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Name of the game: CupHead Price: $19.99 $13.99 USD Link Store: https://store.steampowered.com/app/268910/Cuphead/ Offer ends up after X hours: July 7Th Requirements: MINIMUM: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: Windows 7 Processor: Intel Core2 Duo E8400, 3.0GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+, 3.0GHz or higher Memory: 3GB RAM Graphics: Geforce 9600 GT or AMD HD 3870 512MB or higher DirectX: Version 11 Storage: 4 GB of available space

Score one for consumer protection as Amazon agreed to follow the rules set by the European Commission and will make canceling a Prime subscription a lot easier. The process has been greatly simplified to follow a "two-click" process after consumer groups complained about how anti-consumer(opens in new tab) the process originally was. Now, European subscribers can go into their Prime account where they will be met with some text explaining how canceling will work. Afterward, they'll select the prominent “End membership now” button. Gone is the maze of menus that people dealt with previously. The updated process will be making its way to Amazon on desktop and mobile devices. Customers can still adjust their payment options and change the cancellation date to a slightly later one. Clarity is key Clarity was a major sticking point for the European Commission. This all started when several European consumer organizations, including the Norwegian Consumer Council, published a report bitingly titled “You Can Log Out, But You Can Never Leave(opens in new tab)”. The report detailed how difficult it was to cancel an Amazon Prime subscription and referred to its design as having “dark patterns.” The report claims these dark patterns aimed to mani[CENSORED]te people into keeping their subscriptions. Screenshots provided in the report show the old cancellation process and it is rather confusing. Users had to navigate through a series of menus, “skewed wording, [and] confusing choices.” And along the way, Amazon would prod people to stay by repeatedly reminding them of what they’re losing out on. Not one to blindly trust, the European Commission states that it and government authorities will continue to keep an eye on Amazon to make sure it's following the rules. We asked Amazon about this decision and if these changes will be making their way to American users. An Amazon spokesperson told us, "Customer transparency and trust are top priorities for us. By design, we make it clear and simple for customers to both sign up for or cancel their Prime membership. We continually listen to feedback and look for ways to improve the customer experience, as we are doing here following constructive dialogue with the European Commission." For the US, Amazon Prime will be staying the same. That same spokesperson did say Amazon is open to feedback from users, but there are no changes at this time. Reigning in The European Union has, in recent years, been particularly harsh toward tech giants. Several new laws have been put into place to increase consumer protection and chip away at monopolies. Back in March, the EU laid out its Digital Markets Act (DMA) which may allow users to uninstall default apps and use services on other platforms. Not satisfied with software, the EU has its eyes set on establishing a universal charger standard. So instead of having a thousand different cables, you can just have one. Unsurprisingly, the tech giants aren’t too happy. Apple is totally opposed to the idea of a universal charger.

Based on a report from DigiTimes, it looks like the recent decline in PC demand may affect NVIDIA's upcoming GeForce RTX 40 graphics card lineup as GPU demand has hit a new low & is expected to get worse in the coming months. NVIDIA Allegedly Cutting Down 5nm Wafer Order For GeForce RTX 40 Series Due To Expected Low Demand The report states that NVIDIA has cut down its orders of TSMC 5nm wafers which are expected to power their next-gen GPU lineup. The report mentions that the PC and electronics market has slowed down rapidly and Apple is also one of the big 3 customers of TSMC who wants to revise their wafer order given the current scenario. But for NVIDIA, the slowing PC market is not even the biggest concern, it's the recent GPU flood. Meanwhile, while AMD has cut down its 7nm and 6nm orders which power its current CPU/GPU lineup, they haven't revised their 5nm wafer orders which means the company remains optimistic about its Zen 4 and RDNA 3 product lineup coming later this year. In addition, NVIDIA has paid a huge amount of prepayment to obtain more process capacity below 5nm since Samsung’s 8nm return to TSMC. However, the decline of the mining boom came quickly and quickly, and the terminal channel and graphics card manufacturers were full of stocks. The large number of second-hand cards released to the market, and the less-than-expected demand for gaming PCs, forced NVIDIA to adjust its plans and indicated to TSMC that it would delay and reduce the first wave of orders. In addition, although AMD has reduced orders for 7/6nm by about 20,000 pieces, its 5nm PC and server orders have not been revised, and they are willing to accept price increases. Therefore, TSMC has little response to this. As reported a few weeks back, the crypto crash had resulted in a huge flood of used graphics cards entering the reseller and used marketplace. These cards are available for much cheaper than their retailer-listed prices and most gamers who were waiting for a new solution for their PCs are going to buy these GPUs, even though we advise them not to. Not only is there the existing flood but the NVIDIA GPU inventory that is comprised of current-gen Ampere graphics cards is vast. NVIDIA wants to get rid of this inventory to make some space for their next-gen GeForce RTX 40 series lineup but currently, they have two cards playing against them, the aforementioned decline in the PC segment and the flood of used graphics cards from the crypto segment. So it's a pretty bad outlook for NVIDIA at the moment. Furthermore, the report states that NVIDIA already paid TSMC to secure a vast supply of 5nm wafers early on. We had multiple reports on how NVIDIA spent Billions of Dollars to acquire 5nm wafers from TSMC last year but that might not have gone as NVIDIA planned as TSMC is not willing to make concessions to the green team and the best they can do is hold back the supply for at least 1 quarter which is likely why we were hearing reports of a delay for the GeForce RTX 40 lineup. The possibility remains that the launch may even be moved to Q1 2023. NVIDIA will also be responsible for finding replacement customers for any vacated production capacity. Now a positive outlook for all of this would be that NVIDIA may actually have a good supply of next-gen GPUs at launch (when they launch) and we can also expect MSRP-level pricing considering the supply issues have all but vanished and the crypto boom has ended for good.

Live Performance Title: Rammstein - Engel (Live from Madison Square Garden) Signer Name: - Live Performance Location: - Official YouTube Link:

Earlier this month, Chevrolet announced that it was in collaboration with artist xsullo, who created a new NFT (non-fungible token) artwork to be auctioned alongside a one-of-one Corvette Z06 equipped with the Z07 package and painted exclusively in a Minted Green color. The NFT auction came and went, and despite the potential future collector status of the vehicle involved, apparently not a single person placed a bid, according to CorvetteBlogger. SuperRare, the crypto-focused organization responsible for the auction which had sold xsullo's artworks successfully before, announced at the end of the auction that bidding would be extended for 24 hours as potential bidders had "missed" their window, citing an event in NYC as a distraction from their auction. Apparently nobody ever bid, and now the car, the existence of which was contractually tied to a successful auction, will no longer be assembled by Chevrolet. At least for now. That's also bad news for DonorsChoose, the Chevy-designated non-profit beneficiary of the auction. Chevrolet's Trevor Thompkins offered CorvetteBlogger a statement on the failed auction: "Our first step into Web3 has been educational, and we will continue to explore ways to leverage technology to benefit our customers. The 'Own the Color' project has enabled us to establish relationships and learn from leaders in the space, such as xsullo, SuperRare and The Crypt Gallery on how to authentically approach the passionate NFT community. We'll take what we've learned and apply it to future projects." It's possible the auction process was simply too complicated for anyone to bother with, as it required an e-wallet full of Ethereum cryptocurrency and a SuperRare account to bid. The 206 ETH coin opening bid was valued at around $240,000 to $250,000 at the time of the auction, which isn't necessarily a bad deal for a brand-new, one-off Corvette Z06 with an exclusive paint finish. It very likely could have sold for that much cash at a regular auction, we'd wager. It's unclear what will happen to the xsullo artwork that was tied with car in the NFT package deal. Perhaps now more people will have an opportunity to get a Minted Green Corvette in a future model year update, we hope.

Good news for tourists intending to visit Bhutan, which is hailed as the ‘Land of the Thunder Dragon’. The country — that neighbours India — is looking to revive its economy, and will begin to welcome international travellers back from September this year. This is the first time in more than two years — since the Covid-19 pandemic began — that the Himalayan kingdom, located between India and China, is opening its borders. According to the Tourism Council of Bhutan (TCB), tourists will be able to visit the country from September 23. In fact, there will be a “renewed focus on the sustainability of the sector”. The press statement says that the tourism sector will be undergoing a revamp and will focus on three key areas: infrastructure and services, travel experiences of tourists, and the sector’s environmental impact. Dr Tandi Dorji, the foreign minister of Bhutan and chairperson of the Tourism Council of Bhutan, said, “Covid-19 has allowed us to reset — to rethink how the sector can be best structured and operated, so that it not only benefits Bhutan economically, but socially as well, while keeping carbon footprints low. In the long run, our goal is to create high-value experiences for visitors, and well-paying and professional jobs for our citizens.” The official press release also states that the country will be raising its Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) of USD 65 (INR 5,128) per person per night for tourists to USD 200 (INR 15,778), which will “go towards activities that promote carbon-neutral tourism”, so they can build a more “sustainable tourism sector”. ALSO READ |Avoid planning stays in Pangong Lake area without prior booking: Ladakh admin to tourists Per the release, Indian tourists will pay a “previously sti[CENSORED]ted fee”, which will be revised at a later date. Dorji Dhradhul, the director general of Tourism Council of Bhutan said that their strategy for the revamp of the tourism sector brings them “back to our roots of ‘High Value, Low Volume’ tourism”. “…where we meet the needs of tourists while protecting our people, culture, values, and environment. Tourism is a strategic and valuable national asset, one that does not only impact those working in the sector, but all Bhutanese. Ensuring its sustainability is vital to safeguarding future generations,” he said.

Ukraine has called for a ship carrying grain from a Russian-occupied part of the country to be seized. The ship is currently lying off the Turkish coast. We've monitored the Russian-flagged ship, the Zhibek Zholy, on its route from the Ukrainian port of Berdyansk to the Turkish port of Karasu. It is not clear where its cargo came from or how it was obtained, but Russia has been accused of stealing grain from areas of Ukraine it controls - allegations Russia denies. Berdyansk is in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region, on the Sea of Azov. News of the ship's departure from Berdyansk was announced on social media app Telegram by Yevhen Balytskyi, who was recently appointed by Russia as governor of the occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia. Mr Balytskyi said 7,000 tonnes of grain would be sent to "friendly" countries. He added that ships from Russia's Black Sea Fleet would be "ensuring the security" of the journey, and that the port had been cleared of sea mines. He later edited the post, taking out references to the ship's cargo and destination. A video news report about the departure of the ship has also been shared on several pro-Kremlin Telegram channels showing it along with a Russian naval vessel in a harbour, which was identified as Berdyansk by the reporter. Comparing the video footage with satellite imagery of the port, we have been able to confirm that it was filmed in Berdyansk. The weather conditions in the video and the angle of the shadows along the harbour suggest it was filmed on the morning of 28 June. Some features along the ship's hull, such as its name, were blurred out in the video. But we have confirmed that the ship that left Berdyansk is the same one now lying off the Turkish coast, based on images from the Telegram posts as well as eyewitness accounts given to a Ukrainian shipping expert. We have also been able to track the earlier movements of the Zhibek Zholy as it made its way towards Ukraine to pick up its cargo. On 22 June it travelled from Turkey, dropping off its cargo at the Russian port of Novorossiysk. As it then approached the Ukrainian coast, its tracking signal was lost - suggesting it had been switched off. The signal only reappeared on 29 June as it headed back south away from the Ukrainian coast. This tracker also reports the depth at which the ship lies in the water - and it indicated that the ship had taken on cargo. Michelle Bockmann, a markets editor at Lloyd's List Intelligence, believes this is "suspicious" behaviour. She says many cargo ships turn off their trackers for part of their journeys in the Sea of Azov, but most resume their transmissions when they reach their intended port. It's not clear whether the ship intends to unload its cargo in the Turkish port of Karasu or continue its journey south through the Bosphorus Strait to an, as yet, unknown destination. The registered owner of the Zhibek Zholy, a Kazakh-based company called KTZ Express, has told the Reuters news agency that the ship has been chartered by a Russian company. It added that it was consulting the parties involved and would abide by all sanctions and restrictions. Reporting by Josh Cheetham, Maria Korenyuk, Daniele Palumbo, Erwan Rivault, Onur Erem, and Mahmut Hamsici in Karasu, Turkey

Happy birthday

Name of the game: Ready Or Not Price: $39.99 $35.99 USD Link Store: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1144200/Ready_or_Not/ Offer ends up after X hours: July 7Th Requirements: MINIMUM: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: 64-bit Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 Processor: Intel Core i5-4430 / AMD FX-6300 Memory: 8GB RAM Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 2GB / AMD Radeon R7 370 2GB DirectX: Version 11 Storage: 50 GB of available space RECOMMENDED: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: 64-bit Windows 10 Processor: AMD Ryzen 5-1600 / Intel Core i5-7600K Memory: 8GB RAM Graphics: Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB or better DirectX: Version 11 Storage: 50 GB of available space

Live Performance Title: Christian Nodal - "De Los Besos Que Te Di" Live Performance | Vevo (Live) Signer Name: - Live Performance Location: - Official YouTube Link:

Hosting services are fundamental to the contemporary digital experience. From big businesses to local entrepreneurs, web hosting provides the behind-the-scenes technology that keeps websites online. With more of our day-to-day life moving online, the web hosting services market is expected to keep growing. Coupled with increased demand spurred by the Covid-19 pandemic, the web hosting market is predicted to reach $321.5 billion by 2025, up from $102 billion in 2020, according to Global Industry Analysts(opens in new tab). At the moment, the web hosting industry has many specific solutions designed for particular cases, but with an estimated 75% of the world’s po[CENSORED]tion now online (roughly six billion users) the need for more agile, secure, and nuanced hosting solutions is more prevalent than ever. The dynamics of the everyday As this market continues to drive forward, the demands needed from web hosting services gain in complexity. No longer just a service for the archetypal business model, the Covid-19 pandemic saw a rise in the variety of individuals and groups that need web hosting to survive daily. Currently, users of the service feel the periodic pinch of web hosting inaccuracies, which include underwhelming customer support, uneven pricing, and, increasingly – hosting services that aren’t streamlined for contemporary demands. A good example is WordPress hosting, but there are many other hosting types, such as servers intended for gaming and dedicated hosting services for large websites. It’s a rigid system that has been built around online projects that are often more fluid in practice than website owners anticipate in the planning phase. Sizing up available assets and assessing needs is essential while planning anything. That’s as true of web hosting as it is of anything else, but what sets hosting apart is the obvious need for flexibility. Stepping into the future While the hosting industry already has solutions to most situations, it lacks the ability to provide one single service capable of taking in all those features at a reasonable price. It’s a problem that has long felt like an unnecessary headache in a forward-thinking sector and one that next-generation hosting is finally ready to solve. Next-generation hosting is about providing a single affordable hosting service to replace the traditional tier-based architecture of web hosting plans, opening every possibility to anyone who wants to take it. Open doors for all Hostinger, a web hosting provider operating worldwide, is currently developing this new technology. The most important aspect is that the new technology allows web hosting providers to offer affordable pricing. The internet is built around the concept of accessibility – next-generation hosting will finally open every possibility to anyone who wants to take it. Simply put, next-generation web hosting promises a single unified solution. One that will remove the burden of decision paralysis for businesses and provide the best of all worlds — total accessibility, infinite scalability, absolute simplicity, and of course, a lower price point. Optimizing the essentials If there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s this: the amount of time we spend online is only going up. As website and business owners see traffic continuously amplified, there's never been a more critical time to ensure that web hosting is as reliable, efficient, and safe as possible. Businesses face multiple challenges when it comes to hosting. Ensuring all data is safe and sound, and that needs are always met during peaks are just the basics. However, worrying about security while keeping customer support online 24/7 and continuously optimizing page-load speeds are just a few of the numerous issues online projects face all day, every day. Attainable innovation While it’s true that every online project has different hosting needs to run smoothly, the essentials remain the same. As user needs grow in scale and complexity, the baseline will only get higher and higher. The moment you stop innovating is the moment you start to decline. The hosting industry is not static, and we need to make sure what we do and provide is relevant to the clients. High availability (HA) architecture is somewhat analogous to parallel circuitry in that it employs multiple components at the same time in order to guarantee constant service even in the unlikely event that something does go wrong. Maximizing uptime, matching the potential for the rapid scalability of online projects while providing solutions that are ever more resilient to hardware failure, and minimizing maintenance time are the foundations of the web hosting industry. HA architecture for hosting solutions will bring those essentials into the next generation. Working with smart technology through next-generation hosting will help many users, especially those with online businesses. Simple, streamlined web hosting Seamless next-generation hosting is an exciting prospect and one that just seems to make sense. A single streamlined solution is the logical progression for both users and the web hosting industry at large. And as with all great innovations, simplicity is the key. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, there’s been a rise in customers using web hosting who might not have felt comfortable using online services to promote their business or brand before. The freedom that web hosting provides for people developing new ideas means it’s crucial the services they use enable them to do so with ease. With a diverse new array of customers using web hosting, keeping costs low ensures broad access for all. Accessibility for all There's a tendency in all tech industries to lean on overly sophisticated hardware or software licenses, all of which inflate the final price. In large part, that’s due to the fact that developing a completely new solution like next-generation hosting requires a lot of time and resources. It is more than likely that this is what has held so many companies back from building the technology. Every major hosting provider has woken up to the idea that they need to do this in some form or another. Yet, sometimes you do not need to invent everything yourself – some companies opt to buy solutions from third parties and rely on them. It’s an exciting development for web hosting and the priority commitment to affordability appears to have been met. Current projections show that despite the research and development costs, the price should stay around the same level as current WordPress hosting options, providing more benefits to users without asking them to foot the bill.

We’ve known for a while now Samsung was partnering with Microsoft for a new Gaming Hub for their latest smart TVs, and today, the service officially launched. The Samsung Gaming Hub gives players access to the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate cloud library via the Xbox TV app, as well as NVIDIA’s GeForce Now, Google Stadia, and Utomik, allowing you to play games without dedicated hardware. Amazon’s Luna cloud gaming service is also on the way, but isn’t available at launch. Oh, and if you just want to sit back and watch other people play games, Twitch is integrated into the hub as well. Not interested in cloud gaming? You may still have a use for the Samsung Gaming Hub, as you’ll be able to launch all your HDMI-connected consoles through the hub, making that annoying search for the right source no longer a problem. Passthrough controller and accessory inputs are also offered, meaning you’ll be able to use third-party gamepads and headsets across multiple apps and consoles without having to resync them. For those new to the whole cloud gaming thing, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate grants you access to well over 100 games as well as subscriptions to Xbox Live Gold and EA Play for $15 a month — you can check out a full list of available games here. For a limited time, Microsoft is offering new subscribers 3 months of Game Pass Ultimate or Game Pass for PC for only $1. As for GeForce Now, it offers you the ability to play games you already own on platforms like Steam via the cloud, with various subscription options, from a basic free tier to the $20 a month GeForce RTX 3080 tier. Not all games are compatible, although, at this point, over 1000 are. NVIDIA added compatibility for a number of new games today. The Samsung Gaming Hub is now available on the company’s 2022 smart TVs in the US, UK, Brazil, Canada, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain.

Along with midsize sedans, it seems that quirky, high-performance, front-wheel-drive hot hatchbacks are a dying breed. Today, Hyundai announced that its performance version of the Veloster, the Veloster N, is being discontinued, while other N models (the Elantra N, and Kona N) live on. Which is a shame because the latest Hyundai Veloster N was dynamically excellent, and closing the gap between it and the standard bearer of FWD performance cars, the Honda Civic Type R. When the Veloster N first arrived in the U.S. in 2019, the N gave the Veloster the engine and suspension we felt it deserved all along. That's what made it our 2019 Car of the Year finalist. Its timing, however, wasn't great, as the Honda Civic Type R had just came to our shores and redefined the meaning of front-wheel-drive performance. Improvements for 2021 made the Veloster N even better, with the Performance Package becoming standard and an eight-speed DCT now optional. In our PVOTY review, we wrote, "If this is to be the final Veloster, it's a wonderful note to go out on, even if it could use just one more iteration." Unfortunately, it looks like we won't get that chance. Thanks to the introduction of the Elantra N and Kona N for 2022, the Veloster N has been killed off; the non-N Veloster died last year. That means the Veloster—a vehicle Hyundai introduced as a quirky three-door hatchback in 2011—is truly gone. In addition to the Veloster N, Hyundai has also discontinued the Accent (an entry-level car for Hyundai since 1995) and the Ioniq PHEV and hybrid. While the Ioniq line will live on as an EV subbrand for Hyundai, the Accent (much like the Veloster) is gone for good. It's being replaced with the Venue crossover, which Hyundai says will serve as the entry-level model for the Hyundai brand. It also adds, "Sedans remain an important part of the lineup and Hyundai continues to offer the Elantra and Sonata." Even so, with the Veloster and Accent now gone and rumors swirling about the Sonata disappearing, we can't help but wonder how long those models will last. For now, we mourn the loss of the Veloster N and the quirky hatchback it was based on. The Hyundai Veloster is dead. Long live the Hyundai Veloster.

While Pride Month is essentially an annual celebration around the world, it comes as a grim reminder of the fact that for members of the LGBTQI+ community, mental and emotional trauma — caused by the constant ‘othering’ by a largely-heteronormative society — is a woeful reality. Anurag Gupta, the founder and creative director of Apara Disum, a jewellery brand, recalls the bullying and physical abuse he had had to face while in school. “It wasn’t one incident that was a trigger, but rather events throughout my childhood that would contribute to a deeper psychological impact on me. Even shaming by the distant family for being ‘effeminate’ and ‘creative’ has been painful, though as I grew up, it became more bearable,” he says. Mirroring his thoughts, Neeraj, an Indo-British producer of LGBTQ films, shares with this outlet a particularly harrowing episode, when his friend was “found murdered” after he met someone on a gay dating app while on a vacation. “It made me realise how vulnerable the LGBTQ community is at the hands of homophobic and transphobic people. As a gay person of colour living abroad, I personally had to face dual discrimination; the worst has been racial discrimination from within the predominantly-white gay community,” he says, adding that because he is a brown man, he was once “singled out and harassed by cops at a white LGBT music concert, because they did not believe a brown older man could be gay”. Incidents such as these put the spotlight on ‘queerphobia‘, which is an urgent problem plaguing many countries. While India has come a long way since scrapping IPC Section 377 which criminalised same-sex relationships, there is still some reluctance and resistance when it comes to embracing and acknowledging different sexualities and gender identities in a society deeply rooted in patriarchy and machismo. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the largest grassroots mental health organisation in the US, for many LGBTQI+ people, “socioeconomic and cultural conditions negatively impact mental health conditions”. “Many in the community face discrimination, prejudice, denial of civil and human rights, harassment and family rejection, which can lead to new or worsened symptoms, particularly for those with intersecting racial or socioeconomic identities,” it states. Srishti (name changed), who belongs to a small town in Uttarakhand, tells this outlet that one of her lesbian cousins came out to her parents, but did not get acceptance. “This made me realise how vulnerable I am. Now, how do I tell my parents I am a lesbian, too, and I don’t want to marry a man? What if they don’t accept me either? At least [my cousin] has the option to escape these things, since she lives in the US; I don’t have that [luxury] as I want to settle in Uttarakhand only.” She adds that she and her girlfriend — for the sake of their “mental peace” — “follow [their] hearts and spread love to the society by doing lots of things together, like feeding cows, dogs, etc.” Dr Prerna Kohli, a clinical psychologist and the founder of MindTribe.in, tells indianexpress.com that research is indicative of higher levels of trauma in the LGBTQ+ community, and that they come in the form of rejection and hostility towards sexual and gender identity. “Trauma can be physical, verbal, psychological or sexual, and members face at least one of these forms daily. Their trauma begins at an early age, with bullying in school; many families may disown a member of the community or try ‘conversion therapies’. They may also face unemployment due to their sexual identity, along with daily harassment and a higher rate of sexual abuse,” she explains. The expert warns that suicide, addiction, and self-medication are significant consequences of the lifelong abuse faced by the community. Concurring with her, Dr Roma Kumar, the co-founder and chief psychologist at Emotionally — a mental health platform — says a majority of LGBTQ+ people hide their sexual orientation and endure harassment out of fear of losing their job. “Particularly vulnerable are teenagers and young adults, who experience estrangement from family and social networks, harassment at school and invisibility, which can lead to, in some cases, underachievement at school, dropping out, poor mental health and homelessness.” She adds that families who are “conflicted about their children‘s LGBTQ+ identity”, believe the best way to help them survive and thrive is to fit them with their heterosexual peers. “But, this makes young adolescents feel that their parents want to change who they are. Lack of communication and misunderstanding between parents and their LGBTQ+ children increases family conflict. These problems can lead to fighting that can result in the adolescent being removed from or forced out of the home,” she says. Ultimately, it boils down to the fact that the pain, hostility, and rejection members of the community experience can make them feel worthless, says Dr Kohli. “Suicidal thoughts are a result of this internalised emotional pain and the helplessness that one experiences. Family and friends can help by using kind words, and by not shunning them for their sexual preference.” She adds that along with this, one must not ignore signs of suicidal behaviour. “Friends and family should seek immediate professional help as soon as they notice signs of suicide, which are hard to miss and include mentions of suicide, frequent mood swings, withdrawal from society, drug abuse, and planning to die,” the doctor says. Acceptance and healing Gupta says that today, as a 28-year-old man, he is “doing great”. “I am working on my dreams and surrounded by loving people. Though our lives are complex, I believe in seeking professional therapy if needed, and talking to friends and family for their light and support.” Citing performance artist and writer Alok Vaid Menon, he adds, “Often, we write things off that we cannot comprehend. That is, maybe, because we have not been through that experience, are unable to empathise or simply do not have the interest [in learning about it]. But, the core of humanity is love; we don’t have to comprehend something to have compassion for it.” Neeraj states that much like how we accept people with different eye colours, or those with left-handedness, society must learn to understand and accept “gender and sexuality spectrum”. “Acceptance is a two-way street. When we, in the LGBTQ community, accept you as our parents, siblings, friends, and co-workers, it is just as natural for you to understand and accept us,” he says, adding that his positive mental and emotional health is linked to the love and support he gets from his “biological and chosen family, and the support mechanism [he] has created for himself”. Vithika Yadav, an anti-slavery, sexual rights and gender rights activist, and a social entrepreneur, tells indianexpress.com that when it comes to LGBTQ persons, the society needs to learn about the community. “In some cases, LGBTQ+ persons aren’t allowed to socialise and are also not allowed in bars, restaurants, and other public places because of their gender or sexual preferences, which is absolutely unacceptable,” she states. Yadav adds that we need to “encourage conversations within the family”, and “show respect and understanding in schools and workplaces”. “We must truly support the community by embracing and practising inclusivity and diversity, and realising that everyone is different.” Dr Kumar is of the opinion that protecting LGBTQ+ people from violence and discrimination does not require the creation of a new set of specific rights, nor does it require the establishment of new international human rights standards. “All people — irrespective of sex, sexual orientation or gender identity — are entitled to enjoy the protections provided for and by the international human rights law, including right to life, security of person and privacy, the right to be free from torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, the right to be free from discrimination, and the right to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly,” she says. Dr Kohli suggests having an “anti-discrimination code” at the school level. “For instance, children often bully each other by using ‘gay’ as a derogatory term. Change can begin from here to schools educating themselves as well as shaping children of tomorrow to be kind towards the community,” she says. There are plenty of resources available to educate oneself to be a better ally, Neeraj says. He implores parents, allies, and co-workers to help by providing “safe and non-threatening spaces”. “As parents, siblings or friends, it is possible that you realise about us. Don’t wait for us to come out to you; you are always welcome to create a safe space and ask us instead. You will be reducing a lot of ‘coming-out anxiety’ we face as LGBTQ individuals,” he concludes.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has lost some of its power to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The landmark ruling by the US Supreme Court represents a major setback to President Joe Biden's climate plans. He called it a "devastating decision" but said it would not undermine his effort to tackle the climate crisis. The case against the EPA was brought by West Virginia on behalf of 18 other mostly Republican-led states and some of the nation's largest coal companies. They were challenging whether the agency has the power to regulate planet-warming emissions for state-wide power sectors or just individual power plants. These 19 states were worried their power sectors would be regulated and they would be forced to move away from using coal, at a severe economic cost. In a 6-3 ruling, the court sided with the conservative states and fossil-fuel companies, agreeing that Congress had not "intended to delegate... decision of such economic and political significance". Attorney General Eric Schmitt for Missouri - one of the 19 states - called it a "big victory... that pushes back on the Biden EPA's job-killing regulations". The court hasn't completely prevented the EPA from making these regulations in the future - but says that Congress would have to clearly say it authorises this power. And Congress has previously rejected the EPA's proposed carbon limiting programmes. Environmental groups will be deeply concerned by the outcome as historically the 19 states have made little progress on reducing their emissions - which is necessary to limit climate change. The states made up 44% of the US emissions in 2018, and since 2000 have only achieved a 7% reduction in their emissions on average. "Today's Supreme Court ruling undermines EPA's authority to protect people from climate pollution at a time when all evidence shows we must take action with great urgency," said Vickie Patton, general counsel for Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). It means President Biden is now relying on a change of policy from these states or a change from Congress - otherwise the US is unlikely to achieve its climate targets. This is a significant loss for the president who entered office on a pledge to ramp up US efforts on the environment and climate. On his first day in office he re-entered the country into the Paris Agreement, the first legally-binding universal agreement on climate change targets. And he committed the country to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 52% by 2030 against 2005 levels. "While this decision risks damaging our nation's ability to keep our air clean and combat climate change, I will not relent in using my lawful authorities to protect public health and tackle the climate crisis," he said. The outcome of this case will be noted by governments around the world, as it will affect global efforts to tackle climate change. The US accounts for nearly 14% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. A United Nations spokesman called it "a setback in our fight against climate change" but added that no single nation could derail the global effort. In the US, this ruling could also affect the EPA's broader existing and future regulatory responsibilities - including consumer protections, workplace safety and public health. The ruling gives "enormous power" to the courts to target other regulations they don't like, Hajin Kim, assistant professor of law at University of Chicago, tells the BBC. This is because judges can say Congress did not explicitly authorise the agency to do that particular thing, she adds. For decades, the Supreme Court has held that judges should generally defer to government agencies when interpreting federal law. On Thursday, the conservative majority continued a recent trend of chipping away at that practice. Instead, the court's justices embraced what's called the "major questions doctrine" - which asserts that a federal agency's discretion is limited on big issues that involve broad regulatory actions. If Congress had intended the Environmental Protection Agency to be able to issue sweeping regulations of an entire sector of the US economy, they said, it would have explicitly written that power into the Clean Air Act. In January, a similar majority of the court cited the major questions doctrine to strike down an attempt by the Biden administration to use a federal workplace law to mandate vaccinations for employees in large companies. It's now clear this court will turn a sceptical eye to agency attempts to cite vague or broad laws to enact any sort of major regulatory changes. That's a significant development, given how difficult it has been for Congress to pass substantive new legislation in recent years. The time when presidents could find unilateral "work-arounds" in existing law may be coming to an end.

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Man, literally your last 4 topics were less than 30 minutes ago and the rest are months ago, too soon to apply, not even a day. Pro for pending, as I see you have been part of many things despite the years in CSBD, but it remains to be shown if you feel the same interest at this time.

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