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Nickel Boys review – sublime, immersive adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s haunting reform school novel
Sun, 05 Jan 2025 08:00:12 GMT
Shot largely from the point of view of its two main characters, RaMell Ross’s masterly film takes you to the wrenching heart of this American south tale of brutal 60s racism
An unwritten rule of cinema is that great books very rarely make great movies. It’s not inevitable that a film adaptation of a literary classic will turn out to be a stinker, but plenty do: take Roland Joffe’s disposable and tawdry version of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Brian De Palma’s notorious butchering of Tom Wolfe’s Bonfire of the Vanities, and my personal nadir, Peter Jackson’s mangling of Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones. There are ways of side-stepping the curse of the literary adaptation, of course, a recent example being Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest, a picture that kept the title and the location of Martin Amis’s novel but stripped away most of the flesh of the story to make way for Glazer’s chilling vision.
RaMell Ross’s astonishing Nickel Boys is something else altogether. Ross’s fiction feature debut (he previously directed the Oscar-nominated documentary Hale County This Morning, This Evening) is adapted by the director and co-writer/producer Joslyn Barnes from the Pulitzer-prize-winning 2019 novel by Colson Whitehead, and it’s an extraordinary achievement. A version that is true to the book, honouring both its spirit and its structure, while also managing to be a genuinely groundbreaking cinematic work. This is a sublime piece of film-making.
Continue reading...Joe Alwyn has had an astonishing rise. After his breakthrough with Ang Lee, he wowed in Conversations with Friends and now stars in The Brutalist. Throw in his ex, Taylor Swift, and you have a redhot A-lister ready to go
If – as projected – The Brutalist goes to the 2025 Academy Awards and cleans up, there will be some knowing, told-you-so nods from critics and industry experts. A monumental epic, the film has already earned comparisons to Citizen Kane and the Daniel Day-Lewis masterpiece There Will Be Blood. Over an engrossing three and a half hours, with an intermission, The Brutalist wrestles with the American dream, the vagaries of capitalism, the immigrant experience and antisemitism. Everyone agrees its lead, Adrien Brody, who already has a little gold statue, has never been better. The film is shot entirely on an obscure retro format, VistaVision, that hasn’t been used on an American movie since 1961. Tick, tick, tick, tick: textbook Oscar-bait.
Not that Joe Alwyn, 33, the British actor who also stars in The Brutalist sees it that way. “To be honest, I thought it might be a really good film that not many people would end up seeing,” he says, when we hunker down for a morning coffee at a hotel in central London. Alwyn is dressed entirely in dark blue; the only flashes of colour are the laces of his hiking boots. He’s over 6ft, but he slouches a little, so you wouldn’t immediately know. “Who knows, maybe it still will?” he continues. “I hope not. But given the things against it, given that it ticks most boxes of what you’re not meant to make as a film these days: length, content, all of that – anything on top of that is a really nice surprise.”
Continue reading...The French movie star has written an open letter to rescue Rillette, the boar faced with being put down by the French authorities
It is hard to raise much sympathy for a wild boar in France: hunters like to shoot and eat them; farmers claim they cause around €1m of damage to crops every year; health officials claim they spread diseases. The unfortunately named Rillette – it means a type of potted meat – however, is the exception to the general rule.
A threat by the local authorities in the Aube, eastern France, to put down the female boar has spread into an international campaign to save Rillette supported by animal activist and former actor Brigitte Bardot.
Continue reading...
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
Sweet and comforting midwinter specials bring fruity warmth to dark days
In the tall cupboard next to the fireplace sits a row of fat glass jars, like those in an old-fashioned sweetshop. Jars that contain rolled oats and golden raisins, pumpkin seeds and flaked almonds. There’s a screw-capped pot of chia seeds as grey as a January sky and a glowing jar of amber maple syrup. This cupboard is where I mix oats with seeds and dried fruits for Bircher muesli and where I keep bread for toast – a breakfast cupboard if you like. It is close to the hob where flaked almonds are toasted in a cast-iron pan. Almonds that will introduce a pleasing snap and crackle to my winter breakfast, just as Ricicles did all those years ago.
Grain steeped in apple juice or milk tends be called “overnight oats” nowadays, but to me it will be forever be known as Bircher muesli, even though my own inclusion of kefir and chia seeds would have seemed heretical to the late Dr Bircher-Benner, the inventor of this healthy breakfast. His recipe for “little mush” contained as much apple as oats. Mine slightly less so, the russets or Cox’s coarsely grated and stirred in late in the proceedings to keep their winter crispness.
Continue reading...The radio presenter talks about his meaty Sunday dinners, condiments, trimmings, being spoiled as a child and doing what he’s told as a dad
Sunday routine? I get up, do the kids’ breakfasts and leave about 9am to do my Radio 2 show. I get there at 10am, the show starts at 11am, so my Sunday doesn’t start properly until 1pm.
What happens then? I’ll go straight online and order myself Sunday dinner. Beggars can’t be choosers, so I’ll take whatever meat they’ve got on offer.
Trimmings? I’m a double carb man, so mash and roast potatoes, good veg, and a big old Yorkshire pudding absolutely obliterated by gravy. I like a condiment. Mint sauce for lamb. Apple sauce for pork. Chicken, a bit of cranberry. With beef, mint sauce still seems to work.
Sundays growing up? My mum was traditional, so it was always a roast. Her Yorkshire puddings were massive big rectangles with a thick crust and the mash was done to perfection. You know what mums are like. They get it spot on. Then she’d do jam roly-polies and custard. She didn’t make her own custard. We bought that in.
Maternal cooking tips? Being a mummy’s boy, I was spoiled rotten, so I was never really in the kitchen. I wish I had been now. I’d love to recreate some of her recipes.
Sunday afternoon? Before I had kids, I’d have been on the couch in my underpants, watching the football. Now, as soon as the knife and fork are down, my youngest, Felicity, wants me doing something. We’ll be out on the bike, in the garden or on a little drive out somewhere. Everything goes out the window when you’re a dad. You tow the line, look at the floor, do as you’re told.
Mondays? Before the kids, I used to dread Mondays because it was back to work. Now Mondays are the day where you get your life back – at least between 9am and 3pm, when they’re at school. Monday for me is: ‘Let’s do what I’ve not been able to do over the weekend.’
The holidays have reminded me of the many languages of love – most of them barely comprehensible
It took a while, over the holidays, to work out how to stop my exhausted, frail mother-in-law jumping up constantly to fetch more food without ever eating herself, but my husband eventually cracked it. “None of us will eat unless you’re sitting with us,” he told her. We downed cutlery the minute she stood up, refusing to touch anything on the table until, thwarted, she was forced to sit, even occasionally nibbling from her plate. It didn’t last, of course – she was soon back ferreting in the fridge because that’s her love language: muscular feeding, spiced with exhortations against waste and occasional emotional blackmail.
The American Baptist pastor Gary Chapman’s book The Five Love Languages, published in 1992, has a slightly hokey, patriarchal quality, but there is a grain of something universally resonant there: we give, receive and expect love in ways others might not understand (or indeed want). Chapman is confident his five “languages” – words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, acts of service and physical touch – cover the bases. “I think most of the ways of expressing love fit into one of these,” he told the New York Times in 2022. Most, maybe, but he certainly couldn’t capture all our intimate vernaculars.
Emma Beddington is a Guardian columnist
Continue reading...Le mot juste can be a portal into another world entirely – but make sure you know your chicken from your horse
When I was 17 my family visited France. One night in a restaurant in the Loire Valley, I summoned up my high-school French and ordered poulain, assuming it was some kind of chicken (poulet). The snooty garçon (it was the 80s, that’s what we called him) was quick to put me in my place: “Does mademoiselle know she has ordered horsemeat?” Mademoiselle did not.
Fast forward 40 years to another family holiday, this time in Paris with my own children. Holding my own this time (or so I thought) with the serveur, I asked if there were any organic wines – “sans préservatifs?”. He smiled and explained that préservatif is French for condom.
Continue reading...When I discovered books, I realised that home could be Narnia or Gormenghast – and that one small corner of the library was for ever mine
Home is one of those migrant words that changes meaning over the course of a life. As a child of two cultures, I was aware from an early age that I had two homes: one in England and one in France, each with its separate family, traditions, food and language. That meant I was never completely at home in any single place, but it also meant that my comfort zone could occupy multiple territories. Home was the people who loved me, and how they left their mark on the world: through gardening, cooking and music – but most of all, through stories.
Stories are how we stay in touch with home, my mother used to tell me. Stories of our family in France; of people and places I only knew through her stories. People and places could be lost, but through stories could always be found again.
Joanne Harris is the author of Chocolat and Broken Light
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Continue reading...UK diners are increasingly turning to the versatile, nutritious fish
For millions of Britons, smoked salmon on blinis or dill-laden gravadlax is a party staple. But restaurants and home cooks are increasingly choosing trout instead.
Trout sales are up 36% year on year at Waitrose, with raw trout seeing the biggest increase, up more than 60%. Over at online retailer Ocado, trout sales have jumped higher – up 54% year on year.
Continue reading...Onodera Group paid second highest price ever at prestigious annual new year auction at Tokyo’s main fish market
The top bidder at a Tokyo fish market has paid $1.3m for a tuna, the second highest price ever paid at an annual prestigious new year auction.
Michelin-starred sushi restaurateurs the Onodera Group said they had paid 207 million yen on Sunday for the 276 kilogram (608 pound) bluefin tuna, roughly the size and weight of a motorbike.
Continue reading...On a dark winter’s night this place glows a deep and welcoming pink
Lucky Yu, 53-55 Broughton Street, Edinburgh EH1 3RJ (0131 259 7719). All dishes £7-£14, desserts £7, cocktails about £10, wines from £28
Let’s start the year with one of life’s great philosophical questions: is there such a thing as bad fried chicken? You, the non-meat-eater at the back, put your hand down. We know your answer. This one is for the rest of you. Obviously, there can be better fried chicken and great fried chicken but, rancid oil aside, can it ever be so dreadful that you are not willing to entertain the idea of eating it? We’ve all heard the saying that “There is no such thing as bad pizza.” While I’m more than capable of worrying over the chewiness or otherwise of a blistered crust, or kvetching about sauce and topping ratios, I get the point. Speaking on behalf of my inner 13-year-old, it seems obvious that a day with pizza in it is probably better than one without, however lacklustre the pizza might be. Ditto fried chicken. The appeal is just so obvious: a shattering, highly seasoned crumb, which coats folds of crispy skin, giving way to the meat within. On the bone or off, it is one of life’s great, visceral pleasures.
Continue reading...Can the compound found in plants slow the ageing process and help tackle Alzheimer’s? Food writer Giulia Crouch finds out . . .
There’s a new buzzword in town when it comes to health: polyphenols. While scientists have been investigating the plant compounds for years, the term has now caught the public imagination – and for good reason.
A growing body of evidence shows that eating a diet high in these clever natural chemicals offers numerous health benefits, improving everything from heart and metabolic health to lowering the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s.
Continue reading...Cause of fire in city of Zhangjiakou in Hebei province is under investigation
At least eight people have died and 15 are injured after a fire broke out at a food market in northern China, according to state media.
The fire at the Liguang market in the city of Zhangjiakou broke out at midday on Saturday and had been mostly extinguished two hours later, the Xinhua news agency reported, citing a government official in Qiaoxi district where the market is located.
Continue reading...What you need to buy to make sure your new year resolution of following a plant-based diet lasts beyond January
Whether you’re doing it for the animals, your health or environmental reasons, there’s never been a better time to go vegan. There’s meatless meat, dairy-free cheese, plant-based liqueurs and, well, anything else you can think of.
With more than a decade of veganism under my belt, I’ve tried pretty much every plant-based brand going. I was a full-blown omnivore until the age of 20 though, so I can tell straight away when a new vegan product hasn’t got it right. Below, I cover the must-buy alternatives, from cheese to meat, to the foods that would-be vegans fear they’d miss the most. I’ll also tell you what not to buy. Worried about what supplements you need to take? I spoke to a dietician to find out.
Continue reading...Flood-prone Hoboken, New Jersey, has opened a play area for its youngest residents that doubles as storage for stormwater runoff
For a city that is almost small enough to fit inside Manhattan’s Central Park just a few miles away, a lot of history has played out within the narrow borders of Hoboken, New Jersey.
It was the site of the first organised baseball game in 1846, home of one of the US’s first breweries in the 17th century and the place where Oreo cookies were first sold in 1912. And, as any Hobokenite will tell you, the Mile Square City, as it is called, is also known for something else.
Continue reading...Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya is one of six medical workers with the Chicago-based organization MedGlobal who remain in Israeli custody.
The post The Scramble to Find the Gaza Doctor in the White Coat 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.
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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
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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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Runways all open at Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool but passengers still face delays with road and rail users also hit by the weather
The Met office has issued a new yellow warning for heavy rain in southern England, adding to the rainfall warning issued across Wales. The introduction of rain to heavy snowfall could lead to flooding.
Football journalist Paul Joyce reports that Liverpool City Council’s Ground Safety Advisory Group will meet at midday to decide if the game between Liverpool and Manchester United will go ahead. The group met earlier at 9am.
Continue reading...Le mot juste can be a portal into another world entirely – but make sure you know your chicken from your horse
When I was 17 my family visited France. One night in a restaurant in the Loire Valley, I summoned up my high-school French and ordered poulain, assuming it was some kind of chicken (poulet). The snooty garçon (it was the 80s, that’s what we called him) was quick to put me in my place: “Does mademoiselle know she has ordered horsemeat?” Mademoiselle did not.
Fast forward 40 years to another family holiday, this time in Paris with my own children. Holding my own this time (or so I thought) with the serveur, I asked if there were any organic wines – “sans préservatifs?”. He smiled and explained that préservatif is French for condom.
Continue reading...PM frames federal poll as choice between ‘building Australia’s future’ under Labor or ‘taking Australia backwards’ under Coalition
Anthony Albanese will frame this year’s federal election as a choice between “building Australia’s future” under Labor or “taking Australia backwards” under the Coalition as the prime minister opens 2025 with a blitz of three campaign battlegrounds.
The prime minister will move to an election footing this week, travelling to electorates across Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia to signal the unofficial start of the campaign.
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Continue reading...Forecast of freezing rain to follow raises fears of treacherous conditions, with road and rail also affected
Heavy overnight snow in Wales and northern England is causing travel disruption as the new year gets off to a cold start.
Two amber weather warnings from the Met Office have been put in place in England and Wales. Snowfall of 3cm to 7cm is predicted, with freezing rain likely to follow, creating treacherous conditions.
Continue reading...The musician and photographer on escaping the shadow of his father, writing a memoir with a difference, and why his days of wallowing are over
Born in Liverpool, Julian Lennon, 61, was raised almost solely by his mother Cynthia, but has spent his adult years labouring to get out from under the shadow of his famous father, John. Already a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, children’s author, documentary film-maker and philanthropist, he’s now moved into fine art photography with a glossy new book, Life’s Fragile Moments. Spanning more than 20 years of work, it includes reportage taken while travelling the world for his charity, the White Feather Foundation; a closeup of his half-brother, Sean Lennon, taken on tour; and candid glimpses of a royal wedding. He lives in Monaco.
How did you get interested in photography?
I think I was about 11 years old when I first went out to the US to see Dad, and he had a very simple brown leather Polaroid camera that he used a fair amount – I have it here. I was really fascinated. That immediacy was exciting. I tried becoming a photographer with film, but always had problems – although I have great patience on some levels I have little in other circumstances. Then digital came along.
A fly-fishing session in London strips the pastime of its elite connotations and delivers an object lesson in mindfulness
Fishing has been one of those things, like pottery classes, or going on a yoga retreat in Ibiza, that I’ve never tried but envied from afar. People doing those things look calm, focused. The very things a hobby should bring. They don’t look like people whose minds are fraught with deadlines, meetings and calls, and an inbox where emails tick up manically.
So on a cold December morning I’m chasing calmness, standing at the banks of the River Thames near Syon Park in the west London borough of Hounslow, and focusing hard on flinging line across the brown water, with a 9ft, surprisingly light, fly-fishing rod (with a number 5 line since you ask).
Continue reading...Government plans for publicly funded operator CalMac have been mired in controversy, with replacement vessels delayed and costs spiralling
Almost £100m has been spent over the past decade on repairs for eight of the largest publicly owned ferries in Scotland.
The figure has been described as “eye-watering” by Sue Webber, transport spokesperson for the Scottish Conservatives, who obtained details of the repair bill from ferry operator CalMac.
Continue reading...On a dark winter’s night this place glows a deep and welcoming pink
Lucky Yu, 53-55 Broughton Street, Edinburgh EH1 3RJ (0131 259 7719). All dishes £7-£14, desserts £7, cocktails about £10, wines from £28
Let’s start the year with one of life’s great philosophical questions: is there such a thing as bad fried chicken? You, the non-meat-eater at the back, put your hand down. We know your answer. This one is for the rest of you. Obviously, there can be better fried chicken and great fried chicken but, rancid oil aside, can it ever be so dreadful that you are not willing to entertain the idea of eating it? We’ve all heard the saying that “There is no such thing as bad pizza.” While I’m more than capable of worrying over the chewiness or otherwise of a blistered crust, or kvetching about sauce and topping ratios, I get the point. Speaking on behalf of my inner 13-year-old, it seems obvious that a day with pizza in it is probably better than one without, however lacklustre the pizza might be. Ditto fried chicken. The appeal is just so obvious: a shattering, highly seasoned crumb, which coats folds of crispy skin, giving way to the meat within. On the bone or off, it is one of life’s great, visceral pleasures.
Continue reading...Environmental groups urge government to keep tougher green targets despite industry claim they are unsustainable
Carmakers sold a record number of electric cars in the UK last year, prompting environmental groups to urge the government to stick to tougher green targets even as the industry argues they are unsustainable.
The number of new cars sold in the UK rose by 2.6% in 2024 to 1.95m, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) lobby group. Of those, 19.6% were electric, up from 16.5% a year earlier.
Continue reading...Jean-Noël Barrot and Annalena Baerbock call for peaceful transition in highest-level western visit since Assad’s fall
The foreign ministers of France and Germany have said they want a new relationship with Syria and a peaceful, inclusive transition during the highest-level western visit to Damascus since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime last month.
Jean-Noël Barrot and Annalena Baerbock, the first EU ministers to travel to the Syrian capital since rebels seized control on 8 December, held talks with the country’s de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, at the People’s Palace on Friday.
Continue reading...A new Syria is emerging from the shadow of the brutal Assad regime. The Guardian’s Bethan McKernan and Ayman Abu Ramouz meet people celebrating their hard-won freedom, but also those grappling with a traumatic past. The pair travel to the notorious Sednaya prison, where they meet a former prisoner who was liberated by his family just days before
Resistance was not a choice’: how Syria’s unlikely rebel alliance took Aleppo
'The Syrian regime hit us with chemical weapons: only now can we speak out' – video
Syria’s disappeared: one woman’s search for her missing father
Share a tip on a peerless architectural or sculptural creation, ancient or modern – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays break
The Seven Wonders of the World was a list of peerless architectural and sculptural creations from the ancient Mediterranean and Middle East drawn up in the 2nd century BC by Greek travellers following Alexander the Great’s conquests. Only one is still standing – the Great Pyramid of Giza. In 2001, the Swiss-based New7Wonders Foundation came up with an updated list, which included Machu Picchu, Petra and the Taj Mahal. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so we would like you to tell us about your personal wonder of the world. It could be an ancient stone circle, a statue, a stately home, a temple or even a modern-day skyscraper.
If you have a relevant photo, do send it in – but it’s your words that will be judged for the competition.
Continue reading...The Arizona senator’s prodigious campaign spending in global wine hot spots can’t possibly be related to the campaign she’s not running, says an ethics complaint.
The post In Waning Senate Days, Kyrsten Sinema Screwed Workers and Spent Campaign Cash on Stay at French Castle 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...A banner 2024 whet the appetites of banks and crypto bros. Now the largest companies are salivating over Trump’s economic policies.
The post Trump’s Tariffs Will Create a Hunger Games Landscape Where the Little Guy Is Guaranteed to Lose appeared first on The Intercept.
With ‘the best friend gun owners have ever had in the White House’ to return, gun-safety groups eye state level actions
Donald Trump’s imminent return to Washington has put gun-safety groups on high alert, as the president-elect once described himself as “the best friend gun owners have ever had in the White House”.
Emma Brown, executive director of the gun-safety group Giffords, initially reacted to the news of Trump’s victory in the presidential race not with dismay, but with defiance.
Continue reading...Keir Starmer’s government can’t leave the urgent question of how social care will be funded to yet another commission
Politicians from different parties offer up their ideas at election time, citizens vote for their preferred option, and a government is formed. That is how democracy is supposed to work. Sometimes it feels as if the British political system has never been more distant from this ideal.
From the Conservatives, we’ve had years of populism: the dishonest idea that Brexit was somehow the answer to all the longstanding structural challenges facing the UK. It didn’t deliver and they were punished accordingly. The Labour party, on the other hand, ran an election campaign designed to translate widespread disaffection with the Conservatives into the maximum number of votes by saying very little about what they would do about the pressing problems that would face them in government. It worked, but has left them hamstrung when it comes to the tough choices facing a country that is no longer a global economic powerhouse, and that is confronting the fiscal reality of an ageing population and a declining birthrate.
Continue reading...The Louisiana Republican blamed “wokeness” in part for police’s failure to stop the New Orleans attack that left 15 dead.
The post Steve Scalise Knows Exactly What Led to the Bourbon Street Attack: DEI Initiatives appeared first on The Intercept.
There’s a solid social-democratic narrative this government could use – if only its leaders would actually try
Picture this. Keir Starmer is sitting at a kitchen table, staring into the camera, wearing decidedly casual clothes. The mug sitting next to his left hand confirms that the people around him are trying something a bit folksy and faux-intimate. As ever, his usual air of awkwardness shows that he is a newcomer to these rituals; in the midst of constant negative news stories, he also looks weary. “I hope you are having a good start to 2025,” he says. “I wanted to begin the new year by assuring you that for me and my government, the work goes on.”
Here we go, you think: the usual cliches. “Five years ago this month, our country fell into one of its most significant run of events in living memory. On 31 January 2020, we finally left the European Union. Then, less than two months later, the threat from Covid-19 meant the start of all those lockdowns, and a long period of fear, worry and bereavement.” This, it seems, might be a bit better than usual. “In time, we all hoped that in recognition of what we had been through, the unfairnesses and inequalities that Covid had so vividly highlighted, would finally be acted on. There was a lot of talk about ‘levelling up’ and ‘building back better’, from politicians who had no intention of making those promises real – and even worse, reckless economic policies that simply made lives even more difficult. And soon enough, war in Europe and a huge cost of living crisis were adding to our predicament.”
John Harris is a Guardian columnist
Continue reading...World’s richest man has been voicing support for Germany’s far-right AfD party while insulting its current leaders
When the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, was asked in an interview about the barrage of insults being directed at him and other German leaders by Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, his reply was: “Don’t feed the troll.”
Speaking to the German weekly Stern, Scholz described the criticisms as nothing new. “You have to stay cool,” he said in the interview. “As Social Democrats, we have long been used to the fact that there are rich media entrepreneurs who do not appreciate social democratic politics – and do not hide their opinions.”
Continue reading...Ohio has become the latest state to allow police to charge high fees for access to footage.
The post Ohio Puts Police Bodycam Footage Behind a Paywall appeared first on The Intercept.
Four years after the 6 January attack on the Capitol, Donald Trump has promised he will pardon hundreds of his supporters who were convicted over their roles in it. This comes after Joe Biden gave an unconditional pardon to his own son, Hunter, for federal crimes of which he had been convicted. This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to Kimberly Wehle, a constitutional law expert, about whether the presidential pardon has become nothing more than a perk of the job to be used for a president’s personal convenience
Archive: CBS, ABC, NBC, Associated Press
Continue reading...Experts warn that incoming president could direct DoJ officials to scale back enforcement of Voting Rights Act
Donald Trump could use a second term atop the justice department to gut enforcement of US federal voting laws and deploy an agency that is supposed to protect the right to vote to undermine it, experts have warned.
Trump has made no secret of his intention to punish his political enemies and subvert the American voting system. His control of the justice department could allow him to amplify misleading claims of voter fraud by non-citizens and others, as well as investigate local election officials.
Continue reading...PM frames federal poll as choice between ‘building Australia’s future’ under Labor or ‘taking Australia backwards’ under Coalition
Anthony Albanese will frame this year’s federal election as a choice between “building Australia’s future” under Labor or “taking Australia backwards” under the Coalition as the prime minister opens 2025 with a blitz of three campaign battlegrounds.
The prime minister will move to an election footing this week, travelling to electorates across Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia to signal the unofficial start of the campaign.
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Continue reading...With environmental protesters in UK jails while convicted rioters sing the US national anthem for Mar-a-Largo guests, I’m bracing myself for another 12 months of despair
Christ was born in a barn. This proves that he came for all humankind, as well as reducing his parents’ options for witty off-the-peg verbal critiques of him should he leave their front door open. Bearing Christ’s universality in mind, on Christmas Day at lunchtime I made my guests stand to listen to a few hours of festive recordings I had sourced via a bent Prison Service contact. A choir of people convicted of offences relating to the summer riots performed a selection of seasonal songs as my guests listened, hands on their hearts. The man who took a brick in the testicles in Southport added a particularly effective descant on the closing verse of Feed the World. Auntie Gladys was in tears and the old man from next door soiled himself in woe.
In the run-up to Christmas, I pondered all those less fortunate than me who would perhaps have to spend the season in prison; or worse still, those who will have to make polite conversation over the turkey with elderly Reform-voting relatives who still think Brexit was a great idea but it just wasn’t done right, and that Nigel Farage is “a character”.
Stewart Lee tours Stewart Lee vs the Man-Wulf this year, with a Royal Festival Hall run in July
Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 250 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at observer.letters@observer.co.uk
Continue reading...The party’s manifesto promised big policy reforms. Now, with his popularity in freefall, the prime minister must deliver to change the political narrative
As the popularity of his government has nosedived in recent weeks, Keir Starmer has turned up the heat on his cabinet ministers. Since early last month, individual secretaries of state have been summoned by the prime minister to attend 90-minute, one-to-one interrogations to check on their work, department by department.
Starmer’s officials insist that no one in Downing Street or Whitehall is panicking. Not yet, anyway. But just six months on from his landslide general election victory, the meetings are evidence of a sense of urgency and unease, and proof that the hard realities of government have dawned.
Continue reading...Her most important qualification is being a longtime Trump loyalist — and she’ll carry out his vision to gut the Department of Education.
The post Linda McMahon Has No Education Experience Except Wanting to Defund Public Schools appeared first on The Intercept.
Government plans for publicly funded operator CalMac have been mired in controversy, with replacement vessels delayed and costs spiralling
Almost £100m has been spent over the past decade on repairs for eight of the largest publicly owned ferries in Scotland.
The figure has been described as “eye-watering” by Sue Webber, transport spokesperson for the Scottish Conservatives, who obtained details of the repair bill from ferry operator CalMac.
Continue reading...Unions concerned about potential rise in violence, drug abuse and the threat of riots at low-security facilities in England and Wales
The government is considering relaxing the restrictions on inmates who can be sent to open prisons, despite warnings that the move could increase violence, drug abuse and the potential for riots.
Under an unannounced policy first introduced by the Conservatives and expanded by Labour, officials have already been accelerating moves from closed to open prisons in order to ease overcrowding.
Continue reading...Edmundo González Urrutia had fled to Spain after Nicolás Maduro declared victory in July elections
Venezuelan authorities have announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to the capture of exiled opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, who insists he beat President Nicolás Maduro at the polls.
Police published on social media a photo of the previously little-known ex-diplomat with the word “wanted” under the image.
Continue reading...The president-elect has vowed to hand out pardons to non-violent offenders convicted for the assault on the US Capitol
Brandon Fellows, who broke into the US Capitol on January 6 and smoked marijuana in a senator’s office, stood outside the Washington DC jail where he spent part of his three years’ sentence behind bars, thinking about how Donald Trump might soon help him get his life back on track.
Having served his prison sentence after being found guilty on a slew of federal charges, the 30-year-old is today on probation under terms that have prevented him from leaving the capital region to start a chimney maintenance business in New Jersey. But with Trump returning to the White House on 20 January, Fellows expects his circumstances to change dramatically.
Continue reading...  | submitted by /u/marketrent [link] [comments] |
The big issues facing policymakers around the world seem particularly portentous this new year
January is always a time for new beginnings and fresh thinking. But with Donald Trump heading for the White House and a new(ish) Labour government in charge of a faltering UK economy, the onset of 2025 seems especially portentous.
Forecasting is a mug’s game, as former Bank of England governor Mervyn King used to say about predicting exchange rates; but here are some of the big economic questions to ponder, as the new year gets under way:
Continue reading...TUC criticise retailers for endangering workers’ rights by using apps such as YoungOnes and Temper
Lush, Uniqlo and Gymshark have stopped using freelance retail workers hired through apps such as YoungOnes and Temper, after unions criticised the gig economy companies.
The TUC wrote to the retailers urging them to stop using freelance retail workers amid concerns they were missing out on significant employment rights.
Continue reading...Reform leader praises billionaire after what health secretary calls ‘a disgraceful smear of a great woman’
Nigel Farage has refused to condemn Elon Musk for his comments about Keir Starmer and Jess Phillips, saying the prime minister in particular has questions to answer about failures to prosecute people over the rape of young girls.
It came as Wes Streeting gave the most robust government response yet to Musk’s rhetoric, saying the billionaire businessman and Donald Trump confidant was responsible for a “disgraceful smear” about Phillips, the safeguarding minister.
Continue reading...Nicola Benedetti calls for significant rise in public and philanthropic support to maintain its global reputation
The director of the Edinburgh international festival has warned it could lose its status as one of the world’s greatest arts events without significant increases in public and philanthropic support.
Nicola Benedetti, a Grammy-winning classical violinist who became the festival’s director in 2022, said in an interview with the Guardian she feared the creative arts that underpinned it were at risk of stagnating because of repeated funding cuts.
Continue reading...Setting up yet another commission on social care is an extreme example of Labour putting off the promised urgent repairs
Is this really going to be the year that the government “gets things done”? Keir Starmer is branding it as a “year of rebuilding”, returning to work with a series of announcements that he claims show the government is serious about fixing the NHS. Tomorrow, he will unveil an elective recovery plan for the health service, which he hopes will be received as a radical overhaul – and a sign that he is on the right track after a difficult start to his premiership.
The changes include patients being able refer themselves for tests and scans, as well as consultations on the same day as those tests so that they can get on with treatment or have the reassurance of knowing nothing is wrong. There are also changes to the way surgery is planned, so that hip and knee replacements aren’t routinely cancelled during winter crises.
Continue reading...Women’s rights groups have been active throughout the years of war and turmoil Syria – and now they are calling on the new regime to recognise their worth
The feminist activist Ghalia Rahhal recalls with wry laughter her visit to the “blue building” in Idlib three years ago, an office where the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) monitored civil society organisations such as hers. Her colleague at a women’s rights organisation was once called there to hear a list of issues they were banned from working on: child marriage, divorce, and anything related to gender equality.
Rahhal had already survived an assassination attempt in her home town of Kafranbel as well as the murder of her son in Aleppo, leaving her unfazed by pointed questions levelled at her by an official: we heard you were training women in the refugee camps about politics, about equality, he told her with suspicion.
Continue reading...Experts say measures announced so far are not enough to turn the tide
Labour must reverse years of political failure on extremism to stop it fuelling more disorder, violence and terrorism in Britain, leading figures have said.
Neil Basu, the former head of counter-terrorism policing, and Dame Sara Khan, previously the government’s counter-extremism tsar, warned that proposals unveiled last month would not be enough to address a toxic pool of hatred, conspiracy theories and “dangerous rhetoric” from high-profile figures including Elon Musk.
Continue reading...Doctors will be given £20 each time they consult with a specialist to see if there is an alternative to hospital visits
GPs will be offered financial incentives to discuss with specialists whether patients can be treated outside hospital, under radical plans to cut NHS waiting lists.
Doctors will be given £20 each time they consult a specialist either by phone or email under the so-called advice and guidance (A&G) scheme, to see if there is an alternative to hospital visits and treatment.
Continue reading...Members urged to feel party’s momentum – but some remain aware of the obstacles ahead
“I want you to take a moment to picture the day when, in just a few years’ time, prime minister Nigel Farage triumphantly arrives at No 10 Downing Street, puts his briefcase down on the desk and takes a seat,” Reform UK chair Zia Yusuf tells a rapt audience of party members. “Change is coming. We will turn this country around and restore the United Kingdom to its rightful position as one of the greatest countries in the world.”
The speech is met with rapturous applause and a standing ovation at Reform’s East of England conference, held in Kemi Badenoch’s rural North West Essex constituency on Saturday.
Continue reading...Marcus Fakana from north London was convicted of having sex with British girl, now 18, when they were on holiday
Protesters have marched through central London calling for the release of a teenager in prison in Dubai for having sex with a 17-year-old British girl.
Marcus Fakana, from Tottenham in north London, was jailed last month after being convicted of having sex with the girl, who has now turned 18, when they were on holiday in September.
Continue reading...Joe Biden awards highest civilian honour to 19 people for ‘exemplary contributions to prosperity, values or security of the US’
The U2 frontman Bono, the editor-in-chief of Vogue, Anna Wintour, and the British conservationist Dame Jane Goodall are to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest US civilian honour.
Joe Biden will drape medals on Saturday around the necks of 19 people from the world of politics, sports, entertainment and other fields for “exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavours”.
Continue reading...The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts
How do some people manage to wear shorts all through the winter? Jane Shaw, France
Post your answers (and new questions) below or send them to nq@theguardian.com. A selection will be published next Sunday.
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.
A mysterious group linked to Patagonia has been accused of making what appear to be illegal “straw donor” contributions.
The post Patagonia’s Ties to a Dark-Money Operation Bankrolling Democratic Candidates appeared first on The Intercept.
Ridah Bin Saleh al-Yazidi was held without charge for more than 20 years as prison facilitates burst of transfers
A Tunisian national who had become one of Guantánamo Bay’s longest-held detainees has been released from the US military compound, the Pentagon announced on Monday night.
Ridah Bin Saleh al-Yazidi was transferred to his home country after being held without charge since the detention facility opened in January 2002. The 59-year-old appeared in one of the detention centre’s most iconic photographs, showing detainees kneeling in the open-air compound of Camp X-Ray.
Continue reading...As he prepares to retire from journalism, James Risen warns of press missteps in the Trump era.
The post Media’s Biggest Failures appeared first on The Intercept.
Gabriela Montero asks promoters to cut ties with El Sistema on 2025 Europe tour, after alleged theft of election
One of Venezuela’s most celebrated musicians, the pianist Gabriela Montero, has called on concert halls and music promoters to cut ties with her country’s world-renowned youth orchestra as a result of Nicolás Maduro’s alleged theft of last year’s presidential election.
The Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela (SBSOV), which has close ties to Maduro’s administration, is scheduled to perform at some of Europe’s most prestigious classical music venues in January to mark the 50th anniversary of Venezuela’s world-famous music training programme, El Sistema.
Continue reading...Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya is one of six medical workers with the Chicago-based organization MedGlobal who remain in Israeli custody.
The post The Scramble to Find the Gaza Doctor in the White Coat appeared first on The Intercept.
Singer urged Tony Blair not to appoint African co-chair to commission on aid, UK government papers show
The Live Aid campaigner Bob Geldof urged Tony Blair not to appoint an African co-chair to the UK-led organisation working to overhaul international aid to the continent because he thought African leadership was “very weak” on the issue, newly released government documents suggest.
The singer was “scathing about the ability and worthiness of virtually all African leaders” before the establishment in 2004 of Blair’s Commission for Africa, which would produce a report, Our Common Interest, and prompt a landmark pledge by rich nations to boost aid and write off debt.
Continue reading...Newly released files show proposals to divert £2m – earmarked to prevent conflict in Africa – to fund scheme
Tony Blair’s government discussed diverting £2m earmarked to prevent conflict in Africa in order to fund a controversial pilot scheme to process and house asylum-seekers in Tanzania, newly released government files show.
Under the scheme, Britain would have offered Tanzania an extra £4m in aid if it opened an asylum camp to house people claiming to be Somalian refugees while their applications to live in Britain were assessed.
Continue reading...Biden’s commutations for 37 of 40 people on death row brought relief for the men and their loved ones.
The post “And I Was Surprised”: On Federal Death Row, They Feared Biden Would Set Up Another Trump Killing Spree 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.
Around-the-clock work will be commonplace to tackle an M&A surge fuelled by tax changes, activist investors … and the Trump factor
Whether they’re on skis or a sunlounger, there is no beach, mountain or fireside that can spare lawyers from the urgent calls of zealous, dealmaking executives and private equity bosses. After a breathless 2024, the City’s army of corporate lawyers are set for another year of masking their poolside backgrounds on video calls, braced for an even busier 2025.
“Sadly, we were incredibly busy in July and August. We were both on holiday and working up to 14 hours a day,” says Patrick Sarch, partner at law firm White & Case and head of its public mergers and acquisitions (M&A) division. He and Sonica Tolani, another partner at the same firm, specialise in advising activist investors.
Continue reading...Nisha Desai is part of growing conservative push to curtail diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in corporate US
PayPal has been sued by an Asian American businesswoman who accused the digital payments company of racial bias for restricting part of a $535m investment program to Black and Hispanic applicants, costing her millions of dollars.
Thursday’s complaint by Nisha Desai and her New York-based venture capital firm Andav Capital is part of a growing push among some conservatives to curtail diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in corporate America.
Continue reading...Chris Godfrey spent a decade trying to quit smoking, then he tried hypnotherapy and it changed his life. ‘They’re probably not thinking about you’: Oliver Burkeman on how to liberate yourself and stop people-pleasing. And ‘one night I’m a murderer, the next my husband’s having an affair’. Why do we have the dreams that we do?
Continue reading...Vice-president Sara Duterte is facing an investigation over her alleged threat to kill Ferdinand Marcos Jr
The Philippine president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, has removed his vice-president, Sara Duterte, from the national security council (NSC) a month after she allegedly plotted to kill him, according to an executive order released on Friday.
The order, signed on Monday by Lucas Bersamin, a lawyer and the Philippines’ executive secretary, removed Duterte and all former presidents from the council, which advises the president on policies affecting national security.
Continue reading...Using cutting-edge methods, Alexandra Morton-Hayward is cracking the secrets of ancient brains – even as hers betrays her. By Kermit Pattison
Continue reading...Helen Pidd attends the PDC World Darts Championship to find out why the sport has grown in popularity in recent years
Ever since the then 16-year-old Luke Littler stormed to the final of the World Darts Championship last year, Britain has gone darts mad.
Tickets for this year’s tournament sold out in record time. Today in Focus presenter Helen Pidd and producer Tom Glasser were lucky enough to get two, and they went along to see what the fuss is all about.
Continue reading...The Arizona senator’s prodigious campaign spending in global wine hot spots can’t possibly be related to the campaign she’s not running, says an ethics complaint.
The post In Waning Senate Days, Kyrsten Sinema Screwed Workers and Spent Campaign Cash on Stay at French Castle appeared first on The Intercept.
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.
Tax experts say IRS whistleblower Charles Littlejohn’s leaks provided a public service — and fear Trump will take retribution.
The post He Leaked Trump’s Tax Returns. Will Biden Protect Him? appeared first on The Intercept.
Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Mark Langdon and Ali Maxwell as Arsenal win at Brentford to cut Liverpool’s lead at the top
Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email.
On the podcast today: it’s all quite comfortable for Arsenal at the former fortress Gtech in Brentford. Gabriel Jesus gets back among the goals but with Bukayo Saka out, will Arsenal strengthen in January?
Continue reading...A newly obtained document sheds light on how the disavowed “excited delirium” diagnosis infiltrated the Rochester Police Department before Prude’s death.
The post What Killed Daniel Prude? The Cops and New York AG Said a Diagnosis That’s Since Been Debunked. appeared first on The Intercept.
“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.
The internal EU document may strip European foreign ministers of “plausible deniability” in Israeli war crimes in Gaza, experts said.
The post EU Officials Will Claim Ignorance of Israel’s War Crimes. This Leaked Document Shows What They Knew. appeared first on The Intercept.
Biden is running out of time to stop another Trump execution spree.
The post Power of the Pardon appeared first on The Intercept.
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
Are you looking for a new graphic design tool? Would you like to read a detailed review of Canva? As it's one of the tools I love using. I am also writing my first ebook using canva and publish it soon on my site you can download it is free. Let's start the review.
Canva has a web version and also a mobile app
Canva is a free graphic design web application that allows you to create invitations, business cards, flyers, lesson plans, banners, and more using professionally designed templates. You can upload your own photos from your computer or from Google Drive, and add them to Canva's templates using a simple drag-and-drop interface. It's like having a basic version of Photoshop that doesn't require Graphic designing knowledge to use. It’s best for nongraphic designers.
Canva is a great tool for small business owners, online entrepreneurs, and marketers who don’t have the time and want to edit quickly.
To create sophisticated graphics, a tool such as Photoshop can is ideal. To use it, you’ll need to learn its hundreds of features, get familiar with the software, and it’s best to have a good background in design, too.
Also running the latest version of Photoshop you need a high-end computer.
So here Canva takes place, with Canva you can do all that with drag-and-drop feature. It’s also easier to use and free. Also an even-more-affordable paid version is available for $12.95 per month.
The product is available in three plans: Free, Pro ($12.99/month per user or $119.99/year for up to 5 people), and Enterprise ($30 per user per month, minimum 25 people).
To get started on Canva, you will need to create an account by providing your email address, Google, Facebook or Apple credentials. You will then choose your account type between student, teacher, small business, large company, non-profit, or personal. Based on your choice of account type, templates will be recommended to you.
You can sign up for a free trial of Canva Pro, or you can start with the free version to get a sense of whether it’s the right graphic design tool for your needs.
When you sign up for an account, Canva will suggest different post types to choose from. Based on the type of account you set up you'll be able to see templates categorized by the following categories: social media posts, documents, presentations, marketing, events, ads, launch your business, build your online brand, etc.
Start by choosing a template for your post or searching for something more specific. Search by social network name to see a list of post types on each network.
Next, you can choose a template. Choose from hundreds of templates that are ready to go, with customizable photos, text, and other elements.
You can start your design by choosing from a variety of ready-made templates, searching for a template matching your needs, or working with a blank template.
Inside the Canva designer, the Elements tab gives you access to lines and shapes, graphics, photos, videos, audio, charts, photo frames, and photo grids.The search box on the Elements tab lets you search everything on Canva.
To begin with, Canva has a large library of elements to choose from. To find them, be specific in your search query. You may also want to search in the following tabs to see various elements separately:
The Photos tab lets you search for and choose from millions of professional stock photos for your templates.
You can replace the photos in our templates to create a new look. This can also make the template more suited to your industry.
You can find photos on other stock photography sites like pexel, pixabay and many more or simply upload your own photos.
When you choose an image, Canva’s photo editing features let you adjust the photo’s settings (brightness, contrast, saturation, etc.), crop, or animate it.
When you subscribe to Canva Pro, you get access to a number of premium features, including the Background Remover. This feature allows you to remove the background from any stock photo in library or any image you upload.
The Text tab lets you add headings, normal text, and graphical text to your design.
When you click on text, you'll see options to adjust the font, font size, color, format, spacing, and text effects (like shadows).
Canva Pro subscribers can choose from a large library of fonts on the Brand Kit or the Styles tab. Enterprise-level controls ensure that visual content remains on-brand, no matter how many people are working on it.
Create an animated image or video by adding audio to capture user’s attention in social news feeds.
If you want to use audio from another stock site or your own audio tracks, you can upload them in the Uploads tab or from the more option.
Want to create your own videos? Choose from thousands of stock video clips. You’ll find videos that range upto 2 minutes
You can upload your own videos as well as videos from other stock sites in the Uploads tab.
Once you have chosen a video, you can use the editing features in Canva to trim the video, flip it, and adjust its transparency.
On the Background tab, you’ll find free stock photos to serve as backgrounds on your designs. Change out the background on a template to give it a more personal touch.
The Styles tab lets you quickly change the look and feel of your template with just a click. And if you have a Canva Pro subscription, you can upload your brand’s custom colors and fonts to ensure designs stay on brand.
If you have a Canva Pro subscription, you’ll have a Logos tab. Here, you can upload variations of your brand logo to use throughout your designs.
With Canva, you can also create your own logos. Note that you cannot trademark a logo with stock content in it.
With Canva, free users can download and share designs to multiple platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Slack and Tumblr.
Canva Pro subscribers can create multiple post formats from one design. For example, you can start by designing an Instagram post, and Canva's Magic Resizer can resize it for other networks, Stories, Reels, and other formats.
Canva Pro subscribers can also use Canva’s Content Planner to post content on eight different accounts on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Slack, and Tumblr.
Canva Pro allows you to work with your team on visual content. Designs can be created inside Canva, and then sent to your team members for approval. Everyone can make comments, edits, revisions, and keep track via the version history.
When it comes to printing your designs, Canva has you covered. With an extensive selection of printing options, they can turn your designs into anything from banners and wall art to mugs and t-shirts.
Canva Print is perfect for any business seeking to make a lasting impression. Create inspiring designs people will want to wear, keep, and share. Hand out custom business cards that leave a lasting impression on customers' minds.
The Canva app is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. The Canva app has earned a 4.9 out of five star rating from over 946.3K Apple users and a 4.5 out of five star rating from over 6,996,708 Google users.
In addition to mobile apps, you can use Canva’s integration with other Internet services to add images and text from sources like Google Maps, Emojis, photos from Google Drive and Dropbox, YouTube videos, Flickr photos, Bitmojis, and other popular visual content elements.
In general, Canva is an excellent tool for those who need simple images for projects. If you are a graphic designer with experience, you will find Canva’s platform lacking in customization and advanced features – particularly vectors. But if you have little design experience, you will find Canva easier to use than advanced graphic design tools like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator for most projects. If you have any queries let me know in the comments section.
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Continue reading...Indiana wanted to kill Joseph Corcoran under the cover of darkness, but one journalist slipped in to witness.
The post Indiana’s Midnight Executions Are a Relic of Another Age appeared first on The Intercept.
“I have a fundamental right to be protected by my government, especially in times of war. My children and I deserve to return to the safety of the U.S.”
The post Americans Stuck in Gaza Sue the U.S. for Leaving Them “Trapped in a War Zone” appeared first on The Intercept.
People line streets to pay tribute to man who steered India through some of its most turbulent economic times
India bade farewell to former prime minister Manmohan Singh, the architect of the country’s economic transformation, with a state funeral in New Delhi, complete with full honours and a 21-gun salute.
Sikh priests chanted hymns as Singh’s flag-draped coffin, strewn with rose petals, was carried on a carriage through the capital, pulled by a ceremonially decorated army truck. Congress party supporters chanted: “As long as the sun and moon remain, your name will remain,” and “Long live Manmohan Singh” as Singh’s body was removed from the headquarters of the left-leaning party, where it had been lying in state.
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