A shake-up of the Kenyan currency has provoked controversy, including several court challenges.
Giving a voice to Canada’s missing and murdered indigenous women
Beverley Jacobs and Terri Brown fought tirelessly on behalf of missing and murdered indigenous women.
Anthony Joshua: When fat helps win fights
Newsbeat hears why the man who knocked out AJ is fitter than he looks.
Sudan crisis: Security forces attack protesters
Video from Khartoum shows injured people and the sound of gunfire as tensions spill over into violence.
Chinese warships arrive in Sydney Harbour
Australia’s prime minister says the visit was expected if not announced.
Fleeing war in Ivory Coast: ‘You feel death is close’
Joseph Gnagbo fled to Wales when his life was threatened in Ivory Coast.
Nanda Devi: Rescued climbers treated in hospital
Four climbers who were part of the group ascending Nanda Devi were assessed in hospital.
New Fortnite-Themed Xbox One Console Revealed Just Before E3
In anticipation of another big showing at this year’s E3, Microsoft has announced another entry for its line of custom Xbox One consoles, this one themed after Fortnite: Battle Royale, Epic’s zeitgeist-defining competitive shooter. Available starting June 7, the Xbox One S Fortnite Battle Royale Special Edition Bundle (1TB) will normally sell for $300 from the Microsoft Store, but for a limited time in celebration of E3, Microsoft will offer a $50 discount off the bundle through June 17.
In addition to the console itself, which sports a stylish royal(e) purple gradient, the bundle includes a matching purple Xbox wireless controller, a copy of Fortnite, a Dark Vertex cosmetic set for the game (comprising a Legendary Outfit, Epic Glider, and Rare Pickaxe), 2000 in-game V-Bucks, and a one-month free trial Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass (the former of which is required to play Fortnite). While the base game is free, so much of Fortnite’s culture revolves around cool player cosmetics, so this package should give any new player a leg up in the real battle royale: fashion.
Although Microsoft recently announced a move away from physical media with the reveal of the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition, the Fortnite Battle Royale Special Edition appears to be a holdover from earlier versions with a disc drive. The Fortnite console bundle is launching as part of a huge upcoming Xbox sale on a variety of games, consoles, and accessories–check out all the discounts that’ll be available from June 7 through 17.
FIFA 20 At E3 2019: What We Know And What We Want To See
The season is finally over. PSG are champions (again), Juventus are champions (again), and Liverpool fans are crying (again, although for a much better reason this year). While there’s more to look forward to in the world’s biggest sport this summer–the Women’s World Cup and UEFA Nations League are bound to be summer highlights–many football fans now have one major date in their diary: the release date of FIFA 20.
FIFA 20’s release date hasn’t actually been revealed yet–the game hasn’t even technically been announced–but it’s a safe bet it will follow series tradition and fall toward the end of September. With that disclaimer out the way, let’s take a look at everything we do know about the world’s biggest soccer game, as well as what we’d like to see from FIFA at E3 2019.
What We Know So Far
Even though this year’s game hasn’t been revealed, developer EA has already shared some of FIFA 20’s gameplay improvements. Top of the list is AI defending, with a larger emphasis and incentive placed on manual defending, as opposed to letting the computer defend for you. One of the ways EA plans to do this is by increasing the likelihood a manual tackle will propel the ball to a teammate. Automatic defending will see its overall efficacy reduced and reaction times slowed.
Shooting is also being revamped, with attackers given greater accuracy during easy shooting scenarios, such as being clean through against the ‘keeper. Goalkeepers’ reaction times will be reduced in these situations to resolve the sometimes “superhuman” reactions players complained of. Additionally, the timing window for green timed shots is being reduced to two frames for all shots, and they’ll also be “slightly less precise.” EA did, however, reassure players that green timed shots will “still be more accurate than non-timed shots.”
Lots of work is being done on making passing and shooting more realistic, EA says, especially when it comes to difficult strikes. Volleys will be more variable and less accurate, for example, while 180° and first-time passes will result in “slower/weaker balls.” To compensate, easy situation passes will now be more accurate. Two new passing options will also be introduced: the driven pass-and-go (which will replace the current manual pass button combo) and the dinked pass, which will cease to be an automatic, contextual pass variant and instead be user-controlled only.
What’s Confirmed For E3?
EA has confirmed an E3 livestream discussing FIFA 20 will air on June 8 at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET / 7 PM BST (that’s 4 AM AET on June 9). The stream, which is part of EA Play, will be hosted by esports commentator Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez. EA says it will demonstrate some of the gameplay improvements mentioned above, “as well as some other surprises we’re excited to talk about.”
What We Hope To See At E3
FIFA 19 felt great, and the addition of the officially licensed Champions League made for a slicker product. However, career mode was left sorely lacking. No major new features were added to the mode, with very few changes at all from the year prior. With that in mind, we’d love career mode to see a radical overhaul. Give us a proper scouting system, stadium developments, opposition reports, and a way to actually converse with players outside of contract negotiations. Talking of which, the option to pay for new players in installments is long overdue.
Elsewhere, the Ultimate Team community is gasping for more on what FIFA 20 will have in store for FUT, and from a selfish point of view, I’d love to see the English National League introduced. The license for England’s fifth tier would surely come relatively cheaply, and its addition would add another layer of authenticity to an already very lifelike ecosystem.
How Apple’s For All Mankind Connects to Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica
Apple is throwing its hat into the increasingly crowded streaming arena with Apple TV+. And where many current and upcoming services are driven by exclusive franchises (Star Wars, Pixar and Marvel on Disney+, The Lord of the Rings on Amazon’s Prime Video, etc.), Apple is banking instead on big-name creators. One of those creators is Ronald D. Moore, a driving force behind wildly popular shows like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the rebooted Battlestar Galactica and Outlander.
Apple has just released the first trailer for Moore’s new series, For All Mankind. While this new series is a departure for Moore in the sense that it isn’t an adaptation of a preexisting work, it’s already clear For All Mankind will be dealing with some familiar themes and conflicts. Read on for a breakdown of what For All Mankind is about and how it builds on the foundation of projects like Battlestar and Outlander.