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Indian PhD graduate granted protection from deportation by federal judge
Fri, 16 May 2025 14:20:33 GMT
Priya Saxena was studying in South Dakota when Trump administration revoke her visa over traffic infraction
An Indian PhD graduate who was studying at a university in South Dakota, whom the Trump administration has been attempting to deport, was granted an injunction by a federal judge, allowing her to stay in the country after having received her degree.
Priya Saxena’s student visa was terminated by the Trump administration in April, which would have prevented her from completing her doctoral program and graduating on 10 May.
Continue reading...New Mexico judge rules immigrants did not know they were entering US military zone, marking setback for Trump
A federal judge in New Mexico on Thursday dismissed trespassing charges against dozens of immigrants caught in a new military zone on the US-Mexico border, marking a setback for Trump administration efforts to raise penalties for unlawful crossings into the US.
Chief US magistrate judge Gregory Wormuth began filing the dismissals late on Wednesday, ruling that immigrants did not know they were entering the military zone in New Mexico and therefore could not be charged, according to court documents and a defense attorney.
Continue reading...The U.S. is in talks with 19 nations, including Libya, Kosovo, Rwanda, and Moldova, to accept deportees from other countries.
The post Trump Is Building a Global Gulag for Immigrants Captured by ICE appeared first on The Intercept.
Georgetown postdoctoral fellow Badar Khan Suri had visa revoked and was arrested by immigration officials in March
The Georgetown academic Badar Khan Suri was released from Ice detention hours after a Virginia federal judge’s order on Wednesday.
Khan Suri was among several individuals legally studying in the US who have been targeted by the Trump administration for their pro-Palestinian activism. He has spent two months in detention.
Continue reading...The Intercept helped unseal an affidavit revealing how ICE got a “judicial fig leaf” to search two Columbia students’ dorm rooms.
The post ICE Duped a Federal Judge Into Allowing Raid on Columbia Student Dorms appeared first on The Intercept.
On April 14, Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, announced that the United Arab Emirates would begin using artificial intelligence to help write its laws. A new Regulatory Intelligence Office would use the technology to “regularly suggest updates” to the law and “accelerate the issuance of legislation by up to 70%.” AI would create a “comprehensive legislative plan” spanning local and federal law and would be connected to public administration, the courts, and global policy trends.
The plan was widely greeted with astonishment. This sort of AI legislating would be a global “...
Rep. Delia Ramirez told The Intercept she will introduce legislation to stop Trump from restricting birthright citizenship.
The post Democrats to Introduce Bill to Block Trump’s Attack on Birthright Citizenship appeared first on The Intercept.
Ice used warrant application as ‘pretext’ to try to arrest two students in order to deport them
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) effectively misled a judge in order to gain access to the homes of students it sought to arrest for their pro-Palestinian activism, attorneys say.
A recently unsealed search warrant application shows that Ice told a judge it needed a warrant because the agency was investigating Columbia University for “harboring aliens”. In reality, attorneys say, Ice used the warrant application as a “pretext” to try to arrest two students, including one green card holder, in order to deport them.
Continue reading...Ex-girlfriend details sexual and physical abuse as defense zeroes in on text messages about so-called ‘freak-offs’
Singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, a former girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs and a key witness in the federal sex-trafficking and racketeering trial of the music mogul, has returned to the stand on Friday for further examination by Combs’s legal team.
Judge Arun Subramanian said on Friday morning that prosecutors agreed to re-question Ventura for 30 minutes, meaning the defense needs to conclude their questioning before or by 4.30pm EST.
In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women’s Aid. In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org.
Continue reading...Judge says €300m collection should remain property of state, after attempt by family of Umberto II to reclaim jewels
A court in Italy has rejected a request made by the descendants of the country’s last king to reclaim the crown jewels, with the judge ordering that the national treasures remain the property of the state.
In February 2022, the descendants of Italy’s last monarch sued the Italian state to reclaim the jewels, which for almost 78 years have been stashed in a treasure chest in a safety deposit box at the Bank of Italy – the country’s central bank – amid a long-running saga over their ownership.
Continue reading...Power isn’t equal in an unhealthy relationship. But it’s no surprise Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’s team is deploying the tactic
Sean “Diddy” Combs’s sex-trafficking and racketeering trial is under way, and the music mogul’s lawyers gave us a glimpse into what their strategy would be during jury selection last week, when they finally admitted that he was violent toward his ex Cassie Ventura. But now they’re claiming that the violence was mutual.
In a statement to the judge, the defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said they plan to “take the position [that] there was mutual violence in their relationship”. Combs’s lawyers also describe Ventura, the prosecution’s star witness, as “strong” with “a nature of violence”, and “capable of starting physical confrontation”.
Tayo Bero is a Guardian US columnist
In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women’s Aid. In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org.
Continue reading...Jails in England and Wales are in overcrowded meltdown, but justice secretary Shabana Mahmood has a rare chance to flip the script. She should
What should become of the two idiots who took a chainsaw to the beloved Sycamore Gap tree? Obviously it was thuggish, a pointless desecration of something that gave countless people joy, judging by the outpouring of unexpectedly deep emotion that followed. Landscapes work their way into the soul. But so does the thought of two children whose father is about to be jailed for what the judge warned would be a “lengthy period”. Though a line obviously has to be drawn, is this really the best way we can think of to punish a heartless act that nonetheless posed no danger to human life?
Now is the perfect time to wrestle with questions such as this, about whom we send to prison and why, and whether doing it differently would lead to a more humane but more effective prison system and ultimately cut crime. For this government is – shock, horror – finally about to do something liberals might actually like. Next week the justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, is due to publish a review of sentencing commissioned from one of her Tory predecessors, David Gauke, expected among other things to recommend that inmates be allowed to earn freedom after serving only a third of their sentences by good behaviour, or by engaging with work and education that will help them get jobs on release. It’s something progressives have wanted for years but which government after government has nervously backed away from, fearful of being branded soft on crime – though the inspiration was tough, Republican-governed Texas, where reoffending rates have fallen by nearly a third since similar reforms were introduced. Unfortunately, a crisis left by the last government means this one now looks as if it’s not exactly acting out of choice.
Gaby Hinsliff is a Guardian columnist
Continue reading...Lila thinks it’s fine to share as she and Tim are in an intimate relationship. He worries it risks spreading infection. You decide who should face the music
Find out how to get a disagreement settled or become a juror
It’s gross – I wouldn’t use her toothbrush, so why would I use her earphones?
We kiss and do all the normal things couples do – so why are earphones a step too far?
Continue reading...Private prison firms CoreCivic and GEO Group are thrilled about ICE’s spending spree, but they’re already facing local opposition.
The post Private Prison CEO on ICE Contracts: We’re a Better Deal Than El Salvador’s CECOT appeared first on The Intercept.
Internal Google documents show that the tech giant feared it wouldn’t be able to monitor how Israel might use its technology to harm Palestinians.
The post Google Worried It Couldn’t Control How Israel Uses Project Nimbus, Files Reveal appeared first on The Intercept.
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It’s been a while since we felt something. The Premier League has barely been about the Premier League of late, all the focus on who qualifies for Bigger Cup, Liverpool’s title secured in the Jurassic Period, relegation sorted when those three teams were promoted from the Championship a year ago. The Women’s Super League was also lacking in jeopardy when it wrapped up last week, the key question being whether Chelsea would remain invincible. This weekend of FA Cup finals arrives in a time of desperate need: give us some of that so-called magic, please.
The annual congress is the single most important body to ensure good governance of international football [and] 210 member associations have traveled from all over the world to participate at this congress here in Paraguay, expecting professional leadership and dialogue at the highest level. I understand the frustration and disappointment from European Fifa members, and we feel sorry for the excellent hosts in Paraguay. We now expect Fifa to explain this situation to its members and ensure that the voices of the member associations are heard and respected going forward” – Norway Football Federation president Lise Klaveness explains why she was among eight European members of the Fifa Council to walk out of congress in protest at the late arrival of Gianni Infantino, who had been schmoozing with Donald Trump in the Middle East amid accusations from Uefa that he was pursuing “private political interests” ahead of responsibilities to football. Well aren’t we just shocked.
With regards to Ajax’s massive implosion and PSV’s hot streak at the end of the Dutch season (yesterday’s Football Daily), I am reminded of the phrase: ‘It’s better to be lucky than good.’ Nothing epitomises that more than the PSV captain, Mr De Jong. No, not Frenkie, Nigel or Siem but Luuk!” – Michael Glogower (and no other mean readers).
With reference to your comment that Edgeley Park is currently the closest league ground to the River Mersey (yesterday’s News, Bits and Bobs, full email edition), I’ve always preferred the answer when you limit the question to Premier League grounds – the answer being Old Trafford. Obviously, also about to become an ex-fact once Everton move into their new gaff” – Andrew Payton.
While I realise this week marks the last men’s game at Goodison Park so we are newsworthy, I was surprised to see Everton FC mentioned in almost every section of yesterday’s missive! Davy Klaassen’s former employer in the main headline text, Quote of the Day from Colin Harvey, letters, on the edge (breakout section), on Bramley-Moore dock becoming the closest ground to the Mersey, and FA Cup final quiz with Joe Royle as last English manager to win. I respect the commemorative nature of the Toffees’ inclusions – but then in Memory Lane you showed an aerial view of Lens FC’s ground and not Goodison. An opportunity missed! Has anyone outside the top six featured in every section of Football Daily? I am sure The Knowledge knows!” – C Hawtrey.
This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions.
Continue reading...Attorneys Mark Lemley and Shawn Musgrave discuss the legal challenges of taking on the Trump administration’s executive overreach.
The post The Last Line of Defense: The Courts vs. Trump appeared first on The Intercept.
“The Bukele model is built upon Kilmar Abregos — there are thousands of them.”
The post CECOT Is What the Bukele Regime Wants You to See appeared first on The Intercept.
Staffers said Trump is “lobotomizing our agency” by forcing thousands into buyouts and politicizing notions like environmental justice.
The post “Intense Culture of Fear”: Behind the Scenes as Trump Destroys the EPA From Within appeared first on The Intercept.
“Many of the potential issues we see with the Trump family’s crypto practices are a feature — not a bug — of the crypto industry.”
The post Democrats Woke Up to Trump’s Crypto Grift. Will They Stop Other Scammers? appeared first on The Intercept.
Courgette and chickpea flour fritter-pancakes that take inspiration from both the Renaissance and the modern TikTok age
Like millions of people all over the world, ideas are often planted in my head by a couple called Alessandro Vitale and Iasmina P, whose fast-paced videos document recipes they have developed based on the vegetables they grow, with the objective of using absolutely everything. Edited for social media, their videos are designed not just to attract, but to trap attention in a TikTok spell, then communicate a rush of information in a matter of seconds. However, within the well-calculated rush of decisive movements and fishbowl close-ups, Alessandro (otherwise known as Spicy Moustache) is a hugely likable, calm and good teacher.
For months now, his enthusiastic and entertaining approach to a vegetable or process has sent me into the kitchen to grate something and rub it with salt, to turn into a fritter or cake. “Such a vivid thing for us today,” is what Jane Grigson said about the ideas of Giacomo Castelvetro, the 16th-century proponent of vegetables and author of The Fruit, Herbs and Vegetables of Italy (1614), and I think the same can be said about Alessandro.
Continue reading...Celebrate World Whisky Day on 17 May with this sort of highball/whisky sour with an intruiging turquoise tinge
We’ve all got the odd dusty bottle of liqueur hidden away at the back of the cupboard, so let’s give them a better home in super-tasty and easy highballs, which are having a bit of a moment right now. The bright flavours and rich, silky texture of single malt make it the perfect canvas to build upon and help make the most of these forgotten half-empty bottles.
Norbert Drozdowski, bartender, The Seafood Restaurant, Padstow, Cornwall
Continue reading...Despite the food and scenery, on a visit home this year I was struck by the many drawbacks, from housing to transport
Whenever a Brit learns that I’m a New Zealander – grew up there, got the passport, only moved to the UK in 2017 – often their faces scrunch up with confusion: “Why would you live here when you could be living there?”
It doesn’t seem to matter if they’ve been to New Zealand themselves or not. The implication is that I have known the Garden of Eden, even been granted a key, and responded by saying: “Actually, you know what? I’ll take Norwich instead.”
Elle Hunt is a freelance journalist
Continue reading...Aid cuts, conflict, climate and economic shocks contribute to sixth consecutive rise in numbers facing ‘high levels of food insecurity’
Acute food insecurity continues to rise at an alarming rate, with almost 300 million people at risk of death through starvation, new analysis reveals.
Escalating conflict and cuts to humanitarian aid along with climate and economic shocks forced an additional 13.7 million people into chronic food insecurity last year.
Continue reading...This lemon cake will whack up the wow factor, while the filling and topping are a lot less fiddly and involved than they at first appear
When I’m entertaining, I like a dessert that’s going to bring the wow factor, can be partially made ahead and isn’t too faffy. This nutty citrus cake ticks all of those boxes; it’s also baked in one tin and then cut into strips for layering. I use shop-bought lemon curd to save on time and, instead of making a ganache, I simply fold finely chopped white chocolate into whipped cream.
Continue reading...This war is not just about death. It is about making life impossible.
The post Nakba of the Children: How Israel is Targeting the Palestinian Future appeared first on The Intercept.
So you think you don’t like riesling? Then perhaps you’ll be pleased to learn they’re not all German and dry
I’ve been drinking a lot of riesling lately. There is, naturally, quite a bit of variety in a drinks writer’s liquid diet, so to have the same thing twice in one week is a sure indication of a fascination developing, or of a habit forming. There’s not much psychoanalysis required as to why that might be the case: the sun is out and, by the time this column comes out, it will (hopefully) be here to stay. And, for that, I simply must have a glass of white wine in my hand.
Or maybe I need to dig a bit deeper. Why riesling specifically? I like my riesling how all the other freaks do – namely when it tastes as little like wine as possible. When petrol and wax abound on the nose. And with an acidity that slaps you round the face a little, as well as generous fruit that soothes. Riesling is a wine that feels like a meal. And, just maybe, after a haggard winter marked by comforting reds and weighted blankets, I’m in the mood to be challenged and excited again.
Continue reading...St Dominic, Tamar Valley: First the pear and now the apple and cherry trees are in full show. We should be in for a bumper harvest
After five days away near the sun-dazzled Solent, we returned home to a verdant haven. Fruit blossom has dropped with some apples already set; and the 50-year-old Judas tree is covered with purple flowers, vivid against diaphanous beech and swags of native May tree.
Before going upcountry, I walked on my mended hip in James Evans and Mary Martin’s documented and tended orchard of historic fruit trees (200 apples, 30 cherries and 10 pears). This year’s succession of prolific blossom is particularly beautiful, helped by a sunny March, and in such contrast to last year’s wet and unproductive spring.
Continue reading...Although he was a soldier captured at a military outpost, U.S. news outlets rarely described Edan Alexander as a prisoner of war.
The post The Media Calls Israeli Captives “Hostages” and Palestinians “Prisoners” appeared first on The Intercept.
We would like to hear from people who stopped using weight-loss jabs and what effect it had on them
With weight-loss jabs popular among people trying to lose weight and advised treatment time using drugs such as Wegovy limited to two years, we are interested in finding out more about people’s experiences after coming off weight-loss jabs.
What did you think of the results? Did the weight stay off, and did your relationship with food, or your body, change?
Continue reading...Westminster has become fearful of a fickle and vindictive electorate. There’s value in that, but it’s also holding back our politics
The voter is never wrong. In this era of vox pops, phone-ins, focus groups and constant polls, this view of democracy is more prevalent than ever. Labour strategists reverently refer to switchers from the Tories as “hero voters”, while Keir Starmer often says his government is “in the service of” the electorate. With British politics fragmenting, voters are now being wooed by five national parties – an unprecedented situation, made even more unpredictable by an electoral system designed for serious competition between just two. It would be only a slight exaggeration to say that we are all swing voters now.
In some ways, this is a welcome and potentially exciting change. Since the late 1980s Westminster has mostly offered voters a limited menu – usually bland Labour centrism or ever staler Tory variations of Thatcherism – accompanied by patronising messages that no other recipes are practical. Yet now ministers, shadow ministers and MPs of all parties are hurriedly trying to come up with fresh or fresh-seeming dishes: rightwing populism, radical environmentalism, mild anti-capitalism mixed with social conservatism, and remedies of all sorts for the political and social indigestion caused by globalisation.
Andy Beckett is a Guardian columnist
Continue reading...A cargo flight will haul 14 tons of nitrocellulose from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York to an Israeli weapons manufacturer.
The post Explosive Materials Bound for Israel Are Flying Out of JFK Airport appeared first on The Intercept.
“The Bukele model is built upon Kilmar Abregos — there are thousands of them.”
The post CECOT Is What the Bukele Regime Wants You to See 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...The best new music, film, TV, podcasts and more direct to your inbox, plus hidden gems and reader recommendations
From Billie Eilish to Billie Piper, Succession to Spiderman and everything in between, subscribe and get exclusive arts journalism direct to your inbox. Gwilym Mumford provide san irreverent look at the goings on in pop culture every Friday, pointing you in the direction of the hot new releases and the best journalism from around the world.
Explore all our newsletters: whether you love film, football, fashion or food, we’ve got something for you
Continue reading...Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you through the top stories and what they mean
Scroll less, understand more: sign up to receive our news email each weekday for clarity on the top stories in the UK and across the world.
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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Meghann Fahy and Julianne Moore star in a creepy cultish drama from the creator of Maid, while Nicole Kidman returns as the wellness guru with an all-new star cast
From Maid creator Molly Smith Metzler, this darkly comic drama is the story of another scrappy underdog. Devon (Meghann Fahy) is struggling to keep her head above water, barely holding down a job while looking after a father with dementia. She could do with some help from her sister Simone (Milly Alcock) who has fallen under the spell of Julianne Moore’s peculiar socialite Michaela (“I get to call her Kiki, which is a really special honour”). Devon pays an uninvited visit to her sibling and what she finds looks more like a cult than a place of work. Can she save Simone – and does she even want to be saved? Not every element of Sirens quite gels but it’s creepy and nicely unpredictable.
Netflix, from Thursday 22 May
Royal Albert Hall, London
The social media star allies her virtuosity in pieces written for her by Kristina Arakelyan and Max Richter with movie soundtracks and an infectiously winning enthusiasm
The Henry Willis organ – 70ft high, 65ft wide, with 9,999 pipes – has long been the criminally underused centrepiece of the Royal Albert Hall, but it has finally found someone big enough to bring it to life. Anna Lapwood, the venue’s first ever official organist, might be a slight 5ft 3in but the so-called “TikTok organist” – with more than 2m social media followers – is charismatic enough to sell out a midweek gig and have a packed hall eating out of her hand.
Tonight she and her organ battle with the Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus, under the baton of the ever adventurous German conductor André de Ridder. Lapwood’s obsession with film soundtracks could suggest a rather glib populism – she even apologises for starting with a Hans Zimmer theme from The Da Vinci Code (“I don’t know why it made me cry, it’s not even a very good film”) and encores with a solo arrangement of a throwaway theme from How to Train Your Dragon. But the rest of the show has heft. Saint Saëns’ third symphony, probably the most famous piece for organ and orchestra, takes up most of the second half, while a suite from Zimmer’s Interstellar soundtrack shifts the organ-heavy themes into hypnotic, Philip Glass-like territory.
Continue reading...Far from 1978’s morally noble colossus, Gunn’s Man of Steel is a flawed being – but perhaps he can allow us to hope for a better world
In the 1960s, Marvel comics made its name by dragging superheroes down to street level. Peter Parker worried about his homework. The Fantastic Four bickered like flatmates. Even the Hulk, a walking nuclear tantrum, was really just a green and muscular guy having a bad day. Over at DC, though, the heroes remained clean, polished and largely unbothered – moral titans gazing down from above, solving problems without ever really having any of their own.
Superman was the prototype of that ideal: an all-powerful alien whose only weakness was a glowing space rock and an unshakable sense of duty. He wasn’t like us – he was better than us. And that was the point. When Margot Kidder’s Lois Lane first meets the man of steel in 1978’s Superman, she is almost impossibly awestruck by the presence of this walking, talking, flying god. Lois’s wide-eyed vulnerability is a stark contrast with the condescension she doles out to his alter ego, Clark Kent. The two sides of the Last Son of Krypton might be exactly the same person, but it’s virtually impossible for anyone to recognise them as such, because one radiates impossible power while the other can barely hold on to his briefcase.
Continue reading...A delightful animation about a shipwrecked robot, plus an extraordinary documentary about a revolt at the only US college for deaf students … after they tried to put a hearing person in charge
Chris Sanders’s delightful family animation attains Wall-E levels of poignancy in its tale of a shipwrecked robot that learns how to feel. Washed up on a remote island populated only by animals, service unit Roz (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o) finds it has no one to serve. That is until it falls on to a goose’s nest, killing all its occupants apart from runt of the litter Brightbill (Kit Connor) – who imprints on Roz as his mother. Assisted by Pedro Pascal’s cynical fox Fink, the ever helpful machine reprogrammes itself to rear the gosling well enough so he can migrate with the other geese. The Disney-style anthropomorphising is a bit overdone, but it’s a film full of warmth and wit.
Friday 23 May, 9.10am, 6.10pm, Sky Cinema Premiere
The Hollywood icon defies age and Arctic climes to save the world in the epic messianic spectacle The Final Reckoning. But why won’t he bare his soul?
Tom Cruise spends about 30% of the final Mission: Impossible movie in his knickers. It being a very long film, that’s a lot of time spent looking at his body, glossy and gnarled and expensive as a walnut armoire, possibly in high-definition Imax and, even if not, certainly as big as a bus.
In The Final Reckoning, Cruise unbuttons to wallop goons (twice), wriggle from the Arctic seabed towards the waves, hop on a treadmill and take a long hot shower in front of the crew of a strikingly camp US military submarine.
Continue reading...Visually effective yet narratively meandering, the star’s moody psycho-thriller-cum-therapy-session is a missed opportunity
Regrets? The Weeknd has a few. In Hurry Up Tomorrow, a celluloid roman-à-clef pegged to his sixth studio album, the Grammy-winning multi-hyphenate puzzles through the consequences of hooking up with a deranged groupie who forces him to reckon with his rock star flings. But it’s viewers who will probably be feeling rueful over nearly two hours lost in the end.
Though technically a thriller, Tomorrow takes inspiration from a real-life moment of weakness: the Weeknd – born Abel Tesfaye – losing his voice while filming The Idol TV series in between a global stadium tour. As with most of his artistic efforts, the Weeknd makes the job of distinguishing his sincere reflections from his satirical self-observations impossibly hard on audiences and smirks when they don’t get the joke. Recall his dizzying Super Bowl half-time show and face-bandage stunt he pulled to promote the After Hours album.
Continue reading...This war is not just about death. It is about making life impossible.
The post Nakba of the Children: How Israel is Targeting the Palestinian Future appeared first on The Intercept.
The socialist icon wants to defy the Bolivian constitution by running for a fourth term. But is he trying to save the country or himself? Tiago Rogero reports
Deep in the jungle region of Chapare, Bolivia’s coca country, the former president and socialist icon Evo Morales is holed up in a compound surrounded by supporters armed with sticks and homemade shields.
“It was like I was in a movie set, but like a low-budget movie set of a Bolivian Game of Thrones. It was very surreal,” says Tiago Rogero.
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
The U.S. is in talks with 19 nations, including Libya, Kosovo, Rwanda, and Moldova, to accept deportees from other countries.
The post Trump Is Building a Global Gulag for Immigrants Captured by ICE appeared first on The Intercept.
Ivan Espinosa says UK plant will not be hit by cost cuts as Japanese firm reveals seven factories to close
Nissan’s new chief executive has said the Japanese carmaker would be open to building cars for a Chinese partner at its factory in Sunderland after he confirmed it would not be closed in a round of deep cost cuts.
This week Nissan revealed plans to close seven factories and cut 20,000 jobs after sustaining heavy losses.
Continue reading...President rebukes tech firm after reports it will switch assembly of iPhones for US market from China to India
Donald Trump has admonished Apple and its chief executive over the tech firm’s reported plans to source production of US-bound iPhones from India.
The US president said he had a “little problem” with Apple’s Tim Cook, after reports that the company is planning to switch assembly of handsets for the US market from China to India.
Continue reading...The Intercept helped unseal an affidavit revealing how ICE got a “judicial fig leaf” to search two Columbia students’ dorm rooms.
The post ICE Duped a Federal Judge Into Allowing Raid on Columbia Student Dorms appeared first on The Intercept.
Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news
Japan’s economy has shrunk for the first time in a year, helping to cement the UK’s position as the fastest growing member of the G7 so far this year.
New data today shows that Japan’s real gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 0.7% in annualised terms (or -0.2% during the quarter), a larger fall than expected.
Japan’s GDP contracted by more than expected in Q1, falling 0.2% over the quarter. The contraction was the first in a year and reflected weakness in exports, likely due in part to the yen appreciation in the first three months of the year that would have impacted Japan’s export competitiveness. The partial offset, and main positive within the data was that domestic demand remained strong.
In addition, Japan’s potential growth rate is estimated by BoJ staff at around 0.5% year-on-year. This equates to a quarterly growth rate of around 0.1%, which is lower than for many economies and means any deviations below this can easily result in a contraction.
UK: +0.7% growth in January-March
Italy: +0.3% growth
Germany: +0.2% growth
France: +0.1% growth
US: a -0.1% contraction
Japan: a -0.2% contraction
Continue reading...This is a weird story:
U.S. energy officials are reassessing the risk posed by Chinese-made devices that play a critical role in renewable energy infrastructure after unexplained communication equipment was found inside some of them, two people familiar with the matter said.
[…]
Over the past nine months, undocumented communication devices, including cellular radios, have also been found in some batteries from multiple Chinese suppliers, one of them said.
Reuters was unable to determine how many solar power inverters and batteries they have looked at...
At 26, Venezia Hardcore co-founder Giacomo Gobbato was killed while protecting a stranger on the streets of Venice – a death that’s become a rallying cry for a city in crisis
As you enter the Centro Sociale Rivolta, a former confectionary factory in the industrial neighbourhood of Marghera in Venice that has been occupied by squatters for the last 30 years, a large banner spells out two words: “Jack lives”. More than 2,000 people will see the banner this weekend when they arrive at Venezia Hardcore, a festival that began in a rehearsal room among friends and has become one of the most important counterculture events in Europe.
This year’s event will feature Jivebomb’s furious hardcore from the US, Violent Magic Orchestra’s techno black metal from Japan, and Italian bands such as cult screamo outfit La Quiete, political street punk four-piece Klasse Kriminale and local heroes Confine. But the star of the festival will stand out due to his absence: 2025 will be the first edition of Venezia Hardcore without Giacomo “Jack” Gobbato, a musician and activist who was stabbed to death in September by a robber who had attacked a woman Gobbato was trying to defend.
Continue reading...Agreement that would give Gulf country better access to advanced AI chips raises concerns over Chinese influence
The United Arab Emirates and the United States have signed an agreement for the Gulf country to build the largest artificial intelligence campus outside the US, one of several deals around AI made during Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East.
But the agreement has also raised concerns, since it would have faced restrictions under the previous administration over Washington’s fears that China could access the technology.
Continue reading...Panic; PC, PS4/5, Xbox
Set during Ecuador’s 2002 World Cup qualifying campaign, this fascinating, semi-autobiographical game gives you control of the life of a soccer-mad eight-year-old
Video games have been simulating football since the 1970s, but they have rarely ever thought about simulating fandom. You can play a whole international tournament in the Fifa titles, but what they never show is the way the competition seeps into the everyday lives of supporters, how whole towns are overtaken, how a World Cup can become a national obsession. The way most of us experience the really big matches is through stolen moments of vicarious glory on televisions and giant pub screens, surrounded by friends and family and the sounds and images of real life.
This is the territory of Despelote, a beautiful, utterly transportive game about childhood and memory, set during Ecuador’s historic 2002 World Cup qualifying campaign. Football-mad eight-year-old Julián – a semi-autobiographical version of the game’s co-designer Julián Cordero – has just watched the team beat Peru, but now four more matches stand between Ecuador and the World Cup finals in Japan and Korea. Structured as a series of short, immersive tableaux, Despelote gives us control of Julián as he goes about his life, buffeted by his parents and teachers between shopping trips, car journeys and school lessons.
Continue reading...Priya Saxena was studying in South Dakota when Trump administration revoke her visa over traffic infraction
An Indian PhD graduate who was studying at a university in South Dakota, whom the Trump administration has been attempting to deport, was granted an injunction by a federal judge, allowing her to stay in the country after having received her degree.
Priya Saxena’s student visa was terminated by the Trump administration in April, which would have prevented her from completing her doctoral program and graduating on 10 May.
Continue reading...Only eight days after the competition was suspended amid mounting hostilities along India’s border with Pakistan the Indian Premier League returns on Saturday, with most of the foreign players who scattered across the globe in the 48 hours after the competition collapsed now back in the country, their pursuit of runs and wickets having been temporarily replaced by the rapid accumulation of air miles.
The plug was in effect pulled on the tournament 10.1 overs into a game between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala on 8 May, when as rockets landed only 80km to the west the floodlights went out, fans were told to leave and players rushed back to their hotel. That match has been rescheduled for 24 May in Jaipur; all the remaining games are to be played in only six venues, with Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata joining Dharamsala in being cut from the schedule.
Continue reading...Georgetown postdoctoral fellow Badar Khan Suri had visa revoked and was arrested by immigration officials in March
The Georgetown academic Badar Khan Suri was released from Ice detention hours after a Virginia federal judge’s order on Wednesday.
Khan Suri was among several individuals legally studying in the US who have been targeted by the Trump administration for their pro-Palestinian activism. He has spent two months in detention.
Continue reading...Son Heung-min has filed a complaint to South Korean police alleging he was the victim of a blackmail attempt, his agency said, after media reports that a woman had threatened the Tottenham captain with a false pregnancy claim.
“The police are currently investigating, so we will let you know the results as soon as they are available,” his agency, Son & Football Limited, said. “We’d like to tell you that Son Heung-min is clearly the victim of this incident.”
Continue reading...Indian PM says he is ‘monitoring every step of Pakistan’ as ceasefire holds
Narendra Modi has said India has only “paused” its military action against Pakistan and would “retaliate on its own terms” to any attacks, after a ceasefire brought escalating hostilities between the two countries to a standstill at the weekend.
In his first address since attacks began between India and Pakistan – culminating in both sides launching missiles at each other’s key military bases and airfields on Saturday – the Indian prime minister said he was “monitoring every step of Pakistan”.
Continue reading...Whether you’re heading to the hills on a multi-day trek or need waterproof shoes for countryside walks, these are the best boots for the job – tried and tested by our writer
• ‘I’d never head out without one’: 10 hiking essentials
There are two types of people on any UK hiking trail: those wearing walking boots, and those who have yet to experience the unmistakable sensation of cowpat seeping through their trainers. I belong in the first camp and firmly believe that the great outdoors is best enjoyed in appropriate footwear.
A solid pair of walking boots will not only protect your feet from countryside unpleasantness but also save you from rolled ankles and skidding on slippery surfaces. Plus, provided they’re waterproof (and not just water-resistant, more on this later), they will keep your feet dry in inclement weather.
Best walking boots overall:
La Sportiva TX5
From £207.34 at Amazon
Best budget walking boots:
Merrell Moab 3 Mid GTX
£129.99 at Decathlon
Best leather walking boots:
Altberg Malham
£234.99 at Altberg
Best lightweight walking boots:
Inov8 Roclite Mid GTX
£134.99 at SportsShoes
Best mountain-ready boots:
Mammut Kento Tour High GTX
£220 at Mammut
Best hiking boots for durability:
Meindl Bhutan MFS
£232 at Cotswold Outdoor
Celebrations held in both countries while Kashmir residents beg for long-term solutions over disputed territory
India and Pakistan have both claimed victory after a ceasefire was declared over the weekend, which brought the two nuclear-nations back from the brink of war.
After days of escalating clashes that culminated in both sides launching missile and drone strikes on each other’s major military bases – the closest they had come to full-scale war in decades – the ceasefire between India and Pakistan was declared by Donald Trump on Saturday evening.
Continue reading...A cargo flight will haul 14 tons of nitrocellulose from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York to an Israeli weapons manufacturer.
The post Explosive Materials Bound for Israel Are Flying Out of JFK Airport appeared first on The Intercept.
On April 14, Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, announced that the United Arab Emirates would begin using artificial intelligence to help write its laws. A new Regulatory Intelligence Office would use the technology to “regularly suggest updates” to the law and “accelerate the issuance of legislation by up to 70%.” AI would create a “comprehensive legislative plan” spanning local and federal law and would be connected to public administration, the courts, and global policy trends.
The plan was widely greeted with astonishment. This sort of AI legislating would be a global “...
Truce agreement was reached after diplomacy and pressure from US but within hours there was cross-border shelling
A fragile ceasefire was holding between India and Pakistan on Sunday, after hours of overnight fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours, as US president Donald Trump said he would work to provide a solution regarding Kashmir.
The arch-rivals were involved in intense firing for four days, the worst in nearly three decades, with missiles and drones being fired at each other’s military installations and dozens of people killed.
Continue reading...The video is really amazing.
As usual, you can also use this squid post to talk about the security stories in the news that I haven’t covered.
Photo from Vietnam war is now at centre of controversy after documentary claimed it was taken by someone else
The World Press Photo group has suspended the attribution of authorship for one on the most famous press photographs ever taken, after a new documentary challenged 50 years of accepted journalism history.
The photo, officially titled The Terror of War but colloquially known as Napalm Girl, remains one of the most indelible images of the US war in Vietnam. Since its publication in June 1972, it has been officially attributed to Nick Ut, a Vietnamese photographer working with the Associated Press in Saigon.
Continue reading...A Chinese company has developed an AI-piloted submersible that can reach speeds “similar to a destroyer or a US Navy torpedo,” dive “up to 60 metres underwater,” and “remain static for more than a month, like the stealth capabilities of a nuclear submarine.” In case you’re worried about the military applications of this, you can relax because the company says that the submersible is “designated for civilian use” and can “launch research rockets.”
“Research rockets.” Sure.
...The Liver King’s raw-meat-to-ripped-abs regime has been exposed – but thousands of other influencers claim their bulging muscles are just the result of hard, honest graft. Should we believe them?
Looking back to 2022, it seems impossible that anyone ever believed that Brian “Liver King” Johnson achieved his physique without pharmaceutical assistance. He looks like a hot water bottle stuffed with bowling balls, an 80s action figure with more veins – an improbably muscular man who put his bodybuilder-shaming physique down to a diet of “raw liver, raw bone marrow and raw testicles”. And that last part, really, was the trick: by crediting his results to a regime that nobody else would dare try, he gave them a faint veneer of plausibilty. Maybe, if you followed a less extreme version of his protocol, you could get comparable (though less extreme) results. And if you couldn’t stomach an all-organ diet, well, you could always get the same nutrients from his line of supplements.
The Liver King, of course, was dethroned – leaked emails revealed that he was spending more than $11,000 a month on muscle-building anabolic steroids, as detailed in a new Netflix documentary. But the story of a charismatic person promising ridiculous results is just the most outrageous example of a phenomenon that’s been around ever since performance enhancers were invented. In the 1980s, Hulk Hogan urged a generation to say their prayers and eat their vitamins in his VHS workout set; then in 1994 he was forced to admit to more than a decade of steroid use during a court case against his former boss, Vince McMahon. In 2025, influencers post their morning ice baths and deep breathing exercises, but don’t mention what they’re injecting at the same time, whether that’s steroids intended to encourage muscle growth in the same way that testosterone does, or testosterone itself, or human growth hormone (HGH). As a result, a generation of young men and women – and, to be fair, plenty of middle-aged ones – are developing a completely skewed version of what’s possible with hard work and a chicken-heavy diet. And things might be getting worse, not better.
Continue reading...We find out if this fitness supplement can be used to build muscle mass, decrease fatigue and improve mental health
Creatine has long been popular among athletes. Olympians tout it, fitness influencers experiment with it, and Patrick Schwarzenegger’s gym bro character in The White Lotus added it to his famous shake.
It’s primarily considered a fitness supplement, but doctors are increasingly curious about its potential longevity and mental health benefits.
Continue reading...As an R&B star in the 00s, the singer found herself pitted in the media against artists like Beyoncé and Rihanna. Two decades on, she’s building bonds with a new generation of stars – and going viral with a gravity-defying chair trick
Backstage at April’s Coachella festival, beyond the influencers, branded content and celebrity PDAs, a viral moment was brewing. R&B superstar Ciara was dancing on a chair – not just any dance, but a gravity-defying move that involved laying stomach-first on the chair’s back, arms locked, feet wiggling to the music. She wasn’t alone either; friends Cara Delevingne, Victoria Monét and Megan Thee Stallion were all doing the move too. The soundtrack was Ecstasy, the sultry new single from Ciara’s forthcoming eighth album, CiCi. The dance became a trend on TikTok, with even a 75-year-old grandma from Miami successfully giving it a go.
When I suggest trying it in our interview, Ciara’s face lights up with enthusiasm. “You can do it,” she says, her American optimism making me believe she’s right. “What kind of chair are you sitting on right now?” I show her my cheap Ikea number and her enthusiasm dips somewhat. She’s sitting in the back of a plush-looking car at a New York airport, waiting to fly to Atlanta, her phone held close to her face so she can see better. It’s not the chair I’m worried about, I tell her, but my general fitness. “You do need a little strength in your arms,” she says, sitting back as if to say: “Let’s not risk it.”
Continue reading...Membership of British gyms is at an all-time high as many younger people see exercise as integral to their daily routine
A perfect evening out for Louis involves getting hot and sweaty, and the only drink he is downing is water.
He is one of a growing number of gen Zers who regard going to the gym as an integral part of their routine and often preferable to sinking pints in the pub.
Continue reading...Whether you’re heading to the hills on a multi-day trek or need waterproof shoes for countryside walks, these are the best boots for the job – tried and tested by our writer
• ‘I’d never head out without one’: 10 hiking essentials
There are two types of people on any UK hiking trail: those wearing walking boots, and those who have yet to experience the unmistakable sensation of cowpat seeping through their trainers. I belong in the first camp and firmly believe that the great outdoors is best enjoyed in appropriate footwear.
A solid pair of walking boots will not only protect your feet from countryside unpleasantness but also save you from rolled ankles and skidding on slippery surfaces. Plus, provided they’re waterproof (and not just water-resistant, more on this later), they will keep your feet dry in inclement weather.
Best walking boots overall:
La Sportiva TX5
From £207.34 at Amazon
Best budget walking boots:
Merrell Moab 3 Mid GTX
£129.99 at Decathlon
Best leather walking boots:
Altberg Malham
£234.99 at Altberg
Best lightweight walking boots:
Inov8 Roclite Mid GTX
£134.99 at SportsShoes
Best mountain-ready boots:
Mammut Kento Tour High GTX
£220 at Mammut
Best hiking boots for durability:
Meindl Bhutan MFS
£232 at Cotswold Outdoor
Team in Belgium find improvement in air quality after launch of traffic measures in Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent
Low emission zones are successful at reducing air pollution and its effects on health, researchers have found.
The team, working for the Belgian mutual health insurer Mutualités Libres, were looking at the best ways to cut air pollution and its impact on health.
Continue reading...Ministers must resist pressure to relax environmental standards in the rush for new housing
Almost two decades after the last Labour government announced a zero carbon homes standard, and with the breaking of temperature records around the world now so normal as to seem routine, it ought to be uncontroversial that new buildings should be as environmentally friendly as possible. Given everything we know about global heating, and the law obliging the UK to reach net zero by 2050, it is disturbing that even the basics of promoting energy security and efficiency continue to be questioned.
But that is the situation Britain faces, as the government lays the ground for a housebuilding spree that it hopes will last for the rest of this parliament (as planning is devolved, the target of 1.5m new homes is for England only). Much of the blame for this discouraging state of affairs lies with the Tories, who delayed progress towards sustainability by scrapping environmental rules, leading to a disgraceful proliferation of new developments where the houses do not even have solar panels on the roofs.
Continue reading...Bill would force major polluters to pay into fund for flood defences and home insulation – but has little chance of becoming law
Fossil fuel companies and their shareholders and owners of superyachts and private jets should have to pay into a fund for flood defences and home insulation, according to a private member’s bill to be launched on Thursday.
The bill is part of a broader movement by campaigners to “make polluters pay”, demanding that oil and gas companies, and those who benefit from fossil fuels, should take on more of the direct responsibility for tackling the climate crisis, rather than funding such measures from general taxation.
Continue reading...Whether you’re heading to the hills on a multi-day trek or need waterproof shoes for countryside walks, these are the best boots for the job – tried and tested by our writer
• ‘I’d never head out without one’: 10 hiking essentials
There are two types of people on any UK hiking trail: those wearing walking boots, and those who have yet to experience the unmistakable sensation of cowpat seeping through their trainers. I belong in the first camp and firmly believe that the great outdoors is best enjoyed in appropriate footwear.
A solid pair of walking boots will not only protect your feet from countryside unpleasantness but also save you from rolled ankles and skidding on slippery surfaces. Plus, provided they’re waterproof (and not just water-resistant, more on this later), they will keep your feet dry in inclement weather.
Best walking boots overall:
La Sportiva TX5
From £207.34 at Amazon
Best budget walking boots:
Merrell Moab 3 Mid GTX
£129.99 at Decathlon
Best leather walking boots:
Altberg Malham
£234.99 at Altberg
Best lightweight walking boots:
Inov8 Roclite Mid GTX
£134.99 at SportsShoes
Best mountain-ready boots:
Mammut Kento Tour High GTX
£220 at Mammut
Best hiking boots for durability:
Meindl Bhutan MFS
£232 at Cotswold Outdoor
Staffers said Trump is “lobotomizing our agency” by forcing thousands into buyouts and politicizing notions like environmental justice.
The post “Intense Culture of Fear”: Behind the Scenes as Trump Destroys the EPA From Within appeared first on The Intercept.
Private prison firms CoreCivic and GEO Group are thrilled about ICE’s spending spree, but they’re already facing local opposition.
The post Private Prison CEO on ICE Contracts: We’re a Better Deal Than El Salvador’s CECOT 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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