-CosmiNNe

Few long-running series have reinvented themselves for the modern era as successfully as Mortal Kombat. Since the 2011 reboot found a fresh yet familiar formula for its brawls, and finally made some sense of its sprawling lore, each new entry has had its own distinct and exciting identity, from X's explosion of new characters to 11's clash of past and present. So the question is, what's Mortal Kombat 1's new take on the series? The unfortunate answer is, though it's still a solid fighter, it doesn't really have one. NetherRealm has pitched this as another soft reboot for the series—a fresh entry point that sheds much of the confusing backstory and welcomes in new players. But that's not really what we've got. Instead, Mortal Kombat 1 feels more entrenched in the series' past than ever, struggling to iterate on its core systems or to tell an accessible new story. It's a fun fighting game at its core, but it's definitely the weakest of the recent MKs, and it's disappointingly lacking in the series' true greatest asset: personality. For many, the eight-hour cinematic story campaign will be the main draw, especially following on from the universe-shattering events of the end of Mortal Kombat 11. The long and short is, hero-turned-god Liu Kang has rebooted time to create a more peaceful and chummy version of the setting, with many of the classic villains carefully neutered or redeemed by their new circumstances. As you might expect from a series known for its gory executions, that peace is fated not to last, largely thanks to the meddling of a mysterious villain who seems to want to correct the path of history back towards violence and chaos. The first half is promising, seeming to strip things back to a simpler kind of Mortal Kombat story—one more grounded in martial arts movies than grand, multiverse-spanning fantasy. Familiar characters are reimagined in interesting ways—Raiden is now a plucky mortal champion, Mileena is a noble heir tortured by a dark secret, and Sub-Zero and Scorpion are brothers in the same clan. Fans of long-standing jobbers Baraka and Reptile, who traditionally exist just to get beaten into pulp while the heroes wait for some real villains to come along, will be thrilled to hear they both finally get their due, getting to be endearing anti-heroes this time around. But this new set-up barely gets the chance to find its feet before we're back into mind-bending nonsense, and the story gets bogged down in reheated ideas, twists that rely on you knowing what happened not only in MK11 but in its DLC expansion too, and bizarre tributes to the early-2000s era games. As a long-time fan, I couldn't help but feel it's all been done much better before; for a newcomer, I suspect it would all be impenetrable. https://www.pcgamer.com/mortal-kombat-1-review/

happy Birthday @Nyx. hope u enjoy on ur special day

With government funding slated to run out September 30, the leaders of the bipartisan House Problem Solvers Caucus told CNN on Sunday that “all options are on the table” to force a vote on their alternative stopgap plan to avert a shutdown. There is no consensus plan to keep the government funded, and persistent opposition by a bloc of conservatives to House GOP leadership’s agenda has made any effort to pass a stopgap bill in the House a major challenge. While the caucus leaders, Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick and Josh Gottheimer, said they hope House Speaker Kevin McCarthy puts the measure on the floor, they said they have spoken with the parliamentarian about other avenues and raised the possibility of using a discharge petition – an arcane procedural step – to force a vote. The procedural tool can be used to force a floor vote, but only if a majority of House members sign on in support. Discharge petitions rarely succeed because of how high the threshold is to clear. “We’re going to do whatever it takes to get that bill on the floor. … A discharge petition is one of several options, and a group of us met with the parliamentarian this past week to discuss all the options we have to force a vote on our bill,” Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican, told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union.” Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, added: “I think our plan is reasonable. And it deals with the extremes and … instead of burning the place down as, Speaker McCarthy said of the far right, it actually provides a reasonable, commonsense solution working with people like Brian Fitzpatrick who want to get things done.” The caucus last week endorsed a potential backup plan if House Republicans are unable to pass their stopgap bill alone. The bill would fund the government through January 11 and include Ukraine aid, disaster response and border security provisions. “This is a decision the speaker is gonna have to make. He can bring that reasonable bill to the floor that we’ve proposed, and I guarantee you’re gonna get Democrats (and) Republicans coming together to support it and we can keep the lights on,” Gottheimer said. McCarthy, who is under pressure and has faced threats of an ouster, said Saturday he still lacks support from a handful of GOP hardliners to put a stopgap measure on the floor, making a shutdown likely. Rep. Tim Burchett, one of the holdouts, told CNN on Sunday he is still a “no” on passing a stopgap funding bill. “No, ma’am,” the Tennessee Republican told Bash. “I think it’s completely blowing away our duties. We have a duty to pass a budget.” He also said he would strongly consider support for ousting McCarthy if the California Republican cuts a deal with Democrats to keep the government open. “That would be something I’d look strongly at, ma’am, if we do away with our duty that we said we’re going to do,” Burchett said. McCarthy has been hoping the momentum of a handful of appropriations bills, which will head to the House floor this week, would bring some of those holdouts into the fold. But Burchett’s comments Sunday are the latest indication that hope may be in vain. “We’re sticking to our guns and all of a sudden we’re the bad guys because we want to balance our budget,” Burchett said. Another holdout, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, said Sunday that McCarthy is in “breach” of promises he made regarding government spending when elected speaker. “We should have separate single-subject spending bills. Kevin McCarthy promised that in January, he is in breach of that promise, so I’m not here to hold the government hostage, I’m here to hold Kevin McCarthy to his word,” Gaetz said on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.” Gaetz added it would be fine if some departments shut down for a few days if it meant measures such as the Homeland Security appropriations bill passed first. “If, you know, the (departments) of Labor and Education have to shut down for a few days as we get their appropriations in line, that’s certainly not something that is optimal, but I think it’s better than continuing on the current path we are to America’s financial ruin,” Gaetz said. The holdouts’ comments come as the White House urges Republicans to find a solution, warning that a government shutdown could threaten crucial federal programs. “Funding the government is one of the most basic responsibilities of Congress, and it’s time for Republicans to start doing the job America elected them to do,” President Joe Biden said Sunday at an event held by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Speaking on Sunday to CNN’s Bash, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called on House Republicans to “come to their senses and keep the government running.” “This is something that can and should be prevented,” Buttigieg said on “State of the Union.” He echoed Biden administration talking points, saying Republicans should hold up their end of the agreement made this year during debt ceiling negotiations. The White House has warned of massive disruptions to air travel if the government shuts down, as tens of thousands of air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration personnel will have to work without pay. “They’re under enough stress as it is doing that job without having to come into work with the added stress of not receiving a paycheck,” Buttigieg said of air traffic controllers. He added, “The American people don’t want to shutdown. From what I can tell, the Senate is ready to go. The administration is ready to go. House Republicans need to come to their senses and keep the government running.” https://edition.cnn.com/2023/09/24/politics/government-shutdown-discharge-petition/index.html

Max Verstappen arrived in Suzuka for the Japanese Grand Prix with the intention of sticking two fingers up to the naysayers in Formula 1 - and left it having proved in the most emphatic way his and Red Bull's superiority over the field this year. The Dutchman's 13th victory in 16 races this season came at the end of probably his most impressive overall performance of a year in which he and the team have dominated the field in a manner rarely seen in F1 before. Verstappen said that his aim going to Japan was to win the constructors' championship at the first chance they had - and mission accomplished thanks to his crushing victory. But he was just as motivated to prove a lot of people wrong after Red Bull's rare off race in Singapore a week before. There, for the first time this year, Red Bull were off the pace and looked ordinary. Verstappen's record-breaking run of 10 consecutive wins came to an end, as did Red Bull's sequence of winning every grand prix this year. But what irked Verstappen more was the innuendo that Red Bull might have achieved their unprecedented success unfairly. Singapore followed a technical directive from governing body the FIA aimed at clamping down on the use of flexible floors and bodywork. So when Red Bull struggled in its aftermath, some in rival teams drew what they felt was an obvious conclusion. Verstappen found the insinuations insulting, and set about proving it in Suzuka. From his first lap in practice, he was on a mission. That lap - nearly two seconds quicker than anyone else, including his team-mate Sergio Perez, despite being on hard tyres - left mouths agape. And he continued on like that for three days. Fastest in every practice session. Fastest in all three qualifying sessions. A lap on his first set of tyres in final qualifying more than 0.4secs faster than anyone else. On his second, he really went for it. He was 11km/h faster than before through Turns Four and Five in the Esses, and the result was pole by more than 0.5secs. And 0.8secs quicker than Perez. Team principal Christian Horner described that as "one of the best qualifying laps of all time". And when afterwards Verstappen was asked whether he was trying to prove a point, he said: "Honestly, yeah, we had a bad weekend [in Singapore]. Of course then people start talking about… 'ah, it's all because of the technical directives'. I think they can go suck on an egg. "I was just very fired up to have a good weekend here and make sure that, yeah, we were strong." Horner said he knew what was coming before the race weekend had started. "I played padel tennis with Max on Wednesday," Horner said, "and he was properly fired up, and made it clear. He said: 'I want to win the race by 20 seconds.' And in fairness he came within 0.7secs of achieving that. "You could tell from the very first lap in P1 - when on the hard tyre he was 1.7 seconds quicker than the rest of the field on medium or soft tyres - that he was totally focused on this event. "It is a circuit he loves and enjoys. It is one of the ultimate driver circuits as a test around here. It was an outstanding performance. "Max is absolutely at the top of his game. He's the best driver in F1 at this point in time and everything has to come together - car, driver, team in total harmony." Verstappen's weekend in Japan - as so many times this year - contrasted heavily with that of team-mate Sergio Perez. Verstappen has scored enough points to lead the constructors' championship on his own. Horner claimed after the race that "either driver is pretty much leading the constructors' championship at the moment". But that's an exaggeration. Perez's total would put him fourth, ahead of Aston Martin but 80 points behind second-placed Mercedes. When Perez won his two races early in the season, Verstappen was a close second. Horner pointed out that Perez had finished second behind Verstappen six times - but he has also not done so on a further eight occasions. Japan was perhaps the nadir of his season. And perhaps a metaphor for it, too - lacking anything like Verstappen's pace, he was beaten by two McLarens and a Ferrari in qualifying and his race was littered with errors. Damage to a front wing on a first lap can happen, but Perez then earned himself a five-second penalty for inadvertently passing Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin on his way into the pits to have it changed. And not long afterwards, impatient to make up ground, he damaged his car again - this time terminally - in a clumsy and over-ambitious attempt to pass Kevin Magnussen's Haas. The only 'bright' spot was that, after spending 26 laps in the pits, Red Bull made the decision to send him out for a couple of laps again so he could serve the penalty he was given for hitting Magnussen, thus preventing him serving it again in Qatar next time out. The gulf in class has been obvious all year. And while everyone in F1 accepts that the Red Bull is the best car in the field and believes that a number of drivers could do better than Perez in the Red Bull, it is weekends like Japan that have people up and down the pit lane wondering how much of Red Bull's utter domination this season is down to the car, and how much to Verstappen. As McLaren team principal Andrea Stella put it when asked after the race whether his team could challenge Red Bull at any point before the end of the season: "That's still a step too far. In fairness, it looks if it is Max who is one step too far." https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/66905383

Sept 24 (Reuters) - Grammy-winning artist Usher will headline the halftime show at the 2024 Super Bowl in Las Vegas, Nevada, the National Football League (NFL), Apple Music and label Roc Nation announced on Sunday. The Super Bowl is scheduled to take place at Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium on Feb. 11, 2024. "It's an honor of a lifetime to finally check a Super Bowl performance off my bucket list," Usher said in the statement. "I can't wait to bring the world a show unlike anything else they've seen from me before." Advertisement · Scroll to continue Since the release of his debut album in 1994, Usher Raymond IV has sold over 80 million records worldwide, climbing atop music charts and bringing home eight Grammy awards, considered by many to be the most prestigious awards in the music industry. Billboard magazine crowned him the second most successful artist of the 2000s. "U Got It Bad," "OMG," and "Yeah!" are among the 44-year-old singer's chart-topping hits. Usher is currently performing in Las Vegas as part of his residency show "Usher: My Way." Advertisement · Scroll to continue "Usher is an icon whose music has left an indelible mark on the cultural landscape throughout his career," NFL Head of Music Seth Dudowsky said in the news release announcing the decision. Last year's Super Bowl Halftime Show, headlined by R&B star Rihanna, was the most-watched halftime performance of all time, organizers said. Iconic artists including the Rolling Stones, Beyonce, Stevie Wonder, Prince and Bruce Springsteen have taken the Super Bowl stage over the years. https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/rb-star-usher-headline-super-bowl-58-halftime-show-2023-09-24/

This week in New York, as he listened to questions from reporters, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's reliable smile began to fade. Unsurprisingly, nearly all the questions were about India and the shocking allegation made by Mr Trudeau earlier in the week: there was credible evidence the Indian government had participated in the extrajudicial killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil, a Sikh activist whom India has accused of terrorism. Delhi has denied having anything to do with the murder. Speaking slowly, carefully, the prime minister stuck closely to his talking points. "We're not looking to provoke or cause problems," he said. "We're standing up for the rules-based order." But where, several reporters asked, were Canada's allies? "So far in time," one journalist said to Mr Trudeau, "you seem to be alone". In the public eye at least, Mr Trudeau has appeared to be left largely on his own as he goes toe to toe with India, one of the world's fastest-growing economies, with a po[CENSORED]tion 35 times bigger than Canada's. In the days since the prime minister made the explosive announcement, his allies in the Five Eyes intelligence alliance provided seemingly boilerplate public statements, all stopping far short of full-throated support. UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said his country took "very seriously the things that Canada are saying". Using nearly identical language, Australia said it was "deeply concerned" by the accusations. But perhaps the most deafening silence came from Canada's southern neighbour, the United States. The two countries are close allies, but the US did not speak up with outrage on Canada's behalf. When President Joe Biden publicly raised India this week, while speaking at the UN, it was not to condemn, but to praise the country for helping to establish a new economic pathway. Mr Biden's National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan later denied that there was a "wedge" between the US and its neighbour, saying Canada was being closely consulted. But other public statements were tepid, more nods to "deep concern", coupled with affirmations of India's growing importance to the Western world. The problem for Canada, experts told the BBC, is that its interests currently pale in comparison to India's massive strategic importance. "The United States, the UK, and all these Western and Indo-Pacific allies have built a strategy that largely focuses on India, to be a bulwark and counterweight to China. That's something they can't afford to toss out the window," said Xavier Delgado, a researcher at the Wilson Center's Canada Institute. "The fact that they haven't come out and rushed to Canada's defence is indicative of the geopolitical reality." Speaking to Canadian network CTV, US Ambassador to Canada David Cohen confirmed reports that the Five Eyes partners had shared intelligence on the matter. But on a report that those same allies had rebuffed an appeal from Canada to publicly condemn the murder he said only that he was "not in the habit of commenting on private diplomatic conversations". Still, the relative quiet may also be indicative of Canada's shortcomings on the world stage - a dependable Western ally, but not a global power in its own right. "This is a moment of weakness," said Christopher Sands, director of the Canada Institute. "Right now we're seeing a hard power moment. That is not the environment where Canada shines," he said. "The decisive stuff is all force, power and money, which Canada doesn't have." Few outside India took issue with Mr Trudeau's decision to publicly disclose the allegations which, if true, would amount to a political assassination on Canadian soil at the hands of a fellow democracy. But those ethics may not be enough to shift global headwinds. For Mr Trudeau, that cold geopolitical reality meant an apparently solitary few days while the tensions with India dialled up higher and higher - diplomatic expulsions, travel advisories and, most dramatically, a suspension of all visa services for Canadians seeking to travel to India. To add insult to injury, this long week comes at the end of an even longer summer for Canada's Liberal leader. As Canadians struggled with inflation and high interest rates, news broke of alleged Chinese interference in Canadian elections, which critics said Mr Trudeau and his cabinet were aware of, but failed to take seriously. Then it came out that the country's most notorious serial killer Paul Bernardo was being transferred to a medium-security prison, inspiring country-wide outrage. Once again, Mr Trudeau's team faced criticism that it had been caught flat-footed. By September, Mr Trudeau's approval ratings had dropped to a three-year low, with 63% of Canadians disapproving of their prime minister, who was elected in 2015. "He's not been lower than that over an eight-year period," said Shachi Kurl, president of Angus Reid Institute, a non-partisan research group. "There were questions being put to him very squarely, like 'are you going to stick around? Will you resign?'" It's another cold reality for Mr Trudeau, who started in the prime minister's office as a minor national star, with a sweeping majority mandate. "He's a celebrity like we've never seen in Canadian politics," said Campbell Clark, chief political writer for the Globe and Mail newspaper. "And after he won the election, his po[CENSORED]rity soared." But after eight years of a highly visible prime minister, Canadians may have had their fill, Mr Clark said, noting it feels like Mr Trudeau's star power has faded, especially in recent months. Still, some experts cautioned that while Mr Trudeau may seem to be standing alone on the international stage, this row with India may provide a much-needed bump at home. "It got him away from all of these domestic questions," Mr Clark said. And it can't have hurt that Mr Trudeau finished his week standing side by side with another ally - and an even bigger celebrity - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. For a day, at least, Mr Trudeau seemed to be in very good company. https://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-66885924

Remove @Haitem From Helper to player poor activity

welcome khoya saa zine

+1 Vote

Here you will post all the photos taken during the Morning, about hours 22:00 PM to 11:00 AM ( RO TIME ), who from admins is active • Name: • Time & Date: • Screenshot: NOTE: Take screenshot for all grades, Open your console and write amx_who then take a screenshot and post it here, From Now All Admins Must Have To Post The Night Activity From Today Don't Forget The Time. Open At 00:30 It Will Be Closed After Posting Thank You.

welcome and have fun

+1 Vote https://cache.gametracker.com/server_info/188.212.102.79:27015/banner_560x95.png?random=445767