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The 66 Best Movies on Disney+ Right Now (December 2024)
Thu, 19 Dec 2024 20:00:00 +0000
Deadpool & Wolverine, Alien: Romulus, and Elton John: Never Too Late are just a few of the movies you should be watching on Disney+ this month.
Match ID: 0 Score: 55.00 source: www.wired.com age: 0 days
qualifiers: 35.00 (best|good|great) (show|movie), 20.00 movie
Squid Game to The Road Trip: the seven best shows to stream this week
Fri, 20 Dec 2024 07:00:05 GMT
The smash-hit Korean drama is back at long last – and there’s a funny, spicy romcom to tuck into. Plus: lots more crackers to catch up with over Christmas
The first game may be over but the desperation underpinning it is stronger than ever; there will always be another group of victims forced into risking everything by society’s inequities. As the smash Korean drama returns, everyone left standing is bearing the scars. Most troubled is the victor, Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), who is determined to put a stop to the winner-takes-all contest – at the cost of making the ultimate sacrifice. Squid Game’s satirical, polemical intentions feel foregrounded this time round and there’s arguably too much expository prologue. But as the brutal action begins, the themes of impotence in the face of unaccountable power have lost none of their resonance.
Netflix, from Boxing Day
Some in the industry have been calling for recognition for years, but motion-capture performances by the likes of Zoe Saldana have been ignored. Now, though, the Academy must look to the future
Picture the future: it’s the Oscars 2034, and the best actor prizes are no longer split into male and female categories. Instead, there is an award for best performer in a live action role, and another for best actor in a performance capture role. Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks can finally go head-to-head for their epic turns in Sophie’s Choice II and Even Bigger respectively, while Zoe Saldana and Andy Serkis are up for the latter for their startling performances in Avatar 6 and The Lord of the Rings: What Gollum Did Last Summer.
Some might suggest this is a tantalising vision of a world where the Academy has finally caught up with the realities of modern acting. Others would no doubt point out that the Oscars has been rewarding work where the actor’s real face is obscured by makeup, prosthetics, masks, or other transformations for decades, ever since John Hurt received a best actor nod for The Elephant Man in 1980. The difference is that while Robert Downey Jr somehow managed to snag a nomination for playing an Australian method actor donning blackface in the biting 2008 satirical comedy Tropic Thunder, the likes of Avatar’s Saldana and Lord of the Rings’ Serkis seem doomed to Oscars limbo, as they pour their hearts repeatedly into roles only to watch awards season roll by like an indifferent Na’vi riding a banshee past a crying Jake Sully.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Coalition of musicians, photographers and newspapers insist existing copyright laws must be respected
Writers, publishers, musicians, photographers, movie producers and newspapers have rejected the Labour government’s plan to create a copyright exemption to help artificial intelligence companies train their algorithms.
In a joint statement, bodies representing thousands of creatives dismissed the proposal made by ministers on Tuesday that would allow companies such as Open AI, Google and Meta to train their AI systems on published works unless their owners actively opt out.
Continue reading...The jurors that sent Hall to death row never heard critical evidence that could have convinced them to spare his life. Some of them now support his bid for clemency.
The post Charles Hall Insisted He Wanted the Death Penalty. Now He’s Asking Biden for Mercy. appeared first on The Intercept.
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are the most popular digital assets today, capturing the attention of cryptocurrency investors, whales and people from around the world. People find it amazing that some users spend thousands or millions of dollars on a single NFT-based image of a monkey or other token, but you can simply take a screenshot for free. So here we share some freuently asked question about NFTs.
NFT stands for non-fungible token, which is a cryptographic token on a blockchain with unique identification codes that distinguish it from other tokens. NFTs are unique and not interchangeable, which means no two NFTs are the same. NFTs can be a unique artwork, GIF, Images, videos, Audio album. in-game items, collectibles etc.
A blockchain is a distributed digital ledger that allows for the secure storage of data. By recording any kind of information—such as bank account transactions, the ownership of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), or Decentralized Finance (DeFi) smart contracts—in one place, and distributing it to many different computers, blockchains ensure that data can’t be manipulated without everyone in the system being aware.
The value of an NFT comes from its ability to be traded freely and securely on the blockchain, which is not possible with other current digital ownership solutionsThe NFT points to its location on the blockchain, but doesn’t necessarily contain the digital property. For example, if you replace one bitcoin with another, you will still have the same thing. If you buy a non-fungible item, such as a movie ticket, it is impossible to replace it with any other movie ticket because each ticket is unique to a specific time and place.
One of the unique characteristics of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) is that they can be tokenised to create a digital certificate of ownership that can be bought, sold and traded on the blockchain.
As with crypto-currency, records of who owns what are stored on a ledger that is maintained by thousands of computers around the world. These records can’t be forged because the whole system operates on an open-source network.
NFTs also contain smart contracts—small computer programs that run on the blockchain—that give the artist, for example, a cut of any future sale of the token.
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) aren't cryptocurrencies, but they do use blockchain technology. Many NFTs are based on Ethereum, where the blockchain serves as a ledger for all the transactions related to said NFT and the properties it represents.5) How to make an NFT?
Anyone can create an NFT. All you need is a digital wallet, some ethereum tokens and a connection to an NFT marketplace where you’ll be able to upload and sell your creations
When you purchase a stock in NFT, that purchase is recorded on the blockchain—the bitcoin ledger of transactions—and that entry acts as your proof of ownership.
The value of an NFT varies a lot based on the digital asset up for grabs. People use NFTs to trade and sell digital art, so when creating an NFT, you should consider the popularity of your digital artwork along with historical statistics.
In the year 2021, a digital artist called Pak created an artwork called The Merge. It was sold on the Nifty Gateway NFT market for $91.8 million.
Non-fungible tokens can be used in investment opportunities. One can purchase an NFT and resell it at a profit. Certain NFT marketplaces let sellers of NFTs keep a percentage of the profits from sales of the assets they create.
Many people want to buy NFTs because it lets them support the arts and own something cool from their favorite musicians, brands, and celebrities. NFTs also give artists an opportunity to program in continual royalties if someone buys their work. Galleries see this as a way to reach new buyers interested in art.
There are many places to buy digital assets, like opensea and their policies vary. On top shot, for instance, you sign up for a waitlist that can be thousands of people long. When a digital asset goes on sale, you are occasionally chosen to purchase it.
To mint an NFT token, you must pay some amount of gas fee to process the transaction on the Etherum blockchain, but you can mint your NFT on a different blockchain called Polygon to avoid paying gas fees. This option is available on OpenSea and this simply denotes that your NFT will only be able to trade using Polygon's blockchain and not Etherum's blockchain. Mintable allows you to mint NFTs for free without paying any gas fees.
The answer is no. Non-Fungible Tokens are minted on the blockchain using cryptocurrencies such as Etherum, Solana, Polygon, and so on. Once a Non-Fungible Token is minted, the transaction is recorded on the blockchain and the contract or license is awarded to whoever has that Non-Fungible Token in their wallet.
You can sell your work and creations by attaching a license to it on the blockchain, where its ownership can be transferred. This lets you get exposure without losing full ownership of your work. Some of the most successful projects include Cryptopunks, Bored Ape Yatch Club NFTs, SandBox, World of Women and so on. These NFT projects have gained popularity globally and are owned by celebrities and other successful entrepreneurs. Owning one of these NFTs gives you an automatic ticket to exclusive business meetings and life-changing connections.
That’s a wrap. Hope you guys found this article enlightening. I just answer some question with my limited knowledge about NFTs. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to drop them in the comment section below. Also I have a question for you, Is bitcoin an NFTs? let me know in The comment section below
Craig Wright given one-year suspended sentence for breaching court order to stop suing bitcoin developers
An Australian computer scientist who falsely claimed to be the creator of bitcoin has been given a one-year suspended prison sentence after the high court in London ruled he was in contempt because he would not stop suing people.
Mr Justice Mellor had already found that Craig Wright, 54, repeatedly lied about his claim to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonym used by the person or people who launched bitcoin – the cryptocurrency that was first mined in 2009 and recently soared in value to £79,000.
Continue reading...The U.S. political system is owned by corporations despised by the American people. Luigi Mangione is the result.
The post Health Insurance Execs Should Live in Fear of Prison, Not Murder appeared first on The Intercept.
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Imagine a world in which you can do transactions and many other things without having to give your personal information. A world in which you don’t need to rely on banks or governments anymore. Sounds amazing, right? That’s exactly what blockchain technology allows us to do.
It’s like your computer’s hard drive. blockchain is a technology that lets you store data in digital blocks, which are connected together like links in a chain.
Blockchain technology was originally invented in 1991 by two mathematicians, Stuart Haber and W. Scot Stornetta. They first proposed the system to ensure that timestamps could not be tampered with.
A few years later, in 1998, software developer Nick Szabo proposed using a similar kind of technology to secure a digital payments system he called “Bit Gold.” However, this innovation was not adopted until Satoshi Nakamoto claimed to have invented the first Blockchain and Bitcoin.
A blockchain is a distributed database shared between the nodes of a computer network. It saves information in digital format. Many people first heard of blockchain technology when they started to look up information about bitcoin.
Blockchain is used in cryptocurrency systems to ensure secure, decentralized records of transactions.
Blockchain allowed people to guarantee the fidelity and security of a record of data without the need for a third party to ensure accuracy.
To understand how a blockchain works, Consider these basic steps:
Let’s get to know more about the blockchain.
Blockchain records digital information and distributes it across the network without changing it. The information is distributed among many users and stored in an immutable, permanent ledger that can't be changed or destroyed. That's why blockchain is also called "Distributed Ledger Technology" or DLT.
Here’s how it works:
And that’s the beauty of it! The process may seem complicated, but it’s done in minutes with modern technology. And because technology is advancing rapidly, I expect things to move even more quickly than ever.
Even though blockchain is integral to cryptocurrency, it has other applications. For example, blockchain can be used for storing reliable data about transactions. Many people confuse blockchain with cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and ethereum.
Blockchain already being adopted by some big-name companies, such as Walmart, AIG, Siemens, Pfizer, and Unilever. For example, IBM's Food Trust uses blockchain to track food's journey before reaching its final destination.
Although some of you may consider this practice excessive, food suppliers and manufacturers adhere to the policy of tracing their products because bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella have been found in packaged foods. In addition, there have been isolated cases where dangerous allergens such as peanuts have accidentally been introduced into certain products.
Tracing and identifying the sources of an outbreak is a challenging task that can take months or years. Thanks to the Blockchain, however, companies now know exactly where their food has been—so they can trace its location and prevent future outbreaks.
Blockchain technology allows systems to react much faster in the event of a hazard. It also has many other uses in the modern world.
Blockchain technology is safe, even if it’s public. People can access the technology using an internet connection.
Have you ever been in a situation where you had all your data stored at one place and that one secure place got compromised? Wouldn't it be great if there was a way to prevent your data from leaking out even when the security of your storage systems is compromised?
Blockchain technology provides a way of avoiding this situation by using multiple computers at different locations to store information about transactions. If one computer experiences problems with a transaction, it will not affect the other nodes.
Instead, other nodes will use the correct information to cross-reference your incorrect node. This is called “Decentralization,” meaning all the information is stored in multiple places.
Blockchain guarantees your data's authenticity—not just its accuracy, but also its irreversibility. It can also be used to store data that are difficult to register, like legal contracts, state identifications, or a company's product inventory.
Blockchain has many advantages and disadvantages.
I’ll answer the most frequently asked questions about blockchain in this section.
Blockchain is not a cryptocurrency but a technology that makes cryptocurrencies possible. It's a digital ledger that records every transaction seamlessly.
Yes, blockchain can be theoretically hacked, but it is a complicated task to be achieved. A network of users constantly reviews it, which makes hacking the blockchain difficult.
Coinbase Global is currently the biggest blockchain company in the world. The company runs a commendable infrastructure, services, and technology for the digital currency economy.
Blockchain is a decentralized technology. It’s a chain of distributed ledgers connected with nodes. Each node can be any electronic device. Thus, one owns blockhain.
Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency, which is powered by Blockchain technology while Blockchain is a distributed ledger of cryptocurrency
Generally a database is a collection of data which can be stored and organized using a database management system. The people who have access to the database can view or edit the information stored there. The client-server network architecture is used to implement databases. whereas a blockchain is a growing list of records, called blocks, stored in a distributed system. Each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, timestamp and transaction information. Modification of data is not allowed due to the design of the blockchain. The technology allows decentralized control and eliminates risks of data modification by other parties.
Blockchain has a wide spectrum of applications and, over the next 5-10 years, we will likely see it being integrated into all sorts of industries. From finance to healthcare, blockchain could revolutionize the way we store and share data. Although there is some hesitation to adopt blockchain systems right now, that won't be the case in 2022-2023 (and even less so in 2026). Once people become more comfortable with the technology and understand how it can work for them, owners, CEOs and entrepreneurs alike will be quick to leverage blockchain technology for their own gain. Hope you like this article if you have any question let me know in the comments section
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Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are the most popular digital assets today, capturing the attention of cryptocurrency investors, whales and people from around the world. People find it amazing that some users spend thousands or millions of dollars on a single NFT-based image of a monkey or other token, but you can simply take a screenshot for free. So here we share some freuently asked question about NFTs.
NFT stands for non-fungible token, which is a cryptographic token on a blockchain with unique identification codes that distinguish it from other tokens. NFTs are unique and not interchangeable, which means no two NFTs are the same. NFTs can be a unique artwork, GIF, Images, videos, Audio album. in-game items, collectibles etc.
A blockchain is a distributed digital ledger that allows for the secure storage of data. By recording any kind of information—such as bank account transactions, the ownership of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), or Decentralized Finance (DeFi) smart contracts—in one place, and distributing it to many different computers, blockchains ensure that data can’t be manipulated without everyone in the system being aware.
The value of an NFT comes from its ability to be traded freely and securely on the blockchain, which is not possible with other current digital ownership solutionsThe NFT points to its location on the blockchain, but doesn’t necessarily contain the digital property. For example, if you replace one bitcoin with another, you will still have the same thing. If you buy a non-fungible item, such as a movie ticket, it is impossible to replace it with any other movie ticket because each ticket is unique to a specific time and place.
One of the unique characteristics of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) is that they can be tokenised to create a digital certificate of ownership that can be bought, sold and traded on the blockchain.
As with crypto-currency, records of who owns what are stored on a ledger that is maintained by thousands of computers around the world. These records can’t be forged because the whole system operates on an open-source network.
NFTs also contain smart contracts—small computer programs that run on the blockchain—that give the artist, for example, a cut of any future sale of the token.
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) aren't cryptocurrencies, but they do use blockchain technology. Many NFTs are based on Ethereum, where the blockchain serves as a ledger for all the transactions related to said NFT and the properties it represents.5) How to make an NFT?
Anyone can create an NFT. All you need is a digital wallet, some ethereum tokens and a connection to an NFT marketplace where you’ll be able to upload and sell your creations
When you purchase a stock in NFT, that purchase is recorded on the blockchain—the bitcoin ledger of transactions—and that entry acts as your proof of ownership.
The value of an NFT varies a lot based on the digital asset up for grabs. People use NFTs to trade and sell digital art, so when creating an NFT, you should consider the popularity of your digital artwork along with historical statistics.
In the year 2021, a digital artist called Pak created an artwork called The Merge. It was sold on the Nifty Gateway NFT market for $91.8 million.
Non-fungible tokens can be used in investment opportunities. One can purchase an NFT and resell it at a profit. Certain NFT marketplaces let sellers of NFTs keep a percentage of the profits from sales of the assets they create.
Many people want to buy NFTs because it lets them support the arts and own something cool from their favorite musicians, brands, and celebrities. NFTs also give artists an opportunity to program in continual royalties if someone buys their work. Galleries see this as a way to reach new buyers interested in art.
There are many places to buy digital assets, like opensea and their policies vary. On top shot, for instance, you sign up for a waitlist that can be thousands of people long. When a digital asset goes on sale, you are occasionally chosen to purchase it.
To mint an NFT token, you must pay some amount of gas fee to process the transaction on the Etherum blockchain, but you can mint your NFT on a different blockchain called Polygon to avoid paying gas fees. This option is available on OpenSea and this simply denotes that your NFT will only be able to trade using Polygon's blockchain and not Etherum's blockchain. Mintable allows you to mint NFTs for free without paying any gas fees.
The answer is no. Non-Fungible Tokens are minted on the blockchain using cryptocurrencies such as Etherum, Solana, Polygon, and so on. Once a Non-Fungible Token is minted, the transaction is recorded on the blockchain and the contract or license is awarded to whoever has that Non-Fungible Token in their wallet.
You can sell your work and creations by attaching a license to it on the blockchain, where its ownership can be transferred. This lets you get exposure without losing full ownership of your work. Some of the most successful projects include Cryptopunks, Bored Ape Yatch Club NFTs, SandBox, World of Women and so on. These NFT projects have gained popularity globally and are owned by celebrities and other successful entrepreneurs. Owning one of these NFTs gives you an automatic ticket to exclusive business meetings and life-changing connections.
That’s a wrap. Hope you guys found this article enlightening. I just answer some question with my limited knowledge about NFTs. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to drop them in the comment section below. Also I have a question for you, Is bitcoin an NFTs? let me know in The comment section below
In the rapidly advancing landscape of AI technology and innovation, LimeWire emerges as a unique platform in the realm of generative AI tools. This platform not only stands out from the multitude of existing AI tools but also brings a fresh approach to content generation. LimeWire not only empowers users to create AI content but also provides creators with creative ways to share and monetize their creations.
As we explore LimeWire, our aim is to uncover its features, benefits for creators, and the exciting possibilities it offers for AI content generation. This platform presents an opportunity for users to harness the power of AI in image creation, all while enjoying the advantages of a free and accessible service.
Let's unravel the distinctive features that set LimeWire apart in the dynamic landscape of AI-powered tools, understanding how creators can leverage its capabilities to craft unique and engaging AI-generated images.
This revamped LimeWire invites users to register and unleash their creativity by crafting original AI content, which can then be shared and showcased on the LimeWire Studio. Notably, even acclaimed artists and musicians, such as Deadmau5, Soulja Boy, and Sean Kingston, have embraced this platform to publish their content in the form of NFT music, videos, and images.
Beyond providing a space for content creation and sharing, LimeWire introduces monetization models to empower users to earn revenue from their creations. This includes avenues such as earning ad revenue and participating in the burgeoning market of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). As we delve further, we'll explore these monetization strategies in more detail to provide a comprehensive understanding of LimeWire's innovative approach to content creation and distribution.
LimeWire Studio welcomes content creators into its fold, providing a space to craft personalized AI-focused content for sharing with fans and followers. Within this creative hub, every piece of content generated becomes not just a creation but a unique asset—ownable and tradable. Fans have the opportunity to subscribe to creators' pages, immersing themselves in the creative journey and gaining ownership of digital collectibles that hold tradeable value within the LimeWire community. Notably, creators earn a 2.5% royalty each time their content is traded, adding a rewarding element to the creative process.
The platform's flexibility is evident in its content publication options. Creators can choose to share their work freely with the public or opt for a premium subscription model, granting exclusive access to specialized content for subscribers.
As of the present moment, LimeWire focuses on AI Image Generation, offering a spectrum of creative possibilities to its user base. The platform, however, has ambitious plans on the horizon, aiming to broaden its offerings by introducing AI music and video generation tools in the near future. This strategic expansion promises creators even more avenues for expression and engagement with their audience, positioning LimeWire Studio as a dynamic and evolving platform within the realm of AI-powered content creation.
The LimeWire AI image generation tool presents a versatile platform for both the creation and editing of images. Supporting advanced models such as Stable Diffusion 2.1, Stable Diffusion XL, and DALL-E 2, LimeWire offers a sophisticated toolkit for users to delve into the realm of generative AI art.
Much like other tools in the generative AI landscape, LimeWire provides a range of options catering to various levels of complexity in image creation. Users can initiate the creative process with prompts as simple as a few words or opt for more intricate instructions, tailoring the output to their artistic vision.
What sets LimeWire apart is its seamless integration of different AI models and design styles. Users have the flexibility to effortlessly switch between various AI models, exploring diverse design styles such as cinematic, digital art, pixel art, anime, analog film, and more. Each style imparts a distinctive visual identity to the generated AI art, enabling users to explore a broad spectrum of creative possibilities.
The platform also offers additional features, including samplers, allowing users to fine-tune the quality and detail levels of their creations. Customization options and prompt guidance further enhance the user experience, providing a user-friendly interface for both novice and experienced creators.
Excitingly, LimeWire is actively developing its proprietary AI model, signaling ongoing innovation and enhancements to its image generation capabilities. This upcoming addition holds the promise of further expanding the creative horizons for LimeWire users, making it an evolving and dynamic platform within the landscape of AI-driven art and image creation.
Sign Up Now To Get Free Credits
Upon completing your creative endeavor on LimeWire, the platform allows you the option to publish your content. An intriguing feature follows this step: LimeWire automates the process of minting your creation as a Non-Fungible Token (NFT), utilizing either the Polygon or Algorand blockchain. This transformative step imbues your artwork with a unique digital signature, securing its authenticity and ownership in the decentralized realm.
Creators on LimeWire hold the power to decide the accessibility of their NFT creations. By opting for a public release, the content becomes discoverable by anyone, fostering a space for engagement and interaction. Furthermore, this choice opens the avenue for enthusiasts to trade the NFTs, adding a layer of community involvement to the artistic journey.
Alternatively, LimeWire acknowledges the importance of exclusivity. Creators can choose to share their posts exclusively with their premium subscribers. In doing so, the content remains a special offering solely for dedicated fans, creating an intimate and personalized experience within the LimeWire community. This flexibility in sharing options emphasizes LimeWire's commitment to empowering creators with choices in how they connect with their audience and distribute their digital creations.
After creating your content, you can choose to publish the content. It will automatically mint your creation as an NFT on the Polygon or Algorand blockchain. You can also choose whether to make it public or subscriber-only.
If you make it public, anyone can discover your content and even trade the NFTs. If you choose to share the post only with your premium subscribers, it will be exclusive only to your fans.
Additionally, you can earn ad revenue from your content creations as well.
When you publish content on LimeWire, you will receive 70% of all ad revenue from other users who view your images, music, and videos on the platform.
This revenue model will be much more beneficial to designers. You can experiment with the AI image and content generation tools and share your creations while earning a small income on the side.
The revenue you earn from your creations will come in the form of LMWR tokens, LimeWire’s own cryptocurrency.
Your earnings will be paid every month in LMWR, which you can then trade on many popular crypto exchange platforms like Kraken, ByBit, and UniSwap.
You can also use your LMWR tokens to pay for prompts when using LimeWire generative AI tools.
You can sign up to LimeWire to use its AI tools for free. You will receive 10 credits to use and generate up to 20 AI images per day. You will also receive 50% of the ad revenue share. However, you will get more benefits with premium plans.
For $9.99 per month, you will get 1,000 credits per month, up to 2 ,000 image generations, early access to new AI models, and 50% ad revenue share
For $29 per month, you will get 3750 credits per month, up to 7500 image generations, early access to new AI models, and 60% ad revenue share
For $49 per month, you will get 5,000 credits per month, up to 10,000 image generations, early access to new AI models, and 70% ad revenue share
For $99 per month, you will get 11,250 credits per month, up to 2 2,500 image generations, early access to new AI models, and 70% ad revenue share
With all premium plans, you will receive a Pro profile badge, full creation history, faster image generation, and no ads.
Sign Up Now To Get Free Credits
In conclusion, LimeWire emerges as a democratizing force in the creative landscape, providing an inclusive platform where anyone can unleash their artistic potential and effortlessly share their work. With the integration of AI, LimeWire eliminates traditional barriers, empowering designers, musicians, and artists to publish their creations and earn revenue with just a few clicks.
The ongoing commitment of LimeWire to innovation is evident in its plans to enhance generative AI tools with new features and models. The upcoming expansion to include music and video generation tools holds the promise of unlocking even more possibilities for creators. It sparks anticipation about the diverse and innovative ways in which artists will leverage these tools to produce and publish their own unique creations.
For those eager to explore, LimeWire's AI tools are readily accessible for free, providing an opportunity to experiment and delve into the world of generative art. As LimeWire continues to evolve, creators are encouraged to stay tuned for the launch of its forthcoming AI music and video generation tools, promising a future brimming with creative potential and endless artistic exploration
This blog is now closed
Should sanctions against Syria be removed now Assad regime has fallen?
Moving to the Middle East, Simon Birmingham was asked whether sanctions Australia has had in place against Syria since 2011 should be reviewed now the Assad regime has fallen?
I wouldn’t rush to prejudge those conclusions that Australia would wish to see in Syria – a situation where all minorities, all peoples, have their rights protected, where Syria engages responsibly, not only with its own population in terms of their rights, but also with its neighbours … [If there are] strong steps in those directions … of course sanctions should be removed.
What we’ve seen Coalition do is develop independent economic modelling that’s been released – and yes, like all economic modelling, it has people who will criticise and analyse it …
It absolutely is.
I don’t have a piece of paper in front of me that tells you the tonnage or weight of the size of waste. Not denying the fact that there is waste that comes from a nuclear power plant, [but it] is waste that is eminently manageable and sensible for a country like Australia …
Continue reading...Japan’s complex defence alliances built up over years as protection against China could be put at risk in a Trump-launched trade war
Arguably, no country in Asia has better reason to be in a state of anxiety over the return of Donald Trump to the White House than Japan, since the US has been the linchpin of Japanese foreign and security policy since the second world war.
Back in 2017, well before he became prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba described Trump’s method as one of “placing his counterpart in a state of anxiety and tension, creating psychological instability and then initiating a deal”.
Continue reading...Russian leader largely upbeat in year-end phone-in, calling Zelenskyy illegitimate and suggesting US missile ‘duel’
Vladimir Putin said the war in Ukraine had made Russia “much stronger” and denied that the fall of his key ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria had hurt Moscow’s standing, as he held a marathon year-end press conference and television call-in seeking to project confidence at home and abroad.
Casting the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as “illegitimate”, Putin said he was ready to meet Donald Trump and discuss peace proposals to end his full-scale invasion, but he repeated his hardline stance that Moscow would keep control of Crimea, together with the four Ukrainian regions he laid claim to in 2022.
Continue reading...Keir Starmer on the verge of appointing Labour grandee to key post at start of Trump presidency
Peter Mandelson is set to become Britain’s next ambassador to the US, the first time a politician has been appointed to the role for almost half a century.
Keir Starmer is about to announce that Lord Mandelson, a former Labour minister and European commissioner for trade, has been given the role. The Guardian understands he will take over as Donald Trump begins his second term as president.
Continue reading...Even before he assumes the presidency, Trump has sent the Canadian government into paroxysms with trade threats
One person, at least, was clearly delighted by the political upheaval triggered in Canada by this week’s sudden resignation of the country’s deputy prime minister.
Chrystia Freeland, who stood down on Monday, had clashed with Justin Trudeau over the appropriate response to stiff tariffs threatened by Donald Trump – and the US president-elect was relishing the drama.
Continue reading...Central bank downgrades growth forecast amid threat from budget fallout, rising inflation and Trump trade tariffs
The Bank of England has kept interest rates on hold as it warned UK growth is on the brink of stagnation amid the fallout from Rachel Reeves’s budget and threat of Donald Trump reigniting global trade wars.
Reflecting heightened concerns over stubborn inflation, the central bank’s rate-setting monetary policy committee (MPC) voted by a majority of six to three to leave interest rates unchanged at 4.75%, prolonging the pressure on households and businesses from elevated borrowing costs.
Continue reading...“The funds to CJA are critical for building community resilience against climate change threats.”
The post EPA Staffers Demand Biden Release Climate Funds Withheld Over Gaza appeared first on The Intercept.
“When you imagine what the FTC is willing and able to do in the service of an authoritarian Trump administration, that takes you to some really terrifying places.”
The post Republicans Said the FTC Was Too Politicized. Now Trump’s FTC Pick Says It Should be Politicized — by Trump. appeared first on The Intercept.
The big news outlets used to say settlements would encourage more lawsuits. Trump is already targeting smaller newspapers.
The post The Real Danger of ABC News Settling Its Lawsuit With Donald Trump appeared first on The Intercept.
Spike in fossil fuel use a result of global gas crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
The world’s coal use is expected to reach a fresh high of 8.7bn tonnes this year, and remain at near-record levels for years as a result of a global gas crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
There has been record production and trade of coal and power generation from coal since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine inflated global gas market prices, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Continue reading...Tulip Siddiq denies claims that she brokered corrupt deal with Russia to build nuclear power plant
Keir Starmer has given his full support to Tulip Siddiq, the Treasury minister, after Bangladesh’s anti-corruption commission accused her and family members of embezzling billions as part of a deal for a nuclear power plant.
Siddiq’s role as economic secretary to the Treasury includes responsibility for tackling financial corruption. She has denied any involvement in the claims.
Continue reading...He has bankrolled elections, stoked riots and ignored laws. We mustn’t make the mistake of playing nice with the world’s richest bully
Elon Musk is, more or less, a rogue state. His intentions are self-serving and nefarious, and his nation-state level resources allow him to flout the law with impunity. To put it into context, if dollars were metres, Musk’s money would be enough to take him to Mars and back, while a mere millionaire could only make a round trip from Paris to Amsterdam.
The sheer immorality of any one person possessing so much wealth is obvious to most people with basic amounts of empathy. But when it comes to Musk and the other 14 people worth more than $100bn, the morality of it is almost a secondary concern. Their individual wealth is a society-distorting threat to democracy in the same way that economics has always recognised monopolies to be dangerous to a functional market.
Alexander Hurst is a Guardian Europe columnist
Continue reading...As Donald Trump’s nominees woo Senate Republicans to secure their confirmation, Joan E Greve and Hugo Lowell look at who could be in charge of the major government departments and what they’ll have to do to keep the president happy for the next four years
Archive: CNN, Face the Nation, MSNBC, BBC, CBS News, ABC, Fox 11 Los Angeles, Fox News
Continue reading...Nationals senator questions his own party’s policy, saying ‘all sides of politics are deciding their energy based on focus group’
Nationals senator Matt Canavan has doubled down on concerns about the Coalition’s nuclear power plan, saying attempting to run a modern economy through nuclear or renewable power was “equally unachievable” after a video showed him claiming his colleagues are “not serious” about the idea.
In a podcast interview from August uncovered by the ABC, Canavan said the Coalition was backing nuclear power “because it fixes a political issue for us”.
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Continue reading...Trump spokesperson points to high number of illegal crossings and reiterates plans for mass deportations
The US deported more than 270,000 immigrants in a recent 12-month period, the highest amount annually in a decade, according to a government report released on Thursday.
The deportations were nearly double from 142,580 in the same period a year earlier and came as part of a broader push by Joe Biden to reduce illegal immigration.
Continue reading...This live coverage has ended, thanks for following along.
Here is the full story:
Donald Trump’s disruption of the government funding negotiations could put the Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, in a perilous position.
Johnson may have to work with Democrats to keep the government open beyond Friday, since his majority is very small, and many of his lawmakers have strident demands when it comes to government spending and the debt ceiling. If Johnson does that, rightwing hardliners in the House Republican conference may attempt to oust him from the speaker’s post when the new Congress begins next year.
No.
Continue reading...A day before potential shutdown, House rejects package hastily assembled after Trump and Musk scuttled prior deal
Donald Trump suffered a humiliating setback on Thursday when Republicans in Congress failed to pass a pared-down spending bill – just one day before a potential government shutdown that could disrupt Christmas travel.
By a vote of 174-235, the House of Representatives rejected the Trump-backed package, hastily assembled by Republican leaders after the president-elect and his billionaire ally Elon Musk scuttled a prior bipartisan deal.
Continue reading...Members of Congress had been racing for agreement before Friday deadline after Trump earlier rejected bipartisan plan
Donald Trump threw his support behind House Republicans’ new plan to avert a government shutdown a day after the president-elect torpedoed a bipartisan plan to fund the government and plunged Capitol Hill into chaos days before the Christmas holiday.
“SUCCESS in Washington!” Trump posted on social media, as key Republicans said they had reached a tentative deal. “Speaker Mike Johnson and the House have come to a very good Deal.”
Continue reading...The U.S. political system is owned by corporations despised by the American people. Luigi Mangione is the result.
The post Health Insurance Execs Should Live in Fear of Prison, Not Murder appeared first on The Intercept.
President formally files new plans under Paris agreement and hails ‘boldest climate agenda in American history’
Joe Biden has announced tougher targets on the US’s carbon dioxide emissions for the next decade, in a defiant final gesture intended as a “capstone” on his legacy on the climate.
With just weeks to go before Donald Trump enters the White House, the Biden administration is formally filing new plans under the Paris agreement – the global climate treaty from which Trump has vowed to withdraw.
Continue reading...Brief talks on 'mutually beneficial’ relations will look at security and defence, but even modest ambitions will be difficult to agree
Nearly five years after the Brexit divorce, the EU is thinking again about its estranged ex-member across the Channel. The union’s 27 leaders will discuss its relationship with the UK on Thursday, for the first time since the election of Keir Starmer, who wants to reset relations and end the rancour of the Brexit years.
The talks, at an EU summit in Brussels, look set to be brief, forming part of a crowded lunch discussion on EU foreign policy covering issues such as the Middle East, China, Ukraine and the return of Donald Trump.
Continue reading...Everyone from janitors to the Geek Squad could be forced to help the NSA spy — and Democrats barely put up a fight.
The post Top Senator Warns Sweeping New Surveillance Powers Will “Inevitably Be Misused” by Trump appeared first on The Intercept.
Trump wants a bloodbath for the federal employees, but government workers aren’t the only ones who will suffer.
The post Federal Labor Unions Steel Themselves for Trump and DOGE’s Mass Firings appeared first on The Intercept.
For more than two decades, the U.S. has flown drones over the heads of millions of people — watching, recording, and even killing some of them.
The post America Gets a Taste of Its Own Medicine: Drone Terror appeared first on The Intercept.
Downing Street says ‘details’ being discussed after newly elected Navinchandra Ramgoolam criticised the agreement
Downing Street has denied that a deal with Mauritius to hand over control of the Chagos Islands is in peril after the new Mauritian prime minister said the arrangement as it stood was not beneficial to his country.
The agreement, under which the UK would hand over its final African colony while keeping control of the UK-US military base on the island of Diego Garcia for at least 99 years, was reached in October with the previous Mauritian administration.
Continue reading...Hours before Assad fell, Congress moved to extend sanctions. Despite presidential waivers, Syria won’t open up until they’re off the books.
The post Keeping Sanctions in Force Would “Pull the Rug Out From Under Syria” appeared first on The Intercept.
One killed in attack that reportedly used Kinzhal and Iskander missiles against the Ukrainian capital
Ukraine’s air force said it downed five ballistic missiles and 40 drones in a Russian attack, with a further 20 drones failing to reach their targets, Reuters reports.
It said a total of 65 drones had been launched overnight.
Continue reading...Talks in Egypt and Qatar are focused on forging a deal to pause the 14-month-old war and release Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners
A senior delegation of US diplomats has arrived in Syria to speak directly to the new Islamist-led rulers, hoping to encourage a moderate, inclusive path and to seek information on missing Americans.
It is the first formal US diplomatic mission to Damascus since the early days of the brutal civil war that broke out in 2011 and culminated in a surprise lightning offensive that toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad this month.
Israel has launched widespread airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, killing at least nine people in the port city of Hodeidah, and threatened more attacks against the group, which has launched hundreds of missiles at Israel over the past year. There had been reports beforehand that Israel was planning to hit Yemen with force after a recent increase in Houthi attacks, including two in the past week.
All references to Syria’s former ruling Ba’ath party will be removed from the country’s education system, the country’s new education minister said. Speaking to Reuters, Nazir Mohammad al-Qadri added that the country’s new leaders will not otherwise change school curricula or restrict the right of girls to learn, saying, “Education is a red line for the Syrian people, more important than food and water … The right to education is not limited to one specific gender. There may be more girls in our schools than boys.”
The UK government has said any new Syrian government needs to build a “secure and peaceful” Syria weeks after its president Bashar al-Assad fled the country. Foreign Office minister Anneliese Dodds said British officials had met with the Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Damascus and the UK was giving Syria £61m in aid.
Thousands of people demonstrated on Thursday in north-east Syria in support of a US-backed, Kurdish-led force that for weeks has been pushing back against Turkey-backed fighters, an AFP correspondent said. The show of support for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) comes after Islamist-led rebels toppled Syria’s longtime strongman Bashar al-Assad earlier this month.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has accused Israel of “ethnic cleansing” in the Gaza Strip in a report documenting the 14-month conflict published on Thursday. The report documents 41 attacks on MSF staff including airstrikes on health facilities and direct fire on humanitarian convoys, AFP reported. The NGO said it was forced to evacuate hospitals and health centres on 17 occasions.
Russian president Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia had not been defeated in Syria and that Moscow had made proposals to the new rulers in Damascus over Russia’s military bases there. Putin said he had not yet met with Bashar al-Assad but planned to meet him and said he would ask about the fate of missing US reporter Austin Tice.
Continue reading...Fans will be cautiously optimistic that American owners can avoid the errors which plagued Farhad Moshiri’s reign
The Friedkin Group’s takeover of Everton represents a momentous day for those exhausted and resigned to calamity by the tenure of Farhad Moshiri. Was it only eight years and 10 months? It felt much longer. Mercifully, evidence of lessons learned and a much-needed departure from what has gone before was present on day one of the US company’s long-awaited arrival.
History, and not even recent, tempers expectations of an Everton owner. There has not been a genuinely successful one in four decades. There should be no rushed judgment on the impact of TFG. The new owners are determined not only to restore stability to Everton but to avoid the mistakes that plagued Moshiri’s reign even before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine changed the club’s financial landscape.
Continue reading...The smash-hit Korean drama is back at long last – and there’s a funny, spicy romcom to tuck into. Plus: lots more crackers to catch up with over Christmas
The first game may be over but the desperation underpinning it is stronger than ever; there will always be another group of victims forced into risking everything by society’s inequities. As the smash Korean drama returns, everyone left standing is bearing the scars. Most troubled is the victor, Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), who is determined to put a stop to the winner-takes-all contest – at the cost of making the ultimate sacrifice. Squid Game’s satirical, polemical intentions feel foregrounded this time round and there’s arguably too much expository prologue. But as the brutal action begins, the themes of impotence in the face of unaccountable power have lost none of their resonance.
Netflix, from Boxing Day
In today’s newsletter: For years, Dominique Pelicot drugged his wife and recruited men to rape her. It could be a turning point in social and legal attitudes to sexual assault
Good morning.
Dominique Pelicot, described as one of France’s worst sex offenders, has been sentenced alongside 50 other men who he recruited to rape his wife, Gisèle Pelicot. Dominique, who was given the maximum sentence possible of 20 years in prison, had been drugging and raping his wife for a decade before he was caught. The scale of the horror and depravity of this case has shocked the world, and reignited conversations around consent and sexual violence.
Middle East | Israel has launched widespread airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, killing at least nine people in the port city of Hodeidah, and threatened more attacks against the group, which has launched hundreds of missiles at Israel over the past year.
Water | Water bills in England and Wales will rise by 36% over the next five years, as suppliers were accused of forcing struggling households to pay for years of underinvestment to fix leaky pipes and cut pollution.
Diplomacy | Peter Mandelson is set to become Britain’s next ambassador to the US, the first time a politician has been appointed to the role for almost half a century.
Climate crisis | Potential new North Sea oil and gas fields with early stage licences from the UK would emit as much carbon dioxide as British households produce in three decades. The finding has led to calls to the government to reject demands from fossil fuel producers for the final permits needed to allow their operations to go ahead.
Russia | Vladimir Putin said the war in Ukraine had made Russia “much stronger” and denied that the fall of his key ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria had hurt Moscow’s standing, as he held a marathon year-end press conference and television call-in seeking to project confidence at home and abroad.
Continue reading...A decade on from the Guardian’s last visit, it is clear war has ripped the city apart – but there are signs of positive change
Bashar al-Assad’s face has been ripped away from posters at the abandoned checkpoint that separates Sheikh Maqsoud, a neighbourhood in the north of Aleppo, from the rest of the city. No cars dare use the wide boulevard any more because the road is still watched by Kurdish snipers allied to the regime. The units retreated into the warren of bombed and burnt-out buildings when Islamist rebel groups launched an unprecedented attack on the city at the end of November, triggering a chain reaction that led to the swift collapse of the Assad dynasty.
Civilians hurry past, some with small children in pushchairs, others rolling cooking gas canisters down the road, all trying not to attract undue attention. A man had been shot and killed here the night before, picked off from the upper floor of a windowless apartment block. Aleppo fell to an umbrella of Sunni Arab factions led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) three weeks ago, but the Kurdish units stationed in sheikh Maqsoud had for years refused to lay down their weapons, afraid of what would happen if they surrendered. Now, they appear to be waiting for something to shift in Syria’s new and fragile status quo.
Continue reading...Yoon Suk Yeol was summoned for questioning over attempt to impose martial law earlier this month
South Korea’s impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, failed to appear before the country’s corruption watchdog on Wednesday, it said, after he was summoned for questioning over his attempt to impose martial law.
Yoon was stripped of his duties by parliament over the weekend after his short-lived 3 December martial law declaration, which plunged the country into its worst political turmoil in decades.
Continue reading...The jurors that sent Hall to death row never heard critical evidence that could have convinced them to spare his life. Some of them now support his bid for clemency.
The post Charles Hall Insisted He Wanted the Death Penalty. Now He’s Asking Biden for Mercy. appeared first on The Intercept.
New research comes as dozens of small potential fields have received some form of license from the government
Potential new North Sea oil and gas fields with early stage licences from the UK would emit as much carbon dioxide as British households produce in three decades.
The finding has led to calls to the government to reject demands from fossil fuel producers for the final permits needed to allow their operations to go ahead.
Continue reading...Brisbane court acquits Yolanda Borucki, who claims she attempted to report Ashley Griffith to police in 2021
A childcare centre manager who alerted police to one of Australia’s worst paedophiles has been found not guilty of computer hacking for using a restricted computer to inform the media.
Yolanda Borucki worked at the same Uniting Church childcare centre as Ashley Paul Griffith in 2021 and helped report him to authorities that year, but police and the centre rejected the allegations after an investigation.
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Continue reading...Government services minister says case is ‘very significant victory’ for the regulator, which brought the case against the energy company
Government services minister, Bill Shorten, has called for “someone senior at AGL” to be held accountable for the company’s misuse of the Centrepay payment system to wrongly take money from the welfare payments of former customers.
On Thursday, the federal court imposed a record fine of $25m on AGL for receiving and retaining money from welfare recipients who had ceased being its customers.
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Continue reading...Campaigners say Queensland mine given go-ahead this week is a new development, not an extension of an existing mine
Climate campaigners have challenged a claim by the Albanese government that it has not approved any new coalmines in 2024, saying a Queensland mine given a green light this week was a new development.
The environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, approved four coalmine projects on Thursday, describing them all as expansions of existing mines that would mainly be digging up coal to make steel.
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Continue reading...Member for Hinkler says he and David Littleproud have ‘very different views’ and implies net zero would have ‘zero impact on the temperature of the planet’
Nationals MP Keith Pitt has announced he will quit politics, implying his party had lost its “purpose” and blasting the Coalition’s decision to commit to net zero.
Pitt, the Member for Hinkler, said in a statement that he had told colleagues he would not be contesting the 2025 election. He called his time in politics “an incredible privilege … some extraordinary successes, many highs and some unfortunate lows”.
Continue reading...Karen Webb warns that NSW force can’t risk 250,000 people being ‘trapped in the city’ with no way home
The New South Wales police commissioner holds “grave concerns” about the safety of Sydney’s famous New Year’s Eve fireworks if they coincide with industrial action on the train network – and she could recommend cancelling the event.
Karen Webb’s comments on Friday – which a union chief labelled unfounded “public hysteria” – left open the prospect of a new year without fireworks on Sydney Harbour, which could cost the economy $98m, according to Business NSW.
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Continue reading...Sarah Davidson says the government has a shot at solving profound generational challenges and Bryan Merton welcomes Polly Toynbee’s positive perspective. But Bernie Evans wants to see more action right now, and Philip Oliver urges Labour to keep voters engaged
Polly Toynbee is correct that there are few quick fixes for the biggest problems facing the country (Labour seems to be flailing, but keep faith: Starmer’s long-term plans are both radical and sound, 17 December). But we shouldn’t delude ourselves that political leadership alone is enough to shift the dial on many of these generational challenges.
While I have critiqued the detail of Whitehall reforms announced by Labour this winter, most of us who have worked in or with Whitehall would accept the need for these institutions to work differently. Central government must pay proper respect to the distinct contributions and roles of others – the devolved administrations; local government; public bodies; and the third and private sectors.
Continue reading...Steven Donziger and 34 congressmembers urge action on case that saw debilitating counterattacks from Chevron
Steven Donziger, the embattled human rights attorney, has urged Joe Biden to offer him a pardon for his role in defending Indigenous tribes in Ecuador against the oil industry, where his efforts ended with him being sued by Chevron and spending time in jail and hundreds of days under house arrest.
In an interview with the Guardian from his Manhattan apartment, Donziger said a pardon would “send a clear signal to corporations that they can never again criminally prosecute and jail good people who hold them accountable for abuses”.
Continue reading...McNeese State University in Louisiana building a liquefied natural gas center, prompting fears of ‘corporate capture’
One of Louisiana’s top public universities has prompted concerns about “corporate capture” over its expanding relationship with the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry, despite environmental warnings about pollution and prolonging fossil fuel use.
As the US’s LNG boom gained momentum in south-west Louisiana, McNeese State University courted the industry to help launch a new LNG Center of Excellence currently under construction, hired a director doubling as an LNG industry lobbyist, and approached federal regulators to co-locate their own research center at the university, according to emails obtained via public records requests by DeSmog and the Guardian.
Continue reading...On The Intercept Briefing, Syrian journalist Rami Jarrah discusses the fall of the Assad family’s decadeslong brutal regime.
The post Syria: What Comes Next? appeared first on The Intercept.
Israel violated the terms of a 1974 agreement by rolling its tanks across the Syrian border — less than 40 miles from Damascus.
The post Israel Exploits Assad’s Fall to Expand Into Syria appeared first on The Intercept.
The FBI is still touting the debunked idea that its agents could access communications without opening a door to foreign hackers.
The post How to Protect Yourself From the Salt Typhoon Hack, No Matter What the FBI Says appeared first on The Intercept.
Seeking to lock up Asif Rahman during his Espionage Act trial, prosecutors alleged the CIA analyst had an ideological motive to leak.
The post Judge Reverses Decision to Release Alleged CIA Leaker Ahead of Trial appeared first on The Intercept.
In a new report, the Justice Department’s inspector general found that the agency violated its own rules to snoop on reporters.
The post This Is How Trump’s Department of Justice Spied on Journalists appeared first on The Intercept.
This essay was written with Nathan E. Sanders. It originally appeared as a response to Evgeny Morozov in Boston Review‘s forum, “The AI We Deserve.”
For a technology that seems startling in its modernity, AI sure has a long history. Google Translate, OpenAI chatbots, and Meta AI image generators are built on decades of advancements in linguistics, signal processing, statistics, and other fields going back to the early days of computing—and, often, on seed funding from the U.S. Department of Defense. But today’s tools are hardly the intentional product of the diverse generations of innovators that came before. We agree with Morozov that the “refuseniks,” as he ...
Talks in Egypt and Qatar are focused on forging a deal to pause the 14-month-old war and release Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners
A senior delegation of US diplomats has arrived in Syria to speak directly to the new Islamist-led rulers, hoping to encourage a moderate, inclusive path and to seek information on missing Americans.
It is the first formal US diplomatic mission to Damascus since the early days of the brutal civil war that broke out in 2011 and culminated in a surprise lightning offensive that toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad this month.
Israel has launched widespread airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, killing at least nine people in the port city of Hodeidah, and threatened more attacks against the group, which has launched hundreds of missiles at Israel over the past year. There had been reports beforehand that Israel was planning to hit Yemen with force after a recent increase in Houthi attacks, including two in the past week.
All references to Syria’s former ruling Ba’ath party will be removed from the country’s education system, the country’s new education minister said. Speaking to Reuters, Nazir Mohammad al-Qadri added that the country’s new leaders will not otherwise change school curricula or restrict the right of girls to learn, saying, “Education is a red line for the Syrian people, more important than food and water … The right to education is not limited to one specific gender. There may be more girls in our schools than boys.”
The UK government has said any new Syrian government needs to build a “secure and peaceful” Syria weeks after its president Bashar al-Assad fled the country. Foreign Office minister Anneliese Dodds said British officials had met with the Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Damascus and the UK was giving Syria £61m in aid.
Thousands of people demonstrated on Thursday in north-east Syria in support of a US-backed, Kurdish-led force that for weeks has been pushing back against Turkey-backed fighters, an AFP correspondent said. The show of support for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) comes after Islamist-led rebels toppled Syria’s longtime strongman Bashar al-Assad earlier this month.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has accused Israel of “ethnic cleansing” in the Gaza Strip in a report documenting the 14-month conflict published on Thursday. The report documents 41 attacks on MSF staff including airstrikes on health facilities and direct fire on humanitarian convoys, AFP reported. The NGO said it was forced to evacuate hospitals and health centres on 17 occasions.
Russian president Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia had not been defeated in Syria and that Moscow had made proposals to the new rulers in Damascus over Russia’s military bases there. Putin said he had not yet met with Bashar al-Assad but planned to meet him and said he would ask about the fate of missing US reporter Austin Tice.
Continue reading...Sales volumes up 0.2% month on month in November but economists had forecast 0.5% rise
Retail sales in Great Britain were weaker than expected in November despite stores starting to cut prices early as part of Black Friday discounting in the run-up to the key Christmas shopping season.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said sales volumes rose 0.2% month on month in November, falling short of the 0.5% that economists had forecast.
Continue reading...W Clappison Ltd claims its supply agreement was ended at planting time without reasonable notice
The grocery industry watchdog is to make a rare intervention in a Yorkshire sprout grower’s £3.7m legal case against Aldi over the discount chain’s decision to terminate a long-term supply deal.
In papers filed at the high court, W Clappison Ltd, which produced sprouts for Aldi’s UK arm for 13 years, said its supply agreement was ended in February last year at planting time without reasonable notice so it was unable to find new clients immediately. It said it was forced to cease sprout production and sell off its machinery.
Continue reading...Bridget’s parents liked Indian food, so long as it wasn’t too spicy, and invited me to cook a festive dish. Tears soon began streaming down their faces
I had been seeing my girlfriend for six months when she suggested we spend Christmas with her family. This was uncharted territory for me: past relationships had either not lasted long enough or had been with people whose families did not celebrate Christmas. I felt nervous, but was determined to make a good impression on Bridget’s parents, who lived in a remote rural community in the Scottish Borders – a part of the world that was very different from anything familiar to me.
Having grown up in a Muslim family, I was unused to traditions such as Christmas dinner. I worried that requesting halal meat might interfere with her family’s food plans. Bridget’s parents, being deeply kind and empathetic people, suggested that perhaps I could prepare a Christmas curry for the family. They enjoyed Indian food and this would allow me to bring a part of my cultural heritage to their home – which was how I came to be in their kitchen preparing a saag aloo, based on a recipe learned from my mother.
Continue reading...Dr Chris van Tulleken has been at the forefront of the campaign to change our food system and better regulate the sale of ultra-processed foods (UPF). This year he will be giving the Royal Institution Christmas lectures, Britain’s most prestigious public science lectures, in which he’ll be investigating how food has fundamentally shaped human evolution, the importance of our microbiome – as the extra ‘organ’ we didn’t know we had – and how we can all eat better in future, for the sake of our own health and the health of the planet.
Nicola Davis sat down with Van Tulleken to discuss the lectures, the challenge of understanding the impact of UPFs on our health, and his top tip for Christmas dinner. Madeleine Finlay hears from them both in this Christmas special edition of Science Weekly
Clips: Sky News
Continue reading...Since the 1970s, Humphrey Smith has acquired scores of pubs and historic properties around the UK. But time after time, he has left the buildings empty. Why has he allowed his empire to moulder?
In early September 2022, Alivia Bienko and her husband, Liam, were driving through Stamford Bridge, an idyllic village on the River Derwent, near York, when a shuttered pub caught their eye. Stuck to one of the windows was an A4 sheet advertising for a couple to live in and manage the pub. On the advert was a mobile number for Samuel Smith, the brewery that owned the pub. Founded in 1758, Samuel Smith Old Brewery is one of the largest family-owned brewery and pub operations in the UK. Bienko had experience in hospitality, and she and Liam were open to a change. They decided to look into the job.
Online, they came across a few stories of couples who had been thrown out of their jobs running Samuel Smith’s pubs, largely for “missing money or missing beer”, Bienko said. Nothing unusual about that. But when the couple dialled the number on the advert, they were surprised to find themselves speaking to Humphrey Smith, the stupendously wealthy chairman of the company, who has been in charge since the 1970s. “He said, ‘I can come and meet you tomorrow’,” Bienko told me. “It was very odd and we were very nervous, because we were living in a small caravan and here was a millionaire coming to visit us.”
Continue reading...Trump wants a bloodbath for the federal employees, but government workers aren’t the only ones who will suffer.
The post Federal Labor Unions Steel Themselves for Trump and DOGE’s Mass Firings appeared first on The Intercept.
Not sure which whisky to sip by a roaring fire? No problem, we’ve tasted them straight up for you
Whether you’re stocking the bar trolley or hunting for a gift for a hard-to-buy-for relative, you’ll likely be one of the many picking up a bottle or two of whisky this Christmas.
After carefully testing every whisky on this list – and many more – we are full of festive spirit and ready to step in to Christmas. Some whiskies were stirred into manhattans, others were enjoyed as a highball, and all were tasted straight up; all in the name of fairness, you understand.
Continue reading...As the diplomatic row over the embargo escalates, the U.S. sent Israel millions of pounds of ammunition through Spanish territory.
The post U.S. Defied Spanish Embargo on Arms Bound for Israel by Making Enforcement More Difficult appeared first on The Intercept.
From soft, buttery cheddar to crumbly caerphilly, here’s our pick of cheeses that will benefit you, the animal and the environment
The fruity tang of a strong cheddar; the creamy ooze of a brie; the honk of a blue so ripe it threatens to walk off the board. To cheese lovers, these are as much a part of this season’s sensory joys as mince pies and a Christmas tree glowing with lights.
Yet they can come at an environmental price. Sustainability is frustratingly complicated for those of us who want to lay on a cheeseboard without guilt this Christmas. Most of us now know about livestock emissions, global deforestation in the name of producing feed, and the pollution – via agricultural runoff – of local waterways. A few years ago, we were told being sustainable meant avoiding dairy completely; then we learned about the benefits ruminants can bring to the soil when farmed regeneratively.
The cheddar:
Hafod
From £7.75 at the Courtyard Dairy
The wensleydale:
Stonebeck
From £17 at Paxton & Whitfield
The ‘camembert’:
Corscombe
£15.15 at Neal’s Yard Dairy
The goat’s:
Sinodun Hill and Polmarkyn Dairy
£14.95 at Paxton & Whitfield
£6.20 at Hanson Fine Foods
The ‘manchego’:
Corra Linn
From £10.65 at the Courtyard Dairy
The blue:
Lanark blue
£9.95 at Pong Cheese
The caerphilly:
Duckett’s caerphilly
£5.25 at the Newt
The reblochon:
Rollright
£10.95 at the Newt
With packaging as delicious as the contents, these sweet and savoury stocking fillers cater to all tastes
Food gifts are perfect for anyone who doesn’t want more “stuff”. From brownies to scoff in one sitting to store cupboard upgrades, these gifts will brighten the dark winter days.
Who doesn’t need a delivery of luxury biscuits or gourmet olive oil they’d hesitate to drop into their regular grocery basket? From Michelin-starred chutney to croissant butter, they’ll thank you for the gift that will keep on giving throughout January.
Continue reading...Is there anything you’d like to know about UPFs? The Guardian’s new video podcast, It’s complicated
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have become an everyday part of many people’s diets. From ready meals to breakfast cereals, these foods are engineered for convenience and taste – but at what cost? With growing attention on how ultra-processed foods (UPFs) influence our health, the environment, and even the way we view eating, it’s no wonder there’s so much confusion and curiosity surrounding them.
In our new video podcast on the Guardian’s It’s Complicated YouTube channel, we want to explore what really goes into UPFs and what that means for our wellbeing. What makes a food ‘ultra-processed’ compared to regular processed foods? Are all UPFs inherently unhealthy? How did they become such a dominant part of the food landscape, and what would it mean to cut them out? These are just some of the questions we’re looking to answer — but we really want to hear from you.
Continue reading...Hours before Assad fell, Congress moved to extend sanctions. Despite presidential waivers, Syria won’t open up until they’re off the books.
The post Keeping Sanctions in Force Would “Pull the Rug Out From Under Syria” appeared first on The Intercept.
A weekly email from Yotam Ottolenghi, Meera Sodha, Felicity Cloake and Rachel Roddy, featuring the latest recipes and seasonal eating ideas
Each week we’ll send you an exclusive newsletter from our star food writers. We’ll also send you the latest recipes from Yotam Ottolenghi, Nigel Slater, Meera Sodha and all our star cooks, stand-out food features and seasonal eating inspiration, plus restaurant reviews from Grace Dent and Jay Rayner.
Sign up below to start receiving the best of our culinary journalism in one mouth-watering weekly email.
Continue reading...Whether they fled or stayed behind, the survivors of Israel’s scorched-earth campaign in northern Gaza experienced untold horrors.
The post Trauma and Terror in the North of Gaza appeared first on The Intercept.
In the UK and US, more than half the average diet consists of ultra-processed foods. For some people, especially those who are younger, poorer or from disadvantaged areas, a diet comprising as much as 80% UPFs is typical, and this has been linked to a myriad of harmful effects to health.
Neelam Tailor traces the surprising journey of ultra-processed foods from their origins in industrial waste to today's complex ingredient lists and the regulatory loopholes that paved the way
Continue reading...Style, with substance: what’s really trending this week, a roundup of the best fashion journalism and your wardrobe dilemmas solved, direct to your inbox every Thursday
Style, with substance: what’s really trending this week, a roundup of the best fashion journalism and your wardrobe dilemmas solved, delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday
Explore all our newsletters: whether you love film, football, fashion or food, we’ve got something for you
Continue reading... |
Imagine a world in which you can do transactions and many other things without having to give your personal information. A world in which you don’t need to rely on banks or governments anymore. Sounds amazing, right? That’s exactly what blockchain technology allows us to do.
It’s like your computer’s hard drive. blockchain is a technology that lets you store data in digital blocks, which are connected together like links in a chain.
Blockchain technology was originally invented in 1991 by two mathematicians, Stuart Haber and W. Scot Stornetta. They first proposed the system to ensure that timestamps could not be tampered with.
A few years later, in 1998, software developer Nick Szabo proposed using a similar kind of technology to secure a digital payments system he called “Bit Gold.” However, this innovation was not adopted until Satoshi Nakamoto claimed to have invented the first Blockchain and Bitcoin.
A blockchain is a distributed database shared between the nodes of a computer network. It saves information in digital format. Many people first heard of blockchain technology when they started to look up information about bitcoin.
Blockchain is used in cryptocurrency systems to ensure secure, decentralized records of transactions.
Blockchain allowed people to guarantee the fidelity and security of a record of data without the need for a third party to ensure accuracy.
To understand how a blockchain works, Consider these basic steps:
Let’s get to know more about the blockchain.
Blockchain records digital information and distributes it across the network without changing it. The information is distributed among many users and stored in an immutable, permanent ledger that can't be changed or destroyed. That's why blockchain is also called "Distributed Ledger Technology" or DLT.
Here’s how it works:
And that’s the beauty of it! The process may seem complicated, but it’s done in minutes with modern technology. And because technology is advancing rapidly, I expect things to move even more quickly than ever.
Even though blockchain is integral to cryptocurrency, it has other applications. For example, blockchain can be used for storing reliable data about transactions. Many people confuse blockchain with cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and ethereum.
Blockchain already being adopted by some big-name companies, such as Walmart, AIG, Siemens, Pfizer, and Unilever. For example, IBM's Food Trust uses blockchain to track food's journey before reaching its final destination.
Although some of you may consider this practice excessive, food suppliers and manufacturers adhere to the policy of tracing their products because bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella have been found in packaged foods. In addition, there have been isolated cases where dangerous allergens such as peanuts have accidentally been introduced into certain products.
Tracing and identifying the sources of an outbreak is a challenging task that can take months or years. Thanks to the Blockchain, however, companies now know exactly where their food has been—so they can trace its location and prevent future outbreaks.
Blockchain technology allows systems to react much faster in the event of a hazard. It also has many other uses in the modern world.
Blockchain technology is safe, even if it’s public. People can access the technology using an internet connection.
Have you ever been in a situation where you had all your data stored at one place and that one secure place got compromised? Wouldn't it be great if there was a way to prevent your data from leaking out even when the security of your storage systems is compromised?
Blockchain technology provides a way of avoiding this situation by using multiple computers at different locations to store information about transactions. If one computer experiences problems with a transaction, it will not affect the other nodes.
Instead, other nodes will use the correct information to cross-reference your incorrect node. This is called “Decentralization,” meaning all the information is stored in multiple places.
Blockchain guarantees your data's authenticity—not just its accuracy, but also its irreversibility. It can also be used to store data that are difficult to register, like legal contracts, state identifications, or a company's product inventory.
Blockchain has many advantages and disadvantages.
I’ll answer the most frequently asked questions about blockchain in this section.
Blockchain is not a cryptocurrency but a technology that makes cryptocurrencies possible. It's a digital ledger that records every transaction seamlessly.
Yes, blockchain can be theoretically hacked, but it is a complicated task to be achieved. A network of users constantly reviews it, which makes hacking the blockchain difficult.
Coinbase Global is currently the biggest blockchain company in the world. The company runs a commendable infrastructure, services, and technology for the digital currency economy.
Blockchain is a decentralized technology. It’s a chain of distributed ledgers connected with nodes. Each node can be any electronic device. Thus, one owns blockhain.
Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency, which is powered by Blockchain technology while Blockchain is a distributed ledger of cryptocurrency
Generally a database is a collection of data which can be stored and organized using a database management system. The people who have access to the database can view or edit the information stored there. The client-server network architecture is used to implement databases. whereas a blockchain is a growing list of records, called blocks, stored in a distributed system. Each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, timestamp and transaction information. Modification of data is not allowed due to the design of the blockchain. The technology allows decentralized control and eliminates risks of data modification by other parties.
Blockchain has a wide spectrum of applications and, over the next 5-10 years, we will likely see it being integrated into all sorts of industries. From finance to healthcare, blockchain could revolutionize the way we store and share data. Although there is some hesitation to adopt blockchain systems right now, that won't be the case in 2022-2023 (and even less so in 2026). Once people become more comfortable with the technology and understand how it can work for them, owners, CEOs and entrepreneurs alike will be quick to leverage blockchain technology for their own gain. Hope you like this article if you have any question let me know in the comments section
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The big news outlets used to say settlements would encourage more lawsuits. Trump is already targeting smaller newspapers.
The post The Real Danger of ABC News Settling Its Lawsuit With Donald Trump appeared first on The Intercept.
The jurors that sent Hall to death row never heard critical evidence that could have convinced them to spare his life. Some of them now support his bid for clemency.
The post Charles Hall Insisted He Wanted the Death Penalty. Now He’s Asking Biden for Mercy. appeared first on The Intercept.
When slighted, Phoebe seeks revenge – a belief Priya thinks ridiculous. You decide who should learn to turn the other cheek
Find out how to get a disagreement settled or become a juror
She seriously considered planting Japanese knotweed in her former housemates’ garden
I don’t regret any of my actions. Some call it revenge; I call it karmic rebalancing
Continue reading...This blog is now closed
Should sanctions against Syria be removed now Assad regime has fallen?
Moving to the Middle East, Simon Birmingham was asked whether sanctions Australia has had in place against Syria since 2011 should be reviewed now the Assad regime has fallen?
I wouldn’t rush to prejudge those conclusions that Australia would wish to see in Syria – a situation where all minorities, all peoples, have their rights protected, where Syria engages responsibly, not only with its own population in terms of their rights, but also with its neighbours … [If there are] strong steps in those directions … of course sanctions should be removed.
What we’ve seen Coalition do is develop independent economic modelling that’s been released – and yes, like all economic modelling, it has people who will criticise and analyse it …
It absolutely is.
I don’t have a piece of paper in front of me that tells you the tonnage or weight of the size of waste. Not denying the fact that there is waste that comes from a nuclear power plant, [but it] is waste that is eminently manageable and sensible for a country like Australia …
Continue reading...The U.S. political system is owned by corporations despised by the American people. Luigi Mangione is the result.
The post Health Insurance Execs Should Live in Fear of Prison, Not Murder appeared first on The Intercept.
The government is right in its decision not to pay the women up to £10.5bn in compensation – it simply can’t afford to
Some women born in the 1950s were not adequately warned that they would have to work up to six extra years before drawing their state pension. Some have been left to rely on meagre benefits while they wait for delayed pensions. In March, an ombudsman judged that they deserved redress for communication failings, recommending compensation of between £1,000 and £2,950 each for maladministration.
However, the government claims that this is not justified on the grounds that about 90% of these women did know the new retirement age. The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, said: “Given that the vast majority of people did know about these changes, I didn’t judge that it would be the best use of taxpayers’ money to pay an expensive compensation bill for something that most people knew was happening.”
Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnist
Continue reading...Luis Díaz, Cole Palmer and Ademola Lookman all make an appearance as we near the business end of our list with the players in position 100-11
Government could face huge bill for damages after keeping more than 60 asylum seekers in ‘hellish’ conditions
Dozens of asylum seekers stranded on one of the most remote islands in the world in conditions described as “hell on Earth” were unlawfully detained there by the UK for three years, a judge has found.
The government could now face a bill of millions in damages for unlawfully detaining more than 60 people for such a long period.
Continue reading...As Donald Trump’s nominees woo Senate Republicans to secure their confirmation, Joan E Greve and Hugo Lowell look at who could be in charge of the major government departments and what they’ll have to do to keep the president happy for the next four years
Archive: CNN, Face the Nation, MSNBC, BBC, CBS News, ABC, Fox 11 Los Angeles, Fox News
Continue reading...This live coverage has ended, thanks for following along.
Here is the full story:
Donald Trump’s disruption of the government funding negotiations could put the Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, in a perilous position.
Johnson may have to work with Democrats to keep the government open beyond Friday, since his majority is very small, and many of his lawmakers have strident demands when it comes to government spending and the debt ceiling. If Johnson does that, rightwing hardliners in the House Republican conference may attempt to oust him from the speaker’s post when the new Congress begins next year.
No.
Continue reading...A day before potential shutdown, House rejects package hastily assembled after Trump and Musk scuttled prior deal
Donald Trump suffered a humiliating setback on Thursday when Republicans in Congress failed to pass a pared-down spending bill – just one day before a potential government shutdown that could disrupt Christmas travel.
By a vote of 174-235, the House of Representatives rejected the Trump-backed package, hastily assembled by Republican leaders after the president-elect and his billionaire ally Elon Musk scuttled a prior bipartisan deal.
Continue reading...Prosecutors look into sex-for-votes scandal after killing of Congress lawyer leads to investigation of her former boss
Prosecutors in Peru are investigating a sex-for-votes scandal in the country’s Congress after uncovering an alleged prostitution ring inside the widely-loathed chamber.
The investigation began after hired killers fired more than 40 rounds into a taxi carrying Andrea Vidal, a 27-year-old lawyer who worked in Congress, earlier this month in Lima. She died of her injuries in an intensive care ward on Tuesday. The taxi driver was also killed in the attack.
Continue reading...Members of Congress had been racing for agreement before Friday deadline after Trump earlier rejected bipartisan plan
Donald Trump threw his support behind House Republicans’ new plan to avert a government shutdown a day after the president-elect torpedoed a bipartisan plan to fund the government and plunged Capitol Hill into chaos days before the Christmas holiday.
“SUCCESS in Washington!” Trump posted on social media, as key Republicans said they had reached a tentative deal. “Speaker Mike Johnson and the House have come to a very good Deal.”
Continue reading...“The funds to CJA are critical for building community resilience against climate change threats.”
The post EPA Staffers Demand Biden Release Climate Funds Withheld Over Gaza appeared first on The Intercept.
Steven Donziger and 34 congressmembers urge action on case that saw debilitating counterattacks from Chevron
Steven Donziger, the embattled human rights attorney, has urged Joe Biden to offer him a pardon for his role in defending Indigenous tribes in Ecuador against the oil industry, where his efforts ended with him being sued by Chevron and spending time in jail and hundreds of days under house arrest.
In an interview with the Guardian from his Manhattan apartment, Donziger said a pardon would “send a clear signal to corporations that they can never again criminally prosecute and jail good people who hold them accountable for abuses”.
Continue reading...Biden appears ready to sign the NDAA, despite objections from advocates and some Democrats about an insidious anti-trans rider.
The post Senate Approves Defense Bill Blocking Health Care for Thousands of Trans Youth appeared first on The Intercept.
Everyone from janitors to the Geek Squad could be forced to help the NSA spy — and Democrats barely put up a fight.
The post Top Senator Warns Sweeping New Surveillance Powers Will “Inevitably Be Misused” by Trump appeared first on The Intercept.
Trump wants a bloodbath for the federal employees, but government workers aren’t the only ones who will suffer.
The post Federal Labor Unions Steel Themselves for Trump and DOGE’s Mass Firings appeared first on The Intercept.
“When you imagine what the FTC is willing and able to do in the service of an authoritarian Trump administration, that takes you to some really terrifying places.”
The post Republicans Said the FTC Was Too Politicized. Now Trump’s FTC Pick Says It Should be Politicized — by Trump. appeared first on The Intercept.
For more than two decades, the U.S. has flown drones over the heads of millions of people — watching, recording, and even killing some of them.
The post America Gets a Taste of Its Own Medicine: Drone Terror appeared first on The Intercept.
Seeking to lock up Asif Rahman during his Espionage Act trial, prosecutors alleged the CIA analyst had an ideological motive to leak.
The post Judge Reverses Decision to Release Alleged CIA Leaker Ahead of Trial appeared first on The Intercept.
Hours before Assad fell, Congress moved to extend sanctions. Despite presidential waivers, Syria won’t open up until they’re off the books.
The post Keeping Sanctions in Force Would “Pull the Rug Out From Under Syria” appeared first on The Intercept.
In a new report, the Justice Department’s inspector general found that the agency violated its own rules to snoop on reporters.
The post This Is How Trump’s Department of Justice Spied on Journalists appeared first on The Intercept.
A little-noticed provision in the annual defense bill would bar the Pentagon from citing the Gaza Health Ministry as an authoritative source.
The post Congress Keeps Trying to Hide the True Gaza Death Toll appeared first on The Intercept.
The FBI is still touting the debunked idea that its agents could access communications without opening a door to foreign hackers.
The post How to Protect Yourself From the Salt Typhoon Hack, No Matter What the FBI Says appeared first on The Intercept.
The proposal would codify explicitly anti-LGBTQ+ policy into federal law for the first time in decades.
The post Republicans Sneak Anti-Trans Health Care Provision Into Defense Bill appeared first on The Intercept.
From Cornwall to southern Scotland our tipsters celebrate the joys of a cosy inn on a cold winter’s day
The Ship Inn in Porthleven is perfect for watching storms sweep in from the Atlantic and envelop its eye-catching clock tower, while you enjoy the fire and excellent bar. If the pub’s 17th-century walls could talk they would recount tales of smugglers and pirates and heroic lifeboat rescues. These days you might overhear surfers regaling each other with stories of heroic waves ridden on the reef. The fire keeps burning and the ale keeps flowing regardless.
Layla Astley
Helen Pidd speaks to her former lodger, Yasser, a Syrian refugee contemplating moving back home
In 2015, Syrian refugee Yasser moved into Today in Focus presenter Helen Pidd’s home. He had travelled for 37 days across land and sea to escape the horrors of the war in Syria. Since then, Yasser has lived in Manchester, but has always longed to return to Syria.
“Sunday morning, 8 December 2024. That was the best morning of my life,” Yasser tells Helen.
Continue reading...A day before potential shutdown, House rejects package hastily assembled after Trump and Musk scuttled prior deal
Donald Trump suffered a humiliating setback on Thursday when Republicans in Congress failed to pass a pared-down spending bill – just one day before a potential government shutdown that could disrupt Christmas travel.
By a vote of 174-235, the House of Representatives rejected the Trump-backed package, hastily assembled by Republican leaders after the president-elect and his billionaire ally Elon Musk scuttled a prior bipartisan deal.
Continue reading...The magician formerly known as Dynamo performs breathtaking feats to entertain charities, NHS workers and volunteers. Then gives them a present that borders on insulting
There are two kinds of people in this world – those who lean in to the magician’s world of tricks and illusion and those who immediately start to take it apart, explain how it must have been done and remind everyone that: “It’s not real!” The second group are among the worst people in the world. If you have any of them in your life, cut them out now. If they cannot understand the point of theatre, if they cannot see something amazing without wanting to dissect and destroy it, if they feel the need to point out that a woman cannot actually be sawn in half or a rabbit pulled from an ordinary top hat – well, they do not think much of you, my friend.
So, then, to Miracles – a Christmas special showcasing the skills of the magician Steven Frayne (AKA Dynamo) as he travels up and down the country, entertaining people on the streets with astonishing card and other tricks. These include flinging someone’s ring around a bottle neck; making a pack of cards fly out of a glass to leave behind only the one named by a passerby; and changing the names of public wifi networks on everyone’s phones to the name of one woman’s dog.
Continue reading...Officials also say 180 children have been abandoned crossing treacherous jungle from Colombia
Fifty-five US-bound migrants have died and 180 children have been abandoned this year while crossing the treacherous Darién jungle from Colombia, according to Panama’s president, José Raúl Mulino.
Despite dangers including fast-flowing rivers, wild animals and criminal gangs, the Darién is a key corridor for Venezuelan and other migrants traveling overland from South America through Central America and Mexico to the United States.
Continue reading...In a year marked by political instability, Americans faced challenges like gun violence, threats to bodily autonomy and the climate crisis with creativity, tenacity and resolve
The devastating toll of gun violence across the nation, the struggle for bodily autonomy and the efforts to slow the climate crisis were among the many affecting themes photographers documented for the Guardian US this year. The images below show stories of pain, joy and resilience, offering a poignant reflection of the diverse realities of the United States in 2024.
K Monica Kelly traveled to Florida with her husband for an abortion after her fetus was diagnosed with trisomy 13. She is now part of a group suing their home state of Tennessee for being denied medically necessary abortions.
Continue reading...Gisèle Pelicot was greeted by applause as she left court after her ex-husband and 50 other men were sentenced
As Gisèle Pelicot walked down the steps of the Avignon courthouse at the end of the biggest rape trial in French history, hundreds of supporters who had travelled from across France and Europe burst into cheers and applause, chanting: “Thank you, Gisèle.”
Others stood with placards that read “shame has changed sides” in honour of her words, back in October, to explain why she was waiving her anonymity and facing down her rapists in court: “It’s not for us to have shame,” she said then. “It’s for them.”
Continue reading...For more than two decades, the U.S. has flown drones over the heads of millions of people — watching, recording, and even killing some of them.
The post America Gets a Taste of Its Own Medicine: Drone Terror appeared first on The Intercept.
As the diplomatic row over the embargo escalates, the U.S. sent Israel millions of pounds of ammunition through Spanish territory.
The post U.S. Defied Spanish Embargo on Arms Bound for Israel by Making Enforcement More Difficult appeared first on The Intercept.
Syrian airforce helicopters dropped two cylinders of chlorine gas onto the town of Douma on 7 April 2018. At least 43 people choked to death. For six years, afraid of reprisals, the town has grieved in silence for loved ones lost to chemical attacks and countless others killed by conventional weapons.
But after an astonishing and rapid offensive by rebel forces led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), more than 50 years of Assad family rule collapsed last week, and the residents of Douma are finally free to tell their stories. The Guardian’s Bethan McKernan travelled to the town to listen to them
Continue reading...The jurors that sent Hall to death row never heard critical evidence that could have convinced them to spare his life. Some of them now support his bid for clemency.
The post Charles Hall Insisted He Wanted the Death Penalty. Now He’s Asking Biden for Mercy. appeared first on The Intercept.
Whether they fled or stayed behind, the survivors of Israel’s scorched-earth campaign in northern Gaza experienced untold horrors.
The post Trauma and Terror in the North of Gaza appeared first on The Intercept.
From biking adventures to city breaks, get inspiration for your next break – whether in the UK or further afield – with twice-weekly emails from the Guardian’s travel editors. You’ll also receive handpicked offers from Guardian Holidays.
From biking adventures to city breaks, get inspiration for your next break – whether in the UK or further afield – with twice-weekly emails from the Guardian’s travel editors.
You’ll also receive handpicked offers from Guardian Holidays.
Continue reading...President formally files new plans under Paris agreement and hails ‘boldest climate agenda in American history’
Joe Biden has announced tougher targets on the US’s carbon dioxide emissions for the next decade, in a defiant final gesture intended as a “capstone” on his legacy on the climate.
With just weeks to go before Donald Trump enters the White House, the Biden administration is formally filing new plans under the Paris agreement – the global climate treaty from which Trump has vowed to withdraw.
Continue reading...In today’s newsletter: For years, Dominique Pelicot drugged his wife and recruited men to rape her. It could be a turning point in social and legal attitudes to sexual assault
Good morning.
Dominique Pelicot, described as one of France’s worst sex offenders, has been sentenced alongside 50 other men who he recruited to rape his wife, Gisèle Pelicot. Dominique, who was given the maximum sentence possible of 20 years in prison, had been drugging and raping his wife for a decade before he was caught. The scale of the horror and depravity of this case has shocked the world, and reignited conversations around consent and sexual violence.
Middle East | Israel has launched widespread airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, killing at least nine people in the port city of Hodeidah, and threatened more attacks against the group, which has launched hundreds of missiles at Israel over the past year.
Water | Water bills in England and Wales will rise by 36% over the next five years, as suppliers were accused of forcing struggling households to pay for years of underinvestment to fix leaky pipes and cut pollution.
Diplomacy | Peter Mandelson is set to become Britain’s next ambassador to the US, the first time a politician has been appointed to the role for almost half a century.
Climate crisis | Potential new North Sea oil and gas fields with early stage licences from the UK would emit as much carbon dioxide as British households produce in three decades. The finding has led to calls to the government to reject demands from fossil fuel producers for the final permits needed to allow their operations to go ahead.
Russia | Vladimir Putin said the war in Ukraine had made Russia “much stronger” and denied that the fall of his key ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria had hurt Moscow’s standing, as he held a marathon year-end press conference and television call-in seeking to project confidence at home and abroad.
Continue reading...New research comes as dozens of small potential fields have received some form of license from the government
Potential new North Sea oil and gas fields with early stage licences from the UK would emit as much carbon dioxide as British households produce in three decades.
The finding has led to calls to the government to reject demands from fossil fuel producers for the final permits needed to allow their operations to go ahead.
Continue reading...Member for Hinkler says he and David Littleproud have ‘very different views’ and implies net zero would have ‘zero impact on the temperature of the planet’
Nationals MP Keith Pitt has announced he will quit politics, implying his party had lost its “purpose” and blasting the Coalition’s decision to commit to net zero.
Pitt, the Member for Hinkler, said in a statement that he had told colleagues he would not be contesting the 2025 election. He called his time in politics “an incredible privilege … some extraordinary successes, many highs and some unfortunate lows”.
Continue reading...Sarah Davidson says the government has a shot at solving profound generational challenges and Bryan Merton welcomes Polly Toynbee’s positive perspective. But Bernie Evans wants to see more action right now, and Philip Oliver urges Labour to keep voters engaged
Polly Toynbee is correct that there are few quick fixes for the biggest problems facing the country (Labour seems to be flailing, but keep faith: Starmer’s long-term plans are both radical and sound, 17 December). But we shouldn’t delude ourselves that political leadership alone is enough to shift the dial on many of these generational challenges.
While I have critiqued the detail of Whitehall reforms announced by Labour this winter, most of us who have worked in or with Whitehall would accept the need for these institutions to work differently. Central government must pay proper respect to the distinct contributions and roles of others – the devolved administrations; local government; public bodies; and the third and private sectors.
Continue reading...“The funds to CJA are critical for building community resilience against climate change threats.”
The post EPA Staffers Demand Biden Release Climate Funds Withheld Over Gaza appeared first on The Intercept.
Spike in fossil fuel use a result of global gas crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
The world’s coal use is expected to reach a fresh high of 8.7bn tonnes this year, and remain at near-record levels for years as a result of a global gas crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
There has been record production and trade of coal and power generation from coal since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine inflated global gas market prices, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Continue reading...From soft, buttery cheddar to crumbly caerphilly, here’s our pick of cheeses that will benefit you, the animal and the environment
The fruity tang of a strong cheddar; the creamy ooze of a brie; the honk of a blue so ripe it threatens to walk off the board. To cheese lovers, these are as much a part of this season’s sensory joys as mince pies and a Christmas tree glowing with lights.
Yet they can come at an environmental price. Sustainability is frustratingly complicated for those of us who want to lay on a cheeseboard without guilt this Christmas. Most of us now know about livestock emissions, global deforestation in the name of producing feed, and the pollution – via agricultural runoff – of local waterways. A few years ago, we were told being sustainable meant avoiding dairy completely; then we learned about the benefits ruminants can bring to the soil when farmed regeneratively.
The cheddar:
Hafod
From £7.75 at the Courtyard Dairy
The wensleydale:
Stonebeck
From £17 at Paxton & Whitfield
The ‘camembert’:
Corscombe
£15.15 at Neal’s Yard Dairy
The goat’s:
Sinodun Hill and Polmarkyn Dairy
£14.95 at Paxton & Whitfield
£6.20 at Hanson Fine Foods
The ‘manchego’:
Corra Linn
From £10.65 at the Courtyard Dairy
The blue:
Lanark blue
£9.95 at Pong Cheese
The caerphilly:
Duckett’s caerphilly
£5.25 at the Newt
The reblochon:
Rollright
£10.95 at the Newt
The jurors that sent Hall to death row never heard critical evidence that could have convinced them to spare his life. Some of them now support his bid for clemency.
The post Charles Hall Insisted He Wanted the Death Penalty. Now He’s Asking Biden for Mercy. appeared first on The Intercept.
SEMrush and Ahrefs are among
the most popular tools in the SEO industry. Both companies have been in
business for years and have thousands of customers per month.
If you're a professional SEO or trying to do digital
marketing on your own, at some point you'll likely consider using a tool to
help with your efforts. Ahrefs and SEMrush are two names that will likely
appear on your shortlist.
In this guide, I'm going to help you learn more about these SEO tools and how to choose the one that's best for your purposes.
What is SEMrush?
SEMrush is a popular SEO tool with a wide range of
features—it's the leading competitor research service for online marketers.
SEMrush's SEO Keyword Magic tool offers over 20 billion Google-approved
keywords, which are constantly updated and it's the largest keyword database.
The program was developed in 2007 as SeoQuake is a
small Firefox extension
Features
Ahrefs is a leading SEO platform that offers a set of
tools to grow your search traffic, research your competitors, and monitor your
niche. The company was founded in 2010, and it has become a popular choice
among SEO tools. Ahrefs has a keyword index of over 10.3 billion keywords and
offers accurate and extensive backlink data updated every 15-30 minutes and it
is the world's most extensive backlink index database.
Features
Direct Comparisons: Ahrefs vs SEMrush
Now that you know a little more about each tool, let's
take a look at how they compare. I'll analyze each tool to see how they differ
in interfaces, keyword research resources, rank tracking, and competitor
analysis.
User Interface
Ahrefs and SEMrush both offer comprehensive information
and quick metrics regarding your website's SEO performance. However, Ahrefs
takes a bit more of a hands-on approach to getting your account fully set up,
whereas SEMrush's simpler dashboard can give you access to the data you need
quickly.
In this section, we provide a brief overview of the elements
found on each dashboard and highlight the ease with which you can complete
tasks.
AHREFS
The Ahrefs dashboard is less cluttered than that of
SEMrush, and its primary menu is at the very top of the page, with a search bar
designed only for entering URLs.
Additional features of the Ahrefs platform include:
SEMRUSH
When you log into the SEMrush Tool, you will find four
main modules. These include information about your domains, organic keyword
analysis, ad keyword, and site traffic.
You'll also find some other options like
Both Ahrefs and SEMrush have user-friendly dashboards,
but Ahrefs is less cluttered and easier to navigate. On the other hand, SEMrush
offers dozens of extra tools, including access to customer support resources.
When deciding on which dashboard to use, consider what
you value in the user interface, and test out both.
If you're looking to track your website's search engine
ranking, rank tracking features can help. You can also use them to monitor your
competitors.
Let's take a look at Ahrefs vs. SEMrush to see which
tool does a better job.
The Ahrefs Rank Tracker is simpler to use. Just type in
the domain name and keywords you want to analyze, and it spits out a report
showing you the search engine results page (SERP) ranking for each keyword you
enter.
Rank Tracker looks at the ranking performance of
keywords and compares them with the top rankings for those keywords. Ahrefs
also offers:
You'll see metrics that help you understand your
visibility, traffic, average position, and keyword difficulty.
It gives you an idea of whether a keyword would be
profitable to target or not.
SEMRush offers a tool called Position Tracking. This
tool is a project tool—you must set it up as a new project. Below are a few of
the most popular features of the SEMrush Position Tracking tool:
All subscribers are given regular data updates and
mobile search rankings upon subscribing
The platform provides opportunities to track several
SERP features, including Local tracking.
Intuitive reports allow you to track statistics for the
pages on your website, as well as the keywords used in those pages.
Identify pages that may be competing with each other
using the Cannibalization report.
Ahrefs is a more user-friendly option. It takes seconds
to enter a domain name and keywords. From there, you can quickly decide whether
to proceed with that keyword or figure out how to rank better for other
keywords.
SEMrush allows you to check your mobile rankings and
ranking updates daily, which is something Ahrefs does not offer. SEMrush also
offers social media rankings, a tool you won't find within the Ahrefs platform.
Both are good which one do you like let me know in the comment.
Keyword research is closely related to rank tracking,
but it's used for deciding which keywords you plan on using for future content
rather than those you use now.
When it comes to SEO, keyword research is the most
important thing to consider when comparing the two platforms.
The Ahrefs Keyword Explorer provides you with thousands
of keyword ideas and filters search results based on the chosen search engine.
Ahrefs supports several features, including:
SEMrush's Keyword Magic Tool has over 20 billion
keywords for Google. You can type in any keyword you want, and a list of
suggested keywords will appear.
The Keyword Magic Tool also lets you to:
Both of these tools offer keyword research features and
allow users to break down complicated tasks into something that can be
understood by beginners and advanced users alike.
If you're interested in keyword suggestions, SEMrush
appears to have more keyword suggestions than Ahrefs does. It also continues to
add new features, like the Keyword Gap tool and SERP Questions recommendations.
Both platforms offer competitor analysis tools,
eliminating the need to come up with keywords off the top of your head. Each
tool is useful for finding keywords that will be useful for your competition so
you know they will be valuable to you.
Ahrefs' domain comparison tool lets you compare up to five websites (your website and four competitors) side-by-side.it also shows you how your site is ranked against others with metrics such as backlinks, domain ratings, and more.
Use the Competing Domains section to see a list of your
most direct competitors, and explore how many keywords matches your competitors
have.
To find more information about your competitor, you can
look at the Site Explorer and Content Explorer tools and type in their URL
instead of yours.
SEMrush provides a variety of insights into your
competitors' marketing tactics. The platform enables you to research your
competitors effectively. It also offers several resources for competitor
analysis including:
Traffic Analytics helps you identify where your
audience comes from, how they engage with your site, what devices visitors use
to view your site, and how your audiences overlap with other websites.
SEMrush's Organic Research examines your website's
major competitors and shows their organic search rankings, keywords they are
ranking for, and even if they are ranking for any (SERP) features and more.
The Market Explorer search field allows you to type in
a domain and lists websites or articles similar to what you entered. Market
Explorer also allows users to perform in-depth data analytics on These
companies and markets.
SEMrush wins here because it has more tools dedicated to
competitor analysis than Ahrefs. However, Ahrefs offers a lot of functionality
in this area, too. It takes a combination of both tools to gain an advantage
over your competition.
When it comes to keyword data research, you will become
confused about which one to choose.
Consider choosing Ahrefs if you
Consider SEMrush if you:
Both tools are great. Choose the one which meets your
requirements and if you have any experience using either Ahrefs or SEMrush let
me know in the comment section which works well for you.
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