BirSaNN

• Name: @BirSaNN • Time & Date: 01:40 / 12/01/2023 • Screenshot: https://imgur.com/a/BgW9wqG

The prime minister has told MPs he is registered with an NHS GP but has used "independent healthcare in the past". Rishi Sunak had previously refused to say whether he uses private healthcare, insisting it was "not really relevant". The PM has been under pressure over the issue, followed a press report that he was registered with a private GP practice. At PMQs, Mr Sunak praised his local hospital "for the fantastic care they have given my family". "That's why I'm passionately committed to protecting it with more funding, more doctors and nurses, and a clear plan to cut the waiting lists," he added. Mr Sunak had told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme that his healthcare was "a personal choice". "As a general policy I wouldn't ever talk about me or my family's healthcare situation … it's not really relevant," he told the programme. Rishi Sunak refuses to say if he uses private GP The NHS crisis - decades in the making Postcode check: How's the NHS coping in your area? Registering with an NHS GP does not exclude someone from using private healthcare. The prime minister's spokeswoman said Mr Sunak did not have private cover, and that while she would "not get into timelines", he had always been registered with an NHS GP. "In principle, he believes that the personal health details of individuals should remain private, but given the level of interest and in the interests of transparency he has set out that he is registered with a NHS GP," she said. A newspaper report in November suggested Mr Sunak was registered with a private GP practice that offers on-the-day appointments and home visits. Critics have accused Mr Sunak of not understanding the pressures faced by the NHS, and Royal College of Nursing general secretary, Pat Cullen, told the BBC: "I think as a public servant, you ought to be clear with the public whether or not you are using private health cover." Latest NHS figures show that in November last year, 58% of NHS patients were not seen on the day they made an appointment. At the same time, a record high of more than seven million people are waiting for hospital treatment. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said in response to Mr Sunak's comments that the prime minister "will find out what it's like to wait on hold at 08:00 as you call for an appointment". Sir Keir's spokesman confirmed the Labour leader had never used private healthcare. He said he was "not going to comment on individual health choices" and Labour was focused on "ensuring we have the best possible NHS" for everyone in the country. Sir Keir also clashed with Mr Sunak over the government's plan for new legislation to enforce minimum service levels in the NHS and other key sectors during industrial action. Unions have criticised the proposals as "undemocratic, unworkable, and almost certainly illegal", pointing out they would mean some employees would be required to work during a strike and could be sacked if they refuse. Analysis: Sunak will be judged on tackling the NHS crisis PMQs: Gareth Bale a hero of mine, says Rishi Sunak The Tories had gone "from clapping nurses to sacking nurses", Sir Keir said, adding that nurses and ambulance workers would not be on strike if the prime minister had negotiated. The prime minister said Sir Keir would not agree to minimum service levels in the NHS "because he's on the side of his union paymasters, not patients". Mr Sunak added that he wanted "to have constructive dialogue with the unions" and had accepted the recommendations of independent pay review bodies. Earlier, health unions announced they are pulling out of the NHS Pay Review Body process to determine pay for next year. The 14 unions - representing more than one million ambulance staff, nurses and other NHS workers in England - have called for direct negotiations with ministers about pay. Mr Sunak's comments followed Health Secretary Steve Barclay confirming he used an NHS doctor. Pressed on whether he has NHS care during an interview on LBC, Mr Barclay replied: "Yes, I don't subscribe to private provision. "But I don't have a problem with people, with their own money, who wish to spend that money on private healthcare." Some of Mr Sunak's predecessors have made a point of drawing attention to their use of the NHS when they were prime minister. David Cameron often spoke about how the NHS cared for his disabled son, while Boris Johnson said the health service saved his life after he fell seriously ill with Covid. But when Mrs Thatcher was prime minister she was candid about her use of private health insurance, which she said was vital for her to "go into hospital on the day I want, at the time I want, and with a doctor I want". link: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-64237830

A lucky group of whale watchers recently watched a gray whale calf being birthed off the coast of California. It could be the first time that this incredible phenomenon has ever been caught on camera. A lucky whale-watching group in Southern California recently got front-row seats to one of the rarest and most miraculous spectacles in nature: the birth of a gray whale calf. A video of the "once-in-a-lifetime sighting" could be the first footage of the species' birth ever recorded, experts suggest. Passengers on board a multivessel tour organized by Capt. Dave's Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari(opens in new tab) (DWWS) witnessed the extremely rare phenomenon on Jan. 2 a few miles off the coast of Dana Point in Orange County, DWWS representatives wrote on Facebook(opens in new tab). The tour group initially spotted a lone female somewhere between 40 and 50 feet (12 to 15 meters) in length. Shortly afterward, the female began acting sporadically, before a small pool of blood emerged at the surface. The concerned onlookers worried that this was evidence of a shark attack, until a small calf rose to the surface to take its first breath. A video(opens in new tab) of the mother and calf pair, which was uploaded to the DWWS YouTube channel, shows the mother swimming alongside her new offspring and occasionally nudging the calf toward the surface or allowing it to rest on her face. The calf, which was around 15 feet (4.5 m) long, was much darker than the mother and appears to have an unusually flexible tail that made swimming difficult. "It's so floppy," one onlooker exclaimed during the video. The proud mother was more than happy to show off her vulnerable new calf to the crowded boats. At one point, the pair even swam underneath one of the onlooking vessels, which was raised slightly out of the water by the mother, DWWS representatives wrote on YouTube. It is a "once-in-a-lifetime sighting," they added. Related: Whale sighting in Australia hints at 'extremely unusual' interspecies adoption The calf looked "floppy" because gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) are born with soft flukes, or tails, that take about 24 hours to become rigid, Alisa Schulman-Janiger(opens in new tab), a marine biologist with the California Killer Whale Project, told NPR(opens in new tab). "The mom is holding the calf up, supporting it so the calf can rest and [is] actually helping it be able to take a breath," added Schulman-Janiger, who also runs the Los Angeles chapter of the American Cetacean Society's Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project. Schulman-Janiger believes the pair swam close to each other to help establish a strong bond that will be crucial to the calf's survival. Normally, land mammals cement the mother-newborn bond in part by smelling each other, but whales do not have a great sense of smell, she told NPR. However, cetaceans do have "very sensitive" skin that allows them to feel and get to know each other. "That's why there's a lot of tactile contact and touching going on," Schulman-Janiger said. Gray whales normally prefer to give birth in the lagoons off Baja California, Mexico, which are warmer than the open ocean and provide shelter from predators, such as killer whales. The female was likely migrating south toward Baja California from its colder feeding grounds in the Bering or Chukchi seas near Alaska — a journey of around 5,000 miles (8,000 kilometers), DWWS representatives wrote on YouTube. Because the calf was born so far north, it may have lower odds of survival, but sometimes the calves "just won't wait" any longer if they are fully developed, they added. People almost never get the chance to witness gray whale births. The new footage could be the only video evidence of this elusive moment in existence. "As far as I know, no one has filmed a gray whale giving birth," DWWS owner Dave Anderson told Live Science in an email. Schulman-Janiger agrees that capturing the event on film was extraordinarily lucky. "The fact that you can see the blood pool means the calf must have just come out," she said. "That isn't something that is seen very often. In fact, I don't know if there's any other video footage of something like that." The sighting is even more impressive considering that gray whale numbers in the North Pacific are in decline. In 2016, 27,000 individuals swam in the region. But in 2022, the po[CENSORED]tion was estimated to be only 16,650. The decline has resulted, in part, from an "unusual mortality event" that is causing the whales to become stranded on beaches, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(opens in new tab). link: https://www.livescience.com/whale-watchers-see-gray-whale-birth

Production for the 710-hp supercar officially ended in December, with an unnamed successor already sold out into 2024. McLaren is ending production of the 720S supercar after a roughly five-year run, with a yet-to-be-named replacement already sold out well into 2024. The 720S was unveiled at the 2017 Geneva Auto Show, and went into production for the 2018 model year, replacing the 650S. A McLaren spokesperson confirmed to Car and Driver that production for the 2023 model year officially ended in December 2022. McLaren has sounded the death knell for its iconic and beloved 720S supercar. Production of 2023 model-year vehicles officially ended in December 2022, a spokesperson for the company confirmed to Car and Driver. No official replacement has been announced, but speaking with Automotive News, Nicolas Brown, McLaren's president of the Americas region, told the outlet, "... Customers, of course, they see that, 'OK, well, you can't order a 720 anymore.' They realize that production is ending. So putting two and two together, something is coming." Despite no official replacement being revealed, or even announced, Brown told AN that the company has taken deposits on the new car. In fact, he confirmed that the replacement vehicle is sold out "through deep into 2024." The 720S was first unveiled at the 2017 Geneva Auto Show as a replacement for the 650S supercar. The twin-turbocharged V-8 powering the wheels is mounted behind the passenger compartment and makes 710 horsepower. Unleashing that power propels the 720S to 60 mph in well under three seconds, and on to 120 mph in less than seven seconds. We lapped a 2018 720S at our annual Lightning Lap testing, where we deemed it "Wonderfully fun and scary fast." Not only did it clock a 2:39.7 around the VIR Grand Course, joining a lofty group of cars under 2:40; but it also recorded a mind-warping speed of 171.7 mph on the front straight. We're always sad to see cars we love die off, especially with a car as fast and fun to drive as the 720S. The brand's newest car, the Artura, is quicker to 60 mph, but swaps the 4.0-liter V-8 for a hybrid V-6 paired to an electric motor. It's a cheaper entry, sure, but it's heavier and less powerful than the 720S. And it loses the sensory experience granted by the 720S. We'll surely miss the 720S as it exits stage left after 2023. link: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a42460296/mclaren-720s-dead-discontinued/

In this series, Guardian writers share the best advice they’ve ever received and how it’s impacted their lives since Families are full of random useless advice and mine especially so. My great-grandfather counselled against rock fishing. “Those whom the gods seek to destroy first turn to rock fishing.” Not applicable. My grandmother had warnings when choosing life partners. “Never trust a man with a middle part. Or a black hat.” Outdated, if not prejudicial. A fashionable friend had clothing advice. “Never wear stripes on your arse.” So I was slightly relieved when I moved to a farm that my husband didn’t have much advice for me. He is a sink or swim type of person. One of the only scraps he offered was “always check your own girth strap”. A girth strap, for non-horsey people, is the belt that holds the saddle to the horse. In people, it might hold your trousers up, or separate the bottom and the top half of you, depending on what you need it for. The Farmer™, as he is known, underlined early on in my unspectacular horse riding career that I should always check my own girth strap. He got the advice from a 100-year-old cowgirl interviewed in the pages of a newspaper and soon adopted it as his own. She seemed like someone who had earned the right to give advice. Besides, it was absolutely true that if I did not check my own girth strap, my saddle could roll. In that situation, I could come a gutser (“fall off” in the local parlance) and then look for others to blame. So when our daughter grew up with my horse addiction, she was offered the same advice by her father. One day, while riding at her friend’s place, her saddle did begin to roll on her friend’s enthusiastic pony. As she slid around the Appaloosa’s belly, the first thing that came to mind was “I didn’t check my own girth strap”. She fell off. But my husband wasn’t just using girth strap checking as equine advice. It served to underline personal responsibility for our own predicaments. Complaining about the reading on the bathroom scales or health in general? Check your own girth strap! (Ferme la bouche!) Struggling with your tax return or your life admin in general? Check your own girth strap! (Do it yourself!) Underpants falling down? Check your own girth strap. I have yet to live by it consistently but that’s the challenge, right? By the way, our daughter was unhurt by the fall. But she has never forgotten the advice. And nor will I. link: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/jan/11/ive-never-forgotten-the-advice-of-a-100-year-old-cowgirl-always-check-your-own-girth-strap

Russia's defence ministry says its forces are taking part in the battle for Soledar, a town north of Bakhmut in east Ukraine which has been the focus of recent fighting. It comes after the head of Russia's notoriously brutal Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, claimed his fighters were in full control there and boasted that only his troops took part. Mr Prigozhin will most likely use any victory to bolster the reputation of Wagner as an effective fighting force in the eyes of President Putin. But the Russian defence ministry appeared to contradict the controversial oligarch's claims. Spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in the military's daily update that: "Soledar has been blockaded from the north and the south by units of the Russian Airborne Forces. "The Russian Air Force is carrying out strikes on enemy strongholds. Assault troops are taking part in battles inside the town." There was no mention of Wagner forces. Ukraine's defence ministry also said on Wednesday that heavy fighting continues, and Wagner forces have had no success in breaking through its defences. Conflicting claims over embattled Ukraine town If Soledar falls, it will be a boost to Mr Prigozhin. In a statement released on Tuesday night, he boasted that "no other units took part in the storming of Soledar apart from Wagner". Ukrainian and US officials have said that Wagner units make up a large part of forces fighting in the area. Analysts have long spoken of tensions between the military and Wagner, and Mr Prigozhin has publicly criticised generals for allegedly being out of touch with the realities of the war in Ukraine. While it is difficult to know for sure exactly whether infighting is going on in the corridors of power, there are some clues. Yesterday, news agency Tass reported that Colonel-General Alexander Lapin was appointed as Chief of Staff of the Ground Forces. Russian media quoted sources who claimed that the announcement of Gen Lapin's position - he was one of those slammed by Mr Prigozhin last year - was made as a warning to the oligarch: don't mess with the military. But many here have been quick to praise Mr Prigozhin and Wagner for their apparent progress in Soledar. Influential media boss Margarita Simonyan gushed about how "polite" he is, signing off with a thanks to Wagner fighters, who she called "my little darlings!" Likewise, pro-Kremlin military bloggers on Telegram lavished praise on the mercenary group. One blogger thanked them for "the emotions you've given us tonight". Another said "When Soledar and [Bakhmut] are liberated, it will be a new chapter in Russian military history. The first time that a private military company has shown such results in a highly intensive military conflict". The strategic significance of Soledar is disputed by military analysts. But if Russian forces do succeed in establishing full control over the town, it will certainly be a symbolic victory for the Kremlin. That is because Moscow's troops have failed to take a single significant town from Ukrainian forces since the summer of 2022. link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64235712

The Spanish monarch wants Morocco-Spain relations to be a model for his country’s ties with other countries in North Africa. Rabat - King Felipe VI has said he is satisfied with the improvement of diplomatic ties between Morocco and Spain under the new roadmap of cooperation. “With Morocco, we have started a new phase which allows us to move forward on a stronger and more solid basis,” the Spanish monarch said during the 8th Conference of Spanish Ambassadors Accredited Abroad on Monday and Tuesday. Spain and Morocco announced the new roadmap of cooperation in April 2022, following a year-long diplomatic crisis triggered by Madrid’s decision to host Polisario leader Brahim Ghali for hospitalization in April 2021. Protesting what it saw as Spain's hostility to its territorial integrity, Morocco recalled its ambassador for consultation. Following months of negotiations and dialogue, the two countries announced the opening of “a new phase of relations” in April of last year during the visit of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to Morocco, where he met with King Mohammed VI. The visit came a month following Spain’s endorsement of Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as the most serious and credible basis to end the dispute over Western Sahara. The roadmap also echoed Rabat and Madrid’s determination to improve relations and cooperation at all levels, including trade, security, counterterrorism, and irregular migration. For King Felipe VI, Spain’s ties with the countries of the Mediterranean and the Arab world are “as distinguished as they are priorities in terms of geography, history, and culture.” He explained: “This region is the basis of our security and prosperity. This is why it is very important to strengthen the interest in the Southern Neighbourhood.” The Spanish monarch presented the depth of his country's relationship with Morocco as the model for Spain as it looks to nurture good diplomatic ties with other countries in North Africa, including Libya, Algeria, and Tunisia. Morocco and Spain will hold a high-level meeting on February 1-2 in Rabat, with the event convening senior officials from the two countries to discuss boosting diplomatic, trade, and security cooperation. In his remarks at the 8th Conference of Spanish Ambassadors, King Felipe VI also announced that he and his wife Letizia will make a trip to Angola in February. “It will be our first state visit to a country in sub-Saharan Africa and we are therefore looking forward to it with special enthusiasm,” he said. The Spanish monarch stressed the importance of Africa in Spain's diplomatic outreach. Africa, King Felipe VI said, is “ a vast and plural continent with infinite needs and full of possibilities to cooperate… it is a continent of opportunity and the future, which requires waving relationships of lasting trust and genuine interest in shared progress.” link: https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2023/01/353483/king-felipe-vi-morocco-spain-ties-are-progressing-on-stronger-basis

Nick Movie: Asterix and Obelix The Middle Kingdom Time: February 1, 2023 Netflix / Amazon / HBO?: ? Duration of the movie: 1h 54min Trailer:

Live Performance Title: Frozen - Kristen Bell Sings - For The First Time In Forever Live at D23 Expo2015 Signer Name: Kristen Bell Live Performance Location: - Official YouTube Link: Your Opinion About the Track (Music Video): 10/5

Music Title: PARTY SONGS 2023 🎧 Remixes Of Po[CENSORED]r Songs 🎧 DJ Remix EDM Club Dance Music Mix Playlist Signer: - Release Date: 11/01/2023 Official Youtube Link: Informations About The Signer: - Your Opinion About The Track (Music Video): 10/10

• Name: @BirSaNN • Time & Date: 00:27 / 11/01/2023 • Screenshot: https://imgur.com/a/dCOtzE3

Unions have criticised a new bill aimed at enforcing minimum service levels for the public sector during strikes as "undemocratic, unworkable and illegal". Under the proposals, some public sector workers would be required to work during a strike. The business secretary said the aim was to protect lives and livelihoods. But unions have threatened legal action if the bill is passed, while Labour says they would repeal it if they win the next election. The head of the Trades Union Congress, Paul Nowak, said that if it became law the legislation would "prolong disputes and poison industrial relations - leading to more frequent strikes". "This legislation would mean that when workers democratically vote to strike, they can be forced to work and sacked if they don't comply," he said. "That's undemocratic, unworkable, and almost certainly illegal." Who could have to work during a strike? Anti-strike law sets up battle over principles The new bill, published on Tuesday, comes amid a wave of industrial action across the public sector as workers seek pay increases in the face of the rising cost of living. Laws requiring a minimum level of service during strikes had already been promised for public transport as part of the Conservative's 2019 election manifesto. A bill was introduced to Parliament in October. The government is now seeking to extend this requirement to five other areas - the NHS, education, fire and rescue, border security, and nuclear decommissioning. To meet minimum staffing levels - which are still to be decided - employers would be able to issue a "work notice" to unions, setting out who is required to work during a strike. Under the legislation there would be no automatic protection from unfair dismissal for an employee who is told to work under minimum service agreements but chooses to strike. However, Business Secretary Grant Shapps pushed back on the idea workers would be sacked. "No one is talking about sacking nurses... nothing we are announcing today in this bill from the despatch box is about getting rid of nurses any more than any employment contract has to be followed," he told MPs. Mr Shapps said the government "absolutely believes in the right to strike" but it is "duty bound" to protect the lives and livelihoods of the public. "We don't want to use this legislation but we must ensure the safety of the British public," he said. Mr Shapps said the proposed legislation was similar to existing laws in other modern European economies and it was not designed to ban strikes. He accused unions representing ambulance workers of "a lack of timely cooperation", which he said meant employers could not reach a national agreement for minimum safety levels during recent strikes. He said this made "contingency planning almost impossible" and put lives at risk. But unions disputed his claims as "completely false", with Unite's Sharon Graham saying agreements had been negotiated with regional managers to take into account local circumstances. GMB said it was an "extraordinary attack" on ambulance workers, who had left picket lines to respond to urgent calls. During December's strikes Category 1 calls - classed as the most life-threatening situations, such as cardiac arrest - were responded to by an ambulance. This will also be the case for Wednesday's strikes. However, no blanket agreement has been reached on responding to Category 2 calls, which include strokes or major burns, with unions agreeing locally which calls within this category will be responded to. The strikes taking place in January Tone shifting on both sides after latest pay talks Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack called the bill a "shameful attack" on democratic rights and key workers. Unite's Ms Graham described it as a "dangerous gimmick from a government that should be negotiating to resolve the current crisis they have caused". Mick Lynch, head of the RMT transport union, said the "draconian legislation" sought to "punish workers" for demanding decent pay and working conditions. Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said it was "utterly stupid" and "insulting" for Mr Shapps to go from thanking nurses to proposing to sack them for striking. "How can he seriously think that sacking thousands of key workers won't just plunge our public services further into crisis?" she told the Commons. "We all want minimum standards of safety, service and staffing. It is the ministers failing to provide it," she said, adding that the public was being put at risk every day by the crisis in the NHS and staff shortages. MPs will get a chance to debate the bill - which applies to England, Wales and Scotland - next week. After the bill makes it through the House of Commons, where the Conservatives have a sizeable majority, it is expected to face greater opposition in the House of Lords where the numbers are less favourable. Any legislation would not have an impact on strikes this month, which are still set to go ahead. Ambulance staff in England and Wales are preparing to walk out on Wednesday, while nurses in England are also set to strike next week. link: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-64219016

A 120 million-year-old bird fossil from China has some rather unusual dinosaur-like features in its otherwise standard avian skeleton, including a weirdly T. rex-like skull. About 120 million years ago, a fearsome bird with a skull that looked eerily similar to that of a Tyrannosaurus rex flew the early Cretaceous skies, hunting for a meaty meal to gobble down, a new study finds. A newly described specimen of this previously unknown species provides clues about how birds began to finalize their evolutionary divergence from the rest of the dinosaurs. Modern birds are descended from dinosaurs, making them the only dinosaur lineage that survived the planet-shaking asteroid impact that wiped out the rest of their kind around 66 million years ago. But exactly how birds evolved from the rest of the theropods — a bipedal group with hollow bones and three toes or claws on each foot, which includes avian dinosaurs as well non-avian dinosaurs, such as raptors like Velociraptor — is still unclear. Researchers unearthed the new species, which they named Cratonavis zhui, at a fossil site in China. The fossil's age suggets C. zhui likely appeared somewhere between the earliest known bird, Archaeopteryx, which lived about 150 million years ago during the Jurassic period, and the Ornithothoraces, a dinosaur-era group which had already evolved many traits of modern birds. In a new study, published Jan. 2 in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution(opens in new tab), researchers analyzed the new fossil to see what traits it shared with both groups. After studying the fossils with a high-resolution computed tomography (CT) scan, which allowed them to virtually reassemble the bones in 3D, the team found that, despite a majority of the skeleton being very similar to Ornithothoraces, certain bones shared a surprisingly strong likeness to non-avian dinosaurs. The most striking similarity was in the skull, which has a shape that is "nearly identical to that of dinosaurs such as T. rex," researchers wrote in a statement(opens in new tab). Related: How did birds survive the dinosaur-killing asteroid? The specimen's raptor-like skull is notable because it would have prevented C. zhui from moving its upper bill in relation to its lower jaw. Modern birds are capable of moving both parts independently, which is believed to have greatly contributed to their enormous ecological diversity today, study lead author Zhiheng Li(opens in new tab), a paleontogolost at the Chinese Academy of Science's Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP), said in the statement. It is therefore surprising to know that this trait developed so late in birds' evolutionary history, he added. C. zhui also has an unusually elongated sca[CENSORED], a shoulder bone used during flight, and first metatarsal, a bone found in the foot, compared with modern birds. The sca[CENSORED] plays an important role in flight because it helps rotate birds' shoulders and beat their wings. The elongated sca[CENSORED] in C. zhui likely "compensated for the overall underdeveloped flight apparatus in this early bird," study co-author Min Wang(opens in new tab), a paleoornathologist at IVPP, said in the statement. However, the extended metatarsals are likely leftover from land-dwelling raptors who required longer versions of the bone to help them run. Over time, these bones evolved to be much shorter in birds to allow them to use their hallux, or big clawed toe, to land on branches and grab prey from the air instead of running, study co-author Thomas Stidham(opens in new tab), a paleoornathologist at IVPP, said in the statement. The unexpected lengths of both the sca[CENSORED] and first metatarsal "highlight the breadth of skeletal plasticity in early birds," study co-author Zhonghe Zhou(opens in new tab), a paleoornathologist at IVPP, said in the statement. This plasticity suggests that certain skeletal traits could have evolved independently from one another across the birds' evolutionary tree, a phenomenon known as convergent evolution, but more fossils are needed to tell for sure. link: https://www.livescience.com/ancient-bird-with-t-rex-skull

The hybrid version of Chevy's C8 Corvette will have all-wheel drive and is shown bounding through the snow in this preview video. Chevrolet has released the first official teaser for the 2024 Corvette E-Ray. This hybrid version of the C8 Corvette will have all-wheel drive. It debuts next week, on January 17. The latest version of the C8 Corvette will break ground in many ways. It's a hybrid and features all-wheel drive, both firsts for any production Corvette, and we now know it will make its official debut January 17, thanks to this official teaser video that shows a blue E-Ray driving through snowy conditions. The E-Ray had leaked previously on Chevy's configurator tool, which gave us a glimpse at its widebody appearance shared with the Z06. We also saw "ERAY" badges and a button inside suggesting adjustable regenerative braking. This teaser video also shows a new function called Stealth mode, which we figure is a way of keeping the car in electric mode to minimize the sound of the V-8 gasoline engine. We'll learn lots more about the E-Ray soon enough, as it will make its debut next week. We expect it to go on sale sometime later this year as a 2024 model. Check back here for full coverage of this exciting new version of the mid-engine Corvette. link: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a42444136/2024-corvette-e-ray-release-date/

It seems unfair to ask them for something they may secretly dislike doing, but I feel as though my enjoyment is secondary My partner and I have been together for four years. We love each other, share interests and take pride in one another’s achievements, but we have a mismatch when it comes to sex. I give oral sex to my partner regularly: it is enjoyable to give pleasure, and I love to do it. I never receive it in return, though. I don’t see it as a quid pro quo, but while my partner claims to enjoy giving it as well, it never happens. I have asked why, tried to be understanding and would never push the matter, but I feel it is a need that isn’t being met, as though my enjoyment is secondary. Lately, I find myself flirting more, the thought at the back of my mind being that a fling might end up with a greater symmetry of pleasure. It feels unfair to ask for something my partner may secretly dislike, but I’m led to believe they do enjoy it, and am left wondering if I am in a relationship where I’ll always be the giver. You certainly are in a relationship where you will always be the giver … that is, unless you do something to change the status quo. After all, why would your partner start reciprocating when it is clear you never really expect it? People tend not to change their behaviour unless they have to, so, in not setting boundaries, you are encouraging selfishness. Ask yourself why you have not insisted on better parity before this. Perhaps a part of you does not believe you deserve to receive pleasure? Perhaps you enjoy the control and power associated with giving and not receiving? If we give another person too much – sexually or in any other way – we can begin to resent them. And receiving too much can cause just as much resentment, as well as an increased level of expectation. It’s never easy to create and maintain mutuality in a relationship, but it is essential for you to work at it without delay. Pamela Stephenson Connolly is a US-based psychotherapist who specialises in treating sexual disorders. If you would like advice from Pamela on sexual matters, send us a brief description of your concerns to private.lives@theguardian.com (please don’t send attachments). Each week, Pamela chooses one problem to answer, which will be published online. She regrets that she cannot enter into personal correspondence. Submissions are subject to our terms and conditions. Comments on this piece are premoderated to ensure discussion remains on topics raised by the writer. Please be aware there may be a short delay in comments appearing on the site. … we have a small favour to ask. Millions are turning to the Guardian for open, independent, quality news every day, and readers in 180 countries around the world now support us financially. We believe everyone deserves access to information that’s grounded in science and truth, and analysis rooted in authority and integrity. That’s why we made a different choice: to keep our reporting open for all readers, regardless of where they live or what they can afford to pay. This means more people can be better informed, united, and inspired to take meaningful action. link: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/jan/10/i-love-pleasuring-partner-why-do-i-never-get-anything-in-return

Russia is "likely" to now be in control most of the salt-mining town of Soledar in Ukraine's east after a months-long battle with Ukrainian forces, the UK's Ministry of Defence says. Russian troops and the mercenary Wagner Group have made advances in the past four days, the UK says. Soledar is near Bakhmut, where Ukraine is also locked in a bloody battle. President Zelensky said there was "almost no life" in Soledar, with "no whole walls left". He also said "the whole land near Soledar is covered with the corpses of the occupiers". "This is what madness looks like," he added. Soledar - which had a po[CENSORED]tion of around 10,000 before the war - may be seen mainly as a stepping stone to capturing Bakhmut, and its strategic value is questionable. But a US official said last week that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner Group's founder, wants control of the large salt and gypsum mines in the area. The UK said part of the fighting had focused on entrances to the 200km-long disused tunnels and that both Russia and Ukraine "are likely concerned that they could be used for infiltration behind their lines". Mr Prigozhin has confirmed his interest in the mines, calling them "the icing on the cake" in the strategic importance of the Bakhmut area. He described them as a "network of underground cities" that can hold "a big group of people at a depth of 80-100 metres", and can also allow tanks and other military vehicles to move freely. However, Britain believes Russia is "unlikely" to take Bakhmut itself immediately due to Ukraine's "stable defence lines". Meanwhile, a senior military official from the US Department of Defense said on Monday there was a "good portion" of Soledar in Russian hands. Fighting around Bakhmut has been going on for months, and the US official described the most recent exchanges as "savage". Two British nationals have gone missing in the region and were last seen heading to Soledar. In his nightly address, Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his thanks to soldiers defending Soledar, saying their resilience "won additional time and additional strength for Ukraine". According to a Facebook post by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, soldiers on Monday repelled attacks near 13 po[CENSORED]tion centres - including Soledar and Bakhmut. Serhiy Cherevaty, spokesman for Ukraine's eastern forces, said in a television interview that Soledar had been struck 86 times by artillery over the past 24 hours. He claimed Wagner's best fighters were being deployed and that Russia was using World War One-style tactics, while suffering heavy losses. "This is basically not a 21st Century war," he said. What is Russia's Wagner Group of mercenaries? Defying Russia in the city 'at end of the world' Despite the long and intense battle, Oleh Zhdanov - a highly respected military analyst in Ukraine - believes that neither Soledar nor Bakhmut are especially important from an operational point of view. Mr Zhdanov said in an interview on Monday with the Ukrainian newspaper Gazeta that Russia "is trying to prove to the whole world that its army is capable of winning". Russia has suffered several setbacks in Ukraine since its invasion nearly a year ago - including losing control of the only regional capital it had managed to capture. Meanwhile, the Institute for the Study of War, a US-based think-tank, has said that Mr Prigozhin "will continue to use both confirmed and fabricated Wagner Group success in Soledar and Bakhmut to promote the Wagner Group as the only Russian force in Ukraine capable of securing tangible gains". link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64219979

The new year is often celebrated with festive meals and parades. Rabat - Amazigh people in Morocco and across North Africa will celebrate the Amazigh new year, Yennayer, on January 12. This year will mark the 2973rd year in the Amazigh calendar, and as always will be celebrated by the Amazigh people with parades and festive meals. The word “Yennayer” is believed to be a combination of the words “Yenn” (One) and “Ayur” (month) in Amazigh. The celebration took on a formal status in the 60s when the Paris-based Academie Berbere started counting the Amazigh years from 950 BC. Like many other celebrations, the Yennayer festivities are based around family gatherings, with most families getting up early in the morning to get ready by preparing a range of traditional dishes and wearing traditional clothes. They prepare Couscous, with some hiding a seed of dates or almond piece with the promise of entrusting whoever finds it with the keys to the family’s food storage room. Other dishes common in the celebrations are “tagola,” a combination of corn, butter, ghee, Argan oil, and honey, as well as “irkmen,” a thick soup made from fava beans and wheat. Music, dancing, and parades are also center-stage to the festivities. The songs express love, prosperity, and fertility. The year’s beginning coincides with the flowering of almond trees, making it a good occasion to hope for agricultural prosperity. In rural areas, people also seek to put an emphasis on socializing, trying to resolve outstanding misunderstandings and exchanging food between neighbors. Despite the importance of the occasion, and the big role that Amazigh people and culture play in Morocco, Yennayer is not recognized as an official holiday by the country. As the festivities draw near, Amazigh activists continue to draw attention to their cause and demand more attention from the government, although the process of integrating the Amazigh language and festivities seems to still be slow. Some in the past have gone as far as to question the holiday’s validity, calling it “a french invention.” Amazigh activist Abdelwahed Dirouche responded to this criticism in a 2018 interview with Morocco World News. “You cannot just say it’s a French invention,” he said, adding that the holiday is not only important to the Amazigh people, but to Moroccans in general. “Yennayer promotes religious and cultural pluralism in a world today plagued by terrorism and extremism,” he stressed. “Yennayer is not a holiday with religious rituals, but one that celebrates the natural wonders of children and the environment.” The current Moroccan government, led by Aziz Akhannouch, vowed in 2021 to prioritize the officialization of the Amazigh language,in line with the goals set by the country's 2011 constitution. Morocco’s Ministry of Digital Transition signed an agreement with the Ministry of Youth and Culture on Tuesday to support and promote Amazigh culture and festivities in the country. However, reports such as the latest one from the National Federation of Amazigh Associations (FNAA) maintain that the process still faces a lot of difficulties, especially in education and institutional integration. link: https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2023/01/353466/yennayer-morocco-celebrates-the-amazigh-new-year

Nick Movie: The Old Way Time: January 6, 2023 Netflix / Amazon / HBO?: ? Duration of the movie: 1h 35min Trailer:

Live Performance Title: Jass manak new live concert at Lloyd Law college in Delhi NCR | Catalyst 2020 | Annual Fest Signer Name: Jass manak Live Performance Location: - Official YouTube Link: Your Opinion About the Track (Music Video): 10/7

Music Title: Music Mix 2023 🎧 Remixes Of Po[CENSORED]r Songs 🎧 EDM Dance Music Playlist Signer: - Release Date: 10/01/2023 Official Youtube Link: Informations About The Signer: - Your Opinion About The Track (Music Video): 10/9

• Name: @BirSaNN • Time & Date: 01:31 / 10/01/2023 • Screenshot: https://imgur.com/a/KVyTvXX