#Sissa

Game Information Initial release date: 11 October 2019 Developer: Forever Entertainment, SUNNYSIDE GAMES INC Publisher: Forever Entertainment, Noodlecake StudiosSérie Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS I’m sure if we were to conduct a survey, most people wouldn’t say that they are swayed too much by the visuals of a game over gameplay or story. That’s a no-brainer. However, it helps when things look good. Towaga: Among Shadows is absolutely gorgeous. From the opening cutscene straight through to the action, it feels like the game is a movie tie-in, or based on a po[CENSORED]r Cartoon Network show. Playing as light-bearer Chimù, you take on Metnal the Voidmonger – a shadow-like nasty intent on spreading the world in darkness. You are the last hope and a literal beacon of light that blasts these enemies out of the sky and off of the numerous shrines you are sworn to protect. The available options are pretty varied; a Story Mode, Survival, Flying and the Void Realm. Let’s begin with the Story, as that will be what most people will play at first. We opened with the visuals, and that admiration continues with the character designs – both Chimù and the enemies; the animations are superb. As Chimù, you take centre stage – in the centre of the screen – and defend your position by firing a mixture of your light beam (by holding down the right analogue in the direction you wish to attack) and with your available magic with the ZL button. Each time you kill an enemy, it unlocks an entry in the Codex which you find at the title screen. The levels are called a Phase and are usually pretty quick – 40+ in all. That’s not to say there isn’t a challenge. When you strip down the presentation, the concept is pretty simple: move the right stick to wipe out the waves – never being concerned with running out of ammo or waiting for a cool down, then when you get swarmed, use your magic. Magic in the game isn’t an ace card you can rely on; it’s an invaluable tool to stay alive. Towaga: Among Shadows is a challenging, but fun game. What starts out as a reasonably straightforward task soon borders on overwhelming early on, but there’s an assist mode should you get stuck, and this gives you 50% more health and damage and makes the game a breeze if you require it. Just when you think you’ve got the hang of it though, Chimù powers up and shoots up into the sky for the second part of the game. In the flying mode, you hover in the sky doing the same as before, but without the spells. At first, I thought the freedom to move around was needed for the game, but I found that I preferred the stationary position and felt this section was a little more monotonous. Once you complete the first few flying phases, it shifts to the ground game, and back and forth when you’re near saving a shrine. As can be expected, there are mini-bosses too to take care of. They’re slightly overpowered in places, but one of the great things about the game is the ability to shoot enemy projectiles. Sounds easy, but when you fight harder enemies while being attacked by lesser ones, it’s pretty easy to get caught out. However, the controls in the game are perfect. While moving the stick around without holding a button at the same time sounds lazy, it’s quite taxing as you need to be alert all the time, but the accuracy is perfect. Hands down, this is one of the most rewarding experiences when targeting enemies as your focus doesn’t wander off or you miss the baddies on the attack. The ordeals that follow are based on the sheer number of attackers and multitasking at a level sufficient to survive! In the beginning, you can play either a single or multiplayer game – all the additional options such as your Profile, the Codex and Trials are all locked, but after the very brief introduction, you can access them almost immediately. The currency in the game is soul shards, which you earn through playing the game, and it’s quite scarce. In the Profile section you can spend your shards on new powers, spells and outfits, in the Codex is the list from the bestiary and with Trials, these aren’t bonus stages, but an archive of the items you’ve unlocked in the game. Think of it as in-game achievements. With the Profile, it’s pretty broad as you can upgrade your beam size and damage, health points and mana points among others. As for the spells, these are pretty devastating, but unlike being able to see the available upgrades for your character stats, spells have to be unlocked through playing the Story Mode. What surprised me most was the enjoyment that came from the survival mode. As someone more interested in the story than hi-scores, I’m fairly dismissive of these modes and only playthrough to justify a review, or perhaps unlock new items. There are two survival modes – the first is from the ground and the other from flying. For both, it’s absolute chaos and nothing like the story as it’s non-stop attacks from all angles and I found it impossible without upgrading the spells. There are six to unlock through the story, but my preference was the opening spell as you can disperse the enemies with a bubble-like attack that will stop them in their tracks and allow you to focus the beam elsewhere. The challenge can be brutal, but there’s something enjoyable about it where you feel like you’re making progress – even if it’s only 10-20 points at a time. After a while, Towaga: Among the Shadows started to get a bit familiar, and it is a repetitive game, but an excellent one at that. Once you finish the story, the focus is with the story more or for hardcore gamers, the Void Realm, which is a beast. Will this be a game you keep coming back to? I think so. Sometimes the simplest of ideas are the better ones, and there’s definitely an addictive element to the game. The story isn’t going to win any awards, but it’s decent nevertheless and should be completed before tackling the survival modes (you need to level up and perfect your aim!). System Requirements MINIMUM: OS: Windows® 7, Windows® 8.1, Windows® 10 Processor: Dual core processor, 2.3 GHz or equivalent Memory: 2 GB RAM Graphics: Intel HD 4000 / HD 7450 1Go / GeForce GT 330M 1Go or equivalent DirectX: Version 11 Storage: 1 GB available space Additional Notes: Controllers needed for local multiplayer RECOMMENDED: OS: Windows® 7, Windows® 8.1, Windows® 10 Processor: Quad core processor, 3.3 GHz or equivalent Memory: 4 GB RAM DirectX: Version 11 Storage: 1 GB available space Additional Notes: Controllers needed for local multiplayer

Unidentified human remains have been discovered in the search for a soldier who disappeared from her Texas base in April, according to the US Army. Private First Class Vanessa Guillen, 20, was last seen on 22 April in a car park where she worked in Fort Hood. Army spokesman Chris Grey said the partial remains were found in an "area of interest" agents had returned to in the search for Ms Guillen. Her disappearance prompted rallies in Fort Hood and her native Houston. An attorney for Ms Guillen's family told CBS News that investigators informed them the remains may belong to the soldier, but forensic experts have not yet confirmed it. "No confirmation as to the identity of the remains has been made at this point and we ask for the media and public's understanding that the identification process can take time," Mr Grey said. Agents from the US Army Criminal Investigation Command, Texas Rangers, FBI and local police revisited the site, near the Leon River about 30 miles (48km) from Fort Hood due to a tip. "After receiving additional information, agents have discovered what has been described as partial human remains after analysis from a forensic anthropologist." The remains were found in a shallow grave. Ms Guillen, a small-arms repairer with the 3rd Cavalry Regiment, is originally from Houston, Texas - about 200 miles (320km) from Fort Hood. After her disappearance around noon on 22 April, Ms Guillen's car and barracks keys, ID card and wallet were found in the armoury room where she had been earlier that day. A Texas state lawmaker who has been working with Ms Guillen's family told reporters last week Army officials suspected "foul play" in the case. "The question is who, what and when," congresswoman Sylvia Garcia said. "And we've been reassured that they're going to do everything they can, they will leave no stone unturned until they find Vanessa." The Army Criminal Investigation Command had increased the reward for information concerning her disappearance to $25,000 (£20,000) earlier this month. Ms Guillen's family has alleged that she had been harassed by someone within her unit, but officials have said they have no information to indicate she was sexually assaulted. The 3rd Cavalry Regiment has launched a separate investigation regarding those claims.

Game Information Initial release date: 2019 Developer: Funktronic Labs Publisher: Funktronic Labs Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows Google Stadia is flying under the radar right now with the current generation of current consoles coming to an end and a new generation on the horizon it is still difficult to see quote how the underrated Stadia is going to perform. Wave Break comes crashing onto the scene in which is a first to Stadia exclusive with plans to arrive on Steam at a later date. Funktronic Labs are the developers here and they have created something here that is both unique but also familiar to some gamers. Now if I muttered the words Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater to most experienced gamers they would know exactly what I am speaking about. If you don’t know what I am talking about Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater is a series of skateboarding games that were massively po[CENSORED]r in the early 2000s and went on to succeed with many sequels and then fizzled out around a decade or so ago. You may be asking me what this series of titles has to do with Wave Break and it is clear to see when you boot the game up and start playing through it has taken some huge inspiration from the Tony Hawk series. The first we heard of Wave Break was quite recently actually when the Google Stadia showcased what games were coming to its platform after a very quiet first six months in the life of Stadia. Wave Break caught my attention as it looked from the trailer to pay homage to skating titles in the fact you could do similar skills and tricks but on a speedboat with an animal taking the wheel. You’ll notice almost immediately that the game has an 80’s/90’s vibe to it and that is just basing it off the visuals. For some reason, the title California Games from the Sega Mega Drive era popped into my mind. So there you have it, Tony Hawk esque animal boat skating fun is what you are dipping your toes into. If you have played skating games before then you’ll find this fairly simple to pick up and play without much thought but if you haven’t then there will be more learning and adaptation for you to negotiate but that is all part of the fun here. The control system is very similar to skating games in the fact that you’ll be able to conduct various combinations of buttons to pull off tricks and using Y to grind along edges. There are four levels to play through here and I guess we will call them skate parks for the purpose of the review. Instead of a skateboard though, you are in control of a mini speedboat and it surprisingly works well. The campaign mode of the game will of course place you on the first level of the game with a list of objectives to work through and they echo Tony Hawk almost to the letter. By letters, instead of collecting the letters S-K-A-T-E you’ll be plucking the letters B-R-E-A-K instead, see why I directly compared it to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater now? There are of course the obvious missions such as hitting three preset high scores, collecting other objects, and hidden cash. You haven’t got all day to grab all these though you will be on a time limit to try and proceed through these but obviously you can have multiple attempts to tick them all off. Once you smash through enough of these then the next level will unlock for you to try. Now I’ll have you know that I was actually very good at skateboarding games and in the top ten players in the world at Tony Hawk’s Project 8 on Xbox 360 so I guess you could say I am a dab hand at the genre. What I found a real bugbear here was how clunky and frustrating the grinding element was. I found it difficult to keep a consistent grind going no matter how hard I tried and I didn’t feel like it was down to my ability. This made it increasingly difficult when attempting to chain together combos to smash the high scores. Aside from this the game is pretty solid in terms of how it plays and handles it actually does a really good job and genuinely fun and unpredictable to play. I enjoyed having that feel again of rushing as fast as I could to see how many objectives I could do in the timeframe and the perfectionist in me stopping the game and starting it again because I did one trick slightly off. Another frustrating feature was the camera angles sometimes navigated totally off and didn’t fit the natural style you were playing. This made it especially trickier in more contained areas but in the open waters, it didn’t seem quite as annoying. Whilst this criticism may come across as big points it doesn’t hamper the gameplay experience too much and I genuinely had so much fun with the core elements and chasing the objectives. I did feel four levels felt really short and I worked through the campaign ever so quickly in maybe just shy of two hours and that was spending my time doing everything. Hopefully, the developers can add in some more levels at a later date, I do appreciate the logistics of the levels as the ones that are there are excellent in visual design and colourful too. The soundtrack here is surprisingly good and has an 80’s vibe to it and I found myself turning the background music off on Spotify and listening to the game’s soundtrack as it really added to the gameplay. It’s a rarity these games to have an exceptional soundtrack and Wave Break has nailed it in this respect so hats off to the developers. Thankfully they chose to add online multiplayer to Wave Break so that you can play against others and your friends. I found it genuinely exciting battling against someone to try and nail the high score but also the fact you have machine guns on your boat so you can wreck their chances mid-combo. There is also the option to use cash to upgrade your character and customise them too. Overall I really enjoyed Wave Break more than I initially thought I would do, the campaign mode whilst short-lived was fantastic fun. The multiplayer adds longevity beyond the campaign mode for those who want a competitive edge. I feel that more levels are needed here to make it feel worth its value of £23.99 at the time of writing but to hardcore fans of the skating genre, it is well worth the investment or just if you fancy something different. Beyond this, some additional work on the grinding elements and camera angles and it would tune the title to perfection. Would I recommend Wave Break, I certainly would on Stadia it is up there with the best of the titles on the platform. System Requirements MINIMUM: OS: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, or 10 Processor: Intel i5 or better Memory: 8 GB RAM Graphics: GTX 950 or equivalent DirectX: Version 11 Storage: 1 GB available space RECOMMENDED: OS: Windows 10 Processor: Intel Core i5 6600 or better Memory: 16 GB RAM Graphics: GTX 970 or equivalent DirectX: Version 11 Storage: 1 GB available space

The White House is under pressure to explain how much the administration knew about allegations Russia offered the Taliban bounties to kill US troops. Officials have insisted that President Donald Trump was not "personally" informed of the alleged plot in Afghanistan in 2019. But reports say the president received a written briefing earlier this year. There is concern that Mr Trump might have had access to information about threats to US forces but did not act. The intelligence reportedly arrived amid US attempts to negotiate a peace deal to end the 19-year war in Afghanistan and while Mr Trump sought to improve relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Reports by The New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal, quoting unnamed US officials, said a Russian military intelligence unit had offered Taliban-linked militants bounties to kill US troops in Afghanistan. Twenty American troops died in Afghanistan in 2019, but the New York Times said it was not clear which deaths were under suspicion. Russia denied the initial reports, while the Taliban said it had not done any deal with Russian intelligence. The allegations come as Mr Trump seeks re-election in the November poll. Moscow maintains close links with the Taliban, as it sees the US involvement in Afghanistan winding down, the BBC's diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says. He says Russia is also waging a "grey" or undeclared war against the West. Under President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin has smarted from every perceived indignity suffered since the fall of the Soviet Union. It was US support for Afghan irregular fighters that contributed to Moscow's forced withdrawal from Afghanistan in the 1980s. What are the new developments? On Monday, the New York Times, citing two unnamed US officials, said the intelligence assessment had been included in the President's Daily Brief report - a written document with key government intelligence - in late February. CNN and the Associated Press have also reported that the president received the intelligence in a written briefing earlier this year, without specifying when. Mr Trump is said to largely ignore the President's Daily Brief, relying more on oral briefings by intelligence officials a few times a week. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany did not answer when asked by reporters whether the information had been included in the president's written briefing, saying only that Mr Trump had not been "personally briefed". Ms McEnany also said there was "no consensus within the intelligence community" about the assessment. But former intelligence officials told US media that, in previous administrations, claims of such importance would be reported to the president, even if the evidence had not been fully established. Eight Republican Congress members attended a White House briefing led by Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien on Monday. Some expressed alarm about the claims, calling for action against Russia and President Putin to be taken if the intelligence reports, currently under review, were confirmed. Representatives Adam Kinzinger and Michael McCaul, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement: "If the intelligence review process verifies the reports, we strongly encourage the Administration to take swift and serious action to hold the Putin regime accountable." In a separate statement, Representatives Liz Cheney and Mac Thornberry, who is the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, said: "We believe it is important to vigorously pursue any information related to Russia or any other country targeting our forces." Democrats were not included in the initial meeting, and they have been scheduled to take part in a briefing with White House officials on Tuesday. Late on Monday, the Associated Press reported that top officials in the White House were aware in early 2019 of the classified intelligence on the topic, and that the assessment had been included in at least one of President Trump's written daily briefings at the time. Separately, journalist Carl Bernstein reported that officials close to Mr Trump were convinced the president himself "posed a danger to the national security" given how "consistently unprepared" he was in dealing with foreign leaders. Writing on CNN, Bernstein - one of the journalists who investigated the Watergate scandal in the 1970s - said there were special concerns over "[Mr] Trump's deference to [Mr] Putin", with the US president "inordinately solicitous of [Mr] Putin's admiration" while ignoring important matters on the bilateral agenda. His report, based on unnamed sources with knowledge of hundreds of highly classified calls with foreign heads of state, echoes remarks made by former members of the Trump administration, including John Bolton, who served as national security adviser and said Mr Trump "remained stunningly uninformed on how to run the White House". In an interview to promote his book, Mr Bolton said of Mr Trump: "I think Putin thinks he can play him like a fiddle." What is the context? The unnamed officials cited by the New York Times' initial report said US intelligence agencies had concluded months ago that a unit of Russia's GRU military intelligence agency had sought to destabilise its adversaries by covertly offering bounties for successful attacks on coalition forces. Watch: What is the GRU? Islamist militants, or armed criminal elements closely associated with them, were believed to have collected some money, the newspaper said. The officials quoted by the New York Times said the White House's National Security Council had considered how to respond, including imposing an escalating raft of sanctions against Russia. According to the Times story on Friday, President Trump was briefed on the reports in March. Mr Trump denied having been briefed, writing on Twitter on Sunday that neither he nor Vice-President Mike Pence had been told "about the so-called attacks on our troops in Afghanistan by Russians". Sergei Zhirnov, a former agent of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), told BBC Russian that the GRU's actions could be a part of a larger game between Mr Putin and Mr Trump unfolding in the global arena. "The GRU is a massive machine, which works towards making war. Putin likes to flex his muscles when there is no chance of retribution," said Mr Zhirnov. The President, the Russians and the 'personal briefings' Tara McKelvey, BBC White House correspondent Did President Trump know about the alleged bounties for the killing of US troops? Intelligence officials reportedly gave the information to the White House, but the White House press secretary said the president was not "personally briefed" on the matter. His knowledge or lack of it may be one of those Washington mysteries that remains unsolved. One thing is clear, however: he has never paid much attention to CIA findings. Unlike previous presidents, he does not receive written briefings. Instead intelligence analysts explain their findings in meetings, get-togethers that are scheduled sporadically. When it comes to the Russians, though, the president pays attention. At a meeting with President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki in 2018, Trump said he believed President Putin's claims that Moscow did not meddle in 2016 US elections, contrary to the findings of the US intelligence agencies. The controversy over the Russian bounties is yet another reminder that Trump's relationship with Putin has been close. For Russians, this is a joy. For many in the US, it is deeply troubling.

Game Information Title: The Great Perhaps RELEASE DATE: 14 Aug, 2019 DEVELOPER: Caligari Games PUBLISHER: Daedalic Entertainment Literature is filled with tales of the mysteries of time travel. People have long claimed that the ability to shift through different times exists, and only the most gifted, rich, and powerful are allowed to be aware of its existence. If you had the power to jump through time, what would you do with it? Would you use it for personal gain? Or would you look to improve mankind, and right some wrongs? The Great Perhaps is a tale about a spaceman named Kosmos, he inadvertently gains the power of time travel and uses his gift to try to save his family and humanity. The Great Perhaps has been developed by Caligari Games and published by Drageus Games. This time-travelling puzzle game asks you to work off a linear storyline, where you must move from the present day to the past. You solve the problems that arise and eventually piece together the mystery of what has occurred on Earth. The story unfolds across 14 chapters. The action opens with a cinematic that shows Kosmos stuck in space, observing a world-ending event. The disaster enforcing him to enter cryosleep, he is awoken 100 years into the future with no idea of what has happened on the planet surface. L9 his trusty AI computer asks to join him on his mission to Earth, after all, no one wants to be left alone for all eternity. The pair forms an unlikely partnership that brings clarity and humour to what is otherwise a situation of loss and despair. As you land on a polluted and bleak looking world, you are advised that one life form is present. You eagerly rush to its location, only to find no person, just the existence of a brass lantern. Once the light is obtained, life is never the same again. The landscape changes, it’s clearly the same location, just not the same time. The air is clear, and the buildings are colourful and pristine, more importantly, people are alive. As the lantern’s power fades, a hulking shadow creature is standing over you in the present. Time travel has got the beast’s attention. You must evade its wrath, and escape, all with the knowledge that it will continually stalk you until it obtains the lantern for itself. The title itself is an unusual and charming puzzle adventure, where you must combine both past and present to overcome the problems that you face. Fallen debris may be avoided by simply switching on your lantern and using a different time zone to your advantage. Items present at one point will be required to power switches, and repair electrical goods at another. Each chapter that you face contains its own unique issues and none of the problems transfer across to the other levels. This made understanding and working out each puzzle much easier, as you weren’t concerned with anything other than what was happening in front of you. I bet some of you are saying, “But that will make it too easy, puzzle games are meant to be challenging!” And you’d be absolutely correct. Though, I found a lot of the solutions were not straightforward, and there had to be a number of Eureka moments in order to stumble across the solution. The game style felt very similar in both design and look to Terry Pratchett’s Disc World Noir. The puzzles are often solved by interacting with the dry and witty NPC’s. Strangely, they are often painfully unaware of the bizarre nature of a spaceman wandering around their city. For me, this highlights an underlying theme, that our own self centred and selfish behaviours are the main reason for our own demise. Even though our main protagonist is there to save mankind, he ultimately wants to know about his family, and he wants to be able to put them first. The stalking shadow beast isn’t always present, but when it does appear, the level focusses on evading its long grabbing arms. For me, these puzzles were the best part of the game. Don’t get me wrong, all of them were clever, and fun to solve, but the added element of fear and pressure got the adrenaline pumping. It would have been nice if the developers had used this puzzle and action mechanic with other NPC’s. Most of the other problems can be approached with a slow and methodical pace, which was great, but, to mix the gameplay up a bit with some more time-restricted puzzles would have been the cherry on top of the cake. The Great Perhaps is absolutely stunning with its graphical approach. The landscapes that you wander through are both beautiful, and desolate, the constant mix of destruction, and perfection blends wonderfully. Caligari Games have done a brilliant job of creating an interesting world to experience. A varying colour palette emphasises the emotions of each period. The fun and carefree attitude of the past with its bright and vivid colours juxtapose the bland and sad beige and brown images of the doomed present. The character models are all detailed with crisp lines, they add fun and personality to the story. I couldn’t get over how great it looks for an Indie title. Silence is such a key element to creating suspense and atmosphere, which The Great Perhaps uses perfectly. Music was, however, utilised during a number of levels where it plays softly in the background and doesn’t overpower the story, or the action which is unravelling before you. The minor tones in most of the songs only serve to compound the feeling of despair and loss, and the echoed thuds of your footsteps are a constant presence. They remind Kosmos that he is truly alone! The gameplay opens with a very basic tutorial, no more is needed than this, as it’s so simple to pick up and play. Effectively, it’s; Move, Jump, pick up, and use the item. If you need to throw something, you are given an arc on the screen that indicates its trajectory, so it’s all very easy to master. Picking up objects doesn’t require you to be in a certain area, as long as you are within the vicinity, it’ll scoop up the item for you. If I was to look for a small gripe with this game, it would have to be a lack of inventory space. There were a number of times where several items are required, and you are forced to chop and change between them, instead of just carrying it all. Kosmos carries a backpack, so goodness knows what’s in there. All I know is it’s definitely not puzzle solving objects. The unfortunate thing with any title in the puzzle genre is the lack of replay value. I mean, once you’ve solved all the problems, why would you go back? The story of The Great Perhaps is excellent, but I don’t need to replay the game to know that. If the developers had implemented an NG+ mode, where the puzzles were similar, but the solutions were different. Then I’d be all over it in a heartbeat, unfortunately, however, it doesn’t. Even the achievement list will fail to bring you back, as the majority of them are earned through natural progression. When you hear the phrase time-travelling puzzle game, your imagination goes crazy. The last thing I imagined was a dark and melancholy look at mankind’s selfish nature which leads to our own demise. This bleak and sombre adventure is brilliantly punctuated with wit and humour. The puzzles are challenging, but certainly achievable. This makes it a title that will be enjoyed by everyone, from newbies to the veterans of the genre. Would I recommend it? 100% yes! I absolutely loved every minute, and can’t recommend it enough. If you fancy becoming a time traveller and righting the wrongs of mankind, now is the time. Grab your space suit and your lantern. Past and present no longer matter when the fate of mankind hangs in the balance. System Requirements MINIMUM: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: Windows 7 (64 Bit) Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz Memory: 4 GB RAM Graphics: NVidia Geforce GTX 650 Ti, AMD Radeon HD 7790 DirectX: Version 10 Storage: 5 GB available space Sound Card: Direct X Compatible RECOMMENDED: Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system OS: Windows 10 (64 Bit) Processor: Intel Core i5 3.0 GHz Memory: 6 GB RAM Graphics: NVidia Geforce GTX 750 Ti, AMD Radeon R7 260X DirectX: Version 11 Storage: 5 GB available space Sound Card: Direct X Compatible

Politicians in the US state of Mississippi have taken a major step towards removing the Confederate emblem from the state flag. On Saturday, both chambers of the Republican-led state congress voted to begin the process of changing the flag. Mississippi is the last state in the US to feature the emblem on its flag. The Confederate emblem is viewed by many as a racist symbol, with recent protests over the death of George Floyd reigniting debate over its use. The flag was originally used by the slave-owning states who lost the US Civil War (1861-65). The vote passed in both chambers of the Mississippi legislature: in the House of Representatives by a margin of 84-35, and then in the Senate by 36-14. It means a bill to change the state flag can now be formally introduced. It is expected to be proposed on Sunday when the state congress is back in session, US media report. A two-thirds majority was needed to begin the process. This was viewed as the biggest test because only a simple majority is needed to pass the final bill. And in a major boost to the movement for change, Republican Governor Tate Reeves said that he would sign a bill to do so if it was approved in congress. He had previously said that he would not veto a bill, but did not publicly back it. "The argument over the 1894 flag has become as divisive as the flag itself and it's time to end it," he wrote on Twitter. He added: "We should not be under any illusion that a vote in the Capitol is the end of what must be done - the job before us is to bring the state together." "I would never have thought that I would see the flag come down in my lifetime," Democrat Barbara Blackmon, who is African-American, said on Saturday. If the bill passes, a commission will design a new flag, to be be voted on in November. Hundreds of statues dedicated to the Confederacy - the southern states which revolted against the US government - exist all throughout the US, and often serve as an reminder of the history of slavery and racial oppression in the US. But the depth of feeling that followed the death of George Floyd has led to renewed demands for an end to institutional racism. In the US and other countries statues of controversial historical figures have either been pulled down or taken down.

The wholesale price of used vehicles, the prices generally paid by dealers at auctions, fell steeply when the coronavirus-related shutdowns began, but since then, they have jumped above pre-pandemic forecasts. Nonetheless, the retail price, or the price paid by consumers, of used vehicles has remained fairly flat. The used-vehicle market's landscape could change greatly in the coming months when a lot of cars with leases extended during the pandemic come back to dealerships, and also if a cash-for-clunkers program comes to fruition. While states across the country issued stay-at-home orders to combat the spread of COVID-19, the used-car market shuddered as the flow of used vehicles to dealer lots was disrupted. Wholesale used-car values, or the prices paid by dealers, fell 11.3 percent from March to April, according to the Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index. Yet, after hitting a low in April, values have recovered 13.9 percent through mid-June, producing, in effect, the fabled V-shaped recovery. On top of that, according to research from J.D. Power, the value of used cars on the wholesale market has surpassed the analytics firm’s pre-pandemic forecast. Consumers Don't Have to Fear High Prices Dealers are paying more to get used vehicles in their lots, but that doesn’t mean that consumers are paying more, nor will they have to, according to Jonathan Banks, vice president of J.D. Power valuation services. "In general, retail prices have remained pretty flat, so on the question of if you're a consumer, should you sit on the sideline? Not really, because prices really haven't gone up for used vehicles," adding that that was why he believes the increase in wholesale prices is unsustainable. A mix of factors aided a quick recovery in used-vehicle values. First, the market was already primed for strong sales before the pandemic because of digital infrastructure investments—i.e., a move toward online selling—and younger buyers looking for cheaper vehicle options, according to Banks. Second, dealers have been scooping up used-vehicle inventory, particularly as the supply of new vehicles has slowed because of pandemic-related production pauses. New Trucks May Be in Short Supply "New-vehicle inventory is strained, and our forecast suggests it'll be even more strained before we move into full production of 2021 models, which won't happen until September or October, and then you're really going to have problems with trucks, especially in certain regions," Banks said. "In Texas, you'll be hard pressed to even find a new truck." With high demand for used vehicles, the market was ready to absorb any sort of fleet liquidation from Hertz following the company's bankruptcy declaration in May. Some had predicted that with all the former rental cars from Hertz flooding the market, used-car values could take a hit. So the value of used vehicles has been volatile, but there are a number of factors that could stop the upward trend in prices and make used vehicles cheaper for consumers. In fact, higher prices haven't directly affected buyers so far. Bernard Swiecki of the Center for Automotive Research said one reason they probably won't is that lease holders often had their terms extended this year because of the pandemic, and that will mean a jump in the number of vehicles coming off lease later this year. Wait until Later in the Summer? "Frankly, if I were in the market, I would wait to see what would happen in July or August," Swiecki said. "Because we've already seen a good amount of appreciation [in used-car values], the risk of too high a growth of prices seems fairly low, so I would just see how these vehicles coming off lease impact the market." Swiecki also mentioned, as a "complete wild card," the idea of bringing back a cash-for-clunkers program has been floated recently. Critics of the program back in 2009 said that it caused a shortage of used vehicles, increasing their cost. "It's not something I anticipate, but at the same time, politically, it's a hard time to rule out anything that you might see coming out of Washington," Swiecki said. "This is not a time when typical stuff unfolds typically." So, if you're thinking these are not ordinary times for car buying (or anything else), you're right. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

Game Information TITLE: Knockout Party GENRE: Action, Casual, Indie, Massively Multiplayer, Sports, Early Access DEVELOPER: Toxic studio PUBLISHER: Toxic studio RELEASE DATE: 15 May, 2020 Knockout Party is a silly party game about being the last person standing! Developed and published by Toxic studio who also has published eBall! Knockout Party got released on May 15th, 2020, and received positive feedback from most of the people who have played it! Most of the things about Knockout Party is really appealing and some things are less appealing things that I will be talking about. There really isn’t anything to be said about Knockout Party when it comes to the story. You and the other participants will be battling against each other and see who is the last one standing. You can choose from a great variety of different arenas! You will be able to battle each other in anything from a construction site to an empty warehouse! At first, you and the other participants will spawn in and as the time passes, boxes that contain loot will be opened. Soon after that, weapons will be scattered around the map. My personal favourite must be the spear The game is also heavily physics-based which leads to the game being quite interesting. The feel of the game can be compared to Totally Accurate Battlegrounds, which is a physics-based battle royale. When I first tried looking for a match, I noticed that Knockout Party barely had any matches available. I created my own match and waited for people to join so I could play the game the way you’re supposed to play it. I had a blast playing Knockout Party! It really satisfying to whack your fellow players as well as fooling them with some of the in-game mechanics! Knockout Party barely has any controls at all and in that way the approach is very simple! You can jump and walk as well as faking your death using the “F” key. This is where the gameplay truly shined! When faking your death you will be turned into a ragdoll-like state in which makes the player throw themselves onto the ground. If used wisely, you can make great escapes through gaps if you use the momentum the right way! It is also a great way to hide under or behind certain things as well as pretending to be knocked down and as soon as they turn around, you’ll give them a lesson! Knockout Party looks okay for being a party game! I have seen better and worst looking party games throughout my time as someone who plays video games! The redeeming quality of this Knockout Party is after all the silly things you can do! I would love to give praise to the soundtrack of Knockout Party! I couldn’t stop jamming as I was playing because it was just too good! I would more than love to play Knockout Party again once I’ve got more friends to play it with! The more people there are, the better it’s gonna be! At the current state of the game, I find the waiting to be really boring. Considering that Knockout Party currently is in Early Access, I believe that the developers got some plans for the official release of the game! There really isn’t anything else to say other than that I really suggest picking up Knockout Party if you and your friends are looking for a fun and silly party game to enjoy together! I really do believe that anyone can pick up Knockout Party since the game really suits any age no matter how old or experienced you are. Basically, Knockout Party is a fun and hilarious party game that I highly suggest playing with your friends since finding a match online can be really difficult! Other than that, I really think that Knockout Party is a party game done right! System Requirements MINIMUM: OS: Windows 7 or higher Processor: Inter core i3 Memory: 4 GB RAM Graphics: 1GB Video RAM DirectX: Version 9.0 Storage: 5 GB available space RECOMMENDED: OS: Windows 7 or higher Processor: Intel core i5 Memory: 8 GB RAM Graphics: 2GB Video RAM DirectX: Version 9.0 Storage: 5 GB available space