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If you've got your eye on one or two new PC games on Steam this weekend, then we would recommend waiting just a few more days before opening your wallet. Unless a game on your wishlist is currently reduced in price, it's worth waiting until the Steam Autumn Sale, which begins in just a few days time. Featuring big discounts on hundreds of games, the annual Steam Autumn Sale has a November 27 start date and a 6pm GMT UK launch time. A highlight of the PC gaming calendar, the major Steam sale runs until December 4. It will be followed the equally huge Steam Winter Sale on December 19. While Valve is yet to announce any of the discounts coming to the Autumn sale, chances are if it's on your wishlist, it will be discounted. Even relatively new releases tend to receive discounts during the major sales, which means we could get money off anything from Black Myth Wukong to Shadow of the Erdtree. Daily Express will be back later this week with a full countdown to the Steam Autumn Sale, including early discounts announced by Valve. In the meantime, Steam users can still grab discounts on games like Quiet Place: The Road Ahead, Victoria 3 and Disney Dreamlight Valley. That's on top of a cut price deal for Diablo 4 expansion Vessel of Hatred, which is currently reduced to just £26.24. Hello! We're excited to announce that Steam Deck OLED: Limited Edition White will be available worldwide on November 18th, 2024 at 3PM PST. This model will cost $679 USD, and will be available in all Steam Deck shipping regions. Steam Deck OLED: Limited Edition White has all the... pic.twitter.com/ACKDwB6Sl7 To coincide with the Las Vegas Grand Prix this weekend, the Codemasters developed F1 24 is also reduced in price. Better yet, you can play F1 24 it for free to see if you like it , or at least you can if you hurry. From now until 8pm GMT UK time on November 24, F1 24 is free to download and play on PS5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One and PC via Steam. Anybody who plays F1 24 this weekend will also be pleased to hear that EA Sports is giving users Double Podium Pass XP, which makes it quicker and easier to unlock in-game rewards. Likewise, all players whether on the limited trial or not, will also receive a free Champions Livery, which is designed by artist "Lefty Out There" and is said to be inspired by Max Verstappen .

SINGAPORE: In November, two telecommunications cables were cut in the Baltic Sea in a span of 48 hours, prompting suspicions of "sabotage" and "hybrid warfare" . The severing was reportedly linked to a Chinese ship. Beijing has said it's ready to assist in the investigation, while Russia has denied involvement. A similar incident occurred last year when a Chinese vessel damaged - in a post-facto admission - an undersea data cable connecting Estonia to Sweden. Since 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, there have been at least three incidents of possible sabotage to the dozens of telecommunication cables that run along the Baltic seabed. What are subsea or undersea cables? They are fibre-optic lines laid on the ocean floor, to transmit multiple terabits of data per second between continents. They are said to be as thick as garden hoses, with diameters ranging from 2cm to 5cm or more, depending on whether there's additional protective armour. According to TeleGeography, a telecommunications market research company, there are more than 600 active and planned cables globally. These cables are typically designed to last at least 25 years. They were traditionally owned and operated by telecommunication carriers forming consortiums with parties interested in using the cables. Over time, more private companies have invested in the infrastructure and today, the big tech likes of Meta, Google, Microsoft and Amazon are either individually or jointly operating subsea cables. Why are they important? Subsea cables are seen as critical information and telecommunications technology. Often described as the "backbone of the global internet", they can carry more than 99 per cent of the world's data traffic, including email, webpages and video calls. They also transmit more data at a lower cost compared to satellites. Sensitive government communications also rely heavily on subsea infrastructure, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The United States-based think-tank also noted that subsea cables have helped increase access to high-speed internet worldwide, and thus fuelled economic growth. How is a cable installed, and what happens when it's cut? First, seabed surveys are conducted to map out routes for the cables. A specially-rigged ship then carefully unspools and lays out the cable. Cables nearer to shores are buried under the seabed for protection from fishing trawlers or anchors. But in the deep sea, they are laid directly on the seabed. Damage to subsea cables is relatively common, with up to 150 severed each year, mostly from fishing equipment or anchors, said CSIS. The impact can vary. A BBC report noted that many countries have more cables than what's minimally required, so even if some are damaged, they can still rely on the others. However there are times when internet service can be disrupted due to cable cuts, as was the case in East Africa in May. Apart from physical armour, electronic monitoring systems are also used to safeguard cables. The systems can detect changes or anomalies in the seabed environment and alert operators of potential harm, CSIS noted. Why are disruptions happening more frequently? It's more the case that there's now more attention on these incidents due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and tensions in the Taiwan Strait, said Ms Asha Hemrajani, a senior fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS). All the same, such geopolitical tensions across multiple hotspots are likely a key factor in some recent subsea cable disruptions, she said. Ms Hemrajani cited examples such as the Taiwan's outlying Matsu Islands, which had its internet cables severed by Chinese ships early in 2023. Then there is also the technology rivalry between the US and China, with mistrust spilling over to other key sectors including subsea cables, she noted. Other hotspots include parts of Europe, as well as the Middle East. Long-simmering tensions in the South China Sea - most of which Beijing claims - have also affected subsea cables, particularly the process of laying them out. For example, the shortest route for a cable from Singapore and Japan would be through the massive body of water. "But various cable operators have mentioned that it’s been getting difficult to get permits from China to lay the cables," said Ms Hemrajani. "The Chinese government has been particularly slow in giving these permits - slow to the degree that some companies have selected alternate routes." This increases the time and cost of laying the subsea cables. A longer route also means lower speeds, she added. What are global efforts to protect the cables? There are several international organisations in this space. The International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC), for one, was founded back in 1958. It has more than 230 member organisations from over 70 countries, who build, operate and maintain submarine telecommunications and power cable infrastructure. The ICPC also recently joined forces with the International Telecommunication Union to launch a global advisory board, shortly after the Baltic Sea incident. At a United Nations General Assembly in September, a joint statement was also issued to declare collective commitment to the security and resilience of undersea cable infrastructure. Recommendations included encouraging operators to have transparent ownership and partnerships. "China believes these particular statements are a way to suppress Chinese companies which operate in the undersea cable space," said Ms Hemrajani. She added that this was an important statement for Singapore - which endorsed it - and its status as an open economy highly connected to the rest of the world. What's at stake for Southeast Asia? Undersea cables have become increasingly valuable - and vulnerable - for countries in Southeast Asia, said Ms Elina Noor, a senior fellow in the Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think-tank. She wrote in a research paper that by virtue of its geographical location, Southeast Asia is a key node in the web of undersea cables around the world, and acts as a communications gateway to North America and Africa. By 2025, an estimated 10 major cable projects in and around Southeast Asia are due to come online to meet growing bandwidth demand. Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore have been ramping up efforts to boost their subsea cable capabilities. Malaysia currently has 29 submarine cable networks, including those under construction, and six cable landing stations. By next year, it aims to have the most cables landing in Southeast Asia, according to the Malaysian Investment Development Authority. Earlier this year, Vietnam also unveiled a plan to construct at least 10 new undersea cable routes by 2030, bringing its total to 15. As of 2023, Singapore had 26 subsea cables landed across three sites, with plans underway to double the number of sites and add more cables. What are challenges faced by Singapore? An RSIS policy report published in May noted that Singapore was "geographically disadvantaged" in efforts to protect its cables, by virtue of it being unable to claim the full suite of maritime zones afforded to it under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea due to proximity with neighbours Indonesia and Malaysia. Another significant risk to cables serving Singapore is from damage that occurs in spaces under the sovereignty or jurisdiction of other states, said the paper, which counts Ms Hemrajani among its four expert authors. The report recommended that Singapore designate cables and landing stations as critical information infrastructure (CII), and for companies operating these to be designated as CII service providers. They would then need to notify authorities of any break in service due to deliberate vandalism, acts of war or accidental damage. Other suggestions included improving cooperation between agencies, as well as partnerships through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN. "Effective protection of subsea cables requires both regional and international cooperation, and cannot be done by Singapore alone," the experts wrote.AP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:25 p.m. EST

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — After losing to San Francisco in the playoffs three of the last five seasons, the Green Bay Packers wouldn’t mind seeing the 49ers get left out of the postseason entirely. The Packers (7-3) could damage San Francisco’s playoff hopes Sunday by beating the 49ers at Lambeau Field. San Francisco (5-5) dropped to .500 after losing at home to the Seattle Seahawks, though the 49ers remain just a game behind the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC West. “I think we’re motivated to keep winning more than anything,” Packers center Josh Myers said. “Obviously, they have knocked us out quite a bit. There’s that extra motivation behind it, but at this point, we’re just trying to churn out wins.” The 49ers will be playing this game without starting quarterback Brock Purdy, who injured his right shoulder in the Seahawks game. Although an MRI showed no structural damage, Purdy's shoulder didn't improve as the week wore on. Brandon Allen will start in Purdy's place. Green Bay is third in the NFC North and two games behind the Detroit Lions, but the Packers appear on track to at least earn a wild-card playoff berth. History suggests their path to a potential Super Bowl would get much clearer if the 49ers aren’t standing in their way. The 49ers trailed 21-14 in the fourth quarter before rallying to beat the Packers 24-21 in the divisional playoffs last year on Christian McCaffrey’s 6-yard touchdown run with 1:07 left. Now, it’s the 49ers who are struggling to protect late leads, as they’ve blown fourth-quarter advantages in three games against divisional opponents. “You could look at, ‘Hey, we’re three possessions away from being 8-2,’ but you can’t really live like that,” 49ers tight end George Kittle said. “Those are the mistakes that we’ve made to be 5-5. It’s not exactly where we want to be. It is frustrating. The nice thing is we have seven games left to go out there and play Niners football and take advantage of those opportunities.” Green Bay’s recent history of playoff frustration against the 49ers also includes a 13-10 loss at Lambeau Field in the 2021 divisional playoffs and a 37-20 road defeat in the 2019 NFC championship game. Even the Packers players who weren’t around for last season’s playoff loss realize what this game means. “I think one of the first meetings that I was in here, we had a conversation about the Niners beating us,” said Green Bay safety Xavier McKinney, who joined the Packers this season. “So I understand how important it is, and we all do.” Red-zone concerns Both teams must figure out how to convert red-zone opportunities into touchdowns. The 49ers are scoring touchdowns on just 48.8% of their drives inside an opponent’s 20-yard line to rank 27th in the NFL. The Packers are slightly worse in that regard, scoring touchdowns on 48.7% of their red-zone possessions to rank 28th. In their 20-19 victory at Chicago on Sunday, Green Bay drove to the Bears 5 without scoring on two separate series. Injury issues Purdy isn't the only notable player who won't be participating in Sunday's game. San Francisco won't have four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Nick Bosa available after he hurt his left hip and oblique against the Seahawks. Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander (knee) and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (hamstring) also have been ruled out. Kittle expects to play for the 49ers on Sunday after missing the Seahawks game with a hamstring injury. 49ers left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) is questionable. Seeking takeaways Green Bay’s defense feasted on turnovers the first part of the season, but hasn’t been as effective in getting those takeaways lately. The Packers have 19 takeaways – already exceeding their 2023 total – but haven’t forced any turnovers in their last two games. Heavy load 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan hasn’t eased McCaffrey back into the lineup in his return after missing the first eight games with Achilles tendinitis. McCaffrey has played 91% of the 49ers’ offensive snaps the past two weeks. Jordan Mason, who rushed for 685 yards during McCaffrey’s absence, has just five snaps on offense the last two games. Shanahan said he’d like to get Mason more opportunities, but it’s hard to take McCaffrey off the field. Delivering on third down Green Bay nearly lost to the Bears because of its third-down struggles on both sides of the ball. The Packers were 1 of 5 on third-down opportunities, while the Bears went 9 of 16. The Packers’ defense could have a tough time correcting that problem against San Francisco, which has converted 45.4% of its third-down situations to rank fourth in the league. ___ AP Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow contributed to this report. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL Steve Megargee, The Associated Press

Suriname's government announced Saturday that the small South American nation will not hold a state funeral for its ex-president Desi Bouterse, who this week died a fugitive from justice aged 79. Current President Chan Santokhi "has decided, based on his powers and advice received, that there will be no state funeral... No period of national mourning," Foreign Minister Albert Ramdin told a press conference. Bouterse was a former military man who twice mounted coups, in 1980 and again in 1990, to take charge as a dictator. He eventually returned to power after being elected president in 2010 and governed for a decade. He died Tuesday in the unknown location where he had been holed up as a fugitive, with in-absentia convictions for cocaine trafficking and murder. Bouterse's body was dropped off at his residence in the capital Paramaribo. An autopsy was ordered, though police said there were "no signs of criminal activity." Bouterse had been sentenced to 20 years in prison in December 2023 for the 1982 execution of political opponents, including lawyers, journalists, businessmen and military prisoners. He remained a popular figure with the poor and working class in the former Dutch colony. The foreign minister said that, out of respect for Bouterse's status as an elected former president, flags would be flown at half-staff on government buildings on the day of his funeral, whose date has not yet been given. str-jt/rmb/acb

The man charged with brazenly gunning down a top health insurance CEO in New York carried a handwritten manifesto of grievances against the industry, police said Tuesday, giving a possible motive for the first time. Luigi Mangione, 26, yelled and struggled with officers as he was led into court in Pennsylvania, wearing an orange jumpsuit, for a hearing on extraditing him back to New York. He is accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson on a Manhattan street last week, triggering a nationwide manhunt that ended Monday when he was recognized at a McDonald’s restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The suspect, who attended the elite University of Pennsylvania and reportedly comes from a wealthy family, could be heard shouting “unjust” and “an insult to the intelligence of the American people” as officers bundled him out of a car and into court. The revelation of a manifesto carried by Mangione appears to back up the theory that he was angered by the complex and at times dysfunctional US healthcare system. “I had an opportunity to read the manifesto,” the New York Police Department’s Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said on the Good Morning America TV show. “It’s handwritten. He does make some indication that he’s frustrated with the healthcare system in the United States.” Kenny said Mangione decried how the US health care system is among the most expensive in the world and yet the country has a lower life expectancy than other developed nations. “He was writing a lot about his disdain for corporate American and in particular the health care industry,” said Kenny. The New York criminal complaint alleges Mangione was found with “written admissions about the crime” but contains no further detail. Police have not confirmed reports the words “delay” and “deny” – language used by insurers to reject claims – were written on bullet casings found at the scene. Related News Google removes negative McDonald's review after murder suspect’s arrest China's Xi warns of 'no winners' in trade war with US Man arrested for killing health insurance executive in New York – Suspect ‘shaking’ – Investigators have continued to interrogate Mangione over last week’s murder which triggered global headlines and sent shockwaves through the American business sector. He appeared at a Pennsylvania court wearing a dark sweatshirt late Monday and was led inside by Altoona police, flanked by New York detectives. Mangione was later charged in New York on suspicion of one count of murder, two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and other offenses. He is next due to appear in court on December 23, and has yet to enter a plea. The suspect was apprehended by officers following a tip from staff at the McDonald’s, where he was found wearing a mask and a beanie while using a laptop, and gave officers a fake ID, charging documents show. They then searched him and found what police called a “ghost gun” capable of firing 9mm rounds and equipped with a suppressor that could have been made on a 3D printer. When officers asked if he had been to New York recently, Mangione “became quiet and started to shake,” according to the criminal complaint. One of the fake IDs found was one used to check in to a Manhattan hostel ahead of the attack, police said. Mangione appeared to have health issues, living with serious back pain and undergoing surgery for the condition last year, according to a New York Times report quoting friends. A photo on what appeared to be one of his social media accounts featured an X-ray of a spine with a medical implant. AFP