MERNIZ

Nick: Merniz Real name: dhia How old are you?: 17 Which Games you play? and for how long?(each of them): cs 1.6 2015 gta v 2021 minecraft 2015 valorant 2022 call of duty 2 zombie 2017 free fire 2018 Where are you from?(country and city): algeria batna Describe yourself(at least 50 words):i am man who is doing his job properly, serious when needed, i joke sometimes with the people that love to joke, and i love do my jobs . Note some of your qualities: man who is doing his job properly, helping people much as i can, and many more and mors Tell us some of your defects: I get angry quickly and when I'm patient and I don't find a result, I will hate it as long as I wait Had you before any kind of responsabilities(describe it): No On which category/categories have you been active lately?(describe your activity): I will be active on Free Time most of the time and Fun Time in Gog section. Which category/project you want to care off?: Vgame R and Journalist How well you speak english?(and other languages): english 70% arbic 100% france 50% Do you use TS3? Do you have an active microphone?: discord ts3 For how long can you be active after you get accepted?(days, weeks, months, years): all life Contact methods: discord and instagram and fb Last request: -

welcome

The big feature list for Minecraft 1.20 has been known for a while, and test builds have been available for a few months, with the only remaining mystery being its release date. The next Minecraft update is happening sooner than I'd expected: Trails & Tales is coming on June 7. The big ticket bits of Minecraft 1.20 are the archeology feature which is bringing suspicious sand and suspicious gravel which players can sweep away to uncover tools, bones, and the eggs to hatch the new giant Sniffer creatures which in turn will dig up ancient plants in the overworld. They're not the only new mobs either, being joined by the giant Minecraft camel mob, a new type of mount that can dash across large gaps and seat two players together on its back. There's also the new cherry grove biome, which players trying out the beta builds and snapshots have already been hunting down in some great new Minecraft seeds. If you want to start out a fresh save when 1.20 launches, be sure to check that list for a world that spawns you near that lovely new locale. Cherry blossom trees have their own wood, meaning we're getting a new full set of pink colored wood blocks complete with doors, signs, and so on. But there's a second set of wood coming too: bamboo wood and all its own blocks and variants. There are plenty of other changes in the update, especially for the builders among us, with chiseled bookshelves for puzzle-designers, armor trims for the fashion-forward, and new hanging signs for the environmental storytellers. Both the Java and Bedrock edition will get the Trails & Tales update on June 7. You'll be able to find the full changelog over on Minecraft's site. https://www.pcgamer.com/minecraft-120-trails-and-tales-update-is-launching-on-june-7/

Realme 11 Pro 5G series is confirmed to debut in India in June. Realme is yet to confirm the exact launch date, but ahead of it, an Indian tipster claims that the Realme 11 Pro and Realme 11 Pro+ will go official in the second week of June alongside the Realme Buds Air 5 Pro true wireless earbuds. RAM and storage details of the Indian variants have also been tipped. The Realme 11 Pro and Realme 11 Pro+ were unveiled in China in May alongside the Realme 11. Both smartphones are powered by MediaTek Dimensity 7050 SoC. Known tipster Sudhanshu Ambhore (@Sudhanshu1414) has leaked the India launch date along with RAM and storage details of the Realme 11 Pro 5G series on Twitter. According to the tipster, Realme 11 Pro and Realme 11 Pro+ will be launched in India on June 8. The Realme Buds Air 5 Pro TWS earbuds are also said to debut alongside. The Realme 11 Pro is tipped to come in 8GB RAM + 128GB storage, 8GB RAM + 256GB storage, and 12GB RAM + 256GB storage configurations. The Realme 11 Pro+, in contrast, is said to be offered in 8GB RAM + 256GB storage and 12GB RAM + 256GB storage options. Both smartphones could arrive in Astral Black, Sunrise Beige, and Oasis Green shades. The Realme 11 Pro and Realme 11 Pro+ were launched in China earlier this month with an initial price tag of CNY 1,699 (roughly Rs. 20,000) and CNY 1,999 (roughly Rs. 24,000) respectively. The Chinese variants of Realme 11 Pro and Realme 11 Pro+ sport 6.7-inch full-HD+ (1,080x2,412 pixels) curved displays with a 360Hz touch sampling rate. They are powered by an octa-core 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 7050 SoC, paired with up to 12GB of RAM. The Realme 11 Pro sports a dual rear camera unit, comprising a 100-megapixel primary sensor. The Realme 11 Pro+ has a triple rear camera unit led by a 200-megapixel Samsung HP3 sensor. They are backed by a 5,000mAh battery. The Realme 11 Pro supports 67W fast charging with the bundled charger, while the Realme 11 Pro+ has 100W charging support. Realme might not want the Mini Capsule to be the defining feature of the Realme C55, but will it end up being one of the phone's most talked-about hardware specifications? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts. https://www.gadgets360.com/mobiles/news/realme-11-pro-plus-5g-buds-air-5-pro-tws-earbuds-india-launch-june-8-ram-storage-options-leak-4069158

Microsoft has confirmed some 32-bit apps are having issues when copying and saving files across different versions of Windows. The issue is affecting a number of po[CENSORED]r programs and Microsoft Office apps, including the likes of Word and Excel, with users finding they cannot save their work and being confronted with "Document not saved" error messages. Microsoft says the issue is primarily affecting enterprise and business users, with consumers and those using Windows devices in their home unlikely to be affected. Windows copy issues "You might have intermittent issues saving, or copying, or attaching files using 32-bit apps which are large address aware and using the CopyFile API," the company said in a support page outlining the problems. "Windows devices are more likely to be affected by this issue when using some commercial/enterprise security software which uses extended file attributes." Microsoft notes that all its most po[CENSORED]r Windows builds are affected, including Windows 11, version 22H2; Windows 10, version 22H2; Windows 11, version 21H2; and Windows 10, version 21H2. There have been no reports of File Explorer being affected by the copying issue, but Microsoft notes the CopyFile API used by a number of specific applications may be impacted. The company added that 64-bit apps are not affected by this issue, which also avoids apps that are 32-bit and not large address aware. As it stands, Microsoft has only been able to release a fix for Windows 10 and Windows 11 21H2, which is available via the Known Issue Rollback system, adding it is working on a patch for other versions, and will provide an update soon. The company says users might be able to get around the issue simply by attempting to save or copy again. "Since the issue is intermittent, it is likely to succeed on a subsequent try," Microsoft's advice says. Here's our pick of the best free office software around https://www.techradar.com/news/having-trouble-copying-and-saving-files-across-windows-this-could-be-why

Four of the best graphics cards have just gotten decent price reductions at U.S. retailers Newegg and Amazon. Consumers can save up to 25% on select GeForce RTX 3070, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, GeForce RTX 3060, and GeForce RTX 3050 graphics cards from MSI. Nvidia's latest GeForce RTX 40-series graphics cards have been on the market for a while now. However, while the Ada-based products are selling ok, they aren't exactly flying off the shelves. One recent report from DigiTimes claims that Nvidia hasn't bolstered GeForce RTX 40-series production. Then again, there's also the likely possibility that Nvidia's partners will have a large stock of older GeForce RTX 30-series products they need to offload. In addition, Twitter user Sebastian Castellanos recently spotted a series of Ampere graphics cards at Newegg that are selling below their MSRP. The GeForce RTX 3070 launched in 2020 with an MSRP of $499. The MSI GeForce RTX 3070 Ventus 2X 8G OC LHR, which usually retails for $539.99, has dropped to $449.99 on Newegg. The graphics card is presently the cheapest custom GeForce RTX 3070 on the retail market. Consumers that don't want to spend over $400 on a graphics card can still find refuge in the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti. The MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Ventus 3X 8G OC LHR, which is based on the latest GDDR6X SKU, now sells for $314.99 with the promo code VGAEXCMSET449, down from its regular price of $449.99 and way below the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's original $399 MSRP. Now $449.99, was $549.99 - MSI GeForce RTX 3070 Ventus 2X 8G OC LHR Now $314.99, was $449.99 - MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Ventus 3X 8G OC LHR Now $279.99, was $364.99 - MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Aero ITX 12G OC Now $259.99, was $339.99 - MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus 2X 8G OC Now $219.99, was $308.79 - MSI GeForce RTX 3050 Ventus 2X 8G OC The MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Aero ITX 12G OC is now available for $279.99, netting you a 23% saving. The graphics card is based on the original GeForce RTX 3060 with 12GB of memory. The MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Aero ITX 12G OC is an ITX graphics card that will fit even the most compact systems. The graphics card is in stock on both Newegg and Amazon. Meanwhile, the MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus 2X 8G OC retails for $259.99, $80 cheaper. It's based on a slightly cut-down variant of the GeForce RTX 3060 with just 8GB of memory and a narrower 128-bit memory interface. However, the graphics card holds some value for gamers with a strict budget, as the MSI GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus 2X 8G OC costs less than $260 on Newegg and Amazon. Last but not least, there's also a deal on the GeForce RTX 3050. The MSI GeForce RTX 3050 Ventus 2X 8G OC has dropped to $219.99 on Newegg and Amazon. The graphics card had an MSRP of $249. Although not the fastest, it's still a viable option for gamers that don't need a lot of firepower or want something better than integrated graphics. Thus far, the discounts appear limited to MSI-branded GeForce RTX 30-series graphics cards. We haven't seen similar deals from the other vendors, such as Gigabyte, Asus or Zotac. However, if retailers are having issue moving Ampere stock, it wouldn't surprise us one bit if other brands start offering discounts on their inventory. https://www.tomshardware.com/news/NVIDIA-rtx-30-price-cuts

A Florida zoo has issued a “profound and sincere apology” after it sparked outrage from thousands of New Zealanders about its treatment of one of their national birds. Zoo Miami said “concerns expressed” about the kiwi called Paora had “been taken very seriously,” after a video emerged on social media earlier this week of the bird being taken out of his enclosure and being firmly patted. The footage also showed the nocturnal creature entering a wooden box to seek a darker environment, only for someone to lift up the lid and expose him to a brightly lit audience. Within hours of the video appearing, an online petition complaining about his treatment had garnered thousands of signatures and New Zealand's prime minister and Conservation Department had commented on the matter. Paora was “being handled by dozens of strangers, petted on his sensitive whiskers, laughed at, and shown off like a toy,” wrote Jeseka Christieson, who launched the petition. “Kiwi are nocturnal animals, who should be kept in suitable dark enclosures, and minimally handled. He is unable to exercise natural behavior,” she said. “We hope this petition can reach someone who has the power to spark an investigation into his conditions, and relocate him to a more suitable environment,” added Christieson, who hails from Hamilton, a city on New Zealand's North Island. Her statement echoes the advice issued in a Kiwi Best Practice Manual published by the Conservation Department, which warns that the “mainly nocturnal” birds should not be “taken out of their burrows just for the purposes of allowing people to see and touch them,” because they lack protection around the ribcage and vital organs. Several people who signed Christieson’s petition also expressed their outrage at Paora’s treatment. One described his treatment as “shameful” and “atrocious.” Others took to Twitter to complain, including wildlife photographer Holly Neill, who wrote that his treatment was “upsetting.” “I’m so mad about this. It’s being kept awake during the day despite being a nocturnal species,” she said. Asked about Paora’s treatment Tuesday, New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins told reporters that he thought it showed his compatriots “show a lot of pride in our national bird when they’re overseas and they do take action when they see kiwi’s being mistreated.” In a Twitter post, the Conservation Department said it would be “discussing the situation with the American Association of Zoos & Aquariums to address some of the housing and handling concerns raised.” In a statement, Zoo Miami offered a “profound and sincere apology for the stress initiated by a video on social media depicting the handling and housing of ‘Paora,’ the kiwi bird that is presently under our care.” It added that the “Kiwi Encounter” which gave visitors a chance to pet the animal for $25, would “no longer be offered.” “Though Paora has thrived at Zoo Miami while receiving the best care available, the development of the Kiwi Encounter was, in hindsight, not well conceived with regard to the national symbolism of this iconic animal and what it represents to the people of New Zealand, especially the Maori,” it said. “Plans are presently underway to build a special habitat for him that will continue to provide him with the shelter that he needs while respecting and supporting his natural instincts,” it added. “It will be developed in such a way that we can teach our guests about the amazing kiwi without any direct contact from the public. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/animal-news/miami-zoo-apologizes-treatment-kiwi-bird-outrages-new-zealand-rcna85947

This 1972 Alfa Romeo GTV 2000 is up for auction until Sunday, May 28. The lightweight little sports coupe is powered by a twin-cam 2.0-liter four-cylinder and was rated at 129 horsepower when new. The car looks to be in incredible condition and is said to have been refurbished in the 2010s under previous ownership. We seem to be reaching a new peak on the sine graph representing car sizes. Mid-size pickups have grown beyond that of full-size trucks from not too many years ago. Sedans and crossovers continue to balloon upwards and outwards. A 2023 BMW i7 xDrive60 recently tipped the Car and Driver scales at over 6000 pounds. We haven't always had such huge cars, though. This little Alfa Romeo GTV 2000 was considered an ideal-sized sport coupe for the driving enthusiast of the early 1970s. And provided you don't mind mixing it up with outsized modern traffic, you can experience this Alfa yourself, as the car is currently up for auction at Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos. As all old Italian sports coupes should be, the Alfa is finished in red over black vinyl—with a wooden steering wheel and woodgrain trim lining the dash. The car looks to be in fantastic condition, perhaps not concours ready, but more than ready to show off at a local car event. The car is said to have been refurbished under previous ownership in the 2010s before it was acquired by the current seller in 2021. According to the listing, both the camshaft and oil pan were resealed in March 2023. The 2.0-liter double-overhead-cam four-cylinder engine features SPICA mechanical fuel injection and was factory rated at 129 horsepower and 130 pound-feet of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a five-speed manual transmission. The listing puts the odometer at 27K miles, approximately 1000 of which have been added by the current owner, though the vehicle's total mileage is unknown. You may not have the towering seating position that's so po[CENSORED]r today, but this little Alfa will put a smile on your face every time get behind the wheel—or even look at it. At this writing, bidding sits at just over $25,000. The auction ends May 28. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a44002837/1972-alfa-romeo-gtv-2000-bring-a-trailer-auction/

Ivan Toney placed 13 bets on his own club to lose and has been diagnosed with a gambling addiction, the FA's written reasons have revealed.; the Brentford striker was banned from all football activity for eight months last week following breaches of the FA's gambling regulations Ivan Toney placed 13 historical bets on his own club to lose and has been diagnosed with a gambling addiction, as the written reasons for his eight-month ban were revealed by the FA. In the written reasons explaining the eight-month ban the Brentford striker, 27, received last week for breaching the FA's betting rules, it was also revealed: 126 bets were in matches in a competition in which Toney's club had participated in or were eligible to participate in that season. Of those 126 bets, 29 bets involved clubs Toney was registered with or on loan with at the time. 16 of those 29 bets were on Toney's team to win 15 different matches - and Toney played in 11 of these games and was an unused substitute in another. 13 bets of the 29 bets were on Toney's own team to lose in seven different matches between August 22, 2017 and March 3, 2018 - but Toney did not play in any of those matches 11 of the 13 bets were against Newcastle while Toney was on loan at another club. The other two bets related to a game between Wigan vs Aston Villa while Toney was on loan at Wigan but he was not part of the squad. There was also a breach of FA Rule E8.2 on insider information when on March 29, 2018 Toney told a friend he would be starting in his club's next match. Toney argued it was widely known he was likely to play but accepted it as a breach of the rules. Toney admitted lying to investigators on more than one occasion after he initially denied he had bet on football. The England international admitted 232 breaches of betting rules between February 2017 and January 2021 and was banned from all football activity until 17 January and fined £50,000. He can return to training on 17 September. According to the FA's document, had Toney not pleaded guilty to the charges against him, the FA would have imposed a 15-month ban starting from the beginning of next season, "to properly reflect the seriousness of the offences admitted including betting on one's own team to lose, albeit he was not playing". By pleading guilty and showing "genuine remorse", however, he is seen to have saved substantial time and cost, leading to a 25 per cent reduction to 11 months. In addition, the independent commission found that "a significant reduction should be made to reflect the diagnosed gambling addiction identified by [psychiatrist] Dr [Philip] Hopley". The document continued: "The lack of control the player has in respect of gambling is clearly a reflection of his diagnosed gambling addiction. The position appears to be that Mr Toney has ceased gambling on football although he still gambles on other sports and casino games. "He is determined to address his gambling problem with therapy at the conclusion of this season. Taking all of those matters into account the Commission reduces the sanction by three months to a suspension of eight months. There is no clear and compelling reason to suspend any part of that suspension." In response, Toney tweeted on Friday: "I'll speak soon with no filter." A statement released on Brentford's official website on Friday morning said: "Brentford FC has received and accepted the written reasons of an independent Regulatory Commission that handed Ivan Toney an eight-month ban from all football and football-related activity after he admitted breaches of FA Rule E8, relating to placing bets on football. "The judgement has been published on the FA website. Ivan and Brentford FC accept that offences were committed, and sanctions were inevitable. "The commission noted that none of the charges related to events where Ivan could negatively impact his own team. The detail is included in the written reasons. "The club will now be doing everything possible to provide support to Ivan and his family to deal with the issues raised in this case. Conversations regarding this and all matters relating to the case will remain confidential in order to protect the player and his family. "We consider this matter closed and look forward to welcoming Ivan back to training in September and seeing him representing Brentford in the Premier League in January." If you are affected by the topics in this article visit GamCare, the leading UK provider of free information, advice and support for anyone harmed by gambling. https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12889780/ivan-toney-brentford-striker-diagnosed-with-gambling-addiction-as-fa-release-written-reasons-into-eight-month-ban

Why will I love it? Originally from the Himalayas, the succulent hoya linearis is a long, trailing houseplant, growing up to 90cm long. It has delicate, slender, soft greyish-green stems that spill over the pot edge, creating a wonderful, calming hanging plant. Light or shade? Bright indirect light, which encourages flowering. Where should I put it? Hang in a bright (ideally east-facing) bathroom to create a stunning, cascading effect. Fierce Begonia Houseplant of the week: fierce begonia Read more How do I keep it alive? Throughout the summer, keep the compost moist by watering weekly, but allow the soil to dry out slightly before watering. During the winter months, reduce watering to every three to four weeks as the plant enters a period of dormancy. Increase the humidity by misting frequently. Did you know … The porcelain vine has exquisite flowers; clusters of small, star-shaped blooms in shades of white, pink and red that have a delicate, porcelain-like appearance are produced in summer. The flowers act as an air freshener, filling the room with a sweet and pleasant scent. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/may/26/houseplant-of-the-week-porcelain-vine

At least two people have been killed and 23 injured in a missile strike on a medical clinic in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, the regional governor says. Of the 23 injured, 21 are in hospital and three are in a serious condition. Two boys aged three and six were also among the wounded, governor Serhiy Lysak said. Russian strikes on Ukraine have intensified in recent weeks ahead of an expected Ukrainian counteroffensive. Mr Zelensky posted a video of the damaged clinic building that showed firefighters at the scene and smoke billowing from the building. "Russian terrorists once again confirm their status of fighters against everything humane and honest," he said. Earlier, Mr Lysak said the region came under a "mass attack...with missiles and drones" on Thursday night. "It was a very difficult night. It was loud," he said. "Dnipro has suffered." Ukrainian authorities said they shot down 17 missiles and 31 drones launched from Russia overnight. Several drones and missiles hit targets in Dnipro and the eastern city of Kharkiv, including an oil depot. Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, was also targeted and officials said fragments of intercepted drones fell on the roof of a shopping centre, while a house and several cars were damaged. In Russia, a blast damaged a residential and office building in the southern city of Krasnodar, east of Crimea, on Friday morning. The region's governor, Veniamin Kondratyev, said it was caused by two Ukrainian drones: "There is some damage to buildings, but critical infrastructure was not damaged. And most importantly, there were no casualties." https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65720853

Multiple law enforcement officers and two US Capitol staff members stood before a federal judge in Washington, DC, on Wednesday and recounted their terror as a mob breached the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, as several Oath Keepers members are set to be sentenced for seditious conspiracy. Metropolitan Police Officer Christopher Owens, US Capitol Police Special Agent David Lazarus, USCP Officer Harry Dunn, former Senate Chamber Assistant Virginia Brown and Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s chief of staff Terri McCullough, testified how the riot changed them and spoke of their lasting physical and mental scars. “They chose to be a part of a group that surrounded us, taunted us,” said Owens, who had been in a hallway outside the Senate chamber, recounting being beaten, spat on, and how a rioter attempted to pull his service weapon out of its holster. Through tears, Owens recalled coming home to his wife and teenage daughter after the hourslong battle at the Capitol, and how his wife burst out crying when she saw his “bruised, bloody and battered” body. “My physical scars, bruises and wounds have healed, but my mental trauma haunts me to this day,” Owens said. The statements are a part of a weekslong process in which several members of the far-right Oath Keepers will face sentencing for their convictions related to the US Capitol riot. Prosecutors have asked for harsh prison sentences for each of the nine defendants ranging from 10 to 25 years. The first sentencing hearing, for militia leader Stewart Rhodes, convicted of seditious conspiracy, is scheduled for Thursday. Rhodes and Florida Oath Keepers leader Kelly Meggs were convicted of several charges including seditious conspiracy in November for what prosecutors called a plot to keep then-President Donald Trump in power after the 2020 election. Jessica Watkins, Thomas Caldwell and Kenneth Harrelson were acquitted of the sedition charge during that trial but convicted of other charges, including obstructing an official proceeding. In January, four additional Oath Keepers members and affiliates – Roberto Minuta, Joseph Hackett, David Moerschel and Edward Vallejo – were convicted of seditious conspiracy and other charges. Dunn has been outspoken about his experience on January 6, saying that he now keeps his “head on a swivel” in public and feels anxious “whenever I see someone in cargo pants or anything remotely related to tactical gear.” The USCP emotional support dog, Lila, was in the courtroom and followed Dunn out after his testimony. David Lazarus, who rescued staff members barricaded inside the Capitol during the riot, recounted “the hurt” on the faces of congressional staffers as he escorted them to safety, saying their expressions were “burned into my brain forever.” “The violence that the rioters brought to the Capitol never ended for many of us, Lazarus said, adding that the trauma had “reached into our homes, our personal lives, and our loved ones.” After Lazarus finished his statement, District Judge Amit Mehta thanked him for his “heroism on January 6.” Wednesday’s hearing took place in the ceremonial courtroom of Washington, DC’s federal court instead of Mehta’s normal courtroom so that all 11 defense lawyers, five prosecutors and several of the defendants could fit. The four defendants in the courtroom – Rhodes, Meggs, Watkins and Harrelson – sat behind their lawyers in orange jumpsuits. The four took notes and watched each victim statement intently, though at times they shook their heads or sighed loudly when their conduct was discussed. Mehta also rejected a plea from militia members to set aside the jury’s verdict. In a detailed ruling that lasted for more than an hour, Mehta said that the Oath Keepers were clearly a “highly coordinated group” who spoke of “war, death” and violence against the government. Defendants who were not present in the courtroom – Minuta, Caldwell, Hackett, Moerschel and Vallejo – appeared at the hearing through a videocall projected on a large screen at the front of the courtroom. Congressional staffers testify Mehta also heard from two women who worked in the Capitol on January 6 and who ran from the mob after the building was breached. Virginia Brown, a 21-year-old college senior, said she had been honored when she was offered the chance to carry the certified Electoral College vote certificates from the House chamber to the Senate chamber on January 6, 2021. A photograph of Brown, who was a college sophomore on January 6 and was working as a chamber assistant, and a second women standing on either end of a large box and walking through the Senate rotunda went viral online after the riot unfolded. “I had no idea that by early afternoon I would be sprinting down the underground hallway,” Brown said. As she ran, Brown said she “kicked my shoes off, thinking I could run faster in my tights” and was “praying to God I wouldn’t encounter any insurrectionists.” McCullough, then-Pelosi’s chief of staff, told Mehta she was devastated to learn that “rioters came intentionally to our offices to hunt for the speaker.” “Many of our staff – my colleagues, my friends – hid in a conference room … all because they chose public service,” she said. When she returned to the office that evening, McCullough said she found “Confederate flags and zip ties” sprawled around the office. Terrorism enhancements As the daylong hearing wrapped up, Mehta opened to door to the possibility that he would apply enhanced terrorism penalties for some or all of the Oath Keepers defendants. “My initial thoughts are (the enhanced terrorism penalty) does apply,” Mehta said Wednesday. “It’s hard to say it doesn’t apply when someone is convicted of seditious conspiracy.” Prosecutors cited the enhanced terrorism penalties when asking for lengthy prison terms for each defendant, writing that “here, the need to deter others is especially strong because these defendants engaged in acts that were intended to influence the government through intimidation or coercion—in other words, terrorism.” The Justice Department has previously sought the same enhancement in other January 6-related cases, though judges have so far refused to apply it. Mehta, however, said that this is “different” than those other cases. Mehta will rule later on whether the enhanced penalties apply to each of the individual nine defendants, and how they change a potential sentence, at each defendant’s sentencing hearing over the next two weeks. CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correctly reflect the name of the former Senate chamber assistant who testified Wednesday. https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/24/politics/oath-keepers-hearing/index.html

Lotus and Alpine have halted work on their joint electric sports car project, Automotive News Europe has reported. The companies had signed a memorandum of understanding in 2021 to build a new, lightweight electric sports car together. The new vehicle would feature technology from both firms, and serve as the replacement to the internal-combustion (and fantastic) Alpine A110. "Today’s announcement is the first step in what is set to be a hugely rewarding collaboration between our iconic brands," former Lotus CEO Phil Popham said in a statement at the time. "We are proud to be working with Groupe Renault in this collaboration—sharing Lotus’ technical expertise and abilities, and leveraging our long track record of successful collaborations. Our companies have much in common—from a pioneering pedigree in light-weighting, to championship-winning sports cars which perform as impressively on the road as they do in the motorsports arena. It is a natural fit in many ways and the co-development of an EV sports car is hugely exciting for our companies, our fans and customers around the world." But the project is no more. Lotus confirmed to Automotive News Europe that the two companies had decided not to progress in the project, a decision the British company claimed was mutual. It doesn't mean, however, that the collaboration between the two brands is totally dead. "We have decided not to progress with the joint development of a sports car for Alpine," Lotus told Road & Track in an email. "This is a mutual decision reached amicably and we will continue to discuss other future opportunities.” A spokesman for Lotus added that "Lotus's commitment to an EV sports car remains as strong as ever." https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a43992365/lotus-alpine-ev-sports-car-project-canceled/

Spurs were determined to get Slot after he secured the Eredivisie title with Feyenoord this season. Tottenham have always stressed they had no conversations directly with Slot or Feyenoord, and never comment publicly on employees of other football clubs. Sky Sports News have also been told that Spurs' bosses feel Slot used their interest in him to get an improved contract in the Netherlands - and it is fully expected he will now sign a new deal with Feyenoord. "All talks with the club have always been only in that sense. Looking forward to next season with Feyenoord." Where do Spurs go from here? Sky Sports News' senior reporter Rob Dorsett: "As far as Tottenham are concerned, it's a disappointment. But they were never concrete in their approach for Slot. It never got to any formal stage of discussions with him or Feyenoord, so Spurs will move on. "When Nuno Espirito Santo was appointed, it took Spurs 76 days before he got the job. It's been exactly 60 days since Antonio Conte was sacked as Spurs manager. This isn't happening quickly for Spurs - but that's deliberate, from my understanding. "They want to be thorough and do their due diligence in their process of appointing a new manager. They will take their time. "I understand Spurs fans' frustrations: they would like to know who their new manager is going to be so the club can start working out transfer plans. But there is no rush from Spurs' perspective. "They don't have to play any more football after Sunday's final game of the Premier League until next season. It gives Daniel Levy time to consider their options and look at the other managers who could be in the running. "We know Ange Postecoglou of Celtic has been on their list. Roberto De Zerbi has been doing a fantastic job at Brighton, he's on their list, as is Marco Silva at Fulham. They've also been linked with out-of-work managers including Luis Enrique and they have long tracked the work of Graham Potter and Brendan Rodgers. "The truth is: we don't know to who Spurs go next from here. They are back to the drawing board. But there is an extensive recruitment plan as to who they want as their next manager - but after a bit of bad blood on both sides, it won't be Arne Slot." Spurs acting head coach Ryan Mason believes he is ready to step up to the plate for Spurs should he be given the full-time job. However, the 31-year-old - who is in his second stint in caretaker charge of the club - has only won one out of his five games in this latest period in the Spurs dugout. Speaking before Tottenham's 3-1 loss to Brentford at the weekend, Mason said: "I've said that I feel ready to help this club in this moment and I absolutely trust my team, I trust the people at this club. "Of course, those decisions are club decisions, but I remain confident in who I am, who my coaching team are as people. "I feel like we have a good connection with this club and the players and we can have an impact in this short space of time. "Going forward, those are things that are in the future. They're not really on my mind at this moment in time, we're just trying to create something right now and we've tried to do that. "We're doing OK at that but it's important that we get results on the football pitch." https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12888876/arne-slot-feyenoord-head-coach-staying-with-dutch-club-amid-links-to-tottenham

n 1992, Lee was living with his parents in Cardiff. One night, at the end of February, he went to the pub with his guide dog. “I was born with virtually no sight due to a rare genetic condition,” he says. “I got my first guide dog, Toby, in 1989, and we would go to one of the locals regularly. I enjoyed chatting to people and often bumped into friends.” Sitting at the bar, he felt his elbow being knocked and heard a woman apologise. “I was a student and at the pub for a quiz with friends,” Gayle says. “After I accidentally knocked Lee and said sorry, I noticed his guide dog.” Toby was out of his harness and not working at the time, so she asked if she could “make a fuss of him”. “Lee and I had some general chit-chat while I was waiting for my drinks and then I went back to my table,” she says. Later, as Lee was about to leave, some friends spotted him and called him over. While he began to make his way across the room, Toby, who was still off his harness, went straight to Gayle. “I said: ‘Come on, Toby!’ But he just stayed there. Then I heard a voice say: ‘I’m sorry, it’s me again. Your dog has put his head on my lap.’ He could have gone up to anyone but he picked Gayle.” Rather than join his friends, Lee pulled up a seat next to Gayle and they chatted for the rest of the evening, bonding over their love of dogs. “At the end of the night, he invited me for a cup of tea and then he walked me home. I thought he was good-looking and a great conversationalist,” she says. They met for a drink the following Saturday, and Lee invited her over to listen to records the next week. Lee says they just clicked as a couple and by the end of the year, they had moved in together. “Some people questioned the relationship at first because of Lee’s condition,” says Gayle. “But I pointed out that any healthy person can end up becoming ill or disabled. They asked if my children would be disabled too. The condition is very rare, so I said it was unlikely, but you can never be sure what will happen in any situation, so it didn’t matter to me.” The couple married in April 1993 in Cardiff. Twelve guests had their own guide dogs with them. “Sadly, Toby was retired due to seizures not long after we met, but he came to our wedding with my new guide dog, York,” says Lee. “The BBC somehow got hold of the fact that there would be two guide dogs at the altar and wanted to cover the story. We had camera people at the wedding and it was all over the local news.” The couple have two daughters, born in 1997 and 2000. Gayle was a lab technician until the late 90s, before joining the Prison Service. She now works in retail. Lee also worked for the Prison Service and later joined a bank before retiring in 2006. They still live in Cardiff with Reggie, Lee’s current guide dog. “My running joke is that I married him for the dog and he’s changed it five times,” she says. “But really I love Lee because he accepts me for who I am and we just fit. He makes me laugh and we are very in sync. I’ll be thinking of a question and he’ll answer it before I’ve even said it.” Lee admits that his vision impairment makes life challenging at times, but Gayle is always there to support him. “There are things I enjoy doing that I can’t do on my own because we drive to get there. One of my biggest hobbies is recording birdsong, so we go to different nature reserves around Cardiff,” he says. “I am not always the easiest person to live with. But we’ve had a lovely life together and we can’t ask for more than that. I can’t imagine life without her.” https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/may/25/how-we-met-my-guide-dog-could-have-gone-up-to-anyone-in-the-pub-but-he-picked-gayle

One of the world's rarest type of goslings have hatched at a wetland centre. Slimbridge Wetland Centre in Gloucestershire announced the arrival of nēnē goslings, a species of goose from Hawaii. It is the second time the centre has successfully bred the species, Jonathan Newton, the Living Collections Supervisor, said: "These nēnē families will help inspire future generations about the importance of conservation." In May 2021, the centre opened its immersive "Mission Possible" exhibit, which recreates the geese's native Hawaiian habitat. The breed was close to extinction in the 1950s because of the introduction of predators and the loss of habitat. In an attempt to save the species, three nēnēs were sent to Slimbridge for breeding by the ornithologist and conservationist, Sir Peter Scott. He and his aviculture team pioneered the first captive breeding project for nēnēs at the centre. Visitors to the exhibit can learn about Sir Peter Scott's successful effort to rescue the species from the brink of extinction. Although there are now more than 3,000 nēnēs in the world, their po[CENSORED]tion remains vulnerable and stills relies on the regular release of birds bred in captivity. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-65683074

Ron DeSantis's long-awaited entry into the 2024 race for the White House was hit by technical glitches after a Twitter livestream malfunctioned. It meant the Florida governor's bid for the Republican presidential nomination got under way 20 minutes late. He went on to use the event to champion his conservative credentials, his anti-lockdown stance and education reforms. "I am running for president of the United States to lead our great American comeback," he said. The Florida governor is viewed as former President Donald Trump's chief rival to be their party's candidate in the 2024 general election. Mr DeSantis is a relative newcomer in US politics, having first been elected to the House of Representatives in 2012. Just six years later in 2018 - after a failed bid to become a senator - he was elected governor of Florida. He has overseen the enactment of high-profile laws that make it easier to own a gun, restrict sex and gender identity education in schools, and curtail abortion access. He has claimed that this "Florida Blueprint" can act as a guide for federal policies, one that would move the US in a sharply conservative direction. He joins a growing list of contenders seeking to unseat Mr Trump, who leads the Republican field by more than 30 points in national opinion polls. By the time Wednesday evening's Twitter talk had begun in earnest, hundreds of thousands of Twitter users had left the platform. Since Mr Musk took the reins at Twitter in October, he has laid off thousands of employees, including engineers responsible for the site's operations and technical troubleshooting. Mr DeSantis's team worked quickly to spin the technical stumbles, writing on Twitter that the announcement had broken "the internet with so much excitement", and posting a link to the campaign website. His press secretary Bryan Griffin claimed the online event had raised $1m (£808,000) in an hour. At one point, the Twitter event drew more than 600,000 listeners, according to Reuters news agency figures, but by its conclusion, there were fewer than 300,000. The BBC's interview with Elon Musk last month drew more than three million listeners on Twitter Spaces. Once under way, Mr DeSantis turned the conversation to his conservative credentials, touting his handling of the Covid-19 crisis in his state - an anti-lockdown approach applauded by many Republicans. He defended his reforms of Florida's education system, saying his state "chose facts over fear, education over indoctrination, law and order over rioting and disorder". Later, speaking on Fox News, Mr DeSantis outlined more specific pledges including declaring an emergency at the country's southern border on day one in the White House. He also pledged to fire FBI Director Christopher Wray, a Trump appointee, and slash President Joe Biden's "anti-American energy policies". Earlier on Wednesday, Mr DeSantis confirmed he would seek the Republican presidential nomination, registering with the Federal Election Commission before releasing a stylised announcement video. "Our border is a disaster, crime infests our cities... and the president flounders," he says in the video. "But decline is a choice, success is attainable, and freedom is worth fighting for." The campaign launch Ron DeSantis will want to forget Can DeSantis really beat Trump in Republican 2024 race? Will these Trump voters back DeSantis this time? Mr Trump and his campaign greeted Mr DeSantis's much anticipated arrival into the 2024 field with a barrage of emails and posts to Truth Social, the former president's social media platform. Soon after the governor told Mr Musk he would study the US Constitution to "see what buttons can I push" to invoke executive authority, Mr Trump released a statement addressing Mr DeSantis directly. "'Rob,' My Red Button is bigger, better, stronger, and is working (TRUTH!), yours does not! (per my conversation with Kim Jung Un, of North Korea, soon to become my friend!)," Mr Trump wrote. The latest survey from Morning Consult - published last week, before Mr DeSantis's announcement - has him a distant second behind Mr Trump, with a 38-point margin. Through a lengthy primary process beginning early next year, Republican voters will decide which candidate will face President Joe Biden, a Democrat, in the November 2024 general election. And Florida's last legislative session cleared a potential "resign-to-run" hurdle for Mr DeSantis's candidacy after it passed a bill that ensures he does not have to leave the governor's mansion to run for the presidency. Mr DeSantis will also have the benefit of a formidable war chest. At the end of last month, he had $88m (£71m) in a fund left over from his Florida re-election campaign that can be transferred to his White house bid. He also reportedly has about $30m controlled by an independent committee that his allies can use to support his campaign. Mr Trump, by contrast, reported a combined $18.8m in fundraising over the first three months of 2023. Mr DeSantis is expected to tap Generra Peck to serve as his campaign manager. Ms Peck, Mr DeSantis's top political adviser, led the daily operations of the governor's 2022 re-election campaign, guiding him to a nearly 20-point victory. And hiring is already under way for DeSantis campaign bases in at least 18 states, according to reporting from the Associated Press and the New York Times. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65703031

For Nvidia, the boom in generative artificial intelligence (AI) is everything, everywhere, all at once. The chip designer's shares extended their rally this year on Thursday, soaring 25 percent after a stellar forecast showed that Wall Street has yet to price in the AI potential of the company that has already doubled in value in 2023. Nvidia, whose stock hit an all-time high in premarket trading, was set to swell its market valuation by about $189 billion (roughly Rs. 15,63,914 crore) to $945 billion (roughly Rs. 78,19,572 crore). Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Series GPUs with Ray Tracing Support Debut in India The rosy earnings also sparked a rally in the chip sector and AI-focused firms, lifting stock markets from Japan to Europe. In the US, companies including Alphabet, Microsoft and AMD rose between 2 percent and 8 percent. Analysts rushed to raise their price targets on Nvidia stock, with 21 lifting their view on the idea that all roads in AI lead to the company as it provides the chips used to power ChatGPT and many similar services. "In the 15+ years we have been doing this job, we have never seen a guide like the one Nvidia just put up with the second-quarter outlook that was by all accounts cosmological, and which annihilated expectations," said Stacy Rasgon of Bernstein. Intel Reveals Details on Its Plans to Make Chip for AI Computing by 2025 Nvidia, the fifth-most valuable US company, on Wednesday projected quarterly revenue more than 50 percent above Wall Street estimates and said it would have more supply of AI chips in the second half to meet a surge in demand. CEO Jensen Huang said a $1 trillion (roughly Rs. 82,74,230 crore) worth of current equipment in data centers would have to be replaced with AI chips, as generative AI is applied into every product and service. The results bode well for Big Tech companies, which have shifted focus to AI in hopes the technology would help attract demand at a time their profit engines of digital advertising and cloud computing are under pressure from a weak economy. "This Nvidia (forecast) changes the whole narrative around AI and demand looking ahead in the enterprise. Historical inflection point possibly in AI Revolution, with Nvidia the key barometer," said Dan Ives of Wedbush. © Thomson Reuters 2023 https://www.gadgets360.com/internet/news/nvidia-close-first-trillion-dollar-chip-firm-stellar-forecast-generative-ai-boom-4065627

Windows 11 is getting a previously rumored feature to give users centralized control over peripherals with RGB lighting. This was another of many revelations pertaining to Windows 11 at Microsoft’s Build conference, and was detailed in a lengthy blog post by Panos Panay, who’s Chief Product Officer for Windows and Devices. The feature is called Dynamic Lighting (in the Settings panel) and the promise is that Windows 11 will make it easy to “effortlessly set up and customize devices with RGB lights”. The ability to control all RGB lighting needs from one central Dynamic Lighting hub in Windows 11 is important, because as Panay observes, if you have multiple devices, it can be a real pain to install a bunch of apps from different manufacturers to deal with the lighting controls for those peripherals. We’re told that Dynamic Lighting will be going into testing later this month, meaning in the next week, so we’ll get to see it in action in Windows 11 preview builds soon enough. The workings of the feature were previously uncovered in testing back in February, so this addition is not a surprise. Analysis: Over the moon, or not interested – which are you? This is a feature you either won’t care about – if you’re not a gamer, or you hate RGB lighting and think it’s a load of showy nonsense – or you’ll be over the moon that it’s arriving. While it might not sound like a huge addition to Windows, we can’t underestimate what a boon it’ll be not to have to install multiple third-party apps to control lighting if you have, say, an RGB mouse, gaming keyboard, headset, and maybe some case lights, and so on – all from different vendors. Those various apps can add up to a lot of bloat for the system – particularly in the case of some of these clients, which can be worse offenders in terms of bogging down the system than others – and you can avoid all this with Windows 11’s RGB hub. Plus, of course, just having all the controls present in one handy settings panel is just so much more convenient than having to work across multiple RGB-related apps. With the feature entering testing imminently, we can hope to see the Dynamic Lighting hub inbound with the big 23H2 update later this year, where it’ll certainly help to liven up what’s threatening to be a bit of a yawn-fest currently. Via PC Gamer https://www.techradar.com/news/windows-11s-new-feature-for-pc-gamers-banishes-the-rgb-related-bloat

Microsoft today announced the rollout of its latest update package for Windows 11 2H23. Dubbed the Moment 3 update, Microsoft says it packed in a number of quality-of-life and feature improvements to several areas within Windows, including security support via Microsoft's Pluton, networking, privacy, and audio processing. The Moment 3 build is available now, and is currently being rolled out to users via May 24th's optional preview update for Windows 11 22H2. Most of Moment 3's updates seem to center or conveying more at-a-glance information to users. For example, the update introduces a glanceable VPN (Virtual Private Network) feature — essentially, Microsoft is adding a shield icon atop the user's active network connection (which is viewable in the taskbar by default). No shield means you're exposing certain identifiable elements from your system to the Internet. A widget overhaul will also provide a larger layout for user-pinned apps, add the option of displaying a personalized feed for easy access to news, as well as access to the users' pinned widget. Additionally, the Start menu will now show badge notifications when your account requires attention for some reason or another. Security is meant to be improved too, with Microsoft further integrating cloud security features with its Pluton Security Processor. For the more cautious minded, new app privacy settings will also allow users to manage access to presence sensor information and adjust features such as 'wake on approach' and 'lock on leave.' Perhaps the most intriguing bit with the Moment 3 update is that consumers will now have the option to isolate Win32 applications. Essentially, this means that any x32 app can be made to run on its own virtualized bubble, separate from your Operating System. Threats of any sort have trouble crossing those borders. As to accessibility, Microsoft is making a big push with its Live Captions feature (a system-level feature that enables the display of subtitles of any video or call content that's being played). In all, Microsoft is adding support for 10 additional languages and offering the service in 21 extra regions. Starting with the June 2023 feature drop update, the Live Captions experience expands to Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), French (France, Canada), German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese (Brazil, Portugal), Spanish, Danish, English (Ireland, other English dialects), and Korean. The Moment 3 changes will be turned off by default; it's up to users to enable them via a toggle in Windows Update settings. These features will then be enabled by default in June's optional update and in July's mandatory Patch Tuesday updates. Last but not least, native RAR support is finally being added to Windows. At the Microsoft Build developer conference the company announced that RAR support will be enabled in an upcoming update, along with other features such as native RGB lighting control. Microsoft says it will not only handle RAR files, but additional archive formats such as tar, 7-zip, GZ, and others, through the libarchive open-source project. We were hoping this feature would drop in the Moment 3 update, but that unfortunately doesn't seem to be the case. WinRAR lives on... for now. https://www.tomshardware.com/news/windows-11-moment-3-update-isolated-x32-apps-no-rar-support-yet