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Galileo gets ready for take off

Europe's satellite navigation system enters test phase.




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Assassin's Creed Valhalla first 'gameplay' revealed as in-engine footage shown



Ubisoft debuted some in-engine footage of the latest Assassin's Creed game during the Inside Xbox stream




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Second Extinction reveal: Xbox Series X game gives us serious Turok vibes



During Inside Xbox's special stream today, Systemic Reaction gave us our first taste of next-gen dino hunting glory




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FIFA 20 TOTS La Liga Predictions for next Team of the Season So Far players



FIFA 20 Team Of The Season So Far continues this week, hopefully with the release of the La Liga FUT Squad. Here some predictions on who might be included, plus when they'll be announced.




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Fortnite Party Royale Event Skin 'Nightlife' available from Epic Games Item Shop



The new Nightlife reactive skin is now live ahead of the Fortnite Party Royale event which starts later today.




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FIFA 20 TOTS Liga Nos Predictions for Portuguese Team of the Season So Far



FIFA 20 Team Of The Season So Far continues this week, hopefully with the additional release of the Portuguese Liga Nos FUT Squad. Here some predictions on who might be included, plus when they'll be announced.




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GTA 6 release date: Rockstar debate splits opinion of gaming's trusted insiders



A public disagreement between a trusted games journalist and the GTA community is showing Rockstar just how eager people are for a GTA 6 announcement




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FIFA 20 TOTS Bundesliga Predictions & release delay for next Team of the Season



FIFA 20 Team Of The Season So Far continues this week, hopefully with the release of the Bundesliga FUT Squad. Here some predictions on who might be included, plus when they'll be announced.




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Fortnite Party Royale Event Warning and server Status Epic Games next live event



Epic Games has issued a warning ahead of the Party Royale event, but it might not be the only problem facing players this evening.




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FIFA 20 TOTS La Liga Confirmed with New Team of the Season Ultimate Team Cards



FIFA 20 Team of the Season So Far Premier League Squad is now live and features Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann.




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Fortnite Party Royale Event COUNTDOWN: Start time, Epic Games Rewards and more



Fortnite Party Royale event starts soon. Here's everything you need to know including start times for Deadmau5, Dillon Francis and Steve Aoki - PLUS how to claim the many live event rewards available from Epic Games as they celebrate 350 million players.




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RPGCast – Episode 243: “Gangnam Done Gone”

Laharl is coming back for another go. The Old School RPG was apparently too old school. And Charizard is burning up his own 3DS. All...




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RPGCast – Episode 260: “Manga Buckets”

Chris uncovers a human revolution happening on the Wii U and a coded princess debuting in Europe. Anna finds a dragon’s crown somewhere in the...




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RPGCast – Episode 272: “Horga’hn Trail”

Chris gets his wish, but is it more than he can handle? Eidos’s GM decides that yes, it is more than he can handle. The...




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RPGCast – Episode 279: “RPGamer: The After Years”

RPGamer’s hosts battle through various ailments to bring you this week’s show. Jon gets ready for National StreetPass day, Anna gets stops Activision Blizzard from...




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RPGCast – Episode 280: “RPGamerOS”

Mikel and Chris narrow down the important parts of RPGamer’s newest Linux distribution. Obviously, Steam will be bundled in. Getting the GUI to launch will...




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RPGCast – Episode 295: “Game of the Year 2013”

Some things are better late than never. Adriaan, Glenn, Alex, Sam, and Chris talk Games of the Year. At least, that’s the idea, but I...




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RPGCast – Episode 314: “What’s That Game Again?”

Natural doctrines come along so infrequently that you’d think we’d notice when one was cresting over the horizon. The record keepers come, gathering magic in...




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RPGCast – Episode 320: “#CoffeeGate”

Your coffee may be fair trade, but is it locally sourced? Who did the grinding of those beans? It’s been alleged that your Aeropress had...




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RPGCast – Episode 329: “Omega Roofie”

Alice and Alex join Chris to talk about Pokémon and World of Warcraft. Then we get some news out of the way. But did Square...




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RPGCast – Episode 336: “Game of the Year 2014”

It’s time for the latest Game of the Year podcast on the internet. That just means are picks are aged for better taste. Download it...




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RPGCast – Episode 352: “Paws Responds To Allegations of Feline Scandal”

As Anna prepares her statement, Alice introduces us to a new form of missile delivery. Chris plays really old games instead of the other old...




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RPGCast – Episode 364: “Galactic Western Butt Rock”

Scott Wachter joins us to talk Legends of the Sword Coast variety. Chris and Alice tell each other Tales about how to properly get cleaned....




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RPGCast – Episode 376: “Game of the Year 2015”

Adriaan, Glenn and Sam join Chris to talk about the best and worst of 2015. Many battles are fought. Many victories won. But only one...




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RPGCast – Episode 414: “Game of the Year 2016”

It’s that time again. Where we get together and discuss the best games of the last year. Then things get weird. Mike is wrong, Sam...




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RPGCast – Episode 447: “The Inflation Games”

Armadas of sheep, ragequitting farmers, warring ogres, and super powered raccoons are unleashed upon the world this holiday season. Will the heroes of RPGamer be...




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RPGCast – Episode 454: “In Memorium: Chris’s Gallbladder”

RPG Cast is back, if a little bit lighter. See what one plays when they have three weeks without work. See what happens when THQ...




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RPGCast – Episode 473: “There’s A Car In Our Garden”

While Anna Marie, Chris, and Kelley play the new WoW expansion, Josh dabbles in film criticism. Then Nintendo has a Blizzard come in. Finally, some people decide to start dating inanimate objects.




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RPGCast – Episode 474: “My Desk Is Made Of Rich Mahogany”

If you're not too busy swinging through the streets, perfecting your armour, or exploring the Dreaming City we've got a new RPG Cast for you. And if the current fall lineup wasn't already overwhelming, then get ready for a long list of new titles announced or shown recently that are going to make you wonder how you can ever get caught up.




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RPGCast – Episode 477: “One Simple Hack For Gamestop”

This week’s cast discusses multiple Dragon Quests, a Dragon Quest mod for a non-Dragon Quest game, squishy things that aren’t Dragon Quest slimes, and many delays for games coming out…in Japan?




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RPGCast – “Game Of The Year 2018”

It's time for way too many people to get on a Skype call and debate the following. How much is Wheels is wrong? What decade will the Final Fantasy VII remake will come out? And most importantly, what did we do to deserve Metal Max Xeno and The Witch and the Hundred Knight 2?




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RPGCast – Episode 501: “Why Gato No Swim?”

After the giant Show 500 last week, we’re back to a more normal format. A robust Minecraft discussion during Now Playing precedes news including first hints of things being shown at E3. We also discuss your feedback and this week’s releases include a game both Kelley and Anna Marie are very excited for!




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RPGCast – Episode 507: “Are You Even A Gamer?”

Chris got kicked off his own show this week to make room for a panel full to bursting with #JRPGJuly updates! Some are playing new games, some are playing old games, but let’s face it - everyone will be playing Fire Emblem next week.



  • News
  • Podcasts
  • RPG Cast
  • Braveland Trilogy
  • Dragon Quest Builders 2
  • Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark
  • Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
  • Guild Wars 2
  • Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle
  • Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3: the Black Order
  • Ni no Kuni II
  • Phantasy Star
  • Super Neptunia RPG
  • The Witcher 3
  • Trials of Mana

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RPGCast – Episode 512: “I Gave Hubert A Teddy Bear And He Burned It”

While Fire Emblem: Three Houses seems to finally be put aside by most folks, a few are still learning the dangerous pitfalls of gift giving. As usual, cats and Robin Williams are discussed. Then someone pre-orders Pantsu Hunter and someone else tries to shove CDs into an iPhone to get monsters.



  • News
  • Podcasts
  • RPG Cast
  • Alundra
  • Cat Quest II
  • Crystar
  • Dragon Quest Builders 2
  • Dragon Quest XI
  • Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark
  • Final Fantasy IV
  • Fire Emblem: Three Houses
  • Judge Eyes / Judgment
  • Lapis x Labyrinth
  • Rebel Galaxy Outlaw

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RPG Cast – Episode 524: “Overhead Isometricy Game”

Alex, Johnathan, and Chris run through the past two weeks of news, bemoan the lack of time to play games, and then commit to not trying to play anything new. Ring Fit Adventure wins RPG of the year. But seriously, why isn't Shining Force II on that thing?




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RPG Cast – Episode 529: “Game of the Year 2019 – Pandacide”

Woop woop! Explicit alert! This get a bit unclean as we try to figure out our Game of the Year picks for 2019. We find out just what you can get done with slave labor. We learn the true martial power of haircuts. And we finally realize Anna Marie shouldn't be allowed to keep animals.




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Splashing out in Paris: Balenciaga floods venue for fashion show

Waters lap perilously close to audience as grand capes and latex trench coats are modelled

How to make the fashion industry engage with the climate crisis? Flood the venue, and submerge the front row.

Arriving at the Balenciaga show in Paris on Sunday morning, the audience found themselves entering at the periphery of what looked like a sports stadium, with banks of flip-up plastic seats around a central oval. In pitch blackness, it was hard to tell exactly, but attendants were on hand with torches, and strict instructions not to proceed beyond the third row.

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Walk the line: pinstripes are the business once again – in pictures

Paired with a T-shirt or even just a vest, the classic stripe returns for men this season. Take inspiration from these high-fashion looks riffing on the boardroom staple

  • Read more from the spring/summer 2020 edition of The Fashion, our biannual style supplement
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'Terrible twos' not inevitable: With engaged parenting, happy babies can become happy toddlers

Parents should not feel pressured to make their young children undertake structured learning or achieve specific tasks, particularly during lockdown. A new study of children under the age of two has found that parents who take a more flexible approach to their child's learning can - for children who were easy babies - minimize behavioral problems during toddlerhood.




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Towards antibodies against COVID-19

Researchers have announced the isolation and characterization of a unique antibody that can bind to the virus that causes COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2). The team has established that the antibody binds to a conserved epitope on the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2.




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Trial questions benefits of organic nitrates for bone health

A new study found that organic nitrates do not have clinically relevant effects on bone mineral density or bone turnover in postmenopausal women, and the medications caused significant side effects.




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Skin-to-skin 'kangaroo care' shows important benefits for premature babies

A world-first study has demonstrated significant benefits to a premature baby's heart and brain function when held by the parent in skin-to-skin contact. Parent-infant skin-to-skin care (SSC) or kangaroo care, started in the late 1970s in Columbia when incubators to keep babies warm were not available. It is now widely recognized as a beneficial component of holistic care provided for pre-term infants.




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Japan's beloved manga assassin becomes the latest coronavirus fatality




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Protesters demand closure of LG Polymers plant in India after toxic gas leak




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Portugal's low-income households struggle to survive pandemic




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Taking on COVID-19, South Africa Goes After Cigarettes and Booze, Too

JOHANNESBURG -- The dealer had a stash, but the young woman wasn't getting through the door without an introduction. That's where her friend, already a trusted customer, came in. And even then there were complications.The woman wanted Stuyvesants. The dealer had Courtleighs. But in a South Africa where the sale of cigarettes is newly illegal, quibblers risk nicotine fits.She took the Courtleighs and high-tailed it out of there."I feel like I'm buying cocaine," said the woman, 29, who asked not to be named for fear of being fined or arrested.In late March, in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, the South African government banned the sale of tobacco and alcohol as part of a broad lockdown -- one of the strictest anywhere. But even as the government has begun rolling back the lockdown, the bans remain in effect.A government minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, cited "COVID-19 reasons" for maintaining the ban.Dlamini-Zuma, a doctor who served as health minister in the 1990s and is now cooperative governance minister, said that "besides the effects itself on the person's lungs," there were concerns that smoking could promote coronavirus infection."The way sometimes tobacco is shared does not allow for social distancing," she said, "but actually encourages the spread of the virus."Defending the ban of alcohol sales amid cries of protest from the liquor industry, President Cyril Ramaphosa said alcohol was "a hindrance to the fight against coronavirus.""There are proven links between the sale and consumption of alcohol and violent crime, motor vehicle accidents and other medical emergencies at a time when all public and private resources should be preparing to receive and treat vast numbers of COVID-19 patients," the president said in a statement.The government has also cited the risk of domestic violence in households where families are isolated at home.Perhaps not surprisingly, an underground market in both cigarettes and alcohol quickly sprung up.Like bootleg markets everywhere, it relies on word-of-mouth, as the 29-year-old woman who settled for the Courtleighs soon learned.She made her purchase in a suburb of Vereeniging, a city south of Johannesburg, where dealers are said to sell only to buyers referred by someone they know. And they sell only from their homes to avoid driving around with large quantities of cigarettes, since if they were to be caught at one of the dozens of police roadblocks set up around the country, they could be arrested on the spot.Instead, the smoker carries the risk -- and the cost. A pack of 20 cigarettes now goes for upward of 150 rand (about $8), three times the old legal price. Underground alcohol prices have also skyrocketed. A bottle of low-end vodka that usually sells for 120 rand ($6) now sells for at least 400 rand ($21).South Africa lifted its nationwide lockdown on May 1 but is continuing to implement strict social distancing and face mask rules. Already under siege from HIV, the country has around 8,200 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and has reported about 160 deaths.The country had implemented one of the world's most stringent lockdowns after recording its first coronavirus-related death in March. In addition to banning the sale of cigarettes and alcohol, the regulations banned jogging and dog-walking, and shuttered parks.Before the lockdown, with a ban looming, some smokers stocked up on cartons of cigarettes. But when the ban on cigarettes was extended beyond May 1, things for smokers began to grow tense.Now it's a matter of who you know. The cafe owner willing to slip a box under a container of milk, perhaps, or a supermarket cashier willing to steal and resell cigarettes languishing in the storeroom.In one Pretoria township where everyone knows everyone -- including the police -- few dare sell cigarettes from their homes. Instead, dealers hide among young men milling around on the neighborhood corner.A 23-year-old smoker said that when he saw a group of four men sharing a cigarette, he approached them to find out where they had found the contraband. They just so happened to be selling, they told him.Desperate after a failed attempt to quit smoking, he said, he paid 160 rand for his favorite brand and "ran home," where he took a photograph of the sealed pack, planning to share it on WhatsApp with envious fellow smokers.But when he opened the pack, a cloud of sawdust choked him. There was not a cigarette to be found.Smokers say they are finding fake cigarettes in sealed boxes that look exactly like legitimate brands. And those who are desperate enough are buying unknown brands that have appeared during the lockdown, with names like Pineapple and Chestel, and are notorious for inducing immediate coughing.The tobacco industry has not taken kindly to the government's new policy.The ban has fueled an underground cigarette trade that was thriving even before the lockdown. By some estimates, it made up more than 30% of the market, depriving the above-ground tobacco industry of profit and the government of tax revenue.Now both industry and government are losing even more.The country's largest cigarette manufacturer, British American Tobacco South Africa, at one point threatened legal action if the government did not drop its ban, but Wednesday changed course. "We have taken the decision not to pursue legal action at this stage," it said in a statement, "but, instead, to pursue further discussions with government."The company said, "We are convinced that by working together we can find a better solution that works for all South Africans and removes the threat of criminal sanction from 11 million tobacco consumers in the country."The ban on cigarettes and alcohol has set off a debate on civil liberties in a country with one of the world's most liberal constitutions. While South Africa was an early adopter of public smoking regulations, many see the bans as a symbol of government overreach.Though its coronavirus policies may have succeeded in keeping the outbreak in check, some are calling the government hypocritical. Junk food remains readily available. And officials strictly limited outdoor exercise during the lockdown.In a country increasingly struggling with diabetes and obesity, such inconsistencies undercut the government's argument that it is guarding the public's health, said one South African constitutional law expert, Pierre De Vos."In the long term, if the government overreaches and it wants to continue imposing these limits when the threat has subsided, I think the courts will invalidate this," he said.Still, the ban may have yielded at least one former smoker: the man who bought the box of sawdust."I cannot just go around losing money like that," he said. "I just said to myself, 'Nah, man, it's not worth it. I'll stay home and eat sweets, as that's what's legal now.'"This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2020 The New York Times Company





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Brazil's Supreme Court throws out rules that limit gay men donating blood




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Gael García Bernal: 'The pandemic has taught me that I need something to say'

He’s played a revolutionary hero, a horny teen – now Gael García Bernal is a reptilian choreographer in Ema, and locked down in Mexico city. Just don’t ask him to move to LA when all this is over

At the start of the century, the director Alfonso Cuarón was casting Y Tu Mamá También, the bawdy but plangent road movie he had written with his brother Carlos about two oversexed Mexican teenagers, the wealthy Tenoch and his poorer, grungier friend Julio. “Alfonso called me very excitedly,” recalls Carlos Cuarón. “He said: ‘I know who’s going to play Julio! I’ve seen him in Alejandro’s movie.’” Alejandro González Iñárritu, that is, whose ferocious dog-fighting drama Amores Perros was about to be released. “I said: ‘No, no, I’ve found Julio; I saw the perfect actor in this short film, De Tripas, Corazón. He’s incredible: his eyes, the way he manages silence ...’”

Eventually, the brothers realised they were talking about the same person: Gael García Bernal, who was then just 21. The son of theatre actors, he had become a star in his early teens on the Mexican soap opera El Abuelo y Yo (Grandpa and I) before decamping to London to study at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Iñárritu plucked him out mid-term for Amores Perros and he stole that movie as the twitchy-hipped tearaway who was every bit as feral as his champion rottweiler. His mutable features could switch from cherubic to lupine to gravely smouldering; his nerve endings felt exposed like frayed electrical wires.

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It's about time film began representing the lesbian gaze

In Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire, we finally steer away from seeing intimacy through the male gaze

The portrayal of lesbians in mainstream cinema tends to involve prosthetic vaginas and gratuitous sex scenes; so Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire comes as a breath of fresh air. It is the story of the burgeoning relationship between two young women – emancipated artist Marianne (Noémie Merlant), who is commissioned to paint a portrait of sexually repressed Héloïse (Adèle Haenel), leading to a heated romance.

On paper, it looks like the classic lesbian cinematic narrative – there is a buildup of tension, they finally kiss, and then their possibility of a future together seems doomed. However, what makes Portrait of a Lady on Fire different is its heightened self-awareness. The film is constructed with lesbian representation in mind through careful interrogation of the lesbian gaze. There is a lot of looking. Marianne looks at Héloïse because she has to secretly paint her, and Héloïse looks at Marianne out of curiosity. Eventually, there is a shift in the way they start looking at each other – out of desire.

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Zoe Brock: my case against Harvey Weinstein – podcast

Like dozens of women in the entertainment industry, the actor, model and writer Zoë Brock has claimed she had a traumatic encounter with the film producer Harvey Weinstein. Now she is faced with a settlement offer that she believes would allow him to escape blame for the alleged assaults. Also today: Lily Kuo on the spread of the deadly coronavirus in China

The actor, model and writer Zoë Brock was on a retreat in the New Zealand bush in 2017 when an email pinged into her inbox. It was from a friend sending a link to a breaking news story of allegations against Harvey Weinstein. The claims from several women against the film producer were eerily familiar to an incident that Brock alleges happened to her.

This week, Weinstein goes on trial charged with rape and sexual assault. But for dozens of women with claims against him, their only recourse is to civil courts. Brock tells Anushka Asthana that while she is part of the class action suit against Weinstein, she is deeply unhappy with the terms of the proposed settlement, which she believes would allow him to accept no blame for the allegations.

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