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Russia’s Investigative Committee said on Thursday it was opening criminal cases into Ukrainian servicemen’s alleged torture of their Russian counterparts as Moscow continues its military campaign in Ukraine. The committee, which probes major crimes, said some Russian soldiers had been captured by Ukrainian forces in the Zaporizhzhia and Mykolaiv regions and held illegally by Ukraine’s security service. “Russians were subjected to physical violence and torture in order to force them to give false explanations about the actual conditions of their illegal detention on the premises of the Security Service of Ukraine, as well as on (Russia’s) special military operation,” it said in a statement. could not independently verify the committee’s allegations. Ukraine has said it checks all information regarding the treatment of prisoners of war and will investigate any violations and take appropriate legal action. Alexander Bastrykin, head of the Investigative Committee, also ordered a probe on Thursday into Ukrainian forces’ alleged shelling of civilians from the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic as they evacuated through the neighbouring Kharkiv region. Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on February 24 in what it called a special operation to degrade its southern neighbour’s military capabilities and root out people it called dangerous nationalists. Ukrainian forces have mounted stiff resistance and the West has imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia in an effort to force it to withdraw its forces. https://www.msn.com/en-ae/news/world/russia-opens-criminal-cases-into-alleged-torture-of-its-soldiers-by-ukraine/ar-AAWdlVW?ocid=EMMX&cvid=d56e1b2a9e074a479dbc683824588084

After releasing its Crypto Browser Project on Windows, Mac and Android back in January, Opera has now launched a version of its cryptocurrency-focused browser on iOS. For those unfamiliar, the company’s new browser is based around cryptocurrency and will provide users with an easier way to browse decentralized apps (dApps), games and metaverse platforms for a more seamless cross-platform experience. Opera’s Crypto Browser Project also features a news and data aggregator named “Crypto Corner”, a bespoke start page with live crypto information and updates, crypto asset prices and gas fees as well as crypto events, airdrops and even podcasts. While Web3 is gaining momentum on the developer side with 34k developers joining the space in 2021 alone, the Web3-experience for users is still far from intuitive and is not optimized for iPhone users. For these reasons, Opera has decided to add support for iOS to its Crypto Browser which is a dedicated Web3 browser with a built-in non-custodial crypto wallet. Opera Crypto Browser on iOS In addition to giving users access to Web3 and dApps, Opera’s Crypto Browser on iOS also includes cryptocurrency mining protection that can block any ‘cryptojacking’ scripts that could compromise a user’s iPhone and decrease its performance. The browser on iOS even features the ability to restore any Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatible crypto wallet with the native Opera Wallet so that users can integrate their existing assets and balances into their Crypto Browser setup. At the same time, Opera’s Crypto Browser is designed to address crypto’s growing pains with support for more efficient and environmentally-friendly PoS and Layer 2 chains which enable cheaper transactions and consume far less energy than Proof-of-Work (PoW) Blockchains. As such, the company has partnered with Polygon and will be integrating more PoS chains in its browser going forward. EVP of mobile at Opera, Joregne Arnesen provided further insight in a press release on how the company’s Crypto Browser makes Web3 more accessible for users, saying: "The interest in Web3 is continuing to grow. The Opera Crypto Browser Project was built to simplify the Web3 user experience that has often been bewildering for mainstream users. Opera believes Web3 has to be easy to use in order to reach its full potential and a mass adoption." iOS users interested in cryptocurrency or checking out Web3 and dApps for themselves can now download Opera’s Crypto Browser from Apple’s App Store. https://www.techradar.com/news/opera-launch-crypto-browser-project-on-ios

Most gamers expect the AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT price to be high, but it could cost as much as an entire gaming PC. AMD has yet to announce its new flagship graphics card and its official price point, but leaked listings from online storefronts are sure to have your eyes watering and your bank account pleading for mercy. Twitter user momomo_us discovered two Australian stores that have set the AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT price between $3,242-$3,320 AUD, which is around $2,409-$2,467 USD. This would make AMD’s next best graphics card cost more than the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 Ti, which carries an whopping premium of $1,999 USD. However, these listings only give us a general idea of what the AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT price will be, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, these aren’t reference cards and GPUs manufactured by board partners like these Gigabyte ones typically carry a higher price point. We also still don’t know what MSRP AMD plans to set for these cards in the US or anywhere else, and running these listings through an exchange rate calculator only provides an estimation. Regardless of what the AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT price turns out to be, you’ll probably be better off spending your money on a less expensive GPU, freeing up your budget to buy the best gaming CPU or other components. For those who must have absolute power, however, the AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT could prove to be the graphics card to beat in 2022 until RDNA 3 and RTX 4000 GPUs show up later this year. https://www.pcgamesn.com/amd/radeon-rx-6950-xt-price

Zombies mode in Call of Duty: Vanguard will be getting the much-requested round-based maps fans have been clamouring for… eventually. The FPS game’s developer, Treyarch Studios, says it’s working on new round-based maps to add to Vanguard’s zombies mode, but they won’t be arriving until sometime after season three. Call of Duty: Vanguard mixed things up with zombies mode when it arrived last year. Rather than surviving waves of undead, players travel through portals to various parts of the map to complete specific objectives. The next map, which Treyarch says is a “reimagining” of the Shi No Numa map that was featured in Call of Duty: World at War, Black Ops, and Black Ops III. On Twitter, the studio says it’ll feature all-new quests, remastered Easter eggs, and new camos for Pack-a-Punch. Plus, we’ll be getting a new chapter of the Dark Aether narrative, because zombies explode much nicer when they’re filled up with juicy lore. However, Treyarch says this all “will take time to bring to the game,” and so current plans are to introduce it at some point after season three, which kicks off April 27. That’s not all Treyarch is up to, however. Also in the works are new ranked play seasons and rewards, as ranked mode will leave beta at the start of season three. In Black Ops – Cold War, the Jungle multiplayer map is getting a remaster, and a new secret is on the way to Black Ops – Cold War zombies mode. Treyarch also says it’s working on updates for Outbreak and Onslaught, plus the usual new weapons and cosmetics bundles for Black Ops – Cold War and Warzone. https://www.pcgamesn.com/call-of-duty-vanguard/round-based-zombies-map

Britain's chief of general staff says Russia has been "hammered" in its invasion of Ukraine and has warned that the conflict highlights the need for the UK to invest in more field forces. General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith, the outgoing head of the army, said the land warfare taking place in Ukraine warrants a rethink on the cuts being made to the British Army. It comes as defence secretary, Ben Wallace, announced the army would shrink by 10,000 troops by 2025, reducing it to its smallest size since the Napoleonic era, following a review last year. Speaking at a webinar hosted by think-tank the Policy Exchange, Sir Mark said Russia was an "acute" threat and the defence review should be re-examined. "I would like to see greater investment in a larger army," he said. “I think our structure and the growing shopping list of potential outputs in the wake of the redefinition of European defence and deterrence, which I am sure Ukraine heralds, I think is going to demand more of the field force. “The figure that came out of the review of 72,500 — subsequently amended to 73,000 — was not one that was predicated on most of the experimentation and analysis that underpinned the army’s proposition and contribution to the review." He was joined by his US counterpart, General James C McConville, who said lessons need to be learnt looking at the land warfare taking place in Ukraine. %7B© Provided by The National Syrian artist Aziz al-Asmar retouches a graffiti painted to show solidarity with Ukraine on ruins of a building in Idlib, Syria. EPA "I think what we are learning is the impact of strong allies and partners when you take a look at the land warfare taking place in Ukraine right now," Gen McConville said. "Will is really important and we are seeing that unfold in Ukraine right now." He said Russia's President Putin had unleashed a "complex" invasion plan - which would have taken the very best leaders and soldiers to execute it - which did not go to plan. Sir Mark said he had been "surprised" at Russia's performance and said it had been "hammered". He said he thought Russia would have learnt lessons from its conflict in Syria but instead "it went all in". "In terms of execution, it was very poor," he said. "Their commanders have struggled to administer and resupply their forces and there was a lack of low level initiatives, so when Plan A became unstuck it took sometime to reconfigure themselves, so we are 48 days into a war they thought would take five days. "I think they are taking a hammering. It is difficult to know how many Russian casualties there have been but between 10,000 to 15,000 clearly in the first six weeks which is more than they suffered through the duration of the Afghan conflict. It is estimated between 20,000 to 30,000 wounded, these are very significant numbers." He said Russia is taking a pause ahead of a renewed offensive in the south-east of Ukraine. https://www.msn.com/en-ae/news/world/british-army-chief-calls-for-uk-to-invest-in-a-larger-army-due-to-ukraine-conflict/ar-AAWbilm?ocid=EMMX&cvid=0db3b3c2ae7e4d93baeca7fce428321d

Joining a Meet video call is now easier than ever thanks to a new feature that will allow users to join directly from Google Docs, Sheets or Slides. The Google Workspace update allows users to join a video conferencing call with just a click, meaning there's no need to scrabble around for a calendar invite or email. Going forward, Google Docs users will see a new icon next to the "Share" button, allowing them to join a Meet video call directly from their document. Google Docs video calls The new taskbar will house a full list of all the video calls and meetings a users has scheduled, including dates and times, with the join button showing once a meeting is live. As mentioned, it will be present not just in Google Docs, but also Sheets and Slides, giving users multiple ways to join. Google says this new approach will also allow users to have the content they are working on open and within sight whilst on a call, rather than needing to juggle multiple apps or browser windows. The tool was first announced last month, but is now rolling out to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business users now. It will be on by default, with users starting to see the changes immediately. "To help teams do their best work in the hybrid work world, as many of us begin a return to office, we continue to make enhancements to Google Meet to help ensure that video meetings are inclusive and collaborative no matter the location or device preference," the entry in the Google Workspace update blog states. "We hope this feature makes it easier for everyone in the meeting to collaborate in real-time while having a conversation—all from the same tab." Google Meet is also set to soon receive a new picture-in-picture mode, which will allow Chrome users to bring up a floating meeting window that sits on top of other browser tabs. https://www.techradar.com/news/you-can-now-join-a-video-call-straight-from-google-docs

Steam Deck external GPU connectivity is now a thing, thanks to the creative efforts of tech YouTube channel ETA Prime. Pairing Valve’s portable powerhouse with one of the best graphics cards comes with a multitude of caveats, but the unconventional project could help fuel our imagination when it comes to potential Steam Deck 2 features. Valve’s handheld is inherently limited in terms of Steam Deck external GPU connectivity, as its USB-C connector isn’t Thunderbolt compatible. To get around this, ETA Prime uses an M.2 to PCIe 3.0 to hook up a graphics card to the Deck’s internal SSD connector. Sadly, the tech tinkerer didn’t have much luck using Nvidia GPUs, but the AMD Radeon RX 6900XT seemingly plays nice with the portable. While the adapter features two 8-pin power connectors, the YouTuber also connects a full power supply directly to the ravenous Radeon card. Since the Steam Deck’s M.2 connector is now reserved for GPU connectivity, ETA Prime uses the MicroSD card slot to boot Windows 11 on the janky setup, magically transforming the handheld into a conventional, but messy desktop gaming PC. The Steam Deck external GPU setup might resemble a scene from Akira, but ETA Prime’s benchmark tests drive home the benefits of connecting a desktop card. The AMD Radeon RX 6900XT bumps the Deck’s 3DMark Fire Strike score up from 4,340 to 16,357, with similar increases reflected during Time Spy tests. Sadly, the portable’s custom CPU still serves as a bottleneck, meaning the process won’t transform Valve’s Steam machine into a desktop rig replacement. ETA Prime’s impractical experiment proves that it can boost fps on Steam Deck, even if CPU bottlenecks hold back games like Cyberpunk 2077 and God of War. That’s not to say we’d suggest discombobulating your Deck to give it a try, but the whole affair has already inspired GPU case mockups on Reddit. The current version of Valve’s handheld PC probably won’t get official external GPU support, but a future Steam Deck dock could bring a new level of versatility to the device. Such ambitions will likely be reserved for the Steam Deck 2, but the DIY community may conjure up a more practical solution for the here and now. https://www.pcgamesn.com/steam-deck/external-gpu

Fortnite Funding Stations allow players to spend their gold bars to decide what items should return to the battle royale game, such as weapons making an appearance around the map. The previous vote had the MK-7 scoring a commanding victory over the Combat AR, and the latest sees the Light Turret defeating the Heavy Turret in a similarly overwhelming manner. We actually saw these two battling it out over at Sanctuary a few weeks ago, but that time the Heavy Turret came out on top. This time around though, the Light Turret has triumphed and will be appearing near the Daily Bugle soon. You’ll be able to hop onto this anti-personnel weapon when it’s added to the map and use it to take out opposing players or the roaming enemy NPCs. That’s not the only change going on though. Along with the item updates from yesterday and the downed blimp becoming the Daily Rubble, the Battle for Condo Canyon has also begun. Much like the fight between the Resistance and IO at the Daily Bugle over the last week, this sees players having to fend off waves of enemies to grab loot and help the cause. Huntmaster Saber is above the area too, still teleporting around and being a general nuisance. This Fortnite season feels like it’s moving at a blistering pace, and between the battles, the blimps coming down, and the votes, it feels as though the community has more of a real-time effect on everything that’s going on than ever before. All we need to do now is wait for the Condo Canyon battle to be over, and we’ll likely see the blimp above it going down too. Hopefully, this one will land somewhere a little more exciting than the sea. If you’re more interested in the creative aspect of Fortnite, then why not check out this Assassin’s Creed-inspired map or the Call of Duty game mode? https://www.pcgamesn.com/fortnite/funding-stations-light-turret

Faulty wire connections caused a lorry to burst into flames at a po[CENSORED]r motorway intersection in Dubai. The incident occurred shortly before dawn on Saturday on Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road, close to the bridge that intersects with the Dubai-Hatta road, near Al Awir fruit and vegetable market. Dubai Police partially closed the road in the direction of Abu Dhabi to allow rescue and firefighting crews from Dubai Civil Defence to tackle the blaze. No injuries were reported. The lorry was left completely gutted as a result of the fire. “The fire happened as a result of faulty wiring at around 4.15am on Saturday,” said Brig Saif Al Mazrouei, head of Dubai Police's Traffic Department. Last month, ten diesel tankers were damaged in a blaze in Ajman according to the emirate's civil defence. The incident happened at Al Jurf industrial area 2, just after 1am. No-one was injured in the blaze, but a trailer was damaged, along with the tankers. Dubai Police has urged the public to avoid causing delays and traffic jams by rubbernecking or slowing down to look at accidents. https://www.msn.com/en-ae/news/national/faulty-wiring-led-to-lorry-fire-on-dubai-motorway-say-police/ar-AAW8znx?ocid=EMMX&cvid=fdff664942114101acdc0fccdd97313e

Your iPhone may be the computer you use the most, whether that’s for work, play, or relaxing with a movie. But what about for enjoying written content? That’s where the best ereader apps come in. Whether it’s a comic book bursting with color, the latest non-fiction from your Amazon library, or a page-turner recommended by a friend, it has never been easier to enjoy a book via your phone. With iPhones growing in size, and including beautiful OLED displays across the iPhone 13 series, your content comes to life like never before. With that in mind, here are our picks for the best ereader apps you’ll find on iOS. And since a tablet will likely be even better for most, all of the apps listed here have iPadOS versions, too. Kindle Kindle(opens in new tab) is synonymous with reading digital books, with Amazon offering its own series of devices for doing just that. That association may have buried the lede for some iPhone users, who may not actually have spotted that there’s a Kindle app on the App Store. And the good news is that it’s great. The app offers more than a million books, and if you’re already an Amazon user who's picked up books before, your entire library will be ready to go from the off. Prime and Kindle Unlimited users can also grab free books as well as those included in their membership, alongside Audible functionality so you can listen to your books. You’ll find nifty features such as instant Wikipedia lookup and translations, a built-in dictionary, and your progress will even sync to other devices. Scribd Not sure what you fancy reading, or not keen on splashing out on a book you may not like? Scribd(opens in new tab) has long been the "Netflix for books", a subscription service that offers unlimited ebooks for $8.99/£10.99. And that's not all. Scribd also delivers access to audiobooks, magazines, and even sheet music. Sticking with written content, though, the app will sync across your iPhone, iPad, and even your Apple Watch, letting you pick up your content wherever you are. In addition, the reader itself is impressively customizable. You can set horizontal or vertical scroll, font size, and annotate pages without worrying about sticky notes. Finally, Scribd is ad-free, which means more room on-screen for your content, library, and the chance to discover your next favorite book. ComiXology An early darling of the iPad’s app store, ComiXology(opens in new tab) is another entry on this list for Amazon – and yes, you’ll need an Amazon login to be able to read. That’s a shame, but it does come with the benefit of free issues on a regular basis. If you’re a comic reader, it’s hard to beat ComiXology, which features Marvel, DC and plenty more – whether you’re a fan of superheroes, manga, or anything else. The digital comics pop right off the screen on the latest iPhones, delivering a feel of real immersion with Guided View. This clever mode moves from panel to panel, meaning you can spend less time thumbing at your screen and more time reading the adventures of the Justice League or Avengers. Apple Books No longer known as iBooks, and no longer offering that skeuomorphic bookshelf design, Apple’s own book store is well worth a look, and it’s already on your device by default. As you can imagine, the library is stocked with all of the latest and greatest, alongside the classics, plus audiobooks are high-quality – and CarPlay compatible. You can also add your own documents, so if you have a hefty PDF to work through then you can do so with Apple’s gorgeous and minimal UI. There are reading goals, too, and all of your progress syncs across your Apple devices, including the Mac. Wattpad If you’re not looking for the kind of article you’d find in your local bookstore, and are instead more interested in finding the next Dickens or Brontë, then perhaps Wattpad(opens in new tab) is for you. Wattpad collects the best original stories from budding authors and makes them discoverable, with a wealth of free content to read. You can even upload your own budding bestseller for others to enjoy. However, it's worth noting that you’ll need a premium membership to sync progress between devices, which will set you back $5.99/£5.99. Kobo Books Part ereader, part social network for reading fans, Kobo Books(opens in new tab) offers an excellent reading experience with a twist. You can read, highlight, annotate and more; but it really comes into its own with the “Reading Life” feature, which will let you build a community. Think of it as a book club within your app, with millions of books to read and audiobooks to listen to, combined with people to discuss them with. There are also a huge number of free titles, so it’s worth hopping on to see if anything piques your interest. Libby, by OverDrive If you’re looking for a more authentic library experience, Libby(opens in new tab) has you covered – not only can you read your own content, but you can borrow books for a period instead of buying them outright. You can even annotate and make notes on your borrowed books, all without the fear of incurring a heavy fee for defacing them. Progress syncs across devices, but you will need to use a library card to log in (yes, really), and content is restricted to what your visited library has to offer. Still, there’s something strangely quirky about Libby’s approach that makes us miss the library. Blinkist For our final entry on this list, we opted for something a little unique – an ereader app that tries to stop you from reading a book in its entirety. Okay, bear with us here. Blinkist(opens in new tab)’s neuroscientific research suggests you can absorb much of what a book has to offer in around 15 minutes. To that end, the app provides summations of books, either through text or via audiobooks. If that sounds like cheating then this may not be for you. However, if you have limited time or want to brush up on a conversation piece, it could be worth a look. Still, this unique approach does mean that Blinkist has a smaller library than most of the alternatives here. https://www.techradar.com/news/the-best-e-reader-apps-for-ios-in-2022

Halo MCC may be ‘unsupported’ on the Steam Deck, but plenty of players have been able to get the game’s campaigns up and running on Valve’s handheld (albeit on their lonesome). However, it appears that the most recent update to the game has rendered the FPS game unplayable on the portable gaming PC and other Linux Proton systems. Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) seems to be the culprit in breaking Halo MCC on Deck, but not in the way you might think. According to GamingOnLinux, the introduction of a new directory and files that should help get EAC up and running on the platform has actually “broken the game on Linux Proton / Steam Deck.” GamingOnLinux notes there’s still likely work to be done in getting the anti-cheat software working on the Steam Deck, and there’s thankfully a way to get Halo MCC working again in the meantime. For now, players can delete the ‘easyanticheat’ directory in the installation folder, which should restore functionality to the level it was prior to the update. While it’s unfortunate that this patch broke Halo MCC on Deck, it’s still great to see developer 343 Industries taking steps towards greater compatibility. Not only would native support allow players to team up with their buddies for co-operative campaigns, but it would unlock the power to jump into competitive Halo on-the-go too. For those impatiently looking to get their Halo-flavoured fix, there are in fact some games from the sci-fi franchise that are officially ‘verified’ or ‘playable’ on the Steam Deck, and one in particular should greatly please RTS fans. https://www.pcgamesn.com/halo-the-master-chief-collection/update-breaks-steam-deck

Riot Games has revealed in Valorant’s patch 4.07 notes that the team are nerfing the Bulldog and Stinger. While their damage will remain untouched, you won’t be able to use the quick-burst mechanic that’s become po[CENSORED]r among some players. The firing inputs on the pair now have a delay when you bring them up to aim down sights. Riot explains that this will prevent players from gaining burst mode accuracy before entirely raising those guns. The hope is that this change will make you think twice before switching to burst firing mid-combat. It’s not all bad, though, as you can still begin firing immediately while swapping back to the full-auto or hip-fire modes. Riot has also tweaked ability-based weapons like chamber guns alongside Neon, Jett, and Raze’s ultimates so they can be input-queued to equip after your current action ends. Elsewhere, you’ve got bug fixes for agents. Yoru can no longer exploit an interaction with ropes to use a weapon immediately after his ultimate ends, spikes can no longer be defused while channelling abilities are active, and Skye’s Seekers can break through destructible doors again in Ascent. Valorant’s 4.07 patch will go live on April 13. In other Valorant news, Riot Games has reminded players to report toxic behaviour in-game after a po[CENSORED]r YouTuber went viral for an abuse-riddled tirade against a female team member. https://www.pcgamesn.com/valorant/patch-407-notes

Ukraine's armed forces braced on Monday for a new Russian offensive as powerful explosions rocked cities in the south and east, while Austria's leader planned to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and call for an end to the conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky kept up his tireless campaign to generate international support and rally his countrymen, warning the coming week would be important and tense. "Russia will be even more afraid. It will be afraid to lose. It will fear that the truth will have to be acknowledged," Zelensky said in a late night video address. "Russian troops will move to even larger operations in the east of our state. They may use even more missiles against us, even more air bombs. But we are preparing for their actions. We will answer." Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he would meet Putin on Monday in Moscow for the Russian leader's first face-to-face meeting with a European Union counterpart since Russia's attack began on February 24. "We are militarily neutral, but (have) a clear position on the Russian war of aggression against #Ukraine," Nehammer wrote of Austria on Twitter. "It must stop! It needs humanitarian corridors, ceasefire & full investigation of war crimes." Russia's operation has forced about a quarter of Ukraine's 44 million people from their homes, turned cities into rubble and killed or injured thousands. It has failed to take any major cities, but Ukraine says Moscow has been gathering its forces in the east for a major offensive and has urged people to flee. A series of powerful explosions were heard in Ukraine's northeastern city of Kharkiv and in Mykolaiv, near the Black Sea in the southern part of the country, Ukrainian media reported on Sunday. Earlier, missiles destroyed the airport in the city of Dnipro, said Valentyn Reznichenko, governor of the central Dnipropetrovsk region. Since Russia's attack, Zelenskiy has appealed to Western powers to provide more defence help, and to punish Moscow with tougher sanctions including embargoes on its energy exports. Zelenskiy said he had confidence in his own armed forces but "unfortunately I don't have the confidence that we will be receiving everything we need" from the United States. Zelenskiy said earlier on Twitter he had spoken on the phone with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz about additional sanctions, as well as more defence and financial support for his country. Zelenskiy also discussed with Ukrainian officials Kyiv's proposals for a new package of EU sanctions, his office said. Moscow has rejected accusations of war crimes by Ukraine and Western countries. It has repeatedly denied targeting civilians in what it calls a "special operation" to demilitarise its southern neighbour. The World Bank on Sunday forecast the war would cause Ukraine's economic output to collapse by 45 per cent this year. The bank forecast Russia's GDP would contract by 11.2 per cent this year due to punishing Western sanctions. Ramzan Kadyrov, the powerful head of Russia's republic of Chechnya, said early on Monday that there will be an offensive by Russian forces not only on the besieged port of Mariupol, but also on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. "There will be an offensive ... not only on Mariupol, but also on other places, cities and villages," Kadyrov said in a video posted on his Telegram channel. "Luhansk and Donetsk - we will fully liberate in the first place ... and then take Kyiv and all other cities." https://www.msn.com/en-ae/news/featured/live-russia-ukraine-crisis-ukrainians-prepare-for-russian-assault-austrian-leader-to-meet-putin/ar-AAW4QZX?li=BBqrVLO

While you may be enjoying apps that can help solve the tasks for the day ahead, or scratches your daily itch in the latest game on Apple Arcade, for example, there are a few different apps that serve an important purpose. The Hmong people are one of the most marginalized Asian American groups in the US, and its language is in danger of being relegated to the history books. This is where Hmong Phrases(opens in new tab) comes in. Its developer, Annie Vang, wants to preserve the Hmong language that has been in her family for generations. Alongside this, Vang also hosts a YouTube channel(opens in new tab) to showcase foods in the Hmong culture, as well as her other favorite foods. It's available for iPhone and iPad devices running iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 or later for $0.99 / £0.69 / AU$ 1.09, and it can also work on a Mac with Apple Silicon. You can scroll through the different conversations and hear back from Vang herself on how to pronounce various words. It feels personal and yet educational - you know that Vang has put everything into this app, and it looks as though she isn't done, having recently spoken to her. What could be next for the app? The app has an elegant layout with a colorful scheme throughout its menus. The list of phrases may seem overwhelming to some at first, but you get used to it. You can use the search bar to find what you want. While it's great to use it on iOS mainly, we asked Vang if there were any plans to add newer widgets, alongside an Apple Watch version, in the future. Practicing phrases and words in Hmong on your wrist could appeal to many, especially as later Apple Watch models can use the speaker with some apps. Vang was enthusiastic about these two ideas, and there's potentially a chance we could see them later in the year. But whatever occurs in a future update, it's a great effort already to revive a language, and a culture, that should be preserved for future generations. https://www.techradar.com/news/an-ios-app-wants-to-preserve-the-hmong-dialect-for-future-generations

AMD Radeon RDNA 3 GPUs are expected to launch later this year, and we we now have some idea of how they’ll perform. YouTuber Moore’s Law Is Dead (MLID) has shared a tonne of details about team red’s upcoming Navi 33 die and promises that they’ll have more to share on higher-end offerings soon. In their video, MLID claims that mid-tier AMD Radeon RDNA 3 GPUs using the Navi 33 die will offer rasterisation performance similar to team red’s current flagship, the RX 6900 XT. The next-gen cards will supposedly also come with 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM, and boast a memory bandwidth of around 18Gbps. Better still, the YouTuber believes that the target MSRP for these products will fall somewhere between $399-499 USD. This is exciting news for anyone who buys midrange cards, as this means that we could see AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT cards built on RDNA 3 that offer performance equivalent to one of the best graphics cards you can buy today. Whether this will be enough to compete with midrange RTX 4000 offerings from Nvidia remains to be seen, but MLID says multiple AMD engineers are “100% confident that RDNA 3 will decimate Nvidia in efficiency.” It will undoubtedly be particularly embarrassing for Nvidia if AMD is able to offer similar performance with a much lower TDP, as this could help team red clinch victory in this generational war with the current rising cost of energy. MLID concluded their video by sharing renders of Radeon products that “use more advanced packaging techniques” while saying that AMD is about to do some “crazy stuff in upcoming architectures.” Whether the water-cooled reference card relates to RDNA 3 or not is unclear, but this could point to Radeon RX 6800 or RX 6900 XT graphics cards with water cooling as standard. https://www.pcgamesn.com/amd/radeon-rdna3-gpus-rx-6900-xt-performance

The Cyberpunk 2077 expansions are still coming, according to the RPG game‘s quest director Paweł Sasko, who confirms that the team at CD Projekt is still “working on” DLC – as well as further improvements following last month’s big 1.5 update. The latest big Cyberpunk 2077 patch added a lot of welcome changes to the beleaguered open-world game, including the “next-gen” update and the ability to customise the player character after starting the game. However, there’s still more to come, including the first proper Cyberpunk 2077 expansion. In his latest Twitch stream (via Reddit and TheGamer), Cyberpunk 2077 quest designer Paweł Sasko was asked about what CD Projekt RED is working on after 1.5. He replied that “unfortunately, I can’t tell you anything about our future plans” before going on to talk about the team’s future plans. “I can assure you, we are working on expansions and stuff for you guys,” he says, adding that “we’re still improving the game because we are all aware that there is work to be done.” Sasko also says that the team is “very happy you guys liked 1.5, and that gives us more… incentive to work for you guys because you like and show your appreciation for it, and you play the game – which is awesome!” Check it out below. Beyond that, all the developer could say is that “we are working on stuff for you. I’m literally daily reviewing quests, talking to people about stuff, so it is happening.” As for when the expansion is coming to the cyberpunk game, we can only guess at this point. https://www.pcgamesn.com/cyberpunk-2077/expansions-2022

In less than a week, the UAE's One Billion Meals initiative has already received enough donations to provide 76 million meals to people in need around the world. The largest food donation drive in the region is organised by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) and supports the underprivileged and hungry in 50 countries. When allocating meals, special emphasis is placed on vulnerable groups, such as children, refugees and displaced people, and victims of disasters. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, shared a message online praising the campaign and the people donating to its cause. The visionary One Billion Meals initiative, launched by my brother Mohammed bin Rashid, has received generous support from the UAE people. Its success is a testament to our country’s humanitarian values and our longstanding commitment to helping those in need. So far, 45,491 donors have rallied behind the initiative and more are being requested to join the campaign through the official website www.1billionmeals.ae. Running concurrently with the initiative is the 100 Million Meals campaign, which was launched during Ramadan last year and collected enough donations to fund 220 million meals. These meals have since been distributed globally. %7B© Provided by The National In less than a week, the UAE's One Billion Meals initiative has already received enough donations to provide 76 million meals to the world's poor and needy. The responses to the Dubai Ruler's initiative, "are rooted in the people’s ethical responsibility and humanitarian commitment”, said Mohammed Al Gergawi, Secretary General of MBRGI. “The One Billion Meals initiative reaches the poor and needy around the world with food support they desperately need, and it reflects the well-established values of giving and solidarity in the UAE thanks to the directives of its wise leadership and the keenness of all segments of its society to support humanitarian work.” The One Billion Meals initiative works in co-ordination with the UN’s World Food Programme, the Food Banking Regional Network, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, the UAE Food Bank and charity organisations in the beneficiary countries. https://www.msn.com/en-ae/news/national/one-billion-meals-campaign-hits-76-million-mark-in-less-than-a-week/ar-AAW3ujN?ocid=EMMX&cvid=6520845233ee483f850457226fd41651

Making sure your business' online details are accurate is set to get a lot easier thanks to an upgrade to Google Maps. The company has outlined how it is using AI to spot any errors or issues with business listings on Maps, particularly concerning opening hours. Google says its platform brings together information from several Maps and AI tools to predict what business hours are for most companies, and update the information accordingly, making sure potential customers aren't left lacking the details they need. Google Maps AI "Over the past few years, businesses have experienced a lot of change — including constantly updating operating hours based on changing pandemic-related restrictions," Google Maps product managers Liam Bolling and Kristi Bohl wrote in a blog post(opens in new tab). "To keep up with this pace of change, we developed a machine learning model that automatically identifies if business hours are likely wrong, then instantly updates them with AI-generated predictions." Along with the AI model, Google Maps also looks at when a business profile was last updated, meaning it's important to make sure your company stays on top of any changes. The platform also looks at the hours of other shops nearby, as well as noting the Po[CENSORED]r Times data for the business in question. Po[CENSORED]r Times pulls in anonymized data from users who have opted in to Google Location History to build up a profile of when a business is particularly busy, as well as offering predictions on wait times or the length of time a customer stays in a shop. If it spots any anomalies - for example, the most po[CENSORED]r shopping hours being around 1pm, despite a business saying it doesn't open until 5pm - then Google Maps will update opening hours accordingly. Elsewhere, the other tools Google Maps uses range from the the obvious (checking the information on a shop's official website) to using Google Street View to spot an opening hours sign in the window. In addition, the company can also call on its local Google Maps community in certain countries to add in their expertise and verify any changes, or as a last resort, use its AI-powered Duplex conversational technology to actually call the store and ask. "With this new AI-first approach, we’re on track to update the hours for over 20 million businesses around the globe in the next six months - helping you know exactly when your favorite store, restaurant or cafe is open for business ," Bolling and Bohl note. https://www.techradar.com/news/google-maps-could-help-your-business-avoid-angry-late-night-customers

While most of us will need to wait a while longer before we get our hands on the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D CPU, it appears one lucky outlet is already putting team red’s new flagship through its paces. Now, XanxoGaming (via Videocardz) has shared some gaming benchmark data that places the chip comfortably ahead of its main competition, the Intel Core i9-12900KF. XanxoGaming tested the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and the 12900KF in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, running the game at 720p to mitigate any potential GPU bottlenecks. Their tests find that the AMD chip produces average frame rates around 22% higher than its rival, lending some credit to the notion that it could very well be “the world’s fastest gaming CPU.” It’s currently unclear how this will scale to higher resolutions, but it does show that the 3D V-Cache technology on the Ryzen 7 5800X3D helps to make this AMD’s best gaming CPU ever. That said, the Intel Core i9-12900KS looms large on the horizon, and higher core clocks could see it create a new processor performance ceiling. Looking even further into the future, we could see Zen 4 processors boost fps even higher as AMD refines its 3D V-Cache technology. Whether this will be enough to compete with the likes of Intel Raptor Lake CPUs, however, remains to be seen. https://www.pcgamesn.com/amd/ryzen-7-5800x3d-beats-core-i9-12900kf-tomb-raider-benchmark

Today Digital Extremes reveals the Warframe Angels of the Zariman release date, so players now know when they’ll be able to get their hands on the next Warframe expansion – as well as the “elegant” new warframe Gyre, who’s here to remind us why this is still one of the best ninja games on PC. The multiplayer game‘s latest expansion will carry on the storyline from last year’s epic The New War, and is the next major part of Digital Extremes’ plans for Warframe in 2022. The studio previously said that Angels of the Zariman would release this month, and it confirmed today that it’s still happening – as well as giving further details. The highlight is the 49th warframe Gyre, which has an “energetic playstyle” based on electrical attacks. Abilities include launching a high damage “Gyratory Sphere”, a critical and regenerative burst, and an electric shield that shocks enemies and sends out “a large electrical discharge” if the player receives a critical hit. WARFRAME ANGELS OF THE ZARIMAN RELEASE DATE The Warframe Angels of the Zariman expansion will release on April 27 across all platforms, along with the new warframe Gyre. You can check out the full trailer for the expansion below, showing off Gyre, the Zariman itself, and the “nightmares of the void” that await unsuspecting players. The expansion will also feature “evolving Zariman Weapons”, customisable rooms, and new skins to pick up. Along with the expansion, players can also collect free DLC as part of Warframe’s ninth-anniversary celebrations – although these are only available for a limited time, so be quick. https://www.pcgamesn.com/warframe/angels-of-the-zariman-release-date

China’s largest city of Shanghai will soon begin lifting lockdown in communities that report no positive cases within 14 days after another round of Covid-19 testing, authorities said Saturday. The fresh round of testing comes as the city reported about 23,000 cases on Saturday, most of them asymptomatic. Large swathes of Shanghai, with a po[CENSORED]tion of 26 million, have been under lockdown since March 28, leading to complaints from residents about shortages of food and basic necessities. Separately, Guangzhou authorities announced that the city northwest of Hong Kong would also begin mass testing its 18 million residents, according to central broadcaster CCTV. The city reported only two confirmed infections on Friday. Under the new measures, areas in Shanghai will be classified as “precautionary,” “controlled” on “locked down,” depending on the results of the latest round of testing, Shanghai Vice Mayor Zong Ming told a news conference. Residents in areas deemed to be “precautionary” with no infections within the last two weeks will be able to move around their district, although gatherings will still be restricted. Meanwhile, in “controlled” areas, residents can move around in their neighbourhoods, which are smaller than districts, while “locked down” areas will require everyone to stay at home. During the news conference, Zong choked up with emotion, saying that she was moved by the efforts of residents and front-line workers. “There is still a big gap from everyone’s expectations. We will do our best to improve it,” she said. The city has built over 100 makeshift hospitals to treat Covid-19 patients with over 160,000 beds. But the harsh restrictions on movement have also tested residents’ patience. Some have received government food packages containing meat and vegetables. Many, however, are struggling to obtain rice and other basics, with online vendors sold out and delivery services unable to keep up with demand. China is facing one of its worst local outbreaks since the pandemic began. It is one of the only countries sticking to a “zero Covid” policy, taking drastic measures such as lockdowns and mass testing to identify and isolate every single case. China is still closed to international travel, even as most of the world has sought ways to live with the virus. https://www.msn.com/en-ae/news/other/covid-19-shanghai-to-start-easing-lockdown-after-another-mass-testing/ar-AAW2eOe?ocid=EMMX&cvid=c642cd7cd153475990103bb17b7d5c06

When iPadOS 15 was announced back at WWDC 2021, I was disappointed to find that it was more of a catch-up to iOS 14, with widgets on the home screen. While the new Focus feature and better multitasking options were welcome, they didn't go far enough in improving how I used the iPad at the time. As these updates felt so minor to me, I decided to switch to a MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021), and I've been happy with it since. However, with WWDC 2022 confirmed for June 6, there's a good chance we'll see iPadOS 16. Hopefully, we'll see the operating system set itself apart from iOS, with features that are not only exclusive to the iPad but justifies the 'Pro' in iPad Pro. With this in mind, here are five features that I'd like to see for iPadOS 16. 1. External monitor support This is a feature that many iPad users have been wanting, myself included when I owned one. While you can connect an iPad to a display, it only mirrors what's being shown on the tablet, and worse, in a resolution that doesn't adapt to the monitor. We're in a time where completing your work on two or three monitors is normal. You can swap apps and windows between these displays and macOS or Windows 11 handles them fine. But in iPadOS, that's not possible. Let's see an additional multitasking window show when an iPad is connected to a display. This way, you can swipe an app to another display, and let it display in the full resolution that the monitor is capable of. 2. Redesigned lock screen There are parts of iPadOS where it looks as though it's an iPhone feature but supersized. Siri was guilty of this for years, where it would cover the entire screen, but thankfully this was resized in a compact menu in iPadOS 13. The lock screen should be next to benefit from this. While we were given refined notifications in iPadOS 15, there's plenty of space being wasted, especially on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Let's see a widget displayed at least - perhaps weather as the default, followed by the choice of adding another. While you can swipe to the left and have some widgets display, having them show as soon as you wake the screen would be a nice touch. 3. Record more than one person in a call This has been a bugbear of content creators, especially those who record podcasts. While you're able to take part in calls and group calls thanks to FaceTime, Skype and others, there's been no way to record everyone separately. This is how many people capture the recordings for a podcast, as it enables audio editors to place separate audio files to make an episode. Currently, on iPadOS, there's no way of doing this. So, let's see an easier way to record multiple people on a call and be able to save them all as separate files, ready to edit into a podcast. This one change could open up the iPad as a portable podcast machine – from recording a guest, to placing the file into Garageband or Ferrite, then saving it as a finished podcast file, ready to upload to a provider. 4. Final Cut While there are apps like iMovie and Luma Digital that can edit your video projects, some content creators want the extra power and features that an app like Final Cut provides. This is Apple's pro version of its video editing apps and has only been available on macOS. But with the Mac and iPad both running on Apple Silicon, users have been wishing to see Final Cut on the iPad. Seeing this as part of iPadOS 16, along with widgets and shortcuts, could really appeal to pro users. And being able to carry on with their Final Cut projects from Mac to iPad would improve workflows, no need to use a different app on an iPad. 5. Better picture-in-picture support This is a feature that was once exclusive to the iPad, before moving over to macOS, then iOS 15. However, its features have stayed the same since its debut in iOS 9 on iPad. It's time for some improvements. To have a timeline slider would be a great benefit, as you currently have to go back to the app that's originally playing the video and press the slider to switch to a different part of what's playing. Another welcome feature would be the ability to place the video anywhere on the display. While you can do that to a point now, the video has been known to place itself below menus or obstructed by an app. On macOS, you can solve this by holding down the command button and dragging the video anywhere on the display. If these two improvements arrived on iPadOS, there'd be an increase in its use, especially with YouTube's decision to bring the feature to its app for Premium users. https://www.techradar.com/news/ipados-16-five-features-id-like-to-see-as-we-head-towards-wwdc-2022

When I first laid eyes on the HyperX Pulsefire Haste, the hexagonal cutouts that extend from the base of its clickers down to its underside left me with a distinct feeling of unease. I don’t suffer from trypophobia or anything like that, but it just looked wrong. “Where’s the rest of it?” I joked to myself, but after having now used it for the past several weeks, I’ve grown rather fond of this lightweight rodent. As you might’ve guessed, the hex shell design serves the purpose of trimming the HyperX Pulsefire Haste‘s weight down to just 59g, and is without a doubt the mouse’s hallmark feature. Swapping back and forth between my daily driver, the Corsair Sabre RGB Pro Wireless felt so much heavier and it only weighs 20g more at a meagre 79g of its own. You might be worried that in order for HyperX to achieve this featherweight accolade, the company may have compromised the build quality or ergonomics of the Pulsefire Haste. I’m happy to report that this is absolutely not the case. Its matte plastic body and buttons feel sturdy to the touch, and I didn’t encounter any noticeable discomfort or trouble shifting between grip styles. While the best gaming mouse can’t make you an esports professional overnight, I do feel like the HyperX Pulsefire Haste’s weight could benefit plenty of gamers out there. In my personal experience, I found the mouse to be the perfect instrument when performing quick turns in FPS games like Call of Duty: Warzone, and was well suited for the fast pace of team fights in League of Legends, without a trace of encumbrance. HyperX Pulsefire Haste SteelSeries Aerox 3 Corsair Sabre Pro Champion Series Razer Orochi V2 Sensor Pixart PAW3335 SteelSeries TrueMove Core Pixart PMW3392 Razer Optical Max DPI 16,000 8,500 18,000 18,000 Programmable buttons 6 6 6 6 Lighting zones 1 3 0 0 Weight 59g 59g 69g 59g Price $50 $60 $55 $70 Of course, weight is only part of the equation here. The HyperX Pulsefire Haste’s four ‘Pure virgin-grade’ PTFE skates gracefully glide across my cloth mouse mat, and the 21g braided HyperFlex USB-A cable keeps things snag free. While some form of cable tie to deal with any excess length would’ve been a nice touch, this is just me nitpicking at an otherwise faultless experience. If it wasn’t already obvious, the HyperX Pulsefire Haste is an undeniably reliable and responsive rodent. The TT Golden Micro Dustproof switches underneath the mouse’s left and right buttons have a durability rating of 60 million clicks, meaning they’re built to last and should see you through the best PC games for many years to come. They’re programmable too, but I’ll touch on the software side of things a bit later. The Pixart PAW3335 sensor makes for quite a pairing alongside the stalwart switches, capable of DPI resolutions up to 16,000. While this isn’t the highest you’ll find in the gaming mice market, it was plenty enough for my needs. In fact, my experience with the HyperX Pulsefire Haste has further instilled a belief in me that DPI becomes a moot spec at a certain point, and greater emphasis should be placed on weight, shape, and features instead. Speaking of which, let’s talk about the HyperX NGenuity software. In my HyperX Pulsefire Dart review, I found the software suite to be unstable and unreliable, with it crashing and reporting false metrics on several occasions, so my expectations were low going into using it again. Thankfully, however, whether through updates or virtue of the HyperX Pulsefire Haste being a wired mouse, my experience this time around was decidedly more pleasant. No crashes. No bugs. Just how we like it. In the NGenuity control panel, you can customise the HyperX Pulsefire Haste’s single lighting zone (found on the scroll wheel), as well as tinker with the mouse’s six programmable buttons and DPI presets. While it isn’t as robust as something like Razer Synapse or Corsair iCue, there’s definitely some value to be found in its less cluttered user interface. It was easy to cycle through the admittedly limited lighting effects, with my personal favourite being ‘Fade’, which triggers whenever you click a button on the HyperX Pulsefire Haste. Whether you prefer a colour wheel, palette, or entering hex values, NGenuity’s got you covered. However, I do wish that some options weren’t hidden behind a menu, as there’s a lot of unused space that could be taken advantage of. Of the six programmable buttons, only four are truly customisable with the left and right clicks being understandably limited to swapping between one another. I’ve never really been one to bother with these kinds of features, but found it simple enough to set up replacement functions, macros, or outright disable buttons. While the HyperX Pulsefire Haste doesn’t come with every bell and whistle you’d find on some of its heavier and more expensive brethren, I still firmly believe that it’s the best lightweight mouse at this price point. For instance, despite the SteelSeries Aerox 3 also weighing 59g and offering more two more lighting zones, it’s $10 more expensive and can’t push past 8,500DPI. Meanwhile, the Razer Orochi V2 does have the advantage of wireless functionality and weighs in at the same value, but costs $20 more. Network N earns commission from qualifying purchases via Amazon Associates and other programs. I understand that this mouse’s aesthetics may seem unattractive to some, but just as you wouldn’t judge a book by its cover, I urge you not to judge this mouse by its… holes. HyperX has crafted something special here. It’s a clicker that excels in every category that matters most, with a well-rounded but smartly trimmed set of tertiary features. As such, I really have no hesitation in crowning the HyperX Pulsefire Haste as the best ultra-light gaming mouse. https://www.pcgamesn.com/hyperx/pulsefire-haste-review-gaming-mouse

The developers of competitive FPS game Valorant have reminded players to use the in-game reporting tool when they encounter toxic behaviour, following a prominent YouTube streamer going viral for an abuse-riddled tirade against a female team member. A clip of streamer IShowSpeed, a variety streamer with more than 7 million subscribers, caught the attention of Full Squad Gaming co-founder Jake Lucky earlier this week. In the clip, IShowSpeed is downed while coming around a corner in Valorant and loses his temper, ultimately exploding at a female member of his team in a torrent of misogynistic slurs. “I now understand what Valorant queues are so unbelievably toxic,” Lucky wrote when he posted the clip to Twitter. “You got one of the most po[CENSORED]r streamers on YouTube IShowSpeed saying crap like this and getting nothing but praise and laughs. Crap is whack.” IShowSpeed has since issued an apology, but has been banned from Valorant and all other Riot games. As Kotaku reports, IShowSpeed says he was “not having a good day” and had been dealing with racist insults himself. However, he said, “No excuse, I’m wrong. I’m not trying to justify it.” Lucky’s tweet has racked up more than 29,000 retweets and over 171,000 likes. Valorant game producer Sara Dadafshar replied, informing Lucky (and his followers) that Speed had been banned. “This is a huge yikes and we do NOT want players like this in our community at all,” she wrote. “I went ahead and perma banned this player from Valorant, as well as all other Riot games.” Dadafshar encouraged players to continue to flag toxic behaviour, and to use Riot’s in-game reporting tools so that community managers can take action. The Valorant team echoed her statement on the game’s official Twitter. “Before you drop into your next game, a reminder that although broad awareness on here and other channels can get our attention, the only way for us to take action on in-game disruptive behaviour is when official reports are submitted. So if you see something – report it!” Last year, Riot announced that it would start storing players’ voice communications data in Valorant in order to verify reports of toxic behaviour. https://www.pcgamesn.com/valorant/toxic-streamer-banned