Blackfire

Albanian authorities have confirmed that most of its citizens forcibly sent back home from the UK this year were convicted of crimes there. The BBC has spoken to those men sent home, and learnt that some prisoners were offered £1,500 to leave - and some plan to come back. Each week, a small crowd gathers at the razor-wire fence tucked around the back of Albania's Tirana airport. The narrow runway beyond it, pinched between jagged black mountains and the high grey walls of the border police unit, is where UK deportation flights land - closely watched by the families waiting at the fence. It takes hours for the deportees to appear, trickling slowly through the gate to be met with hugs, shy smiles and tears. Deportation flights to Albania have increased since the country signed a joint co-operation agreement with the UK last December, to "deter and disrupt illegal migration". The UK government's Home Office says more than 1,000 people have been returned since then: around half of them voluntary, the rest a combination of failed asylum seekers and foreign offenders. The BBC spoke to dozens of people on several of these deportation flights last month, and found that most came from UK prisons. Some had been offered money in return for agreeing to deportation, and were released from prison before serving their minimum sentence, under an existing scheme used for foreign offenders. Albanian police confirmed that a majority of those forcibly returned this year were convicted of crimes in the UK. One cheerful 30-year-old man said he had been serving a six-year sentence for drug offences, and was released for deportation after serving just two of them - a year before he would have been eligible for parole. He asked us to hide his identity, so we're calling him Mark. The immigration officer came to see us," he said. "They ask if you want to go back [to Albania] or stay in UK. They explained that if you go back, they take one year off from your sentence." Mark was also offered £1,500 in financial support to return home, under a separate programme called the Facilitated Return Scheme (FRS). A UK government document clearly states that the scheme is "a financial incentive" offered to foreign prisoners "on the proviso that they co-operate with deportation and waive their right to appeal against it". Other prisoners we spoke to on the deportation flights last month had been given the same amount. Mark was deported under the UK's Early Release Scheme (ERS), used for foreign prisoners of all nationalities. ERS does not require the consent of prisoners, but several Albanian deportees we spoke to, including Mark, said their deportation and sentence reduction were presented as voluntary. "It was my choice to come back," Mark told me. "Nobody forced me. They offered it to me. They said, 'You decide if you want to go or want to stay'." We asked the Home Office to confirm how many Albanians had been deported under the ERS since the start of last year, and how many had received financial incentives to co-operate, but it said it did not publish these statistics. A spokesperson said in a statement: "The UK and Albanian governments work together to take every opportunity to intercept the work of people smugglers and speed up the removal of Albanians with no legal right to be in the UK." Last year, the government's Nationality and Borders Act extended the early release period allowed under the ERS from nine months to a year. One of the aims of that change, according to a Home Office brief, was to increase the number of removals. The same Act also abolished the expiry date for unserved sentences, meaning that prisoners who return to the UK illegally will have to serve the rest of their sentence, no matter how much time has passed - increasing the deterrent for people like Mark. "I'm not going back there again," he said. "I'm not going to prison. Now I'm going to look for work, I'm going to be a good guy." But several of those on the deportation flights last month said they were planning to return to the UK within weeks or even days, despite what many described as a new hard-line approach by police there. "They're rounding up Albanians now," one man said. "It's very difficult for Albanians to stay in the UK because police stop you in the road. They don't want us now." He said he had been sent back to Albania after police stopped the car he was in and found he was undocumented. He is still planning to return. Another man said he had already been back and forth to the UK three times. "It's not a problem for me," he said. "I'll go back whenever I want." For many of those we spoke to, it was economic opportunities that drew them to the UK. Not for Azem, though - a slight man in his late twenties, who seemed lost inside his clothes. [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65533198]

Voted

Name of the game: Forza Horizon 5 Price: 32.99 $ Link Store:Here Offer ends up after X hours: Offer ends in 19:50:00 Requirements: MINIMUM: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: Windows 10 version 15063.0 or higher Processor: Intel i5-4460 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200 Memory: 8 GB RAM Graphics: NVidia GTX 970 OR AMD RX 470 DirectX: Version 12 Network: Broadband Internet connection Storage: 110 GB available space RECOMMENDED: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: Windows 10 version 15063.0 or higher Processor: Intel i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 1500X Memory: 16 GB RAM Graphics: NVidia GTX 1070 OR AMD RX 590 DirectX: Version 12 Network: Broadband Internet connection Storage: 110 GB available space

haven’t upgraded to the latest version of the operating system (22H2) will soon have to do so. That’s because Microsoft is ending support for Windows 10 21H2 on June 13, and has issued a reminder to that effect (as Neowin(opens in new tab) reports). In other words, the June 2023 security update will be the final one for those on 21H2. After that, there’ll be no more updates at all, feature-wise, or security fixes. If you want further updates, you’ll need to be running Windows 10 22H2. Microsoft notes(opens in new tab): “As always, we recommend that you update your devices to the latest version of Windows 10, or upgrade eligible devices to Windows 11.” Analysis: Final call for Windows 10 upgrades Naturally, Microsoft couldn’t let go of an opportunity to get a quick plug in for upgrading to Windows 11. Of course, if your PC doesn’t meet the system requirements for Windows 11, then you can’t switch over to the latest OS. Furthermore, you might not want to anyway, due to some of the decisions Microsoft has made, particularly on the interface front with Windows 11. At any rate, this forced upgrade for Windows 10 users will be the last one. There won’t be a newer version than 22H2 to upgrade to, as Microsoft recently announced that this is the last feature update for the older operating system. There’ll be no 23H2 or anything else – only monthly security updates from now on, which will continue to be provided for Windows 10 until the OS itself goes out of support (which will be in October 2025, so still a relatively long way off). All of which is very much angling to get folks to upgrade to Windows 11, with adoption not being everything Microsoft would’ve hoped for at this stage. Certainly not compared to how things went with Windows 10, which had racked up far more users than Windows 11 at the same point in its lifespan. [https://www.techradar.com/news/not-upgraded-to-windows-10-22h2-yet-youll-soon-be-forced-to-or-switch-to-windows-11]

Isn't it great to see capable graphics cards available at prices that won't make you keel over in shock? Okay, they're not exactly cheap, but given the ludicrous GPU market of a couple of years back, GeForce RTX 4070s starting at around $600 / £600 / AU$999 are a dead set bargain. While you can't call a $600 GPU an affordable one, it's good to see the latest generation cards hitting price points that are more attractive than we've seen in a long time. Do check out our man James' RTX 4070 Founders Edition review(opens in new tab). Dave goes into some of the more technical details and concludes the RTX 4070 delivers RTX 3080 performance, while running cooler, quieter, and more efficiently than the last-gen hero. Most importantly, the RTX 4070 comes in at a lower price point. You also get the frame generation wizardry of DLSS 3.0. If you add all those things together, it's fairly easy to make a case for the RTX 4070. On the flipside, the RTX 4070 really should compare favorably to the RTX 3080. It'd be a turkey if an xx70 card couldn't beat out the previous generations' xx80. And today, here for review I have MSI's RTX 4070 flavor, specifically the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio(opens in new tab). The Gaming X series often impresses me, usually delivering a near perfect balance of temperatures and low noise levels that allow the card to hold high boost clocks without much compromise. But given the RTX 4070 is a highly efficient GPU, is the big triple fan Gaming X Trio cooler really necessary? The MSI RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio, like all RTX 4070s, is based on the 5nm AD104 GPU, albeit a heavily cut down version of the one found in the RTX 4070 Ti(opens in new tab). It comes with 5,888 CUDA cores, 46 RT cores, and 184 Tensor cores. This compares to the 7,680 CUDA cores, 60 RT cores and 240 Tensor cores of the RTX 4070 Ti. Thankfully, Nvidia didn’t gut the memory subsystem. Both the 4070 and the 4070 Ti come with the same 12GB of 21Gbps memory over a 192-bit memory bus. However, no matter how much GDDR memory speeds improve, the idea of a card with a 192-bit bus costing $600 still irritates me. The MSI Gaming X Trio comes with a factory overclock at 2,610MHz, a decent 135MHz increase over the 2,475MHz reference speed. The TDP of the card is a very respectable 215W, a modest 15W increase over the TDP of the 4070 Founders Edition and over 100W less than the RTX 3080. The MSI Gaming X Trio includes the now common 16-pin 12VHPWR power connector, but MSI ships a 2x 8-pin power adapter for use with older power supplies. For its part, MSI recommends a minimum 650W power supply. Like most RTX 4070s, and indeed most RTX 40-series cards as a whole, the MSI includes three DP 1.4 ports plus one HDMI 2.1 port. DP 2.0 would be nice, but given the RTX 4070 isn’t really a high FPS 4K card, let alone an 8K capable one, its omission is not that important The card is a big one, as is usually the case with triple fan cards. It measures 338 x 141 x 52 mm, requiring three slots, though it doesn't need the full three slots, giving it some welcome breathing room if used with an adjacent expansion card. In all honesty, there's no need for the card to be this big. The PCB only takes up half the length of the card, leaving a large cutout at the rear of the card. But still, it's better to over deliver on the cooling capacity than under deliver. It is something to note if you’re after a RTX 4070 for a small form factor build though, which is something the regular versions are ideal for. The card doesn't have the bulk and weight of the more powerful RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio's, but it's still a premium design, with attractive RGB elements, a backplate and a tastefully designed shroud. Even if it is overkill, the cooler is excellent. The small 295mm² AD104 die is cooled by six heatpipes, with pads for the VRM circuitry and memory chips too. It's one of the quietest cards I've ever tested, and with a peak 3DMark Speedway temperature of just 57°C after 10 minutes of running, its absolute proof that a RTX 4070 can get away with a smaller dual fan, dual slot cooler. The MSI RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio comes with a compact and capable PCB that includes 9+2 phase VRM with 55A stages. A 295mm² die with a 192-bit bus and a relatively basic PCB shouldn’t have a huge bill of materials. I hope Nvidia drops the price of RTX 4070 cards in the months ahead as I'm sure there's plenty of margin to do so. [https://www.pcgamer.com/msi-geforce-rtx-4070-gaming-x-trio/]

Arsenal's fading title hopes were dealt a devastating blow after losing to Brighton to leave leaders Manchester City one win from a fifth Premier League title in six seasons. The Gunners needed to respond after City's 3-0 win over Everton earlier on Sunday left Mikel Arteta's side trailing by four points in the race for the title. On a deeply frustrating day for Arsenal, Leandro Trossard hit the bar against his former club while Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka both went close before Julio Enciso's close-range header put Brighton ahead. Substitute Deniz Undav doubled the lead after lobbing Aaron Ramsdale in the 86th minute before Pervis Estupinan added to Arsenal's misery with Brighton's third in the 96th minute. City will win the Premier League title next Sunday in front of their own fans if they beat Chelsea at home (16:00 BST), even if Arsenal defeat Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Saturday (17:30). However, City will be confirmed champions without playing on Saturday if the Gunners lose at Forest. In a game littered with niggly challenges, Arsenal lost Brazil forward Gabriel Martinelli to injury in the first half after a foul by Brighton's Ecuador midfielder Moises Caicedo, who the Gunners tried to sign in January. Brighton, who are chasing a place in Europe for the first time, had gone close through Enciso before the 19-year-old Paraguay forward stunned the Emirates with his 51st-minute goal. The win lifted the Seagulls above both Aston Villa and Tottenham into sixth on 58 points, four behind fifth-placed Liverpool with one game in hand. The maximum number of points Arsenal can score is 87, while City have 85 with matches against Chelsea (home), Brighton (away) and Brentford (away) to come. Reaction from Arsenal-Brighton, plus how Sunday's Premier League action unfolded Go straight to all the best Arsenal content Visit our Brighton & Hove Albion page Arsenal's title challenge runs out of steam Arsenal's players sank to their knees after the full-time whistle, the realisation quickly sinking in that their title dream was all but over after being picked off by Brighton. The Gunners deserve enormous credit for the way they have pushed Manchester City in the title race. They were eight points clear of City at the top after 18 games but their pursuit is running out of steam after a highly damaging defeat at the business end of the season. Manchester City's comfortable win at Everton earlier on Sunday opened up a four-point gap at the top but this time Arsenal were unable to respond to the pressure heaped on them by Pep Guardiola's Treble-chasing team. There was still almost 40 minutes left when Enciso opened the scoring and Arteta sent on Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe to try and salvage a point. But the Arsenal boss, who was shown a yellow card by referee Andy Madley, saw his side concede two further goals while the home side failed to score for the first time since 4 February on their way to a comprehensive defeat. We knew the challenge we had, it was very different to the one we had at Newcastle," Arteta told Match of the Day, referencing a 2-0 win. "I was stood here and very proud of what we did last week but today we have to apologise to our people. We have to move on very quickly and not keep that feeling for a long time." Brighton's incredible season far from over This was another statement win in what looks like being a history-defining season for Brighton, who bounced back from a crushing 5-1 home defeat by Everton to produce one of their best performances of the season. They were at their clinical best as Arsenal were beaten at the Emirates for only the second time in the league. Roberto De Zerbi has called on his players to "write club history" by qualifying for Europe for the first time. "It's not enough to qualify for the Europa League," said De Zerbi. "We have four games and they're all tough games. We have 58 points and that's not enough. We have to win other games and the first game will be in Newcastle [on Thursday]. "I enjoy working with the players. I am very lucky to be their coach and I am happy they enjoy working with me. "That's a great satisfaction for me, but I prefer to speak about everything at the end of the season because we want to achieve something historic for the fans and for the club." Two wins from the last four games - Newcastle (away), Southampton (home), Manchester City (home), Aston Villa (away) - will be enough to see the Seagulls confirm their place in next season's Europa League. Against Arsenal, Brighton were at their attacking best, registering six chances on target and scoring from half of them. "The manager showed us a Michael Jordan video, to show us how he motivated himself for each game," goalscorer Undav told Sky Sports. "It was the right choice to show us the video and we showed today how mentally strong we are." As Arsenal's players looked desolate at the final whistle, Brighton's triumphantly marched over to where their travelling fans were gathered to show their appreciation. This incredible season for the Seagulls, which has included an FA Cup semi-final and league doubles over Manchester United and Chelsea, is far from over. [https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/65515864]

Boasting the latest in-car technology, a cosseting premium tech-packed interior and eye-catching design, the Audi Q4 e-tron and Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron are the beating hearts of Audi’s fast-growing range of all-electric e-tron models. But, to truly get to the core of what makes these all-electric SUVs so compelling, you need to talk to real owners who know the car best. That’s why we turned to Alan and Michael – two passionate drivers who have already put thousands of miles on their Audi Q4 e-trons, finding small moments of magic every time they get in. Focusing on five key areas that matter to all-electric SUV owners – that’s styling, in-car tech, range, and charging, driving feel and practicality – they talked us through their personal highlights The future-facing technology in Audi’s Q4 Sportback e-tron is designed with safety, convenience and ease of use in mind – providing owners with a familiar, intuitive experience. “I think the tech in my Audi Q4 e-tron is fantastic,” says Michael. “Nothing about the tech ever feels like it's an afterthought. It feels like it has all been part of the seamless design of the car – from the looks to the actual driver experience.” “A lot of people would say Audi’s MMI (multimedia interface) is ‘easy to use’, but I'd use the word ‘intuitive’. You just know where everything is. I didn't have to read the manual when I first got the car, I just got in and everything was labelled and worked exactly how it should. I especially love the phone integration, which is wireless now.” “The main screen is crisp and responsive, and I absolutely love Audi’s Virtual Cockpit. I can change all the different clusters to suit the mode I’m in: like bigger dials when I’m in Sport mode. I can also change it to see more of the map and less of the dials or see my journey efficiency and the map at the same time.” “The head-up display is another standout feature. I don't have to look around at the other screens; I don't have to look down at the dash, because it's all there at my eye level. And unlike other new cars where the temperature controls are all digital, and you have to go into sub-menus to change anything, my Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron has physical buttons! It’s tangible and tactile which makes adjusting settings easy.” [https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/advertising-promotions-promoted-by-audi/audi-q4-e-tron-big-reasons-why-real-owners-love-it]

A pet iguana had to be rescued from a tree after it escaped its home through a cat flap while chasing another pet. Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service said its crews were surprised to find their last job in Horncastle on Wednesday involved Einstein the iguana. He had been missing for 24 hours before being spotted up a neighbour's tree on Queen Street, the RSPCA said. The reptile was rescued with the help of a tree surgeon using chimney rods, salvage sheets and rope equipment. Firefighters from Horncastle and Louth were called to the scene by the RSPCA shortly before 18:00 BST. Einstein's owner, Stuart Hoyle, a retired detective, said he had forgotten to reset the cat flap, which used microchip technology, and that was how the five-year-old juvenile had disappeared. "Einstein considers himself the head of the household and he's always up to something. He's sometimes very clever and sometimes quite daft. "He doesn't live in an enclosure, he's free roaming in the house and he has his area, which is elevated, and has all of his needs. "But he's free to go anywhere, and he actually has his toilet, which he uses most of the time. "He's a very good climber. He has lots of climbing opportunities in the house and he does make use of them." Mr Hoyle, who also has two cats, thanked all those who helped rescue his green iguana, who was back to "his usual self" since returning home. "He went to his usual favourite spot in the back of the sofa to observe the cats in the garden, and I gave him a bowl of dandelions, which he loves, up in his climate area." Mr Hoyle said he had been a herpetologist, a zoologist who studies reptiles and amphibians, since the 1970s and had cared for "a large number of reptiles". "Einstein is hilarious. He is incredibly clumsy and will pretend nothing happens when he makes a mistake. "He will come and inspect all our meals and sometimes steal from our plates." Posting on Facebook after the reptile rescue, Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "A busy day for Horncastle crew today, and then we finished off with a small animal rescue, but to our surprise not what we were expecting. "We got to meet the lovely Einstein the Iguana who got himself stuck up a very large tree. Thanks to Louth Fire Station and our amazing local tree surgeon for some assistance we managed to safely get him back down." [https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-65558803]

Ukraine has no plans to hit targets in Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said in Germany, where Kyiv secured a big new defence aid package. "We are not attacking Russian territory," he said after talks in Berlin with Chancellor Olaf Scholz. "We are preparing a counterattack to de-occupy the illegitimately conquered territories," Mr Zelensky added. Mr Scholz vowed to back Ukraine "for as long as it is necessary", promising €2.7bn (£2.4bn) worth of weapons. This includes advanced German Leopard tanks and more anti-aircraft systems to defend Ukraine from almost daily deadly Russian missile and drone attacks. President Zelensky described the new tranche as "the largest since the beginning of the full-scale aggression" by Russia in February 2022. The war has transformed Germany's attitude towards Ukraine, moving from being a reluctant supplier of military hardware to virtually doubling its contribution overnight, the BBC's Jenny Hill in Berlin says. Russia accuses Ukraine of repeatedly hitting targets inside Russia, including a reported drone attack on Moscow's Kremlin earlier this month. Ukraine denies the accusations, while also stressing that it has a legitimate right to use force and other means to fully de-occupy its territories currently under Russian control. These include four regions in the south and east, as well as the Crimea peninsula, annexed by Moscow in 2014. Later on Sunday, President Zelensky travelled to the western city of Aachen to receive the prestigious Charlemagne Prize awarded this year to him and the Ukrainian people. The honour is given for efforts to foster European unity. "Ukraine incarnates everything the European idea is living for: the courage of convictions, the fight for values and freedom, the commitment to peace and unity," EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the award ceremony. Previous winners include Winston Churchill, Pope Francis and Bill Clinton. In other developments on Sunday: Ukraine's air force says it destroyed 25 drones and three cruise missiles launched by Russia in yet another massive overnight attack Six people were killed and another 16 injured in the past 24 hours in Russian shelling of Ukraine-held areas in the eastern Donetsk region, local officials said One person was killed in Sunday's Russian artillery attack on the southern Kherson region Mobile internet is temporarily suspended in the Russian-seized areas of the eastern Luhansk region because of increased shelling by Ukrainian troops, Moscow-installed officials said President Zelensky flew to Germany from Italy overnight, his plane escorted by two German Air Force fighter jets. In Rome, the Ukrainian leader met Italian President Sergio President Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. He also had a private audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican. The Argentine pontiff said he was constantly praying for peace in Ukraine. The Pope also stressed the urgent need to help "the most fragile people, innocent victims" of the Russian invasion. Meanwhile, Ms Meloni assured Mr Zelensky of Rome's support for united Ukraine. Later on Sunday, the Ukrainian leader arrived in Paris, where he went to the Élysée Palace for a working dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65588111

A powerful cyclone has hit the coastlines of Bangladesh and Myanmar after intensifying into the equivalent of a category-five storm. Cyclone Mocha brought with it heavy rain and strong winds, leaving residents in low-lying coastal areas fearful they may lose their homes. More than 1,300 bamboo shelters in Cox's Bazar, the world's largest refugee camp, have been destroyed. Landslides and floods are also hitting the area. As the storm approached, police patrolled the coastline in the town of Cox's Bazar carrying loudspeakers, urging people to stay indoors. The streets emptied as the cyclone intensified - the skies darkened, the winds picked up pace and the rains pounded down. Hundreds of people crammed into a school in the city which had been turned into a temporary cyclone shelter. Mothers with babies, young children, the elderly and the frail packed into any available space in the classrooms, sleeping on desks and sitting under them. Authorities here say more than 500,000 people were evacuated from their homes in this south-eastern stretch of Bangladesh. As many arrived at the shelter in rickshaws and on foot, they brought their livestock - cattle, chickens, goats - as well as mats to sleep on. They had come from fishing and coastal villages, as many as two hours away, making a difficult choice. "I didn't want to leave my house," said Sumi Akter, who lives on a riverbank. Sumi and others we met here say they have lived through other cyclones in recent years and are resigned to the regular pattern of leaving their homes to the mercy of nature. Storm surges of up to four metres could swamp villages in low-lying areas, Sumi and others here are fearful their homes may be submerged. "I wish the homes we lived in were built more strongly," she said. Jannat, aged 17, who we had met the day before in the same shelter, said she too was terrified of what state her home, on the riverbank, would be in once she went back. Last year, another cyclone, Sitrang, destroyed her house, forcing her to spend what little money she had on repairing it. "How can I live if this keeps happening? I can't afford to rebuild it - we are very poor," she said. Nature was also punishing the poor in the world's largest refugee camp nearby. Bangladesh's government does not allow Rohingya refugees to leave the camps, nor to build permanent structures. As the cyclone hit, they hunkered down in flimsy bamboo shelters with tarpaulin roofs. Some were moved to community shelters within the camps, which offered little more protection. Authorities told the BBC that more than 1,300 shelters were damaged by the wind, as were 16 mosques and learning centres. Trees had fallen in the camps, while two landslides also caused some damage. The tarpaulin that covered Mohammed Ayub's shelter was torn off by the winds. Now he and his family of eight are living in the open, in wet and miserable weather. Having spent the days before terrified of what Cyclone Mocha could bring, Mohammed was relieved the camps didn't take a direct hit from the storm. Mizanur Rahman, from the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner said that as far as he was aware, there were no casualties in the camps as a result of the cyclone. Forecasters warned Cyclone Mocha could be the most powerful storm seen in Bangladesh in nearly two decades. It also hit neighbouring Myanmar with great force. Heavy rain and driving winds battered the region as the storm system moved to the coast, with reports of increasing disruption near the city of Sittwe, in Myanmar, from about 13:00 (07:00 GMT). Electricity and wi-fi connections were disrupted across much of the Sittwe area, where videos showed the tide rising dramatically and carrying debris down flooded streets. A telecom tower was brought down by the high winds as the cyclone approached. Videos shared on social media also showed roofs being blown off houses and billboards flying off buildings in Yangon amid teeming rain. Images from the city of Mrauk U showed palm trees bending in the wind, metal roofing sheets being swept into the street and a few people still hurrying to take cover in storm shelters. Local media reported that a 14-year-old boy was killed by a falling tree in Myanmar's Rakhine State, while there were reports of damaged and collapsed buildings in various parts of Myanmar. [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-65587321]

Name of the game: Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® Price: 19.79$$ Link Store:Here Offer ends up after X hours: Offer ends 15 May Requirements: MINIMUM: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: Windows® 10 64-bit Processor: Intel® Core™ i3-4340 or AMD FX-6300 Memory: 8 GB RAM Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 670 / NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1650 or AMD Radeon™ HD 7950 DirectX: Version 12 Network: Broadband Internet connection Storage: 175 GB available space RECOMMENDED: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: Windows® 10 64-bit latest update Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-2500K or AMD Ryzen™ R5 1600X Processor Memory: 12 GB RAM Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 970 / NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1660 or AMD Radeon™ R9 390 / AMD Radeon™ RX 580 DirectX: Version 12 Network: Broadband Internet connection Storage: 175 GB available space

Amidst all the excitement of Google I/O 2023, the second beta of Android 14 was quietly released to a select few Pixel phones, bringing with it a handful of new features. Chief among these is the data sharing tool getting a “new section in the location runtime permission dialog”. According to the Android Developers Blog(opens in new tab), the tool will let you know when an app on your phone “shares location data with third parties, where [you] can get more information [on the process], and control the app’s data access.” Additionally, users will receive a "periodic notification" if any app suddenly begins sharing data with third parties so you're not caught unaware. Google states the revamped data sharing will work with apps from other online stores; not just whatever you download from the Play Store. Health Connect, “an on-device repository for user health and fitness data”, will now be a native app on the OS where it will receive automatic updates. That way, it’ll always have up-to-date security keeping your information safe "without requiring a separate download." ving past the security update, Google is adding support for HDR(opens in new tab) (high-dynamic range) to Android 14, allowing the OS to take photographs sporting “vibrant colors and greater contrast”. What’s different is the new Ultra HDR(opens in new tab) format which is said to be backward compatible with the JPEG format. This will give older phones a way to view those HDR pictures albeit more compressed, since it’ll be in a standard dynamic range. The operating system is also set to improve Camera Extensions. This performance boost will allow “apps to handle longer processing times” for certain types of images like those from low-light photography. There’s more to the beta than this handful of features. Bug fixes(opens in new tab) are a part of the package too. One addresses stability problems that would cause the user interface to either lag or crash. You also have a fix for a biometrics bug causing “some apps to not work properly.” A lot of the upcoming changes shown at Google I/O 2023 won’t be a part of this beta, but you can get a first-hand look on The Keyword blog(opens in new tab). Later down the line, users will be able to create their own phone wallpaper via generative AI. All you have to do is enter a prompt. And there's Magic Compose to help you write basic texts you’re too lazy to write. Availability If you’re interested, you can install Android 14 Beta 2 by joining Google’s Beta Program(opens in new tab). A list of compatible devices(opens in new tab) can be found in the Android Developer Blog which consists of but is not limited to the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, and the Pixel 6a. The beta won't be available for the recently released Pixel 7a, unfortunately. Speaking of devices, the first Android 14 beta(opens in new tab) is now available on a handful of third-party phones like the OnePlus 11 and the Nothing Phone 1 if you want to try it out there. The third Android 14 beta is set to release in June with the official launch expected to be sometime in the late summer; most likely August. Be sure to check out TechRadar’s coverage of Google I/O 2023. The tech giant is going all in on AI, and a lot of what was shown was admittedly pretty impressive. [https://www.techradar.com/news/second-android-14-beta-will-let-you-know-when-your-app-is-sending-location-info]

So long, hard drives, and thanks for all the storage. The very last mechanical hard drive will be sold in 2028, bringing an end to the magnetic storage era. At least, that's what Shawn Rosemarin of Pure Storage reckons, a company that—you guessed it—specializes in solid-state storage. And his reasoning is not quite what you might think. "3% of the world’s power is in datacenters. Roughly a third of that is storage. Almost all of that is spinning disk. So if I can eliminate the spinning disk, and I can move to flash, and I can in essence reduce the power consumption by 80 or 90 percent while moving density by orders of magnitude in an environment where NAND pricing continues to fall, it’s all becoming evident that hard drives go away,” Rosemarin explained to Blocksandfiles(opens in new tab). If he's right, by 2028 it will bring to an end roughly 75 years of proud hard disk history. The very first commercially available computer running a hard drive with a magnetic disk was probably the IBM 305 RAMDAC of 1956(opens in new tab), a valve- rather than transistor-powered machine It sported no fewer than 50 24-inch magnetic platters for a total storage capacity equivalent to roughly 5MB in conventional binary storage. It also filled a decent sized room, as the image at the top of the page shows. Just over 50 years later in 2007, the first 1TB HDDs were introduced. Today, the largest available HDD is Western Digital's 26TB drive, though that's a data center model. The largest drive you can slap into a PC is Western Digital's Red Pro 22TB SATA III, model, yours for a piffling $500(opens in new tab) But here's the thing. The biggest SSD, the ExaDrive EDDCT100, clocks in at full 100TB. Of course, it also costs $40,000. So, the dollars-to-storage space ratio doesn't look too clever. But it does demonstrate that SSDs have already won the data density war. There's just, ahem, a little work to do on the cost efficiency side. Anyway, whether or not the very last HDD is sold in 2028 or the technology survives a little longer, it's already very nearly toast in desktop PCs. While GPUs remain annoyingly pricey, SSD prices have tumbled dramatically in the last few years. As you can see on our best SSD deals page(opens in new tab), you can now grab a decent 2TB SSD for just over $100. Flash memory prices are expected to fall yet further this year and it's not at all hard to imagine that, by 2028, there really will be almost no argument for one of those peculiar contraptions with spinning magnetic platters. [https://www.pcgamer.com/hard-drives-predicted-to-be-history-after-2028/]

Former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann will not be the next manager of Tottenham, BBC Sport understands. Spurs, who are sixth in the Premier League, have been without a permanent manager since Antonio Conte was sacked in March. Nagelsmann, 35, who was sacked by Bundesliga champions Bayern in March, has been linked with the vacancy. However, there have been no talks and Spurs are not considering him for the role. Spurs continue to search for a permanent replacement for Conte after interim manager Cristian Stellini was sacked in April and replaced by Ryan Mason. According to journalist Guillem Balague, Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi has been approached by Tottenham and some reports linked Burnley manager and former Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany with the vacant role. Nagelsmann, who was sacked by Bayern on 24 March after a run of five wins from 10 league games, has also been linked with Chelsea, who remain without a permanent manager since Graham Potter was sacked in April. Nagelsmann is recognised as one of the game's most promising managerial talents, having taking charge of Hoffenheim aged 28 before moving to RB Lepizig, leading the club to the Champions League semi-finals. He then joined Bayern in 2021 and won the league title in his first season alongside two German Supercups. Former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel replaced Nagelsmann as Bayern manager. Speaking on Radio 5 Live's Friday Football Social, former Spurs and England goalkeeper Paul Robinson said: "Tottenham need to act and they need to act quickly. Why wouldn't they be interested in Nagelsmann? He is one of the most innovative, modern-thinking, modern-day coaches. "If Spurs aren't in the hunt for a manager like that it is worrying. I potentially think they have sounded his people out and they have gone 'no, don't waste your time'." Former West Ham and Aston Villa captain Nigel Reo Coker added: "I think Nagelsmann has looked at this Tottenham situation and said it is not for me. I am too good, too focused, I want to be part of that greatness and Spurs doesn't shout greatness right now. "You have to think of a manager of his stature, do we even know what is happening with Harry Kane right now? For all the top teams we know how important it is to have a top-class striker. If he loses Harry Kane, who fills in those boots at Spurs?" Nagelsmann has been linked with the Tottenham job so often, and the rumours around apparent discussions were getting so strong, the club felt they had to do something to correct them or risk looking like they had missed out on someone they weren't actually chasing. Given the general chaos around the club at the moment, it is an additional narrative they are keen to avoid. It is not entirely clear why Tottenham wouldn't want Nagelsmann and the answer may only become clear when they appoint Antonio Conte's permanent successor. Many feel the 35-year-old was unfortunate to be sacked by Bayern Munich and he built up an impressive body of work before that, enhancing his status as one of the most progressive coaches in the game. It could be that chairman Daniel Levy wants to sort out the director of football gap in his management team first, so that individual has a significant say in who follows Conte. Equally, the more mischievous might argue Tottenham are pulling away from a candidate they have established didn't want to join them. So, for now, Ryan Mason continues in the role without the spectre of Nagelsmann hanging over him, unsure of the identity of the coach he is trying to secure European football for next season. [https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/65578127]

Honda is poised to reveal a new sports car in 2023 as it celebrates its 75th anniversary, building on decades of motorsport-honed performance expertise. The Japanese manufacturer has previously stated its intent to continue offering performance vehicles and recently told Autocar that the Type R sporting brand will continue beyond today's hot Civic. Now, it has suggested it will soon give a first look at the maiden sports car of its new era, and suggested it could follow in the footsteps of the acclaimed S2000. The firm has just revealed a trio of crucial new electrified SUVs, aimed predominantly at the mass market, but the enthusiast sector remains an important part of the brand's business, according to Europe vice president Tom Gardner. When asked by Autocar if it still needs enthusiast-focused halo models, Gardner said: "We will characterise the brand, particularly in Europe, as two words – we work very closely with R&D to ensure that our products will embody this – which are 'advanced' and 'sporty'. Honda has a very strong technology base. Not technology just for the sake of technology, but technology that adds new value to customers. "And we love a sports car. We love performance, and we're very grateful for the strong reaction we've had to the latest Type R. There is huge demand for it, and the performance has been very well appreciated. We really enjoyed seeing it nail the Nürburgring record in the last month, and that is an important part of our brand." He would not go so far as to reveal the positioning of the new model, nor its powertrain, but did suggest that it's imminent, and that it could be as important as the last sports car that marked a Honda anniversary: "Watch this space: [2023 is] 75 years - we had the S2000 at 50. Who knows…" Reports of a revived S2000 have been circulating for several years. In 2017, then Honda CEO Takahiro Hachigo expressed a keen interest in the prospect of a follow-up to the seminal roadster, launched in 1999: “I’ve already heard many voices expressing they’d like a next-generation S2000. Honda development engineers are quick to develop sporty cars if the requests are there," he said. All over the world – in Japan, North America, Europe, China – more and more voices are expressing the desire to reinvent S2000. However, it has not matured yet. It’s not time yet. We need time to decide if S2000 is reinvented or not. If the sales people investigate, look at it and they’re really enthusiastic, maybe we look at it.” Other possibilities remain for a new sports car remain, however. Last year, Honda confirmed that it would introduce an electric successor to the NSX supercar and a new 'flagship' GT-style model as part of a wave of 30 new EVs being launched globally by 2030. [https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/honda-hints-new-sports-car-75th-anniversary-2023]

A wild male lion believed to be one of the world's oldest has died after being speared by herders, authorities in Kenya have said. Loonkiito, who was 19, died in Olkelunyiet village on Wednesday night after preying on livestock. The village borders Amboseli National Park - in southern Kenya. Conservation group Lion Guardians said he was "the oldest male lion in our ecosystem and possibly in Africa". Most lions live to around 13 in the wild. Almost all lions live in Africa with a small po[CENSORED]tion in India, according to the World Wildlife Federation. Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) spokesperson Paul Jinaro told the BBC the lion was old and frail and wandered into the village from the park in search of food. Mr Jinaro could not confirm if he was the oldest lion in the country but noted he was "very old". The Maasai-operated Lion Guardians group works to conserve the lion po[CENSORED]tion in Amboseli National Park, and said the end of a drought was "habitually marked by an uptick in human-lion conflict" as "wild prey recover and become more difficult to hunt". "In desperation, lions often turn to take livestock," it said. It added the killing of Loonkiito was a "tough situation for both sides, the people and the lion", and eulogised him as "a symbol of resilience and coexistence". Paula Kahumbu, a wildlife conservationist and chief executive officer of WildlifeDirect, said she was pained by the killing of the lion and called for measures to protect wildlife in the country. "This is the breaking point for human-wildlife conflict and we need to do more as a country to preserve lions, which are facing extinction," Ms Kahumbu told the BBC. The average lifespan of a lion is about 13 years in the wild, although they can live much longer in captivity. [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-65574623]

The Kremlin has denied interfering in Turkey's elections after the opposition candidate, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, accused Russia of "meddling". Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russians did not interfere in internal affairs of other states. He added: "If someone has presented Mr Kilicdaroglu with such information, then they are liars." Mr Kilicdaroglu is seriously challenging strongman President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in power for 20 years. The opposition leader has not provided details about his claims. However, in a Twitter post which was also shared in Russian on Thursday, Mr Kilicdaroglu said that Russians were behind "montages, plots, deep fake content and tapes released in this country". Mr Kilicdaroglu also said that if Russia wanted Turkey's "friendship" after this weekend's election it should "get [its] hands off the Turkish state. We are still in favour of cooperation and friendship." Mr Peskov insisted that Russia "very much values" its relations with Turkey. The Republic of Turkey has so far taken a very responsible, sovereign and thought-out stance on a whole range of regional and global problems that we face. And this position has made a positive impression on us," he said on Friday. The Twitter post was not the first reference to alleged Russian meddling that Mr Kilicdaroglu has made. Earlier this month, he warned government officials against making deals with what he called the "dark web" to "interfere" in the vote. He alleged that deals had been made by the Turkish government with "serious foreign hackers" who were were paid in Bitcoin currencies. Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun dismissed the remarks as "irrational slander". The soft-spoken challenger to Turkey's powerful Erdogan Turkey decides: Voters face stark choices for presidency Mr Kilicdaroglu recently told the BBC that, if he wins the presidency, he will reorient Turkey, and prioritise relations with the West, not the Kremlin. However, his foreign policy adviser Unal Cevikoz told the Russian state-backed channel RT that "there will not be serious change in foreign policy" towards Russia and that he believes Mr Kilicdaroglu "will have good relations" with Russia's Vladimir Putin. Former civil servant Mr Kilicdaroglu, who is 74, will represent a coalition of opposition groups at Sunday's election. He is thought to have a serious chance to unseat Mr Erdogan. More than 64 million people are expected vote at home and abroad. If no candidate gets at least 50% plus one vote in the first round, the presidential election will go to a second round on 28 May between the two who received the most votes. [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65574312]

Pakistan's ex-prime minister Imran Khan has left court premises in Islamabad, a day after the Supreme Court ruled his dramatic arrest on corruption charges was illegal. On Friday evening, Mr Khan's party said he was heading for the city of Lahore. Judges granted Mr Khan protected bail, meaning he can not be re-arrested on those charges for two weeks. The court also ordered he could not be arrested on any charges filed after last Tuesday until 17 May. Despite the rulings, the corruption charges against Mr Khan still stand. "The head of the country's largest party was abducted, kidnapped from the high court, and in front of the entire nation," Khan told AFP from the court building. "They treated me like a terrorist, this had to have a reaction," he said of the protests that followed. Mr Khan remained within court premises after the hearing on Friday seeking preventive bail against other charges, which he told the BBC included counts of terrorism, sedition and blasphemy. Conviction would disqualify the former international cricket star - and Pakistan's prime minister from 2018 to 2022 - from standing for office, possibly for life. Elections are due later this year. Mr Khan had arrived at the hearing under heavy armed guard, and greeted supporters with a single raised fist. Speaking during Friday's hearing, Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial said the arrest was unlawful because it took place on court premises. He ordered that the "whole process" of Mr Khan's arrest "needs to be backtracked". The 70-year-old - who was arrested on Tuesday as he arrived at a courthouse in Islamabad - pleaded not guilty to the charges when a judge formally indicted him with corruption for the first time in the dozens of cases he faces. Officials say Mr Khan unlawfully sold state gifts during his premiership, in a case brought by Pakistan's Election Commission. Imran Khan was surrounded by a crowd of people as he left court on Friday The dramatic saga has significantly escalated tensions between Mr Khan and Pakistan's powerful military. Many analysts believe Mr Khan's election win in 2018 happened with the help of the military, which both parties denied. But he later fell out with the army. After a series of defections, and amid mounting economic crises, he lost his majority in parliament. Since being ousted less than four years into his term, he has become one of the military's most vocal critics, and analysts say the army's po[CENSORED]rity has fallen. And his PTI party says the charges against him - which relate to gifts given to him by foreign leaders while he served as prime minster - are politically motivated. His dramatic arrest outside the courthouse on Tuesday sparked outrage among Mr Khan's supporters. At least 10 people were killed and some 2,000 arrested as unrest swept the country. Those protests included an attack at a military commander's home residence in Lahore, which was set on fire. While this week's violence petered out after the army was deployed in Islamabad and other areas, such as Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the country remains on edge. Critics say the PTI has been fuelling unrest through social media posts calling for protesters to take to the streets, and judges told Mr Khan that he must condemn the violence and tell supporters to stop. Mr Khan says he and his party only call for peaceful protest. Pakistan's current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who took power after Khan was ousted, criticised the Supreme Court's ruling to free Khan in a cabinet speech aired on state TV. He alleged that judges had favoured Imran Khan, and their ruling had caused "the death of justice in Pakistan". He further criticised Mr Khan and his party for their inflammatory language and encouraging protesters to take to the streets. "Imran Khan has divided the nation," he said. Additional reporting by Frances Mao. [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-65571796]

Removing @XZoro™ From VGR Team, Reason :Retirement

Voted

Apple has announced two of its best creative apps are set to launch on iPad, delivering editing tools for professional content creators in and out of the studio. Widely considered some of the best video editing software by those in the industry, Final Cut Pro is now coming to Apple’s portable devices sporting an “all-new touch interface” and tools for faster workflows. Joining the pro-grade video editor in the App Store on May 23 is Logic Pro. FCP's arrival could show that firms are starting to take mobile content creation seriously. - but what's the catch with what the company is calling, “the ultimate mobile studio"? Final Cut Pro on iPad: What to expect Vying to become one of the best video editing apps for iPad, FCP features include a new jog wheel, Multi-Touch gestures, and a stock library of hi-res graphics, effects, and audio Look out, too, for Live Drawing with support for Apple Pencil. It just might turn out to be one of the best drawing apps of its type, letting users write and draw directly onto their videos. For professionals, the new multi-camera editing and Pro camera modes promise more control over every project - whether you’re working with a single or a multi-cam set-up. This includes monitoring audio, and controlling focus, exposure, white balance, and more. Users on an iPad Pro with M2 can even record in Apple’s high-resolution ProRes video format. The app, which packs in the ubiquitous machine learning, will also let users import projects made in iMovie for iOS, Apple’s best video editing software for beginners. It's another display of the company's embrace of the mobile studio. Accompanying FCP’s App Store debut comes Logic Pro, a strong contender for best audio editor, with its own set of portable, touch-friendly tools and professional plugins For professionals, the new multi-camera editing and Pro camera modes promise more control over every project - whether you’re working with a single or a multi-cam set-up. This includes monitoring audio, and controlling focus, exposure, white balance, and more. Users on an iPad Pro with M2 can even record in Apple’s high-resolution ProRes video format. The app, which packs in the ubiquitous machine learning, will also let users import projects made in iMovie for iOS, Apple’s best video editing software for beginners. It's another display of the company's embrace of the mobile studio. Accompanying FCP’s App Store debut comes Logic Pro, a strong contender for best audio editor, with its own set of portable, touch-friendly tools and professional plugins [https://www.techradar.com/news/apple-wants-you-to-produce-an-8k-blockbuster-with-its-dollar50-video-app]

Nvidia's RTX 40-series graphics card generation seems to be one of U-turns. First we had the unlaunching of its RTX 4080 12GB(opens in new tab) card and now we're seeing rumours of a 16GB version of its upcoming RTX 4060 Ti. Which is all kinds of odd The rumours have all sprung from a single set of tweets from Zed Wang(opens in new tab) (via Videocardz(opens in new tab)), a regular GPU leakerer, who has mentioned release dates of RTX 40-series cards in the past which have more or less lined up. Their latest lists the RTX 4060 Ti 8GB, RTX 4060 Ti 16GB, and RTX 4060 8GB cards citing the first launching at the end of May, with the other two cards following in July. The 8GB versions of the RTX 4060/Ti themselves aren't a surprise; we had been expecting that VRAM capacity from the get-go. But that 16GB level certainly is. We are pretty certain about many of the RTX 4060 Ti cards' specifications by now, with an ADA106 GPU sporting 4,352 CUDA cores, a bunch of extra cache, and a 128-bit memory bus. That last one is the key one here if we're talking about video memory capacities, because it limits the amount available to be attached to the card. With only 16Gb (2GB) modules available for GDDR6 as a maximum, you're going to be severely restricted by how much memory you can physically fit on a board. And with a 128-bit aggregated memory bus you can only work in multiples of four in order to maintain balance across each of the 32-bit discrete memory bus built into the GPU. That means you can have 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB capacities. Nvidia was never going to stick 4GB on there, and we had expected 16GB to be too rich for the green team to attach to an effectively mid-range GPU. But apparently not. At least not now. Were it not for the current furore over the level of VRAM demands from modern games, particularly the slew of poorly optimised PC ports(opens in new tab) we've had to endure recently, I doubt Nvidia would have thought of releasing a 16GB RTX 4060 Ti. At least not just a couple of months after an initial 8GB version had launched. But the noise around the rumoured GPU specs(opens in new tab) and the perilous state of PC game releases, has pushed VRAM capacities to the forefront of gamers' minds. AMD has certainly been keen to point out that it has been slapping 16GB of GDDR6 onto cards costing as low as $499(opens in new tab), and that all looks to have had an impact on Nvidia's plans for these new GPUs. It's rare to see a company such as Nvidia making such changes seemingly so close to launch, but it's gratifying to see it listening. Or at least looking like it is. The 'unlaunching' was unprecedented, and this itself is a surprise. We don't know what either the 8GB or 16GB cards are going to cost, though the latest rumours are for a $399 price point for the 8GB RTX 4060 Ti(opens in new tab) coming at the end of May. That's a cut from the $499 we were expecting, but does give Nvidia that window in which to drop a more expensive 16GB version of the card and still make bank. Theoretically then it gives the green team the chance to have its cake and eat it—it can still ship a cheaper 8GB card at a price point that sounds good in marketing taglines, and a more expensive one that both matches the expected original $499 price and satiates demand for a 16GB card [https://www.pcgamer.com/nvidia-reportedly-prepping-a-16gb-rtx-4060-ti-for-july/]