-Sn!PeR-

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

Maybe he’s a bad texter — or maybe he’s just not that into you. That’s the question on Adrianna Guerrero’s mind when the single 42-year-old texts eligible bachelors, only to be burdened with a lackluster conversation akin to pulling teeth. Instead, the Big Apple project manager expects “responsiveness and actual engagement” when texting — otherwise, she thinks they’re just not interested in her. “I mean, everybody’s really busy,” she told The Post. “There’s moments where I’m really busy and I just don’t want to text someone, but if I do really want to text someone, I will.” Being a “bad texter,” then, is a poor excuse. Most women have been victims of the self-proclaimed “bad texter” — a boyfriend, lover or husband who barely replies to messages, and, if he does, the conversation is plagued with dry responses. Despite the unanimous agreement that the behavior is a glaring red flag, the aforementioned “bad texter” — a phenomenon that recently drummed up debate on TikTok, while women lament their dating woes online — still haunts single women, especially in NYC where it is notoriously difficult to date. “The opportunity to communicate or connect with someone becomes slim to none when you can’t even get a text back,” NYC-based single Tahirah Jarrett, 33, told The Post. She lamented the feeling of being “disposable” by bachelors who “have a tendency to get really distracted very easy” and are likely texting multiple women at once, hence the bone-dry texts and indifference. And it’s not just single ladies. When The Post hit the streets, women in relationships also said their boyfriends and husbands were guilty of bad texting, too, though none would provide their names for fear of causing a relationship rift. Ariana, a 29-year-old nursing student who declined to give her last name, described men’s texting habits as “short,” lamenting that they tend to cherry-pick the parts of long texts they want to answer while ignoring the parts they don’t. It’s something, she admitted with a laugh, that her boyfriend is guilty of. “I know he doesn’t mean anything bad by it, but he is just such a short texter, like one-word texts,” she told The Post, adding that she is now “used to it” after three years of dating. After all, “a lot of men text like that,” she added. But unresponsiveness doesn’t always equal disinterest, although it can, NYC dating coach Connell Barrett told The Post. Sometimes, guys just “don’t know how to flirt.” “A big reason why men struggle with this is because many men are just by nature very analytical and logical,” he explained. “They speak and communicate in a logical, informational way, and information and logic is the opposite of romance.” Barrett’s clients often become so “stuck” on what to say — unable to conjure up something engaging or witty — and they simply “give up,” which backfires and makes a potential flame fizzle out. Miranda Felix, 18, and Carolina Martinez, 21, both digital marketing interns, believe that the inability to hold an engaging conversation means men are afraid to be emotionally vulnerable, lamenting that the “hard to get” behavior is causing them to “lose hope” when dating. “If you’re not really engaging in what I’m saying it’s kind of annoying,” said Guerrero, who also complained it’s often “touch and go,” sometimes as long as 12 hours without a reply. Playing the waiting game — whether it’s hours, or even days, to text after a first date, or pacing replies to not seem too eager — is “so annoying,” bemoaned 27-year-old entrepreneur Morgane Rondot, who prefers someone who texts back quickly. “Maybe when you’re a teenager it works, but when you’re 27 years old, you don’t want that anymore,” France-based Rondot, who previously lived in NYC, told The Post. Barrett is convinced that failing to wait an arbitrary yet socially acceptable amount of time before sending a post-date text is nonsense. “The perfect cadence is whenever you want,” he said, adding that earlier and sooner is better. “I like men to give women the gift of clarity and certainty.” In short, if you like her, “don’t play a game.” He added: “You’re not going to come across as needy or eager as long as you are not a needy, eager person.” For guys who might need to fine-tune their flirting — lest they send dry and lifeless texts — Barrett, otherwise known as “the real-life Hitch,” has digital dating down to an exact science. He recommends three components to master the treacherous art of texting: personalize messages, add some G-rated playfulness and keep it short and sweet, with messages ranging between 20 to 25 words. But the goal is not a permanent pen pal, he warned. As a general rule of thumb, he advises bachelors to ask their love interest on a date after discussing two topics, instead of scrambling to find a fifth, sixth or seventh talking point to keep the conversation alive. If all else fails, frustrated women sick of text tag and lackluster conversation can also make the first move, from a subtle hint to a blatant ask-out. “I wish women didn’t have to do this, but hey, it’s okay to drop a handkerchief or give an assist,” Barrett said, adding that some men fear rejection. “She could say, ‘Is there any place you would like to take me?’ That’s a that’s a really good way to phrase it.” https://nypost.com/2024/06/07/lifestyle/men-are-bad-texters-nyc-women-are-tired-of-their-excuses/

Mariupol was doomed. Relentless Russian bombing had turned streets into ruins and courtyards into graveyards. But several metres underground in the south-eastern Ukrainian city, a romance was blooming. Valeria Subotina, 33, had been sheltering in the enormous Azovstal steelworks, the final stronghold in the city, as it was surrounded by Russian forces in spring 2022. She had taken cover in one of dozens of Soviet-era bomb shelters built to withstand nuclear war, deep beneath the industrial plant. “You go down a semi-collapsed staircase, move through passages and tunnels, and go further and further down. Finally, you reach this concrete cube, a room,” Valeria says. In the bunker - alongside soldiers and civilians - Valeria was working with the army's Azov brigade as a press officer, communicating the horrors of Russia's months-long siege to global media. There, too, was her fiancé Andriy Subotin, a 34-year-old Ukrainian army officer, defending the plant. The pair had found each other through work - Mariupol’s Border Guard Agency - around three years before the siege. When Andriy met Valeria, it was love at first sight. "He was special, it felt so warm to be around him," Valeria says. "He was always kind and never refused to help anyone.” Andriy was an optimist, she says. He knew how to be happy and found joy in small things: sunny weather, smiles, friends' company. “On the first day we met, I realised Andriy was very different to others.” Within three months, they had moved in together, renting a small one-storey house in Mariupol with a garden. The couple started building a life together. “We travelled a lot, went to the mountains, met friends,” Valeria says. “We fished together and spent lots of time outdoors. We visited theatres, concerts and exhibitions. Life was full.” They decided to get married and dreamed of a big church wedding with family and friends. They picked wedding rings. Valeria quit her job and began to nurture her creative side, writing and publishing poems about the earlier years of fierce fighting with Russia in Mariupol. "For a couple of years before the full-scale invasion, I was truly happy," she recalls. Everything changed in February 2022. Spring had brought the sun to Valeria and Andriy’s garden, and the first flowers were appearing. "I was starting to enjoy spring,” says Valeria. “We knew about Putin's threats and realised there would be a war, but I didn't want to think about it.“ A few days before 24 February, the day the full-scale invasion began, Andriy urged Valeria to leave the city. She refused. "I knew that no matter what happened, I had to be in Mariupol, I had to defend my city.” Weeks later, they were both underground, in the Azovstal bunkers. They only got to see each other occasionally, but when they did those were moments of “pure happiness”. At this point, Mariupol was nearing a humanitarian catastrophe. Strikes to infrastructure had cut water and power supplies to parts of the city, and there were food shortages. Civilian homes and buildings, too, had been destroyed. On 15 April, a large bomb was dropped on the plant. Valeria narrowly escaped death. “I was found among dead bodies, the only one alive. On the one hand, a miracle, but on the other, a terrible tragedy.” She had to spend eight days in an underground hospital in the plant with severe concussion. “The smell of blood and rot was everywhere,” she says. “It was a very scary place where our wounded comrades, with amputated limbs, were lying everywhere. They couldn't get proper help because there were very few medical supplies.” Andriy was deeply worried for Valeria after her injury and started planning a wedding right there, in the bunker. "It felt like he was in a hurry, like we wouldn't have any more time," says Valeria. “He made a couple of wedding rings out of tin foil with his own hands, and asked me to marry him. Of course, I said yes. “He was the love of my life. And our rings made of tin foil - they were perfect.” On 5 May, the couple were married by a commander stationed at the plant. They had a ceremony in the bunker, wearing their uniforms as wedding attire. Andriy promised his wife that they would have a proper wedding when they returned home, with real rings and a white dress. Two days later, on 7 May, he was killed in action at the steel plant, by Russian shelling. Valeria didn’t find out about it straight away. “People often say you feel something inside when a loved one dies. But I, on the contrary, was in a good mood. I was married and in love." One of the hardest things was having to hold in a “lump of grief”, as she was defending her city alongside “her boys” - comrades - at Azovstal. “I was a bride, I was a wife, and now I am a widow. The scariest word,” she says. “I could not react the way I wanted to at that moment. “My boys were always around. They sat next to me, they slept next to me, they brought me food and supported me,” she says. “I could only cry when they weren’t watching.” At one point, it felt like the fear of being in the war zone was blunted by her grief. “I didn’t care any more… You just understand that there are many more people waiting for you in the next world, if it exists, than there are here with you.” The Ukrainian soldiers at Azovstal finally surrendered on 20 May. Valeria found herself among the 900 prisoners of war forcibly taken by the Russian military out of Mariupol. “We stared through the windows of the bus at those buildings we loved, at those streets we knew so well. They destroyed and killed everything I loved – my city, my friends, and my husband.” Valeria survived 11 months of Russian captivity, and has told of torture and abuse. Andriy often appeared in her dreams. In April last year, she was released as part of a prisoner exchange, and is now back in Ukraine. It is difficult to to say how many people were killed as a result of the Russian shelling of Mariupol, but local authorities say the number exceeds 20,000. According to the UN, 90% of residential buildings were damaged or destroyed, and bodies are still in the rubble. As far as Valeria knows, her husband's body remains at the Azovstal steel plant in the now-occupied city. Sometimes, she says, she looks to the sky and speaks to him. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cv220gq7p31o

Name of the game: Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Price: $69.99 - $27.99 Link Store: https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/suicide-squad-kill-the-justice-league Offer ends up after X hours: Sale ends 6/13/2024 at 4:00 PM Requirements:

Voted

The union for senior civil servants has told the High Court its members could be made to break the law, under the government’s plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda. Launching an unprecedented challenge, the FDA urged the court to clarify whether ministers could tell staff to ignore a European Court of Human Rights order to stop a flight. The union says Civil Service rules mean they must abide by all laws, including orders from the Strasbourg-based court. The outcome of the case could raise complex questions about the powers of ministers, with significant constitutional implications. Earlier this week, the government confirmed to the High Court there would be no Rwanda flight before 24 July. This case must be settled before then. Labour says it will abolish the scheme if it wins the general election on 4 July. In June 2022, the government’s first planned Rwanda flight was aborted, after a European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) interim order said the asylum seekers on board should not be taken to the African nation until British judges had ruled on whether they would be humanely treated. That judgement came last November, when the UK Supreme Court ruled Rwanda was not safe for asylum seekers. And UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak then introduced an alternative plan, which tells judges to ignore those concerns - and says ministers could ignore a future flight-stopping ECtHR order. 'Potentially unlawful' Tom Hickman KC, for the union, told the High Court senior civil servants did not oppose the Rwanda scheme, as their duty was to serve the government of the day. But the new version of the plan had left them in an unclear and potentially unlawful position. The Civil Service code required officials to abide by domestic laws - those passed by Parliament - and international laws the UK had joined, including the European Convention on Human Rights, which the ECtHR oversees. The government could have rewritten the Civil Service code to tell officials to ignore interim ECtHR rulings but had not done so. “International law is no less important than domestic law,” Mr Hickman said. “The UK is a fully subscribed member of the international-law club - and international law is fundamental to the stability of the international community. “They [ministers] want to refuse to implement an interim measure [of the European Court of Human Rights] while wanting to maintain the appearance that international law is being complied with.” 'Constitutionally untenable' But the government says the union is wrong. In written submissions, its top barrister Sir James Eadie KC said if the FDA won the case, it would mean civil servants could override ministers' decisions. “That is constitutionally untenable,” he said. “It would frustrate and undermine the intention of Parliament [in passing the Rwanda plan].” Mr Justice Chamberlain said he would give his decision at a later date. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cv22k74m4y7o

West Midlands Safari Park has welcomed the arrival of a baby giraffe, one of four new arrivals in the last two weeks. The park's Rothschild’s giraffe, Arusha, gave birth to the 6ft-tall (2m) baby boy on 29 May, with the special moment being captured on CCTV. After a gestation period of 15 months, keepers were ready for the birth and ensured that the giraffe house floor was covered with sand for a soft landing. Deputy head keeper of ungulates Ian Nock, said: "This is her fourth calf and incredibly important for giraffe conservation." The International Union for Conservation of Nature recognises giraffes as a "vulnerable" species, which is largely down to poaching and habitat loss. Mr Nock added: "Arusha is a very attentive mother, and both are doing perfectly. "Once the calf is ready, we shall start introducing mother and calf to the rest of the herd, including dad, Rufus and brother, Kingsley. "This important birth increases our herd to 11. It has definitely been something of a baby boom." It comes after the birth of two endangered barasingha fawns and just before the birth of a blesbok calf - the first in the park’s history. "We’ve named the blesbok calf Merlin and he is sticking very close to mum, Pebbles, who is proving to be an excellent first-time mother," said Mr Nock. "The barasingha fawns can often be seen playing together which is lovely for us all to see." https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cnll9ey2070o

If you have your eye on a new Lexus RX luxury SUV, but just don't feel like swinging the price tag or cosplaying a real estate agent, has Toyota got the alternative for you: The 2025 Crown Signia. This new crossover is related to the unusual Crown sedan, a premium, high-riding sedan that replaced the Avalon in Toyota's lineup and leverages the iconic, up-market, heretofore mostly Japanese-market-only Crown name. The Crown SUV also happens to be pretty much exactly the same size as Lexus's RX, which plays in the same compact luxury SUV sandbox as the Audi Q5, BMW X3, and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class. This isn't the first time we've compared the Toyota and Lexus, which even share a platform and essentially use the same three-motor hybrid powertrain. Available only as a hybrid, the Crown Signia is priced thousands less than an equivalent Lexus RX350h hybrid (a cheaper gas-only RX350 bridges the gap somewhat), drives quietly and comfortably, and has a relatively premium interior compared to other mainstream Toyotas. Detailed pricing for the Crown Signia, including options and standard features, is now here. The Crown Signia is offered in XLE and Limited grades, which start at $44,985 and $49,385, including destination charges. You'll pay $52,100 for the least-expensive Lexus RX350h available, and prices on nicer versions can balloon to $61,230 before options if you opt for the top-of-the-line RX350h Luxury; add some options on, and that price tag can swell to nearly $70,000. Keep in mind, there are pricier RXs yet—the plug-in RX450h+ and sporty RX500h F Sport Performance come to mind. Toyota Crown Signia XLE Standard equipment on the Crown Signia XLE (pictured in Oxygen white, above) includes dual-zone automatic climate control; full leather upholstery; a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a 12.3-inch central touchscreen; 19-inch wheels; heated outboard rear seats; and heated, ventilated, and power-adjustable front seats. The look inside should be familiar to anyone who's spent time in a Crown sedan, though there are different colorways available here. The hybrid setup delivers 240 hp in total from the combination of a 188-hp, 178-lb-ft 2.5-liter gas four-cylinder engine and a 180-hp electric drive motor (plus a starter/generator) driving the front axle and a 53-hp electric motor that spins the rear axle, giving the Crown Signia on-demand all-wheel drive. If you're wondering why the Toyota gives up 6 hp to the Lexus with the same powertrain, credit the Crown Signia's ability to drink regular gas, while the RX needs premium. Another plus in the Toyota's column? It gets better fuel economy, delivering an EPA-estimated 39 mpg city, 37 mpg highway, and 38 mpg combined to the RX's 37 mpg city, 34 mpg highway, and 36 mpg combined. Toyota Crown Signia Limited For the features that really transform the Crown Signia into a budget Lexus, you'll want to step up to the Limited trim level (Storm Cloud blue, above). This not only trades the XLE's six-speaker audio system for an 11-speaker JBL setup, it also brings auto-leveling to the LED headlights, a (fixed) panoramic glass roof, rain-sensing windshield wipers, 21-inch gray wheels, and Digital Key capability (in which users can operate their smartphone as the Crown Signia's key). The only options are premium paint ($495 for Finish Line Red, Oxygen White, or Bronze Age; Storm Cloud and Black are free) and the Advanced Technology package ($1,865, which adds a 360-degree parking camera, front cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, and puddle lamps). Snagging a Crown Signia for way less than a Lexus RX—and then spending less on gas—seems to make it the perfect option for those who want premium without the premium price tag. Some might even prefer the Toyota's sleek appearance to that of the more angular Lexus. Interestingly, the Crown sedan is offered in nicer (and more powerful) Nightshade and Platinum trim levels in addition to the same XLE and Limited specs, but it doesn't have as close an analogue in the Lexus lineup as the Crown Signia has in the RX, so Toyota probably won't add those versions to the SUV to avoid overlap with its luxury division. If the 2025 Toyota Crown Signia sounds like your cup o' Lexus, it goes on sale later this summer. https://www.motortrend.com/news/2025-toyota-crown-signia-price-msrp-trim-levels/

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire says he is "absolutely gutted" that he will have to miss Euro 2024 through injury. The 31-year-old and Manchester City forward Jack Grealish, both regulars in Gareth Southgate's England squad, have not made the final 26-man list. The central defender Maguire has not recovered sufficiently from a calf injury he sustained in April which kept him out of United’s FA Cup final victory over Manchester City last month. In a post on social media,, external Maguire, who has represented the Three Lions on 63 occasions, confirmed he would not be playing in Germany. He said: "I'm devastated not to have been selected to play for England at the Euros this summer. Despite my best efforts, I've not been able to overcome an injury to my calf. Maybe I pushed myself too hard, to try and make it. Simply, I am absolutely gutted." Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford, Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, Liverpool's Jarell Quansah and Curtis Jones and Tottenham midfielder James Maddison have all also missed out. "For me, representing England is the highest honour," Maguire, who was in Southgate's initial 33-man selection, added. "It means everything to me. If I can’t help the team as a player, I will support them as a fan – along with the rest of the country. Go and win it boys. "Next, I will return to the supervision of the Manchester United medical team in order to prepare for next season." Earlier on Thursday it was confirmed Tottenham forward Maddison, 27, and Liverpool midfielder Jones, 23, had both left the training camp. In a post on social media, Maddison wrote of his disappointment, saying "devastated doesn't quite cut it". He added: "I still thought there would be a space for me in a 26-man squad as I feel I bring something different and had been a mainstay in this whole qualifying campaign for Euro 2024 in Germany. "But the manager has made the decision and I have to respect that. I’ll be back, I have no doubt." England start their Euro 2024 campaign with a Group C game against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen on 16 June, before games against Denmark on 20 June and Slovenia on 25 June. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c988179wd30o

The list is served. The world’s 50 best restaurants of 2024 have been revealed, reaching 23 global destinations that were chosen by 1,080 international restaurant industry experts, including food writers and chefs. The list includes several classic favorites and some new entries from Australia, Colombia, India and beyond. Disfrutar in Barcelona took the top spot after being ranked No. 2 last year. It was also named The Best Restaurant in Europe 2024. Disfrutar diners can choose from two 30-course menus highlighting twists of Mediterranean classics, including caviar-filled Panchino doughnut and brilliant frozen gazpacho sandwich. NYC made the list with Michelin-starred Atomix coming in at No. 6 in the world and No. 1 in North America this year. The Korean dining spot in Murray Hill is run by chef Junghyun “JP” Park and his wife, Ellia, who have been specifically noted for their attention to detail, such as serving each acclaimed item in beautiful ceramics. Spain was the biggest winner with six restaurants on the list: Disfrutar, Asador Etxebarri, Diverxo, Quique Dacosta, Reale and Elkano. Meanwhile, Paris and Bangkok each landed four restaurants on the list. Table by Bruno Verjus, Septime, Plénitude and Arpege in Paris were awarded the honor along with Gaggan Anand, Suhring, Sorn and Le Du in Bangkok. The roundup included a whopping 11 entries from South America alone. https://nypost.com/2024/06/06/lifestyle/worlds-best-restaurants-for-2024-revealed-and-one-nyc-spot-made-the-list/

A US federal judge has ordered Donald Trump's former strategist Steve Bannon to report to prison by 1 July to serve a four-month sentence. The order on Thursday comes after years of legal wrangling, with an appeals court last month upholding Bannon's 2022 criminal conviction for contempt of Congress. The right-wing podcaster was found to have illegally refused to testify before the committee investigating the 6 January 2021 Capitol riot. Bannon, 70, has denied any criminal wrongdoing and his lawyer called the ruling a "horrible decision". After Thursday's decision, Bannon said he and his lawyers would "go all the way to the Supreme Court if we have to". "There's not a prison built or a jail built that will ever shut me up," he defiantly told reporters outside the courthouse in Washington DC. He called the legal challenges against him a plan for "shutting down the Maga movement" - a reference to former President Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan. Bannon has said he was following legal advice in refusing to testify before the House committee investigating 6 January, when rioters ransacked the US Capitol with the goal of stopping the certification of Joe Biden's election win. Bannon's lawyer David Schoen, who has called the case against his client politically motivated, also vowed to appeal to a higher court. Mr Schoen said his client would have been violating Trump's invocation of executive privilege - a legal concept that allows presidents to keep some communications private - had he testified before Congress. But a three-member panel from the DC Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously rejected that argument when it upheld his conviction in May, saying his claim "runs headlong into settled law". "This exact 'advice of counsel' defense is no defense at all," Justice Bradley Garcia wrote in that decision. A full appeals court could delay Thursday's sentencing order if it took up the case and issued its own ruling stopping its enforcement. Bannon was a key player in Trump's 2016 rise to the Oval Office and later became chief strategist at the White House. He left the administration after a violent far-right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017, but remains a top ally of the former president. Another senior Trump aide, Peter Navarro, reported to prison in March after his own contempt of Congress conviction. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cxee7gyrmnzo

The Victrix Pro BFG's stylish Call of Duty-themed PS5 controller is on sale for a limited time at Amazon. You can grab the high-end modular controller for $170, down from $200. The Victrix Pro BFG is rarely discounted, and this particular edition released late last year. It's unclear how long this deal will last, so Call of Duty fans who game on PS5, PS4, or PC should scoop it up for its lowest price yet while they can. It sports an exclusive blue camo design based on the Midnight Mask skin from Call of Duty. Outside of the aesthetic change, this model has all the features of the original black controller, like modular buttons and thumbsticks, Sony 3D audio support for headsets, customizable trigger stops, and four programmable back triggers. This is the second Call of Duty-themed Victrix Pro BFG Wireless controller PDP has released. In early 2023, PDP released a version of the controller themed on the Las Almas Golden Cartel skin from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. That particular model is no longer available, so we'd expect this edition to disappear at some point, too. If these Call of Duty editions are too expensive or aren't your thing, the standard black Victrix Pro BFG with purple accents is also available for $174 at Amazon. The only difference between these controllers is their aesthetics; they all utilize the modular design that secured it as one of our picks (alongside the DualSense Edge) for the best Pro-style gamepad on our list of the best PS5 controllers. Each controller ships with four thumbsticks, three D-pad styles, and a module for fighting games with six microswitch buttons that can be slotted into the controller in place of the right stick and normal face buttons. You can rearrange the sticks to be parallel like a traditional PlayStation controller, but the form factor is closer to Xbox controllers than PlayStation. The Pro BFG comes with a 2.4GHz wireless dongle and a 10-foot braided charging cable that can also be used as a wired connection. Everything is neatly stored inside a hardshell case. If you want to read more about the controller before grabbing this deal, check out our full Victric Pro BFG review. Earlier this year, an Xbox version of the Victrix Pro BFG joined the lineup. Unfortunately, the Call of Duty-themed model is only available on PlayStation. Xbox users can choose between black and white models for $180 each. PC players have the luxury of using either the PlayStation or Xbox variants in both wireless and wired modes. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/officially-licensed-call-of-duty-ps5-controller-gets-big-discount-at-amazon/1100-6518213/