********** USA POLITICS **********
return to top
North Carolina GOP changes election rules before losing supermajority
Wed, 11 Dec 2024 22:41:54 +0000
Republicans in the state legislature gave an ally control over the state’s elections board, rewrote ballot-counting rules and chipped away at the power of the incoming Democratic governor.
Match ID: 0 Score: 145.00 source: www.washingtonpost.com age: 0 days
qualifiers: 30.00 republican, 30.00 politics, 30.00 democrat, 25.00 election, 15.00 legislature, 15.00 elections
This Is How Trump’s Department of Justice Spied on Journalists
Wed, 11 Dec 2024 13:18:17 +0000
In a new report, the Justice Department’s inspector general found that the agency violated its own rules to snoop on reporters.
The post This Is How Trump’s Department of Justice Spied on Journalists appeared first on The Intercept.
Christopher Wray will step down at the end of Biden’s presidency after Donald Trump said he wants Kash Patel to run the agency
The outgoing Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, has spoken out against isolationism, arguing that staying out of wars doesn’t work.
“The cost of deterrence is considerably less than the cost of war,” he told Financial Times.
My first truth
The Trump hush money and Hunter Biden cases were both bullshit, and pardons are appropriate.
Continue reading...The proposal would codify explicitly anti-LGBTQ+ policy into federal law for the first time in decades.
The post Republicans Sneak Anti-Trans Health Care Provision Into Defense Bill appeared first on The Intercept.
Immigrant rights organizers and activists have a playbook from the last Trump presidency, but worry of less funding and more fatigue.
The post “Who’s Willing to Get Arrested?” Immigrant Activists Ready for Trump Deportation Plans appeared first on The Intercept.
The FBI is still touting the debunked idea that its agents could access communications without opening a door to foreign hackers.
The post How to Protect Yourself From the Salt Typhoon Hack, No Matter What the FBI Says appeared first on The Intercept.
KemiKaze neither listens nor learns as she loses to Keir Starmer week after week at prime minister’s questions
Five years ago this week, Boris Johnson cruised to an 80-seat majority in the general election. Life hadn’t been quite this good for the Tories since Margaret Thatcher’s days. They couldn’t believe their luck as they bathed in the unbearable smugness of being. They would be in government for another 10 years at a bare minimum. The Labour party? Who were they again? Remind me.
Fast forward to the present day and the Tories are a hollowed-out rump with a mere 121 MPs. And the more intelligent Conservatives are thankful to have that many. Few think there is any easy way back for the party. The main lesson from the July election wasn’t how much people loved Labour: it was how much everyone hated the Tories. They had wrecked the country and everyone had had enough. Good riddance.
Taking the Lead by John Crace is published by Little, Brown (£18.99). To support the Guardian and Observer, order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.
Continue reading...When an insecure government borrows credibility from business leaders, a lot can go wrong
A new government, anxious over economic policy and fretful about its polling, invites business leaders to whip Whitehall into shape. That was Rachel Reeves, ordering ministers a few days ago to submit their spending plans to corporate executives. Among those wielding an “iron fist against waste” will be former bankers from Lloyds and Barclays. But it was also David Cameron in the summer of 2010, bringing in Sir Philip Green as his efficiency guru.
From day one, Sir Philip’s appointment raised eyebrows. Just weeks before the general election, the “king of the high street” had endorsed the Tories to be the next government; now he too was part of it. Besides, what right did a billionaire have to audit public spending with so many questions over his own tax affairs? Certainly, the review produced by the businessman, taking all of two months and 33 pages, won’t take much space in his biographies, nor will it rank among Lord Cameron’s high points. The entire thing was a stunt, a cheap headline-grabber with a disastrous choice of frontman, given Sir Philip’s role in the collapse of BHS, hollowing out its pension scheme, and the vote by MPs to strip him of his knighthood.
Continue reading...Trump’s attorney, Emil Bove, may be No. 3 at DOJ. A judge blamed him for “grave derelictions of prosecutorial responsibility.”
The post Trump Justice Department Appointee Oversaw “Systemic” Misconduct in Previous Job appeared first on The Intercept.
Honeymoon period will be short as John Mahama tries to fix economy, seen as a huge factor in election
Ghana’s electoral commission had been due to announce the official results of Saturday’s presidential election by Tuesday. But by Sunday morning Mahamudu Bawumia, the country’s vice-president and the flag-bearer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), and his campaign team had seen enough to give up.
“The data from our own internal collation of the results indicates that … John Mahama has won the presidential election decisively,” he said at a press conference after calling his rival to concede. By Monday, the commission had confirmed the outcome: the former president Mahama, of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), had indeed won with 56% of the vote to Bawumia’s 41%.
Continue reading...President Yoon Suk Yeol’s alarming attempt to impose his will could hardly be worse-timed for a key Asian power
The South Korean president’s bizarre, appalling and short-lived attempt to impose martial law last week is still wreaking havoc. Police attempted to raid Yoon Suk Yeol’s office on Wednesday as they investigate him for a potential offence of insurrection. His party says he will hand power to the prime minister and party chief; others call that an unconstitutional “second coup”. It is a measure of the country’s progress since democratisation in the 1980s that the main opposition leader, Lee Jae-myung, initially thought the president’s announcement had been deep-faked, and now describes it as “preposterous”.
Mr Yoon claimed without evidence that martial law was necessary to eradicate the threat from “despicable pro-North Korean anti-state forces” – meaning the opposition. Though other conservatives share his bitter conviction that the left are Pyongyang-sympathisers, most people believe the decision primarily reflected his erratic and personalised rule. A political outsider, he made his name as a top anti-corruption prosecutor, but grew angry at scrutiny of his wife’s conduct as well as parliamentary obstruction of his policies. Despite his dismal approval ratings he seems to have thought that the people would back him. Within six hours, he was forced to U-turn.
Continue reading...American troops are in Syria on questionable legal grounds. They continue to get attacked, according to new Pentagon data.
The post As Civil War Heats Back Up, U.S. Troops Are Still Deployed in Syria — And Under Fire appeared first on The Intercept.
Lawmakers will soon vote on a bill directing a nonprofit to draft curriculum on atrocities carried out by communist regimes.
The post Just Say No: Congress Considers Neocon Lesson Plans to Keep Kids Off Communism appeared first on The Intercept.
Supreme Court conservatives cited overseas laws to defend draconian legislation in Tennessee banning gender-affirming care.
The post To Deprive Trans Kids of Medical Care, Supreme Court Looks to Britain and Sweden appeared first on The Intercept.
Large parts of Britain would not function without migrants, but there are consequences for housing, GDP and productivity
Record NHS waiting lists. Flatlining living standards. Rising levels of long-term sickness. The dire state of the public finances. The list of problems inherited from the Conservatives by Keir Starmer is long, but near the top is how to respond to record levels of net migration.
According to official estimates released last month, the past three years have seen almost 2.4 million more people arrive in the UK than have left. Over the centuries, inward migration has been a feature of this country’s history, but the speed and scale of the recent increases are new. In the 1960s and 1970s, emigration tended to be higher than immigration and it has only been in the past quarter of a century that net migration began its upward trend. By way of comparison, net migration in the three years leading up the Brexit vote in 2016 stood at 865,000.
Larry Elliott is a Guardian columnist
Continue reading...The shamelessness of Fifa’s process was fully on show in Zurich during a display of contempt for governance, democracy, love, hope and good sense
Well, that’s that then. In the event there were only two notes of jeopardy around Fifa’s extraordinary virtual congress to announce the winning mono-bids, the vote without a vote, for the right to host the 2030 and 2034 World Cups.
First, exactly how disgusting would this spectacle turn out to be in the flesh? The answer to which, perhaps unsurprisingly, was: extremely disgusting. And second, how would the process actually work?
Continue reading...Fifa has set the seal on one of the most controversial decisions in its tumultuous history by confirming that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup.
In a decision that Amnesty International has said “will put many lives at risk” and which has drawn opprobrium from NGOs, trade unions and legal and governance experts, as well as supporters, the Gulf state will stage the 48-team tournament in 15 stadiums across five cities, most likely in winter.
Continue reading...Follow today’s news headlines live
News bargaining code announcement expected today
The youth minister, Anne Aly, spoke with ABC News Breakfast just earlier ahead of the news bargaining code announcement, expected today.
What I can say is that the government believes that journalists should be fairly compensated for the work that they do, that there is a current regime in place but that’s not working. And so that’s why the government has turned its attention to updating this code and ensuring that social media companies pay for the news that they use as content on their platforms.
Continue reading...Country also votes with vast majority of nations to demand Israel reverse its ban on Palestinian aid agency Unrwa
Australia has voted with more than 150 countries at the United Nations to demand that Israel reverse its ban on the Palestinian aid agency Unrwa and to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, in a move which could further increase tensions with Israel.
At a UN emergency special session on Thursday, Australia voted with the vast majority of world nations to support the two resolutions, splitting from the US and Israel who voted against them.
Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email
Continue reading...Trump had signaled his intent to fire the veteran official and replace him with firebrand Kash Patel
The director of the FBI, Christopher Wray, announced he was stepping down on Wednesday, after Donald Trump said he would fire him and install the firebrand loyalist Kash Patel in his place.
Wray, who the president-elect himself appointed as director during his first presidency after firing Wray’s predecessor James Comey in 2017, announced his decision to staff at the bureau’s Washington headquarters.
Continue reading...MoD launches £75m scheme to recognise ‘moral stain’ of armed forces’ historic ban on homosexuality
Thousands of British military personnel who were dismissed from service because of their homosexuality will be able to apply for payments worth up to £70,000 each from today, to recognise the distress caused by a ban that applied between 1967 and 2000.
Labour ministers have approved the creation of a £75m compensation scheme, nearly a quarter of a century after the ending of a policy that led to some soldiers being jailed, while others were stripped of their medals and lost their pension rights.
Continue reading...Seeking to lock up Asif Rahman during his Espionage Act trial, prosecutors alleged the CIA analyst had an ideological motive to leak.
The post Judge Reverses Decision to Release Alleged CIA Leaker Ahead of Trial appeared first on The Intercept.
Health secretary says emergency measures banning sale and supply for gender dysphoria will be made indefinite after expert advice
Puberty blockers for under-18s with gender dysphoria will be banned indefinitely across the UK except for use in clinical trials, Labour has announced.
Wes Streeting, the health secretary, said that after receiving advice from medical experts, he would make existing emergency measures banning the sale and supply of puberty blockers indefinite.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Sources say there is belief that service has become too big after growing during Brexit and pandemic years
Ministers are planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments battle to stay within spending limits under a new government efficiency drive, the Guardian has learned.
Multiple sources said there was an acceptance that the civil service had become too big and unwieldy after expanding owing to the demands of Brexit and the Covid pandemic.
Continue reading...John Chowcat says voters need a personal stake in democracy, while Stephen Coleman looks at why people turn to the magical thinking of demagogues. Plus letters from Anthony Papadopoulos, Colleen Molloy and Rodney Barker
Jonathan Freedland’s stark warning is justified (We cannot afford for Starmer’s government to fail. Because Farage is lying in wait, 6 December). A resurgent narrow nationalism, blaming immigrants for the UK’s squeezed living standards and underfunded public services, could replace Labour in office if Starmer’s growth strategy falters over the next few years. Donald Trump’s protectionism and corporate tax cuts could shortly attract yet more overseas investment to an already strong US economy, further weakening economic recovery here.
Labour does need to demonstrate practical improvements that voters will recognise. A closely related deep problem also requires attention. A period of economic pessimism and disillusionment with conventional British politics makes many people feel powerless, unable to control their destinies – a sentiment often manipulated by hard-right nativists promoting social division. To counter this, voters need a personal stake in democracy, through genuine experience of collective debate and real public accountability.
Continue reading...Ministers are right to want to reform the state: it’s crucial to their project. But simply telling civil servants to work harder won’t achieve it
After five months in office, Labour knows where it wants to take the country; but it does not know how to get there. In this, and despite radically different priorities, the Labour government resembles the Conservative one that preceded it. Boris Johnson found in the end that he could not make modern Britain work in the way he wanted. Now, today, it is Keir Starmer’s turn.
Starmer’s “plan for change” speech at Pinewood Studios last week was a recognition of the problem. British government, said Starmer, is “broken”. It was a striking admission, but also true in many ways, prisons and social care prominent among them. Starmer responded by announcing five-year targets in key policy areas – the economy, housing, health, policing, early years and energy. But this was not enough. Starmer’s answer does not measure up to the problem that confronts him.
Martin Kettle is a Guardian columnist
Continue reading...Highly unusual move for private member’s bill is sign government will intensely monitor details of legislation
Two ministers are to be assigned to the assisted dying bill in a highly unusual move for a private member’s bill where the government is neutral – a sign that it will intensely monitor the details of such a significant change.
The bill’s committee will have nine MPs who were opponents of the bill, including its most high-profile Conservative opponent, Danny Kruger, and 11 MPs who were in favour.
Continue reading...Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup despite widespread human rights concerns while the six-nation 2030 bid was also ratified by Fifa
Gianni Infantino is seated alongside the general secretary, Mattias Grafström, who confirms 201 nations are in virtual attendance, and that all 211 eligible nations have voted on the World Cup bids.
“I do not even know where to begin. But if I look back at the unbending arc of compromised integrity the writing, as they say, has been on the wall,” writes Krishna Moorthy.
Continue reading...Access to balanced diet also affected by inflation and Brexit, hitting most vulnerable households hardest
Numbers of hungry and malnourished households in the UK are on the rise because of climate breakdown and inflation, government figures show, with poorer, younger and disabled people hit hardest.
Many households worry about food running out, cannot afford balanced meals, experience hunger and have missed meals in the past 30 days, the figures reveal.
Continue reading...They both vote Labour, but disagree on the party’s leader. Were they more aligned on affordable housing, students or sex workers?
Cathi, 62, Leicester
Occupation Spoken-word artist and poet
Continue reading...Concerns that US’s hands-off approach could leave the country open to a return to civil war or a resurgence of Iran
For a Biden administration in its final days, managing the downfall of Bashar al-Assad was not in the cards. For a Trump administration dedicated to isolationism and America First, Syria’s future may be too important to ignore.
Before last week, the frontlines of the country’s nearly 13-year-old civil war had been largely frozen. Conflicts in Ukraine and Israel were dominating attention and US diplomatic efforts around the world. And the trend toward normalising relations with Assad only appeared set to extend his time in power.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Open letter seen by the Guardian asks King to ‘ensure the government does not diminish the crown’s honour’ amid tensions over policy direction for Māori
Representatives of more than 80 Māori tribes have issued a rare plea to King Charles III requesting his intervention in New Zealand politics, amid growing tension over the government’s policies for Māori and a souring of the relationship between Indigenous people and ruling authorities.
The National Iwi Chairs Forum – a collective of tribal leaders – has sent an open letter to the King asking him “to ensure that the [New Zealand] government does not diminish the crown’s honour” over what they believe to be ongoing breaches of the crown’s promises made to Māori in the Treaty of Waitangi, the founding document of New Zealand.
Continue reading...UN health body says patients could have more than one disease as unidentified illness continues to cause alarm
Ten patients suffering from a mystery disease that has broken out in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have tested positive for malaria, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
However, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the patients could have more than one disease simultaneously.
Continue reading...Disability services in the UK have been consistently cut after 14 years of Tory rule and austerity, but with the promise of change from a new Labour government, musician and activist John Kelly is concerned that politicians are still not listening to disabled voices and what they want. Kelly chained himself to London buses in the 1990s to protest over a lack of access to transport, but has watched the right to an independent life be steadily eroded. He worries that yet more cuts to services are on their way
Continue reading...An account linked to Luigi Mangione, a suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, left a trail of book reviews online.
The post The Reading List of Luigi Mangione, Suspect in Brian Thompson’s Killing appeared first on The Intercept.
Man scheduled to depart for Pakistan on Tuesday, leaving wife in UK, but believes his life will be at risk
A husband and wife face enforced separation because the Home Office wants to put him on a deportation flight to Pakistan on Tuesday, leaving his wife in the UK.
Labour has pledged to increase deportations, and since taking office, has removed more than 10,000 people – a mix of voluntary returnees, those denied asylum and people with criminal convictions. There has not been a deportation charter flight to Pakistan since February 2020, with three subsequent deportation charter flights to Pakistan in 2020 and 2021 cancelled by the Home Office.
Continue reading...For a technology that seems startling in its modernity, AI sure has a long history. Google Translate, OpenAI chatbots, and Meta AI image generators are built on decades of advancements in linguistics, signal processing, statistics, and other fields going back to the early days of computing—and, often, on seed funding from the U.S. Department of Defense. But today’s tools are hardly the intentional product of the diverse generations of innovators that came before. We agree with Morozov that the “refuseniks,” as he calls them, are wrong to see AI as “irreparably tainted” by its origins. AI is better understood as a creative, global field of human endeavor that has been largely captured by U.S. venture capitalists, private equity, and Big Tech. But that was never the inevitable outcome, and it doesn’t need to stay that way...
The Trump administration may soon have a new weapon to target perceived enemies.
The post Silencing Dissent: Attacks on Free Speech and Nonprofits Are Already Ramping Up appeared first on The Intercept.
It’s been the biggest year for elections in human history: 2024 is a “super-cycle” year in which 3.7 billion eligible voters in 72 countries had the chance to go the polls. These are also the first AI elections, where many feared that deepfakes and artificial intelligence-generated misinformation would overwhelm the democratic processes. As 2024 draws to a close, it’s instructive to take stock of how democracy did.
In a Pew survey of Americans from earlier this fall, nearly eight times as many respondents expected AI to be used for mostly bad purposes...
The Alsayed brothers lost their mother in the first bombing. They thought the White House could help save the survivors.
The post The White House Gave Israel Coordinates to Save an American’s Family. Then Israel Bombed Them Again. appeared first on The Intercept.
Whether they fled or stayed behind, the survivors of Israel’s scorched-earth campaign in northern Gaza experienced untold horrors.
The post Trauma and Terror in the North of Gaza appeared first on The Intercept.
Israel violated the terms of a 1974 agreement by rolling its tanks across the Syrian border — less than 40 miles from Damascus.
The post Israel Exploits Assad’s Fall to Expand Into Syria appeared first on The Intercept.
The biggest question in the case against Asif Rahman, a CIA employee accused of leaking Israel’s battle plans, is motive.
The post Israel Delayed Its Attack on Iran Due to CIA Leak, Prosecutors Allege appeared first on The Intercept.
In 2025, AI is poised to change every aspect of democratic politics—but it won’t necessarily be for the worse.
India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, has used AI to translate his speeches for his multilingual electorate in real time, demonstrating how AI can help diverse democracies to be more inclusive. AI avatars were used by presidential candidates in South Korea in electioneering, enabling them to provide answers to thousands of voters’ questions simultaneously. We are also starting to see AI tools aid fundraising and get-out-the-vote efforts. AI techniques are starting to augment more traditional polling methods, helping campaigns get cheaper and faster data. And congressional candidates have started using AI robocallers to engage voters on issues. In 2025, these trends will continue. AI doesn’t need to be superior to human experts to augment the labor of an overworked canvasser, or to write ad copy similar to that of a junior campaign staffer or volunteer. Politics is competitive, and any technology that can bestow an advantage, or even just garner attention, will be used...
Met continues to investigate Brown’s claims of misbehaviour within Murdoch group where ‘fake security threat’ was used to ‘justify’ deletion of emails
Gordon Brown has said there is “no hiding place” for senior executives at News Group Newspapers, as Scotland Yard continues to investigate claims the former prime minister was “falsely” implicated along with the Labour peer Tom Watson in a “fake security threat” to “justify” the deletion of millions of emails.
Brown said on Wednesday: “The Metropolitan police have confirmed their investigations into my allegations of misbehaviour within the Murdoch group are ongoing and will run into 2025.”
Continue reading...Anthony James, a former GP, suspended from role at Bedfordshire hospitals trust after allegations by newspaper’s workers
The PinkNews director Anthony James has been suspended from work in the NHS after more than 30 current and former workers at the online newspaper made allegations of inappropriate behaviour.
Bedfordshire hospitals NHS foundation trust said on Wednesday that it had decided to suspend James from his role as associate non-executive director pending further information.
Continue reading...Investigation is examining potential offences of perjury and perverting the course of justice among others
The police criminal inquiry into the Post Office has identified dozens of persons of interest so far, as a team bolstered to 100 officers investigates the actions of executives, legal teams and civil servants connected to the Horizon IT scandal.
The investigation, which the police describe as unprecedented in size and scale, is in the first instance examining potential offences of perjury and perverting the course of justice by those involved in making “key decisions” on Post Office investigations and supporting prosecutions of branch owner-operators.
Continue reading...Max Rushden, Barry Glendenning, Nicky Bandini and Philippe Auclair discuss big wins for Liverpool and Villa, while Brest’s dream continues. Plus, David Squires joins to chat about his new book
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: wins for Liverpool and Aston Villa in the Champions League. Ross Barkley grabs a late winner in Leipzig and Liverpool keep up their 100% start with a somewhat unconvincing performance in Girona.
Continue reading...As the Long Read turns 10 we are raiding the archives to bring you a favourite piece from each year since 2014, with new introductions from the authors.
This week from 2024: When Putin invaded, a historian in Kyiv saw that Ukraine’s cultural heritage was in danger. So he set out to save as much of it as he could. By Charlotte Higgins
Continue reading...Flooding in Tenbury Wells used to be a once in a generation event, now it’s happening increasingly frequently. Jessica Murray reports
Tenbury Wells is used to floods. But residents of the pretty market town say what used to be a once in a generation event has become exhaustingly frequent. After two floods this winter some businesses in the town say they are on the brink and may have to shut their doors, while the impossibility of getting insurance makes it harder for new businesses to open their doors.
Jessica Murray went to the town to find out how people were coping. She found a high street where small businesses said they had come to the end of their resources – and patience. With increased flooding linked to the climate crisis in the UK, Hannah Moore asks her if enough is being done to protect the town. Meanwhile, Helena Horton explains the problems of flood defences in the UK and how other towns may come to see Tenbury Wells as a warning of their own future.
Continue reading...Faye Carruthers is joined by Suzy Wrack, Chris Paouros, and Sophie Downey to round up the weekend’s Women’s Super League action
On the podcast today: there was a seven-goal thriller at the foot of the WSL table as West Ham came from behind to beat Crystal Palace 5-2, with five different scorers and Rehanne Skinner’s side climbing up to eighth. Is this a turning point for West Ham?
Chelsea notched their ninth consecutive win in a 4-2 victory over Brighton, while Manchester United and Arsenal cruised to 4-0 victories. Bunny Shaw leads Manchester City to a dominant win against Leicester. The panel also responds to Marc Skinner’s comments about criticism of his team.
Continue reading...Madeleine Finlay speaks to Sophie Scott, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London, to dig into the science of laughter. Sophie explains what exactly laughter is, the many different purposes it serves for humans and animals, and how prioritising it could make us all feel a little better
Support the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod
Continue reading...Hannah Byrne joined Facebook to combat far-right extremism. She’s now convinced the tech giant can’t be trusted with such power.
The post She Joined Facebook to Fight Terror. Now She’s Convinced We Need to Fight Facebook. appeared first on The Intercept.
As Syrian rebels retake major cities from Bashar al-Assad, many are celebrating a return home.
The post He Thought He Wouldn’t Live to See Aleppo Again. This Week, He Returned Home. appeared first on The Intercept.
Benito Aguas from president Claudia Sheinbaum’s Morena party is latest victim of spate of political violence
A Mexican federal congressman has been assassinated, in the latest killing in an outbreak of political violence in the country.
The Veracruz attorney general’s office confirmed the death of Benito Aguas, a member of the leftist government’s ruling coalition in the 500-member lower house of congress.
Continue reading...On 4 December, Brian Thompson, the 50-year-old chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, was shot and killed in New York near the midtown Manhattan branch of the Hilton hotel. The search for his killer has entered its third day, with police revealing clues about the suspect's identity. However, many details surrounding the shocking shooting remain unclear. Here is a timeline compiled by The Guardian covering the incident and the suspect's escape route
Continue reading...
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.
Be the first to see our latest thought-provoking films, bringing you bold and original storytelling from around the world
Discover the stories behind our latest short films, learn more about our international film-makers, and join us for exclusive documentary events. We’ll also share a selection of our favourite films, from our archives and from further afield, for you to enjoy. Sign up below.
Can’t wait for the next newsletter? Start exploring our archive now.
Continue reading...
ESA and Thales Alenia Space have signed a contract amendment today at the International Astronautical Congress in Milan to extend the Lunar View refuelling module for the lunar Gateway.
The cookbook author transforms leftover noodles into a chunky vegan salad that can be served cold or fresh out of the pan
Sticky, sweet, textural, meaty and it just happens to be vegan, this bowl is gloriously glistening with eggplant that’s fried until it yields to silky strips, sponging up the sticky teriyaki sauce. Speaking of sponges, that’s exactly what tofu puffs are – and they get even juicier in the salad dressing overnight.
I’d better address the eggplant in the room: this is on the edge of what a “salad” can be according to my new definition (at least a few things in a bowl, well-dressed). If you’re looking at it and thinking “Isn’t this just cold noodles?” The answer is … yes! I hope this gives you permission to turn last night’s leftover noodles into salad by adding some fresh herbs or leafy bits and dressing it decisively to keep everything slippery.
Continue reading...Christmas carols, K-pop merchandise and food trucks create positive atmosphere as protesters seek to oust President Yoon over his martial law attempt
With blasting K-pop, glow sticks, food trucks and obligatory selfies, the protests that have swelled across South Korea since the president’s shock declaration of martial law last week have taken on a surprisingly festive mood.
Outside the national assembly in Seoul on Tuesday night, food trucks lined the streets selling traditional Korean snacks like tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), sundae (blood sausage), and even beondegi, the favourite winter treat of boiled silkworm pupae.
Continue reading...First minister seeks to persuade Trump of whisky’s significant economic and cultural status during phone call
Scotland’s first minister is leading efforts to persuade President-elect Donald Trump to exclude Scottish whisky from his plans to ratchet up tariffs on imports to the US.
John Swinney, who leads Scotland’s devolved government, lobbied Trump about whisky’s significant economic and cultural status during a “warm and friendly” 20-minute long telephone call the pair had on Monday.
Continue reading...Access to balanced diet also affected by inflation and Brexit, hitting most vulnerable households hardest
Numbers of hungry and malnourished households in the UK are on the rise because of climate breakdown and inflation, government figures show, with poorer, younger and disabled people hit hardest.
Many households worry about food running out, cannot afford balanced meals, experience hunger and have missed meals in the past 30 days, the figures reveal.
Continue reading...In the US, versions of these chewy, dense, customisable cookies turn up at just about every festivity, so how could you possibly distil the perfect version? You’re about to find out …
Gingerbread aside, we don’t tend to celebrate Christmas with biscuits here in the UK, unless you count the entire tartan variety tin of shortbread you eat by mistake in a low moment in mid-January. In the US, however, biscuits (cookies) are A Big Deal, and almost a competitive sport. Taking their cue from the Germanic and Scandinavian tradition of plätzchen and lebkuchen, the American holiday cookie platter is, Chicago-based food writer Tim Mazurek explains, “a generous fantasia where butter cookies decorated like angels mingle with rugelach and rum balls. The cookie platter doesn’t care about your religion, or lack of one. It welcomes everyone and promises that you’ll find something you like.”
I was completely unaware of this custom until an American-born friend appeared on my doorstep last December bearing a handsomely wrapped package of no fewer than seven varieties of biscuit, so count me a convert, Lord. Less divisive than mince pies and fruitcake, and considerably easier than panettone, biscuits keep and travel well, and are open to all manner of glitzy customisation, making them the ideal edible present. Here I’ve stuck to the simplest sort, the rolled vanilla cookie, but once you’ve mastered that, the world is your glittery gift platter.
Continue reading...Whether they fled or stayed behind, the survivors of Israel’s scorched-earth campaign in northern Gaza experienced untold horrors.
The post Trauma and Terror in the North of Gaza appeared first on The Intercept.
Harnessing wind, hydro and maybe geothermal power, the tiny Canary Island of El Hierro is blazing a trail for sustainable energy – and the secret is all in the mix
A vertiginous outcrop with more than 500 volcanoes, El Hierro, the most westerly of the Canary Islands, is less than 12 miles (20km) wide but features elevation differences of more than 1,500 metres. Swept by strong Atlantic winds and pockmarked with volcanic craters, it has spent the past decade harnessing its natural features to create clean electricity – with the goal of being the first island to reach self-sufficiency in energy.
Now, the island is reaching new milestones. Energy generated by wind and water has enabled its 11,000 inhabitants to be completely self-sufficient in electricity for 10,000 hours since its renewables project was established.
Wind turbines not only produce most of the energy needed for islanders’ daily use, but also El Hierro’s three desalination plants, which supply water to the island
Continue reading...In the UK and US, more than half the average diet consists of ultra-processed foods. For some people, especially those who are younger, poorer or from disadvantaged areas, a diet comprising as much as 80% UPFs is typical, and this has been linked to a myriad of harmful effects to health.
Neelam Tailor traces the surprising journey of ultra-processed foods from their origins in industrial waste to today's complex ingredient lists and the regulatory loopholes that paved the way
Continue reading...As Syrian rebels retake major cities from Bashar al-Assad, many are celebrating a return home.
The post He Thought He Wouldn’t Live to See Aleppo Again. This Week, He Returned Home. appeared first on The Intercept.
The Alsayed brothers lost their mother in the first bombing. They thought the White House could help save the survivors.
The post The White House Gave Israel Coordinates to Save an American’s Family. Then Israel Bombed Them Again. 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...Draconian new laws allow mass incarceration of women and children forced to beg because of work ban
Destitute Afghan women arrested for begging under draconian new Taliban laws have spoken of “brutal” rapes and beatings in detention.
Over the past few months, many women said they had been targeted by Taliban officials and detained under anti-begging laws passed this year. While in prison, they claim they were subjected to sexual abuse, torture and forced labour, and witnessed children being beaten and abused.
Continue reading...Style, with substance: what’s really trending this week, a roundup of the best fashion journalism and your wardrobe dilemmas solved, direct to your inbox every Thursday
Style, with substance: what’s really trending this week, a roundup of the best fashion journalism and your wardrobe dilemmas solved, delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday
Explore all our newsletters: whether you love film, football, fashion or food, we’ve got something for you
Continue reading... |
Imagine a world in which you can do transactions and many other things without having to give your personal information. A world in which you don’t need to rely on banks or governments anymore. Sounds amazing, right? That’s exactly what blockchain technology allows us to do.
It’s like your computer’s hard drive. blockchain is a technology that lets you store data in digital blocks, which are connected together like links in a chain.
Blockchain technology was originally invented in 1991 by two mathematicians, Stuart Haber and W. Scot Stornetta. They first proposed the system to ensure that timestamps could not be tampered with.
A few years later, in 1998, software developer Nick Szabo proposed using a similar kind of technology to secure a digital payments system he called “Bit Gold.” However, this innovation was not adopted until Satoshi Nakamoto claimed to have invented the first Blockchain and Bitcoin.
A blockchain is a distributed database shared between the nodes of a computer network. It saves information in digital format. Many people first heard of blockchain technology when they started to look up information about bitcoin.
Blockchain is used in cryptocurrency systems to ensure secure, decentralized records of transactions.
Blockchain allowed people to guarantee the fidelity and security of a record of data without the need for a third party to ensure accuracy.
To understand how a blockchain works, Consider these basic steps:
Let’s get to know more about the blockchain.
Blockchain records digital information and distributes it across the network without changing it. The information is distributed among many users and stored in an immutable, permanent ledger that can't be changed or destroyed. That's why blockchain is also called "Distributed Ledger Technology" or DLT.
Here’s how it works:
And that’s the beauty of it! The process may seem complicated, but it’s done in minutes with modern technology. And because technology is advancing rapidly, I expect things to move even more quickly than ever.
Even though blockchain is integral to cryptocurrency, it has other applications. For example, blockchain can be used for storing reliable data about transactions. Many people confuse blockchain with cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and ethereum.
Blockchain already being adopted by some big-name companies, such as Walmart, AIG, Siemens, Pfizer, and Unilever. For example, IBM's Food Trust uses blockchain to track food's journey before reaching its final destination.
Although some of you may consider this practice excessive, food suppliers and manufacturers adhere to the policy of tracing their products because bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella have been found in packaged foods. In addition, there have been isolated cases where dangerous allergens such as peanuts have accidentally been introduced into certain products.
Tracing and identifying the sources of an outbreak is a challenging task that can take months or years. Thanks to the Blockchain, however, companies now know exactly where their food has been—so they can trace its location and prevent future outbreaks.
Blockchain technology allows systems to react much faster in the event of a hazard. It also has many other uses in the modern world.
Blockchain technology is safe, even if it’s public. People can access the technology using an internet connection.
Have you ever been in a situation where you had all your data stored at one place and that one secure place got compromised? Wouldn't it be great if there was a way to prevent your data from leaking out even when the security of your storage systems is compromised?
Blockchain technology provides a way of avoiding this situation by using multiple computers at different locations to store information about transactions. If one computer experiences problems with a transaction, it will not affect the other nodes.
Instead, other nodes will use the correct information to cross-reference your incorrect node. This is called “Decentralization,” meaning all the information is stored in multiple places.
Blockchain guarantees your data's authenticity—not just its accuracy, but also its irreversibility. It can also be used to store data that are difficult to register, like legal contracts, state identifications, or a company's product inventory.
Blockchain has many advantages and disadvantages.
I’ll answer the most frequently asked questions about blockchain in this section.
Blockchain is not a cryptocurrency but a technology that makes cryptocurrencies possible. It's a digital ledger that records every transaction seamlessly.
Yes, blockchain can be theoretically hacked, but it is a complicated task to be achieved. A network of users constantly reviews it, which makes hacking the blockchain difficult.
Coinbase Global is currently the biggest blockchain company in the world. The company runs a commendable infrastructure, services, and technology for the digital currency economy.
Blockchain is a decentralized technology. It’s a chain of distributed ledgers connected with nodes. Each node can be any electronic device. Thus, one owns blockhain.
Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency, which is powered by Blockchain technology while Blockchain is a distributed ledger of cryptocurrency
Generally a database is a collection of data which can be stored and organized using a database management system. The people who have access to the database can view or edit the information stored there. The client-server network architecture is used to implement databases. whereas a blockchain is a growing list of records, called blocks, stored in a distributed system. Each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, timestamp and transaction information. Modification of data is not allowed due to the design of the blockchain. The technology allows decentralized control and eliminates risks of data modification by other parties.
Blockchain has a wide spectrum of applications and, over the next 5-10 years, we will likely see it being integrated into all sorts of industries. From finance to healthcare, blockchain could revolutionize the way we store and share data. Although there is some hesitation to adopt blockchain systems right now, that won't be the case in 2022-2023 (and even less so in 2026). Once people become more comfortable with the technology and understand how it can work for them, owners, CEOs and entrepreneurs alike will be quick to leverage blockchain technology for their own gain. Hope you like this article if you have any question let me know in the comments section
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
Trump’s attorney, Emil Bove, may be No. 3 at DOJ. A judge blamed him for “grave derelictions of prosecutorial responsibility.”
The post Trump Justice Department Appointee Oversaw “Systemic” Misconduct in Previous Job appeared first on The Intercept.
Both sides scramble to put their forces in best position in preparation for expected change in US foreign policy
The grinding war between Ukraine and its Russian invaders has escalated ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration, with President Joe Biden rushing out billions of dollars more in military aid before US support for Kyiv’s defenses is thrown into question under the new administration.
Russia, Ukraine and their global allies are scrambling to put their side in the best possible position for any changes that Trump may bring to American policy in the nearly three-year-old war. The president-elect insisted in recent days that Russia and Ukraine immediately reach a ceasefire and said Ukraine should probably prepare to receive less US military aid.
Continue reading...Israel violated the terms of a 1974 agreement by rolling its tanks across the Syrian border — less than 40 miles from Damascus.
The post Israel Exploits Assad’s Fall to Expand Into Syria appeared first on The Intercept.
As Syrian rebels retake major cities from Bashar al-Assad, many are celebrating a return home.
The post He Thought He Wouldn’t Live to See Aleppo Again. This Week, He Returned Home. appeared first on The Intercept.
Follow today’s news headlines live
News bargaining code announcement expected today
The youth minister, Anne Aly, spoke with ABC News Breakfast just earlier ahead of the news bargaining code announcement, expected today.
What I can say is that the government believes that journalists should be fairly compensated for the work that they do, that there is a current regime in place but that’s not working. And so that’s why the government has turned its attention to updating this code and ensuring that social media companies pay for the news that they use as content on their platforms.
Continue reading...Christopher Wray will step down at the end of Biden’s presidency after Donald Trump said he wants Kash Patel to run the agency
The outgoing Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, has spoken out against isolationism, arguing that staying out of wars doesn’t work.
“The cost of deterrence is considerably less than the cost of war,” he told Financial Times.
My first truth
The Trump hush money and Hunter Biden cases were both bullshit, and pardons are appropriate.
Continue reading...Trump had signaled his intent to fire the veteran official and replace him with firebrand Kash Patel
The director of the FBI, Christopher Wray, announced he was stepping down on Wednesday, after Donald Trump said he would fire him and install the firebrand loyalist Kash Patel in his place.
Wray, who the president-elect himself appointed as director during his first presidency after firing Wray’s predecessor James Comey in 2017, announced his decision to staff at the bureau’s Washington headquarters.
Continue reading...The FBI is still touting the debunked idea that its agents could access communications without opening a door to foreign hackers.
The post How to Protect Yourself From the Salt Typhoon Hack, No Matter What the FBI Says appeared first on The Intercept.
Seeking to lock up Asif Rahman during his Espionage Act trial, prosecutors alleged the CIA analyst had an ideological motive to leak.
The post Judge Reverses Decision to Release Alleged CIA Leaker Ahead of Trial appeared first on The Intercept.
John Chowcat says voters need a personal stake in democracy, while Stephen Coleman looks at why people turn to the magical thinking of demagogues. Plus letters from Anthony Papadopoulos, Colleen Molloy and Rodney Barker
Jonathan Freedland’s stark warning is justified (We cannot afford for Starmer’s government to fail. Because Farage is lying in wait, 6 December). A resurgent narrow nationalism, blaming immigrants for the UK’s squeezed living standards and underfunded public services, could replace Labour in office if Starmer’s growth strategy falters over the next few years. Donald Trump’s protectionism and corporate tax cuts could shortly attract yet more overseas investment to an already strong US economy, further weakening economic recovery here.
Labour does need to demonstrate practical improvements that voters will recognise. A closely related deep problem also requires attention. A period of economic pessimism and disillusionment with conventional British politics makes many people feel powerless, unable to control their destinies – a sentiment often manipulated by hard-right nativists promoting social division. To counter this, voters need a personal stake in democracy, through genuine experience of collective debate and real public accountability.
Continue reading...First minister seeks to persuade Trump of whisky’s significant economic and cultural status during phone call
Scotland’s first minister is leading efforts to persuade President-elect Donald Trump to exclude Scottish whisky from his plans to ratchet up tariffs on imports to the US.
John Swinney, who leads Scotland’s devolved government, lobbied Trump about whisky’s significant economic and cultural status during a “warm and friendly” 20-minute long telephone call the pair had on Monday.
Continue reading...In a new report, the Justice Department’s inspector general found that the agency violated its own rules to snoop on reporters.
The post This Is How Trump’s Department of Justice Spied on Journalists appeared first on The Intercept.
Concerns that US’s hands-off approach could leave the country open to a return to civil war or a resurgence of Iran
For a Biden administration in its final days, managing the downfall of Bashar al-Assad was not in the cards. For a Trump administration dedicated to isolationism and America First, Syria’s future may be too important to ignore.
Before last week, the frontlines of the country’s nearly 13-year-old civil war had been largely frozen. Conflicts in Ukraine and Israel were dominating attention and US diplomatic efforts around the world. And the trend toward normalising relations with Assad only appeared set to extend his time in power.
Continue reading...Immigrant rights organizers and activists have a playbook from the last Trump presidency, but worry of less funding and more fatigue.
The post “Who’s Willing to Get Arrested?” Immigrant Activists Ready for Trump Deportation Plans appeared first on The Intercept.
Christmas carols, K-pop merchandise and food trucks create positive atmosphere as protesters seek to oust President Yoon over his martial law attempt
With blasting K-pop, glow sticks, food trucks and obligatory selfies, the protests that have swelled across South Korea since the president’s shock declaration of martial law last week have taken on a surprisingly festive mood.
Outside the national assembly in Seoul on Tuesday night, food trucks lined the streets selling traditional Korean snacks like tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), sundae (blood sausage), and even beondegi, the favourite winter treat of boiled silkworm pupae.
Continue reading...Crowe’s safari-going Russian oligarch is the main redeeming feature of this Spider-Man-adjacent tale but there’s not much to like elsewhere
Only the robust presence of Russell Crowe – and what might conceivably be a sly visual joke about exiled Russian plutocrat Mikhail Khodorkovsky – make this generic slice of superhero action worth watching.
Kraven the Hunter has been an exotic, marginal figure in the Spider-Man part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but now he gets his own film and Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays him as an ultra-muscly super predator with Spidey’s skill in whooshing up and down buildings and a sense for something amiss – although the great arachnid himself does not appear. Kraven thinks of human beings as the only worthy game (that is: bad people who deserve what’s coming to them) and despises people who presume to kill noble beasts. Taylor-Johnson himself gets to fearlessly wrestle with a few digital big cats.
Continue reading...President Yoon Suk Yeol’s alarming attempt to impose his will could hardly be worse-timed for a key Asian power
The South Korean president’s bizarre, appalling and short-lived attempt to impose martial law last week is still wreaking havoc. Police attempted to raid Yoon Suk Yeol’s office on Wednesday as they investigate him for a potential offence of insurrection. His party says he will hand power to the prime minister and party chief; others call that an unconstitutional “second coup”. It is a measure of the country’s progress since democratisation in the 1980s that the main opposition leader, Lee Jae-myung, initially thought the president’s announcement had been deep-faked, and now describes it as “preposterous”.
Mr Yoon claimed without evidence that martial law was necessary to eradicate the threat from “despicable pro-North Korean anti-state forces” – meaning the opposition. Though other conservatives share his bitter conviction that the left are Pyongyang-sympathisers, most people believe the decision primarily reflected his erratic and personalised rule. A political outsider, he made his name as a top anti-corruption prosecutor, but grew angry at scrutiny of his wife’s conduct as well as parliamentary obstruction of his policies. Despite his dismal approval ratings he seems to have thought that the people would back him. Within six hours, he was forced to U-turn.
Continue reading...The Guardian visits a Soviet-era coal-fired thermal installation to explore how it has held up to Russian attacks
In the cavernous turbine hall of a coal-fired thermal power plant, deputy chief engineer Oleksandr runs through the extensive damage, pointing out various consequences of numerous Russian strikes over the past two years.
Machinery is covered in thick dark streaks of grime, the residue of heating insulation that burned and rained down on the equipment. A roof girder, 10 metres long, is impaled in the floor. Oil tanks and machines are strafed with shrapnel marks.
Continue reading...Girl from Sierra Leone is only person rescued after shipwreck that is feared to have killed more than 40 people
An 11-year-old girl, wearing a simple life vest and clinging to a pair of tyre tubes, has been rescued off the Italian island of Lampedusa, telling rescuers she had spent three days at sea after a shipwreck that is feared to have killed more than 40 people.
The girl from Sierra Leone said she had been on a metal boat carrying 45 people and which had set off days earlier from the Tunisian city of Sfax. As the rickety vessel made its way through one of the world’s most dangerous migration routes, it encountered a storm, pitting it against metres-high waves and winds of more than 23 knots.
Continue reading...News of raid comes as officials say Yoon’s former defence minister attempted suicide while in custody
South Korean police have raided the office of President Yoon Suk Yeol over his role in declaring martial law last week – a move that plunged Asia’s fourth-biggest economy into crisis and caused alarm among its allies.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said the search on Wednesday was part of an attempt by law enforcement agencies to establish whether Yoon’s actions, supported by other senior figures in his administration, amounted to insurrection – a crime that does not carry presidential immunity and can carry the death penalty.
A special investigation unit confirmed it had raided the presidential office and other agencies, but it emerged later that Yoon’s security guards had prevented officers from getting into the main building.
Continue reading...State media in neighbouring country that has been ruled by a dictatorial dynasty since 1948 breaks silence to criticise President Yoon’s ‘gangster nation’
North Korea has broken its silence over the political turmoil in South Korea, with state media describing, without any apparent hint of irony, how its president had unleashed a “dictatorship on the people”.
The commentary, released on Wednesday by North Korea’s state-run KCNA news agency, was the first time the regime had commented publicly on the chaos that followed President Yoon Suk Yeol’s doomed attempt last week to impose martial law to root out what he described as “pro-North Korean, anti-state forces”.
Continue reading...As the Long Read turns 10 we are raiding the archives to bring you a favourite piece from each year since 2014, with new introductions from the authors.
This week from 2024: When Putin invaded, a historian in Kyiv saw that Ukraine’s cultural heritage was in danger. So he set out to save as much of it as he could. By Charlotte Higgins
Continue reading...Syrians entered the presidential palace in Damascus to loot Bashar al-Assad's belongings, and were seen taking items such as Louis Vuitton boxes, art and furniture. Footage showed people discovering a fleet of luxury cars belonging to the former president. What was thought to be a secret bunker was also found beneath the palace, with empty boxes indicating it contained valuable items before its discovery
Continue reading...Yoon Suk Yeol subjected to travel ban after his party’s boycott of impeachment vote condemned by opposition
South Korea’s president, Yoon Suk Yeol, has been banned from leaving the country, as opposition politicians accused his party of staging a “second coup” by refusing to impeach him over his botched declaration of martial law last week.
Bae Sang-up, an immigration services commissioner at the justice ministry, confirmed during a parliamentary hearing on Monday that Yoon was the subject of a travel ban.
Continue reading...Hannah Byrne joined Facebook to combat far-right extremism. She’s now convinced the tech giant can’t be trusted with such power.
The post She Joined Facebook to Fight Terror. Now She’s Convinced We Need to Fight Facebook. appeared first on The Intercept.
American troops are in Syria on questionable legal grounds. They continue to get attacked, according to new Pentagon data.
The post As Civil War Heats Back Up, U.S. Troops Are Still Deployed in Syria — And Under Fire appeared first on The Intercept.
Ministers are right to want to reform the state: it’s crucial to their project. But simply telling civil servants to work harder won’t achieve it
After five months in office, Labour knows where it wants to take the country; but it does not know how to get there. In this, and despite radically different priorities, the Labour government resembles the Conservative one that preceded it. Boris Johnson found in the end that he could not make modern Britain work in the way he wanted. Now, today, it is Keir Starmer’s turn.
Starmer’s “plan for change” speech at Pinewood Studios last week was a recognition of the problem. British government, said Starmer, is “broken”. It was a striking admission, but also true in many ways, prisons and social care prominent among them. Starmer responded by announcing five-year targets in key policy areas – the economy, housing, health, policing, early years and energy. But this was not enough. Starmer’s answer does not measure up to the problem that confronts him.
Martin Kettle is a Guardian columnist
Continue reading...Exclusive: Complaint says Equinor is unlawfully connected to Israel’s Delek Group, which has been flagged by UN human rights commissioner
The Norwegian oil company Equinor is being sued over alleged business links to the Israeli energy company Delek Group, which has been flagged by the UN high commissioner for human rights for operating in illegal settlements in Palestinian territory.
A legal complaint being filed on Thursday by Greenpeace Norway claims Equinor has breached Norway’s transparency act by failing to conduct proper due diligence or limit damage from its connection to Delek Group. The act aims to aid companies “in meeting challenges of human rights abuses”.
Continue reading...Harnessing wind, hydro and maybe geothermal power, the tiny Canary Island of El Hierro is blazing a trail for sustainable energy – and the secret is all in the mix
A vertiginous outcrop with more than 500 volcanoes, El Hierro, the most westerly of the Canary Islands, is less than 12 miles (20km) wide but features elevation differences of more than 1,500 metres. Swept by strong Atlantic winds and pockmarked with volcanic craters, it has spent the past decade harnessing its natural features to create clean electricity – with the goal of being the first island to reach self-sufficiency in energy.
Now, the island is reaching new milestones. Energy generated by wind and water has enabled its 11,000 inhabitants to be completely self-sufficient in electricity for 10,000 hours since its renewables project was established.
Wind turbines not only produce most of the energy needed for islanders’ daily use, but also El Hierro’s three desalination plants, which supply water to the island
Continue reading...Malik Muhammad, a disabled Army veteran with PTSD, received the harshest federal sentence for the George Floyd protests.
The post Oregon Prison Limits Solitary to 90 Days. This BLM Protester Has Been in the Hole for 250. appeared first on The Intercept.
In a new 300-page report, the human rights group joins a growing chorus of legal scholars and activists describing Israel’s assault on Palestinians as genocide.
The post Amnesty International Concludes That Israel Is Committing Genocide in Gaza appeared first on The Intercept.
The Trump administration may soon have a new weapon to target perceived enemies.
The post Silencing Dissent: Attacks on Free Speech and Nonprofits Are Already Ramping Up appeared first on The Intercept.
The Alsayed brothers lost their mother in the first bombing. They thought the White House could help save the survivors.
The post The White House Gave Israel Coordinates to Save an American’s Family. Then Israel Bombed Them Again. appeared first on The Intercept.
More than one in three cases of disease and injury this year could have been avoided, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare finds
Being overweight has overtaken tobacco smoking as the leading risk factor contributing to disease in 2024, new government data shows.
The Australian Burden of Disease Study 2024, released on Thursday by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, estimates that Australians lost 5.8m years of healthy life due to living with illness and injury, or dying prematurely. This loss of healthy life is called the “burden of disease”.
Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email
Continue reading...Country also votes with vast majority of nations to demand Israel reverse its ban on Palestinian aid agency Unrwa
Australia has voted with more than 150 countries at the United Nations to demand that Israel reverse its ban on the Palestinian aid agency Unrwa and to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, in a move which could further increase tensions with Israel.
At a UN emergency special session on Thursday, Australia voted with the vast majority of world nations to support the two resolutions, splitting from the US and Israel who voted against them.
Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email
Continue reading...But female students performed slightly higher than average than males overall
The Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre has revealed 7% of students in the state are failing numeracy, as the latest Atar results indicate a series of Victorian Certificate of Education leaks made little impact on overall scores.
A record 47,461 VCE students will receive their Atars on Thursday morning – 4.7% more than 2023, when 45,239 students were scored an Atar.
Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email
Continue reading...Exclusive: First Nations victims obtain ‘inadequate support’ throughout state’s justice system, researchers say
A sexual assault victim sits outside a police station, wanting to make a report but too scared to go inside. At another, a victim of family violence is told there’s not enough evidence to file for an intervention order.
There’s the car-jacking victim who avoids public transport, and even walking to the shop, because the police haven’t caught the attacker – and doubt they ever will.
Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email
Continue reading...Anti-poverty activists say indexed rise in Centrelink payments on 1 January won’t cover soaring rent and the high cost of living
More than 1 million recipients of youth, student and carer support will have their payments increased as part of a regular indexation in January but advocates say the high cost of living, including soaring rent, far outpaces the extra money.
The increases to rates are automatically linked to price changes in the consumer price index, with youth allowance, Austudy, youth disability support pension and carer allowance all going up.
Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email
Continue reading...For a technology that seems startling in its modernity, AI sure has a long history. Google Translate, OpenAI chatbots, and Meta AI image generators are built on decades of advancements in linguistics, signal processing, statistics, and other fields going back to the early days of computing—and, often, on seed funding from the U.S. Department of Defense. But today’s tools are hardly the intentional product of the diverse generations of innovators that came before. We agree with Morozov that the “refuseniks,” as he calls them, are wrong to see AI as “irreparably tainted” by its origins. AI is better understood as a creative, global field of human endeavor that has been largely captured by U.S. venture capitalists, private equity, and Big Tech. But that was never the inevitable outcome, and it doesn’t need to stay that way...
It’s been the biggest year for elections in human history: 2024 is a “super-cycle” year in which 3.7 billion eligible voters in 72 countries had the chance to go the polls. These are also the first AI elections, where many feared that deepfakes and artificial intelligence-generated misinformation would overwhelm the democratic processes. As 2024 draws to a close, it’s instructive to take stock of how democracy did.
In a Pew survey of Americans from earlier this fall, nearly eight times as many respondents expected AI to be used for mostly bad purposes...
The biggest question in the case against Asif Rahman, a CIA employee accused of leaking Israel’s battle plans, is motive.
The post Israel Delayed Its Attack on Iran Due to CIA Leak, Prosecutors Allege appeared first on The Intercept.
In 2025, AI is poised to change every aspect of democratic politics—but it won’t necessarily be for the worse.
India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, has used AI to translate his speeches for his multilingual electorate in real time, demonstrating how AI can help diverse democracies to be more inclusive. AI avatars were used by presidential candidates in South Korea in electioneering, enabling them to provide answers to thousands of voters’ questions simultaneously. We are also starting to see AI tools aid fundraising and get-out-the-vote efforts. AI techniques are starting to augment more traditional polling methods, helping campaigns get cheaper and faster data. And congressional candidates have started using AI robocallers to engage voters on issues. In 2025, these trends will continue. AI doesn’t need to be superior to human experts to augment the labor of an overworked canvasser, or to write ad copy similar to that of a junior campaign staffer or volunteer. Politics is competitive, and any technology that can bestow an advantage, or even just garner attention, will be used...
Four men given almost 75 years each for attempted murder of Aurora Intxausti, Juan Palomo and infant son in 2000
Four former members of the Basque terrorist group Eta have been jailed for almost 75 years each for attempting to murder two journalists and their toddler son by stuffing a plant pot outside the family’s home with explosives and shrapnel.
Aurora Intxausti, a journalist for El País, her husband, Juan Palomo, a reporter for Antena 3 TV, and 18-month-old son, Íñigo, were targeted as part of Eta’s “socialisation of suffering” terror campaign, which sought to inflict the maximum possible pain across Basque society in order to achieve independence from Spain.
Continue reading...Bulgaria also among more affordable choices as vacations remain a priority
Cash-strapped consumers are still prioritising spending on holidays but are choosing more affordable destinations including Egypt, Bulgaria and Tunisia for their annual break, according to Europe’s biggest package trip operator.
Tui said new customers with smaller budgets who are not able to find a package holiday in more traditional locations such as Spain are looking elsewhere.
Continue reading...Harnessing wind, hydro and maybe geothermal power, the tiny Canary Island of El Hierro is blazing a trail for sustainable energy – and the secret is all in the mix
A vertiginous outcrop with more than 500 volcanoes, El Hierro, the most westerly of the Canary Islands, is less than 12 miles (20km) wide but features elevation differences of more than 1,500 metres. Swept by strong Atlantic winds and pockmarked with volcanic craters, it has spent the past decade harnessing its natural features to create clean electricity – with the goal of being the first island to reach self-sufficiency in energy.
Now, the island is reaching new milestones. Energy generated by wind and water has enabled its 11,000 inhabitants to be completely self-sufficient in electricity for 10,000 hours since its renewables project was established.
Wind turbines not only produce most of the energy needed for islanders’ daily use, but also El Hierro’s three desalination plants, which supply water to the island
Continue reading...Nigel Richards has also been champion in English and – after memorising dictionary in nine weeks – French
More than 150 competitors representing 20 countries descended on a hotel on the outskirts of Granada last month to battle it out at the Spanish World Scrabble Championships.
Now, weeks after the letter tiles were meticulously placed and the points tallied, news of the tournament’s winner, Nigel Richards, has made waves across Spain, with many scratching their heads over the fact he does not speak Spanish.
Continue reading...While celebrating, many see situation in their homeland as precarious and have made new lives
Reem Alali is still reeling from the news that the brutal regime she fled eight years ago has collapsed, leaving her and her family with feelings bordering excitement and trepidation. Moreover, there is a sense that important decisions have to be made – but perhaps not just yet, and only with great caution.
“We didn’t sleep for two nights,” she said on Monday, a day after Bashar al-Assad, the former dictator, fled Syria following rebels’ lightning-speed advance into the capital, Damascus. “We have been glued to our phones, speaking to Syrian friends and relatives, crying and drinking glühwein with our German friends.”
Continue reading...Large parts of Britain would not function without migrants, but there are consequences for housing, GDP and productivity
Record NHS waiting lists. Flatlining living standards. Rising levels of long-term sickness. The dire state of the public finances. The list of problems inherited from the Conservatives by Keir Starmer is long, but near the top is how to respond to record levels of net migration.
According to official estimates released last month, the past three years have seen almost 2.4 million more people arrive in the UK than have left. Over the centuries, inward migration has been a feature of this country’s history, but the speed and scale of the recent increases are new. In the 1960s and 1970s, emigration tended to be higher than immigration and it has only been in the past quarter of a century that net migration began its upward trend. By way of comparison, net migration in the three years leading up the Brexit vote in 2016 stood at 865,000.
Larry Elliott is a Guardian columnist
Continue reading...Study suggests rate of disease among young adults is rising for first time and England has one of the fastest increases
The number of under-50s being diagnosed with bowel cancer is increasing worldwide, according to research that also reveals rates are rising faster in England than almost any other country.
For the first time, global data suggests doctors are seeing more young adults develop early-onset bowel cancer, from Europe and North America to Asia and Oceania.
Continue reading...Criminal complaint charging Ryan Borgwardt details how 45-year-old pulled off disappearance to country of Georgia
A Wisconsin man who faked his own drowning and left his wife and three children for eastern Europe willingly returned to the US after four months and was charged on Wednesday with obstructing an intense lake search for his body.
The criminal complaint charging Ryan Borgwardt with misdemeanor obstruction offers a detailed account of how the 45-year-old pulled off his disappearance, including how he struggled to emerge from the water, almost didn’t make it through customs on his way overseas and was living in the country of Georgia when he realized he had left too many clues behind.
Continue reading...Demi Agoglia’s death in Turkey was contributed to by neglect with ‘no proper pre-operative care and advice’
A 26-year-old woman died after she was subjected to a “frankly barbaric” Brazilian butt lift procedure without giving informed consent, a coroner has ruled.
Demi Agoglia travelled to Turkey for the operation after seeing celebrity endorsements for Istanbul-based Comfort Zone Surgery on social media.
Continue reading...Outgoing Michel Barnier warns any government will face challenge of debt and a divided society
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, is under pressure to appoint a new prime minister this week after the ousted conservative Michel Barnier warned that any government would face the challenge of public debt and deep divisions in society.
Barnier’s government held its last cabinet meeting with Macron on Wednesday after it collapsed in a no-confidence vote last week.
Continue reading...Sefa O one of seven men charged with public violence in chaos that followed Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv match
Prosecutors have called for a man suspected of punching and kicking Israeli football fans in Amsterdam during a night of violence to serve two years in jail.
The 22-year-old, identified as Sefa O, was one of five suspects to appear before an Amsterdam court on Wednesday on charges relating to the chaos in the city after a match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv on 7 November.
Continue reading...The Guardian visits a Soviet-era coal-fired thermal installation to explore how it has held up to Russian attacks
In the cavernous turbine hall of a coal-fired thermal power plant, deputy chief engineer Oleksandr runs through the extensive damage, pointing out various consequences of numerous Russian strikes over the past two years.
Machinery is covered in thick dark streaks of grime, the residue of heating insulation that burned and rained down on the equipment. A roof girder, 10 metres long, is impaled in the floor. Oil tanks and machines are strafed with shrapnel marks.
Continue reading...Girl from Sierra Leone is only person rescued after shipwreck that is feared to have killed more than 40 people
An 11-year-old girl, wearing a simple life vest and clinging to a pair of tyre tubes, has been rescued off the Italian island of Lampedusa, telling rescuers she had spent three days at sea after a shipwreck that is feared to have killed more than 40 people.
The girl from Sierra Leone said she had been on a metal boat carrying 45 people and which had set off days earlier from the Tunisian city of Sfax. As the rickety vessel made its way through one of the world’s most dangerous migration routes, it encountered a storm, pitting it against metres-high waves and winds of more than 23 knots.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Complaint says Equinor is unlawfully connected to Israel’s Delek Group, which has been flagged by UN human rights commissioner
The Norwegian oil company Equinor is being sued over alleged business links to the Israeli energy company Delek Group, which has been flagged by the UN high commissioner for human rights for operating in illegal settlements in Palestinian territory.
A legal complaint being filed on Thursday by Greenpeace Norway claims Equinor has breached Norway’s transparency act by failing to conduct proper due diligence or limit damage from its connection to Delek Group. The act aims to aid companies “in meeting challenges of human rights abuses”.
Continue reading...Both sides scramble to put their forces in best position in preparation for expected change in US foreign policy
The grinding war between Ukraine and its Russian invaders has escalated ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration, with President Joe Biden rushing out billions of dollars more in military aid before US support for Kyiv’s defenses is thrown into question under the new administration.
Russia, Ukraine and their global allies are scrambling to put their side in the best possible position for any changes that Trump may bring to American policy in the nearly three-year-old war. The president-elect insisted in recent days that Russia and Ukraine immediately reach a ceasefire and said Ukraine should probably prepare to receive less US military aid.
Continue reading...Senegal also requests departure of French troops, saying they are ‘not compatible’ with country’s sovereignty
France has begun recalling its military assets from its former ally Chad in the latest blow to its dwindling influence across its former colonies in Africa.
Two Mirage fighter jets returned to a base in eastern France on Tuesday, said the army spokesperson Col Guillaume Vernet.
Continue reading...For a technology that seems startling in its modernity, AI sure has a long history. Google Translate, OpenAI chatbots, and Meta AI image generators are built on decades of advancements in linguistics, signal processing, statistics, and other fields going back to the early days of computing—and, often, on seed funding from the U.S. Department of Defense. But today’s tools are hardly the intentional product of the diverse generations of innovators that came before. We agree with Morozov that the “refuseniks,” as he calls them, are wrong to see AI as “irreparably tainted” by its origins. AI is better understood as a creative, global field of human endeavor that has been largely captured by U.S. venture capitalists, private equity, and Big Tech. But that was never the inevitable outcome, and it doesn’t need to stay that way...
John Chowcat says voters need a personal stake in democracy, while Stephen Coleman looks at why people turn to the magical thinking of demagogues. Plus letters from Anthony Papadopoulos, Colleen Molloy and Rodney Barker
Jonathan Freedland’s stark warning is justified (We cannot afford for Starmer’s government to fail. Because Farage is lying in wait, 6 December). A resurgent narrow nationalism, blaming immigrants for the UK’s squeezed living standards and underfunded public services, could replace Labour in office if Starmer’s growth strategy falters over the next few years. Donald Trump’s protectionism and corporate tax cuts could shortly attract yet more overseas investment to an already strong US economy, further weakening economic recovery here.
Labour does need to demonstrate practical improvements that voters will recognise. A closely related deep problem also requires attention. A period of economic pessimism and disillusionment with conventional British politics makes many people feel powerless, unable to control their destinies – a sentiment often manipulated by hard-right nativists promoting social division. To counter this, voters need a personal stake in democracy, through genuine experience of collective debate and real public accountability.
Continue reading...Immigrant rights organizers and activists have a playbook from the last Trump presidency, but worry of less funding and more fatigue.
The post “Who’s Willing to Get Arrested?” Immigrant Activists Ready for Trump Deportation Plans appeared first on The Intercept.
Millions of migrants will build stadiums, transport networks and hotels. But testimonies from Bangladeshis who have worked there suggest abuse is deeply entrenched in the Gulf kingdom
When Shahadat set out for Saudi Arabia from his village in Bangladesh, he was driven by a single purpose: to earn money for his impoverished family. “If he sent money home, his family would eat. If he didn’t, they wouldn’t,” says a relative.
For years he just about scraped by, sending a little money home each month and trying to pay down the huge debt he took on to afford the illegal fees a recruitment agent had charged him to get to Saudi Arabia.
Continue reading...Arrests announced on three-year anniversary of semi-trailer truck crash that killed more than 50 people
Six Guatemalans were arrested in Guatemala and in Texas on Monday on human smuggling charges linked to a 2021 semi-trailer truck crash in Mexico that killed more than 50 people, authorities said.
The truck had been packed with at least 160 migrants, many of them Guatemalans, when it crashed into a support for a pedestrian bridge in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, the capital of the southern state of Chiapas. The arrests were announced on the third anniversary of the accident.
Continue reading...Lawmakers will soon vote on a bill directing a nonprofit to draft curriculum on atrocities carried out by communist regimes.
The post Just Say No: Congress Considers Neocon Lesson Plans to Keep Kids Off Communism appeared first on The Intercept.
French far-right and left-wing lawmakers joined forces to back a no-confidence motion against prime minister Michel Barnier and his government, with a majority 331 votes in support of the motion. The minority coalition of Barnier falls after three months, the shortest of any administration of France’s Fifth Republic
Continue reading...It would normally be over by now, the Champions League group stage done and dusted, and yet Arsenal know they must go again for two more ties; a test of their physicality, the depth of their reserves, as well as their resolve.
The idea is to attack the extra games in January and make sure they do not have to play two more in the playoff round in February; to zoom straight into the round of 16. It continues to look pretty good.
Continue reading...Chelsea cruised to a 14th straight victory in all competitions with a crushing win over Twente in the Women’s Champions League.
There were six different home goalscorers at Stamford Bridge as Catarina Macario, Oriane Jean-François, Mayra Ramírez, Erin Cuthbert, Sjoeke Nüsken and Eve Périsset ensured the Blues remained ahead of Real Madrid in Group B. With qualification to the quarter-finals already secured thanks beating Celtic last time out, this victory ensured that the battle to finish top would go down to the final match day.
Continue reading...This three-week experiment to study the horrifying effects of the grim content that children can access 24/7 has predictable results – which are nonetheless horrifying
As a rule, jealousy is not an emotion social experiment TV tends to elicit. To gain insight into the human condition, such programmes usually involve nightmare-level punishments: volunteers agree to sleep on the street or go to prison or marry a total stranger or live like a Victorian person or be marooned on a desert island – the genre is schadenfreude central. Yet watching Swiped: The School That Banned Smartphones – which follows a group of year 8 pupils from Essex (plus hosts Matt and Emma Willis) as they surrender their phones to a lockable glass cube for three whole weeks – my response is one of pure envy. What a treat. If only a production company would be so kind as to take my phone away from me.
Swiped, says Dr Rangan Chatterjee as he guides us through the technicalities of the experiment, marks the first time a digital detox has been studied on this scale. This is probably not the coup it first seems. Science has been slow to solidify a causal relationship between smartphone usage and mental health issues, but every sentient being with social media access knows how detrimental an endlessly refreshing feed is to sleep, concentration, inner peace and general happiness. Let’s just say the final data isn’t the most earth-shattering discovery of our time: if your smartphone leaves you distracted, exhausted and anxious, chances are it’s doing the same to your child.
Continue reading...Abu Mohammed al-Jolani says HTS group will ask countries to hand over Assad regime officials who flee
The Islamist rebel commander responsible for the downfall of the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has said that those responsible for torture and killing in Syria’s notorious prison system will not evade justice, after the opening of detention centres revealed the extent of the regime’s crimes against its own people.
Pardons or amnesties would not be granted for implicated regime officials, Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, said in a statement published on the state broadcaster’s Telegram channel. “We will pursue them in Syria, and we ask countries to hand over those who fled so we can achieve justice,” he said.
Continue reading...Oscar-nominated star of Elvis will take on lead role in Challengers director’s take on Bret Easton Ellis’s novel
Austin Butler is set to play Patrick Bateman in director Luca Guadagnino’s new take on Bret Easton Ellis’s American Psycho.
According to Variety, the Oscar-nominated star of Elvis will take the lead after rumours suggested Euphoria’s Jacob Elordi would be starring.
Continue reading...Musician, who has been sober for 34 years, says marijuana is addictive and ‘leads to other drugs’
Elton John has hit out at the legalisation of marijuana in parts of North America, saying it was “one of the greatest mistakes of all time”.
The musician, who brought his touring career to an end last year and has been sober for 34 years, has helped fellow celebrities including Eminem and Robbie Williams to recover from addiction.
Continue reading...In their feverish film, Craig plays a man embroiled in a drug-fuelled gay affair. He and director Guadagnino talk about love, ageing – and a forgotten sex act
There is no shortage of directors who have made movies about gay life only to then backtrack and claim they were not specifically gay stories after all: Tom Ford did it with A Single Man, William Friedkin with both Cruising and The Boys in the Band. Luca Guadagnino, the director of Call Me By Your Name and this year’s steamy tennis romcom Challengers, is not about to play that game. “It is the most gigantic gay film in history,” he says of his latest picture, for which he recreated 1950s Mexico City on 12 stages at the Cinecittà studios in Rome. “I don’t think there has ever been a bigger gay movie.” Then again, he doesn’t have much wriggle room: the film is called Queer.
His feverish adaptation of William S Burroughs’s novel, which was written in the early 1950s but not published until 1985, concerns an American expat, William Lee, who locks eyes with a young stranger across a crowded cockfight. This is Eugene Allerton, a clean-cut, blade-like presence, played by Drew Starkey. And who should star as Lee, the gauche, fumbling, sweaty goofball, but Daniel Craig? If No Time to Die hadn’t killed off James Bond, Queer would have done it in a trice.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Sources say there is belief that service has become too big after growing during Brexit and pandemic years
Ministers are planning to cut more than 10,000 civil service jobs as Whitehall departments battle to stay within spending limits under a new government efficiency drive, the Guardian has learned.
Multiple sources said there was an acceptance that the civil service had become too big and unwieldy after expanding owing to the demands of Brexit and the Covid pandemic.
Continue reading...Highly unusual move for private member’s bill is sign government will intensely monitor details of legislation
Two ministers are to be assigned to the assisted dying bill in a highly unusual move for a private member’s bill where the government is neutral – a sign that it will intensely monitor the details of such a significant change.
The bill’s committee will have nine MPs who were opponents of the bill, including its most high-profile Conservative opponent, Danny Kruger, and 11 MPs who were in favour.
Continue reading...Next year’s Utah-based film festival will see world premieres of much-anticipated new titles also starring Benedict Cumberbatch, A$AP Rocky and Rebecca Hall
World premieres starring Olivia Colman, Jennifer Lopez and Josh O’Connor spearhead the lineup of next month’s Sundance film festival.
The Utah-based festival will showcase 87 feature films from 33 different countries and territories.
Continue reading...After a barrage of criticism, Network Rail is reversing its decision to replace Euston’s train information boards with adverts – with more changes to come
Name: Euston station.
Age: 187 years.
Continue reading...Investigation is examining potential offences of perjury and perverting the course of justice among others
The police criminal inquiry into the Post Office has identified dozens of persons of interest so far, as a team bolstered to 100 officers investigates the actions of executives, legal teams and civil servants connected to the Horizon IT scandal.
The investigation, which the police describe as unprecedented in size and scale, is in the first instance examining potential offences of perjury and perverting the course of justice by those involved in making “key decisions” on Post Office investigations and supporting prosecutions of branch owner-operators.
Continue reading...Access to balanced diet also affected by inflation and Brexit, hitting most vulnerable households hardest
Numbers of hungry and malnourished households in the UK are on the rise because of climate breakdown and inflation, government figures show, with poorer, younger and disabled people hit hardest.
Many households worry about food running out, cannot afford balanced meals, experience hunger and have missed meals in the past 30 days, the figures reveal.
Continue reading...Max Rushden, Barry Glendenning, Nicky Bandini and Philippe Auclair discuss big wins for Liverpool and Villa, while Brest’s dream continues. Plus, David Squires joins to chat about his new book
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: wins for Liverpool and Aston Villa in the Champions League. Ross Barkley grabs a late winner in Leipzig and Liverpool keep up their 100% start with a somewhat unconvincing performance in Girona.
Continue reading...Honeymoon period will be short as John Mahama tries to fix economy, seen as a huge factor in election
Ghana’s electoral commission had been due to announce the official results of Saturday’s presidential election by Tuesday. But by Sunday morning Mahamudu Bawumia, the country’s vice-president and the flag-bearer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), and his campaign team had seen enough to give up.
“The data from our own internal collation of the results indicates that … John Mahama has won the presidential election decisively,” he said at a press conference after calling his rival to concede. By Monday, the commission had confirmed the outcome: the former president Mahama, of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), had indeed won with 56% of the vote to Bawumia’s 41%.
Continue reading...Whether they fled or stayed behind, the survivors of Israel’s scorched-earth campaign in northern Gaza experienced untold horrors.
The post Trauma and Terror in the North of Gaza appeared first on The Intercept.
Abused as a child, barely able to support herself as an adult, Maria Arbuckle was one of thousands of unmarried women who suffered in Ireland’s mother and baby homes. She talks about her long battle to be reunited with her son – and the tragedy that struck soon after
When Maria Arbuckle thinks of her time in Ireland’s largest mother and baby home, she thinks of the nursery and its snug rows of cots, each one filled with a tiny, bleating bundle. She thinks of her boy, Paul, among them, and the 8lb 10oz weight of him in her arms. She thinks of how she fed and washed him under the careful watch of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul. And she thinks of the refrain that ended each visit, when she had to hand him back to them: “He’s not yours any more. He doesn’t belong to you.”
Arbuckle, 62, was six months pregnant when she was sent by social services in Northern Ireland to Saint Patrick’s mother and baby home over the border in Dublin. She was 18 and emerging from a childhood spent shunted between a children’s home, an abusive foster home and a church-run industrial school for children considered to be in “moral danger”. It was 1981, Northern Ireland was in the thick of the Troubles and she was living in the border county of Monaghan, far from her native Derry. Her first serious relationship had collapsed, she had no contact with the foster family who had raised her for 11 years and she was barely making ends meet with her traineeship with a bookmaker. “At the mother and baby home, they told me that I had nowhere to go,” she recalls, more than four decades later. “I was on my own. I had no man, no family. And they were right.”
Continue reading...As the Long Read turns 10 we are raiding the archives to bring you a favourite piece from each year since 2014, with new introductions from the authors.
This week from 2024: When Putin invaded, a historian in Kyiv saw that Ukraine’s cultural heritage was in danger. So he set out to save as much of it as he could. By Charlotte Higgins
Continue reading...UN health body says patients could have more than one disease as unidentified illness continues to cause alarm
Ten patients suffering from a mystery disease that has broken out in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have tested positive for malaria, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
However, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the patients could have more than one disease simultaneously.
Continue reading...Faye Carruthers is joined by Suzy Wrack, Chris Paouros, and Sophie Downey to round up the weekend’s Women’s Super League action
On the podcast today: there was a seven-goal thriller at the foot of the WSL table as West Ham came from behind to beat Crystal Palace 5-2, with five different scorers and Rehanne Skinner’s side climbing up to eighth. Is this a turning point for West Ham?
Chelsea notched their ninth consecutive win in a 4-2 victory over Brighton, while Manchester United and Arsenal cruised to 4-0 victories. Bunny Shaw leads Manchester City to a dominant win against Leicester. The panel also responds to Marc Skinner’s comments about criticism of his team.
Continue reading...Hospital statement says Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had operation after brain bleed detected during scan
The Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, is recovering in intensive care having undergone emergency surgery after a brain bleed was detected during an MRI scan.
At about 9.20am local time (1220 GMT) the medical team at Sírio-Libanês hospital in São Paulo held a press conference to announce that surgery to drain a haematoma caused by bleeding in the president’s brain had been successful.
Continue reading...Madeleine Finlay speaks to Sophie Scott, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London, to dig into the science of laughter. Sophie explains what exactly laughter is, the many different purposes it serves for humans and animals, and how prioritising it could make us all feel a little better
Support the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod
Continue reading...For years, fighters and displaced people in the north-west of Syria were unable to return home to government-held territories. Thousands were greeted with teary embraces and celebratory gunfire as they reunited with their families in Damascus in its surrounding countryside.
‘This is a happy day’: Syrian rebels return home to reunite with family and rebuild
Inside the hunt for hidden cells in Sednaya prison, Syria’s ‘human slaughterhouse’
Greyhound industry group says government hasn’t recognised its work to address welfare issues that have plagued racing for years
New Zealand will ban greyhound racing from 2026 due to “unacceptably high” rates of injuries and deaths among the dogs, the government has announced.
Greyhound racing has existed in New Zealand since the late 19th century, but the industry has faced growing public criticism over its treatment of racing dogs in recent years. Multiple independent reports have found a high number of healthy dogs had been euthanised by their trainers or suffered serious injuries on the track, and in 2021, the then Labour government put the industry on notice to either make improvements or face closure.
Continue reading...We would like to hear from Syrian refugees, the diaspora and anyone affected by the regime change
Crowds in Syria have been celebrating the end of five decades of dynastic rule following the fall of the dictator Bashar al-Assad who has fled to Moscow.
People waved the Syrian revolutionary flag and pulled down statues and portraits of the president and his father, Hafez. Families have been reunited with loved ones long lost to the dark of the regime’s notorious prison system.
Continue reading...Yoon Suk Yeol subjected to travel ban after his party’s boycott of impeachment vote condemned by opposition
South Korea’s president, Yoon Suk Yeol, has been banned from leaving the country, as opposition politicians accused his party of staging a “second coup” by refusing to impeach him over his botched declaration of martial law last week.
Bae Sang-up, an immigration services commissioner at the justice ministry, confirmed during a parliamentary hearing on Monday that Yoon was the subject of a travel ban.
Continue reading...The Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, is believed to have fled the country his family has ruled over for 50 years, after rebels said they had captured the capital after a lightning advance completed in just under two weeks. Footage from the capital, Damascus, showed rebels storming the presidential palace and destroying the Iranian embassy. State television soon declared the end of Assad's rule and celebrations erupted on the streets across Syria. In a matter of hours, queues formed at the Lebanese border with Syria as displaced families began to return to their homes
Continue reading...Supreme Court conservatives cited overseas laws to defend draconian legislation in Tennessee banning gender-affirming care.
The post To Deprive Trans Kids of Medical Care, Supreme Court Looks to Britain and Sweden appeared first on The Intercept.
As Syrian rebels retake major cities from Bashar al-Assad, many are celebrating a return home.
The post He Thought He Wouldn’t Live to See Aleppo Again. This Week, He Returned Home. appeared first on The Intercept.
On 4 December, Brian Thompson, the 50-year-old chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, was shot and killed in New York near the midtown Manhattan branch of the Hilton hotel. The search for his killer has entered its third day, with police revealing clues about the suspect's identity. However, many details surrounding the shocking shooting remain unclear. Here is a timeline compiled by The Guardian covering the incident and the suspect's escape route
Continue reading...This tool seems to do a pretty good job.
The company’s Mobile Threat Hunting feature uses a combination of malware signature-based detection, heuristics, and machine learning to look for anomalies in iOS and Android device activity or telltale signs of spyware infection. For paying iVerify customers, the tool regularly checks devices for potential compromise. But the company also offers a free version of the feature for anyone who downloads the iVerify Basics app for $1. These users can walk through steps to generate and send a special diagnostic utility file to iVerify and receive analysis within hours. Free users can use the tool once a month. iVerify’s infrastructure is built to be privacy-preserving, but to run the Mobile Threat Hunting feature, users must enter an email address so the company has a way to contact them if a scan turns up spyware—as it did in the seven recent Pegasus discoveries...
The Alsayed brothers lost their mother in the first bombing. They thought the White House could help save the survivors.
The post The White House Gave Israel Coordinates to Save an American’s Family. Then Israel Bombed Them Again. appeared first on The Intercept.
American troops are in Syria on questionable legal grounds. They continue to get attacked, according to new Pentagon data.
The post As Civil War Heats Back Up, U.S. Troops Are Still Deployed in Syria — And Under Fire appeared first on The Intercept.
Two satellites in Proba-3 mission expected to be launched on Wednesday in India and will work in tandem to study sun’s corona
Final preparations have begun for a landmark space mission that will use satellites flying in close formation to create artificial solar eclipses high above the Earth.
The Proba-3 mission is the European Space Agency’s first attempt at precise formation flying in orbit and calls for two spacecraft to loop around the planet in an arrangement that never deviates by more than a millimetre, about the thickness of a human fingernail.
Continue reading...
The SubOrbital Express-4 sounding rocket was successfully launched from the Esrange Space Center outside Kiruna, in the north of Sweden, at 06:00 CET yesterday morning.
Video:
00:02:18
Terrae Novae is ESA’s exploration programme.
Terrae Novae is not only literally about exploring new worlds, but by describing the limitless opportunities for discovery, economic growth and inspiration it also expresses our ambitions for Europe’s future innovators, scientists and explorers.
This video shows the many exploration activities ESA is conducting or has planned in our Solar System, from the International Space Station to the Moon with the European Service Module and lunar Gateway modules for Artemis, and on to Mars with the Mars Sample Return campaign.
For more on ESA’s human and robotic exploration strategy see: https://www.esa.int/terraenovae
Video:
00:04:29
Watch the second episode of the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover mission – Europe’s ambitious exploration journey to search for past and present signs of life on Mars.
This episode starts with Rosalind searching for traces of life below the martian surface using a ground penetrating radar and a set of cameras.
The rover will dig, collect, and investigate the chemical composition of material collected by a drill. Rosalind Franklin will be the first rover to reach a depth of up to two metres deep below the surface, acquiring samples that have been protected from surface radiation and extreme temperatures.
Rosalind Franklin uses the WISDOM radar to help scientists on Earth decide where to drill. Besides identifying the most promising targets for sampling, WISDOM will help the rover avoid potential hazards, such as the presence of buried rocks that could damage the drill.
The scientific eyes of the rover are set on the Panoramic Camera suite known as PanCam. The Close-UP Imager (CLUPI) sits on the side of the drill box, a camera designed to acquire high-resolution, colour, close-up images of outcrops, rocks and soils. PanCam and CLUPI will help scientists find the most promising spots to drill. These instruments can also investigate very fine outcrop details and image drill samples before they are sent into the rover’s laboratory.
After the rover retracts its drill, the sample is in a special chamber at the tip. Under the reduced martian gravity (38% of Earth’s), the material drops onto a special “hand” that the rover can extend to the front to collect drill samples.
The mission will serve to demonstrate key technologies that Europe needs to master for future planetary exploration missions.
The ExoMars rover series show the rover and martian landscapes as true to reality as possible for a simulation.
Check ESA’s ExoMars website and our frequently asked questions for the latest updates.
Credits: ESA
Production: Mlabspace for ESA
3D animation: ESA/Mlabspace
Music composed by Valentin Joudrier
Watch all the videos from the ExoMars Rosalind Frankin mission series.
Access the related broadcst quality video material.
Video:
00:01:00
Rover trials in a quarry in the UK showing a four-wheeled rover, known as Codi, using its robotic arm and a powerful computer vision system to pick up sample tubes.
The rover drives to the samples with an accuracy of 10cm, constantly mapping the terrain. Codi uses its arm and four cameras to locate the sample tube, retrieve it and safely store it on the rover – all of it without human intervention. At every stop, the rover uses stereo cameras to build up a 180-degree map of the surroundings and plan its next maneouvres. Once parked, the camera on top of the mast detects the tube and estimates its position with respect to the rover. The robotic arm initiates a complex choreography to move closer to the sample, fetch it and store it.
The sample tubes are a replica of the hermetically sealed samples inside which NASA’s Perseverance rover is collecting precious martian soil inside. To most people on Earth, they resemble lightsabres.
The reddish terrain, although not fully representative of Mars in terms of soil composition, has plenty of slopes and rocks of different sizes, similar to what a rover might encounter on the martian surface. Quarry testing is an essential next step in the development process, providing a unique and dynamic landscape that cannot be replicated indoors.
ESA continues to run further research using the rover to maintain and develop rover capabilities in Europe.
Read the full article: Rovers, lightsabres and a piglet.
Video:
00:38:42
ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst, an experienced spaceflyer, spacewalker, and former ISS commander, shares insights into his role as head of astronaut operations at ESA’s European Astronaut Centre. Tune in as he talks with us about guiding the next generation of astronauts through training and preparing them for their future in space exploration.
This is Episode 8 of our ESA Explores podcast series, delving into everything you want to know about the ESA astronaut class of 2022. Recorded in April 2024.
Find out more about Alexander.
Access all ESA Explores podcasts.
Hannah Byrne joined Facebook to combat far-right extremism. She’s now convinced the tech giant can’t be trusted with such power.
The post She Joined Facebook to Fight Terror. Now She’s Convinced We Need to Fight Facebook. appeared first on The Intercept.
Video:
00:01:36
LUNA recreates the Moon's surface on Earth next to ESA’s Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany. The collaborative project between ESA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) will provide a training ground for astronauts and a test centre for technology, equipping partners and users with the knowledge to go forward to the Moon.
Access the related broadcast quality video material: LUNA stock shots, LUNA close-ups, LUNA animation, ESA EAC stock shots, LUNA interviews
Lawyers and campaigners hail removal of 47 people from remote Indian Ocean island as ‘a big day for justice’
Dozens of people stranded in hellish conditions for more than three years on the remote Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia have arrived in the UK and told of their relief that their journey is over.
Lawyers and campaigners hailed the arrival of 47 Sri Lankan Tamils on Monday night as a “big day for justice”, with a further eight arriving on Tuesday morning from Rwanda, where they had been receiving medical treatment. Twelve children were among them.
Continue reading...
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
In this article, we explore the top 10 AI tools that are driving innovation and efficiency in various industries. These tools are designed to automate repetitive tasks, improve workflow, and increase productivity. The tools included in our list are some of the most advanced and widely used in the market, and are suitable for a variety of applications. Some of the tools focus on natural language processing, such as ChatGPT and Grammarly, while others focus on image and video generation, such as DALL-E and Lumen5. Other tools such as OpenAI Codex, Tabnine, Canva, Jasper AI,, and Surfer SEO are designed to help with specific tasks such as code understanding content writing and website optimization. This list is a great starting point for anyone looking to explore the possibilities of AI and how it can be applied to their business or project.
So let’s dive into
ChatGPT is a large language model that generates human-like
responses to a variety of prompts. It can be used for tasks such as language
translation, question answering, and text completion. It can
handle a wide range of topics and styles of writing, and generates coherent and
fluent text, but should be used with care as it may generate text that is
biased, offensive, or factually incorrect.
Pros:
Cons:
Overall, ChatGPT is a powerful tool for natural language
processing, but it should be used with care and with an understanding of its
limitations.
DALL-E is a generative model developed by OpenAI that is
capable of generating images from text prompts. It is based on the GPT-3 architecture,
which is a transformer-based neural network language model that has been
trained on a massive dataset of text. DALL-E can generate images that
are similar to a training dataset and it can generate high-resolution
images that are suitable for commercial use.
Pros:
Cons:
Overall, DALL-E is a powerful AI-based tool for generating
images, it can be used for a variety of applications such as creating images
for commercial use, gaming, and other creative projects. It is important to
note that the generated images should be reviewed and used with care, as they
may not be entirely original and could be influenced by the training data.
Lumen5 is a content creation platform that uses AI to help
users create videos, social media posts, and other types of content. It has
several features that make it useful for content creation and marketing,
including:
Pros:
Cons:
Overall, Lumen5 is a useful tool for creating content
quickly and easily, it can help automate the process of creating videos, social
media posts, and other types of content. However, the quality of the generated
content may vary depending on the source material and it is important to review
and edit the content before publishing it.
Grammarly is a writing-enhancement platform that uses AI to
check for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors in the text. It also provides
suggestions for improving the clarity, concision, and readability of the text. It
has several features that make it useful for improving writing, including:
Pros:
Cons:
OpenAI Codex is a system developed by OpenAI that can
create code from natural language descriptions of software tasks. The system is
based on the GPT-3 model and can generate code in multiple programming
languages.
Pros:
Cons:
Overall, OpenAI Codex is a powerful tool that can help
automate the process of writing code and make it more accessible to
non-technical people. However, the quality of the generated code may vary
depending on the task description and it is important to review and test the
code before using it in a production environment. It is important to use the
tool as an aid, not a replacement for the developer's knowledge.
Tabnine is a code completion tool that uses AI to predict
and suggest code snippets. It is compatible with multiple programming languages
and can be integrated with various code editors.
Pros:
Cons:
Overall, TabNine is a useful tool for developers that can
help improve coding efficiency and reduce the time spent on writing code.
However, it is important to review the suggestions provided by the tool and use
them with caution, as they may not always be accurate or appropriate. It is
important to use the tool as an aid, not a replacement for the developer's
knowledge.
Jasper is a content writing and content generation tool that uses artificial intelligence to identify the best words and sentences for your writing style and medium in the most efficient, quick, and accessible way.
Pros:
Cons:
Surfer SEO is a software tool designed to help website
owners and digital marketers improve their search engine optimization (SEO)
efforts. The tool provides a variety of features that can be used to analyze a
website's on-page SEO, including:
Features:
Pros:
Cons:
Overall, Surfer SEO can be a useful tool for website owners
and digital marketers looking to improve their SEO efforts. However, it is
important to remember that it is just a tool and should be used in conjunction
with other SEO best practices. Additionally, the tool is not a guarantee of
better ranking.
Zapier is a web automation tool that allows users to
automate repetitive tasks by connecting different web applications together. It
does this by creating "Zaps" that automatically move data between
apps, and can also be used to trigger certain actions in one app based on
events in another app.
Features:
Pros:
Cons:
Overall, Zapier is a useful tool that can help users
automate repetitive tasks and improve workflow. It can save time and increase
productivity by connecting different web applications together. However, it may
require some technical skills and some features may require a paid
subscription. It is important to use the tool with caution and not to rely too
much on it, to understand the apps better.
Compose AI is a company that specializes in developing
natural language generation (NLG) software. Their software uses AI to
automatically generate written or spoken text from structured data, such as
spreadsheets, databases, or APIs.
Features:
Pros:
Cons:
Overall, Compose AI's NLG software can be a useful tool for
automating the process of creating written or spoken content from structured
data. However, the quality of the generated content may vary depending on the
data source, and it is essential to review the generated content before using
it in a production environment. It is important to use the tool as an aid, not
a replacement for the understanding of the data.
AI tools are becoming increasingly important in today's
business and technology landscape. They are designed to automate repetitive
tasks, improve workflow, and increase productivity. The top 10 AI tools
included in this article are some of the most advanced and widely used in the
market, and are suitable for various applications. Whether you're looking
to improve your natural language processing, create high-resolution images, or
optimize your website, there is an AI tool that can help. It's important to
research and evaluate the different tools available to determine which one is
the best fit for your specific needs. As AI technology continues to evolve,
these tools will become even more powerful and versatile and will play an even
greater role in shaping the future of business and technology.
Are you looking for a way to create content that is both effective and efficient? If so, then you should consider using an AI content generator. AI content generators are a great way to create content that is both engaging and relevant to your audience.
There are a number of different AI content generator tools available on the market, and it can be difficult to know which one is right for you. To help you make the best decision, we have compiled a list of the top 10 AI content generator tools that you should use in 2022.
So, without further ado, let’s get started!
Boss Mode: $99/Month
The utility of this service can be used for short-term or format business purposes such as product descriptions, website copy, market copy, and sales reports.
Free Trial – 7 days with 24/7 email support and 100 runs per day.
Pro Plan: $49 and yearly, it will cost you $420 i.e. $35 per month.
Wait! I've got a pretty sweet deal for you. Sign up through the link below, and you'll get (7,000 Free Words Plus 40% OFF) if you upgrade to the paid plan within four days.
Claim Your 7,000 Free Words With This Special Link - No Credit Card Required
Just like Outranking, Frase is an AI that helps you research, create and optimize your content to make it high quality within seconds. Frase works on SEO optimization where the content is made to the liking of search engines by optimizing keywords and keywords.
Solo Plan: $14.99/Month and $12/Month if billed yearly with 4 Document Credits for 1 user seat.
Basic Plan: $44.99/month and $39.99/month if billed yearly with 30 Document Credits for 1 user seat.
Team Plan: $114.99/month and $99.99/month if billed yearly for unlimited document credits for 3 users.
*SEO Add-ons and other premium features for $35/month irrespective of the plan.
Article Forge is another content generator that operates quite differently from the others on this list. Unlike Jasper.ai, which requires you to provide a brief and some information on what you want it to write this tool only asks for a keyword. From there, it’ll generate a complete article for you.
What’s excellent about Article Forge is they provide a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can choose between a monthly or yearly subscription. Unfortunately, they offer a free trial and no free plan:
Basic Plan: $27/Month
This plan allows users to produce up to 25k words each month. This is excellent for smaller blogs or those who are just starting.
Standard Plan: $57/month)
Unlimited Plan: $117/month
It’s important to note that Article Forge guarantees that all content generated through the platform passes Copyscape.
Rytr.me is a free AI content generator perfect for small businesses, bloggers, and students. The software is easy to use and can generate SEO-friendly blog posts, articles, and school papers in minutes.
Cons
Pricing
Rytr offers a free plan that comes with limited features. It covers up to 5,000 characters generated each month and has access to the built-in plagiarism checker. If you want to use all the features of the software, you can purchase one of the following plans:
Saver Plan: $9/month, $90/year
Writesonic is a free, easy-to-use AI content generator. The software is designed to help you create copy for marketing content, websites, and blogs. It's also helpful for small businesses or solopreneurs who need to produce content on a budget.
Writesonic is free with limited features. The free plan is more like a free trial, providing ten credits. After that, you’d need to upgrade to a paid plan. Here are your options:
Short-form: $15/month
Features:
Long-Form: $19/month
CopySmith is an AI content generator that can be used to create personal and professional documents, blogs, and presentations. It offers a wide range of features including the ability to easily create documents and presentations.
CopySmith also has several templates that you can use to get started quickly.
CopySmith offers a free trial with no credit card required. After the free trial, the paid plans are as follows:
Starter Plan: $19/month
Hypotenuse.ai is a free online tool that can help you create AI content. It's great for beginners because it allows you to create videos, articles, and infographics with ease. The software has a simple and easy-to-use interface that makes it perfect for new people looking for AI content generation.
Special Features
Hypotenuse doesn’t offer a free plan. Instead, it offers a free trial period where you can take the software for a run before deciding whether it’s the right choice for you or not. Other than that, here are its paid options:
Starter Plan: $29/month
Growth Plan: $59/month
Enterprise – pricing is custom, so don’t hesitate to contact the company for more information.
Kafkai comes with a free trial to help you understand whether it’s the right choice for you or not. Additionally, you can also take a look at its paid plans:
Writer Plan: $29/month Create 100 articles per month. $0.29/article
Newsroom Plan $49/month – Generate 250 articles a month at $0.20 per article.
Printing Press Plan: $129 /month Create up to 1000 articles a month at roughly $0.13/article.
Industrial Printer Plan: ($199 a month) – Generate 2500 articles each month for $0.08/article.
Peppertype.ai is an online AI content generator that’s easy to use and best for small business owners looking for a powerful copy and content writing tool to help them craft and generate various content for many purposes.
Unfortunately, Peppertype.ai isn’t free. However, it does have a free trial to try out the software before deciding whether it’s the right choice for you. Here are its paid plans:
personal Plan:$35/Month
Team Plan: $199/month
Enterprise – pricing is custom, so please contact the company for more information.
It is no longer a secret that humans are getting overwhelmed with the daily task of creating content. Our lives are busy, and the process of writing blog posts, video scripts, or other types of content is not our day job. In comparison, AI writers are not only cheaper to hire, but also perform tasks at a high level of excellence. This article explores 10 writing tools that used AI to create better content choose the one which meets your requirements and budget but in my opinion Jasper ai is one of the best tools to use to make high-quality content.
If you have any questions ask in the comments section
Note: Don't post links in your comments
Note: This article contains affiliate links which means we make a small commission if you buy any premium plan from our link.
 |
| Image by vectorjuice on Freepik |
.webp "Marketing AI Tools") |
The marketing industry is turning to artificial intelligence (AI) as a way to save time and execute smarter, more personalized campaigns. 61% of marketers say AI software is the most important aspect of their data strategy.
If you’re late to the AI party, don’t worry. It’s easier than you think to start leveraging artificial intelligence tools in your marketing strategy. Here are 11 AI marketing tools every marketer should start using today.
Personalize is an AI-powered technology that helps you identify and produce highly targeted sales and marketing campaigns by tracking the products and services your contacts are most interested in at any given time. The platform uses an algorithm to identify each contact’s top three interests, which are updated in real-time based on recent site activity.
Key Features
Seventh Sense provides behavioral analytics that helps you win attention in your customers’ overcrowded email inboxes. Choosing the best day and time to send an email is always a gamble. And while some days of the week generally get higher open rates than others, you’ll never be able to nail down a time that’s best for every customer. Seventh Sense eases your stress of having to figure out the perfect send-time and day for your email campaigns. The AI-based platform figures out the best timing and email frequency for each contact based on when they’re opening emails. The tool is primarily geared toward HubSpot and Marketo customers
Key Features
Phrasee uses artificial intelligence to help you write more effective subject lines. With its AI-based Natural Language Generation system, Phrasee uses data-driven insights to generate millions of natural-sounding copy variants that match your brand voice. The model is end-to-end, meaning when you feed the results back to Phrasee, the prediction model rebuilds so it can continuously learn from your audience.
Key Features
HubSpot Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an integral tool for the Human Content team. It uses machine learning to determine how search engines understand and categorize your content. HubSpot SEO helps you improve your search engine rankings and outrank your competitors. Search engines reward websites that organize their content around core subjects, or topic clusters. HubSpot SEO helps you discover and rank for the topics that matter to your business and customers.
Key Features
When you’re limited to testing two variables against each other at a time, it can take months to get the results you’re looking for. Evolv AI lets you test all your ideas at once. It uses advanced algorithms to identify the top-performing concepts, combine them with each other, and repeat the process to achieve the best site experience.
Key Features
Acrolinx is a content alignment platform that helps brands scale and improves the quality of their content. It’s geared toward enterprises – its major customers include big brands like Google, Adobe, and Amazon - to help them scale their writing efforts. Instead of spending time chasing down and fixing typos in multiple places throughout an article or blog post, you can use Acrolinx to do it all right there in one place. You start by setting your preferences for style, grammar, tone of voice, and company-specific word usage. Then, Acrolinx checks and scores your existing content to find what’s working and suggest areas for improvement. The platform provides real-time guidance and suggestions to make writing better and strengthen weak pages.
Key features
MarketMuse uses an algorithm to help marketers build content strategies. The tool shows you where to target keywords to rank in specific topic categories, and recommends keywords you should go after if you want to own particular topics. It also identifies gaps and opportunities for new content and prioritizes them by their probable impact on your rankings. The algorithm compares your content with thousands of articles related to the same topic to uncover what’s missing from your site.
Key features:
Copilot is a suite of tools that help eCommerce businesses maintain real-time communication with customers around the clock at every stage of the funnel. Promote products, recover shopping carts and send updates or reminders directly through Messenger.
Key features:
Yotpo’s deep learning technology evaluates your customers’ product reviews to help you make better business decisions. It identifies key topics that customers mention related to your products—and their feelings toward them. The AI engine extracts relevant reviews from past buyers and presents them in smart displays to convert new shoppers. Yotpo also saves you time moderating reviews. The AI-powered moderation tool automatically assigns a score to each review and flags reviews with negative sentiment so you can focus on quality control instead of manually reviewing every post.
Key features:
Albert is a self-learning software that automates the creation of marketing campaigns for your brand. It analyzes vast amounts of data to run optimized campaigns autonomously, allowing you to feed in your own creative content and target markets, and then use data from its database to determine key characteristics of a serious buyer. Albert identifies potential customers that match those traits, and runs trial campaigns on a small group of customers—with results refined by Albert himself—before launching it on a larger scale.
Albert plugs into your existing marketing technology stack, so you still have access to your accounts, ads, search, social media, and more. Albert maps tracking and attribution to your source of truth so you can determine which channels are driving your business.
Key features:
There are many tools and companies out there that offer AI tools, but this is a small list of resources that we have found to be helpful. If you have any other suggestions, feel free to share them in the comments below this article. As marketing evolves at such a rapid pace, new marketing strategies will be invented that we haven't even dreamed of yet. But for now, this list should give you a good starting point on your way to implementing AI into your marketing mix.
Note: This article contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission if you buy any premium plan from our link.
There are lots of questions floating around about how affiliate marketing works, what to do and what not to do when it comes to setting up a business. With so much uncertainty surrounding both personal and business aspects of affiliate marketing. In this post, we will answer the most frequently asked question about affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is a way to make money by promoting the products and services of other people and companies. You don't need to create your product or service, just promote existing ones. That's why it's so easy to get started with affiliate marketing. You can even get started with no budget at all!
An affiliate program is a package of information you create for your product, which is then made available to potential publishers. The program will typically include details about the product and its retail value, commission levels, and promotional materials. Many affiliate programs are managed via an affiliate network like ShareASale, which acts as a platform to connect publishers and advertisers, but it is also possible to offer your program directly.
Affiliate networks connect publishers to advertisers. Affiliate networks make money by charging fees to the merchants who advertise with them; these merchants are known as advertisers. The percentage of each sale that the advertiser pays is negotiated between the merchant and the affiliate network.
Dropshipping is a method of selling that allows you to run an online store without having to stock products. You advertise the products as if you owned them, but when someone makes an order, you create a duplicate order with the distributor at a reduced price. The distributor takes care of the post and packaging on your behalf. As affiliate marketing is based on referrals and this type of drop shipping requires no investment in inventory when a customer buys through the affiliate link, no money exchanges hands.
Performance marketing is a method of marketing that pays for performance, like when a sale is made or an ad is clicked This can include methods like PPC (pay-per-click) or display advertising. Affiliate marketing is one form of performance marketing where commissions are paid out to affiliates on a performance basis when they click on their affiliate link and make a purchase or action.
Smartphones are essentially miniature computers, so publishers can display the same websites and offers that are available on a PC. But mobiles also offer specific tools not available on computers, and these can be used to good effect for publishers. Publishers can optimize their ads for mobile users by making them easy to access by this audience. Publishers can also make good use of text and instant messaging to promote their offers. As the mobile market is predicted to make up 80% of traffic in the future, publishers who do not promote on mobile devices are missing out on a big opportunity.
The best way to find affiliate publishers is on reputable networks like ShareASale Cj(Commission Junction), Awin, and Impact radius. These networks have a strict application process and compliance checks, which means that all affiliates are trustworthy.
An affiliate disclosure statement discloses to the reader that there may be affiliate links on a website, for which a commission may be paid to the publisher if visitors follow these links and make purchases.
Publishers promote their programs through a variety of means, including blogs, websites, email marketing, and pay-per-click ads. Social media has a huge interactive audience, making this platform a good source of potential traffic.
A super affiliate is an affiliate partner who consistently drives a large majority of sales from any program they promote, compared to other affiliate partners involved in that program. Affiliates make a lot of money from affiliate marketing Pat Flynn earned more than $50000 in 2013 from affiliate marketing.
Publishers can be identified by their publisher ID, which is used in tracking cookies to determine which publishers generate sales. The activity is then viewed within a network's dashboard.
Because the Internet is so widespread, affiliate programs can be promoted in any country. Affiliate strategies that are set internationally need to be tailored to the language of the targeted country.
Affiliate marketing can help you grow your business in the following ways:
One of the best ways to work with qualified affiliates is to hire an affiliate marketing agency that works with all the networks. Affiliates are carefully selected and go through a rigorous application process to be included in the network.
Affiliate marketing is generally associated with websites, but there are other ways to promote your affiliate links, including:
To build your affiliate marketing business, you don't have to invest money in the beginning. You can sign up for free with any affiliate network and start promoting their brands right away.
Commission rates are typically based on a percentage of the total sale and in some cases can also be a flat fee for each transaction. The rates are set by the merchant.
Who manages your affiliate program?
Some merchants run their affiliate programs internally, while others choose to contract out management to a network or an external agency.
Cookies are small pieces of data that work with web browsers to store information such as user preferences, login or registration data, and shopping cart contents. When someone clicks on your affiliate link, a cookie is placed on the user's computer or mobile device. That cookie is used to remember the link or ad that the visitor clicked on. Even if the user leaves your site and comes back a week later to make a purchase, you will still get credit for the sale and receive a commission it depends on the site cookies duration
The merchant determines the duration of a cookie, also known as its “cookie life.” The most common length for an affiliate program is 30 days. If someone clicks on your affiliate link, you’ll be paid a commission if they purchase within 30 days of the click.
|
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
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER
Grammarly is a tool that checks for grammatical errors, spelling, and punctuation.it gives you comprehensive feedback on your writing. You can use this tool to proofread and edit articles, blog posts, emails, etc.
Grammarly also detects all types of mistakes, including sentence structure issues and misused words. It also gives you suggestions on style changes, punctuation, spelling, and grammar all are in real-time. The free version covers the basics like identifying grammar and spelling mistakes
whereas the Premium version offers a lot more functionality, it detects plagiarism in your content, suggests word choice, or adds fluency to it.
ProWritingAid is a style and grammar checker for content creators and writers. It helps to optimize word choice, punctuation errors, and common grammar mistakes, providing detailed reports to help you improve your writing.
ProWritingAid can be used as an add-on to WordPress, Gmail, and Google Docs. The software also offers helpful articles, videos, quizzes, and explanations to help improve your writing.
Here are some key features of ProWriting Aid:
Grammarly and ProWritingAid are well-known grammar-checking software. However, if you're like most people who can't decide which to use, here are some different points that may be helpful in your decision.
As both writing assistants are great in their own way, you need to choose the one that suits you best.
Both ProWritingAid and Grammarly are awesome writing tools, without a doubt. but as per my experience, Grammarly is a winner here because Grammarly helps you to review and edit your content. Grammarly highlights all the mistakes in your writing within seconds of copying and pasting the content into Grammarly’s editor or using the software’s native feature in other text editors.
Not only does it identify tiny grammatical and spelling errors, it tells you when you overlook punctuations where they are needed. And, beyond its plagiarism-checking capabilities, Grammarly helps you proofread your content. Even better, the software offers a free plan that gives you access to some of its features.
Are you searching for an ecomerce platform to help you build an online store and sell products?
In this Sellfy review, we'll talk about how this eCommerce platform can let you sell digital products while keeping full control of your marketing.
And the best part? Starting your business can be done in just five minutes.
Let us then talk about the Sellfy platform and all the benefits it can bring to your business.
Sellfy is an eCommerce solution that allows digital content creators, including writers, illustrators, designers, musicians, and filmmakers, to sell their products online. Sellfy provides a customizable storefront where users can display their digital products and embed "Buy Now" buttons on their website or blog. Sellfy product pages enable users to showcase their products from different angles with multiple images and previews from Soundcloud, Vimeo, and YouTube. Files of up to 2GB can be uploaded to Sellfy, and the company offers unlimited bandwidth and secure file storage. Users can also embed their entire store or individual project widgets in their site, with the ability to preview how widgets will appear before they are displayed.
Sellfy includes:
Sellfy is a powerful e-commerce platform that helps you personalize your online storefront. You can add your logo, change colors, revise navigation, and edit the layout of your store. Sellfy also allows you to create a full shopping cart so customers can purchase multiple items. And Sellfy gives you the ability to set your language or let customers see a translated version of your store based on their location.
Sellfy gives you the option to host your store directly on its platform, add a custom domain to your store, and use it as an embedded storefront on your website. Sellfy also optimizes its store offerings for mobile devices, allowing for a seamless checkout experience.
Sellfy allows creators to host all their products and sell all of their digital products on one platform. Sellfy also does not place storage limits on your store but recommends that files be no larger than 5GB. Creators can sell both standard and subscription-based products in any file format that is supported by the online marketplace. Customers can purchase products instantly after making a purchase – there is no waiting period.
You can organize your store by creating your product categories, sorting by any characteristic you choose. Your title, description, and the image will be included on each product page. In this way, customers can immediately evaluate all of your products. You can offer different pricing options for all of your products, including "pay what you want," in which the price is entirely up to the customer. This option allows you to give customers control over the cost of individual items (without a minimum price) or to set pricing minimums—a good option if you're in a competitive market or when you have higher-end products. You can also offer set prices per product as well as free products to help build your store's popularity.
Sellfy is ideal for selling digital content, such as ebooks. But it does not allow you to copyrighted material (that you don't have rights to distribute).
Sellfy offers several ways to share your store, enabling you to promote your business on different platforms. Sellfy lets you integrate it with your existing website using "buy now" buttons, embed your entire storefront, or embed certain products so you can reach more people. Sellfy also enables you to connect with your Facebook page and YouTube channel, maximizing your visibility.
Sellfy is a simple online platform that allows customers to buy your products directly through your store. Sellfy has two payment processing options: PayPal and Stripe. You will receive instant payments with both of these processors, and your customer data is protected by Sellfy's secure (PCI-compliant) payment security measures. In addition to payment security, Sellfy provides anti-fraud tools to help protect your products including PDF stamping, unique download links, and limited download attempts.
The Sellfy platform includes marketing and analytics tools to help you manage your online store. You can send email product updates and collect newsletter subscribers through the platform. With Sellfy, you can also offer discount codes and product upsells, as well as create and track Facebook and Twitter ads for your store. The software's analytics dashboard will help you track your best-performing products, generated revenue, traffic channels, top locations, and overall store performance.
To expand functionality and make your e-commerce store run more efficiently, Sellfy offers several integrations. Google Analytics and Webhooks, as well as integrations with Patreon and Facebook Live Chat, are just a few of the options available. Sellfy allows you to connect to Zapier, which gives you access to hundreds of third-party apps, including tools like Mailchimp, Trello, Salesforce, and more.
The free plan comes with:
Starter plan comes with:
The business plan comes with:
The premium plan comes with:
Sellfy has its benefits and downsides, but fortunately, the pros outweigh the cons.
In this article, we have taken a look at some of the biggest benefits associated with using sellfy for eCommerce. Once you compare these benefits to what you get with other platforms such as Shopify, you should find that it is worth your time to consider sellfy for your business. After reading this article all of your questions will be solved but if you have still some questions let me know in the comment section below, I will be happy to answer your questions.
Note: This article contains affiliate links which means we make a small commission if you buy sellfy premium plan from our link.
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.
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.
If you are looking for the best wordpress plugins, then you are at the right place. Here is the list of best wordpress plugins that you should use in your blog to boost SEO, strong your security and know every aspects of your blog . Although creating a good content is one factor but there are many wordpress plugins that perform different actions and add on to your success. So let's start
Those users who are serious about SEO, Yoast SEO will do the work for them to reach their goals. All they need to do is select a keyword, and the plugin will then optimize your page according to the specified keyword
Yoast offers many popular SEO WordPress plugin functions. It gives you real-time page analysis to optimize your content, images, meta descriptions, titles, and kewords. Yoast also checks the length of your sentences and paragraphs, whether you’re using enough transition words or subheadings, how often you use passive voice, and so on. Yoast tells Google whether or not to index a page or a set of pages too.
A website running WordPress can put a lot of strain on a server, which increases the chances that the website will crash and harm your business. To avoid such an unfortunate situation and ensure that all your pages load quickly, you need a caching plugin like WP Rocket.
WP Rocket plugin designed to increases your website speed. Instead of waiting for pages to be saved to cache, WP Rocket turns on desired caching settings, like page cache and gzip compression. The plugin also activates other features, such as CDN support and llazy image loadding, to enhance your site speed.
Wordfence Security is a WordPress firewall and security scanner that keeps your site safe from malicious hackers, spam, and other online threats. This Plugin comes with a web application firewall (WAF) called tthread Defence Feed that helps to prevents brute force attacks by ensuring you set stronger passwords and limiting login attempts. It searches for malware and compares code, theme, and plugin files with the records in the WordPress.org repository to verify their integrity and reports changes to you.
Wordfence security scanner provides you with actionable insights into your website's security status and will alert you to any potential threats, keeping it safe and secure. It also includes login security features that let you activate reCAPTCHA and two-factor authentication for your website.
Akismet can help prevent spam from appearing on your site. Every day, it automatically checks every comment against a global database of spam to block malicious content. With Akismet, you also won’t have to worry about innocent comments being caught by the filter or false positives. You can simply tell Akismet about those and it will get better over time. It also checks your contact form submissions against its global spam database and weed out unnecessary fake information.
Contact Form 7 is a plug-in that allows you to create contact forms that make it easy for your users to send messages to your site. The plug-in was developed by Takayuki Miyoshi and lets you create multiple contact forms on the same site; it also integrates Akismet spam filtering and lets you customize the styling and fields that you want to use in the form. The plug-in provides CAPTCHA and Ajax submitting.
When you’re looking for an easy way to manage your Google Analytics-related web tracking services, Monster Insights can help. You can add, customize, and integrate Google Analytics data with ease so you’ll be able to see how every webpage performs, which online campaigns bring in the most traffic, and which content readers engage with the most. It’s same as Google Analytics
It is a powerful tool to keep track of your traffic stats. With it, you can view stats for your active sessions, conversions, and bounce rates. You’ll also be able to see your total revenue, the products you sell, and how your site is performing when it comes to referrals.
MonsterInsights offers a free plan that includes basic Google Analytics integration, data insights, and user activity metrics.
Pretty Links is a powerful WordPress plugin that enables you to easily cloak affiliate links on your websiteIt even allows you to easily redirect visitors based on a specific request, including permanent 301 and temporary 302/307 redirects.
Pretty links also helps you to automatically shorten your url for your post and pages.
You can also enable auto-linking feature to automatically add affiliate links for certain keywords
We hope you’ve found this article useful. We appreciate you reading and welcome your feedback if you have it.
Ginger VS Grammarly: When it comes to grammar checkers, Ginger and Grammarly are two of the most popular choices on the market. This article aims to highlight the specifics of each one so that you can make a more informed decision about the one you'll use.
If you are a writer, you must have heard of Grammarly before. Grammarly has over 10M users across the globe, it's probably the most popular AI writing enhancement tool, without a doubt. That's why there's a high chance that you already know about Grammarly.
But today we are going to do a comparison between Ginger and Grammarly, So let's define Grammarly here. Like Ginger, Grammarly is an AI writing assistant that checks for grammatical errors, spellings, and punctuation. The free version covers the basics like identifying grammar and spelling mistakes
While the Premium version offers a lot more functionality, it detects plagiarism in your content, suggests word choice, or adds fluency to it.
Ginger is a writing enhancement tool that not only catches typos and grammatical mistakes but also suggests content improvements. As you type, it picks up on errors then shows you what’s wrong, and suggests a fix. It also provides you with synonyms and definitions of words and allows you to translate your text into dozens of languages.
In addition, the program provides a text reader, so you can gauge your writing’s conversational tone.
Grammarly and Ginger are two popular grammar checker software brands that help you to become a better writer. But if you’re undecided about which software to use, consider these differences:
Grammarly Score: 7/10
Ginger:4/10
So Grammarly wins here.
For companies with three or more employees, the Business plan costs $12.50/month for each member of your team.
Ginger Wins Here
While both writing assistants are fantastic in their ways, you need to choose the one you want.
For example, go for Grammarly if you want a plagiarism tool included.
Choose Ginger if you want to write in languages other than English. I will to the differences for you in order to make the distinctions clearer.
Which one you like let me know in the comments section also give your opinions in the comments section below.
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
Are you a great Chrome user? That’s nice to hear. But first, consider whether or not there are any essential Chrome extensions you are currently missing from your browsing life, so here we're going to share with you 10 Best Chrome Extensions That Are Perfect for Everyone. So Let's Start.
When you have too several passwords to remember, LastPass remembers them for you.
This chrome extension is an easy way to save you time and increase security. It’s a single password manager that will log you into all of your accounts. you simply ought to bear in mind one word: your LastPass password to log in to all or any your accounts.
Features
MozBar is an SEO toolbar extension that makes it easy for you to analyze your web pages' SEO while you surf. You can customize your search so that you see data for a particular region or for all regions. You get data such as website and domain authority and link profile. The status column tells you whether there are any no-followed links to the page.You can also compare link metrics. There is a pro version of MozBar, too.
Grammarly is a real-time grammar checking and spelling tool for online writing. It checks spelling, grammar, and punctuation as you type, and has a dictionary feature that suggests related words. if you use mobile phones for writing than Grammerly also have a mobile keyboard app.
VidIQ is a SaaS product and Chrome Extension that makes it easier to manage and optimize your YouTube channels. It keeps you informed about your channel's performance with real-time analytics and powerful insights.
Features
ColorZilla is a browser extension that allows you to find out the exact color of any object in your web browser. This is especially useful when you want to match elements on your page to the color of an image.
Features
Honey is a chrome extension with which you save each product from the website and notify it when it is available at low price it's one among the highest extensions for Chrome that finds coupon codes whenever you look online.
Features
GMass (or Gmail Mass) permits users to compose and send mass emails using Gmail. it is a great tool as a result of you'll use it as a replacement for a third-party email sending platform. you will love GMass to spice up your emailing functionality on the platform.
It's a Chrome extension for geeks that enables you to highlight and save what you see on the web.
It's been designed by Notion, that could be a Google space different that helps groups craft higher ideas and collaborate effectively.
Features
If you are someone who works online, you need to surf the internet to get your business done. And often there is no time to read or analyze something. But it's important that you do it. Notion Web Clipper will help you with that.
WhatFont is a Chrome extension that allows web designers to easily identify and compare different fonts on a page. The first time you use it on any page, WhatFont will copy the selected page.It Uses this page to find out what fonts are present and generate an image that shows all those fonts in different sizes. Besides the apparent websites like Google or Amazon, you'll conjointly use it on sites wherever embedded fonts ar used.
Similar Web is an SEO add on for both Chrome and Firefox.It allows you to check web site traffic and key metrics for any web site, as well as engagement rate, traffic ranking, keyword ranking, and traffic source. this is often a good tool if you are looking to seek out new and effective SEO ways similarly as analyze trends across the web.
Features
I know everyone knows how to install extension in pc but most of people don't know how to install it in android phone so i will show you how to install it in android
1. Download Kiwi browser from Play Store and then Open it.
2. Tap the three dots at the top right corner and select Extension.
3. Click on (+From Store) to access chrome web store or simple search chrome web store and access it.
4. Once you found an extension click on add to chrome a message will pop-up asking if you wish to confirm your choice. Hit OK to install the extension in the Kiwi browser.
5. To manage extensions on the browser, tap the three dots in the upper right corner. Then select Extensions to access a catalog of installed extensions that you can disable, update or remove with just a few clicks.
Your Chrome extensions should install on Android, but there’s no guarantee all of them will work. Because Google Chrome Extensions are not optimized for Android devices.
We hope this list of 10 best chrome extensions that is perfect for everyone will help you in picking the right Chrome Extensions. We have selected the extensions after matching their features to the needs of different categories of people. Also which extension you like the most let me know in the comment section
 |
| (Photo Credit:- Exploding Topics) |
Some examples can be:
There’s no excuse not to try this website — it’s free and easy to use!
Visit Exploding Topics From Here
 |
| (Photo Credit:-Headline Studio) |
Headline Studio allows you to create catchy headlines for your content. After writing a title there is data on how often people view articles with similar titles and why they are involved with them.
This is a valuable tool when creating new blog posts because it generates catchy headlines for your blog post to catch a reader’s attention.
Visit Headline Studio From Here
 |
| (Photo Credit:- Answer The Public) |
Answer The public is an excellent tool for content creators. It gives you insight into what people are asking on social media sites and communities and lets you guess about topics that matter to your audience. Answer the public allows you to enter a keyword or topic related to your niche and it will show results with popular questions and keywords related to your topic. It's an amazing way to get insights into what people are searching online and allows you to identify topics driven by new blog posts or social media content on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and Twitter as well as the types of questions they ask and also want answers.
Visit Answer The Public From Here
 |
| (Photo Credit:-Surfer Seo) |
With this tool, content creators can quickly and easily check the ranking of their websites and those of other competitors. This tool allows you to see how your website compares to others in different categories, including:
Surfer Seo is free and the interface is very friendly. It's a great tool for anyone who wants to do quick competitor research or check their site's rankings at any time.
 |
| (Photo Credit:- Canva) |
Canva is a free graphic design platform that makes it easy to create invitations, business cards, mobile videos, Instagram posts, Instagram stories, flyers, and more with professionally designed templates. You can even upload your photos and drag and drop them into Canva templates. It's like having a basic version of Photoshop. You can also remove background from images with one click.
Canva offers thousands of free, professionally designed templates that can be customized with just a few clicks. Simply upload your photos to Canva, drag them into the template of your choice, and save the file to your computer.
It is free to use for basic use but if you want access to different fonts or more features, then you need to buy a premium plan.
 |
| (Photo Credit:- Facebook Audience Insights |
Facebook Audience Insights is a powerful tool for content creators when researching their target market. This can help you understand the demographics, interests, and behaviors of your target audience. This information helps determine the direction of your content so that it resonates with them. The most important tools to consider in Facebook Audience Insights are Demographics and Behavior. These two sections provide you with valuable information about your target market, such as their age and from where they belong, how much time they spend on social media per day, what devices they use to access it, etc.
There is another section of Facebook Audits that is very helpful. This will let you know the interests, hobbies, and activities that people in your target market are most interested in. You can use this information to create content for them about things they will be about as opposed to topics they may not be so keen on.
Visit Facebook Audience Insights From Here
 |
| (Photo Credit: Pixel |
Pexels is a warehouse for any content creator with millions of free royalty images who wants to find high-quality images that can be used freely without having to worry about permissions or licensing so you are free to use the photos in your content and also there is no watermark on photos
The only cons are that some photos contain people, and Pexels doesn't allow you to remove people from photos. Search your keyword and download as many as you want!
So there you have it. We hope that these specially curated websites will come in handy for content creators and small businesses alike. If you've got a site that should be on this list, let us know! And if you're looking for more content creator resources, then let us know in the comments section below
 |
| Photo:- Copy.ai |
First one on the list is copy.ai. It is an AI based copy writer tool. Basically what a copywriter tool does is, it gives you content that you can post on your blog or video when you give it a few descriptions about the topic you want content on.So copy ai can help you write instagram captions gives you blog idea, product descriptions, facebook content, startup ideas, viral ideas, a lot of things it can do, you just make an account in this website, then select a tool and fill in the necessary description and the AI will generate content on what you ask for.
For tutorials go to their official Youtube channel .An awesome tool that is going to be really handy in the future.
Hotpot.ai offers a collection of AI tools for designers, as well as for anyone, it has an “AI picture restorer” which removes scratches ,and basically restores your old photo into amazing pictures and makes it look brand new.
Ai picture colorizer , turns your black and white photo into color. And there is a background remover tool, picture enlarger and a lot more for designers, check it out,and explore all the tools.
Deep-nostalgia became very popular on the internet when people started
making reaction videos of their parents reacting to animated pictures of their grandparents. So deep - nostalgia is a very cool app, that will animate any photo of a person.
So what makes it really cool is that fact that you can upload an old photo of your family and see them animate and living. Which is pretty cool and creepy at the same time if they are dead already.. Really amazing service from myheritage, I created a lot of cool animations with my old photos as well as with the photos of my grandparents.
Having a nice looking profile picture is really important if you want that professional feel in your socials. Whether in linkedin or twitter having a
distinct and catchy profile picture can make all the difference. So that's where pfpmaker comes in. it a free online tool to create amazing professional profile pictures that fits you. It generates a lot of profile pictures and you can also make small changes to already created profile pictures if you want to,as well.
Speaking of brands, getting a good logo for your brand is the most frustrating
thing ever, so brandmark.io makes it super easy. It will create a logo for your brand within 2 clicks. So you goto this website. Type in your brand name and slogan if you have any, and give BRAND KEYWORDS that relate to your brand, then pick a color style and done, the ai will
generate amazing logos for you.You can also make minor edits to the suggested logos to better fit your needs as well. But to get that png you need to pay a hefty price, but if you are looking for some logo ideas, this is a great place to start.
Even in the previous websites, some had picture enlarger tools. This deep-image.ai is a dedicated image enlarger, which supports upto 4x enlargement for free. The UI is pretty good and the tool is pretty fast with amazing results.
Bigjpg does the same as deep-image.ai , but this service offers a little bit more options like if your photo is an artwork it scales image differently than normal photos and it supports upto 4x enlargement for free and you can also set noise reduction options. Very good tool,
Lumen5 is an online marketing video maker that makes it really easy to create branding or informational videos within a couple of clicks. They have really great templates and various aspect ratios for various social media platforms.
If you are struggling to find good names for your brand or youtube channel, give
namelix a try. It's an ai based name generator that will suggest good names for your brand depending on the keyword that you give.. Also logo for your brand. Pretty cool and an amazing piece of tool. So that's been it , those are my favourite free AI based tools that you can use right now,
Which one You like the most Let me know in the Comments below.
RSS Rabbit links users to publicly available RSS entries.
Vet every link before clicking! The creators accept no responsibility for the contents of these entries.
Relevant
Fresh
Convenient
Agile
We're not prepared to take user feedback yet. Check back soon!
