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Black Friday lands on Friday, 24 November 2023, and ahead of Black Friday and the follow-up Cyber Monday, we will be collecting the best deals on our favorite tech and listing them in our handy deals hub. If you're on the lookout for a new piece of tech or an upgrade for your beloved PC, then bookmark this deals hub for all the best tech deals from the most po[CENSORED]r retailers. We check this page frequently to make sure the best deals are posted and the prices are as current as possible — but be aware that some of the best deals often expire within hours. Whether you're looking for a new gaming headset, an SSD for your PlayStation 5, or a new graphics card, we've got you covered. And we'll be keeping our deals eye out for the best bargains as they pop up. These are the best deal picks so far, but hurry — these prices won't last forever!We've checked all the best deals below to ensure they provide valuable savings and notable discounts. But if you see a product on sale and it's one we haven't covered, we recommend checking the price history and other vendors' prices on sites such as Google Shopping and PCPartPicker. Amazon shoppers can use the website CamelCamelCamel and its Camelizer Chrome extension to see a product's price history. This will give you an idea of the average price and whether or not the current offer is an actual deal. https://www.tomshardware.com/news/best-deals-on-tech

Back in August of this year, it was announced that Sega of America employees would be forming a union—the Allied Employees Guild Improving Sega (AEGIS-CWA)—alongside the Campaign to Organise Digital Employees (CODE-CWA). Then in July, after Sega of America decided not to recognise it, that same union won a election vote 91-26 via the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). In short, that means Sega of America has to recognise the union now, or—legally speaking—it could constitute an unfair labour practice. An internal letter sent by the company's leadership said it would respect its commitments to the NLRB (thanks, Gameinformer): "While we believe that a direct relationship promotes a supportive environment, responsiveness, and a shared commitment, we respect our employees’ rights and maintain our legal commitment to the NLRB process."One might think that Sega of America would play ball after that, but their first negotiations have already prompted a legal charge. Union members have accused the company of threatening its temporary workers, according to a report by Kotaku.The proposal was delivered November 6 to the bargaining committee, stating the company would be phasing out its temporary employees—"offshored to Japan and Europe" as the report states. Bluntly, that's a terrible deal for the union, considering around 40% of its members (around 80 employees total) would be targeted by such layoffs. Crucially, rather than negotiate with the union about this proposal Sega of America reportedly proceeded to declare the proposal to its employees directly in a mandatory meeting. This has the union angry for a few reasons. Firstly, the AEGIS-CWA should—in theory—be recognised by the company according to those NLRB commitments. Secondly, it's the largest multi-discipline video game union in the country, represented by around 200 employees. Thirdly, you're ideally meant to actually negotiate your proposals with a union, rather than announcing them to your employees directly. The union itself says these are union-busting practices, meant to intimidate its workers. "We’re disappointed that Sega management has not yet ceased their union busting, even after we’ve won our union election back in July," it wrote in a statement on its Twitter page November 16. "We hoped that Sega management would bargain in good faith, but instead they've shown disregard to the status quo and are threatening to outsource the jobs of a majority of the workforce in our QA and Localization departments, which is up to 40% of our unit." In response, the union has filed an Unfair Labour Practice charge—and made further demands that those temporary workers be made permanent as reparations, as Senior QA Tester Temp—a job title which, in itself, highlights the issue—Elise Willacker wrote in a statement: "We call on the company to make all temporary employees permanent and return to the bargaining table in good faith. There is no other just alternative." The charge will head to the National Labour Relations board, but it's entirely possible for Sega of America to action those layoffs in the meantime. Which isn't an ideal scenario for anybody involved—but if Sega of America has started as it means to go on, anything can happen. https://www.pcgamer.com/sega-of-america-accused-of-union-busting-threats-after-telling-whole-company-itll-phase-out-temp-employeesnearly-half-the-unions-membership/

President Ruto said that together with his counterpart, they took note of the long cordial relationship that exists between Kenya and Romania. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has showered Kenya with praises for being politically stable. Speaking at State House on Tuesday, Iohannis said that Kenya was outstanding in the East Africa region. "Kenya is an example of political stability and democratic transition in Eastern Africa. Moreover, the economic, financial transformational and development hub for the entire region," Iohannis said.The Romanian Head of State also commended Ruto and Kenya at large for the role they have taken in climate change conversations. He explained that from the consultations held at State House with Ruto, they have both reconfirmed to have discussions on similar topics. "We have joint topics of interest and similar positions towards current global concerns and challenges. So we have agreed to develop cooperation in areas of an essential role in Romania and Kenya such as protecting the environment and addressing climate change, civil protection, education, and green energy," Iohannis added. Kenya and Romania signed four major Memorandum of Understanding. The signing took place at State House. President Ruto said that together with his counterpart, they took note of the long cordial relationship that exists between Kenya and Romania. "I'm confident that the implementation of the four MoUs will escalate into an effective partnership in areas of focus and create conditions for Kenya and Romania to expand the scope of collaboration to cover even more sectors," he said.Iohannis is on an African tour where he will be visiting four African countries. According to the Presidential Administration of Romania, President Iohannis will visit Kenya, Tanzania, Cabo Verde, and Senegal between November 14-23. https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2023-11-14-kenya-is-an-icon-of-political-stability-romanian-president/

More than half the seabird species breeding on British and Irish coasts have declined over the last 20 years, according to the most comprehensive census to date. Eleven of 21 nesting seabirds species have fallen, five species have remained stable and five have increased, some because of targeted conservation work, according to the Seabirds Count survey. British and Ireland are internationally important for seabirds, holding most of the world’s nesting Manx shearwaters, northern gannets and great skuas and more than half of the north Atlantic po[CENSORED]tions of lesser black-backed gulls and common guillemots. Some species have declined due to climate change reducing food availability and increasing storminess at nest sites, while others have been hit by commercial fishers depleting fish po[CENSORED]tions and, in some cases, predation on land by invasive mammals such as brown rats.Common gull numbers have decreased by 49% since the last survey in 2000 because of loss of nesting habitat and less food for coastal-nesting birds. Numbers of puffins have also declined at a majority of sites surveyed in the census, which took place between 2015 and 2021, before the latest outbreaks of avian flu. Globally, the Atlantic puffin, for whom sand eels are a crucial, declining food-source in British and Irish waters, is considered vulnerable to extinction. Britain and Ireland hold about 8% of the global po[CENSORED]tion. The roseate tern po[CENSORED]tion has soared by 152% since the last census, due to the protection of nest sites and work to reduce predation by non-native species. The census, which was led by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) with more than 20 partner organisations, found big variations in trends by region. In Scotland, 14 out of 20 breeding seabird species were found to be in decline, whereas in England eight species increased, six declined and five were stable. In Wales, 11 were increasing while six were in decline, and in Northern Ireland, seven were increasing with four in decline. Seabirds were doing best around the Republic of Ireland coastline, with 15 species increasing and only two declining.“Seabirds are sentinels for the health of marine ecosystems, highlighting action that needs to be taken to recover the marine environment,” said Gemma Harper, the chief executive of JNCC. “Loss of biodiversity is weakening the ability of the marine environment to withstand disturbance, adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change, and is affecting the ability of our seas to supply critical services for society.” Beccy Speight, the chief executive of the RSPB, said: “For decades, our seabird po[CENSORED]tions have been battered by the impact of humans, from the introduction of predators to islands that destroy nests and chicks to the increasing effects of climate change that are impacting the availability of their food such as sand eels. “The evidence shows that conservation efforts and smart policies do work and help increase the resilience of our seabirds to better weather whatever new storm is on the horizon.” https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/nov/16/more-than-half-of-uk-and-ireland-seabirds-in-decline-census-finds

What's this, an actual decline in the average new-vehicle transaction price (ATP)? Apparently, yes, said KBB, which reported that the ATP in March was down from the month before. It's been almost two years since that happened. The decline was only 1.1 percent, meaning the average price is still high, at just over $48,000. But it's the first sign that the relentless upward pricing pressure is starting to fade away. You can probably guess the reasons, which center on increased new-vehicle supply compared to the last few years of the global pandemic. And once shoppers have options, dealers can't use as many price-increasing tricks. It's been a while—20 months, to be exact—but the average price of a new car is once again below the official sticker price. For almost two years now, the average new car price has kept climbing and climbing, assisted by plenty of dealer markups that regularly reminded us that car shopping is a perfectly good way to get frustrated on a Saturday. But, according to data from Kelley Blue Book, the average new-car buyer paid less than the sticker price in March. As KBB's Twitter account said, "Whew." The average transaction price (ATP) for a new vehicle also dropped in March, down to a still-high $48,008. Compared to February, though, it's down 1.1 percent. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a43611570/average-new-car-price-down-still-high/

Three straight losses, a home game at night, and a partridge in a pear tree. The Wisconsin Badgers need a bit of magic to right the ship after three straight losses -- including two at home. A 5-5 season is an unwelcomed feeling for the Badgers' fans and welcoming the Nebraska Cornhuskers this Saturday night can feel a bit uneasy too. Let's dive into the numbers to make sense of the matchup between two teams, with head coaches in their first year of their tenure, and both sitting at 5-5, 3-4 in the conference. What's comforting at least is the 70.6% matchup prediction in favor of the Badgers according to ESPN.If you're looking for a barn-burning shoot-out this weekend, expect the exact opposite. Neither of these teams is putting many points on the board. Nebraska ranks 114th in the nation at 18.9 points per game, while our Badgers sit at 95th with 22.2 points per game. Both defenses are giving up less than 20 points per game, too. So an offensive showdown shouldn't be expected. Plenty of three-and-outs and punts will reign for this game.If you're looking for a barn-burning shoot-out this weekend, expect the exact opposite. Neither of these teams is putting many points on the board. Nebraska ranks 114th in the nation at 18.9 points per game, while our Badgers sit at 95th with 22.2 points per game. Both defenses are giving up less than 20 points per game, too. So an offensive showdown shouldn't be expected. Plenty of three-and-outs and punts will reign for this game.This will be a clash of a decent running game versus a stout rushing defense. The Badgers are pretty solid on the ground which is 40th in the nation at 4.6 yards per carry and 153.4 yards per game. Nebraska's defense is tough on run games. Allowing only 2.7 yards per carry and less than 80 yards per game.If the Badgers can't get too much going on the ground, then the right arm of Tanner Mordecai is going to be of utmost importance. He's only completing 63% of his passes in the conference and is coming off of one of his best games, even in a loss to Northwestern. The Cornhuskers' secondary can be exposed, and the Badgers may need to "pitch backward" in order to open up holes in the run games. At the end of the day, Mordecai will be the difference-maker - either good or bad - in this game. Nov 19, 2022; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Anthony Grant (10) is tackled by Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Maema Njongmeta (55) during the third quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY SportsNebraska's offense is nothing to shake in the boots at, especially given the Badgers defense. It's an offense that only averages 18.6 points per game and a Badgers' defense that only surrenders about 20 points per game. When we said there were going to be a lot of punts and not a ton of action on the offensive sides of the ball.Nebraska is a run-first team. They have run the ball on 64% of their offensive plays this season and have gained 4.5 yards per rush. Their 185.2 yards per game is 27th in the nation and their three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust mantra is pure Big Ten smashmouth football. The Badgers rush defense will have to stand on its head, with another of those "something has to give" situations happening here. If the Badgers can stop the Huskers' rushing attack it'll set them up really well for a victory at Camp Randall.Getting the Huskers out of their game plan to run the ball and putting it in the hands of Heinrich Haarberg should be the M/O of the defense. In conference play, Haarberg has a less than 50% completion percentage and three touchdowns to seven interceptions. Allowing less than 200 yards per game in the passing game should set the Badgers up well to shut down a less-than-stellar passing attack of the Huskers. https://www.si.com/college/wisconsin/football/wisconsin-vs-nebraska-inside-the-numbers

axophonist and singer Chloe Edwards-Wood is used to performing to large audiences, but that didn’t stop her nerves jangling the first time she played on a stranger’s doorstep. She did so near her own home in Catford, south-east London, along with another musician from the Give a Song community project. “It was really terrifying,” recalls Edwards-Wood (main picture, left), “although as soon as we started that first song, a version of the Motown classic Dancing in the Street, the barriers came down. I remember thinking: ‘This is it! It works!’. The person loved it and people stopped to watch and listen and clap along.”As for many in the music industry, work dried up for Edwards-Wood when the UK entered lockdown. Keen to use her talents somehow, she came up with the idea of singing for people who were shielding or simply struggling. After she posted on Facebook about the concept, about 15 people got in touch, including one of the trustees of the Goldsmiths Community Centre in Lewisham. “I had no understanding of things like insurance and risk assessments, but the community centre gave me the support to make it all happen,” says Edwards-Wood. She launched a crowdfunding campaign which, along with grants, means the musicians can be paid. Since that first doorstep visit 18 months ago, Give a Song has delivered some 360 performances, playing to more than 6,000 people. These include at hundreds of homes in Lewisham, as well as at care homes, at food banks and at several mental health projects. Frequent song requests include 1940s classics like Vera Lynn’s We’ll Meet Again and Nat King Cole’s Unforgettable. But their most po[CENSORED]r tune? Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds. People can nominate a recipient via an online form. Residents then watch or sing along from their doorstep or window as the musicians play outside. Visits are free, although some people choose to make a donation. Despite the lifting of Covid restrictions, requests are still flooding in. “Loneliness and isolation aren’t unique to the pandemic,” reasons Edwards-Wood, who is in the process of turning Give a Song into a Community Interest Company. She always knew the power of live music to brighten up people’s days, but wasn’t prepared for quite how much. For one 92-year-old woman who has dementia, the change was particularly dramatic. “The moment we started to play, it was like electricity began to course through her body – she was singing and dancing with us.”Visits can last just 15 minutes, but the experiences live on beyond the doorstep, Edwards-Wood believes: “It’s also something to discuss and remember and talk about, sometimes for months or longer afterwards.” And it’s not only the recipients who are benefiting. Since being involved in Give a Song, two musicians have gone on to study music therapy. For Edwards-Wood, it has also proved transformative. “I don’t know what my life or my mental health would have looked like without this,” she says. “Being able to share all these interactions, all these moments of musical joy, I feel very lucky.” Main image: Sinah Keller Help us continue t https://www.positive.news/lifestyle/arts/the-artists-bringing-live-music-to-peoples-front-doors/

Novinite's “Ambassador Talks” is a series of interviews with ambassadors or heads of missions accredited to Bulgaria. Our goal: to understand their point of view on current developments - both domestic, bilateral and international. In addition, our guests have the opportunity to promote their country and share information about future events regarding their embassies. Bellow, you check a list of our interviews in 2022 including the sample questions for that year. 2023 will have slightly different questions and format. 1. What is your opinion on the bilateral political and business relations between Bulgaria and your country? 2. What kind of improvement of these relations do you see in the near future and also long term? 3. In your humble opinion, what is the place of Bulgaria in the modern world? 4. If you want to promote Bulgaria to investors from your country, what would be the 5 most important advantages you would mention? 5. Do you think Bulgaria can improve its image or branding and if yes - do you have an idea or advice you could share with us? 6. What would be the 3 most important events for your Embassy until the end of this year? 7. How deep has the COVID pandemic affected the bilateral relations between Bulgaria and your country? 8. What advice can you give to Bulgarians who want to do business with people from your country? 9. Tell us about yourself - what was your professional diplomatic career, how long have you been in Bulgaria, and what are the most fascinating places or even dishes for you in Bulgaria? 10. If you must describe Bulgaria in just three words, what would they be? *** Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency) is the largest English-language news provider in Bulgaria, with coverage of domestic and international news for more than 20 years. The agency is read in more than 120 countries all over the world. A news archive is kept for years in many governmental and business institutions and the website is quoted globally on a daily basis. https://www.novinite.com/articles/216718/Ambassador+Talks%3A+Novinite's+Series+of+Interviews+(UPDATED+2023)

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Nick movie: Neffex - Rumors [GMV] Time: Sabbirrelevant Netflix / Amazon / HBO: N/A Duration of the movie: 4 minutes - 7 sec Trailer:

Music: Attack Drones : Oblivion Release date: Aug 2020/04/16 Signer: RAZR Official YouTube link:

Tech News Today in India: Welcome to our tech news listicle. From now on, we will be compiling all the biggest developments the day in technology into a single, easily consumable listicle. From product launches, news, updates, announcements and all the latest happenings from the tech world, we have everything organised at one place. Sony India announced a new PS5 COD Modern Warfare III bundle in India, and we might soon see ads on WhatsApp. Besides, the upcoming iOS 18 is expected to include a lot of generative AI features, and Samsung is also said to be working on an affordable folding phone.The new Sony PS5 with Call of Duty Modern Warfare III bundle will be available in India for Rs 49,390 at Vijay Sales. This offer is valid until November 23 and can be availed in both online and offline stores across the country. https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/tech-news-today-13-november-2023-ps5-bundle-steam-deck-oled-whatsapp-ads-9024611/

The Linux Foundation plans to form the High Performance Software Foundation (HPSF). The new group will help build, promote, and advance a portable software stack for high performance computing. HPSF members will include Amazon Web Services, Argonne National Laboratory, CEA, CIQ, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Intel, Kitware, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Nvidia, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratory, and the University of Oregon.The foundation plans to build on the investments made by the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Exascale Computing Project (ECP), the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking, and other international projects in accelerated HPC. “Open source collaboration in a strong HPC developer ecosystem advances scientific computing and is made more important by the rapid evolution of breakthrough technologies such as generative AI, powered by a new class of supercomputing," said Tim Costa, director of HPC and Quantum at Nvidia. Bronis de Supinski, CTO for Livermore Computing at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), added: "The formation of HPSF is an important step for the stewardship of software for large-scale systems. "With a focus on advancing the capabilities of high-performance computing (HPC) facilities across government, industry, and academia, this partnership will benefit everyone's investments towards a common production environment for the broader HPC ecosystem." From now until early 2024, HPSF plans to hold meetings with initial members to agree on foundation structure and governance, as well as recruit more members and projects. It expects to officially form in May 2024. https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/linux-foundation-to-form-high-performance-software-foundation/

coming to a close, Apple still has new hardware to unveil. During a spooky-themed virtual event held the day before Halloween, the company took the wraps off of its next-generation M3 chipsets: the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max. Additionally, Apple announced some new machines powered by these updated processors: a new MacBook Pro in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes and a 24-inch iMac. Read on for more details on everything Apple announced today. Apple has been producing its M-series processors since 2020. While the company has released the existing chips on a somewhat unpredictable timeline over the last three years, they have always been rolled out in the same order: the base-level chips (M1 and M2) came first, followed by the high-end versions (the Pro, Max, and Ultra models) later on. But for the first time, Apple has announced three tiers of its new chip simultaneously: the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max. https://www.wired.com/story/imac-macbook-pro-2023-everything-apple-announced/

Magic's Lost Caverns of Ixalan set is a return to the dinosaur-hunted jungles of Ixalan, but it's also a return to a theme Magic has tinkered with before: the world underground. As head designer Mark Rosewater mentioned in his Making Magic column, the dungeon cards from Adventures in the Forgotten Realms presented one angle on underground exploration in card form, but The Lost Caverns of Ixalan tackles another, one with more of a focus on "resource acquisition and the building/upgrading of items." To say the quiet part out loud: it's loosely inspired by Minecraft. That means there's a Diamond Pick-Axe card, and a new ability called Craft, which lets you transform artifacts into more powerful cards. There's no "Mine" mechanic but there is Descend, which triggers various effects when you discard to the graveyard, and Discover, which lets you flip cards from your deck into exile until you find something with a set mana value that you then either cast or put into your hand. The Explore mechanic from the original Ixalan set returns too, letting you draw a card and if it's a land play it immediately, which is nicely thematic. That's all cute stuff for evoking a survival crafting game where you roam around looking for things to improve your equipment with, but that's not all there is to The Lost Caverns of Ixalan. There's also a story about competing factions racing to Ixalan's core: Mesoamerican explorers riding tame dinosaurs, treasure-hunting pirate revolutionaries, vampire conquistadors trying to awaken a bat god, and the fungal parasite zombies of the Mycotyrant. Also, merfolk and cat-people are there too? It's a colorful mix. There's a lot going on underground.Playing the pirate-themed Commander deck called Ahoy Mateys, I accumulated a thematically appropriate hoard of treasure tokens I could trade in for mana—at one point I had 14 of them stockpiled—and got to make like Captain Barbossa and bring my crew back from the dead. That didn't help when an opponent with the dinosaur-themed Veloci-RAMP-tor deck did as the name suggests and ramped up to the point where he was dropping a 4/8 with indestructible (Zetalpa, Primal Dawn) followed by a 9/9 well beyond my crew's ability to fight (Zacama, Primal Calamity). Oh well, I'll win a game of Commander some day.If you're into dinosaurs, this set's showcase crossover is with the Jurassic World series. This means that, like with the Transformers crossover in The Brother's War, there's a chance of a Jurassic World card popping up in certain physical booster packs (set and collector boosters). Yes, this means that Jeff Goldblum and Samuel L. Jackson now appear in Magic: The Gathering. I want both of them. The Lost Caverns of Ixalan was released in digital form in Magic: The Gathering Arena on November 14, and is available in tabletop Magic from November 17. https://www.pcgamer.com/magics-lost-caverns-of-ixalan-set-is-minecraft-with-dinosaurs-in-an-underground-lost-world/

Special counsel Robert Hur is not expected to charge anyone in connection with the mishandling of classified documents at two locations connected to President Joe Biden, two sources close to the investigation told CNN. Hur and his team are compiling a detailed report on their year-long probe that is expected to be critical of Biden and his staff for the way they handled sensitive materials. The report is expected to go into significant detail about what the special counsel’s office found in its investigation. Investigators on Hur’s team have told other Justice Department officials that they hope to have the report completed by the end of the year, but that timeline could slide.Ian Sams, a spokesperson for the White House Counsel’s Office, declined to comment. Hur was appointed in January to investigate after classified documents from Biden’s time as vice president were found at his former office at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, DC, and at his Wilmington, Delaware, home. A spokesperson for Hur declined to comment. The Wall Street Journal first reported Hur isn’t likely to bring a criminal case. CNN previously reported charges appeared unlikely, according to sources familiar with investigators’ line of questioning, and that there has been no discernible grand jury activity. A decision to not pursue charges is likely to draw criticism from Donald Trump and his allies. They have long drawn parallels between Hur’s investigation with that of special counsel Jack Smith, who earlier this year brought charges against the former president related to his own handling of classified documents after he left the White House. But key differences between the two probes abound, including the fact that the National Archives repeatedly tried and failed to get back documents in Trump’s possession. At one point, the FBI secured a search warrant to search his Florida estate. Biden’s attorneys, on the other hand, quickly notified the National Archives of the materials found in his possession. https://edition.cnn.com/2023/11/16/politics/special-counsel-hur-biden/index.html

A traditional ceremony for children in Japan is growing po[CENSORED]r for animals there as well. Natsuki Aoki recently flew with her two Chihuahua dogs from the western city of Hiroshima to Tokyo, the nation’s capital. She took the trip so the little dogs could receive a special blessing at the Zama Shrine, a Shinto holy place. Aoki noted that few religious centers are open to animals. “I think it would be great to see more places like this," the 33-year-old said on Tuesday. The Zama Shrine dates back to the 6th century. It is about 25 kilometers southwest of Tokyo. The religious center established a prayer area for animals in 2012. It now hosts Shichi-Go-San ceremonies where animal owners can pray for the health and happiness of their dogs and cats. The ceremony, which means Seven-Five-Three in Japanese, is traditionally celebrated in mid-November for children reaching those ages. Parents dress their girls and boys in kimonos and bring them to a Shinto holy place for the ceremony. On Tuesday, several people led their animals up the steps of the Inuneko Jinja, or Dog-Cat Shrine. They prayed and received a blessing from a Shinto clergy. Six Shiba Inu dogs wearing kimonos lined up for pictures at the event. Japan's birth rate dropped for a seventh straight year in 2022 to a record low, while deaths increased to an all-time high. "The number of children is decreasing each year, and as a result, more and more people are pouring their love into their dogs and cats," said Yoshinori Hiraga of the Zama Shrine. "We want to offer the pet owners a place at Zama Shrine for them to thank the gods when their dogs and cats reach the ages of three, five, and seven," said Hiraga. The clergy estimated about 120 pets would be brought to the shrine this season. Among them was Masayo Tashiro, who brought two dogs, a terrier and a Pomeranian to the center as she made offerings and prayers. "They are very important to me, like my own children," said the 53-year-old caregiver. "I came here to pray that they will have a safe and healthy life with us together." I'm Caty Weaver. Irene Wang reported this story for Reuters. Hai Do adapted the story for Learning English. Words in This Story blessing - n. a short prayer kimono - n. clothing with wide sleeves that is traditionally worn on formal occasions in Japan. pet - n. an animal, such as a dog or cat, that people keep mainly for pleasure https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/7354660.html

With auto theft on the rise in Ontario, you might be wondering how much of a target your vehicle is. Équité Association, an organization that works to eradicate crime on behalf of the Canadian property and casualty insurance industry, has released a list of the top 10 most stolen vehicles in the province this last year. Topping the list are the Honda CR-V, which was also the most commonly stolen vehicle in the country, the Lexus RX Series and the Dodge RAM 1500 Series.The organization says auto theft increased by 48 per cent in Ontario and by 50 per cent in Quebec in 2022 compared to the year before, which it said were "historical highs." The numbers have put Canada in the spotlight as a "source country for illegal trade," the organization said in a news release. "Vehicles are being stolen by both domestic and international criminal organizations, with proceeds funding domestic drug trafficking, and international terrorism," it added. On Tuesday, the organization released lists of the 10 most stolen vehicles and 10 least stolen vehicles in Canada in 2022, with regional breakdowns. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/most-stolen-vehicles-ontario-2022-1.7028315

India TV Sports Wrap on November 16: Australia will take on South Africa in the second semi-final in Kolkata while Sunil Gavaskar came down heavily on reports of pitch change ahead of the first semi-final in Mumbai. Here are the top 10 trending news stories from the sporting world on November 16. Team India sealed a spot in the final of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup after winning the semi-final against New Zealand by 70 runs in Mumbai on Wednesday, November 15. Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and Mohammed Shami starred for India on a record-breaking night as the Men in Blue will be playing their fourth CWC final while they await their opponents, who will be fighting for the second spot as South Africa are up against Australia in Kolkata. All that and more in our Sports Wrap for today. https://www.indiatvnews.com/sports/cricket/india-tv-sports-wrap-on-november-16-today-s-top-10-trending-news-stories-world-cup-2023-ind-vs-nz-semi-final-sa-vs-aus-2023-11-16-902947

eenage dreams may be hard to beat – at least that’s what the Undertones reckon – but a group of women in Leicester are proving the restless punk spirit lives on well into middle age. Born-again punk Ruth Miller had played guitar in bands in her youth, but was pushing 60 when she decided to dip her toe into the world of music once more. And in reviving her own inner guitar hero, she unwittingly spawned an entire scene of all-female punk bands who are now plotting their first album release.“We’ve created a whole new approach to music,” Miller told Positive News. “It’s kind of a hobby for us, but we’re actually producing great art rock, and that’s not been done before by ordinary women from our age group. We’re proof that you don’t have to be young or the typical student type to start a band.” It was May 2021 when Miller had the idea for her all-female line-up, The Verinos, but without willing recruits who could actually play, her plans struck a bum note. “I had a brainwave,” she said. “If you’re playing quite simple music like garage rock or punk rock where there’s only a few chords, I could actually teach women how to play, write some simple songs and support them as beginners.” Miller roped in friends and randomly found her bass player in a restaurant. “She looked so punky, I thought she must be in a band. She wasn’t, but it turned out she’d always wanted to play bass. So I taught her.” The Verinos took to the stage five months later in a gig which proved to be a pivotal moment, as Miller was deluged with women hungry for a taste of the rock and roll lifestyle. She went on to set up a series of workshops under the umbrella of her Unglamorous Music project which has now birthed seven all-female bands. They played their first gig on International Women’s Day last year, a little over two months after forming. We’re proof that you don’t have to be young to start a band “The shows are fantastic,” said Miller. “These women had loads of life experience that they wanted to write songs about. Funny, witty and angry songs. To see someone who looks like your mum up on stage having a great attitude, playing and singing magnificent lyrics that are relevant to all sorts of women – it’s just a joy.” Cathy Loughead went from complete beginner to singing her own politically charged lyrics in punk outfit Velvet Crisis. For her, signing up to Unglamorous was a salve for the post-pandemic isolation blues. “The elation, sense of achievement and pride I feel after I’ve come off stage feels completely extraordinary,” she said. “I’d been planning a big adventure for when I hit 60 but ended up finding one just around the corner.” A compilation featuring Unglamorous Music bands is slated for release in March Main image: Leicester band the Wonky Portraits preparing for a gig. Credit: Unglamorous Music https://www.positive.news/lifestyle/culture/the-middle-aged-punks-reviving-a-genre/

The new cases of COVID-19 registered in the last 24 hours are 210, 70% of which were not vaccinated, according to the data published in the Unified Information Portal. Cases were detected using 2,446 tests, giving a positive test rate of 8.58%. There were 2 deaths in the last 24 hours, and none of them had been vaccinated. This brings their number to 38,592 since the start of the pandemic. 333 were cured in the last 24 hours, and 5,295 cases remain active. Of these, 398 were hospitalized, including 35 in intensive care units. 52 were admitted to a hospital in the last day, 71.15% of them were not vaccinated. Over the last 24 hours, 1,090 doses of vaccines against the coronavirus have been administered in Bulgaria. This brings the number of doses administered to 4,713,414 since the start of the pandemic. There are 2,077,983 people with a completed vaccination cycle, of which 1,001,412 received a booster dose, and 128,842 received a second booster. https://www.novinite.com/articles/222347/COVID-19+in+Bulgaria%3A+210+New+Cases+in+the+Last+24+hours