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Executive vice president for vehicle testing and high performance development. It’s not a bad job title, is it? At Hyundai Motor Group, which incorporates both Hyundai and Kia, it’s a title now worn by Albert Biermann. Has been for a couple of years, in fact. Because, at 57, if somebody makes you an offer, and you’ve been at your old place for 32 years, what else are you going to do? Even if the old place was BMW, and eventually you were basically in charge of the revered M division. Biermann figured he had made his mark, achieved what he’d wanted to and figured, well... why the hell not? So here we are, a couple of years later, and the Korean conglomerate’s Kia Stinger and Hyundai i30 N are about to go on sale. Fruits of the labour, if you like. We’ve seen Biermann twice this year. In April, while he was on a trip to the UK to suss out our roads and how vehicles dynamically handle them – more on which later – and then, backstage at the Frankfurt motor show. Biermann was on good form on both occasions, as you might expect given the products he’s putting out. Both i30 N, which is Hyundai’s first proper hot hatch, and Stinger GT, the Kia that will be aiming for the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé, have been warmly received. Things are good. “Everything is finished,” he says of the Stinger GT. “I mean, we have no mass production cars out yet, but they’re more or less on the way from Korea to Europe.” Those who have driven this new grand tourer, a rear-wheel-drive executive hatchback- cum-coupé, including Autocar’s own testers, have warmed to it. “People are surprised a Kia can drive like this,” says Biermann. “And at this moment, we have only put the 3.3-litre V6 out, and we’re not focusing on the 2.0-litre petrol or the diesel [versions]. But I’m also quite optimistic about those. Of course some power is missing, but the sporty character is there.” Hyundai has had its Genesis saloons before – and will again – but the Stinger is the first time that Kia has attempted to mix it with the European big boys. Has public perception shifted at all? “I can’t tell yet, but I’m sure it will happen,” Biermann says. “The Stinger will change the expectation of Kia cars in general, because people will think we can perform at a higher level.” He knows, though, that it will be a long haul to get a Kia into the same conversation as an Audi, BMW or Mercedes-Benz. As you would expect from someone who spent so long at M division, it’s the dynamics that get Biermann’s attention. Hence the visit to the UK. “That event clearly gave us more focus on attribute tuning. Our team went to the UK again [in late August], so we definitely take more care of UK’s driving requirements,” he tells us. Britain’s uniquely crappy roads are one of the reasons why the Kias and Hyundais of today and tomorrow will be better to drive than the current ones. “The UK adds more challenge,” Biermann says. “You have bad roads, the surfaces are poor and you have more crown; and the narrowness of the roads where everybody has to go between hedges. And narrow city roads too. You don’t find that so much in Germany, where so far we have focused our European tuning.” Coming to the UK means “we are clearly focused on more agility, steering response and steering precision for the future,” he says. “And also to adjust a little bit more for the harsh roads.” Not all companies do that, you know; pay attention to the little details like that, to get things fundamentally right. It’s new for Kia too. “We have some new experiences,” says Biermann. “But it’s very fruitful because, all of a sudden, our car is competing on a premium European car level. And they’re enjoying it, you know.” So are we, Albert, so are we. Biermann’s greatest hits: BMW M3 (E30) RACE CAR - Touring cars get little more successful or famous than the E30 M3, one of Biermann’s early projects at BMW, owing to a background in which he did a spot of racing himself. BMW X5 (E70) - The original X5 (E53) was a groundbreaking car. Biermann was project leader on the second- generation version, tasked with making it more luxurious. BMW 1 SERIES M COUPE - Biermann’s arrival at BMW’s M Division, which he became head of in 2008, largely coincided with M’s move to turbocharged engines. The 1 Series M Coupé, a cult classic produced in 2011, is arguably the greatest of those so far. HYUNDAI i30 N - Turbochargers, still, but also the first front-driven car that Biermann has headed development of. N division was already in progress on Biermann’s arrival, but he has seen a belting new hot hatch over the line.

Their names made the biggest noninjury headlines of the week in the NFL and this week one is expected to continue to play a big role for his team while the other is likely to be a backup for a while. Thanks to a courtroom Hail Mary, the Dallas Cowboys will have the services of running back Ezekiel Elliott when they play the Kansas City Chiefs in AT&T Stadium in an important game for the 4-3 team as it chases the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East. For the third time, a federal court intervened Friday to keep Elliott, who is fighting a six-game suspension, eligible, granting a request by the NFL Players Association to keep the suspension on hold while the union appeals a ruling Monday. It’s a risky gambit by the Cowboys, who could lose Elliott at a critical stretch of the season if all legal means are exhausted, but his recent productivity shows just how valuable he is. Over the last three games, he has rushed for 413 yards, with 150 coming last week in a victory over the Redskins. For the Cowboys, having Elliott against the Chiefs, who struggle to stop the run, is a big plus. For the Chiefs, well, they have Alex Smith, who hasn’t thrown an interception yet this season. In San Francisco, the 49ers will try for the ninth time this season to win a game and, while Jimmy Garoppolo drew all the attention when the team sent a second-round draft pick for him to New England for him ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline. Garoppolo, long Tom Brady’s understudy, will be active for the game against the Arizona Cardinals, but so will starter C.J. Beathard. Garoppolo hasn’t had much time to learn Kyle Shanahan’s offense, but there’s a chance his education will come under fire because Beathard may have taken 34 percent of the team’s snaps, but he’s absorbed 41 percent of the sacks the team has given up and has been hit hard another half-dozen times. Shanahan admitted that getting Garoppolo ready is a “challenge” — both for him and the team. “I don’t care who you are or how many hours you put in, there’s no way you can get it all down in that short amount of time. If he does get the opportunity to go in, you got to scale it down. You have to wristband a bunch of stuff,” Shanahan said. “You got to be very selective in what you call and make sure he understands what you’re doing. It’s not just the pass plays. It’s the snap count, the cadence, how to get out of the huddle, where the run plays are going, the ballhandling and all the little things that people take for granted that take a lot of time to work on. We’ve got in enough this week so that we know we can survive to a degree if he had to come in.”

A year ago Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton, and the surprises haven't stopped since. He promised to be a transformational president, to drain the swamp and shake up the establishment. And he promised that being president would change him — saying that he could become more "presidential" than anyone except Abraham Lincoln. NPR asked four historians for their take on how the presidency has changed Trump and how Trump has changed the presidency. Here are their observations on Trump, after 10 months in the Oval Office and a year after his election victory. H.W Brands, author of biographies of Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and Ronald Reagan Brands says that being president hasn't changed Donald Trump at all. And that's a surprise. "Previous candidates who get elected are almost always sobered by the office and the responsibility they take on," Brands says, "Donald Trump shows no evidence of that. He's the same Trump that he was when he was host of his reality TV show. He's the same Trump that he was when he was a candidate." That's exactly what Trump's supporters wanted. They wanted the candidate who channeled their grievances against the establishment and the elites to do the same thing as president. If the presidency hasn't transformed Trump, Brands believes Trump has transformed the presidency. The biggest change is the way Trump's "America First" presidency relates to the rest of the world. President Trump Is Going To Asia: What To Watch For At Each Stop POLITICS President Trump Is Going To Asia: What To Watch For At Each Stop "The president of the United States from the 1940s until 2017 was considered the leader of the free world — probably the most powerful person in the world not simply in terms of America's military might, but in terms of the moral authority of the president," says Brands, "Donald Trump has largely abdicated that. He has spoken of ..... abrogating America's obligations, at undermining America's alliances and not really caring when other countries violate the human rights of their own people." Right now, say Brands, the president of the United States is no longer the leading figure in world affairs. Douglas Brinkley, author of biographies of Gerald Ford, John F, Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and both Roosevelts To Brinkley, Trump has transformed the presidency through his use of social media. By tweeting incessantly he sets the agenda for the media and controls the narrative. Every president complains about their press coverage and rails at "media bias." But no president, says Brinkley, has tried to delegitimize the press the way Donald Trump has. "Richard Nixon ate up a lot of clock trying to destroy the press. Trump now has a mechanism to do it because he's not beholden in any way, shape, or form to traditional media," Brinkley says, "So by going over them, it gives him an instant kind of power and credibility... every day he wants the lead story to be 'Trump.' Even if it's controversial, it allows him to be the dominant force in American politics." Barbara Perry, director of the Center for Presidential Studies at the University of Virginia's Miller Center and editor of books on George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton Perry says Trump has used his dominance to change the traditional relationship between a president and his party. Trump is a divisive figure within the GOP. He's received more scathing public criticism from prominent members of his own party

The pick-up sector is an 'opportunity' for growth for PSA Peugeot Citroen, and the new model could use the Toyota Hilux platform PSA (Citroen, Peugeot, Vauxhall and DS) and Changan are set to develop a new one-ton pick-up for the LCV market in a new deal between the European and Asian automobile manufacturers. Having signed a framework agreement in June, the French Group and China’s Changan have signed a co-development deal to implement this new type of vehicle that will be manufactured in Changan’s Ding Zhou plant in China. The vehicle will initially be available in the Chinese market and will gradually be introduced to PSA’s overseas markets, with Europe a likely destination. Changan already lead the Chinese light utility truck market with the ‘Tiger Truck’. Worldwide, 14 million light commercial vehicles were on the roads in 2016 with 18 per cent of those represented by one-ton pickups. It is currently unknown as to what the new one-ton pickup will be badged as. PSA Group own the Citroen, Peugeot, Vauxhall, DS and Opel brands while Changan is launching its own offensive on the European market.

The backlash to Papa John’s chief executive blaming disappointing pizza sales on NFL players’ protests came swiftly on social media. Some called John Schnatter, the chain’s founder, a racist for scapegoating black football players protesting racial injustice. They made fun of the way his pizza tastes. They threatened to boycott. The controversy, ignited by Schnatter’s comments during a call with investors Wednesday, is unlikely to inflict any long-lasting damage on Papa John’s corporate image or even profits, some marketing experts say. “People get upset and the outrage lasts for a week. These kinds of things blow over,” said Lakshman Krishnamurthi, a marketing professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Americans come down on both sides of any social issue, Krishnamurthi noted. As much as gay rights activists had protested Cathy’s comments, conservatives rallied behind him, with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee calling for a “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day.” In Papa John’s case, conservatives were quick to defend Schnatter, who donated $1,000 to President Trump’s campaign. They echoed Trump’s call for the NFL to make players stand or fire them — a stance Schnatter did not explicitly take on the earnings call. They praised Schnatter for distancing the pizza brand from the NFL. Mike Cernovich, a right wing firebrand and conspiracy theorist, dubbed Papa John’s “America’s pizza” in a tweet thanking the company. (It’s unclear for what, exactly) Schnatter, in the earnings call, blamed “poor” NFL leadership — not the players directly — for hurting Papa John’s shareholders because of the league’s failure to resolve “the current debacle to the player’s and owner’s satisfaction.” “This should have been nipped in the bud a year and a half ago,” he said.

A former Trump campaign aide withdrew from consideration to be the top scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Thursday amid scrutiny of his scientific credentials and his ties to the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Sam Clovis, a 25-year Air Force veteran and onetime talk show host from Iowa, served as co-chair and policy adviser to the Trump campaign. In that capacity, he oversaw foreign policy George Papadopoulos adviser and encouraged him to meet with Russian contacts. Investigators revealed Monday that Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lying to investigators in connection with the Russia probe. Clovis had also received criticism for lacking a scientific background as he pursued a job with duties overseeing scientific research. Clovis acknowledged that he had no such experience in a letter obtained by the Washington Post. “The political climate inside Washington has made it impossible for me to receive balanced and fair consideration for this position,” Clovis said in a resignation letter to Trump, according to a Politico report. “The relentless assaults on you and your team seem to be a blood sport that only increases in intensity each day.” White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders acknowledged the resignation Thursday. “We respect Mr. Clovis’s decision to withdraw his nomination,” she said in a statement. Before being linked to the federal investigation on Russia, Clovis had already attracted significant attention for past statements on both climate change and gay rights. He has previously questioned the role humans play in warming the planet, something widely agreed upon by scientists, and suggested that being gay is a choice.

WELCOME TO CSBD

WELCOME TO CSBD

The man identified as the gunman who checked into a suite at a Las Vegas hotel and massacred dozens of concertgoers with a vicious deluge of bullets late Sunday lived in a quiet retirement community in Mesquite, Nev., about 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas, where he and his companion drew little attention to themselves, relatives and neighbors said. The gunman, identified by the police as Stephen Craig Paddock, 64, was described as a retiree who loved to gamble and who lived with his girlfriend, Marilou Danley, 62. Relatives said Mr. Paddock had not displayed strong political or ideological beliefs in their interactions with him. That modest portrait of Mr. Paddock was upended shortly after 10 p.m. Sunday when, according to the police, he opened fire on fans attending an outdoor country music concert near the Mandalay Bay Resort on the Las Vegas Strip, killing nearly 60 people and injuring at least 500 others. Mr. Paddock was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot in his room on the 32nd floor of the hotel, said Sheriff Joseph Lombardo of Clark County, which includes Las Vegas. More than 19 rifles were found in the hotel room, a law enforcement official confirmed, along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Two rifles with scopes were mounted on tripods and positioned in front of the two windows in the hotel room. Sheriff Lombardo described Mr. Paddock as “lone wolf” who had smashed the window of the hotel with a hammer-like device before starting to fire on the crowd. A motive for the horrific attack remained unclear. “I can’t get into the mind of a psychopath at this point,” Sheriff Lombardo said. “It wasn’t evident that he had weapons in his room,” the sheriff said. “It has been determined that he had employees going to and fro from his room, and nothing nefarious was noticed.” His brother, Eric Paddock, who lives in Orlando, said he and his family were “shocked, horrified” by the news, saying he was “not an avid gun guy.” The brother told CBS News that he knew Mr. Paddock had handguns, but that as far as he knew, Mr. Paddock did not own “machine guns.” “Where the hell did he get automatic weapons? He has no military background or anything like that,” the brother said. “When you find out about him, like I said, he’s a guy who lived in a house in Mesquite and drove down and gambled in Las Vegas.” He said he last communicated with his brother when Stephen inquired about how the family had fared during Hurricane Irma, which struck Florida in September. “He texted me to ask about my mom after the hurricane,” Eric Paddock told reporters. “He sent her a walker.” Christopher Sullivan, general manager of Guns & Guitars, a gun store in Mesquite, confirmed that Mr. Paddock bought three guns at his shop within the last year — a handgun and two rifles. All the purchases were legal and cleared routine federal screening, Mr. Sullivan said. “The man does not have a criminal history,” he said of Mr. Paddock. Mr. Sullivan, who said he had been contacted by the F.B.I. and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, declined to provide detailed descriptions of the guns Mr. Paddock bought. “We have cooperated with local and federal authorities,” he said.

The concept of a 4-door coupe is simple: combine the sleek, low-slung profile of a coupe with the flexibility of four doors. Add a liftback to the mix, and what you’re left with is perhaps the most compelling blend of style and practicality ever offered in a single package. Both the 2018 Audi A5 and higher-performing S5 exemplify this best-of-both-worlds philosophy in spades. Having Your Coupe and Driving it Too By virtue of sharing its lower structure and wheelbase with the A4 sedan, the Sportback’s rear quarters provide plenty of legroom and headroom for a six-footer’s frame. Folding down the rear seatbacks reveals 35 cubic feet of cargo space, which, for those playing the home game, is comparable to that of a small hatchback. Loading cargo is a cinch as well thanks to a wide aperture rear opening and power-operated hatch. As you may have guessed, the A5 and S5 Sportbacks accelerate, corner, and cruise with all the refinement and composure of their traditional 4-door counterparts. Also: Get your first look at the new and redesigned cars of 2018 The Dollars Make Sense For the same price as an A5 coupe ($43,100 including destination fees), you can drive away with a significantly more practical A5 Sportback equipped with premium accouterments like a panoramic moonroof, HID headlights, leather, ambient interior lighting, an 8-way power driver’s seat with 4-way lumbar control, rain-sensing windshield wipers, three-zone climate control (rare for this class of car), passive entry with push-button start, and a 10-speaker audio system tied to a 7-inch remote-operated display featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. Stepping up to the sportier S5 Sportback carries with it a $12,000 premium, but also includes additional standard such as full LED headlights, Alcantara inserts, and heated front sport seats with adjustable side bolsters. The 2018 Audi A5 Sportback and S5 Sportback are now available in dealer showrooms nationwide.

What a difference it makes for Manchester City to go into these games with a top-level goalkeeper. Both times last season they played well against Chelsea but were let down by their man in goal. Claudio Bravo was too easily beaten at the Etihad, as City lost 3-1, and here at Stamford Bridge Willy Caballero did not have his best game as City lost 2-1. Both times afterwards Pep Guardiola bemoaned how Chelsea managed to turn all of their chances into goals. Not this time. With new Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson, City had someone to rely on, helping them to do what they could not last year and shut out Chelsea. He made important saves but just as importantly he dominated the box when Chelsea started to put crosses in. His distribution was as brisk as ever and one sharp first-half throw-out led to Raheem Sterling flashing a cross in from the right after an electric break. And, crucially, he was brave in coming off his line, heading and chesting the ball when he left his own box, even doing so unruffled as City saw out their win at the end. He is clearly not shaken by his nasty collision with Sadio Mane earlier this month.

German auto giant Volkswagen AG warned on Friday that it will take a surprise one-time charge of about 2.5 billion euros ($3 billion) against its third-quarter earnings, as its efforts to buy back or repair diesel-powered vehicles in North America have proven more costly than it had expected. Wall Street analysts polled by Bloomberg had expected VW to report an operating profit of 4.45 billion euros for the third quarter, on average, before the charge was announced. What VW said: A big charge related to its U.S. diesel settlement In a terse statement, VW said that "additional provisions" to its plan to buy back or retrofit vehicles powered by its 2.0 liter "TDI" turbodiesel engines will "burden" its third-quarter operating results to the tune of about 2.5 billion euros. The company said that the program to repair or repurchase the diesel-powered cars "is proving to be far more technically complex and time consuming" than it had anticipated. VW plans to release its third-quarter results on Oct. 27. The background: VW is struggling to fix its dirty diesels It has been just over two years since the world learned that VW had been using software that allowed its diesel engines to cheat on emissions testing. About 11 million vehicles worldwide were said to have been fitted with the software, with just over half a million of those in the United States. About 482,000 vehicles in the U.S. had the 2.0 liter engine (the remainder had a different diesel engine, a 3.0 liter V6). At that time, VW said that it would set aside 6.5 billion euros to cover the costs of bringing the affected vehicles into compliance -- but the bill has grown significantly since then, in part because U.S. regulations around diesel-engine emissions are much stricter than those in Europe. In June 2016, VW agreed to a $15.3 billion settlement with U.S. authorities. Under that deal, VW agreed to offer to buy back the 482,000 vehicles with the 2.0 liter diesel engine at their values in September of 2015, right before the scandal broke. Alternatively, owners could choose to have their cars repaired to comply with the Clean Air Act. (The vehicles with the 3.0 liter engines were covered by a separate settlement last December.) Many owners have chosen to sell their cars back to VW (or for leased vehicles, to end their leases early without penalties). But some owners have opted to keep their diesel VWs, meaning that VW is legally obliged to recall and repair them. It appears that VW is having trouble coming up with a repair that will pass muster with regulators at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the powerful California Air Resources Board (CARB). VW and the regulators may also be in disagreement over what the company should do with the thousands of vehicles it has already bought back, many of which are sitting in vast parking lots in Michigan. That seems to be what is driving this new $3 billion charge. VW's Dieselgate bill now stands at $30 billion -- and counting The $3 billion charge is a huge number given the total number of vehicles involved in the U.S.: It's roughly $6,200 per vehicle. It brings the total hit to VW from the Dieselgate scandal to about 25 billion euros, or roughly $30 billion. And it has to make embattled VW shareholders wonder: Where is the end of all this -- and does CEO Matthias Mueller have it under control? I don't expect answers to either question to be forthcoming from VW anytime soon. Read the original article on The Motley Fool. Copyright 2017. Follow The Motley Fool on Twitter.

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As hybrid SUV sales continue to grow, so too does the number of models available in the UK. The question then, which is best? In the not so distant past, Lexus was the go to name for people wanting a hybrid SUV. However, 2017 has seen the range of hybrid SUVs in the UK grow considerably, and what’s more, the market is still expanding. Luckily for you, this increase in variety means that your chances of finding the right hybrid SUV have never been higher. Whether it is a full-fat 7-seater or a smaller, more compact SUV for getting about town, there are several models worth considering, and when you throw in the option of plug-in or conventional hybrid powertrains, you are almost spoilt for choice. Arriving in 2005, the Lexus RX 400h was the first hybrid SUV to be sold here in the UK. Under the bonnet it had a V6 petrol engine (not quite offering the diesel rivalling economy of the more modern models listed here), battery pack and electric motor. Clearly po[CENSORED]r, the Lexus RX lives on, currently in its fourth generation and featuring a more modern hybrid powertrain. • What is a hybrid car? A large proportion of SUVs sold in the UK run on diesel power so you might have thought that most hybrid SUVs would use diesel engines for maximum efficiency. But that isn’t the case, a number of factors including the preferences in the large Japanese, Chinese, and American markets dictated that the cars in this guide have petrol engines with electrical assistance. Plug-in hybrids are designed to deliver the efficiency of a diesel, but with the smoothness of a petrol engine. The latest models feature a battery pack that's good for up to 20 miles of electric running, and as long as you keep the battery charged up, you should be able to return decent fuel figures to match or beat a diesel model. Fail to keep it charged, and you're presented with a false economy, because a depleted hybrid that relies on its petrol engine will be no more efficient than a standalone petrol model. THat's especially true when you factor in the usually higher purchase price of a hybrid model. One benefit of the hybrid SUV is that their size means there's not much compromise in terms of passenger space. The hybrid system usually takes up space under the boot floor, and many makers fit a smaller fuel tank to make room for it, the reasoning being that the charged battery and electric motor will more than make up for the smaller fuel tank range. As a result, there are a few seven-seat hybrid SUVs on sale that feature a third row in the boot. Best 4x4s and SUVs on sale If you're looking for a hybrid SUV or crossover, your options are wider than ever. At the lower end of the range in terms of size, the Kia Niro is more of a hatchback with SUV styling cues than a full crossover, but is the least expensive non-plugin hybrid on sale. Beyond that, the Toyota RAV4, Lexus NX 300h and RX 450h all use petrol engines with battery and electric motors. Where the real expansion is taking place is in the plug-in hybrid market. The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV was the first to arrive in 2012, but since then it's been joined by the Volvo XC90 Twin Engine, Audi Q7 etron, Porsche Cayenne E-hybrid, BMW X5 40e, Mercedes GLE 500e and, most recently, the MINI Countryman S E.

Alberto Moreno believes his critics should "shut their mouths" following his return to form for Liverpool this season. The 25-year-old spent the last campaign on the Liverpool bench and made just two Premier League starts after losing his position at left-back to James Milner. He looked set to depart Anfield in the summer and was the subject of a £11m bid from Napoli, but Liverpool were only willing to let him leave for £15m. However, Moreno remained at the club and is now content with the way things panned out after reclaiming his starting position under Jurgen Klopp. "I am very, very happy, personally, with the way things are going," he said. "Things were bad over the summer - the word was that I would be leaving. "However, at no point did I agree with those claims. I wanted to stay and fight for my place and that is the mindset I had when I came back for pre-season." Moreno has started eight games in all competitions this for Liverpool this season and maintains he is fully committed to the club, despite a year of uncertainty. "It is a club I love," he added.

Early in his administration, President Trump signed a directive outlining a strategy of pressure against North Korea that involved actions across a broad spectrum of government agencies and led to the use of military cyber-capabilities, according to U.S. officials. As part of the campaign, U.S. Cyber Command targeted hackers in North Korea’s military spy agency, the Reconnaissance General Bureau, by barraging their computer servers with traffic that choked off Internet access. Trump’s directive, a senior administration official said, also included instructions to diplomats and officials to bring up North Korea in virtually every conversation with foreign interlocutors and urge them to sever all ties with Pyongyang. Those conversations have had significant success, particularly in recent weeks as North Korea has tested another nuclear weapon and ballistic missiles, officials said. [The message behind the murder: Assassination sheds light on North Korea’s chemical arsenal] So pervasive is the diplomatic campaign that some governments have found themselves scrambling to find any ties with North Korea. When Vice President Pence called on one country to break relations during a recent overseas visit, officials there reminded him that they never had relations with Pyongyang. Pence then told them, to their own surprise, that they had $2 million in trade with North Korea. Foreign officials, who asked that their country not be identified, described the exchange.

Our exclusive images show a rounder look for the Mercedes GLE, set to share styling cues with its GLC sibling Another piece in Mercedes’ SUV puzzle is slowly falling into place: the next-generation GLE. The new BMW X5 rival has been caught on camera by our spy photographers, and our exclusive images preview how it could look. It’s set to arrive in 2018 with a possible debut at next year’s LA Motor Show. The GLE will be an important model for Mercedes; the brand shifted 712,100 SUVs in total last year, with the ageing current car playing an important role. Over the next two years it’ll be joined by a new GLA, rugged GLB, a fresh GLS, an SUV entry under the Maybach brand and even a new G-Class. • Best 4x4s and SUVs The existing GLE can trace its roots back to 2011, when it was launched as the Mk3 M-Class. A 2015 facelift refreshed the looks and introduced the GLE badge, bringing it into Mercedes’ updated naming structure, but an all-new model is planned for 2018. This brand new look will be the most obvious change, however. While the car in our spy shots is still heavily camouflaged, it’s possible to make out the styling influences that the new GLE will pick up from its newer, smaller GLC sibling. A rounder shoulder line running from the headlights to the tail-lamps will define the new car’s profile, while up front it will gain Mercedes’ next-generation face. Around the back, the tailgate will be completely overhauled, benefiting from new horizontal lights in line with the brand’s current design language. Mercedes is expected to continue offering the GLE as a BMW X6 rival with a coupé-bodied version of the SUV that will make its debut in 2019, a year after the core car is unveiled. A snapshot in the cabin leaves little to the imagination. A dual widescreen infotainment set-up as seen on the E-Class and S-Class will be offered, while the four placeholder vents positioned on the top of the centre console all but confirm that the dashboard design will mimic that of Mercedes’ two latest saloons. It’s anticipated that the new GLE will make use of a new scalable platform and will be offered with a selection of fresh engines. The new 2.0-litre diesel found in the E-Class will form one of the base powertrain options, while the latest straight-six petrol and diesel units offered in the brand’s refreshed S-Class will also be utilised. The new platform will support full plug-in hybrid technology, too, and a four-cylinder petrol hooked up to a small lithium-ion battery is expected to arrive at some point in the next GLE’s lifespan. At the sharp end of the range, the next AMG-fettled GLE 63 will also arrive, with the current car’s 5.5-litre engine set to be replaced by the company’s 4.0-litre biturbo V8. We expect this to produce around 500bhp, with a more potent GLE 63 S model packing nearly 600bhp hitting the market at the same time. As with the regular model, the GLE 63 has also been spied being put through its paces. Alongside the new looks, platform and engines, fresh driver assistance technology will be a key part of the package. What do you think of the Mercedes GLE’s potential new look? Tell us in the comments area below!

Google plans on upgrading its two-factor authentication tool with an improved, physical security measure aimed at protecting high-profile users from politically motivated cyberattacks, according to a report from Bloomberg. The new service, to be called Advanced Protection Program and potentially slated to launch next month, will trade out the standard authentication process for services like Gmail and Google Drive with physical USB security keys. The service would also restrict the types of third-party apps and services that could connect to a user’s Google account. The changes are not likely to affect standard Google account owners, as Bloomberg reports that Google “plans to market the product to corporate executives, politicians and others with heightened security concerns.” Following the 2016 hack of Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta’s Gmail account, which was the result of a phishing attack with links to the Russian government, Google began looking into measures that would improve security for users in possession of sensitive material and those in a position of political prominence. The new physical security keys, which will require users keep them plugged in to access the additional security controls, should make it more difficult to remotely gain control of someone’s Gmail or Google Drive account. NEXT UP IN TECH Deals on Amazon devices: the new Echo, Fire TV, and more Alphabet’s Project Loon may deliver internet to Puerto Rico with hot air balloons Amazon’s Echo devices can now call mobile numbers and landlines for free Nintendo is shutting down the Wii Shop in 2019 Here’s some raw GoPro Hero 6 Black footage shot in 4K at 60fps South Korea bans initial coin offerings More than 100 people participated in a social experiment about choices

David Lingmerth made the most of his early start with a 62 in the third round of the British Masters David Lingmerth made an early charge through the field on 'moving day' at the British Masters supported by Sky Sports. The 30-year-old Swede, a regular on the PGA Tour, was only two-under and just inside the cut mark at the halfway stage following rounds of 68 and 70. He made the most of his 8.10am start at Close House on Saturday, though, with an eight-under-par 62 which took him to 10-under and just two shots behind leader Tyrrell Hatton on completion of his third round. Lingmerth posted nine birdies and only one bogey "I'm very pleased with how my round ended up today," said Lingmerth, whose score eclipsed the 63 recorded by Hatton and George Coetzee on day one, although with preferred lies in operation it will not stand as a course record. "I try to get up three hours before my tee-time so my alarm was set for five o'clock. I'm not a morning person so I need to get moving and get my blood flowing. "I got off to a bit of a rocky start and had to save a couple of pars early, but then got rolling with the putter and made five birdies in a row from the fourth and felt like I was swinging it better too.