Blackfire

Name of the game: Oxygen Not included Price: 8.49$ Link Store:https://store.steampowered.com/app/457140/Oxygen_Not_Included/ Offer ends up after X hours: Offer ends 6 April Requirements: MINIMUM: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: Windows 7 (64 bit) Processor: Dual Core 2 GHz Memory: 4 GB RAM Graphics: Intel HD 4600 (AMD or NVIDIA equivalent) DirectX: Version 11 Storage: 2 GB available space

The oldest killer whale in captivity may soon be returned to her home waters in the Pacific Northwest, more than 50 years after her capture. Lolita, a 56-year-old orca, was the star attraction at the Miami Seaquarium in Florida for decades. Animal welfare activists have spent years lobbying for her release. On Thursday, the aquarium announced it will begin the process of returning the orca to her natural habitat in the next two years. The Miami Seaquarium is partnering with the non-profit Friends of Lolita to send the whale back across the country. Footing the bill for Lolita's relocation will be Jim Irsay, owner of NFL football team the Indianapolis Colts. "I'm excited about being part of Lolita's journey," Mr Irsay said. "She is one tough creature. It's amazing. Ever since I was a little kid, I loved whales." Lolita, also known by her original name Tokitae or Toki, is a female Southern Resident killer whale. These orcas live exclusively in the North Pacific Ocean and spend several months of the year in Washington State's Puget Sound, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This special po[CENSORED]tion of orcas were deemed an endangered species in 2005, due in part to captivity programmes that hunted the animals throughout the 1970s, when Lolita was captured. In his book documenting the history of the global fascination with killer whales, Jason Colby, an environmental historian and professor at the University of Victoria, describes how Lolita was captured in August 1970. At the time, captors would partner with local fisherman to heard young orca calves into nets, separate them from their pods, and ultimately sell them to amusement parks like Seaworld and Miami Seaquarium. "When Lolita is captured, the captors accidentally end up rounding up nearly the entire po[CENSORED]tion of Southern Resident (killer whales)," he told the BBC. "There was about 90 orcas behind their nets at one point." Mr Colby says that animal rights activists tried to free the whales by cutting the fishermen's nets, but some whales became entangled and four calves drowned. Eight orcas, including Lolita, were captured. "This was in August 1970 - the Vietnam War was going on. It was the first term of Richard Nixon's presidency - that's how long she's been in captivity," he said. Lolita was sold to the Miami Seaquarium where she would perform alongside another Southern Resident whale named Hugo, according to the park's website. He died in 1980, so she has not had another orca whale to socialise with for over 40 years. Once released, she will be the oldest orca to be flown to a new habitat, Mr Colby said. In the more than 50 years since then, she has been living in an 80ft by 35ft (26m by 11m) tank at the Seaquarium, a space critics say is dangerously small for an animal that is roughly 20ft (6m) long. One critic of the tank's size was the daughter of Eduardo Albor, CEO of The Dolphin Company, the largest amusement park owner in Latin America. Mr Albor visited the theme park with her shortly before acquiring the Miami Seaquarium in 2021. "She told me, if we ever take management of this place, you promise me you will see how to improve this," he said. [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65144062]

Saudi Arabia is preparing to undertake a massive project to create the world’s largest source of drinkable water. Their plan involves digging a river that would span 12,000 kilometres in length, 11 metres in width, and four metres in depth – all with the aim of surpassing the length of the Nile River. This ambitious feat will require the use of anti-corrosion pipes, each with a diameter of 2.25 metres, as reported by po[CENSORED]r Saudi journalist, Ahmad Al Shugairi in his TV series, Seen. “The amount of effort spent to create underground rivers provides us with water in our homes, even though we are in an area that is mostly desert. It is a blessing I was born with, and from getting used to it I forgot it and took it for granted. Thank you to everyone who had a hand that we wake up and find water at home,” Al Shugairi stated. He added: “After a few years, the length of the water pipes will transport this fresh water from one place to another,” indicating that this project be twice the size of the Nile, which is over 6,000 kilometres long. Al Shugairi stated that this upcoming desalinated water transport network will be among the biggest in the world. The pipes running beneath Saudi cities will extend for 126,000 kilometres, which is long enough to wrap around the world three times. The network will produce a massive quantity of water, with 9.4 million cubic meters being generated each day. “We are talking about the longest, twice the longest river in the world. They are all underground pipes that bring us fresh, good water,” added Al Shugairi. This amount, according to Al Shugairi, if distributed to the world’s po[CENSORED]tion, every person would get two gallons (two bottles) of water from the production of water sweetened in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia holds the position of the top global producer of desalinated water, generating over 1.006 billion cubic meters annually, which accounts for 18% of worldwide production. This is primarily facilitated by the Saline Water Conversion Corporation, a government-controlled entity responsible for producing the largest volume of desalinated water globally. The corporation’s desalination plants located on the eastern coast generate (495.3) million cubic meters of water, while the coastal stations generate (511.3) million cubic meters. [https://www.constructionweekonline.com/projects-tenders/saudi-launch-12000km-water-project-longer-than-the-nile]

The matter of fake GeForce graphics cards floating around Chinese e-commerce platforms has been a widespread issue for some time now. However, a new report from MyDrivers(opens in new tab) suggests that Nvidia is finally doing something about it. The news publication claims that the chipmaker is working with the top Chinese e-commerce companies to eradicate counterfeit GeForce gaming graphics cards, which are common tenants on our list of best graphics cards. Obscure graphics card brands, including 51RISC, Corn, or MLLSE, were previously trapped in China's domestic market. However, these brands have silently crept into the U.S. market over the years through platforms like eBay or, more recently, via third-party marketplaces at Amazon or Newegg. Most of the time, consumers will find GeForce graphics cards from these Chinese brands at lower prices or sometimes with ridiculous price tags. Common sense would tell you to avoid them and stick to Nvidia's official partners. However, every once in a while, a less-experienced consumer would fall for the lower prices. The end of the Ethereum mining boom left remnants of overused mining graphics cards on the market. Some sellers are repainting the memory chips on old graphics cards to sell them on the second-hand market. Others are repurposing mobile graphics cards into desktop form and creating phony names like the GeForce RTX 3070 TiM. According to MyDrivers, Nvidia has reportedly denied its relationship with these bogus brands, highlighting that they're not official partners. Furthermore, the report claims that the chipmaker allegedly doesn't know how the counterfeit brands produce the knockoffs. As a result, Nvidia is seemingly working hand-in-hand with e-commerce platforms to remove the fake GeForce graphics cards. It seems that Nvidia's efforts have immediately yielded positive results. Big-name Chinese platforms, including JD.com and Douyin, have cleaned house and restricted the sales of second-hand, refurbished, and falsely advertised GeForce RTX 20-series (Turing), GTX 16-series (Turing) and GTX 10-series (Pascal) graphics cards. Pinduoduo and Tmall have followed suit, implementing new second-hand and refurbished sales policies. Nvidia shared three valuable tips to help consumers prevent buying counterfeit graphics cards. First, the chipmaker purportedly recommends users buy a GeForce RTX 40-series (Ada Lovelace) graphics card. The logic is that since Ada launched after the mining boom, there shouldn't be any recycled GeForce RTX 4090 or GeForce RTX 4080 mining graphics cards around. Secondly, consumers should buy from Nvidia's official partners, such as Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, and Zotac - to name a few. Finally, for consumers who understandably don't want to spend lots of money on a GeForce RTX 40-series product, the GeForce RTX 30-series (Ampere) is still pretty good. However, to avoid fakes, Nvidia ostensibly suggests consumers pick up a post-mining boom SKU that has enjoyed a facelift along the lines of the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti GDDR6X or the GeForce RTX 3060 8GB. It's excellent that Nvidia has acted on fraudulent GeForce graphics cards. However, we hope to see the chipmaker's crackdown extend to the U.S. market because there are still some residues of graphics cards from 51RISC or MLLSE around.

Google’s Bard AI has found itself at the center of controversy again, this time over allegations that the Bing rival was trained using data pulled from OpenAI’s ChatGPT As you may be aware, ChatGPT is the power behind the throne of Bing AI, and the accusation of nefarious activities behind the scenes comes from a report by The Information(opens in new tab). We’re told that Jacob Devlin, a software engineer at Google – an ex-engineer, we might add, having departed the firm over this affair – claims that Google used ChatGPT data (scraped from the ShareGPT website, apparently) to develop Bard Devlin notes that he warned Google against doing so, as this clearly went against OpenAI’s terms of service According to the report, Google ceased using the mentioned data after the warnings from Devlin (who left Google to join OpenAI, we’re informed). Google denies any of this, though. A company spokesperson, Chris Pappas, told The Verge(opens in new tab): “Bard is not trained on any data from ShareGPT or ChatGPT.” There we have it, then – a clear denial from Google in no uncertain terms that nothing underhand was going on data-wise with Bard. And to be fair, there’s certainly no evidence that Bard’s answers are remotely like the ones given by ChatGPT. (Devlin had further warned that the alleged data hoovering could mean just that, and it’d be obvious enough what had gone on as a result). We suppose the trouble with this episode is that it very much feels like Google has rushed Bard to release – dropping clangers while doing so – as it was forced to play catchup with Microsoft’s Bing AI. Given that the latter is now successfully pushing search engine adoption to Bing, already at this early stage, all this could make it easy enough for some to believe that Google might be getting a bit desperate with tactics behind the scenes. Whether or not the tale about poached data is true – we’ll take Google’s word that it isn’t – the report still makes an interesting revelation that Google’s Brain AI group is now working with AI firm DeepMind (both of these existing under the Alphabet umbrella, the parent company). DeepMind has seemingly been recruited into the mix to swiftly hone and power up Bard, and it’s notable because the two AI outfits are big rivals and are very much being forced to collaborate on this. This again sketches a picture of a rather desperate scramble to get Bard steadier on its feet, while Microsoft’s Bing AI keeps getting updated with new features at a fair old rate of knots. (Although fresh rumblings about one of the potential next ‘features’ for the Bing chatbot have us very concerned, it has to be said). You may also recall alarm bells being rung on the privacy front when Bard itself made an apparent revelation that it used internal Gmail data for training, again prompting Google to tell us that this is not the case and that the bot got things wrong. Bard getting things wrong, of course, is very much part of a bigger issue.

When the Supreme Court declared a constitutional right to same-sex marriage in 2015, Chief Justice John Roberts revealed extraordinary anger as he read aloud what for him was an unprecedented dissent from the bench. “Just who do we think we are?” he asked. Roberts emphasized the ancient understanding of marriage as between a man and woman and argued that any approval of same-sex unions should be left to state legislatures. It remains the only time in his 18 years as chief justice that he has taken the dramatic step of going beyond the words of his written opinion and orally dissenting Just two years later, however, Roberts was motivated to work privately with Justice Anthony Kennedy, the author of the Obergefell v. Hodges landmark ruling, to steer the court’s outcome in a pair of key gay rights disputes. The negotiations in those cases, not previously reported, offer a glimpse into trade-offs among justices, demonstrate the chief’s soft power of persuasion and show that the court’s sentiment on gay rights issues can be both fraught and evolving. The justices abhor any suggestion of dealmaking, whether overt or implicit, but closed-door pacts occur, and Roberts has been at the center of them for years. In many instances, law clerks know about a deal struck between justices. But in others, only the two justices involved truly know. Sometimes various chambers have dueling accounts of what happened, or individual justices remain baffled about why a colleague voted the way he or she did in the end. Here, Roberts would join Kennedy in favor of LGBTQ interests in ruling that Arkansas could not prevent two lesbians from both being named on their baby’s birth certificate. Meanwhile, Kennedy would vote for the court to hear the appeal of the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Colorado, who’d been sanctioned for refusing to bake a wedding cake for two gay men. The pact had an additional result of keeping a testy draft from Justice Samuel Alito regarding the Masterpiece Cakeshop petition from becoming public. The justices’ public action in both cases was deliberately announced on the same day, June 26, 2017. That also reflected a pattern of Roberts’. The acceptance of an appeal from a baker who had refused to create a cake for a gay couple based on religious objections could easily have led to a public perception of new Supreme Court hostility toward gay rights. But announcing the Arkansas birth-certificate ruling countered that perception, at least in the moment. The backstory of two gay rights cases handled in tandem in 2017 has new salience today. The justices are currently considering another dispute testing the free-speech rights of business operators who say their Christian beliefs prevent them from serving same-sex couples. That decision, expected by June, could clarify the reach of Obergefell’s protections – and limits – for same-sex couples. The justices may eventually revisit Obergefell v. Hodges more fully, too. When the court reversed abortion rights last June, Justice Clarence Thomas urged his colleagues to reconsider other decisions based on constitutional due process of law, including the right to same-sex marriage. It is notable, too, that only two of the five members of the Obergefell majority still serve, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. Kennedy was succeeded by Brett Kavanaugh, whose record is more conservative; liberal Ruth Bader Ginsburg was succeeded by conservative Amy Coney Barrett; and liberal Stephen Breyer replaced by fellow liberal Ketanji Brown Jackson. Swaying Kennedy to hear the baker’s claim Pavan v. Smith involved an Arkansas Department of Health policy dictating that a birth certificate be issued with only the birth mother’s name if there was no male partner. That meant that in situations involving lesbian couples, the second woman would not be listed. The lead couple in the case, Terrah and Marisa Pavan, had married in New Hampshire in 2011 and four years later had a child in Arkansas through a sperm donation. Kennedy had been the voice of the court’s progressive gay rights rulings dating to 1996. He repeatedly spoke of the dignity owed same-sex couples and in his 2015 decision said, “The nature of injustice is that we do not always see it in our own times.” He wanted to reverse the Arkansas state court, based on Obergefell’s protections for same-sex couples, and was joined by the four liberals who had helped compose the majority in Obergefell. They believed the Pavan v. Smith matter was straightforward enough to be done through a summary reversal opinion, without holding oral arguments or a full round of written briefs. Under a private court rule, however, such action required six votes, not the usual majority of five. Thomas and Alito, who had dissented in Obergefell, would not agree to that summary action. Justice Neil Gorsuch, who had just joined the bench, felt the same way. He believed that nothing in the Obergefell decision spoke clearly to the birth certificate dispute. Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission was brought by a baker, Jack Phillips, who had been sanctioned under Colorado law for refusing to create a cake for two gay men celebrating their marriage. Phillips argued that being forced to provide a wedding cake to a gay couple violated his constitutional rights to the free exercise of religion and free speech. Coming in the wake of the Obergefell decision, the case aroused widespread attention, especially from conservatives seeking assurance that religious-based opposition to same-sex marriage would be protected. Kennedy was reluctant to take up the baker’s case, so soon after the Obergefell decision and without significant lower-court consideration of such emerging issues. He’d previously told colleagues that he was skeptical of religious exemptions for retailers who would deny services to gay people. So Phillips’ petition languished. Alito, focused on potential hostility toward the baker’s religious beliefs, began working on a dissenting opinion from the expected denial of the Masterpiece Cakeshop appeal. But that Alito dissent, circulated to his colleagues and described by court sources, never reached the public because the justices eventually agreed that the baker’s claim of religious discrimination should be heard [https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/30/politics/supreme-court-roberts-kennedy-gay-rights-masterpiece-cakeshop]

A US journalist working for The Wall Street Journal has been detained in Russia on suspicion of espionage, the FSB security service says. Evan Gershkovich, an experienced Russia reporter, was working in Yekaterinburg at the time of his detention. The Wall Street Journal said it "is deeply concerned" for his safety. The FSB said it had "halted illegal activities" and that the reporter had been "acting on US instructions" and "collecting state secrets". The Kremlin claimed the reporter had been "caught red-handed". Mr Gershkovich's last piece this week reported on Russia's declining economy and how the Kremlin was having to deal with "ballooning military expenditures" while maintaining social spending. The FSB confirmed in its statement that he had foreign ministry accreditation while working in Yekaterinburg 1,800km (1,100 miles) east of Moscow. But it added he had been detained "acting on US instructions" and that he had "collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of a Russian defence enterprise". A criminal espionage case had been launched by the FSB's investigation department, it added. n a statement, the Wall Street Journal said it stood in solidarity with the reporter and his family: "The Wall Street Journal vehemently denies the allegations from the FSB and seeks the immediate release of our trusted and dedicated reporter, Evan Gershkovich." The Kremlin also commented on the detention of the American journalist. "This is the responsibility of the FSB, they have already issued a statement," a spokesman said. "The only thing I can add is, as far as we know, he was caught red-handed." Even before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, reporting from Russia had become increasingly difficult. Independent journalists were labelled "foreign agents" and BBC Russia correspondent Sarah Rainsford was expelled from the country. When the war began, Russia introduced a criminal offence for reporting "fake news" or "discrediting the army", under which dozens of Russians have been convicted for criticising the invasion on social media. Almost all independent media were silenced, shut down or blocked, including major outlets TV Rain, Echo of Moscow radio and newspaper Novaya Gazeta. Many Western media chose to leave Russia. Russian political expert Tatyana Stanovaya said Mr Gershkovich's detention had come as a shock. In the FSB's view of espionage, "collecting information" could simply mean gathering comments from experts, she said, while acting on US instructions could simply refer to his editors at the Wall Street Journal. However, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said what a Wall Street Journal employee was doing in Yekaterinburg had "nothing to do with journalism". It was not the first time the status of "foreign correspondent" had been used to "cover up activities that are not journalism", she said [ https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65121885]

Voted.

I get it; there are so many microphones out there, and quite frankly, many of them are pretty good. So honing in on the right one for you could be challenging. The Sennheiser Profile Streaming Set gives you everything you need to start your podcasting or streaming journey with a great-sounding microphone and sturdy boom arm combo for less than $200. The Profile comes in two packages; the standalone microphone for $129 or the Streaming Set (which we're testing out here) for $199. The latter includes a microphone and a desk-mounted boom arm. The mic is the same in the package, so does it really come down to whether you need a boom arm or not? I'm on team boom because it clears desk space and prevents any incidental bumps and thumps from being picked up on the mic during recording. The Profile has a sturdy metal casing and a more flashy design than I would expect from Sennheiser. Don't get me wrong, Sennheiser makes some of the best audio gear in the world but some of its designs, especially on its headsets, are a little boring. The Profile is sleek and looks good on camera if you're a streamer, especially when mounted on the boom arm. Overall, it's a good design, and I really like that you have an onboard mix, gain, headphone volume controls, and the mute button on the mic. In a time when microphone makers are scaling back features to keep costs down, it's nice to see that Sen As you can hear below, the Profile has a very warm sound, uh, profile that gives my voice a nice, crisp quality. Perfect if the type of content you create involves much talking or you need to sound like a professional on a work call. I added the HyperX Quadcast S and AT2020+ to the playlist since those are the closest competing mics in both sound and price. The Quadcast S handles plosives a touch better than the Profile, though the quality of my voice sounds nicer on the Sennheiser. Because of that, you will want to invest in a pop filter to deal with some of the light plosives, which will push the overall price up a little. It's not as bad as on the Audio-Technica AT2020+ as you'll hear below, but still something you'll want to get a handle on. On the software front, well, there isn't any. The Profile is a plug-and-play microphone with no accompanying software for tweaking sound. So, if you want to apply filters to your voice or anything fun like that, you'll need to use third-party apps. Since all the controls are on the mic, I'm alright with not having to install another app for my accessories. The only real problem with the Profile is that it lacks some versatility by only having one polar pattern. Unlike other microphones, such as the Quadcast, I can't plop this down on a table and do an interview on location because a cardioid mic is really only suitable for one person. Anyway, it's not like you could set this on a table because the Profile Streaming Set doesn't come with a desktop stand. In other words, it's a very specific single person use case, and not for moving around with. I find it strange that the Streaming Set doesn't include some sort of a desk stand. You're relegated to using your boom arm, though you could buy the stand on its own for $29(opens in new tab). The stand-alone Profile, on the other hand does include a stand, so keep that in mind if you're choosing between just the microphone or the boom arm combo. Unsurprisingly, Sennheiser makes a quality boom arm that's easy to set up. A decent boom could cost well over $100, so getting one for an essential $70 with 3-point locking and a cable guide is a helluva deal and worth picking up if you don't plan on taking your mic anywhere. It should accommodate most desks, too. This excellent boom arm will probably last longer than your podcasting career, honestly, and the Sennheiser Profile is does everything a good mic for streamers needs. It's easy to use, and the onboard controls give you much control over your sound. So there we have it, Sennheiser enters the podcast and streaming space, and shows everyone how it's done.

Originally set to launch on March 28, users in Australia and several Asian countries have managed to get their hands on the long-awaited Apple Music Classical ahead of schedule Judging from screenshots posted on Twitter(opens in new tab), the app looks exactly as it was shown in previews – for better or for worse. The purpose of this app is to better curate Apple Music's classical music library. You get over five million tracks with “thousands of recordings [supporting] spatial audio and 192 kHz/24-bit Hi-Res Lossless sound quality.” Its user interface has been specifically designed to help classical music nerds “search by composer, work, conductor, or even catalog number” if they have a specific favorite. Newcomers, on the other hand, will probably appreciate one of the “hundreds of Essentials playlists,” which offer deep dives into the composition. Currently, the app is available in seven languages including English, Spanish, and French. Requirements for Apple Music Classical(opens in new tab) are pretty standard. You’ll need a subscription to some version of Apple Music, be it the Individual, Student, Family, or Apple One. Apple Music Voice does not support the app. And you’ll need an iPhone running iOS 15.4 or later. There are some quirks with the app, however. Apple Music Classical requires a constant internet connection so no offline listening (sadly) nor is there a Radio tab. It won’t be available on other platforms at launch although, hopefully, that'll change in the future. According to previous reports, an Android version is currently in the works. So it’s entirely possible Apple Music Classical may appear on Apple TV and web browsers sometime in the future. It’s worth pointing out that people have encountered a couple of bugs. It doesn't really work on iPadOS as some on Twitter have pointed out, so it’s probably not well-optimized for tablets. Users on Reddit(opens in new tab) have experienced some issues with transmitting over AirPlay. Either the volume won’t show or it’ll outright fail. Apart from that, early adopters seem to enjoy Apple Music Classical. For those interested, you can pre-install Apple Music Classical on your iPhone. You’ll get a notification alerting you when it’s available for listening; however, there’s a chance of early roll-out. Again via Twitter(opens in new tab), there have been reports of the app arriving before midnight March 28 with some as early as 6 PM on the 27th. Be sure to keep an eye out.

Criticism has been thrown at the UK’s top supermarkets, who are selling diesel at an average of 17.5p per litre more than petrol, despite wholesale costs being the same. They're currently buying up both fuel types at around 114.5ppl yet are selling petrol at an agerage of 146.3ppl and diesel at an average of 164.26ppl. According to the RAC’s Fuel Watch, diesel should now be priced at around 152ppl. Since the start of March, the average weekly wholesale price of diesel has fallen by 5ppl. For retailers to be taking a margin of nearly 20p a litre on average throughout March, compared to the long-term average of 7p, is devastating for every driver and business that relies on diesel,” RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said. “As the supermarkets buy so frequently, they've had plenty of time to pass on the lower prices they're benefitting from on the wholesale market to drivers at the pumps, but they remain resolute in their refusal to cut their prices substantially. "We're also seeing many independent retailers charging far less than their supermarket rivals.” When approached for a response, the British Retail Consortium (BRC), which represents the big four major supermarkets – Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco – said retailers are doing “everything they can” to offer the “best value-for-money across petrol forecourts". The BRC gave a near-identical response when asked to respond to a similar claim in August. An anonymous source at a leading trade association told Autocar: "The days of large supermarkets subsidising fuel as a loss-leader are over, because margins are already tight and it's unaffordable in this economic climate." The Competition and Markets Authority, a government-backed UK trade regulator, is currently reviewing the fuel market and retail pricing behaviour. Volatile fuel prices have been caused by an array of issues, including the growing price of crude oil (50% of the UK's supply of which comes from Norway), refinery production, distribution costs and high fuel duty (currently 52.95ppl). The RAC predicts that the wholesale and forecourt cost of diesel will continue to fall, but it still remains higher than prices seen between January 2013 and January 2021, despite largely stagnant wholesale costs. As of 2 January 2013, wholesale diesel cost 111.51p, with a forecourt sale price of 139.93p. AA spokesman Luke Bosget said: “While there are retailers charging excessively more for diesel, there's usually one or more forecourts locally that are pricing much lower. We assume that local businesses are probably switched on to where the diesel is cheaper. “However, many bigger businesses have fuel deals with the oil companies or through fuel cards. The fuel stations have complained in the past that because the return from supplying diesel on these contracts is so low, they have to pump up the margin for the rest. However, many bigger businesses have fuel deals with the oil companies or through fuel cards.” Bosget added that this leads to inflated localised prices, citing Derby as an example, with customers living north of the city paying 3ppl less than those living farther south. [https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/diesel-should-be-150p-litre-wholesale-cost-falls]

Police are appealing for information after a protected bird of prey was shot near a Highland town. A red kite was shot at about 11:15 on Monday on the Lochindorb Estate in Grantown-on-Spey. It was recovered by the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) but had to be euthanized due to its injuries. The species was once very rare across the UK and became extinct in Scotland in the 19th Century. Numbers have since increased due to the success of reintroduction programmes, but it is still illegal to injure or kill the species. Community police inspector Craig Johnstone said: "The red kite is a protected species and under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 it is illegal to kill them. "I am asking anyone in the local community who may be able to help with our inquiries to come forward. If you were walking in the area on Monday then please let us know if you saw anything. "In particular, if you saw quad bikes in the area or off-road vehicles, then get in touch as even the smallest bit of information could assist with our investigation." Ross Ewing, moorland director at Scottish Land & Estates, said: "Everyone should do all they can to assist in tackling raptor crime, and the death of a protected bird of prey in these circumstances is deeply concerning. "We hope the facts are established urgently and anyone with details that can assist police comes forward." [https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-65106936]

The shooter who killed six people at a school in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday bought seven guns legally and hid them at home, police say. Investigators say the suspect's parents felt the 28-year-old should not own weapons, and did not realise the guns had been concealed in their house. Six people, including three children age nine, were killed in the attack at the Covenant School. The suspect was under "doctor's care for an emotional disorder", police say. Tennessee has no laws that allow police to seize guns from violent suspects. Despite the absence of such so-called red-flag laws, police said they would still have sought to have the weapons confiscated if authorities had had any warning that the suspect could have posed a threat. The pupils killed in the attack were Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney. Three adult school employees also died: Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Mike Hill, 61. Police have spoken to the parents of the suspect, Audrey Hale, who was killed by police less than 15 minutes after the attack began. Hale, who identified as transgender and was a former student at the school, was armed with three guns, including a semi-automatic rifle. The attack took place after the killer conducted surveillance of the premises, drew maps and wrote what police described as a "manifesto". Hale's parents thought the suspect had owned only one gun, but that it had been sold. They believed the suspect "should not own weapons", and were unaware the suspect "had been hiding several weapons within the house", said Nashville Police Chief John Drake on Tuesday. The weapons were legally purchased from five shops around the city. The killer "was under care - doctor's care - for an emotional disorder", Chief Drake said, without providing further details. If there had been reports of suicidal or violent tendencies, he added, police would have sought to confiscate the guns. "But as it stands, we had absolutely no idea who this person was or if [the suspect] even existed," he said. Police received the first call about the incident at 10:13 local time (15:13 GMT) on Monday. The suspect drove to the school in a Honda Fit and got into the building by firing through one of the doors, which were all locked. Video later released by Nashville police shows the shooter opening fire to shatter glass panes on the front doors, then wandering the school's deserted corridors - at one point walking past a room labelled "Children's Ministry". In the CCTV footage, the suspect is wearing what appears to be a protective vest and carrying an assault-style rifle in one hand, with a second weapon visible hanging from the left hip. The suspect fired shots on the ground floor before moving to the building's second floor. As police cars arrived, the shooter fired on them from the second floor, striking one vehicle in the windscreen. "We believe there has been some training to have been able to shoot from a higher level," Chief Drake said. He said the suspect had stood away from the glass to avoid being an easy target for police. One officer was injured by broken glass. Police rushed inside and shot the suspect dead at 10:24, said Chief Drake. President Joe Biden on Tuesday called for Congress to pass new gun control legislation. "As a nation, we owe these families more than our prayers," he said. "We owe them action." The attack was America's 131st mass shooting so far this year, according to Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit that tracks gun violence data. There have been 15 mass shootings at schools or universities in the US since the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, according to a database maintained by the Associated Press.. [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65106976]

@jayden™ has been added to our Team. Welcome back Mate. @#Wittels-Has been Added to our Team. Welcome 👍

It looks like iOS 17 is going to be a bigger iPhone update than we first thought, but before that lands we have iOS 16.4 to look forward to – and that update has just started rolling out. Naturally, iOS 16.4's changes are a little more incremental than the bigger ones we saw in iOS 16, which arrived back in September 2022 and delivered an overhauled Home app, new lock screen features, and some fresh fonts and themes. But there are some notable improvements in iOS 16.4, particularly if you're a fan of Apple's Podcasts or Shortcuts apps, new emojis, or keeping up with the latest news. The update also brings the promise of clearer phone calls and some HomeKit tweaks that should make it more reliable when controlling your compatible smart home tech. Combine all of these upgrades with the recent announcement of Apple Music Classical, which lands on March 28, and iPhone fans will see some pretty tasty upgrades over the coming days. Here are the seven biggest upgrades in iOS 16.4 to look out for when it lands this week. We knew iOS 16.4 would be rolling out this week, as a release candidate version was given to beta testers on March 21. And sure enough, the software update has just started rolling out. With Apple Music Classical also now appearing on some iPhones as we head into its March 28 release, Apple fans have some new treats to test out. If you like the sound of the latter and aren't seeing the iOS 16.4 update yet, fear not it only needs iOS 15.4 or later to run. If you like to keep up with the latest news from your favorite web apps – which live in your browser, rather than the home screen – then iOS 16.4 could be a handy update for you. You can already add web app shortcuts to your homescreen (when on the website, just tap the arrow button in the top right, then choose 'Add to Home Screen'). But unlike native apps, these shortcuts haven't been able to send your push notifications – this will change in iOS 16.4. If you choose to allow notifications, they'll appear just like the ones for apps you've installed, including on your lock screen, in notification center and on a paired Apple Watch, if you have one. Interestingly, you'll also be able to add web apps to your home screen from third-party browsers (rather than just Safari). It's a feature that could get overwhelming if you grant too many permissions, but you'll be able to manage them in them in the Notifications settings menu. [https://www.techradar.com/news/ios-164-is-coming-this-week-here-are-7-ways-itll-boost-your-iphone]

Almost every gaming headset I've had the pleasure of wearing has had a pretty poor quality microphone. They're mostly fine for game chats and yelling at your friends, but the second you want your voice to sound good they can get in the bin. Your average gamer probably doesn't mind too much, and would definitely rather their headset delivers great sound and maybe forgoes the mic quality for a cheaper price. But there's a reason most streamers, podcasters, and content creators of many stripes will have a dedicated desk mic for those higher quality recordings. Even our absolute favourite gaming headsets fail to go toe-to-toe with an ok quality desktop microphone. It's actually kind of weird given how good lapel mics are, and considering casting headsets exist. Still, this gaming headset truth leaves most creators of content having to fork out for two devices. Audio Technica's new ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet headset says hell no to that, spend all that money on me instead. The ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet isn't exactly a budget headset coming at $229/$AUD399/£169 but in no way is that the aim. It's absolutely a high-end closed back headset. That price shows in its build quality. It sports a strong yet flexible build with fully rotating and folding earpieces with swappable pads for comfort. Though mostly plastic, the build is sturdy and the silver metal flourishes look great on the overall mat black design. It's the kind of look that when other people are wearing it, I assume the music they're listening to is better than mine. Listening to music is a lovely experience in the ATH-M50xSTS, which I kind of expect for an Audio Technica headset. These are essentially a rebuild of the ATH-M50x so they're brimming with that good sound DNA. The audio quality is really hard to fault especially in this price range. It's well balanced with little details shining through in songs. A little bass heavy in the way that all headsets tend to be, but it's fairly mild and the bright treble and warm tones are lovely to be immersed in In-game sounds benefit from the quality too. I found there's little muddiness even when there's plenty of action. I loaded up for an afternoon of Overwatch 2 and spent my time sneaking around as Sombra, hunting enemies by their footsteps to great effect. In Sons of the Forest, I foolishly went wandering, allowing my headset to take me on an audio adventure right into the blades of a propeller swinging cannibal. These cans definitely have the audio chops to stand up to the demands of a gaming session. The choice of cuffs and lightweight design with relatively little pressure on the top of the head also make for a comfortable ride The outer housing for the StreamSet is pretty minimal as the whole thing only offers one button, a pressable scroll wheel. All it does is turns off the monitor mode and adjusts specifically the volume so you can monitor your own voice to your headset. Monitor mode can be pretty offputting, but I noticed myself using it far more with this headset than normal, allowing me to get a good feel for what my voice was like. It felt easier to do this with the dedicated monitor controls, and also potentially thanks to the sidetone circuit that's supposed to give your own voice a more natural tone in the headset. With such a dedication to monitor mode, there's no buttons for anything else on the headset. It makes sense, especially for a headset that wants to make sure you sound good. All other audio is meant to be controlled through your PC. Remembering to reach for your PC volume controls as opposed to the headset itself takes a little bit of getting used to, but I think the trade off in simplicity is worth it. With such a dedication to monitor mode, there's no buttons for anything else on the headset. It makes sense, especially for a headset that wants to make sure you sound good. All other audio is meant to be controlled through your PC. Remembering to reach for your PC volume controls as opposed to the headset itself takes a little bit of getting used to, but I think the trade off in simplicity is worth it. I know the whole point of the ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet is to have a good mic, but wow does it actually have a good mic. Audio Technica has packed a cardioid condenser into this attached boom mic. It's based on the brand's 20 Series microphones and gosh it does sound like it. The StreamSet mic is comparable to using a desktop mic only a whole lot easier. I used it during several streaming sessions and am convinced it's less hassle and maybe even a better solution than my desktop mic setup. I am almost exclusively rocking wireless headsets because I hate cables, but this is convincing me it needs to be in my streaming kit. [https://www.pcgamer.com/audio-technica-ath-m50-sts-streamset-review/]

An uneasy calm is returning to Israel after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he would delay a key part of controversial plans to overhaul the justice system. On Monday night he said he would pause the legislation to prevent a "rupture among our people". However it is unclear what a delay will achieve beyond buying time. It followed intensified protests after he fired his defence minister, who had spoken against the plans. In unprecedented events, the country's biggest trade union called a strike, and Israelis watched society close down around them. From the main airport to shops and banks - even in hospitals - services were stopped. The co-ordinated action was designed to push Mr Netanyahu back from the brink of pushing through the reforms by the end of this week. Opposition Leader Yair Lapid called it the "biggest crisis in the history of the country". The government, Israel's most right-wing ever, is seeking to take decisive control over the committee which appoints judges. The reforms would give the parliament authority to override Supreme Court decisions with a basic majority and would make it difficult to declare a prime minister unfit for office and remove them from power. Mr Netanyahu said the changes would stop courts over-reaching their powers, but critics said they would help him as he faces an ongoing trial for corruption. He has been on trial facing charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three cases. The prime minister denies any wrongdoing and claims he is the victim of a "witch hunt". The proposed changes have provoked an outpouring of anger from nearly all parts of Israeli society, including parts of its powerful military, since they were announced on 4 January When he finally addressed the nation on Monday night, he was quick to cast blame. He accused an "extremist minority" of trying to divide the nation, and criticised military reservists who had opposed the bill by saying they wouldn't report for duty. His own part in the country's upheaval was not acknowledged. The solution Mr Netanyahu has proposed will buy him time, but it won't solve the problem - demonstrators were fighting for this bill to be scrapped, not delayed. Israel's opposition have said they'll enter into fresh dialogue. Mr Netanyahu's far-right coalition partner, the Jewish Power party, said they had withdrawn a veto on any delay to passing the reforms in return for a guarantee that Mr Netanyahu would pass them during the next session of parliament. That could happen any time from the end of April, when parliament returns following a recess which begins on Sunday. Itamar Ben-Gvir, Jewish Power's leader, also said he accepted the delay because, in exchange, Mr Netanyahu had agreed to put his national security ministry in charge of a new "national guard". In the heart of Jerusalem, around the Knesset, supporters and critics held counter-protests. One thing united them - the blue and white flag waved by both groups. This is one nation, for weeks bitterly divided and Israelis know it is not over yet. Protests erupted on Sunday after Netanyahu fired his defence minister Yoav Gallant, who had spoken out against controversial plans to overhaul the justice system. However a nationwide strike put forward by the Histadrut labour union was called off after Mr Netanyahu said he would delay the reforms. Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, said the delay was "the right thing to do". He had previously called for an immediate halt to the plans. Mr Lapid cautiously welcomed the delay to the reform package. "If the government engages in a real and fair dialogue we can come out of this moment of crisis - stronger and more united - and we can turn this into a defining moment in our ability to live together," he said. Elsewhere, the White House said US President Joe Biden would address the Israeli prime minister's decision later on Monday. Spokesperson John Kirby said the United States remained concerned about the situation in Israel but declined to comment specifically on the delay. [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-65093509]

At least 16 people have died in a landslide that buried entire families under mud and rubble in a mountain village in Ecuador. Firefighters, police and specialised rescue teams have been dispatched to the canton of Alausí, in the Andes mountains, to search for trapped residents. Six people have been pulled alive from the mud, but the government said that at least seven were still missing. More than a dozen have been injured. Local media said that residents had been warning of fault lines forming in the area following heavy rains. Just days ago, the highway linking Alausí with Guamote was closed indefinitely after the tarmac had cracked open. One resident told local media that "the mountainside slid down like a rocket" on Sunday evening, burying several homes under earth and rocks. Local media published a video showing a stretch of mountain road which had completely collapsed Footage uploaded earlier by the police showed people using torches and spotlights to search for survivors amid the surrounding darkness. Local radio reporters described "heart-wrenching scenes" as relatives rushed to the site looking for their loved ones. President Guillermo Lasso said the country's risk management agency had been alerted and would be providing help to those affected. One of the main roads linking the cities of Riobamba and Cuenca had to be closed due to these latest landslides, further complicating access to the area. The landslide comes just over a week after an earthquake struck Ecuador's southern coast, leaving more than a dozen people dead [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-65088388]

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