electronic warfare, said the reports should be treated with "a healthy pinch of salt", and added that Iran's description appeared to be little more than a collection of "cool buzzwords" designed to suggest that only a supremely mighty force could possibly have succeeded in this mission. Professor Noel Sharkey, a member of the Campaign Against Killer Robots, said the consequences of military forces having access to such weapons would have "unimaginable consequences". "If such devices were autonomous, using face-recognition to pinpoint and kill people, we would be on a downhill roll that would entirely disrupt global security," he said. Why was the scientist a target? Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was head of Iran's Organisation of Defensive Innovation and Research, known by its Persian acronym SPND. Israeli and Western security sources say he was instrumental in Iran's nuclear programme. They believe the physics professor led "Project Amad", a covert programme that Iran allegedly established in 1989 to carry out research on a potential nuclear bomb. The project was shut down in 2003, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. media captionIn 2018, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled what he claimed to be Iran's secret atomic archive However, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said in 2018 that documents obtained by his country showed Fakhrizadeh led a programme that was secretly continuing Project Amad's work. Iran insists its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful and that it has never sought a nuclear weapon. Analysts have speculated that assassination of Fakhrizadeh was not meant to cripple the Iranian nuclear programme but rather to put an end to the prospect of the US rejoining the 2015 Iran nuclear deal when President-elect Joe Biden takes office next year.

AMD's Ryzen 7 5800X slots into AMD's Zen 3-powered product stack with eight cores and sixteen threads, serving as the mainstream workhorse of the Ryzen 5000 series processors that have taken our list of Best CPUs by storm. Powered by the Zen 3 architecture that delivers a ~19% increase in instruction per cycle (IPC) throughput, the Ryzen 7 5800X delivers the impressive gains over the previous-gen models that we've come to expect, resetting our performance expectations for an eight-core processor. However, balancing a product stack is all about selecting the right price point for any given chip, and the Ryzen 7 5800X's relatively high price point ($50 more than the previous-gen model) puts it into contention with bruising competition from within AMD's own product stack and also allows Intel's $374 Core i7-10700K to slot in as a value alternative. The $449 Ryzen 7 5800X is the next step up the ladder from the $299 six-core 12-thread Ryzen 5 5600X, the best gaming CPU for the money, but the 5800X provides roughly the same gaming performance for $150 more. AMD also stopped bundling air coolers with its chips with a TDP rating that exceeds 65W, so the 105W Ryzen 7 5800X comes without what used to be one of AMD's most prized value-adds for the Ryzen 7 series – the Wraith Prism RGB cooler. AMD's cooler-less Ryzen 5000 series models require a 280mm AIO cooler (or equivalent air cooler), adding plenty of cost into the equation. That will likely dissuade gaming-focused enthusiasts from dropping the extra cash for the 5800X's two additional cores that don't deliver meaningful gaming performance gains over the Ryzen 5 5600X. Conversely, the $549 Ryzen 9 5900X is an alluring chip for the productivity-minded. The 5900X comes armed with 12 cores and 24 threads for $100 more than the 5600X, and the extra four cores and eight threads equate to ~37% more performance in threaded workloads for 22% more cash. The Ryzen 9 5900X is also the fastest gaming chip in the Zen-3 powered stack, so there aren't any tradeoffs from moving up to the competitively-priced 12-core model. AMD Ryzen 5000 Series Processor Competition Zen 3 Ryzen 5000 Series Processors RCP (MSRP) Cores/Threads Base/Boost Freq. TDP L3 Cache Ryzen 9 5950X $799 16 / 32 3.4 / 4.9 105W 64MB (2x32) Core i9-10980XE $815 (retail) 18 / 36 3.0 / 4.8 165W 24.75MB Ryzen 9 3950X $749 16 / 32 3.5 / 4.7 105W 64MB (4x16) Ryzen 9 5900X $549 12 / 24 3.7 / 4.8 105W 64MB (2x32) Core i9-10900K / F $488 - $472 10 / 20 3.7 / 5.3 125W 20MB Ryzen 9 3900XT $499 12 / 24 3.9 / 4.7 105W 64MB (4x16) Ryzen 7 5800X $449 8 / 16 3.8 / 4.7 105W 32MB (2x16) Core i9-10850K $453 10 / 20 3.6 / 5.2 95W 20MB Core i7-10700K / F $374 - $349 8 / 16 3.8 / 5.1 125W 16MB Ryzen 7 3800XT $399 8 / 16 3.9 / 4.7 105W 32MB (2x16) Ryzen 5 5600X $299 6 / 12 3.7 / 4.6 65W 32MB (1x32) Core i5-10600K / F $262 - $237 6 / 12 4.1 / 4.8 125W 12MB Ryzen 5 3600XT $249 6 / 12 3.8 / 4.5 95W 32MB (1x32) Intel's $440 Core i9-10850K comes into the picture with ten cores and 20 threads. This chip serves as the gaming equivalent to the $490 Core i9-10900K and is $10 cheaper than the Ryzen 7 5800X. The aging Skylake microarchitecture doesn't have enough gas left in the tank to match the Ryzen 7 5800X's stellar performance in gaming or lightly-threaded work, but it does offer roughly 3% more performance in threaded performance. Given its other deficiencies, we don't see Core i9's extra threaded horsepower wooing away many Ryzen 7 5800X shoppers. AMD's Zen 3 suffers from a noticeable gap in its product stack: Based upon product naming alone, it appears there is a missing Ryzen 7 5700X to plug the $150 hole in the stack, but we aren't sure if AMD will actually bring a 5700X to market. For now, that gap allows the $374 Core i7-10700K to weigh in as a cheaper alternative to the 5800X, but you'll make plenty of tradeoffs for the lower price point. Given the 10700K's low price point, it makes a solid value alternative - just be aware that you'll sacrifice performance for the lower price point. AMD's premium pricing could be a disadvantage if Intel becomes more aggressive on pricing, but AMD's suggested selling prices rarely manifest at retail, and continuing shortages have found Ryzen 5000 chips selling far over recommended pricing. History indicates that, given sufficient supply, AMD's processors typically retail for far less than the official price points. That makes it hard to predict how pricing will shake out over the next months as supply normalizes. Meanwhile, Intel's response won't come until the first quarter of 2021 when its Rocket Lake chips blast off. These new chips bring a back-ported Cypress Cove architecture that grants a “double-digit” IPC increase paired with Intel's never-ending line of 14nm chips. Early indicators point to these chips flaunting their own impressive gains in per-core performance. Intel's Rocket Lake tops out at eight cores, so while those chips won't be able to challenge AMD's core-heavy Ryzen 9 processors, they could be worthy rivals for AMD's Ryzen 7 and 5 models. For now, Zen 3 has caught Intel flat-footed with its Comet Lake chips, so you should only consider them as alternatives if they're retailing below the official MSRPs. Ryzen 7 5800X Specifications and Pricing The Ryzen 5000 series processors come as four models that span from six cores and twelve threads up to 16 cores and 32 threads. With the exception of the Ryzen 7 5800X, AMD increased its Precision Boost clock rates across the board. However, the Ryzen 7 5800X has the same 4.7 GHz boost clock as its predecessor, the Ryzen 7 3800XT. As before, AMD only guarantees its boost frequencies on a single core, and all-core boosts will vary based on the cooling solution, power delivery, and motherboard firmware. Given sufficient accommodations, the chips could exceed their specified boost clocks - our Ryzen 7 5800X sample frequently boosted to 4.85 GHz on a single core, which is well above the rated 4.7 GHz boost. It's clear that AMD has spec'd the Ryzen 5000 processors conservatively. AMD also reduced Zen 3's base frequencies compared to the previous-gen processors. For instance, the Ryzen 7 5800X comes with a 3.8 GHz base frequency compared to the previous-gen 3800XT's 3.9 GHz, but that isn't a meaningful distinction in practice. AMD says that if you top the chip with an adequate cooler, it will rarely (if ever) drop to the base frequency. We recorded many cases of a 4.5 GHz all-core boost with the Ryzen 7 5800X, which certainly wasn't possible with the previous-gen chips. We'll cover that more in-depth below. AMD Ryzen 5000 Series CPUs Zen 3 Ryzen 5000 Series Processors RCP (MSRP) Cores/Threads Base/Boost Freq. TDP L3 Cache Ryzen 9 5950X $799 16 / 32 3.4 / 4.9 GHz 105W 64MB (2x32) Ryzen 9 5900X $549 12 / 24 3.7 / 4.8 GHz 105W 64MB (2x32) Ryzen 7 5800X $449 8 / 16 3.8 / 4.7 GHz 105W 32MB (1x32) Ryzen 5 5600X $299 6 / 12 3.7 / 4.6 GHz 65W 32MB (1x32) The Ryzen chips continue to expose 20 lanes of PCIe 4.0 to the user and stick with DDR4-3200 memory as the base spec. However, if the silicon lottery shines upon you, we found that the chips offer much better memory overclocking due to improved fabric overclocking capabilities. We achieved DDR4-3800 with a 1:1 memory/fabric clock ratio, which wasn't possible with the previous-gen Ryzen 7 3800XT, but still short of the DDR4-4000 we achieved with the Ryzen 9 5900X. Overall the 500-series motherboard firmwares are mature, but there is continuing development on the memory and fabric overclocking front. That means we could see further improvements here with newer BIOS updates. The Ryzen 5000 chips drop into existing AM4 motherboards with 500-series chipsets, like X570, B550, and A520 models. AMD is adding support for 400-series motherboards starting in Q1, 2021, but that comes with a few restrictions. Regardless, some motherboard vendors have jumped ahead and already offer support on 400-series motherboards, so that initiative is well underway. Just remember that you'll lose support for the PCIe 4.0 interface on those older motherboards. We've covered AMD's Zen 3 microarchitecture more in-depth in our Ryzen 9 5950X and 5900X review. The highlight reel is that AMD has unified its L3 cache into one 32MB contiguous cluster, which vastly reduces memory latency, thus boosting performance in latency-sensitive workloads, like gaming. AMD also made a number of fine-grained optimizations to the microarchitecture. Advertisement AMD leverages its existing Ryzen SoC for the 5000 series chips. Zen 3 uses the same 12nm I/O Die (IOD) paired with either one or two 8-core chiplets (CCD) in an MCM (Multi-Chip Module) configuration. For the Ryzen 7 5800X, the chip comes with one CCD with all eight cores enabled, while CPUs with 12 or 16 cores come with two chiplets. The IOD still contains the same memory controllers, PCIe, and other interfaces that connect the SoC to the outside world. Just like with the Matisse chips, the IOD measures ~125mm^2 and has 2.09 billion transistors. The chiplets have been redesigned, however, and now measure ~80.7mm^2 and have 4.15 billion transistors. That's slightly larger than Zen 2's CCDs with ~74mm^2 of silicon and 3.9 billion transistors. For more details of the magic behind the 19% increase in IPC, head here. Test Setup and Ryzen 7 5800X Overclocking We've included our test system breakdown at the end of the article, and we also have the frequency, boost, and thermal testing following the gaming and application testing below. Much like their previous-gen counterparts, the Ryzen 5000 series processors rarely achieve all-core overclocks that exceed the single-core boost frequency, so manual all-core overclocking results in less performance in lightly-threaded tasks. As such, we stuck with AMD's Precision Boost Overdrive (PBO), which boosts performance in multi-core workloads while maintaining the high single-core boost clocks. AMD has also announced its new Precision Boost Overdrive 2, which confers a slight performance boost in single-threaded work while also improving multi-threaded performance. Final BIOS revisions with the new feature roll out later this month, so be aware that our testing below leverages the standard Precision Boost Overdrive feature. We've had great results with memory overclocking with the Ryzen 5000 series. However, while motherboard firmware is solid for stock and general overclocking use, it is still very much a work in progress for fabric overclocking. That impacts the peak memory frequencies you can attain while still using the 1:1:1 fclk/uclk/mclk ratio that provides the best results. We've reached DDR4-4000 with a 2000 MHz fabric with other Ryzen 5000 processors, but we're limited to a 1900 MHz fabric speed for the Ryzen 7 5800X. As such, we dialed in DDR4-3800 at 16-16-16-36 timings for our 5800X PBO configuration. We had to dial the CCD and IOD voltage to 1.15V to stabilize the fabric frequency. We conducted our testing with Windows 10 Pro (2004 build 19041.450) with the newest versions of each benchmark - with the exception of Cinebench R23 and v-ray 5, both of which recently launched. We'll add those tests in future reviews.

Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age was the first mainline game in the Dragon Quest series to arrive on Steam—part of a move intended to broaden its appeal in the west. It's a traditional JRPG with, as our reviewer noted at the time, a "slightly tinny MIDI soundtrack", though a mod that replaced it with orchestral versions of the same tracks soon appeared. That version, the "Digital Edition of Light", is no longer available for sale. Owners can still download it, and its Steam page still exists, though it notes, "At the request of the publisher, DRAGON QUEST® XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age™ - Digital Edition of Light is unlisted on the Steam store and will not appear in search." Instead, customers are directed toward the page for the newly released Dragon Quest 11 S: Definitive Edition. It adds more companion-related quests, a photo mode, and a host of other changes including the option to choose Japanese voice acting, play in 16-bit 2D rather than 3D, speed up battles, and hear a full orchestral version of the soundtrack. It's also a port of the Switch version, which means it's a bit of a graphical downgrade. It'll run at a higher resolution than the Switch version, and at a higher framerate, so it comes down to how much it bothers you that things like water don't look as nice. The real kicker is that there's no way for owners of the original version to upgrade to the new one, with no discount for them on its $US40 price. As a result, Steam user reviews for the original PC version have dropped from Very Positive to Mixed, with comments like, "Fantastic game, but offering no upgrade path for people who bought this version is absolutely ridiculous" and "I think that the developer should be ashamed of this tactic". Dragon Quest 11 S is also available on Humble, Epic, and Game Pass for PC.

The UK and EU have restarted talks on post-Brexit trade, with a minister telling the BBC there is "still a deal to be done" despite time running short. But Environment Secretary George Eustice said "sticking points" on fishing and business rules remained. UK chief negotiator Lord Frost is taking part in discussions with EU counterpart Michel Barnier in Brussels. Ireland's foreign minister has said it is "in everybody's interest" to reach an agreement soon. Border checks and taxes will be introduced for goods travelling between the UK and the EU if a trade deal is not reached and ratified by the end of the year. But the two sides still disagree over access to UK waters by the EU's fishing fleets - an issue which erupted last week, with the UK accusing the EU of making extra "last-minute" demands. They are also in dispute over what measures there should be to ensure a "level playing field" for businesses on both sides. What are the sticking points in Brexit trade talks? Brexit: What is a level playing field? Vaccine rollout 'ready' for any Brexit outcome Mr Eustice told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: "There's still a deal to be done, but there's no denying that the end of last week was quite a setback." He added: "The sticking points remain - quite fundamental ones. We've been clear all along that we can only do an agreement if it respects our sovereignty." Mr Eustice also said: "I think we probably are now in the final few days in terms of deciding whether there can be an agreement." The EU wants this deal. A no-deal scenario would be costly for EU businesses - a nightmare for European fishing communities, largely dependent on access to UK waters. So the German car industry and others must be lobbying EU governments hard to use these two extra days of talks to finally seal the deal, right? Wrong. The UK government isn't the only one briefing that no deal "is better than a bad deal". EU countries that do most trade with the UK, like France, the Netherlands and Belgium, say that too. This week they piled the pressure on those representing them in negotiations not to give "too much" away. France threatens to use its veto, while Germany speaks softly of red lines and compromise. The tone is different; the message the same. The EU priority is to protect its single market in a deal with the UK. It insists the government must sign up to "fair competition rules" and an agreed method to enforce them, before it gets better access to the single market than any other non-EU country not closely aligned to the bloc. During this last-minute negotiating push, EU governments say they're mindful not to sign up to a deal in a panicked rush. If push comes to shove, they say, they prefer the short-term pain of no deal, in order to protect their longer-term interests: not exposing their businesses to what they view as unfair competition in their own single market. But EU fingers are tightly crossed a compromise can still be found. Arriving in Brussels, Lord Frost said: "We're working very hard to try and get a deal. We're going to see what happens in negotiations today." Sunday's meeting follows talks between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday. In a joint statement afterwards they said fishing rights, competition rules and how any deal would be enforced were still causing problems, and that "no agreement is feasible if these issues are not resolved". They have agreed to talk again on Monday evening. Brexit - The basics Brexit happened but rules didn't change at once: The UK left the European Union on 31 January but leaders needed time to negotiate a deal for life afterwards - they got 11 months Talks are on again: The UK and the EU have until 31 December to agree a trade deal as well as other things, such as fishing rights If there is no deal: Border checks and taxes will be introduced for goods travelling between the UK and the EU. But deal or no deal, we will still see changes What happens next with Brexit? Speaking to Ireland's Sunday Independent newspaper, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said: "We are more likely to get a deal than not because I think it's in everybody's interest." He added that reports the EU had hardened its negotiating stance at France's behest were inaccurate. But Mr Eustice said revised demands from the bloc on fishing rights last week meant talks had "gone backwards". He added the UK was "asking for a normal type of trade agreement such as the one [the EU] put together with Canada" and that this was "really not too much to ask". It's not over, not yet. The two sides in this complicated and drawn out process have agreed that it is worth trying one last time to find a way through their profound differences. But the statements from the prime minister and the EU chief, Ursula von der Leyen, signal clearly that a trade deal is out of reach right now - spelling out that if no-one budges in the next few days, it's simply not going to happen. A feature of Brexit negotiations has often been the last-minute stand-off, the political emergency, before suddenly, lo and behold, a deal emerges from the wreckage. By Monday night, that tradition may have been proven again. Yet it seems there is a lot more to be done than ironing out a few last minute glitches. Read more from Laura here. Mr Barnier tweeted after Saturday's statement was published, saying: "We will see if there is a way forward." But, even if the two sides agree a deal, there are still obstacles to overcome. Any agreement will need to be turned into legal text and translated into all EU languages, then ratified by the European Parliament. The UK government is likely to introduce legislation implementing parts of any deal reached, which MPs will be able to vote on. For Labour, shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves told the Andrew Marr Show the government "has to deliver" a deal but her party would "have to see the content" before backing or rejecting it. The 27 EU national parliaments could also need to ratify an agreement - depending on the actual contents of the deal. The week to come And on Monday, the UK Internal Market Bill will return to the House of Commons. Certain clauses could allow the government to break international law, by overriding elements of the original treaty with the EU for Brexit - the withdrawal agreement. The EU is unhappy with it, as is the House of Lords, which voted to scrap those clauses of the bill. But the government is still backing its measures, which could cause tensions in the trade talks, and it is expected to push them through the Commons on Monday night. The Taxation (Post-Transition Period) Bill - which contains more powers to break the legal requirements of the withdrawal agreement - will also return to the Commons this week.

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We look ahead to 2021 manufacturer-by-manufacturer as a raft of all-new models, nip and tucks and range overhaul await us... first up, YAMAHA As 2020 draws to a conclusion, most can perhaps agree that 2021 cannot come soon enough for reasons that inevitably don’t need too much explaining here. However, as with every turn of year, in a motorcycle sense it means there are myriad new models on their way imminently as previewed in a flurry of recent launches in lieu of the cancelled 2020 EICMA showpiece. From sportsbikes, to tourers, to mid-capacity roadsters, to urban runarounds - you’re not short of brand new options for 2021 regardless of what you’re in the market for. Indeed, it was a bumper crop this year with a number of models requiring updates in order to meet new Euro5 emissions regulations, prompting most manufacturers to use it as an opportunity to provide a mid-cycle nip and tuck. Here we’ll group them together by manufacturer, just hit the links for more details of each new model. First up today is YAMAHA Naked Having only just gotten round to rolling out the erstwhile design language its many models in the MT naked range, Yamaha has nonetheless dived straight into a new one to mark the arrival of the MT-09, one of its most important models in terms of sales. More importantly though, the MT-09 gets a new three-cylinder 889cc engine, upgraded tech and a tweaked chassis in an effort to maintain its strong following around the world, while the more honed SP flagship has also been updated. Not to be outdone, the MT-07 gets a lighter update but receives its own new face as it bids to contend with a new rival in the Triumph Trident. While you can expect to see Yamaha roll out the new look across the MT range at some stage, the top of the range MT-10, plus the recently launched MT-03 and MT-125 continue on into 2021 as they are, while Yamaha is still advertising the current MT-07 and MT-09 so expect some sizeable end-of-line discounts to be had. Adventure & Touring Following on from the launch of the new Yamaha Tracer 700 last year, the larger ‘900’ version - now to be known as the Yamaha Tracer 9 - has taken centre stage for 2020. Joining the aforementioned MT-09 in making use of a new three-cylinder 890cc engine, the Tracer 9 with come in standard and GT guise, promising even greater versatility from one of the market's most accomplished all round performers. Meanwhile, the Yamaha Tracer 700 (now the ‘7’) has also added a GT variant for greater practicality. Further up the range, the big and bold FJR tourer ranges remain intact heading into 2021, while the opinion dividing Niken remains Yamaha’s oddity option if you are so inclined. Meanwhile, the Adventure line-up continues on as it was into 2021, led by the po[CENSORED]r Tenere 700, which now comes with a smart Dakar Rally retro-inspired livery.

Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen are to speak later as they try to break the post-Brexit trade deal stalemate. The leaders were called in after negotiators for the two sides said "significant divergences" remained following a week of intensive talks. "If there is still a way, we will see," EU negotiator Michel Barnier said. Sticking points include fishing rights, rules on state subsidies for business and arrangements for policing any deal. The UK left the EU on 31 January but remains under EU trading rules until a transition period ends on 31 December. One source close to the negotiations on the UK side suggested there had been a more optimistic outlook earlier in the week but pointed to demands for EU fishing boats to have 10-year access to UK waters as one issue that derailed progress - as had been reported in the Telegraph. BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said the pattern of recent UK negotiations with the EU was for victory to be snatched from the verge of defeat at the very last moment - but that one member of the government was now putting the chances of a deal at around 50-50. She said it would be complacent to think it would all automatically fall into place after a last bit of political scrapping. Speaking to reporters in London as he prepared to return to Brussels, Mr Barnier said: "We keep calm, as always, and if there is still a way, we will see." Brexit - The basics Brexit happened but rules didn't change at once: The UK left the European Union on 31 January but leaders needed time to negotiate a deal for life afterwards - they got 11 months. Talks are happening: The UK and the EU have until 31 December to agree a trade deal as well as other things, such as fishing rights. If there is no deal: Border checks and taxes will be introduced for goods travelling between the UK and the EU. But deal or no deal, we will still see changes. What happens next with Brexit? France's Europe minister suggested his country could veto a deal if it was not satisfied. French President Emmanuel Macron has been keen to ensure the fishing industry will not lose too much access to British waters. But Belgian MEP Philippe Lamberts said the fishing issue had been "overdone" by both the UK and France, adding: "We should cut it down to size. It should not be allowed to derail a good deal." Mr Lamberts said the main issues that remain were competition and governance. He said: "These are much more important and this is a very tough nut to crack, and it will really depend on whether Boris Johnson wants to limit the economic damage caused by Brexit." Meanwhile, the spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel said there was "always room for compromise". And Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said he "fervently hoped" a trade deal can be agreed. Former UK Brexit Secretary David Davis told BBC Breakfast the probability of a deal was "still high" but there would be compromise on both sides and the "big decisions won't be this afternoon between the prime minister and president of the commission but in wires running hot between Berlin and Paris and other capitals". He said: "My suspicion is when it gets to the end of the month there is no time to ratify... so they will have to do some sort of freeze in place of current customs arrangements to take us through the few months until everybody from the European Parliament to the Walloon parliament actually give their opinion." Positive-minded readers might consider that, even if the EU-UK deal were almost agreed, the European Commission president and arguably, especially Boris Johnson, who has aligned himself so personally to "getting Brexit done", would want to put their personal stamp on things. Confirmation that they will call each other on Saturday afternoon could therefore be seen as a "good" sign. Although sources in the EU and UK warn not to expect news of the conclusive Big Breakthrough following their chat. Cynics might nod their heads too when I say that - considering the uncomfortable political compromises both sides have to make to reach a deal - one more "crisis", aka the current stop in talks, is quite useful to demonstrate to the public back home that you're hanging on in there, fighting for their interests. That's certainly the way to interpret France's threat to use its veto if a deal is agreed, and it doesn't like it. Emmanuel Macron has enjoyed the role of Brexit bad cop throughout. It plays well domestically. And "France the frenemy" is an easy headline in the UK too. But reality is more nuanced. Paris trumpets more brashly what is the belief in all EU capitals, and in the UK government: Yes to this deal but not at any cost. Read more from Katya here. Releasing identical statements on Friday evening, Mr Barnier and his UK counterpart, Lord Frost, said: "After one week of intense negotiation in London, the two chief negotiators agreed today that the conditions for an agreement are not met, due to significant divergences on level playing field, governance and fisheries. How Brexit will change your holidays in 2021 Brexit: What is a level playing field? Brexit: Will the borders be ready? "On this basis, they agreed to pause the talks in order to brief their principals on the state of play of the negotiations." If an agreement is reached it will need to be turned into legal text and translated into all EU languages and ratified by the European Parliament. The UK government is likely to introduce legislation implementing parts of any deal reached which MPs will be able to vote on. And the 27 EU national parliaments could also need to ratify an agreement - depending on the actual contents of the deal.