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Volkswagen has confirmed that it will reveal a California camper version of the Multivan later this year. Speaking at the company’s annual press conference, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles CEO Carsten Intra announced plans to grow the California brand. He said: “We want to expand the range around the business with our camper models and offer what people really like in our products - what we call the ‘California feeling’. “It includes digital services for the California community, new services to complement the purchase of a vehicle and the presentation of a new California vehicle based on the Volkswagen Multivan. This is what we are planning for later this year.” The Multivan California will replace the current Volkswagen California 6.1, which is based on the outgoing Transporter van. The only Transporter 6.1-based model still on sale in the UK, it is priced from £60,398. The Multivan signalled a shift in the brand’s commercial vehicle line-up, doing away with the Transporter’s underpinnings in favour of the MQB platform, which underpins most Volkswagen cars. Volkswagen has yet to confirm any details of the Multivan California, but it may become the only plug-in hybrid camper van on sale. The rival Mercedes-Benz V-Class Marco Polo and Ford Transit Custom Nugget are available with diesel engines only. As for the long-awaited Volkswagen ID Buzz California, Intra said this will arrive in 2025, following the release of a long-wheelbase model later this year. This LWB variant – slated to offer greater seating flexibility than the current model – will also be sold in the US. Volkswagen R&D boss Kai Gruenitz previously told Autocar that “it will have three rows and seven seats, and you can pull them all out of the back,” as well as rotating captain’s chairs. He also confirmed that a performance-focused ID Buzz GTX will also be revealed later this year, offering 335bhp and a bespoke interior. https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/new-volkswagen-multivan-california-confirmed-2023-reveal

More severe weather could be on its way to the US state of Mississippi following the tornadoes which killed 26 people, the governor has warned. Governor Tate Reeves said significant risks remained in parts of the state. Hundreds of people have been displaced in the wake of the tornadoes which tore through Mississippi and Alabama on Friday night. The mayor of one of the worst affected towns said he had lost personal friends in the disaster. Friday's tornado was the deadliest in the state of Mississippi in more than a decade. At least 25 people have died in the state, with one person confirmed dead in neighbouring Alabama. Trees have been uprooted, trucks have overturned into houses and power lines have been brought down by the tornado - classified as "violent" and given the second-highest rating possible. On Saturday, survivors of the disaster could be seen walking around, dazed and in shock. Sunday, on the other hand, has been a hive of activity. Volunteers, some coming from neighbouring Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee, have been helping with the clean-up operation. President Joe Biden has declared a state of emergency and deployed federal resources to help with the rescue and response in some of the worst-hit towns. The devastation is so great, it must be difficult to know where to begin. Crews are working to remove broken trees that are pinning down power lines, with thousands of people losing power during Friday's storm. Stations have been set up outside some of the few buildings still partially standing where people can collect water and sandwiches. But while local communities are grappling with the response, there are warnings of further severe storms to come. Speaking at a news conference convened in the western town of Rolling Fork, Governor Reeves said: "What we've seen, much like the storm that occurred Friday night, is in the 24-36 hours that are leading up to this afternoon, it appears that the risks seem to be getting worse and worse, not better. "And when you stand here and see this, what feels like a beautiful weather day in Mississippi, please be aware and please know: if you are south of I-55 in Mississippi today there are significant risks. We are prepared." The governor said it had been "heartbreaking" to see the loss and devastation caused by the twister, but said he was "damn proud to be a Mississippian" after seeing how locals had responded. "Because Mississippians have done what Mississippians do," he said. "In times of tragedy, in times of crisis, they stand up and they show up, and they're here to help themselves, help their neighbours." In the town of Rolling Fork, the extent of the devastation is still difficult to comprehend. As you approach the town from the south, you can clearly see the tornado's path. A straight line of trees have been stripped of their branches and uprooted, while others to either side are untouched. Debris is strewn across the acres of farmland that surround the town, where parts of buildings and vehicles were deposited. Mayor Eldridge Walker, also speaking at Sunday's news conference, said the town would come back "bigger and better than ever before" to rounds of applause from those who gathered. "I'm not only just the mayor of this community, but I've lost personal friends," he said. "I'm also the local funeral director - now I'm having to meet those who have lost loved ones and help them make it through." US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has pledged to help the people of Mississippi, "not just today but for the long haul". "It is inspiring to see the people of Mississippi come together... and the people of this country come together to assist those in dire need," he said. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65082746

Live Performance Title: Desolé (feat. Youppi) Signer Name:- Live Performance Location: - Official YouTube Link: Your Opinion About the Track (Music Video):

Music Title: Sia - Unstoppable (Lyrics) Signer: - Release Date: 27/03/23 Official Youtube Link: Informations About The Signer:- Your Opinion About The Track (Music Video):10/10

Former Prime Minister Liz Truss has been criticised by two former aides for choosing to submit a list of resignation honours. Ms Truss, who spent only 49 days in office, has put forward four people, the Sun and i reported. Tory party donor Jon Moynihan, aide Ruth Porter, ex-Vote Leave's Matthew Elliott and think tank boss Mark Littlewood are said to be on the list. A spokesman for Ms Truss said it would not be "appropriate" to comment. Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have called on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to block the move. I didn't do everything perfectly - Liz Truss Knighthood for Johnson's dad not wise - minister Guide to the Honours Any outgoing prime minister is able to recommend people for honours after they've resigned, although not all have chosen to. Allies say Ms Truss's list is "modest" but former aides are among those expressing anger that she is making any nominations at all. Two former advisers told the BBC they did not think she should be putting anybody forward, given her short time in office. One said they were "relieved to no longer be working for her and having to defend the indefensible". Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner called it a "list of shame", saying the former PM and her supporters "took a wrecking ball to the economy in a disastrous six-week premiership that has left millions facing mortgage misery". Wendy Chamberlain MP, the Lib Dems' chief whip, described the move as "truly remarkable", adding: "Rishi Sunak must block these honours immediately as allowing Truss to dish out positions of influence shows a stunning lack of humility." The BBC has not confirmed the names of those reported to be on the list. Mr Littlewood is director of the Institute of Economic Affairs, a free-market supporting think tank that was associated with Ms Truss and her former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng. Mr Elliott, who helped found the Taxpayers Alliance group, which campaigns for lower taxes, was chief executive of the main pro-Brexit campaign during the 2016 referendum. Ms Porter ran Ms Truss' Tory election leadership campaign and briefly served as her deputy chief of staff in No 10. The register of MPs' financial interests shows that Mr Moynihan donated £50,000 in two separate transactions to her Tory leadership campaign. It's unclear when Ms Truss' nominations would be assessed by the Cabinet Office, which is already considering nominations from Boris Johnson. King Charles is also expected to hand out honours to mark his coronation. Outgoing prime ministers can ask the monarch to bestow peerages, knighthoods, and other honours on any number of people of their choosing. Mr Cameron nominated 59 people for honours when he resigned, while Ms May nominated 51. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-65075328

A creepy portrait of a crocodile keeping a watchful, yellow eye from a mud pool is the grand prize winner of the 2022 World Nature Photography Awards (WNPA), which honored the most evocative shots from thousands of entries in a variety of categories. The photo was taken in Zimbabwe by Jens Cullmann of Germany, who won the award for World Nature Photographer of the Year and scooped top prize for Animal portraits.. "This photograph is the result of my staking out the largest pool in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe, at a time when an extended drought had reduced the pool to rapidly-drying mud," Cullmann told the WNPA(opens in new tab). "I had to be very careful not to disturb the crocodile, even though it was buried in dry mud. They will launch themselves with tremendous speed and power at any animal foolish enough to come too close." From underwater wonders to spectacular landscapes, here are the 2022 winners in each category. https://www.livescience.com/a-creepy-crocodile-and-glacial-guts-among-stunning-winners-from-nature-photography-competition

The Aston Martin DB11 could be renamed DB12 amid an extensive mechanical and technological overhaul, a new trademark filing has suggested. The British firm last week applied to trademark ‘DB12’ with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, for use on passenger cars and racing cars, toy and model cars and video games. Aston Martin said in a statement supplied to Autocar: “Aston Martin regularly files international trademark applications to protect names for possible future use.” New images captured by Autocar’s spy photographers show the updated DB11 testing on road and track, wearing a revised front fascia that appears to be inspired by the DBR22 speedster shown in August last year. Although it is otherwise a clear continuation of the existing DB11, which arrived seven years ago, the new version promises to be a modern proposition under the skin. Company chairman Lawrence Stroll previously said it will be more like an “all-new” car, bringing upgraded engines, gearboxes, suspension and, most importantly, an overhauled interior. “How can you have an Aston Martin that sells for £150,000 with three-year-old technology?” Stroll asked early last year, referring to the ageing Mercedes-Benz-derived trackpad system the DB11 has used since launch. An agreement with Mercedes-Benz meant Aston Martin could only use the German firm’s technology once it had been used in Mercedes models for three years – “a silly thing the previous management agreed to”, according to Stroll. He confirmed that the new car will get a touchscreen infotainment system, differentiated from Mercedes’ tech by “our own faces, our own voices – a proper English accent”. The choice between V8 and V12 models is likely to remain, with both subject to substantial revamps. The V12 was recently uprated to 759bhp for the swansong DBS 770 Ultimate, thanks to a 7% bump in turbo pressure and ignition tweaks. https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/reinvented-2024-aston-martin-db11-could-become-db12

Search and rescue efforts are under way after one of the deadliest tornadoes to have ever hit the US state of Mississippi. At least 24 people have died following Friday night's tornado, with more thought to be trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings. The twister caused devastation in several rural towns, tearing down trees and power lines. Several southern states are also braced for powerful storms. The storm system which ripped through Mississippi produced a tornado that has caused catastrophic damage to communities across the state. The biggest twister obliterated dozens of buildings in several small towns, flipping cars on their sides and toppling power lines. One of those small towns, Rolling Fork, located in Sharkey County in western Mississippi, has essentially been wiped out, according to its mayor. "My city is gone," Mayor Eldridge Walker told CNN. "But we're resilient and we're going to come back." He added that lots of families in his community were "affected and hurting", and all he could see was "devastation". Rolling Fork residents said windows were blown out of the back of their homes. Local resident Brandy Showah told CNN: "I've never seen anything like this... This was a very great small town, and now it's gone." Drone footage of Rolling Fork, shared with the BBC, shows the devastation inflicted on the town. Trucks and trees are shown piled on top of buildings, with detritus scattered over large areas. Cornel Knight told the Associated Press that he, his wife and their three-year-old daughter were at a relative's home in Rolling Fork and that it was "eerily quiet" just before the tornado struck. He said the sky was dark but "you could see the direction from every transformer that blew". He said the tornado struck another relative's house, where a wall collapsed and trapped several people inside. Mississippi state governor Tate Reeves is on his way to Sharkey County to meet with affected residents first hit by the tornado's fury. Sharing an update on Twitter, Mr Reeves described the situation as a "tragedy", writing: "We are blessed with brave, capable responders and loving neighbours. Please continue to pray." US President Joe Biden described the images coming out of Mississippi as "heartbreaking", adding that the federal government "will do everything we can to help". "We will be there as long as it takes. We will work together to deliver the support you need to recover," he said in a statement. It is not yet clear whether one or several tornadoes hit the area on Friday night. Although yesterday the National Weather Service warned that several tornadoes were forecast, it is possible the devastation was caused by a "skipping tornado" - a single twister that lifts from the surface only to touch down again. Sam Emmerson from the School of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma said that the "extremely high-calibre" tornado lofted debris above 30,000ft (9144m). One local weather forecaster, concerned at the strength of a tornado about to hit the town of Amory, momentarily paused his TV forecast to offer a prayer for the residents of the town. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65075276

Happy birthady!

Live Performance Title: Wiz Khalifa - See You Again ft. Charlie Puth [Official Video] Furious 7 Soundtrack Signer Name:- Live Performance Location: - Official YouTube Link: Your Opinion About the Track (Music Video):

Music Title: Ed Sheeran - Eyes Closed [Official Video] Signer: - Release Date: 25/03/23 Official Youtube Link: Informations About The Signer:- Your Opinion About The Track (Music Video):10/10

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Live Performance Title: سورة الكهف كاملة بصوت جميل جدا وبصوت هادئ ومريح الشيخ احمد العجمي 🌹❤ Signer Name:- Live Performance Location: - Official YouTube Link: Your Opinion About the Track (Music Video):

Music Title: Mc Artisan - Ballade (Prod By AWA Beatz) Signer: - Release Date: 24/03/23 Official Youtube Link: Informations About The Signer:- Your Opinion About The Track (Music Video):10/10

Fossils uncovered in Australia belong to a newfound species of extinct eagle that was big enough to pick up hobbit-size prey, like the fictional giant eagles in "The Lord of the Rings." An ancient hulk of an eagle that once soared over Australia shares similarities with the fictional giant eagles from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy epic "The Lord of the Rings," a new study on the extinct raptors shows. While the real-life giants weren't as enormous as their fictional counterparts (and almost definitely couldn't be ridden by a wizard), they were probably hefty enough to pick up hobbit-size prey with their colossal talons. The newfound species, named Gaff's powerful eagle (Dynatoaetus gaffae), was described from a collection of fossils found between 1959 and 2021 in a 56-foot-deep (17 meters) vertical cave in the state of South Australia. The bones, which include wings, legs, talons, a breastbone and a skull, reveal that the giant bird likely had talons measuring around 12 inches (30 centimeters) long and a wingspan of around 10 feet (3 meters), which makes it Australia's largest bird of prey on record, researchers wrote in a new study published March 15 in the Journal of Ornithology(opens in new tab). "It was humongous," study co-author Trevor Worthy(opens in new tab), a vertebrate paleontologist at Flinders University in Australia, said in a statement. It lived between 50,000 and 700,000 years ago and was likely the largest eagle on the planet at the time, he added. During the eagle's reign, Australia was filled with other giant creatures, including large flightless birds, giant kangaroos (Procoptodon sp.), massive monitor lizards (Varanus priscus) and bear-like marsupials (Diprotodon optatum). Researchers believe that D. gaffae could have preyed upon the infants or small and sickly individuals from these giant species. These prey could have been as large as living kangaroos, such as western gray kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus), which grow to be around 4.3 feet (1.3 m) tall. (For context, hobbits stood between 3 and 4 feet (0.9 to 1.2 m) tall, according to "The Lord of the Rings" books.) Despite its extraordinary size, D. gaffae was nowhere near as large as the giant eagles from "The Lord of the Rings," which had a wingspan of up to 75 feet (23 m) in the films by Peter Jackson, according to Wiki Fandom(opens in new tab). However, D. gaffae was more than twice the size of Australia's wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax), which is alive today and likely co-existed with D. gaffae before the larger eagle species went extinct. D. gaffae has a similar body shape to living eagles in the genus Spilornis, which includes six species living in Asia; the largest of these, the Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi), preys upon monkeys, lemurs and bats, as well as juvenile pigs and deer. D. gaffae and P. jefferyi both have large and powerful legs for their size, enabling them to attack and carry away large prey, study lead author Ellen Mather(opens in new tab), a doctoral candidate of paleontology at Flinders University, wrote in an article for Australasian Science(opens in new tab). Only two known species of extinct eagle were larger than D. gaffae: Gigantohierax suarezi, which hunted giant rodents in Cuba, and New Zealand's giant Haasts eagle (Hieraaetus moorei), which plunged headfirst into dead prey to eat the organs. Both of these species had wingspans similar to D. gaffae but were likely heavier. https://www.livescience.com/extinct-lord-of-the-rings-eagles-had-a-10-foot-wingspan-and-probably-could-have-carried-a-hobbit

The latest round of model-year updates for the F-Type will be the last as Jaguar gears up for an all-electric future. Production is expected to cease in early 2024, and that will mark the end not only of the F-Type but three-quarters of a century of the British brand building petrol-engined sports cars – a history that stretches all the way back to the XK120 of 1948. It’s a legacy of which Jaguar is rightly very proud. It's also a milestone that was too good to miss for Jag’s marketing department, and that largely explains the existence of the new F-Type 75. There has been little in the way of re-engineering here; this is effectively the same facelifted car that went on sale in 2020, save for a few software tweaks to meet the latest round of emissions standards. Instead, the F-Type 75 has what Jaguar describes as a ‘carefully curated’ specification. Gloss black 20in alloy wheels (five-spoke on this P450 and 10–spoke on the more powerful P575 R) fill the arches, while the badge on the grille has also been painted black (it was previously red). There’s more: Giola Green metallic paint (pictured) joins the colour palette, 12-way adjustable Windsor leather seats (heated and cooled) now come as standard and there’s a handful of F-Type silhouettes on the front wings, sill plates and dashboard. Nothing that’s going to elevate the F-Type above newer, more capable offerings, then, but this is a timely opportunity to reconsider if a generously equipped V8 F-Type is still a good buy (if you want a V8, it will be a 75 edition, although the 2.0-litre P300 remains on sale in lower-spec R-Dynamic form). The supercharged 5.0-litre engine is as strong as ever. We drove the 444bhp F-Type P450 Convertible in rear-wheel-drive form, understudy to the indecently rapid 567bhp P575 R. The lesser motor needs plenty of revs before really coming alive, but that just means you can leave your foot in for longer and enjoy the noise it makes. Since the introduction of a petrol particulate filter a few years back, driving an F-Type hard is no longer quite the eardrum-maiming experience it once was. These things are relative, though: this is still a hilariously loud car, especially with the sports exhaust turned up to full volume and particularly when there’s no roof getting in the way. It’s as quick as you would really want it to be, too, because the F-Type isn’t really the lightweight, nimble-footed type of sports car. With fluids and a driver, the Convertible P450 is knocking on the door of 1800kg (for context, the Porsche 718 Boxster GTS weighs 1480kg and the Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet 1650kg), and that conspires with other factors to prevent the Jag from conjuring the last word on outright agility and poise. Dial in Dynamic mode and you feel the suspension stiffen and the steering weight up, but there’s still a hint of softness about the handling responses that you wouldn’t experience in, say, the 911 Cabriolet. Crucially, though, while this does slow you down a bit along acutely meandering roads, it doesn’t detract from what’s fundamentally a playful and engaging experience. Despite those 20in rims, the F-Type 75 rides fairly quietly and, when the dampers are set to Normal mode, with a good degree of suppleness. Long distances are dispatched agreeably, where the softer side of the car’s chassis tune comes into its own. The tiny wind deflector between the roll hoops does an admirable job of keeping out bluster, too. If you’re tempted by the F-Type’s old-school charms, I reckon a hard or soft-top P450 in rear-drive form is the way to go. The range-topping R (especially the Coupé) is a more serious machine but also has a much more serious price tag of north of £100,000. That sort of money that would get you a lot of 911. Not that the P450 is exactly a bargain: it’s still priced well above the Boxster GTS. Discounts will narrow that gap significantly, though, and the F-Type’s more relaxed, easygoing nature, noisier (if not necessarily stronger) performance and enduring elegance gives it almost as much appeal today as a decade ago. https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/jaguar/f-type/first-drives/jaguar-f-type-convertible-75-p450-rwd

King Charles III's state visit to France has been postponed, after a request by President Emmanuel Macron, Downing Street says. France's Elysée Palace said the decision was taken due to a 10th day of pension protests planned on Tuesday. The trip to Paris and Bordeaux had been due to begin on Sunday, but France saw some of the worst violence on Thursday since demonstrations began in January. Buckingham Palace said the delay was due to the "situation in France". In a statement, it said: "Their Majesties greatly look forward to the opportunity to visit France as soon as dates can be found." The UK government added the decision had been "taken with the consent of all parties, after the President of France asked the British Government to postpone the visit". President Emmanuel Macron spoke to the King on Friday morning, the Elysée Palace said, adding the state visit would be rescheduled as soon as possible, "so that his majesty will be welcomed in conditions which correspond our friendly relationship". Several French cities saw violence on the sidelines of Thursday's largely peaceful protests that attracted more than a million people. The entrance to the town hall in Bordeaux was set alight. In the capital, tear gas was fired and Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said 903 fires were lit, in a city where refuse has been left uncollected since 6 March. For much of Friday morning, French officials had sought to reassure the public that the state visit, from 26 to 29 March, would take place and that security was in place. The King and Camilla were due to ride along the Champs-Elysées in the heart of Paris and have a banquet at Versailles with President Macron. The Queen Consort was due to open an art exhibition at the one of main Paris attractions, the Musée d'Orsay. They were then expected to head to Bordeaux. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said there were "no known threats" and Bordeaux Mayor Pierre Hurmic said the trip to his city had been adapted so it "can go ahead under the best security, so as not to expose the King to the slightest difficulty". But a TV interview that President Macron gave on the eve of Thursday's national action appeared to galvanise protesters when he described the government's reforms as an economic necessity, saying he was prepared to accept the resulting unpo[CENSORED]rity. His government decided on Monday to force through the reforms, which raise the pension age from 62 to 64 and extend contributions by workers to 43 years. As the president and prime minister realised they would struggle to pass the law in the National Assembly, they resorted to a constitutional power to bypass a vote. "I listened to Macron yesterday and it was as if someone was spitting in our face," said Adèle, a 19-year-old law student in Nanterre. "For this pension reform, there is another way and if he doesn't do that, it's because he's not listening to the people. There's a clear lack of democracy," she told the BBC. The protests in France made the trip impossible, not just the security implications but the optics. It could have been potentially embarrassing for both the King and the president if protests had taken place in view of the royal entourage. The King and Camilla were due to travel from France to Germany on Wednesday and it is now thought Charles's first state visit will begin in Berlin. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-65064510