BMW electrifies 5 Series with powerful i5 electric sedan
BMW will roll out at least four variants of the all-electric i5 midsize sedan as it expands drivetrains as part of a redesign of the eighth-generation 5 Series family.
The i5, which will compete against luxury battery-electric cars including the Mercedes EQE, was unveiled Wednesday along with a combustion engine sibling, the 2024 5 Series sedan.
The retooled sedan is 3.4 inches longer, 1.3 inches wider, and 1.4 inches taller than the outgoing model, with a wheelbase increased by 0.8 inches to 117.9 inches, helping to improve seating comfort, notably in the rear, BMW said.
The battery-electric i5 variants will be:
- The i5 M60 xDrive sedan will become the flagship 5 Series model with 590 hp and a 0-to-60 mph acceleration time of 3.7 seconds and 256 miles of range.
- The Entry i5 eDrive40 rear-wheel-drive sedan, with 335 hp and 295 miles of range.
- An i5 station wagon to be sold in Europe.
- An all-wheel-drive i5 sedan model that will launch in 2024.
The retooled 5 Series and new i5 sedan, assembled in Dingolfing, Germany, will go on sale globally in October, BMW said.
The 5 series, dating to 1972, is a core model in BMW's U.S. car lineup. It was the No. 2 seller, after the Lexus ES, among luxury midsize cars in 2022, with sales of 20,859, down 15 percent.
The 2024 i5 has an 84.3-kilowatt-hour battery pack and a driving range of 296 to 361 miles under Europe’s WLTP testing regime.
The charging unit in the i5 enables Level 2 AC charging up to 11 kW. When connected to a DC fast charger, the charging rate of 205 kW allows the i5 battery to be topped off to 80 percent from 10 percent in about 30 minutes. BMW said first-time owners of the i5 will receive two years of complimentary 30-minute charging sessions at Electrify America DC fast-charging locations.
The i5’s range can be also moderated by activating a new drive system function, what BMW is calling Max Range, to help alleviate range anxiety. When the car is in Max Range mode, drive power and top speed are restricted and comfort functions are adjusted to conserve battery power.
The i5 is part of BMW’s broader technology push with the latest 5 Series, which features new infotainment, advanced driving systems and connected services aimed to position the car as a high-tech rival to the latest Mercedes E-Class.
The 5 Series and i5 have a curved display across the top of the dashboard that incorporates a 12.3-inch screen in front of the driver and a 14.9-inch touchscreen in the center of the dashboard.
BMW said that occupants can now watch YouTube videos on the screen when the car is stationary, providing they have optioned the right connectivity package. They can also play games thanks to a tie-up with gaming platform AirConsole.
Running below and to the side of the display is an Interaction Bar combining touch-sensitive controls and lights that can be animated to give messages, for example to indicate an incoming phone call or show when it’s safe to open the door.
BMW said it reduced interior buttons on the car, but retained those needed “for fast and intuitive operation,” according to a statement.
Source- Automotive News
Beyonce and Jagger lead tributes to Tina Turner
Celebrities and fans have paid tribute to Tina Turner, the soul star behind hits like The Best and What's Love Got to Do With It, who has died aged 83.
Beyoncé said she was the "epitome of passion and power", while Sir Mick Jagger called her a "wonderful friend" and "enormously talented" performer.
Turner was also praised by Mariah Carey and Oprah Winfrey as a "survivor" who overcame years of domestic abuse.
The Obamas praised her for "singing her truth through joy and pain".
They were joined by current US President Joe Biden, who noted that Turner had started life as a farmer's daughter and hailed her "once-in-a-generation talent".
Beyoncé performs with Tina Turner at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. February 10, 2008.
The singer's death was announced on Wednesday by her publicist. No cause was given, but she had suffered a number of health issues in recent years, including a stroke and kidney disease.
Known as the Queen of Rock and Roll, she was a firebrand on the stage and one of the most unforgettable vocalists of her generation.
She embarked on her singing career in the 1950s and found fame with the Ike Turner Revue, before re-emerging as a solo star in the 1980s.
US singer Gloria Gaynor said Turner "paved the way for so many women in rock music, black and white".
"She did with great dignity and success what very few would even have dared to do in her time and in that genre of music. "
Another contemporary, Diana Ross, said she was "shocked" and "saddened" by Turner's death; while Dionne Warwick remembered her as an "eternal ball of energy".
Mick Jagger, who often collaborated with Turner, wrote on Twitter: "I'm so saddened by the passing of my wonderful friend Tina Turner.
"She was truly an enormously talented performer and singer. She was inspiring, warm, funny, and generous. She helped me so much when I was young and I will never forget her."
Tina Turner and Mick Jagger rehearse their duet for the upcoming Live Aid concert at JFK Stadium on July 12, 1985, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Sir Elton John called Turner a "total legend on record and on stage".
He said: "We have lost one of the world's most exciting and electric performers... She was untouchable."
Welsh star Dame Shirley Bassey recalled how Turner "really gave it her everything and was a fantastic performer", and US Government space agency Nasa added: Simply the best. Music legend Tina Turner sparkled across the stage and into millions of hearts as the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll. Her legacy will forever live among the stars."
Born in Tennessee and raised in the church, Turner basically elbowed her way into rock 'n' roll and rose to fame in the 1960s.
When Ike Turner refused to give her an audition, she waited for the intermission in his show, grabbed a drummer's microphone, and let rip.
She sang with the band for the rest of the night, and soon got equal billing with Ike - later marrying her co-star.
"When Ike heard me, he said, 'My God!'" she told People magazine in 1981. "He couldn't believe that voice coming out of this frail little body."
They became one of the most watchable, combustible bands on the soul circuit; and many of their hits were covers of other people's material.
From Proud Mary to Get Back, via Whole Lotta Love, Turner made the songs her own, bringing an unforgettable rasp and a powerful female perspective to those rock and roll standards.
John Fogerty, the former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman who wrote Proud Mary, tweeted: "So deeply sad to hear about Tina Turner's passing… I loved her version of Proud Mary! It was different and fantastic. I was also so happy because she chose my song and it was her breakthrough record."
The star was left penniless after divorcing Ike Turner in the 1970s, but she went on to achieve even greater success as a solo artist, with hits including What's Love Got To Do With It, Let's Stay Together, The Best Steamy Windows, Private Dancer, and James Bond theme GoldenEye.
A number of Wednesday Night's tributes referred to her escape from her husband's abuse.
The charity Women's Aid was among those to quote one of Turner's songs, saying: "She will always be simply the best."
TV presenter Oprah Winfrey cited Turner's "courage", adding: "Her life became a clarion call for triumph."
In an effusive message, singer Mariah Carey called Turner not only an "incredible performer" but also a "survivor and an inspiration to women everywhere".
A photograph of Tina Turner adorned with flowers
Beyoncé, another younger star who was influenced by Turner, wrote on her website: "My beloved queen. I love you endlessly.
"I am so grateful for your inspiration, and all the ways you have paved the way. You are strong and resilient. You are the epitome of passion and power.
"We are all so fortunate to have witnessed your kindness and beautiful spirit that will forever remain. Thank you for all you have done."
Singer PP Arnold - who performed alongside Turner - told the BBC that the two women's relationship had "changed my life" and saved her from an abusive teen marriage.
Numerous other musicians including Janelle Monáe, Dolly Parton, Blondie's Debbie Harry, and Sir Tom Jones were quick to hail the late performer's achievements.
She won eight Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 2021 as a solo artist, having earlier been inducted alongside Ike.
Source- BBC
Three world titles in one night a disaster for boxing
Having three good world title fights in three different venues on one night is an absolute disaster for boxing.
It's about the worst thing that can happen in this sport, and I really mean that.
In Manchester, Nottingham's Leigh Wood challenges Mauricio Lara for the WBA featherweight title. In Bournemouth, Lawrence Okolie defends his WBO cruiserweight title against Chris Billam-Smith. And in Belfast, local hero Michael Conlan takes on reigning IBF featherweight champion Alberto Lopez.
You'd be happy to have three fights like this in the entire year.
You'd be delighted if you had these three fights in a couple of months.
To have them on one Saturday is quite ridiculous.
What's really amazing, is if you have a look at the boxing diary in the UK, the following weekends: 3 June, empty; 17 June, empty; 24 June, empty.
All six of the men in the three world fights have all been on 5 Live in the past 12 months. These are all big fights.
We use words like unique in boxing and overused. We talk about rare and overused. We talk about incredible nights, overused. But surely this night ticks all these boxes. It's never happened before and I hope it never happens again.
We've had clashes in the past in the UK.
We had a terrible situation in 2018 when Carl Frampton fought Josh Warrington in Manchester and Derek Chisora took on Dillian Whyte in London. Both pay-per-view fights, both on the Saturday before Christmas, 22 December. That was a disaster.
Both were sold out and both were guaranteed to be great fights, and they were great fights.
This is not even the first time this year we've had clashes and they seem to be happening more on a regular basis in recent times. But this is the first time in my lifetime we've had three world titles in three different locations in England and Northern Ireland in one night.
Who doesn't want to be in Bournemouth in the sunshine to watch Billam-Smith take on world champion Okolie at the Vitality Stadium?
Who doesn't want to be in Manchester to see if Wood can pull it off against Lara after coming so close the first time? And who in their right mind doesn't want to be in Belfast for Conlan to win a world title?
These are sell-your-granny fights, they really are. I can make a case for each of these events being monster events and they've been lumped together during a two-hour period in one night. It's madness.
How does this happen? It's a mixture of facts. All of the promoters are claiming they bagged the date first, like a kid in a playground. I don't really care who officially announced it first because behind the scenes we all knew they were bubbling. I dreaded having two of them on the same night, but three?
I work closely with every promoter and they will all mount a strong case as to why it's not their fault. They might all be innocent because that's the way in boxing. It's always someone else's fault. I just wish there had been some dialogue.
We don't need promoters to be friends, but we need at least some communication.
The British Boxing Board of Control of course can't do a thing. There is no official or unofficial way to have a word with the different promoters.
But this is not good, you need something in place to stop this and I hope something can be done to avoid it happening again.
For fans, it's terrible. There are hardcore fans that would have gone to each of those fights if they were on separate nights. I'm sure all these events can be sold out, but you're losing fans at the door no doubt.
Then you've got the fans watching at home. We've all seen the stuff on Twitter when there's a clash.
Fans will be watching one fight on their laptop and another on the TV. On Saturday night you'll need to get your phone out too. That's just not realistic, is it?
The last thing I want is for this to be lauded as a great night for fans watching on laptops and phones and TV.
These are great fights but this is a night of mayhem and anarchy and even if every show sells out, that is not a justification for this mess.
I do hear there is a plan for the Lopez-Conlan ring walk to start at 21:00 before Lara-Wood at 22:30. Which would be great news if there were only two fights on. It's just so frustrating for the fans, the media, and the fighters.
This is an injustice to the fighters too. All three of the cards have good undercards, none more than Terri Harper's hastily rearranged world title defense against Ivana Habazin in Manchester.
Usually, in fights like these, a star emerges. A proper star. None of the fighters involved on Saturday can claim to have the profile of Anthony Joshua or Katie Taylor.
But imagine if Billam-Smith survives an incredible war and stops Okolie late, but it gets lost because Conlan has been too smart for Lopez, or once again Wood has fallen short?
On a normal weekend, a big world title win elevates the fighter and dominates the headlines.
But now, no matter who wins, they will not get the full credit they deserve because of the mad cluster schedule.
Source- BBC
PM seeks to dispel 'misinformation' on his decision to forego salary increase
Prime Minister Andrew Holness is seeking to dispel what he describes as “misinformation” on his decision to relinquish his salary increase.
According to a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), there have been assertions to the effect that while Holness will not take the new salary as prime minister, the higher salaries for Cabinet ministers or a combination of members of parliament and ministers salaries would be applied.
But, the OPM noted that for “an abundance of clarity” Holness does not receive separate compensation as a member of parliament or as a Cabinet minister.
“The Prime Minister of Jamaica, who constitutionally must be an elected Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Cabinet, is also Minister responsible for the Office of the Prime Minister, Minister responsible for the Cabinet Office, and Minister responsible for the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation. For these discrete functions the prime minister receives only one salary,” the statement read.
It added that this is in keeping with the long-established principle of the Government of Jamaica, that individuals paid from the Consolidated Fund, shall only receive one salary, regardless of the number of discrete jobs or functions they perform.
Additionally, in cases where people hold multiple jobs or have discrete functions, the office holder would be compensated at the highest salary of the jobs or functions they hold.
Following public outcry, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has given up his massive salary increase that would have seen his pay balloon to $28.6 million in April 2024.
“I remain firm in my belief that adjustments are necessary to attract, retain and motivate the personnel with the caliber and skills required to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Government. However, considerations of the public sentiment towards politicians and concerns over equity cannot be overlooked,” Holness said.
He further stated that despite disquiet, Jamaica is better today for having a coherent, transparent, fair, and robust system of determining compensation. This has been talked about for decades, and my administration has gotten it done.”
Another question that has been raised is for how long the compensation of the prime minister would be removed from the new salary scale.
In response to this, the prime minister stated “This has broader implications for not only the current holder of the Office of Prime Minister, but previous holders of the office, and possibly future holders. A prime minister with a new mandate could always review the position.”
Source- JamaicaObserver
Twitter tech glitch hits campaign launch
Ron DeSantis's long-awaited entry into the 2024 race for the White House was hit by technical glitches after a Twitter livestream malfunctioned. It meant the Florida governor's bid for the Republican presidential nomination got underway 20 minutes late. He went on to use the event to champion his conservative credentials, his anti-lockdown stance, and education reforms. "I am running for president of the United States to lead our great American comeback," he said.
The Florida governor is viewed as former President Donald Trump's chief rival to be their party's candidate in the 2024 general election. Mr. DeSantis is a relative newcomer in US politics, having first been elected to the House of Representatives in 2012. Just six years later in 2018 - after a failed bid to become a senator - he was elected governor of Florida. He has overseen the enactment of high-profile laws that make it easier to own a gun, restrict sex and gender identity education in schools, and curtail abortion access. He has claimed that this "Florida Blueprint" can act as a guide for federal policies, one that would move the US in a sharply conservative direction. He joins a growing list of contenders seeking to unseat Mr. Trump, who leads the Republican field by more than 30 points in national opinion polls.
By the time Wednesday evening's Twitter talk had begun in earnest, hundreds of thousands of Twitter users had left the platform. Since Mr. Musk took the reins at Twitter in October, he has laid off thousands of employees, including engineers responsible for the site's operations and technical troubleshooting. Mr DeSantis's team worked quickly to spin the technical stumbles, writing on Twitter that the announcement had broken "the internet with so much excitement", and posting a link to the campaign website.
His press secretary Bryan Griffin claimed the online event had raised $1m (£808,000) in an hour. At one point, the Twitter event drew more than 600,000 listeners, according to Reuters news agency figures, but by its conclusion, there were fewer than 300,000. The BBC's interview with Elon Musk last month drew more than three million listeners on Twitter Spaces.
Once underway, Mr. DeSantis turned the conversation to his conservative credentials, touting his handling of the Covid-19 crisis in his state - an anti-lockdown approach applauded by many Republicans. He defended his reforms of Florida's education system, saying his state "chose facts over fear, education over indoctrination, law and order over rioting and disorder".
Later, speaking on Fox News, Mr DeSantis outlined more specific pledges including declaring an emergency at the country's southern border on day one in the White House. He also pledged to fire FBI Director Christopher Wray, a Trump appointee, and slash President Joe Biden's "anti-American energy policies".
Earlier on Wednesday, Mr. DeSantis confirmed he would seek the Republican presidential nomination, registering with the Federal Election Commission before releasing a stylized announcement video. "Our border is a disaster, crime infests our cities... and the president flounders," he says in the video. "But decline is a choice, success is attainable, and freedom is worth fighting for." Mr. Trump and his campaign greeted Mr. DeSantis's much-anticipated arrival into the 2024 field with a barrage of emails and posts to Truth Social, the former president's social media platform.
Soon after the governor told Mr. Musk he would study the US Constitution to "see what buttons can I push" to invoke executive authority, Mr. Trump released a statement addressing Mr. DeSantis directly. "'Rob,' My Red Button is bigger, better, stronger, and is working (TRUTH!), yours does not! (per my conversation with Kim Jung Un, of North Korea, soon to become my friend!)," Mr Trump wrote.
The latest survey from Morning Consult - published last week, before Mr. DeSantis's announcement - has him a distant second behind Mr. Trump, with a 38-point margin.
Through a lengthy primary process beginning early next year, Republican voters will decide which candidate will face President Joe Biden, a Democrat, in the November 2024 general election.
And Florida's last legislative session cleared a potential "resign-to-run" hurdle for Mr. DeSantis's candidacy after it passed a bill that ensures he does not have to leave the governor's mansion to run for the presidency.
Mr. DeSantis will also have the benefit of a formidable war chest. At the end of last month, he had $88m (£71m) in a fund left over from his Florida re-election campaign that can be transferred to his White House bid.
He also reportedly has about $30m controlled by an independent committee that his allies can use to support his campaign. Mr. Trump, by contrast, reported a combined $18.8m in fundraising over the first three months of 2023.
Mr. DeSantis is expected to tap Generra Peck to serve as his campaign manager. Ms. Peck, Mr. DeSantis's top political adviser, led the daily operations of the governor's 2022 re-election campaign, guiding him to a nearly 20-point victory.
And hiring is already underway for DeSantis campaign bases in at least 18 states, according to reporting from the Associated Press and the New York Times.
Source- BBC
Netflix expands password sharing crackdown to UK
Netflix has started its long-promised crackdown on password sharing in major markets including the UK and the US.
A Netflix subscription in the UK can cost anything between £4.99 to £15.99 per month.
The streaming giant said it was notifying customers that they must pay an additional £4.99 per month, or $7.99 in the US if they want to share their account outside their homes.
The move is intended to boost subscribers.
But in some countries where it has already been trialled, some are baulking at the expense.
In Spain, when it started charging 5.99 euros (£5.27) for an additional account, it lost more than a million subscribers in the first three months of the year, according to Kantar.
On Tuesday Netflix sent an email about sharing accounts to customers in 103 countries and territories including Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Mexico and Singapore.
The company previously warned investors there would be cancellations as it expands its programme, but said: "Longer term, paid sharing will ensure a bigger revenue base from which we can grow as we improve our service".
In Canada, where the changes were introduced in February, its paid membership base is now larger than it was before the changes, and revenue growth picked up, it said previously.
Netflix had previously estimated that more than 100 million households share passwords despite this being against its official rules.
The company wants to tap into this audience to make more money, as its subscriber growth slows and increased competition challenges its dominance of the streaming market.
Heavyweights such as Disney and Amazon have weighed in with their own services, and Netflix has a host of other rivals.
These entertainment giants are vying for customers, many of whom have been under pressure from the soaring pace of general price rises.
Netflix has been trying to tempt users with a less expensive streaming option with ads and cut prices in 116 countries in the three months to March.
It has also been expanding its paid sharing programme, which it started trialling in some countries last year.
The move to notify customers brings the scheme to some of the company's most important markets.
Netflix has 233 million subscribers globally.
Source- BBC
Nato watches Russian 'Zombies' in Estonia
In a cramped crew room, in a building just next to the runway of the Amari airbase in Estonia, the television is showing old episodes of Friends.
Feet up on the table, coffee mugs in hand, a bit of casual banter crisscrosses the room. On the TV screen, Rachel is just back from the hairdresser, Ross is upset about something. Then an airman appears around the doorway and announces calmly: "Zombie heading north out of Kaliningrad."
Instantly people are on their feet and moving next door to the Operations Room, where screens and digital maps marked "Nato Secret" flicker with streams of incoming data.
This is the Quick Reaction Force for Operation Azotize, Nato's Baltic Air Policing mission that guards the alliance's north-east borders where Russian aircraft regularly probe the boundaries of Nato territory.
Since April, the RAF's IX Squadron of Typhoon fighter jets has taken over the mission lead from Germany's historically-named Richthofen Squadron.
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has forced the Nato military alliance to focus on securing its eastern borders. The aim is simple: to deter Russia from invading anywhere else, specifically a Nato country like one of the three Baltic states or Poland.
"Zombie" is code for a Russian aircraft acting suspiciously.
"That can usually be any one of three things," explains Wing Cdr Scott Maccoll from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland. "Either it won't have filed a flight plan, or they're not squawking [communicating] or they're simply not responding to Air Traffic Control. Sometimes it's all three."
In this case, it turns out to be a false alarm as the Zombie turns north and away from Nato's borders.
Estonia's Amari airbase, where the Typhoons are based, used to be a Cold War Soviet Airforce site, and in the nearby forest, there is still a cemetery where Soviet pilots are buried along with the tailplanes of their old MiG-15s and MiG-17s.
Today the mission for these Nato pilots is both complicated and relentless. With Finland now joining Nato, the Baltic Sea is bordered by seven members of the Western alliance, soon to be eight when the way is cleared for Sweden to join.
But Russia still has two strategic footholds in the Baltic: its second city of St Petersburg to the east and its exclave of Kaliningrad, the former Prussian city of Konigsberg and its hinterland, a place now bristling with missiles and other military hardware.
Russian Su-27 Flanker fighters, Airborne Command and Control aircraft, and cargo planes all fly continually up and down the Baltic between those two bases and beyond, keeping Nato's air forces constantly on their toes.
"So we could be sat there, feet up on the table, having a cup of coffee, and then the next minute the alarm sounds," says one of the younger Typhoon pilots, who asks not to be named.
"We respond to any alarm as if it's the real deal. So we run to the aircraft, don our kit, get the engines going, strapped in, speak to the Tower, speak to Operations on the radios, get our clearance and then we taxi out and get airborne as quick as we can."
Inside the hangars, another pilot approaches one of the Typhoons. They're armed and "on state", ready to scramble if needed.
Wing Cdr Rich Leask points to a long, sleek missile fixed to the side of the fuselage. "This is the Meteor," he says. "It's been in service operationally since 2018. At the front end, it's got its own radar seeker head, at the rear it's got its own propulsion with a Ramjet."
Other, smaller missiles designed for short-range dogfights in the air sit menacingly on the wingtips.
So what actually happens when pilots get up close with these Russian Zombies? Presumably, nobody wants to start losing off missiles and set off World War Three?
"Our role here is to protect Nato airspace," replies Wing Cdr Maccoll, adding cryptically "our Rules of Engagement are classified".
Another pilot is slightly more forthcoming. "We don't know what aircraft we're going to go and intercept. So we pull up alongside, we identify the aircraft and then we get further words, further mission sets from the Ops Centre and we respond to what they tell us to do."
What I do know is that these RAF pilots take a lot of photographs of the Zombies, good ones too, as they come up alongside and escort them past Nato airspace.
"We have conducted eight interception missions," says Wing Cdr Maccoll. "All of those have been against Russian aircraft… We've been doing Baltic air policing for a number of years but there's no doubt that Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine last year has changed the dynamic here."
Things have changed on the ground, too, where there is a new urgency to put in place enough land forces to deter any future Russian incursion.
Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, who grew up as a child in the Soviet Union, tells me she has no doubt that if President Putin's invasion of Ukraine were to eventually succeed then it would only be a matter of time before he turned his attention to the Baltic states.
As part of Nato's policy of "enhanced forward presence" in those Baltic states and Poland, there is a British-led multinational Battle Group based at Tapa in northern Estonia. Challenger 2 main battle tanks, Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, Wildcat and Apache helicopters, and even a Company of French Foreign Legionnaires are all intended to act as a deterrent to any moves by Moscow.
"Nato's challenge here in the Baltics," says Brig Giles Harris, who commands Operation Cabrit, Britain's contribution in Estonia, "is to deter Russia without escalating."
The numbers, though, are tiny compared to the vast forces that Russia can muster across the border in normal times. There has been a reluctant admission that Nato's deterrent force in Estonia would essentially act as a "tripwire", triggering rapid reinforcement while Russian forces advanced westwards.
Does Nato have enough forces in place?
"The Battle Groups [in the Baltics] should be enough of a deterrent," says Brig Harris. "If that fails then we're done.
"If Russia invades, then we go east and fight them."
Source- BBC
LeBron James considers LA Lakers future
LeBron James says he has "a lot to think about" after the Los Angeles Lakers were knocked out of the NBA playoffs by the Denver Nuggets.
The Lakers were beaten 4-0 in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals by the Denver Nuggets.
It leaves the Lakers without a trophy for the third consecutive season, while James' post-game comments have fuelled talk he could be set to retire.
"We'll see what happens going forward. I don't know," said James, 38.
"I've got a lot to think about, to be honest."
The star forward is arguably the biggest name in the sport after 20 seasons in the league, during which time he has set numerous records.
The four-time NBA champion won two titles with the Miami Heat before leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to the only NBA title in their history in 2016.
He then guided the Lakers to the 2020 crown - the fourth time he was named Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP).
The two-time Olympic champion has also won four regular season MVP titles and appeared in the NBA Finals 10 times.
In February, he became the NBA's all-time leading scorer, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's long-standing record of 38,387, set in 1989.
But after Monday's defeat, in which he scored 31 points in the first half and finished with 40 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists, he described the season as "challenging".
"I don't know. I think it was OK. I don't like to say it's a successful year because I don't play for anything besides winning championships at this point in my career," he said.
"I don't get a kick out of making a conference [finals] appearance. I've done it, a lot. And it's not fun to me to not be able to be a part of getting to the Finals.
"For me, it's all about availability for me and keeping my mind sharp and things of that nature, being present on the floor, being present in the locker room and bus rides and plane rides, things of that nature. It's challenging.
"But we'll see. We'll see. We'll see what happens going forward."
James signed a two-year contract extension with the Lakers last August to keep him at the club through the 2024-2025 season.
He has long said that he wants to extend his career in order to play with or against his eldest son Bronny, who will play college basketball next season at the University of Southern California and who could conceivably enter the NBA in time for the 2024-2025 campaign.
Speaking to the BBC's Newsday program, The Athletic's LA Lakers reporter Jovan Buha said James was "definitely hinting" at retirement.
"It was unprompted LeBron. He was asked to reflect on his season from an individual perspective and then trailed off to 'we will see' and 'I have a lot to think about'," said Buha.
"It was definitely hinting at retirement even if he didn't say it outright. I think it's really surprising because everything we have heard over the last year has been the opposite, where the talk has been about LeBron playing multiple years from now.
"Obviously he wants to play with or against his son Bronny James, who is going to USC and trying to make the NBA, so for LeBron to be saying that really came as a shock to many people.
"I don't think he's going to retire. There is so much evidence to the contrary that to me, maybe this was just a moment where he was venting and sharing his thoughts in real-time."
Source- BBC
Honda will become Aston Martin F1 team's engine partner
Aston Martin will be Honda’s sole Formula One engine partnership as teams are required to use more sustainable powerplants from 2026.
Honda Motor Co. will return to Formula One racing by supplying engines to Aston Martin's F1 team starting in 2026 and competing as Aston Martin Aramco Honda.
Honda officially withdrew from F1 in 2021 but the automaker has continued to provide engines to current world champions Red Bull, who have already announced a deal with Ford from 2026.
The start of the partnership will coincide with new F1 rules that require engines to be up to 50 percent electric and for cars to use fully-sustainable ethanol as fuel.
Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe said F1's push for sustainability is in line with the company's carbon neutrality goals.
"The key for winning will be a compact, lightweight, and high-power electric motor with a high-performance battery capable of handling high and swift power output, as well as the energy management technology," he said.
"We believe that the technologies and know-how gained from this new challenge can potentially be applied directly to our future mass production electric vehicles, such as an electric flagship sports model, and electrification technologies in various areas," Mibe added.
"The partnership with Honda is the final piece in the jigsaw to establish Aston Martin Formula 1 as a top team capable of winning world titles," Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll said at a briefing at Honda’s Tokyo headquarters on Wednesday.
"We need to exploit every single area of our technical package and now a bespoke PU (power unit) is the important last step in that journey," he said.
Stroll has invested heavily, building a new factory and wind tunnel and recruiting top staff from rival teams while also attracting significant title sponsorship from Cognizant and Saudi Aramco.
Renault-owned Alpine, Audi, Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG High-Performance Powertrains, and Red Bull Ford will be the other engine manufacturers from 2026.
Honda Racing Corp. President Koji Watanabe said the manufacturer had no plans to supply power units to other teams.
Honda's association with F1 stretches almost 60 years, from engine supplier to fully-fledged team. In 2021, Max Verstappen won the Drivers' Championship for Red Bull Racing Honda. Prior to that success, Honda had a short-lived partnership with McLaren from 2015 to 2017.
Source- Automotive News
Apple strikes major US-made semiconductor deal
Apple says it has struck a multi-billion dollar deal with chipmaker Broadcom to use more US-made parts.
Under the multi-year agreement, the two US companies will develop components for 5G devices that will be designed and manufactured in America.
Apple says the deal is part of a plan it announced in 2021 to invest $430bn (£346bn) in the US economy.
The move comes as a trade row centered on the technology industry intensifies between Washington and Beijing.
The long-running dispute has seen the US impose a series of measures against China's chip-making industry and invest billions of dollars to boost America's semiconductor sector.
In recent months, US tech giants have come under increased scrutiny from both Democrat and Republican lawmakers over their reliance on Chinese manufacturers and components.
Apple has been gradually diversifying its supply chains, with more of its devices now made in countries like India and Vietnam.
Last year, it said that it will buy semiconductors from a factory being built in the US state of Arizona by Taiwanese chipmaking giant TSMC.
In 2022, Apple also announced plans to make the iPhone 14 in India, a significant milestone in the company's strategy to diversify manufacturing outside of China.
The move expanded the company's Indian manufacturing operations - it has been making iPhones in the southern state of Tamil Nadu since 2017.
Last month, Apple launched its first Indian retail stores - in the financial hub Mumbai and the country's capital Delhi.
Under the latest deal, which expands the iPhone maker's existing relationship with Broadcom, components for Apple devices will be designed and built in Colorado and other parts of the US.
"We're thrilled to make commitments that harness the ingenuity, creativity, and innovative spirit of American manufacturing," Apple's chief executive Tim Cook said in a statement.
Tensions between the US and China have escalated in recent months.
Earlier this week, China said products made by US memory chip giant Micron Technology were a national security risk, in Beijing's first major move against a US chip maker.
The country's cyberspace regulator announced on Sunday that America's biggest maker of memory chips poses "serious network security risks".
Source- BBC