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We’ll be a small group this Christmas. How do we make it feel special even with scaled-down dishes? Tasha, Glasgow “I have no idea why we should censor Christmas lunch,” says Jeremy Lee, head chef at London’s legendary Quo Vadis. “Even if we can’t have the gang, we can still toast each other.” So, turkey (and other poultry) is still on the cards, Tasha – though perhaps not of the size that Scrooge carted over to Bob Cratchit’s. “Maybe don’t buy a 12-pound monster , but instead go for a slightly more slender bird,” Lee suggests, then think about what you can do with the leftovers. This doesn’t mean “slaughtering everyone with turkey curry”, but instead perhaps a turkey soup (made in much the same way as you would chicken), broths to simmer barley or noodles in, and a pie. If you want to downsize the main event, though, try duck, says Will Devlin, chef/owner of The Small Holding, Kent, and The Curlew, East Sussex. He favours organic birds from Creedy Carver in Crediton, Devon: “They’re about 1.2kg, so you get your roasted breast for Christmas dinner, then whip off the legs, confit them and serve with bubble and squeak.” The secret to a crisp bird, Devlin says, is to baste it the day before roasting: “Boil water with a little sugar and Christmassy spices [star anise and cinnamon, say], then ladle it over the duck.” Whole roast celeriac makes a cracking meat-free centrespread, no matter how many you’re feeding, says chef Helen Graham. The dish, which graces her menu at east London’s Bubala, is inspired by Palestine’s musakhan (which is usually made with chicken): “Mix equal parts cinnamon and allspice, then add olive oil and salt to make a paste. Spread over a celeriac, puncture a few times with a knife first, then roast at 200C (180C fan)/gas 6 for three hours, basting every 45 minutes, so it caramelises in its own juices.” Serve with tahini sauce (50:50 water and tahini seasoned with salt and lemon juice) and sumac onions. You could, of course, abandon tradition entirely. “I’ve always wanted to do an Indian feast for Christmas,” Lee says. “Great bowls of Gujarati-style vegetables, chana dal, mung dal and chickpeas, then I’d get every cauliflower, brussels sprout, cabbage and green under the sun and curry them.” Happily, these are all scalable dishes. Smaller celebrations give you licence to pick your favourite sides, and for Devlin that means creamed sprouts (dice smoked bacon, render it down in a pan until crisp, add white wine, then cream and finely sliced sprouts). And, Lee protests, “you can’t have a cold turkey sandwich without cold bread sauce.” Luckily, said sauce can be made for one or 20: “Measure a teacup of milk per person, one clove for a small amount and three for lots, then onion, bay, thyme and that essential scrape of nutmeg.” For afters, Lee is all about steamed pudding (again, easily halved or quartered). The undisputed king of desserts uses equal parts fresh white breadcrumbs, self-raising flour and suet, tons of treacle, plus an “absolute riot” of dried fruits and spices. Then top with a generous helping of marmalade. Well, it is Christmas.

Many countries in the world are about to start vaccination against the emerging corona virus, which appeared late last year, and then turned into a pandemic, but many questions still arise regarding the safety of "doses", and whether those who took them would suffer side effects that cause concern. The committee set up by the White House to accelerate the development of vaccines against Corona, on Tuesday, confirmed the safety of the two vaccines that were announced by "Moderna" and "Pfizer". The initiative experts confirmed that side effects were clearly observed in between 10 and 15 vaccine volunteers, but this is not a cause for concern. Moncef Al-Salawi, who heads the US President Donald Trump's initiative, said that these complications may continue for a day and a half only, meaning that it is only a very short period. People who had side effects reported redness and pain at the site of the dose, as well as heat and muscle pain. But most volunteers in clinical trials of the vaccine did not show any worrisome symptoms. In statements to "The Washington Post", Al-Sallawi confirmed that the vaccine indicators at the short level are reassuring, while the medium-term indicators have become clear, but the long-term safety of the vaccine is not yet defined. Al-Salawi's reassurance comes as the United States prepares to distribute the vaccine against the Corona virus within two weeks. It is expected that a vote will take place, Tuesday, in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on criteria that determine who will be the first to receive the vaccine, when it is approved for emergency use. And last month, American doctors advised to intensify awareness campaigns so that people are aware of some of the side effects that may surprise them when taking the vaccine. This awareness is of great importance, because a person who exhibits these symptoms after taking the first dose of the vaccine may become afraid and refuse to take the second dose, and this matter will stop the efforts of health authorities to immunize the largest possible number of the po[CENSORED]tion against infection, in order to reach herd immunity in the future.

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Microsoft has deployed a fix for a nasty Windows 10 bug which crashed PCs with Thunderbolt ports. The fix comes as part of optional update KB4586853 for Windows 10 May 2020 Update and October 2020 Update, and because this is an optional patch, you’ll have to check for it and install it yourself via Windows Update (in other words, it won’t happen automatically). How to speed up Windows 10 We solve 100 common Windows 10 problems How to uninstall a Windows 10 update KB4586853 resolves the bug whereby plugging an external NVMe SSD into a Thunderbolt port would cause a Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) crash. Although anecdotally, at least some users were seemingly seeing this crash happening outside of this scenario. At any rate, this particular gremlin is now banished, or at least it should be if KB4586853 lives up to its promises. Useful fixes Those promises also include resolving an issue where Narrator freezes, and another where the touch keyboard goes wonky when using the Mail app. Windows Mixed Reality headset users will also be pleased to hear that KB4586853 improves the level of visual quality for those running in lower resolution mode. Finally, a couple of small niggles affecting gamers have been fixed, including the Xbox Game Bar app controls failing to display on some monitors when playing DX9 games, and an “issue that prevents you from finding certain Microsoft Xbox consoles on a Windows device”. There are some useful fixes here, then, but as ever, if none of these issues are problematic for you, then there’s no reason to install an optional update (especially seeing as Microsoft’s updates can sometimes cause fresh problems in Windows 10, as well as solving existing troubles).

UK Retailer lists Samsung's latest SSD. Way back in June, I wrote an article stating that Samsung's flagship PCIe 4.0 SSD, the 980 Pro, will only come in a capacity of up to 1 TB. As it turns out, I was wrong, and I'm truly delighted about that. In a listing on via Scan, a UK e-tailer, the 980 Pro 2TB is a very welcome addition to Samsung's lineup. To date, the only PCIe Gen 4 M.2 SSD to have a 2TB capacity is Sabrent's Rocket 4 Plus, which the company announced two days after Samsung formally revealed its 1TB 980 Pro. The 980 Pro 2TB is listed at Scan UK for a whopping £443.99, which translates to about $590 incl tax. If it's storage for games you're after, you're better off having a look at our Best SSDs List, where you should be able to find a similar capacity drive for less than half the money. You'll have to sacrifice TLC flash and the 7 GB/s data transfer speeds, but chances are you won't notice anyway other than the not-spent cash in your wallet. Until the 980 Evo shows up, the 980 Pro is the only PCIe Gen 4 option in Samsung's lineup. Full specifications for the 2TB flavor haven't been listed yet, but the 1TB drive is happy to read at up to 7,000 MB/s and write at up to 5,000 MB/s, and it has an endurance of 600 TBW. You can find our review of the 1 TB 980 Pro here. You might ask why I'm so glad about this, and the answer is simple: I recently bought a 1TB Samsung 970 Evo Plus, but somehow, I managed to fill it up with games in mere weeks. With modern games taking up hundreds of Gigabytes, it's not as difficult to fill up storage space as it once was. As an example, Bungie recently had to chop out a ton of Destiny 2 content because its player base simply couldn't keep up with the massive install size, and the latest Call of Duty Modern Warfare game's install takes up near as good as as much as 250GB. That being said, I won't be jumping on the 980 Pro 2TB right away, and you probably shouldn't either. The benefits of using PCIe Gen 4 storage over Gen 3 isn't really noticeable in-game, and prices for Gen 3 storage are significantly lower. If you're a creative professional and you need a big, lightning fast drive for your editing work, the 2TB Samsung 980 Pro easily becomes a no-brainer.

Animal Crossing players can get a winter-themed wallpaper and sweater from the Nook Shopping catalog for a limited time this month. December is officially here, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons players can snag a couple of new seasonal items in the Switch life sim this month. Two new wintry items are now available to purchase from the Nook Shopping catalog: the Aurora wall and the Midwinter sweater. Like other seasonal items, however, these will only be available for a limited time. The Aurora wall costs 7,000 Bells and lets you gaze at a beautiful aurora borealis localized entirely in your own kitchen or other room at any time of year. The Midwinter sweater, meanwhile, costs 1,200 Bells and features a cute reindeer design. Both items can be found under the Seasonal tab in the Nook Shopping catalog and will be on sale until December 31. In addition to the new seasonal items, Nook's Cranny has begun selling festive toys ahead of Toy Day, the game's Christmas event. You'll find a different toy on display in the seasonal corner of the store each day until December 25. Toy Day itself falls on December 24, and as part of the event, you'll need to dress up like Santa and help Jingle the black-nosed reindeer deliver presents to your villagers. Now that December is underway, a variety of new fish, insects, and sea creatures have begun appearing in the game. Players with Northern Hemisphere islands can now find the oarfish, pond smelt, dung beetle, and other critters, while those with Southern Hemisphere islands can catch various sharks, beetles, and other summer creatures. You can read more in our Animal Crossing fish and bug guides. Nintendo recently rolled out Animal Crossing's big winter update, with another major update on the way in late January. Nintendo hasn't shared many details on that patch just yet, but it appears it'll add the Festivale event to the game. A line of Mario-themed furniture is also on the way in March in honor of the Super Mario series' 35th anniversary.

Problem Solved

Google reveals big changes in converting PDF into documents Converting a PDF into Google Docs is set to become a lot simpler and better-looking thanks to a major upgrade. Google has announced a clutch of updates that will see improvements in image imports, text styles and formatting and layout conversion. The new feature will also be switched on by default, hopefully meaning the end of endless fiddling with images and text within Google Docs, the company noted in a blog post. These are the best free PDF readers around The best productivity tools should help with work too And here's the best PDF editors you can get PDF to Google Docs Users will now see improvements when they import images, which should be a much smoother process, including how accompanying text wraps around images. Google added that the conversion of text styles and formattings such as strikethrough and underline have also been improved. Layout conversion, including support for multi-column layouts, custom page sizes, tables with borders, and improved content ordering have also been enhanced. To convert PDF and photo files to text, go to "drive.google.com" on your computer and: - Right-click on the file you want to convert - Click the "Open with Google Docs" option - The image file will be converted to a Google Doc. The improvements have already begun rolling out for both enterprise and end-users - and are already available to users of Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, and Enterprise Plus Users of G Suite Basic, Business, Education, Enterprise for Education, and Nonprofits customers, will also be able to enjoy the new features now.

The Ryzen Controller Team, which isn't related to AMD, has developed the Ryzen Controller software for users to overclock or underclock their AMD Ryzen-powered laptops. It's basically the unofficial, mobile adaptation of AMD's Ryzen Master tool, but for laptops. No two laptops are made the same; therefore, there isn't a universal tool that offers users complete control over the Ryzen processor inside. Having seen the necessity, a group of crafty enthusiasts put together the Ryzen Controller software. The tool supports the majority of AMD's mobile processors, including Ryzen 2000 (Raven Ridge), Ryzen 3000 (Picasso), and even the latest Ryzen 4000 (Renoir) parts. The software opens up the door that locks away the advanced options that dictate the processor's behavior. The Ryzen Controller Team provides the program as it is, and its usage is at the user's own responsibility and risk. Ryzen Controller allows you to tweak both the processor and graphics aspects of AMD's mobile APUs. There are options to control the chip's temperature and power limits, as well as boost clock parameters. Essentially, you can overclock your processor for more performance, or even underclock it to save power (and battery) and decrease fan noise. The program also lets you save your settings as individual presets so you can switch between them on the fly, depending on what you're doing with your laptop. The good news is that Ryzen Controller isn't exclusive to Windows 10 users either. The software also supports Linux distributions, such as Debian and Red Hat.

One amateur game developer has decided to give two of the most notoriously terrible Legend of Zelda games a second chance, remaking Link: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon for a new audience, as reported by Eurogamer. Originally developed by Animation Magic and released on the CD-i console in 1993, Faces of Evil and Wand of Gamelon are considered to be the worst Legend of Zelda games in the entire series thanks to the frustrating gameplay and unintentionally terrifying animated cutscenes which eventually became bizarre memes. "I wanted to prove to myself that I could make a game," the remake's developer Dopply said in an FAQ. "It started as a joke between friends, but then I wanted to see if I could actually pull it off. I've flirted with game making for a while but never finished something. This was my chance to do that (well, over the course of four years, I guess). Over time, remastered versions of these notorious titles was something I wanted for myself as well." Dopply's remakes now feature a widescreen mode, remastered gameplay to make the experience less aggravating, subtitles, upgraded sprites, and unlockables. Why would anyone want to spend hundreds of hours over four years remaking two of the worst video games of all time? Out of genuine love for the games and the few design aspects that they actually got right, such as the detailed worlds that players could explore and the excellent soundtracks. "If you give them non-horrific control schemes and decent performance, they're fine. As a connoisseur of bad and weird games, I've most definitely played worse," Dopply said. Nintendo is usually quick to respond when it finds out about any fan remakes of its games, sending out cease and desist letters to protect its intellectual property. The Big House, known for its Smash Bros. tournaments, found this out the hard way when an online tournament for GameCube classic Super Smash Bros. Melee was hit with a legal letter from Nintendo of America over the organizers plan to use the homebrew "Slippi" mod to enable an internet connection for the GameCube-exclusive title. Dopply might also receive a cease and desist letter from Nintendo if it decides to acknowledge any ownership over the two Legend of Zelda games that aren't considered to be part of the official series.

Pull a Keyser Soze on the snoopers The best Linux distros for privacy and security make it easier to secure your computer against cybersecurity threats, from malware to hacker intrusion attempts. Additionally, privacy and security have become increasing concerns for internet users, not least with increased government monitoring and corporate collection of user data, and a long string of well-publicized hack attacked in which this user data has been stolen and mis-used. While Windows and macOS computers have some protections in place, and there are additional options such as using a VPN or Tor browser, a number of Linux distros are now available that put privacy and security at their core. For some of these Linux distros it's a case of building in privacy protection by default using a variety of tools. For others, it's a matter of including security software as standard for those who need to do penetration testing. Each of these distros has a different focus on privacy and/or security according to user interests and needs. The distros in this guide have all been crafted specifically to equip you with the means to defend your privacy and ensure you stay secure while browsing the internet. Here therefore we'll list the best Linux distros for privacy and security for you to consider.

The $5 fan snaps into the top of the official case. Raspberry Pi today released its latest official accessory, a $5 case fan kit for the official Pi 4 case. Designed to fit inside the lid of the official case, this fan and accompanying heatsinks are designed to keep your Raspberry Pi 4 cool while housed in the case. Tom's Hardware is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. News Raspberry Pi Releases Fan for Official Pi 4 Case By Les Pounder 7 minutes ago The $5 fan snaps into the top of the official case. (Image credit: Raspberry Pi Trading) Raspberry Pi today released its latest official accessory, a $5 case fan kit for the official Pi 4 case. Designed to fit inside the lid of the official case, this fan and accompanying heatsinks are designed to keep your Raspberry Pi 4 cool while housed in the case. In an announcement blog post, Eben Upton, Chief Executive of Raspberry Pi Trading explains how the Raspberry Pi Arm CPU operates. "Like all electronic products, Raspberry Pi generates waste heat as it works. Along with most fanless products – like most mobile phones – Raspberry Pi 4 was originally designed to operate in a “sprint-and-recover” mode: if run at maximum performance for an extended period it would heat up, and eventually throttle back to limit its temperature." The fan is powered directly from the 5V pin of the GPIO, and control of the fan speed is handled via an update to the Raspberry Pi Configuration tool. This tool can be used to set the temperature at which the fan will turn on, the default is 80 Celsius, just under the 85 Celsius point where the CPU will throttle. If you already have the official Raspberry Pi 4 case, then this fan kit is an essential upgrade and for $5 it is a no-brainer.

Game Information Initial release date: October 14, 2020 Series: Kingdom Hearts Publisher: Square Enix Engine: Unity Software developers: Square Enix, Indeszero, SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One At long last, diehard Kingdom Hearts fans have received the musical love letter to their beloved series that they’ve long awaited. Taking influences from musical spinoff Theatrhythm, Melody of Memory grabs your hand and gleefully parades you through some of the most heartfelt moments in the long-running Kingdom Hearts series, which is now spread across over 14 games (if you also include minor entries like Re:Coded and Kingdom Hearts 0.2). One of the best parts about this rhythm-based game is you don’t have to be a huge Kingdom Hearts fan to drop in and enjoy bite-sized chunks thanks to the plethora of iconic Disney music and easy-to-learn gameplay. It does, however, end up feeling shallow after several solid hours of play. Given its simple controls and on-rails levels, very little of it feels remarkable or unique in practice compared to other rhythm games, and you may find yourself mindlessly breezing through it. Make no mistake: This is not a new Kingdom Hearts roleplaying game, nor a deep franchise recap, and while some of the story is touched on, only the broadest strokes are covered. In fact, little is added at all – save for a section at the very end which explicitly tells us where developer Square Enix plans to set the next Kingdom Hearts game and includes a little bit of interesting lore about Kairi, but not much else. It’s a story clearly centered around reliving those nostalgic moments rather than establishing many new ones. If I didn’t have the context in my head, the soundtracks alone wouldn't have provided that much of a pull to continue. It doesn’t do much to bring new people into the series’ elaborate story, but longtime Kingdom Hearts fans looking for a nostalgia fix will be pleased to discover that Melody of Memory channels the series’ roots better than even Kingdom Hearts 3, warts (and Keyblades) aside. It brings back characters and levels from movies like Aladdin, Tangled, Peter Pan, and much more from across the series, while generously doling out collectibles and art pieces that pay delicate homage to the respective games that inspired them. The main attraction here is the World Tour campaign. “ Featuring the same brightly-colored PS2-era stylized graphics and controls that replicate exactly how it felt to slap a Heartless around with Sora’s Keyblade way back in 2005, Melody of Memory does its best to make you feel sentimental and that is absolutely its best strength.The main attraction here is the World Tour campaign, which has you collecting stars and progressing through a world map that represents almost every soundtrack across the entire series. There were a few that I skipped, but in all, the compilation seemed robust. Regardless it’s a wonderful trip down memory lane, set to the beat of music from Kingdom Hearts 1 all the way to last year’s Kingdom Hearts 3. A single playthrough will eat up no more than five to 10 hours, depending on how much of it you choose to explore. f you do, you’ll find some substance here: you can earn and craft items like healing potions that can save you from failing a level if you miss too many notes, and you do still earn experience points and level up a team. In fact there’s even a synthesis system that stylishly hearkens right back to the one that fans will recall from Kingdom Hearts 2. It’s unfortunate that items often feel useless and unnecessary then, and as such, the crafting system can be totally ignored or end up as little more than window dressing. Unless you’re really struggling with the basic rhythm gameplay, nothing you do or prepare here ever really matters, even during the harder boss battles. That isn’t to say synthesis is totally pointless. The best section of the synthesis menu is where you can earn access to special levels and collectibles, which are certainly worth it if you want to see everything. There’s a synthesis system that stylishly hearkens back to the one from Kingdom Hearts 2. “ You progress through the World Tour system by earning enough stars to unlock gates that contain the next set of levels. Luckily this is pretty straightforward, and you do it by completing challenges such as “Finish the level with over 50% health” or “Break every barrel and crate,” and those can also unlock new treasures and even new playable characters. That reward loop is satisfying when you’re on a roll, but there were moments where I felt like I was treading water when I needed to go back and redo a challenge until I could earn enough stars to pass through to the next sequence of levels. You can often choose which route to travel down (there are usually at least two) and there are also a few side-routes to pursue if you’d like to spend the extra time digging deeper, but the path to the end is pretty simple and clean. Everybody’s here for the ride. You get to play with Sora, Riku, Roxas, and even Kairi. And you can also bring iconic Disney characters like Mickey Mouse or other supporting characters to join you along the way, though it’s disappointing that there isn’t much of a gameplay impact based on which characters are in your team. Speaking of, you do progressively level your teams up and there are stats like Strength and Defense in play. However, I didn’t notice any impact from those either. Everybody’s here for the ride. “ In addition to regular tracks, Melody of Memory features boss battles and Memory Drives. The latter shows iconic scenes from past Kingdom Hearts games, including the boss fight with Ansem and even classic Disney bits like Toy Story and Frozen’s “Let It Go.” The only problem here is that Melody of Memory has too many things going on at once, forcing you to focus on hitting notes at the right moment while the scene just kind of happens in your peripheral view, making it hard to appreciate. The good news is that there are a ton of ways to enjoy the wealth of Kingdom Hearts memorabilia included in Melody of Memory, including a Track Selection mode and a Museum mode that lets you go back to those special scenes and experience them however you want. The Story Theatre is the best part of this, because it lets you go back and catch up on the most important parts of the story without getting inundated by gameplay. If you want to tweak things like latency, volume, and other options, there’s a Music Stage menu that gives you a decent level of precision over these things. That said, I couldn’t find an option to turn down the often blaring soundtrack when inside of the menu screen, which would have annoyed me if I were trying to stream with Melody of Memory running in the background. Accessibility isn’t too much of a problem here, as you can simply turn on the Demo mode and let entire levels play themselves for you if you just want to watch. Or you can play with the One Button style mode if you still want a small challenge but not too much. It’s also great that the Proud difficulty mode and the uber-challenging Performer style mode exist for those looking for a tougher challenge as well, though the latter two modes really make Melody of Memory yearn for a special controller like the one from Guitar Hero. For the first time in a console-bound Kingdom Hearts game, there’s a multiplayer element to share with your friends. You can jump into split screen co-op multiplayer and experience everything with a friend on the same couch, or you can go online and compete in the VS Battles mode. Battles are fun but gimmicky; two people go head-to-head and use tricks, like blurring the other player’s vision to trip them up while you ensure your own victory by outscoring them. It’s great that they included it here, especially because we haven’t really seen much Kingdom Hearts multiplayer before. Verdict Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a nostalgia-heavy reflection of a triumphant but persistently jumbled-up franchise about spell-slinging ducks and Final Fantasy characters living in Disney castles, but it lovingly memorializes its legacy and honors the fans who have grown to love it. While it doesn’t do anything remarkable or exciting with its rhythm gameplay, and it may not be the most alluring for those who don’t have the same understanding and love of Kingdom Hearts, it’s certainly a delightful experience that’s well worth the time spent. Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory PC Emulator System Requirements OS: Ryujinx 32 bit - Yuzu: 64-bit Windows 7 / 8.1 / 10. Processor: Intel Core i5-7600 / AMD equivalent or greater. Memory: 6 GB RAM. Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 / AMD equivalent or greater. DirectX: Version 11. Storage - Game File Size: 5 GB.

DH2 better than DH1 , nice music

Swiss politicians expressed their anger and demanded an investigation be opened after it was revealed that the CIA and its German counterpart used a Swiss encryption company to spy on governments around the world. "How can something like this happen in a country that claims to be neutral like Switzerland?" He called for a parliamentary inquiry after an SRF investigation broadcast on Wednesday found that a second Swiss crypto company was part of a spying plan run by US and German intelligence services. The first investigation in February revealed a detailed plan dating back to decades that the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and its German counterpart were briefed on the most secret communications between governments through the two covert systems' control of a Swiss crypto company called "Crypto". The SRF report this week revealed that a second, smaller Swiss company called Omnicek was used in the same way. The company, which split from Swiss encryption equipment maker Gretag in 1987, sold equipment to encode voice, faxes and data to governments around the world until it shut down operations two years ago. The IRRF investigation program found that Omnisek, like Crypto, had sold tampered equipment to foreign governments and militaries. Meanwhile, Omnicek sold its OC-500 tampered equipment to several federal agencies in Switzerland, including the country's intelligence agencies, to Switzerland's largest UBS bank and other private companies in the country, according to SRF investigation. The investigation sparked outrage in Switzerland, which is still battered by the "Crypto" scandal. An investigation by a committee in the Swiss parliament into the "Crypto" case and concluded earlier this month stated that the Swiss intelligence service made use of information collected by its counterparts abroad with the help of the crypto company. According to information revealed by "SRF", the Washington Post and the German "ZDF" broadcasting organization, "Crypto" has been used for decades to spy on governments around the world. The company provided encrypted communications devices to about 120 countries since after World War II until the turn of this century, including Iran and governments in South America, India and Pakistan.

Nutty flavours add a toasty warmth to kitchen treats, both savoury and sweet The hazelnuts clatter into the warm, shallow pan and I start to toast them over a low heat. The browning seems to take forever at first, but I resist turning up the heat and continue to watch carefully, shaking the pan from time to time. Precious, plump little nuts, hazelnuts are expensive, and I really mustn’t allow them to burn again. Like cooking chickpeas from scratch, I burn hazelnuts as regularly as day turns to night. The alternative is to roast them in the oven, but I would rather have them close at hand, where I can keep an eye on their progress from white to biscuit brown. The skinned nuts are getting a toasting to intensify their flavour. The difference between a raw nut and one you have lovingly bronzed over a low heat is astonishing and even more so when coated in dark chocolate or ground for a biscuit or cookie, which is I what I am doing today. The cookies are a much-needed treat; a batch of tiny round discs sandwiched together with a buttercream made from a paste of the nuts and sugar. And before that, there are roasted autumn vegetables with a nutty flavoured dressing of tahini and yogurt. Roast roots with tahini Sweet vegetables – beetroots, carrots and pumpkins – served with a sesame and yogurt dressing. They work cold, too, though I would save the dressing until you are ready to eat. Serves 4 beetroots 650g carrots 400g pumpkin 600g olive oil 6 tbsp za’atar 2 tsp For the dressing: natural yogurt 125g tahini 2 tbsp lemon juice 1-2 tbsp Set the oven at 200C/gas mark 6. Scrub the beetroots and carrots. Cut the carrots in half lengthways and each beetroot into thick wedges, and drop them into a large mixing bowl. Peel the pumpkin, remove the fibres and seeds, then cut into wedges and add to the bowl. Pour the olive oil over the vegetables and the za’atar and add a grinding of pepper and salt. Toss all the vegetables together so they are well coated with the oil and spice mix, then transfer to a roasting tin. Bake for 45-60 minutes, turning them over halfway through. Test the vegetables with a metal skewer after about 40 minutes. They are ready when it goes through the flesh easily. While the roots are roasting, make the dressing. Mix the yogurt, tahini and lemon juice, beating in 1 tbsp or so of water if it won’t fall easily from the spoon. When the roots are thoroughly tender and lightly browned, serve them with the tahini dressing.

The off-roader of the compact SUV class, the 2021 Jeep Cherokee goes up against the sharp-looking and comfortable 2021 GMC Terrain. Here’s how they compare. 2021 Jeep Cherokee Starting Price: $27,785 | Price Yours or View listings near you Above Average: Real off-road ability; two upgrade engines; loads of standard safety features; 4,500-pound max towing capacity. Below Average: Weak base engine; middling reliability and resale value; small cargo area. Consensus: Straddling the line between compact crossover and SUV, the 2021 Jeep Cherokee is a solid SUV for the city, but also a very capable off-roader. The base engine is weak and should be avoided, and the cargo area’s smaller than those of competitors. 2021 GMC Terrain Starting Price: $26,195 | Price Yours or View listings near you Above Average: Good infotainment system; comfortable ride quality; luxurious Denali trim. Below Average: Push-button gear selector instead of a traditional lever; higher trim levels can get expensive; no AWD in base trim. Consensus: Handsome, comfortable, and with a choice of turbocharged engines, the 2021 GMC Terrain makes a case for itself as a stylish, well equipped compact crossover with a fair amount of safety features. Cherokee vs. Terrain: Boulders and Boulevards Jeep Cherokee Most members of the compact crossover class offering comfortable seating, some nice tech features, and good driving manners, with some good tech and safety features. The 2021 Jeep Cherokee does all these things, while also adding the off-road credentials expected of a Jeep, particularly in Trailhawk trim. Front-wheel drive is the default setting for the base Cherokee, but any engine can be paired with all-wheel drive. The base model comes with a lackluster 2.4-liter four-cylinder, but there’s not only a turbocharged 4-cylinder but also a V6 available, with the turbo costing a mere $675. It’s money well spent, as the turbo’s extra torque will come in handy if you’re doing any off-roading. One does not typically purchase a compact crossover for its dazzling performance, and the Cherokee is no exception, but the ride is good and the cabin comfortable. Standard equipment is comprehensive, including numerous safety features and a 7-inch screen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto integration. One area where the 2021 Cherokee lags is cargo space, with a mere 25.8 cubic feet behind the rear seats and a maximum of 54.7 with all seats folded. Resale values are not terribly strong either. GMC Terrain The more uptown cousin to the Chevy Equinox, the 2021 GMC Terrain is a handsome, well-equipped, and comfortable compact crossover SUV. With the base model offering a 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder and front-wheel drive only, performance is adequate, but we prefer the 2.0-liter turbo instead, which also increases the tow rating to 3,500 pounds. Beyond the base model, AWD is also available. The ride is comfortable, and in the curves, the Terrain can actually be engaging, but a sports car it is not. The interior is quiet and the seats are cushioned well, although there are a few hard plastics. The top Denali trim is a bit of a different story, however, with not only a better suspension but more luxury appointments and some different exterior trim pieces. But even the base Terrain comes well equipped, with keyless entry and ignition, a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, four USB ports, and GMC’s Pro Safety package of driver assistance features. Cargo space is decent but hardly class-leading, with 29.6 cubic feet behind the rear seats expanding to 66.3 with all seats folded. Similarities Both offer all-wheel drive; comfortable ride; base engines are a little weak; good standard safety features. 2021 Jeep Cherokee Advantages Much better off-road; higher maximum tow rating; optional V6. 2021 GMC Terrain Advantages More luxurious; more cargo space; better fuel economy. Final Recommendation While the 2021 Jeep Cherokee and 2021 GMC Terrain both compete in the compact crossover space, they approach their missions from somewhat different angles. As basic city vehicles, they do just fine, but there’s no question that the Cherokee is the hands-down winner if your weekends take you past the road’s end or towing some dirt bikes out to the trails. If your life is primarily urban, however, then the Terrain wins, with its more comfortable ride, better fuel economy, and larger cargo compartment. Whichever you choose, however, we strongly suggest the upgrade engine.