𝐌𝐑-𝐀𝐇𝐌𝐄𝐃 体

Music title: El bakht Signer: Wegz Release date: Last year Official YouTube link: Informations about the signer: Your opinion about the track (music video): Good

What is Python? Executive Summary Python is an interpreted, object-oriented, high-level programming language with dynamic semantics. Its high-level built in data structures, combined with dynamic typing and dynamic binding, make it very attractive for Rapid Application Development, as well as for use as a scripting or glue language to connect existing components together. Python's simple, easy to learn syntax emphasizes readability and therefore reduces the cost of program maintenance. Python supports modules and packages, which encourages program modularity and code reuse. The Python interpreter and the extensive standard library are available in source or binary form without charge for all major platforms, and can be freely distributed. Often, programmers fall in love with Python because of the increased productivity it provides. Since there is no compilation step, the edit-test-debug cycle is incredibly fast. Debugging Python programs is easy: a bug or bad input will never cause a segmentation fault. Instead, when the interpreter discovers an error, it raises an exception. When the program doesn't catch the exception, the interpreter prints a stack trace. A source level debugger allows inspection of local and global variables, evaluation of arbitrary expressions, setting breakpoints, stepping through the code a line at a time, and so on. The debugger is written in Python itself, testifying to Python's introspective power. On the other hand, often the quickest way to debug a program is to add a few print statements to the source: the fast edit-test-debug cycle makes this simple approach very effective. Python has become one of the most po[CENSORED]r programming languages in the world in recent years. It's used in everything from machine learning to building websites and software testing. It can be used by developers and non-developers alike. Python, one of the most po[CENSORED]r programming languages in the world, has created everything from Netflix’s recommendation algorithm to the software that controls self-driving cars. Python is a general-purpose language, which means it’s designed to be used in a range of applications, including data science, software and web development, automation, and generally getting stuff done. Let’s take a closer look at what Python is, what it can do, and how you can start learning it. What is Python? Python is a computer programming language often used to build websites and software, automate tasks, and conduct data analysis. Python is a general-purpose language, meaning it can be used to create a variety of different programs and isn’t specialized for any specific problems. This versatility, along with its beginner-friendliness, has made it one of the most-used programming languages today. According to a study by Statista, Python is the third most commonly used programming language among developers worldwide [1]. Did you know? The name Python comes from Monty Python. When Guido van Rossum was creating Python, he was also reading the scripts from BBC’s Monty Python’s Flying Circus. He thought the name Python was appropriately short and slightly mysterious. What is Python used for? Python is commonly used for developing websites and software, task automation, data analysis, and data visualization. Since it’s relatively easy to learn, Python has been adopted by many non-programmers such as accountants and scientists, for a variety of everyday tasks, like organizing finances. “Writing programs is a very creative and rewarding activity,” says University of Michigan and Coursera instructor Charles R Severance in his book Python for Everybody. “You can write programs for many reasons, ranging from making your living to solving a difficult data analysis problem to having fun to helping someone else solve a problem.” What can you do with python? Some things include: Data analysis and machine learning Web development Automation or scripting Software testing and prototyping Everyday tasks You can learn Python in just two months while earning a certificate to boost your resume by enrolling in the online program Python for Everybody. If you're not sure whether or not you'll use your new Python skills to advance your career, you might consider auditing the course for free. If you change your mind and would like to earn a certificate, you can always switch to the paid option. Data analysis and machine learning Python has become a staple in data science, allowing data analysts and other professionals to use the language to conduct complex statistical calculations, create data visualizations, build machine learning algorithms, mani[CENSORED]te and analyze data, and complete other data-related tasks. Python can build a wide range of different data visualizations, like line and bar graphs, pie charts, histograms, and 3D plots. Python also has a number of libraries that enable coders to write programs for data analysis and machine learning more quickly and efficiently, like TensorFlow and Keras. TS : https://www.coursera.org/articles/what-is-python-used-for-a-beginners-guide-to-using-python

The best graphics cards are the beating heart of any gaming PC, and everything else comes second. Without a powerful GPU pushing pixels, even the fastest CPU won't manage much. While no one graphics card will be right for everyone, we'll provide options for every budget and mindset below. Whether you're after the fastest graphics card, the best value, or the best card at a given price, we've got you covered. Where our GPU benchmarks hierarchy ranks all of the cards based purely on performance, our list of the best graphics cards looks at the whole package. Current GPU pricing, performance, features, efficiency, and availability are all important, though the weighting becomes more subjective. Factoring in all of those aspects, these are the best graphics cards that are currently available. MARCH 2024 UPDATE Alongside the increasing RTX 4090 prices, RTX 4080 Super is also selling well above MSRP. We also had the worldwide launch of the AMD RX 7900 GRE last month, which joins our list. The only 'new' GPU to launch in February was the RX 7900 GRE, joining the four GPUs that came out in January: RTX 4080 Super, RTX 4070 Ti Super, RTX 4070 Super, and RX 7600 XT. All of these are in our performance charts, and some make our overall picks, replacing former entries that are now discontinued. Barring a surprise announcement in the coming months, this should be the end of new models from AMD and Nvidia until the future Blackwell and RDNA 4 GPUs arrive — most likely in 2025. There's also the "made for China" RTX 4090 D, which isn't easy to find in the U.S. and tends to cost just as much as the faster non-D model, so we'll skip that. The 7900 GRE has become a worldwide part, so perhaps the 4090 D will eventually follow suit. We're primarily a U.S. and western-focused site, however, so we'll confine our discussion to cards available in the U.S. market. Intel's Arc Alchemist GPUs rate more as previous generation hardware, as they're manufactured on TSMC N6 and compete more directly against the RTX 3060 and RX 6700 10GB instead of newer parts. The Arc A750 periodically falls below $200 (we've seen it sell for as little as $179) and remains a competitive option, if you don't mind the occasional driver snafus and higher power use. Graphics Card 1080p FPS 1440p FPS 4K FPS Price (MSRP) Avg. Power GeForce RTX 4090 186.8 137.8 86.9 $1,820 ($1,600) 321W GeForce RTX 4080 Super 167.8 112.5 65.3 $1,200 ($1,000) 247W GeForce RTX 4080 165.0 110.0 63.5 $1,140 ($1,200) 249W GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super 152.5 97.6 55.1 $800 ($800) 251W GeForce RTX 4070 Ti 149.4 92.7 50.7 $690 ($800) 237W GeForce RTX 4070 Super 141.0 86.0 46.6 $590 ($600) 202W GeForce RTX 4070 126.6 74.3 39.8 $520 ($550) 185W GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 16GB 101.0 56.1 29.1 $420 ($500) 152W GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 101.0 55.5 27.7 $385 ($400) 142W GeForce RTX 4060 82.7 44.5 22.1 $294 ($300) 127W Radeon RX 7900 XTX 149.1 100.5 58.1 $899 ($1,000) 334W Radeon RX 7900 XT 138.5 89.2 49.3 $700 ($900) 300W Radeon RX 7900 GRE 124.4 76.7 40.8 $550 ($550) 252W Radeon RX 7800 XT 115.9 70.2 37.9 $500 ($500) 241W Radeon RX 7700 XT 103.7 60.4 31.4 $420 ($450) 232W Radeon RX 7600 XT 75.5 40.3 19.9 $320 ($330) 189W Radeon RX 7600 71.2 35.9 14.8 $260 ($270) 154W Intel Arc A770 16GB 71.6 43.5 — $290 ($330) 210W Intel Arc A770 8GB 68.6 38.6 — $344 ($350) 224W Intel Arc A750 66.4 38.7 — $220 ($250) 199W Intel Arc A580 60.6 34.6 — $170 ($180) 194W Intel Arc A380 25.0 — — $115 ($140) 71W 1. NVIDIA RTX 4070 SUPER Nvidia just refreshed its 40-series lineup with the new Super models. Of the three, the RTX 4070 Super will be the most interesting for the most people. It inherits the same $599 MSRP as the non-Super 4070 (which has dropped to $549 to keep it relevant), with all the latest features of the Nvidia Ada Lovelace architecture. It's slightly better than a linear boost in performance relative to price, which is as good as you can hope for these days. Unlike some of the other models, the RTX 4070 Super also seems to have plenty of base-MSRP models available at retail. We like the stealthy black aesthetic of the Founders Edition, and it runs reasonably cool and quiet, but third-party cards with superior cooling are also available, sometimes at lower prices than the reference card. The 4070 Super bumps core counts by over 20% compared to the vanilla 4070, and in our testing we've found that the general lack of changes to the memory subsystem doesn't impact performance as much as you might expect. It's still 16% faster overall (at 1440p), even with the same VRAM capacity and bandwidth — though helped by the 33% increase in L2 cache size. Compared to the previous generation Ampere GPUs, even with less raw bandwidth, the 4070 Super generally matches or beats the RTX 3080 Ti, and delivers clearly superior performance than the RTX 3080. What's truly impressive is that it can do all that while cutting power use by over 100W. TS : https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-gpus,4380.html

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The tomb worlds are stirring once more as the new Codex: Necrons arrives for Warhammer 40K 10th Edition. This 136-page hardback tome adds a ton of variety and new playstyles for the army and it’s definitely a lot more fun to play than the Index rules. But, is it worth picking up? As you’d expect from a 40K Codex, there are pages upon pages of lore and backstory that explain who the Necrons are, introducing the major players within the faction and the various units that make up the army. These are backed up by stunning imagery, both in the form of artwork and photographs of painted models on the battlefield. ESSENTIAL INFO Price: $60/£35 Works with: Warhammer 40,000 (10th Edition) What’s new: Five new Detachments, updated unit datasheets, expanded lore, new artwork, expanded Combat Patrol guide, 10th Edition Crusade rules Beyond that, and much like Codex: Tyranids, the main reason to pick up the Necron Codex is for the rules that let you play Warhammer 40K with the army. This includes core army rules, unit datasheets, and five army Detachments alongside rules for playing Combat Patrol (a smaller, entry-level version of 40K) and Crusade (a narrative-focused game mode). Sponsored Links Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder I’ve been playing Necrons since the start of 8th Edition, so I was super excited to get my hands on our 10th Edition Codex. Outside of a few niggling issues, it’s a fantastic rulebook that offers some diverse and fun options. There are a total of 47 datasheets in Codex: Necrons 10th Edition, which the eagle-eyed of you will notice is fewer than we had in the Index. Several characters have been moved to the Legends section of 40K as their models are ancient and made of resin, which Games Workshop is slowly trying to eliminate from its line-up. Of those that remain, most of them are the same as they were in the Index, but there have been some tweaks, both positive and negative. This book revitalises underused units, like Canoptek Wraiths, but it does overcompensate on nerfing some of the units that were great in the Index – so your Warriors and Lychguard will probably be going back on the shelf (for competitive games anyway). You're not locked to a certain playstyle just because you wanted to paint your robots red or blue Necrons are an immortal race of robots, having long-since given up their mortal bodies (and souls) for eternal life. This manifests in game with their main army rule, reanimation protocols. This allows slain or deranged Necrons to come back to life at the start of your turn, and it can be buffed or triggered again by certain units and stratagems. It makes your army feel unstoppable – a slow but inexorable tide of silver that washes across the battlefield. This can feel quite overwhelming for your opponent, but Games Workshop has toned down the worst excesses of this rule from the Index (namely Warriors who could go from a 20-man unit down to one, and back to 20 in the course of a turn in the Index). It’s still a strong rule, but you can’t abuse it as much here, which is great for the health of the game (and the health of your friendship with your opponent). Alongside the datasheets, the Necron Codex has five new Detachments for you to play in your games. Unlike previous editions which split the subfactions by dynasty (aka your paint scheme), the new Detachments are tailored towards a style of play rather than a specific dynasty. This means you're not locked to a certain playstyle just because you wanted to paint your robots red or blue. It’s not like anyone actually enforced the old system anyway, but it’s good to see Games Workshop acknowledging that finally. Necrons unit information, sat against a starry background Each Detachment has its own unique rule, four enhancements (buffs for your characters), and six stratagems (abilities that you can trigger by spending your limited supply of command points in game). The five Detachments are: Awakened Dynasty, Annihilation Legion, Canoptek Court, Obeisance Phalanx, and Hypercrypt Legion. Some are better than others; the Canoptek Court and Hypercrypt Legion are stronger than the other three in a competitive game, but they all offer unique playstyles and ways to play your army. The only real disappointment is the Destroyer-focused Annihilation Legion, which is so underpowered that even if you are running a full Destroyer army you’d be better off playing as the Awakened Dynasty as the buffs there are stronger. My favorite Detachment is the Hypercrypt Legion, which is all about teleporting your units around the board. It’s often said that the most important aspect of Warhammer 40K is movement, and the ability to just teleport wherever you need to be is a huge asset (and it’s just a ton of fun teleporting a Monolith behind your opponent’s army and watching them panic). Their name is death Necron example armies across two pages, sat on a starry background It’s not a perfect book by any means, but the Necron Codex does a great job of bringing much needed diversity to the army. In the shift to 10th Edition, every army lost their Codex and was given an Index to tide them over. While these stopgap rules were great, they lacked the depth, diversity, and flavor of a full Codex. It’s also worth mentioning that in terms of competitive play, this Codex will be out of date in no time at all, thanks to Game Workshop’s quarterly balance updates and FAQs. Indeed, one of the Canoptek Court’s most powerful (if we’re honest, too powerful) stratagems has already been toned down. This makes for a more balanced game, but it doesn’t leave you feeling great about your $60/£35 purchase, knowing the rules will be superseded so quickly. It’s a real shame that you can’t just buy the digital rules at a lower price You do get a digital code alongside your Codex, giving you access to all the rules on the Warhammer 40K app, and this digital ruleset is constantly updated with the newest rules. It’s a real shame that you can’t just buy the digital rules at a lower price to be honest, but this is no accident – Games Workshop knows that 90% of players would just buy the cheaper, digital-only option and they’d lose money, so they don’t give you a choice. That’s not to say this isn’t a great book. It’s jam-packed with lore and short stories alongside stunning artwork and photos of beautifully painted armies, showing off all the most famous dynasties and their iconic paint schemes. There is even a painting guide for the box art scheme too. Should you buy Codex: Necrons 10th Edition? If you’re planning on playing Necrons, you need the rules, so you need Codex. You can buy the datacards to get your unit rules, but the Codex is the only legal way to get the Detachment rules. So, the real question here is “should you play as Necrons in Warhammer 40K 10th Edition?,” and that depends wholly on if you think their playstyle will suit you. Necrons are typically slow and tough with middling damage output, and this Codex continues this trend. If you enjoy playing an army that can take a punch and not go down (or go down and then pop back up), then Necrons are the army for you. If that sounds like your thing, then this Codex will be a perfect companion to your army. If you want to start collecting a silver tide of your own, then the Combat Patrol: Necrons box is an ideal starter set to pick up alongside this book. Topic Source : https://www.gamesradar.com/codex-necrons-10th-edition-review/ Topic Source :

You died. That much is obvious in the opening moments of Astra: Knights of Veda, which drops you straight into a war, clashing swords with strangers in suits of armor. Suddenly, just as it starts to seem like this will be another standard medieval hack-and-slash, the warriors around you fall to their knees and transform into grisly, undead versions of their former selves. The zombie-infested battlefield that eventually kills you does a good job of teasing the mystery about to unfold, setting the stage nicely for your resurrection into this tragedy-stricken kingdom. But while Knights of Veda’s detailed world, heart-racing drama, and challenging combat show promise, its overly aggressive grind and unnecessarily complex progression systems dampen the charm. You play as the Master of the Book, a stereotypical “Chosen One” role given to you by the Goddess Veda, who asks for your help finding the missing pieces of her “heart” after reviving you. She also enlists help from a mini version of herself, a fairy-like companion named Belle, who might give any Genshin Impact fans some potentially traumatic Paimon flashbacks. However, Veda’s request sits oddly on the back burner for the majority of the story, instead giving way to the takedown of the corrupt King Magnus and a fight to stop the spread of the Undead. Most of the campaign focuses on uncovering the tantalizing pieces of your missing memories, as well as the truth behind the apocalyptic present, which is a more compelling goal than tracking down the goddess’ heart. I could have done with less of Belle screaming over my shoulder and stating the obvious, like that I’m low on HP, though. ASTRA: Knights of Veda Gallery 16 IMAGES Knights of Veda also weaves in stories about the allies you meet along the way, each with their own agendas, smartly tying them into the kingdom’s larger history. I appreciated the character-focused chapters that extended beyond Veda’s overarching fetch quest, and the story does its best to connect all those dots (even if it’s sometimes in convoluted, soap opera-ish ways). It’s the kind of story that needs a white board to piece together the web of connections, and one I enjoyed better once I embraced a certain suspension of disbelief. This isn’t your typical cutesy anime RPG, either – Knights of Veda’s hauntingly detailed dark fantasy world shows in its grotesque enemies and corpse-filled landscapes. Instead of rescuing a hostage just in time, you’ll more likely watch a monster crush his head like a tomato. (His bulging eyes and crumpled skull are still stuck in my mind.) Corpses hang from light posts and ravens scatter from decaying bodies as you scamper past. Even at your headquarters, a potbellied villager can be seen solemnly downing a mug of who-knows-what through a doorway. These environments are perfectly crafted to reflect the troubled times of this world in a more graphic way than many games in the genre are willing to. A slow start veils a genuinely intriguing story. “ Knights of Veda isn’t always so bold, however, and it took me a bit to get over the hurdle of cliches at the beginning (including Belle’s constant whining during battle). A slow start veils a genuinely intriguing story about how this tragedy-struck nation came to be, the history of the corrupt King Magnus, and how your past self fits into it all. It’s also clever that it manages to subvert the “hero with amnesia” trope that kicks things off by having the memories from your past life actually be relevant to current events! Knights of Veda ends up feeling like the gaming equivalent of a “true crime” show, which was perfect for a fan of that genre like me once I was able to make it past the less thrilling start. Even still, Knights of Veda focuses most of its complexity on its combat, with side-scrolling action reminiscent of arcade beat ‘em ups alongside the leveling systems and party management more typical of an RPG. You control a team of four characters that you can instantly swap between depending on your strategy. For example, you could deploy shields using a tank character and then swap a damage dealer in to attack enemies from behind that layer of armor. Managing these characters and optimizing their synergies balances nicely with the timely attacks and dodge rolls needed to survive powerful bosses. And while you can bulldoze through the more common baddies with button-mashing, enough enemy variety exists that you’ll still need to adjust battle strategies on the fly often. Also similar to games like Genshin Impact, Knights of Veda has separate leveling systems for your individual characters, weapons, power-ups, and skills. Each of these requires enhancement materials that you can grind for by replaying chapters in the story. It’s a lot to juggle, but there are some helpful little touches like getting recommendations for which items to level up next if you ever lose a battle. All these upgrade systems helped it feel like I was constantly improving my characters, but they also made it seem like I was constantly running out of resources. Knights of Veda is a live service game with more on the way. There are currently six chapters that take about 30 hours to complete, assuming you decide to focus on the story by mostly sticking with the same team to minimize the time it takes to level up new characters. This first arc of Knights of Veda tackles the truth behind your role in the current world war and why Magnus did what he did. It neatly wraps up one major mystery while leaving smaller threads and a cliffhanger ending that have me looking forward to coming back for the second arc. I started to feel the pain of the grind about halfway through. “ About halfway through the current story, however, I started to feel the pain of the grind because of how often I needed to farm for character enhancement materials. Knights of Veda has “MMO-like” leveling, where anything above a three-level difference between you and your enemies is a noticeable challenge, with attacks that will eat significantly more of your HP. It isn’t like some other RPGs, where smart play might let you squeeze by a tough opponent with that kind of level difference. Grinding for materials to overcome those hurdles is typical for free-to-play RPGs and gacha games like this, but ideally they’ll also have systems to make that process less painful, such as an auto-battle option. Knights of Veda doesn’t – or, at least, it doesn’t implement them in a way that makes the grind any easier. For example, Genshin Impact locks character and weapon enhancement materials behind quick challenges. Only when you start maxing out character skills at the highest levels will it demand you revisit the toughest bosses that take more brain power and reflexes to take down. Meanwhile, Knights of Veda will make you redo a brutal boss battle you only just survived right away in order to obtain basic leveling materials. You can fuse together Adventurer’s Shoes, a currency for collecting enhancement materials, into Hero’s Shoes, which rewards you with more than five times the average amount of drops to quicken the process – but doing so requires 80 out of the 120 maximum Adventurer’s Shoes you can hold. That meant I ended up trading many of the gems I could have used on gacha pulls to get new characters to instead replenish my Adventurer’s Shoes so I could gather more materials at once and not be forced to redo the same battles over and over. And while there is an auto-battle option to initially speed things up, it becomes useless in later chapters. At first, I thought it could be a helpful tool for effortlessly running through repeated battles to farm materials – but in practice, it’s only good for auto-attacking. The AI powering it doesn’t know to step back when there are too many enemies or avoid environmental hazards, and will gleefully walk into poison without thinking about the damage over time it will cause. If auto-battle at least evaded lightning and similar dangers, it would help automate a larger part of the process, even if I still need to go hands-on for tougher enemies. Because progression is so slow, I didn’t have the resources to properly experiment with a wider variety of characters. Knights of Veda has a rock-paper-scissors type elemental system that encourages you to consider who you are using when facing different enemies. Unfortunately, I largely had to ignore the elemental pentagons and triangles that balance strengths and weaknesses out of necessity. I would’ve loved to try out more characters, but that would’ve meant hours of grinding to fully level a single one that likely wouldn’t even become a mainstay of my team afterward. As a result, I generally kept three of my four party members the same throughout the campaign, and only swapped the fourth around when I wanted to experiment with those elements. Jess's Best RPGs See All Genshin Impact Genshin Impact HoYoverse Honkai: Star Rail Honkai: Star Rail HoYoverse Sea of Stars Sea of Stars Sabotage Studio Dark Deity Dark Deity Sword and Axe Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Monolith Software (JP) Fire Emblem: Three Houses Fire Emblem: Three Houses Intelligent Systems Persona 3: Reload Persona 3: Reload Atlus The World Ends with You The World Ends with You Jupiter As a gacha game, your team could be heavily influenced by which characters you manage to randomly pull – for example, I forced my way through the campaign with a 5-star archer named Eliyor I lucked into, but I frequently used free units like Leon and Lucian for support. (Lucian in particular came in clutch with his healing abilities and serviceable Light-based damage.) I unlocked multiple characters as I progressed through the story and completed challenges, so I don’t think the gacha structure is a particular problem here. You get at least 10 pulls for free whenever you hit level 5, level 10, level 15, and so on. I’m not sure my life would have been as easy without Eliyor, of course, but most of my free units were helpful enough that I didn’t feel the need to pay real money for more pulls. Knights of Veda also guarantees you at least one 5-star character from its standard banner after 50 pulls, so that means a chance for everyone to pull their own powerhouse. Gacha concerns or not, there is plenty to talk about in terms of overall jank. Small optimization issues and bugs weren’t very distracting individually, but Knights of Veda has enough of them that it feels sloppy all together. First off, controller support is only half-finished, so you will need to switch to using a keyboard and mouse for things like navigating between character menus if you play on PC like I did. I got used to that annoyance after a while, and the UI at least tells you when to switch most of the time… if it doesn’t crash first. NPCs in the main town would sometimes show me an unfinished menu before freezing, overlapping text is the norm throughout, and random Korean phrases will sometimes pop up in service messages, so the whole package comes across as unpolished. Verdict Astra: Knights of Veda’s intriguing mystery and engaging combat had me wishing I could enjoy it more than I did, but its sluggish progression and unintuitive user experience made this RPG feel like it was fighting against me. The beginner rewards are reasonable enough that it's fairly safe to check out as a free-to-play game, but be warned that the best of its story doesn’t come around until at least the halfway point of the campaign. Anyone taking on this adventure will need the patience to learn the layers of systems, grind to high enough levels to survive its hardest enemies, and come back even after your game inevitably crashes. It’s a tough ask, but one that’s worth at least looking into if you’re interested in a darker take on an anime fantasy RPG. TS https://www.ign.com/articles/astra-knights-of-veda-review

Hey, remember Outcast? …Ah, yes, I’m being told that no – no one remembers Outcast. But that’s okay, because even if you’ve never heard of the 1999 original, Outcast: A New Beginning is a proudly ridiculous open-world action game that fully embraces sci-fi camp in a world I can describe as, “What if you made Avatar with the budget and feel of Stargate SG-1, except you have a jetpack and nobody takes anything seriously?” Sure, its scatterbrained main story outstays its welcome with way too many menial fetch quests and missions that could’ve been emails. After all of that, it redeems itself with a bonkers toybox of delightful weapon modifiers to mix and match until we break it, plus a set of movement abilities rarely seen outside of Just Cause games with which to amuse ourselves with en route from point A to point B. I’m not going to spend a lot of time comparing A New Beginning to the original 1999 Outcast, because let’s be honest: even most of us who did play it probably barely remember it. Refreshing my memory with the plot summary on Wikipedia made me ask, “Wait, did I play this?” Records from that era are spotty at best.It’s clear developer Appeal Studios is fully aware it’s been a quarter-century since we last set foot on the planet Adelpha, and yet it’s just as obvious that it loves the heck out of the bizarre alien world created for that old, obscure game. Appeal came up with an excellent way to have its cake and eat it too: This is a sequel in that it takes place on the same world, but our returning hero, Cutter Slade, has had his memory wiped and he’s as confused as the rest of us when he encounters the two-fingered Talans and their magical Yods (gods) and has to help them defend against high-tech invaders. So if it’s all new to you, that’s fine: it’s effectively new to him, too . It’s a new beginning, if you will – and it actually works pretty well. Suffice it to say, you’re never actually cast out of anything, and outside of a few mentions of events that happened before, this is a very safe point at which to jump into this universe. If it’s all new to you, that’s fine: it’s effectively new to him, too. “ Slade is a quippy, sarcastic dude who looks like a cut-rate Hugh Laurie from an especially taxing episode of House in which he’s sentenced to pick up trash on the side of the highway in a bright-orange shirt. I don’t dislike him, it’s just that outside of his backstory as a Navy SEAL and his constant, hit-and-miss riffing on the weird situations he’s in, the only actual personality he has comes from trying to find his long-lost daughter – sympathetic, but generic. Over more than 30 hours of the campaign (longer, if you stop to smell all of the side missions and activities) we only see snippets of that relationship, and that leaves Slade as a not-all-that-memorable protagonist and renders the story feeling a bit disjointed.Instead, the most interesting thing about him is the gear he quickly stumbles upon, which includes an initially very limited jetpack and an energy shield. Moving around is the best part of Outcast, and though it takes more than a minute to unlock the most empowering of Slade’s abilities, it’s generally a pretty good time to bounce around the terrain of this respectably sized open-world map. At first you have just one thrust that launches you 20 feet in the air, then two, then three… you get the idea. Each time I unlocked another energy bar felt great because it opened up the ability to chain together more boosting, gliding, dashing, and hovering before I had to touch the ground again for a super-quick recharge (and it gave me more opportunities to correct after messing up). It’s made good use of in the many environmental parkour side activities, which start out trivial but eventually become tricky to pull off. I call him “Squishy Appa. ” “ That’s all before the freedom you gain when you earn the right to call in and ride a massive, flying, whale… elephant… squid… thing that – as a fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender – I call “Squishy Appa.” In a world that feels almost Zelda-ish in its freedom to go anywhere, no matter how high, and do anything, the liberating movement was satisfying even during stretches when the story felt like it’d stalled out.It’s sparsely po[CENSORED]ted, but the open-world map of Adelpha checks all the boxes for variety, going from jungle to desert to snow to lava to marshlands, with some high-tech facilities sprinkled in to make sure you’re never in the same environment for too long. Everything’s hyper-saturated and colorful, and the mostly cartoonish style usually serves it well. Creature design has its fair share of boilerplate angry birds, bugs, and dogs, but sometimes it goes full-on bananas with it – most of that is based heavily on ideas from the original game. The catch is that it does not always look great. Even playing on a PC with a top-of-the-line GeForce RTX 4090 GPU, performance wasn’t awesome. It was usually smooth, but hitches were too frequent, and pop-in is brutal when you’re flying around the world – which is quite often. Even up-close in conversation scenes textures didn’t seem to consistently load in, leaving a lot of background scenery looking painfully low-rez while other times it was in full 4K sharpness. Everywhere you go, there’s a set of alien weirdos ready to unload their life stories. “ You’ll see that a lot, because Talans love to talk. This isn’t an RPG – you never make any decisions other than what topic to discuss first – but it’s kind of amazing how much voiced dialogue there is. Adelpha is home to an array of native Talan cities that are as different from one another as New Orleans, Atlanta, and New York (it’s impressive how much detail went into distinguishing their wardrobes and architecture). Everywhere you go, there’s a set of alien weirdos ready to unload their life stories and every little thing you could possibly do for them, delivered with cheesy, tongue-in-cheek voice acting. The goofball Talans, despite being a low-tech society, are all very recognizable stereotypes that range from earnest doofus-turned-leader to doddering deaf sage to vain chieftain and drugged-out activist. Given that there’s so much chatter, it’s not surprising that the lip synching is subpar and the repetitive gesticulations they wave at you as they talk your ear off are way behind the curve of modern games. TS : https://www.ign.com/articles/outcast-a-new-beginning-review

MIAMI — There’s no state that will need to navigate Donald Trump’s abortion stance quite like Florida, which has authorized one of the strictest abortion bans in the country but also could broadly enshrine abortion rights protections in the state constitution through a ballot measure in November. The Republican Party of Florida and key conservative lawmakers, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, consider Florida’s ballot initiative “extreme” and want voters to oppose it. But they’re not calling on Trump to pick up a megaphone over the cause. They generally support his stance to leave one of the most politically treacherous issues for Republicans up to states to decide — even as abortion rights supporters in Arizona, a key battleground state, also are trying to put a similar initiative on the ballot. “I’ve always believed this is a states’ issue,” said Evan Power, the Republican Party of Florida chair. “That is why we will fight to oppose the Florida constitutional amendment because the people’s representatives here in Florida have adopted a Florida constitutionally-sound approach.” State Sen. Joe Gruters, a longtime Trump ally and an RNC national committee member, agreed with Power’s assessment about state decision-making and called the former president’s statement “perfect.” Asked whether he wanted Trump’s help on getting the word out about the referendum, Gruters replied that DeSantis — someone he has clashed with in the past — could keep championing the issue. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican who has drawn several Democratic challengers, also said this is a “states rights issue.” Trump: Abortion is ‘up to the states’ SharePlay Video “He’s doing exactly what he’s supposed to be doing,” she said of Trump. Florida Republicans have good reason to tread lightly around Trump. The former president attacked one of his close allies, Sen. Lindsey Graham, after the South Carolina Republican broke with the president over abortion. One of the nation’s most influential anti-abortion groups, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, also stated it was “deeply disappointed” by Trump’s decision. Marjorie Dannenfelser, the group’s president, later reiterated the organization’s support of Trump. Trump, who as a Florida resident would vote on the abortion referendum, through his campaign did not respond to questions over whether he planned to make his ballot vote public. It’s clear Trump opposes both options facing Florida: He has called the DeSantis-backed six week ban a “terrible mistake,” but on Monday he also blasted abortions that happen late in a pregnancy as being “radical.” Former state Rep. Carlos Lacasa, a Republican who supports abortion rights, said Trump took a “smart” and “calculated” centrist position. “Will he distance himself from the Florida initiative? I think so,” he said. “I think he has nothing to gain and everything to lose here.” Yet a few anti-abortion organizations and Republican lawmakers said they were disappointed in Trump ignoring Florida’s ballot amendment and on his refusal to articulate a national gestational limit. Mathew Staver, founder of the Liberty Counsel, who argued against putting Florida’s abortion referendum before the state Supreme Court in February, said Trump “needs to embrace this issue and not tiptoe around the matter of the sanctity of human life, because it is fundamental to us as humans, that we respect life, especially for the most vulnerable.” “Human dignity doesn’t change because you’ve crossed some state line,” he said. And while Trump takes credit for appointing three Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade almost two years ago, Staver said that DeSantis was one of the greatest advocates anti-abortion groups had to help defeat the referendum because he embraced tighter limits. “He articulated conservative values on all the issues, including on this issue of abortion, and that brought together people from different communities that didn’t typically vote Republican,” Staver said. “People have resonated with that, and that’s what I would hope that we would see here.” GOP state Rep. Spencer Roach of Fort Myers said he also would have preferred to have Trump address the amendment’s language to help turn out voters. “If he’s hoping to lead this nation but he doesn’t have the courage to state where he is on the ballot initiative, that’s not a good sign in my opinion,” Roach said. But Republican state Rep. Mike Beltran, who was one of 70 state House members who voted for the state’s six-week abortion ban last year, maintained that the issue was always supposed to be decided by states and called it “absurd” for Republicans to flip and say it should be decided nationally. “Trump has already done more than any other American in the last century to protect life by making those Supreme Court appointments,” Beltran said. “Ron DeSantis didn’t make those Supreme Court appointments, and Joe Biden certainly didn’t.” Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), a Trump ally who is up for reelection in November, recently said in an interview that he also opposed setting federal limits on abortion and that states should decide the issue. But Scott also said that he would have signed the six-week abortion limit into law if he had still been governor, and this week told the Washington Post that he planned to vote against the referendum. TS : https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/10/trump-abortion-stance-florida-republicans-00151392

A deer (pl.: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae. It is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) and Capreolinae (which includes, among others reindeer (caribou), white-tailed deer, roe deer, and moose). Male deer of almost all species (except the water deer), as well as female reindeer, grow and shed new antlers each year. These antlers are bony extensions of the skull and are often used for combat between males. The musk deer (Moschidae) of Asia and chevrotains (Tragulidae) of tropical African and Asian forests are separate families that are also in the ruminant clade Ruminantia; they are not especially closely related to Cervidae. Deer appear in art from Paleolithic cave paintings onwards, and they have played a role in mythology, religion, and literature throughout history, as well as in heraldry, such as red deer that appear in the coat of arms of Åland.[2] Their economic importance includes the use of their meat as venison, their skins as soft, strong buckskin, and their antlers as handles for knives. Deer hunting has been a po[CENSORED]r activity since the Middle Ages and remains a resource for many families today. Etymology and terminology "The Stag Hunt of Frederick III, Elector of Saxony" by Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1529 The word deer was originally broad in meaning, becoming more specific with time. Old English dēor and Middle English der meant a wild animal of any kind. Cognates of Old English dēor in other dead Germanic languages have the general sense of animal, such as Old High German tior, Old Norse djur or dȳr, Gothic dius, Old Saxon dier, and Old Frisian diar.[3] This general sense gave way to the modern English sense by the end of the Middle English period, around 1500. All modern Germanic languages save English and Scots retain the more general sense: for example, Dutch/Frisian dier, German Tier, and Norwegian dyr mean animal.[4] For many types of deer in modern English usage, the male is a buck and the female a doe, but the terms vary with dialect, and according to the size of the species. The male red deer is a stag, while for other large species the male is a bull, the female a cow, as in cattle. In older usage, the male of any species is a hart, especially if over five years old, and the female is a hind, especially if three or more years old.[5] The young of small species is a fawn and of large species a calf; a very small young may be a kid. A castrated male is a havier.[6] A group of any species is a herd. The adjective of relation is cervine; like the family name Cervidae, this is from Latin: cervus, meaning stag or deer. Distribution Chital deer in Nagarahole, India Deer live in a variety of biomes, ranging from tundra to the tropical rainforest. While often associated with forests, many deer are ecotone species that live in transitional areas between forests and thickets (for cover) and prairie and savanna (open space). The majority of large deer species inhabit temperate mixed deciduous forest, mountain mixed coniferous forest, tropical seasonal/dry forest, and savanna habitats around the world. Clearing open areas within forests to some extent may actually benefit deer po[CENSORED]tions by exposing the understory and allowing the types of grasses, weeds, and herbs to grow that deer like to eat. Access to adjacent croplands may also benefit deer. Adequate forest or brush cover must still be provided for po[CENSORED]tions to grow and thrive. Deer are widely distributed, with indigenous representatives in all continents except Antarctica and Australia, though Africa has only one native deer, the Barbary stag, a subspecies of red deer that is confined to the Atlas Mountains in the northwest of the continent. Another extinct species of deer, Megaceroides algericus, was present in North Africa until 6000 years ago. Fallow deer have been introduced to South Africa. Small species of brocket deer and pudús of Central and South America, and muntjacs of Asia generally occupy dense forests and are less often seen in open spaces, with the possible exception of the Indian muntjac. There are also several species of deer that are highly specialized and live almost exclusively in mountains, grasslands, swamps, and "wet" savannas, or riparian corridors surrounded by deserts. Some deer have a circumpolar distribution in both North America and Eurasia. Examples include the caribou that live in Arctic tundra and taiga (boreal forests) and moose that inhabit taiga and adjacent areas. Huemul deer (taruca and Chilean huemul) of South America's Andes fill the ecological niches of the ibex and wild goat, with the fawns behaving more like goat kids. The highest concentration of large deer species in temperate North America lies in the Canadian Rocky Mountain and Columbia Mountain regions between Alberta and British Columbia where all five North American deer species (white-tailed deer, mule deer, caribou, elk, and moose) can be found. This region has several clusters of national parks including Mount Revelstoke National Park, Glacier National Park (Canada), Yoho National Park, and Kootenay National Park on the British Columbia side, and Banff National Park, Jasper National Park, and Glacier National Park (U.S.) on the Alberta and Montana sides. Mountain slope habitats vary from moist coniferous/mixed forested habitats to dry subalpine/pine forests with alpine meadows higher up. The foothills and river valleys between the mountain ranges provide a mosaic of cropland and deciduous parklands. The rare woodland caribou have the most restricted range living at higher altitudes in the subalpine meadows and alpine tundra areas of some of the mountain ranges. Elk and mule deer both migrate between the alpine meadows and lower coniferous forests and tend to be most common in this region. Elk also inhabit river valley bottomlands, which they share with White-tailed deer. The White-tailed deer have recently expanded their range within the foothills and river valley bottoms of the Canadian Rockies owing to conversion of land to cropland and the clearing of coniferous forests allowing more deciduous vegetation to grow up the mountain slopes. They also live in the aspen parklands north of Calgary and Edmonton, where they share habitat with the moose. The adjacent Great Plains grassland habitats are left to herds of elk, American bison, and pronghorn. Reindeer herds standing on snow to avoid flies The Eurasian Continent (including the Indian Subcontinent) boasts the most species of deer in the world, with most species being found in Asia. Europe, in comparison, has lower diversity in plant and animal species. Many national parks and protected reserves in Europe have po[CENSORED]tions of red deer, roe deer, and fallow deer. These species have long been associated with the continent of Europe, but also inhabit Asia Minor, the Caucasus Mountains, and Northwestern Iran. "European" fallow deer historically lived over much of Europe during the Ice Ages, but afterwards became restricted primarily to the Anatolian Peninsula, in present-day Turkey. Present-day fallow deer po[CENSORED]tions in Europe are a result of historic man-made introductions of this species, first to the Mediterranean regions of Europe, then eventually to the rest of Europe. They were initially park animals that later escaped and reestablished themselves in the wild. Historically, Europe's deer species shared their deciduous forest habitat with other herbivores, such as the extinct tarpan (forest horse), extinct aurochs (forest ox), and the endangered wisent (European bison). Good places to see deer in Europe include the Scottish Highlands, the Austrian Alps, the wetlands between Austria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, and some National Parks, including Doñana National Park in Spain, the Veluwe in the Netherlands, the Ardennes in Belgium, and Białowieża National Park in Poland. Spain, Eastern Europe, and the Caucasus Mountains have forest areas that are not only home to sizable deer po[CENSORED]tions but also other animals that were once abundant such as the wisent, Eurasian lynx, Iberian lynx, wolves, and brown bears. Some sika deer (Cervus nippon) and Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) along a waterside The highest concentration of large deer species in temperate Asia occurs in the mixed deciduous forests, mountain coniferous forests, and taiga bordering North Korea, Manchuria (Northeastern China), and the Ussuri Region (Russia). These are among some of the richest deciduous and coniferous forests in the world where one can find Siberian roe deer, sika deer, elk, and moose. Asian caribou occupy the northern fringes of this region along the Sino-Russian border. Deer such as the sika deer, Thorold's deer, Central Asian red deer, and elk have historically been farmed for their antlers by Han Chinese, Turkic peoples, Tungusic peoples, Mongolians, and Koreans. Like the Sami people of Finland and Scandinavia, the Tungusic peoples, Mongolians, and Turkic peoples of Southern Siberia, Northern Mongolia, and the Ussuri Region have also taken to raising semi-domesticated herds of Asian caribou. The highest concentration of large deer species in the tropics occurs in Southern Asia in India's Indo-Gangetic Plain Region and Nepal's Terai Region. These fertile plains consist of tropical seasonal moist deciduous, dry deciduous forests, and both dry and wet savannas that are home to chital, hog deer, barasingha, Indian sambar, and Indian muntjac. Grazing species such as the endangered barasingha and very common chital are gregarious and live in large herds. Indian sambar can be gregarious but are usually solitary or live in smaller herds. Hog deer are solitary and have lower densities than Indian muntjac. Deer can be seen in several national parks in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka of which Kanha National Park, Dudhwa National Park, and Chitwan National Park are most famous. Sri Lanka's Wilpattu National Park and Yala National Park have large herds of Indian sambar and chital. The Indian sambar are more gregarious in Sri Lanka than other parts of their range and tend to form larger herds than elsewhere. A couple Sambar does and a Chital buck roaming the Sigur Plateau in southern India The Chao Praya River Valley of Thailand was once primarily tropical seasonal moist deciduous forest and wet savanna that hosted po[CENSORED]tions of hog deer, the now-extinct Schomburgk's deer, Eld's deer, Indian sambar, and Indian muntjac. Both the hog deer and Eld's deer are rare, whereas Indian sambar and Indian muntjac thrive in protected national parks, such as Khao Yai. Many of these South Asian and Southeast Asian deer species also share their habitat with other herbivores, such as Asian elephants, the various Asian rhinoceros species, various antelope species (such as nilgai, four-horned antelope, blackbuck, and Indian gazelle in India), and wild oxen (such as wild Asian water buffalo, gaur, banteng, and kouprey). One way that different herbivores can survive together in a given area is for each species to have different food preferences, although there may be some overlap. As a result of acclimatisation society releases in the 19th century, Australia has six introduced species of deer that have established sustainable wild po[CENSORED]tions. They are fallow deer, red deer, sambar, hog deer, rusa, and chital. Red deer were introduced into New Zealand in 1851 from English and Scottish stock. Many have been domesticated in deer farms since the late 1960s and are common farm animals there now. Seven other species of deer were introduced into New Zealand but none are as widespread as red deer.[7] Ts : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deer

The Ford Maverick is a breath of fresh air, a welcome reprieve from the hulking, high-priced trucks that are all too common these days. Ford’s pint-sized pickup is no bigger than a compact car and it only costs about $25,000 out of the box. But this is a truck, tiny as it may be, so it does need to be rugged. Enter the Tremor, which looks like a Maverick went on a spending spree at REI. It's adorable. The Tremor has orange accents on the wheels and grille, Tremor stickers on the tailgate, extra cladding, and orange tow hooks in the bumper. But it's more than just a visual package. Quick Specs 2024 Ford Maverick Tremor Lariat Engine Turbo 2.0-Liter Four-Cylinder Output 250 Horsepower / 277 Pound-Feet Weight 3,807 Pounds Towing 2,000 Pounds Price $34,275 (Base) / $40,125 (As-Tested) The Maverick Tremor gets many of the same goodies as its big brother, the F-150 Tremor. Ford’s smallest Tremor has a 0.8-inch lift, knobby Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tires, a steel skid plate, an updated suspension with better articulation, and dedicated off-road modes bolstered by an electronic locking rear diff. Top Videos: But is it actually capable? To an extent. A not-too-technical wildlife management area near me with some rutted dirt roads felt like a good place for the Maverick Tremor to stretch its legs. The updated suspension absorbs bumps better than the base setup and helps keep the body under control. It's nice and compliant on a rock-littered road. If you get up under the truck’s body, you'll even see the hydraulic bump stop shocks at each corner for when the going gets really tough. The 9.4 inches of ground clearance puts the Maverick Tremor higher than the base Bronco Sport (8.8 inches) and higher than Subaru's Forester Wilderness (9.2 inches). And the approach angle is pretty darn good at 30.4 degrees. But the 19.9 degrees on breakover and 22.2 degrees on departure are just okay. You'll have to sacrifice some off-road prowess in the name of a long wheelbase and a 4.5-foot bed. Pros: Off-Road Upgrades With Genuine Capability, Cute As Heck, Comfortable Ride But when combined with a front skid plate and extra cladding, the Maverick Tremor has enough clearance for me to dip the unibody truck into deeper ruts confidently. The all-terrain tires are grippy as heck and the locking rear diff in any of the dedicated off-road modes offers enough traction for the Mav to keep from getting stuck in shallow obstacles. I was still hesitant to take the Maverick Tremor through some of the deeper puddles and softer mud, though. The Maverick is unusually long at 199.7 inches. That lends to its poor breakover and departure angles and makes it a prime candidate for scraping the underbody and bed on the way out of a trickier obstacle. Or not making it out of said obstacle at all. The turbocharged 2.0-liter engine feels punchy. It makes 250 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque and gives off a cute whoosh on heavy throttle—but it's not a thrilling powertrain otherwise. The same goes for the eight-speed automatic. It's anonymous at best but at least it's not a CVT. Frankly, the Maverick is way more fun on the dirt than it is on the pavement. The ride is comfortable on the highway but body movements are vague, the cabin is loud, and the driver's seat ergonomics are all out of whack. I had a hard time getting comfortable with the weirdly offset gas and brake pedals and the limited steering adjustability. Cons: Pricey With Lariat Trim, Cheap Interior, Loud On The Road The faux leather seats are pretty comfy, at least, with eight-way power adjustability and lumbar support on this Lariat trim—one of the few “premium” features in the entire cabin. Otherwise, the interior isn’t home to upscale materials. Hard plastics cover most surfaces and much of the trim looks and feels cheap. But the interior layout is nice, with plenty of pockets for larger water bottles, sunglasses, and such. And for a sub-$30,000 starting price, cheaper interior materials are to be expected. But here's where it gets tricky—this Maverick Tremor costs $40,125 as tested. Not exactly cheap. The Tremor package is a $3,495 option and you can get it on the XLT or the Lariat. But on the XLT, Ford forces you into its Co-Pilot 360 safety system and tacks on the price of four-wheel drive, bringing the total cost of the Tremor package to $6,365 on the XLT. The cheapest Maverick Tremor XLT is $34,275 and that comes with cloth seats. The Maverick Tremor is even less of a bargain at $40,000, especially when you remember the body-on-frame Chevrolet Colorado Trail Boss exists, which is now significantly cheaper for 2024. The Trail Boss starts at $39,390 and it has a punchier powertrain (310 hp) and more off-road capability. But for the occasional weekend warrior, the Ford Maverick Tremor is plenty capable. It’s arguably more comfortable than the Chevy on the road, too. It looks cute too, and if you opt for the XLT model, you can still sneak in under $35,000, if you’re willing to part ways with faux leather seats. TS : https://www.motor1.com/reviews/714972/2024-ford-maverick-tremor-review/

Holders City took took the lead in the second minute when Bernardo Silva cleverly snuck a 25-yard free-kick round the wall and past goalkeeper Andriy Lunin. But deflected strikes from Eduardo Camavinga and Rodrygo helped 14-time European champions Real overturn the deficit at the Bernabeu. "We were 2-1 down, playing here without much composure," Guardiola said. "This game, in the first three seasons together, we'd have lost 4-1 or 5-1 as we were not stable emotionally." City, who won this competition for the first time last season as part of a historic Treble, came into this game with Kevin de Bruyne on the bench after the Belgium midfielder fell ill before kick-off. Guardiola said: "One of the secrets at the high levels is to adapt quickly to chaos. There is no time to complain. "You need time to learn and now we are more stable and hopefully in the future we can do better and better." City had lacked quality in the final third until Phil Foden, who had been on the periphery of the game, found space just outside the area to turn and fire into the top corner to pull City level. ADVERTISEMENT Moments later left-back Josko Gvardiol cut in and found the far corner with a superb right-foot shot to score his first goal since joining City from RB Leipzig in the summer. However, Madrid equalised with a stunning volley from Federico Valverde to set up an intriguing second leg on Wednesday, 17 April at Etihad Stadium, where City beat Madrid 4-0 in last season's semi-finals. "We take the result and in one week in Manchester, with our people, it will be sold out and they will help us," Guardiola added. Football Daily: Arsenal and Man City in Champions League thrillers City show resolve City got the perfect start when Silva cleverly curled in the opener after Aurelien Tchouameni , who will now miss the second leg, fouled Jack Grealish. Guardiola's team were rocked by Madrid's quickfire response, but showed patience in their build-up with Madrid happy to sit off the Premier League champions, only pressing when City got near the penalty area. It worked for large parts of the game and opened up counter-attacking opportunities for Carlo Ancelotti's side, but City's quality eventually told. Foden had been quiet, drifting between wide right and attacking midfield, but his superb season continued when he smartly turned and fired an unstoppable drive into the top-right corner of the goal. When Gvardiol put the visitors ahead, just a second win at the Bernabeu looked on for City, before they were pegged back by Valverde's wonderful low drive. However, City now have the chance at home to progress to the semi-finals for the fourth consecutive season, where in recent years they have blown sides away in the Champions League. How did you rate Manchester City's performance? Have your say here Get City news notifications Madrid exploit City's lack of pace This is a very different Real Madrid team to the all-conquering sides which dominated the tournament this century. Their general shape, often with 11 men behind the ball, showed City a lot of respect, and perhaps vulnerability on the back of last season's chastening defeat in Manchester. However, their solid defensive shape allowed them to exploit one of the few weaknesses City have. At the back Guardiola's side lack pace, especially with the continued absence of Kyle Walker, and that allowed Rodrygo to get in down the City right for the second Madrid goal. It was a weakness that Madrid, who are top of La Liga and had nine days off coming into the game, continued to target but Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo all saw efforts saved or go wide. It is a tactic they are likely to use at the Etihad in eight days' time, but last season Ancelotti's side struggled to gain possession in the second leg against a fired-up City, so opportunities may be few and far between. It will be fascinating to see if Guardiola's team, who are one point off top spot in the Premier League and into the FA Cup semi-finals, can do it again and continue their march towards another Treble. TS : https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/68765707

So, you want to learn how to get the most out of your reading experience. Reading effectively is a piece of cake whether you’re reading for school or fun. Not only will these tips help you retain and comprehend the information you're learning, but it makes the reading experience that much more enjoyable. In this article, we’ll break down some simple tricks you can try to get the most out of a text. Establish reading goals before you start reading. Take notes to help yourself comprehend the material. Ask yourself questions before, during, and after reading to solidify the information in your mind. Establish a comprehension goal before closely reading the text. Think about why you need to understand the material in front of you—what is the end goal of reading? This goal can be about finding a specific solution to a problem, understanding the causes and effects of a certain event, or being able to define a new word or idea.[1] Jot down your goal in a notebook, so you can glance at it if you get stuck while reading. If you’re reading Little Dorrit, decide if you want to explain Dickens’ use of a certain plot device or enjoy Victorian fiction for the first time. If you’re reading SPIN Selling, consider whether you’d like to come away with actionable sales tactics or a general introduction to the topic of sales. Also consider how much you want to read and if there’s a different comprehension goal for each section or passage.[2] 2 Review the author, title, and synopsis. Download Article Determine the genre and purpose to grasp a brief understanding. Determine the genre and purpose to grasp a brief understanding. Before you start reading, take a good look at the author and title. Read the back or inside panels of the book or the blurb at the start of an article. This information will give you an overall feeling for what’s to come—the genre, tone, author’s background, etc. Knowing what you’re about to read will help you get in the right mindset for that type of text.[3] For instance, you’d grab a pen and notebook before reading a history book, but you might grab a cup of hot cocoa to read a mystery novel. 3 Skim through the text. Download Article Get a preview of what’s to come by flipping through the pages. Once you have the basic idea of what you’re reading, scan through the table of contents and headers or flick through the pages.[4] Glance over any images, graphs, or illustrations. Spend about 3 to 5 seconds on each page, glancing over the text to see which keywords catch your eye.[5] See if you can identify any patterns or themes right off the bat. Use CTRL+F on a computer or the “find in page” feature to search for keywords quickly. Try turning the chapter and heading titles into questions. This way, when you read the text that follows, you can look for information that will answer that question.[6] For example, if a section is titled “Fort Lee, NJ and the Birth of the Film Industry,” turn it into, “How did Fort Lee, NJ play a role in the birth of the film industry?” If you’re reading a fiction novel, consider only eyeing the table of contents, map, and other front matter. Stop skimming when you reach Chapter 1 to avoid spoilers. 4 Read the end before diving into the intro. Download Article Start with the concluding paragraph first to understand the main idea(s). While starting at the end may feel counterintuitive, it can help you read more effectively because you’ll know what you need to comprehend. Textbooks and nonfiction books often feature a glossary, highlighted passages, and/or follow-up questions. Look closely at these sections as they’ll emphasize the big ideas and concepts you’ll be learning about.[7] This strategy won’t be as helpful for works of fiction or poetry. But if the book you’re reading includes a preface or timeline, read through that as it may provide context for the text. 5 Try selective reading for lengthy academic works. Download Article Skim certain passages to get through informative text quickly. Instead of reading each sentence word for word, jump to the passages that are the most relevant to your research and reading goal. Skim the topic sentences and concluding sentences of each paragraph. Read more closely when you come across a section that answers your questions or goes in-depth on the topic you’re curious about.[8] Scan the paragraphs for keywords that relate to your reading goals. For instance, a keyword might be a year, place, name, or adjective 6 Take notes while you read. Download Article Practice active reading by taking notes. Before grabbing your notebook, wait until you’ve finished reading or skimming through a complete section or idea. Take a moment to summarize the main idea in your head first, and then write the main points and concepts. Be sure to include the page number and source you’re summarizing in your notes so that you can refer to the text later.[9] Try writing down a list of questions or a quick 1-sentence summary of the material.[10] Underline or highlight the main point or jot down notes in the margins if you own the book or printed article. Refrain from writing in a book from the library or a textbook rental company. If your reading comprehension goal is to understand facts or vocab words, write the key term and its definition on a flashcard. Decide what’s most important to you as the reader rather than worrying about every single detail.[11] 7 Limit distractions while you read. Download Article Settle down in a quiet spot to read. Reading comprehension is all about focus, and if there are too many distractions, you won’t be able to fully process the material. Find a location that’s well lit, quiet, and secluded. Turn off or silence your electronic devices, so it’s just you and the reading.[12] Make sure you’re not hungry or sleepy before you start reading, as these feelings could distract you. If you’re reading at school or in a public place, put on a pair of noise-canceling headphones, bring a snack with you, and search for a seat away from others. 8 Think about what you’ve read. Download Article Pause between main ideas to process the reading material. Once you reach the end of a main idea, section, or chapter, take a few moments to let everything soak in before you get back to reading. Don’t be afraid to question the text and make your own assumptions. Identify the author’s bias, assess the evidence, and observe your immediate reactions.[13] Ask yourself whether you agree with the position that’s being presented or the direction of the plot. Review your notes as you process everything. Jot down any new ideas or questions that came up. Think about your reading goal during this time. What do you still not know? Can you predict what’s coming next? 9 Make personal connections to the material.Connect what you read to your existing knowledge or past experiences. Rather than approaching the text as an isolated piece of writing, try to relate it to other things you’ve read. If a plot point reminded you of something from your own life, make a mental note of it. If you can connect the examples in the journal article with something you learned in class, jot down those similarities.[14] TS : https://www.wikihow.com/Read-Effectively

Walid Daqqa, one of the longest-serving Palestinian prisoners in Israel, died of cancer on Sunday at the age of 63 after almost four decades of incarceration. Daqqa’s case was unique. At the time of his death, he was the longest imprisoned Palestinian in Israel, with the second-longest sentence served overall, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Society. He was also one of the few Palestinian prisoners to have been continuously incarcerated since prior to the Oslo Accords, a series of agreements between Israel and the Palestinians in the 1990s that resulted in a number of Palestinians being released from Israeli prisons. Born in the Israeli town of Baqa al-Gharbiyye in the northern “triangle” region, Daqqa was a Palestinian citizen of Israel. FOR VIDEO Israel Palestinian detainees Diamond January 27, 2024 VIDEO RELATED VIDEO CNN video shows Palestinian detainees blindfolded and barefoot in Israel near Gaza border A spokesperson for the Israel Prison Service on Monday confirmed Daqqa’s death and said in a statement that his death will be investigated “like any event of this nature.” In Israel, Daqqa was seen as a terrorist after he was convicted in connection with the killing of a soldier. But to many Palestinians, he was a symbol of their struggle for liberation from Israel. Daqqa was arrested in March 1986 and sentenced to life in prison after an Israeli court convicted him of commanding the Po[CENSORED]r Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) militant group, which abducted and killed 19-year-old Israeli soldier Moshe Tamam in 1984. Daqqa was not convicted of carrying out the murder but of commanding the group, which he denied, Amnesty International said. Tamam’s niece Ortal said on X that her uncle was subjected to torture before being killed. In 2012, Israel reduced his sentence to 37 years, which he completed in 2023. He was then charged by an Israeli court with smuggling mobile phones to prisoners, and was given an added sentence of two years, according to the Palestinian Commission of Detainee Affairs. He died before his scheduled release date of March 24, 2025. The Commission and the Palestinian Prisoners Society, based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank , said in a statement that during his detention, Daqqa “faced the policies of torture, assault, deprivation and isolation, in addition to successive medical crimes.” CNN has reached out to the Israel Prison Service for comment on the allegations. ‘Weight lifted from my chest’: niece “The way he was murdered was so brutal and inhumane,” Ortal, the niece of Moshe Tamam, told CNN on Tuesday. Moshe had been returning from a weekend visiting his girlfriend in Tiberias when he was kidnapped at the Beit Lid Junction in Israel, according to Ortal. “When (Daqqa) died in jail, I was very happy,” Ortal said, adding that she felt relief after she and her family had fought for years to keep Daqqa in prison rather than have his sentence reduced. “To be honest, I’m a doctor, I spent my life helping people be healthy,” she added. “I save life, I try to make it better for my patients. Never in my life did I think I’d be happy that someone died. But I was so happy, I felt like so much weight was lifted from my chest.” “We fought hard to keep him in prison, and every moment of struggle paid off,” Ortal wrote on X. Rare form of cancer Daqqa’s health had deteriorated in prison. In 2015, he was diagnosed with neuromuscular disease after suffering from various health conditions, said Addameer, a West Bank-based prisoner support and human rights association. And in 2022, he was diagnosed with myelofibrosis, a rare form of bone marrow cancer and chronic pulmonary obstructive disease. FILE - Palestinian Khader Adnan, center, is greeted by Palestinians after his release from an Israeli prison in the West Bank village of Arrabeh near Jenin, Sunday, July 12, 2015. Palestinian prisoner Adnan died in Israeli custody early Tuesday, May 2, 2023, after a hunger strike of nearly three months, Israel's prison service announced. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed, File) RELATED ARTICLE Prominent Palestinian detainee Khader Adnan dies in Israeli prison after 87-day hunger strike In 2023, Amnesty International called on Israel to release Daqqa so he could receive specialist medical care. “The persistent lack of medical attention throughout Daqqa’s imprisonment and the prison authorities’ neglect in conducting regular check-ups had a negative impact on his health,” Addameer said, adding that prisoners have the right to receive adequate medical care under international conventions. The group alleged that after the cancer diagnosis, “negligence” in providing urgent medical intervention meant the disease progressed and reached a “critical level three notches above the danger threshold.” CNN cannot independently confirm the claims made by Addameer. Amnesty International senior director Erika Guevara-Rosas said Daqqa’s death “is a cruel reminder of Israel’s systematic medical neglect and disregard for Palestinian prisoners’ rights.” Citing Daqqa’s lawyer, she said in a statement, “For Daqqa and his family, the last six months in particular were an endless nightmare, during which he was subjected to torture or other ill-treatment, including beatings and humiliation by the Israel Prison Service.” CNN reached out for comments from the Israel Prison Service on the allegations of negligence but they confirmed only Daqqa’s death and said no further comment would be provided. During his detention, Daqqa wrote a number of books, and earned two degrees in 2010 and 2016. Amnesty described his writings as “an act of resistance against the dehumanization of Palestinian prisoners.” After his death, a tent set up for mourners to gather on Monday in Baqa al-Gharbiyye was stormed by Israeli police, according to a statement from the Palestinian Prisoners Society and CNN video. Israeli police said they responded to the gathering after it took place without permission, according to a statement sent to CNN, adding that five people were arrested for alleged assault against law enforcement personnel. Amnesty International on Monday called on Israeli authorities to return Daqqa’s body to his family so they could give him a “peaceful and dignified burial and allow them to mourn his death without intimidation,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Amnesty International’s Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns. 9,000-plus Palestinians in Israeli prisons There are currently 9,400 Palestinians prisoners in Israeli jails, according to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society. Daqqa’s death brings the number of Palestinians that have died in Israeli custody since 1967, the start of Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories, to 251, according to the Palestinian Commission of Detainee Affairs. And since October 7 of last year, Daqqa is the 14th Palestinian prisoner to have died in Israeli custody, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Society. Ts : https://edition.cnn.com/2024/04/09/middleeast/walid-daqqa-palestinian-prisoner-dies-38-years-in-israeli-custody-intl/index.html

¤ Your Nickname: (Same as in the Forum) : Osiris ¤ Your Address: (Facebook, Skype) : ¤ Age: 18 ¤ Languages That You Can Speak: English/Arabic ¤ Your Location: Egypt/Alexandria ¤ Experience As Admin: (Last Server - GameTracker Link) 3 Years ¤ Can You Stay Spectator Or Playing Between These Hours (24:00 To 12:00 PM): Sure ¤ Link Of Hours You Played On Server: ( CLICK HERE You Must Write Your Nickname)https://www.gametracker.rs/player/135.125.249.129:27015/Dark%2BSword/(old name) × (https://www.gametracker.rs/player/135.125.249.129:27015/Osiris/) (Current Name) ¤ Reason That You Want To Be Admin: To help and improve the server and be friends. My friend invited me here and this is truly a wonderful server ¤ Are You On Our NewLifeZM Discord Server And Will You Be Active In The NewLife Staff - Chat Channel (Link)?: Sure,I am there ¤ Admin - Password: (Read The Admin - Rules To Find It)"HeroOfNewLife"

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When I think of the survival-horror genre’s best games, I often wonder if they were made better by their frequently unwieldy combat mechanics. The inability to reliably defend yourself heightened the terror in anti-power fantasies like Silent Hill, and the awkwardness of taking on the undead in Resident Evil became core to its tension. With that in mind, could a modern horror game benefit from having similarly janky self-defense systems? Alone in the Dark, the 2024 reboot project from THQ Nordic and Pieces Interactive, emphatically resolves this question for me; as it turns out, the answer is no--it's certainly worse off. Alone in the Dark centers on characters and a haunted house all named the same as they were in the original 1992 game, but it mostly ditches that game's original story and old-school adventure game leanings in favor of a third-person, over-the-shoulder horror experience in line with modern counterparts. The game's writing pedigree flaunts Soma and Amnesia: The Dark Descent's Mikael Hedberg, and the story even plays out like an Amnesia game at times, to its credit. Much of what it does well is also derivative, but a larger issue is that it can’t do these aspects of the game well consistently. And all the while its worst parts are ceaselessly unenjoyable. Now Playing: Alone in the Dark GameSpot Review Chief among the blemishes is the aforementioned shoddy combat. There are three guns in total, and though wielding them feels cumbersome in the way a horror game wants to, so much else about dispatching monsters in the Derceto mansion’s hallways and bedrooms is a chore. Many enemies feel uniform in their behaviors and are often comically unaware or incapable of reaching you due to getting stuck on geometry or even each other when they show up in groups. Even the few that do behave differently, like a monster that lurks on all fours and pounces or flying bug-like creatures that swarm down onto you, are so easily killed off that I quickly felt like the game might've been more enjoyable if there weren't any combat at all. Melee combat feels worse than gunplay, with a swinging mechanic that behaves more like a directionless flail. I found that for best results I had to button-mash the melee weapon and just hope that I took down the enemy I was targeting before they got to me first, and I wasn't always successful. But neither guns nor melee can outdo the confounding use of throwable weapons. Scattered around environments are bottles and Molotovs that can be thrown at the many monsters in your path. But you can't add them to your inventory: You have to throw them from where you find them, and the game's way of telling you this is to prompt you to pick one up (RT/R2) and watch as your character immediately tosses it without a care. That teaches you that the next time you want to use one, you should instead hold the button down, thereby allowing yourself to aim the throw. But you still aren't meant to actually move with the object in your hand, and if you try, the character will slowly walk in the direction you point, all while the throwing arc still sits on your screen. It's easily one of the most undercooked combat mechanics I can recall in a horror game. It's also odd and distracting how the first shot of any round of gunfire suffers an unmissable audio delay of a second or two. Whenever I'd fire a gun, the enemy would react to the damage, and a moment later, I'd hear the gunshot. It was always the first shot and never any subsequent shots in a series of them. It didn't break the game but it was jarring for all 15 hours I played. I should mention that this occurred on Xbox for me, but not for a colleague playing on PC, though they did report other issues such as game crashes. Alone in the Dark also features the other gameplay tentpole of the genre, as the elaborate home it takes place in is littered with puzzles. This is actually an area where the game sometimes shines, but not consistently. Some early puzzles in the mansion-turned-rest-home are fun to piece together and offer a sense of reward not just for advancing the story, but for letting you piece it together and feel like an investigator, like one of the two playable characters is. I enjoyed exploring the mansion and opening up new avenues through which to solve its roundabout puzzles, and it was great to mix in a few otherworldly sections that pulled me out of Derceto and into various nightmarishly twisted memories. The transitions between the mansion and these other places were mostly done smoothly and caught me by surprise, albeit not without an occasional stutter, but I never found this as distracting as the gunfire audio delay. But other puzzles were obnoxiously obtuse, with solutions that didn't feel like they were available in the game's context clues. Many of these revolve around determining safe codes or piecing broken objects back together. In one example, I had to infer a three-digit code from a letter I'd found, and the eventual solution didn't feel logically telegraphed. Alone in the Dark is sometimes more of a headache than it needs to be. Thankfully, the doom jazz soundtrack is a nice cure for what ails you. I loved the game's atmosphere, strongly aided by the great music and good performances by Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) and David Harbour (Stranger Things). Ultimately, however, I never felt like the familiar faces from Hollywood raised the game's quality level to a degree that justifies their inclusion beyond the marketability of star power. They aren't bad in their roles by any means, but I didn't feel like they brought an element to the game that couldn't have been granted by other talented folks, making their involvement feel like simple stunt casting. You can choose either character--Comer's Emily Hartwood or Harbour's Detective Carnby--and play the full campaign as either. For large swaths of the story, these campaigns are the same, but they each involve gameplay and story moments unique to them, like puzzle sections and some hauntings unique to each of their backstories, along with a true ending for players who finish both versions. These alternate pathways feel like a fun added wrinkle to the full story, but the allure of playing the game a second time is dampened by its issues. I liked the game's story for the most part, but I did witness a jarring sequence near the end where it so plainly and brazenly pulls a plot detail from another major horror game that I found it hard to imagine how it got through editing. You can't just repeat another game's twist, can you? Alone in the Dark suggests you can. I found that to be such a perplexing choice, given how much else Hedberg has done well in the horror world and even does well here. Whenever the combat bored me or the puzzles left me totally stumped, I persevered, in part, because I wanted to see how the story shook out. Led by the game's mysterious Dark Man, an entity resembling a Pharaoh, Alone in the Dark mixes in the same kind of ancient history element that the Amnesia series has done so well. It initially feels so out-of-place that it actually serves the game better in the end. You think you're getting a period-piece haunted house story, and suddenly the game is making nods to much greater supernatural oddities and blending reality and fiction in ways that make it hard to trust anything you're seeing. It makes the world of Alone in the Dark feel more uncertain, and thus, less safe. Save for the story beat that feels too close to another game's big moment, I found the story to be Alone in the Dark's best, most consistent quality. With its reality-bending story, parade of puzzles, and unwieldy combat, Alone in the Dark is, in some ways, more faithful to some turn-of-the-century horror games than their own revitalized modern remakes. I enjoyed the game's story, setting, and abundant lore, and I felt smart when I'd overcome some of its puzzles. But others proved so obtuse as to be frustrating, and nothing about the combat even climbs to a level I'd call serviceable--it's consistently poor. This isn't Alone in the Dark's first revival attempt, and it's probably not its last, but it isn't the one that will put the series' name in the same breath as the all-time greats it originally helped inspire. TS : https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/alone-in-the-dark-review-dimly-lit/1900-6418197/