Twelve soldiers escaped from a military unit in the Novosibirsk region of Russia on November 13. The servicemen pogromed the military unit when escaping. One of the escapees was filming others smashing windows and breaking furniture. "Look, there's a riot going on here. A riot, yehoo! [I'm sick of] it all," the man can be heard saying filming his reflection in a mirror. Another soldier in the background shouts: "Come on, break all the windows!"

Will Davidson and his Minecraft creation, modeled off the Santa Cruz Mission; Credit: Steve Henn

Minecraft is a deceptively simple video game. You're dropped into a virtual world, and you get to build things. It's like a digital Lego set, but with infinite pieces.

Its simplicity makes it a big hit with kids, like 10-year old Will Davidson. Last year, Will built a Spanish mission for a school report. He modeled his off the Santa Cruz Mission. "I made a chapel over here," Davidson says. "I also have a bell tower."

After he turned in his report, he added a few things. Like skeleton archers. "And zombies ... and exploding things, and spiders, that try to kill you," he said.

Minecraft is popular with kids because they're free to create almost anything, says Ramin Shokrizade, a game designer.

Also, kids aren't manipulated into clicking buttons to buy add-ons within the game. In other games, designers give players a special power for free at first, then take it away and offer it back at a price.

Zynga, the creator of Farmville, calls this fun pain, according to Shokrizade. "That's the idea that, if you make the consumer uncomfortable enough, and then tell them that for money we'll make you less uncomfortable, then [they] will give us money," he says.

Kids, Shokrizade says, are especially susceptible to this — and Minecraft has a loyal following, in part, because it doesn't do it.

Susan Linn, from the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, agrees. She says a big reason she likes Minecraft is because after you purchase the game upfront, that's it.

"Parents don't have to worry that their kids are going to be targeted for more marketing," Linn says. "How forward-thinking!"

But Linn is worried. Microsoft bought Mojang, the company that created Minecraft, on Monday for $2.5 billion, and she says that any time a large company spends billions to acquire a smaller company, executives are bound start looking for new ways to get even more money out of it.

Slack – When you leave channel before submit your text, the # icon will change to pencil icon.

Don Lemon announced his departure from X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday. "It's time for me to leave the platform," the former CNN anchor said in a video posted to his official account. "I once believe that it was a place for honest debate and discussion, transparency, and free speech," Lemon added. "But I now feel...

Keri Hudson Reykdal will be closing the doors of her North 55 Veterinary Services on Dec. 31. Once she's gone, it will leave her more than 5,000 patients without a vet in Thompson.

SAO PAULO — Two explosions outside Brazil's Supreme Court on Wednesday killed a man and forced the justices and staff to evacuate the building in the capital of Brasilia. The court said in a statement that two very strong blasts were heard at about 7:30 p.m. local time, shortly after Wednesday's session had finished. It added that all the justices and staff left the building safely after the incident. A police statement had said earlier that an artifact exploded outside the court. Local firefighters confirmed that one man died at the scene but did not identify him. Local media reported that the second explosion occurred about 20 seconds after the first. The incident took place in Brasilia's Three Powers Plaza, where Brazil's main government buildings, including the Supreme Court, Congress and presidential palace, are located. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was not in the neighboring presidential palace at the time of the blasts, spokesperson José Chrispiniano said. Police blocked all access to the area, and the presidential security bureau was conducting a sweep of the grounds around the presidential palace. Brazil's federal police force said it was investigating and did not provide a motive. The Supreme Court in recent years has become a target for threats by far-right groups and supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro due to its crackdown on the spread of false information. Justice Alexandre de Moraes in particular has been a focus for their ire. Earlier, another explosion was heard outside Brazil's Congress, but it apparently did not cause damages. 

The floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) Prometheas, which will form part of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) project at he, will set sail for Cyprus from Shanghai at the beginning of December, Energy Minister George Papanastasiou said on Wednesday. Speaking at a meeting of the Nicosia chamber of commerce and industry (Evel), he said […]

President Joe Biden's Environmental Protection Agency finalized a new rule Tuesday taxing methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, but critics argue the move is "irrelevant" and will serve to boost Big Oil and stifle innovation.

Detroit Pistons veteran guard Tim Hardaway Jr. was wheelchaired out of the game against the Miami Heat after multiple hits to the head, including slamming it on the court.

SINGAPORE — A law was amended on Wednesday (Nov 13) to implement more government-paid parental leave and mandatory paternity leave, which had been announced earlier in August. Under the amendments to the Child Development Co-Savings Act, parents-to-be will get another 10 weeks of shared leave on top of their current leave entitlement, bringing the total amount of government-paid parental leave to 30 weeks by April 1, 2026. From April 1, 2025, eligible fathers of Singaporean children will also be entitled to four weeks of mandatory government-paid paternity leave.  The new shared parental leave scheme will be rolled out in two phases, starting with six weeks from April 1, 2025, and increasing to 10 weeks from April 1, 2026. This shared leave is to be taken within 12 months of the child's birth, and employees must inform employers at least four weeks before going on leave in a continuous block.

A property agent was shocked to discover a leased home in a filthy condition, left behind by tenants who moved out several months earlier, according to a TikTok video uploaded by user HomesWithHaziq on Saturday (Nov 9). "For my future landlords, beware," Haziq wrote in the video description. Introducing the video, he also stated: "If you're planning to rent out your whole unit, watch this video first." According to Haziq, the home had been tenanted out for less than two years to a group of foreigners who had little interaction with one another, keeping to their own rooms. The location of the property was not disclosed, but Haziq shared with AsiaOne that it is located in the west. Starting with the living room, things appear to be clean at first glance - if a little cluttered - but Haziq soon points out in the video visible spots of black dirt hidden behind the couch. "The condition of the house will speak for itself," he added. The first toilet certainly proved his point - the toilet seat was yellowed, with the bottom of the bowl stained black.

I was recently hired as a keynote speaker to talk to a group of financial advisors about client service. One of the topics of the meeting was a discussion about why a client would leave. The most obvious reason might be that the financial advisor gave bad advice, and the client lost money. But let’s assume the advisor is smart, the advice is sound, and the return on investment meets expectations. Even with all of that, why would a client leave?

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon said on Wednesday he is leaving Elon Musk’s X, a decision made less than a year after X announced that “The Don Lemon Show” would appear on the social media platform three times a week. That deal was canceled before it was ever signed, and Lemon sued Musk and X […]

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Chinese leader Xi Jinping travels to Peru for APEC summit amid trade tensions with U.S., inaugurates Chinese-funded port

The attacker, Vignesh, was reportedly frustrated over the treatment given to his mother, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in an advanced stage

The Joy of Autumn Leaves Hand Embellished Giclee on Canvas by Peter / Harrison Ellenshaw is a(n) Limited Edition. The Edition is Limited to 195 pcs

1. Daylight assault on doctor inside Chennai hospital leaves medical fraternity in shock  The Hindu
2. Chennai hospital stabbing: IMA demands ‘overhaul of security atmosphere’  Hindustan Times
3. As Stalin orders inquiry, opposition criticises govt  The Times of India
4. Government doctors to go on indefinite strike in Tamil Nadu after doctor stabbed  Deccan Herald
5. TN will up security for doc safety  The Times of India

President and chief executive officer of Formula 1 owner Liberty Media, Greg Maffei, is to step down from his role at the end of the year.

Seven thousand were reported homeless after fire destroyed homes in Lorega cemetery, Cebu City, on 18 March. OM helps provide basic relief.

Logos Hope Outbound team cleans homes in Malaysia damaged by flooding.

The Gospel is primarily about relationships that impact, influence and are relevant, states Pastor Hugo Echeverri, a representative of OM in Colombia.

“We think that the benefits of being on X are now outweighed by the negatives and that resources could be better used promoting our journalism elsewhere," The Guardian explained.

Wedding bells rang at Trinity Methodist Church yesterday afternoon (Nov 12) as couples renewed their vows — but it was all for a scene in local director Jack Neo's upcoming movie, I Want To Be Boss. Among them, however, was an actual couple who have been married for more than six decades — Jack's very own parents. "I want to leave a beautiful memory of them in the movie," the 64-year-old actor-director told local media on the set. His mum, 86, was dressed in a white wedding gown with tulle sleeves, while Jack's father, 91, looked sharp in a black suit with a matching bowtie. Jack added: "I especially requested that my mum put on a wedding dress today for this scene, because the first time they wore their wedding outfits, I only got to see them in photos. I can see them now."

International Lawyers Network proudly announces the update to their collaborative paper that delves into the complexities of employee entitlement to paid leave. Authored by experts from eight diverse jurisdictions, this paper provides a concise and invaluable resource for businesses navigating the nuances of paid leave policies.

The International Lawyers Network (ILN) proudly announces the release of an updated version of its collaborative paper, further exploring the intricacies of employee entitlement to paid leave. With the addition of three new jurisdictions - Germany, India, and Scotland - this comprehensive guide equips businesses with essential insights for navigating diverse paid leave policies around the globe.

Leaf orchid care will help you to spot diseases early. Orchids like other plants get diseases spot trouble early before it turns to disaster. Read more on this;

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While bay leaves are often used in cooking to flavor dishes, they also have surprising aromatic qualities. Burning them in your home can bring numerous benefits.

Fr. John Whiteford discusses 1 Corinthians 5.

Fr. Philip LeMasters reflects on the descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus during his baptism and upon His followers as beautiful epiphanies in the world.

The coming Lenten season calls us all to come to ourselves as we gain a clearer recognition of the ways in which we have refused to live as the beloved sons and daughters of our Father. By humbly reorienting our lives toward Him and away from slavery to our passions, we will find restoration, blessing, and joy. Now is the time to leave behind the filth and misery of the pig pen and to enter by grace into the joy of a heavenly banquet that none of us deserves.

We look to this week’s readings, 2 Timothy 4:5-8, and Mark 1:1-8 (with the help of the prophecies of Malachi 3:1-5, 4:2-6), as an encouragement to put off the Old Man, and to put on Christ. The conjunction of Nativity with the beginning of our remembrance of Theophany leads us to dwell upon the themes of old and new— of the new covenant by which we have been embraced, of how it fulfils promises of the old covenant, and of how Christ himself is the Alpha as well as the Omega.

This weekend, as we take our leave of this dramatic time of year, we consider readings from several Orthodox jurisdictions, amplified by passages in the Psalter and the Torah. Ephesians 4:7-13, Psalm 67/68:18, Matthew 4:12-17 and John 21:1-14 show us both the global and the intimate, or personal nature, of the Light that has made its mark upon the entire cosmos, and on each one of us.

Fr. Ted explains why we celebrate saints on the days of their deaths.

What does the Orthodox Church think about gay sex? The official answer is not hard to find.

I note with no surprise whatsoever the news out of England, which is that the Church of England has decided to bless homosexual partnerships. This came after a compromise was struck last February following five years of debate about the church’s position on homosexuality and the inevitable apology offered for the church’s failure to welcome homosexuals.

We all know of someone who's given up on The Faith for one reason or another. Fr Thomas reminds us that our love for God and for one another must be the bond that brings us together and keeps us together. (Thirtieth Sunday after Pentecost)

Fr. Pat looks at God’s providence with respect to three things: our sin, the moral order, and our conduct.

Alex Salmond, who has died at the age of 69, led the SNP into power and through the 2014 referendum.

A car, a van and a lorry were involved in the accident on the A7 north of Langholm.

The new procedure will allow members to vote in the NI Assembly without physically being there.

University of Wales Trinity St David plans to move its humanities department more than 20 miles.

Off-spinner Amar Virdi leaves Surrey after 15 years at the club.

Ruud van Nistelrooy leaves Manchester United after not being given a role in new manager Ruben Amorim's backroom staff.