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The Long Range Dual Motor version has 483 hp and a claimed range of 315 miles, and the Performance upgrade brings power to 510 hp but drops range to 279 miles. The 2025 Polestar 3 starts at $74,800 and ranges up to $86,300. There will be two configurations, the 483-hp Long Range Dual Motor and the 510-hp Long Range Dual Motor Performance. Polestar says U.S. deliveries will start in the second quarter of 2024. As Polestar prepares to launch its third model, the 2025 Polestar 3, it's releasing additional pricing information and specs about this new electric SUV model that's slated to arrive in the U.S. this summer. It now carries a lower starting price of $74,800 thanks to a newly announced base model, and range estimates are between 279 miles on the low end and 315 miles on the upper end. That base price is for the Polestar 3 Long Range Dual Motor version, which has 483 horsepower and 620 pound-feet of torque. It comes standard with the Pilot Pack, which includes numerous driver-assistance features, and offers the Plus pack as an option for $5500. The Plus Pack includes an upgraded audio system, heated rear seats, 21-inch wheels, and other equipment. These versions are all estimated to deliver 315 miles of range from a 107.0-kWh battery pack, though we're still waiting to hear final EPA ratings. The more powerful Performance configuration has a starting price of $80,800 and ups the ante to 510 horsepower and 671 pound-feet of torque. It also offers the Plus Pack as a $5500 option. The range estimate for this version drops down to 279 miles. Polestar says it has already started production in China, and that U.S. deliveries will begin in the second quarter of this year. Later in the year, it plans to start production of the Polestar 3 at the Volvo plant in Charleston, South Carolina. Despite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a60179302/2025-polestar-3-price-specs/

Martin Ødegaard celebrates after scoring his penalty in the shootout against Porto. Photograph: Zac Goodwin/PA Martin Ødegaard believes Arsenal’s dramatic shootout win over Porto can be the springboard for a sustained tilt at Champions League and Premier League honours over the final stages of the season. Arsenal squeaked through at the Emirates after a deliciously tense, attritional two legs that finished 1-1 on aggregate. They are in the last eight of Europe’s elite competition for the first time in 14 years and, given they lead England’s top flight after eight straight wins, a return to their days of landing major trophies looks tantalisingly close. The influential Ødegaard shrugged off the disappointment of seeing a potential winner ruled out in normal time to emphatically convert Arsenal’s first penalty. Asked whether such a watershed victory would be a coming of age for a side who remain inexperienced on this stage, he urged them to seize the opportunity it presents and harness their momentum. “I think we have to use this, we have to grow off this,” he said. “It is a massive night for everyone. We are still a young squad, but this was another big experience for everyone. We have to keep building on that and use it in a good way going into the end of the season. “I think it is a massive boost for everyone. The way we did it also, it maybe wasn’t the best game but you just saw everyone pushing so hard, digging so deep, and I think you saw the mentality in the team when we stepped up for the penalties. I am really proud of everyone.” Porto presented a tough and niggly test, although they arguably matched Arsenal’s attacking threat on Tuesday night. The challenge is likely to become yet more formidable in a quarter-final draw, to be held on Friday, that includes Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich. Ødegaard maintains, though, that Arsenal must not worry about any hierarchy of potential opponents. “We can’t think like that,” he said. “It’s the biggest tournament in the world and no matter what team we get, it’s going to be a good team. We will just take what we get and we will try to win. We want to be on the biggest stage. We want to play the biggest games and fight for the biggest trophies.” https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/mar/13/martin-degaard-tells-arsenal-to-build-on-big-experience-of-victory-over-porto

Large chains could be squeezing out independent practices, says Competition and Markets Authority Nils Pratley: competition watchdog is barking up a promising tree Independent practices accounted for 45% of UK operators in 2021, down from 89% in 2013. Photograph: Ievgen Chabanov/Alamy The UK competition regulator is preparing to launch a formal investigation into the veterinary market after identifying “multiple concerns” in an initial review, including that pet owners may be overpaying for treatments and medicines. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it wanted to move forward with a full review after an initial inquiry triggered an “unprecedented response” from 56,000 people, including customers and vet professionals, who raised a number of concerns about practices within the £2bn industry. The watchdog is concerned that consumers may not be given enough information to make informed decisions over care, and that a rise in consolidation resulting in fewer independent surgeries has weakened competition. Since 2013, about 1,500 of the 5,000 vet practices in the UK have been acquired by six of the largest corporate groups: CVS, IVC, Linnaeus, Medivet, Pets at Home and VetPartners, the CMA said. Sarah Cardell, the CMA chief executive, said: “Our review has identified multiple concerns with the market that we think should be investigated further. These include pet owners finding it difficult to access basic information like price lists and prescription costs – and potentially overpaying for medicines. “We are also concerned about weak competition in some areas, driven in part by sector consolidation, and the incentives for large corporate groups to act in ways which may reduce competition and choice. “Given these strong indications of potential concern, it is time to put our work on a formal footing. We have provisionally decided to launch a market investigation because that’s the quickest route to enable us to take direct action, if needed.” Independent vet practices accounted for 45% of UK veterinary practices in 2021, down from 89% in 2013. The number of pet owners has also increased, primarily as a result of the pandemic, with about 17m households having a furry companion in the UK. The regulator is concerned that the larger corporations dominating the sector may be incentivised to act in a way that reduces choice for customers, leaving pet owners overpaying for medicines or prescriptions. Owing to their scale and ability to invest in advanced equipment, larger companies may concentrate on offering more sophisticated, and therefore higher-cost, treatment that crowds out more affordable options. Meanwhile, about 25% of pet owners were not aware they had an option to get prescriptions filled more cheaply elsewhere, meaning they were missing out on potential savings, even when accounting for prescription fees. Medicine sales make up about a quarter of the income of some vet practices, leaving little incentive to ensure clients were informed of other options. The CMA said the situation suggested the regulatory framework may be outdated and no longer be fit for purpose. Most of the industry’s regulations date to 1966, and primarily cover individual veterinary surgeons rather than non-vet owners, like the corporations that own the majority of sites today. It means the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has limited leverage, including over transparency of pricing and and the true ownership structure of chain-owned practices. The provisional view is that outcomes for consumers could be improved if regulatory requirements and/or elements of best practice could be monitored or enforced more effectively,” the CMA said. It will run a four-week consultation, before launching a formal investigation, giving it power to potentially mandate that vets give certain information to consumers, cap prescription fees or order the sale of businesses or assets, which could include breaking up some vet chains. The industry body, the British Veterinary Association (BVA), welcomed prospects for reform, saying that regulation was “not fit for purpose” and was failing vet teams and clients. However, while price rises were a concern for everyone, the BVA said it was “vital to recognise there is no NHS for pets.” “Whether they are employed by corporate or independently owned practices, vets deliver highly specialised, tailored care for the UK’s pets and the cost is a fair reflection of investment in medical equipment, supplies and medicines, and the time vet teams dedicate to the care of each patient,” the BVA president, Anna Judson, said. “At the British Veterinary Association, we’re keen to see healthy competition and consumer choice and so we are already taking steps to support vet practices to be more transparent both in terms of costs and practice ownership. It’s important that clients have as wide a choice of vet practices as possible so they can find a service that best suits the needs of themselves and their animals,” Judson added. “We will continue to engage constructively with the CMA by responding to this latest consultation and will continue to play a leadership role in driving positive change for vets and their clients.” https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/mar/12/uk-vet-pricing-competition-and-markets-authority-cma

‘I’m realizing that when I do my relaxing eight-step skincare ritual every night, I do not feel relaxed or mentally well.’ Illustration: Lola Beltran/The Guardian In her monthly column about beauty culture, our columnist takes on the blurring of the line between the beauty and wellness industries Jessica Defino Jessica Defino Wed 13 Mar 2024 11.00 GMT Share Hi Ugly, I’ve been obsessed with makeup and beauty products for years and have read a lot (and seen a lot of TikToks) about how a beauty routine can be a form of meditation or mindfulness. I felt that way for a really long time. Lately, I’m realizing that even when I do my relaxing eight-step skincare ritual every night and have my little mental health morning setup with makeup and coffee – “girl therapy” – I do not feel relaxed or mentally well most of the time. (Not in a “seek treatment” way, but in a general malaise way.) Am I doing it wrong? Do you think makeup can ever be a therapeutic practice or mindfulness tool? The line between the beauty and wellness industries has blurred to the point of nonexistence. It is from this place of nothingness that we get the concept of “makeup as meditation”. Maybe it’s the beauty industry’s attempt to monetize mindfulness, or maybe it’s the industry’s attempt to sabotage mindfulness, lest customers rise above beauty culture brainwashing. ASKUGKLY CHAPSTICK LOLAbeltran Ask Ugly: I’m addicted to lip balm – but it doesn’t work. What’s a better alternative? Read more Whatever the origin, it’s everywhere now. See: How to turn your beauty routine into a meditation session, How applying makeup can serve as a built-in form of daily meditation, or “Makeupfulness” is where makeup and mindfulness merge. Makeupfulness. MAKEUPFULNESS? It does not surprise me that this is not working for you, Girl Therapy. For one, meditation is the search for the unconditioned self, and beauty products are often, in modern contexts, tools of the conditioned self. When you “meditate” by looking in the mirror, hyperfocusing on your hyperpigmentation and covering it up with concealer, you’re essentially acting out your social conditioning – and methodically internalizing beauty standards. I’m also not convinced that “meditation” through makeup nets any stress relief. The idea that the slow, deliberate application of blush and contour paired with deep breathing relaxes the nervous system seems plausible at first; some forms of meditation do center the sensation of touch. However, the point of such methods is to feel into the body as it is, not alter the body to appear as it is not. And while “pleasant touch” (hugging, holding hands) has been shown to soothe the nervous system, other forms of touch may have the opposite effect. In The Body’s Edge, the medical ethicist Dr Marc Lappé points out that traditional meditation methods tend to encourage stillness, as “excessive cutaneous [skin] stimulation can be the bane of healthy psychic functioning”. My personal takeaway from all that? The physical stimulation of so-called “makeup as meditation” most likely negates the benefits of traditional meditation – a practice that’s supposed to center your spirit, not even your skin tone. I don’t mean to be an absolutist here. Sometimes makeup is a pure, divine, artistic expression of the self, and that’s beautiful. It is not meditation, though, and I think equating the two devalues the spiritual practice of meditation. As you’ve started to suspect, obsessively applying skincare products is not quite the mindful ritual social media has made it out to be, either. “Rituals are processes of embodiment,” writes the philosopher Byung-Chul Han in The Disappearance of Rituals, and the average Instagrammable skincare routine is more like a process of disembodiment: the body’s innate oils are washed away and replaced with moisturizers. Beneficial bacteria are killed with benzoyl peroxide and restored with probiotics. Epidermises are thinned with acids and replumped with peptide creams. These products compound the pressure consumers feel to meet inhuman beauty standards (ageless faces! hairless bodies!). This unrelenting pressure can manifest as stress, and stress can manifest as – conveniently for the market – inflamed, irritated, sensitive skin. This can make you feel like you need more products, and subsequently feel more stress, forever and ever and ever, amen. You mention that people call this “girl therapy”, but I would argue it’s more likely a path to needing therapy. You get it. You’re living it! You’re exfoliated and anxious; you don’t want professional help but you do want to feel better. I’ve been there myself, and I know exactly what you need. So do you: mindfulness. My favorite definition of mindfulness comes from Deepak Chopra, who once explained it as “being aware of who you are and what you are doing at any given moment. It’s the opposite of acting out of habit, old conditioning and automatic reflexes. You no longer are a brain puppet reacting.” Mindfulness is consciousness on purpose. It’s observation without judgment. It’s immersing yourself in the present moment. It’s also simpler and cheaper than the beauty and wellness industries would have you believe. To start, I recommend researching the origins of mindfulness in Buddhism and Ayurveda to see which practices speak to you. Some solid beginner options: meditation (sans concealer), mantra work, deep breathing, gratitude journaling. All have been shown to soothe the nervous system and calm the mind; none will cost you any money. ASK UGLY BABIES Ask Ugly: I’m getting ads for beauty products for my baby. Infants don’t need skincare – do they? Read more You say your makeup and skincare routines aren’t making you feel better, Girl Therapy, and yet you feel compelled to complete them anyway. Mindfulness can help with that, too. One of my personal favorite awareness exercises involves taking a basic beauty norm, removing the marketing language (the lie), and re-explaining it to myself in plain terms (the truth). When I am mindful and aware, a whitehead is no longer an unsightly, anxiety-inducing disaster that I need to destroy immediately with an antibacterial (a lie) but a 1mm-long manifestation of a natural immune response that will self-resolve in a few days (the truth). When I am mindful and aware, products and prescriptions that promise eternal youth are no longer a necessary component of skincare (a lie) but an ultimately fruitless attempt at skin control (the truth). When I am mindful and aware, makeup is no longer something I wear “for myself” (a lie) but something that I wear to alleviate the societal pressure I feel to have perfect skin, full brows and fluffy lashes (my truth, though not necessarily yours). Consistently cultivating awareness of your beauty habits will make it easier to detach from the ones that aren’t actually enriching your life. You also ask if applying makeup or skincare can ever be part of a mindfulness practice. Personally, I don’t think so – at least, not when it’s in service to overconsumption or oppressive appearance ideals. There are certain skincare practices that can be good for you and supportive of your overall health (wearing sunscreen, for instance), but I wouldn’t call them part of a “mindfulness” routine any more than I’d call your daily bowel movement (also good for you) part of a mindfulness routine. Here’s a fun twist, though: meditation, deep breathing and gratitude journaling have all been shown to strengthen the skin barrier by reducing trans-epidermal water loss, thus improving the skin’s ability to protect you. So while moisturizer is not mindfulness, mindfulness is, technically, moisturizer. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/mar/13/ask-ugly-makeup-routine-mindfulness

Russian President Vladimir Putin gives an interview to Rossiya Segodnya news agency in Moscow, Russia, on March 12, 2024 [Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik via Reuters] President Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia is “ready” to use nuclear weapons if there is a threat to its statehood. In a recorded interview broadcast by Russian media on Wednesday, the Kremlin chief said his country is ready for a nuclear war from a “military-technical” point of view. His comments signal a resumption of nuclear “sabre-rattling“, as it was branded a year ago, just ahead of this weekend’s presidential election. Two weeks ago, Putin claimed during an annual address to the nation of a “real” risk of nuclear war if Western countries sent troops to fight in Ukraine. On Wednesday, he insisted that Russia’s nuclear arsenal and troops hold the advantage over the West. “From a military-technical point of view, we are, of course, ready. They [Russian forces] are constantly in a state of combat readiness,” Putin said during an interview with the Rossiya-1 state TV channel. “Our triad, the nuclear triad, it is more modern than any other triad,” he continued. “Only we and the Americans actually have such triads. And we have advanced much more here.” Putin and other Russian officials have regularly referenced the country’s nuclear capabilities since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the West’s response in supporting Kyiv. However, Moscow denies that the reminders are meant to be threatening. Putin was careful to note in his latest comments that the US had sufficient expertise “in the field of Russian-American relations and in the field of strategic restraint” to understand the risks. There was no “rushing” to the nuclear scenario, he said. Interference The Russian president also addressed recent Ukrainian attacks on targets inside Russia, which have surged in recent weeks as Moscow’s forces have made gains on the largely frozen front line in eastern Ukraine. Members of the pro-Ukrainian Russian ethnic Siberian Battalion practice at a military training close to Kyiv, Ukraine, on December 13, 2023. The battalion is made up entirely of Russian citizens who want to fight against Russia’s invasion [Efrem Lukatsky/AP Photo] “The main goal, I have no doubt about it, is to – if not to disrupt the presidential elections in Russia – then at least somehow interfere with the normal process of expressing the will of citizens,” he asserted, referring to the vote scheduled for March 15-17. The election is expected to hand Putin, who has ruled the country since the turn of the century, another six-year term. Ukraine’s military has been reaching deeper into Russian territory, hitting several oil refineries in waves of drone attacks, while anti-Putin Russian volunteer militias claim to have pulled off cross-border incursions into Kursk and Belgorod. On Tuesday, Ukraine launched a sweeping, overnight drone attack on several Russian regions for the second night in a row. Oil refineries in Ryazan, Kstovo and Kirishi, a Russian airbase in Buturlinovka, and a military airfield in Voronezh region, were all hit, according to a Ukrainian source quoted by Reuters. The attack set Rosneft’s biggest oil refinery in Ryazan, just 180km (112 miles) from Moscow, alight. “Judging by the videos online, the consequences were fairly significant,” the source said. Putin also repeated in his interview that Russia is ready for serious talks on Ukraine, although that claim was accompanied by a crude demand that any peace would have to be on his terms. “Russia is ready for negotiations on Ukraine, but they should be based on reality – and not on cravings after the use of psychotropic drugs,” he said. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/13/putin-warns-russia-is-ready-for-nuclear-war-as-ukraine-steps-up-attacks

Pro-Palestinian protesters have taken to the streets across Britain week on week since October 7, calling for a ceasefire [File: Isabel Infantes/Reuters] Note: Hasan is a pseudonym. His real identity is not being disclosed for his protection. London, United Kingdom – The United Kingdom has granted asylum to a Palestinian citizen of Israel, ruling that he would likely be persecuted if he returned – a decision the refugee’s legal team has described as “seismic”. Hasan’s lawyers told an immigration tribunal that he faced an “enhanced risk of persecution” should he travel back to Israel, given Palestinian ethnicity, Muslim faith, anti-Zionist beliefs, and history of pro-Palestinian activism in the UK. Hasan, who has lived in the UK for most of his life – more than 20 years according to his lawyers – first sought asylum in 2019. The decision for his case was initially delayed, likely by the coronavirus pandemic and successive lockdowns, according to his lawyers. In 2022, the Home Office rejected Hasan’s claim, denying he faced the risk of persecution in Israel. Hasan’s legal team appealed with updated evidence submitted after October 7. On Monday, the Home Office overturned its earlier decision after reviewing the evidence. Speaking through his lawyers, Hasan told Al Jazeera he felt “relieved” having struggled with depression and restrictions under UK law that prohibits asylum seekers from working, even voluntarily. “I have been left in limbo for so many years while my claim was being processed, prohibited from working, renting a property, travelling, buying a car, or being able to live my life in any meaningful way,” Hasan said. “The world moved on, while I remained behind.” But although he feels reassured, he worries for his loved ones in Israel, citing “regular incidents of low-level violence and aggression” against Palestinians. He said Israeli soldiers had previously fired stun grenades at his family’s neighbourhood and assaulted someone. Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify those claims. “The authorities there are committed to the poisonous racist ideology of Zionism which at its core, holds Arabs, Muslims and Palestinians to be less than human and innately evil,” he said. The dramatic decision comes as Israel continues to bombard Gaza for a sixth month and as its documented crackdown on dissent intensifies. Israel’s latest campaign in Gaza began after October 7, when Hamas, the group which governs the enclave, attacked southern Israel, killing at least 1,139 people and taking roughly 250 captive. Since then, assaults by Israeli forces have killed more than 30,000 Palestinians in the besieged Strip, mostly women and children. While Israel says it aims to crush Hamas, rights groups and several world leaders have called for a ceasefire given the unprecedented humanitarian toll. Monday’s decision could set a precedent for Palestinian citizens of Israel who want to claim asylum in Britain, and elsewhere. Under the 1951 Refugee Convention, which is binding on all states, a refugee should not be returned to a country where they “face serious threats to their life or freedom”, according to the UNHCR. The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), an international human rights treaty, also protects the rights of people within the 46 member states who have signed up to it, including the UK. “It’s completely unprecedented,” said Franck Magennis, a barrister representing Hasan. “In principle, any Palestinian finding themselves in any one of those 46 states can say, ‘If you return me to any territory under Israel’s jurisdiction, there’s a real risk that my human rights will be breached.’” Palestinian citizens of Israel About 1.6 million Palestinian citizens live in Israel, some 20 percent of the total po[CENSORED]tion. They can vote and participate in political life, and, unlike Palestinians living in Jerusalem, Gaza and the occupied West Bank, are not stateless. But rights groups have long documented measures that undermine Palestinian representation in the Knesset and condemned measures that keep Palestinian citizens in Israel apart from their spouses in the West Bank or Gaza, such as denying naturalisation. In the wake of October 7, as Israeli authorities clamp down on antiwar activists, Palestinian citizens of Israel are reportedly being increasingly arrested, harassed and suspended from their jobs and schools over social media posts. Hasan’s lawyers provided evidence to the Home Office that the situation in Israel had worsened and referred to the interim judgement of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on January 26, which urged Israel to prevent genocide. They said an “apartheid” system of racial domination prioritises Jewish Israelis and systematically oppresses Palestinian citizens, a claim several groups including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and B’Tselem have argued in the past. The decision is especially significant as the UK is one of Israel’s strongest allies. Magennis has represented more than 10 Palestinians from Gaza since October 7, all of whom have been granted asylum, he said. But the ruling in favour of Hasan is “seismic”, he said. “What we’re witnessing in this case is different parts of the British state unable to reach an agreement about whether or not to ignore the reality of Israeli apartheid,” he said. Monday’s U-turn has overruled a planned tribunal hearing, during which the Home Office was expected to defend its original decision and again reject Hasan’s claim. A Home Office spokesperson said they cannot comment on individual cases, but added: “All asylum claims are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with the immigration rules. Where more information is provided or becomes available, the outcome of a decision can change.” https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/13/uk-grants-asylum-to-palestinian-citizen-of-israel-in-seismic-u-turn

Music title: صوت الأرض | Sounds of the Land Signer: Billboard Arabia Release date: 2024/03/04 Official YouTube link:

Nick movie: Parasyte: The Grey | Official Teaser | Netflix Time: Netflix Netflix / Amazon / HBO: Netflix Duration of the movie: 2mins. Trailer:

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