The Biden administration has formally determined that Myanmar's military committed genocide and crimes against humanity against the Rohingya, a US official told CNN on Sunday. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will publicly announce the determination, which human rights groups have been advocating for years, at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC, on Monday. Reuters first reported on the administration's recognition of genocide. Until now, the US had stopped short of declaring the atrocities -- including mass killings and rape -- committed in 2017 against the Muslim minority Rohingya po[CENSORED]tion a genocide. The violence forced nearly a million people to flee, and the United Nations recommended that top military officials face genocide charges. "I applaud the Biden administration for finally recognizing the atrocities committed against the Rohingya as genocide. While this determination is long overdue, it is nevertheless a powerful and critically important step in holding this brutal regime to account," Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement Sunday. America, the Oregon Democrat said, "must lead the world to make it clear that atrocities like these will never be allowed to be buried unnoticed, no matter where they occur." A US State Department report released quietly in 2018 found that violence against the Rohingya in Myanmar's northern Rakhine State was "extreme, large-scale, widespread, and seemingly geared toward both terrorizing the po[CENSORED]tion and driving out the Rohingya residents." The State Department has sanctioned a number of Myanmar military officials, including commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing, for their role in committing those human rights abuses. Source : https://edition.cnn.com/2022/03/20/politics/biden-administration-myanmar-military-genocide/index.html

ISTANBUL: Turkey's foreign minister said in an interview published on Sunday (Mar 20) that Russia and Ukraine were nearing agreement on "critical" issues and he was hopeful for a ceasefire if the two sides did not backtrack from progress achieved so far. Russian forces invaded Ukraine on Feb 24. President Vladimir Putin has called Russia's actions a "special operation" meant to demilitarise Ukraine and purge it of what he sees as dangerous nationalists. Ukraine and the West say Putin launched an aggressive war of choice. Foreign ministers Sergei Lavrov of Russia and Dmytro Kuleba of Ukraine met in the Turkish resort town of Antalya earlier this month with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also attending. The discussions did not yield concrete results. But Cavusoglu, who also travelled to Russia and Ukraine last week for talks with Lavrov and Kuleba, told Turkish daily Hurriyet that there had been "rapprochement in the positions of both sides on important subjects, critical subjects". "We can say we are hopeful for a ceasefire if the sides do not take a step back from the current positions," he said, without elaborating on the issues. Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin, speaking to al Jazeera television, said the two sides were getting closer on four key issues. He cited Russia's demand for Ukraine to renounce ambitions to join NATO, demilitarisation, what Russia has referred to as "de-nazification", and the protection of the Russian language in Ukraine. Ukraine and the West have dismissed Russian references to "neo-Nazis" in Ukraine's democratically elected leadership as baseless propaganda, and Kalin said such references were offensive to Kyiv. Kyiv and Moscow reported some progress in talks last week toward a political formula that would guarantee Ukraine's security, while keeping it outside NATO, though each sides accused the other of dragging matters out. Kalin said a permanent ceasefire could come only through a meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. But he said Putin felt that positions on the "strategic issues" of Crimea and Donbas were not close enough for a meeting. Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 while part of the eastern industrial Donbas region was seized by Russian-backed separatist forces that year. NATO member Turkey shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea, has good relations with both and has offered to mediate between them. It has voiced support for Ukraine but has also opposed far-reaching Western sanctions imposed on Moscow over the invasion. While forging close ties with Russia on energy, defence and trade and relying heavily on Russian tourists, Turkey has sold drones to Ukraine, angering Moscow. Turkey also opposes Russian policies in Syria and Libya, as well as Moscow's annexation of Crimea. President Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly said Turkey will not abandon its relations with Russia or Ukraine, saying Ankara's ability to speak to both sides was an asset. Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/turkey-says-russia-and-ukraine-nearing-agreement-critical-issues-2575721

I just finished my studies and now i'm holidays, so i decided to come back and help the project Yes

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More than two dozen long-finned pilot whales have died after stranding at Farewell Spit, a remote beach on New Zealand's South Island where such strandings often occur. In New Zealand, long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) account for the majority of mass strandings, where two or more whales or dolphins strand at one time, according to the country's Department of Conservation. (Despite their name, long-finned pilot whales are actually one of the largest species of dolphin, according to Oceana.) During past stranding events at Farewell Spit — a narrow stretch of sand at the northern end of Golden Bay — dozens to hundreds of the marine mammals have gotten stuck on shore. More than 10 pilot whale strandings have taken place at the beach in the past 15 years, AFP reported. The most recent stranding involved 34 long-finned pilot whales, 29 of which had already perished when wildlife rangers arrived at the site on Thursday (March 17) evening, according to AFP. The rangers quickly contacted a local marine rescue group, Project Jonah, to help them attend to the five surviving pilot whales at Farewell Spit, the conservation department wrote in a Facebook post that includes photos of the pilot whales. On Friday (March 18) morning, at high tide, the team "refloated" the animals. This process typically involves using waterproof tarps to gently move the animals into open water and allow them time to reorient before swimming away, according to Particle, an Australian science publication. The group successfully refloated all five pilot whales, but "unfortunately, a newly stranded pilot whale has been found several kilometres away at Triangle Flat, at the base of Farewell Spit," the Department of Conservation's Facebook post reads. "It is not clear whether this is one of the five that were refloated. There is also a deceased pilot whale at this site." The newly stranded pilot whale was euthanized, as the animal was in "poor condition, showing high signs of stress and was not going to survive," according to a tweet from Project Jonah. "While this event is unfortunate, whale strandings are a natural phenomenon," conservation department spokesman Dave Winterburn told AFP. "The cause of this stranding is not known." Scientists still aren't certain why any of these mass strandings occur, Live Science previously reported. One theory suggests that whales' and dolphins' echolocation may not work well in shallow, near-shore waters and this causes the animals to become disoriented. It's also thought that, when one member of a pod strands, others are likely to follow close behind and beach themselves. Source: https://www.livescience.com/dozens-of-pilot-whales-strand-at-farewell-spit

Overview Hyundai is expanding its N performance sub-brand with fire-breathing version of its new Elantra compact car. The 2022 Elantra N is powered by a 286-hp version of the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder from the spunky Veloster N hatchback. Buyers can choose from either a six-speed manual transmission or an eight-speed automatic. We've grown quite fond of the Veloster N during its stay with us for a 40,000-mile long-term test, and the Elantra's upscale vibe adds another layer of desirability. We put the Elantra N on our 2022 Editors' Choice list because it has what it takes to challenge established sport compact cars such as the Subaru WRX, the Volkswagen Jetta GLI, and the upcoming Toyota GR Corolla. Engine, Transmission, and Performance Hyundai's new sport compact sedan inherits its turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder from the Veloster N hatchback. That engine makes a stout 275-hp in the Veloster N, but thanks to an overboost feature the company calls N Grin Shift, the Elantra N boasts a 286-hp rating. That gives the Elantra N a big power advantage over the Jetta GLI. An eight-speed automatic is available but we're happy to report a six-speed manual is standard. During our brief test drive, we noted aggressive throttle response, crisp handling, and a sonorous exhaust note, all of which bodes well for the production model. The Elantra N's longer wheelbase gives it a more compliant ride than the Veloster N but it still delivers the surefootedness we look for in a sports sedan. When we get a chance to take the Elantra N to our test track, we'll update this story with test results. Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG According to the EPA, the most fuel efficient version of the Elantra N is the one with the six-speed manual, which earned ratings of 22 mpg city and 31 mpg highway. Going with the automatic drops those numbers to 20 mpg city and 30 mpg highway. When we get a chance to test the new performance sedan, we'll put it through our 75-mph highway fuel economy route and update this story with results. For more information about the Elantra N's fuel economy, visit the EPA's website. Interior, Comfort, and Cargo The regular Elantra's dramatically-restyled cabin has a decidedly cockpit-like look and feel which translates perfectly to the racier Elantra N. The sportier-looking ambiance is enhanced by sport seats with aggressive bolsters, metal-accented pedals, and a smattering of N badges. Rear seat passenger space is more generous here than in the Veloster N and the trunk offers more space for cargo. A sunroof is available, but only if you get the automatic transmission. Infotainment and Connectivity The Elantra's all-digital dashboard carries over to the N model, with a large 10.3-inch digital gauge display sharing real estate with a 10.3-inch infotainment display that's angled slightly toward the driver. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, in-dash navigation, and a Wi-Fi hotspot are all likely to be standard features. Safety and Driver-Assistance Features The Elantra N offers Hyundai's now-legendary 10-year/100,000 mile warranty. The only other brand to offer such a warranty is Kia, but Hyundai's models come with three years of complimentary maintenance as an added perk. Limited warranty covers 5 years or 60,000 miles Powertrain warranty covers 10 years or 100,000 miles Complimentary maintenance is covered for 3 years or 36,000 miles

WASHINGTON—The U.S. and the U.K. have agreed to start talks to deepen trade and investment ties, their first broad effort to promote bilateral trade since negotiations to forge a free-trade agreement between the two nations were suspended last year. The discussions are aimed at closer collaboration on a range of issues including easing supply-chain congestion, decarbonizing their economies, promoting digital trade, supporting domestic workforces and labor rights, U.S. and U.K. officials said. The talks will take place on March 21 and 22, when U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai is scheduled to meet the U.K.’s Secretary of State for International Trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan in Baltimore. Another session will take place in the U.K. later this spring, said the officials. The discussions represent the Biden administration’s efforts to strengthen economic ties with friendly nations as the countries confront Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with economic sanctions and China’s growing clout in setting rules and standards for global trade and technology.

MOSCOW: Russia used its newest Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time in Ukraine on Friday (Mar 18) to destroy a weapons storage site in the country's west, the defence ministry said. Russia has never before admitted using the high-precision weapon in combat, and state news agency RIA Novosti said it was the first use of the Kinzhal hypersonic weapons during the conflict in pro-Western Ukraine. "The Kinzhal aviation missile system with hypersonic aeroballistic missiles destroyed a large underground warehouse containing missiles and aviation ammunition in the village of Deliatyn in the Ivano-Frankivsk region", the Russian defence ministry said Saturday. A defence ministry spokesman declined to comment when reached by AFP. Russian President Vladimir Putin has termed the Kinzhal (Dagger) missile "an ideal weapon" that flies at 10 times the speed of sound and can overcome air-defence systems. The Kinzhal missile was one of an array of new weapons Putin unveiled in his state-of-the-nation address in 2018. Deliatyn, a village in the foothills of the picturesque Carpathian mountains, is located outside the city of Ivano-Frankivsk. The region of Ivano-Frankivsk shares a 50-kilometre (30-mile) long border with NATO member Romania.

¤ Nickname: Aveyro ¤ Grade: Player ¤ New Tag: 14152118 ¤ Link of Hours Played GT link CLICK HERE!: https://www.gametracker.com/player/Aveyro/NEWLIFEZM.CSBLACKDEVIL.COM:27015/ PS; I was manager here 🙂

i like it as usual

Game Informations Developers : Ubisoft Entertainment Released : 8 Dec, 2016 Genre : Casual Platforms : Microsoft Windows It's quite likely that before you harnessed the power of mana in Magic: The Gathering, and before you started bluffing your way through Texas Hold 'Em, you played Uno. The playing card equivalent of checkers, Uno relies on primary colors and a zero-through-nine number system to create a fast-paced and accessible competitive experience that carries just enough depth to keep players casually engaged. This sort of low-impact gaming feels like a perfect fit for Xbox Live Arcade, and though a greater level of rule customization would have been welcome, this is still a fun and faithful rendition of a childhood favorite. If you've never actually played Uno, well, we feel sorry for your misspent childhood, but you're lucky because Uno is still easy to pick up and is still pretty fun. A typical game of Uno sees four players being dealt a hand of numbered, color-coded cards, with a face-up pile of cards in the middle and the remainder of the deck on the side. As the turns rotate around the table, each player must either place a card on the face-up pile that somehow matches the last card placed there--either they're the same number or the same color--or they have to draw a card from the deck. This goes on until one player's hand has been reduced to a single card, at which point they are obligated to bring this to everyone's atten Anyone that has actually played Uno will be able to fill you in on the nuances of how the game is played, including the diabolical action cards that let you skip players, change the rotation, and force other players to draw cards, but they'd all probably give you slightly different information. Someone might tell you that when you don't have a card that you can put on the face-up pile, you have to continue drawing cards until you draw a playable card. Someone else might say that you can avoid the penalties of a Draw Two or a Draw Four card by playing another Draw Two or Draw Four on top of it, effectively doubling the draw and passing it along to the next player. The funny thing about Uno is that they would all be right, as playing around with the rule set is one of the minor pleasures of the game. The Xbox Live Arcade version gives you the option of tweaking several different variables, including those mentioned above, as well as a scoring system that lets a game of Uno go on for multiple rounds, with the winner of each round accruing points based on the cards leftover in the other players' hands. Tweaking rules can radically affect the tone and the pace of a game of Uno, and though some of the more extreme Uno-rule modifications we've played with are absent here, it's difficult to fault the game for not including an exhaustive amount of customization. You can play Uno in a ton of different ways, either by yourself against three artificial intelligence opponents, or against three other real Uno enthusiasts over Xbox Live. The game performs well online, letting people join and leave active games at their leisure, while AI opponents dynamically step in to take over for the real players. There's also full voice-chat support, a ranked competition mode, and promised future support for the upcoming Xbox camera, though we're perplexed by the fact that, whether you're playing online or off, the card animations can slow to a chug when there are a lot of cards in play. Uno also has hooks for downloadable content, and there is already a special 35th Anniversary themed deck that you can download for free, which gives the game a real New Year's Eve vibe with confetti, streamers, and noisemakers, and also introduces a special card that, when played, demands that the next player throw down either a 3 or a 5 card. The feature changes the gameplay considerably and makes us hopeful for future Uno downloads. For less than you'd pay for a brand-new deck of actual Uno cards, you could be playing Uno on your Xbox 360, which is a pretty hard point to argue against, unless you're the kind of person that simply doesn't like Uno. But, if you're looking for a fun and relaxing time with some online friends, or you need to take the edge off after a particularly intense Geometry Wars session, it's hard to go wrong with Uno. Leave Blank

Overview What is it? A car you’ve probably never seen before, from a company you’ve never heard of - the ES6 is an electric SUV very much in the mould of the Audi e-Tron, Mercedes-Benz EQC, Jaguar I-Pace and Tesla Model X. Its manufacturer, Nio, is a five-year-old Chinese startup. You might have heard of its somewhat successful Formula E team, or the EP9 hypercar that held the Nurburgring EV lap-record for two years (until VW smashed it with the I.D R). It employs 9,000 people – three times as many as Ferrari, but a fraction of, say, Tesla’s 45,000-strong workforce – and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. So it’s a thing. Even though it has offices in Germany, the US and the UK, Nio (or Weilai - meaning ‘Blue Sky Coming’ in Mandarin) doesn’t sell cars outside of China. Not yet, anyway. The five-seat ES6 is its second model (not counting the EP9, which wasn’t road-legal and built in extremely limited numbers) after the seven-seat ES8, of which it’s sold more than 15,000 examples since sales began last year. The ES6, which shares a great deal with the ES8, went on sale in June 2019. ‘NEVs’ – ‘new energy vehicles’ – are big business in China. Nio is one of almost 500 NEV manufacturers registered there, but one of the tiny minority that’s actually built, sold and delivered some cars. Though overall car sales are falling, sales of NEVs in China are growing steadily. That said, the government has just slashed generous subsidies paid to manufacturers by as much as half, putting pressure on the industry. The ES6 is available with either a 70 or 84kWh battery, giving up to a claimed 317 miles or so of range (on the wildly-optimistic NEDC cycle). The cheapest ES6 claims around 260 miles. Driving Despite extensive use of CFRP and aluminium in its construction, the ES6 is a heavy thing. Not much less than 2.5-tonnes, a lot of which is down to the battery. At least the weight is nice and low, so it doesn’t roll about too much. But you can feel that heft in the way the ES6 rides and steers. This is a car that would need a bit of suspension tuning, should Nio ever attempt to sell it in Europe. There’s a softness to it that makes it comfy enough around town, but on the motorway and country roads introduces loose body control that sees it bounce its way along somewhat inelegantly. It’s never going to rival the Jaguar I-Pace for handling – the ES6 isn’t massively at home being hustled – but it could definitely do with a bit of tightening up. But hey, if softness is what the Chinese really want, you can’t blame Nio for obliging. The powertrain is impressive though. All ES6s are all-wheel drive – cheaper ones get a permanent magnet motor on each axle, but cars like the one we tried get a better induction magnet motor at the back, improving performance and efficiency. In such cars, you’re looking at 536bhp, 0-62mph in 4.7 seconds and a top speed limited to 125mph. It delivers those numbers with the characteristic punch of a big, expensive EV. Shrugging off its weight to deliver acceleration the uninitiated would no doubt find genuinely startling. On the inside Of course there are similarities between the ES6 and any Tesla. The door handles motor out of their housings to meet you, there’s no start button (just put your foot on the brake and select a gear) and there’s a whopping interior-dominating portrait touchscreen. Said touchscreen uses Nio’s own software, which is impressively slick. As far as we can tell, anyway – at the moment it’s only available in Mandarin, which we can’t read. It responds to inputs quickly and the graphics are crystal-clear. The most other-worldly thing in here is the voice assistant, which Nio calls Nomi. In principle it works like systems from Mercedes and BMW – only this time it has a FACE. A little swivelling head thing that sits on top of the dashboard, where in, say, a Porsche you’d find the stopwatch. It looks at you when you talk to it (which you can do from any of the car’s five seats) or if you don’t put your seatbelt on. And if you’re listening to music it starts shaking a set of virtual maracas. All very odd, but rather amusing nonetheless. As for the voice control itself, our aforementioned lack of Chinese language skills renders us incapable of actually talking to Nomi. Seemed a bit hit and miss when native speakers were feeding it nav destinations, though. The design and layout of the interior is interesting. Nio hasn’t done a Tesla and entirely deleted the centre tunnel (though no doubt it could have done). It’s quite high, in fact, so the driver and front passenger feel cocooned to a degree. There’s storage underneath, a wireless charger on top and a deep centre storage bin. Material quality feels broadly good – we were expecting something that felt built down to a price, but the ES6 isn’t like that at all. It’s big, too. Very spacious wherever you’re sitting. A front passenger’s seat that slides right the way back and gets an extendable footrest is very comfortable indeed, and the driving position is bang on for a car of this size and type. We spent two whole days behind the wheel and didn’t feel fatigued in the slightest. Not from the car, anyway. Owning You can’t buy an ES6 because you don’t live in China. But for those that can, this is where things get really interesting. See, buying a Nio is like buying into a club. It grants access to any ‘Nio House’ – the company’s dealers/clubhouses that can be found in shopping malls in many of China’s biggest cities. These spaces, which are a bit like a Tesla Store crossed with an Apple Store crossed with a Starbucks, contain a publicly-accessible bit where prospective owners can buy cars, and an invite-only section (often a whole floor) for existing owners and their friends/family. These bits contain a coffee shop, library, children’s play area and even rentable office space. Would Brits use them? No clue – but they seem to work in China. We visited a couple while we were there driving the ES6 and both seemed reasonably well attended. Owning a Nio also gives you access to the company’s network of 123 power-swap stations – the only network of its kind anywhere in the world. Nio has lined three of China’s busiest expressways with these stations, and you’ll find some in major cities like Beijing and Shanghai. Though manned 24-hours a day, the process is entirely automated. Once the Nio man has manoeuvred your car into place, he goes into a little room and prods some buttons. Your car is then shuffled into place and lifted into the air. Its battery is unscrewed and a new, fully-charged one fitted. The whole process takes less than ten minutes and costs the equivalent of around £20. Each station contains five batteries at any one time, and can service 70 cars a day. Of course you can charge the car too – Nio’s app is so good at keeping track of public chargers, a lot of non-owners rely on it. Getting the ES6 from zero to 80 per cent takes a little under an hour on a fast DC charger. As well as the power-swap stations, Nio has a fleet of vans you can call upon for a quick charge. Simply hail one from the app, and a chap will drive to wherever you are to deliver the EV equivalent of a splash and dash – 60 miles of range in ten minutes. In its native China, the ES6 starts at 358,000 RMB, or around £42,000. Our top-spec Premier Edition ES6 is the equivalent of around £58,000. The cheapest Jaguar I-Pace, meanwhile, costs the equivalent of £73,000 in China, while the Tesla Model X is over £90,000. Verdict The Nio ES6 is a good car. In many respects it’s on par with competition from Europe – the interior is comfortable, spacious and feels well-made, the infotainment looks and feels slick and the powertrain is smooth, quiet and makes this 2,345kg car properly quick. Another massive plus is the access to Nio’s battery-swap stations – something we wish someone had thought to implement in the UK. It’s not all good, though – the ES6 isn’t even slightly sporty, much like the EQC, the body control leaves much to be desired and for the most part it feels its substantial weight. But as a marker in the sand, only Nio’s second car, it’s an impressive bit of kit. Now, the score. It’s a tricky one, this, because the Nio isn’t available here and therefore doesn’t have UK prices or specs. We’ve gone with a 6 because it’s a surprisingly good thing, if lacking in a few areas. Nio’s charging ecosystem might have earned it an extra point, but it’s still unproven and, again, only a thing in China. Should the ES6 ever materialise in Europe, we’d be only too happy to revisit our review and revise our score accordingly. But for now - we can’t say for certain whether it’s better or worse than the comparable Audi, Mercedes or Jaguar.

KANCHANABURI, Thailand (Reuters) - The mahouts at an elephant sanctuary in western Thailand have resorted to swimming in a nearby lake to gather weeds for fodder, as a nationwide lockdown has left them without tourist dollars needed to pay for the fruit their animals like. In a normal season, the Taweechai Elephant Camp in the western province of Kanchanaburi would welcome more than 100 tourists per day, mostly from Russia and European countries. Each tourist would spend around $30 to $150 for different activities, such as riding or feeding elephants. But now there is only money going out, and no money coming in. Feeding the camp’s 25 elephants, and paying the mahouts and other staff costs around 1 million baht ($30,395) a month, according to owner Dumrong Longsakul. “I have been stressed to the point that I can’t sleep, I don’t know what to do,” said Dumrong, whose father started the camp. Dumrong said that he can neither lay off the staff nor let the elephants go, as the elephants would be unable to fend for themselves in the wild and need mahouts to look after them. The camp is one of many animal sanctuaries that depend on the millions of tourists visiting Thailand from around the world each year, and in all there are an estimated 2,000 elephants involved in the tourism industry. Somkit Methachotikul, a 29-year-old mahout who gets a monthly salary of 7,500 baht ($228), said that he was worried for the well-being of his family and the elephants. “Elephants are like our family members. If they are eating well, sleeping well, that makes me happy,” said Somkit. Thailand has reported 2,220 cases of the new coronavirus and 26 fatalities since the outbreak first emerged in January, and the government declared a state of emergency last month.

The coronavirus epidemic has killed 8,911 people since the start of March in France, or 833 more deaths in the past 24 hours, Health Minister Olivier Véran said on Monday, April 6, 2020. Of these additional deaths, 605 occurred in hospitals and the rest in nursing homes or in medico-social establishments, he said. The number of serious cases in intensive care reaches 7,072, against 6,978 on Sunday, an increase of 94 cases against 140 cases the day before. It is also the lowest net balance since the start of containment measures, but we are not at the end of the epidemic ascent, said the minister. The total number of contamination cases confirmed by PCR test rose to 98,010, against 92,839 on Sunday, taking into account the tests carried out in hospitals and in nursing homes.

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Very basically, a two-door, four-seat version of the all-conquering Mercedes S-Class – formerly known as the CL – that competes with the Bentley Continental GT and Aston Martin DB11. A big, soft GT-car designed to do big distances without throwing out your lower back. An S-Class you drive, rather than get driven in. We like it very much indeed. Our favourite luxury saloon was recently updated with new tech, engines and so-on, and now the Coupe that shares its underpinnings has been given most of the same upgrades. Besides a set of OLED taillights and a ‘Panamerica’ grille (as seen on other, newer AMGs) for the AMG S63 and V12-engined S65, there are no real aesthetic changes. None that you’ll notice, anyway, which ought to keep owners of the outgoing model (and incredibly similar-looking E-Class Coupe) reasonably happy. The same is true of the interior – the steering wheel and screens are new, but they’re nothing we haven’t seen in other Mercs, or radically different from what was there before. If you’re familiar with the current E- or S-Class saloon, you’ll be right at home here. Most of the changes are under the skin. So the ‘base’ S500 has been replaced by the S560, which gets a new 4.0-litre turbocharged V8 engine that’s more powerful and, thanks to cylinder-deactivation, more economical than the 4.7-litre engine it succeeds. And of course there’s the latest in semi-autonomous driver assistance tech, including the newest version of Merc’s adaptive cruise control that can slow the S for roundabouts, tolls and upcoming junctions. Driving What is it like on the road? And it’s those driver assistance systems that, by and large, dominate the driving experience. There’s a lot going on in the S-Class, but happily most of its systems are so well integrated you’d never know it was doing half of what Mercedes claims. The one exception would be the active speed limiter which, if you’ve got the cruise control set, pegs your speed at whatever the car thinks the limit is. Sometimes it is wrong, and tries to slow you to 30 in a 70 or speed you up to 80 in a 50. Annoying, yes, but nothing that can’t be solved with the tap of one of the MANY steering wheel buttons. Besides, shouldn’t you be paying attention to what the limit is anyway? That said the Driving Assistance package is optional and well worth having (you don’t buy an S-Class to skimp on options) at £2,580 – it gives you the full suite of Mercedes’ excellent safety and assistance systems. Three engines are available in Britain. The S560 gets a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 with cylinder deactivation for 469bhp, 516lb ft, 0-62mph in an entirely adequate 4.6 seconds and a 155mph top speed. The AMG S63 also gets a 4.0-litre V8, but this time with 612bhp and 663lb ft. Both have nine-speed automatic gearboxes. Meanwhile the S65, of which Mercedes only expects to sell a handful in Britain, gets an old seven-speed auto because the new nine-speeder can’t handle all the torque from the mighty twin-turbo V12. Since the facelift we’ve only driven the 560 and 63, and true to form both are very good indeed. Of course the AMG is shoutier, its engine-note more hard-edged and responses more immediate, but the 560 is plenty fast enough and has this wonderful, laid-back character that really suits it. And if you want the Magic Body Control suspension – which leans the car into bends like a motorcyclist and scans the road ahead for speedbumps, potholes and so-on – it’s your only option. You can probably do without it, however impressive it is at ironing out massive speedbumps (if not the little, sharp stuff. Oh, and it’s £4,250). Even though there’s mighty performance on offer from pretty much any variant, just as you’d expect the S is more adept at rapid distance-demolishing rather than joyous switchbacks. That’s fine by us, and means you may as well embrace the waft, eschew the AMGs, save your money and buy the 560. On the inside Layout, finish and space We immediately stepped from the S into a GLC, and while the quality of the leather, switchgear and layout naturally catch your eye, what really highlights the difference in interior quality between the S Coupe and a ‘normal’ Merc is the clickwheel. While both use one to control their infotainment systems, the one in the S-Class feels heavier, more satisfying to use and operate. BMW’s iDrive feels exactly the same in a 1 Series as it does in a 7 Series, so we commend Merc for going the extra mile. Because these little things matter when you’re spending north of £100k. The dashboard is gorgeous and the technology it houses first-rate. The front-seats (which, like those in the convertible, have a vent in the headrests that blows hot air at the back of your neck) are among the most comfortable fitted to any car, and though access can be a bit of a pain, you can sit a couple of adults in the back without soliciting too many complaints. Ambient lighting gives a choice of 64 colours, the optional high-end Burmester stereo is needlessly capable and the twin 12.3in displays are easy to muddle your way around and configure to your liking. This interior responds especially well to bright leathers, so we’d urge you to stay clear of black and go for something else – anything to bring out the stitching/quilting. The boot isn’t massive, but there’s more space back there than you get in either the Bentley or Aston. Owning Running costs and reliability You’re not buying an S-Class Coupe – the flagship two-door Merc – to save money. You could buy an E-Class Coupe and get broadly the same look, most of the luxury and all of the tech for half as much. But you don’t want to do that, do you? Which is why it’s of no concern to you that the cheapest S-Class Coupe – the S560 in AMG Line trim (the only trim available in the UK, besides the proper AMGs) starts at £103,715. The S63 is from £127,515, and the 65 is from a staggering £189,615. And options are pricey – the S560 we tested was optioned up to £133,672 (six of that the fancy leather, five the stereo and another four for the suspension) – but who cares? That said this is not a car that demands you throw a load of options at it – S Coupes come as standard with everything you could conceivably want and more. 90 per cent as desirable even without all the added extras. The S Coupe should at least be relatively cheap to run, at least given its size and performance. The 560 promises 34mpg and 188g/km, while the 63 gives 31.7mpg and 203g/km. As for the S65, if you have to ask then it’s probably not the car for you. Verdict Final thoughts and pick of the range Beautifully engineered bits of kit that nail the brief – brilliantly capable long-distance GTs that are fast, loaded with cutting-edge technology and, if you go for the right spec, actually quite subtle. One of the most cosseting, relaxing things to drive everyday – not quite as special as its flash, handmade competitors, but at a fraction of the money you can’t complain.

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LAUSANNE (Reuters) - In Lausanne, a Swiss city on the shores of lake Geneva, the coronavirus outbreak has revived a tradition of centuries past: The cathedral watchman climbs the 153 stone steps to his tower at night, puts on a black hat, lights a lantern and rings the “La Clemence” bell to stir residents’ solidarity and courage. It’s a practice dating back to the Middle Ages, when watchmen at Lausanne Cathedral kept a vigil over the city and rang the bell if they spotted a fire. “We can compare this pandemic to a worldwide fire that has spread at lightning speed on all continents,” Renato Hausler, one of the last cathedral watchmen in Europe, told Reuters. “It was also considered an encouragement, more than a distress signal, everybody was hearing it and it brought unity with residents fighting the fire. ” Since last week Hausler has been ringing “La Clemence”, the 16th-century bell, nearly every night, and calling out the hours from 10pm to 2am. Switzerland’s death toll from the novel virus has risen to nearly 500 and the total confirmed infections approach 20,000. Hausler wants to “keep people awake with regards to what is happening, to stay focused”.