Features

Introduced in 2016 and subtly revised in 2019, the S5 Coupe bridges the gap between the refined garden-variety A5 coupe and fire-breathing RS5 spiritual successor to the Ingolstadt automaker’s defining Audi Quattro. Akin to a modern revival of the 1980s icon’s more toned down Coupe Quattro sister model, the S5 is nevertheless more powerful than either classic. A stylish, sleek and sensationally swift lower slung two-door complement to Audi’s accomplished A4 compact premium saloon range, the S5 is probably the most well-rounded, practical and accessible car in its class.

Built on the same basic platform, the S5 also incorporates more lightweight aluminium intensive body construction for a reduced weight than its predecessor, and features optimised underbody covers and active grille shutters for enhanced aerodynamic efficiency. With a longer bonnet, wider body and shorter front overhang the current S5 has an unmistakably sportier demeanour than its predecessor. Crisp, clean and uncomplicated with its elegant yet defined creases and wavy flank line, its design clarity is completed with a level waistline, flowing roofline, short pert boot and slim rear lights.

Eager and assertive

First introduced with a more assertive design featuring bigger air intakes, broader hexagonal single-frame grille, and slimmer, more squinting LED headlights than its predecessor, the face-lifted S5 further ups the ante with sportier re-styled bumpers, lighting elements and intakes. It also adopts a slightly shorter grille with a more aggressive black honeycomb mesh rather than the pre-facelift version’s horizontal metallic slats. Under its ridged bonnet, the updated S5’s 3-litre V6 TFSI engine goes virtually unchanged, with its single twin-scroll turbocharger providing improved efficiency over its preceding generation’s supercharged engine.

Developing 349BHP at a wide 5,400-6,500rpm band, the eager revving S5’s swift progression to maximum power is underwritten by an abundant 368lb/ft mid-range torque sweet spot on tap throughout 1,400-4,500rpm.Versatile and responsive on the move, the S5 overtakes with effortless refinement and a subdued snarl as revs urgently rise to redline. Bolting through 0-100km/h in just 4.7-seconds and onto a 250km/h top speed, the S5 launches with urgent response from standstill, as its turbocharger spools up swiftly and its Quattro four-wheel-drive provides tenacious traction for its 255/35R19 tyres.

Reassuring roadholding

Riding on a more sophisticated all-round five-link independent suspension set-up than its generational predecessor, the S5 is among the most agile and balanced cars utilising Audi’s traditional front-biased driveline configuration consisting of an in-line engine positioned ahead of the front axle. Developing high levels of traction with imperceptible torque steer as expected, the S5, however, sheds most of the nose-heavy characteristics associated with this layout. Tidy and composed into bends, it is responsive to directional changes, and features a self-locking centre differential for front-to-rear power distribution and improved agility.

Thoroughly reassuring with its enormous road-holding through corners, the S5 carries speed with composure and commitment. At the edge of its grip limit, its instinct for under-steer is however manually mitigated by slightly easing off the throttle or through electronic stability systems. A limited-slip rear differential is meanwhile optionally available for further agility and grip. The S5’s smooth, slick and swift shifting 8-speed automatic gearbox, meanwhile, employ a wide ratio range to optimise performance, versatility, refinement and efficiency, and includes more responsive automatic and engaging paddle-shift manual modes.

Classy and composed

Reassuringly stable and refined at speed, the S5’s settled vertical control is meanwhile buttoned down over dips and crests. Slightly firm over jagged bumps and cracks, its suspension set-up nevertheless strikes a balance between taut cornering body control and smooth comfort over most road imperfections, even without optional adaptive dampers. Manoeuvrable and easily placed on road, its well-weighted electric-assisted steering is meanwhile quick and direct. User-friendly and practical through switchbacks, motorways and city streets, the S5 offers good road visibility, supplemented with a reversing camera, parking sensors and optional assistance systems.

Well-constructed, stylishly classy and sportily subtle, the S5’s cabin features a horizontally-oriented design incorporating luxury materials and textures, a thick flat-bottom steering wheel, clear and configurable cockpit-like digital instrumentation, accommodating 465-litre boot, and an airy ambiance. Front seating features an alert, supportive and comfortable driving position and well-adjustable steering, while rear seats are useable for adults, if not generous. Updated with a more advanced and user-friendly infotainment features, the S5 is thoroughly well-equipped with a host of carryover and enhanced convenience, comfort and tech systems.

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 3-litre, turbocharged, in-line V6-cylinders

Bore x stroke: 84.5 x 89mm

Compression ratio: 10.3:1

Valve-train: 24-valve, DOHC, direct injection

Gearbox: 8-speed automatic, four-wheel-drive

Ratios: 1st 4.714; 2nd 3.143; 3rd 2.106; 4th 1.667; 5th 1285; 6th 1.0; 7th 0.839; 8th 0.667

Reverse / final drive: 3.317 / 2.848

Drive-line: self-locking centre differential

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 349 (354) [260] @5,400-6,400rpm

Specific power: 116.5BHP/litre

Power-to-weight: 199.4BHP/tonne

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 368 (500) @1,370-4,500rpm

Specific torque: 167Nm/litre

Torque-to-weight: 285.7Nm/tonne

0-100km/h: 4.7-seconds

Top speed: 250km/h

Fuel consumption, combined: 9.8-litres/100km 

Fuel capacity: 58-litres

Length: 4,696mm

Width: 1,847mm

Height: 1,369mm

Wheelbase: 2,764mm

Track, F/R: 1,585 / 1,567mm

Aerodynamic drag co-efficient: 0.31

Headroom, F/R: 1,005 / 920mm

Shoulder width, F/R: 1,404 / 1,287mm

Luggage volume: 456-litres

Kerb weight: 1,750kg

Steering: Electric-assisted rack & pinion

Turning Circle: 11.49-meters

Suspension: Multi-link, anti-roll bars

Brakes, F/R: Ventilated discs, 350mm / 330mm

Brake calipers, F/R: 6-/1-piston

Tyres: 255/35R19

By Nathalie Khalaf,
Holistic Counsellor

What is perfection?

And better yet, who was it who set the standards ofwhat is perfect and what is not? I am pretty sure it was one, or a group of human beings (just like you and I) at some point in history. They may have needed to exert power and decided to set some rules around some topics such as perfection, from where we all now get our beliefs of who and what are good enough.

It would be easy to simply blame a group of human beings at some point in history, right? The fact is, weare all responsible for these rules of what and who are good enough. They did come down along the line of history and ancestors, but we are responsible for carrying them forward! What it takes to break this chain is to simply love and trust yourself enough to stand by your own side; stick to what you think is good for you and have faith that you do not need to be a follower, ora sheep, of any kind, in order to fit in.

Self-criticism and judgement of others, of things, situations and places, are all created by human beings. If we want to take a moment to think about it from a religious point of view (and this is just my way of looking at it), we always say God is perfect. We must therefore agree God creates perfection and nothingless. Then, if we put one and one together, the conclusion is clearly that we are all perfect! Even if wewant to consider another point of view, of those who are more scientific and believe in energy, that energy is also perfect and everything which comes out of it is therefore also perfect. We would be arrogant to assume we know more or better than God or that energy and judge it as imperfect!

Changing the perspective

Now, can that perspective make us look at ourselves and life from a different point of view? One ofacceptance and gratitude? So many people neglect themselves believing (as most of us were taught to believe) that we are “not perfect”, for getting who created them in the first place.

If we make them think about it by asking them if they are in anyway then negating or “dissing” God’s work, that immediately turns on a light bulb and puts a whole new perspective on things.

So how about looking at it this way:

1. Life is perfect the way it is. It has always been perfect and always will be. The only reason for it not being perfect at any given moment in our lives is because we come from a place of judgement and expectation, claiming in a way that we know more than that Perfection that created us.

2. We are perfect the way we are. We were born perfect (yes even those of us with mental or physical issues).We were born with certain consciousness “goals” our souls have come to experience, and those are translated into our physical appearance

Accepting your perfection

Work on fully accepting and loving yourselves as you are (please revert to previous articles dedicatedto self-love). When we achieve full self-love and acceptance, we realise we do not need to be clones of others, or copy anyone in order to be accepted or loved in our lives or society. We simply need to be ourselves, accept who we were created to be as separate individuals. And nothing nor no one is created by mistake! Everything and everyone are needed here intentionally. That is the way to be at peace with life, others and ourselves. We will see things differently and find happiness more easily.

Letting go and accepting ourselves and life is not to be seen as a sign of weakness, but one of acceptance which comes from letting go of the ego and leads us to a higher level of awareness and understanding, and that leads us to happiness and love. Acceptance takes patience, will and a lot of love. Next time you catch yourself judging yourself or life for not being perfect, ask yourself what it is you can learn from that situation, what it is you are expecting, according to whom, and how you can let go and replace expectation and judgement with acceptance.

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine

LOS ANGELES — Taylor Swift fans sporting friendship bracelets and glittery cowboy boots packed into early screenings of the pop megastar’s concert film at movie theatres across the United States on Thursday.

Thanks to the hysteria surrounding the singer’s ongoing and record-setting world tour, a filmed version of her concert — “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” — is already tipped to be one of the year’s biggest movies.

Usual cinema etiquette has been thrown out the window, with multiplexes such as AMC encouraging customers to dance, sing and even take selfies throughout screenings.

“At the top of my lungs, I will be screaming in my seat, and dancing around, and hopefully trading more friendship bracelets,” said Jamie Concha, 20, at a screening in Los Angeles’ Century City.

“I love every Swiftie. I think we’re all very connected,” she said, referring to the nickname adopted by Swift’s fiercely loyal fanbase.

Shot during three recent sold-out Los Angeles shows, the film contains no interviews, commentary or behind-the-scenes footage.

Instead, the film’s demand relies on drawing fans who missed out on tickets to the actual tour, or want to relive the phenomenon again, up close and alongside fellow obsessives.

In the concession line before the first screening in Century City, a pair of teenage girls arrived carrying a bag stuffed with friendship bracelets, which they handed out to fellow Swifties.

The colorful, beaded accessories have become a key part of “Eras” fandom, with concertgoers creating and swapping bracelets bearing references to their favorite Swift lyrics and quotes.

The Midwest-based Marcus Theatres has even promised “friendship bracelet making stations” at its screenings.

Swift-branded 

popcorn tins 

Almost all the moviegoers at Century City on Thursday had been to see the live shows already, and many were planning repeat viewings at the multiplex.

“I’m coming to four screenings, and I saw the concert three times,” said Amber Eaves, 33.

“It was the best concert experience I’ve ever been to... I was crying the entire time, I had makeup streaming down my face,” said Kasey Longstreet, 24.

“It was such a special night that I wanted to come back and see it again.”

Domestic opening weekend box office estimates are as high as $150 million — a record for a concert film, and numbers comparable to this summer’s reigning smash hit movie, “Barbie”.

Theaters — still recovering from the pandemic, and faced with a dearth of new movies thanks to the ongoing Hollywood strikes — were also cashing in on demand for Swift merchandise on Thursday.

AMC charged $19.89 — a reference to Swift’s album “1989” — for Swift-branded popcorn tins.

Staff reported fans arriving since the morning just to purchase empty soda cups, at the full price of $11.99. Some left with the maximum five cups allowed per movie ticket.

The movie had been set to hit screens Friday, but the singer announced on Wednesday that “due to unprecedented demand”, preview screenings would begin a day earlier.

“I’m already going this weekend, but when she dropped this at the last second, I was like, ‘I gotta go after work, oh my god,” said Eaves.

“It’s just gonna be one of those cultural phenomenons that you can look back and say ‘I was a part of that.’”

HOUSTON — A sample collected from the 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid Bennu contains abundant water and carbon, NASA revealed on Wednesday, offering more evidence for the theory that life on Earth was seeded from outer space.

The discovery follows a seven-year-round-trip to the distant rock as part of the OSIRIS-REx mission, which dropped off its precious payload in the Utah desert last month for painstaking scientific analysis.

“This is the biggest carbon-rich asteroid sample ever returned to Earth,” NASA administrator Bill Nelson said at a press event at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston, where the first images of black dust and pebbles were revealed.

Carbon accounted for almost 5 per cent of the sample’s total weight, and was present in both organic and mineral form, while the water was locked inside the crystal structure of clay minerals, he said.

Scientists believe the reason Earth has oceans, lakes and rivers is because it was hit with water-carrying asteroids 4 to 4.5 billion years ago, making it a habitable planet.

All life on Earth meanwhile is based on carbon, which forms bonds with other elements to produce proteins and enzymes as well as the building blocks of genetic code, DNA and RNA.

The findings were made through a preliminary analysis involving scanning electron microscopy, X-ray computed tomography and more.

“This stuff is an astrobiologist’s dream,” said scientist Daniel Glavin, adding there was much more work to be done and the sample would be shared with labs around the world for further study.

Biggest asteroid sample 

OSIRIS-REx wasn’t the first probe to rendezvous with an asteroid and bring back samples for study — Japan succeeded in the feat twice, returning celestial dust in 2010 and 2020.

But the amount collected — an estimated 250 grammes — dwarfs that returned by the Japanese missions, with Hayabusa2 managing only 5.4 grammes.

Named after an ancient Egyptian deity, Bennu is a “primordial artifact preserved in the vacuum of space”, according to NASA, making it an attractive target for study.

Its orbit, which intersects that of our planet, also made the journey easier than going to the Asteroid Belt, which lies between Mars and Jupiter.

In addition to scientific insights, better understanding of Bennu’s composition could prove useful if humanity ever needs to steer it away.

While there is no risk of it hitting Earth through the mid 2100s, the chances rise to around 1 in 1,750 between then and the year 2300, NASA says.

Data gathered by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft revealed the particles making up Bennu’s exterior were so loosely packed that if a person were to step onto the surface, they might sink in, much like a pit of plastic balls in children’s play areas.

Future study 

Researchers have so far focused their efforts not on the main sample itself but on “bonus particles”, that lay on top of the sample collecting mechanism.

An inspection of the remainder of the sample will follow later.

Back in October 2020, when the OSIRIS-REx probe shot nitrogen gas at Bennu to collect material, a flap meant to seal the sample got wedged open, allowing some of the material to flow out into another compartment.

“The very best ‘problem’ to have is that there is so much material, it’s taking longer than we expected to collect it,” said deputy OSIRIS-REx curation lead Christopher Snead, in a statement.

NASA says it will preserve at least 70 per cent of the sample at Houston for future study — a practice first started in the Apollo era with Moon rocks.

“The samples are then available for new questions, new techniques, new instrumentation far into the future,” said Eileen Stansbery, division chief of astromaterials research at the Johnson Space Center.

LOS ANGELES — Actor Jada Pinkett Smith has been separated from husband Will Smith since 2016 — six years before the infamous “Oscars Slap” — she revealed in an interview that aired on Wednesday.

The Hollywood power couple’s marriage came under intense spotlight at last year’s Academy Awards, when Smith struck comedian Chris Rock on stage for making a joke about his wife.

But the pair had already been living “totally separate lives” for years before the notorious incident, Pinkett Smith told NBC News.

“By the time we got to 2016 we were just exhausted with trying,” she said, in an advance clip from an interview to promote her new memoir, “Worthy”.

Rumours of affairs and an open marriage were repeatedly denied by the couple for many years.

But in 2020, Pinkett Smith openly discussed an extramarital “entanglement” she had with singer August Alsina some years earlier, during a period of separation from her husband.

According to Wednesday’s snippet, that separation has endured up until the present day, although the pair remain legally married.

Asked why the couple had chosen to conceal their separation, Pinkett Smith said they were “just not... ready yet” and “still trying to figure out between the two of us how to be in partnership”.

“We just got deep love for each other and we are going to figure out what that looks like for us,” Pinkett Smith told People magazine, in a separate interview.

Pinkett Smith also discussed last March’s Oscars ceremony, in an excerpt from her memoir published Wednesday.

Rock was presenting on stage when he made a crack about Pinkett Smith’s closely cropped head. She has alopecia.

Smith mounted the stage and slapped the comedian hard across the face, before returning to his seat and yelling obscenities at the presenter.

In the excerpt, Pinkett Smith recalls that she initially thought the slap was a “skit”, and even once she realised it wasn’t remained “unclear on the reason why Will is so upset”.

“We had been living separate lives and were there as family, not as husband and wife,” she writes.

The couple first met on the set of Smith’s sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” in 1994.

Smith was married at the time to his first wife, who he later divorced.

The couple has two children together, Jaden and Willow.

PARIS — A manager at artificial intelligence firm OpenAI caused consternation recently by writing that she just had “a quite emotional, personal conversation” with her firm’s viral chatbot ChatGPT.

“Never tried therapy before but this is probably it?” Lilian Weng posted on X, formerly Twitter, prompting a torrent of negative commentary accusing her of downplaying mental illness.

However, Weng’s take on her interaction with ChatGPT may be explained by a version of the placebo effect outlined this week by research in the Nature Machine Intelligence journal.

A team from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Arizona State University asked more than 300 participants to interact with mental health AI programmes and primed them on what to expect.

Some were told the chatbot was empathetic, others that it was manipulative and a third group that it was neutral.

Those who were told they were talking with a caring chatbot were far more likely than the other groups to see their chatbot therapists as trustworthy.

“From this study, we see that to some extent the AI is the AI of the beholder,” said report co-author Pat Pataranutaporn.

Buzzy startups have been pushing AI apps offering therapy, companionship and other mental health support for years now — and it is big business.

But the field remains a lightning rod for controversy.

‘Weird, empty’ 

Like every other sector that AI is threatening to disrupt, critics are concerned that bots will eventually replace human workers rather than complement them.

And with mental health, the concern is that bots are unlikely to do a great job.

“Therapy is for mental well-being and it’s hard work,” Cher Scarlett, an activist and programmer, wrote in response to Weng’s initial post on X.

“Vibing to yourself is fine and all but it’s not the same.”

Compounding the general fear over AI, some apps in the mental health space have a chequered recent history.

Users of Replika, a popular AI companion that is sometimes marketed as bringing mental health benefits, have long complained that the bot can be sex obsessed and abusive.

Separately, a US nonprofit called Koko ran an experiment in February with 4,000 clients offering counselling using GPT-3, finding that automated responses simply did not work as therapy.

“Simulated empathy feels weird, empty,” the firm’s co-founder, Rob Morris, wrote on X.

His findings were similar to the MIT/Arizona researchers, who said some participants likened the chatbot experience to “talking to a brick wall”.

But Morris was later forced to defend himself after widespread criticism of his experiment, mostly because it was unclear if his clients were aware of their participation.

‘Lower expectations’ 

David Shaw from Basel University, who was not involved in the MIT/Arizona study, told AFP the findings were not surprising.

But he pointed out: “It seems none of the participants were actually told all chatbots bullshit.”

That, he said, may be the most accurate primer of all.

Yet, the chatbot-as-therapist idea is intertwined with the 1960s roots of the technology.

ELIZA, the first chatbot, was developed to simulate a type of psychotherapy.

The MIT/Arizona researchers used ELIZA for half the participants and GPT-3 for the other half.

Although the effect was much stronger with GPT-3, users primed for positivity still generally regarded ELIZA as trustworthy.

So it is hardly surprising that Weng would be glowing about her interactions with ChatGPT — she works for the company that makes it.

The MIT/Arizona researchers said society needed to get a grip on the narratives around AI.

“The way that AI is presented to society matters because it changes how AI is experienced,” the paper argued.

“It may be desirable to prime a user to have lower or more negative expectations.”

Among several Chinese built trucks recently encroaching on the traditionally Japanese-dominated dual work and personal use compact pick-up segment, the MG T60 arrived in Jordanian and regional markets in 2020. A Chinese built truck bearing an originally British brand name but also sold by parent company SAIC under the Maxus name, the T60 ostensibly rivals similarly sized Chinese pick-up like the Foton Tunland and Wingle 5. Its closest competitor might however be the recently launched French-branded Peugeot Landtrek, co-developed with and also sold under China’s Changan and Kaicene brands.

That said, the T60 easily gives Japanese rivals a run for their money in performance, practicality, capability, comfort and design. Uncomplicated but attractively assertive, its design features balanced profile proportions, a confidently broad stance and distinct, but not overstated presence. With squared wheel-arches, sculpted flanks and bumper elements, squinting headlights, and a wide chrome-ringed grille with honeycomb mesh and large octagonal emblem, the T60 is less complicated and overstated than some rivals. Its bonnet line is meanwhile high enough for a strong presence, but without being unnecessarily bulky or obstructive for visibility.

Muscular versatility

Offered in two guises in Jordan including a petrol 2.4-litre rear-wheel-drive work truck, the T60 is however a more enticing lifestyle and daily drive vehicle in its more powerful and off-road capable turbo-diesel 2.8-litre 4-cylinder four-wheel-drive variant. Sitting under a sculpted clamshell bonnet, the T60 2.8 4x4’s engine is based on an MV Motori design and develops 148BHP at 3,400rpm and muscular 266lb/ft maximum torque throughout a versatile 1,600-2500rpm band. This allows it to carry its 2,060kg mass through 0-100km/h in around 12-seconds and onto an estimated 160km/h top speed.

A somewhat more powerful proposition than many mid-range pick-ups of its class, the T60 2.8 proved itself a capable performer during an extended test drive on local roads, while its 6-speed manual gearbox was user-friendly and engaging, with well-spaced ratios. Best through its peak torque band — as typical of turbo-diesels — the T60 overtakes and climbs inclines with effortless confidence, and is happy revving to its 3,750rpm rev limit. Quicker boosting than many rivals, the T60’s turbo lag from standstill can be further reduced by employing more progressive clutch control.

Durable driver

With balanced weighting, double wishbone suspension and rear-wheel-drive when driving on-road, the T60’s handling is confident through sprawling switchbacks. Intuitively placed on road, its poise and lateral and vertical control was better than expected for its segment. With well-weighted hydraulic-assisted steering, the T60 turns in tidily, and felt buttoned down when accelerating out of tighter corners, due to a limited slip rear differential allocating power between wheels to improve stability, agility, traction. It also minimises the axle hop often associated with live axle leaf spring rear suspension.

A rugged ladder frame chassis work truck with expectedly generous towing and carrying capacity (weight and cargo bed volume), the T60’s rear suspension works better when loaded and pressed down for a smoother ride and more traction. Unloaded, it durably dispatches rough imperfections but can be slightly bouncy on big bumps, dirt trails and semi-paved roads, but is better settled and forgiving than numerous rivals. That said, slightly firmer springs would provide enhanced vertical control when dismounting big bumps. Four wheel disc brakes are meanwhile a bonus in this segment.

Control and comfort

Capable on most dirt roads and loose surface inclines even in rear-wheel-drive mode, the T60’s off-road abilities however significantly improve when four-wheel-drive is engaged. In addition to four-wheel-drive, its limited slip differential further enhances off-road traction, while low gear ratios allow for more ability in extreme low speed, high power conditions. Riding high with 215mm ground clearance, the T60 can ford about 550mm of water, and enjoys generous 27° approach, 21.3° break-over and 24.2° departure angles. Wide and tall 245/70R16 tyres meanwhile provide additional off-road ability, absorption, comfort and durability.

Comfortable and stable on motorways, the T60’s diesel clatter was meanwhile evident but less intrusive than most. Spacious in front and rear, its four-door cabin is reasonable well appointed and equipped, with useful features including a USB-enabled four-speaker stereo, front and rear A/C, remote central locking, ABS, electronic stability control, child seat anchors, dual front airbags, decent if not indulgent leatherette upholstery, and reverse parking sensors to compensate for its pick-up body’s limited rear visibility. A manually adjustable driving position is meanwhile comfortable and supportive, with good front visibility.

Technical specifications: MG T60 2.8L 4x4 Double Cab

Engine: 2.8-litre, common-rail turbo-diesel, in-line 4-cylinders

Bore x stroke: 94 x 100mm

Compression ratio: 17:1

Valve-train: 16-valve, DOHC

Gearbox: 6-speed manual

Driveline: Four-wheel-drive, low gear transfer case, limited slip rear differential

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 148 (150) [110] @3,400rpm

Specific power: 53.3BHP/litre

Power-to-weight: 71.8BHP/tonne

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 266 (360) @1,600-2,500rpm

Specific torque: 129.7Nm/litre

Torque-to-weight: 174.7Nm/tonne

Maximum engine speed: 3,750rpm

0-100km/h: approximately 12-seconds (estimate)

Top speed: 160km/h (estimate)

Fuel capacity: 75-litres

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.5-8.1 litres/100km (estimate)

Length: 5,365mm

Width: 1,900mm

Height: 1,809mm

Wheelbase: 3,155mm

Track: 1,580mm

Overhang, F/R: 942/1,268mm

Ground clearance: 215mm

Water fording: 550mm (estimate)

Approach / break-over / departure angles: 27°/21.3°/24.2° (estimate)

Load floor length: 1,485mm

Load floor width, max: 1,510mm

Load floor depth: 530mm

Kerb weight: 2,060kg (estimate)

Suspension, F/R: Double wishbones, coilovers / leaf springs, live axle

Steering: Hydraulic-assisted rack & pinion

Turning circle: 12.6 metres (estimate)

Brakes, F/R: Ventilated discs / discs

Tyres: 245/70R16

By Shama Kaur
Kundalini Yoga Teacher  and Wellness Mentor

Non-violence

At the core of yoga philosophy lies the principle of ahimsa which calls for non-violence in thought, word,and action. By practising ahimsa, individuals cultivate compassion, empathy and respect for all beings. As we extend this principle to ourselves and others, conflicts and divisions begin to dissolve, paving the way for a more peaceful world.

In a world often driven by judgement and comparison, yoga and meditation invite us to practice non-judgement and acceptance. Through self-reflection and mindfulness, we learn to observe our thought sand emotions without labelling or criticising them.This practice extends beyond ourselves, fostering understanding, empathy and unity among diverse individuals and cultures.

Global harmony

Yogi Bhajan, a spiritual teacher who introducedKundalini Yoga to the Western world, initiated Peace Prayer Day as a global event. It serves as a reminder of our collective responsibility to actively cultivate peace within and share it with others. Peace Prayer Day gatherings bring people together in meditation,chanting and prayer, amplifying the collective intention for global harmony.

Yogi Bhajan shared a powerful prayer for peace,emphasising the role of individuals in creating a peaceful world. The prayer invites us to recognise our inter connectedness and envision a world where love,compassion, and understanding prevail.

May peace be your virtue, may peace be your property may peace be your prayer. 

May you bring peace to all those you meet, you talk to you live with. 

May you evenbring peace to the person you hate, your enemy. May your friend enjoy your peaceful disposition and may your enemies enjoy your peaceful opposition.

May this world be based on one word: Peace, as God has shredded Himself into all souls and piece by piece we get together into this beautiful world. May in our hearts we pray this day for world peace. Sat Nam 5 /20 /87

You can also take part in the International Day of Peace by cultivating your own prayer for peace and bringing together friends and family in commemoration ofpeace around the world. Here are some suggestions forhow regular people can actively participate:

1. Sharing Gratitude: Create a gratitude circle where each person takes turns expressing what they are grateful for. This practice fosters appreciation,positivity and a sense of inter connectedness

2. Acts of Kindness: Encourage everyone to perform acts of kindness throughout the day. This could involve simple gestures like helping with chores,cooking a meal together, or offering support to someone in need. These acts of kindness ripple outward, spreading peace and compassion

3. Reflective Discussions: Engage in meaning full discussions about peace, empathy and understanding.

Explore topics like resolving conflicts peacefully, embracing diversity and finding common ground. Encourage open-mindedness and active listening, allowing each person’s voice to be heard.

4. Peace Crafts: Engage in creative activities that promote peace, such as making peace-themedartwork, crafting peace symbols, or creating a peace flag. These crafts can serve as reminders of the shared commitment to fostering peace within and in the world.

5. Practise this meditation for Inner Peace:www.3ho.org/meditation/meditation-for-peace/

On the International Day of Peace, let us remember thatpeace begins within each of us. Through the transformative practices of yoga and meditation, we cultivate the qualities of ahimsa, non-judgement and acceptance. As we tap into our inner peace, we radiate love, compassion and understanding, positively impacting our immediate surroundings and inspiring others todo the same. Together, let us celebrate by embodying peace, embracing unity and nurturing a world that thrives on harmony and compassion.

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine

BUSAN, South Korea — The rise of South Korean diasporic cinema — characterised by films like Lee Isaac Chung’s “Minari” and Justin Chon’s “Jamojaya” — has allowed the artists involved to feel less alone, one film maker told Busan International Film Festival attendees on Friday.

Six films from the Korean diaspora are unspooling as part of a special sidebar this year in the South Korean port city, including Oscar-winner “Minari” and Sundance favourite “Past Lives”.

Since “Parasite” became the first non-English-language film to win a Best Picture Oscar, the films of Korea’s diaspora have experienced a remarkable surge, with film makers delving into culture-spanning narratives that encompass the varied experiences of Koreans overseas.

“[The] main thing it’s done, at least for myself, is to know that as I tell my own stories, people are finding common ground to relate with one another,” Justin Chon, who directed 2021 adoption drama “Blue Bayou”, told reporters.

He has since directed four episodes of the successful Apple TV+ series “Pachinko”, the story of an ethnic Korean family living in Japan, based on the novel by Min Jin Lee.

When “other immigrants and minorities in the United States are telling their stories, the only thing it does is signal to me that I really wasn’t alone this entire time”, he said.

“Minari” director Chung said as a second-generation Korean-American, he had always felt “a loss of a place that I don’t fully understand that is far away from me”.

Korean-American actors Steven Yeun and John Cho also took part in the joint press conference. But while the duo were unable to comment on their American projects due to the ongoing Screen Actors Guild strike, both freely discussed why they believed the work stoppage was important.

“I think the strike is a very righteous act of making sure that we ensure and protect artists and those who are living an actor’s life and a writer’s life,” Yeun said.

“And there are many people who don’t have safeguards.... I sit here with so much privilege to be here and to be able to talk about it.”

Cho, who starred in the 2018 thriller “Searching” which is screening at this year’s BIFF, said artificial intelligence — a key concern for striking actors — has “put people out of work” in the entertainment industry.

“When I go to see a movie [it’s] to see people enacting a human drama and to have an experience with an audience watching human expression,” he said.

“And so behind the scenes, if we start taking out people, the art form is going to suffer.”

Collaboration 

The festival’s diaspora section features several intriguing collaborations between diasporic and South Korean artists as well as those from other nationalities.

“Burning” (2018), for example, is based on Japanese writer Haruki Murakami’s novel, directed by acclaimed South Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong, and stars Yeun.

Korean-Canadian director Celine Song’s “Past Lives” (2023), meanwhile, co-stars South Korean actor Teo Yoo and Korean-American actress Greta Lee.

Yoo, who is fluent in English, on Thursday candidly expressed the challenges he faced in trying to present himself as an appealing love interest to the American audience.

In “Past Lives”, he plays a South Korean character who speaks English with a heavy accent and less-than-perfect fluency.

Yeun, who played a first-generation Korean immigrant in “Minari”, said film acting had for him been a form of “therapy”.

“It’s a way for me to process the things that have happened in my life, and whether it’s fortunate or unfortunate, being Korean is a part of that,” he said.