Angel of Death

Corruption is one of the most complex social, political and economic phenomena which has affected all countries in the world. So to spread awareness regarding the issues and the role of convention in fighting it, we observe International Anti-Corruption Day every year on December 9.On 31st October 2003, the General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention against Corruption. The Assembly also designated 9th December as International Corruption Day, to raise awareness of corruption and the role of the convention in prevention it and it was only in 2005 that Convention came into force.As per UN statistics, every year USD 1 trillion is paid as bribes while an estimated USD 2.6 trillion are stolen annually through corruption which is a sum equivalent to more than 5 per cent of the global GDP. Not just this, as per the United Nations Development Programme, the funds lost to corruption in developing countries are estimated at 10 times the amount of their official development assistance.The United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) are at the forefront of these efforts. Governments, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, the media and citizens around the world are joining forces to fight this crime.The theme of the day is, ‘United Against Corruption’ which focuses on corruption as one of the biggest obstacles to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It will continue to support the 2030 Agenda, which forms the backbone of the campaign, not just this, the campaign will also have a youth component. Mobilising and empowering Youth For Justice is key for ensuring sustainable solutions to fight corruption.

There are a number of potential roadblocks to the UK government's plan to stop the sale of pure-petrol and diesel models by 2030 - but one seldom discussed is the lack of mechanics trained to work with EVs.Professor Jim Saker and Steve Nash, CEO and president respectively of the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), have today released an open letter claiming the country "urgently" needs a "concerted, ongoing workforce development strategy" to ensure the planned sales boom in electrified cars isn't met with a lack of people qualified to work on them."Right now only 5% of the technicians working in garages and dealerships are appropriately qualified to work on these [hybrid and electric] vehicles," says the letter. "This is the real context of the government's Green Plan. Unless we start to discuss these issues, that plan will be compromised."The IMI estimates there are currently between 13,000 and 20,000 technicians qualified to service and repair the approximately 380,000 plug-in electric or hybrid cars on UK roads. "Ramp up the numbers based on the government's Green Plan and the capacity is simply not there to support the transition the government wants," the letter continues.The Covid-19 pandemic has made matters worse, it is claimed. While 6500 certificates for working on electric vehicles were issued in 2019, that number was down by 85% throughout the second quarter of 2020 due to lockdown. The UK was forecast to need at least 75,000 EV-trained techicians to meet the number of hybrids and EVs expected to be sold in 2030."The automotive workforce is already behind in the skills required for these emerging technologies - through no fault of its own," the letter claims. "Embattled employers need support and incentives to get more of their technicians trained, and to reignite recruitment and apprenticeship plans."

The Princess Guide (PlayStation 4, Switch [reviewed]) Developer: Nippon Ichi Software Publisher: NIS America Released: March 26, 2019 (NA) March 29, 2019 (EU) MSRP: $39.99 One of the things I quite enjoy about Nippon Ichi Software is it's always willing to try new things. Each year, you can depend on the developer-cum-publisher to release one or two titles that are completely unique from everything else in its catalog. Sometimes, those games are a surprise success.Other times, they're like The Princess Guide. The Princess Guide casts players in the role of a seasoned warrior looking to step away from the battlefield and begin their life anew as a mentor. With books and various articles written about their exploits, the warrior is well known throughout the kingdoms and right away they get the opportunity to train four princesses from four different regions. There is the voracious Liliartie, the cruel Veronica, the humble Monomaria, and the spiritual Alpana, who I'm pretty sure is trying to start a cult. No matter which princess players choose, they'll actually get their hands on all four of them, as well as the mentor, as they work to complete quests and guide the girls through their individual storylines.Each girl also has her own individual fighting style. Monomaria is armed with a Gatling gun blade that damages foes near and far, Alpana zips across the screen striking down enemies with her twin daggers, Veronica casts spells from a distance, and Liliartie is quick with her axe. When you include the mentor and their sword, players will have five different fighting styles to become accustomed to and they're unique enough that I had to actually change my approach to each mission, depending on who I was controlling.While The Princess Guide has the look of an action RPG, the best way to approach this game is to treat it as if it's a shmup. There is no block or shield function available to players, and refreshing health is limited, so the best way to survive each mission is to avoid taking any damage at all. That can be difficult to do. Often times, the game will overwhelm the screen with enemies and it can be easy to lose track of your character, let alone see if a creature is about to attack. While every monster in the game has a "tell" of when it's about to strike, it's not always obvious and can be easy to miss.During each mission, as long as you're not playing as the mentor, you have the ability to praise or scold the princess you're controlling. Either choice will enact a change that could help lead you to victory. For instance, if she's low on health and you praise her, she'll regain a good chunk of her HP. If she's good on health but surrounded by baddies, scolding her might pump up her attack power to overcome the odds. It's an interesting system, but honestly, I just used the praise function whenever a princess was low on health. With items barred from use during missions and very few options to restore HP, I saw the system as more of a last-ditch effort to save my ass rather than how I believe the developer's pictured players using it. It's not just the princess health I have to worry about. During each mission, you'll also have limited action to a squad of up to six footsoldiers. As you progress in the game, you can recruit different soldiers to your team, but the default grunts for each princess are actually pretty decent. They have two attacks: a limited use special attack and a group rush attack that can make monsters woozy, allowing you to strike them down with your far more powerful princess. There are different soldier formations to mess around with, but honestly, this feature didn't get much use out of me. I primarily focused on using my soldiers to take over relics.Each mission map is littered with different relics players can commandeer. The one I was most thankful to see in every mission was the mana statue that refilled my squad's health. Most other relics are traps that can hurt you until you take them over, at which point you can control them to strike your enemies. It's a pretty clever gimmick and leading a squad of monsters to your thornbush that'll take them out is a real Pied Piper moment. My favorite memories from the game all involve me leading a group of enemy soldiers directly into the line of fire for a laser beam I have control of and watching as their bodies fly.The mentor and princesses also have their own special attack and I really like how this feature is implemented. Special attacks aren't restricted to individual characters, rather they're attached to the gear you acquire. Gear can be equipped to anyone, so for the longest time, I was just pairing each of my characters with the strongest equipment available. However, strong gear might not mean a strong special attack, and as you get further in the game, you may have to really think about which gear is most useful for the task at hand rather than which is the strongest in your arsenal. All of what I've mentioned above, I really like about this game. It's a unique take on the action RPG genre with a fun hook and a decent-for-NISA story. The problem is, the game all of this is attached to isn't very good. Some features, like the save system, are archaic, while others, such as the materia system, aren't explained all that well. The Princess Guide did crash on me once, losing about three hours of progress, and on more than one occasion, it said I had failed a mission even though I most certainly did not.One instance that stands out in my mind happened early in the campaign. I was tasked with protecting a building for a certain number of in-game hours. Right away, the building was attacked by monsters and I fended them off, winning the battle. The building was attacked by another group of monster and again I fended them off. I was told I was successful, and then promptly failed the mission. It didn't make a lick of sense.In addition to those random fails -- which I'll admit only happened to me three times during my playthrough -- the smaller and more repetitive issues really stuck in my craw the longer I played. There is an inconsistency on how much time at the end of each mission you get to collect any coins or chests lying around. Certain missions are unreliable when it comes to spawning enemies and I nearly failed one because it wasn't pumping out demons fast enough. The button that activates the group rush attack is the same button that takes over relics or uses one you're already in control of, leading to quite a few mishaps when I was completely surrounded by relics and enemies.The relics, for as good of an idea as they are, are poorly implemented. There is no rhyme or reason to their placement and The Princess Guide doesn't do a well enough job of spacing out those healing statues. For most of the game that isn't an issue, but the difficulty curve here is so haphazard, so unpredictable, that their poor distribution can really bite players in the ass. Most of the missions found here are an absolute breeze, but when I started hitting the late game content with its cruelly unforgiving difficulty, I really began to question the design decisions for this game. As I mentioned earlier, there are no items you can carry into missions, so you're at the mercy of what you can find in each map. It's not uncommon to go a great deal of time without healing up, and with groups of enemies attacking all at once, damage comes swiftly. Later enemies absolutely soak up your attacks and can be quite the nuisance. One late-game creature is just an egg that is tiny, hard to hit, and takes a lot of strikes to kill. Some mid-boss fights will absolutely decimate your footsoldier squad, and once a soldier is killed, you don't get them back until you withdraw from a mission back to home base.Some of the difficulty issues I encountered were able to be overcome with a few hours of grinding, but I don't think The Princess Guide is the type of game that should be pushing players to slowly level up their squads. There isn't much variety in the mission structure or enemy choice, so a lot of battles end up feeling like a rerun. Others are just straight-up repeats of encounters I fought moments before, down to the same dungeon layout, enemy choice, and placement of relics. And while I am encouraged to run through this game with each princess to get their individual endings, once through is honestly enough for me.The Princess Guide is a game I enjoy less and less the more I play it. There is a sound structure here and some really clever ideas, but the weight of all its small issues really burden what should a fun and frivolous experience.[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.] CPU: Info CPU SPEED: Dual Core CPU RAM: 4 GB OS: Microsoft Windows 7.1/8/8.1/10 VIDEO CARD: Graphics card with DX10 (shader model 4.0) capabilities PIXEL SHADER: 4.0 VERTEX SHADER: 4.0 FREE DISK SPACE: 3 GB

Turok: Escape from Lost Valley (PC) Developer: Pillow Pig Games Publisher: Universal Studios Interactive Entertainment Released: July 25, 2019 MSRP: $14.99 I'm not a fan of short intros where reviewers bluntly tell you to avoid a particular game. There are many different factors for why a title can end up so bad that you want to chug battery acid instead of playing it. Sometimes things don't come together as expected or a team lacks experience, which makes being overly harsh a pointless endeavor. Reviews should serve as a way to give feedback instead of venting your frustrations on the world.That being said, Turok: Escape from Lost Valley is likely to end up the worst game I review in my career as a critic. For all intents and purposes, avoid this at all costs. It is not worth the frustration it takes to see the ending for yourself. You're better off assuming the video game series ended in 2008 with that stupid rebooted game by Propaganda Games.If you must learn why I'm saying this, though, read on. In a refreshingly streamlined move, the title of Turok: Escape from Lost Valley tells you exactly what this game is about. Titular star Turok is looking to escape from the "Lost Valley." That's precisely all this game is about as there are very little cutscenes and dialogue boxes to clue you in to what is going on. Born from a contest that Universal held for smaller teams to do something with one of its IPs, this almost feels like the exact type of game you'd see spring up from a Game Jam session. It's light and to the point.In a bold move from the shooters that came before, Escape from Lost Valley is an isometric action game that has more in common with Bastion than anything Acclaim ever released. You have a basic melee attack, a ranged bow attack, a dodge roll, and the ability to jump/climb certain ledges. It's all simple and, on paper, should make for an easy game to pick up and chill out with. Even the level design is rarely taxing, progressing in a mostly linear fashion with slight deviations from the main path for upgrades.I also want to make note of the art style, which is another stark departure from what fans of the '90s games are used to. Turok, his friend Andar, and all of the enemies resemble Saturday morning cartoon characters instead of the dark, grisly interpretation that the shooters had. It's exceptionally cute, looks very sharp in HD, and is undoubtedly charming. It's also the best aspect of the game, giving a new look to an old classic that feels like a creative interpretation instead of just regurgitated nonsense. Sadly, that's about all the positives I can give for this game. Trailers and footage won't do Escape from Lost Valley justice, because it is probably the most broken and frustratingly slow game I've ever played. As is the problem with most isometric action titles, judging the distance between you and foes is a crapshoot. It doesn't help that Turok's basic melee attack seems to go three inches in front of him, but oftentimes you'll be behind an enemy and unable to gauge where you are on the screen. Couple that with the dodge roll that somehow leaves you open to attacks after use and each system never coalesces into more than a massive migraine.The actions are all simple and accomplished with basic button presses, but trying to execute them while hordes of foes are on top of you causes a lot of pain. The first level doesn't properly prepare you for how soul-crushingly difficult Escape from Lost Valley is, which is not something I was expecting from this art style. For the record, I'm fine with games being as difficult as the developers want them to be, but Escape from Lost Valley seems to have confused challenge with being plain unfair.If you remove how often you'll be dying to sloppy controls, poor visibility, and punishingly awful bosses, the levels in Turok: Escape from Lost Valley would probably take about 15 minutes each. There are only six in the game and it seems effort was spent on bumping up the difficulty instead of providing honest challenges for the player. I'll give credit to each area having a different theme and presenting unique foes to the player, but they all function the same way and are often thrown at you in overwhelming numbers instead of complementing each other. The best (worst?) example I can give comes from the third level. Your perpetually inept partner Andar – speaking of which, this game somehow does not feature co-op play – gets captured by "Monkey Men," so Turok has to fight them off to save him. While it starts off with only two enemies attacking you, the game increases that number twofold for five different waves of enemies. Their movement patterns are erratic and without repetition, so you have no idea where they'll be going. They sling vines at Turok that tie him up when they connect. Instead of letting the player smash buttons to get out of this trap, Turok sits there like a dumbass for a few seconds, which gives the enemies ample time to strike.Regardless of the difficulty you've selected, the enemies attack you for three hit points of your health bar. I don't think I need to tell you how irritating this becomes after a while. You can't predictively move to dodge these attacks, getting the enemies to even open themselves up takes forever, the stupid intro dialogue box appears every single time you restart, Turok's attack has such a limited range that you'll often miss and leave yourself open, the dodge roll is almost worthless since enemies can ignore it, the arrows are pointless as the enemies move too quickly…I know I'm rambling here, but the thoughts racing through my head and the words leaving my mouth during that moment nearly made me want to drop kick my door off the hinges.This doesn't let up for the entire game, either. As I said, instead of providing a healthy challenge to the player that requires skill to overcome, it seems Pillow Pig Games cranked up the "difficulty" to compensate for the obscenely short levels. Even knowing how to combat these threats doesn't make said moments any easier. The game is just unfair with how it taxes the player at any given turn. Worse still, it actively wastes your time in certain moments by having you repeat unskippable moments of dialogue or cutscenes. I could almost forgive some of this, but the true moment that took the cake for me was in the last level. To accurately describe the anguish I went through, I need to set the stage a little better. When I first started Turok: Escape from Lost Valley, I selected "Hard" because I was seriously not expecting much. The first boss destroyed me, so I falsely assumed that mode was balanced for co-op play. Co-op isn't an option (as stated above), so it's really meant for masochists. I dropped it down to "Medium" and was able to progress to the third level. I was promptly flattened by the third boss. Since I hate myself a little and really wanted to give everyone the best review possible, I restarted a second time, swallowed my pride, and put the game on "Easy."So after all of this, I managed to progress to the final level after four-and-a-half hours and came across a boss fight with two invisible lizards. You can see their tracks on the ground, thankfully, but they often popped up from behind me as I was aiming at what I thought was one of them. Andar, my ever-valuable friend, would peg me with an arrow and interrupt my attack. At that same moment, a lizard would spring up and bite me from behind while I was unable to move. Trying to dodge roll to escape more damage, I ran straight into the second lizard I couldn't see who bit me again and sapped my health to near half. Since the game wasn't done devouring my existence with that, the original lizard hit me a third time and left me with a single point of HP. Why not just kill my family, while you're at it?Did I ever finish the game? As a matter of fact, I did.After cursing up a blue streak, shutting the game off for the rest of the day, and punishing myself at the gym for a few hours the following morning, I managed to topple the bastards after five more attempts. I have no idea why I was so determined, but the deed is done. Shortly after, the final boss was in front of me and he was comparatively a joke. Turok: Escape from Lost Valley can't even keep its BS consistent. But really, the idea of this title isn't a bad one. I don't see why Turok can't be a cutesy action title having more in common with the comic line than the '90s shooters. I even really dig the art, which hurts me to write about how awful everything else is. I know this was made by two people and conceived from a contest, but this really is not an acceptable release.My only hope with writing this is that people honestly read the words I've put down. I really don't want anyone to take a quick glance at the score and go, "I knew it! My childhood is dead and these developers are jackasses!" I loved Turok as a kid and those games still exist as they were. I don't feel that Escape from Lost Valley is a betrayal of my youth or anything melodramatic. I mostly am just upset that this brilliantly adorable game turned out so shockingly poor.So unless you're in the mood to ruin your day and possibly take a few years off of your life, do yourself a favor and skip Turok: Escape from Lost Valley. Whatever the core concept was, it has not turned out well.[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.] CPU: Info CPU SPEED: Dual Core CPU RAM: 4 GB OS: Microsoft Windows 7.1/8/8.1/10 VIDEO CARD: Graphics card with DX10 (shader model 4.0) capabilities PIXEL SHADER: 4.0 VERTEX SHADER: 4.0 FREE DISK SPACE: 3 GB

The first case taken up by Facebook’s independent Oversight Board that will have immediate relevance to India revolves around a Hindi-English post that was taken down by the social media giant over concerns that it posed a threat to French President Emmanuel Macron.The board, often referred to by the media as a quasi Supreme Court, is an expert panel that will have the last word on what is acceptable speech on the digital platform. The body thus has the power to effectively overrule even content moderation decisions taken by CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other Facebook executives.This week, the recently constituted oversight board announced the first six cases it would take up for review. The first batch that was announced did not include incidents that were connected in any way to India, but a new case was added on Friday morning after one of the cases was dropped.The new case was referred to the board by Facebook itself and is described as such:“A user posted a photo in a Facebook group, depicting a man in leather armor holding a sheathed sword in his right hand. The photo has a text overlay in Hindi that discusses drawing a sword from its scabbard in response to “infidels” criticizing the prophet. The photo includes a logo with the words “Indian Muslims” in English. The accompanying text, also in English, includes hashtags calling President Emmanuel Macron of France “the devil” and calling for the boycott of French products.”According to the case description, this content was removed by Facebook on the grounds it violated its policy on ‘Violence and Incitement’.“In its referral, Facebook stated that it considered this case to be significant, because the content could convey a ‘veiled threat’ with a specific reference to an individual, President Macron. Facebook referred to heightened tensions in France at the time the user posted the content,” the Oversight Board noted.“Facebook further indicated that although its policies allow it to determine a potential threat of real-world violence and to balance that determination against the user’s ability to express their religious beliefs, it was difficult to draw the line in this case,” it added.

Kaal Bhairava Jayanti is one of the important festivals of Hindu culture that is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of Bhairav, a fearsome and wrathful manifestation of Lord Shiva who is associated with annihilation. Also known as 'Bhairava Ashtami' and 'Bhairava Jayanti', this festival is celebrated on the eighth Ashtami of Krishna paksha in the Hindu month of Kartik. This year, Kaal Bhairav Jayanti will be observed on December 7.Kaal Bhairav Jayanti 2020 Date, Time and Shubh Muhurat:The auspicious festival of Kaal Bhairav Jayanti will be celebrated on December 7 this year. The Ashtami will begin at 6.47 pm on December 7 and continue till 5.17 pm on December 8.What is the history and importance of Kaal Bhairav Jayanti?Kaal Bhairav Jayanti is observed in honour of Lord Shiva's manifestation Bhairava. As per the Hindu legends, Bhairava, who is also known as 'Dandapani', had cut one of Lord Brahma's five heads after Lord Shiva felt insulted by the remarks made by him. Therefore, devotees of Lord Shiva worship Bhairava on this day to seek his blessings.On Kaal Bhairav Jayanti, various rituals are performed by the devotees of Lord Shiva. They generally wake up early in the morning on this day and clean their houses. Hurting dogs is forbidden on this day and people do not sleep during the daytime. Some people also observe a fast on Kaal Bhairav Jayanti to seek his blessings. It is noteworthy to mention that Kaal Bhairav should only be worshipped along with Goddess Parvati.

They wave to each other, you know. Jeep Wrangler owners, that is. I didn’t know at first, but after a few months of remembering to wave back, I’ve got into it. US Wrangler fans refer to themselves as Jeepers. Like a Caterham or a motorcycle, the Wrangler is a recreational or hobby, not utility, vehicle. An off-road sports car, if you like.And it’s an enjoyable one. This Wrangler arrived in July in full hobbyist Rubicon specification, which means uprated axles, better off-roading angles and beefier tyres than lesser models in the Wrangler line-up. Those and a £50,000 price tag. It’s the purist’s choice, perhaps, although in the Wrangler’s home market, the US, loads of Jeeps are modified within a few weeks of being delivered, with lift kits and even more hardcore axles and bigger tyres, so a base starting point there would matter less.As standard off-roaders go, though, a Wrangler Rubicon is as tough as they come. Which was the point of us running one: to see if the original 4x4 is still the best car off road, and whether that compromises its on-road performance. Answers are: it’s there or thereabouts in the rough and bearable on road, at least for me. It arrived with 18,000 miles on and leaves with more than 25,000, so I’ve had plenty of opportunities to find out. In effect it came and went as a used car, but was serviced before its arrival so needed no attention and no oil – and not even AdBlue – while it was with us. So, sadly, I can’t tell you too much about the ownership experience.

Rights and Equality Sandwell has received £72,000 from the National Lottery for Project Shield.Three community liaison workers have been hired to help communicate Covid guidance with people from ethnic minorities.The workers go out into communities delivering leaflets and work with Sandwell Council, businesses and other organisations.See more coronavirus news hereTwo officers work with people from European backgrounds while one works with people from Asia.Between them, they speak12 languages.Asma Rhaza, the support worker for Asian people, said: "Our services are required more than ever. It is essential and vital especially during the pandemic and lockdown."People are scared, they are a bit sceptical. Are we going to go out? Should we not go out? If we have got problems, have we got anyone to contact?"That is where I think our role is crucial. It is just trying to get out there. In the pandemic, people are still confused."Before taking this role in October, I conducted a survey within the community I love in order to get a major understanding of how people are feeling."Especially the people who can't speak English and their first language is not English, how are they going to understand the message from the governing bodies."Hence the reason we are in place so if they have got issues we try and help them."

Knowing about your future can make your daily plans successful. Astrology offers us interesting and accurate insights about how our day will pass. They can also help us prepare for the day as the placement of our stars play a big role in what happens in our life and thus knowing the astrological predictions for the day becomes important. So read here to check out what’s in store for you today:Aries: Today will be a happy day for you. Your professional, as well as your personal life, will witness good news during the day. Your relationship with your spouse will also get better. Stay health-conscious.Taurus: You are expected to have a good day at your workplace. Professional life will get better. You are also expected to hear good news from your spouse. Avoid negativity to enjoy the day.Gemini: You can achieve the desired success in your profession with dedication and hard work today. With the help of a friend, difficult works can be completed. Do not sign any documents without having proper read.Cancer: Your reputation in your family will witness an increase today. Ongoing efforts in the field of livelihood will be successful. Help will be given from ruling administration. Do not leave any work incomplete today.Despite the mixed effect in the property, there is hope to benefit in the profession and economic matters today. Activeness has to be increased in the professional field. Do not ignore the feasibility in the schemes.Virgo: Today the time will be favourable for those doing business in partnership. There is also a possibility of change in the field. Do not be negligent in the use of vehicles etc. today.You can feel comfortable during the job. There will be mobility in income or wealth. A new contract can also be found. Do not take any decision in haste.Scorpio: Today it will be a happy day for you. A trip with friends and relatives are on the cards. Do not let your concentration be disturbed. You may also visit some religious place for seeking peace.Sagittarius: You can start work on new projects. There is a possibility of the desired improvement in income. Today guests can arrive at home. Do not use strong language in dialogue.Capricorn: It will be a good time for lovers. Efforts will have to be accelerated to improve the professional life. Do not invest in shares etc. today.Aquarius: You will find the solution to your problems related to property. Religious feelings will increase. You will also get interested in yoga. Do not be part of any kind of debate today.Pisces: The hurdles in your professional field will automatically go away. There is a possibility of a job transfer. The economic situation will improve. Do not argue with your seniors today.

Italian coachbuilder Zagato is marking its centenary with the unveiling of the V12 Zagato Heritage Twins - an exclusive pair of rebodied Aston Martin models of which just 19 sets will be made.Based on the previous-generation Vantage V12 S, the Twins will be built by Warwick-based bespoke manufacturer R-Reforged, known for producing the limited-run Vanquish 25 for ex-Aston designer Ian Callum's new independent design consultancy.Each pair, costing £1.75 million, comprises a Coupé and a Speedster variant, both with carbonfibre bodyshells and heavily reworked design from front to rear over Aston's original. The Coupé is largely familiar, having first appeared in 2011, but today's unveiling marks the Speedster's debut.Active aero functionality is one of several new additions for the duo from R-Reforged, which claims to have introduced more than 500 tweaks. It is said to "transform the cars' balance", with minimal impact on the overall design. Visual changes include a reshaped front splitter and new front wing designs, but the Coupé's distinctive double-bubble roof and protruding rear lights remain. The Speedster, meanwhile - as the name suggests - swaps the hard-top for an open-roof design that brings prominent buttresses along the rear deck and a longer, sleeker windscreen.The changes go under the skin, too: the Vantage's 5.9-litre 12-cylinder motor has been boosted from 525bhp to 600bhp by way of modifications such as aluminium air intakes and a new titanium exhaust system.Performance details remain under wraps, but with the power boost - and a likely substantial weight drop courtesy of the lightened body - both are likely to improve on the standard Vantage's 3.9sec 0-62mph time and 205mph top speed.In addition to the power hike, the Twins also sit 10mm closer to the ground than the standard Vantage, have a 20mm wider track and sport new 19in centre-locking forged wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres.Inside, the premium Bridge of Weir leather upholstery can be specified in an "almost infinite range of colours, bespoke patterns and textures" and unique details, including a colour-coded horn button, are evidence, said R-Reforged, of its "forensic approach" to creating the cars.Each car is said to take 12 of R-Reforged's workers 16 weeks to assemble in a process that starts with stripping down the base car, refreshing all worn components and rebuilding with the new body. A new optional 'visual carbon' paint finish adds 400 hours to the build time.

Bakugan: Champions of Vestroia (Switch) Developer: WayForward Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Released: November 3, 2020 MSRP: $59.99 For this review, I went a little above and beyond. I did some training. Training with Bakugan toys: to really get into the vibe of this new Switch game.Seriously! Ahead of the review period, the publisher sent me a box of Bakugan balls and an arena. How could I not try it?! My wife and I spent round after round battling it out together, chucking these things into a ring and comparing stats. I can see the appeal.Unfortunately, the Switch iteration doesn't quite capture most of the fun of the physical game. In real life, the aim is to roll Bakugan and best your opponent by either opening while their toy remains closed, or beat them via higher base stats for your chosen creature plus whatever modifiers you earn in the arena. There are multiple rulesets and variations, but that's one of the most common ones. Various games have attempted to adapt this formula over the years, and Champions of Vestroia is the latest. I love that I get to talk about Bakugan in a review: this is a bucket-list moment.It's important to note that Champions of Vestroia, like many Bakugan works before it, is very much aimed at kids. All of the protagonists are kids (and much more child-like than say, Nate, of Yo-Kai Watch fame, or even Red/Ash in Pokemon). They all watch the po[CENSORED]r platform "ViewTube" that tells them how cool Bakugan creatures are. I n this world, Bakugan kind of just...exist already and are part of society.You know it's just a normal kind of day: kids creating giant energy barriers to protect the environment from the devastation of huge kaiju fighting each other for sport. Vestroia is not a great introduction if you're coming in cold, but for fans, it cuts right to the chase. Don't ask too many questions about why Bakugan are legally able to brawl whenever they want. That's just the way it is. The setup is a lot like Yo-Kai Watch, one of my favorite new RPG worlds in recent years. And of course, the granddaddy of creature games: Pokemon. But this time you're in the shoes of a custom protagonist, which doesn't allow for a whole lot of leeway in terms of a personal journey. As a blank slate, you'll acquire your first Bakugan in the first five minutes of the game, as you speed toward a very relaxed narrative amid a collective of sidequests.It's a very straightforward RPG. The San Barbaras Hub has a clear map, with annoying 10- to 15-second load times between zones. At first you're going to be doing a lot of quests like helping your classmates turn in homework or picking up soccer balls on a field. It's a bit aimless, but relaxed. You hang out with your friends and muse about Bakugan. That might actually be how you spend your Saturdays and this could be extremely relatable stuff here: I don't judge.To battle, you'll walk around the arena as your avatar (next to giant hulking monsters) and grab flashing "Bakucores" on the ground while you boss your creature around. The idea is that you're acquiring energy with these cores to boost your abilities and lighten their cooldowns, but as a twist, you can strategically try and steal them from your opponent. While some of the cannon-fodder battles are very rote as winning is an inevitability, the idea itself is sound as there's some form of tactical nuance in controlling a human and a monster simultaneously. From there, you have to start delineating between the different types (elements) of Bakugan, which counter each other. You'll also start customizing their abilities as you acquire more, with a variety of different concepts like healing, buffs, debuffs, straight damage, or piercing damage, which cuts through shields. You pick up new party members at a decent pace, so swapping them around and setting their loadouts is painless and fun.The actual fights are kind of cool too. The creature animations in particular can look fairly detailed, adding to the vivid feel of combat and the sense of scale. But combat isn't all that deep even as the game progresses. The "active time" style of play is still very slow, and the campaign doesn't throw enough curveballs at you to warrant a drastic change-up in terms of how you approach battles. That said, there's also an online battle component, but we weren't able to cover it for this review (which we re-iterate below).For all its shortcomings, I wouldn't mind seeing WayForward get another crack at this series with a more concerted effort to bring in non-fans, with more depth. Bakugan is a world worth exploring. For now, you may want to stick with the physical game.[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher. It covers the single-player portion of the game.] CPU: Info CPU SPEED: Dual Core CPU RAM: 4 GB OS: Microsoft Windows 7.1/8/8.1/10 VIDEO CARD: Graphics card with DX10 (shader model 4.0) capabilities PIXEL SHADER: 4.0 VERTEX SHADER: 4.0 FREE DISK SPACE: 3 GB

For every supercar brand that has succeeded there have been plenty that have fallen by the wayside…When you're spending a lot of money on a top-end car you expect it to have some pedigree; branding count for a lot when buying most cars, but where supercars are concerned it's nothing less than crucial.In the past few decades very few new brands have emerged in the supercar arena and survived for any length of time – but dozens have come and gone having failed to make their mark. These are just some of thoseFor every supercar brand that has succeeded there have been plenty that have fallen by the wayside…When you're spending a lot of money on a top-end car you expect it to have some pedigree; branding count for a lot when buying most cars, but where supercars are concerned it's nothing less than crucial.In the past few decades very few new brands have emerged in the supercar arena and survived for any length of time – but dozens have come and gone having failed to make their mark. These are just some of those

Dhanteras is one of the most auspicious festivals celebrated across the length and breadth of the country. The name Dhanteras is formed of two words Dhan -- which means money -- and Teras -- which means thirteenth. The festival is celebrated on the thirteenth day of Krishna Paksha in the Vikram Samvat Hindu calendar month of Kartik. This year, the festival on wealth, Dhanteras, will be celebrated from November 12 in the evening till November 13. So as you celebrate 'Dhanatrayodashi' or 'Dhanteras', here are some wishes, messages, quotes and greetings to share on this auspicious day:1. God’s blessing may come as a surprise and how much you receive depends on how much your heart can believe. May you be blessed beyond what you expect. Happy Dhanteras!2. On the auspicious day of Dhantrayodashi, here's wishing you good health and wealth in abundance.3. On this auspicious festival, may your life: Shimmer with Silver; Shine with Gold; And dazzle like Platinum! Happy Dhanteras!4. Iss Dhanteras kush kash ho, Dilo mein khusiyan, Ghar mein sukh ka vaas ho, Har moti pe aapka taj ho Mite duriya, sab aapke pas ho Yeh Dhanteras aapka khas ho!5. Dear Goddess Lakshmi! Bless the recipient of this message with thirteen times Dhan on Dhanteras. Happy Dhanteras!Dhanteras 2020 Greetings1. May this Dhanteras Light up new dreams, fresh hopes, undiscovered avenues, different perspectives, everything bright & beautiful and fill your days with pleasant surprises and moments. Happy Dhanteras to you and your family.2. Dhanteras d=dhan, h=health, a=anand, n=nature, t=talent, e=enjoyment, r=romance, a=aitbar, s=subhagya so HAPPY dhanteras3. Dinodin badhta jaye apka karobar, Pariwar me bana rahe sneh aur pyar, Hoti rahe sada apar dhan ki bochar, Aisa ho apka DHANTERAS ka tyohar.4. Dear Goddess Lakshmi Bless the recipient of this message with thirteen times wealth on this Dhanteras. Happy Dhanteras!5. This Dhanteras, I wish a very long and healthy life to you. May you grow wealthier and may you live a blissful life. Stay blessed and keep smiling—happy Dhanteras to you and your loved ones.Dhanteras WhatsApp and Facebook Messages1. Aaj se aap ke yahan dhan ki barsat ho, Maa Laxmi ka niwas ho, Sankat ka nash ho, Sar pe unnati ka taj ho. Happy Dhanteras.2. May this Dhanteras Light up new dreams, fresh hopes, undiscovered avenues, and different perspectives, everything bright & beautiful and fill your days with pleasant surprises and moments. Happy Dhanteras to you and your family.3. May the auspicious occasion of Dhanteras bring along the happiness and health in your life…. Wishing you a warm and wonderful Dhanteras.”4. May the auspicious day of Dhantrayodhashi bring you all the goodness in the world. May you be showered with healthy, wealthy and happy life forever — happy Dhanteras to you.May Devi Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth shower you with the riches,May Lord Kubera treasure your hard-earned and well-deserved earnings,And may Lord Dhanvantri bless you with good health.5. May you be showered with the choicest blessings of Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Dhanvantari and Lord Kubera. A very Happy Dhanteras to you and everyone in your family.

Residents of the city of approximately 200,000 people first reported hearing gunshots at around midnight.Military police reported that a fire had been set in a tunnel on the main road leading to the city, presumably to prevent the security forces from sending reinforcements to the town. The police headquarters also came under attack. In other parts of the city, at least six people were used as "human shields" by the armed men, who forced them to sit on a pedestrian crossing to block the road.Residents posted images on social media of what they described as snipers on rooftops.Mayor Salvaro told radio station Radio Gaúcha that the "bandits" had made their getaway in a convoy of cars.Footage posted on social media shows a convoy of black cars leaving the town centre in an orderly fashion.The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.Local media have described the raid as part of a phenomenon they call "New Cangaço", which references a term used to describe the banditry that plagued parts of Brazil in the 1920s and 1930s.Small and medium-sized cities have been the preferred targets for this new type of banditry.In 2019, there were 21 bank robberies in the state of São Paulo alone, according to official figures. In the first half of 2020, there had already been 14.robberies started five years ago. The targets are banks and firms which store and transport valuables.Dozens of criminals take part in a single raid and many of them are heavily armed with machine guns and sometimes even explosives.While most of the raids have been carried out in Brazil, there has been at least one instance where a Brazilian gang carried out a spectacular robbery in neighbouring Paraguay.

Hotel Sowls (PC, Switch [reviewed]) Developer: Studio Sott Publisher: CFK Co., Ltd. Released: December 31, 2019 (PC), July 30, 2020 (Switch) MSRP: $4.99 (PC), $7.99 (Switch) I am, admittedly, a sucker for unique art styles. Sure, I enjoy lush graphics, beautiful pixel art, or stylish cel-shading, but they don’t grab my attention in the same way as something that forges a path in a different direction. I get excited around the styles that Bernband, Burrito Galaxy, or even the simple papercraft worlds of Brendan Chung’s Citizen Abel games pull off. Heck, I’ll admit to being fascinated by Paper Mario.That’s what drew me into Hotel Sowls. I was instantly charmed by its blobby, lo-fi art style. It’s something I haven’t really seen before in a video game. It seems to wear its personality on its sleeve. That’s only the start, though. Now it’s time to get it up on the autopsy table, peel back its skin, and see if there’s any of that personality seeped into the meat itself. The narrative to Hotel Sowls is as simple as it is weird. You play as a misshapen pharmacologist in a bowler’s cap who spends all their life savings on obtaining a mysterious stone. They have dreams of researching it and developing a new medicine that will win them the Nobal Prize. However, they make the mistake of staying at a nearby hotel, and after waking up the next morning (with a hangover, in my case), they discover their stone has gone missing.The difficulty is that they only have five days to stay in the hotel, but don’t let the pressure get to you — time only advances as the story progresses. You’re left with no clues as to who did it, so it’s up to you to question the staff and uncover the mystery of who broke into your room and stole the precious stone. At its core, Hotel Sowls is an adventure game. You can even drop it into the point-and-click subcategory, because on the console version, interaction is done via a cursor. I kind of hate it. Just give me an action button. I generally left the cursor hovering over my dude and just used it for that purpose anyway. To make matters worse, during my playthrough, the cursor got stuck in its action state, so I couldn’t even use it to tell what items were interactive. I’m getting off track here.You’re generally left up to your own devices as you explore the hotel’s six floors and collect clues about where you’re supposed to head next.This can get a bit obtuse. I was able to reach the “true” ending without using any sort of external guidance, but there were times where I wound up walking in circles until I typically discovered something to suck into my inventory that I overlooked because everything blends into the background. Your character will tell you what you should be focusing on, your journal keeps clear notes most of the time, but no one is going to tell you where to meet “IT,” or that the bottle on the table can be picked up. You’re on your own there. Even though the hotel is presented as one big puzzle and it proudly displays that there are multiple endings to find, you’re not given free agency to solve the mystery. Hotel Sowls is almost entirely linear. By questioning staff, interacting with the environment, and picking up items, you're really just seeking flags that will allow you to continue to the next portion of the game. It’s very mechanical in this way.The multiple endings are a cute treat, but you’re not going to organically reach one or the other based on the choices you make. Rather, it’s more down to which one you choose to trigger. There are some inventive ones, and finding them all takes some thinking outside the box, but like much of the game, it’s very mechanical. As for the plot, it too unfortunately suffers from a lack of spark. It’s presented in a charming fashion with stilted dialogue, weird characters, and even the makings of an unsettling backstory. But when it comes to cashing in on all of these otherwise tantalizing facets, Hotel Sowls falls short.The characters, as weird as they appear, are a little dry underneath. Many of them just seem to be harboring a subtle hostility towards you and each of them is a part of a dark secret, but almost every one of them is interchangeable. The chef is committed to nutrition, the bartender is obsessed with lemonade, the security guard is shirking their duty out of world-weariness; but that’s about as deep as they go. Their entire person can be summed up in a short journal entry.So when it came time to start having feelings about them, I had nothing to muster. Any emotional payoff that the game’s story might have had was completely lost. There are certainly parts of a good story, but it’s not explored well enough to really have an impact. That’s not to say Hotel Sowls isn’t a serviceable game, it’s just that there isn’t much to grip you beneath its unique aesthetic. The art style, the atmosphere, and even the music are all very much on point. It’s easy to get sucked in by what it displays on the surface.However, beneath the veneer, there isn’t much that makes Hotel Sowls shine. The plot, the characters, and the gameplay are all wax-paper thin. The game ticks away mechanically under its inspired art style. I’m actually taken aback by how soulless Hotel Sowls really turned out to be. I guess it just goes to show that you can’t judge a hotel by its chandelier.[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.] CPU: Info CPU SPEED: Dual Core CPU RAM: 4 GB OS: Microsoft Windows 7.1/8/8.1/10 VIDEO CARD: Graphics card with DX10 (shader model 4.0) capabilities PIXEL SHADER: 4.0 VERTEX SHADER: 4.0 FREE DISK SPACE: 3 GB

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Super Mario 3D All-Stars (Switch) Developer: Nintendo Publisher: Nintendo Released: September 18, 2020 (Vaulted on March 31, 2021) MSRP: $59.99 We all have our favorite Mario game.Maybe it's a classic entry you played during your childhood. Maybe it's a newer one that blew you away. Me? It's kind of a mix of both, as Super Mario World still rules the 2D roost as far as I'm concerned, but Mario Galaxy 2 and 3D World definitely fit into that latter category.I'm sure everyone is going to have opinions on which Mario is "best" to include in a Super Mario 3D All-Stars compilation, but the ones Nintendo actually gave us are a decent selection. Because I know a lot of people are going to want the technical rundown quickly, here it is:Mario 64 runs at 720p in both handheld and docked modeMario Sunshine is 720p handheld and 1080p docked (and it's widescreen now)Mario Galaxy is 720p handheld and 1080p dockedIf that's not good enough for you, you can close this window now. If you're still here, it's time to dig into the games. Raise your hand if you've finished Mario 64 more times than you can count: I thought so.Say what you will about it "looking and playing like an outdated relic," but Mario 64 still holds up for me. The incredibly enticing hub castle is still a masterpiece in design, as is the open-ended nature of the game and the devilish machinations of hidden stars. The presentation of Mario 64 in this package is somewhat disappointing, but the game isn't.Mario 64's sandbox puzzle approach is brilliant. If you hate a mission parameter or even a full level, you can just leave. As a kid, there were entire portions of the castle that I didn't explore fully until I made the push to acquire all 120 stars. The fact that the hub is actually a level (and isn't so labyrinthine that it starts to become a chore to navigate) still blows my mind.The controls translate well to the Switch (as they did on the DS), and naturally, the camera can take some getting used to if you didn't grow up with the original. It's very fun to play in handheld mode, but as a note, this is "Super Mario 64," not the DS version with extra content. There isn't a whole lot more to say about this one. It's a classic, but the 3D All-Stars version isn't going to wholly convert anyone. Look, I've played Sunshine more than enough to make a judgment call on it (I even had a Sunshine speedrunning competition with a friend of mine with side-by-side TVs!), and I know I'm wading into dangerous territory here, but it's still incredibly polarizing.Foundationally, Sunshine is a 3D mascot platformer with a water jetpack strapped to Mario. I'm just going to get into it: the problem lies with the FLUDD system. Depending on who you talk to, having to micromanage the FLUDD is either strategically engaging or tedious. I’m somewhere in the middle. Aiming it can be a chore and the gimmick can feel very tired halfway in as the game tries to come up with more tricks to constantly refill your water meter without trivializing many of its puzzles or battles. Although there are lots of clever ways the game eases you into these situations, for me, the best levels are FLUDD-less, full stop.There are some really interesting and abstract designs in these side levels, years before Mario Galaxy was a twinkle in someone's eye. The FLUDD isn't a constant problem either; it just crops up every now and then and becomes a thorn in your side. The tropical setting of Isle Delfino is also starkly unique, a few levels are legitimately taxing, and the stakes feel a little higher overall. As far as the All-Stars version goes, Sunshine's resolution is better than Mario 64 while docked, and GameCube-era visuals still look great to me, minus some washed-out colors every now and then.I revisit Sunshine around once a generation and appreciate it slightly more each time — even if it is still near the bottom of my 3D Mario power rankings. Hey, guess what you all? I did it! I made a definitive ruling on Mario Sunshine. I'm sure this won't be debated for another 18 years. Mario Galaxy on the other hand...one of the most disparaging things people say about it is "sure, but it's no Mario Galaxy 2." And hey, not many games could measure up to that masterpiece of a sequel! But Galaxy 1 still stands on its own, especially now that more control options are available.Most notably, you can play the entire thing in handheld mode, as Nintendo opted to sub in touch screen functionality for the Wii's IR pointer. If you're playing docked or in tabletop mode, Nintendo requires motion controls — but the Pro Controller's Y button can double as waggling for Mario's spinning mechanic (you'll also need an extra Joy-Con for the passive co-op mode). Speaking of the Pro Controller, the game is fully playable with it. Menu selection and star bit shooting are done through motion-control aiming. Easy enough.As far as the bones go, this is the game in the trio I’ve played the least, but I really enjoyed discovering it all over again. The level design is a bit uneven in that some feel appropriately epic on a galactic scale, and a few have a copy-and-pasted feel to them like you're going through the motions until you're wowed again — a pacing problem the sequel addressed. But Galaxy can suck you in if you let it, especially if you're isolated from the ability to play Galaxy 2, this collection's big omission.Mario Galaxy also has a fair bit of worldbuilding (including a brutal intro where Bowser's forces completely wreck the Mushroom Kingdom), but it's a lot more digestible and adorable, as the galactic motif is extremely zen-like. The introduction of Rosalina also assists in helping Galaxy craft its own world, without the reliance on nostalgia. It plays very smoothly and still looks great to this day (shots fired: the two Galaxy games look better than some current-gen games). It deserves to be in this collection. As far as 3D All-Stars' extras go, you're basically getting a music player for all three games (that can be used while the Switch is in portable mode like a little iPod) and that's about it. The menus are eloquently framed like a museum of sorts, but once you read the flavor text and flip through the available music tracks, you're done. The games are the core of this release.Super Mario 3D All-Stars, as barebones as it might be as a compilation, is a great way to experience (or re-experience) these games all over again. It was a joy running through all three of them even if they weren't strictly upgraded. That goes double for Mario Galaxy, as this is going to be my preferred way to play it from now on.[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.] CPU: Info CPU SPEED: Dual Core CPU RAM: 4 GB OS: Microsoft Windows 7.1/8/8.1/10 VIDEO CARD: Graphics card with DX10 (shader model 4.0) capabilities PIXEL SHADER: 4.0 VERTEX SHADER: 4.0 FREE DISK SPACE: 3 GB

New owners, new leaders, new product plans: in a year that has come with upheaval as standard, Aston Martin can perhaps uniquely consider the coronavirus as just another hurdle to overcome.But for all the sense that the change (most notably its closer tie-up with Mercedes-Benz) might do Aston good in the long run, it’s hard not to ponder whether the need to survive has impacted on its ability to thrive.Cast your mind back three years and you might recall chief designer Marek Reichman’s hugely swaggering assertion that Rolls-Royce and Bentley were the equivalent of “Ancient Greece” as he uncovered the first of two Lagonda concepts, electric-powered and built around sustainable materials.A well-to-do rumpus ensued, as Rolls-Royce boss Torsten Müller-Ötvös fired back that Reichman had “zero clue what’s going on in the upper, upper segment”, pointing out that Aston sold cars to buyers several strata below its wealthy clientele.Now the Lagonda concepts are on ice. It seems a perfectly logical decision; Aston faces enough challenges without having to invest huge amounts of resource in developing an all-new range of cars in a hurry.Yet – theoretical though it may be, given executive chairman Lawrence Stroll’s lifelong belief in the value of promoting brands in Formula 1 and current emotional investment in his son Lance’s career in the sport – you have to ponder whether it might have been worth the gamble of pouring the money heading the way of the soon to be rebranded Racing Point F1 team into accelerating these electric ambitions instead.Some will argue that the hundreds of millions an F1 team costs wouldn’t get you far down the road to launching a new electric car platform, but that equation has surely changed with Mercedes’ co-ownership. Marketing via F1 has never been clear-cut, whereas the returns on EV leadership are there, if not on the bottom line then certainly on the share price. Market valuations aren’t everything, but the stratospheric rises in the worth of BYD, Nio and Tesla in 2020 must surely have given Aston’s investors pause for thought (or tears).Already you can sense the opportunity to lead is slipping away. Rival or not, Rolls-Royce is making noise about electrification and sustainable materials, while Bentley is so far ahead on these fronts that it threatens to leave everyone behind.The tipping point won’t come until the first wave of cars are released, of course, and Aston may yet still be there. But right now, it appears to be focused on a different race altogether.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — In a bare room, students seated on the floor recite the alphabet. But these are not children. The students are refugee women in Malaysia, some in their late 50s, who for the first time are learning how to read and write, both in Malay and English.The weekly classes in a dingy neighborhood outside Kuala Lumpur are offered by the Women for Refugees group, which was formed in September by two law students to help illiterate migrant women integrate into the local community and empower them to be more than just passive wives.“I don’t know even know my ABCs, but now I am learning,” Zaleha Abdul, 54, a Muslim Rohingya refugee, said as she struggled to remember the alphabet during a class last month. She said she wants to be more independent when going shopping or anywhere else.Like Zaleha, many refugee women in Malaysia have picked up the local tongue, but without knowing how to read or write, they are mostly confined to familiar surroundings.Arissa Jemaima Ikram Ismail, 23, was a volunteer with a relief agency when a refugee leader in the town of Selayang, which is home to many migrant workers, requested help to uplift women in his community.She and fellow law student Davina Devarajan, 25, then met some of the women and were surprised that they wanted to learn the English and Malay languages. For most refugee women, education is often viewed as a low priority, Arissa said.The duo then formed Women for Refugees and recruited teachers via Instagram. They now have about 20 volunteers, giving weekly two-hour literacy classes in English and Malay in a rundown two-story block that houses some 50 families.“It was very essential for us to not pitch the refugee women as a charity, where they are constantly requiring external aid,” Arissa said. “We want to equip them with the necessary skills so that they can sustain themselves ... and contribute back to the community.”The free classes are open to all migrant women, although currently the students are all from Myanmar and Indonesia.Over a dozen women, ranging in age from 18 to 50, initially attended, but they brought along their children, which proved to be disruptive. The group then launched classes for the children in a separate room so that their mothers could study in peace.In the long run, Davina said they hope to expand classes in other neighborhoods and include technical skills that could help the women earn an income.All classes have, however, been halted since mid-October in tandem with restrictions put in place in Kuala Lumpur and surrounding areas to curb a fresh surge in coronavirus cases. The restrictions were expanded to most of the country this month, and all schools nationwide were shut until the end of the year.Arissa said teaching still goes on with pre-recorded lessons that are viewed on three shared laptops in the migrants’ living quarters, and that live classes were also being conducted once a week for older migrant children.She said that as the coronavirus subsides, she would “love to integrate more volunteers ... to actually come and teach them and have this very community-based integration between” the women and the locals, many of whom view migrants as a burden on the country’s resources and healthcare system.Arissa’s group is not the first to offer literacy courses for refugees in Malaysia, but one of only a few to focus on women. Some 178,000 refugees and asylum seekers in the country are registered with the United Nations High Commission of Refugees, and many pockets of the refugee community are left out in terms of educational opportunities.When The Associated Press visited in October before the classes stopped, Shahidah Salamatulah, 38, was among three women learning how they would communicate in English if they had to seek treatment at a medical clinic. The women broke into giggles at the antics of their Algerian volunteer teacher.Shahidah, a Muslim from Myanmar and a mother of two, said she was preparing for a new life abroad. She was called for interviews three times last year by the UNHCR on possible resettlement to a third country, but there has been no news amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Being a military kid involves a lot of change.So far I've lived in two countries - the UK and the US - and five states: Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Texas and Virginia.Because my dad is in the Navy I've moved house 10 times to live on many different military bases.I've attended 11 different schools and there've been times when I've gone to two or three different schools in one year.It's been difficult. I'm always having to start over and meet new people.I'm always the new kid no matter where I am.There have been a lot of times where it's felt very lonely. In particular, my freshman year of high school was a really hard time emotionally. I cried a lot. I felt very disconnected.I've learned that it takes a lot of commitment to make and keep friends.And always being on the move has taught me how to put in the effort to keep in touch with people.My best friend from kindergarten is still my best friend today, even though I haven't lived near her in years. Another big lesson I've learned is acknowledging just how important kindness is, especially because I meet so many new people all the time.Truly, I don't think people realise it but being kind is the most simple way to become acquainted with new people.I rely a lot on technology, too. I got an email account when I was about eight years old to keep in touch with my friends.I started using YouTube when I was about 10 or 11 because I found that documenting my life, because I'm always moving, was another good way to hold on to memories with different friends.I don't think I could have kept in touch with everyone without technology and social media.While it's hard at times, it's also a really interesting life. It's very cool to experience so many new places.I appreciate having gotten the opportunity to experience how other people live. I feel like it's helped raise me.I love being able to travel back to the places I've lived and know there are people there who care about me.It's incredible to see how connections and friendships can stretch across a whole country.For a kid, military bases are fun because they're like their own little world.A lot of them have bowling alleys, movie theaters, commissaries, pools and youth centres. Some even have abandoned bunkers to explore. But you'll find sometimes, when you live on a base, that you can end up staying there without leaving for weeks at a time.You can definitely feel very trapped.And on military bases, all the houses look exactly the same. It can feel like a very fake world to live in.It's hard, too, because while you're closed off from the outside world, the outside world can't come to you either. When I wanted to hang out with friends, they couldn't just stop by for a visit.Both my parents are very accepting and laid back. It never felt like I was growing up in a tough military household.But I've had a lot of friends who say it's expected of them that they have to join the military because they have generations above them that were a part of it.I'm also very grateful because my dad has never been deployed to a war zone.But I have other family members in the army who have gone off to war. They struggle with things like PTSD.Growing up as a military child, I think I became desensitised to so much of what I was seeing.In military schools we'd make Christmas cards for soldiers who were away on the front lines, for example.I didn't really acknowledge it because I was so used to seeing it but I've been surrounded by war my whole life.It just seems so normal to me now because it's been a part of my life forever.

Whether it’s from a friend, a colleague, or a psoriasis support group member, you may frequently hear about a natural or complementary psoriasis treatment and be tempted to try it. These do-it-yourself remedies, when used alongside your traditional psoriasis treatment, may offer temporary relief from some psoriasis symptoms, which can range from itchy, flaky skin associated with mild to moderate forms of psoriasis to the irritation that occurs when you have a more severe form of the disease.The fact is, however, that there's little scientific evidence to suggest that psoriasis home remedies work, says Stefan C. Weiss, MD, a dermatologist at the Weiss Skin Institute in Boca Raton, Florida. Still, you may find at least temporary relief by following some of these suggestions — and, as Dr. Weiss points out, it won't hurt to try. Just be sure to consult with your doctor first.Potential home remedies may include modifications to your diet — such as drinking more water and consuming fresh fruits and vegetables — that are good for your general well-being, along with improving your psoriasis and relieving some of its symptoms.Many people believe that activities such as yoga can relieve psoriasis flares and pain by reducing stress, which is known to trigger symptoms. “It’s impossible to avoid all stress in our lives,” says Colby Evans, MD, a dermatologist in Austin, Texas, and a member of the board of trustees of the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF)But stress-management techniques — whether it’s prioritizing daily tasks, getting enough sleep, or connecting with support groups — can relieve a lot of those psoriasis-triggering feelings. People also believe that Dead Sea salt baths can alleviate the itching and burning associated with psoriasis.Then there are spices and supplements that may provide anti-psoriasis benefits. Despite the lack of scientific evidence, psoriasis patients have reported some success with healthy oils like those found in avocado, coconut, fish, and flaxseed. Tea tree oil can relieve symptoms of scalp psoriasis when used in specially formulated shampoos. Besides its dietary benefits, olive oil can be applied to the scalp and hair, and it can help loosen skin flakes associated with psoriasis. Apple cider vinegar may also help relieve the itch associated with scalp psoriasis.Whatever the home remedy, it’s important that you discuss treatment options with your healthcare providers. Do-it-yourself therapies should not be used as a replacement for your prescribed medications and treatments, but they may be helpful additions to your overall psoriasis management regimen. Check out these ideas for treatments that you can talk to your doctor about.

MONTREAL -- The total number of positive COVID-19 cases in Quebec reached a new milestone Sunday as the province surpassed 140,000 confirmed cases.Quebec reported 1,395 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours bringing the total number of cases to 141,038 since the start of the pandemic.During the same period, four people died due to the disease in addition to eight who died between Nov. 22 and Nov. 27. The 12 new deaths bring that total to 7,033 in the province.The seven-day average rate of new daily cases is now 1,285.The Quebec Institute of Public Health is reporting 11,991 active cases in the province, and that 1,108 more people have recovered from the disease bringing that total to 122,014.Complete coverage at CTVNews.ca/coronavirusCoronavirus newsletter sign-up: Get The COVID-19 Brief sent to your inboxThe number of hospitalizations in the province decreased by 13, and there are now 665 people receiving treatment in the province's hospitals. Of those, 92 people are in the intensive care ward, one fewer than on Saturday.Health-care professionals analyzed 24,450 samples Nov. 27. (Quebec releases its testing data from two days prior to its daily updates).REGIONAL DATAMontreal reported over 400 new cases for a second straight day with 437 new cases (50,756 total).Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean's total cases surpassed 5,000 Sunday with 104 new cases for a total of 5.092.Other regions with triple-digit increases were Quebec City with 167 new cases (11,616 total), Monteregie with 137 new cases (19,937 total), and Laval with 120 new cases (11,368 total).Three deaths were reported in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (125 total) and Montreal (3,621 total); two in Chaudiere-Appalaches (132 total); and one death was reported in Bas-Saint-Laurent (19 total), Quebec City (434 total), Lanaudiere (325 total) and Monteregie (861 total).ACROSS CANADAAs of 11 a.m. Sunday, there were 366,193 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported across Canada and 11,988 deaths.The following are the regional numbers from provinces and territories in Canada:Quebec: 141,038 confirmed (including 7,033 deaths, 122,014 resolved)Ontario: 113,038 confirmed (including 3,624 deaths, 95,876 resolved)Alberta: 54,836 confirmed (including 524 deaths, 39,381 resolved)British Columbia: 30,884 confirmed (including 395 deaths, 21,304 resolved)Manitoba: 16,118 confirmed (including 290 deaths, 6,804 resolved)Saskatchewan: 7,888 confirmed (including 45 deaths, 4,521 resolved)Nova Scotia: 1,271 confirmed (including 65 deaths, 1,078 resolved)New Brunswick: 481 confirmed (including 7 deaths, 363 resolved)Newfoundland and Labrador: 333 confirmed (including 4 deaths, 297 resolved)Nunavut: 164 confirmed (including 33 resolved)Prince Edward Island: 72 confirmed (including 68 resolved)Yukon: 42 confirmed (including 1 death, 29 resolved)Northwest Territories: 15 confirmed (including 15 resolved)Repatriated Canadians: 13 confirmed (including 13 resolved)-- with files from The Canadian Press.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time (PS4 [reviewed], Xbox One) Developer: Toys for Bob Publisher: Activision Released: October 2, 2020 MSRP: $59.99 Crash Bandicoot is a legend in my household.As a kid, I couldn't get enough of the 'lil furball, whether it was via the classic platforming series or Crash Team Racing. When I met my wife, as luck would have it, we would both share a love for Crash-related games, and spent much of our early dating years toiling away taking turns with the trilogy or engaging in late-night Crash runs.Witnessing the series slowly slip away from Sony's grasp and into the state of irrelevancy was tough. That all changed in recent years with the N. Sane Trilogy and now Crash 4 thanks to the tireless efforts of developmental stewardship from Vicarious Visions and Toys for Bob. Crash 4 is good. Better than I thought it would be after all these years.The fun little narrative that involves time-hopping with multiple big bads from the series is a bit much at times (there's a lot of characters to juggle), but it serves as a good excuse to swap the players in and out of various locales on a regular basis. The tone is extremely cartoony (in a Saturday morning kind of way) and I am very much here for it. There's lots of exaggerated Tex Avery style animation and plenty of physical comedy. It's adorable.Mechanically, level design straddles the line between classic Crash and more modern mentalities. It doesn't swing too far on the latter side of the pendulum though, instead opting to mostly follow the guided 3D platforming, vehicular riding, and chase scene blueprint laid out in 1996. A few obstacle-course-oriented bosses feel anticlimactic and there are some occasional camera issues (like a hazard coming around the corner when you least expect it), but a quick checkpoint system eases the pain of said mishaps.It's natural to worry about the extra characters, but they're done gracefully, in a way that doesn't force them into the core loop. Tawna (who sports a hookshot), Dingodile (he has a vaccum cleaner jetpack) and Neo Cortex (who can dash and turn enemies into platforms) only have a few required critical path levels. So if you dislike them, you only need to "suffer" a few stages: the rest are optional if you dig their playstyle. Me? I found all of them to be fun in their own way, but I like that the core focus is on Crash/Coco without getting too out of hand. The same principle applies to the new "mask" power-ups, which are sparingly littered about each level: until everything is ratcheted up to 11 near the end. You can see Toys for Bob putting in time in each stage to lay out the ground rules of most major mechanics before they become a thing. For instance, during one particular chase scene, the player walks through a patch of mushrooms (which slows them down) and is required to spin through a bone cage to start the sequence. From there, without much fuss, they can pick up on what they need to do while in the heat of the moment before it frustratingly roadblocks them during the chase. Crash 4 can be punishing, but most of the time, not unfairly so.Crash 4 is also interesting in that it tries to accommodate just about everyone with two difficulty settings (modern, with unlimited lives, or retro, with limits), multiple playable characters from different perspectives, and a ton of extras jam-packed in. It's totally viable to play the whole thing through on the modern setting and not go for any extras and wholly enjoy yourself. Likewise, you can also jack up the difficulty and try to clear each stage in under three lives — while also locating every single piece of Wumpa Fruit (the Mario "coins" of the Crash world), finding every hidden gem, and smashing every last box. Good luck!To some extent with its time trial extras, Crash has always been about the high score aspect, but this one takes it to a new level. You can even replay every stage, flipped, for new rewards, or go for broke to try and grab "flashback tapes" by making it through a certain point in the stage without dying once (typically a third of the way through, but sometimes longer). It's the right amount of balance to encourage players to learn the ropes, but allow them to clear it without jumping through hoops. Given how vicious some of the later levels can be if you're going for the gold, I can dig that approach.I was already satisfied with all of the above, but the local Bandicoot Battle and Pass N Play modes are nice touches that tie it all together. The latter is just how it sounds: up to four players pass a controller in-between deaths and/or checkpoints, with individual scores provided for each person. The former is very reminiscent of Activision's own Tony Hawk series — "HORSE" — but with a Crash Bandicoot spin. Each person takes turns commandeering Crash or Coco, opting to either clear level checkpoints the fastest or smash as many crates as possible. Whoever bests the other player in the most amount of checkpoints wins. It's simple, but very addictive, especially if you happen to live near someone who has experience with 3D platformers. I'm going to be going back through the solo challenges to unlock skins for weeks to come (we're safe from microtransactions for now, knock on wood), but this adds even more excuses to come back. I hope skin selection is patched in at some point, though.Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is a strong return for the series, and a showcase of what might have been if we got a true follow-up to Crash 3. I sincerely hope that Activision entrusts Toys for Bob (and Vicarious Visions) with the keys to the Crash kingdom from here on out. I wanna see more of the little guy.[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.] CPU: Info CPU SPEED: Dual Core CPU RAM: 4 GB OS: Microsoft Windows 7.1/8/8.1/10 VIDEO CARD: Graphics card with DX10 (shader model 4.0) capabilities PIXEL SHADER: 4.0 VERTEX SHADER: 4.0 FREE DISK SPACE: 3 GB

I’m pretty average at games. Painfully average. Whenever there’s a leaderboard, I rarely find myself at the top; I rarely find myself at the bottom either. I’m always in the middle. If it’s an online shooter, I’ll never be the MVP, but I’ll find a way to contribute towards my team. In co-op games, I’ll often find myself following the lead of superior players – eager to help out but scared of making a mistake. Heck, even when I’m playing single player campaigns, I usually set the difficulty to Normal. It just feels right for me.Demon’s Souls is obviously one of the more po[CENSORED]r games in the PlayStation 5’s launch lineup, and I know it’s got a lot of people scared. I totally get it. The discourse surrounding this game can be terrifying; you’ve got to “git gud” or go home, and it can be off-putting. Heck, even the marketing campaigns for subsequent titles like Dark Souls put the fear of god into average players like you and I: prepare to die. But what if I don’t want to die? It doesn’t sound like a particularly fun way to relax, does it?My advice: don’t be deterred! I’m not going to lie to you, Demon’s Souls is a difficult game – but it’s not so hard that you can’t enjoy it. Listen, if I can make progress in this game and have a lot of fun in the process, then so can you. Honestly, I find the discussion around FromSoftware’s titles to be misleading: it’s turning people away, and frankly the experience isn’t quite as hard as you’re being led to believe. It just takes a different mentality; invest, and you’ll be richly rewarded. In this particular example, it’s the best PS5 game. Here are my tips for enjoying Demon’s Souls even if you’re an average gamer like me:The first thing I’d recommend you do is read the resources available to you. Demon’s Souls is over a decade old now, and many of its ambiguous secrets have been blown wide open by fans. There’s nothing to be scared of anymore, you just have to take a little time to digest the information and use it to influence your decisions in the game. Our Demon’s Souls guide is a really great place to start.Take the game slowly, as well. This isn’t the type of title that you can just blitz your way through; that’s a recipe for disaster. If you savour it, though, examine every nook and cranny, then you’ll find yourself making slow and steady progress. The moment you start rushing is the moment you’ll hit a wall.Don’t be afraid to play in co-op. Summoning other players into your game is a big part of the Demon’s Souls experience, and you’ll find a lot of fans are really eager to help you out and show you the ropes. Not everyone is uber-friendly, of course, but you’d be surprised how welcoming the community is at showing you secrets and helping you to beat bosses. It’s a part of the game, so enjoy it.Above all else, just relax. Everyone’s lost souls and everyone’s hit brick walls. The game can lack the direction of more modern releases, but there’s nothing stopping you from setting your own objectives. If your weapon’s not cutting it anymore, then Google one that fits your build and plan a way to acquire it. Do you need to farm some resources? Then find out where best to get them and go there; spend a bit of time stockpiling, and upgrading your level in the process. There’s always something you could be getting on with, so don’t worry if you get stuck – put your time into a different aspect of the title instead, and come back when you're ready. I’m absolutely loving Demon’s Souls right now, and I think if you’ve been put off by the discussion surrounding it, you definitely could, too! There’s really nothing in this game so impenetrable that an average player can’t overcome it; you just need to have the right mentality going in. Don’t miss out on PS5’s best game because you think you won’t be able to make progress in it; you may end up surprising yourself in the end!

Luxury manufacturer BMW has a fair bit of new stuff heading our way for the 2021 model year, and some of it — like the giant grilles on the new 4 Series and M3 and M4 — will be pretty hard to miss. The most sweeping change in the lineup is thatModel-year 2021 sees minimal changes for the two baby Bimmer SUVs with the addition and subtraction of some paint colors, and price reductions for the Convenience, M Sport and Premium option packages for the 2021 X1.Like its X1 sibling, the 2021 X2 gets some new exterior colors while losing others, as well as option package price reductions. The Dynamic Handling Package for the X2 28i, which added adjustable dampers and an M Sport steering wheel, is no longer available.BMW X3 and X4Bigger changes happen with the 2021 X3, which adds the plug-in hybrid X3 xDrive30e; both Android Auto and BMW’s Active Driving Assistant safety tech are now standard.The 2021 X4, the coupe version of the X3, also adds standard Active Driving Assistant and Android Auto compatibility, along with option package price reductions and the usual changes to exterior paint and interior upholstery choices.Both the X3 M and X4 M now offer the Competition Package as optional equipment instead of as a stand-alone model.BMW X5 and X6The 2021 X5 lineup loses the xDrive50i trim level but adds the xDrive45e plug-in hybrid. Both the X5 and the X6 gain Android Auto compatibility and 40i models for both now have a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. Like the X3 and X4 M cars, the larger X5 and X6 M switch to an optional Competition Package instead of a separate Competition model.BMW X7 and Alpina XB7Model-year 2021 X7s equipped with a 22-inch wheel and run-flat tire package get a top speed increase to 155 mph, and a 75-unit limited-edition X7 Dark Shadow will be available. The Alpina XB7 began production in August.Sedans, Coupes and Convertibles (and Gran Coupes)BMW 2 SeriesThe 2021 2 Series coupe and convertible add standard Apple CarPlay compatibility, while the four-door Gran Coupe gains standard Android Auto. A Driver Assistance Package is now available for the Gran Coupe. There are no changes for the M2 Competition.BMW 3 SeriesPlug-in hybrid 330e and 330e xDrive models are new for 2021, and the M3 returns, too, using the gigantic grille of the 4 Series. M340i models also get a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. A new Shadowline appearance package adding dark exterior trim is also available. A manual transmission is still available on the M3, too, though not on the regular 3 Series.BMW 4 SeriesRedesigned for 2021, the 4 Series gets a new, polarizing face to go with more power and technology, which we have covered in more detail than will fit here. The convertible version switches to a soft top from a power retractable hard top, and the new M4, too, deserves more words than this space allows.BMW 5 SeriesMore of a refresh than a complete redesign, both the 2021 5 Series and the higher-performance 2021 M5 see updates to exterior and interior styling, and the non-M 5 Series also gets powertrain updates.BMW 7 Series and Alpina B7Both the regular 2021 7 Series and the 2021 Alpina B7 lose their in-dash CD players (sorry, audiophiles) while adding a drive recorder to capture and store driving footage. The 7 Series also makes the Cold Weather Package standard equipment and makes heated seats, steering wheel and armrest standard, too.BMW 8 SeriesBMW will not be importing 2021 M8 coupes and convertibles, only the four-door M8 Gran Coupe, so buyers looking for a two-door M8 will have to find a 2020 model. Like its M SUV brethren, the M8 replaces the Competition model with a Competition Package.BMW Z4Last among BMW’s cars, at least alphanumerically, the Z4 adds Android Auto compatibility and sees prices on its various option packages change slightly.