April 2019 – Page 55

Valdosta State Continues Hold on No. 1 in 2015 NFCA Division II Poll

Posted on April 4, 2019 by bamdj

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – With no changes to the top-five,Valdosta State continues its hold on No. 1 spot in this week’s NFCA Division II Poll. After the first five, there was some shuffling amongst the rest of the programs in the poll with one new addition to the top-10 and only three teams staying in their respective spots.

A week removed from their first Gulf South series defeat of the season, the Blazers (42-4) won all five of their games, including a league series sweep of West Georgia (15-0 / 8-0 / 2-1). VSU, which received 13 first-place votes and 393 points, outscored its opponents 38-2 with three shutouts as it became the first DII team to reach the 40-win plateau.

Behind one of the biggest offensive outputs of the season, West Texas A&M (2 first-place votes/384 points) extended its winning streak to 13 games as it cruised to a Lone Star series sweep at Eastern New Mexico (13-2, 23-0, 17-2, 21-7) to remain at No. 2. In just four games and 24 innings, the Lady Buffs (37-6) scored 74 runs, launched 21 home runs, hit .504, slugged 1.065 and recorded a .585 on base percentage.

No. 3 Missouri-St. Louis received some strong pitching from junior Hannah Perryman (1H, 13 IP), including her third perfect game of the year against Missouri S&T, to win four Great Lakes Valley Conference games and extend their winning streak to 17 games. The Tritons (35-3) received the final first-place vote and 373 points as they hit the road for two key conference series, including a top-10 matchup at No. 10 Indianapolis.

At No. 4, Dixie State (352) picked up four victories with two doubleheader sweeps last week. The Red Storm (38-7) won at Cal State-San Bernardino (12-11, 14-3) in non-conference action, and a day later swept a PacWest twinbill from Notre Dame De Namur (12-4, 10-0).

Rounding out the top-five is Cal State Monterey Bay (327). In a CCAA series that was decided by a total of six runs, the fifth-ranked Otters (37-9) returned from San Francisco State (4-3, 7-5, 2-1, 4-2) with a hard fought sweep.

No. 6 St. Mary’s (313) and No. 7 North Georgia (312) each advanced a spot with undefeated weeks. The Rattlers (35-7) have won 18 straight after a dominant pitching performance in a four-game sweep against Texas-Permian Basin (6-1, 7-0, 6-0, 8-0). St. Mary’s allowed just one run and held the Falcons scoreless over the final 24.1 innings of the series.

The seventh-ranked Nighthawks (37-5) pushed their winning streak to 18 games following a 6-0 week. In a battle of top-10 programs, North Georgia opened with two key Peach Belt Conference wins at then-No. 6 Georgia College (3-1, 2-1). They also swept league twinbills versus USC Aiken (2-0, 4-1) and Georgia Southwestern (8-0, 14-0).

Following their defeats to the Nighthawks, the Bobcats (39-7) dropped to No. 8, but did bounce back with league sweeps of Lander (2-0, 10-2) and USC Aiken (3-2, 9-0).

A 6-0 week and a 21-game winning streak has Augustana (273) in the top-10 for the first time this season. The No. 9 Vikings (37-5) posted three doubleheader sweeps of Sioux Falls (10-0, 8-2), Minnesota Crookston (14-2, 8-0) and Bemidji State (13-1, 13-0) in which they outscored their opposition, 66-5.

Rounding out the top-10 in Indianapolis, who went 3-1 in GLVC action, sweeping McKendree (8-0, 10-5) and splitting with Illinois-Springfield (6-0, 0-1).

Making their return to the top-25 are Caldwell (15-9) at No. 21 and Ashland (25-5) at No. 25. Dropping out this week were No. 23 Rollins (33-10) and No. 24 Missouri Western (32-14).

The NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll is voted on by 16 NCAA Division II head coaches with two representing each of the eight NCAA regions. 2015 records and previous week’s rankings are shown with first-place votes in parentheses.

NFCA Division II Softball Poll – April 15, 2015

Rank

Team

2015 Record

Totals

Prev. Rank

Valdosta State (13)

42-4

393

West Texas A&M (2)

37-6

384

Missouri-St. Louis (1)

35-3

373

Dixie State

38-7

352

Cal State Monterey Bay

37-9

327

St. Mary’s (Texas)

35-7

313

North Georgia

37-5

312

Georgia College

39-7

273

Augustana (S.D.)

37-5

254

Indianapolis

30-8

251

Alabama-Huntsville

32-9

233

Humboldt State

36-10

212

North Alabama

31-8

209

Angelo State

28-11-1

186

Southern Indiana

29-5

167

California Baptist

35-9

166

Emporia State

30-12

153

California (Pa.)

16-5

100

Winona State

33-8

Barry

29-10

Caldwell

15-9

Anderson

31-11

Metro State

30-10

Southern New Hampshire

16-5

Ashland

25-5

Dropped Out: No. 23 Rollins (33-10), No. 24 Missouri Western (32-14)

New to Poll: No. 21 Caldwell, No. 25 Ashland

Others Receiving Votes: LIU Post (21), Henderson State (18), Sonoma State (17), Rollins (10), Missouri Western (12), West Virginia Wesleyan (12), Armstrong State (10), Central Missouri (7), Young Harris (2).

Bill Morneau Wants USMCA Signed Next Week, No Matter What Happens With U.S. Tariffs

Posted on April 4, 2019 by bamdj

OTTAWA — Finance Minister Bill Morneau says he’s hopeful the newly struck North American free-trade deal will be signed ahead of next week’s deadline — and suggests Canada could sign even with stinging U.S. tariffs in place.

Morneau made the remark Thursday in a speech as he was talking about concerns he has been hearing from the business community about trade.

“Of course, that situation was improved when we signed the new NAFTA — or when we will sign the new NAFTA, I hope, next week,” Morneau told the audience, referring to the new United-States-Mexico-Canada Agreement or USMCA.

The countries reached an agreement-in-principle on the trade pact, which, if ratified, would replace North American Free Trade Agreement. They want the deal signed before Dec. 1, when a new president takes office in Mexico.

After his speech to the Economic Club of Canada in Ottawa, Morneau was asked whether the government should still consider signing the new continental trade deal if the United States keeps its heavy import taxes on Canadian aluminum and steel.

Morneau said Canada is still negotiating in an effort to get the “unjust” U.S. tariffs lifted — but insisted it will be dealt with separately.

“Our approach has been to make sure that we have a stable and confident business sector to make investments and that means that we need to sign the new NAFTA that we got to, which is a good agreement for the future of our three economies,” Morneau told reporters.

At the same time, he acknowledged Canada has to address the “challenging” steel and aluminum tariffs as well as an ongoing dispute over how Canada manages its softwood-lumber industry.

“Those are ongoing and critically important issues that we are working with Americans to solve,” Morneau said. “We are not going to make one set of negotiations contingent on the other and, most importantly, we want the stability of a new NAFTA that we’ve been able to deliver for Canadians.”

Morneau also said there’s work going on behind the scenes to make sure the legal document defining the USMCA is exactly as agreed. He added he has every reason to believe the work is moving along at a good pace.

The USMCA, agreed to after 13 months of negotiations, is scheduled for what Canadian officials have said will be a low-key signing when the three countries gather next Friday for this year’s G20 meetings in Buenos Aires.

Trade tensions that flared up during the talks have yet to subside, largely because Canada and Mexico both remain subject to the Trump administration’s tariffs. Canada responded with levies of its own on imports from the United States.

Liberals pressured not to sign if tariffs are in place

Sources close to those ongoing discussions have said Canada and the U.S. remain a long way from reaching any sort of an agreement, and expect American talks with Mexico to go down to the wire before the end of next week.

The Liberal government has faced pressure from the opposition not to sign while the tariffs persist.

Morneau’s speech came one day after he released a fall economic statement packed with billions of dollars worth of tax incentives for corporate Canada.

Ottawa’s long-awaited plan to help the country compete with the U.S. for investment dollars comes in response to major American tax and regulatory reforms that many in the business community warn has eliminated Canada’s edge as an investment destination.

The biggest commitment among Morneau’s tax changes would enable businesses to immediately write off the full cost of some types of machinery and equipment, and allow companies of all sizes and in all sectors to expense a larger share of newly acquired assets.

Watch: Bill Morneau says competitiveness measures will have big impact

A stronger economy has given Ottawa about $22 billion in extra fiscal room over the coming years, compared to what federal forecasters projected in last February’s budget, thanks to a combination of higher revenues and lower expenses.

But the new initiatives will use up all that space and also contribute to slightly larger-than-expected annual shortfalls, beginning next year.

The new write-offs alone are expected to lower federal revenues by about $14 billion over the next half-decade.

The fiscal update contains no timetable to eliminate the Liberals’ deficits that are now forecast to be higher than $18 billion in each of the next couple of years.

ETA on balanced budget?

The government has drawn almost daily criticism from the Conservatives and some economists for not providing a timeline for balancing the budget, especially with the economy running close to full strength.

There are warnings the government could face a very difficult fiscal situation when the next economic downturn arrives.

Following the 2015 election, the Liberal government ditched vows to run annual deficits of no more than $10 billion and to balance the books by 2019. Instead, it has focused on reducing the net debt-to-GDP ratio — also known as the debt burden — each year.

With files from James McCarten in Washington

Brexit and the Irish border explained: why the headache is not going away any time soon

Posted on April 4, 2019 by bamdj

The "Irish question" has been at the forefront of the Brexit negotiations, even though the formal discussion about the shape of Britain’s future relationship with the European Union has not yet even begun.

With Theresa May’s Withdrawal deal having suffered a crushing defeat in the Commons, it is still not clear which type of Brexit the UK will pursue – a no deal version in which the UK diverges from the EU model in search of global trading advantage, or the softer version in which the UK remains closely aligned with the EU – but the outcome of that choice will have profound impacts for the UK’s constitutional settlement.

This is true not just for Northern Ireland and its stuttering peace process, but potentially for the way that all of the UK’s other devolved constituent parts relate to each other and the political centre in Westminster.

With the help of academics, businessmen and government sources, here we look at the deep constitutional conundrum posed by Brexit for Northern Ireland, the possible solutions and the implications for the future of Britain.

So what is the problem in Northern Ireland?

The Northern Ireland peace settlement is founded on a central ambiguity: Nationalists can opt to hold Irish citizenship (and only Irish citizenship) while Unionists can remain British. In essence, Nationalists and Unionists can live together in parallel constitutional realities.

Or as the Good Friday, or Belfast Agreement, puts it, it is “the birthright of all the people of Northern Ireland to identify themselves and be accepted as Irish or British, or both, as they may so choose”.

By taking Britain out of Europe, Brexit collapses this core ambiguity: when Britain leaves the European Union in March 2019, the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will become an external border of the EU.

At that moment, the border, currently rendered invisible by the Good Friday Agreement, becomes visible. Both London, Dublin and the European Commission are agreed this would be a disaster for peace in Northern Ireland.

The problem is how to avoid this happening.

What is the UK solution?

London’s idea is to create an "invisible" north-south border based on what the UK government’s position-paper on Northern Ireland calls a “highly streamlined customs arrangement” that would flow from a zero-tariff trade deal between the UK and the EU.

This would be combined with “technology-based solutions” to tackle other issues that arise from Britain’s decision to leave the legal and regulatory umbrella thrown up by the EU’s single market and customs union.

The issue of local traders – say milk producers who raise cattle in the north but process their milk in the South – would be covered by a "local trade exemption". The British argue that such trade is internationally insignificant and follows a long history of a certain amount of flexibility along the 310-mile border, which has some 300 crossing points and has always been a hotbed of local smuggling.

Through the combination of some "imaginative" thinking on the EU’s part, the deployment of technology and the signing of a zero-tariff trade deal, the British have argued they can make good on a the joint pledge not to restore a "hard border" in Northern Ireland.

What is the problem with that?

Put simply, according to both Dublin and Brussels, it just won’t work. When the UK becomes a non-EU country, it will be free cut to trade deals with other countries like the US. That could mean, to take just one topical example, importing hormone-raised beef, genetically-modified food stuffs and chlorinated chicken from the US, all of which are currently blocked from the EU.

A free-trading Britain could also be free to seek competitive advantage by adopting less onerous standards for workers, greater state aid for businesses, laxer environmental regulation and a whole host of other regulatory aspects that impact what the EU calls the "level-playing field".

However far the UK diverges, Ireland will have no choice but to "police" the border; indeed it will be legally obliged to do so by the EU.

Both the Irish government and the European Union dismiss the UK’s technological solutions as "magical thinking". They say that even a "light-touch" scheme will require CCTV cameras and some manpower to carry out spot checks on the 30,000 people and 6,000 lorries that cross the border daily.

Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, recently conceded to the Commons treasury committee that such cameras would become a "legitimate target", but said that they could be set back from the border. He also pointed that fuel, tobacco and alcohol duties are not harmonised north and south, but that had not created border infrastructure.

But the Irish government is adamant that such solutions could never cope with the complexities of a border between Ireland and a fully independent UK, and warns that any infrastructure will revive border tensions and deeply divisive memories.

As one Irish officials puts it: “What happens when one of those cameras gets taken down? Do you send a man to put it back up? Does that man needed to be protected by another man carrying a gun? And if that camera gets taken down again, do you send a man with a gun to protect it? The reality is that any border is a hard border.”

(A recent report by the Legatum Institute, a favourite UK government think-tank, suggested using drones to police the border which EU officials held up to ridicule as proof technology could not solve the Irish border issue.)

So what is the Irish solution?

The Irish solution is to make sure that regulations on both sides of the border between north and south do not diverge. This ‘all-island’ solution, marked out in a recent European Commission discussion document that was leaked to The Telegraph, would remove the need for a border, since regulations on both sides would remain the same.

As the Irish PM Leo Varadkar put it to the Irish parliament: “We think it best if the UK, either on behalf of all of the UK or on behalf of Northern Ireland, commits to regulatory equivalence, that is to say, that we will operate the same rules and regulations. Without doing that, it is almost impossible to avoid some form of hard border.”

In plain English: either the UK remains in the EU customs union and single market – something repeatedly ruled out by Theresa May because it forsakes the UK’s right to an independent trade policy – or the UK carves out a special status for Northern Ireland with the UK.

What’s the problem with that?

Well, assuming that Mrs May is not going to commit the entire UK to remaining in the EU customs union and single market (which would obviate the point of leaving the EU at all for most Brexiteers) the only option is to give Northern Ireland special status and allow it to remain inside the customs union, or take steps to that effect.

That would, to all intents and purposes, make Northern Ireland a regulatory “exclave” of the European Union, with the government in Belfast essentially required to mirror EU rules, which are in turn handed to Dublin from Brussels.

It would also, by logical extension, require a border between the UK mainland and Northern Ireland in order to preserve the legal integrity of that regulatory convergence – how else could Dublin and Brussels be sure that chlorinated chicken or unfairly subsidised steel, for example, was not illegally entering the EU?

For Unionists, who see Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom, the creation of an ‘east-west’ border would be a profound act of betrayal by the Conservative Party.

Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has accused Mr Varadkar of being “reckless” by proposing an ‘all-island solution’, while Nigel Dodds, the party’s deputy leader, has warned creating a border in the Irish Sea would be “gravely destabilising” to the UK government.

Sounds like deadlock. So what is going to happen?

No-one can predict for sure, but many businesses, political and constitutional analysts and officials closely involved in the technical aspects of any solution spoken to by The Telegraph argue that the political and commercial logic of the issues thrown up by Brexit point to the creation of an east-west border.

Officially, an east-west border remains a ‘red line’ for the May government, who are supported by the DUP in Westminster, but ultimately – perhaps after an extended period of transition which the Irish government has suggested – some form of unique new settlement for Northern Ireland seems inevitable.

First, political…

As Colin Harvey, the law professor at Queen’s University Belfast noted recently, whatever way you view Brexit and the Irish question, it unavoidably creates a “major constitutional moment” for Northern Ireland.

Putting aside the fact that 56 per cent of Northern Ireland inhabitants voted to remain, the Good Friday Agreement, with its dual citizenship and arrangements on policing and cross-border co-operation, already create a ‘special status’ for Northern Ireland that enable the peace process to work.

“David Davis talks about ‘constitutional integrity’ but what this misses is that we are no longer living under the constitutional settlement of 1997, we have seen the evolution of devolution,” says Prof Harvey. “Surely one of the lessons of the peace process is that we are already supposed to have especial constitutional process in Northern Ireland?”

Such an outcome might be dismissed as impossible given that the DUP currently holds the key to Mrs May’s parliamentary majority, but the facts on the ground in Northern Ireland are not entirely clear-cut, given the economic cost of a hard border.

Peter Mandelson, a former Northern Ireland secretary, argued this week that Brexit forces a collision of economic and political interests for Unionists that, if not properly managed, risk creating a momentum for the very united Ireland they seek to prevent.

"If you ask people to choose between economic and political priorities, over time you are likely to see a drift towards putting economics before politics and that would encourage support for a united Ireland,” he said at an event in Brussels.

Northern Ireland remaining in the customs union would be the only way, Lord Mandelson ventured, to avoid a hard border and that would be “a huge provocation and boost for the Republican movement” and could ultimately force Unionists to make an “invidious choice” between their political views and economic interests.

…and commercial

Then there are the commercial and practical pressures: put simply, creating an east-west border to manage the UK’s future divergence from the EU is simply much easier than doing it north-south.

For a start, as one senior UK official privately observes, installing number-plate recognition cameras at Holyhead or Fishguard – where “no-one is going to shoot the cameras out in the middle of the night” – is clearly easier than in the Irish borderlands.

Such camera technology on the UK side would be indistinguishable from other toll and speed cameras and soon pass without notice.

Business groups also report that surveys of their members show they would rather see an east-west border, than an north-south one, even though the value of goods sent from Northern Ireland to Great Britain, at £10.7 billion a year, is currently nearly four times the amount sent south.

A paper from the CBI this month in response to the UK government proposals on customs after Brexit appeared to suggest that it too believed the UK solution was undeliverable, begging the question of whether an east-west border might be the only practical alternative?

The paper noted “particular concern” for the future of trading relationships on the island of Ireland and warned that UK solutions “have not been sufficient to ensure the government can deliver on its principle of no hardening of the border”.

For Stephen Nelson, the managing director of Surefreight Global Forwarding, a Belfast haulier, an east-west border is “easily preferable”, even though 70 per cent of his business goes to the UK mainland.

“An east-west border is just far simpler. The 2.5 hours of the ferry crossing enable the driver to get all the paperwork sorted online, and does away with the need for border checkpoints,” he says.

Hauliers’ interests aside, the creation of any kind of north-south border would incentivise Northern-based businesses simply to relocate to the Irish Republic, putting more pressure on local politicians to prioritise jobs over politics.

“We are already looking at setting up an office in the south,” Mr Nelson adds, “because many of our clients have made clear they will move south as a contingency plan in the event of a border arriving, or there being no deal at all.”

For agri-businesses, like LacPatrick, a milk-co-operative that has processing facilities on both sides of a border where a total of 600 million litres of milk crosses in both directions each year, avoiding regulatory disparities and north-south price differentials caused by differing tariff regimes, is even more essential.

“If you have two regimes and a huge disparity in the price of certain things between the UK and the EU, this is going to give a huge opportunity for illegality which undermines legitimate business and only give rise to more illegality,” says Gabriel D’Arcy, the chief executive of LacPatrick who as a young man patrolled the now-defunct border for the Irish Army.

“The absolute priority for the sake of the dairy industry must be in retaining as the greatest possible continuity of existing arrangements, particularly here in Ireland.”

What would that mean for the rest of Britain?

A new settlement for Northern Ireland, in which the North remains in the EU single market and customs union – whether formally or simply by dint of a commitment to retain regulatory convergence – might be ‘practical’ and logical, but it throws up a host of constitutional conundrums.

If the North in effect becomes a regulatory exclave of the European Union, that raises the question of whether Dublin – a foreign power – will effectively find itself representing the interests of part of the United Kingdom at the European Council?

It would also create a new level of special treatment for Northern Ireland that could, the constitutional expert Professor Harvey points out, prompt a much wider discussion about how the other devolved parts of the United Kingdom will relate to Westminster and Europe.

Brexit | Political jargon explained

If Northern Ireland is exempted from the consequences of an ‘English’ decision to diverge from the European framework, how long before Scotland asks for its own special dispensation?

The need to address the Northern Ireland question also goes to the heart of the debate currently roiling the Cabinet over how far the UK should really diverge.

If UK consumers are against chlorinated chicken and GMOs – as Michael Gove has suggested – then it may turn out that creating and managing an east-west border is not nearly as difficult and controversial as it currently seems.

But as Wilbur Ross, the US trade secretary, made clear this month, if the UK wants a trade deal with the US, it must be prepared to reduce the “unnecessary divergence in regulation and standards" between the US and the EU that currently keeps cheap US-reared chlorinated chicken out of British supermarkets.

Key questions | Northern Ireland and Brexit

Unfortunately Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, made precisely the same point – in the opposition direction. “There will be no ambitious partnership without common ground in fair competition, state aid, tax dumping, food safety, social and environmental standards,” he told a conference in Brussels organised by the UK-based Center for European Reform think-tank.

These are the tough choices that await the British public and their politicians in the New Year.

And the conundrums are not confined to the British end of the discussion. They will equally raise taxing legal and constitutional questions for Dublin and Brussels, which have acknowledged the need to show “imagination” to deal with the questions posed by Ireland.

It is still not obvious the European Commission will legally deliver a settlement in Ireland which – if Mr Varadkar gets his way – will leave a non EU member state effectively remaining as part of the Union’s legal order.

For Dublin, a converged regime between North and South creates problems of its own – not least whether that creates a different kind of border between Ireland and Europe, particularly if there is future divergence between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

None of these questions as yet have answers. But while the challenges for Northern Ireland are clearly massive, concludes Professor Harvey, but they are not insurmountable, as the signing of the Good Friday Agreement itself testifies.

Brexit Bulletin

An essential briefing on the day’s politics news – free and direct to your inbox each afternoon

View sample

“The Good Friday Agreement demonstrated it was possible to find remarkably imaginative solutions and created 10 years of power-sharing government despite the political obstacles,” he says. “That showed what was possible. We need that same spirit to be rekindled again.”

Games We’re Thankful For – A Beyond Thanksgiving Special

Posted on April 4, 2019 by bamdj

BEYOND!

As it’s Thanksgiving in the United States, we decided to take a break from our normal breakdown of the latest news and releases — though don’t worry, we do fit in a bit of talk about PlayStation opting out of E3 2019 — to discuss what we’re thankful for in 2018.

IGN staff you may and may not know join Jonathon Dornbush to discuss both games and things in general they’re thankful for this year. IGN Snapchat’s Josh Du and Emily Bockian, IGN Wiki’s Casey Defritas and Jon Ryan, and IGN’s ~~Persona Expert~~ Executive Editor of News Andrew Goldfarb join Jonathon for the first half of the show, while Barrett Courtney and Max Scoville join Jonathon for the second half of the show.

A quality remaster, with a gorgeous graphical update of the PlayStation 2 JRPG, Kiwami is a great entry point for those looking to jump into the series.\r\n”,”height”:1080,”width”:1920,”url”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/10\/23\/yakuzakiwami-1540334726517.jpg”,”styleUrl”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/10\/23\/yakuzakiwami-1540334726517_{size}.jpg”,”credit”:””,”objectRelationName”:””,”objectRelationUrl”:””,”albumName”:”IGN\u0027s Top 25 PlayStation 4 Games”,”relativePosition”:”02″,”albumTotalCount”:26},{“caption”:”24. Assassin\u2019s Creed OdysseyAssassin\u2019s Creed Odyssey builds upon Origins\u2019 franchise upheaval with layered RPG systems and a sprawling, dense, and gorgeous recreation of ancient Greece.\r\n”,”height”:1080,”width”:1920,”url”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/10\/23\/assassinscreedodyssey-1540334549314.jpg”,”styleUrl”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/10\/23\/assassinscreedodyssey-1540334549314_{size}.jpg”,”credit”:””,”objectRelationName”:””,”objectRelationUrl”:””,”albumName”:”IGN\u0027s Top 25 PlayStation 4 Games”,”relativePosition”:”03″,”albumTotalCount”:26},{“caption”:”23. Monster Hunter WorldA bold entry in the franchise, Monster Hunter World is no less of an investment than entries past but more audacious in its look, world, and feel.\r\n”,”height”:450,”width”:800,”url”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/08\/06\/monster-hunter-world-art-1533580030327.jpg”,”styleUrl”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/08\/06\/monster-hunter-world-art-1533580030327_{size}.jpg”,”credit”:””,”objectRelationName”:””,”objectRelationUrl”:””,”albumName”:”IGN\u0027s Top 25 PlayStation 4 Games”,”relativePosition”:”04″,”albumTotalCount”:26},{“caption”:”22. Final Fantasy XVFinal Fantasy XV is a risky open-world RPG with a ton of heart, which Square Enix has only continued to make better since launch.\r\n”,”height”:1080,”width”:1920,”url”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/08\/06\/see-if-your-pc-can-run-final-fantasy-xv-7qnf-1533580030329.jpg”,”styleUrl”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/08\/06\/see-if-your-pc-can-run-final-fantasy-xv-7qnf-1533580030329_{size}.jpg”,”credit”:””,”objectRelationName”:””,”objectRelationUrl”:””,”albumName”:”IGN\u0027s Top 25 PlayStation 4 Games”,”relativePosition”:”05″,”albumTotalCount”:26},{“caption”:”21. Nier AutomataNier Automata delivers a crazy, beautiful, and highly entertaining journey full of awesome ideas.\r\n”,”height”:638,”width”:1251,”url”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/08\/06\/nier-automata-become-as-gods-edition-artwork-by-marblegallery7-dce2nw9-1533580030314.jpg”,”styleUrl”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/08\/06\/nier-automata-become-as-gods-edition-artwork-by-marblegallery7-dce2nw9-1533580030314_{size}.jpg”,”credit”:””,”objectRelationName”:””,”objectRelationUrl”:””,”albumName”:”IGN\u0027s Top 25 PlayStation 4 Games”,”relativePosition”:”06″,”albumTotalCount”:26},{“caption”:”20. Guacamelee 2Improving upon its predecessor, Guacamelee 2 proves once again Drinkbox Studios\u2019 platforming prowess, with challenges aplenty, hilarious tangents, and a gorgeous world.\r\n”,”height”:1080,”width”:1920,”url”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/10\/23\/guac-1540334549313.jpg”,”styleUrl”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/10\/23\/guac-1540334549313_{size}.jpg”,”credit”:””,”objectRelationName”:””,”objectRelationUrl”:””,”albumName”:”IGN\u0027s Top 25 PlayStation 4 Games”,”relativePosition”:”07″,”albumTotalCount”:26},{“caption”:”19. Dark Souls: RemasteredWith updated graphics and much more stable multiplayer options, Dark Souls Remastered is now the definitive way to play a genre-redefining game.\r\n”,”height”:1080,”width”:1920,”url”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/10\/23\/darksouls-1540334549309.jpg”,”styleUrl”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/10\/23\/darksouls-1540334549309_{size}.jpg”,”credit”:””,”objectRelationName”:””,”objectRelationUrl”:””,”albumName”:”IGN\u0027s Top 25 PlayStation 4 Games”,”relativePosition”:”08″,”albumTotalCount”:26},{“caption”:”18. CelesteAn incredible platformer with a wealth of heart, Celeste is packed with secrets that are as enjoyable to find as they are challenging.”,”height”:0,”width”:0,”url”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/08\/06\/kdcm5o-1533580030319.png”,”styleUrl”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/08\/06\/kdcm5o-1533580030319_{size}.png”,”credit”:””,”objectRelationName”:””,”objectRelationUrl”:””,”albumName”:”IGN\u0027s Top 25 PlayStation 4 Games”,”relativePosition”:”09″,”albumTotalCount”:26},{“caption”:”17. Dead CellsA surprisingly deep, consistently engaging rougelike, Dead Cells does an amazing job of pushing your abilities and rewarding you for exploring every inch of its world.\r\n”,”height”:1082,”width”:1920,”url”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/10\/23\/deadcells-1540334549313.jpg”,”styleUrl”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/10\/23\/deadcells-1540334549313_{size}.jpg”,”credit”:””,”objectRelationName”:””,”objectRelationUrl”:””,”albumName”:”IGN\u0027s Top 25 PlayStation 4 Games”,”relativePosition”:10,”albumTotalCount”:26},{“caption”:”16. Shadow of the ColossusShadow of the Colossus is a gorgeous recreation of a PS2 classic remains as enthralling over a decade later.\r\n”,”height”:0,”width”:0,”url”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/08\/06\/shadow-of-the-colossus-screen-02-ps4-us-30oct17-1533580030317.png”,”styleUrl”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/08\/06\/shadow-of-the-colossus-screen-02-ps4-us-30oct17-1533580030317_{size}.png”,”credit”:””,”objectRelationName”:””,”objectRelationUrl”:””,”albumName”:”IGN\u0027s Top 25 PlayStation 4 Games”,”relativePosition”:11,”albumTotalCount”:26},{“caption”:”15. Rocket LeagueRocket League\u2019s ridiculous and addicting take on a familiar sport just keeps getting more and more competitive and expansive.\r\n”,”height”:720,”width”:1280,”url”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/08\/06\/preview-screenshot4-86261-1533580030316.jpg”,”styleUrl”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/08\/06\/preview-screenshot4-86261-1533580030316_{size}.jpg”,”credit”:””,”objectRelationName”:””,”objectRelationUrl”:””,”albumName”:”IGN\u0027s Top 25 PlayStation 4 Games”,”relativePosition”:12,”albumTotalCount”:26},{“caption”:”14. The WitnessThe Witness is an unrivaled-puzzler with a power and pull that carried us through its wonderful journey.\r\n”,”height”:1080,”width”:1920,”url”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/08\/06\/1067479-screenhi-1920×1080-en-us-02-1533580595178.jpg”,”styleUrl”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/08\/06\/1067479-screenhi-1920×1080-en-us-02-1533580595178_{size}.jpg”,”credit”:””,”objectRelationName”:””,”objectRelationUrl”:””,”albumName”:”IGN\u0027s Top 25 PlayStation 4 Games”,”relativePosition”:13,”albumTotalCount”:26},{“caption”:”13. OverwatchOverwatch is a brilliant multiplayer shooter brimming with Blizzard\u2019s charm and detail, with a world that only continues to grow in exciting ways.\r\n”,”height”:1080,”width”:1920,”url”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/08\/06\/image-1533580030327.jpg”,”styleUrl”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/08\/06\/image-1533580030327_{size}.jpg”,”credit”:””,”objectRelationName”:””,”objectRelationUrl”:””,”albumName”:”IGN\u0027s Top 25 PlayStation 4 Games”,”relativePosition”:14,”albumTotalCount”:26},{“caption”:”12. Ratchet & ClankThe iconic PlayStation franchise Ratchet and Clank only got better on PS4 with a beautiful, funny update of the duo\u2019s first adventure.”,”height”:506,”width”:900,”url”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/08\/06\/ratchet-and-clank-card-set-bonuses-guide-900×506-1533580030305.jpg”,”styleUrl”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/08\/06\/ratchet-and-clank-card-set-bonuses-guide-900×506-1533580030305_{size}.jpg”,”credit”:””,”objectRelationName”:””,”objectRelationUrl”:””,”albumName”:”IGN\u0027s Top 25 PlayStation 4 Games”,”relativePosition”:15,”albumTotalCount”:26},{“caption”:”11. The Last of Us: RemasteredNaughty Dog\u2019s harrowing tale The Last of Us, which first debuted on the PS3, is one that every PS4 owner needs to experience.\r\n”,”height”:0,”width”:0,”url”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/08\/06\/a1bzq4lriil-1533580030317.png”,”styleUrl”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/08\/06\/a1bzq4lriil-1533580030317_{size}.png”,”credit”:””,”objectRelationName”:””,”objectRelationUrl”:””,”albumName”:”IGN\u0027s Top 25 PlayStation 4 Games”,”relativePosition”:16,”albumTotalCount”:26},{“caption”:”10. Fortnite: Battle RoyaleThe freedom of its building mechanic makes Fortnite Battle Royale one of the most engaging multiplayer experiences around.\r\n”,”height”:1080,”width”:1920,”url”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/08\/06\/fortnitebattleroyalekeybindandkeyboardcontrols-1533580030310.jpg”,”styleUrl”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/08\/06\/fortnitebattleroyalekeybindandkeyboardcontrols-1533580030310_{size}.jpg”,”credit”:””,”objectRelationName”:””,”objectRelationUrl”:””,”albumName”:”IGN\u0027s Top 25 PlayStation 4 Games”,”relativePosition”:17,”albumTotalCount”:26},{“caption”:”9. Grand Theft Auto VThere\u2019s a reason Grand Theft Auto V still one of the best-selling games every month years after release, with its dense open world and ongoing online mode continuing to entertain players.”,”height”:0,”width”:0,”url”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/08\/06\/grand-theft-auto-v-trevor-philips-characters-001-1533580030323.jpg”,”styleUrl”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/08\/06\/grand-theft-auto-v-trevor-philips-characters-001-1533580030323_{size}.jpg”,”credit”:””,”objectRelationName”:””,”objectRelationUrl”:””,”albumName”:”IGN\u0027s Top 25 PlayStation 4 Games”,”relativePosition”:18,”albumTotalCount”:26},{“caption”:”8. Uncharted 4: A Thief\u2019s EndUncharted 4: A Thief\u2019s End combines breathtaking beauty with blockbuster storytelling. “,”height”:450,”width”:800,”url”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/08\/06\/uncharted-4-nathan-drake-renderart-1533580030304.jpg”,”styleUrl”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/08\/06\/uncharted-4-nathan-drake-renderart-1533580030304_{size}.jpg”,”credit”:””,”objectRelationName”:””,”objectRelationUrl”:””,”albumName”:”IGN\u0027s Top 25 PlayStation 4 Games”,”relativePosition”:19,”albumTotalCount”:26},{“caption”:”7. Marvel\u2019s Spider-ManInsomniac Games does a fantastic job of channeling both sides of Spider-Man\u2019s life, crafting, a memorable, moving, and fun Spider-Man spectacle.\r\n”,”height”:1080,”width”:1920,”url”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/10\/23\/spider-man-1540334549313.png”,”styleUrl”:”https:\/\/assets1.ignimgs.com\/2018\/10\/23\/spider-man-1540334549313_{size}.png”,”credit”:””,”objectRelationName”:””,”objectRelationUrl”:””,”albumName”:”IGN\u0027s Top 25 PlayStation 4 Games”,”relativePosition”:20,”albumTotalCount”:26}]’
data-ads-disabled=’false’
data-ad-frequency=’3′
data-image-size=’1280w’>

And stick around for the debut of a new Trophy Test game show, as Jonathon tries to find out whether Max and Barrett can tell the difference between his fake trophies and the real ones for PS4 games.

Also — an announcement! A Beyond Live event presented by PlayStation VR will be taking place on Monday, Dec. 10 in San Francisco, CA. We’ll have more exact details to come, including a sign-up page, but if you’re in the Bay Area, or can make it on Dec. 10, we’d love to see you come out that day for a live, and probably ridiculous, show.

And remember! Beyond has now moved publish days! You can find each week’s new episode of Beyond on beyond.ign.com on Wednesdays at 3 p.m. PT/6 p.m. ET. 24 hours later each week, you can catch the full episode on YouTube, iTunes, and other podcast services.

Let us know your favorite games from each generation in the comments below. And if you haven’t already, be sure to join our awesome group of Beyond fans in the IGN Beyond Facebook group.

Jonathon Dornbush is IGN’s News Editor, PlayStation lead, and Beyond! host. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

Naomi Osaka Makes History At U.S. Open And Her Humility Will Bring You To Tears

Posted on April 4, 2019 by bamdj

Imagine you are a kid sitting up in the stands, watching the greatest tennis player of all time, Serena Williams, play. You think, “I’d like to do that some day. I think can I do that some day.”

Now imagine you are 20, and after years of training for this moment, you’re here. At the U.S. Open. Playing Serena Williams in the women’s singles final.

And then, imagine this: you win. In fact, you play a superb match. A superior match. You defeat the woman who inspired you to get into tennis in the first place.

Your name is Naomi Osaka. You’ve just won your first Grand Slam title.

And this is exactly what happened Saturday afternoon at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, NYC. But Osaka’s victory was marred by a crowd that booed mercilessly at her gains, and overshadowed by a dramatic disagreement between Williams and chair umpire, Carlos Ramos, that resulted in three code violations. The altercations cost Williams a game and had the champion smashing her racket in frustration and demanding an apology from Ramos.

It was surely not the triumphant scene Osaka had dreamed of. Williams was in tears. Osaka was in tears. The latter would later tell reporters that “I feel a bit happy and sad at the same time, and I think this is the most I have ever cried.”

The tears didn’t stop when she had to accept her trophy and $3.8 million prize, in front of Williams.

The crowd was still booing. But Serena is not the greatest athlete of all time for nothing. She gave Osaka a squeeze of support before she accepted her finalist prize.

“Let’s not boo anymore,” she told the crowd. “Congratulations, Naomi — no more booing!”

The presenter asked Osaka a question about how it felt to win against her idol.

Instead of giving a canned response, Osaka deferred answering and said instead, through tears, “I know everyone was cheering for her (Williams) … and I’m sorry it had to end like this.”

“I just want to say thank you for watching the match.”

And, with that apology for her own victory that was unquestionably deserved, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house or fan who wasn’t swayed by her humility.

“My mom sacrificed a lot for me and it means a lot for her to come and watch – because she doesn’t normally come,” Osaka said. “All that was missing my dad, but he doesn’t watch, either, so I’ll catch up with them later.”

“It was always my dream to play Serena in the U.S. Open final, and I’m really grateful I was able to do that.”

Osaka’s idol, 16 years her senior, was clear in her assessment of the young player, who was born in Japan to a Japanese mom and Haitian dad and later moved to the U.S., where she began training. Her dad, Leonard Maxime Francois, reportedly took inspiration from Williams’ father, Richard, in training his two young daughters, Naomi and Mari, also a professional tennis player.

“[Osaka] played an amazing match and she deserved credit, she deserved to win. And at the end of the day, that’s what it was,” Williams said.

But it’s not the end for Osaka. She’s the first Haitian-Japanese player and first player representing Japan, male or female, ever to win a Grand Slam.

This is just the beginning.

Earlier on HuffPost:

Idaho State’s Burnett, UCLA’s Carda Selected Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Player and Pitcher of the Week

Posted on April 4, 2019 by bamdj

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Following a near perfect weekend at the plate and a dominant performance in the circle, Idaho State’s Kacie Burnett and UCLA’s Ally Carda were selected the 2015 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively for games played over March 2-8.

Burnett (Napa, Calif.) played a key role in ISU’s series win at Nevada. Doing what a leadoff is supposed to do, the sophomore outfielder was 10-for-12 (.833) with seven runs scored and a perfect 7-for-7 swiping bases. She recorded a hit in her final seven at bats, culminating with a 4-for-4 (2 RBI, 3 R) effort in the series finale versus the Wolf Pack. In that contest, Burnett scored three times, stole three bases and knocked in two runs.

“It is a great honor to receive this award and represent ISU’s softball program,” said Burnett. “My main focus for the weekend was to do my job as a lead off hitter and get on base for my teammates. We performed and executed as a team so I’d like to give credit to everyone of them for working so hard.”

Burnett opened the weekend with back-to-back 3-for-4 contests in which she scored twice and swiped two bags in each game, while adding a triple in the opener. In addition, the Big Sky Player of the Week slugged 1.083 and recorded a .833 on base percentage with a double, triple and two RBI.

“I would classify this as a normal weekend for Kacie, commented ISU head coach Julie Wright. “I think she probably got a couple of ground balls through that maybe haven’t gone through on past weeks but she has such an aggressive barrel that corners get a little nervous when that comes at them. Then she can drop a bunt right in front of them. She is really difficult to defend. What Kacie did this past weekend is kind of what Kacie does all the time.”

Carda, a senior from Elk Grove, Calif., went 3-0 and did not allow a run in 17 innings of work, guiding her team to a 5-0 weekend at the Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament. The Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week punctuated her week by tossing her second no-hitter of the season against Illinois on Friday, which was the first of three complete-game shutouts.

“It is an honor to be named National Pitcher of the Week,” Carda said. “Our focus as a team was to be locked on every game and offensively the team did a great job of scoring runs so that on defense, I could just simply pitch.”

For the week, Carda struck out 32, surrendered just four hits and walked six as she held her opponents to a .077 batting average. Following her nine-strikeout (5IP) no-hitter, she tossed consecutive six-inning shutouts against UC Davis and Providence. She struck out a career-high 14 and scattered three hits against the Aggies, and closed out the weekend with a near no-hitter versus the Friars (1H, 9K) in which she twirled 5.2 innings of hitless ball.

“Ally had an outstanding weekend and has been working hard to be at her best when it matters the most,” head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. “She threw hard and with great command of all of her pitches. We are very proud that she is recognized with this honor.”

Player of the Week
March 10 – Kacie Burnett (Idaho State)
March 3 – A.J. Andrews (LSU)
Feb. 24 – Jenna Lilley (Oregon)
Feb. 17 – Lauren Haeger (Florida)
Feb. 10 – Lindsey Stephens (Texas)

Pitcher of the Week
March 10 – Ally Carda (UCLA)
March 3 – Delanie Gourley (Florida)
Feb. 24 – Cheridan Hawkins (Oregon)
Feb. 17 – Shelby Turnier (UCF)
Feb. 10 – Miranda Kramer (Western Kentucky)

Selected Top Performances

Auburn’s Emily Carosone grabbed SEC Player of the Week honors after batting .526 with three doubles, three home runs, 10 RBI and seven runs at the Judi Garman Classic… Florida State’s Lacey Waldrop was tabbed ACC Pitcher of the Week; She tossed a pair of complete-game shutouts, including a no-hitter against Coastal Carolina, and allowed just two hits and struck out 14 while holding her opponents to a .054 batting average… NEC Pitcher of the Week, Central Connecticut State’s Laura Messena, was 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA, a pair of two-hit shutouts, 22 strikeouts and held opponents to a .119 batting average… Pac 12 Player of the Week, Delaney Spaulding of UCLA, batted .562 with three doubles, three home runs, 10 RBI, eight runs scored and a 1.312 slugging percentage… Michigan’s Sierra Romero batted .692 (9-13), slugged 1.538 (3HR) and recorded a .818 on base percentage (8 walks) on her way to Big 10 Player of the Week honors… SEC Pitcher of the Week, Sydney Littlejohn of Alabama, tossed her second perfect game of the season against Ole Miss… Loyola Marymount’s Alicia Brown earned WCC Player of the Week recognition by hitting .556 (10-18) with three doubles, three home runs, eight RBI, five runs and a 1.222 slugging percentage… Northwestern’s Kristen Wood notched her third career no-hitter with nine strikeouts in her only appearance of the week against Ball State and grabbed Big 10 Pitcher of the Week accolades… Arizona State’s Breanna Macha was selected Pac-12 Freshman of the Week after a 4-1 week with a save at the Judi Garman in which she beat two top-10 opponents and also became the first pitcher to shutout Michigan (2-0 in eight innings) this season… American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week, Karla Claudio of USF, was 2-0 with three saves, a 0.40 ERA, 24 strikeouts and a .119 opponents batting average… Southern Conference Player of the Week, UNCG’s Nicole Thomas, batted .500 (11-22) with four multi-hit games, four doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI… Texas State’s Kendall Wiley batted .833 (5-for-6) and recorded a .900 on base percentage with a double and five RBI to earn Sun Belt Player of the Week honors… Furman’s Lindsey Bert twirled a no-hitter (6K) at Winthrop and finished 3-0 with a 0.33 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 21 innings of work… UTEP’s Ashley Eldridge was selected Conference USA Co-Player of the Week after batting .533 (8-15) with three long balls, 10 RBI and six runs scored… Marshall’s Morgan Zerkle, the other Conference USA Co-Player of the Week, batted .727 (8-11) with a double, triple, home run, five RBI, four runs and a 1.273 slugging percentage… Tennessee’s Meghan Gregg was named SEC Freshman of the Week after batting .688 (11-16) with four home runs and 13 RBI… Oklahoma’s Lauren Chamberlain batted .700 (7-10) and slugged 2.000 with four home runs and 11 RBI… UMKC’s Katie Kelley was named WAC Hitter of the Week, following a weekend in which she hit .500 with two doubles, four home runs and a 16 RBI in five games… NDSU’s Krista Menke tossed her second no-hitter of the season against Purdue (8IP, 12K) and also struck out nine against Northern Iowa to garner Summit League Pitcher of the Week honors… Stanford’s Kayla Bonstrom batted .526 (10-19) with four doubles, two home runs and eight RBI… Oregon’s Cheridan Hawkins was 2-0 with two saves, while allowing just one run on five hits with 26 strikeouts and zero walks at the Judi Garman Classic… Florida’s Aleshia Ocasio picked up wins over No. 3 Michigan and No. 2 Oregon to finish 3-0 with a 0.82 ERA and 18 strikeouts at the Judi Garmin Classic.

Modi says Pakistan will pay ‘huge price’ for Kashmir bombing

Posted on April 4, 2019 by bamdj

India’s prime minister yesterday accused Pakistan of involvement in the suicide bombing that killed 44 paramilitary police in Kashmir on Thursday, and warned of a dire response.

Narendra Modi said the neighbouring country had made a "huge mistake" for which it will pay a "huge price".

Speaking after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security, Mr Modi declared that India’s security forces had been given "full freedom" to respond to the attack.

"If our neighbour thinks it can destabilise India, then it is making a big mistake," he said.

Mr Modi was reacting to claims from the Pakistan-based Islamist militant group, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), that it carried out the attack on a paramilitary convoy on the outskirts of Kashmir’s summer capital, Srinagar.

India’s foreign office demanded that Islamabad take "immediate and verifiable action" against the JeM.

New Delhi has also withdrawn trade privileges extended to Pakistan under their long-standing Most Favoured Nation (MFN) agreement as part of "diplomatically isolating" Islamabad, said senior federal minister Arun Jaitley.

Pakistan, however, has dismissed all Indian charges of any involvement in the bombing, which it said was a "matter of grave concern".

Over 2,700 Central Reserve Police Force paramilitary personnel were travelling to Srinagar in a 78-vehicle convoy when a 22-year old suicide bomber, identified as Adil Ahmad Dar, rammed his car packed with over 125bs of plastic explosives into one of the stationary busses.

Police officials said Dar, a school dropout who had earlier worked in a sawmill near Srinagar, was reported missing since late last year.

The JeM has been active in Kashmir since its founding in 2000 and India holds it responsible for attacking its parliament building in New Delhi in 2001, an assault that brought the nuclear-armed neighbours to the brink of war.

The JeM has been designated a ‘terrorist’ organisation by the UN, UK and the US, and even, under foreign pressure, proscribed in Pakistan since 2002.

But its founder, cleric Masood Azhar, freely roams the country, holding public meetings and fund-raising drives.

Indian efforts to have Azhar designated an international terrorist have long been been blocked by Pakistan’s close strategic ally China.

India claims Pakistan, which seized a third of Kashmir after independence in 1947 and lays claim to the rest, fuels the disputed province’s 30-year Muslim insurgency for an independent homeland in which over 70,000 people had died.

Pakistan denies Indian allegations, saying it only provided Kashmiri separatists’ moral and diplomatic support for their cause.

The two neighbours have fought two of their three wars since independence over Kashmir.

And in 1999, soon after both became nuclear weapon states, their two armies clashed in Kashmir’s Himalayan Kargil region for 11-weeks resulting in 1,200 soldiers dying on both sides.

Meanwhile, India’s principal Opposition Congress Party, virulently opposed to Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party government, has offered its unequivocal support to the administration to deal with the crisis posed by the terror strike.

The authorities have also imposed curfew in Kashmir’s winter capital Jammu following violent protests that erupted in the city over the terror attack.

Several cars were set alight and the authorities have suspended Internet services in Jammu to prevent rumours spreading over social media.

UK Daily Deals: Audible Membership Only £3.99 per Month for Three Months, Red Dead Redemption 2 Xbox One Digital Key for £46.54

Posted on April 4, 2019 by bamdj

Want more deals? Join the IGN Deals Newsletter.

If you buy something through this post, IGN may get a share of the sale. For more, read our Terms of Use.

Like me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter for the latest deals.

Black Friday 2018 is around the corner. Find our guide on what to expect and how to get the best deals here.

50% off Audible Membership for 3 Months

Love books? With Audible it’s easy to tune into audiobooks wherever you are. By streaming or downloading books onto the free Audible app you will be able enjoy your favourite titles on the go, in your car or even at the gym. Try Audible membership at a discounted rate, which will save you 50% during the first three months, and you can opt-out any time.

Discounted Membership (50% off, just £3.99/month for the first 3 months)

Alternative Deals

Free Trial (30 day free trial, £7.99/month after) at Audible

IGN Exclusive: Red Dead Redemption 2 Xbox One Digital Key for £46.54 Using Our Exclusive Discount Code

Use our exclusive discount code IGN4 to receive a redeemable digital key for Red Dead Redemption 2 instantly in your e-mail address on day of release for just £46.54. To put this deal in perspective, an Xbox One Digital Key for Red Dead Redemption 2 is currently listed for £59.86 at Amazon.

You can also use our exclusive Black Friday discount code IGN4 at SCDKey up until the end of November to get 4% off Digital PC and Xbox One games, Xbox Live and PlayStation Plus subscriptions, and more.

Red Dead Redemption 2 (Xbox One, Digital) – was £59.99, now £46.54 w/ code IGN4
Red Dead Redemption 2 Special Edition (Xbox One, Digital) – was £74.99, now £63.48 w/ code IGN4 – Temporary Out of Stock
Red Dead Redemption 2 Ultimate Edition (Xbox One, Digital) – was £89.99, now £75.32 w/ code IGN4
PlayStation Plus 3 Month Membership – was £19.99, now £16.49 w/ code IGN4
Xbox Live 12 Month Membership – was £39.99, now £33.68 w/ code IGN4
Xbox Live 3 Month Membership – was £14.99, now £11.84 w/ code IGN4
Xbox 3 Month Game Pass – was £19.99, now £14.80 w/ code IGN4

Today’s Best Deals

Xbox One X Bundle with Five Games under £400

Grab an awesome Xbox One X console bundle with the most popular games, including Forza Horizon 4, Forza Motorsport 7, Red Dead Redemption 2, Tekken 7 and Project Cars 2, all for under £400 at Currys PC World.

Xbox One X, Forza Horizon 4, Forza Motorsport 7, Red Dead Redemption 2, Tekken 7 and Project Cars 2 Bundle at Currys PC World – was £496.96, now £399.99
Xbox One S, Forza Horizon 4, Red Dead Redemption 2, Tekken 7 and Project Cars 2 Bundle at Currys PC World – was £326.96, now £229.99

Alternative Deals:

Xbox One X (1TB) Forza Horizon 4 and Forza 7 Bundle with Red Dead Redemption 2 at Very.co.uk – was £499.99, now £368.99 w/ code N794E
Xbox One S 1TB Fortnite with Red Dead Redemption 2 at Amazon – was £269.94, now £229.99
PS4 Pro (1TB) Red Dead Redemption 2 Bundle at Very.co.uk – was £399.99, now £314.99 w/ code N794E
PS4 (500GB) Red Dead Redemption 2 Bundle at Very.co.uk – was £249.99, now £224.99 w/ code N794E
PS4 Slim (500GB) Red Dead Redemption 2 Bundle with Doom, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey 2-month Now TV Entertainment Pass at GAME – was £324.97, now £279.99

Editor’s Notes: You need to apply for Very credit card, which is interest free for 12 months. Credit provided, subject to credit and account status, by Shop Direct Finance Company Limited. If you can’t get the promo code working, get in touch with Very customer service team and provide the offer URL and they should apply the savings to your account manually.

£50 off Ring Video Doorbell 2 with Chime Bundle

Ring Video Doorbell 2 enables you to watch over your home and answer the door remotely. Save £50 off on this device at Amazon now.

Ring Video Doorbell 2 with Chime bundle at Amazon – was £208.00, now £158.00

£126 off WD 20TB My Cloud EX2 Ultra

Organise your entire media collection, photos and files in one central, network location. Grab WD’s 20TB My Cloud EX2 Ultra at Amazon and save over £126.

WD 20 TB My Cloud EX2 Ultra at Amazon – was £724.99, now £598.00

Save £800 off Sony Bravia 70-Inch 4K HDR Ultra HD Smart Android LED TV

Enhance your TV watching experience with Sony’s iconic Ultra HD TV. Get it at a discounted price at Very.co.uk or Amazon, where you will save more than £800.

Sony Bravia KD70XF8305BU 70-Inch 4K HDR Ultra HD LED TV at Very.co.uk – was £2,199.00, now £1,399.00
Sony Bravia KD70XF8305BU 70-Inch 4K HDR Ultra HD LED TV at Amazon – was £2,199.00, now £1,399.00

PS Plus 12-Month Membership for £36.13

We always recommend getting bigger subscription packages if you know you are going to be renewing your membership after the old one runs out. Electronic First currently offer the best price, especially when you Facebook like their page and redeem your unique promo code that will help you save 3% off.

PS Plus 12 Month Membership – was £49.99, now £36.13 when you Facebook like Electronic First for 3% off

Alternative Deals:

PlayStation Plus 3 Month Membership – was £19.99, now £16.49 w/ code IGN4
PlayStation Plus 15 Month Membership – was £49.99, now £45.58 when you Facebook Like CDKeys for 3% off.

Forza Horizon 4 Xbox One under £33

The price for one of the most beloved games, Forza Horizon 4, has gone down to under £33.

Forza Horizon 4 Xbox One at ShopTo – was £49.99, now £32.86

IGN Exclusive: CyberGhost VPN for Only £1.59 per Month

Recently, VPNs are becoming increasingly popular because they can ensure your security and privacy when browsing the web. CyberGhost VPN is also a great VPN to access American Netflix from the UK and paying £1.59 per month on top of your current Netflix subscription to get all of the Netflix content you get in America is definitely worth it. This exclusive deal for IGN readers makes it the cheapest VPN available right now which is compatible with Netflix.

Read our guide on how to get American Netflix content in the UK.

IGN Exclusive: CyberGhost VPN 4-year subscription deal – £1.59 per month, £19.08 billed annually (80% off).

Alternative VPN Deal

IGN Exclusive: PureVPN 1-year subscription deal – £2.30 per month, £27.60 billed annually (73% off).

The Best Broadband Deals in November

OUR PICK

Unlimited Broadband + Weekend Calls

On Post Office

See it

£15.90 per month for 12 months, no set-up costs, average download speed 11Mb, no in-contract monthly price rise, 12 month contract

Best Broadband Deals for November

Wondering what are the best broadband deals this month? November sees a lot of great Broadband offers. Get Unlimited Broadband and Calls package with Post Office for just £15.50 per month with no set up costs and no in-contract monthly price rise.

You can also compare the best broadband, phone & TV deals in your area now at our sister site PCMag. Just enter your postcode and they will do the job for you.

Compare deals here

£150 off ASUS 15.6-Inch Full HD Gaming Laptop

In the market for a good gaming laptop? You can start saving ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, as this Asus laptop is discounted by £150 at Amazon. It is armed with great specs, including Intel i5-7300HQ processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Dedicated Nvidia GTX 1060 graphics card, and more.

ASUS FX503VM-EN184T 15.6-inch Full HD 120 Hz screen gaming laptop at Amazon – was £899.99, now £749.99

PSVR with VR Worlds, Astrobot, Resident Evil, Skyrim and Now TV for £220

Experience the world of virtual reality with PSVR bundle, which includes VR Worlds, Astrobot, Resident Evil, Skyrim and Now TV. Save nearly £120 when purchasing it at GAME.

PSVR with VR Worlds, Astrobot, Resident Evil, Skyrim and Now TV at GAME – was £339.96, now £219.99

Alternative Deals:

PSVR with VR Worlds with Astrobot VR, Resident Evil VR, Playstation Move Controller Twin Pack and Now TV at GAME – was £379.96, now £249.99

Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Controller Pair in Neon Yellow under £55

The cheapest deal for this controller pair you will find. Grab it at Amazon or Currys PC World now.

Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controller pair (Neon Yellow) at Amazon – was £69.85, now £54.99

Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controller pair (Neon Yellow) at Currys PC World – was £69.85, now £54.99

Nintendo Switch Messenger Bag Zelda Edition under £25

This Nintendo Switch messenger bag is idea for anyone who loves The Legend of Zelda. Snag it for under £25 at Argos.

Nintendo Switch messenger bag Zelda Edition at Argos – was £29.99, now £24.99

Samsung 500GB SSD under £77

Want your PC to be faster? You’ll be amazed how fast running Windows on a SSD is compared to running it on a Hard Drive.

Samsung 860 EVO 500GB SSD – was £132.92, now £76.38

53% off Lexibook Star Wars 16MB Built-In Flash Digital Camera

A pretty cool camera that every Star Wars fan will appreciate. Snag it at only £6.99 at eBay.

Lexibook Star Wars DJ140SW 5MP 16MB Built in Flash Digital Camera at eBay – was £14.99, now £6.99

Red Dead Redemption 2 PS4 Digital Key for ~~£59.99~~ £55.00

To get a digital copy of Red Dead Redemption 2 on PS4 for £55, simply follow the below steps.

Purchase two PlayStation Network £30 GBP Cards at SCDKey for £27.50 each w/ code IGN4
Retrieve the code instantly from your e-mail address and redeem it on your PlayStation account
Go to the Red Dead Redemption 2 preorder page on PlayStation and purchase a digital key

Don’t forget to use this trick for digital copies of Special and Ultimate editions. Check out the links below.

Red Dead Redemption 2 Special Edition – £68.80 (purchase 1x PSN £50 card and 1x PSN £25 cards)
Red Dead Redemption 2: Ultimate Edition – £82.41 (purchase 1x PSN £50 card and 2x PSN £20 cards)

Get 10% Back on Console Bundles

It’s a great time to purchase gaming consoles at Very.co.uk, as you can get 10% back on selected console bundles if you have a Very.co.uk credit account. All you need to do is enter the promotional code N794E at checkout.

See this deal here

Editor’s Notes: Offer ends Friday 2nd November 2018, at 9PM.

PS4 500GB FIFA 19 Bundle with Assassins Creed Odyssey (Limited Edition) for under £280

A number PS4 console and VR deals have been posted on Amazon, most of which include games such as FIFA 19, Assassins Creed Odyssey Limited edition, and more. Take a look at our picks below, or head straight to Amazon to check out more deals.

PS4 (500GB) FIFA 19 Bundle with Assassins Creed Odyssey (Limited Edition) at Amazon – was £297.98, now £297.98
PS4 (1TB) FIFA 19 Champions Edition Bundle with Assasins Creed Odyssey (Limited Edition) at Amazon – was £344.77, now £329.99

£85 off MSI RX 570 ARMOR 8GB OC GDDR5 Graphics Card

Save £75 on of the best graphics cards out there according to IGN review, and get three games for no extra cost, including Assassins Creed Odyssey, Strange Brigade and Star Control Origins.

MSI RX 570 ARMOR 8GB OC GDDR5 graphics card with three games at Ebuyer – was £244.97, now £158.99

Exclusive to Nintendo: Preorder Nintendo Switch Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Edition Mario Pack

Grab an exclusive Nintendo Switch bundle with one of the most anticipated games of 2018, which is being released on 7th December, 2018. The pack includes a console with a dock featuring fighters from the original game, Super Smash Bros. themed controller, digital copy of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Official Steelbook, a Nintendo Switch hard pouch in black and a Nintendo Switch Mario battle pad. This bundle is unique to Nintendo Store and you won’t be able to purchase this anywhere else. Everything bough separately would cost you over £359. Preorder it now to get it on 16th November, 2018.

Nintendo Switch Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Edition Mario Pack at Nintendo Store – was £358.98, now £339.99
Nintendo Switch Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Edition Pack (without a controller and hard pouch) at Nintendo Store – was £329.99, now £319.99

Buy 3 Months Gold, Get £10 Xbox Live Credit for Free

Yep, you read right. Worth £24.99 usually but available for £14.99 right now.

Buy it at GAME

You will receive two codes when you purchase this product. You must redeem each code individually. After you complete the purchase, you will receive a link on the order-confirmation page with detailed instruction to redeem your code on Xbox Live. This link is also stored in your Games & Software Library. Please Note: The £10 Gift Card is valid for online purchase in UK only, one per customer.

Game of Thrones Johnnie Walker White Walker Scotch Whisky for £34

Johnnie Walker has partnered with HBO’s Game of Thrones to launch a limited-edition collaborative whisky blend. A true Game of Thrones fan? You can now indulge yourself with a glass of a unique limited edition Game of Thrones inspired White Walker Whiskey by Johnnie Walker. Flavor notes include caramelized sugar, vanilla, fresh berries with a touch of orchard fruit, and is better to be served cold. It makes an ideal gift for any Game of Thrones or whiskey fan this Christmas.

Game of Thrones Johnnie Walker White Walker scotch whisky – £34.00

This Month’s Humble Monthly Bundle Includes Hollow Knight, Hitman and 7 Days to Die on PC for Just £9.19

‘Humble Monthly is a curated bundle of games sent to your inbox every month. Each month offers over $100 worth of games for just $12! Every game is yours to keep, and 5% of each month’s proceeds support charity. All subscribers receive 10% off in the Humble Store and exclusive access to the Humble Trove of DRM-free games.’

Get Humble Monthly Bundle for £9.19 per month

Ontario's Cancelled Sick Leave Policy Would Have Cost Little More Than A CEO's Salary

Posted on April 4, 2019 by bamdj

Ontario’s cancelled paid leave days would have cost multinational businesses in the province just 2.2 times their CEO’s salary, according to an analysis carried out by HuffPost Canada.

The government of Premier Doug Ford recently repealed a labour bill that, among other things, guaranteed employees two paid personal leave days a year. That came after intense lobbying efforts from the province’s largest corporate advocacy groups.

For a full-time employee with two weeks’ vacation, the change would have been the equivalent of a 0.84 per cent raise. For the large multinational and Canadian companies analyzed by HuffPost Canada, the average wage cost would have been $22 million a year, or 0.8 per cent of gross profits.

That’s the equivalent of 2.2 times average CEO’s annual salary of $10 million for these companies.

HuffPost Canada was able to determine the impact of the paid sick leave policy on 10 large companies that belong to the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. Due to data constraints, smaller companies were not considered.

In November of this year, the Ford government passed a bill that scrapped or scaled down most of the measures in the previous government’s Bill 148, which — on top of the paid leave days — included new equal pay rules and a third week of vacation upon reaching five years of service. It also repealed future minimum wage increases.

Lobbying efforts from corporate advocacy groups including the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) and the Retail Council of Canada helped to encourage the government to repeal the labour reforms.

“Our efforts to repeal the bill were reflective of the scope of the bill, the implementation timeline and the way the bill was kind of ‘one size fits all’ in the way it was written,” said Ashley Challinor, vice-president of policy at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. “With respect (to) the personal paid emergency leave days, it was really a problem with implementation.”

Challinor would not confirm whether the OCC would support Bill 148’s individual measures if they were to be introduced over a longer time period.

Watch: Precarious work is on the rise. Here are a few things we could do to improve things. Story continues below.

She added that there was no instrument for employee accountability when it came to the use of personal leave days, because no documentation like a medical note from a doctor was required.

The Chamber’s role in lobbying for the repeal of the legislation has recently come under fire after a New Year’s Eve tweet from the CEO, Rocco Rossi. Alongside photos of champagne and caviar, Rossi said “Celebrating New Year’s the 1-percenter way! Let them eat cake :-).” Rossi later apologized and deleted the tweet, saying it was satire.

Challinor said some chamber members voiced concerns that employees had used both of their paid sick day entitlements in the first few months of the year. Small business owners complained that because of Bill 148, they would show up in the morning not knowing if they would have sufficient staff.

“There was a financial cost, obviously, you’re paying for a day where people aren’t working,” said Challinor. “And in more extreme circumstances, you’re losing money because you’re not able to meet demand for that day.”

Challinor said the new rules encouraged employees to call in sick.

She explained that she didn’t think employees were abusing the personal leave days, but rather that employees took their two days in the first few months following the bill’s introduction because the previous government had not properly rolled out or informed employees about the changes.

However, according to the Centre for Disease Control, December to February is the peak of flu season, providing a reasonable alternative explanation as to why employees would take sick days during the first few months of the year. January and February of 2018 had 765 influenza outbreaks, the highest level since data was available in 2011.

Research suggests that in Canada the average person is sick nine days a year, more than four times the allotted paid personal days by bill 148.

Although Canadians take more sick time off than some of their counterparts in developed countries, they don’t have the same access to paid sick leave. Canada, along with Japan and the U.S., are the only ones among 22 Western countries that do not legislate paid sick leave, according to a report in the International Journal of Health Services. Many countries — including Australia, Germany and the Scandinavian countries — offer five days of paid sick leave.

Shrinking the bottom line

The numbers above refer to the wage cost of those leave days, but another way to look at it is to calculate the profits lost. Assuming that a company loses all the profit that an employee would have generated in those two sick days, the average lost profit for the 10 companies can equate to $36 million, or a median profit loss of $21 million.

Canadian Tire Corporation’s gross margins are financially impacted the least amongst the 10 companies analyzed. The two paid personal leave days equates to approximately 0.27 per cent of its gross profit or an estimated $9.9 million for the companies 29,710 employees.

Bombardier would absorb the biggest financial impact of the 10 selected companies, with the paid personal leave days setting them back by $52 million, or 2.1 per cent of gross profit. The cost would be equivalent to 3.8 times its CEO’s salary.

It’s hard to argue that Bill 148 damaged Ontario’s economy. With the bill’s changes in place for the majority of the year, the Ontario economy has been one of the leaders in job growth among Canadian provinces.

According to a report from Royal Bank of Canada, Ontario, along with B.C., boasts an unemployment rate of less than six per cent in 86 per cent of their respective local economies, something the report authors says in unheard of in modern times.

In a recent report, TD Bank predicted Ontario would continue to be an economic leader next year, with GDP growth of 1.9 per cent, tied for the strongest in the country and behind only British Columbia.

Jim Carrey Tells America: Canadians Are Nice 'Because They Have Health Care'

Posted on April 4, 2019 by bamdj

Actor and comedian Jim Carrey delivered a passionate testimony in favour of Canadian health care on an episode of “Real Time With Bill Maher” — to resounding applause.

The star of “Kidding” on Showtime appeared on the talk show Friday as a special guest, alongside Barack Obama’s former strategist David Axelrod, New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg and former congressman Charlie Dent.

The topic of discussion was the upcoming U.S. congressional elections and how the term “socialist” is often weaponized as a detraction when it comes to Democrats.

“I grew up in Canada, OK?” Carrey began. “We have socialized medicine. I’m here to tell you that this bullshit line that you get on all of the political shows is that it’s a failure, the system is a failure in Canada. It is not a failure in Canada.”

Carrey, who was born in Newmarket, Ont. in 1962 but relocated to Los Angeles in the early 1980s to pursue comedy, went on to describe his personal experience with the Canadian health care system.

“I have never waited for anything in my life,” he stated. “I chose my own doctors, my mother never paid for a prescription. It was fantastic.”

The two-time Golden Globe-winner then suggested a possible reason for Canadians’ niceness: our health care system.

“I just got back from Vancouver and I keep hearing this [comment]: ‘Canadians are so nice, Canadians are so nice,'” Carrey continued. “They can be nice because they have health care.”

The line garnered cheers and applause, but Carrey wasn’t finished.

“… Because they have a government that cares about them,” he went on. “That doesn’t say ‘Sink or fucking swim, pal, or you live in a box!’ There are certain people in our society that need to be taken care of. There are people without as many opportunities that need to be helped toward those opportunities. There are people who are sick; you shouldn’t have to lose your home because your mother got sick.”

Carrey’s statements got the attention of U.S. senator and former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, who posted his approval on Twitter.

The independent senator from Vermont has made the implementation a single-payer health system in the United States, similar to Canada’s, one of his central legislative goals.