When Tim, like many of us, started working from home during the Covid pandemic, he developed a more relaxed approach to dressing. This made him consider the time and energy that washing his clothes was costing him. “It was around the time we had our second kid, so I was totally overloaded with things,” he says. “Anything I can cut out of my life I see as a challenge, so laundry was just one less thing to do.” He had already been doing less than many people – a load every week, or sometimes every two – but then he went for an entire year without washing his clothes in the machine. These days, Tim, a software engineer, does a wash every six months or so. “Seeing as I don’t have to go to the office any more, I don’t really have a need for clean clothes,” he says. “It doesn’t matter.” On video calls, “people only see me from my head up, and half the time I don’t put mycamera on anyway”. He looks clean, if fashionably scruffy, when we speak over such a call. “If there’s some important social event, I’ll make sure I’ve got something nice to wear, but day to day it doesn’t really matter.” He still uses the washing machine to clean his children’sclothes (and his wife still does hers), although he has cut down on that, too. “There’s still loads of washing to do – that’s part of the reason I don’t do my clothes.” It helps, he says, that he has quite a lot of clothes, but during the year-long abstention he got about two weeks’ wear out of a single outfit. Tim cut down on socks by wearing sandals, including for much of the winter. “I never have to wash socks any more, which was always the biggest problem.” Did he at least wear clean underpants every day? “You can get pants to last a week,” he says. How, I ask nervously, do you get a week’s worth of wear out of pants? “You just have very low standards.” Sometimes, he would wear swimming trunks as underwear – he would wear them in the shower, where they would get a wash, then they would dry quickly. Does he notice his clothes starting to smell? “I do notice –and I change them. But you just don’t need to wash them as much as people do.” His wife occasionally says he smells, “but she generally doesn’t mind too much”. The no-wash movement started with hair – water was still in, but shampoo was out – and there are signs laundry could be next. As Vox put it in 2020, “laundry remains remarkably undisrupted”. In the article, the writer Rachel Sugar pointed out that, in the US, apps and services that promise to take care of your washing have largely failed. Unlike other chores, such as cooking or grocery-shopping, which have either become aspirational or made easier to outsource by tech, “laundry defies the rules of lifestyle innovation and the promises of capitalism”. No amount of expensive detergent brands or Instagrammable laundry rooms will change the fact that washing clothes is still a drudge. Perhaps, then, the answer is to step away from italtogether – or, at least, do a lot less. Denim fans were the first to po[CENSORED]rise the no-wash trend for clothes. “I don’t wash any denim unless there’s a disaster – you spill some milk on your jeans, or something,” says Daniel, a teacher (who washes his pants after every wear). “Mainly, it gives you a better fade – the jeans age much better, they last longer. You don’t need to keep spending money on jeans. It’s better for the environment.” Unwashed jeans don’t smell, he insists. “If I’ve been to a barbecue and there’s a bit of a smoky smell, I might peg them out overnight to air.” It’s prevalent in our society to think of cleanliness in visual terms: does it look clean? Are your whites white? Rosie Cox The climate crisis may finally have persuaded us to consider the environmental impact of hot washes, water usage and carbon-intensive detergents, while recent increases in energy prices have focused the mind on how much each load is costing us. “I stopped washing my clothes as much during winter 2022,” says Jenny, answering a call for readers to share their experiences of reducing their laundry. “The drivers for me were the rising energy costs, the effect on the environment and the inability to dry clothes easily inside. It occurred to me that I didn’t need to wash clothes as often. Most clothes really only needed a freshen up.” She took to spraying them with an odour-eliminating mist instead: “They are good as new. It is also much kinder to the fabric, so clothes last much longer.” Ken, a retired university lecturer, says: “We used to wash our clothes about six times a week. Now, we do it just once a week. We use soap nuts [a type of small fruit that contains soap] and wash at 30C. I put the wash on overnight, so it uses cheaper electricity.” He says he was motivated “by the climate emergency”. When it comes to what we wear, trying to choose more environmentally conscious clothing is increasingly mainstream – many of us buy less, or secondhand, or supposedly “ethical” brands. But that is only the start, says Charlotte, who works in sustainability and fashion. “Post-purchase washing has a really big impact. Cold washing, only washing when you need to, wearing things for longer – these are of equal, if not greater, importance from a consumer decision-making point of view than buying a ‘sustainable’ brand or more sustainable fibre.” link: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/jun/20/the-no-wash-movement-would-you-wear-underpants-for-a-week-without-cleaning-them

Russian drones targeted the capital Kyiv and other cities in the early hours of Tuesday, hitting critical infrastructure in Lviv in the west, Ukrainian officials have said. Ukraine's air force says 35 drones were launched and all but three shot down. The attack on Lviv triggered a fire, but no-one was injured, the local authorities say. The raid on Kyiv and a missile attack on Zaporizhzhia in the south were both described as massive. More than 20 drones were fired at Kyiv in waves from Russian territory to the north and from the coast of the internal Sea of Azov in the south-east, according to the air force. It was the first such incident in 18 days. In Lviv, the head of the regional authority, Maksym Kozytskyi, said a critically important target had been hit by Iranian-made Shaheed drones and fire had broken out. "Today, about five o'clock in the morning [02:00 GMT] during an air raid alert we had three hits," he said."Fortunately, there are no casualties." In southern Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia was attacked by a number of Iskander-M ballistic missiles, local officials said, adding that nobody had been hurt. Three drones were also shot down over the southern region of Mykolaiv, the governor said. The Zaporizhzhia region is the focus of much of the Ukrainian military's current offensive to recapture territory seized by Russia at the start of its full-scale invasion in February 2022. In his nightly TV address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that in some areas the military was moving forward while in others they were holding positions against Russian attack. Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said hours earlier that Ukrainian forces had recaptured the village of Piatykhatky as they try to break through Russia's front line in the southern region. She said it was the eighth Ukrainian village to be recaptured in the past week. There has been no independent confirmation of the latest developments. Ms Maliar said Ukraine's push had advanced some 7km (4.3 miles) in two directions in Zaporizhzhia, towards the occupied southern cities of Melitopol and Berdyansk. The exiled mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, said residents had seen Russian forces leave the Kherson region further west for the front line in Zaporizhzhia. Melitopol and Berdyansk lie on a coastal route from Russia to Crimea seen as critical to the Russian military because the bridge over the Kerch Strait from Russia to occupied Crimea is largely avoided by supply lorries. A Russian MP said earlier this month that the bridge was not considered secure but the "land corridor" was operating normally. Western intelligence officials say Russian troops have moved away from the front line in Kherson since areas around the Dnipro river were flooded after the Kakhovka dam was destroyed on 6 June. link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65959145

Conservative activists filmed dancing at a Christmas party during Covid restrictions in 2020 were invited to"jingle and mingle", according to an invitation seen by the BBC. Thirty people were invited to the 14 December event at Conservative party headquarters. At the time London was under Tier-2 restrictions which banned indoor socialising. Police are reviewing video of the event first published by the Mirror. ADVERTISEMENT Gove says sorry over Tory lockdown party video No police action over Tory lockdown gathering In the footage, one person is heard saying it is OK to film "as long as we don't stream that we're, like, bending the rules". The Conservative Party said four people were disciplined over the event, although it has not named them. The event was held on behalf of Shaun Bailey's unsuccessful Mayor of London campaign, and was thrown for party activists. He was awarded a peerage in Mr Johnson's resignation honours list last week. Ben Mallet, a former aide to the ex-prime minister who was awarded an OBE last week, is shown chatting to guests in the latest footage. Mr Bailey said he apologised "unreservedly" for the event, which he said "turned into something" after he had left. He claimed he was "very upset about the video" as he had "never seen it before". Under questioning, Mr Bailey said he had not chosen the team of staff seen in the video. "It was a staff team that was given to me, but the buck stops with me," he said. The Liberal Democrats have called for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to strip honours from those attending the party. Housing Secretary Michael Gove has apologised for the video, and told the BBC the footage was "terrible" and would leave people feeling "extremely angry". In November 2022, Scotland Yard said it was taking no action against Mr Bailey or other people who attended the gathering. On Monday, the force said is was now "assessing video footage that was not previously provided to officers" in the party. The Met Police are also investigating new reports, released by the Cabinet Office, of potential rule breaches by former prime minister Boris Johnson at Downing Street and Chequers during the Covid pandemic. And officers are looking into reports senior Tory MP Sir Bernard Jenkin, who sits on the Privileges Committee attended a drinks party for his wife's birthday in the House of Commons while London was in Tier-2 lockdown. link: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-65952298

Bullet and greenhead ants produce toxins they inject with every sting, which prolong nerve signals to the brain and lead to trembling, uncontrollable and long-lasting pain in mammals. Ants that inflict the world's most painful stings do so by injecting venom that targets their victim's nerve cells, new research has found. Australian greenhead ants (Rhytidoponera metallica) and bullet ants (Paraponera clavata), found in Central and South America, are not to be messed with. These insects' stings unleash a flood of toxins that cause trembling, uncontrollable and long-lasting pain in humans and other mammals. In his 2016 book "The Sting of the Wild" (Johns Hopkins University Press), entomologist Justin O. Schmidtdescribed being stung by a bullet ant as "pure, intense, brilliant pain. Like walking over flaming charcoal with a three-inch [8 centimeters] nail embedded in your heel." Sponsored Links If you own a mouse, you have to play this game. No Install. Play for free. PanzerRush Victims of these ants have also likened the pain to that of being shot, giving the insect its name. "Bullet ant stings can be painful for up to 12 hours and it's a deep drilling pain you feel in your bones with sweating and goosebumps," Sam Robinson, a biopharmacologist at the University of Queensland's Institute for Molecular Bioscience who led the new research, said in a statement. Related: Killer bees stung a man 250 times in swarm attack, but he survived. How? Now, Robinson and his colleagues think they know how these ants pack such vicious stings. In a study published May 23 in the journal Nature Communications, the scientists showed that the ant venom targets specific proteins in nerve cells that are involved in pain perception. Greenhead and bullet ants produce toxins that bind to mammalian nerve cells when they sting. Researchers already knew bullet ants produce a substance targeting nerves called poneratoxin, but it remained unclear howthis substance produced such intense and long-lasting pain. link: https://www.livescience.com/animals/ants/worlds-most-painful-ant-sting-targets-nerves-in-the-same-way-scorpion-venom-does

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari addressing the media persons after Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab's oath-taking ceremony in Karachi on June 19, 2023. — PPP Ahead of a meeting between the key members and leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) to resolve disagreements concerning the country's financial matters, party chairman Bilawal ruled out any political differences with the Shehbaz Sharif-led party. Addressing the media persons after Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab's oath-taking ceremony on Monday, Bilawal said: "The PPP's committee will meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif today once again. There is no political difference with the PML-N, however, there can be differences in policy." His comments came after differences emerged between the PPP and PML-N regarding administrative matters in the province of Punjab and the federal budget. The PPP members had shared their concerns with Bilawal, saying the government is not paying heed to their requests. "There has been a good working relationship with the PML-N leaders. However, it is our right to have a difference of opinion and we will continue to raise it on a relevant forum," said the PPP chairman. Bilawal said that he doesn't see any political difference with the PML-N in future as well. Talking about the concerns of his party, the chairman said that the PPP wants a non-controversial census, adding that they had issues with the previous census as well. "I think that this census will remain controversial in the future," he added. Bilawal also spoke about the allocation of funds for the rehabilitation of the flood victims in Sindh, hoping that the reservation of funds will be resolved and the federal government should contribute to the relief. He added that they will place the party's manifesto before the entire nation. He also said that PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari is coming back soon and will go to Lahore. According to The News, Bilawal had earlier said his party will abstain from endorsing the recently-announced budget in the National Assembly unless the commitments made to the party regarding areas affected by flooding are honoured. A high-level meeting, chaired by the premier, between the two political entities took place last week; however, the PPP chairman was unable to attend the meeting, as he was out of Islamabad. During the second round of talks, held today, the federal government assured the Sindh government that it would allocate a separate budget for the flood victims in the province, said the sources. During the meeting, the PPP demanded a separate allocation of funds for the Sindh flood victims, which was agreed by the government. The PPP delegation included Federal Minister for Water Resources Khurshid Ahmed Shah, Climate Minister Sherry Rehman, Qamar Zaman Kaira, and Naveed Qamar while Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah participated in the negotiations virtually. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ayaz Sadiq participated on behalf of PML-N. The meeting carries significant weight as it takes place amidst severe criticism from PPP leaders regarding the budget proposals for the next fiscal year. CM Shah, in his speech in the Sindh Assembly regarding the provincial budget on Saturday, once again criticised the federal government for its unfulfilled promises. Some PML-N leaders have also started criticising the PPP leadership. This new trend could widen the divide between the two parties, according to the sources. The federal government is willing to meet the demands of the Sindh government, but the necessary funds will be provided after receiving contributions from donors, as committed during a meeting in Geneva last year. The efforts made by the Shehbaz-led administration in this regard have been successful. Another well-placed source mentioned that the PPP cannot afford to oppose the national budget, and it was highly unlikely for it to vote against the budget that was approved in the federal cabinet meeting, attended by the PPP chairman in his capacity as foreign minister, as well as four federal ministers from the party. The federal cabinet will also meet on Tuesday (June 20). The meeting will be attended by Foreign Minister Bilawal. The cabinet was unable to hold its meeting last week. https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1082342-bilawal-rubbishes-any-political-differences-between-ppp-pml-n

State Bank of Pakistan building. — APP/File State Bank of Pakistan building. — APP/File The commercial bank branches that remain open on Saturday will observe normal banking hours on June 24 (Saturday) until 5:30pm, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) announced on Monday. In a statement, the central bank said the decision has been taken on the request of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to facilitate the collection of taxes through Alternate Delivery Channels (ADC’s) over-the-counter (OTC) facility. The commercial banks were also advised to ensure round-the-clock availability of their online payment facilities including internet banking, mobile apps and others to facilitate the taxpayers in online payment of government duties/taxes. It is pertinent to mention that the Eid ul Adha holidays were falling on the last days of the current financial year. As per routine practices, all the banks and financial institutions would likely observe gazetted holidays of Eid ul Adha and the closure of banks on those days would require the taxpayers to submit their taxes and duties before the holidays. If the Zil Hajj moon is sighted today, the Eid ul Adha will be celebrated on June 29 (Thursday). The Met Office, earlier said that the birth of the moon was expected on June 18 at 9:37pm, which could be sighted on June 19. The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee meets on the 29th of every Islamic month and makes the announcement after sighting the moon. https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1082316-banks-to-follow-normal-working-hours-on-saturday-sbp

A Conservative MP who was suspended following allegations of sexual misconduct has resigned. David Warburton, who represents Somerton and Frome in Somerset, is the fourth Tory MP in eight days to announce their resignation. Mr Warburton said the past 14 months since allegations were published in a national newspaper had been "extraordinarily difficult". He added that the allegations about him had been "malicious". The MP had been accused of taking drugs and making unwanted advances towards two women, leading to his suspension from the Conservatives in April last year. His immediate departure means there will be a by-election arranged in his seat, which he has represented as an independent since losing the Tory whip. Mr Warburton had taken the constituency from the Liberal Democrats in 2015, was re-elected in 2017 and 2019. He won with a majority of 19,213 in that last poll. "My constituents in Somerton and Frome who elected me three times with overwhelming majorities have for a year been deprived of the voice they need," said Mr Warburton. "I am so grateful for their many messages of support, and it is with sorrow that I have no choice but to provoke the upheaval of a by-election." He also said in his three-page resignation letter he had been denied a fair hearing by the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) and prevented from "speaking out" while it investigated the accusations. He joins Boris Johnson and Nigel Adams who resigned last week triggering by-elections in their constituencies. Nadine Dorries also announced her resignation, but said her departure would not be immediate as she wanted to stay while she seeks to investigate how she was denied a seat in the Lords on Boris Johnson's resignation honours list. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-65941710

When several tigers and African lions at the Bronx Zoo tested positive for the coronavirus last April, Tracey McNamara was not surprised. The big cats fell ill a little more than a month after New York City reported its first Covid-19 case. But McNamara, a veterinary pathologist at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California, knew as early as January 2020 that zoo animals might be at risk: A senior Chinese health official had warned the public that the virus spread between mammals and that they should quarantine any pets that might have encountered an infected person. Soon after the virus infected the zoo’s felids, Chinese scientists reported in the journal Science that cats were “highly susceptible” to the coronavirus. SARS-CoV-2 (short for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), the virus that causes Covid-19, “can replicate efficiently in cats,” the authors wrote. And, perhaps more importantly, they noted, the virus can transmit “between cats via the airborne route.” The pandemic has claimed more than 2 million human lives worldwide, more than 418,000 of them in the United States, even as governments spend billions to contain it. And now an expanding list of species have contracted Covid-19, including lions, tigers and gorillas in zoos, mink on farms and in the wild, and pet dogs and cats. Studies show that other animals can be infected in the lab, including ferrets, hamsters, rabbits, mice, monkeys and raccoon dogs. Scientists like McNamara say there’s an increasingly urgent need to figure out which animals can not only contract but also transmit the virus. It’s clear that small carnivores like mink, raccoon dogs and cats do so, though so far only mink have infected people. But if enough animals become reservoirs of infection, and allow the virus to move easily between animals and people, it will be much harder to control the pandemic. Dedicated efforts to monitor captive and wild animals that could be susceptible are essential, said Christine Kreuder Johnson, director of the EpiCenter for Disease Dynamics at the University of California, Davis One Health Institute. Otherwise, they could become sources of transmission after the outbreak is controlled in people. Over the past few decades, international health agencies have recognized that controlling infectious diseases requires focusing on the interconnections between people, animals and their environment. With this “One Health” approach, explained Ann Hohenhaus, staff veterinarian and hospital spokesperson for the Animal Medical Center in New York City, “if you have a problem in one, you’re going to cause problems in the others.” The novel coronavirus revealed the folly of ignoring a One Health approach, Johnson and her colleagues argued in a commentary published in Health Affairs last week, calling the U.S. response “unprepared, overconfident and inept.” They urged the incoming Biden administration to create an interagency One Health task force to improve U.S. pandemic preparedness by forging domestic and global collaborations that target “key drivers of disease emergence, including climate and global environmental changes.” It’s a massive undertaking. But with zoonoses—pathogenic diseases that spill over from animals to humans—accounting for three-quarters of emerging infectious diseases, it’s one that public health officials cannot afford to ignore. At the least, it will require better coordination between public and animal health agencies. Ideally, McNamara and others say, it would involve launching a comprehensive animal and environmental health surveillance network. McNamara has urged public health officials to do both ever since the West Nile virus caused scores of crows to drop dead around the grounds of the Bronx Zoo more than two decades ago, when she was the zoo’s lead pathologist. In the summer of 1999, McNamara feared she was seeing something new to veterinary medicine when wild crows, and then flamingos and other birds at the zoo, started keeling over. Around the same time, city health officials reported an unusual cluster of cases and deaths associated with a strange encephalitis, or brain inflammation, after a record-breaking heatwave and torrential rains—perfect breeding conditions for mosquitoes. McNamara’s gut told her the animal and human illnesses were linked. She shared her concerns with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but officials there told her they saw no connection between dying New Yorkers and birds. The CDC dealt with human health, she was told, not flamingos. That “jurisdictional straitjacket,” she argued in a 2018 Ted talk, blinded officials to a novel public health threat. It took several weeks and misdiagnoses at state and federal labs before scientists finally identified the culprit as West Nile, a mosquito-borne disease previously unknown in the Western Hemisphere. The bungled approach to the outbreak inspired a congressional report on lessons for public health preparedness. The report stressed recognizing that many emerging diseases affect both animals and people, and the importance of bolstering the links between public and animal health agencies to prevent future spillovers. More than two decades later, however, nothing has changed, McNamara said, even though yawning gaps in surveillance have opened the door to several new deadly viruses. And even though SARS-CoV-2, like West Nile, jumped from animals to people, she added, “all anybody wanted to look at was people.” All the species in closest contact with humans in crowded urban centers—dogs, cats, zoo species, shelter animals, non-game wildlife—still do not fall under the jurisdiction of any federal agency and are not under surveillance, she said. So instead of catching potential threats to human health in animals, she added, “the only time we find stuff is when we have dead people.” To find out more https://insideclimatenews.org/news/27012021/animals-covid-19-control/

The annual event has been hijacked by online stores flogging merchandise, but there’s more to being a dad than beer and hot sauce In the Peppa Pig episode entitled Father’s Day, pater familias Daddy Pig wakes up to find that … guess what? Everyone in his family has totally forgotten the annual day in his honour. (In case you’ve missed it too, yes, Father’s Day is today, at least in the UK.) When he reminds them, his daughter Peppa asks if it’s like Mother’s Day. “Sort of,” replies Mummy Pig. “Although Mother’s Day is a real day. And Father’s Day is a sort of made-up, modern thing.” After some back and forth, Daddy Pig gets his dream of watching racing cars on TV with a cup of tea while hischildren make a cake. They combine his favourite ingredients – cereal, tomato ketchup and cheese – and serve it to him as the narrator concludes: “Daddy Pig loves Father’s Day. Everyone loves Father’s Day!” Is there a less significant, more maligned celebration day than Father’s Day? I’m not asking that to be chippy or aggrieved. Father’s Day, correctly, slots in behindbirthdays, religious festivals, anniversaries, Pancake Day, National Doughnut Day, the release of a new Taylor Swift album, and of course Mother’s Day in the reverence with which it is observed in most families. Often derided as the invention of Hallmark Cards – not true, as we will discover – Father’s Day now mainly seems to be an opportunity for internet businesses to flog the three commodities every father needs in his life: beer, coffee subscriptions and hot sauce. But at a time when dads, in general, are less useless than they’ve ever been at any period in history, is it time to take Father’s Day a bit more seriously? Probably not, but here are some trivia and cultural recommendations relating to the hot sauce-loving lump sitting in the corner of the living room waiting for this evening’s Canadian Grand Prix to start. And, as those marketing emails say, if for understandable reasons you’d rather opt-out of content relating to Father’s Day, then flip the page now. The fatherhood hall of fame William Jackson Smart The name may not be familiar, but Smart is the original papa who inspired the creation of Father’s Day in 1910 in Spokane, Washington. Sonora Smart Dodd, his daughter, felt the twice-married, twice-widowed civil war veteran should be honoured for his devoted parenting of 14children. link: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/jun/18/are-you-daddy-pig-or-logan-roy-a-fathers-day-celebration-of-dads

The war in Ukraine must end, South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has told Russia's leader Vladimir Putin. Mr Ramaphosa's remarks came as he met Mr Putin in St Petersburg on Saturday as part of a peace mission with six other African countries. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the delegation on Friday that he would not enter talks with Russia while they occupied Ukrainian land. Mr Putin told the African leaders Ukraine had always refused talks. At the meeting in St Petersburg, Mr Ramaphosa also called for both parties to return their prisoners of war, and said children removed by Russia should be returned home. Mr Putin has been charged with war crimes by the International Criminal Court over the forced removal of hundreds of Ukrainian children from their families during Russia's occupation of Ukraine. As the African delegation called for the return of children to their families, Mr Putin interrupted their speech and claimed Russia was protecting them. "Children are sacred. We moved them out of the conflict zone, saving their lives and health", he said. The UN said they have evidence of the illegal transfer of hundreds of Ukrainian children to Russia. Mr Ramaphosa also warned Mr Putin of the impacts of the war on Africa, and said it should be settled by diplomacy. "The war cannot go on forever. All wars have to be settled and come to an end at some stage," he said. "And we are here to communicate a very clear message that we would like this war to be ended." The war has severely restricted the export of grain from Ukraine and fertiliser from Russia, which has affected African countries in particular and intensified global food insecurity. But Mr Putin blamed the West for the grain crisis - not the war in Ukraine - as he said only 3% of the grain exports permitted under a UN-sponsored deal to ensure its safe passage through the Black Sea had gone to the world's poorest countries. Russia has repeatedly complained that Westernsanctions are restricting its own agricultural exports. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there were "no grounds for extending" the grain deal, because "so far what we were promised has not been done". Mr Putin praised what he described as Africa's balanced position on the war, which Russia continues to call a "special military operation". The African delegation, made up of representatives from South Africa, Egypt, Senegal, Congo-Brazzaville, Comoros, Zambia, and Uganda has been specifically designed for breadth and balance, with members from different parts of Africa with different views on the conflict. South Africa and Uganda are seen as leaning towards Russia, while Zambia and Comoros are closer to the West. Egypt, Senegal and Congo-Brazzaville have remained largely neutral. African countries have primarily seen the conflict aconfrontation between Russia and the West. link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65940655

Officials are asking beachgoers to steer clear of a Texas beach after thousands of dead fish began washing up on Friday. The “fish kill” on the Gulf Coast beach, about 65 miles south of Houston, was a result of low dissolved oxygen levels in the water, according to Texas Parks & Wildlife. Low oxygen levels are common in the summer when temperatures rise, making it so the fish can't "breathe" underwater, the department said. The fish, most of them Gulf menhaden, which are often used for bait, washed up “by the thousands.” Video showed thousands of fish carcasses on the surface of the water at Bryan Beach. Officials with Quintana Beach County Park urged swimmers to avoid the coast, citing high bacterial levels and the sharp fins of the dead fish. "Our recommendation is that you avoid the beach altogether until this event is over," the officials said on Facebook. "We definitely advise that no one enters the water." Cleanup efforts started Friday and wrapped up Sunday. when the last of the remains — "deteriorated to the point of being shredded skeletons" — had washed onto the shore, officials said. Even after the cleanup, local officials suggested visitors wait a couple of days before they head to the beach. Water samples taken from the Gulf Intracoastal Canal and the Brazos River, which feed into the coast, were found to have almost no dissolved oxygen in them, local officials said. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/thousands-dead-fish-wash-texas-coast-beachgoers-urged-steer-clear-rcna89036

Fashion designer Masaba Gupta has been in the headlines for not only her striking designs but also her soaring entrepreneurial ventures. Amidst this, the 33-year-old makes sure to keep herself fit with three definite life changes that have worked for her. In a post on Instagram, the Masaba Masaba actor opened up, “I introduced balance in my life which is the balance of all the junk food that I like and some really nourishing, nutritious food; I started working out six times a week; and lastly, I spend first hour of my day just reading, and spending time with nature, looking out of the window, and not looking at my phone.”She wrote, “Weight loss and good health all start with the small stuff, right? Right! The 3 small changes I made for big results! P.S. Consistency is always key – tell me what are the small changes you made that changed your life.” So, does the fitness mantra of a balanced diet, workout, and not getting on the phone the first thing in the morning work?While indulging in occasional treats is tempting, finding a balance between indulgence and nutritious meals is key to sustaining a healthy lifestyle, said Dr Khushali Lalcheta, consultant physician, HCG Hospital, Rajkot. Other experts also agreed with Dr Shobha Subramanian Itolikar, consultant, internal medicine, Fortis Hospital, Mulund noting that to maintain a well-balanced diet, one is recommended to follow the “80/20 split rule”. “According to this guideline, it is advised that 80 per cent of daily dietary intake should consist of healthy food choices, while the remaining 20 per cent can include your preferred food items in moderation,” said Dr Itolikar, adding that this approach helps achieve the right balance by curbing food cravings and preventing excessive food bingeing.According to World Health Organization, engaging in moderate aerobic exercise at least five times a week, totalling 150 hours, has been found to effectively reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, strokes, hypertension, and high blood pressure, as reported in a study published in the Lancet Medical Journal. “It is advisable to incorporate at least two weekly sessions of muscle-strengthening exercises into your fitness routine,” said Dr Itolikar. Concurring, Dr Lalcheta said that regular physical exercise is paramount.“Engaging in moderate-intensity workouts at least six times a week improves physical fitness, enhances mental clarity, and boosts mood. Make it a priority to prioritise your well-being by carving out time for physical activity,” said Dr Lalcheta. https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/fitness/masaba-gupta-3-lifestyle-changes-fitter-diet-workouts-no-phone-mornings-8662838/

Greek officials have denied a series of reports that suggest a migrant boat capsized 50 miles off the south coast because a rope was attached by coastguards. So far 78 people are confirmed dead but hundreds more are feared missing, including as many as 100 children. The coastguard said initially it had kept a "discreet distance". But a government spokesman now says a rope was used when the coastguard approached the fishing boat. Ilias Siakantaris told Greek TV that a few hours before the boat went down the coastguard had "used a rope to steady themselves, to approach, to see if they wanted any help". But he stressed: "There was no mooring rope," suggesting that there was no attempt to tow the boat or tether to it for any length of time. "They refused it, they said 'no help, we go to Italy' and continued on their way." The question of whether any of the ships tried to attach a rope to the migrant boat was first raised by an activist who said people on board had said they feared it could prompt their highly crowded boat to turn over. A total of 104 people were saved from the sea soon after the ship sank shortly after 02:00 local time on Wednesday but the chances of finding any more are disappearing fast. The UN International Organization for Migration has described the sinking as one of the biggest tragedies in the Mediterranean. The coastguard's timeline and account have been challenged, notably by one organisation that says it was in contact with people on the fishing boat. An email sent by Alarm Phone on Tuesday afternoon warned the coastguard that as many as 750 people were on board and they were urgently asking for help. The coastguard has stressed that from the first moment it was in contact with the crew during the afternoon no request for assistance was made. Two commercial ships provided the boat with water during the evening, but coastguard officials have said repeated offers of assistance were turned down. 'People are waiting for any piece of good news' The Greek government's insistence that no mooring rope was used follows a report by Greek newspaper Kathimerini on Friday that a coastguard vessel turned on searchlights and used loudspeakers to tell those on board they were in danger and would not be able to reach the Italian coast. This was said to have taken place around three hours before the boat went down. Members of the coastguard tied a rope to the fishing boat so that its own crew could check conditions inside, according to the source. Some of those on board then untied the rope in order to continue their route northwards to Italy. But two accounts from survivors have suggested a rope may have led to the boat going down. One has come from a local councillor in the port city of Kalamata who had earlier spoken to a 24-year-old Syrian. "The coastguard boat tied them with some rope and tried to tow them to the left. For an unknown reason the boat veered to the right and suddenly sank," said Tasos Polychronopoulos. Another survivor gave a similar version to former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras during a visit to Kalamata on Thursday. "The Greek coastguard asked the vessel to follow them, but they couldn't," a translator told Mr Tsipras. "The coastguard then threw a rope but because they didn't know how to pull the rope, the vessel started dangling right and left." "The coastguard boat was going too fast but the vessel was already dangling to the left, and that's how it sank."Hellenic coastguard spokesman Cpt Nikos Alexiou was adamant on Friday that "there was no attempt to moor the boat", although he did say ropes had been thrown by sailors from a commercial ship that provided supplies during the evening. "Since the ship had not asked for help, we could not intervene," he told public broadcaster ERT. "You cannot enter international waters if a vessel is not engaged in smuggling or some other crime," "The boat was illegally transporting people. We had not entered the critical phase to be able to enable the rescue operation," he said. Nine people, including several Egyptians, have been arrested on suspicion of people trafficking, Greek TV is reporting. Georgios Vasilakos, a volunteer rescue doctor for the Hellenic Red Cross, told the BBC's Today programme that no women and children were among the survivors. He said survivors reported that "all women and children were isolated below deck". "This is why, because of the rapid unfolding of events and the rapid capsizing of the boat, they were unable to get out in time," he said. People on the boat had been drinking sea water for at least two days before it sank, he said.Families of some of the missing have arrived in Kalamata in search of their loved ones. "My relatives were on the boat," said Aftab, who had travelled from the UK and said at least four of his relatives from Pakistan were unaccounted for. A Syrian man from the Netherlands broke down as he revealed his wife and brother-in-law were missing. "The authorities are looking for their bodies in the sea...They're looking in hospitals, they're looking among dead bodies, and among the survivors," Kassam Abozeed said. Several marches in protest at the tragedy took place on Thursday evening, in the capital Athens, the second city Thessaloniki and elsewhere. Greece is one of the main routes into the European Union for refugees and migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Last month the Greek government came under international criticism over video reportedly showed the forceful expulsion of migrants who were set adrift at sea. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65925558

India is facing continuing instability in a Himalayan flashpoint. The region of Aksai Chin has long been contested by India and China and was the site of deadly clashes between the two Asian powers three years ago. Satellite images taken in the six months from October 2022 show a region increasingly in flux. Where once there were scattered People’s Liberation Army (PLA) checkpoints and rudimentary positions on the Chinese side of the poorly demarcated Line of Actual Control, now there is an established Chinese presence. Galwan Valley A satellite picture of the Galwan Valley taken in February 2023. The valley lies in a snowy, mountainous region that highlights theinhospitable nature of the land contested by the two sides. In the centre of the image is the Galwan River, with a number of Chinese positions along its banks. The site of the clash between Indian and Chinese troops in June 2020 was at the far left of the image where the river takes a sharp turn. Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies. It is here that China has built an extensive set of installations, establishing an ecosystem to support its deployments of PLA troops. The images show expanded roads, outposts and modern weatherproof camps equipped with parking areas, solar panels and even helipads. Indian soldiers died in a clash with People’s Liberation Army soldiers in June 2020 in Aksai Chin. Claimed by New Delhi as part of Ladakh but administered by Beijing as part of Xinjiang and Tibet, Aksai Chin is home to the Galwan Valley, where 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese soldiers died in a clash in June 2020. As both sides still disagree about the border’s precise location, the danger of an accidental clash escalating into a Sino-Indian crisis between the two nuclear powers is very much present. For India, this means its armed forces will now have to match a large-scale and probably semi-permanent Chinese presence along the border with Aksai Chin, perhaps for years to come. A desolate, uninhabited region A desolate, uninhabited region with frozen peaks and icy lakes, as recently as 2019 Aksai Chin was relatively stable although tense. Meetings between Narendra Modi, the Indian prime minister, and Chinese President Xi Jinping had sought to manage tensions in the Himalayas after a standoff between the two countries in Bhutan in 2017. But all that changed in May 2020 when a number of PLA units made a large-scale incursion into the disputed territory of Aksai Chin, or Eastern Ladakh as India calls it. Where previously Indian and Chinese foot patrols would meet, exchange words and eventually withdraw, that spring the PLA entered Aksai Chin in force. By the time the Indian Army responded, the PLA had established temporary positions at key sites. It was speculated in the Indian media that vital intelligence had failed to reach local Indian commanders, while those in senior positions allegedly underestimated the intentions of the PLA. Connected PLA bases can now be seen leading up from the site of the 2020 clash It was only through lengthy negotiations by Chinese and Indian commissioned officers and careful bilateral diplomacy at the foreign minister level that the crisis was prevented from escalating. In the Galwan Valley, a number of PLA bases connected by roads can now be seen leading up from the main standoff site, following the path of the frozen river. Galwan Valley Behind the People’s Liberation Army’s standoff position in the Galwan Valley are additional Chinese bases showing signs of extended building. These, with a well-maintained road network, enhance China’s capacity to send extra troops and supplies to its forward positions. Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies. In Raki Nala, a river valley south of the contested Depsang Plains, Chinese outposts are visible, potentially able to block Indian patrols in the area. Meanwhile at Pangong Tso, a saline lake surrounded by jagged peaks and unforgiving ridgelines, a bridge is nearing completion. When finished, it will allow the rapid deployment of Chinese forces from the PLA’s Rutog military garrison to the contested mountain ridges overlooking the lake. India’s Northern Command has deployed blocking forces toprevent any further incursion India’s response to the PLA expanded presence has been multifaceted. On the ground, the Indian Army has sought to reciprocate China’s moves. India’s Northern Command has deployed blocking forces that match the Chinese activity and will prevent any further incursion. The Indian Army has also occupied the peaks of several mountains resulting in Chinese withdrawals from sensitive locations, notably around Pangong Tso. These moves are matched by a sustained diplomatic effort. New Delhi’s priority is to avoid an outright military confrontation with China. Despite the bellicosity of nationalist voices, India’s leadership quietly recognizes the significant challenge Beijing and its modernized armed forces represent. Aksai Chin heliport A heliport is currently being built in disputed territory, away from the front lines and near Aksai Chin Lake. The facility comprises 18 hangars and short runways intended for useby helicopters and possibly drones, which would significantly enhance the operational capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army in and around Aksai Chin. Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies. Wary of being drawn into a military clash, Modi has approached the militarization of Aksai Chin with caution. Guarded statements from his office have been accompanied by the Indian Army favouring lengthy border negotiations, the 18th round of which concluded in April this year. Hotly debated The reasons behind China’s sudden move across the Line of Actual Control are still hotly debated. Given the opaque nature of Chinese policymaking under Xi, the true motives are probably only known in the highest echelons. Whatever drove the decision, the PLA is now firmlyensconced in Aksai Chin and looks set to remain there. Rutog garrison Following the Chinese withdrawal from the sensitive area of Pangong Tso, the People’s Liberation Army has moved a number of its troops to a newly prepared military garrison in Rutog County where it remains active. The site has accommodation blocks and camouflaged positions suspected of hiding weaponry and munitions. Satelliteimage©2023 Maxar Technologies. Within the region, two areas of Chinese activity are notable that may yet ensure that tensions continue to simmer. At the Depsang Plains, there continues to be significant Chinese activity. Patrols seemingly intend to put pressure on, and impede the development of, a strategic Indian airstrip at Daulat Beg Oldi, which serves as a logistics and transport base for Indian operations at high altitudes and is the highest airstrip in the world. It crucially supports Indian units arranged not just against China but also against Pakistan. Pangong Tso bridge The bridge being built over the landlocked saline lake is strategically important for China as it enables the quick mobilization of Chinese troops between the two banks. Such rapid mobility for Chinese forces strengthens their presence and territorial claims in the region. The lake is 83 miles long. Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies. The second development relates to the proposed Chinese G695 highway intended to link Xinjiang with Tibet. It is due to be completed in 2035 and will run the length of Aksai Chin through the Depsang Plains, south past Galwan Valley and towards Pangong Tso. It represents a strategic artery that will connect the contested region to mainland China and give the PLA a new supply route. The road could also be read as a statement of intent from Beijing to New Delhi, signalling that Aksai Chin will remain a part of China. https://www.chathamhouse.org/publications/the-world-today/2023-06/are-china-and-india-bound-another-deadly-border-clash

There are two kinds of people in the world. There are those who think The Bear is one of the best TV shows of all time, and there are people who haven't yet seen one of the greatest series of all time, which is The Bear. So the news that it's coming back to Hulu this month has got me shouting "yes, chef!" in delight.That's not the only must-see show coming to Hulu this month. There are so many great shows coming to one of the best streaming services, including some of the best Hulu shows, that you won't want to go outside. Here are our favorites that we think are worth watching. Watch a Alcaraz vs Shapovalov live stream After a Alcaraz vs Shapovalov live stream? The whole tournament is free on 9Now in Australia. Use a VPN to watch free from anywhere in the world if you're an Aussie abroad. In the US, the Roland Garros tennis is live on Peacock and NBC. It's TSN in Canada, and Eurosport and Discovery+ in the UK. Full details on how to watch Alcaraz vs Shapovalov just below.After being made to battle through to this third round clash, French Open favorite Carlos Alcaraz will be hoping for a much smoother time as he takes on 26th seed Denis Shapovalov today. https://www.techradar.com/how-to/watch-the-ultimate-fighter-season-31-online

Every victory in Overland, no matter how small, is won by the skin of your teeth. That's a feeling any good turn-based tactical strategy game gives you, of course. But Overland's pared-down options, compact maps, and fast-rising stakes mean that nearly every decision--the car you drive, the company you keep, where you move, what you carry--feels vital and could potentially have major ramifications. A mysterious and omnipresent race of creatures (I think) has ravaged the USA, and for the characters under your care, road-tripping from the East Coast to the West Coast seems to be the best course of action. The journey across Middle America is a beautiful but difficult one, filled with life-or-death obstacles right from the get-go, and Overland's roguelike structure means you will see dozens, if not hundreds, of ordinary people (and dogs, all of them good) perish in fraught situations. But the high risk makes its small victories, like finding a cool item or escaping an area unharmed, feel all the more rewarding, more motivating. Overland is filled with bite-sized doses of relief that feed you with the encouragement you need to continue helping these poor folk on the off chance that maybe this time, you might make it all the way. The post-apocalyptic survivors of Overland don't possess the combat expertise of XCOM or Fire Emblem soldiers. The randomly-generated personality traits for characters are simple in nature, but make them feel more grounded and sympathetic than your typical strategy soldier, perhaps emboldening them as a good yeller, or informing you that someone “really misses their family.” Attacking and killing the unnerving and aggressive rock-like creatures that stalk you in each area you traverse is an option (if you happen to be carrying a makeshift weapon, at least), but clearing the playfield of hostiles isn't really the objective here. In fact, the noise that you make in attacking the creatures only attracts more, and in the game's densely packed maps, consisting of a 9x9 grid filled with buildings and solid obstacles, it will quickly create a scenario that is impossible to escape. Overland is instead a game that centers around your roadtrip vehicle. The vehicle you drive is your lifeline, and as you move from area to area on your trip west, your main priority is to keep that four-wheeled machine fueled and in good shape. You start with a simple hatchback but will eventually stumble across different models, and your type of vehicle will inform your strategy--vans let you transport more survivors than your standard car should you encounter them and pickup trucks provide plenty of storage for items but sacrifice seating. SUVs are a late-game godsend that marry the best of both worlds. Escaping an area on foot is possible, but as you'd expect, it's impossible to make any cross-country progress--your characters will be funneled into an area with a beat-up car to try and salvage in order to move forward.Keeping your engine running is the game's central challenge, and it's a demanding one. You need to scavenge new areas for fuel canisters, perhaps finding them in dumpsters or slowly siphoning gas from abandoned cars, and you might find some useful tools and items to assist you along the way. But where Overland creates its challenge, and in turn, its compelling high-risk decision making, is in the strict limitations it puts on what you're actually able to achieve. Restrictions characterise every aspect of the game: Your characters can only take two actions per turn and two hits before dying, and getting injured reduces your actions per turn to one; your vehicle can only take two hits before exploding, and its movement is limited to the two-lane road down the middle of the map, which will often be littered with junk; each character can only hold one item, meaning scavenging is an onerous task that potentially means giving up the ability for a character to defend themselves, and the compact maps mean you're always one square away from either narrowly slipping by or getting skewered by a creature. The lack of choice and options available to you in the overall moment-to-moment makes the ones that are there feel intimidatingly important--one misstep can cause serious havoc.There are items and character traits that can help push these boundaries. For example, your lone starter character will always be equipped with a backpack to carry an extra item, some traits will let survivors perform specific actions for free, and most (but not all) dogs have an inherent attack option. But it's rare for you to feel like you have a complete handle on the situation in Overland, and even then, it'll definitely be short-lived. The margin between success and failure is very fine, and constantly having to fly by the seat of your pants and improvise is a heart-pounding feeling--an undo function is available but has limits and conditions, and the game saves after the end of each turn.All of these factors help guarantee that every new run of Overland you play will be filled with memorable narratives born out of the natural flow of the game. One time, I was eking through a road blockage by having two characters clear debris as a third slowly snaked the car through a narrow passage, all while dozens of creatures bore down on us. A larger creature shoved debris between the clearing crew and the car, leaving me no choice but to escape on foot and leave the driver behind to a grizzly fate. In another situation, my crew of three stumbled across a brand-new, well-equipped pickup truck. But it could only seat two people, and after some consideration, I purposely drove away with my two stronger ones, abandoning the weakest member of the group. Later on in the run, that person would come back to try and get revenge. In one of my favourite scenarios, one of my human characters was cornered, unarmed, by a creature while scavenging. In a moment of desperation, I commanded her two other companions, both dogs, to race to the car, grab a wooden pallet from the trunk, and work to pass it to her relay-style so she could block the hit she was about to take. Overland is filled with these kinds of thrilling, dire scenarios where you need to improvise an immediate solution or resolve to just drop everything and get the hell out of there.There is a caveat to a game with so many difficult decisions, however: The risk of getting yourself stuck in a bad situation with no obvious way out and a feeling of merely perpetuating your eventual demise. You'll likely have many forlorn campaigns in Overland, especially when starting out, where the difficulty and hopelessness can feel overwhelming. Perhaps you're constantly driving on fumes and finding it's too difficult to obtain fuel from any of the areas presented to you, or perhaps your survivors are all injured and movement-restricted, making it feel impossible to achieve anything meaningful. Overland does present you opportunities to crawl back from these hopeless brinks--believe me, it's possible. But it can sometimes feel like the procedurally generated aspects of the game are stacked against you--especially when you have a crew equipped with debuffs like "Bad Driver" and "Clumsy,"’ guzzling up gas at an increased rate and making a racket with every action they take.But Overland's brutal, minimalist design is tough to stay away from. The bite-sized victories you narrowly eke out with each new area are incredibly moreish, and the game feels very well-suited to portable play on both Nintendo Switch and on iPhone through Apple Arcade. The game's clean, stylish art direction and somber, eerie soundtrack help to build the intriguing sense of mystery, too--whatever is happening in this post-apocalypse is likely much bigger than you or your survivors will ever have the chance to fully understand. All that matters is getting your survivors to the West Coast and making it through seven different biomes filled with an increasingly distressing variety of threats and hardships with whatever tools you can scrounge together. Overland perfectly captures a feeling of being helpless, of only just getting by, and of being afraid to venture too far away from your car into the pitch-black dark of night. Every movement you commit, every action you command, and every item or character you sacrifice for another will be an apprehensive decision. But taking each of those tough steps makes you even more grateful to hear the soft chime of your car's open-door alarm when you make it back, and the rev of the motor when you escape down the highway, relieved to leave another pack of abnormal creatures behind. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/overland-review-road-trip-from-hell/1900-6417312/

Call of the Wild: The Angler is available today on Steam, Epic Games Store and the Microsoft Store for $29.99. An official release date for consoles has not been announced yet. Users can explore a vast open world in search of the perfect fishing spot. Gamers can explore an expansive, atmospheric open world in search of the perfect fishing spot. Begin your journey to becoming a master angler by exploring the open waters alone or with friends. Battle fierce Largemouth Bass, Mountain Whitefish and more in an engaging, accessible fishing experience. Each species has its own unique behavior, making every catch a lasting memory. Discover breathtaking fishing spots and environments by foot, boat, or off-road vehicle. Traverse a living, breathing world at your own leisure and discover beautiful winding rivers, soaring peaks, hidden ponds, and epic hiking trails. Learn expert techniques and adapt your strategy to land the most impressive catches. Build your collection of gear and use a wide range of rods, customizable with a growing selection of reels, lines, floats, hooks, lures, and bait. Ride the open waters on your own or share the journey with friends in online co-op multiplayer for up to 12 players. Team up with fellow anglers and go on unforgettable journeys together! Call of the Wild The Angler Trailer Call of the Wild: The Angler Gameplay Trailer Check out the new Call of the Wild: The Angler gameplay trailer introducing a genre-defying fishing experience from the makers of Hunter: Call of the Wild. Gamers can explore an expansive, atmospheric open world in search of the perfect fishing spot. Begin your journey to becoming a master angler by exploring the open waters alone or with friends. There are spectacular fishing spots and breathtaking environments to explore in Call of the Wild: The Angler, including waterways to explore by boat, off-road vehicles, or foot along a vast network of trails. Enjoy winding rivers, majestic mountain peaks, turquoise-colored springs, epic hiking trails, and hidden ponds as you explore the living world of the mountains. Enjoy a leisurely fishing trip on the lake, or beat the sunrise and hook that one elusive catch before the sunrise. Pass charming outposts and soaring lookout towers en route. The intuitive casting system in Call of the Wild: The Angler provides you with an engaging and immersive fishing experience, regardless of whether you’re battling a fierce Largemouth Bass or a hard-fighting Mountain Whitefish. You will have to carefully counteract each species’ movements as you reel them in, as they have unique behaviors and traits. A realistic simulation system is used to determine where fish po[CENSORED]tions will be by determining water temperatures, depths, and altitudes. The key to landing the best catches is learning and mastering distinct fishing techniques. Using a wide range of rods and a growing selection of reels, lines, floats, hooks, lures, and bait, you can customize your fishing experience. Take on the biggest fishing challenges with your collection of gear and equipment. https://www.operationsports.com/call-of-the-wild-the-angler-gameplay-trailer/

The Egyptian government announced the start of providing subsidized bread at a free price for those who are not included in the bread subsidy system, by providing prepaid smart cards that entitle its holder to the equivalent of 10 to 20 loaves of bread at cost, and this comes within the framework of the state's efforts to limit the effects of inflation. Dr. Ali Al-Moselhi, Minister of Supply, said (Monday) that the government has put in place a system that will provide subsidized bread to citizens who do not hold ration cards at a free price, provided that they obtain “bread shipping cards”, which will be offered at Egyptian post offices. “The cost of a loaf of bread reaches 90 piasters, but the government provides it to citizens included in the supply system for only 5 piasters, and bears the difference, which costs the state about 90 billion pounds,” he said, during a telephone interview on the “Al-Hekaya” program broadcast on MBC Egypt. For his part, Abdullah Ghorab, Head of the Bakeries Division, explained that the cards will be launched today (Wednesday) in post offices, with a capacity starting from 20 pounds to 100 pounds, and Ghorab said in a televised interview with the program “On My Responsibility” broadcast on the “Sada” satellite channel. Al-Balad.” The target of this step is about 30 million citizens who were not included in the bread subsidy system in Egypt. He stressed that the new system will not affect the share of citizens covered by ration services at all. The Egyptian government already provides subsidized bread to about 70 million out of 104 million Egyptian citizens with specific specifications, including that the size of a loaf of baladi bread reaches 90 grams and a diameter of 20 or 21 centimeters. Likewise, the Minister of Supply said in televised statements that the ministry entered for the first time in the Egyptian Stock Exchange to sell wheat at cost prices, which are about 30 to 50 percent lower than the market, with the aim of protecting the citizen from high prices. Moselhi said that the "smart cards" decision could increase the amount of bread sold by the government by up to 10 percent. For his part, Dr. Nader Nour El-Din, a professor at the Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University and advisor to the former Minister of Supply, said that this decision would limit the exaggeration of bread sellers on the sidewalks and kiosks in the price of the loaf. He explained in statements to Asharq Al-Awsat: “This decision would Allowing bakeries included in the subsidized bread system to provide services to citizens throughout the day at the free price of a loaf, which is determined by the ministry, from one pound to two pounds, depending on the size of the loaf. And he added, “The Ministry seeks to expand the scope of providing subsidized bread at a free price, but according to direct control that is achieved by dispensing specific quantities of flour and monitoring the size and weight of the loaf.” The advisor to the former Minister of Supply believes that this step comes as part of the ministry’s attempts to prepare for the month of Ramadan, and he says: “In previous research to monitor the purchasing behavior of citizens, it became clear that even segments that depend on subsidized bread throughout the year tend to buy bread at its free price from regular bakeries during the month of Ramadan.” ». The Egyptian Prime Minister, Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, had issued a decision, last March, to set the free price for a loaf of bread, and it was set at 50 piasters for a 45-gram loaf, 75 piasters for a 65-gram loaf, and one pound for a 90-gram loaf. Egypt's inflation accelerated to its highest level in five years. According to data from the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, last week, the inflation rate rose to 21.3 percent in December on an annual basis, compared to 18.7 percent in November. Likewise, the exchange rate had witnessed historical fluctuations after the price of the US dollar reached 32.5 Egyptian pounds, then settled at 29.5 at the end of trading, and continues the limited decline, which is estimated at a few piasters. https://www.i3lam-al3arab.com/هل-تخفف-كروت-الخبز-من-تبعات-موجة-الغل/

Researchers in Australia discovered a new type of gecko (the poisonous gecko) with beautiful eyes that blended with the rest of the body, which allowed it to evade detection for decades. The new species, called the lesser thorn-tailed gecko, or Strophurus spinula, is about 6.1 cm long and has a mottled pattern of white and gray scales, which are also mimicked in its eyes. hese camouflaged reptiles live in forested areas across southwestern Australia, although scientists aren't sure exactly how big the newly discovered species' po[CENSORED]tion is. The lesser spiny-tailed gecko (Strophurus spinula) is the twenty-first identified species in the genus Strophurus, all of which are endemic to Australia, and is collectively known as the spiny-tailed gecko because it has small spines on its tails and sometimes above its eyes. Strophurus spinula is thought to be part of a closely related species of Strophurus assimilis. But in the new study, published in the journal Records of the Western Australian Museum, scientists conducted an extensive genetic analysis of the newly discovered genus, and found it to be a new species. Close examination of the smaller fork-tailed gecko showed that the newly discovered species could be physically distinguished from the genus Strophurus, the scientists wrote in the paper. Like all other spiny-tailed geckos, Strophurus spinula can secrete a harmless, foul-smelling chemical from glands near its tail to deter potential predators descending from the upper bushes, where they usually attack it. Strophurus spinula seems to prefer woodlands dominated by the tree Acacia anneura), commonly known as malga, which thrives in extremely dry conditions. Scientists are now seeking to find out why the new species preferred this type of habitat. Source: Live Science https://arabic.rt.com/technology/1466400-العلماء-نوعا-جديدا-أبو-بريص-عيونه-التخفي-لعقود/

For the seventh year in a row, experts and pioneers of Arabic calligraphy meet at the Cairo International Forum for the Arts of Arabic Calligraphy, which was inaugurated by Enas Abdel Dayem, the Egyptian Minister of Culture, the day before yesterday evening, considering it “one of the vocabulary of identity.” She emphasized that the Cairo Forum continues with confident steps to shed light on the charm of Arabic letters, and continues to play the symphony of pen and feather creativity over paintings that speak of beauty, stressing that the forum contributed to supporting the adoption of Arabic calligraphy by UNESCO, which described it as "an expression of consistency and beauty." This session is held under the title “Renewed Pioneers in a Hundred Years (1922-2022)” as part of the celebration of the symbols of culture and art during the twenties of the last century. The forum includes a number of exhibitions in the halls of the Egyptian Opera House, and it was inaugurated with the opening of an exhibition of Arabic calligraphy at the Palace of Arts in the Opera House. , Al-Diwani, written by famous calligraphers at the time, including Yaqut Al-Mustasimi, Abd Al-Rahman bin Al-Sayegh from the Mamluk era, Helmi Fawzan and Muhammad Sami from the Ottoman era, and it also included works from the Bibliotheca Alexandrina’s holdings. The seventh session (June 2022) witnesses the participation of 125 artists from 15 countries, including 63 Egyptians and 27 from China, Tunisia, Pakistan, Iraq, Japan, Thailand, Algeria, Indonesia, Libya, Yemen, Afghanistan, India, Uzbekistan, Nigeria, and Serbia. Saudi Arabia is participating as a guest of honor through a number of its artists, including the Arabic calligraphy artist Abdel Aziz Al-Dahim, who is being honored, and five paintings bearing Quranic verses and aphoristic articles are presented to him. The second is Egypt, and meeting my colleagues and professors of calligraphers, and I have participated in several exhibitions in Saudi Arabia and abroad for more than thirty years,” stressing that he is “a calligrapher who works in the spirit of amateurs, and has holdings in the Saudi Ministry of Culture and Information.” The Moroccan calligrapher Abd al-Rahman Jolin also participates in several Quranic paintings, stressing that the Moroccan calligraphy represents a system on its own, whether it is the simple line, which is the line of the Qur’an or the Moroccan third, and Kufic, indicating that “the posts represent oxygen for the artist to learn about the experiences of others and meet another different audience, His painting of Surat Al-Nasr aroused the interest of the participants. Within the activities of the seventh session of the forum, which is organized by the Cultural Development Fund, an international scientific symposium will be held under the title “Pioneers and Innovators”, which will be held over three days and include multiple axes, and a number of experts and university professors will participate in it. Several important axes, including the role of the Arab Organization for Education, Culture and Science “ALECSO” in preserving and protecting the elements of intangible cultural heritage, reading the biography of Sheikh Calligrapher Mahmoud Ibrahim, presenting a memorial book about him, and registering the “Arabic Calligraphy Arts” file on the list of intangible cultural heritage with UNESCO Organization. This year, the forum celebrates the calligraphers Abdel Aziz Abu Al-Khair, born in 1935, and Muhammad Hassan Abu Al-Khair, born in 1921. They are two of the pioneers of the art of Arabic calligraphy in Egypt, and they held several exhibitions in various Arab countries. https://www.i3lam-al3arab.com/إطلالة-جديدة-على-الخط-العربي-في-العصور/

North Korea confirmed, on Tuesday, that it intends to launch a satellite for military espionage purposes in June (June) to “counter the dangerous military moves of the United States,” while Japan suspects that it is a camouflaged missile launch. The official North Korean News Agency quoted Ri Pyong Chol, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission in the ruling party, as saying that the “Military Reconnaissance Satellite No. 1” will “be launched in June” with the aim of “confronting the dangerous military moves of the United States and its followers.” Also, the North Korean official accused the United States of carrying out "hostile aerial espionage activities in and around the Korean Peninsula." Japanese officials said Monday that Pyongyang had told them it would launch a satellite starting this week, warning that they believe Kim Jong-un's regime is in fact planning to test a ballistic missile in defiance of international sanctions. Tokyo said Pyongyang had informed the Japanese Coast Guard that it would launch the missile between May 31 and June 11, and that the waters near the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and east of Luzon Island in the Philippines are therefore dangerous areas. And as the North Korean official accused both the United States and South Korea of carrying out "reckless" actions, he explained that his country felt "the need to expand means of reconnaissance and information and improve various defensive and offensive weapons" in an attempt to enhance its military readiness. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said, "Even if it is described as a satellite, the launch using ballistic missile technology constitutes a violation of UN Security Council resolutions and a serious problem that threatens people's safety." And the Japanese Ministry of Defense issued instructions to the Air Force to destroy any ballistic missile that is sure to fall in the waters of Japan or on its territory. The ministry said that it would allow its forces to use "SM3" missiles and "Patriot PAK-3" missiles to shoot down medium-altitude missiles. On the other hand, the Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement that "North Korea's alleged launch of a satellite constitutes a serious violation of Security Council resolutions that prohibit all launches using ballistic missile technology, and it is clearly an illegal act that cannot be justified under any pretext." The communication strategy adopted by Pyongyang, based on informing Japan only, without South Korea, of upcoming launches, may be linked to large-scale joint exercises between Seoul and Washington that took place last Thursday, only 25 kilometers south of the inter-Korean border, analyst Chung told AFP. Seung-chang is of the Center for North Korean Studies at Sejong Institute. In addition, Chung noted that Seoul "described North Korea as an (enemy) in a defense document in February. North Korea does not like Japan, but now it has more reasons to hate Seoul. For weeks, Seoul and Tokyo have been repairing their strained relations and focusing on strengthening their cooperation in the face of North Korean military threats. However, Japan's prime minister reiterated Monday that he is open to any talks with Pyongyang, which official North Korean media reported appears to be accepting of a conciliatory approach to relations with Japan, an unusual stance in the self-isolating country. North Korea conducted ballistic missile tests in 2012 and then in 2016, in operations it described as satellite launch experiments. On that day, the missiles flew over Okinawa Prefecture in southern Japan. Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, told AFP that Pyongyang "justifies and legitimizes the upcoming launch of a military reconnaissance satellite by referring to joint (military) exercises between the United States and South Korea." He pointed out that satellites and ballistic missiles use the same technology, even if they are not used for the same purposes. "If North Korea launches a satellite, this will constitute a violation of UN Security Council resolutions that prohibit any launches that use ballistic missile technology," he said. The development of a spy satellite is part of Pyongyang's major defense plans announced by leader Kim Jong Un last year. On May 16, the North Korean leader inspected a workshop in which this satellite was being built and gave the green light to a "future action plan" regarding it. https://www.i3lam-al3arab.com/كوريا-الشمالية-تؤكد-نيتها-إطلاق-قمر-صن/

What are the best games on Apple Arcade in 2022? The idea of a subscription-based service for games is a smart one, and Apple Arcade delivers enormous value for money with its service, especially in India. At Rs. 99 per month, Apple Arcade has a huge catalogue of games and continues to add new ones, giving users a chance to play premium games without any in-app purchases. The catalogue covers a wide range of genres, including sports, racing, role-playing, and adventure, to name a few. There are also a number of established franchises and classic games redesigned and optimised for the Apple Arcade experience. Apple Arcade works on various supported Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. I've put together a list of the best Apple Arcade games that I've played since the service launched, and here are my top picks, in no particular order. Alto's Odyssey - Remastered The sequel to the excellent Alto's Adventure, Alto's Odyssey Remastered brings the excellent mechanics, world design and artistic gameplay of its predecessor back in style. A typical endless runner game, Alto's Odyssey has been optimised for Apple Arcade, and has interesting objectives that increase in difficulty as you keep playing, along with an uplifting soundtrack, along with a new, exclusive ‘Lost City' biome for the platform. Apple Arcade’s ‘Timeless Classics’ Category Gives Old Games Fresh Appeal Another big change is the setting, switching from snowy mountainous slopes to a much larger world spanning sandy desert terrain, ancient ruins, and climbable rock faces. Central characters Alto and his friends also return with all of their abilities. Notably, Alto's Adventure is also now available on Apple Arcade in a Remastered version, in case you prefer the original setting and gameplay. https://www.gadgets360.com/games/guide/best-apple-arcade-games-2022-iphone-mac-tv-ipad-ios-mobile-2917172

ntroduction For a while there, we weren't willing to get our hopes up that there would be a global Xiaomi Ultra again - the 2021 model could very well have remained a one-off to remember fondly. Then at one point, we were led to believe that not only was there not going to be a global one, there wasn't going to be one at all. Well, in the end, it all worked out nicely, and we now have the Xiaomi 13 Ultra - one for China and one for the world. With that said, we still have to point out that Xiaomi sent us a version of the handset running China-specific software. So, while theoretically, a global variant is supposed to be available at one time or another, we haven't yet touched or seen it. For the purposes of this review, however, that's largely inconsequential. That's in part because what's most important about the 13 Ultra transcends regional software specifics. We're talking about the one-of-a-kind quad-camera setup on the back of the handset. And you know it's something special when the 50MP 1-inch main unit - undisputedly the headliner of the bunch, is joined by a couple of telephotos and an ultrawide, each of them with a 50MP sensor of its own. We look forward to starting this camera section with both excitement and apprehension. But all in due time. There's a smartphone strapped to that Leica-co-engineered marvel of a camera system, and it's a proper high-end one too. The latest Snapdragon, a cutting-edge high-res, high-refresh-rate OLED display, dust and water resistance, and fast charging - finding something to complain about on the following pages is going to be tough. Initially, looking at the pictures, we thought the design would be that, but after experiencing the handset in person, the looks of it have grown on us too. Here's a quick summary of the more important specs before we get going. Xiaomi 13 Ultra specs at a glance: Body: 163.2x74.6x9.1mm, 227g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), eco-leather back, aluminum frame; IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min). Display: 6.73" LTPO AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1300 nits (HBM), 2600 nits (peak), 1440x3200px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 522ppi. Chipset: Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm): Octa-core (1x3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510); Adreno 740. Memory: 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM; UFS 4.0. OS/Software: Android 13, MIUI 14. Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.9 or f/4.0, 23mm, 1.0"-type, 1.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 50 MP, f/1.8, 12mm, 122˚, 1/2.51", Dual-Pixel PDAF; Telephoto: 50 MP, f/1.8, 75mm, 1/2.51", Dual-Pixel PDAF, OIS, 3.2x optical zoom; Telephoto: 50 MP, f/3.0, 120mm, 1/2.51", Dual-Pixel PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom; Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.9 or f/4.0, 23mm, 1.0"-type, 1.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS. Front camera: 32 MP, f/2.0, 22mm (wide), 0.7µm. Video capture: Rear camera: 8K@24fps, 4K@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/480/960/1920fps, gyro-EIS, Dolby Vision HDR 10-bit rec. (4K@60fps, 1080p); Front camera: 1080p@30/60fps. Battery: 5000mAh; 90W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 35 min (advertised), 50W wireless, 100% in 49 min (advertised), 10W reverse wireless. Connectivity: 5G; Dual SIM; Wi-Fi 6e; BT 5.3, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive; NFC; Infrared port. Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); stereo speakers. Xiaomi 13 Ultra unboxing The 13 Ultra's presentation is no different than that of any recent Xiaomi Pro or Ultra. The black color is all that sets it apart from the lesser models in the lineup, and the red Leica dot is a lone splash of color on the cardboard. nside, you'll find the phone, a 90W power adapter, and a USB-A-to-C cable to go with it. Also included is a black snap-on case that doesn't quite live up to the standard of the Ultra itself, though its utility shouldn't be affected by its less-than-premium appearance. What you won't find inside the regular retail package is the Xiaomi 13 Ultra Professional Camera Bundle, which can be purchased separately in China for CNY 1000 (€130). The kit includes a nicer phone case, a separate right-hand grip, a filter adapter ring that lets you screw on standard 67mm lens filters, a lens cap (or, rather, a whole camera system cap in this case), and a lanyard. The whole thing makes the Ultra look even less like a phone and more like a compact camera, and the hand grip makes it behave like one, too, thanks to its two-stage shutter release button and a zoom rocker. Unfortunately, we didn't have the opportunity to play with this set of accessories. https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_13_ultra-review-2562.php