-Sn!PeR-

Realme GT 7 Pro launch in India was recently confirmed by Realme Vice President Chase Xu. The purported handset is expected to be unveiled in China before it is brought to other markets, including India. Several leaks related to the Realme GT 7 Pro have surfaced online over the past few days. A new leak suggests the display, camera, battery and storage details of the phone, and reasserts an earlier SoC-related leak. Its predecessor, the Realme GT 5 Pro, was not introduced in India. Realme GT 7 Pro Specifications (Expected) The upcoming Realme GT 7 Pro will sport a 1.5K 8T LTPO OLED screen, according to a Weibo post by tipster Digital Chat Station, which also claims that the panel will likely be provided by a domestic display manufacturer. The post also suggested that the Realme GT 7 Pro is expected to feature a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto camera with support for up to 3x optical zoom. The handset is also expected to pack an "ultra-large" 6,000mAh battery. The tipster adds that the Realme GT 7 Pro is expected to get Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 SoC paired with 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of onboard storage. This backs an earlier leak which claimed that the upcoming handset could be the first smartphone in global markets outside China to carry the yet-unannounced Snapdragon chipset. An earlier report suggested that the Realme GT 7 Pro may be equipped with an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor for security, which is claimed to offer more accurate more accurate fingerprint readings compared to optical scanners. Realme GT 7 Pro launch timeline (expected) The Realme GT 5 Pro was launched in December 2023, and that the company could follow a similar launch cycle and introduce the Realme GT 7 Pro towards the end of the year. https://www.gadgets360.com/mobiles/news/realme-gt-7-pro-specifications-leak-display-soc-camera-storage-battery-details-5839391#pfrom=topstory

Are you ready to stare down skyscraper-size Behemoths, box your way through Shardfall’s terrors, and power wash a time-traveling DeLorean? This past month that’s what I’ve been up to thanks to the help of my Meta Quest 3 (and the new Quell immersive fitness system), and I’m here to break down my experience playing them all. Slight spoiler, this month’s VR games and apps were all superb – I highly recommend you pick up at least one of these as soon as you can. So let’s get into what I thought of Behemoth, Power Wash Simulator and its Back to the Future DLC, and the new Quell game Shardfall. But first, something a little different. Ahead of the trailer reveal I had the pleasure of chatting with Ryan Payton – the Studio Director of Camouflaj (the team behind the game) – to find answers to my most burning questions. Payton revealed that the main villain isn’t Ratcatcher like we expected – instead, he’s merely a follower of the actual big bad, the Rat King. He described the gameplay to me in great detail, calling Arkham Shadow a VR Translation of everything that made Arkham Asylum the smash hit it was – from the exploration to the story and characters to the dynamic combat. Payton also outlined why this game had to be a Meta Quest 3-exclusive. You can read my full chat with Ryan Payton on Arkham Shadow for a more in-depth look at these topics, but just know that I’m even more hyped for this game than I was already. Its ‘Holiday 2024’ release date can’t come soon enough. This past month I was lucky enough to try an early demo of Behemoth. The roughly 15-minute slice of the game introduced me to some of the enemies, weapons, puzzles, and monstrosities the game has in store for players. My victory over the demo’s Behemoth was slightly lessened when I was told the boss was nerfed a little for the experience. However, the team tried to boost my spirits by explaining that’s because players would usually face it after a few hours rather than 10 minutes – so they’d be prepared for a tougher fight. I guess I’ll just have to try the full game so I can prove myself in a full-power rematch – and I can’t wait. You can think of it as a virtual reality version of Shadow of the Colossus (to be a little reductive). You’re on a quest to hunt and kill massive behemoths that roam the lands, with the boss fights feeling more like action-based puzzles than a typical brawl. That’s not to say you won’t get your fill of Dark Ages-style duels. As you adventure you’ll face off against many human-sized enemies looking to finish you off before you even have a chance to spy one of the beasts you’re searching for. Yes, they’re a lot less imposing, but fighting these smaller foes is still challenging and exhilarating thanks to Behemoth’s sandbox approach to combat. You’re given access to a good variety of weapons to whirl around, as well as techniques to string together, like blocking, parrying, and grapple-hook acrobatics, to find interesting ways of decimating your foes. Alternatively, you can rage out, dealing massively powerful hits for a limited time, and just blow your enemies away. Speaking to Shawn Kittelsen, Vice President of Creative at Skydance Interactive for Behemoth, after the demo, he explained that after working on The Walking Dead Saints & Sinners the team wanted to basically make the complete opposite of that game. “The Walking Dead Saints & Sinners has all these dark intimate spaces, and you never know if a Walker is waiting around the corner to grab you. We thought, what if we take our arc of motion physics that players love, our experience designing different weapons and enemy varieties, and apply that to something completely different – an epic fantasy game with wide open arenas.” When the team considered what enemies players would find in these large spaces the answer was clear, Behemoths. From here the team crafted these antagonistic puzzles for players to best – giving them a few nasty tricks like player responsiveness. This means that rather than simply cycling through attacks these monsters will react to your actions. This is something I noticed in my demo as my decision to run under the monster to dodge the giant ball and chain it wielded merely resulted in it choosing to kick me instead. If you’re interested in trying Behemoth when it launches, it’ll be coming to Meta Quest 3, Oculus Quest 2, PSVR 2 and PCVR. When discussing the power difference between these hardware systems, Kittelsen assured me that while the PS5 and PC-powered experiences will offer better visuals (and a few extra immersion features like PSVR2’s headset rumble) the Quest 2 experience will feel the same in terms of gameplay and with smooth framerate. He added, “It was important that we didn’t leave Quest 2 players behind.” After my experience with Lawn Mowing Simulator, I was a little reluctant to try out another chore sim – my girlfriend even laughed at me when she heard I’d be spending my time doing virtual busywork for a second month in a row. But PowerWash Simulator manages to deliver everything I expected from Lawn Mowing Simulator and more. It’s a cathartic cleaning experience that I’ve been oddly addicted to since downloading it a couple of weeks ago. Yes, the main game is very simple. With enough patience, and some help from the in-game checklist and dirt viewer, you can wave your cleaning wand over every surface and get the van/house/playground dinosaur looking as good as new with no difficulty. But there’s something meditative about meticulously scrambling over surfaces looking for the last specs of dirt you need to wipe off. For those of you after more of a challenge, some modes task you with recleaning every level under a time restraint and water restriction, respectively. I’ve given these modes a whirl but feel my cleaning prowess is not yet up to snuff – the water trials are particularly challenging, requiring a level of cleaning precision I currently lack. To continue my training, PowerWash Simulator offers additional bonus levels. Some are included in the base game, while some licensed locations are available via paid DLC – like the recently released Back to the Future pack. While it’s not quite the immersive Back To The Future experience fans of the series might have hoped for, if you enjoy what PowerWash Simulator has to offer then these themed levels are a delight. I hope we’ll see more. Despite my reaction being the reverse of how I felt about Lawn Mowing Simulator, I’ll admit that this monotonous chore sim won’t be for everyone. Trying to compare it to an action-packed hit like Behemoth it seems almost a little boring. But at the same time, I’ve found PowerWash Simulator to be deceptively moreish. Whenever I try to put it down I want to slip my Meta Quest 3 back on and get straight back to cleaning. Okay, so Quell isn’t a Meta Quest 3 game. It’s not even a VR game. But I needed to talk about it here as I feel it’s a great alternative to the VR fitness apps I’ve been talking about since I did my month-long VR workout challenge back in April. This fitness-first gaming platform offers a lot of what I’ve fallen in love with from VR apps like Supernatural. Rather than working out just for the sake of it (something that can be a struggle for motivation), there’s a gamified element. In Quell’s case, that’s the enemies you face off against in its first game Shardfall – a high-fantasy adventure. It’s not just an upper-body workout. You also have to jog, sprint, squat and jump your way past obstacles that occupy the space between fights. Because this adventure isn’t in VR, the team’s been able to incorporate these elements without as much risk of the player injuring themselves, or feeling nauseous. It’s also added resistance bands – with three difficulty levels – which make punching more challenging. When I first tried Quell I was surprised how much more effort I was putting into my shadow boxing. For a more in-depth look at this new immersive fitness experience, I’d recommend checking out my full feature about my experience with Quell. But TL;DR I’ve really enjoyed using it, even though I had the occasional frustrating issue with the tracker not syncing perfectly with my movements. If you’ve struggled to get into VR fitness, or more traditional workouts then Quell could be what you’re after. But do think if Quell is definitely for you before you buy it as it is a little pricey at $339 / £299 (it’s, unfortunately, not available in Australia), with a subscription on top that’s $9.99 / £9.90 per month or $79.90 / £79.90 for a year. When it comes to dedicated fitness equipment this isn’t an unreasonable amount, though. https://www.techradar.com/computing/virtual-reality-augmented-reality/i-tried-vrs-shadow-of-the-colossus-and-cleaned-doc-browns-delorean-my-favorite-meta-quest-3-games-and-apps-for-june-2024

3D printing has made manufacturing more affordable, especially for low-volume production. However, 3D printers are often huge and heavy devices that need a stable platform to work properly — until now. MIT News reports that its researchers have worked closely with a team from the University of Texas at Austin to create a prototype 3D printer that is smaller than a coin. This photonic chip focuses its beam into a resin well that rapidly cures when it’s hit by a particular wavelength of light emitted from the chip. The palm-sized 3D printer also saves space by eschewing moving parts — instead of using arms and motors to change the beam’s focal point, the prototype uses tiny optical antennas to move it around and create the desired shape. If the team is successful in turning this concept into a viable product, it could change the face of instant manufacturing. The portability and speed of this palm-sized printer could allow anyone — engineers, doctors, or even first responders — to create solutions on the fly without needing to lug around a big and heavy device. For example, an orthopedic surgeon could bring a 3D scanner into the operating theater and scan a patient’s broken bones. From there, they could bring in a biomedical engineer to craft a custom bone implant to help fractures heal and then print it with the portable 3D printer using a biomedical resin. Alternatively, this small 3D printer would be much easier to bring on the Artemis moon exploration program, especially as it is lighter and more compact than other alternatives. It could then be useful for creating tools that the crew will need on the fly. These are just some of the exciting possibilities that this 3D printing concept brings to the table. According to MIT Professor Jelena Notaros, “This system is completely rethinking what a 3D printer is. It is no longer a big box sitting on a bench in a lab creating objects, but something that is handheld and portable. It is exciting to think about the new applications that could come out of this and how the field of 3D printing could change.” 3D printing has quickly changed over the years since it was first introduced. Today, we are getting metal 3D printers in the International Space Station that can print tools and parts needed for moon and Mars missions, as well as cheap $77 AliExpress 3D printers that let you start making your own builds at a fraction of the cost. We’ve even seen affordable new 3D printers that are large enough to print a small child. If this project makes it to retail, then, soon enough, we’ll have a 3D printer you can fit in your pocket. https://www.tomshardware.com/3d-printing/worlds-first-chip-based-3d-printer-is-smaller-than-a-coin-benefits-from-having-no-moving-parts

Name of the game: Assassin's Creed Odyssey Price: $59.99 - $8.99 Link Store: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/assassins-creed-odyssey Offer ends up after X hours: Sale ends 6/13/2024 at 4:00 PM Requirements:

Music title: French Montana & Skilla Baby - Skyami (Official Video) Signer: French Montana & Skilla Baby Release date: 2 days ago Official YouTube link: Informations about the signer: A Moroccan rapper, lives in the US Your opinion about the track (music video): 6/10

Labour and the Conservatives have been challenged over how they would fund their election pledges, ahead of their manifestos being launched next week. The independent Institute for Fiscal Studies has warned the next government would have to cut the scope of what the state provides or increase taxes to maintain levels of departmental spending. Both parties have said they will not raise the rate of income tax, National Insurance or VAT. On the campaign trail on Sunday, Labour announced plans to build more prisons, while the Tories focused on welfare reform and the Liberal Democrats on support for carers. Speaking on a visit to Essex, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer refused to rule out spending cuts to public services but said his party would "not be raising taxes on working people". "All of our plans are fully funded and fully costed and none of them require tax rises over and above the ones that we've already announced," he said. Labour has already said it would end tax breaks for private schools which exempt them from VAT and close the loopholes allowing some people with non-dom status to avoid paying tax in the UK if it wins power. It has also promised a time-limited windfall tax on the excess profits of oil and gas companies. Asked if he could rule out spending cuts, Sir Keir said: "We are not returning to austerity. We will grow our economy." However, the Scottish National Party challenged Sir Keir to "finally start being straight with the public and explain where the Labour axe will fall on public services". The party said £18bn of public service cuts were coming down the line "because of the decisions made by both the Conservatives and Sir Keir Starmer's Labour Party". Appearing on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Conservative Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride was also pressed on how his party would fund their spending commitments. These include £1.3bn to allow higher earners to keep child benefit payments, £2.4bn to raise the tax-free pensions allowance and £2.5bn to introduce mandatory national service for 18 year olds. Mr Stride said his party would pay for these policies by raising £6bn from cracking down on tax avoidance. Asked why this had not already been done already by past Conservative governments, Mr Stride said: "We have been doing it and there’s more we can do." Meanwhile, Reform UK has said it would save £50bn a year by cutting "wasteful spending" and bureaucracy. Asked which public services his party would get rid of, leader Nigel Farage told the BBC: "It’s not about getting rid of public services, it’s about making them more efficient. "It’s about the National Health Service not swallowing up huge amounts of money in diversity training, and things like this." He called for an "open debate" about the future of the health service, arguing "the NHS is not working the way it was 20 years ago", despite taking up a higher percentage of government spending. He added that a "mass simplification of the tax system" would "bring us enormous savings". Reform has said it would increase the threshold when people start paying tax to £20,000 a year, as well as abolishing inheritance tax for all estates worth less than £2m. On Sunday, Labour set out plans to build more prisons in England by allowing ministers to bypass the traditional planning process. However, shadow justice secretary Shabana Mahmood declined to rule out continuing a scheme that allows some prisoners to be freed early to deal with overcrowding, despite Sir Keir criticising it. Ms Mahmood said it would be "irresponsible" to make a decision on the future of the scheme without seeing figures on how many offenders had been released. Elsewhere, the Tories pledged almost £730m to expand NHS mental health treatment in England as part of moves to cut rising welfare costs. It comes as the parties prepare to launch their manifestos next week, setting out what they plan to do if they form the next government. The Tory manifesto is expected to include a promise to permanently get rid of stamp duty tax for first-time buyers of properties costing up to £425,000. It is also expected to reiterate a previous commitment to scrap National Insurance when it is affordable to do so but it is not thought to include any pledge on inheritance tax. Sir Keir has said Labour will have "no tax surprises" in its manifesto, suggesting it will stick to previous pledges not to increase income tax, National Insurance or VAT, as well as the tax changes it has already announced. He has also confirmed the manifesto will include a commitment to recognise a Palestinian state as "part of the process" to a two-state solution, alongside "a safe and secure Israel". It will also include plans to recruit more teachers and police officers, and to cut net migration - the difference between the number of people coming to live in the UK and those leaving. The Liberal Democrats have said their manifesto "will prioritise fixing the health and social care crisis". On Sunday, the party announced it would include a pledge to increase the Carer's Allowance, available to people who look after someone with an illness or disability for at least 35 hours a week, by £20 a week. The Lib Dems said they would also raise the eligibility threshold for the allowance to those earning less than £183 a week, with the changes costing a total of £1.4bn a year. The Green Party says its manifesto will include practical solutions to the cost-of-living crisis, building new affordable homes, protecting the NHS from "creeping privatisation and cleaning up rivers and seas. It has called for the next government to invest an extra £50bn a year in the NHS in England, funded through a new wealth tax on the top 1% of earners. The SNP manifesto, which will be launched the following week, is likely to include a pledge to demand immediate negotiations with the UK government for another independence referendum if the party wins a majority of seats in Scotland. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c844wzmnzjzo

Beachgoers in the Gulf Coast of Florida have been told to be vigilant, after three swimmers were attacked by sharks in two separate attacks. One woman was said to have had part of her arm amputated after being bitten on Friday in Walton County in north-west Florida. Less than two hours later, at another beach four miles further east, two teenage girls were in waist-deep water with friends when they were attacked. One of the girls suffered "significant injuries to the upper leg and one hand" while the other had minor injuries on one of her feet, fire officials said. Authorities have been patrolling the shoreline in boats and some beaches were closed, although they reopened on Saturday with purple flags warning of dangerous marine life. The first incident happened at around 13:20 local time on Friday when a woman, about 45-years-old, was attacked near WaterSound Beach, South Walton Fire District said. She suffered "critical injuries" to her hip and lower left arm and was airlifted to hospital, fire officials said. Part of her arm had to be amputated, fire chief Ryan Crawford later told a news briefing, according to the BBC's US partner CBS News. The second attack - on two girls about 15 years old - happened at about 14:55 local time near Seacrest Beach, the fire department added. "Please swim carefully, respect the Gulf, stay hydrated, and look out for your loved ones," South Walton Fire District said on X. Walton County Sheriff's office said on X on Saturday that during patrols, deputies spotted a 14 ft (4.2m) hammerhead shark in Santa Rosa Beach - but stressed they were "not uncommon". "We want to reiterate that sharks are always present in the Gulf," they said. "Swimmers and beachgoers should be cautious when swimming and stay aware of their surroundings." According to the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File, there are around 70 to 100 shark attacks every year worldwide, resulting in about five deaths. The ISAF said last year, there were 69 unprovoked shark bites on humans and 22 provoked bites globally. In Florida, the majority of shark attacks are by requiem sharks - a family of sharks that like warm seas and include species such as bull sharks or blacktip sharks. Most attacks occur in nearshore waters, typically near a sandbar where sharks feed and can become trapped at low tide. Small fish are traveling in schools near the shore this time of year, which might have been a contributing factor in Friday's attacks, the Bay County Sheriff's Office suggested. The time of the attacks - in the middle of the afternoon - was also an anomaly, Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said, according to CBS News. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce441vy593jo

Although I sway between just about everything from big bore adventure bikes to small capacity supersport, super-nakeds are my favourite, go-to machinery right now. They’re ridiculously fast, offer a reasonable level of comfort and best of all, they deliver serious amounts of fun, thanks to big high ’bars, quality components and most importantly for me, their brilliant engines. But do you really need a super-naked to scratch that itch? After riding the Yamaha MT-09 at its launch earlier this year, I was convinced that Yamaha’s sub litre naked punched well above its capacity, backed up with a host of electronic goodies and a more aggressive riding position. And having got my leather mitts on it in the UK, it’s just as impressively capable as I remembered. The engine is the star of the show, and even after a few long days in the saddle on road tests, I’ve still been taking the longer way home just to experience the sheer ferocity of that Yamaha CP3 motor. The noise and the delivery of torque is utterly addictive, assisted by a sensational quickshifter that just completes the whole package -especially as I’ve found the perfect setting for the throttle which comes with the map dialled back a level to ‘Street’. It’s a little less ferocious on the initial twist than in ‘Sport’ mode, yet still delivers that same direct connection that Yamaha have worked so hard to develop. It’s the best of both worlds. And then there’s the way it handles, with more poise and precision than ever before, although over the next few months I’m going to spend a bit of time tweaking the suspension (to make it slightly calmer) alongside sticking some slightly more responsive rubber on board. Although those OE S23s offer a great amount of feel and feedback when the tarmac is warm and the sun is shining, I have been struggling to get the feedback and confidence I’d like from cold, especially in damp or wet conditions. But, one massive pain in the backside has been fuel range. I’m not one to be put off by poor range (if the engine experience is that good, it deserves the juice!) but the Yamaha MT-09 does feel wildy thirsty. Although I have been a little throttle giddy, the next stop will be some long days in the saddle to see if the ’09 truly can handle longer journeys, especially as the riding position is slightly more focused and aggressive than before. What I’ve noticed so far is that a screen would go a long way for taking of the strain, so I’ve got one on order, alongside a set of handguards. https://www.motorcyclenews.com/mcn-fleet/yamaha-mt-09/first-impressions-update-one/

Former Liverpool and Scotland centre-back Alan Hansen, 68, is "seriously ill". The Anfield club announced on Sunday their "legendary" former captain is in hospital. "The thoughts and support of everyone at Liverpool FC are with our legendary former captain Alan Hansen, who is currently seriously ill in hospital," a statement read. Hansen won promotion to the Scottish Premier Division with Partick Thistle before joining Liverpool in 1977 for the start of a successful 14-year spell. He was a key part of the great Reds teams of the 1970s and 1980s, winning eight First Division titles, three European Cups and two FA Cups. Liverpool added they are "currently in contact with Alan's family to provide our support at this difficult time, and our thoughts, wishes and hopes are with Alan and all of the Hansen family". Hansen, who also won four League Cups with Liverpool, appeared 26 times for his country and was a member of Scotland's 1982 World Cup side. Former team-mate John Aldridge, chairman of the former players' association Forever Reds, said on X: "All our thoughts as ex-LFC players are with Alan (]ocky) Hansen and his family. Let's hope he can pull through his illness. YNWA." After retiring in 1991, he appeared as a pundit on Match of the Day from 1992 until 2014. Hansen's former Match of the Day colleague Gary Lineker wrote on X: "Horrendous news. Thoughts are with Alan, Janet and all the family." He earned a reputation as one of the most insightful and influential pundits in the country while working alongside figures such as Des Lynam, Lineker, Mark Lawrenson, Alan Shearer and Sir Trevor Brooking. Hansen's most memorable moment on the Premier League highlights programme came in 1995 when he famously responded to a Manchester United defeat at Aston Villa by insisting: "You can't win anything with kids." That team - which included Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Nicky Butt and David Beckham - won the FA Cup and Premier League Double that season. Hansen was also part of BBC Sport's coverage of major football tournaments. In all he covered 16 FA Cup finals, six World Cups, five European Championships and one Olympics during his spell with the BBC. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cn00k4gkpz3o

This bowel-saving surgery is nothing to sneeze at. Surgeons have successfully placed part of a Florida man’s colon back into his body after it fell out following a forceful sneeze. The 63-year-old was enjoying breakfast at a diner with his wife when the unusual incident occurred. His miraculous medical recovery is documented in a new article published by the American Journal of Medical Case Reports. Prior to the incident, the man battled prostate cancer and underwent abdominal surgery. He had stitches removed from his abdomen on the morning that his bowel “evisceration” took place. He was at the diner with his wife to celebrate his clean bill of health. “During breakfast, the man sneezed forcefully, followed by coughing,” the journal article explains. “He immediately noticed a ‘wet’ sensation and pain in his lower abdomen. Looking down, he observed several loops of pink bowel protruding from his recent surgical site.” The man covered the exposed intestines with his shirt while his wife called for an ambulance. Paramedics who arrived at the scene noted an “approximately 3-inch vertical laceration with large amounts of bowel” poking through it. Thankfully, the Floridian reported little blood loss and he was rushed to a nearby medical facility. Three urologic surgeons carefully reduced the eviscerated bowel back into the abdominal cavity and also “inspected the full length of the small bowel and noted no evidence of injury.” They closed the abdomen with a series of figure-of-eight stitches — one of the strongest types of closures — to make sure it did not pop back open once more. The lucky man was eventually weaned off of pain medications and placed back on a normal diet before being released from the hospital following a six-day stay. https://nypost.com/2024/06/07/lifestyle/post-surgery-patients-colon-falls-out-of-his-body-following-a-forceful-sneeze/

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says an Israeli raid on a refugee camp - which led to the rescue of four hostages - killed 274 people, including children and other civilians. On Saturday Israel's forces, backed by air strikes, fought intense gun battles with Hamas in and around the Nuseirat refugee camp, freeing the captives. Noa Argamani, 26, Almog Meir Jan, 22, Andrei Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 41, who were abducted from the Nova music festival on 7 October have been returned to Israel. The Israeli military has estimated that fewer than 100 people died in the operation. But the latest figures from the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza would, if confirmed, make it one of the deadliest days of the conflict so far. People living in the densely-po[CENSORED]ted area have described the terror of coming under intense bombardment and heavy gunfire. One man, Abdel Salam Darwish, told the BBC he was in a market buying vegetables when he heard fighter jets from above and the sound of gunfire. "Afterwards, people's bodies were in pieces, scattered in the streets, and blood stained the walls," he said. The return of the hostages to their families has sparked celebration in Israel and world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, have welcomed the news of their release. But there has been mounting criticism of the deadly cost of the operation inside Gaza, with European Union foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell saying he condemned it "in the strongest terms". "Reports from Gaza of another massacre of civilians are appalling," he wrote on X. An Israeli minister said that instead of condemning Hamas for hiding behind civilians, the EU had condemned Israel for saving its citizens. Images from the Nuseirat refugee camp area show intense bombardment and people mourning the dead. Two hospitals in Gaza, al-Aqsa hospital and al-Awda hospital, said they had counted 70 bodies between them. The Hamas-run health ministry released names of 86 people out of the 274 Palestinians it says were killed during the two-hour operation. Previously, Israel's military spokesman Daniel Hagari estimated there were fewer than 100 casualties in what was a "high-risk, complex mission" based on "precise intelligence". Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said special forces operated "under heavy fire" when rescuing the hostages. One special forces officer was wounded and later died in hospital. Videos from Gaza taken in the aftermath of the raid show scenes of carnage. Footage from the al-Aqsa hospital shows numerous people with severe injuries laying on the ground, leaving barely any space on the blood-stained floor for doctors to move between patients. Other video shows a frequent stream of new cases being driven in by car and ambulance and carried into the building. The director of the al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat told BBC Arabic the number of dead coming to the hospital increased throughout Saturday. Dr Marwan Abu Nasser also spoke about the lack of a morgue in the hospital to accommodate the bodies of those killed who had been taken to the hospital. One man, who said more than 40 members of his family have been killed since the conflict began in October, described to the BBC being in a house which was hit by a strike. "As soon as these children and women entered the house, the bombing attack took place, claiming the lives of all those inside it," he said, "This home, which used to house approximately 30 people who then became 50, was bombed... only me, my father, my wife, and a young man survived... we are the only survivors out of 50 people." The bloodshed on the ground prompted a rare venting of criticism at Hamas from people in Gaza. Hassan Omar, 37, said he lamented the unnecessary loss of lives in Israeli strikes, telling the BBC: "For each Israeli hostage they could have freed 80 Palestinian prisoners and without any bloodshed - [that] is a million times better than losing 100 dead. "My message to Hamas is stopping the loss is part of the gain, we should get rid of those who control us from Qatar hotels.” The rescue of hostages came amid efforts for a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been urged to reach an agreement but faces opposition from far-right allies who say military action is the only way to bring the hostages back. Saturday’s operation is the most successful rescue of hostages by the Israeli military in this war – and analysts say it could change the calculation of a prime minister who is under increasing pressure. In response to the military offensive in Nuseirat, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh said Israel could not force its choices on the group. He said the group would not agree to a ceasefire deal unless it achieved security for Palestinians. During its 7 October attacks in southern Israel Hamas killed about 1,200 people and took some 251 people hostage. Some 116 remain in the Palestinian territory, including 41 the army says are dead. A deal agreed in November saw Hamas release 105 hostages in return for a week-long ceasefire and some 240 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. On Saturday, the Hamas-run health ministry said the death toll in Gaza is now 37,084 people. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cw44ve90dppo

Adding @7aMoDi as a VGR member. Warmly welcoming you to our team! Removing @King_of_dark from the team. Thank you for the work you've done!

Accepted. Contact me via PM or discord: saad.tebba

A pledge to permanently get rid of stamp duty tax for first-time buyers of properties costing up to £425,000 is expected to be included in the Conservative manifesto. The tax is paid when someone buys a property in England and Northern Ireland. What is known as the nil-rate threshold for First Time Buyers’ Relief up to £425,000 is currently due to expire at the end of March next year. It comes with the party seeking to move on from the row about the prime minister’s decision to leave D-Day commemorations early on Thursday. In a televised debate on Friday, Conservative Cabinet Minister Penny Mordaunt said the prime minister's decision was "completely wrong". Their manifesto, which is expected to be published in the coming days, is not thought to include any pledge on inheritance tax. However, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will vow, that if re-elected on 4 July, he would scrap National Insurance, albeit when it is deemed affordable to do so - something Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has previously committed to. Labour have frequently attacked the party for making the promise, calling it an "unfunded pledge". The Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats will also publish their manifestos next week. The Scottish National Party’s prospectus is expected the week after. Stamp duty is devolved to governments in Wales and Scotland, where it is called the Land Transaction Tax and the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax respectively. The stamp duty tax cut for first-time buyers was first introduced in 2022 by Liz Truss during her brief spell as prime minister. At the time, her Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng said the change would remove 200,000 people from having to pay stamp duty. Her government also raised the threshold at which other buyers had to start paying the tax from £125,000 to £250,000. The rates are currently: 0%: £0 - £250,000 (£425,000 for first time buyers) 5%: £250,000 - £925,000 10%: £925,000 - £1,500,000 12%: £1,500,000+ There was also a stamp duty holiday during the Covid pandemic, aimed at helping home buyers whose finances had been affected. The average house price in the UK stands at around £260,000 In 2021/22 stamp duty raised around £14.1bn, with residential properties making up three quarters of the total. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c299r9r14p2o

A sheep shearer has said more people are needed in the trade in Jersey. Mike Hewson has been visiting Jersey to shear sheep for the last decade, and is planning to retire in the coming years. He said he shears between 200 to 250 sheep himself each time he visits. Mr Hewson said there is a local man who shears the loaghtan sheep that graze the north coast, but at least one more worker was needed. 'Worthwhile' He explained the process requires two days of training and then shadowing a shearer until they "develop the skill". "There's more sheep on the island, especially up the north coast where there's a chap does them himself," Mr Hewson said. He said hundreds of people go through the training in Britain, but only about 50 end up seeing it through to actually shearing. “In the UK you’re charging about £2 a sheep or something so if you have only got two or three in someone’s back garden that’s hardly going to pay for you going there.” He said there had to be over 100 animals on each farm or homestead to make it "worthwhile". Mr Hewson said there was no real market on the island for wool as only a few people spin, which coverts the strands into yarn for sewing or knitting. He added some people use it for "mulching round trees" and "keep the weeds down", but much of it was "thrown away". "It's such a shame," he said. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6pp9jepr63o

Fiat is in a pretty sorry state in the U.S. at the moment, only selling the bloated and awkward Fiat 500X hatchback SUV stateside after discontinuing everything else it offered after the 2019 model year. In Europe, the brand has introduced an all-new, all-electric version of its Fiat 500 hatchback city car, and at the 2022 Los Angeles auto show, Fiat CEO Francois Olivier has confirmed the 2024 Fiat 500e is officially coming (back) to America. Fiat later announced the 500e would debut in the U.S. as the (RED) Edition version, with more custom editions debuting since. Here's what to expect for the Fiat 500e in 2024. F.I.A.T.: Fiat In America Tomorrow This would mark the second time in as many decades that Fiat has attempted to make a splashy dent in the U.S. car market, now trying again with the 500e after a few years of middling sales generally. Though it's going to take a few years to get anywhere, we should point out that, before the old 500 was discontinued in America, it still outsold the other cars in Fiat's lineup, namely the (also-now-dead) 500L van thing and the 500X that survives today. Even so, that version was primarily gas-powered; the electric 500e variant was sold in limited markets, and even then-Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne complained that every single one was a money loser. Entry-level 500es are attractive and have far more upscale-looking cabins than the old 500s did, and they get a 24-kWh battery pack good for about 150 miles of range. The 400-volt architecture allows the battery to charge to full in about four hours at 11 kilowatts of power, and can accept up to 85 kW of fast charging rates. A higher-output version offering about 200 miles of range is available with a 42-kWh pack. 2024 Fiat 500e Inspired by Los Angeles If you’re going to name something after an iconic city, you better do it right. The 2024 Fiat 500e “Inspired by Los Angeles” starts this off with an exclusive Marine Layer Mist—a cool-colored blue that feels like a mix of the ocean and the air around the city’s beaches. The 17-inch wheels feature diamond-cut faces wrapped by summer or all-season tires. The mirror caps are finished in a matte gray while its daylight opening molding contrasts that with its black trim. Inside, the “eco-leather” material covering contrasts the body-colored instrument panel. You’ll also gain a unique audio experience with the seven-speaker JBL system with subwoofer and recreating the four virtual venues found in the “Inspired by Music” 500e. You can pick up this LA-ified Fiat inside and out of the City of Angels for $37,595. 2024 Fiat 500e Inspired by Music Being “Inspired by Music,” this version of the 2024 Fiat 500e will feel like a studio on wheels. First, the exterior and mirror caps are shot in Piano Black paint and chrome trim tastefully contrasts this all black exterior. Inside, the eco-leather materials bring about images of the Maestros with its light and dark theme while its JBL audio system gives off a quartet of simulated venues for its audio. “My Music Room” makes you feel like you’re getting a private performance, “My Recording Studio” offers the acoustics and tones of a real recording studio, “Giuseppe Verdi Opera House” recreates the sound of a theater setting and live performance, and “Open-air Arena” simulates the feeling and acoustics of its namesake. You’ll pick this rolling audio experience for $37,595. 2024 Fiat 500e Inspired by Beauty The Inspired by Beauty drop of the 2024 Fiat 500e is a rose gold colored special that features body-colored mirror caps and chrome daylight opening trim. Inside, the seats, steering wheel, and dashboard feature eco-leather material in beige. The price for this beauty-inspired 500e starts at $37,595. 2024 Fiat 500e (RED) Edition The Fiat 500e (RED) Edition is a partnership with a company of the same name that licenses its brand and then uses a portion of the proceeds to fight HIV/AIDS adjacent causes around the world; you've probably seen a (RED)-branded iPhone before, for example. It features unique touches like red mirror caps and a glossy red interior dashboard, for an initially-announced starting price of $34,095. You can read more about the Fiat 500e (RED) Edition here. Fiat also previously introduced three flavors of 500e at the 2022 L.A. auto show with three one-off models that show off what "Made In Italy" means, highlighting the craftsmanship, creativity, and sophistication of three Italian designers on a car the brand dubs the "ultimate fashion accessory," including models from Armani, Kartell, and Bulgari. These models are not expected to go on sale in the U.S., however. 2024 Fiat 500e By Kartell Kartell, an Italian sustainable plastic and metal furniture company, also had a crack at a one-off all-electric 500. This one focuses most materials in a monochrome shade of the brand's "Kartell blue" color derivative of "Yves Klein blue," for all you color nerds out there. The exterior bodywork is all done in blue mirror-effect with "an environmentally-friendly chrome paint." (Fiat competitor Mini recently announced it was cutting chrome altogether due to its negative environmental effects.) The car's logos are sand-blasted polycarbonate for a sense of depth. The grille, wheels, and mirror caps are made of recycled parabolic projector materials, and their detailing is inspired by Kartell's famous Kabuki lamp from designer Ferruccio Laviani. That motif carries through the interior on the dashboard and seats, and all tactile plastics and fabrics are entirely made of recycled materials. 2024 Fiat 500e by Bulgari The Bulgari jeweler designed "Mai Troppo" Fiat 500e is all about beauty and craftsmanship, roughly translating to "Never Too Much." The company says the bright saffron paintwork is inspired by the "chromatic variegation of Roman sunsets." (Rome is a city in Italy, and it used to also be the name of multiple historical Italian empires. It's not clear to us which Rome Bulgari is referencing here.) The paint is mixed with gold dust scrapped from jewelry production which is meant to make the car look and feel like a big blood-orange "jewel." The wheels are modeled after the famous Bulgari star symbol in a black lacquer accented with golden trim and gold badging. Inside, the dashboard is made of heritage Bulgari silk scarves "of the past," which might mean they're recycled? The seats get "Diva" pattern embroidered leather with gold details and silk scarf inserts. There's also a removable gem tray of sorts, with a "Fiat" brooch featuring semi-precious amethyst, topaz, and citrine stones mounted in the center of the steering wheel. Imagine the airbag going off behind that! Giorgio Armani's 2024 Fiat 500e The "500 Armani" from Giorgio Armani's fashion house takes a 500e into haute couture, incorporating laser-etching on a majority of the exterior bodywork to create a two-tone patterned effect without the fancy paint job that Fiat claims is "polluting." The micro-chevron pattern that results from the laser etching is meant to emulate the three dimensional qualities of working with fabrics, like green silk in this case, according to Armani. The rest of the body is coated in a special opaque paint that is UV-light activated to somehow "reduce air pollutants." Inside, there's full-grain real "greyge-colored" leather sourced from Poltrona Frau, an Italian furniture company, contrasted with micro-chevron patterned bands of wool, and accented by reconstituted open-pore wood with aluminum inlays inspired by the current house of Armani line. On Sale 2024 Fiat CEO Olivier announced that the "official" final reveal of the U.S.-bound Fiat 500e will take place atnextyear's Los Angeles Auto Show, where it will be used to announce that order books will open near the end of 2023. At the 2022 Los Angeles Auto Show, Olivier added that the U.S. 500e will get 162 lb-ft of torque and go from 0 to 30 mph in 3.0 seconds. It can juice up to 30 miles of range in just 5 minutes on a 85 kW fast-charger. We don't think any of these fashion house one-offs will make it to production, but perhaps some of the more sustainable elements do. Fiat says the soonest you can expect to receive a new 500e in the U.S. is the first quarter of 2024. Based on our experiences so far in the Euro versions, it should prove more stylish and altogether more substantial than its predecessor; and if it's priced right, it might find some appeal among budget EV shoppers looking for a fun, small, electric runabout. https://www.motortrend.com/events/2024-fiat-500e-first-look-review/

England’s lap of appreciation around Wembley at the end of another embarrassment against Iceland lost a lot of its impact because there was hardly a soul left in the stadium to appreciate. Instead of being sent on their way to Euro 2024 with a fanfare, England’s laboured and uninspired display in a shock 1-0 loss to the side ranked 72nd in the world earned them the equivalent of a resounding raspberry. This was not in the plan - but neither was the sort of performance that manager Gareth Southgate would have wanted with the opening game against Serbia only eight days away, warm-up friendly or not. It was a game that threw up many issues for Southgate as the clock ticks down to the start of the serious action in Gelsenkirchen. Bellingham must be England’s focal point England’s build-up to Euro 2024 has been accompanied by the debate of getting Manchester City’s Phil Foden into the central position where he was so outstanding with 27 goals for his club this season, rather than out wide where he has figured for his country. Foden played in the number 10 role against Iceland and strangely, for a player such ambition and creation, played it too safe at times. He must start, of course, against Serbia but it is more likely to be in that wide position in a team built around the new Champions League winner with Real Madrid, Jude Bellingham. Bellingham will join the squad for Germany after some rest following that stunning conclusion to a stellar first season in Spain and will carry so much of England’s hopes. He is central to England’s chances - something that was emphasised even more by this dismal display in his absence against Iceland. Who starts alongside Rice? This is the big question for Southgate in the week ahead and one where all the contenders for a place alongside Arsenal’s midfield man still have claims. Declan Rice’s partnership with Kobbie Mainoo looked too conservative here, Manchester United’s teenager also caught out of position for Iceland’s goal scored by Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson. It was a good night for Crystal Palace’s gifted 20-year-old Adam Wharton, who has impressed Southgate so much and created such an impact with his cameo in the win against Bosnia-Herzegovina at St James’ Park on Monday. This horrible England display will have done Wharton no harm as he was sitting on the bench. Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold would be the most ambitious pick alongside Rice, utilising his creative skills and range of passing to give England an added attacking dimension. He came on at Wembley to create moments of danger, playing at right-back after replacing Kyle Walker. It is a thorny problem for Southgate to solve. And he has a few after this troubling night. Has Palmer done enough to oust Saka? Chelsea’s Cole Palmer has forced his way into contention and into the conversation about whether he could start at Euro 2024 with a stellar season at Stamford Bridge following his £40m move from Manchester City. Palmer’s goal in the win against Bosnia on Monday means he has scored in the Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, Uefa Super Cup, Community Shield and on the international stage this season. He showed in flashes here exactly why he is a live contender for a starting place, particularly with a first-half delivery which ended with an uncharacteristic miss by captain Harry Kane. The question remains whether Palmer has done enough to unseat Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, Southgate’s choice on the right flank in recent times for England. It is a nice decision for any manager to have to make but the odds must still be on Saka starting given how he has delivered for England in the past. England’s rusty stars a big issue Southgate must have held his breath as key defender John Stones lay on the Wembley turf early on after an Iceland player fell on his ankle, a problem which eventually saw him replaced by Ezri Konsa at half-time. With his long-time central defensive partner Harry Maguire ruled out of Euro 2024 with injury, the last thing Southgate and his vulnerable rearguard need is a problem for a player on who much will rest in Germany. Stones actually could have done better for Iceland’s goal but there was an element of rust about his performance, and that of a number of Southgate’s stalwarts, that means they looked short of the sort of match sharpness they will need against Serbia. He has only played 15 game and 1,073 minutes for Manchester City in 2024 and could have done with playing 90 untroubled minutes here to hone that fitness. Instead, Southgate will be hoping the knock he took is not serious for a player who has had his share of injuries. Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi looks a probable starter against Serbia. Southgate will pray Stones is alongside him. Kieran Trippier also looked off the pace at left-back, a position which is still something of a headache for Southgate with Luke Shaw making progress having not have played since early February. Trippier is 34 in September and has suffered with injuries and loss of form this season. He has played only 13 games and 931 minutes for his club this year – and it showed. If he is to start at left-back against Serbia, it will still be with question marks against his name. England suffer problems at both ends Where was England’s threat? Quite the question given England had Kane, Foden, Anthony Gordon and Palmer in their starting line-up but a perfectly valid one. England had one shot on target and rarely put the well-organised Iceland defence under sustained pressure. There was no sense of siege as time ran out. It was a problem England have encountered before against a mass, well-drilled defence and Iceland were in no mood to be unlocked at Wembley. As if this was not enough on a very sobering night for England, this was no smash-and-grab raid by Iceland. This was a deserved win and they could have had more goals. The ease with which Iceland were able to cut through England’s midfield and also catch them on the break was worrying. If Iceland can do it then England’s Euro 2024 opponents will be greatly encouraged. Thornsteinsson made a mess of an open goal, a chance easier than the one he scored, and Sverrir Ingason should have scored with a header he directed straight at Aaron Ramsdale, who also had to do better with Iceland’s winner. This was only a curtain raiser for the main action - but it was a performance that will not send England off to Germany in good heart. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cd11r1907ywo