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It seems like Intel’s cutting prices across the board for its 10th generation processors, hitting AMD hard while the company deals with low Ryzen 5000 series stock and capacity competition at TSMC that's exacerbated by a shortage of chip packaging materials. Normally, Intel’s processors tend to cost more than AMD’s, but according to the latest listings for the company’s 10th generation CPUs, that trend appears to have reversed for now. Take the excellent Intel Core i7-10700F processor, which is currently $229 at Amazon. On January 30th, less than a month ago, the price was $315, and it’s been steadily falling since. Joining it in this trend is the more modest but still powerful Core i5-10400F, which is just $159 at Amazon right now and an even lower $142 at Staples. And these two impressive cuts aren't the only Intel processor deals you'll find right now. The Intel 10th generation series (or Comet Lake as it’s known more unofficially) is still Intel’s best desktop CPU line despite being older than Ryzen 5000 (or Zen 3) by several months. And even if the chips are a touch more outdated, Intel has its own factories that help assure they've got plenty of availability right now, while it's still hard to buy Ryzen 5000 series chips. That makes these deals especially tasty, even if Intel’s Rocket Lake chips will probably push 10th gen out of the limelight by the end of the quarter. And given that Rocket Lake chips will still be made with a 14nm process, we’re still not sure how much they will improve over their predecessors. Despite being older, Intel’s 10th generation of chips also still performs well when compared to Zen 3. The discounted Core i7-10700F matched the $299 Ryzen 5 5600X, which tops our list of the best CPUs, in our testing, while the Core i9-10900KF beat the Ryzen 7 5800X. The Core i9-10900KF is also on sale on Amazon right now, down to $450, which is the same price as the 5800X. Even with a new CPU generation approaching, it’s unlikely that these stores could sell so many chips at such a high discount without at least some support from Intel. And it makes sense why Intel would want to offer that support. Not only is this a rare opportunity that the brand to capitalize on being the cheaper option, but for many buyers, it’s also the only option that’s available right now without resorting to buying from scalpers. In fact, Intel recently clawed back market share from AMD for the first time in three and a half years by focusing on lower-priced chips that sell in high volume. AMD has its fans, but if you can get an Intel chip that performs better or just as well without needing to wait for more stock to come in, it becomes tempting to jump ship.

Six Days in Fallujah, the controversial shooter set during the Iraq War, is finally coming out, nearly 12 years after it was first announced. According to a news release from the game’s publisher, the tactical game will be based on true stories gathered from members of the military as well as Iraqi civilians who lived through the Second Battle of Fallujah in 2004. Developing the title is Highwire Games, a company created by Jaime Griesemer, game designer for the Halo and Infamous franchises. He’s joined by Marty O’Donnell, audio director and composer on Halo and Destiny, as well as by Bungie’s former design director, character, vehicle, and weapon artists. The team also includes Jared Noftle, co-founder of Airtight Games (Murdered: Soul Suspect, Dark Void). Victura, a company founded by former Bungie vice president Peter Tamte, will publish the game. Tamte was also involved in the original version of Six Days in Fallujah. Six Days in Fallujah was originally announced in 2009. At the time, it was in development as a third-person shooter at Atomic Games for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows PC, and Konami planned to publish it. Shortly after the game’s original announcement, however, multiple groups came forward to criticize the concept of the game. That backlash, which made the rounds of international media, eventually led to publisher Konami dropping out. “After seeing the reaction to the video game in the United States and hearing opinions sent through phone calls and e-mail, we decided several days ago not to sell it,” a Konami spokesperson told Japanese newspaper Asahi at the time. Atomic Games shuttered in 2011, after releasing the game Breach. Highwire Games’ version of Six Days in Fallujah is coming to unspecified console and PC platforms in 2021. It will be a tactical first-person military shooter. The city of Fallujah was originally taken and held by the United States military during the early weeks of the 2003 Iraq War. In 2004 the city became a hot spot, drawing in fighters from around the country and beyond. Fighting there cost countless civilians and insurgents their lives. The fractious state eventually led to the death of several private military contractors from Blackwater USA, their bodies mutilated and dragged through the streets. The image of their corpses hung from a bridge were widely shared by the international press, helping to make the city a focal point of the occupation. A siege of the city in April 2004, known as the First Battle of Fallujah, proved inconclusive. Coalition forces — which included U.S., British, and Iraqi units — redoubled their efforts in November of that year with Operation Phantom Fury. Also known as the Second Battle of Fallujah, official records indicate more than 13,000 ground troops faced off against approximately 4,000 dug-in insurgents. Thousands more civilians were trapped in between. The result was some of the fiercest urban fighting for Western forces since the 1968 Battle of Huế in Vietnam — and an estimated 800 civilian deaths, according to the International Red Cross. The engagement is mired in conflict, not the least of which is the contested legality of the Iraq War itself. Firsthand accounts indicate that Coalition forces prevented military-aged males from leaving the city ahead of the Second Battle of Fallujah, thereby contributing to civilian deaths. Others maintain that white phosphorus munitions were used as offensive weapons in combination with high explosives, which could put Western forces at odds with the modern rules of war. “Sometimes the only way to understand what’s true is to experience reality for yourself,” said former Marine Sergeant Eddie Garcia, who was quoted in Thursday’s news release. Garcia originally proposed the idea for Six Days in Fallujah in 2005. Not only did he participate in the battle, but was wounded during the fighting. “War is filled with uncertainty and tough choices that can’t be understood by watching someone on a TV or movie screen make these choices for you,” Garcia continued. “Video games can help all of us understand real-world events in ways other media can’t.” In a nod to Six Days in Fallujah’s past controversies, developers issued the following statement in addition to their news release. Throughout history, we’ve tried to understand our world through stories of events that happened to somebody else. Six Days in Fallujah asks that you solve real-life challenges from one of this century’s toughest battles for yourself. We believe that trying to do something for ourselves can help us understand not just what happened, but why it happened the way it did. Video games can create insight and empathy in ways other media cannot. More than 100 Marines, Soldiers, and Iraqi civilians have shared their stories with us, so you can participate in them through this unique, interactive medium. We hope that experiencing their extraordinary “moments of truth” will give each of us a new perspective into a conflict that has shaped so much of our century, as well as the people who have sacrificed so much because of it.

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As reported by CNN, Demian Flowers, an automotive analyst at Commerzbank, says that Apple is more likely to attain a relationship with a smaller automaker than a large one with its Apple Car project. The analyst says that any automaker who does partner with Apple on an electric vehicle will most likely not benefit from the company's software advancements. "Apple will not help the company that ends up doing this ... Apple will not share anything. The only benefit you'll get from Apple is the volumes." Flowers also cast doubt on the idea of a potential partnership with Volkswagon, noting that VW is already on a path to creating its own operating system for its electric vehicle ambitions. "Volkswagen wants to develop their own autonomous driving software, they want to create their own operating system. They want control over their own data. They want to compete with the tech guys, the Teslas of this world and anybody else who comes along ... Then you ask them, 'Will you, Volkswagen, be the contract manufacturer to a tech guy?' I just don't think they're going to agree." Jürgen Pieper, an analyst at the German bank Metzler, says that smaller automakers who do not have the resources to develop their own self-driving technology might be a better fit for Apple. While Hyundai recently said its talks with Apple have ended, Pieper floated Honda, Nissan, Stellantis, and BMW as four other possibilites. "Maybe BMW sees it a bit differently, saying, 'OK, at some point we have to accept that Apple is entering the auto business, and if that is happening, we want to be the partner instead of anybody else,' " said Pieper. The rumors continue to swirl around who might become Apple's partner in manufacturing its electric, autonomous vehicle. Just today, JP Morgan pointed to Renault as a potential partner to the company. Microsoft has announced that widgets are now live for Microsoft To Do on the iPhone. The Legend of Zelda's 35th anniversary is just around the corner. What would be a better way to celebrate it than Nintendo porting some of our favorites in the franchise onto the Nintendo Switch? A new bill introduced in North Dakota could see Apple forced to allow other App Stores and payment methods on its iOS devices, something the company says would destroy the iPhone as we know it. Stop trying to stuff a big bulky iPhone case into your jeans pocket! Slim cases can provide protection and convenience with an easy-to-manage profile and lightweight design. Check out our picks for the best thin cases for the iPhone 12.

“Mama, is Valentine’s Day cancelled this year?” My daughter’s innocent question is like an arrow to my heart. I’ve been separated from my husband for six months, and the hurt is still fresh, so there’s a big part of me that wishes it was. “No, sweetheart,” I say, kneeling down in front of her and giving her a hug. “Why would you think that?” “Well, if I don’t go back to school, how will I give my cards out to my friends?” Good question. 2020 may be over, but the pandemic isn't. Not by a long shot. She's supposed to return to in-class learning before Feb. 14, but it seems highly unlikely given the way our COVID-19 numbers are looking. ALSO SEE: Gigi Hadid gets candid about home birth: 'I was an animal woman' Since this is also my first Valentine’s Day as a single mom, I’ve decided to rebrand it in my mind and make it all about me and my daughter. I want to start a new tradition and celebrate our strong bond, and how we’ve grown closer during the time she spends at my house, which is about half the week. “We’re going to have our own Valentine’s party at home!” I finally answer her. “It’s going to be so much fun!” She looks at me, baffled. “But how? Who’s going to come?” My smile is a little wobbly, but I soldier on. “We’re going to create our own kind of celebration this year. Since it’ll just be me and you, I thought we could do something new. Valentine’s Day doesn’t just have to be about flowers and fancy dinners for grown-ups. That’s what Papa and I used to do, but this year I want to do something extra-special with my favourite girl—you!” “OK,” she says slowly. “So, what are we going to do?” “Lots of cool things, like a Valentine’s treasure hunt,” I tell her, not wanting to give too much away. “But you’re going to have to wait for the rest. It’s a surprise."

All schools in the St. John's area will close Thursday for at least two weeks, amid an explosive outbreak of COVID-19 in the metro region. The Newfoundland and Labrador English School District announced Wednesday afternoon that it is suspending in-class instruction and extracurricular activities for all schools in the St. John's metro area, as well as those in Bell Island, Mobile and Witless Bay. The board said its decision comes on the advice of public health officials. Students will remain at home from Feb. 11 to Feb. 26. Teachers are required to report to schools and begin online instruction, beginning Thursday for high school students, Friday for intermediate students and Monday for primary students. Almost 100 people have been confirmed positive in the region since Monday, many of them under 20 years old. On Wednesday, shortly after the school board announced its decision, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald announced 53 cases, a one-day record for the province. The province's French school district said classes at École des Grands Vents and École Rocher-du-Nord are suspended until March 1. There is no mention in the statement that students in those schools will switch to online learning. Late Wednesday afternoon, College of the North Atlantic said it was closing its three St. John's-area campuses: Seal Cove, Ridge Road, and Prince Philip Drive (including the Anna Templeton Centre and Topsail Road Office). The child care centre at the Prince Philip Drive campus will stay open. Programs will move online starting Feb. 15 and will stay online until March 8. Students can collect their personal items on Thursday, Feb. 11 only. Dean Ingram, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers' Association, says he's pleased the decision has been made to close schools, but would have liked to have seen the decision made earlier. "Students and staff don't live their lives in a school bubble. Our metro area schools are so interconnected, that's a reality that has to be considered in our response and any decision-making around this situation," he said. Ingram's comments come after days of the union asking why elementary and middle schools in the region remained one of the few areas untouched by the measures. More than 7,100 students were already out of class for two days, ahead of Wednesday's announcement. Two private schools in St. John's had also cancelled their classes for the rest of the week and moved online. Ingram pointed to Fitzgerald's comments encouraging those who can work from home to do so, and said that government has bought laptops and other equipment that would allow teachers to do that. "Teachers teach students. If students aren't physically present in the classroom, and those same teachers are fully equipped to work from home, I'm at a loss as to think about why government wouldn't want to seize the opportunity to limit the number of people who are moving around and interacting," he said. When asked in Wednesday's briefing why teachers could not conduct classes from home, Furey did not provide a specific answer. "This is an evolving situation.… I'm sure there will be flexibility," he said. Another union echoed the NLTA sentiment. Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees president Jerry Earle said in an interview that many union members who could work from home — not just teachers — were required to report to their workplaces on Wednesday morning. "Every worker has to be considered now, in this metro area, to get this under control," Earle said. "These people are not asking to stop working. They're asking to work remotely." School district CEO Tony Stack says moving classes online now is "the right thing to do," and teachers and schools are ready to make the switch. "We totally support Dr. Fitzgerald and her team and the decision here, the recommendation to us, we adhered to it," he said. "We planned for this, we provided training to our teachers, all schools have developed their own-site specific plans for virtual learning. We hoped we'd never have to use them, but here we are." Stack said the move away from in-person instruction won't be without some glitches and will be a big adjustment for teachers, students and families, but he said it is very possible for students to learn online. Stack said schools have already distributed computers and other equipment to families who need it and are ready to address issues for other families, but he doesn't expect problems with internet access to be as significant in the St. John's area as in some rural regions. He said it was always part of the provincial plan to have teachers in schools if classes moved online, especially because there will still be a very small number of students who will still have to be in school, but he is confident that the vast majority of children will still learn well online. "We have every confidence and trust in our school administrators who have planned this, who've prepared for this. Their leadership has been exemplary," he said. "And the teachers, the brilliant teachers, that we know are totally focused on doing the very best they can for students, we have every confidence and faith that that will occur and while it won't replicate face-to-face instruction, we can still have some pretty good learning happening." Students have also spoken out since community transmission was confirmed in the St. John's area, detailing their worries and anxieties about a potential return to the classroom. The entire scenario has a sense of déjà vu, with numbers of active cases and single-day counts paralleling the spring of 2020's initial COVID-19 outbreak. In the face of that, one psychologist said people should take heart from the knowledge gained last year. "We have been through it, and we know so much more than we did last April," said Dr. Janine Hubbard, adding that testing, personal protective equipment and sanitization protocols are now well established. For anyone feeling overwhelmed, she said, it could help to take deep breaths, stop "doomscrolling" — the practice of surfing or scrolling through troubling or depressing news online — and chart through lessons learned from last spring. "Reflect on what went well, what didn't go so well for me. What are the things that, had I known then, I would've done differently?" she said. Hubbard advised parents to talk to their teenagers candidly to fully understand their movements, their contacts and their fears. "Listen, support, validate, don't judge," she said. "What they may be really worried about might not be something you think is of major consequence, but for them, it's a big deal."

India exported military hardware and equipment worth over Rs 34,000 crore in the last five years, according to details provided by the government in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Replying to a question, Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik said the total exports by both private and defence public sector undertakings were worth Rs 2059.18 crore in 2015-16 while the number came down to Rs 1521.91 crore in 2016-17. However, the exports of military hardware went up to Rs 4682.36 crore in 2017-18 and further jumped to Rs 10745.77 crore in 2018-19. The amount for 2019-20 was 9115.55 crore while it was Rs 6288.26 crore in the current fiscal till January 31, according to Naik. Naik said export authorisation has been granted for torpedo loading mechanism, night vision monocular and binocular, light weight torpedo and fire control systems, armoured protection vehicle, weapons locating radar and coastal surveillance radar among others. To a separate question, he said FDI inflows of over Rs 4,191 crore have been reported by various companies operating in the defence and aerospace sector. "Further, FDI inflows of over Rs 2871 crores have been reported in defence and aerospace sector after 2014," he said. Responding to another query, Naik said a total of 124 Main Battle Tank (MBT) Arjun Mark-1 have been inducted into the Indian Army since 2008 and two armoured regiments are fully operational with these tanks. "The DRDO has further developed upgraded MBT Arjun Mark-1A tank. This upgraded MBT Arjun Mark-1A tank has cleared validation trials in December, 2018," he added. The minister said out of a total of 191 defence capital acquisition deals in the last three years, 118 contracts have been placed with the Indian industry. "Further, 58 per cent of total expenditure on capital acquisition in the last three years has been made on indigenous procurement," he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

By Tracy Rucinski and Niket Nishant (Reuters) - Electric aircraft startup Archer will go public through a merger with a blank-check company backed in a deal valued at around $3.8 billion and backed by an order and investment from United Airlines, among the first major airlines to commit to the purchase of air taxis. The deal with Atlas Crest Investment Corp, announced on Wednesday, is expected to provide $1.1 billion to the company which makes electric aircraft with vertical take-off and landing. Archer and Atlas Crest said the proceeds include a $600 million private investment from United Airlines Holdings Inc, Stellantis, investment banker Ken Moelis and Mubadala Capital, the investment arm of Abu Dhabi's state investor Mubadala Investment Co. The deal is the latest in an increasingly crowded market dominated mostly by aerospace companies and tech start-ups trying to cash in on industry efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Archer said it had an order from United Airlines worth $1 billion and an option for an additional $500 million of aircraft. United said separately that it was teaming up with regional carrier Mesa Airlines to buy 200 Archer eVTOL aircraft that would take people from cities to airports within the next five years. "Given that the entire electric aircraft market is in its infancy, needless to say it will take time to refine the product and get the regulatory approvals," Raymond James analysts said. Palo Alto-based Archer was launched in May last year and is backed by Marc Lore, former chief executive officer of Walmart eCommerce U.S. The company said it is developing an electric aircraft that can travel up to 60 miles at 150 miles per hour. A blank-check company, or a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), is a shell company that uses capital raised through an initial public offering to buy a private firm, thereby taking it public. They have gained po[CENSORED]rity as an alternative to public markets for companies seeking to avoid a traditional IPO. Moelis-led Atlas Crest raised $500 million in its IPO in October. The veteran banker founded investment firm Moelis & Co in 2007, since when it has advised on more than $3.5 trillion worth of transactions. Moelis also served as the president of UBS Investment Bank. (Reporting by Niket Nishant and Tracy Rucinski; Editing by Maju Samuel and David Gregorio)

World of Warcraft: Shadowlands has been pretty great so far, but if there's one thing players seem to agree on it's that getting endgame gear is kind of a slog—especially if you're only focused on PvE activities like dungeons and raids. When we spoke to game director Ion Hazzikostas a few weeks ago for our feature on the state of World of Warcraft, he mentioned it was one of the biggest pieces of feedback Blizzard was looking to address. And, yesterday, Blizzard unveiled one of the ways it's hoping to make endgame gear a little easier in the upcoming 9.0.5 update. If you haven't been keeping up with Shadowlands (you should, it's good), its gear system is a big departure from previous expansions like Battle for Azeroth. Gear used to be a lot more plentiful but most of it was trash unless you were lucky enough to get a 'warforged' item, which would magically increase its level by a significant amount. In Shadowlands, though, Blizzard dialed back that randomness in favor of fewer but more meaningful loot drops. Coupled with new systems like a Great Vault that gives you a choice of very powerful pieces of gear each week for completing specific objectives, it's a pretty good system—on paper, at least. Now that players are elbow deep in Shadowlands' endgame grind, they're starting to realize that the rewards from PvE activities like dungeons and raids just isn't comparable to other sources of gear like PvP. In grueling Mythic+ dungeons where WoW players have to race against a timer and a rotating set of deadly monster abilities, the rewards were particularly unfit for the challenge. "We’ve seen a lot of feedback about the pros and cons of the various sources of gear in the Shadowlands endgame," Blizzard community manager Kaivax wrote in yesterday's blog post. "After a rewarding first few weeks, we know that many dungeon-focused players reached a point where the only relevant rewards from the system come from the Great Vault. While the Vault should represent a major goal and the source of the best rewards the endgame has to offer, we want to find a way for the loot from the chest at the end of a challenging [Mythic+] run to feel relevant, without bringing back random upgrade systems." Not only was any gear that dropped from bosses rarely an upgrade, but players would also receive a pithy amount of Anima, the main resource needed to upgrade your undead gang hideout in Shadowlands. Players quickly learned that other activities, like WoW's PvP modes, were a much better way to earn the gear they needed to push further into its endgame challenges. As Kaivax explains, Blizzard is hoping to change that in update 9.0.5 by bringing Valor points back. Initially introduced during Catacylsm, Valor points are a currency that players earn from completing Mythic+ dungeons that can be spent to upgrade Mythic+ gear. This way, even if the loot you get during a dungeon isn't better than what you already have, you can spend Valor points to upgrade your gear and get stronger. There will be an initial cap on how high you can upgrade your Mythic+ gear, but that can be increased by earning achievements. For completing every Mythic+ dungeon with a +5 Keystone (which ups the difficulty), you can increase the item level cap from 200 to 207. If you beat every Mythic+ dungeon with a +10 Keystone, that cap jumps to 213. And if you're really skilled and manage to beat every dungeon with a +15 Keystone, you can upgrade your dungeon gear all the way to item level 220. That's equal to the best loot from the Heroic-difficulty version of Castle Nathria, which is pretty dang good. This comes in addition to a hotfix earlier this week that increased the amount of Anima earned from dungeons. And while no changes were made to raid gear, which faces a similar problem, Hazzikostas did say the development team is looking at solutions. It'll just take a bit longer to figure out the right approach. Valor points aren't live on the main Shadowlands branch just yet. The 9.0.5 update just hit test servers and is expected to launch for real in March.

BMW said it generated more cash than expected last year, joining German peer Volkswagen in posting upbeat preliminary earnings after sustaining their recovery from coronavirus disruptions. Automotive free cash flow rose to 2.8 billion euros ($3.4 billion) in the final three months of 2020, almost double the year-earlier period, BMW said in a statement Wednesday. The company reiterated that margins will be at the higher end of a range of as much as 3 percent. BMW and VW's sales both rebounded after the first half of last year, with demand coming back particularly strong in China. Still, coronavirus lockdowns weighed on full-year shipments, and Daimler's Mercedes-Benz maintained its leadership of the global luxury-car segment for a fifth consecutive year. While BMW is doing well in China -- its largest market -- the automaker is under growing pressure there as upstarts including Tesla, Nio and Li Auto gain share. BMW is responding to the threat by expanding its electric offerings, with the iX SUV and the i4 sedan expected to go on sale this year and in 2022, respectively. BMW also benefited from better-than-expected results from remarketing used cars, a segment bolstered by consumers seeking alternatives to public transport because of the pandemic. That market, along with what the company called "focused" management of inventories, helped increase free cash flow to about 3.4 billion euros last year. The company this week was among a group of 42 companies approved to get about 2.9 billion euros in state aid for battery projects that will strengthen Europe’s position in the race to produce more electric vehicles. BMW also will invest a three-digit million euro amount in internet marketing and sales processes as it bets online purchasing will help compensate for pandemic-related dealership closures in its major markets. The company is scheduled to publish detailed full-year earnings on March 17.

Gisele Bundchen congratulated husband Tom Brady on his historic Super Bowl victory – and said she is now looking forward to some quiet time with the athlete. Brady, 43, led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 31-9 success over the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL’s showpiece game. It was the star quarterback’s seventh Super Bowl victory over an unprecedented career. Brazilian model Bundchen, Brady’s wife of 12 years, shared pictures from the big day, including family snaps of the couple on the field with their children. “Congratulations Bucs for an incredible team win last night!!!,” the 40-year-old captioned the post. “A lot of people didn’t believe you could do it, but you all showed that with time, dedication, trust in one another and with teamwork anything is possible. “Congratulations my love! Over the years I have seen you overcome so much adversity, physically and emotionally.” Bundchen and Brady posed on the field after the game with their children Benjamin Rein, 11, and daughter Vivian Lake, eight, as well as Brady’s 13-year-old son John. Bundchen praised her husband for his hard work and “waking up extra early every day to deal with the bumps and bruises of playing football” before joking she is excited to have him home before the start of the next season. She wrote: “I am so proud of the man you are and I am so happy to see the smile on your face every time you get to go out there and throw that ball. Now, we are so happy that we get to have you home for a little while (well, at least until next season) You have earned all your success! Te amo.”

Usually, Professor Georgios Babiniotis would take pride in the fact that the Greek word “pandemic” – previously hardly ever uttered – had become the word on everyone’s lips. After all, the term that conjures the scourge of our times offers cast-iron proof of the legacy of Europe’s oldest language. Wholly Greek in derivation – pan means all, demos means people – its usage shot up by more than 57,000% last year according to Oxford English Dictionary lexicographers. But these days, Greece’s foremost linguist is less mindful of how the language has enriched global vocabulary, and more concerned about the corrosive effects of coronavirus closer to home. The sheer scale of the pandemic and the terminology spawned by its pervasiveness have produced fertile ground for verbal incursions on his mother tongue that Babiniotis thought he would never see. “We have been deluged by new terms and definitions in a very short space of time,” he told the Observer. “Far too many of them are entering spoken and written Greek. On the television you hear phrases such as ‘rapid tests are being conducted via drive-through’, and almost all the words are English. It’s as if suddenly I’m hearing Creole.” With nine dictionaries to his name, the octogenarian is the first to say that language evolves. The advent of the internet also posed challenges, he concedes, but he has never opposed adding new words that translated and conveyed technological advances. “I included them in the Lexicon,” he says of his magisterial 2,500-page dictionary of modern Greek language. “But where possible, I also insisted that if they could be replaced by Greek words they should. I came up with the word diadiktyo for the internet and am glad to say it has stuck.” Almost no tongue has been spoken as continuously as Greek, used without respite in roughly the same geographical region for 40 centuries. Its influence, as the language of the New Testament and as a vehicle of thought for golden age playwrights, scientists and philosophers, helped it withstand the test of time. But Babiniotis, a former education minister, worries that the resilience that has marked Greek’s long history is at risk of being eroded by an onslaught of English terms that now dominate everyday life. In the space of a year, he says, Greeks have had to get their heads, and tongues, around words such as “lockdown”, “delivery”, “click away”, “click-and-collect” and “curfew”. As shopping restrictions in Greece were reinforced on Friday against a backdrop of infection rates rising again, click inside – a system allowing consumers to enter shops if they have made an appointment beforehand – was also introduced by officials desperate to keep the pandemic-hit retail sector going. “There has to be some moderation,” Babiniotis sighs, lamenting that even government announcements are now replete with the terminology. “We have a very rich language. As the saying goes, ‘the Greeks must have a word for it.’ Lockdown, for example, could be perfectly easily translated.” There was a certain mentality, he said, that had enabled English to flourish in places it shouldn’t be. “Ever more shops are carrying English-language signage as a way, I’m afraid, of having greater sales and outreach. Instead of artopoieio, Greek for bakery, we’re seeing shops calling themselves ‘bread factories’, while barbers are now ‘hairdressers’. Next we’ll have ‘hair stylists!’ It won’t stop.” This is not the first time that a war of words has erupted over Greek. Arguments over the language, between proponents of change and traditionalists advocating a return to its Attic purity as a means of reviving the golden age, go back to the first century BC. Controversy continued through 400 years of Ottoman rule, becoming especially explosive in the run up to the war of independence in 1821. The struggle over whether purist Greek, or katharevousa, officially inducted as the language of the state after the revolution, should prevail over demotiki, the commonly spoken vernacular, raged until 1976 when demotic officially replaced it. “For Greeks, language has always been a sensitive issue,” says Babiniotis. “I know what I say troubles some, but it is the duty of a linguist to speak out.” Babiniotis’s protestations have been fodder for cartoonists and the butt of debate. But he is not alone. The emergence of “Greenglish” – Greek written with English letters – as an unofficial e-language since the arrival of the internet has also sparked alarm. Facebook groups have emerged, deploring the phenomenon. “A lot of youngsters use it to message one another because they think it’s easier,” says Susanna Tsouvala at the Polyglot Bookstore, which specialises in foreign language textbooks in central Athens. “Spelling’s easier and they don’t have to use the accents required in Greek, but ultimately it’s going to be our language’s loss.” For many, book publishers have become the last line of defence. At Patakis, one of the country’s most established publishers, inclusion of foreign words in any work is carefully monitored. “Books are guardians of the language,” insists Elena Pataki, whose family-run firm publishes books for all ages. “We recently published a business book about family-owned enterprises and made a conscious choice to limit references to foreign terms.” Babiniotis has a point, she says. “Why should Greeks in their 90s have to understand English to go and shop? The pandemic has produced a global language for a global problem. My hope is when this is over, we’ll hit delete and forget all these words.” • This article was amended on 31 January 2021. Due to an editing error, an earlier version misspelled the Greek word for internet. The word for bakery was also misspelled as “artopeio”.

Motherboard vendors are reportedly releasing revised H410 and B460 motherboards with the H470 chipset to provide Rocket Lake support. This tactic allows them to circumvent Intel's new rules, which only supports Rocket Lake chips on Z490 and H470 motherboards while not allowing support on H410 and B460. Intel's incoming 11th-Gen Rocket Lake processors continue to use the LGA1200 socket and are backward compatible with some, but not all, 400-series chipsets. Owners of Z490 and H470 motherboards can access Rocket Lake with a simple firmware upgrade provided by the vendor. Lamentably, H410 and B460 owners are out of luck, and it's not because Intel decided to maliciously lock out Rocket Lake support for the two budget chipsets. The H410 and B460 do not support Rocket Lake processors, and the chipsets are based on an older 22nm process node. To bypass the limitation, motherboard manufacturers would basically have to sneak in the H470 chipset into their H410 and B460 motherboards to provide Rocket Lake compatibility. However, they will continue to market the products as H410 and B460. Gigabyte appears to be one of the motherboard vendors that will use the tactic. The company has already listed the H410M DS2V V2 and H410M S2H V2 that leveraged the H470 chipset, which is ironic. Since Gigabyte has already prepared the motherboards, we assume that Intel doesn't have a problem with vendors pulling this trick. However, if Intel doesn't expressly approve the tactic, it wouldn't be the first time that motherboard vendors have bent the rules, as we saw when MSI enabled overclocking on locked SKUs in the past. Here's some other food for thought. With the 500-series chipset, Intel has increased the DMI link from the chipset to the processor from the previous x4 to a x8 connection. The wider DMI link improves the bandwidth available to devices that are connected to the chipset. The kicker is that the B560 and H510 chipsets retain the x4 connection. We're not saying that it will happen, but it's not unreasonable to think that motherboard vendors could potentially enable the x8 link for the B560 and H510 motherboards through a similar technique. We know that sometimes product revisions don't always live up to what they pretend to be. However, we're all in favor if they're for the benefit of the consumer. In this case, the revised H410 and B460 motherboards provide a cost-effective upgrade path for users that want to jump on the Rocket Lake train, but don't want to spend too much on a 500-series motherboard.

The most tenacious mascot from the fifth generation of consoles got his first new game in over a decade last year, in the form of Crash Bandicoot 4. Reviews were overall positive, a rarity for modern 3D platformers, with our friends at GameRadar calling it "a sequel with smarts and style." But in keeping with Activision's habit of delaying some of its mascot-oriented games on PC, we hadn't had confirmation it would arrive on our platform, until now. The PC version was confirmed in a press release issued today spruiking the forthcoming PS5, Series X and Switch ports. It'll release exclusively on Battle.net, though we'll have to wait until "a later date" for more information, including its actual release date. That will be in 2021, and it's likely the game will support all the features confirmed for new-gen consoles, including 4K and at least 60fps. In keeping with the old '90s console games Crash 4 offers up a stiff challenge, but a host of quality of life upgrades supplement that difficulty, thankfully. While you wait, you could always check out the warts-and-all remakes of the original trilogy, which Andy was a little lukewarm on. Activision is also promising "tons of fur-tastic festivities" in 2021, though whether that means a new game, an expansion of this one, or just some marketing stuff... who knows. Shaun is PC Gamer’s Australian editor and news writer. He mostly plays platformers and RPGs, and keeps a close eye on anything of particular interest to antipodean audiences. He (rather obsessively) tracks the movements of the Doom modding community, too.

As BMW enthusiasts, ALPINA holds a special place in our hearts. While the majority of the car buying public is completely unaware of its existence, especially here in the U.S., ALPINA is one of the great auto manufacturers in the world. It may not develop its cars from the ground up but, make no mistake — ALPINA is an auto manufacturer and a damn good one at that. In this new piece by George Kacher for Car Magazine, you get to learn the ins and outs of ALPINA, a bit about its history and the future of the brand. It’s actually one of the more interesting small auto manufacturers in the world. Much like AMG with Mercedes-Benz, ALPINA started off as an official tuner of BMWs. It began when Burkard Bovensiepen developed a Weber dual-carburetor conversion kit for the BMW 1500, back in 1962. Now, ALPINA officially works alongside BMW, with most of the production of ALPINAs vehicles being done by BMW but to ALPINA’s specification. ALPINAs have always been more powerful than the standard production BMWs on which they’ve been based. While most ALPINA products are just as powerful as BMW’s M Division variants, they’re a different flavor of car altogether. Rather than the motorsport-inspired precision of the M Division, ALPINAs have always been more luxurious, more usable everyday, while also still having a special magic to their handling that makes them superior to their standard BMW counterparts. Soon, the ALPINA brand is going to have to look to the future. Tighter emissions standards are pushing even small manufacturers to make the switch to electrification but, in that endeavor, ALPINA is also at the whim of BMW, as it needs the Bavarian brand’s support to succeed. Kacher’s piece is a fascinating read about one of the more interesting automotive brands in the world. If you’re a proper BMW fan, or car enthusiast of any kind, go check it out.

Trolling is a form of cyberbullying that can damage victims’ mental health and even lead to suicide Not responding to them, blocking their accounts and reaching out to real-life social support networks can help people deal with them It’s hard to imagine life without the internet. But while the online world provides many benefits, one of its biggest drawbacks is trolls: the army of keyboard cowards who sit behind their desks and fire off hate, usually under fake names, who can cause their victims physical and psychological harm. It’s no wonder high-profile people and celebrities have been known to pull the plug on their social media accounts in response. In 2017, British singer Ed Sheeran quit Twitter citing overwhelming abuse from trolls, while Stranger Things actress Millie Bobby Brown deleted her account in 2018 after becoming the subject of a homophobic meme. At the weekend, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they were abandoning social media due to the amount of “hate” they received. According to media reports, the couple are “very unlikely” to return to social media platforms.

The coronavirus pandemic has pushed Spain’s primary healthcare workers to the breaking point. When describing their situation, the words they use are “overwhelmed,” “disheartened” and “exhausted.” In the first wave of the pandemic, primary healthcare workers were the protective wall against the epidemic. In the second, they were the guards looking out for the spread of virus on the street and in senior residences. Now, in the third wave, they are leading the charge, overseeing both the Covid vaccination campaign and assisting patients whose care has been delayed by the pandemic. Spain’s primary healthcare system was already under strain before the pandemic hit, but this has intensified in the last year, leaving it in a state where it is under constant pressure. “There is increasingly more work and with the same amount of resources,” says José Polo, the spokesperson for the Spanish Society of General Practitioners (Semergen). And this is taking a toll on both healthcare professionals, whose mental health is suffering as a result, and on patients, who are more likely to fall off the radar, delay getting care and arrive in a worse condition to their appointment. In the waiting room of the Creu Alta medical center in Sabadell, in Catalonia, 76-year-old Josefa Cerezo and her daughter Marga are killing time looking into space. “It took a lot for me to come,” says Josefa. “It’s difficult to contact the medical center because the telephone is always busy. I had sciatica that was killing me and I ended up going to the emergency ward. Today I am here to monitor my blood pressure.” There are just two other patients waiting in the corridor. To prevent contagion and optimize resources, primary healthcare centers have prioritized phone consultations over in-person appointments. There is not much happening in the waiting room of the medical center, but inside the doctors’ offices, it’s a different story. “Access has changed, but we continue to provide service for acute but not life-threatening cases like a urine infection, patients with chronic illness and end-of-life treatment with home visits,” says Ángeles Zamora, a nurse at Creu Alta medical center. The ground floor of the facility houses an area for suspected Covid-19 patients. “In the first wave, we saw more serious cases. Now there are more family contagions, but they are more minor cases. People continue to be afraid of the virus and they are scared and anxious when they come in,” says Laura Estirado, a nurse on the floor, who wears a personal protective suit and two face masks. A coronvirus test is carried out in Barcelona. A coronvirus test is carried out in Barcelona.MASSIMILIANO MINOCRI / EL PAÍS Primary healthcare is the entry point to the health system, but the pandemic has created a bottleneck that cannot easily be relieved. The workload of doctors and nurses has multiplied: as well as being responsible for detecting and tracking Covid cases, they also see their regular patients, as well as those who the pandemic may have left behind, make home visits, assist palliative care patients, coordinate care in the residences of their area and oversee the flu and coronavirus vaccination campaign. All of this, they warn, with practically the same resources they had before the pandemic. “The way things are now, it’s almost impossible to do everything,” says Salvador Tranche, president of the Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine. “Nursing does 130 million appointments a year and the coronavirus vaccination drive of the general po[CENSORED]tion will involve 50 million more. In other words, it means 50% more activity. You need resources for that.” The pandemic has not created these shortfalls, which are the result of 10 years of decimating budget cuts, but it has exacerbated them. “Before the pandemic, we estimated that we needed 15,500 more nurses in primary healthcare. Now, just the shortage in nursing is massive. Increasing human resources is crucial,” says María José García, the spokesperson of the nursing union Satse. According to a report from the Spanish Medical Colleges Organization (OMC), spending on the public health system – which falls to the regional governments – was cut by €8.64 billion between 2009 and 2014, a drop of 12.24%. But the cuts were even deeper in the primary healthcare system, where spending fell by 16.17%, a fall of €1.74 billion. “Our schedules are overwhelmed and people are already taking leave due to psychological problems,” says María Justicia, the head of primary healthcare at Madrid’s doctor union Amyts. “The precarious conditions are worsening. If it continues this way, primary healthcare will not be able to endure.” The spike in coronavirus cases in the third wave has pushed already strained healthcare centers to their limit. While staff have more experience, more diagnostic tools (unlike in the first wave, they can test for Covid now) and personal protective equipment, there is still a shortage of workers. “We are completely overwhelmed and overstretched,” says Rosa Magallón, the president of the Spanish Primary Healthcare Network of the Spanish Public Health Society (Sespas). This pressure is being felt above all by the patients who don’t have Covid-19, who arrive in a worse condition to their appointments, if they make it at all. “The diagnosis delays we have are tremendous,” warns Tranche. “Hospital tests are being delayed and we are finding very advanced tumors or important changes in quality of life due to some disease.” The number of operations fell by 36% in the first six months of 2020 with respect to the same period in 2019, and surgery waiting times have skyrocketed – patients wait on average 183 days for a knee replacement, for example. “We are hearing a lot of complaints from patients about test and surgery delays. A cataract is not considered an urgent disease, yet the patient can’t see,” says Polo. These problems are exacerbated by the precariousness of the healthcare system, which means personnel are often moving from one position to another. “You have to do double shifts, you see patients you don’t know due to the discontinuity of care, and this creates delays. Because we don’t have time to see patients properly,” says Magallón. “Other delays also happen because the patients don’t want to come to the medical center.” During the first wave of the pandemic, when Spain was under a strict lockdown, people across the country applauded at 8pm every day to show their appreciation for health workers and other essential workers. But now the feelings have changed, says Tranche. “People are furious,” he says. “They scold us because they don’t feel like they are getting proper treatment.” Polo agrees: “They are sullen, angry and upset.” Zamora, however, believes this attitude “is not discontent, but rather fear: they are afraid, they are afraid of losing access [to primary healthcare].” Working under constant pressure is not good either for health professionals. “We arrive early to work and leave when we can,” says Cándido Pequeño, the head of a medical center in Cee in A Coruña province. “No one asks us to, and no one compensates us for it, but we do it. And that’s what leaves you burned out. We are overloaded. Professionals are despondent and arrive at work suffering.” Two studies by researchers at Hospital del Mar in Barcelona show that nearly half of health workers are at high risk of mental illness as a result of the pandemic. “There is an increasingly high percentage of health workers who are taking anxiety medication and antidepressants, and people who are on leave for post-traumatic stress,” says María Justicia, who warns: “We are not an elastic band. Health workers are human and if you continue stretching us, one day we are going to break.”

Late last year, we reported that the parent company of Brilliance Auto, BMW’s Chinese partner, was in some hot water over some overdue payments. Back then, the companies came out and said that there’s no need to worry, everything’s under control but, as a new rumor suggests, that was far from accurate. According to insider info quoted by Reuters, the FAW Group (another big Chinese car maker) is interested in buying out Brilliance Auto and maybe snatching it from under BMW’s nose. The move comes as Brilliance’s top shareholder, Huachen Automotive Group is on the brink of bankruptcy. The shares Huachen holds are amounting to 30.43 percent but, if FAW wants to buy them, it will apparently be forced to buy the 11.89 percent owned by the state-controlled Liaoning Provincial Transportation Investment Group, as the sources in China say. It’s a package deal and that would make FAW the holder of 42.32 percent of the shares and deal with BMW directly. BMW announced back in 2018 that it was planning to increase its stake in the joint venture from 50% to 75% over the coming years, the added 25% being valued at 3.6 billion euros in 2018. However, this move could prevent them from doing that. So far, neither BMW or Brilliance Auto would comment on the rumors but the stock market has already reacted. Brilliance’s shares finished 13 percent higher on Wednesday, making its valuation reach $4.7 billion. FAW is currently the Chinese partner of the Volkswagen Group and Toyota, being the second largest car maker in China at the moment. If the company manages to buy out Brilliance Auto it will also be in business with BMW and Renault, as BBA is also a venture partner of the French car maker. With such a move that would entail the spending of $7.2 billion in a two-stage deal, the FAW Group would boost its position in China even more.

At the age of 30, Anubhav Kumar suffered from a fatty liver and kidney stones, all resultant of an unhealthy and largely sedentary lifestyle. An inspiring video on the internet acted as the big changer for Anubhav, who gave himself a goal to lose weight and is now a motivation to many like him, and has also written a self-help book. To know how he lost 20 kilos in record time, read his transformation story below and gain Health problems due to obesity are quite common. I myself suffered from a fatty liver and kidney stones. One fine day, I went on a walk with my sister to the park. She casually showed me a Youtube video of women in her fifties and how healthy her medical reports were. The video showed how the doctors admired the woman and complimented her by saying her vitals are as good as a young child's. This very line in the video gave me a strong jolt of inspiration to start my weight loss journey and get my health back on track. I felt if that lady in her 50s could do it, why couldn't I in my 30s? That was the big turning point and I am happy to have never looked back. My breakfast: I have my first meal around 8 A.M.- usually a mix of almonds, cashews, walnuts (handful) with poha/ semolina/ vermicelli (100-150 gms). Sometimes, I like to have 2 pieces of idli and half a cup of tea without sugar. My lunch: I have my lunch around 1-1:30 P.M., usually 2 chapatis, 150 gm of toor dal and curry (low-carb veggies like cabbage, cauliflower, green beans, ridge gourd etc) with a serving of salad. Evening snacks: Murmure (puffed rice) and green moong daal sprouts mix (1 bowl) or a fruit chaat (papaya+ apples). A while later, half a cup of milk tea (without sugar of course) I have a cup of Green tea before going for my evening walk I just did brisk walking and nothing else to lose weight. Initially, it was difficult for me to walk even 5000 steps but kept doing. Slowly, with the right determination, attitude, hunger for success, I was able to increase from 5000 steps to 15k a day to 20K+ sometime. My aim was to have control over my calories and do simple cardio movements like brisk walking regularly. Fitness secrets I unveiled: Real fitness lies in your mind. If you are mentally fit, you will feel physically brisk and healthy. If no, no diet, fitness regime, doctor or dietician can help you achieve your goals or lose weight. Set a goal in mind, be true to yourself before you decide to start your journey. Motivation comes from within. The following things helped me stay ahead in the game: a. Self-control is crucial and is the only secret to my weight loss. Actually, you have to go through many changes in your habits. Changing habits takes time & not easy actually when it comes to leave unhealthy food & a poor lifestyle & switch to a healthier one. I trained my mind how to say NO to junk food and Big YES to healthier ones. b. Be disciplined. I was very particular about foods I was eating, waking up early in the morning, saying no to junk foods, tracking calories on daily basis, tracking my total steps every day, going for a brisk walk daily, drinking at least 10 glasses of water without fail, etc throughout my weight loss journey. I think, now I have trained my mind enough not to lose focus because now it's not only about my fitness but as an influencer it is like my responsibility not to lose focus, at least for people who believe in me. What’s the most difficult part of being overweight? Every person who feels overweight or suffers from bad health will agree to this- poor self-confidence, low self-esteem, the risk of catching diseases and poor health in general. Nobody wants that in life. What shape do you see yourself 10 years down the line? I aspire to have a lean, athletic and aesthetically pleasing body and help others achieve their goals. The biggest change for me has been that I now help people to stay fit (mentally and physically) in life by sharing ideas, insights, and motivation through my Instagram account at "anubhav.mission" and my personal blog at www.anubhavkumar.in . Sharing ideas and motivating people for a healthy lifestyle helps me stay highly motivated. People now see me as a fitness influencer and helps me engage in fitness talks. If you keep yourself engaged in fitness talks, you stay involved and motivated for fitness in life. I even wrote a self-help ebook called "Willingness Meter" to help people stay active physically and mentally in life. I started to follow a strict diet plan and track my daily calories, the burn using an app on my phone. Walking is good too. Initially, even dragging myself out of bed was difficult. But I downloaded an app and tracked my daily steps. My first goal was to lose 10 kilos by taking at least 10,000 steps every day. So I kept that goal in mind, restricted my calories accordingly and saw the changes happen! I used to eat around 1400 calories per day. Slowly, I reduced it to 1100 calories by adding low-card meals. I reduced my daily intake of 8 chapatis to 2 and filled the gap with more veggies and weight loss-friendly foods like oats. I also focussed on eating more fibre, low-carb sources like mushrooms, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, green beans, papaya etc. Veggies and fruits became my new friends.

Sunday's emphatic 4-1 victory over defending champions Liverpool at Anfield was City's 10th in a row in the league and I just don't see another team capable of putting together a winning run like that to challenge them. On this evidence, City are not going to crack either, whatever is thrown at them. Pep Guardiola'a side are still in all four major competitions so their busy schedule in an already hugely demanding campaign is not going to ease up, but they have a strong squad that has been playing twice a week all season so it is nothing new to them. We also don't know what could happen in terms of injuries to City's key players but they have already coped without Kevin de Bruyne for the past five games and have been without Sergio Aguero for most of the season - his last league start was in October. Gabriel Jesus has been sidelined too so there have been long spells where they haven't had a recognised centre-forward available, but that doesn't seem to have made any difference. Not only are City on a record-equalling winning run as an English top-flight side of 14 games in all competitions, they are playing some fantastic football too. Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson obviously had a dreadful game on Sunday, and gifted Pep Guardiola's side two of their goals, but I thought Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden and Ilkay Gundogan were all magnificent to ensure City ran away with it. After a great few weeks, it was the perfect weekend for them, clinching such a brilliant win after seeing their nearest rivals Manchester United and Leicester both drop points. City are already in the final of the Carabao Cup and fifth round of the FA Cup, but their priority for the rest of the season will be regaining their Premier League title and winning the Champions League for the first time. If they can maintain their current level, then doing both is not beyond them. While City march on, Liverpool have to regroup. Jurgen Klopp's side had to win on Sunday to get back in the title race, and it is going to be almost impossible for them to retain their title from here. Instead, they now have to focus on the Champions League and securing a top-four finish, but they are going to need to find some form quickly because they have some more tough games coming up fast. They have got a week off to get themselves together but next up is a trip to third-placed Leicester on Saturday, then they play RB Leipzig in the Champions League in Hungary before the Merseyside derby at Anfield in their next home game on 20 February. It is 22 years since Everton last won there but it is Liverpool who will go into the game with doubts because of their recent record at what was for so long a fortress for them. After going 68 home league games unbeaten, it was a huge shock to see them lose there to first Burnley and then Brighton, and this latest defeat means they have lost three league games in a row there for the first time since 1963. What's gone wrong? Well, of course Liverpool have missed Virgil van Dijk at the back. He is one of the best centre-backs in the world, if not the best, and he has been out injured since October. But the fact they have been without Joe Gomez and Joel Matip too meant they have had to shift people around to cover and that has cost them all over the pitch, especially with Jordan Henderson dropping out of midfield to fill in at the back. I thought their forwards would keep on scoring to keep getting them results regardless but that has not happened. Their front three have been struggling for form too. Something needs to change for the team to get its belief back, and putting Henderson back in his proper position would definitely help. They signed two centre-backs - Preston's Ben Davies and Schalke's Ozan Kabak - on deadline day last week, so I would suggest putting at least one of them in there as soon as possible so Henderson can return to the centre of midfield. They need him there. City have had their own blips this season, right at the start of the campaign, but they have got over them in spectacular fashion. The way they firstly found their form and then maintained it has been hugely impressive. Their defence has clearly played a huge part in their success - Ruben Dias gifted Liverpool their goal when his mistake led to Mohamed Salah's penalty, but that was the only error City made at the back at Anfield and is pretty much the only mistake Dias has made since he joined the club in October. Not only is Dias an outstanding defender in his own right, he has improved his partner, John Stones, who had another excellent game. Apart from that spot-kick, Liverpool only had one other shot at goal in the second half when they were trying to get back in the game. At the other end of the pitch, I've not heard Guardiola moan about the injuries that have sidelined his strikers. Instead, City have just got on with it and their players have risen to the challenge. Yes, the likes of Foden and Gundogan are having their best seasons in terms of goals, but everyone is chipping in. It meant Guardiola was able to leave Jesus on the bench at Anfield and start without a recognised striker, and obviously he deserves credit too. Yet again he got his tactics spot on - and again he has found a way to make City the team to beat. Alan Shearer was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.

¤ Nickname: PANSHER ¤ Name: Mohamed ¤ Age: 16 ¤ Country: egypt ¤ City: Sohag ¤ Favorite Games: cs 16, pubg, fortnite ¤ Favorite Shows: - ¤ Favorite movies: - ¤ Favorite Songs / Favorite genre: rap - romantic ¤ What would you like to do in life: just live it, and thanks god for everything ¤ Favorite actor - why ?: - ¤ Favorite actress - why ?: - ¤ You Smoke? / What brand of cigarette smoke: merit, Marlboro ¤ What alcoholic drink frequently: - ¤ Favorite juice: - ¤ In what country would you like to live: England ¤ Favorite football team: al ahly egyptian ¤ Car models: - ¤ A brief description about you: A simple person ¤ How did you find NewLifeZm?: old member here ¤ If you win 1 million dollars, which would be the first thing you do?: nothing xd

Late last year, we reported that the parent company of Brilliance Auto, BMW’s Chinese partner, was in some hot water over some overdue payments. Back then, the companies came out and said that there’s no need to worry, everything’s under control but, as a new rumor suggests, that was far from accurate. According to insider info quoted by Reuters, the FAW Group (another big Chinese car maker) is interested in buying out Brilliance Auto and maybe snatching it from under BMW’s nose. The move comes as Brilliance’s top shareholder, Huachen Automotive Group is on the brink of bankruptcy. The shares Huachen holds are amounting to 30.43 percent but, if FAW wants to buy them, it will apparently be forced to buy the 11.89 percent owned by the state-controlled Liaoning Provincial Transportation Investment Group, as the sources in China say. It’s a package deal and that would make FAW the holder of 42.32 percent of the shares and deal with BMW directly. BMW announced back in 2018 that it was planning to increase its stake in the joint venture from 50% to 75% over the coming years, the added 25% being valued at 3.6 billion euros in 2018. However, this move could prevent them from doing that. So far, neither BMW or Brilliance Auto would comment on the rumors but the stock market has already reacted. Brilliance’s shares finished 13 percent higher on Wednesday, making its valuation reach $4.7 billion. FAW is currently the Chinese partner of the Volkswagen Group and Toyota, being the second largest car maker in China at the moment. If the company manages to buy out Brilliance Auto it will also be in business with BMW and Renault, as BBA is also a venture partner of the French car maker. With such a move that would entail the spending of $7.2 billion in a two-stage deal, the FAW Group would boost its position in China even more.

More than one in five (21%) adults in the UK will have a stroke in their lifetime, and it’s the fourth biggest cause of death in the UK. That’s a lot of people, and new research from charity The Stroke Association suggests that one reason behind the prevalence is a lack of knowledge about the causes of strokes. For example, 47% of those surveyed didn’t know that high blood pressure was a risk factor for stroke, 71% didn’t know that being overweight puts you at greater risk, and 87% didn’t know that diet is another top risk factor. All things within our control, then, and in fact almost nine out of 10 (89%) of strokes are caused by factors that you can address with your lifestyle – whether that’s eating more healthily, exercising more, cutting down on alcohol or quitting smoking. With that in mind, The Stroke Association launched a new campaign on Stroke Prevention Day 2021 (14th January) to encourage people to make one small lifestyle change to reduce their risk of stroke. This is well-timed, just as many people will start to tire of an all-encompassing or over-ambitious New Year health kick. We like that the campaign is not asking for a whole raft of changes to your lifestyle at once, which mostly makes a new regime too hard to sustain. Focusing on one area instead can make a lasting change more achievable. You’ll find several great suggestions on The Stroke Association website for what to change over the following three months. There are also inspiring real-life stories that may help give you the confidence to give it a go. If you sign up and make a pledge to change something, you’ll get emails with tips to help you keep going – and it’s totally free to do. See related Anyone Can Have A Stroke – Act F.A.S.T. And You Can Help Save Someone’s Life If Your New Year’s Resolution Is To Lose Weight, Then Make Losing Weight Easy How To Get Fit At Home Admittedly, some of the suggested changes are not all that small, such as stopping smoking or trying to cut out all alcohol for three months. However, if you’re doing Dry January you’ll have a headstart on avoiding the booze, so you could take it from there – and some are smaller, like swapping unhealthy snacks for healthier ones, or walking for 10 minutes a day. You can pick the pledge that suits your situation best, and then focus your efforts on nailing it for the next three months. After that it will hopefully have become a healthy habit for life, and you’ll be ready to make another small change.

Life for civilians in Ethiopia’s embattled Tigray region has become “extremely alarming” as hunger grows and fighting remains an obstacle to reaching millions of people with aid, the United Nations says in a new report. The conflict that has shaken one of Africa’s most powerful and populous countries — a key U.S. security ally in the Horn of Africa — has killed thousands of people and is now in its fourth month. But little is known about the situation for most of Tigray’s 6 million people, as journalists are blocked from entering, communications are patchy and many aid workers struggle to obtain permission to enter. One challenge is that Ethiopia may no longer control up to 40% of the Tigray region, the U.N. Security Council was told in a closed-door session this week. Ethiopia and allied fighters have been pursuing the now-fugitive Tigray regional government that once dominated Ethiopia’s government for nearly three decades. Now soldiers from Eritrea are deeply involved on the side of Ethiopia, even as Addis Ababa denies their presence. On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was the latest to pressure Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed directly, urging the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner in a phone call to allow “immediate, full and unhindered” aid access to Tigray before more people die. Abiy’s brief statement on the call didn’t mention Tigray. Neither did his statements on calls this week with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel as European countries also express concern over one of the world’s newest crisis zones. Neighboring Sudan and Somalia could be sucked in, experts have warned. The new U.N. humanitarian report released late Thursday includes a map showing most of the Tigray region marked as “inaccessible” for humanitarian workers. It says the security situation remains “volatile and unpredictable” more than two months after Abiy’s government declared victory. The aid response remains “drastically inadequate” with little access to the vast rural po[CENSORED]tion off the main roads, the report says, even as Ethiopia’s government has said well over 1 million people in Tigray have been reached with assistance. Some aid workers have reported having to negotiate access with a range of armed actors, even Eritrean ones. Civilians have suffered. “Reports from aid workers on the ground indicate a rising in acute malnutrition across the region,” the new report says. “Only 1 percent of the nearly 920 nutrition treatment facilities in Tigray are reachable.” Starvation has become a major concern. “Many households are expected to have already depleted their food stocks, or are expected to deplete their food stocks in the next two months,” according to a new report posted Thursday by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, which is funded and managed by the U.S. The report said more parts of central and eastern Tigray likely will enter Emergency Phase 4, a step below famine, in the coming weeks. Health care in the region is “alarmingly limited,” with just three of Tigray’s 11 hospitals functioning and nearly 80% of health centers not functional or accessible, the U.N. report says. Aid workers have said many health centers have been looted, hit by artillery fire or destroyed. Large parts of two camps that once hosted thousands of refugees from nearby Eritrea have been systematically destroyed, according to analysis of satellite images by the U.K.-based DX Open Network nonprofit. Now some 5,000 of the refugees who have made their way to the community of Shire “are living in dire conditions, many sleeping in an open field on the outskirts of the town, with no water and no food,” the U.N. report says. Visiting U.N. refugee chief Filippo Grandi this week urged Ethiopia to allow access for independent investigators to probe alleged widespread human rights abuses, calling the overall situation in Tigray “extremely grave.”

#Pro I will give a chance