Mr.SnaPeR"

For thousands of years, Andean condors have frequented a cliffside nest, resulting in a ring-shaped guano deposit that continues to increase year after year. A condor chick can be seen in the background. (Image credit: L. Sympson) For the past 2,200 years, Andean condors (Vultur gryphus), among the largest known flying birds in the world, have been nesting — and pooping — at a cliffside grotto in northern Patagonia, Argentina. Now researchers are studying the massive pile of guano to learn more about the threatened species and how it has adapted to its environment over time. To study the doughnut-shaped poop mound, which measures roughly 10 feet (3 meters) in diameter, researchers carved it like a pie, removing a single 10-inch-deep (25 centimeters) slice of excrement. Thanks to the deposit's location inside the grotto, the preserved poo had been well protected from wind and rain, allowing it to amass for thousands of years, according to a study published May 3 in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B(opens in new tab). "By looking at the different layers, we could go back in time," lead study author Matthew Duda(opens in new tab), a graduate student of biology at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, told Live Science. "We carbon dated [the pile] to figure out the nest's age, which is over 2,000 years old."By examining the preserved poo, the team discovered how the condors' diets had evolved over time. "Condors are scavengers, and at one time they would fly along the shores and eat carcasses of whales and native species such as llamas and alpacas," Duda said. "But as livestock like sheep and cattle were introduced into South America [by Europeans], their diets changed along with it. We saw a complete shift from before to what is currently most abundant for them to eat." Related: Critically endangered condor chicks are species' 1st known 'virgin births' Unfortunately, this shift also meant the condors are ingesting more lead, which Duda attributed to "lead shot being used to kill vermin, which the condors would then eat." These toxic metals were then excreted by the birds. "We saw that the concentration of lead was significantly higher now than in the past," Duda said. This is particularly concerning since Andean condors are on the Red List of Threatened Species monitored by the International Union for Conservation of Nature(opens in new tab), and their numbers continue to dwindle with only about 6,700 adults still living in the wild. The researchers also noticed that for one 1,000-year stretch of time, roughly between 650 and 1,650 years ago, the condors more or less abandoned the site, resulting in the guano accumulation dropping drastically from approximately 3 cubic feet (0.08 cubic m) per year to 0.11 cubic feet (0.003 cubic m) per year. They think that increased volcanic activity forced the condors to leave, according to the study. "We measured an increase in sulfur and sodium, which are both associated with volcanic activity," said Duda, who suspects that as volcanic ash blanketed the surrounding vegetation, herbivores were forced to leave in search of new food resources, causing the condors to take flight too. he researchers plan to study other Andean condor deposits in the region to determine "baseline conditions" for the sites, eventually applying their methods to other threatened bird species, including oilbirds (Steatornis caripensis)(opens in new tab), a nocturnal fruit-eating bird that uses echolocation to navigate. "It is clear that quality breeding sites are critical for this species' survival," the study authors wrote in their paper. "To support effective conservation efforts, nesting and roosting sites need extensive protection." https://www.livescience.com/animals/birds/scientists-discovered-a-2200-year-old-condor-poop-pile-in-the-andes-heres-what-it-told-them

French manufacturer Ligier has partnered with Bosch Engineering to convert its JS2 R race car to run on hydrogen instead of fossil fuel. The technical demonstrator, named the Ligier JS2 RH2, will be unveiled at the Le Mans 24 Hours race in June.Ligier has adapted the JS2’s carbonfibre monocoque to fit three hydrogen tanks, while Bosch has modified its 3.7-litre Ford Cyclone V6 engine to run on the new fuel.As a result of the modifications, the JS2 RH2 is expected to be slightly heavier than the base JS2, which weighs 1055kg. Bosch Engineering president Johannes-Jörg Rüger said: “As an engineering service provider, we're open to technology and see it as our task to explore the various technical options on the path to climate-neutral mobility in parallel and to devise the best solution in each case for all the requirements of our worldwide customers. In this context, hydrogen propulsion has great potential, especially in motorsports and high-performance sports cars.” Ligier president Jacques Nicolet said “we must provide the innovations to meet tomorrow's challenges” and that it was part of the firm's plan to become a “preferred partner of automotive manufacturers for integrating new energies”. Ligier isn't the first manufacturer to evaluate the potential of hydrogen-combustion engines in motorsport. Toyota has so far been the main proponent of the propulsion method, testing it in Japan's Super Taikyu race series with a modified Corolla and in last year's WRC Rally Belgium with a modified GR Yaris. As of February last year, Toyota was also working with Yamaha to develop a hydrogen-fuelled 5.0-litre V8, claimed to make 449bhp and 398lb ft – almost identical to the petrol V8 in the Lexus RC F Track Edition. https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/ligier-partners-bosch-hydrogen-combustion-gt-racer

When a new friend told me his diagnosis, we were as alarmed as each other by my promise to write. But it made him feel less isolated – and led to a whole new direction for me too Alison Hitchcock Wed 10 May 2023 07.00 BST As soon as I said it, I knew it sounded crazy. “I’ll write letters to cheer you up through your treatment.” Brian, sitting opposite me in the pub, back in the summer of 2010, looked bemused. He had just told me he’d been diagnosed with bowel cancer and I suspect he was hoping for a cure, not a correspondent. But when someone tells you something that devastating, I don’t think it’s unusual to feel awkward, helpless, and to say something you later wish you hadn’t. Not only had I said I’d write (who writes letters these days, for goodness sake?), I’d said they’d cheer him up. So they’d have to be funny, and what is funny about cancer? Brian later told me he went home that night thinking I was a bit weird. I couldn’t disagree. Brian and I had met six months earlier on a yoga holiday in India. I’d gone to take refuge from a job in the City of London that was stifling me. I was living in London in my late 30s, on the hunt for a new career and life. Brian was happily partnered with Neil, living in the home counties. We had little in common – but we got on well enough to stay in touch, and so came to find ourselves having a drink in a bar the day after he’d been diagnosed. Brian said my letters kept him connected to a world he felt increasingly disconnected from Over the next couple of weeks I tried to forget my offer of letter writing and hoped Brian had too. But a small voice kept saying: “He’s got cancer and all you have to do is write a letter.” So finally, shamed by my own conscience, I sat down with a large glass of wine and put pen to paper. My letter was very everyday: accounts of things I’d observed or overheard that I thought might make Brian smile, such as the women at the swimming pool debating whether the chlorine might fade their newly tattooed eyebrows and deciding to swim with their heads out of the water just in case. That letter turned out to be the first of more than 100 that I wrote to Brian over the next three years as his cancer moved from stage 3 to 4, and he underwent surgeries, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. As the months passed, and my letters kept on coming, Brian shared what my regular letterbox “gifts” meant to him. He had been shocked by how isolated he felt. He was no longer at work, with friends not knowing what to say, so saying nothing, his social life almost nonexistent. He said my letters kept him connected to a world he felt increasingly disconnected from. He would take the letters to chemo sessions, where he would share them with other patients and laugh together at my stories. Knowing someone out there was thinking of him was a real comfort, he told me. As I hunted out stories, anecdotes and small joys that I could share, I allowed myself to be more vulnerable But even more unexpected was how much I came to enjoy writing. I had never been a writer, but I became excited, not just for Brian’s reaction, but the whole process. Letter writing gave me the validation that what I was doing – making Brian smile – was worth something. But it also made me see the world in a different way. Every week I hunted out stories, anecdotes and small joys that I could share in a letter. I was forced to observe and listen more intently, understand more compassionately. And, as someone who had always been very private, by sharing so much more of myself through my writing, I learned to trust and allow myself to be more vulnerable. It wasn’t just Brian’s world that was changing – so was mine. Brian was given the all-clear in 2013. My newly discovered love of pen and paper had led me to a degree in creative writing and the confidence to leave my City job and take on a role in a literary organisation. That same year I also got married, with my now best friend Brian the only man at my hen weekend. But that still wasn’t quite enough. Brian and I wanted others to benefit from letters in the same way he had. So, in 2016, we set up the charity From Me to You to educate and inspire everyone who knows someone living with cancer to stay connected by sending a letter or card – so as not to allow anyone to feel the loneliness or isolation Brian had experienced. My excitable letter offer has now led to thousands of letters connecting friends, family and even strangers. Maybe my offer was not so wild after all. From Me, To You by Alison Hitchcock and Brian Greenly (Spellbound, £9.99) is out now. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/may/10/a-moment-that-changed-me-i-wrote-100-letters-to-my-friend-with-cancer-it-transformed-our-lives

Donald Trump is under investigation for everything from his handling of top secret documents to alleged efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat. And the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in 2024 has suffered a series of recent legal setbacks. He became the first former president to face criminal charges - over an alleged hush money scheme - and was separately ordered to pay millions of dollars to a writer after being found liable for sexual abuse. Here are the cases ahead that pose the most serious legal risks. What's being investigated? New York is a hotbed of legal activity when it comes to Mr Trump. He became the first former president to face criminal charges when he was indicted there following an investigation into a $130,000 payment to former adult film star Stormy Daniels. Ms Daniels claims the pair had sex, something Mr Trump denies, and says she accepted the money from his former lawyer before the 2016 election in exchange for her silence. Meanwhile, the business practices of his family company, the Trump Organization, are being examined by prosecutors in the state. The New York attorney general is leading a civil investigation (which cannot result in criminal charges) and has spent years looking at whether the company committed various acts of fraud over several decades. A criminal investigation is looking at similar issues. What has Trump said? Mr Trump described the indictment in the Stormy Daniels case as "political persecution" and said he did not expect a fair trial. Separately, the former president and his lawyers have insisted the allegations against the Trump Organization are politically motivated. So how serious is it? Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in the Stormy Daniels case. It is now heading to trial, which is likely to happen in February or March 2024. The most likely outcome there is a fine. The criminal investigation into the Trump Organization has already yielded convictions. The company was found guilty of fraud and falsifying business records and fined. Allen Weisselberg, the organisation's chief financial officer, was sentenced to jail. In the civil case, the attorney general has filed a lawsuit against Mr Trump and three of his children accusing them of "astounding" fraud and of inflating their net worth. It seeks $250m that was allegedly obtained through fraudulent means. What's being investigated? The Department of Justice is looking into the removal of government documents from the White House, which were then taken to Mr Trump's Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, after he left office. Investigators are assessing how these documents were stored and who may have had access to them. The former president's sprawling beachside property was searched in August and 11,000 documents were seized, including around 100 marked as classified. Some of these were labelled top secret. Unsurprisingly, we know very little about what's in the documents. But classified material usually contains information that officials feel could damage national security if made public. What has Trump said? He's denied wrongdoing and criticised the justice department's investigation, branding it "politically motivated" and a "witch-hunt". He has offered shifting defences which have mostly hinged on the argument that he declassified the material. No evidence has yet been provided that this is true. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-61084161

Captain Sergio Busquets has confirmed he will leave Barcelona at the end of the season after 18 years at the club. The former Spain midfielder, 34, has played 718 matches for Barcelona - the third-most in the club's history. His list of honours won with the club includes eight La Liga titles, seven Copa del Reys, seven Spanish Super Cups and three Champions Leagues. "Although it has not been an easy decision, I think the time has come," Busquets said. Barcelona's iconic 2011 team - where are they now? "It has been an unforgettable journey," he added. "I always dreamed of playing with this shirt and at this stadium. Reality has exceeded all my dreams. "It has been an honour, a dream, a source of pride, and it meant everything to defend and represent this badge for so many years. "But everything has a beginning and an end. I want to thank all the people who made this possible, from the first day to the last." Busquets joined the club in 2005 as a youth player, progressing to Barca's B side before making his first-team debut under manager Pep Guardiola in a 2008 league game against Racing Santander. The defensive midfielder, who has also won three European Super Cups and three Club World Cups with the Spanish giants, is on course to end his Barcelona career with a ninth league title. Xavi's side are 13 points clear at the top of La Liga with five games remaining. Over his 15 years with the senior team he has scored 18 goals and provided 40 assists. In announcing Busquets' decision to leave the Nou Camp, Barcelona described him as "one of the best players ever to represent the club". The former Spain captain retired from international football in December, having won the 2010 World Cup and 2012 European Championship with his national side. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/65544255

Two babies have been rescued floating near the shores of Lake Kivu days after floods killed more than 400 people in east Democratic Republic of Congo. "It is a miracle, we were all amazed," local community leader Delphin Birimbi tells the BBC. Their parents have died but the community is in touch with people who can raise them, Mr Birimbi adds. It is not clear how the babies survived three days in the lake, but onlookers say they were floating on debris. The babies were rescued on Monday - one in Bushushu and the other in Nyamukubi, the two villages worst-hit by the floods which struck last week, Mr Birimbi says. The tragedy has led to distressing scenes in the villages of dead bodies piled up and wrapped in blankets, and concerns about the smell of decomposing bodies, the Congolese Red Cross warns. More dead bodies were found in the mud on Wednesday, taking the number of dead to at least 411. Of these 317 have been buried. However, identifying all the deceased is a challenge, local leaders say, as some of them were not village residents, but traders visiting from neighbouring towns as rains hit on a market day. "More bodies are being discovered in a later stage of decomposition," Congolese Red Cross spokesperson John Kashinzwet tells the BBC. "Without a large-capacity morgue, safe burial must be done quickly, when identification by family members is possible." A representative from medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) earlier outlined the scale of the disaster in an interview with the BBC's Newsday programme, saying that the villages were facing "a humanitarian crisis". Africa Live: For more stories from around the continent In a video shared on Twitter by a local journalist, a woman can be heard saying that one of the rescued babies has a badly injured leg. More than 5,000 people are still missing and "rescue activities are still ongoing" Mr Birimbi says. Local civil society groups report that 200 injured people are in local health centres and a hospital following the floods, while 1,300 residential houses have been destroyed, and "many schools, health facilities, churches, and water infrastructure were destroyed". Victims of the floods have previously told the BBC that their lives have been completely destroyed. "I don't have any more relatives, and I don't have a farm, I have nothing," Gentille Ndagijimana said. Many local people, including Nobel peace prize laureate Denis Mukwege, who comes from this area, have condemned the burial of flood victims in mass graves. Similarly Mr Birimbi criticises the government, especially the president and prime minister, for not visiting the flood sites, although a national day of mourning was held on Monday. The heavy rains struck just days after floods in neighbouring Rwanda where more than 130 people were killed. UN chief António Guterres said the floods were another illustration of accelerating climate change. Many factors contribute to flooding, but a warming atmosphere caused by climate change makes extreme rainfall more likely. The world has already warmed by about 1.2C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-65545434

Ya Ya the panda arrived in the U.S. 20 years ago as a fluffy gesture of China's friendship with America. But she returned home Thursday the subject of online nationalistic fervor. News of her touching down in Shanghai was welcomed by Chinese social media users and some animal welfare activists who have been vocal in their concerns about Ya Ya’s care and condition at the Memphis Zoo in Tennessee, as well as her symbolic role in world affairs. The zoo has denied mistreating the 190-pound panda, but her return trip to China marked the culmination of an intense online campaign that has mirrored the growing tensions between Washington and Beijing. Ya Ya’s trip was closely followed online, and people shared screenshots tracking the animal’s flight path into Shanghai. Vanessa Mai, a 22-year-old English student from Guangdong who told NBC News she had signed up to a campaign to save Ya Ya, said the panda was “getting a lot of exposure now and she will definitely be better off in China.” Some animal welfare groups have questioned her condition and complained that her fur looks mangy and she looks thin. They have also blamed the zoo for the death in February of Ya Ya’s mate, Le Le — both contentions denied by the zoo as well as Chinese officials. An image from Chinese broadcaster Phoenix News was also po[CENSORED]r among Chinese social media users. It shows the bear relieving herself before the trip — and leaving muck as an apparent gift for keepers. For decades, China deployed the iconic black-and-white animals in the service of so-called panda diplomacy. But this four-legged soft-power play by Beijing does not come free for recipient nations. “They rent pandas for $1 million a year, usually on 10-year contracts,” said Stanley Rosen, a professor of political science and international relations at the University of Southern California’s U.S.-China Institute. “If a cub is born, that’s another $400,000 given back to China, all of which is put into conservation efforts.” Despite the effort and money that keeping Ya Ya cost the zoo, and assurances from Chinese officials that she was in fact being treated properly, some Chinese social media users and animal rights groups around the world continued to raise concerns about her welfare. “Refuse the meaningless panda diplomacy,” one person wrote on the Chinese microblogging site Weibo, where over 400 million users have responded to the #Yaya topic. “Don’t let them be uprooted from their homeland again,” another wrote. Even the hawkish state-run Global Times tabloid, the mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party, has weighed in — linking the panda to Chinese-American relations, which have hit a low point amid tensions over Taiwan, the U.S. downing of a Chinese surveillance balloon and Beijing's growing assertiveness internationally. “If this had not happened during a period when Washington is intensifying its containment and suppression of China, this matter would not have caused such a stir,” it said in an editorial. “Whether it’s a corn-milling plant, a crane, or an unidentified flying object, anything with a ‘China’ tag could be seen as a ‘threat’ by the U.S.” Ya Ya, who is 22, arrived in Tennessee on loan from China in 2003, which China and the U.S. maintained much more cordial relations. Thomas Clemson, a spokesperson for Panda Voices, a rights group that has worked in conjunction with In Defense of Animals, said that his group had reached out to the zoo after collecting evidence that the pandas looked unhealthy. “We figured, if we message the zoo and try to build dialogue, maybe they’ll just let us help, which they didn’t. They kept stiff arms and they kept putting up walls,” he said. Addressing Ya Ya’s condition, Memphis Zoo says on its website that her “familial genetics” and not nutrition were responsible for her small size. “Ya Ya also lives with a chronic skin and fur condition which is inherently related to her immune system and directly impacted by hormonal fluctuations. This condition does not affect her quality of life but does occasionally make her hair look thin and patchy,” it adds. “The condition is closely monitored by our animal care team and veterinary staff.” Before Le Le’s death, the zoo denied either bear was mistreated in a statement released in conjunction with the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens, which oversees the loaning of pandas. The statement said they had “established an exchange mechanism for the health status of giant pandas, including monthly health reports and annual physical examination reports.” “The blood examination results were basically normal and there were no abnormalities,” it continued, adding that “after a careful review of both monthly reports and a recent extensive annual physical examination, CAZG feels that the panda bears at the Memphis Zoo receive excellent care.” Ahead of Ya Ya’s return, a spokesperson from China’s foreign ministry also said Wednesday that “the pandas were well taken care of by the park and deeply loved by the American people.” Memphis Zoo said in separate statement Wednesday that she was accompanied on her journey home by its senior veterinarian and Chief Zoological Officer. Despite the controversy, China “will want to keep the policy since it provides an alternative to the deteriorating relationship” with the U.S., Rosen said. “Let’s hope the U.S. doesn’t end the policy because of poor relations with China.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/panda-yaya-china-memphis-zoo-diplomacy-washington-beijing-geopolitics-rcna81566

Hello, my fellow friend who loves some good health tips. Today we are going to talk about some SIMPLE, yet life-changing things that will make you feel better. Hopefully, you can add some of these tips to your routine without feeling overwhelmed. *DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Read my disclosure for more info* Do you feel like you’re stuck in a rut? I’m sorry if you do because that sucks. All I can say is that you need to fight to get out of it. Fight to get rid of the habits that make you feel worse about yourself. Find things that make you feel alive again. Life is supposed to be fun. Create habits that make you enjoy life again. Okay anyway, let’s talk about some simple health tips. To all my tight friends out there, you need to stretch. It may suck when you are doing it, but the benefits outweigh the suckiness of it. Stretching has many benefits to it. It increases blood flow, and helps your mobility… There are many benefits to stretching, if you are not completely convinced, look it up and see all of them. I know that I feel better when I stretch daily. My hips and knees don’t hurt when I am in a solid stretching routine. Make sure to stretch your hips. Our hips hurt when they are stuck sitting in a chair all day, so we need to do specific stretches that help our hips! If you don’t have the motivation to stretch, just think about how grateful you will be in 20 years if you start stretching now. You don’t want to have a hard time walking when you get older. You’ll be able to go on power walks at 80 years old if you stretch (maybe). I go through phases where I love to cook and then ones where I hate it. I think it really has something to do with what I am going through at the time. Cooking can be so fun. Even if you live alone, I think cooking is so good for you. Reason number 1 is because it will make you proud of yourself. Even if you make something that is totally not good, be proud of yourself that you tried. After I finish cooking it makes me feel better about my day. You learned that you don’t like that thing, or you just messed up making it. Either way, you learn something. If you get bored with cooking, research different recipes. Cook something that you’ve never cooked before. Cook something that is out of your comfort zone. When we do things that make us uncomfortable, we learn so much about ourselves. Cooking at home can also be so much cheaper than eating out. It is also so much better for you. SO, if you cook at home, you will end up saving money and feeling good physically and mentally. Cooking is a win, you just have to push through that laziness that tells you to go pick up Chic-Fil-A. Our bodies do so much for us and stretching is the least we can do. Have people in your close circle that build you up and want the best for you. Seek friends that speak truth into your life. Find people who celebrate you. My small group threw me a surprise party and it was so sweet. No one has ever done that for me and I felt so loved. If you just moved to a new place, this is such a fun opportunity for you. Hang out with as many people as you can to find your people. I have almost been here for a year and I still struggle in this area. You have to go to be patient and trust God. Don’t seclude yourself, I’m really good at that and it’s not good. Secluding can hurt you more than anything. God intended us to have friends and a community that we can do things with. If you are in a relationship and you only really want to hang out with that one person, stop having that mindset. Push yourself to hang out with people other than the person you are in a relationship with. We need to have friends outside of our significant others. Before I moved, I only wanted to hang out with Ethan, so that’s what I did. It hurt my relationship with my friends and it hurt his too. Now, doing long distance we can grow friendships outside of each other and it has been such a sweet thing. Having a community of trustworthy people will help you get through hard things. They will be there for you when your significant other hurts you. This will also lead you to enjoy life more, giving you a healthier mind. Having a community that is there for you makes you feel better, especially if you are struggling. Having good friends will make you feel better than ever…hopefully. You gotta be careful when choosing your friends. Seek community even if you are content with one person. https://rawlifejourney.com/health-tips/

A handbuilt rarity, this Alpina C2 is one of just 74 made. It's a little more powerful than a contemporary 325i, but the real story is in all the little details and the extreme care taken in building the engine. With four days to go until the auction ends on May 12, bidding is at $81,500 on the Bring a Trailer auction site. If the 1980s were a golden age for BMW, then Alpina was all about burnishing that gold to lustrous desirability. This week's auction pick at Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos—is one of the rarest E30-chassis 3-series BMWs ever made. Serial number 002 of 74 made, it is obviously collectible, but it is also the kind of car that just begs to be driven. Beginning in 1962 as a BMW tuning specialist, Alpina established itself on the racing circuit with the likes of the 3.0CSL "Batmobile." The company's crest still wears a carburetor and a crankshaft insignia proudly, though modern Alpinas are more luxury oriented (and thoroughly high-tech). If you're interested in the current B7, you're looking for a high-speed executive tourer that's more refined than a BMW M or Mercedes-AMG product. However, if you were shopping Alpinas in 1986, then you probably kept a set of leather driving gloves handy. This C2 was emphatically not the buzzy homologation-special M3 that also debuted for the 1986 model year, but a handbuilt special with an inline-six barking out an authoritative 182 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. An Alpina Is Special It's worth noting here that Alpina wasn't just in the business of fine-tuning BMWs; it was recognized as an actual manufacturer in its own right. The C2's 2.5-liter inline-six makes more power and torque than the contemporary 325i, but the numbers don't really tell the whole story. An Alpina is a boutique item, as tightly and carefully assembled as a Swiss watch, then sprinkled with some signature goodies. The stripes are an acquired taste, but they contrast beautifully with the deep Lapis Blue paint. The 16-inch 20-spoke wheels are an Alpina icon. The cloth seats and cleanly executed interior are an all-business riposte to the touchscreen clutter of modern cars. The E30 BMW 3-series is still beloved by enthusiasts young and old, simple, durable, and faithful to BMW's "Ultimate Driving Machine" reputation. This is as good as a 3-series sedan ever got. It's the kind of car you could park in a garage full of Ferraris and Alfa Romeos and it would still be the one most often picked for a weekend drive. With 43,000 miles on the odometer, it won't hurt the collector value much to do so. With just four days to go, bidding is already at $81,500. That's pretty steep for a 3-series BMW from the 1980s. But then, this is no BMW. This is an Alpina. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a43829154/1986-bmw-alpina-bring-a-trailer-auction/

US President Joe Biden says he wants to implement new compensation rules for airline passengers impacted by flight delays or cancellations. The rules would require airlines to pay impacted passengers beyond a ticket refund if the carrier is responsible for the disruption. This may involve covering meals and hotels in the event that travellers are stranded, officials said. If implemented, it would be the first measure of its kind in the US. On Monday, Mr Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the incoming set of rules at a White House news conference. It comes just a few weeks after Mr Biden confirmed he will be running for re-election in 2024, and just ahead of the peak summer travel season. Speaking in front of the slogan "holding airlines accountable", Mr Buttigieg said that the new rules are aimed at ensuring that passengers do not foot the bill if an airline is at fault for travel disruptions. "This rule would, for the first time in US history, propose to require airlines to compensate passengers and cover expenses such as meals, hotels, and rebooking in cases where the airline has caused a cancellation or significant delay," Mr Buttigieg said in a statement. The rules would also aim at defining what falls under a "controllable cancellation or delay" that is the fault of the carrier. According to the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics, delays caused by airlines could include issues related to maintenance or crew problems, aircraft cleaning, baggage loading or fuelling. Some airlines already offer travel credits or vouchers in the event of delays or cancellations, but the new rules would make passenger compensation, including refunds, mandatory for all. The announcement is part of a broader push by the Biden administration to intervene on behalf of consumers around hot button issues including so-called resort fees and airline seating policies. Last summer, the transport department launched an online dashboard that compares compensation policies of each US-based airline as a tool to pressure companies into offering more for customers. In response, many major US airlines volunteered to provide meals and hotel rooms for customers who are stranded by delays that are in the airline's control. But, according to the transport department's dashboard, no airlines in the US offer cash compensation to passengers who are stranded for more than three hours as part of their official policy. In response to Monday's announcement, Airlines for America, which represents the biggest US carriers, said more than half of cancellations in 2022 and 2023 were caused by "extreme weather" or air traffic control outages. In a statement to Reuters, it added that airlines "have no incentive to delay or cancel a flight and do everything in their control to ensure flights depart and arrive on time, but safety is always the top priority". The current situation in the US around airline passenger compensation is far less generous than some other places around the world. This includes the European Union and the United Kingdom, which require cash compensation of up to €600 ($660; £523) per passenger in the event of delays or cancellations that are the fault of the carrier. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a43829154/1986-bmw-alpina-bring-a-trailer-auction/

In a crazy atmosphere on a rain-soaked night, Forest established a two-goal cushion on three occasions - and each time the visitors responded to pull themselves back into the contest. But Southampton couldn't manage an equaliser. Now they must win all three remaining games and hope either Forest don't pick up another point, or Everton fail to get more than one, otherwise they will be back in the Championship for the first time since 2012. In contrast, Forest have their fate in their own hands. Taiwo Awoniyi scored his first brace for the club in the space of three first-half minutes, profiting first from Danilo's superb crossfield pass that allowed Brennan Johnson to set him up to volley home from close range after a goalmouth scramble. Carlos Alcaraz pulled one back for Southampton, only for Morgan Gibbs-White restore the home side's two-goal cushion from the penalty spot a minute before the break. After Lyanco's header had given Southampton fresh hope at 3-2, Gibbs-White was then instrumental in Forest's fourth. The England Under-21 international had the awareness to flick Johnson's cross into an unmarked Danilo's path for a cool finish, rather than go for goal himself. James Ward-Prowse's injury-time penalty ensured nerves were being shredded right to the very last seconds of a staggering day of Premier League action. At kick-off, both these sides occupied the bottom two places and ended with Forest scrambling up to 16th - three points clear of third-bottom Leicester - and with rising hopes of preserving their top-flight status. Southampton's slide towards the Championship This is Southampton's 11th consecutive Premier League season. Only the 'big six' have been in longer, which is why they were given 'long-term shareholder' status in Project Big Picture. This was the plan to reshape English football, formulated by the biggest clubs in the autumn of 2020, but disappeared amid the European Super League row that followed. Saints were never actually told of the plan before it was launched but, at the time, they did appear to be one of those clubs who could survive quite easily - even if the days of Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman, which saw the club into Europe, had disappeared. But ownership issues and poor recruitment have dragged them down and, this season, they have made a complete mess on the management side. Ralph Hasenhuttl's dismissal just before the World Cup came after a run of one win in nine games. His replacement, Nathan Jones, lasted only 95 days before he was sacked and Ruben Selles was given the job until the end of the season. However, after winning two of his first three matches in charge, Selles has not presided over another victory. Their only point in the last seven games came at Arsenal on 21 April, when Southampton held a two-goal advantage entering the final five minutes. They have not kept a clean sheet since 12 March and the manner in which Forest got their goals in such a crucial game was symptomatic of a team who are just not good enough. Forest's second came when Alcaraz gifted possession to the hosts 30 yards from his own goal. The third was when Ainsley Maitland-Niles slipped inside his own box and rather than temper what he was going to do, tried to execute a clearance anyway and only succeeded in kicking Johnson on the back of his leg. Given they had trailed by two goals at half-time in 32 Premier League games and lost the lot since 2016, hopes were not high of a comeback. That they came so close was to their credit. Had it not been for a couple of brave Keylor Navas punches under pressure when Southampton were only one down, or that a Forest player managed to get on the end of a corner in the 101st-minute of a contest extended by two long Video Assistant Referee (VAR) checks near the end, they might have got a draw. Instead it was another loss and, nearly, the end of their time as a top-flight club. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/65445809

A three-year-old boy and his parents, two elementary school children and a young engineer from India have been named as victims of a shooting attack in Texas on Saturday. James Cho died alongside his parents Cho Kyu Song, 37, and Kang Shin Young, 35, according to reports. His six-year-old brother was injured but survived. The identifications come as officials probe whether the killer had links to any far-right organisations or beliefs. Eight were killed in the shooting. Several victims remain in hospital. A verified GoFundMe page says that the Cho family were at the Allen Premium Outlets mall on Saturday to exchange clothing their six-year-old son had received as a birthday gift a few days before. "An afternoon that should have been filled with light, love and celebration unfortunately was cut short by another mass shooting massacre," friends of the family wrote on the page. Korean consulate officials in Texas told the Dallas Morning News newspaper that the Cho family were American citizens of Korean descent and that diplomats are in contact with their family members. Primary school pupils Daniela and Sofia Mendoza, who were sisters, were also killed. Their mother, Ida, remains in hospital in critical condition, according to CBS News, the BBC's US partner. Aishwarya Thatikonda, a 27-year-old engineer from India, was also killed during a visit to the mall with a friend, as well as security guard Christian LaCour, 20. Six people were pronounced dead at the scene in the north Dallas suburbs, while two died later in hospital. The 33-year-old suspect, Mauricio Garcia, was shot dead by a police officer who was responding to an unrelated call, ending the attack. Investigators are now reviewing social media to look into the killer's beliefs, reports CBS. During the attack, the rifle-wielding attacker wore an insignia which has been associated with hate groups, as well as combat tactical gear. Who were the victims of the Texas mall shooting? How many US mass shootings have there been in 2023? How the AR-15 became 'America's national gun' He was seen on video with a clothing patch with the letters RWDS, which stands for "Right Wing Death Squad". This is a phrase po[CENSORED]r among right-wing extremists and white supremacy groups. An account run by the suspect on a Russia-based social network seen by BBC News includes pictures of Nazi swastikas and SS tattoos, other posts glorifying Nazis, and rambling messages about violence. He also posted pictures from previous visits to the outlet mall, as recently as mid-April. According to the US defence department, the suspect entered the US Army in June 2008 and was "terminated three months later without completing initial entry training" due to "physical or mental conditions". He was reportedly working as a security guard at the time of the shooting and did not have a serious criminal record. Officials have searched his parents' home and a nearby extended-stay motel where he had been recently living. There have been 201 mass shootings this year according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines such incidents as four people injured or killed. People who went to help the victims in the aftermath of the shooting at the expansive outdoor mall have recalled their efforts to save lives. Meanwhile, graphic videos from the scene spread rapidly and were viewed millions of times on Twitter before the social media site began taking the footage down more than 24 hours after the attack. US President Joe Biden ordered flags at the White House to fly at half-staff in honour of the victims of "the latest act of gun violence to devastate our nation". The Republican governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, told Fox News Sunday his aim was to target the possession of weapons by criminals and deal with a rising mental health crisis, rather than consider wider bans. "People want a quick solution," he said. "The long-term solution here is to address the mental health issue." Allen is a racially diverse suburb north of Dallas and has an infamous connection with another recent mass shooting. A man who lived there in 2019 went on a gun rampage at a Walmart in El Paso, killing 23 people, after posting a racist manifesto online. In February he pleaded guilty to hate crime charges. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65527487